Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii (Wołosz.) Seenayya et Subba Raju is a planktonic filamentous cyanobacterium whose sudden worldwide proliferation and ability to produce toxins are a reason for concern. In this paper, we suggest that its ecological dominance might be explained by antagonistic interaction with other phytoplankton species due to production of allelopathic metabolites. To test this hypothesis, experiments were run with exudates of natural phytoplankton and C. raciborskii strains isolated from Lagoa Santa, a small natural lake in southeastern Brazil, where this species has become dominant in recent years. The exudates were added to different algal species obtained from the same environment and maintained in culture. After 24 h incubation, PAM fluorometry was used to compare control and treatment photosynthetic responses (relative electron transport rate) to the dissolved extracellular products. Results indicate that most of the target species were sensitive to C. raciborskii exudates, which showed strong inhibitory effects on their photosynthetic activities. These results provide evidence that allelopathy may offer a competitive benefit to C. raciborskii and contribute to its stable dominance in Lagoa Santa. A potential allelopathic advantage could also help to explain the geographic expansion of this species at midlatitudes.


An integrated programming environment represents a robust approach to building a valid model for landfill site selection. One of the main challenges in the integrated model is the complicated processing and modelling due to the programming stages and several limitations. An automation process helps avoid the limitations and improve the interoperability between integrated programming environments. This work targets the automation of a spatial data-mining model for landfill site selection by integrating between spatial programming environment (Python-ArcGIS) and non-spatial environment (MATLAB). The model was constructed using neural networks and is divided into nine stages distributed between Matlab and Python-ArcGIS. A case study was taken from the north part of Peninsular Malaysia. 22 criteria were selected to utilise as input data and to build the training and testing datasets. The outcomes show a high-performance accuracy percentage of 98.2% in the testing dataset using 10-fold cross validation. The au...


It was the aim of the present work, therefore, to compare rates of interfacial oxygen exchange obtained in the O 2 , Pt/ZY10 system under identical conditions and at the same samples by two independent methods: potential decay curves and oxygen isotope exchange


This study is to reveal the influence of the amount of carbon content on the microstructure evolution, mechanical properties, and wear properties of Hypereutectic High Chromium Cast Iron (HHCCI). T...


We use historical data to study the feature phone (as different from smart phone) years of the mobile phone industry. This study relates to the years 1994 to 2004, at a time when the industry grew to a landmark of one billion mobile phones cumulative sales worldwide. Actor Network Theory (ANT) is used as a lens to understand the key alliances between selected mobile phone companies and other actants. In line with ANT, actants include consortia, service providers, and IT vendors. The leading mobile phone companies- Nokia, Samsung, and Motorola, display a number of characteristics and actions that have implications for the current and future state of the market. The study demonstrates the explanatory power of ANT. It is important to understand the earlier years of the industry to understand its current state, particularly with reference to Nokia and Samsung. The notion of path dependence suggests that these actors continue to leverage, or be weighed down, by their strengths and weaknesses traced back in history to feature phone years.


SUMMARY

Irradiation with red light enhances growth and geotropic curving of decapitated Avena coleoptiles. The regeneration of a physiological tip appears to be retarded which indicates an increase of available auxin in the subapical parts of the coleoptile.


PurposeThe study has a two-fold purpose: first, to identify the enablers of partnering agility in higher education, and, second, to analyze the interplay between the enablers.Design/methodology/approachTotal interpretive structural modelling (TISM) was used to construct a theoretical model of partnering agility enablers, and cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification (MICMAC) analysis was used to rank and segregate the enablers into independent, autonomous, dependent and linkage zones on the basis of their driving and dependence power.FindingsThe study helped in identifying eight enablers that can be instrumental in driving partnering agility in higher education. According to the TISM model, clarity on roles and responsibilities of partners was found to be the most crucial and vital enabler followed by resource sharing.Practical implicationsThe conceptual model provides a new direction on how to develop and strengthen higher education partnerships. The model has prioritized all the crucial enablers that the management can work around in order to drive partnering agility in higher education institutions.Originality/valueStudies in the past have majorly focused on academia–industry partnerships. This research has tried to provide a comprehensive view of the enablers and the multidirectional interplay between the enablers that can facilitate partnerships between academia and industry, Indian and international universities, and academia and community.


Aim: This study aimed to explore the experiences of Shanghai medical workers who assisted Wuhan in fighting the COVID-19 epidemic and provide a reference for the development of later interventions for psychological stress. Methods: We conducted a qualitative study using an interpretive description methodology. Fourteen Shanghai medical workers working in the ICU (intensive care unit) and Fangcang Shelter Hospital in Wuhan were selected for semi structured interviews in March 2020. Data collection and analysis were then performed. Results: The fourteen interviewees experienced the following four theme categories and clusters to different degrees: Fighting without hesitation (anxious and nervous, happy and satisfied, calm); brief anxiety and fear (too nervous to sleep, worried about inadequate protection, shock and fear at first sight of the Fangcang shelter); adaptation and adjustment (not fighting alone, distracting oneself by doing what one likes to do, understanding and cooperation among team members, praise and support from patients); and feelings in the moment (continuing to work until the epidemic is under control, sense of professional achievement, avoidance). Conclusions: Medical workers from other provinces and cities alleviated the shortage of medical treatment in Wuhan and ensured effective treatment for COVID-19 patients. Their psychological experiences and coping styles in different periods were quite different and were the true expressions of their emotions. This study will also provide them with further resources and help them gradually return to their original jobs.


Emphasizing the influence of the mind on the body, Charles Tuckey was among the first to describe the potential therapeutic effects of hypnotic suggestion on a wide range of diseases.


Major space mission failures generally occur in the presence of a technical error coupled with organizational challenges regarding identification and management of the error. For example, the Space Shuttle Columbia was doomed by an errant piece of foam hitting the leading edge of the wing, and while the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) report discussed the technical failure in detail, it also focused an entire chapter on organizational challenges contributing to the disaster. Following the release of the CAIB report, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) documented lessons learned about organizational cultures which foment conditions possibly manifesting in space mission failures. NASA desired a culture that valued psychological safety, defined as the belief one can speak up without risk of punishment or humiliation. The challenge is that in successful engineering firms, NASA prior to the space shuttle tragedies, and society in general, individuals show a reluctance to convey negative information because of the discomfort associated with being the conveyor of bad news. Approaching the 20-year anniversary of the Columbia Accident, this paper revisits the concept of organizational silence where individuals fail to draw attention to problems. Specific focus is paid to the future generational workforce, many of whom were either not born or in preschool at the time of the Columbia tragedy. To characterize the influence of organizational culture on space engineering workforce psychology, a case study questioning how someone will react in a situation involving mission-critical activities and the need to speak up was created. Case data were collected from different sample populations, and case study results are used to highlight problems for project teams to overcome organizational silence with a special focus on the challenges of university satellite programs primarily staffed by student workers.


When the moist soil is excavated, the soil sticking and freezing to the working units of the earth-moving machines take place. It is the phenomenon that considerably reduces the plant`s efficiency. There are four main groups of methods intended for eliminating adhesion of soil to the surface of the working bodies of earth-moving machines. As for the nature and the operating effects of the methods, they can be divided into the preventive methods and the means ones for cleaning the working units of the earth-moving machines. On the special shear stand, the multifactorial test has been conducted using mathematical theory of experiment to determine the practical effect of antiicing liquid usage as a preventive method when the intermediate layer is used in the contact point "soil-to-working units" to reduce adhesion to metal surfaces soil machines. Mathematical processing of the obtained results was carried out using the MODEL program for multifactor dependencies using the least squares method. As a result of the processing of experimental data, regression equations were obtained without the action of the lubricant and with the use of anti-icing fluids "MAXFLIGHT 04" and "OCTAFLO EG". Multifactorial dependences of shear stress are obtained. To interpret the results obtained, quasi-onefactor dependences are given for fixed values of two factors among three, the response surfaces for quasi-one-factor dependencies for anti-icing fluids of the brands MAXFLIGTH 04 and OCTAFLO EG are constructed. Analysis of these dependencies in the investigated range of factor changes shows that the use of anti-icing fluids of the brands MAXFLIGTH 04 and OCTAFLO EG reduces the shear stress to 60%.


In this letter we show that the overlap formulation of chiral gauge theories correctly reproduces the gravitational Lorentz anomaly in 2-dimensions. This formulation has been recently suggested as a solution to the fermion doubling problem on the lattice. The well known response to general coordinate transformations of the effective action of Weyl fermions coupled to gravity in 2-dimensions can also be recovered.


In the field of visual communication design, creativity becomes fundamental for every visual communication designer to have. So in practice, visual communication designers need a process of thinking and acting in harmony with producing their creativity. One of the materials is through learning Elementary Design in college. This course is presented to trigger the students in the creative thinking process through processing and organizing visual elements. Thus this research was conducted to descriptively review Elementary Design as a form of implementation of creative thinking and efforts to develop the creativity of visual communication design students, especially for 1st-semester students of the Graphic Design & New Media Program, Bina Nusantara University. The method used in this research is an educational research & development model approach.  These stages include (1) Identifying the potential issues and problems; (2) Collecting data; (3) Product design; (4) Design validation; (5) Design revision. The results revealed that the research & development method with the creative thinking process approach encourages students to find associations of forms from intangible to tangible.


the main points at issue. At an early stage (5) the author sharply observes that the political instability characteristic of the times was the consequence of a breakdown of the consensus on what was considered legitimate practice in Republican politics. With this in mind the reader is then expertly and ably guided through the delicate and complicated nuances of the politics of the period. Not only are Cicero's life and works vividly placed within the social and political matrix of the Late Republican World but the orator's psychology also receives full treatment (66-7; 75; 78). The author amidst Cicero's many attributes singles out how at a time when personal dictate was rising to the fore he retained faith in the power of reasoned persuasion as a means of decision-making in Rome a judgement with which it is possible to fully concur. In support of this view and contrary to many other historical accounts of the period W. emphasizes the role of rhetoric not only in Cicero's life but also within the wider confines of Roman Republican and post-Republican politics (83), not sacrificing it at the expense of other more fashionable topics but making it an integral part of the historic narrative. On the whole, the Ciceronian speeches (unpublished and non-extant ones included 41; 47) are successfully blended within the wider political narrative although the author occasionally falls into the perhaps inevitable trap of resorting to a chronological listing (40). The discussion of Cicero's relations with the members of the first and second Triumvirate is replete with interesting emphases and sophisticated differentiations which betray a sharp eye for what is stimulating and provocative in both primary and secondary sources. As might be expected, such a wide-ranging exercise at times displays signs of rather limited and superficial analysis; for instance, although Cicero was forced to undertake the defence of the supporters of the triumvirs in the courts (55) the lack of any reference to Cato and his circle who saw the courts as the only means of trumpeting in public the misdemeanours of the triumvirs renders the picture of the atmosphere in Rome at the time incomplete. It might also be added that Roman institutions receive only the most cursory treatment, and as a small point the Rabirius on p. 55 is Rabirius Postumus (RE 6), not to be confused with Rabirius (RE 5). The book is well-illustrated with a number of helpful maps making it an attractive and presentable volume the accessibility of which is only impeded by the lack of an index. In general it constitutes an excellent companion for anyone interested in Roman Republican politics and a good introduction to Cicero's life.


The design of rf accelerating structures nowadays is largely based on mesh-codes that solve for fields and eigenfrequencies in arbitrarily shaped cavities. The most developed codes deal with structures of cylindrical symmetry. However, no program is available that can solve for fields with azimuthal variation in cavities with dielectric and/or permeable insertions. Here we describe a discretization method Using an "orthogonal triangular double grid". The special mesh and the FIT-discretization /1,2/ enable the treatment of cavities with arbitrary material insertions and combines the features of SUPERFISH /3/ (triangular mesh, rotationally symmetric fields) and URMEL /4/ (rectangular mesh but field with or without azimuthal variation).


The article notes that it is essential that parents be aware of their children's special vulnerability, since they have limitations that are not immediately apparent. Parents must teach their children safe behavior around motor vehicles and roadways. This must continue as the child grows older. The article offers tips on teaching safety to children of various ages, based on the program guide to the National Safety Council's 'Walk Alert' program. The tips are divided into those most suitable for preschool children, elementary school children (kindergarten through 3rd grade), elementary school children (4th through 6th grade), and junior high school children. It is also suggested that pedestrian information safety material may be included in a babysitting course for junior high school children.


More than 50% of random logic power in an SOC chip is typically consumed by Flip Flop. This is because of redundant transition of internal nodes, when the input and output appear to be in the same state. Different low power techniques have been proposed, but all of these designs use more transistors. Leading to an increase in size, which is too costly since flip flops typically account for 50% of random logic area. In this paper we design D flip-flop using 2x1 multiplexer which has reduced transistor count compared to other low power designs of D flip-flops. The focus is to design high speed, low power consumption, positive edge triggered conventional D flip-flop which can be used for registers in multipliers. In this paper the D flip-flop is modified in such a way that it controls the overall capacitances during the operation and will optimize the total capacitance that results in the decrease of the Average Power dissipation. The flip-flop is realized using only 8 transistors. The circuit is characterized by using cadence tools in 0.18 μm technology.


When an integrable Hamiltonian system, possessing an m-resonant lower dimensional normally parabolic torus is perturbed, a parabolic m-resonance occurs. If, in addition, the iso-energetic non-degeneracy condition for the integrable system fails, the near integrable Hamiltonian exhibits a flat parabolic m-resonance. It is established that most kinds of parabolic resonances are persistent in n(n⩾3) d.o.f. near integrable Hamiltonians, without the use of external parameters. Analytical and numerical study of a phenomenological model of a 3 degrees of freedom (d.o.f.) near integrable Hamiltonian system reveals that in 3 d.o.f. systems new types of parabolic resonances appear. Numerical study suggests that some of them cause instabilities in several directions of the phase space and a new type of complicated chaotic behavior. A model describing weather balloons motion exhibits the same dynamical behavior as the phenomenological model.When an integrable Hamiltonian system, possessing an m-resonant lower dimensional normally parabolic torus is perturbed, a parabolic m-resonance occurs. If, in addition, the iso-energetic non-degeneracy condition for the integrable system fails, the near integrable Hamiltonian exhibits a flat parabolic m-resonance. It is established that most kinds of parabolic resonances are persistent in n(n⩾3) d.o.f. near integrable Hamiltonians, without the use of external parameters. Analytical and numerical study of a phenomenological model of a 3 degrees of freedom (d.o.f.) near integrable Hamiltonian system reveals that in 3 d.o.f. systems new types of parabolic resonances appear. Numerical study suggests that some of them cause instabilities in several directions of the phase space and a new type of complicated chaotic behavior. A model describing weather balloons motion exhibits the same dynamical behavior as the phenomenological model.


Chapter 1, "Introduction: What is molecular population genetics?," presents the motivations, applications, and historical context for molecular population genetics as a subdiscipline within biology. It describes how changes to DNA are inextricably woven into thinking about evolution and how molecular population genetics can be used to transport our thinking backward and forward through time. Key classic theoretical ideas summarizing allele frequency change, probability of fixation, and the time to fixation are encapsulated in brief vignettes. Both fundamental and applied uses of molecular population genetic perspectives are summarized in this survey of the historical, conceptual, and empirical development of the branch of science that we call population genetics and its integration with DNA sequences.


In this study we develop a Decision Support System tool to monitor and understand the characteristics of emergency departments of NSW Hospitals management systems in detail to find cost effective solutions to service quality improvements. In the past researchers have used statistical, operational research or simulation techniques in finding solutions to improve management systems. In contrast to these procedures, we introduce a new way of integrating operations research and statistics to build an operations statistics model and simulate the system for forecasting. Statistical and data mining techniques are used to analyse data. Further computing and IT skills are used to create and integrate various functional modules in developing the Decision Support System tool. Finally the capabilities of the developed DSS tool will be illustrated by using several studies to improve efficiency of the Campbelltown Hospital emergency service facility.


The hot blast stoves are a regenerative heat exchange system, accounting for 10 to 20% of the total energy requirement in an integrated steel plant, responsible for the supply of about one-third of the blast furnace heat input and responsible for a constant flow of hot air to the blast furnace, according to the required production. Because of their important role in the hot metal production, a stable operation and an appropriate combustion control is necessary. This paper aims to present the results of an investigation and modifications performed as an operating multi-furnace plant, as well as the parameters considered to ensure thermal equilibrium, improving in the stoves heating cycle.


A design of a gradient waveform generator with self-triggering function for magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) is proposed.In the present design,a high precision DAC(24-bit) chip having a relatively large group delay is used.With this design and the proposed self-triggering technique,the group delay of gradient waveforms can be eliminated.As a result,high precision DAC can be applied to MRI scanner.


The field of contemporary medical halakha has clearly earned its place as a bona fide specialty. With the plethora of articles appearing in halakhic periodicals, and the ever-increasing list of independent treatises on medical halakhic topics, the field can no longer be said to be in its infancy. Yet, there is an important dimension of medical halakhic research that remains largely unexplored-the interface between medical history and medical halakha. Halakha, by definition, is a precedent-based system. In solving modern medical halakhic dilemmas, rabbinic authorities invariably draw on halakhic material, often medical in nature, from previous generations, in which the medical and scientific knowledge may have differed radically from ours. While the principles of halakha have remained unchanged throughout history, sci-


The proposed project development objective (PDO) is to help improve sustainable access and delivery of electricity and water services in urban areas by helping Regideso to restore its viability and the quality and continuity of services in the face of the increasing demand of people and economic agents. The project addresses a critical issue by meeting the Government's priority to fill the current gap between supply and demand, and at the same time launching long term planning activities, studies, and improving the operational capacity of the main institution in order to avoid or at least effectively reduce future gaps. The project might suffer from a number of negative impacts including pollution from powerful greenhouse gases, solid waste, oil spills and noise.


A complex jaw apparatus consisting of ventral mandibles and dorsal maxillae is characteristic for polychaetes of the order Eunicida. The jaws are hardened cuticular structures and are composed of calcium carbonate and/or scleroproteins. While it is generally accepted that the mandibles are not shed but grow during the lifetime of the animal, there has been some controversy as to the fate of the maxillary apparatus (Paxton, 1980, 2000). Five different types of maxillary apparatuses, based on their arrangement, number and shape of elements, have been identified within the Eunicida SCIENTIA MARINA 70S3 December 2006, 331-336, Barcelona (Spain) ISSN: 0214-8358


A FULL-TERM infant weighing 3153 g was delivered by spontaneous vaginal delivery following an uncomplicated pregnancy. The Apgar scores were 8 and 8 at 1 and 5 minutes, respectively. On the second day, tachypnea (80 breaths per minute), subcostal retractions, and duskiness were noted. The heart rate was 140 beats per minute, and peripheral pulses were normally palpable. The blood pressure measurements in all extremities were normal for age and gestation, and the precordium was hyperactive. A grade 2/6 systolic murmur was heard over the lower left sternal border. The liver was enlarged, was palpable 3 cm below the right costal margin, and was not tender. A diagnosis of congestive heart failure was made. The laboratory findings were as follows: white blood cell count, 15.1×109/L with a normal differential cell count; hemoglobin, 148 g/L; and platelet count, 151×109/L. Results of a blood culture were normal. A


Abstract Rationale, aims and objectives : It is unclear which items of the WHO surgical safety checklist are most crucial for producing its associated benefits. Thoughtless modification, especially removing items, can therefore potentially lead to reduced effectiveness of the instrument. This study describes the modifications made by Belgian hospitals. Method : An online survey was used to find out which checklists are used. An expert panel conducted a content-driven evaluation of the retrieved checklists by verifying the presence of the WHO items and evaluating any modifications made. Results : All hospitals participating in the survey (n = 36) reported the use of a surgical safety checklist. Based on self-report, 69.4% (n = 25) of hospitals reported to use all WHO items. The expert panel determined that 17.1% (n = 6) of checklists included all WHO items. Inclusion ranged from 7 to 22 items (mean = 16.6, Std. Dev. = 4.48). Detailing on the functional parts of the checklist, 48.6% (n = 17) of checklists contained all sign-in items, 25.7% (n = 9) contained all time-out items and 37.1% (n = 13) enclosed all sign-out items. Sixty percent (n = 21) of checklists added items not mentioned in the original WHO checklist. Conclusion : The modifications made to the WHO checklist vary between hospitals. Only a small number of hospitals included all 22 WHO items. It is unknown whether these modified checklists will be equally effective in decreasing the number of postoperative complications, including mortality. More detailed recommendations and guidance regarding the modification of the WHO surgical checklist is required.


The collection of reptiles from Simalur, made by Mr. Edw. Jacobson in 1913 is a very interesting one and consists of 35 species: Lacertilia 17, Chelonia and Crocodilia 2, Ophidia 16. Besides, some reptiles were collected at Pulu Babi, at Pulu Si Laut (one of the Cocos Islands, north off Simalur) and near Saibi on Siberut, one of the Mentawei Islands. In none of these islands, reptiles have been collected previously. Publications about reptiles, collected in the other islands lying in a long line west off Sumatra exist: Nias. 1. Boulenger, in Ann. Nat. Hist. (5) XVI 1885, p. 388. 2. Fischer, in Abh. Naturw. Ver. Hamburg Bd. IX Heft 1 1886, p. 3. 3. Modigliani, in Ann. Mus. Civ. Genova (2) VII 1889, p. 113. 4. Bottger, in Ber. Senckenb. Ges. 1889, p. 306. 5. v. Lidth de Jeude, in Notes Leyden Mus. Vol. XII 1890, p. 253. 6. Werner, in Jahresber. Ver. Magdeburg. 1892/93, p. 248. 7. de Rooij, in Die Insel Nias bei Sumatra van Dr. Kleiweg de Zwaan, Bd. III 1915, p. 282. Mentawei Islands (Sipora). Boulenger, in Ann. Mus. Civ. Genova (2) XIV 1895, p. 613. Engano. Vinciguerra, in Ann. Mus. Civ. Genova (2) XII 1892, p. 517. Reptiles collected on Simalur in 1913. Gymnodactylus marmoratus (Kuhl). Gonatodes kandianus (Kel.). Hemidactylus frenatus D. B.


The main object of this paper is to present a new generalized beta function which defined by three parametres Mittag-Leffler function. We also introduce new generalizations of hypergeometric and confluent hypergeometric functions with the help of new generalized beta function. Furthermore, we obtained various properties of these functions such as integral representations, Mellin transforms, differentiation formulas, transformation formulas, recurrence relations and summation formula.


This paper introduces a medical economic management information platform and a economic management estimate system, fo-cused on military regional medical economy. By this means, strengthening military hospital economic management and improving whole economic benefit.


An improved charge pump for ISO/IEC 18000-6C compliant passive UHF RFID transponders is presented.The power conversion efficiency(PCE) is analyzed based on conduction angle.The structure consists of a main charge pump and a bias circuit.The load of bias circuit is suppressed to raise the bias voltage by introducing diode-connected MOSFET,the reverse leakage current is suppressed and the threshold voltage drop is eliminated with the help of the bias structure.The charge pump has been fabricated with 0.35 μm CMOS process,its experimental measurement shows that dc output of the charge pump is up to 1.5 V with 100 kΩ load,4.2 m away from the reader and the PCE up to 26.2% is achieved.The design meets the specification of RFID system.


There has been three major reforms in the history of Chinese writing textbooks.In the first reform,the writing knowledge was subject-centered,while the second reform was science-centered. In the third reform,the new Chinese curriculum standards advocates that the systemization and standardization should not be over emphasized,which could be interpreted in the historical contexts. Hence,the third reform of the writing is characterized by teaching-centered and convenient for teaching and learning.In the development of writing knowledge,we should pay attention to the scientific nature of its contents as well as the effectiveness of its presentation in order to reach the harmony between the contents and design.And the design of writing exercises is the key to present the scientific writing knowledge to make it easy for teachers to convey knowledge and a pleasure for students to learn.


To understand the current status of voluntary reporting systems in terms of completeness, accuracy and degrees of expressiveness, and to identify the social-technical barriers toward a human-centered design, we studied a set of voluntary reports acquired from the University of Missouri Health Care System (UMHC). We found three relationships between the free text and pre-defined entries, which direct us to improve reporting efficiency through a human-centered, adaptive data entry interface design that offers learning features during and after incident reporting.


The emergence of Internet media is both an opportunity and a challenge to the minority culture. This article studies the problems of western border areas national culture network communication, and try to give out suggestions.


The invention provides an intermediate server for instant messaging and an instant messaging realizing method thereof. The intermediate server for instant messaging comprises a first receiving module, at least two first instant messaging processing modules and a first controlling module; the first receiving module is used for receiving message to be sent from a user terminal, and the message to be sent at least comprises content to be sent, contact person information and first instant messaging service characteristic information; the at least two first instant messaging processing modules correspond to different instant messaging service characteristic information; the first controlling module is used for sending the message to be sent to the first instant messaging processing modules which corresponds to the first instant messaging service characteristic information; each of the at least two instant messaging processing modules comprises a first receiving unit and a first sending unit, wherein the first receiving unit is used for receiving the message to be sent from the first controlling module, and the first sending unit is used for sending the content to be sent to the addressspecified on the contact person information by using user login information which corresponds to the first instant messaging service characteristic information. The invention reduces the wideband resources of terminal equipment and the pressure of a processor.


Objective\ To approach anti hydatid efficacy of Verapamil and Albendazole in vitro on Echinococcus granulosus protoscolex (EgPSC). Method\ The cultured EgPSC were divided into groups, such as different concentrative Verapamil groups, Albendazole group, combination of two drugs and control group. The mortality of EgPSC in each group was daily counted. Result\ The mortality of EgPSC was significantly different compared with the control group (P0.05). Conclusion\ It revealed that Verapamil had obviously killing effect on EgPSC. Especilly, the combination of the two drugs could improve efficacy against EgPSC and two drugs were of synergistic action.


Problems and solutions associated with graphics identifingand dividing in activity checking-up system for sperms were introduced. The arithmetic theoryin choosing maximum between-class variance method was emphasized.


The primary focus of this investigation was to quan tify the reactivity of atrazine with the sugarcane residue and soils. A literature search r evealed that no investigations focused on the reactivity of atrazine by the sugarcane residue. Th objectives of this study were to (i) determine the adsorption-desorption of atrazine by the sugarc ane residue and soils, (ii) to assess the retention of atrazine by sugarcane residue over tim e following harvest. Specifically, we collected residue samples from sugarcane field expe riments following harvest. The sugarcane was grown on two different soils namely; Sharkey cl ay soil and Commerce soil. We carried out kinetic adsorption experiments to assess the affini ty of atrazine by the sugarcane residue and the soils. Such information is necessary in predictin g he role of the residue on the mobility and leaching losses of applied agricultural chemicals.


We devised a data format of a "Quick Look Information File (QLIF)" which carries various information extracted form observational data, and have developed a QLIF creation/browsing system, named "GYOJI", for the evaluation of data obtained with Subaru Telescope. A QLIF accomodates a two-dimensional image, typical profiles sampled from the image, one-dimensional traces of spectra, and various pixel statistics. All observational data of the telescope have a corresponding QLIF, and an observer or a user of the archive system is able to inspect the scientific information and the data quality from the QLIF without accessing the original data of complex structure and a huge size. Compared with the preview systems implemented in the astronomical archive systems in the world, GYOJI is superior in providing much information required for the data evaluation. This system has already become an indispensable part of the archive system of Subaru Telescope, and we think that this system has a great potential for the promotion of database astronomy .


The Association of International Research and Development Centers for Agriculture (AIRCA) wants to address the most pressing needs to improve agribusiness in the Lake Victoria Basin. The work will focus on combining the existing skill sets and experiences of its members, focusing on proven existing input technologies relevant to the Basin that can be scaled up and out to achieve real impact in agricultural production and nutrition for the farmers and their families. The project focuses on women and youth farmers, using a demand-driven approach that is responsive to local conditions and needs. Knowledge and skills dissemination and transfer through agribusiness clusters will support the utilisation of technologies, through input packages, so that real impact can be achieved by the farming families that live in the Basin.


It has been said that 'the law of limitation is a subject which peculiarly involves an enquiry into first principles.' That is particularly true in registered land. Section 75 of the Land Registration Act 1925 grafted into registered land a concept inimical to it, namely the possibility of defeat by adverse possession of a flawless documentary title. That endeavour has on the whole been successful; but there remain problems, concerning such fundamental concepts as trusts, the nature of legal estates after 1925, and 'title absolute.' This article seeks to explore those problems; at the same time, the opportunity will be taken to look again at the decision in Spectrum Investment Co v Holmes and to suggest that it need no longer be regarded as a major source of difficulty.


Seventy-seven practice nurses in the Portsmouth and Worcestershire areas were surveyed by postal questionnaire about their experience with, and attitudes to, using computers in general practice nursing. Almost all (98%) of the respondents worked in a computerized general practice and all reported having a positive attitude towards the clinical and administrative use of computers. Some 84% of practice nurses had a computer terminal where they saw patients and over 70% used the computer to gain access to clinical information. However, over three-quarters (79%) of respondents felt that their training on computers was either missing or inadequate. Some 74% of the nurses surveyed who were in post when the computers were introduced to their practice were either hardly consulted prior to installation, or not at all. Despite positive feelings about computerization, practice nurses appear to be getting insufficient or inadequate training and support to fully utilize the technology.


An electronic device with component detaching function includes a casing, a cover and an electronic component. An opening is formed on the casing. The cover is adapted to shelter the opening. The cover is movably disposed on the casing close to the opening, and can move relative to the casing to be switched between a first position and a second portion. The cover includes a first connecting portion. The electronic component including a second connecting portion is detachably disposed on the opening. The second connecting portion is detachably assembled with the first connecting portion. When the electronic component is separated from the casing, the electronic component utilizes an assembly of the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion to slide the cover relative to the casing, and the cover moves from the first position to the second portion.


Ice clouds play an important role in the Earth's radiative budget and hence climate. Heterogeneous ice nucleation, a major pathway for ice formation in cirrus and mixed-phase clouds, is induced by active sites present on atmospheric aerosol particles termed as icenucleating particles. Feldspars have been shown to be highly ice nucleation active. Despite the importance of mineral dusts for ice nucleation, the role of atmospheric aging (e.g. surface alteration due to interactions with chemical species) on their ice nucleation efficiency is largely unknown. This is primarily due to the lack of microscopic level insight into nucleation from laboratory/field-based experiments, due to the inability to experimentally access the small spatial and temporal scales at which nucleation process occurs – a problem that can be potentially tackled with computer simulations. We utilize direct Molecular Dynamics simulations (GROMACS 5.1.4) to investigate the interactions of solutes with different surfaces of potassium feldspar mineral (microcline) and the corresponding interfacial water structure at a microscopic scale. We investigated the interactions of monovalent cations (H 3 O + , (NH 4 ) + , Li + , K + , Cs + ) with various surfaces of microcline, and subsequent effects on the near-surface water structure at 300 K. The investigated surfaces include the perfect cleavage planes, (001) and (010), as well as the high energy plane (100) of microcline. Feldspar is modeled as semi-rigid (lattice atoms fixed expect K +


Aim: To study the efficiency of topical phenytoin on healing in diabetic foot ulcer grades 1 and 2. Methods: Totally, 60 patients in each group with diabetic foot ulcers of more than 4 weeks duration without any co-morbid conditions and ulcers belonging to Grade 1 and 2 as per Meggitt – Wagner's diabetic foot ulcers were inducted into the study. The whole sample population was divided into two equal and comparable groups based on willingness for undergoing topical phenytoin therapy for the wound. Those who were not willing were subjected to conventional wound care, forming the control group. Antibiotics are given to both groups as per culture reports. Results: In the study group, 13 patients had granulation tissue at 14 days of less than 75%, and 17 patients had granulation tissue at 14 days of greater than 75%. In the control group mean value of the size of the ulcer initially is 8.76cm and in 7 days is 7.12 cm and in 14 days is 5.86 cm. In the study group mean value of the size of the ulcer initially is 9.03 cm and in 7 days is 5.63 cm and in 14days is 3.3 cm. Conclusion: Phenytoin enhances wound healing via the following mechanisms: stimulation of fibroblast proliferation, enhancement of granulation tissue development, and inhibition of collagenase activity.


Purpose: The study sought to achieve sustainability in the fashion industry through the redesign of outfits for some selected evening gowns.
Methodology: The study adopted a desktop methodology. Desk research refers to secondary data, or that which can be collected without field work. Desk research is basically involved in collecting data from existing resource; hence, it is often considered a low - cost technique compared to field work. The study relied on already- published studies, reports, and statistics. This secondary data was easily accessed through online research and the library.
Findings: The study's findings revealed statistically significant differences between the mean scores of the direction of measurement of the study sample's opinions, as well as the existence of a correlation between the mean scores of each of the axes in the proposed study's mindset scale. These outcomes prove that the fashion renewal of durable gowns is one of the ways to verify garment sustainability.
Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The concept of the circular fashion theory is derived from the broader concept of the circular economy, which aims to reduce waste and extend the lifespan of fashion products. The theory promotes sustainable practices such as up- cycling, refurbishing, and remanufacturing to create new value from existing garments. In other words, it encourages the reuse of materials and products to minimize waste and reduce environmental impact. In addition by applying circular fashion theory, designers can upgrade selected evening gowns by repurposing existing materials, incorporating sustainable textiles, or redesigning elements of the gowns to make them versatile and timeless. This theory encourages a shift from the linear "take-make-dispose" model to a more sustainable and circular approach. By adopting circular fashion practices, we can help create a more sustainable future for the fashion industry. Sustainability could potentially act as an argument for future studies in the fashion and design businesses. The study is expected to benefit policymakers and stakeholders in the fashion business in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The study findings will be used to improve and develop the performance of fashion design sustainability. The study recommends that the adoption of effective fashion design for durable evening gowns will help achieve fashion sustainability.


Design of low power AAC Audio decoder for MPEG-4 which has vast application in recent electronics gazettes. When developing audio coder speed, quality and power consumption these are three important aspects. It is observed that most of researchers have given less concentration to implement efficient algorithm in MPEG-4 AAC Audio decoder. Hence, here we use efficient algorithm in the design of MPEG-4 Advance Audio decoder to improve overall speed & power consumption.


PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a multi-fuel engine system.SOLUTION: Various methods and systems are provided for an engine capable of receiving liquid and gaseous fuel. In one example, cylinder misfire may be identified on the basis of a misfire monitor. The misfire monitor may detect misfire on the basis of signals from a crankshaft sensor.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4


Head of Special Collections and Archives Tom Camden and Lucy Wilkins, Manager for Lee Chapel and Museum, pictured after a speech by Dr. Donald A. Hopkins on Robert E. Lee in War and Peace.


This chapter illustrates the constabulary character of the force, the battles over its direction, and the influence of the Japanese Communist Party (JCP) on the National Police Reserve (NPR). It provides a survey of the living conditions and legal position of the NPR's members, and an examination of the JCP's 'military campaign' of the period. This analysis of the JCP contributes to reveal Japanese perspectives and influences on the force and the examination of the 'bottom up' attempts by the JCP to seize control of the force and turn it into a tool of the Left. The key question as to why the NPR was never used in its original internal security role is also examined, with the use of 'Bloody May Day' as a case study. Furthermore, the relations between the JCP and the NPR and the development of the NPR's role in disaster relief operations are also examined.Keywords: Bloody May Day; constabulary character; disaster relief operations; Japanese Communist Party (JCP); military campaign; National Police Reserve (NPR)


The method about how to configure components inside bus-based low voltage switchgear was introduced.The configuration program of incoming loop,bus coupler circuit,feeder circuit,motor circuit,reactive power compensation and the control power in switchgear was described.Intelligent low voltage components were used to design switchgear,which can improve cost performance.


Performance-based seismic evaluation of existing structures involves an estimation of demand on structural elements imposed by earthquake ground motions. Such demand evaluation involves linear or non-linear structural modeling and static or dynamic analysis. Structural irregularities, such as gaps, present a modeling and analysis problem: which type of analysis should be used to accurately evaluate the effect of such structural irregularities on they dynamic response and seismic demand on the structure? In this paper, the authors use two demand analysis procedures, the non-linear static pushover (SPO) and the non-linear incremental dynamic analysis (IDA), to compute the seismic demand on a structure comprising a stiff interior and a flexible exterior sub-structure separated by a gap. The authors use ratios of the engineering demand parameters computed using structural models with and without the gap to compare the demand estimates. They found that incremental dynamic analysis should be used to accurately capture the dynamic response amplification caused by the gap irregularity.


The notion of intelligence is conceptualised here as (1) to do with making connections in the mind and (2) amenable to stimulation. Working memory is offered as the 'central processor' in a simple model of the mind, and the development of intelligence is related to both growth in working memory capacity and to more effective use of available capacity. Features of cognitively stimulating classrooms are considered, and implications drawn for educational policy.


With the wide application of two-dimensional code,two-dimensional code encryption technology has attracted more and more attention.QR(Quick Response)two-dimensional code is a widely used two-dimensional code.The different stages of the implementation procedure have different characteristics.This paper presents a multilevel fusion encryption algorithm based on QR code,greatly improved the encryption intensity of QR code by using DES and fixed keys RC4 encryption in different stages.This algorithm does not significantly increase the length and the processing time of QR code.The experimental data show the validity of the algorithm.


The human body is of "unique interest and importance" (Wierzbicka 2007: 17) to speakers of languages around the world and the nouns used to describe parts of the body are "a rich resource for exploring fundamental issues about the nature of categorization" (Majid, Enfied and van Staden 2006:138). This paper looks at semantic primes, semantic templates and semantic molecules (Goddard, in press; Wierzbicka 1985) in relation to a number of key body part nouns in Koromu. It aims to show how some common areas of meaning provide input for 'semantic templates' while some of their distinctive meanings are useful for the formation of expressions in other semantic domains and as 'semantic molecules' in reductive paraphrase explications. Examples of Koromu body parts considered here are wapi 'hands' and ehi 'legs', which are of particular importance in the traditional numbering system, and oru 'insides' and upu 'nose', which are relevant to discussions of values and emotions. The  explication of wapi 'hands' will indicate whether this word is polysemous (with wapi 'arms') and whether the meaning can be explicated exclusively in primes without any semantic molecules as it can in English 'hands' (Wierzbicka 2007:28).


How the costs of labor mobility ought to be distributed is the issue explored in this essay. Neoclassical procedural devices are argued to be irrelevant and unable to guide allocative decisions. A modified structuralist thesis is introduced in which the substantive nature of capitalist employment contracts is emphasized. The actual agent of allocation is the judiciary, and some attention is given to the role of the judiciary in modern society. Four strategic rules are then proposed as the basis for judicial decisions regarding the allocation of mobility costs. These rules are reliance, context, comparability, and resource endowment.


The distinction between electrophilic and electron
transfer mechanisms of addition reactions to the vinyl double
bond of aryl vinyl sulfides, ethers and selenides has been
achieved by studying substituent effects. Specifically, the
effects of meta and para substituents on the
rates of electrophilic addition reactions correlate with Hammett
σ values, while ionization of the
substrates to the corresponding radical cations correlates with
σb+. The significance of the
respective correlations are confirmed by statistical tests. The
σ
(electrophilic)/σb+ (ET)
dichotomy is in accord with the conventional paradigm for
σ/σb+
correlations and is further supported by ab
initio SCF MO calculations. The application of this
criterion to the reactions of aryl vinyl sulfides and ethers with
tetracyanoethylene indicates that formation of cyclobutanes occur
via direct electrophilic addition to the
electron-rich alkene and not via an electron
transfer mechanism. This conclusion is further supported by the
results of previous radical cation probe studies.


This paper is concerned with the stability analysis problem for discrete-time Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy systems with time-varying delay. By utilizing the idea of partitioning the delay interval into l nonuniform subintervals and the reciprocally convex technique, a novel fuzzy Lyapunov-Krasovskii function is constructed to reduce the conservatism of stability conditions. The conservatism reduction becomes more obvious with the partitioning getting thinner. Then, on the basis of parallel distributed compensation (PDC) law, the state-feedback fuzzy controller can be obtained for the concerned fuzzy delayed systems. These proposed conditions are given in terms of linear matrix inequalities, which can be solved by standard numerical software.


Silver and its alloys have bean promising in the multilevel metallization of semiconductor devices because of their superior electrical resistivity and resistance to electromigration. In this study, Ta-Ge and Ag-Ge thin films have been deposited on Si or SiO2/Si substrate by Magnetron sputtering. The as-deposited samples with Ag-Ge/Si and Ta-Ge/SiO2/Si structure were rapidly thermally annealed under Ar+H2 (5%) ambient at various temperatures. In the work, the phase and thermal stability of the thin film alloy ware mainly evaluated by employing XRD, FE-SEM and XPS and the electrical measurements was employed by 4-point probe method. The results showed that pure Ag thin film and a resistivity of 2.1 μΩcm, and that the resistivity of the Ag-Ge films increased with increasing Ge content. The Ag95Ge5 film had the lowest resistivity of 4.5 μΩcm. The XRD patterns for Ag-Ge thin film showed that grain size increased with increasing in annealing temperature, and also increased in adhesion. SEM images of Ag40Ge60 and Ag50Ge50 thin films showed that the porosity of Ag-Ge thin films increased with increasing in Ge content. The TaGe2 and Ta5Ge3 compounds could be formed within a range from 35.94% to 48.86% Ta atomic concentration from XRD results. A sharp decrease in resistance was found when the Ge51Ta49 sample was annealed at 600℃ for 30 min because of the formation of TaGe2.


Shortly after Groupon started its business in 2008, daily-deal sites became new shopping places for online shoppers. Daily deals are offered in a coupon format with huge price discounts and have social shopping features that involve collective actions. In this paper we use individual-level panel data from one of the major daily-deal sites in Korea to analyze how online shoppers change their purchase and redemption behaviors as they repeat purchases and redemptions. We find evidence that social shopping features deter inexperienced shoppers from buying deals early on. We also find evidence that inexperienced shoppers drive congestion at participating businesses. ∗We are grateful to participants at the 2012 Marketing Science Conference for their comments. All errors are ours. †Corresponding author. Assistant Professor of Economics and Marketing at the Simon Graduate School of Business, University of Rochester, firstname.lastname@example.com. ‡Graduate Student, College of Business Administration, Seoul National University, email@example.com §Associate Professor of Management Information System, College of Business Administration, Seoul National University, firstname.lastname@example.com ¶Ph.D. Candidate, College of Business Administration, Seoul National University, email@example.com


In the Fall semester of 2010, a team of graduate students in the capstone instructional design course at George Mason University (GMU) continued to research the possibility of using augmented reality (AR) to help homeschool students get a more powerful, visual representation and understanding of spatially oriented chemistry concepts, such as molecular bonding. This paper documents the audience analysis, needs of this audience, and a task analysis of the current chemistry activities. Our analysis included three interviews (a homeschooled eleventh grade student, a homeschool parent/teacher, and a college admissions director). We also emailed two surveys using SurveyMonkey. One survey was directed to homeschooled parent/teachers (n = 3) (see https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/THJJRVC ); the other survey was directed to homeschooled students (n = 3) (see https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CR7J7SD ). See Appendix A for results of the student survey, Appendix B for results of the parent/teacher survey, and Appendix C, D, & E for results of the interviews. Group 2 will move forward to the design of an augmented reality (AR) solution to meet these needs.


1: Introduction 2: Typical ligands 3: Nomenclature, geometrical structure and isomerism of coordination compounds 4: Preparation of coordination compounds 5: Stability of coordination compounds 6: Molecular orbital theory of transition metal complexes 7: Crystal field theory of transition metal complexes 8: Electronic spectra of transition metal complexes 9: Magnetic properties of transition metal complexes 10: Beyond ligand field theory 11: f electron systems: the lanthanides and actinides 12: Other methods of studying coordination compounds 13: Thermodynamic and related aspects of ligand fields 14: Reaction kinetics of coordination compounds 15: Bonding in cluster compounds 16: Some aspects of bioinorganic chemistry 17: Introduction to the theory of the solid state


One of the most commonly used membranes for water treatment applications are polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes prepared by the non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) method. Unfortunately, these membranes suffer from...


power supply circuit (1) into electrical energy for an aircraft, comprising a power generator adapted to be rotated by the motor (2) of the aircraft for powering electrical equipment (7) of the engine of the aircraft characterized in that the power generator comprises an asynchronous machine (5) connected to an excitation device (8), the asynchronous machine (5) including a rotor adapted to be rotated by the motor (2) and a stator connected to said electrical equipment (7), the excitation device (8) being capable of circulating a reactive current in said stator.


The aim of the article is to present activities in Muszyna Zdrój, located in the region of southern Poland spa resorts. In Poland there are 45 spa resorts (mostly small towns and villages) half of them were developed in the southern part of Poland and many of them are interesting examples of the transformations of the urban public space in the spa resorts. Almost all those settlements are locate in the outstanding natural environment including landscapes, climate and above all in the water, confirm a number of studies and a long tradition of conducting treatment advances in medicinal uses of many diseases. After a period of stagnation caused by ownership transformations in health resorts associated with the privatization and the reprivatisation of property nationalized after the Second World War. As well as long-term negligence in the period of system change in Poland after 1989. The activities carried out during last 10 years in Muszyna Zdrój like in the other health resorts located in the south of Poland focused to improve the quality of public spaces in these towns. Muszyna Zdrój is one of the most effective in attracting financial resources from European funds for all designed activities example. Muszyna Zdrój is a small historical town with developed in the beginning of XX century spa resort. The main advantages of the spa were climate, values of the landscape and sources of mineral waters. The spa resort is separate by the River Poprad from the town and develop separately. After few years of dynamic spatial changes in Muszyna Zdrój, the town and the spa resort become revitalized. Now Muszyna Zdrój is one of the good example of recent spatial changes in the health resorts of the whole of southern Poland spas. The main revitalization activities in the health resort consisted in creating a modern place for outside events, walking areas, place when everyone can drink the mineral water from the source and rest in different and attractive parks or spend time in outside mineral pools. New paths along the Poprad River and parks, designed and implemented in the spa part of the resort serves both residents, visitors and numerous tourists visiting the town and the spa. Activities undertaken in Muszyna Zdrój serve not only to improve the attractiveness of SWS INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY ISSN: 2664 0104 SWS Journal of Social Sciences and Art ISSUE 1, 2020 SWS Journal of Social Sciences and Art DOI 10.35603/SSA2020/ISSUE1.01 2 3 DOI 10.35603/SSA2020/ISSUE1.0


An essential characteristic of a software system, which is strongly related to its quality and has a major impact on program comprehension, is coupling. The coupling between software components also significantly influences the maintenance and evolution. We propose in this paper a coupling measure for Object-Oriented (OO) software systems which quantifies conceptual coupling of application classes. Conceptual coupling measures how the sources of different software entities (components, classes, modules, etc.) relate to each other, considering the textual information (identifiers, comments, etc.) contained in the code. We express the conceptual relationship between two software entities using an unsupervisedly learned high-dimensional representation of their text descriptions. Several experiments are conducted to emphasize that the proposed conceptual coupling measure expresses other aspects of coupling than the structural coupling measures and to also test its effectiveness for software restructuring at package level.


From the view of development trends of curriculum reform of higher vocational education,the public basic courses of higher vocational education must integrate the view of working and learning combination and it should fully take advantage of the basic function as well as base itself on the objective demand of talent cultivation of vocational education.Under the background,higher vocational schools should endow traditional theoretic knowledge system with completely new connotation of working and learning combination,reform curriculum setup,teaching materials and classroom teaching mode according to practice orientation,and build the new teaching system for public basis courses of higher vocational education taking ability cultivation and quality enhancement as the objectives to make it adapt to the development status of higher vocational schools.


We outline a simple model in which optimizing firms choose corporate investment, external financing, and cash holding decisions simultaneously. The model generates predictions for the responsiveness of the above three corporate financial decisions to cash flow shocks and firm misvaluation, as well as new predictions for the crosseffects of misvaluation on the cash flow sensitivities of these corporate policy variables. We test all these predictions based on a large sample of public firms in the U.S. and find consistent evidence. Overall, by confirming the model"s predictions for the signs of cash flow sensitivities, misvaluation sensitivities and cross-sensitivities for a number of different misvaluation measures, our model provides strong support for the notion that the wedge between the cost of external and internal finance affects corporate policies. Our estimation method follows Gatchev, Pulvino, and Tarhan (2010) in that we employ a dynamic simultaneous-equation model which is subject to the constraint that sources must equal uses of cash. However, contrary to Gatchev, Pulvino, and Tarhan"s (2010) claims, we empirically show that this approach does not outperform the unconstrained static single-equation model as long as all corporate policy variables are defined consistently using the flow-of-fund data and all explanatory variables are either exogenous or predetermined. JEL classification: G21, G31, G32


The invention relates to an insulated wire for use in electronic equipment, comprising an electrically conductive core and an insulating layer and/or an insulating jacket consisting of a flame retardant elastomeric composition surrounding the electrically conductive core, wherein the flame retardant elastomeric composition comprises a elastomeric polymer selected from the group consisting of styrenic block copolymers, olefinic thermoplastic elastomers and combinations thereof; and a metal salt of a phosphinic acid of the formula [RRP(O)O]M(formula I) and/or a diphosphinic acid of the formula [O(O)PR-R-PR(O)O]M(formula II), and /or a polymer thereof, wherein Rand Rare equal or different substituents chosen from the group consisting of hydrogen, linear, branched and cyclic C1-C6 aliphatic groups, and aromatic groups, Ris chosen from the group consisting of linear, branched and cyclic C1-C10 aliphatic groups and C6-C10 aromatic and aliphatic-aromatic groups, M is a metal chosen from the group consisting of Mg, Ca, Al, Sb, Sn, Ge, Ti, Zn, Fe, Zr, Ce, Bi, Sr, Mn, Li, Na, and K, and m, n and x are equal or different integers in the range of 1-4.


package are illustrative of industry practitioners' interest in what has begun to be called "plain vanilla" conjoint studies. Before the introduction of these packages, little was available in the way of integrated systems capable of stimulus design, utility estimation, and simulation. As a consequence, many companies and consulting firms developed their own sequence of programs, often on an ad hoc and rather disjointed basis. Less specialized firms either did without or hired outside experts to do the job for them. The availability of relatively inexpensive and portable systems affords opportunities for smaller firms to enter the fray with comparatively little financial and intellectual investment. Possibly these readily available and easy-to-learn packages will provide a rationale for the emergence of a standard modus operandi for many industry practitioners. The packages appear well suited for off-the-shelf problem formulations when some kind of result is needed in a hurry. Many researchers, however, like the thrill of trying something new on problems that do not fit into simple, repetitive molds. For them, such packaged howto-do-its ultimately may be viewed with more sadness than satisfaction. PAUL E. GREEN Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania


This paper addresses the job-shop scheduling problem to minimize total waiting time. This also is equivalent to minimizing the work in process. Although, this problem is of relevance to manufacturing systems (Job-shops), most of the work in the literature concerns the minimization of makespan for which the algorithms proposed are implicit enumeration procedures. For the minimization of total waiting time, to our knowledge, there are only empirical priority rules, all of which construct non-delay schedules (i.e. there is no inserted idle time on the machines). In this work, we use theoretical results obtained for a single machine scheduling problem to construct an efficient heuristic for the problem at hand. This algorithm provides active schedules that are not always non-delay schedules. The convergence and the complexity of the algorithm are discussed. The performance is also evaluated with respect to a classical priority rule.


Today our daily life appears a multifaceted and articulated mix of ordinary and extraordinary, stability and change: a context inside which a range of latent "possibilities" is nested, on which human creativity committed to building the future seems to find expression (Jedlowski 2017, Augé 2012, Appadurai 2014). Investigating the theme of spaces and living has a lot to do with reflection on change – and on the subject's ability to imagine and build the future – because it implies questioning a world that is changing and arouses new expectations and needs. Compared to a period in which, in our country, (little or) almost no reflection was carried out on this phenomenon, the house today appears (to be) one of the universal places from which to try to rethink ourselves and the word we live in. This essay will consider the contribution that some innovative collaborative housing practices, including co-housing, seem to offer to the rethinking of urbanity. Such practices in fact make explicit the inclination to be open to others, the aspiration to care, to feel in tune with the neighbourhood and surrounding spaces, and more generally with the world, in a perspective of trust towards the future.


We analytically study optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) monitoring using polarization diversity and digital signal processing (DSP) in the presence of first-order polarization-mode dispersion (PMD). We derived conditions on the input signal polarization, principle states of polarization (PSP) and differential group delay (DGD) of the fiber, polarization beam splitter (PBS) axes and receiver electrical low-pass filter bandwidth such that the monitored OSNR is least affected by PMD and we propose the use of a polarization scrambler (PS) before the PBS to achieve such conditions in practice. In addition, two special polarization states for which the proposed technique can operate independent of first-order PMD are identified. The theoretical predictions are verified through simulations. The analytical insights developed represent a more general and unified framework of which various OSNR monitoring techniques based on polarization diversity proposed in the literature can be understood as special cases.


Background. The research object is the perspective information-communication systems. The research subject is the processes of formation of predictive estimates of sample values (in a general case) of the unsteady processes of condition change of models of perspective information-communication systems' functioning. The aim of the work is to develop a generalized approach to formation of predictive estimates of conditions of the unsteady process of expert q-factor values change for the projectible information-communication systems. Materials and methods. Formation of the generalized approach is based on the methods of time series analysis using a model of autoregression of an integrated moving average. Results and conclusions. Realization of the developed approach in a software-hardware complex of an information-communication system will allow to significantly lower the degree of subjectivism of expert estimates of design-engineering decisions' quality, taken in the course of development of the system, and as well to significantly increase the degree of automation of the expert activity.


Eleven scenes are examined for information concerning the techniques and terminology of making rope. The definition of certain technical terms is refined from the earlier work of Junker and Vandier, and several scenes are added to Vandier's corpus of rope-making scenes.


Quenching of limit cycle oscillations (LCO), either through mutual coupling or external forcing, has attracted wide attention in several fields of science and engineering. However, the simultaneous utilization of these coupling schemes in quenching of LCO has rarely been studied despite its practical applicability. We experimentally study the dynamics of two thermoacoustic oscillators subjected to both mutual coupling and asymmetric external forcing. We investigate the forced response of both identical and non-identical thermoacoustic oscillators for two different amplitudes of LCO. Under mutual coupling alone, identical thermoacoustic oscillators display the occurrence of partial amplitude death and amplitude death, whereas under forcing alone, asynchronous quenching of LCO is observed at non-resonant conditions. When oscillators are simultaneously subjected to mutual coupling and asymmetric forcing, we observe a larger parametric region of oscillation quenching than when the two mechanisms are utilized alone. This enhancement in the region of oscillation quenching is due to the complementary effect of amplitude death and asynchronous quenching. However, a forced response of coupled non-identical oscillators shows that the effect of forcing is insignificant on synchronization and quenching of oscillations in the oscillator which is not directly forced. We believe that these findings offer fresh insights into the combined effects of mutual and forced synchronization in a system of coupled nonlinear oscillators.


High energy hadrons interact through their quark and gluon constituents. The interactions become weak at short distances thanks to the asymptotic freedom property of QCD, which allows perturbation theory to be applied to a rich variety of experiments. The nonperturbative nature of the proton for single hard interactions is thus characterized by Parton Distribution Functions (PDFs) fa(Q, x) of momentum scale Q and light-cone momentum fraction x. The evolution in Q is determined perturbatively by QCD renormalization group equations, so the nonperturbative physics can be characterized by functions of x alone at a fixed small Q0. The ongoing project to extract those functions from experiment, and to estimate their uncertainties, is the subject of this talk. The applicability of single nucleon PDFs to hard scatterings between heavy nuclei is a key question to be addressed in the workshop.


Between mining and end use, coal, like most mineral resources, is subjected to many material handling operations such as transportation, storage and reclamation. This paper describes a method of evaluating the flow of a coal in such operations. The generally accepted methods used to obtain the flow characteristics of a bulk solid involve measuring shear strength on a sample subjected to either a triaxial or a normal load. The method reported in this study, however, measures the bulk flow of a sample rather than engineering parameters. The procedure, termed the Durham Cone test, is rapid, requires minimal operator skills and facilitates the interpretation of the results. Experimental results are presented showing the application of this method in highlighting the two major factors influencing coal handleability, the moisture content and size distribution of the coal. The presence of reagents such as flocculants and collector, which may be added in coal preparation plants, and dust suppressants are also exa...


The O & M staff of AES Westover Station in Johnson City, New York wisely took a holistic approach to optimizing combustion within Unit 8's boiler in order to reduce its NOx emissions while maintaining acceptable levels of carbon-in-ash content. The results of major modifications, centered on the addition of a fan boosted overfire air system, were a 60% reduction in NOx levels, improved unit reliability, and a project payback period measured in months rather than years. As this project proved, the whole is more than the sum of its parts. 7 figs., 2 tabs.


Positronium interacts with the stable free iminoxyl radical TMOPO in methanol, which terminates in annihilation form the positronium-TMOPO bound state. In water, the reaction is different, namely positronium is oxidized. MnO/sub 4-/ and CrO/sub 4//sup 2/- resemble Cr/sub 2/O/sub 7//sup 2/- in being oxidizing agents for positronium in water.


EGP Teaching in China may adopt two kinds of CBI models:Theme-Based Instruction and language classes with frequent use of content for practice.In the course of the application,those two kinds of CBI models should be adapted to the specific circumstances of China.In addition,based on their own characteristics,colleges and universities should arrange their EGP-related teaching content,teaching methods and strategies,teaching objects,as well as teachers and other educational resources systematically to achieve an organic integration of a variety of teaching models.


A new rotenoid, clitoriacetal (I), has been isolated from the crude drug named"Nontai-yak, "which was identified as the root of Clitoria macrophylla WALL. CAT. (syn. C. hanceana HEMSL., Leguminosae) by the comparison with the authentic specimen, together with a known rotenoid, stemonacetal (II). The structure of clitoriacetal was elucidated to be I by chemical and spectral analysis.


There are both potential pitfalls and opportunities for planners in the increasing use of 'liveability/liveable' terms in setting urban policy goals, in developing policies and strategies and in managing implementation routines and projects. The pitfalls are associated with the blandness often found with similar label terms, 'community' being the lead example, so that they tend to lose any meaning they originally had, being applied wholesale to any policy area or package which it is desired to promote in a friendly, un-challenging and un-challengeable sort of way. As such, liveability and liveable will have to take their chances along with the rest. In contrast, the opportunities are more associated with providing a robust guiding principle or touchstone embodying key values to be used in practice. These opportunities typically abound in three primary areas: in local place-making where planning has become stereotyped, bound up with regulation and has lost its sense of wider purpose; secondly, in promoting exchanges of learning and practice among and between cities and citizens, both nationally and internationally; and, thirdly, in providing an essential knot in the network of public policies which link planning in with related areas, for instance, with health and quality of life concerns, with sustainability and with arts and cultural activities.


The static adsorption of stainless steel pickling wastewater by ion resin exchange and activated carbon adsorption was studied respectively. The results shown that, the static saturate adsorption capacity of 001×7 dry resin for Cr3+and Fe3+ in the wastewater was 60.34mg/g and 65.3mg/g respectively, and the elution rate of saturated resin by using Na2SO4 and H2SO4 can reach 99%. The saturate adsorption capacity of activated carbon for Cr3+and Fe3+ in the wastewater was 4.55 mg/g and 40.76 mg/g respectively, and NaOH as desorption reagent had a good desorption effect to activated carbon. The regeneration of activated carbon was also carried out.


This study was conducted to examine the effects of antibiotic (5000 units of penicillin) on sperm quality of Persian sturgeon, Acipenser persicus during 9 days in vitro storage of milt. For this purpose, the milt samples were stored in the presence and absence of 5000 units of penicillin. Freshwater was used as sperm activator. The milt samples were stored at 4°C and the motility indices were measured 0, 3, 6 and 9 days after storage. The sperm duration and percentage of sperm motility decreased after 6 days of storage both in the presence and absence of antibiotic, although this decrease was more significant in the absence of antibiotic. After 9 days of storage, the lowest values of sperm motility indices was recorded for antibiotic receiving milt samples while no motile spermatozoa observed for antibiotic-free milt samples. In conclusion, our results demonstrated that 5000 units of penicillin improve the Persian sturgeon milt quality during short-term storage. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE AR-SA /* Style Definitions */
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The ability to download content via the Internet has become second nature to many users over the past several years. The practice however is dangerous and exposes the user who downloaded the content to many forms of attack. The details and history of several popular content security mechanisms currently deployed are described. Although these mechanisms have been designed to protect the user from malicious content, they are far from perfect. This paper outlines the security and deployment issues inherent in these mechanisms and proposes a new mechanism that addresses them.


Computer program calculates fission product inventories and source strengths associated with the operation of U-235 fueled nuclear power reactor. It utilizes a fission-product nuclide library of 254 nuclides, and calculates the time dependent behavior of the fission product nuclides formed by fissioning of U-235.


The gyro theodolite with suspension-belt(GAK1, JT15) is traditionally and commonly used in mine surveying for the orientation. However, with the rapidly development of underground engineering, the traditional instruments can't meet the constructive needs of the long and large tunnels. Allow for its insufficiency in practical application, this paper discussed the key technology, technical characteristics and system advantages of the GAT magnetic suspension gyro station which is self-developed. Finally, combining the application in Chengdu Metro, the paper proves the bright prospects for magnetic suspension gyro station using in underground engineering as well as the promotion of system superiority with the high accuracy, high stability and operation convenience.


How good is your organisation at maximising success by engineering the right kind of changes? David Ollerhead explains why your organisation's change capability is so important, and provides a useful self-assessment questionnaire so you can gauge it yourself.


The experiment was carried out in the lath house at the Horticulture and Landscaping Department/College of Agriculture/University of Diyala, during the season 2015-2016 to study the effect of chelated calcium and iron foliar spray on growth and flowering of snapdragon plant (Antirrhinum majus L.). The experiment included six treatments: T1 = 0 (Spraying with distilled water only), T2 = 1.5 g.l-1 chelated calcium, T3 = 3 g.l-1 chelated calcium, T4 = 1 g.l-1 chelated iron, T5 = 1.5 g.l-1 chelated calcium + 1 g.l-1 chelated iron and T6 = 3 g.l-1 chelated calcium + 1 g.l-1 chelated iron. The experiment was carried out using Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications.  (Each treatment has six replicates (6 pots), one plant in each pot. The results showed that all the foliar spraying treatments with chelated calcium and iron led to a significant increase in all vegetative and floral growth characteristics studied except for inflorescence diameter in comparison with control treatment.


Managing human resources in sustainable way requires a great deal of knowledge and skills and HR Managers and relevant professionals must know environmental, social, and economic aspects of managing people at work so that they can significantly and positively contribute to environmental, social, and economic performance of the organizations. The objective of this book is to provide a systematic and rational understanding of Sustainable HRM based on a model developed by the author, both conceptual understanding and application-oriented understanding to the reader. It delivers a systematic approach to the analysis and handling of major issues in Sustainable HRM. An attempt was made to present complex subject matters by simplifying English language with the intention of enhancing readability and ability of understanding of the reader. Key features of the book include chapter objectives and summary, useful frameworks, instruments developed by the author to measure various Sustainable HRM constructs, real-life and interesting examples, review questions, activities (cases, critical incidents, and skill builders) and glossary.


In this study, MnFe2O4-activated carbon composite was synthesized by co-precipitation method and applied to adsorb methyl red dye. MnFe2O4-activated carbon composite was made with the mass ratio of activated carbon and MnFe2O4 of 1:2. The composite characterization by using X-Ray Diffraction, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Micrograph, and Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy, the surface area using the Brunauer, Emmett and Teller and magnetic properties by using Vibrating Sample Magnetometer. The adsorption parameters include contact time, and adsorbent weight. The spectra of FTIR MnFe2O4-activated carbon composite analysis show the presence of Fe-O and Mn-O which is not present in the spectra of activated carbon. SEM analysis shows that the composite has pores and MnFe2O4 oxides are spread on its surface. The composition of the composite consists of C, O, Fe, and Mn. The composite has a surface area of 143.992 smaller than that of the activated carbon of 217.697 m2/g. However, the composite has magnetic properties with the saturatization magnetization of 17.91 emu/g. The optimum condition of the composite for adsorption of methyl red was obtained at a weight of 0.15 g, and contact time of 100 minutes. The adsorption of the composite was in accordance by pseudo-second-order kinetic and Langmuir isotherms with adsorption capacity of 81.97 mg/g.


In this study,in order to study the status of school football work,explore a new mechanism in it and propose appropriate countermeasures for development and change in football reserve status quo,the authors use literature,expert interviews,questionnaire survey and mathematical statistics to analyze 1,500 young people and families in Liaoning province.The results show that there are five main socialization factors influencing young people's participation in football,i.e.natural condition of parents,how parents recognize football movement,social environment,mass media,and partners.


Recent studies have examined the impact of human resource management (HRM) practices on workplace performance. Most find that the adoption of a coherent system of new HRM practices such as flexible job definitions, cross-training and work teams, along with extensive reliance on incentive pay, results in substantially higher levels of productivity than more traditional HRM practices. Studies have found that there is a correlation between HRM systems and labour productivity. We find that greatest contributor to labour productivity is the employee's wage is congruent with the literature. The literature to date has shown that HRM practices in isolation may increase productivity or may reduce productivity because they have an inefficient side to them. Our study shows that when aggregated, HRM practices reduce productivity in Canada. Somewhat surprisingly, when combined with benefits, they increase productivity substantially. The main message from the aggregate productivity regressions is that: HRM by itself reduces productivity while HRM with BENEFIT increases productivity. Training by itself increases productivity and training with HRM also increases productivity. Wages clearly have the greatest impact on voluntary quits. HRM is not found to be statistically significant in the reduction of voluntary quits.


ter, during the insertion of a catheter into the radial artery, the patient became agitated with involuntary, spasmodic movements of both arms (myoclonic jerks). While unresponsive to verbal commands, he was hemodynamically stable and breathing spontaneously (SaO2 96% with O2 delivered at 3 L/min through a face mask). Interpreted as a paradoxical response to midazolam, intravenous boluses of propofol were given resulting in upper airway obstruction necessitating endotracheal intubation (thiopental 200 mg, rocuronium 40 mg, fentanyl 100 g). Anesthesia was maintained with desflurane and nitrous oxide. The surgery was uneventful. On emergence from anesthesia, the myoclonic jerks were observed again and the trachea remained intubated. In the recovery room, further examination of previous blood tests showed a low magnesium level of 0.52 mmol/L prompting the administration of 2 g magnesium over 15 min. The myoclonic jerks resolved and the trachea was extubated. The neurological examination on the next day was normal. We propose that the unusual occurrence of myoclonic jerks in this patient was a manifestation of metabolic encephalopathy (hypomagnesemia and chronic renal failure) combined with central sensory deafferentation from neuraxial blockade and midazolam.


1. The role of catecholamines in thermogenesis has been investigated in trained young pigs in various situations which increases heat production. Plasma noradrenaline and adrenaline concentrations were estimated by radioenzymic assay of samples taken from an indwelling jugular catheter to prevent disturbance and stress. 2. During 3 hr at ambient temperatures of between 25 and ‐5 degrees C, there was curvilinear increase in noradrenaline concentrations as temperature decreased, but adrenaline did not change. After 1‐3 days at 5 or 1 degrees C, the concentrations of both amines were similar to those found at thermal neutrality. 3. Cooling the cervical region of the spinal cord resulted in a large increase in plasma noradrenaline whereas local cooling of the hypothalamus was associated with a small increase in the hormone. When cooling either region of the central nervous system, plasma adrenaline concentrations did not change. 4. During exposure to 45 degrees C, rectal temperature increased to 43 degrees C. Concentrations of catecholamines remained low or declined until the rectal temperature was above 41.5 degrees C when the concentrations increased in most animals. 5. Induced physical activity lasting 40 min was associated with an increase in both noradrenaline and adrenaline concentrations. 6. Blood samples from the inferior vena cava, just cephalad to the outlet of the adrenal veins, had much higher concentrations of noradrenaline during cold exposure than those taken simultaneously from the jugular vein. Therefore, at least part of the increase in noradrenaline concentrations reported above may have been due to release of the hormone from the adrenal medulla. 7. It is concluded that during short‐term exposure to cold, and in exercise, there is a rapid catecholamine response, producing concentrations in the blood which could be high enough to stimulate thermogenesis. During longer‐term cold exposure, catecholamine output is low and other factors must be of greater importance in maintaining thermogenic processes. Further, catecholamine output may result from thermal stimuli not only from outside the external surface of the animal but also from within the central nervous system.


The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of training variants using Shooting After Dribbling Exercises and Shooting After Passing Exercises on Shooting Accuracy in athletes aged 11-13 years SSB Soccer Pranata in 2021. The population of this study were 30 SSB Soccer students, the technique of taking The sample used purposive sampling as many as 10 people with predetermined criteria. The data collection technique is carrying out tests and measurements of shooting accuracy in the form of pre test and post test, namely Shooting After Dribbling and Shooting After Passing. Measurement of the test is done by shooting the target ball that has been determined 5 times and then the results are added up. The results of this study indicate that (1) Shooting after dribbing and Shooting after passing exercises provide a significant increase in shooting results for players aged 11-13 years at SSB Soccer Pratama 2021. It can be seen from the difference in the average ability of students before training. and after exercise. (2) The pretest score of the players in this study was 5.4 while the score of the posttest of the players was 13.8 with t count = 10.1 and ttable = 2.13 so that it can be said that tcount >ttable. So it can be concluded that this exercise greatly affects the shooting ability of players aged 11-13 years at SSB Soccer Pratama on their shooting abilities.


In this paper, a scheme for online identification of multivariable systems (MIMO) and a linear state feedback control is considered. The identification algorithm takes into account the input/output behavior in order to obtain a linear state spaces model that describes adequately the system in discrete time. This representation is obtained by using an online identification method such as the projection algorithm. An optimal linear quadratic regulator is applied in discrete time, where the obtained state feedback control law minimizes the quadratic cost function to calculate the optimal gain matrix. The proposed methodology for identification and multivariable control is applied an evaluated in a wind turbine with a Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generator (PMSG).


Abstract Denitrification rates under various tillage systems were determined in the corn (Zea mays L.) cycle of a corn‐oats (Avena sativa L.) rotation. Denitrification was measured directly with an in‐situ soil cover method which supplied the soil with acetylene (C2H2) and evacuated the nitrous oxide (N2O) produced. Denitrification rates were measured in both a field or non‐wheel track (NWT) area and in a compacted wheel track (WT) area for the no‐till (NT), chisel plow (CH), moldboard plow (MP) tillage systems after nitrogen (N) was applied by broadcast/incorporation with 112 kg N/ha as ammonium nitrate. Nitrogen was also applied to the NT treatment by injection with modified anhydrous ammonia knives prior to planting. Most of the cumulative N loss occurred over a 22 day period following heavy rainfall in June. Denitrification was greatest on days after rainfall events for the NT systems. Cumulative N loss was estimated at 25, 16, and 11 kg N/ha from May 29‐September 8 for NT, CH, and MP treatments, resp...


A technique is described for displaying on an oscilloscope the inverse doping profile, n0 −1(x), of a semiconductor material. A blocking contact is made to the material to form a diode that is placed in the feedback path of a specially constructed wide-baud integrator. The integrator action forces a rectangular pulse of current, typically 10 microamps in height and 100 microseconds long, into the contact in the reverse direction. The first differential of the voltage developed across the diode is proportional to the depth, x:, and is used to deflect an oscilloscope beam in the 'X' coordinate ; the second differential is proportional to the inverse doping level, and is used to deflect the beam in the 'Y' direction, thus displaying n0 −1(x). Besides evaporated-metal and junction (p+−n) structures, Mercury has been successfully employed as a contact, and has the advantage of being movable. Results for two GaAs wafers are compared with measurements from an automated C(V) plotter, with good agreement. The fact...


ABSTRACT This article looks at the emergence of the networked city and how interactive technologies are becoming a part of the urban landscape. It discusses relationships between rapid technological development in cities, popular imagination, and the mundane, and investigates how these are manifested in, and through, interaction design. I ask how we may reveal and discuss networked technologies while they are constantly rendered invisible through cultural and technological processes. How, too, can we use design to generate alternative perspectives on the networked city? the article develops an argument about how our interactions with the networked city are experienced and shaped through both popular culture and everyday life, and how they might be made visible and questioned through design. The work presented comes out of practice-based design research where academic reflection is joined with design practice as both analytical and generative processes for observation, exploration, and communication. I bring together concepts of the networked city with theories of everyday life to illustrate and problematize relations between interaction design, popular imagination, and technological change. I then present a design project about visualizing the invisible structures of the networked city. Here, the discussion covers a film called Immaterials: Light Painting Wi-Fi, which we produced to explore and communicate wireless networks in cities. This is analyzed as a response to the cultural and technical invisibility of the networked city.


The τ lepton arising from the scalar tau (τ̃ ) decay is naturally polarized. Pτ depends on the left–right mixing of the τ̃ and the gaugino–higgsino mixing of the neutralino. The polarization Pτ could be measured from the energy distribution of the decay products of τ at future e+e− colliders. A measurement of Pτ and of the τ̃ production cross section allows to determine both these mixing angles. E–mail: NOJIRIN@JPNKEKVX


Falls are the leading cause of injuries and death in elderly individuals who live alone at home. The core service of assistive living technology is to monitor elders' activities through wearable devices, ambient sensors, and vision systems. Vision systems are among the best solutions, as their implementation and maintenance costs are the lowest. However, current vision systems are limited in their ability to handle cluttered environments, occlusion, illumination changes throughout the day, and monitoring without illumination. To overcome these issues, this paper proposes a 24/7 monitoring system for elders that uses retroreflective tape fabricated as part of conventional clothing, monitored through low-cost infrared (IR) cameras fixed in the living environment. IR camera records video even when there are changes in illumination or zero luminance. For classification among clutter and occlusion, the tape is considered as a blob instead of a human silhouette; the orientation angle, fitted through ellipse modeling, of the blob in each frame allows classification that detects falls without pretrained data. System performance was tested using subjects in various age groups and "fall" or "non-fall" were detected with 99.01% accuracy.