Prior studies indicate that R&D intensity and corporate social responsibility (CSR) have a positive relationship, meaning that firms investing more in R&D can promote more CSR related activities and develop more innovative products. However, R&D investment is also a tool for firms to smooth their earnings, or firms may enhance their earnings by reducing R&D expenses. Prior literature suggests a negative relationship between CSR and earnings management. Firms involved in more CSR activities are relatively ethical and less likely to manipulate earnings. Sustainable innovation and development play an important role for firms to establish competitive advantages. The main purpose of this paper is not only to discuss the relationship between CSR and real earnings management (RM) activities in U.S. firms from 2000 to 2014, but also to examine whether R&D intensity and the global financial crisis of 2007 – 2008 will affect the relation between CSR and earnings management. To avoid the endogeneity issue, we adopt a Two-Stage Regression to test the relationship between CSR and earnings management, and incorporate the effects of R&D intensity and the financial crisis. We find that the relation between CSR and earnings management is negative for the entire sample and for those firms with high R&D intensity or after the financial crisis. Those firms with high R&D intensity are more likely to participate in CSR activities and less likely to manipulate earnings. Nevertheless, our results show that the negative relation between CSR and earnings management does not exist in low R&D intensive firms. In addition, our results show that high R&D intensive firms with larger size, higher leverage, or lower profitability are more likely to engage in earnings management activities.


Abstract : This program conducted experimental research aimed at developing an optically driven quantum dot quantum computer. The work was done in collaboration with D. Gammon at the Naval Research Laboratory and L. J. Sham at UCSD. D. Gammon had responsibility for growing & characterizing the material, L. J. Sham is responsible for theoretical support & concept development. The group at Michigan along with this QuaCGR student are responsible for experimental demonstration of key experimental demonstrations for quantum computing. The original parent program that was funded during the start of this QuaCGR program was aimed at studies of the exciton Bloch vector qubit in neutral quantum dots. The parent program funded during the last part of the QuaCGR grant was aimed at studies of the optical manipulation of the electron spin qubit in charged quantum dots. Work done on this QuaCGR then includes research on both of these approaches. During much of this QuaCGR program, the student focused on demonstrating quantum state tomography. This was most easily approached using neutral quantum dots. The annual reports document the details of this work. In this Final Report, we present the final results of this work, which are now in press in the Physical Review letters.


European Cup,America Cup and Asian Cup were held successively Last year. Though these matches are not the same in the processes and contents,they are all exciting and excellent. Some enlightenments can be offered for the Chinese football by analyzing and comparing European Cup,America Cup and Asian Cup.


We identified a deletion at codon 70 (Δ70) of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) occurring together with L74V and Q151M mutations in a sample from a tenofovir (TFV)- and abacavir (ABC)-treated patient with extensive prior antiretroviral treatment. To investigate the characteristics of this mutant, we studied the drug susceptibility, relative infectivity, and fitness of viruses carrying Δ70 and associated RT mutations. The Δ70, L74V, and Q151M mutations were introduced into Hxb2 RT by site-directed mutagenesis and expressed in HIV-1 recombinants. The Δ70 mutation increased resistance to lamivudine and emtricitabine alone and in combination with various resistance mutations and augmented resistance to ABC and didanosine when present together with L74V. A recombinant virus expressing RT from the original clinical viral sample (Δ70-PRT) exhibited greater fitness than one in which the deletion had been repaired (K70-PRT). The Δ70 mutation also increased fitness of Hxb2 wild-type and 74V and Q151M mutants. Recombinants carrying Δ70-PRT showed greater relative infectivity in the presence of ABC (but not TFV) compared with K70-PRT recombinants. These results show that Δ70 enhances resistance to certain purine and pyrimidine analogues and contributes to multinucleoside resistance in the appropriate viral genetic background.


Organometal halide perovskites have demonstrated remarkable achievements in solar cell applications and have attracted tremendous attention as next‐generation photovoltaic materials. Regardless of the unprecedented success, the degradation of the perovskite has caused the performance of the perovskite solar cells to be unreliable and prevented their commercialization. However, the detailed degradation mechanism of the perovskite has yet to be elucidated. In this study, the entire procedure of the thermally induced degradation of methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) is reported using real‐time in situ transmission electron microscopy. The in situ investigation directly illustrates the detailed process of precipitating trigonal PbI2 grains during thermal degradation and confirms that trigonal PbI2 is precipitated from the amorphized MAPbI3 layer via intermediate states. The intermediate states and their stackings enable the generation of 3D linear‐empty spaces that can be utilized as passages by elements during the decomposition and intercalation of the perovskite. This report will provide critical clues for the commercialization of the perovskite‐based solar cells and for further investigation of the synthesis of the perovskite, which is not fully understood.


Forty children with ages of 7 and 8 years were selected for this investigation. They were classified in two groups according to wether the DMF-S and dmf-s indexes were equal or greater than zero. Samples of total stimulated saliva were obtained for the quantification of salivary IgA through the single radial immunodifusion technique, and of the salivary levels of mutans streptococci and lactobacilli. The results revealed that the concentrations of immunoglobulin were not different between the two groups, although they presented a positive correlation statistically significant at the 5% level with the salivary levels of lactobacilli for children with DMF-S and dmf-s indexes equal to zero.


This paper presents a novel digitally-controlled LC oscillator (DCO) for PHS transceiver. This DCO is more suitable for system integration especially in a deep submicron CMOS process. The oscillator is designed in a 0.18 mum CMOS process with a central running frequency of 3.8 GHz and 630 MHz tuning range. The phase noise at 1.2 MHz offset frequency for 3.8 GHz is below -128 dBc/Hz while drawing 2.5 mA of current from a 1.8 V supply


Corey L. Mason AN ANALYSIS OF HOW BIRTH CONTROL IS PRESENTED IN YOUNG ADULT NOVELS 2007-2008 Dr. Marilyn Shontz Master of Arts in School and Public Librarianship Young adult literature can be a safe method of receiving correct and vital information about birth control in novels that contain sexual activity. It is important that birth control in young adult novels is dealt with accurately, honestly, thoroughly, and in an unbiased way. There has been little research done on how birth control is presented in YA novels and how it may have changed over time. To study this topic, ten YA novels were read and analyzed. Five of the novels were written prior to 1990 and the other five were written after 1990. Each novel was analyzed for mentions of specific types of birth control, if those methods were actually used, and if the mentions were presented accurately and positively. It was found that although some positive changes in how birth control was presented in YA novels have occurred over time, the change was not been significant enough.


2 . Zhang W, Doherty M, Pascual E, et al. EULAR evidence based recommendations for gout. Part I: Diagnosis. Report of a task force of the Standing Committee for International Clinical Studies Including Therapeutics (ESCISIT). Ann Rheum Dis 2006; 65:1301-11. attacks of acute gout, tissue deposits of monosodium urate crystals surrounded b y g r a n u l o m a t o u s i n f l a m m a t i o n known as tophi are found in numerous t issues including joint and skin. 1 Tophi are associated with destruction of surrounding cartilage and bone. Bone erosion with overhanging edge (Martel's sign) is characteristic of gouty arthritis.


Aim and objective This study aimed to build an indepth and comprehensive understanding of the social maladaptation experience of Chinese children with leukaemia of different ages. Methods The purposive sampling method was adopted to conduct semistructured interviews with 20 Chinese children with leukaemia or their main caregivers and Colaizzi's method for qualitative research was used to organise and analyse the data. The study followed the guiding principles of the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research. Results The existing social adaptation problems of children with leukaemia of different ages were assessed. In terms of psychological maladjustment, children with leukaemia aged 2–7 years showed fear and excessive attachment, while children aged 8–18 years were characterised by impatience, irritability and anxiety. In terms of behavioural maladjustment, children aged 2–7 years presented less independent behaviour and dependence on electronics, while children aged 8–18 years showed learning obstruction and indulgence in mobile games. Conclusions Targeted intervention strategies should be developed based on the physical and mental characteristics of children with leukaemia of different ages to improve existing social adaptation problems. Relevance to clinical practice Early intervention for social adaptation of children with leukaemia should be considered. Children's social adaptation should be improved to prevent more adaptation problems so that they can return to their families and to the society without difficulty and improve their quality of life in the long term.


In recent years, extreme monsoon events and devastating earthquakes have caused serious damage to infrastructure, including bridges. Failures of bridges not only result in threats to vehicles and people traveling on them at the time of the failure but also interrupt emergency evacuation and rescue traffic, increasing the severity of the disaster and adding to casualties and economic loss. Often, awareness of the need for design or retrofit code revisions is raised immediately following extreme hazard events. Bridges that fail during extreme natural hazards usually have complicated failure causes, including environmental system collapses and massive structural malfunctions. Forensic investigations and performance analyses for bridges suffering such natural hazard events can be more challenging than those for bridges that fail in general service condition. General investigation guidelines or specific observational methods for such forensic investigations are not an easy task. Thus, actual performance of bridges under critical natural hazards is of great interest to practicing engineers and researchers. This special section of the Journal of Performance ofConstructed Facilities (JPCF) was proposed in an effort to introduce the current state-of-the-art for forensic investigations of bridge failures in recent extreme natural hazard events and to provide insights of performance analysis for the behavior of bridges under such extreme natural hazards. Fortunately, we were able to invite professional experts who had personally been involved in forensic investigation, failure analysis, and performancemonitoring during recent extreme natural hazards including the 2011 Turkey Van Earthquake, the 2010–2011 New Zealand Christchurch Earthquakes, the 2011 Japan Tohoku Earthquake, the 2005 Hurricane Katrina in the United States, and the 2009 Typhoon Morakot that overran Taiwan. Case histories and performance data presented in these invited papers are invaluable to practicing engineers and researchers. This special section includes case histories of bridge performance involving more than 20 bridges suffering from a variety of natural hazards such as strong ground motions, soil liquefaction, tsunami, storm surge, extreme winds, scour, and debris impact. Whether the bridge was damaged, failed, or luckily survived, such performance information and analysis results are instrumental to bridge design and retrofit against critical natural hazards, including great earthquakes and massive storms. Results of the forensic investigations and analyses have deterministic influences on upgrading guidelines of risk assessment, hazard mitigation, structural design, and retrofit. Invited papers within this special section are generally divided into two major categories: bridge performance under seismic hazards and under storm hazards. The reported seismic hazards include strong ground motion in a recent Turkish earthquake and the Japan Tohoku Earthquake that caused severe damage to both highway and railroad bridges. These bridges were in locations that had undergone in-depth evaluations and design code revolutions in recent years. Very rare, yet devastating, failures caused by the tsunami accompanying the 2011 Japan Tohoku Earthquake are instructive not only to bridge engineers, but also to the general public. Studying these failures leads to a better understanding of the power of Mother Nature. A research team from the University of Canterbury at Christchurch, New Zealand, introduces valuable performance data from bridges suffering from soil liquefaction and describes useful investigation practices. Such soil liquefaction causing bridge damage was broadly observed in previous large earthquakes, yet less detailed forensic investigation works were previously reported. Both the 2005 Hurricane Katrina and the 2009 TyphoonMorakot are recognized as critical storm events. Both resulted in substantial damage to bridges and a large number of bridge failures. Invited papers contributed by the Bridge Technology Office of the U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and by Taiwanese research groups provide valuable forensic investigation and failure analysis techniques. Study efforts described in these papers are applicable internationally including advanced field investigation technologies and innovative Fig. 1. Wei F. Lee, Ph.D., A.M.ASCE, Guest Editor


Sustained-release polymeric beads containing Aceclofenac sodium fabricated with sodium alginate were prepared by the ionotropic gelation method. Drug was blended with sodium alginate and calcium chloride, barium chloride and aluminium sulphate was used as a cross-linking agent. Prepared beads were evaluated for their drug entrapment efficiency and release behavior. The effect of chitosan was also studied by blending chitosan with the crosslinking agent. The percent entrapment was highest when beads were prepared using barium chloride and chitosan which was 94.65%. Chitosan increased the entrapment efficiency of all the formulations. In vitro dissolution data showed that all the formulations showed sustained release which was further enhanced by the presence of chitosan. Release


This thesis presents the application of Simulia Abaqus/CAE to model three
dimensional pepper waste mixed brick and to do finite element analysis in order to
find the effect of pores percentage on the internal stress distribution. This brick will
be modeled as elastic homogeneous isotropic material with random distribution of 0,
2, 5 and 10 Wt. % voids to represent the pores. Data are gathered using two methods;
three sets of horizontal nodes and another two sets for vertical nodes. Data gathered
for each type of pore composition will be compared to von Mises stress of
corresponding node from 0 Wt. % brick as the reference maximum stress. Failure
probability will be analyzed for each set of data and arranged in a table. This analysis
method will be used to determine the best pore composition for minimum failure
probability with most porosity as possible. Result is consistent with actual
experimental data which suggest 5 Wt. % brick as the best choice.


In our study, we examine the theoretical and practical aspects of the elements of urban identity in the dimension of settlement geography. The question arises to what extent urban identity can be explored and concretised from this approach. First, the concept of settlement and the factors that form the basis of it will be examined, and then these will be interpreted from the perspective of settlement identity, with the help of literature sources. Subsequently, we will examine the extent to which the predominance of a particular settlement sphere (or factor) in a settlement is reflected in the settlement identity, using examples from Hungary, settlement websites, and settlement development concepts. The results show, on the one hand, that there are differences in perceptions of the factors of municipal identity, but that they are socially dominant, and, on the other hand, that the predominance of a factor in a municipality may be reflected in the emergence of a stronger identity, but that this is not always true, clear/obvious or traceable.


There are two wrenching stories in this issue of the Annals [1][1],[2][2] that remind us why, when we family physicans are at our best, we should practice "in the context of family and community,"[3][3]—for as Khare knows from personal experience, "mental illness is not a patient illness but


Scientists have been considered nanoparticles as promising tools because of high applicability. Recently, nanoparticles are evaluated for their capability to increase immune responses as an adjuvant. On the other hand, neutralizing antibodies were approved as the main response to vaccination in many disease. Therefore, we employed inactivated rabies virus to evaluate AgNPs adjuvanticity. Different concentration of AgNPs (5, 10, 15 and 20 mg/ml) were added to inactivated rabies virus. The mice were immunized by two i.p. injection of each concentration on first and 7th day. The inactivated virus and Alum were used as negative and positive controls, respectively. The bloods was collected from healthy and immunized mice one week later. The serum was isolated from each sample and the amount of neutralizing antibodies was determined by RFFIT. The results showed that 10, 15 and 20 mg/kg of AgNPs had significant difference compared to control but 5 mg/kg of AgNP did not show significant effect. Virus loaded AgNPs can raise neutralizing antibodies against rabies virus at least 10 mg/kg in mice. Herewith with showed that AgNPs have adjuvant effect to produce immune responses against rabies virus which is important in clinical treatment of rabies disease. Keywords—Adjuvant, Silver Nanoparticle, Neutralizing Antibody


Experiments were conducted to study the effect of various levels of tobacco extract (200, 300, 400, and 500 ppm) for the control of the external parasite, fish louse (Argulus spp.) in Lionhead Goldfish (Carassius auratus). A total of 80 fishes were randomly allocated into 4 groups (20 fish in each group). The results showed that the mean release times of Argulus spp. attached to fish which were subjected to different tobacco concentrations of 200, 300, 400 and 500 ppm were 20.49±3.19, 17.48±1.86, 7.87 ±1.71 and 6.94 ±1.87 minutes, respectively. The mean release time at the concentration of 200 ppm was highly significantly longer than that of 300, 400 and 500 ppm (P<0.01). Despite its longer release-time, the use of tobacco at 200 ppm seems to be the best and safest concentration for the control of Argulus spp. in Goldfish.


Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic was associated with an increased incidence of mucormycosis globally. However, the clinical pattern, epidemiologic features and risk factors for adverse outcomes are not well established. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of the data from patients hospitalized with proven mucormycosis between April 2021 and August 2021. Patients were managed with a multi-disciplinary approach involving medical, surgical, and comorbidity treatment. The clinical presentation, management details, complications and outcomes, including mortality, were reviewed from clinical records. Results: The mean age of presentation was 53.7 (± 11.8) years, and 88 (84.6%) were men. Of the 104 cases with COVID-19-associated mucormycosis, 97 (93.27%) patients had diabetes, and 80.8% had a haemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) of ≥6.4% at diagnosis. Seventy percent of diabetes cases experienced steroid-induced hyperglycaemia during treatment. Even with appropriate treatment, 17 (16.35%) patients died. High HbA1c and creatinine levels, presence of chronic kidney disease (CKD), need for intensive care unit admission, and orbital evisceration were the risk factors associated with high mortality on multivariate logistic regression analysis. Cox regression analysis revealed that the overall mortality increased by a factor of 12% with each 1 percentage point increase in HbA1c ≥6.4% (hazard ratio 1.12; 95% confidence interval 0.95–1.31). The mortality risk was even higher when diabetes was associated with CKD (hazard ratio 1.82; 95% confidence interval 0.24–14.00). Conclusion: High HbA1c and creatinine levels, intensive care unit admission, CKD, and aggressive disease requiring orbital evisceration are the predictors of mortality in patients with COVID-19-associated mucormycosis. Patients with these risk factors should be managed more actively to reduce morbidity and mortality.


The objective of this paper is to check Spanish data on consumption expenditures and leisure for consistency with maximization of a non-satiated, continuous, concave, monotonic utility function. To this end, we apply the non-parametric approach using annual time-series covering the period 1964 to 1992. The results indicate that Spanish data are consistent with the weak and generalized axioms of the revealed preference theory, that is to say, the sample national data are consistent with the neoclassical theory of consumer behaviour or, in other words, the hypothesis of stability of individual preferences is accepted.


Three rams were infected with tick-borne fever eight months after infection with toxoplasma. There was no clinical evidence of reactivation of the latent toxoplasma infection and semen samples from the rams were not infective to mice. Semen samples from 77 apparently normal rams were tested for toxoplasma infection by passage through mice; none of the samples produced patent infections in mice. Two rams with chronic toxoplasma infection were repeatedly mated with seronegative ewes. None of the ewes showed serological evidence of acquired infection and all lambed satisfactorily.


The authors investigated the collagen architecture of the sclerocorneal trabeculum in relation to age in eight eyes within the range from a premature infant to a 90-year-old man. All specimens were investigated using a scanning electron microscope of Jeol Co. The appearance of fibrils does not change substantially in relation to age, however, their pattern and distribution change. In a 10-year-old boy Schlemm's canal is wide, oval with thin trabecular plates and wide open spaces surrounding them. In the 90-year-old man the canal is open but the plates on its luminous side are thickened, wrinkled and compressed. On the albuminous side there is a compact wall of compressed collagen layers.


Credit risk, also known as default risk, is the likelihood of a corporation losing money if a business partner defaults. If the liabilities are not met under the terms of the contract, the firm may default, resulting in the loss of the company. There is no clear way to distinguish between organizations that will default and those that will not prior to default. We can only make probabilistic estimations of the risk of default at best. There are two types of credit risk default models in this regard: structural and reduced form models. Structural models are used to calculate the likelihood of a company defaulting based on its assets and liabilities. If the market worth of a company's assets is less than the debt it owes, it will default. Reduced form models often assume an external cause of default, such as a Poisson jump process, which is driven by a stochastic process. They model default as a random event with no regard for the balance sheet of the company. This paper provides a Review of credit risk default models.


The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of a computer‐aided detection (CAD) system for the detection of breast cancer, based on mammographic appearance and histopathology.


The level of literary research on the geneological characteristics of the 21st century, marked by the expansion of the traditional genre system, has noticeably intensified. The purpose of the article is to consider the Ukrainian novel in the poems of the 21st century, to determine its genre originality (author's and reader's) as an important regulator of aesthetic communication. The object of research is the texts of novels in verse, prefaces to them, comments of authors and critics regarding the creation of texts and genre modification.
Ukrainian novel in poems of the 21st c. is characterized by the analysis of narrative structures, a set of ideas, concepts aimed at highlighting the cultural and historical heritage of the past through its multiple reading by the recipient. Emphasis is placed on the author's (textual) and classification (reader's) mode of their creation, which makes it possible to clarify the historical and theoretical dynamics of textual traditions, the history of writing, is the key to communicative influence on the reader, perception of the paradigm of the genre. The plots of Ukrainian novels in verse are presented in accordance with the principles of the postmodern era with a radical rethinking of aesthetic, spiritual, philosophical foundations of human existence and a new concept of worldview, focused on personal experiences of socio-cultural challenges, mental breakdowns and political crises.
The study examines Ukrainian novels in poetry of the 21st century by L. Horlach, A. Hudyma, I. Kozak, V. Marsyuk, R. Pаstuch, I. Pavlyuk, O. Omelchenko, M. Tіutіunnyk und А. Shkulipa, who created the following genre varieties, were considered: historical novel in verse, historical poetry novel, novel-song, novel-meditation in poetry, satirical, grotesque novel in verse, virtual novel, autobiographical novel in poetry, whimsical novel in verse, historical-philosophical-fantasy novel-essay, lyrical novel in verse, novel-trilogy in verse, a lyrical-musical novel in verse. In these novel structures, the past and the present are mutually projected onto the future, spiritually constructing it, forming moral and ethical norms, canons of national consciousness.
Thus, emphasizing the genre modification of the modern Ukrainian novel in verse, various examples of its genre varieties, we took into account the author's and reader's genre definition, because the structural isolation and semantic definition of the genre are related to the author's origin, looseness and devotion – with the reader. This does not mean that the creative design of the text is localized in the sphere of the author, and the semantic life after the design belongs to the sphere of the reader. Ukrainian novels in the poems of the 21st century are designed for the real world; they are carriers of aesthetic comprehension of national identity, new landmarks in space human / world with a wide range of significant events, cultural types, internal image-structural and compositional-poetic organization, genre-style and genre-content diversity, which requires further, more thorough research.


The current research investigates two main goals. First, it investigates the cultural and gender differences in gender specific honor codes among youth (N =482) from cultures with a high orientation on honor (Moroccan vs. Turkish) compared to youth from a culture with a low orientation on honor (native Dutch). Second, the current research investigates the cultural change in values underlying honor codes. Before an educational program, a pre-training test assessed the perceived determinants (i.e., religion, culture, parents and other close relatives, and friends and peers) of honor. Furthermore, the perceived importance of sexual purity of female and male family members for honor, and the perceived responsibility for the sexual purity of female family members were assessed. In addition, the current study also investigated whether students from cultures with a high orientation on honor vs. cultures with a low orientation on honor are able to indicate different types of violence as honor related, and to what extent they endorse violence against themselves when they would violate their family honor. The results of the current study shows that cultural change in cultural beliefs and attitudes underlying honor is possible through educational programs. The implications of the findings are discussed.


In modern conditions, ensuring the competitiveness of agricultural production is impossible without an accurate and scientifically based system of organization of production, an integral element is planning the implementation of mechanized agricultural technical work. Models for optimizing the use of the enterprise's machine and tractor fleet in field farming are based on the mathematical apparatus of linear programming and greatly simplify reality. This study considers the possibility of using nonlinear models to solve the problem of optimal planning of spring-field work.Particular attention is paid to the heuristic algorithm for obtaining an initial reference plan, close to the optimal, and an integer solution. An example of calculations according to the proposed method for a specific agroindustrial enterprise is given. The described heuristic algorithm can be successfully applied in practice in operational-production planning of the use of the available machine-tractor fleet in field farming.


Nanostructure, glass transition dynamics and elastic properties were studied in the 3D nanodiamond-containing composites based on polyurethane-poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) semi-interpenetrating polymer networks (PU-PHEMA semi-IPNs), neat PU or PHEMA matrices. Nanodiamond (ND) content in the nanocomposites varied from 0.25 to 3 wt %. Combined differential scanning calorimetry/ laser-interferometric creep rate spectroscopy/atomic force microscopy approach was utilized. A large impact of small 3D ND additives on PU-PHEMA networks' dynamics and properties was revealed under conditions when an average inter-particle distance L exceeds by far gyration radius Rg. The pronounced heterogeneity of glass transitions' dynamics and two opposite effects were observed. The main effect was a strong suppression of PHEMA glass transition dynamics at 90–180 °C, with the enhancement of creep resistance and threefold to sixfold increasing modulus of elasticity. The peculiarly crosslinked structure of nanocomposites, due to double covalent hybridization, resulted in low rheological percolation threshold, and a synergistic effect in dynamics was observed. Less pronounced effect of accelerating dynamics in the temperature region between β- and α-transitions in PHEMA was associated with dynamics in domains with loosened molecular packing. The distinct physical limit for "anomalous" decreasing Tg is predicted in terms of the notion of the common segmental nature of α- and β-relaxations. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 46: 1696–1712, 2008


Abstract Lacking the power to improve the terms and conditions of school teaching at home, more than seventy US women migrated to work for the Argentine government in the last third of the nineteenth century. Only a few studies have researched this episode in the history of teachers, interpreting it as an uplifting, civilizing mission and characterizing the teachers as valiant, benevolent, and occasionally misguided reformers. Yet these migrant teachers' own words suggest that the desire to uplift played little part in their migration decisions, whereas low pay and limited employment opportunities for women figured prominently. Drawing on diaries, correspondence, newspapers, and census records, this study explores how these migrant teachers understood themselves, their work, and their social location. The analysis offers new insight into these teachers' identities as workers both at home and abroad. While acknowledging how teachers' labor served reform objectives, the essay argues that the long history of teaching in the United States needs to be reconsidered as a labor history.


This paper briefly described borehole wave velocity test and the principle and method of wave velocity test technique, by using acoustic measurement and control technology of tunnel rock mass test, integrality index of rock mass is obtained, ultimately, we evaluate the rock mass integrity. The actual application effect is good and provides an important basis for the engineering rock mass quality evaluation.


Introduction. In recent papers of one of the author [5-7] a novel application of Schauder's fixed point theorem in the space of continuous functions is used . for provihg the existence of continuous solutions to some classes of nonlinear RieniannHubert problems for holotnorphic functions-in the unit disk. Here in similar manner ve prove the existence of solutions of the 1-Tardy class H2 to a class of quasi-linear Riemaun-Hilbert problems with sufficiently smooth coefficients by means of Tikhonov's fixed point theorem in the space of quadratic summable functions. Also the proof of continuity for the fixed point mapping could be simplified in comparison to the corresponding proofs in [5-7]. The problem may be considered as a generalization of related quasilinear Riemann-Hilbert-Poincaré problems for holomorphic functions.


Due to nuclear bomb tests during mid 1950s and 1960s, enormous amount of bomb radiocarbon was introduced into the atmosphere and subsequently to the ocean. Corals growing in shallow oceanic region record the radiocarbon variations in ocean surface waters. The bomb radiocarbon signature embedded in coral can be useful in providing information about natural processes affecting the surface waters of the region. In this regard, coral based radiocarbon records from the Lakshadweep Islands and the Andaman Islands from the northern Indian Ocean has been analysed. The analysed coral ∆14C values of recent period show comparable or even higher than the atmospheric ∆14C values, suggesting that major fraction of bomb radiocarbon have transferred in to the ocean. The northern Andaman region show ∆14C decline rate of about 3.1 ‰ yr-1 between 1978 to 2014. Whereas, the southern Bay of Bengal and the Lakshadweep records show relatively lower decline rate of 2.5 ‰ yr-1 for the same period. Based on the coral and atmospheric radiocarbon values, air-sea CO2 exchange rate over the Lakshadweep and Andaman region has been estimated. The bomb radiocarbon based estimate of air-sea CO2 exchange rate over Lakshadweep is 13.4 ± 2.1 mol m-2 yr-1 and over northern Andaman is 8.8 ± 1.3 mol m-2 yr-1. The Lakshadweep region show net regional CO2 flux of 2.5 ± 0.4 Tg C yr-1, while the northern Andaman region shows value of -0.3 ± 0.04 Tg C yr-1. This study discusses the spatial and temporal radiocarbon changes in the northern Indian Ocean and has implications to constraining the carbon flux over the region.


The Waynesburg Sandstone, lower member of the Waynesburg Formation, Dunkard Group (Pennsylvanian and Permian), has been considered to be a more or less continuous deposit extending entirely across the Dunkard basin. The true Waynesburg Sandstone is restricted in areal extent to southwestern Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia. A similar sandstone deposit, which exists in portions of Washington, Athens and Meigs Counties, Ohio, and adjacent West Virginia, has been considered to be a part of the Waynesburg Sandstone. In the opinion of the writers, these sandstones are not correlative. The sandstone of southeastern Ohio is herein termed the Hockingport Sandstone for the village of that name in Athens County. The Hockingport Sandstone is a subgraywacke. It contains much pebble and granule conglomerate and averages 65 per cent quartz. The Waynesburg Sandstone is transitional between a subgraywacke and a protoquartzite, is locally conglomeratic, and averages 76 per cent quartz. End_Page 348------------------------------ Both sandstone bodies are elongate, channel-fill, belt-type deposits of fluvial origin. The Hockingport Sandstone is a north-south oriented deposit up to 90 feet thick, blanketing an area of 225 square miles. The longer axis of the Waynesburg Sandstone is oriented N 20° E, the maximum thickness is 75 feet, and the preserved deposit blankets an area of 880 square miles. The grand mean of dip directions of cross-stratification readings of the Hockingport Sandstone is N 19° W and of the Waynesburg Sandstone, N 10° E. End_of_Article - Last_Page 349------------


Review(s) of: Infectious Diseases: A Clinical Approach, 3rd Edition, by Allen Yung, Denis Spelman, Alan Street, Joe McCormack, Tania Sorrell and Paul Johnson, Published by IP Communications Pty Ltd, ISBN 13: 9780980458695, 698 pages, including index.


This paper applies large scale factor models to Dutch quarterly data in order to generate forecasts of GDP growth rates for an horizon up to 8 quarters ahead. The data set consists of the series underlying the cen- tral bank´s macroeconomic structural model for the Netherlands sup- plemented with leading indicator variables. In a pseudo out-of-sample forecasting context, we select optimal models in the time dimension and the optimal size of the ordered data set in the cross-sectional dimension. The main empirical ?ndings of this paper are that the cross-sectional opti- mization substantially improves the forecasting performance of the factor models. However, only the dynamic factor model systematically outper- forms and encompasses the autoregressive benchmark model with an op- timal subset of the data of around 110 series. The forecasting gains in terms of mean squared errors range from 10% to 30% for forecast horizons up to 6 quarters ahead.


Purpose: Demented elders are often the only witnesses to crimes against them, such as physical or financial elder abuse, yet they are disparaged and discounted as unreliable. Clinical experience with this population indicates that significant emotional experiences may be salient to people with dementia, and that certain behaviors and characteristics enhance their credibility as historians. For example, someone in an early stage of the disease may be able to reliably report on an event with strong emotional content. This is the first systematic research to identify people with dementia with reliable emotional memory and their characteristics. Design & Methods: A cross-sectional study of 95 people with dementia (aged 55 and older) and a control group of 50 older adults was conducted. Memories of recent autobiographical events that have both positive and negative emotional content were elicited during a structured interview. Accurate recollection of these events was independently verified by a non-demented informant, usually a family member. In addition, both members of the dyad were interviewed independently to assess other characteristics of the older adult participant: demographics, depressive symptoms, functional and cognitive abilities, medications, health conditions, confabulation behaviors and characteristics of the dyadic relationship. Researchers also assessed people with dementia for disease stage, awareness of their cognitive impairment, and neuropsychiatric symptoms. A validated test of emotional memory was administered to qualified participants to verify the novel structured interviewing assessment developed for this study. The study assessments were conducted during a home visit by two researchers. Results: A significant subset of older adults with dementing illnesses can reliably report emotional events in their lives. Compared to people with dementia with less reliable emotional memory, these individuals are able to report details of the event accurately and to recall the same event again after a short time delay. This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.


Formic acid (FA: HCOOH) has attracted attention as a liquid fuel for use in hydrogen fuel cells because it has high energy density and it can be handled safely. For hydrogen production from FA decomposition at low temperature, Au@Pd core–shell nanocatalysts supported on TiO2 nanoparticles were prepared using microwave (MW) heating. The hydrogen production rates, 0.13, 0.21, and 3.2 L g-1 h-1, were obtained using Au@Pd/TiO2 at 30, 60, and 90 oC, respectively. These values were larger than those obtained for bare Au@Pd catalysts by factors of 3.0, 1,8, and 1.5, respectively. Based on negative chemical shifts of Pd peaks found in XPS data of Au@Pd/TiO2 particles in comparison with those of bare Au@Pd ones, the enhancement of catalytic activity of Au@Pd particles in the presence of TiO2 was explained by an electron-donating effect of TiO2 to Pd shells. This effect enhances the adsorption of formate to catalyst and dehydrogenation from formate leading to H2 + CO2.


Summary: Two cases of cervical incompetence resulting from high amputation of the cervix are presented. In the absence of any significant descent of the cervix it is not technically possible to insert a cervical suture from the vaginal approach. A successful technique for inserting a cervical suture via the abdominal approach is described.


INTRODUCTION: The control of the micro strain surrounding implants is a factor that can lead to a better osseointegration and maintenance of bone structures.OBJECTIVE: evaluate in vitro, using strain gauge analysis , the influence of the axial and non-axial static load in implant-supported fixed partial dentures, varying the point of load application.MATERIAL AND METHOD: In a block of polyurethane three internal hexagonal implants were installed, on implants abutments microunit were connected with torque of 20 Ncm, and plastic prosthetic cylinders were screwed on to the abutments, which received standard patterns cast in Co-Cr alloy (n=10). Four strain gauges were bonded on the surface of the block tangentially to the three implants. Each metallic structure was screwed onto the microunit with a 10 Ncm torque. With a load application device (DAC) static vertical loads of 30kgf were applied for ten seconds at five predetermined points (A, B, C, D and E).RESULT: Result analyzed by RM ANOVA, in which the effect of the point of load application and differents specimens were not statistically significant, whereas regarding the points of load application presented statistical differenced (p=0.0001). Applying Tukey's multiple comparison tests.CONCLUSION: The application of load on the non-axial points D and E produced an increase in the magnitude of micro strain around implants.


The author argues that different conceptions of freedom of expression in the United States and Canada have less to do with differences in the formal commitment these countries have made in their respective bills of rights - the constitutional underpinnings of the freedom of expression - than with the cultural underpinnings of the freedom of expression in each country.To the extent that the protection of rights and freedoms depends on judicial interpretation of a bill of rights, a judiciary's conception of its country's political culture, both in a descriptive and a normative sense, is likely to be more important than either the way in which those rights and freedoms are worded or the legal status of the bill of rights in which they are protected.


General pharmacological properties and toxicity of O-benzoylthiamine disulfide (BTDS) were studied and the following findings were obtained.1. General Pharmacological ActionIn the respiratory and circuratory systems BTDS behaved qualitatively similarly to thiamine hydrochloride, but quantitatively the former showed a little stronger activity. A dose of 5mg/kg BTDS resulted in the gradual fall of the blood pressure of the rabbit, somewhat more marked than 5mg/kg thiamine hydrochloride. However, no effect was detected on the respiration of the animal. Upon the isolated toad heart, 10-6 M BTDS showed a slight inhibitory action and at concentrations higher than 10-4 M the derivative inhibited more markedly the amplitude of the hart beat. In the case of thiamine hydrochloride, similar effect was seen at 10-5 M, and it was more marked at higher concentrations.Upon smooth muscle organs, the mode of action of BTDS was quantitatively the same as thiamine hydrochloride. BTDS showed scarcely any vasoconstrictive effect on the rabbit auricular vessels similarily to thiamine hydrochloride. On the motility of the isolated rabbit intestine BTDS revealed inhibitory action, lowering the tonus at concentrations higher than 10-4 M, whereas thiamine hydrochloride did not show any effect at the concentration of 10-3 M. In the rabbit uterus in situ, normal movement was observed without any effect of 5mg/kg BTDS or thiamine hydrochloride given intravenously.On the contrary, Tsunoo (3) had reported that the rabbit respiration was somewhat accerelated, the blood pressure rose a little, auricular vessel was dilated and the tonus of the isolated rabbit uterus was increased following an intravenous administration of BTDS. The contradiction between the findings of Tsunoo and of the author is possibly due to the difference in the dose of BTDS. Both have the same view that BTDS has a little stronger pharmacological action than thiamine hydrochloride.2. ToxicityThe LD50 values of BTDS for mice were found to be definitely high in intravenous, intraperitoneal and oral administrations in comparison with thiamine hydrochloride.Following the oral administration of a large dose of BTDS to rats for 6 months, a significant growth promotion was observed without marked changes in blood cell counts, hemoglobin contents and leucocyte distributions, and neither change nor damage was observed pathologically.


Richard Thaler received this year's Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel. In my view, this is an outstanding decision that puts the spotlight on an interesting and controversial field in economics, with many fascinating methodological and foundational questions yet to be answered. I therefore gladly accepted the editors' invitation to reflect on the methodological and foundational aspects of Thaler's research. The Economic Sciences Prize Committee (consisting of five economists and a philosopher, Peter Gärdenfors) explicitly mentioned many methodological aspects of Thaler's work in its motivation. In particular, it refers to interdisciplinary integration, realistic assumptions, explanation vs. description, normative implications of cognitive limitations, and policy design. This offers me a good opportunity to structure my discussion here.


The concealing technology of Trojan horses which determines the concealing capability and the life cycle of Trojan is one of the most important technologies in Trojan horse. This paper puts forward a model of distributed Trojan Horses cooperative concealment. This model can reflect the variation rate of Trojan horses and the migration status of hosts and so on. Experiment results demonstrate that it can improve the concealment capability of Trojan and reduce the probability of remote control being found.


Base flipping is a highly conserved process by which enzymes swivel an entire nucleotide from the DNA base stack into their active site pockets. Uracil DNA glycosylase (UDG) is a paradigm enzyme that uses a base flipping mechanism to catalyze the hydrolysis of the N-glycosidic bond of 2′-deoxyuridine (2′-dUrd) in DNA as the first step in uracil base excision repair. Flipping of 2′-dUrd by UDG has been proposed to follow a "pushing" mechanism in which a completely conserved leucine side chain (Leu-191) is inserted into the DNA minor groove to expel the uracil. Here we report a novel implementation of the "chemical rescue" approach to show that the weak binding affinity and low catalytic activity of L191A or L191G can be completely or partially restored by substitution of a pyrene (Y) nucleotide wedge on the DNA strand opposite to the uracil base (U/A to U/Y). These results indicate that pyrene acts both as a wedge to push the uracil from the base stack in the free DNA and as a "plug" to hinder its reinsertion after base flipping. Pyrene rescue should serve as a useful and novel tool to diagnose the functional roles of other amino acid side chains involved in base flipping.


In the early 2000s, the economic consequences of neoliberalism, associated with a "left-wing turn" in South American governments, allowed that social and political issues to gain prominence in Mercosur's regional political agenda to the detriment of purely commercial issues, a theme that guided the awakening of the regional bloc. To incorporate new issues, such as social rights, human rights and social participation, numerous normative and instances were created. The aim of this article is to do a review of the main normative and created instances, with a special focus on the participatory issue. To achieve this goal, we resorted to literature review and documentary analysis. From the analysis, we can identify that Mercosur has taken a relatively short path in the implementation of participatory mechanisms for non-state actors, since numerous bodies and instances have institutionalized participatory mechanisms, despite criticism and needs for improvement.


Objective: Research Objective to know the factors affecting the Sexual Comfort on IUD KB Acceptors in Rs.Bayayangkara Makassar. Method: Research Method: This research is a cross sectional study. The sample of research with the number of 40 respondents by way of sampling random sampling. Data analysis using chi square test for 95% significance level. Discussion: IUD (Intra Uterine Device) is a widely used contraceptive tool in family planning program in Indonesia. Less than 4.5 million KB acceptor use IUD. However, the use of IUD contraceptives is not a perfect tool, so there are still some disadvantages including: spotting bleeding, menometrorargia, vaginal or flour albus, dysmenorrhea infection and sexual comfort. Result: Research Result: The result of statistical test by using chi square of all the factors that influence the known value of P smaller than a, it can be concluded that the Ho intervention group is rejected and Ha accepted. Conclusion: There is correlation between the factors influencing the Sexual Convenience on KB IUD Acceptors Dirs.Bhayangkara Makassar


The catastrophic disruption in the USA financial system in the wake of the financial crisis prompted the Federal Reserve to launch a Quantitative Easing (QE) programme in late 2008. In line with Pesaran and Smith (2014), I use a policy effectiveness test to assess whether this massive asset purchase programme was effective in stimulating the economic activity in the USA. Specifically, I employ an Autoregressive Distributed Lag Model (ARDL), in order to obtain a counterfactual for the USA real GDP growth rate. Using data from 1983Q1 to 2009Q4, the results show that the beneficial effects of QE appear to be weak and rather short-lived. The null hypothesis of policy ineffectiveness is not rejected, which suggests that QE did not have a meaningful impact on output growth.


The Role of Colour Doppler Imaging in the Diagnosis of Poly Cystic Ovarian . Syndrome 1University Institute of Radiological sciences and Medical Imaging Technology, The University of Lahore, Pakistan 2Services Institute of Medical Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan 3Rawalpindi Medical University, Lahore, Pakistan VOL. 05, ISSUE. 01


Climate change may affect food production and ultimately result in a food crisis. But, what phenomena does a food crisis involve and how serious must the food shortage be to qualify as a 'crisis'? To answer this, we attempt to 'define' a food crisis by applying standard microeconomic approaches and examine the history of past food crises. We first build three indices that measure the degree of food crisis, i.e., nonlinear trend deviation index, food shortage index, and food market index. Basically, each index represents a variant measure of the food market's supply shortage and/or price increase. We then use data of 182 countries from 1961 to 2009 to estimate each index and attempt to identify the occurrence of food crises for each country. All three indices indicate that two major food crises occurred in 1973 and 2008 on a global scale, while minor ones took place less uniformly for different years for different countries during the sample period. The food shortage index seems more reliable than the other two by identifying the outbreaks of food crisis more systematically.


Organic impurity determination is a critical aspect since it has a great impact on the assigned content of chemical reference standards (CRS). This is especially the case for CRS of natural products (CRSNPs) which are mostly obtained from medicinal plants or animals. Total amount of organic impurities of CRSNPs is generally determined by high performance liquid chromatography based on official or reported methods. Since the brand of column is not always prescribed or when the brand prescribed is not available in the laboratory, this can cause serious consequences, especially when the sample contains a basic or weak acid compound with p K a values ranged from 3 to 6. In this paper, columns were originally selected based on a peer-reviewed column characterization database. Firstly two columns with orthogonal selectivity (selectivity factor F ≥6) were selected from the database to determine the purity of the respective CRSNPs. The selection was performed to minimize the risk to obtain different values caused by use of various brands of columns. If there is no significant difference between their results, then the purity result is cross-validated. Otherwise, a third column has to be selected from the database and its selectivity should be similar to the above one which give better separation ( F ≤2). The approach has been illustrated by the purity determinations of N - trans - p -coumaroyltyramine and (-)-epicatechin-3- O -gallate CRSNPs, and it is most likely to be applied in more CRSNPs, especially those of basic or weak acid ones.


In a recent paper [A. S. Cacciapuoti et al., ldquoFinite-Sample Performance Analysis of Widely Linear Multiuser Receivers in DS-CDMA Systems, IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing, vol. 56, no. 4, pp. 1572-1588, Apr. 2008], we presented the finite-sample theoretical performance comparison between linear (L) and widely linear (WL) minimum output-energy (MOE) receivers for direct-sequence code-division multiple-access (DS-CDMA) systems, worked out under the assumption that the channel impulse response of the desired user is exactly known. The main scope of this paper is to extend such an analysis, taking into account not only autocorrelation matrix (ACM) estimation effects, but also the accuracy of subspace-based blind channel estimation (CE). We aim to answer the two following questions: Which of the two estimation processes (ACM or CE) is the main source of degradation when implementing the receivers on the basis of a finite sample-size? Compared with the L-MOE one, is the finite-sample WL-MOE receiver with blind CE capable of achieving the performance gains predicted by the theory? To this goal, simple and easily interpretable formulas are developed for the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) at the output of the L- and WL-MOE receivers with blind CE, when they are implemented using either the sample ACM or its eigendecomposition. In addition, the derived formulas, which are validated by simulations, allow one to recognize and discuss interesting tradeoffs between the main parameters of the DS-CDMA system.


Ecological Socialism shows the relationship between man and nature,the rational criticism of the capitalist industrial civilization and the means of production,the idea of green development society in the future,and social justice and ecological harmony of the new society.On the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party,the construction of ecological civilization has put forward into the system of socialism theories with Chinese characteristics for the first time.In this background,the western ecological socialist transformation development has significant for us to promote ecological civilization,and construct Beautiful China.It also provides us alternative reference for realizing the sustainable development of the China,constructing affluent society,and enhancing the harmonious development of ecological society.


The Dual-Core Structure of Jinan and Qingdao is very typical in Shandong province.It is important to have a clear spatial relationship between Jinan and Qingdao,for it is the basis to integrate the function of the two cities.The main character of the spatial relationship between Jinan and Qingdao is confrontational competitive from 1978 to 1992.Using principal component analysis method together with the software of ArcGIS,it has drawn a conclusion that Qingdao has been expanding the scope to western Shandong in recent years;From the fractal point of view,it has measured out the two city ever-increasing gravity trend in recent years,which reflects the space relations between the two cities has changed from competition to cooperation. The factors of impacting on the evolution of spatial relations is policy factor,scale factor,resource characteristics factor,production methods factor and network carrier factor.


Purpose: With this study we seek to reveal and analyse the difficulties and challenges change implementation processes may bring along. Our purpose is to find out how managers and their subordinates perceive change and change management processes, and what impact communication has on the implementation of organisational changes.

Methodology: Our research is based on a hermeneutical interpretive perspective and a qualitative research design. A total of 24 semi-structured interviews were conducted with 8 managers and 16 subordinates from 8 different countries, giving the possibility for 1 manager to be evaluated by 2 subordinates.

Findings: Having interviewed a significant number of people we recognized common patterns in the responses. As change is enfolded by various uncertainties about the future it causes confusion among people. Therefore, communication becomes vital for the explanation, justification and clarification in the change management process. Communication on its own, however, does not produce understanding, which means that communication itself can become the source of arising confusion.

Contributions: Our study adds to the existing theoretical and practical knowledge base. It contributes to further research on change management in addition to organisations going through various organisational changes as it provides insight into possible challenges and therefore gives the opportunity to be more efficient.


Joint ventures, strategic alliances, franchising, and collaborative supplier relations during the 1980s increasingly blurred the lucidity of the market-and-hierarchy dichotomy a© la Williamson. Initially conceptually disposed of as `transactions in the medium range', these hybrid organisational arrangements more and more became theoretically anchored in the notion of networks. Interfirm networks were seen as an increasingly relevant unit of economic action and, consequently, an appropriate unit of analysis. Although firm boundaries were no longer taken for granted but conceived of as a strategic parameter, firms were still regarded as key actors in making (and breaking) collaborative network agreements.


TDS-GC-MS chromatographic fingerprints of 72 flavors,which were belong to two different characteristic types,were collected and integrated with analysis method of PLS-DA,to establish class model for two different characteristic flavors.When P0.05,26 verified samples were used to verify class model,and the result showed that the class model performed well in discrimination of verified samples' classifying; meanwhile,to calculate the contribution rate of each chemical compound to classify of the two types of flavors by analysis the factors of contribute matrix,to characterize the differences of chemical compounds in two types of flavors,led to a satisfying results.


The effects on the title reaction of collision energy (Ecol), five H2CO+ vibrational modes, and deformation vibrations of methane have been studied, including the measurement of product integral and differential cross sections over a center-of-mass Ecol range from 0.09–3.3 eV. Electronic structure and RRKM calculations are reported, providing an additional mechanistic insight. The total reaction efficiency is well below unity, despite there being two exoergic reaction pathways with no activation barriers. The energetically more favorable channel corresponds to H elimination (HE) from an intermediate complex, however, this channel accounts for only ∼15% of the total reaction cross section at low Ecol and is negligible at high energies. The dominant channel, hydrogen abstraction (HA) by H2CO+ from methane, is dominated by a complex-mediated mechanism at low Ecol, switching over to a direct hydrogen-stripping mechanism at high Ecol. Both HA and HE are inhibited in a strongly mode-specific fashion by H2CO+ vi...


With clam shell twin screw extruder, the melting mechanism and mixing mechanism of PP/EPDM along the screw were investigated. It showed that dissipative mix melting was the main melting mechanism. Mixing and melting occurred simultaneously. There were two mixing mechanisms: Macor mixing Mechanism and Micro melting Mechanism.


Regarding diabetes and obesity exhibits the research gaps in the field of sugar free products. The target of this study was to investigate microstructure properties of Ghotab in which that saccharose was replaced by maltodextrin-stevioside mixture in 4 levels including 25 % ,50% , 75% and 100% by L.M. Microscope using a completely random plan by image pro software and 120 zoom . The results revealed that this replacement caused to reduction of LSD average and the diameter of hole. However a significantly increasing in the surface area, maximum and minimum hole and their roundness observed, there was a significantly decreasing in the diameter of holes and porosity of samples.


Application of FLC and decision maker to excitation control, load-frequency control and power compensation are discussed in this chapter. Singleand multiarea control of power systems are also studied as examples in the chapter.


stoeber' s edition of Manilius stands for ever on the bad eminence to which Housman elevated it. 'If a man will comprehend the richness and variety of the universe, and inspire his mind with a due measure of wonder and of awe, he must contemplate the human intellect not only on its heights of genius but in its abysses of ineptitude; and it might be fruitlessly debated to the end of time whether Richard Bentley or Elias Stoeber was the more marvellous work of the Creator: Elias Stoeber, whose reprint of Bentley's text, with a commentary intended to confute it, saw the light in 1767 at Strasburg, a city still famous for its geese' (M. Manilu Astronomicon Liber Primus, recensuit et enarra vit A. E. Housman, ed. 2, Cambridge, 1937, p. xix). From a chance discovery it now appears that the book has another, admittedly modest, claim to fame as a bibliographical curiosity. Mr Roland G. Mayer, of Peterhouse, recently found in a Geneva bookshop, and very generously presented to me, a copy of an edition of Manilius little known, it seems, to classical scholars and not recorded by A. T. Bartholomew in his indispensable Richard Bentley, D.D. A Bibliography (Cambridge, 1908) : M. Manilii Astronomicon ex recensione Richardi Bentleii. Adjecta est in calce cuj usque paginae Lectio Vulgata. [Device: decorative frame enclosing column and legend ex recto decus] Basileae, Apud Johannem Brandmullerum, MDCCXL. 8°. Titlepage unsigned, A-K8 (К 8) Li. My copy is in a contemporary binding and has a modern bookplate with the inscription 'Bibliotheque de Paul Moriauď.


In this work, we use two gas mass fraction samples of galaxy clusters obtained from their X-ray surface brightness observations jointly with recent H(z) data in a flat ΛCDM framework to impose limits on cosmic opacity. {It is assumed that the galaxy clusters are in hydrostatic equilibrium and their gas mass fraction measurement is constant with redshift.} We show that the current limits on the matter density parameter obtained from X-ray gas mass fraction test are strongly dependent on the cosmic transparency assumption even for a flat scenario. Our results are consistent with a transparent universe within 1σ c.l. in full agreement with other analyses which used type Ia supernovae, gamma ray burst and H(z) data.


The article deals with genesisand the problem of evolution of dramas ideas — dramas discussion, dramas of ideological collisions — in the world in general and in Ukrainian literature. It gives examples of the best achievements of this genre in the works of the classics, including O. Pushkin, O. Tolstoy, LesyaUkrainka, M. Stary


This paper makes use of various valuation models to evaluate the intrinsic value of companies in Taiwan's sea cargo industry. The results indicate that the Edwards-Bell-Ohlson (EBO) model is the best model available for valuation in terms of forecasting capability.


The article reviews the role of Makhachkala - the capital of the Daghestan ASSR - as an industrial, transport and evacuation center in the years of the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945). The authors highlights the labor excellence of the city's residents, especially those who worked at industrial enterprises, at the sea-port, on the railway. The importance of the city workers in strengthening the country's defense is shown. During the war, a number of factories in Makhachkala started the production of ammunition and equipment for ships and transport. The paper provides the analysis of the manufactured products, notes the joint work with the evacuated enterprises. The workers of the Makhachkala Factory named after M. Gadzhiev, for example, during the war increased the output of products by 4 times; in 1945 they 7 times won the Red Banner of the State Defense Committee and 2 times - the All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions and the People's Commissariat of the USSR Navy. The work of the citizens of Makhachkala on the construction of defensive lines, the activities of evacuation hospitals located in the city are described. In the summer of 1942, the Makhachkala special defensive line was created, while the construction of defensive structures in the city itself (barricades, firing points, shelters) was underway, in which more than 20 thousand of citizens and residents of neighbouring regions took part.


The A.P. Black Research Award was established in 1967 in honor of Dr. Alvin Percy Black to recognize outstanding research contributions to water science and water supply rendered over an appreciable period of time. Dr. Gary L. Amy is the 2017 recipient of the award. He presently holds the position of Dean's Distinguished Professor in the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Science at Clemson University (Clemson, S.C.). He is also a visiting professor in the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department at the National University of Singapore. Amy is the former director of the Water Desalination and Reuse Center at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia. Before his time at KAUST, he was professor of water supply engineering at the UNESCO‐IHE Institute for Water Education in the Netherlands, where he held a joint appointment at the Technical University of Delft. He also was professor of environmental engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder and, earlier, at the University of Arizona (Tucson). Amy's main areas of expertise are drinking water treatment and wastewater reclamation/reuse, with specific expertise in membrane science and technology, selective adsorption, natural organic matter characterization, disinfection byproduct formation and control, and natural systems. Amy received his PhD degree from the University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, Calif., in 1978.


Background and aim Formaldehyde (FA) is an organic carbon compound with adverse health effects by inducing oxidative stress that affect multiple tissues of the exposed animals such as liver, brain, and gonads. Curcumin has desirable preventive therapeutic properties owing to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This study aimed to evaluate toxic effects of FA on liver and testes of the adult male albino rats and assess the probable protective role of curcumin against these effects through biochemical and histological studies. Methodology Twenty-four adult male albino rats were divided into four groups: control, curcumin (100 mg/kg/day by intragastric tube), FA (10 mg/kg/day intraperitoneally), and FA+curcumin, daily for 2 weeks. Blood samples, livers, and testes were obtained for biochemical and histological evaluation. Results FA resulted in elevation of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and total bilirubin and decrease in albumin and testosterone levels and alterations in the normal hepatic and testicular structures. Treatment with curcumin improved these changes. Conclusion FA administration damages and deteriorates hepatic and testicular structures and functions, and curcumin improved that, which might be attributed to its antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. Recommendation It is recommended to use curcumin as a protective agent in FA toxicity.


Simulation of the movements and deposition rates of oblate and prolate nano- and microparticles in a virtual model of the human airways


This paper demonstrates the use of the zonal travel cost method to develop a demand curve and consumer surplus estimate for household hazardous waste collection and disposal services in King County, Washington. The travel cost derived consumer surplus estimate is compared to a consumer surplus estimate derived from a preliminary contingent valuation survey. The travel cost estimate of consumer surplus is found to be more than the contingent valuation estimate and significantly less than the cost of household hazardous waste collection in King County during 1993. This result raises questions about the value of household hazardous waste collection services and their contribution to public welfare.


Aims: The aim of the present study was to investigate the correlation between the topography of the reported symptoms of 'mechanical' lower back pain and the findings from the MRI of the lumbar spine. Methods: Topography ('pain charts') of the lower back pain (upper, middle, lower lumbar and sacro-iliac areas) and the MRI findings (disc morphology, Modic-type end plate changes, presence and degree of spondylolisthesis) of 230 consecutive patients with 'mechanical' lower back pain without neurological symptoms were studied. Chi-square test was used for the statistical analysis. Results: Analysis showed that the presence of L5/S1 level pathology is associated (p=0.018) with pain in the middle lumbar area. No other statistically significant association between pathology of another level and pain in other lumbar areas was observed. Conclusions: Contrary to the general belief, pathology of the lowest lumbar spinal level as diagnosed from MRI may be associated with pain in the middle lumbar area while other pathological levels are not necessarily associated with specific areas of pain in the lower back.


By analyzing a problem of cylinder rolling on the inclined surface,we come to a conclusion: the key to judge body rolling conditions and the properties of friction is the analysis of the pace(A) of contact point of body and supporting surface.The ways to solve is also summerized.


The antagonistic substance against fungi, bacteria yeast and the cancer of mouse is isolated from Bacillus cereus .The substance is non protein and is hydrophobic. Only when cultured in solid medium can such antagonistic substance be secreted.


Objective To detect the antimicrobial activity of galic acid and to provide basis for the development of antibacterial drugs.Methods The disk diffusion method was applied to test the antimicrobial activity and the minimum inhibitory concentration(MIC) of galic acid on Staphylococcus aureus,Escherichia coli,Salmonella enteritidis,Salmonella typhimurium,Bacillus cereus and Candida albicans.Results The galic acid had antimicrobial effect on Staphylococcus aureus,Escherichia coli,Salmonella enteritidis and Salmonella typhimurium,with the inhibition zone diameters of 9.0,7.5,8.5,and 9.45 mm and the minimum inhibitory concentration values of 1,5,0.5,and 10 mg/mL,respectively.Conclusion The galic acid has antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus,Escherichia coli,Salmonella enteritidis and Salmonella typhimurium and could be developed as an antibacterial drug.


Chondrule textures and compositions appear to require rapid heating of precursor grain aggregates to temperatures in the range 1500 K to 2100 K, cooling times on the order of hours, and episodic and variable intensity events in order to produce chondrule rims and chemically distinct groups. Nebula shock waves have been proposed by Hood and Horanyi as a physical mechanism that may be capable of meeting the meteoritical constraints. Motivated by astronomical observations of the close environments of young stars, we suggest that the source of the nebula shock waves may be clumpy accretion onto the solar nebula - that is, episodic impacts onto the nebula by discrete cloud clumps with masses of at least 10(exp 22) g. If the cloud clumps are massive enough (10(exp 26) g), the resulting shockwave may be able to propagate to the midplane and process precursor aggregates residing in a dust sub-disk.


Contour-based Fourier descriptors are established as a simple and effective shape description method for content-based image retrieval. In order to achieve invariance under rotation and starting point change, most Fourier descriptor implementations disregard the phase of the Fourier coefficients. We introduce a novel method for extracting Fourier descriptors, which preserve the phase of Fourier coefficients and have the desired invariance. We propose specific points, called pseudomirror points, to be used as shape orientation reference. Experimental results indicate that the proposed method significantly outperforms other Fourier descriptor based techniques.


Translated from Zh. Eksp. Teor. Fiz., Pis'ma Red.; 18: No. 7, The equations for the two types of resonant interactions (decay and explosive) are given. The case for monochromatic waves is considered. The method of the inverse scattering problem was used to integrate certain nonlinear operators without assuming the nonlinearity to be small. Solutions are given for monochromatic waves and the decay case for resonant interactions. (MOW)


Please submit your contribution for consideration for this special issue of Including Disability no later than May 31, 2022 (and sooner if you would like) to our email inbox: firstname.lastname@example.com.


The present project set out to explore whether or not the members of one of the most powerful families in history functioned as agents of language change. Using the Parsed Corpus of Early English C ...


The increasing number of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) cooperating in underwater operations has motivated the use of wireless communications. Their modeling can minimize the impact of their limited performance in real-time robotic interventions. However, robotic frameworks hardly ever consider the communications, and network simulators are not suitable for HIL experiments. In this work, the UWSim-NET is presented, an open source tool to simulate the impact of communications in underwater robotics. It gathers the benefits of NS3 in modeling communication networks with those of the underwater robot simulator (UWSim) and the robot operating system (ROS) in modeling robotic systems. This article also shows the results of three experiments that demonstrate the capabilities of UWSim-NET in modeling radio frequency (RF) and acoustic links in underwater scenarios. It also permits evaluating several MAC protocols such as additive links online Hawaii area (ALOHA), slotted floor acquisition multiple access (S-FAMA) and user defined protocols. A third experiment demonstrated the excellent capabilities of UWSim-NET in conducting hardware in the loop (HIL) experiments.


Singular divergence-conforming bases have been proposed for the solution of integral equations although they have seen only occasional use in practical applications. The existing singular bases are not hierarchical, which prevents their use in adaptive  $ {p}$ -refinement applications. In this paper, a new family of singular hierarchical basis functions is proposed for quadrilateral cells. These functions model the singularities associated with current and charge density at edges and are more convenient for modeling such singularities than triangular bases of the same kind. The basis functions are of the additive kind and combine a hierarchical polynomial representation on quadrilaterals with linearly independent singular terms that incorporate general exponents that may be adjusted for the specific wedge angle of interest. Moreover, the added singular basis functions are computed on the fly. On the basis of various reported numerical results, this paper also illustrates the difficulties, the advantages, the accuracy, and the cost of using such bases in the method of moment solutions of integral equations.


Objective To study the choice of the treatment ways for thyroid cancer surgery and its cl inical effect. Methods Inicopatho logicdata of 155 patients with thyroid carc inoma treated were retrospective anaIyzed. Results The patients with thyroid cancer l55 cases,,21 routinethyroid total resection with or not side with cervical and dissections or bilateral cervical and dissections,134received subtotal thyroidectomy is with or not side with cervical and dissecions or bilateral cervical and dissections. Conclusion Proper se I ect i on of surg icaI is the key po i nt for patients prognosis.


Prevent and protections from computer virus are important areas of computer information security research.Research of the propagation characters of computer virus is the important part of computer security research.USB-disk viruses are one of common computer virus these times.It mainly focuses on the propagation characters of this kind of virus and its instantaneous state,and researches the time period for the virus to stable.Firstly,it establishes a math model and uses some parameters to describe the problem,then use Net Logo to simulate this propagation.In the end,present the propagation characters when changing some of the parameters.


cyber incivility is a communication behavior that violates ethics for mutual respect between one person and another in online. The impacts of cyber incivility include decreasing of satisfaction and work commitment, deliberate in job deviation until turnover intention. Unfortunately, empirical studies have so far only addressed the antecedents of cyber incivility perpetrators from the point of view of work domains and user communications user personalities, but rarely review online characteristics that cause a person to engage in social disinhibition. Therefore this study aims to prove the influence of anonymity, invisibility, asyncronicity, and dissociative imagination on cyber incivility behavior. This study uses correlational design with multiple linear regression analysis techniques. The subjects were 111 workers from various types of work (66 females, 45 males, mean of age = 32, 8739, standard deviation of age = 5,73) domiciled in Indonesia recruited by purposive sampling. The result shows that anonymity, invisibility and asincronicity have a significant effect on the presence of cyber incivility.


Inquiry methodology is the study of history. An historian engaged in fieldwork or working in a museum, archive or library constantly sorts evidence, ask questions and frames tentative hypotheses, usually before repeating the processes or introducing new ones to confirm or challenge the 'findings'. The findings often form the bases of future inquiries, the original evidence may be re-assessed according to fresh perspectives, or new evidence may come to light. The study of history is, therefore, living, incomplete - and exciting. The daily pressures of schools often compel teachers to reach for textbooks more often than those teachers know is desirable. The temptation is understandable: textbooks offer succinct paragraphs, appealing visuals (usually captioned) and prepared questions. Textbooks, however, and teachers who use them too often, 'tell' students a certain history as if the facts are known and irrefutable, as if all the thinking has been done. The same sometimes happens in museums and galleries. You may be able to recall an encounter or two with wordy text-plates, or a guide who talked at you about exhibits: Would not your experience well-chosen questions that enabled you to arrive at understandings for yourself? If so, would you have developed personal insights and skills to apply to other exhibits, and in future settings? Would the guide have retained authority by establishing a framework for your investigation - perhaps the key dates, places, players - but also in supporting you positively when you were correct, tactfully managing inaccurate or brief responses by asking further questions, or adding details? Would you, too, have begun to feel like an authority as you worked closely with the evidence? Would there have been less fatigue and boredom for the guide, who did not need to repeat long scripts - and for you, who did not need to hear them? Might not a well-trained and 'inquiry-aware' guide have enjoyed more of their exchange with you, including the chance to observe your pleasure when you were 'right'? For too many reasons, mainly to do with convenience, the recording and reporting of history has been confined to the printed word. Wider use of inquiry methodology in schools provides a chance to return to primary sources - and to enable teachers and students to experience the real work of 'historians and detectives'. This article offers strategies by which individual teachers of history/humanities or their departments may reduce the emphasis on textbook lessons, save preparation time in the long term and make all who teach and learn history open to enjoyable and purposeful processes and the 'life' of its many topics.


This paper attempts to identify factors which are conducive to the exportation of ethnic African products into the European Union (EU) market. We develop a conceptual framework within which to examine the main players and processes at work. We also analyse the prospects for authentic African products in selected EU member states, namely France and the UK. We conclude that the reality on the ground often involves complex structures in socially and culturally heterogeneous contexts. Our exploratory study thus seeks to offer insights into these structures and processes, noting that the relationship between ethnic producers/ retailers and their distributional channel members is often volatile and conflictual.


To the Editor.— In a recent article Garewal et al1demonstrated that danazol, an attenuated androgen, given at a dose of 600 mg daily for eight to 14 weeks, is not useful in the treatment of factor VIII—deficient and factor IX—deficient hemophilic patients. Some hemophilic patients experienced abnormal bleeding with danazol—a problem attributed to increased fibrinolysis.1,2 Subjects and Methods.— In 1984, we undertook a two-week trial of danazol in 800-mg/day oral doses, in addition to aminocaproic acid in 10-g/day oral doses as an inhibitor of fibrinolysis. The subjects were 20 adults with hemophilia and no factor VIII inhibitor, nor evidence of active bleeding. Eighteen cases had moderate to mild hemophilia A (3.2% to 10% of factor VIII), and two cases had moderate hemophilia B (3% and 4.2% of factor IX). Two of the 20 patients showed an increase in deficient factor levels: one with an initial factor VIII


Purpose This study aimed to compare the validity of SARC-F and SARC-Calf screening tools for sarcopenia to be used by nurses in Greek older adults. Methods For the clinical validation of the Greek version of SARC-F, a cross-sectional study was conducted to assess sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV, respectively) of the SARC-F against 4 definitions of sarcopenia. The SARC-F questionnaire was combined with calf circumference. SARC-Calf was developed and assessed against the same definitions of sarcopenia. Results One hundred older adults, ≥ 65 years old, (median age 72.50 years old, standard deviation = 9), took part in the clinical validation of the Greek SARC-F and SARC-Calf. Based on the definition used for sarcopenia, sensitivity of SARC-F ranged from 27.0 to 50.0%, specificity from 82.2 to 85.7%, NPVs between 66.7 and 93.8%, and PPVs were always below 60.0%. The SARC-Calf demonstrated improved specificity (95.6 to 98.4%) but lower sensitivity (10.0 to 20.0%). Conclusions The Greek version of SARC-F appears to be a useful screening tool for nurses for precisely ruling out community-dwelling older adults without sarcopenia. Nurses could have an important role in the early detection of sarcopenia by implementing the SARC-F screening tool. Further research is needed to assess the SARC-Calf validity in more vulnerable populations.


Question In patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with chest pain, does care guided by the HEART (History, Electrocardiogram, Age, Risk factors, initial Troponin) score reduce use of health care without increasing major adverse cardiac events (MACE)? Methods Design Stepped-wedge, cluster-randomized trial. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01756846. All clusters (hospitals) provided usual care for the first 6 weeks, 1 hospital was randomly crossed over to HEART-guided care at each 6-week interval, and all hospitals used HEART-guided care for the final 6 weeks. Allocation {Concealed}*. Blinding Blinded (outcome adjudicators for MACE). Follow-up period 6 weeks and 3 months. Setting 9 hospitals in the Netherlands. Patients 3666 patients 18 years of age (mean age 62 y, 54% men) who presented with chest pain to a participating ED or chest pain unit. Exclusion criteria included ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (MI) or recurrent presentation. Intervention Care guided by the HEART score (n =1833) or usual care (n =1833). In the HEART-guided care group, recommendations were early discharge (low score, 0 to 3), observation and investigation with noninvasive stress testing or imaging (intermediate score, 4 to 6), or early invasive diagnostic testing and treatment (high score, 7 to 10). Outcomes Primary outcome was MACE (all-cause mortality, MI, unstable angina, revascularization, or conservatively treated stenosis >50%). Other outcomes included use of health care. 6600 patients in 10 clusters were needed to determine noninferiority of HEART-guided care vs usual care for MACE at 6 weeks (<3% absolute difference, usual care event rate 17%, 1-sided =0.05, power 80%). Patient follow-up {>99%}*. Main results In the HEART-guided care group, 39% of patients had a low HEART score, 47% an intermediate score, and 11% a high score. The main results are in the Table. Conclusion In adults presenting to the emergency department with chest pain, HEART-guided care did not differ from usual care for major adverse cardiac events at 6 weeks or health care use at 3 months. HEART-guided care vs usual care in patients presenting to the ED with chest pain Outcomes Event rates Adjusted difference (1-sided upper 95% CI) at 6 wk HEART-guided care Usual care MACE 19% 22% 1.3% (2.1%) Adjusted difference (2-sided 95% CI) at 3 mo ED discharge at 4 h 35%** 31% 0.7% (5.6% to 7.0%) Recurrent ED admission 15.2% 14.6% 1.5% (2.1 to 5.2)** Hospital readmission 11% 12% 1.5% (0.6 to 3.6) Outpatient clinic visit 70% 60% 0.9% (11% to 9.5%) ED = emergency department; HEART = History, Electrocardiogram, Age, Risk factors, initial Troponin; MACE = major adverse cardiac events; CI defined in Glossary. Adjusted for clustering and stepped-wedge time steps. All-cause mortality (0.3% vs 0.5%), myocardial infarction or unstable angina (18% vs 22%), and revascularization or conservatively treated stenosis >50% (14% vs 16%). Met criterion for noninferiority of HEART-guided vs usual care. **Data confirmed or provided by author. Unadjusted difference calculated from event rates in article. Commentary Low-risk patients with chest pain are often admitted to hospital to rule out acute coronary syndrome (ACS) (1). Financial burdens and medical harms caused by unwarranted admissions are substantial (1), highlighting the potential benefit of a clinical decision aid to identify patients who can safely go home. The HEART score has been validated in the ED for this purpose (2). It is simple, easy to apply, and unique in that it allows clinicians to include their judgment of the patient history into an otherwise-objective scoring system, which could then be used as legal protection in rare but inevitable cases of missed ACS. Although the HEART score may be popular among ED providers, whether it will gain widespread acceptance among cardiologists is unclear, because they may be skeptical of an objective assessment by a nonspecialist or of the recommendation against provocative testing in low-risk patients, which is counter to some cardiology guidelines (3). Buy-in from all involved specialties will be necessary for any decision aid to meaningfully affect patient care. Poldervaart and colleagues have taken the next step by studying the clinical effects of the HEART score. They found that HEART-guided care decreased downstream testing to a small extent but did not decrease hospitalizations, partly because clinicians did not consistently adhere to the recommendations of the scoring system. The implementation strategy essentially consisted of recommending that physicians calculate and record a HEART score and link the score to a recommended disposition. A more rigorous education and implementation strategy may have increased adherence and clinical effects. Of note, the criterion for noninferiority of HEART-directed vs standard care was met for the primary outcome of safety. The main results were reported for intention-to-treat analysis, but per protocol results, which may be favored for reporting of noninferiority trials, were similar. Poldervaart and colleagues further validate that the HEART score is a safe risk stratification tool for patients presenting to the ED with chest pain. Although the clinical effect remains unproven, further study is warranted, perhaps with more aggressive education and a stricter implementation strategy.


The invention discloses a feeding device of a vacuum packaging machine. The feeding device comprises a conveying mechanism and clamping mechanisms arranged on the conveying mechanism at intervals. Each clamping mechanism comprises a clamping head body and a feeding clamping head arranged on the clamping head body and connected with a clamping air cylinder. The conveying mechanism comprises a driving sprocket, a driven sprocket, a first chain, a second chain and a fixing plate, wherein first sprocket teeth and second sprocket teeth are arranged on the driving sprocket and the driven sprocket; a first chain is arranged on the first sprocket teeth of the driving sprocket and the driven sprocket; a second chain is arranged on the second sprocket teeth of the driving sprocket and the driven sprocket; fixing plates are arranged between the first chain and the second chain at intervals; the clamping head bodies are fixed to the fixing plates. Compared with the prior art, the fixing plates used for installation of the clamping head bodies are erected between the two chains at intervals, so that uniformity between continuous rotation of a conveying motor and intermittent feeding of the conveying motor is ingeniously achieved, and the feeding device of the vacuum packaging machine has the characteristics of being easy to control and carrying out feeding efficiently, continuously and circularly.


We are told that the trouble with Modern Man is that he has been trying to detach himself from nature. He sits in the topmost tiers of polymer, glass, and steel, dangling his pulsing legs, surveying at a distance the writhing life of the planet. In this scenario, Man comes on as a stupendous lethal force, and the earth is pictured as something delicate, like rising bubbles at the surface of a country pond, or flights of fragile birds.


Two models of the circumstellar disc around supergiant B[e] stars are discussed: an equatorial wind model produced by wind bi-stability, and a Keplerian viscous disc model. Both models are successful in providing a site for dust formation once they have cooled sufficiently. However, the optical--infra-red continuum is calculated and it is found that both models have significant trouble in accounting for observations. In particular the optical--near-IR emission is accounted for, but the dust emission is underestimated by at least an order of magnitude. Variations in the structure of the models (the temperature variation with radius, the density structure and the dust opacity) are investigated to assess how (in)appropriate the standard models are for supergiant B[e] star discs. Changing the temperature structure, and making simple dust opacity changes within the disc has little effect on the resultant continuum emission. By altering the density structure of the discs, the continuum may be accounted for by both models: the equatorial wind model requires a very flat density profile which is impossible to explain with any accelerating wind, and the viscous disc model's density structure is required to fall off less steeply with radius than would have been expected, although this may be explained from consideration of viscous processes in the disc. It is recognised that both theoretical interpretations have difficulties and unsolved problems.


This article reviewed claims made by modern scholars Ford Lewis Battles and G.H.Williams, as well as charges made by Melanchthon, against Andreas Karlstadt (1486–1541) in regard to the imposition of Mosaic Law upon the civil realm. Melanchthon called Karlstadt 'insane' based on this charge, whilst Battles claims Karlstadt proposed to replace European civil law completely with the 'entire Mosaic code'. This study examined some of Karlstadt's writings in regard to images, the pace of reforms in Wittenberg, and the preference for reform to be carried out by the princes and not the masses. It also consulted the secondary source analyses of Ulrich Bubenheimer and Calvin Augustus Pater – both of which present views opposite to that of Battles, and both would have been available to Battles in 1986. The results of the literary review conducted in this study demonstrate that the claims of Battles, Williams, and Melanchthon are not supported by the evidence.


PURPOSE
We investigated the effects of intravesical BCG instillations for carcinoma in situ (CIS) of the urinary bladder. And we have retrospectively analyzed the prediction of effects by fresh urinary cytologic examinations before instillation.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
33 patients were treated for bladder CIS (1991-1997) with a median follow-up of 30 months (range from 9 to 90 months). The patients (27 males and 6 females) ranged in age from 46 to 91 (average 71 years) and received 6 to 12 weekly BCG Tokyo 172 strain 80 mg instillations. They were divided into 3 groups based on tumor history: primary (9), secondary (15), concurrent (9). The prediction of effects were analyzed by scoring fresh urinary cytologic examinations before instillation.

RESULTS
22 cases (67%) were responded and they have remained free of disease for follow-up period. The statistic evaluation proved to show the significance between the effects of treatment and the sum of scoring (cellular appearance and existence of large nuclear cells).

CONCLUSION
We confirmed the effects of this treatment. The prediction of effect of this treatment seemed to be indicative by fresh urinary cytologic examinations before instillation, especially cellular appearance and existence of large nuclear cells.


We investigated a light emitting diode (LED) lighting system applied to a water bamboo field during winter season at night, and the results indicated that this lighting system can prevent the stunting of water bamboo leaves and further assist its growth. Compared with previous LED systems, in which the LED bulbs were placed directly above water bamboo leaves, our LED lighting system presents the benefit of easy handling during harvest. To prevent the inhomogeneous coverage of LED light patterns, a new design of LED lenses was also incorporated.


The Kumjian-Pask algebras are path algebras associated to higher-rank graphs, and generalize the Leavitt path algebras. We study the center of simple Kumjian-Pask algebras and characterize commutative Kumjian-Pask algebras.