Wetlands are natural ecosystems that are valuable in many aspects since they offer multiple benefits. According to the Environmental Code wetlands larger than 5 ha are licensed water activities. As the authorization process can be both time and resource consuming this study aims to study the process and try to identify where there may be gaps or obstacles. Since wetlands are valuable ecosystems, it is important that the process is clear and efficient. Therefore, it is interesting to see how the value of wetlands is taken into consideration in the process and the decision making by identifying what may affect whether permission is given or not.

In this study literature regarding the authorization process and value of wetlands were studied, then a figure of the authorization process was created. Through interviews with a consultant and the provincial government, details from two important parties of the process were obtained. By using the details the initial question could then be answered.

After interviews and discussions, it is clear that the problems that can arise during the process is the fact that the process is both time and resource consuming whilst the information concerning the process are a bit inadequate. Also, technical conditions are required to solve the problems of conflicting interests, such as protected species in the area.

Permission will never be announced without the support of the Environmental Code. It is also required that the wetland prove to have a greater value than the costs that may arise or that the operator has the right to use the water provided to the activity.

In summary, it should be mentioned that further studies are needed but also, without benefits, technology and legislation a wetland can not be constructed. It is therefore important to have knowledge about the three aspects during the application.


The reactions of PPhO(OH)2 and PPhCl2O with the strongly acidic solvents 100% H2SO4, 25 and 65 oleum, and HSClO3 have been investigated by means of 31P n.m.r. spectroscopy. Initial protonation of the phosphoryl oxygen, the extent of which varies with solute and solvent, is followed in most instances by sulphonation of the aromatic group (except in H2SO4), and/or condensation [PPhO(OH)2] or solvolysis (PPhCl2O). Slow chlorination of PPhO(OH)2 was also observed in HSClO3. Attempts to prepare the intermediate compound PPhClO(OH) did not yield pure products, but reaction of two of the mixtures thus obtained with 100% H2SO4 and HSClO3 confirmed its participation in some of the above systems.


INTRODUCTION The dislocations in the financial sector were well underway when President Obama took office in January 2009. The new administration faced a series of challenges: the swelling number of homeowners facing default and foreclosure, financial institutions that were understandably nervous about income losses, and a wide range of investors who had put a great deal of faith in an array of arcane financial instruments that had been based on shaky, high-risk mortgage assets. As problems worsened, local community officials and activists also began to articulate growing fears about how the mortgage crisis and mounting foreclosures would impact neighborhoods, due to an increase in vacant foreclosed properties. This article explores the responses by the federal government to deal with the mortgage crisis, particularly the actions of the Obama administration concerning the foreclosure problem, from early 2009 through nearly the end of 2013. Our overall assessment is that the various efforts have been disappointing.


Objective The present study was undertaken to evaluate left ventricular function in patients with β-thalassemia major with special reference to pulsed wave tissue Doppler imaging. Methods The present study compared 30 diagnosed cases of β-thalassemia major (mean age: 9.43±2.78 y) with 30 age-sex–matched healthy controls (mean age: 8.3±2.83 y) for left ventricular function assessment using following parameters: ejection fraction, mitral valve E/A ratio and E deceleration time (Edec), isovolumic relaxation time, and E/Eann ratio. Serum ferritin levels were also measured. Results There was significant increase in E/Eann (9.46±1.5 vs. 6.16±2.4, P<0.0001) and significant prolongation of Edec (177.66±40.73 vs. 138.5, P<0.001) and isovolumic relaxation time (40.2±14.89 vs. 36.67±5.12, P<0.05) in cases as compared with controls. However, there was no significant difference in ejection fraction value (65.55±8.98 vs. 63.87±16.35) and E/A ratio (2.0386±0.73 vs. 2.119±0.92). Serum ferritin levels although increased significantly in cases (8370.85±2660.35), no correlation could be established between increased serum ferritin and progressive diastolic dysfunction (r=0.148, P=0.258). Conclusions Diastolic dysfunction precedes systolic dysfunction in patients with β-thalassemia major as assessed by Edec and E/Eann ratio.


Improvement of DC-DC converter side in SMPS system is discussed in this paper. A novel forward type soft switching DC-DC converter topology with neutral point inductor connected auxiliary resonant snubber (NPC-ARS) circuit is presented in this paper for the switching mode power supply applications. Its circuit operation and its performance characteristics of the forward type soft switching DC-DC converter is described and discussed on the bases of experimental results.


Abstract Objective Evaluate outcome of paediatric malignant bone tumours at Ain Shams University, Egypt, from January 2003 to July 2016. Methods Retrospective data analysis regarding clinico-epidemiological aspects, treatment outcomes, survival analysis and musculoskeletal tumour society score (MSTS score). Results The study included 37 patients; 22 had Ewing sarcoma (ES) and 15 had osteosarcoma, male: female ratio 0.85:1, median ages of 11. The overall frequency was 2.3% among all cancers. There is wide range of time lag until diagnosis. Patients with ES were significantly younger than those with osteosarcoma were. Swelling was the most common presenting symptom and femur was the most common affected site. Fifteen patients fulfilled MSTS criteria; most of them had excellent MSTS score, which significantly affected by type of surgery. ES patients were treated with POG#9354/CCG#7942 protocols and osteosarcoma with CCG#7921 protocol. Limb salvage was the most common type for surgical local control. Most common cause of death was relapse, whereas infection was the most common complication of treatment. 1-year, 2-year, 3-year overall-survival of osteosarcoma were 93.3%, 40%, and 13.3% respectively and 77.3%, 40.9%, and 18.2% respectively for ES. 1-year, 2-year, 3-year event-free-survival were 80%, 40%, and 13.3% respectively and 72.7%, 22.7%, and 18.2% respectively for ES patients. Conclusion Although survival rates for malignant bone tumours are still unsatisfactory, the functional outcome of extremity tumours after limb salvage procedures is promising


Search engines are the most powerful resources for finding information on the rapidly expanding World Wide Web (WWW). Finding the desired search engines and learning how to use them, however, can be very time consuming. The integration of such search tools enables the users to access information across the world in a transparent and efficient manner. These systems are called meta-search engines. The recent emergence of visual information retrieval (VIR) search engines on the web is leading to the same efficiency problem. This paper describes and evaluates MetaSEEk, a content-based meta-search engine used for finding images on the Web based on their visual information. MetaSEEk is designed to intelligently select and interface with multiple on-line image search engines by ranking their performance for different classes of user queries. User feedback is also integrated in the ranking refinement. We compare MetaSEEk with a base line version of meta-search engine, which does not use the past performance of the different search engines in recommending target search engines for future queries.


Purpose: The study assessed the role of heads of English department in the supervision of English language teachers in public secondary schools in Kakamega county, Kenya among other objectives. Supervision is key in enhancing learning-teaching experiences. In order to ensure better supervision of English language teachers, the heads of English department should play a key role in supervision. When their roles are not carried out efficiently, the teachers may not reach their full potential and learners may underperform. In Kenya, there is no official supervision approach that is exclusively used for supervising teachers of English in secondary schools, which means that teachers of English are not being effectively supervised, and this leads to negative impact on curriculum delivery.
Methodology: This article is based on the research study done in Kakamega County, which explored English Language Teachers` opinions about the usefulness of Collaborative Peer Supervision (CPS) approach in enhancing Teacher Effectiveness in the teaching of English Language in public secondary schools in Kenya. The study adapted the Convergent Mixed Methods Research Design, where, 25 heads of English department were purposively sampled from the 417 public secondary schools in Kakamega county, and were interviewed using a researcher-developed in-depth interview schedule. Data collected was thematically analyzed using NVIVO12 Software.
Findings: The results revealed that, the major supervisory roles of HODs currently, is administrative i.e., supervision of curriculum implementation at the departmental level, conducting teacher appraisals, and general management of departmental issues. This is formal supervision through the Teacher Performance Appraisal and Development (TPAD) tool, which is the current supervisory approach, recognized by the Teachers` Service Commission (TSC), the teachers` employer in Kenya. The study also revealed that HODs are not fully sensitized about other key supervisory roles that they should play, in accordance with the literature. The results were presented thematically, by way of verbatim quotes as expressed by the participants` responses, and researcher commentaries.
Unique Contribution to theory, practice and policy: The study concluded that teachers of English in public secondary schools in Kenya, are not being effectively supervised because the HODs are not fully sensitized about their full supervisory roles. The study recommends the development of capacity building programs on supervisory roles for HODs through workshops and seminars, and the introduction of CPS as a complementary supervision approach for supervising teachers of English in secondary schools, in which HODs will take the centrality of guiding supervision in their departments. This should guarantee the delivery of high-quality instruction.


The case of a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV)-coinfected patient with a past medical history of deep venous thrombosis is presented. A liver biopsy, performed for unexpected finding of portal hypertension, showed vascular lesions presenting as nodular regenerative hyperplasia. Vascular liver diseases seem to be emerging as a new cause of chronic liver disease in HIV-infected patients under combined antiretroviral therapy. The syndrome of HIV-associated liver vasculopathy is discussed. Key words: nodular regenerative hyperplasia; portal hypertension; HIV infection.


The outbreak of COVID-19 has brought the world to a standstill, affecting every aspect of human life. The impact can be felt more vehemently in cities, where economic activities have slowed down and people are forced to be confined within the four walls of their homes because of prolonged lockdown. The urban open spaces are naturally being underused as they are perceived to be potential hotspots for the outbreak, while the need for open spaces within the houses and the buildings are immensely felt. To cope with this need, people seem to be using the available open spaces within their houses and their buildings like verandahs, roofs, parking spaces etc. In a highly dense and heavily built up city like Dhaka, where open spaces in both house and community scale is already scarce, it is imperative to see how people are fulfilling their needs for open spaces during this pandemic. Dhaka having both planned and organically grown residential neighbourhoods, provides a chance to study whether these two are coping with the pandemic situation similarly or differently. The objective of this paper is to explore the use and the modification of open spaces within the housing units and the buildings during the pandemic. This paper focuses on how the need for the use of open spaces has changed and how people are fulfilling their spacebased interactions. To develop a comprehensive understanding, this paper focuses on both formal and organically grown neighbourhoods of Dhaka city. Due to the potential risk inherent in physical survey, primary data was collected through online questionnaires and semi structured interviews.


We present an adaptive non-local means (NLM) denoising method for a sequence of images captured by a multiview imaging system, where direct extensions of existing single image NLM methods are incapable of producing good results. Our proposed method consists of three major components: (1) a robust joint-view distance metric to measure the similarity of patches; (2) an adaptive procedure derived from statistical properties of the estimates to determine the optimal number of patches to be used; (3) a new NLM algorithm to denoise using only a set of similar patches. Experimental results show that the proposed method is robust to disparity estimation error, out-performs existing algorithms in multiview settings, and performs competitively in video settings.


The tundish skull is the residual steel and impurities that remains in a tundish after casting operations. Currently, this tundish skull removal is done using a hydraulic excavator machine and hereafter the skull is cut with an oxygen lance so it can be removed in smaller pieces. The tundish skull removal process at the Direct Sheet Plant (DSP) at Tata Steel Ijmuiden however causes harm to the production environment. This research strives to make a redesign of this process such that the harm to the production environment, consisting of smoke and dust pollution, is mitigated. Based on the existing literature, brainstorm sessions and multiple interviews, ten redesigns are considered of which two are analyzed more thorough. Based on a financial and strategic analysis of these redesigns, it is found that cutting of tundish skulls can be omitted 85% of the time at the berenkiephal by transporting whole tundish skulls to the recycling section. This redesign is a first step in the complete elimination of dust and smoke pollution. For the long-term, it is advised to install tundish skull pushers. Using tundish skull pushers, a hydraulic excavator is not needed anymore and when this is combined with big volume transport of the tundish skull, the cutting of tundish skulls can be fully omitted at the berenkiephal of the DSP.


Although the spectroscope and the spectrum have been known and worked with continuously since Sir Isaac Newton's classical experiments over two hundred and fifty years ago, it is only recently that they have been applied seriously to commercial use in the analysis both qualitative and quantitative of the various metals appearing in the standard alloys. As the authors point out in this informative paper, the time ordinarily consumed in making the chemical analyses of metals and their alloys has become a serious item of delay in the delivery of materials as specification demands have become more precise, and industry generally more exacting. With more experience and a perfection of technique, the authors believe that spectroscopic analyses may ultimately largely replace chemical analyses for industrial purposes because less time is consumed in making the analysis, and upon its completion a file record of every test detail appears on a photographic plate. The Navy's first contribution to the experimentation now going forward in many laboratories throughout the world is here discussed.


The recent realization that energy conversion in γ-ray bursts is most likely via internal shocks rather than via external shocks provides additional information about the inner engine: the relativistic flow must be irregular, it must be variable on a short time scale, it must be able to turn off to a very low level and then turn on again, and it must be active for up to a few hundred seconds and possibly much longer. An acceptable model requires that the central engine evolves into a configuration which is stable enough to survive the violent gravitational instabilities associated with the merging/collapse of compact objects, while still keeping enough binding energy to power the burst and in some cases to be active again after some period of quiescence. At present, it is unclear if these separated emission episodes observed in some γ-ray burst light curves are consequences of the same physical process, and if the time separation is due to some intrinsic property of the central source or of its environmen...


Observation from the literature shows that the role of ethnicity as a mobilizing agent is among the most important questions of this century as conflicts linked to ethnicity have led to significant loss of life and injuries in many cities, and become major elements in impoverishment, undermining human security and sustainable urban development. Hitherto, the literature on this issue in Africa is relatively weak in terms of systematically providing empirical evidence to substantiate its claims. The paper present preliminary report of a survey study carried out on urban ethno-communal conflict in Nigeria: the case of Ife-Modakeke. The study shows that given the circumstance that led to the birth of Modakeke; the status of Modakeke and that of its people has always been a source of dispute and conflict due to issues relating to landlord/tenant relationship or indigene/non-indigene issues. In both communities ethnic attachment is high, and, inter-personal relationship among the people of the two communities is not that very cordial. Significant relationship is found between inter-personal relationship and age, age of the youngest child, land ownership, if most important organization belonged to is ethnic organization, and having relative in the other community. Negative relationship is found between ethnic attachment and inter-personal relationships among the people of the two communities. This result suggest that for sustainable peace to be attained there is the need to pursue policies that encourages social integration, as well as policies that discourages strong ethnic attachment and the spread of ethnically related organizations in the two communities.


This chapter is written from the perspective of someone who started her research career as an experimental cognitive psychologist but spent the pas t20 years in road safety. There is an interesting parallel here with the structure of the book as a whole. It starts with detailed descriptions of the perceptual and cognitive issues in driving and then ends with a chapter that effectively says "well, this is what we can do to fix the problems." In this chapter I have tried to convey the multidisciplinary nature of interventions to reduce road trauma and to stress the point that the nature of the problem does not dictate the nature of the solution. Behavioral problems are not always best dealt with by behavioural interventions. This chapter attempts to show that road trauma prevention must combine interventions that prevent crashes and also those that reduce injury severity. I hope that this chapter fosters the concept of a "successful crash" as one in which the road and vehicle system succeeds in protecting the occupants from serious harm.


This chapter reviews the recent development of self-healing and easily mendable polymeric materials in which designed supramolecular interactions—notably hydrogen bonding, metal–ligand coordination, and complementary aromatic π−π-stacking—play key roles. Factors such as molecular weight, association constants for key binding motifs, kinetic lability of binding interactions, compatibility of blended materials, extent of microphase separation, and degree of crystallinity are discussed with reference to the balance of polymer properties and achievement of healable characteristics. Supramolecular polymer systems that undergo spontaneous healing under specific damage conditions (e.g., projectile-impact) are described, as are those which require some form of stimulus to initiate the healing process.

Keywords:

supramolecular;
polymers;
healing;
hydrogen bonding;
π-stacking


In Ecuador, the implementation of English Language Learning has become part of the Standard Educational Curriculum. In some public schools there is a struggle for fulfilling the current educational standards. In Emilio Uzcategui Garcia high school there exists a low performance among students when using the English Language.

The purpose of this research is to identify and analyze the possible causes that lead to the deficiency and the overall proficiency of the students at EUG School. For the development of this project several instruments have been applied, such as diagnostic tests, surveys, interviews, and classroom observations….


The purpose of this study was to investigate the frequency of Porphyromonas gingivalis, Filifactor alocis, Campylobater rectus, Porphyromonas endodontalis, Tenerella forsythensis, and Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, which are causative bacteria of periodontal disease, in order to investigate the distribution pattern of periodontal disease bacteria from children aged less than 10 years to old people more than 61 years. For this purpose, plaques were collected from the dentate gyrus and the 16s rRNA gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to investigate the distribution of periodontal pathogens by sex and age. The results obtained in this study are the basic data for improving oral health and quality of life. Among the various kinds of bacteria, Hemophilus aphrophilus, P. gingivalis, A. actinomycetemcomitans, T. forsythensis, Treponema denticola, Prevotella intermedia, Micromonas micros, Fusobacterium nucleatum, C. rectus, and Eikenella corrodens are recognized as a main causative organisms of periodontal disease. PCR is more specific and sensitive than culture method, and it is a good method to detect DNA directly from oral gingival epithelium and oral plaque. At least the population of bacteria can be diagnosed.


This article presents a new method for the performance evaluation of concatenated coding schemes with inner convolutional code or trellis-coded modulation and outer Reed-Solomon code.


The regulatory hurdles that exist to bring a functional food to market often prove the greatest challenge for the food industry. Different regulatory approaches exist worldwide, with the European Union having one of the tightest regimes of all. EU Regulation 1924/2006 sets out the framework for nutrition and health claims, and the system has been slow at approving claims. In recent years, the European Food Safety Authority has published Guidance Notes to aid industry with the application process. However, among other things, the fact that not one probiotic has received approval has left the food industry critical of the system. It is likely that an approval pattern will emerge in the future, and once the pathway to approval identified, the industry will emerge stronger and with more integrity than before.


This design is intended to replace the current mirror setup being used for the NorthStar Moly 99 project in order to monitor the target coupon. The existing setup has limited movement for camera alignment and is difficult to align properly. This proposed conceptual design for a water cooled mirror will allow for greater thermal transfer between the mirror and the water block. It will also improve positioning of the mirror by using flexible vacuum hosing and a ball head joint capable of a wide range of motion. Incorporating this design into the target monitoring system will provide more efficient cooling of the mirror which will improve the amount of diffraction caused by the heating of the mirror. The process of aligning the mirror for accurate position will be greatly improved by increasing the range of motion by offering six degrees of freedom.


While there are no official figures, data from the pet food industry show that in 20191 25% of UK households owned a dog, compared with 33%2 in 2021, with the number of dogs rising from nine million to 12 5 million PFMA releases its new top ten pets 2019: pets are the tonic for yappy days www pfma org uk/news/pfma-releases-its-new-top-ten-pets-2019 2 Pet Food Manufacturers Association www pfma org uk/pet-population-2021 3 Tulloch JSP Minford S Pimblett V Rotheram M Christley RM Westgarth C Paediatric emergency department dog bite attendance during the covid-19 pandemic: an audit at a tertiary children's hospital


Objective To study the clinical application of edaravone,a free radical scavenger,in the brain edema after acute intracerebral hemorrhage. Methods 97 cases diagnosed as acute cerebral hemorrhage were randomly assigned into edaravone group and the routine therapy group. 30 healthy individuals were also included in this study. 52 patients in edaravone group were given injection of edaravone besides of routine treatment for 14 days. The other 45 patients were treated routinely without edaravone. Results Before treatment,the levels of NO and LPO were significantly higher(P0.05)while SOD and GSH-Px were significantly lower(P0.05) in edaravone and routine treatment group than those in the control group. However,no significant difference was observed between edaravone group and the routine treatment group(P0.05). On 3th and 7th day,the levels of No and LPO in the edaravone group were significantly lower while SOD and GSH-Px were significantly higher in edaravone group than those in the routine therapy group. Until the 14th day,the significant differences were no longer observed between the two groups(P0.05). There was no significant difference(P0.05) between edaravone group and the routine therapy group in the edema volume before treatment. However,the edema volume in the edaravone group decreased significantly than the routine therapy group on the 3th and 7th day(P0.05). Conclusion Edaravone can effectively remove the generous free radicals and reduce the brain edema after intracerebral hemorrhage.


On the basis of building activity model of anti-missile combat command and control system under spatial information support,the operational process of anti-missile combat command and control system under spatial information support is analyzed from levels of planning,controlling and operating. In order to effectively describe the relationship between information transmission and dynamic interaction of anti-missile combat command and control system under spatial information support,the Petri net method is used to do concept modeling for the process of anti-missile combat command and control system under spatial information support,and the dynamic characteristics of Petri net model is analyzed by using the method of logo figure.


We report the measurements of dynamic transport properties of an acoustic pulsed wave propagating in a strongly disordered 2D medium using dynamic coherent backscattering. The coherent backscattering peaks are recorded with an array of transducers. Both transport speed and diffusion coefficient are determined accurately.


Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) has long proven to be a good method to mobilize the residual oil that is by passed and capillary trapped by secondary recovery methods. Chemical EOR methods enhance the microscopic and macroscopic efficiency, and ultimately the overall oil recovery is improved. However, the adsorption rate of the surfactant, low resistance to high temperature and salinity are some of the factors that would turn chemical flooding impractical and uneconomic in many cases. Lately, the application of nanotechnology in enhanced oil recovery has showcased some good and prolific results in terms of incremental oil recovery. In this study, the applicability of Nanoparticle flooding in carbonate rocks of Pilaspi formation was probed through a series of tests such as thin section analysis, x-ray diffraction, x-ray fluorescence, interfacial tension and contact angle measurements. The results showed that the composition of the carbonate rocks is predominantly calcite (CaCO3) with minor traces of quartz and dolomite. From the interfacial tension (IFT) measurements, it was figured out that the silica and alumina Nanofluids lowered the IFT by 27% and 42% with the light oil, and 43% and 49% with the heavy oil, respectively. The contact angle measurements revealed that the Alumina Nano-fluid at 0.25 wt. % reduced the contact angle on the surface of the light and heavy oil aged thin sections from 169◦ and 115◦ to nearly 119◦ and 78◦. On the other hand, the silica nanoparticle at 0.25 wt. % reduced the contact angles on both thin section types to around 129◦ and 80◦, respectively.


Background

Student-generated digital media is being increasingly incorporated into assessed components of tertiary science courses in an effort to enhance communication skills, encourage engagement and develop conceptual understanding (Hoban, Nielsen, & Shepherd, 2015). Such media products, for example, are developed as explanations of content material or scientific processes for a non-expert audience. Instructors, although slowly embracing new media forms and in agreement of their importance for developing key graduate attributes such as communication, still feel overwhelmingly more comfortable developing 'traditional' abilities in students, such as problem solving and written communication (de la Harpe et al., 2009). In the research-sphere, analysis of student-generated digital media products is still in its infancy and as such, we do not yet have access to the range of methods that could help us to understand or communicate the nature of the content, purpose, function and markers of success of student-generated digital media products.

Aims

This paper presents the development of a novel analytical method for examining multimodal student-generated products both for the purposes of research and for the informing of tertiary science practice. We ask the research question: How can we describe the scientific knowledge presented in student-generated digital media and what are the implications for instruction?

Design and methods

Two student-generated digital media products were collected as data as part of a wider program of research undertaken for an ARC project focused on student-generated digital media product (Nielsen & Jones, 2016). The two digital media products were selected on the basis of stated quality (by instructor) and superficial dissimilarity to act as illustrative examples for the application of the novel analysis. The products are four-minute long multimodal 'YouTube videos' and were created as part of a formal assessment task in a third year pharmacology course at an Australian university. These products were analysed using the construct of 'semantic density' from a conceptual framework being increasingly used in science education, Legitimation Code Theory (Maton, 2014). Semantic density refers to the 'condensation of meaning' and provides an indicator of how complexity is built across the text. Relative strengths of semantic density (condensation of meaning) were traced throughout the video and across the modes and represented 'semantic density profiles' (Maton & Doran, in pressa,b) using qualitative analyses software.

Results

The two digital media products showed distinct semantic density profiles. The first example exhibited a 'waving' profile; representing the building and unpacking meaning through the use of narration and images, animations and videos. The second example exhibited a 'flatline' profile, representing the use of specialized and complex scientific knowledge only.

Conclusions

These findings offer a way to conceptualise the way scientific knowledge is presented in a multimodal presentation. Future research is needed to develop the framework and assess its use as an instructional or evaluative technique for instructors.

Proceedings of the Australian Conference on Science and Mathematics Education, The University of Queensland, Sept 28th to 30th, 2016, page X, ISBN Number 978-0-9871834-4-6.

References

de la Harpe, B., David, C., Dalton, H., Thomas, J., Grirardi, A., Radloff, A., & Lawson, A. (2009). The B factor Project: Understanding academic staff beliefs about graduate attributes, final report. Retrieved from Sydney: Australian Learning and Teaching Council:
Hoban, G., Nielsen, W., & Shepherd, A. (2015). Student-generated Digital Media in Science Education: Learning, Explaining and Communicating Content: Routledge.
Maton, K. (2014). Knowledge and Knowers: Towards a realist sociology of education. London: Routledge.
Maton, K. & Doran, Y.J. (in press, 2016a) Semantic density: A translation device for revealing complexity of knowledge practices in discourse, part 1 - wording, Onomazein, August.
Maton, K. & Doran, Y.J. (in press, 2016b) Condensation: A translation device for revealing complexity of knowledge practices in discourse, part 2 - clausing and sequencing, Onomazein, August.
Nielsen, W., & Jones, P. (2016). The Quality of Learning as Students Create Digital Explanations of Science: Australian Government.


In 2007 January, at the heliocentric distance r < 0.3 AU, comet McNaught 2006P1 became the brightest comet since C/Ikeya-Seki 1965S1 and was continuously monitored by space-based solar observatories. We provide strong evidence that an archlike tail observed by the Heliospheric Imager aboard the STEREO spacecraft is the first ever detected tail composed of neutral Fe atoms. We obtain an Fe lifetime τ = (4.1 ± 0.4) × 104 s at r = 0.25 AU, in agreement with theoretical predictions of the photoionization lifetime. The expected dust temperature is inconsistent with iron sublimation, suggesting that Fe atoms are coming from troilite evaporation.


The MotoGP event will be held in Indonesia located in Mandalika, Lombok. As Indonesia is hosting world-class event, it is an honor to be able to handle big event and earn achievement from that. With the aid of Instagram as social media, Mandalika Circuit actively promotes their campaign and information around MotoGP; thus, it is one of the key to further understand Indonesia diplomacy dynamics. Through @themandalikagp Instagram account using Saussure's Semiotic Analysis, we can identify their sign and signifier then examine the relationship of it. The importance of Saussure's Semiotic Analysis will expand new diplomatic perspective for Mandalika Circuit event and its potential.


Avian detection is very important for the security and development of human's aviation as well as the development of avian ecology and the prevention from avian influenza. In this paper, a new method of avian micro-Doppler feature extraction from spectrogram on the range-slow time plane based on frequency-stepped chirp ISAR is proposed. In the method, the micro-Doppler outline can be obtained to extract the micro-Doppler rotation frequency and magnitude. The feasibility and effectiveness of the method is proved by simulation results.


This letter presents a compact dual-band, high-gain, light-weight, circularly polarized (CP) microstrip patch antenna with wide axial ratio (AR) beamwidth for multiple satellite communication, and positioning and navigation systems. The antenna consists of a main dual-frequency coplanar metal frame radiator, a circular metal capacity-loaded radiator, and some coaxial feeding probes. Due to the use of air dielectric, the maximum right-hand circularly polarized gain of the antenna is up to 6.2 dBic in the lower bands and 6.3 dBic in the upper bands. By utilization of dual-frequency coplanar patch and metal capacity-loaded technology, the dimensions of the aperture-shared CP antenna are only 0.38λ × 0.38λ × 0.04λ. To increase the 3 dB AR beamwidth, a novel vertically grounded shorting sheet is introduced. The 3 dB AR beamwidth ranges from −120° to 100° at 1.227 GHz and from −90° to 95° at 1.575 GHz. As a result, the proposed antenna is an excellent candidate for high gain, wide AR beamwidth, and compact air dielectric antenna.


Soy protein concentrate, a potential alternative of petrochemical-based polymers, has been cross-linked with furfural and formaldehyde at 1, 2.5, 5, and 7.5% (w/w concentration). A comparative study of the physicochemical, spectral, thermal, mechanical, and biodegradable properties has been discussed in detail. The degradation pattern of the cross-linked product has been monitored by the TGA method. A computerized LOTUS package method developed by us has been used for evaluating kinetic parameters. Differential scanning calorimetric showed the melting and glass transition temperatures. The biodegradability of the cross-linked products has also been reported. The detailed comparative study indicates that furfural is a better cross-linking reagent than formaldehyde.


This paper discusses the design of a safflower picking robot control system and focuses on a navigation control subsystem based on multisensor fusion. A navigation subsystem, an identification and positioning subsystem, a picking subsystem, and a levelling subsystem are designed. The hardware and software of the navigation subsystem are designed in detail, and a multisensor fusion positioning method based on extended Kalman fusion technology is proposed. The accuracy and stability levels of different combined navigation methods are compared. To test the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed method, an outdoor test is carried out. The test results show that the outdoor fusion positioning accuracy of the robot is less than 8 cm, and when the satellite signal is lost, the navigation control subsystem can still provide high positioning accuracy. The final positioning result obtained using the integrated positioning method of the


The Rydberg atom can be used as an active probe for precision radio-frequency (RF) electric field (E-field) measurement; however, the RF cavity resonance and scattering effect of an atomic vapor cell lead to polarization distortion inside the cell, and the depolarization effect limits the sensitivity and accuracy of E-field measurement. The finite element simulation and characteristic mode analysis of a hollow-cavity model are implemented to find an optimized solution of minimizing such depolarization. Manipulating atoms in the middle layer of a vapor cell along an incident field vector can avoid the depolarization, which is validated by the vector distribution measurement at 15.09 GHz.


A framework is proposed for solving general convex quadratic programs (CQPs) from an infeasible starting point by invoking an existing feasible-start algorithm tailored for inequality-constrained CQPs. The central tool is an exact penalty function scheme equipped with a penalty-parameter updating rule. The feasible-start algorithm merely has to satisfy certain general requirements, and so is the updating rule. Under mild assumptions, the framework is proved to converge on CQPs with both inequality and equality constraints and, at a negligible additional cost per iteration, produces an infeasibility certificate, together with a feasible point for an (approximately) l1-least relaxed feasible problem, when the given problem does not have a feasible solution. The framework is applied to a feasible-start constraintreduced interior-point algorithm previously proved to be highly performant on problems with many more inequality constraints than variables ("imbalanced"). Numerical comparison with popular codes (OSQP, qpOASES, MOSEK) is reported on both randomly generated problems and support-vector machine classifier training problems. The results show that the former typically outperforms the latter on imbalanced problems. Finally, application of the proposed infeasible-start framework to other feasible-start algorithms is briefly considered, and is tested on a simplex iteration.


Accurate sensory perception in noisy environments requires physiological mechanisms that reduce sensory interference. In the auditory system, it has been hypothesized that attentional control of cochlear responses to sound facilitates listening in noisy environments by modulating the effects of medial olivocochlear (MOC) efferent activity in the cochlea. However, conclusive support for this hypothesis has been elusive over the past 50 years. We investigated this issue using a novel experimental paradigm in which human subjects performed auditory tasks on transient sounds presented in acoustic noise, while we recorded click-evoked otoacoustic emissions (CEOAEs) in the task ear. CEOAEs are low-level sounds that are generated in the cochlea, recorded in the ear-canal and provide a non-invasive measure of the MOC effects on cochlear mechanical responses to sound. Our results show clear evidence that attending to transient sounds in noise caused an increase in MOC activity during the auditory task. MOC activity was greater on trials with correct responses compared to trials with incorrect responses, which provides evidence that the MOC activity brought about a perceptually beneficial change in cochlear operation. In addition, the task-dependent MOC activity scaled with auditory task difficulty and varied with task instructions. These results indicate the existence of a dynamic task-dependent interaction between the cochlea and the brain that has the function of optimizing cochlear operation to enhance auditory perceptual accuracy in noisy acoustic environments. Thesis Supervisor: John J. Guinan, Jr., Ph.D. Title: Professor of Otology and Laryngology, Harvard Medical School


The article discusses late 16th and early 17th century history of Rome, Italy relating to the practice of abortion to terminate unwanted pregnancies. Topics discussed include social perspectives on abortion held by men of the non-elite classes, men's and women's involvement and legal culpability in obtaining abortions, and historical source material from criminal trials during this time.


Abstract
Both Leperisinus fraxini and Hylesinus oleiperda possess the elytral-abdominal type of stridulatory apparatus with the pars stridens on the posterior medial undersurface of the elytra and the plectrum in two conical processes on the 7th tergite, similar to species of Dendroctonus, Pseudohylesinus, and Hylurgops. The stress and revalry chirps of L. fraxini are single multi-pulse chirps similar in toothstrike number, duration, and rate, but the attraction chirps are double and significantly different in number and duration. Both stress and attraction chirps of Hylesinus oleiperda are double chirps and differ significantly from those of L. fraxini in several parameters. L. fraxini is a bigamous species, one male with two females, and each female occupies one arm of the biramous gallery. The female L. fraxini produces the aggregative pheromone.

Zusammenfassung
Die Eschenbastkafer Leperisinus fraxini und Hylesinus oleiperda: Der Lauterzeugungsapparat, akkustische Signale und die Produktion des Anlockungsstoffes

Beide Borkenkaferarten, Leperisinus fraxini und Hylesinus oleiperda, besitzen den elytral-abdominal-Typ des Lauterzeugungsapparates. Die pars stridens befindet sich an der apikalen Unterseite des linken Elytron, das plektrum (in Form von zwei Kegeln) liegt, ahnlich wie auch bei den Gattungen Dendroctonus, Pseudohylesinus, Hylurgops und Polygraphus, am mittleren Rand des 7. Tergites.

Die Mannchen von L. fraxini produzieren einzelne Stres- und Rivalitats-Zirplaute, die nach Anzahl, Dauer und Rate ahnlich sind. Die Anlockungs-Zirplaute dagegen sind Doppel-Laute und unterscheiden sich von den anderen Lauten. Die Stres- und Anlockungs-Zirplaute von H. oleiperda sind Doppel-Zirplaute, die sich von denen von L. fraxini in mehreren Parametern unterscheiden. L. fraxini ist eine bigame Art (ein Mannchen lebt mit zwei Weibchen, von denen jede einen Arm des Frasbildes bewohnt). Das Anlockungspheromon wird durch die Weibchen produziert.


Water utilities, as well as other utilities, are increasingly faced with the problem of over-crowded, congested public streets. With land prices at a premium in today's economy, proper planning and coordination are essential for all utility companies to avoid unnecessary expense and underground chaos. In the late 1960s it became obvious to city officials in Dallas, Tex., that existing policies and procedures governing the location of utilities in public right-of-ways were not adequate. The past allocations of space on a "first-come, firstserved" basis often resulted in major conflicts among utility companies. Resolution of these conflicts usually involved considerable expenditure. An orderly system of policies and guidelines was needed to control the chaotic construction activities being conducted in public right-of-ways by the various utility companies. The experience of the city of Dallas is not uncommon. Towns and cities across the United States are


The enactment of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act prompted higher education institutions including state universities and colleges (SUCs) to incorporate ecological waste management in the school system. Thus, this paper aimed to assess the extent of implementation of solid waste management practices in select SUCs in CALABARZON in terms of waste reuse, waste reduction, waste collection, waste recycling, waste treatment, and final waste disposal. Respondents of the study included university administrators, faculty members, non-teaching staff, students and concessionaries for a total of 341. A survey questionnaire was used to gather data from Batangas State University (BatState-U), Cavite State University (CavSU), Laguna State Polytechnic University (LSPU) and Southern Luzon State University (SLSU). Result revealed that solid waste management practices are implemented to a great extent. Among the practices, waste collection got the highest composite mean particularly on the promotion of 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) in the collection of waste. On the other hand, waste recycling and waste treatment obtained the lowest composite mean. In terms of waste recycling, establishing partnership with local or private business for recyclable recovery program was to moderate extent. Waste treatment particularly neutralization of acid bases was also of moderate extent. The study recommended strengthening of publicprivate partnership (PPP) on the recycling and treatment of wastes.


Knowledge of the ecology of forest animals and their eating habits is essential for understanding broader ecological issues. This leads to the development of an ecologically literate individual who is aware of the importance of sustainable development and who, through their actions, tries to tend to the welfare of our and the future generation. It is important that we begin to equip children with such knowledge in early childhood so that they will develop into adult environmentalists, a notion documented in Agenda 21 adopted in 1992.

Using a semi-structured interview my master's thesis studies the knowledge of pre-school children about the ecology of forest animals (bear, badger, fox, hedgehog, salamander, owl, deer, squirrel, rabbit and wolf), their notions about these forest animals' eating habits and the relationships between individual forest organisms. At the same time, I also explored how and in what way the pre-school children came up with the answers provided – I was interested in their primary informants.

A group of 50 children, aged 4-5 years, participated in the survey I carried out. I have found that children have some knowledge of forest animals, however, their knowledge is general and in most cases not in-depth. They are well equipped with knowledge of where these animals live, and they also have a fairly well-formed idea of the interspecific prey - predator interaction. Nevertheless, their knowledge of eating habits of forest animals is insufficient. Even when describing forest animals' body structure and their properties, the children presented very sparing descriptions. In regards with the children's primary informants the results point to the children's parents, with the mother playing the predominant role.


Equity of access to information for listed entities is a key principle in an efficient and effective market. Direct mailing is a mechanism for achieving this. This study examines equity of access by identifying the half-yearly financial information, if any, voluntarily mailed out by Australian listed entities and associated stakeholder characteristics. We find that certain stakeholder characteristics (presence of audit committee and shareholder dispersion) are associated with voluntary mail-out of half-yearly financial information, along with certain control variables (size of entity, industry and audit opinion). This study further identifies that there are very few instances of the higher level of assurance (audit) being chosen, and where half-year information is disseminated there are very few instances of the level of assurance on this information being communicated to shareholders.


Cognitive radio network is expected to use flexible radio frequency spectrum sharing techniques to achieve more efficient frequency spectrum usage. This article considers the spectrum sharing problem that one primary user (PU) can share its frequency spectrum by renting this spectrum to multiple secondary users (SUs). The pricing scheme is a key issue for spectrum sharing in cognitive radio network. We first propose a nonlinear one leader multiple followers (NLMF) sharing spectrum scheme as a multi-object optimization problem; the prices are offered by PU to SUs at the same time. This problem can be solved by using particle swarm optimization (PSO); SUs gradually and iteratively adjust their strategies respectively based on the observations on their opponents' previous strategies until Nash equilibrium is completed. We then present a general nonlinear bilevel one leader multiple followers (NBMF) optimization problem to further consider the revenue of the PU and a new optimal strategic pricing optimization technique which applies bilevel programming and swarm intelligence. A leader-follower game is formulated to obtain the stackelberg-nash equilibrium for spectrum sharing that considers not only revenue of a PU but also the SUs utility. The behaviors of the pricing model have been evaluated; and the performance results show that the proposed algorithm is well-performed to solve the spectrum sharing in a cognitive radio network.


The author describes the development of a computer tool for urban design and the study of urban morphology: the Town Simulator. The incoherence and lack of cohesion which have characterised much recent urban development show the urgent need for such a tool. Several factors are identified as the source of our 'urban misunderstanding': the complexity of the planning problems involved; certain ideas in the philosophy of modernism in architecture; the multiplicity and discordant character of our democratic society. Many ingredients of urban character are listed, which the Town Simulator must take into account, including environmental factors, the nature of streets and open spaces, the shape and size of building parcels and their patterns of occupation and use, architectural morphologies, and building regulations. The Town Simulator is being built using a flexible rule-based approach to the construction of architectural and urban objects. It is argued that three-dimensional modelling by computer offers a means for overcoming some of the urban design problems identified in the paper.


The weak phosphorescence emission from the triplet state of diamorphine (heroin) in ethanol at 77 K has been located, and differs significantly from that of the parent morphine.


Extended Kalman Filter is extensively used for the analysis and denoising of biomedical signals. One such signal i.e. ECG signal gives us information about the functional behaviour of the heart. ECG signals are processed and analysed to provide valuable information to the medical professionals, upon which they can make necessary decisions. In this paper, we present implementation of EKF on a dynamic ECG Model for detection of abnormal behaviour in ECG signal. MATLAB simulations were performed for different cases of healthy and arrhythmic conditions and innovations from EKF were observed. The statistical properties such as mean and variance clearly shows the difference between healthy and abnormal conditions. Further, statistical tests can be performed to identify the nature of abnormality.


OBJECTIVE To established an HPLC method for determination of sodium valproate tablets.METHODS The chromatographic conditions: C 18 column, mobile phase of methanol buffer solution (5 mmol·L -1 Tetrabutylammonium hydroxide, 20 mmol·L -1 monobasic potassium phosphate)(75∶25),213 nm for detection and peak area calculation.RESULTS There was a good linear relationship within the concentration range of 25~250 μg·ml -1 of sodium valproate( r = 0.9998 ),the average recovery was 100.2% ,the relative standard deviation was 0.54% .CONCLUSIONS The method is accurate, precision, fast and practicable.


Developing L2 learners' productive mastery of vocabulary is a challenging task. Recent research has called for
 greater attention to understanding how receptive vocabulary may be transformed for productive use (Schmitt, 2019). Using a design-based research methodology, this study investigated adult ESL learners'
 productive oral vocabulary development through engaging them in a series of classroom workshops where they were exposed to nine
 target words in five different contexts. Findings suggest that such exposure to words combined with phonological form-focused
 elaboration facilitates the development of metalinguistic awareness, specifically the associations between grammatical patterns
 and word meaning, leading to subsequent productive use of target words. The paper contributes to the understanding that vocabulary
 training combining a focus on meaning with a focus on phonological and grammatical form may enhance form-meaning mapping, leading
 to productive oral vocabulary development.


James Hempsall reports on important lessons learned from establishing speech, language and communication project Talk Derby. Funded by DfE Opportunity Areas, it has laid the foundations for an ongo...


One of the purposes of calculating the volume of the soil carefully, is to save costs in large projects. So with careful calculation, will determine the quality of the project. This study aims to calculate the volume of soil excavation and pile them carefully and calculation rencanan budget (RAB), the normalization of the work flow of the river. Besides it is also to know the comparison between the results of manual calculations with the results of the calculation software.
In calculating the volume of ground work for the preparation of this budget, can be calculated by the calculation manually and calculation with the help of AutoCAD Land Desktop Software. To get a count of the volume of excavation and embankment soil thoroughly so both methods were compared in order to obtain a more efficient calculation and accurate in terms of calculating the volume of soil. The results of the volume count is used to calculate the amount of fees required. The authors use data normalization White Kali river channel located in Srumbung, Magelang, in order to work for emergency response eruption of Mount Merapi. The data required in calculating the volume of soil of which is a matter of working drawings and format the volume of soil.
From the calculations carried out so obtained results of a calculation of volume and cost required to use Land Desktop Software on the work flow of the river Kali normalization Srumbung White in Magelang. Based on the results of the analysis of the results obtained: 1). Results count manually to volume 62036.28 m3 of soil excavation, and to the volume of 25483.60 m3 barrow. 2). The results of the count with software for volume 62216.43 m3 of soil excavation, and to the volume of 25568.44 m3 barrow. 3). Calculation of the most dominant distinguish from the two methods are the calculation of cross-sectional area of the land. 4). The total cost of the required budget is Rp. 1,958,600,000.00.
Keywords: Volume Digging and Soil Stockpiles, Manual, Software,


IT is both coincidence and good fortune that an insecticide as promising as DDT is available to the public at a time when insect-borne diseases are again becoming of much greater importance. The war just concluded has again vividly demonstrated that danger lurks where the paths of man and insect cross. While the etiology and indicated control of many insect-borne diseases have been known for a long time, their successful control through the natural evolution of the required techniques, equipment, and materials has been a slow process. As with many other developments essential to human welfare, stimulation born of destruction was necessary to forge earlier the link between knowledge and its application. DDT is more than just another insecticide; it is a tool which properly utilized makes possible new and significant accomplishments. Remarkable is the fact that it may be used with relative safety in a variety of forms, against a wide range of insects, with long lasting residual effect. This potent chemical, coupled with good sanitary practices, is capable of creating levels of freedom from insects much higher than those previously known. It presents a challenge and a responsibility therefore to health agencies. What, then, is the role of health departments in programs involving the use of DDT? As a prerequisite they must be informed regarding, the appro-


An important discussion hosted by the Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers last week asked the question of whether we will need optometrists in their current role by the next decade. Saul Sebag reports from the event.


In this study, we analyzed the empty body weight and nominal volume of different types of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles commercialized in Korean market. Over 780 PET bottles were collected and classified into four types, heat resistance bottle, normal resistance bottle, pressure resistance bottle, and long period using bottle. Each PET bottle's lightness index was established using bottle weight and nominal volume. Based on the index value, "acceptable" and "optimum" criteria for design guideline of PET bottle were summarized for each PET bottle type. In this paper, we suggest the use of PET bottle lightness index as a design guideline for material resource reduction of PET bottle for Korean beverage industries and bottle makers. For example, we can achieve 2~4 g weight reduction in normal pressure bottle for 500 mL drinking water.


Geometric algebra (GA) is a mathematical framework that allows the compact description of geometric relationships and algorithms in many fields of science and engineering. The execution of these algorithms, however, requires significant computational power that made the use of GA impractical for many real-world applications. We describe how a GA-based formulation of the inverse kinematics problem from computer animation and robotics can be accelerated using reconfigurable FPGA-based computing and using a graphics processing unit (GPU). The practical evaluation covers not only the sheer compute performance, but also the energy efficiency.


Abstract : A study was undertaken in the hope of finding methods to keep down the increase of health services costs. One obvious way to reduce costs is to reduce services, for example by cutting out free medical care for dependents and retired personnel. Such a decision, however, is a political one, and was treated as being outside the province of this study. This study assumes that the services now provided will continue in the volunteer context. Given this assumption the analysis attempts to find methods by which these services can be provided more efficiently, i.e., at lower cost to the taxpayer. The primary recommendation of the study is: civilianize the provision of the armed forces health service to the fullest extent possible. This will reduce costs since higher earnings are required in the military vis a vis the civilian sector to overcome the non-pecuniary discrimination.


Mark Blitz's Duty Bound is a penetrating treatment of responsibility. Unlike the work of many political theorists, Blitz's work transcends textual interpretation toward the realm of philosophy as such. Responsibility is the phenomenon, and Blitz is the rigorous scientist.


Deprotection of different oximes to their parent aldehydes and ketones in high yields has been carried out by using N,N-dibromobenzenesulfonamide(dibromoamine-b) under mild conditions.


The Strait of Malacca is one of the most important fairways in the world and its traffic safety has direct effect on economic development of East Asian countries including China, Japan and Korea. Because of this reason, a safety analysis of the marine traffic in the strait has a great significance. In this paper, we analysed the statistic distribution of marine traffic in the Strait of Malacca based on the vessels' AIS data for 1 month by using the TOAIS and EasyFit programs. As the results of the analysis, it was found that the traffic distribution of this strait was different with normal distribution, which had been still widely used in marine traffic engineering field. Furthermore, with the traffic distribution analysis results, the traffic safety of the strait was also assessed by using the IWRAP model. The results showed that the highest level of risk were overtaking and crossing situations. Finally, we found that the highest risk of collision area in the Strait of Malacca was crossing area between the Strait of Malacca and the Port Klang fairway.


Ten Holstein calves were utilized to determine well–being indicators under two different rearing systems. At birth, calves were randomly assigned to two treatments: 1) traditional "stake" regional system (TS); and 2) Modified regional system (MS). Calves received 4 l milk per day and a starter. Three times, starting 15 days after all calves entered the trial, rectal temperatures (RT), respiration rates (RR) and heart rates (HR) were recorded every 6 hours, at 08:00, 14:00, 20:00 and 02:00. Meteorological data were recorded at the automatic weather station in the School of Agricultural Sciences, Esperanza, Santa Fe, Argentina, located at 11 km from the rearing place. Mean temperatures during the measuring days ranged between 2.4 and 7.4 °C. A persistent drizzle was recorded during the last measuring day. Data were analyzed in a factorial design. Highly significant treatment effects were detected for all variables (P<0.01). Day effect was highly significant (P<0.01). During the first measuring day, which was the coldest, mean RT for TS and MS were 37.7 and 38.6 °C, respectively. Highly significant hour effects were detected for RT and HR (P<0.01), the highest values being recorded at 20:00 and the lowest at 08:00. During the last measuring day, no effects were detected in RT. It was concluded that the MS could produce beneficial effects, especially when no rainy conditions are recorded.


We present theoretical developments expressing the natural characteristics of a single photon in conformity with the experimental evidence. The quantization of the electromagnetic field vector potential amplitude is enhanced to a free of cavity photon state. Coupling the Schrödinger equation with the relativistic massless particle Hamiltonian to a symmetrical vector potential relation we establish the vector potential-energy equation for the photon expressing the simultaneous wave-particle nature of a single photon, an intrinsic physical property. It is shown that the vector potential function can be naturally considered as a real wave function for the photon entailing a coherent localization probability. We deduce directly the amplitudes of the single photon electric and magnetic fields which are revealed to be proportional to the square of the angular frequency. The zero-energy electromagnetic field ground state, a quantum vacuum real component, issues naturally from Maxwell's equations and from the vector potential quantization procedure. The relation of the quantized amplitude of the photon vector potential to the electron/positron charge results directly showing the natural relationship between photons and leptons/antileptons that might be at the origin of their mutual transformations. It becomes obvious that photons as well as leptons/antileptons are issued from the same quantum vacuum field.


The purpose of this article is to present one model of integrated residential camping in detail and to provide a resource for other models. A description of the collaborative program, unique aspects ofthe program which create strengths and weaknesses, and an evaluation of the program are presented. The program focuses on creating an inclusionary environment responsive to the needs and interests of children with all types and degrees of disabilities. Anecdotal information on interactions and relationships is provided as well as descriptive data on shifts in attitudes toward individuals with disabilities to show the benefits of inclusionary environments for all. Parental responses to the integrated program are provided. Other models are included to demonstrate the variety, creativity and feasibility ofinclusionary residential camping.


Context. In close binary systems, the axial rotation and the mutual tidal forces of the component stars deform each other and destroy their spherical symmetry by means of the respective disturbing potentials. Aims. We present new models for low-mass, pre-main sequence stars that include the combined distortion effects of tidal and rotational forces on the equilibrium configuration of stars. Using our theoretical results, we aim at investigating the effects of interaction between tides and rotation on the stellar structure and evolution. Methods. The Kippenhahn & Thomas (1970) approximation, along with the Clairaut-Legendre expansion for the gravitational potential of a self-gravitating body, is used to take the effects of tidal and rotational distortions on the stellar configuration into account. Results. We obtained values of internal structure constants for low-mass, pre-main sequence stars from stellar evolutionary models that consider the combined effects of rotation and tidal forces due to a companion star. We also derived a new expression for the rotational inertia of a tidally and rotationally distorted star. Our values corresponding to standard models (with no distortions) are compatible with those available in literature. Our distorted models were successfully used to analyze the eclipsing binary system EK Cep, reproducing the stellar radii, effective temperature ratio, lithium depletion, rotational velocities, and the apsidal motion rate in the age interval of 15.5-16.7 Myr. Conclusions. In the low-mass range, the assumption that harmonics greater than j=2 can be neglected seems not to be fully justified, although it is widely used when analyzing the apsidal motion of binary systems. The non-standard evolutionary tracks are cooler than the standard ones, mainly for low-mass stars. Distorted models predict more massconcentrated stars at the zero-age main-sequence than standard models.


This paper discusses approximation of semigroups of locally Lipschitz operators by discrete semigroups of local quasi-contractions with respect to metric-like functionals. The main approximation result not only extends a product formula for contractive semigroups generated by maximal dissipative operators in real Hilbert spaces but also gives an algorithm for solving a mixed problem for the Kirchho ff equation to which the contractive semigroup theory or Kato's quasilinear theory cannot directly apply.


A Digital Twin (DT) is a virtual representation of a physical object which plays an important role in the digital transformation of industry, where an important requirement for intelligent manufacturing is cyber-physical integration. One of the objectives is to improve the performance of the real system using the information generated in the virtual part. The present paper shows the development of a low-cost DT used for monitoring the state of the process and the product development using augmented reality (AR) and free software for its configuration and programming. The design was tested in the MPS 500 classification station, which is a modular production station that has industrial sensors and actuators and was controlled with a Raspberry Pi (RPi) board responsible for sending data to the Firebase cloud to further show the DT in real-time in a mobile phone. Results show that with the help of the DT and AR, it is possible to automate industrial processes and monitor them from different places, collecting and analyzing data to achieve the implementation of solutions based on the data generated by the DT, enabling a greater level of digitalization and information to increase the efficiency and reliability of the processes.


Of course, the adult world had a hand in getting things off the ground. Brands are sponsoring delegates enabling them to attend the event, while Bob Geldof is standing by to present the resolutions of the event to the G8 and G20. There are also a number of high profile Counsellors to provide attendees with guidance and inspiration, including former secretary-general of the UN, Kofi Annan, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and 2004 Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry. David Jones comments in The Huffington Post 'This generation of young people is unique. They have access to unprecedented amounts of information and knowledge and unparalleled power and influence in social media.' One Young World should leverage this, as well as its high-profile links, to ensure that the debate and resolutions are worthy of such a prestigious group.


The paper reports on the activity of the Center for Satellite based Crisis Information (ZKI) of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Haiti on 12 January 2010. DLR/ZKI closely coordinated with the European Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) program and the International Charter Space and Major Disasters. All DLR/ZKI damage maps are based on a specific analysis approach, including pre-processing procedures and visual interpretation on a grid-basis. As the satellite-based mapping response globally was so extensive for this event, problems resulting from the large number and inconsistency of satellite maps generated internationally are addressed. In order to avoid this kind of "mapping challenge" in future the setting-up of an international working group to elaborate global guidelines and cooperation procedures for better coherence of international satellite rapid mapping efforts for extreme events such as the Haiti earthquake is suggested.


For more than a century, appendicectomy has been the treatment of choice for appendicitis. Recent trials have challenged this view. This study assessed the benefits and harms of antibiotic therapy compared with appendicectomy in patients with non‐perforated appendicitis.


A self-constructing neural fuzzy inference network (SONFIN) with on-line learning ability is proposed in this paper. The SONFIN is inherently a modified Takagi–Sugeno–Kang (TSK)-type fuzzy rule-based model possessing neural network's learning ability. There are no rules initially in the SONFIN. They are created and adapted as on-line learning proceeds via simultaneous structure and parameter identification. In the structure identification of the precondition part, the input space is partitioned in a flexible way according to a aligned clustering-based algorithm. As to the structure identification of the consequent part, only a singleton value selected by a clustering method is assigned to each rule initially. Afterwards, some additional significant terms (input variables) selected via a projection-based correlation measure for each rule will be added to the consequent part (forming a linear equation of input variables) incrementally as learning proceeds. The combined precondition and consequent structure identification scheme can set up an economic and dynamically growing network, a main feature of the SONFIN. In the parameter identification, the consequent parameters are tuned optimally by either least mean squares (LMS) or recursive least squares (RLS) algorithms and the precondition parameters are tuned by backpropagation algorithm. Both the structure and parameter identification are done simultaneously to form a fast learning scheme, which is another feature of the SONFIN. Furthermore, to enhance the knowledge representation ability of the SONFIN, a linear transformation for each input variable can be incorporated into the network so that much fewer rules are needed or higher accuracy can be achieved. Proper linear transformations are also learned dynamically in the parameter identification phase of the SONFIN. To demonstrate the capability of the proposed SONFIN, simulations in different areas including control, communication, and signal processing are done. Effectiveness of the SONFIN is verified from these simulations.


A comparative study on the antimicrobial properties of extracts from medicinal plants obtained by two different methods was carried out. The screening of the antimicrobial activity of extracts from six plants was conducted by a disc diffusion test against Gram‐positive, ‐negative and fungal organisms. The most active extracts (inhibition diameter ≥12 mm) were assayed for the minimum inhibitory concentration and submitted to phytochemical screening by thin‐layer chromatography and bioautography. The results obtained indicate that the diethyl ether extracts were the most efficient antimicrobial compounds. The activity was more pronounced against Gram‐positive and fungal organisms than against Gram‐negative bacteria. Bioautography showed that the antimicrobial activity was probably due to flavonoids and terpenes.


The utility model discloses workpiece operating flow-line equipment. The workpiece operating flow-line equipment comprises a workpiece collecting device A, a magnetic transferring device B and a workpiece conveying device C, wherein the workpiece collecting device A is used for horizontally pushing and collecting workpieces on a production line, horizontally pushing and collecting a preset number of workpieces in a work cycle, and collecting the workpieces on the production line to be as workpiece sets in a rectangular arrangement in a plurality of work cycles; the magnetic transferring device B is used for transferring the workpiece sets which are collected by the workpiece collecting device A to the workpiece conveying device C and transferring a workpiece set in a work cycle; the workpiece conveying device C is used for conveying a plurality of workpiece sets. Due to the workpiece operating flow-line equipment, the workpieces on the production line can be collected, integrally transferred and intensively conveyed through three stages of collecting, transferring and conveying; the transferring operation is convenient, and the transferring efficiency is high.


The research entitled goal orientation and academic efficacy to academic cheating on students of Faculty of Psychology UIN Raden Fatah Palembang. It begins the reality of education in Indonesia has not been quite successful in creating a whole person. It Looks from the are still splendid phenomenon that illustrates the moral decay of learners. One of them is a disturbing phenomenon of cheating behavior in this research is called academic cheating. This study aims to prove, how the influence of goal orientation and academic efficacy of academic cheating on students of the Faculty of Psychology UIN Raden Fatah. This type of correlational research because it explains the causal relationships that occur between variables, By using scale as a means of data collection. Data analysis use structural equation model (SEM) with program moment of structure analysis (AMOS.18).


Template matching is widely used in computer vision and pattern recognition for its efficiency. However, conventional matching algorithms fail to match same templates of a same scene when illumination changes, especially when shadows exist. To achieve higher accuracy of template matching under different illuminations, a template matching algorithm is proposed based on gradient-chromatic illumination-invariant image. The matching results on Middlebury 2014 stereo dataset shows that our algorithm is illumination-invariant and achieve higher accuracy of rectangle template matching.


Abstract The lower tail dependence λ L is a measure that characterizes the tendency of extreme co-movements in the lower tails of a bivariate distribution. It is invariant with respect to strictly increasing transformations of the marginal distribution and is therefore a function of the copula of the bivariate distribution. λ L plays an important role in modelling aggregate financial risk with copulas. This paper introduces three non-parametric estimators for λ L . They are weakly consistent under mild regularity conditions on the copula and under the assumption that the number k = k(n) of observations in the lower tail, used for estimation, is asymptotically k ≈ √n. The finite sample properties of the estimators are investigated using a Monte Carlo simulation in special cases. It turns out that these estimators are biased, where amount and sign of the bias depend on the underlying copula, on the sample size n, on k, and on the true value of λ L .


We have designed and fabricated dispersion-shifted large-effective area-fiber (LEAF) including, in particular, two types of profile designs using the outside vapor deposition (OVD) method. The first type has a triangular core and an additional ring. The second uses a dual-ring profile, where the first ring has the same role as the triangular core in shifting the zero-dispersion wavelength (/spl lambda//sub 0/,) into the 1550-nm window. The dual-ring profile has a flat-top field distribution, which results in a slightly larger A/sub eff/, than the triangular core profile. The triangular core design, however is preferred for low attenuation.


This paper presents a current mode of automatic gain control (AGC). The proposed AGC is designed based on the principle of sub-threshold MOS translinear. It consists of a current-mode exponential amplifier, a precision rectifier, a low pass filter, and an integrator. The AGC's performance is demonstrated by PSPICE simulations in 0.18 $\mu m$ TSMC CMOS technology. The simulation results of the proposed circuit at the supply voltage of ± 1.2V show that the settling time is 4ms and the maximum power consumption is 1.27mW


Oral anticoagulants are used to minimise the complications of blood clotting. Today they are used in the prevention of thromboembolic complications after cardiac surgery. In addition, they are used to prevent myocardial infarction in high-risk populations. Although maintenance of anticoagulants is complex, their use has been steadily rising. The level of anticoagulation must be measured frequently to prevent bleeding complications, which occur if too much anticoagulant is given. This entails frequent blood sampling and dosage adjustment. The introduction of portable monitors for the management of oral anticoagulants has allowed patients to test themselves at home. Patients may either 'self-manage', adjust their medication according to a predetermined dose based on the International Normalised Ratio (INR; the ratio between the patient's blood sample and standardised coagulation time) or 'self-monitor', adjust their medication after calling the clinic for the appropriate dose adjustment. Nursing care within the community entails working with patients and their families to prevent the possible deadly complication of overdose. Fitting anticoagulant therapy into one's life is difficult. The patient must remember numerous changes such as refraining from using vegetables rich in vitamin K as well as avoiding alcohol and smoking. Nurses must turn their attention to developing guidelines and protocols to guide nursing care of such patients in the community. In addition, nurses must develop and maintain education to update the patient and family members. Coordination of care and case management is also essential to synchronise multidisciplinary patient care.


The invention discloses a method of fabricating a test strip for measuring biological fluid and a structure. The method comprises steps of: preparing a metallic membrane material and an insulating material; adhering the metallic membrane material on the insulating material; photolithographing the metallic membrane material; etching the metallic membrane material to form a circuit layer on the metallic membrane material; providing a sensing reagent on the circuit layer to form a sensing reagent layer; and adhering an intermediate layer and a cover to the insulating material to cover the circuit layer and expose part of the circuit layer. The circuit layer is provided in an adhering manner to obtain excellent resistance stability and excellent test value accuracy without misjudgement.


This research investigates the impact of Humanitarian Aids on the Nigerian economy. The Data for the work were obtained from the United Nation Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Nigerian Humanitarian Found (NHF) and World Bank Data spanning for the period (2014-2021) reports. The simple linear Regression analysis method was used in order to analyse data after testing the unit root and cointegration. The unit root test indicates that the variables are stationary at second difference which necessitates the conduct of cointegration test. Trace statistics indicate one cointegration which proves the existence of long run relationship among the variable. The major objective of the study is to find out if humanitarian aids significantly affect the economic growth and the question that raises is if humanitarian aids significantly affect the economy in Nigeria and how can government effectively and efficiently utilise the opportunities of humanitarian aids toward economic development of the country. The study recommends that government should provide some funds in order to assist in financing humanitarian projects under the supervision of United Nation the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and Nigerian Humanitarian Found in order to improve their performance of responding to the most pressing or critical emergencies within and outside the country. The study concludes that there is a positive significant relationship between the inflow of foreign aids and the value of the country Gross Domestic Product.


Introduction: Postpartum Amenorrhea (PPA) is important method of birth control and birth spacing especially in developing countries. Following a live birth, a woman generally experiences a 6-week period of amenorrhea related to the hormonal concomitants of pregnancy but not much work has been done in Nepal regarding the effects of various demographic factors and socioeconomic statuses of women on their postpartum amenorrhea.
Methods: This study was based on the 2011 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) datasets. The duration of PPA was the response variable whereas key demographic and socio-economic variables of women and her children were explanatory variables. Since PPA period was not defined for some of women as they were still going through the PPA at the time of the survey, their data were censored. Therefore, survival analysis techniques: Life Tables and Semi-Parametric Hazard (Cox) Models were used.
Results: All the demographic and socio-economic variables except the sex of child had statistically different median PPA durations. The bivariate cox models also revealed similar result in terms of relative risk associated with the reference categories. However, multivariate cox model revealed breast feeding, parity, birth interval, survival of the child, education of the mother and wealth quintile of the mother influenced the PPA after controlling the effect of other variables.
Conclusions: This study revealed that longer the duration of breastfeeding, greater the delay in the return of menstrual cycle. Survival of child was the most important indicator for PPA among Nepalese women. The gender of the child and place of residence did not make any difference with respect to PPA. Mothers with birth interval of 3-4 years had lesser risk of return of monthly cycle.


In the collaborative photo-essay After the Last Sky: Palestinian Lives, Said shared telling words about community belonging, which often proves more provisional than it irst seems. He gave the example of the Palestinian word awdah, which stands at the heart of the Palestinian political cause, yet means vastly diferent things to diferent Palestinians: 'To some it means return to a Palestinian state alongside Israel, yet to others it means a return to all of Palestine.'24 Said mused:


The article is devoted to studying the results of a comparative analysis of the results of repeated prosthetics using clasp (n = 35) and removable laminar prostheses (n = 67) in 102 patients. To that end, implement the index evaluation of solid tissue supporting teeth, their mobility, periodontal tissue, mucous membrane prosthetic bed give research and mobility anchor teeth in the remote period of оrthopedic treatment. It was revealed that when the clasp prosthesis prosthetic in contrast to the use of removable laminar prostheses through 6 and 12 months of their operation signs of gingivitis, hitting solid of periodontal tissue supporting teeth mobility, and reducing the susceptibility of tissues prosthetic lodge are smaller. When you reopen the clinical effectiveness of prosthetic use clasp dentures laminar removable above, which is an indication that the use of the latest in re prosthesis.


Notwithstanding Canada's recent integration in the Organization of American States (OAS), it has yet to take full part in the Inter-American system of protection of human rights. This chapter will argue that Canada can contribute considerably to the strengthening of the Hemisphere's human rights regime in several ways. Not only will it discuss the reasons for greater Canadian participation in the regime; it will also provide a series of recommendations to strengthen the Inter-American institutional framework in a diversified manner, which corresponds to Canadian interests and expertise.


Salted Egg needs for to be consumed or for event in Sidoarjo is growing up faster. Unfortunetely, the producer of salted egg couldn't serve at all. In this case by "Sifah" a salted eggs producer partner. The obstacled is longer production time to produce an egg. Based for result of the survey, the most longer time out is on washing process between 8 hours per day with 3 – 5 servant. Depend on our partner deals, the inefficiently could be solve by an idea of washing egg machine. This machine is a solution of cleaning process from dirt things on the egg. Beside that, it can reduced amount of labour. Manual work of the machine can cleaning 12 eggs in the one time and need just 2 minutes for to complete it with load power of dynamo is 125 watt. Cleaning process will makes the egg wet and brushes the egg in time and speed managed condition by one operator controller. Result of appropriate technology can cleaning 1400 eggs on 4 hours by one operator controller. With the result, it can complete the every consumer orders. Keywords : machine, washes, egg, efficient


This article is about historicist references regarding the bibliography of gymnastics in the Spanish physical education between 1801 and 1939. The purpose of the study has been mainly the analysis of the books about this topic. The referential news are stated and discussed in chronological order. Singularly, the references and opinions that we have found in these books, help to better understand the state of the question and to better appreciate the importance that the few literary contributions had in the social and institutional development of gymnastics and physical education in the bibliographic desert that these disciplines themselves created.


The main problems existing in the civil engineering materials course teaching were analyzed. The teaching reform of civil engineering material course in Nanchang University was introduced from three aspects,which are teaching contents including textbook compilation, teaching content arrangement and class distribution,teaching modes including theory teaching, experiment teaching and practice teaching, and teaching methods including video playing and class discussion, network auxiliary teaching and examination methods. Meanwhile, the effect of the teaching reform was evaluated.


Abstract : Audio frequency electrical relaxation measurements have been performed on CaF2:Th and CaF2:Zr. The nominal concentrations in both cases are 0.1 and 1.0 mol-%. The measurements have been carried out over the temperature range 0.008 to 400K using a fully automated dielectric spectrometer operating at seventeen frequencies from 10 to 100,000 Hz. The spectrum for the 0.1 mol-% thorium doped material consists of three relatively strong relaxations along with two weak relaxations. For the 1.0 mol-% material, the high temperature relaxation, if it exists, is masked by the DC conductivity. Only small changes in the relaxations are noted with a change in the nominal concentration. For 0.1 mol-% CaF2:Zr, seven relaxations are observed all of which appear to be important as significant changes in the spectrum are observed when the nominal concentration is increased to 1.0 mol-%. Models for some of the complexes responsible for the relaxations are presented. Keywords: Ion conductor; Defect structure.


Culture supernatant of Staphylococcus aureus 722 in 3% triptone plus 1% yeast extract was used for EEA purification, proceeding comparison between dye ligand Red A affinity chromatography and classic chromatography. The capture of SEA with Amberlite CG-50 allowed rapid enterotoxin concentration from the culture supernatant. However, the ratio of 15 mg of the resin to a total of 150 mg of the toxin satured the resin, giving only 10 to 30% of SEA recuperation from the supernatant. The elution of concentrated material throught the Red A column resulted in a recovery of 60,87% of the toxin, and required 76 hours, indicating advantage on classic chromatography. Ion exchange column plus gel filtration recovered only 6,5 % of the SEA, and required 114 hours to conclude the procedure. The eletrophoresis of purified SEA indicated high grade of toxin obtained from Red A column, with 90 % of purity, compared to 60 % of classic column.


A palladium-catalyzed domino reaction involving a C-H activation process to synthesize diverse carbo- and heterocyclic skeletons was developed. H(2)O (as cosolvent) is used to control the regioselectivity.


This paper proposes a possible way of measuring proximity between languages: it consists in measuring the commonality of structures between the vocabularies of two languages. Experiments on a multilingual lexicon of nine European languages acquired from the Acquis communautaire confirmed usual knowledge on the closeness or remoteness of these languages.


This paper analysized the Ziegler-Nichols setting method based on the ideal relay feedback identification. There are errors in the method. So, we consider to adopt hysteresis relay feedback to countact the error generated by the load disturbances and improve the measurement accuracy to eliminate errors. We proposed a PID parameter setting method stability margin method based on the hysteresis relay feedback identification. It can be seen from a plenty of simulation experiments that the control performances of the methods in set value tracking and interference eliminating are very good.


Objective To appraise the therapeutic effect between conservative and surgical treatment in severe intracranial hemorrhage of infants for clinic.Methods To analyze clinical data of 42 cases (conservative group 23, surgical group 19)with statistical methods.Results There is obvious disparation between two groups.The therapeutic efficacy of surgical group is better.Conclusion The minimally invasive surgery have following advantages: operating simply,miniinvasive,elevating survival rate and reducing residual. It can be used extensively in severe intracranial hemorrhage of infant.


Fully developed pseudo-homogeneous horizontal pipe flow of slurry with multi-size particles is modelled via Galerkin finite element method using nine-noded isoparametric elements. The momentum equation for the slurry mixture is based on a pseudo-fluid model. For each particle size (termed as specie), a convection-diffusion equation is solved to obtain the volumetric concentration distribution for that specie. A mixing length model, with a concentration-dependent eddy viscosity, is used to account for turbulence. Wall functions are used to prescribe mixture velocity at the wall. For any specified axial pressure gradient, the finite element code predicts the volumetric concentration distribution of each size fraction and the mixture axial velocity distribution. These are found to agree favourably with results published in the open literature. Overall mass conservation for each size fraction is satisfied to within 1%. The variations of concentration and mixture velocity along the pipe circumference are presented and possible insight into the sliding wear distribution along the pipe wall is deduced.


ABSTRACT Introduction: Kallikrein-related peptidases (KLKs) are a family of serine peptidases that are deregulated in numerous pathological conditions, with a multitude of KLK-mediated functional roles implicated in the progression of cancer. Advances in multidimensional mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics have facilitated the quantitative measurement of deregulated KLK expression in cancer, identifying certain KLKs, as well as their substrates, as potential cancer biomarkers. Areas covered: In this review, we discuss how these approaches have been utilized for KLK biomarker discovery and unbiased substrate determination in complex protein pools that mimic the in vivo extracellular microenvironment. Expert commentary: Although a limited number of studies have been performed, the quantity of information generated has greatly improved our understanding of the functional roles of KLKs in cancer progression. In addition, these data suggest additional means through which deregulated KLK expression may be targeted in cancer treatment, highlighting the potential therapeutic value of these state-of-the-art MS-based studies.


This study aims to establish a robust measurement to obtain a comprehensive understanding of perceptions of programming education (POPE) of teacher and principal groups. In this study, the POPE scale contains three dimensions: (a) understanding in programming (UP), (b) support for programming (SP), and (c) expectation of programming (EP). Self-reported questionnaires were administrated among 258 teachers and 229 principals. Multigroup analyses were used among the two groups. The results of measurement invariance tests show that configural and metric invariance are fully supported, and scalar invariance is partially supported, suggesting the factor structures, loadings, and most item intercepts of the POPE scale are equivalent across the groups examined. Implications of the study are discussed.


Recently, multitasking on smart phones during navigation has emerged as a problematic social behavior due to its potential danger. In this paper, we propose to alleviate the situation by employing a sensor system for obstacle detection and aid the multi-tasking user so that one can safely navigate and carry out the on-going secondary task as effectively as possible. As such, we have implemented an ultrasonic sensor system interfaced into the smart phone that can constantly appraise the user of the incoming obstacles. We ran experiments to validate our approach, checking whether such a system would help user bump less into obstacles than without, and observe their multitasking behavior such as the physical attentional switch. Our experiments have shown that with the aid of the sensor system, the user's attention switch was significantly reduced, however, there was no differences in the performance (e.g. no. of collision) because the momentary strategic spatial and path planning was quite effective with slow pace and light pedestrian traffic. We conclude therefore human dual or multitasking ability is sufficient to overlap "casual" video watching and "slow" navigation. However, with more stringent task, e.g. text messaging and heavier traffic, we expect the reduced attention shift to ultimately improve the performance as well.


Since the advent of silicon device technologies, the scaling-down of device sizes has proceeded to within ready of atomic scale lengths. Consequently, it is necessary in some cases to reconsider device fabrication processes in the light of an understanding atomic scale phenomena. Since gate insulating films have been made thinner to such an extent that they are approaching nanometer thickness, a fabrication process for the thin insulating films can be one of good candidates for those considerations among others. We have been conducting theoretical analyses of Si oxidation to understand the mechanism of the early stages of oxygen molecule chemisorption and Si-O bond network formation. Those theoretical analyses require atomic-scale simulations, including electronic structure calculations. We have been, therefore, concentrating on the theoretical study to deal with this problem and to find some new principles inherent in oxidation processes. Then, by applying some of our calculated results, the findings have led to a new idea for the realization of atomically more uniform Si oxidation processes.