In this paper we present a novel method for performing robust illumination-tolerant face recognition. We show that this method works well even when presented with partial test faces which are also captured under variable illumination and outperforms other competing face recognition algorithms. Our method is a hybrid PCA-correlation filter which links the best of two major approaches in face recognition; principal component analysis (PCA) for capturing the variability in a set of training images and advanced correlation filters which have attractive features such as illumination tolerance, shift-invariance, and can handle occlusions. We examine how these filters work and why our proposed method is able to perform better. We call our method 'Corefaces' as it seeks to model the 'core' face representation that remains relatively invariant to illumination variations. We show comparative results using the illumination subset of CMU-PIE database consisting of 65 people, and Yale-B illumination database and compare with other standard methods such as the illumination subspace method and Fisherfaces.


Objectives: To assess the appropriateness of arterial carbon dioxide tension control in a group of 92 patients with traumatic brain injury who, despite receiving advanced prehospital care, showed no improved outcome in comparison with a group homogeneous but for a lower level of prehospital care. Methods: A retrospective registration of the early in-hospital arterial carbon dioxide tension of the patients intubated and ventilated on scene. Patients were excluded if the arterial carbon dioxide tension did not reflect prehospital ventilation or its alteration might have been intentional or unavoidable. Results: Arterial carbon dioxide tension was normal (35–45 mmHg) in only six of the 16 suitable cases (37.5%), was elevated (>45 mmHg) in three cases (18.75%), low (25–35 mmHg) in five cases (31.25%), and extremely low (<25 mmHg) in two cases (12.5%). Conclusion: Potentially dangerous alterations in capnia occurred in the majority of patients analysed. The possible consequences and causes are discussed. Further studies are needed to assess the consequences of any deviation from ideal standards, and to set realistic standards of arterial carbon dioxide tension control during prehospital ventilation.


The interaction of killer cell immunoglobulin–like receptors with their human leucocyte antigen ligands drives the activation and inhibition of natural killer cells. Natural killer cells could be implicated in the development of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C.


Fuelled by the proliferation of smartphones, wireless traffic has experienced huge growth, which will continue and exacerbate the capacity strain in cellular networks. Network densification has emerged as a powerful paradigm to boost spectral efficiency and accommodate the continual rise in demand for wireless capacity. These dense networks also make resource allocation more challenging though, as they result in more irregular cells with possibly overlapping coverage areas and greater variability in traffic loads. To deal with these load imbalances, there are typically two methods to dynamically match capacity and demand: "bring users to capacity" (user association) and "bring capacity to the users" (frequency/spectrum allocation). In this paper we study the joint operation of load-aware dynamic user association and frequency allocation algorithms in dense cellular networks. Motivated by a joint load-balancing optimization problem, we consider load-aware algorithms that operate using load measurements at the access points (APs) and can react to changing load conditions without knowledge of difficult-to-obtain system parameters like arrival patterns of users. We present extensive simulation results for various parameter settings, allowing for the user association and frequency allocation algorithms to operate on different time scales. The simulation results show that the joint operation of these algorithms leads to excellent performance without the need to provide an initialized and optimized frequency allocation.


In this study, a six-legged robot is designed and implemented for real time walking over difficult terrains. A remote control and tracking interface program is designed to control robot in all direction and tracking the sensor data. Servo motors controlled via serial port are used as joint actuators. An FPGA based hardware designed as single chip is used for controlling the servo motors and computing the joint angels by kinematic calculations. In this way, load on the central processor is reduced and a low cost DSP used for executing the walking algorithm developed for producing the feet positions for walking on rough terrain. In addition, the mess of cable is reduced by using the FPGA based hardware and servo motors controlled via serial port. The robot has infra-red sensors for object detecting, force sensors for sensing the contact with ground and radio modules for wireless communication with computer. The success and performance of the robot is tested by simulations and real world experiments.


[2382-96-9] C7H5NOS (MW 151.18)

InChI = 1S/C7H5NOS/c10-7-8-5-3-1-2-4-6(5)9-7/h1-4H,(H,8,10)

InChIKey = FLFWJIBUZQARMD-UHFFFAOYSA-N

(used as leaving group in glycosyl donors in carbohydrate chemistry; 1-7 as a coupling agent in amide and ester synthesis; 8-12 as an auxiliary in Friedel–Craft alkylation reactions;13 in the synthesis of sulfides,14, 15 (2-alkylthio) benzoxazoles,16, 17 disulfides,18 thiols,19 and benzoxazole-containing compounds 20-22)

Alternate Names: 2-mercaptobenzoxazole; 1,3-benzoxazole-2-thiol; BoxSH.

Physical Data: mp 193–195 °C; ; .

Solubility: insoluble in water, soluble in aqueous alkali and common organic solvents.

Form Supplied in: commercially available as a yellow powder.


ETHNOLOGIA EUROPAEA 48:2 The old lady walks into the room I am observing and looks around. "This is not art!" she shouts at me and anyone else in the room. She walks around the exhibit, and looks up to the ceiling. "This is art!" As she leaves the room she jumps up and down on part of the new exhibit in the room, shocking other visitors and leaving me stunned at the animosity being expressed. She is gone before I can challenge her. I have been left for several years with this lady's physical reaction to what she was seeing and how she was feeling. She was on a self-guided tour of an historical heritage institution with contemporary sculpture installation carefully placed through the rooms. Her reaction was extreme and embodied if not violent, passing on with a performance her feelings. Such animation contrasted with the calm steady flow of visitors to the room. Some agreed with her but didn't dare to express themselves in such a fashion. Others recoiled in shock at her destructive jumps when I recounted the event. It certainly interrupted one afternoon in the Tribune Room at Strawberry Hill House, Twickenham (see ill. 1).


Fault diagnostic algorithms for electrical machines are various. The most popular approach — the Fourier transform — suffers several drawbacks. Therefore, the authors offer to replace the Fourier transform with the wavelet analysis. As a reference base, they have selected the Daubechies wavelet. The replacing diagnostic algorithm is described in two steps: intransferring the Fourier frequency characteristics to the waveletscale and subsequent finding the total energy and amount of the wavelet transform at each scale. The hypothetical approach is endorsed with experimental results, which show that when a fault of a certain characteristic occurs, the energy scale increases and the wavelet amount reduces.


1 Introduction: Civic Associations and the Liberal Tradition 2 Chapter One: Thomas Hobbes and the Perils of Pluralism 3 Chapter Two: John Locke, Toleration, and Sectarianism 4 Chapter Three: Reappraising the Scottish Moralists and Civil Society 5 Chapter Four: Edmund Burke's Defense of Civil Society 6 Chapter Five: John Stuart Mill and the Modern Liberal Ambivalence to Groups 7 Chapter Six: Alexis de Tocqueville and the Perils of Pluralism Revisited 8 Chapter Seven: Michael Oakeshott and the Transformational (Im)possibilities of the Liberal State 9 Chapter Eight: F. A. Hayek and the Limits of Liberal Constitutionalism 10 Conclusion: Liberal Neutrality, Purposive Community, and the Logic of Contemporary Pluralism


Queries in sensor networks are expected to produce results in a timely manner and for long periods, as needed. This implies that sensor queries need to be optimized with respect to both response time and energy consumption. With these requirements in mind, we develop novel cross-layer optimization techniques that utilize information about how the medium access control (MAC) layer operates while processing queries in large scale sensor network environments. The central framework of our approach is a Data Transmission Algebra that uniformly captures the structure of data transmissions along with their constraints and requirements. Our framework enables both qualitative analysis and quantitative cost-based optimization of sensor queries. We illustrate the effectiveness of our framework by developing a collision-aware scheduler and evaluating it experimentally.


The electronic structure of Pd3 and Pt3 clusters and the detailed reaction mechanism of activation of H2 and CH4 on these clusters have been studied with a density functional method. Full geometry optimization has been carried out and led to the reaction mechanisms that are dramatically different from those of a previous work where only limited potential energy scans were carried out. In the Pd3 + H2 system, Pd3, like Pd2, activates H2 without barrier. For the activation of the C−H bond in CH4 with Pd3, although the final products are found to be similar in energy compared to the case of Pd2, the activation barriers on Pd3 are much higher than those on Pd2. This difference has been explained in terms of the large repulsion from the s1d9 configurations of Pd atoms in Pd3, whereas Pd atoms in Pd2 adopt mainly the less repulsive d10 configuration. In the case of Pt3 + H2/CH4, the reactions basically follow the same pattern as in the Pt2 systems. Namely H−H and C−H are broken at first on a single Pt atom, and...


To the Editor. —Drs Ferro and Kertesz1presented an interesting case of neglect associated with infarction of the posterior internal capsule. To further elucidate, I wish to point out that their patient actually has an occlusion of the anterior choroidal artery. The territory matches the anatomic template previously noted by Damasio.2The syndrome has also recently been demonstrated and studied in two articles by French researchers.3,4When this syndrome occurs in the minor hemisphere, neglect can and does occur, presumably for the reasons elegantly outlined in the article by Drs Ferro and Kertesz. The anterior choroidal artery syndrome, formerly an entity whose very existence was controversial, is now gaining increased attention and becoming much better understood. My colleagues and I are in the process of trying to add yet another case to the literature.5I suspect the syndrome is in fact quite common and has merely


The study investigates the accounting practices of Mauritian households. We explore the likelihood of these practices by administering a questionnaire among 120 random family units. More particularly, four areas of accounting are emphasised- budgeting, record keeping, decision-making and long term financial planning. The findings mainly reveal that household accounting is used in Mauritian homes. Factors such as the risk of debt, tax calculation and important events as marriage, death and birth influence these usages. We suggest that while households are not profit clusters, it is an area of significant interest and therefore deemed to be an area worth of academic study.


stronger incentive to defect. However, the results revealed a significantly higher cooperation level in LC. A plausible explanation is that the defection cost in form of punishment served as a norm reminder, but cost in form of tax lacked this function, implying that even defectors are not necessarily benefit maximizers. The results of Experiment 2 confirmed this explanation: compared with unpunished defectors, the punished ones manifested a higher level of norm activation. The bootstrap analysis showed that the norm activation completely mediated TPP and cooperation. Experiment 2 also found a spillover effect of TPP: the punished defectors still demonstrated a high cooperation in a new different game where the sanction was absent. Finally, Experiment 3 found another spillover effect of TPP: bystanders who did not experience the punishment in person but witnessed it showed a significantly higher cooperation in subsequent interactions. In conclusion, oftentimes, people defect simply because they are unaware of the existence of a certain norm, and activating people's norms through TPP can significantly reduce their selfish behaviors. In addition to being an economic means to reduce defectors' payoff, TPP serves as a norm reminder. The two spillover effects found in this study suggest that TPP as a means of norm activation may be more efficient than as an economic means because of its cost-effectiveness. These findings shed new light on the understanding of extensive cooperation among genetically unrelated individuals.


AbstractOne efficient way of recycling polymeric wastes such as crumb rubber and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is to use them in a concrete mix. A prerequisite in accomplishing this application ...


Allmendinger and Jordan (1981) have attempted to relate
plutonism, metamorphism, and thrusting in the Cordillera by
interpreting selected features of the Sevier hinterland. Although
the pros and cons of their large-scale speculations have been previously
discussed (Burchfiel and Davis, 1975; Hamilton, 1978), the
specifics of their Jurassic and Cretaceous scenario behind the
thrust belt invite comment.


An important fundamental determinant of a firm's profitability and growth is what Porter describes as 'industry attractiveness or structure'. A review of the empirical studies on inter-industry performance differentials reveals that most of the work in this area has been undertaken in industrially advanced and big countries, notably in the US. This paper empirically examines this issue on which little work has been done in New Zealand. Apart from industry effects, impact of various other firm specific variables on the financial performance has been studied. The results are based on the analysis of 74 listed companies spread over four broad industry groups. Company performance, the dependent variable in the analysis, is represented by two composite measures - derived by factor analysis reflecting the growth and profitability dimensions of performance. Our results indicate that both industry effects and firm characteristics play significant roles in influencing profitability but not on growth. The paper discusses the implications of these results for strategic managers.


Embryogenesis plays a central role in the life cycle of flowering plants. Ever since the process of double fertilization was documented at the turn of the century, plant embryologists have attempted to characterize the cellular and biochemical changes that occur within developing seeds (Maheshwari, 1950; Raghavan, 1976). For many years, the emphasis was on comparative morphology and the analysis of cell division patterns during early stages of embryo development (Johansen, 1950; Wardlaw, 1955). Attention then shifted to experimental studies of somatic embryogenesis, embryo culture, and haploid embryos derived from microspores (Raghavan, 1986). Manipulation of zygotic embryos was limited by the presence of surrounding maternal tissues. Electron microscopy provided additional details on cellular changes associated with embryogenesis but generally failed to identify the mechanisms responsible. Plant embryologists believed that genetic factors played an important role in morphogenesis, but mutants with altered patterns of embryo development were largely ignored (Meinke, 1986). Recent advances in molecular biology have led to a renewed interest in plant embryology and the underlying patterns of gene expression that occur throughout seed development (Goldberg et al., 1989). Many genes transcribed during embryonic maturation have now been examined at the molecular level. Genetics provides a complementary approach to the study of plant embryo development by allowing the identification of genes with essential functions during this critical stage of the life cycle (Meinke, 1986). The purpose of this review will be to explore the potential benefits and limitations of mutant analysis in relation to plant embryo development. Additional information can be obtained through recent reviews on plant development (Steeves and Sussex, 1989; Lyndon, 1990), experimental plant embryogenesis (Johri, 1984; Raghavan, 1986; Williams and Maheswaran, 1986), and plant developmental genetics (Sheridan, 1988; Meinke, 1991a, 1991b). Plant embryologists originally attempted to explain characteristic patterns of cell division observed early in development by establishing fundamental laws of embryogeny (Johansen, 1950). These laws of parsimony, numbers, origin, disposition, and destination were thought to reflect the fundamental organization of embryos from different species. This view has gradually been replaced by the realization that cell division patterns are determined more by genetic and biophysical factors than by laws of embryogeny. Examination of developmental pathways in different angiosperms has nevertheless revealed a number of common features. The most critical events appear to be the formation of apical meristems, the establishment of basic patterns of symmetry and cellular organization, and the transition from a heterotrophic zygote dependent upon nutrient reserves of surrounding maternal tissues to an autotrophic embryo capable of surviving desiccation and producing a viable seedling after germination. Early stages of plant embryo development are characterized by cell division and morphogenesis. This is followed by a period of cell specialization and embryonic maturation in preparation for dormancy and germination. Several features distinguish embryogenesis in angiosperms from related pathways in animal systems: (1) the process of double fertilization and subsequent interactions between embryo and endosperm tissues, (2) the apparently minor role played by maternal mRNAs stored in unfertilized eggs, (3) the absence of cellular migration during embryo development, (4) the absence of a germ line established early in development, (5) the activation of large numbers of zygotic genes during very early stages of embryogenesis, (6) the presence of a male gametophyte active in transcription that leads to elimination of many deleterious alleles before fertilization, (7) the establishment of relatively few specialized cell types, (8) the formation of apical meristems that ultimately produce the adult plant, and (9) the small size of the zygote and its location deep within maternal tissues. The zygote in flowering plants is also not unique; a wide range of somatic cells can be


Adenosine deaminase (ADA) deficiency is a form of severe combined immunodeficiency. Aberrant mutations in the ADA gene result in loss of ADA activity and the toxic accumulation of metabolites that ...


Recently, the rise of bottom-up approaches has become significant in realising social justice for vulnerable sections of society. One such attempt is the provision of charge-free legal aid services in many poor countries, including Ethiopia. This article aims to reveal the relevance of micro-justice as an effective remedy for poor people. The data generated from primary sources were analysed in line with rights-based and capability approaches. The findings of this study attested that such bottom-up approaches in access to justice, did not only help the beneficiaries in exercising their rights but also empowered them to lead their lives and determine their destiny.


It is known that Korean pregnant women take iron supplements at a higher than the recommended level. This study was designed to provide data on current iron intake levels both from food sources and supplement to better guide iron supplement use during pregnancy. We also explored associations of iron supplement intake levels with various sociocultural factors and pregnancy outcomes. Dietary intakes of 510 pregnant women were assessed by a validated 102-item food frequency questionnaire, and information on types and amounts of nutritional supplement intakes were also attained. While dietary intake levels of most nutrients exceeded the KDRIs (Korea Dietary Reference Intakes: EAR: Estimated Average Requirements), folate fell short of the KDRIs. A total of 428 women (83.9%) reported to take iron supplement. The pregnant women were divided into the three groups (group I: Fe supplement intake≤EAR, group II: EAR<Fe supplement intake≤3 times of EAR, group III: 3 times of EAR<Fe supplement intake). The mean dietary intake of iron was 24% of the total iron intake for pregnant women. Iron intake from food was not significantly different among I, II, and III. In case of iron intake from supplements, the most frequent dose (34.1%) was 90-100 mg/day, and the mean iron supplement intake was 362% of the EAR. The study findings showed that those with higher levels of iron supplements had better meal quality measured by NAR (Nutrient Adequacy Ratio) and INQ (Index of Nutrient Quality). In addition iron supplement intake levels were significantly related to age (20s: 66.5±38.6 mg/day, 30s: 77.3±47.8 mg/day, p<0.0116) and experience of childbirth (1st pregnancy: 70.9±41.2 mg/day, 2nd pregnancy: 64.5±39.5 mg/day, ≥3rd pregnancy: 94.4±63.8 mg/day, p<0.005). However, no significant difference was found between iron supplement intake levels and various pregnancy outcomes including birth weight, birth height, gestational age, weight gain during pregnancy, and jaundice. It is worrisome that iron intake by supplement use greatly exceeded the EAR, suggesting the need of appropriate guidelines for iron supplement intake during pregnancy. Thus iron overdose from supplements in pregnancy should be considered as a serious condition. (Korean J Community Nutrition 14(3):327~339, 2009)


In this paper, a Quantum Neural Network (QNN) has been proposed using the Projected Quantum Kernel feature for an image classification task. The QCNN consists of four dense layers; the first layer collects the quantum data as an input and the fourth layer produced the classification output. Moreover, a Quantum Generative Advisory Network (QGAN) has been developed using the patching technique for enhancing the number of samples in the image dataset. The proposed QNN and QGAN are constructed using quantum filters. The MNIST handwritten digit dataset was used to train and test the QNN model performance on image classification. A binary classification dataset was created from the MNIST handwritten digit database using digits 0 and 6. The QGAN generated 221 samples on digits 0 and 6 classes. The generated samples were added to the training dataset for the QNN model. The size of the Filtered MNIST handwritten dataset was extended from 13779 to 14000 samples. There are 12,000 images are split for training and 2,000 images for testing. The principal component analysis technique was used to reduce the dimension of the data. The QNN was trained on the enhanced dataset using a GPU environment. The testing accuracy of the QNN model was 98.65 percent; it is superior to the traditional neural network.


Lactic acid production parameter optimization using Lactobacillus amylovorus NRRL B-4542 was performed using the design of experiments (DOE) available in the form of an orthogonal array and a software for automatic design and analysis of the experiments, both based on Taguchi protocol. Optimal levels of physical parameters and key media components namely temperature, pH, inoculum size, moisture, yeast extract, MgSO4 . 7H20, Tween 80, and corn steep liquor (CSL) were determined. Among the physical parameters, temperature contributed higher influence, and among media components, yeast extract, MgSO4 . 7H20, and Tween 80 played important roles in the conversion of starch to lactic acid. The expected yield of lactic acid under these optimal conditions was 95.80% and the actual yield at optimum conditions was 93.50%.


Background: Ribavirin (RBV) is been used for SARS-CoV-2 infection. This drug is associated with a wide range of side effects, mainly anemia, so its use in patients with potential respiratory affectation could not be appropriate. The evidences of adverse events associated with RBV-use has mainly been derived in the context of hepatitis C (HCV) treatment, however the possible use of RBV in CoVID-19 patients could be limited to 14 days. Methods: Longitudinal study including HIV/HCV coinfected patients. We evaluate the hemoglobin dynamics and reductions as well as evaluate the development rate of anemia during the first 2 weeks of therapy in HCV infected patients. Results: 189 patients were included in the study. The median hemoglobin levels were 14.6 g/dL (IQR: 13.2-15.6 g/dL) and 13.5 g/dL (IQR: 12.3-14.5 g/dL) at weeks 1 and 2 of therapy, respectively. A cumulative number of 27 (14.2%) patients developed anemia (23 grade 1 [12.1%] and 4 grade 2 [2.1%]). We identify a baseline hemoglobin levels of 14 g/dL as the better cut-off to identify those patients with a high chance to develop anemia. Of the 132 patients with baseline hemoglobin level >14 g/dL, 8 developed anemia (6.1%) compared with 19 of 57 (33.3%) with hemoglobin levels lower than 14 g/dL (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Our study shows valuable information about the early hemoglobin kinetic timing in patients on RBV-therapy, that could be useful to tailor CoVID-19 treatment if RBV use is considered.


There has been an increase in the incidence of breastfeeding in industrial areas particularly in Western Australia where 1 in 4 infants is breastfed into the 2nd year of life. Most of this increase in the incidence of breastfeeding is found in the higher socioeconomic groups pointing to a need to collect data on milk yield in such women. The levels of milk yield in women with infants between 1-6 months ranged from a mean of 1.13-1.24 kg/24 hours. This is a higher level of milk production than the generally accepted range of 0.7-0.9 kg/24 hours. However this difference is due in part to a failure of previous test weighing methods to correct for the evaporative water losses in either the infant or mother. There was no relationship between the introduction of solids and a return to fertility in 38 women breastfeeding on demand. The return of the ovulatory menstrual cycle in women resulted in 2 acute changes in milk composition. These changes were characterized by a rise in the concentration of sodium and chloride and a fall in the concentration of potassium glucose and lactose in breastmilk. The 1st change occurred 5-6 days before ovulation and the 2nd occurred 6-7 days after. Following the cessation of breastfeeding the concentration of lactose in breastmilk gradually declined but the concentrations of antibacterial proteins (IgA and lactoferrin) gradually increased to high levels over a period of 30-40 days. The high concentration of these proteins in milk may protect the breast against infections during this period of milk stasis. However there was a lag of 2-3 days before these proteins increased in concentration following the cessation of lactation supporting the observation that the cessation of breastfeeding is contraindicated in women with breast infections (mastitis). (authors)


This paper proposes an indexing procedure for improving the performance of query processing on a fuzzy database. It focuses on the case when a necessity-measured atomic flexible condition is imposed on the values of a fuzzy numerical attribute. The proposal is to apply a classical indexing structure for numerical crisp data, a B+-tree combined with a Hilbert curve. The use of such a common indexing technique makes its incorporation into current systems straightforward. The efficiency of the proposal is compared with that of another indexing procedure for similar fuzzy data and flexible query types. Experimental results reveal that the performance of the proposed method is similar and more stable than that of its competitor.


Gandhara, with its wide variety of architectural remains and sculptures, has for many decades perplexed students of South and Central Asia. Kurt Behrendt in this volume for the first time and convincingly offers a description of the development of 2nd century B.C.E. to 8th century C.E. Buddhist sacred centers in ancient Gandhara, today northwest Pakistan. Regional variations in architecture and sculpture in the Peshawar basin, Swat, and Taxila are discussed. At last a chronological framework is given for the architecture and the sculpture of Gandhara, but also light is being shed on how relic structures were utilized through time, as devotional imagery became increasingly significant to Buddhist religious practice. With an important comparative overview of architectural remains, it is indispensable for all those interested in the development of the early Buddhist tradition of south and central Asia and the roots of Buddhism elsewhere in Asia.


ASSURE instructional design models suitable for use in a micro-scale learning activities such as learning that takes place in the classroom and training programs. Therefore, as a prospective instructor is very important to know the different models of instructional design. This study addresses the issue of how an illustration, the components, and the development of a competency-based learning models ASSURE improve the mastery of the material trainees. The purpose of this study was to describe the model of instructional design ASSURE, to explain the components in the model of instructional design ASSURE, to explain the development of learning models ASSURE competency-based retention of trainees, and to explain the development of learning models ASSURE competency-based increase mastery of the material the trainee. Based on the research objectives that have been formulated, this research can be classified as research and development or Research and Development (R & D) to produce a model of the development of a competency-based learning ASSURE models to improve retention and mastery of the material the trainee. , Based on the data on observations, pretest and posttest can be seen with the model ASSURE study on the development of learning ASSURE Model (prototype 1) and 2 can be produced Model ASSURE development of effective learning.


Supply chain management (SCM) is a global strategy in nowadays business environment. It is needed It is necessary to manage a number of processes and activities on a daily basis in order to achieve a competitive advantage. In order to achieve adequate bases for successful functioning, it is necessary to know their abilities and weaknesses. In order to achieve this, it is necessary to perform the decomposition of the complete system. In this paper decomposition in wood company and supplier selection in subsystem of procurement has performed. For determining criteria weights are applied Full Consistency Method (FUCOM), while the ranking of supplier is performed using Weighted Aggregated Sum Product ASsessment (WASPAS) method. Obtained results are checked through sensitivity analysis that is formed with modeling of criteria weights. In sensitivity analysis it was found that changes in the significance of the criteria could influence the decision making and ranking of suppliers.


The article is devoted to determining the set of risks that usually arise when implementing investment projects in the sphere of aquaculture , that is, breeding and growing aquatic biological objects in artificial reservoirs. As an excellent alternative to traditional fish farming, such projects are subject to even greater risks associated with innovative and investment processes in aquaculture. In particular, the authors identified the risks that may arise during the development and implementation of the project for breeding and deep processing of Clary catfish, both as a result of shortcomings of the initiators and performers of the project, and generated by the external business environment of the project. In the course of the study, the identified risks were evaluated both qualitatively and quantitatively. So, based on an expert assessment of the degree of potential damage that can be caused to the project by a specific type of risk, and the probability of its occurrence during the project implementation, it was determined whether this risk is key for the project. At the same time, countermeasures were developed for key risks in order to minimize the consequences for the project. In order to quantify the risks of an innovation and investment project, the classical method of simulation of project risk assessment was used by constructing three possible scenarios for the development of the situation during the project implementation (pessimistic, most likely, and optimistic). This indicates the financial stability and economic efficiency of an innovative investment project in the sphere of aquaculture, taking in view all identified risks. In that way, the purpose of this article is to attempt to systematize methodological approaches to identifying and assessing the risks of highly specialized projects in the sphere of aquaculture, as well as to form a list of measures to counter risks in order to minimize their consequences.


Based on process data of total aqueous solution recycle method,urea converter which is the most crucial equipment in urea production process is simulated.And during the simulation,the mixing degree and plate efficiency that can affect CO2 conversion are also considered.The main simulative software of the urea converter is programmed with Visual Fortran language and its interface is programmed by Visual Basic language.The simulative software has a good simulation accuracy and can reflect the mixing degree and plate efficiency on the CO2 conversion.The software interface which is developed by the Visual Basic has friendly man-machine interface,easy operation,and additional features such as drawing.


This article analyzes the themes of language, cultural heterogeneity, and writing as liminal space in autobiographical nonfiction texts by Canadian-born bilingual author Nancy Huston and Algerian-born French writer Leïla Sebbar. In their coauthored correspondence on the theme of exile, Lettres parisiennes: Autopsie de l'exil, Huston and Sebbar describe writing as a land or territory, a place of one's own, and Sebbar defines exile as the very foundation of her being. Each writer explores the meaning of language in her life (English and French for Huston, French and Arabic for Sebbar), particularly as it relates to childhood and loss. Other themes include the construction and performance of self through language and writing; mobility, even instability, as vital constituents of identity; and exile and difference as freedom. While "exile" for these authors is not a question of forced migration, their reflections on living in between and across cultures—in the fault lines—have rich resonance for theorists, writers, travelers, and users of language in a globalized world.


We address the design of the Power Takeoff (PTO) device of a wave energy conversion system through direct optimisation of the parameters of a mechanical network according to an optimisation criterion linked to power absorption performance. The results are illustrated through simulations and the behaviours of different PTO realisations are compared.


With the process of countryside urbanization, the urbanization level have been constantly improved, while brought a lot of questions affected the continued development of the construction of small towns. The paper, taking Xinbei Town of Xingning City as an example, established a new index system for small town, and developed the land use potential research. The result shown that the level of land intensive use is still relatively high and there is potential for expansion. Through the research the land use potential of Xinbei Town, the paper explore a scientific and effective routes and methods for small town land use potential evaluation, and provide technology and experience reference for developing overall land use potential evaluation.


Jeff French, Clive Blair-Stevens, Dominic McVey, Rowena Meritt. Social Marketing and Public Health. Theory and Practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010. ISBN 978-0-19-955069-2, 384 pp.

This book provides a comprehensive overview over the social-marketing approach within the public health sector. There are two main themes of the book. The first is about the traditional 'operational social marketing', which in short could be described as to start from where people are and support what they say they need in order to change behaviour. The second main theme is about 'strategic social marketing', in which the principles of social marketing are applied to drive policy and strategic development. The authors are arguing for the need to move beyond the operational social-marketing approach towards the application and adoption of a much more strategic social marketing: 'Social marketing must …


We illustrate the magnetoelectric effect conditioned by the Katsura-Nagaosa-Balatsky (KNB) mechanism within the frames of exactly solvable spin-1/2 $XY$ chains. Due to three-spin interactions which are present in our consideration, the magnetization (polarization) is influenced by the electric (magnetic) field even in the absence of the magnetic (electric) field. We also discuss a magnetoelectrocaloric effect examining the entropy changes under the isothermal varying of the magnetic or/and electric field.


Most of the studies conducted about girls education focus more on access and general problems that they face than their decision making process. This study attempts to assess the factors that affect girls' career choice and aspiration. In order to do this in-depth interview is conducted with 21 girls and two focus group discussions with 14 boys and girls in each school. This study is conducted in tow high schools of Holy Trinity School and Menilik Secondary School which are found in Arada Sub-City. The study finds that several reasons affect the choice of subjects and career aspirations. Some of the reasons are information that they are exposed to; the style of teaching; parents' education and income; siblings' inclination and performances in school; school and family environments. Girls' aspiration is life in general is by and large affected by the support that they get from their parents and siblings. In light of these findings it is imperative that a great deal of career counselling and dissemination of information is required in order to give girls the chance to explore their desired and inclinations.


Business travels are an important component of our economy and essential in a globalized world. However, to date there are no business travel portals which support travelers over the holistic travel process -- before, during and after the trip. Thus, the aim of this work is to define the necessary clusters of services (building blocks) for a business travel portal that allows the traveler to satisfy his/her mobility needs by a single self-service portal. Through the structured analysis of business travel use cases this research identified seven building blocks to provide full support in all phases of the trip. Before the journey begins travelers have to be supported by routing (geographical routes and selection of adequate transport modes) and booking services. During the trip the travelers need navigation services, a real-time itinerary and payment tracking services. After the trip services for the travel expenses and a mobility reporting are required.


The invention provides a method, a device and a system for preventing data in an Internet bank from hijacking, the method comprises the steps of: receiving a bank service request and extracting the key service data in the bank service request; generating a random verification code for the key service data; generating a figure which displays the key service data and the random verification code; sending the figure to users and receiving the verification codes input by the users; judging whether the received verification code is as the same as the random verification code contained in the sent figure, if so, performing the sequent bank service processing, if not, terminating the bank service. The technical proposal of the invention adopts the figure technology to protect the important data information of users from juggling, enhancing the security of trade information at the client.


This study investigated female university student perception of tattoos on celebrity figures and the behavior of imitation. Celebrity perception of tattoos (r=.394, p<.001) and imitative behavior (r=.244, p<.01) showed a positive correlation with the perception of interest in tattoos with statistical significance. In addition, celebrity perception (r=.231, p<.01) showed a positive correlation with the perception of tattoo treatment with statistical significance. Furthermore, celebrity perception (r=.164, p<.05), perception of tattoos (r=.423, p<.001) and imitative behavior (r=.294, p<.001) represented a positive correlation with the perception of institutional elements on tattoos with statistical significance. Celebrity perception (r=.382, p<.001), perception of tattoos (r=.368, p<.001) and tattoo imitation (r=.313, p<.001) showed a positive correlation with the perception of tattoo images with statistical significance. This confirms that in terms of celebrities' perception of tattoos, how celebrities view personal tattoo treatment, institutional recognition and image is important.


Sex-offender community notification legislation has had far-reaching consequences for those who must work within its mandates of community protection and safety. Increased responsibilities and greater expectations placed on probation and parole agents with sex-offender caseloads are among such consequences, This study examines the impact of Wisconsin's notification law on these agents and their adaptation to the changes in the way sex offenders are managed in the community. Results of the study indicate that although community notification may achieve important objectives in the realm of public awareness and community protection, these gains come at a high cost for corrections in terms of personnel, time, and budgetary resources. Several issues are considered for state and local policy makers, as well as for probation/parole administrators, supervisors, and agents.


Time series of ray travel times were obtained at 350‐, 410‐, and 670‐km ranges in the western North Atlantic during the 1991–2 Acoustic Mid‐Ocean Dynamics Experiment (AMODE). Transmissions were recorded for approximately 300 days between six transceivers in a pentagonal array. Sound‐speed (current) variability is observed by calculating the sum (difference) of reciprocal travel times. The sum and difference of reciprocal travel times are high‐pass filtered by removing a daily average. The barotropic‐tide current is measured by the differential travel times. Both phase‐locked and narrow‐band internal‐tide sound‐speed variability, caused by the internal‐tide isotach displacement, are observed by the sum travel times. The acoustic array acts as a high‐directivity antenna for the incident internal tide. The observed internal tide is likely generated at the continental shelf surrounding the North American Basin, or perhaps the Mid‐Atlantic Ridge. The nontidal, high‐frequency variability (≳1 cpd) is due to inte...


The aim of this study was to uncover how digital storytelling advances students' self-efficacy in mathematics learning and what kinds of learning experiences contribute to self-efficacy. Four Chinese classes with 10- to 11-year-old students (N = 121) participated in the project. The mathematics learning theme was geometry. Quantitative data was collected with questionnaires. The qualitative data was based on teachers' and students' interviews and observations. Both data sets showed that the students' self-efficacy increased significantly during the project. The most important mediator was students' perception of the meaningfulness of mathematics learning; digital storytelling enhanced the students' ability to see mathematics learning as useful. They became more confident that they could learn mathematics and understand what they had learned. They also felt more confident in talking with their classmates about mathematical concepts. The role of self-efficacy was twofold: it supported students' learning during the project and it increased due to meaningful mathematics learning experiences.


iNsPiriNg aNd reFresHiNg With Liv Ullmann: Interviews, Robert Emmet Long adds a gem to the Conversations with Filmmakers series published by The University Press of Mississippi. The book contains a fine introduction, a useful chronology of Ullmann's career, and a filmography. The interviews cover the years from 1972 through 2004. They involve a wide range of topics about a fascinating woman whose career as actress, director and activist is inspiring and refreshing. Liv Ullmann's career had a shaky beginning. Rejected twice by the National Theater School in Oslo, Norway, Ullmann learned early on about determination and persistence. After a stint with a repertory company in Stavanger, Norway, she was finally accepted to the National Theater School at the age of 20 (x-xi). Ullmann's big break came when filmmaker Ingmar Bergman invited her to appear in Persona with Bibi Anderson. She went on to star in many Bergman films and in fact Bergman is a supporting character throughout these interviews. Their relationship was long and complex. Ullmann and Bergman worked together, lived together for a time, had a child (their daughter Linn) and built a friendship that survived the years. Ullmann directed Private Confessions (1997) and Faithless (2000), both written by Bergman. The trust these two had in one another is apparent as Ullmann discusses the many facets of their relationship. There are many interesting aspects to these interviews. Perhaps the most striking is the growth in Ullmann over this thirty-year period. In a 1972 American Film Institute interview, Ullmann is asked if she will ever write a screenplay and she replies, "I don't know how to do that sort of writing."(24) It is wonderful to see that by the end of the book, she has, in fact written two screenplays and discussed them with mature ease. She also had success with her two books, Changing, written in 1977 and Choices published in 1984. Perhaps the best example of her maturity over the years is her willingness to become the good will ambassador for UNICEF. She approached this work with as much gusto as she put into her acting and made a huge difference for children around the world. What is consistent throughout this book is Ullmann's openness to life and its opportunities. Many of the pieces mentioned her appearance in the musical version of Lost Horizon and in speaking of the experience, Ullmann admitted that she can neither sing nor dance particularly well. Still, she was willing to take the risk and appear in the musical. In addition, she did not express any bitterness about the experience in later years, despite that fact that the film was a failure. She took a similar risk to appear in the musical I Remember Mama on Broadway. "If life presents itself to you, you have to say 'Yes'", she declared in 2001. "But you have to allow yourself...fiascos. Because that is what you really learn from." (186). Other facets of Ullmann's personality that weave in and out of these interviews are her feminism, her values and her passion for the human experience. Throughout her years, Ullmann has been interested in life-affirming and thought-provoking art. Even in examining the darker side of life, as an actress and director, Ullmann looks for ways to touch the audience and make them think. She has little tolerance for gratuitous violence, differentiating between The Godfather ("I hated it.") and Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange, stating, "...there I think the violence is done in a very artistic way. He wants to tell you something...." (11). Ullmann also emphasized throughout the articles included here that life and work are two different things. She has a passion for her profession and the human experience that is stirring. Long's book gives his reading audience a glimpse into the life and profession of a woman who is not as well known in the U.S. as she is in Europe. Despite her many awards, she was never terribly successful in Hollywood and never felt completely comfortable there. At the same time, her contributions to the big screen, the stage and to humanity are evident from this work. While the book is useful to actors, directors, screenwriters, and activists as well as to scholars studying Ingmar Bergman, it is also an enjoyable read for those looking for a artist who is not caught up in her celebrity status. Liv Ullmann remains one of the more refreshing personalities of the art world.


The present invention provides a method not only reduced the amount of oil leakage and has excellent foreign matter discharge crankshaft bearing device functions. According to the present invention, the main bearing (19) and the connecting rod bearing (23) is provided a bearing apparatus having. Main bearing (19) by a pair of semi-cylindrical bearings (17, 18) which is provided with a circumferentially extending oil grooves (17a) on a semi-cylindrical bearing (17) of the inner peripheral surface (17S). Oil groove (17a) inner peripheral surface of Separation (17S ') and (. 24A) formed on spaced semi-cylindrical bearing (17, 18) of the axial groove joint portion, separating the inner peripheral surface (17S') of the circumference direction length (L1) than the shaft of the neck (10) of the inlet opening (26) in a circumferential direction of the length (L2) smaller. Connecting rod bearing (23) also comprises a pair of semi-cylindrical bearings (21, 22), and is formed there is axial grooves (54A, 54B) on its joint and pressing cushion portion (62, 64). By pressing the buffer portion is set to the desired size without the connecting rod bearing (23) is also able to appropriately discharged foreign material.


The following list comprises selected measurements made during 1967–68. The method is essentially the same as previously described. A 0.6 L proportional gas-counter at 3 atm CH4 pressure is used. Ages are given relative to A.D. 1950 and half-life of 5570 yr has been assumed. The quoted error is the experimental standard deviation and includes the uncertainty on the unknown sample, the modern standard and the background.


This book is about human resource (HR) strategy – the decisions, processes, and choices that organizations make about managing people . It is designed as a primer for students in master of business administration (MBA) or HR programs, as well as for HR and organization leaders and general managers. It aims to provide an overview of the elements of human resource plans at the strategic, operational, unit, and functional levels. It is more than that, however. A unique aspect of this book is that we have incorporated a consistent perspective that human resource or human capital strategy is also about risk optimization and management. It is difficult to consider any arena of management without attention to risk, and this is especially true in the arena of human capital. Integrating risk into human resource strategy is a less traditional way to approach the topic, but an increasingly uncertain world demands such a perspective. Not only is it important to incorporate risk more explicitly into the framework of human capital strategy, but also, we believe, doing so will enhance and extend the paradigms of human capital planning in new and useful directions, producing a unique perspective for leaders inside and outside the HR function. We will have much more to say about risk optimization and management in later chapters. The purpose of this opening chapter is to explore some of the fundamental ideas that underpin organizational strategy in general, because organizational strategy is the foundation of human resource strategy.


Venus albedo in 4 bands (B, V, R, and IR) is measured in "superior conjunction" transits within LASCO C3 field of view. The data are available for 15 year period (1996-2011). The study is motivated by our recent finding of difference between 2 phase curves of Venus at small phase angles (Satoh et al., 2015; Mallama et al., 2006). The advantage of LASCO data is, needless to say, it is free of scattered light by the earth atmosphere to observe objects near the sun. With the field of view of LASCO C3 (30 Rsun), up to 11 degrees phase angle of Venus can be studied. Because Venus is too bright for nominal exposure time of LASCO (a few hundred seconds for faint coronae), the images of Venus is highly overexposed, resulting in saturation and blooming in the direction of charge transfer in CCD. We have developed a method to integrate such signals and evaluated its accuracy by measuring the brightnesses of stars (Aldebaran and Antares in IR). Measured star flux is found to be stable at the level of +/10 %, which is quite good as red-giants exhibit similar magnitude of pulsation. In Venus data, we have found that brightness in IR seems to have changed between 2003 and 2005 transits. The data in 19962003 are systematically ̃20 % brighter than the data in 2005-2011. It is noteworthy that Mallama et al.'s phase curves include the data from the former and Satoh et al.'s phase curves are in 2011 (the period of latter group). Details of data analysis and possible cause of such change will be discussed.


The coupling of leptons to a conserved isovector current is shown to result in a small change in the shape of the electron momentum spectrum in forbidden unique beta transitions. The experimental advantages and disadvantages of studymg such nucleon-structural effects in forbidden unique transitions rather than in allowed transitions, as suggested by Gell-mann, are discussed. To facilitate the computations, the beta-decay interaction Hamiltonian is written in a form in which the terrns leading to the "nucleon-structural" corrections associated with the coupling of the leptons to a conserved isovector current and the terms leading to effects of comparable order of magnitude are simply identified. (auth)


[Introduction] With aging, intervertebral discs undergo biochemical and morphological changes that may lead to degenerative disc disease (DDD) [1]. Loss of proteoglycan (PG), a major component of intervertebral discs, is often associated with early disc changes in DDD. As MR imaging markers for PG in the disc, sodium concentration and proton T1rho relaxation time are reported to be sensitive to PG changes [2]. However, the association between the two markers of human discs in vivo has not been studied. Thus, in this study, we measured and compared sodium concentration and proton T2/T1rho relaxation times in healthy human lumbar spine discs using a newly developed dual-tuned (DT) torso coil and ultrashort echo-time (UTE) spiral and spin-lock (SL) sequences. [Methods and materials] All scans were performed using a 3T human scanner (Siemens Medical Solutions, Germany). Two normal volunteer subjects participated in this Institutional Review Board approved study. We used an in-house DT torso RF coil which consisted of 4-channel proton and 8-channel sodium (loop dimension, 150 × 180 mm and 130 × 200 mm, respectively) (Fig. 1). Scout and proton anatomical image were acquired (Fig. 2A). Using the same shim values, sodium MR imaging was performed 3D UTE sequence [3]; RF hard pulse of 500-μs duration, TR/TE = 150/0.27 ms, readout time = ~15 ms, resolution = 5 mm, TA = ~4 minutes, and average = 3. For the quantification of sodium concentration in discs, a homogeneous 60-mM [Na] saline phantom was used to correct B1 inhomogeneity (right in Fig. 2A). The sodium signal reduction in disc due to the partial volume effect [thickness 8 – 13 mm vs. effective resolution 10 mm (= 5-mm imaging resolution + Hanning filter)] as well as sodium T1 and T2 decay was simulated. Sodium T1 and T2 of disc was assumed to be 34.1 and 9.7 ms, respectively, on basis of 4% agarose with 153-mM [Na] (Fig. 2B). Sodium images of discs were reformatted using maximum intensity projection. The peak value in disc was measured at various disc levels (Fig. 2C). For proton T2 and T1rho mapping, we used a commercially available spine proton coil (Siemens) to obtain improved B1-field homogeneity. The imaging protocol was: SL SSFP, low frequency B1 SL pulse= 0/473 Hz, time of SL (TSL) = 10 120 ms (see left figure), TR/TE = 4000/2 ms, and resolution = 1.56×1.56×4 mm. The signal was fitted using a*exp{-TSL/T2(1rho)}+b in pixel-by-pixel or disc ROI (Fig. 3). Following the segmentation of discs on the proton anatomical images, sodium concentration, and T2 and T1rho of proton over the discs were measured. [Results and conclusions] Sodium MR imaging of lumbar spine discs was successfully acquired using a DT torso coil and UTE spiral sequence within reasonable acquisition time (< 15 min) (right in Fig. 2A). Sodium concentration of L1 to L5 ranged 190 to 235 mM (Fig. 2C), similar to values reported in a previous study [4]. The mean sodium concentration across discs was 214.9 ± 14.4 mM. Additionally, proton T2 and T1rho mapping was consistently achieved (Fig. 3D and E). Mean T2 and T1rho relaxation times of discs were 84.0 ± 1.8 and 114.2 ± 9.5 ms, respectively (Fig. 3C). All measures were similar to those reported in other study (T2 = 92.3 6 ± 27.2 ms and T1rho = 133.1 6 ± 13.8 ms) [5]. The mean sodium concentrations and proton T1rho relaxation times across the discs were compared. Correlation was weak between sodium concentration and T1rho (r = 0.15), whereas a strong correlation (r = 0.75) was noted between T2 and T1rho. To investigate the significance of this comparative finding and clinical implication, further studies with a larger sample size of subject are essential. In conclusion, we obtained consistent measurement of sodium concentration and proton T2 and T1rho relaxation time in lumbar discs from normal subjects using an in-house DT torso coil and UTE and SL sequences at 3T human scanner. MR-based physiological and metabolic measures of intervertebral discs may play an important role as imaging biomarkers for early diagnosis of DDD. [Reference] 1, Kent et al., Chiropr Osteopat 13 (2005). 2,Wheaton et al., MRM. 54:1087–1093 (2005). 3, Zhao et al., ISMRM, (2009). 4, Insko et al., Acad Rad, 9: 800-804 (2002). 5, Blumenkrantz et al., MRM, 63:1193-1200 (2010). [Acknowledgements] Supported by RSNA Research Scholar grants RSCH1025. Fig. 1 Schematic circuit drawing of multi-channel transceiver DT RF torso coils. (Upper panel) Interface box (left) and top view of 4-ch proton and 8-ch sodium dual-tuned RF coil (right). (Lowe panel) Frontal view of dual-tuned torso coil. 2-ch proton and 4-ch sodium coil's loops are located each upper and lower coil plate.


Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common type of
leukemia in the western world. In Egypt, CLL was the most common
subtype of leukemias, the National Cancer Registry reported
over 80% of lymphoid leukemias are CLL


Nanoparticles and the Environment is volume 44 in the highly successful review series entitled Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry (RIM&G) co-produced by the Mineralogical Society of America and the Geochemical Society. Books in the series are typically accompanied by a 1–2 day short course given by the contributing authors, which in this case occurred on December 8–9, 2001 at the University of California at Davis. Since the inception of the book series in 1974, nearly 50 volumes have been produced. The majority of previous volumes either cover specific mineral groups or constituents (~55%), reaction processes (~19%), methodologies (~17%), or minerals under specific thermodynamic conditions (~6%). Only one volume has considered issues related to dimensionality as a central focus area ( Mineral-Water Interfacial Geochemistry , volume 23). While several of the volumes have focused on minerals that are inherently small-sized, Nanoparticles and the Environment is the first book in the series centered primarily on the effects of particle size on particle properties and reactivity. Also, in contrast to most previous volumes, which are usually inspired by the need to distill a large surplus of scientific findings in a …


Synopsis With certain initial and boundary conditions the solution u* to the semilinear heat equation ∂u*/∂t = ∂u* + λ * f(u*), where f is a positive superlinear function and λ is the supremum of the open spectrum for the steady state problem Δw + λf(w) = 0, is found to exist for all time and to be unbounded. Moreover u* approaches w* a singular steady state, as / tends to infinity.


B. W. "Goosh" Andrzejewski, the leading Western academic authority on Somali language and literature, died in a hospital in HemelHempstead on 2 December 1994, of complications resulting from myasthenia gravis (a severe muscle disease) and cancer. Goosh spent over half his life, some 46 years, studying the culture of the Somali and Oromo peoples of the Horn of Africa, and his publications number more than 100 articles, six book-length monographs, and an anthology of his own poetry composed in his native Polish. He was fluent in Somali, Polish, and English, and he had reading and speaking abilities in Orominya, French, Italian, German, and Russian. He was a witty raconteur, a devout Roman Catholic, a devoted husband, a sympathetic friend, and a patient teacher and counselor to countless students and acquaintances of many nationalities. He was a living example of Chaucer's epithet to his clerk, "And gladly would he learn, and gladly teach." Goosh Andrzejewski was born in Poznan, Poland, on 1 February 1922. His father had a prosperous business in skins and furs, and his mother came from an eastern Polish family which, until the early 19th century, had been landowners; but they lost their property during the Polish insurrections against the Russian tsars. His maternal grandfather was a photographer, and his maternal grandmother became a widow quite early in her marriage, and earned a living for her family as a pianist. She was a wonderful narrator and reciter of poetry, had a vivid and profound influence on her young grandson, and was responsible


Human conversations contain natural and reasonable topic shifts, reflected as the concept flows across utterances.Previous researches prove that explicitly modeling concept flows with a large commonsense knowledge graph effectively improves response quality.However, we argue that there exists a gap between the knowledge graph and the conversation.The knowledge graph has limited commonsense knowledge and ignores the characteristics of natural conversations.Thus, many concepts and relations in conversations are not included.To bridge this gap, we propose to enhance dialogue generation with conversational concept flows.Specifically, we extract abundant concepts and relations from natural conversations and build a new conversation-aware knowledge graph.In addition, we design a novel relation-aware graph encoder to capture the concept flows guided by the knowledge graph.Experimental results on the large-scale Reddit conversation dataset indicate that our method performs better than strong baselines, andfurther analysis verifies the effectiveness of each component.All our code and data will be publicly available after acceptance.


We consider dynamic games that can have state variables that are partially observed, serially correlated, endogenous, and heterogeneous. We propose a Bayesian method that uses a particle filter to compute an unbiased estimate of the likelihood within a Metropolis chain. Unbiasedness guarantees that the stationary density of the chain is the exact posterior, not an approximation. The number of particles required is easily determined. The regularity conditions are weak. Results are verified by simulation from two dynamic oligopolistic games with endogenous state. One is an entry game with feedback to costs based on past entry and the other a model of an industry with a large number of heterogeneous firms that compete on product quality.


Facultatea de Ştiinţe ale Naturii, Universitatea "Ovidius", B-dul Mamaia, nr. 124, RO-900527 Constanţa Abstract: Some histological and cytological features of four hydrophytes occurring in the Danube Delta (Romania). The author describes some of the histological and cytological characteristics observed in the corm tissues of Nuphar lutea (L.) Sibth. & Sm., Nymphaea alba L., Hydrocharis morsus-ranae L. and Trapa natans L. Common cytological elements such as sphaeraphides, druses, chloroplasts and starch grains, have been reported in different tissues of the plants. Some of the interesting histological features such as trichomes (hairs), trichosclereids and idioblasts were described and discussed in detail.


The authors have investigated a combination of high and low modulus materials in diaphragms for high sensitivity response. High and low modulus materials are aluminum nitride (AlN) thin films and polyimide films, respectively. AlN was sputtered deposited. The AlN films consist of columnar crystal grains and indicate c-axis orientation. The diaphragm indicates a high sensitivity response of 37200pC∕N, although the piezoelectric coefficient d33 of the AlN film is 2.6pC∕N. The sensitivity response is fifty times as high as that of diaphragms consisted of AlN films and superalloy foils.


Pulsed electric field is one of non-thermal food preservation method. Pulsed electric field has more advantages than thermal preservation. It can inactivate microbe without reducing flavor, taste, and nutrition, compared to traditional thermal sterilization. Coconut water contains natural electrolytes. There are some recognized benefits of coconut water, one of them is as a natural isotonic drink. The aim of this research were to understand the effectiveness of microbe inactivation with pulsed electric field with or without heat treatment on coconut water, and to understand chemical changes of this process.  Experimental design used in this research was randomized block design with 2 factors. The first factor was pretreatment (heat treatment and without heat treatment) and the second factor was the magnitude of electric field which were 0.60; 0.75; 1.20, and 1.50 kV/cm). Pulsed electric field of 1.50 kV/cm without heat treatment reduced total microbes of 3 log cycles and total of E. coli of 2 log cycles. Heat treatment could reduce total microbes of 2 log cycles. Whereas pulsed electric field combined with heat treatment reduced total microbes of 5 log cycles and destroyed E. coli. Pulsed electric field with heat treatment was in microbial and E. coli inactivation than without heat treatment, but this treatment decreased sodium and potassium content of coconut water. Pulsed electric field with heat treatment produced more reducing sugar and decreased more vitamin C than without heat treatment. Key words: pulsed electric field, heat treatment, isotonic drink, coconut water


The conversion of existing diesel-fuel power plants in remote areas of Indonesia to gas is a practical solution for the reduction of carbon emissions. However, the transportation of natural gas from its sources to plant gates across the vast and dispersed islands of the Indonesian archipelago using small-scale Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) poses challenges in terms of economics and investment risks. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the techno-economic risks of converting diesel power plants spread across the Nusa Tenggara region to gas with acceptable prices. The real options method is applied to perform the economic evaluation based on a proposed cost-effective LNG distribution scheme. The gas demand from eight power plants with a total capacity of 347 MW across the region is 9,176 BBTU annually. The profitability analysis is carried out using Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR), Payback Period (PBP), and Profitability Index (PI) values showing USD 56,876,674, 15.3%, 7.25 years, and 1.48, respectively. The risk analysis using the real options method suggests that the investment risk is lower if the program starts in the first year with 20 years of operation. The use of gas lowers the cost of generation per kilowatt-hour and reduces carbon emissions compared to diesel-fueled power plants.


This paper proposes a method for improved energy management in smart homes by means of resource allocation. For this purpose, a Banker's algorithm based strategy has been developed. It is used to control the system and decide which of the given processes should be provided with resources at the time. Constraints such as due time of a process, limit of electrical energy consumption and use of preferable resources are taken into account. The smart home environment is developed and simulated in Matlab. The proposed strategy and also the standard strategy of the typical household are implemented and compared based on the criterion of economic costs. We show that potential implementation of the proposed strategy would improve energy management by proper choice and timing of resource usage in smart homes.


here is a well-documented history of translation between India, Tibet and China beginning in the seventh century and continuing for almost a millennium. The transmission of the Buddhist canon that took place during this time has been perceived as one of the world's greatest cultural exchanges.2 But what about the transmission of the non-Buddhist Tibetan canon (if indeed it can be called a canon), that is, the ritual tradition from early Tibet that has been classified by some as "Bon"? In the mid-twentieth century it was suggested that the explication of the still-extant religious literature of a small tribe in southwest China, the Naxi, would lead to a fuller understanding of the Tibetan Bon tradition. But there has still been little comparative study between these two lineages. Analysis of the Dunhuang manuscripts, in particular the textual references to the archetypal ritualist, gShen-rab myi-bo, reveals a common through line from old Tibet, to Bon tradition, to Naxi ritual manuscripts, which feature prominently a chief ritualist known as Do-bbaq sheel-lo.3 I suggest that the Naxi manuscripts show an inheritance from early Tibet – perhaps before the formation of an organized "Bon" religion. In this essay I posit that the existence of an archetypal ritualist in the Naxi canon is a continuation of a narrative theme (that of the well-versed ritual practitioner), and indeed possibly of specific ritual personages themselves, from the old Tibetan manuscripts, filtered through the


From pathogeny and pathogenesis,TCM syndrome type analysis and treatment,it discusses chronic atrophic gastritis.In this paper,it proposed that chronic atrophic gastritis is due to evil attacking stomach,internal injury due to diet,emotion disorder,spleen and stomach weakness,phlegm and blood stasis resistance.The chronic atrophic gastritis pathogenesis can be summarized as the spleen and stomach qi deficiency being the root,stagnation of qi and blood stasis and stomach heat is the key pathogenesis.The chronic atrophic gastritis is divided into five types.The simple discussion on the TCM treatment of chronic atrophic gastritis was introduced.


: Kodagu district is the coffee cup of Karnataka. The present investigation was carried out to study the cost, returns and investment feasibility of coffee plantation in Kodagu district. All three talluks of Kodagu viz., Madikeri, Virajpet and Somavarpet and one village from each talluk was selected. A sample of 60 farmers based on probability proportion to number of farmers available in each groups were selected for the study. The total establishment cost of coffee plantation was Rs. 464947.47 on small farmers, Rs. 442513.24 on large farmers. Maintenance cost of gestation period increased in each year with increase in age of coffee plants. Average yield reported in the study area was 1619.8kg/ha which was sold at an average price of 191.25 Rs./kg. An economic analysis of and returns


2601 Background: For many drugs, impaired renal function (RF) may alter pharmacokinetics (PK) to an extent requiring dosage adjustment. The CG is commonly utilized in approved product labeling (PI), but the MDRD is also used in clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between the CG and MDRD equations to predict RF and concordance in the dose modification for oncology-related drugs. Methods: Demographic and pertinent laboratory data (presented as percentage [%] or median [25th, 75th percentile]) was pooled from renal dosing studies submitted to FDA in support 7 oncology related drugs. Four of these drugs ultimately required dose modification for renal impairment in the PI. Creatinine clearance (Clcr) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was estimated using the CG and MDRD equations, respectively. The relationship between these two estimates was determined by correlation analysis and a comparison of estimated RF to PK drug exposures for the 7 drugs. Additionally, the agre...


Extended abstract – One of the most serious needle diseases that affect pines ( Pinus spp.) is Dothistroma needle blight (DNB). Two species of fungi are responsible for causing this disease (Barnes et al. 2004). These are Dothistroma septosporum (teleomorph: Mycosphaerella pini ) that has a worldwide distribution and infects a wide range of Pinus spp. and D. pini (teleomorph unknown), which has thus far been reported only from the North-Central U.S.A. on the non-native Pinus nigra (Barnes et al. 2004). In recent years, there have been increasing numbers of reports of DNB from new hosts and new geographic regions of the Northern Hemisphere (Bradshaw 2004, Bedna řova et al. 2006). Moreover, there has been an increase in the intensity of this disease in some parts of Europe and North America (Koltay 2001, Aumonier 2002, Brown et al. 2003, Jankovský et al. 2004, Woods et al. 2005). Since 2004, we have conducted surveys and inspections of trees in Austria, Bhutan, Hungary, Ukraine and South-Western Russia. These have helped to document DNB on several native and non-native pine species, and to unmask its presence in situations where disease symptoms and signs were not obvious or not typical (Barnes et al. 2007). In 2004, non-native Pinus peuce trees in an arboretum in Vienna (Austria) were found to suffer from DNB. In 2005, a non-native Pinus radiata tree in Western Bhutan was found with typical DNB symptoms. Further east in Central Bhutan, native Pinus wallichiana trees in conifer forests at high elevations, had needle blight symptoms atypical of DNB. These, and other pine needle collections from Hungary, Ukraine and South-Western Russia, with typical DNB symptoms formed the basis of this study. Isolates from the various hosts and countries were examined morphologically and compared using DNA sequence data. Conidia for all collections were elongated, straight to slightly curved, hyaline and they had one to five septa. Conidial dimensions varied considerably when measured from conidiomata produced on needles and in culture. Detailed measurements indicated that D. pini has slightly wider conidia than D. septosporum , as has


End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is the final common pathway for a variety of renal and urological diseases. Renal replacement therapy (RRT) is employed to sustain life when renal function reaches end-stage. i.e. 5% normal. Renal transplantation is regarded as the best RRT in terms of restoration of renal function, survival rate, rehabilitation and quality of l ife. However transplantation is limited by the scarce supply of organs. This results in an increasing size of dialysis population worldwide. Both per i toneal d ia lysis (PD) and haemodialysis (HD) are effective modes of dialysis therapy. Since the invention of PD in 1976, there has been a rapid growth in the utilization of PD. By the end of 1997 the chronic PD population worldwide was an estimated 115,000, representing 14% global dialysis patients. In Hong Kong, 80% of our prevalent ESRD patients on dialysis are put on PD. This utilization rate ranks second in the world, just next to Mexico. Majority of patients on PD are on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). The patients have to perform 3 to 4 bag exchanges at home every day. For patients on haemodialysis, the usual regime is 2 to 3 sessions per week, 4 to 6 hours for each session, either in the hospital or satellite dialysis centre.


Polyurethane-acrylate hybrid emulsion showed greater performance than its each one,but the hard- ness,water resistance and chemical reagent resistance of its film still couldn't meet the demands of high-level waterborne carpentry coatings.Polyurethane-acrylate-epoxy hybrid emulsions were prepared by mechanical mixing and copolymerization of epoxy to polyurethane-acrylate hybrid matrix,respectively.The effects of the addition mode and weight of epoxy on the stability of emulsions had been studied.Through testing the films of emulsion,it was found that the hardness,water resistance,chemical reagent resistance of the films were im- proved.The suitable mass fraction of epoxy resin in the hybrid emulsion was 3%~4%.


Posterior sagittal approaches allow complete anatomic exposure of the perineum and lower pelvis. Moreover, they reduce the risk of damaging important structures because the incision is led in the midline. Objective: To evaluate feasibility and efficacy of removal of a small malignant tumor in the lower rectum through a posterior sagittal approach. Patients and methods: Between March 2007 to May 2010, twenty one patients (12 males and 9 females) mean age 52.3 years were submitted to posterior sagittal approach for resection of the tumor in the lower and middle rectum. Clincal examination and history, per-rectal examination and transrectal ultrasound: to all patients to evaluate the size of the tumor and depth of invasion. Results: Straining during the act in 17 (81.6%) patients, incomplete defecation in 11 (52.8%) patients and bleeding in 12 (57%) patients. Per-rectal examination: the mass was felt at the level from 6 to 7 cm with mean distance from the anal verge 6.4cm. There were no post operative complications in the form of anastomatic fistula, wound infection and anastomotic stenosis. There was no postoperative mortality. Continence function: excellent control of solid, liquid stool and flatus. 8 patients(38.4%) had 7-10 bowel movements per day whereas the others had only 3 to 4 movements daily, subsequently the frequency of bowel movements became normal in all patients within 3 months with 1 to 3 bowel movements per day. Conclusion: Posterior sagittal approach had good exposure of the rectum and facilitated the mobilization of the rectum and resection without traction prolapsed through the anus as occuring in intersphincteric resection and gave good space for perfect anastmosis.


Rapid developments of quantum information technology show promising opportunities for simulating quantum field theory in near-term quantum devices. In this work, we formulate the theory of (time-dependent) variational quantum simulation of the 1+1 dimensional λϕ4 quantum field theory including encoding, state preparation, and time evolution, with several numerical simulation results. These algorithms could be understood as near-term variational quantum circuit (quantum neural network) analogs of the Jordan–Lee–Preskill algorithm, the basic algorithm for simulating quantum field theory using universal quantum devices. Besides, we highlight the advantages of encoding with harmonic oscillator basis based on the Lehmann—Symanzik—Zimmermann reduction formula and several computational efficiency such as when implementing a bosonic version of the unitary coupled cluster ansatz to prepare initial states. We also discuss how to circumvent the 'spectral crowding' problem in the quantum field theory simulation and appraise our algorithm by both state and subspace fidelities.


Pretesting is generally agreed to be an indispensable stage in survey questionnaire development, yet we know little about how well different pretesting methods identify particular types of problems. This study compared four pretesting methods using a single questionnaire in repeated trials of each. The four methods were conventional pretests, behavior coding, cognitive interviews, and expert panels. We developed a model-based coding scheme that classified problems as respondent-semantic, respondent-task, interviewer-task, or analysis. On average, expert panels were most productive in the number of problems identified. Conventional pretesting and behavior coding were the only methods to identify significant numbers of interviewer problems. By contrast, expert panels and cognitive interviews were the only methods to diagnose a nontrivial number of analysis problems. Expert panels and behavior coding were more consistent than the other methods in the numbers of problems identified across trials, as well as in their distribution of problem types. From the vantage point of the particular problems


Centering round the scholarly work Shanghai vanity: Metamorphosis in Shanghai literature and culture(1849-1908) by Lv Wen-cui,the author deems that Lv Wen-cui bases her investigation into "Shanghai Studies" upon "urban culture" and "modernism",which offers some new inspirations to the academic circle.


Simple Summary Raw-feeding of dogs has become popular, but there is limited awareness if such feedstuff is sold in a fresh or decomposed condition, and if bacteria pathogenic to dogs and humans are present. "Freshness" and numbers of bacteria were examined in 99 samples for the raw-feeding of adult dogs. Samples were displayed and bought in deep frozen (−20 °C) condition. The median number (with first and third quartiles in brackets) of bacteria was 7.4 [6.4; 8.0], 6.5 [5.5; 7.7], and 4.8 [3.9; 5.6] log CFU/g for the total aerobic bacteria of Pseudomonas and Enterobacteriaceae, respectively. In bovine "red offal" (n = 41), the numbers of bacteria were lower (p < 0,05) than in other offal (n = 46; pre-stomach, esophagus, udder, and mixes thereof) and wild game meat (n = 13). The concentration of amino acid breakdown products indicated some degree of decomposition; however, only 10.1% of samples were found to be not compliant with a maximum amine content proposed for pet food. However, merely 19.2% of samples complied to the EU microbiological requirements. The pathogenic bacterium Salmonella was recovered from 12.1% of samples. Whilst the risk of exposure of humans handling such pet food can be reduced by hygiene precautions, the risk remains that dogs can acquire a feed-borne salmonellosis and shed the pathogen as a result. Abstract Microflora and contents of biogenic amines/polyamines and total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) in 99 samples of bovine offal (red offal, n = 41 and other offal and mixes, n = 45) and wild game meat (n = 13) for raw meat-based diets (RMBD) for dogs were analyzed. Samples were bought in 11 local pet food shops and in one game-handling establishment in Austria (Lower Austria, Styria, and Vienna) in September and October 2022. Median contents (first and third quartiles in brackets) of cadaverine, histamine, tyramine, spermidine, and spermine were 20.7 [16.7; 28.6]; 25.4 [17.1; 47.2]; 18.9 [13.6; 38.9]; 15.2 [11.2; 21.2]; and 41.9 [50 mg/kg in 85.9% of samples, indicating the use of low-quality ingredients or inappropriate storage conditions. However, only 10.1% of samples were determined to be not compliant with a maximum amine content proposed for pet food. Median contents of the total aerobic bacteria counts (TACs), Pseudomonas, and Enterobacteriaceae were 7.4 [6.4; 8.0]; 6.5 [5.5; 7.7]; and 4.8 [3.9; 5.6] log CFU/g, respectively, with significantly lower counts in red offal RMBD (p < 0.05). TVB-N exceeded 150 mg/kg in 87.9% of samples. The TACs and Enterobacteriaceae numbers in red offal RMBD were comparable to those in food-grade red offal after 6 days of aerobic storage at 7 °C, i.e., temperatures higher than required for food-grade offal, but acceptable for animal by-products intended for RMBD production. In 80.8% of samples, numbers of Enterobacteriaceae exceeded the EU legal limit. From 12 of these samples, Salmonellae was able to be isolated, with counts from 0.03 MPN/g to 110 MPN/g. Salmonella enterica ser. Montevideo (n = 3), and S. enterica ser. Give and S. enterica ssp. Diarizonae (n = 2 each) were the most frequently isolated, while Listeria monocytogenes was rarely recovered (2%). Whilst exposure of humans handling such pet food can be reduced by hygiene precautions, the risk remains that dogs can acquire a feed-borne salmonellosis and shed the pathogen.


Abstract The eco-sustainable natural dyes and their application are increasing due to the control of pollution, biological protection and easy application. In this study, Marigold natural dye was extracted from the flowers of the indigenous crop and applied onto cotton fabric by ultrasound-assisted dyeing method. In the first stage, the extraction of natural dye was optimized. Afterward, mercerized cotton fabric was dyed with the extracted Marigold dye. The dyed fabrics produced yellow shades onto cotton substrate. Higher colored yields of the dyed fabrics up to the value of 25 and acceptable colorfastness were achieved at optimized conditions. However, dyeing by pre-mordanting method, washing fastness was marginally improved. Comparing conventional and ultrasound dyeing methods, savings in amount of water (around 16%), thermal energy (for lesser dyeing temperature) and salt concentration (around 14%) required for ultrasound dyeing were notable. Also, representative wastewaters showed around 30% reduction in the total dissolved solids contents. Additionally, tensile strength, stiffness and surface morphology of the dyed fabrics were also assessed and found acceptable.


This is a review of some recent (mostly ours) results on Anderson localization of light and electron waves in complex disordered systems, including: (i) left-handed metamaterials, (ii) magnetoactive optical structures, (iii) graphene superlattices, and (iv) nonlinear dielectric media. First, we demonstrate that left-handed metamaterials can significantly suppress localization of light and lead to an anomalously enhanced transmission. This suppression is essential at the long-wavelength limit in the case of normal incidence, at specific angles of oblique incidence (Brewster anomaly), and in vicinity of zero-ɛ or zero-μ frequencies for dispersive metamaterials. Remarkably, in disordered samples comprised of alternating normal and left-handed metamaterials, the reciprocal Lyapunov exponent and reciprocal transmittance increment can differ from each other. Second, we study magnetoactive multilayered structures, which exhibit nonreciprocal localization of light depending on the direction of propagation and on polarization. At resonant frequencies or realizations such nonreciprocity results in effectively unidirectional transport of light. Third, we discuss the analogy between wave propagation through multilayered samples with metamaterials and charge transport in graphene, which provides a simple physical explanation of unusual conductive properties of disordered graphene superlatices. We predict disorder-induced resonance of the transmission coefficient at oblique incidence of Dirac quasiparticles. Finally, we demonstrate that an interplay of nonlinearity and disorder in dielectric media can lead to bistability of individual localized states excited inside the medium at resonant frequencies. This results in nonreciprocity of wave transmission and unidirectional transport of light.


This paper summarizes the liberal theory of international politics offered by international relations theorist Andrew Moravcsik, and its development in relation to the insights of key liberal thinkers from the republican and commercial traditions. A discussion of the current status of a liberal paradigm of international politics is followed by a summary of the basic structure of Moravcsik's theory. Moravcsik's insights and their origins are then explored through the political philosophy of Immanuel Kant. Kant's impact on the development of the tradition of republican liberalism into a liberal theory of international relations is evaluated and its language is compared to that of Moravcsik. Similarly, the insights of commercial liberalism are considered through the lens of Adam Smith's economic philosophy and the subsequent contributions of Joseph Schumpeter. Common conclusions of republican and commercial liberalism are compared before turning back to Moravcsik's core argument for a structural and systemic liberalism. Ideational, commercial, and republican liberalism are then analyzed as the substance of Moravcsik's theory before considering the broader implications of a paradigmatic reframing of liberalism. This paper then concludes by explaining the relevance of Moravcsik's project to contemporary theories of international politics, its applicability, and its faithfulness to liberalism as a political philosophy. Not only does liberalism leave a coherent legacy on international affairs, its testable insights are faithfully codified in Moravcsik's positivist model of international politics.


The objective of this study is to identify the factors influencing bamboo textile and apparel purchase intentions. The theory of consumption value is used as a theoretical background to explain the mechanism of bamboo product purchase decisions in relation to consumer environmental awareness (i.e. perceived consumer effectiveness, environmental concern and clothing environmental attitudes). A total of 122 mostly female college students participated in this study via an online Qualtrics-created survey. A hierarchical regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses. The results revealed that promotion-effort products should clearly deliver economic, epistemic and emotional values, whereas social and functional values are not significant. In addition, environmental consumer awareness overall is a significant factor in determining bamboo textile and apparel purchase intentions. Further marketing implications are suggested.


In this book super interval matrices using the special type of intervals of the form [0, a] are introduced. Several algebraic structures like semigroups, groups, semirings, rings, semivector spaces and vector spaces are introduced. Special fuzzy linear algebras are introduced using the concept of super fuzzy interval matrices.


dialogue integral to or generated by the tension between understanding and misunderstanding? We can only hope for an expanded edition in which Friedman will address these issues and speak further of the relationship between the human image and touchstones of reality as mutually constitutive components of becoming uniquely human in a multicultural context. Kenneth Kramer Comparative Religious Studies Program San Jose State University


Spatial Query Language is the interface of Spatial Databases and internet applications, but traditional SQL doesn't support spatial data and can't deal with the Spatial Query Language. The article studies and designs Spatial Query Language GSQL and it's interpreter based on the OpenCIS SQL.


The upsurge of the research on the theory of etiquette has been resulted from the social crisis and the empty of the study of the mind in the late Ming Dynasty.The research on the theory of etiquette by Huang Daozhou was based on his consciousness of filial piety.In his view,the "love" and "respect" were both the core content of the thoughts about filial piety,they were not only the essence of the Confucian moral education,but the practical path of reconstructing a Confucian etiquette order by the emphasis on "love the beloved" and "respect the respectable".


Software Engineers frequently need to locate and understand the code that implements a specific user feature of a large system. This paper reports on a study by Motorola Inc. and the Software Engineering Research Center to see if industrial tools currently in use at the company could be adapted for feature understanding


Abstract : A wildfire swept through the Kipuka Kalawamauna Endangered Plants Habitat Area (KKEPHA) at the Pohakuloa Training Area, Hawaii on 25 through 27 July 1994. About 65% of the area burned. The fire potentially could have impacted rare plant species (Haplostachys haplostachya, Silene hawatiensis, Silene lanceolata, Stenogyne angustifolia, Teframolopium arenarium, and Zanthoxylum hawatiense) within the KKEPHA as well as native plant communities which serve as habitat for the taxa. A study was began to determine the impacts of the wildfire on the species and the vegetation. Existing vegetation plots established prior to the fire were used as preburn controls and monitored 6 months and 1 year following the fire. Standardized U.S. Army Land Condition- Trend Analysis Program (LCTA) methods were used. Recovery of rare plant populations was monitored at 1 month, 6 months, and 1 year following the fire. Photographic records were used to document recover. The fire significantly reduced above ground density, basal cover, and acrial cover of shrubs and herbaceous plants. Silene lanceolata, Tetramolopium arenartum, and Zanthoxylum hawatiense were killed by the fire; while, Haplostachys haplostachya, Silene hawatiensis and Stenogyne angustifolta were resprouting or regenerating from seed.


Physics Flash is the newsletter for the Physics Division at Los Alamos National Laboratory. This newsletter is for August 2016. The following topics are covered: "Accomplishments in the Trident Laser Facility", "David Meyerhofer elected as chair-elect APS Nominating Committee", "HAWC searches for gamma rays from dark matter", "Proton Radiography Facility commissions electromagnetic magnifier", and "Cosmic ray muon computed tomography of spent nuclear fuel in dry storage casks."


Using sample biographical sketches of officials in the Ming, this paper illustrates the extent to which new tools for biographical research can yield much richer detail about individuals and the circumstances in which they lived. It also shows how biographical details can help solve bibliographical puzzles. The new tools include reprinted texts, indexed collections, and texts in searchable databases. The paper draws examples from the founding of the dynasty in 1368 to its end in 1644 and from different regions of the country. The biographical sketches are of authors of handbooks for officials or of officials who were subjects of celebratory anthologies. The variety of examples illustrate the wealth of detail that has become accessible and the sorts of questions that can be answered through the use of new biographical tools focused on the Ming.


Seeds of Vitaceae can be easily recognized by their unique features, a pair of ventral infolds and a dorsal chalaza knot, but the inter- and intrageneric morphological variation in seed morphology has not been explored in detail. To facilitate identification of genera based on seed morphology, a study of 252 extant seeds representing all 15 genera of Vitaceae was conducted with attention to morphological characters and seed coat anatomy. Principal-component analyses were employed to assess the variation of seed morphology. Shape and position of ventral infolds and chalaza, shape of ventral-infold cavities, and testa anatomy are characters that can generically differentiate vitaceous seeds. Typically, seeds of Leea, Cissus, Cyphostemma, Tetrastigma, Rhoicissus, and Cayratia have a long or linear chalaza, whereas those of the rest of the family usually have an oval chalaza. Nevertheless, some seed forms occur in more than one genus, and some genera possess more than one seed form. The overlapping seed morphology implies, in some cases, a closer relationship among these genera, but in other cases it probably reflects convergent or parallel evolution.


he Fourth General Elections held in February 1967 constitute a watershed in the post-independence political history of India. The monolithic Congress regime and its haloed leadership had concealed both the many operational weaknesses and the basic inner strength and resilience of the Indian system. While strongly reaffirming the people's deep involvement in the democratic process, the electoral verdict shattered the Congress Party's virtual monopoly of political power. It also exposed the artificiality of the political stability, democratic maturity and parliamentary sophistication at which the system had appeared to be operating. Results of the fresh elections held in five of the seventeen States in February 1969 only carried the process a stage further. The most important developments in the post-1967 political and parliamentary scene in India were the formation of coalition governments of widely heterogeneous elements in several States and the numerous defections on the floor of the State legislatures which affected the fate of ministries and the course of politics. This phenomenon, the politics of defection as it is commonly called now, has several psychological and socionomic dimensions and is closely related to the dynamics of human relations and leadership processes. In the present paper, an endeavor has been made to study it objectively, as a psycho-sociological reality, in terms of simple political legitimacy and constitutional legality and in the context of some of the more identifiable legal, political and psychological variables in order to understand its motivations, implications and consequences and more particularly its impact on the problems, processes and prospects of parliamentary democracy in India. Of the sixteen States of the Union that went to the polls in 1967 (there were no elections in Nagaland) the Congress Party did not gain an absolute majority in eight and failed to form the government in seven. Even in those States in which the Congress retained control, its strength was much depleted and in several cases defection by a few members changed the Party's legislative majority into a minority. In seven of the eight States where Congress failed to win an absolute majority, however, no single party took its