We present results from an observing campaign in support of the VAULT2.0 sounding rocket launch on 2014 September 30. VAULT2.0 is a Lyα (1216 Å) spectroheliograph capable of providing spectroheliograms at high cadence. Lyα observations are highly complementary to the IRIS observations of the upper chromosphere and the low transition region (TR) but have previously been unavailable. The VAULT2.0 data provide new constraints on upper-chromospheric conditions for numerical models. The observing campaign was closely coordinated with the IRIS mission. Taking advantage of this simultaneous multi-wavelength coverage of target AR 12172 and by using state-of-the-art radiative-MHD simulations of spicules, we investigate in detail a type-II spicule associated with a fast (300 km s−1) network jet recorded in the campaign observations. Our analysis suggests that spicular material exists suspended high in the atmosphere but at lower temperatures (seen in Lyα) until it is heated and becomes visible in TR temperatures as a network jet. The heating begins lower in the spicule and propagates upwards as a rapidly propagating thermal front. The front is then observed as fast, plane-of-the-sky motion typical of a network jet, but contained inside the pre-existing spicule. This work supports the idea that the high speeds reported in network jets should not be taken as real mass upflows but only as apparent speeds of a rapidly propagating heating front along the pre-existing spicule.


We discuss an improvement to the algorithm developed by Yu1 for modelling rf cavities in klystrons using the port approximation. In this method, the cavity is simulated by imposing an rf voltage as a boundary condition across the outer wall. The voltage and phase are chosen to be consistent with the cavity impedance and with the rf current induced by the electron beam. In the original method, each cavity was calculated successively using either linear theory or an iterative method to achieve a self‐consistent voltage. The new method relaxes the voltage and phase of several cavities simultaneously during the simulation. The time dependence of the voltages are calculated from a relaxation equation. The new algorithm reduces the total computation time by about a factor of five for a complete klystron.


Iris Murdoch is a prolific female writer in the British contemporary literary world. In response to the spiritual and moral dilemma in the British society in the 1950s, Murdoch showed her concerns about egoists and society in her four early novels, trying the utmost to help those trapped in self-difficulties get out of trouble. From the perspective of existentialism, this paper is going to reveal the moral improvement process from firstly being ego to concern more with the needs and wishes of others via analyzing some excerpts of Under the Net (1954) and Against Dryness (1997), so as to demonstrate the common theme expressed by Murdoch—pursue genuine morality by caring about others. This paper will discuss the goodness and truth-analysis on the thesis and value of Iris Murdoch's novels.


Abstract Background and Objectives Ordering the ingestion of carbohydrate-rich foods after protein/vegetables (carbohydrate-last food order) significantly reduced postprandial glucose and insulin excursions over 180 min in patients with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, compared with the reverse food order (carbohydrate-first) in previous research. We implemented a 16-week food order behavioral intervention, assessing its feasibility and impacts on glucose tolerance (GT), HbA1c, and weight (wt) in adults with prediabetes. Methods Participants with overweight/obesity and prediabetes (HbA1c 5.7-6.4%) were randomized to receive either standard nutritional counseling (control group) or standard nutritional counseling plus carbohydrate-last food order counseling (FO group). Participants were instructed to maintain their usual level of exercise throughout the study; this was assessed by the Godin Leisure-Time Exercise questionnaire at baseline and wk 16. Participants in both groups received 4 in-person brief counseling sessions at 1-month intervals. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, later participants received some or all of their counseling via telemedicine. Oral GT was tested at baseline and week 16. Feasibility was assessed via a questionnaire. Results Of the 45 randomized subjects, 39 completed the study (control 21, FO 18). Demographics and baseline variables including wt (190.8 lbs vs 191.1 lbs) and HbA1c (6% vs 6%) were similar between groups. Exercise levels did not differ between groups at baseline and wk 16. Within FO group, body wt declined (-3.6 ±5.7 lbs, p=0. 017; -1.8% ±2.8, p=0. 012), and there was a trend towards improvement in HbA1c (-0.1 ±0.2, p=0. 054). Control group wt changed (-2.6 ±6.8 lbs, p=0.102; -1.6% ±3.5, p=0. 048) without altering HbA1c (-0. 03 ±0.3, p=0.605). Changes in wt, HbA1c, and GT were not significantly different between groups. At week 16, 17 FO group subjects (94%) reported high intervention adherence, 13 (74%) reported it was easy to eat protein/vegetables before carbohydrates, and 14 (78%) reported they would continue eating protein/vegetables before carbohydrates. Conclusions Carbohydrate-last food order is a feasible behavioral strategy in individuals with prediabetes. More research with a larger sample size and longer duration is needed to delineate its clinical impact. Presentation: Sunday, June 12, 2022 12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.


The invention discloses an integration flat plate solar heat pump hot water device which combines a flat plate type solar water heater and a heat pump hot water system into one body, wherein the outlet end of a condensing agent tube of an integration flat plate type solar heat collector (1) is connected with the inlet end of a compressor (2) through a first check valve (10), the outlet end of the compressor is connected with the inlet end of a condensing agent tube of a bushing condensator (3), the outlet end of the condensing agent tube of the bushing condensator is connected with the inlet end of a three-way valve (5) through an electromagnetic valve (f) and an electric expansion valve (4); the outlet end of the three-way valve is divided into two ways, wherein one way is connected with the inlet end of the condensing agent tube of the integration flat plate type solar heat collector, the other way is connected with the inlet end of an outdoor air source evaporator (6), and the outlet end of the outdoor air source evaporator is connected between the first check valve (10) and the inlet end of the compressor through a second check valve (110); a water loop of the integration flat plate type solar heat collector (1) is communicated with a first water tank (I), and a water loop of the bushing condensator is communicated with a second water tank (II).


Many agronomical wastes are produced annually in significant amounts after cultivation, especially in agricultural countries. This study applied biochar produced from the pyrolysis of cassava stems to improve soil with low fertility for maize cultivation. The effect of soil biochar incorporation on maize yield and productivity was also investigated. Eight experimental plots, each with four replicates, were applied with cassava stem biochar (CSB) at different rates of 0.5 kg/m2 (TB0.5), 2.5 kg/m2 (TB2.5) and 3.0 kg/m2 (TB3.0), fertilizer at 0.56 kg/m2 (TM), fertilizer at 0.56 kg/m2 mixed with CSB at 0.5 kg/m2 (TMB0.5), 2.5 kg/m2 (TMB2.5), 3.0 kg/m2 (TMB3.0) and untreated soil (TC). Pyrolysis of cassava stems at 450–500 °C produced strongly alkaline CSB with pH 9.6 and increased nutrient contents. Specific surface area and total pore volume increased, and pores were classified as mesoporous, while average pore diameter decreased. CSB had a highly stable carbon content of 58.46%, with high aromaticity and polarity obtained from O/C and H/C ratios. Results indicated that CSB enhanced and supported maize growth by improving soil physicochemical properties to suit cultivation. Applying CSB into the soil gave higher maize yield and productivity than cultivation using fertilizer. The highest yield and nutrition contents were obtained in seed from cultivation using fertilizer mixed with biochar at 3.0 kg/m2. Biochar production from cassava stems generated a useful commodity from waste material.


The purpose of this paper is a theoretical study on the origins of 'character education'. Since the late 2010s, the number of cases of 'character education' being opened and operated in the liberal arts curriculum of domestic universities has increased. However, confusion occurred because neither the identity nor the role in the area of character education were not clearly established. Eventually, a situation arose in which opinions became divided among those in charge of liberal arts education over maintaining character education in the liberal arts curriculum. This is the reason why it is necessary to theoretically explore the meaning and role of emotional, social, and physical experience education in higher education. In particular, it is necessary to shed light on the meaning and role of character education regarding educational theory, which has laid the foundation of the modern education system.This paper examines the meaning and role of 'character education' in the education theory of Plato, Montaigne, and Locke. These three thinkers were selected for analysis because they not only present educational content corresponding to character education in educational theory, but are also representative figures of the educational discourse that emerged at an important turning point in human civilization. Plato was the first to present the seven liberal arts subjects that are considered the prototype of modern liberal arts education. Thus, a review of his criteria is in order since he was the first person to systematize the necessity and system of education. Montaigne is a good example of the European intellectuals' perspective on education during the Renaissance, and his work The Complete Essays had a great influence on Locke's and Rousseau's theory of education. For this reason, it is necessary to examine the meaning and content of character education in the period of the establishment of the modern educational ideology through Montaigne. Locke laid an important foundation for modern educational theory through his work Some Thoughts Concerning Education, famous for the phrase "a healthy mind in a healthy body". In particular, Locke needs to be analyzed since his emphasis on the need for character education, including physical education, is clearly displayed.As a result of examining the meaning and role of character education in Plato, Montagne, and Locke's educational theory, three meanings can be derived. First, character education is intended to 'control desires and practice rational or intellectual decisions through actions'. We can say that it contains the meaning of educating the mind and body in a balanced way as the two parts that constitute a human being, as well as addresses concerns about the question of 'how can we put knowledge into action?' Second, character education constitutes 'a part of the entire curriculum along with knowledge-based subjects'. Plato, Montaigne, and Locke all view excellence, virtue, and the cultivation of virtue as the goal of education. This goal is a holistic goal that can be achieved by conducting knowledge education and character education together. We cannot say that knowledge-based education develops only the faculty of reason, or that character education develops only character or virtue. Third, character education may seem secondary to knowledge-based subject education, but it seems to have 'its own unique role and identity'. In Plato's educational theory, character education mainly plays a unique role in bringing passion to the table, which is a part of the soul, together with reason. The solidity and ability to experience joy through character education that Montaigne said are preparations for the joy and suffering of our lives. Montaigne also says that character education is more important and difficult to learn than any other discipline, as it is 'the study of the way to live well'. In Locke, character education is divided into physical training-based subjects and subjects for rest. Locke believes that physical skills such as manners are more important than knowledge in social life, and argues that the key to life is achieving balance and harmony between intellectual activities such as learning and rest.


Mobile device is an important interactive platform. Due to the limitation of computation, memory, display area and energy, how to realize the efficient and real-time interaction of 3D models based on mobile devices is an important research topic. Considering features of mobile devices, this paper adopts remote rendering mode and point models, and then, proposes a transmission and rendering approach that could interact in real time. First, improved simplification algorithm based on MLS and display resolution of mobile devices is proposed. Then, a hierarchy selection of point models and a QoS transmission control strategy are given based on interest area of operator, interest degree of object in the virtual environment and rendering error. They can save the energy consumption. Finally, the rendering and interaction of point models are completed on mobile devices. The experiments show that our method is efficient.


R ECENTLY a friend of mine who is a well-known surgeon called me up. "I want to consult you about my children's education," he said. Knowing that Norma is four and Eddie Jr. three, I was a bit nonplussed. After all, I'm a university professor of languages, not a kindergarten expert. But the tie-up came to light when I saw him. "I could easily endow my children with ten thousand dollars each," he said; "but I would much rather endow them with an art, a skill, a second string to their bow--something that will stick with them and do them some good in their future careers, whatever these may be. I have thought of endowing them with languages-not languages as they are learned in high school and college, but languages as they used to be learned by so many people in Europe, from childhood, so that the recipient grows up with them, easily, naturally, spontaneously and, above all, conversationally. I'm thinking of taking on three governesses, each of whom will speak a different language to them for a certain part of their day. You are an expert on language-learning. What do you think about it?" Needless to say, I thought very highly of his scheme. "Will they really learn the languages that way?" "Yes, they'll learn to speak them like natives." "Will it interfere with their English?" "Not in the slightest. At their age, they can pick up any number of languages, and speak them all like natives, without the mutual interference you get later on." "Will they stick?" Here was the poser. Yes, they would stick, provided they were constantly practiced in later years. Like every other kind of skill, languages grow stale if you do not use them. It is a commonplace to hear a man say, "I was born in Germany, and spoke nothing but German for the first six years of my life. Then my parents brought me to America. I learned English, didn't use my German, and now I've forgotten it." This was the rub, but my friend decided to take the chance that in later years, after the governesses were gone, his children would get or make conversational opportunities. Today Norma and Eddie Jr. are learning Russian, French and German, by the direct conversational method, from three different governesses. They will grow up, like the children of many European families, not merely bilingual but quadrilingual. And with no apparent effort on their part. Not everybody can find or afford three foreign governesses, or even one. But what can be done by an individual with hundreds of dollars for his own children can certainly be duplicated by State Education Departments, with millions of dollars, for everybody's children.


Marine impact craters have greater chances to be preserved than subaerial ones because they are, most likely, covered by post-impact sediments. However, post-impact sediments can, in some cases, reach considerable thicknesses and sediment loading above the primary impact relief may result in substantial postimpact deformation and structural modification. The impact-induced lateral change in porosity within an impact structure in a sedimentary target is a key property to understand impact processes, post-impact compaction, and crater burial history. Although several impact craters have experienced considerable postimpact deformation (e.g. Cheseapeake Bay, Chicxulub, Montagnais, Manson, Bosumtwi craters; Bedout and Silverpit structures) quantification of this process is almost entirely absent. Therefore, a great need exists for such studies as post-impact modifications may have obscured or blurred many of the typical structural, morphological and geophysical characteristics of marine impact craters in sedimentary targets. We urge the introduction of a "post-impact modification correction factor" to better describe the degree of both the exerted deformation and of the required structural and morphological restoration. Mjølnir Crater: More than a decade of research of the 40-km-diameter Mjølnir Crater in the central Barents Sea has provided new data about post-impact deformation [1-3]. Mjølnir is one of the very few cases globally where an intactly-preserved source-crater and ejecta-layer correlation has been established [4-10]. Both geophysical and geological data (Fig. 1) unequivocally substantiate an asteroid impact at about 145 Ma (Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary) into a sedimentary platform with 300-500 m paleo-water depth. (1) Differential Compaction: We have developed a quantitative model for the porosity change induced by the Mjølnir impact using density and seismic velocity distributions, and post-impact sediment deformation (Fig. 1). Compared with the surrounding undisturbed platform sediments, the porosity increased immediately after impact up to 6.3% in the collapsed and brecciated crater periphery, whereas porosity decreased by 1% in the dense central uplift. The lateral differentiation of porosity, as well as density and velocity, is attributed to the interaction and local spatial prevalence of cratering processes, including brecciation, gravitational collapse, and structural uplift. These processes have also created a 850-1400 km seismically disturbed rock volume at the impact-site (Fig. 1). Following impact, the crater was progressively buried by a ~2-2.5 km thick overburden, which caused radially varying differential compaction of the disrupted


The goal of adaptive traffic management is to adjust the timing of traffic signals at intersections in order to dynamically adapt, in real time, to traffic conditions. The SCOOT system, a commercial product widely deployed around the world, focuses on adjusting three traffic signal control parameters: split, cycle and offset. By responding to data collected from sensors embedded in roadways, SCOOT can effectively adjust to expected fluctuations in traffic, such as those that occur regularly during commuting hours. However, SCOOT does not perform optimally when there are unexpected disruptions in traffic flow, such as after the occurrence of an accident or during events that cause traffic conditions to deviate from the norm. The work presented here outlines an empirical study of the three SCOOT parameters, comparing the adjustment algorithm employed by SCOOT to a number of different adaptive methodologies, including two novel schemes. Experimental results, analysed across a range of different traffic flows, demonstrate that the novel methods perform as well as SCOOT under normal conditions and better under disruptive conditions.


We give a new simple proof for the weights of Ocneanu's trace on Iwahori–Hecke algebras of type A. This trace is used in the construction of the HOMFLYPT-polynomial of knots and links (which includes the famous Jones polynomial as a special case). Our main tool is Starkey's rule concerning the character tables of Iwahori–Hecke algebras of type A.


Electronic health records (EHR) data provide a cost‐ and time‐effective opportunity to conduct cohort studies of the effects of multiple time‐point interventions in the diverse patient population found in real‐world clinical settings. Because the computational cost of analyzing EHR data at daily (or more granular) scale can be quite high, a pragmatic approach has been to partition the follow‐up into coarser intervals of pre‐specified length (eg, quarterly or monthly intervals). The feasibility and practical impact of analyzing EHR data at a granular scale has not been previously evaluated. We start filling these gaps by leveraging large‐scale EHR data from a diabetes study to develop a scalable targeted learning approach that allows analyses with small intervals. We then study the practical effects of selecting different coarsening intervals on inferences by reanalyzing data from the same large‐scale pool of patients. Specifically, we map daily EHR data into four analytic datasets using 90‐, 30‐, 15‐, and 5‐day intervals. We apply a semiparametric and doubly robust estimation approach, the longitudinal Targeted Minimum Loss‐Based Estimation (TMLE), to estimate the causal effects of four dynamic treatment rules with each dataset, and compare the resulting inferences. To overcome the computational challenges presented by the size of these data, we propose a novel TMLE implementation, the "long‐format TMLE," and rely on the latest advances in scalable data‐adaptive machine‐learning software, xgboost and h2o, for estimation of the TMLE nuisance parameters.


The decline in physical, cognitive, and sensory functions for most elderly people leads to the development of several health issues such as memory loss, a tendency to fall, dizziness, and reduced ability to care for oneself independently. These can be mitigated using devices designed to monitor vital signs and human activity such as a smart band. However, the application of a smart band is characterized by a disadvantage which involves storing user data in the vendor's cloud and only one device can access the client applications. Therefore, nurses, doctors, and family members cannot simultaneously analyze data and receive alerts when abnormal conditions occur in elderly patients. This study aims to develop a system capable of monitoring the health conditions of multiple elderly individuals and sending alerts during abnormal conditions based on the heart rate value read by the smart band sensor. The process involved installing a database on the Raspberry Pi to store data while a monitoring system was built on the Node-RED platform to display elderly health data and made it accessible locally. The detection of an abnormal heart rate condition in the elderly patient leads the system to send notifications via telegram to multiple receivers registered in the system using their telegram identity.


A new species of leaf insect or walking leaf, Phyllium bonifacioi LIT & EUSEBIO, n. sp., from the northern part of Luzon Island, Philippines, is described and illustrated. Among other Philip- pine species, the new species is morphologically closest to P. ericoriai HENNEMANN et al. in having well-developed alae. However, it differs from P. ericoriai and other Phyllium species by having the VII abdominal lateral margins with indistinct lobe and posteriorly converging. The place of collection is within key biodiversity areas and the discovery of this new walking leaf also contributes to the importance of northern Luzon corridors and conservation priori- ty areas in Philippine biodiversity and conservation.


INJURIES TO THE SPINAL CORD and cauda equina are common, but the sudden increase in numbers of these patients in war brings to focus the problems attendant to their care. Early mention came in the American Civil War1 when 642 cases were reported (0.25 per cent). In World War I1 the incidence was 0.234 per cent. After World War I Frazier and Allen2 described the general problem. The number of their cases was small because few lived to get home to America. Only 20 per cent were evacuated to this country, and of these 10 per cent survived the first year. Fewer than 1 per cent were alive in 1948. Modem medicine has changed the hopeless, despairing attitude toward such cases. With the advent of the sulfonamides, the antibiotics, rapid transportation, and better rehabilitation methods, the entire philosophy of care for the spinal cord injured patient has been revolutionized. Reports during and following World War I1 documented what could be achieved with these patients if proper measures were instituted from the start. This required an appreciation of the pathology associated with the injury, both the changes in the spinal cord and emerging nerves, and a knowledge of the effects of the more remote changes, for example, in kidneys, bladder, and skin. The role of genitourinary infection, decubiti, and nutritional status had to be understood. The altered physiology of the spinal cord during the period of neural shock and of autonomous reflex activity had to be worked out. Autonomic nervous system dysregulation needed study.


This conceptual study examines peripheral and core tourism experiences in Australia using online data collection of reviews by tourists. To date most of the obvious and major tourism factors have been researched and recognised as a single driver to a tourist community including major events, major attractions and popular well known world locations (Crompton & McKay 1997), while little is known of how these factors contribute to initial and subsequent visits to a destination. Limited research has been conducted in tourism to ascertain how the choice of destination contributes to the over success and visitation in a region (Schmallegger & Carson 2010). Other fields of product and service marketing recognise the premise of core and peripheral attributes as consumption motivators (Qu, Kim & Im 2011). Applied in tourism core and peripheral factors suggest the notion of a core or main experience to a destination such as a major attraction or major event with a peripheral experience suggested as an augmentation, such as local unique cultural phenomena, local produce, culture and arts and local attractions.

The conceptual model developed for this study assimilates the qualitative results from the online data collection to develop a model uniquely contextualised for investigating the tourist's perception of peripheral and core experiences in Australia.


Brain structural and functional maturation are programmed to occur in the rat primarily during the lactation period. An adequate nutrition beginning early in life is the basis for a good brain development and consequently also for brain function. Nutritional deficiency can alter neural development, and some of the neural effects of malnutrition are long-lasting; therefore, they can be observed in adulthood. Behavioral and electrophysiological alterations observed in early malnourished humans and in laboratory animals can be the consequence of malnutrition-induced changes in nerve cell structure and myelination pattern, as well as alterations in synaptic transmitters. Malnutrition-induced brain functional impairment also includes disturbances involving consciousness, emotion, learning, memory, and cognition. Observations of very low birthweight infants and children collectively indicate a causal relationship between impaired neurodevelopmental outcome and deficient behavioral processes involving reduced visual and verbal function, with negative consequences on the responses to novel and competitive situations.


Many firms are trying to optimize their production and distribution functions separately, but possible savings by this approach may be limited. Nowadays, it is more important to analyze these two functions simultaneously by trading off the costs associated with the whole. In this paper, I treat a production and distribution planning problem for single-period inventory products comprised of a single production facility and multiple customers, with the aim of optimally coordinating important and interrelated decisions of production sequencing and vehicle routing. Then, I propose a hybrid genetic algorithm incorporating several local optimization techniques, HGAP, for integrated production-distribution planning. Computational results on test problems show that HGAP is effective and generates substantial cost savings over Hurter and Buer's decoupled planning approach in which vehicle routing is first developed and a production sequence is consequently derived. Especially, HGAP performs better on the problems where customers are dispersed with multi-item demand than on the problems where customers are divided into several zones based on single-item demand.


The art of visual narration, which flourished in painting studios of the past, was revived in feature motion pictures by such filmmakers as D.W. Griffith. In later American films such as The Heiress (1949), this art of pictorial storytelling remains vital. An analysis of the visual structure of The Heiress, planned by the production designer Harry Hormer, reveals how the knowledge of traditional and modern art could be used in Hollywood. The aesthetic elements of Horner's design program also demonstrate that designers, who have been ignored by film scholarship oriented towards the literary, can be key figures behind the artistic accomplishments of a film.


Background: Nausea and vomiting are common complications on the chemotherapy (CINV) and can affect the quality of life of the patients. There are various antiemetic regiments that varies in both cost and effectiveness. The aim of this trial is to evaluate the efficacy in acute and delayed CINV of ondansetron vs palonosetron. Patients and methods: In his was a randomized, open label trial, we included breast cancer patients9 candidate to (AC, TC, TCH regimens); arm A received palonosetron, dexamethasone and fosaprepitant and arm B ondansetron, dexamethasone, fosaprepitant; patients who had received previously any chemotherapy or radiotherapy were excluded.Presence of CINV were investigated, as well the ER visits due for CINV and QoL (EORTC QLQ 30 and EORTC B-23) were analyzed during the first cycle of treatment. Local ethics committee approved the trial. Results: 262 patients were included, 87% received AC and 13% TC; acute control was achieved in 87% and 94% respectively, p=ns and delayed control was achieved in 76% and 86% p=ns, toxicity was similar in both arms. QoL analysis showed no differences in family interaction, social life and financial troubles. ER visits due to severe symptoms were similar p=ns Conclusions: Palonosetron or ondansetron are equally effective in prevention acute and delayed CINV and they also maintain similar quality of life. Citation Format: Arce-Salinas C, Deneken-Hernandez Z, Flores-Diaz D, Gonzalez-Serrano JP, Matus-Santos JA, Ruiz-Garcia E, Calderillo-Ruiz G, Macedo O, Santamaria-Galicia J, Aguilar-Ponce JL, Reynoso-Noveron N. Efficacy and quality of life analysis of palonosetron vs ondansetron for high and moderate emetogenic chemotherapy for breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-11-14.


A shielding method for removing Fe in the process of preparing high-purity aluminium oxide includes such steps as adding ascorbic acid to the Fe contained solution of aluminium sulfate to reduce the 3-valence Fe to 2-valence Fe, dripping O-phenanthreneroline into the solution to generate the stable complex solution of 2-valence Fe, washing deposit, ultrasonic dispersing, drying and calcining to obtain high purity aluminium oxide.


We review some recent results on asymptotic properties of polynomials of large degree, of general holomorphic sections of high powers of positive line bundles over Kahler manifolds, and of Laplace eigenfunctions of large eigen- value on compact Riemannian manifolds. We describe statistical patterns in the zeros, critical points and L p norms of random polynomials and holomor- phic sections, and the influence of the Newton polytope on these patterns. For eigenfunctions, we discuss L p norms and mass concentration of individual eigenfunctions and their relation to dynamics of the geodesic flow.


The article suggests a criterion for the optimization of information systems. Demonstrates the possibility of using the entropy index of the processed information in assessing the complexity indicators. An example of evaluation of an information system for processing the speech signal. Demonstrates its effectiveness.


By different solvent extractions and chromatographic techniques an alkaloid constituent compound A1 was isolated from seeds of Calpurnia aurea . Infrared spectroscopy, mass spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance studies showed that the isolated compound A1 was chemically: 1-(2,4-bis(dimethylamino)cyclopentyl)heptan-4-one, C 16 H 32 N 2 O and the study revealed that the pure isolated compound have a wide range antibacterial activity ( MIC of 25.8 to 78 mg/mL) against all tested bacteria strains.


Plant nutrition significantly influences yield and fruit quality in fruit orchards. In this three-year study (2016–2018), different fertilizer treatments were compared in an intensive sweet cherry orchard. Trees of cultivar 'Carmen' were grafted on Prunus mahaleb 'Cema' rootstock, and were trained to free spindle. For NP, NPK and NPKMg treatments, yield ranged between 11.8 and 16.6 kg/tree in the three years, while the yield was 9.1 kg/tree on the control trees. Crop load (fruit amount calculated to the trunk thickness) was 151–166 g cm-2 for fertilized trees, while it was 120 g cm-2 on the untreated trees. Fruit sizes of fertilized trees reached 30 mm in 2018, while the fruit sizes of control trees were smaller with 2.5 mm. Water-soluble dry matter content (%) of the fertilized trees was lower in 2016 and 2017, but higher in 2018 compared to the control plots. In 2017 and 2018, fertilizer treatments resulted in an increase of the content of phosphorus (16–70%), potassium (4–22%) and magnesium (12–43%) in the fruits compared to control plots.


New technology helps the older client. It was not Karen Stevenson Brown's intention to create a Web site to market her practice, which consists mostly of elder care consulting. Two years ago she started a Web site to create links to the few resources she could find to help her in her engagements. As more resources began creating their own sites, Brown made more connections, and now "my site has a life of its own" she said. Its original plain design has recently gone through a major face lift and organizational upgrade. And the site has become not only a powerful online research tool for clients, government agencies and the general public but also, inadvertently, a marketing tool for its creator. "My practice primarily has been providing services for health care providers. But they don't use the Web much, although consumers of health care for the elderly do; families of the elderly now consult me and my site, for example. So now I work with consumers who ask me, 'Where do I go to get help?' With the help of my site, I'm becoming a sort of intermediary" WHAT'S ON THE SITE Brown's site is devoted mostly to useful links, as opposed to original content. The home page consists of Brown's photo, her logo and a brief description of her practice and the Web site. From the home page are links to her resume (including descriptions of her public practice and industry positions, affiliations and education), a brief list of her services and a personal page with family information and local connections. She is adding new features all the time. LINKS: AS EXHAUSTIVE AS POSSIBLE By far the largest part of Brown's site is the "Eldercare Web," containing about 30 pages of resource links. (Conventional addresses and phone numbers are listed for resources without Web sites.) Brown has organized a list that could be overwhelming into nine categories, each with its own clear logo: health care; living arrangements; aging, death and dying; social, mental, spiritual; financial; law and legislation; statistics, demographics and research; regional information; and other. She also provides background information about elder care, and "under construction" is a planned series of links to providers of elder care products and services. Examples of connections (for which Brown usually has brief descriptions) include the Alzheimer's Association, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and State Resources on the Web. "My intention was to become the kind of site people would bookmark and come back to over and over because it's the best place to go for information. Basically, I think that if you put up a site strictly for marketing purposes, you aren't going to accomplish much. A visitor will come one time, say 'what pretty pictures' and never return. A site becomes useful when it becomes interactive." By focusing on what is useful, Brown has had measurable success from her visitors. "My impact has gone far beyond what I could have ever done using any other medium. …


Spatial and temporal power spectra of the geomagnetic field are useful for stochastic inversion and optimal prediction of the geomagnetic field and its secular variation. Spherical harmonic coefficients for the field and its first time derivative were determined from magnetic observatory annual means and first differences of annual means for each year in the time interval 1910–1983. Internal spherical harmonic coefficients through degree 9 and external zonal coefficients in geomagnetic coordinates for degrees 1, 3, 5, and 7 were included in the analysis. Autocovariance functions for spherical harmonic coefficients of the geomagnetic field were estimated from these coefficients. Characteristic time constants for the estimated internal autocovariance functions depend upon both spherical harmonic degree and whether the autocovariance function is for the field or its first derivative. The characteristic time constant for the field is approximately 10,000 years divided by the square of (n + 1/2), where n is the spherical harmonic degree. The characteristic time constant for the first derivative is about a factor of 10 smaller. The first time constant is thought to be related to magnetic diffusion, and the second time constant is thought to be related to core-fluid velocity correlation time. There is also a third time constant of approximately 5 years associated with the second time derivative. External autocovariance functions for degree 1 and degree 3 both show clear evidence of a solar cycle component. A simple analytic expression for the spatial and temporal power spectra of the geomagnetic field was fitted to these data and agrees well with the experimental results.


OBJECTIVES
To examine the effect of mindfulness interventions on cognitive tasks in healthy older adults and older adults with diagnoses of MCI or dementia.

METHODS
Three-level meta-analysis and systematic review of 30 published randomized controlled trials.

RESULTS
Mindfulness interventions provided a small, yet significant positive effect on cognition compared to a control group (average weighted Hedges' g = 0.36, 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.06 to 0.65]). Attention (g = 0.22, 95% CI = [0.09, 0.35]), long-term memory (g = 0.32, 95% CI = [0.08, 0.56]), and visuospatial processing (g = 0.22, 95% CI = [0.10, 0.34]) all showed significantly meaningful changes regardless of cognitive status of the participants. There was no evidence for publication bias. Healthy older adults showed higher effect sizes than those with MCI (g = 0.27, 95% CI = [0.11, 0.43], vs. (g = -0.09, 95% CI = [-0.35, 0.17], resp.). Otherwise, there were no significant moderating effects of age, marital status, education, region, intervention type, length, number of sessions, adherence, or gender on effect size. Moderator analyses within cognitive domains suggest that focused attention practices might be the best for improving cognition. Lastly, meditation interventions seem to work as effectively as other mind-body interventions, but not as effectively as other interventions to improve cognitive functioning in older adults.

DISCUSSION
Mindfulness interventions appear to be a useful tool for improving cognitive functioning in older adults.


The invention discloses a high-precision frequency estimation-based noise amplitude-modulation interference suppression method. According to the method, firstly, the linear weighted treatment is conducted on a frequency deviation value, so that the influence of the modulation noise on the estimation accuracy of an interfering frequency during the interfering process is eliminated. Secondly, the comparison frequency deviation value is compared with a threshold value, and an optimal frequency deviation value is estimated. Therefore, the center frequency of the noise AM jamming is obtained. In this way, the noise AM jamming is inhibited based on the signal demodulation and frequency-domain cancellation process. Specifically, the method comprises the steps of 1, acquiring a signal; 2, searching the frequency spectrum information of the signal; 3, estimating the frequency deviation value; 4, estimating an optimal frequency deviation value through the adaptive estimation process; 5, calculating the center frequency of the noise AM jamming; 6, demodulating the signal; 7, cancelling the frequency domain of the signal. According to the invention, the defect in the prior art that the center frequency of the noise AM jamming cannot be estimated accurately can be overcome. Meanwhile, the inhibition effect of the noise AM jamming is improved.


[Objective] The aim was to provide the reference information for breeding wheat variety with low polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity. [Method] The PPO activities of 252 wheat varieties introduced from Mexico were detected by the methods such as Anderson, Morris with partial modification. [Result] The PPO activity was mainly affected by genotype and that of different varieties had larger difference. The PPO activity of 252 Mexico wheat varieties ranged from 54.00 AU/(min·g) to 285.78 AU/(min·g). Among them, the PPO activity of 46 varieties was below 100.00 AU/(min·g), that of 37 varieties was above 200.00 AU/(min·g) and that of others was 100.00~200.00 AU/(min·g). The varieties with the PPO activity of 100.00~200.00 AU/(min·g) was more and that below 100.00 AU/(min·g) and above 200.00 AU/(min·g) was less, which basically showed a normal distribution. [Conclusion] The phenomenon of brown wheat production could be improved by breeding approach. The screened 46 Mexico wheat varieties with PPO activity below 100.00 AU/(min·g) could be as the materials of wheat quality breeding.


T1his paper examines the determinants of fatal and nonfatal coal mining injuries in the U.S. from 1930-82. Three theoretical orientations are considered as explanations for the long-term secular decline in both fatal and nonfatal injury rates during this period: state regulation, industrial business climate, and resource mobilization theory. Previous research has pointed to the importance of state regulatory and enforcement activity as the key determinant in lower injury rates and has neglected features of the industrial business climate and the collective capacities of miners to organize effectively against unsafe conditions. The results of multivariate time series analyses suggest that these neglected factors are equally or more important than state regulatory efforts for the improved health and safety conditions in American coal mining. Several of the statistical results are illustrated by reference to the events surrounding the 1984 accident in the Wilberg mine in Utah which killed 27 persons. It is suggested that state regulation and enforcement of safety standards should be encompassed under the resource mobilization perspective. On December 19, 1984 an explosion and fire ripped through the Wilberg Mine in Orangeville, Utah killing 27 persons. About 90 others escaped through one of two open exits in the mine. The fire probably started when a bearing on a conveyer belt overheated about 5,000 feet into the mine and created sparks which, combined with coal dust or spillage, caused the *Earlier drafts of this paper were presented in 1985, at the ASTON/UMIST Conference on Control of Labour Process, and in 1986, at the meetings of the Society for the Study of Social Problems. I thank Jong Soo Do for his assistance in gathering much of the data for this analysis. I also thank several people for their generous comments on earlier drafts: Daniel Cornfield, Wllliam Form, Larry Griffin, Robert Kaufman, Laurie Krivo, Toby Parcel, Charles Perrow, Beth Rubin, Verta Taylor, Charles Tilly, and two anonymous referees. I, of course, remain responsible for all errors of omission and commission. Address correspondence to the author, Sociology Department, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 ? 1987 The University of North Carolina Press


Swing Compass is a configurable recommendation system that turns tablet computers into a compass-like device whose interface shows recommended items at different directions. Turning the compass 90 degrees results in different sets of options. Based on the concept of embodied metaphor and choice architecture theory, the design aims to prompt people to reflect on their choices. The first instance of Swing Compass comes with a designed wooden case, turning one single tablet computer into a personal handheld compass. The second instance includes a designed round table, repurposing five tablet computers for a tabletop compass to be placed in public space. This paper describes and proposes a prototype demonstration of the Swing Compass table situated next to a café. The featured items include different kinds of drinks and containers, with connection to their destinations in the environment. The goal is to elicit reflection on the environmental impacts of choices of beverage.


To compare the formation and groundwater contamination of the two large intermountain basins with a large number of chemical elements and compounds (10 or more) is a very difficult task. We have proposed a new method based on the use of factor analysis. Application of this method allows to determine the sources of groundwater pollution and to compare the conditions of their formation on different territories. The method was tested in the study of the chemical composition of groundwater and Shiraz and Horramabad intermountain basins of Iran.


Background: AL is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) combination commonly used as an adaptogen to improve energy levels, immunity and quality of life in those suffering from chronic diseases such as cancer. While the combination Astragalus membranaceus and Ligustrum lucidum (AL) has been investigated in China as an adjunct to standard anticancer therapies in numerous clinical studies of variable quality reported in the Chinese literature, independent assessment of its effects on safety, tolerability and efficacy are lacking. Our objectives are to determine the safety and tolerability of AL and investigate its effects on inflammation, quality of life and immunity in people with advanced malignancy in the Australian healthcare setting. Methods: The AL study is a prospectively registered, open labelled pilot multi-centre study investigating AL in people with advanced malignancy. Inclusion criteria include participants with recurrent or metastatic cancer who are not undergoing chemotherapy or palliative chemotherapy. All participants (n=25) will receive 6 capsules of AL twice daily (equivalent to 25g raw herb) for 12 weeks. Follow up consultations will monitor safety, tolerability, quality of life, immune function and adverse events. Participants will be assessed at baseline and at weeks 3, 6, 9 and 12. The primary outcome will determine the effect of AL on safety and tolerability. Secondary outcomes will include inflammation, quality of life, immune function, disease status and survival. Appropriate statistical analysis will be conducted on the pilot study data. Potential associations will be investigated where relevant. Conclusions: This study will firstly establish the safety and tolerability of this TCM combination 'AL' in people with advanced malignancy in the Australian healthcare system and provide important information regarding its effect on markers that may affect survival as well as explore changes in quality of life and immune function. The impact of this research may allow the design of future studies integrating AL with standard therapy for people with advanced malignancy.


Based on the cam set, the article points out the common problems which are often ignored while designing it, such as unyieldingness and sympathetic vibration. Then the article gives a anlysis of model-oscillation state method with the FEA method in ANSYS software, at the same time, it gives the compartmentalization of the cam set according to its unyieldingness. At the end, the article analyzes the factors caused the sympathetic vibration of the cam set, it also gives some measures to avoid the sympathetic vibration.


Background: Exercise has become a commercial industry today. The purpose of a healthy mind in a healthy body has become diluted. We tried to answer the question that does extra money and time spent in gyms have extra benefit over traditional holistic exercise program. Methodology: 20 young healthy adults between 30-40 yrs were divided into 2 groups, 10 who attended the gym and 10 who attended Yoga school to do SuryaNamaskar. At the end of the month, time and money spent on the exercise was evaluated. All participants who before starting exercise were averagely 60-62 points reached 7073 points by SF-12 V2 in both systems of training . Results: Averagely the gym group spent 70 mins six times a week & Rs 12800 in the first month of training. Comparatively, the Suryanamaskar group spent just 30 mins for six days a week & had almost no expense. Therefore to achieve same levels of mental and physical fitness, gymgoers needed more than double the time and approximately more than 12 times the expense. Discussion: The administration should wake up to 1. Need for prevention based health program. 2. Use of traditional systems like yoga to achieve same fitness goals in lesser time with lesser expenses. 3. More studies like this are needed to prevent blind imitation of the western fitness protocols. Conclusion: Exercises like Surya Namaskar are holistic, need lesser time & money. In addition such protocols effect simultaneously, endurance, flexibility, strength, core stability, body ergonomics, mind, emotions & temperament. No separate practices are needed for each of these goals.


The barnacles Chthamalus challengeri,a typical fouling organisms in northern China maritime space,were cultivated under uniform environments with different temperature in order to find the effect of environmental temperature on the rates of survival,dormancy and activity.The results showed that the rate of survival diminished evidently at 24.0℃ and above,and all of the barnacles perished at 30.0℃.At 9.0℃ over 95% of the barnacles came into dormancy state,while all of them turned dormant at 6.0℃.The results show a bound from 6.0℃ to 23℃ in which the barnacle C.challengeri can live aptly.Meanwhile,it can be concluded from the experiment that 21.0℃ is the most fitting temperature for living to both barnacle C.challengeri and larval.Moreover,it can be found also that the effect of temperature on the barnacle and its larval is equal.


Starch gelatinization of pet foods can be impacted by several factors, including moisture, retention time, and ingredients used. Starch gelatinization has been associated with effects on digestibility, but isn't well studied in non-traditional canine diets. The objective of this research was to examine the impacts of dietary ingredient profile (traditional vs. non-traditional) and assess impacts to total starch content and starch gelatinization. Traditional diets (n = 10) utilizing meat-based ingredients including chicken, chicken byproduct meal, meat and bone meal and plant-based ingredients including rice, barley, oats, and corn were examined in comparison with non-traditional diets (n = 10) utilizing meat-based ingredients including alligator, buffalo, venison, kangaroo, squid, quail, rabbit, rabbit and salmon along with plant-based ingredients including tapioca, peas, chickpeas, lentils, potato, and pumpkin. Representative samples were collected via grab sample technique (5 samples/diet) and were assessed for total starch content as well as percent starch gelatinization. Variation between both diet types were assessed with a nonlinear regression using SAS 9.4. Significance was set at P < 0.05. Distribution of total starch content based on ingredient type (traditional vs non-traditional) reveal that mean total starch content is 15% higher in traditional diets as compared to non-traditional diets (P < 0.0001). Conversely, percent starch gelatinization was found to be 10% higher in non-traditional diets (P < 0.0001). Total starch content and percent gelatinization had a highly significant non-linear relationship (P < 0.0001). These novel data reveal important differences between starch content and gelatinization and could impact manufacturing processes for ingredient types as well as feeding recommendations.


This paper treats ditransitive constructions in the Salish language Halkomelem, drawing on field data om speakers of the Island dialect.1 Much of what is said here has appeared in previous publications by myself and/or Tom Hukari (see references). In particular, Gerdts (1988) discusses Halkomelem applicative constructions om the perspective of Relational Grammar, and the data and analyses therein have been utilized in the comparative Salish (Kroeber 1999; Kiyosawa & Gerdts 2010b) and in the typological and theoretical literature (Farrell 2005; Peterson 2007). Here I compile information about Halkomelem ditransitive constructions and delve further into their characteristics. Halkomelem ditransitive constructions have both a theme and an additional nonsubject argument such as a recipient, benefactive, source, or causee. Semantically ditransitive verbs of the 'give' type appear as simple predicates as in (1) or as applicative constructions, formed with a dative applicative suffix -əs, as in (2).


Pressure-swirl nozzles producing hollow-cone sprays are widely used in many engineering applications, but the induced high-speed stream along the centreline of the spray cone was ignored in designing spray chambers. The high-speed stream influences the flow field especially in minimized spray chambers, but it is difficult to characterize experimentally. Hence, computational fluid dynamics was applied to investigate the multi-phase flow interactions inside a novel spray pyrolysis furnace for liquid ore exploitation. The mass flow rate distribution of the co-axial swirling stratified flow inside the furnace, the gas-solid separation efficiency, particle size distribution, and residence time were investigated under different positions and directions of the hollow-cone spray. The results proved that different spray operations would cause variation in the air mass flow rate distribution and gas-solid separation efficiency, which should be paid attention to in the design of process intensification. The distribution of particles sized from 30 to 40 μm were most sensitive under different flow rates. The recommended operating conditions of the spray pyrolysis process were confirmed as the inlet velocity of 5 m/s and downward spray from the top of the furnace chamber. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved


Poverty, and the Kerner Commission report all prescribed remedies that could not cure what ailed the United States. Stein charts the "strange career of Title VII" of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibited employment discrimination and created the Economic Employment Opportunity Commission. Not only did Title VII misjudge, in theory, the origins of black underemployment, but its actual implementation was often as undesirable for blacks as it was for whites. Stein reveals the painful limitations of the race-based compensatory programs of the Great Society at two of Bethlehem Steel's eastern plants. In both instances, Title VII was crudely wielded to redress past grievances even when blacks there were not uniquely aggrieved, thus exacerbating racial tension and ultimately polarizing both the plant and the union along racial lines. Ultimately, Stein concludes "the government's singleminded pursuit of a principle whose symbolism exceeded its practical value" alienated white workers and provide few concrete gains for African Americans (144). In the last four chapters, Stein turns toward an analysis of the conditions that created the decline in American steel jobs. During the Cold War, Stein asserts, American foreign economic policy sought socio-political, rather than economic, objectives. Heavy investment in European and Japanese economies nourished a new global steel market in which American producers lost their market share. While other countries reduced the costs of modernizing their steel industries through subsidies, the United States remained doggedly antitrust, thus increasing the cost of modernization and causing overexpansion. The Carter administration exacerbated America's steel problem by "doctorfing] the world economy, not the domestic one" (230). Reaganomics similarly hobbled the once-fundamental steel industry by channeling resources into nontrading sectors like real estate, finance, defense, and high technology, producing the highest trade deficits in U.S. history. Stein's book is a model of meticulously researched, dispassionate scholarship. Few serious historians of the postwar United States can afford not to read Running Steel, Running America.


Productivity of the quality management system (QMS) of the flexible enterprise which is guaranteed by results of a self-assessment of processes of quality management is analyzed. The maturity of the integrated flexible QMS of the flexible enterprise is estimated by results of a self-assessment of processes of steady product quality control of the flexible enterprise (steady management of processes "Satisfaction of clients"; steady management of processes "Assessment of business results"; steady management of processes "Processes of creation of value"; steady management of processes "General management"; steady management of processes "Management of shots", steady management of processes "Management of resource potential"; steady management of processes "Satisfaction of the personnel", steady management of processes "Strategic planning and goal-setting"; steady management of processes "Assessment of outer effects"). It is established that the principles of design create a field of design of the integrated flexible QMS of the enterprise in which the organizational and economic mechanism of design of the integrated flexible QMS of the enterprise is formed. The assessment of QMS of the company as complex criterion of steady product quality control was carried out in nine directions of the corresponding processes of steady quality management, thus to each direction there corresponds own "weight" in conventional units. Each of the given directions in turn is considered taking into account ten personalized parameters of steady management of quality of production, thus the interval of values is established in the range from 0 to 1 point. For studying of effectiveness of QMS in each direction of steady product quality control points of parameters of each of the considered directions are summarized and multiplied by its established weight. The assessment of effectiveness of processes of steady product quality control as a result is made by means of summation of total estimates of nine directions. Display of importance of processes of steady product quality control relatively each other in the course of allocation of a "starting" point of development of QMS is realized by means of Pareto's charts.


Power supply is one important part of electronic instrumentation,and power supply quality directly influences system performance and hardware's service life.This paper proposes one design of power supply circuit based on MC34063 which being suitable in the portable instrument.It has some magnificent features,such as multi-channel outputs,uncomplicated peripheral circuit,higher transfer efficiency,novelty and utility.The paper discusses in detail parts selection and circuit principle.Then through calculating circuit parameters,the design of power supply circuit is realized.Finally,several important performance parameters of power supply are tested,so it confirms that the circuit has high stability and effective practicability.


In this paper, a differential unequal power divider with bandpass response has been for the first time proposed. With suitable design of the inverters' impedances, power dividing ratio of the differential power divider could be assigned and realized. A differential, filtering 4:1 power divider has been realized and measured. Bandwidth of return loss is 8%. The input return loss is better than 15 dB at the center frequency and in-band isolation is better than 20 dB. Wideband common-mode rejection of 30 dB is also obtained.


I hie habit of mind of any scientist is sceptical in so far as he is, or should be, unwilling to admit the truth of anything without proof. The antithesis is a habit of faith in beliefs, usually expressed in abstract ideas, that make so strong an appeal to the individual as to require no proof; to him they seem self-evident. The habit of faith is one shared by scientists, who must accept teachings and beliefs that thex have not personally inquired into. There is this difference. that the latter know they can obtain verification of the facts if they turn to the original experiments or calculations. If after that they feel sceptical they will try a rigidly identical experiment themselves or will devise new ones to test the iesults previously given. Belief in abstractions, on the otheihand, can only refer for confirmation to others, contemporary and past, who attest them with equal or greater vividness and force. [Fhe definition of the scientific outlook just given might be commented upon by philosophers. They might somewhat cynically say that in history it was observable that individual scientists had seemed to be readier to accept the truth of personal researches than that of others. They might observe also that the answer to an experiment is always a special answer since it is conditioned by the nature of the experiment itself, and that its applicability in a chain of reasoning depends on the choice of that particular experiment out of all possible experiments. They would almost certainly object that the word " truth " was misused, for science has nothing to do with truth in the sense in which scholars for centuries have employed the word-" correctness" or "accuracy" would be better. The amended definition would then run that a sceptical habit of mind


The syndrome of AHD consists of cholestasis secondary to paucity of intrahepatic bile ducts, pulmonic stenosis, vertebral abnormalities, mental retardation, and a characteristic facies. Although renal involvement has been infrequently reported, a spectrum of changes including congenital small kidney with renal failure, cystic kidney disease, tubulointerstitial nephropathy and renal lipidosis have been noted. To better define renal functions in AHD, we evaluated 8 children(2M,6F;ages2-16yr). Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was reduced in 2/5(<10%;<50%). One of 2 pts with proteinuria had nephrotic syndrome and reduced GFR; 1 had mild proteinuria and normal GFR. Proximal and distal renal tubular functions including concentration and acidifiation tests were normal(5/5). Initially serum electrolytes, calcium, magnesium, uric acid and acid-base status were normal, but hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis developed with cholestyramine therapy in 3. Rickets developed in 1. Blood pressure was normal in all. Renal tissue(1 biopsy, 3 postmortem) examination showed normal kidney(1), glomerulosclerosis(1), calcium deposits(1) and renal lipidosis(1). On electron microscopic examination, the lipid deposits showed granular and lamellar electron-dense bodies, while X-ray dispersive analysis showed them to be rich in chromium, silicon, calcium, phosphorus and iron. Conclusions: 1) A spectrum of renal changes are found in AHD. 2) Renal functions may be variably reduced. 3) Renal lipidosis may be related to long standing hyperlipidemia as a result of intrahepatic cholestasis. 4) Trace elements are accumulated in electron-dense bodies.


This study explored the extent to which the assessments produced by teachers in the implementation of the Eswatini General Certificate of Secondary Education (EGCSE) Accounting curriculum (actual assessment) align with the requirements of the curriculum (planned assessment). EGCSE is a learner-centred curriculum which was introduced in 2006 in Eswatini. It emphasises the development of higher-order thinking skills. The study used a mixed-methods approach and a descriptive survey design. Simple random sampling was adopted to select nine (9) Accounting teachers who participated in this study. Questionnaires, interviews and document analysis were the method used in data collection. Descriptive statistics such as percentages and measures of central tendency were used to analyse quantitative data. Qualitative data were analysed using content analysis. The study found that there is no alignment between what is required of the learner in external and internal assessments. It was concluded that teachers were not implementing the EGCSE Accounting curriculum as intended. In-service training for all senior secondary school Accounting teachers was recommended so to equip teachers with assessment skills for the effective implementation of the EGCSE Accounting curriculum.


Objective:To explore the risk factors for laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) for acute cholecystitis.Methods:The LC clinical data on 153 patients with acute cholecystitis were summarized and analyzed by stepwise logistic regression(forward).Results:It was found that among the 153 cases of acute cholecystitis,125 underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy successfully and 28(18.30%) had conversion to open cholecystectomy.The risk factors for unsuccessful LC in acute cholecystitis included previous upper abdominal operation or recurrence history,rigidity in right upper abdomen,leukocytosis,stone incarceration on the neck of the gallbladder and no visualization of the gallbladder sonographically,more than 72 hours of onset of symptomatic cholelithiasis.In addition,conversion to open cholecystectomy should be made unconditionally,once intensive dense adhesion and unclear discrimination of Calot′s triangle happened for the duration of LC.Conclusion:The risk score for LC in acute cholecystitis in the study is helpful for evaluating completely the patients of LC before operation,and for increasing success rate and decreasing complication incidence of LC.


Objective To investigate the efficacy and the safety of Thoracoscopic surgery for minimally invasive treatment of primary mediastinal tumor. Methods 58 cases of primary mediastinal tumor were divided into the thoracoseopic group and the thoracotomy group.The thoracoseopic group(n=28) were treated with Thoracoscopic surgery for minimally invasive and the thoracotomy group(n=30) were treated with traditional open chest surgery.Incision length,operation time,intraoperative blood loss,tumor size,efficacy,hospitalization time,cases of using analgesic,drainage time,hospitalization expenses,postoperative complications between the two groups were compared and analyzed. Results The two groups had the same efficacy.For the thoracoseopic group,the operation time,incision length,intraoperative blood loss,hospitalization time and drainage time were less than those in the thoracotomy group(P0.01),but the tumor sizes were not statistically different between the two groups(P0.05).The thoracoseopic group's cases of using analgesic were also obviously lower than those of the thoracotomy group(P0.05).Their hospitalization expenses were a little more than the thoracotomy group,but the difference had no statistical significance(P0.05).The postoperative complication rates were statistically different between these two groups(P0.05). Conclusion Thoracoscopic surgery has the same efficacy as open chest surgery in treatment of primary mediastinal tumor.It is reliable little traumatic and turns out less bleeding,light pain,less complication.It is also an advanced and minimally invasive treatment.


In this paper, an adaptive optimizing control is proposed for nonlinear synchronous generator system with uncertain disturbance. Considering the issue of uncertain item, a low-order Extended State Observer (ESO) is constructed to track each order states. Then, combining Backstepping technology and proposed ESO, a dynamic compensation control is designed to compensate the uncertainty disturbance in each state quantity. The proposed method demonstrated that stability of the system can be ensured, and tracking burden of ESO can be reduced. Finally, simulation results can show a good tracking performance and anti-interference ability by the proposed control method.


The inoculum amount,fermentation time and initial alcohol concentration were key factors in fermentation to affect the quality of mango vinegar.Using response surface methodology(RSM),a quadratic polynomial equation model of acid production rate was constructed,by which the interaction between the above three factors and their optimum levels were studied and the fermentation processing for mango vinegar production was optimized.The results showed that the highest predicted acid production rate was 93.53% when the fermentation was carried out for 69.88 h with inoculum of 10.07% and initial alcohol concentration of 7.64%.


Background: PDZ domains provide specificity in protein-protein interactions in eukaryotic systems. Results: Shigella OspE, which is delivered into human cells during infection, binds PDLIM7 via a PDZ interaction and contributes to activation of PKC. Conclusion: During infection, OspE contributes to activation of PKC through PDZ-mediated binding to PDLIM7. Significance: PDZ interactions likely contribute to pathogenesis of several bacterial pathogens. ABSTRACT Disease caused by many gram-negative bacterial pathogens depends on the activities of bacterial effector proteins that are delivered into eukaryotic


Art education in universities not only plays an important role in the personal growth of undergraduates, but also plays a unique role in the development and progress of the society. Analyzing the function of art education in colleges and universities from the multiple perspectives of the development of social culture, economy, and politics has a certain role in extending the concept of art education in ordinary universities, expanding the teaching content of art education, and innovating art curriculum design in colleges and universities. Keywords—artistic education function; cultural system; economic system; political system


The current research examines the grace-orientation and problem-solving styles of gay and lesbian people of faith relative to their relationship with God and the extent, if any, of their internalized homonegativity. This issue was investigated using psychological measures involving a) the style of religious problem-solving, b) internalized homonegativity, c) feelings of shame and guilt and d) personal experiences of grace. Statistical analyses found that having less homonegativity toward oneself and the disclosure of homosexuality is associated with higher levels of experienced grace and lower feelings of shame and guilt. Collaborative and deferring religious problem-solving styles correlated positively with both experienced grace and awareness of grace. Additionally, personal feelings of guilt are significantly positively correlated with the awareness of grace. The lower feelings of shame, guilt, and internalized homonegativity suggest that an adaptive integration of sexuality and spirituality is positively correlated with experiences of grace. FAITH AND HOMOSEXUALITY 3 Faith and Homosexuality: Grace, Religious Problem-Solving Styles and the Internalized Homophobia of Homosexuals As the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) community continues to make strides in the fight for civil rights and social acceptance, the demand for a scientific study of the many aspects of their community is increasing. The "mental illness" models of homosexuality have long ago been found to lack empirical support (Hooker, 1993). Furthermore, current research suggests that sexual orientation may be strongly influenced by prenatal brain hormonal organization effects, as well as by postnatal socialization. Similar to many other aspects of human personality and identity, early learning within the first few months of life also involves changes in both brain chemistry and structure (Money, 1987). However, despite the empirical support for biologically intrinsic sexual orientation, the persistent disbelief of many individuals continues to affect the LGBT community. Research has indicated that gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals have higher prevalence of depression, panic attacks, generalized anxiety disorder, and psychological distress than their heterosexual counterparts (Cochran, Sullivan, & Mays, 2003). This difference is often attributed to the harmful effects of social stigma and discrimination in heterosexist and antigay societies (Fife & Wright, 2000). Although circumstances have changed over the last decade, evidence for the pervasiveness of homonegative discrimination and social stigma remains abundant. Homonegativity is so widespread in American society that many researchers view the internalization of homophobia as a normative developmental event of homosexual individuals (Herek, 1991). FAITH AND HOMOSEXUALITY 4 The increased risk for adjustment problems in the homosexual population could be attributed wholly or in part to an internalization of homophobia. Internalized homophobia is functionally defined as a set of negative attitudes and affects toward homosexuality in other persons, toward homosexual features in oneself, and towards one's homosexuality being disclosed to others (Nungesser, 1983). Maylon (1982) proposed that individuals incorporate these negative attitudes into their self-image and that this causes fragmentation of sexual and personality facets that disrupt the developmental process. He hypothesized that internalized homophobia causes depression, influences identity formation, low self-esteem, the elaboration of defenses, psychological integrity, and superego functioning. For Maylon (1928), the pathological effects of internalized homophobia are a result of a suppression of homosexual feelings, a façade of a heterosexual identity, and an interruption of identity formation. Confronting and working through such internalized homophobia can be a long and arduous process. As they move through life, gay and lesbian individuals face spiritual or existential crises, just as all humans do. Unfortunately, the traditional sources of spiritual guidance, such as religious leaders, often do not provide comfort or reassurance for homosexual individuals. Because most of the core values and structures of American society have evolved from the Judeo-Christian heritage, commonly accepted scriptural interpretations and doctrinal traditions has established a societal framework of shame and sinfulness for gay and lesbian people (Boswell, 1980). Participation in organized religion is usually thought to include negative messages about one's sexuality through religious teachings, faith group activities directed at heterosexual couples, prohibition of openly gay clergy or religious leaders, and isolation or avoidance of identified LGBT individuals in the faith. FAITH AND HOMOSEXUALITY 5 According to Ritter (1989), gay men and women are usually offered only three moral choices by Judeo-Christian religions: conversion/repentance, celibacy, or an unauthentic heterosexual marriage. These limiting options can result in either living with the pain and frustration of continual attempts to deny one's biological nature or the anguish of remaining forever in perceived sinfulness or "unlovableness." For many gay men and women in the Christian tradition, the best-case scenario is to be treated as invisible, with one's orientation merely whispered about but never openly mentioned. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that internalized homophobia in the United States is especially prevalent in religious cultures. Greater endorsement of internalized homophobia is associated with higher levels of shame and psychological distress (Shildo, 1994). Higher internalized homophobia is also related to low self-esteem and lack of perceived social support among gay and lesbian individuals (Szymanski, Chung, & Balsam, 2001). Research has more specifically shown that the more individuals experience religious doubts as positive and view the church in which they were raised as liberal-minded, the less shame and internalized homophobia these participants display. Conversely, higher levels of shame, guilt, and internalized homophobia were associated with the view that doubting one's religion was unacceptable and a history of perceived conservatism in one's childhood religion (Sherry, Adelman, Whilde, & Quick, 2010). Some have argued that the negative associations between well-being and religion are attributable to negative religious teachings about homosexuality, failure of religious communities to honor and support gay and lesbian partnerships and families, the lack of gay and lesbian leadership models, and the absence of welcome for gay men and lesbians (Lease, Horne, & Noffsinger-Frazier, 2005). Similarly, Ritter and O'Neill (1996) have FAITH AND HOMOSEXUALITY 6 also attributed the negative relationship between religiosity and measures of well-being in homosexuals to religiously validated shame and self-hatred that undermines self-esteem and leads to depressive symptoms. Given these circumstances, it would seem that the logical, reasonable action for lesbian, gay or bisexual individuals would be to denounce their religion and join atheists or embrace agnosticism. Indeed, Franks, Templer, Cappelletty, and Kaufman (1991) found 49% of respondents endorsing "no affiliation" within the gay and lesbian population. And yet, there are those that maintain, "with God, all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26). Four strategies for dealing with homosexual and Christian identities have been identified (Rodriguez & Ouellette, 2000): a) rejecting the religious identity altogether, b) rejecting the homosexual identity and attempting to either transform his or her homosexual desire or control behavior, c) compartmentalization of the separate identities and switching between the two, or d) identity integration and thus becoming simultaneously religious and gay. Individuals who attempt the fourth strategy hold a positive gay identity, a positive religious identity, and do not feel conflicted or hold self-imposed walls between the two. In their analysis of gay-affirming religious communities, Rodriguez and Ouellette (2000) found that participation in a supportive religious congregation, as well as openness about one's sexual orientation, helped gay and lesbian people to integrate their sexual and religious identities. Similarly, another study of affirming faith experiences and psychological health for a homosexual population suggested that current affirming faith group experiences are indirectly related to psychological health through lesser endorsement of internalized homophobia and higher scores on measures of spirituality FAITH AND HOMOSEXUALITY 7 (Lease, Horne, & Noffsinger-Frazier, 2005). These results were echoed by Daniel Helminiak (1989), who stated that acceptance of one's sexuality is critical for positive self-esteem, which is a prerequisite for post-conventional, spiritual development. Helminiak defines spiritual development as "the ongoing integration that results in the self-responsible subject [that comes] from openness to an intrinsic principle of authentic self-transcendence" (1987). Understood from this perspective, gay and lesbian people must accept their homosexual erotic feelings as part of their own personhood before they can be comfortable with themselves. Discomfort with sexuality is discomfort with one's body, and at a very basic level discomfort with one's body impedes self-esteem. Lack of self-esteem blocks advanced human development and therefore spiritual development (Helminiak, 1989). In this light, identity integration seems like the choice strategy for negotiating conflicting beliefs about religion and homosexuality; however, this is much easier said than accomplished. Levy and Reeves (2011) proposed a 5-stage identity integration process by which gay, lesbian, and queer individuals with a Christian upbringing resolve their conflicting sexu


Nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF), also known as nonnegative matrix approximation, is a group of methods in multivariate statistical analyses, where matrix X is factorized into two matrices W and H, with the property that all three matrices have no negative elements. This produces matrices that are easier to inspect and interpret. NMF is often referred to as an unsupervised machine learning technique for pattern recognition due to its clustering capability, with a wide range of applications in engineering, genomics, bioinformatics, and in processing audio spectrograms and textual data. The purpose of this article is to present the essence of the NMF technique and its potential use in characterizing the observed pattern and structure in a benthic macroinvertebrate community. Applications are demonstrated with reference to twelve years of benthic macroinvertebrate survey data collected from an ultra-oligotrophic reach of the Kootenai River in Northern Idaho and Western Montana downstream from a hydro-electric dam. Characterizing the Kootenai River Macroinvertebrate Community Structure Using Nonnegative Matrix Factorization Publication History: Received: June 07, 2017 Accepted: August 28, 2017 Published: August 30, 2017


Sleep disorders are common in children with neurodevelopmental disorder and are a major source of stress for the whole family. In children with neurodevelopmental disabilities the prevalence may be as high as 80%.1 The current literature is suggestive of circadian rhythm dysfunction, social difficulties, and abnormal melatonin levels in children with autism.2

Hypnotics and sedatives can produce side effects and tolerance, …


The present study focuses on the exploitation of Sago effluent as a source for hydrogen production. Hydrogen production was investigated at different parameters namely pH, Temperature and substrate. The pH was varied from 4.0 - 6.5, temperature ranges from 30°C - 70°C and substrate concentration (Glucose and Nitrogen) varied from 0.25 g/l - 1.25 g/l and their interaction on hydrogen gas production were studied. The raw cow dung was used as inoculums for hydrogen gas production. In this study revealed that the maximum hydrogen production was occurred in acidic condition (pH 5.5). The highest rate of hydrogen production was observed at 1.25 g/l of substrate concentration (both Glucose and Nitrogen) under 55 °C.


Abstract The new mineral tennantite-(Ni), Cu6(Cu4Ni2)As4S13, has been discovered from the Luobusa Chromitite, Tibet, southwestern China. Tennantite-(Ni) occurs as anhedral grains ranging from 2 to 20 μm in size. In reflected light microscopy, tennantite-(Ni) is isotropic and appears yellow-greenish grey. Reflectance data for Commission on Ore Mineralogy wavelengths in air for tennantite-(Ni) are: 31.0 (470 nm), 29.6 (546 nm), 29.6 (589 nm) and 29.3 (650 nm). Electron microprobe analysis for holotype material gave the empirical formula (on basis of total cations = 16 apfu): M(2)Cu6 M(1)[Cu4.00(Ni0.97Cu0.53Fe0.50)Σ2.00]Σ6.00X(3)(As2.94Sb1.06)Σ4S12.77. Tennantite-(Ni) is cubic, with space group I$\bar{ 4}$3m (#217), a =10.2957(9) Å, V = 1091.4(3) Å3 and Z = 2. By using single-crystal X-ray diffraction, the crystal structure has been determined and refined to a final R1 = 0.0423 on the basis of 163 independent reflections [Fo > 4σ (Fo)]. The calculated seven strongest powder X-ray diffraction lines [d in Å (I) (hkl)] are: 2.972 (100) (222), 1.820 (83) (440), 2.574 (28) (400), 1.552 (18) (622), 3.640 (10) (220), 1.880 (10) (521) and 1.287 (7) (800). Tennantite-(Ni) is isostructural with other tetrahedrite-group minerals, and nickel is hosted at the tetrahedrally coordinated M(1) site, along with Cu and minor Fe. The mineral and its name have been approved by the Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification of the International Mineralogical Association (IMA2021-018).


The surface resistivity and contact resistance of semi-conducting glaze have been measured over the range of temperature, - 177 to 110° C. The rectifying effect with a metal point and the thermo-electric power indicate that the conduction process is electronic (n-type). The conductivity is thought to be mainly due to mixed crystals of ZnCr2O4-Fe3O4. The deterioration of glaze in service is due to electrolytic corrosion occurring at the interface with surface films of water.


This study explores audit employee motivation and especially what motivates the new generation of auditemployees, Generation Y. A survey was distributed amongst Swedish audit employees, and the res ...


OBJECTIVE
To assess the relative validity of two diet assessment methods, an extensive quantitative food frequency questionnaire (method A) and a novel shorter quantitative food frequency questionnaire with a 14 day food record (method B).

DESIGN
A randomized prospective cohort study.

SETTING
General community.

SUBJECTS
206 residents of the town of Malmö, aged between 50-69 years, 101 men and 105 women who completed the methods during one year.

METHODS
Both diet methods were designed to cover the whole diet and portion sizes were estimated using a booklet with 120 photographs; method A comprised 250 items and method B combined a two-week food record measuring lunch and dinner meals and a shorter 130 item quantitative food frequency questionnaire for average consumption of foods, snacks and beverages during the past year. An 18 day dietary record comprising six 3-day weighed records evenly distributed over one year served as a reference method.

RESULTS
Pearson's correlation coefficients varied from 0.25 for fat intake to 0.84 for milk products for method A and from 0.32 for fish to 0.88 for meat for method B. Correlations for most food groups ranged between 0.50-0.80, and were higher for method B. Only small changes were noted after adjustment for energy intake. On average for most food groups categorization of subjects into quartiles, 55% of subjects belonging to the lowest quartile, and 57-59% of those belonging to the highest quartile for method A and B were correctly classified.

CONCLUSION
A combined food record with a quantitative food frequency questionnaire is a better tool for food assessment than an extensive food frequency questionnaire.


1 We construct canonically defined central extensions of groups of symplectomor-phisms. We show that this central extension is nontrivial in the case of a torus of dimension ≥ 6 and in the case of a two-dimensional surface of genus ≥ 3. Central extensions of the groups of symplectomorphisms discussed in this paper appeared as a byproduct in [25]. Here we prove several nontrivality and triviality theorems concerning this cocycle.


Objective: To study and discuss the mechanism of the bone regeneration during limb lengthening at the molecular level. Methods: Upper tibia metaphyseal lengthening model was prepared in 24 New Zealand rabbits. All animals were randomly divided into 8 groups and the distracted bones were got at the scheduled time. Slices were made and the expression and cellular localizations of BMP2 mRNA were investigated with in situ hybridization (ISH). Results: Positive expression of BMP2 mRNA was detected to last to 20 days after lengthening, and localized mainly in the pseudo-plate area, especially in fibroblast-like mesenchymal cells, fibroblasts, osteoblasts under periosteum and osteoblasts around bone trabecula, and gradually disappeared after 20 days of lengthening. Conclusions: The expression and localization of BMP2 gene in the experimental bone lengthening area is different from that in fracture healing. The high level and long time expression in the distracted area plays an important role on bone repairing in the lengthening, it continually maintains bone forming ability, so in relative short time the bone regeneration could refill the large segment of bone gap in distracted area.


Scotland is a small country with a commitment to social justice and inclusion, and public policy aims to respect the rights of children and young people. Current policy trends in Scotland include: emphasising early intervention rather than provision at the point of crisis; investing in early years services; integrated working across services for children; and holding services accountable by outcomes, rather than focusing on processes. There is much in Scottish children's services to celebrate, but equally much that is in need of improvement. Scotland is around the OECD average in terms of inequality in PISA outcomes. There is a wide gap in pupil attainment linked to social deprivation. Pupils with additional support needs and from deprived neighbourhoods are significantly more likely than others to be excluded from school. The Scottish Children's Hearings systems emphasises welfare rather than punitive approaches, and secure accommodation is used only rarely. However, the rate of imprisonment of 18-25 year olds in Scotland is one of the highest in Europe. The Getting it Right for Every Child programme emphasises inter-agency and preventative approaches, but there has as yet been no national evaluation of its effectiveness. Overall, levels of economic inequality in Scotland are high, and whilst children's services can ameliorate some of the difficulties that inevitably arise, major social change will require a fairer distribution of national economic and social resources. Introduction: Overview of the Scottish context and preventative approaches In this introductory section, we provide an overview of Scottish policy and practice relating to the support of vulnerable young people, with more detailed discussion following in subsequent sections. We provide an overview of current Scottish policies intended to enhance social inclusion, children's rights and life chances of young people at risk of exclusion. As


The scientific paper deals with the transformation of proprietary relations as an objective process, its essence, forms and character. The property right is shown as a basis of market functioning and the market can''t operate without it. The advantage ofprivate property in comparison with the state-owned one is underlined. The article refers to the peculiarities of current process of privatization in Georgia. The common assessment of privatization implemented in Georgia is clearly reflected. Also its political,economical, ideological-psychological, social, institutional results are characterized. The internal and external factors whichprevented privatization from being implemented successfully in Georgia are described.


These two special issues developed out of the international workshop Re-Thinking Citizenship, which was held at the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology in Halle/Saale, Germany in November 2008. Recent anthropological analyses of the state and citizenship provided significant ethnographic evidence that states were taking a variety of diverse paths in response to the challenges arising from processes of economic and legal globalisation. Issues of state sovereignty and autonomy, as well as new developments in the status, rights and identity of citizens, seemed to be at stake. The former socialist states underwent not only the transformation of the state, occasionally coupled with the trauma of war, but subsequently also the challenge of their incorporation into the global economy under new regimes. Others, such as the post-colonial states of the South, took different paths of change. Common to them all was that they were engaging in practices and discourses, ranging from acts of cohesive and/or symbolic violence to security and welfare policies that redefined the scope of citizenship. These dynamics produce mechanisms of inclusion and exclusion that are differentiated along new categories of entitlement. They underlie systems of variegated citizenship, that is citizenship with differentiated rights and possibilities of access. We identified two processes affecting the relations between citizens and states, namely the spread of global capitalism and the proliferation of transnational legal norms. We wanted to explore the complex relationship between these processes, which seemed to produce not only mutually reinforcing but also unintended and contradictory dynamics for restructuring citizenship. Hence the changing contours and meanings of citizenship were at issue. Citizens' strategies for claiming and asserting rights, status and identity challenge the emerging definitions of the nation state and revive earlier practices or engender new techniques of coping, circumvention and outright resistance – resistance, we claim, that is geared towards recapturing citizenship. In their struggles over access and inclusion, citizens refer both to historical experiences of citizenship and transnational political and legal norms as alternative sources of legitimacy. The workshop was, thus, concerned with the ethnographic and political analysis of processes of rethinking citizenship, and the resulting articles that comprise these special issues take up these questions and develop them further. Julia Eckert and Lale Yalçın-Heckmann, as editors of the special issues, are grateful to the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology for its generous organisational, financial and intellectual support. We also want to thank all our colleagues who attended the workshop and took part in discussions. Most of the contributors to the special issues were invited as speakers to this event, and we are grateful for their sustained interest and effort in turning the presentations into written articles. H. Neşe Özgen attended the workshop, but unfortunately was unable to contribute to the special issue on Claiming Social Citizenship; we thank her for her valuable contribution and interest in the workshop. Tatjana Thelen, Larissa Vetters, Stefan Dorondel and Alexandra Szöke agreed to contribute to the special


Two methods for estimating the center frequency and bandwidth, separately called centroid method (CM) and energy integration method (EIM), are proposed. A comparison of the complexity and the performance between the two methods and the general ones is presented. It is shown that the two methods are effective for short-time clutter data in practical application.


Lagochilascaris Minor eggs obtained from female worms spontaneously eliminated from a cervical abscess of W. M. R. patient (Pequizeiro-GO) were incubated with different concentrations of a Ivermectin solution (50, 100, 150, 200 e 250 micrograms). The results demonstrated that any one concentration of the drug was efficient in prevent the larval development. However, after embryogeny a destruction process was observed with the larva within the eggs where there was elimination of an amorphous mass from the embryonic eggs. In control group there was elimination of complete larva with all structural characteristics of Lagochilascaris larva.


The Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA) project started in 2000 following a Joint Infrastructure Fund award to a consortium of 18 Universities within the UK. The UK ATC was contracted to manage the project of developing and building the VISTA facility. VISTA is planned to be a 4-m class telescope with the ability to mount both a visible and infra-red cameras, not concurrently. The design has an F/1 primary resulting in some demanding design issues. The project has now entered its detailed design and manufacturing phase. As we have contracted out major items a coordinated approach to the management of budgets, through systems engineering, risks, through risk management, and safety, through the generation of safety cases, had to be generated. These have been developed through the current phase, and control of the interfaces and science requirements has been maintained. The project is further developing the systems engineering and safety management to generate the commissioning plan and the overall safety case. The plan to deliver an effective and safe survey facility to ESO is being maintained.


Resected lobes from patients having pre-operative pulmonary function tests were fixed by inflation with formal saline and cut into 1cm parasagittal slices. Randomly selected tissue, from the lateral two slices, was plastic embedded and sections prepared for microscopic analysis. A semi-automatic image analysis system was used to quantitate bronchiolar calibre and shape and peribronchiolar attachment number, inter-alveolar attachment distance and the amount of macroscopic emphysema. An automatic image analyser (IBAS2) was used to measure alveolar surface area per-unit volume (AWUV). Measured bronchiolar calibre (minimum diameter and measured lumen area) was not related to patient height, lung volume, pulmonary function or other morphometric variables. AWUV, mean inter-alveolar attachment distance, theoretical lumen area and bronchiolar shape were independent of patient size and lung volume, but were inter-related. A combination of low AWUV and loss of attachments profoundly affected bronchiolar shape. However, AWUV and alveolar attachment loss were not always in proportion and demonstrated different functional effects: AWUV affects carbon monoxide transfer factor whereas attachments affect the slope of phase III and forced expiratory volume with bronchiolar shape affecting closing volume. Macroscopic emphysema did not accurately reflect the extent of alveolar wall loss as identified by AWUV and showed poor correlations with pulmonary