Background: Malnutrition during childhood can adversely affect behaviour and cognitive performance. Vitamin B deficiencies in particular have been linked to cognitive impairment and hyperhomocysteinemia, a risk factor for cardiovascular and neurological disorders. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of malnourishment on cognition and plasma vitamin B12, folate, and homocysteine levels in children in Northern India.


Abstract Early feminist or pro-woman works often combine the claim that the rational souls of men and women are the same with an argument for the superiority of women. This article considers two such works, Lucrezia Marinella's The Nobility and Excellence of Women and the Defects and Vices of Men (Venice, 1601 [1999]) and Marguerite Buffet's In Praise of Illustrious Learned Women, both Ancient and Modern (Paris, 1668), in order to show the continuities and distinctive features of feminist arguments for superiority, to emphasize the differences in the conceptions of reason and physiology that distinguish them, and to demonstrate that claims of superiority persisted even as those defending women's worth began to adopt egalitarian positions.


The flux increase or decrease caused by the holes in shielding media is computed with the aid of fictitious point sources. An example is given for spherical air bubbles in lead. The extension possibilities of the method are discussed. (auth)


With the emerging of the fifth generation (5G) mobile communication systems, millimeter wave transmissions are believed to be a promising solution for vehicular networks, especially in vehicle to vehicle (V2V) communications. In millimeter wave V2V communications, different vehicular networking services have different quality requirements for V2V multi-hop links. To evaluate the quality of different V2V wireless links, a new link quality indicator is proposed in this paper considering requirements of the real-time and the reliability in V2V multi-hop links. Moreover, different weight factors are configured to reflect the different requirements of different types of services on real-time and reliability in the new quality indicator. Based on the proposed link quality indicator, the relationship between V2V link quality and one-hop communication distance under different vehicle densities is analyzed in this paper. Simulation results indicate that the link quality is improved with the increasing of vehicle density and there exists an optimal one-hop communication distance for the link quality when the vehicle density is fixed.


The most important challenge facing the simulation of composite columns is possession of materials enter in into different properties .In concrete-filled aluminum tube column, there is an additional ingredient which is confining provided by the aluminum tube for the concrete infill. This study developed a nonlinear finite element model using cod ANSYS (R 15.0) to deal with characteristics for both concrete and aluminum accurately and reconcile with confining effect by the aluminum tube to concrete core. This model was approved by comparison of the previous experimental results of ultimate load capacity, load-axil shortening curves and their corresponding failure mode. The approved finite element model was then used to consider the influence of high strength concrete on the behavior of concrete-filled aluminum tube column circular section under axial load .The findings indicate the specimens with higher concrete strength (120MPa) experienced a significate increase of ultimate load capacity but decrease in ductility after failure due to the concrete infill attains to ultimate capacity before aluminum tube attains yield stress.


Aims: Recent studies revealed myeloid-derived suppressor cell (MDSC) in the tumor microenvironment as an appealing therapeutic target to sensitize intestinal-type gastric cancer (GC) to PD-1 blockade therapy. However, whether MDSC inhibition can improve survival in the more aggressive diffuse-type GC is unknown. Trefoil factor family 2 (TFF2), a secreted anti-inflammatory peptide, suppresses MDSC expansion partly via CXCR4 receptor. Here, we developed a novel MDSC-targeted peptide TFF2-MSA and investigated whether it can synergize with anti-PD1 to prolong survival in syngeneic diffuse GC mouse models.
 Methods: Murine serum albumin (MSA) was appended to the murine TFF2 to generate TFF2-MSA peptide with an extended serum half-life. ACKP (Atp4b-Cre; Cdh1-/-; LSL-KrasG12D; Trp53-/-) GC cells developed from a highly malignant diffuse GC mouse model were grafted subcutaneously into HDC-GFP transgenic mice in which the more immunosuppressive histidine decarboxylase (HDC)-expressing myeloid cells were traced with GFP. These recipient mice subsequently received either TFF2-MSA or anti-PD-1 antibody or both. Further, to assess treatment efficacy in inhibiting spontaneous lung metastasis, subcutaneous flank tumors were resected in ACKP cell-grafted mice once tumors reached 500 mm3, and mice then received treatment with TFF2-MSA or anti-PD-1 or the combination. At the endpoint, flow cytometry and histopathological analyses were performed to examine immune profiles and tumor metastasis. In another model, ACKP-luc cells were implanted orthotopically to stomach submucosa, and recipient mice received the same treatments started from 1 week later to assess their efficacy.
 Results: While either TFF2-MSA or PD-1 antibody showed little benefit as a single agent (TGI 15% and 25% respectively, p>0.05), their combination dramatically suppressed ACKP s.c. tumor growth (TGI 78%, p<0.0001) and markedly prolonged median survival (64 days vs. 32.5 days in control) of host mice in a synergistic manner. The combination therapy efficiently reduced HDC-GFP+ MDSCs (by 67% vs. control, p<0.01), and profoundly increased tumor-infiltrating cytotoxic CD8+ T cells (by 18 fold, p<0.001). Further, while standard chemotherapy (5-fluorouracil and oxaliplatin) showed limited efficacy in this model, addition of chemotherapy to the TFF2-MSA/PD-1 antibody combination further improved treatment efficacy (TGI 91%) and extended median survival to 73 days. In addition, combination of TFF2-MSA/PD-1 antibody significantly reduced 80% lung metastasis (vs. control, p<0.0001), in contrast to minimal inhibition observed with either monotherapy (p>0.05). Finally, in the orthotopic model, the combo regimen eradicated GC in 50% mice compared to 0% in either monotherapy treatment.
 Conclusion: Targeting MDSCs using TFF2-MSA synergizes with PD-1 blockade therapy in advanced and metastatic syngeneic mouse models of diffuse-type GC.
 Citation Format: Jin Qian, Sandra Ryeom, Bruce Daugherty, Seth Lederman, Timothy C. Wang. MDSC-targeted TFF2-MSA synergizes with PD-1 blockade therapy in diffuse-type gastric cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 5088.


The Hamiltonian for an electron in an effective atomic coulomb field and a strong laser field is If we restrict the operator r to diagonal elements in the principal quantum n, solutions can be approximated by substituting for r, where K is the Coulomb symmetry generator (Runge-Lenz vector). An extraordinary result is that the electron's response is orthogonal to E0: there is no component of the dipole in the E0 direction.


The Universal Declaration of Human Rights has emerged as the common standard of mankind, and its principles have evolved to the level of customary law. The Declaration's legal force has been strengthened by regional and international conventions, plus resolutions of consultative organs. Sacrosanct rights (e.g., right to life) are jus cogens. From this foundation, the third generation of human rights (or solidarity rights) is evolving. Foremost are the rights to development, environmental protection, humanitarian assistance, benefits from the common heritage of mankind, preservation of world peace, freedom from tyranny, and the right to communicate. To implement and enforce these guarantees, additional organs—within a U.N. framework—are required, primarily the creation of a U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights. Simultaneously, the U.N. Trusteeship Council should be reconstituted into a Human Rights Council to strengthen the Helsinki Declaration and, therefore, protect the common aspirations of mankind.


In observing oceans using synthetic aperture radar (SAR), researchers have shown that small-scale water surface waves can significantly affect the radar backscatter from an ocean surface. Furthermore, these small scale water surface waves are known to have a significant role in affecting the ocean's drag coefficients and gas-exchange rates. Unfortunately, the hydrodynamics of these small scale water waves are neither well understood nor easily measured. Key innovations that have allowed measurement of small-scale water waves currently include Jahne's refraction-based technique. Several instruments have now been built that have been based on Jahne's technique (including instruments at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography, the University of Heidelberg, and The University of Michigan). Unlike other techniques (like stereo imaging) that attempt to measure the topography of an ocean surface directly, Jahne's technique measures topography indirectly by imaging surface derivatives (i.e., slope-image data). In many cases, deriving topography from slope-image data is a linear problem and is amenable to numerical integration. However, for cases involving breaking waves and turbulence, the derivation becomes nonlinear because of discontinuities caused either by air entrainment or by instrument physics that limit the dynamic range of wave-slope angles that can be measured. Both types of discontinuities can significantly affect analyses that depend on either slope or topographic data. Consequently, the authors' investigation has focused on surface reconstruction methods using nonlinear interpolation and numerical integration techniques. This paper briefly describes their method and shows a few examples of reconstructed surfaces.


Supervision of the implementation of sharia insurance is very necessary in order to provide maximum protection to all interested parties. Supervision of sharia insurance is the responsibility of the Sharia Supervisory Board (DPS). If there is a violation of law against sharia principles carried out by insurance companies, DPS should be legally responsible. DPS's duty is to supervise and provide advice and advice to managers of insurance companies to carry out their business activities in accordance with statutory provisions that regulate the basic principles of conducting insurance business with sharia principles, DSN MUI fatwas and other provisions related to the implementation of insurance business with sharia principles. DPS is only responsible if it ignores sharia principles violations carried out by sharia insurance companies. DPS can be subjected to administrative and even criminal sanctions for not carrying out their duties.


Ferrography analysis(FA) is an important approach to detect the wear state of mechanical equipment. Ferrographic image recognition based on deep learning needs a large number of image samples. However, the ferrographic images of mechanical equipment are difficult to obtain enough high-quality samples in a short time due to the complexity and low efficiency of the ferrogram making. Therefore, the recognition method for small sample ferrographic images based on the convolutional neural network(CNN) and transfer learning(TL) is proposed. Based on the similarity of samples, the virtual ferrographic image set is designed as the source data of the pretraining model, the tested CNN model is constructed by using the TL. Based on the AlexNet frame, this paper studies the influence of the CNN internal factors including network structure, convolution parameters, activation function, optimization mode, learning rate and the external factors on the classification effect of test samples, and the L2 regularizer is added to solve the overfitting. According to the classification result of test samples, an optimal parameter combination is obtained to establish an intelligent recognition model of ferrographic images based on CNN and TL with the recognition accuracy of 93.75%. Moreover, the t-SNE is used to realize the wear particle recognition process visualization, which proves the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. This work provides an effective way for the ferrographic image recognition of wear particles under small samples.


Front-of-package and on-shelf nutrition labeling systems in supermarkets have been shown to lead to only modest increases in the purchase of more nutritious foods. Educational campaigns may increase the use of these types of product labels if (1) there is a lack of consumer awareness and/or understanding of the labels, and (2) the information provided leads consumers to prefer different products. The authors study a large-scale national campaign for the Guiding Stars nutrition labels conducted by a grocery retailer in Canada that implemented the labels. Using detailed household transaction data, the authors find only a small increase in the purchase of higher star–rated foods during the campaign, driven by produce purchases, and 60% of the effect disappears after the campaign's conclusion. Exit surveys were conducted outside of stores before and after the campaign to explain the limited response. Awareness and understanding of the nutrition labeling system increased marginally after the campaign, but there was no increase in self-reported use.


Nowadays, design processes demand agile and flexible tools and methods to meet market needs. Virtual prototyping techniques are widespread in design strategies and practices, because these technologies reduce the project development lead-time and cost related to physical prototyping. The aim of this paper is the study and application of an approach for the modeling, simulation and geometrical optimization of fans for gas turbine air supply. Fan is a type of machine used to move a fluid, typically a gas such as air, exploiting the kinetic energy of a rotating impeller. It consists mainly of two components: housing and rotor. There is extensive literature on the design and optimization of industrial fan, but main works refer to a small or medium standardized fan, where it is possible to study many parameters and perform many experimental tests. The paper presents an approach for the efficiency optimization of large and customizable centrifugal industrial blowers for gas turbine air supply. The design variables investigated in this study were the blades quantity, orientation and shape. The proposed optimization method has been used for the design optimization of a blower for gas turbine power plant. The response surfaces allowed defining correlation between design variables and efficiency. The optimized design was 18 % more efficient than the original one.


Objective To analyse and compare clinical outcomes of twin pregnancy conceived by assisted reproductive technique(ART) and natural twin pregnancy.Methods The clinical data of 50 cases of twin pregnancy conceived by ART(in ART twin pregnancy group)and 113 cases of natural twin pregnancy(in natural twin pregnancy group) such as age,parity,gestational weeks of the pregnant women,pattern of delivery(cesarean section or natural vaginal delivery),complications of twin pregnancy,and neonatal weight,scores of Apgar and NBNA,neonatal asphyxia,mortality and deformities,neonatal weight incoordination,complications of pregnant women and parturient women,cord entanglement and so on were analyzed and the pregnancy outcomes in the two groups were compared.Results There were no significant differences between the two groups in age of pregnant women(P0.05),pattern of delivery(χ2=0.208,P0.05) and maternal complications(P0.05).But the incidence rate of early preterm labor and rate of term labor in the ART twin pregnancy group were higher than those in the natural twin pregnancy group(6.0%vs 4.4%,44.0% vs 22.2%,respectively).The rate of neonatal term low birth weight in the ART twin pregnancy group was higher than that in the natural twin pregnancy group(31.0% vs 15.0%,χ2=6.670,P0.05).In other aspects there were no significant differences between the two groups and the neonatal outcomes were good.Conclusion For twin pregnant women,the perinatal health should be strengthened to prolong gestational weeks of twin pregnancy,and reduce birth rates of premature neonate and low birth weight neonate.


Traditionally, shear design of concrete beams without stirrups has relied on empirical equations derived from laboratory experiment data. However, such methods lack a sound theoretical basis for shear failure of reinforced concrete (RC) structures due to the complexity of the failure mechanism. In the 1980s, a relatively rational model based on the modified compression field theory (MCFT) was developed at the University of Toronto and subsequently accepted worldwide; it forms the basis of shear provisions in Canadian standards and American specifications for the design of concrete structures. This paper describes further research based on the MCFT. An expression for the average shear stress across a crack was derived and a simplified equation of shear strength considering the size effect in shear was developed. The obtained equations were verified with extensive sets of experimental data from different sources (598 beams in total). It was found that the variation coefficients of the ratio of shear strengt...


The standard Particle Swarm algorithm is a validated evolutionary computation way of searching the extremes of function,which is simple in application and quick in convergence,but low in precision and easy in premature convergence.Because of this,a particle swarm optimization algorithm with the strategy of nonlinear decreasing inertia weight is proposed based on the standard particle swarm algorithm.It is show that a particle swarm optimization algorithm with the strategy of nonlinear decreasing inertia weight is better in global searching and performance by comparing with six representative benchmarks in fixed weight,the linear weight and non-linear weight respectively.


In this article, we relate the theory with the methods of the equilibrium compensation depth of the lithosphere and compound compensation of elastic slab. Then we get the best lithospheric equilibrium compensation depth of 75 km in the Central Asian Region and the basic parameters of the lithospheric elastic slab in this region by linear inversion. We conclude that the asthenolayer with the low cohesion in the depth of 75 km in the upper mantle of low cohesion coefficient may be the approximate position of the large-scale lithosphere equilibrium in this region. Moreover, we discuss the mechanism of the elastic slab of the Central Asian Region lithosphere.


The paper primarily discusses the design and implementation of a pipeline Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) monitoring system based upon the virtual instrument techniques. Starting from the introduction of the monitoring system development requirements and environment, the paper describes its hardware configuration and software functionalities in details. Practical application has demonstrated that the virtual instrument-based structure is very effective and the obtained monitoring system is highly flexible.


-The purpose of the present study was to compare a binocular rivalry (BR) field with a figure reversal ( F R ) field along 33 rating dimensions. Thirteen ( 3 9 % ) of the scales differentiated BR and FR. In addition, personality measures of rigidity and anxiety were obtained for each S and related to scale performance. While rigidity was found unrelated to attributes assigned to the rwo visual fields, anxiery correlated significantly with several of the ratings. While the operational rate of reversal measure has consistently emerged as a marker variable for Eysenck's extraversion and Cattell's cortertia (U. I. 22) factors, the attributive rating method appears promising for inferring elevations in tension level.


This paper introduces the ultrasonic producing and simulating circuit,and gives the ultrasonic recalling signal's acceptance,amplification and regulation circuit.All these circuits can be used in the ultrasonic detecting instruments.It has obtained remarkable effect in on-the -spot application.


This paper presented four shear test results from experimental tests of two large prestressed concrete beams cast with high strength concrete. In particular, this experiment investigated the effects of draped strands on shear behavior of these full-scaled beams. This study indicated that the use of draped strands increased the ultimate shear capacity as well as the web-shear cracking load. The test results also showed that draped strands reduced strand slip at ends of beams, which represented that these strands were effective to relieve the anchorage stresses. The test results were compared to predictions by two major codes; ACI 318-02 Building Code and AASHTO LRFD(2002). The shear design provisions in these codes provided conservative results on the shear strengths of all test specimens with reasonable margins of safety, and these provisions were particularly more conservative for test specimens having draped strands.


Abstract : The Navy's standard and a modified anti-exposure coverall were evaluated to determine their thermal performance in calm and agitated water. The principle difference between the coveralls were the closures. The standard coverall was designed as a work garment which provides both buoyancy and thermal protection to cold water exposures in accidental and emergency immersions. In calm water the Effective Thermal Insulation Resistance (ETIR) value of the standard coverall was 19% higher than the modified coverall. In agitated water there was a major reduction in ETIR values for both coveralls compared to calm water because of substantial water entry into the head and neck areas of the coveralls. The overall reductions in ETIR values were 84-89% over the coverall area and 78-87% below the neck region for the standard and modified coveralls, respectively. The use of a cord tie-off in the neck region of the coveralls lowered the reduction in ETIR values below the neck region by 21-29% for the standard and modified coveralls respectively. The use of the cord tie-off increased survival times in agitated water from the 85 and 70 minutes estimated without it, to 140 and 120 minutes for the standard and modified coveralls, respectively.


Abstract : An initial slope index of total cerebral blood flow, measured by hydrogen clearance from torcular blood, shows high correlation with flows calculated by bicompartmental analysis. In 247 flow measurements done on 41 rhesus monkeys, a linear regression analysis between these two methods of calculating flow shows a correlation coefficient of 0.9280 with a standard error about y values of plus or minus 7.63. The initial slope index is not only faster to calculate but does not require that a steady state be maintained for 10 minutes.


The structure of air-intake duct has great effects on air intake unevenness of each cylinder in engine,so to affect on engine performances.This paper makes an united simulation to air-intake duct-three dimensional coupling model to gain air-intake unevenness of each cylinder,which points out the direction to solve greater performance difference of each cylinder in engine.


The authors construct invariant sets for the 2d-dimensional generalization of the sawtooth map which are semi-conjugate to any incommensurate rotation vector. When d<or=2 they show that these are Cantor sets. These invariant sets are hyperbolic, and they give a structural stability argument to show the existence of cantori for a non-trivial class of smooth symplectic maps.


Abstract A study was conducted to determine ammonium nitrogen uptake by cherrybark oak and overcup oak as affected by soil redox conditions. Seedlings of the two species were grown in laboratory microcosms for 60 days in soil suspensions incubated at three separate Eh levels (+560, +340, and + 175 mV). In both species, uptake of added 15N labeled nitrogen (N) (NH4Cl) and photosynthesis activity decreased with decreasing soil redox potentials. Net photosynthesis in cherrybark oak decreased by 72.9 and 100% in response to the +340 and + 175 mV treatments as compared to control plants, respectively. Similarly, net photosynthetic rates were reduced by 53.7 and 65.8% in overcup oak under + 340 and + 175 mV treatments, respectively. A significant correlation between net photosynthesis and leaf 15N content was found in cherrybark oak (r=0.866, P=0.01) but not in overcup oak (r=0.648, p>0.05). However, in overcup oak, the correlation between net photosynthesis and total leaf N content was significant (r=0.911, P=...


The main motivation of this article is to derive sufficient conditions for dynamical stability of periodically driven quantum systems described by a Hamiltonian H(t), i.e. conditions under which it holds true supt ∈ ℝ|〈ψt, H(t)ψt〉| < ∞ where ψt denotes a trajectory at time t of the quantum system under consideration. We start from an analysis of the domain of the quasi-energy operator. Next, we show, under certain assumptions, that if the spectrum of the monodromy (Floquet) operator U(T, 0) is pure point then there exists a dense subspace of initial conditions for which the mean value of the energy is uniformly bounded in the course of time. Further, we show that if the propagator admits a differentiable Floquet decomposition then ‖H(t)ψt‖ is bounded in time for any initial condition ψ0, and one employs the quantum KAM algorithm to prove the existence of this type of decomposition for a fairly large class of H(t). In addition, we derive bounds uniform in time on transition probabilities between different energy levels, and we also propose an extension of this approach to the case of a higher order of differentiability of the Floquet decomposition. The procedure is demonstrated on a solvable example of the periodically time-dependent harmonic oscillator.


Acid-volatile sulfide (AVS) and simultaneously extracted metals (SEM) are operationally defined methods for the analysis of sulfide and associated metals in aquatic sediments. The SEM-to-AVS ratio has been useful in explaining the results of bioassay tests of metal toxicants. This paper describes apparatus that can be used in the evolution of sulfide from sediments and a method for the analysis of the evolved sulfide and the liberated metal. The method was studied with respect to gas flow rate, digestion time, and acid concentration. Liberated and trapped sulfide was determined by a colorimetric method of analysis. Using the apparatus and conditions described in this paper, the colorimetric method of analysis. Using the apparatus and conditions described in this paper, the colorimetric method of analysis is capable of detecting AVS at concentrations normally encountered with a recovery of sulfide of at least 90%. High precision is possible if this apparatus is used. The limit of detection of the method is approximately 0.01 [mu]mol/g dry sediment added 6 m HCl to produce a final concentration of approximately 1 M for the release of the AVS and SEM from unheated samples. The authors found that sulfide was not released from pyrite (FeS[sub 2]) ormore » copper sulfide (CuS) under the conditions. the liberation of copper from the two studied sediments indicates that copper was probably associated with another phase in these sediments. AVS is stable for several weeks in refrigerated or frozen samples.« less


ABSTRACT This column provides an overview of MerckSource, a free consumer health Web site provided by Merck & Co., Inc. The Web site's design, search capabilities, and unique interactive features are discussed. The combination of quality backing resources and dedicated support to patient advocacy makes MerckSource a useful consumer health information tool.


In this article, a reliability test plan is developed for Logistic-exponential distribution (LoED) under time truncated life test scheme. The distribution has been chosen because it can used to model lifetime of several reliability phenomenon and it performs better than many well known existing distributions. With the discussions of statistical properties of the aforesaid model, the reliability test plan has been established under the assumption of median quality characteristics when minimum confidence level P* is given. To quench the objective of the paper i.e; to serve as a guiding aid to the emerging practitioners, minimum sample sizes have been obtained by using binomial approximation and Poisson approximation for the proposed plan. Further, operating characteristic (OC) values for the various choices of quality level are placed. Also, minimum ratio of true median life to specified life has been presented for specified producer's risk. Important findings of the proposed reliability test plan are given for considered value of k=0.75,1,2. To demonstrate the appropriateness of suggested reliability test plan is achieved using four real life situation.


The article provides a philosophical analysis of the issue of treatment of women in Islamic sources. In particular, the spread of Islam around the world as early as the seventh century, in which women were respected. Promotion is based on sources. Islam, which existed during the pre-Islamic period, put an end to the burial of a girl alive. Indeed, all religions were practiced in the Arabian Peninsula at that time. In addition, women's rights and property relations are covered in depth. It has been scientifically studied that this spiritual heritage is of great importance in the development of the world in the XXI century.


A probe for measuring voltage distribution of thyristor in converter valve is designed.The design of the voltage divider and transmitter is described in particular.The experimental results show that the probe has good frequency response characteristics which meet the requirement of measuring voltage distribution of thyristor in converter valve.


An image display device (300) which displays an inputted image signal (S) on a display panel (307). The device is characterized by comprising followings: an arithmetic means (305) which calculates the inverse (1/C) of a luminance signal or color signal (C) obtained by inputting a nearly 100% white signal to the display panel (307) to display thereon and imaging the displayed white screen by means of an imaging device (310); a memory (304) in which the inverse (1/C) calculated by the arithmetic means (305) is stored as correction data; and a correction means (302) which corrects luminance irregularity or color irregularity occurring at the display panel (307) by multiplying the correction data stored in the memory (304) by the inputted video signal (S).


Fifty-one genera and 182 species of vespid wasps, belonging to four subfamilies, have been recorded from Iran. A catalog for the region is provided. Locality data for 64 species which were collected or examined during this study are presented. Among them, 10 species represent new records for Iran. An illustrated key to the recorded genera is also presented.


Abstract Different contributions to the dielectric permittivity in two different ferroelectric liquid crystal materials are studied, with emphasis on the Soft mode and the Golstone mode. Also in three nematic liquid crystals, the dielectric permittivity was studied as a function of temperature and frequency. Experimentally, the complex dielectric permittivity was studied as a function of temperature in the frequency range 5 Hz-13 MHz. The Soft mode dielectric behavior was studied as a function of frequency and bias electric field. In the smectic C*, I*, and J* phases, the frequency dependence of the dielectric contribution of the Golstone mode was measured.


6 fifth-grade students with learning difficulties were taught in 2 groups of 3 using both Direct Instruction group teaching and one-to-one instruction in fractions and spelling. It was predicted that a one-to-one format would have advantages in a remedial setting for helping students to catch up with their peers. The same instructional sequences, curriculum content, and work tasks were used in both group and one-to-one conditions. A time advantage to mastery was demonstrated in the one-to-one condition, suggesting that it may be a helpful approach in a remedial setting. Data on on-task behavior were obtained for all students, including those engaged in independent seatwork. Equally high rates of on-task behavior were recorded for both conditions. Implications of the results for remedial education are discussed, and suggestions are made for making such programs increasingly efficient.


The university provost role is without peer in the corporate world or any other sector for that matter...[the] challenge is finding the right levers for getting the academic and research enterprise to respond quickly to an emerging set of challenges—rising demands on undergraduate education, declining research funding, the challenges of globalization, and a chorus of outside voices demanding that universities demonstrate their value to students, their communities, and the nation as a whole.1


The examination system is a system to be in accordance with the principle of justice,however,the problem of exam-cheating is still generally rampant among college students.This paper makes objective and rational analysis of the root,harmfulness and pattern and so on of this problem and recognizes the different consequences from different patterns of exam-cheating so as to better educate the students while solving the problem in order to promote the education level to be effectively improved from the angle of human nature and educational goal.


Nickel hydroxide, [Ni(OH)2] has been used extensively as the positive electrode material in rechargeable nickel-based batteries. Several approaches are known to be able for Ni(OH)2 growth including dc reactive magnetron sputtering, chemical spray pyrolysis, thermal evaporation, etc. This study discusses about nanostructured Ni(OH)2 film growth by aqueous chemical growth based technique. Ni(OH)2 film grown at 150 °C has a coral-like morphology whereas converted to NiO film by oxidation of Ni(OH)2 at 400 °C, confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) revealed a coral-like structure of Ni(OH)2 were grown on the glass substrates. Flake-like morphology was obtained for NiO film. The XRD pattern reveals that the intensity of observed peaks increased with the longer reaction time and film thickness which indicated an improvement in crystallinity. The optical band gap for Ni(OH)2 film calculated from transmission spectra increased from 3.72 eV to 3.91 eV with the inc...


Methods and sources of demography : A Demographic Application of the Estimation of a Varma Model with a Latent Variable


Tumor reliance on glycolysis is a hallmark of cancer and a mechanism of resistance to immunotherapy. This resistance is due to lactate-mediated immune suppression and competition for glucose between T cells and tumor cells within the tumor microenvironment. We have shown that CTLA-4 blockade is more effective in glycolysis-low tumors, or tumors lacking functional lactate dehydrogenase A (LDH-A), primarily due to functional destabilization of regulatory T cell suppression. LDH inhibitors (LDHi) have been reported to inhibit tumor glucose uptake and slow tumor cell proliferation in pre-clinical models of cancer. However, their effect on immune cells has not been explored in depth. In addition, the optimal conditions for pharmacological inhibition of LDH in combination with immunotherapy to maximize anti-tumor immune and therapeutic responses require further investigation. At baseline, tumor cells express higher levels of ldha and consume more glucose than tumor-infiltrating T cells, creating a therapeutic window for tumor-specific targeting of the glycolysis pathway. In vivo, LDHi relies on the adaptive immune system and the overexpression of tumor LDH to delay B16F10 murine melanoma progression. We found that treatment with LDHi has two effects: 1) reduction of tumor cell glucose uptake and 2) increase in glucose uptake by tumor-infiltrating T cells. Thus, LDH inhibition is an effective, tumor-specific strategy to reduce tumor cell glucose uptake and increase glucose availability within the tumor microenvironment, consequently boosting tumor-infiltrating T cell glucose uptake. In vitro, increased glucose levels improve effector T cell killing of tumor cells while reducing regulatory T cell suppressive ability. Accordingly, inhibiting LDH in combination with CTLA-4 blockade is more effective in controlling tumor progression compared to CTLA-4 blockade alone, and that this combination promotes effector T cell infiltration and activation, while destabilizing regulatory T cell function. Additionally, we observe serum LDH and lactate levels correlate with primary tumor burden as well as tumor LDH levels. Therefore, serum LDH may serve as a biomarker for tumor burden and tumor LDH, as well as clinical response to LDHi. This study provides a comprehensive rationale for combining immune checkpoint blockade with inhibitors of glycolysis for patients with highly glycolytic cancers.
 Citation Format: Svena Verma, Inna Serganova, Lauren Dong, Sadna Budhu, Levi Mangarin, Roberta Zappasodi, Taha Merghoub, Jedd D. Wolchok. LDH inhibition boosts effector T cells while destabilizing regulatory T cells and improves responses to CTLA-4 blockade. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 5873.


Now-a-days electrical vehicles are growing faster than the vehicles fuelled with conventional energy resources and are expected to replace conventional vehicles in near future,owing to its zilch emissions and environmental friendly. Albeit the electrical vehicles are contributing to the reduction in air and noise pollution, few technical issues have to be resolved for its improved performance. Currently electric vehicle is turned off automatically, for avoiding the shaft failure due to the twisting load acting on the shaft, while operator applies the accelerator pedal and brake pedal simultaneously. Hence, an attempt had been made to delay the system getting turned off by introducing a timer circuit in BSPD (Brake System Plausibility Device). The functioning of simplified BSPD with timer circuit was simulated using the Proteus software andthe outcome of the simulated results is presented in waveforms, which confirms the proper functioning of the circuit. A PCB for engaging the shutdown circuitwas also developed to control the electric vehicle's powertrain. The hardware implementation of the simulated circuit had been carried out and the real time working of the circuit was verified.


Abstract A rapid synthesis of 13C12-labelled mono- and dibromodibenzo-p-dioxin and mono-, di- and tribromodibenzofuran isomers is described. Commercially available 13C12-2,3,7-tribromodibenzo-p-dioxin and 22.214.171.124-tetrabromodibenzofuran dissolved in n-alkanes were irradiated for several minutes using UV light. This resulted in one or two predominant isomers for each of the above mentioned homologue groups. For theoretical reasons all congeners should be substituted only at lateral positions. When 13C12-2,3,7,8-tetrabromodibenzo-p-dioxin was irradiated in carbon tetrachloride, Br/Cl exchange took place to yield all three 2,3,7,8-substituted mixed halogenated dibenzo-p-dioxins (Br3CIDD, Br2Cl2DD, Br2Cl3DD) as well as 2,3,7,8 Cl4DD. A clean-up of the resulting mixtures was not necessary. The yield was better than 50% in each case. The procedure is simple and the handling of toxic substances is reduced to a minimum. The prepared substances can be used as internal standards for the analysis of brominated and mi...


This study was conducted to assess the yield and sensory characteristics of cheese produced from different milk sources (cow and goat using lemon citrus juice as coagulant compared with the commonly used rennet enzyme. The milk of the two species was collected from experimental dairy farms of animal production college (Kuku) and college of agricultural studies (Shambat), Sudan university of science and technology. After pasteurization at 85 oC for 30 min and cooling to 40 oC, the collected milk samples were divided into four groups (each five liters of goats' milk and cow's milk were treated with both Rennet enzyme and citric acid (Lemmon juice), respectively. Thereafter, the samples were incubated at 38 oC. The results revealed that Cow's and goat's milk that treated by rennet enzyme coagulated after one hour of incubation, while both milks treated by citric acid was coagulated immediately after 10 min. Significant differences (P≤0.05) on physiochemical characteristics (protein, fat, total solids or TS, acidity, ash, lactose and solids-not-fat or SNF) between goat's and cow's cheeses were obtained. It was observed that cheese manufactured from goat's milk using citric acid aggulation recorded higher protein, fat, ash, T.S, pH and TNF, percentages, while acidic cow's cheese showed high moisture, lactose, and acidity. While, enzymatic goat's cheese revealed high percentages, of protein, fat, ash, TS, Ca and acidity, and enzymatic cow's cheese revealed high moisture, lactose, SNF and Phosphorus percentage. The sensory evaluations showed significant (P≤0.05) differences on taste, flavor, smell, texture, and overall acceptability. The best values for taste, color and overall acceptability were obtained from enzymatic (rennet) goat's cheese followed by enzymatic (rennet) cow's cheese, then acidic (citric) cow's cheese and acidic (citric) goat's cheese was the last. The perfect hardness and texture were obtained from enzymatic (rennet) cow's cheese. Moreover, the best smell was recorded for the cheese produced from cows' milk by enzymatic curdling. Where, the most acceptable flavor was attained by the cheese processed from cows' milk by citric acid coagulation. The results indicated that the weight of the final products obtained from cows' and goats' milk using citric acid coagulant was higher than that obtained from the same milks using rennet enzyme coagulant. It is possible to conclude that lemon citrus juice can be utilized as an alternative coagulant in production of local Sudanese white cheese for high yield and short curdling time which performed favourably with the commonly used rennet enzyme.


The main aim of this investigation is to provide understandable introduction into a globalization phenomenon. In the first part we explore the basic structure of phenomenon itself, and present some of the best known definitions of globalization today. After that we analyze the critical aspects and five main dimensions of globalization. In the second part, we give relatively original model of classification and periodization of vast and different arguments about historical origins of globalization.


In order to study the difference between steady and transient numerical simulation,ANSYS CFX was adopted to analyze flow field kinetic parameters in safety valve opening process,and corresponding test verification was conducted. Study has found that relative deviation of the performance parameters is bigger in the opening stage,steady numerical simulation applied to static parameter measurement,but if studied the change of dynamic performance parameters meanwhile,transient numerical simulation need to be adopted.


Reinforcement learning agents are faced with the problem of perceptual aliasing when two or more states are perceptually identical but require diierent actions. To address this problem, several researchers have incorporated memory of preceding events into the deenition of states to distinguish perceptually-aliased states. Recently, McCallum (1995b) has ooered Utile Suux Memory (USM), an instance-based algorithm using a tree to store instances and to represent states for reinforcement learning. USM's use of online instance-based state learning permits state deenitions to be updated quickly based on the latest results of reinforcement learning. The use of a fringe (an extension of the tree to a prespeciied depth below thèreal' tree) provides the algorithm a limited degree of lookahead capability. However, the use of a fringe incurs a large cost in terms of tree size and provides only limited lookahead capability. We introduce a modiication of USM, Greedy Utile Suux Memory (GUSM) to address these concerns. GUSM uses a positive criterion for splitting a leaf node, similar to that used in USM, based on the immediate advantage of node splitting and resultant tree expansion. In addition, GUSM includes a negative split criterion, based on the inadequacy of a leaf node and the state it represents for determining the next correct action to take. GUSM is able to solve problems on which USM will sometimes fail (i.e., depending on the setting of the fringe depth parameter). In addition, GUSM usually produces trees that contain fewer nodes overall (i.e., real + fringe nodes) and solves problems as rapidly as USM.


The tracking and recognition of facial activities from image or video is useful in many applications such as animation and human machine interaction. The facial activities are described in three levels. In the bottom level, the facial components are detected. In the middle level, movements in the facial components can be identified. The top level represents the facial muscle movement and human emotion. Eigenfaces algorithm is used to detect face from the image. Hough Transform is used to extract the features. Naive Bayes Classifier and Active Shape Model are used to classify the features. The DBN is introduced between the Hough Transform and the classifier.


Effluent discharged from the coal-ash settling basin of the Columbia Generating Station (Wisconsin) modified water chemistry (increased trace metal concentrations, suspended solids and dissolved materials) and substrate quality (precipitation of chemical floc) in the receiving stream, the ash pit drain. To test the hypothesis that habitat avoidance could account for declines in macroinvertebrate density observed after discharge began, drift rates of two species were measured in laboratory streams containing combinations of reference and coal-ash-modified substrate and water. Contrary to the hypothesis, drift was uniformly lower in laboratory streams containing modified substrate and/or water compared to the reference condition for Gammarus pseudolimnaeus and Asellus racovitzai.


The purpose of this article was to reassess patterns previously identified in the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) data, expanding the time frame from 5 years to 20 years, for application within law enforcement when considering training needs over the life cycle of an officer's career. Consistent with the findings of the earlier analysis, this study identifies two prevalent patterns: the age range with the highest frequency of death was 30–39, and the years of experience with the highest frequency of death was 0–4. In fact, the analysis indicates an even stronger pattern of the deadly combination of age and tenure. Implications of the study include the need for larger scale data collection on the national population of officers, detailed information on transfers and time of service overall (as opposed to time in service at current department), and evaluations of current training programs and practices regarding de-escalation and the use of force as well as self-defense and situational awareness.


Traditional satellite imagery maps often use the method of applying images and text,which is difficult to read with lots of complex contents.In this paper,the authors used the Dianchi Lake Engineering and applied the census data and basic survey data of rivers flowing into Dianchi Lake,and combined advanced image processing technology and ortho-DEM data layer colors skill,and especially gave a fusion method of relief shading and satellite image data for presenting mountain topography to compile a three-dimensional image topic map of more visually aesthetic and visual impact.The results were rather satisfied,which has been used in the Dianchi Lake governance and urban planning and could provide an intuitive decision-making reference in the practical application.


This research is aimed to enhance the performances of low band gap (LBG) polymer in the optoelectronic applications, such as organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) and organic polymer photovoltaics (OPVs). Two strategies were used to design high performance LBG polymers, including promoting of the intermolecular non-covalent interaction strength and effect of congeners of the state-of-art LBG polymers. In the first part of this study, 5,6-difluoro-benzo-2,1,3-thiadiazole acceptor unit was copolymerized with quaterthiophene donor unit (PTh4FBT). This fluorinated unit was used to enhance the non-covalent interaction and the packing order of polymer chains in the aggregation state. The best OPV device based on this obtained polymer shows the power conversion efficiency (PCE) value of 6.82% and its OFET mobility of 0.29 cm2v-1s-1. In the second part of this study, furan and selenophene units were used to replace two thiophene units in the copolymers to study the effect of congeners. Other two copolymers (PTh2OFBT and PTH2SeFBT) were synthesized. Reduction of the bandgap and increase of crystallinity were observed in the selenophene containing polymer. Therefore, the device performances of PTh2SeFBT were the highest among the three polymers. The OPV and OFET devices based on PTh2SeFBT reveals the PCE value of 7.34% and 0.36 cm2v-1s-1. However, PTh2OFBT shows increase of the bandgap and reduction of crystallinity. So the OPV and OFET devices based on PTh2OFBT shows PCE value of 0.21% and mobility of 10-3 cm2v-1s-1.


The present invention is a process for the purification of long chain dicarboxylic acids. It belongs to a purification treatment acyclic dicarboxylic acid of 10 or more carbon atoms. Wherein the microbial fermentation production of long-chain dicarboxylic acids of the crude product as a starting material, methanol as the solvent purified by recrystallization comprising the steps:. ① dissolved, a bleaching temperature feed preheat b c dissolved adsorption. ② gradient filter d bleaching four cooling, crystallization was rinsed ③, ④ centrifugal filtration and dried under vacuum, the purified long chain dicarboxylic acids to achieve the following technical specifications: mono- wt% ≥99.20 total acid wt% ≥99.60 ash ppm≤ 30 ppm≤2 terms of Fe2O3 of iron to total nitrogen N elemental basis ppm≤30 moisture wt% ≤0.4 ester content not detected. Yield of purified C11 ~ c14 ≥98.4%, polycondensation synthetic long carbon chain nylon is suitable for polycondensation occurs and the diamine monomer; also applies to synthetic fragrance raw materials, drugs. Product provided a good color, high purity, high yield purified, low-cost purification method of long chain dicarboxylic acids.


This paper presents an image segmentation method for the manual identification of squamous epithelium from cervical cancer images. The present study was utilizing the various feature extraction techniques including texture feature, triangle feature and profile based correlation features. Generated features are used to classifying the squamous epithelium into normal, Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CIN1), CIN2 and CIN3. The results are used to classify the images into: 1) normal, 2) pre-cancer. The final system will take as input a biopsy image of the cervix containing the epithelium layer and provide the classification using our approach, to assist the pathologist in cervical cancer diagnosis. Keywords— Histology, Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia, Human Papillomavirus.


Results from the physical, simultaneous, inversion of the full IASI (Infrared Atmospheric Sounder Interferometer) spectra applied to the retrieval of surface temperature and emissivity, temperature, water vapour, ozone and HDO vertical profiles, and gas column abundance of CO2, CO, CH4, SO2, N2O, HNO3, NH3, OCS and CF4 have been updated with respect to the validation of OCS and O3 products. A case study has been set up and analysed, which consists of a two years long record of IASI spectra over sea surface in the Pacific Ocean close to the Mauna Loa (Hawaii) validation station. IASI O3 products have been intercompared with OMI (Ozone Monitoring Instrument) O3 retrievals, which, in contrast to IASI that uses the thermal infrared, are based on observation in the near ultra violet region of the electromagnetic spectrum. IASI OCS retrievals are compared to in situ flask observations. The IASI vs OMI comparison shows an excellent agreement with a correlation of 0.97 and a relative bias of approximately 1 Dobson Unit. For the case of OCS, we have found a good correlation of 0.75 for night time soundings. IASI captures the OCS seasonal cycle, although a relatively large negative bias of approximately -74 pptv is seen, which can be explained with a large spectroscopic error for OCS in the HITRAN 2008 version.


10.30699/jambs.28.130.284 Background & Objective: Behçet's disease (BD) is a multisystemic inflammatory vascular disorder with an autoimmune background. It is a genetic disease which can be affected by environmental factors. Behçet's disease may involve different organs like urogenital system, skin, eyes, and gastrointestinal system. The prevalence of the disease varies considering the geographic area and genetic predisposition. This study aims to evaluate some clinical features of mucocutaneous lesions of BD.


Heat Wave: A Social Autopsy of Disaster in Chicago. By Eric Klinenberg (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2002. Pp. xvii, 305. Illustrations, maps, tables, index. Cloth, $27.50). From 13-17 July 1995, Chicago and much of the Midwest experienced a period of extremely high temperatures and high humidity. For most, the "heat wave" was an uncomfortably hot weekend, perhaps even memorable in a trivial way, but certainly not life-threatening. But in a tragedy that quickly became a worldwide event, the heat wave proved deadly for the city's socially isolated, low-income elderly. Officially, the deaths of 739 people were blamed on the heat, a toll exceeded only by the Eastland disaster in twentieth-century Illinois history. In an exceptionally well-constructed and well-argued book, Eric Klinenberg brings the careful eye of a sociologist to construct a "social autopsy" of the disaster. He describes the specific social and political factors that created an eminently preventable tragedy. The book crushes superficial or dismissive explanations of the heat wave deaths as "inevitable" and then forces inspection of ways communities are organized and of how the decisions of local governments are reached. The book is about far more than the weather; it is about how we "live and die in the cities of today." (xiii) Klinenberg puts the ethical and policy issue bluntly: "When hundreds of people die slowly, alone and at home, unprotected by friends and family and unassisted by the state, it is a sign of social breakdown in which communities, neighborhoods, networks, government agencies, and the media charged with signaling warnings are all implicated." (32) In short, the heat wave was hardly a "natural" disaster but instead a socially constructed one. Unlike many works of academic sociology, Heat Wave is not burdened by jargon and thus offers a refreshingly accessible and readable narrative. Through interviews and media accounts, Klinenberg describes how the intense heat caught Chicago off guard, as city officials were first oblivious to the rising death toll and then denied anything was out of the ordinary. Mayor Richard M. Daley even rejected the reports of the Cook County Medical Examiner that tied the deaths to the heat. Other public officials and media commentators asked whether the deaths were "really real," that is, whether the people involved were going to die anyway. (27) But irrefutable evidence from numerous public health officials at all levels of government conclusively documented that the deaths were, in fact, directly attributable to the effects of heat and could have been easily prevented with basic medical attention. While the victims were largely elderly, disproportionately black, and most often socially isolated, Klinenberg shows how the social landscape contributed to the geography of death. Social isolation resulted in part from the problems of day-to-day life in several extremely dangerous neighborhoods. A rational fear of crime kept the single elderly from going out or interacting with neighbors, or even opening their windows. As a result, they lacked the social networks that might have offered assistance in times of crisis. (Family members and offspring, however, are largely exonerated from responsibility for their elderly parents in Klinenberg's account). Poverty, of course, was also a factor, as few of those who died had air conditioners. Historically, as late as the mid-1960s, city residents had coped with heat by sleeping outdoors, often in city parks. But a changed sense of security, especially in deeply distressed neighborhoods, precluded any such possibility for the elderly in the 1990s. To demonstrate the salience of community factors in social isolation, Klinenberg conducted a careful ethnography of two adjacent neighborhoods that had entirely different responses to the heat wave: North Lawndale and Little Village. While similar in their rates of elderly poor living alone, North Lawndale's death rate was ten times the rate in Little Village. …


Detection of traffic anomalies is useful in areas where traffic congestion is an issue of concern. This study aims at developing a system to detect traffic anomalies occurring on the Chalerm Mahanakhon expressway in Bangkok by using web-based traffic state data. In this study, artificial traffic sensors were placed along the expressway to analyze the traffic state data. A statistical model was developed to predict the traffic states on these artificial sensors based on Bayes's theorem. An algorithm to detect traffic anomalies was introduced. The degree of anomaly was defined by comparing the probability of the expected traffic state and the probability of the observed traffic state. The method can be applied to any area where sufficient historical data are available.


The largely skeptical attitude of New South Wales barristers to mediation is discussed. The need for a change in attitude towards mediation is emphasised, also suggesting certain practices that can be adopted.


Items for heat transfer made by metal foams or additive manufactured structures allow to create special components for several applications (i.e. fast response PCM, complex and light HEXs working at high temperatures for the aerospace sector). For their design thermo-physical properties data are required, such as thermal conductivity. To accurately measure this parameter with conventional procedures for metallic items (e.g. flash methods), the specific heat and density should be measured each time depending on the actual composition of the porous media (estimation is not yet reliable and porosity not known). The scope of this paper is to validate a test facility and the relative method for the data reduction to proof the possibility to measure directly the thermal conductivity with samples of small size. The experiments, carried-out with square samples (30×30 mm2), allow to measure a range of thermal conductivity between 5 and 50 W/m K. The main aspect of the experimental method is the calibration of the heat losses towards the environment by means of a reverse technique. The assessment of the results against samples of known materials was good.


Since ancient times woman have turned to the beautifies of nature to help or increase their own beauty. Even today, people especially in rural areas depend upon plants for traditional cosmetics. The research work is confined to herbal cosmetics with special reference of local communities of district Northern Pakistan. Through questionnaires, study was conducted in 20 villages of district Attock to collect information from local people for preparation, use of herbal cosmetics and their conservation. Indigenous data on 40 herbal recipes were collected from respondent informants. A total of 40 plant species belonging to 38 genera and 34 families were used in herbal cosmetics. Local communities, especially woman heavily use these herbal cosmetics for their beauty and believe that these are easily available, less expensive, and have no side effects.


The author analyzes the programs of the USA higher education institutions that use the method of reading in the formation of foreign students' linguistic and cultural patterns, increase the effectiveness of communication activities and understanding of socio cultural characteristics of the host country. The characteristics of reading allowed to determine that this method has the features of the process (which is transformed into certain actions that aimed at achieving the delivered goal) and the product (the using of aspects of achieving the goal in a certain sequence, which is necessary for process efficiency). The author considers strategies (descending and ascending) that promote the reading comprehension and are necessary for the linguistic and cultural patterns formation, because only when understanding the textual information, the personality of a foreign student is able to form the necessary elements that will later be applied in practice.


In AC Power transmission system the transformers occupy a key position to facilitate bulk power transmission at the optimal cost and efficiency. The reliability for the power transmission network as a whole is dependent upon the behaviour of the transformers in service. Irrespective of the location, size and voltage class the transformers are generally subjected to various abnormal operations when the rated parameters are violated. In case of best designed and manufactured transformers operated under normal ambient conditions, the life that can be expected could be more than twice the normal life. However the system operation would always be punctuated with normal and sometimes abnormal variation of load, ambient temperature, through-system short circuit and abnormal voltage profiles and these affect the "life-style" of power transformers.


U "Mother Africa," prays the hero of a recent novel by an African writer, "Oh, Mother Africa, make me strong for the work I must do. Don't forget me in the many you nurse. I would make you great. I would have the world respect you and your children. I would have the sun of freedom shine over you once more." This is a prayer which suggests the complex relationship to their mother which the sons of Africa are feeling-a kind of creative dependence in which the matriarch is felt as ur-source of sustenance in the tasks which she herself, struggling through a maze of cultural confusion, demands. Th-is complex relationship is not always equally well understood, nor explored with equal sensitivity, by all the young Africans who feel themselves caught up in it, but, in any case, there is no "free act" for them: every act is weighted with an enormous symbolism. With the Negroes in our own South, so apparently casual a decision as which seat one takes on a bus has willy-nilly its significance as symbol, because by such acts dignity is gained or given up; imagine a whole life which is thus symbolic and, it would seem, one has begun to open a way into the growing body of literature which is being produced today by native African writers. It is a literature whiclh may best be appreciated if one remembers always its primary ftunction as dramatic gesture. In tlhe same novel from which we have already quoted, A Wreath for Udomo by Peter Abrahams (a South African now living


Summary When job search takes place across labour markets, the standard flow approach to labour market analysis fails to uncover the effectiveness at which workers are matched to available jobs. A spatially augmented matching function is backed by a spatial search model with endogenous search intensity. Recent studies deal with the issue of spatial externalities by assuming the process of job matching to be homogenous across space. This study shows that this supposition is not valid for the unified Germany. Particularly differences in labour mobility give reason for the existence of West-East regimes of the matching process. Spatial heterogeneity is additionally found on the level of German macroregions. Though matching efficiency is affected by labour market characteristics, its cyclical pattern is closely related to business cycle fluctuations. Variation of regional mismatch over the business cycle can only explain a relatively small fraction of matching efficiency.


Drawing on cultural studies, gender theories, feminist theories, visual culture and semiotics, the present study investigates the subversive ways in which particular visual representations of teenage bodies introduce the generic transgression of cultural boundaries and limits in order to reflect the process of identity formation. Departing from various theories of corporeality and the semiotics of the body as a cultural entity, this study looks at contemporary American photographer Sally Mann's collection of photographs, At Twelve, in order to discern the visual mechanisms through which the staged representation of adolescent girls introduces the generous subversion of generic normative categories such as gender, age or social status. Furthermore, the present analysis suggests that trespassing boundaries is a necessary stage in the construction of self-sustainable identities in the aftermath of-postmodernism. Thus, the article tackles gender construction as a cultural edifice in which visual representation plays a significant part. Sally Mann's photography is eventually viewed as an instance of the contemporary interrogation of norms and boundaries of classical Western culture, as well as an innovative visual documenting of the transgressions, transitions and avoidance of limits that characterize adolescence.


Achieving high‐rate and high‐areal‐capacity Zn anode with high depth of discharge (DOD) offers a bright future for large‐scale aqueous batteries. However, Zn deposition suffers from severe dendrite growth and side reactions, which compromises achievable lifetime. Herein, an electrical double layer (EDL) reconstruction strategy is proposed by employing acetone as electrolyte additive to fully address these issues. Experimental and theoretical simulation results reveal that the adsorption priority of acetone to water on Zn creates a water‐poor inner Helmholtz layer. Meanwhile, the intense hydrogen bonding effect between acetone and water confines the activity of free water and weakens the Zn2+ solvation in the outer Helmholtz layer and diffusion layer. Such ion/molecule rearrangement in EDL suppresses hydrogen evolution, facilitates the desolvation process, and promotes the Zn2+ diffusion kinetics, which guides homogeneous Zn nucleation and uniform growth, even in extreme situations. At both ultrahigh current density of 50 mA cm−2 and areal capacity of 50 mAh cm−2, the addition of 20 v/v% acetone in 2 m ZnSO4 extends the lifespan of Zn//Zn symmetric cells from 12 to 800 h, with a high DOD of 73.5%. The effectiveness of this strategy is further demonstrated in the Zn‐MnO2 full batteries at wide temperature range from −30 to 40 °C.


Intensive care monitoring systems are typically developed from population data, but do not take into account the variability among individual patients' characteristics. This study develops patient-...


Business process simulation plays an important role for enterprise business process re-engineering. This paper proposes a new algorithm to dynamically select a critical path with multiple constraints for enterprise process cooperative scheduling within cooperative business simulation systems. The proposed algorithm is based on Dynamic Programming and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), and has been validated through a prototype implementation with case studies.


Reduction of power consumption is significantly important for all high-performance digital VLSI systems. This paper reviews several approaches for low-power implementations of building blocks for digital subscriber line (DSL) systems. Low-power implementations of Reed-Solomon (RS) coders, fast Fourier transforms (FFTs), FIR filters, and equalizers, and reduction of power consumption by use of dual supply voltages are addressed. It is shown that use of separate Galois field functional units for multiply-accumulate and degree reduction can reduce the energy consumption of RS coders dramatically. A hybrid feedforward and feedback commutator scheme-based FFT is shown to require less area and full hardware utilization efficiency. Reduction of switching activity at one or both inputs of the multipliers is a key to reduction of power consumption in FIR filters and equalizers. The switching activity can be reduced by use of transpose structure and by time-multiplexing of an unfolded filter. A well established retiming approach can be generalized to find those noncritical gates which can be operated with lower supply voltages to reduce the overall system power consumption.


The basilar artery of the dog was studied and its branches traced to their terminations. The nomenclature used is based on the origin, course and termination of the arteries. The basilar artery arose from a spinal arterial circle formed in the vertebral canal at the level of the atlanto-occipital articulation by union of vertebral arteries and the ventral spinal artery. The arterial supply to the membranous labyrinth arose from the anterior inferior cerebellar artery. After entering the porus acusticus, one or more tiny labyrinthine arteries arose and the parent trunk then looped dorsally out of the meatus to supply the lower portions of the cerebellum. A branch of the basilar artery, unnamed in the dog, was associated closely with the trigeminal nerve; a separate arterial supply to the caudal colliculus arose from the medial branch of the superior cerebellar artery. It was concluded that branches of the basilar artery of the dog and man are similar since, with exception of the middle inferior cerebellar artery, all branches of the basilar artery in man may be found in dog.


As a master in the Chinese history of philosophy,Xunzi's human nature thought ranks as an important subject in the Chinese philosophy thought.Thus,multi-perspective analysis must be followed to realize better comprehension of Xunzi's theory on human nature.


The study investigates the creation of new ventures, starting from consumption and users. The research on user entrepreneurship has been rapidly developing in recent times, highlighting the importance of user communities and consumers' passion for innovations that can satisfy unmet needs. Notwithstanding this increasing research effort, most contributions focus on end-user entrepreneurship and in low-tech sectors such as consumer goods or sport industries. This work intends to contribute to the debate by presenting a longitudinal case study of a professional user entrepreneurship in a high-tech sector, i.e., the medical device industry. Adopting the idea of a veterinarian-user, the company has developed a ground-breaking, complex product for the market, becoming an important market reality. The results present the evolution stages in the creation of user entrepreneurship from the generation of the idea till the business scale up and illustrate the contributions of user communities and the role of local clusters.


NEW MATERIAL: A compd. of formula I [wherein R 1 is H or 1-3C alkyl provided when the compd. is not in the salt form, then R 1 is absent; R 2 and R 4 are each H or 1-4C alkyl; R 3 is 4-20C alkyl, phenyl, etc.; Y is (CR 7 R 7 ) n (wherein R 7 is H, 1-4C hydroxyalkyl, etc.; and n is 2-4); and X is CR 7 R 7 or N(R 9 ) (wherein R 9 is H or 1-3C alkyl)] or its salt. EXAMPLE: Cis-N-(tetrahydropyrimidin-2-yl)-2-methyl-3-(4-t-butylphenyl)pyrrolidinium acetate. USE: A fungicide for plants, having a high water solubility. PROCESS: A compd. of formula II is reacted with a compd. of formula III (wherein L is a leaving group such as alkoxy) in an org. solvent (e.g. ethanol) at 50-200°C to give a compd. of formula I of which X is CR 7 R 7 . COPYRIGHT: (C)1990,JPO


Based on baptismal parish records, this paper analyses the relative market share between slave traders in Luanda from 1798 to 1804. In the context of high Atlantic demand for slaves, the baptism of cabeças (term used to refer to adult slaves destined for sale) show that the market was at the same time open and concentrated. Alongside many small-scale merchants, that sold a few slaves at a time, an extremely reduced number of large-scale traders dominated the trade in people. However, this select group of nearly monopolistic traders was heterogeneous, since it was composed of different kinds of people, including vessel captains, members of the Luanda elite and men from other parts of the Portuguese monarchy (Brazil and Portugal). The conclusion reached is that the intense participation of different social groups in the business meant that the market for captives had wide political, moral and social support.


A ccording to estimations by the World Bank, 350,000 people are killed in automobile accidents in the developing world each year. Two-thirds of these accidents involve pedestrians, most of whom are children, and occur in cities or surrounding areas. As a result of the population surge in urban areas and the rise in vehicle ownership, the figures are still mounting. In fact, road accidents represent the second most important cause of death among 5-to 44-year-olds. As a result, accidents cost developing countries between $1.4 billion and $2 billion per year, or an estimated 1 percent to 2 percent of their annual gross national product. To make matters worse, a substantial part of this cost must be paid in foreign exchange. since most vehicles. spare parts and medicines have to be imported.' This article addresses the road safety situation in Lebanon, a developing country in the Middle East, investigates the main aspects of traffic accidents, and suggests possible solutions to remedy the situation. Generally speaking. the transportation system in Lebanon is chaotic and lacks sufficient traffic control systems. Traffic congestion and traffic accidents have become familiar scenes in this country. However, it should be noted that the present government is undertaking measures to alleviate some of these problems. Accident Database


Sometimes, we are inclined to judge that neither of two value-bearers is better than the other, and that a small improvement in either would not be enough to make it the better one. This means that the items cannot be equally good, either. If they were, a small improvement would make one of them better than the other. Such cases are hence putative examples of value incomparability, as standardly defined:


Single-electron-transistor (SET)/MOS hybrid architectures greatly simplify the design of traditional A/D converters, but are quite unreliable due to random background charges. We propose a method of implementing Boltzmann machine networks on hybrid ADCs for the improved immunity against background charges. The self-regulation with Boltzmann machines enables the digital outputs of ADC to converge to a stable state when a simulated annealing process is applied. Simulation results with a 3-bit ADC are provided to show the effectiveness of the proposed structure. A possible structure for the higher resolution of ADCs is also presented.


We devise a method to obtain a phantom version of FRW k-essence cosmologies with homogeneous k fields by applying form-invariance transformations. It can be seen that the transformation performs the maps $\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{H}\ensuremath{-}H$ and $\ensuremath{\rho}+\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{p}\ensuremath{-}(\ensuremath{\rho}+p),$ which in turn give $\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\ensuremath{\gamma}}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\gamma}$ and $\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{a}{a}^{\ensuremath{-}1}.$ The discussion is presented in a general setup, valid for FRW k-essence cosmologies, and then we discuss power-law solutions for illustration purposes. First, we deal with models such that the gradient of the k field is not constant, and they include standard and generalized tachyon cosmologies. We concentrate on the usual tachyon and show that the phantom symmetry involves a change in the potential: and that it generates an extended superaccelerated tachyon field. Then, we turn our attention to models for which the time derivative of the k field is not constant, and we show the transformation can be implemented without changing the potential at all.


Abstract Let x 1, …, x n be a sample from a normal population. Then a necessary and sufficient condition that the sample mean is independent of any translation invariant statistic is that Σ n j−1, Cov ( x i , x j ) = M, for all i (i = 1, …, n) and some positive semidefinite matrix M.


Reading is a process in which the reader must be actively involved.You must use what knowledge you can gain from the text and what you knows about the world in general in order to infer meanings and other sorts of information.This paper will puts forward some skills for reading comprehension.


In this paper the authors present the equipping of a 1:1 scaled AAL laboratory apartment with prefabricated compact "terminals" that concentrate on assistive technology. The development has been conducted within the Project LISA HABITEC, which is funded by the City of Bozen, Italy. Within this project new possibilities have been investigated, to enable an independent and self-sufficient life for elderly. Therefore, terminals for the different life centers of an apartment (bed, bath, living room, entrance area), have been developed, where service and support modules can be easily attached, e.g. by plug-and-play. Thereby, the proposed AAL solution is highly customizable towards the user's needs, health situation, and financial resources. The service modules contain functions such as unobtrusive detection of health data (e.g. ECG, temperature etc.), active support systems like stand up support (e.g. by decent integrated handles), and service robotics integrated into the furniture. This paper describes the outcomes of the second development and evaluation cycle in the project (formative, pretesting) in which through standardized qualitative test in a laboratory test apartment, with 9 test subjects (N = 9), terminals of four different live centers, have beenevaluated (technology verification, workflows, usability, etc.), in order to provide input for improvement, automation and extension of the functionality of each terminal in the third (final) development testing cycle.


This text revert to the comment which professor Lian Denggang put forward the paraphrase of the words "ping" and "xing" in Taipingjing.Through the analysis of canto and all-sided datum,it demonstrated they are saying markers,but not the verbs of speak.


SUMMARY The effects of ammonium chloride, potassium nitrate and potassium chloride on the rate of '4Co2 incorporation into beech mycorrhizas were compared. It was confirmed that the rate of incorporation of '4CO2 was increased by ammonia and that glutamine became heavily labelled in its presence. No such effect was evident in the case of nitrate. Both potassium chloride and potassium nitrate stimulated '4CO2 incorporation as compared with samples kept in water but the extra radioactivity was found primarily in malate. This is the result to be expected if potassium is absorbed more readily than the associated anion. It is concluded that nitrate is not readily utilized by excised beech mycorrhizas. The primary destination of absorbed ammonia appears to be the fungal sheath.


As noted in chapter 2 the discursive construction of fatherhood in the nineties was dominated by a dual emphasis. On the one hand the recuperative and restorative potential that becoming a father held for men was consistently valorised, while on the other a pathologised discourse that espoused the many failings and problems of (usually absent) fathers remained pervasive. Further, the patriarchal family unit is traditionally a core component of the nation; as noted previously, in films the breakdown of this unit is coterminous with, and symbolic of, a wider breakdown in the nation state. The gender politics of the family unit are complex and variable; what is significant for me, here, is the ways in which British cinema during the nineties negotiated this contested terrain. Although the cultural context remained heavily invested in the restorative and recuperative potential of fatherhood, British films remained consistently downbeat; the dominant trope of white working class fathers in particular are characterised by failure, inadequacy and despondency. Scholars including Deborah Chambers and Estella Tincknell demonstrate how, during this period, the effects of reconstructed ideas about men's roles within the family were having far reaching ramifications on both ideas about male practices and upon the social ways in which men functioned within the family unit. Chambers explains that in the aftermath of the 'new' man reconstruction of the eighties, fatherhood became


The subject of this paper is one about which I have written before, but this paper goes further than those published previously. It contemplates the gradual transformation of the global reserve regime by making the IMF?s quasi-currency, the SDR, the primary reserve asset of the international monetary system, which was the objective adopted when the SDR was introduced in 1969.


These slides were created in HTML with s5 (http://www.meyerweb.com/eric/tools/s5/). They are here in their print form owing to DSpace's poor handling of CSS and JavaScript. The slides are from a tutorial given 11 June 2006 at Joint Conference for Digital Libraries in Chapel Hill, NC.


As convolutional layers are computationally intensive and dominate the total execution time of modern, deep Convolutional neural networks (ConvNets) [15, 22, 24, 25], many efforts have been made to improve the performance of the convolutional primitives for CPUs [1, 6, 26, 31, 33], GPUs [4, 7, 19, 27] or both [32]. An important class of improvements is to reduce the computations required for a convolution. Several efforts employed FFT-based convolutions to reduce the required computations for GPUs [19, 27] and CPUs [31, 32]. Recently, Lavin et al. [16] proposed an algorithm based on the Winograd algorithm for minimal filtering, originally developed for fast computation of finite impulse response (FIR) filters [30]. The key idea of the Winograd–based convolution is similar to the one based on FFTs. The inputs and the kernels are first transformed, and then an element–wise multiplication, which is an equivalent problem to a matrix multiplication, is performed. An inverse transformation of the result yields the result of the convolution. Unlike the FFT–based convolution, where the point-wise multiplications are done in the complex domain, the Winograd–based convolution operates on real numbers, thus requiring fewer operations. After Lavin et al. [16] demonstrated that Winograd–based convolution can be more efficient than FFT in reducing the number of multiplications, especially for small 2D kernels (e.g. 3 × 3), Nervana [4] and Nvidia's cuDNN [7] had implemented Winograd–based convolution for GPUs. CPU implementations were also provided by FALCON [1], LIBXSMM[5], Intel MKL-DNN [2] and Budden et al. [6]. In addition, currently available implementations support only 2D convolutions and single kernel size (3 × 3), which restricts the range of the application of Winograd–based convolution. 3D ConvNets are becoming important, as they have been successfully applied to many fields [9, 14, 20, 21]. Our work on the design, implementation and evaluation of a fast Winograd-based implementation is motivated by the fact that current Winograd–based implementations for multicore or manycore CPUs perform well below the hardware capability. In many cases, they under–performed more computationally expensive, but more optimized implementations, such as direct convolutions.


An investigation was conducted on impinging stream drying of moist paddy using hot air and superheated steam as the drying media. Drying experiments were divided into two parts: namely, one-pass and two-pass drying. The volumetric water evaporation rate, volumetric heat transfer coefficient, and specific energy consumption of the drying system at various conditions were assessed; in the case of superheated-steam drying, the effect of steam recycle was also assessed. The quality of dried paddy was evaluated in terms of color, head rice yield, and degree of starch gelatinization. In the case of one-pass drying, an increase in the drying temperature led to a significant increase in the volumetric water evaporation rate and volumetric heat transfer coefficient. On the other hand, in the case of two-pass drying, an increase in the drying temperature led to a significant decrease in the volumetric heat transfer coefficient; the volumetric water evaporation rate was not significantly affected, however. The specific energy consumption decreased with an increase in the drying temperature. At the same temperature, using superheated steam as the drying medium led to lower specific energy consumption; higher level of steam recycle also led to more energy conservation. The color of the dried paddy was not affected by the change in the drying temperature; superheated-steam-dried paddy was redder and more yellow than the hot-air-dried paddy. An increase in the drying temperature led to decreased percentage of head rice yield. Superheated-steam drying helped enhance the level of starch gelatinization in comparison with hot-air drying at the same temperature. Nevertheless, drying at the highest tested temperature led to a lower level of starch gelatinization.


Objective:To evaluate effects and safety of glycyrrhizin combined with desloratadine in treatment of chronic urticaria.Methods:One hundred and six patients were divided equally into two groups by opening randomized grouping to evaluate the effects and safety of desloratadine 5 mg daily combined with glycyrrhizin 75 mg three times a day(Group A)and desloratadine 5 mg daily(Group B).in treating chronic urticaria each group.Results:In group A,there were 46/53(healing+apparent,86.8%) marked improved, while in group B,the result were 27/53(healing+apparent.52.8%)(x~2=14.50,P0.01). There were no obvious side effects in two groups in clinic observations.Conclusions:Glycyrrhizin in combination of desloratadine in the treatment of chronic urticaria is effective and safe.


In China's traditional culture,the theory and practice of honor and dishonor have their rich thought resources.Chinese scholars in ancient times,specially Confucian thinkers,believed that the setting-up of the correct outlook of the honor and dishonor,namely,so-called "knows the shame",was of great value to the governance of a state,the education of people,the improvement of a society and the enhancement of an individual moral character,and especially played a role of main aspects and political integrity in the "know how to behave","know how to teach" and "know how to rule a country".The analysis of Chinese tradition outlook of the honor and dishonor may provide references for today's moral education and social governance.


This paper presents a new isolated dc/dc converter with zero-voltage turn-on switching (ZVS) of power switches and zero-current turn-off switching (ZCS) of diodes. In conventional flyback converter, the main drawbacks are high voltage stresses on power devices large transformer size, and serious reverse recovery current which resulted in high voltage spike across output diode. To solve these problems, buck-boost type of active-clamp circuit is connected in parallel with the primary winding to clamp the voltage spike across the power switch, recycle the energy stored in the leakage and magnetizing inductances of transformer and realize the turn-on ZVS by utilizing the leakage inductance and output capacitance of switch. The leakage inductance and the resonant capacitance on the secondary side are resonant to allow the output diodes turn-off at ZCS. Thus the switching losses and thermal stresses of the switches and diodes are reduced, the output diode has no reverse recovery problem, and voltage stresses of the output diodes are clamped to the output voltage. Experiments conducted on a laboratory prototype rated at 270W are provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed converter.


The invention relates to an interactive system based on a circular screen, a ground screen and a sand table screen. The interactive system comprises an infrared/laser generator, an inductor, a controller, a circular screen projection component, a sand table projection component, a ground curtain projection component and a server, wherein the infrared/laser generator is in wireless connection with the inductor; the inductor is connected with the controller; the controller is connected with the circular screen projection component, the sand table projection component and the ground curtain projection component respectively; and the circular screen projection component, the sand table projection component and the ground curtain projection component are connected with the server respectively. Compared with the prior art, the system provided by the invention combines a circular screen projection system, a ground screen projection system and a sand table screen projection system, greatly improves the interactive mode of the information, realizes strong freshness, and can demonstrate any content mentioned by the docent.


Exploiting lessons learned is a key knowledge management (KM) task. Currently, most lessons learned systems are passive, stand-alone systems. In contrast, practical KM solutions should be active, interjecting relevant information during decision-making. We introduce an architecture for active lessons delivery systems, an instantiation of it that serves as a monitor, and illustrate it in the context of the conversational case-based plan authoring system HICAP (Munoz-Avila et al., 1999). When users interact with HICAP, updating its domain objects, this monitor accesses a repository of lessons learned and alerts the user to the ramifications of the most relevant past experiences. We demonstrate this in the context of planning noncombatant evacuation operations.


Creativity does not occur in a vacuum. When we examine a creative person, creative product, or creative process, we often ignore the environmental milieu. We decontextualize creativity. The environment, however, is always present and can have a profound effect on creative expression. The environment may be involved in stimulating and supporting creativity as well as defining and evaluating it. In this vein, recent theories have acknowledged that a confluence of environment centered variables and person-centered variables (intelligence, knowledge, cognitive styles, personality, and motivation) is necessary for creativity (Amabile, 1983; Arieti, 1976; Csikszentmihalyi, 1988; Gruber, 1989; Sternberg & Lubart, 1991, 1995). Concerning the environment, we can identify a set of interrelated contexts that influence creativity. These include the physical setting, the family, the school or workplace, the field of endeavor, and the culture. This chapter focuses on the effect of the cultural environment on creativity. Culture refers to a shared system of cognitions, behaviors, customs, values, rules, and symbols concerning the manner in which a set of people interact with their social and physical environment (Reber, 1985; Triandis, 1996). Culture is learned and socially transmitted from generation to generation. Cultural groups are often identified at the societal level, following geopolitical boundaries. Within these cultural groups there may be identifiable subcultures based on age (e.g., teen culture), socioeconomic class, religion, or other characteristics.


heel board (1) for forming a part of the floor of a vehicle by being fixed firstly to the side sills of the vehicle by the side edges and on the other hand to the seat base (3) by its edge upper and front floor with its lower edge, the upper and lower edges extending between the two lateral edges and the seat base (3) being situated higher than the front floor, characterized in that the heel board ( 1) has at least two lateral supports (2) each extending substantially from one of the side edges of the heel board (1) towards the central part of the heel board (1), the two lateral reinforcements (2) being spaced from each other at least in the direction of the transverse axis of the vehicle when the heel board (1) is fixed to the vehicle.


The high-resolution differential equation framework has been proven to be tailor-made for Nesterov's accelerated gradient descent method~(\texttt{NAG}) and its proximal correspondence -- the class of faster iterative shrinkage thresholding algorithms (FISTA). However, the systems of theories is not still complete, since the underdamped case ($r<2$) has not been included. In this paper, based on the high-resolution differential equation framework, we construct the new Lyapunov functions for the underdamped case, which is motivated by the power of the time $t^{\gamma}$ or the iteration $k^{\gamma}$ in the mixed term. When the momentum parameter $r$ is $2$, the new Lyapunov functions are identical to the previous ones. These new proofs do not only include the convergence rate of the objective value previously obtained according to the low-resolution differential equation framework but also characterize the convergence rate of the minimal gradient norm square. All the convergence rates obtained for the underdamped case are continuously dependent on the parameter $r$. In addition, it is observed that the high-resolution differential equation approximately simulates the convergence behavior of~\texttt{NAG} for the critical case $r=-1$, while the low-resolution differential equation degenerates to the conservative Newton's equation. The high-resolution differential equation framework also theoretically characterizes the convergence rates, which are consistent with that obtained for the underdamped case with $r=-1$.


There are many natural language sentences in the form of a QAB,where Q is to quantify the phrase;A is a common noun phrase;B is a verb phrase.Expressing quantitative approaches are varied in natural language,so the quantitative types of characterization are also in different ways.Many English determiners can be characterized,in the classical first-order logic in spite of the more complicated wordy usage,but there are a number of qualifiers which can not be expressed in classical first-order logic.We can enrich the classical first-order logic expression by adding a new quantifier symbols,such as "most".


PURPOSE: this study aims at reviewing the literature on therapeutic patterns utilized in the phonologic therapy, emphasizing the contrastive approaches, being these the Minimal Pairs/Maximum Oppositions and Multiple Oppositions Approaches. METHODS: searches were accomplished throughout publications based on Medline, Scielo, Bireme and Pubmed data, books, thesis, dissertations, monographs and articles. RESULTS: the Minimal Pairs/ Maximum Opposition Approaches involve the selection of couples of words that are distinguished by a single phoneme, and they may contrast few distinctive features (minimum pairs) or many features (maximum opposition). These patterns are recommended for children suffering from mild to mild-moderate disorder. In the Multiple Opposition Approach, there are words that also differ in just one phoneme, however, these contrast diverse features due to the selection of many phonemes. This pattern is recommended for severe disorder, because, in general, the children replace many phonemes of the adult system by just one sound. CONCLUSION: to choose the appropriate pattern, you must take into account the presence and the lack of phonemes in the sound system of the child, the kind and the severity level of the phonological disorder. Moreover, the selection of the appropriate therapeutic pattern can help to obtain future generalizations.


Objective: Nosocomial infections are an important preventable cause of increased morbidity and mortality in critically ill children. Our study compared the clinical features, laboratory data, and prognostic variables of nosocomial infections (NI) in children in the tertiary pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Methods: A retrospective evaluation of 48 pediatric patients aged 1 month to 18 years who had been admitted between February 2022 and January 2023 at University of Health Sciences Türkiye, Sancaktepe Şehit Prof. Dr. İlhan Varank Training and Research Hospital was performed. Children with NI were included. Demographic clinical and outcome data were analyzed. Results: Twenty-seven patients (56.3%) were males. The median age was 32 months, and the length of stay in the PICU was 25 days (7-114). Respiratory diseases (50%) were the most common reasons for admission to the PICU, followed by sepsis (22.9%) and trauma (12.5%). The mortality rate was 18.8%. The requirement for renal replasman treatment was significantly higher in the non-survival group (p=0.017). Patients had similar prolonged PICU stay rates and requirements of mechanical ventilation, plasma exchange, and inotropic agents (p=0.472, p=0.320, p=0.432, p=0.068). Procalcitonin (PCT) (p=0.015), and procalcitonin/albumin ratio (PAR) (p=0.016) were also higher in the non-survival group than those in the survival group. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to predict mortality with PCT and PAR. According to ROC analysis, the cut-off values for PCT and PAR were found to be 1.705 (p=0.015), and 0.538 (p=0.016) respectively. Conclusion: Risk factors that cannot be changed, such as the underlying disease, should be considered in patients. Other modifiable risk factors for NIs will likely be the focus of efforts to enhance patient care.