Social interactions and agonistic activities of Tundra Swans (Cygnus columbianus columbianus ) were docu- mented at Long Point, Ontario, to determine (i) dominance relations among social groups and (ii) the frequency and in- tensity of agonistic acts by swans. Families were involved in one-third as many interactions as were nonfamily groups. Nonfamily groups initiated interactions with other nonfamily groups more often than they did with family groups, but families initiated the same relative numbers of interactions with family and nonfamily groups. Further, families won nearly all conflicts with nonfamily groups, which suggests that they generally dominated nonfamily groups. Tundra Swans also showed a dominance hierarchy based largely on family or group size. To reduce conflict and energy expen- diture, swans may use a simple "decision rule" during interactions: larger groups and initiators win. Two results sup - ported this: (1) swans initiated interactions more often with smaller groups and (2) groups that initiated won interactions more often than did recipients. Swans used low-intensity agonistic acts more frequently than higher inten - sity ones when engaging members of other social groups, but intensity of aggression was independent of group status. Dominance based on the use of simple cues may be especially beneficial in unstable social environments at major stag- ing areas. Resume : L'etude des interactions sociales et des activites agonistiques chez les cygnes siffleurs ( Cygnus columbianus columbianus) a Long Point en Ontario a servi a determiner (i) les relations de dominance entre les groupes sociaux et (ii) la frequence et l'intensite des actes agonistiques. Les familles sont impliquees dans un tiers de plus d'interactions que les groupes non familiaux. Les groupes non familiaux entreprennent des interactions plus souvent avec d'autres groupes non familiaux qu'avec des familles; en revanche, les familles amorcent le meme nombre relatif d'interactions avec les autres familles et avec les groupes non familiaux. De plus, les familles gagnent presque tous les conflits qui impliquent des groupes non familiaux, ce qui laisse croire qu'elles dominent generalement les groupes non familiaux. Les cygnes siffleurs ont une hierarchie de dominance qui est en grande partie basee sur la taille de la famille ou du groupe. Afin de reduire les conflits et les depenses d'energie, il se peut que les cygnes utilisent une « regle de decision » simple, e.g., que les groupes plus grands ou que les instigateurs de l'interaction gagnent. Deux de nos resultats vont dans ce sens : (1) les cygnes amorcent des interactions plus frequemment avec les petits groupes et (2) les groupes ins - tigateurs des interactions en sortent plus souvent vainqueurs que les groupes recepteurs. Les cygnes utilisent des actes agonistiques de faible intensite plus frequemment que ceux de forte intensite lorsqu'ils confrontent des membres d'autres groupes sociaux, mais l'intensite de l'agression est independante du statut du groupe. La dominance basee sur l'utilisation de signaux simples peut etre particulierement benefique dans les environnements sociaux instables sur les sites importants de parade. (Traduit par la Redaction) Badzinski 733


PURPOSE OF REVIEW
The exciting view of our brain as highly flexible task-based and not sensory-based raises the chances for visual rehabilitation, long considered unachievable, given adequate training in teaching the brain how to see. Recent advances in rehabilitation approaches, both noninvasive, like sensory substitution devices (SSDs) which present visual information using sound or touch, and invasive, like visual prosthesis, may potentially be used to achieve this goal, each alone, and most preferably together.

RECENT FINDINGS
Visual impairments and said solutions are being used as a model for answering fundamental questions ranging from basic cognitive neuroscience, showing that several key visual brain areas are actually highly flexible, modality-independent and, as was recently shown, even visual experience-independent task machines, to technological and behavioral developments, allowing blind persons to 'see' using SSDs and other approaches.

SUMMARY
SSDs can be potentially used as a research tool for assessing the brain's functional organization; as an aid for the blind in daily visual tasks; to visually train the brain prior to invasive procedures, by taking advantage of the 'visual' cortex's flexibility and task specialization even in the absence of vision; and to augment postsurgery functional vision using a unique SSD-prostheses hybrid. Taken together the reviewed results suggest a brighter future for visual neuro-rehabilitation.


The present study exemplifies an action research-based approach for addressing the extent to which a process of explicit instruction of formulaic language supports the use of this type of vocabulary in middle school students' short narrative written texts. The study was conducted at a private school in Chile, as a plan to help learners use different forms of expression in a written format. Data were obtained from a group of 23 Spanish-speaking learners of English before and after the intervention period. The action research methodology was implemented in order to collect and analyse written compositions as well as a survey for evaluating the treatment from the students' perspective. The observation and reflection process led to positive outcomes in relation to the use of formulaic expressions in writing, and students' opinion about the process also proved favourable. The pedagogical innovation is reflected upon theoretical and pedagogical perspectives. Implications applicable to teachers working in this and other contexts are also considered.


The Paper presents the results of investigation of the problem of uncertainties in the innovation business. There are identified uncertainties that are unique to the innovation business. A map of uncertainty was formed with some the zones containing the information about what it will be, when and under what circumstances an entrepreneur can face.


The solar simulator is crucial instrument to determine the performance of solar cells and modules which are core components of solar power plants. Therefore, a precise performance measurement of solar cells is very important to design a cost effective solar stimulator with high accuracy.
 This paper proposes the development of a precise and measurable innovative solar simulator technique. The designed solar stimulator is a continuous type for 6 inch solar cell measurement in which a reflector system is added for improving the uniformity of result. In addition, 2∼6 light
 emitting diodes (LEDs) are attached to the one side of the reflector. For reliable evaluation, the standard measurement of IEC60904-3 was applied and matched the uniformity, temporal instability, and spectrum values under 1000 W/m2 light intensity condition. The uniformity of the
 solar simulator was recorded to 1.43% by using Al reflector and LED, which was highly comparable to 3.06 before its utilization (without reflector). Thus, designed stimulator improved the temporal instability and spectrum match values, which might be considered as a class A.


This paper suggests and develops a new methodology of estimation for a multivariable reachability region of a plasma separatrix shape on the divertor phase of a plasma discharge in D-shaped tokamaks. The methodology is applied to a spherical Globus-M/M2 tokamak, including the estimation of a controllability region of a vertical unstable plasma position on the basis of the experimental data. An assessment of the controllability region and the reachability region of the plasma is important for the design of tokamak poloidal field coils and the synthesis of a plasma magnetic control system. When designing a D-shaped tokamak, it is necessary to avoid the small controllability region of the vertically unstable plasma, because such cases occur in practice at a restricted voltage on a horizon field coil. To make the estimations mentioned above robust, PID-controllers for vertical and horizontal plasma position control were designed using the Quantitative Feedback Theory approach, which stabilizes the system and provides satisfactory control indexes (stability margins, setting time, overshoot) during plasma discharges. The controllers were tested on a series of plasma models and nonlinear models of current inverters in auto-oscillation mode as actuators for plasma position control. The estimations were made on these models, taking into account limitations on control actions, i.e., voltages on poloidal field coils. This research is the first step in the design of the plasma shape feedback control system for the operation of the Globus-M2 spherical tokamak. The developed methodology may be used in the design of poloidal field coil systems in tokamak projects in order to avoid weak achievability and controllability regions in magnetic plasma control. It was found that there is a strong cross-influence from the PF-coils currents and the CC current on the plasma shape; hence, these coils should be used to control the plasma shape simultaneously.


Use of empirical antibiotics in neonates with risk factors of early-onset neonatal sepsis (EOS) is a common practice. A laboratory parameter is needed to help in the accurate diagnosis of EOS to avoid unnecessary use of antibiotics. The aim of this prospective observational cohort study was to compare the statistical validity of cord blood interleukin-6 (IL-6) with conventional sepsis screening as an early diagnostic marker for EOS. Eighty-seven neonates with antenatal risk factors for sepsis were followed up for 72 h for the development of EOS. Cord blood was collected for measurement of IL-6 concentrations. Blood culture and conventional sepsis screening (total leukocyte count, absolute neutrophil count, C-reactive protein and micro-erythrocyte sedimentation rate) were sent for analysis soon after delivery. The study group comprised of symptomatic neonates with positive blood culture (n=36). An equal number of gestational-age matched asymptomatic neonates without risk factor of sepsis served as controls. Statistical validity of IL-6 was compared with sepsis screening parameters as the diagnostic marker for EOS. Gram negative organisms were the predominant cause of EOS. The most commonly isolated organism was Acinetobacter baumanii . The sensitivity and specificity of IL-6 with a cut-off value of 40.5 pg/mL and area under curve of 0.959 were 92.3 and 90.48%, respectively. In contrast, the sensitivity and specificity of different parameters of sepsis screening ranged from 37.5-68.75% and 47.95-57.35%, respectively. In conclusion, cord blood IL-6 can be used as a highly sensitive and specific early diagnostic marker of EOS at a cut-off concentration of 40.5 pg/mL.


The stock market is widely believed to pressure executives to deliver short-term earnings at the expense of long-term value. This paper develops a model of the interaction between executive compensation and stock market prices, and analyzes its implications for corporate short-termism. I show that ineffi cient short-termism can arise in equilibrium as a self-fulfilling prophecy, due to strategic complementarities between the firm's investment horizon and investors'decision to acquire information about short-term performance or long-term value. However, the severity of the underlying agency problem between the manager and shareholders fully determines whether short-termism is an equilibrium outcome. This implies both that the stock-market cannot be identified as the cause of corporate short-termism and that it actually has the potential to alleviate the problem. The model helps us assess evidence presented in the "myopia" debate and yields novel implications regarding ownership structure, executive compensation, and managerial horizon. ∗I would like to thank Charles Angelucci, Alessandro Bonatti, Marco Di Maggio, Denis Gromb, Tim Jenkinson, Jakub Kastl, Meg Meyer, Stephen Morris, Alan Morrison, Thomas Noe, Marco Pagano, Nicola Persico, Joel Shapiro and seminar participants at HEC Paris, and Oxford for helpful comments. †Department of Economics, University of Oxford, Manor Road, Oxford OX1 3UQ UK. Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


Ragi is the staple food grown in most parts of Almora district; it is a traditional crop of Uttarakhand region. The nutritional value and quite resilient to diverse agro-climatic adaptability have increased its demand not only in mountainous regions but also in other regions. The agricultural system of Uttarakhand hill region is mainly dependent on rainfall. Monsoon rain is the advantage of the Kharif season for Ragi cultivation, but it can tolerate drought too. Department of Agriculture, V.P.K.A.S. Almora and other concerned corporations provide certified varieties of Ragi to the farmers, which can help in increasing production in the district. Ragi has much marketing potential all over the country and can help farmers as a source of income. The present paper describes the production and production area, varieties and marketing prospects of Ragi in the Almora district. It is the most nutritious food in the region and its health benefits are also discussed in this paper.
KEYWORDS: Traditional crop, Diverse, Kharif, Varities, Marketing


Retention of alkane compounds on asphaltenes was carried out in organic solutions. The distribution of retained and nonretained alkanes was assessed by GC/MS and interpreted from the perspective of reverse phase liquid chromatography (RPLC). Results showed that asphaltenes from unstable and stable Venezuelan crude oils behave like an alkyl-bonded phase to retain alkanes. The retention is influenced by the structural features of the studied asphaltenes, as well as by the own structure of the interacting alkanes. Asphaltenes from the unstable Furrial crude oil presented shorter but more abundant alkyl chains than asphaltenes from the stable Ayacucho crude oil and, consequently, a greater capacity to retain alkane compounds. Nevertheless, the preference for a particular group of alkanes was very similar in both asphaltene samples: n-alkanes were the strongest retained, followed by cyclic isoprenoids (steranes and terpanes). Acyclic isoprenoids, including pristane and phytane were the least retained of the th...


At the research for moving target detection at maritime surveilance with a fixed camera stationed at the shore, Background Subtraction is the best method that can be used for sea which is a dynamic environment due to factors such as wave, wave foam, rudder water, weather condition, sunlight reflected on the sea, When the methods that give the best results by using background subtraction are examined, it is seen that the ViBE algorithm made for motion detection is suitable. However, it has been observed that sometimes there are erroneous evaluations in the foreground and background classification when we run the ViBE algorithm on marine surveillance, there may be noise in the image, and the target may have a foreground which includes a small part of the target but not the whole. In order to overcome these situations, some improvements have been made on the algorithm and appropriate results have been obtained.


DBS (Doppler Beam Sharpening) imaging for scene matching terminal guidance is investigated. An echo simulation method for DBS of missile-borne radar that considers environmental factors is presented. The transmission signals of missile-borne radar are studied first. Next, the method for the modeling of the echo signals is discussed with consideration of environmental influences including the objects on the ground, radome and seasonal variations, especially undulation of the ground. The status of the surface of the earth as well as internal elements of the radar will influence the precision of the height measurement, thereby indirectly influencing the image matching. Undulating terrain can also cause changes in the electromagnetic characteristics that lie in the translation of image points; in addition, there is a close relationship between the position offset and the altitude of the image area. The operation flow of DBS is provided together with the method of generating reference images. Finally, an optical image of an airport and the simulation results using echoes are presented for validation.


Simple Summary Semen traits associated with ejaculate volume, gross motility, concentration, and percent post-thaw motility are crucial determinants of successful reproduction, which, in turn, can influence the profitability of seedstock and commercial sheep enterprises. Previous studies in cattle, where artificial insemination is also widely used, have reported declining trends in ejaculate traits. Such a trend, if observed in sheep, could negatively impact conception outcomes, and contribute to reduced reproductive efficiency. Selective breeding to improve ejaculate traits could provide a means to ensure continued efficiency in ovine reproduction. Therefore, the objective of this study was to estimate heritability and genetic correlations between four routinely assessed ejaculate quality and quantity traits in sheep breeds commonly farmed in Australia. An analysis of ejaculate traits collected over 20 years indicated that all ejaculate quality and quantity traits were lowly heritable (0.081–0.17), with gross motility and volume having relatively higher heritability estimates compared to concentration and percent post-thaw motility. Overall, the results indicate that ejaculate quality and quantity could potentially be improved via selective breeding. Abstract Semen characteristics including volume, gross motility, spermatozoal concentration, and percent post-thaw motility are routinely assessed to determine the quality and quantity of an ejaculate prior to use in artificial breeding programs. Currently, artificial breeding programs in sheep place relatively little emphasis on ram-side factors, such as the fertilising potential of an ejaculate, which may contribute to variability in conception outcomes. Estimating genetic parameters for ejaculate quality and quantity traits could provide insights into whether selective breeding can be used to improve such ram-side traits, improving ovine reproductive performance and farm profitability. Therefore, in this study, a total of 11,470 ejaculate records, including data for ejaculate volume, gross motility, spermatozoal concentration, and percent post-thaw motility, collected over a 20-year period was used to estimate genetic parameters in sheep. Univariate and bivariate mixed model analysis was performed including a variety of fixed effects such as breed, age at collection, centre of collection, collection number, season of collection, and method of collection; and the permanent environmental effects associated with each ram, stud and year of collection, and the breeding value of rams included as random effects. The heritability for ejaculate volume, gross motility, concentration, and percent post-thaw motility was estimated to be 0.161, 0.170, 0.089, and 0.081. Repeatability estimates were moderate, ranging between 0.4126 and 0.5265. Overall, results indicate that semen traits are lowly heritable and moderately repeatable, indicating that these traits are significantly influenced by environmental variables.


Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion (MIC) is a major threat to pipelines and storage tanks. Even though MIC during hydrotest itself may be limited due to lack of nutrients and a relatively short duration, biofilms left behind may flourish after the pipeline is commissioned resulting in MIC pitting over the long run. This work investigated MIC in simulated hydrotest with X65 coupons using untreated natural seawater and enriched artificial seawater spiked or not spiked with a laboratory strain of Sulfate Reducing Bacteria (SRB) for up to 90 days. The MIC threat after hydrotested pipes were subsequently exposed to pipeline fluids was also investigated by using simulated pipeline fluids containing a mixture of oil, natural seawater and CO2 or a mixture of oil, simulated formation water (65000 ppm (w/w) NaCl, 22 mM SO4 ) and CO2. Tests were performed at 22oC and 37oC in anaerobic vials. The effectiveness of a 30 minute slug of THPS treatment of the coupons right after hydrotest was also evaluated. MIC pitting was observed in simulated hydrotest using enriched artificial seawater spiked with SRB. MIC pitting was also observed on coupons exposed to simulated pipeline fluids after hydrotesting with SRB spiking using either natural seawater or enriched artificial seawater.


High-voltage dc (HVDC) reference divider is essential for on-site calibration of HVDC measuring systems. In this paper the effect of the change of temperature, electromagnetic environment of converter station and other factors on the ratio accuracy of reference divider is analyzed. The influence of high voltage connection cables, which apply high voltage to the reference divider and calibrated divider, on the uncertainty of the reference divider is also analyzed, with the application of ANSYS software. The simulation results show that the influence of high-voltage connection cables on the ratio error of the designed 500kV reference divider is less than 1×10-5. In addition, a kind of anti-interference method is proposed for the output signal of reference divider. That is, single-grounded twin shielding cable can effectively reduce common mode interference.


This paper presents the qualitative results of a larger mixed-methods study that examined teachers' experience transitioning to online teaching and learning (OTL) in Malaysian higher education (HE) institutions to understand how academics perceived their OTL readiness and what competencies were perceived to be central during the Covid-19 pandemic. Data collected from twenty-two teachers (n = 22) (three public;three private HEs) through semi-structured in-depth interviews revealed that OTL readiness was perceived through course design, communication competence, time management, and technological competence. Additionally, agentic competence emerged as crucial in shaping resilience and adaptability during the transition to OTL. The paper makes two contributions. First, the study contributed to the literature on online teaching readiness in that reconceptualisation needs to be holistic and inclusive due to the unique HE context. Second, it provides valuable insights to those who devise training exercises and universities required to respond to them in enhancing teacher agency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Teaching in Higher Education is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)


Sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) copolymers have various merits such as low cost, easy tunable property, and high gas barrier property. But, its critical weakness to attacks under harsh fuel cell operation conditions. A solution is to apply a reinforced membrane concept where copolymers are filled in support films. But, it``s difficult to fill copolymers into the films. In this study, a SPAES-50 copolymer nanodispersion is fabricated using a supercritical fluid technique, and used as a polymer material to be impregnated into porous PTFE support films. The resulting membranes show extremely high proton conductivity (~0.6 S/cm@90°C) in liquid water.


This paper is based on the existed grid of a spir al bevel gear and thickens it using a double cubic spline method and gets the un it vector of the base point of gear face at the same time. The driven gear is mo unted relatively to the drive gear by shift and rotation in order to make the tw o base points of the gear faces coincided with each other and the unit vectors o f the two points occupy the same position. A local coordinate system is set up a t the gear face point and the two gear face grids are put into the system to che ck if there exists curvature interference. Regulating the parameters of the gear -cutting tools eliminates curvature interference. The minimum distance between the two gear faces is calculated in another gear face coordinate system which is established based on the corner points of the gear face and the mesh points of the two gears which are obtained by regulating the gear's rotational angle. Fin ally the track which is a series of mesh points produced by the rotation of both gears around their own axes is obtained on both faces of the gear teeth.which is establish


AB Furhoffs Rostfria is a company with its base in Skovde. They are specialists in the manufacturing of stainless-steel parts, such as plumbing products, floor wells and sinks. In addition to manuf ...


The designers of mental tests have frequently said that it is not only unnecessary but probably futile to raise the question which is the subject of this article, and that the answer would be of no use if we could find it. Physicists have been able, it is pointed out, to measure electricity without knowing its nature, and, it is asserted, we can do the same with intelligence. It is unlikely that the argument by analogy throws much light on the value of the quest for information regarding the nature of intelligence, but even the analogy of the physical sciences should suggest that it is productive to analyze the facts which appear on the surface of things and to penetrate, so far as we may be able, into the deeper constitution of the material with which the science deals. In psychology, then, we may expect to derive profit from an examination of the nature of intelligence. Both in the measurement of intelligence and in the attempt to set the conditions for its proper development, an understanding of its nature should be of value. It may fairly be said that psychologists are agreed in the belief that mental tests, particularly intelligence tests, have indicated the existence of general intelligence or general capacity. They are not agreed, however, regarding the exact nature of general intelligence. To put the matter briefly, it is agreed that intelligence is, but it is not agreed what it is. There is also pretty general agreement that tests have shown that intellectual capacity is not a mere collection of specialized, disconnected capacities. The fact of correlation between individual tests and between groups of tests indicates that there is a high degree of relationship between various mental traits or the compact groups of traits which are measured by the particular tests. Furthermore, there is a certain system in the correlation between mental traits. Tests of some traits or tests of some types correlate regularly to a


Facial symmetry is a useful natural characteristic of facial images. This paper will apply it to face recognition after introducing mirror images. By combining the K L expansion with the even odd decomposition principle, a new algorithm called Symmetrical Principal Component Analysis is proposed. In the algorithm, images are firstly decomposed into even symmetrical images and odd symmetrical ones. After that, even/odd symmetrical principal components are respectively extracted through K L expansions, and then selected according to their energy ratios in faces and sensitivities to pattern variations. Both theoretical analysis and experimental results demonstrate that this algorithm has two outstanding advantages. Firstly, it remarkably raises the recognition rate. Secondly, it greatly saves the computational cost as well as the storage space.


To the Editor: In August 2020, the South Eastern Sydney Public Health Unit, located in New South Wales, Australia, received a statutory laboratory notification of an elevated blood lead level of 0.34 μmol/L in a preschoolaged child recently diagnosed with autism. This was above the 0.24 μmol/L level requiring notification under the Public Health Act 2010 (NSW). The test had been requested by the child's paediatrician due to concern about the child's recent consumption of an oral Ayurvedic medicine prescribed by a naturopath.


The invention provides a separating type series-parallel connection hybrid type two-motor driving system. The separating type series-parallel connection hybrid type two-motor driving system is provided with two or more separating type driving units for loading individual drives or for the individual drives to load and combine in a common machine body. Furthermore, the clutch can be selectively arranged to control transmission or cutting off of a rotating motion energy of each individual drive unit. With the help of controlling of manual work or a control system, the separating type series-parallel connection hybrid type two-motor driving system can achieve relevant functional operation of a specific series connection type hybrid power system or relevant functional operation of a parallel connection type hybrid power system.


Aiming at the characteristics which the process and elements of Library alliance knowledge transferring and sharing have,a bidirectional-three-level model of organizational coordination is con-structed with the theory of organizational coordination.Then coordinating mechanisms of all levels,in-cluding the element level,the relation level and the strategy level,are further discussed respectively so that some theoretical references are given for Library Alliance to practice knowledge transferring and sharing,and to improve the efficiency of library knowledge transferring and sharing.


Mixtum, 1994,135-47). Finally, the field architect speaks: Claes Persson discusses (pp. 289-302) the course of urban development, and concludes that 'at its largest, Acquarossa had a total population of the order of 4,000-7,000' and that its area was 'larger than Falerii, for example' (p. 294). A VII offers no dramatic theoretical advance, nor does it pretend to change the face of Etruscan studies. On the contrary, this beautifully illustrated, meticulously prepared, and user-friendly item is a model of basic documentation and professional practice. An honest piece of work, in other words, of the kind that alone can underpin real progress.


A linear parabolic equation with boundary conditions of the Bitsadze-Samarskii type is considered. An existence and uniqueness theorem for a generalized solution is proved, and estimates are obtained.


The purpose of this study was to see if recent changes in the funding of alcoholism programmes in the United States were related to changes in liver cirrhosis death rates. Data on per-capita spending, per-capita alcohol consumption and cirrhosis death rates were gathered from various sources for the years 1979 and 1989 for the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Regression analysis showed that greater increases in spending on alcoholism across US states were associated with greater declines in cirrhosis mortality rates. Since alcohol-related deaths cause large productivity losses and treatment is relatively cheap this creates large savings for society.


It has always been a complex topic worthy of being discussed for portrait artists to internalize their creative concepts, express the sense of beauty through external forms, and make viewers feel their artworks to form sympathy. The general stereotype of aesthetic experience is that "the ingenuity of arts lies in mind," so it is believed to be impossible to quantify the research. Therefore, this study attempts to use the philosophy of "Tao Qi Bian Tong" in the Book of Changes to discuss the classic question of whether aesthetic experience can be studied; it also attempts to explore the influence of viewers' aesthetic experience and preference perceptions to explore the perceptual aesthetic experience through rational perceptions.


The paper exames some aspects of 'borderness' and development of cross-border relations in the three-border area between Slovenia, Croatia, and Italy in Istria. Firstly, some geopolitical aspects of forming and transformation of the considered border and social-cultural contact area are given. The paper than presents some results of a research project, which will be concluded in 2001 comparing the studied region with other Slovenian border areas. On the basis of the author's methodology, which has been developed in the domestic and international scientific community, typology, intensity and direction of cross-border relations in different parts of the Istrian 'three-border' are then discussed. The paper concludes with a short compared analysis of the studied border region with other studied border landscapes along the Italo-Slovene border.


Peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) is a form of transluminal endoscopic natural orifice surgery (NOTES) that uses the beginnings of submucosal endoscopy to make the endoscopic equivalent of a surgical myotomy. POEM can be done in most patients who have primary idiopathic achalasia demonstrated manometrically symptomatic. Previous therapies for achalasia, such as pneumatic balloon dilation, botulinum toxin injection, or surgical myotomy, are not contraindications to POEM. Generally, POEM is done in 4 continuous steps: incision in the mucosa, construction of a submucosal tunnel, myotomy and closure of the incision in the mucosa. Endoscopic management has been revolutionary for the treatment of achalasia and other pathological entities, however, it must be performed in specialized centres and by endoscopist surgeons with extensive experience in the subject, to reduce the associated morbidity and mortality.


Objective:To investigate the diagnostic value of ultrasonography in malignant and benign ulcers.Materials and Methods:One hundred and seventy-seven cases were studied with surface ultrasonography,including124malignant ulcers and53benign ulcers.In which36cases were examined by color Doppler image(CDI)technique.Results:In malignant ulcers,73%of cases showed wall thickening(wall thickness1.2cm),extent of thickened wall4cm was seen in83%of cases,ulcer size1cm was seen in86%,ulcer depth0.3cm was seen in82%.In benign ulcers,wall thickening1.2cm was seen in40%,extent of wall thickening4cm was seen in55%,ulcer size1cm was seen in49%,ulcer depth0.3cm was seen in64%.Using these criteria to predict malignant ulcers irrespectively:the sensitivity was73%~86%,the specificity was36%~60%.There were common signs between malignant cases and benign cases,such as mucosa interruption,concave echogenicity,blurring and dis-turbance of the wall layers.There were rich flow signals in23of 29malignant cases,no flow signals in5of 6benign cases.Conclusion:It was difficult to distinguish malignant and benign gastric ulcers with two-dimension ultrasonography,although CDI may be useful to predict them.Further study to accumulate experience is necessary.


During a 1‐year period we measured discharges of water, suspended solids, and nutrients from 27 watersheds having differing proportions of cropland in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain provinces of the Chesapeake Bay drainage. Annual flow‐weighted mean concentrations of nitrate and organic N and C in stream water correlated with the relative proportions of base flow and storm flow. As the proportion of base flow increased, the concentration of nitrate increased and the concentrations of organic N and C decreased. This suggests that discharge of nitrate is promoted by groundwater flow but discharges of organic N and C are promoted by surface runoff. Concentrations of N species also increased as the proportion of cropland increased. We developed a statistical model that predicts concentrations of N species from the proportions of cropland and base flow. P concentrations did not correlate with cropland or base flow but correlated with the concentration of suspended solids, which differed among watersheds.


An efficient sliding window algorithm employing an adaptive-length guard window for turbo decoders is proposed. The proposed algorithm results in significant complexity reductions, especially for small sliding window lengths where the additional computational complexity required for the guard window is critical.


The key intermediate,I( 2-Picoline) Pt( u-I) 2 Pt( 2-Picoline) I( Ⅱ)( 3),was synthesized by reaction of( C 6 H 7 N 2) 2 PtI 2 with HClO 4. A platinum-based anti-tumor drug——Picoplatin was synthesized by aminization,double decomposition and substitution reaction from 3. The structures were confirmed by1H NMR,IR,MS and elemental analysis.


We have designed, manufactured, and tested a prototype of an in-sole plantar pressure sensor. The sensor is made of a piezoelectric polymer film (polyvinylidenefluoride, PVDF) with evaporated copper electrodes. The size and the location of measuring sites are carefully considered to produce a light-weighted, practical, and inexpensive matrix sensor for measurement of plantar pressure distribution. The sensor consists of eight measurement locations: hallux, first metatarsal head (under both sesamoid bones), metatarsal heads 2–5 and heel. The developed in-sole sensor was evaluated through piezoelectric sensitivity measurements and test measurements with subjects (used as a platform sensor). Average peak-to-peak pressures from 58 to 486 kPa were obtained in plantar pressure measurements. The in-sole sensor can be used to prevent pressure ulcers. Also other application areas for the sensor are available, e.g., rehabilitation and sports. The developed sensor enables unobtrusive and long-term plantar pressure measurements. In future, an option for manufacturing the PVDF in-soles may be printing of desired electrode pattern on PVDF material, that would allow fast production, and if needed, the production of even individual in-soles.


Recent business development in the light of increased competition has caused many companies to explore new drivers in order to remain competitive. In this context, business process re-engineering is the key to the successful implementation of effective supply chain management which has become a potentially valuable way of securing competitive advantage. This paper presents the characteristics of business re-engineering effort and how business process modeling can be used for these purposes. Effective supply chain management requires a high degree of coordination and information sharing between partners in the supply chain. The main idea was to show through business process modeling how the business process re-engineering of existing process needs to follow the introduction of new information technologies into organizations to improve information sharing. This paper will show that only harmonized implementation of information technology and business process re-engineering will bring to the effective supply chain management and full improvement of companies competitiveness.


Tel: +2348063383902 The elimination of a wide range of pollutants and wastes from the environment is an absolute requirement to promote a sustainable development of our society with low environmental impact. The focus of this study is to remediate, monitor the progress of bioaugmentation in a hydrocarbon polluted soil using yeast isolates and to highlight the needs for integration of laboratory data to full scale in situ bioremediation. In this study, yeast isolates were used to bioaugment Bonny light crude oil polluted soil in Niger Delta. Yeast isolates used were Candida adriatica ZIM 2468 and Candida taoyuanica MYA-4700. The indigenous fungal isolates identified from the soil were species of Alternaria, Aspergillus, Fusarium, Mucor, Penicillium, Rhizopus, Trichoderma, Candida, Rhodotorula and Saccharomyces. One kilogram of fresh soil sample was polluted with crude oil (10%). Physico-chemical analysis was carried on the fresh soil before and after pollution. Candida adriatica ZIM 2468, Candida taoyuanica MYA-4700 and a consortium containing both isolates were inoculated into the different microcosms to increase the number of microorganisms. At every fourteen days, samples were analyzed for total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) and microbial counts were carried out. Total petroleum losses of 84.6% (A consortium of Candida adriatica ZIM 2468 and Candida taoyuanica MYA4700), 77.3% (B Candida adriatica ZIM 2468), 73.4% (C Candida taoyuanica MYA-4700) and 28.7% (Control – unamended) were recorded in the bioaugmentation set-up, respectively at day 56. On the whole, amending with both Candida species proved to be more effective in hydrocarbon utilization.


Objective:To explore the distribution of human papillomavirus(HPV) genotypes in cervical lesions of different grades and the oncogenesis of various HPV genotypes.Methods:436 cases with cervical lesions were selected and divided into five groups: 58 cases of typical HPV infection,69 cases of CINⅠ,134 cases of CIN Ⅱ,129 cases of CIN Ⅲ and 46 cases of cervical carcinoma according to pathological diagnosis.HPV DNA genotypes were detected by hybrimax,then detecting rate of HPV subtypes in cervical lesions of different grades was calculated.Results:The common HPV genotypes(detecting rate5%) were HPV16(55.73 %),HPV58(18.58 %),HPV33(11.70%),HPV31(10.78 %),HPV52(7.80%),HPV53(7.57%) in 436 cases of cervical lesions;HPV16,18,39 in cases of cervical cancer;HPV16,58,33,31,53,52 in cases of high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion(HSIL);HPV16,58,52,31,53/33,11,68,cp8304,18 in cases of low grade squamous intraepithelial lesion(LSIL).There was positive correlation between HPV16 and the grades of cervical lesions(P=0.000).Conclusion:HPV 16,58,33,31,52,53 are common subtypes in cervical lesions of shenyang city,the most pathogenic genotype is HPV 16.


ABSTRACT The world is at the start of a new nuclear arms race, with the demise of important arms control agreements and increasingly robust nuclear weapons modernization and expansion plans by multiple countries. As such, the international community is searching for ideas that could change this trajectory and reinvigorate arms control. This article explores one of these ideas: to limit and eliminate nuclear-armed cruise missiles, whether delivered by air, sea, or land. Many countries and non-governmental organizations have developed this concept over the past several years. At times referred to as "cruise control," it is seen by many who have explored the issue to be attractive, feasible, and likely to be in the mutual interests of many nations.


Temperature dependence of interdiffusion coefficient of In–Sn was measured by a capillary method under a static magnetic field. The obtained diffusion coefficient data agreed well with data measured in microgravity environment at a lower temperature range. The application of static magnetic field could be a good substitute method for accurate measurement of diffusion coefficients in substitution for utilization of the microgravity environment.


The two-plasmon-decay (TPD) instability can be detrimental for direct-drive inertial confinement fusion because it generates high-energy electrons that can preheat the target, thereby reducing target performance. Hydrodynamic simulations to design a new experimental platform to investigate TPD and other laser-plasma instabilities relevant to direct-drive-ignition implosions at the National Ignition Facility are presented. The proposed experiments utilize planar plastic targets with an embedded Mo layer to characterize generation of hot electrons through Mo Kα fluorescence and hard x-ray emission. Different laser-irradiation geometries approximate conditions near both the equator and the pole of a polar-direct-drive implosion.


objective:To establish optimized preparation method of rat osteoblasts secretome sample for two-dimension electroph-oresis(2-DE) and set a foundation for further study of osteoblasts secretome. Methods:By using dialysis, dialysis-trichloracetic acid(TCA)-acetone precipitation and dialysis-acetone precipitation methods respectively, the rat osteoblasts secretome samples were prepared, and then the most optimized preparation method was determined by comparing the 2-DE results. Results: Dialysis-acetone precipitation method was the most optimized method, which lost less proteins, increased its solubility, made 2-DE images more clearly and obtained high resolution. Conclusion:Dialysis-acetone precipitation method is the most optimized preparation method for rat osteoblasts secretome 2-DE sample.


Colombia has been a fighting country in search of peace, since many years ago it has had to negotiate in different ways and using different strategies seeking to eliminate the conflict. In this essay will be released information on the post-agreement in Colombia a brief account of the different periods of the armed conflict that has been presented throughout history in Colombia and its main actors, as reflected on The different negotiations and peace processes that have been developed and the impact of post-agreement on society in terms of the economy, after the Colombian government reached the demobilization of the armed groups, concluding with some reflections on how the Prospects of spending on security and defense of the Armed Forces.


Discovered for its role in blood coagulation, vitamin K (VK) is emerging as an important nutrient for brain function and cognition. In brain, VK participates in sphingolipid metabolism and activates proteins with cell sigaling actions (Gas6 and protein S) and involved in vascular function (proteins C and S). Recent reports also point to beneficial effects of VK in cognition, notably during aging. To extend our understanding of the action of VK in brain, we investigated, using functional magnetic resonance imaging, the relationship between VK status and brain activity in healthy older adults. Brain activity was investigated in nine healthy older adults using an episodic memory paradigm that involves memorizing pairs of semantically unrelated concrete words (encoding) and indicating in a following block (retrieval) whether words had been presented during encoding (item memory) and whether they were presented as a pair (associative memory).VK status was based on fasting phylloquione concentration (by HPLC). Mean VK concentration for the group was 1.22 nmol/L [range 0.49 ‐ 2.22 nmolL], values in line with previous studies. Brain activity during the encoding phase was not associated with VK status. However, negative correlations (p<0.005) were observed between VK status and brain activity during both item (parietal lobe) and associative (frontal and temporal lobes) retrieval, suggesting that subjects with lower VK status had to recruit more brain tissue to accomplish the memory task. This study confirms the role of VK status in cognition, notably in episodic memory. Financial suport for this study was from CRIUGM.


For a systematic approach to improve the white light quality of phosphor converted light-emitting diodes (LEDs) for general lighting applications it is imperative to get the sources of error for color constancy under control. In this context, it is essential to gain a deeper insight how the individual components of an LED package may contribute to color deviation. Typically, both monochromatic and phosphor converted light-emitting diodes are finally encapsulated by a pristine silicone layer in order to prevent mechanical damage of the LED packages. In this contribution we focus on the shapes of such encapsulation layers and discuss, based on an optical simulation procedure, their impact on the color temperatures of phosphor converted white LEDs as well as the ramifications of manufacturing imprecision of these shapes on the constancy and reproducibility of a desired color temperature.


The increasing extent of artificial intelligence added to virtual environments during the last few years has generated outstanding research works in the intersection of these two disciplines. This is the so-called Intelligent Virtual Environments area. Frequently, this intersection takes place through the addition of intelligent agents to the environments. These agents are also known as virtual agents. The International Conference on Intelligent Virtual Environments and Virtual Agents (IVEVA) is a biennial meeting that provides a friendly environment to discuss ideas of both these areas. In this sense, the conference intends to promote the exchange of ideas between artificial intelligence researchers, virtual environments researchers and practitioners. This exchange between the two disciplines leads to exciting and fruitful discussions. This fruitful context was the environment in which this special issue was conceived. The issue presents, via an exhaustive and selected set of articles, some of the latest developments in key aspects of this area.


Drug resistance is a multifactorial process involving different coexistent mechanisms, among them: modifications of drug entry, intracellular inactivation of drug, amplification of genes coding for target proteins or proteins involved in drug efflux, mutations in target proteins and increased repair of cell damage. Last years, our research group has been involved in the study of drug resistant mechanisms in the protozoan parasites Leishmania (L. tropica y L. infantum) and Trypanosoma cruzi. Our focus has been related with the study of transporters included in the superfamily ABC (ATP-binding cassette), specifically the P-glycoproteins involved in efflux of drugs and xenobiotics. Molecular and functional studies of these mechanisms, will help significantly the development of treatment alternative strategies to use in case of drug resistance in parasites.


Anthropologist Lila Abu- Lughod delivers the JMEWS Distinguished Lecture at UC Santa Barbara on Wednesday, February 11, 2009, at 4:00 pm. Abu-Lughod is Joseph L. Buttenwieser Professor of Social Science at Columbia University, where she teaches in the Anthropology Department and at the Institute for Research on Women and Gender. The theme she has chosen for her remarks is "The Social Life of Muslim Women's Rights."


Registration or matching process aims to find the misalignment between two or more images concerning the same area to detect the values of the mapping matrix in order to transform interest points in one image to its correspondence in the others. This paper presents a dynamic approach aiming to improve the performance of the registration process for synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images. First, the noise resulting from the capturing process is reduced by using a smoothing filter based on kernel-gaussian to reduce the amplification of noise. Then; a combination of two area- based matching (ABM) methods is used. The first method is carried out using Crosscorrelation approach, acting as coarse registration step. The second method is achieved by using regular step gradient descent (RSGD) optimizer, acting as fine registration step. Evaluation of the performance concerning the proposed manner is achieved by comparing to the state-of-the art detectors as Harris, Shi-Tomasi, and Features from Accelerated Segment Test (FAST) detectors. Metric factors to achieve the comparison are mean square error (MSE) and peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) between the input images. Results demonstrate a highly performance for the proposed method compared to the others where it has a high robustness and minimizes the noise of the input image.


Cyano-substituted tetracenes (5,11-dicyano-6,12-diphenyltetracene, Tet) undergo exoergic singlet fission (SF), a spin-allowed photophysical process that generates a pair of triplet excitons from one singlet exciton. To elucidate substituent effects on SF, we have measured the SF dynamics and triplet yields of thin films, formed by Tet bearing hydrogen (H), methyl (Me), fluoro (F), and trimethylsilyl (TMS) substituents on the p-phenyl positions and on the 3 and 9 positions of the tetracene core, by time-resolved spectroscopy in the vis-NIR and IR regions. The H-, Me-, and F-Tet display strong intramolecular electronic coupling (π–π distances <4 A), and SF gives high triplet exciton yields up to 200% (quantitative). In addition, a charge-transfer state mediates SF in F-Tet films, while H-Tet and Me-Tet show no evidence for such a state. Correlations between the SF yields and the crystal structure show that chromophore slippage along both their short and long axes allows efficient SF and that a large degree ...


A new method, requiring no extended number range, is presented to prevent all harmful effects caused by both underflow and overflow when any polynomial equation with real coefficients is to be solved for real roots. Examples of polynomial equations are given having no conventional scaling possibility where replacing either overflowed numbers by the largest possible number or underflowed numbers by zero leads to badly erroneous results. The proposed method is capable to solve also these equations correctly. Also other successful methods, based on extended range of numbers, are discussed.


Directed-energy weapons (DEW) are devices which inflict damage upon a target by directing high intensity electromagnetic radiation over some distance, using for instance a high-energy laser (HEL) or high-power microwave source, and a focusing aperture. With recent increases in peak and average emitted power levels, X-band microwave radar is gaining the potential for use as a DEW. This paper explores a range of implementation issues arising in the application of active electronically steered array (AESA) and electronically steered array (ESA) X-band radars as directed-energy weapons. The application of circular polarisation at the radar antenna is shown to be useful for coupling power into targets, as is chirping of the radar waveform. It will be necessary to design radar modes specifically for the purpose of microwave attack, to provide the capability to interleave operator-controlled high-power emissions with necessary tracking waveforms. Estimates of achievable effect using a representative radar configuration indicate that a microwave attack regime will be effective only at short ranges.


This article is part of the activities carried out in the research and extension Project 'Webbing of a discursivity in the Northern MatoGrosso region in Legal Amazon: contexts and possibilities of development with sustainability'. The goal of this research is to understand the discursivity put in the Northern MatoGrosso region inserted in Legal Amazon in the formulation 'sustainable development' through the theoretical postulations of the French line Discourse Analyses. In this article we analyse two pieces of News diffused in the printed media in Sinop, aiming to verify how the theme sustainable development is presented according to linguistic enunciations by the journalistic proposer in the journalistic discourse. We search to understand the different meaning effects that are found in the dialogues. Among the analyzed results that we evident in the formulations we can highlight dislocation, incompletions and polemics between the environmentalistis' and developmentists' discourses, confronted in ideological socio-economical opposition that happens fundamentally because of the work organizations and the current political systems.


Since 2000 the Western Australian Department of Transport (DoT) has run a grant program that provides seed funding to local governments to employ a TravelSmart Officer (TSO). In 2011 the Department conducted a comprehensive review of the program. This presentation will present some of the key findings of that review and explore how the results are reshaping the program as the DoT offers a fourth grant round in 2012. The TravelSmart Local Government Program assists local governments to support, enable and promote active, sustainable transport use through its TSO, who acts as a lchange agentr and seeks to change travel behaviour by influencing managers, senior executives and elected members of local governments to provide and maintain appropriate infrastructure, hold promotional events, and work with local schools and employers in their communities. Over the last 10 years, 19 local governments in Perth and Peel regions have employed TSOs, with the DoT providing a proportion of funding, in combination with local governments. 2 The evaluation of the TravelSmart Local Government Program assessed the effectiveness of the program, modelled the economic and financial benefits, gathered stakeholder perceptions and developed a monitoring, evaluation and reporting plan. The evaluation provides a clear snapshot of the past 10 years and will be influential in shaping the next 10.


Over the last decade, nanoparticles used as protein carriers have opened new avenues for a variety of biomedical applications. The main concern for these applications is changes in biological activity of immobilized proteins due to conformational changes on the surface of the carrier. To evaluate this concern, the preparation and biocatalyst activity of α-chymotrypsin-Fe3O4 @ Au core/shell nanoparticles were investigated. First, Fe3O4 @ Au core/shell nanoparticles were synthesized by coprecipitation method and citrate reduction of HAuCl4. TEM imaging revealed a core size of 13 ± 3 nm and a shell thickness of 4 ± 1 nm for synthesized nanoparticles. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to study the crystalline structure of the nanoparticles. Next, the enzyme was immobilized on the surface of synthesized nanoparticles by covalent bonding of Au shell with thiol and amine groups present in the protein structure (e.g., cysteine and histidine residues). FTIR and fluorescence spectroscopy were utilized to study secondary and tertiary structures of the immobilized enzyme. Results show that the secondary and tertiary structures of the enzyme remain virtually unchanged after immobilization on the nanoparticles surface. However, the biocatalyst activity of the enzyme was reduced by thirty percent, indicating possible conformational changes or active site occlusion.


The local structures of rhombohedral, monoclinic, and tetragonal phases across the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) of Pb(Zr{sub 1-x}Ti{sub x})O{sub 3} are discussed in terms of the progression from short-range to long-range and back to short-range structural order. It is shown that, provided one considers the structures on a suitably small length scale, all three phases can be considered to be monoclinic at the local level and that there need not be any discrete phase boundaries across the MPB. Electron diffraction experiments showing significant variations in diffuse streaking, illustrating the progression from short-range to long-range order, are presented in support of this model. It is suggested that it is the change in the range of structural order that plays the most important role in the increase in electrical and electromechanical properties around the MPB.


The chitosanase was purified about 22.4-fold by(NH_4)_2SO_4 salting-out,dialysis,DEAE- Sephadex A25 anion-exchange chromatography,sephadex G-100 gel filtration and the recovery was 34. 2%.The purified enzyme was demonstrated by SDS-PAGE to be a homogeneous protein.The chitosa- nase was stable below 35℃and within the pH range from 6.0~7.5.The optimal temperature for the enzyme was 55℃and optimal pH was 5.0~5.5.Zn~(2+),Ag~+ ,Ca~(2+),Co~(2+),Mn~(2+)enhanced the enzyme ac- tivity considerably,whereas Fe~(3+),Hg~(2+)inhibited the enzyme activity greatly.K_m was 2.50 mg/mL, V_(max)was 4.19μmol/mL·min.The relative molecular weight was estimated as 30.9×10~3 by SDS- PAGE.


Contract awarded for "on-site research animal colony supportw to offeror submitting higher proposed cost proposal was reasonable where contracting agency found higher cost proposal to contain excellent merit compared with protester's lower cost, lower scored technical proposal and contracting agency further found that technical merit in higher cost proposal was worth the financial premium involved.


Objective Explore the method to reduce arterial bleeding in the lower lumbar lateral surgical approach.Methods Anatomical observation arteries of lower lumber vertebrae of 21 dissected adult corpses under a microscope from their origin to the processus transversus-the routes,branches,exterior diameter of these arteries and their relationship with the intervertebral foramen and prezone of processus transversus.Results Different lumbar arteries appear in different rates here.The appearance rates of L3A and L4A remain constant while that of L5A is quite variable.The main trunks and branches of L3A and L4A are distributed at the rate of 71.43% in the of the lateral border of the pedicle of vertebral arch of L3A and 62.07% in the 1/3 of intervertebral foramen of L4/5A.In the prezone of processus transversus,the anterior branches of L3A and L4A originate mostly from the inner side of point upper 1/3,then slants outward down to the outer side of middle point 1/3 at the rate of 60% or from the upper1/3 point down to the lower 1/3 point at the rate of 58.33%.Conclusion A good treatment of the arteries near the lumbar vertebrae,intervertebral foramen and those in the prezone of processus transversus is an effective way to reduce bleeding in a certain operation.


The optical and X-ray examinations of CsHSeO 2 were made at temperatures above and below the 128°C transition ( T c ). It is found that CsHSeO 4 is ferroelastic with a large spontaneous shear strain, x z 0 =7.9×10 -2 , at room temperature and becomes paraelastic above T c .


In this paper, we consider path simplification problem under difference area (diff-area) measure. Diff-area measure is defined as \Aa(Q) — Ab(Q)|, where Aa(Q) is the area under Q and above P and Ab(Q) is the area above Q and under P (see Figure 1). Böse et al [1] presented an approximation algorithm for finding a simplified path with at most k vertices that minimizes the diff-area measure which only works on x-monotone paths. The constraint of being x-monotone is restrictive in some applications like tracking bird migration paths or map boundary simplification. Here, we extend the method of Böse et al. [1] and present algorithms with the same time complexities as theirs for general paths.


Thank you very much for downloading learning aid for use with basic marketing a global managerial approach. Maybe you have knowledge that, people have look hundreds times for their chosen readings like this learning aid for use with basic marketing a global managerial approach, but end up in harmful downloads. Rather than reading a good book with a cup of coffee in the afternoon, instead they juggled with some malicious bugs inside their laptop.


The fire-engine, or (to term it more properly) the steam-engine, for draining of mines, is a master-piece of machinery, a very capital contrivance in the works of art, and meriting our attention for further improvements.


This study was conducted to identify the most salient organizational and personality factors contributing to burnout for elementary, intermediate, and secondary teachers; and to determine the pattern of causal predominance linking these stressors to burnout for each teacher group. Participants in the study, full-timc elementary (N=599), intermediate (N=203), and (N=715) secondary teachers, responded to a series of questionnaires including the Maslach Burnout Inventory. An hypothesized model of burnout, based on replicated findings from the literature, was tested separately for each group of teachers using the analysis of covariance structures. Findings were consistent across groups in revealing the potency of role conflict, work o7erload, classroom climate, decision-making, and peer support as the primary organizational determinants of teacher burnout. Findings also emphasized the key positions held by self-esteem and external locus of control as important mediators of teacher burnout. Findings related to causal structure among the emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accmplishment facets of burnout make it clear that interpretation of burnout as a untdimensional construct is not meaningful. (LL) ********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** to% r?\ 3EST COPY AVAILABLE Ib 2 Teacher Burnout


In this paper recommendations for growth conditions necessary for achieving maximum detectivity of infrared photodetectors with quantum dots and efficiency of quantum dot solar cells are given. It is also shown that for improvement of photodetectors characteristics quantum dots should be grown at rather high temperatures, and, on the contrary, at relatively low temperatures for maximisation of solar cells efficiency.


Lipid metabolic disorder in hyperlipidemia characterized by an increase in the entire lipid profile in the blood.  In 2019, the global prevalence of hyperlipidemia was 64.2%. Many patients with diabetes mellitus developed to hyperlipidemia. Diabetes mellitus characterized by hyperglycemia that caused by insulin production defects or decreased insulin resistance. Hyperglycemia in this study resulted from the injection of a streptozotocin dose of 45mg/kgBB intraperitoneally. Hyperglycemia could induced hyperlipidemia. It is due to increased lipid synthesis resulting in overproduction of HMG-CoA and ROS. Moringa leaves contain active substances such as flavonoids and vitamin C that act as antioxidants. This study was conducted to find out the effective dose of moringa leaf extract to lower the total cholesterol levels of male Wistar rats induced by streptozotocin. The dose of moringa leaf extract was divided into 5 groups, namely 62.5 mg/kgBW, 125 mg/kgBW, 250 mg/kgBW, 500 mg/kgBW, and 1000 mg/kgBW. The analysis of the data in this study was a Pearson correlation test that showed p< 0.05. It demonstrated that administration of moringa leaf extract correlated with decreased cholesterol levels of male Wistar rats. The effective dose of moringa leaf extract was calculated using a linear regression test. The equation obtained from the regression test was y= 0.0739x + 153.59, so the dose of moringa leaf extract that effectively lowers the total cholesterol levels of male Wistar rats was 528.96 mg/kgBW.
Keywords: hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, cholesterol, Moringa oleifera Lamk., streptozotocin


We demonstrate for the first time the subnanosecond holmium fiber laser system seeded by a gain-switched laser diode at 2.09 um. Modelling shows the feasibility to reach picosecond pulses with peak powers above 180kW.


Detailed studies on water-binding aquafoldamers are presented that illustrate the potential use of the elongated larger aquafoldamers for recognizing larger water clusters of diverse topologies. A novel self-trapping dimerization mode involving two tetramer molecules is proposed, which is consistent with the obtained varying experimental evidences.


An improved method of calibrating NDA gamma spectroscopic instrumentation for U-235 enrichment determination is presented. The calibration utilizes a chi-squared minimization method to fit two coefficients to the data. Sources of uncertainty in the initial data are used to ''weight'' the fit; uncertainties are computed for the two fitting coefficients. The calibration procedure and calculation of ''unknown'' enrichments is demonstrated. Only simple counting instrumentation is needed; calculations can be readily handled by small computers. An example calculation and program listings are included.


A driving system for high speed solenoid valve was designed based on the coordination of three MCUs.Using a high voltage power tube IGBT as switching element,using high voltage guiding,PWM low voltage maintenance and high speed stop circuit,high speed switching characteristics of solenoid valve were improved.


This paper expounds the situation of using Nanjing's Huiwen Library Automatic Management System by the library of Taishan University of Shandong Province, and in the light of the shortages existing in Huiwen System, puts forward some improvement suggestions to Huiwen System, which include that the acceptance subsystem should be more flexible, the retrieval mode should be more convenient, and the journal subsystem should be more simple.


Holoprosencephaly (HP) is characterized by impaired cleavage of the embryonic forebrain and incomplete mid-facial development. The etiology is heterogeneous and may include aneuploidies for chromosomes 2, 3, 7, 13, 18 and 21. We have narrowed the chromosome 21 candidate region by analyzing 2 cases of HP with deletion 21q22 using FISH and Southern blot techniques. For the smaller deletion, the regions for D21S25, D21S154, D21S171 and D21S44 were deleted and for D21S42 was not. Combining these data with previous reports of deletion of 21q22.3 (ColVIA2-ter) without the holoprosencephaly phenotype indicate that the region responsible for holoprosencephaly spans the 2-3 Mb region including PFKL and ITGB2 (CD18) that has also been linked to progressive myoclonus epilepsy (EPM1). In order to isolate genes responsible for these diseases, we constructed a cDNA library from a 14-week trisomy 21 fetal brain using Uni-Zap XR (Stratagene). More than 95% clones have inserts ranging from 1-4 kb (ave. 2 kb). In addition we applied a direct cDNA selection method to BACs (Bacterial Artificial Chromosomes) in the 21q22.3 region. Using cDNA synthesized from trisomy 21 fetal brain, we attached Sau3AI linkers, digested with Sau3AI, attached second linkers and hybridized to biotinylated BAC DNAs which cover the candidatemore » region. cDNA/BAC DNA hybrid molecules were captured on streptavidin-coated magnetic beads, non-specific cDNA were washed out, and specifically hybridized cDNA were eluted and amplified by PCR. Twice-selected PCR products were subcloned and analyzed. Southern blot analyses revealed that 21 out of 30 (70%) of fragments yielded unique bands on the original BACs. Eight clones contained repetitive sequences. We are now isolating cDNAs expressed in the Down syndrome fetal brain using these cDNA fragments. These genes now provide candidates for EPM1 and holoprosencephaly.« less


Summary. Samples of the fish species Argentina silus (Ascanius) have been studied for utilization as a food fish and also for the production of fish meal. the flesh was found very acceptable by taste panels, but because of its unsaturated oil content, rancidity would occur during long-term storage unless precautions were taken to reduce this spoilage.

The lipid content and composition of this fish together with the amino acid composition has been measured. the results indicate that fish meal produced from it would be nutritious and have a relatively high oil content, if the fish was not processed as a fatty fish.


This issue of LRTS is meaningful to me in numerous ways. First, it contains five research papers. It has been unusual during my tenure as LRTS Editor to publish this many research papers in an issue. I typically have two to three and often an equal number of "Notes on Operations" papers.


808 nm‐light‐excited lanthanide (Ln3+)‐doped nanoparticles (LnNPs) hold great promise for a wide range of applications, including bioimaging diagnosis and anticancer therapy. This is due to their unique properties, including their minimized overheating effect, improved penetration depth, relatively high quantum yields, and other common features of LnNPs. In this review, the progress of 808 nm‐excited LnNPs is reported, including their i) luminescence mechanism, ii) luminescence enhancement, iii) color tuning, iv) diagnostic and v) therapeutic applications. Finally, the future outlook and challenges of 808 nm‐excited LnNPs are presented.


Accumulating studies have suggested that base excision repair (BER) is the major repair pathway of oxidative DNA damage in neurons, and neurons are deficient in other DNA repair pathways, including nucleotide excision repair and homologous recombination repair. However, some studies have demonstrated that neurons could efficiently repair glutamate‐ and menadione‐induced double‐strand breaks (DSBs), suggesting that the DSB repair mechanisms might be implicated in neuronal health. In this study, we hypothesized that BER and nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) work together to repair oxidative DNA damage in neurons.


This study rediscovers the importance of professional services firms (PSFs) in family business succession. Contrary to the popular belief in highlighting the vertical relationship between predecess...


The present study deals with the utilization of Neyveli clay for value added artifacts like, porous membrane support, dense mullite tubes and substrates for electronic applications. In the present investigation, Neyveli clay and reactive alumina (mean particle size of 0.7 wt%) were used as starting materials to prepare stoichiometric mullite. MgO (3 wt%) and boehmite (5 wt%) were added as sinter additives to increase the densification, whereas starch and B2O3 were added as pore formers. The sintered (1600°C for 3 h) porous membrane supports show that the addition of organic pore former (starch) leads to low strength with a wide pore size distribution. The simultaneous addition of organic (10 wt%) and inorganic pore formers (10%) to the clay and alumina yields porous membrane supports with high strength (61 MPa) and high open porosity (35%) having mean pore diameter of 5 pm with very narrow pore size distribution. The linear thermal expansion co-efficient (3.4 × 10−6oC−1 at 400°C) and dielectric constant (7.4) are comparable to the reported values for samples containing 3% MgO. Dense tubes prepared with the addition of 3% MgO give bulk density of 2.91 g.cm−3, strength of 78.2 MPa without any open porosity.


The utility model relates to an air-pressure brake parking device of disc type tractor assembly, which comprises an air compressor, a gas storage tank, a braking main pump, a braking sub pump, a safety valve and an air-pressure meter, wherein the gas storage tank is communicated with the air compressor through pipelines, the braking main pump is communicated with the gas storage tank, the braking sub pump is communicated with the braking main pump, the safety valve is arranged on the gas storage tank, the gas storage tank is also communicated with a hand control valve through pipelines, the hand control valve is also communicated with the braking sub pump through pipelines, and the air-pressure meter is communicated with the gas storage tank through pipelines. The utility model has the advantages of safety, reliability, flexible operation, good braking effect and convenient maintenance.


The invention relates to the technical field of biosynthesis apparatuses, and relates to a low-temperature air-isolated allicin production apparatus and a usage method thereof. The production apparatus comprises a reaction tank, a first low-temperature aseptic tank, a second low-temperature aseptic tank, a microfiltration device, an ultrafiltration device, a cycled extraction device, an injection loading device, a molecular distillation device and an oxygen-removed water tank. Through current pharmaceutical new technologies such as alliinase catalyzing alliin lysis for biosynthesis of allicin, microfiltration and ultrafiltration for purifying allicin, cycled extraction and molecular distillation for realizing liquid-liquid separation, physical sterilization and argon-filling precharging and the like, the low-temperature air-isolated allicin production apparatus effectively isolates air, reduces the temperature of biologically synthesizing allicin and avoids allicin decomposition, and enables the allicin biological synthesis conditions to be mild, the yield to be high and the quality to be excellent. Also the low-temperature air-isolation allicin production apparatus is especially applicable to separation of heat-sensitive easily-oxidized substances, and is capable of effectively keeping the physical properties of natural substances.


We argue that systematic trading by households represents an informational friction, slowing the speed of adjustment of prices to fundamental value. We construct momentum portfolios based on directional trading by investor classes during the momentum formation period. Conditioning on high household net buying, high momentum stocks outperform low momentum stocks by 0.85% per month for the ensuing six months. These returns do not exhibit mean reversion during the subsequent 24-months, consistent with prices attaining fundamental values. This stands in contrast to institutional investors, who speed up the integration of information in the anomaly formation period, and act as a stabilizing force, reducing the intensity and at times the existence of momentum returns.


Forty‐five end‐to‐side microvascular anastomoses were completed in rat carotid arteries of 0.7–0.8 mm diameter (anastomosing the distal end of the left common carotid to the side of the right common carotid). For comparison both 10‐0 and 11‐0 sutures were utilized in different anastomotic techniques: interrupted, direct‐continuous, and diagonal‐continuous sutures, plus total mural thickness vs. partial mural thickness (piercing only the adventitia and outer media, excluding the intima). Anastomoses were evaluated for patency and scanning electron microscopic appearance after 10 to 12 weeks. The results indicate complete patency in all anastomoses. Ultrastructural observations revealed nearly normal intimal appearance in the partial medial technique and only minimal evidence of intimal injury in the other techniques. It is concluded that 100% patency can be obtained regardless of suture size or anastomotic technique. The most important factor in anastomotic patency is the operator's technical skill.


Case tracing methodology is one of the methods in process quality management, and it is also an effective way in Chinese new hospital accreditation process. In this paper, the author described how to do case tracing from six aspects including man, machine, material, method, environment, and measurements(5M1E) during hospital accreditation through analyzing a specific case. The author also pointed out common problems during case tracing and proposed recommendations for improvements accordingly to promote the continuous improvement of nursing care quality.


Chili pepper has a high economic value but it belongs to the type of fruit that can easily damage because of the climacteric phase, therefore, it is needed a proper postharvest handling, either by drying with different temperatures for 14 hours. The research objective is to find out the effect of drying temperature for the quality of chili pepper and find out the best drying temperature that influences the quality of chili pepper. The research design that used is completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications . The drying temperatures that use are T1 (50°C), T2 (60°C) and T3 (70°C). The research parameter consists of weight loss, water content, vitamin C and discoloration. Methods of analyzing the data that used is analysis of variance (ANOVA) continued by significant different test of Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT) at the 95% signification level. The chili pepper that drainaged in temperature of 50°C can shows the best result for defend of chili pepper color and texture. The highest contens of vitamin C can be found in temperature of 50°C that show the number of 63.287 mg%. The drying temperature of 70°C give the highest weight loss that show the number of 3.833%  and give the lowest water content for about 72.4%. The research of study show that the drying temperature influence the alteration of chili pepper quality which show the result that it can decrease the fruit weight loss, the water content of chili pepper, vitamin C contens and also the color and the texture of chili pepper. Keyword s: Chili pepper , dr ying temperature , weight loss , water content , vitamin C


Extensive research from around the world has documented the effectiveness of tobacco tax and price increases in reducing tobacco use by promoting cessation among current users, deterring young people from taking up tobacco use, and reducing how much continuing users consume. Internal tobacco company documents show that the industry clearly understands this and that this knowledge informs its pricing, marketing, lobbying and other strategies. The collection of papers in this special issue addresses various aspects of how this plays out in practice and provides options for maximising the effectiveness of tax and price policies for achieving public health goals.

Exaggerating the role of tax and price levels and differentials for tobacco products in increasing illicit trade is a key element of the tobacco industry's playbook for discouraging governments from adopting higher taxes and, increasingly, for opposing other tobacco control policies, including strong graphic warning labels, plain packaging, bans on flavoured products, and other product standards. Several of the papers in this issue highlight how the industry distorts the data and misleads the public and policy makers on the issue of illicit tobacco trade. Rowell et al 1 highlight how the industry has produced estimates of the extent of illicit trade in the UK to argue that the problem has increased over time and has been effective in getting this argument into the popular press, thus creating the incorrect impression that illicit trade in the UK is high and rising, while objective data show the opposite. Similarly, van Walbeek2 uses revenue data to show that illicit tobacco trade in South Africa has not been consistently rising over time, contrary to industry claims that it had increased sharply and steadily since the 1990s, costing the government considerable revenues. …


Using the theory of elasticity and thermoelasticity of the space of deformations, coupled boundary-value problems are formulated. The theory of elasticity and thermoelasticity of the deformation space, unlike the existing one, allows us to formulate conjugate boundary-value problems for increments of displacement and temperature. Explicit and implicit finite-difference equations are constructed for the two - dimensional case of boundary value problems. The numerical solution of explicit finite-difference equations reduces to the use of recurrence formulas, while the implicit scheme reduces to the use of the elimination method.


Decision-Making in Oncology is a unique textbook unlike any oncology text currently in publication. It is not a comprehensive textbook of oncology, and the editor makes no such claims. The aim of the text is "to provide practical guidance to the physician who is faced with the task of choosing an appropriate treatment program." In pursuit of this aim, each chapter provides in an easily followed diagrammatic format, a series of algorithms or branching decision trees based on the acquisition of clinical data. These algorithms are the major strength of this text. They help the reader visualize the impact of clinical information on the decision-making process and how it ultimately impacts on overall therapy. The accompanying text of the individual chapters is easy to read, clear, concise, and up-to-date. With the recognition that this book is a supplement to any standard oncology text, I believe that it would be a


The flow pattern, the distribution of time-average hydro-dynamic pressure and the flow velocity near the floor of the energy dissipator with step-down floor are analyzed with the hydraulic experiment concerned; in which the depth of the step-down floor and the flow intaking angle affecting the hydraulic characteristics of the stilling basin are studied as well. The study results show that the problem of over-high hydraulic indexes of the stilling basin of high head and large unit-width discharge can be solved with energy dissipator with step-down floor.


Owing to the high energy and intensity of betatron radiation, it is possible to test welds in thick-walled pressure vessels in economic exposure times and with high image quality. Techniques and examples of practical radiographic work are given. (auth)


A virtual endomorphism of a group G is a homomorphism f W H ! G where H is a subgroup of G of finite index m. The triple .G;H; f / produces a state-closed (or, selfsimilar) representation ' of G on the 1-rooted m-ary tree. This paper is a study of properties of the image G when G is nilpotent. In particular, it is shown that if G is finitely generated, torsion-free and nilpotent then G has solvability degree bounded above by the number of prime divisors of m. Mathematics Subject Classification (2000). Primary 20E08, 20F18.


The commodity basis of The Colden Bowl reflects a historical distinction commonly made in American studies between elite and popular media - the so-called "Highbrow/Lowbrow" distinction derived from phrenological and racist taxonomies in the nineteenth century. The Golden Bowl is a novel written from the perspective of the insufferably rich whose entire existence is made possible only by their separation from the necessity of producing things (distinguishing this novel from the dozens of proletarian novels that see humans as components in a capitalist machine). In the parlor-room world of this novel, the commodity and the human are indirectly but thoroughly implicated by those who promote capitalism.


Screening for atopic disease using neonatal serum IgE has been advocated on the basis of the predictive value of elevated levels. However, this is only one measure of validity. The test was validated fully in 92 infants with a bi‐parental history of atopic using 0.7 IU/ ml as the cut‐off. All infants were assessed prospectively for evidence of atopic disease (eczema, recurrent wheezing or food reactions) and skin‐prick test positivily in the first year. Total serum IgE was measured by ultrasensitive ELISA on 61 cord blood samples and 92 samples taken at 7 days. All cord samples were re‐analysed by PRIST and the first 33 by ultrasensitive RIA giving, respectively, 82% and 94% concordance (regarding undetectable, detectable and elevated levels) with ELISA. Maternal contamination was indicated in 7% of cord samples by high serum IgA. Ninety‐five per cent of cord/7‐day IgE pairs showed no change or minor rises at 7 days. Forty‐nine per cent of the infants had evidence of atopic disease. Only 5% had elevated 7‐day IgE. The positive and negative predictive values of the 7‐day test were 60% and 52%, respectively, and specificity 96% but the sensitivity was only 7%. High levels did not distinguish the infants with the most unequivocal evidence of disease, i.e. eczema with a positive skin test. In conclusion IgE at 7 days is comparable to and more reliable than cord IgE. However, neonatal IgE screening is too insensitive to have clinical application.


Object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus capable of displaying an ultrasound image in the radiation area is not limited to ultrasonic waves. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus (10) comprising: an ultrasonic probe (2) ultrasonic reflected waves radiating ultrasonic waves having a radiation and receives the ultrasonic wave; using an ultrasonic image generating unit (6 generates an ultrasonic image based on the reflected echo signals reflected wave ); is generated by the ultrasonic image is superimposed ultrasonic volume data generating means (9) of the three-dimensional ultrasonic volume data sample; generating means uses the reference image data and the three-dimensional volume data to generate a plurality of ultrasonic volume of reference images (12) ; and a display unit (15) of the ultrasonic image and the reference image.


The monitoring of natural forage lands in the Kabardino-Balkaria was carried out, their productivity was investigated, agricultural methods were developed and some recommendations to improve the natural plant formations and seeded herbage were provided.


This paper investigates the welfare effects of the implementation of factor mobility in a Customs Union which means the foundation of a Common Market. Trade in goods as well as in factors induce positive and negative trade-creation and trade-diversion effects which are graphically identified as reallocation, capital-diversion and volume-of-trade effects. It is not possible to rule out the probability of a negative welfare impact of the Common Market.


The effect of FWL on the coefficients in implementing digital controllers has been the subject of many recent studies. Especially, this issue is more severe in the low budget consumer electronic products. To save the cost of development, most of the manufacturers applied cheap processors on those kinds of products. Therefore, it is desired to develop an estimation to predict the required word length while designing the controller. In this paper, the authors focus on study on an inkjet printing mechanism and investigate the effect of a controller without a proper word length. The authors develop an algorithm to estimate the required resolution and apply the method to determine the required bits of word length for the controller designed.


In this paper, the analog/RF analysis of SiGe source-based heterojunction Tunnel FET is reported. The parameters like transconductance (gm), device efficiency (gm/ID), gate-source capacitance (CGS), gate-drain capacitance (CGD), cut-off frequency (fT) and gain-bandwidth product (GBP) are studied. DC, as well as AC simulations, have been performed on the proposed device. We have achieved an ON current of 0.537 µA/µm and OFF current of 13 fA/µm, thus achieving ION/IOFF ratio as 3.72×1010. We have also performed temperature analysis of the analog/RF parameters. We have also investigated the device for the temperature analysis concerning the drain current and the capacitance calculations. We have observed that the OFF currents are strongly dependent on the temperature. All the simulations have been performed on Visual TCAD (licensed version 1.9.2-3).


The purpose of this quasi-experimental, two-group, pre-post test study was to examine the effect of an empowerment program on the sexual health behaviors of early adolescent females in an orphanage. The sample consisted of fifty early-adolescent females. The subjects were randomly assigned into two groups, the control group and the experimental group, with twenty-five early adolescent females assigned to each. The control group received standard care, and the experimental group participated in the empowerment program. The program took place six times in four weeks. Data were collected at baseline and at ten weeks. The Cronbach alpha coefficient of the questionnaires was 0.80. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and t-test. The results revealed that at ten weeks after participation, the mean score on sexual health behaviors in the experimental group was significantly higher than with the control group (p< .05) and was significantly higher than before the experiment   (p< .05). The results showed that the empowerment program was effective regarding the sexual health behaviors of early adolescent females in the orphanage.


Every profit making organization harms the environment as we individuals do. Through the process of wealth making or accumulating we create a lot of disturbances and so it becomes our responsibility to balanced out our negative outcomes with some positive work. Here comes the concept of corporate social responsibility. Today, CSR in India has gone beyond merely charity and donations, and is approached in a more organized fashion. Moreover CSR is held responsible for many changes and developments taking place across the corporate sector. The impact of CSR is studied on most of the financial parameters and the extent to which this impact is caused is also explored. The research paper examines the impact of CSR ratings on the stock performance of companies. For the very purpose the ratings have been taken from Karmayog. Karmayog is a unique free platform for people to show their concern for social and civic issues. The website has over 60,000 pages covering almost all the NGO's in Mumbai and is involved in providing CSR ratings to 1000 largest companies of India. The ratings are provided on the basis of different minimum parameters which give a particular level to the company. The analysis of stocks of top 10 companies as per the ratings of Karmayog shows that the performance of a stock in the stock is duly getting affected which concludes the impact of CSR ratings on investors trading behavior.


The library and information professional's gide to the internet , The library and information professional's gide to the internet , مرکز فناوری اطلاعات و اطلاع رسانی کشاورزی


Yurchyshyn I. B. Relevant issues of improvingcriminal liability for illicit enrichment. – Article.The article is dedicated to exploration of theproblems of legal regulation of criminal liability forillicit enrichment in Ukraine. The author is looking atthe provisions of Article 3685 of the Criminal Code ofUkraine, which designate criminal liability for illicitenrichment, carries out research some of the features ofthis crime, which, in the author opinion, cause difficultiesin criminal qualification and further examination of thiscrime. Emphasizing that the problem of illegal levy inUkraine will remain deficient will be investigated and thepractice of national anti-corruption bureaus of Ukrainewill testify that it is partly difficult to investigate illegalenrichment involved in the inadequate of norm 3685 ofthe Criminal Code of Ukraine. First of all, the attentiondraws to consolidation in the statute of the subject ofthe crime. While the author remind about changes whichhas been formulated of the subject during the existencein Ukraine of criminal liability for illicit enrichment.The relation is considered between the terms 'official'and 'a person authorized to perpetrate the functions of84 Прикарпатський юридичний вісникthe state or local self-government' and also the questionabout the expediency of introduction of the last one.During the exploration of the objective side of the crimeof "illegal enrichment" draws attention to the fact thatthe practice of the National Anti-Corruption Bureauof Ukraine designate of essential defects in wording ofthis component in Article 3685 of the Criminal Code ofUkraine. The author tries to demonstrate this by analyzingthe definition of the term 'acquisition of assets' which isformulated in the item number 2 of the remark to thisarticle : the problem of estimating income to establish thefact of their excess, the importance to take into accountthe income of family members of the offender, etc. Alsohere analyzed the subjective side of the crime. Especially,attention is drawn to the intentional purpose of the act asa feature of the subjective side of illicit enrichment andin this context compares the provisions of Article 3685of the Criminal Code of Ukraine with the provisions ofArticle 20 of the UN Convention against Corruption. Inthe end, the author formulates the inference he reachedas a result of the study and also makes suggestionsdirected at improving Article 3685 of the Criminal Codeof Ukraine, among which he offers a new editorship.


Yan et al. Clinical factors and outcomes of subsegmental pulmonary embolism in cancer patients. Blood Adv. 2021; 5(4): 10501058. https://doi.org/10.1182/bloodadvances.2020003136 Cancerassociated venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a wellestablished clinical condition, and cancer patients experiencing VTE have a significantly increased risk of mortality. In the assessment of possible VTE, advances in imaging modalities are now able to detect subsegmental pulmonary embolism (SSPE) with greater sensitivity; however, the clinical significance of SSPE in this context remains unclear. In this retrospective analysis of 206 adult cancer patients with a diagnosis of SSPE, the majority of patients had metastatic disease, 50% were on chemotherapy and 11% had a prior history of VTE. In this population, 67% of SSPE events were detected incidentally at the time of staging CT scans and 70% of these cases were single and isolated events. In followup, 9% of the SSPE patients experienced a PE recurrence and the recurrence rate was higher in patients not treated with anticoagulation (13% vs 8%). However, treatment with anticoagulation did not influence overall survival when adjusted for ECOG performance status and cancer stage.


The incidental take of golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) as a result of wind energy development requires some form of compensatory mitigation. Although several options have been proposed, only one has been formerly accepted and implemented, and the lack of options can limit the permit process for wind facilities. We developed a model to estimate numbers of golden eagles that die when struck by vehicles when eagles scavenge road kill to evaluate removal of road-killed carcasses as an additional mitigation option. Our model estimates vehicle collision rates as a function of eagle densities, road traffic volume, and animal carcass abundance at the scale of a Wyoming, USA, county during fallwinter, and quantifies the effects of different mitigation strategies, including estimates of uncertainty. We evaluated the plausibility of our model estimates by predicting mortality rates for each county in Wyoming and comparing overall state mortality to current estimates of mortality using derived estimates from expert judgment. We also developed a contextdependent analysis of potential mitigation credits controlling for carcass number, traffic volume, and background carcass removals. We found that mitigation credit should be highest in areas with greatest number of carcasses. Collision mitigation is a potentially useful addition to the mitigation toolbox for wind energy development or other activities that need to offset predicted golden eagle mortality and satisfy incidental take permit requirements. 2018 The Authors. Journal of Wildlife Management Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


In this paper, we present a new method to detect sub-pixel edges of shape-known objects. Differ from other sub-pixel edge detection methods based on normal information, we use tangential information. We introduce theories of this method, as well as the influences on the performance of this method caused by size, sampling location and direction of the object. This new method has been practically applied and compared with other methods in real pictures on the product line. Results show that this method provides more accurate sub-pixel edge in practical applications.