ABSTRACT The paper uses a child-centred approach to analyse Australia's child immunisation laws. These laws condition enrolment to early education centres on the child being fully immunised and provide financial incentives to parents, encouraging them to comply with the national immunisation protocol. The paper seeks to contribute to the debates in public health about the utility of human rights and the definition of the 'public' by problematising the marginalisation of children from this space. Navigating between the positionalities of individuals and collectives in two terrains, namely, human rights and public health, the paper examines how children and their rights are conceptualised in the development of immunisation policies, and asks what these laws tell us about children's positionality, lives and bodies in society. It argues that the current child immunisation laws commodify children's bodies, physically and figuratively, as a means to protect the entire population from infectious diseases. This reproduces children and childhood as means to an end, seeing childhood as a vehicle to adulthood. Utilising a child-centred approach can advance a different approach to public health matters concerning children, safeguarding their rights in this domain and in turn changing their public visibility.


A method of assessing the gestational age of a newborn infant by measuring certain defined external physical characteristics is described. In a study of 272 infants it was found that a total 'maturity score', derived by summation of the scores for eleven characteristics, predicted gestational age with considerably greater accuracy than did weight at birth.


Objective To explore the effect of health management and intervention on improvement of body mass index(BMI),blood pressure and blood lipid among dyslipidemia patients. Methods Three hundred patients with dyslipidemia were randomly selected as the pre-management group,and then health management and intervention were applied in the pre-management group.After health management and intervention,they were defined as the post-management group.The physical indicators of the two groups were compared. Results BMI,systolic blood pressure,diastolic blood pressure,cholesterol,triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein cholesterin(LDL-C) in the post-management group were significantly lower than those in the pre-management group,and the differences were statistically significant(P0.05).However,the changes in the waistline,blood glucose,and high-density lipoprotein cholesterin(HDL-C) of the two groups were not statistically significant(P0.05). Conclusions Health management and intervention are effective in improving lipid abnormalities,which is suitable for patients with dyslipidemia.


In lieu of an abstract, below is the essay's first paragraph. "It is inevitable that people will always disagree on different matters in life. One of the most controversial issues in today's world is religion. There are numerous religions in the world and each one carries different beliefs. What many people do not understand is that in order to live peacefully, people need to be willing to accept and respect that everyone does not share the same religion. Instead of arguing over who is right and who is wrong, we as a people should respect each other's right to believe in whichever religion we choose to believe in." This living with other gods is available in Verbum: https://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/verbum/vol4/iss1/9 Living with Other Gods


This study is aimed at exploring the voices of English teachers and students of a state senior high school towards the National Exam policy and its implementation in Indonesia. Several theories of psychology and language learning were applied in this study as the theoretical framework. This study used a descriptive qualitative method. The participants were chosen by purposive sampling technique. The data for this study were garnered through a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) conducted to the selected twelfth-grade students and semi-structured interviews done to two English teachers. Both data were analyzed descriptively. Upon the analysis, two paramount themes prevailed: (1) the negative response towards the implementation and accuracy of National Exam (NE) policy in Indonesia; and (2) unintended impacts of NE policy on teaching and learning activity, students' motivation, and English Language Learning and Curriculum. This study offers information for the government as the policymaker, school leaders, teachers, and researchers to understand how the NE is implemented at the school level.


Objective:To explore the effects of isomalto oligosaccharide sulfate(IMOS) on HCCLM3 xenograft growth in nude mouse model.Methods: Body weights,hepatorenal functions and pathologic examinations of important organs of nude mice were assessed when IMOS was intraperitoneally injected using a dose-escalation strategy.HCCLM3 xenograft growths in 0,30,60 or 90 mg/(kg·d) IMOS treated mice were dynamically measured once a week by fluorescent stereomicroscope.Results: A robust inhibitory effect on HCCLM3 xenograft growth without obvious toxicities was observed when IMOS was administered at the dosage of no more than 90mg/(kg·d).Conclusions: IMOS could be a potential anti-HCC agent and worth further studies in patients with HCC,especially disease at advanced stages.


Fibromyalgia (FM) is a syndrome of chronic pain, which its physiopathology seems to involve alteration on the cortical system responsible for the processing of pain. Currently, the treatment for fibromyalgia became a big challenge, inasmuch as the available medicines present adverse effects that limit the adhesion of the same. Objectifying to modulate these altered circuits, Association of low doses of naltrexone and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) have showed promising results for its capacity of reducing the pain in these patients. Besides that, the use of low doses of naltrexone at FM showed analgesic effects, which looks like interesting according to the pharmacodynamics profile of this medicine, being the probable mechanism of action the up regulation of opioids receptors and consequently the increase of endogenous opioids. Aiming to evaluate if the previous use of low doses of naltrexone potentiate analgesic effect induced by the tDCS in patients with fibromyalgia; it is proposed to evaluate the changes on the level psychophysical and neuroendocrine through evaluation with psychophysical pain tests, and levels of neurotrophins and serum cytokines. It will be conduced a randomized clinical trial, double blind, parallel, controlled with sham and placebo. It will be included 92 women between 18 and 65 years with confirmed diagnosis of fibromyalgia and pain evaluated as bigger than six in the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) at the last three months. All patients will sign an Informed Consent Questioner. Each patient will be randomized to receive 21 days of low doses of naltrexone or placebo, followed by 5 consecutive sessions of tDCS or sham-tDCS. We will evaluate the changes on pain after intervention, and we will study your association with the psychophysical profile of pain and serum neurotrophins, that might have predictive response function.


each species may be established, make it posible to differentiate those who behave as harmless commensal bacteria from those usually involved in infections. This precise identification will gradually become easier with the implementation of sequence-based molecular identification diagnostic methods or mass spectrophotometry (MALDI-TOF), fortunately increasingly spreading in laboratories, which are relegating biochemical methods, much less accurate, to identification second level.


The concept and the research background of cement-based gradient functional materials was elaborated,the preparation methods was introduced,the present status was summarized from four levels,finally the question and the direction which the cement based gradient functional materials urgently awaits to develop has analyzed.


A mechanical analog computer is described which is suitable for the exploratory study of linear accelerator designs in the bunching region, at least in problems of the kind encountered in electron accelerators, where bunching is accomplished in comparatively short intervals and with relatively few phase oscillations. Particle phase is observed directly from a resolver; and particle momentum, particle velocity, and accelerating wave phase velocity are observed simultaneously as linear magnitudes whose relative change during calculation provides useful intuitive guidance in the choice of accelerator parameters. Some calculations are reported which were made with a rough apparatus capable of ∼5% accuracy.


Electrospray mass spectrospray (ES-MS) has proven especially useful in the molecular weight determination and structural analysis of involatile, polar and thermally labile compounds. However, the mechanism(s) involved in the generation of gas-phase ions from species in solution during the ES process is not well understood. In this study, attention is given to the electrochemical processes that occur at the metal/solution interface in the ES capillary. Kebarle and co-workers postulated that the mechanism responsible for charge balance in the ES capillary was electrochemical in nature and that the ES source was in fact {open_quotes}an electrolytic cell of a somewhat special kind.{close_quotes} The authors demonstrated that the radical cations observed in the ES mass spectra of some easily oxidized organic compounds were formed via electrochemical oxidation in the ES capillary. Recently, similar data from an ES-MS study of various metallocenes was also presented. A better understanding about the electrochemical processes in ES is desirable because it might lead to means for improving ES-MS performance (e.g., improving dynamic range and detection limits), means to expand the range of analytes amenable to analysis and possibly the means to control or alter the ionic species observed in the gas-phase.


Research in association rules mining has initially concentrated in solving the obvious problem of finding positive association rules; that is rules among items that exist in the stored transactions. It was only several years after that the possibility of finding also negative association rules became especially appealing and was investigated. Nevertheless researchers based their assumptions regarding negative association rules on the absence of items from transactions. This assumption though besides being dubious, since it equated the absence of an item with a conflict or negative effect on the rest items, it also brought out a series of computational problems with the amount of possible patterns that had to be examined and analyzed. In this work we give an overview of the works having engaged with the subject until now and present a novel view for the definition of negative influence among items.


Cost control in companies plays a vital role in decision making, regardless of size. Before this investigation, there was no precise information regarding the situation of cost management in manufacturing SMEs in Colotlán Jalisco, Mexico. When carrying out this research work, information was obtained according to the measurement, analysis, and cost management of these companies. The methodology used was a quantitative type by applying an instrument/questionnaire to a sample of the study universe. The surveys were applied to 51 companies, which were selected in a multivariate way with respect to each economic activity. The universe of manufacturing SMEs in Colotlán Jalisco was taken from the National Statistical Directory of Economic Units (DENUE) of INEGI. The sample was calculated with 95% confidence and an error margin of +/- 5%. (DENUE, 2019) By having this information, it will be possible to have indicators that will work as a basis for the generation and application of projects that have an impact on the improvement of the integral management of the SMEs under study. Projects that will be carried out in conjunction with the research group of the University of Buenaventura Colombia.


Object detection is an essential technique for autonomous driving. The performance of an object detector significantly degrades if the weather of the training images is different from that of test images. Domain adaptation can be used to address the domain shift problem so as to improve the robustness of an object detector. However, most existing domain adaptation methods either handle single target domain or require domain labels. We propose a novel unsupervised domain classification method which can be used to generalize single-target domain adaptation methods to multi-target domains, and design a weather-invariant object detector training framework based on it. We conduct the experiments on Cityscapes dataset and its synthetic variants, i.e. foggy, rainy, and night. The experimental results show that the object detector trained by our proposed method realizes robust object detection under different weather conditions.


Most Data Envelopment Analyses (DEA) focus on determining "efficient frontiers" or better still "best practices" for inefficient Decision Making Units (DMUs). For systems that render basically service to the society like the Hotels, Schools, Hospitals, etc., it is possible for a DMU to operate at the inefficient level not necessarily because it has any short comings but because it has excess input and/or limited area of impact. Increasing its output may be practically not possible because its target population is smaller compared to its size. Reducing its input will on the other hand impair its function and would cause to be defeated, the purpose for its establishment. Most times, Management have strong preferences about the relative importance of the different factors and what constitutes best practice, therefore it becomes imperative to incorporate these preferences as Value Judgment in the DEA Model. This study therefore, focuses on measuring the Technical efficiency of Hospitals operating in Plateau State taking into consideration Management Preferences (value judgment) using DEA. The study used Microsoft Excel Solver for the DEA analysis and found that the poor Health Status of the state is not attributable to the Secondary Health Care system only. The study thus recommends among others that Plateau State Government should consider subsidizing the cost of services of her hospitals to encourage patronage from the catchment community who obviously resort to finding substandard help from quacks and other private operators.


This paper describes an exact algorithm capable of solving large-scale instances of the well-known uncapacitated hub location problem with multiple assignments. The algorithm applies Benders decomposition to a strong path-based formulation of the problem. The standard decomposition algorithm is enhanced through the inclusion of several features such as the use of a multicut reformulation, the generation of strong optimality cuts, the integration of reduction tests, and the execution of a heuristic procedure. Extensive computational experiments were performed to evaluate the efficiency and robustness of the algorithm. Computational results obtained on classical benchmark instances (with up to 200 nodes) and on a new and more difficult set of instances (with up to 500 nodes) confirm the efficiency of the algorithm.


Inflammatory myopathies are a heterogeneous group of diseases rarely encountered in clinical practice. They primarily involve the transverse striated muscles, and in some cases there is also extramuscular involvement of the skin, lungs, joints, esophagus, heart. Acute forms of myositis, which are the most common, are associated with viral diseases and usually resolve spontaneously. Chronic forms usually have a subacute onset and unknown etiology. The presence of different clinical phenotypes and courses is associated with diversity in autoantibody production. Historically, the treatment of refractory forms of polymyositis and dermatomyositis has undergone significant dynamics. Data from various studies have been published that show a significant reduction in the symptoms of inflammation, but unfortunately some of these disease-modifying treatments could not be established in rheumatology practice as sufficiently effective. Limiting factors are the retrospective nature of these studies, as well as different inclusion and exclusion criteria. However, in recent years, more and more data have emerged that present rituximab as one of the promising molecules for the treatment of patients refractory to conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic agents We present a clinical case of a 40-year-old Caucasian man with onset of the disease – fever, asthenodynamia, muscle pain and weakness, pericardial and pleural effusions. The patient was treated with glucocorticoids, methotrexate, pulse therapies with methylprednisolone and cyclophosphamide, as well as pulse therapy with intravenous immunoglobulins. Due to the temporary effect of the treatment and the relapse of the disease, the patient was started on mycophenolate mofetil therapy (instead of methotrexate). However, a new peak in disease activity was reported, necessitating resumption of pulse therapies with methylprednisolone and cyclophosphamide. Due to the refractory course of the disease, the patient was treated with rituximab after signed informed consent. A significant reduction in disease activity and a good clinical and therapeutic effect were reported.


Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamonides L) is a very potent medicinal and multipurpose plant which has gained global significance due to its medicinal and multipurpose utility. It bears yellow to orange berries which are known to human beings from centuries for their effects on health. The plant is wildly distributed throughout Northern Areas of Pakistan. The phylogenetic relationship among these natural Sea buckthorn ecotypes from Northern Areas of Pakistan is not established so for using reliable molecular markers. AFLP has been proved to be an effective tool for the determination of phylogenetic relationship among closely related species. To provide a population level genetic profile for investigation and exploitation of genetic diversity of Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides sub spp. turkestanica), 25 plant samples selcted from natural populations of Sea buckthorn in Pakistan were analyzed using AFLP (Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisim) markers the University of Sussex, UK. Phylogenetic distance estimated revealed that the ecotypes expressed common heritage for their phylogenetic relationship with a considerable genetic diversity among them as well. Quite a few ecotypes showed close relationship irrespective of their geographic distances and morphological attributes. The research evolved a significant outcome to start a breeding program for the production of sea buckthorn varieties for the mountain areas of Pakistan and Azad Kashmir.


ABSTRACT This study investigates the rhetorics of smart cities and how they define citizens' agency. We consider the framing of human control against automated technological infrastructures in smart and playable cities. Through examining selected smart city plans from the U.S., Europe, and Asia, we share results from the comparisons of these plans to draw implications for technical and professional communication (TPC) practices and pedagogy. We propose a postconnectivist trajectory for TPC toward the increasingly datafied future.


Contents Editors' Introduction: A Sociological Perspective on Science and Narration Jochen Glaser Stones, Mortar, Building: Knowledge Production and Community Building in Narratives in Science Narrated Realities Narration and Abstraction in Natural Sciences Klaus Mecke Narratives in Physics: Quantitative Metaphors and formula Tropes? Michael Bohler "Render Innocuous the Abstraction We Fear": Johann Wolfgang Goethe in the Epochal Conflict between Scientific Knowledge and Narrative Knowing Arianna Borrelli Between Logos and Mythos: Narratives of "Naturalness" in Today's Particle Physics Community Narration, Fiction and the Entangled Human Sciences Bernd Bosel Philosophy as an "Introduction to a General Science of Revolution"? On Peter Sloterdijk's Narrative-Evocative Philosophizing Brigitte Boothe Narrative Persuasion and Narrative Irritation in Psychotherapy: Bio- graphical Narratives, Deferred Dramaturgy and Narrative Affirmation Christoph Leitgeb Narrating the Uncanny - Uncanny Narration: Freud's Essay and Theories of Fiction Narrated Communities Narration, Memory and Identity Elena Messner Literature and (Ethno-)Nationalist Narratives in the (Post-)Yugoslav Region Dorothee Birke Doris Lessing's "Alfred and Emily" and the Ethics of Narrated Memory Aura Heydenreich Closed Timelike Curves: Godel's Solution for Einstein's Field Equa- tions in the General Theory of Relativity and Bach's "The Musical Offering" as Configuration Models for Narrative Identity Constructions in Richard Powers's "The Time of Our Singing" Translating Narrations into Different Cultures and Media Michael Rossner Translatio/ns of Identity-Building Narratives: The Character of "El Cid" in Spanish and Latin American Texts from the 12th to the 20th Century Antonio Baldassarre The Politics of Images: Considerations on French Nineteenth-Century Orientalist Art (ca. 1800-ca. 1880) as a Paradigm of Narration and Translation Notes on Contributors Index of Names


Title of Document: SURVEILLANCE OF THE PERFORMANCE OF ELASTOMERIC BEARINGS ON MARYLANDS CONCRETE BRIDGES Charles J. Angelilli, Masters of Science, Civil Engineering, 2007 Directed By: Chung C. Fu, Research Professor, Department of Civil Engineering This thesis presents an investigation of the performance of elastomeric bearings in concrete girder bridges. Varying design practices create unpredictable performance in the field. The goal of the research is to correlate the AASHTO design parameters to a bearings performance in the field and further to make recommendations to improve as well as reduce the variability of the design for elastomeric bearings. A field study was performed to collect data on the condition of bearings in over 80 bridges. Each bearing was given a PONTIS condition rating in order to quantify the level of degradation and to perform analysis. Exploratory analysis was performed using spreadsheet software to determine possibly significant design parameters. The results from the spreadsheet analysis were either confirmed or rejected using a logistic regression analysis of the field data. Finite element analysis was used to verify preliminary recommendations from the field study and logistic regression. This study can conclude that limitations should be applied to the combined compression and rotation, the shape factor and the shear strains in elastomeric bearings. SURVEILLANCE OF THE PERFORMANCE OF ELASTOMERIC BEARINGS ON MARYLANDS CONCRETE BRIDGES


Two field experiments were conducted at the Experimental Farm of Sakha Agricultural Research Station, Kafr EL Sheikh, Egypt during 2018 and 2019 rice growing seasons, to study the effect of three sowing dates viz; April 20, May 5 and May 20, three seedling ages namely; 20, 30 and 40 days and male rows direction; one and two directions on out crossing of hybrid rice seed production of the CMS line IR69625A crossed by the male line Giza 178R. Split-split plot design with three replications was used. The main plots were devoted to the sowing dates, while the seedling ages were arranged in the sub plots and male rows direction were arranged in the sub-sub plots. The results showed that the interaction between sowing dates and seedling ages had a significant effect on number of days to 50% heading, plant height (cm), panicle length (cm) and panicle exertion (%), however, these traits didn't significantly affected by male rows direction. On the other hand, panicle weight (g), number of filled grains panicle, seed set (%), harvest index (%) and seed yield (t ha) were significantly affected by sowing dates, seedling ages and male rows direction. The interactions among sowing dates, seedling ages and male rows direction had highly significant effect on seed yield. The highest values of seed yields were obtained when rice plants were sowing on April, 20 with seedling age 20 days in two rows direction during 2018 and 2019 seasons.


The requirement that synchronous bypass valves be provided on most hydroplants and the high cost of suitable valves have created a demand for rebuilt valves. Recently, the Bureau of Reclamation rebuilt four valves. One valve is now the synchronous bypass valve at Monticello Dam Hydroplant, and the others are river outlet valves. This paper has been written to provide hydroplant planners and designers with the technical and cost information obtained in the rebuilding program of four valves.


Centrifugation,distillation,and extraction have been applied to separate and analyze the tar in catalytic phenol hydroxylation.Comparison of these methods has been discussed.Extraction method has been applied to investigate the formation of tar in phenol hydroxylation over Cu_(2)(OH)PO_(4) catalysts.


The gold standard test for assessing renal function is the glomerular filtration rate.1 Measuring this rate is a laborious process but is most useful for assessing renal function in patients whose serum creatinine concentration is at the upper limit of normal or in patients who develop early renal impairment secondary to treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, lithium, or angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors. The normal range is 80-120 ml/min.

A useful and practical surrogate …


Abstract. In the first meta-analysis of the PERMA well-being framework (i.e., positive emotions, engagement, positive relationships, meaning, accomplishment), we cumulated 692 effect sizes ( k = 33 independent samples, N = 10,050 workers). Average reliability did not meet the conventional α = .70 threshold for engagement measured with the PERMA-Profiler or the Workplace PERMA Profiler or for negative emotions measured with the former. Overall, PERMA dimensions were strongly intercorrelated, and model comparisons suggested multidimensionality. We also summarized PERMA's relationships with some conceptual antecedents (conscientiousness, loneliness); correlates (happiness, negative emotions); and outcomes (physical health, depressive symptoms, overall job performance). Additionally, we used dominance analysis to examine PERMA dimensions' incremental validity. Although the framework holds promise for organizational research, PERMA measurement must be refined.


Multiple etiological factors are integrally involved in the development of hepatitis B virus( HBV) infection. Interleukin- 10( IL-10) is an essential cytokine of immune regulation,and IL- 10 gene promoter polymorphism affects its mRNA transcription and serum level.IL- 10 is related to the prognosis of HBV infection. This review briefly discusses the association of IL- 10 gene polymorphism and its serum level with the prognosis of HBV infection,and summarizes the role of IL- 10,as an anti- inflammatory cytokine,in host immune function,the prognosis and progression of HBV infection,and HBV- related complications. IL- 10 gene polymorphism and its serum level are closely associated with inflammatory response after HBV infection,influence HBV clearance,and are related to the severity of HBV- related liver injury,liver cirrhosis,and hepatocellular carcinoma. The determination of IL- 10 gene and serum levels may provide a predictive marker for the prognosis of HBV infection.


A connector device to attach a pneumatic circuit tube to a first and second end fitting of a pneumatic system is provided. The device comprises a first connecting structure that positively attaches to pneumatic circuit tube to the first end fitting of the pneumatic system, and a second connecting structure that positively attaches to the pneumatic circuit tube to the second end fitting of the pneumatic system. A pull arm connects between the first connecting structure to the second connecting structure, and transmits a single application of force on the pull arm to release both the first connecting structure from attachment at the first end fitting and the second connecting structure from attachment at the second end fitting.


The purpose of this study is to analyze the lower body shape of varus-typed elderly women. This study inten-tionally collected elderly women at age 65 years or older who seemed to have a lower body shape of varus-type, and the data of 100 women were used for final analysis. The results are as follows. Elderly women with a lower body shape of varus-type were shorter than regular elderly women and had small circumference and weak lower body. To classify the body shapes, factor analysis was conducted which drew a total of 3 factors, with 74.11% of accumulative variance. Cluster analysis was performed according to factor analysis and the body shapes were divided into 3 types. Type 1 was a body shape with the most severe varus-type that had small measured values of height and the highest BMI. Type 2 was a group of women with a large build with a relatively small tendency of varus-type. Type 3 was a group of women who were not obese, had long lower bodies, and varus-type with small circumference, which were similar to Type 1. Therefore, this study on the body shape is expected to be used as a basic data for the development of the clothes for straightening the varus-typed lower body shape in the future.


Objective To study the clinical effect of Shenmai injection and Xinxianan injection in treatment of left cardiac dysfunction.Methods Sixty-four cases left cardiac dysfunction patients were randomly divided into observation group and control group.The control group used shenmai injection treatment,the observation group added Xinxianan injection treatment.The treatment effects and adverse reactions of the two groups were analyzed.Results After treatment,the control group total effectiveness was 68.9%,and the observation group total effectiveness was 90.6%.Total effectiveness of two groups by statistics analysis,the difference was statistically significant(P 0.05).Two groups of the course of treatment,all had no obvious adverse reaction.The observation group and control group before treatment left ventricular ejection fraction difference was statistically significant(P 0.05).The observation group after treatment left ventricular ejection fraction improved significantly better than the control group,the difference was statistically significant(P 0.05).Conclusion Shenmai injection and Xinxianan injection has better curative effect than the single injection Shenmai injection treatment,left ventricular ejection fraction improves obviously,has fewer side effects,easy to use,and worth to application in clinic.


Dynamic percolation refers to the impressive increase in conductivity in polymers filled with a constant filler content as a function of annealing time. We present a detailed study of the driving forces for this phenomenon. The organization of carbon nanotubes in a polymer melt is probed with a.c. conductivity. In contrast with the static percolation studied as a function of the filler content, two peaks are observed in the relative permittivity. We show that this new feature results from two distinct filler auto assembly mechanisms. The first one is ascribed to the relaxation of macromolecules and could be eliminated using the proper thermal treatment. The second mechanism is observed later in time. It is likely to correspond to a diffusion process of the carbonaceous filler similar to a phase separation. A phenomenological model is finally proposed to describe the changes in dispersion and distribution states with annealing time.


Abstract Mineralization of 14C‐2,4‐D in soil amended with a nitrogen fertilizer (NH4NO3) was markedly reduced and progressively decreased with N application rate. On the other hand, 2,4‐D mineralization in soil was generally not affected by the addition of a phosphorus (P) fertilizer [Ca(H2PO4)2]. Addition of both N and P fertilizers to soil, 2,4‐D mineralization either further reduced or was not affected. Even though NH4NO3 may increase overall soil microbial activity, especially nitrification activity, as a result of catabolite repression, it may inhibit 2,4‐D degradation.


Groups of decationized X, Y, and L zeolites and mordenite have been studied by IR spectroscopy in diffuse scattered light in a spectral range which includes fundamental vibrations, overtones, and combination vibrations. It has been concluded that the combination frequencies of the stretching and deformation vibrations are considerably more strongly subject to the influence of the local environment of the ''bridging'' hydroxyl groups than are the stretching vibrations. It has been postulated that the observed differences in the combination frequencies for zeolites of different types are caused by the changes in the degree of coordination of the hydroxyl oxygen atom with the neighboring aluminum atom. The shape of the potential curves of the OH groups in the zeolites has been analyzed, and the parameters characterizing it ..nu../sub e/, x/sub e/, and D/sub 0/ have been calculated. The isotope effect accompanying the replacement of the hydroxyl hydrogen atom by deuterium has been discussed.


WO OF THE most difficult concepts in natural philosophy are those of matter and motion. It is difficult to think about matter because the reality to which it refers is not any actual thing, but our concepts naturally focus on actual things. Matter is the principle of potentiality, the principle by which an actual thing might be something other than it is. What we know, however, comes from what is actual; the potential is an extension of the actual into an otherness that is not known. Immediate potentialities are fairly easy to recognize (this cold water could be hot), but their underlying principle— the pure potentiality of matter—is very hard to conceptualize. Matter, however, as it is understood in the Aristotelian tradetion, 1 is precisely this pure potentiality that is opposed to actuality. It is potentiality for change and motion, and nothing more than that. It is a real principle of material things, but is not itself a thing. Matter is fundamental to everything that we experience, but it is not itself something that we experience. It is only when we think of it in relation to form that we can conceptualize it at all, but form, the principle of actuality, is the very opposite of matter. Albert says that we have no proper


An algorithm for finding all the DC solutions for piecewise-linear (PWL) resistive circuits is presented. Each PWL characteristic of a circuit is partitioned sequentially into smaller portions, until the single segments are reached. The circuits formed with these portions can be ordered in a genealogical tree, of which the original PWL circuit is the founder, while the terminal nodes represent the linear circuits associated to the linear regions. The analysis of the polyhedral circuits associated with the nodes of the tree yields the solutions for the PWL circuit. An example shows that the efficiency of the algorithm increases when the rank of the nonlinear components arises.<<ETX>>


Bullying has been a well-recognized problem for schoolchildren for many years, but the attitudes and potential solutions to bullying have evolved. Once it was believed that schools and adults should not intervene in bullying among children, but now we know that educators can and should create a safe climate for all their students. Attitudes about students' mental health have changed, too, especially since so many children were impacted by school closures, family upheaval, and social isolation during the pandemic. Educators can play a role in improving their students' mental health. Bullying and cyberbullying researcher Elizabeth Englander talks to Kappan magazine about the mental health impact of bullying and cyberbullying on students as well as ways teachers can stem bullying behaviors in the classroom. She also discusses the potential long-term impact of the pandemic on students' mental health.


The authors want to give an overview about the research progresses done in the latest years to enhance ranges of microwave backscattering communications with RFIDs exploiting the tunneling effect of tunnel diodes. The first prototype of a Tunneling RFID Tag built using a tunnel diode outperformed semi-passive tags by at least a factor of 5 in range. Tests on the 5.8 GHz backscattering link reached 1.5 km of ranges and demonstrated that a DC power of only $20.4\ \mu \text{W}$ and $2.9\frac{pJ}{bit}$ are required to operate the Tunneling Tag.


Aims: To evaluate the antimicrobial activity in peptone yeast extract glucose (PYG) broth and ultra‐high temperature (UHT) milk of bovine lactoferrin hydrolysate (LFH) with pepsin against the foodborne pathogens Salmonella Stanley, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus.


The alarm analysis between different variables is recognized as a complex and important subject in the process industry. However, the discrete type of alarm data and the unclear time-delay between alarm data of different variables discourage the use of traditional causality analysis methods. In this paper, a Granger causality model based on Gaussian kernel functions is used to analyze the correlation of industrial alarms. Firstly, aiming at the reduction of false alarms caused by chattering alarms and binary operating data associated with switching valves, the Gaussian kernel function method is used to convert binary data into continuous sequences. Secondly, Dynamic Time Warping approaches are used to perform similarity matching on continuous sequences, screening and correlating alarms. Finally, the Granger causality model is used to obtain the correlation between different variable alarms.


PURPOSE: To provide an antenna capable of controlling plural beam directions by using a fixed reflector. CONSTITUTION: The antenna especially prepared for a domestic electric device, a cluster device or a community device can receive plural radio communication beams and includes especially a parabolic type fixed reflector 2 having a symmetrical axis Oz. At least one network of diffracting loop elements 31 to 34 is almost symmetrical about the axis Oz and arranged in parallel with the reflector. The network defines 1st and 2nd focuses F1 , F2 symmetrical about the axis Oz and can converge 1st and 2nd radio communication beams FS1 , FS2 sent almost in parallel with straight lines OF1 , OF2 passing the center O of the network and the 1st and 2nd focuses F1 , F2 to the focuses F1 , F2 . One very high frequency head can sweep a focal surface F1 OF2 along a focal line LF or plural very high frequency heads 41 to 47 are arranged on an arch 5 to receive or transmit plural beams though the reflector 2 is fixed.


Passively modelocked VECSELs continue to improve their performance in terms of output power, repetition rate and pulse duration. Recently, up to 6.4 W of average power in 28-ps pulses have been achieved from a modelocked VECSEL with an integrated saturable absorber (MIXSEL, [1]). The shortest pulse duration generated by a VECSEL was 60 fs and below 35 mW of average output power in harmonic modelocking [2]. To date, femtosecond VECSELs were based on quantum well (QW) gain structures and the average output power has been limited to <150 mW [3, 4] (Fig. 1a). In contrast, modelocked VECSELs based on quantum dot (QD) gain structures have been restricted to 18 ps using QW-SESAMs [5].


Composite panel (10) for an aircraft for protection against ground-to-air missile having a core layer (11) of a honeycomb structure, between a first outer layer (12a) and a second outer layer (12b) and connected to the first covering layer (12a) is directly connected, characterized, in that in the composite panel (10) has a splinter protection layer (13) is integrated, is arranged between the core layer (11) and the second covering layer (12b) and connected to these fixed, wherein the first covering layer (12a) and / or the anti-shatter layer (13) with the core layer (11) are each connected by an adhesive film, for setting a large meniscus at the interface between the first layer (12a) or the anti-shatter layer (13) and a honeycomb core layer (11), the adhesive film has a basis weight of at least 100 g / m


The interaction of the surface topography during friction process is studied based on the principle of discrete element method. The Particle Flow Code program (PFC program) is employed to simulate the interaction of surface topography. Simulation results show that after the interaction between rigid smooth plane and the ideal rough surfaces,the roughness becomes smaller,the surface structure also changes. As the two contact surfaces in the normal approach increase,the number of detached particles increase,and the increasing of wear occurs.


Abstract Clarkforkian late Paleocene freshwater limestone from the Clarks Fork Basin, Wyoming, has yielded four specimens of the plesiadapiform paromomyid, Acidomomys hebeticus gen. et sp. nov. A. hebeticus has a strong metaconid on p4, a small double-rooted p3, and a very diminutive i2. Presence of p3 and i2 is primitive, and their retention in A. hebeticus suggests that this taxon is part of a previously unknown lineage that diverged from other paromomyids by the early or middle Paleocene. Acidomomys hebeticus is represented by virtually complete upper and lower dentitions, all from less than fully mature individuals, with teeth at one of three stages of development. The dental eruption sequence differs from that of other plesiadapiforms in having p3 erupt before p4 (p3 erupts after p4 in microsyopids, and p3 and p4 erupt simultaneously in plesiadapids). A. hebeticus differs from Plesiadapis and primitive primates, in which the premolars erupt after m3 is in place, in having p3/P3 erupt before or at the same time as that of m3/M3. It is similar to Plesiadapis in having p4 erupt after the molars are in place, a condition considered primitive in primates. While these differences in dental eruption sequence between representatives of Paromomyidae, Microsyopidae, and Plesiadapidae could be phylogenetically significant, they may instead reflect adaptive differences in dental morphology, facial architecture, or life history.


Background: Eribulin mesylate was initially approved in 2010 by FDA as a third-line treatment for women with advanced breast cancer (ABC) pretreated with at least two lines of chemotherapy, and then in 2011 it was approved by EMA as a second-line therapy. Patients should have received an anthracycline and a taxane in either the adjuvant or metastatic setting. Since then, several studies have been conducted confirming its efficacy and safety. We report our experience of using eribulin in our centre in a real-life clinical setting. Materials and methods: 34 patients with ABC were enrolled to receive eribulin. From February 2016 to February 2017, patients were treated with standard doses of eribulin and evaluated for toxicity and responses. All of them had previously received anthracyclines and taxanes in either the adjuvant or metastatic setting. Median age was 60 years (range: 39–79). ECOG performance status was 1 or 2 at the time of enrollment. Median number of cycles of eribulin was 5 (range 2–10). Patients received eribulin from first-line chemotherapy to seventh-line chemotherapy for ABC. Median number of envolved visceral organs was 2 (range 1–4). Results: There were no complete responses. Partial responses were achieved in 26.4% (9/34), stabilization of the disease in 32.4% (11/34) and progression of the disease in 41.2% (14/34) of patients. The median progression-free survival was 4.09 months (range: 2.6–6.53). Main toxicities (grade 3–4) included peripheral neuropathy and neutropenia. Neuropathy was marked in 14.7% (5/34) and neutropenia in 14.7% (5/34) of patients. Dose reductions were required in 14.7% (5/34) of patients because of neutropenia. Conclusion: Our experience shows that eribulin has clinical activity as well as satisfactory tolerability in unselected patients in a reallife clinical setting. Thus, in our opinion, eribulin can represent a new option in treatment of ABC patients.


The cyclotron instability caused by plasma streams is studied.A number of complex plasma systems consisting of ions and electrons with different temperatures and densities are analysed.The strict instability criteria are given and discussed


The objective of the study was to examine the prevailing teaching style and educational philosophies of teachers in Kano metropolis, Nigeria, and to determine whether there was a relationship between the two variables. Descriptive survey research design was used in the conduct of the study. The population of the study consisted of a sample of 124 secondary school teachers in Kano metropolis. Robert Leahy Philosophic Inventory (1995) was adapted as data collection instrument. The data obtained were analyzed using percentage, mean, t-test and ANOVA. Findings of the study reveal that lecture method was the most frequently used teaching method by teachers while essentialism was the predominating educational philosophy of teachers. A moderate positive relationship exists between teachers' preferred teaching style and their educational philosophies but no statistically significant difference was found in the teaching styles of the male and female teachers in Kano Metropolis. Similarly, there was no significant difference in teachers' teaching styles with respect to their qualifications. Among other things, the study recommends continuous professional development of teachers through regular in-service training in order to equip them with modern and contemporary educational philosophies and teaching styles.


KHRUSHCHEV'S innovative energy was one of the outstanding features of his leadership. And one of the areas in which he generated interesting and at least potentially significant new thought was that of the nature and future of the Soviet state itself. Although he was certainly not a theorist, even by Soviet standards, he did open up to discussion one of the most sensitive of all Soviet theoretical questions, that of the 'dictatorship of the proletariat' and its transition to 'communism'. There was, of course, the tradition of extending the ideology as new 'stages' of history are reached and the peculiarly Soviet need to justify practical change in ideological terms. Indeed, one may even refer to a built-in compulsion shared by all Soviet leaders to demonstrate continuous progress towards the goal of communism. But how original was Khrushchev after all? Was it simply a matter of style, or did he really change the Soviet system and the ideology which justifies it?


Surface states of nylon 6, polyethylene, and polypropylene are investigated using external photoelectric emission. These polymers seem not to have exact threshold energies. The top edges of the filled surface-states of polymers are located near 4 eV from the vacuum level. From the measurement of electron-irradiated samples, the polymers are found to have traps distributed above and below the top edge of the filled state. The charging tendency of polymers depends on the distribution of both the filled and the trap levels.


CONTEXT
Alfacalcidol and calcitriol are commonly used for managing hypoparathyroidism. Their relative merits have not been systematically assessed.

OBJECTIVE
We compared the effect of alfacalcidol and calcitriol on phosphatemic control, hypercalciuria and associated factors in idiopathic-hypoparathyroidism (IH).

DESIGN AND SETTING
Open label randomized-controlled-trial, tertiary-care-center.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS
IH patients with optimal calcemic control on alfacalcidol were continued on the same (n=20) or switched to calcitriol (n=25) at half of the ongoing alfacalcidol dose. The dose was adjusted during follow-up to maintain serum total calcium between 8.0-9.5 mg/dL. Serum calcium, phosphorus, 25-hydroxyvitamin-D, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin-D, 24-hr urine calcium-to-creatinine ratio, fractional-excretion-of-phosphorus (FEPh) were measured at baseline and six-months. Plasma intact-FGF23 was measured at final follow-up.

RESULT
Patients receiving alfacalcidol and calcitriol had comparable serum calcium at six-months (8.7 ± 0.4 vs. 8.9 ± 0.4 mg/dL, P = 0.13). Their median (IQR) dose at six-months was 2.0 (1.0-2.5) and 0.75 (0.5-1.0) µg/d, respectively. Serum 1,25(OH)2D levels were physiological in both (35.3 ± 11.6 and 32.3 ± 16.9 pg/ml). Serum phosphate and calcium-excretion were comparable in two arms. Majority had hyperphosphatemia (75% vs. 76%), hypercalciuria (75% vs. 72%) and elevated FGF23 (116 ± 68 and 113 ± 57 pg/mL). Age showed significant independent association with plasma FGF23 (β = 1.9, P = 0.001). Average FEPh was low despite high FGF23.

CONCLUSION
At optimal calcium control both alfacalcidol and calcitriol lead to comparable but high serum phosphate levels, hypercalciuria, physiological circulating 1,25(OH)2D and elevated FGF23. Further studies are required to systematically investigate other treatment options.


It is a pleasure and privilege to present, for the first time, an issue of Information Development, an extended issue in this case. The term information literacy is among the classic terms in library and information science (LIS), as it was coined in the 1970s, and it refers to an individual's skills for using information, which includes information seeking, access, retrieval, evaluation, management, reuse, and communication, often regardless of its genre or medium. Being information literate means that a person is capable of successfully interacting with information, while information literacy is often used for referring to the act of aiding people to develop their information skills, and as it defines this area of practice, it also can be used for labelling the corresponding research area. Digital literacy is a newer term, coined during the 1980s and in a similar way refers to individual's skills for successfully using information and communications technologies (ICT) and interacting with digital information ecosystems. During the past decades, these terms have been used separately, together, and at other times information literacy is understood as a broader term, that can include digital literacy. However, a common conception nowadays is to see them as a dyad, mainly because most of the information we get and consume is presented in digital forms and environments. It must also be said that there are a multitude of associated concepts that researchers and practitioners have used, mainly for being more precise regarding the nature of the information handled and the skills developed in each case (e.g., media literacy, numerical literacy, musical literacy, new literacies, scientific literacy, visual literacy, health literacy). As with most of the articles in this issue, we are taking the dyad conceptual stance, and understanding that information literacy is often the basis that allows people to conduct activities to deal with getting and managing content, while digital literacy allow us to do so with technologies. However, we are not excluding the use of the mentioned associated terms for clarity's sake. Information literacy has been linked with various environments and both practitioners and researchers strongly advocate it, as it may fulfill various purposes, such as fostering reading habits, supporting academic performance, problem solving, decision making, emancipation, citizenship, critical thinking, and lifelong learning. Information literacy initiatives are mostly conducted within libraries and educational institutions, where librarians are the main stakeholders in their promotion and development. However, given the purposes it can fulfill, it has gone outside of these contexts, to help individuals improve how they conduct their specific endeavors or daily activities, by training them on ways for getting and managing the best information they need to do so. That is why it is one of the most dynamic and still promising areas of LIS research and practice This issue provides a very good sample of information and digital literacy research and practice in different contexts. We start with two articles dealing with librarians' skills and then eight about research conducted with students. The remaining five articles go beyond these traditional contexts and show how information and digital literacy are important and can help marginalized groups, farmers, and citizens in general. In this issue we take a tour that takes us from revising and assessing librarians' digital skills, then we see examples on how to evaluate and develop high school and university students' skills regarding their typical information competences for solving problems, for developing financial and health literacy, assessing their reading habits, while we also reflect on how to recognize and counteract limitations in ICT infrastructure and how students have coped with distance education during the pandemic. Finally, we Information Development


A bidirectional dc converter with high conversion ratio is presented in this paper to have the capability of bidirectional power flow. Two boost conversion stages are adopted in the converter to achieve high voltage step-up conversion. The other power flow direction can also be achieved in the proposed converter with low voltage step-down conversion. Comparison with the conventional boost converter with narrow turn-off period, the proposed converter has wide conversion ratio so that the higher or lower output voltage can be achieved. To reduce the switching losses and limit the voltage stress on the power switch, the boost type of active snubber is used in the converter. The resonance based on the output capacitance of power switch and resonant inductance at the transition interval will make the power switches to turn on at zero voltage switching (ZVS). The circuit configuration, principle operation, system analysis, and design consideration of the proposed converter are presented. Finally, experiments conducted on a laboratory prototype are presented to verify the effectiveness of the proposed converter.


The design aims ,the system framework and the function of management system for selling electricity in advance by means of IC card are introduced in this paper.The system is proved feasible in practice.


This work emphasis on the basic notions regarding the Neutrosophic Fuzzy Sets (NFSs) with operations and their applicability in medical diagnostic process. In this manuscript, we developed neutrosophic fuzzy set-based Monte Carlo simulation technique for the decision making in medical diagnostic processin fuzzy environment. In this work, we managed the waiting time and idle time of the doctor during the treatment process of the patients. The various parameters are stated as linguistic variable in the form of NFSs. The developed neutrosophic Monte Carlo simulation technique (NMCST) is extended in the planning strategy of a doctor to treat the patient in a neutrosophic fuzzy environment. For the validation and authentication of the efficiency of the proposed NMCST, numerical computations are carried out with the examples of medical problems.


A common phenomenon reported by experienced, late learners of a second language (L2) is that comprehending L2 speech, especially under non‐optimal conditions (e.g., in noisy rooms, when driving, when the speaker talks rapidly) is more effortful than processing L1 input. A variety of paradigms have documented this phenomenon experimentally. Many current theories of L1 and L2 speech perception invoke concepts of learned (language‐specific) patterns of selective attention or attunement to characterize the processes by which native speakers rapidly and efficiently extract sufficient phonetic information from complex acoustic signals in order to recover phonological sequences (words or word‐forms). It is suggested here that there are two modes of language‐specific speech processing available to adult listeners, a phonetic mode (requiring attentional resources) and a phonological mode (automatic), that are tapped in the laboratory to different degrees as a function of complex interactions of subject's linguisti...


Cotton combing noil, which is used for production of sanitary wadding, was pretreated with pectinases, cellulases and a combination of both enzymes, and subsequently bleached with hydrogen peroxide or peracetic acid. For comparison the fibers were also alkaline scoured and bleached with both oxidants. The influence of the different processes on the amount of seed-coat fragments and on their further elimination was investigated. The amount of pectin, ash and calcium on fibres, water absorbency, damage to fibres and the degree of whiteness and lightness were examined for differently pretreated fibres. The results show that enzymes have positive influence on the mechanical removal of impurities from cotton fibres; however, after the treatment, noncellulosic substances, especially seedcoat fragments, remain on the fibres. The total amount of impurities is reduced by further treatment with peracetic acid. But to meet pharmacological standards, treatment with hydrogen peroxide is required. However, the results show that less pretentious material could be pretreated using alternative methods.


We derive a collection of separability conditions for bipartite systems of dimension dxd which is based on the entropic version of the uncertainty relations. A detailed analysis of the two-qubit case is given by comparing the new separability conditions with existing criteria.


Radiation hard nonvolatile random access memory (NVRAM) is a crucial component for DOE and DOD surveillance and defense applications. NVRAMs based upon ferroelectric materials (also known as FERAMs) are proven to work in radiation-rich environments and inherently require less power than many other NVRAM technologies. However, fabrication and integration challenges have led to state-of-the-art FERAMs still being fabricated using a 130nm process while competing phase-change memory (PRAM) has been demonstrated with a 20nm process. Use of block copolymer lithography is a promising approach to patterning at the sub-32nm scale, but is currently limited to self-assembly directly on Si or SiO{sub 2} layers. Successful integration of ferroelectrics with discrete and addressable features of {approx}15-20nm would represent a 100-fold improvement in areal memory density and would enable more highly integrated electronic devices required for systems advances. Towards this end, we have developed a technique that allows us to carry out block copolymer self-assembly directly on a huge variety of different materials and have investigated the fabrication, integration, and characterization of electroceramic materials - primarily focused on solution-derived ferroelectrics - with discrete features of {approx}20nm and below. Significant challenges remain before such techniques will be capable of fabricating fully integrated NVRAM devices, but the tools developed for this effort are already finding broader use. This report introduces the nanopatterned NVRAM device concept as a mechanism for motivating the subsequent studies, but the bulk of the document will focus on the platform and technology development.


Objective:To study the pharmacokinellcs of ceftiaxone sodium-sulbatacm sodium for injection,Methods:30 healthy volunteers aged 18~28 years were randomized 1:1:1 to administer a single dose of ceftriaxone-sulbatacm for injection at three dose levels of 3,4 or 5 g,respectively,A HPLC method was established to determine the plasma and urinary concentrations of ceftriaxone or sulbat- acm.Pharmaecokinetic parameters were calculated with 3p87 software,Results:The pharmacokinetic pa- rameters of ceftriaxone sodium and sulbatacm sodium were as follows:t_1/2(7.61±1.79)and(1.4±0.19)h,V_d(6.69±0.59)and(14.66±3.29)L,CL(1.13±0,08)and(19.19±1.67)L·h~(-1),AUC_(0~∞) (2419.76±135,73)and(72.55±6.96)μg·h·mL~(-1),and the renal mean clearances of ceftriaxone and sulbatacm 49,35%(within 24 hours)and 64.01%(within 8 hours),respectively;the P values of all parameters above were found to have no significant difference.The AUC is positively proportion to the do- sing of ceftriaxone-sulbatacm.Conclusion:The plasma concentration of ceftriaxone-sulbatacm versus time suggests a linear and open two-compartment model.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate our first experience with thermal balloon therapy of abnormal uterine bleeding.

DESIGN
Prospective study.

SETTING
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 1st Medical Faculty, Charles University, Prague.

METHODS
Ten procedures of balloon thermal endometrial ablations were performed between November 1998 and February 1999. From ten patients with abnormal uterine bleeding, 4 patients with concomitant polymorbidity (sclerosis multiplex, hypertension, hepatopathia, pyelonephritis) where more invasive intervention was not recommended or was contraindicated. Treatment entailed controlled heating of intrauterine balloon. Local anaesthesia-paracervical block with analgosedation was employed in 50% of procedures and general anaesthesia was employed in 50% of cases. Follow up after 3, 6, 12, 24 months is required. Success was defined as the reduction of menses to eumenorrhoea or less.

RESULTS
Preliminary results after 6 months follow up are successful in 100%; in 5 (50%) cases we recorded amenorrhoea, in 2 (20%) cases hypomenorrhoea and in 3 (30%) cases eumenorrhoea.

CONCLUSION
Thermal balloon endometrial ablation appears to be safe due to its minimal invasivity especially in patients with abnormal uterine bleeding with concomitant polymorbidity.


This book endorses an ecumenical naturalism toward all cognition, which will illuminate the long-recognized and striking similarities between features of mental disorders and features of religions. The authors emphasize underlying cognitive continuities between familiar features of religiosity, of mental disorders, and of everyday thinking and action. They contend that much religious thought and behavior can be explained in terms of the cultural activation of maturationally natural cognitive systems, which address fundamental problems of human survival, encompassing such capacities as hazard precautions, agency detection, language processing, and theory of mind. The associated skills are not taught and appear independent of general intelligence. Religions' representations cue such systems' operations. The authors hypothesize that in doing so they sometimes elicit responses that mimic features of cognition and conduct associated with mental disorders. Both in schizophrenia and in religions some people hear alien voices. The inability of depressed participants to communicate with or sense their religions' powerful, caring gods can exacerbate their depression. Often religions can domesticate the concerns and compulsions of people with OCD. Religions' rituals and pronouncements about moral thought-action fusion can temporarily evoke similar obsessions and compulsions in the general population. A chapter is devoted to each of these and to the exception that proves the rule. The authors argue that if autistic spectrum disorder involves theory-of mind-deficits, then people with ASD will lack intuitive insight and find inferences with many religious representations challenging. Ecumenical naturalism's approach to mental abnormalities and religiosity promises both explanatory and therapeutic understanding.


Most of the western countries integrated Edublogs in their instruction process (Morris, 2015). However the Malaysian education setting blogs usage is still in early stages. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the technology acceptance level through UTAUT model. The research was conducted on 53 Form 4 secondary schools students from Kual Muda District. All the students studying science subject and exposed to Edublogs during instruction. A set of questionnaire which is adapted from Venkatesh et al. (2003) was used to collect data and then analyzed using SPSS and SmartPLS software. The results revealed that Performance Expectancy, Social Influence and Facilitating Conditions have significant positive effect on Behavioral Intention. The R2 value 0.412 reflects that 41.2% of the variance in Behavioral Intention can be explained by Performance Expectancy, Social Influence, Facilitating Conditions and Effort Expectancy. It is expected that this study will help teachers and students integrate Edublog technology in teaching and learning process. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n5p500


The sensitivity of key hydrologic variables and hydropower generation to climate change in the Lake Malawi and Shire River basins is assessed. The study adapts the mesoscale Hydrological Model (mHM) which is applied separately in the Upper Lake Malawi and Shire River basins. A particular Lake Malawi model, which focuses on reservoir routing and lake water balance, has been developed and is interlinked between the two basins. Climate change projections from 20 Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX) models for Africa based on two scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) for the periods 2021–2050 and 2071–2100 are used. An annual temperature increase of 1 °C decreases mean lake level and outflow by 0.3 m and 17%, respectively, signifying the importance of intensified evaporation for Lake Malawi's water budget. Meanwhile, a +5% (−5%) deviation in annual rainfall changes mean lake level by +0.7 m (−0.6 m). The combined effects of temperature increase and rainfall decrease result in significantly lower flows in the Shire River. The hydrological river regime may change from perennial to seasonal with the combination of annual temperature increase and precipitation decrease beyond 1.5 °C (3.5 °C) and −20% (−15%). The study further projects a reduction in annual hydropower production between 1% (RCP8.5) and 2.5% (RCP4.5) during 2021–2050 and between 5% (RCP4.5) and 24% (RCP8.5) during 2071–2100. The results show that it is of great importance that a further development of hydro energy on the Shire River should take into account the effects of climate change, e.g., longer low flow periods and/or higher discharge fluctuations, and thus uncertainty in the amount of electricity produced.


Since the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee,there have been five outstanding characteristics existing in the reform of the agricultural economic structure. They may be summerized as follows: First of all,the way of the reform has basically been a process from below.Secondly,the reform has been directly intended for the system of ownership of means of production.Thirdly,remarkable success has been achieved.Fourthly,the limitations of land contract and responsibility system have been revealed.And the last,a great many surplus rural labors have been made in the process of the reform. [


While we often talk about time using spatial terms, experimental investigation of space-time associations has focused primarily on the space in front of the participant. This has had two consequences: the disregard of the space behind the participant (exploited in language and gesture) and the creation of potential task demands produced by spatialized manual button-presses. We introduce and test a new paradigm that uses auditory stimuli and vocal responses to address these issues. Participants made temporal judgments about deictic or sequential relationships presented auditorily along a body-centered sagittal or transversal axis. Results involving the transversal axis replicated previous work while sagittal axis results were surprising. Deictic judgments did not use the sagittal axis but sequential judgments did, in a previously undocumented way. Participants associated earlier judgments with the space in front of them and later judgments with the space behind them. These findings, using a new approach, provide evidence that different time concepts recruit space differently, mediated by meaning, stimulus modality and response mode.


In a paper entitled, "Newer Emphases in Jewish History," published in 1963, Salo Baron wrote: "All my life I have been struggling against the hitherto dominant "lachrymose conception of Jewish history" … because I have felt that an overemphasis on Jewish sufferings distorted the total picture of the Jewish historic evolution…." Indeed, if one was to choose a single idea that encapsulated the legacy of Baron, perhaps the pre-eminent Jewish historian of the twentieth century, it would probably be this: Jewish history is not to be seen simply as a series of persecutions, which determined its nature and its course, but rather as a process of ongoing engagement between the Jews and their surroundings.


Introduction: Pterygium is a common degenerative conjunctival disease, for which several surgical techniques were adopted, but none proved to be ideal because of the relatively high recurrence rate after removal. Objective: the primary outcome measure was to assess the recurrence rate of pterygia after surgical removal with conjunctival-limbal transplantation; secondary outcome measure was to assess safety of the procedure. Method: study design: a prospective interventional study Selection of 20 cases of advanced fleshy pterygia with at least 3.5 mm horizontal extension on the cornea, some primary and some with multiple recurrences, surgical removal with conjunctival-limbal autografting was done Then postoperative fellow up for 3-6 years checking: 1-evidence of recurrence. 2-evidence of limbal stem cell deficiency. Results: mean age was 53.45+15.78 year After surgery, the minimum fellow up period was 3 years for primary pterygia, and 6 years for recurrent pterygia NO recurrence was observed during that period; in addition no signs of limbal stem cell deficiency were seen. Conclusion: Surgical removal with conjunctival-limbal transplantation proved to be safe and effective for both primary and recurrent pterygia, with NO recurrence rate.


Sn 2 Sb 2 S 5 thin films in thickness of 100–900 nm were deposited on unheated glass substrates using thermal evaporation method and annealed in vacuum at temperature of 200 °C for 2 h. X-ray diffraction spectra indicated that all the Sn 2 Sb 2 S 5 samples are polycrystalline in nature having orthorhombic structure. The various structural parameters, such as, crystalline size, dislocation density, strain and texture coefficient were calculated and the surface morphology of the films was also analyzed. The optical constants, i.e., refractive index, absorption coefficient and optical band gap of the as-deposited and post-annealed films have been determined from the analysis of the transmittance and reflectance spectral data over the wavelength range 300–1800 nm. All the Sn 2 Sb 2 S 5 thin films before and after annealing have relatively high absorption coefficient between 10 4 and 10 5  cm −1 in the visible spectral range. The optical band gap was found to decrease, from 1.72 to 1.5 eV for samples before annealing and from 172 to 1.46 eV for samples annealed in vacuum, with increasing films thickness in the 100–900 nm range.


Objective
To summarize the best evidence for the prevention of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in critically ill patients, and to provide a reference for medical institutions and medical staff, so as to reduce the incidence of DVT in critically ill patients.

Methods
The PICO problem was raised for the prevention of DVT in critically ill patients during hospitalization. All evidence concerning the prevention of deep venous thrombosis in critically ill patients were retrieved from PubMed, Cochran Library, BMJ Best Practice, UpToDate, Ovid, Web of Science, Joanna Briggs Institute Evidence-based Health Care Center Database, National Guideline Clearinghouse (NGC) , National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) , Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) , Guidelines International Network (GIN) , Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) and China Biology Medicine disc (CBMdisc) by computer, which included guidelines, systematic evaluation, evidence summary and original data intimately related to evidence. The literature quality was evaluated and the recommendation level of evidence was determined according to the JBI evidence recommendation level system (2014 edition) .

Results
A total of 15 references were included through electronic database retrieval, including 6 guidelines, 5 evidence summaries and 4 systematic evaluations. According to the judgment of comprehensive professionals, totally 21 evidence selected, including the risk assessment of deep venous thrombosis, drug prevention, mechanical prevention, combined prevention and educational management.

Conclusions
This study summarizes the best evidence for the prevention of DVT in critically ill patients, and helps nurses with ICU decision-making, through the application of best evidence, to promote the prevention of deep venous thrombosis in critical internal medicine patients, improve the outcome of patients and elevate the quality of nursing care.

Key words:
Intensive care; Deep venous thrombosis; Critical ill patients; Evidence-based nursing; Evidence summary


A hard panned sugar confection is provided having a hard panned coating and an edible core coated thereby. This hard panned coating has a number of sugar syrup layers, only some of which contain one or more sucrose esters. In some embodiments, titanium dioxide may be removed from the sugar syrup / sucrose ester layer. In these and other embodiments, the hard panned coating has one L *, a * and b * within 5% of the corresponding value of the colorant protective film applied over the precoat comprising titanium dioxide. Shown above. Therefore, raw material costs are saved while providing a confectionery having improved properties.


Abstract : Dendritic cells (DC) are considered potential candidates for cancer immunotherapy due to their ability to process and present antigens to T cells and stimulate immune responses. However, DC-based vaccines have exhibited minimal effectiveness in abrogating established tumors in mice and human cancer patients. The use of appropriate adjuvants can enhance the efficacy of Dc-based cancer vaccines in treating established tumors. In this study we have employed Vitamin E succinate also known as alpha-tocopheryl succinate (alpha-TOS), a non-toxic esterified analogue of Vitamin E, as an adjuvant to enhance the effectiveness of DC vaccines in treating established murine mammary (4T1) carcinomas. The hypothesis to be tested is that alpha-TOS chemotherapy will enhance the efficacy of DC vaccines in treating established tumors and also induce long-term anti-tumor immunity. The rationale for the hypothesis is based on documented evidence that DCs are capable of ingesting apoptotic tumor cells and presenting tumor associated antigens to T lymphocytes to elicit tumor-specific immune responses. The specific aims are to 1) study the effect of alpha-TOS on tumor cells in vitro, 2) determine the efficacy of alpha-TOS and DC combination therapy in treating pre-established murine mammary tumors in vivo, 3) identifyde the immune mechanism involved in mediating the anti-tumor response.


The commissioning of the Quebec-New England multiterminal DC transmission system underscores the increasing need to develop numerical models for simulation purposes. The modern microprocessor-based HVDC (high-voltage direct-current) converter controls used in this scheme make the modeling a real challenge since the Electromagnetic Transient Program (EMTP), usually employed for simulation purposes, and Transient Analysis of Control Systems (TACS) were designed to simulate analog, not digital controls. Details on the modeling of digital controls with a modified EMTP version are given. Some comparisons with HVDC (high-voltage direct current) simulator results which show good agreement between the two power system analysis tools are presented. A case that is validated with field test results is also included. >


The OraCDP disaster recovery system uses CDP disaster recovery technology based on the combination of block level, combining with the communication coupling between the underlying I/O and Oracle database. The experimental results show that the OraCDP system can not only maintain the normal operation of the original system without any negative influence, but also guarantee the recovery of data and service at specific time quickly, fully and accurately.


In this paper, a deep learning identification of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) targets based on a two-stage loss function is proposed and implemented on Xilinx ZCU104 board. Through modeling and simulation, we obtain the scattering fields of UAVs, then it is converted into time-frequency image data set, and the custom two-stage loss function is used in the training process to obtain the optimal model. Finally., the model is transferred to the hardware platform to realize the classification process of the target by convolution neural network(CNN).


Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text. Almost half of patients with diabetic macular edema in one eye at baseline developed diabetic macular edema in the fellow eye with a mean time to development of ∼6 months. Shorter diabetes duration and thicker study eye central subfield thickness were predictors of developing diabetic macular edema in the fellow eye. Purpose: To characterize diabetic macular edema (DME) incidence in fellow eyes of patients treated for DME in the study eye. Methods: This post hoc analysis of VISTA/VIVID data evaluated fellow eyes without DME at baseline through Week 100. Diabetic macular edema presence in the fellow eye was inferred by investigator-reported DME adverse events and use of DME treatments. Results: Over 100 weeks, 44.9%, 44.2%, and 42.9% of fellow eyes developed DME in the intravitreal aflibercept injection 2 mg every 4 weeks (n = 245), intravitreal aflibercept injection 2 mg every 8 weeks (n = 258), and laser control (n = 252) groups, respectively. Mean time to DME development in combined treatment groups was ∼6 months. Multivariable regression analysis confirmed patients with shorter diabetes duration (hazard ratio per 10-year decrease, 1.16; 95% confidence interval, 1.03–1.30; P = 0.0160) and thicker baseline study eye central subfield thickness (hazard ratio per 10-µm increase, 1.01; 95% confidence interval, 1.01–1.02; P = 0.0002) were at higher risk of developing DME in the fellow eye. Conclusion: Among patients with DME in one eye at baseline, almost half developed DME in the fellow eye over 2 years. Shorter duration of diabetes and thicker study eye central subfield thickness were predictors of DME development in the fellow eye.


Abstract Equivalents of two languages may have corresponding senses but there could be some language-specific senses that are not found in one of the languages. Previous research used different ways to present identical and different meanings of equivalents, but seldom provided explanation for how senses could be connected or derived. The present study proposes a semantic feature approach, in which a sense flow chart is used to present how semantic features of an action verb and their specifications may explain the variation among the literal senses as well as the derivation routes of the figurative senses. Two equivalents, Chinese PA2 and English CRAWL, were chosen, and their usages in the corpus and their senses from dictionaries were examined with the specifications of semantic features (some taken from Gao (2001)) of the crawling action. Results showed that the identified semantic features could be classified into two categories: salient and minor semantic features. Specifications of salient features (e.g., "human," "plant" or "non-creature" in the [Agent] feature) can adequately explain the differences among literal senses. Specifications of minor features (e.g., "search" and "examine" in the [Intention] feature) can suggest necessary clues for the derivation of some figurative senses. It was also found that specifications of semantic features were embedded differently in Chinese PA2 then in English CRAWL. Due to the differences, one specification of a feature may receive different weight of emphasis from the two languages which thus induces the derivation of a language-specific sense (e.g., Flesh—Crawl in English). For pedagogy, our findings imply that an underlying set of semantic features with their specifications could be provided to learners so that they can know what and why a targeted word in L2 differs from its equivalent in their L1.


The article provides an overview of property reforms in Romania with a focus on collective/community forests. We start by a macro analysis of the laws and their results in the distribution of community forests and a longue-duree description of the principal legal forms of collective forests, such as padure comunala, obote and composesorat. Furthermore, we concentrate on two case studies form Bukovina region to reveal the conflicts around the restitution process from an actor-oriented perspective. The conclusions point to the problems of the property laws and stress the fact that, in the context of indeterminate laws, restitution is a perpetual negotiation, influenced by mechanisms such as networking or power relations.


Recent years have seen increasing worldwide attention being paid to the broad issue of energy and, in particular, to the aspect of energy security. The issue is even more crucial in Europe and Turkey, which are both energy dependent and are trying to diversify their strategies in order to secure energy availability and


Background: Prospective population studies demonstrate that poor paraspinal muscle endurance increases the risk of developing first-time LBP and many CLBP studies also document excessive paraspinal muscle fatigability. The question arises as to whether this could have predisposed to chronic symptoms, through impaired spinal instability, especially in light of the wide inter-individual variation observed in the constitutionally determined paraspinal muscle fibre-type composition, which governs contractile performance. Objective: To determine whether CLBP-associated excessive paraspinal fatigue results from a paucity in the type I fibre content. Design: Control comparison using male subjects. Subjects: Thirty-five CLBP patients with Von-Korff Chronic Pain Scores of ≤ III (high level of residual function, despite pain, to negate effects of disuse atrophy), and 32 controls of similar age. Outcome measures: Fatigue-induced median frequency (MF) declines in the surface EMG signal, monitored bilaterally at L4 level during Biering-Sorensen- and 60%MVC- isometric fatigue tests. Percutaneous para-spinal muscle biopsies permitted histomorphometric comparisons. Results: Between-group differences were assessed using independent t -tests (p 0.05). Conclusion: Impaired CLBP-associated endurance is not the result of a constitutionally 'adverse' fibre-type composition.


. The article examines the relationship between language and culture through the prism of the statements of famous people on the example of Ossetia, Russian and German languages and cultures, with a view to tracing the chances of their rapprochement and cooper-ation in the world cultural space. The indissoluble unity of the national language and national culture finds its diverse realization in the statements of their representatives. The author con-siders one of the most actual issues of the day: the relationship of language and culture, he gives an analysis of the various statements on the issue, he affects a multivalued concept of language as one of the components of the national culture, seeing it as a means of transmis-sion of culture, focusing on the undoubted importance of language as a means of preservation and existence of culture. Language and culture distinguish one ethnos from another, and, at the same time, through them are opened the ways of their communication and even rapprochement. The Russian language and culture have taken over for centuries the leading role in the mediation between cultures of more than 100 nationalities in North Ossetia-Alania, where they have embodied for many years a traditional positive presence. The article devel-ops a significant role of the statements of representatives of the designated cultures and languages in promoting their mutual understanding, which can be an important, pragmatic aspect in the modern context. For a student, the acquisition of intercultural skills is a problem. The methodology of work on intercultural issues is multifaceted, many explanations, tips or guides. Here, in our opinion, a beautiful and elegant compromise between intercultural ideol-ogy and reality is appropriate in the form of studying the statements of great representatives of different cultures and languages as an additional source of intercultural information, different starting points, previously studied, possibly edited by a teacher, for more effective integration into specific language environment, enriching the didactics of teaching foreign languages with cognitive, affective and behavioral elements that transform learning in a more conscious pro-cess. In the article we can see comparative analysis of the statements in German, Ossetia and Russian languages, in order to identify the features that are worth paying attention to when translating these expressions.


This paper examines various enactments of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education in schools in Java, Indonesia. Interview data is collected from four EFL teachers from Australia who are undertaking a one year guest teaching program in a number of elite government secondary schools. Recounts of their experiences and perspectives of delivering a national English curriculum, pedagogy and assessment are considered through their viewpoint and an analytical lens adapted from the sociology of Basil Bernstein (1996, 2000). The focus is on the multiple interpretations of policy at the level of government, schools and in individual classrooms. Some of the interpretations orientate to performance models of assessment, whilst others orientate to competence models of assessment. The paper's conclusion outlines the guest teachers' accounts and perspectives of the advantages and disadvantages of each model of assessment.


The Sincrotrone Trieste proposal for a 100 MeV proton accelerator, driving a 1+2.5 GeV booster linac for the Energy Amplifier Project, is based on a Multi-Tank Drift Tube Linac (MTDTL) structure, since it seems to be the most simple and efficient solution for a high power, CW proton beam. The optimization of the RF system, in terms of efficiency and cost, is a crucial point in the design of the MTDTL. A possible solutions for the low level distribution and the RF power distribution are presented and analysis of the efficiencies are given.


Based on the generalized rough DEA model, this article researches the probability rough operator and probability rough set, and generalizes the latter into the real domain. This article also makes the contrast of the number axes simulation between generalized real domain rough variables and generalized probability real domain rough variables. Finally, it establishes generalized real domain probability rough DEA model. This model can solve the problem of relative efficiency evaluation of decision-making unit (DMU) when its input and output variables are probability rough variables. This research is a deepening one of rough DEA model.


The book under review is devoted to analysis author's practical pedagogical solutions, personally designed & approbated during the time of teaching college students such subject as philosophy. The monograph illustrates the original ideas, practical realization of which really finds response in the hearts and minds of contemporary students. Author's solutions & arguments reflect real trends in modern Russian society & suggest a workable reaction to them.


While providing opportunities for students to engage in open-ended, ambiguous problems allows students to develop skills for responding to ambiguity and applying knowledge in practical ways, it can be difficult for instructors to assess student work when students' solutions are very different from each other. However, to promote student learning, it is essential that instructors provide feedback — particularly in the form of formative feedback that allows students to revise their work before submitting their final solution. In this study, we investigate the challenges associated with providing feedback, the challenges that students face in responding to feedback, and the impact of the feedback on student work. We do this by investigating the role of feedback through multiple data collection methods: collection of artifacts - copies of student work (and copies of instructor and peer feedback), interviews conducted with students and with teaching assistants, and video recordings of the students as they work to address the feedback and revise their solution. Through these multiple lenses, we are beginning to uncover challenges and strategies for success in both providing and responding to feedback. These findings provide opportunities to design and re-design instructional materials that equip teaching assistants and students with skills to provide feedback, and to equip student with skills to respond to feedback.


A new method of modal parameters identification based on the time-frequency filter and autoregressive modeling is proposed. Single modal response of time-variant multi-degree freedom system is extracted by Gabor expansion. Each rank modal parameter is identified by an autoregressive model of single modal response. A new algorithm is presented to estimate the model coefficients and modal frequencies, in which the base functions have shifted the time-variant modeling to a linear time-invariant identification problem. The identification of a cantilever with varying mass is given to validate the proposed method. The identification results have indicated that the proposed method is an effective tool for modal parameters identification of time-variant linear system.


OBJECTIVE: We tested the hypothesis that exposure to hypoxia from postnatal day 3 (P3) to P7 would impair CNS myelination and white matter development in neonatal mice.
 BACKGROUND: Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) commonly occurs in extremely premature neonates. The hypomyelination that characterizes PVL results from hypoxia-induced dysmaturation of oligodendrocytes (OLs). Given this link between hypoxia and PVL, investigators historically have modeled the disease by exposing rodent pups to prolonged periods of hypoxia, a design that requires cross-fostering of the hypoxia-exposed pups.
 DESIGN/METHODS: At P3, newborn CD1 and C57/Bl6 mice were assigned to rearing by their own dam or cross-fostering by a dam of the other strain. From P3-P7 pups were exposed either to room air or hypoxia (10+/-0.5%) before subsequent rearing in normoxic conditions. Mice from both exposure groups were sacrificed at P13, P27 or P76 for use in the histological and molecular studies described below. At the time of sacrifice, body weights and cerebral weights were measured. Additional mice underwent neuromotor testing at P21, P43 and P76.
 RESULTS: Exposure to hypoxia was associated with reduced body weight and cerebral weight, irrespective of rearing assignment. Likewise, hypoxia markedly reduced the cerebrocortical expression of myelin-associated genes (CNPase, PLP, MBP, MOG) as determined by qRT-PCR and immunoblotting. In contrast, genes that characterize earlier stages of the oligodendrocyte lineage (NG2, PDGFRα, Olig-2) were unchanged. The cerebral, cerebellar and spinal cord histology of hypoxia-exposed mice displayed reduced myelination at P13, with less prominent hypomyelination at P27 and P76. Last, hypoxia-exposed mice demonstrated lasting motor deficits and behavioral disturbances, as discerned by rotarod, hanging-wire and open field testing.
 CONCLUSIONS: Exposing neonatal mice to an abbreviated period of hypoxia is sufficient to induce molecular, histological and clinical signs of PVL and does not require cross-fostering of mouse pups.
 Study Supported by: This study was funded by a gift from Dr. and Mrs. Moon Park (J.O.W.) and the T. Denny Sanford Pediatric Collaborative Research Fund (W.A.C.). Disclosure: Dr. Watzlawik has nothing to disclose. Dr. Painter has nothing to disclose. Dr. Papke has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kahoud has nothing to disclose. Dr. Carey has nothing to disclose. Dr. Rodriguez has nothing to disclose.


The concept of molecular switching within a cyclic four-stage process is introduced on the basis of two structurally fused photochromic systems (A–D). The synthesis of 1,8a-dihydro-2,3-bis(2,5-dimethyl-3-thienyl)azulene-1,1-dicarbonitrile (open/closed A) is described; irradiation with UV light leads to an equilibrium of open/open B, open/closed A and closed/closed C, whereas B is thermally rearranged to A by ring closure of the vinylheptafulvene substructure.


The main objective of this paper is applying a comparison between the Wolf Pack Search (WPS) as a newly introduced intelligent algorithm with several other known algorithms including Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Shuffl ed Frog Leaping (SFL), Binary and Continues Genetic algorit hms. All algorithms are applied on two benchmark cost functi o s. The aim is to identify the best algorithm in terms of more spe ed and accuracy in finding the solution, where speed is measured in te rms of function evaluations. The simulation results show that the S FL algorithm with less function evaluations becomes first if the simu lation time is important, while if accuracy is the significant iss ue, WPS and PSO would have a better performance. Keywords—Wolf Pack Search, Particle Swarm Optimization, Continues Genetic Algorithm, Binary Genetic Algorit hm, Shuffled Frog Leaping, Optimization.


The tendency of beef cattle breeding in the region under market conditions is shown. The reasons of beef production decline have been revealed. The authors have determined the main directions of efficient use of fodder reserves in beef cattle breeding and the ways of solving the problem of their structure optimization.


Funding provided by the Marshall Fellowship program. Thank you to Kathy Hertzler, Professor Kim Armstrong, and Professor Patricia O'Hara for their advising help in transferring funds to this project. Thank you to Laurel Britton and Carrie Rebora Barratt for making time to be interviewed. Thank you to Nydia Manos for her help with poster design. Thank you, finally, to Professor Linda Aleci, my project advisor, for her help with all aspects of this project! Acknowledgements 1. "82nd & Fifth from The Metropolitan Museum of Art." 82nd & Fifth, home. Accessed 12 Oct. 2017. 2. Chen, I.Chun. "Met Museum Attendance up 6 Percent in 2016, Natural History Museum Attendance Holds Steady." New York Business Journal, https://www.bizjournals.com/newyork/news/2017/06/02/met-museum-attendance-up.html. Accessed 13 Oct. 2017. 3. Connections | The Metropolitan Museum of Art. https://www.metmuseum.org/connections/. Accessed 12 Oct. 2017. 4. Farago, Jason. "Fixing the Met: Art Lovers Speak." The New York Times, 14 July 2017. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/14/arts/design/fixing-the-met-museum.html. 5. Knight, Christopher. "The New LACMA." Los Angeles Times. LA Times, http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-ca-cm-lacma-zumthor-collection-20170528-htmlstory.html. 6. "Now at The Met." The Metropolitan Museum of Art, I.e. The Met Museum, https://www.metmuseum.org/blogs/now-at-the-met. Accessed 12 Oct. 2017 7. Phone interview with Carrie Rebora Barratt, August 18, 2017 8. Phone interview with Laurel Britton, August 15, 2017 9. Pogrebin, Robin. "Breuer Building Expands the Imagination, and the Budget, of the Met." The New York Times, 4 Mar. 2016. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/05/arts/design/breuer-building-expands-the-imagination-and-thebudget-of-the-met.html. 10. ---. "De Blasio, With 'Cultural Plan,' Proposes Linking Money to Diversity." The New York Times, 19 July 2017. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/19/arts/design/new-york-cultural-plan-museums.html. 11. ---. "Met Museum Changes Leadership Structure." The New York Times, 13 June 2017. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/13/arts/design/met-museum-changes-leadership-structure.html. 12. ---. "Metropolitan Museum of Art Plans Job Cuts and Restructuring." The New York Times, 21 Apr. 2016. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/22/arts/design/metropolitan-museum-of-art-plans-job-cuts-andrestructuring.html. 13. ---. "The Met Files a Formal Proposal to Charge Admission to Out-of-State Visitors." The New York Times, 5 May 2017. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/05/arts/design/the-metropolitcan-museum-of-art-admission-fees-tickets-deblasio.html. 14. ---. "Visit to the Met Could Cost You, If You Don't Live in New York." The New York Times, 26 Apr. 2017. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/26/arts/design/met-museum-in-quiet-talks-with-city-weighs-an-admission-fee.html. 15. Ryzik, Melena. "Text for Happiness. Or Sadness. Get Art Back." The New York Times, 14 July 2017. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/14/arts/design/sfmoma-texting-emojis-art.html. 16. Smith, Roberta. "An Exhibition Worth Thousands of Words." The New York Times, 6 July 2017. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/06/arts/design/an-exhibition-worth-thousands-of-words.html. 17. ---. "The Fall's Most Fascinating Art Show? The Met Trying to Fix Itself." The New York Times, 4 Sept. 2017. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/04/arts/design/director-metropolitan-museum-search-daniel-weiss.html. Sources Background Founded in 1870, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City is a universal survey, "encyclopedic" museum, displaying and interpreting works of art from all time periods and from across the globe. Today it comprises the Met Fifth Avenue, the Met Cloisters, and the Met Breuer. Once the premier art institution of NYC, it must now compete for visitors with other New York City museums. Against the backdrop of diverse audiences, new digital technologies, and the dominance of contemporary art in the global marketplace, the Met struggles to remain viable as an institution of high culture.