Book synopsis: Anti-social behaviour (ASB) has been a major preoccupation of New Labour's project of social and political renewal, with ASBOs a controversial addition to crime and disorder management powers. Thought by some to be a dangerous extension of the power to criminalise, by others as a vital dimension of local governance, there remains a concerning lack of evidence as to whether or not they compound social exclusion. This collection, from an impressive panel of contributors, brings together opinion, commentary, research evidence, professional guidance, debate and critique in order to understand the phenomenon of anti-social behaviour. It considers the earliest available evidence in order to evaluate the Government's ASB strategy, debates contrasting definitions of anti-social behaviour and examines policy and practice issues affected by it.Contributors ask what the recent history of ASB governance tells us about how the issue will develop to shape public and social policies in the years to come. Reflecting the perspectives of practitioners, victims and perpetrators, the book should become the standard text in the field.


To achieve the first Millennium Development Goals is still a challenge. The problem of poverty in the context of hunger still persists in Tanzania. Household's members have not sustainable access to enough and quality of food. The major objective of this study is to ascertain whether exists some aspects of correlation between physical capital and infrastructures on the households` food security. This study was carried out in rural part of Tanzania, in Mvomero district covering three villages selected randomly (a total sample 0f 382 households). Data analysis was done using SPSS version 15.0. Chi-square test was adopted for plausible analysis assesses the extent to which some correlation exists between food security status of the households against independent variables (physical capital and infrastructures of the households). Please read details in the PDF version.


The invention relates to a thermally fusible interlining nonwoven comprising a fusing layer (A) composed of at least one staple fibre web including at least 50% by weight (based on the layer (A)) of intermelted and/or non-intermelted thermoplastic staple fibres whose melting and/or softening temperature is in the range between 60 and 165 DEG C, and also a layer (B) composed of at least one staple fibre web or nonwoven including from 80% by weight to 100% by weight (based on the layer (B)) of staple fibres having a softening and melting temperature or, if not applicable, a decomposition temperature above 170 DEG C, wherein the layers (A) and (B) are bonded together. The invention further relates to a process for producing an interlining nonwoven of the invention and also to preferred uses of this interlining nonwoven.


27 Phosphorus (P) desorption from P-saturated alum sludge, which was used as main substrate in a 28 novel constructed wetland for wastewater treatment, was studied. Groups of batch experiments were 29 designed and conducted to explore the efficiencies of P extraction using different acids (HCl, HNO 3 , 30 H 2 SO 4 ) and bases (NaOH, KOH). The results showed that either acid or base is efficient for 31 P-extraction and the efficiency relied mainly on the concentrations of H + /OH - , not the type of acid 32 or base. Considering the efficiency, price and safety of the acids and bases tested, H 2 SO 4 was 33 chosen as most suitable reagent for P-extraction. A Box-Behnken experimental design based on the 34 response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to evaluate the optimum of H 2 SO 4 extraction. 35 The optimal condition for the mass of sludge, H 2 SO 4 concentration and volume was 0.8 g, 0.063 M 36 and 142 ml, respectively. At such optimal condition, the maximum P-extraction efficiency of 37 98.2 % was achieved. Additionally, most of the main components of the saturated sludge, such as 38 metals (Al, Ca, Mg, Fe), TOC (total organic carbon) and nitrogen can also be extracted. Overall, the 39 results supported that H 2 SO 4 seems to be an efficient and cost-effective reagent among all the 40 reagents tested for P-saturated alum sludge treatment. 41 42


While the origin of the AIDS virus remains controversial, it is indisputable that AIDS is spreading worldwide. By June 1987, the World Health Organization estimated that 50 million Africans were infected with HIV and that the disease was epidemic in many parts of the continent. However, African governments chose to deny the threat of the disease. The AIDS crisis has diverted resources from other vital areas of disease prevention, health promotion, and research. Whereas AIDS is spread in developed nations by sexual promiscuity, by drug addicts sharing unclean hypodermic needles, and by homosexual behavior, in Africa cultural factors contribute to the transmission of AIDS. Female genital mutilation leads to extensive laceration of the female genitals upon initiation of sexual intercourse and/or to substitution of anal sex during the weeks and months before vaginal penetration can be achieved. In addition, the reuse of the same knives during the mutilation can spread HIV infection. Other factors that contribute to the spread of HIV in Africa include the patriarchal practice of polygamy, the subordinate position of women that makes them unable to insist on protection during intercourse, and a failure to screen blood used in transfusions. With all of these risk factors at play, women at the grassroots level must be equipped with the health education that is the only available tool to fight AIDS. Women's organizations can provide information and education to people at risk of acquiring HIV, counsel infected persons, ensure the safety of the blood supply, and work to overcome harmful traditional practices.


The literature on dividend pay-out is both crowded and relatively homogenous, generally aimed at bridging the gap between an abstract world of dividend irrelevance and the observed practice of firms that pay stable dividends. Research on dividends needs to be empirically focused because the opportunity cost of paying dividends is hard to define, let alone measure. Our methodological approach in this paper is to employ appropriate estimation techniques for dividend equations, something that is often neglected. We pay attention to issues such as choice of estimator, the inclusion of a lagged dependent variable, the stability of the coefficients over time, the robustness to different datasets, and the issue of sample selection. We identify from the literature five theoretical perspectives, namely substitution between sources and uses of funds, signaling and dividend smoothing, agency, catering to investors, and idiosyncrasies. We argue that the theoretical literature is not sufficiently discriminating to support tightly defined hypotheses but is nevertheless a useful starting point for empirical work, a view that is consistent with the ambiguous findings in previous empirical studies. Our results are consistent with the Lintner model and they support the role of investment opportunity as captured by the market to book ratio. The importance to dividends of asset growth and leverage depends on which of two datasets we use, on estimation method, and on the time period; the paper uses these contrasts to suggest interpretations and future avenues for research.


While community college transfer students who successfully matriculate into the four-year institution enjoy high persistence and graduation rates, inequities continue to be inherent throughout the process. In order to succeed during this transition, students must employ effective help-seeking strategies that provide them with access to timely and accurate information. This study seeks to be a formal examination of these informational networks. It describes the extensity, composition and positionality of these networks as transfer students exit the community college and enter a large research-extensive university. It also studies the effect that participation in a transfer course has on these informational networks. The results imply that informational networks remain relatively similar throughout the transfer process but that certain populations, including firstgeneration students and females, are less likely to rely on institutional agents for information. In addition, the effects of a transfer success course appear to be short-term, although it may reap larger benefits for at-risk populations. These findings suggest that socio-academic integration theories are more relevant to community college transfer students than theories based on traditional populations who enter four-year institutions directly out of high school.


A 28-year-old woman developed Langerhans cell histiocytosis involving the hypothalamic-pituitary axis and presented with acute vision loss in the left eye, a junctional scotoma in the right eye, panhypopituitarism, and diabetes insipidus. Following endoscopic transphenoidal excision of the lesion, her vision improved in the affected eye and the junctional scotoma disappeared from the other eye. This is an unusual case of Langerhans cell histiocytosis of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis leading to a reversible anterior chiasmal (junctional) syndrome.


The authors present an unusual and bizarre missile type of maxillofacial injury in a 7-year-old girl, who was struck in the middle of her face by an iron hook. The area between her forehead and upper lip was obliterated, making a clinical and radiologic diagnosis impossible. The authors review the current diagnostic methods used in maxillofacial trauma, including standard and computed tomography, to emphasize the importance of a correct preoperative diagnosis in the management of maxillofacial injuries.


For a given Rijke tube, self-excited combustion oscillations could be caused by the transient growth of flow disturbances. A premixed laminar flame, anchored to a metal gauze, is considered to investigate the role of non-normality and the resulting transient growth in triggering such oscillations. The unsteady heat release is assumed to be caused by the flame surface variations, which results from the fluctuations of the oncoming flow. The flame is acoustically compact and its presence causes a jump in mean temperature. Coupling the flame model with a Galerkin series expansion of the acoustic waves enables the time evolution of the flow disturbances to be calculated. It was found that the nonlinear model can predict the mode shape and the frequencies of the excited oscillations very well. Moreover, the fundamental mode with the lowest frequency is the easiest one to be excited among all the acoustic modes. Linearizing the model and recasting it into the classical time-lag formulation provide insights on t...


An integral machining system for stamped and welded axle housings is used for realizing integral multi-surface machining for the stamped and welded axle housings. A vertical machining center is mounted on a body, a handle of a Renishaw measuring head and a hilt of a chuck are directly connected and then mounted on a spindle of the machining center, fourth shafts are fixed onto the body and connected with a servo motor, a rotation fixture is connected between the fourth shafts, clamping cylinders are mounted on two sides of the center of an axle housing assembly and fixed onto the rotation fixture, positioning pins are inserted into shaft holes on two sides of the center of the axle housing assembly, and auxiliary supports and a compression cylinder are mounted on the body. The machining center is provided with the fourth shafts and the fixture, consistency of actions of the fourth shafts and the fixture and a dynamic balancing design for the fixture and the body are realized, an axle housing can be integrally machined by means of one-step clamping, and precision is high. Accurate positions of different products can be quickly identified by means of automatic measurement of the Renishaw measuring head, the axle housing does not need to be precisely positioned on the fixture, products of a production line can be replaced conveniently, the machining system can meet requirements of integral machining for all portions of different axle housings, and equipment investment is saved.


Recently, peer-to-peer (P2P) search technique has become popular in the Web as an alternative to centralized search due to its high scalability and low deployment-cost. Various P2P search systems have been proposed to support full-text search. However, P2P search systems are known to suffer from the problem of peer dynamics, such as frequent peer churn and content evolution, which cause serious performance degradation. Up to date, no prior research has been conducted on investigating the impact of peer dynamics in P2P full-text search systems. In this paper, we compare four existing representative P2P search systems, each of which relies on a distinctive architecture. During our experiments, we mainly focus on evaluating the cost and search effectiveness of all systems in a dynamic environment. The comparison results demonstrate that HAPS, proposed on our previous work, outperforms the other three systems in the environment with peer dynamics.


The sustainable development of agriculture forms part of an overall strategy of sustainable development, defined in the various programmes of the European Community, more particularly in the sixth programme on the environment. It will cover the period 2000-2009 and is currently under discussion. It aims at the integration of the environment and its taking into account in all the policies, including the agricultural and rural development policy. It also aims, as previous programs, to motivate the private sector, the regional and local authorities and all the citizens in order to incorporate the environmental aspects into their actions.


The concept of dominant caste' (Srinivas 1955 : 18) is descriptive. It does not quite help us analyse the nature of the flow of power. As pointed out by Oommen, "though Srinivas does not make it explicit, dominance implicitly refers to the exercise of political power (both formal and informal) in village affairs, be it in the administration of development benefits, in the settling of disputes, or in any other situation" (1970 : 75). While it is true that forms of power and influence are agglutinative, an analysis of the exact nature of flow of power from one sector to the other is very important for the understanding of the structural and value changes in a community. It is important to note that the traditional and legal power derived from the occupation of a hereditary public office, the office of a village headman or an accountant, was not included by Srinivas as an element of dominance. As stated by Lenski, in agrarian societies "Public office was used primarily for political and economic advancement" (1966 : 229). In the modern context of adult franchise numerical strength becomes important but that should be viewed only in conjunction with the three variables, namely, hereditary public office, caste status and wealth. In fact Mayer's study (1958 : 407-27) makes it clear that for a caste to be dominant it need not be necessarily numerically preponderant. Srinivas also included modern education and occupation as variables of dominance but the village studies show that these variables have little influence in the power politics of the village (Sirsikar 1970: 188; Sharma 1969 : 26-36). In fact, in not very modernised societies their influence also cannot be perceived independent of wealth, ritual or caste status and public office. While hereditary public office and caste status are ascriptive in character, economic status is either ascriptive or achieved depending upon the situation. The notion of 'legitimacy' or 'legitimation of power' is, however, a crucial intervening


Frost events in June affected late‐flowering cultivars of canola. Subsequent heat stress disproportionately affected early‐flowering cultivars. Frost stress likely primed late‐flowering cultivars for subsequent heat stress.


Since the 1970s, practicing of Behavior-based safety (BBS) concept among some developed countries has been considered as an effective technique to tackle occupational safety and health issues. BASF, Dow Chemical and Toyota Motor are some big corporations that have been creating their own plans to implement BBS programs. BBS was first introduced to Taiwan's industries in the past decade. Although many companies from different local industries begin to follow the same paths of implementing BBS programs by either directly use or adapt these big foreign corporations' plans, the results are not quite as promising as the local companies wished. Because of the plans ineffectiveness, local companies don't see the need to further promote such plans. This study takes aim at the reasons that may contribute to the ineffectiveness of the BBS programs when they were implemented locally. This study also strives to build a model and strategy that fits for Taiwan's local industries with means of extensive literature review and through on-site survey of local industries that have implemented the BBS plans. Three local companies, each represents different industry, participated our on-site survey, and a TO-DOIT model was proposed in our research. Specifically, our TO-DOIT model is a revision that is extended from researcher Geller's DOIT model. The DOIT is an abbreviation of define, observe, intervene, and influence, while our TO-DOIT is to promote the top management support and full participation as foundations for DOIT. Fitful locally, our TO-DOIT model is capable of assisting Taiwan's local industries to promote safe behavior. A true practice of TO-DOIT model shows that after its implementation in a local company, the injury rate decreased from 39 in 2005 to 20 in 2010, injury frequency rate decreased from 0.75 in 2005 to 0.09 in 2010, and the aggregate damage index decreased from 0.17 in 2005 to 0.04 in 2010. In conclusion, the proposed TO-DOIT model is much more effective and fits better to Taiwan's local industries in promoting BBS.


Public health is 'the art and science of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organised efforts of society' (World Health Organization (WHO), 2022). If you take away the 'organised efforts of society' part, you would be forgiven for thinking this sentence might be describing general practice, because this is what we do too, isn't it? We work on preventing disease through vaccinations, screening, health checks, targeted disease screening. And what are our aims if not to prolong life and promote health? Ok, we also diagnose, treat disease, educate, comfort, reassure, etc., but the point is that the aims of general practice and public health are not mutually exclusive. As a GP trainee who has recently completed a public health rotation, I may be somewhat biased. However, I believe that by understanding each other's role and working together we will be able to get the best out of each other. So, what role does a GP have to play in public health? Well, as already referred to, we take part in the delivery of public health interventions such as vaccination and screening. We also notify of infectious disease outbreaks and work with the health protection teams to investigate and increase awareness of notifiable communicable diseases. We are the linchpin in the diagnosis, management and recording of chronic noncommunicable diseases. Through the data that we enter into the patient record we contribute to huge swathes of data collection via the Quality Outcomes Framework, large scale audits such as CVDPREVENT. Eventually, the aim is for data from primary care to be more accessible and contribute to large linked datasets which will then be used for population health intelligence purposes, designing services and employing strategies such as population health management. I would argue that GPs (and all of our primary care colleagues) are crucial to the success of public health. But what does a GP trainee stand to gain from a public health rotation? Our curriculum includes some clear outcomes that can be achieved in this rotation, mainly in the 'Population and Planetary Health' topic guide. Some example outcomes you could achieve: • Apply an understanding of the wider determinants of health to address health inequalities and inequities


In the "cheng+group measure word" sentence type,"cheng" is attached to the front of the group measure word,"cheng" has a selective relationship with group measure words.From the construction forms,"cheng+group measure word" can be classified into basic form,overlapping forms and compound form.From the syntactical function,"cheng+group measure word" is always in the predicate location and the adjunct location.It has strong rhyming nature and no self-sufficient nature in the predicate location,and strong describing nature and tending-toward-focus nature in the adjunct location.From the expressional function,"cheng+group measure word" can emphasize the huge numbers with its basic forms,and show whole overlapping with its overlapping forms and compound forms.This study helps us have a better understanding of the group measure word and the relation between the number word and the measure word.


Based on the analysis of heat transfer in pre-coated layer for laser cladding, a simple three dimensional model was built up to simulate the transient temperature field in workpiece under different parameters.A criterion that is whether the peak of thermal cycle of some special points at interface reaches melting point of certain element is proposed,and this criterion is used to estimate whether the pre-coated layer is bound to substrate metallurgically and predict the range of processing parameters in laser cladding.The optimal range of processing parameters predicted from simulation is agreement with the results obtained from experiments,which proves that this method of simulation is feasible and can be used to predict processing parameters in pre-coated laser cladding.


Literature data on the harmful effects of smoking during pregnancy are reviewed with special emphasis on the fetal growth retardation and delayed changes in child behavior. Intrauterine growth retardation is one of the major causes of low birth weight. It was shown that the birth weight of neonates in smoking mothers can be decreased by 30-396 g. Mass screening data indicate that smoking during pregnancy also increases perinatal mortality (up to 28%). Intrauterine growth retardation was also observed following passive smoking. Inhalation of tobacco smoke by pregnant women was found to increase the fetal heart rate and inhibit fetal movements. Children born from smoking mothers had the higher incidence of asphyxia cyanosis and hyperactivity. Mass longitudinal studies of children of smoking mothers indicated learning disability slight mental retardation and insufficient social adaptation by the age of 7 years. Special neurological follow-up study of 326 children revealed frequent minimal brain dysfunction. Pathogenesis of fetal disorders was shown to be associated with impaired adaptation to pregnancy in smoking women. Majority of the constituents of tobacco smoke are capable to pass through the placental-fetal barrier. The most harmful components for fetal development were found to be nicotine and carbon monoxide which reduce the placental perfusion and blood flow. Exposure to carbon monoxide was shown to increase the level of carboxyhemoglobin and decrease the level of oxyhemoglobin resulting in reduced oxygen supply to fetal tissues and fetal anoxia.


Restart process of hot oil pipeline is an unsteady property-variable coupling flow.A mathematical model is established and simulation calculation is conducted with developed computation software aiming at studying pipeline characteristics during restart and the intrinsic law of temperature along pipeline changed with time and flowrate.It is pointed out that pressure drop of pipeline is directly proportional to startup flowrate at different time sequences,but the time to achieve to a steady state flow is shorter instead.


A combined analytical and experimental study was conducted to establish an analytical procedure for optimizing the design of forced mixers for application to high bypass ratio turbofan engines. This two part study involved the application of a fully three-dimensional viscous procedure to a series of mixer configurations, followed by an experimental program to validate the analytical procedure. The viscous analysis used for this study involved combining two robust and versatile codes: PARC-3D, a flow solver, with INGRID-3D grid generation code. Comparison between the Navier-Stokes solution and detailed experimental measurements were made for five different mixer configuration. Both global performance parameters and detailed temperature distributions were compared. Predicted results were found to be in excellent agreement with test data. Gross thrust coefficient, defined in Section 4 Specific heat at constant pressure Thrust coefficient, defined in Section4 Diameter of mixing duct at lobe exit plane Gross thrust Length of mixing duct b s s flow rate Pressure Total pressure Radius of shroud Total temperature Velocity Radial distance measured from center body surf ace


OBJECTIVE To analyze the bacterial distribution and drug resistance in lower respiratory tract nosocomial infection(NI).METHODS To investigate 351 patients suffered from lower respiratory tract NI using the prospective monitoring methods,and doing the pathogenic bacterium cultivation for sputums of 351 patients and then taking the susceptibility test.RESULTS Totally 346 pathogenic bacteria were found in sputums of 351 patients.The major pathogenic bacteria were Pseudomonas aeruginosa,Escherichia coli,Klebsiella and Staphylococcus aureus.ESBLs were 36.0% and 40.0%,respectively in E.coli and Klebsiella,and MRSA were 82.1% in S.aureus.Drug resistances were common in Gram-negative bacilli(GNB) and Gram-positive cocci.Piperacillin/tazobactam and cefoperazone/sulbactam and imipenem were the most sensitive for GNB,S.aureus,S.epidermidis and Enterococcus were all sensitive to vancomycin.CONCLUSIONS Drug resistance of the pathogenic bacteria in lower respiratory tract NI is common,so it′s necessary to emphasize pathogenic bacterium monitoring and use the antibacterials exactly.


Existing techniques for tightening loose or excess skin of the lateral thighs have frequently resulted in conspicuous scars on the hips, groin creases or medial thighs. A technique is described by which a wedge of subcutaneous tissue and skin, 10 x 20 cm, can be removed from the inner thigh and central buttocks crease where the scar can be completely hidden. A series of six patients, all seen at different stages after surgery, is presented.


The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of construction and demolition (C&D) waste wood for production of particleboard. The raw material was obtained from a waste recycling company and it was divided into four types of materials: MDF (medium density fiberboard), MDP (medium density particleboard), plywood and timber. After reduction of these wood product residues to particles, particleboards were produced, in the UFPR Laboratory, with urea-formaldehyde resin and a target density of 0.75 g / cm³ and their physical and mechanical properties were determined. Particleboards made from industrial Pinus spp. particles were also produced as control samples. C&D wood waste showed potential for use as raw material for particleboard. The properties of particleboard made of recycled timber, MDP, plywood and the mixture of the four sources of material indicated that particleboard industries could use these waste resources for production of the inner layer of MDP products.


Traditionally the woman's place of "work" has been confined to the so-called private sphere, namely, the household. In the household, she was expected to perform traditional womens' work such as looking after the children, washing, cooking, etc. The husband was the provider of the family and his tasks were almost exclusively in the public sphere. Many women today have become providers, sometimes even as sole income earners of the family. One modern context in which this traditional division of gender roles comes into question is when woman become independent migrants requiring husbands to takeover traditional household tasks. Research shows that this has often resulted in displacing the husband from the traditional role of the sole decision maker in migrant households. These changes are challenging the traditional pattern of male-dominated household organization and have resulted in emergence of a new phenomenon described as migrant-wife or househusband.


Dear Sir,

We appreciate Dr. Wiwanitkit's interest in our manuscript regarding Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) in the environment of dairy herds (1). We agree that the effect of seasonal variations, or fluctuations in temperature and humidity on the shedding and survival of MAP in the environment needs further elucidation. Assessing seasonal differences in the MAP environmental contamination on these farms was not one of our objectives in the current study. In this study we collected environmental samples every 6 months which resulted in farms being consistently sampled during the same 2 seasons each year. Similarly, all adult cows in the herds were tested only once annually, generally during the same season each year, to determine the within herd Johne's disease prevalence, precluding any inferences regarding MAP shedding and season. We can report that environmental samples were collected in each of the 4 seasons of the year, although samples were not necessarily collected all 4 seasons on each individual herd. MAP-positive cultures were identified during each season, with no season having an apparent higher or lower proportion of culture positive samples. In the one study we found that specifically looked at seasonal climatic conditions on the diagnosis of MAP in dairy cattle, there was no significant seasonal effect on individual cows testing positive for MAP on serum ELISA or fecal culture (2).

We also caution that care be taken when interpreting literature regarding shedding and contamination of MAP. Individual test results, and interpretation of those results, will vary greatly depending on type of sample (individual vs. pooled; feces vs. milk vs. serum vs. tissue), sample handling and preparation, and the particular test used. In this study we were investigating MAP contamination in the environmental environment of dairy farms. This contamination was primarily fecal in origin and was detected using either solid culture on Herrold's egg yolk medium or an automated liquid culture system (TREK ESP II). The 2 studies cited by Dr. Wiwanitkit involved detecting MAP shed in milk, either in pooled waste milk samples (3) or individual (goat) milk samples (4). In these two studies alone there were 3 different culture systems and 2 different PCR tests used, each with a different threshold for detecting the bacterium. Moreover, studies comparing the results of different diagnostic tests for MAP have found very little agreement between concurrent milk and serum ELISA's (5,6) and milk and fecal cultures and direct or nested PCR (7). MAP is an extremely challenging pathogen to research. Until some standard is set for diagnosing MAP, it is important to understand the limitations of each study before making broad comparisons.

Respectfully,


Sea-coastal vulnerability maps to oil included in oil spill response plans minimize damage from spills and response operations themselves. Russian and foreign existing methods for constructing maps are not completely correct, since they are based on calculations using ordinal values, which is unacceptable. There are some problems in case of refusal from ranks: selection of uniform units for measuring density of biota distribution; assessment of vulnerability coefficients for biota living in the water column or on its surface. Possible solutions of these and other problems are given. The adoption of a unified Russian method of vulnerability mapping is discussed.


Winter wheat is the main food crop in China. Gansu Province is a traditional winter wheat growing area, and its planting range is limited by the thermal conditions of winter. The average temperature in Gansu Province increased by 0.28°C per decade, higher than the China's and global average, and the warming in winter was more obvious. Therefore, it is necessary to study the climate suitability and vulnerability of winter wheat planting in Gansu. In this paper, the maximum entropy model Maxent and Arcgis software are used to select six major climatic factors including annual total radiation, annual precipitation, the warmest monthly average temperature, the coldest monthly average temperature, annual average temperature, and annual extreme minimum temperature, which construct winter wheat planting distribution-climate relationship model that studies the climate suitability and vulnerability of winter wheat during the period 1961-2015. Studies have shown that the average cold weather and annual extreme minimum temperature are the most important climatic factors affecting winter wheat in Gansu, which can reflect the low temperature conditions that winter wheat can tolerate. However, the main winter wheat planting areas in Gansu Province are distributed in arid and semi-arid rain-fed agriculture areas. Precipitation and total annual radiation are also very important constraints. At the same time, climate change has little effect on winter wheat in Gansu Province, and the area of suitable area fluctuates slightly. It shows moderate adaptation in each evaluation period.


The modern personalized medicine using in its toolkit high-tech methods of diagnostic and treatment bases on accomplishments of scientists in many directions and one of the most important is the Anthropology. On top of trends Clinical Anthropology has as a field of research the study of consistent patterns and definition varieties of the typological alterability of the organization of the human body and its parts. Due to the current-day approaches developed mostly in the Federal Research Center of Nutrition and Biotechnology the Anthropology brings to the Nutritiology the information about individual distinctions of physical and nutritional status of humans considering of somatotypological variability, age, sex and other factors. Anthropological view brings to specialists standards and norms of the somatic growth which differentiated with the consideration of age-and-sex groups and of stature's type (somatic type). In turn, the capabilities of Nutritiology and Dietology (dietotherapy, patient-specific nutrition and etc) could assure the correction of the image, nutritional status, many of anthropometric figures. Submitted data show different levels of morbidity, specific clinical character of the state of different diseases, including alimentary diseases, in different somatic type groups. The efficiency of the dietetic therapy for some alimentary diseases (alimentary obesity) also is dissimilar in groups of the different somatic types that means personify patient-specific statical demand for each person. Adducted materials point out the existence of close affinity and crosstalk between scientific disciplines – Anthropology and Nutritiology. No less, mentioned materials allow to recommend widespread use of anthropomorphic method in clinical practice providing individual attitude for the patient.


With the arrival of the first golden jackal Canis aureus individual in Lithuania in February 2015, the Ministry of the Environment moved immediately to add the species to the country's list of species that may be hunted and in May 2015 published a draft order to list the species as invasive. Through extensive review of literature from across the range of golden jackal in Europe, the aim of this paper is to provide a balanced argument in support of the view that golden jackals arrived in the Baltic States as a result of natural spread and are thus not invasive. Alongside, arguments are also presented to support the view that golden jackals are not likely to have a significant impact on the Lithuanian environment beyond a potential reduction in red fox Vulpes vulpes numbers. Accompanying, a summary of official and media reactions to the arrival of golden jackal is presented and a set of conclusions delivered that could assist in the ongoing debate in Lithuania.


The superfine alloy powder Fe_(60)Co_(20)C_(20) was prepared by using mechanical alloying method.The samples collected at different ball milling time were analyzed by X-ray diffraction and magnetic hysteresis cycles.The X-ray diffraction analysis show that part of the alloy powders produced amorphous phase after ball milling 20 hours,the formation of amorphous material can be promoted by the addition of C into Fe-Co alloy,the crystal grain sizes of the alloy powders became smaller with the increase of ball milling time,and Fe_(60)Co_(20)C_(20) amorphous powders can be obtained under certain mechanical alloying conditions.The study of VSM indicated that coercive force increases at the initial stage of ball milling.Part of the alloy powders starts to become amorphous phase after ball milling 20 hours and coercive force decrease with the decrease of crystal grain sizes.The crystal grain sizes by ball milling is the primary element in affecting the magnetic properties of samples.


Introduce the design of the inverting power supply system of rare earth permanent magnetic medium-frequency generator, analyzes the real measured voltage wave form and performance data of the sample generator, and compares the above data with that of other excitation system generator of same output under the work-frequency, also stating the characteristics of the inverting power supply in rare earth permanent magnet medium-frequency generator.


ABSTRACT The increasingly tight business environment requires companies to have good financial performance. Financial performance can be seen from the company's financial statements in the previous period because it can as a reflection of performance for the next period with a certain calculation. This study aims to determine the comparison of financial performance of PT Telekomunikasi IndonesiaTbk and PT Indosat Tbk from 2006 to 2015. The method used in this study is qualitative data in the form of annual financial statements calculated using the curent ratio, debt to equity ratio, return on equity, return on Asset, net profit margin, total asset turnover and economic value added (EVA). The results show that the average value of the curent ratio, debt to equity ratio, return on equity, return on assets, net profit margin, and total asset turnover average value of PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia Tbk better than PT Indosat Tbk. While the average value of economic value added (EVA) of PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia Tbk is better than PT Indosat Tbk. Keywords: Financial Ratios, Economic Value Added, Financial Performance


ALPHAMETHYLPAKATYROSINE (aMpT) inhibits tyrosine-3hydroxylase (EC 184.108.40.206) the enzyme converting tyrosine to DOPA (NAGATSU et ul., 1964; SPECTOR e t al., 1965; ANDPN e t al., 1966) and has been used extensively to investigate catecholamine turnover in brain. By measuring the rate of disappearance of dopamine (DA) and noradrenaline (NA) after blockade of synthesis, their rate of metabolism resulting from rclease by impulse flow can be deduced. For example, the alteration in the rate of metabolism of the catecholamines after administration of drugs which block DA or NA receptors or reuptake has been investigated using this method (ANDPN et al., 1971; LIDBRINK e t a[., 1972). During preliminary investigations into the use of this technique, we found that mice treated with a single dose of 250 mgjkg i.p. clMpT methyl ester hydrochloride (Sigma Chemical Co.) showed no apparent depletion of whole brain NA 4 h later, using the assay procedure of MAICKEL et al. (1968); after the same period, whole brain DA fell from 802ngjg to 291 ngjg, estimated by the method of CHANC (1964). The apparent failure of aMpT to cause NA depletion was not in agreement with many previous reports (AND~N et al., 1966; IVERSEN & GLOWINSKI, 1966). Further investigation showed this discrcpancy to be due to failurc of the simple organic extraction procedure described by MAICKEI. to remove aMpT, which subsequently positively interfered with fluorophor formation in the NA


Spherical perovskite oxide powders, composed of fine particulates, were prepared by using spherical gel powders under hydrothermal conditions. Spherical PbTiO 3 , Ba-TiO 3 , and SrTiO 3 powders were synthesized from spherical TiO 2 gel powders, and spherical PbZrO 3 powder from spherical Zr 2 gel powder. Spherical Pb(Zr 0.5 , Ti 0.5 )O 3 and Ba(Zr 0.5 ,Ti 0.5 )O 3 powders were prepared from spherical ZrTiO 4 gel powders. Lead acetate trihydrate, barium hydroxide octahydrate, and strontium hydroxide octahydrate were used as the sources of A-site ions in each perovskite oxide (ABO 3 ). The spherical TiO 2 and ZrO 2 gel powders were prepared by thermal hydrolysis of titanium tetrachloride and zirconium oxychloride, respectively, and spherical ZrTiO 4 gel powder by thermal hydrolysis of a mixture of them in alcohol-water mixed solvent. During the hydrothermal treatment, the spherical gel powders retained their spherical shape to produce spherical perovskite oxide powders, composed of nanometer-sized particulates.


Introduction. PART I: A Whirlwind Guide to Vegetarian Basics. Chapter 1: What Vegetarianism Is. Chapter 2: Nutrition Myths and Realities. Chapter 3: Moving to Meat-Free. Chapter 4: Planning Vegetarian Meals. PART II: Your Vegetarian Kitchen. Chapter 5: Common Vegetarian Ingredients. Chapter 6: Stocking Your Vegetarian Pantry. PART III: Tools and Techniques. Chapter 7: Tools of the Trade. Chapter 8: Vegetarian Cooking Basics. Chapter 9: Adapting Recipes. PART IV: The Recipes. Chapter 10: Beverage Basics. Chapter 11: Rise and Shine, It's Breakfast Time! Chapter 12: Delicious Dips and Spreads. Chapter 13: Soups for All Seasons. Chapter 14: Simply Scrumptious Salads. Chapter 15: Entrees for Everyone. Chapter 16: Side Dish Spectaculars. Chapter 17: A Bounty of Breads and Rolls. Chapter 18: Desserts. Chapter 19: Hooray for Holidays! Chapter 20: Menus Made Easy. PART V: The Part of Tens. Chapter 21: Ten Reasons to Cook Vegetarian. Chapter 22: Ten Practical Vegetarian Cookbooks. Chapter 23: Ten Helpful Web Sites to Check Out. Chapter 24: Ten Online Sources of Ingredients. Appendix: Metric Conversion Guide. Index. Book Registration Information.


China's electronic component manufacturing industry has become one of the fastest growing sectors in its national economy and has integrated into the world's industrial division system,However, due to existing problem s of low te chnical content, reduced incremental capacity, high degree of external dependenc y etc,, the electronic component manufacturing industry calls for strategic adj ustment and institutional reform.


The battery cell in the present invention is an electrode assembly built in a battery case together with an electrolytic solution; Overcharge of the battery cells, over-discharging, the protection which includes a protection circuit to control the over-current circuit module; An insulating member fitted in the protective circuit module constructed in a structure to be mounted thereon; And battery insulative cap coupled to the upper end of the cell; contains, the dielectric and the top surface of the mounting member is formed with a sphere at least one fastening protrusion in an upper, fastening that corresponds to the fastening said insulating cap has grooves and is formed, in the process of mounting the insulating cap on the insulative mounting member mounted on the battery cell is inserted into the clamping groove of the sphere the fastening insulating cap, by modifying the overhanging fastener end portion from the locking groove, the insulating the combination of the insulating cap on the mounting members provide a secondary battery pack in the formed structure.


To sUIvive in a real world environment, a reason ing agent has to be equipped with several capa bilities ;.n order tc deal with incomplete informa tion about its target domain. One aspect of the incomplete information is the uncertainty about the effects of actions and events . Although the concrete outcome of an action or event cannot be predicted, often their relative likelihood can be quantified. In this paper we will discuss planning under uncertainty exploiting the available proba bilistic information in dynamic worlds, especially considering delayed effects of actions modeled as causally invoked events.


Jets is extragalactic radio sources often show small, semi-periodic deviations from a straight line, like wiggles, knots etc. Here we investigate the possibility that at least a part of these features is caused by a modulation due to orbital motion in a binary black hole. The periodically changing orbital velocity direction of the black hole producing the jet leads to a modulation of the jet velocity as seen by a distant observer. Application of the model to 3C 273 and M 87 leads to acceptable estimates of the orbital radius, velocity and period and of the minimum mass present in both black hole


Phrasal compounds are not an entirely uniform domain: it is necessary to distinguish between four different types of phrasal compounds. I will discuss their characteristics and the distinct analytical challenges. Only one type – the ›genuine‹ phrasal compounds with the non-head corresponding to a non-quotative well-formed syntactic phrase – poses a special problem for the morphology-syntax relation. There are three options for generating ›genuine‹ phrasal compounds: Merge, Insertion, and Conversion. I will argue that Conversion is the most suitable option. The analysis of phrasal compounds will suggest a symmetrical relation between word and phrase formation (phrases can be built on the basis of words and words on the basis of phrases) and a ›parallel‹ view of morphological and syntactic structure as fully separate structures with distinct properties.


We have used first-principles methods to investigate the factors that control the ground state of rare-earth nickelates, studying in detail the case of NdNiO${}_{3}$. Our results suggest a complex phase diagram, with the bulk compounds standing on the edge of various instabilities that can be triggered by both electronic (e.g., changes in the Coulomb repulsion) and structural (e.g., epitaxial mismatch) means. In particular, we reveal that several phase transitions can be induced by epitaxial strain in thin films and predict that a continuous transformation between insulating spin-density-wave- and metallic spin-spiral-like solutions occurs at moderate values of the in-plane mismatch. Our results provide a coherent picture of structural and electronic effects in nickelates and have implications for current experimental and theoretical work on these compounds.


Responsible research and innovation (RRI) aims at mitigating the negative unintended consequences of technologies, developed by large business organisations, on society and environment. Scholars point out that the broader ethical underpinnings of RRI in terms of 'transparency, interaction and mutual responsiveness' are difficult to achieve in a typical business environment as conforming to these principles may erode the very competitive advantages the corporations seek to achieve through innovations. At the same time, the scholarship on frugal innovations by 'the vulnerable' puts forward an alternative narrative of innovations. Seeking to respond to the gap created by the apparatus of the mainstream market, and the State, these innovations reflect many pro-social motivations, and desire for inclusive development. The two discourses, however, remain isolated from each other. Our article is an attempt to initiate a dialogue between them. We intend to widen the scope and ambit of both RRI and the frugal innovation scholarships, which might help garner more policy and social support in favour of developing socially relevant, inclusive and context-specific innovations.


The brachiopod fauna of the South Atlantic is significantly abundant and appears to be predominantly composed of cosmopolitan species. However, until now there was no record of inarticulate brachiopods of the Family Lingulidae in this region. The present study describes the first occurrence of lingulid brachiopods in the South Atlantic. Seven specimens were collected on the continental shelf of the Maranhão state, Northeastern Brazil, Western South Atlantic. The individuals were identified as belonging to the genus Lingula. Although brachiopods have great dispersion capability durintg their larval phase, the hypothesis that these specimens arrived on the Brazilian coast as a result of human activities cannot be ruled out.
Keywords: Lingula, subfilo Linguliformea, "Inarticulata", inarticulate brachiopods, Brazil.


A 6-month feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the hepatopancreas colour, proximate composition, antioxidant capacity, pathogen resistance and growth performance of juvenile Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis H. Milne Edwards, 1853 fed either formulated diets (FD), traditional diets (TD) or a mixture feeding of traditional diets and frozen trash fish (TF). The results showed that: (1) The hepatopancreas redness (a*) in the FD treatment was significantly higher than that in the other two treatments (). (2) The significantly higher activities of alkaline phosphatase (AKP), acid phosphatase (ACP) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were observed in the hepatopancreas in the FD treatment, while a significantly higher content of malondialdehyde (MDA) was observed in the haemolymph in the TF treatment (). (3) FD and TD treatment, respectively, had the lowest and the highest mortality after challenging with Aeromonas hydrophila. (4) Females in the FD treatment had a significantly shorter intermoult period in the indoor culture experiment (), no significant difference was observed in weight gain rate, specific growth rate, or survival. In conclusion, formulated diets could enhance the crabseed quality of E. sinensis compared to traditional diets or trash fish.


The Brazilian State of Amazonas has a high incidence of Tuberculosis, 91.4 in 10,000 habitants (SESAU, 1994) and resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis are frequently being found in the region (SALEM et.al, 1990). These problems have been associated with side effects caused by the antibiotics used to treat Tuberculosis, which have in rum been associated with treatment non-compliance (PATTISAPU, 1984). To resolve this problem a cost effective alternative treatment for Tuberculosis with few or no side effects, needs to be found. Amazonas has an abundance of plants, many of which are used by the lay population for medicinal purposes. A survey was carried out in five towns of the region, interviewing patients receiving treatment for Tuberculosis, to find out whether and which plants have been used to treat Tuberculosis. Results showed that the majority of patients in the sample had used medicinal plants before or after diagnosis of Tuberculoses. Thirteen different plants were recorded for this purpose. Chenopodium ambrosioides L, popularly known as Mastruz, was the most commonly used, followed by Caesalpinia ferrea Mart. Juca and Spilanthes acmella DC. Jambu. This study concentrates on Mastruz as it was used more frequently than the other medicinal plants. No significant effects on baciloscopy test results were found when Mastruz was used before diagnosis. ln-vitro laboratory tests have also not shown any tuberculocidal effects for Mastruz. Further tests are being carried out on the other medicinal plants.


Background: Robotic thoracoscopic surgery was introduced to mainland China in 2009 and gained popularity in past few years. Here we present the largest Chinese series of robotic lobectomy for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to date. We aim to compare the perioperative outcomes of robotic assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy (RATL) and traditional Video assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy (VATL) for p-Stage I NSCLC, and standardize the anatomic lobar resections our center. Methods: We retrospectively collected and analyzed the data of 1,075 Stage I NSCLC patients who underwent minimally invasive lobectomies (RATL and VATL) by the same surgical team from May 2013 to April 2016. Propensity score match was used to minimize the bias between two groups. Perioperative outcomes were analyzed. Results: Compared to the VATL, RATL had more retrieved lymph nodes (9.70 vs. 8.45, P=0.000), less POD1 drain (230.91 vs. 279.79 mL, P=0.001), shorter chest tube duration (3.84 vs. 4.33 d, P=0.003) and postoperative length of stay (4.97 vs. 5.45 d, P=0.004), but a higher cost ( Ұ 93,244.84 vs. Ұ 67,055.82, P=0.000). No significant difference was observed between the group of RATL and VATL considering the average skin-to-skin time (90.84 vs. 92.25 min, P=0.624), conversion rate (1.3% vs. 0.87%, P=1.000) and Prolonged Postoperative Hospital Stay rate (3.0% vs. 4.3%, P=0.694). Conclusions: This study confirms that RATL is a safe and feasible alternative to VATL for early stage NSCLC. RATL shows better perioperative outcomes than VATL in some aspects. Future studies should focus on the long-term benefits of RATL compared with VATL.


Abstract:This article examines the works of Kim Yujeong as a contemporary response to Ikaino literature, a subgenre of Zainichi Korean literature that flourished from the 1950s–1980s. Ikaino is the old name of the neighborhood of Osaka that was and remains the area of Japan with the largest population of Zainichi Koreans. Ikaino's origins as a settlement of Korean migrant laborers in the 1920s and its official erasure from Osaka city maps in 1973 have often been mythologized within Zainichi Korean fiction and poetry. I read Kim Yujeong's short stories "Tanpopo" (2000), "Murasame" (2002), and "Tamayura" (2015), which feature working women protagonists traversing Ikaino's borders, as contemporary works of Ikaino literature that interrogate the Zainichi community's cultural and historical understandings of the entangled geographies of Japan and the two Koreas. I argue that Kim portrays Ikaino landscapes as spaces constituted through their residents' collective imaginings of Jeju Island and North Korea. Kim also subverts our expectations of multilingualism in Zainichi literature through the use of local dialect in her representation of Japanese residents of Ikaino. Throughout her work, she seeks to both shed light on the multiple structures of oppression that face Zainichi women living in the Ikaino area today, and critique the way those women have been represented in prior works of Zainichi literature.


In this paper, we investigate the determinants of foreign exchange operations of the CBRT for the post-crisis period. Using modern time series econometrics, we try to analyze the different characteristics of FOREX market, and based on the estimation results, indicate the degree of effectiveness of the interventions of monetary authority throughout the implicit inflation targeting framework. The main policy conclusion is that the CBRT interventions seem to be under the control of uncertainties in economic environment, rather than decreasing the volatilities in exchange market, and this case in turn leads the interventions being inefficient.


Despite the facts that vehicle incidents continue to be the most common mechanism for Australian compensated fatalities and that employers have statutory obligations to provide safe workplaces, very few organisations are proactively and comprehensively managing their work-related road risks. Unfortunately, limited guidance is provided in the existing literature to assist practitioners in managing work-related road risks. The current research addresses this gap in the literature. To explore how work-related road safety can be enhanced, three studies were conducted.

Study one explored the effectiveness of a range of risk management initiatives and whether comprehensive risk management practices were associated with safety outcomes. Study two explored barriers to, and facilitators for, accepting risk management initiatives. Study three explored the influence of organisational factors on road safety outcomes to identify optimal work environments for managing road risks.

To maximise the research sample and increase generalisability, the studies were designed to allow data collection to be conducted simultaneously drawing upon the same sample obtained from four Australian organisations. Data was collected via four methods. A structured document review of published articles was conducted to identify what outcomes have been observed in previously investigated work-related road safety initiatives. The documents reviewed collectively assessed the effectiveness of 19 work-related road safety initiatives. Audits of organisational practices and process operating within the four researched organisations were conducted to identify whether organisations with comprehensive work-related road risk management practices and processes have better safety outcomes than organisations with limited risk management practices and processes. Interviews were conducted with a sample of 24 participants, comprising 16 employees and eight managers. The interviews were conducted to identify what barriers and facilitators within organisations are involved in implementing work-related road safety initiatives and whether differences in fleet safety climate, stage of change and safety ownership relate to work-related road safety outcomes. Finally, questionnaires were administered to a sample of 679 participants. The questionnaires were conducted to identify which initiatives are perceived by employees to be effective in managing work-related road risks and whether differences in fleet safety climate, stage of change and safety ownership relate to work-related road safety outcomes.

Seven research questions were addressed in the current research project. The key findings with respect to each of the research questions are presented below.

Research question one: What outcomes have been observed in previously investigated work-related road safety initiatives? The structured document review indicated that initiatives found to be positively associated with occupational road safety both during and after the intervention period included: a pay rise; driver training; group discussions; enlisting employees as community road safety change agents; safety reminders; and group and individual rewards.

Research question two: Which initiatives are perceived by employees to be effective in managing work-related road risks? Questionnaire findings revealed that employees believed occupational road risks could best be managed through making vehicle safety features standard, providing practical driver skills training and through investigating serious vehicle incidents. In comparison, employees believed initiatives including signing a promise card commitment to drive safely, advertising the organisation's phone number on vehicles and consideration of driving competency in staff selection process would have limited effectiveness in managing occupational road safety.

 Research question three: Do organisations with comprehensive work-related road risk management practices and processes have better safety outcomes than organisations with limited risk management practices and processes? The audit identified a difference among the organisations in their management of work-related road risks. Comprehensive risk management practices were associated with employees engaging in overall safer driving behaviours, committing less driving errors, and experiencing less fatigue and distraction issues when driving. Given that only four organisations participated in this research, these findings should only be considered as preliminary. Further research should be conducted to explore the relationship between comprehensiveness of risk management practices and road safety outcomes with a larger sample of organisations.

 Research question four: What barriers and facilitators within organisations are involved in implementing work-related road safety initiatives? The interviews identified that employees perceived six organisational characteristics as potential barriers to implementing work-related road safety initiatives. These included: prioritisation of production over safety; complacency towards work-related road risks; insufficient resources; diversity; limited employee input in safety decisions; and a perception that road safety initiatives were an unnecessary burden. In comparison, employees perceived three organisational characteristics as potential facilitators to implementing work-related road safety initiatives. These included: management commitment; the presence of existing systems that could support the implementation of initiatives; and supportive relationships.

Research question five: Do differences in fleet safety climate relate to work-related road safety outcomes? The interviews and questionnaires identified that organisational climates with high management commitment, support for managing work demands, appropriate safety rules and safety communication were associated with employees who engaged in safer driving behaviours. Regression analyses indicated that as participants' perceptions of safety climate increased, the corresponding likelihood of them engaging in safer driving behaviours increased. Fleet safety climate was perceived to influence road safety outcomes through several avenues. Some of these included: the allocation of sufficient resources to manage occupational road risks; fostering a supportive environment of mutual responsibility; resolving safety issues openly and fairly; clearly communicating to employees that safety is the top priority; and developing appropriate work-related road safety policies and procedures.

Research question six: Do differences in stage of change relate to work-related road safety outcomes? The interviews and questionnaires identified that participants' perceptions of initiative effectiveness were found to vary with respect to their individual stage of readiness, with stage-matched initiatives being perceived most effective. In regards to safety outcomes, regression analyses identified that as participants' progress through the stages of change, the corresponding likelihood of them being involved in vehicle crashes decreases.

 Research question seven: Do differences in safety ownership relate to work-related road safety outcomes? The interviews and questionnaires revealed that management of road risks is often given less attention than other areas of health and safety management in organisations. In regards to safety outcomes, regression analyses identified that perceived authority and perceived shared ownership both emerged as significant independent predictors of self-reported driving behaviours pertaining to fatigue and distractions. The regression models indicated that as participants' perceptions of the authority of the person managing road risks increases, and perceptions of shared ownership of safety tasks increases, the corresponding likelihood of them engaging in driving while fatigued or multitasking while driving decreases.

Based on the findings from the current research, the author makes several recommendations to assist practitioners in developing proactive and comprehensive approaches to managing occupational road risks. The author also suggests several avenues for future research in the area of work-related road safety.


I found myself occasionally wishing that the contributors would challenge the social democratic 'consensus' a little more vigorously. Openly or subtly, they seem to hold the truths of social democracy to be self-evident. They seem to regard social democracy as inherently worthy or, more accurately, as inherently more virtuous than its Conservative alternatives. That can lead to contributions which presume the correctness of a particular path without troubling to argue the case from first principles. For example, in Chapter Five on penal policy, the author appears to regard a punitive approach as selfevidently wrong. The chapter chides politicians for following the dictat of public opinion, while noting in passing that 'the 'what works' agenda does have seductive logic to it.' Perhaps I have covered politics and government for too long but I cannot help but feel a little sympathy for elected politicians who pursue solutions which work. I am aware I am wickedly spotlighting a particular phrase in making my point. However, 1 would have liked a little, just a little, more challenge to prevailing social democratic orthodoxy at sundry points.


Rechargeable aluminum batteries (AlBs), which represent cost‐effective energy‐storage devices due to the abundance of natural aluminum resources, have emerged as promising candidates for the next generation of rechargeable batteries. Although the electrochemical deposition of aluminum in ionic liquids (ILs) is well investigated for aluminum refining, the reversible electrochemical deposition/dissolution behavior of aluminum ions is not trivial. More specifically, the dendrite growth issue, which is common in Li metal anodes, is scarcer or vague. Herein, the electrochemical stability of the aluminum metal anode in IL electrolytes is investigated and the failure mechanism is discussed. It is confirmed that the inorganic anion of ILs mainly affects the electrochemical stability, whereas the organic cation influences the aluminum metal degradation. X‐ray computed tomography results further identify deterioration of the surface morphology of the aluminum metal. The formation of "dead aluminum" is further confirmed, which indeed causes cell failure with repeated cycles. Finally, using the predeposited aluminum graphene paper as an alternative anode candidate for AlBs is further demonstrated.


A thermostat for studying the rate of crystal growth from a slightly supersaturated aqueous solution was designed. The solution is contained in a double-walled vessel consisting of two concentric Plexiglass cylinders. The space between these cylinders is divided (by means of a double Plexiglass spiral) into an ascending and a descending pathway, through which liquid paraffin is pumped. This liquid is held at a given temperature by means of four heaters. A thermistor connected to a bridge circuit controls the temperature of the liquid by means of a very fast and a rather slow servo-system regulating the heating energy.


We are interested in this work by glow surface discharges created in dielectric barrier SDBD. Our SDBD use pulse and rectangular high voltage waveforms to generate atmospheric argon plasma. COMSOL® and Pspice® software are used to perform electrical modeling of the SDBD discharge. The model is about a plane–parallel configuration with a double isolating wall. COMSOL® software is used to simulate and investigate the movement of charged species and the electrical characteristics of the discharge where a high pulsed voltage is supplied to the electrodes. However, Pspice® software is used to explore the electrical characteristics of the proposed equivalent electric circuit of the SDBD considered geometry. A comparison of simulation results obtained by the two softwares is done. It concerns the electrical characteristics of the SDBD created under different waveforms of the applied voltage.


Introduction Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has challenged medical educators on continuing to provide quality educational content in a virtual setting. The objective of this module was to create a gamified review of core obstetric and gynecology (OB-GYN) topics that residents would find educational and informative. Methods The game created was modeled after the TV show "So You Think You Can Dance?", with a warm-up and several rounds of rapid-fire OB-GYN questions and cases, eliminating teams to a final face-off. The residents were given a post-session survey to determine their attitudes and learning towards this virtual conference approach. Results Based on the post-session survey, the majority of the residents found this activity to be educational, entertaining, engaging, and better than the traditional lecture format. Conclusion This initial attempt at migrating gamification, a core component of our live conferences, into the new virtual arena, was well-received by learners as effective, educational, and engaging. This style of gamification can be incorporated into residency programs at other institutions currently limited to virtual platforms to boost resident education and engagement.


Abstract The available data on the interatomic potential derived from ion-atom experiments is compared with two theoretical forms of the screened Coulomb interatomic potential. From these results a correction to the screening radius, involving a function of the atomic numbers of the collision partners, is derived. Application of this correction factor in computer simulation studies of ion-surface interaction should improve the accuracy of the ' simulations.


Food effects studies can have great importance in providing information on dosing strategies in the fed and fasted states. Such an understanding can help to form selection criteria aimed at developing a drug product with minimised variability in bioavailability. Food effect studies on controlled release formulations are more critical because the influences on bioavailability by food are not only dependent on the drug but also on the components of the dosage form.


We have studied the possibility of constructing magnetic Salisbury screen, and the frequency response of reflectivity of the screen in microwave frequency range. We have found that magnetic Salisbury screen has a lower reflectivity when magnetic susceptibility satisfies χ″χ′. If the frequency response of magnetic susceptibility is in the relax type of domain wall resonance, we could make filmtype Salisbury screen, in which the thickness of the screen may be in the order of micrometer or even submicrometer. The reflectivity of the screen depends on the characteristic impedance zr of the magnetic film that is determined by ferromagnetic resonant frequency and susceptibility under a static field. The frequency response of reflectivity shows that the magnetic film Salisburyscreen has a broadband frequency range for absorbing microwaves well.


In this work the preliminary results of the research activity regarding the development of a microcogeneration unit prototype based on a proton exchange membrane fuel cell for residential application have been presented. The combined heat and power (CHP) system, which has been designed to optimize the integration of commercial and precommercial components, is equipped with two fuel cell stacks, a natural gas steam reforming unit, a heat recovery unit, electrical devices such as batteries, dc/ac converters, and auxiliary components such as compressors and pumps. In order to evaluate the electrical and thermal energy production and to estimate the system efficiency, an energy analysis has been carried out by using a numerical model. The simulation results pointed out that the microcogeneration system is able to provide 2.2 kW el and 2.5 kW th with electrical and CHP efficiencies (refer to the low heating value) of 40% and 88%, respectively. Furthermore, the primary energy savings, achievable by using the cogeneration system in comparison with a separate generation of electricity and heat from a centralized power plant and conventional boilers, have been evaluated.


Although an increasing number of students enroll in U.S. postsecondary education, concerns about costs, transparency, and outcomes continue to rise.


In this paper, we design an ontology which provides interoperability by integrating typical metadata specifications and defines concepts and semantic relations between concepts that are used to describe metadata for learning objects in university courses. And we organize a hierarchical structured e-Learning system for efficient retrieval of learning objects on many local storages that use different specifications to describe metadata and propose a query processing method based on inferences. The proposed e-Learning system can provide more accurate and satisfactory retrieval service by using the designed ontology because both learning objects that be directly connected to user queries and deduced learning objects that be semantically connected to them are retrieved.


In order to realize rapid prediction of nodularization effectiveness and iron liquid characteristic for ductile cast iron in front of furnace, a novel experimental setup is designed for combined testing cooling and eutectic expansion linear displacement dual curves. This setup mainly consists of several components, including a cylindrical dry sand cup, a vertically located thermocouple, an expanding rod and a linear displacement sensor connected with the expanding rod. When pouring iron liquid into the sand cup, both the thermal and the diametric expansion/contraction linear displacement curves can be recorded simultaneously for the testing sample during solidifying process by the thermocouple and the linear displacement sensor, respectively. Additionally, the measurement procedure theory in solidification with respect to the new designed setup, as well as the calibration method for measurement offset caused by the expanding rod's thermal expansion/contraction effect are analyzed. The experimental results measured in foundry plant show that both the cooling and the diametric dimension change curves during solidification for iron liquid sample are accurately registered on line. The new setup can be used for not only nodularity prediction of the nodularization and inoculation effectiveness, but also precipitation kinetics analysis of the graphite during ductile cast iron solidification.


FinFET technology has emerged as the most promising alternative to continue the scaling-down of technological nodes due to its superior electric properties. In parallel, the need to store more information on chip led to Static Random Access Memories (SRAMs) occupying the greatest part of silicon area of Systems-on-Chips (SoCs). During manufacturing, SRAMs can be affected by resistive defects that may lead to dynamic faults, considered one of the most important causes of test escape in deep-submicron technologies. In this context, this paper proposes to analyze the impact of temperature on the dynamic faulty behavior during manufacturing tests of SRAM cells affected by weak resistive defects. In more detail, critical resistances and the number of operations necessary to sensitize faults are investigated. Additionally, the concept of Dynamic Behavior Window is presented and characterized. The proposed analysis has been performed using SPICE simulations adopting a 20nm FinFET compact model.


It is shown by numerical simulations within a regularized Biot-Savart law that dynamical systems of two or three leapfrogging coaxial quantum vortex rings having a core width $\xi$ and initially placed near a torus of radii $R_0$ and $r_0$, can be three-dimensionally (quasi-)stable in some regions of parameters $\Lambda=\ln(R_0/\xi)$ and $W=r_0/R_0$. At fixed $\Lambda$, stable bands on $W$ are intervals between non-overlapping main parametric resonances for different (integer) azimuthal wave numbers $m$. The stable intervals are most wide ($\Delta W\sim$ 0.01--0.05) between $m$-pairs $(1,2)$ and $(2,3)$ at $\Lambda\approx$ 4--12 thus corresponding to micro/mesoscopic sizes of vortex rings in the case of superfluid $^4$He. With four and more rings, at least for $W>0.1$, resonances overlap for all $\Lambda$ and no stable domains exist.


Malatya has a very advantageous position for apiculture in terms of ecological structure, abundance of suitable areas for apiary and plant diversity and richness. This study was conducted to evaluate the current status of beekeeping activities in Malatya. In this evaluation, beekeeping activities were determined by a questionnaire applied to 100 randomly selected bee growers in Malatya. In this questionnaire 33 questions asked; and the age of beekeepers with the how many years of beekeeping, education, honey yields, colony numbers, change of queen bee production, struggle with pests and diseases, causes of beekeeping, non-beekeeping activities, beekeeper status, feeding shape important data about time, colony losses, the most important problems encountered in beekeeping, marketing and sales activities and produced bee products were obtained. According to the data obtained, the general condition of beekeeping in Malatya province was determined. The main shortcomings in beekeeping activities were education, product marketing, queen bee production or supply, and fight against diseases and pests. As a result, it is thought that this study is useful in determining the priorities and deficiencies of apiculture activities in Malatya and will be a guide in the studies to be done later.


Can a value pluralist maintain a commitment to human rights? In this paper, I argue that they can and, indeed, should do so. Value pluralism requires that we reject the notion that any single value can serve as a foundation for universal human rights. However, it also points us toward what is distinctively and universally human, namely the fact that we are moral beings who can coherently espouse conflicting and incommensurable values within conflicting and incommensurable systems of value. This pluralism, I argue, actually provides a universal foundation upon which to ground a defense of human rights. It also sets certain parameters on the negotiation of human rights claims that, though they rule out some bases for rights and some types of rights claims, simultaneously hold the potential to significantly re-cast many elements of contemporary human rights discourse so as to open avenues for greater engagement across cultural, religious, and moral divides on questions relating to the content, interpretation, and application of human rights.


Descemet membrane detachment (DMD) is a rare but known complication of cataract surgery. On 1st postoperative day, a relatively prominent corneal edema in superior half of cornea helps in the recognition of this treatable situation. Anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) can detect and quantitatively monitor the reduction of corneal edema along with valuable documentation. The authors used intracameral C3F8 (14%) along with the 'rolling-bud' manoeuvre which helped in successful reattachment of DMD. We hereby describe this innovative manoeuvre which can accelerate the recovery of corneal edema in a patient with post phacoemulsification DMD.


Summary: Comprehensive, market-oriented legal reforms are essential to Serbia's economic recovery. Although the pace of future Serbian economic growth depends primarily on private sector performance, the current legal environment is hostile to the investment and growth of private firms. One of the most important capacities of a market regulator is the ability to assess the market impacts of a regulation before it is adopted. Regulatory impact analysis (RIA) is a tool now used in most developed countries to improve understanding of the impacts of a law and other forms of regulation on business costs and opportunities. RIA is not yet used in Serbia. This article explains the importance of improving the legal business environment, notes significant barriers to private sector investment in current legal practices, and explains the concepts of regulatory impact analysis and its role in improving the quality of government decisions and the business environment. Supporting private sector dynamism through legal reform is an urgent agenda. Serbia has begun a profound transformation of its legal system to support the emergence of a dynamic private sector that will drive the country's economic development. As part of the macroeconomic stabilization and structural adjustment policies already underway, legal reforms and business simplification, properly designed and implemented, can increase private investment (domestic and foreign), business start-ups, job creation, and incentives for efficiency among both private and state-owned enterprises. These effects should boost over-all productivity performance and potential long-term growth, and comprise a valuable tool in the national strategy for poverty reduction. Serbia's entrepreneurial energies are among its greatest assets for economic recovery, and already contribute significantly to growth. The private sector, including the informal sector, by 2001 accounted for two thirds of GDP, although it employed less than 10% percent of capital. Formal SMEs employed about 610,000 workers in Serbia by end 2000, or about 44 percent of all formal employment. 1 A very large informal economy has emerged, accounting for perhaps one-third of GDP, and employing as many as one million workers. By all measures, the private sector is far more efficient and profitable than firms under state, mixed or social ownership. The pace of future Serbian economic growth will depend primarily on private sector performance, most likely based on domestic rather than foreign capital. Private sector growth is essential not only to create new wealth and to increase the standard of living in Serbia, but also to absorb resources shed from restructuring and privatizing of SOEs over the medium-term. Business failures and unemployment will increase as structural reform accelerates. Without a strategy to support private business startups, investment, and job creation,


Russian legislation establishes a special procedure for taxation of foreign organizations that do not operate in the territory of the Russian Federation, but receive income from Russian sources. When paying income to foreign organizations, Russian organizations may be obligated to pay both an income tax and VAT. The regulation of a taxation procedure applied to foreign organizations paying taxes from Russian sources is complex and covers the norms contained both in national legislation and in international agreements devoted to avoidance of double taxation. Despite the fact that a considerable number of works written by scholars and practitioners are devoted to certain aspects of taxation of foreign organizations, at present insufficient attention is paid to the nature and place of norms establishing the taxation regime for foreign organizations not operating in the Russian Federation. At the same time, a misunderstanding regarding the nature and place of the norms under consideration in the system of Tax Law of the Russian Federation can lead to incorrect law enforcement in the field of taxation of foreign organizations' income that they receive from Russian sources. The author has analyzed the applicable legislation and viewpoints of scientists on this issue, and on their basis he has made a conclusion about the composition and place of the abovementioned norms in the system of Tax Law of the Russian Federation.


There are numerous difficulties concerning cyber security in the smart grid, and a majority of such challenges faced across devices connected to the grid are in the form of nefarious attacks with the potential aim to tamper with power supplied to any consumer and breach of data respective to PMU and IP camera sensor. So, the best way to prevent such cyber-attack problems is by using security measures such as Network Intrusion Prevention Systems (NIPS) and firewalls equipped with each distributed system integrated into the grid. Many different attacks and prevention methods have been adopted to maintain the grid almost vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Therefore, this work aims to present the component-level cyber-attack analysis of PMU and IP camera sensors when connected to an IEEE 13-node system based on FDI and MitM attack scenarios. The study is simulated, and the results are obtained using GridAttackAnalyzer, a smart grid attack analysis framework.


CO-CURRICULAR INVOLVEMENT OF WEST VIRGINIA FOUR-YEAR STATE COLLEGE STUDENTS AND THE STATISTICAL RELATIONSHIP WITH POST-GRADUATE COMMUNITY AND PROFESSIONAL INVOLVEMENT, LEADERSHIP, SALARY, AND JOB SATISFACTION The purpose of this study was to examine the statistical relationship between cocurricular involvement of West Virginia college students and post-graduate involvement in community and professional organizations, leadership positions held within those organizations, professional salary, and self-perceived job satisfaction. A sample population of 400 college students (n=400) from State-supported colleges in West Virginia who completed baccalaureate requirements in 1990 was sent a copy of the West Virginia College and Community Involvement Survey and the Mohrman-Cooke-Mohrman Job Satisfaction Survey. Of 272 usable surveys, 142, or 52.2%, were returned. Data analysis identified a significant statistical correlation between involvement in collegiate co-curricular activities and involvement in community organizations. A similar statistically significant correlation was found to exist between college involvement and the holding of leadership positions within community and professional organizations. Significant relationships were not found to exist between co-curricular involvement and post-graduate professional involvement, salary, and self-perceived job satisfaction.


The article sketches the background of Jacques Bertin's Semiologie graphique. The book, published in 1967, still has a unique place in the theory of information design. Bertin's theory is a coherent and reasoned framework for the analysis and representation of data on paper. It is founded on Bertin's practical experience as a geographer and cartographer, rather than on empirical research.


Late stages of stellar evolution are characterized by copious mass-loss events whose signature is the formation of circumstellar envelopes (CSE). Planck multi frequency measurements have provided relevant information on a sample of Galactic planetary nebulae (PNe) in this important and relatively unexplored observational band between 30 and 857GHz. Planck enables the assembly of comprehensive PNe spectral energy distributions (SEDs) from radio through to far-infrared frequencies. Modelling of the derived SEDs provides us with information on physical properties of CSEs and the mass content of both main components: ionized gas, traced by the free-free emission at cm mm waves; and thermal dust, traced by the millimetre and far IR emission. In particular, the amount of ionized gas and dust has been derived here. Such quantities have also been estimated for the very young PN CRL618, where the strong variability observed in its radio and millimetre emission has previously prevented the construction of its SED. A morphological study of the Helix Nebula has also been performed. Planck maps reveal, for the first time, the spatial distribution of the dust inside the envelope, allowing us to identify different components, the most interesting of which is a very extended component (up to 1 pc) that may be related to a region where the slow expanding envelope is interacting with the surrounding interstellar medium. Moreover, in this object, thermal dust and H2 emission appear to be spatially correlated, providing hints of H2 formation on dust grain surfaces.


Distributed renewable energy generation is one of the notable features of the emerging smart grid. These distributed generators (DGs), which require power electronic converter interfaces, are modularly connected to microgrids–which are the "building blocks" of the smart grid. However, one recurring challenge with AC microgrids is inaccurate reactive power sharing among voltage source converters (VSCs) that make up the DGs. This happens whenever the impedances of feeder lines that connect the different DGs to the microgrid bus are unequal. The state-of-the-art methods to these problems have two limitations: 1) loss of voltage regulation as equal/proportional reactive power sharing is achieved, and 2) use of high-bandwidth communication for wide-area applications. Therefore, in this paper, we address these problems as follows: first we introduce a novel predictive virtual capacitance control scheme that can both achieve more accurate reactive power sharing and also improve voltage regulation in VSCs, and second we achieve reactive power sharing among multiple VSCs with an improved consensus-based distributed control; this requires low-bandwidth is robust to communication interference, and provides plug-and-play capability. The effectiveness of these new methods are verified experimentally with PLECS RT-Box hardware-in-the-loop equipment on a microgrid system with four connected VSCs.


In order to achieve the casting speed of 2.5m/min on No.3slab caster of Shougang Jingtang steel group, the mold cooling density,mold flux composition and structure of submerged entry nozzle were optimized based on the current casting parameters.Results of industry practice showed that,the casting speed could be held at 2.3m/min stably after the parameters optimized.The surface oscillation was improved obviously,the average heat flux of broad and narrow face was stable,the mold copper temperature filed was rational,the thickness of liquid flux was suitable and the powder consumption was increased.The casting speed could be increased from these industry practice results.


Background : This study was conducted to identify the factors that affect the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of middle-aged men with metabolic syndrome (MetS) based on their stress level using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Methods : The participants of this study were men aged between 40–64 with MetS who were included in the KNHANES. The main variables of this study were HRQoL, which was measured using the EuroQol-5 Dimension (EQ-5D); general characteristics, health-related characteristics, and dietary behaviors. Results : The subjective health of the group with less stress was significantly better. Compared to the unhealthy group, the groups perceived as healthy and normal had a higher HRQoL. The economic level, suicidal ideation, and dinner arrangement (presence of family) of the stressed group were significantly associated with their HRQoL. Compared to a low economic level, the high and middle economic levels were more associated with the subjects' HRQoL. Compared to the group without suicidal ideation, the group that experienced suicidal association had a lower HRQoL. Compared to the group that did not dine with their family, the group that dined with family had a higher HRQoL. Conclusions : The results of this study expand the scientific understanding of HRQoL based on stress among middle-aged men with metabolic syndrome. Since differences in the influence of the factors that affect HRQoL were identified based on the level of stress experienced, the stress level of middle-aged men should be considered when devising an intervention strategy to improve their HRQoL.


While the western Christian missionary desire to 'civilise' Christians from other cultures has been well documented and researched, the desire of local Christians to appropriate western civilisation in the face of missionary resistance to such appropriation has not been critically studied. This article examines debates in nineteenth-century North India missionary conferences between Indian Christians who wanted to adopt many accoutrements of western civilisation, and missionaries who wanted Indian Christians to retain as much of their Indian culture as possible. The article also looks at parallel cases in sub-Saharan Africa. It argues that local Christians were extracting and employing materials from European civilisation and culture to create new religious and social identities for themselves in their own particular contexts. This argument provides a counterpoint to Homi Bhabha's view of hybridity and mimicry as processes imposed by foreign western imperial regimes on subject peoples. In the process of c...


Open educational resources have been the promise of providing people with high quality learning resources. Initiatives such as MIT OpenCourseWare, MERLOT and others have shown the real possibilities of creatin g a d sharing knowledge through Internet. We indeed live in an age of content abund ance, and content can be considered as infrastructure for building adaptive and persona lized learning paths, promoting both formal and informal learning. Nevertheless, althoug h most educational institutions are adopting a more open approach, publishing huge amou nts of open educational resources, the reality is that these resources are barely used in other educational contexts. This paradox can be partly explained by t he difficulties in adapting such resources to local educational contexts. Furthermor e, if we want our learners to use and take advantage of learning object repositories, we need to provide them with additional services than just browsing and searching for resou rces. Social networks can be a first step towards creating an open social community of l earning around a topic or a subject.


Abstract Our aim was to study the aromatic nucleophilic substitution between the sodium anion of diethylphosphite and several halogenated substrates like: iodo-anilines, iodo-nitrobenzenes, bromo- and iodopyridines, bromoquinoline. Two coupling processes have been evaluted. The first one is the photostimulated nucleophilic substitution (SRN1), the second the promoted arylation by transition metals. We obtain good results with the first method which is efficient and simple; by contrast the second one has given only few positive results. We describe five aromatic aminophosphonic acids. Nous avons etudie la substitution nucleophile aromatique entre le diethylphosphite sode et plusieurs substrats halogenes tels que iodo-anilines, iodonitrobenzenes, bromo- et iodo-pyridines, bromo-quinoleine. Deux methodes de couplage ont ete evaluees. L'une est la substitution nucleophile sous photostimulation (SRN1), l'autre l'assistance par les metaux de transition. La premiere donne de bons resultats dans la majorite des c...


In order to suppress $CO_2$ emission and protect passengers in case of vehicle collision, continuous efforts are being made to increase the application ratio and tensile strength of advanced high strength steels used in the manufacturing of automotive body. Simultaneously, hydrogen embrittlement w...


For the use of the national highway network of Lithuania, freight vehicles pay a fee of a fixed amount using the system of purchasing electronic vignettes (hereinafter referred to as e. vignettes). The tax is paid for a certain period (day, week, month, or year) regardless of the distance traveled by vehicles. Such a taxation model does not value the "polluter pays" principle enshrined in EU legislation and does not allow covering the damage caused by freight vehicles to the road infrastructure. Road maintenance and development program financing law no. VIII-2032 by the law on the amendment of articles 2, 6, 9 and appendices 2, 5, VĮ Lithuanian Road Directorate until 2023 must develop and implement an electronic road toll system that should replace the currently used e. vignettes. The article presents the currently tolled road network of Lithuania, the financial impact on the companies providing transportation services after the introduction of the electronic road toll system. The road toll systems operating in European countries and Lithuania and their operating technologies, marginal tariffs are analyzed, and a methodology is proposed, based on which it would be possible to fill in the list of currently tolled roads. A company providing cargo transportation services has been selected, and it has been determined how the amount of paid taxes will change after the implementation of the electronic road toll system on Lithuanian roads. It has been determined that after the introduction of EKRS for companies providing transportation services that carry out long-distance transport in Lithuania, the amount of taxes paid for using state roads will increase significantly.


By the late nineteenth century, regionalists such as Hamlin Garland, as well as literary critics more generally, considered the adjective picturesque to mean "superficial," an overused and commercial mode of representation. This opinion was commonplace as early as the 1850s when Hawthorne's The Blithedale Romance was criticized for its "picturesque detail" and its subsequent lack of "moral depth and earnestness." More concerned with surfaces than depths, this aesthetic continued to fall into disfavor among literary critics in the late nineteenth century when the term completely saturated the marketplace of guidebooks and travel narratives: common were such titles as Picturesque America, Picturesque Italy, Picturesque California,and Picturesque New York to name but a few. Nearly every nation in Europe, not to mention almost every state in the Union, seemed to have its own illustrated book attesting to its regional uniqueness. Despite this context of critical disrepute and commercial excess, the term actually played a formative role in the popular representation of American modernization. In the emergent magazine culture of the late nineteenth century, the picturesque sought to make modernity less terrifying by making it familiar through a gradualist approach that linked old concepts with new phenomena. Its hackneyed language promised to turn the urban realities of class disparity and ethnic heterogeneity into potentially pleasant aspects of the modern experience.