(ProQuest: ... denotes formulae omitted.)INTRODUCTIONSecurity analysis pays attention to the firm's characteristics, its performance in the industry and its reaction to changes in the global economy. Such analyses are purported in finding the best value or the right time to invest. The best value denotes a selection that should lead to high return while the right time is an indication of the presence of momentum in direction of price movements. When the selectivity and timing approaches work, investment payoffs will be greater than the average return and far exceeding the minimum required return. In addition, it is important to know as to how and why investors reach the required or desired return on investment and how and why the required return varies over time, as it causes a rise or fall in stock prices. Such information may help individuals and institutions in planned savings and investments by properly formulating expectations regarding the likely future outcome.The ability to explain and formulate expectations regarding the likely return on common stock is an important issue and has crucial impacts on investors. This is because savings behavior of individuals and the management of asset-liability of financial institutions are affected by expected return. Some examples of the role of return on investment are as follows: a) endowment funds establish spending rate policy rules such that a pre-determined percent of the endowment fund can be spent on an annual basis. Obviously the resulting return on investment must be greater than the spending policy rule for preservation of the endowment fund; b) retirement plans make their funding based on assumptions regarding projected return known as the actuarially assumed return. Earning a return below the actuarially assumed return will result in under-funded pensions causing hardships for employees, employers, and government authorities; c) insurance companies incorporate return on their invested capital in determination of premiums or costs of the various insurance products; d) portfolio management is generally viewed as an asset and liability management. That is, to design a process in managing the overall risk of the portfolio while obtaining a reasonable return. Meanwhile, expected return provides one way of forecasting the rise or fall in stock prices.ObjectivesThe primary objective of this paper is to gain knowledge about the notion of return on common stock. By extension, empirical results provide information regarding the components of its total return. The secondary objective is to examine the degree of predictability of total return over the long horizon. Theories of finance, as organized body of knowledge, have evolved over time to help in learning about the return on common stock. In addition, advances in statistical designs as well as the wealth of financial data have provided tools for conducting extensive empirical studies.Research MethodologyIn pursuit of learning about the return on common stock and its degree of predictability, scholars in finance have developed various theoretical constructs as well as conducting extensive empirical examination of data on common stock prices. Thereby, a review of theoretical as well as empirical work in the literature of finance during the past two centuries appears to be fruitful. In this line of thinking, the efficient market hypotheses and the notion of random walk in stock prices of the 1950s, the behavioral finance and the role of psychology of the market of the 1980s, as well as the emotional finance theories of the 2000s are purported to help in understanding the behavior of return on common stock.The FindingsThe numerous and extensive work of scholars in finance covering both the short and long horizon returns during the past two centuries shows that there is a reasonably good degree of predictability in the variance of return on common stock. It is shown that total return on common stock follows changes in factors such as inflation, growth in real earnings of business enterprises, changes in the outstanding shares of common stock in the market as well as changes in the degree of risk aversion by investors. …


In the last decades, Mediterranean small ruminant dairy production systems have undergone a dichotomous development. Some feeding systems, that we term global, are increasingly dependent on food purchased on the global market, whereas others, termed local, are still relying on the exploitation of local feed resources. In both situations, product healthiness and standard quality parameters such as true protein and fat are regarded as basic targets of feeding management. However, particularly in the local system, nutrition is also aimed at achieving milk quality beyond the classical dairy-factory regulatory standards. Diets that promote micro-components such as beneficial fatty acids, vitamins or their precursors, immuno-response enhancers, specific sensory attributes, are eagerly sought after. We review some of the most recent steps forward made by nutrition science, with special emphasis on trade-offs between quantity and quality, and their implications on small ruminant production systems based on global or local resources.


The purpose of this study is to test and find out and determine the effect of perceived security and information quality on online purchase intention through trust in a reliable online store. The effect of perceived security on trust in Sorabel, the effect of information quality on trust in sorabel, the effect of perceived security on online purchase intention, the effect of information quality on online purchase intention and the influence of trust on online purchase intention. This research is quantitative. The population is Sorabel consumers in Yogyakartas. Samples were taken using a probality sampling technique with a total questionnaire of 100 respondents. Primary data collection techniques using questionnaires. The method of data analysis using multiple linear regression previously conducted a classic assumption test consisting of normality test, heteroxidation test and multicolonierity test. The results showed that there was a positive effect on perceived security, a positive influence on information quality, a positive influence on trust and online purchase intention. Significant positive effect of perceived security on trust; significant positive effect of information quality on trust; significant positive effect of perceived security on online purchase intention; significant positive effect of trust on online purchase intention.


nearly 600 closely printed pages, and is illustrated by more than 400 wellprinted diagrams, mostly original. Some of the diagrams are coloured, and therefore of the greatest service to the student. A feature of the book is the excellent descriptions of the structure of the viscera, and the careful attention paid to their relations. The systematic account of each viscus and its immediate and more remote relations is much more clearly and accurately given than is usual in practical handbooks, which generally adopt an arrangement whereby the student is compelled to refer back to another section to find out full details of the part on which he is at work. The book is one of the most useful and comprehensive manuals of anatomy that is to be found on the market, and should prove as useful to the practitioner as it undoubtedly is to the student preparing for examination. The descriptions of the organs of special sense are characterised by the same fulness, clearness, and simplicity of arrangement that favourably demarcate the less complicated portions of human anatomy. For students who wish to master the anatomy of the ear, throat and nose, no better guide can be offered than is presented in this handbook. Practitioners, and even specialists, who are supposed to be closely acquainted with the multitude of minute detail which their speciality involves, will doubtless find something to be learned from this valuable work. The construction of the book has been to him obviously a labour of love, and it will be a gratification to Professor Buchanan to know that his book is esteemed as a replica of his own clear-mindedness, which will endear him still more in the affections of his numberless students at work in every branch of the medical profession in every part of the trlobe.


Simultaneous assembly of multiple objects is a key technology to form solid connections among objects to get compact structures in precision assembly and micro-assembly. Dramatically different from traditional assembly of two objects, the interaction among multiple objects is more complicated on analysis and control. During simultaneous assembly of multiple objects, there are multiple mutually effected contact surfaces, and multiple force sensors are needed to perceive the interaction status. In this paper, a coordinated micro-robot manipulation strategy is proposed for simultaneous assembly problem, which is based on microscopic vision and force information. Taking simultaneous assembly of three objects as an instance, the proposed method is well articulated, including calibration of assembly system, force analysis for each contacting surface, and insertion control strategy for assembly process. The proposed method is applicable also to case with more objects. Experiment results demonstrate effectiveness of the proposed method.


We study Baer and quasi-Baer modules over some classes of rings. We also introduce a new class of modules called AI-modules, in which the kernel of every nonzero endomorphism is contained in a proper direct summand. The main results obtained here are: (1) A module is Baer iff it is an AI-module and has SSIP. (2) For a perfect ring R, the direct sum of Baer modules is Baer iff R is primary decomposable. (3) Every injective R-module is quasi-Baer iff R is a QI-ring.


This paper presents a new point of view of oscillator noise, bringing transparent insight into phase noise. This work bridges the fundamental physics of noise and existing oscillator phase noise theories and reveals the direct correspondence of phase noise and the Einstein relation. The concept of virtual damping is presented utilizing an ensemble of oscillators as a measure of phase noise. The explanation of the linewidth narrowing through virtual damping results in a clear definition of loaded and unloaded quality factors of an oscillator. The validity of this new approach is verified by excellent experimental agreement.


Background: Infants who present with a history of an acute event (an unexpected change in an infant's breathing, appearance, or behavior), reported by their parent or caregiver, represent a heterogeneous group of patients of varying ages with diverse pathophysiology. A BRUE is diagnosed only when there is no explanation for the described event after a thorough history and physical examination. Aim of the study: to detect the incidence of Brief Resolved Unexplained events and differentiate Risk Factors according to initial presentation of cases and follow-up. Methods: Prospective application of BRUE criteria on infants younger than 12 months old who presented to emergency room of Bab El Shaaria University Hospital from 1 June 2018 to 1 December 2018. BRUE patients were classified into Lower-risk (LR-BRUE) and Higher-risk (HR-BRUE). History was taken from all caregivers and all patients underwent physical examinations and o2 saturation monitoring by pulse oximetry on room air. Studied infants were followed up 3 to 6 months after discharge either by regular visits or by phone. Results: study included 2462 Infants below 1 years old, the inclusion criteria of BRUE met 39 patients ( 1.58%) 18 of them are males (46 %) and 21 are females(54%), 23 of BRUE cases classified as low


The object of the research is the movie entitled A Knight's Tale by Brian Helgelend. The study gives focus on psychoanalytic approach as reflected in Brian Helgelend's A Knight's Tale. The aim of the study is finding the criticism on moral and social value. The study belongs to a qualitative study. In this method, the researcher uses two
data sources namely primary and secondary data. The primary data source and object of study is the movie A Knight's Tale itself, meanwhile the secondary is any literature related with the study. The technique of data analysis in this study is descriptive to make an interpretation of the text and content analysis using deductive and inductive
method. The result of the study shows the following conclusion. An anxiety of life influences the major character William Thatcher's personality development in avoiding pain and finding pleasure. All His efforts are done to cheer up himself and his friends in order to carry on his life and try to clear an anxiety in his life. Even
though he has to cope with his own life, he can manage to take care of his friends. He is strong man. He must strive for success and superiority. He has gone through a lot
of problems, but he can survive his difficulties. His ego arises from a sense of imperfection mental that motivating him to be better.


A new driving method for synchronous rectifier (SR) in LLC resonant converter is presented. By adding a zero-crossing noise filter (ZCNF) to the drain and source of the SR FET, the false-triggering of the SR can be effectively eliminated. Moreover, the resistor and the capacitor in the filter can be used as a compensator to solve the duty-cycle loss issue caused by the trace inductance of the MOSFET package. Only three passive components are needed in the proposed filter, which makes it reliable and easy to implement. Simulation and experimental results show that the ZCNF can significantly improve the reliability as well as the efficiency of the power circuit. A prototype of 400 V to 12 V 600-W half-bridge LLC resonant converter is built to verify the advantages of the ZCNF. An efficiency improvement of 0.8% is achieved by the ZCNF.


4 Sexual selection can drive the evolution of phenotypic traits because of female 5 preferences for exaggerated trait expression in males. Sexual selection can also lead to 6 the evolutionary loss of traits, a process to which female preferences for diminished male 7 trait expression are hypothesized to contribute. However, empirical evidence of female 8 preferences for diminished male traits is virtually lacking. Eurasian nuthatches Sitta 9 europaea provide an opportunity to test this possibility, as a chestnut flank patch produced 10 by the pigment pheomelanin is present since the first plumage of these birds and its color 11 is more intense in nestlings in poor condition in our study population. It has been proposed 12 that developing birds in poor condition may increase their production of pheomelanin as a 13 detoxifying strategy. Female nuthatches may thus prefer mating with males showing flank 14 feathers of diminished color, as this could indicate that males experienced good conditions 15 early in development, which can positively affect the fitness of future generations. Here we 16 show results according with this prediction in a wild population of Eurasian nuthatches, as 17 adult males with lighter chestnut feathers paired earlier in the season, while chestnut 18 coloration had no effect on female mating success. Chestnut color expression was not 19 affected by the body condition of birds, suggesting that females obtain information on the 20 body condition in early life of their potential mates and not on their current body condition. 21 This constitutes one of the few examples of females mating with males showing 22 diminished traits and provides the only explanation so far by which this process can occur. 23 Key-words: early life effects, female preference for diminished traits, nuthatch, plumage 24 coloration, pheomelanin, sexual selection 25


We investigate the Cauchy problem for hyperbolic equations for which the frequencies of the main Fourier components in the solution are located in a given frequency interval. Difference formulae for the spatial derivatives are constructed that are tuned to the given intervals of frequencies. Numerical examples illustrating these special discretizations are given both for linear and non-linear problems.


We measured the concentrations and isotopic compositions of He, Ne, and Ar in bulk samples and metal separates of 14 ordinary chondrite falls with long exposure ages and high metamorphic grades. In addition, we measured concentrations of the cosmogenic radionuclides 10Be, 26Al, and 36Cl in metal separates and in the nonmagnetic fractions of the selected meteorites. Using cosmogenic 36Cl and 36Ar measured in the metal separates, we determined 36Cl‐36Ar cosmic‐ray exposure (CRE) ages, which are shielding‐independent and therefore particularly reliable. Using the cosmogenic noble gases and radionuclides, we are able to decipher the CRE history for the studied objects. Based on the correlation 3He/21Ne versus 22Ne/21Ne, we demonstrate that, among the meteorites studied, only one suffered significant diffusive losses (about 35%). The data confirm that the linear correlation 3He/21Ne versus 22Ne/21Ne breaks down at high shielding. Using 36Cl‐36Ar exposure ages and measured noble gas concentrations, we determine 21Ne and 38Ar production rates as a function of 22Ne/21Ne. The new data agree with recent model calculations for the relationship between 21Ne and 38Ar production rates and the 22Ne/21Ne ratio, which does not always provide unique shielding information. Based on the model calculations, we determine a new correlation line for 21Ne and 38Ar production rates as a function of the shielding indicator 22Ne/21Ne for H, L, and LL chondrites with preatmospheric radii less than about 65 cm. We also calculated the 10Be/21Ne and 26Al/21Ne production rate ratios for the investigated samples, which show good agreement with recent model calculations.


Abstract We extend previous calculations (Bishop 1973) of the mobility edge function deduced from a localization criterion due to Economou and Cohen (1972) to certain real lattices. The Anderson transition disorder is found to be relatively insensitive to the lattice (after scaling to the appropriate bandwidth), whereas the critical site-percolation probability is extremely sensitive.


One year after the assassination of human rights defender Mr. Chai Boontonglek, a member of the Southern Peasants' Federation of Thailand (SPFT), the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned about persistent impunity in human rights murder cases.


COVID-19 turned health care, and most of the world, upside down. Telehealth, along with additional financial support at the federal and state level, helped stabilize the economic situation and provide much-needed care when North Carolinians feared visiting health care facilities. Crisis can breed opportunity, and that is exactly what happened with the use of technology to provide virtual care during COVID-19.


This paper examines the use of the often quoted remarriage studies done in the 50s by Monahan. It was found that extreme caution should be used in presentations where the redivorce rate is discussed. The current statistics certainly do not paint the bleak picture presented by Monahan. Surprisingly, when 28 current family texts were sampled for their treatment of remarriage, it was found that most do not even address the topic, and of those who do, most present the older and misleading Monahan data. It is suggested in the paper that researchers, educators, and counselors need an accurate view of the risk of remarriage following divorce, since most of those who divorce do remarry. Also, the suggestion was made that the traditional family form may not be in as much of a decline as some report. Most people stay married; of those who divorce, most (68%) have either one child or none, and most remarry.


C as Mudde recently observed that "populist radical right parties are the most studied party family in political science." While the interest of social researchers for ultra-nationalist political groups and networks—not only parties—in the West has indeed risen markedly during the last quarter of century, this cannot be said, to the same degree, about the East-Central European and especially post-Soviet far right. There exists, to be sure, a certain body of scholarly literature on these objects now too. Yet many details and circumstances of the emergence and development of relevant extremely right-wing groupings in such countries as Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, and Romania, as well as especially Serbia and Ukraine, still remain to be explored, contextualized, and interpreted. This is in spite of the fact that some of these parties were temporarily included in their countries' coalition governments. With regard to the largest post-Soviet country, the situation is somewhat better, but essentially similar. Whereas Russian contemporary ultra-nationalism was an understudied field in the 1990s, there is today a formidable circle of Russian and Western researchers studying the various permutations of Russia's extreme right. But even this growing community's rising output is so far insufficiently differentiated, voluminous, and balanced to cover the whole variety of radically anti-Western tendencies in Russian politics, intellectual life, mass media, youth culture, and society at large. Worse, Russian rightwing extremism studies has, during the last 25 years, been dominated by non-tenured researchers—above all, Marlene Laruelle, Aleksandr Verkhovskii, and the late Vladimir Pribylovskii—who managed to produce the subdiscipline's seminal texts while being busy with raising the funds to do so. Various donors, among them the Norway Research Council at Oslo or Carnegie Council on Ethics in International Affairs at New York, have recently provided grants to more deeply investigate Russia's escalating nationalism. A number of tenured and non-tenured scholars across the world have decided to devote parts of their time to following the Russian extreme right. Yet, there appears to be no major political science chair or think-tank program—apart from Verkhovskii's small Andreas Umland is Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Euro-Atlantic Cooperation in Kyiv (umland@stanfordalumni. org). He is General Editor of the Germany-based book series Soviet and Post-Soviet Politics and Society (http://www. ibidemverlag.de/Series/Soviet-and-Post-Soviet-Politics-andSociety/) as well as Consulting Editor of the Journal of Soviet and Post-Soviet Politics and Society (http://www. ibidemverlag.de/Series/Journal-of-Soviet-and-Post-SovietPolitics-and-Society/) distributed by Columbia University Press. He blogs with, among others, the Atlantic Council, Harvard International Review, The Globalist, Die Zeit, Focus Online, andNovoe vremia (Kyiv). Leonid Luks and Jeffrey C. Isaac provided useful feedback on a draft of this article.


The invention discloses an oxidized grapheme/polyaniline super capacitor composite electrode material and the preparation method and the application thereof. The preparation method comprise the following steps: firstly, adding oxidized graphite to water for ultrasonic dispersion so as to form an oxidized grapheme solution with uniformly dispersed single pieces; at room temperature, dropping aniline to the obtained oxidized grapheme solution for continuous ultrasonic dispersion to from a mixed solution; at a low temperature condition, adding hydrogen peroxide, ferric trichloride and a hydrochloric acid solution dropwise to the mixed solution, and stirring the solution for polymerization; and after the reaction is finished, centrifugating, washing and roasting the obtained mixed solution in vacuum to obtain the oxidized grapheme/polyaniline super capacitor composite electrode material which is used as the electrode material of an electricity storage system of a super capacitor and a battery. The oxidized grapheme/polyaniline super capacitor composite electrode material with good electrochemistry performance is obtained by the method, and the specific capacity of the oxidized grapheme and the polyaniline is greatly improved. In addition, the addition of the oxidized grapheme improves the charge and discharge service life of the polyaniline.


Since the problem definition mentioned in the title of this paper is very broad it was narrowed down to temperature sensing using the IoT device and demonstrating the machine learning capabilities using the TensorFlow with the Python libraries. The data was started collecting starting 1:45 PM and collected till 6:00 PM. As the temperature in India starts cooling down from 2:00 till the evening, we should be getting down-ward slope i.e temperature starts tapering down. It is clearly linear regression problem where the slope is down-ward as we proceed further in time line. If we start collecting the data in the morning and collect till after-noon we should again get the linear regression model however this time the temperature increases as we proceed in the time line till 2:00 PM.


Firstly,this paper analyzes the principle of clock synchronization in distributed system,introduces a synchronous algorithm based on UDP multicast communication in distributed system,and tests it practically,obtains good effect.


The copper-based alloy with high-strength and high-conductivity performances has a wide application prospect in the fields of modern electronic technology and electricity transfers,which is attractive field in the study of copper-based material.The research progress of obtaining copper-based alloys with high-strength and high-conductivity was reviewed in this paper,and the advanced technologies and research actuality of the highperformance copper-based alloy are presented as well.


Abstract The ozonolysis of 2,6-dimethyl-2,6-octadiene and 2-butene as model compounds for polyisoprene and polybutadiene was investigated using gas chromatography to follow the reaction. Ozonolysis led to mixtures containing mainly the corresponding carbonyl compounds and peroxy compounds, such as ozonides and polymeric peroxides. Ozonization of the model compounds in the presence of antiozonants or addition of antiozonants to the ozonized model compounds indicated that antiozonants react at least in three different ways: (a) All effective antiozonants reacted rapidy with ozone. (b) All antiozonants reacted readily with ozonides and slowly with polymeric peroxides, whereby the corresponding carbonyl compounds were formed. (c) Difunctional secondary amines, such as p-phenylenediamines, reacted readily with the formed aldehydes leading to polymeric compounds. In ozonized polydiene vulcanizates, a relinking of severed chain ends is achieved by this reaction, whereby the diamine becomes attached to the rubber...


This thesis is a analyzing of disk cam motion follower shape in horizontal position using roller follower. The objective of this thesis is to analyze disk cam profile using roller follower that neglected the friction as the interruption. This thesis also analyzes the disk cam motion in horizontal follower position. The performance of the disk cam mechanism system is based upon the shape of the cam, type of the follower that will be used, and what the application that the cam is used it, wherever high speed application or low speed application. The method that will be used in analyzing the disk cam mechanism in this thesis is two, using the theoretical manner that is graphical method and the experimental method using the Dewesoft software. The comparison between these two methods will be discussed and the characteristics of this shape of the cam will be analyzed. From this thesis, show that this type of cam only suitable for low speed application because it will endure the high vibration while operating in high sped application. Vibration is some sort of cause of failure to the mechanism that can give disadvantage to the industries nowadays. It also causes the system to go unbalance while operating and draw the system to fail if no action that will take.


This study is focused in the anal that the impulsive and Gaussian noise have broadcasting. The analysis is based on radio no The measurement campaign and the system for Mondiale (DRM) performance evaluation are noise measurements have been taken in the Me and the Gaussian noise (WGN) and impulsiv been characterized. The previous measured n with different transmission modes of DRM and reception are studied.


The protein particles in soymilk were fractionated in size by differential centrifugation. Particles of more than 100 nm in diameter (LSP) constituted 40% of the total protein in raw soymilk, 70% of the protein components being 11S globulin. LSP was not formed in the presence of 2-mercaptoethanol and sodium ascorbate. LSP was decreased by heating, and particles of 100–40 nm in diameter (MSP) were increased. The formation of MSP was not due to any degradation of LSP but to the combination of supernatant proteins of less than 40 nm in diameter with each other. MSP formed by heating contained the β subunit of 7S and the basic subunit of 11S as main components. The particles of more than 40 nm in diameter (LSP + MSP) constituted 50% of the total protein in both raw soymilk and soymilk.


The mode and origin of cracking of lithium tetraborate ( Li2B4O7) single crystals during growth using a resistance heating furnace have been studied. The relationship between the formation mechanism of anomalous growth ridges and the occurrence of cracking was examined. It is concluded that a high temperature gradient near the interface and small temperature fluctuations in the melt are needed for growing a crack-free 3-inch-diameter Li2B4O7 single crystal.


In a recent paper, we investigated possible systematic uncertainties related to the Cepheid color–luminosity calibration method and their influence on the tension between the Hubble constant as inferred from distances to Type Ia supernovae and the cosmic microwave background as measured with the Planck satellite. Here, we study the impact of other sources of uncertainty in the supernova distance ladder, including Cepheid temperature and metallicity variations, supernova magnitudes, and GAIA parallax distances. Using Cepheid data in 19 Type Ia supernova host galaxies from Riess et al., anchor data from Riess et al., and a set of recalibrated Milky Way Cepheid distances, we obtain H 0 = 71.9 ± 2.2 km s−1 Mpc−1, 2.0σ from the Planck value. Excluding Cepheids with estimated color excesses Eˆ(V−I)=0.15 mag to mitigate the impact of the Cepheid color–luminosity calibration, the inferred Hubble constant is H 0 = 68.1 ± 2.6 km s−1 Mpc−1, removing the tension with the Planck value.


Reflections from the sea surface affect the acoustic power radiated by sound sources located at shallow depths. Furthermore, these surface reflections produce propagation anomalies characterized by a pattern of interference fringes and, at larger range, by abnormally high spreading losses known as the acoustic Lloyd mirror effect. Both phenomena are well known for simple, nondirectional sources. They are studied here for directive sources whose directivity patterns have a horizontal or tilted main lobe. Directive sources differ from simple sources in that the surface‐reflected and direct rays are of different intensity. This causes a marked blurring of the interference fringe pattern, but has a negligible effect on the propagation anomaly at the long ranges where the Lloyd mirror effect holds. The effect on power output of phase cancellations and reinforcements by surface‐reflected sound waves is generally less marked than for a simple source. (This work was sponsored by the Office of Naval Research.)


The relationship between internationalization and performance is one of the most important and fundamental issue in the IB literature. However, in spite of the large amount of studies during past few decades, mixed findings have been reported. Most of studies neglected contextual factors and mainly focused on advanced nations. This study made an attempt to examine the relationship between internationalization and performance based in an emerging economy (China), which has provided a unique research setting and sheds new lights on this relationship. In addition, it also tested the moderating effects of firm-specific capabilities and institution factors on the relationship. The result, based on a longitudinal sample of manufacturing firms in China, reveals an S-shape relationship between internationalization and performance for Chinese firms. Also, we found R&D intensity has a negative moderating effect at the initial stage of internationalization. Besides, governance structure also moderates the relationship such that SOEs are more likely to be less profitable through internationalization.


Recombinant human bone morphogenetic proten-2 (rhBMP-2) has an osteoinductivity and it is therefore used as a bone graft substitute. Currently in a clinical setting, mammalian cell origin rhBMP-2 is used. Due to its low yield and a high cost, however, it is disadvantageous in that it cannot be widely used. Given this background, we synthesized E.coli-derived rhBMP-2 and then confirmed the presence of rhBMP-2 using SDS-PAGE and western blot. Besides, using human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining, Alizarin-red staining (AR-S), ALP activity assay and calcium assay were performed for 100 ng/ml or 500 ng/ml rhBMP-2. Furthermore, the RT-PCR was performed for the gene expression of bone sialoprotein (BSP), collagen I and ALP. Besides, using SD-rat abdominal muscle pouch model, an ectopic bone formation was evaluated. SDS-PAGE and Western blot results showed that purified rhBM P-2 is the same of reference rhBM P-2. In addition, ALP staining property and AR-S one were of relatively higher degree on days 7 and 21, respectively, in the rhBMP-2 group. Besides, the degree of ALP and calcium assay were also significantly higher in the rhBMP-2. From day 7 on, the mRNA expression of ALP and BSP was of relatively higher degree in the rhBMP-2 group. Rat abdomen ectopic bone formation was confirmed in all the nine samples of the rhBMP-2 group. Based on these results, E.coli-derived rhBMP-2 has osteoblastic differentiation and ectopic bone formation. This led to the confirmation that it could also be used as a bone substitute.


Successful 3D imaging requires accurate and robust methods for scatter estimation and correction. We developed a computationally efficient fully 3D approach modeling both the axial and trans-axial scatter components. Simulation results showed good agreement with the Monte Carlo scatter and improved image quality (IQ). We tested the proposed algorithm on clinical data with similar IQ improvements.


Based on Brownian dynamics simulations, we investigate the thermodynamic signatures of non-equilibrium steady states in a confined colloidal suspensions under shear flow. Specifically, we consider a thin film consisting of charged particles in narrow slit-pore confinement, forming two layers with quadratic in-plane structure in equilibrium. This many-body system displays three distinct steady states, characterized by unique dynamical and rheological response to the applied shear flow. Calculating the work and heat, we find that both quantities indicate the different states by their mean and by their distributions. A particularly interesting situation occurs at large shear rates, where the particles perform a collective zig-zag motion. Here, we find a bistability regarding the degree of phase synchronization of the particle motion. It turns out that this bistability is key to understanding the resulting ensemble-averaged work distributions. For all states, we compare the work and heat distributions to those of effective single-particle systems. By this, we aim at identifying the many-body character of the stochastic thermodynamic quantities.


Carbonic anhydrase of human erythrocytes was separated by polyacrylamide electrophoresis into four fractions determined, obviously, by two loci, CAI and CAII. Investigation of Moscow population sample of 458 men (516 healthy and 42 with schizophrenia) showed monomorphism of carbonic anhydrase for these two loci. Carbonic anhydrase I and carbonic anhydrase II were differentiated with fluorogenic substrates. The polymorphic variant of CAII was discovered while studying the sample of Siberian mongoloids (Evenks and Jakuts) with frequency 0,047 and 0,045, respectively.


Tissue cultures of pecan [Carya illinoensis (Wangenh.) C. Koch] were initiated from embryo explants collected weekly from 12 weeks post-pollination until fruit maturity. Three cultures derived from immature embryos collected 14 weeks postpollination produced primary somatic embryos within 1 month following transfer from modified woody plant medium (WPM) with 2.0 mgliter−1 2,4-D and 0.25 mg liter−1 BA in the light to hormone-free medium in the dark. Scanning electron microscopy documented the development of secondary embryos, which followed a globular, heartshaped, and torpedo-stage developmental sequence. Chemical names used: (2,4-di-chlorophenoxy) acetic acid (2,4-D), N-(phenylmethyl)-1H-purin-6-amine (BA), and 1H-indole-3-butanoic acid (IBA).


Necessary and sufficient conditions for the formation of trapped surfaces in a class of nonspherical systems are proven. Massive singularities, if they exist in the geometries discussed, are always surrounded by apparent horizons. Milder singularities that are strongly nonspherical might be naked. Implications concerning the validity of the hoop conjecture are discussed


— The effect of carbon nanofibers (CNFs) on the electrical properties of Poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) (P(VdF-HFP)) based gel polymer electrolytes has been investigated in the present work. The length and diameter ranges of CNFs used in the present work are 5-50 µm and 200-600 nm respectively. The nanocomposite gel polymer electrolytes have been synthesized by solution casting technique with varying CNFs content in terms of weight percentage. Electrochemical impedance analysis demonstrates that the reinforcement of carbon nanofibers significantly enhances the ionic conductivity of the polymer electrolyte. The decrease of crystallinity of P(VdF-HFP) due the addition of CNFs has been confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The interaction of CNFs with various constituents of nanocomposite gel polymer electrolytes has been assessed by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Moreover CNFs added gel polymer electrolytes offer superior thermal stability as compared to that of CNFs free electrolytes as confirmed by Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).


This article aims to analyse the literary treatment of the mass media in the crime novel. This aspect of this literary genre has not been deeply analysed and it has a double function. On the one hand, mass media provide very useful information for the detective or private investigator in the novel. On the other hand, they allow the author not only to present a critical view of the society but also of the way mass media work. On the basis of these analysis parameters, the article analyses with detail the function of the mass media in the work of two very well known authors of crime novels.


Seeds of broad bean (Vicia faba L.) var. major were treated with 0.25%, 0.50%, 0.75%, 1.00%, 1.25% and 1.50% concentrations of 8-Hydroxy Quinoline (8-HQ) to find out variability in seven quantitative traits viz. plant height, days to flowering, days to maturity, number of pods/plant, number of seeds/pod, number of seeds/plant and 100-seed weight. The direction of shift in mean values for plant height, days to flowering and days to maturity indicated that negative micromutations out-weighed the positive ones. While the reverse was true for pods/plant, seeds/pod, seeds/plant and 100-seed weight in lower concentrations of the mutagen while as negative trend was observed at the higher concentration. Coefficient of variation was recorded to be higher in mutagen treated populations.


Latest Ordovician and earliest Silurian tabulate corals of the South China paleoplate are summarized at the generic level. In contrast to the abundant late Katian records, there is no record of tabulate corals in the early–middle Hirnantian rocks in South China, lithostratigraphically represented by the Kuanyinchiao Formation and its equivalents. The tabulate fauna from the late Hirnantian and the earliest Silurian rocks of South China is characterized by the occurrence of three cosmopolitan genera: Paleofavosites, Propora and Halysites. They differ morphologically from the pre-Hirnantian tabulate corals of South China. Such a long-ranging and low-diversity tabulate coral fauna also indicates a warm but somewhat unfavorable living environment during the survival interval after the second pulse of the end-Ordovician mass extinction.


Abstract With big data algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI) at stake the optimal assembly of the most appropriate lab assays selected to diagnose, treat and follow up patients suffering from well-delineated disease may get lost. The physician ordering a lab test, instead of asking for a good composition of screening tests is tempted to order a large number of assays, including genome sequencing hoping to find the diagnostic evidence for his/her patient at once. Four major specialities of medical laboratory assays, i.e. clinical chemistry, hematology, immunology and microbiology are embraced by genome sequencing techniques and have attained the degree of robotics, facilitating assays to such a degree, that the prescriber is free of concern as to how costly/complicated an investigation might become. Diagnostics with autoimmune diseases is not an exemption and autoantibody screening using multiplex assays or therapeutic drug monitoring to adjust treatments of inflammatory/autoimmune diseases is bound to become more and more informative even more so as the pharmacodynamics of modern pharmaceutical agents are explored. As the most appropriate therapeutical agents to monitor in the lab, biological response modifiers, immunosuppressants and monoclonal antibodies are at the forefront and we need to explore their efficacy and side effect profiles not only using phase III clinical studies but also by using postmarketing surveillance. Behind the profiles provided by big data and artificial intelligence, the therapeutically-induced regained immune balance can thus be traced to the single best lab assay. The next decade promises a series of new assays, e.g. inflammasome profiles, lymphocyte markers by fluorescence activated cell sorters as well as single cell secretome analysis.


It is demonstrated with both spreading resistance measurements and deep level transient spectroscopy that hydrogenation neutralizes the oxygen‐related thermal‐donor defect in n‐type silicon. Hydrogen neutralization of shallow‐donor dopants (e.g., phosphorus) is also illustrated. A model which accounts for shallow‐donor passivation is applied to explain the interaction between hydrogen and thermal donors.


Barbara Keogh has long been concerned with the quality of research in the LD field. In looking to the future, she builds on the many issues and problems raised by the survey respondents and organizes the concerns under four major questions which she suggests can direct and guide research and practice. • Can LD be clearly and reliably differentiated from other mild handicaps? • Can conceptual and relevant distinctions be identified within the broad LD category? • Can treatment-condition links be demonstrated? • What are the social and cultural influences on LD? Keogh presents a brief overview of the current state of the art to provide a context for considering each question and then offers her views on where we need to go from here and how we can get there. Among her conclusions, she sees as essential (a) the differentiation of LD from other problems, (b) identification of logical ways to organize the individual variations which characterize LD groups, (c) the gathering of data on such variations and on the specifics of intervention activity (in order to clarify treatment-condition links), and (d) recognition of social/cultural and social system influences on the nature of child and institutional transactions and on LD identification and provision of services. Her suggestions for the immediate future stress the importance of temporarily separating the study of LD as a problem in development from concerns for service delivery, of thoroughly documenting program practices, and of rethinking our notions of definition and adopting a "shared attribute" approach. How shall the field accomplish all this? Keogh cautions it will be a slow and painful process and explores why this is likely to be the case. At the same time, she sees the time as being right for making sense out ofLD. At one point in her presentation, Keogh states, "Many readers will not endorse the suggestions which follow, as they may appear to go against conventional wisdom and long-held beliefs." Do you endorse her ideas or do you have other directions to propose for the future? Let us know—Howard Adelman, PhD, and Linda Taylor, PhD


CJD continues to be an increasing problem for perioperative practitioners to be aware of. Maureen Dyke reviews the implications for perioperative practice.


Tribal community in the Bukit Bulan area, Limun District, Sarolangun Regency, Jambi. This research aims to identify the ethnobotany of food plant species by the Penghulu Tribe community in Sarolangun Regency, Jambi Province. This research was conducted in Napal Melintang and Meribung Villages. Research method ethnobotanical data on food plants were obtained through qualitative data collection techniques through in-depth interviews, in contrast, potential data were obtained through vegetation analysis and exploration methods. The study's results identified as many as 88 species from 35 families of food plants originating from cultivation and wild plants, which herbaceous plants dominated. Based on the results of interviews, there are many food plant species in the forest habitat. The part of the plant that is widely used by the community is fruit, and this is because people generally grow fruit in their yards and community gardens. Cultivators mostly use food plants for direct consumption. Conclusion this research The Penghulu tribe community's dependence on food plants is still high because they can utilize, gather, and process them. 88 species of food plants have been identified from 35 families, of which 77 produce carbohydrates, vegetables, and fruit.


In this paper, a new frame rate up-conversion scheme is proposed in order to overcome motion blur problems of liquid crystal displays caused by slow responses. Conventional bilateral motion estimation methods used in the frame rate upconversion scheme present a major drawback of missing true motion vectors if there are blocks with simple textures in search range. To solve this problem, a texture adaptive bilateral motion estimation method increasing the cost value of a block with simple texture is proposed. Also a motion estimation scheme that utilizes neighboring motion vector effectively is proposed to reduce computation time required to estimate motion. Since the proposed scheme does not apply all available motion vectors within search range, the execution time of frame rate up conversion can be reduced dramatically. Experimental results show that the interpolated frame image quality is improved as well as the processing time of the proposed method is greatly reduced compared with those of conventional methods.


pivotal position of vision in the relationship between man and the external world. The interpretation and understanding of vision has attracted metaphysical and aesthetic, as well as scientific, epistemological and medical interest. Commentators quoted on a particular topic thus range widely: the section on colour contrast, for example, includes extracts from Ptolemy, Wade's coverage of binocularity is particularly interesting, drawing on discussions of the nature of the pathways from the eye to the brain, single and double vision, eye dominance and contour rivalry. Despite the early appreciation of retinal disparity and binocular single vision, the theoretical link came only with Charles Wheatstone in the mid-nineteenth century, with the insight that singleness of vision did not preclude depth perception on the basis of retinal disparity. Wade presents an accessible account of the various theoretical positions, and the survey of binocularity is enlivened by the inclusion of some of the delightful Rubens frontispieces from Aguilonius' Opticorum libri sex (1613). The juxtaposition of diverse perspectives and presentation of a broad chronological range can be stimulating, but has some limitations for historical interpretation. Wade acknowledges that his commentators were not necessarily aware of their predecessors in the field, and in a work of this scale it is not practicable to present the background and concerns of each author. However, the book's thematic ordering does result in mixing very different discourses and contexts, and a sometimes "whiggish" sense of the development of scientific understanding. A natural history of vision offers a wide range of fascinating material on sight and optics, both textual and illustrative. As Wade acknowledges, the texts are necessarily selective and in many cases are given in translation, though with sources clearly cited. In some places diagrams are separated from their associated text by a few pages, and would benefit from a cross-reference. Wade includes an extensive bibliography and comprehensive subject and name indices. These, together with the clear thematic overviews and the richness of the quoted texts, make A natural history of vision a valuable source book for anybody with an interest in vision and its interpretative history, whether from a medical, philosophical or psychological perspective. Paul Dijstelberge and Leo Noordegraaf (compilers), Plague and print in the Netherlands: a short-title catalogue of This catalogue covers works published before 1800, printed in the Low Countries or written by Dutch authors, primarily concerning the plague or substantially referring to it. A bibliography of later …


To research the color management for monitors,ICC Profiles were created by using different software,including Monaco Optix 2.0,Monaco Profiler 4.7.2,Pulse ColorElite 1.0.2,and X-Rite DTP94 spectrophotometer for LCD(DELL) and CRT(SAMSUNG,MAG) monitors.By comparing the color differences of the profiles,the quantitative analysis of the software and the device were carried out.The experiment proved that Monaco Profiler 4.7.2 and the monitors of SUMSUNG and MAG might be selected preferentially when the color management is needed.


The purpose of this research is to describe (1) dance extracurricular planning in instilling disciplined and independent characters in upper class students at SD Aisyiyah Featured Gemolong, (2) Implementation of dance extracurricular activities in instilling disciplined and independent characters in upper class students at SD Aisyiyah Featured Gemolong, (3) Extracurricular evaluation of dance in instilling disciplined and independent character in upper class students at SD Aisyiyah Unggulan Gemolong. This research uses qualitative research type, using descriptive qualitative research design. The results obtained are (1) Planning extracurricular dance activities in instilling disciplined and independent characters not using RPP and syllabus (2) Implementation of dance extracurricular activities in instilling disciplined and independent characters in the form, direction and guidance of teachers so that students obey the rules at school and in class and habituation students always learn by themselves. The constraint of the teacher in instilling discipline and independent character is the presence of facilities and infrastructure factors and student factors. Teacher solutions in overcoming obstacles instill discipline and independent character by optimizing existing classrooms as well as habits and approaches to students. (3) Extracurricular evaluation of dance in instilling discipline and independent character through affective and psychomotor assessments through direct observation by the teacher, and making improvements to the movement at the time the activity takes place and at the end of the activity takes place.


A study was done to quantify the release of calcium ions from calcium hydroxide containing root canal sealers and their pH at various time intervals and the antimicrobial action. pH was measured using the pHmeter and the calcium amount using the atomic absorption spectrometer. Six strains of microorganisms were used to evaluate the antimicrobial action of the sealers using Agar diffusion test. Seal apex showed the maximum release of calcium ion and pH level at 30 days but with no antibacterial effect.


In this paper a nonparametric estimator of the expected value of a discounted semi-Markov reward chain is proposed. Its asymptotic properties are established and as a consequence of the asymptotic normality the confidence sets are obtained. An application in quality of life modelling is described.

Keywords: Discrete semi-Markov processes, empirical estimators, asymptotic properties, quality of life.


The effects of geometry, absorption and multiple scattering in (n,X$gamma$) reaction measurements with solid-cylinder samples are investigated. Both analytical and Monte-Carlo methods are employed in the analysis. Geometric effects are shown to be relatively insignificant except in definition of the scattering angles. However, absorption and multiple-scattering effects are quite important; accurate microscopic differential cross sections can be extracted from experimental data only after a careful determination of corrections for these processes. The results of measurements performed using several natural iron samples (covering a wide range of sizes) confirm validity of the correction procedures described herein. It is concluded that these procedures are reliable whenever sufficiently accurate neutron and photon cross section and angular distribution information is available for the analysis. (13 figures, 5 tables) (auth)


Novel stiff, tough, highly transparent and ultra-extensible self-assembled nanocomposite elastomers based on poly(2-methoxyethylacrylate) (polyMEA) were synthesized. The materials are physically crosslinked by small in-situ-formed silica nanospheres, sized 3–5 nm, which proved to be a very efficient macro-crosslinker in the self-assembled network architecture. Very high values of yield stress (2.3 MPa), tensile strength (3.0 MPa), and modulus (typically 10 MPa), were achieved in combination with ultra-extensibility: the stiffest sample was breaking at 1610% of elongation. Related nanocomposites doubly filled with nano-silica and clay nano-platelets were also prepared, which displayed interesting synergy effects of the fillers at some compositions. All the nanocomposites exhibit 'plasto-elastic' tensile behaviour in the 'as prepared' state: they display considerable energy absorption (and also 'necking' like plastics), but at the same time a large but not complete (50%) retraction of deformation. However, after the first large tensile deformation, the materials irreversibly switch to 'real elastomeric' tensile behaviour (with some creep). The initial 'plasto-elastic' stretching thus causes an internal rearrangement. The studied materials, which additionally are valuable due to their high transparency, could be of application interest as advanced structural materials in soft robotics, in implant technology, or in regenerative medicine. The presented study focuses on structure-property relationships, and on their effects on physical properties, especially on the complex tensile, elastic and viscoelastic behaviour of the polyMEA nanocomposites.


The CPC was born in distress, grew up in tribulation, and grew up in overcoming risks. In the past 102 years, our party has been able to develop from 53 party members to a large party with over 98 million party members, which is because the whole party has always adhered to not forgetting its original intention and mission. Socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era. The party, which starts from a small boat, must create a new and greater miracle of the Chinese nation in the new era. Only by not forgetting its original intention and keeping its mission in mind. To truly and comprehensively understand the theoretical connotation and contemporary value of the CPC's "original mission", we must understand the generation logic of the original mission. This article will explain why the CPC has determined and always adhered to this original mission from the three dimensions of theory, reality and history.


ABSTRACT This paper presents experimental investigation on E-Glass Epoxy laminated composites subjected to drop weight impact test as per ASTM-D7136M in marine environment. Glass Epoxy specimens with three different orientations were fabricated using compression moulding. These specimens were immersed in artificial sea water of 3.5% salinity in laboratory for period of 15 and 30 days at three different temperatures of 4°C, 23°C and 45°C. The specimens were given central impact as per the testing standards. The test results are obtained for contact force, deflection, and breaking energy of specimens was compared between virgin and immersed specimens. It is observed that impact behaviour of composites is marginally affected over the selected range of immersion temperature. The layup sequence is also found to influence the behaviour in major way. The changes in delamination area due to temperature of immersion are reported.


Objective To explore the clinical value of counting abnormal red blood cell(RBC)in bloody urine under optical microscope in localizing and diagnosing glomerular bloody urine. Methods The RBCs in 220 cases of hematuria were observed under optical microscope and classified into pleomorphic abnormal RBCs, single morphological abnormal RBCs and normal morphological RBCs. The specimens which were found to have pleomorphic abnormal RBCs were diagnosed as glomerular hematuria. Results The increase of RBCs of pleomorphic abnormal changes was found in most specimens of glomerular hematuria(87. 6%). Most RBCs had normal form (93.9%) in the specimens of non - glomerular hematuria and no pleomorphic abnormal RBCs were found in these specimens. When pleomorphic abnormal RBCS were used to decide whether the hematuria was glomerular or not,the specificity and sensitivity in location were 100.0% and 87.6% respectively. Conclusion Direct observation and counting of RBCs in hematuria have proved to have high sensitivity and specificity in location and can act as a primary screening measure in judging the origin of RBCs in bloody urine.


Introduction: Contact heat evoked potentials (CHEPs) represent a new neurophysiological method of functional testing of small nerve fi bers and the spinothalamic tracts. The study aimed to confi rm the validity of published normal values for this method in the Czech population and to evaluate the infl uence of physiological and test-related variables on the CHEPs response. Patients and methods: Two groups were included in the study – a healthy control group (97 healthy volunteers; 53 women; age range 20–82 years) and a group of patients with diabetic distal sensorimotor polyneuropathy (DSPN group, 37 patients; 14 women; age range 29–77 years). In all of the participants, CHEPs were examined in the dorsum of the hand and above the ankle using basic and intensive temperature algorithm. Results: The CHEPs testing was mostly well-tolerated. The vast majority of the latencies and amplitudes of the CHEPs responses obtained in the healthy control group fell within the reference range according to the published normal values. Testrelated variables showed also a highly signifi cant impact on CHEPs values – the latencies were shorter in hands (compared to the calf) and whenever the intensive temperature algorithm was used (p < 0.001 in both cases). Women had signifi cantly higher amplitudes and shorter latencies (p < 0.05). Older volunteers had signifi cantly lower amplitudes (p < 0.05) than the younger ones. The DSPN group had longer latencies (p < 0.05) and lower amplitudes (p < 0.05) in comparison with control group. Conclusion: The study confi rmed validity of published normal values for the Czech population. For precise evaluation of the results, physiological (gender, age) and test-related parameters (tested area, temperature algorithm) should be taken into account. On a group level, CHEPs proved to be a useful tool for small-nerve fi ber dysfunction assessment in DSPN. Autoři deklarují, že v souvislosti s předmětem studie nemají žádné komerční zájmy. The authors declare they have no potential confl icts of interest concerning drugs, products, or services used in the study. Redakční rada potvrzuje, že rukopis práce splnil ICMJE kritéria pro publikace zasílané do biomedicínských časopisů. The Editorial Board declares that the manuscript met the ICMJE "uniform requirements" for


: In Model Based Software Development, sometimes it is required to transform the model and respective software code from one platform to another platform that is having different tool setup. For example, transforming a legacy model to the newly adapted architecture or transforming a model supplied from third party to production model and so on. Once the model is adapted to the new platform, there will be changes in the model, hence the code generated from the model can be different from that of legacy artifacts. After transformation activity, developers have to be sure that the new model and code is functionally equivalent to that of the old set. It is also important from quality standpoint that there are no deviations in the functionality after migration. With most of the compilation toolchains being closed source it is difficult to identify the issues during migration unlike in systems engineering. Achieving functional equivalence between the production artifacts and the reference/legacy artifacts provide conformity to the engineer of successful migration. In this paper, a methodology is proposed in which even with non-availability of few artifacts from legacy setup, functional equivalence is achieved using Model in loop and software in loop simulation results matchup. The method and the results are presented in the paper with two different use cases.


Modem systems are getting more and more complex, incorporating new technology to meet customer's high expectations. Hardware, software and data communications are integrated to make systems function properly. One example is a critical power system, which provides electrical power to a data center or to semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Reliability techniques of fault-tolerance, true redundancy, multiple grid connections, concurrent maintenance and so forth are applied in design to provide high system reliability. The techniques make the system larger and more complicated in configuration and behavior. Application of modeling tools and analysis methods to such highly reliable, large, complex and repairable systems is discussed in this paper, based on the experience of assessing critical power systems. The use of reliability block diagram plus simulation is recommended as one of the best engineering practices in planning for such large complex repairable systems.


Snake bite poisoning is an emergency condition with significant morbidity and mortality. It is more prevalent in Terai and Inner Terai regions of Nepal especially during monsoon season. There is no study on snake bite poisoning in adults in this part of the country after the introduction of national snake bite management guideline in 2003. This retrospective study was conducted to evaluate the clinico-epidemiological profile, amount of anti-snake venom used and outcome of snake bites. Six hundred and thirty eight cases of snake bite poisoning above the age of 15 years admitted in emergency department of the hospital, over a period of 6 years from 2004/2005 to 2009/2010 were evaluated retrospectively. The study showed almost equal numbers of bites in males and females (50.3% vs 49.7%) with two third of victims of 15 to 45 years of age. Most of the poisonings (68%) was seen during June, July and August months corresponding to the monsoon season in Nepal. Majority of the victims could not identify the snakes (45 %).Fingers & hands were bitten in majority cases (43 %). Ptosis was observed in all cases of snake bite poisoning. About 21% of the adults had respiratory distress needing respiratory support. Average ASV used was 21.3 vials. Case fatality rate (CFR) was 11.9% with more fatality on those with respiratory distress. As mortality due to snakebite poisoning and consumption of antisnake venom is still high with the use of national protocol 2003, further study to evaluate alternate protocol is recommended.


Stable high frequency oscillating and amplifying devices are prepared from bulk semiconductor materials which have a positive differential conductivity at relatively low frequencies and a negative differential conductivity in some ranges of relatively high frequencies. The materials used are further characterized in that there is charge carrier transfer or population redistribution from a lower mobility band or low mobility impurity level to a higher mobility band, an effect opposite to that of Gunn effect devices. Materials suitable for the devices of this invention may be selected from a representative group of suitably doped III-V compounds, for example, N-type InSb, N-type alloys of the form InGaAs, where 0.53.<x<1.0, InAsP, where 0.303-31.0, In, Al Sb where 0.9 Kral.0, stressed N-type germanium, or stressed P-type germanium and silicon. PATENTED AUG31197 3, 6 O2,84l NVENTOR I JAMES C. McCRODDY


To improve the performance of foil bearing including load capacity and stability, the surface micro groove structure on top foil is proposed, which is possible with the development of surface micro machining process. The micro groove structure on top foil can be processed by laser surface process, chemical etching, mechanical grinding, etc. This paper proposes a novel bump-type gas foil journal bearing with surface micro-grooved top foil and investigates the influence of micro groove depth on bearing performance theoretically. A modified pressure governing equation is established with the consideration of gas rarefaction, and the performance of the bearing is analyzed based on numerical simulation. By considering the variation of top foil thickness for surface micro groove, the load capacities with and without gas rarefaction considered are obtained by finite difference method, where the 2D thick plate model is adopted for the top foil. By employing the perturbation method, the force coefficients of this type foil bearing are calculated. The results indicate this novel foil journal bearing with surface micro-grooved top foil can decrease the end leakage and increase pressure around load domain efficiently. The load capacity and dynamic properties are improved. Moreover, with the increment of micro groove depth, the load capacity and direct stiffness are reinforced further. For the foil journal bearing with a micro groove depth of 8 µm on top foil, the load capacity and direct stiffness increase by about 11.89% and 11.87%, respectively, compared with traditional foil journal bearing.


Wikipedia Foundation's Ex-Chief Operating Officer Has a Criminal Record. The type of headline every employer dreads seeing in the newspaper. Carolyn Bothwell Doran had been promoted from a parttime bookkeeper for the Wikimedia Foundation (the foundation that runs and accepts donations for the online encyclopedia, Wikipedia) and spent six months as chief operating officer, responsible for personnel and financial management. But, the Wikimedia Foundation had failed to run a rudimentary background check—if it had, it would have discovered that Doran had spent time in prison for a hit-and-run accident, had multiple drunken-driving convictions, and had run-ins with authorities for theft, writing bad checks, and wounding her boyfriend with a gunshot to the chest. No wonder employers have begun turning to the Internet as a source of job applicant pre-screening.


Especially in chemoresistant cancers, such as lung and pancreatic cancer, there is a clear need to understand molecular mechanisms behind drug resistance and develop effective therapies. Resistance can be caused by a range of mechanisms, including modulation by microRNAs (miRNAs). miRNAs are involved in many biological processes and have been implicated in cancer initiation and progression. However, they can also alter cellular response to anticancer agents by modulating survival pathways, apoptosis and DNA repair systems. One of the major features of miRNAs is their ability to target multiple genes and therefore interfere in multiple pathways. This explains their role in multiple pathways involved in resistance and makes them attractive as novel class of therapeutic targets. Here, we describe the molecular basis of miRNAs in anticancer drug resistance, including alterations in cell survival and apoptosis, as well as drug targets. The possibility to modulate miRNA expression to enhance drug sensitivity and the development of miRNA-based therapeutics as novel drugs is discussed. The implications are illustrated with a clinical focus on the application of miRNAs in pancreatic cancer and lung cancer, for which resistance to current therapies remains a major problem.


Abstract. A plasmonic lens composed of a dielectric-filled nanoslits structure on an aluminum film is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The slits' structure is designed with equal distance, length, and width, but filled with variant thickness SiO2 dielectric for specific phase retardations. A dual focused ion beam instrument is employed to mill the slits and deposit SiO2 into the slits. The phase modulation by SiO2-filled slits is illustrated by a double slits interference experiment. The light focusing behavior of the fabricated plasmonic lens is experimentally characterized by a scanning near-field optical microscope. Experimental results show good agreement with the simulations.


Three single CSF proteins with different molecular size (albumin. immunoglobulin G, and α2‐macroglobulin) were determined by the method of electroimmunoassay in 61 children with febrile convulsions (FC) in order to evaluate the permeability of the blood‐CSF barrier (B‐CSF‐B). Forty‐two children with acute extracerebral infection served as controls. In contrast to a group of 22 children who suffered from acute meningoencephalitis or encephalitis, the CSF values of 48 children with FC were within normal limits. Thus even a very mild form of inflammatory encephalopathy‐undetectable with conventional C S F investigation—was excluded in the majority of the children with FC. In 11 patients, however, CSF concentrations of albumin and α2‐macroglobulin were abnormally raised, indicating a B‐CSF‐B disturbance. Elevated albumin values were found most frequently. In several children with FC lasting more than 20–30 min, B‐CSF‐B damage was probably caused by prolonged seizure activity since there is a linear correlation between albumin concentration and duration of convulsions. Several other factors known to raise the children's risk of developing epilepsy in later life were associated with the protein pattern of B‐CSF‐B disturbance in some of the children. In these cases, the cause of abnormal permeability of B‐CSF‐B is unknown and the condition might have existed prior to the occuri‐ence of seizures.


The availability of food ingredient information in digital form is a major factor in modern information systems related to diet management and health issues. Although ingredient information is printed on food product labels, corresponding digital data is rarely available for the public. In this demo, we present the Mobile Food Information Scanner (MoFIS), a mobile user interface designed to enable users to semi-automatically extract ingredient lists from food product packaging.


I recent times quest for development of intelligent security systems has become the need of the hour for making residential and office premises safer. Due to increasing threat from different types of activities leading to breach of security, it has become impossible for conventional security systems to detect such activities and alert security system in advance. Thus, an increasing reliance on surveillance systems has resulted in need for better target detection and tracking techniques. Methods such as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tracking are not useful in preventing above mentioned situations; hence there is a need of wide area surveillance. Target tracking via image processing for a video surveillance system provides an attractive solution, which can efficiently track a specific target, record its position throughout the video stream and also analyze its motion pattern. Video tracking is the process of locating a moving object (or multiple objects) over time using a camera. It has a variety of uses, some of which are; human-computer interaction [1], security and surveillance [2] [3], video communication and compression [4], augmented reality [5], traffic control [6] [7], medical imaging [8] [9], video editing [10] [11], multimedia contexts [12] [13], complex object movements [14], video streaming [15], healthcare systems and smart indoor security systems. Video tracking is a time consuming process due to the amount of data that is captured and needs to be processed. Further, the algorithm complexity increases if object recognition for tracking is also involved. The objective of video tracking is to maintain detectability of target object in consecutive video frames. To perform video tracking, an algorithm analyses sequential video frames and outputs the movement of targets between the frames. There are a variety of algorithms, each having its strengths and weaknesses. Considering the intended use, it is important to choose the algorithm best suited for the serving the purpose. Traditional tracking algorithms involve foreground extraction of the moving target from a static background and then tracks the coherent blobs of the target. Though, these algorithms are computationally efficient but track all the vehicles which exhibit motion in the stream. Similarly, other tracking algorithms like optical flow techniques as discussed in [16] and wavelet based vehicle tracking as illustrated in [17] also track all the vehicles which exhibit motion or all that are similar in appearance. The lighting condition varies throughout the whole day (depending upon the weather condition for outdoor and lights for indoor). Low light conditions result into poor discrimination of objects from their background and sometimes lighting condition causes shadows or white-out effect. Most of the background subtraction techniques are sensitive to illumination change and it is difficult to handle the shade and shadow caused by the illumination change. Most algorithms which are able to handle these situations, need time on the order of several frames to estimate and train the background model [18]. Less work Keywords


Before proceeding to a description of the formulas which form the main subject of this paper, it will be worth while to notice some points in connection with the celebrated "Summation Formula" of Maclaurin, the application of which to life contingencies we owe to Mr. Woolhouse. As Mr. Sutton has shown ( J.I.A. xv, p. 307), the formula in question may be very simply established by symbolical methods. Thus, putting D for , we have If we transpose the quantities ∑ U x and ∫ u x dx , we get an expression for the value of the integral in terms of the sum of the function; and inserting the limits of integration, we obtain Assuming, as in life calculations, that everything vanishes at the upper limit, we have This important formula, which in practice is very powerful, is usually, at first, rapidly convergent, but ultimately becomes divergent. It has been shown, however, that the convergent portion will always give approximate numerical results. The main reason for reproducing the above demonstration, which will be familiar to most readers, is to show how, by a similar method, we may arrive at another summation formula, slightly more convergent than (1).


A floating sphere model was used to estimate the effect of series resistance on the electric field distribution at the top of a field emission site. A reduction in field strength was caused by field reduction, not potential drop. Series resistance is considered to be one of the important reasons behind the current saturation in field emission characteristics.


The energy consumption of prefabricated buildings under multi-layer building
 materials system is affected by different weight factors. In order to
 improve the level of energy consumption prediction, a method of energy
 consumption prediction of prefabricated buildings under multi-layer
 building materials system based on KPCA - WL SSVM is proposed. Taking indoor
 ambient temperature, lighting conditions, utilization rate of electric
 facilities, etc. as the combined weight of assembled building energy
 consumption under multi-layer building materials system structure, the
 energy consumption simulation and energy con?sumption allocation model of
 assembled building under multi-layer building materials system structure
 controlled by multi-component energy consumption parameter support vector
 machine is established, and the support vector machine based on KPCA - WL
 SSVM and principal component analysis dynamic fitting method are adopted.
 The energy consumption parameters of prefabricated buildings under
 multi-layer building materials system structure are detected and estimated,
 and the energy consumption patterns, energy consumption distribu?tion with
 different characteristics and energy consumption prediction model
 parameters of prefabricated buildings under multi-layer building materials
 system structure are obtained. Then, the emission factor and power
 consumption factor prediction model of prefabricated buildings under
 multi-layer building materials system structure is established, and the
 dynamic prediction and evaluation of energy consumption of prefabricated
 buildings under multi-layer building materials system structure are
 realized. The test results show that the fitting degree of energy
 consumption prediction of prefabricated buildings under multi-layer building
 material system structure is high, the model optimization design of energy
 consumption of prefabricated buildings is realized, the prediction accuracy
 of building energy consumption is good, and the energy consumption can be
 effectively reduced.


In this paper, we have evaluated and compared each feature and feature combinations necessary for statistical Korean dialogue act classification. We have implemented a Korean dialogue act classification system by using the Support Vector Machine method. The experimental results show that the POS bigram does not work well and the morpheme-POS pair and other features can be complementary to each other. In addition, a small number of features, which are selected by a feature selection technique such as chi-square, are enough to show steady performance of dialogue act classification. We also found that the last eojeol plays an important role in classifying an entire sentence, and that Korean characteristics such as free order and frequent subject ellipsis can affect the performance of dialogue act classification.


Ab initio (RHF/3-21G and RHF/6-31G* basis sets) and semiempirical (AM1 and PM3) quantum chemical calculations have been applied to a study of Diels-Alder reactions of furan and cyclopentadiene as 1,3-dienes, with norbornene and 7-oxanorbornene as dienophiles, in order to model pi-facial selectivities and stereoselectivities of these reactions. To achieve this goal, transition states for these reactions are located and activation energies estimated. The exclusive exo pi-facial selectivity exhibited in these cycloadditions are readily predicted using semiempirical or ab initio methods. To determine stereochemical outcomes following pi-facial attack, ab initio calculations are required. Exo,endo stereoselectivities found experimentally, are successfully predicted by using RHF/6-31G*//3-21G or higher levels of calculations. Secondary orbital interactions are postulated to be responsible for the experimental stereoselectivities.


The invention discloses a grinder with an external discharging system. The grinder comprises a grinding device, one end of the grinding device is provided with a feeding inlet, and the other end of the grinding device is connected with the discharging system. The discharging system is connected to the outside of the grinding device and provided with a first discharging outlet which is formed in the side wall of the grinding device, the first discharging outlet is opposite to a grinding spindle and connected with a discharging pipe, and material flow in a grinding cylinder is discharged from the first discharging outlet along the discharging pipe. According to the grinder with the external discharging system, the discharging system is arranged outside the grinding cylinder, the discharging system can effectively reduce blockage and is convenient to clean, and therefore the flow in the grinder can be increased as much as possible and the diameters of grinding media are reduced; the design concept and requirements of large flow and small grinding balls are met, and work efficiency is improved.


This paper is a continuation of [1], where we introduced the concept and investigated the basic properties of Fitting functors for finite solvable groups. We recall that a map f which assigns to each finite solvable group G a non-empty set f(G) of subgroups of G is called a Fitting functor if the following property is satisfied: whenever α: G → H is a monomorphism with α(G) ⊴ H, then The most prominent examples of conjugate Fitting functors are provided by injectors of Fitting classes. However, Fitting functors f in general do not behave as nicely as injectors. For instance, f(G) need not consist of pronormal subgroups of a group G (cf. [1], 4·3).


Within the framework of this article, the potential application of crowdsourcing mechanisms for the development of Megascience-class projects in Russia and the issues that arise in this regards are considered. Examples of the use of crowdsourcing mechanisms in current projects of this class are given. Proposals for their possible use in the future are made. The work raises the question of the branches of law, with the help of which it will be possible to regulate crowdsourcing in Russia.


Space-time-coding (STC) digital metasurfaces have attracted great research interests due to their outstanding capabilities of manipulating electromagnetic (EM) waves and modulating information in various domains, which have been extensively studied to control the spatial and spectral distributions of EM waves. In this paper, we present a compact review of some new-architecture wireless communication systems based on the STC digital metasurfaces, which have the advantages of low cost, low complexity, low power consumption and high efficiency, and provide candidate technologies for future 6G wireless communication networks.


The security approach mainly involves understanding the certain misbehavior of nodes e.g. feasibility of nodes to cooperate in a network, feasibility of an attack by malicious nodes in the cluster, etc. The framework also involves detection of malicious nodes by the destination node as well as isolation of the malicious node along with the capability of a regular node to update the neighborhood clusters about the attack information. An approach of the game theoretic is used for this purpose, where the simulation results show a satisfactory result by estimating the probability of cooperation as well as attack. KeywordsMisbehaving of Nodes, Selfish Node, Malicious Node, Game Theory, Intrusion Detection system


Argues that indexical concepts are best individuated on epistemic grounds, and discusses Fodor's argument to the effect that (because of compositionality) concepts cannot be so individuated.


examined textbooks and existing guidelines. According to the guidance for the preparation of neurological management by European Federation of Neurological Societies task force [3] , articles were included if they contained data that could be rated according to grades of recommendation for treatment classifi ed in terms of evidence based medicine. Most guideline recommendations in this document are derived from case reports (Class IV evidence), as no large trials have been conducted in fatty acid disorders. These guidelines refl ect consensus in the opinions of experts in the fi eld (Good Practice Points). The consensus was reached by analysing series of treated patients and discussing pre existing guidelines.


Uplift modeling has shown very promising results in online marketing. However, most existing works are prone to the robustness challenge in some practical applications. In this paper, we first present a possible explanation for the above phenomenon. We verify that there is a feature sensitivity problem in online marketing using different real-world datasets, where the perturbation of some key features will seriously affect the performance of the uplift model and even cause the opposite trend. To solve the above problem, we propose a novel robustness-enhanced uplift modeling framework with adversarial feature desensitization (RUAD). Specifically, our RUAD can more effectively alleviate the feature sensitivity of the uplift model through two customized modules, including a feature selection module with joint multi-label modeling to identify a key subset from the input features and an adversarial feature desensitization module using adversarial training and soft interpolation operations to enhance the robustness of the model against this selected subset of features. Finally, we conduct extensive experiments on a public dataset and a real product dataset to verify the effectiveness of our RUAD in online marketing. In addition, we also demonstrate the robustness of our RUAD to the feature sensitivity, as well as the compatibility with different uplift models.


With the continued growth of the young Dual Language Learner (DLL) population in US schools, all educators must be prepared to teach in linguistically diverse classrooms. It is critical to provide high quality teacher education programs in order to prepare teachers for the changing demographics in today's classrooms. The term dual language learner refers to students who develop and continue to use two or more languages (Genesee, 2010). While there is substantial evidence supporting the advantages of bilingual education, our public schools remain primarily monolingual instructional settings. This mismatch between best practice and the current state of education, poses a challenge for teacher education programs (TEPs) regarding how to prepare teachers to support students' native languages and create the best school environments that are culturally responsive. Young DLLs range in age from birth through eight (National Association for the Education of Young Children, 2009; Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, 2010). An estimated 25 percent—one-in-four—children in America are from immigrant families and live in households where Foundational Processes, HomeSchool Partnerships, and Culturally Responsive Practices for Dual Language Learners


This study examines the source of gains associated with Australian divestiture activity, defined as a voluntary modification of the firm's productive assets by a sell-off of a complete operating division or wholly-owned subsidiary of the divesting firm The sell-off announcement produces positive average abnormal returns of 1.15% over the two-day announcement period. We conclude that the gains arise predominantly from divestitures that have a strategic focus as demonstrated by, first, the divested unit is unrelated to the firm's core activities (a strategic divestiture), second, the significance of the strategic variable in explaining the positive market reaction in regression analysis, and third, the finding of more significant results where the intended use of proceeds of the sell-off is for strategic purposes.


Background: Taxane-induced pain is a disabling condition. This trial was conducted to assess the effects of melatonin on preventing paclitaxel-associated acute and chronic pain or decreasing its severity in patients with breast cancer. Methods: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted on breast cancer women who received weekly paclitaxel (80 mg/m2) with or without trastuzumab after using doxorubicin + cyclophosphamide. The intervention group randomly received oral melatonin (10 mg/day) or placebo, which started from the first night of chemotherapy and continued through the planned 12 weeks of chemotherapy. The level of arthralgia-myalgia as acute pain was assessed every day in both groups using the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI). The Douleur Neuropathique 4 questionnaire (DN4) and National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (NCI-CTCAE) version 5.0 were used to measure chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy as chronic pain. Results: Seventeen patients were enrolled in each group randomly. The incidence of neuropathy according to a DN4 score ≥ 4 was significantly lower in the melatonin group versus the placebo group at week 12 compared to baseline (5 vs 11, P-value= 0.039). In addition, the mean neuropathy severity was significantly lower in the melatonin group over time (β= -0.051, P-value= 0.01). However, there were no significant differences in the mean worst and least pain scores over the twelve cycles of treatment between arms (P-value= 0.633, 0.341 respectively). Conclusion: Co-administration of melatonin in women with breast cancer decreased the incidence of severe paclitaxel-associated neuropathy but melatonin was not effective against acute pain.


This study investigates 38 CNFETs and shows that nearly 3 orders of magnitude current variation can be explained in a comprehensive way by the diameter variation among nanotubes alone. This is the first systematic analysis that correlates the device performance with the nanotube properties quantitatively. It also shows that one can neglect the impact of the preparation on the contact quality to a large extend


Flora, Donald F.; McGinnis, Wendy J.; Lane, Christine L. 1993. The export premium: why some logs are worth more abroad. Res. Pap. PNW-RP-462. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 18 p. For as long as logs have been exported from the Pacific Northwest, they seem to have been worth more offshore than in the domestic market. Five reasons for the export premium are the inconvenience of trade, quality, extra "haul and hassle," continuity in export arrangements, and export embargoes. A large and increasing differential remains between export and domestic prices for comparable logs in high grades. Logs of lower quality do not seem to have a dual price structure, and there appears to be a declining premium for logs overall. Year-to-year fluctuations in the premium can be considerable, however, and trade policy changes typically affect the export premium more, proportionately, than they affect export volumes.


This paper investigates the use of Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) approach in solving the inverse kinematics problem for serial robotic manipulators. Inverse kinematics is a fundamental problem in robotics: a set of joint angles must be calculated so that the robot arm can be manipulated to the corresponding desired end effector position and orientation. Traditional solution techniques include analytical methods which may or may not exist for a particular robot, numerical methods such as Newton-Raphson, Jacobian inverse and other techniques using swarm intelligence have been developed. Many of the reviewed robotic manipulator inverse kinematics solutions using swarm intelligence only deal with end effector position and not its orientation. Our PSO approach provides the convergence of a complete end effector pose and will be demonstrated using the Baxter Research Robot which has two seven-joint arms although the method can be applied to any general serial robotic manipulator.


An irrigation system comprising a system (82, 112, 122, 130, 150) pipe closed loop, at least a portion of which is a section (84, 152) extending over or under adjacent surface soil, and at least a part of which it is a section (90, 116, 124) cool-collecting spaced vertically from above in a depth direction and being adapted to be buried under the ground in an area of land cold for operation of said irrigation system; containing said pipe (82, 112, 122, 130, 150) closed a liquid which is propelled by a circulating system fitted along the system (82, 102, 112, 130, 150) pipe loop whereby said liquid is cooled by a heat exchanger located in the cool ground zone during operation and then flows through the section (84, 152) where moisture from the vicinity is extracted by condensation over said section (84, 152 ) condensing, readily available for consumption by agricultural crops.


Increasing interest exists in replacing hardware components of GNSS receivers with software. Moving the digitization closer to the antenna has the major benefit of added flexibility. Algorithms can be developed and tested quickly. Implementations can be modified with a simple software update rather than a hardware change. General purpose radios can be used for GNSS, requiring only specific software, not necessarily hardware. The major drawback, however, is the need for large amounts of processing power to perform Doppler removal and correlation (DRC). This is especially true with the introduction of new, higher bandwidth signals which require sampling rates upwards of 40 Msps. With each channel being tracked requiring six multiplications and four additions per sample per code phase, to achieve realtime operation it becomes necessary to offload some of the processing from the central processing unit (CPU) onto a coprocessor. To the best of the authors knowledge, the only functional Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) aided GNSS receiver in development is in the PLAN group (Petovello et al 2008). The receiver is based on GSNRxTM – the PLAN group's software GNSS receiver – and is capable of performing DRC processing for eight satellites on 1 ms of 25 Msps data in less than 1 ms, suggesting real-time capability, although no real-time capability is implemented yet. This research starts with a complete re-design of the DRC module and extends the real-time capability of GSNRxTM to 40 Msps. The new stand-alone DRC module for the GPS L1 C/A signal has been developed using the NVIDIA CUDA software development kit. The module employs a multithreaded asynchronous design and as such utilizes CPU resources only when initiating correlation tasks. All DRC operations are performed on an NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX. The DRC module has been integrated into GSNRxTM. Timing as well as tracking and navigation solution results are given.


The effects of acidic deposition in California are potentially wide-ranging. Potential problems include adverse effects on human health, acidification of poorly buffered lakes and streams, direct or indirect damage to crops, and to forest, grassland and chaparral ecosystems, and damage to man-made materials and structures. In recognition of the potential problems posed by acidic deposition, the California legislature in 1982 adopted the Kapiloff Acid Deposition Act. The Kapiloff Act recognized that acidic deposition in several forms is occurring in California and established a five-year research and monitoring program. The goal of California's program, under the Kapiloff Act, was to investigate the causes and effects of, and possible strategies to reduce, acidic deposition in California.