This paper proposes a method for the measurement of output port hot-VSWR in TWT. This method is aimed at solving the following problems in the traditional test method: 1) test equipment is not common; 2) test process may damage the traveling wave tube; 3) test process is complicated. In addition, this method not only improves the test convenience and security, but also greatly improves the test accuracy and test speed.


The modified Emden-type is being investigated by mathematicians as well as physicists for about a century. However, there exist no exact explicit solution of this equation, ẍ + αxẋ + βx3 = 0 for arbitrary values of α and β. In this work, the exact analytical explicit solution of modified Emden-type (MEE) equation is derived for arbitrary values of α and β. The Lagrangian and Hamiltonian of MEE are also worked out. The solution is also utilized to find exact explicit analytical solution of Force-free Duffing oscillator-type equation. And exact explicit analytical solution of two-dimensional Lotka-Volterra System is also worked out.


An object of the present invention is to prevent nesting in the carrier tape. Pocket 22, there are dummy pockets 24 are formed one each between the dummy pocket 24 it is embossed hole having the recessed portion of the pocket 22 in the same direction. The plane shape of the opening portion of dummy pocket 24 has a wide and narrow I-form both end portions and the central portion in the width direction of the carrier tape body 20. The width of the carrier tape main longitudinal direction of the both ends of the width portion of the dummy pocket (24), (X2) is larger than the width dimension (X1) in the same direction of the pocket 22, the length dimension in the transverse direction of the tape main body (Y2) is larger than the length dimension (Y1) in the same direction of the pocket (22). Depth of dummy pocket 24 is shallow at a central portion deeper at both ends.


A Dissertation Submitted to the Institute of Distance Learning, Kwame Nkrumah University of Sceince Technology, Kumasi, in Partial Fulfilment of the Requrements for the Award of a Common Wealth Executive Masters degree in Busness and Public Administration, May 2009


The purpose of this thesis was the realization of a prediction model, with which we could predict the change of ownership in a network. The prediction model is a result of the analysis process of board collaboration networks, where the networks are in fact a representation of data for stockholders and their presence in a certain company. The ownership is represented with a node's degree in the networks which were analyzed.

In the model realization process, data processing and their proper representation in the form of a network is essential. For that purpose, we used the Java programming language, coupled with the Application programming interfaces (APIs) OWL and Gephi. The resulting networks, represented as graphs, needed to be further analyzed in order for us to acquire the node importance metrics in the network, which were crucial for the prediction process.

The acquired metrics are the basis for various statistical, data mining and machine learning methods. The results of those methods lead us to the creation of the model that we imagined in the first place.

The end result can be the basis for a desktop or a web application who could predict not just ownership change, but also other data.


A new configuration for realizing current-follower-based sinusoidal oscillator is presented. The circuit uses two unity-gain current followers, three capacitors, and three resistors, and enjoys independent control of its frequency and condition of oscillation. Experimental results are included.


Terahertz (THz) imaging is expected to become powerful tools for non‐destructive inspections. To ensure the practical use of THz non‐destructive monitoring, versatile THz imagers with adjustable designs that can eliminate the complexities and the bulkiness of the device are urgently required. Herein, a self‐aligned filtration process for a 2D, free‐standing carbon nanotube film array and its application to a THz video camera patch are reported. The presented techniques enable a) to freely design the camera size, sensor array pattern, and suspended shape according to its applications, b) to cut the camera patch into desired shapes, and c) to attach them to the objects that are intended to be measured. Real‐time, non‐destructive monitoring of various infrastructures is demonstrated. These results indicate that it can function regardless of restrictions, such as the shapes and locations of the measurement samples, thus providing a strong possibility for use in future non‐destructive sensor networks.


Abstract Bluegills (Lepomis macrochirus) were exposed to the propylene glycol butyl ether ester of 2,4-D in six ponds at Tishomingo, Oklahoma, one concentration per pond in five ponds, and a control pond. The fish and the pond environment were studied for five months to measure chronic effects on the fish and persistence of the herbicide in pond water, bottom sediments, and aquatic vegetation. Small quantities of 2,4-D were found in pond waters for six weeks after application. Residues of 2,4-D were found in vegetation and in bottom sediments in the highest-treated pond for six weeks. No 2,4-D was detected in fish after four days. One-fifth of the fish treated at 10 ppm died within 8 days; mortality was almost negligible among bluegills exposed to 5 ppm or less. Spawning among bluegills treated at 10 and 5 ppm was delayed about two weeks. Growth was faster among bluegills in these high-treatment ponds than in the low-treatment ponds which received 1.0, 0.5, and 0.1 ppm 2,4-D. Pathologic lesions were seen ...


Objective Head and neck cancers are mostly composed of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The incidence and mortality of HNSCC are higher in countries with emerging health care systems, particularly Africa. Given that they are more genetically diverse, characterization of polymorphism in African HNSCC may result in the identification of distinct molecular targets as compared with the known HNSCC candidate genes. This study objective is to review the current evidence of genetic data on HNSCC among African populations as well as to demonstrate any distinctions as compared with known candidate genes and to appraise any research gaps. Data Sources Publications that interrogated susceptible gene polymorphisms to African-based populations with cancer were reviewed for this study. Review Methods Our search methodology was modeled after the Cochrane systematic review protocol, which included MeSH terms and keywords related to cancer, polymorphisms, and African countries. Results Seven articles studying 2 HNSCC cancer types in 3 of 54 African countries met the inclusion criteria. Thirteen polymorphisms from 10 genes were screened (NOS3, CYP1A1, CYP2D6, NAT1, NAT2, NQO1, IL-10, IL-12, IL-8, COX2). All articles were screened for polymorphisms based on a polymerase chain reaction–based technique. All polymorphs suggested association to HNSCC, with 10 of 13 polymorphs demonstrating a statistically significant association. Conclusion Studies on known HNSCC candidate genes should be undertaken in Africa, particularly among sub-Saharan Africans. Importantly, these studies should be large scale with multiple HNC sites and with use of high-throughput methods.


Brigadier Clay details how the Australian Army's 2nd Division, which contains most of the Australian Army Reserve, has progressed in achieving its force modernisation challenges under Army's Plan Beersheba and outlines the delivery of a multi-role Reserve battle group for Army by the year 2015.


A BSTRACT : A wide range of measures have been proposed to quantify a player's marginal contribution to a team. We contributed to this strand of research by proposing, specifically for basketball, a new measure based on a combination of the Shapley value from game theory and the logistic regression, which is based on considering the utility of a player in every single lineup. Some applications where the measure can be useful are presented, such as ranking players, forming lineups, and predicting a remunerative new contract for free agent players. We also discuss possible ideas for future research developments.


A multiple charge-transfer second-order nonlinear optical (NLO) chromophore 2,3-bis(4-aminophenyl)-5,6-dicyanopyrazine (BAPDCP) was successfully designed and synthesized. It was characterized by 1H NMR, mass spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. The first hyperpolarizability β of BAPDCP was measured with the Hyper–Rayleigh scattering technique, which was 123.5 × 10−30 esu. The donor-embedded prepolyimide and prepolyurea were also synthesized by a polyaddition reaction. Thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry demonstrated that either the chromophore or the polymers have fine thermal stability. The thin films of prepolymers were prepared by coating on ITO glass substrate and poled by corona poling at elevating temperature. The second-order NLO coefficients d33 of the films were measured by in situ second-harmonic generation measurements. The d33 were deduced as 27.7 and 16.5 pm/V for polyurea and polyimide at 1064 nm fundamental wavelength, respectively. The onset depoling temperature of the polyimide and polyurea were both as high as 200 °C. To understand the temperature effect to the orientation thermal stability of polyimide, two films were treated at different final poling temperatures. The depoling experimental results showed that the orientation stability is higher, as raising the final treated temperature but the d33 value are almost similar. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 2846–2853, 2003


A Developmental Perspective on Parental Cognitions and Emotions in the Context of a ParentMediated Intervention for Children with ASD By Emily Hotez Adviser: Michael Siller, Ph.D. Previous research demonstrates that parenting-related schemas and perceptions, reflective functioning abilities, and emotional experiences (i.e., parental cognitions and emotions) play a pivotal role in predicting whether parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are actively involved in, and demonstrate capacity in, meeting their child's needs in the context of intervention programs or services related to their child's development. In light of these findings, researchers have focused increased attention towards investigating whether parent-mediated interventions that target children's behaviors and developmental outcomes exert collateral effects on parental cognitions and emotions. The current dissertation investigated a sample of 70 mothers of children with ASD (chronological age: M = 57.13 months; SD = 12.30) who participated in a randomized clinical trial evaluating the efficacy of a responsiveness-based parent-mediated intervention (Focused Playtime Intervention [FPI]). The first study presented as part of this research investigated baseline relationships among maternal insightfulness and resolution of diagnosis on narratives elicited by the Insightfulness Assessment (Oppenheim & Koren-Karie, 2002) and the Reaction to Diagnosis Interview (Pianta & Marvin, 1993), a range of questionnaire-based measures of parental cognitions and emotions, child characteristics, and family demographics. The second study investigated


The accomplishments to date and the long-range planning of the Y-12 National Security Complex Energy Management program support the Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) vision for a commitment to energy efficiency and sustainability and to achievement of the guiding principles. The site is diligently working toward establishing and prioritizing projects to reach the goals that Executive Orders 13514 and 13423 set forth. Y-12 is working to communicate its sustainment vision through procedural, engineering, operational, and management practices. The site will make informed decisions that are based on the application of the fi ve guiding principles for High Performance Sustainable Buildings (HPSBs) to the maximum extent possible. Current limitations in achievement of the goals lie in the existing Future Years National Security Program funding profiles. Y-12 will continue to execute energy projects as funding becomes available or as they can be accomplished incrementally within existing funding profiles. All efforts will be made to integrate energy initiatives with ongoing site mission objectives. Figures ES.1-ES.4 show some examples of sustainability activities at the Y-12 Complex.


18 flowers of Compositae family were collected and extracted in aqueous methanol (MeOH). The concentrated extract was partitioned into n-hexane, ethyl acetate (EtOAc), n-BuOH, and water fractions. The extract and fractions were evaluated for total phenolics, total flavonoids, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, and tyrosinase inhibition activity. n-Hexane and EtOAc fractions of Aster yomena, nhexane fraction of Cosmos bipinnatus White, n-hexane and EtOAc fractions of C. bipinnatus Pink showed high total phenolics. And EtOAc fractions of A. yomena, C. bipinnatus White, C. bipinnatus Red, C. morifolium Froggy, and C. morifolium Himaya exhibited high total flavonoids. EtOAc fractions of A. yomena, C. bipinnatus White, C. bipinnatus Pink, C. morifolium Yellowmable, and MeOH extract of C. morifolium Rosa significantly scavenged DPPH radical. EtOAc fractions of C. chinensis, C. bipinnatus White, C. bipinnatus Red, C. morifolium Himaya, and C. morifolium Hongsim highly inhibited the tyrosinase activity. A. yomena, C. bipinnatus White, C. bipinnatus Pink, C. bipinnatus Red and C. morifolium Himaya are evaluated as good source for whitening cosmetics materials.


In product line development (PLD), reusability is the key factor, and it is important to make architecture and components flexibly configurable. Thus far, several techniques for utilizing aspect-oriented technologies (AOTs) for PLD have been proposed. However, the application of AOTs to PLD is not simple and various issues related to the application, such as an invasive change problem that prevents reusability, have been reported. We have proposed an aspect oriented modeling (AOM) mechanism that separates concerns from their relationships with other concerns. In this study, we propose the application of our AOM to variability management and demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach with the help of a case study of embedded software.


Viruses that infect bacteria (bacteriophages) can either lyse bacteria directly or integrate their genome into the bacterial genome. In the latter case, the viral genome (called prophage) remains dormant, and both phages and bacteria are able to survive in this state. But the silent prophages can be reactivated by, e.g., chemicals, accompanied by the release of substantial quantities of phage particles that further infect other phage‐sensitive bacteria, thus harming ecosystems or technical systems by way of a viral bloom. Recently, a calorimetric method was developed to monitor the prophage‐activating properties of chemicals. The method evaluates the difference in the metabolic heat of the Escherichia coli bioindicator with (λ+) and without (λ−) lambda prophages under the influence of the test substances. Simulations and experiments clearly demonstrate that the sensitivity of the test can be significantly improved, when a customized mixture of λ+ and λ− E. coli strains is used for enhanced bioindication. Hence, the new method mirrors a common situation in nature, where bacteria with and without prophages coexist. In summary, a monitoring method is suggested that provides quick results (after few hours) and offers both the option for automation with low workload (requires only a few minutes) and usage of commercially available instruments.


Proton and 14N hyperfine splittings have been calculated for 13 anions and 6 cations of heteroatomic conjugated molecules containing nitrogen, using a variable β ZDO—PPP—π treatment, involving minimization of the energy with respect to bond lengths. Several open shell methods are used and compared. Agreement with experiment is quite satisfactory when either the projected unrestricted Hartree-Fock or preferably the restricted Hartree-Fock method plus configuration interaction, including all single excitations, is used. Various relations between π spin density and hyperfine splitting have been compared and it has been found that for proton or 14N splittings a relation of the form a=Qρπ, is sufficient. However, small but significant improvement in calculated 14 N splittings has been found with the use of an added term dependent on the spin density on the atoms neighbouring the nitrogen.


Guanine nucleotide binding proteins are a class of pro- teins sharing three general features (for reviews see 11,21): first, they bind strongly to guanine nucleotides; second, they have a slow intrinsic GTPase activity that converts the active GTP-bound form into the inactive GDP-bound form and that in many cases is stimulated by GTPase-activating proteins (GAPS); and third, the transition between the GTP-bound and GDP-bound forms is accompanied by a conformation change that dramatically alters their affinity for other macro- molecules. There are several families or super-families of guanine nucleotide binding proteins, including the protein trans- lational initiation and elongation factors (IFS and EFs), which were the first guanine nucleotide binding pro- teins to be discovered. In the second superfamily, the heterotrimeric G proteins, which are complexes of CL, p and y subunits, the a subunit is responsible for guanine nucleotide binding. Th'e super-family of small guanine nucleotide binding proteins related to p21m, which, on the basis of sequence similarities, contains at least four families - ras, rho, rub and ran - has about 50 members in total [31. The biochemistry and molecular biology of some of these proteins has belen studied extensively, and the biological role of some of them has been elucidated. Thus, elongation facto:r Tu is responsible for the trans- port of amino-acyl transfer RNA to a ribosome bearing mRNA, and is involved in the proof-reading process that favours correct codon-anticodon interactions over incorrect ones. The ~21"~ molecule acts as a central switch in a signalling cascade that starts with binding at the cell membrane of growth or differentiation factors to their respective receptors and leads, via the activa- tion of transcription in the cell nucleus, to cell growth or differentiation. Point mutations in the ras gene have been found in many lhuman tumours. These mutations result in the permanent activation of the switch, as if GTP were permanently bound to p21MS. Recently, great progress has been made towards describing the three-dimensional structures of these proteins with a vie! to understanding their function in atomic detail, begir$ing with the analysis of the three- dimensional struc't?ire of the product of the ras protooncogene, p21TdS t4-61, and now continued with the recently solved active form of the translational elongation factor EF-Tu 17,81. The story of understanding the structures of GTP- binding proteins starts with the low resolution (6 A) structure of a trypsinized version EF-TU in the GDP- bound form, which was described 1.6 years ago 191. A conspicuous hole was found in the electron density map, which led the authors to speculate that the protein might have a ring-like structure. This was in the days before molecular graphics, so the hole was illus- trated using a balsa wood model. The higher resolution data for EF-Tu showed some basic features of the polypeptide chain, including its composition of three domains, but the exact folding of the chain proved dif- ficult to trace, even for the GTP-binding or. 'G'-domain 1101. The story of guanine nucleotide binding proteins was galvanized by the discovery of the ras oncogene product, which has within only 21000 Daltons of mole- cular mass the conserved sequence elements typical of much larger GTP-binding proteins, including all the necessary information for GDP/GTP binding, GTPase activity, and the GTP-bound/GDP-bound conforma- tional change. This discovery had two immediate con- sequences for understanding structural aspects of guanihe nucleotide binding of proteins. First, it helped in the chain tracing of EF-Tu and led to the description of the structure of its G-domain 1111. Second, it led to the proposal that the G-domains of ~21'~ and EF-Tu have the same three-dimensional structure [12,131. Solution of the high-resolution structures of the GDP- and GTP-bound forms of p21ras (the latter using the GTP analogue GppNHp) proved this hypothesis to be correct B-61. The result of the crystallographic analysis was especially interesting as the GTP-bound form was solved to very high resolution (1.35 A) 1141, shedding light on both the mechanism of nucleotide binding and the role of the conserved amino acids. The structural details made it possible to suggest a mechanism for the GTPase activity which, although subject to criticism, helped in the design of experiments aimed at proving or disproving it 1151. The structure helped to explain several important issues in the biology of p2l'Y such as why mutations at residues 12 (glycine) or 61 (gluta- mine) generate molecules that cannot hydrolyse GTP and are locked in the active state [163: both residues are situated at the GTPase reaction centre and changing them either creates sterically unfavourable interactions or removes side chains that are normally involved in catalysis. 874


Based on the bioremediation advantages of high efficiency,no secondary pollution and easy operation,the paper(introduces) the applications of relevant technologies in the field of petroleum contaminated soils.With the summarization of petroleum properties and pathways to contaminate the environments,the application of microremediation and phytoremediation technologies for(removing) organic pollutants are highlighted.Furthermore,the new development of genetic engineering technology in the application of both technologies is introduced as well.The article also indicates the potentials and perspectives of future study on the remediation(technologies) of petroleum contaminated soils.


The roles played by vision in each function needed for autonomous navigation is briefly discussed. The analysis, representation, and integration of vision data acquired continuously while the robot is moving are then described. Two key ideas for image interpretation, namely, the use of prior knowledge on the structure of environment and fusion of vision information with the other sensory data, are also discussed.<<ETX>>


The stepwise approach to the pharmacologic treatment of asthma is a core foundation of asthma guidelines (1). Through this approach, treatment intensity is increased in discrete steps to obtain symptom control and reduce exacerbation risk and is decreased after a period of prolonged control. The stepwise approach is usually shown by an algorithm,as illustrated in the2020Global Initiative forAsthma(GINA) strategy update (Figure 1). Here, we review the 2020 GINA stepwise algorithm and suggest alternative evidence-based algorithms that address potential problemswith the currently recommended approach. Currently at each step, the GINA algorithm aligns treatment recommendations based on inhaled corticosteroid (ICS)/formoterol reliever therapy with those of the traditional short-acting b2-agonist (SABA) reliever therapy. This assumes that the efficacy of treatment incorporating ICS/formoterol reliever therapy at each step alignsmore closely with the corresponding alternative treatment incorporating a SABA reliever at the same step, rather than at adjacent higher or lower steps, which is not the case (2–4). This is illustrated by the recent systematic review and network meta-analysis that reported that the relative risk of a severe exacerbation with low-dose ICS/formoterol maintenance and reliever therapy at GINA step 3 compared with lowdose ICS/long-acting b2-agonist (LABA) plus SABA therapy (GINA step 3), medium-dose ICS/LABA plus SABA (GINA step 4), and highdose ICS/LABA plus SABA (GINA step 5) was 0.55 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.47–0.64), 0.71 (95% CI, 0.56–0.91), and 0.78 (95% CI, 0.51–1.21) respectively (3). Thus, low-dose ICS/formoterol maintenance and reliever therapy atGINA step 3 alignsmost closely in termsofefficacywithhigh-doseICS/LABAplusSABAtherapyatGINA step5and thenprogressively aligns toa lesser extentwithmedium-dose ICS/LABA plus SABA therapy at GINA step 4 and then with low-dose ICS/LABAplusSABAtherapyatGINAstep3.Thisrankingofefficacyis thus discordant with the current algorithm. This structural problem could be resolved by separating the instructions for the stepwise approach incorporating ICS/formoterol reliever therapy from those incorporating SABA reliever therapy by using two separate algorithms, as was undertaken in the New Zealand asthma guidelines in 2020 (5). This avoids the problem of step misalignment and the potential inadvertent mixing of the two approaches. It is possible to simplify the algorithms further by not including other less effective "second-line" alternative treatments. The antiinflammatory reliever–based algorithm using ICS/ formoterol can be based on four steps, the first step being use of ICS/ formoterol as the sole reliever therapy (Figure 2A), which is currently proposed at GINA steps 1 and 2 (Figure 1). Steps 2 and 3/4 are use of "standard"-dose (low-dose) and "higher"-dose (medium-dose) ICS/ formoterol maintenance and reliever therapy, corresponding to the currentGINAsteps3and4/5; theadd-on therapies in severeasthmaare introduced at step 4 (currently GINA step 5) (Figures 1 and 2A). The antiinflammatory reliever–based algorithm can be considered the preferred strategy, as it outperforms the traditional SABA reliever–based algorithm at each step in reducing the risk of severe exacerbations (2–4). The traditional SABA reliever–based algorithm can also comprise four steps (Figure 2B). With the recommendation that a SABAshould no longer beused as the sole reliever therapywithout an ICS (1), regularly scheduled maintenance ICS therapy together with SABA reliever therapy (currently one of the preferred treatment options atGINAstep2) is recommended for step1.At steps 2 and3/4, "standard"-dose (low-dose) and "higher"-dose (mediumor highdose) maintenance ICS/LABA and SABA reliever therapies are recommended, corresponding to the current GINA steps 3 and 4/5: the add-on therapies in severe asthma are introduced at step 4 (previously GINA step 5). Although the option to prescribe either mediumor high-dose ICS/LABA therapy is provided, including themat the same step is basedon the similar efficacy yet greater risk of adverse systemic effects with the high-dose ICS regimen (6) and the knownreluctance to stepdown fromhighdosesof ICS/LABA therapy (7), which may contribute to the common prescription of inappropriately excessive doses of ICSs (6). One of themain uncertainties with both algorithms is the paucity of evidence on which to base the thresholds for changing treatment steps, a limitation that is shared with the current GINA algorithm (8). Current evidence suggests that the presence of biomarkers of type 2 airway inflammation is themost effectiveway to identify patients likely to respond to higher-intensity ICS treatment (9). In their absence, a reasonable approach is to base changes in treatment on two key factors, namely whether there has been a recent severe exacerbation and the frequency of reliever use. A severe exacerbation could promptmedical review for consideration of an increase in the treatment step, as such an event is associatedwith an increased risk of future severe exacerbations (10). Transition points based on high SABA use could be used for the traditionalSABAreliever–basedalgorithm,as increasinguseisamarker ofpoor asthmacontrol andexacerbation risk (10, 11).However, there is a different relationship with increasing ICS/formoterol use, in which higher use reduces the level of risk of an exacerbation, compared with SABAuse (11). This couldbe addressed by guiding the patient to assign thehigher relieveruse toahigher regularly scheduledmaintenancedose for the period of increased use. For both algorithms, "treatable traits" would be identified andmanaged in their own right (9). In conclusion, the scientific evidence that ICS/formoterol reliever therapy is more effective at reducing severe exacerbation risk than SABA reliever therapy, either alone or when received together with maintenance ICS/formoterol therapy, has led to a paradigm shift in asthmamanagement, which has the potential to cause confusion, as it replaces the long-established clinical practice that all patients should receive SABA reliever therapy. The potential confusion is evident from the current stepwise treatment algorithm's complexity, due to the This article is open access and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives License 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). For commercial usage and reprints, please contact Diane Gern (email@example.com).


This article reviews information from published papers and studies by the authors about placer diamond deposits. Original data were obtained in result of field and laboratory-analytical work carried out in various countries of Africa and South America. The main types of placer diamond deposits – fluvial, fluvioglacial, eolian, and man-made – have been considered and characterized. The main attention is given to fluvial continental placers, which are the most diverse, well-studied and have the greatest industrial importance. Primary, secondary and mixed deposits are distinguished according to the method of feeding; short, moderate and long transport deposits – according to the distance of the diamond-bearing material movement. It is noted that although the short transport placers (deluvial-proluvial and beds of short watercourses) have not industrial value, they are very informative for the searching for root sources. It is important to reliably diagnose these deposits by lithological-facies and mineralogical features during prospecting works. The concepts about the conditions for the formation of diamond placers in various landscape and geological conditions are developed and clarified. Alluvial-proluvial-lacustrine and proluvial-lacustrine types of placers studied in Yakutia and Brazil are characterized in detail. Their characteristic feature is that their productive strata, being re-deposited products of crustal weathering, themselves underwent a hypergenic change at the place of occurrence, which significantly masks the primary conditions of formation. Continental alluvial redeposition and long transport placers, as well as marine, yield the most high-quality expensive diamonds, the average value of which can reach $300–400 per carat. Often, such placers are formed due to the erosion of ancient Proterozoic placers, which belong to the category of fossils. The article summarizes the genetic and morphological types of diamond placers in the form of a principle diagram of the distribution of sedimentary reservoirs of kimberlite minerals. The landscape-dynamic zones of sedimentation are highlighted. A classification scheme of sedimentary reservoirs containing diamond placers has been developed. Continental, transitional and marine environments are distinguished, with further detalization of sedimentation environments – peneplain, alluvial-lacustrine accumulative plain, alluvial-deltaic plain and shelf zones of sea basins. It is shown that the formation of valley placers, their internal structure, thickness, granulometric composition and diamond content of alluvium are influenced by the dynamic phases of the formation of annual valleys. Visualization of the mutual relationship of different morpho-genetic types of placer diamond deposits is given.


This paper begins by describing the present situation at the madrasah level in areas that participate in LAPIS-ELOIS activities and identifies the personal, cultural, and religious factors that contribute to women's under-representation in leadership and decision-making roles. Women's participation in leadership and decision making in Islamic universities involved in LAPIS-PGMI is discussed using data from consortium institutions. The range of factors contributing to the imbalance are discussed before turning to the policy issues that continue to contribute to gender disparity in leadership and decision making. The paper concludes by identifying some directions for action. DOI:  10.15408/sdi.v17i2.460


To provide users of interactive audiovisual application systems with subjectively high presentation quality of the content (Quality of Experience, QoE), it is usually not effective to increase the simulation depth of the rendering process alone. Instead, by focusing on salient parts of the content, perceived overall quality can be increased without causing additional computational costs. This paper provides the basis for a novel salience model for interactive audiovisual applications of moderate complexity that is based on influence factors which have been identified in a coordinated series of experimental studies.


In hypertext learning, comparative research is mostly dedicated to differences in text-hypertext information retrieval and processing and to optimization of nonlinear information retrieval. Most of these investigations are conducted within the context of applied research. The theoretical background of information acquisition from linear and nonlinear text forms has not received much attention here. This article contributes to change the concept of cognitive overhead using text comprehension models as well as Cognitive Load Theory. Similarities and differences in cognitive load during text and hypertext comprehension are discussed in this context. The article suggests a contemporary model of cognitive load and text comprehension and presents evidence from a review of the literature and an initial empirical study supporting the proposed model.


This article is focused on the main problems of judicial regulation of water transport and sea loading transportations' activity. In the course of the researches, the author used the following sources: as Maritime Code of the People's Republic of China, Maritime Traffic Safety Law of the People's Republic of China, Maritime Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China, Regulations of the People's Republic of China on International Ocean Shipping and other regulations.


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Objectives: von Willebrand disease (VWD) is the most common hereditary bleeding disorder. This study reviews the management of perioperative anticoagulation in patients with VWD undergoing surgical procedures. Risk factors for VTE with von Willebrand factor (VWF) concentrate use are older age, previous VTE, obesity, surgery, hormone replacement therapy use, antifibrinolytic therapy use and high post infusion FVIII levels. Currently, there are few data from randomized clinical trials assessing efficacy and possible complications of perioperative VTE prophylaxis in VWD patients.

Methods: A total number of 116 surgeries were performed (minor: n=64 and major: n=52) in this retrospective, single-centre study. They were divided into groups of perioperative non-anticoagulation (n=54) and perioperative anticoagulation (n=62), who all received coagulation factor concentrate (CFC). Sub-analyses were done according to the type of concentrate used. Anticoagulation was performed using different low molecular weight heparins (LMWH) according to standard protocols or body-weight adapted doses in patients with either elevated body-mass-index or additional thrombosis risk factors. Blood samples had been collected pre- and post-surgery (up to 21 days) to analyse PT, aPTT, PFA, and trough levels of FVIII coagulant activity (FVIII:C), VWF activity (VWF:GPIbM) and antigen (VWF:Ag), respectively. Furthermore, the median doses of CFC/kg and the median total number of infusions were calculated. The rates of clinically overt thrombosis as well as bleeding were assessed during the post-operative phase.

Results: The majority of patients suffered from VWD type 1 (104), 9 patients with type 2A, 2 with type 2M and 1 with type 3 VWD. Humate-P (H) was used in 55 patients and 61 patients received Wilate (W). Using W, we found parallel curves for FVIII:C, VWF-antigen and VWF:GPIbM, respectively. Using H, less concordance between VWF:Ag and VWF:GPIbM was visible and FVIII:C tends to increase between D3 to D10 in spite of decreasing VWF:Ag and VWF:GPIbM. This observation was visible in minor as well as major surgical procedures. LMWH (Enoxaparin, Nadroparin and Certaparin) were used in doses between 30 and 100 mg/injection (mean 46.0 ± 18.5 mg/injection) and a mean of 32.2 ± 24.6 injections in total (range: 8-112). In one patient a significant haematoma occurred (1/116; 0.9%), also one thrombotic event was documented in a different patient (1/116; 0.9%).

Conclusion: Using standard dose LMWH in patients with no overt increased thrombosis risk as well as body-weight-adapted LMWH in high risk patients seem to be safe and effective in VWD patients receiving coagulation factor concentrate perioperatively. However, prospective randomized comparative studies are required to determine the optimal indication as well as type of anticoagulation according to the CFC treatment regimen in this setting.

Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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We numerically investigate Heisenberg XXZ spin-1/2 chain in a spatially random static magnetic field. We find that tDMRG simulations of time evolution can be performed efficiently, namely the dimension of matrices needed to efficiently represent the time-evolution increases linearly with time and entanglement entropies for typical chain bipartitions increase logarithmically. As a result, we show that for large enough random fields infinite temperature spin-spin correlation function displays exponential localization in space indicating insulating behavior of the model.


In the course of petroleum exploitation,it is often necessary to do the study of gas-drived enhanced exploitation to improve the development efficiency in thin sand-mudstone reservoir.The seismic data acquired from the heterogeneous thin sand-mudstone reservoirs containing oil or gas are migrated and stacked and are processed by using cross-equalization method.The different characteristics,such as frequency,amplitude,etc.,of different liquids are concluded,more over,the features of time-lapse seismic difference are analyzed.The result of the study can present the gas-injection advancing-frontier sweep zone and the distribution of residual oil,and can be used to define the amplitude of elastic difference between different liquids(e.g.gas,and oil,etc.)The results show that the seismic responses of the heterogeneous thin reservoir is obviously different when the different fluids,such as gas or oil,are stored in the thin reservoir,and the time-lapse seismic difference-attributes are different.The result can provide the evidence to recognize the fluid features of thin reservoir and to guide the exploration and development of petroleum.


Internet is having the most significant impact on library and information services. This article describes introduction of Internet and the value-added information services using Internet resources. As a current awareness service using E-mail, Zephyr of the University of Washington, BM-SwetScan of the Boehringer Mannheim GmbH, and JContent of the KAIST are introduced. As a web-based integrated system, HarperSource, Ei Village, IPL, and ETLARS are introduced. Locating, filtering, evaluating, and organizing Internet information resources remains a main challenge.


This paper is interested in Swedish psychiatry during the period between 1930-1950,localized to Mariebergs hospital in Sweden. The purpose of this paper has been to testSjostroms evidence of the pa ...


tag=1 data=1996 Hewson's Australia. by Trevor Sykes and John Arbouw

tag=2 data=Sykes, Trevor%Arbouw, John

tag=3 data=ABM,

tag=6 data=October 1992

tag=7 data=26-36.

tag=8 data=TAXATION

tag=10 data=With the coalition odds on to twin the next federal election, it's time for a serious analysis of the Fightback! package. A projection of the economy into 1996, after one term of PM Hewson.

tag=11 data=1992/4/12

tag=12 data=92/0834

tag=13 data=CAB

tag=32 data=HEWSON, JOHN


Objective:To investigate the changes of visual acuity,astigmatism and corneal endothelial cells′ density after implantation of Acrysof intraocular lens with phacofolder forceps or injector.Method:Phacofolder forceps and injector were used in 50 eyes respectively.The changes of visual acuity,astigmatism and corneal endothelial cells′ density were selected for retrospective analysis.Results:At the first postoperative day,there was significant statistic difference (u test P0.01) between the visual acuiies in two groups,but at the seventh day,the difference has no statistic significance (u test P0.05).At the seventh postoperative day,there was significant difference in astigmatism between two groups,but there were no much difference between the two groups at the first and the third postoperative month (t=0.471,t=0.136 respectively P0.05).There was no statistic significant difference of the corneal endothelial cells density between these two groups.Conclusion:Visual acuities recovered well in both two groups but faster in the injector group,and the astigmatism is less.Injector is advisable to be used in the implantation of Acrysof intraocular lens.


Abstract In this study, we examined to what extent psychological contract fulfillment (PCF) positively affected two dimensions of expatriate intrinsic career success - job and career satisfaction. Moreover, we assessed whether these relationships were mediated by identification with the multinational corporation (MNC). One hundred ninety-seven expatriates of a large multinational technology company participated in this study. We used structural equation modeling to test our hypotheses. Results showed that identification with the MNC partially mediated the relationship between PCF and job satisfaction, and PCF and career satisfaction. This study highlights the important role of fulfilling promises vis-à-vis expatriates and identification with the MNC for expatriate intrinsic career success. Since intrinsic career success is an important predictor of intentions to remain with the organization, it is particularly important that MNCs attend to and manage the psychological contracts of their expatriates.


Investors continue to chase past returns and active portfolio management despite evidence that suggests a passive strategy is superior. Some research claims that active fund managers add alpha in recessions. Our findings suggest that alpha from active managers is isolated to a subset of the manager universe. Further, we conclude that this outperformance displays weak persistence and that there is no meaningful impact of prior superior performance in a bear market on either subsequent bull or bear market performance.


The changes of scrum immunoglobulin (Ig) levels in 27 patients with Fallot's tetrad (FT) during open heart surgery were reported Before, during and 4 hours after the bypass circuit, the levels of blood IgG were 14.60± 3.90, 10.50 ± 2.70, and 5.40 ± 3.40 g/L; IgA 1.29 ± 0.48, 0.89 ± 0.25 and 0.43 ± 0.22 g/L; IgM 1.44 ± 0.57, (198 ± 0.48 and 0.46 ± 0.24 g/L, respectively. It was found that scrum Ig levels declined sharply and gradually and significantly during and 4 hours after the bypass circuil (P0.01). Moreover, blood was highly diluted due to perfusion during bypass circuit since the hematocrit was 0.71, 0.22 and 0.46 respectively, before, during and after bypass circuit,and blood Ig was damaged due to non-physiological apparatus used in bypass circuil, which may account for the decline of blood Ig levels per unit volume. Thus it is important to prevent infection in the first week after operation.


There is a need to better understand and promote formation of 'Jiang Xiang', the highly valuable heartwood of Dalbergia odorifera T. Chen. Plant growth regulators are the most widely used and generally most effective promoters of heartwood formation. However, to date no method has been proved effective for D. odorifera as little is known about biochemical and physiological change during heartwood development. Four potential heartwood induction substances viz. ethephon, methyl jasmonate, salicylic acid and abscisic acid solutions were injected into the trunk of D. odorifera to determine the effect on heartwood formation and related physiological responses. Non-structural carbohydrates, wood properties, essential oil and histochemical and structural observation were assessed in the post-treatment period. As also observed in the formation of natural heartwood, growth regulator-induced Jiang Xiang production was accompanied by sapwood dehydration, non-structural carbohydrates consumption and synthesis of heartwood specific substances. These substances were synthesized in the ray and axial parenchyma and than transported into the vessels through the pits. As the heartwood substances accumulated, basic density and essential oil content increased gradually, thereby Jiang Xiang was finally produced. In this process, physiological parameters of discoloured sapwood gradually evolved to resemble those of natural heartwood. Ethephon-induced Jiang Xiang was closest to natural heartwood and its density, essential oil content, composition and relative amounts met the standards for high-quality Jiang Xiang, while the other inducers had unsatisfactory induction effects. This study supports the hypothesis that ethephon could be applied to induce formation of Jiang Xiang in D. odorifera.


The paper considers principles and preconceptions of some dialectical theories of ancient and modern philosophy which are used for justification of ontology. The author pays most attention to proving his thesis that in the history of justification of ontology classical modern dialectics prevented the reduction of being to entity. Hence, he seeks to determine historical paradigms and types of dialectical theories of ontological knowledge depending on how the principles of these theories correspond with the understanding of the ontological difference, i.e. the difference between being and entity. In particular, the author argues that Hegel's classical dialectics partly corresponds with the understanding of the ontological difference, and Marx's postclassical dialectics do not. The paper contains the criticism of the metaphysical prejudices of Hegel and Marx which is particularly based on the principle of the phenomenological understanding of being, as well as on the author's principle of the dialectical resolution of the well-known paradox of subjectivity.


In this paper, we discuss an indirect mechanism which corresponds to the Vickrey auction and Clarke tax mechanisms. A message is sent to the central agency through parameterization of the valuation function. Namely, strategy spaces are parameter spaces of a certain Function through which the economic agent intends to inform the central agency of the valuation function. We also discuss the optimal control of pollution emissions, abatement activity and the quality level of the environment through the instrument of quasi-markets.


The problem of synthesis of the remote control system of the physiological state of the warrior at the forefront in the conditions of close combat on the basis of modern systems of information technologies is considered. The basic principles of construction of the control system and its integration into the equipment of the warrior are considered, which will allow to react promptly to any changes in its condition.


The quantitative variation and distribution of microorganism population were studied in mud crab Scylla serrata culture of sanmen county in zhejiang province.The results indicated that the specie composition of heterotrophic bacteria was mostly same in water and bottom mud.About 87.2% of heterotrophic bacteria in water was gram-negative,while about 64.5% in bottom mud were gram-positive.The heterotrophic bacteria in water ranged from 5.3×10~6.6×104cfu/ml in density,with peak in September.While the heterotrophic bacteria in bottom mud varied from 7.8×103 to 3.5×105 cfu/g,it peaked in November.Vibrio variation in water was 1.4×10~8.6×103 cfu/ml,and it peaked in September,while in bottom mud Vibrio variation was 6.8×102 ~1.33×104 cfu/g.And it maintained a high level from September to October.The denitrifying bacteria,ammonifying bacteria and sulfate-reduction bacteria in mud all maintained a high level from September to November,and they all peaked in November,which indicated that the environment of mud had been bad.


This paper proposed a new H-bridge of a higher output voltage level in multilevel inverters with reduce number of switches. This topology maintains the performance of a 7 levels output from multilevel inverter and reduction in switching losses, installation area, converter cost and size. The converter has a simple strategy switching control. The topology consists of 6 switches and two diodes for 4 mode operations. An output waveform is analyzed and the results obtained a better Total Harmonics Distortion (THD) compared to conventional method although the number of switches is reduced. The validity of the analysis has been proved by simulation and experimental results.


In this paper, a solution algorithm for AND/OR graph with directed circuits is presented. Methods for determining the ancestor nodes' priority number of the expanded node and selecting effectively the ancestor nodes by means of the priority number are also given.


The text aims to describe the process by which the Nicaraguan political system has turned into, and became consolidated as, a hybrid regime, with the municipal elections of the 4th of November 2012 identified as a key episode. With this aim in mind the text is divided into four sections. The first presents the country's economic and social situation as well as the strategies of Ortega's government to alleviate poverty via focalized social policy. The second section shows the process by which democratic institutions have been eroded and the disappearance of horizontal and vertical accountability through the transformations in legality, political cooptation of the State's autonomies bodies, and the obscure municipal elections of 2008 and 2011. The next section focuses on the municipal elections of 2012, in terms of their organization, the electoral campaigns, election day itself, and the final outcome. The fourth and last section offers some theoretical conclusions about Nicaragua's political life, as a result of the information offered in the text.


Genetic diversity of the freshwater snail, Pila gracilis from a natural population of Bangladesh was evaluated by applying Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) assay with three RAPD primers. A total of 54 DNA bands were revealed with the size of the bands ranged from 85- 1670 bp whereas 11 polymorphic loci were observed. Highest and lowest polymorphism was showed by the primer B03 (22.22%) and the primer C04 (19.04%). Considering different parameters, relatively higher genetic diversity was found among the collected individuals. Lowest and highest values of inter-individual pair wise similarity was recorded 0 and 6 whereas the genetic distance was observed with values highest 1.0 and lowest 0.538 respectively. Conversely, the highest and lowest linkage distance among the individuals was observed 17.0 and 8.0 respectively. The highest and lowest Nei's genetic similarity values were recorded 0.352 and 0.00 respectively. Finally, from the cluster analysis all the experimental individuals were found to have distant relationship. The study indicates that higher genetic diversity was found among the individuals of this Pila gracilis, however, it is not sure that the population of Pila gracilis in the nature of Bangladesh is good genetic status where only few individuals were investigated. It is, therefore, necessary to conduct the experiment with large number of species and more RAPD primers.


The mobility robustness optimization can significantly enhance the quality of service in scenarios characterized by dense uncoordinated deployment of small cells, as targeted by future 5th generation (5G) radio access technology. Current solutions mostly rely on priori knowledge and rule based algorithms, these solutions do have achieved good performance. There is still, however, a lot of room for further improvements, especially when enough priori knowledge is not available. In this paper, we propose a dynamic fuzzy Q-Learning algorithm for mobility management in small-cell networks. There are no fuzzy rules initially, this algorithm gradually generates new fuzzy rules and gets the required parameters through system learning, so as to reach a balance between the signaling cost caused by handover and the user experience affected by call dropping ratio. Performances are evaluated in a LTE system level simulator and impact of UE speed is considered. Simulation results show the efficiency of the proposed algorithm in minimizing the number of handovers while maintaining call dropping ratio at a minimal level.


Mechatronics technology application in coal mine machinery is an important subject in the research of mining machinery.The paper summarizes the progress of the robot technology abroad,the status of coal mining machinery and robot technology application,and analyzed the development trend of mine robot.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the role of matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) in the evolution of septic arthritis induced by group B streptococci (GBS) in mice.

METHODS
Mice deficient in MMP-2 (MMP-2(-/-) ) and wild-type controls were injected intravenously with 1 × 10(7) colony-forming units of type IV GBS (strain 1/82). Levels of MMP-2, mortality rates, evolution of arthritis, bacterial clearance, joint histopathologic features, and production of cytokines and chemokines were examined in both experimental groups of mice on days 3, 6, and 9 after infection.

RESULTS
MMP-2 was produced during GBS infection. Disruption of the gene for MMP-2 resulted in a decrease in the incidence and severity of arthritis, as demonstrated by both clinical and histologic findings, without affecting mortality rates. Amelioration of arthritis was accompanied by a dramatic reduction in the local production of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, macrophage inflammatory protein 1α (MIP-1α), and MIP-2 and a reduced bacterial burden.

CONCLUSION
MMP-2, produced early during GBS infection in mice, is involved in the degradation of extracellular matrix components at the level of the joint. This degradation is the first step in a cascade of events (joint invasion by GBS, extravasation and accumulation of inflammatory cells, proinflammatory cytokine production), all of which contribute to the damage of articular tissue. Thus, MMP-2 should be regarded as a potential therapeutic target in GBS-induced arthritis.


We make an empirical analysis on Dynamic Efficiency of China Stock Market by means of variance decomposition of price volatility by introducing price adjustment coefficient model.The study shows that China Stock Market often makes overaction to system information and cannot resume by itself.The Noise Information plays an important role in pricing discovery in the short run,while value information also in the long haul.In the pricing discovery speed,ShangHai is better than Shenzhen,ShangHai Needs 10 Days while Shenzhen needs 12 Days Response to Enterprise Value Information.


The extraction of dyes from aqueous phase to organic phase using calix[4]arene-linked triphenylene dimers (1a and 1b) with large π-cavity as extractants were examined. 1a and 1b showed outstanding extraction percentage for four common dyes [Orange G sodium salt (OG), Brilliant ponceau (BP), Methyl Green (MG), and Xylenol Orange disodium salt (XO)]. The highest extraction percentage of 1a was 95% for MG. Moreover, the abilities of liquid membrane transport of 1a and 1b for dyes were studied. The influences of pH value, concentration, solvent, stirring speed, and the temperature on liquid membrane transport was investigated to optimize the transport condition. The results of liquid membrane transport suggested 1a and 1b were excellent carriers for tested dyes with high fluxes. The high concentration in the source phase or membrane phase, CH2Cl2, high stirring speed, and low temperature were favorable for the efficiency of liquid membrane transport. The high extraction percentages and outstanding liquid membrane transport abilities indicated that 1a and 1b possessed excellent complexation for dyes based on the π-π stacking action between dyes and triphenylene units.


The possibilities of teaching Chinese students to write scientific articles in Russian using the multifunctional public platform of China WeChat are considered. According to the Federal State Educational Standards, not only graduate students need to be able to write scientific articles in Russian, write reports for conferences, etc., but also bachelors and masters. The combination of learning to write scientific articles and information technology greatly increases the effectiveness of learning. The WeChat public platform has a huge impact in China. In general, the WeChat platform is used as an intermediary for the publication of information, storage of materials and communication. However, taking into account the advantages of the platform, the article considers the linguodidactic potential of this platform, the sequence of actions for using it as an e-learning tool for writing scientific articles in Russian, and simulates individual learning situations that involve its use.


Inertial sensors (IS) enable the kinematic analysis of human motion with fewer logistical limitations than the silver standard optoelectronic motion capture (MOCAP) system. However, there are no data on the validity of IS for perturbation training and during the performance of dance. The aim of this present study was to determine the concurrent validity of IS in the analysis of kinematic data during slip and trip-like perturbations and during the performance of dance. Seven IS and the MOCAP system were simultaneously used to capture the reactive response and dance movements of fifteen healthy young participants (Age: 18–35 years). Bland Altman (BA) plots, root mean square errors (RMSE), Pearson's correlation coefficients (R), and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were used to compare kinematic variables of interest between the two systems for absolute equivalency and accuracy. Limits of agreements (LOA) of the BA plots ranged from −0.23 to 0.56 and −0.21 to 0.43 for slip and trip stability variables, respectively. The RMSE for slip and trip stabilities were from 0.11 to 0.20 and 0.11 to 0.16, respectively. For the joint mobility in dance, LOA varied from −6.98–18.54, while RMSE ranged from 1.90 to 13.06. Comparison of IS and optoelectronic MOCAP system for reactive balance and body segmental kinematics revealed that R varied from 0.59 to 0.81 and from 0.47 to 0.85 while ICC was from 0.50 to 0.72 and 0.45 to 0.84 respectively for slip–trip perturbations and dance. Results of moderate to high concurrent validity of IS and MOCAP systems. These results were consistent with results from similar studies. This suggests that IS are valid tools to quantitatively analyze reactive balance and mobility kinematics during slip–trip perturbation and the performance of dance at any location outside, including the laboratory, clinical and home settings.


Information hiding techniques have been useful for passing secret messages unnoticed since old times, but nowadays it also has been purposeful to prove ownership of digital assets. The increment of the internet services has provoked easy accessing to illegal or unauthorized copies of datasets, so the piracy is at its best. With watermarking emerging as a tool for ownership proof, traitor tracing, etc., there have been several techniques for multimedia data but no so over relational data. Due to the differences of these data types, another angle is necessary to the conceptions of its watermarking schemes also to deal with new problems that have emerged. With our research, we seek to develop a robust technique based on meaningful signals oriented to watermarking relational data. The watermark must be resilient against common updates but also, it must be resilient against bit level attacks that tries to destroy the watermark.


Abstract— The analgesic activities of paracetamol (100, 178, 316 and 562 mg kg−1), caffeine (10,18, 32 and 56 mg kg−1) and combinations of these doses were tested on a pain‐induced functional impairment model in the rat. Dysfunction of the right hind limb was induced by an intra‐articular injection of 30% uric acid in the knee. Drugs were given orally and the recovery of functionality over time was considered as an expression of analgesia. Paracetamol alone induced a dose‐dependent analgesic effect whereas caffeine alone did not show any activity at the assayed doses. Combinations of 316 mg kg−1 paracetamol with either 10, 18, 32 or 56 mg kg−1 caffeine yielded analgesic effects significantly greater than that of paracetamol alone. The highest potentiation was observed with a paracetamol‐caffeine mixture of 316–32 mg kg−1. Caffeine coadministration, however, did not significantly change paracetamol plasma levels. No potentiation was obtained with other combinations. Paracetamol plasma levels and analgesic effect observed with administration of 316 mg kg−1 paracetamol alone or 316–32 mg kg−1 of paracetamol‐caffeine were fitted to the sigmoidal Emax model according to the Hill equation. The curves obtained were parallel, but that of the combination was shifted to the left. It is concluded that caffeine is able to potentiate the analgesic effect of paracetamol by a pharmacodynamic mechanism, but this only occurs at certain dose combinations.


Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is one of the deadly forms of childhood cancers in the world. In the present study, we used both in vitro and in vivo models to evaluate the functional mechanisms of a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), small nucleolar RNA host gene 16 (SNHG16) in ALL. SNHG16 gene expression was evaluated by quantitative real‐time PCR (qPCR) in both in vitro ALL cell lines and in vivo human samples of T lymphocytes. Lentivirus‐mediated SNHG16 downregulation was performed in MOLT3 and SUP‐B15 cells, to evaluate its functional effects on ALL cell proliferation, migration in vitro, and ALL transplant in vivo. Epigenetic regulation of SNHG16 on human miR‐124‐3p (hsa‐miR‐124‐3p) was evaluated by dual‐luciferase activity assay and qPCR. Hsa‐miR‐124‐3p was inhibited in SNHG16‐downregulated MOLT3 and SUP‐B15 cells to further evaluate the functional correlation between SNHG16 and hsa‐miR‐124‐3p in ALL. SNHG16 is upregulated in both in vitro ALL cell lines and in vivo human leukemic T‐cells. SNHG16 downregulation suppressed ALL proliferation and migration in vitro, and ALL explant in vivo. Hsa‐miR‐124‐3p was demonstrated to interact with SNHG16, and upregulated in SNHG16‐downregulated ALL cells. In addition, inhibiting hsa‐miR‐124‐3p reversed SNHG16‐downregulation‐mediated tumor suppressive functions in ALL. SNHG16 is upregulated in ALL, and its inhibition has tumor suppressive effect in ALL, likely through epigenetic interaction on hsa‐miR‐124‐3p. © 2018 IUBMB Life, 71(1):134–142, 2019


A field experiments was carried out during the rainy season of 2018 and 2019 Tal, Billiri in Gombe state, Nigeria. The aim of the experiment is to investigate the performance of soybeans as affected by planting methods and fertilizer type. The planting methods were; Drill (50kg/ha), Dibbling (Transplanted at 25 x 75cm) and Broadcast (50kg/ha). Fertilizer used were; NPK (40kgN, 80kg P, 20kg K), SSP (20kg P) NPK/SSP (Combination of NPK and SSP at 50kg N, 100kg P and 20kg K) and Control.  The treatments were laid in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The treatments were combined to have 10 plots in a block with 1 meter between the block and 0.5 meters within the plots. During the research growth characters were measured, other character like days of 50% flower, days of maturity, number of pod per plant, seeds per pod, 1000 seed weight and seed yield were also recorded. All the parameters studies have significantly (P≤0.05) responded to the both planting methods and fertilizer effects, where dill method was observed to perform higher in both growth character and grain yield. NPK/SSP fertilizer was significant in both growth, yield related character and over-all yield. 2019 rainy season all shows significant difference (P<0.05) in growth, yield and related characters when compared to 2018 rainy season.  Based on the result obtained it can be suggested that the use of Dibbling methods of planting and the application of NPK at 50kg/ha and NPK/SSP (40kgN, 80kg P, 20kg K) fertilizer will


The recent uproar over Jim Murray's choice of a Japanese whisky (2013 Yamazaki Sherry Cask) for his World Whisky of the Year, coupled with the fact that no Scotch Whisky was in his top 5, has once again placed the world of whisky, whisky enjoyment and whisky collecting in the spotlight.


A computer model was developed to simulate the flowering phenology of musk thistle, Carduus thoermeri Weinmann, and the seasonal population dynamics of Rhinocyllus conicus Froelich. Time-varying distributed delays in series were used to model the populations. The model output was validated by comparison with field data. The results suggest that the population dynamics of R. conicus and musk thistle were adequately described by the model. The model could not be rejected using a nonparametric regression technique, though a low number of degrees of freedom limited the test. The amount of synchrony that the model showed between the development of plant and insect was highly sensitive to temperature. Our simulation results suggest that site specific variations in temperature can have profound effects on the temporal synchrony of parasite and host. Thus, future evaluations of parasite effectiveness should include the development of phonological models driven by data collected at or near the introduction site. Phenology models, which are quantitative, scientifically based hypotheses, should be considered as part of the evaluation of host/parasite interactions.


A novel method applicable for the open-loop control of hydraulic driven flexible manipulators is presented. By using a new kind of adaptive control function instead of the traditional open-loop control strategies the dynamic behaviour of such systems can be significantly improved. The adaptive control function is developed for the open-loop control of a log crane equipped with an electrically controlled proportional directional valves and digital control system. The proposed method utilizes the existing hydraulic components and control hardware of commercially used log crane. In addition to this, the cylinder position and pressure transducers are used. The dynamics of manipulator can be determined by studying the natural frequencies. The lowest natural frequencies were used in selecting and tuning the adaptive algorithm. By using piston positions and mass load as input variables, the adaptive algorithm calculates the lowest natural frequency of crane and uses a particular part of this frequency to filter the higher frequencies from the input signal of control valves. With a second order filter it is theoretically possible to affect the jerk of the manipulator (derivative of acceleration), that has a strong coupling with vibrational behaviour. By applying the proposed adaptive control function a significant reduction in vibration amplitudes in the test simulations was achieved. The major benefits of proposed control method were achieved when loading small masses with long reach and when driving the manipulator slowly by giving small control increments into the valves.


The paper experimentally shows and theoretically substantiates conditions for a one-step recording of rainbow holograms of transmitting and reflecting objects through the use of the conventional off-axis scheme of Leight hologram recording without slits (real or synthesized) restricting the object wave aperture.


Combining multiple engineering workstations into a network-based heterogeneous parallel computer allows application of aerodynamic optimization with advanced computational fluid dynamics codes, which can be computationally expensive on mainframe supercomputers. This paper introduces a nonlinear quasi-Newton optimizer designed for this network-based heterogeneous parallel computing environment utilizing a software called Parallel Virtual Machine. This paper will introduce the methodology behind coupling a Parabolized Navier-Stokes flow solver to the nonlinear optimizer. This parallel optimization package is applied to reduce the wave drag of a body of revolution and a wing/body configuration with results of 5% to 6% drag reduction.


What are persistent young offenders, children of 14 to 16 or even younger, really like? What do they think about when they steal or rob people? Why do they think they are always getting into trouble? In this vivid, compelling and combative work Sarah Curtis chronicles at first hand young people talking about all aspects of their chaotic lives, their hopes for the future and their anxieties - where possible recording their parents views also.Following an analysis of youth justice based on 20 years direct experience she points out that we do know how to prevent much juvenile offending through community projects of proven benefit and other tried and tested means of reintegrating children in trouble with the law into schools, colleges, communities and careers. To this end, she makes suggestions which go well beyond the reforms of successive governments (including those in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Bill) who have preferred the rhetoric of punishment rather than to direct adequate resources into more effective and constructive outcomes.


The effects of crystalline silicon substrate properties as thickness,minority carrier lifetime and doping density on the solar cell output properties were simulated by PC1D.The results show that the influence of substrate thickness on the output properties is related with the minority carrier diffusion length,the reduce of the thickness can increase the open circuit voltage,there exists a good thickness value that can get better conversion efficiency,short circuit current density and fill factor;when the minority carrier diffusion length is far larger than the substrate thickness,the properties of solar cell almost have no business with the substrate thickness;when the ratio of substrate minority carrier diffusion length to the thickness is 2.5-3.0,the solar cell has the highest conversion efficiency;when the doping density is between 5×1015-1×1017 cm-3,that is the resistivity is varied between 0.2-3.0 ?cm,the solar cell can get better output properties.


AbstractThe host-agent model is presented to show the interaction of individual, environmental, and "agent" variables involved in craniomandibular dysfunction and to evaluate positive or negative interactions. Sites for intervention are indicated by this scheme. In addition, three levels of prevention of craniomandibular dysfunction are presented.


In the past decade, Real Time Bidding (RTB) has become one of the most common purchase mechanisms of the online advertisement market. Under RTB a unique second-price auction between bidders is managed for every individual advertisement slot. We consider the bidder's problem of maximizing the value of the bundle of ads they purchase, subject to budget constraints, and assuming the value of each ad is known. We generalize the problem as a second-price knapsack problem with uncertain resource consumption: the bidder selects a bidding policy rather than a selection policy, and for each item the bidder wins the auction when their bid exceeds the unknown amount they must pay. Surprisingly, because of the second-price mechanism, we prove that a linear form of bidding yields a near-optimal selection of ads. We extend to an implementable online one-shot learning algorithm. We prove that key points of the random permutation assumption hold in this setting, and that we can apply algorithms for the online-knapsack problem to this setting. Through this we recover a competitive ratio of $1-6\epsilon$, where $\epsilon$ is the training ratio and is small in general, yielding a strong theoretical result on a simple variation of the standard online knapsack problem. Numerical results from the iPinYou dataset verify our results, recovering a bundle of ads with 99.5\% - 100.0\% of the optimal value.


This talk presents a non-intrusive data-driven approach for learning lowdimensional models for systems governed by time-dependent partial differential equations. Projection-based model reduction constructs the operators of a reduced model by projecting the equations of a full high-fidelity model onto a reduced space. Traditionally, this projection is intrusive, which means that the full-model operators are required explicitly in assembled form or implicitly through a routine that returns the action of the operators on a given vector; however, in many situations these fullmodel operators may be inaccessible. Our non-intrusive operator inference approach solves an optimization problem to infer approximations of the reduced operators directly from input and state data, without requiring the full model itself. The inferred operators are the solution of a least-squares problem and converge, with sufficient state trajectory data, in the Frobenius norm to the reduced operators that would be obtained via an intrusive projection of the full-model operators. Thus, while the approach is data-driven, it also embeds the physical constraints associated with the underlying system governing equations. Joint work with Benjamin Peherstorfer (U. Wisconsin Madison). Date: May 11, 2018 (Friday) Time: 11:00am – 12:00noon Venue: Room 210, Run Run Shaw Bldg., HKU


While road safety professionals have achieved significant reductions in crashes through various safety programs run-off-road (ROR) crashes still feature highly in rural crash statistics. Although the prevalence of these crashes has been reduced somewhat through improved geometric road design, improved road delineation, improved hard shoulders, treatment of clear zones and use of barriers and crash cushions, continued efforts are required to reduce such crashes as they have a major impact on the level of injury and death of motorists. One of the major contributors to reducing run-off-road crashes over the past decade has been audio-tactile edge line treatments. Similarly, in Australia, the use of raised tactile edge lines has reduced lane departures in the order of 49 per cent in New South Wales. Another major contributor to reducing the road toll has been flexible barrier systems. New treatments such as vehicle activated signs and perceptual countermeasures were also identified as potentially promising. These countermeasures and others are discussed in the report. (a)


Rather than focusing on literature per se, the current study determines the status of magnetic field information that is applicable to risk assessment. Hence, an attempt is made to identify both the literature that is useful to the goal of risk assessment and a framework within which risk assessment methodologies can be derived. From this selected review, it is concluded that three areas exist for which adequate information can be found to begin modelling: disease induction, reproduction and development, and cardiovascular response. The first two are supported by a combination of positive and negative findings and the last by a calculational technique which utilizes the physically well-known principle of flow retardation for a conducting fluid moving through a magnetic field.


In this project our concentration is on the blades of the rotary harrow, our goal is evaluating the forces and stresses exerted on the blades during rotation in different types of soil, using different types of blades with different geometry, in addition we are able also to measure the deformation of the soil surface. Those values that we will get from the analysis will be useful for later evaluation of power and energy in order to develop the performance of the harrow getting the highest working speed with the lowest power and fuel consumption, also increasing the life of the blades.


The "72 guilds" in Guangzhou mentioned in the literatures in the late Qing Dynasty, was often concerned with the combinations of merchants or handicraft guilds. It played an important role in the construction of the Guangzhou General Merchants Association. After the founding of the Association, the "72 guilds" were still active in social and political events, acting as a merchants combination whose status was equal to that of the Guangzhou General Merchants Association and often challenged its authority. In 1910, the "72 guilds" even succeeded in dismissing Zuo Zongfan from his post of the associational director and vicarious chief director of the Guangzhou General Merchants Association. It also played an essential part in the "peaceful revival" of Guangdong Province right after the Wuchang Uprising. It might hardly happen in other cities that the "72 guilds," viewed as "traditional" combination of guilds, remained and acted independently as a representative institution of all merchants in the city, even after the "new" Merchants Association had already been established. Therefore, the "72 guilds" in Guangzhou is a noticeable case in the researches on the merchants groups in Modern China.


Proposes to compare two models ‐ finite element method and "magnetic" equivalent scheme ‐ for numerical modelling of electromagnetic systems. Both these approaches coupled with electric circuit equations take into account saturation effects. Uses a machine of 5.5kW as a model to show the validity of these approaches. Compares the results obtained from numerical calculation with experimental ones.


In the conventional confocal microscope, the alignment of physical pinholes is an important problem. In this paper, a digital pinhole filter based on image restoration is investigated for the confocal microscope. Firstly, we discuss the properties of ambiguity function. Next, we use it to build the off-focus point spread function (PSF). Then, we use image restoration technique based on inverse filtering method to reject out-of-focus light in order to improve the depth resolution. Experimental results indicate that the method can reduce the pixel crosstalk resulting from out-of-focus light, and the alignment of pinholes can be made easy.


The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy of the Texas Drug And Alcohol Driving Awareness Program (TDADAP) in relation to alcohol-related offenses among young drivers. The efficacy of TDADAP has not been previously examined. For this study, data on TDADAP participants was analyzed in an effort to investigate the effectiveness of the voluntary, prevention-based alcohol and drug education program by examining the relationship(s) between individuals who have participated in TDADAP and subsequent alcohol-related offenses. This study sought to compare post-instruction alcohol related driving records of young drivers (ages 16-20 years) who had and had not completed the TDADAP.


Standard performance indices use risk and return me asures based on the variance or the beta to evaluate and rank mutual funds. These approaches, however, may fail to convey proper valuations unless assets are normally distributed. The aim of this paper is to use two more recently developed risk measures as conditional-val ue-at-risk (CVaR) and Aumann-Serrano's (AS) riskiness index to evaluate the performance of Israeli mutual funds. These two risk measures are coherent and comply with second-degree stochastic dominance. CVaR is more adequate to evaluate the risk inherent in the lower tails of the distribution while the AS riskiness index provides an unequivocal ranking of risky asse ts for all risk-averters. I show how to calculate the measures for Israeli mutual funds and I provide new performance rankings that are compared to the standard performance ratios.


Highly-dispersed Li3V1.8Al0.2(PO4)3 nanoparticles which are directly impregnated onto the surface of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) were successfully synthesized via a unique two-step process using an ultracentrifugation at 75,000g. The synthetic procedure of the Li3V1.8Al0.2(PO4)3/MWCNT composite involves the following two steps: i) precipitation of V1.8Al0.2O3 (10–100nm) nanoparticles on the surface of MWCNT, and ii) the subsequent transformation of the V1.8Al0.2O3 into the Li3V1.8Al0.2(PO4)3 nanoparticles without any change of their shape and dimensions. The 10% of Al-doping brought out an increase in the discharge capacity from 119 to 124mAhg−1 per Li3V2−xAlx(PO4)3, which corresponds to a 14% increase of the Li3V2−xAlx(PO4)3 utilization ratio. The Al-doping also reduced its electric resistance by 26%. The Li3V1.8Al0.2(PO4)3/MWCNTwith such an efficient electron transport can deliver excellent electrochemical performances ever attained to date; capacity density of 85mAhg−1 at a high discharge rate of 480C and stable cycle performance over 10,000 cycles at 10C rate with 85% retention of the initial capacity.


Compared with conventional zero-shot learning (ZSL), generalized ZSL (GZSL) is more challenging because the test instances may come from seen and unseen classes. The most existing GZSL methods learn a visual-semantic mapping function to bridge the knowledge transfer from seen to unseen classes by using semantic information and other labeled training data. However, these methods often suffer from severe performance degradation because they ignore similar structures between different classes. To solve these problems, we propose a GZSL method that transforms GZSL problems to conventional supervised learning ones by synthesizing pseudo features for unseen classes. This technique has two key aspects. The first one is the synthesis strategy; the proposed strategy directly synthesizes the pseudo features of unseen classes contrary to current synthesis-based methods, which synthesize pseudo instances. Our method regards the combination of N features of instances as the pseudo features. These N features belong to N different classes that are similar to unseen ones. This synthesis strategy is in line with the cognitive style of human beings. The second key aspect is that we preserve the similar structures between seen and unseen classes. Inspired by the center loss method, we assign each semantic vector as the center of deep features in the training stage. This way preserves the similar structures between the classes. Such preservation can be beneficial for improving classification accuracy. The experimental results on four benchmark datasets demonstrate that our model outperforms state-of-the-art methods for the GZSL. The source code is available at https://github.com/guizilaile23/SPF-GZSL.


COVID-19 Pandemic has surfaced several needs in the health care delivery system worldwide. The clinical interactions are turning towards telehealth and remote interactions due to the fact of contracting infection. It is vital to understand underlying barriers and facilitators of telehealth to improve access and utilization of needed healthcare. The disparities in health care utilization already exists among certain chronic conditions group, and pandemic has significantly affected the way people access healthcare services. The paper identifies factors affecting access to healthcare, barriers, and facilitators of healthcare delivery system, and proposes a framework to study telehealth utilization. The call for action paper proposes research methodology at structure, process and outcome level of healthcare delivery system to identify and resolve factors impacting telehealth utilization. System During COVID-19- Call for Action.


The Centre for Applied Reconstructive Technologies in Surgery (CARTIS) is a collaboration between the National Centre for Product Design and Development Research at (PDR) Cardiff Metropolitan University and Morriston Hospital. They have been leading the way in developing new techniques and applications for 3D printing in surgery, and improving the accessibility and ease of use of these technologies in the UK. CARTIS hit the headlines earlier this year for the role they played in a complex facial reconstruction (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-26534408) in which 3D printing technology was extensively used. We interviewed Sean Peel, Design and Research Engineer in Surgery and Prosthetics at PDR and a key engineer in recent surgical projects at CARTIS, to get an inside perspective from the frontier of this rapidly developing industry.


Metamaterials have opened a world of new possibilities that would have seemed like science fiction a decade ago, including subwavelength imaging, super lenses, perfect lenses and cloaking.


Abstract The classical wave-maker problem to determine the forced two-dimensional wave motion with outgoing surface waves at infinity generated by a harmonically oscillating vertical plane wave-maker immersed in water was solved long ago by Sir Thomas Havelock. In this paper we reinvestigate the problem, making allowance for the presence of surface tension which was excluded before, and obtain a solution of the boundary-value problem for the velocity potential which is made unique by prescribing the free surface slope at the wave-maker. The cases of both infinite and finite constant depth are treated, and it is essential to employ a method which is new to this problem since the theory of Havelock cannot be extended in the latter case of finite depth. The solution of the corresponding problem concerning the axisymmetric wave motion due to a vertical cylindrical wave-maker is deduced in conclusion.


This paper identifies various geometric concepts, principles and constructions which are of great value to design researchers and practitioners. Particular attention is focused on geometric symmetry as the basis of an analytical tool to examine designs in different cultural or historical contexts. Relevant empirical literature is identified. Illustrations of regularly repeating designs are presented; these result from the application of a system of pattern construction, based on taking components of certain regular polygons and applying various symmetry operations.


The paper first presents the basic guidelines for the design of SOA-based data exchange platform,then,in the case of warehouse pledge,analyzes the business process of this financial service after the introduction of electronic technology and gives the defining rule and structural definition of the XML text for the goods freezing operation within the process,which is then realized and subject to system testing.


Building large and complex Web applications is a difficult task. It involves graphical interfaces, navigational structures, business models and rules, software architecture and technologies, and many other aspects such as mobile communication. Furthermore, Web applications should be developed with short time. To deal with the extreme complexity, a good solution is to decouple different parts and aspects in Web applications. Decoupling gives also better possibility for reuse and parallel development, which in themselves are a clear way to reduce application development time. In this paper we examine two aspects in Web application development: software architecture and application-specific design, and explore techniques that can be used in these two fields to improve reuse and achieve shorter time-to-market. For software architecture, a component-based Web architecture is built step by step to remove the tight coupling between a Web application's different parts. For application design, many mature design methods exist. We introduce the object-oriented hypermedia method OOHDM [1] and the aim is to explain how different concerns are addressed in this method independent of software architecture and implementation. Treating conceptual, navigational and interface design as separate concerns provides not only a sound ground for Web application evolution but also a basis for reuse and shorter development time. In the end, we combine the benefits of the component-based Web architecture and the three different concerns in OOHDM [1]. The resulting architecture maximises opportunities for reuse and parallel development. As a consequent, time-to-market is reduced.


Method of load(whose gravitation is bigger than buoyancy)separation from the head of AUV(autonomous underwater vehicle)is researched in this paper.Based on the given dynamic equations,a set of transform models of the beginning position and the beginning attack angle of the separated load are deduced firstly.Then based on the above e- quation,the separationsimulation is given to a certain AUV.


Objective To evaluate the use of spiral Double J stent in the treatment of complica ted ureteral calculi with extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL). Methods Spiral Double J stent was inserted in 52 patients with complicated ureteral calculi before ESWL,and the conventional Double J stent was inserted in 45 patients as control. Results In the control group,the number of ESWLprocedures was 4.2,while in spiral Double J stent group,it was 3.8( P 0.05).The fragmentation rates with a single procedure was 20.0% in control group and 23.1%( P 0.05) in the spiral Double J stent group.The average stoneclearance time was 10.5 weeks in the control group and 8.5 weeks( P 0.01) in spiral Double J stent group. Conclusions The spiral Double J stent has been better than conventional Double J stent in the treatment of complicated ureteral calculi with ESWL.


\cite{HillMotegi2017} present a new general asymptotic theory for the maximum of a random array $\{\mathcal{X}_{n}(i)$ $:$ $1$ $\leq $ $i$ $\leq $ $\mathcal{L}\}_{n\geq 1}$, where each $\mathcal{X}_{n}(i)$ is assumed to converge in probability as $n$ $\rightarrow $ $\infty $. The array dimension $\mathcal{L}$ is allowed to increase with the sample size $n$. Existing extreme value theory arguments focus on observed data $\mathcal{X}_{n}(i)$, and require a well defined limit law for $\max_{1\leq i\leq \mathcal{L}}|\mathcal{X}_{n}(i)|$ by restricting dependence across $i$. The high dimensional central limit theory literature presumes approximability by a Gaussian law, and also restricts attention to observed data. \cite{HillMotegi2017} do not require $\max_{1\leq i\leq \mathcal{L}_{n}}|\mathcal{X}_{n}(i)|$ to have a well defined limit nor be approximable by a Gaussian random variable, and we do not make any assumptions about dependence across $i$. We apply the theory to filtered data when the variable of interest $\mathcal{X}_{n}(i,\theta _{0})$ is not observed, but its sample counterpart $\mathcal{X}_{n}(i,\hat{\theta}_{n})$ is observed where $\hat{\theta}_{n}$ estimates $\theta _{0}$. The main results are illustrated by looking at unit root tests for a high dimensional random variable, and a residuals white noise test.


Methods and devices for encoding and decoding secure data entities is provided. Methods and devices, in order to obtain the appropriate key, using at least a portion of the broadcast control message that is used (13) by a cellular communication system specified user (10) is connected (18). Since the broadcast control message (13) are continuously transmitted, when the application or content is actually used, the present invention operates without additional signaling. Unlike the broadcast control message (13) every time and / or per cell, thereby to expose the restriction of the use of space and time. The present invention is applicable not only to the secure data entity to be provided via a cellular communication system (18) itself, secure data that is provided in any transmission format supported by the user device (10) it is operable for the entity.


We consider an initialization problem in single-hop radio networks. The initialization is the task of assigning distinct ID numbers to nodes in a network. We have greatly improved the previous results [10] for the initialization in an n-node network. We propose randomized initialization algorithms in two cases. The first case is that n is known to all the nodes and the second case is that n is unknown to all the nodes. The algorithm for the first case completes in en + ln n + O(1) expected time slots, and the algorithm for the second case completes in en + O(√n) expected slots. The main idea of the algorithm for the case that n is unknown is presumption of the number of nodes. In the algorithm, each node presumes the number of nodes efficiently and is assigned ID by using the algorithm for the case that n is known with the presumption value.


This beautiful, entertaining and informative work comprises selected illustrations of marine algae from the publications of 62 authors, together with engaging biographical sketches. No one other than Wynne could have produced a book of this scope and excellence. His keen interest in phycological history has been notably expressed in the well-received series, 'Phycological trailblazers', 26 biographical accounts published in the Phycological Newsletter (Phycological Society of America) from 1993 through 2007. Wynne was also coeditor (with David J. Garbary) of Prominent phycologists of the 20th century, published in 1996 by the Phycological Society of America. There are compelling reasons why every student of macroalgae should have this volume as a constant companion. As I have preached throughout my career, the taxonomist, like the physician, bases his opinions on reputedly scientific data, but the opinion itself is subjective, involving intuition and some degree of artistic feeling. Many if not most taxonomists have an artistic bent to some degree. The cover of Prominent phycologists of the 20th century is graced by a reproduction of a watercolour by Lothar Geitler. William Randolph Taylor created beautiful jewelry. Harold Bold was an accomplished pianist and organist. Some of the authors in Portraits, notably Greville and Harvey, provided drawings for their engravers. Kützing was both designer and engraver. Thuret studied violin and piano. I predict that the artistic bent of presentday phycologists will lead them to the enjoyment and appreciation of these superb illustrations. Wynne is to be congratulated on his resourcefulness in procuring the books containing the illustrations, some of which are rarely encountered, even in large libraries. Moreover, some of the books were published in two editions, one with blackand-white plates, a second with hand-coloured plates. The latter editions, being far more expensive, are correspondingly rarer. Every phycologist should read Wynne's biographical sketches, if nothing more than to realise that most authors led lives far more uncertain, challenging and adventurous than our own, which often involve highly structured and somewhat predictable careers. When reading these accounts, one should contemplate the pluses and minuses of living in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Young phycologists today have no concept of working without photocopy machines, electron microscopes, computers, e-mail, the Internet and other marvels of the electronic age. They are joined by oldsters in marveling at how those authors were able to work within the limitations of shortPhycologia (2008) Volume 47 (1), 112–114 Published 8 January 2008


Competing cultures among Thai men have not yet been fully explored in the studies of Thai films released since the economic crisis of 1997. In this article, the author chooses to study a selection of four muai Thai films - Muai Thai, Nai Khanom Tom [Mr Khanom Tom: A Muai Thai Legend] (2003), Ong Bak (2003), Tom Yum Goong [The Protector] (2005) and Beautiful Boxer (2004) - to examine gendered tensions and changing cultures of Thai men after the 1997 economic crisis. The author argues that Thai men are consciously eager to shoulder the nation's economic development failures and cultural chaos, brought about by economic globalization and the transnationalization of culture since the 1960s. Messages from the movies convince their audiences that it is, and should be, men's historical burden to defend the country. Muai Thai films illuminate Thai men's desire and imagination to reclaim their patriotic heroism, which is needed to restore the country's troubled image and its struggling performance on the global stage. They speak about what it means to be Thai men in the context of cultural and economic globaliziation. The author further argues that muai Thai, once an exclusively male cultural domain, has found itself facing new challenges from the feminization, commercialization and internationalization of this national pastime. Feminized and internationalized muai Thai could also be employed as a coherent vehicle to express aspects of contemporary Thai masculinity beyond its convention. In other words, muai Thai cinema is as nuanced as other cinematic narratives, despite accusations from critics about its poor and unsophisticated plots.