On 19 November 2012, the ICJ issued its decision in the case Territorial and Maritime Dispute (Nicaragua v Colombia).1 Nicaragua had requested the Court to determine sovereignty over several maritime features in the Caribbean Sea and to carry out a maritime delimitation of the continental shelf between Nicaragua and Colombia. The Court carried out a maritime delimitation unlikely to have been predicted, departing slightly from what had become an expected methodology. The decision was not well received by Colombia. This note briefly outlines the history of the case before analysing some of the issues raised by the decision. It also considers the possible impact of the decision on futuremaritime delimitation cases and on the role of the ICJ as a jurisdiction for maritime delimitation.


The effects of variations in carrier mobility and its field dependence on the xerographic discharge characteristics of a photoreceptor have been explored theoretically. Particular emphasis has been placed on the dependence of optimum exposure to reach optimum contrast potential and the latter values on mobility. The discharge characteristics are divided into three categories: (i) flash exposure where the exposure time is much shorter than the carrier transit time, (ii) emission‐limited discharge which is realized by higher mobility photoreceptors, and (iii) space‐charged‐perturbed or space‐charge‐limited discharge which is seen in low‐mobility photoreceptors. It is shown that in the latter case the optimum contrast potential is dependent on the time of observation (synonomous with development time).


[Objective] The aim was to search for an effective growth regulator for producing non-pollution Vigna sinensis(L.) Savi.[Method] Before theirs flower buds appearing,the plants of Vigna sinensis(L.) Savi were sprayed with 1.2 and 1.6 mg/ml of chitosan respectively.Then,the changes of their fruit,s qualties and yields were studied.[Result] Chitosan could reduce effectively the occurrences of insect pest,and increase significantly the contents of soluble protein,soluble sugar,vitamin C in the fruits of Vigna sinensis(L.) Savi,whereas decrease the content of curde fiber.Furthermore chitosan increased the single fruit,weight,single form pods,number and unit area output.[Conclusion] Chitosan as a growth regulator of plant,markly raises the yield and improve the qualtiy in crop.


By using the quasidiscrete multiple-scale method, we study the nonlinear properties of a monoatomic chain with Kac–Baker-like long-range harmonic interaction. Besides the usual asymmetric envelope solitons, a novel nonliear elementary excitation, a hole-soliton, is analytically derived. It is found that the dispersion relation and group velocity exhibit some characters different from that of the nonlinear chain without Kac–Baker-like long-range harmonic interaction. Furthermore, these solitons are nonpropagating at other sites except for the center of Brillouin zone, and the group velocity of the soliton at the center of Brillouin zone is supersonic.


In order to provide accurate wind load for the cooling tower design, numerical simulation of external wind pressure of a 155-meter high cooling tower is carried out in this paper. The results are in good agreement with the field data. It shows that the numerical simulation method is feasible. The numerical simulation data are also analyzed by regression, an expression consistent with the load specification form is obtained, and the mechanical significance of expression coefficient is also analyzed.


A new approach is proposed to envelope constrained filter (ECF) design. The new approach utilizes the minimax algorithms, originally developed for sidelobe suppression in radar applications. The new approach has been compared to the conventional approach, which utilizes the tools of nonlinear programming. The comparative analysis shows that the new approach promises a better performance in the nonfeasible solution scenario.


AbstractCalibration error represents a significant source of uncertainty in quantitative applications of ground-based radar (GR) reflectivity data. Correcting it requires knowledge of the true reflectivity at well-defined locations and times during a volume scan. Previous work has demonstrated that observations from certain spaceborne radar (SR) platforms may be suitable for this purpose. Specifically, the Ku-band precipitation radars on board the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite and its successor, the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission Core Observatory satellite together provide nearly two decades of well-calibrated reflectivity measurements over low-latitude regions (±35°). However, when comparing SR and GR reflectivities, great care must be taken to account for differences in instrument sensitivity and frequency, and to ensure that the observations are spatially and temporally coincident. Here, a volume-matching method, developed as part of the ground validation network ...


Traffic flow prediction is of great importance in traffic management and public safety, but is challenging due to the complex spatial-temporal dependencies as well as temporal dynamics. Existing work either focuses on traditional statistical models, which have limited prediction accuracy, or relies on black-box deep learning models, which have superior prediction accuracy but are hard to interpret. In contrast, we propose a novel interpretable spatiotemporal deep learning model for traffic flow prediction. Our main idea is to model the physics of traffic flow through a number of latent Spatio-Temporal Potential Energy Fields (ST-PEFs), similar to water flow driven by the gravity field. We develop a Wind field Decomposition (WD) algorithm to decompose traffic flow into poly-tree components so that ST-PEFs can be established. We then design a spatiotemporal deep learning model for the ST-PEFs, which consists of a temporal component (modeling the temporal correlation) and a spatial component (modeling the spatial dependencies). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work that make traffic flow prediction based on ST-PEFs. Experimental results on real-world traffic datasets show the effectiveness of our model compared to the existing methods. A case study confirms our model interpretability.


The 4-methyl-2-oxo-2H-I-benzopyran-7 -yloxoacctamide (2) prcpared2 via alkylation of 7-hydroxy-4-methylcoumarin with chloroacet<rmide, was hydrolysed to give 4-methyl-2-oxo-2H-1-benzopyran7-yloxoacetic acid (3). Estedtication 1 of 3 with methanol in acid medium gave the concsponding methyl (4-mcthyl-2-oxo-2H-I-benzopyran-7-yloxoal.:etate) (4). The ester (4) on condensation with hydraJ'ine hydrate in absolute alcohol gave the cotTesponding 4methyl-2-oxo-2H-I-benmpyran-7-yloxo-acctylhydra/ine (5), which was reacted with alkyl isothiocyanates to get the cotTesponding 4-alkyl-l-(4-methyl-2-oxo2H-1-bcnzopyran-7 -ylox•mcetyl)thiosemicarbazidcs (6a-c). 2-Alkylamino-5-(4-methyl-2-oxo-2H-Ibenzopyran-7-yloxomethyl)-l ,3,4-thiadiazolcs) (7a, h) was obtained by the cyclodehydration of 6 with phophoric acid. The structure of 7 was also established via rcal.:tion of 5 with alkyl isothiocyanates in boiling al.:etic acid. The 5-mcrcaptu-4-alkyl-3-(4-methyl-2oxo-2H-l-bcnzopyran-7 -yloxomethyl)-1 ,2,4-triazoles (Sa, b) were obtained by refluxing 6 with 2 N NaOH. The thiols (8) when treated with methyl iodide in presence of sodium acetate4 in acetone formed the 5methy lthio-4-alkyl-3 -( 4-mcthyl-2-oxo-2 H -lben?Opyran-7 -yloxo-methyl)-1 ,2,4-triazoles (9a, b).


A piezoelectric actuator has a rotational moving member and a supporting member disposed opposite to the rotational moving member and having cantilever portions. Each of the cantilever portions of the supporting member has a fixed end and a free end opposite to the fixed end for contacting the rotational moving member when the supporting member is oscillated. A piezoelectric member is disposed on a respective one of the cantilevers of the supporting member. A power source supplies a voltage to each of the piezoelectric members to oscillate the supporting member in a vibration mode higher than a secondary mode of vibration so that the free ends of the cantilevers make sufficient contact with the rotational moving member to thereby rotate the rotational moving member.


Loneliness among university students is a major issue. For new students, the first week at the university is crucial to develop a new social network and possibly reducing loneliness. This study aimed to investigate the effect of having a group project for new university students in the start-up week of the first semester. The social aspects were the focus of this study, however, also the students' reception of the project task is investigated. The students were working in groups of 4–5 students and were asked to design a small student cottage. To investigate the effects of having a group project at the beginning of the first semester, a survey was distributed at the end of the first week The results indicated several benefits both academically and socially. 88% rated the project to a high degree and to a very high degree contributed to academic collaboration. Furthermore, when asked to which extent the project encouraged a social arena and contributed to gaining new friends, 90% and 79% respectively, replied either to a high degree or to a very high degree . The results of this study can provide other educational institutions with insights on how to meet first-year students, and how to provide a social arena. By having a Start-up project which is both a theoretical and physical task, the students find other students to befriend and work with.


Objective To explore the status of osteoporosis(OP) in male patients with ankylosing spondylitis(AS),and investigate the possible related factors.Methods In this study,34 male patients with AS were enrolled.The bone mineral density(BMD) of lumbar spine,femoral neck,Ward's triangular area and greater trochanter were determined with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry.The course of disease and age of patients were recorded.The activity of spine,erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR) and level of C reactive protein(CRP) were determined.At the same time,30 healthy volunteers with the similar age,sex and weight index were selected as control group.Results Compared with control group,the BMD of all determined regions were significantly decreased in AS group(P0.05).Among 34 male patients with AS,5 cases met the diagnostic criteria of osteoporosis(14.71%).Age,course of disease,spinal function,inflammatory markers(ESR,CRP) were correlated with the occurence of osteoporosis in AS patients.Conclusion Osteoporosis may generally occur in ankylosing spondylitis in early stage,which is correlated with inflammation,disease activity,joint immobilization and other factors.


M ycobacterium tuberculosis infection remains a major cause of global mortality and morbidity and the resulting disease, tuberculosis (TB), caused an estimated 1.7 million deaths in 2009 [1]. However, the majority of the 2 billion people estimated to be infected with M. tuberculosis have asymptomatic infection, termed latent TB infection (LTBI) [2, 3]. Traditionally, LTBI has been defined by evidence of a cellular immune response to M. tuberculosis -derived antigens, for example by the tuberculin skin test (TST) in asymptomatic individuals who have been potentially exposed to M. tuberculosis . For these individuals, the life time risk of progression from LTBI to active, symptomatic disease is only 10%; however, defects in cellular immunity can increase this risk significantly [4, 5]. Of these, the most important is HIV infection, and the ongoing HIV epidemic has helped to fuel the spread of TB globally over the past 40 yrs with 0.38 million deaths in HIV co-infected individuals in 2009 [1].

Despite dramatic falls in the overall prevalence of TB over the past 100 yrs in Europe, TB is no longer a disease of historical interest and the European region defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) saw a 2.7% mean annual increase in cases from 2004–2008 [6]. Of concern, an estimated 3.6% of all new cases globally were multi-drug resistant (MDR) [1, 7].

With this in mind, we present an update on a selection of important areas in TB clinical practice and clinical research today, with particular relevance to Europe. We will review some of the important epidemiological features of TB, with a focus on migration and recent work on factors which might influence the burden of TB at a population level, such as cigarette smoking/biomass fuel …


In order to quantitatively describe the effect of strength and stiffness degradation on seismic behaviors of steel frame, numerical models (the equivalent constitutive model considering damage and steel hysteretic constitutive model without considering damage) for predicting seismic behaviors of steel frame structures were described. Three frame models of five-floor, ten-floor and fifteen-floor frames were analyzed. Eight earthquake records were selected for time history analysis. The differences of inter-story drift ratio distribution calculated by two constitutive models were compared. The influencing laws and degrees of damage and degradation on seismic behaviors were also obtained. Finally, a prediction curve of degradation index was proposed, which could be used for damage control. Preliminary evaluation methods for seismic performance of steel frames considering damage and degradation were discussed. The analysis of the results showed that: the inter-story drift ratios of the three frames calculated by damage model were obviously larger than the results of non-damage model, showing that damage and degradation amplified the structural deformations. With the increasing of floors, the differences of inter-story drift ratio between damage model and non-damage model were gradually reduced. The weak stories of three models were located at 0.4 to 0.5 times of structural height, which should be paid more attention in design process.


To better facilitate working with industry, groups of industrial participants, and partners in alliances or consortia, Sandia National laboratories presents information helpful to those outside groups as to the forms of arrangements that may be used to better facilitate partnering relationships between Sandia National Laboratories and consortia or alliances of outside parties. It is expected that these alliances and consortia will include both large and small for-profit industrial concerns, as well as not-for-profit entities such as universities, institutes, other research facilities, and other nonprofit institutions or consortia containing institutions. The intent of this report is to provide such outside groups with information that will facilitate rapid interactions with Sandia National Laboratories through some of these forms of business which will be discussed in this report. These are not the only approaches to facilitating business interactions with Sandia National Laboratories and it is not intended that this report be legal advice or required approaches to doing business with Sandia National Laboratories. The intent of this report is merely to suggest ways in which Sandia National Laboratories can work with outside parties in the most expeditious manner.


The article is devoted to a perspective of optimization of the integrated and characteristic base of modular arithmetics (MA). It is shown that at the minimum code redundancy, this problem is successfully solved for a class of non-modular operations which are realized by means of interval and index characteristics and the interval and modular form of integers. Proposed is a new expanded algorithm of calculation of integrated characteristics of the minimally reductant modular code allowing one to build MA configurations both over the ranges of non-negative numbers and over the symmetric ranges. With a length of the minimally redundant modular code from 8 to 64 figures, the synthesized algorithm is superior to the known analogs for calculations connected with interval and index characteristics in time-consuming by a factor of 6–34.4 and in table memory-consuming by a factor 3.5–31.5.


Non-invasive diagnostic imaging methods for diagnosis of pathological conditions is increasingly gaining popularity resulting from speedy and effective recovery during follow up in several clinical trials. The accuracy of the diagnosis depends on the experience and knowledge of physicians conducting the trial. In such scenario, the need for quantitative measures for details such as shape and size of tissue can assist physicians for better intuitive understanding of tissue and its pathologies. Computer aided diagnosis (CAD) tool incorporating methods for segmentation, texture analysis and area computation can increase the accuracy of diagnosis by providing quantitative analysis of the image. This chapter briefly describes issues and challenges for building the CAD tool followed by brief description about the methods involved. The methods are validation are also discussed briefly. To summarize the work, brief discussion about a new software or CAD tool for diagnosis of pathologies supraspinatus tendon with the help of ultrasound images is provided. The new software has an intuitive user interface which is easy, quick and suitable for medical work. Development of Ultrasound Imaging CAD Tool for Assessment of Pathologies in Supraspinatus Tendon


Architecture and urbanism in Iran during the contemporary period have been influenced by inside and outside social and economic developments. These changes are so fundamental that have caused many challenges and styles in architectural space of Iran, both in conceptual and physical space. Indeed, objectified areas caused by intellectual movements such as: West-oriented, economic-oriented can be known as the root of identity crisis for Iranian cities from the architecture and urbanism perspective. The most important weaknesses and problems in today Iranian architecture include: lack of attention to cultural infrastructures, capability of integrating all cultural spheres, paying too much attention to the economic aspects in the constructions, lack of commitment in some of the builders, weakness of the management system and monitoring in the field of architecture and urbanism, lack of explanation of Iranian traditional architecture patterns, consumable culture of Iranian society, lack of attention to the potential of traditional tissues to integrate with today's architecture and more. While this article is presenting and checking the list of factors affecting this process - identity crisis - attempts to seek its causes and ultimately preparing the ground for achieving overcoming solutions of this crisis.


Many problems in finance, mechanics, biology, medical, social sciences and other disciplines can be modeled by stochastic integral equations (SIEs). Given the wide range of applications of SIEs, solving these type of equations is a great importance. Clearly, obtaining the analytic solution of SIEs is often either complicated or impossible. Therefore, the development of numerical methods for solving these types of equations is inevitable. Hence, many authors have proposed several numerical approaches for solving these equations. In [11], authors applied triangular functions for solving SIEs. Asgari et al. suggested stochastic operational matrix based on Bernstein polynomials for obtaining numerical solution of nonlinear SIEs [12]. Cheraghi et al. [2], used new basis functions for solving linear stochastic Volterra integral equations. Authors in [1] used stochastic operational matrix based on Haar wavelets for obtaining numerical solution of nonlinear SIEs. To see another methods for solving SIEs, one can refer to [3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16].


Preface Introduction Defining Judaism: From 'Judaism' to 'Torah': an essay in inductive category-formation From Mishnaic philosophy to Talmudic religion: From Mishnaic philosophy to Talmudic religion. The transformation of Judaism between 200 and 400 'Israel': Judaism and its social metaphors Map without territory. Mishnah's system of sacrifice and sanctuary The two vocabularies of symbolic discourse in Ancient Judaism Halakhah and Aggadah: ritual and religion in Rabbinic Judaism Ritual without myth The idea of purity in Ancient Judaism Uncleanness: a moral or an ontological category in the early centuries A.D.?, Jacob Neusner and Bruce D. Chilton Judaism and the Social Order: The Mishnah in social and historical context Philosophy, politics, and economics [1] The Greco-Roman philosophy of Judaism: the Mishnah in context Philosophy, politics, and economics [2] Why and how religion speaks through politics: the case of classical Judaism Philosophy, politics, and economics [3] Why does Judaism have an economics? Why no science in Judaism? Mishnah on women: thematic or systemic description Theology in theory and in practice: The tasks of theology in Judaism Theology comes home: the role of theology in the academic study of religion and the role of theology of Judaism in the academic study of Judaism The spirituality of the Talmud: how does Holy Israel know God? If ideas mattered: the intellectual crisis of American Judaism Can humanity forget what it knows? Bibliography of Jacob Neusner.


Ladder wave digital filters is a class of IIR digital filters derived from double resistively terminated ladder networks, which gives them good stability and low sensitivity to variations in the element values. An approach to design maximally fast bit-serial ladder wave digital filters is presented based on the numerically equivalent state-space representation of the signal-flow graph. An algorithm for finding the minimal sample period from the numerically equivalent state-space representation is also given. Maximally fast filters is an efficient way to achieve low power consumption on the algorithmic level. Further, we show an approach to map the operations to an optimal hardware structure, that can be implemented using bit-parallel, digit-serial, or bit-serial arithmetic.


This paper studies commodity taxation in a general model featuring imperfect competition and tax salience. The researchers derive new formulas for the incidence and marginal excess burden of commodity taxation, and they estimate the necessary inputs to the formulas by combining Nielsen Retail Scanner data from grocery stores in the US with detailed sales tax data. They calibrate our new formulas and conclude that the incidence of sales taxes on consumers is increasing in tax salience, and the marginal excess burden of taxation is larger than standard formulas that ignore imperfect competition and tax salience. This paper is a heavily revised version of a paper that previously circulated under the title "The Welfare Impact of Sales Taxes with Endogenous Product Variety" and a longer version that circulated under the same title. The authors thank Simon Anderson, Raj Chetty, Julie Cullen, Amy Finkelstein, Nathan Hendren, Louis Kaplow, Henrik Kleven, Nicholas Li, Jesse Shapiro, Rob Porter, Aviv Nevo, Stephen Coate, and numerous seminar participants for helpful comments. They thank Eileen Driscoll, Robert French, Adam Miettinen, Boriana Miloucheva, Pinchuan Ong, Shahar Rotberg, Marc-Antoine Schmidt, Jessica Wagner, Ting Wang, Haiyue Yu, and Ruizhi Zhu for extremely valuable research assistance. They gratefully acknowledge funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). Any opinion, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SSHRC. This research is based in part on data from The Nielsen Company (US), LLC and marketing databases provided through the Nielsen Datasets at the Kilts Center for Marketing Data Center at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business. The conclusions drawn from the Nielsen data are those of the researchers and do not reflect the views of Nielsen. Nielsen is not responsible for, had no role in, and was not involved in analyzing and preparing the results reported herein.


A modification of the classic Wheatstone bridge is presented in which the output voltage is exactly proportional to the increase in measured resistance. This modification is based on a special system of connection with the power supply. In its original version the circuit was successfully applied to high‐pressure measurement by the manganin sensor method.


In the present article we have tried to 1) describe the development of ordinations in the Church of Greece during the period from 1950 to 1969 as well as certain characteristics of a demographic and social nature, and 2) verify the hypo thesis that ordinations increase a) as we leave the large towns for smaller ones and the smaller towns for villages; b) as the level of education decreases from the Gymnasium and equivalent levels to elementary education levels, and c) as age increases from under 30 to over 30. Our figures seem to indicate that the chief source of ordinations in the Church of Greece lies in the socially lower state of the population belonging to areas as yet untouched by modern civilisation.


This paper is concerned about the optimal placement of phasor measurement units (PMUs) so as to make a system completely observable. Observability assessment is done by the aid of the topological observability rules. Moreover a new rule is added which can decrease the number of required PMUs for complete system observability. A modified binary particle swarm is used as an optimization tool for obtaining the minimal number of PMUs and corresponding configuration. In order to improve the speed of convergence, an initial PMU placement is provided by graph-theoretic procedure. The simulation results of proposed approach are presented for several IEEE test systems. Index Terms-Observability analysis, optimal placement, particle swarm optimization, phasor measurement unit.


This study deals with the investigation of the magnitude-frequency responses of all-pole fractional order systems in the viewpoint of extrema existence in these responses. In this investigation, a sufficient algebraic condition, two necessary algebraic conditions, and a necessary and sufficient algebraic condition are obtained to guarantee the non-existence of extrema in the magnitude-frequency response of all-pole fractional order systems. Some examples are presented to show the effectiveness of the results of the paper.


This paper is an empirical study which presents the quality of work life of municipal employees in Odisha. Municipal employees are those who are mostly responsible for the improvement of quality of urban life. While taking care of health, education, cleanliness, safety and so on they do promote comfort for the urban population. They too constitute a part of urban life. Therefore, authors of the paper considered it important to analyse the quality of work life of those employees. The study with social relevance is a feedback to the authorities to ascertain the facts and adopt necessary measures to improve the Quality of Work Life (QWL) of these employees to (generate) their motivation and commitment. The study is based on an opinion survey of 380 employees of different age, sex, experience and grade taken from 40 urban local bodies, who were selected on a random sampling method. The opinions, analysed through various statistical methods, revealed the facts that are placed here systematically.


3-Methylfuran has been identified as a product of the gas-phase reaction of the OH radical with isoprene, and under simulated atmospheric conditions a formation yield of 0.044 ± 0.006 was determined. In an analogous manner, the OH radical reaction with 1,3-butadiene formed furan with a yield of 0.039 ± 0.011. Using a relative rate method, a rate constant for the reaction of the OH radical with 3-methylfuran of 9.35 × 10−11 cm3 molecule−1 s−1 (with an estimated overall uncertainty of ±20%) at 296 ± 2 K was also determined. These data show that 3-methylfuran is a reactive compound which will be present in the troposphere at concentrations ⩽5% of those of its isoprene precursor.


The inflammasome is implicated in many inflammatory diseases including neurological diseases but has been primarily studied in the macrophage-myeloid lineage. Here we demonstrate a physiologic role for nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich repeat, CARD domain containing proteins, NLRC4 and NLRP3, in brain astrocytes and microglia under the sterile neuroinflammation condition. In vitro, lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), a molecule associated with neurodegeneration and demyelination, elicits an inflammasome activation dependent on both NLRC4 and NLRP3 in microglia and astrocytes, which are central players in neuroinflammation. Canonical inflammasome components ASC and caspase-1 but not non-canonical inflammasome component caspase-11 is required for LPC-activated inflammasome. Mechanistically, LPC-activated inflammasome also requires cathepsin B protease, calcium mobilization and potassium efflux. In an in vivo cuprizone model of neuroinflammation and demyelination, we found only mice lacking both Nlrc4 and Nlrp3 genes show the significant reduction in astrogliosis and microglial accumulation accompanied by decreased expression of the LPC receptor, G2A, while multiple sclerosis (MS) patient samples show increased G2A. These results reveal that both NLRC4 and NLRP3 are involved in activating LPC-induced inflammasome and are important in astrogliosis and microglial accumulation in a neurological disease model.


The field of human activity recognition from video data has recently made great strides. However, the large amount of labelled data needed to train activity recognition models remains a common bottleneck. This paper describes the design of a novel simulation platform to procedurally generate synthetic videos of household activities, which randomizes portions of the virtual scene like camera position, human model, and interaction motion to introduce video variation. We describe our system design, evaluation methodology, and discuss experimental results.


Objective To research the impact of two amino acids in recombinant scorpion active peptide BmK AGAP to the analgesic activity. Methods Two mutants were purified by metal chelating affinity chromatography and ion exchange chromatography.The analgesic activity was detected by the mouse twisting action model. Results The two mutants were expressed in BL21(DE3)in soluble form,and then purified by means of metal chelating chromatography and ion exchange chromatography.The mutant W38G maintained the analgesic activity,but R58D had a negative effect to the analgesic activity. Conclusions The selected mutant sites have some regulating effect on the analgesic activity of the antitumor-analgesic scorpion peptide AGAP.


Grouping regularization has received attention in recent studies because it offers flexibility and better noise immunity than traditional methods. In this paper, we propose the generalized grouping regularization (GGR). With different parameter settings, GGR provides localization ability, adaptive basis selection ability, and at the same time reconstruct forces in low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) conditions. And with specific parameter settings, the proposed method degenerates to traditional Tikhonov regularization and compressed sensing. GGR is supposed to serve as the general regularization scheme for time domain force reconstruction problems. A cantilever beam simulation shows its superiority.


This is a comprehensive description of the Kwaza language of Southern Rondonia, in the Brazilian Amazon. Kwaza is not clearly related to any other known language. Until recently, almost nothing was known about Kwaza and with only 25 remaining speakers this indigenous language is likely to become extinct some time this century. Moreover, the history and the culture of its speakers are otherwise undocumented. The present work is part of an attempt to preserve the Kwaza language. Part I deals with the grammar of Kwaza in detail and gives an overview of its social, cultural and historical context. Part II contains a selection of Kwaza texts with morphological analyses and free translations. Part III is a dictionary of Kwaza, with many examples and an English-Kwaza register.


List of Figures Acknowledgments A Note on Texts Part I. England Chapter 1. Words, Names, Persons, and Places Chapter 2. Names as History: Invasion, Migration, War, and Conflict Chapter 3. Civil War, Ruins, and the Conscience of the Rich Part II. Names Chapter 4. Naming People: First Names, Nicknames, Titles, and Rank Chapter 5. Titles, Status, and Surnames: Austen's Great Surname Matrix Chapter 6. Personal Names (First Names and Surnames) in the "Steventon" Novels Chapter 7. Personal Names in the "Chawton" Novels Part III. Places Chapter 8. Humans Making and Naming a Landscape Chapter 9. Placing the Places Chapter 10. Counties, Towns, Villages, Estates: Real and Imaginary Places in the "Steventon" Novels Chapter 11. Real and Imaginary Places in the "Chawton" Novels Conclusion Notes Index


Cubic pyrochlore type NdxCo2-xZr2O7 nano-crystals were prepared by salt-assistant glycine solution combustion method (SGCM), with neodymium nitrate, cobalt nitrate and zirconium nitrate as raw materials, glycine as the incendiary agent, and KCl as a reaction inert salt. The NdxCo2-xZr2O7 nano-crystals were characterized by means of XRD (X-ray powder diffraction), FT-IR (Fourier trans-form-infrared spectroscopy), Raman spectroscopy, TEM (Transmission electron microscope) and HRTEM (High resolution transmission electron microscopy). The results showed that neodymium ions were partially substituted by cobalt ions, while maintaining the original pyrochlore structure. The nano particles obtained had a perfect crystal structure, good dispersion, and the size was about 31nm. For Nd1.9Co0.1Zr2O7 nanocrystals, the four strong diffraction peaks were at 2θ=29.18°, 33.80°, 48.49° and 57.53°. The corresponding crystal plane distances calculated by Bragg equation λ = 2dSinθ were 0.306, 0.265, 0.188 and 0.160 nm. With the study of the photocatalytic activity of the product, it is found that compared with the undoped crystals, photocatalytic activity of dopped products had been significantly improved and different doping amount led to different levels of catalytic activity. When nNd:nCo = 9:1, the 2 hours net degradation amount was as high as 83%.


Background:In India, there are many regions with increased rate of reproduction and poor fetal outcome. One of the most common complications
of pregnancy in these regions are Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. The morphology of the placenta reects the status of severity of maternal
hypertension which might affect the fetal outcome. Aim: The study objective was to evaluate and contrast the placental morphological alteration in
the placentae from mothers having hypertensive disorders of pregnancy(HDOP) in comparison to placentae from normotensive pregnancies.
Material and Methods: An observational case control Study was performed. 50 placentae from Normotensive mothers (control group) and 50
placentae from hypertensive mothers (case group) were collected from Obs and Gynae department of a tertiary care hospital. Results:It was found
that the placenta in hypertensive women in comparison to normotensive women have low placental weight, less maximum diameter, less Surface
area, reduced placental volume, paracentral umbilical cord, and a smaller number of cotyledons, increased retroplacental colts. The differences
between the groups were statistically signicant (p<0.05). Statistically signicant (p 0.05) differences existed between the groups Conclusion:
According to the ndings of the current study, the placenta obtained from women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy show signicant
morphological changes that may lead to impaired fetoplacental circulation. This can lead to adverse fetal outcomes.


Reports of the decline of expert systems are greatly exaggerated. Survey results indicate impressive growth, as researchers develop systems to tackle difficult but commercially rewarding problems.


Obesity courses with the hypertrophy and hyperplasia of adipose tissue, which has been related to the development of hypoxia and, as consequence, insulin resistance. In this sense, insulin receptor is enriched in a specialized invagination of the plasma membrane named caveolae. Caveolin-1 (Cav-1) is one of the main proteins of caveolae and promotes insulin receptor (IR) phosphorylation and the subsequent activation of insulin signaling. In this study we have demonstrated that hypoxia inhibits 3T3-L1 adipocyte differentiation process and insulin signaling. Furthermore, 48 hours of hypoxia reduced the glucose uptake induced by insulin whereas the basal uptake was increased. This result was consistent with the upregulation of GLUT1, a facilitative glucose transporter independent of insulin, and the downregulation of the insulin-dependent transporter GLUT4, which also showed defective translocation to plasma membrane when adipocytes are stimulated with this hormone. On the other hand, hypoxia, whether continuous (48 hours) or intermittent, produced alterations in caveolae structure in 3T3-L1 cells and in mouse adipose tissue respectively, suggesting that caveolae disruption is implicated in the obesity-related insulin resistance. Furthermore, we also showed that caveolae density in plasma membrane of endothelial cells was reduced and that Cav-1 is accumulated in the nucleus of these cells by hypoxia. The role of HIF-1 in all these effects was addressed using echinomycin, which inhibits HIF-1 binding to Hypoxia Response Elements (HRE), indicating that the expression of GLUT4, Cav-1, Cav-2 and SDPR/Cavin-2 genes is regulated by HIF-1 in hypoxic 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Moreover, a Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay demonstrated that HIF-1 directly binds to the hypoxia response element identified in mouse Cav-1 promoter (-442 TSS) by bioinformatics analysis. A microarray of gene expression was also performed to explore new genes implicated in hypoxia response of 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The results of this analysis confirmed that pathways related to caveolae structure and function, insulin response, glucose transport and lipid biosynthesis are affected by hypoxia and highlighted the involvement of other genes such as Sort1, Ghrh and Igf in the effects of hypoxia on adipocytes.


This study investigated whether significant differences exist between the school achievement and language performance of immigrant Portuguese-American students who begin their second-language (L2) instruction in secondary school and of members of the same minority group who begin their instruction in L2 upon entering elementary school.

The main sample comprised 48 lower middle-class students of high-school age, distributed evenly with regard to sex and recency of immigration across the four grade levels. The measures included in the analysis were: school performance (scores on reading and proficiency tests in English, plus GPA and Average Credits Obtained per Quarter); scores on five dimensions of Communicative Competence, in English and in Portuguese, derived from evaluations of oral performance in small-group discussions by a three-judge panel for each language; scores on attitudes towards schooling and school environment; and a self-report on Use of and Exposure to Portuguese. ANOVA was used to test differences among the groups, with the introduction of the following moderator variables: Sex, Grade Level, Attitudes and Number of Years in the U.S.

Results indicated that early immigrants outscore late immigrants on three of the six academic proficiency measures included in the study and on all five dimensions of communicative competence in English. Late immigrants outscored early immigrants only in Fluency and Comprehensibility in Portuguese, and they reported using and being exposed to more Portuguese. No significant differences were found between the two groups regarding a General Attitudes Score, nor regarding any other remaining measure.

With respect to the influence of the moderator variables, significant results were found mostly for Sex; females outscored males whenever a significant difference existed. Grade Level, Attitudes and Number of Years of Schooling in the U.S. were found to be far less influential. Significant correlations, most of which were positive, were found among most of the criterion variables.

Several tentative explanations are offered for the findings (which to some extent contradict previous studies reported in the literature) based on the high degree of culture and language maintenance among early immigrants and on the nature of the instruments and measures used.


Introduction: Recent lunar missions (e.g. Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), Kaguya), carrying high resolution cameras (e.g. Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) [1], Selene Terrain Camera [2]) have acquired images that will lead to a deeper understanding of impact crater formation and degradation. Historical studies of lunar crater morphology exists for craters in the 10 km diameter (D) range [3, 4, 5, 6, 7], but is somewhat lacking for craters in the 1 km D range, and rare for crater D below 200 m. Morphology of small lunar craters (SLC; D < 200m) is critical to our understanding of the regolith because such craters are relatively rapidly degraded making their existence somewhat transient in a geologic time-scale. Accurate characterization of the topology of smaller craters will elucidate (and test our current models) impact cratering processes for simple lunar craters across the full range of lunar target materials. From an exploration point-of-view investigating the morphology of small craters is relevant as small craters are common and will be in the exploration path for a robotic and (or) human explorers. Understanding the average and full range of crater slopes and depths per diameter will also inform future engineering design decisions. In this work, we present new results obtained by investigating the shapes of small lunar craters sampled globally. Specifically, we study the depth-to-diameter ( d D ) values and the median wall slope of SLC. Unlike larger lunar craters (D > 10km), for which studies and crater catalogs exist [8], a comprehensive listing of such information is nonexistent for SLC. For this work, we derived a catalog of 4477 SLC [Fig. 3] manually selected from LROC NAC based digital elevation models (DEMs) [9]. Measurements of rim-to-rim diameter, rim-to-floor depth, crater rim area, crater volume and median wall slope (MWS) at 2 m/pixel were made from the DEM. Based on these observations and the DEM uncertainties, fundamental relationships correlated to impact cratering processes are investigated within the context of historical studies. Methods: Data mining from the NAC DEMs is automated after craters are first identified manually from NAC ortho-photo image, the DEM and a derived slope map. The rim of the crater as well as the location of melt (if any) on the crater floor, was manually identified. Following this procedure, the measurements extracted automatically via image analysis algorithms. DEMs generated from NAC stereo images have resolutions as small as 2 m/px which allows the topographical investiFigure 1: Depth vs Diameter from observed SLC. Fit to observations is shown as solid lines. Bar chart (inset) shows diameter range median and standard deviation values


According to multivariable, nonlinear and strong coupling inverted pendulum system, a mathematical model for the pendulum is set up by using the Newton-Euler method. The double closed-loop control strategy was proposed. The inner loop regulated the angle of pendulum, while the outer loop controlled the position of inverted pendulum. Design and simulation the inverted pendulum based on double closed-loop fuzzy cascade control and predictive functional control-PID cascade control. The simulation results show its effectiveness and availability.


Craniofacial osteosarcomas are considered a separate category in view of their low histologic grade, less frequent metastases and better prognosis. Hence the diagnosis of this variant is important. The most common histopathologic type is chondroblastic type in head and neck group and osteoblastic in extremity group. Tumorpositive margin exists more frequently in head and neck OS, and local recurrence was the most common treatment failure on account of probable technical difficulty to achieve clear margins because of delicate and complicated anatomy.


Abstract : The period from July 1971 through the end of 1973 was a time of transition, growth, and profound challenge for the Vietnamese Air Force (VNAF). As U.S. personnel continued to withdraw from South Vietnam (SVN), the VNAF was faced with growing combat requirements and demanding force expansions. Then, following a massive Communist offensive in the Spring of 1972, VNAF personnel, support, and operational capabilities were pushed to the limit to respond to intensified combat needs, force structure increases, and accelerated squadron activation schedules. These difficulties were overshadowed in late 1972 when, in anticipation of a cease-fire and an accompanying total withdrawal of U.S. forces from Vietnam, there was an unprecedented infusion of aircraft and equipment into South Vietnam, and a massive transfer of remaining U.S. facilities to the South Vietnamese. Once more the VNAF force structure was expanded and activation schedules were accelerated. Shortly thereafter, on 27 January 1973, the Agreement to End the War and Restore Peace in Vietnam was signed, and during the next 60 days U.S. forces and advisors were withdrawn from Vietnam. Unfortunately, the "cease-fire' did not bring with it a period of peace and stability, thus necessitating continuing VNAF combat requirements in addition to its monumental transition, expansion, and training tasks. The combination of these factors--marked VNAF growth, continuing combat requirements, and withdrawal of U.S. forces and advisors--presented the VNAF with its greatest challenge of the conflict. This report examines the events which occurred, the goals pursued, the problems encountered, and the achievements attained in the program to improve and modernize the Vietnamese Air Force between July 1971 and December 1973. It also addresses the limitations which, as of the end of 1973, remained to be overcome on the road toward VNAF self-sufficiency.


Objective:To prepare liposomal lauroyl-indapamide and characterize the liposomes.Methods:Liposomal prodrug of indapamide was prepared with ethanol-injection method in the presence of Ca2+,Sephadex G-50 column was used to separate free drug from liposomes on line,and high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) was used to determine the total drug loaded in liposomes and its entrapment efficiency,morphology,size and ζ potential values of the liposomes were evaluated.Results:The entrapment efficiency of the prepared lauroyl-indapamide liposome was more than 90%,the mean size was 0.257 μm with a 0.2 of polydispersity,and ζ potential values varied with the variation of drug loading and Ca2+ added. Conclusion:The entrapment efficiency of the liposomes was high.The quality control method was simple,rapid and accurate with a good repeatability.


Industrial ethernet and the reasons of its application in industry are introduced in this paper.And then its current applications and development prospect are also given lastly,an application about a kind of typical industrial etheren——TCP/IP Modbus is mainly set out.


This conference is a landmark gathering of those from around the world concerned with the future of Built environment education and Research. It takes place at a time of great change and opportunity. Around the world the long-standing principles of what, how and who we teach for graduate entry into Built environment professions, is increasingly under review. The need for research and the way in which it is funded, conducted and knowledge shared is also under increasing pressure. Both changes are being triggered by a fast changing and increasingly challenging competitive environment for education and research. Competition for the highest quality of graduate entrants in the right numbers is becoming more intense. Competition between Universities, as funding for education and research comes under ever close scrutiny, is intensifying and we are all being forced to look for more effective and exciting ways of recruting, retaining, enhancing and maximising the achievement of our students and of our staff in their research activities. Competition amongst employees in industry is becoming more intense as professional employers increasingly recognise that people and knowledge are their key strategic resources. Universities are increasingly looking to partnerships with industry, the professions and other Universities to further improve their eduacation, research and innovation activities. These challenges are unfolding at a time of accelerating development in information technologies and systems and in our understanding of principles of knowledge management and pedagogical advancement. This environment presents both opportunities and threats to the world of education.


The Paris Agreement has highlighted the worldwide significance of adaptation. Many investors are considering the effects of climate change and resource scarcity when making decisions. Even while the whole amount of the environmental harm caused by climate change is yet unknown, recent scientific evidence is more frightening, and many governments are taking substantial measures to avert a calamity. The financial innovations and mechanisms created to ease the transition to a low-carbon economy will have far-reaching effects on markets, firms, intermediaries, and investors. Although economists have been working on the subject for decades, financial-economics professionals have only recently become interested in climate change. There has been a growing body of empirical and theoretical contributions in recent years that analyse the influence of climate risks on investment decisions for firms, financial intermediaries, and national governments, as well as the pricing and hedging of climate change risks. This study seeks to establish the role of multilateral climate change financing in the developing world vis-à-vis challenges and opportunities for Africa. Five determinants of the multilateral climate fund were established and they are namely; Reduction of Greenhouse gas emissions, Enabling Environments, Poverty and development linkages, Private investment and Public climate finance.


There is a trend in Indonesian people to shift their food pattern from traditional into high fat and low fiber fast food. Low level of knowledge about nutrition and balanced food, unhealthy dietary pattern, and sedentary activity were assumed as the main contributing factors for the increment of overweight and obesity in Indonesia. Childhood and adolescence are critical periods for health and development as the physiological need for nutrients increases and the consumption of a diet of high nutritional quality is particularly important. Eating habits, lifestyle and behavior patterns are established during this period that may persist throughout adulthood. Patterns of eating have a significant influence on health and well-being. This review will deal with the calories needs of children between the ages of 7 – 8 years with simulation game as a learning media.
For the purpose of this evaluation a new, more complete, paper-based questionnaire was constructed. The particular questionnaire, which elicited both qualitative and quantitative data. The questions corresponded to the following eight dimensions: perceived usefulness, ease of use, ease of learning, satisfaction screen, terminology and system information, system capabilities, and overall reaction to the software. The results indicated that the students' opinion about the game was positive, and suggest that with some extensions the game could be used as an effective learning tool. Finally, some corresponding conclusions and future improvements to the game are being discussed on the basis of the findings.


This paper analyses the strategies for promoting the core competence of American top universities,and expounds their development ideas and measures in persisting in their characteristic strategy,seizing development opportunities,hiring excellent presidents,enroling first-class teachers,and advocating multiform and exoteric academia.Then it makes suggestions about promoting our universities'core competence according to the reality of China.


Solvation free energy is an important molecular characteristic useful in drug discovery because it represents the desolvation cost of a ligand binding to a receptor. Most of the recent developments in the estimation of solvation free energy require the use of molecular mechanics and dynamics calculations. Group contribution methods have been rarely used in the past for calculating solvation free energy because automated prediction methods have not been developed in this regard. As an aid to combinatorial library design, we explored rapid and accurate means of computing solvation free energies from the covalent structures of organic molecules and compared the results on a test set with the GB/SA solvation model. Two independent additive-constitutive QSPR methods have been developed for the computation of solvation free energy. The first is a QSPR model (HLOGS) derived using a technique that uses the counts of distinct/similar fragments and substructures for each molecule as variables in a PLS regression. T...


Demand of electricity is increasing day by day. With this rising demand some problems are arising in the current system. The major issue is the stability of voltage level in the system. As load is increased or sudden surge is occurred, a dip or overshoot is occurred in the voltage of the system. This has become a serious problem for domestic and especially for industrial user, as the sensitive equipment need a constant level of voltage to work. To make it happen, voltage regulators are required. Previously, techniques that were used for this problem were not efficient as they require much time to stabilize the output and have a distortion in output. So, a novel technique is proposed to counter this problem particularly for heavy industrial loads.


This report discusses two techniques developed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) that are employed for the fabrication and characterization of targets used in the production of Radioactive Ion Beams (RIBs). First, our method of in-house fabrication of uranium carbide targets is discussed. We have found that remarkably uniform coatings of UC2 can be formed on the microstructure of porous C matrices. The technique has been used to form UC2 layers on highly thermally conductive graphitic foams. Targets fabricated in this fashion have been tested under low-intensity proton bombardment and yields of selected radioactive species are reported. This report also describes an off-line test stand for the investigation of effusive and diffusive transport in RIB target/ion sources. Permeation rates of gases and vapors passing through a high temperature membrane or through an effusive channel constructed from the material under investigation are recorded. Diffusion coefficients and adsorption enthalpies, whic...


Chlorpyrifos degraded faster with spray applications than with granular applications and soil-surface treatments dissipated faster than shallowly incorporated treatments. The 0-day chlorpyrifos residues were significantly higher for granular formulations than those for spray formulations. The percent of the initial application remaining after 8 weeks for surface sprays, surface granules, incorporated sprays, and incorporated granules was 18, 42, 59, and 71%, respectively. The rapid losses from the soil surface are probably due to a combination of volatility and clay activated hydrolysis. The results suggest that the insecticide must be incorporated toobtain the maximum residual biological effectiveness.


We present [Fe/H] and [α/Fe] abundances, derived using spectral synthesis techniques, for stars in M31's outer stellar halo. The 21 [Fe/H] measurements and 7 [α/Fe] measurements are drawn from fields ranging from 43 to 165 kpc in projected distance from M31. We combine our measurements with existing literature measurements, and compare the resulting sample of 23 stars with [Fe/H] and 9 stars with [α/Fe] measurements in M31's outer halo with [α/Fe] and [Fe/H] measurements, also derived from spectral synthesis, in M31's inner stellar halo (r < 26 kpc) and dSph galaxies. The stars in M31's outer halo have [α/Fe] patterns that are consistent with the largest of M31's dSph satellites (And I and And VII). These abundances provide tentative evidence that the [α/Fe] abundances of stars in M31's outer halo are more similar to the abundances of Milky Way halo stars than to the abundances of stars in M31's inner halo. We also compare the spectral synthesis–based [Fe/H] measurements of stars in M31's halo with previous photometric [Fe/H] estimates, as a function of projected distance from M31. The spectral synthesis–based [Fe/H] measurements are consistent with a large-scale metallicity gradient previously observed in M31's stellar halo to projected distances as large as 100 kpc.


Li Yunfei , Chen Chengqin School of Computer science & Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou ,Jiangsu,China firstname.lastname@example.com (Telephone: 086-0512-67799890) Abstract: The virtual instrument based on agent technique has such characteristics like adaptability, coordinative and learnable abilities in addition to these inherent advantages of virtual instrument. This paper introduces the architecture of virtual instrument agent, the mechanism of multiple agents cooperation , the rules of auto-generation and competition of virtual instrument agents. This technique provides a solution of complexity for software design and difficulty for software maintenance, and enhances its expansibility, adaptability and life cycle of the virtual instrument.


This paper analyzes the content shortage problems faced by museums, art galleries, private cinemas, various types of experience museums and other cultural complexes, and finds that it is mainly due to the high production cost caused by the existing production pattern of creating and producing cultural products entirely on its own. With the help of artificial intelligence technology, this paper puts forward a solution to realize the convergence of online and offline media, that is, using software technology such as video understanding and video enhancement and collecting a wide variety of audio and video programs on the Internet. Then we integrate, optimize and re-create them to overcome the defects of fragmentation and poor quality, so that the quality of cultural products can reach the level of high resolution, high color depth and high frame rate, and the cost is not so high. To meet the sustainable needs of new era cultural complex for high-quality cultural products in low price.


We present an analytical closed form expression, which gives a good approximate propagator for diffusion on the sphere. Our formula is the spherical counterpart of the Gaussian propagator for diffusion on the plane. While the analytical formula is derived using saddle point methods for short times, it works well even for intermediate times. Our formula goes beyond conventional "short time heat kernel expansions" in that it is nonperturbative in the spatial coordinate, a feature that is ideal for studying large deviations. Our work suggests a new and efficient algorithm for numerical integration of the diffusion equation on a sphere. We perform Monte Carlo simulations to compare the numerical efficiency of the new algorithm with the older Gaussian one.


Inverse cognition aims to estimate the 'estimate' of a defender's state inferred by an adversarial cognitive system such as radar when the defender observes the attacker's actions in a noisy environment. We develop an inverse extended Kalman filter (IEKF) to address inverse cognition in a non-linear system setting. We consider general non-linear system dynamics, wherein the attacker employs an extended Kalman filter to compute its estimate of the defender's state. We further provide sufficient conditions for the boundedness of the IEKF's estimation error. We validate our model and methods through numerical experiments using recursive Cramer- Rao lower bound as a benchmark.


Breast cancer is essential to be detected in primitive localized stage for enhancing the possibility of survival
since it is considered as the major malediction to the women society around the globe. Most of the intelligent approaches
devised for breast cancer necessitates expertise that results in reliable identification of patterns that conclude the presence
of oncology cells and determine the possible treatment to the breast cancer patients in order to enhance their survival feasibility. Moreover, the majority of the existing scheme of the literature incurs intensive labor and time, which induces predominant impact over the diagnosis time utilized for detecting breast cancer cells. An Intelligent Artificial Bee Colony and
Adaptive Bacterial Foraging Optimization (IABC-ABFO) scheme is proposed for facilitating better rate of local and global
searching ability in selecting the optimal features subsets and optimal parameters of ANN considered for breast cancer diagnosis. In the proposed IABC-ABFO approach, the traditional ABC algorithm used for cancer detection is improved by
integrating an adaptive bacterial foraging process in the onlooker bee and the employee bee phase that results in an optimal
exploitation and exploration. The results investigation of the proposed IABC-ABFO approach facilitated using Wisconsin
breast cancer data set confirmed an enhanced mean classification accuracy of 99.52% on par with the existing baseline
cancer detection schemes.


Background and Aim: The majority of auditory processing guidelines use questionnaires or checklists as screening tools. The Buffalo Model Questionnaire (BMQ) is a well-known and sensitive questionnaire to be used along with the Buffalo Model diagnostic test battery. The revision for the Buffalo Model Questionnaire-Revised (BMQ-R) implemented to improve the readability of the BMQ, reducing the completion time and increasing the ease of scoring for  the audiologist. The purpose of this study was  to develop and investigate the psychometric properties of the Persian version of BMQ-R (P-BMQ-R).
Methods: After cross-cultural adaptation of the questionnaire, the validity and reliability were determined, also the norms for the children in age ranges between 7 and 12 were generated.
Results: Findings of this study revealed strong content and face validity of the questionnaire. Scores of the test and retest were correlated (r > 0.9) strongly and positively based on Spearman correlation coefficient.
Conclusion: The Persian version of BMQ-R  (P-BMQ-R) is a valid and reliable tool and is suitable to use in everyday practice.
Keywords: Questionnaire; auditory processing disorder; Buffalo model questionnaire; cross-cultural adaptation; Buffalo model questionnaire-revised


The purpose of this paper is to illustrate selected legal aspects of the highly relevant issue these days, namely using external services of the so-called social cloud computing by national banks, in the face of restrictions on the traditional operations of IT departments in banks, in the times of COVID and post-COVID economy. The restrictions imposed to contain COVID-19 made the bank products offered through the available communication and information systems highly popular among customers. Moreover, due to the risk concerning restrictions on the employees of IT departments staying in office space, the opportunity to use "external server rooms" (placed in the cloud) is an important aspect of operations of national banks, both in the present economic situation and in future. Importantly, this issue is the object of a definite interest of the Polish Financial Supervision Authority which, necessarily, forms the basis for analysing the regulations discussed below.


This paper presents an objective video quality evaluation method for digital mobile video. The proposed method is to objectify subjective quality by extracting edge region feature metric and blockiness effect. To evaluate performance of proposed algorithm, we carried out subjective video qualify test with the DSCQS method and obtained mean opinion score(MOS) values for CIF/QCIF 140 video clips. We compared error of proposed method with that of existing. The experiment results show that the proposed method has 25% higher performance.


The present study addresses the importance of glacier surges in the marine environment. Glacier surges are common in Svalbard, as well as in other Arctic and sub-Arctic regions, and the surging of tidewater glaciers may have been an important process during past glaciations when extensive continental shelf areas were covered by grounded ice. An area outside Austfonna ice cap, Nordaustlandet, Svalbard, has been extensively studied by means of shallow seismic profiling, side-scan sonar, and core sampling over a period of several years. Important aspects of the shallow geology discussed include sea floor morphology, sediment distribution and sediment types, sediment physical properties and sedimentation processes and rates


As one of the two basic aims in the key fields of intervention in the National Program for Development of the Education in the Republic of Macedonia for 2005-2015, the issue of increasing the primary education, from 8 to 9 years, was posed. The requirements in this period are mainly initiated by the developmental characteristics of the children. The need for more intensive application of play and the activities of play has been shown to be the most appropriate approach in the process of acquiring of knowledge, abilities, skills and habits, and as an educational reform it should be respected in school conditions.The subject of scientific research refers to the didactic-methodic components of the activity of play in the first educational cycle. The methodology, methods and techniques that were applied during the course of the research are: the method of analysis (analysis of content and structural analysis), the descriptive method and the method of comparison, as well as the techniques of analysis of pedagogical documentation, observation and surveying.On the basis of the received results, it can be concluded that: the organization and realization of the activity of play partially depends on the professional training of the teachers; the majority of teachers believe that the syllabi are appropriate for the realization of the activity of play as a methodical concept; the necessity of appropriate didactic-methodical preparation of the teachers for realizing the activity of play.


We present our analysis and interpretation of spatially resolved X-ray spectroscopy of the elliptical galaxies NGC 1399 and NGC 4472 obtained with the Broad Band X-Ray Telescope. The X-ray emission from both galaxies is dominated by thermal emission from a hot interstellar medium. The temperature of the plasma in NGC 1399 is 1.0-1.2 keV with a mild positive temperature gradient; for NGC 4472 the average temperature is 0.7-1.0 keV. The temperature of NGC 1399, when combined with other X-ray and optical data, implies that, if the gas is gravitationally confined, about 70 percent of the mass inside a radius of about 8.6 arcmin (38 kpc) is nonluminous. The derived metallicities and metallicity gradients are consistent with optically determined stellar metallicities, and allow surprisingly small upper limits to be placed on Type Ia supernovae rates in both galaxies. The implications of this for the gasdynamical evolution of the two galaxies are discussed. Limits on the oxygen-to-iron ratio and the line-of-sight column density are derived. There is a possible detection of cold gas in the line of sight to NGC 1399 that exceeds the Galactic value. Constraints on the contribution from a harder spectral component are placed, and likely candidates for the origin of this secondary component are evaluated.


Following a 15-day history of cough with associated breathlessness, a 50-year-old woman presented with bilateral pleural effusions and a pericardial effusion. Her medical history included removal of an appendiceal cyst and a hysteromyoma resection 12 years previously. There was no cardiac or respiratory history. Physical examination revealed decreased breath sounds bilaterally with distant heart sounds heard. Pleural fluid demonstrated high levels of CA125 (2909.70 U/mL; reference range, 3.6–68.6 U/mL), cytokeratin fragment (CYFRA) (724.00 ng/mL; range, 0–3.3 ng/mL), squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC) (37.47 ng/mL; range, 0–1.5 ng/mL) and neuron specific enolase (NSE) (31.94 ng/mL; range, 0–16.3 ng/mL). Serum samples demonstrated high levels of CA125 (227.60 U/mL; range, 3.6–68.6 U/mL), CYFRA (6.79 ng/mL; …


Semi automatic winding equipment includes following parts: stand; pushing device for pieces of two poles fixed to the stand; pushing device for two diaphragms, and winding inversion mechanism; first pinch roller, and second pinch roller. The winding inversion mechanism includes transposition electric motor, principal axis, two winding motors, and subassemblies of two reels and two reeling needles. The said subassembly includes main half needle, and auxiliary half needle, which can joint and separate each other. Main half needles in the subassemblies are connected to the two reels. Subassemblies of two reels and two reeling needles are symmetrical to two sides of the principal axis. Technical effects of the invention are: (1) good consistency of wrapped core produced; (2) structure of half main and auxiliary needle is adopted ensures stable winding and easy of drawn needle; (3) continuous operation between two service positions so as to provide high production efficiency.


You probably like bees: they are cute and furry, and they pollinate our crops and wildflowers. In a world without bees we would go hungry, and our countryside would be very dull. But what about wasps? Wasps sting. They ruin your summer picnics. They nest in your house and make your parents angry. There is no reason to like wasps. At least, this is what most people think. Perhaps this is what you were taught in school, or by your family: see a wasp: swat a wasp! Scientists are challenging what people think about wasps and this article explains why we need to think differently about these insects. We will explain why most people do not like wasps and why we should care about them. We will also explain how scientists are asking for the public's help to learn more about why wasps are important, and ultimately how to stop people from swatting the wasps.


in a museum of medical history in Cairo hangs a curious unsigned painting (see fi gure 1). A faded old card explains that it depicts the fi rst anatomy lesson performed in Egypt. Th e momentous event took place in 1829 at a medical school that had recently been founded in Abū Za'bal, to the northeast of Cairo. Th e painting shows a black male cadaver laid out on a dissection table in the middle of a large amphitheater, the walls of which are adorned with the Arabic names of Greek and Muslim physicians: Galen, Jābir Ibn Hayyān, Hippocrates, and Ibn al-Bayt.ār, among others. Next to the dissection table stands a turbaned physician clad in oriental costume, pointing with one hand to the cadaver and with the other to a skeleton hanging next to him, as if illustrating the inner structure of the human body. In the background sit some hundred students, also turbaned, listening attentively to the anatomy lesson. Surrounding the dissection table is a group of animated religious scholars, one of them leaning over the cadaver. A military offi cer is standing at the foot of the body, and an armed sentry guards the entrance to the room.1 Like the event it commemorates, this painting is one of a kind, and it is diffi cult to situate it in an art historical context that can help explain the artist's meaning. Even though classical Arabic medical literature is replete with manuscripts containing anatomical illustrations, these illustrations do not depict anatomy lessons; rather, they represent a "highly schematic approach to human anatomy, [and] . . . could serve as a reasonable aide memoire for the user, even though they might give an inadequate representation of the structures themselves."2 However, by comparing our painting to early European Renaissance woodcuts that illustrate anatomy lessons, especially those lessons that were performed in Italian medical colleges, a central Introduction


This paper presents results from AMSR-E validation activities during a collaborative international cruise onboard the RV Aurora Australis to the East Antarctic sea ice zone (64-65 deg.S, 110-120 deg.E) in the early Austral spring of 2003. The validation strategy entailed an IS-day survey of the statistical characteristics of sea ice and snowcover over a Lagrangian grid 100 x 50 km in size (demarcated by 9 drifting ice beacons) i.e. at a scale representative of Ah4SR pixels. Ice conditions ranged h m consolidated first-year ice to a large polynya offshore from Casey Base. Data sets collected include: snow depth and snow-ice interface temperatures on 24 (?) randomly-selected floes in grid cells within a 10 x 50 km area (using helicopters); detailed snow and ice measurements at 13 dedicated ice stations, one of which lasted for 4 days; time-series measurements of snow temperature and thickness at selected sites; 8 aerial photography and thermal-IR radiometer flights; other satellite products (SAR, AVHRR, MODIS, MISR, ASTER and Envisat MERIS); ice drift data; and ancillary meteorological (ship-based, meteorological buoys, twice-daily radiosondes). These data are applied to a validation of standard AMSR-E ice concentration, snowcover thickness and ice-temperature products. In addition, a validation is carried out of ice-surface skin temperature products h m the NOAA AVHRR and EOS MODIS datasets.


ion:Objective To observe the effect of the combination of angelica sinensis diels,dexamethasone acetate and bupivacaine on the patients of scapulohumeral periarthritis.Methods Eighty-two patients of scapulohumeral periarthritis were divided into 3 groups, 25 in a group,treated with angelica sinensis diels,28 in B group ,treated with dexamethasone acetate and bupivacaine,29 in C group ,treated with dexamethasone acetate,bupivacaine and angelica sinensis diels.Results Effective rates were 68% in group A,76% in group B and 97% in group C,respectively.Conclusion The combination of angelica sinensis diels,dexamethasone acetate and bupivcaine is an effective treatment on the patients of scapulohumeral periarthritis.


This article examines changing British perceptions of Mesopotamia during the First World War using archives held at the Imperial War Museum, London. Drawing on the letters, memoirs and diaries of men and women of different ranks, backgrounds and classes, as well as interviews conducted in later years by the Museum or the BBC, it shows that war overlaid a place already rich with cultural significance in Britain with mythologies and resonance of its own.


—Pontophilus gorei, a new species of caridean shrimp, is described from the Gulf of Mexico and the western Atlantic. It differs from other Gulf of Mexico species in lacking an exopod on the first pereopod and in the form of the rostrum. The synonymy of Philocheras with Pontophilus is discussed. In a review of the genus Pontophilus in the Gulf of Mexico, Pequegnat (1970) listed three species, P. brevirostris Smith, 1881, P. gracilis Smith, 1882 and P. abyssi Smith, 1884. Specimens discussed as P. abyssi later proved to be P. talismani Crosnier and Forest, 1973 (pers. comm., L. H. Pequegnat). Examination of specimens collected during "Project Hourglass," a biological sampling program on the continental shelf off central western Florida (see Joyce and Williams, 1969), revealed that a fourth species of Pontophilus, described herein, occurs in the Gulf of Mexico. Pontophilus gorei, new species Figs. 1-4 Material examined.—Specimens are deposited in invertebrate collections at the U.S. National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C. (USNM); Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie, Leiden, Netherlands (RMNH); Florida Department of Natural Resources Marine Research Laboratory, St. Petersburg, Florida (FSBC I); Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas (TAMU); Indian River Coastal Zone Study Reference Museum, Fort Pierce, Florida, (IRCZS); and Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium, Dauphin Island, Alabama (MESC). The abbreviation cl refers to carapace length, measured in mm from the level of the posterior margin of the orbits to the posterior margin of the carapace. Holotype.—1 ovig. 9 , cl 2.5; 26°24'N, 83°22'W, 55 m; 6 Aug. 1966, trawl; USNM 172417. Allotype.—1 6, cl 1.9; 27°37'N, 83°58'W, 55 m; 2 Aug. 1966, trawl; USNM 172418. Paratypes.—West coast of Florida, off Tampa Bay: 1 <5, cl 1.8; 2 9 , cl 1.8, 1.7; 3 juv., cl 0.6-1.2; 27°37'N, 84°13'W, 73 m; 2 Dec. 1966, dredge; USNM 172419. 1 6 , cl 1.8; 1 ovig. 9 , cl 2.1; 27°37'N, 84°13'W, 73 m; 2 1 Contribution No. 029 of the Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium, P.O. Box 386, Dauphin Island, Alabama 36528. 564 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON Aug. 1966, trawl; RMNH D31979. 1 6 , cl 1.9; 27°37'N, 83°58'W, 55 m; 6 Feb. 1967, trawl; IRCZS 89:3474. 1 ovig. 9 , cl 2.1; 27°37'N, 83°28'W, 37 m; 2 June 1967, trawl; FSBC I 21454. West coast of Florida, off Sanibel Island; 1 ovig. 9 , cl 2.1; 26°24'N, 83°43'W, 73 m; 13 Oct. 1966, trawl; TAMU 2-5944. 1 6 , cl 1.8; 26°24'N, 83°43'W, 73 m; 8 Aug. 1967, trawl; TAMU 2-5943. 1 6 , cl 1.8; 26°24'N, 83°22'W, 55 m; 12 Oct. 1967, trawl; FSBC I 21455. 1 ovig. 9, cl 2.0; 26°24'N, 82°58'W, 37 m; 7 Apr. 1967, dredge; IRCZS 89:3475. 1 ovig 9, cl 2.2; 26°24'N, 82°58'W, 37 m; 6 June 1967, dredge; IRCZS 89:3476. Coast of northwest Florida, off Cape San Bias: 1 juv., cl 1.4; 28°25'N, 85°15'W, 182 m; 29 Sept. 1977, trawl; MESC. East coast of Texas, off Padre Island: 1 6 , cl 1.9; 27°37'N, 96°33'W, 59 m; 5 June 1971, from fish stomach; TAMU 2-5942. Western Atlantic, off Georgia: 1 6 , cl 1.9; 30°55'N, 81°18'W, 9 m; 9 Sept. 1973, small biological trawl; USNM 172420. Diagnosis.—Rostrum short, extending slightly beyond cornea, with pair of lateral spines midway along length; tip spatulate with expanded rounded apex. Carapace smooth with single, strong dorsomedial spine behind rostrum; hepatic spines lacking. Merus of first pereopod with strong spine midway on flexor margin; subchelar spine simple. Description.—A robust, smooth-bodied crangonid shrimp (Fig. la). Rostrum (Fig. lc) short, depressed, extending slightly beyond cornea; 2 blunt lateral spines midway along length; tip spatulate, expanded club shape. Carapace (Fig. lb) slightly depressed, smooth, with 2 very faint longitudinal carinae and single, strong, dorsomedial spine behind rostrum; suborbital spine dorsal and posterior to antennal spine; pterygostomian spine strong, equal to or extending slightly beyond eyes; a minute spine posteroventral to pterygostomian spine, directed somewhat medially; hepatic spine lacking; orbital notch present; eyes well developed. Stylocerite (Fig. 2a) broad at base, tip acute, reaching nearly to end of basal article of antennule; antennular article 1 longer than 2, with minute distolateral spine; article 2 longer than 3; flagella overreach antennal scale, inner slightly longer than outer, both ending in a tuft of setae. Antennal blade (Fig. 2b) slightly broader proximally, tapering to subquadrate tip; lateral border of antennal scale almost straight, ending in robust distolateral spine, spine may or may not exceed antennal blade. Antennal articles 1-4 compressed; article 5 longer than combined lengths of articles 1-4, falling just short of distal margin of antennal blade; flagellum tapering to slender tip. Mouthparts as illustrated (Figs. 2c-g). Pereopod 1 (Fig. 3a) strong, subchelate; dactyl slender; propodus broad, width 16 length, with serrate spinules proximally on flexor margin, subchelar spine simple; carpus short, Vs length of propodus, small spine on distolateral portion of extensor margin, large medial spine ventrally, overreaching proxVOLUME 93, NUMBER 3 565


Splenomas have been described as benign congenital growths. We report six cases of splenomas, all in males. Three had hairy cell leukemia, one had Hodgkin's disease, and one had myeloid metaplasia. Average splenic weight was 1629 gm, and all had multiple splenomas (average diameter 1.89 cm). Splenomas bulged above the cut splenic surface, were pseudo‐encapsulated, and showed involvement of the underlying disease. A re‐evaluation of 105 prior cases are adult (86%; age: 49), with 56% associated with neoplastic disease or hematologic abnormalities. Average spleen weight was 626 gm, and 22% contained multiple splenomas. We conclude that splenomas are most likely an acquired proliferative process strongly associated with neoplastic disease or hematologic abnormalities. Splenomas can also be congenital growths (hamartoma; 26% of the series), which are of little importance.


Based on a survey of dyslexia warning signs - a concept that, as we propose, is different from dyslexia markers - undertaken by DISLEX-Associacao Portuguesa de Dyslexia, adapted by us within the scope of this study and integrated in the form of a questionnaire, fifty-three students were asked from the first cycle to high school, already diagnosed with this Specific Learning Disorder, about the intensity and frequency with which they experience these difficulties. With a quantitative methodology and the use of a questionnaire, it was possible to find the signs that more students feel with more and less intensity and frequency by level of education and teaching and globally. Realizing what are the biggest difficulties felt by the interviewed students, we were able to propose what should be done by the school in order to minimize the impact of the disadvantage related to the individual factor dyslexia.


Son of Man is a rock opera of twenty-two scenes which explore evangelical Christianity and the consequences of a theology that is not affirming of LGBTQ+ individuals. The opera introduces queer characters into a biblical world where Judas falls in love with Jesus and Hannah (a fictional younger sister of Jesus) is secretly in a relationship with another woman. The purpose of these variations is to explore the question "What if Jesus were like this?" By introducing modern understandings of sexuality and gender identity, the opera seeks to explore the ways Jesus' ministry is relevant to our lives today.


Changes in sensor measurement parameters of wind turbine SCADA systems usually do not provide reliable early alarms. To detect early faults or abnormal conditions of wind turbine generator components, a wind turbine generator condition monitoring framework based on the fusion of cascaded SAE abnormal condition monitoring and LightGBM abnormal condition classification is proposed. The framework consists of two parts. The first part is a strong anti-interference cascade SAE anomaly condition monitoring method considering that early anomalies are easily flooded. The cascade SAE is trained with polynomial features and original features. The isolated forest is used to determine the alarm threshold of reconstruction error between the input and output of the cascade SAE. The operating condition of the wind turbine is judged by comparing the magnitude between the reconstruction error and this threshold. The second part is the anomaly condition classification based on LightGBM. The optimal parameters of LightGBM are searched by Bayesian optimization to build a LightGBM multi-classification anomaly condition classification model. The results of the case study show that the proposed condition monitoring has high anomaly recognition capability: the cascaded SAE method has strong anti-interference properties and can capture the early abnormal conditions of wind turbine generators; LightGBM has a faster training speed than other classifiers with guaranteed abnormality classification accuracy.


:- COVID-19 is a pandemic in Indonesia and has spread to almost all countries, so it has been called a global pandemic. This pandemic outbreak has a negative impact on physical and psychological health, causing uncontrollable anxiety in individuals or society. Covid-19 significantly affects the self-concept of every teenager, and psychological changes are marked by changing attitudes, feelings, and emotions. Efforts to deal with Covid-19 are not only focused on physical health but also psychological and social. One of them is by giving five-finger hypnosis therapy. This research method uses a pre-experimental research design in one group ( One group Pre-Test Post-Test Design ), where a pre-test is carried out on the respondents before being given post-test treatment. The research location was conducted at Universitas Adiwangsa Jambi in 2021. The research sample was 30 samples, with primary data collection by distributing the Hamilton Branches Scale for Anxiety questionnaire (HRS-A). Analysis used Paired Sample t-Test . The results showed that the P-value = 0.000 where the p-value < (α = 0.05), so it can be concluded that there is a difference in the value of the pretest and post-test behavior measurements. Furthermore, there is a significant effect of giving five-finger hypnosis therapy to decrease anxiety levels.


WIRELESS communications have made spectacular progress in recent years. In particular, the merge of various wireless communication systems and the Internet has become more critical so that users can enjoy all kinds of services in the Internet while owning mobility. For example, modern wireless networks can support Internet applications for web accessing and multimedia services. Many issues need to be addressed for such combinations. Host mobility adds a new dimension to many research issues, such as network protocols, resource managements, Web access, and multimedia transmission. For different applications, diverse traffic types should be supported. Lightweight mobile computing devices, such as PDAs and Bluetooth, will be attached to the Internet. Various wireless communication devices, such as Bluetooth and wireless LANs, will be hooked up to the Internet. All these issues bring new challenges. This special section is targeted at the related issues in wireless Internet. More than 50 submissions were received, and 10 papers were accepted in this special issue. The first five papers cover the service issues in wireless Internet. The paper by B. Emako, R. Glitho, and S. Pierre discusses the design, implementation, and evaluation issues of wireless Internet telephony. Y. Lee and I.F. Akyildiz present a new scheme to reduce the link and signaling costs in Mobile IP. The paper by P. McKinley, U.I. Padmanabhan, N. Ancha, and S.M. Sadjadi describes a composable proxy infrastructure that enables mobile Internet users to collaborate via heterogeneous devices and network connections. V.A. Chitre and J.N. Daigle present an analytical model to assess GPRS's capability of supporting IP-based Internet services. Performance optimization of VoIP calls over wireless links using H.323 protocol is proposed by S.K. Das, E. Lee, K. Basu, and S.K. Sen. Thenextsetof threepaperscovers issuesrelatedtowireless LANs and sensor networks. The important coverage issue concerning the deployment of sensors in a wireless ad hoc sensor network is addressed in the first paper by X.-Y. Li, P.-J. Wan, and O. Frieder. A polling mechanism to support QoS in IEEE 802.11 wireless LANs is proposed by S.-C. Lo, G. Lee, and W.-T. Chen. Formation of scatternets for Bluetooth-based wireless networks is discussed in the paper by C. Petrioli, S. Basagni, and I. Chlamtac. The last set of two papers covers management issues in mobile networks. An analysis for movement-based mobility management in mobile networks is discussed in the first paper by Y. Fang, who makes a thorough numerical analysis for finding the optimal mobility management under various network operation scenarios possible. Admission control for schedulingbursty traffic inCDMAsystems isdiscussed in the paper by Y.-K. Kwok and V.K.N. Lau, where six efficient rate allocation schemes are proposed. Finally, wewould like to take the opportunity to thank the contributingauthors, reviewers, theAreaEditor,Dr. S.L.Min, and the Editor-in-Chief, Professor J.-L. Gaudiot. Without their support, this special section would not be possible.


The present study sought to determine the e‹cacy of an antimicrobial use monitoring system by investigating the level of carbapenem antibiotic usage and the sensitivity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to imipenem (IPM) and meropenem (MEPM) antibiotics in 14 prefectural hospitals in Niigata, Japan. Antimicrobial consumption was measured in deˆned daily doses per 100 bed days (DDDs/ 100 bed days). Of the 14 hospitals studied, 7 implemented the antimicrobial use monitoring system in ˆscal year (FY) 2009. Compared with the baseline year of 2007, no change in mean carbapenem antibiotic consumption was observed at any of these 7 hospitals in FY 2009 (1.7 vs. 1.7, p=0.24). Similarly, no signiˆcant change was observed in the mean resistance rate of P. aeruginosa to IPM (28 vs. 18, p=0.23) or MEPM (20 vs. 12, p=0.47). Meanwhile, at the 7 hospitals that did not implement the monitoring system, carbapenem antibiotic consumption increased signiˆcantly over the same period (2.8 vs. 3.1, p=0.02), but there was no signiˆcant change in P. aeruginosa resistance to IPM (41 vs. 34, p=0.14) or MEPM (34 vs. 38, p=0.07). In FY 2009, resistance to MEPM was signiˆcantly higher at hospitals that did not implement the monitoring system than at the hospitals that did (p<0.01). The ˆndings of this study suggest that implementing the antimicrobial use monitoring system had the eŠect of containing both increases in carbapenem antibiotic consumption and decreases in sensitivity of P. aeruginosa to IPM and MEPM, but fell short of actually reducing consumption and increasing sensitivity. Key wordsmonitoring system, carbapenems, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, antimicrobial resistance, antibiotic consumption


Mobile Agent is a kind of novel agent technology characterized by mobile,intelligent,parallel and asynchronous computing.In this paper,a new information service model that adopts mobile agent technology is introduced first.and then an experimental system DOLTRIA system that is implemented based on the model is described.The DOLTRIA system implemented by WWW framework and Java can search for relevant HTML documents on a set of Web servers,The result of experiments shows that performance improvement can be achieved by this model,and both the elapsed time and network traffic are reduced significantly.


Abstract Fecundity estimates were made on 428 mature herring (Clupea harengus harengus L.) (maturation stages 4 and 5) collected from the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Nova Scotia coast. Estimates ranged from 23,000 to 261,000 eggs per female. Fecundity increased exponentially with the fish length and weight at different rates for different herring stocks. Values of the exponent ranged between 3.7–5.3 and 1.1–1.6 for length and weight, respectively. Results of regression analyses showed that fecundity depended more on fish weight and length than on age. Fecundity of spring-spawning herring was significantly lower than that of autumn spawners, but the differences between areas were not significant. The lower fecundity of spring spawners was associated with an increase in their egg weight. An index relating fecundity to the cube of fish length was used in an attempt to identify different sttocks. The separation between spring- and autumn-spawning groups was distinct, but the different stocks within ...


Recently, simulation has become important in the field of acoustics. As an acoustic simulation method, the FDTD (Finite-Difference Time-Domain) method has been proposed. However, when this method is applied to a large-scale propagation analysis such as indoor acoustic propagation, the phase error cannot be neglected and causes a problem in the analysis. Therefore, a highly accurate method of analysis that can reduce the phase error is strongly desired. In the present paper, a three-dimensional FDTD(2, 4) method with second- and fourth-order accuracy in time and space is formulated as a highly accurate method of analysis. Also, the numerical dispersion and stability condition, which are important for understanding the characteristics of the method, are derived. It is demonstrated that the present method provides much greater accuracy than the FDTD method. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 3, 86(11): 30–37, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecjc.10076


TouchTokens were introduced recently as a means to design low-cost tangible interfaces. The technique consists in recognizing multi-touch patterns associated with specific tokens, and works on any touch-sensitive surface, with passive tokens that can be made out of any material. TouchTokens have so far been limited to a few basic geometrical shapes only, which puts a significant practical limit to how tailored token sets can be. In this article, we introduce TouchTokenBuilder and TouchTokenTracker that, taken together, aim at facilitating the development of tailor-made tangible interfaces. TouchTokenBuilder is an application that assists interface designers in creating token sets using a simple direct-manipulation interface. TouchTokenTracker is a library that enables tracking the tokens' full geometry. We report on experiments with those tools, showing the strengths and limitations of tangible interfaces with passive tokens.


The northern Milky Way in the constellation of Cepheus (100 deg 10 deg, are sites of low and intermediate mass star formation located between 200 and 450 pc from the Sun. Three nearby OB associations, Cep OB2, Cep OB3, Cep OB4, located at 600-800 pc, are each involved in forming stars, like the well known high mass star forming region S140 at 900 pc. The reflection nebula NGC 7129 around 1 kpc harbors young, compact clusters of low and intermediate mass stars. The giant star forming complex NGC 7538 and the young open cluster NGC 7380, associated with the Perseus arm, are located at d > 2 kpc.


Two specimens of Lycoperdon were collected in 2012 and 2013 during surveys conducted in evergreen broadleaf forests of Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province, China. Macro- and micro- morphological characteristics, together with analyses of combined ITS and LSU sequence data, showed that fi ve specimens represent a single new species and is thus named as Lycoperdon mengsongense. The new species is distinguished from the known taxa in Lycoperdon by its greyish white to dark grey exoperidium covered by minute and blackish grey granules, smooth to wrinkled endoperidium, non- chambered subgleba and echinate basidiospores. Comprehensive morphological descriptions, color photographs of macro- and micro- characteristics and a phylogenetic tree to show the placement of the new species are provided. In addition, the new species is compared with closely related taxa in Lycoperdon subgenus Morganella.


This paper examines the power of emotions as a behavioural driver. It is argued that, for many reasons, including ease of data capture and the passion for modelling, the market research community have been giving too much emphasis to considered and rationally driven behaviours and largely ignoring the influence of emotions, as well as behaviours requiring little or no thought. The second part of this paper discusses new thinking on the subject of emotions, derived from the author's own work and neuroscience, and provides a brief description of a qualitative research methodology that reveals emotional drivers and especially those that exert their influence in the liminal zone of the mind. Copyright © 2002 Henry Stewart Publications.


With the exception of the species no. 2. all of the type specimens of the following new species and new subspecies are deposited in this Institute.Anthomyiidae1. Calythea atra Fan sp. nov. (Figs. 1, 2) : Present species is allied to the nearetic species C. bidentata (Mall.), but is distinguishable from the latter by patterns on tergites, ehaetotaxy on legs, e1c.Type locality: Unique male from Urumotsi, Shinkiang, collected by Chien Chin-chyan, May. 1961.Muscidae2. Coelomyia ctenophora Fan sp. nov. (Figs. 3-5): Present species differs from all known yellow abdomen species in this genus by the following characteristics: 1) male dolichoptic, frontal index about 0.3; 2) with 4-5 pairs of long fringed hairs on the lateral margins of 4th tergite; and 3) with a tuft of densely arranged long fringe on each side of lateral margins of 5th tergite.Type locality: Omei-Shan, Szechuan, holotype and paratypes 10 , collected by Hwang Ke-ren, Aug. 18, 1957.Types are preserved in the Institute of Zoology, Academia Sinica (Peking).3. Lispe tienmuensis Fan sp. nov. (Fig. 6) Closely related to L. orientalis Wd. (Fig. 7), but with narrowed para-facialia, poorly haired mid-femur in both sexes, narrowly pointed anal cerci in male.Holotype , Tienmu-Shan, Chekiang, collected by Fan Tze-teh and Shen Yong-you, Sept. 11, 1954; allotype , July 28. 1937.Paratypes 2 , Peking; 4 , , Omei-Shan, Szechuan.4. Morellia (s. str.) hortorum tibetana Fan subsp. nov. (Fig. 8)It is very similar to the nominate subspecies, but is not so coincided with latter in male genitalia as shown in the illustration.Holotype , Lhasa, Tibet, collected by Chen Zhi, 1961.


Summary: Mild thrombocytopenia occurred significantly more often in a group of young women who received live attenuated rubella virus vaccine than in their matched controls. All responded serologically to the vaccine, but the thrombocytopenia commenced before circulating rubella antibodies could be detected, suggesting an infective rather than an immunologic mechanism. Thrombocytopenia has been associated with other viral infections; it appears to be also a feature of rubella vaccination. It is interesting to speculate on its incidence in the children and adolescents at present being vaccinated.