The key to an economic and healthy algal culture is to optimize the growth conditions. The main objective of this research was to investigate the effects of photoperiod (12:12, 16:8 and 24:0 light: dark cycle) on the growth of indigenous microalgae Chlamydomonas incerta (C. incerta) when cultured in Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME). POME is nutrient-rich wastewater and one of the highest organic content that could enhance formation of algal bloom. The amount of light intensity and photoperiod has major influence on biomass productivity and photosynthesis process. Microalgae cultures were grown at room temperature and subjected to light source with intensity of ±100 mol m-2 s-1. The growth rate was evaluated based on Optical Density (OD) measured every alternate day during 17 days. Whereas pollutant removal's ability was determined based on reduction in Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) of POME. This study revealed that, C. incertaisa mixotrophic microalga because 12:12 light: dark cycle has resulted in the highest biomass concentration (0.786 g L-1) which is eight times the initial concentration and similarly biomass productivity and specific growth rate, 0.04 g L-1d-1 and 0.118 d-1, respectively. The highest pollutants removal was achieved at 12:12 L:D cycle with 70 % COD removal. These result specified that the photoperiod condition has notable impacts on adjusting pollutant removal and producing microalgal biomass. Therefore, the control of photoperiod was proposed as a significant operating parameter in the microalgal wastewater treatment.


This column, appearing in both the NASSP Bulletin and Principal, the magazine of the National Association of Elementary School Principals, is prepared by PERRY A. ZRZKEL, University Professor of Education and Law, Lehigh University (Bethlehem, Pa.), and IVAN B. GLUCKMAN, NASSP's director of legal services and government relations. Church-state issues occupy what appears to be a permanent part of the landscape of education law. The recent emphasis on religion in the schools has produced litigation and attention to several aspects of the school day, including silent meditation, creationism, and textbooks. Less attention has been paid to extracurricular activities. The case that follows illustrates the issues and the courts' relatively consistent guidance in this area.


Abstract Structural, mechanical, and electronic properties of orthorhombic rhenium phosphide (Re2P) are systematically investigated by using first principles calculations. The elastic constants and anisotropy of elastic properties are obtained. The metallic character of Re2P is demonstrated by density of state calculations. The quasi-harmonic Debye model is applied to the study of the thermodynamic properties. The thermal expansion, heat capacities, and Grüneisen parameter on the temperature and pressure have been determined as a function of temperature and pressure in the pressure range from 0 to 100 GPa and the temperature range from 0 to 1600 K.


Rapid change is being seen in the electrical grid. Microgrids, renewable energy sources, and the increased automation of grid-level decision-making made possible by sensors have all contributed to the grid's growing complexity. Studies in the field of smart grids have shown the grid's susceptibility to hacking. In example, new research shows how the insertion of erroneous data may cause a wide range of issues in the functioning of smart grids. A sophisticated assault might compromise the power grid's functioning and control without being detected by bad data detection equipment performing state estimation. In this study, we expand upon previous works in the field to detail how safeguarding selected vital sensor in the power system from fake data injection attacks might help mitigate the problem. This article discusses the IEEE 14 bus evaluation system and explains how a fake data injection attack may be carried out given just little information about the network. Different case studies are used to verify the assumptions used to determine the attacking zone. In this study, we see why protecting the electric grid from cyberattacks is so crucial.


This paper recommends the following sequence for the evaluation of simulation models. 1) Validation: the availability of data on the real system determines the proper type of statistical technique. 2) Screening: in the simulation's pilot phase the important inputs are identified through a novel technique, namely sequential bifurcation, which uses aggregation and sequential experimentation. 3) Sensitivity or what-if analysis: the important inputs are analyzed in more detail, including interactions between inputs; relevant techniques are design of experiments (DOE) and regression analysis. 4) Uncertainty or risk analysis: important environmental inputs may have values not precisely known, so the resulting uncertainties in the model outputs are quantified; techniques are Monte Carlo and Latin hypercube sampling. 5) Optimization: policy variables may be controlled, applying Response Surface Methodology (RSM), which combines DOE, regression analysis, and steepest-ascent hill-climbing. This paper summarizes case studies for each stage.


Election campaigns for the election of deputies of the State Duma from 1993 to 2016 are considered. The results of parliamentary elections, electoral behavior are analyzed. The dynamics of electoral absenteeism is traced. The changes in the electoral legislation aimed at finding the most effective electoral formula for the election of parliamentarians of the lower house of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation are investigated and analyzed. Based on the results of the study proposals are made aimed at improving the methods for electing


The utility model relates to a Huqin with calabash as resonator which is adhered by adopting a calabash as the resonator and a calabash cylinder as the covering with sheep skin, wood veneer, sheath or snake skin. The lower part of the Huqin rod is inserted into the fixed hole of the Huqin cylinder with a fastened connection. The middle part of the Huqin rod is equipped with a sliding rail and a stephanine which can slide along the sliding rail upwards and downwards. The upper part of the Huqin rod is equipped with two chord-axis holes for inserting the chord axis. The hole-core faces of the chord-axis holes are perpendicular with the longitudinal section of the Huqin cylinder. The utility model is a nation musical instrument which is provided with heavy Lisu landscape from the outer form to the pronunciation. The pronunciation of the utility model is loud and resounding. Between the traditional Erhu and the Banhu, the utility model is enriched with the peculiar tone and is provided with easy manufacture and low cost.


This paper deals with an analog of the Mahler volume product related to the 𝒥 transform acting in the class of geometric convex functions Cvx0(ℝn). We provide asymptotically sharp bounds for the qu...


Slope limiters play an essential role in maintaining the non-oscillatory behavior of high-resolution methods for nonlinear conservation laws. The family of minmod limiters serves as the prototype example. Here, we revisit the question of non-oscillatory behavior of high-resolution central schemes in terms of the slope limiter proposed by van Albada et. al. 1982. The van Albada (vA) limiter is smoother near extrema, and consequently, in many cases, it outperforms the results obtained using the standard minmod limiter. In particular, we prove that the vA limiter ensures 1D TVD stability and demonstrate that it yields noticeable improvement in computation of one- and two-dimensional systems.


Possible psychological factors were investigated in 389 patients with vestibular dysfunction of recent onset treated during the past 4 years. The psychological factors were analyzed in those with a psychogenic etiology. Psychological factors were evident in 50 patients with recent onset (12.9% of cases of vestibular dysfunction and 1.5% of all cases of vertigo or dizziness), in 10.7% of those with typical Meniere's disease, in 12.1% of those with atypical Meniere's disease and in 32.6% of those with BPPV. In follow-up studies, however, psychological factors were found to be present in each attack in 14.3% of patients with BPPV, in 30% of those with atypical Meniere's disease, and in 50% of those with typical Meniere's disease. Psychological involvement was most common in males in their 40s and in females in their 50s. The content of the emotional problems tended to be work-related in males and home-related in females. This difference was significant.


The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how Danish textual news satire constructs its social critique of the many Facebook users whose comments during COVID-19 imitate expert statements in disregard of authoritative health science statements. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, UNESCO has proclaimed a disinfodemic of emotive narrative constructs and pseudo-science on the internet and especially in social media. As with the ruling Party's paradoxical slogan "ignorance is strength" in George Orwell's dystopian novel 1984, we sense a similar trend of the public disinfodemic, but studies of this paradox in satirical publications are scarce. Thus, the goal here is to scrutinize this enigma exemplified in an article in the Danish spoof news online media of RokokoPosten in which such experts are parodied in a kind of "doublethink" style which begs critical reflection on social media credibility. Hence, such textual news satire may potentially provide a vaccine against post-truth delusions of health science as it provides immunity against the disinfodemic by its own causative agents.


Aluminum–induced crystallization of sputtered a-Si under two-step annealing procedure on glass substrate is studied. A 200 nm thick a-Si film was deposited by magnetron sputtering on glass and a Al film of 150 nm was sputtered on top. The samples were annealed under two-step annealing procedure. Nucleation and growth of grains were followed by optical microscopy (OM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Continuous (111) oriented poly-Si films were obtained with a Raman Peak at 520.8cm-1. The different annealing periods is discussed.


We calculate the velocity and damping of Anderson-Bogoliubov collective excitations in a superfluid Fermi gas in the BCS-BEC crossover and in the whole temperature range below the transition temperature in the Gaussian pair fluctuation approximation. Rigorously expanding the Gaussian pair action at low wavenumber and energy proportional to wavenumber, we derive an explicit dispersion equation for the nonzero-temperature complex sound velocity. This equation exhibits a branch cut on the real axis because at $T\neq0$ the phonons are coupled to the fermionic quasiparticle-quasihole excitations. We solve this equation in a nonperturbative way by performing an analytic continuation through the branch cut and find two complex roots at non zero temperature. When the temperature is low enough, one root corresponding to the hydrodynamic first sound dominates: its real and imaginary parts accurately predict the position and width of the phonon peak in the pair field response function. As the temperature increases, both roots become important what leads us to define an effective sound velocity and an effective damping factor to describe the peak in the response function. Close to the critical temperature, the effective sound velocity vanishes as $\sqrt{1-T/T_{c}}$, like the hydrodynamic second sound. The calculated sound velocity and the inverse quality factor are in quantitative agreement with experimental data.


INAPP, Bonacci M., Mineo S., Social integration dynamics for migrants: PIAAC to measure skill and qualification mismatch, Intervento a "Skill Mismatch: measurement issues and consequences for innovative and inclusive societies", Torino, 30 giugno 2017. Isfol OA:


At now and more attention wsa given to building monolithic movement technology. In this paper, the development of builing monolithic movement engineering in China was introduced firstly, then the key of this technology, including ucderpinning, track, structure separating, movement system, linking, was discussed in brief.The new results of the research on building monement theory were also talked baout. Lastly, some unsolved problems of building movement technology were put forward.


The triaxial experiment soil specimen remolded by compacting the soil in layers is adopted for this study. The UU triaxial compression tests were conducted acco rding to five classes of surrounding pressure emcompassing 100 kPa, 200 kPa, 300 kPa, 450 kPa and 600 kPa. Distribution of shear strength parameters of remolded unsaturated cohesive soil is regular in moisture state and density state but is not easy to be expressed by simple function. Distribution of cohesion is an irr egular plunging anticline while the distribution of internal friction angle meta morphosed W- type flex surface. Cohesion and internal friction angle has a stro ng nonlinear relation with water content and a weak nonlinear relation in genera l with dry density. There are two characteristic water contents: 18.16 and 16. 34. Cohesion and internal friction angle of soil sample in different density tak es the maximum value at characteristic water content 18.16 and the minimum val ue at characteristic water content 16.34.


'Physics applied and extended' considers how foundational physical concepts and theories apply broadly across science and serve as a basis for technology and its industrial use. Instruments and processes that use physical methods, or were created or discovered in physics labs, have wide uses outside them such as the range of imaging techniques that have revolutionized medical practice. Physical theories can also provide tools or conceptual frameworks that support other sciences or technology: quantum theory is necessary for applications of light and lasers and for nanotechnology; the complex theory that describes the motion of liquids and gases underpins meteorological forecasting and climate modelling; and quantum computation has implications for national security.


Objective: The aim of this study is to suggest a revised model for prediction of text entry time. Background: Several studies suggested mathematical models to predict text entry times. However, the prediction models did not consider the level of typing skill. Method: This study suggested a revised model to predict text input times. The model consists of 4 sub-models. In order to evaluate the model, input times by typists with several skill levels were measured and were compared with predicted input times. Results: Prediction models for the high level of skill typists provided the shorter input time than real input time, while prediction models for the low level of skill typists provided the longer input time than real input time. Conclusion: The suggested models could not exactly predict text input times. However, a pattern of changing text input times was predicted. Application: The results of this study might help to guide the future study on text input time prediction.


Objective To summarize roboticassisted laparoscopic Hellermyotomy in the treatment of achalasia.Methods The clinical data of 1 case of achalasia underwent roboticassisted laparoscopic Hellermyotomy in General Hospital of Chinese People's Liberation Army were analyzed retrospectively and summarized combined with the domestic and abroad literatures.Results Da Vinci robot-assisted laparoscopy Heller operation and fundoplication surgery finished successfully. No postoperative complications occurred and patient recovered well.Conclusion Roboticassisted laparoscopic Hellermyotomy in the treatment of esophageal achalasia has advantages of minimally invasion, easy operation,short operation time and quick recovery, which is of high clinical value.


In this study, the cis to trans isomerization of unsaturated fatty acids were investigated about Soybean oil (SBO), Corn germ oil (CGO), Cottonseed oil (CSO), Margarine (MG), Shortening (ST) incubated at for 35 days and heated at for 24 hours. The contents and kinds of trans fatty acids in each sample were determined by GLC after seperating by HPLC. The results were obtained as follows; 1. When samples were incubated at for 35 days, the contents of total trans fatty acids were increased from to . The kinds of trans fatty acids found were in in in CSO. Processed oil such as MG and ST showed more complicated composition of trans fatty acids than SBO, CGO and CSO. were detected in ST. 2. In the case of heating at for 24 hours, the contents of total trans fatty acid were . 2% in all samples. Heating made more remarkable isomerization than incubation . Specially, in in in ST were detected. 3. The total contents of trans fatty acids of processed oil were higher than vegetable oils. During incubation, trans fatty acids increased in the order of MG>ST>CGO>SBO>CSO, and during heat treatment, MG>ST>SBO>CGO>CSO.


1. Introduction: The "War on Terror" and the Growth of Executive Power? A Comparative Analysis John E. Owens and Riccardo Pelizzo 2. Congressional Acquiescence to Presidentialism in the US 'War on Terror': From Bush to Obama John E. Owens 3. Parliamentary Scrutiny and Oversight of the British "War on Terror": Surrendering Power to Parliament or Plus Ca Change? Mark Shephard 4. Putin, Parliament, and Presidential Exploitation of the Terrorist Threat Thomas F. Remington 5. Bipartisanship and Bicameralism in Australia's 'War on Terror': Forcing Limits on the Extension of Executive Power Phil Larkin and John Uhr 6. Canada's "War on Terror", Parliamentary Assertiveness, and Minority Government Jonathan Malloy 7. Israeli's Prolonged War against Terror: From Executive Domination to Executive-Legislative Dialogue Chen Friedberg and Reuven Y. Hazan 8. Nihil Novi Sub Sole? Executive Power, the Italian Parlamento and the 'War on Terror' Riccardo Pelizzo 9. Reformasi and the Indonesian 'War on Terror': State, Military and Legislative-Executive Relations in an Emerging Democracy Edward V. Schneier


This work shows that combining the techniques of neural networking and predictive analytics with the fundamental concepts of computing performance optimization is genuine in many ways. It has the potentials to: (1) reduce infrastructure upgrade costs (2) reduce human interactions, by enabling the system to learn, analyze, and make decisions on its own, and (3) generalize the solutions to other performance problems. This paper attempts to tackle a JVM performance optimization from a different dimension and in a way that can be scaled to other common utilized resources, such as file systems, static contents, search engines, web services…etc. It shows how to build a framework that monitors the performance metrics to determine patterns leading to bottleneck incidents and then benchmark these performance metrics. The framework uses artificial neural network in its core to accomplish this first steps with immediate benefit of eliminating the need to a domain expert analyzing which of these metrics is more important or has more weight on constituting the bottleneck condition, and hence enable the system to deal with more ambiguous situations. The framework uses an analytics engine, to establish predictive patterns between the system bottleneck and library of factors in order to establish an early alert system and thus enhancing the weight of the bottleneck signal. Finally the framework acts in defense when the deadlock signal is triggered from the learning and/or the analytics engine through streaming down concurrent transactions into a temporarily queuing data structure. We put our model into a test and built a simulation to quantify the added benefit of each component of our framework. The results are proven to demonstrate the immediate benefit of our framework and open doors for other future work.


Based on the cultivation requests of Anthurium andraeanum,such as hot and humid, moderate light, elaborate water and fertilizer characteristics , combining features of the climate in Guangzhou, this paper summed up the practical cultivation experience , and focused the temperature and humidity, light, water and fertilizer control several other aspects of data and the relevance of factors. According to experience, this paper illustrated the production and cultivation technology of Anthurium andraeanum and production management in Guang Zhou.


Emergency descent for aircraft to determine and update the target height of methods and equipment. Device (1) comprising means (3,4,8,10) in a certain distance from a plane defined along the front of the current trajectory of the aircraft safe height determined target height.


During a study of the larval trematodes infecting the fresh-water molluscs of Llangorse Lake, South Wales, twenty-one species of cercariae have been encountered. The present paper deals with the Furcocercariae. Six new species are described in detail and the remaining two compared with the description of previous workers.


patients using Targeted therapy Results: In total, 30 patients were analyzed (12 males, 18 females; median age 58.7 11.17 with 33.3% of them were smokers and 13.3% of them were passive smokers). Tissue biopsies were obtained by pleural biopsy (63.3%), endobronchial biopsy (16.6%), and CT/Ultrasound guided biopsy (23.3%). All of them had EGFR mutations. 19 of them received TKI as the first line chemotherapy where else 6 of them received cisplatin based chemotherapy. Progression free survival (PFS) in the group received TKI were significantly longer (8.4 months) than group which received cisplatin based chemo (6.8 months). Median target lesions, which treated by TKI's reduced from 48 mm (pretreatment) to 32.5 mm (post treatment. Non target lesions reduced to 15 mm (post treatment) from 23 mm (pretreatment). Many of them develop side effects of skin (46.7%). Conclusion: There were clinical benefits for patients who received TKI as first line therapy in EGFR mutation patients.


Among the many challenges India faces in improving the health of its population is lowering the finan cial burden of seeking health services. Out-of-pocket spending on health is the dominant form of healthcare financing in India and reaches inordinately high levels. Households with members requiring hospital care face financial catastrophe: the cost of hospitalisation in India has been estimated to reach almost 60% of individuals' total annual expenditures – with around 40% of individuals nationwide borrowing money or selling assets to pay for expenses – and results in almost one-quarter of those hospitalised falling below the poverty line (bpl) (Peters 2002). In 2004, only the richest 20% of urban households spent less than 10% of income on health (a twofold increase compared to the previous decade) and around 40% of low-income residents – urban or rural – who do not seek care cite financial hardship as the primary driver for that decision (Yip and Mahal 2008).


Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy and safety of docetaxel plus epirubicin combination as first-line chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced and/or metastatic adult STS. Patients and Methods: Eighteen patients were treated with epirubicin 30 mg/m2 on days 1 to 3 and docetaxel 100 mg/m2 on day 1 every 3 weeks. Results: Fifteen out of 18 patients (83.4%) were assessable for response. No complete response was recorded. Three (20%) patients achieved PR, 3 had SD and 9 PD. The overall median survival was 14 months (range, 3–48 months) and the median time to disease progression was 4 months (range, 2–45 months). Grade ≥ 3 neutropenia occurred in 88% and neutropenic fever in 27.8% of patients. Other toxicities were mild. No treatment related deaths occurred. Discussion: Docetaxel plus epirubicin combination achieved low response rate with severe myelotoxicity in patients with advanced STS.


Failure to retain health professionals in rural areas contributes to the poor health status of these communities through an inability to deliver reliable and consistent services. Considerable attention has been focused on factors affecting recruitment of health professionals. Far less is known about factors affecting the retention of occupational therapists. This was the focus of this study. Ethnographic interviews were used to explore the experiences of 10 occupational therapists who had left rural practice. Six themes emerged from the participants' experiences, from when they first considered rural practice to reflections following their departure from it. These themes were initial appeal, facing the challenge, rural practice issues, the social sphere, reasons for leaving and the value of rural experience. These factors gave rise to a proposed Model of Retention Equilibrium, which suggests that retention can be improved by addressing the imbalance between incentives to leave and incentives to stay. The model provides a useful framework for occupational therapists contemplating rural practice, as well as for health services managers responsible for service delivery in rural areas.


In this Outlook, Hoffmann discusses a study by Vo ngoc et al. in this issue of Genes & Development that uses a machine learning approach for the characterization of function and species specificity of downstream core promoter sequences, commenting on our current understanding of promoter function and how AI can help address outstanding questions about transcriptional regulation.


A Boston University School of Medicine trend assessment predicts steadily rising pressure on emergency departments (EDs) as senior citizen numbers grow.


The chemical compound containing nitrogen from burning of fossil flue and fertilizer and human being's activities is increasing in resent years,which leads to growing nitrogen deposition from the air and to have changed the ecological system.The summaries on nitrogen deposition are displayed from the aspects including plant growth and phytotrophy and plant tress resistance and litter decomposition and the invasion of non-native plants.


We have tested 74 teratogenic and 28 nontera- togenic agents in a recently developed in vitro teratogen assay sys- tem. The assay identifies teratogens by their ability to inhibit at- tachment of ascites tumor cells to plastic 'surfaces coated with concanavalin A. There is a qualitative agreement between in vivo animal data and in vitro activity for 81 of the 102 agents (79%). Quantitative analysis shows a highly significant correlation coef- ficient of 0.69 between the inhibitory in vitro dose and the lowest reported teratogenic dose for 54 of the 60 inhibitory teratogens. 'The doses analyzed ranged over 5 orders of magnitude. We in- terpret these results to mean that attachment inhibition in concert with other, complementary, in vitro assay systems can become a useful method for the assessment of the teratogenic potential of environmental agents. To be useful, in vitro assay systems for teratogenic agents should be able to provide a quantitative estimate of teratogenic potency in laboratory animals or in humans. In vivo processes of ab- sorption, placental transfer, and maternal and embryonic me- tabolism make it unlikely that any group of in vitro systems will be able to predict in vivo potency precisely. However, as in vitro systems approach quantitative and qualitative correspondence with in vivo results, they will become increasingly useful in the assessment of the teratogenic risk associated with environmen- tal agents. Our interest in the correspondence between in vitro and in vivo data stems from the need to evaluate the validity of a re- cently developed in vitro teratogen assay (1). Teratogens are identified in the assay by their ability to inhibit the attachment of tumor cells to plastic surfaces coated with concanavalin A. In


Many studies have analyzed the influence of either situational job characteristics or culture on job satisfaction. To date, the interrelationships between these two aspects – situational job characteristics and culture – have received very little attention. Assuming that culture is an overarching framework, we analyze if and how it moderates different job characteristics' influence on job satisfaction. When testing culture's moderating effect, we refer to all dimensions of culture defined in the most current conception, namely the GLOBE project. We analyze these relationships based on a sample from 23 nations. Findings indicated that the impact of some job characteristics on job satisfaction is indeed significantly moderated by culture, but the explanatory power is fairly negligible.


Objective: To explore the effect of treating the defect of distal thumb by the third dorsal metacarpal artery island flap. Methods: To mov e the third metacarpal artery island flap to the distal palm side of the injured thumb via a tunnel beneath the first web space for 22 cases with distal thumb i njuries. The thumbs were then fixed to the palm. The surfaces of wounds were cov ered by island flap with peduncles which were cut off 2~3 weeks later. Results: All flaps survived in 22 cases. The appearance and function of flap were satisfa ctory during the period from 3 months to 1 year. Conclusion: It is a good metho d for repairing soft tissue defect of distal thumb by transplantation of the thi rd dorsal metacarpal artery island flap.


Microbanks provide financial services to low income people. Governance of these organizations is important for them to efficiently reach poor people and survive financially. Board is one among several governance mechanisms. This paper empirically analyses the influence of stakeholders who sit on boards, on board structure and performance of microbanks. Based on agency, resource dependence and stakeholder theories, we analyze four types of stakeholders; donors, customers, employees and creditors. Results show that stakeholders are important and have different influences in microbanks. We find donors to be strict in monitoring by advocating for small boards and non duality. Employees and customers are more of resource providers and we find them to be associated with large boards. We further evidence that stakeholders are more interested in microbanks ability to cover for its operation costs. Study implications and areas for future research are further discussed.


Background: Challenge between parents and their children is a rapidly growing phenomenon in Iran. The communication challenges of adolescence with emphasis on social media in this study is a phenomenon that based on the changes and developments of adolescence, can affect the nature and quality of family relationships, question the parental authority, and cause changes in regulations. The present study explored the communication challenges of parents and adolescents with a focus on the use of the Internet and social media.


Experiments was conducted with 35 grown-up dogs to resect the superior and inferior laryngeal nerves on one side, and observations was made for a long period on the figure of the vocal cords. At the same time, histological changes in the intrinsic laryngeal muscles of the animals was thoroughly investigated, and the following conclusions were made. 1. From the experiments in resection in vari- ous parts of the main recurrent nerve, it was lear- ned that, in the various parts resected, no differe- nce was observed in the figure of the vocal cords after the resection. No change was noticed for six months in the position of the vocal cord on the side where the nerve was resected, and remained at all times in the paramedian position. Nor any movement was perceived in the vocal cord or in the arytenoid cartilage. 2. As a histological change in the intrinsic laryngeal muscles of a dog more than three weeks after the resection of the recurrent nerve on one side, very conspicuous atrophy was observed in the thyro-arytenoid muscle on the resected side. The fact has been recognized that the degree of atrophy declined in the order of the posterior crico-aryten- oid muscle, and then the lateral cricoarytenoid muscle. No atrophy was noted in the anterior cricothyroid muscle, while slight atrophy appeared in the traverse part of the arytenoid muscle, not only on the resected side, but also on the side which was not resected. 3. In cases where more than three months had elapsed since the resection of the main recur- rent nerve on one side, a compensatory movement on the normal side of the vocal cord was observed. 4. In a dog whose anterior branch of the recurrent nerve on one side had been resected, the vocal cord on the resected side had taken the par- amedian position at the time of respiration. Ant- erior two-thirds of the glottis were opened spindle- shaped at the time of phonation, showing the form of the vocal cord similar to the clinically so-called "internusparesis" Histologically, atrophy has been observed only in the thyro-arytenoid muscle. 5. In a dog whose inter-mediate branch of the recurrent nerve on one side was resected, the vocal cord on the resected side had taken the paramedian position at the time of respiration. Posterior one- third of the glottis on the resected side did not closed at the time of phonation, showing the form of the vocal cord similar to the clinically so-called " transversusparesis"Histologically, conspicuous atrophy was seen in the posterior crico-arytenoid muscle alone. Hence, in the case of dogs, this form of vocal cords is considered to be the real "post icusparesis" 6. In a dog whose posterior branch of the recurrent nerve was resected on one side, no intri- nsic laryngeal muscle had showed atrophy. At the time of respiration, the vocal cord on the resected side was situated in the paramedian position, and higher than the opposite side, and therfore appeared to be shorter. So the vocal cord on the normal side looked slackened and paralyzed. At the time of phonation, both vocal cords closed together alm- ost at the median line. 7. In the experiments of resection of both the internal and external branches of the superior lar- yngeal nerve, both vocal cords closed together, at the time of phonation, almost at the median line, and the movement of the arytenoid cartilage was normal. At the time of respiration, however, in the case of resection of the internal branch, slack- ening of the vocal cord on the normal side and of the slowness of movement was observed. In the case of resection of the external branch, slackening of the vocal cord on the resected side and of the movement was seen. Histologically, conspicuous atrophy was observed by the resection of the ext- ernal branch in the anterior crico-thyroid muscle.


The discovery of planets around massive stars is important for understanding how planet formation and evolution is conditioned by different stellar environments. However, current planetary search surveys have failed to detect planets around massive evolved stars. This lack of planets might be a consequence of the specifities of planet formation around such objects. Alternatively, the detection of planets around evolved massive stars might be hindered by the increasing stellar jitter as the stars evolve. In this project we target planets around evolved stars in open clusters, most of them with masses above 2 M$_\odot$. We present the cases of three objects where long term (i.e. years) and high amplitude RV signals of probably stellar origin are mimicking the presence of planets.


Based on the index of homogeneity of asphalt mixture and the data from field survey,partial segregation causes for asphalt pavements during construction,such as aggregate stockpile,asphalt paver selection and conveyance of asphalt mixture were quantitatively investigated.The research results show that improper aggregate stockpile,inappropriate asphalt paver selection and conveyance of asphalt mixture all influence homogeneity of asphalt pavements and can give rise to segregation.Finally corresponding preventive countermeasures against segregation were put forward,i.e.aggregate should be on flat and rigid ground to avoid intermixing of different batches and water intrusion;half width paver should be selected;and the mixture delivery distance should be reduced as much as possible.


This paper proposes a simple method that employs credit default swap (CDS) data for analyzing systemic risk. The proposed method overcomes inconsistency problems in existing methods and can produce various indicators of systemic risk in a consistent manner. In addition, this method can measure systemic risk contributions. In particular, the method measures systemic risk contributions in both directions, that is, the overall effect of systemic risk on individual credit risks and vice versa. Using CDS data, we employ the proposed method to measure systemic risk for a group of large financial institutions in the U.S. In addition, we provide empirical results for systemic risk contributions as well as various measures of the overall level of systemic risk and verify the applicability of the proposed method.


The aim of this study is to assess the possible leaching of heavy metals from ceramic wares into different solutions. Ceramic spoon, pot, soup bowl, plate, mug and cup were leached in batch process using hot water and 4 % solutions of glacial acetic acid, HCl acid, NaOH and Na 2 CO 3 respectively. Chromium, manganese, lead, cadmium, zinc and copper which were incorporated as glazes in the ceramic wares were determined in the leachates using atomic absorption spectrophotometric technique. The metal concentrations in the leachates ranged between 101.565-233.010 mg/kg for chromium, 44.333-1449.047 mg/kg for manganese and 0.235-6.260 mg/kg for copper. The levels of manganese and copper in the ceramic wares analyzed were above the permissible limits of World Health Organization (WHO) and Society of Glass and Ceramic Decorators. The levels of chromium in the wares with the exception of mug were also above the permissible limits. The results highlight that hot drinks, acidic and alkaline solutions can easily induce leaching of metals from ceramic wares at concentrations higher than permissible limits. The results also indicate 4 % NaOH solution as the most aggressive leachant while hot Lipton tea was the least aggressive. Alkaline leachant solution leached Cu and Cr metals more than other solutions, though statistical analysis of the data did not indicate any significant difference between the leachant solutions. The highest percentage of metals leached were 96 % (Cr), 92 % (Mn) and 86 % (Cu) from pot and soup bowl respectively. Consumption of stored food and drinks from these ceramic wares may be associated with health implications owing to the toxicity of the metals at elevated concentrations.


Diesel engines are used in a variety of industries, including road and sea transportation, agriculture, mining, and many others. Diesel fuel is clearly indispensable, given the available fuel resources and current technological development. In general, fuel consumption is used as an indicator of a country's economic strength. Nonetheless, we cannot ignore the negative effects of the large volume of burned gases, which erodes the purity of our environment on a daily basis. This is especially true in the most developed countries, such as the United States and Europe. While constant research is underway to reduce the toxic content of diesel exhaust, diesel power packs continue to find new applications and decommission.This project aims to lower the toxic content of diesel exhaust before it is released into the environment. This system can be used safely for diesel power packs in flammable environments, such as refineries, chemical processing industries, open-pit mines, and other confined areas where diesel power packs are required. To do so, toxic gases must be reduced to acceptable levels before being released into the atmosphere, which would otherwise be dangerous and prone to accidents. IndexTerms: Aqua Silencer, Diesel engine, Emission, Diesel Exhaust, Emission, Chemical Industries.


Two-sided markets with multi-homing typically exhibit features of "competitive bottlenecks" whereby platforms compete hard for single-homers while exploiting the multi-homing side. This paper shows that mutual diversion of the single-homing side to competitors can alleviate this bottleneck effect, thereby increasing platform profits. In the online newspaper business these transfers can take the form of mutual promotion of competitors' content in one's own articles. In this way, readers of a given newspaper can be partially reached by the advertisement displayed in competing news outlets. On the one hand, this inter-newspaper promotion increases the diversity of content made available to readers. On the other hand and perhaps counter-intuitively, it may soften competition for readers, leading to a decrease in content quality. This may harm readers welfare in the long-run, especially if promotion fees are low. We also show that exchanges may mitigate incumbency advantages and allow entry of more efficient competitors. A large original data set of promoted contents collected on French online newspapers, allows to describe what type of articles are promoted.


Frequency domain identification of complex systems imposes important challenges with respect to numerically reliable algorithms. This is evidenced by the use of different rational and data-dependent basis functions in the literature. The aim of this paper is to compare these different methods and to establish new connections. This leads to two new identification algorithms. The conditioning and convergence properties of the considered methods are investigated on simulated and experimental data. The results reveal interesting convergence differences between (nonlinear) least squares and instrumental variable methods. In addition, the results shed light on the conditioning associated with so-called frequency localising basis functions, vector fitting algorithms, and (bi)-orthonormal basis functions.


Whether or not a medical malpractice lawsuit is filed often has more to do with the outcome of a procedure, the physician's relationship with the patient, and the patient's attitude than it does with whether a procedure was performed in a negligent manner. Therefore, this article contains advice about how to best put yourself in a position that can be defended well should you be sued regarding the performance of a colonoscopy, rather than advice about how to keep from being sued for the performance of colonoscopy. The following advice is also good medical care and is in the best interests of patients. These recommendations are anecdotal in nature, and are based primarily on my experience as an expert witness in malpractice cases involving the performance of colonoscopy. The recommendations are also based on my own experience as a colonoscopist, and what I and others have written regarding quality in the technical performance of colonoscopy.1 The two areas which, in my experience, have created the most medicolegal difficulties for colonoscopy are perforation and missed lesions. The recommendations that follow highlight measures that address the most frequent areas where colonoscopists are alleged to be at fault in malpractice actions. Postpolypectomy bleeding—which seldom results in a serious outcome—and sedation reactions are rare causes of malpractice action, and therefore are not included in this discussion. Although some of these elements of advice may be considered to represent defensive medicine, I also believe them to represent good medicine. Recommended Measures


A system dynamics model is developed and tested to determine the significant processes and appropriate level of detail required to capture dynamic behavior important in managing biodegradation in landfills. Uniform, spherical, solid waste particles are assumed to hydrolyze from the outer surface to produce simple sugars; fermentation, acetogenesis, and methanogenesis produce methane and carbon dioxide as end products. Representative reactions, sufficient to carry all hydrolyzed small chain carbon molecules to stabilization, are used for stoichiometric relationships. Microbial populations consume their respective substrates according to classical Monod kinetics. Results of simulation experiments suggest that hydrogen inhibition of fermentation and acetogenesis is critical to the empirically observed time course of landfill gas generation. In addition, an uninhibited anaerobic pathway producing CO2 without the production of H2 is required to produce the large CO2 peak often seen early in the stabilization p...


A magnetotelluric sounding is carried out in the period band ranging from 15 to 10, 000sec on the West-African craton in the Upper Volta Republic. The site is located geologically on the Birrimian formations (2, 000m.y.). Bi-dimensional modelling suggests a conductive layer in the upper mantle at a depth of 130km. We have to assume a layer of high mantle resistivity, extending from 150 to at least 465km depth. An ultimate reduction to 10ohm-m occurs at 465km depth. Resistivity models for the West African craton are presented (Senegal-Upper Volta-Niger). They imply a general reduction in mantle resistivity between 80 and 130km. With these models we can find no crust-upper mantle transition from the viewpoint of resistivity. The upper mantle resistivity of 3, 000ohm-m may be taken as representative of the resistivity for the African Shield.


IN 2007 Megan Davies at York University and I, then at the University of Alberta, secured a history of medicine grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to launch a collaborative project called "Open Doors/ Closed Ranks." The project was inspired and supported by Bob Menzies and has since blossomed to include over twenty collaborators across the country, each of whom is developing new approaches to studying deinstitutionalization, or care in the community, in a Canadian region. Some of the results of those studies have been posted on our bilingual website www.historyofmadness.ca, which emphasizes the Canadian social history of this phenomenon and prioritizes patient and former patient perspectives above others. This special edition of Histoire Sociale / Social History represents the results of some of those studies and highlights the central idea of deinstitutionalization as an organizing principle for understanding more broad-based changes in Canadian twentieth century social history. Critical ideals about work, welfare, ability, health, gender, and human rights assumed new meanings, particularly in the second half of the twentieth century, and, as the following articles make clear, multifaceted changes to the mental health system have often underpinned these cultural transitions. Deinstitutionalization in the most literal sense involved the massive depopulation of mental hospitals across the country. This maneuver,


The diploma thesis deals with the positon of women and men on the labour market in terms of equal opportunities. The diploma thesis is divided into a theoretical and a practical part. In the theoretical part I explain the position of women and men on labour market, I focus on creating equal opportunities on labout market and harmonize of work and family re-sponsibilities, which represents a possible way to address gender inequalities on the labor market at the time. The practical part is focused on exploring the perception of equal op-portunities for women and men on the labor market in the region of Zlin.


The article examines socio-cultural environment (or cultural community) of Saratov province district towns that had been founded as fortresses: Tsaritsin, Kamyshin and Petrovsk. Their social structure did not differ much from that of the other district towns of the province. Their socio-cultural environment was dominated by folk culture marked by legends, traditions and relics that kept the memories of the war-time past of the fortress-cities alive.


The reported new U-Pb age by sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe on zircon (SHRIMP II) was obtained from a tuff sample at the basal Datangpo Formation in the Hishuixi manganese ore in Songtao County, Guizhou Province, South China. Twenty-four spots of zircons were analyzed and a weighted mean 206Pb/ 238U age of 667.3±9.9 Ma (MSWD=1.6) was given. This age is quite similar to that reported in Geology by Zhou Chuanming et al., which gives a U-Pb zircon age of 662.9±4.3 Ma (MSWD=1.24) from a tuffaceous bed in the lower part of the Datangpo Formation at the Zhailanggou section, Songtao County (Chuanming Zhou et al., 2004). Both of them form a robust age constraint on the timing of the Datangpo interglacial period. It also provides a maximum age constraint for the Nantuo (Mrinoan) glaciation. Together with other new isotopic ages in recent years, the new age suggests that the Nantuo glaciation is equivalent to the Mrinoan glaciation, which occurred at 660~630 Ma and the earlier glaciation is equivalent to the Sturtian glaciation, which occurred at 750~670 Ma.


Cells are the building blocks of life, and time lapse microscopy is a powerful way to study cells. Automated video acquisition and analysis of cells opens unprecedented opportunities, ranging from building novel mathematical models supported by rich data to automated drug screening. Unfortunately, accurate and completely automated analysis of cell images is a difficult task. Therefore human intervention is often required, for example, for tuning of segmentation and tracking algorithms or correcting the results of automated analysis. In this thesis, we aim to reduce the amount of manual work required, while preserving the accuracy of analysis. Two key tasks in automated analysis are cell segmentation and tracking. Segmentation is the process of locating cell outlines in cell images, while tracking refers to establishing cell identities across subsequent video frames. One of the main challenges of automated analysis is the substantial variability in cell appearance and dynamics across different videos and even within a single video. For example, there can be a few rapidly moving cells in the beginning of a video and a large number of cells stuck in a clump by the end of the video. Such variation has resulted in a large variety of cell segmentation and tracking algorithms. There has been a large body of work on automated cell segmentation and tracking. However, many methods make specific assumptions about cell morphology or dynamics, or involve a number of parameters that a user needs to set manually. This hampers the applicability of such methods across different videos. We first develop portable cell semi-segmentation and segmentation algorithms, where portability is achieved by using a flexible cell descriptor function. We then develop a novel cell tracking algorithm that has only one


This scientific article examines the main trends in the formation and development of metaverses in Russia. The authors reviewed scientific articles and analytical materials of Russian and foreign researchers on the development of the metaverse market in the Russian space, and also provided analytical indicators of the interest of various social groups of the Russian population in metaverses. Businesses in Russia are making efforts to integrate metaverses into their activities as a marketing tool to increase the awareness of their brands among consumers, as well as to develop their own corporate culture among employees. In 20222023, various metaverse ware virtual platforms were created for Russian companies to conduct advertising integrations, festivals, music awards, film screenings and online points of sale. In addition, the state authorities of the Russian Federation at various levels give a positive assessment of the development of this direction and create conditions for its development. The authors have compiled a competitive profile of companies engaged in the development and development of their own metaverses in Russia, and also listed companies that have the potential to create new Russian metaverses for both the consumer segment and the industrial complex.


Fe-36%Ni steels have a much lower thermal expansion coefficient than stainless steels and aluminum alloys for low temperature. They also have moderately high strength and good toughness at cryogenic temperatures because of its stable austenite phase. These excellent low temperature characteristics make this alloy attractive for cryogenic applications such as the cargo containment system in liquefied natural gas carriers, pipes for low temperature and airplane rudder units. Generally, Fe-36%Ni steels are welded using Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) Welding, Plasma Arc Welding (PAW) and Resistance Seam Welding. Lately white spots have been observed on the autogenous TIG welds of cryogenic Fe-36%Ni steels without any flux and wire in the cargo containment of LNG carriers. But white spot formation has not been studied yet. This paper covers the analysis results of the white spots formation on the autogenous TIG welds of cryogenic Fe36%Ni steels. The thickness of the white spots was approximately 6 μm and they were just stuck on the surface of the weld. Based on microstructural and qualitative analysis, the white spots were oxide aggregates (Al-Ca-Mg-Si-O), formed as a net structure in the center of TIG weld surface. The formation of white spots is caused by the excessive addition of minor elements such as Ca, Al, Mg in cryogenic Fe-36%Ni steels. The white spots on the TIG weld of cryogenic Fe-36%Ni steels were bigger than the weld spots on the TIG weld of stainless steel 316L, because of the lower solubility of Ca and Al in the austenite in the TIG Welds. (Received August 27, 2019; Accepted November 5, 2019)


—Recently, temporal graphs have substituted dynamic graphs as many real-world problems evolve in continuous time rather than in discrete time, and besides time almost all problems are designed in a heterogeneous format rather than a homogeneous one. However, most existing graph representations do not consider time in their components. To this end, in this paper, we present a new heterogeneous graph representation including time in every single component of the graph, i.e., nodes and edges. We also introduce four time-dependent queries to address machine learning or deep learning problems. Our findings reveal that considering the size of the enormous graphs, our time-dependent queries execute efficiently. In order to show the expressive power of time in graph representation, we construct a graph for a new social media platform (Steemit), and address a DL prediction task using graph neural networks (GNNs). Predicting the payout for a newly published post is one of the most fascinating classification problems in the Steemit setting, and we address this problem with two approaches followed by GNN models.


Based on the general introduction of cattle raising in Song Dynasty,this study aimed to discuss the cattle raising techniques from the aspects that techniques development of cattle raising,cattle disease prevention and cattle judgement.


327 Erciyes Med J 2019; 41(3): 327–32 • DOI: 10.14744/etd.2019.22230 ORIGINAL ARTICLE – OPEN ACCESS This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Halil İbrahim Erdoğdu , Fatih Kara Residual Kidney Function in Hemodialyzed Patients and Related Factors Objective: Residual kidney function (RKF) is a strong marker of the remaining capacity of the kidneys in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The fact that RKF declines in the first year of hemodialysis (HD) has drawn more attention recently. The aim of this study was to determine and analyze the current RKF level and related factors in patients undergoing HD treatment. Materials and Methods: The study was performed at Kars State Hospital with 73 HD patients. Residual renal urea clearance (KRU) was measured to determine RKF. Patient urine volume was determined during the period between the end of the first HD session of the week and the beginning of the next HD session. The patients were classified into 3 groups according to KRU level: <1, 1-2, and >2 mL/minute. The duration of HD treatment, biodemographic characteristics, biochemical and hormonal analyses, HD adequacy, ESRD etiology, and co-morbidities were compared between groups. A p value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant (confidence interval: 95%). Results: There was a statistically significant difference between the KRU value and the duration of HD treatment (p<0.001), ESRD etiology (p=0.037), serum potassium level (p=0.028), phosphorus level (p=0.036), urine volume (p<0.001), ultrafiltration (UF) volume (p=0.002), and body mass index (p=0.002). Patients with a urine volume of <100 mL/day had a longer duration of HD treatment of 6.9±4.2 years (p=0.021), as well as a greater quantity of UF administered 723±230 mL/hour (p<0.001). Conclusion: Rather than provide an explanation of a cause-effect relationship for RKF loss, the findings of this study may contribute to the monthly interpretation and regulation of HD therapy. Additional studies that include RKF measurement at certain time intervals and long-term observation are needed.


Introduction: Rapid uptake of drug-loaded nanoparticles (NPs) by lung cells is critical for effective pulmonary delivery of therapeutic agents because of the rapid pulmonary clearance mechanisms. W...


Bathythrix formosa (Desvignes, 1860) is a new finding of the ichneumonid wasp for the Serbian fauna. It was recorded on the locality Bojanine vode, Suva mt. Serbia from the host species Agroeca sp (Aranea: Liocranidae).


The possibilities of processing with use of various types of seismic waves are given by the example of the seismic data received by means of multichannel telemetering system TELSS


TiO_2/SiO_2 were prepared by the chemical modification reaction on SiO_2, then the supported coupled semiconductors WO_3-TiO_2/SiO_2 were prepared by impregnating TiO_2/SiO_2. The gas-phase photocatalytic production of CH_3OH and H_2 from CH_4 and H_2O on WO_3-TiO_2/SiO_2 has been studied using a fixed-bed annular photoreactor under UV irradiation. The surface structure, photon adsorption property and chemisorption ability of WO_3-TiO_2/SiO_2 have been investigated by the techniques of XRD, TPR, BET, UVDRS, IR and TPD. It was showed that the band-gap energy of well-dispersed surface species on SiO_2 can be increased due to the quantum size effect; the interaction between WO_3 and TiO_2, leading to the formation of W-O-Ti bonds, can improve the photon adsorption properties and the chemsorption abilities of CH_4 and H_2O effectively; the "photon-surface-thermal" synergistic action can be formed on WO_3-TiO_2/SiO_2 at temperature higher than 100 ℃ under UV irradiation, which can promote methane adsorption as dissociative states by photoactive O~-, thus WO_3-TiO_2/SiO_2 has the higher photocatalytic activity with the methanol selectivity of more than 83%.


Analytical results are presented for determining the steady-state components of the gain and error covariance matrices of the two-state Kalman tracking filter with white noise maneuver capability.


As a result, existing water shortages in Uzbekistan eliminate the negative consequences arising, effective and rational use of water and land resources, the use of water-saving technologies in irrigation of crops helps to save water and other resources up to 35-50%. The development of horticulture and viticulture increases the efficiency of land use in mountain and foothill areas, at the same time satisfies the need for fruits and grapes of the local population, and also serves as the main foundation of the domestic market with cheap enrichment and quality products.


Sea level rise and an increase in typhoon intensity are two of the results expected from future climate change. In the present work a methodology to change the intensity of tropical cyclones in Japan is developed based on the work of Knutson and Tuleya (2004). An example of how this would affect one of the worst typhoons to hit the Tokyo Bay area in the 20 century was thus developed, highlighting the considerable dangers associated with this event, and how current sea defences could be under danger of failing by the end of the 21 century.


The accuracy of conventional crane engineering problems with bounded uncertainty is limited to cases where only first-order terms are retained. However, the impact of high-order terms on the luffing angular response (LAR) may be significant when it comes to compound functions. A modified first-order compound-function-based interval perturbation method (MFCFIPM) is proposed for the prediction of the LAR field of a dual automobile crane system (DACS) with narrowly bounded uncertainty. In an interval model, all uncertain variables with bounded uncertainty comprise an interval vector. The equilibrium equations of the interval LAR vectors of the DACS are established based on the interval model. The MFCFIPM employs the surface rail generation method to expand the compound-function-based vectors. A modified Sherman–Morrison–Woodbury formula is introduced to analyze the impact of the high-order terms of the Neumann series expansion on the LAR field. Several numerical examples are presented to verify the accuracy and the feasibility of the MFCFIPM. The results show that the MFCFIPM can achieve a better accuracy than the first-order compound-function-based interval perturbation method and a higher efficiency than the Monte Carlo method for the LAR field problem with narrow interval variables. The effects of different numbers of interval variables on the LAR field by the MFCFIPM are also investigated.


Th e level of steroid hormones among children aged from 4 to 18 has been investigated. It has been registered that the level of cortisol doesnt correspond the norm among 58,0% of patients, the level of cortisone 32,0%, the level of aldosteronum among 62,0% of patients with pharmacoresistant epilepsies; the level of aldosteronum only 40,0% epileptics with positive treatment eff ect. Th e excess of normal range of cortisol was reveled (50,0%), as well as of cortisone (32,0%) and aldosteronum (60,0%) in cases of pharmacoresistant epilepsies, and aldosteronum only (40,6%) in cases of epilepsies with positive treatment eff ect.


Introduction: A de-functioning loop ileostomy is frequently used to minimise the clinical consequences of anastomotic failure following low anterior resection of the rectum (LAR). Ideally, closure of the ileostomy should occur within 6 months of initial surgery to minimise morbidity and restore bowel continuity. NBOCA data suggests this is not always the case. This study aimed to identify reasons behind delayed or non-closure in patients undergoing elective rectal cancer surgery. Methods: All patients undergoing elective rectal cancer surgery at a single colorectal unit between 1/1/2011 and 31/12/2014 were identified from a prospectivelyheld database. Data on complications, timing of stoma closure and reasons for delayed or non-closure were identified from clinical databases and clinic letters. Results: From 96 patients identified; the vast majority underwent a LAR with defunctioning ileostomy (83%, n = 80). 28% of these stomas were closed within 6 months, and 86% by time of data collection. Median time to closure was 36 weeks, with significant delays associated with advanced Dukes' stage, adjuvant therapy, age <65 and clinically-presenting anastomotic failures (P < 0.05). Non-closure was associated with advanced Dukes' stage and radiologically-presenting anastomotic failures (P < 0.05). 34% of delays beyond 6 months were attributed to organisational factors alone. Conclusions: Only a minority of patients currently have their ileostomy closed within 6 months of LAR. Whilst anastomotic complications occasionally preclude early closure, many delays cannot be medically justified. This study suggests a clinical pathway for assessing the anastomosis and restoring bowel continuity is required to improve the timeliness and consistency of ileostomy closure following LAR.


Abstract  Objective: The objective was to examine the influence of gender in diabetic patients following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Methods: A study from an 11‐year hospitalization cohort with prospective data collection was conducted. Included in the study were diabetic patients undergoing CABG surgery between October 1993 and May 2004 (n = 2781). Patients who underwent any surgery other than CABG or had a previous cardiac surgery were excluded. The study examined 25 risk factors and 14 outcome variables. Results: Twelve risk factors were found to be significantly different between male and female diabetic patients undergoing CABG. Correlation coefficients were computed among the 12 significant risk factors. Three main risk factors emerged: age 70 years or greater, abnormal LVH, and number of grafts. For outcome variables, females experienced more renal complications, intraoperative complications, longer hospital stay, and mortality. Logistic regression analysis showed that after controlling for age, LVH, and number of grafts, female diabetic patients undergoing CABG were more likely to experience intraoperative complications (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.1‐3.0, p = 0.025) and longer hospital stay (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.97‐0.99, p = 0.039). However, there was no significant difference between male and female diabetic patients after CABG surgery with renal complications (OR 1.39, 95% CI 0.95‐2.1, p = 0.132) or mortality (OR 1.6, 95% CI 0.85‐2.8, p = 0.153). Conclusion: Female diabetic patients, when compared to male diabetic patients undergoing CABG, have significantly more intraoperative complications and longer hospital stays following surgery.


Background: The functions of integrin α5 on cell proliferation and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Results: Loss of N-glycosylation on α5 increased the phosphorylation and internalization of EGFR and abolished its inhibitory effects on cell proliferation. Conclusion: Integrin α5 regulates EGFR-mediated signaling through N-glycosylation. Significance: N-Glycosylation plays important roles in the cross-talk between integrins and growth factor receptors. Integrin α5β1-mediated cell adhesion regulates a multitude of cellular responses, including cell proliferation, survival, and cross-talk between different cellular signaling pathways. Integrin α5β1 is known to convey permissive signals enabling anchorage-dependent receptor tyrosine kinase signaling. However, the effects of integrin α5β1 on cell proliferation are controversial, and the molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation between integrin α5β1 and receptor tyrosine kinase remain largely unclear. Here we show that integrin α5 functions as a negative regulator of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling through its N-glycosylation. Expression of WT integrin α5 suppresses the EGFR phosphorylation and internalization upon EGF stimulation. However, expression of the N-glycosylation mutant integrin α5, S3–5, which contains fewer N-glycans, reversed the suppression of the EGFR-mediated signaling and cell proliferation. In a mechanistic manner, WT but not S3–5 integrin α5 forms a complex with EGFR and glycolipids in the low density lipid rafts, and the complex formation is disrupted upon EGF stimulation, suggesting that the N-glycosylation of integrin α5 suppresses the EGFR activation through promotion of the integrin α5-glycolipids-EGFR complex formation. Furthermore, consistent restoration of those N-glycans on the Calf-1,2 domain of integrin α5 reinstated the inhibitory effects as well as the complex formation with EGFR. Taken together, these data are the first to demonstrate that EGFR activation can be regulated by the N-glycosylation of integrin α5, which is a novel molecular paradigm for the cross-talk between integrins and growth factor receptors.


Recently Keppler et al. (2006) discovered a surprising new source of methane – terrestrial plants under aerobic conditions, with an estimated global production of 62–236 Tg yr −1 by an unknown mechanism. This is ~10–40% of the annual total of methane entering the modern atmosphere and ~30–100% of annual methane entering the pre-industrial (0 to 1700 AD) atmosphere. Here we test this reported global production of methane from plants against ice core records of atmospheric methane concentration (CH 4 ) and stable carbon isotope ratios (δ 13 CH 4 ) over the last 2000 years. Our top-down approach determines that global plant emissions must be much lower than proposed by Keppler et al. (2006) during the last 2000 years and are likely to lie in the range 0–46 Tg yr −1 and 0–176 Tg yr −1 during the pre-industrial and modern eras, respectively.


In the unsupervised learning paradigm, a network of neuron-like units is presented an ensemble of input patterns from a structured-environment, such as the visual world, and learns to represent the regularities in that input. The major goal in developing unsupervised learning algorithms is to find objective functions that characterize the quality of the network's representation without explicitly specifying the desired outputs of any of the units. Previous approaches in unsupervised learning, such as clustering, principal components analysis, and information-transmission-based methods, make minimal assumptions about the kind of structure in the environment, and they are good for preprocessing raw signal input. These methods try to model all of the structure in the environment in a single processing stage. The approach taken in this thesis is novel, in that our unsupervised learning algorithms do not try to preserve all of the information in the signal. Rather, we start by making strongly constraining assumptions about the kind of structure of interest in the environment. We then proceed to design learning algorithms which will discover precisely that structure. By constraining what kind of structure will be extracted by the network, we can force the network to discover higher level, more abstract features. Additionally, the constraining assumptions we make can provide a way of decomposing difficult learning problems into multiple simpler feature extraction stages. We propose a class of information-theoretic learning algorithms which cause a network to become tuned to spatially coherent features of visual images. Under Gaussian assumptions about the spatially coherent features in the environment, we have shown that this method works well for learning depth from random dot stereograms of curved surfaces. Using mixture models of coherence, these algorithms can be extended to deal with discontinuities, and to form multiple models of the regularities in the environment. Our simulations demonstrate the general utility of the Imax algorithms in discovering interesting, non-trivial structure (disparity and depth discontinuities) in artificial stereo images. This is the first attempt we know of to model perceptual learning beyond the earliest stages of low-level feature extraction, and to model multiple stages of unsupervised learning.


Stress-responsive genes belonging to multiple defensive pathways in the nematode C. elegans are cross-regulated by kinase signalling (AKT-1/-2, p38 MAPK) and transcription factors (DAF-16, SKN-1). This cross-talk between stress pathways implies that they are best regarded as a stress-response network (SRN), whose behaviour as a whole should be amenable to mathematical modelling. We have used GFP reporter strains to provide a rapid readout of expression levels for 24 genes, representing principal outputs and transcription factors in the heat-shock, metal-binding, oxidative stress, phase I & phase II detoxification, and genotoxic stress pathways. Acute toxicity data (up to ~24 h) has been generated for selected metal (presented here) and pesticide toxicants across a wide range of doses, and common response patterns identified. Mathematical modelling of these response data, informed by an understanding of the underlying genetic circuitry, should allow our model to predict the likely toxicity of pollutant mixtures. Future work will test the accuracy of such predictions, leading to an iterative process of model refinement.


Denitrification losses during the growing season may reduce the availability of manure and fertilizer N for crop production. Denitrification losses were measured during the growing seasons of 1992 and 1993 following spring manure or fertilizer application on a sandy soil with a high water table (Sumas) and a well-drained silt loam soil (Agassiz), both cropped to silage corn (Zeamays L.). Dairy cattle slurry (600 kg total N ha−1) was surface applied and incorporated in April. Ammonium nitrate (200 kg N ha−1) was surface applied at planting in early May. Denitrification rates were measured using the acetylene blockage technique on intact soil cores taken from 0- to 13-cm, 15- to 28-cm and 30- to 43-cm depths biweekly following manure application until mid-June, then monthly until after harvest in September. Denitrification rates were measured weekly in the control and manured treatment in 1993. In 1993, average denitrification rates were significantly higher following manure application (485 g N ha−1 d−1) t...


Abstract
Demographic changes across the United States have led to dramatic shifts in the composition of public school enrollments. While these shifts are manifest across multiple dimensions of diversity, the influx of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students is particularly pronounced. As the numbers of CLD students rapidly grow across all geographic regions, from rural to suburban to urban, school leaders face the daunting responsibility of responding to ensure that these students receive equitable opportunities to learn. Some guiding principles for accomplishing this generalize across settings, yet ultimately this leadership needs to be context-specific. In this chapter we discuss these guiding principles and apply them narrowly to the context of medium and small urban districts. We argue that school leadership – particularly district and school administration – plays a crucial role in supporting the design and delivery of supports for CLD students and their families, who constitute a "new mainstream" in many of these settings.


In this paper a longitudinal output feedback tracker is developed for an aircraft and is shown to produce excellent performance for three different flight conditions without change of the control law matrices. The aircraft utilizes flight propulsion control coupling to provide greater control and responsiveness to command inputs. The singular perturbation method is applied to obtain an output-feedback digital multivariable control. Each flight condition has three command modes: positive pitch pointing, vertical translation, and straight climb. Decoupling of the outputs is demonstrated. A sensitivity study is performed to validate the robustness of the design and to illustrate design parameter influences on system response. The paper contains a summary of the control law design method. Since the CB matrix of the aircraft model does not have full rank, the use of a modified output feedback is used to obtain the required tracking performance.


Abstract In-plane Raman scattering, via cleaved or polished sample edges, has been applied to GaAs/AlAs superlattices for investigating the angular anisotropy predicted for optical phonons in polar heterostructures. For both extreme short-period and long-period superlattices, the angular dispersion can be described within a simple dielectric continuum model, whereas this model fails for intermediate layer thicknesses. For intermediate thicknesses, mode mixing and effects of bulk phonon dispersion produce frequency gaps in the angular dispersion. For non-polar Si/Ge superlattices, in-plane Raman scattering enables a comprehensive investigation of interface roughness. The experimental features for the mechanical interface mode and the Si-like confined modes are well explained by microscopic calculations assuming two intermixed alloy monolayers at each interface.


Laser beam cutting is a highly efficient technique to cut materials. The relatively small amount of energy being involved during the process results in a small heat affected zone. This characteristic makes laser beam cutting interesting for composite materials. Within this paper the cutting process is applied to metallic hollow sphere structures (MHSS), a relatively new group of advanced composite materials. The metallic hollow sphere structures combine the well‐known advantages of cellular metals without major scattering of their material parameters. They are characterised by high geometry reproduction leading to relatively constant mechanical and physical properties. Numerical simulation is used in order to define proper process parameters for a large variety of metallic hollow sphere structures. The finite element method based simulation covers material parameters as well as process parameters like the cutting velocity. Heat conduction, convection and heat radiation is taken into account. The temperature distribution is our fundamental result. It should be mentioned that phase change from solid to liquid state is also included in the computational procedure.


One major limitation for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells is the sluggish cathode kinetics. Development of efficient noble-free catalysts is the key resolution to the problem of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in both acid and alkaline solutions. Herein, we report a new type of efficient non-precious-metal catalyst for the ORR through the direct pyrolysis of poly[2,2′-(1,1′-cobaltocenium)-5,5′-dibenzimidazole]. The cobalt oxides were produced after pyrolysis at 900 °C (Cp2-Co+-PBI-900, where PBI is polybenzimidazole). The obtained catalysts exhibit higher electrocatalytic activity and stability for the ORR under both alkaline and acidic conditions. Structural characterization manifested that Cp2-Co+-PBI-800 had the highest graphitic N content and Cp2-Co+-PBI-900 was also produced. In alkaline media, Cp2-Co+-PBI-900 showed the highest ORR activity with onset potential of 998 mV (vs. RHE), which was only 22 mV higher than that of Pt/C under identical conditions. Besides, in acidic media, Cp2-Co+-PBI-800 exhibited excellent ORR activity with an onset potential of 847 mV (vs. RHE) after leaching in 6 M HCl solution for 12 h. Both optimal catalysts displayed high durability, especially in acidic media. The half-wave potential was also improved by 11 mV after 5000 CV scanning cycles in N2. The catalysts possessed diverse active sites in different working conditions. In acid conditions, cobalt acted as the promotor, whereas, in alkaline conditions, CoO was the activity site. Moreover, graphite N and pyridine N were the main activity sites in acid and alkaline conditions, respectively. PBI has a long-chain and π-conjugated system, indicating that the PBI precursor can be used as a non-precious-metal catalyst.


Abstract Ghana has witnessed tremendous economic growth since the 1990s and attained the Millennium Development Goals target of halving poverty. This notwithstanding, inequality in Ghana increased over the same period, suggesting growth benefits were not equitably distributed. This study provides evidence on the determinants of household consumption expenditure and factors that explain rural-urban welfare gaps between 1998 and 2013. The study employs an unconditional quantile regression and recently proposed decomposition technique based on re-centred influence functions. We find significant spatial differences in consumption expenditure across selected quantiles, with rural-urban inequalities driven largely by differences in returns to households' endowments.


In the current era of fashion driven by social media such as Instagram, Balenciaga's creative director Demna's grasp of the brand has won more attention and social share. And Balenciaga as a successful brand that has emerged in recent years, this paper focuses on the marketing strategy of Spanish luxury brand Balenciaga in recent years under the pandemic environment. Through the compilation, review, and analysis of several media, consulting, business, trend, and academic research reports on the brand, we first present the current status of the brand and then list several key marketing strategies of Balenciaga (including social media communication strategies, environmental friendliness, brand IP co-branding, and the celebrity effect). This study aims to analyze how Balenciaga, as almost the most popular fashion brand today, has been successful in terms of product and marketing. The final results of the study also show that Balenciaga's popularity is mainly due to the 'crazy' 'bold' brand strategy and the attitude of embracing pop culture and rebellious spirit.


Pokeweed antiviral protein (PAP), purified from pokeweed (Phyrolacca amencana) spring leaves, can inhibit protein synthesis in both eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. PAP also is known to have an effective antiviral property against a wide range of plant and animai vinises. To detemine the effects of Cand N-terminai deletions on antiviral and ribosome-inactivating activities of the proteh, PAP cDNA 3' and 5' end unidirectional deletions and site specific mutagenesis by PCR were conducted. Mutants were expressed in E. coli. Anaiysis of antiviral and ribosome-inactivating activities was performed using tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) local lesion assay and rabbit reticuiocyte lysate in vitro translation system. Nucleotide mutations were verified by DNA sequencing. Results show that: (i) the antiviral and ribosome-inactivating activities decreased with an increase in the number of amino acids removed from the C-terminus. (ii) PAP becomes highly toxic when the 22 arnino acids N-terminal signal peptide and further amino acids up to the tyrosine 94 were removed. This toxicity is evidenced by the absence of any bacterial clone. Further deletions of amino acids (> 100 amino acids) resulted in a large nurnber of bacterial colonies which expressed tmncated non-toxic forms of PAP, and (iii) there is a correlation between ribosome-inactivating and antiviral activities.


The multijet oscillating disk (MJOD) flow reactor is a relatively new technology for continuous flow synthesis. This technology is still under investigation as an all-round platform for flow synthesis. In this article, findings are disclosed from a project where a MJOD flow reactor rig (reactor volume of ≈50 mL) was investigated as the reaction platform for ring closing metathesis and cross (self) metathesis reaction, using reaction mixture volumes down to only ≈5 mL. The Hoveyda–Grubbs second-generation catalyst was used without an inert atmosphere. The results of the flow synthesis provided excellent selectivity and high yield. For comparison purposes, the syntheses conducted in the MJOD reactor were compared with similar literature experiments performed with other flow technologies and batch conditions.


Abstract : It has been said that General George Washington, Commander in Chief of the Continental Army, did not fight a true guerrilla war to liberate the people of the Americas from enemy colonialism. It is true that General Washington did not see the political uses to which the Continental Army could be put since he was unschooled in the theory of revolutionary war. It also is true that the revolutionary war was not supported by peasants struggling to achieve an agrarian revolution. And yet, General Washington fought and won a protracted people's war. How can this be so? Often, wars of strong imperialist powers against weak and agrarian colonies lead to national subjugation. A thorough study of the interconnections of all factors on the enemy's side and on the American side leads one to conclude that the American revolutionary war was a protracted war because the enemy side had shortcomings and the American side had advantages. General Washington reduced the enemy's advantages and aggravated his shortcomings. On the other hand, General Washington also enhanced his advantages and remedied his shortcomings and thus won his final victory and averted subjugation. The British enemy, ultimately doomed to defeat, could not avert the collapse of his whole imperialist system. How did General Washington do this? Through properly assessing the characteristics of the American revolutionary war, it was clear that the only path to victory against the British enemy lay in the application of three principles of revolutionary war: attacking weakness, avoiding strength, and being patient. These principles were applied in the three stages of revolutionary war: strategic defensive, strategic stalemate, and strategic offensive. [Editor's note: This essay is reputed to be authored by Mao Zedong. If so, this would be the only known work of Mao's to examine the revolutionary nature of the American war of independence.]


The in situ generation of particles is an efficient way to prepare organic-inorganic hybrid materials. This approach has been widely used to enhance the dispersion within the matrix and therefore to improve the composites' properties. This method was used in the present paper to produce silicone composites. The crosslinking of the polymer matrix was achieved by hydrosilation reaction that is typically the addition of a Si-H bond across a double bond, in the presence of a platinum catalyst. The generation of silica particles was carried out prior the hydrosilation reaction. We previously demonstrated that this usually thermally activated reaction can also be induced under UV-light and that a front propagation allows the formation of thick unfilled samples. However, the presence of inorganic particles directly dispersed in the matrix lead to a reduction of thickness curability. That is the reason why the addition of particles by sol-gel process is studied in the present article. The lower dimension and better dispersion of the particles within the material promote the formation of thicker cured composites. The effect of the silica precursor's amount on the system's reactivity was evaluated and samples thick up to 2 cm were obtained with the most suitable conditions of reaction. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 56:3–8, 2016. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers


In order to improve the accuracy of set pair situation ordering in Four-element relative degree,this paper analyzes the shortage of existing set pair situation orderings,and proposes an improved sorting method.The method divides diversities in relative degree into positive and negative diversity,and considers the influence of them with unified degree and contrary degree systematically,and then improves determining terms of set pair situation. Sorting tables of set pair situation in consistency of power,balance and inverse potential are presented in this paper through calculus.Simulative experiments show this method improves the identification accuracy of set pair situation,and avoids missing problems in original methods.This method can promote the application of four-element relative degree in situation analysis deeply.


The paper proposes a novel method for automatic linear features extraction from raw LiDAR point clouds. Our method bases on the fact that facades of a building in urban area can reflect laser pulses since most of time the scanning angle of the laser scanner does not equal to zero degree. Experimental results show that our algorithm can extract linear features in urban area automatically with high accuracy.


The theory of graph games with ω-regular winning conditions is the foundation for modeling and synthesizing reactive processes. In the case of stochastic reactive processes, the corresponding stochastic graph games have three players, two of them (System and Environment) behaving adversarially, and the third (Uncertainty) behaving probabilistically. We consider two problems for stochastic graph games: the qualitative problem asks for the set of states from which a player can win with probability 1 (almost-sure winning); and the quantitative problem asks for the maximal probability of winning (optimal winning) from each state. We consider ω-regular winning conditions formalized as Müller winning conditions. We present optimal memory bounds for pure (deterministic) almost-sure winning and optimal winning strategies in stochastic graph games with Müller winning conditions. We also present improved memory bounds for randomized almost-sure winning and optimal strategies. We study the complexity of stochastic Müller games and show that the quantitative analysis problem is PSPACE-complete. Our results are relevant in synthesis of stochastic reactive processes. This research was supported in part by the the AFOSR MURI grant F49620-00-1-0327, and the NSF grant CCR-0225610.


Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to establish the key determinants of the effectiveness of the manager–subordinate relationships and identify the different factors contributing to the effectiveness of this relationship in an Indian context. A model analyzing personal and professional need fulfillment of the subordinates has been presented.

Design/methodology/approach
The effectiveness of the manager–subordinate relationship was empirically analyzed using impact message inventory- circumplex (IMI-C).Close-ended self-administered survey was used to measure the variables associated with the effectiveness of the manager–subordinate relationship. Total 324 questionnaires were distributed online among employees of mid-sized IT service organizations operating in India, and 138 valid responses were collected.

Findings
Results show that managerial relationship effectiveness is influenced by the manager's affiliation scores, previous work experience and ability to address the personal and professional needs of employees. Further effectiveness of manager–subordinate relationship is enhanced in a friendly workplace where managers are adequately empowered to acknowledge employee needs.

Research limitations/implications
The paper is empirical in nature and provides a future direction for more research in the area of manager–subordinate relationship in a workplace by exploring more variables.

Practical implications
Derived from an extensive study of current and impending manager – subordinate relationship, the findings may aid many organization and policymakers to develop and refine their people practices to engage human capital with the ulterior aim of having a conducive relationship between the manager and subordinate in the organization.

Originality/value
The present research emphasizes the importance of a healthy relationship between the manager and the subordinate in a digitalized workplace. This study is unique, as it provides insights into the manager–subordinate relationship and the factors influencing the association. The study gives a better understanding of the factors that make the manager–subordinate relationship more effective and fulfilling.


The Estatuto da Crianca e do Adolescente (1990) pointed to new ways of figuring out adolescents infringements. However, there comes a suspicion that a complex negotiation of meanings, constantly marked by a social logic and historically built stereotypes, generated conflicts of practices and ideas of those ones who deal with the law. Thus, it is proposed knowing how the adolescent was portrayed in lawsuits considering the judicial dealing of infringement acts. After careful analysis of twelve adolescents' infringement lawsuits it was identified typical features of irregular situation doctrine, which came with new conceptual content in the manifestations evoked on the basis of the Estatuto da Crianca e do Adolescente. As a conclusion, shared social representations of adolescents in the judicial scope are still anchored in a guardianship model that sees the adolescent as object of law, whose future, in the condition of infractor, must be drawn by the State.


The influence of differential diffusion on the statistical behavior of the local displacement speed (Sd) in relation to flame curvature is studied based on three-dimensional compressible direct numerical simulations (DNS) of statistically planar flames with single-step Arrhenius-type chemistry. Three different Lewis number cases (Le=0.8, 1.0, and 1.2) are considered. In order to study the influence of differential diffusion on curvature effects in flame propagation, temperature statistics are presented in terms of standard probability density functions (pdfs) and also joint pdfs with curvature for the nonunity Lewis number cases. Temperature statistics are found to be consistent with previous incompressible combustion DNS studies. It is found that both dilatation and tangential strain rate are negatively correlated with curvature. The relative strength of these two correlations determines the nature of the correlation between surface density function (SDF) (∣∇c∣) and curvature. It is also found that the v...


A first order model and computer program implementing previously developed procedures for estimating the speed, depth, and temperature of a fire produced gravity wave front in a corridor have been developed. The program has been incorporated into FPETOOL and adjustments made to accommodated fires that occur in the corridor or in a room adjacent to the corridor. Comparisons to test results are presented and show reasonable correlation. A users' guide is included.


Certain distributed-parameter systems characterised by partial differential equations, when analysed by Laplace-transform methods, give rise to nonrational transforms which are intractable by conventional techniques of inversion. These problems are easily solved by a numerical-inversion technique given recently. The technique is used to study the behaviour of an oven which has a feedback controller to regulate its temperature.


Vocation aptitude testing should conform to scientific quality criteria and be practically put to the test to check its validity. The author describes the methods of the particular tests and their effectiveness for increasing operating safety.


In a pair of articles appearing in previous issues of the Journal of Music Theory, *1 the writer described the results of research, the purpose of which was to explore the relationship between intonation and interval sizes in ensemble string performance and certain specific aspects of musical composition. As a sort of appendix to these articles, he wishes to compare his results with those of others who have done research in the general field of tonal perception. It is convenient to divide this work into the two areas of laboratory testing of individuals and the actual measurement of musical performance. The first area provides information about the human perception of the tonal material of music in its unconnected and static condition, while the second studies this material as it is when it actually has become music.


The Unified Modeling Language has been shown to be complex and difficult to learn. The difficulty of learning to build the individual diagrams in the UML, however, has received scant attention. In this article, we consider the case of the UML sequence diagram. Despite the fact that these diagrams are among the most frequently used in practice, they are difficult to learn to build. In this article, we consider the question of why these diagrams remain so difficult to learn to build. Specifically, we analyze the process of learning to build sequence diagrams in the context of cognitive complexity theory. Based on this analysis, and drawing on the theory of learner-centered design, we develop a set of recommendations for presenting the sequence diagram building task to the student analyst to reduce the complexity of learning how to build them.


Abstract : This report contains the teaching syllabus and lesson plans for a course on joint force development developed by the Institute for Defense Analyses at the request of the Dean of the Air War College. This elective course fills a void in the College's course offerings and increases emphasis in its curriculum on joint matters. It is designed to give the student both an overview of Service force development processes and the opportunity to discuss trends that may portend changes to these processes in the future. The course consists of 3 parts, presented in 15 instructional periods (IPS). Part I defines and delineates force development. Part II contains a series of case studies (Army Force XXI; Marine Corps Urban warfare; Navy Mine warfare; Air Force Composite wings; TRANSCOM Strategic airlift). Each case study lesson is followed by a lesson dedicated to the official policies and regulations that guide each respective player s actions and decisions in the force development process. Part III allows the student to take an in-depth look at a number of current and prospective issues that may or may not impact the manner in which the Department of Defense develops forces in the future.


A 38-year-old man developed the Guillain-Barresyndrome (GBS) associated with untreated end-stage AIDS and CD4+ lymphocyte count of 3 cells/mm 3 . The patient had serum high titer anti-sulfatide antibodies and responded well to infusion of immunoglobulin. The data suggest that elevatedlevelsofanti-sulfatide antibodiesmayplayarolein thepathogenesisofGBSin thispatient,although adirectneurotropic effectofHIVvirus cannot be excluded. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.


This paper studies the exchange of information between two principals who contract sequentially with the same agent, as in the case of a buyer who purchases from multiple sellers. We show that when (a) the upstream principal is not personally interested in the downstream level of trade, (b) the agent's valuations are positively correlated, and (c) preferences in the downstream relationship are separable, then it is optimal for the upstream principal to offer the agent full privacy. On the contrary, when any of these conditions is violated, there exist preferences for which disclosure is strictly optimal, even if the downstream principal does not pay for the information. We also examine the effects of disclosure on welfare and show that it does not necessarily reduce the agent's surplus in the two relationships and in some cases may even yield a Pareto improvement. JEL Classification Numbers: D82, C73, L1.


The structural flexibility of [Cp2M(dithiolene)] complexes (M=Mo, W; dithiolene=dmit2−, dmid2−, dsit2−; the [CpMo(dmid)] complex is depicted on the right) is manifested in various folding angles of the MS2C2 metallacycle in a series of charge-transfer salts with TCNQF4. The evolution of the electronic structures with the folding angle induces different geometries for the dimeric [{Cp2M(dithiolene)+.}2] entities. The organization of these entities in the solid state reveals one-dimensional intermolecular interactions, as confirmed by the magnetic behavior of these salts, which are characteristic of a spin chain or a rare spin ladder motif (shown on the right).