The restriction of phage λ.C by K(P1) cells is reduced when the cells are subjected to an EDTA cold-wash treatment which has been shown to remove surface-localized enzymes. We conclude that a surface-localized enzyme plays an essential role in host-controlled restriction.


This paper attempts a study of: i) how the hunter myth is used in the temple ritual of kātāla vēsa at Vairamkōde vela; ii) focuses on how the indigeneity of the ritual is affected by modernization. As the study is related to chronological primitivism, qualitative research methods such as direct observation, unstructured interviews, and personal experiences, common in ethnographic researches, are used. Taking the aid of the myths related to the hunter, this paper proves that the vitality and the validity of the kātāla vēsa ritual though untarnished, its indigeneity is stained by modernization where the initial goal of such a ritual is no more realized. The 'hunter' is largely underrated in the many (eco-prefixed) theoretical discourses related to indigeneity on Indian agricultural architecture, and hence, this study makes a genuine attempt to repair this deficiency.


Introduction to business cycles stylized facts of business cycles the validity of mathematical models in economics the lead from Friedman business cycles with misperceptions Tobin, Okun and the rise of real business cycle theory new Keynesian business cycle theory introduction to self sustained cycles the Kaldor model the Benassy model the Goodwin growth cycle model.


This study discusses the Community that was founded in the city of Palembang, which cares about the lives of street children condition, especially in the city of Palembang. Street children who do not get an education either at school or at home. There are 117 children in the city ofPalembang unable to attend school. The data was obtained from the Palembang ministry of social services. Education is an important thing for street children to meet the future, with the education process can help children achieve what they dream ofThe research method used is a qualitative method with a case study approach and data collection techniques obtained through observation, interviews, and documentation obtained through primary data, namely administrators and volunteer who teach as resource person. For the analysis of the data themselves the authors use data reduction, data presentation and data verification.The results obtained through the field, interview with management of the South Sumatera Children Voulenteer the role of the community of South Sumatera children's volunteers in forming the self confidance character education of street children in Palembang has Supporting and inhibiting factors, these supporting factors include: (1) Support from the goverment Palembang city in the from of financial aid and learning. (2) Teachers or educators. (3) Facilities for learning and teaching and learning equipment. The inhibiting factors include: (1) Students. and (2) Schedule.


The method of electrochemical corrosion was used to accelerate the reinforced concrete beams degeneration, and the corrosive degrees of rebars were studied with macro and quantitative methods. The corroded beams were loaded to study the mechanical property and bearing capacity. The test results indicated that the corrosion of reinforcing rebars have influences on the bearing capacity of beams, the severe corrosion of reinforcing rebars have evident influences on the stiffness of the beams, the inhibited effect of reinforcing rebars to the expansion of bending crack decreases with the increment of the corrosion.


Prospective memory (ProM) is the memory for future actions. It requires retrieving content of anaction in response to an ambiguous cue. Currently, it is unclear if ProM is a distinct form of memory, or merely a variant of retrospective memory (RetM). While content retrieval in ProM appears analogous to conventional RetM, less is known about the process of cue detection. Using a modified version of the standard ProM paradigm, three experiments manipulated stimulus characteristics known to influence RetM, in order to examine their effects on ProM performance. Experiment 1 (N — 80) demonstrated that low frequency stimuli elicited significantly higher hit rates and lower false alarm rates than high frequency stimuli, comparable to the mirror effect in RetM. Experiment 2 (N = 80) replicated these results, and showed that repetition of distracters during the test phase significantly increased false alarm rates to second and subsequent presentations of low frequency distracters. Building on these results. Experiment 3 (AT = 40) showed that when the study list was strengthened, the repeated presentation of targets and distracters did not significantly affect response rates. These experiments demonstrate more overlap between ProM and RetM than has previously been acknowledged. The implications for theories of ProM are considered.


AX KIASUNABLE inuication ior paruiai cnoroiuecLomy ior a maiignant meianoma is a doubtful response to irradiation by a radio-active applicator in an only eye or when the other eye is either amblyopic or diseased. After irradiation of some malignant melanomata of the choroid there remains a raised area of pigmented debris and it is tragic to excise such an eye to find on pathological examination that there are no apparently viable tumour cells. In such the operation of partial choroidectomy is an PyriciAnn1 hitnev ondt thiPAy]uith enmiv k;rw i rptnini-A


Abstract 1194 Poster Board I-216 Between January 2001 and June 2009, 120 patients with aplastic anemia underwent HLA identical sibling or family donor transplants using a combination of Fludarabine 150-180 mg/m2 over 5 days and Cyclophosphamide 120 mg/kg over 2 days as the conditioning regimen. Antithymocyte globulin (ATG) 10 mg/kg x 4 days in addition was used in 34 patients. Graft versus host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis consisted of Cyclosporine with low dose Methotrexate. Graft source included peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) in 108 and G-CSF stimulated bone marrow in 12. Seventy patients (58.3%) were considered as high risk (presence of fever/infection at time of HSCT or >20 transfusions prior to HSCT or failed previous immunosuppressive therapy). There were 79 males and 41 females with a median age of 22 years (range: 2 - 51) including 36 children (age 0.5 × 109/L) was 12 days (range: 7-19) while platelet engraftment (Platelet count > 20 × 109/L) occurred at a median of 13 days (range: 0 -30). Acute GVHD occurred in 38 patients (33.3%) with grade III-IV GVHD in 13.1%. Acute GVHD was not significantly lower in patients where ATG was used in conditioning (21.8% with ATG vs 38.2% without ATG; p = 0.129). Nine patients (7.5%) had veno-occlusive disease of the liver while 11 (9.1%) had hemorrhagic cystitis; all responded well to supportive therapy. Bacterial infections were documented in 28% of transplant recipients while fungal infections (both probable and definite) occurred in 23%. CMV reactivation was seen in Conclusion: A combination of fludarabine and cyclophosphamide as conditioning for aplastic anemia is associated with good engraftment, a very low incidence of primary or secondary graft failure and good overall survival. Toxicity is low but acute and chronic GVHD remain significant problems. Sepsis continues to remain the major cause of death in these patients. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Deep convolutional neural networks require a huge amount of data samples to train efficient networks. Although many benchmarks manage to create abundant samples to be used for training, they lack efficiency when trying to train convolutional neural networks up to their full potential. The data augmentation is one of the solutions to this problem, but it does not consider the quality of samples, i.e. whether the augmented samples are actually suitable for training or not. In this paper, we propose a method that will allow us to select effective samples from an augmented sample set. The achievements of our method were 1) to be able to generate a large amount of augmented samples from images with labeled data and multiple background images; and 2) to be able to select effective samples from the additionally augmented ones through iterations of parameter updating during the training process. We utilized exhaustless sample generation and effective sample selection in order to perform recognition and segmentation tasks. It obtained the best performance in both tasks when compared to other methods using, or not, sample generation and/or selection.


A theme throughout the evolution of social work as a profession is one of structural and organizational diversity. The profession continues to engage its effort to forge an integration of several large constituencies of practitioners and educators. The struggle to establish a unified voice for the profession reflects a century long organizational history marked by divergent voices and forces. While the medical profession, the historical professional template for social work's founding members, and the discipline of psychology, maturing social work's historical clinical template, have both managed to create powerful organizational bases via the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Psychological Association (APA), social work is still struggling to find a similar coherent organizational structure that embraces the diversity of interests under the notion of social work as one profession.

This article will provide an historical overview of the professional and educational organizational evolution of social work in the United States. The history chronicled here reflects a constant motif of approach/avoidance as the profession began to emerge in the late 1800s, struggling to assert itself as a definable new profession through the first half of the 20th century, equal to medicine, law, and other emerging occupational categories.

Keywords:

social work organizations;
history of social work;
professional social work


Research on gangs is not a new scholarly endeavor. Yet, for the most part, gang research has focused primarily on male gang members despite the fact that female gang members have played a significant role in the evolutionary process of American gangs. With the resurgence of interest on the study of gangs as a result of the proliferation of gangs since the 1980s, female gang members, who may account for as much as one third of the gang population, continue to be trivialized and denied the level of attention they deserve. Thus far, much of what has been written about female gangs has come from three less-than-objective sources: journalists (who only report sensational stories to get high ratings), social workers (who view gang members as individuals who have personal problems), and male gang members (who tend to minimize female members to maintain their masculine and dominant image). My decision to review Dr. Miller's book was based on three factors: the sources of data collection, her research design, and the degree of care and objectivity she demonstrates in addressing specific concerns. The book itself is divided into nine chapters. In chapter 1, Dr. Miller provides a balanced analysis of the various perspectives on gender and gang research. Drawing from the existing literature, Dr. Miller provides a careful examination of the three major approaches to female gang research, namely gender ratio, victimization, and gendered resistance. From there, she proposes a feminist approach, which would not only explore between-gender similarities and within-gender differences but, more important, differences across gender. In chapter 2, Dr. Miller makes a clear and convincing case for choosing St. Louis (nonelastic) and Columbus (highly elastic) as her study sites. Unlike Los Angeles, which has acquired the reputation of being the "gang capital of the world," St. Louis and Columbus have a rather recent history in their experiences with gangs. However, certain similarities and differences in socioeconomic conditions shared by these cities make them the "optimal choices" for the present study, which is to provide a "detailed portrait of young women's gang involvement 1/4 in larger contexts of their lives" and "to expand the ways we think, not just about girls and gangs, but also about the nature of gender and crime" (p. 22). Using a multiple methodologies and comparative study design, Dr. Miller devoted 2 years (1995-1997) to conducting in-depth interviews with 48 female gang members (21 in St. Louis, 27 in Columbus) of whom 39 (81%) were African American, 5 (10%) were White, and 4 (8%) were biracial or multiracial. These participants claim membership in nine identified gangs. To secure maximum cooperation, each "gang girl" was offered a small cash incentive (between $10 and


The voltage-gated Ca 2+ channel β subunit (Ca v β ) is a cytosolic auxiliary subunit that plays an essential role in regulating the surface expression and gating properties of high-voltage activated (HVA) Ca 2+ channels. It is also crucial for the modulation of HVA Ca 2+ channels by G proteins, kinases, Ras-related RGK GTPases, and other proteins. There are indications that Ca v β may carry out Ca 2+ channel-independent functions. Ca v β knockouts are either non-viable or result in a severe pathophysiology, and mutations in Ca v β have been implicated in disease. In this article, we review the structure and various biological functions of Ca v β , as well as recent advances. channel surface expression. The results suggest that the I-II linker of Ca v 1.2 has an ER export signal composed of 9 acidic residues downstream of the AID. All other intracellular


Objective To study the effect of propofol in treatment of local anesthetic toxicity induced by sacral block.Methods We retrospectively analyzed 22 cases(P)who had experienced local anesthetic toxicity induced by sacral block and received a treatment of propofol in our department from January 2002 to November 2010.Other 18 patients(D)who received diazepam therapy from September 1997 to May 2002 were taken as the control.Those data of HR,SpO2 and MAP which were measured immediately prior to,3,5,10 and 20 min after drug administration were analyzed.Results The symptoms of local anesthetic toxicity induced by sacral block were treated effectively in both groups.However,the time of toxic symptoms withdrawl (15±6)s and awakening(6±4)min were significantly shorter in group P(P<0.01).Conclusions Local anesthetic toxicity induced by sacral block can be effectively treated,and toxic symptom quickly can be corrected by intravenous injection of propofol.Thus,it may become a promising treatment.

Key words:
Propofol; Sacral block; Toxic reaction; Local anesthetic


【Task】 It is also intended to provide liquidity porous concrete that can be used to build the structures of various shapes having a permeability in the soil below the water table by using a borehole or the like. A Shape by unified contact form of aggregates of adjacent by the direction of the aggregate is eliminated by using the aggregate was spherical, as well as to allow pumping piped by adding the fluidity, the bone after having the timber coated with poorly soluble binder which is insoluble in water, by the contact portion of the aggregate is consolidated, so that it can form a structure of various shapes having a water permeability in the soil to the groundwater is present flowable porous concrete, characterized in that the. .FIELD 1


This project aims to propose a quick and automatic high-definition video painting technique that operates under several difficult conditions, such as a moving camera, a complex backdrop or a long occlusion. Our algorithm does not restrict the type of removal of objects, but extends to simultaneous context and foreground reconstruction, even if for a long time the moving objects are occluded. A new deep network architecture for quick painting with video. Our framework is designed to collect and refine information from neighbouring frames and synthesise still unknown regions, based on an image-based encoder-decoder model. At the same time, a recurring feedback and a temporal memory module force the output to be temporally consistent. Our system generates videos that are much more semantically accurate and temporally fluid compared to the state-of-the-art image painting algorithm. In comparison to the previous method of video completion, which relies on time-consuming optimization, our technique works almost in real time while delivering competitive video results.


In this article, we adopted the genre of response letter, answering an editorial letter proposing to reject our submission. The rejection letter itself is fictionalized, but collated from various real reviews our texts have received throughout our academic career. Our aim is to both highlight the mechanisms pushing academic writing toward conformity, dullness, and irrelevance and to point toward the possibilities of Writing Differently: of crafting academic texts aligned with feminist sensibilities, conveying meaning as well as feeling, embedded in context, and open to difference. We discuss some texts by authors who have managed to break free from the constraints of the dominant style and published beautiful, meaningful texts, which challenge the orthodoxy of academic journal articles. We argue that the form of writing matters; that the question of style is, at its heart, the question of epistemology, what can be known, how it can be known, and how can such knowledge be shared. In addition, it also concerns the knowing subject and is thus a deeply feminist issue. We end our text by inviting the readers to join the growing ranks of academics crossing the boundaries of traditional journal articles, and to explore how Writing Differently enables new insights to be discovered and communicated.


A multilevel coded modulation scheme is studied that uses solely binary polar codes and Honda-Yamamoto probabilistic shaping. The scheme is shown to achieve the capacity of discrete memoryless channels with input alphabets of cardinality a power of two. The performance of finite-length implementations is compared to polar-coded probabilistic amplitude shaping and constant composition distribution matching.


Nitrogen (N) is a growth-limiting nutrient in many terrestrial ecosystems and together with phosphorus, the most important factor limiting algal growth in natural waters. !t may contribute to eutrophication processes, mainly in N-limited water bodies like coastal areas. Atmospheric deposition o f N and other anthropogenic sources may lead to a situation where the availability o f inorganic N i s f ar in excess o f the total amount required by plant and micro-organisms, and thus determining a persistent loss of nitrate (NN03) and ammonium (N-NH4) to surface water (ABER et al. 1989). Hydrological and chemical data, together with catchment characteristics. were used to evaluate the relative contribution o f atmospheric deposition to the N budget ofLake Maggiore, a deep subalpine lake in North Western ltaly. This area is affected by high deposition o f N compounds (abou t 150 mcq m 2 y1 as wet deposition of inorganic N). resulting in N saturation o f soi l and rising nitrate levels in surface waters (ROGORA et al. 200 l). The contribution o f atmospheric deposition to the total N input to the lake has been estimated in previous work (MoSELLO et al. 2001). Here we presenta refinement ofthese calculations, including the contribution of dry deposition and organic N, based on recent data on population and land cover in the study area. We focused on a 3yr period (2000-2002) to determine the effect o f interannual variability in precipitation amount and hydrology on the N budget.


Aim: This study was designed to determine the practice habits of physicians in reporting and treating sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), which infect an estimated 15 million people each year in the United States. We hypothesize a variance in how STDs are treated among different medical specialties and the rate of adherence to CDC guidelines. Methods: Prospective study querying 125 physicians regarding STD treatment habits. Seven-question surveys were distributed among urology, ob/gyn, and emergency medicine attending and resident physicians. Results: Of the questionnaires circulated, 76 (61%) were completed. Resident physician response (87%) was higher than attending physician response (13%). 100% of EM and 85% of urology doctors administer empiric STD medications based on history and physical exam findings alone, while most obstetrician/gynecologists (62%) wait for positive cultures prior to treatment. Most physicians do not treat partners of the index patient (ob/gyn 69%, Urology 55%, EM 73%). Reasons for not treating partners were varied and included: follow up, allergies, concerns of medicolegal recourse, time, and loss of revenue and office resources. Finally, while most physicians were concerned about follow-up care, there was no consistency in follow up plans. Conclusion: Our study showed physicians vary greatly in treating and managing STDs. Despite published guidelines by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) specifying an appropriate treatment course for the index patient and their partner, the majority of physicians do not follow these CDC guidelines. This may be creating a quality of care problem for millions of American patients affected by STDs annually.


The paper presents the results concerning vertical and lateral variability of coking coal quality in the Zofiówka Monocline (SW part of USCB). In this area, the Zofiówka and Pniówek coal mines are located. They are of primary importance for the resources of coking coals in Poland. The results were obtained within a framework of the project entitled "Smart coke plant fulfilling requirements of best available techniques", financed by EU means. The procedure for the recognition of geological-mining conditions of coking coals occurrence, technical possibilities of coal mines and logistics of coal extraction were combined. Fulfillment of requirements for mining and ore geology makes possible to do a digital database on coking coal quality. Implementation of the project allows for a more efficient management of resources, and coke producers have possibilities of coal mines to deliver coal of desirable quality. The deposit of the Zofiówka Monocline is characterized by a wide variability of coal quality and rank and specific petrographic composition (increase of inertinite macerals content and presence of fluorescence bituminous substance). The paper shows the range and directions of changes of coal quality parameters in the deposit.


We study D-branes of N=2 supersymmetric sigma models. Supersymmetric nonlinear sigma models with 2-dimensional target space have p-dimensional branes (p=0,1,2), which are realized as A- or B-type supersymmetric boundary conditions on the world sheet. When we embed the models in the string theory, the Kaehler potential is restricted and leads to a 2-dimensional black hole metric with a dilaton background. The D-branes in this model are supersymmetric cycles and our analysis is consistent with that of conjugacy classes. The generalized metrics with U(n) isometry are proposed and dynamics on them are realized by linear sigma models. We investigate D-branes of the linear sigma models and compare the results with those in the nonlinear sigma models.


The Grid Friendly™ Appliance (GFA) controller was proposed to autonomously switch off appliances by detecting under-frequency events. In this paper, a new frequency responsive load (FRL) controller is proposed by extending the functionality of the existing GFA controller. The proposed FRL controller can autonomously switch on (or off) end-use loads by detecting over-frequency (or under-frequency) events through local frequency measurement. Using the proposed FRL controller, a hierarchical decentralized control strategy is also developed for engaging the end-use loads to provide primary frequency response. The developed control strategy consists of two decision making layers including supervisory and device layers, and has several desirable features for primary frequency control. The FRL controller at the device layer preserves the autonomous operation of the enduse loads. The coordinator at the supervisory layer coordinates autonomous response to overcome the stability issue associated with high penetration of FRLs. The simulation results illustrate the effectiveness of the developed hierarchical decentralized control strategy in providing primary frequency response with the proposed FRL controller.


DOI: 10.4103/1319-3767.103433 A 50-year-old woman presented for colonoscopy for investigation of diarrhea over the last 2 months with repeated observation of stool eggs. The patient reported no travel abroad, no close animal contact, consumption of raw food or untreated water, weight loss, fever, or perianal itching. Her past medical history was notable of generalized anxiety disorder with comorbid depression and irritable bowel syndrome and was currently treated with venlafaxine 150 mg once daily. Three separate stool tests for ova and parasites had been negative, blood exams showed no leukocytosis or eosinophilia and biochemical profile was also normal. The patient had been previously empirically prescribed albendazole, niclosamide, and praziquantel consecutively without clear up effect. Upon referral to our department, despite her good physical condition, she was obviously emotionally stressed and especially worried about her medical problem. Lower endoscopy revealed a normal colonic mucosa with intraluminal presence of numerous eggs of about 1 mm diameter [Figure 1].


In this paper, we propose two novel non-stationary first-order primal-dual algorithms to solve nonsmooth composite convex optimization problems. Unlike existing primal-dual schemes where the parameters are often fixed, our methods use pre-defined and dynamic sequences for parameters. We prove that our first algorithm can achieve $\mathcal{O}(1/k)$ convergence rate on the primal-dual gap, and primal and dual objective residuals, where $k$ is the iteration counter. Our rate is on the non-ergodic (last-iterate) sequence of the primal problem and on the ergodic (averaging) sequence of the dual problem, which we call semi-ergodic rate. By modifying the step-size update rule, we can obtain a faster $o(1/k)$ best-iterate convergence rate on the primal objective residual. When the problem is strongly convex, we develop a second primal-dual algorithm that exhibits $\mathcal{O}(1/k^2)$ convergence rate on the same three types of guarantees. Again by modifying the step-size update rule, we can obtain a faster $o(1/k^2)$ best-iterate convergence rate on the primal objective residual. Our primal-dual algorithms are the first ones to achieve such fast convergence rate guarantees under mild assumptions compared to existing works, to the best of our knowledge. As by-products, we apply our algorithms to constrained convex problems and prove the same convergence rate guarantees. Surprisingly, we still obtain $\mathcal{O}(1/k^2)$ and $o(1/k^2)$ rates even when the problem is semi-strongly convex. We verify our theoretical results via two well-known numerical examples.


Conservation![Figure][1]

Hunting is the leading cause of death for brown bears older than 3 years in Sweden.

PHOTO: ONDREJ PROSICKY/[SHUTTERSTOCK.COM][2]

In many parts of the world, regulated hunting is used to control the size of predator populations such as wolves and brown bears. Bischof


Freeway congestion problem can be addressed employing many different measures. Ramp metering is the most widely used control measure, and is an efficient way to control and upgrade freeway traffic by regulating the number of vehicles entering the freeway. This paper proposes an iterative learning approach for the freeway density control under ramp metering in a macroscopic level traffic environment. A discretized first-order macroscopic traffic flow model is firstly established. Then traffic density is chosen as the control variable. In conjunction with nonlinear feedback method and proportional-integral control, an iterative learning based density controller is designed. Finally, the controller is simulated in MATLAB software. The results show that this method can effectively reduce the oscillator of traffic density, and can achieve a desired traffic density along the freeway mainline. The main advantage of the learning-based density control is its ability to reject exogenous traffic perturbations. This approach is quite effective to freeway ramp metering.


Complementary Split Rectangular Resonators based Metamaterial sensor is designed and simulated on HFSS for the non-destructive evaluation of dielectric substrates. S-parameters measurements are made to extract the complex permittivity and permeability of the structures. Proposed metamaterial sensor operating in the S-band are fabricated and tested for verification. Comparative analysis is also performed among four structures namely Rectangular, Circular, Square and Triangular. Proposed sensor is a two port structure. Top side of all the sensors are microstrip line while aforementioned structures are etched in the bottom of the substrate. After the analysis, rectangular structure is found better in respect of resonant frequency and sharp notch depth which is −19.6 dB at 3.78 GHz. Rectangular structure based microwave sensor is then fabricated. Electromagnetic properties of effective permittivity (ε) and permeability (µ) of the proposed sensor is calculated numerically. Proposed sensor is fabricated by using low cost FR4 material. The dimensions of FR4 substrate are (w = 24, l = 30, h = 0.8) Dimensions of the proposed rectangular structure is w = 4, l = 6 and h = 0.035. Transmission coefficient magnitude (S21) is measured by using Vector Network Analyzer (E8363B). The response of the rectangular sensor is like a narrow band rejects filter. This methodology is very simple and needs only to calculate the resonant frequency which reduces not only the cost but also computation time. Ease in fabrication, and integration with other microwave devices are the main benefits of complementary metamaterial microwave sensors. Proposed sensor can be applicable in the fields of bio-sensing, security and designing of 2D sensor array for surface imaging.


Creating synthetic voices with found data is challenging, as real-world recordings often contain various types of audio degradation. One way to address this problem is to pre-enhance the speech with an enhancement model and then use the enhanced data for text-to-speech (TTS) model training. This paper investigates the use of conditional diffusion models for generalized speech enhancement, which aims at addressing multiple types of audio degradation simultaneously. The enhancement is performed on the log Mel-spectrogram domain to align with the TTS training objective. Text information is introduced as an additional condition to improve the model robustness. Experiments on real-world recordings demonstrate that the synthetic voice built on data enhanced by the proposed model produces higher-quality synthetic speech, compared to those trained on data enhanced by strong baselines. Code and pre-trained parameters of the proposed enhancement model are available at \url{https://github.com/dmse4tts/DMSE4TTS}


Abstract Evaluations of GCM cloudiness typically compare climatological output with observations, but averaging over time can obscure the presence of compensating errors. A more informative and stringent evaluation can be obtained by averaging cloud properties according to meteorological process (i.e., compositing). The present study illustrates this by comparing simulated and observed cloudiness composited on 500-mb pressure vertical velocity over the summertime midlatitude North Pacific. Observed cloud properties are daily ERBE cloud radiative forcing, daily NVAP liquid water path, and 3-hourly ISCCP cloud optical thickness and cloud-top pressure. ECMWF and NCEP–NCAR reanalyses provide vertical velocity. The GCM evaluated is the NCAR CCM3 with Rasch and Kristjansson (1998) predicted cloud condensate. Results show that CCM3 overproduces cloud optical thickness, cloud-top height, and cloud radiative forcing under conditions of synoptic ascent and underproduces cloud cover, cloud-top height, and cloud radi...


The invention discloses a laboratory sample management method based on a handheld wireless data collector. The laboratory sample management method comprises the following steps: A, collecting sample information through the handheld wireless data collector and carrying out two-way communication through an access point and a server of a wireless network; B, carrying out field work management to laboratory samples according to two-way communication results of the handheld wireless data collector and the server, therefore, accomplishing sample signing, sample detecting, returning of reminder of samples after inspection, storage of reminder of samples after inspection and handling to the reminder of samples after inspection in real time. According to the laboratory sample management method provided by the invention, the wireless data acquisition technology is applied to operations such as sample signing, sample detecting, sample returning management, sample storage, sample handling and the like, and the work efficiency is improved; a traditional workflow is optimized, field work management to the samples can be performed, and the problem of inconsistency between system information data and object data can be avoided; human errors during a working process are reduced. The laboratory sample management method provided by the invention can be widely applied to the field of software.


dents of Chinese foreign policy and contemporary Chinese studies and related fields. Not only does Phua provide the history of how China has come to create its own political thought through examples such as tianxia (天下, literally 'all under heaven'), but he also includes examples of how this can be interpreted and used in current international affairs. The chapters of this book are well organized, beginning with examples first, followed by explanations that are useful for practical theorists and policymakers. Phua then brings in his perspectives of understanding China on a cultural level. The author is to be commended for offering a possible positive solution for arguably the world's greatest threat in present international relations. More importantly, Phua does this in a manner that is comprehensible and accessible to Western political and international scholars. The main aim of Phua's book is to understand the importance of culture in world international relations and the need to see 'China as China'.


Objective To study the effect of motor imagery on balance rehabilitation in hemiplegics after stroke.Methods 20 hemiplegic patients who were in chronic stage(above 6 months)were randomly divided into two groups.Normal rehabilitation was performed in the whole stage and motor imagery was added in group A in stage Ⅰ and group B in stage Ⅱ.All patients were assessed with Berg Balance Scale(BBS),blance subscale of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment(FM-B),max affected limb-loading per weight and Functional Independence Measure(FIM)at the beginning and the ending of the every stage,respectively.Results The deference scores of BBS and FIM,as well as max affected limb-loading per weight between in the stage with motor imagery was better than those in the stage without motor imagery(P0.01),as well as that of FM-B score(P0.05).Conclusion Motor imagery can improve balance rehabilitation and activity of daily living in chronic hemiplegics.


TOPIC
A critical analysis of the myth of the wicked stepmother, its origins and social purposes, as well as factors that influence the myth and contribute to its maintenance.

PURPOSE
To explore the myth of the wicked stepmother as represented in literature for professionals, parents, and children regarding the dynamics of relationships between children and stop-parents.

SOURCES
Published literature and clinical observations.

CONCLUSIONS
A cyclical process can be identified by reviewing the influence of myth on relationships between stepchildren and stepmothers as well as the influence of stepfamily relationships on the maintenance of myth. Solutions for stepfamily relationships require broader possibilities than the dichotomous answers provided by myth. Answers to many of the questions raised concerning the complexities of stepfamily life require an increased focus on clinical research.


The enhancement of the capabilities of independent innovation of middle and small-sized enterprises in Nantong can be realized from the following aspects.Firstly,the regulating function of government should be improved,so as to provide a harmonious environment for the innovation.Secondly,talents of creative spirits should be fostered.Thirdly,open and creative enterprise cultures should be established.Fourthly,the percentage of technology in foreign investment should be improved.Lastly,technology should be allocated scientifically.


In the recent past, Online Marketing applications have been a focus of research. But still there are enormous challenges on the accuracy and authenticity of the content posted through social media. And if the social media business platforms are considered, majority of the users who try to add a market value to their own product face the problem of not getting enough attention from their target audience. The purpose of this research is to develop a safe and efficient trending hashtag generating application solution for social media business users which generates trending and relevant hashtags for user content in order to get a broad reach of target audience, automatically generates a meaningful caption to their relevant posts and guarantees the authenticity of the product at the same time. The user content is analyzed and filters the important keywords, generates a meaningful caption, suggest related trending keywords and generates trending hashtags to get the required reach for online marketers. Additionally, the marketing products' content authentication is ensured. The application uses Natural Language Processing, Machine Learning, API technologies, Java and Python technologies. A unique database is assigned to users which contains rankings for each user. The target audience who engages in buying products get to know about the status of the sellers with respect to authenticity of the content. It is believed that the application provides a promising solution to existing audience reach problems of online marketers and buyers. The significance of this system is to help marketers and buyers to engage in online buying and selling with much effective, reliable and safer ways. This mitigate the vulnerability of bad social media marketing influences and helps to establish a safe and reliable online marketing practice to make both sellers and buyers happy. This paper provides a brief description on how to perform an organized online marketing discipline via the Trending Hashtag Generator & Image Authenticator application.


Conventional wisdom has it that teacher unions are singularly concerned with enhancing the compensation packages of those whom they represent. Issues central to educational quality, from better teacher preparation to more rigorous professional evaluation, play second fiddle to the primary union focus on wages and benefits, according to conventional wisdom. However, the notion that teacher unions are interested only in improving salary levels belies an emerging truth in some school district-union partnerships. In the locales that are the subject of this article, union and management are creating a new text about labor-management relations. Minneapolis's Achievement of Tenure process, Denver's Professional Compensation system, and Montgomery County, Maryland's Professional Growth System reflect very different kinds of labor-management agreements than are the usual subject of discourse and critique. In these places, labor-management agreements form the foundation of programs designed to improve the quality of teaching and levels of student learning.


Infertility is a global crisis affecting 15% of global population. Rapidly declining sperm counts below critical levels demands immediate attention to make fertility treatment widely available; accessible and affordable; the triple aim in healthcare. Though fertility treatments have advanced in recent years manifold, unfortunately many are still away from accessing the available treatment due to various behavioural influences and biases. Infertility not only affects physical health, but also impacts mental, social and emotional health of individuals and society. Unawareness, guilt, shame and coping issues are some of the strong biases/influences that effect healthcare seeking action. Beneficial effects of behavioural economics (should vs would) has been well studied and applied in health policy and treatment interventions, especially in chronic diseases. A systematic understanding of behavioural stages patients go through during fertility treatment journey; from seeking treatment, adjusting to the multiple cycles of anticipation to welcoming a baby can greatly help individuals access available treatment sooner, in the appropriate way and accept the journey for better outcome with less burden. Providers too will be better equipped to help patients in an informed empathetic counselling once they understand the psycho-behavioural transitions of the patients throughout the journey. Fertility policies, patient education can be designed based on behavioural models that can make fertility treatment accessible at community level.


During the industrial test of dense phase pulverized coal transport on No11 BF at Anshan I .S Co.,coal feeder was replaced with small-sized fluidizing device,The fluidized pulverized coal/ conveying gas mass ratio of 50-90kg/kg and the accuracy of adjusting coal flow rate of +5% have been achieved by means of adjusting coal flow with additional gas.


Abstract Differences in endo-β-1,4-xylanase functionality result from the different ability of the enzymes to convert water-unextractable arabinoxylan (WU-AX) into solubilised AX (S-AX) and to degrade water-extractable arabinoxylan (WE-AX) and S-AX to lower molecular weight. These respective endoxylanase activities and their relative proportions were determined for two endoxylanases from Bacillus subtilis and Aspergillus aculeatus, according to a generally applicable procedure. Isolated wheat WE-AX and WU-AX containing wheat squeegee starch were prepared and incubated with different levels of endoxylanases. The supernatants were analysed for reducing xylose (RX) formed and WU-AX solubilised. Molecular weights of the products formed were assessed. Relative activities differed widely for the two endoxylanases. Based on the results and additional enzyme-substrate binding experiments, mechanisms possibly accounting for these differences are discussed.


This paper aims at the solution to problems of large amounts of data storage, low efficiency calculate and poor user experience which actually exists in GIS application on mobile devices. In order to solve these issues we use GIS technologies including spatial data organization, map browser, and spatial index. We focused on the research of how to effectively utilize system resources and rational and efficient out organize the spatial data. What's more, we improved the R-tree indexing algorithm to establish a rapid spatial index structure and used hierarchical classification techniques to optimize the efficiency of the real-time visualization of spatial data for mobile devices.


It is well known that so-called "pear-shaped cell" or "rodlet cell" is found to occur in the epithelium of the digestive tract of fishes. In the black rockfish, Sebastes inermis CUVIER, pear-shaped cells are frequently found among the columnar epithelial cells and goblet cells forming the lining epithelium of pyloric caeca (Figs. 1 and 2). Electron microscopy revealed that the cell is enclosed by a thick fibrous capsular wall (Fig. 3). Mitochondria are clustered in the apical cytoplasm. The nucleus is located at the basal end. A moderate amount of endoplasmic reticulum is scattered in the remainder of the cytoplasm as well as vesicles, vacuoles, and ribosomes. The rodlets lying parallel to the long axis of the cell are composed of three principal layers; dense central axis, moderately dense medullary part, and thin cortical layer (Fig. 3). Judging from the evidence of fine structure, it is conceivable that the pear-shaped cell is protozoan parasite, not a tissue cell. However, the taxonomic status of this peculiar parasite is uncertain.


Abstract The household living arrangements of older persons – whether living alone, with a spouse or partner, with their children or in multi-generational households – can be an important factor associated with their health, economic status and overall well-being. Understanding the patterns and trends in older persons' living arrangements is thus relevant for global efforts to achieve the sustainable development goals, in particular those targeting poverty, hunger and health. The United Nations Database on the Households and Living Arrangements of Older Persons 2018 presents evidence drawn from 672 unique data sources, including census and survey microdata samples archived at IPUMS-International and household rosters from Demographic and Health Surveys, among other sources. The resulting dataset describes older persons' households across 147 countries or areas, representing approximately 97 per cent of persons aged 60 or over globally.


The results of field research of the Kondurcha and Baytugan rivers (the Lower Volga basin) during water shortage of summer 2010 are presented. The rivers are significantly different in size, anthropogenic pressure over the drainage area and forest cover. Different trends of water discharge and turbidity, suspended and bed sediments and their grain-size distribution along the rivers were revealed. The specific discharge at the Baytugan River mouth was 1,5 times higher than in the Kondurcha River mouth, due to azonal features of the Baytugan River basin (small area, karst processes, important role of springs, higher forest cover – 55%, low anthropogenic pressure). During the studied period the contribution of springs located in river valleys to the water flow amounted to 5% for the Kondurcha River and 18% for the Baytugan River. Hydrological conditions of 2010 water scarcity resulted from a combination of long-term heat and very dry summer. The air temperature exceeded the average rate by 5,2 °C, or 28%, precipitation deficit between April and September varied from 33 to 95%. As a result, the average water discharge decreased to 4,48 m3/s (37% less than the long-term average values), corresponding to 86% exceedance probability, thus the year could be classified as very low water one. Extreme weather phenomena affected the intra-annual distribution of water runoff in 2010; its summer-autumn part for the Kondurcha River decreased almost twice (from 28 to 16% compared to the long-term average). In the absence of rainfall, affecting the slope erosion in the river basin, the content of suspended solids depended solely on hydrological transport capacity, which naturally increased downstream with the increase in water flow. Suspended sediment concentration (SSC) increased 5 times along the Baytugan River because of the erosion of riverbed sediments with increasing water discharge. On the contrary, SSC decreased by 1.6 times along the Kondurcha River, due to regulation of river tributaries by small reservoirs and ponds, which hindered the movement of sediment along fluvial systems and reduced water content of the main river in the dry season. Suspended sediment discharge in the Kondurcha River amounted to 3% of the average annual values at 2010 water shortage.


The aim of this study is synthesis of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) and evaluation for extraction of catechin. Catechin is a bioactive compound which is found abundantly in green tea. In this paper, MIPs was synthesized by precipitation polymerization technique for catechin, acrylic acid and trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate as a template, functional monomer and cross-linker in a molecular ratio of (1:12:12), respectively. Surface morphology in the MIPs by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) demonstrated spheres with nanometric scale. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) of the polymers showed that catechin molecule was captured in the network copolymers. Porosity of the polymers were analyzed using Brouneur Emmet Teller (BET) technique. Based on BET analysis, specific surface area of the MIPs was 45.5 m.g while it was 42.2 m.g for non-imprinted polymers (NIPs). It means that the imprinting process was carried out successfully. Adsorption properties of the polymers were characterized too. The best binding capacity of the MIPs was reported equal to 440 mg. g in 750 ppm of the feed concentration whereas it was 84mg.g for quercetin (similar structure of catechin). It confirms that the MIPs technology can be introduced as a good candidate for separation process with a satisfactory result in selectivity. The binding capacity of the MIPs was evaluated for natural extract of green tea using a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) device which similar results were obtained. According to above mentioned results, separation and pre-concentration of the bioactive compounds from the extract of medicinal plants can be suggested via MIPs technique. doi: 10.5829/ije.2022.35.05.14


Feedback is an important tool in the distance learning process, it helps students to be more critical and analytic. The goal of this study was to measure the effect that feedback has on performance and motivation. We evaluated four tasks in which students had feedback and applied a survey that measured students' satisfaction with feedback. A significant improvement was found only between the third and the fourth tasks, suggesting that students wait until the end to apply what they learned; other problems include: that feedback was not always positive, unclear instructions about bibliographical references and insufficient time. We recommend strategies that can improve feedback, such as verbal instead of written feedback, co-evaluation and making students reflect, instead of giving them the correct answer.


A communication program for families with a hearing-impaired child (FWHIC) was developed and used with four families. A matched comparison group participated in loosely structured discussions. The program activities integrated positive communicative dimensions with issues related to this population. Findings indicate that the FWHIC program did have beneficial effects for parents and/or children. Some major findings include improved awareness skills, the ability to label feelings and skills, increased perceptions of family cohesiveness, and decreased perceptions of family conflict. The compared families participating in loosely structured discussions actually perceived some deterioration in their perceptions of family environment and a decrease in their awareness and social interaction skills. A follow-up analysis, 3 to 4 weeks following the program, indicated several long-term effects, although the majority of children and families perceived no changes.


Abstract
Purpose: Gentamicin is an antibiotic, used to treat infections caused by microorganisms. Endogenous antioxidants are strengthened by using antioxidant protectors against the toxic effects caused by drugs. Rosmarinic acid has antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, antiapoptotic, and antitumoral effects. In our study, we aimed to investigate the protective effect, immunohistochemical changes, oxidative markers, histopathological changes and inflammation related Ifi44 expression of rosmarinic acid against gentamicin induced nephrotoxicity in rats.
Materials and methods: In our study, 32 rats randomly divided into four groups. These groups are consisted of control group, gentamicin group received gentamicin 100 mg/kg/day, gentamicin + rosmarinic group acid received gentamicin 100 mg/kg/day and rosmarinic acid 50 mg/kg/day, and rosmarinic acid group received rosmarinic acid 50 mg/kg/day. At the end of the study, histopathological, immunohistochemical, and biochemical changes in kidney tissues evaluated.
Results: Rosmarinic acid reduced creatine, urea, blood urea nitrogen, and total oxidative stress in blood serum. The toxic effect of gentamicin caused severe histopathological changes in the kidneys. A slight decrease in histopathological changes observed in the gentamicin + rosmarinic acid group. Antiproliferative Ifi44 expression was higher in the gentamicin group and gentamicin + rosmarinic acid group.
Conclusion: As a result of the application of rosmarinic acid, a decrease in oxygen radicals and an increase in antioxidant levels observed. When used in combination with gentamicin and rosmarinic acid, the protective effect of rosmarinic acid was partially observed, but it could not provide full protection.


Room temperature ionic liquids (RTIL) are salts with melting point close or below room temperature. They form liquids in which ions are present. This fact produces interesting solvent properties. RTIL are able to dissolvesome apolar molecules as well as some very polar ones. They start to find original use in chemical analysis. Since some RTIL are not soluble in water, they can find uses in water/RTIL extractions. The distribution coefficients of a variety of solutes in the biphasic liquid system 1-butyl-3-methyl imidazolium hexafluorophosphate/water is presented and discussed. RTIL were also used as electrolytes in capillary electrophoresis. Their low volatility makes them useful as solvent working in high vacuum (MALDI matrixes) or high temperature (GC stationary phases). Examples of such uses are given.


The effect of worker's compensation claims following the surgical management of symptomatic heterotopic ossification (HO) about the elbow has not previously been evaluated. The purpose of this study is to report on a consecutive series of patients with HO about the elbow, and to compare the results of surgical treatment and a standardized postoperative rehabilitation regimen, with regards to the presence of a worker's compensation claim. A retrospective review of all patients treated operatively for HO of the elbow at a single institution was performed. Forty-six elbows with HO treated surgically were identified. Seventeen of the 46 elbows (37%) had workers' compensation claims at the time of surgery. Other than gender (p=0.007), there was no statistical difference in patient demographics or medical history. There was no statistical difference in postoperative flexion-extension arc between the two groups (p>0.05). There was a 17% (8/46) postoperative complication rate, however there was no difference in frequency of complications between groups (Worker's Comp: 18% vs. Non-Worker's Comp: 17%; p=0.97). Surgical management combined with postoperative HO prophylaxis and a regimented rehabilitation program is an effective treatment for patients with heterotopic ossification of the elbow and workers compensation claims did not adversely affect the postoperative range of motion arc or complications. Figure 1: X-rays of the right elbow of a patient with posteromedial heterotopic ossification. A) Anterior-Posterior View B) Lateral View C) Oblique view. The black arrows indicate the mature ectopic bone. Citation: Salazar D, Hill B, Israel D, Aghdasi B, Andrew Golz BS, et al. Elbow Heterotopic Ossification Excision in Patients with Worker's Compensation Claims. J Orthopedics Rheumatol. 2018; 5(1): 6. J Orthopedics Rheumatol 5(1): 6 (2018) Page 02 ISSN: 2334-2846 was performed to establish the relationship between the ectopic bone and the neurovascular structures and for further preoperative planning (Figure 2). Patient demographic data, including age, type of medical insurance, gender, mechanism of injury, history of tobacco usage, and pre-existing medical conditions, were recorded and used for comparisons. Patients with a worker's compensation claim were compared to those patients without a claim. These patients included in this study have previously been reviewed but not specifically evaluated for the effects of workers compensation claims in a previously published study [20].


An issue of Dignity USA addressing gay and lesbian Catholics seeking to gain respect in their church community and in American culture.


Conventional direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation algorithms are sensitive to array imperfections and outliers, making it challenging to realize accurate estimates in real applications. Facing the challenge, we propose a robust variational Bayesian inference based DOA estimation algorithm using the linear sparse array in this paper, where accurate DOA estimation with increased number of degrees of freedom (DOFs) is realized. With the mixture of von Mises model, a prior-grid scheme is further proposed to alleviate the computational burden introduced by the Bayesian variational inference framework. Since there is no restriction on the prior knowledge of the number of sources, the proposed algorithm is friendly to actual scenarios. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.


Using a semicylindrical spouted bed to obtain experimental data of cylindrical vessels is an old technique and it has already been widely studied by experimental procedures. In the mathematical mod...


Two years ago I entered the race for ACM President with my campaign statement. In the second-to-last President's Letter of my term, I thought I would revisit what I said we would do and reflect on what we did.


In this paper are presented multifractal analyses of D-scan patterns constructed from TOFD ultrasonic signals obtained in specimens with three welding defects: lack of fusion, incomplete penetration and porosity. The analyses of the patterns were performed by means of Hurst and detrended-fluctuation (DFA) analyses. The curves obtained from these analyses, were processed by using two pattern classification techniques, namely, principal-component analysis and Karhunen-Loève expansion. For an appropriate combination of the analyses at different multifractal orders by using principal-component analysis a 100% success rate has been reached for the classification of the different defects. A similar result has been obtained by using the Karhunen-Loève expansion and by considering all events available as the training set.


In order to improve absorptivity of solar energy,an automatic tracking system which can improve the absorption rate of solar energy is introduced.In the system,a single-chip microcomputer is used as the controller,the method of seeking maximum power point is set,and then,the battery plate which is driven by the stepper motor can rotate according to the value of absorption power.Thus,the battery plate can keep the position which is avail to absorb maximum power.The system makes better use of solar energy to convert.


The present paper of a series deals with the experimental characterisation of flexural toughness properties of structural concrete containing different volume of hooked-end steel fibre reinforcement (75 kg/m3, 150 kg/m3). Third-point flexural tests were carried out on steel fibre reinforced concrete beams having a cross-section of 80 mm × 85 mm with the span of 765 mm, hence the shear span to depth ratio was 3. Beams were sawn out of steel fibre reinforced slab elements (see Part I) in order to take into consideration the introduced privilege fibre orientation (I and II) and the position of the beam (Ba-a, Ba-b, Ba-c) before sawing (see Part I). Flexural toughness properties were determined considering different standard specifications, namely the method of the ASTM (American Standards for Testing Materials), the process of the JSCE (Japan Society of Civil Engineering), and the final proposal of Banthia and Trottier for the post cracking strength. Consequently, behaviour of steel fibre reinforced concrete...


Cell free extracts of Hansenula miso IFO 0146 contained an enzyme which catalyzed acyloin condensation of acetaldehyde and α-ketoglutarate to form 5∼hydroxy-4-ketohexanoic acid (HKH). The enzyme was specific for acetaldehyde and α-ketoglutarate. Condensation could not be demonstrated between α-ketoglutarate and other aldehydes tested (formaldehyde, propionaldehyde or butyraldehyde). No reaction occurred when boiled enzyme was used. The apparent Km values (at pH 7.5) for acetaldehyde and α-ketoglutarate are 24.4 mM and 3.2 mM, respectively. TPP and Mg2+ were not required for the reaction. The optimum pH of the reaction was 7.5∼8.5. The reaction was inhibited by EDTA, PCMB and PMS. The enzyme forming HKH was different from that forming acetoin because the latter required TPP and was repressed when cells were grown in lactate medium while the former did not require TPP and was formed independently of its substrate. The product of this condensing reaction was isolated and identified as HKH from its chemical p...


Discusses the current status of paleobiology, principally paleobotany and palynology in Antarctica, and the interrelationship of Antarctic floras to those of other Gondwana continents. It provides a broad coverage of the major groups of plants on the one hand, while on the other seeking to evaluate the vegetational history and the physical and biological parameters that influence the distribution of floras through time and space. The biologic activity is discussed within a framework of the geologic history, including the tectonic and paleogeographic history of the region. In addition, it includes will find a comprehensive bibliography of Gondwana paleobotany and palynology.


This endoscope cleaning tube is provided with: a housing section having a fluid introduction opening and a fluid delivery opening; a catch section for connecting the housing section to an opening fitting; a movable section for dividing the inside of the housing section into the fluid introduction opening side and the fluid delivery opening side and disposed so as to be movable between a first position within the housing section and a second position located closer to the fluid delivery opening than the first position; a section to be pressed, which is disposed at a position facing the fluid introduction opening and which has a surface to be pressed, the surface to be pressed being subjected to fluid pressure, the section to be pressed being rotated by the fluid pressure acting on the surface to be pressed; and a link section for connecting the section to be pressed and the movable section and moving, when the section to be pressed is subjected to fluid pressure, the movable section from the second position to the first position as the section to be pressed rotates.


Based on the cause analysis of vocational college students' mental health problems,this essay gives relevant solutions in the aspects of valuing mental health education,carrying out mental health consultation and tutoring,leading students to a positive cognition of the society,re-establishing life goals and forming a resultant force with family-college cooperation.


In this paper a load angle estimation method of round rotor synchronous generator is presented, for load angle limiter in AVR systems design purpose. To get information of load angle, it is necessary to have values of the one terminal voltage, one phase current and q-axis reactance Xq. Mentioned values are acquired by synchronous sampling technique and processed by discrete Fourier transformation. The accuracy of presented method highly depends on quality of zero-crossing detection of the input voltage signal and on the calculation estimation of the fundamental frequency. This method is of reduced sensitivity to higher harmonics presence contence in voltages and current waveforms. Another advantage, when compared to other dq or ab based calculations estimations, is the necessity of use only two measurement channels. Drawback of described approach is lack of immunity to current asymmetry. However, a solution to overcome this problem is offered by introducing the additional measurements into the algorithm to extract the synchronous sampled direct components of all three phase currents.


The objective of the work consists in the design and implementation of techniques of automatic recognition of weld regions. It is aimed to complete a system of automatic inspection of radiographic images of welded joints. It deals with the problem of the delimitation of the weld regions according to the general scheme of image interpretation systems based on knowledge.


We present a new in-place selection algorithm that finds the k-th smallest element in an array of n elements in linear time, using only epsilon.n element moves. Here epsilon>0 denotes an arbitrarily small, but fixed, real constant. As a consequence, partitioning the array in-place into segments of elements with ranks smaller than, equal to, and larger than k can be performed with (1+epsilon).n element moves. Minimizing the sum of comparisons and moves, we get a selection algorithm using C(n)<10.236 n comparisons and M(n)<0.644 n moves. The algorithm can be further optimized by tuning up for the given cost ratio between a single move and a single comparison. As an example, we present an algorithm with C(n)+10.M(n)<= 13.634n.


Induced seismicity and the effects on civil engineering systems are not completely understood and infrequently studied. One specific area that is not well known is soil fatigue which includes factors such as understanding the natural conditions of the subsurface as well as operational parameters under short duration impulse loads. With the increase of geoinduced seismic activity, soil fatigue becomes of greater concern to structures in the vicinity of this seismic load. The foundations of these structures can be affected by impulse loads which can ultimately cause failure. The lack of quantitative data puts the reliability of these civil engineering systems at risk as they are not fully evaluated to determine if they are functioning as they are intended in the environments they are designed to support.


The Belle II experiment at the SuperKEKB asymmetric-energy e+e− collider in Japan aims to search for new physics in the flavour transitions in the quark and lepton sectors. The SuperKEKB accelerator will operate at the target instantaneous luminosity of 8 × 1035 s−1cm2. It requires a substantial upgrade of the detector subsystems which are expected to record 50 ab−1 of data. Such a huge data sample in clean background environment allows for probing signatures of new physics through suppressed flavour physics reactions and cross checks for deviations from the Standard Model measured at the LHCb experiment. Physics data taking at the Belle II experiment successfully started in April 2018.


We study site and bond percolation on directed simple random graphs with a given degree distribution and derive the expressions for the critical value of percolation probability above which the giant strongly connected component emerges and the fraction of vertices in this component.


In this paper we address the problem of face recognition based on two-dimensional principal component analysis (2DPCA). The similarity measure plays an important role in pattern recognition. However, with reference to the 2DPCA based method for face recognition, studies on similarity measures are quite few. We propose a new method to identify the similarity measure by simulated annealing (SA), which is called SA similarity measure. Experimental results on two famous face databases show that the proposed method outperforms the state of the art methods in terms of recognition accuracy.


PURPOSE: We aimed to study the effect of head-lift exercise on the neck strength and swallowing function in patients with stroke. METHODS: Our study included 20 patients with stroke hemiparesis. All patients were randomly allocated to either the head-lift exercise or the conventional swallowing therapy group, and each group included 10 patients. All patients underwent the exercise over a mean period of 30 min daily for 6 weeks. Neck strength and swallowing function were assessed prior to and 6 weeks following the training period. We used a paired t-test to compare the within-group change before and after the intervention. We used an independent t-test to compare the between-group difference. The statistical


Obesity is a prevalent disease in today's world. The prevalence of childhood obesity has been increasing rapidly in Taiwan. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between the cardiac sympathetic activity and obesity among school children in Taiwan and to establish the relationship between heart rate variability (HRV) with anthropometric variables and cardiorespiratory fitness. HRV analysis was demonstrated the overall capacity of heart and the function of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), and cardiorespiratory endurance capacity was measured by 1,600 meter run test. Sixty three obese children and sixty normal weight children aged from 12 to 15 were recruited. The results showed that the children in the obese group have worse cardiorespiratory fitness than those in the non-obese group. In addition, the obese group manifested significantly lower HRV components of total power (TP), low frequency (LF), and high frequency (HF) power than the non-obese group. Furthermore, the body fat was correlated with the performance of cardiorespiratory fitness, LF, HF, and TP for all the subjects. Childhood obesity is an important prescience for adult obesity and a serious issue in Taiwan. We suggested that the children should form the appropriate habits of choosing healthy foods, long-term exercise, and regular lifestyle.


Under the Environmental Noise Directive (END), the Round 4 strategic noise maps are to be calculated using the methodology set out in Directive 2015/996 (as amended) (CNOSSOS-EU). As part of the road traffic source emission model, a correction for the effect on noise levels due to the
 acceleration and deceleration of vehicles shall be applied near crossings with traffic lights and roundabouts. As part of the revision of the EPA guidelines on strategic noise mapping in Ireland, a technical investigation was carried out to identify the effect of the correction factor on road
 traffic noise emissions, and determine whether there was a practical approach to implement the correction factor within the upcoming noise mapping. This paper will provide an overview of the results, including the change in noise level emissions for low speed low flow roads, and high speed
 high flow road. It will also present a practical approach to preparing the road traffic flow models in GIS based on available datasets.


This paper discusses generally the potential effects of genetic markers on individual differences in cognitive performance. Research on the role of two genetic markers related to the immune system—complement factor C3 and haptoglobin—and one genetic marker—apolipoprotein E (ApoE)—and the interaction with environmental conditions of cognitive support at memory encoding and retrieval are discussed in particular. Data from an ongoing longitudinal study are used to illustrate that the two markers of the immune system are strongly associated with performance in episodic memory tasks, although there is no association to semantic memory. Cross-sectional data reveal a relatively weak association between apolipoprotein E and memory performance. Preliminary analyses of longitudinal data reveal a somewhat stronger association between this genetic marker and some aspects of episodic memory performance.


Forest environment classification in mountain regions based on single-sensor remote sensing approaches is hindered by forest complexity and topographic effects. Temperate broadleaf forests in western Asia such as the Hyrcanian forest in northern Iran have already suffered from intense anthropogenic activities. In those regions, forests mainly extend in rough terrain and comprise different stand structures, which are difficult to discriminate. This paper explores the joint analysis of Landsat7/ETM+, L-band SAR and their derived parameters and the effect of terrain corrections to overcome the challenges of discriminating forest stand age classes in mountain regions. We also verified the performances of three machine learning methods which have recently shown promising results using multisource data; support vector machines (SVM), neural networks (NN), random forest (RF) and one traditional classifier (i.e., maximum likelihood classification (MLC)) as a benchmark. The non-topographically corrected ETM+ data failed to differentiate among different forest stand age classes (average classification accuracy (OA) = 65%). This confirms the need to reduce relief effects prior data classification in mountain regions. SAR backscattering alone cannot properly differentiate among different forest stand age classes (OA = 62%). However, textures and PolSAR features are very efficient for the separation of forest classes (OA = 82%). The highest classification accuracy was achieved by the joint usage of SAR and ETM+ (OA = 86%). However, this shows a slight improvement compared to the ETM+ classification (OA = 84%). The machine learning classifiers proved t o be more robust and accurate compared to MLC. SVM and RF statistically produced better classification results than NN in the exploitation of the considered multi-source data.


Starch was extracted from wheat by wet milling, purified by differential centrifugation in water and substituted for flour in a high-ratio yellow cake recipe. Carboxymethyl cellulose (1 % of the starch weight) was included to compensate for the poor water absorbing capacity of the starch. The cakes, in contrast to those prepared with flour (unchlorinated), did not suffer structural collapse on cooling. Further purification of the starch, accomplished by repeated shaking with toluene and water and removal of the emulsions so formed, led to cakes which did collapse. The collapse was prevented by chlorination of the toluenetreated starch and this system thus provides a potentially useful model for simulating the response of wheat flour to chlorine.


Wide area real-time positioning technology provides space-time reference for mobile Internet and Internet of things. This paper introduces the related framework and core algorithm of the enhanced message service system in wide area real-time positioning: 1) We designed a low redundancy and temporal / spatial adaptive enhance message encoding and transmission protocol. It compresses and transmits precise ephemeris,satellite clock correction data based on the interception significant bits and using hierarchical grid discretization methods to broadcast ionosphere corrections in a spatial and temporal adaptive way. 2) We also designed a multi-level data broadcast mechanism based on a virtualized flexibility scheduling,improving the system reliability through the dynamic recourse allocation and expansion algorithm. 3) We verified the quality of the service system through a series of precise positioning experiment in urban environment. We analyzed the effect of network signal,geographical environment and visibility condition on precise positioning service.


The authors' work on the fate of fat grafts is of vital importance and inspires us to explore better methods to improve viability of fat after fat grafting. In this study, human lipoaspirate alone or with Adipogel/stromal vascular fraction was implanted into the scalps of immunodeficient mice. According to the authors' approach, the total volumes of each experimental group were 200, 400, 250, and 450 μl, respectively. In limited space under the scalp, the injected fat would be compressed in the recipient site.2 Different injection volumes were subjected to different compressing pressures from the scalp, which may adversely impact the capillary perfusion and, as a result, the viability of the graft.3 Thus, could it be more appropriate if the transplanted fat volume and total graft volume remained the same in different groups? If the pressure under scalps was too high, do we need to consider replacing the transplanted area, such as the flank? It is common practice to keep the total volume of injections consistent among experimental groups to eliminate the interference of pressure on the viability of adipocytes after transplantation, thus obtaining more reliable results. For example, in a study by Liu et al.4 regarding adipose stromal vascular fraction and platelet-rich fibrin on the outcome of autologous fat grafting, the authors made fat and total graft volume among groups consistent (adipose granules, 2 ml; total graft, 2.2 ml). DOI: 10.1097/PRS.0000000000005965


Advancement in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) has influenced complex designs to be integrated in Very Large-Scale Integration (VLSI) Design. Designers are concentrating on high speed and low power techniques to facilitate the needs of the technology requirements. In multiple AI applications, Digital Signal Processor is the building block, optimization of it may solve the issues related to computation of the data signal at faster rate consuming less power using Vedic mathematics. In this paper, a detailed review is made on recent applications of Vedic Mathematics in the domain of VLSI to yield novel design, efficient architecture for Squarer, Multiplier, Arithmetic unit, Cubic and divider circuits along with their crucial performance criteria. It is deduced that the use of Vedic Sutras in formulating algorithms for digital logic circuit design has led to simplified architecture and yielded higher speed, low power consumption and enhanced efficiency of operation.


The main purpose of this paper is to simulation of electromagnetic wave propagation. An original method, for a better taking into account of the surface's roughness, was introduced. This method is based on generation of surfaces and the use of a roughness parameter to model small roughness. The results presented show an amelioration of pr opagation loss computation, the effects of the surface's roughness are more perceptible in the results obtained with the new method.


The flow characteristics of the fluid in microchannels formed by different hydrophobic and hydrophilic walls on the polymeric microfluidic chips were researched in this study.To achieve the spontaneous capillary of the liquid in a microchannel,the aspect ratio condition of the microchannels for the smoothing capillary was proposed on the basis of the free energy minimization approach.The experiments of the capillary transportation in the microchannels with three Polydimelhysiloxane(PDMS) walls and one glass wall were performed to confirm the aspect ratio condition.According to proposed theory,the critical aspect ratio of the microchannels with the depths 165 μm,200 μm and 265 μm is 0.5000.In our experiment,the critical aspect ratios are 0.4714,0.4878 and 0.4818 respectively.Obtain data show that the experimental results are in good agreement with the theoritical one,which verifies the aspect ratio obtained by our experiments.


The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the impact of including a student who uses a wheelchair and is given no direct support in a 4th grade general physical education (GPE) class on students without disabilities. Using an evaluate case study research method, data were collected in the beginning and end of a 2-week GPE volleyball unit from 2 intact elementary school classes using 2 attitude inventories, volleyball skills, and knowledge test. Results indicated no significant class difference in volleyball skill and knowledge acquisitions. Overall, attitudes toward including a student with a disability tended to be positive in both classes. In addition, there was no significant time difference within the classes on either attitude inventory.


The recent popularity of low‐carbohydrate diets has been suggested to have negative effects on users' overall diet quality as a result of reduced intakes of fruits, vegetables, and other nutrient‐ and fiber‐dense foods. Using data from a larger multi‐state study of low‐income young adults (n=2,242), this study sought to identify the effects of trying such diets on participants' stage of change, psychosocial indicators, and overall fruit and vegetable intake patterns. Approximately 26% of participants reported following a low‐carbohydrate diet for one week or longer. No significant effects were detected on intakes of fruit, fruit juice, and vegetables other than salad and potatoes. Low‐carbohydrate dieters reported more frequent salad consumption (p=0.0001) and less frequent consumption of potatoes in all forms (fried, p=0.0001; baked, boiled, mashed, p=0.007). Following a low‐carbohydrate diet tended to have either no effect or a favorable effect on the perceived benefits of consuming fruits and vegetables and on the use of specific strategies to increase intakes. In this sample, trying a low‐carbohydrate diet did not interfere with overall fruit and vegetable intake, nor have adverse effects on psychosocial mediators of such behaviors.


We consider the economic record of the 1997–2010 Labour government in the UK. Following a brief review of the government's inheritance from its predecessor, we review the assessments made in the other papers in this issue of the Oxford Review of Economic Policy : the change in the macroeconomic policy framework (which apparently worked well for a decade but was then struck by the global financial crisis); labour market, social security, and education policies and inequality; public investment and public service delivery (especially health); and corporate taxation. We discuss the constraints under which the government operated, how much it broke with the past, and the new frameworks it introduced. We identify strengths and weaknesses and draw lessons from the government's record about the need to remain receptive to other and critical ideas, on the one hand, and the need for Labour to spell out the kind of economy and society it wants to see develop, on the other. Copyright 2013, Oxford University Press.


A method for calculating the relativistic path integral solution via sum over perturbation series is given. As an application the exact path integral solution of the relativistic Aharonov–Bohm–Coulomb system is obtained by the method. Different from the earlier treatment based on the space–time transformation and infinite multiple-valued trasformation of Kustaanheimo–Stiefel in order to perform path integral, the method developed in this contribution involves only the explicit form of a simple Green's function and an explicit path integral is avoided.


QR code is a kind of two-dimensional barcode which has been widely used in many fields. Traditional QR code that strictly complies with the international standard contains only regular black/white modules. These QR codes could be recognized solely by machine reader and contain no human readable information. In recent years, both commercial companies and research community try to beauty and enrich the expression capability of QR code under the framework of the standard. There are mainly three ways for QR code decoration, i.e. module colorization, module/QR code shape variation and image embedding. Most of these work utilize the Error Correction mechanism of QR code, modify moderate amount of modules and achieve target embellishment design. In order to convey more information as well as beautification, image embedding is the best choice. Existing methods either embed small image into the center of QR codes or use half-tone technique to handle input images. However, both methods heavily rely on the Error Correction mechanism, thus will reduce the readability. Moreover, small color image is not clear enough for zooming out/distance view and half-tone image has limited visual effects. Inspired by the work of Wakahara and Yamamoto [Wakahara and Yamamoto 2011], we propose a novel method that utilizes the redundancy of encoding for facial image embedding into the QR code. The Error Correction ability will not be sacrificed.


Iridium (Ir) is used as a selectiv gas catalyst in the lean-burn car engine techno we investigated the energetics of adsorption o the iridium (111) surface for the (√3X√3) R3 monolayer coverage using first -principles cal calculated electronic structure and total energy sites i.e. on-top site, threefold site in the holl located beneath) and threefold site in the hollo beneath) .We found threefold site, with a beneath it in the second layer, is the most stab agreement with the experimental results. Keywords—density functional theory; cov slab.


: Green development is inevitable for current and future national and regional economic and social development. Based on the statistical data of Anshun City from 1999 to 2018, this paper comprehensively utilizes the super-efficient SBM model with non-expected output to examine its green development level. The results show that: (1) the development mode of Anshun City from "high input-high pollution-low output" to "high input-high pollution-high output" to "low input-low pollution-high output" in 1999-2018. "Development mode; (2) the efficiency of green development in Anshun City was significantly lower than the traditional efficiency in 1999-2016, and the green development reached an influential state in 2017; (3) the main reason affecting the improvement of the efficiency of green development in Anshun City is the excessive emission of industrial three wastes, followed by the severe waste of part of the resources; and (4) at present, the green development of Anshun City presents a good trend. To this end, the green development efficiency of Anshun City is explored to improve the reference for government departments to formulate policies related to green development and regional ecological security.


Ixazomib, a proteasome inhibitor commonly used for the treatment of multiple myeloma, is a rare cause of Sweet's syndrome. We present a 62-year-old man who developed drug-induced Sweet's syndrome during his fifth cycle of ixazomib for treatment of refractory multiple myeloma. Monthly rechallenge led to the recurrence of symptoms. The patient was successfully treated with addition of weekly corticosteroids and resumed his cancer treatment.


at sub-regional as well as local levels. When Building the 21st Century Home was published in 1999, David Rudlin and I called for a new model to replace the terraced or semi-detached house, which we called th Sustainable Urban Neighbourhood or SUN. We must therefore acknowledge that gover ment has succeeded in promoting higher housing densities and lower park ing standards, and new blocks of flats are springing up on brownfield sites like mush rooms. The problem is that while planners want to concentrate development in locations that are well served by public transport, there is huge resistance to intensification in all the places where people most want to live. Also while public interest may be growing in addressing the problems of traffic congestion and tackling energy and water shortages, there are not enough working examples of changing behaviour to convince the sceptics among politicians and developers. The optimism that greeted the new century is therefore being replaced by the spectre of running out of natural resources, and doubts over whether sustainable urban


A 70-yr-old man, who was diagnosed with Parkinson disease 15 yrs ago, was hospitalized because of recurrent aspiration pneumonia. He was referred to the authors_ clinic for dysphagia after the acute management of aspiration pneumonia and initiation of nasogastric tube feeding. It was his second hospitalization for aspiration pneumonia. Other symptoms of Parkinson disease such as gait disturbance, tremor, and rigidity were minimal. A videofluoroscopic swallowing study was performed to evaluate the swallowing function. The videofluoroscopic swallowing study revealed that the patient aspirated all of the test foods except for the most viscous liquid (puddingthick). Interestingly, the passage of the bolus into the hypopharynx was diverted toward the right side, and the pyriform sinus residue remained mainly in the left side, in the anteroposterior projection (Figs. 1A, B). Compensatory maneuvers including head rotation or head tilt were not effective in reducing aspiration. Therefore, the authors recommended that the nasogastric tube feeding should be continued, and a neck computed tomography scan was performed to evaluate the structural abnormalities of the pharynx. The neck computed tomography scan showed severe degenerative osteophytes on the anterior aspect of C5 and C6 vertebral bodies, which markedly displaced the hypopharynx (Fig. 1C). Parkinson disease is one of the most common causes of neurogenic oropharyngeal dysphagia, and the prevalence of dysphagia in Parkinson disease may be as high as 50%. Dysphagia in Parkinson disease is characterized by incomplete opening of the upper esophageal sphincter, which can impair pharyngeal bolus transport. This patient had typical neurogenic dysphagia associated with Parkinson disease; however, the condition might have been gradually aggravated by diversion of the passage of bolus into the hypopharynx caused by huge degenerative osteophytes. Degenerative cervical osteophytes are a well known cause of dysphagia.A variety of mechanisms can explain how dysphagia is caused by the osteophytes. First, large osteophytes can causemechanical obstruction by compressing the pharynx or the esophagus. Another cause of dysphagia is impaired tilting of the epiglottis caused by the osteophytes. Lastly, cervical spine disease can cause inflammatory reaction, fibrosis, and even adhesion, which may also influence the swallowing function. In this case, the authors postulated that the cervical osteophytes might have structurally aggravated the underlying neurogenic dysphagia caused by Parkinson disease.


Topological Foundations.- Differential Geometry of Riemann Surfaces.- Harmonic Maps.- Teichmuller Spaces.- Geometric Structures on Riemann Surfaces.- Erratum to: Characterizing Programming Systems Allowing Program Self-reference.


The impact of a ball with a rigid rod is a standard textbook problem with several surprises. We consider a hinged rod, as well as a free rod. Intuition suggests that the rod will rotate fastest when struck at one end. However, an end impact generates maximum rotation speed only if the mass of the free rod is at least double the mass of the ball, or the mass of a hinged rod is at least three times the mass of the ball. These results can be explained in terms of the reduced effective mass of a rod near its free end, and a consequent reduction in the impulsive force for impacts near a free end.


Background and objective The objective of this study was to determine the dose as well as the duration of exposure-dependent effects of methohexital on neutrophil [polymorphonuclear leucocyte (PMN)] free amino acid profiles and, in a parallel study, on PMN immune functions. Methods Whole blood samples were taken from 20 volunteers and incubated with methohexital [0 (control), 3.6, 26, 130 and 260 µg mL−1] for 10, 30, 60 or 120 min. PMN amino acid profiles were documented using advanced PMN separation and high-performance liquid chromatography procedures. Superoxide anion (O2–) and hydrogen peroxide production (H2O2), and activity of released myeloperoxidase (MPO), were determined photometrically. Results After methohexital, significant dose (≥ 26 µg mL−1) as well as duration of exposure-dependent (≥ 30 min) increases in histidine, isoleucine, leucine, valine, methionine, serine, glycine, threonine, and decreases in glutamine, glutamate, aspartate, asparagine, arginine, ornithine, citrulline, alanine and taurine were observed (P ≤ 0.05). Concerning PMN immune functions, methohexital significantly decreased O2–, H2O2 formation and MPO (≥ 26 µg mL−1, ≥ 30 min, P ≤ 0.05). Conclusions Altogether, there is significant relevance to the pharmacological regimens which enhance the supply of methohexital in whole blood. In regards to our results, we suggest that considerable changes in PMN 'dynamic free amino acid pool', for example induced by methohexital, may be one of the determinants in cell nutrition adversely affecting PMN metabolism. It is partially through its effect on the PMN free amino acid pool that maleficent pharmacological stress may have an unintentional influence on PMN immune functions.


DNA studies in the 1990s appeared to prove that the remains of the last Russian tsar and his family had been found; a new analysis raises questions.


This paper reviews the growing combination of advertising and editorial content in the converged paid media form of native advertisements. Because native advertisements have the potential to negatively impact the credibility of traditional news organizations by misleading consumers through hidden persuasion attempts, this text reviews native advertisements in five prominent online newspapers for disclosure and source credibility. Through a content analysis of 130 online newspaper native ads, this paper reviews disclosure according to FTC guidelines for native advertising proximity and placement, prominence, reputation, and language. In addition, this text reviews source credibility by attribution and source status: executives, professionals, public relations personnel, workers, celebrities, organizations, and students. This paper adds to research by its application of Agenda-Setting Theory in its sorting of native ads by their newspaper category and subject matter to determine which newspaper sections are utilizing native ads most frequently and ultimately driving the editorial agenda. Acknowledgments Thanks are extended to the staff of the University of Arkansas Journalism Department for all of their help with this thesis. Special Thanks is extended to Dr. Jan Wicks for all of her time and dedication as a professor, advisor and friend; it would have been impossible to make it through the program without her help. Also, a special thanks goes out to Dr. Ignatius Fosu and Dr. Ron Warren for all of their time and instruction as both professors and thesis advisors. It has been such a pleasure to learn from and work with all of you through both undergraduate and graduate programs and this student is forever grateful.


Abstract The question of whether levofloxacin includes Pseudomonas aeruginosa in its spectrum of clinical activity is discussed by reviewing the major findings on this issue, mainly those published in Italy. The in vitro activity of levofloxacin against P. aeruginosa is now documented on thousands of strains worldwide. The pharma-codynamic properties of levofloxacin allow for the treatment of pseudomonal infections. The levofloxacin clinical results extrapolated from published studies document the efficacy of levofloxacin in the treatment of infections sustained by P. aeruginosa.


The international community is more than ever before faced with environmental issues that attract interdisciplinary attention: deforestation, global warming, environmental pollution, species extinctions and desertification, among others. Man's development over the centuries has been such that he cannot but rely on the use of the environment. Economic, scientific and technological developments take place in space and time. The spatio-temporal nature of man's development generates concerns about human rights vis-a-vis the environment. Through the use of conceptual analysis the study critically examines the concepts 'environmental justice' and 'sustainable development'. The study establishes that meaningful development implies, inter alia, respect for the environment and respect for the rights man has over the environment. Global happiness, the study concludes, is attainable only in an atmosphere of inter-state understanding that sustaining the environment imply respecting rights to the environment.  Thus, the study recommends, among others, that efforts at sustainable development be founded on environmental justice.

 Key words: Environment, rights, environmental justice, sustainable development.


In this note, we explore an apparently new one parameter family of conics associated to a triangle. Given a triangle we study ellipses whose one axis is parallel to one of sides of the triangle. The centers of these ellipses move along three hyperbolas, one for each side of the triangle. These hyperbolas intersect in four common points, which we identify as centers of incircle and the three excircles of the triangle. Thus they belong to a pencil of conics. We trace centers of all conics in the family and establish a surprising fact that they move along the excircle of the triangle. Even though our research is motivated by a problem in elementary geometry, its solution involves some non-trivial algebra and appeal to effective computational methods of algebraic geometry. Our work is illustrated by an animation in Geogebra and accompanied by a Singular file.


The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) of the Korean Peninsula has an excellent natural ecosystem that formed incidentally as a product of political and military decisions. The conservation of the DMZ's natural ecosystem has been the center of active discussions both domestically and internationally. However, most of the discussions are at the conceptual level, emphasizing the needs of each research field, and have not yet reached the effective level of presenting an accurate future preservation framework. Therefore, this study suggests 'the early visualization of the expected DMZ's final framework' as a preliminary concept for effectively preserving the DMZ's natural ecosystem. The detailed strategies for this are: 1) decision-making regarding DMZ characteristics and core values for conservation, 2) the early visualization of the DMZ's final framework based on core values of conservation, 3) setting a master plan to reach the final framework, and 4) establishment of a control tower managed by the Ministry of Environment. This study is significant as it verified the necessity of early visualization of the DMZ's final framework, focusing on conservation of the natural ecosystem and a detailed implementation procedure.