The operator Lpy = y' + Py, whose domain is determined in part by the Stieltjes integral boundary condition fo' dp(t)y(t) = 0, is studied in EP(O, 1), 1 < p < oo. It is shown that L. has a dense domain; hence there exists a dual operator L. operating on Xq,(O, 1). After finding L. we show that both L. and L. are Fredholm operators. This implies some elementary results concerning the spectrum and states of L.. Finally two eigenfunction expansions are derived.


This paper presents a methodology for developing Line Operational Evaluations (LOEs) which assess crew and individual pilot proficiency in the FAA's Advanced Qualification Program (AQP). Under AQP, Crew Resource Management (CRM) skills are trained and assessed along with technical maneuvers in the issuing of an Airmen type certification. The environment for assessing this technical and CRM proficiency is the LOE which must be designed and implemented under strict adherence to the requirements of AQP. The paper will discuss the five major steps in the design process, discuss the issues associated with scenario based measurement of pilot proficiency, and the application of statistical analysis to improve evaluator standardization and the reliability and validity of data.


This paper focuses on legal discourse to analyze how legal regulations have been altered to respond to the foreign spouses phenomenon. In particular, it employs a socio-legal analytical perspective to discuss how amending, executing, and manipulating the legal regulations on foreign spouses reflects an ideology of gender, patriarchy, social stability, and national security in Taiwan. The issue of the high rate of marriage with Mainland Chinese spouses involves unique complexities of nationality identity, terrain threats, and political-social climate changes between Taiwan and Mainland China. This paper explores how the intimacy regulation is different between Southeast Asian foreign spouses and Mainland Chinese spouses (with a primary focus on the former rather than the latter). It concludes by summarizing that, from a social perspective, cross-border marriages are promoted by multiple hierarchies (e.g., class, gender, culture, etc.) and are casting the female foreign spouse as an obedient wife, qualified mother, and dutiful daughter-in-law in order to profit the family/state. From a regulatory/legal perspective, the enforcement of various acts, rules, laws, and regulations may create a backlash originating from the nostalgia of patriarchy and stereotypical gender roles in marriage.


Results of 5 recently published independent studies suggest that the use of exogenous estrogen among perimenopausal and postmenopausal women is associated with increased risk of endometrial cancer. Feinstein and Horowitz have presented data refuting this posited relationship. The conclusions of these 6 reports are reviewed and the statistical problems involved in establishing a causal relationship between a trait such as the use of exogenous estrogen and the incidence of a cancer are discussed. In consideration of the thesis that a causal relationship exists between the use of exogenous estrogens in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women and the incidence of adenocarcinoma of the endometrium it is useful to pay attention to the available data on other environmental carcinogens. The incidencce of endometrial cancer is dependent upon the existence of a specific predisposing genotype. The specification of the predisposing genotype that defines the characteristic at risk has yet to be carried out. The phenotypic expression of the genotype is in part dependent upon accumulation of or exposure to specific events in the genetically predisposed. The information available at this time makes it difficult to avoid the conclusion that for at least a subset of women the use of exogenous estrogens in the perimenopausal and postmenopausal period may increase their risk of development of endometrial cancer. The lesion associated with the use of exogenous estrogen may represent a different lesion than that encountered in patients who have not used exogenous estrogen.


The present invention provides an LED lighting driver having a plurality of LED, the driver receives an input AC power from the AC power, and supplies the rectified output power to the LED include a voltage multiplication for generating the light beam. Further, there is provided a method for driving an LED light having a plurality of LED, the method comprising: receiving an AC input power with the input voltage, doubling the input voltage and supply a doubled output voltage to the LED, and the AC input rectifying the power and supplies the rectified output power to the LED and comprises a step of generating a light beam.


Exploiting the capability of an FPGA, a digital current controller of a single-phase inverter for grid interface is designed and implemented. A Proportional and Resonant (PR) controller realized in a parallel structure in the FPGA is used to reduce the harmonic current to ac grid. The harmonic compensators based on the PR controller are implemented up to the 19th order. The size of the LCL filter has been extremely reduced because the switching frequency is increased to 100 kHz. The validity of the FPGA based grid-connected single-phase inverter has been evaluated by experimental results.


The backlash against feminist criminology is intertwined with broader resistance to feminism
and other progressive social movements. Carol Smart noted in 1979 that changes in
women's social or economic status have long been perceived as threats to the patriarchal
gender order and are therefore "viewed with considerable misgiving, whilst any reinforcement
of the value of women's traditional, domestic role has been perceived as a stand against
further social decline and disorder" (Smart, 1979, p. 50). The contemporary backlash exists
at the nexus of economic and ideological retrenchment seeking to enforce the hegemony
of neoliberal conceptions of justice as formal equality. Critical criminology is linked to the
backlash against feminism in two key ways. First, critical criminology is an important location
for the study of antifeminism and its implications. Second, criminologists who study
women or gender have frequently been attacked by antifeminist scholars and commentators.


The following cases are sublmitted to the Society, witlh the view of calling attention to the power of galvanism in certain obstetrical emergencies. We Are indebted to nly friend and colleague, Dr. Radford, for the introduction of this agency into the practice of midwifery, and from what I hiave witnessed, I believe that obstetricians will ultimately acknowledge, that it is one of the most valuable additions that has been made to our obstetrical armamentarium in modern times. It is to be regretted, that since the publication of Dr. Radford's lecture on this stibject, in December, 1844, the attention of the profession has fixed itself upon the treatment of certain cases of placenta prmvia, by separating the placenta before delivery, rather than on the treatment of severe cases of uterine hern.orrhage generally by galvanism, which wvas the proper suiject of the lecture. It mnust not be supposed from this remark that I do not fully appreciate the great value and importance of that treatment, which indeed


Liver fibrosis occurs in many types of liver diseases, and then it will develop liver cancer following cirrhosis. Liver macrophage activation is reported to cause the development and exacerbation of liver fibrosis, but the mechanism is unclear. Moreover, there are no suitable models to investigate the mechanisms. In this study, we investigated if macrophage activation by Bacillus Calmette‐Guérin (BCG) enhances liver fibrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 ) on mice. We injected BCG or saline (control group) and then administered CCl 4 twice a week for 12 weeks. Compared to the control group, the area of liver fibrosis was significantly larger in the BCG group. In addition, many activated macrophages were found by immunohistochemical staining in the BCG group, but rarely found in the control group. These results suggest that hepatic macrophage activation may enhance liver fibrosis. Using this model, we will elucidate what mechanisms of development and exacerbation of liver fibrosis by macrophage activation.


The gene encoding the bacteriolytic enzyme cell wall peptidoglycan hydrolase from alkalophilic Bacillus sp. was cloned in E. coli using pBR322 as a vector. A recombinant plasmid, designated pYTR451, was isolated and the size of the cloned HindIII fragment was found to be 4.8 Kb. The cell wall hydrolysis activity of an extract of the E. coli harboring the recombinant plasmid pYTR 451 was detected by SDS- polyacrylamide gel containing 0.2% (w/v) purified cell wall of Bacillus sp. The molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated to be about 27, 000 corresponding to the molecular weight of the Bacillus sp. bacteriolytic enzyme. The recombinant plasmid was found to contain the fragment originated from Bacillus sp. YJ-451 chromosomal DNA by Southern hybridization.


This report will be of interest to individuals involved in ongoing discussions and debates about urban sprawl and its effects. Section I provides a working definition of sprawl and its associated costs, then provides historical discussion, dating back to the early 1920s when zoning acts were initially developed, and to the 1950s when the term "sprawl" entered the planning literature. Section II contains a Literature Synthesis. This section systematically presents the literature on sprawl in chapters that focus on the following major areas of impact: public/private capital and operating costs; transportation and travel costs; land/natural habitat preservation; quality of life; and social issues. Section III of the report presents annotations of studies, organized in chapters that focus on the same five major impact areas as Section II. While this report will not resolve the debate on the benefits and costs of urban sprawl, it provides an important repository of information for the debaters. An Index is provided.


Introduction Journalists should protect their sources. They should, above all, protect those sources (including whistleblowers), that have provided them with information in confidence. This principle is included in journalistic codes of ethics around the world. It is a precept that is frequently interpreted rigidly, and at times so rigidly that it can put journalists in direct conflict with legal requirements to disclose information. Should a journalist comply with the law but break the ethical rule, the journalistic community will frequently condemn such an act.


X iv :1 91 2. 00 83 6v 1 [ he pph ] 2 D ec 2 01 9 Study of the radiative decay J/ψ→ ηc + γ in light cone sum rules Song-Pei Guo, 2, ∗ Yan-Jun Sun, 2, † Wei Hong, 2, ‡ Qi Huang, 2, § and Guo-Hua Zhao 2, ¶ College of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China Research Center for Hadron and CSR Physics, Lanzhou University and Institute of Modern Physics of CAS, Lanzhou 730000, China At present, there are many experimental and theoretical results for J/ψ → ηc + γ process, while the results are inconsistent based on different methods and considerations. In this paper, the light cone sum rule method is used in studying the radiative decay J/ψ → ηc + γ. We give the transition form factor of this process based on the leading twist distribution amplitude of ηc meson, with this form factor further obtain the decay width. Our result is compatible with recent experimental date within errors, and it is consistent with the results of previous sum rule method. A comparison of our result with others' about the decay width is also presented.


A small, unremarkable image appeared at the bottom right corner of the May 26, 1961 issue of the Jackson, Mississippi, daily newspaper, the Clarion Ledger. In the photograph, a White baby sports sunglasses and a white bonnet, propping up a book titled How to Retire Young between his chubby fingers (1961, AP Wirephoto). It is the kind of image that would elicit a noncommittal chuckle if, in fact, the caption was not a telling example of Mississippi's long-standing resistance to integration and the casual ways in which this sentiment permeated visual culture. A pendant to the headline "Racial Scene is Quiet Once More in Jackson," the caption reads "Tired of 'riders' and their pictures? How's this one for relief?"1 The riders in question were participants in the 1961 Freedom Rides, a summer demonstration organized by CORE, the Congress for Racial Equality, to test the Interstate Commerce Act; the more recent 1960 Supreme Court decision, Boynton v. Virginia; and the recently elected John F. Kennedy, who had made promises to protect every American's constitutional rights.2


Abstract We prove logarithmic convergence rate of the Levenberg–Marquardt method in a Hilbert space if a logarithmic source condition is satisfied. This method is applied to an inverse potential problem. Numerical implementations demonstrate the convergence rate.


: The current study was conducted to explore the role of education in promoting religious harmony and tolerance among pharmacy students. The main objective of the study was to investigate the relationship between the two variables. The students enrolled in Pharm-D at GC University Faisalabad were the population of the study. One hundred and thirty students participated in the study. They belonged to department of Pharmacy and selected randomly. Data were collected with the help of self-constructed instrument, Religious Harmony and Tolerance Survey [RHTS]. Pearson r was applied to analyze the data. The reliability of the instrument was .773. The results revealed that there were statistically significant and strong positive correlation among all the indicators of religious harmony and tolerance. No significant relationship between the role of teachers and religious harmony was found. All the indicators of religious harmony are statistically significant with the indicators of tolerance. Further studies may be conducted to train the students to improve religion harmony and tolerance among them at university level.


Due to the high number of traffic victims at night the detection and classification of obstacles in night scenes is an important goal of vision based driver assistance systems. Especially non-luminescent objects, like humans and animals, are of interest. In our night-vision project, we use a passive far-infrared sensor to achieve this goal. A pixel based statistical classifier, a region-based segmentation algorithm and a polynomial classifier are used to detect and classify objects. The first classifier finds interesting regions with potential objects, the region-based segmentation algorithm is used to resegment those ROIs, and a quadratic polynomial classifier determines the type of the object. The resegmentation module provides an improvement in detection exactness and classification errors.


Objective
To investigate the clinical manifestations and biochemical characteristics of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaric aciduria, and discuss results of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A lyase (HMGCL) gene mutation.

Methods
The clinical data of a boy with 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaric aciduria who was treated at Peking University First Hospital on December 7th 2014 was collected into this study. The admission examination, auxiliary examination, diagnosis and treatment, gene detection and follow-up of this boy were retrospectively analyzed. The study protocol was approved by the Ethical Review Board of Investigation in Human Being of Peking University First Hospital. Informed consents were obtained from patient's parents.

Results
The boy complained of unexplained diarrhea, vomiting, repeated hematemesis, fever 2 d and coma 3 h. The admission examination and auxiliary examination results showed increased white blood cell count, liver damage, electrolyte imbalance, low blood sugar, blood clotting abnormalities, low-protein, high ammonia, metabolic acidosis. Cranial MRI result showed that abnormal signal could be found in bilateral lateral ventricle and double fronto-temporal parietal cortex. The final diagnosis of the boy was 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaric aciduria. By limiting protein intake, intravenous infusion of glucose and L-carnitine treatment, the symptom alleviated gradually. Genetic analysis results showed that exon region of HMGCL was found two heterozygous mutation point: c. 509G> T and c. 348 + 1 G>C, where c. 509G> T was heterozygous mutation from the mother, c. 348 + 1 G>C emerged in child homozygous mutation, the mutation site of c. 348+ 1G>C splice site mutation caused amino acid changes p. Cys170Phe, splicing (cysteine phenylalanine, shear mutation). After discharge, the six months follow-up results showed as follow. Psychomotor developed slightly behind the health children, but no significant setback. The boy lived in good general condition, and biochemical markers and the level of urinary 3-hydroxy-3-methylpentyl reduce to normal range.

Conclusions
3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaric aciduria is one of rare autosomal recessive genetic disease. Genetic gene detection and genetic analysis of HMGCL was helpful not only to diagnose the disease, but also crucial important to genetic counseling for family guidance and prenatal diagnosis.

Key words:
3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaric aciduria; 3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A lyase gene; Organic acid; Metabolic diseases; Child


Patterns of prescribing extended wear contact lenses in the UK were determined by mining through data gathered from annual contact lens fitting surveys conducted over the past 12 years. The increased rate of extended wear prescribing this century - which in 2007 had reached 7% and19% ofallsoftlensnewfitsandrefits, respectively-probablyreflects thesuperior clinicalperformanceof siliconehydrogellenses forthis purpose.


The transmittance of waves through one-dimensional periodic and Octonacci photonic structures was studied using the theoretical transfer matrix method for both wave-polarization-modes. The first structures were made up of the SiO2 and TiO2 materials. The objective here was to obtain a broad omnidirectional high reflector covering the infrared spectrum of a thermographic camera [1–14 µm] and, especially, to prevent the transmission of emitted human body peak radiation λmax = 9.341 µm. By comparing the periodic and Octonacci structures, we found that the last structure presented a main and wide photonic band gap near this human radiation. For that, we kept only the Octonacci structure for the rest of the study. The first structure did not give the aspired objective; thus, we replaced the TiO2 layers with yttrium barium copper oxide material, and a significant enhancement of the omnidirectional photonic band gap was found for both TE and TM polarization modes. It was shown that the width of this band was sensitive to the Octonacci iteration number and the optical thickness (by changing the reference wavelength), but it was not affected by the ambient temperature. The number of layers and the thickness of the structure was optimized while improving the omnidirectional high reflector properties.


The article discusses some new approaches to teaching literature and literary history in the digital age. In an era when access to primary as well as to secondary literature is no longer an exclusive privilege, the teacher, free of the obligation to provide essential information, should instead provide the students with means of orientation. In this aim, typical, illustrative texts of (relatively) minor authors (such as Theophile Gautier) should be read and discussed in class besides the works belonging to the literary canon.


D scandens (Derris scandens Benth.) and E scaber (Elephantopus scaber Linn.) contain flavonoids and phenolic acids, which have antitumor activity in various cancer cell lines. Oral cancer is among the most common cancers in Southeast Asia, and the survival rate remains low. Thus, this study screened 2 ethanolic plant extracts for cytotoxicity on the oral human squamous carcinoma cell line (HSC-2), and compared the mechanisms of action. Extracts of D scandens and E scaber showed cytotoxicity against HSC-2 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Observation of nuclear morphology by Hoechst 33342 staining revealed chromatin condensation. Apoptosis was confirmed by Annexin V-FITC staining and cell sorting (fluorescence-activated cell sorting) analysis. We demonstrated that cancer apoptosis was accompanied by changes in the expression of procaspase 3 and that D scandens-mediated apoptosis in HSC-2 cells was potentiated by protein kinase B (Akt) and B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), while E scaber apoptosis was mediated by mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways, involving stress-activated protein kinases/jun amino-terminal kinase (SAPK/JNK) and p38-MAPK. Further investigation into targets for apoptosis induction by these plant extracts may have potential in oral cancer therapy.


Summary An investigation of morphological variation within the Haloragis erecta complex in New Zealand reveals that this widespread anemophilous perennial herb varies greatly from one locality to another, and is seldom constant in all characters even within one local population. Nevertheless, individual plants often breed true for their characters. Plants from different areas are not reproductively isolated, and will recombine their differentiating characters when crossed. The presence or absence of scabridity, one of the most important taxonomic characters of this group of plants. is inherited in a relatively simple way. Taxonomic recognition of various local or regional forms seems neIther warranted nor practicable at the present stage of evolution, and the segregation of H. colensoi Skottsb. from the complex is nllt supported. However, H. cartilaginea Cheesem., a local species found only near North Cape. differs morpnoloJ.;ically from all other forms of the H. erecta complex in New Zealand and has also...


FIELD: measurement equipment. SUBSTANCE: invention relates to measurement of perforations in oil wells. The method comprises a. placement of the logging device comprising an ultrasonic receiver-radiator in a well with a casing pipe, and the ultrasonic receiver-radiator has a focal point located at a distance from the ultrasonic receiver-radiator so that it is located behind the internal surface of the casing pipe. b. radiation of ultrasonic signal from the ultrasonic receiver-radiator, c. detection of reflection of ultrasonic signal from internal part of the perforation passing through the casing pipe into formation, d. measurement of time passed between the transmission and reception of ultrasonic signal, e. determination of position of the ultrasonic receiver-radiator, corresponding to ultrasonic transmission and reception of the reflected signal, f. iteration of the step b) - e) several times and record of the obtained data. g. computer processing of the obtained data and determination of sizes of the perforation, h. meanwhile the ultrasonic receiver-radiator is located at a distance from the casing pipe of a borehole, at least, one third of the minimum length of the open channel to be measured, i. meanwhile the distance is such that reflections from the casing pipe reverberate and significantly dissipate before the reflection from inside the perforation is received by the ultrasonic receiver-radiator. EFFECT: reduction of reverberation noise. 12 cl, 12 dwg


The artisan woman appears strongly in issues of local economic development, being the bearer of ancestral knowledge and transmitter of the same. The objective is to analyze the regional economic development that is generated around the craft sale, customer hugging, pride in their roots. It is based on the qualitative method under the oral history methodology, under the open categorization procedure. Applying semi-structured survey technique, field observation and interview, within the first semester of the year 2021. With a representation of 25 oral histories, 25 surveys and 10 interviews, applied to a Ralámuri woman from the ejido San Luis de Majimachi, Bocoyna, Chihuahua, Mexico.The results show an economic flow in the tourist regions of the municipality of Bocoyna and tourist centers near the Ejido San Luis de Majimachi through , the sale of handicrafts, triggering the main attraction the Ralámuri culture, in addition, the autonomy of women fordecision-making regardingfamily spending,what to produce, how to produce it and for whom to do it, the high degree of haggling for its clients and unfair sales by resellers is shown, in addition, the pride of its ralámuri roots and being an artisan was verified


In this paper, we study the non-Riemannian quantity H in Finsler geometry. We obtain some rigidity theorems of a compact Finsler manifold under some conditions related to H. We also prove that the S-curvature for a Randers metric is almost isotropic if and only if H almost vanishes. In particular, S-curvature is isotropic if and only if H = 0.


Purpose: The choice of treatment plan in external beam radiotherapy relies mainly on the personal experience of specialists. The corresponding evaluation processes are highly subjective and prone to inaccuracies. This is why the development of user‐friendly, computer‐assisted decision tools would be quite useful for clinical purposes. Methods: We propose here one such tool, which makes use of data extracted from dose volume histograms DVH (differential and accumulative) of several treatment plans obtained from commercial planners. By means of it we can compare treatment plans taking into account the dose covering of the planning target volume (PTV), organs at risk (OAR) and healthy tissue (HT), as well as the conformity and homogeneity indexes. A weighted cost function is proposed to assess the global relevance of these terms. Several test cases taken from previous clinical treatments have been studied. In any of them a plan is selected out of a number of choices. These were obtained by varying the number, intensity and angles of beams in treatments with IMRT and 3D conformal techniques. Results: We have found a new figure of merit that permits to compare different treatment plans on a quantitative basis. Conclusions: We have obtained a good agreement between choices made according to this figures of merit and actually selected treatments plans.


Author(s): Pfeifer, William K.; Goos, Michael W. | Abstract: Guard dogs and as exploders have been successfully used in North Dakota to protect sheep from coyote (Canis latrans) depredation since the mid-1970s. They have been used in addition to other lethal and nonlethal control tools. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service gathered information from field testing and landowner interviews to measure their effectiveness. Guard dogs reduced the rate of depredation by 93 percent on the 36 ranches surveyed. Gas exploders deterred coyotes from depredating on 30 ranches an average of 31 days during the 1980 and 1981 grazing seasons. An increasing number of sheep producers are using these control methods to reduce losses and become less dependent on a publicly funded damage control program.


A global variable mesh model (ARPEGE), an hydrostatic limited area model (ALADIN) with a 9.5km resolution over several regions of the world and a non-hydrostatic 2.5km resolution model (AROME) over France are used operationally at Météo-France for weather forecasting. Important modifications of the subgrid vertical mixing parameterization used in the hydrostatic models became operationnal in February 2009. The Louis scheme (Louis, 1979) associated to a pseudo-shallow convection parameterization (Geleyn, 1987) has been replaced by a prognostic Turbulent Kinetic Energy scheme (TKE) associated to a mass flux shallow convection scheme. This development is characterised by a broad convergence between the parameterizations used in hydrostatic models with those of the operationnal non-hydrostatic model AROME.


In this paper, we introduce a new type of sensor: cable sensor. Unlike traditional point sensors, this type of sensor has a rectangular sensing region with a processor installed on it to do processing and communication. The wireless network formed by this kind of sensor is called wireless cable sensor network (WCSN). We study energy-efficient communication algorithms in WCSNs. We address it in two ways: one is through reducing the total transmission power of processors while maintaining the connectivity of the network and the other is through scheduling cable sensors to let them take turns to go to sleep without affecting the coverage and connectivity of the network. In the first approach, we initially develop a distributed algorithm called DTRNG based on the relative neighbourhood graph. Later we enhance it to Algorithm determine the transmission power by removing the largest edge in CYCles (DTCYC). Mathematical proofs show that Algorithm DTCYC provides an optimal solution that can not only minimise the total processor transmission power but maintain the connectivity of the network as well. In the second approach, we propose a cable mode transition algorithm which determines the minimum number of active sensors to maintain K-coverage as well as K-connectivity required by the application. We discuss the relationship between coverage and connectivity and prove the theorems that lay the foundation for our algorithm. Simulation results demonstrate that our algorithm is efficient in saving energy.


Background: Ancestor worship in China used to be an indispensable component of marriage and family life because it fostered an orientation toward perpetuating the family line. However, whether or not ancestor worship still matters in contemporary China is an open question. Objective: This article presents a comprehensive study of the association between ancestor worship practices and 1) the timing of transition to first marriage, 2) the pattern of childbearing, and 3) the orientation toward son preference. Methods: Drawing on the adult sample from the Chinese Family Panel Studies 2010, several multivariate models (Cox proportional hazard model, probit regression model, negative binomial regression models, and ordered probit model) were fitted, corresponding to different types of outcome. Results: All else being equal, involvement in ancestor worship practices is correlated with 1) an early transition to marriage, 2) a larger number of children, 3) a higher probability of having at least one son, and 4) a larger number of sons. Conclusions: The relevance of the kinship tradition to family formation persists in contemporary China and has not faded away. Contribution: By highlighting the demographic implications of ancestor worship, this study illustrates the ongoing connection between culture and demography.


Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are hazardous compounds originating from anthropogenic activity. Due to their carcinogenic properties for humans, several technologies have been developed for PAH removal. Sorption with natural and organic materials is currently one of the most studied due to its low cost and its environmentally friendly nature. In this work, a hybrid sorbent involving functionalized humic acids (HAs) and nano-zeolite is proposed to entrap PAHs. The use of functionalized HAs immobilized in a porous support is designed to address the instability of HAs in solution, which has been already reported. HA functionalization was carried out to increase the non-polarity of HAs and aliphatic group formation. The HAs were functionalized by esterification/etherification with alkyl halides, and their chemical changes were verified by FTIR and NMR. The sorption isotherms of the functionalized HAs in micro- and nano-zeolites were used to assess the performance of the nano-zeolites in adsorbing these HAs. The hybrid support allowed the removal of anthracene and pyrene at percentages higher than 90%; fluoranthene, of angular molecular structure, was adsorbed at 85%. PAHs are ubiquitous in the environment, and a stable sorption of them in solid matrices will allow their removal from the environment through effective and environmentally friendly methods.


The invention provides a cloud server, a node interconnection method thereof and a cloud server system. The cloud server comprises a plurality of CPU (central processing unit) nodes interconnected inside a cabinet system through Rapidio networks, the CPU nodes are interconnected to form a regular hexahedron structure, each CPU node comprises six interconnection lines, the CPU nodes include a full connection node, face nodes, edge nodes and corner nodes, the full connection node is positioned at the center of a regular hexahedron, all the six interconnection lines of the full connection node are internal interconnection lines, the face nodes are positioned inside faces of the regular hexahedron, five of the six interconnection lines of each face node are internal interconnection lines, one of the six interconnection lines of each face node is an external interconnection line, the edge nodes are positioned inside edges of the regular hexahedron, four of the six interconnection lines of each edge node are internal interconnection lines, two of the six interconnection lines of each edge node are external interconnection lines, the corner nodes are positioned at ends of the edges of the regular hexahedron, three of the six interconnection lines of each corner node are internal interconnection lines, and the rest three of the six interconnection lines of each corner node are external interconnection lines. The cloud server is built by making full use of the advantages of the networks, and the performance of the cloud server system is remarkably improved.


CONTEXT
Discontinuation of denosumab leads to a rapid reversal of its therapeutic effect. However, there are no data regarding how unintended delays or missed injections of denosumab impact bone mineral density (BMD) response.

OBJECTIVE
We examined the association of delays in injections of denosumab with BMD change.

DESIGN
We used electronic medical records from two academic hospitals from 2010 to 2017.

PARTICIPANTS
Patients over 45 years of age and used at least two doses of 60mg denosumab. Denosumab adherence was evaluated by the medication coverage ratio (MCR). Good adherence corresponds to a dosing interval ≤7 months (defined by MCR ≥93%), moderate adherence corresponds to an interval of 7-10 months (MCR 75-93%), and poor adherence corresponds to an interval ≥10 months (MCR ≤74%).

OUTCOME MEASURES
Annualized percent BMD change from baseline at the lumbar spine, total hip, and femoral neck.

RESULTS
We identified 938 denosumab injections among 151 patients; the mean (SD) age was 69 (10) years, and 95% were female. Patients with good adherence had an annualized BMD increase of 3.9% at the lumbar spine, compared with patients with moderate (3.0%) or poor adherence (1.4%, p for trend 0.002). Patients with good adherence had an annualized BMD increase of 2.1% at the total hip, compared with patients with moderate (1.3%) or poor adherence (0.6%, p for trend 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS
A longer interval between denosumab injections is associated with suboptimal BMD response at both spine and total hip. Strategies to improve the timely administration of denosumab in real-world settings are needed.


Type of property in digital era radically changed. The emersion of cyberspace, ontologically show up legal question: why kind of law applied to answer virtual property right? Whether using new law or adjusting existing law by reconceptualising it to be applied in cyberspace. After the discussion of legal concept, the concept of legal right also raised as the consequences of the legal problems. If the law is simplified, the rule element consists of: legal subject, legal object and legal action. Based on legal premises, formulating legal prescription of virtual property right become interesting to discuss. With clear certainty concept of virtual property right, then the right inherence also become visible.


Commercial pricing decisions reflect a plethora of factors: costs incurred in both product development and production; the position of competitors; the negotiating strength of customers; the value of the product to customers in downstream markets; and so on. Yet the challenge of understanding the motivations behind, and implications of, pricing decisions has not prevented competition authorities from seeking to intervene over pricing in a small number of cases, if only because they receive complaints from customers or competitors. The European Commission's Qualcomm case provides an example (see p. 2). Such actions are controversial, in large part due to the lack of simple rules to assess pricing. The aim of this article is to explore the concept and implications of the principle of FRAND—fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory—pricing. (In the USA, RAND is the relevant concept as the fairness element is absent.) Commitments to price on FRAND terms can be seen in standards-setting arenas and in abuse of dominance cases. This raises a number of complicated legal and policy questions, the answers to which require input from economics and financial analysis.


The reform of Russian legislation is perceived as the normal state of law, and belongs to the category of permanent, hidden processes. Moreover, the latter may include such reform of legislation, which establishes at the state level those methods of regulation that have already been formed by society. However, usually the reform processes of the Russian legislation entail suspicion, and sometimes misunderstanding of


Recent field experience with shallow, normal pressured wells in South Texas demonstrated an invert emulsion oil mud employed with a polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) bit significantly increased PDC bit rate of penetration (ROP) and life. Each well used an invert emulsion oil mud from surface casing to total depth and a PDC bit to drill the majority of the same interval. This resulted in substantial cost savings compared to KCl/polymer and freshwater mud systems. To realize the full cost savings potential, hydraulics and mud programs were designed to maximize PDC bit performance and minimize oil mud costs. This paper examines field results and develops a correlation between hydraulics and mud programs and optimum invert emulsion oil mud-PDC bit performance.


Platinum(II) complexes containing S,S- or R,R-trans-2-butene and various L-amino carboxylate, i.e. cis(N,olefin)[PtCl(L-prolinate)(S,S-trans-2-butene)] and trans(N,olefin)[PtCl(L-am)(S,S- or R,R-trans-2-butene)], were synthesized (L-am=L-prolinate, N-methyl-L-prolinate, N-benzyl-L-prolinate, L-alaninate and L-valinate). The kinetics of the inversion reaction of the coordinated S,S- or R,R-trans-2-butene was investigated in acetone in the presence of an excess of trans-2-butene at 8.0 °C. Second order rate law was obeyed with respect to the concentrations of the complex and free olefin, and no solvent path was observed. In the trans (N,olefin) complexes, interactions steric around the coordinated nitrogen atoms seems to be responsible in determining the ease of inversion via an associative mechanism. On the other hand, smaller rate for the cis(N,olefin) complex than the corresponding trans isomer seems to be due to the trans effect.


Abstract:In the summer of 1941, longstanding animosities surrounding disagreement over the demarcation of the border between Ecuador and Peru escalated into armed conflict between the two nations. The Peruvian military occupied the western Ecuadoran province of El Oro Frossm July 1941 until February 1942. Tens of thousands of refugees fled the region and returned to find the already underdeveloped area to be further compromised by the destruction left behind. Under the leadership of Nelson Rockefeller, the U.S. Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs (OIAA) sent an emergency mission to the El Oro province to survey the region and to make recommendations for rehabilitating the area. Members of the El Oro Technical Mission concluded that providing rehabilitation assistance in the region would allow the United States to make an immediately practical and valuable contribution not just to the situation in Ecuador, but also more broadly to hemispheric unity. During the next two years, the OIAA spearheaded efforts to rebuild and improve the El Oro province. This article examines those rehabilitation efforts as a calculated approach to protecting US strategic interests combined with a discourse of cultural diplomacy in Latin America during World War II.


The current study is dedicated for operating the Lie symmetry approach, to complex short pulse equation. The method reduces the complex short pulse equation to a system of ordinary differential equations with the help of suitable similarity transformations. Consequently, these systems of nonlinear ordinary differential equations under each subalgebras are solved for exact solutions. Further, with the help of similarity variable, similarity solutions and exact solutions of nonlinear ordinary differential equation, soliton solutions of the complex short pulse equation are obtained which are in form of hyperbolic functions and trigonometric functions.


Objective:To explore the effect of Shengmaiyin Jiawei in preventing salivary gland damaged by nasoparyngeal carcinoma radiotherapy. Methods:96 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma received curative radiotherapy were randomly divided into two groups:experiment group(radiotherapy and traditional and Chinese medicine) and control group(pure radiotherapy) . Total dose of radiotherapy was 60-70 Gy,6-7 weeks,conventional fractioned,radiotherapy field included face and neck coalition. The level of salivary gland damaged was checked by the visual analogue scale(VAS) and the time of waterish filter paper. Results:The VAS of the experimental group was less than the control group in the dryness of the mouth(P 0.01);in the quantity of salivary secretion,the former was higher than the later(P 0.01) . Conclusion:Shengmaiyin Jiawei can prevent from salivary gland damaged and abate the symptom of dryness of the mouth effectively,and improve the quality of life.


Abstract : THE OXIDATION AND REDUCTION POTENTIALS OF MAIN GROUP METALLOPHTHALOCYANINES ARE SHOWN TO FOLLOW A LINEAR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FUNCTION R/(ZE) (RADIUS/CHARGE). This relationship may be used to facilitate the design of photocatalysts with specific redox potentials. (Author)


Although use of electronic nicotine delivery system devices, such as e‐cigarettes and vapor pens, is on the rise, no treatment protocols exist to help such users quit. We report the case of a 24‐year‐old patient in a tobacco treatment program who successfully quit e‐cigarette use by using nicotine replacement therapy.


Purpose— To compare the efficacy of adrenal radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in treating unilateral aldosterone producing adenomas (APA) with adrenalectomy. Materials and Methods— Between 04/2008–09/2013, 44 patients with adrenal venous sampling confirmed (lateralization index ≥ 4) unilateral APA underwent adrenal RFA (12/44 [27%]) or adrenalectomy (32/44 [73%]). Outcomes of patients treated with adrenal RFA (51±11 years, 4/12 male) were compared to patients treated with adrenalectomy (50±11 years, 19/32 male). Pre-treatment blood pressure (145±19/94±13 vs. 144±10/89±8; p=0.92), number of anti-hypertensives (3.0 ±1.3 vs. 2.7±0.89; p=0.38) and serum potassium (3.2±0.6 vs. 3.5±0.6 mEq/L; p=0.65) of RFA and adrenalectomy patients were similar. Results— Both RFA and adrenalectomy resulted in post-procedural normokalemia (RFA: 4.2±0.1 mEq/L; p=0.0004 vs. adrenalectomy: 4.3±0.6 mEq/L; p<0.0001) and normotension (RFA: 129±11/81±11 mmHg; p=0.02/0.001 Conclusion— RFA to treat APA can achieve clinical outcomes that approach adrenalectomy but result in shorter hospital stays. Larger, prospective trials are needed to validate these results. in the treatment of functional adrenal tumors 13–16 . This study compares outcomes of RFA vs. adrenalectomy in treating AVS-confirmed unilateral APA.


Body language is an essential factor in sports teaching.Like oral language and written language,body language plays critical role in the procedure of sports teaching for its accuracy and clarity of expression.


The purpose of this investigation was to enhancement of solubility of cinnarizine by using solid dispersion technique solvent evaporation method using polymer PEG 6000 & develop combination ODT of cinnarizine with domperidone by using direct compression technique using crospovidone, croscarmellose sodium and sodium starch glycolateas a superdisintegrants. The preformulation study includes the compatability of drugs with the polymers by using FTIR,UV,TLC. The batches were evaluated for weight variation, hardness, friability, drug content, wetting time, IN In-vitro dispersion, in-vitro dissolution. The formulation F2 which contain 8% crospovidone and 10 % sodium starch glycolate showed best results and rapid in-vitro dissolution. The results revealed that the tablets containing superdisintegrants combination had a good dissolution profile. The drug content of all the batches was within the acceptable limits of the United States Pharmacopoeia with maximum drug being released at all timeintervals. The present study demonstrated potentials for rapidabsorption, improved bioavailability, effective therapy and patientcompliance. The results conclusively demonstrate successful enhancement of solubility, disintegration and dissolution of the formulated tablets.


type="main" xml:id="jage12105-abs-0001"> While many studies have employed stated preferences methods to estimate the value of non-market ecosystem goods and services, contingent valuation (CV) still generates a significant amount of criticism. Besides ethical concerns, two of the key criticisms relate to insensitivity to scope and order effects. We examine the expectation that the presence of order effects in stepwise disclosure procedures affects the degree of scope sensitivity. We use data from a CV exercise asking farmers in Southern Spain to value two different levels of guarantee of water supply for irrigation in a context of water scarcity. We find that despite order effects being present, they do not affect the existence or the degree of sensitivity to scope. We conclude that, in the light of the mixed evidence found in the literature and the results of our study, it does not seem justified to ascribe order effects and their connection with sensitivity to scope to study design alone (e.g. step-wise versus advanced disclosure, top-down versus bottom-up). The nature of the environmental good under valuation also matters. Our study of irrigation water as a common-pool resource suggests that, when clear private benefits also exist, these appear to override any 'good cause dumping effect' that might arise from the public good component.


In August 2004, the International Network for Economic Method (INEM) held a stand-alone conference at the Faculty of Economics and Econometrics at the University of Amsterdam. The conference included over sixty papers (more than triple the number at the previous INEM conference), two roundtables – 'Postmodernism, A Review' and 'Gender and Smith's Theory of Moral Sentiments' – and a plenary on Bruce Caldwell's Hayek's Challenge. Norton Wise gave the Keynote Address, 'Sherlock Holmes Meets Contemporary Science', and Philippe Mongin gave the Distinguished Lecture, 'Value Judgments and Value Neutrality in Economics'. This issue of the Journal of Economic Methodology offers a selection of the large number of very fine papers presented at the conference. All the papers offered for the issue were of very high quality – a sign that economic methodology is active and flourishing.


Trade secrets are specifically regulated in Law Number 30 of 2000 concerning trade secrets. Article 3 point 4 of the Law states that information is deemed to be kept confidential if the owner or the parties controlling it have taken appropriate and proper steps. This article discusses the extent of efforts made by the Director of PT. Haifa Paraestetiderma to protect its trade secrets is reviewed under the trade secret law in order to find out whether it is eligible to be considered a trade secret so that it gets maximum legal protection. The research method used in this research is a juridical empirical approach with research specifications in the form of descriptive analysis. Based on the research results, it is known that the Director of PT. Haifa Paraestetiderma has made various efforts to protect the trade secrets of its company so that it deserves recognition as a trade secret and maximum legal protection.


Dry eye syndrome is a common disorder of the tear film among elderly adults. Dry eye is caused by decreased tear production, excessive tear evaporation, and an abnormality in the production of mucus or lipids normally found in the tear layer, or a combination of these. Poor production of tears by the lacrimal gland may be a result of age, hormonal changes, or various autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis. Evaporative loss of the watery tear layer is usually a result of an insufficient overlying lipid layer. Dry eyes can usually be diagnosed by the symptoms alone. A slit lamp examination can be performed to diagnose dry eyes and to document any damage to the eye. A Schimer's test can measure the amount of moisture bathing the eye. Health care professionals have the responsibilities to minimise the level of dry eye among elderly adults by various measures such as warm compression, hygienic care, and dietary modification. Moreover, it minimizes the risk of infection and integrated treatment for any associated dry eye syndrome.


Just like the Internet and cellular revolutions preceding it, mobile messaging TV may alter the viewing habits of millions of cable subscribers in the years to come.


Rapid Robot Prototyping (R2P) is an open source HW/SW framework providing components for the rapid development of robotic applications. R2P framework components reuse and easy integration is obtained through an embedded real-time publish/subscribe middleware which allows distributed control loops to be set up in a flexible way. R2P aims at increasing hardware and software reuse while reducing integration time. In this paper we present the R2P framework detailing its architectural design and an example of robot platform developed with R2P. We also briefly discuss the flexibility of the approach and the easiness of reuse of its components.


Traditional epidemiological methods for associating environmental exposures to human health are often limited in their ability to uncover molecular mechanisms that link molecular perturbations indu...


The axial singularity solution for the axisymmetric inverse problem has been extended to utilize doublet elements with linear intensity distribution. The solution converges faster than the source-based method, and is therefore quite promising. A procedure based on this solution has been used to design low-drag laminar fuselage shapes for small aircraft applications with a volumetric Reynolds number range of 10-30 million. A profile with a fineness ratio of 6, transition at 40% of body length, and volumetric drag coefficient of 0.012 at a nominal /?v of 15 million, has been developed. The present inverse procedure was shown to be a powerful alternative to optimization methods. Several transition criteria were investigated in the course of the study. The Crabtree criterion appears to be the most consistent. Experimental transition data for axisymmetric bodies at high (flight) Reynolds numbers are urgently needed. Nomenclature CDV = volumetric drag coefficient based on V 2/3 as characteristic area /,. = fineness ratio, body length/maximum diameter H = boundary-layer shape factor, 8*/9 L = body length / = length of an axial-singularity element n = number of doublet elements q = local velocity on body surface (at the edge of the boundary layer) RL = length Reynolds number based on UM and L Rs = Reynolds number based on local velocity and s Rx = Reynolds number based on local velocity and jc Re = Reynolds number based on local velocity and 9 7?v = volumetric Reynolds number based on Ux and V1/3 r. — local body radius and radial coordinate 5 = length along body surface starting at nose Ux = freestream velocity u = axial component of q v = radial component of q X = nondimensional axial coordinate, x/L


Recommender systems have emerged as a class of essential tools in the success of modern e-commerce applications. These applications typically handle large datasets and often face challenges like data sparsity and scalability. Clustering techniques help to reduce the computational time needed for recommendation as well as handle the sparsity problem more efficiently. Traditional clustering based recommender systems create partitions (clusters) of the user-item rating matrix and execute the recommendation algorithm in the clusters separately in order to decrease the overall runtime of the system. Each user or item generally belong to at most one cluster. However, it may so happen that some users (boundary users) present in a particular cluster exhibit higher similarity with the preferences of the users residing in the nearby clusters than the ones present in their own cluster. Therefore, we propose a clustering based scalable recommendation algorithm that has a provision for switching a user from its original cluster to another cluster in order to provide more accurate recommendations. For a user belonging to multiple clusters, we aggregate recommendations from those clusters to which the user belongs in order to produce the final set of recommendations to that user. In this work, we propose two types of clustering, one on the basis of rating and the other on the basis of frequency and then compare their performances. Finally, we explore the applicability of cluster ensembles techniques in the proposed method. Our aim is to develop a recommendation framework that can scale well to handle large datasets without much affecting the recommendation quality. The outcomes of our experiments clearly demonstrate the scalability as well as efficacy of our method. It reduces the runtime of the baseline CF algorithm by a minimum of 58% and a maximum of 90% for MovieLens-10M dataset, and a minimum of 42% and a maximum of 84% for MovieLens-20M dataset. The accuracies of recommendations in terms of F1, MAP and NDCG metrics are also better than the existing clustering based recommender systems.


Genetic diversity, spatial genetic structure and gene flow of yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis A. St. Hil.) in two forest fragments on at area around of the Iguassu National Park The yerba mate, Ilex paraguariensis, is a species dioecious, climax with wide natural range. Despite their economic and ecological importance are few studies of genetics and conservation of the specie. The overall objective this work was to study the genetic diversity, spatial genetic structure and gene flow by seed dispersal in two natural populations of I. paraguariensis around the National Park of Iguassu, using microsatellite molecular markers. It found low levels of genetic diversity at eight loci analyzed, and greater genetic divergence between populations than within population. The I. paraguariensis showed low population density with 0.27 to 0.29 trees per haand spatial clustered distribution, however was not observed evidence of spatial genetic structure. The average distance of pollen dispersal was 393 m and seed dispersal reached near 2,000 m. The results suggest that the genetic basis of species is not large, which may carry the I. paraguariensis to critical state of conservation due to genetic erosion caused by the destruction of their natural environments.


The approach combines both Chan's algorithm and another close-form algorithm to solve the aircraft multilateration surveillance equations. Results developed are applicable for the surveillance system as a final location solution or as an initial one for the iteration algorithm. However, the ambiguous problem occurs if there are only three TOA measurements. So, the approach will also focus on it and provides an advisable comment to avoid the ambiguity in the receiver stations allocation process for the surveillance system in the airport.


Inconel 740 alloy was prepared by electron beam melting(EBM).The microstructure evolution and microhardness variation of the alloy under heat treatment conditions were investigated,the precipitation principle and distribution characteristics of phases during heat treatment process were analyzed.The results indicate that Inconel 740 alloy has a good macrostructure and lower inclusion content,the grain size is about 2mm.The microstructure is austenite with a lot of twin crystals after standard heat treatment,the M23C6 carbides are distributed continuously on the grain boundaries,with G phase andηphase.Lots of spherical and 30 nm in size strengthen phaseγ′precipitate in the grain.The microhardness of Inconel 740 alloy prepared by electron beam melting with standard heat treatment is about 120HV0.1higher than the same alloy that made through traditional method.


The standard MIRD model for the calculation of the radiation dose to the urinary bladder wall, per unit of activity accumulated in the bladder contents, has inherent limitations mainly associated with the assumption of a constant bladder volume. In this work accurate corresponding calculations are presented of bladder dose from 99 Tc m accumulations, performed through a home-developed Monte Carlo simulation code and using the dynamic geometry model proposed in MIRD Pamphlet No 14 for the simulation of the bladder. Radiation dose per unit of 99 Tc m activity accumulated in the bladder was calculated, for various bladder filling volumes, both at the bladder inner surface and as a function of depth within the bladder wall. The effect of backscatter from the bladder surrounding tissue was investigated and was found to influence photon dose calculations by as much as 25%. Results were used to derive parameterisation functions giving bladder wall surface and depth dose, with respect to bladder filling volume. These functions can be used, in combination with any dynamic physiological model, for accurate bladder wall depth dose estimations per unit of 99 Tc m administered activity.


NEARLY half of the nation's strippable coal reserves underlie agricultural land in the Northern Great Plains. Most of this land is rangeland. Some is used for small grain and hay production.

Federal and state laws mandate that mined land be reclaimed to a level of productivity equal to or greater than that which previously existed. These laws require that the soil resource be removed before mining and redistributed over the graded overburden after coal is extracted.

These legal requirements pose a series of questions for reclamation specialists as well as land managers. How much and what quality of topsoil should be used? Is it necessary to segregate the developed soil horizons for subsequent replacement? What is the effect of topsoil stockpiling?

How much topsoil?

Several research projects were initiated in the 1970s to determine the best topsoil depth for establishing and maintaining permanent vegetational cover on reclaimed areas. The question of topsoil depth requirement on mined land is site specific. The amount of available topsoil and quality of spoil material to be covered are controlling factors.

In North Dakota researchers (13) determined the optimum topsoil depth requirements for reclamation purposes on sodic materials. From 0 to 90 inches …


Years of research on teacher quality indicate that the quality and effectiveness of teachers have a significant influence on learner achievements. The quality of teachers and their teaching practice is widely debated where quality may depend on the teacher having acquired sound and relevant knowledge and skills to ensure effective teaching. The continuous professional development of teachers is a key element in ensuring the required quality in teaching to enhance learners' achievements. Utilising Wenger's construct of a Community of Practice (CoP) as theoretical framework, with the investigation reported on here, we aimed to understand how natural sciences teachers, from a specific rural school district in the Western Cape province, South Africa, experienced a CoP as a continuing professional teacher development (CPTD) strategy. This investigation was informed by a naturalistic case study method where open-ended questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and observations were utilised for data generation during CoP sessions. Thematic data-analysis revealed themes (words/phrases) for interpretation and discussion. Preliminary findings highlighted some emerging characteristics that influenced the effective operation of a CoP and suggested that participants acknowledged the importance of a CoP, indicating that their natural sciences knowledge and skills had notably increased. We argue that emerging CoP characteristics can assist in the advancement of motivation, effectiveness and professional development of natural sciences teachers in rural areas, affording quality teachers and teaching practices.


The invention provides an unmanned-engine ship which can automatically cruise. The invention is composed of hull, engine, propulsion system, rudder and motor speed controller. A rudder swing arm (or swing arm of motor speed controller) is connected with a swing arm of direction servo (or a swing arm of speed control servo) by link gear. The embedded computer is mounted on the ship by bumper system and stores airline information. The position and course transmitter, remote controller receiver are used as input device to be connected with the embedded computer by the corresponding interface. The direction servo and speed control servo are used as output device to be connected with the embedded computer by the corresponding interface. The use of the invention is that: the said unmanned-engine ship can execute all sorts of maritime task in stead of manned ship on severe sea condition.


IN A SHORT BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH of King Gustav II Adolf of Sweden written sometime after his death, the late king's chief minister and closest political confidant, Rikskansler Axel Oxenstierna, wrote of Gustav Adolf's natural inclination for military affairs. As a youth, Oxenstierna reported, Gustav Adolf had sought out the foreign officers present at his father's court and had grilled them regarding all aspects of their countries' military organization and affairs, ranging from battle order to military discipline to siegecraft to naval matters, questions with which, the chancellor wrote, the young prince could occupy himself for entire days on end. And as we know from the reading lists drawn up for the crown prince by his tutors, Gustav Adolf's conversations with contemporary military figures were complemented by an educational program including historical, theoretical, and scientific works designed to promote military leadership and an understanding of the classical and modern arts of war (see Skytte). After he succeeded to the Swedish throne in 1611, Gustav Adolf actualized the military knowledge he had accumulated into his famous program of military reform that helped build Sweden into one of seventeenth-century Europe's leading military powers. At the foundation of Gustav Adolf's military reforms, wrote Oxenstierna, lay the military practices of Prince Maurice of Orange, which the king had looked to "sore en regell" [as a rule] for the beginning of his own reforms (see Oxenstierna 248). Indeed, that the Orange-Nassau military reforms of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries served as one of the bases of subsequent Swedish advances under Gustav Adolf is commonplace in the standard historiography of seventeenth-century Sweden and of early modern military history in general (see, for example, Roberts, Gustavus Adolphus 11:188-9; Delbruck 73; Rothenberg 45-7; Jones 221-3). An equally well-known theme in early modern military historiography is that the Orange-Nassau reform movement exerted a similarly strong influence over another of early modern northern Europe's rising military powers, Brandenburg-Prussia. In fact, Dutch military theory and practice are often said to have enjoyed some of their strongest impact in the Hohenzollern lands by laying the foundations for the creation of the army that would serve as the central institution of the future Prussian state (see Hahlweg 163-4; and especially the various writings of Oestreich). What has received less explicit attention from historians, however, is the fact that much of what was "Dutch" in early modern Brandenburg-Prussian military development did not come to Brandenburg-Prussia directly from the Low Countries, but rather arrived through the mediation of Sweden, along with the specifically Swedish flavorings that had been added to it in the North. The Orange-Nassau military reform movement began in the 1580s and reached its full maturity in the 1610s. Substantial military reform in Brandenburg-Prussia did not begin, however, until the 1640s despite the fact that there is clear evidence that many military officials in Brandenburg and Prussia were very familiar with Dutch practice throughout the intervening period. The traditional historiography explains this mysterious time-gap by the personal characteristics of Brandenburg's rulers: Elector Georg Wilhelm (reigned 1619-40) was weak and ineffectual with neither the will nor the ability to carry a military reform program through, whereas his son Friedrich Wilhelm (reigned 1640-88) was able, energetic, mad ambitious. What this theory fails to take into account is what occurred between the 1610s and the 1640s that would have made military reform along Dutch lines both more accessible and more necessary for Brandenburg, namely the Swedish military reform movement of the 1610s through 1630s that built upon the Dutch model and with which Brandenburg became intimately (and often painfully) familiar through interaction with Sweden, both as friend and as foe, during the Swedish wars in Poland in the 1620s mad the Thirty Years' War in Germany in the 1630s and '40s. …


This paper describes extended fault location algorithm using estimated remote source impedance. The method uses data only at the local end and the sequence current distribution factors for more accurate estimation. The proposed algorithm can respond to variation of the local and remote source impedance. Therefore, this method is especially useful for transmission lines interconnected to a wind farm that the source impedance varies continuously. The proposed algorithm is very insensitive to the variation in fault distance and fault resistance. The simulation results have shown the accuracy and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.


This review contains information on the most reliable and prognostically significant clinical, echocardiographic and laboratory predictors of atrial fibrillation recurrence after radiofrequency ablation of pulmonary veins. The presented figures predict the probability of a long-term success in maintaining sinus rhythm, and the advisability of this procedure in patients with atrial fibrillation.


A method of quantifying the response of a vehicle to steering wheel inputs is examined. The technique will aid designers to adapt a prototype vehicle to give a desired response or 'feel'. Also it may be used to investigate the steering performance of current vehicles to make comparison between vehicles, or to examine the effect of changes in a single vehicle such as tyre types, pressures and load distribution. A model driver/vehicle simulation is set up and it is postulated that a vehicle's steering qualities may be rated by assessing the contribution the model driver needs to make to place the closed loop response in an acceptable area on the pole/zero diagram. For a single vehicle it is shown that a better steering response is achieved with the car fitted with radial ply tyres than with cross-ply tyres.


The Wadi HIatramawt, which drains the great deeply-dissected Jawl Plateau in the eastern half of the former** People's Democratic Republic of Yemen, is the home for a number of species of limited distribution which may be regarded as endemic or virtually endemic to the region; examples are Anogeissus bentii (Combretaceae), Strobopetalum bentii (Asclepiadaceae) and Justicia bentii (syn. Bentiafruticulosa) (Acanthaceae). The unfortunately-named Euphorbia hadhramautica, however, is not confined to the region but occurs elsewhere in southern Arabia and also in Somalia and Socotra.


To improve diagnoses and further our understanding of functional defects in subjects with primary immunodeficiency (PI) diseases, we developed a new screen to broadly study the signaling of defective human immune responses to infections. Using time-of-flight mass cytometry (CyTOF) and phospho-specific antibodies, we simultaneously examined the major signaling pathways of all circulating innate and adaptive immune cell types in response to cytokines and TLR agonists to identify signaling responses. We studied healthy controls and developed software tools to generate a systematic map of signaling responses. CyTOF successfully recapitulated established signaling responses, and further, elucidated new pathways that would not have been appreciated with traditional studies. Signaling map of controls was compared to maps generated by analyzing PI subjects with gain-of-function STAT1 and autosomal dominant STAT3 deficiency diseases. CyTOF allowed us to perform unbiased studies to uncover many ex-vivo signaling defects simultaneously to better understand how known genetic etiologies manifest functionally, and exactly which cell subtypes are affected. We identified more glaring defective signaling responses in these subjects aside from the canonical defects, elucidating the true breadth of cell subtypes and pathways affected. Broad, unbiased, functional analysis can complement whole exome sequencing to facilitate identification of novel or rare immune diseases. Comprehensive view of signaling across all immune cell subsets facilitates learning more about abnormal signaling patterns that confer susceptibility to infection or autoimmunity, improving our understanding of immune responses and can lead to new therapies.


The elasticity of substitution between foreign and domestic products, i.e., Armington elasticity, is measured by way of two-state calibration according to the temporally distant observations of the market shares, and associated price changes. Along with the sector-wise multifactor CES elasticity estimated using the linked input-output tables, we integrate domestic production of the two countries (Japan and the Republic of Korea) with bilateral trades and construct a bilateral general equilibrium model. Thereupon, we perform an economic assessment of trade liberalization between the two countries.


Based on the comprehensive analysis of the formation and development of China's sports industry cluster,the experience and developmental character of China's sports industry base as well as the influencing factors and formation mechanism of China's sports industry cluster,this article makes a detailed analysis of the characteristics in different industry cluster and their own problems. Combined with the industrial advantages and development status of China's sports industry cluster,it builds the development model of China's sports industry cluster.


The US Army is currently investigating the use of acoustics to locate and discriminate tank rounds fired during live-fire training exercises for armored vehicle gunners. Being able to determine round type and location at the intended target greatly enhances training realism. By determining a round's velocity, miss distance from a sensor and acoustic shock wave duration, the round can be classified into one of five size categories. The round's location at the target is calculated as a by-product during the determination of miss distance. A prototype acoustic discrimination system has been developed that consists of a microprocessor with multichannel A/D hardware and a few acoustic sensors. For each round fired, the prototype system calculates a projectile shape value (PSV) from the round's velocity, miss distance, and shock wave duration. The PSV is then compared to a look-up table to classify the round according to size. Initial tests of the prototype acoustic round discrimination system have been successful.


RPM(rapid prototyping manufacturing) is a synthetic profound newly emerging technology,and has developed in great speed in recently ten years.The principle of shaping science is expounded in detail,and RPM is classified in stacking forming manufacture in accordance with the shaping science.The connotation of RP is elaborated in the following respects,namely:the principle of RPM,the process of RPM,the characteristic of RPM.The research focuses at present are expounded in the following respects.The research and development of rapid prototyping technique,the research of rapid prototyping material,the precision enhance,RPM based on feedback,RPM based on network.


PURPOSE: A message transmission method and a system therefor are provided to give feedback on information for various events generated according to the operation of an electric device to a user. CONSTITUTION: A device management device(200) identifies an electronic device which generates an event. The device management device determines one or more target devices for notifying the occurrence of an event for the identified electronic device. The device management device transmits an event message based on the occurrence of the event to the determined target device. A target electronic device outputs the event message transmitted from the device management device.


Numerous reports are to be found in the literature pertaining to a group of somatomotor and autonomic responses in experimental animals which are described by a host of names, the more common of which are rage, fear, or flight. Woodworth and Sherrington58and Bazett and Penfield5described responses in decerebrate cats having many of the elements usually associated with anassumedstate of anger in normal cats. The former authors called these "pseudoaffective reflexes." Starting with Goltz15in 1892, a number of authors7,11,46described affective states in decorticate dogs and cats which Cannon and Britton7termed "... a sort of sham rage." In 1928, Bard2applied the term "sham rage" to a group of behavioral manifestations, predominantly sympathetic in character, which appeared in cats with the caudal and ventral half of the diencephalon and the central nervous system caudal to it isolated from the more


This project seeks to provide insight into the distribution of lateral earth pressures below the ground surface in expansive clay soils, and into how the pressures are affected by moisture cycles causing shrinking and swelling of the expansive clay. A full-scale test wall is being constructed in Manor, Texas on a site underlain by approximately 50 feet of the Taylor Formation, a stiff, highly plastic clay. In order to estimate the lateral earth pressures and moisture content in the soil behind the test wall, the wall and retained soil are instrumented with optical strain gauges, inclinometers, and moisture sensors. This wall will be monitored for a period of at least two years. This paper addresses the construction of the wall and its short-term response during excavation in order to set the stage for the start of long-term monitoring. The major conclusions to date are that the instrumentation survived construction and is working, residual stresses developed in the drilled shafts prior to excavation due to concrete curing and moisture changes in the soil, and the wall responded immediately in response to stress relief during excavation, rotating outward with a top-of-wall deflection of approximately 1/200 the height of the wall. Interpretation of the longterm monitoring data will need to account for the residual stresses that are present before and immediately after excavation. BACKGROUND The motivation for this work is uncertainty in the design of drilled shaft retaining walls in expansive clay soils. The range of assumptions being used today in design practice can produce more than factor of two differences in the maximum


SYNOPSIS A survey of the incidence of natural ectomycorrhizal infection on selected species of pines and eucalypts was conducted in three commercial timber nurseries near Pietermaritzburg in 1990. A follow-up survey was conducted on one of the nurseries in 1995. The main objective was to determine whether the incidence differed significantly between nurseries and tree species, and whether any differences could be explained. The eucalypt seedlings had a low incidence of ectomycorrhizal infection, while the ectomycorrhizal status of pine seedlings increased with age, sometimes to high levels, but varied with tree species and nursery. The results for the pine seedlings were modelled by fitting logistic regression models. The significance and implications of the survey results are discussed.


A novel magnetic confined fusion scheme for the fusion reactor is proposed in this paper. A simple numerical estimation shows that ignition of D-T plasma can be achieved in tokamak with only OH heating by major and minor radius adiabatic compression. The density and temperature of compressed plasma can reach 1-3*10^22/m^3 and 15-25keV, respectively. Alternating current with adiabatic compression pulse of ACACT with R0 = 1.8m can deliver 400MW fusion power.


Subject development plays a crucial role in higher education (HE), improving student academic performance. The HE continuously requires conceptual and empirical development to deliver valuable content to the students. The subject reforms offer quality, accessibility, affordability, accountability, and equity to accomplish continual learning. The changes in higher education subjects require a continuous assessment to understand the relationship between the reform and student performance. The subject development quality is evaluated using machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) techniques. The existing researchers use intelligent techniques to identify student academic performance. However, the exact relationship between student performance and subject changes fails to address. Therefore, higher education learning (HEL) requires improvement to manage the Higher Education Subject Development (HESD). To achieve the research goal, AdaBoost Adaptive-Bidirectional Associative Memory (AA-BAM) network is introduced in this work. The network model uses the Hebbian supervised learning (HSL) process to create the training model. The learning process has a network parameter updating procedure that reduces the total error and deviation between the academic details. In addition, the neural model uses the memory cell that stores every processing information that recalls the output patterns with maximum accuracy. The output pattern identifies the student's academic performance, which helps to analyze the quality of the subject development in institutions. The created system ensures 98.78% accuracy, showing that subject development correlates highly with student academic performance.


The utility model relates to a leveling device of wedge basic unit, this leveling device make level make -up by two wedges that the structure is the same and connect and constitute, and a cross -section that the wedge was made level is right trapezoid, and the bottom surface is the rectangle that length is the same, the width is different with bottom surface down it on, its positive inclined plane that is, and the back that the inclined plane is corresponding is the right angle face, the vertical both sides in inclined plane are the sawtooth inclined plane, and the centre is smooth inclined plane, have three wedge hole groove on the sawtooth inclined plane respectively, right angle face both sides also have three wedge hole groove respectively. Use this leveling device of wedge basic unit, can be accurate carry out making level of wall basic unit, has simplified and has decorated the construction steps that the basic unit made level, reduced the influence of manual operation to construction quality simultaneously, has promoted and has decorated the quality that the basic unit made level, the demand of industrial production has been satisfied in a standard design of making level, improves the construction environment, reduces the production of construction rubbish, reduce the expenditure of cost of labor, has solved had the basic unit to make level problem that the mode exists, and the construction process that makes level of basic unit is decorated to the standard.


Video delivery to mobile users is one of the largest challenges that network operators face today. In this work we consider a heterogeneous cellular network with storage capable small-cell base stations, and study this problem for pre-stored video files that can be encoded with two different schemes, namely versions or layers, in various qualities. We introduce a framework for the joint derivation of video caching and routing policies for users with different quality requirements. This allows the operator to optimize a balanced objective of incurred servicing cost, and users experienced delay, according to his priorities. The numerical results indicate that versions and layers may have different impact on the delay and servicing cost, depending on the diversity of users' demand, and that the cost-delay trade off is affected by the network's load.


As the desire to have compact multispectral imagers in various DoD platforms is growing, the dearth of multispectral optics is widely felt. With the limited number of material choices for optics, these multispectral imagers are often very bulky and impractical on several weight sensitive platforms. To address this issue, NRL has developed a large set of unique infrared glasses that transmit from 0.9 to > 14 μm in wavelength and expand the glass map for multispectral optics with refractive indices from 2.38 to 3.17. They show a large spread in dispersion (Abbe number) and offer some unique solutions for multispectral optics designs. The new NRL glasses can be easily molded and also fused together to make bonded doublets. A Zemax compatible glass file has been created and is available upon request. In this paper we present some designs, optics fabrication and imaging, all using NRL materials.


Abstract During the winters of 1961–62 and 1963–64, measurements of light scattering by falling snow provided a continuous record of snowfall rates on the campus of McGill University in Montreal. This permitted an analysis of the time variations of intensity during a snowstorm, with a resolution not possible when a heated tipping bucket is the measuring device. It was found in the course of this study that a major portion of the variance in snowfall rate measured at the ground during a single storm can be explained in terms of a simple Markov process, in which the snowfall rate at each time interval appears to be affected by its value one time step before, but is independent of the rate more than one time step before. Under certain circumstances, this may provide a method of predicting total snowfall accumulations.


Are there nerves whose irritation can cause the heart to contract again after it has stopped?
Modern physiology does not have sufficient material to give a definite answer to this question, neither in the negative sense, nor, still less, in the positive sense.
The most developed and substantiated is the view expressed by the head of the myogenic school Gaskell): such nerves do not exist, or at least we do not know a single fact that would speak for their existence.


We explore the relation between viscous and inviscid stability of multi-dimensional shock fronts, by studying the Evans function associated with the viscous shock proole. Our main result, generalizing earlier one-dimensional calculations, is that the Evans function reduces in the long-wave limit to the Kreiss{Sakamoto{ Lopatinski determinant obtained by Majda in the inviscid case, multiplied by a constant measuring transversality of the shock connection in the underlying (viscous) traveling wave ODE. Remarkably, this result holds independently of the nature of the viscous regularization, or the type of the shock connection. Indeed, the analysis is more general still: in the overcompressive case, we obtain a simple long-wave stability criterion even in the absence of a sensible inviscid problem. An immediate consequence is that inviscid stability is necessary (but not suf-cient) for viscous stability; this yields a number of interesting results on viscous instability through the inviscid analyses of Erpenbeck, Majda, and others. Moreover , in the viscous case, the Kreiss{Sakamoto{Lopatinski determinant is seen to play the key role of a \generalized Fredholm solvability condition," determining the spectral expansion about zero of the linearized operator about the wave, and thereby the transverse propagation of signals along the front. This expansion is in general not analytic, due to accumulation of essential spectrum, but rather has conical structure. A consequence, as in the inviscid case, is that stability is typically stronger for systems than for scalar equations. In the indeterminate, \tangent" case (Majda's \weak stability"), we provide an appropriate higher order correction. The rst author thanks David Hoo and Heinrich Freist uhler for stimulating discussions on this topic, and the Ecole Normale Superieure, Lyon, for their hospitality during two visits that greatly aided this collaboration. Thanks also to Eva Marie Elliot of Indiana University for her skillful and eecient typing of this manuscript.


The botanic efficient insecticide without residual toxicity contains nicotine, gelesdine, stropanthus divericatus and genkwanin, and is made up by using several natural plants as raw materials through a scientific preparation process including such steps as extracting, refining and synergistic treatment. Said invention has no public hazard, and has no toxic side effect for crops, is easy to decompose and free from residual toxicity, and has the function of promoting growth of crops. In particular, it is applicable to the crops of vegetables and fruits, etc..


The Effects of Defects is important for the reliability of modern composite wind turbine blades. The DOE has sponsored a comprehensive study to characterize common manufacturing defects and establish damage growth and validation tools to contribute to a wind turbine blade reliability infrastructure. To support this development of a reliability infrastructure, progressive damage modeling of blade representative coupons has been performed. A model has been developed that is combined of both continuum and discrete modeling approaches. A user-defined material subroutine has been created and used with material properties established from experimental testing for the former, while cohesive zone elements were placed between each fiber tow to capture the fracture that occurs in these areas for the latter. Two-dimensional (2D), four-layer coupon level models were generated based on the geometry of the as-tested specimens. Results from this model were compared to the visual damage progression and stress-strain data from in-plane wave tests in tension and compression. While the uniformity of the models resulted in more dramatic changes at failure points, the progression was found to match in these cases, thereby verifying the combined continuum and discrete modeling approach.


1. Deng MC, Edwards LB, Hertz MI et al. Mechanical circulatory support device database of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation: Third Annual Report – 2005. J Heart Lung Transplant 2005; 24: 1182–1187. 2. Komanapalli CB, Sera V, Slater MS et al. Becker's muscular dystrophy and orthotopic heart transplantation: perioperative considerations. Heart Surg Forum 2006; 9: E604–E606. 3. Boehmer JP, Popjes E. Cardiac failure: mechanical support strategies. Crit Care Med 2006; 34(Suppl): S268–S277. 4. Goldstein DJ, Mullis SL, Delphin ES et al. Noncardiac surgery in long-term implantable left ventricular assist device recipients. Ann Surg 1995; 222: 203–207. 5. Stone ME, Soong W, Krol M et al. The anaesthetic considerations in patients with ventricular assist devices presenting for noncardiac surgery: a review of eight cases. Anesth Analg 2002; 95: 42–49. 6. Eckhauser AE, Melvin WV, Sharp KW. Management of general surgical problems in patients with left ventricular assist devices. Am Surg 2006; 72: 158–161. 7. Nicolosi AC, Pagel PS. Perioperative considerations in the patient with a left ventricular assist device. Anesthesiology 2003; 98: 565–570.


The CS/HA composites with a high performance were prepared via in situ precipitation.In this method,the calcium and phosphorus precursors were added into the solution of chitosan firstly,dispersed homogeneously.The pre-precipitated CS membrane controlled the process of CS precipitation and transformation of HA from the precursors.The results of burn-out tests indicated that the inorganic component was dispersed uniformly in chitosan matrix.FT-IR,XRD and TEM were carried out to determine the components and morphology of CS/HA.The results showed that the inorganic component was exactly nano-sized HA.The mechanical properties of CS/HA were evaluated by the three point bending test.The bending strength and modulus of CS/HA(mass ratio 20/4) were 133MPa and 6.8GPa.


Jin Yong,as an accomplished writer,a successful pressman and a social activist,whose huge influence,rich life experience and ideological course have so far brought forth 12 biographies about him.This paper focuses itself on objective analysis of the biographic writings by affirming their experience of success without neglecting their lesson of failure,and bringing to light the social reason why the writing practice of biography about Jin Yong was so "flourishing".The last but not the least,specific opinions and tentative ideas have been put forward in this paper with regard to the biography writing of Jin Yong.


This thesis approaches a simplified calculation to find the solution for y * by means of the process of derivation for the particular solution y * of the second order constant coefficient non homogeneous linear differential.


George Mak's article 'Laissez-faire or Active Intervention? The Nature of the British and Foreign Bible Society's Patronage of the Translation of the Chinese Union Versions' p.171 paragraph 2; 'On the eve of the Shanghai Conference 1890, in addition to Morrison's version, which had long been out of circulation by that time, the Delegates' Version was the only Chinese translation of the entire Bible. Should read On the eve of the Shanghai Conference 1890, in addition to Morrison's version, which had long been out of circulation by that time, the Delegates' Version was another Chinese translation of the entire Bible.


We report a transmission of 400 Gbit/s signal over a four channels, 1-meter mode-division-multiplexed free space optical communication link using multiple orbital-angular-momentum beams with non-zero radial indices, achieving a power penalty less than 6 dB.


In this paper I defend the view that a zygote is a human from the fission objection that is widely thought to be decisive against the view. I do so, drawing upon a recent discussion of this issue by John Burgess, by explaining in detail the metaphysical position the proponent of the view should adopt in order to rebut the objection.


With an ageing population, there is an increasing need for services that can support older adults such as hospitals, retirement communities, and assisted living facilities. Older adults can live independent, satisfying lives while remaining safe and secure in their communities with the aid of smart technology. In particular, AI-based robots are now being used in elder care. This paper presents the development of an AI-based interactive smart robot for elderly health monitoring, which leverages IoT and sensors. The robot interacts with the elderly individual and their health status is determined using a temperature and humidity sensor, and a heartbeat sensor. The AI algorithm based on Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) is employed to enhance the accuracy of the sensor readings. The doctor can view health information, receive alerts, provide remote consultations, and recommend medications based on the health data collected by the robot, making it simpler to keep an eye on the elderly person's health. This system aims to be a valuable tool for the healthcare industry and offers an innovative and practical solution to support the growing need for healthcare monitoring for the elderly.


At first glance, anthropologists and historians seem to have been made for each other. Their romance was bound to occur, one might think, and likely to thrive. After all^fcoth anthropologists and historians tend to be fastidious about the particular, even when they are hoping to generalize. Anthropologists and historians frequently hold up as an ideal the form of analysis which Clifford Geertz, following Gilbert Ryle, called "thick description": the grasping and rendering of "a multiplicity of complex conceptual structures, many of them superimposed upon or knotted into one another, which are at once strange, irregular, and inexplicit. . . ."* In short, they interpret cultures. That concern sets anthropologists and historians off from most economists, sociologists, and other social scientists. Ethnographic field work resembles the historian's archival research more than it does the sociologist's survey design or the economist's national income accounting. The Pago-Pago Principle (as Arnold Feldman once called it) unites them. Whenever some social scientist hazards a world-wide generalization about economic development or changing fertility patterns, reported Feldman, someone in the back row stands up and says, "But not in Pago-Pago!" That someone is likely to be an historian or an anthropologist. On closer inspection, we can discover possible grounds for dissension between


Experimental results of the infrared stress-detection study are described. The purpose of the study was to determine the feasibility of identifying areas of excessive stress in complex parts undergoing flexural stressing (as in vibration testing) by detecting the infrared radiation given off from the stressed area. A feasibility test program was undertaken on the basis of the preliminary study to determine the thermal behavior of typical stressed parts. Test data were obtained from cantilever test beams made of aluminum, steel, copper, and cast iron. However, the test data obtained thus far, indicate that the temperature rise at stressed locations is neither significant enough nor consistent enough to be a reliable indication of highly stressed iocations in common engineering materials. (auth)


Abstract We studied movements and survival of 250 female giant Canada geese (Branta canadensis maxima) marked during incubation with either satellite-monitored platform transmitting terminals or very high frequency radiotransmitters at 27 capture areas in southern Michigan, USA, in 2000–2003. We destroyed nests of 168 radiomarked females by removing eggs after day 14 of incubation, and we left nests of 82 incubating hens undisturbed after capture and marking. Of females whose nests we experimentally destroyed, 80% subsequently migrated from breeding areas to molt remiges in Canada. Among 82 nests left undisturbed, 37 failed due to natural causes and 51% of those females departed. Migration incidence of birds that nested in urban parks was low (23%) compared with migration incidence of birds that nested in other classes of land use (87%). Departure of females from their breeding areas began during the second and third weeks of May, and most females departed during the last week of May and first week of June. Based on apparent molting locations of 227 marked geese, birds either made long-distance migratory movements >900 km, between latitudes 51° and 64° N, or they remained on breeding areas. Molting locations for 132 migratory geese indicated 4 primary destinations in Canada: Western Ungava Peninsula and offshore islands, Cape Henrietta Maria, Northeast James Bay and offshore islands, and Belcher Islands, Hudson Bay, Canada. Following molt of remiges, Canada geese began to return to their former nesting areas from 20 August through 3 September, with 37% arriving on or before 15 September and 75% arriving on or before 1 October. Migration routes of geese returning to spring breeding areas were relatively indirect compared with direct routes taken to molting sites. Although overall survival from May through November was 0.81 (95% CI: 0.74–0.88), survival of migratory geese marked on breeding sites where birds could be hunted was low (0.60; 95% CI: 0.42–0.75) compared with high survival of birds that remained resident where hunting was restricted (0.93; 95% CI: 0.84–0.97). Nest destruction can induce molt migration, increase hunting mortality of geese returning from molting areas, and reduce human–goose conflicts, but managers also should consider potential impacts of increasing numbers of molt migrants on populations of subarctic nesting Canada geese.


Two surveys were conducted which were related to the experience and training of the family practitioner of psychotherapy. Survey results from Hofstra University's Clinic revealed that a significant number of the clients were family members who were referred over time. Approximately 75 percent of these family referrals occurred within the first year following the initial referral. A survey of APA approved and non-approved psychology doctoral programs indicated that training for the family practitioner role occurs most often at the practicum level and is typically not integrated into the curriculum.


Association rule mining is a popular technique used to find associations between attributes in a dataset. When using deterministic algorithms, if the attributes have numerical values the usual approach is to discretize them defining proper intervals. But the discretization can notably affect the quality of the rules generated. This work presents a method based on a deterministic exploration of the interval search space without a previous discretization of the numerical attributes. It has been applied to medical data from an atherosclerosis study. The quality of the obtained rules seems to support this method as a valid alternative for this kind of rule extraction.