Background: Many research studies were conducted regarding cupping therapy in different countries but the extent of its use and awareness of public towards it has not been widely studied in Egypt. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out on outpatient clinics attendants in Ain Shams University hospitals and Benha University hospitals during the period from May to August 2015. An interview questionnaire was used inquiring about socio-demographic characteristics of participants, their awareness, attitude and practice regarding cupping therapy. Results: A total of 900 participants were included in this study; 750 from Ain Shams University hospitals and 150 from Benha University hospitals. Out of them, 68.1% had heard about cupping therapy, among those who heard about it 16% reported history of using it before. The most common cause of using it was for treatment of bone and joint disorders. About 60% of participants think that it helps in treatment and about 47% trust it. There was statistically significant association between awareness and all demographic factors (like age, gender, marital status, education, residence and presence of chronic diseases) measured in this study. Gender and marital status were the only demographic factors associated with practicing cupping therapy. Conclusion: Complementary and alternative medicine is gaining popularity all over the world and people are shifting towards alternative medicine because of less adverse effects and low cost. Most of study participants think that cupping therapy helps in treatment and about half of them trust it. Recommendations: There is a need for health care providers to be aware of this practice and make efforts in obtaining information about modalities used.


"Hydrogen economy" could enable a carbon-neutral sustainable energy chain. However, issues with safety, storage, and transport of molecular hydrogen impede its realization. Alcohols as liquid H2 carriers could be enablers, but state-of-the-art reforming is difficult, requiring high temperatures >200 °C and pressures >25 bar, and the resulting H2 is carbonized beyond tolerance levels for direct use in fuel cells. Here, we demonstrate ambient temperature and pressure alcohol reforming in a fuel cell (ARFC) with a simultaneous electrical power output. The alcohol is oxidized at the alkaline anode, where the resulting CO2 is sequestrated as carbonate. Carbon-free H2 is liberated at the acidic cathode. The neutralization energy between the alkaline anode and the acidic cathode drives the process, particularly the unusually high entropy gain (1.27-fold ΔH). The significantly positive temperature coefficient of the resulting electromotive force allows us to harvest a large fraction of the output energy from the surrounding, achieving a thermodynamic efficiency as high as 2.27. MoS2 as the cathode catalyst allows alcohol reforming even under open-air conditions, a challenge that state-of-the-art alcohol reforming failed to overcome. We further show reforming of a wide range of alcohols. The ARFC offers an unprecedented route toward hydrogen economy as CO2 is simultaneously captured and pure H2 produced at mild conditions.


Highlights: To analyze the hybrid vigor between parent and hybrid plants, three cucumber cultivars were used (Parents: A, B; F1 hybrid: C). Continuous observations and destructive samplings were made throughout the growth of plants. Experimental results indicate that cyclic changes occur in the dry weights of organs (internode, leaf and petiole) of different positions along the stem. The yield, organ sizes and fruit numbers of the three cultivars were different. To analyze these differences, a Functional-structural model 'Greenlab' was applied to compute the parameters of source sink for organs. The results demonstrate that plant architecture plays an important role in heterosis breeding. This study is a first step to build a tool to provide the guidance of heterosis breeding for breeders on cucumber.


Abstract Combining a set of existing constraint solvers into an integrated system of cooperating solvers is a useful and economic principle to solve hybrid constraint problems. In this paper we show that this approach can also be used to integrate different language paradigms into a unified framework. Furthermore, we study the syntactic, semantic and operational impacts of this idea for the amalgamation of declarative and constraint programming.


Underwater wireless sensor networks are currently conducting substantial research in a different environment for benefit of humans. UWSNs are known to be one of the fastest-growing technical fields, due to the many advantages of their application. UWSNs consist of underwater sensors with minimal resources and use the acoustic connection as a communications medium. Current technical advancements have given rise to opportunities for underwater exploration by using sensors at all levels. However, this article provide an overview of the major requirements of UWSNs to accomplish the crucial services. This article also provides an overview of underwater wireless communications.


The vulnerability assessment of natural ecosystems in mining areas is of significance in resources management, environmental protection, and regional sustainable development. Based on the analyses of the concepts of ecological vulnerability and the related assessment models, and following the 'pressure-status-response' (PSR) assessment framework, an assessment indices system was put forward to quantify the vulnerability of natural ecosystems in mining areas from the aspects of human pressure, ecosystem sensitivity, and ecological resilience, with the application of landscape metrics. Taking the Liaoyuan City of Jilin Province as a case, the results showed that among the various types of natural ecosystems, grassland had the highest ecological vulnerability, while forestland had the lowest one. In all the 33 towns, Yangmulin Town had the highest ecological vulnerability, while Dongfeng County town had the lowest one. In the four districts and counties of Liaoyuan, Longshan District had the highest ecological vulnerability, with the Xi'an District, Dongfeng County, and Dongliao County in a descending sequence. The main factors affecting the spatial differentiation of the ecological vulnerability were land use pattern, natural ecological environment, and human disturbances such as mining and settlement.


Forest bathing is an approach that uses the healing effects of forests to improve people's health and prevent disease through forest walks. Although the terms forest therapy and forest bath are used in the same sense, they are different applications. While the forest therapy application is carried out in the company of a professional trained in this subject, the therapist in the forest bath is the forest itself. Considering the positive effects of forest bathing on the cardiovascular system, nervous system, endocrine system, immune system and mental health, it is thought that it can be used as an approach to protect and improve women's health. In this context, the aim of the study is to examine the physiological and psychological effects of forest bathing and forest therapy on women's health. In this study, which was revealed by literature review, the results of national and international studies on the subject were compiled. Many positive effects of forest bathing and forest therapy on the protection of human health have been reported in the literature. There are limited studies on the effects of forest therapy and forest bathing on human health, and no scientific research has been found in the field of health in our country. It is thought that these practices can be used in our country, which is rich in forests, and that scientific studies on this subject can provide benefits for women's health.


Pulsations in the air-gap induction due to the slotted stator construction produce pole-face loss. When a damper winding is present the pulsations link the damper bars producing circulating currents causing an additional loss, which is designated by the term ``no-load damper winding loss.'' The magnitude of this loss is found to vary from practically zero to as much as eight times the pole-face loss, or to as much as half of the total no-load core loss. A method of calculating the no-load damper loss is developed based on theoretical considerations. As far as the writer is aware no theoretical work has been previously published on this subject.


In order to study the efficiency of detecting thickness of CO2 in low space by differential absorption lidar(DIAL),the detection principle and the SNR(signal to noise ratio) of the system were analyzed.With the simulation experiments of a kind of near-infrared micro pulse lidar with energy of 20μJ and repetition rate of 10kHz,the relation among the SNR,the needed accumulation time and detection distance was calculated.The results show that without regard to the background noise(working at night),the thickness of CO2 can be detected below 4.5km.Whereas,with regard to the background noise(working in daylight),the thickness of CO2 can only be detected below 2.4km.The conclusion is drawn that working at night and with other better performance instruments can increase the detection distance.


The UN Sustainable Development Goals until 2030 are aimed at solving global problems, including poverty and hunger, disease, unsanitary conditions, environmental pollution, consumer attitudes towards natural resources. Their solution is seen in the sustainable development of mankind. The basis of sustainable development is the responsible consumption of all sides of the greening process: states, business structures, society. The environmental agenda for the 21st century forms the trend of corporate governance based on the principles of ESG. However, a certain part of manufacturers, under the guise of a "green" mission, produce products that do not meet environmental requirements. In recent years, more and more people talk about greenwashing. Despite the fact that states are taking certain measures to counter greenwashing, its share is only increasing. The problem of greenwashing is multifaceted and includes unfair competition, violation of consumer rights, discredit of corporate social responsibility, restriction of intellectual property, underdevelopment of the market for environmentally friendly and organic products. If in foreign countries the problem of greenwashing has been discussed for several decades, in the Russian Federation attention has been paid to this problem only in recent years. The imperfection of legal regulation contributes to the development of greenwashing. The purpose of this article is to analyze the legislative requirements for manufactured products (using the example of agricultural and food products) and the processes of their production, processing, storage and sale, measures to counter greenwashing, identify legal gaps and formulate possible legislative proposals aimed at solving greenwashing problems. The experience of combating greenwashing in the countries — Russia's strategic partners has been studied. Proposals have been formulated to improve the legal mechanism for counteracting greenwashing.


The checklist is a safety tool, whose main objective is to reduce avoidable errors, derived from attention and memory failures, by checking a series of previously approved items. Its systematic use in medicine has shown clear benefits, reducing the number of adverse events associated with invasive procedures, avoiding mortality and reducing healthcare costs. The use of checklists has become widespread in surgical specialties since their recommendation by the World Health Organization (WHO).  Although it is a topic of growing interest, it is not fully implemented in some medical specialties that perform invasive procedures, such as nephrology, whose interventionist side is currently booming. The present work shows the procedure and the characteristics that a checklist adapted to the invasive procedures of the nephrology specialty must fulfill.


Flavanols and their related procyanidins are flavonoids found in foods such as tea, wine and cocoa powder, and are powerful antioxidants in vitro (1). The consumption of a high intake of a cocoa beverage, containing 897 mg total flavanols and oligomeric procyanidins, inhibited platelet activation and function in an acute study (6 hours) in humans (2). The current study investigated the long-term effect of a lower dose of flavanols and procyanidins from cocoa powder using a double blind, randomised, placebo-controlled study with 32 subjects. Subjects were stratified into active and placebo groups based on plasma vitamin C levels prior to the study. Subjects on the active diet consumed 234 mg of flavanols and procyanidins (CocoaProTM, Mars Inc) per day for 4 weeks, while subjects on the placebo tablet consumed an identical tablet made from cocoa powder with a low level of flavanols and procyanidins (< 1mg) for 4 weeks. Dietary restrictions were implemented to control the amount of flavonoids from the diet. Weighed food records, anthropometric measurements and fasting blood tests were performed at day 0 and 28. Plasma was analysed for F2-isoprostanes, TBARS, TRAP, the flavanols catechin and epicatechin, vitamin C, E, A, carotenoids and uric acid to determine the effect of oxidative damage. Plasma was also analysed for lipids and lipoproteins, while whole blood was analysed for platelet aggregation and platelet activation using flow cytometry. Results showed that the plasma levels of epicatechin, catechin and vitamin C were significantly increased in the active group at day 28 and that platelet aggregation and activation (% of activated platelets) was significantly lower in the active group (p < 0.05) compared with the control, using two different agonists, at day 28. There were no significant differences between groups for vitamin E, A, the carotenoids nor plasma lipids and lipoproteins. In terms of antioxidant protection, there were no significant differences in TBARS, TRAP and F2-isoprostanes between groups. These results with a relatively low intake of cocoa flavanols and procyanidins over a 4-week period support the short-term data showing benefits on platelet function. In vitro data suggest that flavonoids inhibit platelet function by reducing H2O2 production, and in turn, phospholipase C activation in the platelet (3). Further investigations with different levels of supplementation are recommended.


Summary form only given. The state-of-the-art of artificial intelligence (AI) in Japan is reviewed, and attention given to the current results of the fifth-generation project. The technical aspects of AI research are examined, and the computational power of the fifth-generation computer system compared to that of the current workstation in the use of various AI frameworks. The Japanese rationale for adopting the new technology into their own industrial domains and businesses is discussed. The psychological aspects of AI applications are considered, with particular attention given to the psychological barrier that nontechnical people have in the use of AI.<<ETX>>


Reactions of radical ions or radical ion pairs formed by photoinduced electron transfer are of considerable current interest. Among the possible fates of ions formed by heteroatom oxidations is C-C bond fragmentation. Recently they reported that certain tertiary amines suffer C-C bond cleavage when oxidized by acceptors excited by visible light. For amino ketones this reaction was indicated to proceed via homolytic cleavage of the bond between the carbonyl and C/sub ..cap alpha../ of the amine to efficiently yield free radicals. Herein they report studies with several ..beta..-amino alcohols which demonstrate that photoredox-induced cleavage of the C/sub ..cap alpha../-C/sub ..beta../ bond can be a clean and efficient reaction having close analogy to two-electron solvolytic fragmentations. Noteworthy features of the amino alcohol fragmentation are the high chemical specificity of the cleavage, the connectivity between one- and two-electron bond reorganization, and a remarkably large stereochemical effect on reactivity.


Due to their unpredictable behavior, stock markets are examples of complex systems. Yet, the dominant analysis of these markets as- sumes simple stochastic variations, eventually tainted by short-lived memory. This paper proposes an alternative strategy, based on a stochastic geometry de¯ning a robust index of the structural dynamics of the markets and based on notions of topology de¯ning a new coef- ficient that identifies the structural changes occurring on the S&P500 set of stocks. The results demonstrate the consistency of the random hypothesis as applied to normal periods but they also show its in- adequacy as to the analysis of periods of turbulence, for which the emergence of collective behavior of sectoral clusters of firms is mea- sured. This behavior is identified as a meta-routine.


. In this paper, we are concerned with the existence of solutions to fractional differential equations subject to Riemann-Liouville fractional integral boundary conditions. By means of a recent fixed point theorem, sufficient conditions are obtained that guarantee the existence of at least one solution. Two examples illustrate the applicability of our main result.


The copper in the serums of 60 cases of hepatitis and 30 members in the controlgroup is determined by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The results show that inthe cases of hepatitis the copper level in serum was significantly higher, and was notably different, compared with the control group (P 0. 01).


2 Abstract: Vitamin changes associated with different temperature and period of storage were measured in sweets rasmalai and badam pista roll. A comparative study was done between these sweets from two different sweet marts. With standard colorimetric techniques the analysis was carried out and by applying statistical methods the variations were tabulated. The vitamin content (niacin and ascorbic acid) decreased with increase in temperature and storage period in accordance with moisture and pH.


K.M.D. has been a change of function. a consequence of the great extension of statute law; but finally. there have been notable advances, in areas in which as yet. the legislature shows only occasional interest. To-day, therefore. English law still draws extensively upon the work of the judiciary in the past. but that material itself is in process of continuous transformation. Although the province of the modern Judge is more restricted than that of his predecessors. the part which he plays in the development of the law. and his assessment of the extent and direction of social change makes his task no less exacting than theirs" (p.363). Finally, almost mischievously. he throws a few balls in the air: codification of the common law; the creation of a Department of Justice, a greater social spread on the bench and a greater awareness on the part of the Judges of the social consequences of their decisions; and perhaps the slightest hint of a written constitution! In many ways this is a remarkable book-it spreads across the spectrum of our law from earliest times to the present day in order to describe the contribution of the Judges. No student who has the slightest interest in the development of the common law and no would-be legal historian can afford not to read it.


Si CMOS single-electron transistors (SET) fabricated using fully depleted SOI [1] enable an understanding of charging mechanisms in ultimately scaled CMOS devices down to a transport through a single dopant [2]. A schematic representation of such a device is shown in Fig 1. Radio-frequency (RF) reflectometry [3] is an effective tool for charge detection in various single-electron systems. Since it does not require any DC current flow the detection of electrons passing even through a single tunnel junction [4] is possible. When a Si SET is populated with electrons, one intriguing question need to be answered: where do the first charge carriers spatially accumulate during the formation of the conducting "island"? To address this issue we use a dual channel technique that enables spatial identification of charging processes within the device. Here we present results obtained using this technique for single-hole transistors (SHT). A micrograph of a typical studied SHT device.


All of the things in the world are interlinked.Detective fictions and class teaching seem to be totally unrelated,but they actually have something in common-the organizations of class teaching can draw lessons from detective fictions' structures.The paper introduces two kinds of fictions' structures and the corresponding teaching modes,with their applications in operating system teaching.


is it true that If(s) I_k>0 for o 0 implies that (f(s))-l is also of the form (1)? In this note, an affirmative answer is supplied.3 Let P be the semigroup of positive integers under multiplication, and let l1(P) be the class of all complex functions a on P, a = { an},1 for which aIlal = I:| an| is finite. We obtain a commutative Banach algebra by defining (aa)n= aan for complex a, (a+b)n=a.+bn, and the product a * b (convolution) by (a * b)n = Zjkn ajbk. The algebra l1(P) has as its unit e the function such that el =1 and en = 0 if n> 1. The theory of l1-algebras of commutative semigroups is developed in [4] and [5]. The present note is based on the observation that the Dirichlet series (1) is the Fourier transform of the element aell(P), defined on a very small subspace of the space of all maxi al ideals of l1(P).


The effects of freeze injury occurring at anthesis upon young developing fruit were studied anatomically. Slight injury was characterized by separation of the hypodermis from the outer cortex during the initial stages of fruit growth. Necrotic tissues were adjacent to the main part of the injury. The internal cortical tissues and vascular bundles in the core line were uninjured. The basin or fruit apex was sensitive to freeze injury resulting in stylar abscission, abortive ovules, and large breaks in the cortical tissue. Growth distortions in the outer cortex were evident 21 days after injury, indicating sensitivity to frost and to the initiation of corking.
Wound healing occurred 1 week after full bloom with the development of callus or proliferated tissues which united the wound areas.


Weed management in potato and mint rely heavily on two Group 5 photosystem II–inhibiting herbicides, metribuzin and terbacil, respectively. Seed from weed escapes was collected in 2010 from 69 potato and mint production fields in Washington State and tested for resistance to metribuzin and terbacil. Of the seed screened, 26 of 51 Powell amaranth and redroot pigweed accessions and 8 of 23 common lambsquarters accessions tested expressed at least some degree of resistance to one or both herbicides. A Ser264Gly mutation in the chloroplast psbA gene was present in all but three resistant accessions. Herbicides with other mechanisms of action registered in potato and mint controlled all identified photosystem II–resistant accessions when applied at typical labeled rates. Nomenclature: Metribuzin; terbacil; common lambsquarters, Chenopodium album L. CHEAL; Powell amaranth Amaranthus powellii S. Wats. AMAPO; redroot pigweed, Amaranthus retroflexus L. AMARE; potato, Solanum tuberosum L.; peppermint Mentha × peperita L MENPI; spearmint Mentha spicata L. MENSP. El manejo de malezas en papa y menta depende fuertemente de metribuzin y terbacil, los cuales son dos herbicidas del Grupo 5 inhibidores del fotosistema II. Se colectó semilla de escapes de malezas en 2010 en 69 campos de producción de papa y menta en el estado de Washington y se evaluó la resistencia a metribuzin y terbacil. De las semillas evaluadas, 26 de 51 accesiones de Amaranthus powellii y Amaranthus retroflexus y 8 de 23 accesiones de Chenopodium album expresaron al menos algún grado de resistencia a uno o ambos herbicidas. Una mutación Ser264Gly en el gen psbA del cloroplasto estuvo presente en todas las accesiones excepto en tres. Los herbicidas con otros mecanismos de acción registrados en papa y menta controlaron todas las accesiones resistentes a la inhibición del fotosistema II cuando se aplicaron a las dosis típicas de la etiqueta.


As the AVS are passive and low power, they can be used as unattended ground sensors, also for covert/silent watch operations. For compound protection the AVS can locate threats such as rockets, artillery, mortars (RAM), small arms fire (SAF), ground vehicles, rotary wing aircraft (RW), propeller driven fixed wing aircrafts. AVS hear all around in a full spherical bubble, require no line of sight and can be used also during unfavourable weather conditions, e.g. fog. AVS have local processing capabilities, putting only a modest burden on the bandwidth of a network such as the Dutch BMS.


: What is the utility of US military power when seeking to generate international economic arrangements conducive to its national interests? Developing the concepts of positive and negative structural power we argue that regional American primacy in East Asia has allowed it to leverage its military power into generating political-economic institutional outcomes that have reinforced its broader leadership role. The US may well continue its deep engagement or follow a path of retrenchment under President Trump. Both grand strategic options will impact on its capacity to leverage its positive and negative structural power and have implications for US hegemony and the region's political economy. 1 Many thanks to Nicholas Kitchen, Jonathan Kirshner, Jonathan Joseph, Christopher Layne, Martin Williamson, William Wohlforth and the anonymous reviewers for comments and suggestions.


Cultures and field samples of the toxic dinoflagellate Gymnodinium catenatum Graham from Tasmania, Australia, were analyzed for pigment, fatty acid, and sterol composition. Gymnodinium catenatum contained the characteristic pigments of photosynthetic dinoflagellates, including chlorophyll a, chlorophyll c2, and the carotenoids peridinin, dinoxanthin, diadinoxanthin, diatoxanthin, and β,β‐carotene. In midlogarithmic and early stationary phase cultures, the chlorophyll a content ranged 50–72 pg · cell−1, total lipids 956–2084 pg · cell−1, total fatty acids 426–804 pg · cell−1, and total sterols 8–20 pg · cell−1. The major fatty acids (in order of decreasing abundance) were 16:0, 22:6(n‐3), and 20:5(n‐3) (collectively 65–70% of the total fatty acids), followed by 16:1(n‐7), 18:2(n‐6), and 14:0. This distribution is characteristic of most dinoflagellates, except for the low abundance (<3%) of the fatty acid 18:5(n‐3), considered by some authors to be a marker for dinoflagellates. The three major sterols were 4α‐methyl‐5α‐cholest‐7‐en‐3β‐ol, 4α,23,24‐trimethyl‐5α‐cholest‐22E‐en‐3β‐ol (the dinoflagellate sterol, dinosterol), and 4α,23,24‐trimethyl‐5α‐cholest‐7‐en‐3β‐ol. These three sterols comprised about 75% of the total sterols in both logarithmic and early stationary phase cultures, and they were also found in high proportions (22–25%) in natural dinoflagellate bloom samples. 4‐Desmethyl sterols, which are common in most microalgae, were only present in trace amounts in G. catenatum. The chemotaxonomic affinities of G. catenatum and the potential for using specific signature lipids for monitoring toxic dinoflagellate blooms are discussed.


Abstract Purpose: This study aimed to analyze the clinical patterns and etiology of uveitis in Isfahan, Iran. Methods: In this descriptive research, the records of 2016 patients with uveitis referred to a tertiary eye care centers were examined. Age, sex, clinical and anatomical features, and etiology of disease were recorded and analyzed. Results: The mean age of onset of uveitis was 33.76 years and the women/men ratio was 1.2/1.0. Anterior uveitis was the most common (42.9%) type followed by posterior (21.4%), intermediate (19.3%), and pan uveitis (16.31%). Noninfectious causes had more roles (76.5%) in the etiology of uveitis. A total of 43.9% of the patients had unknown etiology (idiopathic). The most common known etiologies were toxoplasmosis, Behçet disease and Fuchs heterochromic iridiocyclitis (FHI), respectively. In 15.6%, there was an underlying systemic disease. Conclusion: There were some differences in the clinical and etiologic pattern of uveitis in Isfahan. Environmental, genetic, and geographical factors may contribute to this difference.


With the present unceasing development of science and society,ecological and social functions of forest have attracted more and more attention.This study with Shenzhen City as an example through elaborating the concepts and principles of ecological scenic forest and near-nature management,and combining with the present construction of ecological scenic forest in Shenzhen City,specifically stated the requirements,principles and implementation measures of different aspects involving in the construction of ecological scenic forest in Shenzhen,such as site classification,tree species selection,logging operation,community construction,tending management and benefit monitoring,and further expounded the application of near-nature management theories in this field.It was also stressed that the nature should be utilized and respected,artificial forest should be reformed into near-nature scenic forest with richer and more stable structure as well as higher protective eco-functions,so as to provide theoretical basis for the construction of ecological scenic forest and enhance its positive role in the urban construction of Shenzhen.


This article is dealing with the challen g of automating the software development process from user requirements to programme code. The first part of the process – building a model fr om requests tends to be quite a difficult for the computer to handle it. Th e reason for this is that the requests are most often given in a natural language , which is full of ambiguities. Considering fact that the models are m ostly formal, automating the second part – translation of models into code results to be feasible with computers.


In early 2021, schools in England went into a second period of lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We wanted to look at how the pandemic influenced teachers' working experiences. In particular, our focus of interest was on changes to teachers' pedagogic, curricular and assessment practices, and how these changes impacted on their workload and wellbeing. We involved 15 teachers from a spread of regions, localities, school types and sizes across England. The teachers were working with students in Year 11 and/or 13 across a range of subject areas that would be particularly prone to the effects of any moves towards remote learning or disruption to examined assessment. To capture the teachers' working experiences we used a mixed methods approach. This approach involved teachers recording their experiences in a series of solicited diaries over a 4-month period in early 2021. We complemented the insights gleaned from the teachers' diaries with data from teacher interviews and surveys. This approach allowed us to link teachers' experiences during the pandemic to their workload and their perceptions of wellbeing. Our analyses suggest that there were some features of workload that negatively affected teacher wellbeing during the pandemic period, particularly around assessment-related tasks. We also found that some of the social dimensions of teachers' work positively contributed to their wellbeing, particularly where teachers' work involved interactions with students and with colleagues.


is class of an emerging technology of ad hoc networks. Ad hoc networks can be built around any wireless technology, including infrared, global positioning system (GPS), radio frequency (RF) and so on. Each node in a MANET is free to move freely in any direction, and therefore it will change its links to other devices frequently. Mobility model shows how the speed and direction of a node changed over the time according to given pattern of mobility. In this paper, various mobility model with routing protocols of ad hoc networks are studied.


Travel becoming important element in this modernisation era as it involved in every part of activities that we do in daily life. It is also necessities that we must face to complete certain task of daily life. Hence, Hargerstrand (1970) insists that travel is a fixed constraint that must be taken to fulfil the desire and needs. Besides, in determining travel behaviour, travel activity must have a linkage between these variables; individual's activity, household members and surrounding environment. Data surveying and collection must be done based on long term basis. It is because this study must be conducted in consistent mode so that the exact pattern travel behaviour could be obtained. By applying multivariate analysis, the effect of activity-travel behaviour towards physical health can be analysed. The multivariate analysis comprises set of survey data which have been distributed to the residents of Bandung Metropolitan Area. The respondents consist variety of gender, races, nationality, age, etc. and the duration of the survey is in one-week time. Multivariate analysis is used because this study cannot be done by using deterministic approach. Furthermore, this analysis can use more than one variable at one time.


O wn mother's milk is the optimal source of nutrition for preterm infants. The requirements may not be met completely, but supplemented unpasteurised expressed breast milk consumption results in the best shortand long-term outcomes when compared to formula-fed infants. All major societies support that view and the use of own mother's milk has increased steadily over recent years (1). Infant formulas have undergone many modifications in previous decades so that the performance of formula-fed infants resembles more closely breastfed infants. These alterations include modifications in whey:casein ratio, addition of taurine, nucleotides, docosahexaenoic and arachidonic acid, prebiotics (fructo-oligosaccharides/galacto-oligosaccharides or synthetic human milk oligosaccharides), and lutein. All these modifications have been expanded to preterm formulas as well, but it is obvious that those have not resulted in similar outcomes as observed in preterm infants fed own mother's milk (2). It is, therefore, evident that further alterations in the composition of preterm formula need to be considered. Some of these alterations are discussed by Li et al (3) in this edition of the journal and by Buddington et al (4) now in press in this journal. Li et al describe 2 separate experiments in preterm piglets. First, in a 2 2 factorial design, they examined the effect of different lactose/maltodextrin ratios (3:1 vs 1:3) together with 2 different whey sources [3-fold higher immunoglobulin G (IgG) but 4-fold lower lactoferrin levels]. In the second experiment they tested different processing techniques (low vs standard heating) of the formula's sweet whey fraction in order to better preserve some bioactivity. Buddington et al performed a similar type of experiment where preterm piglets were randomised to receive either 100% lactose or 100% maltodextrin as the formula's carbohydrate source. Both research groups have broad experience in preterm piglet models and have shown these animals to be prone for developing necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) (5). Within the experiments presented in the article by Li et al, neither were differences observed in NEC incidence, nor were there effects on organ or body weights, or on intestinal permeability. Modest effects were seen such as increased villi length, hexose absorption and lactase activity in the higher lactose and IgG but lower lactoferrin formula. In


Not even Nostradamus predicted what has happened over the past two years. The world often seemed to stand still as everyone watched with shock and fear as the events related to the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded. The pandemic has opened the eyes of patients, clinicians, and policymakers to the importance of global health. It is increasingly apparent that health problems in one part of the world can rapidly impact our populations. There are many examples of how health in local populations have been influenced by global patterns of disease. A mutation of the monkeypox virus results in previously unheard-of cases across Europe, the war in Ukraine triggers unprecedented increases in the costs of daily living and widening social inequality, and the devastating effects related to global warming continue to have an everincreasing impact on health. Health is truly international and can no longer be contained in regional silos. The world is getting smaller every day. General practitioners increasingly need to think globally. Our academic endeavours are typically focussed on regional and national clinical priorities, yet the skills possessed can benefit much broader international populations as demonstrated throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. This expertise can be translated to tackling other global challenges – but this does represent a shift in how we currently work. The clinical and academic workforce needs to prepare our existing and future practitioners for the new challenges they will inevitably face during their careers. GPs need to plan, prepare and be ready for the next problem encountered – whatever that may be and wherever it may come from. Primary care and general practice are critical to improving health and well-being in lowand middleincome countries. The World Health Organisation's Sustainable Development Goal 3 aims to achieve 'good health and wellbeing for all' [1]. This is an ambitious target that can only be met by primary care. Primary care can help reduce health inequalities, providing the broadest range of services in a cost-effective manner embedded in local communities [2]. Primary care takes a holistic approach to the patient journey, considering the wider needs of individuals and their families [3]. Growing the evidence base to support this, especially in lowand middle-income countries is a key component to future success. Internationally we have seen significant investment in global health research through organisations including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the National Institute for Health Research [4,5]. Such funding is aimed at tackling the most pressing global challenges and whilst as clinicians we are often impatient for results, we are already starting to see major advances from working more closely together. Novel technologies used to develop the first COVID-19 vaccines are now directed towards other serious infections, such as Ebola [6]. For the first time, effective malaria vaccination feels like a real possibility and the research community are calling for multimorbidity in low and middle-income countries to be actively targeted [7]. Many general practice academics feel that primary care is often the poor relation to secondary care research. That may be true but increasingly, policymakers and funders are aware that to make major inroads to improving health and wellbeing internationally, primary care must be firmly at the centre of the picture. The European Journal of General Practice is committed to publishing the best research from primary care worldwide, especially when it influences policy and practice. Whilst most of our readers may be based in Europe, we are keen to learn lessons from clinicians and academics across the world. We have all learnt from each other during the COVID-19 pandemic, taking best practice from one country to support our own patients [8]. General practice is always stronger when we work together, and when we learn from our shared experiences.


Political crime is regarded to be a recent term introduced in Iran simultaneously with the Constitutional Revolution (Mashrooteh). Despite the fact that the duty to define and the determination of its instances was left to the ordinary law by the constitution, the task was not accomplishing till the law of political crime in 2016 due to various reasons. The relation between political crime and the tradition of Islamic jurisprudence (Fiqh) was considered to be a significant issue after the Islamic Revolution 1979 in Iran and the adoption of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Iran. Some scholars have ascribed the political crime to the well-known Islamic jurisprudential concepts of Islamic prescribed punishments (Had/Hudud) and discretionary punishments (Ta'zir/Ta'zirat), while other have opposed to the recognition of political crime through this kind of ascription to the rules of Hudud and foreseeable overlapping issues. It appears there can opt a way to recognized the political offence as a crime along with other crimes and as a Ta'zir crime through the analysis of the elements of Hudud crimes.


This paper aims at determining the validity limits of a linear analysis for a resistive instability. To this purpose, the effects of mode-coupling on the magnetic field structure are investigated in the reconnecting layer. Given an equilibrium magnetic field and a perturbation field, the conditions are found under which the equations for the magnetic field lines of force can be expressed in Hamiltonian form. These conditions can be fulfilled by a resistive instability. Consequently, in a simple equilibrium magnetic field the resistive eigenmodes have been analytically derived. This result is used to give an explicit expression of the Hamiltonian for field-line equations when two resistive eigenmodes are taken into account. The analytical form of the resulting Hamiltonian coincides with the so-called paradigm Hamiltonian (1·5 degrees of freedom) for which the Escande–Doveil renormalization procedure leads to an explicit expression for the global stochasticity threshold. Thus it can be shown that any pair of modes – in a suitable range of parameters – yields spatial stochasticity of magnetic field lines when the perturbation amplitude is still very low. Hence a limit of validity of the linear theory can be found. The linear phase of the resistive instability turns out to be relevant only to describe the onset of the instability itself.


The following text emerges from a roundtable held at the Center for Early Medieval Studies of the Department of Art History at the Masaryk University, Brno and entitled "Medieval Art Today, Why?". It should be seen as an answer to a burning desire for scholarly intellectual debates going beyond the usual formats. Furthermore, we wanted to promote a reflection touching at least three different layers: a historiographical and epistemological reflection, a methodological perspective, and a political engagement. At the same time, through the debate, our desire was to show to our students the relevance of medieval art history today.


The development continues for Finite State Abstraction (FSA) methods to enable Impacts Analysis (IA) for cyber attack against power grid control systems. Building upon previous work, we successfully demonstrated the addition of Bounded Model Checking (BMC) to the FSA method, which constrains grid conditions to reasonable behavior. The new FSA feature was successfully implemented and tested. FSA is an important part of IA for the power grid, complementing steady-state approaches. It enables the simultaneous evaluation of myriad dynamic trajectories for the system, which in turn facilitates IA for whole ranges of system conditions simultaneously. Given the potentially wide range and subtle nature of potential control system attacks, this is a promising research approach. In this report, we will explain the addition of BMC to the previous FSA work and some testing/simulation upon the implemented code using a two-bus test system. The current FSA approach and code allow the calculation of the acceptability of power grid conditions post-cyber attack (over a given time horizon and for a specific grid topology). Future work will enable analysis spanning various topologies (to account for switching events), as well as an understanding of the cyber attack stimuli that can lead to undesirable grid conditions.


Free-standing nanocrystals exhibit a size-dependant thermodynamic melting point reduction relative to the bulk melting point that is governed by the surface free energy. The presence of an encapsulating matrix, however, alters the interface free energy of nanocrystals and their thermodynamic melting point can either increase or decrease relative to bulk. Furthermore, kinetic contributions can significantly alter the melting behaviours of embedded nanoscale materials. To study the effect of an encapsulating matrix on the melting behaviour of nanocrystals, we performed in situ electron diffraction measurements on Ge nanocrystals embedded in a silicon dioxide matrix. Ge nanocrystals were formed by multi-energy ion implantation into a 500 nm thick silica thin film on a silicon substrate followed by thermal annealing at 900 °C for 1 h. We present results demonstrating that Ge nanocrystals embedded in SiO2 exhibit a 470 K melting/solidification hysteresis that is approximately symmetric about the bulk melting point. This unique behaviour, which is thought to be impossible for bulk materials, is well described using a classical thermodynamic model that predicts both kinetic supercooling and kinetic superheating. The presence of the silica matrix suppresses surface pre-melting of nanocrystals. Therefore, heterogeneous nucleation of both the liquid phase and the solid phase are required during the heating and cooling cycle. The magnitude of melting hysteresis is governed primarily by the value of the liquid Ge/solid Ge interface free energy, whereas the relative values of the solid Ge/matrix and liquid Ge/matrix interface free energies govern the position of the hysteresis loop in absolute temperature.


Metals are essential to all forms of life and their concentration and distribution in the organisms are tightly regulated. Indeed, in their free form, metal ions are toxic. Therefore, an excess of physiologic metal ions or the uptake of non-physiologic metal ions can be highly detrimental for the organisms. It is thus fundamental to understand metals distribution and dynamics in physiologic or disrupted conditions, for instance in metal-related pathologies or upon environmental exposure to metals. Elemental imaging techniques can serve this purpose, by allowing the visualization and the quantification of metal species in a tissue or down to the interior of a cell. Among these techniques, synchrotron radiation-based X-ray fluorescence (SR-XRF) microscopy is the most sensitive to date, and great progresses were made to reach spatial resolutions as low as 20×20 nm2. Until recently, 2D XRF mapping was used on whole cells, thus summing up the signal from the whole thickness of the cell. In the last two years, we have developed a methodology to work on thin cell sections, in order to analyze the metal content at the level of the organelle. Herein, we propose a correlative method to couple SR-XRF to electron microscopy, with the aim to quantify the elemental content in an organelle of interest. As a proof-of-concept, the technique was applied to the analysis of mitochondria from hepatocytes exposed to silver nanoparticles. It was thus possible to identify mitochondria with higher concentration of Ag(I) ions compared to the surrounding cytosol. The versatility of the method makes it suitable to answer a large panel of biological questions, for instance related to metal homeostasis in biological organisms.


Complex formation between 1-hexene and silver salts in chloroform solution has been characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Silver tetrafluoroborate, AgBF4, and silver triflate, AgCF3SO3, form 1:2 Ag+:1-hexene complexes in solution. The olefinic CC vibrational stretching frequency at 1640 cm-1 in 1-hexene shifts to approximately 1580 cm-1 upon complexation with these silver salts. Silver trifluoroacetate, AgCF3CO2, exhibits limited complexation and silver nitrate, AgNO3, exhibits no measurable complexation. Salts with the larger BF4- and CF3SO3- anions have a much stronger tendency to form complexes than those with the smaller NO3- and CF3CO2- anions. The tendency of these salts to form complexes in solution was most strongly correlated with anion size and was not well-correlated with measures of anion-donor electron density or softness parameter. The effect of ether-containing compounds, such as triethylene glycol (TEG) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), on the silver−olefin interactio...


The structural properties of the Ge(001)/Sb(2×1) surface were investigated by using the density functional theory. The calculated structural parameters for this surface are in good agreement with previous experimental and theoretical results. In addition to structural properties, we present the complete phonon spectrum of this surface as calculated from first principles employing density functional theory. We have compared the phonon spectrum of this surface with that of the clean Ge(001)(2×1) surface in detail. We have found that adsorption of Sb results in several characteristic phonon modes. (© 2004 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)


Presentation of Case A fifty-five-year-old woman entered the hospital because of pulmonary nodules. Twenty-two years before admission a routine x-ray film of the chest (Fig. 1) showed a calcific lesion in the right lower lobe, three rounded calcifications at the left apex and multiple nodular densities in both lower lobes. Two years later a pleural effusion developed on the left side, and the patient entered a sanatorium; examinations of the sputum and guinea-pig inoculations were negative for tuberculosis, and she was discharged after three months. Thereafter, periodic x-ray films of the chest showed no change until five years before admission, . . .


Aspect shows cross-linguistic variation, and the role of the first language in the acquisition of aspect is often discussed in second language literature. However, whether L1 transfer actually occurs in the areas of grammar is controversial. In this paper, I discuss the aspectual characteristics of English and Japanese associated with their aspectual verb classes, which show both similarities and differences between the languages. Japanese learners of English are predicted to have difficulty in associating the form with the meaning and transfer L1 features when learning aspectual properties of English. In order to investigate this prediction, I examine whether the learners transfer the L1 interpretations associated with the verb classes and the aspectual morpheme when learning English aspect. I then discuss effective instruction for teaching aspect and introduce instructional materials designed to be used for Japanese learners of English.

アスペクトには言語特有の特徴が見られ、第二言語習得における母語の影響がしばしば指摘されている。しかしながら、文法習得において母語の転移が起こるか否については意見の統一が見られていない。本論文は、英語と日本語それぞれの動詞のアスペクトによる分類に基づく特徴と両言語の類似点及び相違点について述べ、日本語母語話者が英語のアスペクトを学ぶ際に母語の転移が起こるかについて考察する。さらに、日本語母語話者を対象とした英語のアスペクトの効果的な指導方法を考察しその教材を紹介する。


Ecological niche modeling has become a very popular tool in ecological and biogeographic studies across broad extents. The tool is used in hundreds of publications each year now, but some fundamental aspects of the approach have seen a fair amount of carelessness. Among these aspects is that of model evaluation or validation. This unit provides a simple introduction to the basic concepts that are important in model validation, using some very simple examples. The focus is on two solutions to the challenge of model evaluation: a simple cumulative binomial approach that can be used with binary model outputs, and partial ROC analysis, which can be used with continuous model outputs.


The event of modernism was discussed in view of several crises. As a movement of movements with an inscribed sense of rapture, it was inter preted as an issue in the crisis of language, crisis of culture (Beebe 1973, Bradbury and McFarlane 1976, Calinescu 1977, Luft 1980), or crisis of iden tity (Le Rider 1990, 1993). Rejecting established notions of art, repudiating accepted values ("including those aesthetic values that kept life separate from art"), modernism was understood as "a revulsion against the limits set by ra tionalism" (Collier and Davies 1990:xiii). Modernism was scrutinized in terms of European unconscious (as Malcolm Bowie, knowing that the phrase is "piquantly absurd" suggested as the title of Collier and Davies' book (1990:3). The emergence of new models of mind, of changes in scientific paradigms, no doubt, bring about Freudian views of unconscious, but the modernist turn was, as far as I know, never discussed in terms of Husserl's comments on the crisis of consciousness. We can agree with Kermode that both faces of modernism paleo-modemism and neo-modernism are "equally devoted to the theme of crisis" (1971:46). Behind the modernist proclamation of "an historical licence for the new" actually lies "a stimulating sense of crisis" (Kermode 1971:40). Modernist art and the simultaneous crisis of consciousness, as Husserl elaborated the problem later in the thirties in his well-known Vienna lectures on the crisis of European existence, were parallel historical events. We miss the point of modernist art by interpreting it only as innovative form. Behind the apparently formal strategies in the poetics of modernism one should rec ognize their strong existential involvement, their often-disregarded artistic commitment. Self-reflexivity in modernist art manifests the very innate char acter of artistic engagement. Modernism, no doubt, subjected artistic compe tence to scrutiny. But the self-reflexivity of modernist forms should actually be comprehended as that reorientation to existence in itself, or to being as such, which European thought in its limited version of rationalism, had com pletely forgotten, as Husserl reminds us in his lecture. Although there is a long list of qualified studies of modernism, the logic of modernist art resists


This paper presents a mechanism proposal of on air download software update for the Brazilian DTV (digital television) system. A proof of concept was implemented on a Linux based set-top box. Analyses were conducted considering download robustness and the maximum downloading rate.


Introduction This article will consider the effects of oestrogen deficiency and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on bone with particular attention to bone mass and fractures. Some practical issues will be examined.These will include dose and duration of therapy,and what happens when HRT is stopped.The controversial issue of whether HRTnonresponders really exist will be examined. The possibility of enhancing the effects of HRTby co-administrationof calcium or a bisphosphonatewill be discussed.


The validity and reliability of curriculum-based measures in reading as indicators of performance and progress for secondary-school students were examined. Thirty-five grade 8 students completed reading aloud and maze-selection measures weekly for 10 weeks. Criterion measures were the state standards test in reading and the Woodcock–Johnson III Test of Achievement. Different time frames for each measure were compared. Most alternate-form reliability coefficients were above .80. Criterion-related validity coefficients ranged from .77 to .89. No differences related to time were found. Only maze selection reflected significant growth, with an average increase of 1.29 correct choices per week. Maze growth was related to the reading performance level and to change on the Woodcock–Johnson III from pre- to posttest.


This article examines the work of the Brazilian artist Lygia Clark through a somaesthetic perspective while highlighting the didactic and therapeutic aspects of her oeuvre. After thinking through the connections between Lygia Clark's art practices and somaesthetics, this article suggests some methods that could contribute to improving the contemporary field of art education.


A series of aliphatic polyesters of sebacoyl chloride and poly(ethylene glycol) containing a different number of ethylene oxide groups was synthesized and characterized. These polyesters were complexed with lithium perchlorate to obtain a new class of polymer electrolyte. The relationships between the structure and properties of these polymer electrolytes were investigated. The main factor that affects the ionic conductivity in these systems was found to be the solvating capacity of the polyester for the lithium salt. These polymer electrolytes showed ionic conductivities up to 10−5 ˜ 10−4 S/cm at 25°C. The mechanical strength was improved by cross-linking, and the cross-linked polyester complexed with a LiCIO4 salt showed an ionic conductivity of 2 × 10−5 S/cm at room temperature. 7Li NMR spin-spin relaxation and dielectric relaxation studies were also carried out to investigate the local environments and dynamics of ions in the polymer electrolytes. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.


In this paper, the finite time cluster consensus (FnTCC) of fractional-order multi-agent systems (FOMAS) with directed topology is investigated. The fractional-order system is converted into an integer-order system by defining a neighborhood-based error variable, and suitable control rules are designed for the obtained first-order multi-agent system. According to the exponential finite-time stability theorem, suitable Lyapunov functions are designed. Furthermore, the settling time function is given. Numerical simulation results prove the feasibility and validity of our theory.


Abstract : A field study was conducted at the Coastal Engineering Research Center's Field Research Facility in Duck, North Carolina, during the fall of 1985. The photopole experiment was one component of the overall study. Synchronized 16 mm movie cameras were used to film the propagation of waves past a shore-perpendicular transect of brightly painted poles. The film was developed and the photographic images were digitized to obtain the time variation of the free surface at each pole location. Time series data of free surface elevation were analyzed to compute information for characterizing the short-period incident wave field. Data collection and analysis techniques are documented as are results of the data analysis.


The article makes an attempt to analyze the situation in the labor market in modern Russian society in connection with new conditions, rapidly changing technologies, digitalization of all production and management processes, and what awaits a university graduate in a new labor reality. The article deals with the issue of conjugation of federal educational standards of higher education of generation 3++ and professional standards in the implementation of bachelor's programs. The study is based on the example of interfacing FSES HE 21.03.01 "Oil and Gas Business" and the professional standard "Specialist in oil, gas and gas condensate production" in the context of the implementation of disciplines Technological equipment of the oil and gas industry and Maintenance and repair of oilfield equipment and the formation of professional competence: able to carry out work for diagnostics, maintenance, repair and operation of technological equipment in accordance with the chosen field of professional activity at the Yugra State University. The positive aspects of the interface between PS and FSES of HE in the implementation of educational programs of higher education, the difficulties arising on the way of this process and possible solutions are noted.


The experiment was conducted to explore the effects of diet of low protein level with supplement of limited amino acid on the metabolic,digestive and growth performance of blue fox at its early growth stage.Seventy-five healthy male blue foxes of 8-week-old were randomly divided into 5 groups with 15 replicates in each replicate which had 1 fox in it.Protein level of diet of the control group was 28.7%,the primary protein levels in the experiment groups were 27.4%(groupⅠ),24.5%(groupⅡ),23.2%(group Ⅲ)and 22.4%(group Ⅳ) respectively,and then appropriate amount of Lys and Met were supplemented to meet their level requirement which was the same with that of the control group.The results showed that,compared with control group,when the protein level was reduced to 27.4% but the corresponding amounts of the Lys and Met were added into the diets,the final weight,ADG and N retention were significantly higher(P0.01),and the FCR,N retention ratio and N biological value were also increased greatly(P0.05).When the protein level in the diet was reduced to 23.2% and the corresponding amounts of the Lys and Met were added,no significant differences were observed on the digestive,metabolic and growth performances of blue foxes(P0.05).On the basis of all indices of experiment,when the protein level was reduced by 1%~1.5% and the corresponding amounts of the Lys and Met were added into diets,it can significantly improve digestive,metabolic and growth performance of blue fox.When the protein level was reduced by 2%~4% with supplement of corresponding amounts of Lys and Met in diets,there were no significant effects on the digestive,metabolic and growth performance of blue fox.Besides,low protein diet with supplement of the limited amino acid also reduced the breeding cost and N excreting amount of the blue fox.


Although educators tend to talk positively about freedom, civil liberties are often denied to students as a matter of course. Since the counseling profession is committed to the concepts of individual development and human dignity, counselors have no choice but to stand firmly in favor of civil liberties and against repression. Their role should include working toward democratization of the environment, acting as civil liberties advocates for individual students whose rights are in jeopardy, and providing support for counselees who choose to dissent against conventionally accepted policies of school or society.


Thermal diffusivity of zinc-aluminum layered double hydroxides was synthesized at different molar ratio of zinc and aluminum salts in the pH=7 and measured by using polyvinlidene diflouride (PVDF) by photoflash technique. The samples were prepared using Zn(NO3)2 and Al(NO3)3 solutions by drop wise addition of NaOH solution with vigorous stirring under nitrogen atmosphere. The samples then heat treated by control an electrical furnace from 200 to 600 °C for 5 hours. Thermal diffusivity was increased for all samples after sintering. The samples were studied by powder x-ray diffraction method, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and thermal diffusivity. Our results indicate the very different role of sintering in the structure and thermal diffusivity of samples.


The Suspension System has the function of protecting the driver and passengers from shock & to keep the tires of vehicle in continuous contact with ground providing for handling. The ride and handling are key parameters to be considered while evaluating any Suspension System. Attempts have been made to improve ride while controlling handling in vehicles. In case of Two Wheelers lot of research interest has been there in improving existing passive Suspension Systems. Displacement Sensitive shock absorption, Magneto-Rheological shock absorption, shock absorption with gas filled suspension are the technologies of interest in research in case of TwoWheeler. Active and Semi-Active Suspension systems are now a days replacing passive Suspension Systems in case of FourWheelers, but cost point of view, Two-Wheelers have been kept improvising in passive Suspension Systems commercially. A secondary Suspension System is developed in this research for a Two-Wheeler by using gas springs. The Numerical model is prepared in ANSYS and it is validated experimentally. It was found that the Secondary Suspension System reduces the reaction forces drastically and Suspensions relative displacement reduces to negligible value. Gas springs have well known advantages. Those advantages are modified for TwoWheeler Suspension System. Keywords—secondary suspension; gas springs; active suspension system; passive suspension system


We present the integration of a defect-enhanced photodiode with high sensitivity at 1550 nm with a silicon waveguide structure formed by the LOCOS (LOCal Oxidation of Silicon) process. The defects are introduced through a 4 MeV Si+ implantation followed by thermal treatment at 200–500 °C to form a sub-bandgap photo-response. A 100 nm polycrystalline silicon layer forms a self-aligned contact to the top of the ridge waveguide and provides efficient extraction of generated carriers. Processing conditions and device structure design have been varied to determine their influence on responsivity, insertion loss and leakage current. A 6 mm long optical power monitor is presented with responsivity of approximately 47 mA W−1 at −5 V bias for an absorption of 12 dB (∼0.003 A W−1 dB−1).


Background The last 10 years have seen a substantial increase in the number of studies reporting the efficacy of the various antifungal agents used to treat onychomycosis.


A Shape Memory Alloy micro-actuator has been designed and fabricated for handling of Head Gimbal Assemblyin hard disk drive industry. The micro-actuator consists of finger-like bimorph structures that will upward benddue to the difference in elongation of two materials at high temperature. The simulation results on deformedshape and exerting force are performed, and they reveal a feasibility of using SMA actuators for this kind ofapplication. Prototypes of micro-actuators are fabricated by two processes, i.e. sputtering and lift-off techniqueswith additional sacrificial and protective layers, and individual structure forming and sputtering techniques. Fewunsolved manufacturing issues occurred such as delaminating of material due to poor adhesion, oxidation ofstructures during the crystallization process, and tearing of fixed end of the structure. Keywords : Head gimbal assembly, Shape memory alloy, Micro actuator, Micro fabrication, Nitinol


A codoping strategy is advanced to improve luminescence efficiency, emission color tuning, and thermal stability of LED phosphors. Solid-state phosphor-converted white light-emitting diodes (pc-WLEDs) are currently revolutionizing the lighting industry. To advance the technology, phosphors with high efficiency, tunable photoluminescence, and high thermal stability are required. Here, we demonstrate that a simple lithium incorporation in NaAlSiO4:Eu system enables the simultaneous fulfillment of the three criteria. The Li substitution at Al sites beside Na sites in NaAlSiO4:Eu leads to an enhanced emission intensity/efficiency owing to an effective Eu3+ to Eu2+ reduction, an emission color tuning from yellow to green by tuning the occupation of different Eu sites, and an improvement of luminescence thermal stability as a result of the interplay with Li-related defects. A pc-WLED using the Li-codoped NaAlSiO4:Eu as a green component exhibits improved performance. The phosphors with multiple activator sites can facilitate the positive synergistic effect on luminescence properties.


This paper is about an unpublished Latin-Greek glossary transcribed by the German Humanist Conrad Celtis in 1495 from an unidentified MS. It is argued that the glossary is important to reconstruct areas of the Latin lexicon which are ignored by the literary evidence, especially technical and familiar terms. Although it is arguable that a great deal of the items in bilingual glossaries came from the Roman lexicographical tradition (but sometimes from versions more complete than those which have come down to us), some entries preserve spoken idiomatic expressions, and enhance our knowledge of 'submerged' and 'reconstructed' Latin.


The evolution of a valley including its natural resources is controlled by geological process. So, it is important to study geological environment and geological resources of a valley for the sustainable development of the valley. Digital valley, as a huge information system, should contain such a sub system of geological environment and geological resources, which is a beneficial tool for the study of prevention and control of geological hazards and comprehensive utilization of geological resources. This paper advances main contents of geological environment and resources that should be considered in digital valley system and a preliminary thinking for the study of them.


IT security outsourcing is the process of contracting a third-party security service provider to perform, the full or partial IT security functions of an organization. Little is known about the factors influencing organizational decisions in outsourcing such a critical function. Our review of the research and practice literature identified several managerial factors (e.g., cost benefit, inability to cope with the threat environment) and legal factors (e.g., regulatory / legal compliance). We found research in IT security outsourcing to be immature and the focus areas not addressing the critical issues facing industry practice. We therefore present a research agenda consisting of fifteen questions to address five key gaps relating to knowledge of IT security outsourcing – i.e., effectiveness of the outcome, lived experience of the practice, the temporal dimension, multi-stakeholder perspectives, and the impact on IT security practices, particularly agility in incident response.


Due to overwhelming demand from women having gynaecological surgery, the second edition of 'Hysterectomy and Vaginal Repair,' a self-help booklet written by a nurse and physiotherapist, is now available.


"When the Securities Exchange Commission was created by Franklin Roosevelt, he was trying to fix a lot of problems on Wall Street. There were various Ivan Boesky-type crimes being committed on the stock market, and Roosevelt wanted to create a regulatory agency that would keep it in line. He wanted to hire a sheriff to police Wall Street. What he did was he hired the person who was absolutely, unarguably, the biggest criminal on Wall Street—the person who was guilty of the most crimes. And he put him in charge of the Securities Exchange Commission, figuring that that person, being the most successful Wall Street bandit, knew all the tricks and could police his friends. And that person did a really good job of cleaning up Wall Street actually, because he did know all the tricks."
"In a certain sense, I got my start in the computer business by bending the rules, or not knowing what the rules were. I was extremely good at penetrating everyone's computer security when I was a kid. And, because of my tremendous knowledge in this area, I have frequently been called in to help catch people who break in. . . ."


Abstract : The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in consultation with DoD and state officials, developed the Military Munitions Rule (MR). After several meetings and proposals, the MR was provided for public comment. The EPA published the final rule with comments in the Federal Register on February 12, 1997. The MR defined "military munitions" and identified when they become solid waste. The rule also provides for safe storage and transportation of waste military munitions (WMM). The MR is a Federal regulation implementing the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, 40 CFR Part 260 et al, and was effective on August 12, 1997. Also amended were existing regulations regarding emergency responses that involve both military and non-military munitions and explosives.


Of this invention, the electric oil pump control method control unit and the first number of rotation of revolutions EOP required for the brake control of the internal transmission, it can be a second rotation EOP required for a plurality of motor cooling, and a plurality of motor lubricant EOP revolutions required for the first step of calculating the number of rotation 3; After the calculation step, further comprising the control unit compares the number of revolutions and the third second rotation; And performing phase comparison result, the controller comprising the steps of: driving the electric oil pump to the second speed and the third revolution speed greater value and the result value obtained by summing the number of rotation of 1; may include.


The experimental investigation of the residual stresses in the case of drawn parts is a difficult problem because of the complexity of forming operations and formed parts geometry. A solution of the problem can be than the simulation of the forming process and residual stresses distribution, but for a much more certitude of the results the simulation method must be experimental verified. An efficacious method proposed and used by Chandra (1993) and LMecA-ESIA Annecy consists in the experimental control of residual stresses for a simple case by applying the " three bars " method. Based on the experimental investigation, the results obtained from simulation can be compared and in the case of their coincidence a mathematical model can be than elaborated, adopted and extended for complex forming operations and formed parts. The paper presents the results obtained from such simulation and experimental investigation of residual stresses and springback generated in the case of metal sheets tensile.


To assess antenatal care (ANC) coverage and analyse constraining factors for service delivery to rural settled and mobile populations in two districts in Chad.


Comeld" is a novel technology which can be applied in connecting composites and metals by manufacture of an array of metal pins on the metal part and layup the composite layers on the pins to make an adhesive and mechanical Joint at the same time. The aim of this paper is an experimental, numerical and analytical investigation on strength of comeld joint system and also to calculate the stiffness properties of composite after comeld process. Experimental test were carried out with fabrication of 21 specimens of comeld and uncomeld joints with different geometry and arrays of pins. Samples were tested under pure tensile loading. For the numerical simulation and investigation, the commerical software ABAQUS has been used and the tensile test were carried out to model a 3D Simulation of the joints considering adhesive behaviour. The analytical investigation were focused on the calculation of laminate stiffness properties after comeld process and the results were calculated using MATLAB capabilities. The results of experimental tests showed a good agreement with those of numerical results. The results show that the comeld joint system has a high potential for effective joining of metal and composite.


The various sciences each have a subject matter—biology, in particular, studies the processes involved in living organisms. Philosophy of biology likewise has a subject matter—biology itself. As a part of philosophy of science, a major part of the goal in philosophy of biology is to understand the ways in which biologists produce knowledge. This inquiry addresses such questions as: What kinds of explanations do biologists provide? How do the explanations of biology relate to those of physics and chemistry? A distinctive feature of biology is that the phenomena it studies have evolved. How can we know about the history of living systems and the processes that shape evolution? Our investigation of biology will look both at its history and its contemporary practice. The reason for turning to its history is that many of the fundamental ideas that guide contemporary biology were developed over the last 200 years and can be identified more crisply during the historical development of modern biology. Thus, we will consider the development of cell theory, physiological chemistry, evolution, and genetics in the 19th century. Many of the same theoretical and conceptual issues that biologists confronted in the 20th century continue to be the focus in contemporary biology, especially those concerned with the mechanisms responsible for biological phenomena and their evolution. To ground our discussion of the contemporary period we will focus on research on one biological phenomenon--circadian rhythms. Students are invited and encouraged to draw upon their own knowledge of biology and its history in class discussions.


The principles and applications of a silicon thermal flow sensor are introduced in detail. The challenges for the development of the sensor are discussed and the future direction is also presensted.


X-shaped flapping wings have excellent maneuverability and flight capabilities under low-Reynolds-number conditions. An appropriate tail can extend the range of a vehicle and improve its stability. This study takes two typical configurations, the inverted T-tail and the inverted V-tail, as the research object. Considering the wings' flexible deformation in the flapping process, the computational fluid dynamics method was used to calculate the vehicles' aerodynamic characteristics, taking into account the aerodynamic interaction effect of the wings and tail. The results show that the wake of flapping wings can significantly reduce the forward flight performance of the tails. The maximum L/D ratio of the two tails decreased by about 38%, and the static stability was also dramatically reduced in the forward flight. The inverted V-tail has better performance in fast forward flight, while the inverted T-tail had better control characteristics at low speeds. The relationship between the tail layouts and aerodynamic performance is also discussed. When the inverted V-tail is in the optimal position, the longitudinal control moment can be doubled in the hovering state. This research provides a reference for the design and arrangement of flapping wings with tails, which is beneficial to the performance improvement of vehicles.


Abstract Productivity in many governmental agencies is obtained by providing the maximum benefit to the citizenry given the budget constraint of the agency. This paper demonstrates a data collection procedure that produces the information necessary for measuring costs and benefits of spot highway safety improvements. Dynamic Programming is used to allocate the total available funds to produce the maximum benefit in terms of estimated savings of lives, injuries and property damage. A comparison is given between this optimal allocation and the results that would be obtained by using a maximum benefit to cost ratio first policy.


PURPOSE
During the past 20 years, a plethora of research reports has been published showing a statistical association between poor oral health and cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this narrative review was to focus on associations between oral infections and non-atherosclerosis-related systemic diseases.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
An open literature search and evaluation of articles were conducted on Medline and Cochrane databases with the key words 'oral infection', 'periodontitis', 'pneumonia', 'osteoarthritis', 'rheumatic diseases', 'inflammatory bowel disease', 'kidney disease', 'liver diseases', 'metabolic syndrome', 'diabetes', 'cancer', 'Alzheimer's disease'. Cardiovascular diseases were excluded from the analysis.

RESULTS
The scarcity of controlled studies did not allow conducting a systematic review with meta-analysis on the topics, but dental infections have been shown be associated with several general diseases also beyond the atherosclerosis paradigm. However, there is no causal evidence of the role of dental infections in this regard. Poor oral health has nevertheless often been observed to be associated with worsening of the diseases and may also affect treatments.

CONCLUSIONS
Maintaining good oral health is imperative regarding many diseases, and its importance in the daily life of any patient group cannot be over emphasised.


An examination of the delinquency statistics of the last ten years suggests that the increase in officially recorded offenses is a condition of the emerging metropolitan community. High rates of delinquency have been uniformly associated with dense and heterogeneous populations. It does not follow that youngsters in the metropolitan areas of our nation are more delinquency-prone, only that more of the deviant behavior is addressed by formal agencies and hence comes to official attention.1 This is an important fact to note since more and more people are moving to our cities. Sixty-four per cent of the population in 1950 was urban. Almost 70 per cent of the population were urban dwellers in I 960. The community is changing within a general social context, which is transforming the character of all social relationships. The changing community gives us, for the most part, a changing profile of delinquency, and changed it is, in more dramatic ways than most of us are aware. All of us are familiar with the fact, so often reported, that we are living in the midst of a great population crisis. That crisis, as it is reported, threatens our traditional way of life. Not only does it threaten on a world or global scale and on a national front but also within what were formerly called local communities. Thi<> crisi<> will become increasingly aggravated before the twentyfirst century is upon us. The changes in our population, however, are something more than changes in mere numbers, for the increase in population is uneven and is reflected in disproportionate increases in the various sectors of the population. America today, strangely


4297) Influenza. A. CLAUS (Flandre MMd., March 7th) considers that the specific pathogenic microbe of influenza is not yet discovered. Some attribute it to a diplococcus, others to a streptococcus ; others think that it is due to mi2robes norraally present whose virulence, under epidemic influence, has been greatly augmented. The infectious nature of the disease is generally conceded. The maicrobe, whatever it be, secretes toxins which cause in the blood or lymph ves-els either simple congestion or free in,lammation. These states determine consecutively in the nerve elements, flbres or cells, compressions or irritations whose painful manifestations will form one of the most constant symptoms. Prominent amongst these is headache, often accompanied by trigeminal neuralgia. More rare are neuralgia of the cervical plexus, intercostal neuralgia, and sciatica. Rachialgia is almost universal and appears abruptly, a feature which the pains possess in common. The latter are migratory, are difficult to define, are not lancinating, and are rarely spontaneous, yet the patient is kept immobilised by them. Pressure is painful yet their seat cannot be localised. As to the nature of the changes produced by the toxins in the nerve elements, Claus believes that they vary from a simple nerve congestion (producing a neurosis neuralgia) to real anatomical changes (subacute neuritic or chronic neuritic iaeuralgia). He also believes the neuralgias to be of a diathetic nature since they present the features of that class of neuralgias-namely, diffuseness, bilateral distribution, erratic nature, and amenability to treatment aimed at the .diathesis. The influenzal neuralgias present these characteristics since they migrate with extraordinary facility, and -often occupy several nerve trunks at once. The neuralgia is seldom seen on -one side only, the cephalalgia, for instance, occupying the whole head. Whether these neuralgias are primarily -of central or peripheral origin is still -subjudice. As indicated above, Claus -considers the diathetic element all-important in their. etiology, age, climate, heredity having but slight influence. It is those who eat and drink too much -the gouty, rheumatic, and arthriticin whom these neuralgias are especially found. The accuracy of this is proved by the fact that the medicaments of most value rank in the order of their :antiarthritic action. Such are antipyrin and salicylate of soda followed by remedies of lessening efficacy, as salipyrin, salol, agathin, phenacetin, exalgin, quinine, etc. Most valuable of all, aecording to the author, is salophen. (298) Chlorosls. V. NOORDBN (Berl. klin. Woch., 1895, Nos. 9 and 10) discusses the pathology and treatment of this affection. The deficiency in hbemoglobin is due either to its increased destruction or to diminished formation or to both factors. The theory based on increased destruction is unsatisfactory. If in the absence of biliary stagnation many derivatives of biliary and allied pigment are largely present in the stools, the destruction of haemoglobin is abundant; if few the destruction is small. The latter is true in chlorosis, and thus there can be no question of excessive destruction; therefore diminished formation of haemoglobin alone remains. As regards the absorption of iron, Bunge advanced the theory that iron holding nucleoalbumin can only be absorbed, this compound being destroyed in the alimentary canal of the chlorotic. But the increased decomposition products assumed for' the destruction of this nucleo-albumin do not exist, and it has been shown that the livers of animals fed on iron salts contain abundant iron. As to the cure effected by iron it is very improbable that it simply supplies the deficit because every chlorotic absorbs sufficient iron for the purpose. There is abundant iron supplied in diet as a nucleo-albumin, but this is not used probably owing to deficient function in the haematopoietic organs. Arsenic, of unquestionable service in chlorosis, acts by its stimulating action on the haematopoietic organs. The author is l of opinion that iron only acts like many other medicinal and hygienic agents by stimulating the haematopoietic organs, and he does not attach any importance, to its relation to the haemoglobin molecule. Absorption from the alimentary canal in chlorosis is usually good. Metabolism behaves as in health. As to dietetic treatment chlorotics who


Photocatalytic hydrogen production is a prospective technology to solve the energy crisis and environmental problems. However, it is still challenging to produce hydrogen from photocatalytic water splitting on a large scale without a sacrificial agent and cocatalyst. Here, it is demonstrated that the dual doping of Ru/In single atoms on TiO2 (Ru‐In SA/TiO2) can modulate the separation of photogenerated carriers during the photocatalytic splitting of pure water. Impressively, the H2 evolution rate of Ru‐In SA/TiO2 reaches 174.1 µmol h−1, which is 6, 18, and 53 times higher than those of the Ru single‐atom decorated TiO2, In single‐atom decorated TiO2, and pristine TiO2, respectively. More importantly, Ru‐In SA/TiO2 outperforms most of the reported photocatalysts for photocatalytic water splitting in the absence of a sacrificial agent. Detailed investigations reveal that the decoration of Ru/In dual‐single atoms leads to the remarkable increase of Ti3+ and enrichment of oxygen vacancies, which accelerate the charge separation. In particular, the femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy suggests that the doping of Ru single atom promotes the transfer of photogenerated electrons from TiO2 into Ru, while the doping of In single atom enhances the transfer of photogenerated holes from the TiO2 valence band to In single atoms, as a result of an efficient electron‐hole separation. This work not only provides an efficient photocatalyst for H2 production through pure water splitting in the absence of a sacrificial agent, but also promotes fundamental research on catalyst design and modification.


The subject of image assessment and specification is of canonical importance to those involved in the research, development, and utilization of imaging systems. The quantitative assessment of something as subjective as the value of an image is essential in quantifying and communicating the needs and results of an imaging system or its components. In spite of the urgent need and the vigorous effort of the technologist responding to this need, no universally accepted standards for the measurement of image quality are available. The utilization of Fourier methods in image assessment and specification problems is currently in vogue because of their dexterity in fulfilling at least two necessary conditions as a measure of image quality. First, the Fourier methods provide a quantitative measure of image quality which reasonably correlates with the subjective effectiveness of an imaging system, and second, the analysis and performance prediction of a cascaded imaging system from a knowledge of the performance of its individual components are facilitated.


: The main goal of this effort is to classify the fly ash from the thermal power plant REK Bitola, Republic of Macedonia, and to determine the possibility for its use. Every year in Macedonia, 900 000 - 1 100 000 t of ash is produced. Only 10% of fly ash is used in cement products that are far below global utilization (25%). Based on the determined chemical composition investigation fly ash has alumosilicate composition and is in class F. The SiO 2 content (40.5-48.6%), Al 2 O 3 (23.2-25.9%), Fe 2 O 3 (8.9-10.6%), CaO (6.9-13.2%). This fly ash can be used for: increasing the yield of various agricultural crops, as a structural material for filling in the construction of roads and embankments, in the production of concrete bricks, blocks, cement composites, etc .


Disclosed are systems and methods for cooling the engine fuel injectors with direct injection. In order to direct the coolant directly below the fuel injector, adjacent to the combustion chamber of the engine with direct injection molded recess for the injector and provides for the use of gaskets with slits for the passage of coolant rods (openings) existing water jacket in the recess beneath the nozzle.


Purpose:To study the influence of treatment with high dose progesterone on telomerase activity in patients with endometrial adenocarcinoma.Methods:20 patients were treated for adenocarcinoma of endometrium with high dose progesterone and the change of telomerase activity in tumor tissue was examined by PCR-TRAP ELISA before and after treatment.Results:The average A value of tumor telomerase before and after treatment were 0.3636(0~1.11) and 0.1134 (0~0.556),respectively.It shows that telomerase activity in tumor was decreased by treatment with progesterone (P0. 01).Conclusions:The effective mechanism for endometrial carcinoma treated with high dose progesterone is related to the change of telomerase activity in tumor tissue.


The growth of 6-year-old sandal plantations in three sandal research bases of Guangdong Province, south China were investigated using a sample plot survey method, statistically differences were found among those three bases in terms of height, diameter at ground level(DGL), diameter at breast height(DBH), clear bole height(CBH) as well as crown(NS direction) width(P0.001), the base located in Zhanjiang got the best growth performance for most morphological indices, including an mean height of 6.05 m, an mean DGL of 12.72 cm, an mean DBH of 10.27 cm, an mean CBH of 2.64 m and an mean crown of 3.20 m. The presences of heartwood were studied using an increment core, and the results show that 15%—20% of 6-year-old sandals have formed heartwood naturally. Essential oil was extracted from heartwood through a solvent extraction method, and the oil content ranges from 0.66% to 1.76%. Oil composition as well as relative content of each component was also determined through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS), the results indicate that the main components of essential oil were the same as the ISO standards for S. album oil, while the quality have not meet with the ISO standard due to the low content of santalols, total santalols range from 34.13% to 37.91%. Early growth and heartwood formation performance show that large scale sandal plantations grow well in Guangdong Province.


 Abstract—Points-to analysis is the problem of approximating run-time values of pointers statically or at compile-time. Points-to sets are used to store the approximated values of pointers during points-to analysis. Memory usage and running time limit the ability of points-to analysis to analyze large programs. To our knowledge, works which have implemented a bit-vector representation of points-to sets so far, allocates bits for each pointer without considering pointer's type. By considering the type, we are able to allocate bits only for a subset of all abstract objects which are of compatible type with the pointer's type and as a consequence improve the memory usage and running time. To achieve this goal, we number abstract objects in a way that all the abstract objects of a type and all of its sub-types are consecutive in order. Our most efficient implementation uses about 2.5× less memory than hybrid points-to set (default points-to set in Spark) and also improves the analysis time for sufficiently large programs.


The early chapters of an excellent little book by M. Edmond Delorme (Medicin InspecteurGeneral de l'armee of France), entitled War Surgery * are devoted to a description of the offensive weapons used in the present great European War. It is stated that wounds by cold steel (bayonets and lances), which have been rarely observed in iecent wars, have in the present war tended to increase. In the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, there were only 600 bayonet wounds out of 98.000, wheieas they now occur in the proportion of 5 per cent, rhe chief weapons of offence nowadays are rifles, machine-guns and big guns. Rifle projectiles are all of one shape approximately, their calibre has been reduced from II to 8 and even 6 o mm. (? inch) their length has however increased from 2 calibres to 3 or even 5 calibres.


Avian E.coli was cultured bathcly in a GUJS-10 C Fermentor by means of plating count and MC Farland's trbidimentry to analyze the relationship between the high density fermentation of avian E.coli and the dissolved oxygen.The result showed: when the number of E.coli was little ,the dissolved oxygen was high;following the generation of E.coli, the dissolved oxygen was descent;getting to the end of log phase, the dissolved oxygen was bottom;entering the stationary phase ,the dissolved oxygen was stable and reaching the phase of decline,the dissolved oxygen was rising again ,at this time we can end the fermentation.


The article considers the interrelation and interference of Russian and German philosophical cultures. Shelling's objectively-idealistic philosophy has exerted certain influence on Russian literary-aesthetic and philosophical thought and Russian romantic movement of the 1st-half of the XIX century. Romanticism with its peculiar national features was one of the major links in cultural-historical development of mankind, also in Russia.


This study examined the factors influencing the vibratory installation of piles in drained granular soils. Several variables were examined to assess their relative importance in pile installation by simulating the pile-hammer-soil system using the finite difference program, FLAC. The soil was modeled using an elasto-plastic hyperbolic stress-strain model. The variables investigated include : soil strength, pile-soil interface friction angle, lateral earth pressure coefficient, hammer operating frequency, bias weight, hammer centrifugal force, and pile embedment. A simple empirical relationship was introduced to estimate the ultimate axial load capacity of vibratory driven piles based on hammer, pile and penetration characteristics. The capacities estimated using the proposed relationship are compared to other formulas using the results of this study and to data from two field test projects.


What do new teachers need to know about literacy and how to teach it? Given the changing demographics of the teaching and teacher education workforce, the changing populations of young people, and the changing nature of literacy, what counts as essential pedagogical knowledge is increasingly open to question. In the midst of such complexity, many governments are taking a stronger position on normative standards for literacy and teacher training. Publishers have moved in to play key roles in the professional development of teachers on authorised approaches. The insider knowledge of generations of teachers is now under threat as large percentages of the teaching population head for retirement. In this article I argue that we need to radically rethink teacher education. Taking the case of literacy, I demonstrate the kinds of pressures and doubts experienced by many teachers about their knowledge and practice. I offer some recommendations for educating the next generation of literacy teachers, which are informed by historical, political, demographic, and futures analyses of the contemporary scene.


Out of 71 cases, five were IgM ELISA negative for Leptospirosis. In the remaining 66, the male female ratio was 1.5:1 and mean age 36.8±15.6 years. Fifty one percent of our cases had contact with flood/stagnant water and 48% with livestock and stray animals. Prominent clinical features were headache (38%), conjuctival suffusion (13.696), jaundice (6096), myalgias (52%) and vomiting (44%). Physical findings were pitting oedema (44%), rash (17%), hepatomegaly (50%), ascites (31%), pleural effusion (18%) and splenomeply (45%). Co-infections present in our patient were; enteric fever in 2 cases, malaria in 6 cases, dengue fever in 6 cases and viral hepatitis in 3. Disease complications observed in our cases were acute respiratory distress syndrome in 47%, clinical bleeding in 20% and acute renal failure in 52%. SOFA scores were cakulated and in 38 patients ranged from 2-7, in 22 patient from 8-11 and in 4 cases was greater than 11. Fifty four patients were treated with ceftriaxone and levofloxacin in 5, azithromycin in 4, doxycycline in 3 and artesunate in 3. The case fatality rate in our study was10.6% (7 cases). Of the eight serovars seen in this study, the commonest identified were; icrerohaemorrhigica in 94%, grippotyphosa in 59% and javanica in 44%. Applying the WHO's modified Faine's criteria for diagnosing leptospirosis revealed a sensitivity of 3.03%, specificity of 80%, positive predictive value of 66%.


We establish some results concerning P-functions from the standpoint of abstract convexity. In particular, we show that the set of all P-functions on a segment is the least set closed under pointwise sum, supremum, and convergence and containing the class of all nonnegative quasi-convex functions on that segment. Further, generalizations are derived of a recent inequality of Hadamard type for P-functions.