Silica-based sol-gel antireflective (AR) optical coatings are critical components for high peak power laser systems. It is well known that water vapor and volatile organic compounds in both the laser bay and target bay environments will reduce the antireflective efficiency and laser-damage resistance of the sol-gel AR coating. In this study, alkylation with organosilanes in the vapor state was investigated. Sol-gel AR coatings were vapor-phase treated with hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) and trimethylchlorosilane (TMCS) at room temperature, and the resulting post-treated sol-gel AR coatings were tested for their resistance to contamination by a series of volatile organic compounds. Contact angle measurements were taken to discern the degree of silanization. After the vapor treatment of sol-gel AR coatings with organosilanes, the spectral performance of the coatings were analyzed by spectrophotometer, both before and after the exposure to volatile organic compounds. It is found that the coatings treated with ammonia and HMDS show a better contamination resistant capability. After being contaminated 70 hours with hexane, the transmittance of the coatings presents no obvious decrease. And the vapor treatment produces an increase in their damage threshold at 1064 nm (10ns pulse width) as compared to untreated control samples.


A new method for the determination of polymer viscosity-average molecular weights was developed with flow piezoelectric quartz crystal (PQC) viscosity sensing. The experimental setup with a 9 MHz AT-cut quartz crystal and a flow detection cell was constructed and shown to be able to give highly reproducible data under the temperature of 25 ± 0.1°C and the fluid flow rate of 1.3–1.6 mL/min. A response model for PQC in contact with dilute polymer solutions (concentration <0.01 g/mL) was proposed in which the frequency change from the pure solvent, Δfs, follows Δfs = −k6ηl1/2 + k7, where ηl is the absolute viscosity of dilute polymer solution and k6 and k7 are the proportionality constants. This model was examined with poly(ethylene glycol) samples (PEG-20000 and PEG-10000) under the aforementioned experimental conditions using water as solvent. The result was Δfs = −1587ηl1/2 + 1443. Based on this model, the method for the determination of polymer viscosity-average molecular weights, Mη, by flow PQC viscosity sensing was described and examined with an unknown poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVAL) sample. The new method proved to be an attractive and promising alternative for the determination of polymer molecular weights based on the good agreement between the molecular weight determined by the new method (Mη = 58600) for the unknown PVAL sample with that determined by the conventional capillary viscosity method. The new method has some advantages over the conventional viscosity method; for examples, operation is simpler and more rapid; the instruments required are cheaper and portable; the needed sample quantity is smaller; and the experimental setup constructed can be used in continuous measurement. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 82: 63–69, 2001


While organization design has been a central topic in management and organization research, our knowledge is still limited on how it affects organizational processes and their consequences in the p...


The authors outline the methodology used to study the life cycle of both individuals and families including event history analysis. The first chapter describes the basic concepts involved and methods of analysis employed. The second chapter reviews the computer programs and packages available for this kind of analysis. Five examples of specific analyses using such programs are given in the third chapter. The fourth and final chapter is devoted to the empirical verification of selected methods of analyzing family and individual life cycles using data from a Polish survey carried out in 1988. (SUMMARY IN ENG AND RUS)


The determination of the optimal stopping frontier associated with a given reward function and stochastic process represents an important class of stochastic control problem. In particular, the expectations of such problems may be represented as solutions of variational inequalities of evolutionary type and are typically characterized by their associated high number of degrees of freedom, unbounded domains, and lack of boundary conditions. In this paper, we utilize Radial Basis Functions (RBF) to approximate the solution of a class of optimal stopping problems from financial mathematics; the pricing of vanilla options written on a single risky asset. We investigate the influence of the computational domain, domain decomposition and mesh scaling on the computed solution.


IN item analysis procedures involving fourfold tables that represent the four possible combinations of classification on two dichotomized variables, or dimensions, it is customary for one dimension (say k) to constitute the existence of high or low groups on a criterion variable, or the presence of two contrasting clinical or occupational groups, and for the other dimension (say j ) to designate the contrasting modes of response such as "right or wrong," "yes or no," "agree or disagree," or "like or dislike." Once such a table has been formed, as shown in Figure 1, the investigator is frequently interested in (1) the calculation of chi square (2) to indicate the existence of a significant degree of association between category of criterion membership and mode of response, (2) the computation of the phi coe5cient (4) expressing the degree of relationship between the two variables, (3) the d,etermination of the marginal values of the fourfold table in terms of frequencies of responses, (4) the conversion of marginal values to proportions of the total frequency, and (5) the transformation of frequencies in each of the cells of the fourfold table to the proportions that they represent of the sum of frequencies in the row or column containing the cell. The table could also be conceptualized to form a basis for obtaining relative to variables j and k inter-item phi correlation coefficients (between items j and k) in that the dichotomized responses for item


Summary form only given. A comparatively simple method of feeding the planar annular sector element via a coaxial line has been developed. The probe is matched to the strip by a short cylindrical disk sleeve on the center conductor. This type of feeding has been successfully employed in a previous antenna designed for the Land Mobile Satellite System. This feed technique can be used to achieve moderate bandwidth (about 10%), which is sufficient for many applications, including the mobile antennas of the MSAT project at JPL/NASA. This element is very simple and economical to fabricate. >


Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are brief, intense pulses of high-energy emission associated with extreme astrophysical phenomena, e.g. the death of massive stars or the coalescence of compact objects. They have been observed at high energies by the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT), which detects GRBs in the 20 MeV–300 GeV energy range. The Fermi-LAT Second GRB Catalog (2FLGC) presents information on 186 GRBs observed from 2008 to 2018. We consider the GRBs that have been fitted in the 2FLGC with a broken (21 GRBs) or simple power law (65 GRBs), compiling a total sample of 86 GRBs. We analyze the relationship between the spectral and temporal indices using closure relations according to the synchrotron forward-shock model evolving in stratified environments (n∝r−k). We find that the model without energy injection is preferred over the one with energy injection. There is a clear preference for the cooling conditions ν> max{νc,νm} and νm<ν<νc (where νc and νm are the cooling and characteristic frequencies, namely the frequency at the spectral break). Within these cooling conditions, density profiles r−k with values of k=1.5 and 2 generally have a higher rate of occurrence when considering relations with and without energy injection.


This experiment was conducted to study the effects of Clostridium butyricum on intestinal microflora,morphology and mucosal immunity-associated cells in egg-laying male chicks.Two hundred and forty one-day-old Hy-Line egg-laying male chicks were randomly divided into 6 groups with 4 replicates in each group and 10 chicks in each replicate.The diets were supplemented with 0(control group),150 mg/kg aureomycin(antibiotic group),250(EG250),500(EG500),750(EG750) and 1 000(EG1000) mg/kg Clostridium butyricum,respectively.The results showed as follows: 1) the number of E.coli in EG750 and EG1000 was significantly less than that of control group and antibiotic group(P0.05),and except for EG250,the number of Lactobacillus in the other Clostridium butyricum groups was larger than that of control group and antibiotic group(P0.05).2)The villus height of small intestine of EG1000 was significantly higher than that of control group and antibiotic group,villus length/crypt depth(V/C) was significantly higher than that of control group,and mucosa thickness of jejunum was significantly higher than that of the other groups(P0.05).3) The number of intraepithelial lymphocyte of jejunum and ileum of EG1000 was significantly increased compared with that of control group(P0.05),but was not significantly different from that in antibiotic group(P0.05),the number of goblet cell of jejunum and ileum of EG1000 was significantly higher than that of control group and antibiotic group(P0.05).The number of immunoglobulin A positive(IgA+) of duodenum and jejunum of EG1000 was significantly increased compared with that of control group(P0.05),and not significantly different from that of antibiotic group(P0.05).In conclusion,Clostridium butyricum can promote growth and maintain intestine health,and the optimum supplemental level is 1 000 mg/kg under the condition of this experiment.


Human workers are flexible and able to solve problems; hence, their significance in the assembly work is important even today. The challenge is to deliver assembly information to the workers about each task at a given time. Augmented Reality (AR) provides new opportunities to enhance assembly work in which visual information can be used to increase the competitive ability of the Finnish assemblage work. In all AR systems, digital or other types of virtual objects are connected to the view of the real world seen by the user. The rapid development of small-sized technology such as PDA devices, head-mounted displays and camera phones with enough processing capacity and long lasting batteries has enabled light-weight mobile AR systems. In this study, the usability of augmented reality was tested by a simplified task that emulates assembly work. The study was performed at the University of Ljubljana in September 2007 during an international conference. The size of the sample was 50 persons. The task was to build up a 3D puzzle (a cube) with six pieces that were to put in correct order in the correct position. Instructions were projected on the head-mounted display, and the completion time was measured. Afterwards the users filled the questionnaire about user experience and opinions about augmented reality. As a result, assembly was rapid with AR and opinions about AR were positive. Technology requires, however, further development before it can be used in production. For instance, feedback mechanisms for user should be improved. ISBN 978-951-38-7148-2 (URL: http://www.vtt.fi/publications/index.jsp) Series title and ISSN Project number VTT Working Papers 1459-7683 (URL: http://www.vtt.fi/publications/index.jsp) 10755 Date Language Pages January 2008 Finnish, engl. abstr. 27 p. + app. 1 p. Name of project Commissioned by Augmented Assembly Tekes, Deltatron Oy, Kalmar Industries, Metso Oyj, Sandvik Oyj, Valtra Oyj, Wartsila Oyj and VTT


This study investigates the factors that influence students in choosing a career path in accounting. The decision to choose a career path needs to be detected early because it has an impact on future professional performance which determines both the individual's social position, style and standard of living, and life satisfaction. This study examines the factors that influence the career paths of accounting students through the social cognitive career theory. Based on this theory, the relationship between career path and driving factors such as intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, third party influence, career exposure, is identified. The online survey was conducted on 333 respondents. Through regression analysis, this study found that intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation and career exposure have a positive effect while third parties influences do not have a significant value on career paths. These findings could be useful for policy makers and higher education institutions to provide a more supportive environment that will foster interest among accounting students to be motivated in choosing career paths in accounting.


The article analyzes the construction of a visual narrative as well as the importance of the practice of the photographic registry through photographs produced or collected by the state power and published in official documentation. The images depict the potentiality and the economic and social reality of the state of Sao Paulo at the turn of 19th century to the 20th.
Keywords: photography; visual culture; industrial heritage; state of Sao Paulo.


It has been well documented that major economic development initiatives in the city of Atlanta are planned by and advance the interests of particular members of the community (Hunter 1953; Stone 1989). However, widespread discontent with the vestiges of urban renewal in the city and a rise in the power of Black elected officials at the local and state level, helped set the political opportunity for an institutionalized mechanism for wider citizen participation in Atlanta's land use decisions. In 1974, the neighborhood planning unit system was established within the city's new charter. This new system was designed to give community groups and residents a voice in land use decisions that affected their neighborhoods. The effectiveness of this system over time, especially for Black residents, has not been addressed in previous research. In this paper, I seek to examine how the NPU system affects African- American residents' ability to advance their land use interests in Atlanta, particularly in the city's most economically disadvantaged communities. The two main research questions of this paper are: 1. How have the neighborhood planning units provided Black residents with an opportunity to influence land use decisions in their inner-city neighborhoods? 2. Has the NPU system allowed for more democracy in local land-use planning or has it reinforced Atlanta's tradition of elite-centered governance? I use archival research and interview data to answer these questions.


The G20 has lost its clout and its way with murky questions about its legitimacy now surfacing. Dermot Hodson assesses whether its sense of purpose can be rekindled.


The ability to accurately model precipitating electron distributions is crucial for understanding magnetosphere‐ionosphere‐thermosphere coupling processes. We use the magnetically and electrically self‐consistent Rice Convection Model‐Equilibrium (RCM‐E) of the inner magnetosphere to assess how well different electron loss models can account for observed electron fluxes during the large 10 August 2000 magnetic storm. The strong pitch angle scattering rate produces excessive loss on the morning and dayside at geosynchronous orbit (GEO) compared to what is observed by a Los Alamos National Laboratory satellite. RCM‐E simulations with parameterized scattering due to whistler chorus outside the plasmasphere and hiss inside the plasmasphere are able to account simultaneously for trapped electron fluxes at 1.2 keV to ~100 keV observed at GEO and for precipitating electron fluxes and electron characteristic energies in the ionosphere at 833 km measured by the NOAA 15 satellite.


In this paper, we propose the human recognition framework based on the biometric trait conveyed by a walking subject, where the viewing angles of gallery and probe may differ. To deal with this kind of intra-class variance, we propose to exploit the view transformation technology to transform the embedded vector of one viewing angle into another embedded vector of target viewing angle. Then, the metric already learned previously on target manifold will be use to measure the similarity between vectors. Experiments were conducted on CASIA-B gait database and the results demonstrate the notable improvement of cross view gait recognition performance via the combination of feature transformation and metric learning.


The motivation for the analysis is the European Year of Skills 2023 announced by the European Commission. The mian purpose of the article is to show the problems of the contemporary functioning of European science cooperation policy. Knowledge in a broad sense, including scientific and expert knowledge, is increasingly important in the process of political decision-making. The article presents the evolution of the approach and spread of the European Uniosą activity in the internal and external dimensions of its science policy. The authors analyzed the operational tools of European Union's (EU) scientific cooperation, which include the European Universities Initiative, Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe programs. The following research methods were used to achieve this goal: case studies, statistical analysis and analysis of sources such as policy documents, normative acts, university rankings, available scientific literature and Internet sources. The subjects of the study are "European universities" – members of alliances: Transform4Europe and The 4 EU+ Alliance, subjected to qualitative and quantitative analysis.


According to the DEA model,the paper makes the factors which affect the economic growth divided into soft technological progresses,hard technological progresses,and intensive growth,and derives their formulas for calculating At the same time,through the years 1990-2007 in the provinces of data,the paper determines the forefront of the production function,then estimates the hard and soft technologies contributed to Tianjin's economic growth,which is in line with the actual situation.


Poverty is not only a state but also an environment.Poverty can be measured by income,industrialization and urbanization,etc.,but all these indexes are linked to the environment.The poverty under environment restriction can be decentralizing economy,closed economy,fragile economy and traditional economy.This paper proposes that the theory of vicious poverty cycle is reasonable in some ways and deducts the vicious cycle between poverty and environment.Based on this,the paper analyzes four kinds of direction between poverty and environment.In the end,it gives some suggestions to the sustainable development in China's poor regions.


Historically, the significance of an accurate and precise metrology tool has been determined by rules of thumb such as the Gagemaker's Rule. However, with the advent of statistical process control of IC manufacturing, it has become practical to statistically determine the probability of a product being misclassified during metrology. Several parameters, such as the process distribution, the precision and accuracy of the metrology tool, the measurement strategies, etc., determine the probability that a good product is classified as bad and vice versa. The probability function can subsequently be converted to a number equivalent to the percentage of product misclassified. From this number, the cost of misclassification can be calculated, which is a function of the precision, the accuracy, and the measurement strategy used. This cost can be used in making decisions involving justification of new metrology capability, better measurement strategies, or to decide whether metrology is needed at all. Examples have been generated to illustrate the actual cost involved in using a poor metrology tool, and strategies have been suggested to contain the cost of misclassification.


This paper proposes a new synthetic aperture radar (SAR), named as panoramic SAR, based on a combination of linear and rotational SARs, by which a large 360-degree panoramic view of the observed scene can be reconstructed. Firstly, the system geometry and its imaging process based on the back-projection algorithm (BPA) are presented. The combined movement constitutes a two-dimensional synthetic aperture and thus higher imaging resolutions can be obtained. The corresponding resolution analysis and the sampling criteria are discussed accordingly. Then, a novel dynamic piecewise compensation (DPC) algorithm, a recursive imaging process, is proposed to reduce the processing complexity significantly. The imaging implementation and the complexity are also studied respectively. Finally, a prototype of panoramic SAR is built based on an frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar and a moving platform, and the simulation and experimental results are provided to validate the proposed panoramic SAR principle and the DPC algorithm.


Nowdays the usage of physics in computer games are well known. Moreover it is dely used in the field of computer graphics. The purpose of this project is to develop a om game. The game include elements such as velocity, acceleration and impact. These elements are use to generate realism in object motion in order to adapt with the
real carrom game. The physics equation that has been studied and analysis will be change into C++ programming language. There are few steps to develop this carrom game such as analysis towards the physics equation and modeling object that are included. By the end of this project, a prototype of carrom game based on computer will the produce.


As a hot topic, the appraisal methods of outer land in urban fringe is not same as in urban areas and in rural areas. How to evaluate the price of outer land become the focus of the field. As a case study in Deyang City of Sichuan Province, this paper proposes two thoughts of outer land appraisal in urban fringe: first to analysis the structure of outer land in urban fringe and evaluate each constitutions of outer land price; second to find a "residual figure", as the price of outer land in fringe according to the Hypothetical Development Method. In the end, a comparative analysis on the results of above appraisal methods is pointed out.


This paper presents a new platform to monitor stroke patients activities during their everyday life at home. This platform is intended to be a part of a smart objects ecosystem for home monitoring using common objects embedding sensors. The monitoring is performed with a self-contained smart cup that can be used to drink at different times of the day. The smart cup embeds various sensors in order to detect its movements and the liquid level. Activity analysis is performed on the collected data in order to provide information to the therapists on the patient's sedentariness and independence on the daily life tasks (sitting, walking, drinking and going up and down the stairs). This paper presents the design concept of the smart cup along with the implementation and mainly focuses on the activity analysis process. We used a linear classifier: the Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier. Indeed, the classification of stroke patient's activities is a binary classification. Moreover, as we decided to use DCT features, SVM is the classifier that gives better classification performances. The results show a recognition precision above 92% on all activities with the smart cup. A comparative study has been carried out in order to assess the performances of the linear SVM classifier and a non-linear Multi-Layered Perceptron (MLP) classifier. The result of this study shows that the linear SVM classifier offers better performances on classifying everyday life activities with a smart cup.


Human Rights in Natural Resource Development: Public Participation in the Sustainable Development of Mining and Energy Resources is an impressive and most timely volume. I would venture to characterise the book as revolutionary in the energy and natural resource development sector. The reason is that if public participation as promoted in the book is taken to its fullest extent it would mean a whole new approach in this field. As Zhiguo Gao, one of the contributing authors, states: 'There is no doubt that this new trend will pose a strategic challenge that must be taken seriously, not only by companies but also by host governments.'~ The general view of natural resources has changed, especially since the UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio in 1992. Natural resources are no longer only a source of economic development, they are now recognised as part of ecological systems, with a much wider range of benefits than earlier understood. 2 Sustainable development, development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations, 3 sets the framework for this new approach. This is influencing the decisionmaking process with regard to natural resource development. Businesses, including several mining and energy companies, now see a broader perspective including economic, environmental, and social issues. One of the major business voices on sustainable development issues, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) is 'building the business case for sustainable development' by among other things making this very book possible through its funding for the International Institute for Environmental and Development's Mining, Mineral and Sustainable Development Project (MMSD), which financially supported the conference which resulted in this book. 6 Human Rights in Natural Resource Development is a compilation of papers authored by the Academic Advisory Group of the International Bar Association's Section on Energy & Natural Human Rights in Natural Resource Development: 343


Objective To explore the clinical application of retrograde flow neurocutaneous vascular flaps (RNVF) from the crus. Methods Soft tissue defects on the ankle, the foot and the lower leg in 26 patients were repaired with RNVF that contained the sural nerve, the saphenous nerve and the superficial peroneal nerve nutritional vessels. The size of flaps ranged from 30.0 cm×10.0 cm to 6.0 cm × 4.5 cm .The length of pedicles was 3 13 cm. Results The flaps completely survived in 24 cases. Distal flap was partly necrotic in 2 cases because of vein drainage disturbance. In 21 cases, the color and the texture of flaps were good and the appearance and the functional results satisfactory after 6 36 months follow up. Conclusions RNVF is characterized by delicate designation, easy dissection and reliable blood supply. Sensation function can be reconstructed without damage to the major arteries. It is very useful in repairing big soft tissue defects of the lower leg, and the ankle.


This paper discusses how the inspection of a printed circuit board (PCB) was conducted automatically by using a machine. PCB comprises of sensitive electronic components and could be easily destructed upon inspection for quality control purposes. Therefore a machine is used instead of depending on human in conducting the inspection to minimise human error and inspection time, maintain quality level and minimise component damage during the handling. The project aims to visually describe automatic inspection process starting from the component handling on a conveyor, image capturing and comparison, and the display of the inspection result and PCB information on a monitor screen. The machine model was developed in three dimensions by using AutoCAD 2005, the animation was programmed by using 3D Studio Max and VRML to enable the real function of the machine to be displayed. The visualisation was executed on a VRML Pad platform and implemented on a web environment.


According to the weight design problem of discrete Hopfield neural network(DHNN), an improved learning algorithm for weight design is proposed. On the basis of the dynamic analysis for DHNN, the learning algorithm is designed. The orthogonal matrix is got by using the method of matrix decomposition(MD), and the orthogonal matrix is used to get the weight matrix of DHNN directly. The weight matrix which is obtained by the learning algorithm can store information well, so that the testing sample can converge to a stable point. The learning algorithm does not need block calculation. The calculation steps, the amount of calculation and the number of iterations are reduced, so the operating speed of the network is improved. Finally, the algorithm is applied to water quality evaluation to prove its effectiveness and feasibility.


Objective—Angiotensin-II (Ang-II) promotes the interaction of mononuclear cells with arterioles and neutrophils with postcapillary venules. To investigate the mechanisms underlying this dissimilar response, the involvement of fractalkine (CX3CL1) was explored. Methods and Results—Enhanced CX3CL1 expression was detected in both cremasteric arterioles and postcapillary venules 24 hours after Ang-II intrascrotal injection. Arteriolar leukocyte adhesion was the unique parameter significantly reduced (83%) in animals lacking CX3CL1 receptor (CX3CR1). Human umbilical arterial and venous endothelial cell stimulation with 1 &mgr;mol/L Ang-II increased CX3CL1 expression, yet neutralization of CX3CL1 activity only significantly inhibited Ang-II–induced mononuclear cell–human umbilical arterial endothelial cell interactions (73%) but not with human umbilical venous endothelial cells. The use of small interfering RNA revealed the involvement of tumor necrosis factor-&agr; in Ang-II–induced CX3CL1 upregulation and mononuclear cell arrest. Nox5 knockdown with small interfering RNA or pharmacological inhibition of extracellular signal-regulated kinases1/2, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, and nuclear factor-&kgr;B also abolished these responses. Finally, when human umbilical arterial endothelial cells were costimulated with Ang-II, tumor necrosis factor-&agr;, and interferon-&ggr;, CX3CL1 expression and mononuclear cell adhesiveness were more pronounced than when each stimulus was provided alone. Conclusion—These results suggest that Ang-II induces functional CX3CL1 expression in arterial but not in venous endothelia. Thus, targeting endothelial CX3CL1–mononuclear leukocyte CX3CR1 interactions may constitute a new therapeutic strategy in the treatment of Ang-II–associated cardiovascular diseases.


In this paper, we consider the automatic text summarization as a challenging task of machine learning. We proposed a novel summarization system architecture which employs Gene Expression Programming technique as its learning mechanism. The preliminary experimental results have shown that our prototype system outperforms the baseline systems.


India is the second largest population country, so collecting and disposal of waste plays a vital role in day today life. This work proposes a clean city concept using Smart bin and its application though a proper interaction and networking with one to many devices. The paper presents a novel waste collection technique and interaction through a Smart bin which is developed using ARM LPC 2148 with ultra-sonic sensors and pressure sensing resistor .The proposed system also provides the web page interactions to the terminal side with effective data base management and alert system according to the function of the bin. HTML web page is being created to show various levels of every bin located in each ward with various levels of trashes. A GSM transmits an alert to the terminal of the particular bin. RFID were incorporated for the authentication.


The aim of this investigation is to clarify how the multirotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) can accurately and safely touchdown the parking apron of distributed airport autonomously. This paper proposed an exclusive landing control system fusing vision of multirotor UAV, which is only effective during touchdown period. First, the block diagram of exclusive control system fusing vision is designed. In the exclusive landing system, the pose control from existing control system is the inner control loop, the speed control system is the middle control loop and the position control fusing vision is the outer control loop. Second, the algorithm to acquire the position error from image of landing region is designed. Third, the control laws of position and speed controller are determined respectively. The simulation and field experiments show that: (1) It spends about 77ms by the airborne embedded system to process the image of landing region in order to acquire the target on the apron of distributed airport, which is basically satisfy the real time control requirement. (2) The control system with PI position controller and PD speed controller has obvious less overshoot and transition time than other control system during the simulation of landing period. (3) The average landing position error is about 0.14m while the PI position controller and PD speed controller are employed during the field experiments. Therefore, the exclusive landing control system fusing vision proposed in this paper can significantly improve the autonomously landing accuracy and safety of the multirotor UAV.


A new approach for correcting multiple errors and detecting an additive overflow in the Residue Number System (RNS) is suggested. It works with the code whose redundancy is in the form of magnitude indices. The residue representation of a number with magnitude index is reconsidered. The RNS with magnitude index were first studied by Sasaki16 and Rao15 and then by Barsi and Maestrini5, 6. The range of a given RNS is divided into intervals of equal width and the magnitude of a number X is defined as a integer locating X into one of such intervals. We have proposed algorithm which detects and corrects multiple errors in residue number. The algorithms for special cases viz., single burst residue error and single residue error are also suggested. Some of the advantages are pointed out over the existing approaches.


Abstract In the 1960s, Satyajit Ray's international popularity as India's foremost film director was tempered by the criticism that his lyrical masterpieces failed to capture the fast-changing realities of his home city of Kolkata, and that they were silent on the city's steadily increasing culture of political unrest and youth unemployment. This essay argues that, contrary to this assertion, the changing city was in fact central to Ray's films in this period. This argument is based on an analysis of three of Ray's films made in the beginning, middle, and end of the 1960s which, taken together, clearly map the changing trends in the city's politics and youth culture. As with most of Ray's work, much of this discourse is personal and understated but nuanced and unambiguous at the same time.


Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) is a tool used to study pore networks in zeolites, as the diffusion of metastable ortho-positronium (o-Ps, an electron–positron bound pair) provides insights into connectivity that cannot be obtained by other techniques. The accurate assessment of porosity requires knowledge of the interaction of o-Ps with acid centers commonly present in these materials. Although previous studies have highlighted a potential effect, the specific impact of the nature and concentration of the acid sites remains unclear. By preparing a series of well-crystallized aluminum- and tin-containing MFI-type zeolites and with the study of commercial samples, we map the effects of Bronsted and Lewis acidity on the PALS response. The results reveal that both types of acid sites decrease the amount of o-Ps detected but through different mechanisms. Bronsted acid sites strongly affect the amount of o-Ps being annihilated in the micropore network but only nominally influence the amount ...


To achieve the structural basis to produce a more accurate model of the catalytic active site of Stx2, we carried out molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations of adenosine–Stx2 complex, and used the molecular mechanics/Poisson–Boltzmann surface area method to determine the associated free energy profiles. The results reveal that the electrostatic interactions play an important role in the stabilisation of the binding site of Stx2–adenosine, and the key residues of Ser113, Arg119, Arg125 and Arg170 in Stx2–adenosine complex are identified based on the residue decomposition analysis. With this approach, we are able to demonstrate that the substrate adenosine is located in the cavity formed by A-subunit, which is similar to the available experimental binding pattern of Stx2–adenine except for adenine being more close to the residues of Arg170, Tyr77 and Val78. The conformational difference that lies in adenosine is stabilised by the residues around the binding site of adenosine–Stx2, which leads to that the adenine base and furan ring of adenosine are dragged by the residues in the opposite direction during the catalytic process. The above results indicate that the residues around the binding site of adenosine in Stx2 should be used as catalytic active site to depurinate a specific adenine base from 28S rRNA.


The Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a syndrome which affects approximately 6% of the child population. The etiology is still not well defined, but it is believed that the syndrome is related to genetic factors. The current treatments that are utilized for ADHD include social interventions as well as psychological, behavioral and pharmacological treatment. Among the pharmacological treatments available, the stimulants are the most used, and methylphenidate is the main medication chosen to treat ADHD. The present study intends to review the use of methylphenidate when used in children suffering from ADHD. methylphenidate is considered safe, despite the occurrence of some adverse effects. Around 70% of the patients respond positively to the treatment, showing a reduction of at least 50% in the symptoms of hyperactivity, and less significant results regarding attention deficit.


Objective:To explore influence factors of female hyperplasia of mammary glands in Zhengzhou city.Method: In 2010 September-2011 May,one group of 435 outpatients with hyperplasia of the mammary glands in the second group of 242 women without hyperplasia of the mammary glands were collected.Using a case-control study method,with the information of the two groups which general,fertility,sociology etc.collection and statistics,to explore the influence factors of patients with hyperplasia of mammary glands by logistic regression analysis.Result:By multivariate logistic regression analysis,the risk factors are that dysmenorrhea,pregnancy times greater than 2 times,stream of people time is more than 2 times,moderate to low family income,interpersonal relations in general,profession mainly doing mental work,work to suppress with higher levels of anxiety and passive smoking;and the protective factors are that lean body mass,higher education,old age at menarche,birth order is more than 2 times,light diet and the occasional drink.Conclusion:The influencing factors of hyperplasia of mammary glands include menstrual and reproductive history,and occupation factors and emotional factors make a great impact on the disease.


An approximate entropy(ApEn) criterion was applied to evaluate the effect of electroencephalogram(EEG) biofeedback training from the view of electrophysiology.Six patients with intractable epilepsy were trained to enhance sensormotor rhythm(12-15 Hz) and decrease θ(4-8 Hz) activity.After a number of training sessions,their seizure symptoms were all significantly relieved.The ApEn calculated from 16-channel EEG recordings all increased but by different degrees.Larger increase occurred in channels located near the training position(C4) and in the same hemisphere as C4.The results show that EEG biofeedback training helps the electrophysiological activity of the cortical neuron population become more chaotic which alleviates the epilepsy symptom.Thus,the ApEn criterion can indicate changes of the brain state and be used to evaluate the effect of EEG biofeedback.


A low band gap acceptor-donor-acceptor (A-D-A) small molecule donor material, named DR3TDTN, has been designed and synthesized for solution-processed organic solar cells. DR3TDTN shows narrow optical band gap with value of 1.49 eV and broad absorption spectrum from 300 to 820 nm. The HOMO and LUMO energy levels of DR3TDTN are −4.74 and −3.26 eV, respectively. The optimized photovoltaic device based on DR3TDTN:PCB71BBM blend film shows a power conversion efficiency of 3.03% with an open-circuit voltage of 0.67 V, a short-circuit current of 8.22 mA·cmP−2 and fill factor of 0.55.


Background: Most of the medicine users remain unaware about the disposal of unused and expired medicines. The aim of this study was to know the disposal practices of this unused and expired medications in general public in south Delhi. Method: This was a descriptive cross sectional survey conducted online by using a pre-validated questionnaire. The responses collected were checked for accuracy and SPSS version 23 was used for the statistical analysis. Result: Response from a total of 393 individuals was collected. The respondents belonged to different professions. The study found that the majority of respondents, about 93% of them, had some kind of unused and expired medication while about 80% of the respondents admitted to stocking of medicines for future use. Among the respondents 14% said that they have unused medication because there was a change of medication and 28% said that they shared their medication with friends and family. 82% of the respondents discarded the unwanted medications in to the dustbins. Almost the entire sample (98%) felt that improper disposal of unused and expired medication can have an adverse effect on the environment. Conclusion: The study indicates that the level of awareness among the general population of south Delhi regarding the disposal practices of unwanted medications is low, and there is a need for an appropriate method for disposal of unwanted medication. Hence, guidelines on safe methods of collection and disposing of unused medication needs to be introduced.


Numerous clustering schemes have been proposed to increase energy efficiency in wireless sensor networks. Clustering schemes consist of a hierarchical structure in the sensor network to aggregate and transmit data. However, existing clustering schemes are not suitable for use in wireless multimedia sensor networks because they consume a large quantity of energy and have extremely short lifetime. To address this problem, we propose the Energy-Aware Cooperative Communication (EACC) method which is a novel cooperative clustering method that systematically adapts to various types of multimedia data including images and video. An evaluation of its performance shows that the proposed method is up to 2.5 times more energy-efficient than the existing clustering schemes.


in 1973, which now incorporates a new introduction and conclusion, is based on in-depth elite interviews and a survey of members of the elite professional association for engineers in the French public administration, the Corps des Pants et des Chaussées, The Corps has dominated French road construction since the 18th century and has greatly expanded participation in the top-levels of the state administration since the 1950s and 1960s.


ZSM-5 (Zeolite Socony Mobil-5) was modified using hexadecyltrichlorosilane (HDTS) to increase its hydrophobicity. The modified ZSM-5 was applied in different concentrations (0, 0.25, 0.5 and 1 wt% of solution) in the polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) (18 wt% of solution) spinning dope to fabricate hollow fiber mixed matrix membranes for CO2 absorption in a gas–liquid membrane contactor. The properties of the fabricated membranes, including gas permeance, mechanical stability and wetting resistance, were examined. The morphologies of the membrane structures and surface roughness were studied using SEM and AFM, respectively. The SEM images showed that the HFM structure was changed from sponge-like to finger-like with big macrovoids. The AFM analysis showed that the outer surface roughness of the membrane was increased by increasing the ZSM-5 concentration in the spinning dope. By the addition of ZSM-5 zeolite to the polymer, the dope gas absorption performance of the fabricated membranes was improved. The optimum ZSM-5 concentration of 0.5 wt% of solution for the gas–liquid contacting process was obtained. The maximum absorption flux of 1.65 × 10−3 mol m−2 s−1 was achieved at a liquid flow rate of 300 ml min−1 for the composite membrane fabricated using the optimum amount of ZSM-5, which was about 100% more than the plain PVDF membrane flux.


One-sample signed-rank and two-sample rank k-stage signal detection procedures are developed. An analysis of their efficiency versus one-sample signed-rank and two-sample rank procedures with fixed sample size of Wilcoxon type and also versus sequential signed-rank Miller procedure is accomplished. The stability of the considered signal detection procedures under conditions of clutter probability distribution change is investigated.


The traffic detecting result is always short of accuracy by different kinds of individual sensors in urban China. To solve the issue, a new data fusion approach is raised. The algorithm combines fuzzy and rough set theory based on evidence theory. The method is improved to concise attribute rules and to measure fuzzy likelihood. Furthermore, a new combination rule is given to dissolve the confliction among the traffic evidence data collected by different individual sensors. Finally, the experiment to fuse the traffic data from an intersection in urban Hangzhou City showed that the proposed approach could obtain a high accuracy.


This article deals with a few aspects of the management of the Southern Pacific Company under E. H. Harriman from his assumption of control of the road in 1901 until his death in 1909. This was a short period in the railroad's history and yet it was long enough to supply ample illustration of the methods which Harriman, a former Wall Street broker, employed to attain great success in the administration of this huge railroad system. It exemplifies the truth that a big job must be done by the coöperative work of many men, albeit with a strong man at the top. It shows the successful operation of a big business unit under a strong top-level organization which allowed for individual freedom and initiative at lower levels. It was the Harriman system, even more than Harriman, alone, that did so much for the Southern Pacific. And, then, we must not forget that some of the ideas which Harriman put into effect were nurtured by the former president, C. P. Huntington, who never found the opportunity to carry them out. But if Harriman did not largely conceive the policies and techniques and train the men, he merged them into a great concept of policy, organization, and management which he supported with his financial strength and his capacity as an administrator. The story of his administration of the Southern Pacific illustrates an important stage in the history of American railroad administration and, indeed, of this country's large-scale business administration in general.


This paper will review previous and recent work on the maximum gain and minimum Q of arbitrary lossless antennas, with the goal of trying to eliminate some of the confusion, incompleteness, and erroneous statements that sometimes occur in the literature. Our attention will primarily focus on the effects of polarization and the presence of TM, TE, or TM and TE modes, on the maximum gain of arbitrary antennas, and the minimum Q of electrically small antennas. It will be shown that it is useful to categorize both linearly and circularly polarized small antennas according to the presence of either electric (or magnetic) sources in isolation, or the presence of both electric and magnetic sources, and that the minimum Q for these two cases may differ by a factor of two, while the maximum achievable gain may be either 1.5 or 3. These and other recent results will be discussed, hopefully to provide a more complete picture of some of the fundamental limits on antenna performance.


This paper presents CMOS-based, high density arrays of 7×7 n- and p-type piezoresistive field effect transistor (piezo-FET) based stress sensors with a pitch of 23 µm for extracting the distribution of the in-plane normal stress difference σ<inf>xx</inf> - σ<inf>yy</inf> and the in-plane shear stress σ<inf>xy</inf> under electroless Ni bumps. For the first time, pre-deposition stress caused by openings in the passivation, stress induced by the electroless Ni bump deposition, and stress redistributions during annealing processes between 50 °C and 200 °C are presented. Typical values of σ<inf>xx</inf> - σ<inf>yy</inf> = ±25 MPa are introduced by bump deposition. These values are further increased by up to 60% during annealing steps of up to 200 °C. The in-situ monitoring of the mechanical stress redistribution during an anneal at 115 °C shows a relaxation of the material compound by σ<inf>xx</inf> - σ<inf>yy</inf> = ±2.5 MPa over 180 min. The change of the stress components is found to be linear with temperature during thermal cycling resulting in an almost stress-free state at the deposition temperature.


Prostate cancer is the commonest non cutaneous cancer in males. Men of African origin are at significantly higher risk as reflected in higher incidence and mortality rates in this racial group. Metastases incidence increases in parallel with serum levels of Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA), contributing significantly to morbidity and mortality. Staging of disease involves bone scans, which are sensitive in detecting skeletal metastases. Suggestions they may be omitted in some situations in patients with low prostate specific antigen levels, have drawn attention to the matter. In this case control study, using Radiology and Pathology records, a registry of prostate cancer patients recorded as being of Black African ethnicity was assembled. Images were presented to image reviewers blinded to the prostate specific antigen level, to determine presence of skeletal metastases. The risk factor for the outcome of interest (skeletal metastases) was prostate specific antigen level above 20ng/ml. Reliability of image reporting was also assessed. Of 122 patients, 50 (41%) had skeletal metastases, while these were absent in 72 (59%). The prevalence of metastases among the high prostate specific antigen group was 55.9% (95% CI 44.1% to 67.7%) and 22.2% (95% CI 11.1% to 33.3%) among the normal/low prostate specific antigen group. The Odds Ratio (OR) for skeletal metastases in the exposed (high prostate specific antigen) group was 4.4 (95% CI, 2.01 to 9.78.) Intra-observer agreement on image interpretation was 88.5% with a Kappa statistic of 0.76. Relatively higher prevalence of skeletal metastasis is seen in regional Black African males with prostate cancer, at both low and high prostate specific antigen levels. Bone scanning in this population should therefore be considered even at prostate specific antigen levels below 20ng/ml.


The paper analyzes unfavorable conditions in hydro-structure concrete construction,puts forward hydraulic concrete quality controlling points from three aspects of raw materials,production and construction,and simultaneously adopts corresponding controlling measures,and finally achieves great achievement.


Abstract The Timor and Arafura Seas extend over a substantial portion of the northern Australian continental margin. Exploration commenced in Australian waters in 1971, resulting in the discovery of the Greater Sunrise discovery and Evans Shoals gas accumulations, while the first significant discovery in Indonesian waters was the Abadi-1 gas discovery in 2000. The subject of this paper is the interpretation of a new seismic survey, the Matahari MC2D seismic survey, which links the Australian gas discoveries of Greater Sunrise and Evans Shoal with the Abadi accumulation and extends into open acreage within Indonesian waters to the north and east of Abadi. Abadi and earlier Australian discoveries including Greater Sunrise, Evans Shoal and Lynedoch lie on the Sahul Platform, a peri-rift basement high, separated from the Australian craton by a failed Jurassic to Early Cretaceous rift. This rift is identified as the Malita Graben which extends east into the Calder Graben, providing key depocentres and an effective charge kitchen from mature Early to Middle Jurassic Plover Formation source rocks (mixed Type 2 to Type 3 kerogens), which are regarded as the origin of these gas-condensate accumulations. The latter are reservoired in Plover Formation paralic and shelfal sandstones. To the north and northeast of the Abadi discovery, in open acreage, new seismic interpretation has revealed the existence of hitherto untested Paleozoic basins, especially on the southeastern margin of the Tanimbar Trough. Based on analogues with the Bonaparte Basin and Goulburn Graben of northern Australia, these Paleozoic Basins could contain high quality and mature oil-prone source rocks of Cambrian, Devonian and Carboniferous age. In addition, deeply buried Early Cretaceous source rocks may exist along the flanks of the Tanimbar Trough, with similar attributes to excellent quality Echuca Shoals Formation source rocks in the northern Bonaparte Basin, which charged oil discoveries such as the Elang Field in the East Timor Joint Development Area.


An efficient ligand-free protocol has been developed for the amincocarbonylation of aryl iodides with aromatic/aliphatic amines using palladium(II) acetate as a catalyst in water under milder operating conditions. The system tolerated a wide variety of hindered and functionalized aryl iodides/amines and afforded the desired amides in excellent yields at low catalyst concentration.


This paper examines the German corporate governance and the recent changes in the German "Corporate Governance Kodex". The German corporate governance is characterized by the two-tire board system, the co-dettermination, the active role of bank and determination by proxy. The two-tier board consists of the management board and the supervisory board. For example, in Germany the supervisory board of lage corporations is composed of 20 members, 10 of which are elected by the shareholders, the other 10 being employee representatives. Through the co-determination workers form special bodies-they also elect or select worker representatives in supervisory organs of companies. And the bank takes a central role in the German corporate governance and makes a determination by proxy in minority shareholder"s name. The German "Corporate Governance Kodex" is quite unique beceause it applies a Code of Good Practice to a two-tier board system. Especially, it defines the role, functions and relationships between the management and supervisory board. This article deals with recent changes in the German system of corporate governance.


This paper treats methodological issues involved in assessing linguistic competence in the field, specifically in bilingual fieldwork situations. First, the various means of assessment of linguistic competence that have been described and/or used are listed and commented on. Then the authors explain the choice of assessment methods for fieldwork in the Slovene minority region of Austria: among other fieldwork tests, self-assessments of two different kinds (more general and situation-specific selfassessments) were combined with third-party assessments of taped storytelling. The specific fieldwork methodology and assessment methods are described. The results that bear on methodology suggest that self-assessments of linguistic competence are unreliable; that fieldworkers should pay attention to the kind of linguistic competence they wish to characterise; and, when storytelling proficiency testing is used, that different types of storytelling tasks should be employed.


A 49-year-old man had an enlarged inguinal lymph node which was biopsied and found to be well differentiated lymphoblastic lymphoma. He underwent irradiation to the mediastinum and periaortic area, followed by a course of chemotherapy. Eight years later, he developed dysphagia. A barium study reveabed lymphomatous involvement of the esophagus, documented by biopsy. After a repeat course of chemotherapy, the esophageal lymphoma subsided, but a midesophageal stricture developed. The patient had a course of esophageal dilatation. He developed a hacking, uncontrollable cough, with fever and weakness. At this hospital an esophagram disclosed a tracheoesophageal fistula. Bronchoscopic and esophagoscopic biopsies revealed lymphoblastic lymphoma.


Sitotroga cerealella is the main pest of maize grains and Mythimna unipuncta is a generalist defoliating pest that often attacks maize. Two Tepary bean ( Phaseolus acutifolius ) genotypes, Tepary pinto yellow (Yellow T) and Tepary pinto negro (Black T), repel pest attacks on beans and, since beans and maize have co-evolved in America, we hypothesized that they could also protect maize against the attack of similar pests. Yellow T showed antixenosis against larvae in young maize plants. Pinto Saltillo (P. Saltillo) ( P. vulgaris ) and Yellow T controlled the consumption of maize leaves. No significant differences were found between these two genotypes for Mythimna unipuncta growth in bioassays with artificial diets. We found significant differences for number of holes caused by Sitotroga cerealella attack in maize grains being lowest for Yellow T (43.3) and highest for PS-AZH-15 ( P. vulgaris ) (53.6). Number of adults was lowest for Yellow T and PS-AZH-15 and highest for Black T. Yellow T showed antixenoxis against Mythimna unipuncta and Sitotroga cerealella and can be used for partially controlling these maize pests. Furthermore, Yellow T was consistently superior to the control for both maize pests and could be used for future studies of maize protection; suggesting that there is a clear genetic regulation of this antixenotic effect. The protective mechanism has not insecticide properties; conversely, we believe that there could be substances that increase the hardness or reduce the palatability of tissues.


This paper gives the definition of the cooperative design and its feasible future development,at the same time,describes a system frame to give some related solutions about the key problems that will be met in the process of cooperative design based on Web.


Globalization on the one hand, Information Society on the other hand, challenge us to think global governance issues, with a sense of the meta-national common good. Who profits most from the Information Society? What is the role of the information techniques on widening economic gaps? Will it aggravate economic, cultural, societal gaps or tend to reduce them? In other words will Information Society worsen economic globalization or humanize it? What is the common good in a globalized context? Is good what is good for the free market and its invisible hands? Is good what is good for the leading superpower's technological and economic elites (the symbol manipulators)? What is in essence the higher common good needed to enlighten a global governance?


Adelaide melodic hardcore band AMBLESIDE have debuted a new music video for their single Wash Away. The song is the first to be debuted from the ...


A Superconducting Integrated Receiver (SIR) comprises on one chip all elements needed for heterodyne detection. Light weight and low power consumption combined with nearly quantum limited sensitivity and a wide tuning range of the superconducting local oscillator make SIR a perfect candidate for many practical applications.


This paper is about the limit situations and its relation with suicide. Jaspers in his main work Philosophy approaches to the topic of suicide in the chapter "The unconditioned that excedes the empiric existence (Dasein)". In the other hand, we will associate the "limit situations" with the resolution of suicide that excedes before all else the "existence" (Existenz). This does not mean in anyway that all suicide is an achievement of a originary resolution, or of an existential awakening. We will only center in the existential thinking of those who have achieved it in such situation.


The US Navy developed a policy guidance document for operational risk management, requiring all personnel within the Navy must follow it. This paper makes analysis of the US Navy operational risk management work, discusses relevant duty at all levels of staff in the US Navy operational risk management process, and describes the level and the role of the United States Navy operational risk management. The Navy operational risk management practices is worth learning.


A L-band multiple-beam phased array antenna with integrated structural design for satellite usage is described in this paper. By using the integrated design, the height of the filters and the LNA modules are reduced, and all the radiating elements and modules are assembled on one integral panel. Meanwhile, a solder-less junction structure is developed between the radiating elements and the filters. In this way, it is possible to realize the miniaturization and lightweight of the antenna.


In the article an integrated view is given toward understanding of etiology of autistic spectrum disorders which summaries 3 methods: clinical, psychoanalytic, and psychosocial. Using of given methods let to look more widely at causes of autism occurrence. Generalized comparative of characteristics of the parents' personalities who raise the children with autistic spectrum disorders and parents who raise neurotypical children are given. For comparative analysis of parents' personalities specificity in its structure thank to theoretical search and practical work with families, psychological aspects were separated out: autistic features, systematization, personal anxiety, depression neuroticism and psychoticism with the help of which comparative analysis of the parents of adducted groups was carried out. Specific characters of parents' personality who raise the child with autistic spectrum disorder can be the one which influences interaction with the child and the environment which can lead to social withdrawal. In reference to the question of social withdrawal generalization of the views is done in the article. Fragmentarily of ideas of the notion is adduced in scientific periodicals. And comparison of its definition with the notion "autism" and consideration it in the connection of social and secondary social withdrawal. Generalization of the relatively explanation social withdrawal allowed to clarify and complete specific notion and discover the conditions which can influence social withdrawal occurrence. Reflexive methods "Mother's diary", the aim of which is to prevent negative psychological and medical conditions among women during pregnancy and the first year after giving a birth for improvement her interaction with the child and prevention further social withdrawal, are presented in the article.


Fluids mixing can usually be achieved using mechanical mixers and jet mixers. Each of these mixers may be selected and used in order to provide optimal operative condition. However the jet mixing system is more effective than other mixing methods because they are very expensive for large storage tanks and underground tanks. Jet mixers are used in industrial applications primarily in unit processes where liquid blending, solids suspension, flow generation or chemical reactions are key process parameters. Mixing of reactants, catalysts etc. in a chemical and bio-chemical reactor can be achieved using a jet mixer, which offers the advantages of having no moving parts inside the reactor. For the design of jet mixers much experimental work has been done and many correlations have been proposed. However these correlations are case specific and not valid for generic mixer. The work reported in this paper are based on the use of hydrodynamic techniques to simulate jet mixing in a cylindrical tank with an aspect ratio (H/D) of 1.2. The flow circulation pattern within the tank and the effect of liquid flow rate on mixing of a soluble salt are studied. It can be seen that the nozzle diameter having 11% active area (10mm diameter) and jet position 30 cm above, from bottom of the tank shows shortest mixing time for Newtonian and non Newtonian fluids. An increase in the nozzle diameter was found to increase the mixing time at a given level of power consumption. The optimum nozzle diameter and jet position are not universal, it varies with tank geometry. The nozzle was placed at an angle of 90 0 throughout the studies. An empirical correlation has been developed


A major mechanism of hypercoagulability in the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is antiphospholipid Ab-mediated upregulation of tissue factor (TF) on monocytes via activation of TLRs, p38 MAPK, and NF- k B pathways. We examined whether monocyte signaling pathways are differentially activated by IgG from patients with vascular thrombosis (VT) alone compared with IgG from patients with pregnancy morbidity (PM) alone. We purified IgG from 49 subjects. A human monocyte cell line and ex vivo healthy monocytes were treated with 100 m g/ml IgG for 6 h, and cell extracts were examined by immunoblot using Abs to p38 MAPK and NF- k B. To further investigate intracellular signaling pathways induced by these IgGs, specific inhibitors of p38 MAPK, NF- k B, TLR4, and TLR2 were used to determine their effect on TF activity. Only IgG from patients with VT but no PM (VT+/PM 2 ) caused phosphorylation of NF- k Band p38 MAPK and upregulation of TF activity in monocytes. These effects were not seen with IgG from patients with PM alone (VT 2 /PM+), anti-phospholipid Ab-positive patients without APS, or healthy controls. TF upregulation caused by the VT+/PM 2 samples was reduced by inhibitors of p38 MAPK, NF- k B, and TLR4. The effects of VT+/PM 2 IgG on signaling and TF upregulation were concentrated in the fraction that bound b -2-glycoprotein I. Our findings demonstrate monoclonal anti-human phosphorylated (Ser 536 ) and total NF- k B p65 and phosphorylated (Thr 180 /Tyr 182 ) and total p38 MAPK, followed by 1 h of incubation in a 1:2000 dilution of HRP-conjugated goat anti-rabbit IgG. Equivalent protein loading was demonstrated using an anti-human actin polyclonal Ab (Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Santa Cruz, CA). Protein bands were visualized by chemiluminescence (GE Healthcare Life Science), their intensities were quantified by densitometric analysis (QuantityOne soft- ware, Bio-Rad, Hercules, CA), and results were expressed as a ratio of relative expression.


The far-field strength of the \lambda/4 transmission-line antenna is derived as a complex vector containing amplitude, phase, and direction of the E vector. The product of this phasor-vector and its conjugate is constant and proves that the transmission-line antenna is an isotropic radiator with respect to the powerflow density of coherent electromagnetic waves. Folding of the line conductor parallel to the symmetry plane reduces the pattern to toroid shape analogous to radiation of a short dipole. While the unbalanced straight transmission-line antenna is used on rockets and vehicles, the unbalanced folded type is suitable as efficient transmit antenna at VLF, LF, or MF.


In the last two years the city of Birmingham has witnessed the first steps in the development of a network of green roofs that are designed to mimic brownfield habitat (brown roofs) and compensate for its loss during redevelopment. As part of the SWITCH programme, a test array has been established at the University of Birmingham (UoB) that has undergone extensive monitoring since May 2007. This research is testing the potential of brown roof mesocosms, constructed from different mixtures of recycled aggregate, as habitat for brownfield plant and animal species, whilst fulfilling important roles in the sustainable management of urban water. In addition to this site, two, part SWITCH-funded (in association with landfill tax funding from SITA trust), demonstration brown roofs on the International Convention Centre (ICC) and Birmingham Volunteer Studies Council (BVSC) buildings were completed in August 2007. These roofs build on the design concepts used in the UoB design, but their large scale will allow the investigation of the importance of additional habitat resources, and provide an opportunity for the general public to see and appreciate 'real' brown roofs in action. This document describes: (1) the construction, monitoring and development of these brown roofs in their initial establishment phase, (2) reports the initial findings of the UoB research on the effect of substrate type on vegetation development, run-off quality and storm-water attenuation, and (3) describes the initial steps taken to enable the public and practitioners to gain first-hand experience of the make-up and benefits of green roofs.


Arjan Graybill Clinical Profile of the Juvenile Delinquent 1999 Dr. J. Klanderman Seminar in School Psychology This study attempted to explore the relationship that a juvenile delinquent has with three major influences: school, peers, and family. It was hypothesized that juvenile delinquents possess a poor relationship with these influences. Subjects were administered a survey which assesses the relationship with school, peers and family. 19 inmates in a juvenile detention center were administered the survey. There were 15 subjects in the control group who were administered the survey as well. Results from independent tscores reveal a significant difference in the relationship with school, peers, and family for the two groups. Juvenile delinquents were found to have a poor relationship with these major influences.


The crystal structure of a co-crystal of 2,4,6-tris(4-methylphenyl)pyridine and 2,4,6-tris(4-methylphenyl)pyrylium revealed a pseudohexagonal motif assembled from π-stacked helices that enclose 1-D channels containing disordered tetrafluoroborate counterions and solvent molecules. Though convoluted by disorder, aperiodicity, and complex twinning patterns, further investigation was motivated by the unique packing arrangement of this material, which enables solid-state anion diffusion, while resisting dissolution in water. Such properties are ideal for the development of anion exchange materials that can be employed for the remediation of agricultural and nuclear waste. To develop a more complete understanding of the intermolecular interactions that give rise to this helical motif, we have compiled and analyzed the local interactions and extended structural motifs of 19 pore- and channel-forming 2,4,6-triarylpyrylium crystal structures. Three conserved local interactions were identified, including C–H···X– ...


Among the variables that can be employed to characterize agricultural drought, soil drought is of particular importance. This contribution uses gridded soil‐drought values calculated from the SoilClim model for the 1961–2019 period to analyse soil drought episodes (based on the 10th percentile) in four lowlands, relatively homogeneous regions in central Europe that provide a longitudinal transect over central Europe. These areas are predominantly located at altitudes of below 400 m asl and include central Bohemia, southern Moravia and an adjacent part of Slovakia, southern Slovakia and eastern Slovakia. The results indicate that, after 1990, such episodes occurred largely in the summer half‐year (April–September), accompanied by an increasing linear trend in the 1961–2019 period, while the situation was reversed in the winter half‐year (October–March). Selected drought episodes are further divided into three phases (Phase I – origin, Phase II – course, Phase III – end) and investigated separately in terms of precipitation and objective classification of circulation types based on flow strength, direction and vorticity. Decreases in the frequency of precipitation‐rich cyclonic and the directional types associated with higher daily precipitation totals, together with increases in precipitation‐poor anticyclonic types, were responsible for soil‐drought Phases I and II, with the opposite pertaining to Phase III. Differences in the effects of circulation types on precipitation and soil‐drought occurrence were considerable, particularly for central Bohemia compared with the other three regions. The results obtained are also discussed with respect to data uncertainty and their broader spatiotemporal context.


Pile-cap is an important structural joint member. Its function is to transfer the stresses occurring on the columns through a group of piles to the ground, occurring on the complex stresses that occur under earthquake loading. It is difficult to identify if the pile-caps were damaged by the earthquake. It requires a complete excavation of the pile-caps. It's hard to observe the seismic behavior under earthquake loading. It is very important to clarify pile-cap shear failure mechanism of reinforced concrete (RC) structures. However, shear failure mechanism of a pile, exterior column-beam pile-cap in RC structure is not resolved yet under bi-lateral loading. Currently, there is no research and few valid experiments, regarding the study of pile-caps. As a result, the stress mechanism has not been defined. Therefore, the pile-cap design has been left to the architect's discretion. Though performance-based design is applied to buildings as they become taller, in case of pile-caps, the lateral and vertical reinforcements is not considered and the pile-cap foundation is currently designed using methods prescribed by structural regulations. Most of the research in these studies has focused on the effects of vertical loading on structural performance and bar configurations in pile-caps. The performance was examined in cases of tension-only or compression-only loading, but the ultimate strength and deformation were not specified. In the previous report, we performed lateral load reversal tests of subassemblages with one pile, column, foundation beam and pile-cap. This report is a series study of grasping the seismic capacity of interior pile-caps, these specimens were carried out to investigate the pile-caps shear performance. The specimens which were the exterior subassemblages of a precast pile, foundation beam and column, were half scale to actual frames. In this experimental study, five specimens were fabricated which can be divided into five types considering the arangement properties. The depth and width of the column and beam section were same, respectively. The length from the center of the column to the pin-roller support of a beam end was 1600mm. The height from the center of the beam to the loading point on the top of the column or to the bottom support was 1415mm, respectively. The shear span ratio was 4.16 in the column, 2.54 in the beam and 3.40 in the pile, respectively. Reversed lateral horizontal loads at the top of a column and constant axial load were applied to all specimens. Three configuration of D10 bars were used in the pile-cap. They were utilized as main reinforcement bars which were called a tie and lateral bar, respectively. Concrete compressive strength was 24MPa. All specimens were designed to fail in pile-cap. The diagonal shear crack strength and ultimate shear strength can be estimated by the prediction method for usual RC beam-column joints to apply the vertical member section to the average between the pile, the column and the pile-cap section or that between column and pile-cap. But in this research, the small diameter pile was applied, which was smaller than the column section in case of the low buildings. Therefore, the quantification of the effective pile-cap section is not resolved in case of large diameter piles applied to high buildings. The shear strength of pile-caps was enhanced by confining effect due to the shear reinforcement amount and the transformation of the surrounding structural members were restrained by them. The difference in the positive and negative maximum strength was occurred by the strut mechanism in loading direction.


Torsional tests are frequently used in material testing to determine shear stress–strain relationships. In the tests, torque is applied to a solid or hollow cylindrical specimen, whose twist angle is recorded as the response. While the raw test results are readily available in terms of torque–twist sets, converting them into intrinsic stress–strain relationships is not always straightforward, owing to the nonlinear stress–strain behavior and the non‐uniform radial distribution of the stress and strain fields. It follows that the approaches currently used to interpret torsional data are essentially empirical based.


1. To investigate whether cerebral vasodilatation by itself contributes to the decrease in ventilation as found during brain stem hypoxia the role of cerebral vasodilatation on minute ventilation was investigated in twelve cats anaesthetized with alpha‐chloralose‐urethane. 2. Cerebral vasodilatation in the medulla oblongata was produced by adding papaverine to the blood perfusing the brain stem. 3. Papaverine at concentrations of 10‐35 micrograms per millilitre of blood had an appreciable depressant effect on ventilation. At a concentration of 14.3 micrograms ml‐1 the depression in ventilation averaged 0.7 +/‐ 0.1 l min‐1. 4. The ventilatory response to stepwise changes in papaverine concentration could be adequately described with a single exponential function with a time delay. 5. The time constant of the ventilatory response following a step increase in papaverine concentration (134 +/‐ 15 s) was longer than that of the step decrease (105 +/‐ 10 s) in concentration (P = 0.034). The time delays of the ventilatory response (88 +/‐ 21 s and 53 +/‐ 8 s respectively) were not significantly different (P = 0.126). 6. The ventilatory response to stimulation of the peripheral chemoreceptors by hypoxia and of the central chemoreceptors by hypercapnia was not impaired by papaverine. 7. The results support the hypothesis that cerebral vasodilatation by itself contributes to the decrease in ventilation by brain stem hypoxia.


The purpose of the article is a development of recommendations about establishment of termination moment of illegal influence on the result of official competition or spectacular commercial tender. During the study process authors analyze the forms of criminal action, described in the article 184 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, and link the moment of acrime termination in coordination it to each of these forms with the achievement of a certain result.As a result authors come to a conclusion that in relation to the article 184 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation various qualifications of concrete forms of incomplete socially-dangerous activity are possible. On the basis of the conducted research, there is offered recommendations qualification issues of crimes connected with illegal influence on the result of official competition or visual commercial tender.


We consider the scenario where a sender periodically sends a batch of data to a receiver over a multi-hop network, possibly using multiple paths. Our objective is to minimize peak/average Age-of-Information (AoI) subject to throughput requirements. The consideration of batch generation and multi-path communication differentiates our AoI study from existing ones. We first show that our AoI minimization problems are NP-hard, but only in the weak sense, as we develop an optimal algorithm with a pseudo-polynomial time complexity. We then prove that minimizing AoI and minimizing maximum delay are "roughly" equivalent, in the sense that any optimal solution of the latter is an approximate solution of the former with bounded optimality loss. We leverage this understanding to design a general approximation framework for our problems. It can build upon any α-approximation algorithm of the maximum delay minimization problem, e.g., the algorithm in [13] with α = 1 + ε given any user-defined ε > 0, to construct an (α + c)-approximate solution for minimizing AoI. Here c is a constant depending on the throughput requirements. Simulations over various network topologies validate the effectiveness of our approach.


Taking the heat: Hard/soft core/shell colloidal building blocks allow large-scale self-assembly to form nacre-mimetic paper. The strength and stiffness of this material can be tailored by supramolecular ionic bonds. These lightweight biomimetic materials show excellent and tunable mechanical properties and heat and fire-shielding capabilities.


Here we describe our results and their background: terminology (mostly standard) is denned in Section 2. Throughout, F is a separable Banach space, 1 ≤ p < ∞ and Lp(F) is the space of measurable functions [0,1] → F with P-integrable norms. Given a 'nice' property P for Banach spaces, we may formulate the conjecture: Lp(F) satisfies P if and only if both F and Lp (= LP(ℝ)) satisfy P. This conjecture is known to be true for various specific properties, for example the Radon–Nikodym property ((4), section 5·4); reflexivity ((4), corollary 4·1·2); super-refiexivity ((12), proposition 1·2); B-convexity ((14), p. 200); and the properties of not containing copies of c0 (6) and l1 (13). The object of this paper is to demonstrate that the conjecture is false for the property of having an unconditional basis – this answers a question in (4).


The electrospinning of zein was performed with glacial acetic acid,and the morphology of the zein fibers was investigated by scanning electron microscopy.Box-Behnken experimental design was employed with three main influential parameters,i.e.zein mass concentration,electric field intensity and flow rate, as the independent variables and the diameter of the zein fibers as the investigative object.The multiple regression model was set up by regression analysis.The results indicate that the zein mass concentration has the most significant influence on the diameter of the fibers,and the next is the interaction item of the electric field intensity and flow rate.The observed responses are in close agreement with the predicted values of the model.By using of response surface design,the process of experiment at design was simplified and the condition of the desired fiber diameter could be obtained easily according to the model.This has a great significance to produce nanofibers via electrospinning.


Patterned magnetic structures are interesting due to their unique physics and their applications for high density magnetic information storage. BPM is a leading candidate to replace perpendicular magnetic media. In other hand, in magnetic recording new functionality and performance advantages have been achieved by the formation of complex heterostructures such as exchange coupled composite (ECC), and BPM provides unique opportunities to implement such structures. We will discuss recent experiments on [Co (0.25 nm) /Pd (0.7 nm )]5 / Fe (1-2 nm) /[Co (0.25 nm) / Pd (0.7 nm )]5 heterostructures patterned in nano-dot arrays using self-assembled diblock copolymer as the etch mask. These structures were designed to reduce the coercive fields and switching field distributions (SFD) due to Fe soft coupling layer inside Co/Pd multilayers. 1 We used polarized neutron reflectivity to quantify the static magnetic structure in depth specifically at the interface of Fe layer as a function of magnetic field. These structures are also candidate material system for microwave assisted magnetic recording as the Fe layer resonant frequency is significantly lower than that of the Co/Pd layers. We will also discuss our recent ferromagnetic resonance result.


: Toxicity study was conducted on Freshwater Fish Channa orientalis to evaluate the enzyme activity of two Pesticides, Cypermethrin and Fenvalerate upto 96 hrs at a duration of 24, 48, 76, and 96 hrs, which shown toxic effect of Cypermethrin and Fenvalerate on Glutamate Pyruvate Transaminase. In present study Cypermethrin was found to be more toxic than Fenvalerate to the experimental fish, Channa orientalis .


Editor – I read the letter from Vivekananda and Corfield with interest. Patient involvement is equally important in postgraduate medical training. I looked at the process of gaining informed consent from patients in a sexual health clinic. In a survey of 103 female patients, 90% felt that it was important or very important that they were asked for consent before seeing a training doctor, even if it had been explained that the doctor was fully qualified and was taking a higher diploma in sexual health.


Background, is missing some of the text The missing text added The language is somewhat colloquial, and needs some revision. Language edited Reviewer: Chittur S Srinivasan Reviewer's Comments Author's Revision and Response While maternal undernutrition can be an important determinant of (or strongly associated with) child undernutrition, I am not convinced of the underlying premise of the paper that (1) maternal undernutrition can be a reliable predictor of child undernutrition and (2) it would be useful to develop maternal undernutrition as a "screening tool" for child undernutrition. 1. As you have mentioned, maternal undernutrition is an important determinant of child undernutrition and there are so many evidences supporting this including lancet series on maternal and child nutrition. As a result, this served as starting point of our hypothesis; given the strong association and controlling for other factors can maternal BMI, height and weight be accurate predictor of her child undernutrition? 2. And can it be used be to make inferences about their children. Why? • Child undernutrition is usually used to infer the nutrition of the entire population in humanitarian/emergency settings. • The indicators used to measure child under nutrition are multicomponent, i.e. weight for age, height for age, weight for height. In setting like Ethiopia particularly in rural where rural areas where home delivery is common it is difficult to ascertain ages accurately and these indicators are sensitive to random errors in ages. • Second, younger children are difficult to measure in many instances it results in error. According to the WHO guideline at least two persons are required to measure weight and height accurately. And in setting like Ethiopia where health workers are scarce it may be difficult to undertake these measurements accurately. • Therefore, maternal BMI, height and weight which is much simpler to measure and independent of age could be a potential measure of nutritional status of their offspring and could replace child nutritional indicators that is usually used to infer nutritional status of entire population particularly in humanitarian/emergency settings. If maternal nutrition is not a good predictor of child nutritional outcomes, it cannot be inferred (as the authors appear to have done) that the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition is not an important issue to be addressed in developing countries. We modified our conclusion as follows: "Maternal height and BMI are significantly associated with child's undernutrition but not accurate proxy indicators of child undernutrition. Therefore, our findings question the assumptions underlying uses of anthropometry particularly we doubt the use of children nutrition indicators as proxies for population level nutrition". Editor's Comments Author's Revision and Response Please look carefully into the reviews and also discuss your findings in line with the causal inference framework (see Hernán MA, Robins JM. Causal Inference. Chapman & Hall/CRC (internet version under revision http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/miguel-hernan/causal-inferencebook/); 2013/8, see particularly section one of the book/chapter 1-10). Consider modifying analyses or providing additional analyses based on the causal inference framework and also discuss limitations based on this. Please also look carefully into the conclusion with this in mind. We added logistics regression for binary outcomes in the analysis part. Conclusion modified and limitations discussed.


In order to purify the vegetations of Riemerella anatipestifer (RA) four kinds of media for RA cultivation and four purification methods for vegetation extraction were compared. The results showed that Martin agar was the most suitable for growth of the bacteria leading to relatively more prolific vegetations and less impurities. Differential centrifugation following membrane filtration could effectively separate the vegetations from RA and successsfully purify them. No nucleic acids were detected in extracts from the vegetations and the SDS-PAGE pattern of vegetation was similar to that of the corresponding RA. In morphological study the vegetations could be classified into three kinds: big, medium and small ones. The big and medium vegetations contained a thick wall around its with a triangular or quadrilateral nucleus in the center. The small vegetations were round and surrounded by a very thin outer-membrane with a spot-or star-like nucleus. These results provide some scientific basis for taxonomical study of RA.


Urban space has some attributes distinguished from rural areas. As such, it has the power of conditioning the ways of its inhabitants' behaving and thinking, while shaping their sense of identity. From the view-point, it is very valuable to examine what roles urban space has played in shaping urban life. For this, I focus on modern Shanghai, discussing how the urban space of Shanghai has been formed and transformed and how it has influenced the changing formation of Shanghaian's urban life. The urban space of Shanghai has a long history of its formation and transformation for about 700 years. The first stage of shaping urban space in this area is when Xian-cheng(縣城) built in Ming dynasty. It had the common appearance that traditional Chinese cities had, and the inhabitants did not any certain identities as the city-dweller. However, as shanghai had promoted its position as a trade-port, it had to increasingly developed its own urban spaces with diverse urban activities and with increasing population. It might be the evolutional process of the urban spaces, if the trend stand. In the historical change of Shanghai, it is noticeable that the International Settlement and the French Concession played a powerful role to re-form the urban spaces of Shanghai. It made the urban spaces distorted. Under the being of the Settlement and Concession, Shanghai could not have the identical figure as a unity and Chinese faced radical separations among them. And Chinese had difficulties in having the sence of identity as the Shanghaian. Chinese government has persistently responded to such distorted transformations in Shanghai. Nanjing Nationalist Government and People's Republic of China have strived for the integration of urban spaces in Shanghai. However the effort of both government for urban reshaping obtained partial results, on the contrary increases the distortion of urban spaces. The greatest problem revealed through the historical "development" of Shanghai is that the urban spaces are not tightly connected to the lives of Shanghaians. In spite of Shanghai's modern brilliance and rapid development, Shanghaians often do not feel that they belong to Shanghai.


AIM
To identify the physiological concentration ranges of norepinephrine (NE), vasopressin (VP), and ATP in the rat liver.

METHODS
Rat hepatocytes were isolated by collagenase perfusion. Isolated cells were loaded with the fluorescent calcium indicator Fura-2 acetoxymethyl ester (Fura-2 AM). The effects of different concentrations of norepinephrine, vasopressin, and ATP on intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) increases in the freshly isolated rat hepatocytes were investigated. [Ca2+]i was measured by microfluorometry and recorded as fluorescence ratios (F340/F380).

RESULTS
NE, VP, and ATP induced increases in [Ca2+]i in a concentration-dependent manner. At lower concentrations, [Ca2+]i tended to show an oscillatory increase; with increasing concentrations, [Ca2+]i in more cells tended to show phasic or plateau increases. NE, VP, and ATP concentrations likely to induce an oscillatory [Ca2+]i response were 100 - 500 nmol/L, 50 - 100 pmol/L, and < 1 micromol/L respectively.

CONCLUSION
Physiological concentrations of NE, VP, and ATP are 100 - 500 nmol/L, 50 - 100 pmol/L, and < 1 micromol/L respectively in the rat liver.


The study was a quasi – experimental research conducted to investigate the effect of game-based design activities on students' achievement scores in Algebra. The participants of the study were the two sections of the junior high school students at Misamis Oriental General Comprehensive High School ,Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines. One section was assigned as control group who was exposed to traditional approach with usual motivation and varied activities given to them such as board works , seat works, assignments and weekly quiz while the other one was experimental group which was exposed to game activities locally called as "A Line For Win" and "Slide A Picture".


The invention describes before planting or use in previous crop application of emerging and be encapsulated acetamide herbicide to reduce to the damage of crop leaf and the method reaching Weeds distribution.The invention describes a kind of composition, it comprises the first particle micro-capsule envelope acetamide herbicide colony and the second particle micro-capsule envelope acetamide herbicide colony, and wherein application mix thing shows bimodal acetamide release profile.Described composition reduces crop damage by the release of controlled weed killer herbicide.


The study presented in this paper aims to explore students' characteristics and to determine student groups based on their previous education and socio-demographic characteristics. Descriptive data mining method, cluster analysis, is applied in the analysis process. Data used in the research is collected among first, second and third year IT students. Research results indicate profile of successful IT student. As such, research results provide useful insight into both micro and macro level aspects of educational process, which can benefit both students and academic institutions. Data mining has shown promising results in educational domain and a substantial potential to serve as a tool for improvement of quality in education.


In the Discussion and Conclusions of the paper "Volcanic activity from Neogene to the present evolution of the Western Mediterranean sea. A review" (Ofioliti, 25 (2): 87- 101), by Michele Lustrino, mainly deals with the Neogene to present volcanic activity and it presents a "continuous" model from Hercynian time to present: the paper, particularly because it wants to be a review, must take in better and more complete consideration the present-day knowledge on bibliography, data and interpretations, about the Hercynian, Late Hercynian and post-Hercynian geodynamic evolution in Western and Southern Europe. The Discussion and Conclusions chapter reports, in particular, some considerations about the Hercynian and post- Hercynian geodynamic evolution that do not take in consideration present interpretations developed by recent geological, structural and petrological-geochemical investigations carried out by several authors. The presentation of some main topics of this evolution is particularly inadequate for an up-to-date review published on an international bulletin.


This paper explores the use of a parametric geostatistical model for combining rainfall characteristics derived from rain gauge data with the same characteristics derived from remote‐sensed data sets. Hypotheses can then be tested about which predictors significantly increase precision of an estimated characteristic. Although applicable wherever ground‐level data and remote‐sensed data are to be combined, the statistical procedure set out in the paper is developed for two examples of rainfall characteristics: (i) G, the mean annual rainfall at an ungauged site, conditional on knowledge of two predictor variables T (the mean annual rainfall calculated from the TRMM 3B42 data set for 1998–2009), and C (mean annual rainfall derived from the CMORPH data set for 2003–2009); (ii) the mean annual maximum 1 day rainfall H, interpolated using the same modeling procedure with predictor variables T and C derived from annual maximum 1 day rainfalls in the same remote‐sensed data sets. Prediction errors showed no bias, skewness of distribution, or spatial heterogeneity. The model's generality means that it could be used with any predictors other than T and C, possibly derived from other satellite data sets or radar. Provided that predictor variables are correlated with the variable to be predicted, it is not necessary for the model relating them to be fitted using data from identical periods nor for the grid spacing of T and C to be identical. Model performance was evaluated by using a "leave‐one‐site‐out" procedure, which showed that the root mean square error (RMSE) of model predictions at omitted sites was smaller than RMSEs obtained from five other well‐known spatial predictors.


To examine potential roles for bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) in cardiogenesis, we used intracellular BMP inhibitors to disrupt this signaling cascade in Xenopus embryos. BMP-de®cient embryos showed endodermal defects, a reduction in cardiac muscle-speci®c gene expression, a decrease in the number of cardiomyoctes and cardia bi®da. Early expression of markers of endodermal and precardiac fate, however, was not perturbed. Heart defects were observed even when BMP signal transduction was blocked only in cells that contribute primarily to endodermal, and not cardiac fates, suggesting a non-cell autonomous function. Our results suggest that BMPs are not required for expression of early transcriptional regulators of cardiac fate but are essential for migration and/or fusion of the heart primordia and cardiomyocyte differentiation. q 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.


In this paper, we prove an analogue of Beurling's theorem on the Heisenberg group. Then we derive some other versions of the uncertainty principle.


The Layered Heart: Essays on Persian Poetry. A Celebration in Honor of Dick Davis. Edited by A. A. Seyed-Ghorab. Washington, DC: Mage Publishers, 2019. Pp. x + 662, illus. $75.