Schizophrenia is a frequent and complex psychiatric disorder. Current neurobiological research in schizophrenia provides a wealth of information about structural, functional and genetic aspects of the disease [1] . Schizophrenia loci with evidence for linkage can be found on the following chromosal arms: 5q, 3p, 11q, 6p, 1q, 22q, 8p, 20p, 14p, and 2p-q [3] . Deletions, duplications, and translocations of proximal chromosome 22q have been associated with a number of syndromes and developmental abnormalities [6] . The majority of these rearrangements occur within the 22q11.2 region, termed 22q11 deletion syndrome, which is the most common of these. This deletion is associated with several syndromes, including DiGeorge, velocardiofacial, and conotruncal anomaly face syndromes, and in almost all cases involves hemizygosity of the entire 3-Mb typically deleted region. Supernumery marker chromosomes with rearrangement in region 22q11.2 has been associated with cat-eye syndrome (CES) [2, 4] . Previously reported clinical fi ndings for patients with CES include ocular coloboma, down slanting palpebral fi ssures, hypertelorism, preauricular pits and / or tags, cardiac malformations, renal malformations, anal atresia, and normal or only mildly retarded mental development. A 25-year-old female patient, who was diagnosed to have CES associated with biocular coloboma, preauricular pits, hypaccusis, craniofacial malformations and skeletal anomalies was admitted to our hospital because of problems with auditory and coenesthetic hallucinations, bizarre delusions, paranoid ideas and suicidal ideation for the past 6 months. MRI scan showed Klippel – Feil sequence with spina bifi da occulta and neuropsychological testing revealed no cognitive defi cits. Corresponding to cat eye syndrome a cytogenetic analysis showed acrocentric chromosome fragments. Schizophrenia was diagnosed according to DSM-IV criteria and symptoms remitted after 4 weeks of treatment with olanzapine. It has been observed that especially patients with velocardiofacial syndrome, which shows a deletion at 22q11, display increased incidence of schizophrenic psychosis [5] . Recent reports suggest a risk for the deletion at least one order of magnitude greater in schizophrenics than in the general population [5] . Thus it is probable that 22q11.2 contains loci that are associated with or contribute to the development of schizophrenia. Recent studies have confi rmed this hypothesis, and a number of genes including catecholO -methyltransferase within this region have been specifi cally implicated in predicting psychosis [3, 5] . In conclusion, we have reported the fi rst case of schizophrenia in a patient with cat eye syndrome and underline the importance of the 22q11.2 region for the risk of development of the disease. References 1 Gallinat J , Heinz A : Combination of multimodal imaging and molecular genetic information to investigate complex psychiatric disorders . Pharmacopsychiatry 2006 ; 39 (Suppl 1) : 76 – 79 2 Gothelf D , Eliez S , Thompson T , Hinard C , Penniman L , Feinstein C , Kwon H , Jin S , Jo B , Antonarakis SE , Morris MA , Reiss AL : COMT genotype predicts longitudinal cognitive decline and psychosis in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome . Nature Neuroscience 2005 ; 8 : 1500 – 1502 3 Maier W , Zobel A , Rietschel M : Genetics of schizophrenia and affective disorders . Pharmacopsychiatry 2003 ; 36 (Suppl 3) : 195 – 202 4 McDermid HE , Morrow BE : Genomic disorders on 22q11 . Am J Hum Genet 2002 ; 70 : 1077 – 1088 5 Murphy KC : Schizophrenia and velo-cardio-facial syndrome . Lancet 2002 ; 359 : 426 – 430 6 Shaikh TH , Kurahashi H , Emanuel BS : Evolutionarily conserved low copy repeats (LCRs) in 22q11 mediate deletions, duplications, translocations, and genomic instability: an update and literature review . Genet Med 2001 ; 3 : 6 – 13


Pathology is highly intuitive and practical. Pathology experiment teaching is an important way to exercise students' practical ability, a breakthrough point to stimulate students' interest in exploration, cultivate students' innovative spirit, and one of the important ways and means to acquire knowledge of pathology. This paper focuses on the design and implementation of the computer-aided "learning community" pathophysiology cloud laboratory. In response to such problems, this paper proposes an integrated framework of the Web-based Online Learning Community Knowledge Innovation Platform (OLCKIS) according to the learning process of the online learning community, analyzes the requirements of the system, designs the architecture of the system, and clarifies the key technologies of the system.


The series system reliability and availability are considerably deteriorated as the number of components increases. Redundancy are use to over come such problem. However in liquid supply systems (oil supply) and line production systems that afford to provide buffers in between components of the system could be considered as a competing more economical solution to the problem of drastic decrease of system reliability and availability of multi-components connected in series. Considering the provision of buffers, the rated capacity of components should be increased by a sufficient margin to be able to provide the buffers with quantities necessary and sufficient to keep the flow in the system uninterrupted in case of components failure. Modeling availability of such system is a challenging task especially if repair is considered imperfect. Usually simulation models are used for such model but it is slow when it comes to be used in optimal allocation for components reliability and maintainability. An Artificial Neural Network (ANN) is a promising alternative for such optimal problem due to fast output and capability of modeling non-linear model. In the proposed work the availability model of series system with in-proces buffer under imperfect repair is investigated using an Artificial Neural Network (ANN). The ANN model is verified and shows that it outperform the multiple regression analysis.


The amount of data generated by traditional business activities, creating data repositories ranging from terabytes to petabytes in size. However, this information cannot be practically analyzed on a single commodity computer because the data is too large to fit in memory. For this purpose, the large size of data to be processed requires the use of high-performance analytical systems running on distributed environments. Because the data is so big it affects the types of algorithms we are willing to consider. Then standard analytics algorithms need to be adapted to take advantage of cloud computing models which provide scalability and flexibility.This paper introduces a new distributed training method, which combines the widely used framework for bigdata, MapReduce, with the traditional structure of multiple linear regression.Parallel processing of multiple linear regression will be based on the QR decomposition and the ordinary least squares method adapted to MapReduce. Our platform is deployed on Cloud Amazon EMR service.Experimental results demonstrate that the our parallel version of the multiple linear regression can efficiently handle very large datasets on commodity hardware with a good performance on different evaluation criterions, including number, size and structure of machines in the cluster.


Stroke mimics (SMs) account for a significant number of patients attended as stroke code (SC) with an increasing number over the years. Recent studies show perfusion computed tomography (PCT) alterations in some SMs, especially in seizures. The objective of our study was to evaluate the clinical characteristics and PCT alterations in SMs attended as SC in order to identify potential predictors of PCT alterations in SMs.


In this paper, we propose two multiview image compression methods. The basic concept of both schemes is the layer-based representation, in which the captured three-dimensional (3D) scene is partitioned into layers each related to a constant depth in the scene. The first algorithm is a centralized scheme where each layer is de-correlated using a separable multi-dimensional wavelet transform applied across the viewpoint and spatial dimensions. The transform is modified to efficiently deal with occlusions and disparity variations for different depths. Although the method achieves a high compression rate, the joint encoding approach requires the transmission of all data to the users. By contrast, in an interactive setting, the users request only a subset of the captured images, but in an unknown order a priori. We address this scenario in the second algorithm using Distributed Source Coding (DSC) principles which reduces the inter-view redundancy and facilitates random access at the image level. We demonstrate that the proposed centralized and interactive methods outperform H.264/MVC and JPEG 2000, respectively.


In a digital autofocusing (DAF) system, estimation or selection of an optimal point-spread-function (PSF) is the most critical factor in performance and computational complexity. The proposed PSF selection algorithm falls into the category of an a priori estimation-based method. More specifically, the algorithm first extracts a set of candidate PSFs from an a priori estimated, full set of database information using cepstrum analysis. After a part of the input image is restored using the candidate PSF to analyze the edge, the proper PSF is finally selected by comparing the differences between analyzed edges and the ideal unit-step function. While existing PSF selection methods have a common problem of excessive computational overhead when the database has a large number of PSFs, the proposed algorithm significantly reduces the amount of computation by using cepstrum analysis. As shown in the experimental results, to process a single image with a database of size 100, the proposed algorithm performs 26 times faster than the existing PSF selection method. With its enhanced implementational efficiency, the proposed algorithm is suitable for the DAF function of small, mobile imaging devices such as cellular phone cameras and compact camcorders.


The effects of mineral and petroleum exploration and development and logging on grizzly bears in the Cabinet Mountains region of Montana is discussed. The author points out that such activities might cut the bears off from other bear populations in the Glacier National park and the Bob Marshall Wilderness. It is maintained, that in order for the bears to survive, they must range beyond the Cabinet Mountains and that extensive human activities in the area would damage their range. (JMT)


In this paper are given the orbital elements for the following five double
 stars: ADS 674 A921, ADS 2849 A1831BC, ADS 4002 McA18Aab, c, WDS 07269+2015
 = CHARA 26 and ADS 6138 A2869, corresponding astrophysical quantities (C,H)
 and also masses and dynamical parallaxes for ADS 674, ADS 2849 and ADS 6138.


Contrast computed tomography angiography (CTA) is utilized in wide variety of applications ranging from clinical practices to emerging technologies. However, radiation exposure, the necessity of contrast administration, as well as the overall complexity of the acquisition are major limitations. We aimed to generate pseudo-contrast CTA, utilizing a conditional generative adversarial network (cGAN). We synthesize realistic contrast CTA from a perfectly registered non-contrast thin slice computed tomography (NCCT). Our method may substitute contrast CTA with a pseudo-contrast CTA for certain clinical applications such as the assessments of cardiac anatomy.


Despite the great potential of geothermal electricity production, its exploitation is hindered by the cost particularities and the high initial investment risks of the respective projects. In most geothermal power production projects, nearly 15% of the total investment costs are spent in a high risk period. Exploration, test drilling and the actual production drilling account between 4070% of the total costs of a geothermal power plant, and 25% of it is spent during the high risk period of the project [1]. These facts call for alternative drilling technologies, in order to make geothermal electricity production sustainable. Spallation drilling is a technique that could reduce the drilling costs for geothermal electricity production. It takes advantage of the properties of certain rock types, to spall them into small disk-like fragments. Hydrothermal flames can be used in water-filled boreholes exceeding the critical pressure of water to provide the required heat to spall the rock. The work presented in this paper focuses on preliminary results towards the development of a drilling tool in a novel high pressure (260 bar) pilot plant. The impingement temperature profiles along the centerline of the pressure vessel are presented. Preliminary drilling experiments in rock probes (83 mm diameter 150 mm length) follow and the flame impingement heat transfer is finally characterized. The heat flux serves to interpret drilling experiments and as a design parameter for further development. This procedure will be repeated until the drilling tool is optimized for a certain rock type.


How to transfer from "Made in China" to "Created in China",or transfer from "a large manufactured country" to "a brand strength country" is becoming an important strategic aim during the 15th Five-year Plan to the Chinese Garment Industry.It also becomes the selection of many garment manufacturers.In this article,by analyzing some brand internationalization of domestic famous garment manufacturers,three main brand internationalization models,such as internationalization of self-own brand,acquisition of international brand and internationalization of fashion designers' brand were summarized.At the same time,each characteristics and its suitable enterprises were analyzed in order that we could implement the process.


The Pathology of Fatal Asthma, Alan L. James and Neil Carroll Bronchoscopy, Anthony J. Frew and Ratko DjukanovicM Bronchoalveolar Lavage in Studies of Asthma, Mark C. Liu and William J. Calhoun Evidence from Induced Sputum, Peter G. Gibson and Frederick E. Hargreave Mast Cell Proteases in Asthma, Andrew F. Walls Mast Cell Cytokines in Allergic Inflammation, John Joseph Costa, Stephen J. Galli, and Martin K. Church Airway Responses to Antigen in Asthmatic and Nonasthmatic Subjects, Stephen P. Peters, Joseph R. Shaver, James G. Zangrilli, and James E. Fish The Role of the Basophil in the Inflammatory Mechanisms of Asthma, L. H. Thomas and J. A. Warner Eosinophils: Granule Proteins, Maria-Cristina Seminario, Cheryl R. Adolphson, and Gerald J. Gleich Eosinophil Activation in Asthma, Shinji Motojima, Takeshi Fukuda, and Sohei Makino Eosinophil Autacoids, Anthony P. Sampson Eosinophil Cytokines, Redwan Moqbel and Paige Lacy Eosinophils in Asthma, Aparna Kumar and William W. Busse Interactions Between Eosinophils and the Airway Epithelium, Clive Robinson and Julia E. Carver Neutrophils and Asthma, L. Fabbri, Piera Boschetto, G. Caramori, and P. Maestrelli Allergen Recognition Sites in Immunoglobulin E from Patients with Asthma, Rachel E. Snow, Caroline J. Chapman, and Freda K. Stevenson T Cells in Asthma, Chris J. Corrigan Macrophages and Macrophage Diversity in Asthma, Shoobha S. Daftary, William J. Calhoun, and Nizar N. Jarjour Antigen Presentation in the Asthmatic Lung, Jonathan D. Edgeworth, Tak H. Lee, and Vanya Alasdair Gant Macrophage and Dendritic Cell Populations in Airway Tissues, Patrick G. Holt and Andrew S. McWilliam Fibroblasts and the Extracellular Matrix in Asthma, Anthony E. Redington, Patricia J. Sime, Peter H. Howarth, and Stephen T. Holgate Mediator Functions of Epithelial Cells, Katharine Knobil and David B. Jacoby Epithelium as a Target, Steven R. White and Alan R. Leff Airway Neuropeptides and Their Role in Inflammation, Peter J. Barnes Neuroimmune Interactions in Airway Inflammation, Karen E. Pedersen, Allen C. Myers, and Bradley J. Undem Microvascular-Epithelial Exudation of Bulk Plasma in Airway Defense, Disease, and Repair, Carl G. A. Persson, J. S. Erjefalt, M. Andersson, L. Greiff, and C. Svensson Neuroregulation of Mucosal Vasculature, James N. Baraniuk and Howard M. Druce Leukocyte-Endothelial Adhesion, Frank P. Bell, Brydon L. Bennett, and Anthony M. Manning Prostanoids, Arthur N. Freed and Steven R. Kleeberger Leukotrienes, Sven-Erik Dahlen Adenosine: Its Contribution to Our Understanding of Asthma, Gerrard D. Phillips and Stephen T. Holgate Chemotaxis and Mechanisms of Cell Migration, Janis K. Shute and Rabia Hidi Kinins, Bruce L. Zuraw and Sandra C. Christiansen The Early and Late Asthmatic Response to Allergen, Ketan K. Sheth and Robert F. Lemanske, Jr. Inflammatory Mechanisms of Aspirin-Sensitive Asthma, S. M. Shuaib Nasser and Tak H. Lee Inflammatory Mechanisms in Nocturnal Asthma, George C. Georges and Richard J. Martin Inflammatory Mediators and Exercise-Induced Asthma, Sandra D. Anderson Mechanisms of Airway Hyperresponsiveness, Paul M. O'Byrne Transcription Factors as Activators and Repressors of Gene Transcription: NK-RB and Glucocorticoid Receptors, Ian M. Adcock and Robert Newton Lower Airway Responses to Viruses, Philip G. Bardin, David J. Fraenkel, and Philip J. Bates


We describe our approach to addressTask A of the EVALITA 2020 Hate SpeechDetection (HaSpeeDe2) challenge.Wesubmitted two runs that are both based oncontextual embeddings – which we hadchosen due to their effectiveness in solvinga wide range of NLP problems. For ourbaseline run we use stacked embeddingsthat serve as features in a linear SVM. Oursecond run is a simple ensemble approachof three SVMs with majority voting. Bothapproaches outperform the official base-lines by a large margin, and the ensembleclassifier in particular demonstrates robustperformance on different types of test datacoming 6th (out of 27 runs) for news head-lines and 10th (out of 27) for Twitter feeds.


The management of government organization in Thailand needs to be enhanced based on good governance. However, the key success factors may be more than the concept of good governance to be able to compete as well as be successful in the globalization. In the modern world, the severe of competition comes from both domestic and international world is not uncommon. The purposes of this study were to examine and investigate the relationship among social characteristics, transformational leadership, organization culture and performancebased on good governance as well as to offer some valuable suggestions to improve the management of modern organizations. Major qualitative research techniques were employed to obtain the findings for this study. The findings reveled that there were many important key factors, not just one, contributed to the success of modern organization and provided the effectiveness of the enhancement of performance, duties, and productivity.


Video object segmentation (VOS) is a fundamental task for computer vision and multimedia. Despite significant progress of VOS models in recent works, there has been little research on the VOS models' adversarial robustness, posing serious security risks in the VOS models' practical applications (e.g., autonomous driving and video surveillance). Adversarial robustness refers to the ability of the model to resist malicious attacks on adversarial examples. To address this gap, we propose a one-shot adversarial robustness evaluation framework (i.e., the adversary only perturbs the first frame) for VOS models, including white-box and black-box attacks. For white-box attacks, we introduce Objective Attention (OA) and Boundary Attention (BA) mechanisms to enhance the attention of attack on objects from both pixel and object levels while mitigating issues such as multi-objects attack imbalance, attack bias towards the background, and boundary reservation. For black-box attacks, we propose the Video Diverse Input (VDI) module, which utilizes data augmentation to simulate historical information, improving our method's black-box transferability. We conduct extensive experiments to evaluate the adversarial robustness of VOS models with different structures. Our experimental results reveal that existing VOS models are more vulnerable to our attacks (both white-box and black-box) compared to other state-of-the-art attacks. We further analyze the influence of different designs (e.g., memory and matching mechanisms) on adversarial robustness. Finally, we provide insights for designing more secure VOS models in the future.


Pharmaceutical crystallization has an impact on the properties of active pharmaceutical ingredients as it determines the purity, crystal size distribution and polymorphs, among other attributes. Focused Beam Reflectance Measurement (FBRM) is a common Process Analytical Technology (PAT) tool used for monitoring, prediction, and control of crystal size and size distribution (CSD) characteristics during crystallization processes. Models for prediction of crystal size distribution from FBRM statistics (i.e. chord length distribution, CLD) have widely been develop in academia and pharmaceutical industries but limited work has been done in verification and validation of CLD to CSD models. This work demonstrates the development and validation of two CLD-CSD models, theoretical and empirical, for a model compound. The experiments were based on the cooling crystallization of Carbamazepine (CBZ). Also, the precision and robustness of the FBRM statistics, square weighted mean chord length (SWMCL) and total counts, were evaluated. Agitation speed and solid concentration had an impact on the FBRM statistics. The theoretical geometric model evaluated in this study showed high error for the prediction of the CSD and it is not going to be implemented in on-going research efforts in continuous crystallization of CBZ. The data driven model can be implemented as a qualitative monitoring tool in continuous operation. The accuracy and robustness of the data driven model proposed needs to be improved to be considered for quantitative monitoring of the CSD.


Energy internet brings the necessity and possibility of source-network-load interaction. Existing research on "source-network-load" interaction mainly focuses on solving single object or partial problems of source, network, and load. Lack of overall thinking and systematic research on grid operation control under the complex interactive environment of source, grid and load in the future. In this article, the concept and principle of "source-network-load" interaction are elaborated, an interactive "disturbance-response" model is established, and the corresponding technical research framework and dispatching architecture are proposed. Finally, comprehensively considering the development needs of the power grid, three typical interaction scenarios are constructed: emergency interaction under large power grid failures, friendly interaction for large-scale distributed new energy, and economic interaction for maximizing the use of source network load resources.


Infants of the first year of life represent a unique group of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Materials and methods of the research: the characteristics of 492 patients with newly diagnosed AML aged 10 DoL-18 y/o who received intensive chemotherapy according to the AML-MM-2006 and AML-MRD-2018 guidelines in Apr. 2007-Apr. 2021 were analyzed. The analysis was carried out separately for infants (<1 y/o, 58/12%), young children (1-3 y/o, 99/20%) and children aged 3-18 y/o (335/68%). Results: the infant group was characterized by a higher incidence of hyperleukocytosis, extramedullary lesions, the predominance of monoblast/monocytic (63%) and megakaryoblast (24%) subvariants and chromosomal aberrations involving the 11q23 locus (KMT2A gene) (53%). "CBF leukemias" were virtually non-existent in infants (0% for t(8;21)(q22;q22.1)/RUNX1::RUNX1T1 and 2% for inv(16)(p13.1q22)/CBF::MYH11) and the rates increased with age. Activating mutations in the FLT3 gene were extremely rare (2% vs. 13.5% in patients >/=3 y/o). Patients of the 1-3 y/o group were similar in morphological and cytogenetic characteristics to the infants' group but had a smaller tumor mass and higher survival rates. The 5-year overall survival of infants was statistically significantly lower than in older patients, 52% vs. 67% (p<0.001), primarily due to high mortality prior to remission, which in its turn was caused by complications associated with hyperleukocytosis. Conclusions: given the vulnerability of this category of patients, it is reasonable to transfer them to larger medical facilities with extensive experience in the field in order to conduct the remission induction stage (especially cytoreduction) within the intensive care unit.


In the last years significant changes have happened for the sake of looking for the quality in the Ecuatorian system of higher education. To such effects some aspects related to the topic are analyzed, taking into account that mistakes still exist between the process of professors permanent training and the evaluation as agent of the occupational training.


Despite extensive clinical and basic science research, cardiovascular diseases continue to be the leading cause of death worldwide. In response to pathological insults, the heart attempts to adapt and normalize cardiac function by initiating a compensatory response that drives wound healing and remodeling of the myocardium. The immune system and its inflammatory mediators are currently recognized as active participants in cardiac disease progression and the development of heart failure.


Laboratory experiments of poultry manure incubated for three days at were conducted to learn some informations on the relief of nitrogen loss during processing. Results obtained are as follows: 1) Blending phosphoric acid, triplesuperphosphate or superphosphate to poultry manure could reduce the volatilization of ammonia and saved nitrogen in the manure by 80 to 90 percent, though nonblending saved the nitrogen only by 40 to 60 percent during three days incubation. 2) The additives must be blended thoroughly to the manure to obtain the least loss of nitrogen during the incubation. 3) The severe loss of nitrogen was occurred from the drying process of fermented manure of both treatment, that is percent loss at the blended treatment with phosphoric acid, triplesuperphosphate or superphosphate, and percent loss at non-blended. 4) Drying the fermented manure under the fixed temperature of about for three days saved more nitrogen than dried manure under the temperature gradually raised from the room temperature to about for three days.


The invention discloses a protective atmosphere electro-slag continuous casting furnace, which belongs to metal electro-slag re-melting equipment. The furnace comprises an alternating current power supply, electrode lifting mechanisms, a consumable electrode, a conductive crystallizer, a supporting mechanism, a molten steel liquid level detection device, an argon protective cover, a vibration mechanism, a throwing mechanism, a cutting device and a control system. The electrode lifting mechanisms are fixed on two sides of the conductive crystallizer; one end of the consumable electrode is fixed on a cross arm of the electrode lifting mechanism and is connected with the alternating current power supply, while the other end passes through the argon protective cover and is placed inside the conductive crystallizer; the conductive crystallizer is a jacket type water-cooled crystallizer with combined upper and lower parts, a conductive ring is embedded at the upper wall, and the conductive ring is connected with the alternating current power supply through a cable so that a loop is formed from the alternating current power supply, the consumable electrode, furnace slag, the conductive ring to the alternating current power supply; the vibration mechanism is fixed on the supporting mechanism, and a cam of the vibration mechanism is tightly contacted with a shell of the conductive crystallizer; the joint of upper and lower cavities of the conductive crystallizer is provided with the molten steel liquid level detection device; the throwing mechanism and the cutting device are fixed under an ejection port of the conductive crystallizer in turn; and the control system is electrically connected with the cross arm of the electrode lifting mechanism, the molten steel liquid level detection device, the drawing mechanism and the cutting device respectively. The protective atmosphere electro-slag continuous casting furnace can realize electro-slag continuous casting.


Abstract: In this study, we ask whether and how pragmatic strategies (time availability, time demands, and resources) and patriarchal dynamics (sex and gender ideology) (McFarlane, Beaujot and Haddad, 2000) affect the time that men and women spend doing domestic labour, Data from the 1995 General Social Survey reveal that women spend more time doing domestic labour than men and that pragmatic strategies and patriarchal dynamics are indeed associated with their time spent doing housework and child care. Specifically, gender ideology is a complex, multi-dimensional factor that affects the time women and men spend in housework and child care in interesting ways. Our findings point to the importance of including both pragmatic strategies and patriarchal dynamics in assessments of domestic labour. Moreover, the results of this study provide compelling evidence of how the relationships among individual agency, broader ideological assumptions, and time spent doing domestic labour are intricately interwoven. Resume: Dans cette etude nous cherchons a determiner si les strategies pragmatiques (disponibilite, emploi du temps et ressources) et les rapports patriarcaux (ideologie liee au sexe) (McFarlane, Beaujot et Haddad, 2000) ont des incidences sur le temps que les hommes et les femmes passent a des taches menageres. Des donnees provenant de I'Enquete sociale generale de 1995 ont indique que les femmes passent plus de temps a s'occuper de taches menageres que les hommes et que les strategies pragmatiques et les rapports patriarcaux sont effectivement lies au temps passe a s'occuper de tachus menageres et aux soins des enfants. Plus particulierement, I'ideologie un factour complexe multidimensionnel qui affecte le temps que les femmes et les hommes passent a des taches menagerees et a s'occuper des enfants et ce, de plusiers manieres interessantes. Nos conclusions indiquent qu'il est important d'inclure les strategies pragmatiques et les rapports patriarcaux dans I'evaluation des taches menageres, De plus, cette etude a revele des preuves peremptoires indiquant la mesure dans laquelle les rapports entre les individus, les grendes hypothses ideologiques et le temps passe a s'occuper de taches menageres soot intrinsequement lies. Introduction Although men have increased their share of domestic labour in recent years the fact remains that women still spend significantly more time engaged in household work (Sullivan, 2000). Studies of the division of domestic labour show that housework is embedded in complex and shifting patterns of social relations (Coltrane, 2000). McFarlane, Beaujot, and Haddad (2000) identify some of this complexity when they suggest that the distribution of household labour can be explained by a combination of pragmatic strategies and patriarchal dynamics. Pragmatic strategies are linked to exchange theories of behaviour and place emphasis on issues such as economic resources and time availability. Hence, the more economic resources a person has in relation to their spouse, the less time they will spend engaged in domestic labour. Patriarchal dynamics approaches rely on cultural factors and ideological assumptions in assessments of time spent in household labour and recognise that domestic labour is one mechanism through which gender is socially constructed. By identifying both pragmatic strategies and patriarchal dynamics as contributing explanations of the distribution of household labour, MeFarlane and his colleagues point to the sociological importance of considering the intersection between social structures and individuals in examinations of social life. Individuals strategize about who does what and how much around the home and they do so by taking things such as time availability and relative resources into account. Couples try to decide what is fair based on these considerations. However, these negotiations take place within the context of a broader social structure that places limits on the choices that men and women have in making these decisions. …


A new Express Scripts report highlights risk reporting gaps and offers advice for plans looking to close those gaps to ensure accurate risk payments


Industrial automations which are mostly depend upon the power systems & which requires distance controlled and regulated systems. Wireless technology which minimum cost, speed and distance will always be a point of an interest for research. So, Design and Implementation of wireless remote control for Electric Overhead Crane (EOT) is proposed. The proposed system is designed based on microcontroller ATMEGA328 processor with control switch and relay. The crane can be controlled by using wireless remote consisting two different sections namely transmitting section and receiving section here radio frequency is used as a link between RF transmitter and RF receiver. The remote control consists of various switches used for movements of the crane like forwardreverse movement, left-right movement, up-down movements which are used to control the EOT crane in automation industries. The early technology used to control the EOT crane using control pendent was an hazardous for the crane operators and the wired technology used in controlling the crane regularly caused short circuit which intern decreases the safety of the plant. In order to overcome the above mentioned unsafe condition of the automation industry the wireless remote control of EOT cranes is opted here by eliminating the wired pendant control of EOT crane.


In a network environment having a plurality of image forming apparatuses connected thereto, an image forming apparatus that can reduce down time related to printing without increasing burden on system construction is provided. An image forming apparatus includes a communication unit communicating with other apparatuses through the network, an image forming unit connected to the communication unit through a bus, a print instruction management unit connected to the communication unit through the bus and capable of transmitting a print request, received through the communication unit, to designated one of the image forming apparatuses connected to the network, and a server setting unit determining, by a prescribed procedure, which of the apparatuses having the print server function connected to the network, to be the print server. The print instruction management unit enables or disables the function of the print instruction management unit mentioned above, in accordance with the determination by the server setting unit.


The authors analyzed the metallopetroporphyrins and the metallo-nonporphyrins during thermal and catalytic upgrading of heavy residua. By size exclusion chromatography with element specific detection (SEC-HPLC-ICP), they found thermal treatment reduces the size of the remaining metal-containing compounds, while catalytic treatment preferentially removes the metal-containing molecules in the size range of the catalyst pore. In both cases the metallopetroporphyrins process easily. By applying column chromatography and UV-vis spectroscopy, we have been able to detect and quantitate some of the probable intermediates of the demetallation sequence for vanadyl petroporphyrins. These results show the demetallation pathway is probably through the reduction of the porphyrins to chlorins and other reduced species. These results are in agreement with metalloporphyrin model compound work seen in the literature.


For two decades now, the Royal Anthropological Institute (henceforth RAI) has emphasized the importance of getting anthropological understandings across to a wider audience. Here we look at the oft stated objectives of popularization, some of the actual measures implemented, and the effects of these measures. This is no more than a rather preliminary consideration of a highly complex issue, full treatment of which would involve an institutional history of the RAI and a more complete account of the wider social context.


Slow sweep oscillographic chronopotentiometry has been developed as a new oscillographic analytical method.Usually,in studying classical oscillographic chronopotentiometry,frequency of alternating current must be over 10 Hz,so only with oscillograph,can we see oscillogram and it is very difficult for applying classical oscillographic chronopotentiometry to determine trace materials.In order to solve these problems,a new methodcalled slow sweep oscillographic chronopotentiometry is presented.In the field of low frequency,dE/dt-E curve can also be observed with oscillograph or X-Y recorder.In usingthis method,since charging current is decreased,sensitivity can be increased greatly.Minimum detectable amount of materials is down to 10 ̄(-9)mol/L,This method is very useful in actual analytical measurement as well as theoretical studies.In experiment,we observe thatincision of anodic branch is sharper than that of cathodic branch.By using this way,we determined a series of ions such as T ̄(1+),Pb ̄(2+),In ̄(3+),Cd ̄(2+),S ̄(2-).Minimum detectable amount isrespectively 5×10 ̄(-9),4.5×10 ̄(-7),3×10 ̄(-8),1×10 ̄(-7),1.8×10 ̄(-5) mol/L.


1. A bispecific antibody comprising: a) full length antibody specifically binding to a first antigen and consisting of two antibody heavy chains and two light chains of an antibody; b) a fragment Fv, specifically binding to a second antigen and domain containing VHi domain VL, and both domain connected by a disulfide bridge; and wherein only one of the domains or domain VH, or VL domain connected by a peptide linker to the heavy or light chain of a full length antibody specifically binding to a first antigenom.2. A bispecific antibody of claim 1 which is characterized in that the bispecific antibody is trivalent and either domain VH, or VLsoedinen domain through a peptide linker to a heavy chain full length antibody specifically binding to a first antigenom.3. A bispecific antibody of claim 2 which is characterized in chtodomen VHili domain VLsoedinen its N-end through a peptide linker to the C-terminus of a full length antibody specifically binding to a first antigenom.4. A bispecific antibody of claim 2 which is characterized in chtodomen VHili domain VLsoedinen its C-terminus via the peptide linker to the N-end of the full length antibody specifically binding to a first antigenom.5. A bispecific antibody of claim 1 which is characterized in that domain VHili domain VLsoedinen its N-end through a peptide linker to the C-terminus of a heavy or light chain of a full length antibody specifically binding to a first antigenom.6. A bispecific antibody of claim 1 which is characterized in chtodomen VHili domain VLsoedinen its C-terminus via the peptide linker


This dissertation discusses the topics of judicial independence and judicial accountability using the federal and state court systems of the United States as major examples since much of the work on judicial independence derives from the American experience. I define judicial independence by addressing the inquiries of independence for whom, independence from whom, independence from what, and independence for what purpose. Conditions that foster or supplant judicial independence are then summarized to facilitate their application to the case of Nazi Germany and its judicial system. It is next proffered and considered that upon Adolf Hitler's usurpation of power within Nazi Germany judicial independence was abruptly and purposefully dispatched through the passage on March 23, 1933, of the Enabling Act, or The Law for the Recovery of People and Reich from Suffering. 1 In his speech to the Reichstag advocating the acceptance of this law, Hitler was forthright, honest, and provided an omen of what was to subsequently transpire relative to judicial independence in the Third Reich when he stated, "The security of tenure of the judges on the one side must correspond on the other with an elasticity for the benefit of the community when reaching judgments. The centre of legal concern is not the individual but the Volk." 2 Hitler had obtained unlimited power in a constitutional manner and therefore whatever he did was legal in the juridical sense, but the rule of law was completely preempted and no longer prevailed within Germany. No judicial system could resist and continue to function in a constitutional manner once Hitler had been granted dictatorial 1 Koch, H.W. (1989). In the name of the Volk: Political justice in Hitler's Germany. (London, GB: I.B. Tauris & Co. Ltd.), 35. 2 Id. at 35.


[1] Laboratory experiments involving the interaction of lower hybrid waves and density cavities with full width at half maximums ranging from 1 ≅ κ⟂δ ≤ 4, where δ = is the collisionless skin depth, were performed several years ago at the University of California, Los Angeles. The results were published in the Journal of Geophysical Research in December 2001 [Rosenberg and Gekelman, 2001]. These experiments are relevant to scaled parameters in the auroral ionosphere. This is a comment to the paper of Schuck et al. [2003], regarding the laboratory experiment on lower hybrid (LH) waves in the presence of a density striation. The main point Schuck et al. [2003] wish to make is that density striations in the auroral ionosphere are narrower than δ and that κ⟂δ ≈ 10 there. They argue that if this condition is not strictly satisfied in laboratory experiment then they are inappropriate to model the physics occurring in the ionosphere. In our experiments an incoming short perpendicular wavelength lower hybrid wave impinges upon a density striation which is many parallel (to B0) LH wavelengths long. A striking transformation occurs in which a cavity mode confined to the density gradient of the striation is excited. The mode localization does not depend on the ratio of the cavity diameter with respect to δ. We discuss the properties of lower hybrid waves, the experimental results as well as differences in the rocket and laboratory experiments.


The performance of a mobile MIMO-OFDM system de pends on the ability of the system to accurately account for the effects of the frequency-selective time-varying channel at every symbol time and at every frequency subcarrier. In this paper, a vector formulation of the Cramer-Rao bound (CRB) for biased estimators and for functions of parame ters is used to find a lower bound on the estimation and prediction error of such a system. Numerical simulations demonstrate the benefits of multiple antennas for channel estimation and prediction and illustrate the impact of cali bration errors on estimation performance when using para metric channel models.


ABSTRACT Strategic capacity planning for multiple-facility systems with flexible designs is an important topic in the area of capacity expansion problems with random demands. The difficulties of this problem lie in the multidimensional nature of its random variables and action space. For a single-facility problem, the decision rule method has been shown to be efficient in deriving desirable solutions, but for a Multiple-facility Capacity Expansion Problem (MCEP), it has not been well studied. This article designs a novel decision rule–based method for the solution of an MCEP with multiple options, discrete capacity, and a concave capacity expansion cost. An if–then decision rule is designed and the original multi-stage problem is thus transformed into a master problem and a multi-period sub-problem. As the sub-problem contains non-binding constraints, we combine a stochastic approximation algorithm with a branch-and-cut technique so that the sub-problem can be further decomposed across scenarios and be solved efficiently. The proposed decision rule–based method is also extended to solving the MCEP with fixed costs. Numerical studies in this article illustrate that the proposed method affords not only improved performance relative to an inflexible design taken as benchmark but also time savings relative to approximate dynamic programming analysis.


Debriefing is an integral component of simulation education, and effective debriefing education is required to maintain effective simulation programs. However, many educators report financial and logistical barriers to accessing formal debriefing training. Due to limited educator development opportunities, simulation program leaders are often compelled to utilize educators with insufficient debriefing training, which can limit the impact of simulation‐based education. To address these concerns, the SAEM Simulation Academy Debriefing Workgroup authored the Workshop in Simulation Debriefing for Educators in Medicine (WiSDEM), a freely available, concise, and ready‐to‐deploy debriefing curriculum with a target audience of novice educators without formal debriefing training. In this study, we describe the development, initial implementation, and evaluation of the WiSDEM curriculum.


This paper carries out a study on the trend of supply and demand balance of labor resources and mi-grant labor demand in Shanghai in the context of the economic transition and the urban population control of bigcities. The results show that the demand for migrant workers is about 7 to 8.56 million in Shanghai from 2015 to2020 under its economy maintains a certain growth rate,which makes the city in an awkward position in the treat-ment of migrant workers. On the one hand,the city is facing more economic dependence on migrant workers. Onthe other hand,it is encountering the pressure of urban population control of big cities. At present,there are stillcertain differences between migrant workers and local labors in jobs,wages,social welfare as well as other aspectsin Shanghai labor market. The relationship between migrant workers and local labors in the employment is a comple-mentary advantages. The discrimination on migrant workers is contrary to social equity theory,while the government's mandatory control policy is not conducive to the development of labor market. The government should create ahealthy,orderly and fair market,and let the market play a fundamental role in the regulation of labor supply anddemand and structural shortage.


Research on the effect of watching horror films on emotional disturbances of early-adult (10 - 12 years old) was observed in four areas, sleep health, mind cleanliness, independence, and openness in trying new things. A total of 80 samples were divided into 3 groups, 36 samples in the horror movie maniac group, 11 samples in the horror movie audience group, and 33 samples in the non-horror movie audience group. Data for the analysis of sleep health, independence, and openness in trying new things was collected through questionnaire and observation methods, while for the analysis of mind hygiene was collected through the method of image psychology tests. Data for sleep health and mind cleanliness was analyzed through the chi-square method (λ 2 ), while for independence and openness in trying new things was analyzed through the one-way ANOVA method. The results show that the behavior of watching horror films in children approaching baligh age causes emotional disturbances in the realm of sleep health and mind hygiene, but did not have a significant impact on the realm of independence and openness in trying new things.


Knowledge of marine geodiversity aids in the understanding of geological processes that operate in the marine domain. These processes are responsible for t...


The objective of the article is to establish a discussion about the American books published between the second half of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century about the classical singer's scenic acting, exposing briefly some principles and thoughts found in this literature. The authors' reflections on aspects of scenic preparation and development are organized into three thematic axes: 1) Scenic preparation and the routes from inside to outside and from outside to inside; 2) Development and use of expressive resources; and 3) Challenges inherent in the classical singer's scenic acting. The content of the article was developed as part of the literature review carried out in the author's doctoral research.


Objective To study the risk factors of secondary pancreatic infection (SPI) in patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) in order to take early intervention to reduce mortality.Methods Totally 36 diagnosed SAP patients from January 2004 to December 2008 were divided as SPI group and non-SPI group according to the secondary infection.Single factor analysis was taken to screen the statistically significant risk factors,and then stepwise Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the risk factors to secondary infection.Results There were significant differences between SPI group and non-SPI group in time of central veinous catheterization,fasting time,hypoxemia,time of gastrointestinal tract disorder,and level of serum albumin (P0.05).Stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that the time of central veinous catheterization,fasting time,hypoxemia,and time of gastrointestinal tract disorder were remarkably associated with secondary pancreatic infection (OR=1.17,1.41,1.37 and 1.58 respectively,P0.05).Conclusion The time of central veinous catheterization,fasting time,hypoxemia,and time of gastrointestinal tract disorder were remarkably associated with secondary pancreatic infection.This should be pay attention to and given target intervention since beginning of hospitalization so as to reduce mortality and improve prognosis.


ABSTRACT: A stable-isotope dilution assay has been developed for quantitation of D- and L-2-hydroxyglutaric acids in physiologic fluids. D- and L-2-hydroxyglutaric acids are separated as the O-acetyl-di-(o)-2-butyl esters. The method uses D,L-[3,3,4,4-2H4]-2-hydroxyglutaric acid as internal standard with ammonia chemical ionization, selected ion monitoring gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. For 13 patients with L-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria, the concentrations of L-2-hydroxyglutaric acid were urine, 1283 ± 676 mmol/mol creatinine (range, 332–2742; n = 12 patients); plasma, 47 ± 13 μmol/L (range, 27–62; n = 8); cerebrospinal fluid, 62 ± 30 μmol/L (range, 34–100; n = 6). In a child with D-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria, the levels of D-2-hydroxyglutaric acid were urine, 1565 ± 847 mmol/mol creatinine (range, 729–2668; n = 4); plasma, 61 ± 14 μmol/L (range, 46–73; n = 3); cerebrospinal fluid, 15 and 25 μmol/L (n = 2). Control concentrations of D-and L-2-hydroxyglutaric acids were (D:L): urine (n = 18), 6.0 ± 3.6 mmol/mol creatinine (range, 2.8–17): 6.0 ± 5.4 (range, 1.3–19); plasma (n = 10), 0.7 ± 0.2 μmol/L (range, 0.3− −0.9): 0.6 ± 0.2 (range, 0.5–1.0); cerebrospinal fluid (n = 10), 0.1 ± 0.1 μmol/L (range, 0.07–0.3): 0.7 ± 0.6 (range, 0.3–2.3). Investigation of control amniotic fluid (n = 10) revealed the following values (D:L): 1.2 ± 0.4 μmol/L (range, 0.6–1.8): 4.0 ± 0.7 (range, 3.1–5.2), suggesting the feasibility of prenatal diagnosis in families at risk.


Lithography simulation is one of the key steps in physical verification, enabled by the substantial optical and resist models. A resist model bridges the aerial image simulation to printed patterns. While the effectiveness of learning-based solutions for resist modeling has been demonstrated, they are considerably data-demanding. Meanwhile, a set of manufactured data for a specific lithography configuration is only valid for the training of one single model, indicating low data efficiency. Due to the complexity of the manufacturing process, obtaining enough data for acceptable accuracy becomes very expensive in terms of both time and cost, especially during the evolution of technology generations when the design space is intensively explored. In this work, we propose a new resist modeling framework for contact layers that utilizes existing data from old technology nodes to reduce the amount of data required from a target lithography configuration. Our framework based on residual neural networks and transfer learning techniques is effective within a competitive range of accuracy, i.e., 2-10X reduction on the amount of training data with comparable accuracy to the state-of-the-art learning approach.


Since the reform and opening up, the small and medium-sized enterprises have been developing, and the financial resources obtained are not commensurate with their position in the national economic and social development. SME financing has become one of the obstacles to the development of China's small and medium enterprises. Therefore, it is very important to analyze and solve the problem of financing of small and medium enterprises. In this paper, based on the above background, the financing environment of small and medium sized enterprises in China as the main line are analyzed, based on the accumulation of years of experience in solving the difficult problem of financing of small and medium-sized enterprises proposed effective strategies, break the environment for the small and medium-sized enterprises financing bottleneck, solving the financing problems, which to promote the rapid growth of small and medium enterprises to ensure sustained, rapid, coordinated and healthy development of the national economy has a very important practical significance.


The energy consumption and emission of city bus fueled with two kinds of different proportions of DME/diesel blends and conventional diesel are compared through engine bench test and road driving.Combined with the data in fuel production and transportation phases,the life cycle indicator of different fuels used in the city bus is analyzed and compared.The results show that,compared with conventional diesel vehicle,in the total life cycle,and the VOC,CO,NOx and PM emissions decrease and these emissions decrease much more with an increase in DME proportion in blends.However,the total energy consumption,CO2,and SO2 of DME/diesel blended vehicle increase.


Semiconductive crystalline PZT powders, doped with bismuth and potassium, were synthesized by the hydrothermal reaction. The synthesis of crystalline powders became difficult with increasing amount of Bi, K doped and with increasing Zr/(Ti+Zr) ratio. A substantial amount of Pb remained in the solution after the hydrothermal reaction. Therefore, the addition of Pb in excess of 25% was necessary to obtain the stoichiometric composition of the PZT solid solution. The Bi contents in the obtaind powders were identical to those of the starting compositions, while the K contents were less than those expected for large amounts of Bi, K-doped. The electromechanical properties of the sintered bodies were measured by the "Admittance-Curve-Fitting" method, where the material constants were refined by fitting the observed data to a theoretical expression. The electromechanical coupling factors and piezoelectric coefficients had maximum values at a particular Bi content. This behavior was similar to that of the specimens prepared by a solid state reaction, but the change in the conductivity with Bi content was different between the specimens prepared by the hydrothermal and the solid state reactions.


Larvae of Claltiteara cerigoides (WALKER):(Lepidoptera, Lymantriidae) we[e encounteced as important herbiyores of the dipterocarp trees Shorea javaniea K. & V. and Hbpea odorata RoxB. Feeding preference tests indicated that while C. cerigoities is' 'polyphagou$, it feeds..preferentially on diptecocarps. The urtica'ting effects of larval setae appear to be caused by the structure ofnumereus apicallydirected tines. Eggs hatched in 10,4± 1 (X± SD) days, and larval instars were7-9 days jn duration, FeTnale C. cerigoicles deposited masses of 283± 274 eggs on tree trunks in an experimental forest. Thepacasitoid wasps Mkscomys orientalis FERR]ERE (Eupe]midae) and, 7yndarichets navae HowARD ? (Encyrtidae) were reared frQm eggs. The rate of parasitism for eggs in a field study was 78%, suggesting that biological contTol of C. cerigoides is possible.


The number of vascular plants recorded so far is 1204. Species of gymnosperms and vascular cryptogams is low (3 spp. and 19 spp. respectively). Families Poaceae (201 spp.), Asteraceae (98 spp.), Fabaceae (81 spp.) and Euphorbiaceae (39 spp.) are amongst those which have the highest number of species. There are ninety-three endemic species (7.7%), of which fifty-seven (4.7%) occur in southern Oman. Biogeographically, the southwest region of Oman falls in the Somalia-Masai regional centre of endemism, the central part in the Saharan regional subzone, the western part in the Saharo-Arabian regional subzone and the northern part in the NuboSindian local centre of endemism.


: A pyramid is a polyhedron with any base and three or more triangular faces that meet at a point called an apex or a pyramid is a three-dimensional shape with triangular sides. The pyramidal structure is a storehouse of energy. The pyramid is said to have the power to heal your chakras and align your mind. There are three main examples of a pyramid in our real life, are perfume bottles, tents in military camps and the roof of a house. Pyramid meditation is designed to increase vision and for other many benefits such as strengthening eye muscles, improving hearing, lowering blood pressure, relieving arthritis symptoms and treating insomnia. It can also help improve memory and cognitive function, as well as healthy skin and hormonal balance. Now a day, anxiety and stress are common problem among the youth. This study talks about the effect of Pyramid meditation on the variables of stress and anxiety among adults. There are 200 participants participated in this survey out of which 100 were meditation practitioners and other 100 participants were non-practitioners. To assess the level of anxiety, Beck Anxiety Inventory and for stress, perceived stress scale by Cohen were administered. The data was processed using statistical computations like mean, median, mode and standard deviation. The results reflected a significant difference between the scores of meditation practitioners and non-practitioner youths. It was found that those who practice pyramid meditation had considerably low level of anxiety and stress than that of those who do not meditate.


In this paper we report on the foF2 variabilities for two equatorial regions (Ouagadougou: Lat. 12.4°N; Long. 358.5°E, Dip. 1.43°S; and Manila: Lat. 14°36'15.12''N; Long. 120°58'55.92''E; Dip. 0.6°S) during solar cycles 20 and 21 minima and maxima phases. Many previous works have argued on the diurnal and seasonal variation of foF2 for different solar events conditions for latitudinal position. But there are few investigations for Africa equatorial region longitudinal variation. The present paper's goal is to outline possible similarity in foF2 behavior between variations for better understanding of physical process lead to some observed phenomenon in Asia-Africa equatorial sector. The F-layer critical frequency (foF2) data observed from the two equatorial ionosonde stations have been used for the present comparative study. The results show significant similarity between the critical frequency (foF2) seasonal variations over the time intervals 1976-1996. During day-time measured data from Manila station are higher than those from Ouagadougou station. That may lie in that Manila is closer to equatorial ionization crest region. During solar minimum phase, the longitudinal variation of foF2 shows two crossing points (11:00 UT and 22:00 UT) between the foF2 profiles form the two stations for all seasons regardless of the solar cycle. However during intense solar activity condition, the number of crossing-point between measured data from Manila and Ouagadougou stations varies by seasons and solar cycle. This phenomenon may be due to the compilations of severe activities (storms, coronal mass ejection, heliosheet fluctuations) during the solar maximum phases.


This paper presents the ionospheric height variation for station near the magnetic equator at Chumphon campus, King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang which located at longitude 99.3 degE latitude 10.7 degN. Ionogram was obtained every 15 minutes during equinox period. All data was used to determine apparent height (h'F) and critical frequency (fof2), respectively, by using data analysis of ionogram. This paper remains in predicting spread F onset base on the ionospheric height changes only. Although we have observations during a month, the height variation anomaly and we found that the spread F occurrences seem to be related to time of appearance


Based on colored stochastic Petri net and computer simulation technology, a simulation model called SDM CSPN was proposed. This model is used to study how the organization structure, information access structure, information distortion, time, decision procedure and task environment affect the performance of decision mechanism. An example of implementations was provided to illustrate the proposed methodology. The simulation result shows that the decision performance is high when the decision mechanism matches with the external environment and internal condition of the firm.


The Hall effect on MHD Couette flow and heat transfer between two parallel plates in a rotating channel is investigated. A uniform magnetic field is applied normal to the plates and the flow is induced by the effects of Coriolis force, moving upper plate and the constant pressure gradients. Cu-water, Al2O3-water and TiO2-water nanofluids are compared for heat transfer performance. The Galerkin approximation and method of lines are employed to tackle the governing non-linear PDEs. The results show that Hall current significantly affects the flow system. The skin friction and Nusselt number profiles are presented graphically and discussed quantitatively.


Summary. A discussion of the nomenclature of two Lippia species is presented. Plants currently called L. microcephala Cham. and L. iodophylla Schauer should be called L. hermannioides Cham. and L. triplinervis Gardn. respectively. In 1832 Chamisso described two new species of Lippia, L. hermannioides Cham. and L. microcephala Cham. from material based on Sellow collections from Minas Gerais. These two taxa were obviously closely related as Chamisso stated 'This [L. hermannioides Cham.], with the subsequent species [L. microcephala Cham.], very closely affiliated but differs from it by pubescence, shape of leaves, bracts and capitulum, large flowers, smaller calyx....'. The holotype material of these species, held in Berlin, was destroyed during the 1939-1945 war, but photographs taken prior to their destruction are housed at the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago. Examination of these photographs (Macbride nos. 17525 and 17513) and further Sellow specimens at Kew which appear to be isotypes along with other material collected since then, has led me to believe that Chamisso's names probably represent the same species. The centre of origin for these plants would appear to be in and around the Diamantina area of Brazil and particularly on the Serra da Cara;a, although one Martius collection, Herb. no. 1038, studied, was from Rio de Janeiro province and another was collected by Glaziou from Goyaz. Within this area there appears to be a wide range of morphological forms which may justify considering infraspecific taxa within the one species. However, without examination of the complex in the field, this is not possible. The name for this polymorphic species has unfortunately been wrongly applied. Moldenke (1965), in his notes on Lippia, called this species L. microcephala Cham. putting into synonymy L. hermannioides Cham., L. viscosa Casar and L. triplinervis Gardn., following Schauer. According to Article 57.2 of the International Code, which states that when uniting taxa of the same rank the name used by the first person to unite those taxa must stand as the correct name and so Hiern, who in 1877 retained the name L. hermannioides Cham. with L. microcephala Cham. in synonymy, should be followed. Of the other two names mentioned in the paragraph above, the first, L. viscosa, has never been validly published. It exists only as a name written on


Just as computers revolutionized numerical analysis, so symbolic mathematics software is revolutionizing symbolic mathematics computations, yielding major increases in speed accuracy and modeling power in many applications. In addition to automating large and tedious computations, MACSYMA provides automated mathematical expertise in many areas, such as solution of simultaneous equations, integration, Laplace transforms, ordinary differential equations, and simplifications of expressions. The presentations will focus on selected capabilities of MACSYMA that are relevant for acoustics, especially: (1) symbolic vector and tensor calculus, (2) symbolic solution of ordinary differential equations, (3) symbolic approximation methods, (4) use of symbolic math software to generate numerical analysis code, (5) symbolic matrix computations. A partial bibliography of research papers in fluid mechanics reporting on work where MACSYMA was used will also be provided. Also discussed will be the role of symbolic mathemat...


Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) towards autonomous driving require an ego vehicle localization on maps to be able to use the map data for e.g. behavior and trajectory prediction of traffic participants.


Abstract For the purpose of atmospheric applications, the collisional relaxation of the J =5.5←4.5 rotational line of 14 NO (551.53 GHz) has been investigated in the 235 to 345-K temperature range. Experiments were performed with N 2 and O 2 as buffer gases, which allow the derivation of the air-induced broadening parameters. Using a video-type spectrometer, small but significant departures from the usual Voigt profile have been demonstrated. These departures are characteristic of narrowed lineshapes: they have been fitted using the speed-dependent Galatry profile that takes account of both the dependence of relaxation rates on molecular speeds and the molecular diffusion via velocity changing collisions. Retrieved broadening parameters, as well as their temperature dependencies, are in agreement with previous determinations dealing with rovibrational lines: they are fairly reproduced by semi-classical calculations that consider exact collisional trajectories. The detailed lineshape properties have been studied thanks to some further experiments using atomic buffer gases, namely He, Ar, and Xe. If we discard the case of He-induced relaxation, theoretical arguments suggest that observed line narrowings are mainly related to the speed dependence of relaxation and that molecular diffusion plays a negligible role.


Objective:To develop Cre transgenic mice which expression was driven by enhancer-Hsp68 minimal promoter.Methods:To create Cre transgenic mouse,a transgenic construct(pLW400) was made with the following four elements:an Hsp68 basic promoter,a Cre gene,an enhancer from one mouse bacterial artificial chromosome(BAC) clone and a polyA signal.The 3.3 kb DNA fragment of Cre expression cassette was injected into mouse fertilized eggs to generate transgenic mouse.To check expression pattern of Cre in the transgenic mice,the F1 mice were crossed with homozygous ROSA26 reporter(R / R) mice.Tongues from embryos 14 days(E14) were collect-ed,and whole-mount LacZ staining of embryos(or tongue) was performed.Results:6 out of 31 offspring were iden-tified as founders carrying the Cre transgene,with integration efficiency 19.4%.Compare with tongue tissue from R / + control,the tongue tissue from Cre,R / + bigenic embryo showed positive staining signal(blue color).This sug-gested Cre gene had been successfully expressed with recombinant activities in the transgenic mice,and it can be used to modify genes of interest.Conclusion:The transgenic lines expressing Cre recombinase driven by enhancer were successfully generated.


Piezoelectric acoustic-electric power feed-through devices transfer electric power wirelessly through a solid wall using elastic waves. This approach allows for the elimination of the need for holes through structures for cabling or electrical feed-thrus . The technology supplies power to electric equipment inside sealed containers, vacuum or pressure vessels, etc where holes in the wall are prohibitive or may result in significant performance degradation or requires complex designs. In the our previous work, 100-W of electric power was transferred through a metal wall by a small, piezoelectric device with a simple-structure. To meet requirements of higher power applications, the feasibility to transfer kilowatts level power was investigated. Pre-stressed longitudinal piezoelectric feed-thru devices were analyzed by finite element modeling. An equivalent circuit model was developed to predict the characteristics of power transfer to different electric loads. Based on the analytical results, a prototype device was designed, fabricated and successfully demonstrated to transfer electric power at a level of 1-kW. Methods of minimizing plate wave excitation on the wall were also analyzed. Both model analysis and experimental results are presented in detail in this paper.


A feeding experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of yeast culture and Bacillus on growth performance,protease activity and immunity of Litopenaeus vannamei.Four experimental diets were formulated by adding yeast culture(Yikang XP) and Bacillus in basal diet(control diet): 0.075% Yikang XP,0.100% Yikang XP,0.200% Bacillus.Shrimps with initial body weight of 5.57±0.21g were fed for 45 days.Results showed that weight gains(WG) increased by 17.24%,12.29%,20.18%,feed conversion ratio(FCR) decreased by 14.28%,9.77%,12.03% and protein efficiency ratio(PER) increased by 16.49%,10.05%,12.98% respectively by the addition of 0.075% Yikang XP,0.100% Yikang XP,0.200% Bacillus in diet compared with the control group(P 0.05);No differences were observed in muscle composition among treatments(P0.05);Hepatopancreas protease activity in 0.075% Yikang XP,0.100% Yikang XP,0.200% Bacillus group was 25.24%,15.22%,54.92% higher than that of control group respectively(P0.05),while intestinal protease activity presented weak increase(P0.05);The activity of serum phenoloxidase(PO),lysozyme(LZM) and superoxide dismutase(SOD)in 0.100% Yikang XP and 0.200% Bacillus group was all significantly higher than that of the control group(P0.05);In the challenge trial,no significant difference was found in accumulative mortalities between the control group and Yikang XP groups(P0.05),while accumulative mortality in Bacillus group was significantly lower than the control group on 1st,3rd and 4th day after injection of Vibrio alginolyticus(P0.05).Relative survival percent of 0.200% Bacillus group reached 27.1% on the 4th day after injection of V.alginolyticus.Results showed that dietary yeast culture and Bacillus could improve growth performance and digestive function of L.vannamei,and Bacillus have obvious benificial effects on immunity function and resistence of L.vannamei to V.alginolyticus.


This core indicator evaluates the status of the marine environment in terms of nutritional status of marine mammals as it signals short term changes in food supply for the seals. Good Environmental Status (GES) is achieved when the blubber thickness is above the defined GES boundary which reflects good conditions. The current evaluation is based on data on grey seals from 2002-2011. In order to be applicable in the whole Baltic Sea area, the indicator includes all species of seals that occur in the Baltic Sea, however data have so far been insufficient for evaluations using the other species.


Phase shifters are used to change the transmission phase. Ideal phase shifters provide low insertion loss, and equal amplitude in all phase states. While the loss of a phase shifter is often overcome using an amplifier stage, the less loss, the less power that is needed to overcome it. In this work, the electrical modeling and simulation of linear analog phase shifter from DC to 1.2GHz are presented. The obtained phase shifting is linearly growing from 0 to 800 degrees.


An aquatic product transport case mainly comprises a case body and movable cover plates, wherein the case body is formed by side plates and a base plate. A turnup structure is respectively and fixedly connected on each upper end of the two opposite side plates of the case body. One movable cover plate is inserted and connected in each turnup structure. A plurality of porous separation plates are placed inside the case box and installed on protrusions on the inner walls of the side plates. The protrusions are placed on two pairs of opposite side plates and arranged one by one in a parallel and corresponding mode. Handles are arranged on the side plates. Space inside the transport case is effectively divided in a multi-layered mode, space among aquatic products inside the case body is guaranteed, and the space of the whole case body is fully utilized, so that the aquatic product transport case is high in space use ratio and good in effects, and the occurrences that shellfish aquatic products, crabs and other aquatic products not belonging to fish are piled up and mutually collided are avoided. The cover plates at the upper end of the case body can prevent the aquatic products from jumping out of the water surface due to the fact the case body trembles in the transportation process. The whole case body is simple in structure, convenient to operate, clean and tidy.


AbstractA sharp reduction in precipitation was observed on the island of Dominica in the Caribbean during a 2011 field campaign when the trade winds weakened and convection transitioned from mechanically to thermally driven. The authors propose four hypotheses for this reduction, which relate to (i) the triggering mechanism, (ii) dry-air entrainment, (iii) giant sea-salt aerosol, and (iv) small-island-derived aerosol. The plausibility of the first three hypotheses is the focus of this study.Aircraft observations show the dynamics of the orographic cumulus clouds at flight level are surprisingly similar, irrespective of how they are triggered. However, the orographic cumulus clouds are consistently shallower when the trade winds are weak, which the authors attribute to a drier and shallower cloud layer compared to days with stronger trade winds. The strong negative influence of dry-air entrainment in a drier environment on cumulus depth and liquid water content is qualitatively demonstrated using an entrai...


In analytic hierarchy process (AHP), a ratio scale (π1, π2, ⋯, πt) for the priorities of the alternatives {T1, T2, ⋯, Tt} is used for a decision problem in which πi/πj is used to quantify the ratio of the priority of Ti to that of Tj. In a group decision-making setup, the subjective estimates of πi/πj are obtained as entries of a pairwise comparison matrix for each member of the group. On the basis of these pairwise comparison matrices, one of the topics of interest in some situation is the total rank ordering of the priorities of the alternatives. In this article, a statistical method is proposed for testing a specific total rank ordering of the priorities of the alternatives. The method developed is then illustrated using numerical examples. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


To facilitate the evaluation of actual operational ability of the air intelligence radar,this paper analyzes the regular pattern of the military complex target RCS varying with various factors such as frequency,aspect angle,polarization,etc.Simulation is performed for the major factors that influence the military complex target RCS variation,by using the graphical electromagnetic computing(GRECO) method and in terms of the estimation process of the complex RCS in HF range.Simulation results are coincident with the theoretical analysis,thus proving the availability of the GRECO method.


Large-scale reflector for compact test range (CTR) is usually obtained by block manufacturing followed by unified assembly alignment. As a consequence, appropriate alignment method is vital for acquiring reflector surfaces with high accuracy. However, periodic oscillation occurs during alignment of reflector panels due to insufficient depth and no isolation of the concrete foundation. To resolve the alignment problem caused by periodic oscillation of the foundation, this paper proposes an iterative self-modified alignment method using a laser tracker, the key to which is how to plan alignment sequence and select appropriate reference points for modifying measurement coordinate system. The method effectively reduces the extra alignment deviation due to periodic oscillation of the foundation, where the loss of accuracy is only 7.9 percent of the theoretical value, while the root mean square of the surface error reduces to 0.041 millimeter. Finally, a microwave amplitude and phase test system based on probe scanning has been established to evaluate electromagnetic performance of the CTR, and the results meet the design requirements.


Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) consists of a large population of sensor nodes capable of computation, communication and sensing. In this paper author have studied performance of IEEE802.15.4 (ZigBee) using various parameters. Author found that the throughput was decreases with respect increase in number of nodes and packet drop also increases with increase in number of nodes.


The purpose of our study was to determine the effect of Maitland orthopedic manual therapy, Silver Spike Point, dietary fiber and gymnastic exercise on the improvement of constipation. Forty patients with constipation participated in the study (Maitland Orthopedic Manual Therapy Group(n=10), Silver Spike Point Therapy Group(n=10), Dietary Fiber Group(n=10) and Gymnastics Exercise Group(n=10)). The assessment scale and weekly bowel frequency were measured before and after the experiment. Assessment scale was significantly increased in Silver Spike Point Therapy, Maitland orthopedic therapy, gymnastic exercise compare to dietary fiber. Weekly bowel frequency was significantly increased in gymnastic exercise compared to dietary fiber. The results of this study suggest that Silver Spike Point Therapy, Maitland orthopedic therapy, gymnastic exercise improve the symptom in patients with constipation.


This paper describes the use of performance-based brake testers (PBBT) to measure the brake forces on different configurations of control vehicles. It shows how PBBT data can be combined with the knowledge of limiting tire/road coefficient of friction. This allows the maximum deceleration potential to be obtained and incorporated into on-board crash avoidance systems.


Object of comparative law is all-inclusive and haphazard.In order to the clear object of comparative law,choosing the best rules was classified as standard point to frame the object of comparative law.Based on it,this article respectively describes two parallels in vertical,one systemic dimension and one traditional dimension.Finally a four dimensional structure was been draw for clearing the object of comparative law.


This report presents the results of the European twinning project, "Enhancing Road Safety in Egypt," on which more than 30 German and Austrian experts and lawyers have worked over a period of two and a half years, along with their Egyptian colleagues. The Egyptian National Road Safety Board, along with the representatives of the most important Egyptian institutions in Road Safety, have begun systematic work on the most urgent problems in the field of road safety. Egyptian road experts and traffic police engaged in training courses that familiarized them with European expertise on this topic, as well as study tours to Germany and Austria. Amendments to Egyptian laws and by-laws, such as for the Public Roads Law and the Traffic Law, were proposed, along with proposals for new regulations, instruments and standards, such as for traffic calming, safety in working zones, and for road safety audits and inspections. Non governmental organizations (NGOs) and private sector worked together on road safety, and workshops on the subject were held that were open to the Egyptian public. Vision Zero, a road traffic safety project started in Sweden in 1997 which aims to achieve a highway system with no fatalities or serious injuries in road traffic, is the ultimate goal.


In the studies of i-vector based speaker verification, the discriminative training of probabilistic linear discriminative analysis (PLDA) model has been proven to be an effective way to improve performance. This paper focuses on using a deep neural network (DNN) to strengthen the original discriminatively trained classifiers by its strong capability of nonlinear modeling representation. We first propose a deep neural network based dimensionality reduction model to replace the linear discriminant analysis (LDA) process, and then a discriminative training algorithm is also proposed to jointly optimize the network and PLDA scoring function under single discriminative criterion. Our experiments show that performance improvements are achieved in the male trials of short2-short3 core data set of NIST SRE08.


A bacterial strain CX-YD-XH with the ability to utilize indole as the only carbon source and energy under aerobic condition was isolated from activated sludge of a coking wastewater treatment plant.In this paper,the degradation capacity of the strain for indole and the effects of environmental factors on its aerobic biodegradation were mainly studied.The results showed that the strain CX-YD-XH had a high degradation capacity for indole and the removal efficiency could reach up to 85%.Weak alkali condition would be more suitable for the biodegradation of indole.Indole could be effectively degraded the strain by in the temperature range of 20 to 35 ℃,whereas a much faster degradation rate was observed at 35 ℃.No significant effect of oscillation on the final removal efficiency was observed but optimal oscillation rate(60 r/min) could effectively improve the biodegradation efficiency of indole.A higher biodegradation efficiency of indole by this stain could be obtained under the conditions of the appropriate amount of the strain or the substrate contents.


This paper makes an attempt to evaluate final ranking of the alternatives proposed by two different approaches of multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) in detecting the suitable spinning process variables for spun yarn intended to be used in knitting process. Performances of three variables in a draw frame were evaluated on the basis of seven quality parameters of the forty eight rotor yarns using technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solutions (TOPSIS) and vlseKriterijumska optimizacija i kompromisno resenje (VIKOR). Both methods are based on an aggregating function illustrating closeness to the ideal. Linear normalization and vector normalization are used in VIKOR and TOPSIS respectively to eliminate the units of criterion function. Difference in normalization technique affected final rankings as they introduced two different alternatives as the best. It means that, selecting appropriate MCDM method to rank feasible alternatives and accepting proposed yarn sample or process condition is related to the economical advantages and efficiency of the spinning and knitting processes.


The study group on the Creation of a Productivity Database on Japanese, Chinese, and South Korean Firms at the Japan Center for Economic Research (JCER), in conjunction with the Center for Economic Institutions (CEI) of Hitotsubashi University, the Center for China and Asian Studies (CCAS) of Nippon University, and the Center for Corporate Competitiveness of Seoul National University, has compiled the East Asian Listed Companies Database 2007 (EALC 2007). In this paper, we explain the methodology and data sources used in the construction of the EALC 2007. We also conduct some descriptive analysis based on the EALC 2007. To compare the TFP level of firms in these countries, we first estimated the TFP of firms in each country using the method of Good, Nadiri and Sickles (1997). Then we estimated the relative TFP by industry in the benchmark year using Japanese industries as benchmarks and combined the estimated TFP of firms. When estimating relative TFP by industry for Korea and China, we applied the industry-level price estimates of the three countries from the ICPA project and converted industry outputs and inputs into the same currency unit (Japanese Yen). The estimation results obtained indicate that the productivity of Japanese firms is still higher than that of their Chinese and Korean counterparts but that the productivity of Korean firms is rapidly increasing, with the emergence of some firms that are now overtaking their Japanese rivals in terms of productivity, particularly in the electric machinery sector.


Several (in parallel or subsequent) mediations of an ideological message of equal opportunities for people with disabilities can be presented in various forms with the aim of reaching a broad audie ...


The quantitative resolution of amino acid enantiomers is crucial to a number of fields of bioanalytical chemistry, including food and plant analysis, metabolomics, medicinal chemistry, and archeochemistry. The enantioselective analysis of α-dialkyl amino acids, however, has proven more difficult than for proteinaceous α-protonated amino acids. Herein, the development of an analytical method capable of base-line resolving enantiomers of α-alkyl and α-dialkyl amino acids in two chromatographic dimensions is reported. It was found that enantiomers of α-dialkyl amino acids can be readily resolved with the use of an enantioselective Chirasil-Val stationary phase in the first chromatographic dimension and a polyethylene glycol stationary phase in the second dimension. These data offer new possibilities for the enantioselective resolution and precise quantification of non-biological α-dialkyl amino acids. This methodology will subsequently be applied particularly towards enantioselective analyses of samples relevant for understanding of the origin of homochirality on Earth such as meteorites, comets, and interstellar ices.


This study is an experimental laboratory research, this study aims to
determine the preservative Sodium Benzoate in some soft drinks brand X in
District Suwawa. Analysis of these preservatives using FeCl3 precipitation test.
From the results of existing research, all of which have been meticulously
sampled did not contain Sodium Benzoate.
Keywords: Soft drinks, Substance Preservatives, Sodium Benzoate, Reagent
FeCl3


Sodium (Na) ion‐based dual‐ion batteries (Na‐DIBs) have attracted great attention, owing to their benefits of low cost, high working voltage, and environmental friendliness. However, the limited capacity and low tap density of currently reported anode materials restrict the further improvement of Na‐DIBs. Herein, a micro–nano structure with vertically aligned WSe2 nanoflakes anchored tightly on a micron‐sized carbon sphere (WSe2/CS) is successfully constructed via combining the molecular coupling and self‐assembly strategy. Within this hierarchical structure, the WSe2 nanoflakes can shorten the diffusion path for Na+ ions and alleviate structural deformation during the charge/discharge process; meanwhile, the micron‐sized carbon core provides conductive support and helps improve the total tap density of the anode electrode. As a result, this micron‐sized WSe2/CS displays a high specific capacity of ≈252.8 mAh g−1 and good cycling performance with ≈92% capacity retention after 1200 cycles. Moreover, by pairing this WSe2/CS anode with environmental friendly graphite as cathode, a proof‐of‐concept Na‐DIB shows 85.6% capacity retention after 1000 cycles, which is among the best performances of previously reported Na‐DIBs.


Abstract Background Cerebroplacental Doppler studies have been advocated to predict the risk of adverse perinatal outcome (APO) irrespective of fetal weight. Objective To report the diagnostic performance of cerebroplacental (CPR) and umbilicocerebral (UCR) ratios in predicting APO in appropriate for gestational age (AGA) fetuses and in those affected by late fetal growth restriction (FGR) attempting vaginal delivery. Study design Multicenter, retrospective, nested case-control study between 1 January 2017 and January 2020 involving five referral centers in Italy and Spain. Singleton gestations with a scan between 36 and 40 weeks and within two weeks of attempting vaginal delivery were included. Fetal arterial Doppler and biometry were collected. The AGA group was defined as fetuses with an estimated fetal weight and abdominal circumference >10th and <90th percentile, while the late FGR group was defined by Delphi consensus criteria. The primary outcome was the prediction of a composite of perinatal adverse outcomes including either intrauterine death, Apgar score at 5 min <7, abnormal acid-base status (umbilical artery pH < 7.1 or base excess of more than −11) and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission. Area under the curve (AUC) analysis was performed. Results 646 pregnancies (317 in the AGA group and 329 in the late FGR group) were included. APO were present in 12.6% AGA and 24.3% late FGR pregnancies, with an odds ratio of 2.22 (95% CI 1.46–3.37). The performance of CPR and UCR for predicting APO was poor in both AGA [AUC: 0.44 (0.39–0.51)] and late FGR fetuses [AUC: 0.56 (0.49–0.61)]. Conclusions CPR and UCR on their own are poor prognostic predictors of APO irrespective of fetal weight.


The nature and type of performance tests used to characterize dosage forms administered to the oral cavity differ significantly and thus demand different release testing apparatus. For many dosage forms given orally but not limited to muco-adhesive buccal tablets, chewable tablets, and sublingual preparations, product performance tests are adapted from existing procedures and are well characterized in the United States Pharmacopeia (USP). Unlike chewable tablets, medicated gums are not supposed to be swallowed and may be removed from the site of application without resort to invasive means. Moreover, medicated gums require the active and continuous masticatory activities for activation and continuation of drug release. Medicated chewing gums are dosage forms given orally for both local and therapeutic effect, and no performance test has been indicated for medicated chewing gums in USP. This Stimuli article outlines the importance and rationale of in vitro drug release testing and the product quality tests used during the development of medicated chewing gums and their quality control for market release.


In this paper,three species of rocks:marble,granite,diorite,were used to simulate the rockbusrt by the two axial compression system.The different characters of three kinds rockburst was found,the reason of rockburst was andlysed and the measurement was proposed.


We provide an insight into the open data resources pertinent to the study of the spread of Covid-19 pandemic and its control. We identify the variables required to analyze fundamental aspects like seasonal behaviour, regional mortality rates, and effectiveness of government measures. Open data resources, along with data-driven methodologies, provide many opportunities to improve the response of the different administrations to the virus. We describe the present limitations and difficulties encountered in most of the open-data resources. To facilitate the access to the main open-data portals and resources, we identify the most relevant institutions, at a world scale, providing Covid-19 information and/or auxiliary variables (demographics, mobility, etc.). We also describe several open resources to access Covid-19 data-sets at a country-wide level (i.e. China, Italy, Spain, France, Germany, U.S., etc.). In an attempt to facilitate the rapid response to the study of the seasonal behaviour of Covid-19, we enumerate the main open resources in terms of weather and climate variables. CONCO-Team: The authors of this paper belong to the CONtrol COvid-19 Team, which is composed of different researches from universities of Spain, Italy, France, Germany, United Kingdom and Argentina. The main goal of CONCO-Team is to develop data-driven methods for the better understanding and control of the pandemic.


The behavioral theory of choice posits that bureaucratic decisions can be understood not only as a function of rational decision-making, but also as a function of variables that influence decision-making due to the limitations on human's cognitive abilities to process large amounts of information under conditions of ambiguity. In this paper, I test the hypotheses that hierarchy, bureaucratic culture (mission and attachment to rules) and emotion toward claimants explains variation in street level bureaucratic decision-making using survey data from the Social Security Disability program. The findings suggest that bureaucratic decision making is explained by bureaucratic culture and emotion, but at the margins. For many citizens, their experiences with government arise from their interactions with street-level bureaucrats (Goodsell 1981). These interactions create the public policies that citizens actually experience. Many street-level bureaucrats determine who gets benefits, how much they get and when they get them. In other words, street-level bureaucrats determine who gets access to public policies and programs. Therefore, understanding street-level bureaucratic decision-making is essential for understanding public policy. Despite the substantial literature that exists on this topic, we do not have definite answers or consistent understandings about who or what influences bureaucratic choices (Brehm and Gates 1997). In this paper, I generate a model using the behavioral model of choice to predict bureaucratic decision-making and test the model using survey data from examiners in three offices that determine eligibility in the Social Security Disability program. The literature on bureaucratic decision-making takes two different approaches – one closely related to economics and the other emerging from public administration and organization theory. Two recent works that have merged these two literatures together, serve as a useful starting point in creating a model to explain bureaucratic choice. In Working, Shirking, and Sabotage: Bureaucratic Response to a Democratic Public, John Brehm and Scott Gates (1997) explore the question of what bureaucrats maximize when making decisions and who or what influences their choices. They argue that bureaucratic decisions fall into three types – working, shirking or sabotage. When bureaucrats work they exert effort toward accomplishing policy goals that match their supervisors goals, when they shirk, they direct effort toward non-policy goals such as leisure and when they sabotage they exert effort toward accomplishing policy goals that differ from the goals of their supervisors. By revising traditional principal agent models that seek to explain how and whether political principals (supervisors) control their agents (bureaucrats), Brehm and Gates (1997) demonstrate that supervisors are very limited in their ability to control subordinate's behavior. Through empirical testing, they find instead that street-level bureaucrats decisions are explained most of all by bureaucrats' own preferences and by the preferences of fellow bureaucrats. Luckily, these preferences are aligned with fulfilling their policy missions. Marissa Golden (2000) finds support for this claim in her study of federal executives. Although she found a few instances of sabotage, most federal executives felt a professional obligation to follow appointed and elected officials and believed they had a responsibility to fulfill their missions in line with superior preferences. Although supervisors have a limited impact on whether bureaucrats work, shirk or sabotage because the link between hierarchical controls and bureaucratic behavior is weak, bureaucratic responsiveness exists because bureaucrats act in ways consistent with the preferences of elected officials/ and or their missions. Brehm and Gates (1997) work suggests that we should understand bureaucratic decision-making by understanding the policy preferences of bureaucrats, rather than the administrative controls that supervisors use to affect decisional outcomes. Understanding policy preferences of street-level bureaucrats is essential for understanding bureaucratic behavior. If we can discern bureaucrats' policy preferences, we can predict their


Detection of human beings in a complex background environment is a great challenge in computer vision. For such a difficult task, most of the time no single feature algorithm is rich enough to capture all the relevant information available in the image. To improve the detection accuracy, we propose a new descriptor that is constructed from the channels of image gradients, texture features, local phase information, and color features. This information is fused together to build one descriptor named Channels of Chromatic domain, local Phase with Gradient and Texture features (CCPGT). The image gradients, and local phase information based on the phase congruency concept are used to extract the human body shape features. Local binary pattern approach (LBP) is used to capture the texture features, and additional significant information for human detection are added by the color channels. The phase congruency magnitude and orientation of each pixel in the input image is computed with respect to its neighborhood and then six channels representing the histogram of oriented phase are generated. Gradient magnitude channel, LBP channel, and three LUV color channels are also computed for the input image. A maximum pooling of the candidate features is applied for these generated channels. All these features are concatenated in one feature vector and fed to a decision tree Adaboost classifier for training and to classify between the different objects classes. Several experiments were conducted to evaluate the proposed approach using challenging INRIA dataset, and a promising performance is observed.