Differentiation is a continuously regulated process and interactions between the cell and its environment play a major role in maintaining stable expression of differentiation-specific genes (Blau and Baltimore, 1991). An important component of the cellular environment is the extracellular matrix (ECM), which is composed of glycoproteins, proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans that are secreted and assembled locally into an organised network to which cells adhere (Hay, 1981). An ECM is present within mammalian embryos from the two-cell stage and is a component of the environment of all cell types, although the composition of the ECM and the spatial relationships between cells and ECM differ between tissues. Cells may be completely surrounded by ECM, as is the case for chondrocytes, or may contact the ECM only at one surface, as exemplified by epithelial and endothelial cells. In some tissues only a proportion of the cells are exposed to ECM: for example, in stratified epithelia. The ECM offers structural support for cells, and can also act as a physical barrier or selective filter to soluble molecules. It has been clear for many years (Grobstein, 1954; Bissell et al., 1982) that the ECM plays a role in regulating the differentiated phenotype of cells (reviewed by Watt, 1986), but the mechanisms involved remained largely mysterious until recently, when cell-binding sites within individual ECM glycoproteins and specific ECM receptors were identified. The cell-binding sites were mapped by using proteolytic fragments and synthetic peptides to define the minimal sequences responsible for adhesive activity. In the case of fibronectin, the primary determinant of cell-binding activity for many cell types resides in the sequence GRGDSP, which occurs in one of the type III repeats that form the central domain of the molecule (Ruoslahti and Pierschbacher, 1987). Subsequently, RGD-containing sequences have been found in other matrix proteins, and additional short linear adhesive sequence motifs have been defined, although it is clear that the three-dimensional structure of matrix proteins is also an important determinant of adhesive activity (reviewed by Humphries, 1990). Affinity chromatography techniques, together with adhesion-perturbing antibodies that recognise specific plasma membrane glycoproteins, allowed the identification of ECM receptors, many of which belong to the integrin family of α/β heterodimers (Ruoslahti and Pierschbacher, 1987; Hynes, 1987). In this review, we will summarise some of the evidence that ECM components regulate differentiation and development, describe the regulatory mechanisms involved and, finally, discuss the intracellular events that may transduce signals between ECM receptors and the nucleus.


Path loss models are essential in the planning of wireless networks. However, the peculiar ambient characteristics of geographical locations necessitate a wide range of these models to take into consideration the different terrain dielectric, scattering irregularities, and clutter. This study investigates the effects of terrain and clutter on frequency-dependent path loss models in the very high frequency (VHF) and ultra high frequency (UHF) bands using multi-transmitter scenarios. Seven transmitters and 15 measurement routes were covered using an Agilent N9342C spectrum analyser. The measured results show that the models' prediction errors (PEs) follow the terrain profile and also that the clutter effects are noticeable along each route with varying degrees of impact. Near constant standard deviation errors (SDEs) were observed across all the models for the specific routes as well as a strong dependency on the terrain profile and clutters along the measurement routes. The UHF and VHF bands have average SDEs of 10.5 and 7.5 dB, respectively. A three-dimensional digital elevation model (DEM) showing the terrain and PE was also developed. Contour lines were extracted from the advanced spaceborne thermal emission radiometer and global DEM data sets. Visualisation of the terrain profile was achieved in the ArcScene software environment.


Abstract—Multicarrier Phase-Coded signals have been recently introduced to achieve high range resolution in radar systems. As in single carrier phase coded radars, the conventional method for compression of these signals is based on using matched filter or direct computation of autocorrelation function. In this paper we propose a new method based on Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) that has lower computational complexity compared to the conventional approach. It has been proved that the proposed method is mathematically equivalent to matched filtering, so there is no processing loss. Also the effect of sampling frequency on compression loss has been investigated and for the oversampled matched filter of MCPC signals, a computational efficient algorithm based on polyphase implementation has been proposed.


The double-spinor formalism, proposed by Aisaka and Kazama, provides a basis for the pure-spinor formalism, which allows manifestly super-Poincare covariant quantization of superstrings. We extend it to the case of backgrounds realized by coset superspaces. A general method constructing reparametrization invariant action is given using two concrete examples, the flat space-time and AdS5 × S. We find that it is natural to double not only the spinor coordinates but the whole superspace for describing double-spinor superstrings on such backgrounds. The reparametrization invariant action has local symmetries compensating those extra degrees of freedom, which guarantee the equivalence to the Green-Schwarz formalism.


This paper describes the preparation procedure of nanocomposite insulation material. The property of frequency variation tolerance is measured in a high frequency aging test. Experimental results indicate that, with the new material, the service life in inverter-fed motors is extended to 7 times in comparison with the ordinary insulation materials. The disperse method of the nanocomposite powder has a major effect on the properties of the new insulation material. The reasons of these phenomena are discussed.


In this paper, an attempt has been made to present the most important issues regarding the maritime navigation affairs in the European Union. The authors' main objective is to show the place and relations of maritime navigation to the basic maritime affairs and activities, especially maritime navigation activities and affairs. Authors have tried to show the main institutions and services of the European Union dealing with the maritime navigation affairs as well as characterize the activities of these Directorates'-General of the EU whose activities are very closely connected with the maritime navigation affairs.


Germany is a country with heavy precipitation and adequate water resources. Even so, there are good reasons to use these resources rationally and many ways of doing this in practice. However, there are limits to water conservation where hygienic problems arise or conservation measures require an increased use of non-renewable resources procured at high expense elsewhere. The problems of the German water industry are a question not of winning adequate quantities, but of preserving the unadulterated natural qualities of our water bodies.


Purpose: To compare the clinical characteristics of hypertensive uveitis patients, with and without cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. Methods: CMV polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed on the aqueous humor of 61 patients with hypertensive uveitis. Patients were divided into CMV positive and negative groups. Sex, age, age at first attack and at first diagnosis, duration of attack, number of attacks, interval between attacks, and surgical history were investigated, and the visual acuity, intraocular pressure (IOP), and corneal endothelial cell density were measured. Blood tests were conducted to determine the inflammation index, antibody titers of CMV, and herpes simplex virus, with toxoplasma and toxocariasis evaluations. With these results, the differences between the two groups were confirmed. Results: Compared with the CMV negative group, the CMV positive group showed a significantly higher trough IOP (p = 0.007) and a greater difference in corneal endothelial cell counts of the affected eye and the fellow eye (p = 0.048). The CMV positive group exhibited iris degeneration (73.3%), whereas the CMV negative group showed lesions in 47.8% (p = 0.085). No statistically significant differences between the two groups were evident in terms of leukocyte count, inflammation index, antibody titers to CMV, HSV, toxoplasma, or toxocariasis. Conclusions: CMV anterior uveitis was characterized by high IOP and corneal endothelial cell loss in the affected eyes. The CMV positive group had more corneal lesions and iris degeneration than the CMV negative group; however, the two groups showed no significant serological differences. When the clinical features of hypertensive uveitis are present, a routine corneal endothelium test and CMV PCR should be performed periodically, to initiate antiviral agent treatments along with IOP and inflammation controls. J Korean Ophthalmol Soc 2020;61(3):258-266


Distance language learning is a real challenge to both teachers and learners, since the students' exposure to the target language in a distance learning system is not as authentic and interactive as required. Additionally, it also entails a significant reduction in the amount of students' interaction and in the support from both the teacher and other learners, which has a negative impact on students' levels of motivation and achievement. In the hope of enhancing the distance teaching-learning process of a language and compensating for the previously mentioned drawbacks, a number of technological tools are currently being implemented. However, these technologies have also brought about new challenges that need to be addressed by policy makers, materials developers, teachers and students, if they are to be successfully implemented.


(Introduction) The molecular mechanism of airway remodeling in patients with asthma is not fully understood. TNF family member LIGHT (LIGHT) expressed on inflammatory cells may trigger airway remodeling via TGF-beta or IL13 overexpression. Moreover, patients with severe asthma are reported to have more nitrosative stress than patients with non-severe asthma. (Aims) The aim of this study is to elucidate whether there is cross-talk between LIGHT and nitrosative stress in the fixed airway obstruction of asthma. (Methods) Seven asthmatic patients with airway obstruction (%FEV1=63.6; group A) despite usual treatment and nine asthmatic patients with favorable pulmonary function (%FEV1=99.9; group B) were enrolled. Induced sputum was collected and LIGHT and 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT), which is a footprint of nitrosative stress, were quantified by immunohistochemical staining. In addition, exhaled nitric oxide (FENO), and pulmonary functions were measured. (Results) Immunoreactivity for LIGHT observed in the airway inflammatory cells was significantly higher in group A than in group B (15.3% v.s. 6.6%, p (Conclusions) These results suggest that cross-talk between LIGHT and nitrosative stress might be related to the pathophysiology of airway remodeling in asthma.


, said dryer on a printing unit (21) a; dryer for drying a material web (07), with a passage channel (08) for the material web (07) in which takes place the drying and the at least two rectilinear portions (37 36) printing machine with a vertical web guide is arranged and with its through-channel (08) at least two horizontal leading rectilinear portions (36; 37) (wherein, at an input (23) and between the two of the material web (07) traversed in different directions sections 36 ; 37) of the through channel (08) looped one (from the material web 07), provided with air outlet openings (04) curved deflecting surface (01; 11; 12; 13) is arranged, and wherein the first portion (36) from an input (23 ) of the dryer (22) over a first distance in a first direction is located, and the fact (via a deflection surface 12) subsequent portion (37) over a second distance gr SSER than the first is opposite to the first direction, wherein the dryer (22) ...


In order to obtain perceptually enhanced interpolation, the authors propose a directional technique that follows edge contours to interpolate pixels along and near contours more accurately. This technique, referred to as variable rate contour based interpolative vector quantization (VQ), uses the directional information inherent in local gray level transitions and consists of an orientation estimator followed by directional interpolators. By combining a powerful VQ technique with decimation and directional interpolation, a very efficient image representation is obtained. An adaptive corrector stage using variable-rate VQ is added as a final stage of coding to improve the quality of the reconstructed image. Some relatively large amplitude errors tend to persist along image edges, and the adaptive scheme helps to correct the remaining errors in those regions selectively using an edge detector. Contour-based interpolative VQ yields fairly good reconstructed images at about 0.27 bit/pixel with a relatively simple vector coder structure.<<ETX>>


e14684 Background: Tools for making individualized numerical estimates of outcomes and to provide useful information are revolutionizing medicine. We have produced such a tool for decision making for patients with gastric cancer [GC] for whom neo/adjuvant therapy might be an option to be considered. Methods: We widely reviewed the medical literature and meta-analyses about adjuvant and neoadjuvant treatment for potentially resectable [GC]. We also reviewed the guidelines' statements about what is considered appropriate treatment for patients. In addition we used information about individual prognosis based on information from the SEER registry, the AJCC, and also as supplemented from the medical literature. Results: Examination of the medical literature shows the value of adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation for [GC]. For example, and recent GASTRIC meta-analysis of 31 trials found that a benefit for overall survival (hazard ratio [HR], 0.82; 95% CI, 0.76-0.90) and for disease-free survival (HR, 0.82; 95% ...


The invention relates to a bactericidal composition containing pyrimidine nucleoside antibiotic and hymexazol. The bactericidal composition comprises the following active ingredients: pyrimidine nucleoside antibiotic and hymexazol according to the weight ratio of (32:3) to (1:48). The bactericidal composition disclosed by the invention is good in control effect and low in cost, and the resistance of pathogenic bacteria can be delayed.


In this paper we examine the role of thermal mass in buffering the interior temperature of a naturally ventilated building from the diurnal fluctuations in the environment. First, we show that the effective thermal mass which is in good thermal contact with the air is limited by the diffusion distance into the thermal mass over one diurnal temperature cycle. We also show that this effective thermal mass may be modelled as an isothermal mass. Temperature fluctuations in the effective thermal mass are attenuated and phase-shifted from those of the interior air, and therefore heat is exchanged with the interior air. The evolution of the interior air temperature is then controlled by the relative magnitudes of (i) the time for the heat exchange between the effective thermal mass and the air; (ii) the time for the natural ventilation to replace the air in the space with air from the environment; and (iii) the period of the diurnal oscillations of the environment. Through analysis and numerical solution of the governing equations, we characterize a number of different limiting cases. If the ventilation rate is very small, then the thermal mass buffers the interior air temperature from fluctuations in the environment, creating a near-isothermal interior. If the ventilation rate increases, so that there are many air changes over the course of a day, but if there is little heat exchange between the thermal mass and interior air, then the interior air temperature locks on to the environment temperature. If there is rapid thermal equilibration of the thermal mass and interior air, and a high ventilation rate, then both the thermal mass and the interior air temperatures lock on to the environment temperature. However, in many buildings, the more usual case is that in which the time for thermal equilibration is comparable to the period of diurnal fluctuations, and in which ventilation rates are moderate. In this case, the fluctuations of the temperature of the thermal mass lag those of the interior air, which in turn lag those of the environment. We consider the implications of these results for the use of thermal mass in naturally ventilated buildings.


In the Netherlands since the late nineties reuse of drainage water is obligatory for all soil less growing systems, to reduce the environmental pollution. However, this strategy has some important bottlenecks. Apart from technical and phytopathological aspects, accumulation of Na, Cl or other residual ions could be a problem. Accumulation will occur if the uptake rates are lower than the concentrations in the input. Recently a database was established with the maximum acceptable concentrations in the root environment and water sources, for a number of crops. In all cases Na showed to be the bottleneck element. A high tolerance for Na not necessarily means a high uptake rate for this ion, as was found for sweet pepper. Water sources differ highly in Na concentrations. In general, for completely closed growing systems only rainwater or desalinated water is suitable. For some crops (rose, chrysanthemum, sweet pepper) the natural background concentrations of Na in rainwater is sometimes even higher than the uptake rate. Accumulation above the maximum acceptable concentrations inevitably should be followed by discharge of a fraction of the nutrient solution to prevent yield reduction or decline in produce quality. This will result in lower water and nutrient use efficiencies than required. However, the water and nutrient losses depend highly on water management strategies accomplished by the grower. Smart strategies were developed for discharge of drainage water as low as possible for N and P. These are based on the uptake dynamics of Na and Cl and minimal required N and P levels observed with different crops. These strategies have been tested for rose and resulted in significant reduction in the nutrient losses.


A palmprint recognition method based on locality preserving projection(LPP) and kernel direct discriminant analysis(KDDA) was proposed in order to improve the recognition performance.In small-size-sample cases(such as image recognition),in order to resolve the singularity of the eigenvalue equation,the image down-sample was first applied to reduce the palmprint space dimension,the LPP was used to extract the local structure features as the input classification extraction features of KDDA,and the cosine distance between two feature vectors was calculated to match palmprints.The new algorithm was tested with PolyU plmprint database.The experimental results show that compared with principal component analysis(PCA),independent component analysis(ICA),PCA+LPP,kernel locality preserving projection(KLPP),kernel direct discriminant analysis(KDDA) and sample+LPP,the recognition rate(RR) of the proposed algorithm is the highest up to 99.71%,and the total time for feature extraction and matching is only 0.131 s,so it meets the real-time system requirement.


Around 45% of European foreign trade, most of which is within the European Union, is still carried by road and is consequently conditioned by congested traffic, safety risks or high power consumption among other disadvantages while only 40% is carried by seas by means of the short sea shipping formula. Short sea shipping in European waters has been considered by the national and European governments as one of the most feasible ways to discharge the everyday more congested and highways across Europe. Keeping in min this scenario, the TRANMAR research group of the Nautical Engineering and Sciences department from UPC, supported by the Spanish Ministry of endorsement, is studying the criteria that are going to provide the values for recommending or not, the best alternative transport means for exporting cargo from Spanish production points to the Mediterranean arc or Western European area.


CAE (computer aided engineering) evaluates the forging process virtually to optimize the industrial production. The numerical and experimental investigations of forging process of a hollow part are important in industrial point of view. This study has been focused on the development of a 3D elastic-plastic FEM (finite element model) of hot forging to evaluate the forming process of hollow parts. The validity of this method was verified through a laboratory experiment using aluminum alloy (AA6351) with medium geometric complexity. The distributions of effective strain, temperature, metal flow and strength were analyzed for two different initial workpieces (tubular and cylindrical). It was observed that both initial workpieces can be used to produce the final hollow part using the numerical simulation model. The results showed that the numerical analyses predict, filling cavity, calculated strength, work temperature and material flow were in agreement with the experimental results. However, some problems such as air trapping in the die causing incomplete filling could not be predicted and this problem was resolved experimentally by drilling small holes for air release in the dies.


The presentation will describe different applications of standard and stereoscopic PIV in water flows, especially for the investigation of wake vortices.


One of the manifestations of Einstein Equivalence Principle (EEP) is that a freely falling particle in a gravitational field is following a geodesic. In Einstein's general relativity (GR) this is built in the formulation by assuming the connection to be the Levi-Civita connection. The latter may, however, be demanded to be implied by the dynamics of a generic modified gravity theory, within the Palatini formulation. We show that for extensions of the Einstein GR which are described by a Lagrangian , where gμν is the metric and Rμαβν is the Riemann curvature tensor, this manifestation of EEP is only fulfilled for a special class of Lagrangians, the Lovelock gravity theories. Our analysis also implies that within the above mentioned set of modified gravity theories only for Lovelock gravity theories metric and Palatini formulations are equivalent.


Hydroalcoholic extract of Pycnocycla spinosa was shown to have spasmolytic action in vitro and antidiarrhoeal effect in vivo . The hydroalcoholic extract of P. spinosa is composed of alkaloid, flavonoid and saponin components. Alkaloid fraction of P. spinosa contains the most active constituents. Therefore, the aim of this research was to separate different fractions of alkaloid extract of P. spinosa and screen for their spasmolytic activity on rat isolated ileum. Alkaloid fraction of P. spinosa was separated by fractional liberation technique. Four fractions were separated from the alkaloid rich fraction using thin layer chromatography. All 4 separated fractions inhibited the spasmolytic response to 80 mM KCl in a concentration-dependent manner. Two of the separated fractions also inhibited the response to ACh and 5-HT. This study showed the relationship between antispasmodic actions of different components presented in 4 fractions obtained from alkaloid extract of P. spinosa .


Reviews the book Testifying in Court: Guidelines and Maxims for the Expert Witness, 2nd ed., by S. L. Brodsky. This book is intended as a practical guide for expert witnesses, particularly psychologists, who may be called to testify in court. It is appropriate primarily for novice testifiers, though it could be useful as quick reference material for those with more extensive courtroom experience. A large number of short chapters deliver concrete advice across a wide range of courtroom issues, such as how to dress for court, speak on the stand, and especially how to deal with various maneuvers by cross-examining attorneys. Chapters are organized for quick reference, which helps those with limited time to prepare for court. Through the judicious use of anecdotes from his own experience and that of his colleagues, Brodsky personalizes his advice to help ease concerns and potential stress of early career experts called to court. Review Testifying in court as an expert witness can be a nerve-racking experience for those from a variety of disciplines, and psychology is no exception. It is not uncommon for psychologists, from disciplines ranging from clinical to experimental, to be called to court to provide opinions based on their expertise. A firm and thorough knowledge of one's own domain is of course a requirement, but it also is helpful to have a set of guidelines to follow before delving into an atmosphere with rules and behavior so utterly different from those of the university, clinic, or laboratory. Brodsky provides such advice in the second edition of his book Testifying in Court. The book, from beginning to end, is written as a practical guide, a kind of do-it-yourself pamphlet on expert courtroom testimony. As such, the reader does not feel overburdened with citations of academic publications. Neither, too, does the author fall prey to indulging in endless narratives of his own experiences in court. Rather, Brodsky strikes a nice balance between these two extremes, with some important citations of empirical work mixed with particularly relevant stories and anecdotal courtroom transcripts. Overview Of the 55 chapters, the vast majority is geared toward a general audience of potential expert witnesses. However, eight chapters are specific to mental health professionals, covering such topics as understanding the limitations of childhood reports of sexual abuse, how to deal with accusations of malingering by one's clients, and having a thorough knowledge of the DSM and one's own forensic reports. An additional two chapters are not necessarily specific to clinical psychologists, but they do have direct implications for this group, such as using clinical training to deal with intimidation from cross-examining attorneys. Brodsky only occasionally focuses on clinical psychologists, perhaps because other authors dedicate much longer texts to this group (e.g., Barsky, 2012). This allows for a wider audience to derive useful advice from this book. One example of such advice comes from the first chapter, on the "Admit-Deny" technique. This is one of many approaches Brodsky describes to deal with cross-examination, which can involve complex and loaded questions from attorneys seeking to confuse the expert on the stand. The idea behind Admit-Deny is to assertively acknowledge any veracity in the question and then immediately and strongly deny any untrue elements. This not only serves to clarify the issue for the jury and other members of the court, but also importantly draws power from the cross-examining attorney to the expert witness. This power play comes up often during the book, with descriptions of times when an expert witness should craft responses in such a way as to maintain control of the facts he or she is attempting to convey. For example, Chapter 34 describes the importance of regulating speech, breathing, facial expressions, and eye contact to counteract aggressive strategies by opposing counsel such as rapid-fire questions meant to befuddle the expert witness. A more obvious power play is to wrest control back from the cross-examiner. One method for doing so is described in Chapter 40: to exaggerate agreement with an obviously true statement made by opposing counsel. For example, if the attorney states that the science underlying the expert's opinions is not perfect, and thereby open to attack, it can be useful to admit this obvious fact assertively. This "Push-Pull" technique is essentially the opposite of becoming defensive with pushy cross-examination, which Brodsky repeatedly states can poison the credibility of the expert witness for those on the jury. In contrast with the occasional need for a power play by the expert, Brodsky regularly emphasizes the importance of not entering into any battles with the cross-examining attorney. Rather, remaining nondefensive, calm, and collected is key, especially to juxtapose the expert's objective opinions with the often passionate and argumentative strategies by attorneys. Other themes from the book include being (a) thoroughly prepared, (b) transparent about what you know and don't know, and (c) cautious when dealing with all members of the court, and the cross-examiner in particular. Critique On the whole this book provides a manageable amount of useful advice for the novice testifier, but the manner in which it is provided is somewhat strange. Brodsky continues (as in the first edition) to utilize an alphabetical ordering of chapters that might lead to confusion or even frustration for some readers. This organizational scheme (or lack thereof) destroys any fluidity of the reading experience. Granted, Brodsky admits in his Introduction that the book is designed for readers to start and stop anywhere. However, as the book's content is best suited for beginning testifiers in need of most or all of the information, would it not be more advantageous to design it for them to read cover-tocover? Perhaps organizing categorically according to theme would be better, or by degree of importance or likelihood of encountering the various scenarios or strategies in the courtroom. The push-pull technique is referenced several times in earlier chapters, but the reader must wait until Chapter 40 before it is described, just because it starts with the letter "P." Why put the onus on the reader to skip around when it really is not necessary or advantageous to organize in this way? The alphabetical approach also leads to a very abrupt ending to the book. It would have been helpful to read a concluding section of some kind, perhaps summarizing all chapters into themes or shared concepts, or discussing the most important take-away messages. As it stands, these messages are only at the end of each chapter (the "maxims"), which are very helpful in summarizing the primary thrust of each chapter. An additional limitation, also easy to remedy, is one superfluous chapter that a third edition would benefit from eliminating. Chapter 18 describes some of Sigmund Freud's experiences as an expert witness, which seems out of place with the practical information and modern-day anecdotes from all other chapters. Conclusion In sum, Testifying in Court will benefit experts preparing for courtroom testimony. The focus is on psychologists, with some special attention given to mental health practitioners, but the content would still be useful for experts in other domains. Brodsky makes use of a balanced approach, dispensing practical advice with the aid of some citations from the research literature as well as relatable anecdotes from personal experience. Reference Barsky, A. E. (2012). Clinicians in court: A guide to subpoenas, depositions, testifying, and everything else you need to know (2nd ed.). New York, NY, US: Guilford Press. Testifying in court as an expert witness can be a nerve-racking experience for those from a variety of disciplines, and psychology is no exception. It is not uncommon for psychologists, from disciplines ranging from clinical to experimental, to be called to court to provide opinions based on their expertise. A firm and thorough knowledge of one's own domain is of course a requirement, but it also is helpful to have a set of guidelines to follow before delving into an atmosphere with rules and behavior so utterly different from those of the university, clinic, or laboratory. In addition to preparing professionals for the courtroom, he aims to put them at ease so that they may present the most cogent and effective testimony. Entertaining, empowering, and erudite, Testifying in Court: Guidelines and Maxims for the Expert Witness is directed at forensic psychologists, although it applies to all expert witnesses, from the novice to the experienced, who face the "dreadful and wonderful experiences on the witness stand† (p 4). The 55 chapters, ranging in length from three to seven pages, are arranged alphabetically in an acrostic structure, each ending with a maxim that is witty, obvious, or counterintuitive. The content has been gleaned from the author's expert witness workshops, research, and laboratory contribu... "A few people are just not cut out for testifying in court. They should move on† (p 130).


Abstract Undergraduate students sometimes pursue degrees that are aimed at allied jobs. This research examines how students in one allied professional degree, education studies, conceptualise their pre-professional ideology and how these ideologies relate to their intended career trajectory. The research draws upon a year-long qualitative survey of over 70 undergraduate students. Students' professional ideology and career path were initially linked to the corresponding professional degree – teacher education. Over the year, students' conceptualisation of their pre-professional ideology changed but their career trajectory remained relatively constant. These findings imply students were conforming or socialising into the expectations of their allied professional discipline but did not have an expectation to follow that career path. The research findings have implications for helping students to be realistic about their career trajectory and ensuring that they are prepared for an appropriate job.


The expansion of the biofuels industry is having a historic impact on the production of corn and other grains. As corn is among the most input-intensive crops, this extra production has raised concerns about environmental impacts and pressures on water resources in particular. While water quality has been a longstanding concern in the cornbelt, much of the new production is in nontraditional corn regions including the southeast, the High Plains, and the western states. In these areas, there is mounting concern over depletion of already stressed water supplies. In the High Plains, the chief water source is the Ogallala aquifer, one of the largest water resources in the world that underlies eight states from South Dakota to Texas. The Ogallala has enabled many agricultural industries, such as irrigated crops, cattle feeding, and meat processing, to establish themselves in areas that would not be possible otherwise. A consequence is that the economy of this region has become dependent on groundwater availability. Continued overdrafts of the aquifer have caused a long-term drop in water levels and some areas have now reached effective depletion. This paper seeks to estimate the impact of the emerging biofuels sector on groundwater consumption and cropping patterns in the Kansas portion of the High Plains Aquifer. The economy of this region is particularly dependent on water and irrigated crops, with more than 3 million head of feeder cattle and irrigated crop revenues exceeding $600 million annually. Sheridan County, in northwestern Kansas, has been selected as a representative case study region. The county has intermediate levels of water supplies remaining compared to other counties in western Kansas. Like the region as a whole, a significant share of pre-development supplies has already been consumed. Cropping patterns in Sheridan County are typical of the


In this paper,the definition and classification of bio-based composites are introduced.The present situation and issues of bio-based composites are summarized.And the suggestions to the development of bio-based composites are proposed.


A study is made of the adsorption states of light atoms (H,D,He) on perfect quantum crystals (H2,D2,He,Ne). The quantum nature of the crystal is taken into account at the outset of the theory and the adsorption states are calculated as the bound states of a single atom in the potential created by the semi‐infinite solid (rigid lattice approximation). The three‐dimensional Schrodinger equation is solved to obtain the binding energies of the various hydrogen and helium isotopes on the (111) and (100) faces of the following quantum crystals: H2, D2, He, Ne. The major sources of uncertainty in the results are discussed in the paper: by increasing importance they are the neglect of many body interactions, the neglect of the coupling of the adatom with the surface, and finally the uncertainties in most of the pair potentials. A good agreement is obtained with available experimental results.


Section 1 comprises a literature review, which introduces the reader to Mahalanobis Matching and the Rubin causal framework, summarizes key papers on anely invariant matching methods, and introduces results which will be used later in the thesis. Section 2.1 computes a new approximation for the expected bias after exact matching with one binary covariate. Section 3.1 reviews work on conditionally anely invariant matching methods from [RT92a]. In Section 3.2, under the assumptions for conditionally anely invariant matching, we write the bias reduction in a novel form, and give an interpretation for how quickly the matching approaches equal percent bias reduction (EPBR). In Section 4 we look at the probability that additional special covariates do not a↵ect the matching. We compute an asymptotic lower bound for this probability, in the case when these additional covariates are bounded. Section 5 contains simulation results illustrating the approximation in Section 2, the asymptotic bound in Section 4, and the performance of Mahalanobis matching on ellipsoidal and discrete covariates.


This report examines dynamic cluster assignment for a clustered trace cache processor (CTCP). Previously proposed clustering techniques run into unique problems as issue width and cluster count increase. Realistic design conditions, such as variable data forwarding latencies between clusters and a heavily partitioned instruction window also increase the degree of difficulty for effective cluster assignment. In this report, the trace cache and fill unit are used to perform effective dynamic cluster assignment. The retire-time fill unit analysis is aided by a dynamic profiling mechanism embedded within the trace cache. This mechanism provides information on inter-trace trace dependencies and critical inputs, elements absent in previous retire-time CTCP cluster assignment work. The strategy proposed in this report leads to more intra-cluster data forwarding and shorter data forwarding distances. In addition, performing this strategy at retire-time reduces issuetime complexity and eliminates early pipeline stages. This increases overall performance for the SPEC CPU2000 integer programs by 8.4% over our base CTCP architecture. This speedup is significantly higher than a previously proposed retire-time CTCP assignment strategy (1.9%). Dynamic cluster assignment is also evaluated for several alternate cluster designs as well as media benchmarks.


presents a case of double superior vena cava (SVC) in an asymptomatic and otherwise healthy individual with a widened mediastinal image noted on a routine radiological examination. Contrast-enhanced chest CT scan revealed a double superior vena cava (SVC) with a larger left superior vena cava (LSVC). No further diagnostic or therapeutic measures were undertaken


In keeping with his purpose, Father Graham proceeds to recount the origins of this system of mutual representation and to review the organs of papal diplomacy, notably the secretariat of state. Next he examines the pontiff's temporal and spiritual sovereignty, the authority on which the entire structure is based. This is the longest and in some ways the strongest section of the book. Especially praiseworthy are the chapters on papal sovereignty in comparative law. Father Graham concludes with a suggestive consideration of certain specific questions and issues that are admittedly important in themselves but "not essential to a determination of the nature of papal diplomacy." Entitled "Tests and Challenges," this part is divided among three vital concerns and areas of the Vatican's external relations: worldwide armed conflict in the period since 1914: the United States; communism and the Soviet Union.


The Second Rome Air Development Center (RADC) Database Security Workshop held in May 1989, featured a 'Homework Problem'. The Homework Problem was a 22 page specification for a multilevel secure (MLS) database. Solutions to the Homework Problem were provided by many of the major research and development efforts in MLS database systems. The author describes the requirements of the Homework Problem and summarizes the database design approaches taken to meet those requirements.<<ETX>>


An algorithm based on convex programming is developed for optimum time compression in network scheduling systems. The development allows for the activity time-cost trade-off functions to be any differentiable convex function. Decomposition theory is then applied to reduce the amount of computation necessary. This along with a limited number of rules to structure any incoming vector makes the algorithm amenable to time compression in large project networks.


On the bases of the empirical material we can conclude that the New Year's Eve festivities and rituals begin in the period of the winter solstice, on the day of St. Barbara (4th of December in the Old Style Calendar) and St.Ignatius (20th of December in the Old Style Calendar), when the women from the older generations perform some magical actions in the agrarian rituality. These days are in direct relation with the agrarian character and the folk calendar. They denote the turnover of the trace of the Sun, a period when according to the folk beliefs the sun rises again in the sky and the day becomes longer. During the festivity of the nativity eve the women symbolically show all the phases of the agrarian activity through magic rituals, which initiate good atmospheric influences for the vegetation and the welfare on all the levels. Because of this they give to the fire a vegetative sacrifice from raw, holy tree (oak), cereal sacrifice (ritual breads), a plough (as substitute for the plowing and the fruitfulness), there is symbolical ritual sowing (with a mash of different cereals), they communicate with magic oral formulas etc.


Lung cancer is one of the groups of cancer that causes the most deaths, including in Indonesia. Many people with lung cancer do not realize that they are infected with lung cancer, which causes delays in treating this disease. For this reason, it is necessary to have a method that has a good level of accuracy in making a prediction so that later with a good level of accuracy it can be a reference for the development of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the world of health to detect lung cancer early. The proposed study uses the c4.5 algorithm to predict the likelihood of patients with lung cancer by providing the final result in the form of the prediction accuracy of the proposed algorithm. To carry out data mining implementation using the Python programming language by utilizing the library that has been provided to make it easier to implement machine learning. In this study the use of c4.5 was able to predict with an accuracy rate of 86%. This level of accuracy can be said to be worthy of being used as a reference to be able to predict lung cancer patients based on the symptoms that appear in the patient


The aim of this work is to highlight the significance of Fluid–Thermal–Structural Interaction (FTSI) as a diagnosis of existing designs, and as a means of preliminary investigation to ensure the feasibility of new designs before conducting experimental and field tests. The novelty of this work lies in the multi-physics simulations, which are, for the first time, performed on rectangular nozzles. An existing experimental supersonic rectangular converging/diverging nozzle geometry is considered for multi-physics 3D simulations. A design that has been improved by eliminating the sharp throat is further investigated to evaluate its structural integrity at design Nozzle Pressure Ratio (NPR 3.67) and off-design (NPR 4.5) conditions. Static structural analysis is performed by unidirectional coupling of pressure loads from steady 3D Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and thermal loads from steady thermal conduction simulations, such that the simulations represent the experimental set up. Structural deformation in the existing design is far less than the boundary layer thickness, because the impact of Shock wave Boundary Layer Interaction (SBLI) is not as severe. FTSI demonstrates that the discharge coefficient of the improved design is 0.99, and its structural integrity remains intact at off-design conditions. This proves the feasibility of the improved design. Although FTSI influence is shown for a nozzle, the approach can be applied to any product design cycle, or as a prelude to building prototypes.


flagged by Hallett in her Introduction for consideration, such as her interest in Antwerp as a sensory space, similarly go unexplored. Ultimately, this book is of great interest to sensory historians and scholars of early modern women's religious experience alike. Specialists in mysticism, and Teresa of Ávila especially, will also appreciate Hallett's study for its admirable portrayal of a relatively unknown community who mediate their often self-written sensory reflections in the language of Teresian spirituality.


This is a case-controlled study conducted during the period from October 2006 till September 2007 in Basrah, with its aim being to estimate the overall prevalence of Human parvovirus B19 (HPV-B19) antibodies and their association to rheumatoid factor seropositivity among sickler/non-sickler arthropathic patients.

A total of 182 blood samples were collected from arthropathic patients attending the clinics of orthopaedic/rheumatology, clinic of internal medicine, Basrah General Hospital, Hemoglobinopathies Center at the Maternity and Children Hospital. The patients include 90 arthropathic patients with or without Sickle Cell Diseases (SCD) and 92 samples from control group. HPV-B19 IgG antibodies were serologically detected by an Enzyme-Linked Immuno-Sorbent Assay (ELISA) and rheumatoid factor was detected by Latex agglutination test.

The overall prevalence of HPV-B19 antibody in Basrah general population was 68.7%. The prevalence rate of antibodies among arthropathic patients in general was 76.9% but it was lower in arthropathic patients with SCD; 65.8%. These differences were statistically not significant (p>0.05) compared to control group. Eighty percent of individuals who had rheumatoid factor positive results were positive for HPV-B19 antibodies which indicate a significant association (P 0.05). There was a positive relation between HPV-B19 seropositivity and the duration of illness (p<0.05).

In conclusions, HPV-B19 is common with high prevalence in our region; there is a clear association between HPV-B19 infection and rheumatoid factor positivity. Individuals with sickle cell diseases, regardless of its type, and those with a history of blood transfusion were considered risk groups for acquiring HPV-B19 infections.


Limited health literacy skills have been determined in the general population, yet studies on specific populations impaired by disease are lacking. These are the populations who utilize the health care system the most; however, they are also understudied. Various educational topics are provided to these populations in different formats and when health literacy ability is lower than the education being provided, the clients' abilities to understand are affected. This can lead to noncompliance, increased hospitalizations and/or poor health choices. This study examined a convenient sample of 30 stroke survivors who attend a community based education program in the greater Kansas City area. To be included in the study, the participants had to have functional vision with all visual fields intact and score above the dementia impairment zone on the SLUMS. Exclusion criteria included demonstration of aphasia and non-English speaking. In examining this group, their health literacy abilities were assessed using a health literacy screen which utilizes six questions about a nutrition label as its measure. The participants were also asked about their educational media preference type. Demographic information was collected which included age, income, educational level and computer use time. Results showed significant findings with relationships of educational level, income and health literacy levels. The participants did not indicate any educational media preference. Also more than two-thirds of the sample was identified as being at risk for limited health literacy using the literacy screen. The significant findings of education and health literacy levels must be examined with caution as education has been determined to be a poor indicator of literacy ability due to education quality variance. Income is also indirectly linked with education and health literacy levels. However, clinically this sample was identified as an increased risk for limited health literacy skills. Ascertaining the correct level of education allows for understanding with the provision of


According to the street lamp of the light electricity parameter and the life characteristic,in different voltage a best supply voltage of urban road lighting systems lighting luminaire is deduced:a rated voltage is 220 Vs in the first half of the night, and the best voltage is 200 Vs in the later half of the night.


An initial CFD model which was based on an active rotary cross-flow membrane separation device was established. Fluent commercial software was used to carry out numerical simulation of the two axis membrane disk device. It was found that as the inflow velocity increased, the particle residence time decreased and gradually became stable. Therefore, controlling the inflow velocity can improve the load of diaphragm and the efficiency of purification.


Heavy metals such as Cd, Cr, Pb, Mn, Cu and Zn from agrochemical products applied in the control of weeds and pests are common contaminants of the soil under rice cultivation. Certain heavy metals in low concentration agricultural soils are essential for plant growth (Mn, Cu and Zn), but some metals are highly toxic to humans. These toxic heavy metals can be absorbed and accumulated by plants and eventually enter the human body through food intake. The environmental issue such as food security related to rice and heavy metals has attracted substantial attention recently due to its impact on natural resources and the population living in areas exposed to heavy metal contamination. To evaluate the concentration of some metals in soils, nine farms dedicated to intensive rice production were selected, and some physical and chemical properties of the soil were analyzed using standardized techniques and methods; the concentration of metals was measured with atomic absorption spectroscopy using the EPA 3050B methodology. The concentration of heavy metals analyzed was in the normal range, except for the element Cadmium, which was higher than 1.1 mg / kg in 6 of the 9 farms, and the element manganese in the La Pista farm, where a light aircraft base operates. dedicated to the fumigation of agrochemicals


PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a module-terminal block connection structure that makes it easy to take measures against heat for a printed wiring board without using a terminal block in an extremely special shape, and is excellently manufactured.SOLUTION: A module-terminal block connection structure comprises: a printed wiring board 1; a terminal block 3 which is arranged on one surface (top surface 1a) of the printed wiring board 1, constituted by forming a conductive material in a solid shape, and fixed to the printed wiring board 1; a power module 4 which is arranged on the other surface (reverse surface 1b) of the printed wiring board 1, and has an electric circuit and a press-fit type lead pin 4a as a circuit terminal thereof; and a conductive part 2 which is electrically connected to the terminal block 3, has a hole (through hole 2b) in which the lead pin 4a is pressed, and is electrically connected to the power module 4 with the lead pin 4a pressed in the hole 2b.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2


Hitherto the UN has performed a virtual non-role in the management of Antarctica, notwithstanding a determined Malaysian-led effort conducted at the UN between 1983 and 2005 to replace the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS) with an alternative UN-based regime, possibly modelled on UNCLOS. In the event, the key outcome of the UN debates was merely to reaffirm the merits and central role of the ATS, which has managed Antarctica's affairs since the conclusion of the Antarctic Treaty in 1959. Today the UN still remains seized of the "Question of Antarctica". The issue could return to the UN agenda at some future date, but this seems unlikely as long as Antarctic Treaty powers are seen by UN members to be satisfying what might be regarded as the conditions implicit in UN debates and resolutions.


In this article, we propose a methodology for identifying the interactions among the genes in terms of dependencies (named as gene-gene interaction) that have altered quite significantly from normal stage to diseased stage with respect to their expression patterns. This idea leads to predict the disease mediating genes along with their altered interactions. The proposed methodology involves measuring information content of individual genes using fuzzy entropy, conditional fuzzy entropy of a gene on another, dependencies (interactions) of a pair of genes in both normal and diseased states, detecting the dependencies being deviated from normal to carcinogenic state and finally identifying the influential genes from altered dependencies. Thus the gene-gene interactions for normal state and diseased state are represented separately by the gene dependency networks (GDN). The altered interactions among the genes have been represented using a network, called altered gene dependency network (AGDN), in which each node represents a gene and a directed edge signifies altered dependency between a pair of nodes (genes). The methodology has been demonstrated on five gene expression data sets dealing with human lung cancer, colon cancer, sarcoma, breast cancer and leukemia. The results are appropriately validated, in terms of gene-gene interactions, using biochemical pathways, t-test, p-value, NCBI database and earlier investigations in terms of gene regulation. We have also used sensitivity to validate the results. For a comparative study, we have used some existing association rule mining algorithms and frequent pattern mining algorithms like Fuzzy Cluster-Based Association Rules, Apriori, T-Apriori in terms of gene-gene interactions. In addition, we have implemented Significance Analysis of Microarray, Signal-to-Noise Ratio, Neighborhood analysis, Bayesian regularization and frequent pattern mining algorithms for a comparison with AGDN in terms of ability to identify the important genes mediating the cancers.


G protein βγ subunits released upon Gi activation are the major direct transducers of chemotactic GPCR‐dependent immune cell migration. We previously demonstrated that the small molecule 12155 binds to, and directly activates Gβγ signaling without activation of Gαi, and is sufficient to act as a chemoattractant in a solution‐based assay. To mimic adherence and migration on endothelial cells we examined mouse neutrophil migration on surfaces coated with ICAM‐1. Here, uniform application of fMLP resulted in cell polarization, and increased cell movement. In contrast, application of 12155 led to neutrophil adhesion and actin polymerization surrounding the cells without polarization, suggesting that signals other than Gβγ are required for cell polarization. Activation of Gi directly with Mas7 led to neutrophil polarization and migration indistinguishable from fMLP, suggesting that the missing signal is not from GPCRs but rather is Gαi activation. We compared cAMP levels in cells treated with fMLP and 12155 which increased cAMP levels by 2.5 and 4.7 fold respectively. This suggests that Gαi‐GTP moderates the increase in cAMP driven by Gβγ activation alone. Inhibiting PKA activity in the presence of 12155 led to cell polarization. These data support the hypothesis that Gαi‐GTP‐dependent suppression of cAMP levels is required for polarization of neutrophils in response to chemoattractants.


Imprisonment is the most commonly used criminal punishment in the world. In all countries, there are specialized institutions for the maintenance of those sentenced to this punishment. In Russia they are called correctional institutions. By isolating persons who have committed crimes from the outside world, these institutions perform several tasks at once, ensuring: 1) constant monitoring of convicts; 2) access control; 3) control over the movement of convicts; 4) checking their presence; 5) carrying out activities aimed at detecting prohibited items. All these tasks are aimed at achieving a global goal - maintaining the established regime for execution of sentences in form of imprisonment. The article deals with regulation of design, construction and equipment of correctional institutions by Russian legislation. The authors analyze the norms in force in Russia in this area, highlight strengths and weaknesses, and determine the degree of influence of possible violations in design, construction and equipment on the regime of punishment execution. The actual double subordination is established in solving the current problem. On the one hand, the department executing preliminary conclusion, on the other, the department organizing and controlling process of designing and building institutions executing a preventive measure. Such inconsistency creates problems in practical application of provisions of existing norms, leads to errors and, as a result, to inadequate isolation of convicts from the outside world.


Illustrations were designed to help students produce their own examples of the 7 border symmetry groups and the 17 wallpaper symmetry groups. The images attempt to guide the viewer through their stages of development, from simple to complicated. The intention is to allow one to see, step by step, how each drawing was made with the use of a base grid. A student can draw examples of all of the border and wallpaper groups with the use of just two grids: the standard square grid and the isometric grid. 1. Inspiration and Background Artists as early as the Moors in 11th century Spain represented the symmetry groups, but mathematicians were relatively slow to identify them. In fact, mathematicians only recognized the oneand twodimensional symmetry groups by way of the 230 three-dimensional crystallographic groups, first enumerated by E. S. Fedorov in 1885. Fedorov also appears to be the first to enumerate the 17 wallpaper groups in 1891. P. Niggli was the first to enumerate the seven border (i.e., frieze) groups in 1926. These groups and the patterns that represent them have fascinated a myriad of authors and artists ever since [2]. In preparation for a new course in Mathematics and Visual Art, I designed illustrations to help my students draw their own examples of the seven border (one-dimensional) symmetry patterns and the 17 wallpaper (two-dimensional) symmetry patterns. Certainly, with the aid of a computer and software such as KaleidoMania! by Key Curriculum Press or Tess by Pedagoguery Software, one can easily generate examples of any pre-programmed symmetry patterns. The software user can simply select a symmetry group, draw a scribble, and the computer will automatically perform the needed isometries to generate the selected pattern. However, students of symmetry may develop a more robust understanding of the patterns and their generating isometries if they learn steps for drawing the designs by hand. As a scaffold for this learning, this paper presents a step-by-step method for illustrating the symmetry patterns. The method is designed to address one big obstacle: many people have difficulty organizing their hand drawings for even simple periodic patterns. So the method starts with different types of graph papers to allow students to more easily arrange their doodles into patterns. To model this technique, I developed a complete set of illustrations to guide students in drawing their own examples of the symmetry groups. This paper provides a subset of these illustrations. The artist M. C. Escher inspired the style of these drawings. Escher writes of his artwork, "In Regular Division of the Plane 1, a process of development takes place. The viewer is invited to follow this by going through the phases, one after the other, of a band of images that... fills the image plane... through... stages of growth and metamorphosis..." [1]. Similarly, the images herein attempt to guide the viewer through their stages of development, from simple to complicated, or from one symmetry pattern to another. The intention is to allow students to see, step by step, how to draw each pattern. 2. Mathematics Useful for Illustrating Symmetry Patterns A few terms are necessary for describing the illustrations of the border and wallpaper symmetry patterns; so these terms are briefly described below. This paper does not provide a comprehensive treatment of symmetry patterns. For more details on the mathematics of symmetry patterns, see [3]. 2.1 Isometry. An isometry is a rigid transformation that preserves distance between points. The four isometries for the border and wallpaper patterns are rotation, reflection, glide reflection, and translation. Every border pattern has a translation that is repeated infinitely many times in two opposite directions. We say a border pattern remains unchanged when translated by a translation vector and any integral multiple of the vector. In contrast, wallpaper patterns repeat in at least two different directions. We say that all wallpaper patterns remain unchanged when translated by two nonparallel vectors of translation and any integral linear combinations of those vectors. The pattern type determines the possible angles between the two vectors. An important graphic property of the four isometries is that all isometries are products of reflections. This is important to an illustrator because the number of reflections is related to handedness. In particular, translations and rotations preserve handedness; so they must be the product of an even number of reflections. Reflections and glide reflections reverse handedness; so they are products of an odd number of reflections. 2.2 Cyclic Symmetry. Since cyclic symmetries include only rotations, designs with cyclic symmetry often resemble pinwheels. By definition, the set of clockwise rotations rk around a fixed center point C is a cyclic group of order n, denoted Cn where the rk = 360k/n are measured in degrees and 0 < k < n. If a pattern has a rotational symmetry, then it can be rotated about a point by a fixed angle, and the pattern appears unchanged. For example, if an equilateral triangle rotates 120o about its center, then it would appear unchanged. We say that an equilateral triangle has 120o-rotational symmetry, also called C3 symmetry. All designs have trivial 360o-rotational (i.e., C1) symmetry, so we say a pattern with only 360orotational symmetry has no nontrivial rotations. The only nontrivial rotational symmetry that border patterns can have is 180o or C2 symmetry. Those for wallpaper patterns are C2, C3, C4, and C6 symmetry in various combinations. 2.3 Dihedral Symmetry. Dihedral symmetries include both reflections and rotations. When a symmetric pattern is flipped over a line of reflection, the pattern will appear unchanged. By definition, a dihedral group Dn contains the n elements of the cyclic group of rotations rk together with n reflections through n lines in the plane, all of which intersect at the center of rotation C, and the angles formed by the intersecting lines are the rk. A pattern that appears unchanged under the isometries of a dihedral group is said to have dihedral symmetry. For example, since an equilateral triangle has three lines of reflection that all intersect at the center of rotation, an equilateral triangle has D3 symmetry. Similarly, a non-square rectangle has D2 symmetry. D1 symmetry consists of only a single reflection and only a trivial rotation. The only dihedral symmetry that border patterns can have is D1 and D2. Those for wallpaper patterns are D1, D2, D3, D4, and D6 symmetry in various combinations. 2.4 Grids. All of the border and wallpaper groups are illustrated with the use of just two grids: the square grid (i.e., the regular tiling by squares) and isometric grid (i.e., the regular tiling by equilateral triangles). Only two types of grids are needed because each of the seven border and 17 wallpaper symmetry groups is a subgroup of the symmetry group of at least one of these two grids. For artistic purposes, I used a third grid to draw the border patterns. This grid is a simple modification of a square grid and reminds me of the paper on which I practiced my handwriting when I was a child. One could also use any fixed number of rows on a square grid or on a triangular grid to draw the border patterns. 2.5 A Note on Mathematical Accuracy. It should be stated explicitly that the illustrations in this paper are not mathematically accurate representations of border and wallpaper patterns, strictly speaking. The patterns herein change subtly as one moves across the pattern. In contrast, mathematical accuracy requires that a border or wallpaper pattern repeat in exactly the same way, forever, showing infinitely many repeats. The bounds of a sheet of paper, "a fragment of a plane," as Escher called it, make the mathematical abstraction of infinite repeats in the Euclidean plane impossible to represent explicitly [1]. However, the purposes of these illustrations are to demonstrate how to create symmetric patterns and to provide an artistic application of symmetry, rather than to epitomize perfect mathematical accuracy. 3. Illustrations of Border and Wallpaper Patterns I drew the illustrations below with a combination of ink and gouache (opaque watercolor) paint on bleed-proof paper. The sizes of the illustrations range from four inches square to rectangles that are six inches by eight and a half inches. Each drawing begins with a grid that is either drawn in pencil or ink. Then, I used black micron pens in various sizes to draw the designs in freehand, and in the case of Symmetry 1, blue and green gouache colors the design. I use gouache and ink because I can create artwork with a high amount of detail. 3.1 Border Patterns. The grid used in the border patterns is a simple modification of a square grid. This grid is visible underlying the illustrations in Figures 1 and 2. All seven of the border patterns are shown in both figures. Labels are between the two images. I began drawing each pattern in Figure 1 with a simple design that was repeated across the pattern. For example, m1 starts with a row of smiles, 1g,and mg both started with a row of alternating dots, and mm started with a row of circles, all of which are easily visible down the center. Then, each simple pattern was elaborated in two ways, one to the left and one to the right. The inspiration for using recognizable forms came from M. C. Escher. Images include cats, flowers, waves, fish, boats, mouths saying, "CHIC," butterflies, footprints, people, turtles, and ladybugs. In Figure 2, the patterns start simple on the left, become more detailed, and then become simple again on the right.


Our aim in this paper is to investigate the dynamics of a third-order fuzzy difference equation. By using new iteration method for the more general nonlinear difference equations and inequality skills as well as a comparison theorem for the fuzzy difference equation, some sufficient conditions which guarantee the existence, unstability and global asymptotic stability of the equilibriums for the nonlinear fuzzy system are obtained. Moreover, some numerical solutions of the equation describing the system are given to verify our theoretical results.


Sarah M. Howell, MD; G. Todd Bessinger, MD, PhD, MPH; Department of Dermatology, Tripler Army Medical Center, Honolulu, Hawaii. The authors report no conflict of interest. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and should not be construed as official or as representing those of the US Army or the US Department of Defense. A 5-year-old girl being followed by the orthopedic service for a pathologic fracture of her left femur presented with new 3to 5-mm compressible purple nodules on the lateral aspects of the digits on her left hand. What Is Your Diagnosis? Photo Quiz


Amphibian erythrocytes have cellular structures distinct from mammalian erythrocytes, yet have not been investigated in details. Here, we access the structures of live frog erythrocytes in three-dimension using optical diffraction tomography.


(57) Abstract: the polyester forming the starting component is added during the polyester production, the general formula One or more chain branching agent in the meaning wherein n = 2 to 4], i.e. dipentaerythritol, obtained by adding condensation tri pentaerythritol or tetra pentaerythritol 50-500 ppm, 10000 branched chain branches to form filaments having a greater relative molecular weight to provide polyesters and copolyesters. The polyester, the textile and industrial yarns with a high speed spinning at a winding speed of 2500~10000m / min, which is extremely suitable for carrying out the usual stretching step or textured step subsequent to this.


A newly emerging component of neoliberal fiscal reform in international development policy is increased reliance on non-governmental organizations (NGOs) rather than states for services. Along those lines development banks now encourage many Third World health ministries to contract with NGOs for provision of basic health care to the poor. This new trend was described by reporter Robert Greenberger in a June 1995 Wall Street Journal article entitled "Developing Countries Pass Off Tedious Job of Assisting the Poor."


A USRDS study of 4,055 chronic hemodialysis patients found a 31% decrease inmortality from infections in patients treated with synthetic (mainly polysulfone) or modified cellulose (mainlycellulose acetate) membranes compared with unmodified cellulose (mainly cuprophane) (1). A marginally significant reduction inmortality risk from coronary artery disease (26%, p 4 0.07) also was found. The results noted were after statistical adjustment for 21 covariates.


creasing Prandtl number. Values of the Nusselt number were not obtained for those combinations of Prandtl number and mass injection marked with a dash in Table 1. The Nusselt number was equated to zero when the calculated value was less than 1 X 10~. The present numerical solutions support the results of Ref. 1 with respect to the thermal boundary-layer blowoff and the temperature variation being confined to a region near rj = TJT. However, this region of temperature variation is not always thin. This behavior is dependent on both the value of the Prandtl number and mass injection, beginning at smaller Prandtl numbers as the mass injection is increased. In addition to the usual decrease in Nusselt number with increasing mass injection and a constant Prandtl number,


A case of transient unilateral twelfth nerve Paresis after puncture of the internal jugular vein is reported. The anatomy of the puncture site makes a connection possible.


Overcurrent protection with undervoltage seal-in is usually configured in HV start-up/stand-by and the auxiliary transformer protection devices, and the timer is often set between 2 and 3 s. When the faults occur at the auxiliary bus, the transformer will be damaged before the relay acts. Three methods to protect the transformer from auxiliary bus faults were analyzed, improving the short enduring capability of the transformer, configuring auxiliary bus differential protection and configuring timing instantaneous overcurrent protection. The 3rd method was proved to be the best. The method of calculating and sensitivity checking for timing instantaneous overcurrent was firstly discussed completely. Examples calculating and sensitivity checking of some transformer in Dalate plant were given. Dynamic and digital simulating test show that timing instantaneous overcurrent protection is feasible. The scheme has been implemented in the Dalate power plant.


Investigating the factors affecting student noncompletion and delayed-completion (N-C & D-C) of the Touch-Learn infant massage teacher professional education programme and subsequent changes required to androgogic practice.


Personal Health Systems (PHS) and Remote Patient Monitoring and Treatment (RMT) have the potential to alter the way healthcare is provided by increasing the quantity and quality of care. This report explores the current status of PHS and, more specifically, of the RMT market in Europe. It addresses the question of how these technologies can contribute to dealing with some of the challenges facing the European healthcare delivery systems caused by higher pressure of demand through chronic diseases and demographic change, combined with diminishing resources for health care. Uptake and diffusion of these services would potentially reduce death rates, and avoid recurring hospitalisation in a cost-effective manner. However, the report identifies various barriers which hamper the full deployment of RMT in Europe. In the conclusion, the report provides a number of tentative policy options which aim specifically to foster EU-wide deployment of RMT/PHS.


F NOTICE This report was prepared as an account of work i sponsored by the United States Government. Neither I the United States nor ihc United States Energy 1. Research and Development Administration, nor any of their employees, nor any of thei, contractors, subcontmctors, 0, their employees, makes any warranty, expre. or implied, or mumes any legal tiabBy or responsibility for the accuracy. complet.ness or usefulnei or any informotion, apparatus, product or i ' process disclosed, or represents thal its use would not 1 I ' infringe privately owned fights. --1


Ever since the ESO Conference on Future Telescapes in December 1977, astronomers have been talking about future Very Large Telescopes. But what would they actually da with them? We therefore asked same of the astronomers in the ESO countries to answer the simple (?) question: What would you observe if you had ten nights on a 25 metre VLT? We bring their replies in this and the following issue of the Messenger.


In order to prevent industrial boilers from oxygen corrosion, the atmosphevic thermal deaerators are commonly used. Owing to the fact that the atmospheric thermal deaerators should be highly positioned, the application of them on industrial boilers has been limited. But the low - positioned atomospheric thermal deaerators can overcome the limit created by the atmospheric thermal deaerators which must be highly positioned, making the application of atmospheric thermal deaerators to be widened, and being convenient to install, debug and repair.


Acknowledgment: The authors are grateful to the reviewers for their thorough analysis of their work and valuable remarks and hope that the revised paper, with the required corrections, changes and extensions made according to their recommendations, will fully satisfy the requirements of the journal and will deserve higher evaluation. Assessing the Performance of the Construction Sectors in the Baltic States and Poland


Presents the utility of laser treatments as either complementary to conventional restoration means or as uniquely suited to certain cases of cultural heritage conservation. A lack of adequate training facilities for young conservators means that insufficient conservation use is being made of effective technological solutions involving lasers. The article presents a series of laser-based techniques for chemical and structural analysis in art conservation. These include laser-induced fluorescence (LIF); laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS); laser Raman spectroscopy and laser Raman microscopy; laser holographic interferometry; laser speckle shearography; and laser Doppler vibrometry (LDV). Impediments blocking transfer of such techniques to art conservators are briefly discussed.


By taking into account various food components in the ecosystem, the research intends to develop a set of difference equations to simulate a plant-herbivore interaction of Holling Type II. We determine the local stability of the equilibrium points for the scenarios of extinction, semi-extinction (extinction for one species), and coexistence using the Linearized Stability Theorem. For a suitable Lyapunov function, we investigate theoretical findings to determine the global stability of the coexisting equilibrium point. It is clear that the system exhibits both Flip and Neimark-Sacker bifurcation under particular circumstances using the central manifold theorem and the bifurcation theory. Numerical simulations are done by MATLAB which are used to validate our conclusions.


The resilience is not a new concept, in fact the authors dedicated to his study, they admit the proliferation of articles about the topic and assume that it exists at par of the humanity. In the present study, we understand the resilience as the aptitude of the human beings to overcome adversities and to learn of it to continue with the daily life, the interest of the same one is that we have studied the adversities or difficulties that the pupils recognize like capable of producing resilience, instead of making it from the point of view discipline, of the professional, they will be analyzed from the point of view of the actors, in this case the student body of a University School of Nursing of Algeciras (Spain). The present work is a qualitative research, from the point of view cultural sight (least used in the study of the resilience), and we have used two associate technologies, namely: a Technology Delphi and one of nominal Group, later to confirm the obtained results, with the contributions with Brainstorming's Technology. Between the results, it surprises that one that the pupils consider to be adversities or difficulties, and particularly the fact that the academic aspects that scarcely were supported as difficulties on having ended the Technology Delphi, they appear in the last technology, of contribution of ideas and therefore more creative, of forceful form.


We investigated stratabound Rayleigh convection as a means of transport for leaching of solutes from salt diapirs, their dissipation into the Rhaetian sandstone aquifer and subsequent precipitation of anhydrite with resulting cementation. Reactive transport modelling has been conducted in the context of the recent structure of the Allermohe site and its palaeogeological development. Resulting flow fields depict large (km-scale) stratabound Rayleigh convection. However, our simulations show the vicinity of the Allermohe well as a potential area of anhydrite dissolution in contrast to field observations, with precipitation concentrated elsewhere.


The measurement method for the noise property of the digital tomosynthesis image has not been standardized in any guidelines or papers. Currently, a noise in a digital tomosynthesis image has been commonly measured using a 2-D fast Fourier transform(2D-FFT)method. The purpose of this paper is to propose a new method for measuring the noise property of a digital tomosynthesis image, which applies the radial frequency(Radial)method with a limited angular range (LAR)for data acquisition. Although the Radial method was used to obtain the power spectrum from all angles(360°) around the origin, the LAR method acquired the power spectrum in the limited angle regions. When the noise properties acquired by the LAR method with the limited angles of 3°, 5° and 15° were compared to those obtained through the Radial method and the 2D-FFT method. The results of the LAR method had the large differences compared to those of the Radial method in the u-axis direction. Further, the noise property of the LAR method and the 2D-FFT method showed a higher correlation in both axis directions. In conclusion, we believe that the noise properties of the digital tomosynthesis image can be measured by using the LAR method with a limited angle of 5°.


Although supplier selection is an old topic in operations management, newer methods developed to improve the existing procedures day by day. With the rise of artificial intelligence, recent forms of supplier selection criteria, such as DEA (Data Envelopment Analysis), can be paired with specific machine learning algorithms to yield performance efficiencies or decisions that are accurate, as the relative efficiency results from the DEA method alone are dependent on the number of observations; as a result, repeating the operation whenever new suppliers are added is time-consuming. In this paper, specific machine learning algorithms used for classification are applied to the DEA results, and their respective accuracy are compared using the confusion matrix. The findings show that the decision tree was much more accurate than the Kernel SVM and Logistic Regression. This paper has thus focused on creating a hybrid model for supplier selection by combining the DEA method and machine learning algorithms.


In this account that draws heavily on interviews with key participants, McElheny examines the background, course, and prospects of the Human Genome Project. In this account that draws heavily on interviews with key participants, McElheny examines the background, course, and prospects of the Human Genome Project.


Using an experimental design, we investigate the reasons behind the gendered division of housework within couples. In particular, we assess whether the fact that women do more housework may be explained by differences in preferences deriving from differences in gender identity between men and women. We find little evidence of any systematic gender differences in the preference for housework, suggesting that the reasons for the gendered division of housework lie elsewhere.


Providing a metal wiring film that is not peeled off even when exposed to a hydrogen plasma. Thereby configuring the copper and the Ca and the adhesive layer 51, adhesive layer 51 than the low-resistance metal low-resistance layer 52 (copper alloy or pure copper layer) of a metal wiring film (20a) containing an oxygen . Adhesive layer 51, to contain a copper alloy containing Ca and oxygen, when the configuration of the source electrode film 27 and the drain electrode film 28 is in close contact with the ohmic contact layer 18, the exposure to a hydrogen plasma , Cu-containing oxide formed at the interface between the adhesive layer 51 and the ohmic contact layer 18 has not been reduced, it is not the peeling between the adhesive layer 51 and the silicon layer.


SrTiO3 nanoparticles can be prospective materials for different physical, chemical and technical applications as dielectric components, materials for catalysis and optics. Particle control may lead to new effects especially when the size becomes comparable with the fundamental dimensional characteristics such as domain size, exciton or electron length, i.e. at the level of nanomaterials. The powders of titanate with perovskite structure and particle size of 5-60 nm were obtained by solvothermal or citrate sol gel methods. The tendency to the lattice constant increase with particle size decrease was observed. However, the dependence of optical gap on the particle size looked unusually which was connected with the structure modifications during sample processing. It was also observed that the finest 5 nm powders contained significant lack of Sr, but perovskite structure was preserved. After thermal treatment TiO2 formation was found, likely providing a composite with ultrafine SrTiO3 nanoparticles inside TiO2 shell. [DOI: 10.1380/ejssnt.2012.406]


Freud was interested in and eventually accepted the diverse forms of telepathic communication as psychoanalytic rather than occult phenomena, particularly as manifested in dreams. Massicotte revisits the topic of Freud and his interest in the occult in a manner that invites serious reconsideration of this aspect of his work, long the subject of intense controversy in the history of psychoanalysis. In my response to Massicotte's paper I argue that Freud's interest in telepathy or thought transference belongs to his psychoanalytic theories of the unconscious and transference. His approach to telepathy parallels his approach to religious beliefs: He accounts for both as creations of the human mind as individuals attempt to make sense and meaning of their real experiences. What Freud meant by telepathy is what contemporary psychoanalysis refers to as unconscious communication, and the strange, often inexplicable forms it takes in clinical contexts. For Freud, instances of telepathy or unconscious communication are to be understood contextually and relationally, revealing important data about the nature of affectively charged human relationships.


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This paper first briefly introduces the basic working principle and technical features of thermoacoustic technology, points out that the thermoacoustic technology (including thermoacoustic heat engines and refrigerators) based on thermoacoustic effects has the obvious advantages of high reliability and environmental friendliness due to free of moving mechanical parts and using of inert working gas. Then, the important milestones in the research of the thermoacoustic technology in the recent decades are summarized, mainly including the researches of thermoacoustic heat prime movers and thermoacoustic refrigerators. In regard to thermoacoustic heat prime movers, the paper first gives a brief review of the discovery history of the two kinds of thermoacoustic effects: thermally-induced sound and acoustical-induced refrigeration effects, as well as the research progress in the standing-wave thermoacoustic heat engines. Successively, the suggestion of traveling-wave thermoacoustic heat engine concept and its rapid developments are presented in more detail. Among the important advancements, the researches on the thermoacoustic-Stirling heat engine (TASHE) with a 30% thermoacoustic conversion efficiency and on the energy-focused TASHE with a maximum pressure ratio over 1.3 (with helium as working gas) and a 32% thermal efficiency are highlighted. In the aspect of thermoacoustic refrigerators, several researches on thermoacoustically driven pulse tube cryocooler for achieving cryogenic cooling below 120 K and thermoacoustic room-temperature refrigerators for achieving higher efficiency and large cooling power are reported. In particular, the thermoacoustically-driven two-stage pulse tube cryocooler capable of reaching a lowest temperature below 20 K by using a so-called acoustical pressure amplifier and the heat-driven double thermoacoustic-Stirling refrigerator achieving 300 W at –20℃ with higher efficiency are emphatically introduced. Finally, this paper also gives a brief review of the advancement of thermoacoustic theory, discusses the key scientific and technical issues of the current thermoacoustic technology, and forecasts the future development trends of thermoacoustic technology.


Any cultural feature different from main culture may become the topic for novelty.The troglodytism and suspended-coffin burials of the Miao in the Mashan area of Guizhou Province result in some odd names as troglodytic tribe and Spiderman in modern public discourses.However,they are actually the highlight of human life adapted to the environment.If such prejudices could be avoided,novelty hunting will be replaced by understanding and these people's sense of inferiority will lead to self-confidence.


Abstract The intrusion of seawater in a tidal river is treated as a diffusion problem, characterized by a coefficient of longitudinal diffusivity. In order to analyse the longitudinal diffusivity, a mathematical model is set up, consisting of two bodies of water, either one besides the other or one on top of the other. The two bodies are assumed to move relatively to each other, as a secondary effect of the tidal flow. It is moreover assumed that there is turbulent exchange of salt between the bodies. It is demonstrated that the diffusion of salt into the river is greatest for an optimum value of the coefficient of exchange between the two bodies. Exchange weaker or stronger than this optimum both diminish the salt intrusion. The theory is applied to the Rotterdam Waterway, for which estimates of the exchange are made. Estimation of the reduction of the turbulence by stratification and hence of the vertical exchange, shows that the observed strong intrusion is explainable. Intensified vertical mixing, for...


This paper presents a small-size electric power sensor that can be installed at an outlet to sense the power of electrical appliances whose plugs are inserted into the outlet. The data for the power consumption of the appliance and the power for the microcontroller unit (MCU) are obtained by an electromagnetic induction method, so that it can be implemented without any electrical work. The sensitivity of the power sensor is 1 W, and the power for the MCU can be generated from an appliance power of 23 W. The sensor itself consumes 3.75 mW. This sensor can be used to measure the power consumption of the existing electrical appliances.


A field experiment was conducted at Pali-Marwar to study the response of cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) to variable irrigation through micro-sprinkler, organic manure and nitrogen under semi-arid environment. Irrigation through micro-sprinkler at 0.8 IW/CPE being on par a with 1.0 IW/CPE, recorded significantly the highest plant height (32.5 cm), umbles/plant (22.4), seed weight (2.99 g/plant), dry matter (5.39 g/plant) and seed yield (678 kg/ha) of the cumin on pooled basis. The maximum irrigation water productivity was recorded at 0.8 IW/CPE ratio where 40 mm less irrigation water was applied indicating that water was utilized efficiently under this irrigation schedule as compared to 1.0 IW/ CPE ratio (258 mm). Farmyard manure @ 10 tonnes/ha increased cumin seed yield significantly by 12.5% (613 kg/ha) over control (546 kg/ha) and water productivity to 0.313 kg/m 3 from 0.277 kg/m 3 . Nitrogen at 40 kg/ha being at par with 60 kg/ha, significantly increased mean cumin seed yield by 30.4% over control (484 kg/ha). Further, at 0.8 IW/ CPE ratio a dose of 37 kg N/ha was computed as economic optimum under the application of 10 tonnes/ha FYM and at this level 752 kg/ha cumin seed yield with water productivity of 0.345 kg/m 3 was predicted. Net returns and benefit: cost ratio were the highest with irrigation at 0.8 IW/CPE (Rs 45 059 and 3.84, respectively).


Abstract The infrared spectra of crystalline methylamine and methlamine-d5 have been recorded from 33 to 500 cm−1 Spectral band assignments were made according to whether they arose primarily from translational or librational motions. A model is proposed so that the prinicpal features of the spectrum can be interpreted. Some quantitative results are offered in support of the model and the modes of motion arising from it. The "center law of lattice vibrational spectra" is interpreted and used to calculate the lattice energies of methylamine and a previously studied system, cyanamide. The agreement achieved for both the dynamics and the energy calculaions are in good agreements with observed frequencies and other molecular crystal energies.


Nearly half of the "Schemata" (engravings) in Robert Hooke's seminal work of science Micrographia (1665) show either entire invertebrates or their body parts, and a similar proportion of the "Observations" (descriptions and conjectures) either discuss such organisms at length or refer to them in some other way. Here, taxonomically accurate identifications are attempted for the full array of the book's marine and terrestrial non-insectan invertebrate taxa (a similar treatment of its insects having recently been published). Those animals belong to the following five phyla: Porifera, Ectoprocta, Nemata, Mollusca, Arthropoda, and to the following species: Flustra foliacea, Turbatrix aceti, Cornu aspersum, Chelifer cancroides, Phauloppia lucorum, Leiobunum rotundum, Tyrophagus longior. Hooke also wrote about a spider which was very probably Salticus scenicus, and he mentions the scabies mite Sarcoptes scabei. The non-insectan invertebrate Observations are examined with a view to evaluating their scientific content, originality and insightfulness. I show Hooke to have undertaken pioneering comparative studies with regard to structure and behaviour. Though brief, his conjecture on swimming in nematode worms is among the earliest attempts to explain the physics of swimming, pre-dating that of Giovanni Borelli. Hooke's writings on the generation of non-insectan invertebrates are analysed in detail and placed into context with those he made on other organisms. He postulated an explicitly reproductive scenario for the generation of gall-associated arthropods, and he had doubts about the supposedly spontaneous generation of mites and insects associated with "putrifying" or "fermenting" substrates. Drawing upon a substantial body of evidence gleaned from the text of Micrographia, I argue that his greater awareness of the reproductive biology of arthropods was a particularly important driver of those ideas. I also analyse Hooke's writings on the mutability of mites, and I suggest that they informed his later Discourses of Earthquakes conjectures concerning intra-specific variation and the production of new forms.


Germination problems in the nursery may lead to a reduction in the quality of the resulting plants and increase the length of the production cycle. Seed dormancy, handling and storage practices before sowing, date of sowing and moisture availability after sowing are probably the most important factors affecting seed germination in the nursery. The results of recent research have shown that dormancy can be broken more effectively in the seeds of many tree species using the target moisture content (TMC) method, which involves maintaining the moisture content (MC) of the seeds at a lower MC than the fully imbibed (FI) state (standard method) during chilling. The TMC seeds can be cold or freezer stored for more than a year with little effect on germination potential or reintroducing dormancy. Short periods of mild freezing or incubation at warm temperatures also may enhance germination in some species. Although the TMC method reduces the sensitivity of seeds to seedbed temperatures, it is preferable to schedule sowing operations to reflect the optimum temperature for germination in each species. Unlike the seeds of most other tree species, oak (Quercus robur L. and 0. pelraea L.) acorns are difficult to store, even over one winter. The results of recent research has revealed that soaking acorns for five days before storage at -3°C improved germination and the yield of usable plants in the nursery compared with acorns that were stored in the standard way. The type or combination of bed coverings used may also influence seedbed temperature and soil moisture availability. Seeds covered with sand followed by grit may germinate better than seeds covered with grit only (standard method for most small-seeded species in Ireland). The use of cloches or mulches may improve germination further. Seedbeds should be irrigated with frequent light (mist) applications (especially alder and birch seeds) of water during dry periods.


Chitosan decorated copper nanoparticles catalysts (CSCuNPs) were synthesized via reduction methods utilizing green protocol. The catalytic performance of CSCuNPs were tested for one-pot multicomponent reaction (MCR) using four reactant components: aromatic aldehydes, dimedone, ammonium acetate and ethylcyanoacetate under ultrasonic irradiation. The best catalyst (Cu-CS-NPs) that provided good conversion reaction yield and high turnover frequency (TOF) utilizing a facile and fast ultrasonic process was characterized using FTIR, TGA, XRD, TEM and XPS techniques. Generalization of the scope of the proposed catalytic process was studied using different aldehydes and excellent products yields and high TOF in even shorter reaction time (5 min.) was attained. Recyclability performance of the catalyst over five times re-use without detectable loss in product yield was recorded. The current method is green process utilizing environmentally benign catalyst and considered to be promising sustainable protocol for the synthesis of fine chemicals.


Abstract New global histories of punishment are steadily decentring the history of punishment and convict labour, challenging traditional conceptions of a linear path towards a single penal modernity and the penitentiary as the telos of its history. Through an exploration of three strands of extramural convict labour emerging in Copenhagen (1558), Ulm (1561), and Almadén (1566), this interpretative essay argues that this challenge can be furthered by taking a view of Europe's own penal history from which the focus is less on origins and more on how the landscape of punishment evolved through a continuous and largely contingent process of assemblage. In this process, a few key elements – labour, displacement, pain, and confinement – were combined and mixed to different effects in specific contexts. Along with that approach comes the need to historicize the process by relating it to other practices of labour coercion, both within the penal field and outside it.