Affirmative action is a means to an end, a way to bridge the inequality gap between blacks and whites, males and females. It is a supplement to, rather than an equivalent of, equal opportunity. It refers to compensatory discrimination in favour of disadvantaged groups, while the latter implies absence of all forms of discrimination. Therefore, affirmative action presupposes and follows on equal opportunity. It does not constitute unfair discrimination against whites or males, nor should it be equated with 'apartheid‐in‐reverse'. It is nonetheless not a genuine option in apartheid society where racism is still institutionalized. It can easily widen rather than narrow the inequality gap, especially where weak and unqualified blacks are used by institutions to offer a token of non‐racism.


An extremely bulky, symmetrical three-coordinate magnesium(i) complex, [{(TCHPNacnac)Mg}2] (TCHPNacnac = [{(TCHP)NCMe}2CH]−, TCHP = 2,4,6-tricyclohexylphenyl) has been prepared and shown to have an extremely long Mg–Mg bond (3.021(1) Å) for such a complex. It was shown not to react with either DMAP (4-dimethylaminopyridine) or CO. Three unsymmetrical 1 : 1 DMAP adducts of less bulky Mg–Mg bonded species have been prepared, viz. [(ArNacnac)Mg–Mg(DMAP)(ArNacnac)] (ArNacnac = [(ArNCMe)2CH]− Ar = 2,6-xylyl (Xyl), mesityl (Mes) or 2,6-diethylphenyl (Dep)), and their reactivity toward CO explored. Like the previously reported bulkier complex, [(DipNacnac)Mg–Mg(DMAP)(DipNacnac)] (Dip = 2,6-diisopropylphenyl), [(DepNacnac)Mg–Mg(DMAP)(DepNacnac)] reductively trimerises CO to give a rare example of a deltate complex, [{(DepNacnac)Mg(μ-C3O3)Mg(DMAP)(DepNacnac)}2]. In contrast, the two smaller adduct complexes react with only two CO molecules, ultimately giving unusual ethenediolate complexes [{(ArNacnac)Mg{μ-OC(H)
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 C(DMAP−H)O}Mg(ArNacnac)}2] (Ar = Xyl or Mes). DFT calculations show the latter reactions to proceed via reductive dimerizations of CO, and subsequent intramolecular C–H activation of Mg-ligated DMAP by "zig–zag" [C2O2]2− fragments of reaction intermediates. Calculations also suggest that magnesium deltate complexes are kinetic products in these reactions, while the magnesium ethenediolates are thermodynamic products. This study shows that subtle changes to the bulk of the reacting 1 : 1 DMAP–magnesium(i) adduct complexes can lead to fine steric control over the products arising from their CO reductive oligomerisations. Furthermore, it is found that the more activated nature of the adduct complexes, relative to their symmetrical, three-coordinate counterparts, [{(ArNacnac)Mg}2], likely derives more from the polarisation of the Mg–Mg bonds of the former, than the elongated nature of those bonds.


Abstract In this article the role, application and practical significance of the wrongful trading remedy under section 214 of the Insolvency Act 1986 are explained and analysed in the context of the broader approach or "package" of measures the law in the UK adopts to deal with problems stemming from the principle of limited liability.


Abstract Male chicks developed severe hydropericardium when fed a 20% tallow diet for the first four weeks of life followed by a tallow-free ration containing 3,250,000 I.U. of vitamin A per kilogram. A small incidence of moderate hydropericardium was found in chicks fed a tallow-free ration for the first four weeks, followed by a 33% tallow diet containing excessive vitamin A. Neither excessive vitamin A nor tallow (20% for the first or 33% for the second four weeks of life) produced the cardiac abnormality, when fed separately. Histopathological studies on the chicks with severe hydropericardium showed various lesions in the myocardium, brain and kidneys. All of these organs were edematous with diffuse cellular degeneration and infiltration with inflammatory cells. The lesions in the cerebellum were characteristic of a vitamin E deficiency.


A method with an cationic near-IR cyanine as a fluorescent probe was developed for the determination of nucleic acids.The near-IR cyanine shows the maximum excitation and emission wavelengths at 765 and 790 nm,respectively,in aqueous solution.The method is based on the fluorescence decrease of near-IR cyanine in the presence of nucleic acids.Under optimal conditions,the ratio value of fluorescence intensity in the absence and presence of nucleic acids was proportional to the concentration of nucleic acids over the range of 0 08~1 2μg/mL for CT DNA or SM DNA,and 0 1~1 6μg/mL for Yeast RNA.The detection limits were 30 ng/mL for CT DNA,25 ng/mL for SM DNA and 70 ng/mL for Yeast RNA.The relative standard deviation(n=6) were 2 1%for 500 ng/mL CT DNA level.


We consider a line of terminals which is connected by packet erasure channels and where random linear network coding is carried out at each node prior to transmission. In particular, we address an online approach in which each terminal has local information to be conveyed to the base station at the end of the line and provide a queueing theoretic analysis of this scenario. First, a genie-aided scenario is considered and the average delay and average transmission energy depending on the link erasure probabilities and the Poisson arrival rates at each node are analyzed. We then assume that all nodes cannot send and receive at the same time. The transmitting nodes in the network send coded data packets before stopping to wait for the receiving nodes to acknowledge the number of degrees of freedom, if any, that are required to decode correctly the information. We analyze this problem for an infinite queue size at the terminals and show that there is an optimal number of coded data packets at each node, in terms of average completion time or transmission energy, to be sent before stopping to listen.


Quantitative complexity of network coding as well as its computation delay on a node is presented in this paper. First, quantitative complexity of four fundamental calculation operations were analyzed. Based on that, quantitative complexity of encoding, decoding as well as independence detection for network coding were given theoretically. At last, the experimental results showed our quantitative results of computation delay have the same order to the delay of practical network coding on a node.


In order to meet the power control requirements of power grids in multiple application scenarios, a control technology for power edge-side equipment coordination to suppress power fluctuations in multiple application scenarios is proposed. Firstly, the structure of distributed photovoltaic
 connected to AC microgrid in multiple application scenarios is analyzed, and the power fluctuation of inverters and filter energy storage inductance components is analyzed to determine the type of photovoltaic power generation power edge side equipment in multiple application scenarios. On
 this basis, the power fluctuation target is analyzed, and the power control target function is constructed. It predicts the short-term smoothing power of power edge-side devices in multiple application scenarios, and realizes the coordinated power fluctuation control of power edge-side devices
 in multiple application scenarios based on the vector regulation domain. The experimental results show that the system loss of the method in this paper is small in the fluctuation suppression scenario and typical application scenario, the power fluctuation of the three methods meets the requirements
 of the national standard, the power of the equipment on the power edge side is relatively stable, and the output power is between 218–224 MW fluctuation, and the power fluctuation rate is small, the maximum power fluctuation rate is 1.5%.


The mechanisms of plasmid-mediated enhancement of UV resistance (U function) and mutability (M function) had been studied. Isolation of inde-pendent mutants for each of these two functions clearly indicated that they were controlled by different genes. It was suggested that genes for these two functions were different from the gene for the plasmid-mediated DNA poly-merase described by MacPhee. We also proved that the function to enhance UV resistance was related to nicking activity of damaged DNA.


The potential mediating role of career-related parenting practice in the association between parental career expectation and adolescents' career development remains understudied, especially the likely transactional dynamics inherent within such links. This study utilized three-annual-wave data from 3196 Chinese adolescents across the high school years ( Mage = 15.55 years old, SD = .44; 52.8% girls at Wave 1) to address such gaps. Results of cross-lagged structural equational modeling analyses demonstrated reciprocal associations between parental career expectation and career adaptability consistently across three high school years; and career-related parental support served as a mediator in such associations, net of a series of covariates. However, no associations of career ambivalence with parental career expectation across the high school years emerged. Such findings highlighted the dynamic nature of the associations among parental career expectation, career-related parenting practice, and adolescents' career developmental outcomes. Implications for future research and practice were discussed.


Background: We evaluated vaccine effectiveness (VE) against infections with SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern in Seoul, the capital of the Republic of Korea, having the highest population density in the country, under real-world conditions. Methods: We evaluated the reduction in the effectiveness of mRNA and viral-vector COVID-19 vaccines against infection by the SARS-CoV-2 delta variant in a subpopulation from April 2021 to July 2021 who visited screening clinics in Seoul using a test-negative case-control study design. Moreover, we conducted a case-control study matching the ten-year-old age group, sex, healthcare workers, and five districts of Seoul, which are considered confounding factors. Results: The full VE in the pre-delta-dominant period was 95.0% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 91.2–97.2); however, it decreased to 61.1% (95% CI: 53.2–67.6) during the delta-dominant period. Notably, we found that COVID-19 VE was significantly decreased in individuals aged ≥80 years (52.9%, 95% CI: −9.9–79.8), men (50.6 %, 95% CI: 39.4–59.8), and asymptomatic individuals (49.8%, 95% CI: 36.5–60.3) during the widespread SARS-CoV-2 delta variant circulation. Conclusions: Vaccine-mediated protection drastically declined during the delta-dominant period and in vulnerable groups. This study suggests the requirement for additional countermeasures, such as the administration of a booster vaccine, in vulnerable groups based on age, sex, and symptomatic manifestation.


The genus Centaurea s.l. is one of the richest and most taxonomically complex of the Asteraceae family. It includes between 400 and 700 species, of which more than 70 are found in Bulgaria – a territory considered as one of the secondary centers of speciation of the genus. There is a large number of endemics (Bulgarian and Balkan) with endemism reaching up to 50% in some groups, such as Cyanus gr. Due to the ongoing active speciation in the Balkans, the boundaries between closely related taxa cannot be easily established based entirely on morphological features. DNA barcoding is cost-efficient and reliable approach for identifying and retrieving previously known species with the potential to accelerate the discovery of new plant species. Despite the huge potential of the method, no any Bulgarian population from this genus has been barcoded so far. The present study presents the first DNA barcoding data of 11 species of the genus Centaurea s.l. from 12 populations based on four regions – ITS, matK, rbcL and trnH-psbA. The first three DNA barcodes are promising whereas the trnH-psbA has somewhat lower resolution


Love's Labour's Lost, though successful on the Elizabethan stage, has found less sustained critical interest than some of the later comedies, such as Twelfth Night, As You Like It, or A Midsummer Night's Dream. Nonetheless, the scope of work in Lemonnier-Texier and Winter's collection underscores the vitality of the play from historical and religious approaches, genre studies, and language and epistemology schemes. Lectures successfully combines critical works of varying approaches into a sin...


The purpose of this research is to have a overall study on the function of the word "zhi" in "The Analects of Confucius".The results may reveal the functional features of "zhi" in Pre-Qin period,which can also provide reference for the study of the ancient Chinese and the history of ancient Chinese.


Not every traditional market is equipped with sufficient waste processing utility system. The waste treatment system in Indonesia consists of five stages that include: (1) storage, (2) collection, (3) transfer, (4) transportation and (5) disposal system. Each stage involves a storage container with various capacities and different movement patterns for each processing system. Currently, merchants determine the storage placements and processing paths that depend on the market management. In general, they place them freely, not only in their stand but also in circulation space which then affected the human movement. A set of data collection, observation, and mapping were carried out in two traditional markets in Jakarta and three traditional markets in Depok. This study was aimed to identify the human movement patterns with regards to the positions of the utility system. Findings revealed two factors that influenced the human movement. Those were the availability of space in advance (the compatibility between spaces and properties of the containers), and the circulation paths (the process of waste treatment at the circulation paths that influenced human movement at certain times).


A new facile route to linear, high molecular weight D2-meta-decacarborane-siloxanes was developed based on the condensation reaction between bisureidosilanes and carborane disilanol. By using NMR to monitor the reaction stoichiometry, polymers with molecular weight ≥250,000 have been prepared. Moreover, because of the mild reaction conditions, structural modifications of the polymer backbone have been readily achieved. These linear, high molecular weight polymers overcome the fabrication difficulties encountered in previously prepared D2-polymers.


We propose and demonstrate a 3dB optical power splitter based on silicon on insulator (SOI) platform. Simulations results show that 50:50 split ratio for TE0 and TE1 modes can be achieved simultaneously by mode dispersion engineering. A compact size of 28.1μm can be achieved by introducing subwavelength gratings (SWG) structure. The proposed device can be utilized for multi-mode signal processing.


The latest craze in the IT (Information Technology) sector is Cloud Computing. Some call it the new frontier. The Wild West is here, bringing with it opportunities for new companies. Conferences on this topic are already in their second or third year. Companies in this space are attracting venture capital funds even during the Global Financial Crisis. IDC estimates the market size for Cloud Computing to be at USD $42 Billion by 2012, with an annual growth rate of 27%. Extending this to 2020, the market size for Cloud Computing stands at an astronomical $284 Billion. With the growing shift in application software development from PC to Data Centres and Clouds, we expect that this opportunity will increase even higher. With these projections, so many vendors and service providers have got into the game and so much press activity has taken place. Gartner's 2009 IT Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies, released this July, places "Cloud Computing" at the peak of the "hype cycle". The lead adopter phase is over and a period of uncertainty, innovation and consolidation has begun as companies find practical uses for Cloud Computing.


After generations of neglect, Vermont's Abenaki Indians are getting academic and personal support in high school and attending college, thanks to Ken Maskell and Jeff Benay.


An ATM network topology management method for an ATM network using an NBMA Next Hop Resolution Protocol (NHRP) to obtain an ATM address from a network address in the ATM network, when a network management system (NMS) is directly connected to the ATM network, including the following steps: (1) reading a network address of an NHRP server that has been set in an NHRP client placed in the NMS; (2) recognizing a topology of a logical subnet served by the NHRP server within the ATM network by accessing the NHRP server with a network address derived from step (1) and obtaining information on a logical subnet served by the NHRP server, an ATM terminal and an ATM switch belonging to the logical subnet; and (3) the NMS reading information on another NHRP server within the ATM network from the NHRP server, obtains a network address of the other NHRP server, accesses the other NHRP server with an obtained network address and obtains information on other logical subnet served by the other NHRP server and an ATM terminal and an ATM switch belonging to the other logical subnet so that a topology of a logical subnet served by the other NHRP server is automatically recognized in the ATM network.


As international trade increases and multinational corporations expand activities into more and more countries, the impact the bankruptcy of one of these institutions may have in other countries increases. As demonstrated by the fallout from the oil crisis of the early 1970s, the decline can be swift and devastating. Creditors may be faced with the prospect of concurrent insolvency proceedings in a multitude of jurisdictions. The United States has traditionally not treated foreign creditors favorably, especially when conflicting claims of United States creditors were involved. However, the enactment of the Bankruptcy Code of 1978 and the trend of recent case law reflects a more generous attitude toward their claims.


Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text. Background: The accuracy of International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes for identifying cases of acute optic neuritis (aON) is not known. A prior study reported 61% accuracy for ICD code plus MRI consistent with aON within 2 months. This study determined accuracy for ICD code plus MRI within 2 months regardless of results. Methods: Retrospective chart review was conducted using a medical record research repository of a tertiary care institution from 1998 to 2019. Subjects with ICD-9/10 codes for ON and an MRI brain and/or orbits within 2 months of earliest (initial) ICD code were included. MRI was classified as positive or negative for aON based on report noting gadolinium-contrast enhancement. Clinical diagnosis at the time of initial code was classified as aON, prior ON, considered ON, alternative diagnosis, or unknown based on review of physician authored clinical notes within 7 days of the initial code. Accuracy of ICD code for aON, acute or prior ON, and acute, prior, or considered ON were calculated for all subjects and stratified based on MRI result. Results: Two hundred fifty-one subjects had MRI results within 2 months of their initial ON ICD code (49 positive MRI [previously reported]; 202 negative MRI). Among those with negative MRI, 32 (16%) had aON, 40 (20%) had prior ON, 19 (9%) considered ON as a diagnosis, 92 (46%) had other confirmed diagnoses, and 19 (9%) had unknown diagnosis at time of code. Considering all subjects, accuracy for ICD code was 25% for acute ON, 41% for acute or prior ON, and 48% for acute, prior, or considered ON. Positive MRI, increased number of ON ICD codes, a code given by an ophthalmologist or neurologist within 2 months, and the presence of a neurology encounter within 2 months were associated with an increased accuracy for clinical aON diagnosis. Conclusions: In the setting of an MRI within 2 months, ICD codes for ON have low accuracy for acute ON and only slightly better accuracy for acute or prior ON. Accuracy is higher for cases with a positive MRI than those with a negative MRI, suggesting positive MRI in conjunction with ICD codes may help more accurately identify cases. Reliance on ICD and Current Procedural Terminology codes alone to identify aON cases may introduce substantial misclassification bias in claims-based research.


3 Abstract: The total isolation rate of Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella trehalose and Pasteurella multocida was 28, 3.9 and 2.2%, respectively. The isolation rate of Mannheimia haemolytica from sheep was higher than goats with statistically significant difference (X =7.87 and P< 0.05). Pasteurella trehalose was 2 isolated from pneumonic sheep but not from pneumonic goats and Pasteurella multocida was isolated only from pneumonic goats. Mannheimia haemolytica serotype A2 (21.5%), A8 (20.5%) and A1 (17.7%) were the three dominant serotypes from total isolates of sheep and goats. Serotype A2 (26.3%), A1 (17.5%), A 8 (15.8%) were dominant serotypes from sheep and A8 (33.3%), A1 (19%) and A11 (14%) were dominate isolates from goat. A5, A7 and A12 were not isolated from goats. Thirty-five mycoplasmas were isolated and characterized from pneumonic lungs of sheep and goats. Four Mycoplasma species namely, Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (nine isolates); Mycoplasma mycoides subspecies mycoides Large colony (MmmLC), two isolates; Mycoplasma mycoides capri (Mmc), one isolate and Mycoplasma arginini, two isolates were identified from sheep where as five Mycoplasma species namely, MmmLC ( nine isolates); Mycoplasma Capricolum subspecies capricolum (Mcc), three isolates; Mycoplasma Capricolum subspecies Capripneumonae (Mccp),three isoaltes; Mmc ( four isolates) and M. arginini (two isolates) were isolated and identified from goats. The concurrent isolation rate of Mannheimia haemolytica and Mycoplasma species was 24.6% in sheep and 9.5% in goats. Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae was isolated at 15.8% rate from Mannheimia haemolytica infected sheep. MmmLC, Mmc and Mycoplasma arginini were also isolated from Mannheimia haemolytica positive sheep. Generally, the isolation rate of Mycoplasma and Mannheimia haemolytica together was significantly lower in goats than in sheep.


For remote structures in military applications located in high mountains and outlying islands, the configuration of isolated microgrids constructed in these locations is highly important. To denote oxygen generation/seawater desalination devices and military battery packs in practical applications, shiftable load models and mobile energy storage models are used. A multiobjective optimization model, including the annual system cost, demand shortage rate, and the ratio of diesel energy supply, is constructed for configuration design. This model is solved using the improved preference-incentive coevolution algorithm (PICEA-ng) presented in this paper. Based on practical data and numerical simulation, the utilization strategy in terms of lost time and output power for mobile energy storage, stationary energy storage, diesel generators, and shiftable loads are generated and validated. Finally, the operational performance of the shiftable load and mobile energy storage over the entire microgrid system is analyzed and discussed.


The purpose of this study is to verify the influence of message framing in a PSA(Public Service Advertising) and self-construal priming(independent self / interdependent self) on persuasion. We recruit 119 participant and 2 * 2 factors through the design and conduct experiments that self-constural p...


A patient is described who had blastic transformation of Ph1 negative chronic myelogenous leukemia (Ph1 – CML). Characterization of the leukemic cells revealed a population with a lymphoid stem cell phenotype (cALL–, TdT +, Ia+, cIgM –). This particular phenotype may be responsible for the refractoriness to vincristine and prednisone and the rapid downhill course.


Type-II superconductors are expected to be extensively used in the designing of dc power grids due to their reduced use of space, high transport current capability, and nearly zero resistive losses. Nevertheless, these systems will have to share the right of way of the currently installed ac network, reducing the costs of development associated with the superconducting (SC) cables without the need of increasing the right of way. Under the theoretical framework of the critical state model and the numerical solution of Maxwell equations in the magneto quasi-steady approach, in this paper, we present a comprehensive study of the effects of applying an ac transverse magnetic field to a type-II SC wire of rounded cross section it utilized for direct current power transmission. Our numerical results can be used as a practical benchmark for determining the minimal losses and magnetic impact of dc SC lines subjected to external oscillating magnetic fields. The local dynamics of the flux front profile of current density, the resulting density of magnetic flux, the total magnetic moment of the wire, and the curve of ac losses for different conditions of dc current and transverse AC magnetic field are presented. Our results are compared with simplified analytical approaches, demonstrating the importance of considering the concomitant action of dc current and ac magnetic field by the use of numerical methods, mainly at low values of applied magnetic field relative to the intensity of transport current and the full penetration profile of current density.


This study focuses on the poetry of the well-known Kurdish poet Cegerxwîn (1903–84). Contextualizing Cegerxwîn's life and literary career within his specific social, political and historical circumstances, this article demonstrates the way in which Kurdish classical poetry during his madrasa education shaped Cegerxwîn's poetic creation. Furthermore, the oppression and exploitation of Kurdish peasants at the hands of tribal chiefs, sheikhs and nation-states contributed to Cegerxwîn's adoption of a Marxist and nationalist social and political standpoint. This article, attempting a closer reading of his poetry, suggests that at the essence of his poetry is found the continued use of the metaphor of awakening. Hence Cegerxwîn's poetics and politics can best be depicted as one of awakening the oppressed and subordinate social groups including the Kurds, peasants and workers from their deep sleep of oppression and exploitation. Through his Kurdish poetics and politics of awakening, it is argued, Cegerxwîn participates in the progressive political discourses of his times.


ABSTARCT The purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of entrepreneurs attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavior control towards the intention of being entrepreneurs. Respondents in this study were the twelfth grade students of Vocational High School in Denpasar. The sample used were 100 students by utilizing purposive sampling method. The research instruments udes questionnaires and analysis techniques used multiple linear regression analysis. The result showed that the attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavior control effect positively and significantly towards the intention of being entrepreneurs. It is suggested to the school  to hold seminars by inviting success young entrepreneurs which can be an inspiration to the students in order to enchange students positive attitude towards the profession of entrepreneurial. Parents encouragement is needed to support students intention to be entrepreneurs. In learning process, it should be concrete efforts of the teachers to establish leadership which is one of persons principle to become entrepreneur. For the further research, it is suggested to add the background of parents occupation and cultural background  which can influence the intention of students to be entrepreneur.


Within the project 'e performance' supported by the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) an electric vehicle, powered by two lithium-ion battery packs of different capacity and voltage has been developed. The required Energy Management System (EMS) in this system controls the current flows of both packs independently by means of two individual dc-dc converters. It acts as an intermediary between energy storage (battery management systems-BMS) and the drivetrain controller on the vehicle control unit (VCU) as well as the on-board charger. This paper describes the most important tasks of the EMS and its interfaces to the BMS and the VCU. To validate the algorithms before integrating them into the vehicle prototype, a detailed Matlab / Simulink-model was created in the project. Test procedures and results from the simulation as well as experiences and comparisons from the real car are presented at the end.


A Gravitational Wave Background (GWB) is expected in the universe from the superposition of a large number of unresolved astrophysical sources and phenomena in the early universe. Each component of the background (e.g., from primordial metric perturbations, binary neutron stars, milli-second pulsars etc.) has its own spectral shape. Many ongoing experiments aim to probe GWB at a variety of frequency bands. In the last two decades, using data from ground-based laser interferometric gravitational wave (GW) observatories, upper limits on GWB were placed in the frequency range of 0∼ 50−100 Hz, considering one spectral shape at a time. However, one strong component can significantly enhance the estimated strength of another component. Hence, estimation of the amplitudes of the components with different spectral shapes should be done jointly. Here we propose a method for "component separation" of a statistically isotropic background, that can, for the first time, jointly estimate the amplitudes of many components and place upper limits. The method is rather straightforward and needs negligible amount of computation. It utilises the linear relationship between the measurements and the amplitudes of the actual components, alleviating the need for a sampling based method, e.g., Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) or matched filtering, which are computationally intensive and cumbersome in a multi-dimensional parameter space. Using this formalism we could also study how many independent components can be separated using a given dataset from a network of current and upcoming ground based interferometric detectors.


The system of social management of the mass consciousness cannot ignore the importance of the "cultural" component of the society. With the formation of the "society of knowledge" and the growing infl uence of global trends of development, we observe an inevitable increase of the signifi cance of the problems associated with the cognitive aspects of culture in the processes of creation and use of various social management technologies. For optimal management of the mass consciousness we need specially organized activities related to the sacralisation of values leading to the establishment of social integrity. The dialectical process of sacralisation – desacralisation of basic values and ideals should be seen as an attribute of social management of the mass consciousness. In the depths of the unconscious of a modern human the religion and mythology are "hidden" as the compensation of his "irreligion" determining ways of his existence and, thus, creating the integrity of the human soul. Sociocentric religions in their secular variations are necessary to control the mass consciousness, so we need specially planned and organized social activities related to the sacralisation of basic sociocentric values.


This paper focuses on an aspect overlooked in literature on policy formulation: agenda denial, the political process by which issues are kept from policymakers' consideration and deliberation. The theoretical study of agenda-setting has been successful in pointing out the reasons why  some issues achieve meaningful consideration by political institutions. However, there are several issues that fail to gain serious consideration for a variety of reasons, including specific tools and strategies that opponents employ in order to deny the access of an issue to the agenda. The power to keep an issue off the agenda is exercised through non- recognition or denial of the problem, discrediting the issue itself or the group directly related to it, the co-optation of leaders or the group's symbols, postponement and formal denial, among other mechanisms. This study aims to explore these actions, seeking to contribute to research on public policy and further study on setting governmental agendas.


The di-imines (4), which are versatile starting materials for the synthesis of heterocycles, are obtained in fair yields when the 1-aryl-4,6-disubstituted pyrimidin-2(1H)-ones (3) are treated with alkoxide, both photochemically and thermally. The di-imines (4) thus obtained, when treated with carbon disulphide, give the 1,3-thiazine-2-thiones (8) and/or the 1-arylpyrimidine-2(1H)-thiones (9).


It limits the development of the movable MEMS that the movable structure of MEMS has relative lower strength and the higher heat flux and thermal stress accompanied with high power density. According to this objective, the nano/micro scale skin hairs are proposed and selectivity implanted on the surfaces of the moveable MEMS to transfer the heat from the hot spot region effectively. The selected implanted density of the high thermal conductivity nanomaterial is based on the finite element analysis and the nanomaterial composite preparing. The nano/micro scale skin hairs is selectivity implanted on the side wall, the top surface or the bottom surface to reduce the additional effects on the MEMS performance including optical performance, electrical performance and so well. And, the footprint size of the MEMS is not pumped up. Furthermore, the fabricating process is reliable and compatible with original micromachining processes. The most important one is that the self-heat-transfer capacity of MEMS can be improved more greatly, which can reduce thermal stress and strengthen the reliability of the MEMS performance dramatically.


A generalized actuator disk (GAD) wind turbine parameterization designed for large-eddy simulation (LES) applications was implemented into the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. WRF-LES with the GAD model enables numerical investigation of the effects of an operating wind turbine on and interactions with a broad range of atmospheric boundary layer phenomena. Numerical simulations using WRF-LES with the GAD model were compared with measurements obtained from the Turbine Wake and Inflow Characterization Study (TWICS-2011), the goal of which was to measure both the inflow to and wake from a 2.3-MW wind turbine. Data from a meteorological tower and two light-detection and ranging (lidar) systems, one vertically profiling and another operated over a variety of scanning modes, were utilized to obtain forcing for the simulations, and to evaluate characteristics of the simulated wakes. Simulations produced wakes with physically consistent rotation and velocity deficits. Two surface heat flux values of ...


The recognition that the restoration of patency to occluded blood vessels can improve clinical outcomes has led to intense interest in the formation and dissolution of platelet thrombi and in the pathobiologic features of vascular repair after an injury. To study these events in an experimental model, many investigators challenge isolated platelets or endothelium with stimuli that represent physiologic or pathologic mediators, such as thrombin or adenosine diphosphate (ADP), and find that these agonists cause the generation of intracellular mediators that can markedly alter the function of each cell type. A critical facet of thrombus formation and vascular response to . . .


In the modern world, knowledge and high technologies determine the effectiveness of the economy, can radically improve the quality of life of people, modernize infrastructure and public administration, and ensure law and order and security. The creation of a research infrastructure based on a high-performance hybrid cluster enabled detailed calculations of complex phenomena and processes without full-scale experiments. It has become possible to most efficiently apply modern methods of multiscale computer modeling when developing prototypes of new materials with desired properties for their further synthesis. Such approaches can significantly reduce the cost and speed up the development of modern technologies for producing new semiconductor materials for nanoelectronics, composite materials for the aerospace industry and others. Thus, the use of multiscale modeling methods in combination with the use of high-performance software tools made it possible to create a computer model of a nanoscale heterostructure, develop tools for predictive computer modeling of the physical structure of nanoelectronic devices, the neuromorphic architecture of multilevel memory devices, defect formation in composite materials, and others.


Very often CSR is presumed to be more of philanthropy, focussed more on funding/donations, and so on. Whilst it may be still there and also needed, CSR is much more evolved than that. Done properly, it is as rigorous as running a business project involving a multi-disciplinary approach. Given that this is a NHRD Publication on the theme of CSR and HR, the article attempts to illustrate how a CSR intervention also has the play of HR systems and processes. The article is a personal reflection of my recent transition to Social Investments function after being in the HR function for almost 30+ years, which has helped me to look at how the elements and science of HR contribute significantly to the success of any CSR intervention.


The more important results of the OBELIX experiment, working at the LEAR antiproton machine of CERN during the 1990–1996 period, are briefly presented and discussed.


Small-scale field survey procedures that can be used to measure vehicle classification and occupancy at predetermined levels of statistical precision are described. Potential uses of these data to support activities related to transportation system management, air quality, energy efficiency, validation of urban transportation planning models, and trend analysis are identified. Statistical sampling plans, including plans that use the results of parallel traffic-monitoring programs, are presented to enable local planning agencies to design cost-effective field surveys. Representative values for key sampling parameters based on previous surveys, which are needed to use these sampling techniques, are provided. These procedures are then applied to a problem of survey design that demonstrates that regional occupancy can be precisely measured through the use of a small field survey. /Author/


Advances in digital technology have given rise to many digital image applications such as visual communications. However, the major obstacle for many image applications is the vast amount of data required to represent a digital image. Currently, one of the active areas is development of techniques for fast image compression to result in reduced communication bandwidth and data storage requirements. In this dissertation, we show VLSI architectures for several representative problems in image processing and compression applications.
We first show two methodologies for the design of area-efficient and high-throughput rate Data Format Converters. These are Two-Dimensional Data Format Converters and Dual Buffer Data Format Converters. Efficient data format conversion between the processing modules is important for the design of many hybrid VLSI systems.
Discrete Wavelet Transform is an alternative to the existing time-frequency transforms such as DFT and DCT. Discrete Wavelet Transform is useful for multi-resolution representation and low bit-rate image compression. We show a state-of-the-art design methodology for computing 2-D Discrete Wavelet Transforms. Our design is the first single chip architecture to handle parallel block-based I/O. Our architecture provides high throughput rate and low latency as well as area efficiency.
Tree-structured entropy coding based on hierarchical representations such as Discrete Wavelet Transforms provides high compression ratio and superior image quality. We show a general design technique for various tree-structured entropy coding such as Embedded Zerotree Wavelet algorithm, Embedded Zerotree Lossless, Lewis' algorithm and Space Frequency Quantization. Our architecture shows high throughput rate and area efficiency.
Recently, H.263, a new low bit-rate video compression standard, has been developed. We show the design of a hardware/software codesigned system for H.263 encoder. Various encoding techniques are considered such as advanced motion vector mode, unrestricted motion vector mode, local search mode and half pel computation. Our parallel VLSI architecture performs motion estimation based on a fast search algorithm. It can process QCIF images at 76 fps and CIF images at 19 fps. The small sizes of on-chip memory and computation module enable a compact single chip design.


The decisions of the appellate courts are a vital part of the environment in which law enforcement and correction must function. The reactions of administrators in these fields to the decisions are, to a considerable extent, a matter of choice. The choices may be labeled provocative, defensive, or positive. The defensive position looks like the easiest one to take but may, in the long run, pose more difficulties than the positive reaction. The positive response is "right" in that it works better than the other responses toward advancing correctional practice.


In the 1990s the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka had acquired the reputation of an orphaned and dirty war. Hence, there was widespread support when in the new millennium Norway tried to facilitate a dialogue between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the main Tamil insurgent group, and the Sri Lankan government. The peace process led to a ceasefire agreement and six rounds of face‐to‐face meetings. Although progress was understandably slow, a political framework that allowed Tamil national self‐determination while simultaneously protecting Sri Lankan sovereignty and territorial integrity seemed near. However, by late 2003–early 2004, such optimism lay shattered and a return to the days of warfare seemed a real possibility. In this paper, I offer an explanation for the onset of peace talks, assess its achievements and explore whether the peace process is still salvageable or a return to warfare is more likely to mark the future.


An analytical approach is proposed to evaluate the bit error rate (BER) performance of a direct detection on-off keying (OOK) free space optical link over log-normal atmospheric turbulence-induced fading channels based on modified Alamouti code presented by Simon and Vilnrotter and maximal ratio combining (MRC) at the receiver. Simulations show that due to coding and diversity at the receiver, a significant improvement in the BER performance is obtained at a given BER. For diversity order of 2 in both transmitter and in receiver, the amount of BER improvement is 6.6dB at BER 10-5. Further increment of the receiver diversity from 2 to 4 gives additional 3dB improvement at the same BER. A drastic improvement of the BER performance is also possible for increasing number of receiver diversity which may increase hardware complexity. Simulation results are demonstrated to confirm the analytical results.Bangladesh J. Sci. Ind. Res.53(3), 205-210, 2018


The demand for innovation-entrepreneurship talents forces universities to innovate and reform, including deepening the reformation of innovation-entrepreneurship education, reforming the curriculum of innovation-entrepreneurship courses, reforming the talent training mode of innovation-entrepreneurship education, reforming the construction of innovation-entrepreneurship related faculties, and reforming the innovation-entrepreneurship education environment. College students' self-employment not only alleviates the pressure on employment, helps promotes the final employment rate, but also plays a vital part in economic innovation and development.


Location and history of discovery sequent geological mapping, geochemical surveys, mineralogical studies, and metallurgical tests defined target areas that were drilled in late 1985. No further work was undertaken on the property until a joint leasing-operating agreement was reached with the Mescalero Apache Tribe for development of the deposit. Principal investigators conhibuting to the discovery and acquisition of the deposit were H. S. Iacobson, f. W. Keim, A. S. Levy, the writer, and consultant mineralogist A. N. Mariano.


Aim To screen antibodies of novel purinoceptor as a marker for further study of the purinoceptor. Method BALB/c mice were immunized for 4 times with rat aortic endothelial cell. Then the phage display system was used to construct a single-chain Fv fragment (ScFv) cDNA library from the total RNA of immunized mice. The characteristics of novel purinoceptor not existing on vascular smooth muscle cell but on aortic endothelium were used to enrich the aortic endothelium specific antibodies. Induced with IPTG, these antibodies were secreted into the periplasm of E. coli. The functional experiment of novel purinoceptor named organ bath experiment was used to screen out the positive ScFv from the soluble expressed antibodies. Immunohistochemistry experiment was used for positive ScFv identification. Results The total mouse anti-rat endothelium lgG is 1 ∶16 000. 8×106 mouse anti-rat endothelium ScFv cDNA library was successfully constructed. After 4 times of rat endothelium and rat smooth muscle cells screening, 2 500 ScFv cDNA binding membrane of aortic endothelium was enriched. After 4 times of functional screening, a phage-ScFv named B inhibiting the adenosine induced NO dependent construction by 83.4%±21.6% was selected from the expressed antibodies. Immunohistochemistry experiment showed that ScFv-B combined with aortic endothelium specifically and functional experiment showed that ScFv-B did not have any effect on adenosine induced ileum contraction, indicating that ScFv-B specifically binding to the novel purinoceptor. Conclusions ScFv-B binding specifically to the novel purinoceptor was selected by phage display technique and functional screening experiment which provide a good marker for further study of the novel purinoceptor.


Reconfigurable CNC system has modular structure and open system interfaces that it can fully utilize advanced control technologies,hardware devices and other innovations to increase self-adaptability and rapid-responsiveness.With the rapid change of manufacturing requirements,an implementation method of reconfigurable CNC system is brought up based on the function block model of IEC 61499.Through this way,the interface information and control algorithms of function blocks can be specified to improve upgrading,integration and second-hand development of CNC functionalities.In order to verify this design,a prototype of reconfigurable CNC system is brought up and some experiments are carried out.


Despite the fall of the Ceausescu regime, the Communist reference in Romania is still very present: in the media press, in cultural debates the Communist reference is very present. The aim of the paper is to analyze why it is so present; and how it's been used to shape the new Romanian cultural landscape. First, what is Communism after 1989? Is it the same as Socialism after 1989? Secondly, what has lustration got to do with those debates? What is the meaning of this survival of Communism in the debates?


With moving interferers, there is a trade-off between statistical uncertainties if too few snapshots are used, and smearing of the eigenstructure of the sample covariance matrix (SCM) if too many snapshots are used. When the number of snapshots L that can be obtained before significant motion occurs is less than the number of elements M in the array, the SCM is rank-deficient. A discussion is given of the special problems in using rank-deficient SCMs. Frequently, extra information is available that is not contained in the sample covariance matrix. An estimate of the maximum number of significant eigenvalues is twice the array length divided by the acoustic wavelength. An estimate of the background level in the absence of interference is frequently available based on long-term observations. Under some circumstances the median eigenvalue of the SCM is a useful estimate of true background noise. In this paper, we examine the use of such auxiliary information to set the loading parameter of the rank-deficient SCM.


This paper includes a conceptual model of community development to be used by change agents and educators of adults to identify its processes and outcomes. Process variables are the number of people involved, amount of time, ability to organize, number of issues addressed, amount of local initiative, and how effectively resources are used. Outcome variables are people-related, organizational, and physical on micro and macro levels. The components of the model are the community development specialist, the core group of citizens, their local community and its extended boundaries, special interest groups, and the resources needed. A graphic presentation of the model is included.


Existing monocular visual simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) mainly focuses on point and line features, and the constraints among line features are not fully explored. In this paper, a multi-feature monocular SLAM with ORB points, lines, and junctions of coplanar lines is proposed for indoor environments. To create 3D junctions of coplanar lines, an adaptive coordinate confidence is designed to describe the coordinate stability of 2D junctions on the image plane. Based on the matched 2D junctions between the current keyframe and other two associated keyframes, a multi-view coplanarity verification is performed for 3D junction creation. Moreover, reprojection verification is conducted to update the observation of 3D junction, which is used to dynamically update the confidence of coplanarity for confidence-based local bundle adjustment. The camera pose is optimized through multiple constraints of ORB points, lines, and junctions of the coplanar lines. As a result, the performance of monocular SLAM is improved. The experiment verification shows the effectiveness of the proposed method.


In the present study, we examined the relationship between prevalence of hoarseness and sports activities in 1,384 children who received health checks at their elementary or junior high schools. The prevalence of hoarseness was higher in boys (17.7%) than in girls (5.2%). At the elementary school level, boys had higher risk of hoarseness than girls. The prevalence of hoarseness in boys was high until the third grade and then turned to a decreasing trend. In girls, the prevalence of hoarseness was high until the second grade, here again followed by a decreasing trend, but at the junior high school level their rate turned high again in second and third year students. With senior elementary school boys, 徳島大学耳鼻咽喉科学教室1):〒770-8503 徳島県徳島市蔵本町 3-18-15 宇高耳鼻咽喉科医院2):〒779-3233 徳島県名西郡石井町石井字石井 635-29 1)Department of Otolaryngology, University of Tokushima School of Medicine: 3-18-15 Kuramoto, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan 2)Udaka ENT Clinic: 635-29 Ishii, Ishii-aza, Ishii-cho, Myozai-gun, Tokushima 779-3233, Japan 2016 年 8 月 12 日受稿 2017 年 2 月 6 日受理 327 Vol. 58 No. 4, 2017. 10


Abstract The promotion of learning motivation is a central task of all school subjects. Literature education is expected to promote reading motivation in particular. To meet this expectation, different concepts in literature learning and teaching have been proposed. However, to date little empirical evidence exists of a direct and maybe causal relationship between reading motivation and teacher action. The TAMoLi study (Texts, Activities, and Motivations in Literature Education) uses a multi-level analysis to examine the connection between reading motivation of Swiss and German students at lower secondary level on the one hand, and the aims and actions of teachers in the literature classroom on the other (Nstudents = 2.017, Nclasses = 116). The results suggest that students' reading motivation is not directly related to teachers' self-reported aims and actions. Instead, how motivated the students are to read is influenced much more by students' perception of teachers' aims and actions – in particular, by students' perception of teachers' student-oriented aims. These findings add to evidence on student motivation in mathematics and second language learning and teaching.


With the large amount of greenhouse gas emission, the greenhouse effect causes the atmospheric temperature to be a higher level and more extreme climate happens. One Limb sequence data, MIPAS L1 data, were used to reverse the one-dimensional atmospheric profile. The results are compared with the MIPAS L2 temperature data products from the same L1 data of MIPAS. The differences between the reversed result and the L2 temperature products are less than 0.8K.


The paper first introduces the electric power simulation training software. Then, it discusses the power grid integrated simulation training system designed by using network technology and two SRVs. This system has overcome the shortcomings of separately operation of DTS and OTS and can enjoy the benefit of information sharing. The application results show that this system has good effects on dispatchers training.


The Yangtze River Economic Belt is a key development project in China, and financial development is the core driving force for economic growth in the Yangtze River Economic Belt. At present, the financial development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt is not balanced, and there is an urgent need to quantify the differences in financial development. Drawing on the research of "maturity model" at home and abroad, from the two new perspectives of subjective and objective, the financial development difference is introduced into the maturity model as an organic whole, forming financial maturity and its indicator system, then taking the Yangtze River Economic Belt as the research object, the principal component analysis method is used to calculate the maturity. The results show that the financial development of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Economic Belt has obvious gradient differences both subjectively and objectively. The financial acceptance of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the total financial structure and structure are significantly higher than the middle and upper reaches, while financial efficiency is lower than the middle and upper reaches due to factors such as financial costs. Therefore, the financial development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt needs to improve the systematicness of finance, coordinate the growth of financial volume and structural adjustment, and improve the overall financial operation efficiency.


Omri Nitzan's direction of Goldoni's The Servant of Two Masters at the Israeli National Theatre Habimah in 1993 was one of the most ingenious and locally-bound contemporizations of a classical play that I have ever seen, as well as one of the most dependent on a correlatively attuned recipient. Nitzan sets out from the viewpoint that Goldoni's comedy of errors, derived from the commedia dell'arte and negating it, is not a stylized refined and exclusively theatrical pastime, set in the never-never locus of a glamorous stage Venice, as implied by Strehler's famous precedent, but is rather a kind of socially critical and realistically inclined play, 'dealing with crime, class-distinctions and the capitalist structure of society'. 'As I repeatedly read the play'–maintains Nitzan–'I felt myself attracted to its human tale. I have seen suffering, miserable characters, relentlessly striving for unattainable happiness. There are three suicide attempts in the play […], which sometimes seems like a nightmare.' Nitzan's production is set in a derelict square, a cross between a contemporary shabby Italian piazza and the backyard of a ramshackle, old Bauhaus building in a Tel Aviv suburban slum. The set of enclosing walls, lit by harsh Mediterranean lighting, and its multiple doors including a revolving one, vaguely alludes to the traditional setting of a farce. However, this impression is contradicted by the very theatrical and yet lifelike signs of depravity, instability and aggression: the thin paper walls, which are punctured and vandalized throughout the performance, are smeared with hostile graffiti expressing the pent-up feelings of its emotionally mute inhabitants. Heaps of trash lie scattered. The performance does not start with Clarice's engagement to Silvio, but with an invented mimed scene of Federigo Rasponi's murder by his sister Beatrice's lover, Florindo Artusi, performed to flickering disco lighting and accompanied by the shrill music of a Gothic horror melodrama. The actors speak a brilliantly processed vulgar slang; their body language is erratic and violent, including in the love scenes; these are lovers who swiftly resort to blows or pull out knives with long blades resembling shabarias, the weapon of Palestinian terrorists in 1993. Truffaldino wears the stained blue overall of a delivery boy, with an empty money pouch, typical of many such lads seen driving third-hand scooters in the streets of Tel Aviv. He is no smart comedy servant, but a hungry, humiliated and bitter unemployed youngster, although some remnants of the traditionally stooped posture are still vaguely in evidence. The archetypal attributes of the commedia masks are also belied by the performance of other characters such as Pantalone, who appears here as a small-time Levantine merchant, clad in a cheap suit, an unlit cigarette butt between his lips, bragging with his car keys in the typical macho gesture of working-class Israeli males.


The right to environment is extremely close to the natural right to life. The author considers it necessary to emphasize that for him the natural right concept of fundamental human and civil right is not merely a venerated symbol easily replaced by a mere phrase hovering above positive constitutional and legal codification, possibly the international law codification of fundamental human and civil rights. This codification is considered by positivist jurists the only right viable for the jurist.) The well – known theoretician from the field of democracy and human rights Katherine Fierlbeck states: "In early modern political theory rights can be broadly classified as "natural", or "civil", or both. Civil rights are legal constructions created and espoused by society; natural rights are said to exist (due to the precepts of natural law) regardless of whether they are recognized legally or not. But while the existence of legal rights was easily discernable, justifying the existence of "natural" rights not (yet) codified in law was more difficult. In practice the acceptance of rights as "inherent" has generally depended upon the willingness of a majority of individuals to acknowledge this fact; but the irony is that the very point of having a "right" is to protect the rights – holders from the whims of a fickle majority. Thus, to a large extent, rights are the symbolic articulation of the legitimacy of beliefs that already exist rather than declarations of what ought to exist".) The concept of natural human and civil rights, naturally, differs significantly with reference to the comprehension and concept of the origin. Most widespread in legal and social sciences is the antropocentric concept of human and


Aim: Dental caries is a convoluted, chronic, multifactorial disease. The correlative roles of heredity and environment (nature vs. nurture) in the origination and development of dental caries have intrigued scientific researchers.To examine and analyze the role of dermatoglyphics in predicting the susceptibility of individuals to developing dental caries. Materials and Methods: 100 children in the age group 5-12 years were examined during a school screening camp. They were divided into four groups as follows: Caries-free males (decayed, missing, and filled teeth [DMFT] score =0), caries-free females (DMFT score =0), males with caries (DMFT score ≥5), and females with caries (DMFT score ≥5). The handprints of each child were taken and the frequency of occurrence of particular type of dermatoglyphic pattern on the fingertip of each digit was noted. Separate DMFT scores were recorded and analyzed. Statistical analysis was undertaken using nonparametric tests and t-test to compare the dermatoglyphic pattern changes between the two groups and was applied for each variable, to compare the proportions and P value. Results: A correlation was observed between caries susceptibility and fingerprint patterns in the subjects. The female caries group showed maximum occurrence of whorls than the caries-free group and the whorl pattern was found to be more prevalent in females on their left hand thumb than in males, who showed more whorls on their right hand thumb and 3rd digit. Conclusion: Dermatoglyphics can be used as an inexpensive noninvasive tool for diagnosing susceptibility to caries.


There is increasing interest in using bio-based monomers to synthesize polymers that have comparable properties to petroleum-derived polymers. Terpenes like farnesene and myrcene have multiple unsaturated carbon-carbon bonds that can be polymerized like commonly known dienes (i.e. butadiene, isoprene). Farnesene is naturally found in essential oils and released as a pheromone to repel insects, but can also be produced through microbial pathways. In this work, farnesene (Far) and glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) were randomly copolymerized via nitroxide-mediated polymerization (NMP). Traditionally, NMP of methacrylates is not well-controlled due to slow recombination between the nitroxide radical and growing radical chain.1-2 The succinamidyl ester form of the commercial BlocBuilder MA initiator, NHS-BlocBuilder, shows good control over NMP of methacrylates with the addition of 5-10 mol% of controlling monomer like styrene, without any additional free nitroxide.3 At 120C, copolymerizations of Far and GMA at various molar compositions without controlling monomer were done using NHS-BlocBuilder in bulk. Reactivity ratios of Far/GMA copolymerization were determined to be rFar = 0.58 and rGMA = 0.25 and the Mayo-Lewis plot is shown in Figure 1. For Far-rich compositions, dispersity was ~1.4 and showed linear chain growth. GMA-rich copolymerizations were also done at 90C and showed good control suggesting that farnesene can act as a controlling monomer for NMP of GMA. Chain extension of Far/GMA random copolymers will be done with styrene to investigate chain-fidelity. Furthermore, a newly developed initiator based on a new class of alkoxyamines4 will be used to copolymerize farnesene and GMA and its kinetics will be compared with NHS-BlocBuilder.


private pension plans have accumulated assets and reserves, and are a major source of funds for the capital markets of the country." This reviewer's greatest disappointment in reading this book came from the last chapter on future growth prospects. For a book that is inundated with statistics, numerical forecasts were expected. Bishop expects little change in either the mix of insurance products sold or investments made. His predictions or rather extrapolations are generally in line with past experience. Rather than discussing the role that the life insurance industry will play in the future formation of capital, the author is content with discussing recent patterns or trends of products sold and investments made by life insurance companies. Given the assumption of moderate inflation, Bishop expects the trend to continue from endowment and whole life policies to term policies. Funds from group life insurance should continue to grow with the current dollar level of wages and salaries. Funds provided from pension plans should be fairly stable and immune to varying rates of inflation. With respect to industry investments, Bishop expects that life companies should maintain or slightly increase their percentage share in corporate debt investments. Privately placed debt should maintain its relative degree of importance. With respect to mortgage investments the author feels that the industry is capable of maintaining its position. Bishop meticulously describes the movements in life insurance products and investments from 1950 to 1974. Plausible explanations or factors are presented to account for these movements. The book, however, lacks an elaborate theoretical foundation for explaining why certain products or investments have increased or decreased in popularity. Also, little or no attempt is made to rank/order the factors that have caused particular products or investments to move. Nevertheless, for those who are interested in an introductory discussion of capital formation through life insurance, this book should be a valuable reference source.


Organizational ambidexterity is an important concept when an organization balances two contradictory and conflicting agendas. Two dimensions that appear often in the organizational ambidexterity ar...


: The cerium doped 0.9Bi 4 Ti 3 O 12 -0.1K 0.5 Na 0.5 NbO 3 (BTO-KNN) piezoelectric ceramics were synthesized using conventional solid state processing. The effects of CeO 2 doping on the microstructure and the electrical properties of BTO-KNN ceramics were investigated. It is found that the ceramics possess a pure phase of bismuth oxide layer-type structure. The piezoelectric properties of BTO-KNN-based ceramics are significantly improved after cerium doping. The piezoelectric constant d 33 , dielectric loss tan δ , mechanical quality factor Q m and remanent polarization P r for the BTO-KNN ceramics with 0.75 wt% CeO 2 dopant are found to be 28 pC/N, 0.29%, 2897, 11.83 µC/cm 2 , respectively, and with high Curie temperature T C (~615 °C) and stable piezoelectric properties, demonstrating that the cerium doped BTO-KNN piezoelectric ceramics are the promising candidates for high-temperature applications.


Drilling at Sites 534 and 603 of the Deep Sea Drilling Project recovered thick sections of Berriasian through Aptian white limestones to dark gray marls, interbedded with claystone and clastic turbidites. Progressive thermal demagnetization removed a normal-polarity overprint carried by goethite and/or pyrrhotite. The resulting characteristic magnetization is carried predominantly by magnetite. Directions and reliability of characteristic magnetization of each sample were computed by using least squares line-fits of magnetization vectors. The corrected true mean inclinations of the sites suggest that the western North Atlantic underwent approximately 6° of steady southward motion between the Berriasian and Aptian stages. The patterns of magnetic polarity of the two sites, when plotted on stratigraphic columns of the pelagic sediments without turbidite beds, display a fairly consistent magnetostratigraphy through most of the Hauterivian-Barremian interval, using dinoflagellate and nannofossil events and facies changes in pelagic sediment as controls on the correlations. The composite magnetostratigraphy appears to include most of the features of the M-sequence block model of magnetic anomalies from Ml to Ml ON (Barremian-Hauterivian) and from M16 to M23 (BerriasianTithonian). The Valanginian magnetostratigraphy of the sites does not exhibit reversed polarity intervals corresponding to Ml 1 to M13 of the M-sequence model; this may be the result of poor magnetization, of a major unrecognized hiatus in the early to middle Valanginian in the western North Atlantic, or of an error in the standard block model. Based on these tentative polarity-zone correlations, the Hauterivian/Barremian boundary occurs in or near the reversed-polarity Chron M7 or M5, depending upon whether the dinoflagellate or nannofossil zonation, respectively, is used; the Valanginian/Hauterivian boundary, as defined by the dinoflagellate zonation, is near reversed-polarity Chron M10N.


Abstract Nitrite occurs naturally in fresh waters as a result of nitrification of ammonia and denitrification of nitrate, and its concentration can be enhanced by partial oxidation of ammoniacal discharges. Nitrite is toxic to vertebrates including fish and a principal effect is the conversion of haemoglobin to methaemoglobin which is incapable of oxygen transport although there are circulatory and tissue effects as well. The toxic species is the nitrite ion (NO2) which is believed to enter the blood via the branchial chloride/bicarbonate exchange and fish such as salmonids with high chloride uptake rates are more susceptible than those with low chloride uptake rates, for example carp. Nitrite toxicity is strongly aleviated by chloride and the concentration ratio of these ions is of great importance in assessing toxicity. Short term and long term toxicity data for a variety of fish species are presented. There are no field data on fish populations in waters where nitrite was the only pollutant. However ex...


This paper reviewed the developing trend of cumene producing process and its market supply and demand situation both at home and abroad, compared the main technology indexes of different processes, and predicted the developing trend of cumene market. It was pointed that high selectivity would be one of the trend of cumene producing process, and that with the rapid increase of cumene producing capacity, cumene enterprises should take measures to prevent market risks effectively.


The need for safe disposal of hazardous waste is obvious. The role of the geologist in hazardous waste disposal is described. It consists in geological and hydrological investigations of the site to ensure that wastes have no opportunity to escape through hydrogeological defects. 5 figures. (RWR)


Background:  Bacterial translocation (BT) occurs after thermal injury and may result from an ischemic intestinal insult. The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of ketamine and propofol as anesthetic agents on BT in an animal model of burn injury.


How should auditors judge risk, with the current economic turmoil and new regulations?

The authors give some much-needed guidance for these complicated times. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


(2015). Review: Perpetrators and Accessories in International Criminal Law: Individual Modes of Responsibility for Collective Crimes by Neha Jain. Current Issues in Criminal Justice: Vol. 26, No. 3, pp. 347-349.


Abstract In a fluidized bed evaporator, heat transfer between walls of heated tubes and solutions belongs to a vapor-liquid-solid flow boiling, and solid particles are fluidized by a vapor-liquid flow. In this evaporator, evaporation can operate continuously without fouling on tube walls even for the solutions of high viscosity and density, like extract liquids of traditional Chinese medicines. In this article, a fluidized bed evaporator with an external natural circulating vapor-liquid-solid flow boiling at industrial scale with heat transfer area of 18.9 m2 has been developed based on the previous experimental investigations in a laboratory evaporator and a pilot installation and applied in the evaporating concentration of extract liquids of traditional Chinese medicines first time. Its evaporation capacity changes from 1,100 to 1,400 kg/h. The relative density of extract solutions changes from 0.94 to 1.35, and viscosity from 1.69 to 20.68 Pa·s. Online zero-fouling and stable operations have been proved. Under similar conditions, overall heat transfer coefficient and evaporation intensity of industrial fluidized bed evaporators are higher than those of traditional vapor-liquid evaporators, but they decrease slightly compared to those of pilot one, and the reduced ratio is about 20%. Other examples of industrial applications are also introduced.


This paper presents a fuzzy logic controller based ammonia detection algorithm to predict and capture ammonia slip for commercial vehicles. The current vehicle emission standard requires a well-designed selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system which must deliver a high efficiency in terms of nitrogen oxides reduction while maintaining a low ammonia slip from the tailpipe. Fuzzy logic was used because of the following: the SCR system is a nonlinear, multiple factor dependent system, and the information causing ammonia slip, for most cases, is not clearly defined. An ammonia sensor installed downstream of the SCR catalyst can be used as a straightforward method for potential ammonia slip detection. However, from the cost efficiency perspective, introducing a smart ammonia sensor would greatly increase the cost of the system. The proposed fuzzy controller system collects information from the existing system sensors then incorporates it into the Matlab/Simulink environment. The paper presented the SCR system architecture, diesel emission fluid (DEF) dosing strategy as well as the detailed algorithm of ammonia slip detection with results and comparison to the conventional method.


Radiocarbon dating of charcoal on podzols along a transect reaching 280 kilometers north of the present tree line from Ennadai Lake indicates that former forests were burnt about 3500 years ago and again about 900 years ago. These forests probably were associated with periods of relatively mild climate.


"Securing benefits for another" is designed to make clear that there is a quid pro quo between the position of the state functionary and the money or property accepted by him. The "another" involved in the "securing benefits for another" includes not only the briber, but also the third party or unit designated by the briber. The legitimate interest and the illegitimate interest are all covered by the "benefits" thereon. It is somewhat irrational to restrict the "securing benefits for another" to performing the specific functional act in the objective respect, or to interpret it as a subjective constitutive element. Promising to secure benefits for another satisfies the minimum requirement of the "securing benefits for another". In the circumstance of no agreement in advance, but accepting the money or property as the illegitimate reward for the functional act after securing benefits for another, there is a crime of acceptance of bribes. On the occasion of the functional act satisfies the constitutive elements of the other crimes, unless the criminal law stipulates some special clauses, the crime of acceptance of bribes and the other crimes committed should be sentenced in accordance with the joinder of punishment for plural crimes.


The biotin–streptavidin interaction is among the strongest known in nature. Herein, the site‐directed incorporation of biotin and 2‐iminobiotin composed of noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) into proteins is reported. 2‐Iminobiotin lysine was employed for protein purification based on the pH‐dependent dissociation constant to streptavidin. By using the high‐affinity binding of biotin lysine, the bacterial protein RecA could be specifically isolated and its interaction partners analyzed. Furthermore, the biotinylation approach was successfully transferred to mammalian cells. Stringent control over the biotinylation site and the tunable affinity between ncAAs and streptavidin of the different biotin analogues make this approach an attractive tool for protein interaction studies, protein immobilization, and the generation of well‐defined protein–drug conjugates.


A nonneutral /sup 7/Li/sup +/ ion plasma is described in which ion Langmuir waves are observed for the first time. The properties of these waves near the Brillouin density limit are investigated.


Electromagnetic interference is one of the most undesirable by-products of rapid proliferation of electronic products and telecommunications. Mutual interference among devices such as televisions, computers, mobile phones and radios degrade device performance. Electromagnetic interference (EMI) occurs when electronic devices are subject to electromagnetic radiation from unwanted sources at the same frequency ranges that these devices operate. Metals typically serve as excellent EMI shielding agents, but their heavy weight, high cost and susceptibility to forms of environmental degradation make them an undesired choice for many current electronic devices. The present study investigates the effect of the carbon fiber reinforced Plastics on the electromagnetic transparency. To improve electromagnetic shielding in high frequencies, carbon fiber mixed polypropylene was studied. It is found that 10% carbon fiber added specimen improve total shielding effectiveness of carbon fiber reinforced plastics in the considered 8–12 GHz ranging band Key words— Electromagnetic shielding, Carbon fiber, Polypropylene


The aim of this study was to determine the chemical properties of peat soil depending on changes in land-use. The Terric Histosol (HSs) was investigated in this research, and the treatments of former different land-use in Radviliskis site. Chemical analyses were carried out at the Chemical Research Laboratory of LRCAF. After 12 years since the end of field experiment the differences in soil chemical composition remained still between treatments of differently used peat soil. Due to mineralization, the content of soil organic matter (SOM) and SOC respectively decreased, the largest amounts of SOC are stored in the upper soil layer of perennial grasses fertilized with NPK (NPK), there was the highest yield of biomass; and accordingly, the lowest content of SOC – in soil of un-used peat (UU). The distribution of total N and P in profile of Terric Histosol is directly related to the vertical gradient of mineralization intensity; higher amounts of N and P have been accumulated where mineralization was more intense. The distribution of total K is related to land-use of Terric Histosol , whereas the biggest quantity of total K was established in arable land which has been fertilized with mineral fertilisers.


Environmental issues have become a hot topic recently, especially those surrounding industrial outputs. Effluents, emissions, outflows, by-products, waste materials, product de-commissioning, land reclamation and energy consumption are all the subject of monitoring, either under new legislation or through economic necessity. Many types of environmental data are often difficult to understand or measure because of their unusual distribution of values however. Standard methods of monitoring these data types often fail or are unwieldy. The scarcity of events, small volume measurements and the unusual time scales sometimes involved add to the complexity of the task. One recently developed monitoring technique is the Summed Rank Cusum (SRC) that applies non-parametric methods to a standard chart. The SRC can be used diagnostically and this paper describes the application of this new tool to three data sets, each derived from a different problem area. These are measuring industrial effluent, assessing the levels of potentially harmful proteins produced by an industrial process and industrial land reclamation in the face of harmful waste materials. The use of the SRC to spot change points in time retrospectively is described. The paper also shows the use of SRC in the significant-difference testing mode, which is applied via the use of spreadsheets. Links to other similar methods described in the literature are given and formulae describing the statistical nature of the transformation are shown. These practical demonstrations illustrate that the graphical interpretation of the method appears to help considerably in practice when trying to find time-series change points. The charts are an effective graphical retrospective monitoring technique when dealing with non-normal data. The method is easy to apply and may help considerably in dealing with environmental data in the industrial setting when standard methods are not appropriate. Further work is continuing on the more theoretical aspects of the method.


This paper examines gender mainstreaming in European Union (EU) development aid towards Sub-Saharan Africa. The aim is to detect how gender (in)equality in Sub-Saharan Africa is framed by the EU by critically assessing the nature and range of the differences between EU and civil society framings of gender (in)equality in Sub-Saharan Africa. Using the method of Critical Frame Analysis, 28 EU programming documents have been analysed and compared to 10 civil society texts on gender equality. I conclude that the EU's approach to gender mainstreaming in its development aid towards Sub-Saharan Africa is to a large extent integrationist and predominantly instrumentalist as it is framed as a way of more effectively achieving existing policy goals. The more transformative issues that are put forward by Sub-Saharan African civil society organisations do not t within the EU's dominant development paradigm that is focused on achieving the Millennium Development Goals and does not signficantly challenge gender relations or power structures. The gap between the analysed civil society views and those expressed by the EU can be explained by the EU's reluctance to include in its policy drafting the promotion of gender equality by civil society organisations. Moreover, the gap seems to have both practical and ideological grounds. Key words: gender equality, European Union, Sub-Saharan Africa, development policy, civil society, millennium development goals, critical frame analysis


The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different light intensities and ascorbic acidon some physiological and biochemical characteristics of Zinnia elegans L. The experiment was designed as a completely randomized design in a form of split-plot with three replications. The treatments consisted of three light intensity levels (600, 1200 and 1800 μmol m -2 s -1 ) as the main factor using shade net and weekly spraying three ascorbic acid concentrations (0, 1, 2 mM) as sub-plots. Analysis of variance showed that light intensity had a significant effect on all the studied traits, except for the guard cell width. As light intensity increased, proline content, catalase, and ascorbate peroxidase activity increased. The lower light intensity increased chlorophyll a and b, carotenoids, total chlorophyll, and peroxidase enzyme activity. Furthemore, with increasing light intensity, stomatal density and index, and epidermal cells density increased, so that stomatal density of plants grown under 1800 μmol m -2 s -1 light intensity was twice of that under 600 μmol m -2 s -1 light intensity. Moreover, application of ascorbic acid increased ascorbate peroxidase enzyme activity, stomatal density, guard cell length, while, it reduced proline content, catalase and peroxidase enzyme activities. Overall, the results showed that increasing light intensity induced stress in Zinnia and weekly application of ascorbic acid alleviated the stress effects.


1) The aim of this research was to determine the physical and mechanical properties of glued laminated lumber (glulam) made from jabon (Anthocephalus cadamba) and pine (Pinus merkusii). Three layers of lamina from each wood species were bonded using isocyanate adhesive with a glue spread of 280 g·m and then pressed using cold press with a specific pressure of 1.47 MPa. Samples had dimensions of 3 cm×6 cm×100 cm (thickness, width, and length, respectively). Glulam properties were tested based on Japanese Agricultural Standard (JAS) 234-2003. The results showed that the density of glulam was 0.36 g·cm for jabon and 0.73 g·cm for pine. The moisture content of all glulams fulfilled the JAS standard. The mechanical properties of pine glulam fulfilled the JAS standard in all tests, whereas jabon glulam fulfilled the standard in the modulus of rupture and shear tests.


This paper investigates the voluntary non-compliance Corporate Governance Codes by listed firms in Germany, Spain and United Kingdom. Its builds on prior research, which postulates that higher qual...


Following the death of Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana in a plane crash on 6 April 1994, Hutu extremists, members of the Presidential Guard, Rwandan army troops, the Interhamwe ('Those who work together') militia affiliated to the ruling party, the M.R.N.D. (Mouvement Revolutionaire National pour la Democratie) and the Impuzamugambi ('Those with a single purpose') militia of the extremist CDR Party (Coalition pour la Defense de la Republique) began the systematic and widespread killings of Tutsi civilians in the capital Kigali. Hutu moderates were also targeted. Early victims of the violence included Prime Minister Agathe Uwilingiyimana along with ten Belgian soldiers of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR). This incident prompted the withdrawal of UNAMIR which left the perpetrators of the genocide a free rein. Ministers and the President of the Constitutional Court were also killed within hours of the plane crash.


This papers describes an acquisition and processing system for the High Resolution Surface Electrocardiogram (HRSECG). The System includes an acquisition and conditioning stage and also a software module that allows storage, display and later analysis of the signal; other features included are signal averaging, software detection of late potentials based on time and frequency domain analysis and also heart rate variability.


The utility model discloses a device for replacing a carrier roller of a belt conveyor, which comprises a left and a right frame bodies, a left and a right screw rods that are vertically fixed on the left and the right frame bodies, a left and a right hanger frames, and the lifting carrier roller arranged between the left and the right hanger frames in a spanning way; the upper ends of the left and the right screw rods are respectively fixed with a rotating hand wheel; the left and the right frame bodies are respectively provided with a vertical sliding groove; the left and a right hanger frames are respectively provided with a sliding block matched with the vertical sliding groove; and the left and a right hanger frames are respectively connected with the left and the right screw rods by screw thread. The device for replacing the carrier roller lightens the labor intensity, and is simple in structure, convenient to install as well as simple and labor-saving in the operation of lifting a rubber belt.


In this talk, we present fixed point property (FPP) related to mappings of metric spaces and characterization of metric completeness via FPP. Further, we discuss an equivalence of characterization of b-metric completeness and FPP.


This study investigates whether adequate yearly progress (AYP) status, locale, and sector—common variables used to judge the quality of schools—accurately signal true differences in instructional practices in high school mathematics and science. Using data from the High School Longitudinal Study (HSLS), we find the school-to-school variation in instructional practices to be minimal. Controlling for a variety of school and teacher characteristics, we find that there is no difference in the use of developmental instruction between schools that make AYP and schools that do not, urban and nonurban schools, and public and private schools.


Energy costs have increased rapidly during the last several years and there is every indication that these costs will continue to rise in real dollars. In certain parts of the country power availability will be limited and in other areas energy costs will be nearly prohibitive. In view of this, it is imperative that utilities leave no stone unturned in developing methods that might reduce power costs and increase the power supply reliability. Interruptible power has been utilized as one successful method by leveling demands and lowering costly and difficult-to-supply system peaks. Such power, offered to industrial customers in the TVA area in conjunction with firm power, benefits industry through lower power costs and provides TVA greater flexibility in operating its power system. Interruptible power is a take-it-or-leave-it option for industry, but if it can be determined to be economical and technically feasible for specific industrial operations, TVA will work closely with the industry to implement the advantages afforded by interruptible power.


2. Research Results Original workfunction tuning of Mo was achieved by nitrogen implantation [1], however, this method causes interface and oxide damage. To avoid the damage problem,nitrogen diffusion from TiN deposited on Mo was attempted. Though expected Vth shift due to the N diffusion was 0.45 V that is equal to VFB shift of MOS diodes, the Vth shift of fabricated MOSFETs was 0.1 V, as shown in Fig. 1. Nitrogen depth profiles in Mo MOS structure was evaluated to discuss reason why the Vth shift was shrunk (Fig. 2). N pileup at the Mo/SiO2 interface for the diode process reduces by adding source and drain (S/D) activation annealing, in other words, by changing fabrication process to FET process. Nitrogen concentration in Mo was also decreased by the annealing. These results indicate that the nitrogen pileup reduction due to the nitrogen out-diffusion through a Mo fi lm is the origin of reversible workfunction behavior. In the case of the fabricated MOSFETs, Mo gates are surrounded by CVD grown SiO2 during the S/D activation annealing. N atoms located at the Mo/gate SiO2 interface are considered to redistribute to other CVD SiO2 interfaces, as shown in Fig. 3. Based on these results we have modified nitrogen diffusion process to be combined with S/D activation annealing by maintaining a TiN/Mo stack structure to cover the Mo top interface with diffusion source TiN. As a result, the Vth shift value was improved, as shown in Fig.4. However, Fig. 4 shows anomalous Vth increase behavior for modified devices against the gate length. The Vth increase is attributable to nitrogen reduction at the Mo bottom interface in the short channel devices. Around the gate edge region, some of nitrogen atoms supplied from TiN go to the bottom interface and others go to the side interface. Therefore, nitrogen concentration at the bottom interface around the gate edge is lower than that Fig. 1 ID-VG characteristics of TiN/Mo and Mo gate MOSFETs. Vth shift due to workfunction change is smaller than the value


Administrative delay,as an irrational act in using authority,is usually ignored both in the theory of administrative jurisprudence and in the practice of administrative law-governing.In fact,in contrast to the traditional administrative law violation,inappropriate administration and administrative omission,it is more critical for administrative subject to use administrative authority with neglect,abandon administrative authority for no reason,and make sluggish administrative acts in space and time as well as other administrative delays.No scientific approach to the irrational act of using authority as administrative delay and its control is made so that administrative law is not capable in controlling administrative authority.For this purpose,this essay tries to make a systematic discussion of the essence,theoretic forms and legal control of administrative delay.The author holds that we should improve our consciousness of controlling administrative delay by administrative law,establish the system of acting ways of administrative authority in administrative substantive law,use administrative procedure law to set up the specialized control article on administrative delay,and strengthen the judicial discretion in administrative proceeding.


Component-oriented software development has been attracting increasing attention for building complex distributed applications. A new infrastructure supporting this advanced concept is our prototype component framework based on the Grid component model. This paper provides an overview of the component framework and presents a case study where we utilise the component-oriented approach to develop a business process application for a biometric identification system. We then introduce the tools being developed as part of an integrated development environment to enable graphical component-based development of Grid applications. Finally, we report our initial findings and experiences of efficiently using the component framework and set of software tools.


A guide to help you find resources and information about and within the field of Kinesiology Discover books on different aspects of Kinesiology


This paper has investigated the unreasonable pricing system for container cargo with special reference to inland transport since it is determined by administrative boundary without considering travelling distance. This research is primarily intended to improve the current pricing system by introducing a pricing support system about the container cargo in the country which applies GIS service area analysis to transportation data. Price simulation maps were generated to find out reasonable pricing strategy. Pricing alternative integrating travelling distance into administrative zoning brings about more desirable results than individual driving cost alone. The research can contribute to more reasonable pricing for the fuel consumption expense and serve as useful instruments for planning pricing system for container cargo. It is anticipated that this research output could be used as a valuable reference to increase the scientific and objective pricing for container cargo by overcoming serious constraints suffered from the past non-GIS-based approach.


13 The bacterial wilt pathogens in the Ralstonia solanacearum species complex (RSSC) have broad 14 but finite host ranges. Population genetic surveys of RSSC pathogens show that many sequevars 15 (subspecies groups) are predominantly recovered from wilting solanaceous plants. In contrast, 16 strains in the IIB-4 sequevar have been isolated from plants in over a dozen families. We 17 characterized the natural variation in host range of nineteen IIB-4 strains to explore the 18 molecular determinants of host range within the RSSC. We used Illumina sequencing to 19 assemble draft genomes of 12 strains. Based on whole genome phylogenetic analysis, these IIB- 20 4 strains cluster into five subclades. We quantified virulence of each strain on tomato cv. 21 Moneymaker (Solanaceae), banana cv. Dwarf Cavendish (Musaceae), melon cv. Sweet Granite 22 (Cucurbitaceae), and impatiens cv. Beacon Orange (Balsaminaceae). To enable future meta- 23 analyses that identify genetic factors that drive host-range, the raw virulence data is included as 24 a supplemental table. Overall, the virulence patterns correlated with phylogeny. Strains from 25 Martinique, Dominican Republic, Brazil, as well as multiple strains imported into Florida were 26 highly virulent on tomato, melon, and impatiens. Several strains from Peru were highly virulent 27 on tomato and had moderate-to-low virulence on banana, melon, and impatiens. One strain 28 from Colombia was highly virulent on all hosts. Our findings reinforce the phenotypic plasticity 29 within the Ralstonia solanacearum species complex.


Bats face diverse challenges that cause global bat population declines, including habitat loss and roost disturbance. Additionally, negative perceptions of bats and their potential role in several zoonotic diseases have led to actions against bats. We documented existing knowledge and perception of bats through interviews with 151 participants of fifteen tribes in Northern Uganda in 2020 and conducted a sensitization campaign that prevented planned actions against bats. The interviews revealed distinct firm beliefs, negative perceptions, limited knowledge on bats, and the influence of media in shaping actions against bats. In addition, modified landscapes and habitat loss increased encounters and subsequent deterioration of relations between humans and bats. Targeted threats towards bats were exacerbated by public misinformation during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. No deliberate conservation efforts exist, and negative perception largely hampers the implementation of bat conservation in Northern Uganda. Importantly, the study also demonstrates that sensitization campaigns can be effective tools to protect bats in the short term. Regular sensitizations and education are recommended for sustainable changes in attitudes to and coexistence with bats.


Reliability and fault-tolerance are essential requirements of critical, autonomous computing systems. In this paper, we propose a methodology to quantify, and maximize, the reliability of computation in the presence of transient errors when considering the mapping of real-time tasks on an homogeneous multiprocessor system with voltage and frequency scaling capabilities. As the likelihood of transient errors due to radiation is environment- and component-specific, we use machine learning to estimate the actual fault-rate of the system. Furthermore, we leverage probability theory to define a trade-off between power consumption and fault-tolerance. If a processing element fails, our methodology is able to re-map the application, establishing whether the real-time requirements will still be met, and how reliable the new, impaired system will be. Results show that the proposed methodology is able to adjust mapping and operating frequencies in order to maintain a fixed level of reliability for different fault-rates.


During the communist years, some "brave" Eastern European economists had always studied Western economies and the modern market economics. Those models however were for the market type countries and no models are available for transforming a centrally planned economy to a market one. The above paper makes an attempt to show the Hungarian Model.