V.., simulate the critical relaxation process of the two-dimensional Ising model with the initial state both completely disordered or completely or dered. Results of a Ilew method to measure both the dynamic and static critical exponents are reported, based on the finite size scaling for tht, dyna mics at the early tilne. From the time-dependent Binder cnllllliant, the dy namical exponent.: is extracted independently, whilr the static exponents ;3/ v and v are obtained from. the time evolution of the magnetizatioIl and its higher InOlnents. PACS: 02.70.Lq. 05.70.Jk, 64.60.Ht, 64.60.Fr IOn leave of absence from Zhongshan University~ 510275 Guangzhou, P.R. China.


Aims and objectives: To evaluate the impact of maternal administration of betamethsone on fetoplacental and uterine circulation in preterm pregnancies complicated with intrauterine growth restriction. Materials and methods: Prospective observational study included 77 preterm pregnant women from 26- to 34-week period of gestation with IUGR. Color Doppler blood flow study (day 0) of fetoplacental and maternal circulation including umbilical artery middle cerebral artery (MCA), ductus venosus, maternal uterine arteries of all cases was being done. After day 0 Doppler, all received two doses of 12 mg of betamethasone intramuscularly 24 hours apart. Repeat Doppler (day 2) of the above-mentioned vessels was performed between 24 hours and 48 hours of first dose of betamethasone of all cases, and various indices were recorded. Third Doppler examination (day 4) of umbilical artery and MCA was done between 72 hours and 96 hours of first dose of betamethasone administration of all women (60 cases), and then Doppler indices values on day 4 were noted. Tabulated data were analyzed statistically by using appropriate statistical tests such as paired t -test, Pearson's Chi-square test, and ANOVA. Results: A significant reduction in mean umbilical artery pulsatility index (PI) and S/D ratio was observed on day 2 following betamethasone administration ( p < 0.001), which was maintained till fourth day after first dose of betamethasone ( p < 0.05). A significant reduction in mean MCA PI and S/D ratio was obtained on day 2 following betamethasone administration ( p < 0.001) but the effect was transient and became insignificant by day 4. A significant decrease in mean ductus venosus PI was observed on day 2 following betamethasone administration ( p < 0.05). No significant change of maternal betamethasone administration in maternal uterine artery PI was observed ( p > 0.05). Conclusion: Fetoplacental circulation of pregnancies with intrauterine growth restriction showed divergent response in terms of changes in various fetoplacental Doppler indices following antenatal betamethasone administration. Clinical significance: This offers a unique model to explore the regulation of the fetoplacental vasculature. These findings are also important for fetal surveillance undertaken following corticosteroid administration to pregnant women with IUGR.


To improve the Nap-of-the-Earth(NOE) capability of armed helicopter, a real-time adaptive explicit Model-Following Control System(MFCS) for helicopter is developed. Based on the MFCS, a Fly-By-Light/Wire (FBL/FBW) system is developed and a semi-physical simulation platform of helicopter NOE is established. And it is processed to prove the excellent NOE capability of the system.Via the comparison between the FBW and FBL, two kinds of optical fibers communication technology developed in this article are validated. All of these provide the method and semi-physical simulation platform to FBL technology research for helicopter.


Genomic DNA of 240 plant samples from eight populations of Potaninia mongolica Maxim.in China was amplified with 8 pairs of primer to evaluate the population genetic diversity of this endangered species by using amplified fragment length polymorphism(AFLP) analysis.397 clear bands from 65 to 530bp were available for analysis and 296(74.56%) of them were polymorphic.So it amplified 37 polymorphic bands for each pair of AFLP primer.PopGen32 data processing software gave out that Nei′s gene diversity index ranged from 0.0845 to 0.1779 and Shannon′s information index ranged from 0.1280 to 0.2377 for the 8 populations,among them the highest population genetic diversity level was in Shangshawo which will be one of the germplasm centers and the lowest of it was in Yingen.The analysis of variance showed that the variance between populations was 31.69% and the main variance was 68.31% within populations,the UPGMA cluster analysis showed that the mean genetic distance among the 8 populations was 0.1341.the UPGMA cluster analysis results also revealed that the population genetic diversity of P.mongolica Maxim was closely related to its distribution area and had high genetic similarity between the populations.This conclusion implied that population of P.mongolica Maxim.had same origin and genetic drift was of no importance for its diversity.The research suggest that the best way for ex situ conservation was collecting sufficient individual plant from as many populations as possible and bring the full effort to keep the genetic diversity of it,because this is the basis for the study of systematic evolvement of P.mongolica Maxim.


A cataract is the clouding of an otherwise clear ocular lens, with disturbance in the passage of light (Davson, 1980). This can make vision hazy. The lens has a protein concentration of 33% of its total weight; and most of these proteins are transparent and water-soluble (Shahzad et al., 2012). The only treatment for cataract is surgical removal of the lens and replacement with a permanent artificial intraocular lens (IOL). Successful cataract surgery universally improves vision and quality of life (Song et al., 2014). Even International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 8 Number 10 (2019) Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas.com


We have studied of the partitioning behavior of both acrylic (AA) and methacrylic (MAA) acids between water and a variety of styrene, acrylate and methacrylate co- and ter-monomer phases. As in single monomer phase systems, the distribution coefficients for multicomponent systems strongly depend upon the hydrogen bond acceptor characteristics of the organic phase and the pH of the aqueous phase. These measured distribution coefficients for multicomponent monomer systems can be predicted by applying an appropriate "mixing rule" to the distribution and dimerization coefficients obtained from the single monomer systems. Using a log-based mixing rule, we have been able to accurately predict the water/monomer distribution characteristics of both AA and MAA for a wide variety of styrene/(meth)acrylate multimonomer systems for our own data as well as those developed by others. This includes multicomponent monomer experiments at pH levels at which the vinyl acids are partially or fully ionized in the water phase.


Abstract Photothermal measuring techniques enable microscopic investigations of patterns which are invisible by optical methods. Theoretical calculations are performed to estimate the resolution power. These results we compare with photoacoustic measurements from samples manipulated appropriately.


Introduction: Among the elbow fractures, the most common elbow fracture observed in children are the supracondylar humeral fracture. The advancement of modern surgical techniques has reduced the incidence rate of compartment syndrome and malunion. For the treatment of supracondylar humeral fractures, techniques such as closed reduction, traction, splint closed reduction, open reduction, k-wire fixation, and percutaneous pinning are used. There are different approaches that are applied for open reduction method which include double incision method (lateral and medial), medial, anterior, posterior and lateral approach. Till date among all these approaches, the posterior approach via muscles of triceps has produced very good results. Different studies have been conducted to compare the anterior and posterior approaches of surgical treatment. Aim: To compare the results of posterior and lateral surgical approaches while treating the type III supracondylar humeral fracture in children. Methodology: This study included 82 children, who had undergone the surgical treatment, 52 patients were treated by the posterior approach, and 30 patients were treated by the lateral approach. Both the groups had their follow up till 6 months postoperatively. Results: It was observed that the posterior approach had a very short surgery time as compared to the lateral approach. The results obtained according to the Flynn's criteria were 80.7% in the posterior group and 80% in the lateral group, and no statistical significance was observed between the two groups. Conclusion: The posterior approach had shorter operating time as compared to the lateral approach, however, no statistical significance was determined between the two groups in terms of functional results and complications.


The study of the thermical field in the processing by complex erosion offer the possibility of the realization by theoretical research and application whos complete assembly of knowledge in domain. In this study is following continuing of technological and phenomenological hypothesis whos discovered, and aspects to given new information at processing condition and results like opening new direction of research.


The aim of this research is to evaluate the through thickness residual stresses distribution in the walls and in the corners of a cold‐formed open section made of a material presenting a non linear hardening behaviour. To get results as close as possible to the reality, the complete process is modeled, including coiling and uncoiling of the sheet before the cold bending of the corner itself. The elastic springback after flattening as well as after final shaping are also taken into account. In order to validate the model in predicting the residual stresses distribution, the presented results are confronted to experimental measurements and FE results collected from the literature.


Torsional vibration of roller oscillating tooth gear drive (ROTGD) is studied in this paper. On the basis of conservation law for kinetic energy and potential energy, the mathematical expressions are developed which describe transformation of moment of inertia of inertial components into input shaft. Also, the formula is derived which expresses transformation of contact stiffness of elastic components into input shaft torsional stiffness. Besides, torsional vibration model of ROTGD is presented by using the transfer matrix method, and natural frequencies and vibration mode shapes are determined. Eventually, an example is given.


Exploiting staggered interstate banking deregulation as exogenous shocks to bank geographic expansion, we examine the causal effect of geographic diversification on systemic risk. Using the gravity-deregulation approach, we find that bank geographic diversification leads to higher systemic risk measured by the change in conditional value at risk ($\Delta$CoVaR) and financial integration (Logistic($R^{2}))$. Furthermore, we document that geographic diversification affects systemic risk via its impact on asset similarity. The impact of geographic diversification on systemic risk is stronger in BHCs located in states comoving less with the U.S. aggregate economy.


We study the influence of constant magnetic field combined with a field induced by the external thermal environment on the atomic decay rates. The importance of radiative corrections, including magnetic interaction, is demonstrated for hydrogen and hydrogen-like ions with low nuclear charge values $Z$. Based on the quantum electrodynamics description, the principal possibility of determining the $g$-factor by observing fluorescence is shown. The considered effects can be used in precision spectroscopic experiments and astrophysical studies.


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is amongst the most common medicalcomplications of pregnancy associated with adverse maternal and perinatal outcome. The prevalence of GDM is increasing worldwide especially in India with increasing obesity and lifestyle and dietary changes. Hence this study was undertaken to study the prevalence of GDM and evaluate its maternal and neonatal outcome.
METHODS:
This was a prospective study. During the study period, 205 pregnant women between 24 to 28 weeks of gestation were screened for GDM using 75g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and diagnosed to have GDM based on WHO criteria. Risk factors for GDM, maternal and neonatal outcomes were studied.
RESULTS:
The prevalence of GDM in the study population was 7.8%. Prevalence of GDM cases was significantly associated with body mass index (BMI) > 25 kg/m2, family history
of diabetes, previous macrosomia / large for gestational age (LGA) baby and past history of GDM with p 25 years was not
statistically associated with prevalence of GDM (p = 0.358). Incidence of pre-eclampsia and polyhydramnios were significantly higher among GDM cases. Operative delivery
and assisted (forceps) delivery had strongly significant association with GDM (p 3.5kg) in the neonates (p <.001). Hypoglycemia was the most common complication noted in neonates of GDM women. Incidence of respiratory distress, transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN), polycythemia and neonatal hyperbilirubinemia were also significantly more common among neonates born to GDM women.
CONCLUSION:
BMI > 25 kg/m2, family history of diabetes, past GDM and previous LGA baby were important risk factors for GDM. The study emphasizes the need to screen all pregnant women for GDM, so that timely diagnosis and intervention will reduce both maternal and perinatal complications.


Hypothyroidism has been shown to be accompanied by hyperlipoproteinemia. To examine the pathogenesis of hyperlipidemia in hypothyroidism, plasma cholesterol, triglyceride, lipoprotein electrophoresis on agarose gel and PHLA were measured in 8 patients with hypothyroidism before and during thyroid hormone replacement therapy. Lipoprotein lipase was measured as protamine-inactivated lipase activity; hepatic triglyceride lipase activity was measured as protamine-resistant lipase activity by the method of Krauss. Lipoprotein phenotyping revealed type IIa hyperlipoproteinemia in 3 patients, type III in 4 patients and type IV in 1 patient. The mean ± S.E.M. of fasting plasma cholesterol and triglyceride were 258.8 ± 25.2 and 191.5 ± 51.1 mg/dl in the pretreatment period and were 199.9 ± 19.9 and 131.1 ± 30.4 mg/dl on thyroid hormone replacement, respectively. Hepatic triglyceride lipase was lower in the patients with hypothyroidism (4.51±0.65k moles FFA/ml/h) than in the controls (13.80±1.85, p<0.001) and increased (10.20±1.46, p<0.01) with treatment to levels comparable to those of thecontrols. However, lipoprotein lipase in the patients with hypothyroidism (2.76 ± 0.43bt moles FFA/ml/h) was not different from that of the controls (3.56 ± 0.76) and did not increase (3.33 ± 0.69) significantly with treatment. The effects of a high carbohydrate diet and a high fat dieton lipoprotein metabolism were studied in 4 patients with hypothyroidism. Changing from a high carbohydrate diet to a high fat diet produced a mean decrease of plasma triglyceride (98.5 mg/dl) and a change of


The rules for success have changed at perennially successful Paychex. Greater operational and product/service complexity requires a new leadership style to produce the strong performance stakeholders have come to expect. Through a new set of leadership development programs, the Paychex operations organization is rapidly reshaping its leadership culture by setting expectations and building competencies for proactive problem solving, open dialogue, and greater accountability. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Abstract Disposal of plastic waste is a serious problem, because plastics accumulate in the environment and cause significant pollution due to their degradability. Therefore, the main objective of this research was to reach the biodegradable plastics industry as alternatives to non-biodegradable plastics. And the existence of such biodegradable plastic must contribute in reducing the emission of harmful greenhouse gases and keeps the environment clean, and reduces the cost for pollution from the accumulation of plastic waste. Algae was used as a raw material for the production of bio-plastics because of its unique properties such as it grows rapidly and in large quantities at a low cost and grows in a variety of water environments throughout the year, which means that there is no risk in the difficulty of securing the raw materials needed for the production of bio-plastics The study concluded that the tested samples partially decomposed in fresh and alkaline water during a period of 26 days, which means a high dependence on algae to the production of bio plastics as an environmentally friendly industry.


Consumer reviews and ratings of products and services have become ubiquitous on the Internet. This paper analyzes, given the sequential nature of reviews and the limited feedback of such past reviews, the information content they communicate to future customers. We consider a model with heterogeneous customers who buy a product of unknown quality and we focus on two different informational settings. In the first setting, customers observe the whole history of past reviews. In the second one they only observe the sample mean of past reviews. We examine under which conditions, in each setting, customers can recover the true quality of the product based on the feedback they observe. In the case of total monitoring, if consumers adopt a fully rational Bayesian updating paradigm, then they asymptotically learn the unknown quality. With access to only the sample mean of past reviews, inference becomes intricate for customers and it is not clear if, when, and how social learning can take place. We first analyze ...


Commentary on: Bhatia RS, Bouck Z, Ivers NM, et al . Electrocardiograms in low-risk patients undergoing an annual health examination. JAMA Intern Med 2017;177:1326–33

Given the rising costs of healthcare and the evidence that about one-third of it is wasteful,1 several initiatives have been established with the goal of identifying wasteful healthcare services that provide little or no benefit to patients.2 One such low-value care practice has been the performance of an electrocardiogram (ECG) in low-risk patients to screen for cardiovascular diseases. The downstream consequence of obtaining an ECG in a low-risk population is not well described in the literature.

This population-based retrospective cohort study was performed using the administrative healthcare databases from Canada between 2010 and 2015.3 The primary exposure was receipt of an ECG within 30 days of an annual health examination (AHE). The study population consisted of all patients ≥18 years …


The future of the primary agricultural production relies on the responses to enhanced changes of climatic factors associated with the global warming and greenhouse effect by releasing the new genotypes, more tolerant to drought, extreme temperatures, low nutrient content, changes in population density and pathogenicity of pests and diseases. The co-occurring phenomena, such as aridization or fluctuation of precipitation in the particular area would be probably present even in the Slovak conditions. It appears that not only the systematic change of the long-term mean temperature and precipitation compared to long-time average level, but also the diurnal and seasonal variability and frequency of weather fluctuations or extreme days would play an important role. Therefore, it is necessary to draw attention in advance to possible consequences and possibilities to optimize the production process. There is a need of specification of effects of weather fluctuations on the regulation of growth-production factors as well as the importance of a special gene expression needed to crop tolerance or resistance or running the protection mechanisms. Our experiment showed that introduction of multi-parametric approaches is useful for a deeper comprehension of interactions in the system soil plant atmosphere, as well as for manipulation of these interactions in all their components. Thus, it will lead to a more dynamic understanding of this interaction and to the production of new genotype constructs.


ABSTRACT Despite the high number of crises encountered within sport, crisis communication management in sport remains understudied. Operational crisis communication in particular can be considered an uncharted territory, regardless of its potential significant effects on sport organisations' reputation. In this study we explore the themes used in FIFA's communication during the Covid-19 pandemic, to understand how operational organisational crisis communication was managed by football's leading sport organisation in this unprecedented climate. Content analysis is conducted in all FIFA's press releases and Twitter messages related to Covid-19 from March 5th to July 3rd 2020, in order for insights to be offered to the content and meaning of FIFA's operational crisis communication, their attempts to emphasise the organisation's positive traits and actions, and the links built with managing and improving the organisation's reputation. The analysis of the themes used indicates that proactive planning of crisis communication management had been conducted, while lessons from previous handling of crises appear to have been learned. By outlining the crisis communication strategy adopted by FIFA, we offer insights to the unexplored area of operational crisis communication in sports, while presenting a roadmap for operational crisis communication management for other sport organisations and future studies exploring the topic. HIGHLIGHTS The study highlights the main themes used by FIFA, focusing on positive traits of the organisation. FIFA's crisis communication management deviates from pre-prescribed recommendations. A roadmap for operational crisis communication management for sport organisations is offered.


Drugs that treat migraine come from a variety of classes and reflect on- and off-label use. How current are you?


Compact commercial products make our life better but bring more challenges to IC assembly engineering. To satisfy the requirements, package body becomes thinner and pitch of I/O becomes finer. Although leadframe assemblies have been well developed and plastic encapsulation is quite popular for semiconductor packaging, new problems emerge to the packages due to the compact requirement. During molding process, the viscous epoxy molding compound (EMC) flows over wires and drags them for a distance, then induces the well-known problem called wire sweep. The same phenomenon also happens to the paddle and leads of leadframe and makes them shift, which was rarely mentioned or discussed in the past. Excessive deflection for one lead could be sufficiently severe to cause lead contact and damage the device. Beside, large paddle deformation could cause wire or paddle exposure and decrease the yield. These issues become more and more important when the package becomes thinner and has finer pitch. Therefore, a numerical simulation method was developed to predict the lead deflection of leadframe assemblies, encapsulated with EMC, after molding process. Furthermore, the displacement, stress and strain distribution of the structure were calculated through some simulation technique. X-ray detection and optical microscope inspections, after decapsulated the package, were also introduced to investigate the lead shifting phenomenon. The experimental results showed satisfactory consistency with the simulation. Via this method, engineers could get a lot useful information for the leadframe design, particularly to the thin package during molding process.


Websites and web applications have become more complex with the advancement of technologies in our industry. It used to be a one-way static medium has evolved into a very highly interactive system. The developer of an organization's websites or web application needs to be dynamic and efficient to accept any frequent change requests. However, some of the main challenges faced by the front-end developer are mainly caused by the inconsistency of the webpages design and incomplete portal change requests. The change request often provides incomplete resources such as incorrect banner sizes, blur images, and incomplete information. Furthermore, some of the requests need to be completed within a very short time-frame. To address these issues, in this paper, we developed a visual language design guideline for a telecommunication company in Malaysia, based on the customization of a widely used visual language design. The developed guideline is then evaluated by the company's internal team. The evaluation shows that the visual language design guideline did help the team in achieving a consistent website.


The discovery of ferroelectric properties in HfO2-based materials has attracted immense interest in both logic and memory applications. However, the degradation in remnant polarization upon repeated cycles is a major concern for reliability, but the mechanism remains unclear. In this study, polarization fatigue of HfZrO ferroelectric is investigated with SILC (stress-induced-leakage-current) measurement under different E-field stresses. Under high-field, we observed strong correlation between polarization wake-up and SILC increase. This is attributed to oxygen vacancy redistribution and percolation path formation, especially at high frequency cycling. However, polarization fatigue at low field is found to occur without SILC increase. P-E loop measurements and material analysis by TEM/PED (precession electron diffraction) revealed that charge trapping is the main contributor under the low-bias. We demonstrated that the fatigue caused by low-field stress could be effectively recovered through an interspersed periodical, short-term cycles at high-field to manage charge trapping and oxygen vacancy redistribution, thus resulting in prolonged endurance to >1E12 cycles without SILC degradation at room temperature. We also validated that a negligible fatigue switching in HfZrO can be achieved at -40°C as low-temperature operation further reduces charge trapping.


RECOGNIZING THE NEED FOR MECHANICAL VENTILATORY SUPPORT Clinical Indications for Respiratory Failure Determining Effective Oxygenation and Ventilation GOALS OF NEWBORN AND PEDIATRIC VENTILATORY SUPPORT NONINVASIVE RESPIRATORY SUPPORT Noninvasive Nasal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure in Neonates Noninvasive Positive-Pressure Ventilation in Neonates CPAP and BiPAP in Pediatric Patients CONVENTIONAL MECHANICAL VENTILATION Indications for Ventilatory Support of Neonates Indications for Ventilatory Support of Pediatric Patients The Pediatric Ventilator Volume Control Mode Pressure-Support Ventilation Volume-Support Ventilation Airway Pressure Release Ventilation Lung-Protective Strategies in Conventional Ventilation HIGH-FREQUENCY VENTILATION Indications for High-Frequency Ventilation Contraindications and Complications of High-Frequency Ventilation High-Frequency Ventilation Techniques High-Frequency Positive-Pressure Ventilation High-Frequency Flow Interruption High-Frequency Percussive Ventilation High-Frequency Oscillatory Ventilation High-Frequency Jet Ventilation Physiology of High-Frequency Ventilation Management and Strategies for High-Frequency Ventilation WEANING AND EXTUBATION ADJUNCTIVE FORMS OF RESPIRATORY SUPPORT Surfactant Replacement Therapy Prone Positioning Inhaled Nitric Oxide Therapy SUMMARY


The utility model discloses a pneumatic tire with biomimetic patterns, the tire casing of the tire is divided into a central area and two tire shoulder areas which belong to two areas, the central area comprises continuous bamboo-node-shaped pattern ribs and pattern blocks on two sides, two sides of the continuous bamboo-node-shaped pattern ribs are continuous internal concave and mutually dislocated in the circumferential direction, the pattern block provided with a straight edge outside, a large arc edge and a small arc edge which extend along the bamboo-node-shaped pattern ribs and a pinpoint smoothing transition formed by the intersection of two arc edges, and the tire shoulder areas comprise two continuous circumferential straight flutes including a left straight flute and a right straight flute and pattern strips of the tire shoulder on two sides respectively. The utility model has the advantages that the tire casing of the gasification automobile tire has the biomimetic patterns of the dorsal fin of the whale, not only the ground pressure is improved, but also the pneumatic tire can rapidly drain water, can provide the moisture-proof and skid-proof performances of good wetland, the turning stability and accurate steering responsiveness, the driving comfortableness does not needed to be sacrificed, and the elegant appearance is not effected. Therefore, stable running can be achieved whether on the dry pavement or the wet pavement.


In this paper we present a novel architecture for a high-speed AES crypto core which is resistant against first-order side channel attacks; our design combines Boolean masking techniques, logic obfuscation applied to a composite-fields Sbox implementation, and interleaved computations. This approach reaches a remarkable trade-off between size, performance and need for randomness, showing to be competitive against designs based on threshold approaches and automated masking. We conduct simulation-based and FPGA-based security evaluations, which are shown to corroborate our security objectives.


Solving a multivariable static Schr\"odinger equation for a quantum system, to produce multiple excited-state energy eigenvalues and wave functions, is one of the basic tasks in mathematical and computational physics. Here we propose a neural-network-based solver, which enables us to cover the high-dimensional variable space for this purpose. The efficiency of the solver is analyzed by examples aimed at demonstrating the concept and various aspects of the task: the simultaneous finding of multiple excited states of lowest energies, the computation of energy-degenerate states with orthogonalized wave functions, the scalability to handle a multivariable problem, and the self-consistent determination and automatic adjustment of the imbedded Monte Carlo procedure. The solver adheres to the computational techniques developed in machine learning and is vastly different from traditional numerical methods.


— Wearable robotic devices have potential to assist and protect their users. Toward design of a Smart Helmet, this article examines the effectiveness of audio and visual warnings to help participants brace for impacts. A user study examines different warnings and impacts applied to users while running. Perturbation forces scaled to user mass are applied from different directions and user displacement is measured to characterize effectiveness of the warning. This is accomplished using the TreadPort Active Wind Tunnel adapted to deliver forward, rearward, right, or left perturbation forces at precise moments during the locomotor cycle. The article presents an overview of the system and demonstrates the ability to precisely deliver consistent warnings and perturbations during gait. User study results highlight effectiveness of visual and audio warnings to help users brace for impact, resulting in guidelines that will inform future human-robot warning systems.


Both the accidental as well as the purposeful discovery of a large number of anthropomorphic peg-based sculptures in the Banderas Valley in the states of Jalisco and Nayarit during the 1990s have provided a corpus of contextual and iconographic data that, along with conquest-period ethnographic data, allow for an assessment of the date and function of such figures. In addition, because of the similarity of these sculptural figures to ones of comparable dates in Central America, the case for significant pre-Hispanic coastal contacts between the two areas is reinforced.


Based on 329 household survey questionnaire data in Zhejiang, China, we discussed farmer's environmental cognitive behavior on the beautiful countryside construction and its influencing factors, using linear regression, variance analysis and correlation analysis. The results show that fewer (20.30%) respondent farmers know this program; there are positive correlations between farmer cognitive on the beautiful countryside construction and their income. At present, rural households' environmental awareness is low, but 40% of the respondents believe that the environment has been improved in recent years, they are beginning to realize the importance of the rural environment. Farmer cognition of the beautiful countryside construction has obvious spatial differences between different regions in Zhejiang province. As a whole, Taizhou (76.8%) households' environmental cognition rate and Quzhou (76.3%) was roughly at the same level, Wenzhou (64.9%) is lower compared to them.


Donors currently place emphasis on the need to address corruption in an increasingly coordinated fashion as part of their support for the wider development and democratisation agenda. Findings from country study reports which used the National Integrity System (NIS) approach for assessing types and levels of corruption indicate both that corruption persists and that donor coordination is evidenced in developing the resultant anti-corruption strategies within recipient states. This paper adopts a different perspective on the issue of donor coordination, specifically considering the potential for the integration of activities of agencies or institutions from within one specific donor country involved in work overseas in the anti-corruption field. The article uses the UK as the case study, looking at the activities of one transnational agency located in the UK (the Commonwealth Secretariat), at the UK's development agency (the Department for International Development) both as a single donor and as part of a partnership with other development agencies, and at two UK agencies, the National Audit Office and HM Customs & Excise. The article draws two conclusions. First, the individual organisations pursue their own agendas although the specialist agencies are aware of the need for contextual reform to make their work effective. Second, and despite this awareness, there is at present little evidence of a common purpose or approach for offering to recipient countries more integrated forms of assistance agreed between agencies from one donor country.


Let R be a ring (commutative with identity), let Γ be a multiplicatively closed set of finitely generated nonzero ideals of R, for an ideal I of R let I Γ = ∪ {I : G; G ∈ Γ}, and for an R-algebra A such that GA ≠ (0) for all G ∈ Γ let A Γ = ∪ {A : T GA; G ∈ Γ}, where T is the total quotient ring of A. Then I Γ is an ideal in R, I → I Γ is a semi-prime operation (on the set I of ideals I of R) that satisfies a cancellation law, and it is a prime operation on I if and only if R = R Γ. Also, A Γ is an R-algebra and A → A Γ is a closure operation on any set A = {A; A is an R-algebra, R ⊆ A, and if C is a ring between R and A, then regular elements in C remain regular in A}. Finally, several results are proved concerning relations between the ideals I Γ and (IA)ΓA and between the R-algebras R Γ and A Γ. *Ahmad died of a heart attack on January 28, 2000. He was the gentlest, kindest, most humble of men. -LJR


The liquid phase sintering of an Fe-6 wt%B-(38-53) wt%Mo ternary alloys is studied by means of DTA, dilatometric measurements, microstructural observations and transverse rupture testing. Effects of Mo content on the liquid phase sintering are discussed. Also, the relationship between the sintering mechanisms and transverse rupture strength of Fe-6 wt%B-48 wt%Mo alloy is discussed.The results can be summarized as follows: The liquid phase sintering of the alloy is accomplished by the formation of two liquid phases produced by two different reactions. As the Mo content increases, the temperature range of the first reaction, γ-Fe+Fe2B→L1, falls slightly and the amount of L1 decreases. On the other hand, the temperature range of the second reaction, γ-Fe+Mo2FeB2→L2, rises up to 1282°C with an attendant increase in the amount of L2.


Previous studies of the impact of gender upon legislatures have shown conflicting findings regarding the backgrounds, qualifications and types of men and women serving as legislators. Women appear to have narrowed the gap in terms of some of these background variables but still face significant obstacles. This study examines the impact of major institutional factors upon the roles of men and women. Survey and interview methodology compare two important aspects of institutionalization: The U.S. type legislature is compared with a major parliamentary system (Australia), and professionalized legislators are compared with the non-professionalized. The study finds that women have achieved parity with men in regard to education and employment history, regardless of the type of system. However, there are significant differences in incumbency, with women being relatively recent entrants into the Australian system. Moreover, women in Australian parliaments encounter more problems regarding child-care and marital responsibilities than their U.S. counterparts.


Several systemic factors have been shown to contribute to the acceleration of large vessel atheroma. Correction of these factors leads to a reduction in the progression of plaque formation and associated arterial wall thickness. Atheroma remains, however, a focal disease, developing at characteristic sites within the arterial tree. These sites are typically at areas of vessel branching or marked curvature, and correspond to regions of high tensile stress and low sheer stress, leading to the hypothesis that local haemodynamic factors and vessel wall mechanics potentiate the focal development of atheroma. Current assessment of vascular haemodynamics suffers from an inability to handle complex flow, and does not allow accurate determination of locally varying flow, and shear stress patterns. The application of computational fluid dynamic (CFD) flow simulation techniques to ultrasound and local pressure data, however, allows a comprehensive, non-invasive appraisal of haemodynamic flow parameters to be performed. The Candesartan cilexetil and Atenolol Carotid Haemodynamic Endpoint Trial (CACHET) study compares the effects of two antihypertensive regimens, one β-blocker-based, the other angiotensin receptor blocker based, on carotid intima-media thickness. The collection of ultrasound and pressure data on each subject provides a unique opportunity to apply these data to the CFD model to study the effects of these antihypertensive regimens on local fluid dynamics. This will lead to a greater understanding of the relationship of these factors to atheroma formation and regression.


Abstract AQUATER is a Decision Support System (DSS) developed to drive crop management decisions at district level in a Mediterranean area; it integrates information from soil and climatic databases with a crop growth simulation model and provides estimates of crop yield at regional scale. AQUATER can assimilate LAI maps derived from Earth observation data in order to mitigate the risk of erroneous model predictions over large areas. In this study, time-series of LAI maps derived from COSMO-SkyMed SAR images, acquired over the Capitanata plain (Puglia region) in 2010 and 2011, have been assimilated by a forcing procedure in AQUATER and the improvements of its predictions have been assessed. Results indicate that the LAI assimilation leads to significant improvements in the yield forecast of sugar beet and tomato crops, whereas in the case of wheat the improvements are marginal.


Objective To explore the influence of basketball shoes on impact force and corresponding muscle activation in the lower limb during the active and passive landing.Methods Twelve male ball players wearing two types of shoes(basketball shoes with cushioning insole vs.control shoes) performed the jump drop and passive landing from three different height on the tiltable platform.The dynamometric platform and electromyography(EMG) measurement system were used to collect the impact forces and EMG data from 5 major muscles in the lower limb simultaneously.Results As for the active drop jump,wearing basketball shoes didn't have any effect on the amplitude/frequency of impact forces and muscle activation in the lower limb.However,during the passive landing,wearing basketball shoes could significantly decrease the amplitude of impact forces,the peak loading rate and the input frequency(P0.05),and the post-activation of major muscles in the lower limb were also significantly decreased(P0.05).Conclusions During the active landing,the intervention of footwear shows no significantly influence on characteristics of impact forces and muscle activation.However,when the human body does not under the full control of landing,wearing basketball shoes can change the input frequency,decrease the muscle post-activation,and play a positive role in preventing the sports injuries and enhancing the metabolic efficiency during the landing.


The rise of a 'new' empirical bioethics, which aims to ground normative judgments in 'real-world' data relating to different ethical problems in the biomedical sciences, has been well-documented in recent years. – 7 Indeed, the journal Clinical Ethics was established as a valuable forum for the dissemination of research that embraced an empirical approach to the exploration of ethical problems in clinical practice. For postgraduates who see themselves as engaging in bioethics research, these developments present both a real opportunity to adopt a broad range of disciplinary perspectives in exploring their chosen topic, and a series of challenges in producing rigorous and respected work that might lead to an established academic career. The breadth of the field called 'bioethics' is well-suited to postgraduate research. At this level, researchers have a great degree of freedom to draw on different theoretical and methodological traditions in developing projects that address new problems in different ways. Indeed, one might say that this freedom to explore and experiment with different perspectives is what makes undertaking a PhD so special. However, this process of experimentation is also conducive to producing identity crises. When asked to describe the work that we do, we might respond by saying, for example, that it has a social scientific, a philosophical, a legal and a psychiatric component. When asked how these components integrate, or when called to account on the basis of the quality of our research by supervisors, reviewers or examiners, we have an uneasy sense that everything might unravel around us, our projects amounting to less than the sum of their parts.


Explore and verify the influence of hydration energy and valence on selectivity of anions, and the role of anion's shape


The kinetic and equilibrium characteristics of the adsorption of imidazole (1,3-diazole) and triazole (1,2,4-triazole) from aqueous solutions on active carbons of FAS type (FAS-1 and FAS-2) were studied. The effect of thechemical structure of the adsorptive molecule and the size of the pores in the active carbon on the character of adsorption and the amount adsorbed was discussed. Pulsed gradient magnetic field NMR was used to measure the self-diffusion coefficients for imidazole and triazole molecules in D 2 O and H 2 O solutions of various concentrations and in D 2 O solutions during the adsorption of these compounds on FAS-2.


Wearables that continuously acquire vital and other medically relevant parameters facilitate treatment optimizations for individual patients and reduce the duration of hospitalizations — thus improving the patients' quality of life. To accomplish this, we demonstrate a scalable architecture that connects wearables through a hub to the cloud, combines edge and cloud computing to provide optimal user interaction, and allows analytics on multi-stream data from those connected devices.


The comparative study focuses on corruption in commercial organisations, which has received considerable attention in both Russia and Germany in recent years. In both countries anti-corruption law has been harmonised by several international conventions to reflect the growing importance of world trade and increasing globalisation. The authors analyse the current criminal offences and the criminological characteristics in both countries. Whereas in Russia special criminal provisions were created under Chapter 23 (Articles 201, 202, 203, 204, 204.1 and 204.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), in Germany the relevant corrupt conduct is covered by the traditional general criminal offence of embezzlement (§ 266 of the German Criminal Code (StGB)) and by newly created special corruption offences (§§ 299, 300 and 301 StGB). The authors show that in each of the two countries, Russia and Germany, corruption in commercial organisations is now considered a grave form of corruption, so that the international conventions are taken into account to some extent. In Germany, however, not only are the sanctions foreseen for corruption in commercial organisations considerably lower than those for corruption in the public sector, but the offences are only prosecuted on criminal complaint. In the practice of German criminal prosecution, these types of bribery offences have therefore so far had little significance. Nevertheless, a high number of undetected cases and large economic losses can be expected. Furthermore, the comparative legal study shows that there are not only considerable differences in the design of the criminal provisions as well as in the legal reality, but that there are also several common elements in Russia and Germany.


The metallic (zinc) load of plants found along Ugwan Dosa stream, Kaduna Nigeria was investigated by using Atomic spectrophotometer (AAS). The plants investigated include Spinach, Mushroom, Potato, mango and cabbage. Results obtained revealed that the highest means concentration of Zinc was 0.91mgl obtained from Spinach in January, 2008 and the lowest mean value of zinc was 0.85mgl obtained from spinach in October 2007. The mean concentration from the two months showed that mushroom recorded the highest value of 0.82 while tomato recorded the least value of 0.20mgl 1. Although these values are below the human means permissible risk (MPR) value and below the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recommended threshold for crops (2.0mgl 1) there is need for proper Channeling and recycling of effluent to avert the danger that might arise from prolonged accumulation. Keywords : Zinc, Ungwan Dosa Stream, Plants.


A diatom flora associated with a lichen ( Collema sp. ) and various mosses on a sandstone outcrop in Boone County, Iowa, is analyzed. Species rated "common in collection'', are Melosira roseana Rabh., Pinnularia lata Breb., Navicula gibbula Cleve, Navicula mutica Kutz., N. mutlca, var. Cohnii (Hilse) Grun., Navicula contenta var. biceps Arnott, Achnanthes ( Achnanthidium) coarctata Breb., and Hantzschia amphioxys (Ehr.) Grun. Less common species are Hantzschia amphiox11s var. major Grun., Caloneis bacillum (Grun.) Meresch, Neidium knuthii, var. heilprinensis Foged, Navicula mutica var. nivalis (Ehr.) Hustedt, and Navicula fritschii Lund. The occurrence of several isolated valves of llantzschia possessing numerous spines is noted. In 1960, a project entitled, "Ecology of Diatoms in Hardwater Habitats", was initiated under the general supervision of the senior author. This project has three phases: 1. An investigation of the diatoms of Lake Okoboji, Iowa, involving a comparison of the modern flora with the fossil flora found in post glacial sediments. 2. An investigation of the diatoms of the Des Moines River involving possible correllations between species composition and various environmental factors. 3. An investigation of the diatoms occurring in farm ponds with 1 The project of which this investigation·· is a ·part receives support from the National Institutes of Health, Division of Water Supply and Pollution Control. •Department of llotanf and Plant Pathology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 1 Dodd and Stoermer: Notes on Iowa Diatoms I. An Interesting Collection from a Moss-Li Published by UNI ScholarWorks, 1962 84 IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE [Vol. 69 consideration of possible effects of diatom populations on the potability of such waters. It is intended that each of these phases will result in a doctoral thesis and/or a major publication. However, it is expected that many interesting habitats with specialized diatom floras will be encountered during the progress of the investigations noted above. Brief reports of such collection will be made from time to time in the form of "Notes on Iowa Diatoms". The information accumulated in such notes will serve in conjunction with that derived from the major investigations as a basis for an eventual survey of Iowa diatoms, one of the few "deserts" of biological information remaining in the state. The present report stems from a collection made in the vicinity of Table Rock, in Ledges State Park, Boone County, Iowa, on October 28, 1961. A dark colored, gelatinous material growing among mosses on a sandstone outcrop was presumed to be a species of Nostoc and was collected for class use. Closer examination revealed that the material was, actually, a species of lichen in which Nostoc is the algal component. The lichen was identified by Miss Karen Juhl as belonging to the genus, Collema. Microscopic examination revealed that an interesting diatom flora inhabited the surfaces of the lichen and the interstices beween the bases of the mosses and lichens. Inasmuch as this collection contains some "rare" species and at least one species which is a new record for the United States, this brief report is deemed worthwhile. The collection has been assigned the reference number 61-10-28-81. The material was prepared for critical examination using a method described by van der W erff ( 1958). First, the sample was "cleaned", i. e., all organic matter was removed, leaving only the siliceous frustules, by treating with 30% hydrogen peroxide to which a small amount of potassium dichromate was added. Following the cleaning process the sample was "washed", i.e., distilled water was added and the diatoms were allowed to settle out. The supernatant fluid was decanted and the whole process repeated at least once. A drop of water containing suspended diatoms was placed on a cover slip and allowed to dry in air at room temperature. When fully dry the cover slip was inverted over a drop of heated Hyrax on a slide. Upon hardening a permanent slide resulted. The species identified in the collections are listed in Table 1 with an indication of the reference work used in each determination. Certain of the species are illustrated in Figures 1-13.


At least three major subproblems can be distinguished in a multi-agent planning problem: a task allocation problem (which agent performs which subtasks), an individual planning problem for each of the agents involved (how to ensure that the tasks allocated to me can be performed), and a plan coordination problem (how to ensure that the individual planning processes can be integrated into an overall solution). Undoubtedly, the interaction between these subproblems is heavily influenced by the willingness to cooperate between agents. We concentrate on the interaction between these three subproblems if the agents involved are strictly noncooperative due to their insistence on maintaining full planning autonomy. That is, in order to achieve a feasible joint plan, the agents are not willing to revise their plan during or after the planning process.1 Typical application areas where this requirement plays an important role are automated supply chain management, multi-modal transportation provided by independent companies, and patient-centered health care management systems. A common characteristic of such planning problems is the presence of a complex task to be solved by the agents, where such a task is specified as a set of interdependent subtasks and for every subtask some specific abilities required to perform the task. The agents involved each have specific abilities enabling them to solve specific subtasks, but not the complete task. Besides their abilities, agents may also differ in the costs they associate with performing a subtask. Performing subtasks will also deliver specific rewards to the executing agents and we suppose that each agent will aim at maximizing its profit.


Background: Lipid and renal profile is markedly influenced by thyroid disorders; however, the relationship among them has not been analyzed in detail in human. Methodology: The blood samples of thirty each hyperthyroid, hypothyroid patientand sex-matched clinically apparently healthy individuals were recruited for the present study. TG, LDL, HDL, total cholesterol, creatinine, urea and uric acid were determined with commercial kits. Results: The results of the present study show that the lipid profile in the patients of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism differed significantly. The levels of TCh, TG and LDL were higher (189.45±6.83 mg/dl, 188.67±8.35 mg/dl and 98.27±5.87 mg/dl) in hypothyroid patients as compared to hyperthyroid group (244.39±5.26 mg/dl, 207.52±5.26 mg/dl and 107.56±2.76 mg/dl respectively). Renal profile of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism also differed significantly for creatinine, uric acid and urea. Higher levels of urea, uric acid and creatinine were recorded in hypothyroid patients (94.57±2.77 mg/dl, 8.10±0.28 mg/dl and 2.16±0.38mg/dl) in contrast to hyperthyroid group (87.63±1.98 mg/dl, 7.60±0.19 mg/dl and 1.07±0.16 mg/dl respectively) as compared to control. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that patients with hyperthyroidism had increased levels of TCh and LDL as compared to patients of hypothyroidism. Increased lipid contents remain associated with cardiovascular diseases hence the risk of cardiovascular and renal diseases remain higher in the patients with thyroid disorder.


The utilization of modest equipment and software revealed bottom contours and water column conditions of a dynamic water body. Classroom discussions of field techniques and equipment capabilities followed by exercises with the data sets in cause-and-effect analysis all contributed to participatory education in the process of science. This project is presented as a case study of the value of engaging secondary and collegiate level students in planning, executing and appraising a real world investigation which they can directly relate to. A 1 km wide bay, experiencing marsh inflow, along an 8 km long lake situated 120 km north of Ottawa, Canada, on the glaciated Canadian Precambrian Shield was mapped in midsummer for submerged topography, bottom composition, temperature profile, turbudity, dissolved oxygen and biota distribution. Low level aerial photographs scanned into image processing software are permitting spatial classification of bottom variations in biology and geology. Instrumentation consisted of a portable sport fishing SONAR depth finder, an electronic lead line multiprobe with photocell, thermistor and dissolved oxygen sensors, a selective depth water sampler, portable pH meter, an underwater camera mounted on a home-made platform with a bottom-contact trigger and a disposable underwater camera for shallow survey work. Sampling transects were referenced using a Brunton hand transit triangulating several shore markers.


This study discusses an analysis of the hadith about the characteristics of women and its implications for Islamic law. This article uses a study of the sanad (chain) and matan (wording or contents) of a hadith. It uses the theory of ma'anil hadithor science that discusses the meanings of a hadith, which allows the emergence of a textual and contextual understanding of a hadith. The understanding of a hadith is analyzed from the Islamic law perspective. This study concludes that the sanad (chain) and matan (wording or contents) of this hadith are authentic. The Sanad (chain) is authentic because it continues to the Messenger of Allah, the narrators are fair, dhabit and there is no zyudz or illat found. Nevertheless, this hadith should be understood contextually or symbolically-metaphorically, although there are scholars who understand it textually or literally. The content of the hadith teaches humans that when dealing with women, they should be careful and treat them wisely because their character and nature are like crooked ribs. They should neither be treated harshly because it will break, nor left unnoticed because it will make them go astray. However, the hadith cannot be understood textually because it leads to women subordination; the hadith should be interpreted contextually instead, and by so doing women will be treated equally and fairly. Therefore, it is important to understand this hadith contextually to allow a fair treatment for women and with dignity because it will affect the interpretation of the Islamic law and Islamic teachings in general are maintained.


In this paper, an enhanced DC-biased optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (EDCO-OFDM), compatible with intensity-modulation optical access systems is proposed. Compared to conventional dc-biased optical OFDM (DCO-OFDM), EDCO-OFDM overcomes the performance limitation pertinent to high peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) and provides better power and spectral efficiency over the state-of-the-art DCO-OFDM at the expense of increased computational complexity. High PAPR of the optical OFDM signal is counteracted using clipping and the clipping distortion instigated due to the clipping process, is mitigated at the receiver by reconstructing the affected samples iteratively. The fundamental parameters such as bit-error rate (BER) performance, spectral efficiency, and complexity, are analysed for EDCO-OFDM and compared with DCO-OFDM. Simulation results are provided to demonstrate the superiority of EDCO-OFDM over conventional DCO-OFDM.


ackground: Previous studies have shown that mucociliary clearance (MCC) is diminished after lung transplantation. However, it is unknown how early this deficit occurs after transplantation, or whether the abnormality can be improved by pharmacologic means. We hypothesized that impairment of MCC is evident soon after lung transplantation and that the defect in MCC can be improved by inhaled 2-adrenergic receptor agonists. ethods: MCC and cough clearance (CC) were quantified in seven patients at 76 48 days (mean standard deviation) after lung transplantation (baseline visit) and again 1 week later after an acute inhalation of albuterol. MCC was also determined once in four healthy subjects. To measure MCC, volunteers inhaled 99m-technetium-sulfur colloid aerosol, followed by gamma-camera imaging of their lungs for 76 minutes. esults: Baseline MCC was significantly reduced in transplant patients, compared with healthy subjects, averaging 8.9 7.3% and 20.9 15.1%, respectively ( p 0.05). CC was not affected by transplantation. Acute inhalation of albuterol significantly improved MCC in transplant patients (31.9 21.9%) compared with baseline values ( p 0.05). onclusions: MCC is diminished within a few months after transplantation. However, the response to albuterol suggests that the deficit is not static and can be improved with inhalation of a 2-adrenergic receptor agonist. J Heart Lung Transplant 2007;26:138–44. Copyright © 2007 by the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation.


Abstract : We study bases of Pfaffian systems for A-hypergeometric system. Gröbner deformations give bases. For hypergeometric system associated to a class of order polytopes, these bases have a combinatorial description. These theoretical study gives us algorithms of transforming a given A-hypergeometric system into a Pfaffian system. The size of the Pfaffian system associated to a subclass of the order polytopes has the growth rate of the polynomial order.


ABSTRACT African termites are classified into five distinct families, Termitidae, Rhinotermitidae, Hodotermitidae, Termopsidae and Kalotermitidae. Termites are undoubtedly one of the key ecosystem engineers. Because they harbour more nutritive plants, herbivory by large herbivores is biased towards mounds. Their engineering role is visible through construction of conspicuous termite mounds, which often harbour some unique species compared with the expansive ecosystem in which they occur. To understand the cascading effects of termite mounds on ecosystem functioning, we present a review on how termites create ecosystem heterogeneity, and how this heterogeneity in terms of soil physical and chemical characteristics, particularly nutrients, further influences vegetation production, diversity and palatability to large herbivores. Here we review literature mainly focusing on: (i) Phylogeny (evolutionary history) of African termites, (ii) mound construction, (iii) mound spatial distribution, (iv) termite foraging (v) termite nutrient cycling, (vi) termite influence on hydrology, (vii) termite mound influence on plant species diversity and (viii) termite mound influence on large herbivores. Our review showed that African termites are diverse, with the potential to influence ecosystems heterogeneity through soil nutrients enrichment, which in turn influences forage abundance (thicket clumps), diversity and quality. High forage quality occurring on termite mounds influences herbivory patterns in the savanna ecosystem. Herbivory is reported to be higher on termite mounds compared to the expansive savanna landscape. The most common plant family occurring on termite mounds is Capparaceae. We suggest that future studies focus more on: (1) the influence of termite mounds on plant functional traits, (2) the importance of termite mounds in dryland savanna cropping/rangeland systems, and (3) on ways to support establishment of mound building termite species.


The Modern State.- Globalization, Interdependence and the Internet.- Interdependence and Domain Name System Management.- Interdependence and Technical Standardization.- Interdependence and Search Operator Censorship.- Interdependence and Network Neutrality.- Conclusions.


Pico-second gain and refractive index nonlinearities in semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) were simulated using a multi-section model from the start of the rate equation. Carrier density variation induced by pulse injection, aberration of the temporal profile of the output pulse, gain and phase change induced by pulse injection, and frequency chirp on the output pulse were analyzed.


Two simple methods to solve the linear differential equations are introduced and some examples are given.Complicate calculations of original method are avoided.


............................................................................................................................................3 List of Tables ......................................................................................................................................9 List of Figures ................................................................................................................................... 10 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 12 Chapter 1: Statement of the Problem ............................................................................................... 15 Introduction to the Chapter .................................................................................................................... 15 The Problem ............................................................................................................................................ 15 Purpose of the Study ............................................................................................................................... 16 Research Questions ................................................................................................................................ 17 Significance of the Study ......................................................................................................................... 18 Assumptions and Limitations .................................................................................................................. 19 Conclusion to the Chapter ...................................................................................................................... 19 Chapter 2: Literature Review and Theoretical Framework ................................................................ 20 Introduction to the Chapter .................................................................................................................... 20 School Readiness ..................................................................................................................................... 23 Developmental Readiness ................................................................................................................... 25 Other Factors ...................................................................................................................................... 32 Mathematics Readiness .......................................................................................................................... 35 Mathematics Readiness 5 Shannon Lee Squires Influential Thinkers on the Topic of Mathematics Readiness ............................................................. 36 Theories and Current Research on Early Number Concept Development. ........................................ 42 Mathematics Learning Disability Research ............................................................................................. 45 Determining a Definition for Mathematics Learning Disability .......................................................... 46 Predicting Mathematics Learning Disability from Kindergarten assessments ................................... 48 Gender Issues with Mathematics Learning Disability ......................................................................... 49 Implications of Mathematics Learning Disability Research for Mathematics Readiness Research ... 50 Current Assessment Practices in Early Elementary Schools ................................................................... 52 Current Kindergarten Mathematics Curriculum Outcomes................................................................ 53 Mathematics Assessments in Early Elementary. ................................................................................ 53 Formal Mathematics Assessments. .................................................................................................... 54 Assessment Tools for Other Curriculum Areas. .................................................................................. 56 Historical and Current Teacher Perceptions ........................................................................................... 57 Teachers' Perceptions of School Readiness ........................................................................................ 57 Mathematics Achievement and Success ............................................................................................. 60 Efficacy of Current Assessment Practices. .......................................................................................... 63 Conclusion to the Chapter ...................................................................................................................... 66 Chapter 3: Methodology .................................................................................................................. 70 Introduction to the Chapter .................................................................................................................... 70 Research in Mathematics Education ...................................................................................................... 70 Mathematics Readiness 6 Shannon Lee Squires Research Design ...................................................................................................................................... 72 Instrument Development........................................................................................................................ 75 Participants and Sampling Technique ..................................................................................................... 77 Procedure for Data Collection ................................................................................................................ 77 Data Analysis ........................................................................................................................................... 80 Conclusion to the Chapter ...................................................................................................................... 80 Chapter 4: Results of the Study ........................................................................................................ 82 Introduction to the Chapter .................................................................................................................... 82 Analysis of the Results ............................................................................................................................ 83 Introductory Information .................................................................................................................... 83 Teaching and Learning ........................................................................................................................ 85 Beliefs and Practice ............................................................................................................................. 93 Readiness ............................................................................................................................................ 96 Assessment ......................................................................................................................................... 99 Preparedness .................................................................................................................................... 104 Support.............................................................................................................................................. 110 Discussion of the Results ...................................................................................................................... 113 What effective mathematics readiness assessment strategies do Kindergarten teachers use? ..... 113 Are Kindergarten teachers' preparedness and willingness to assess mathematics readiness significantly different from their preparedness and willingness to assess literacy readiness? ........ 114 Conclusion to the Chapter .................................................................................................................... 115 Mathematics Readiness 7 Shannon Lee Squires Chapter 5: Conclusion to the Thesis ................................................................................................ 117 Immediate Implications ........................................................................................................................ 119 Kindergarten Teachers Need Research-Based Support in Mathematics Readiness. ........................ 119 Kindergarten Teachers Are Less Prepared to Assess Mathematics in September than Literacy. .... 122 Implications for Future Research .......................................................................................................... 123 Expanding the sample population. ................................................................................................... 123 The future of Kindergarten mathematics curricula. ......................................................................... 124 Is there a need for a standard mathematics readiness assessment tool for Kindergarten teachers? .......................................................................................................................................................... 125 Specific recommendations for the development of a standard mathematics readiness assessment tool for Kindergarten teachers.......................................................................................................... 125 Conclusion to the Chapter .................................................................................................................... 127 Works Cited ........................................................................................................


This study is designed to evaluate the prognostic value of sarcopenia as a predictive method for survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who will receive curative treatment.

 To determine the influence of sarcopenia on prognosis, skeletal muscle index (SMI) was measured using computed tomography at the level of the third lumbar vertebra of 100 patients who underwent radiofrequency for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). They were followed up for at least 7 months and overall survival and recurrence were identified. We defined sarcopenia using cutoff values for SMI as less than 43.75cm /m for men and 41.10cm /m for women.

 Sarcopenia was present in 54 of 100 patients and correlated significantly with low body mass index (BMI) and DM. Sarcopenia and MELD Na score were significantly associated with poor survival of the patients.

 The study concluded that sarcopenia seemed to have a negative impact on OS in patients with HCCs. Sarcopenia could significantly increase the incidence rates of post-treatment recurrence and overall complications in patients with HCCs.


We focus on inducing a topological state from regular or irregular scattering in (i) p-wave superconducting wires and (ii) Rashba wires proximity coupled to an s-wave superconductor. We find that, contrary to common expectations, the topological properties of both systems are fundamentally different: In p-wave wires, disorder generally has a detrimental effect on the topological order, and the topological state is destroyed beyond a critical disorder strength. In contrast, in Rashba wires, which are relevant for recent experiments, disorder can induce topological order, reducing the need for quasiballistic samples to obtain Majorana fermions. Moreover, we find that the total phase space area of the topological state is conserved for long disordered Rashba wires and can even be increased in an appropriately engineered superlattice potential.


The book The Ecological City and the City Effect written by Franco Archibugi points out that urban development impact on the regional environment has been paid not enough attention. Research always lay particular stress on the technological method, not the integral methods. The book makes methodological discussion on the Eco city and the planning methods.


We investigate transport through 6–10nm thin epitaxial GaAs(001) barriers sandwiched between polycrystalline iron films. Apart from a pronounced tunneling magnetoresistance effect at low magnetic fields, we observe a distinct negative magnetoresistance (MR) at low and a positive MR at higher temperatures. We show that the negative MR contribution is only observed for the ferromagnetic iron contacts but is absent if iron is replaced by copper or gold electrodes. Possible explanations of the negative MR involve suppression of spin-flip scattering or Zeeman splitting of the tunneling barrier, but neither of these explanations is fully consistent with the data.


In this study, a novel and compact design of frequency duplex antenna based on quarter-mode substrate integrated waveguide (QMSIW) is presented. The proposed antenna consists of two orthogonal QMSIWs excited by two separate feed lines. Independent frequency tunability is exhibited by adjusting the size of QMSIW. The electric wall formed by metal vias is used to suppress the coupling between QMSIW units. Thus, a high isolation (>26.6dB) is achieved, which promotes the frequency duplexing characteristic. The proposed antenna resonates at 4.83 and 5.0GHz with magnetic dipole radiation patterns and has corresponding gains of 2.08 and 2.21 dBi, respectively. Furthermore, a model is proposed to achieve the frequency multiplexing characteristic by taking advantage of the stable port isolation while changing the angle of two QMSIWs. A frequency triplex antenna working at 4.86, 4.95, and 5.05GHz is also designed, it still exhibits good isolation (>20dB) and excellent radiation performance although the frequency ratio remains extremely low (1.02).


Backward ω‐meson production was measured at Saturne with the SPES4 spectrometer in the p+d→3He+ω reaction from threshold (Tthr≊1325 MeV) to almost 600 MeV above. The average squared amplitude arises rapidly from threshold to a maximum of 65 nb/sr near pωcm=300 MeV and decreases thereafter, similar to the effect already observed in the π−p→n+ω reaction. This striking behavior may be explained by a final‐state‐interaction between the pions from the ω decay and the recoil nucleus.


The natural gas-fired heat and power cogeneration has higher power generation and heat supply efficiency.As viewed from the angle of energy utilization efficiency,natural gas-fired cogeneration is a more advanced heating mode.The paper simplifies the peaking operation of natural gas-fired cogeneration in the whole heating season as three situations,separately birefs the operation modes of three situations,and analyzes the benefit of natural gas-fired cogeneration,with the following conclusion gained:the natural gas-fired cogeneration plant with powver peaking mode operation has energy-saving environment protection and better economics.


The variance dispersion graph has been shown to be a powerful tool for evaluating experimental designs. A FORTRAN computer program is given that generates these plots. The program finds the maximum...


A nitration by penta-hydrated bismuth (Bi(NO3)3.5H2O) was carried out on two commercial molecules, methoxynaphthalene 1 and naphthalen-2-ol 2. The compounds produced from this organic synthesis (1.a, 1.b, 1.c and 2') as well as the starting molecules 1 and 2 have undergone a study on their antioxidant capacity, using two methods: electrochemical cyclic voltammetry CV and DPPH biologically. The experimental results of the two methods confirm that the antioxidant power of these aromatic molecules is canceled in the case of nitration or by replacement of the hydroxyl group (molecule 2) by the methoxy group (molecule 1).


Metal chalcogenides are semiconductors increasingly studied and used because of their remarkable physical properties in optoelectronic applications as well as in the manufacture of solar cells as thin buffer layers such as cadmium sulphide (CdS) or absorbents such as: copper sulphide (CuxS), cadmium telluride (CdTe) and indium selenium copper (CuInSe2). In our work, we have been interested in the elaboration and characterization of thin layers of CdS and CuxS deposited by chemical bath. The transmittance of the films is determined by the UV-Visible spectrophotometer of the type (Jasco V-630 Spectrophotometer). The structural properties of the films are determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), using a BRUKER D8 ADVANCE diffractometer (D8 X-ray diffractometer). The morphology of the films is analyzed by atomic force microscopy (A100 - AFM, APE Research Italy) and the scanning electron microscope (SEM - LEOL). The results obtained show the deposited films have good physical properties.


The program XVis is designed for interactive demonstration of different diffraction issues, such as reciprocal-space construction, connection between real and reciprocal space via diffraction phenomena, different methods of reciprocal-space scanning, accessible reciprocal-space regions for coplanar and noncoplanar diffraction for both transmission and reflection geometries, N-beam diffraction phenomena, reciprocal space for two-layered systems and experimental examples. All demonstrations are calculated using real structure parameters. For better information representation, the program displays most demonstrations in real and reciprocal space simultaneously. The program is open source and can be downloaded from http://x-ray.net.ua/xvis.html.


"MOOC + SPOC + flip classroom" is the teaching model of the future university. "MOOC + SPOC" effectively reflects the teacher's teaching of knowledge and thinking. The physical classroom effectively increases the interaction between students and students, and promotes student learning. And exercise initiative. "MOOC + SPOC + flip classroom" combines the advantages of both, and will develop into a more typical teaching model in the future of colleges and universities, promote the improvement of education and teaching quality, and promote it in education and teaching. Therefore, this article analyzes the teaching mode of "MOOC + SPOC + flip classroom", discusses the application advantages of "MOOC + SPOC + flip classroom" in colleges and universities, and proposes the design and application strategy of "MOOC + SPOC + flip classroom".


A case of an inverted tooth in the maxillary sinus was reported. The patient was a 56-year-old man who presented with cheek pain of the left side. Computed tomography showed a tooth-like mass in the left maxillary sinus. Thereafter, the patient underwent endoscopic endonasal surgery. The mass was located posteriorly in the antrum. A small hole was made at the lateral wall of the inferior meatus and the mass was directly removed with forceps through the hole. The mass was diagnosed as an inverted tooth and the patient's complaint of cheek pain immediately disappeared. We considered that this approach was less invasive than the conventional approach. In this paper, the relation of the surgical approach to the site of the inverted tooth are discussed.


A simple generalization is given of the Maier—Saupe model of thermotropic liquid crystals to the case of slightly non-spherical particles. This allows the inclusion of multipolar forces at the mean-field level. Additionally, it is shown that increasing the (small) molecular elongation may actually destabilize the nematic phase. Within the present scheme, the roles of (short range) overlap and (long range) dispersion forces in determining phase behaviour can be assessed separately.


The following extended literature review and research proposal study started initially as a complete research proposal but, due to the challenges COVID-19 has brought, it has become a stand-alone piece of work without data collection. The goal is to synthesize a broad range of literature and previous research on mindfulness meditation and its effects on attention, memory, and brain activity and thus, offering a new perspective and a proposed research path on this subject. This proposed research study, besides previous studies, indicates that mindfulness meditation is expected to improve and enhance selective and sustained attention, which results in better attentional performance and shows potential brain activity changes, especially in gamma frequency and a significant enhancement of short-term memory capacity. The specific mechanism and process through which mindfulness affects attention, brain activity, and short-term memory capacity have yet to be identified and understood. This study contributes to our understanding of mindfulness meditation's effects on the whole brain activity by focusing on how it can enhance our short-term memory, improve our sustained and selective attention, and how it affects brain activity when it comes to cortical processing. There remains much to be done to fully grasp and comprehend how we can utilize mindfulness meditation to enrich and maintain cognition in young adulthood and beyond.


SUMMARY Ahmad (1992) proposes a new method for testing the null hypothesis that a life distribution is exponential against the alternative that it is decreasing mean residual life, but not exponential. In this note we show the equivalence between the Ahmad (1992) and the Hollander & Proschan (1975) test statistic, constructed to test exponentiality against the alternative that it is new better than used in expectation, but not exponential. Ahmad (1992) proposes a method for testing the null hypothesis 'C: u(t) is constant, against the alternative X: it is strictly decreasing, but not constant, where ,u(t) denotes the mean residual life function of the distribution function F(t) and is defined by ) |JT F(s) ds/F(t) if F(t)>O, 0 ~~~~otherwise,, with F(t) = 1 - F(t). Because of the one-to-one correspondence between the distribution F(t) and the mean residual life function ,u(t) the null hypothesis W' is equivalent to the exponentiality of F(t) with unspecified mean. Both Wo and X'l are scale invariant. So statistics designed to test the hypotheses should be scale invariant. The measure of the deviation from the null hypothesis ge4 given by 8F = {F2(x) -f(x) v(x)} dx= J {2xF(x) - i(x)} dF(x) o o


Recent increase in the demand of medium voltage DC (MVDC) systems is due to the high penetration of distributed generators, pulsed loads and energy storage systems (ESS). This paper develops control techniques to improve the voltage stability of an islanded multi-terminal MVDC ship-board. The ship-board accommodate three synchronous generators interfaced via bi directional AC-DC converters as well as pulsed load. The control system has two objectives; 1) limiting the current flow in the MVDC ship-board cables, and 2) Support voltage profile stability even under pulsed load condition. This was achieved through two stages; 1) operating the ship-board converters in master-slave mode in nominal operation and 2) utilizing ultracapacitor (UC) to support the voltage stability in pulsed load conditions. The dynamics of the control loops were investigated in the PSCAD/EMTDC environment. The results proved the effectiveness of the control technique and the employment of the UC to support voltage stability.


The paper reconsiders the nature of mining districts and property rights during the California gold rush. According to a widely accepted view advanced by Umbeck (1977, 1981), in the absence of effective legal authority, district codes established secure property rights in mining claims. Such accounts neglect essential aspects of the economic context, specifically that the gold rush approximated an open-access race for a small number of high value deposits. We show that mining district codes gave equal attention to the rights of claim-jumpers as to claim holders, a balance that in practice generated chronic insecurity and litigation. A simple game-theoretic model illustrates stylized features of the situation.


Abstract While the study of classroom dialogue is still in its infancy, there is v strong case for asking teachers to select material that calls for more refined analysis in their view, because of the educational issues raised. Given such materials, it is possible to consider the pragmatic value of concepts drawn from language studies and elsewhere. This approach, it is argued, may be an essential first step in setting up an adequate theory of dialogue as a mode of learning and teaching. An instance is offered for consideration: processes of formulation in group discussion are tentatively analysed in the light of concepts drawn from linguistics and language studies.


In an increasingly globalized and warming world, drought can have devastating impacts on regional agriculture, water resources, and the ecological environment. Reliable prediction of future drought changes is especially important within the context of rapid warming. However, the extent and future trends of drought changes are variable and incomplete in the CMIP6 forcing scenarios. Based on the CMIP6 data, we chose the standardized precipitation-evapotranspiration index to predict future global drought. The results show that when emissions increase under the three shared socioeconomic pathway (SSP) scenarios (SSP126, SSP245 and SSP585), the global climate environment becomes drier and drought grow more severe and longer-lasting. Regions already classified as arid will suffer even more severe drought under high-emission SSPs. Specifically, 36.2% of global land will experience increased drought under SSP126, including 67.0% of regions designated as arid, with droughts intensifying significantly. Under SSP585, 68.3% of global land will suffer increased drought, with 93.2% of the arid regions experiencing significant drought intensification. Furthermore, the global duration of drought is estimated to be 4.4 months, 5.7 months, and 8.6 months for the time periods 1960–2000, 2021–2060, and 2061–2100, respectively. Notably, for the SSP585 scenario, regions that are already arid may become universally drought-stricken by the late 21st century. The most severe aridification trends may occur in the arid regions of Australia, Middle East, South Africa, Amazon basin, North Africa, Europe, and Central Asia. Additionally, Europe and the Amazon River Basin are also facing the threat of future drought. Increased aridification will put these regions and countries at risk of further land and ecological degradation, as well as increased poverty. The results of this study have far-ranging implications not only for how we deal with the impacts of climate warming-induced drought disaster, but also for how these impacts affect socio-economic and ecological security.


This work is a book review considering the title Les musees d'ethnologie: culture, politique et changement institutionnel edited by Camille Maze, Frederic Poulard, and Christelle Ventura.


Objective: To investigate the effective exercise prescription in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for patellofemoral pain (PFP). Design: A network meta-analysis. Data sources: PubMed (including Medline), Embase, Web of Science, PEDro, Clinicaltrials.gov and other resourses for RCTs. Eligibility criteria for selecting studies: RCTs of exercise interventions for PFP with outcomes of pain intensity or functional improvement. Primary outcome measure: Pain intensity is measured by "worst pain in the past week" on a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) or Numerical Rating Pain Scale (NRS). Data extraction: Two researchers independently extracted data and assessed the bias of risks. We used Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation to appraise the strength of the evidence. Results: A total of 45 trials with 42,319 patients were included in this network meta-analysis (NMA). For the primary outcomes, all included treatments were superior to a wait-and-see approach: PNF + exercise (SMD -2.88, 95%CIs -4.75 to -1.02), whole body exercise (-1.57, -3.15 to -0.00), hip-and knee-focused exercise therapy (-1.32, -2.57 to -0.06), foot orthoses + exercise (-1.06, -2.92 to -0.06), hip exercise (-1.10, -2.44 to 0.24), knee brace + exercise(-0.91, -2.54 to 0.72), gait retraining exercise (-2.55, -4.72 to -0.37), knee exercise (-0.92, -2.16 to 0.33), knee arthroscopy + exercise (-0.61, -2.44 to 1.22), target exercise (-0.52, -2.38 to 1.33), kinesiotaping + exercise (-0.54, -2.07 to 0.99), education + exercise (-0.47, -2.31 to 1.38), feedback exercise (-0.22, -1.86 to 1.43). Exercise therapy with education (SMD -0.25, 95%CIs -1.76 to 1.26) was better than exercise alone in alleviating pain intensity. Conclusion: The knee and hip combination strength training is highly effective in muscle strength improvement. All treatments in our NMA were superior to nontreatment, we recommend avoiding a wait-and-see approach. Comprehensive therapy based on individual evaluation can effectively improve the symptoms of patients. Key words: biomechanical phenomena; knee; patellofemoral pain; exercise; osteoarthritis;


We have demonstrated a low temperature surface spin-glass layer in the Fe3O4 high-pressed nanocompacts. The related core-shell magnetic structure arises during the compaction, which is evident by the field dependence of the freezing temperature following the de Almeida-Thouless relationship and obvious exchange bias effect. Moreover, we have also found a critical cooling field, above which both the surface spin-glass behavior and the exchange bias effect abruptly disappeared.


For enhanced sampling of physical system (PS) states, we utilized the coupled Nosé–Hoover (NH) molecular dynamics equations of motion (EOM), wherein the heat-bath temperature for the PS fluctuates according to an arbitrary predetermined weight. The coupled NH is defined by suitably combining the NH EOM of the PS and the NH EOM of the temperature system (TS), where the inverse heat-bath temperature β is a dynamical variable. In this study, we developed a method to determine the effective weight for β for enhanced sampling of PS states. The method, based on ergodic theory, is reliable, and eliminates the need for time-consuming iterative procedures and resource-consuming replica systems. The resulting TS potential in a two dimensional (β, ϵ)-space makes a valley-shape, where the potential minimum path provides a route for β and ϵ and guides their motions. β oscillates around the potential minima for each energy ϵ, and the motion of β derives a motion of ϵ and receives the ϵ's feedback, which leads to a mutual boost effect. Thus, it also provides a specific dynamical mechanism to explain the features of enhanced sampling such that the temperature-space 'random walk' enhances the energy-space 'random walk.' These mutual dynamics between β and ϵ naturally arise from the static probability theory formalism of double density dynamics that was previously developed, where the Liouville equation with an arbitrarily given probability density function is the fundamental polestar. Numerical examples using a model system and explicitly solvated protein system verify the reliability and simplicity of the method.


Although historians have described the role of Stephen Girard in the founding of the second Bank of the United States simply as that of a heavy investor in its stock, careful examination of the Girard papers and other recently discovered documents shows the usual account to be entirely inadequate. Actually Girard was one of the moving spirits of the Bank from the time of its inception in the minds of a small group of American financiers until the period of its mismanagement in 1818. Then, as chairman of the stockholders, he was largely influential in effecting the replacement of the reckless and incompetent Jones leadership with the sounder administrations of Langdon Cheves and Nicholas Biddle. Girard was a most important influence in the Bank's early history. He purchased a large amount of stock, contributed to the working out of the mechanics of operation, aided in obtaining specie from Baring Brothers & Company, London, helped determine the form and content of the charter, did yeoman service in the political battle preceding its founding, and struggled mightily, although in vain, to prevent the Bank's becoming a political football in an orgy of speculation.


Offshore, in the Bay of Kastela, karst groundwater, which initially flowed under a hanging karst barrier, flows out from two submarine springs. The water flows from fissures enlarged by corrosion and erosion at sites that were previously coastal karst springs. They were submerged due to sea level rise at least 7,000 years ago and, since that time, they function as submarine springs, at about 32-35 m below sea level.


Although the term 'outreach' is used frequently in the library and information science literature, it is by definition not limited to a library setting. Instead, outreach tends to be defined by the specific activities undertaken by librarians and others vested in the public's social and health well being as they attempt to reach beyond the boundaries of their traditional onsite services and address the problems or needs of a targeted clientele (1).


Lipids from the nutmeats of six pecan cultivars (Carya illinoensis Wang) were identified and quantitated by thin-layer chromatography and gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Six classes of lipids were separated and identified as complex lipids, monoglycerides, α,β-diglycerides, α,α′-diglycerides, sterols and triglycerides Triglycerides were predominant with mean concentration for the six cultivars equal to 71.25 g/100g of nutmeat. Means of other classes were <1 g/100 g of nutmeat. Ten fatty acids were isolated, esterified and identified as hexa-decanoic, hexadecenoic, heptadecanoic, heptadecenoic, octadecanoic, octadecenoic, octadecadienoic, octadecatrienoic, eicosanoic, and eicosenoic acids. Among these, unsaturated acids were predominant with mean concentration equal to-63.19 g/100g of nutmeat. Mean concentration for the saturated acids was 6.31 g/100g of nutmeat.


We examine the utility of Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) for short-range intersatellite links (ISLs), and compare and contrast LEDs with existing laser technologies used for long-distance ISLs. A hypothetical low-end LED ISL link is described, and applications are suggested.