Due to the exponential effect of technological innovation that makes disruption the new norm, retailers across the world are on the lookout for novel initiatives to streamline their processes and reduce operating costs. Acknowledging that the face of retail is changing at an unprecedented rate, this paper seeks to uncover the innovation drivers and trends in the retail industry, with a particular emphasis on the Gulf region. Drawing upon a literature review of drivers, enablers, and global trends in retail innovation, we offer a compelling analysis of innovative endeavours pursued by retailers located in the Gulf Cooperation Council's member states. Our aim is to make two major contributions to extant knowledge in the field, through the development of a conceptual model of retailing innovation and the advancement of a multidimensional agenda for future comparative research. In the concluding section of our paper, we emphasise the increasing importance that innovation will play in the enhancement of customer experience and performance of retail organisations.


The intersection between 'great player' and 'great teacher' is rather slim. Gerry Hemingway manages comfortably to straddle both areas—his decades of playing and composing in high quality, highly productive, and challenging groups have given him tremendous skills and chops, but his interest and desire to share and educate is like the opening of a vault.

Gerry has been on over one hundred CDs—released by his own quintet or quartet as well as duets and other groups such as BassDrumBone. He first came to critical attention playing in Anthony Braxton's Quartet from 1983 to 1994 and has had a long and fruitful relationship with numerous American and European performers such as Marilyn Crispell, Ray Anderson, Mark Dresser, Anthony Davis, Ernst Reijseger, and Wolter Wierbos. He has received numerous commissions, including a concerto for percussionist and orchestra and is collaborating with video artist Beth Warshafsky. He was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2000 for his work in composition. He has led workshops for many years and from 2005 to 2009 he was at the New School in New York City teaching music history courses and leading an ensemble. Since 2009 he has been on faculty with the Hochschule Luzern in Switzerland. His latest release is by his Quintet titled Riptide on the Clean Feed label.

Included here is an interview with Gerry Hemingway conducted in September of 2011.


Experiences in airports may shape future travel plans and contribute to tourism destination development. However, a chaotic environment and time-consuming procedural routines in airports may result in negative associations towards the host country and its culture. Despite the existence of assistive airport applications, little attention is given to facilitating travelers' engagement with cultural exploration. This paper introduces a concept of interactive personalized storytelling that provides both a cultural learning adventure and connection to local retailing. Our application generates an imaginative Finnish storyline unique to every user to guide them through local shops in the airport. A field evaluation was conducted with 15 travelers of different nationalities. Travelers perceived the interactive storytelling experience as an interesting and unique way to spend waiting time at the airport while increasing cultural exposure. Moreover, we found this method to be effective in persuading travelers to explore local products at the airport. Further, our results give insight to designing storytelling applications for large public places.


The Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories at South Dakota State University and Iowa State University were presented with 10 cases in which acute deaths occurred in stressed feedlot cattle following intravenous (IV) administration of the oral water-soluble form of the antibiotic spectinomycin. Within 0.5 hours of IV administration, 40-60% of the treated cattle developed clinical signs of respiratory distress followed by weakness, collapse, and death. Extensive pulmonary edema with marked fluid distension of interlobular septa was the most prominent gross necropsy finding. Histopathologic examination revealed pulmonary edema and fibrinous thrombi in capillaries of multiple organs, suggestive of endotoxemia. In fall 1992, the Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Laboratory at South Dakota State University received 3 different cases that could be traced to the IV use of spectinomycin. In the case involving the most calves (11 dead out of 13 treated), the calves were from a group of 60 that weighed approximately 250 kg each, originated in Oregon, and developed respiratory problems at a livestock auction. They were removed from sale by the attending veterinarian, who decided to use spectinomycin a as the antimicrobial treatment. The same treatment regimen (5 cc/45 kg of a 100 mg/ ml self-manufactured spectinomycin solution) had been used by him for several years with no known adverse reactions. Prior to treatment, the calves had fevers of 106-108 F and showed signs of respiratory disease but no mouth breathing. The treatment was given at 5 PM, and within a short time the affected calves developed clinical signs of respiratory distress followed by weakness, collapse, and death. By next morning, 11 of the 13 calves were dead. Three of these calves were presented for necropsy. Gross examination findings consisted of cranioventral consolidation involving approximately 15-20% of at least 1 lung field of all 3 calves. The other most obvious gross lesion was the extensive pulmonary edema with marked distention of the interlobular septa by gelatinous edematous fluid (Fig. 1). Microscopic findings in the consolidated portion of the lungs consisted of fibrinopurule nt bronchopneumo nia. Some of the lobules were necrotic. In the nonconsolidated portions, the predominant changes were pulmonary edema and con


Objective To know the quality of disinfection and sterilization in comprehensive hospital and find out the problems,in order to provide the basis for improving the management and disinfection quality.Methods Field sampling and bacterial qualitative testing methods were used to monitor the disinfection objects in the two third A level hospital.Results The qualify rates of disinfectant in using and autoclaving sterilization of the two hospital were both 100%.But the qualify rates of other object were not satisfied.The average qualify rate of material surface was only 51.70%,the qualify rate of medical staff's hand was also low.The qualify rate of air of clinical department was declined.Conclusion By monitoring of disinfection quality,we have known the real status of disinfection management in comprehensive hospital.It can help to enhance management and improve the disinfection efficacy.


The classic work,Standards for Students,is rich in Confusianism in interpersonal communication,which is reflected in affectionate premises,behaviors,value pursuits,and ritual standards.All this is helpful for the children communication.


Non-linear Teager-Kaiser energy (T-K energy) can be classified as the amplitude of the seismic attributes,but it is different from the conventional seismic attributes,because it is proportional to the square of amplitude and frequency.When the oolitic reservoir is full of oil or gas,seismic records often present "high-frequency attenuation" phenomenon.As T-K energy is proportional to the square of frequency,T-K energy of the reservoir which contains oil or gas is weak.Since the oolitic reservoir's top and bottom is different from the surrounding in rock properties,"bright spot" reflection often presents on top and bottom of the reservoir,so T-K energy of the top and bottom of the reservoir is stronger.With seismic profile after extraction of seismic attribute of T-K energy,the top and bottom of the reservoir on the seismic profile is much "brighter" ,while T-K energy is relatively weak in the internal reservoir.These characteristics can be used to predict the oolitic reservoir.The computational result of the real data shows that the predicted distribution of oolitic reservoir based on TK energy method is completely consistent with the real work data.


Nanofluid is a new type of high efficiency heat exchanging medium. Ce PO4 nanofluid with three concentration was prepared by one-step wet chemical method. And particle size, zeta potential and thermal conductivity were analyzed. The results showed that, the average diameters of prepared 0.1mol/L, 0.2mol/L and 0.3mol/L nanofluids are 49.8nm, 67.3nm and 94.1nm, respectively. All prepared nanofluids have good stability. And the thermal conductivity increases as the temperature increase.


A study has been made of the elucidation of tlze brittle .fracture initiation and propagation arrest characteristics of a heavy section steel plate by compact tension and ESSO tests using a 240 mm-thick AST1l4 A533 Cr. B Cl. 1 steel plate. The results are summarized as follows : (1) Charpy absorbed elle'gy decreased as the location varied from surface to inside, but it presented almost uniform toughness ;n a thickness range of 1/4 to 3/4. (2) Considering the critical crack sizes against brittle fracture initiation and propagation, the steel can be used under ordinary condition in order to prevent brittle fracture initiation but must be used in severe condition in order to prevent propagation. (3 ) The crnck arrest fracture toughness was independent on plate thickness when the thickness of test specimen was more 'han 75 mm.


New educational challenges and the application of learning standards in the new Curriculum Reform reflects that teachers are in constant training in the four areas of basic education studies; This research is carried out in the area of Language and Literature in the development of macro skill listening this means didactic activities for teaching-learning process in oral communication and discover the flaws which are in the Second Level, so apply qualitative research methods which reflected difficulties in abstraction and expression of general ideas that contain reading in general. This research will contribute with learning activities that strengthen the knowledge to achieve a quality education and warmth awakening in the student's desire to study.


Objective:To observe the clinical curative effect of B ultrasound guided injection of methotrexate in gestational sac(MTX) with MTX in pregnancy intramuscular injection in treatment of cesarean scar(CSP).Method:90 cases of pregnancy patients with cesarean scar were selected in our hospital,according to radom digit table, they were divided into the study group and control group.The study group was given therapeutic by ultrasound guided injection in gestational sac MTX, the control group was given intramuscular MTX injection. The clinical cure rate, hospitalization time, blood progesterone; beta human chorionic gonadotropin(Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta-h CG), the changes of pregnancy mass diameter of two groups patients were observed before and after treatment. In addition, adverse reactions of hospitalized patients were observed during the treatment.Result: Clinical cure rate of the study group was 95.45%,the clinical cure rate of control group was 52.17%, the difference was significant(P0.05).The average hospitalization time of the study group was(7.1±2.0)d,beta-h CG to restore the normal time was(26.6±5.6)d,the average hospitalization time of the control group was(15.4±3.6)d,beta-h CG to restore the normal time was(35.5±3.6)d,there was significant difference(P0.05).Beta-h CG, pregnancy mass diameter of the study group patients after the blood progesterone were(4.0±2.1)ng/m L,(315.6±60.6)U/L,(0.5±0.3)cm,the control group were respectively(7.9±3.6)ng/m L,(786.3±88.3)U/L,(1.7±0.6)cm,difference were significant(P0.05).Alanine aminotransferase(ALT),nausea and vomiting,elevated white blood cell(WBC) increased rates of the study group were 25.00%,9.09% and 2.27%, the control group were 54.35%,26.09% and 15.22%,there were significant difference(P0.05).Conclusion:B ultrasound guide therapeutic effect of gestational sac injection in the treatment of cesarean scar pregnancy MTX exactly, can rapid onset and had clinical and less adverse reactions,it is worthy of promotion.


Manganism is induced by the occupational exposure to high level of manganese,which can injure the extrapyramidal system and cause parkinsonism,a clinical syndrome consisting of tremor,bradykinesia,rigidity,gait and balance problems. This paper summarized the progress of research on manganese-induced parkinsonism which included the etiology, clinical manifestation,neuropathology,neuroimaging,differential diagnosis and treatment,and will be useful for readers to deepen their understanding on the prevention and treatment for it.


The Pajarito fault system, part of which skirts the western boundary of Los Alamos National Laboratory, is a major, active structural element of the Rio Grande rift. We have mapped over 100 km of interrelated fault zones and traces that constitute the fault systmem in the vicinity of Los Alamos. The style of deformation in the fault system gradually transforms from normal slip, to normal oblique slip, to dominantly right lateral strike-slip motions from south to north. Most significant movements (>100 m) on the fault system in the vicinity of Los Alamos have occurred within the last 1.1 million years. Portions of the fault system may have associated microseismic activity. Available evidence indicates tha major movements have occurred on the fault system in the last 500,000 years and as recently as 350,000 years ago, 240,000 years ago, 42,000 years ago, possibly <10,000 years ago, and 2000 years ago. Some limited, inferential field data imply the fault system generates characteristic earthquakes in the magnitude (Richter) range 6.5 to 7.8. Extrapolation of frequency-magnitude relations, derived from the 10 years of data from the Los Alamos seismograph net, to estimate large expectable earthquakes is unrealistic, and based on the findings of other workersmore » the result is most likely a substantial underestimate. 77 refs., 11 figs., 4 tabs.« less


Today Big Data is a business imperative and is providing solutions to long-standing business for companies of various domains around the world. Despite of its potential benefits, the efficiency and effectiveness to process and utilize Big Data are still challenging. In this paper, we summarize existing technologies and propose new technologies. Specifically, we categorize Big Data processing technologies and propose a new platform architecture for E-commerce Big Data processing. We also discuss the applications to utilize Big Data and propose a six-layer architecture for utilizing Big Data.


10002 Background: From previous pre-surgery chemotherapy based SIOP protocols, blastemal type Wilms tumor (BT-WT) has been identified as a poor prognostic subgroup. Therefore in SIOP 2001, post-operative treatment for BT-WT was prolonged and intensified (VCR/Act/Dox in stage I, VP16/Carbo/Cyclo/Dox in stage II-IV) aiming to improve survival. Here, we present characteristics and outcome of BT-WT patients treated on intensified regimen in SIOP 2001. Methods: Response and survival analysis of unilateral BT-WT (n = 238) patients treated from 2001-2012 (SIOP 2001) were compared with SIOP 93-01 (n = 113). Results: In SIOP 93-01 and SIOP 2001 trials, among 4061 unilateral non-metastatic Wilms tumor patients registered, 351 (8.6%) were BT-WT. Median age at diagnosis was 43 months (IQR 24-68). Stages were: I (n = 140, 40%), II (n = 106, 30%), III (n = 105, 30%). Pre-surgery chemotherapy reduced tumor volume from median 359 ml (IQR 174-611) to 123 ml (IQR 41-291). BT-WT were older, higher staged and showed less mar...


This paper presents the application of the PLC technology to the sewage treatment and reuse system.The control requirements of the system are also introduced.The hardware and software of the PLC control system are outlined.


PERICARDIOCENTESIS with electrocardiographic monitoring, with the use of the technic suggested by Bishop et al.1 of employing the pericardial needle as an exploring electrode, is widely practiced. Elevation of the ST segment indicates that contact of the needle with the ventricular epicardium or myocardium has been made. The purpose of this report is to emphasize the electrocardiographic manifestations of inadvertent puncture of the right atrium during pericardiocentesis. M.M. (S.U.H. 30–40–16), a 47-year-old Japanese woman, underwent catheterization of the right and, retrograde, of the left sides of the heart that confirmed the diagnosis of endocardial-cushion defect. Left ventricular angiography performed through . . .


The review of works about the study of the thermodynamic properties of the superconductors with energy bands overlapping on Fermi surface is done. The base of the review is Moscalenco's model1 with the formation of cooper pairs of electrons inside each energy band and their transition as a whole entity from one band to another. The model was generalized in order to consider the interband pairings of electrons in addition to the pairings that have been taken into account in Ref. 1. The main system of equations in this theory of superconductivity is derived for the two-band systems at arbitrary density of charge carriers (including the very low densities). The detailed studies of dependences of the temperature of superconducting transition TC, the jump of heat capacity (CS-CN), as well as the chemical potential μ on the density of charge carriers are made. Singularities in the behavior of the two-band superconductors at low densities of charge carriers (μ~TC) are revealed. There has been studies on the influence of the additional pairings of electrons that result in the formation of the cooper pairs of electrons from different energy bands on the thermodynamic properties of the system. Both phonon and non-phonon mechanisms of superconductivity in the BCS scenario of the formation of superconducting pairs (μ>0) have been taken into account. The theory of superconductivity in the mean-field approximation at T = 0 in the picture of Bose condensation of localized pairs (Schaffroth's scenario μ<0) is built. The technique of functional integration with regard to the two-band system is developed and the crossover from Fermi to Bose picture of elementary excitations at T≠0 with the two-particle bound state in the system has been shown. The temperature of Bose condensation TK is determined and the influence of the overlapping of energy bands on Fermi surface onto Bose condensation of localized pairs is studied.


MPs receive regular emails from constituents, so how can doctors grab their attention if they want to raise concerns about the NHS? Adele Waters asks three experts


This software is described on the package insert as an interactive multimedia program using "high quality digital images, descriptive text, and on-screen graphics for lessons on normal and abnormal organ structure and function." It was developed by the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, Office of Learning Resources and distributed by Micron Biosystems. No author is listed on the accompanying brochure or on the disc. The software can be run on either a Macintosh (II series or better) or IBM compatible (386SX 33 MHz or better) system. The program is provided on a CD-ROM and consists of two modules: histology and pathology. A third module on hematology is under development. This reviewer concentrated on the pathology section. The pathology module consists of approximately 400 images generally divided into organ systems. For each image, the screen is divided into four sections. About one third of the screen contains the


The HistFactory p.d.f. template is per-se independent of its implementation in ROOT and it is useful to be able to run statistical analysis outside of the ROOT, RooFit, RooStats framework. pyhf is a pure-Python implementation of that statistical model for multi-bin histogram-based analysis and its interval estimation is based on the asymptotic formulas of"Asymptotic formulae for likelihood-based tests of new physics". pyhf supports modern computational graph libraries such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, and JAX in order to make use of features such as auto-differentiation and GPU acceleration. In addition, pyhf's JSON serialization specification for HistFactory models has been used to publish 23 full probability models from published ATLAS collaboration analyses to HEPData.


After holding faculty development positions at two colleges, I have discovered two rudimentary axioms. First, new faculty development movements come and go very rapidly (often without any faculty becoming suspicious of their existence). Second, most faculty development movements have little lasting effect on college teachers. Although there are many reasons for this second axiom, a major reason involves a lack of fit between what faculty development specialists believe faculty need and what teachers truly want. Often teaching specialists recommend techniques they believe to be useful across many disciplines. Unfortunately, attempts to address the lowest common denominator often appear bland and, perhaps, even insulting to veteran faculty. Veteran faculty want something that addresses their unique needs. Moreover, veteran faculty usually do not need to be developed; they need renewalrenewal of the spirit. They need a chance to recall and reflect on why they became teachers. They need an opportunity to renew their desire to pass the love of their discipline on to new generations. Renewing veteran faculty requires individualizing at least some aspects of faculty development. While exploring ways to individualize faculty development to better match instructors' needs and styles, I came upon the small but growing body of literature on teaching portfolios. Teaching portfolios can inspire and direct personal renewal. Teaching


Abstract The aim of this paper is to numerically analyze the hydrothermal behavior of different cross-sectional geometries of microchannel heat sinks (MCHSs) and conduct a comparative analysis of traditional and non-traditional designs using ANSYS Fluent. It is expected that the proposed design discussed in this paper will improve the performance of MCHSs by maximizing the cooling capability and minimizing the thermal resistance and entropy generation rate, thus leading to better energy efficiency. The channel designs include a rectangular microchannel (RMC), a circular microchannel (CMC), an elliptical microchannel (EMC), a trapezoidal microchannel (TMC), a hexagonal microchannel (HMC), and a new microchannel (NMC) which has a plus-like shape. The discussed geometry of the NMC is designed in such a way that it maximizes the cross-sectional area and the wetted perimeter of the channel, keeping the hydraulic diameter constant ( D h = 412{D_{h}}=412 µm). The performance of various channels is compared on the basis of pressure drop, wall temperature, thermal enhancement factor, thermal resistance, thermal transport efficiency, and entropy generation rates. It has been observed that the NMC is capable of cooling effectively and it can achieve a minimum wall temperature of 305 K, thus offering the lowest thermal resistance ( R th {R_{\mathrm{th}}}), irreversible heat loss, and entropy generation rate. Moreover, the NMC has achieved the highest value of the thermal enhancement factor, i. e., 1.13, at Re = 1 , 000\mathrm{Re}=1,000. Similarly, it has the highest thermal transport efficiency of almost 97 % at Re = 1 , 000\mathrm{Re}=1,000, followed by the TMC and the RMC. Overall, the NMC has achieved the best performance in all aspects, followed by the RMC and TMC. The performance of the EMC, the CMC, and the HMC was found to be the worst in this study.


The formation control problem for swarm systems with time-varying delays and topology uncertainties is studied. Firstly, the formation control protocol based on consensus theory is proposed. Secondly, with the aid of variable substitution, the problem of formation control with time-varying delays and topology uncertainties is transformed into the stabilization problem of delay-dependent systems. The common Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional is constructed and the stabilization problem of delay-dependent systems is analyzed through the free-weighting matrices method. Moreover, the linear matrix inequality (LMI) criterion for swarm systems with lower conservative is obtained. The upper bounds of delays and the controller gains are also given. Finally, the theoretical results are demonstrated by numerical simulations.


Semiconductor Laser diodes (LD) employing quantum dot (QD) active regions have attracted attention due to the theoretical predictions: low threshold current density and low temperature sensitivity originated from the delta-function-like density of states and small active volume [1]. However, while high performance devices have been demonstrated, the realization of all the predicted advantages has remained challenging. Self-assembled QDs grown by Stranski-Krastanov (SK) growth mode can suffer from an inhomogeneity in the QD size distribution, as well as an inherent wetting layer [2]. Nanopatterning and selective metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) growth offer a more controllable pathway for QD formation, allowing the QD size to be decoupled from the strain state of the material. This process results in the formation of dense arrays of wetting-layer-free QDs, although the challenges stemming from surface state formation and efficient carrier injection into the QDs remain problematic issues [3]. As such, previously reported LDs employing these In0.3Ga0.7As QD active regions only operate at low temperatures [3]. It has been contended that embedding the SK QDs within an InGaAs quantum well (QW) improves carrier capture into the quantum dots [4]. Here, we demonstrate an In0.1Ga0.9As QW placed adjacent to a wetting layer-free InAs QD active region leads to improved active region carrier collection, allowing for room temperature (RT) lasing. The LDs employ an active region consisting of a dense single-layer array of compressively-strained InAs QDs (Density ∼ 4×1010cm−2), selectively grown by MOCVD on top of a 4nm thick In0.1Ga0.9As QW.


The abradable coating on the casing of a jet engine minimises any air gaps by allowing blades to cut a path into the abradable, reducing efficiency losses. Unfortunately, abradable cutting performance varies significantly with rub conditions and abradable type, leading to poor cutting performance and potentially damaging the blades. This study further develops the abradable testing capabilities of a 200 m/s spindle test rig by applying previously researched stroboscopic imagining techniques to record the front of the blade alongside thermal imaging of the blade and the abradable. The front camera makes it possible to see how adhesions are forming along the width of the blade, and how the adhesion growth differs between materials. The thermal camera can then be used to identify hot spots on both the blade and the abradable, providing an insight into how hot spots relate to adhesions both spatially and temporally. These tools have been proven with testing of Metco 601 at a range of incursion rates. At the incursion rate of 0.2 μm/pass the tools were able to provide conclusive results, with video footage of the front, side, blade temperature and abradable temperatures being aligned temporally and spatially. Numerical data could then be extracted to produce rub maps of adhesion height, blade temperature and abradable temperature on separate plots which is a powerful tool when looking for relationships between the data sets, and for identifying time-based patterns. Further benefits of this tool set were shown when focussing on individual adhesions events within a rub, allowing for the delays between abradable heating, adhesions forming and blade heating to be observed and quantified. When applied to multiple materials and at different test conditions this tool will provide further insight into how adhesion formation differs, and potentially into why adhesions form.


A laboratory-scale high-magnification soft X-ray microscope was developed using relayed tandem Wolter mirrors to obtain a high-resolution X-ray image using a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. The optical axis of the second mirror was inclined to the first optical axis to make their angular apertures coincide. The total magnification, which is the product of the two mirror systems, was approximately 1000. A spatial resolution better than 100 nm was achieved with 3.2 nm X-rays and a CCD camera.


Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent to which social cooperatives in Italy followed and managed to preserve their core values and principles while withstanding multiple pressures during the great recession. Attention is paid to two key issues. First, the concept of political agency is used to understand whether social cooperatives have been sensitive and committed to their role as key political players in the sustainable development of the community in which they operate. A further issue addressed is the impact of the post-2008 crisis on the quality of work and employment in social cooperatives. Design/methodology/approach – This paper adopts a mixed-method social research approach. It integrates quantitative analysis of administrative data on business life cycle drawn from the Italian business registers with empirical evidence collected via in-depth interviews and focus groups on a sample of managers of social cooperatives and representatives of social cooperative associations...


Two coexisting ad hoc networks, primary and secondary, are considered, where each node of the primary network has a single antenna, while each node of the secondary network is equipped with multiple antennas. Using multiple antennas, each secondary transmitter uses some of its spatial transmit degrees of freedom (STDOF) to null its interference towards the primary receivers, while each secondary receiver employs interference cancelation using some of its spatial receive degrees of freedom (SRDOF). This paper derives the optimal STDOF for nulling and SRDOF for interference cancelation that maximize the scaling of the transmission capacity of the secondary network with respect to the number of antennas, when the secondary network operates under an outage constraint at the primary receivers. With a single receive antenna, using a fraction of the total STDOF for nulling at each secondary transmitter maximizes the transmission capacity. With multiple transmit and receive antennas and fixing all but one STDOF for nulling, using a fraction of the total SRDOF to cancel the nearest interferers maximizes the transmission capacity of the secondary network.


In combination of belt pumping unit with a continuous pumping rod and a high temperature and high pressure deep well pump,the application of rod pumping system is implemented in a deep well by optimizing design The testing result shows that the continuous pumping rod is convenient for field use with continuous tripping operation and shortening trip time Because of no collar and thread,it has light weight,with pump set deeply, less attrition of the rod and tubing ,thus working stability is imporved greatly Raising the production rate in a deep pumping well,lengthening the maintenance free period are realized by combining it with the belt pumping unit in production,by which the piston effect of a common pump rod collar is eliminated, with better result of enhancing oil production, saving energy and it has good prospect of application


DURING the first of two scheduled Sunday immunization clinics held in 1966 in Los Angeles County, 467 children of 209 families were inadvertently given sterile water diluent rather than reconstituted measles (rubeola) vaccine. In addition to correcting this error, the staff of the county health department investigated the effect of the error upon the families involved. Furthermore, they used the opportunity for examining some characteristics of the families who accepted this nonroutine health department service afforded by these Sunday clinics. The clinics were part of several sessions in disadvantaged Los Angeles County communities at which measles vaccine was offered free of charge to susceptible children 1 through 10 years of age. The communities ranked high in


Abstract : The long-term goal is to develop a passive, autonomous, mobile system to investigate all types of noise in the ocean, both man-made and naturally occurring. The information will be used to improve the understanding of the noise field and the environmental factors which affect the propagation of underwater sound in coastal regions.


Growing global energy demand and environmental damage are driving the pursuit of sustainable energy and storage technologies. Rechargeable batteries, as one of the attractive energy storage technologies integrating renewable resources,...


One of the first articles published in The Great Circle, when it began in 1979, was a comprehensive description of the extensive resources of the W. L. Crowther Library in the State Library of Tasmania, Hobart. That description requires no repetition; the object of this report is to place the Crowther whaling collection in a global context. It is by far the largest collection of whaling logbooks outside the United States. Moreover, the Crowther whaling collection spans all three phases of Hobart's sail whaling: first, Hobart's bay and shore whaling, which was predominately for right whales from 1803 to 1840; second, the provisioning of foreign whale ships from Hobart from 1820 to 1900; and third, the sixty years of sperm whaling well off-shore from Hobart from 1830 to 1900. So far, only the bay and shore whaling period has been well covered in the extensive publications on Tasmanian whaling.


When scanning a specimen using a line heat source at a constant velocity, a temperature change occurs partly due to specular reflection at the defect interface. Assuming that the reflection of a transient thermal response is similar to that of geometrical optics, we performed waveform analysis using an imaging method. Image points are calculated based on differential geometry; this can also be performed for a curved surface using a general equation. A combination of the steepest descent analysis of a moving heat source problem and a convolution technique successfully yielded waveforms comparable to those of experimental temperature responses. We designed and constructed an active thermographic imaging system in which a linearly focused continuous wave laser beam was scanned perpendicular to the beam as it covered the entire surface of specimens with simulated internal defects. The real-time response was recorded as a temperature waveform at each image pixel. Waveforms were calculated for specimens without or with buried cylindrical defects parallel to their surfaces and compared to the experimental data. The theory well-explains the signal generation mechanism, and excellent agreement was obtained in waveforms. Some discrepancy between theory and experiment indicates more complicated problems in heat and mass transfer.


The city of today appears an evermore vague and indistinct object, and is hard to define univocally. This short article aims at describing, or maybe 'narrating' the city through two qualitative research techniques: shadowing and qualitative gis. These may appear two very different topics: shadowing is a qualitative research method that implies following someone (sclaVi 2003, 53), with the goal of building reflexive and dialogic narration on the move (Mcdonald 2005; czaRniaWska 2007); it belongs to those on-the-move ethnographic methods called "go-along" (delyseR, sui 2012, 297). A gis, on the other hand, is by tradition located within the field of quantitative and technical analyses, and even the expression 'qualitative gis' may appear an oxymoron.3 by referring to qualitative gis we mean the use of qualitative data (coming from mental maps)4 within a gis, as will be thoroughly discussed in section 4. The goal of this paper is to show the trait d'union between the shadowing technique and qualitative gis. We believe this lies in the ability to know, tell and 'act' the city through multiple and inclusive points of view, in order to empower new participatory planning tools (delyseR, sui 2014). by discussing some examples taken from research experiences, we will evaluate the limits and possibilities of these techniques.5 We want to show how practicing qualitative and participatory methods can generate plural representations, useful to act in different urban contexts. The conceptual framework of this paper is located within the broad field of urban studies, but the techniques presented here also come from urban anthropology, organizational studies and geomatics. They are now common assets for the several disciplines dealing with territories, and have proved to be essential for building "biographies of places" (Magnaghi 2001).


In this study, ent-Kaurane-3β,16β,17-triol(1) and ent-kaurane-2α,16β,17-triol(2), were isolated from the leaves of Rubus corchorifolius L. f. Their structures were elucidated based on extensive spectroscopic analysis. NMR experiments identified the two compounds and X-ray crystallographic analysis confirmed their crystal structures. The crystal of 1 belongs to monoclinic with space group P21 and a = 10.7641(3), b = 7.2789(3), c = 11.7862(4) , β = 95.275(3)°, V = 919.55(6) 3, Z = 2, C20H34O4, Mr = 322.49 g/mol, Dc = 1.230 g/m3, F(000) = 376, λ = 1.54178 , μ = 0.661 mm-1, R = 0.0319, and wR = 0.0811 for 10889 observed reflections(Ⅰ 2σ(Ⅰ)). The crystal of 2 is classified as orthorhombic with space group P212121 and a = 10.7641(3), b = 12.72224(19), c = 21.3929(3) , V = 1748.94(4) 3, Z = 4, C20H34O4, Mr = 322.47, Dc = 1.225 Mg/m3 F(000) = 712, λ = 1.54184 , μ = 0.625 mm-1, R = 0.0303 and w R = 0.0759 for 10470 observed reflections(Ⅰ 2σ(Ⅰ)). Meanwhile, the compound revealed low inhibitory activities toward Hep G2, MCF-7, and SCG-7901 cells.


The effect of hemodialysis with and without L‐asparaginase added to the dialysis bath was tested in patients with chronic renal disease and three patients with malignancy. The procedure reproducibly caused a rapid, though unsustained, reduction of serum asparagine. There was no leakage of L‐asparaginase across the dialysis membrane and no patient toxicity was observed. The three cancer patients had temporary antitumor effects. This study demonstrates that asparagine depletion can be obtained by hemodialysis without the toxicity observed with the intravenous administration of L‐asparaginase. Further study is necessary to determine whether or not this method is useful in the practical treatment of patients.


Strangulation of the penis by a metal ring is a rare situation in urology. It requires emergency care because it can jeopardize the functional prognosis of the penis. We report the case of strangulation of the penis by a metal steel ring associated with a right inguino-scrotal hernia from which we will present the non-surgical management of this urological emergency.


A seven-step synthesis of a new intermediate (5α,7α,11β)-3,6-dioxogermacr-1-en-13,7-olide (10) is described starting from (−)-α-santonin (1). The key step in the transformation was photolytic skeletal rearrangement of (4α,5β,6α,11β)-5-hydroxy-2-oxoeudesman-13,6-olide (9) to the title compounds, sensitised by mercuric oxide and iodine.


Seasonal and diurnal rain heights variation at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor was studied. Slant path rain attenuation prediction and modeling is crucial to satellite equipment design; a major input is the rain height. One year meteorological ground-based, S-band, 3D RAPIC precipitation radar data at 500m resolution sourced from the Malaysian Meteorological Department was complemented with two-year TRMM PR data sourced from JAXA Earth Observation Research Center. After filtering, sorting, extraction and decoding of the data, vertical reflectivity profiles were constructed; from which rain height parameters were extracted. TRMM PR processed monthly (3A25) and daily (2A23) rainfall precipitation data were similarly used to obtain rain height parameters to investigate the seasonal and diurnal variations. Results from this work suggested that rain height parameters are influenced by both seasonal and diurnal variations. Higher seasonal variability was observed during south-west and pre-southwest monsoons. Rain heights were also observed to be higher in the night than in the day time.


Describes a synthesis method that automatically derives controllers for timed discrete-event systems with nonterminating behavior modeled by timed transition graphs and specifications of control requirements expressed by metric temporal logic (MTL) formulas. Synthesis is performed by using: 1) a forward-chaining search that evaluates the satisfiability of MTL formulas over sequences of states generated by occurrences of actions and 2) a control-directed backtracking technique that takes into consideration the controllability of actions. This method has several interesting features. First, the issues of controllability, safety, liveness, and real time are integrated in a single framework. Second, the synthesis process does not require explicit storage of an entire transition structure over which formulas are checked and can be stopped at any moment, giving an approximate but useful result. Third, search and control mechanisms allow circumvention of the state explosion problem.


This study aims at examining the impact of age and workload on road traffic accidents in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire. To this end, a questionnaire is administered to a sample of 100 "woro-woro" and "gbaka" taxi drivers in the district of Yopougon (Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire). The subjects were divided into four groups, 2 by 2 according to size, gender, the economic situation of the parents, the number of members in the family of origin, the type of contract and professional seniority. More specifically, in each of the groups, there are 50 subjects, all of them male, from socioeconomically underprivileged parents, from extended families; they are all daily contract workers and each has 5 years of professional seniority. The data obtained are processed using the statistical technique of chi-square. This reveals two results. The first shows that teenage drivers are more likely to be involved in accidents than their adult colleagues. The second indicates that drivers with a high workload cause more road accidents than their peers with a low workload. Both the psychological theory of adolescence and behavioural theory are used to interpret these results.


In recent years, the global problem of plastic waste has received increasing attention. Plastic waste is frequently traded good and is often exported to countries which mismanage large proportions of their waste. By investigating Germany's imports and exports to a selection of countries this study finds that the German recycling system has flaws in the area of plastic waste. Due to the fact that plastic waste trade is not sufficiently regulated, Germany is exporting higher quantities of plastic waste than it is importing. Under consideration of recent advancements in the field of sustainability transitions, this study finds that the policy interventions are needed to face future challenges of increasing recycling quotas in Germany. Policy frameworks that introduce creation measures that foster innovation, as well as destruction measures that withdraw support from existing regimes, can serve as guidance for policy makers and future research. (Less)


The article analyzed the new situation faced by the navy hospital and its development status.The author put forward some suggestions on the following aspects to promote the development of the navy hospital,which included renewing ideas,practicing the missions,enlarging the input of discipline construction and scientific management.


Treatment of Class II malocclusion with myofunctional appliances has been proven beneficial in growing patients. Twin block appliance, introduced by Clark in 1978 is most widely used myofunctional appliance. In this case report, 11 year old female patient with Class II malocclusion treated with two phase therapy. Phase I therapy involved treatment with twin block appliance to correct mandibular retrusion. Phase II involved fixed mechanotherapy to correct minor displacement and settle occlusion. Diagnosis, treatment planning, results and three year follow up are demonstrated in this case report.


The article deals with the relation between international law and morality, particularly on the level of their secondary norms containing sanctions. Due to the interference of these normative systems in protecting often the same values, international law can sometimes rely upon international morality to ensure efficacy of its legal norms, particularly when international legal order is not able to do it. However, international morality will react against the wrongdoer who has breached international law only provided that the same wrongdoer has violated international moral norm as well.


Precision poultry farming technologies include the analysis of images of poultry flocks using cameras. In large-scale waterfowl farming, these can be used to determine the individual weight of poultry flocks. In our research in a real farming environment, we investigated the cameras fixed to the metal support structure of the barn, located above the suspended bird scales. Camera images of the bird on the weighing cell, taken from a top view, were matched to the weight data measured by the scale. The algorithm was trained on training data sets from a part of the database, and the results were validated with the other part of the database (Training: 60% Validation: 20% Testing: 20%). Three data science models were compared, and the random forest method achieved the highest accuracy and reliability. Our results show that the random forest method gave the most reliable results for determining the individual weights of birds. We found that the housing environment had a strong influence on the applicability of the data collection and processing technology. We have presented that by analyzing carefully collected images, it is possible to determine the individual weights of birds and thus provide valuable information on it.


Coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations have been performed in order to study charged dendrimers in an aqueous solution. The structure factor, counterion distribution and effective interaction between molecules are clarified numerically. In particular, the many-body interactions in a triplet system are investigated, which is of importance in concentrated systems. These results shed new light on the analysis of recent small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering experiments on dendrimer solutions.


T cell memory is the hallmark of adaptive immunity. Central questions are to determine which cells among proliferating effector T cells will live beyond the crash of the immune response (IR) and develop into functional memory T cells. CD47, considered as a marker of self, is implicated in cell death, cell elimination, and in the inflammatory response. We report in this article that CD47 expression was transiently regulated on Ag-specific CD4 T cells, that is, from CD47 high to CD47 low to CD47 high , during the course of the in vivo IR. Specifically, CD47 high status marked central memory CD4 T cell precursors at an early time point of the IR. By contrast, cytokine production was a functional attribute restricted to CD47 high , but not CD47 low , polyclonal effector CD4 T cells during recall responses in an experimental model of chronic airway inflammatory disease. Passive transfer of CD47 high , but not CD47 low , CD4 T cells in nonlymphopenic naive mice generated long-lived memory T cells capable of anamnestic responses. We conclude that CD47 high status on CD4 T cells identifies functional long-lived memory T cell progenitors. The Journal of Immunology , 2012, 188: 4249–4255.


He gained his doctorate at the University of Padua in 1892, and six years later became Extra Professor of Mechanics at the same University. Appointed full Professor in 1902, he remained at Padua until his election in 1918 to the Chair of Higher Analysis in the University of Rome, which he exchanged in 1922 for the Chair of Theoretical Mechanics. This he occupied until his retirement in 1938. His wife, whom he married in 1914, and who survives him, was a former pupil, Libera Trevisani.


in late obstruction. Secondly, since the fluid which is accumulating in the distended lumen of obstructed bowel has a cation composition identical to that of plasma, the concentration of serum electrolytes will not alter until late in obstruction. In addition, the extracellular compartment will be depleted rapidly and there will be an early reduction of the plasma volume, and shock will become manifest. Finally, the longer the obstruction persists the greater will the fluid losses become. A vicious circle will be set up in which the secretion of fluids will lead to further intestinal distension which, in turn, will aggravate secretion, and so on. The by-products of this vicious circle include excessive fluid losses and an increased risk of intestinal perforation. Treatment will be successful only if the distended gut is deflated by aspiration, the obstruction removed, and lost fluid replaced.


Abstract We examine how analysts respond to public information when setting stock recommendations. We model the determinants of analysts' recommendation changes following large stock price movements. We find evidence of an asymmetry following large positive and negative returns. Following large stock price increases, analysts are equally likely to upgrade or downgrade. Following large stock price declines, analysts are more likely to downgrade. This asymmetry exists after accounting for investment banking relationships and herding behavior. This result suggests recommendation changes are "sticky" in one direction, with analysts reluctant to downgrade. Moreover, this result implies that analysts' optimistic bias may vary through time.


We examine the solar neutrino problem in the context of the realistic three neutrino mixing scenario including the SNO charged current (CC) rate. The two independent mass squared differences $\Delta m^2_{21}$ and $\Delta m^2_{31} \approx \Delta m^2_{32}$ are taken to be in the solar and atmospheric ranges respectively. We incorporate the constraints on $\Delta$m$^2_{31}$ as obtained by the SuperKamiokande atmospheric neutrino data and determine the allowed values of $\Delta m^2_{21}$, $\theta_{12}$ and $\theta_{13}$ from a combined analysis of solar and CHOOZ data. Our aim is to probe the changes in the values of the mass and mixing parameters with the inclusion of the SNO data as well as the changes in the two-generation parameter region obtained from the solar neutrino analysis with the inclusion of the third generation. We find that the inclusion of the SNO CC rate in the combined solar + CHOOZ analysis puts a more restrictive bound on $\theta_{13}$. Since the allowed values of $\theta_{13}$ are constrained to very small values by the CHOOZ experiment there is no qualitative change over the two generation allowed regions in the $\Delta m^2_{21} - \tan^2 \theta_{12}$ plane. The best-fit comes in the LMA region and no allowed area is obtained in the SMA region at 3$\sigma$ level from combined solar and CHOOZ analysis.


Geotextile has been commonly used in civil and geotechnical engineering applications, and the majority of geotextiles is made of nonwoven fabrics. Therefore, this study combines crimped polyester (PET) fibers, recycled Kevlar unidirectional selvage fibers, and low-melting-point PET (LPET) fibers to form PET/Kevlar/LPET nonwoven geotextiles, and then examines how various neelde-punch depths influence mechanical properties of the resulting nonwoven geotextiles. The tensile strength, tearing strength, bursting strength, and static puncture resistance of the nonwoven fabrics increase as a result of an increase of 0.3 cm to 0.5 cm in needle-punch depth. However, an increase of 0.5 cm to 0.7 cm causes a slight decrease in all aforementioned properties.


The concept of institutional research,as well as its significance,methods and contents is systematically introduced in this paper.The necessity of developing institutional research to push higher vocational education is discussed in terms of a series of issues as consequences of its prompt development.


A rotor position/frequency self-sensing method for PMSM,which can be applied in a wide frequency range,is investigated.In the method the high frequency fluctuating voltage signal injection method is used at the low-speed band,the back-EMF tracking method is used at the mid/high-speed band,and only one of these two methods is used to obtain the position/frequency signal at the crossing-speed.The simulation results indicate that,the proposed scheme is suitable for accurate and fast detection of PMSM's position and speed in a wide speed range.


Such difficult analyses as disease association studies, which aim at mapping genetic variants underlying complex human diseases, rely on high-throughput genotyping techniques. However, a shortcoming of these techniques is the generation of missing calls. Computational inference of missing data represents a challenging alternative to genotyping again the missing regions. In this paper, we present SNPShuttle, an algorithm designed to improve inference accuracy with respect to a former software designed by Roberts and co-authors, NPUTE (Roberts et al., 2007). Given an SNP panel, NPUTE algorithm infers missing data through a single scan of the panel, exploiting local similarity within sliding windows. Instead, SNPShuttle scans an SNP panel in an iterative bi-directional way, to resolve missing data with more confidence. We evaluate the accuracy gain, systematically comparing a variant of NPUTE and SNPShuttle for controlled missing data percentages (pmiss) ranging from 5 to 30%. The corresponding benchmarks are built from the high resolution map of mouse strains made available by the Perlegen Project. In all cases (all missing data percentages, all 20 chromosomes studied), SNPShuttle is shown to bring a gain of accuracy. For pmiss percentages comprised between 5 and 15%, the average gain ranges between 1.56 and 1.81%. All missing data percentages confounded, accuracies obtained with the original method range in interval 92%-96.5%, for all 20 chromosomes analysed. In all cases, we show that SNPShuttle always increases the accuracy, by 0.88 up to 1.81%. We show that scanning an SNP panel in an iterative bi-directional way, only fixing SNPs inferred identically through two successive scans, brings invaluable accuracy gain with regard to the original method.


This study was aimed to determine the effect of the increasing silica and boron concentration and their interaction on plant growth and soybean yield. This research was conducted from April-September 2017 in the integrated field of the experiment at the University Lampung. The treatments were 0 and 5 ppm Boron (B) fertilizer and Silica (Si) concentrations in 6 levels (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 ppm). The difference between the means of B were calculated by using Orthogonal Contrast and response of Si was used Polynomial at a 0.05. The results showed that application of 5 ppm of B foliarly produced higher of soybean growth and production than without B treatment through variables of the dry weight and grain weight. Application of up to 125 ppm of Si foliarly was improved of soybean growth and production through variables of plant height, number of leaf, leaf area, dry weight and number of productive branch, number of pods, filled pod, and grain weight, but it didn't affect the percentage of empty pods. The response of soybean growth and production to the increasing Si didn't depend on the foliar B which was showed in all variables.


This is an Accepted Manuscript of a book chapter published by Routledge in Sport and National Identities:
Globalization and Conflict on 11 September 2017, available online: https://www.routledge.com/Sport-and-National-Identities-Globalization-and-Conflict/Dolan-Connolly/p/book/9781138697768


The study of local polymer on enhance oil recovery is to fine outs the capacity of local material to enhance oil recovery. Locally sourced polymer from starch and Ogbono (irvingia gabonensis) seed were used to increase viscosity of brine, since it has been known for long that the efficiency of a water flood can be improved by lowering the water oil mobility ratio in the system, such a change leads to better sweep efficiency and also more efficient oil displacement in the swept zone. The required material for the mobility control has to be cheap and non-toxic because large volume are needed and later disposed of eventually to the environment. The experimental flow result show that viscosity range of 1.5(cp) to 3.0(cp) of the material used enhanced oil recovery and water breakthrough time retarded significantly while using local polymer. The maximum oil recovery recorded were 3.9cc, 2.8cc and 3.7cc for starch, ogbono and XCD polymer respectively at 2.0cp with corresponding breakthrough time of 44, 22 and 45 second respectively The good result may have resulted from the increase in the viscosity of the displacing fluid.


The paper states that linking patients and treatment systems over the Internet can save time, resources, and lives. It shows how the Internet of Things is underpinning the Internet of Healthcare.


The crystal structure of 1,2,3,5-tetrafluorobenzene, 1, has been determined and is compared with those of other polyfluoro-substituted benzenes. Compound 1 has a layered monoclinic structure in which the layers are held by bifurcated C–H⋯F–C interactions. Short F⋯F separations are also observed. The layers are stacked at van der Waals separation to give a 4 A packing. This structure is adopted instead of an alternative tetragonal structure adopted by fluorobenzene and a number of related compounds such as benzonitrile, pyridine N-oxide and alloxan. Compound 1 does not take the tetragonal structure mostly because this structure would demand the formation of a C–F⋯π interaction, which appears improbable for the molecule. The role of weak intermolecular interactions in the crystal packing of predominantly non-polar compounds is highlighted.


We show that for every rooted, finitely branching, pruned tree T of height w there exists a family F which consists of order isomorphic to T subtrees of the dyadic tree C = {0, 1} <N with the following properties: (i) the family F is a G δ subset of 2 C ; (ii) every perfect subtree of C contains a member of F; (iii) if K is an analytic subset of F, then for every perfect subtree S of C there exists a perfect subtree S' of S such that the set {A ∈ F: A C S'} either is contained in or is disjoint from K.


In the compound hexakis(2,6-diisopropylphenoxy)-di-μ-oxo-diniobium(V), [Nb(C 12 H 17 O) 3 (μ-O)] 2 , a distorted trigonal bipyramidal geometry is adopted around each Nb metal center by three terminal aryloxide O atoms and two non-symmetrically bridging oxo groups. Nb-O(bridging)=1.807 (2), 2.117 (3) A; Nb-O(aryLoxide)=1.874 (3), 1.877 (3), 1.880 (3) A


Objective To compare the application of etomidate and propofol in sedative gastroscopy.Methods 100 unpremedicated ASA Ⅰ-Ⅱ patients (age 18 years-85 years,weight 35 kg-85 kg) scheduled to elective gastroscopy under sedation were randomized into etomidate (E) group and propofol (P) group,50 cases in each group. Patients in the E group(n=50) received etomidate [0.3 mg/kg,injection time of (20 ± 5)s]intravenously. Additional doses (0.1 mg/kg) were given to keep the Ramsay sedation score(RSS) between 5 and 6 as needed. Patients in the P group(n=50) received propofol [2.5 mg/kg,injection time of (20± 5) s]intravenously. Additional doses (1 mg/kg) were given to keep the RSS between 5 and 6 as needed. The patients were administered 2L/mim oxygen through nasal catheter and maintained spontaneous ventilation during the procedure. The anesthesia induction time,sleeping time,recovery time and procedure time were recorded. Also,the mean arterial pressure (MAP),heart rate (HR) and oxygen saturation (SpO2%) were recorded at the time points of preanesthesia,falling asleep,3min postoperation respectively. In addition,intraoperative body movement,myoclonia,bucking and postoperative complications were also recorded.Results There was no significant difference between two groups in anesthetic potency,including the anesthesia induction time,sleeping time and recovery time (P>0.05). MAP decreased significantly postoperatively in each group (P<0.05),and the scale of decreasing in P group (23±16) was steeper than in E group (15±17)(P<0.05). HR was also lower in P group than in E group postoperatively (P<0.05).With respect to postoperative SpO2%,the scale of decreasing in P group (3.1±2.4)was steeper than in E group (2.1±2.0)(P<0.05). The incidence of intraoperative body movement,myoclonia and bucking in E group (56%,54%,48%)were significantly higher than in P group(20%,4%,10%)(P<0.05) respectively; however,there was significantly better satisfaction with the intraoperative muscle relaxation in P group (P<0.05). The incidence of myoclonia was in negative correlation with age in E group.Conclusion Etomidate has less inhibitory effect on circulatory and respiratory function in patients but higher incidence of intraoperative body movement than propofol. For elderly patients,the incidence of these complications decreased with a reduced drug dosage.

Key words:
Etomidate; Propofol; Gastroscopy


The local induction equation, approximately describing dynamics of a quantized vortex filament in a trapped Bose-Einstein condensate in the Thomas-Fermi regime on a spatially nonuniform density background $\rho({\bf r})$ and taking dimensionless form ${\mathbf R}_t=\varkappa {\mathbf b}+[\nabla\ln\rho({\mathbf R})\times {\boldsymbol \tau}]$ (where $\varkappa$ is a local curvature of the filament, ${\mathbf b}$ is the unit binormal vector, and ${\boldsymbol \tau}$ is the unit tangent vector), is shown to admit a finite-dimensional reduction if the density profile is an isotropic Gaussian, $\rho\propto\exp(-|{\bf r}|^2/2)$. The reduction corresponds to a geometrically perfect vortex ring centered at position ${\bf A}(t)$, with orientation and size both determined by a vector ${\bf B}(t)$. Parameters ${\bf A}$ and ${\bf B}$ exhibit the same dynamics as velocity and position of a Newtonian particle do in 3D: $\dot {\bf A}={\bf B}/|{\bf B}|^2-{\bf B}$, and $\dot {\bf B}={\bf A}$.


Restoration of the dichotomy boundary to its original position to assess its origin requires a thorough knowledge of processes responsible for its degradation and retreat. The unique fretted terrain, located along the Deuteronilus‐Protonilus Mensae northern mid‐latitude portion of the boundary, has been long held to provide clues to dichotomy degradation processes. We use new spacecraft data to show that fretted valleys display a multitude of characteristics typical of integrated valley glacial systems on Earth (multiple theater‐headed, alcove‐like accumulation areas; sharp arete‐like ridges typical of glacial erosion; converging patterns of downslope valley flow; valley lineation patterns typical of folding and shear; wrap‐around features indicative of flow around obstacles; and broad piedmont‐like lobes as the valley fill extends out into the northern lowlands). The single integrated system containing these features covers about 30,000 km2, and is one of dozens of fretted valleys along the dichotomy boundary in this region. These relationships suggest that the boundary area was subjected to very large‐scale regional glaciation during the Amazonian. Recognition and documentation of this important late‐stage process provides information critical to reconstructing the original dichotomy boundary.


Until recent years, Roman art had not seriously engaged the attention of the historians of art. It had been regarded as a sort of supplementary chapter to Greek art. In his great history of Greek sculpture Overbeck had inserted two or three chapters on the monuments of the Roman age. Collignon in France and Ernest Gardner in England in their works on Greek sculpture only briefly touched on the sculptural monuments of Rome.


A mathematical model was developed for the iron ore sintering process considering all the major thermochemical phenomena in the system, assuming both the static and moving bed configurations. The model predicted a large number of parameters pertinent to the sintering process including the temperatures of the gas and solid, concentration of various species, amount of solid melted etc. The results were tested against the data existing in literature, and a limited number of pot tests conducted in a pilot plant. Despite high complexity of the problem, the agreement between the experimental and simulated data was reasonably good.


We examine if employment discrimination increased after the 2016 election. We submitted fictitious applications to publicly advertised positions using resumes that are manipulated on perceived race and ethnicity (Somali American, African American, and white American). Prior to the 2016 election, employers contacted Somali American applicants slightly less than white applicants but more than African American applicants. After the election, the difference between white and Somali American applicants increased by 10 percentage points. The increased discrimination predominantly occurred in occupations involving interaction with customers. We use 2017 as a placebo election; there was no increase in discrimination after the 2017 election.


The present invention relates to a preparation method for an electromagnetic wave shield composite material and the electromagnetic wave shield composite material prepared by the method. The present invention uses a highly conductive carbon fiber prepared by electroless and electrolytic continuous processes, and thus is suitable for an EMI shield due to having an excellent conductivity and low surface resistance, and is capable of providing the electromagnetic wave shield composite material having an excellent productivity and economic value. Furthermore, the electromagnetic wave shield composite material of the present invention can be used for blocking electromagnetic waves by being inserted into a cell phone cover and a cell phone pouch, and can also be applied to a bracket for protecting an LCD of a portable display product.


A comparison is made of the end-to-end delay performance of two service disciplines that a terminal adaptor (TA) can use to multiplex the pipelined synchronous native protocol frames arriving over the low-speed lines. In one scheme, the TA pipelines one synchronous frame at a time, waiting, if it needs to, for the successive link-access protocol D-channel (LAPD) packets from this one synchronous frame to accumulate. In the other scheme, the TA interleaves the LAPD packets from various synchronous frames. Using an analytical model for the first scheme, it is concluded that if the trunk speed (TA-to-network switch) to line speed ratio is greater than or equal to four, then over the range of useful loading, interleaved pipelining yields smaller mean delays than noninterleaved pipelining. If the ratio is less than four, interleaving yields larger mean delays for negative protocols which require a buildout delay at the egress TA.<<ETX>>


A microcomputer-based integration of aircraft design disciplines has been applied theoretically to sailplane, microwave-powered aircraft, and High Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) aircraft configurational definition efforts. Attention is presently given to the further development of such integrated-disciplines approaches through the incorporation of AI techniques; these are then applied to the aforementioned case of the HALE. The 'windFrame' language used, which is based on HyperTalk, will allow designers to write programs using a highly graphical, user interface-oriented environment.


Spectral super resolution (SSR) aims to reconstruct the 3D hyperspectral signal from a 2D RGB image, which is prosperous with the proliferation of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and increased access to RGB/hyperspectral datasets. Nevertheless, most CNN-based spectral reconstruction (SR) algorithms can only per-form high reconstruction accuracy when the input RGB image is relatively 'clean' with foregone spectral response functions. Unfortunately, in the real world, images are contaminated by mixed noise, bad illumination conditions, compression, artifacts etc. and the existing state-of-the-art (SOTA) methods are no longer working well. To conquer these drawbacks, we propose a novel dense residual channel re-calibration network (DRCR Net) with non-local purification for achieving robust SSR results, which first per-forms the interference removal through a non-local purification module (NPM) to refine the RGB inputs. To be specific, as the main component of backbone, the dense residual channel re-calibration (DRCR) block is cascaded with an encoder-decoder paradigm through several cross-layer dense residual connections, to capture the deep spatial-spectral interactions, which further improve the generalization ability of the network effectively. Furthermore, we customize dual channel re-calibration modules (CRMs) which are embedded in each DRCR block to adaptively re-calibrate channel-wise feature response for pursuing high-fidelity spectral recovery. In the NTIRE 2022 Spectral Re-construction Challenge, our entry obtained the 3rd ranking. Code will be made available online at https://github.com/jojolee6513/DRCR-net.


We investigate two new classes of performance measures. The first class quantifies the ability of a redundant manipulator to reconfigure itself while keeping the end-effector at a fixed position. The second measures the nonlinearity of the manipulator. We derive these measures using the differential-geometric formalism we introduced previously (1993).<<ETX>>


The article analyzes the conditions and problems of the transport service in the Far East in the context of radical reforms in the politics and economy. The author points out the contradictory results of these reforms for the transport service and attempts to trace the ways of their elimination.


Abstract: Chitinozoans collected from upper Tremadocian to lower Floian strata of Chenjiahe section, Yichang, western Hubei, China comprise six species belonging respectively to the genera Euconochitina including a new species, Euconochitina fenxiangensis, Lagenochitina and Bursachitina, together with Desmochitina sp. and Eremochitina sp. The chitinozoan succession across the interval is correlated with relevant conodont and chitinozoan biozones and two new regional chitinozoan biozones, the Lagenochitina destombesi Biozone and the Euconochitina symmetrica Biozone are proposed based on their stratigraphic ranges in the Fenxiang to Honghuayuan formations in the Chenjiahe section.


Hepatic damage due to drugs, xenobiotics and environmental pollutants has been a serious concern world wide as well as among Indians in terms of morbidity and mortality. Several commonly used drugs like paracetamol, nimesulide, pyrazinamide and other antitubercular drugs, halothane etc., have been implicated to cause hepatic damage that may require drug discontinuation .Fish oil has been studied in a variety of clinical conditions and found to protect against cellular damage due to Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). This study was planned on the assumption that fish oil may play a role in the prevention of hepatic injury induced by paracetamol. Paracetamol (acetaminophen) and Fish (Cod) liver oil (Seven SeasAE), manufactured by universal Medicare Ltd., Bangalore and were purchased from local commercial sources. The effect of fish (Cod) liver oil treatment on paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity and oxidative stress in the liver of rat was investigated. Animals exposed to paracetamol treatment (0.5g/kg i.p) 20h prior to sacrifice exhibited 50% rise (p<0.01) in TBARS concentration as compared to control value .Pretreatment of animals with fish oil for 7 days prior to paracetamol challenge elicited 83% decrease (p< 0.01) in MDA level, when compared with the level obtained 20 h after the paracetamol dose only which can be attributed to the antioxidant property of fish oil.


This text introduces the measurement principle and system architecture of online measure equipment in detail.This instrument can be used to measure the consistency of Na~+ of the carbonized solution which is produced in the procession of ammonia-soda process.This text also talks about hardware and software of the equipment and realization of each model.This instrument's range is 1 to 3 mol/L.With two minutes responding time,the error less than±1.2%.Comparing with others chemical analysis method,this online measure equipment has such advantages like high level of auto-control,easy to use consistent measurement,high noise immunity and so on.Especially,this equipment fit for measure the high solution concentration.


Yes. A program of daily unidirectional and interactive educational text messages, plus routine counseling over six months, increases the likelihood of oral contraceptive pill continuation and decreases interruptions in dosing compared to routine counseling alone (SOR: B, single randomized controlled trial [RCT] from systematic review). However, simple daily text message reminders alone over three months does not decrease number of missed pills compared to standard care (SOR: B, single RCT from systematic review). Mobile phone reminders may be considered in young women to improve oral contraception adherence (SOR: C, consensus guideline). Copyright © 2019 by Family Physicians Inquiries Network, Inc. DOI 10.1097/EBP.0000000000000685


This essay considers how Edmund Spenser's understanding of allegory was significantly shaped by his encounter with Torquato Tasso's crusade epic, Gerusalemme liberata (1581). At issue here is the broad critical statement made by Spenser's principle representation of this encounter in The Faerie Queene (1590, 1596), the Bower of Bliss, an extended quotation of Tasso's garden of Armida. Richard Helgerson has argued that Spenser's reading of Tasso in the 1580s radically altered the poet's understanding of the political significance of genres. Extending this line of thinking into a reading of the Bower's recreation of and pointed departures from Tasso's garden reveals how the Liberata forced Spenser to come to terms with the political significance of allegory itself, to think of allegory not merely as the means through which ethical ideals are projected into images but as an ethical act caught up in the ambiguities that attend all social praxis. While readers have long noted the similarities between these two gardens, their significant differences have generally gone unremarked. Spenser's most radical de-


forms as inequality in access, a burden of mobility and increased costs of mobility. Depending on the modality, usage, place, user or else these can differ in impact. This is not new, although some might sound more familiar than others. How mobilities are used, perceived, and how processes involved take shape is vital in understanding these externalities, when and why they become a problem. Policies have been developed, pleas have been made, individual actions have been taken to act on these perceived problems. These are familiar attempts which include emission regulations, fuel taxation, speed limitations, parking fees, Public Transportation [PT] grants, safety regulations, 'car-free Sunday', awareness campaigns, road rules and many more. In some way or another these externalities and policies affect equality, deliberately or not. A society, situation or alternative can be more or less equal. Less equal situations are often perceived as less just than more equal ones. However, even when a situation is not equal it still can be just. To be able to examine such a statement a concept of social justice is needed. Therefore it is useful to know what social justice is, and how it should be applied to a mobilities context. Because no universal standard for justice is known, this thesis will look at possible interpretations of social justice which can be used. Since spatiality is inherent to human society and mobilities are used to cope with space, it is necessary to account for space in order to discuss social justice in mobilities. Once an understanding of social justice is gained space has to be taken into account. Space is an important element in understanding justice in mobilities. Spatial justice is a concept that in recent years has been developed. Although useful work has been done in this upcoming field, essential theoretical notions are still lacking. In order to provide an increased understanding of the value and range of spatial justice the concept will be further developed and applied to mobilities. 1 'Externalities' is a concept originally used in economics to describe all effects of an action not transmitted through in the price of a product. It is used here to describe all effects of mobility which are not accounted for by the user(s) of mobility. Whether an externality is negative or positive would be defined by the perception of those who define it.


1. Renewable Energy: An Introduction 2. Renewable Energy and East Asia's New Developmentalism 3. Renewable Energy Policy in East Asia 4. Wind Energy 5. Solar Energy 6. Hydropower 7. Geothermal Energy 8. Ocean Energy 9. Bioenergy 10. Conclusion


The plasmon resonances of sulphonato-calixnaphthalene-capped silver nanoparticles have been used to study the complexation of the nanoparticles with nucleobases and amino acids. Only in the case of the nanoparticles capped with oxacalix[4]naphthalenesultone, does complexation of both nucleobases and certain amino acids occur. The complexation of the aromatic amino acids, phenylalanine and tryptophan, has previously not been observed for calixarene-capped silver nanoparticles.


The invention discloses a shaded solar automotive pull-folding type sun-blocking device which comprises a sun-blocking cover, a sun-blocking automobile roof, an air filling and extracting pump, a refrigeration component and a storage battery. The sun-blocking cover is arranged on the outer side of an automobile and comprises a front sun-blocking cover body, a rear sun-blocking cover body, a left sun-blocking cover body and a right sun-blocking cover body which are capable of being stacked to automobile roof, each of the front sun-blocking cover body, the rear sun-blocking cover body, the left sun-blocking cover body and the right sun-blocking cover body comprises a an outer composite aluminum foil glass fiber layer, an inner organic glass fiber cloth layer and an air layer sandwiched between the inner layer and the outer layer, the sun-blocking automobile roof comprises a solar photovoltaic board and an air sandwich layer formed between the solar photovoltaic board and an automobile-roof covering piece, both the air layer and the air sandwich layer are communicated with the air filling and extracting pump, the solar photoelectric board, the air filling and extracting pump and the refrigeration component are connected with the storage battery, and the air outlet of the refrigeration component is communicated with an automobile passenger chamber. The shaded solar automotive pull-folding type sun-blocking device has the advantages of low-carbon environment friendliness, convenience in use, good sun-blocking effect and the like.


Servelle-Martorell syndrome (SMS) is an extremely uncommon vascular malformation characterized by venous malformations (VMs), limb overgrowth, and bone hypotrophy. The most common complications are venous thrombosis and pathological fractures. Ectasia and aneurysmal dilatations of the superficial veins may result in overgrowth of soft tissues but shortening of the affected limb. We report an 11-year-old Hispanic boy with an enlarged lower limb and VM. The patient suffered a fall at 9 years of age resulting in ankylosis of the knee without the possibility of limb extension or walking. When he tried to stand up, a severe orthostatic hypotension and almost loss of consciousness were present. An angio computed tomography and an arteriography demonstrated a complete absence of the deep venous system and bony hypotrophy compatible with SMS.


Monochamus alternatus is the main vector of pinewood nematode,a critical plant quarantine organism.Three hundred and thirty soil samples were collected from 110 forest fields(of which 88 were pine wood fields)distributed over 40 counties in Fujian and Jiangxi province from August 2005 to September 2006. Metarhizium anisopliae was detected in 26 soil samples from 21 forest fields(of which 16 were pine wood fields) by selective medium,which accounted for 7.9% of the samples and 19.1% of the fields.Colony Forming Units (CFU)of M.anisopliae in the soils ranged from 500 to 72500CFU/g,indicating a wide distribution of this fungus.The pathogenicity of 9 well sporulating isolates against M.alternatus was evaluated by using adult-conidial attaching method and larva dip method.MaYTTR-03 and MaYTTR-04 have showed high virulence to M.alternatus and the mortality in 21d after inoculation was 80.0% and 76.0% for larvae and 83.4% and 88.9% for adults respectively at inoculation of 1.2×10~6±2.0×10~5 and 1.5×10~6±5.0×10~5 conidia/individual, indicating their high potential for management of M.alternatus.


Collections, observations and experiments were used to investigate the behavioural ecology of gall thrips (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae) in New South Wales and Queensland, Australia. Data are presented on aspects of gall morphology, male and female morphology, behaviour, life cycles, and sex ratios for six gall-forming species, five species of inquilines (invaders that do not form galls), and one genus that uses secretions to glue phyllodes (modified petioles) together. During gall foundation on phyllodes of Acacia pendula, females of Kladothrips rugosus Froggatt fight other females to the death, males fight other males to the death, and one female or one adult of each sex remains alive within the gall to breed. In addition to the live adults, half of newly found galls contained dead bodies of from one to 13 males and females, which were apparently killed in fights. In Oncothrips tepperi Karny, which forms galls on Acacia oswaldii, single females found new galls, and females engage in lethal fighting dur...


Welds in two CMo steel catalytic gas-oil desulfurizer reactors cracked under hydrogen pressure-temperature conditions that would not have been predicted by the June 1977 revision of the Nelson Curve for that material. Evidence of severe cracking was found in five weld-joint areas during examination of a naphtha desulfurizer by ultrasonic shear wave techniques. Defect indications were found in longitudinal and circumferential seam welds of the ASTM A204, grade A, steel sheet. The vessel was found to have a type 405 stainless steel liner for corrosion protection that was spot welded to the base metal and all vessel welds were found to be overlaid with type 309 stainless steel. Long longitudinal cracks in the weld metal, as well as transverse cracks were exposed after the weld overlay was ground off. A decarburized region on either side of the crack was revealed by metallurgical examination of a cross section of a longitudinal crack. It was concluded that the damage was caused by a form of hydrogen attack. Installation of a used Cr-Mo steel vessel with a type 347 stainless steel weld overlay was suggested as a corrective action.


The study results revealed that there is a considerable variability in maize production efficiencies largely due to shifting cultivation practices. The policy makers should give due emphasis to increase the level of efficiencies of the farmers who are far from the modern information and farming. This is because the use of improved technologies is expensive which results in practicing of subsistence farming. If educational opportunities for farmers are improved, the efficiency of the framers can be enhanced. Thus, government should design appropriate policy to provide adequate and effective basic educational opportunities to the low land population, both formal and non-formal education. Under the mixed farming system, farmers with more number of livestock were relatively better in the allocative efficiency. Hence, there is a need to design appropriate policy and strategies for improving livestock production systems. However, the problem of shortage of feed shall also have be considered for enhancing the efficiency of maize production.


Abstract Fifteen alkyl acyloin derivatives of ferrocene have been prepared by hydrolysis of 2-ferrocenyl-2-(1-hydroxy-alky)-1, 3-dithiane in good yields. The products were characterized by elemental analysis, IR and PMR spectra. The effect of the structure of the reactant on the reaction is discussed.


5 INTRODUCTION 7 1. Epidermal development 7 2. p63: structure and expression 13 3. BMP Signaling 17 5. Cell Cycle 21 6. microRNA 26 MATERIALS AND METHODS 31 1. Keratinocytes preparation and cell cultures 31 2. Chromatin immunoprecipitation 31 3. Constructs, transfections and reporter assays 32 4. Retroviral infections. 34 5. Analysis of gene expression 34 6. Real-time RT-PCR 35 7. Immunostaining. 38 8. Immunoblotting 39 9. in situ hybridization 39 10. Mice and Skin Explants 40 11. Flow cytometry and BrdU labeling 41 12. miRNA expression analysis 42 RESULTS 43


To provide a detailed description of the dynamics of laser beam propagation in the atmosphere we use the method of the photon distribution function in the phase space, which reduces the analysis to consideration of photon trajectories and their correlations. The scintillation index ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}^{2}$ is calculated for the range of moderate and strong turbulence, which is the most challenging for analytical consideration. The considerable growth of ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}^{2}$ (by two to three times) found for moderate turbulence is shown to be due to correlations between photon trajectories. Our calculations demonstrate that the maximum of ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}^{2}$ can be considerably decreased by an increase of the source aperture or the use of the fast phase diffuser.


This paper presents guidelines developed by Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) for characterizing portland cement concrete (PCC) materials for AASHTOWare Pavement ME designs. The guidelines, developed under MDOT's ongoing efforts to implement the Mechanistic Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) procedure Pavement ME program, are based on laboratory results from of 20 PCC mixes batched with materials typical of Mississippi paving mixes. They include five different aggregate sources and four different options for the use of supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) for partial cement replacement. The laboratory experimental plan comprised of standard tests to measure flexural strength, compressive strength, elastic modulus, poisson's ratio, coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), and percent length change due to shrinkage. The laboratory test results represent level 1 and 2 PCC material inputs and they were recorded at different test ages as required by the MEPDG procedure. Strength and modulus data were measured at 7, 14, 28, and 90 days, CTE at 28-days, and shrinkage length change measurements at 1, 7, 14, 21, 35, 63, 119, 231, and 455 days. The data collected offered an excellent opportunity to validate and refine the MEPDG recommended level 2 models for estimating flexural strength and elastic modulus based on compressive strength data. The data demonstrate a slight deviation from the national models. Level 2 equations were developed by aggregate type. Also, CTE values based on aggregate type were established for these material sources. AASHTOWare ME analysis verified the benefit of using MDOT level 2 correlations over the default correlations to match performance predictions with analysis using level 1 inputs. It is recommended that future efforts by MDOT for the recalibration of the rigid pavement distress prediction models examine the sensitivity of these level 2 correlation equations prior to their inclusion in the MDOT Design Manual.


of engineers working on traction motor design. In addition, it provided the ability to evaluate more design alternatives, reduced time to market, reduced manufacturing costs, and improved the quality of traction motors. The team has since made an order-of-magnitude further improvement by implementing an enterprise-scale HPC environment, whose details are confidential. This paper presents information on the predecessor HPC platform that served as a stepping stone to the current approach.


When railway crossing is required to be improved to improve road traffic efficiency, cost-benefits analysis is conducted. In the analysis, such benefits as the reduction of the delay in road vehicle traffic and related costs and reduction of traffic accidents have been appropriately estimated, however, which has not been the case for the reduction of railway operation costs and accidents. This omission may result in a significant difference in the total estimation of the benefits achievable in a long railway line where many of the crossings are improved or reconstructed. This would deteriorate the rationality of the benefit analysis. As the result, although there are various, significant benefits recognizable in the improvement of railway crossings, but they have not been included in the list of the benefits due to the difficulty in calculation. To this end, this paper proposes a methodology of the calculation of the benefits of railway crossing improvement by estimating the unit costs used in the estimation of the benefits obtainable by the reduction of the railway operation costs and the reduction of the accidents at a crossing on the basis of past studies and data.


This work provides a solution to detect malicious nodes normally operate during determination of a route over but modifies or drop data during data transmission or report wrong information regarding a normal node, using a report message and a report table that list reporter nodes and suspect nodes in AODV-based Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs). In the existing detection mechanisms, a malicious node that provides wrong information can be easily identified but cannot be removed from a network. To solve this problem, the proposed solution determines a suspect node as a malicious node when more than k lists of reporter nodes and suspect nodes are recorded in the report table in case where k malicious nodes are over the network. We evaluate the average loss rate and the average transmission rate of our solution along a number of parameters.


Developmental changes in mechanical bone parameters were studied in rats consuming diets of 62% starch (S) or fructose (FR) as carbohydrate (CHO) with 0.6 ..mu..g/g copper (Cu-) or 6.0 ..mu..g/g copper (Cu+) for five weeks. Yield bending moment, ultimate bending moment, yield deformation and ultimate deformation were determined using an Instron Universal Testing Machine. Bone length and the bone dry weight were also determined. Yield bending moment reflects bone flexibility before the onset of structural damage while ultimate bending moment indicates the total amount of force the bone will withstand before it fails. Yield and ultimate deformation indicate the amount of bend in the bone at each of the respective points. Bone length, bone weight, ultimate bending moment, and yield deformation showed significant three way interaction of Cu X CHO X WEEK. There was a significant Cu X CHO and Cu X WEEK interaction in yield bending moment while ultimate deformation had a significant Cu X CHO interaction. Bone length and dry weight followed similar patterns over the five-week period with the FRCu-being low at week three and continuing through week five. FRCu+ had the highest yield and ultimate bending moments and were significant for both parameters from week threemore » on. The Cu- rats regardless of CHO source were lower in yield and ultimate bending moment from week three through week five.« less


Approved_ (Major Professor) In this study the materi.q.is and equipment costs of a one-pipe air-vent steam heating system are estimated an compared to the respective costs of an electric radiant panel heatin system. This study was undertaken for an isolated dude ranch comprised of the folloring buildings: ranch house, has two stories and eiht rooms, approximately 30 ears old, floor area 42 x 43 feet; four three room cabins, 15 x 20 feet, approximately 8 years old; converted barn into a combination dance hail arid restaurant, floor area 30 x 87 feet, approximately 30 years old. The author's assinment by the owner was to make a preliminary study and estimation o:' costs of a loir pressure steam heating system for the ranch buildings. The costs were to be kept to a minimum. The ec'nomy of the system was to be disrearded as the fuel, sawdust, could be obtained free of charge and the water supDly is free and ample. To obtain the costs of material and equipment the follo'iin procedure ras necessary. A. Detailed measuring of a]1 the buildings. B. Compiling construction data. C. Drawin of floor pins. D. Calculations of heat losses. E. Calculations of radiator areas. F. Ca1ulations of riDing and heat losses in piping. G. Calculation of boiler capacity and size. H. Compiling costs of materials an eqiipment.


In the through arch bridges, the suspenders are the key components connecting the arch rib and the bridge deck in the middle, and their safety is an increasing focus in the field of bridge engineering. In this study, various vehicle traffic flow parameters are investigated based on the actual vehicle data acquired from the long-term structural health monitoring system of a composite arch bridge. The representative vehicle types and the probability density functions of several parameters are determined, including the gross vehicle weight, axle weight, time headway, and speed. A finite element model of the bridge structure is constructed to determine the influence line of the cable force for various suspenders. A simulated vehicle flow, generated using the Monte Carlo method, is applied on the influence lines of the target suspender to determine the stress process, and then the stress amplitude spectrum is obtained based on the statistical analysis of the stress process using the rainflow counting method. The fatigue performance levels of various suspenders are analyzed according to the Palmgren-Miner linear cumulative damage theory, which helps to manage the safety of the suspenders.


This paper focuses on the debt spiral in South Africa. There are concerns and indications of extreme and spiraling debts in the poor segments of the population. This paper reports on a qualitative method into factors contributing to the debt spiral in the poor communities in South Africa. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the levels of indebtedness at the household level and the effectiveness of the regulation of micro lending. Literature review analysed the socio-economic aspects of the poor households as well as their access to financial services. The research was conducted in Mamelodi informal settlement known as Mandela village in the Gauteng Province where the majority of the households survive below the minimum poverty level. Unstructured personal interviews were conducted with fifteen families that were randomly selected. Only one member, a parent in particular, in each family was interviewed. Interviews were also recorded on audio tape. Key findings show that the poor income households witnessed the greatest increase in the number of loans and percentages of indebtedness. Based on these findings, this research recommends that urgent measures be put in place to deal with explosive debt crisis and to track moneylenders who exploit the poor households and to revise and improve the current regulation of the micro lending market.


The Policy. Plning, and RResaebComplex distdibutes PPR WorkingPapep todissentinte findings of wk in progs to encourage the exchange of ides among Bank staff and all others inerested in devdopment lames. These papescarry the names of the authors, rflet only their views, and should be used and cited accordingly. he findings, intrpetations, and conclusions are the authos' own.They should not be atributed to theWorid Bank, its Board of Directors, iu snanagement, or any ofits mmnberecnties. P ub lic D is cl os ur e A ut ho riz ed


 Abstract— This paper presents a method for detection of brain tumor from Magnetic Resonance Image. Pre-processing the image makes it ready for applying the watershed segmentation. Pre-processing includes image resizing, conversion to gray. Gradient magnitude is to be computed before applying the segmentation and magnitude of these gradients is computed using the sobel mask. Watershed segmentation is used for detecting the tumor. The basic watershed algorithm is well recognized as an efficient morphological segmentation tool however, a major problem with the watershed transformation is that it produces a large number of segmented regions in the image around each local minima embedded in the image. A solution to this problem is to use marker based watershed segmentation. Connected component analysis extracts the regions which are not separated by boundary after region boundaries have been detected. Finally


Tuesday is the first day of summer vacation for area students. What would a student on the verge of summer like to do? Wilson Abdoo, 10, said he will have the chance to live his dream summer vacation by going to the World's Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee. "I can get firecrackers and everything," he said. "Walk around and buy a bunch of stuff."


The aim of the article is to analyze the use features of the female images in the creative work of stained-glass artwork, panels and lithography in the Modern Age. Research methodology is based on the use of cultural, structural, comparative, and analytical methods in the study of female images. Results. The paper studies the technologies of decorative and applied art, using features of the female images in stained-glass artwork, panels and lithography of Art Nouveau. The author analyzes the concept of "stained-glass artwork", "panel", "lithography" in decorative and applied art and considers the