This paper presents geomorphological analyses of the Teresopolis Plateau, the Serra do Mar Cliff, and the adjacent areas, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with the help of summit level technique using ASTER GDEM satellite topographic data, and its relation to the Cenozoic tectonism. According to the summit level map of the grid of 4 km, the studied area is divided into three geomorphologic domains, Rio de Janeiro Lowland (RJL), Serra do Mar Scarp (SMS), and Teresopolis Highland (TRH). The Rio de Janeiro Lowland, which corresponds to the Guanabara Graben area, is constituted by alluvial deposit planes and the areas of low hills that expose the metamorphic basement. Their limits are sharp and linear suggesting existence of small faults and grabens. The tops of the low hills are almost at the same altitude, constituting a summit level surface with approximate altitude of 100 m. The summit level maps of the grid of 4 km and 2 km show that the top of the Serra do Mar Scarp is of approximate altitude of 1300 m, and therefore, this normal fault has displacement of about 1200 m. The scarp strikes N75oW and divided into the segments of 15 km to 30 km in length. At some localities on the halfway of the scarp, mega-landslide morphology is observed. The Teresopolis highland is tilted to N30oW with mean dip of 0.9o. The drainage systems on the plateau shows three orientations, N60oE, N10oE e N75oW. Along the Paraiba do Sul River, there is a morphologic depression of 20 km wide and 300 m deep, suggesting presence of a shallow graben. On the Teresopolis Highland, there are three alignments of morphologic protrusions oriented to N50oE, with relative height up to 900 m. The height distribution diagrams for the summit level surfaces suggest that they should be remnant inselbergs before the fault movement of the Serra do Mar Scarp. The Cenozoic normal faults and the fracture systems of this area are often discordant with the basement structure. This phenomenon is explained by the model of the reactivation of the structures of the lithospheric mantle, and not of the continental crust.


Title of Document: WHAT'S IN A "LIKE"? INFLUENCE OF NEWS AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT ON THE DELIBERATION OF PUBLIC OPINION IN THE DIGITAL PUBLIC SPHERE. Soo-Kwang Oh Doctor of Philosophy, 2014 Directed By: Linda Steiner, Ph.D. Professor Philip Merrill College of Journalism This dissertation is a mixed methods study of the influence of the "like" feature on how people discuss and understand online news. Habermas's notion of the public sphere was that an inclusive, all-accessible and non-discriminating forum enables participants to deliberate on topics of concern. With increased interactivity and connectivity introduced by new media, commenting features have been heralded as a means to expand and accommodate discussions from audiences. In particular, by allowing people to provide feedback to each other's ideas via "up-voting" and indicating popular "top" comments, the "like" button shows promise to be a quick and convenient way to increase participation and represent public opinion. This dissertation, however, questions whether this is true. It raises concerns about the new media landscape, asking whether the resulting digital culture helps in the proper functioning of the public sphere. To address these questions, this dissertation adopts a mixed methods approach consisting of the following: 1) Framing analysis of "top" comments and sub-comments that were posted in response to articles about recent presidential elections, examining how audiences' framing of issues influences discussions and what strategies were used to increase "likable" traits; 2) ranking analysis of chronological order, testing whether chronological order of comments is a significant factor for number of "likes," regardless of content; 3) controlled experiment, testing assumptions about cognitive and behavioral responses from individuals regarding the "like" feature and how they perceive public opinion; and 4) focus group sessions with college student news audiences and interviews with media professionals, making in-depth inquiry about people's attitudes and perceptions of "likes." Furthermore, this dissertation paid attention to cultural differences, and compared the U.S. to Korea, with its advanced information technologies and highly utilized online commenting forums. Findings from each of the four methods as well as triangulation of the results showed that "likes" and "top" comments influence people's perceptions of public opinion. The problem was that these "top" comments were "liked" due to certain "likability" factors that had nothing to do with substantive issues and contributed little to the discussion. Also, avid commenters and "likers" tended to hold more extreme viewpoints, therefore promoting skewed perspectives. Moreover, the "top" comments may suggest priority of the ideas promoted in those top comments over others, thus hindering a full deliberation on topics in the public sphere. Across the findings, intercultural differences in both perspectives and behaviors were observed between U.S. and Korean data. Specifically, Korean participants showed higher susceptibility to "likes" and various characteristics regarding "likable" factors as well as "top" comments. The ideals of the public sphere can and will be important for how public opinion can be garnered in the digital setting. Nonetheless, this dissertation posits that the public sphere functions differently in the digital environment and thus its parameters and concepts need to be rethought. Because the public sphere is an abstract ideal, it lacks practicality and adaptability; it requires additional theorization based on cultural differences, various contexts under which audiences' new engagement take place, and rapidly changing technologies and modes of usage within digital culture. WHAT'S IN A "LIKE"? INFLUENCE OF NEWS AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT ON THE DELIBERATION OF PUBLIC OPINION IN THE DIGITAL PUBLIC SPHERE. by Soo‐Kwang Oh Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Maryland, College Park, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2014 Advisory Committee: Professor Linda Steiner, Chair Professor Kalyani Chadha Professor Ron Yaros Professor Xiaoli Nan Professor Sahar Khamis © Copyright by Soo‐Kwang Oh 2014


On the basis of the previous stratigraphic research,the Cenozoic strata in the Weihe Basin have been recognized and partially revised. The main regional stratigraphic units in the Weihe Basin are compared with the "China Regional Chronostratigraphic( Geo-chronologic) Scale",including the Honghe Formation,the Bauluyuan Formation,and the Lengshuigou Formation,the Koujiacun Formation,the Bahe Formation,the Lantian Formation,the Sanmen Formation and the Quaternary loess-paleosol. We found that the conglomerate at the bottom of Lantian Formation should be thought as the upper part of the Bahe Formation. The Sanmen Formation is defined more clearly that it has no vertical relationship with the Lantian Formation. These two formations are the contemporaneous heterotopic facies within the same deposition period,but over different environments,and they have never been found in one section in the Weihe Basin. The "Zhangjiapo Formation"and the "Youhe Formation"were wrongly founded and placed in time before,they should be concealed and belong to the"Sanmen Formation". The tectonic rifting and sedimentary evolution of the Weihe Basin has been analyzed and reviewed,and the Eocene and late Miocene are found as the two most important developmental stages of the Weihe Basin during the Cenozoic era.The Weihe basin is synergistic and related to the uplifting of the Qinling Mountains and the evolution of the Ordos Plateau in time and motivation.


Experimental studies are presented on the shear plugging and frictional behaviour of composites and fabrics under quasi‐static loading. The primary focus is on the effect of specimen thickness on quasi‐static shear plugging behaviour. In the present study, quasi‐static shear plugging and through‐the‐thickness frictional tests are carried out on three types of materials. The materials investigated are 2D plain weave E‐glass/epoxy, 2D plain weave T300 carbon/epoxy and 2D plain weave E‐glass fabric. Typical results on shear plugging strength and frictional behaviour are presented. Effect of specimen thickness on quasi‐static shear plugging behaviour is also investigated.


In general, the valuation of intangibles such as trademarks is founded directly on earning power. Where little or no income history is available, however, imagination, common sense and experience may be the best guides, in addition to studies of the industry in which the trademarks will be used or the products marketed, market surveys of probable sale prices and expected profits, and opinions of industry experts.


It has been generally accepted that the Upper Galilee was a densely populated region through the Bronze Age. Aharoni (1957) suggested that concept following his pioneering work in that area during the 1950s. The author's survey in the Lower Galilee, as well as partial surveys in the Upper Galilee and southern Lebanon, revealed that those regions were poorly settled in the Late Bronze Age. In the light of that archaeological evidence, this article reexamines some Egyptian historical sources, and argues that both archaeologically and historically the Galilee was not a major occupied region as Aharoni suggested. The regional vacancy illustrates the situation in the Galilee on the eve of the "Israelite settlement."


Diffeomorphisms of the two torus that are isotopic to the identity have rotation sets that are convex compact subsets of the plane. We show that certain line segments (including all rationally sloped segments with no rational points) cannot be realized as a rotation set.


Oral microbiology plays a major role not only in etiology but also our ability to prevent and treat oral diseases. Rapid and specific tests to identify the bacteria have facilitated increased testing by clinicians. However, results must be interpreted with regard to current concepts of etiology and pathogenesis of periodontal diseases. Various techniques/methods have been described for microbial diagnosis. This paper addresses the different microbiological diagnostic aids and their short comings. I. Introduction: Epidemiological surveys have shown that most of the adults present some mild form of periodontal disease. 5 to 15% of them suffer from severe periodontitis 7 . Periodontitis is mostly associated with micro- organism colonizing on the tooth surface and that is the main reason for prevention of periodontal disease is mainly based on plaque control. Even after following preventive practice on periodontitis, controlling the periodontal disease still remains a major public health problem in general population. Treatment is usually initiated when lesions are clinically detectable and tissue damage is irreversible. This occurs mainly due to the lack of diagnostic methods to detect early tissue change when the lesions are still at a reversible stage and can be treated in a non-invasive way. The treatment should be targeted at controlling the etiological agents. Various techniques/ methods have been described for microbial diagnosis. Some of the diagnostic tests includesCulture Methods, Direct Microscopy, Immunofluorescence Method, ELISA test, BANA test, Polymerase Chain Reaction, DNA probe, Checker Board DNA-DNA - hybridization technique, Restriction Endonuclease Analysis and Microbiological kits etc. In this article the merits and demerits of different microbiological aids are discussed.


The aim of our study was to define the growth kinetics of bacteria isolated from Mastitie cows and quantify the oxidative burst of neutrophils isolated from normal and Mastitic milk. Additionally, susceptibility of 1' bacteria to Penicillin, Amoxicillin and Erythromycin at various concentrations was determined. Data on bacterial growth kinetics were acquired in Bioscreen. Results indicate that Amoxicillin was not effective at limiting bacterial growth, while Penicillin and Erythromycin showed enhanced growth inhibition to S. aurcus and S. uberis, resprctively. Flow Cytometry analysis revealed a high oxidative burst of activity in a number of the investigated neutrophiles, especially in mastitic milk samples where opsonized E. coli acted as a chemotactic factor.


California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) has an active photonics-related program. The thrusts of the program are coursework, extensive photonic educational laboratories, an SPIE student branch chapter, and a new Project-Based Learning Institute (PBLI) to promote joint projects with industry. This paper will describe our program for a multidisciplinary approach to photonics education at the undergraduate and master's degree level.


Wildlife populations are increasingly threatened by the expansion of road networks and built-up areas worldwide. However, ecological effects of roads and traffic at the level of landscape functions, communities, and ecosystems are complex and potentially unexpected. They are usually not well studied and not considered in environmental impact assessments (EIAs) and road planning. Major efforts are necessary to improve the quality of project‐specific EIAs, landscape‐scale cumulative effect assessments (CEA), strategic environmental assessments (SEA), road planning, and land‐use planning. I draw 12 lessons from recent advances in Road Ecology science that are important for EIA at the landscape-scale.


1 This work was supported by the Computer Science Department at the University of Technology Bialystok (Poland) under the grant W/II/6/96 Abstract Offered algorithm allows to built the structure of the parallel pipeline FFT processors (PPFFT-processor) computing the vector DFT in real time with the minimum structural complexity at given parameters: speed of input data receipt; structure of a computing element (arithmetic device) and time of the butterfly operation execution. The considered approach to structural synthesis of the PPFFT-processors for Rdimensional signal processing allows to receive the structure of the processor under given restrictions of a specific problem and is the basis for the decision of questions of automated design of PPFFT-processors at a structural level.


The HEMP has very short rising time with several tens of kV/m, and very dangerous to almost of the electronics. And the certain level of EMP shielding effectiveness is necessary for mos t of the systems andequipment. In EMP shielding effectiveness, the peak value and the rising time in the system are the most considerable parameters. In order to find out these parameters, we need to estimate the pulse shape in time domain. In this paper, we propose the methods to estimate the penetrated pulse in time domain using measured shielding effectiveness and digital filter modeling technique. The validity of the Digital filter modeling technique is verified by the HFSS.


To reflect Harbin urban parks' service situation more accurately, bringing a great rationalization and equity to distribution, the research evaluated Harbin's urban parks' service situation based on both angles of accessibility and service efficiency by the GIS-based analysis platform. The results showed that 1) Using accessibility analysis, under 500m and 1 000m service radius only 13.67% and 28.99% respectively of the study area can reach urban parks easily; 2) Using service efficiency analysis, under 500m and 1 000m service radius, there are only 23.8% and 51.89% respectively of the citizens can be served by the urban parks; 3) The evaluation of urban parks' service situation based on accessibility and service efficiency is more precise and reasonable than the traditional evaluation indexes. The case study has collected accurate date files on accessibility and service efficiency of Harbin's urban parks. The research and results will certainly provide reference for future planning and managing of the urban parks.


Although the legislation of food safety law system in China has already got certain achievement, there are still many problems. For example, it exists the inconsistency in the legislative system, and the revision of law lags behind the demand, etc. The faultiness of the law system not only has brought some difficulties to the management of food safety, but also could not ensure the food safety efficiently. In this paper, by comparing the food safety law systems between China and Japan, we found some disadvantages of food safety law system in China and put forward some suggestions in order to perfect it.


After reviewing the course of the Olympic Games' commercialization,We can see the influence of the commercialization on the Olympic Games' development clearly,which include the positive impact and negative effects.Indeed,the commercialization have brought out many problems.It influences deeply on Olympics doctrine and spirit;weakening Olympics education function;most importantly,in a large extent the Olympic games is controlled by the business benefits.But it is not to deny the commercialization made the Olympic Games' become the successful and the most outstanding athletics game in the world.In order to make Olympic Games continue,some suggestions for preventing the Olympic Games from excessive commercialization and keeping the Olympic ideal are proposed.


Pronounced as "musician", the musicnn library contains a set of pre-trained musically motivated convolutional neural networks for music audio tagging: this https URL. This repository also includes some pre-trained vgg-like baselines. These models can be used as out-of-the-box music audio taggers, as music feature extractors, or as pre-trained models for transfer learning.
We also provide the code to train the aforementioned models: this https URL. This framework also allows implementing novel models. For example, a musically motivated convolutional neural network with an attention-based output layer (instead of the temporal pooling layer) can achieve state-of-the-art results for music audio tagging: 90.77 ROC-AUC / 38.61 PR-AUC on the MagnaTagATune dataset --- and 88.81 ROC-AUC / 31.51 PR-AUC on the Million Song Dataset.


0.5 MNaCI or by specifically eluting the 100- and 40-kDaphosphoproteins from the antiphosphotyrosine immunecomplexeswithphenylphosphatepriortotheinitiation ofthekinase reaction. E. coli has no detectable PTKs(see refer-ence21andreferences within); thereforethetyrosine kinaseactivity in immunoprecipitates mustbeanendogenousprop-erty ofthe STYexpressionproduct. Whileit is possible thatthe


Let X be a metric continuum and n a positive integer. Let Fn (X) be the hyperspace of nonempty subsets of X with at most n points. If 0 < m < n, we consider the quotient space Fnm (X) = Fn (X)/Fm (X). Given a mapping f  from X into X, we consider the induced mappings fn from Fn (X) into Fn (X) and fnm  from Fnm (X) into Fnm (X). In this paper we study the relations among the dynamics of the mappings f, fn, and fnm  and we answer some questions, by F. Barragán, A. Santiago-Santos and J. Tenorio, related to the properties: minimality, irreducibility, strong transitive and turbulence.


Secretion of fluid by the fallopian tubes was examined in normal ewes during their sexually active period and in ovariectomized ewes which were treated with progesterone and oestradiol benzoate. The normal ewes showed a cyclical variation in fluid secretion with a peak output of 0·98 ml/day in oestrus dropping to 0·37 ml/day in dioestrus. In ovariectomized animals oestradiol benzoate produced a cyclical variation similar to that seen in the normal ewe. The effect of progesterone was to shorten the response to oestrogen from 6 to 4 days. Progesterone given alone did not raise fluid secretion above that observed in untreated ovariectomized ewes.


The double transesterification polymerization of 3′,6′-bis(pinacolatoboron)fluoran and pentaerythritol is reported. A model dimeric compound was synthesized to demonstrate the effectiveness of bis-diols to undergo a double transesterification, which is driven by formation of the energetically favored six-membered di-ester ring from a monomer containing a five-membered di-ester ring. This synthetic procedure provides a new route to boronate based polymers, avoiding unstable boronic acid monomers. Formation of poly-3′,6′-bis(1,3,2-dioxaborinane)fluoran, with a molecular weight of 10 000, is complete after 48 h at 50 °C. The thermodynamic stability of the six-membered boronic ester rings present in the polymer backbone also improves the stability of the polymer and its resistance to oxidation under ambient and UV light conditions. A surface detection method for the analysis of H2O2 vapor by a fluorescence turn-on response was explored. The fluorescent response results from oxidative deprotection of the boronate functionalities forming green luminescent fluorescein. Detection limits as low as 3 ppb were observed for H2O2 over an 8 h period. Detection of H2O2 in liquids can also be carried out through spot tests at concentrations as low as 1 ppm after 5 min. This new vapor-phase sensor for H2O2 provides a robust, low-cost alternative to current technology for potential applications as a self-integrating sensor for the detection of H2O2 as well as the direct monitoring of H2O2 levels in areas such as cargo shipments, chemical facilities, and pulp bleaching.


Here, we describe Theretra makhrovi sp. nov., a new hawk moth species from Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. This species is most similar to Theretra acuta Vaglia & Liyous, 2010 and T. rhesus (Boisduval, [1875]) but can be distinguished from these taxa by the lack of several marking features such as narrow yellow stripes on the tegula, a large, triangular black spot on the underside of the forewing, and a clear zigzag curved band on the underside of the hindwing. The new species has pink shading on the underside of both wings that is absent in the two other species. It also has narrower and longer wings and specific male genitalia structure compared with the two similar taxa.


1. Approaching the Question: Domestic Background and Conceptual Framework 2. The First Steps: Iceland's Policy on European Integration from the Foundation of the Republic to 1972 3. A Controversial Step: Membership of the EEA 4. Deeply Involved in the European Project: Membership of Schengen 5. Partial Engagement: A Practical Solution 6. Life is First and Foremost Saltfish 7. The Special Relationship between Iceland and the United States of America 8. Discussing Europe: Icelandic Nationalism and European Integration 9. The Euro-Sceptical Political Elite 10. Shackled by Smallness: A Weak Administration as a Determinant of Policy Choice 11. Towards a New Theoretical Approach


Indonesia is a country that is underlined equator so that the Indonesian state is influenced by two seasons: the rainy season and dry season. This resulted in soil naturally suffered repeated cycles of wetting drying thereby affecting soil
characteristics, good physical properties, mechanical properties
and dynamic properties that occur due to changes in volume due to changes in soil water content. This cycle also occurs in the soil on the slopes of Sumber Aji village Kota Batu - Malang.
Due to the drying and wetting cycles are repeated soil strength on the slopes of Sumber Aji village Kota Batu - Malang decreased soil stabilization so that needs to be done. By
increasing the strength of the soil chemically induced in the laboratory, which is in this study used lime and fly ash as stabilization material. The study on soil physical properties
include water content (Wc), void ratio (e), the degree of saturation (Sr), specific gravity (Gs), dry density (Ɣd), heavy soil volume (Ɣt), Atterberg limits (LL, PL , PI), with sieving analize and hydrometer. Mechanical properties include cohesion (c) and
pore water pressure is negative (-Uw). Dynamic properties include the maximum shear modulus (Gmax) with bender
element testing.


Dispersion of nanomaterials in polymeric matrices plays an important role in determining the final properties of the composites. Dispersion in nano scale, and especially in single layers, provides best opportunity for bonding. In this study, we propose that by proper functionalization and mixing strategy of graphene its dispersion, and bonding to the polymeric matrix can be improved. We then apply this strategy to graphene-epoxy system by amino functionalization of graphene oxide (GO). The process included two phase extraction, and resulted in better dispersion and higher loading of graphene in epoxy matrix. Rheological evaluation of different graphene-epoxy dispersions showed a rheological percolation threshold of 0.2 vol% which is an indication of highly dispersed nanosheets. Observation of the samples by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM), showed dispersion homogeneity of the sheets at micro and nano scales. Study of graphene-epoxy composites showed good bonding between graphene and epoxy. Mechanical properties of the samples were consistent with theoretical predictions for ideal composites indicating molecular level dispersion and good bonding between nanosheets and epoxy matrix.


The equilibrium constants, rate constants and activation parameters for axial ligation of alkyl(aquo)cobaloximes by N donor ligands in the presence of 0.2 M buffer (to maintain pH) and 1.0 M KCl (to maintain ionic strength) have been determined spectrophotometrically at 442 nm. The rates and activation parameters (ΔH and ΔS ) for the reactions have been estimated from the effect of concentration of ligand and temperature on the kinetics of these reactions. From the results of experimentally determined rates and activation parameters of cobaloximes, it can be concluded that the reactivity of metal complexes is greatly influenced by the ligand field effect of the co-ordinated groups and the presence of pi acceptor ligand, which provides a low energy pathway for electron transfer from a pi donor ligand anion leading to rate enhancement. The small negative ΔS and low ΔH values suggest the operation of a dissociative interchange (Id) substitution mechanism at the Co(III) center.


Estuarine sediments exposed during road construction at Royal Park in the city of Launceston, northern Tasmania, were found to contain
a diverse molluscan fauna with some 40 species identified. An unusual occurrence was the presence of six specimens of Anadara trapezia,
a species not previously encountered in situ in Quaternary marine or estuarine deposits in Tasmania. Amino acid racemisation and
electron spin resonance, calibrated against radiocarbon dating, point to a late Holocene age for this estuarine sequence. A numeric age of
2600 ±400 yrs BP was derived for a specimen of A. trapezia, based on the extent of leucine and valine racemisation. Electron spin resonance
data are consistent with this age assessment. The presence of A. trapezia in late Holocene sediments at Launceston may imply slightly warmer
water temperatures during the late Holocene.


ABSTRACT Each responsibility center have manager in charge of a activity that happened in center which responsibility head, and periodical the manager will justify result of its job to company head. Type of center responsibility there is four types that are earnings center, cost center, profit center and investment center. Responsibility accounting information useful in operation of management, because emphasizing at relation. Among information with manager in charge of to execution and planning. In evaluating measurement of manager performance center responsibility of answer there three used performance that is efficiency, effectiveness and economic. Keywords : center responsibility, control of management, manager performance.


A.-I know of no evidence that sulphonamides given to a pregnant woman have any effect on the baby. Indeed, sulphonamides may be given for prolonged periods in cases of prolonged renal-tract infections. The only substance known to cause kernicterus is the analogue of vitamin K. Excessive doses of vitamin K and its synthetic analogues should not be given to newborn babies, a dose of 1 mg. being considered adequate for prophylaxis of neonatal haemorrhage.


The 3-3-1 model with neutral leptons contains four CP-even Higgs bosons when some constraints are imposed on the Higgs potential. Two Higgs bosons of this type are identified with the corresponding ones in the Two-Higgs-Doublet model (2HDM), an other being more massive does not couple with similar particles contained in the Standard Model (SM). The remaining particle is assumed to have no lepton-flavor-violating couplings. The contributions at one-loop order to $\mathrm{\Gamma}(\mathrm{H}\rightarrow l_il_j)$$(H \equiv h^0_1,h^0_2,h^0_3)$ come mainly from neutral leptons leading them to depend very strongly on mass of charged Higgs boson, masses and the mixing matrix ($V^L_{ab}$) of the neutral leptons. The numerical investigated results of $\mathrm{\Gamma}(\mathrm{H}\rightarrow l_il_j)$ in the spatial regions satisfying the experimental limit of lepton-flavor-violating decays of charged leptons (cLFV) indicate that the signal of SM-like Higgs boson ($\mathrm{\Gamma}(h^0_1\rightarrow l_il_j)$) approaches the upper bound of the experimental limit and $\mathrm{\Gamma}(\mathrm{H}\rightarrow l_il_j)$ can take large values in the case of $V^L_{ab} = U^L_{ab}(\pi/4,\pi/4,-\pi/4)$ and smaller in the case of $V^L_{ab} = U^L_{ab}(\pi/4,0,0)$. Further, some distinct properties of $\mathrm{\Gamma}(h^0_2\rightarrow l_il_j)$ and $\mathrm{\Gamma}(h^0_3\rightarrow l_il_j)$ are also discussed.


The invention relates to an intelligent patrol machine car. The intelligent patrol machine car comprises a car with road wheels and a motor, a control system which is arranged on the car, and a photoelectric track detector which is arranged on the car; the control system comprises a motor drive module, a track sampling and logic control module, a communication module, an infrared obstacle avoidance module and a temperature and humidity detection module; and the car communicates with an upper computer detection system by the communication module. The machine car has the advantages of being applied to fire protection and mould prevention of gain depots and all-weather monitoring, and avoiding labor consumption and fire resulting from negligence of staff. The car can automatically avoid obstacles and search routes, eliminates potential hazards, and judge whether the grain goes moldy according to the ambient humidity. Meanwhile, the car can also go to a plurality of hazardous environments to which human can not reach, and transmit the information acquired by a transducer to a computer which processes and displays the information by the communication module.


Abstract : This paper summarizes the Wright Laboratory In-house Laboratory Independent Research (ILIR) conducted to develop an eye safe laser communication system which is minimally affected by atmospheric turbulence and absorption. Details concerning the 8 kilometer pulsed laser communications link established between the Wright-Patterson AFB Trebein site and Area B, building 620, Laser Communications Laboratory (LCL) are described.


People are exposed to several types of ionising radiation from both natural and man-made sources. A set of concepts and dosimetric quantities, along with approximations or models, may be used to evaluate doses from these radiation sources whatever they are and whatever their form or the energy and the intensity of their radiation. This scheme is considered to provide reliable results for the purposes of protection against radiation. However, some limitations are also illustrated which account for the various and complex mechanisms which intervene in the real situation of exposure to radiation. Copyright© 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel Introduction ~ . Throughout their lifetimes, people are exposed involuntarily to various ionising radiation sources, such as natural sources like radon or artificial sources like the waste from nuclear installations. The level of this exposure is variable according to the place and the time. In addition, people may also be exposed occupationally to radiation sources (workers in the nuclear power industry in particular) or for medical reasons (e.g. examination by radiography or treatment by radiotherapy). Sources of ionising radiation, whether natural or artificial, have a very great diversity with regard to form, energy and intensity and also the routes by which exposure can occur. Exposure can originate externally or internally; it can be chronic or acute, local or distributed in a homogeneous way over all the body. It is this that makes the task of evaluating the exposure 'dose' (it will be seen throughout this paper that the general term 'dose' covers a great number of different concepts) as well as predicting the possible health effects for the individual a priori difficult. Our knowledge of ionising radiation sources, natural as well as artificial, has been refined over the years, thanks to the accumulation of data by many disciplines. It is possible today to establish a reasonably precise assessment of


The residual stresses have a considerable importance in the behaviour of the mechanical workpieces. The improvement of these residual stresses allows the improvement of the resistance of the mechanical workpieces and increases the resistance against fatigue crack and corrosion. These two parameters give rise to a considerable decrease in weight which is very desirable in the automobile industry, aeronautical engineering, aerospace, high technology etc. This paper presents the effects of Laser Assisted Machining (LAM) on the residual stresses. These residual stresses were measured by X-ray diffraction. The measurements were carried out on the workpieces machined by laser assisted machining and conventional machining. The obtained results were compared with initial residual stresses in the workpieces. This paper shows that it is possible to control the residual stress distribution in the workpieces by the laser assisted machining.


Due to the development of economic globalization and the rapid improvement of China's economic strength, the importance of business English is self-evident. In the context of cultural and cultural differences, the barriers to translation of international business English have gradually emerged. This paper mainly studies how to improve the translation effect of international business English through cultural environment difference orientation and machine learning algorithms, so as to improve college students' English comprehensive ability.


In this final paper a project for upgrading of the gas turbine with thermal regeneration has been developed. It is an industrial gas turbine that uses natural gas.
With the help of input data, the lower heating power of natural gas 50 MJ/kg, input pressure in the turbocharger 1 bar, input temperature in the turbocharger 20 ℃, turbine inlet pressure 11,68 bar, turbine inlet temperature 990 ℃, outlet temperature in the turbocharger 335℃ and output temperature from the trubine 500 ℃, a calculation of gas turbine has been made.
The calculation for gas turbine plant in several variants are presented. In the first part of the calculation, the operating parameters of the gas turbine running on real process are calculated, then in the second part also the operating parameters of the gas turbine have been calculated, but this time according to the ideal process. Finally in the third part the calculation of the real process of the gas turbine have been shown, but this time with heat regenerator.
After the calculation the results are graphically displayed and analyzed. First, a comparison of the real and ideal process without a regenerator was performed, and then the effect of regenerator efficiency on the actual parameters of the actual gas turbine process was shown.


Volume 1. 1886-1920: The earliest period of British investment in oil concessions in the Trans-Caucasus and Roumania, depicting typical commercial procedures, involvement of land owners, and the setback to the industry brought about by the Russian Revolution of 1905 Volume 2. 1920-1922: 1920 did not mark the end of disturbances brought about by the First World War in Russia, especially in Trans-Caucasia: the Caspian Sea, Baku, Batoum and other ports, and the three regions which briefly constituted the republic of Trans-Caucasia were occupied and contested variously by the Allies, by General Deniken and the White Russians, by Turkey, and ultimately by the Bolsheviks Volume 3. 1922-1938: Relations were tense between the UK government, the Soviet Union and Roumania over the unsettled claims, and despite British businesses maintaining a footing in the petroleum trade, the insularity of the Soviet regime during this period led to a steady decline in export/import to western European countries Volume 4. 1939-1945: Main emphasis is on the defence of Soviet and East European supplies and plans to prevent their falling into belligerent hands Volume 5. 1946-1948: Dealing with the legacy of Soviet expansionism, and incipient nationalism, from Austria to Iran Volume 6. 1951-1960: Impact and ramifications of the nationalisation of British companies by foreign governments efforts by British firms to claim for losses Soviet Bloc oil: debates about possible imports into the UK, general reviews of export potential in the context of the continuing issue of outstanding claims Volume 7. 1960-1966: NATO concerns over possibility of increased Russian oil exports, lobbying by the UK reviews of the effects on the non-communist market, January-March 1961. Consideration of a change of British policy to Soviet oil, in relation to the attitudes of USA and European countries, 1961. Soviet oil exports and the EEC, 1962-63, towards an accommodation with the Russians over oil imports, 1962-64 Volume 8. 1967-1978: This volume addresses the period of relaxation of trade sanctions in oil with Eastern European countries and with Russia, brought about by the resolution of the dispute over claims arising from World War ll, and from the conclusion that Russian oil imports would not diminish other UK energy industries Volume 9. 20 colour maps.


The establishment and deployment of Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) is regarded as the military issue in traditional security and responds to the thought of deterrence in Realism. However, the context of the global ballistic missile defense regime could not be operated smoothly and effectively without transnational cooperation and mutual aid. In other words, the security framework of Realism must be implemented through the perspective of mutual aid and cooperation in Liberalism. In addition, given that the main countries achieve the cognition of establishing the BMDS, the opposite side, the defended countries, will regard it as a signal of security threat, and inevitably try to counteract it. The arms race or the conflict opposition tensions probably emerge and lead to a type of security dilemma presented eventually. Washington reaching its long-term goal of setting up a BMDS in Europe recent years has provided the examination platform in the thoughts of Realism, Liberalism, and Social Constructivism. This article penetrates the processes of US system deployment and all standpoints to demonstrate that Social Constructivism is a guiding ideology and the Liberalism is the effective tool to carry out the processes of this policy. As for the Realism, it is a consequence of revealing to the world. It possibly not helps to guarantee the international society or the US itself security but to examine the validity of military security policy.


Abstract A method of computation by iteration techniques is used to determine the temperature at the tip of a single point tool during a cutting operation; temperature measurements are made by a thermocouple located at an accessible point on the tool. Exceptionally close agreement with experimentally measured temperatures is obtained. A computer program is developed to facilitate the computation of the temperature distribution of this three-dimensional body in point-contact with a heat source.


Uniform attachment of enzymes to solid surfaces is essential in the development of bio and optical sensor devices. Immobilization by adsorption according to hydrophilic or hydrophobic nature is dependent on the charges and defects of the support surfaces. Sol-gel SiO2 densified glass surfaces, frequently used as supports for protein immobilization, are evaluated via scanning electron microscopy. The model protein is globular enzyme lysozyme, deposited by adsorption on functionalized surfaces. Formation of a protein layer is confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy, and the SEM images suggest discontinuous adsorption in areas where cracks predominate on the glass surface.


The invention discloses an air purifier for purifying the air of closed space, while it is integrated, multifunctional, and modularized. It comprises a dust collect electrode, a discharge electrode, a high-pressure generator electrically connected to the discharge electrode and the dust collect electrode, and several modularized purifying units. Wherein, each purifying unit comprises a purifying frame and at least one purifying channel inside said frame which comprise at least one group of dust collect electrodes and discharge electrodes; nearby or more frames have detachable connectors between them; each purifying unit has one power circuit with a exposed electric connector; the electric connectors of nearby purifying units are related and contacted to conduct electricity.


Professor Palter may not be delighted to read this but to judge from his interesting, learned and long review article entitled "Black Athena, Afro-centrism, and the history of science" in the September 1993 issue ofthis journal, I think that we share much common ground. For instance, on the essential question of my credentials to venture into the field of ancient science at all, he describes my rhetoric as "predicated ... on ignorance and superficial understanding". In the first paragraph of "Animadversions on the origins of Western science", I described the "trepidation that is proper for anyone who is neither a scientist nor a historian of science writing for Isis". I I agreed to write the essay partly because I was invited to do so but also because I believe that there are times when outsiders can usefully participate in specialist debates. While they lack expertise, outsiders can sometimes have a perspective on larger topics that is less easily available to those working within the disciplines concerned. In this case, I find the presumption of isolation of the cultures around East Mediterranean held by most Hellenists, ancient historians and archaeologists of the Aegean extremely implausible. The four basic reasons for maintaining the opposite position ofopenness to the possibility of fundamental cultural contacts are: geographical proximity, temporal overlap, material evidence ofcontact, and substantial Greek traditions of cultural borrowings from Egypt and the Levant.' Furthermore, as I tried to explain in vol. i of Black Athena, there are clear historical and ideological reasons why nineteenthand twentieth-century historians should have erected a cultural barrier between 'East' and 'West'. Given all of these factors, I should be surprised if there had not been substantial Greek cultural as well as material borrowings from the older civilizations. Thus, unlike scholars in the tradition represented by Professor Palter, I do not require proof of any particular contact, merely a strong plausibility of one. For example, Palter refers to the disagreement between the Egyptologist J. H. Breasted and the medical historian Henry Sigerist on the question of whether the clear similarity between the Egyptian and the Greek methods of treating dislocated jaws was the result ofdiffusion from Egypt or independent invention (p. 220). Sigerist argued for the latter, as he saw "really only one anatomically possible way to do this". Therefore, as Palter puts it: "Egyptians and Greeks may well have independently discovered the procedure" (p. 230).


Room temperature operation of surface-emitting single-mode distributed feedback quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) operating at a wavelength around 8.5 μm is presented. The record output peak powers of 3.85 W at 160 K and 1.06 W at 300 K were obtained by an optimum grating design. A two-lobed far-field pattern with a separation of 0.35° along the waveguide was observed. It is an important step to realize the practical application of surface-emitting QCLs in mid-infrared spectral range for high power in optical circuit integration.


CZTS (Copper zinc Tin Sulphide) has commanded the next-generation solar-cell material because of its superior performance, lower cost, and abundant availability on the earth. This study examined the impact of different dopants in the buffer layer on the solar cells' electrical characteristics. For the n-ITO/CdS (Ag-CdS, Cu-CdS, and Cl-CdS)/CZTS/ Mo proposed device structure of the solar cell, the doping concentration and thickness of the buffer and absorber layers were examined. Ag-CdS buffer layer was shown to be one of the best options for manufacturing a buffer layer for a CZTS-based solar cell in this study. The doping concentration and thickness of the solar cell have been optimized in this work. This work gives more than 21 % efficiency by using Ag-CdS as a dopant in the CdS buffer layer. The numerical modelling of the proposed structure reveals a unique method for improving the efficiency of the CZTS solar cell. The findings of this study are expected to utilize in the interest of the many researchers working in this field.


The paper describes the experience of using undergraduate students as peer learning assistants (PLAs) in different undergraduate computer science courses which have graduate teaching assistants (TAs) as well. Depending on the course, PLAs have some of the following roles - holding office hours, helping with the labs and tutorials, facilitating student group work in class. The impact of PLAs on student learning outcomes is assessed by comparing student grades in the offerings of the course with and without PLAs and comparing the numbers of student visits outside of the class meeting times to the instructor, to the TAs, and to the PLAs. In addition to that, questionnaires are used to solicit feedback from students and PLAs about their experience. We find that the use of PLAs results in statistically significant increase in student course grades and decrease in the number of non-passing grades. Student experiences with PLAs are very positive. Many students prefer to seek help from the PLAs rather than from the TAs or instructor. PLAs report that the experience was beneficial to them, too. The paper discusses benefits of using PLAs, student preferences regarding PLAs and TAs, and what practices worked best.


Abstract The purpose of this paper is to design a cascade observer to reconstruct the angular speed of induction motor as well as an estimator of fluxes and load torque. Due to the complexity of induction motor observation at low frequencies the observer and the estimator are tested and validated on reference trajectories of a new sensorless induction motor benchmark particularly in the case when the motor state is unobservable. This benchmark is applied on an experimental setup located at IRCCyN (Nantes, France).


Today, society is shifting away from just economic measures of development to human-centered measures and value- based indicators. The SDGs are not just aimed at government but many other strategic actors, including civil society. Nested structures of responsibility for implementation will be required as some things are just not possible to achieve only by policy. A key challenge for engaging civil society in delivery of the SDGs will be to take the very impressive process and translate them into a language that people will identify with and adhere to. Additionally, it is important to recognize that a large part of humanity simply will not care about the goals and will be motivated by forces that work counter to them so new strategies must assume such. In this paper we explore the role of global cities in the global governance architecture, specifically with regards to the implementation of the SDGs in Global Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. We then provide a case study of Abu Dhabi by applying the Sustainability-Oriented Innovation Index for Airports©, with regards to the international airport's capacity to align sustainability strategies through three unique lenses of environmental, social, and technological innovation. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate how the collaborative responsiveness, reflexivity, and adaptability of a city and its respective airport breeds the kind of legitimacy called for by citizens and solidifies the role of cities in today's global governance architecture as a main actor for the implementation of the SDGs.


The paper presents an analysis of creep of ground reinforced with granular piles. The effects of normalized applied stress, creep ratio, relative stiffness factor, area ratio and swell ratio on creep rates are estimated and presented. Results indicate that the rate of settlements increase with time for lower values and decrease for higher values of normalized applied stress, creep ratio, relative stiffness factor, area ratio and swell ratio because as rebound on unloading is more. Indian Geotechnical Conference – 2010, GEOtrendz December 16–18, 2010 IGS Mumbai Chapter & IIT Bombay


Abstract Thirty adult (3.2–8.6 kg) striped bass Morone saxatilis were tagged with ultrasonic transmitters and tracked for up to 475 d in 9,510-hectare Lake Whitney, a Texas reservoir, to determine seasonal distribution, migration patterns, and water temperatures occupied. Striped bass distribution in summer was limited to an area near the dam, where they survived temperatures as high as 29.0°C. Tagged fish generally were found in the coolest water available (27.0–29.0°C) that contained adequate dissolved oxygen (>4.0 mg/L) in summer and occupied the warmest water (7.4–8.8°C) in winter. For the rest of the year, the fish were distributed throughout available water temperatures. Beginning in autumn, most striped bass moved up the reservoir to and into the main tributaries and remained there until spring, when they returned to the main reservoir. No spawning run up main tributaries was observed in either of the two study years, possibly due to low inflows. Individual fish displayed a preference for certain a...


Tualang honey can be collected from the hives of Apis dorsata bee species on Tualang trees. Its various nutritional and curative properties could probably be due to its antioxidant effects. Subsequent to previous studies demonstrating its positive effects on spatial memory performance and hippocampal neuronal count, the current study investigated whether it has morphometric effects on the hippocampal cornu ammonis 1 (CA1) pyramidal neurons. It is important to evaluate the characteristics of hippocampal constituent neurons since this brain structure, which is primarily involved in memory processing, is most vulnerable towards oxidative stress. Male Sprague Dawley rats were force-fed five days a week for 12 consecutive weeks with 1.0ml/100g body weight of 70% Tualang honey (HON) or with 0.9% saline (SAL) as control. Nissl's stained dorsal transverse hippocampal sections (8μm thick) of both groups were visualized under Olympus BX51 light microscope. Images were captured using Analyzer Life Science software and morphometric analysis was conducted using Image-Pro Premier 9.1 64-bit software. Only neuronal somas with clear nucleus and nucleolus were included in the morphometric analysis. Significant differences were observed between the groups for all five parameters selected (somatic area [SA], somatic perimeter [SP], somatic aspect ratio [SAR], somatic circularity index [SCI], and somatic roundness [SRo]). Values of SA and SP of HON group indicated significantly bigger sized CA1 neurons. Values of SAR, SCI and SRo, which indicated the shape of the neuronal somas, are biased towards less rounded shape. These values demonstrated HON has effects at the neuronal morphometric level.


The asymmetric unit of the title molecular salt, C6H9N2 +·C7H5O3 −, contains two cations and two anions. Both the salicylate anions contain an intramolecular O—H⋯O hydrogen bond, which generates an S(6) ring. Both the 2-amino-4-methylpyridine molecules are protonated at their pyridine N atoms. In the crystal, both cations form two N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds to their adjacent anions, forming ion pairs. Further N—H⋯O links generate sheets lying parallel to the ab plane. In addition, weak C—H⋯O bonds and aromatic π–π stacking interactions [centroid–centroid distances = 3.5691 (9) and 3.6215 (9) Å] are observed between the cations and anions.


Although queer investigations of popular cultures and, in particular, television are both fashionable and flourishing at present, interconnections with audience studies are largely unexplored. The available research on sexuality is yet to provide a more complex interpretation of the multifaceted TV viewing practises and capricious interactions amongst co-present viewers. To date, research in this field remains mostly attached to textuality as well as Anglophone knowledge and contexts. Since the 1990s the increasing representation of sexual dissidence on mainstream TV in Italy has placed families, surfing and zapping through TV channels, in "awkward" situations, being often challenged by alternative and innovative gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) narratives, subjects, and lifestyles. What are the reactions of normative people? What does it mean for closeted GLBT viewers to witness representations of sexual nonconformity in the living room with other viewers? Through a triangulation of two qualitative online questionnaires administrated respectively in 2008 and 2009 to a total of 350 participants, I show different approaches, responses, and interactions of both GLBT-identified and heterosexually identified participants (parents but also relatives and friends of GLBT people). Participants provided fascinating stories of coming out, collective negotiations of meaning, and different attitudes towards the limits of what is considered representable on TV. I demonstrate that television has functioned as a core site of debate and struggle between mainstream and minoritised sexualities and, when available and accurate, queer representations have challenged the traditional and heteronormative perception of viewers.


A convenient approach to the construction of a galacturonic acid based macrocycle containing an amide group and a triazole ring has been achieved. The key step relies on the efficient formation of a 16-membered ring by a copper-catalysed intramolecular cycloaddition reaction applied to analkyne-azide galacturonate. Depending on the reaction conditions, the outcome of the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition varied; the expected intramolecular 1,4-triazole was obtained as well as a C2-symmetric dimer in different ratios. A preliminary study of the complexation properties of this macrocycle towards CuII cations revealed the formation of cryptates in a 1:1 metal/ligand ratio.


The emerging π-d conjugated coordination polymers (CCPs) have drawn growing attention in the past several years for various applications. However, till now, almost all of the reported CCPs are based...


Fractionated spacecraft is an innovative application of distributed Space Systems.For the problem of the classic orbit design for the flying around module in fractionated spacecraft,from the kinematic point of view,a design method is given for the formation of the fractionated spacecraft based on an relative eccentricity/inclination vector.Under the condition of the known classic orbit of the main module,classic orbit of the flying around module can be calculated through the defined parameters of formation,this method uses an easy way to describe the formation and has a very high precision.Finaly,the simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed method.


The related samples design, which compares the means of two groups that are related, is widely used in applied linguistics research.

Keywords:

advanced statistics;
assessment methods in applied linguistics;
esl/efl;
research methods in applied linguistics;
reading;
vocabulary


Information delivered through sensor networks is used in industries to increase quality of life (QoL). Lossless data in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) is a communications challenge that stands in the way of accurate data delivery. Although end-to-end data retransmission has evolved as a reliable mode of data transportation for the Internet, it is not applicable to WSNs due to the lack of reliable wireless links and resource constraints in sensor nodes. In this paper, we propose an efficient and reliable overhearing-based data transfer protocol for WSNs by introducing selective "direct acknowledgement (ACKdir)" or "implicit acknowledgement (ACKimp)" in cross-layer design. This protocol assesses the path (or link) quality and delegates the ACK message if it has good communication on paths. In addition, the protocol uses implicit ACK in order to be energy efficient, reducing traffic. Simulation results show that energy efficiency is improved by 30% compared with other approaches.


Channel distortion may dramatically degrade speech recognition performance in a distant environment. Authors in their recent work proposed a novel spectral subtraction method which they named it maximum likelihood based spectral subtraction (MLBSS). They indicated that recognition performance could be improved dramatically by adjusting filter parameters based on recognition results. Previous results show effectiveness of this method in dealing with additive distortion. In this paper we propose an approach for increasing robustness of this method against channel distortion in distant talking environment. We add Cepstral Mean Normalization (CMN) in designing MLBSS filter and show that by incorporating this method into design strategy; we can use benefits of both methods. Speech recognition experiments performed in a real distant-talking environment confirm the efficiency of the proposed approach.


Medical students have to do multiple tasks as part of their extensive curriculum in order to achieve the proficiencies expected of them. Being overwhelmed creates a time management problem, substance use and a tendency to procrastinate. Therefore, accumulated tasks may generate distress that could result in poor academic performance.The aim of this study was to investigate prevalence and factors related to academic procrastination in Tunisian medical students.It was a cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study conducted among Tunisian medical students. Data were collected through an anonymous online questionnaire, assessing sociodemographic characteristics, the "Tuckman Procrastination Scale" (TPS) and the "Time Management Subscale of the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory" (LASSI-TM).A total of 133 participants completed the questionnaire. Their mean age was 26 ± 3,8 years, with a sex-ratio (F/M) of 4,5.The mean LASSI-TM score was 16.69±4.6. Among students, 65.4 % showed deficit in time management.The mean TPS score was 42.48±7.11. According to this scale, 87.2% of participants were engaged in academic procrastination. TPS score was significantly higher among psychoactive substances users (p=0.004), in those with psychiatric history (p=0.026) and in students with a rank over than 100 (p=0.029). It was negatively correlated with LASSI-TM score (p<0.001; r=-0.706).Considering the heavy load of work that the students undergo, it would be prudent to arrange for group trainings and workshops that will cultivate students with strategies and skills for effective time management, so that the tendency to procrastinate will be managed and their academic performance would improve.None Declared


The crystalline PbS nanostars were synthesized by thermal decomposition of thioacetamide (TAA) in aqueous solutions of lead acetate and acetic acid at 80 °C. The structure and morphology of the PbS nanostars have been characterized using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Raman Spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The optical properties of the PbS nanostars have been studied using UV-Visible absorption Spectroscopy (UV-Vis). The field emission investigations have been carried out on the as synthesized PbS nanostars at the base pressure of ∼1×10−8 mbar. The turn on field required to draw an emission current density of 1 μA/cm2 is found to be 1.8 V/μm. The emission current-time plots show good emission current stability of the PbS nanostar emitter over a period of 4 hrs. The results in terms of low turn-on field and long term emission current stability of the PbS nanostars emitter reveals that it can be used in field emission based vacuum microelectronics / nanoelectronic devices.


Objectives: To examine the effect of Oriental herb medicines on serum glucose and lipid concentration in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. For this study, the materials concerned with the useful Oriental herb medicines for Diabetes Mellitus(DM) were collected at the clinic of Daegu Haany Univers...


The loss or reduction of supraspinal inputs after spinal cord injury provides a unique opportunity to examine the plasticity of neural pathways within the spinal cord. In a series of nine experiments on a patient, quadriplegic due to spinal cord injury, we investigated interlimb reflexes and self-sustained activity in completely paralyzed and paretic muscles due to a disinhibited propriospinal pathway. Electrical stimuli were delivered over the left common peroneal nerve at the fibular head as single stimuli or in trains at 2–100 Hz lasting 1 s. Single stimuli produced a robust interlimb reflex twitch in the contralateral thumb at a mean latency 69 ms, but no activity in other muscles. With stimulus trains the thumb twitch occurred at variable subharmonics of the stimulus rate, and strong self-sustained activity developed in the contralateral wrist extensors, outlasting both the stimuli and the thumb reflex by up to 20 s. Similar behavior was recorded in the ipsilateral wrist extensors and quadriceps femoris of both legs, but not in the contralateral thenar or peroneal muscles. The patient could not terminate the self-sustained activity voluntarily, but it was abolished on the left by attempted contractions of the paralyzed thumb muscles of the right hand. These responses depend on the functional integrity of an ascending propriospinal pathway, and highlight the plasticity of spinal circuitry following spinal cord injury. They emphasize the potential for pathways below the level of injury to generate movement, and the role of self-sustained reflex activity in the sequelae of spinal cord injury.


The polymeric material PCTFE (Kel-F 81®) has found a useful niche in explosive research due to its use not only an explosive binder but also as a explosive simulant. Knowledge of shock propagation in explosives is of paramount importance primarily from a safety perspective both in terms of reaction to a designed stimulus and to off-normal (accident) events. To this end, as part of a more general investigation into the relationship between polymeric structure and high strain-rate response, the dynamic response of PCFTE (more commonly known as Kel-F 81®) has been investigated via a series of plate-impact experiments. Using this technique both the shock and release behaviour of PCTFE have been investigated. The data obtained for the shock response agreed with previously obtained data from the literature. Deviation from the Hugoniot was seen in the pressure-particle velocity plane, a response attributed here to material strength. With regards to the behaviour of the release Hugoniot, a two-tiered response was...


Abstract To sustain a foam in steelmaking processes, two basic requirements should be fulfilled, i.e. appropriate physical properties of the slag such as high viscosity, low density, and low superficial tension, and the generation of sufficient reaction gas. To date, foaming indexes have been focused on the physical properties of refining slags. In the present paper a dynamic foaming index (DFI) that involves both above requirements is proposed, using a kinetic model of the electric arc furnace process to calculate the generation rate of reaction gas, mainly CO. When the arc distortion, as affected by electrode submergence in the foam, is compared with the DFI, calculated via the kinetic model, it is observed that both parameters follow very similar trends. This finding indicates the feasibility of knowing the foaming conditions of a heat in advance, or of using the kinetic model online to control the foaming phenomena. Furthermore, experimental results relating to dynamic behaviour of the slag chemistry are well simulated using the kinetic model. To take into account the effect of size distribution of carbon particles injected into the slag to reduce FeO, a Monte Carlo simulation has been integrated into the process simulator, allowing a more realistic prediction of the current steelmaking process.


In a region where an intestine is movable in the abdominal cavity, conventional endoscope apparatus have suffered from a difficulty in moving an endoscope advancing portion toward a deep intestinal portion. An apparatus for advancing an endoscope is provided, which can be easily manipulated to advance medical instruments having endoscopic functions toward a deep portion. The apparatus includes first and second medical instruments, each having, at a distal end portion thereof, a balloon portion that can be fixed to an intestinal wall. In a fixed state, the balloon portion of the first medical instrument is configured to form a gap for enabling a distal end portion of the second medical instrument to advance therethrough. In a fixed state, the balloon portion of the second medical instrument is configured to form a gap for enabling a distal end portion of the first medical instrument to advance therethrough.


Effect of Salinity(80~395)on hatching rate,survival and growth of(Ropana venosa)were studied.The results showed that the optimum salinity for hatching was 20~395,with the temperature of 22 ℃; Within the salinity above,the larvae in the egg sack can develop, but couldn't hatch out.When the salinity was 8,the larva in the egg sack die in 6 days If the salinity was higher or lower than 295~355,the larva died in 9 days


BACKGROUND
Modern optometric practice contains many more mildly invasive procedures than it has traditionally. Concurrently, patients expect a more active role in decisions concerning their own health care, as, increasingly, these decisions may have harmful, as well as, salubrious, consequences.

METHODS
Literature from the philosophy of ethics as it pertains to the issue of informed consent was examined and applied to optometric procedures and practices.

RESULTS
A strong analogy exists between particular aspects of optometric practice and corresponding elements of medical practice with respect to well established ethical principles of informed consent. The legal doctrine of informed consent is not the only view applicable to optometry.

CONCLUSION
Modern optometric practice may easily and advantageously be adapted to incorporate ethical principles of informed consent. These principles, which should be distinguished from legal principles which bear upon the same issues, may enhance the quality of health-care decisions by optometrists without creating serious obstacles to the individual optometrist's practice mode.


Abstract : The ISSPIC10 meeting took place in Atlanta Georgia, October 11-15, 2000, at the Georgia World Congress Center. The meeting attracted over 300 participants, who came from all over the world (over 60% of the participants came from Europe and Asia). The participants in the meeting were comprised of scientists from academia, and from industrial and government laboratories, and a large fraction of the attendees were graduate students and post-graduate fellows in the initial stages of their career. The registration fee for the conference was $410, with a reduced fee of $270 for students. The Grant from the AFOSR partially allowed us to reduce the registration fee for students, which encouraged their participation.


This essay draws on recent evidences from SIV vaccination studies in rhesus macaques to argue for the potential importance of HIV-1-specific CD8+ T cells restricted by the non-classical major histocompatibility complex, HLA-E, in controlling HIV-1 replication. It then seeks to present a possible method of inducing such responses through the procedure of T cell vaccination using activated autoimmune CD4+ T lymphocytes 'infected' with inactivated replication-incompetent structurally intact HIV-1 particles. It is hoped that the argument presented here will interest many of those involved in HIV/AIDS research and others in the general scientific community. DOI: 10.14302/issn.2690-4721.ijcm-17-1533 Corresponding Author: Ho Soon Hoe, Independent researcher, Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


Opioid efficacy on μ-receptor may be influenced by various Gi/o-G-protein subunits interacting with intracellular face of receptor. Pertussis toxin-insensitive G&agr;i1 and G&agr;i2 subunits tethered with μ-receptor were stably transfected into AtT20 cells to (i) determine coupling of different &agr;-subunits on opioid efficacy, and (ii) determine coupling to downstream effectors, for example, calcium and potassium channels. After pertussis toxin, stimulation of [35S]GTP-&ggr;-S incorporation persisted. Both constructs were able to couple to native calcium and potassium channels, with endomorphins 1 and 2 equally effective. However, pertussis toxin abolished opioid actions on calcium and potassium channels suggesting strong coupling to endogenous G-proteins, and that differences in coupling efficacy to G&agr;i1 and G&agr;i2 previously observed are restricted to initial step of signaling cascade.


process of adjudication can be important to assure systematic application of the definition. Misclassification of events could lead to less reliable results due to inaccurate estimates of true treatment effects. The 'universal' definition of MI has evolved into a standard similar to that used by the TRITON investigators. Moreover, using the actual 'universal' definition of MI, prasugrel was associated with statistically significantly lower rates of spontaneous MIs and of procedurerelated MIs [8] . Two methods of identifying events to be adjudicated can differentially impact on overall event rates and treatment effect estimates. If the 'triggers' for event review are limited to events that are identified by the investigators, then the false positive rates will decrease, but the false negative rates will not be affected – and overall event rates will only be decreased by the process. On the other hand, when triggers identify events that the investigator has missed, then the number of events can increase. Assuming the newly detected events are similarly modified by the experimental treatment, the power of the trial will be increased. This latter approach was used in the TRITON trial – and the number of MIs increased by around 2-fold. Dr. Serebruany states that the additional MIs identified by the adjudication process were necessary to lead to a statistically significant trial result in the primary prespecified analysis. He raises the concern that MIs detected by adjudication (but not by the investigators) may be smaller and less clinically relevant. The EPIC trial provides another example of statistically significant results based on adjudicated, but not investigator-identified Based on the results of the Trial to Assess Improvement in Therapeutic Outcomes by Optimizing Platelet Inhibition with Prasugrel [1] , prasugrel has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of moderateto high-risk acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients who are managed with percutaneous coronary intervention. The primary endpoint of the TRITON trial was the composite of cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke. Because the benefit of prasugrel was primarily driven by reduction in MI, Dr. Serebruany raised important questions about how MI events were ascertained and adjudicated [2] . Traditionally in large clinical trials, nonfatal primary outcomes are adjudicated through centralized reviews in order to more systematically apply standard definitions. In spite of limited empirical data that central adjudication improves the reliability of treatment assessment, regulatory authorities, including the FDA, have been supportive of this approach [3] . Because adjudication can consume major resources without clear evidence of improving trial reliability, some have argued that the process be streamlined and efficiently tied to a carefullyconstructed data collection form [3, 4] . In trials of cardiovascular disease, there is evidence that in certain circumstances, clinicians may be inaccurate in applying standard definitions [5, 6] . In addition, definitions for nonfatal events such as MI have varied between trials, although an international standard for universally defining MI now exists [7] . MI ascertainment by this definition depends on both systematic blood sampling and surveying for biomarker elevation. A central Received and accepted: August 21, 2009 Published online: November 7, 2009


Synopsis Deuterium-exchanged positions of the monodeuteropropylene produced in the exchange reactions relating to propylene were investigated on Gu and Rh by means of the microwave spectroscopy, similarly as done on Ni, Pd and Pt in the previous reports. Information thus obtained gave us several important knowledge; e.g., the adsorbed species of propylene are drastically different according to metals, and double-bond migration occurs during the adsorption and desorption processes of propylene.


Thomas Kuhn differentiated normal scientific progression from the replacement of basic assumptions by a novel paradigm. With his recent death, it is time to sequence the innovation cycle, some of whose parts he had detailed. A Kuhnian discovery faces battle before it is can even be tried and evaluated. We enumerate over two dozen way-stations, or phases, many heretofore vaguely differentiated in half a dozen academic disciplines. Each phase is illustrated with a vignette. Within that cycle, the mental awareness that one has found an anomaly is a distinct advantage, for which we propose the name of neocognition. Certain phases are especially vulnerable dead ends, choke-points, of the entire sequence. Particularly so are the 8 th to 10 th periods - the cultural reactions based on the perceived immediacy of benefit. Any requirement to obtain commercial support at this pre-development stage prevents the emergence of even farsighted latent support that could hurdle the remaining steps. The eventual acceptance of any Kuhnism activates forces that will likely evolve its own era of scientific / political correctness. - From a score of thumbnail histories, it becomes obvious that research organizations may accelerate basic discovery by pre-constituency dissemination


Statement of the problem. Informatization of the global space and the growing need of intercultural interaction have an impact on all spheres of human life. Techniques of fast, efficient and adequate information processing are becoming more and more practically significant. The study considers abstract translation as the most demanded and economical means of obtaining of information. In connection with this, the objective was set – to determine the criteria for quality assessing of abstract translation. Results. The article analyses the works of domestic and foreign authors, considering the criteria for determining the quality of abstract translation as well as didactic methods and stages of creating of abstract translated text as an element of linguistic, cognitive and analytical processes. The papers of participants of All-Russian student contest of abstract translation were used as a material for practical research to solve the tasks. Conclusion. The practical significance of the study lies in the considering of an abstract translation within the framework of professional bilingual communication; a qualitative and quantitative analysis of contest papers is computed; a scale of criteria for assessing the quality of abstract translation is formed.


Rejected by the British war effort in 1914 because they were women, a band of medics took their considerable skills across the channel to France. Chris Holme traces their story with the help of newly available documents


AbstractThe StreetScan pavement-management system (PMS) is introduced. It empowers cities to make more cost-effective road repair decisions. At the heart of the system is a vehicle outfitted with a patented, multimodal sensor array that rapidly collects data for every street in the city. A combination of sensor-specific algorithms and multisensor data fusion are applied to convert the raw data into more actionable condition indices. Decision trees and mathematical models are then applied to determine what repairs are needed and how to prioritize them in the most cost effective manner. Users are able to visualize and interact with the repair suggestions and condition indices through an innovative web-based geographic information system (GIS) application. At less than half the cost, the StreetScan PMS is considerably more affordable than conventional PMSs. This paper validates its effectiveness in the real world by taking a look at two recent applications: (1) a city-wide application in Beverly, Massachuset...


Aim/Purpose This presentation will discuss how mobile devices are used to keep children busy and entertained during child care activities. Mobile devices are considered the 21st "Century Nanny" since parents and caregivers use those tools to engage children's attention for indefinite periods of time. Research background on touch screen devices and children's age groups are presented to map age to screen activities and the type of device used. The literature is then compared to a small sample of 45 students attending Pasitos, a pre-k and 1st and 2nd grade school in El Salvador, and the type of mobile devices they used after school. Background The wide adoption of mobile devices to keep children busy and entertained is a growing concern and a cause for passionate debates. Methodology This study considered two types of research to compare findings. One study was gathered from the literature to demonstrate how children use mobile devices, apps, and video genres based on age groups. The second study looked at 45 children attending Pasitos and the type of mobile devices they used during child care time at home. Pasitos is a pre-k and 1st and 2nd grade school in El Salvador. Contribution Identify the type of mobile devices mostly used by children during child care activities. Findings (1) Touchscreens are the most intuitive interfaces for young children; (2) children's use of technology can strengthen the relationships between home and school; and (3) mobile apps consider children's emotions, learning activities, and interaction in the development and design. Recommendations for Practitioners Touchscreens are the most intuitive interfaces for young children, and adult supervision enhances the children's experience. Recommendation for Researchers Mobile apps for design and development must consider children's emotions, learning activities, and interaction. Impact on Society Children's use of technology can strengthen the relationships between home and school. Mobile Devices and Parenting 132 Future Research Few studies have researched the impact of young children's cognitive and social development with the use of mobile apps.


What does it take to possess a concept? Do any non-human animals have concepts? One crucial constraint on the concept concept is that concepts are the building blocks of thought. Hence no creature could count as a conceptuser that wasn't capable of thinking. This mightn't seem like a significant additional restriction, but actually it has some teeth, ruling out some otherwise concept-like phenomena. Consider the Australian digger wasp (Gould and Gould [1994]). The female builds a tower-and-bell structure above the hole in which she lays her eggs, to protect them from another species of parasitic wasp. At various points during construction she uses her own body as a yardstick. For example, she stops building the tower and begins on the bell once the former is three of her own body lengths high. Does she, then, have the concept, three body lengths (or some sufficiently close analog)? She does at least possess a sort of recognitional capacity which she deploys to end one phase of her activity and initiate another. (And likewise she must be capable of recognizing the materials that she collects for the construction of the tower, as well as recognizing that one side of the tower that she is constructing is higher than the other, and so forth.) But does the wasp believe that the tower is now three body lengths high, and is that why she moves on to the next activity (the construction of the bell)? There are multiple reasons for denying that she does. The most fundamental derives from the fact that the overall pattern of her behavior is rigid (albeit displaying flexibility of detail – collecting mud from here rather than there, placing the mud on this side rather than that side, and so on). For example, if an experimenter progressively buries the tower in sand


CaTiO3 films with an average thickness of 0.5 nm were deposited onto γ-Al2O3 by Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) and then characterized by a range of techniques, including X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and High-Resolution, Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM). The results demonstrate that the films form two-dimensional crystallites over the entire surface. Lattice fringes from HRTEM indicate that the crystallites range in size from 5 to 20 nm and are oriented in various directions. Films of the same thickness on SiO2 remained amorphous, indicating that the support played a role in forming the crystallites.


Variability in tetraploid wheat species for growth habit (spring vs. winter) was studied in the field and, as a result, winter growth habit samples were identified. Backcrossing on the background of Tririmn tlicoccum cv. Black Winter Emmer developed the near-isogenic lines BSlE and BS2E carrying the dominant genes Vrn1 and VvnZ, respectively. The donors of the dominant genes Vrnl and VrnZ were Pugsley's common wheat near-isogenic lines Triple Dirk D and Triple Dirk B, respectively. The results demonstrated that T. clicoccum near-isogenic lines with the dominant Vm genes do not mature significantly later than the near-isogenic lines of common wheat. Wheat as a major food crop will reindin a plant of undiminishing perennial research interest. The genetics of common wheat, Triticum aestivum L. has been studied more than in the other wheat species. More recently, the genetics of these species has stirred interest with reference to genetic erosion of common wheat, especially the genetic control of resistance to pathogens or insects, and adaptation to environments. Growth habit (spring vs. winter) is very important for the adaptation of wheat cultivars to diverse climates. The winter habit of wheat is characterised by delayed ear-emergence in the absence of cold treatment (vernalization). This mechanism prevents the onset of floral development during winter. Spring wheat has a little or no vernalization response. The spring growth habit is dominant to winter growth habit. It has been previously shown that the Vrn genes controlling growth habit in wheat act not only when the plants developmental program switches to spring or winter growth habit, but also when the developmental phases are enfolding, i.e., control of the duration of the life cycle from shooting to ear emergence and, as a consequence, affect earliness and yield (For references, see reviews FLOOD


A high zeaxanthin producing mutant(Zea1) of Dunaliella salina was obtained as the subject through mutagenesis by UV and NTG.This paper systematically studied the influence of carbon source,nitrogen source,phosphate source to the growth and zeaxanthin accumulation of Zea1.Compared to the sucrose and NaHCO_3,glucose was the best carben sucrose for the growth and zeaxanthin accumulation of Zea1.Among three different nitrogen source,1mmol/L of KNO_3 was the optimum concentration for the growth of zea1,and 1mmol/L(NH_4)_2SO_4 was propitious to zeaxanthin accumulation.To sum up the whole condition,1mmol/L(NH_4)_2SO_4 was the best.0.1 mmol/L KH_2PO_4 was the optimum to the growth and zeaxanthin accumulation of zea1.Based on the above results,the mechanism effecting the accumulation of zeaxanthin in strain zea1 was discussed.


The progress of thermal analysis technique in the application of Al-Si alloy melt quality assessment was reviewed, especially for the evaluation of the effect of microstructure refinement and modification. The characteristics of current thermal analysis technique were discussed and the trends of development were proposed. A new technique, which has the peculiarity of artificial intellectual recognition of cooling curves and comprehensive assessment of liquid alloy quality, was brought forward. In this new method, a database is formed by the results coming from cooling curves and many properties relating to each thermal analysis curve such as composition, the final as cast structure and the mechanical properties can be predicted. When the database is sufficient, the refinement and modification of liquid Al-Si alloys can be predicted by the specific features of a cooling curve. In addition, a comparative deviation parameter is developed to compare the cooling curves.


The world today is struggling with several problems concerning the environment to which the building industry is contributing especially by pollution and resource depletion. This research calls for optimizing the way facades are constructed and materialized, in order to limit these problems. For this optimization to be accepted there has to be a convincing reason to replace conservative means. This thesis offers insight in the facade's contribution, obtained by a literature study and an impact assessment that can be seen as the main reason. The base of a sustainable facade design is the honest intention to do so and stick with it. The next step is to adopt a holistic perspective that involves all disciplines in a continuous discussion throughout the design phase and during the use phase when upgrades or maintenance is needed. The design should have an adaptable layout that enables these upgrades serving state-of-the-art technique and user requirements. Moreover the basic construction is best kept general in order to prolong the facade's life span. Finally the facade's environmental impact is minimized by closing material loops and choosing renewable resources. The high performance of state-of-the-art facades is partly dependent on their materialization. Aluminium, plastics and insulation glass are examples of this materialization that at the same time has a high environmental impact. The facade's components that relatively have the highest environmental impact include the load bearing construction and the transparent area. These materials and components should therefore be designed with extra care in order to achieve an excepted environmental impact without compromising in performance.


Introduction
Peripheral nerve sheath tumours are neurogenic neoplasms that arise from the nerve sheath which are not within the central nervous system. While most of these lesions may be benign, some of them may undergo malignant transformation, establishing why it is imperative for ultrasound practitioners to familiarise themselves with ultrasound presentations of this lesion to facilitate early and effective diagnosis, which would in turn positively impact patient management.

Case report
We present an incidental finding of a thrombus-mimicking peripheral nerve sheath tumour in a female patient who came to the ultrasound department for a left leg deep vein thrombosis scan.

Discussion
This case study demonstrates a peripheral nerve sheath tumour which by virtue of its location (very closely adjacent the deep calf veins) and appearance (incompressible, heterogeneous, minimal colour flow), mimicked a deep calf vein thrombus on ultrasound. Careful surveillance of the area on ultrasound revealed the lesion was distinct from the calf vasculature, and further imaging was advised. A magnetic resonance imaging was conducted confirming the diagnosis of a peripheral nerve sheath tumour.

Conclusion
In addition to assessing the lower limb venous system during deep venous thrombosis scans, sonographers should be mindful that other soft tissue lesions such as peripheral nerve sheath tumour may be present with symptoms that mimic those of a thrombotic leg, and therefore check to exclude or confirm the presence of any adjacent soft tissue lesions, especially at the symptomatic site indicated by the patient.


Radiation in the form of unwanted patterns, energy wastage and reduction is caused by high side lobe levels in a radiation pattern. This, in turn, affects the overall performance of the antenna. The purpose of this work is to improve the performance of a smart antenna by optimizing the radiation pattern using the genetic algorithm. Optimal antenna parameters that would minimize side lobe level were obtained using genetic algorithm. Simulations were carried out to determine the impact of the increase in inter-element spacing on array factor and beamwidth using the optimal antenna parameters. The optimal arrangement of inter-element spacing and number of elements in unequally spaced antenna elements were then considered. The array factor model for a uniform linear array of elements was used to obtain the optimum weights that would give the desired radiation pattern with reduced side lobe level. Results for the unequally spaced linear arrays revealed that non-tapered arrangement among all the possible configurations gave the best improvement in the side lobe level. The outcome of this improvement is an optimized radiation pattern which is expected to aid the reduction of radiated power wasted in the side lobes of linear arrays in antenna systems.


Objectives For many years, the voice of patients has been understood as a critical element for the improvement of care quality in healthcare settings. How well medical graduates are prepared for clinical practice is an important question, but one that has rarely been considered from patient and public perspectives. We aimed to fill this gap by exploring patients and carers' experiences and expectations of junior doctors. Design This comprises part of a wider study on UK medical graduates' preparedness for practice. A qualitative narrative methodology was used, comprising four individual and six group interviews. Participants 25 patients and carers from three UK countries. Analysis Data were transcribed, anonymised and analysed using framework analysis. Main results We identified three themes pertinent to answering our research question: (1) sources of knowledge (sources of information contributing to patients and carers' perceptions of junior doctors' impacting on expectations); (2) desires for student/trainee learning (experiences and expectations of medical training); and (3) future doctors (experiences and expectations of junior doctors). We also highlight metaphorical talk and humour, where relevant, in the quotes presented to give deeper insights into participants' perspectives of the issues. Participants focused on personal and interpersonal aspects of being a doctor, such as respect and communication. There was a strong assertion that medical graduates needed to gain direct experience with a diverse range of patients to encourage individualised care. Participants narrated their experiences of having symptoms ignored and attributed to an existing diagnosis ('diagnostic overshadowing') and problems relating to confidentiality. Conclusions Our findings support the view that patients and carers have clear expectations about junior doctors, and that patient views are important for preparing junior doctors for practice. There is a necessity for greater dialogue between patients, doctors and educators to clarify expectations and confidentiality issues around patient care.


Objective To investigate the correlation between pelvic floor dyssynergia-type constipation and the puborectalis muscle using three-dimensional ultrasonography. Methods Eighty-seven patients with pelvic floor dyssynergia-type constipation (observation group) and 87 healthy volunteers (control group) were enrolled in this study. Three-dimensional ultrasonography of the pelvic floor was performed on patients and healthy volunteers in a lithotomy position at rest and during straining and squeezing. The three-dimensional reconstructed sonogram was analysed to determine the puborectalis angle and puborectalis thickness at the 6 o'clock position (patients in a lithotomy position). Results (1) The puborectalis angles of the observation and control groups were not significantly different at rest [(85.664 ± 1.926)°, (85.813 ± 1.500)°] and during squeezing [(87.478 ± 2.125)°, (86.960 ± 1.751)°] (P > 0.05) but were significantly different when straining [(80.389 ± 2.268)°, (94.382 ± 1.540)°] (P < 0.05). The difference in the puborectalis angles of the two groups between rest and straining [(5.275 ± 1.236)°, (-8.569 ± 1.209)°] was statistically significant (P < 0.05). (2) The puborectalis thickness of the observation and control groups was not significantly different at rest ([3.994 ± 0.128) mm, (3.983 ± 0.091) mm] and during anal squeezing [(4.082 ± 0.154) mm, (4.126 ± 0.113) mm] (P > 0.05) but was significantly different when straining [(4.630 ± 0.199) mm, (4.296 ± 0.121) mm] (P < 0.05). The differences in the puborectalis thickness at rest and during straining in the observation and control groups were (-0.636 ± 0.217) mm and (-0.316 ± 0.089) mm, respectively, resulting in a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05). Conclusion The puborectalis angle in patients with pelvic floor dyssynergia-type constipation was smaller than that in healthy volunteers during straining. The puborectalis thickness at the 6 o'clock position with the patient in a lithotomy position in patients with pelvic floor dyssynergia-type constipation was larger than that in healthy volunteers. Moreover, larger differences between rest and straining are associated with a more severe degree of constipation. Project funding Natural Science Foundation of Shandong (ZR2012HM086)


Principal Component Analysis (PCA) has proven to be a valuable tool for remote sensing data compression, pattern recognition, and for filtering out measurement noise. In this paper, we present preliminary results on the application of PCA technique to reduce random noise present in lidar observations. Typically, the SNR at a given range can be improved either by increasing the integration time of the measurements or by applying spatial averaging. This procedure, however, improves the SNR at the expense of the instrument's temporal and spatial resolution. The number of range bins needed to characterize backscatter features is far less than the number of components needed to characterize the distribution of these features in the atmosphere. The higher-order PCA components, which mainly serve to characterize noise, can be eliminated along with the noise that they characterize. The results of PCA noise filtering of lidar observations strongly depend on the variability of aerosol plumes. To avoid loss of information in the presence of highly variable aerosol plumes, it is necessary to use a conservative number of principal components higher then optimum for maximum noise reduction. Nevertheless, noise reduction factors of 2-8, depending on the lidar range and atmospheric variability, can still be achieved.


The paper presents an original approach to solving the inverse dynamical seismic problem for the scalar wave equation in seismic monitoring. Instead of using the expensive full waveform inversion method, it is proposed to approximate the inverse problem operator, which translates the difference in the data into the models' perturbation, using a deep convolutional neural network of the Unet type architecture. The operability of this approach was demonstrated on a simple test example.


The invention discloses a cuttage and breeding technology for ampelopsis grossedentata. The cuttage and breeding technology comprises the following steps of: (1) selecting seedling nursery land; (2) subsoiling, performing soil preparation and applying a base fertilizer; (3) disinfecting the soil; (4) making a seed bed, ridging and covering by a mulching film; (5) cutting green branches; (6) managing the seedling nursery land; and (7) transplanting nursery-grown plants. The cuttage and breeding technology is characterized in that a method for cutting the green branches is adopted; and the seed bed is made. Compared with the prior art, the cuttage and breeding technology has the advantages that the survival rate and yield of ampelopsis grossedentata plants can be improved, the soaking time is shortened, and the cuttage efficiency is improved; and the cuttage and breeding technology is suitable for large-scale cultivation and transplantation.


Contributions to the periodical literature over the last two years reveal only one piece of work of outstanding merit on transport history. None the less, there were a high number of well researched and informative articles on railways _ which received rather less attention than usual and on road transport. Aviation history inspired greater interest than in the recent past and also found outlets in some of the more prestigious journals; but although shipping attracted the usual crop of contributions, not a great deal of what was produced was of general concern.