Abstract One of the most significant and far-reaching shifts taking place in contemporary British higher education is that from an institution-centred approach to a learner-centred approach. This paper explores the implications of this new dynamic, proposing in Section 1 three ways in which institutions will be challenged to adapt: in their overall perception of and goals for their students; in their educational objectives and focus, and in the structure and mode of delivery of their programmes and courses. The proposals challenge the existing status quo, and reference is made to some of the theological principles said to underpin current practice. Section 2 takes this further, similarly examining the alternative from a theological perspective, focusing on the dual yet related issues of communion and selfhood (with individualism). The knotty question of the Church's role in society provides the backdrop for the summary and conclusion, which suggest that institutions would do well in this instance to accommodate societal change rather than stand against it. Such accommodation is not necessarily negative; indeed, there are many ways in which it can be seen as healthy and theologically sound. While the intention of the paper is to provoke discussion before promoting new pathways, its underlying message is one not only of challenge but also of hope.


Selenium (Se) is one of the essential trace elements in humans.Glutathione Peroxidase is an important selen-enzymes.In preeclampsia,selenium deficiency and decreased activity of glutathione geroxidase result in an imbalance between pro-oxidants and anti-oxidants,oxidative stress and a series of pathologic damage,all of which have bad influence on fetal growth and perinatal outcome.


In this study, for the first time, a biodegradable poly(L-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone), PLC 67:33 copolymer was developed for use as temporary scaffolds in reconstructive nerve surgery. The effect of the surface topology and pore architecture were studied on the biocompatibility for supporting the growth of human umbilical cord Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hWJ-MSCs) and human neuroblastoma cells (hNBCs) as cell models. Porous PLC membranes were prepared by electrospinning and phase immersion precipitation with particulate leaching and nonporous PLC membranes were prepared by solvent casting. From the results, the porous PLC membranes can support hWJ-MSCs and hNBCs cells better than the nonporous PLC membrane, and the interconnected pore scaffold prepared by electrospinning exhibited a more significant supporting attachment of the cells than the open pore and nonporous membranes. We can consider that these electrospun PLC membranes with 3-D interconnecting fiber networks and a high porosity warrant a potential use as nerve guides in reconstructive nerve surgery.


Based on the Single Weak Plane Theory as well as on the strength estimation method proposed by Hoek, a modified method is proposed for estimating strength of stratified rockmass using the Hoek-Brown Rule. Reliability of the modified method is confirmed through testing. It is the author's view that the modified method can be used to approximately estimate the strength of stratified rockmass.


Teachers perform a variety of duties such as implementing the syllabus content, dealing with classroom management, issue of learners' discipline, integrating students with special needs, using technology, co-curricular activity and being accountable to various stakeholders of education. These tasks can be difficult and stressful to smoothly enable teachers perform there is need for mentoring programs. Mentoring has been described as a nurturing process. In which a more skilled person serves as a role model by teaching sponsoring, encouraging, counseling and befriending a less skilled and less experience person i.e. protégé for the purpose of promoting professional development and efficiency, The overall purpose of teacher mentoring is to improve teaching and learning process. This study intends to look at areas of professional development where teachers need mentoring such as policies and procedures, stakeholders" expectations and analyses of related data such as documents on policy. Data will be analyzed and inference made. It is expected that mentoring will make teachers get job satisfaction and be effective in the teaching and the learning process.


Declaration of interest None. There is a growing concern about the adverse effects of cannabis use, especially with regard to young people (Fergusson et al, 2002). Population studies have found increased rates of externalising disorders, such as juvenile offending and conduct problems (Fergusson et al, 2002), and to a lesser extent internalising disorders such as psychosis (Arsenault et al, 2002) and depression (Degenhardt et al, 2003), among cannabis users. Studies have shown that adjustment for confounding factors weakens the associations between cannabis use and such disorders. The aims of our study were to ascertain the association between cannabis use and mental health disorders among Dutch adolescents and to investigate the role of confounding factors in a systematic way. The availability of cannabis and the illegality and criminality concerning this drug have been put forward as explanations for associations between cannabis use and mental health disorders (Fergusson et al, 2002). The results will therefore also be discussed in the light of the liberal drug policy in The Netherlands.


The invention relates to the technical field of an electronic illuminator, in particular to a candlelight-simulation electronic candle, which comprises a candle body case and a candle body base, wherein the candle body case is connected with the candle body base, the candle body case and the candle body base form an accommodating space, the upper end of the candle body case is provided with a lamp wick, a machine case through hole and a background wall, the lamp wick is arranged between the machine case through hole and the background wall, the accommodating space is provided with a fixing frame and a lens fixing seat, the fixing frame is hinged with the lens fixing seat, the accommodating space is also provided with a swinging mechanism used for driving the lens fixing seat to swing around the fixing frame, the fixing frame and the lens fixing seat are respectively provided with a light emitting element and a lens, in the electrified state, light rays of the light emitting element sequentially pass through the lens and the machine case through hole, and the light rays emitted out from the machine case through hole are projected onto the background wall. The candlelight-simulation electronic candle provided by the invention has the advantages that the use effect of the candle can be really simulated both in the electrified state and in the power failure state, the effect is like real candlelight, and the visual experience is more vivid.


The hippocampus (HPC) and the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) are two cortical areas of the primate brain deemed essential to cognition. Here we hypothesize that the codes mediating neuronal communication in HPC and LPFC microcircuits have distinctively evolved to serve plasticity and memory function at different spatiotemporal scales. We used a virtual reality task in which animals navigated through a maze using a joystick and selected one of two targets in the arms of the maze according to a learned context-color rule. We found that neurons and neuronal populations in both regions encode similar information about the task. Moreover, we demonstrate that many HPC neurons concentrate spikes into bursts, whereas most layer II/III LPFC neurons sparsely distribute spikes over time. As the animals learned the task HPC neurons, but not LPFC neurons, increased their burst rate as a function of performance. When integrating spike rates over short intervals, HPC neuronal ensembles reached maximum decoded information with fewer neurons than LPFC ensembles. Our results show that during associative learning HPC principal cells concentrate spikes in bursts enabling temporal summation and fast synaptic plasticity in small populations of neurons and ultimately facilitating rapid encoding of associative memories. On the other hand, layers II/III LPFC pyramidal cells fire spikes more sparsely distributed in time and over a larger number of neurons. The latter would facilitate broadcasting of signals loaded in short term memory across neuronal populations without necessarily triggering fast synaptic plasticity.


The invention relates to novel biodegradable vegetable-oil-based water-soluble cutting fluid. The novel biodegradable vegetable-oil-based water-soluble cutting fluid is prepared from, by weight, 40-60 parts of vegetable oil, 5-15 parts of pH regulating agent, 4-10 parts of extreme-pressure lubricant, 15-30 parts of emulsifier, 0.1-3.5 parts of corrosion inhibitor, 0.1-3 parts of stabilizer, 0.01-0.3 part of antifoaming agent, 1-5 parts of bactericide and 8-18 parts of water. The cutting fluid which is environment-friendly metal cutting fluid has excellent extreme-pressure lubricity, abrasion resistance, corrosion resistance and biodegradability and avoids environment pollution.


Continuous development of urban infrastructure with a focus on sustainable transportation has led to a proliferation of vulnerable road users (VRUs), such as bicyclists and pedestrians, at intersections. Intersection safety evaluation has primarily relied on historical crash data. However, due to several limitations, including rarity, unpredictability, and irregularity of crash occurrences, quantitative and qualitative analyses of crashes may not be accurate. To transcend these limitations, intersection safety can be proactively evaluated by quantifying near-crashes using alternative measures known as surrogate safety measures (SSMs). This study focuses on developing models to predict critical near-crashes between vehicles and bicycles at intersections based on SSMs and kinematic data. Video data from ten signalized intersections in the city of San Diego were employed to train logistic regression (LR), support vector machine (SVM), and random forest (RF) models. A variation of time-to-collision called T2 and postencroachment time (PET) were used to specify monitoring periods and to identify critical near-crashes, respectively. Four scenarios were created using two thresholds of 5 and 3 s for both PET and T2. In each scenario, five monitoring period lengths were examined. The RF model was superior compared to other models in all different scenarios and across different monitoring period lengths. The results also showed a small trade-off between model performance and monitoring period length, identifying models with monitoring period lengths of 10 and 20 frames performed slightly better than those with lower or higher lengths. Sequential backward and forward feature selection methods were also applied that enhanced model performance. The best RF model had recall values of 85% or higher across all scenarios. Also, RF prediction models performed better when considering just the rear-end near-crashes with recalls of above 90%.


SUMMARY With the current bans and limitations on antibiotics as growth promoters, feed additives, such as prebiotics, probiotics, and organic acids are widely used to inhibit the effects of pathogenic microorganisms on poultry health. Recently, medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) have become a focus of attention due to their potentially favourable antimicrobial effects. Fatty acids with a chain length between six and 12 carbon atoms are regarded as MCFAs. Research results showed that MCFAs are effective against a wide range of enteric microorganisms. They act by reducing colonisation of enteric bacteria (by an average of 44%, 78%, 79% and 66% for Campylobacter spp., Clostridium spp., Salmonella spp. and Escherichia coli, respectively) in chicken intestines. Improved growth performance (by an average of 4% and 12% for body weight gain and feed conversion ratio, respectively) can be attributed to a healthier and more stable gut environment created by MCFAs. Moreover, dietary MCFAs may help to promote immune function, with reduced mortality reported of up to 20%. Trials have revealed that effective dosages include 2.9 g/kg caproic, 7.0 g/kg caprylic, 1.7 g/kg capric, 2.0 g/kg lauric, 2.5 g/kg monocaprin and 3.0 g/kg MCFAs in poultry diets. Studies indicated that MCFAs can reduce abdominal fat (by up to 30%) in broilers and reduce contaminated egg yolk and shells (up to 76% for Salmonella spp.), which is desired by consumers. Considering such benefits, MCFAs have the potential to be an alternative to antibiotic growth promoters in poultry nutrition and reduce the risk for antimicrobial resistance.


This essay analyses comprehensively the root of the disputes and the defects in city demolition, and tries to solve the problems in city demolition with the Game Theory. Based on this, the author makes some constructive suggestions concerning how to regulate the demolition to achieve the balance of benefit between the demolisher and the demolished, therefore protecting the legal rights of all the parties involved and assuring that city construction can be carried out successfully.


The nonlinear least square fitting techniques that the authors have employed until recently for measuring the Doppler velocities of head-echo meteor returns have proven to be limited in their effectiveness under certain circumstances where significant incoherent scattering from the ionosphere is present. Two alternative methods developed to independently but jointly determine the Doppler speeds are presented. The first method uses the Moore-Penrose matrix inverse to obtain the relevant meteor parameters. The second method is the steepest descent searching technique. These techniques have been applied to simulated meteor returns as well as meteor data set from February 2001. The Doppler velocities obtained using the new algorithms are presented. The implications of the improved Doppler resolution as well as robustness of the new approach are also discussed


The invention discloses a method for treating excess sludge by fly larvae and preparing fly larva proteins and organic fertilizers. The method comprises the following steps: (1) pre-treating the excess sludge; (2) treating the excess sludge with the fly larvae; (3) removing heavy metal in the bodies of the fly larvae; (4) preparing the fly larva proteins; and (5) preparing the organic fertilizers. The method has the following benefits: (1) a biological method is adopted to treat the excess sludge, so that the secondary pollution cannot be produced; (2) the heavy metal in the excess sludge can be effectively removed, so that the use safety of the organic fertilizers prepared by the excess sludge in agricultural production is enhanced; and (3) the fly larva proteins can be prepared while the sludge is treated, so that good environmental and economic benefits are obtained.


Background: As in other countries, Danish health authorities have introduced disease management programmes (DMPs) to improve care quality. These contain clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) and guidelines for patient stratification based on doctors' assessments of disease severity and self-care. However, these programmes are challenged when patients have complex chronic conditions. Aim: To explore how GPs experience the clinical applicability of disease management programmes for patients with multiple chronic conditions and lowered self-care ability. Design & setting: A qualitative study from general practice, conducted in rural areas of Denmark with economically disadvantaged populations. Method: Data were collected through case-based, semi-structured interviews with 12 GPs. The principles of systematic text condensation were used in the analysis. Results: GPs found DMPs inadequate, particularly for patients with multiple conditions and lowered self-care ability. Their experience was that adhering to multiple programmes' CPGs resulted in too much medication, conflicting treatments, an overload of appointments, and fragmented health care. They disregarded stratifying according to guidelines because they deemed stratification criteria to reflect neither patients' need for self-care support, nor flexible referral options to hospitals and municipalities. Therefore, GPs were often solely responsible for treatment of patients with very complex chronic conditions. Conclusion: GPs found DMPs to be of limited clinical applicability due to challenges related to CPGs, patient stratification, and lack of adequate health services to support patients with complex healthcare needs. To increase the benefits of these programmes, they should be more flexible, and adjusted to the needs of patients with multiple chronic conditions and lowered self-care ability. Kristensen M Aage Toft et al. BJGP Open 2018; DOI: 10.3399/bjgpopen18X101591 1 of 11 RESEARCH How this fits in DMPs are implemented internationally to optimise the management of chronic conditions, but little is known about GPs' clinical experiences using them. This qualitative study found that Danish GPs viewed current DMPs as of limited clinical applicability when caring for patients with multiple chronic conditions or lowered self-care ability. This was due to challenges related to CPGs, patient stratification, and lack of adequate health services. DMPs should be altered to include patients with complex health problems, or the use of procedural standards like the DMPs should be discarded altogether for this high complexity patient group. Introduction Worldwide, health authorities have standardised chronic care around DMPs, to ensure better quality of disease management and appropriate utilisation of healthcare resources. Since 2008, and inspired by the Chronic Care Model, the Danish health system has introduced DMPs for chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes (T2DM), heart failure, and dementia. Drawn up by health professionals and local authorities, the DMPs encompass available CPGs (describing evidence-based care, including systematised diagnostics, treatment, follow-up, and support for self-care), and describe the interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral organisation between general practice (Box 1), municipalities (local authorities in the UK), and hospitals. By means of stratification, the DMPs divide patients into groups according to disease severity and care needs. This should ensure standardised adjustment of chronic care to the needs of different patients throughout the health system, by taking account of disease intensity and complexity, comorbidity, and patients' self-care ability, which includes their capacity to follow treatment. For example, patients with T2DM should usually be managed in general practice, but also consult specialist care in case of increasing disease severity, and municipal self-care support in case of poor self-care ability (Table 1). However, Danish studies have found that some patients with less severe T2DM receive specialist care, while others with severe T2DM remain in general practice. In addition, an increasing number of patients have multiple concurrent chronic diseases and may be covered by several DMPs simultaneously. Adding to the complexity is that assessments of patients' self-care ability are not well-established, since the concept of self-care is contested and has multiple definitions. In most cases, GPs are responsible for stratification, self-care assessments, and implementing relevant DMPs for individual patients. Therefore, it is important to explore GPs' clinical experiences with DMPs, especially in the care of patients with multiple chronic conditions and lowered self-care ability. The literature on this subject is sparse.


A discussion of language in preschool education reviews research findings on children's language acquisition and its relationship to their general development and examines issues to be considered in making decisions for each community and program. The first section summarizes basic knowledge about preschool language development, facilitating language development at this stage, and the specific language problems faced by multilingual preschool children at home and in group care. The second section looks more closely at the sociolinguistic dimensions affecting language choice and proficiency. In the next section, three preschool program descriptions are given, each involving a situation in which a higher-status national language coexists with an indigenous language. They include a Spanish-Quechua/Aymara transitional bilingual program (Peru), a Gaelic maintenance program in Scotland's Western Isles, and a Maori revitalization program (New Zealand). The fourth section discusses practical aspects of planning for language learning and emergent literacy in preschool environments, including group size and organization, adult-child relationships, choice of language, instructional materials, stalfing and staff training, adult and cogdmunity participation, and administration. A brief "conclusion" and a list of almost 100 references conclude this part of the document. A special feature of the "annotated bibliography" which follows is that the annotations are wriAten around themes (countries/communities and language use at the preschool level) and are similar in nature to essay reviews. Entries are listed alphabetically by country and information is provided under the following headings: document source; community (including language situation); educational system specifics; program (including characteristics/components); and comments. (MSE) LANGUAGE PLANNING IN PRESCHOOL EDUCATION


AbstractOne of the most critical pollutant emissions in spark ignition (SI) engines is hydrocarbon (HC) emissions, which are partially incomplete combustion products. In this study, the upper surfa...


The mycobacterial disease leprosy and tuberculosis (TB) and the leishmaniases are characterized by a wide spectrum of disease phenotypes, and by the fact that the majority of individuals exposed to the causative organisms Mycobacterium leprae, M. tuberculosis and Leishmania sp. become infected but do not present with clinical disease. In order to determine whether a human homologue to the murine macrophage resistance gene Lsh/Ity/Bcg influences susceptibility to human disease, multicase families for all three disease have been collected, and linkage analysis performed using a panel of markers in the region of human chromosome 2q33‐q37 known to be conserved with the Lsh/Ity/Bcg‐containing region of murine chromosome 1. Because of the paucity of available polymorphic markers/linkage information for 2q33‐q37, data from 35 multicase leprosy, TB and visceral leishmaniasis families (310 individuals) were first pooled to produce a detailed RFLP map of the region. Peak LOD scores well in excess of 3 were observed for linkage between adjacent pairs of a more proximal (2q33‐q35) set of markers CRYGP1, MAP2, FN1, TNP1, VIL1 and DES, and between adjacent pairs of a more distal (2q35‐q37) set COL6A3, D2S55 and D2S3. These peak LOD scores and the corresponding values for θ were used in the MAP92 program to generate a multiple two‐point map with gene order/map intervals (cM) of: CRYGP1‐4.65‐MAP2‐3.45‐FN1‐5.95‐TNP1‐3.41‐VIL1‐3.01‐DES‐20.14‐COL6A‐10.91‐D2S55‐3.67‐D2S3. Although local support for the placement of loci in this order was weak (LOD 2, except for DES‐COL6A3 where LOD = 6.02), the map is consistent with the gene order for those loci (Cryg, Fn‐1, Tp‐1, Vil, Des, Col6a3) previously mapped in the mouse. Data from 17 multicase leprosy families (149 individuals) were further analysed for linkage between a putative disease susceptibility locus (DSL) con


Objective To provide anatomic data of thoracic paravertebral nerve block. Methods Ten cases of cadavers with normal thoracic spines were used in this study. We named the cross point which thoracic nerve in the paravertebral space crossed with lateral edge of laminae of vertebra the target point.The distances between the target point and horizontal plane which the spinous process of the cephalad thoracic vertebra in,and the median sagittal plane,and all skin plane were measured. Results ①The vertical distance between the target point and the horizontal plane which pass through the spinous process of the cephalad thoracic vertebra of T1-3,T4-6,T7-9,T10-12 nerves is 20.3±4.1 mm,5.1±3.2 mm,5.3±2.4 mm ,20.6±5.0 mm; ②Among the target point of all thoracic nerves,T7 is the nearest one to the median sagittal plane,whose distance is 15.1±3.8 mm.Distance between the target point and the median sagittal plane of T1 is 20.6±4.6 mm. The distance of T12 is 19.1±7.3 mm;③Distance between the target point and all skin plane of all thoracic nerves shows an decreasing and then increasing tendency. T5 is the nearest one to the skin,whose distance is 43.3±3.1mm. While the distance of T1 and T12 is 51.4±4.1 mm and 49.4±5.0 mm respectively. Conclusions The accurate location of thoracic nerves can be determined according to the the upper spinous process nearby the thoracic vertebrae.


This study analyzes the factors driving the level of Islamic social reporting. Based on the literature review, it was revealed that the lack of consensus from the drivers of Islamic reporting disclosure in Islamic banks, especially in Indonesia, is different from disclosure in conventional banks where there is a lot of consensus. Empirical analysis uses panel data collection from 12 Islamic commercial banks in Indonesia from 2010 to 2022. To estimate the relationship between variables, EViews 12 is used. The control variables used in this study are profitability and size of Islamic banks. The results of the study show that sharia governance has not been empirically proven to be able to encourage the extent of Islamic social reporting in Islamic banks. The results of the study did not find empirical evidence that the performance of maqashid sharia related to educating individuals and establishing justice is not a driver that has an impact on the reach of Islamic social reporting. However, the performance of maqashid sharia in the form of promoting welfare through the amount of zakat funds channeled by Islamic banks has been proven empirically to influence the extent of Islamic social reporting. ROE and ROA have no significant effect on Islamic social reporting, while the size of Islamic banks has a positive and significant effect on the extent of Islamic social reporting of Islamic banks in Indonesia.


Severe tardive dyskinesia (TDk) and tardive dystonia (TDt) are serious movement disorders that are potentially disabling side effects of conventional antipsychotic treatment (Barnes and McPhillips, 1998). Atypical antipsychotics represent an important step in both prevention and treatment of these symptoms (Barnes and McPhillips, 1998). We report on an elderly woman who developed TDk and TDt while receiving conventional antipsychotic treatment and demonstrated rapid remission of these symptoms following a switch to quetiapine.


Introduction: Infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (IHPS) is one of the many causes of recurrent gastric vomiting in infants, the incidence of which is approximately 1 to 3 per 1,000 live births. Laparoscopic pyloromyotomy (LP) is becoming increasingly popular as the standard treatment for hypertrophic pyloric stenosis. Materials and methods: We describe our experience with LP in 50 infants over a period of 7 years divided into two groups, with the first being first 3 years and the second being next 4 years. The LP was performed through 5-mm umbilical port with 5-mm 30 endoscope. Two 3-mm working instruments were inserted directly into the abdomen via separate lateral incisions. Results: All patients were retrospectively evaluated. The procedure was performed in 50 infants with a mean age of 38 days and mean weight of 3.1 kg. All procedures, except two, were completed laparoscopically. Average operating time was 28 minutes in group I, while it was 21.44 min in group II (p-value <0.001). There were no major intraoperative and postoperative complications. Conclusion: The LP has already been shown to be feasible, safe, effective, and with reduction in incision size. We further find that LP has a definite learning curve and as experience is gained, operative time decreases. In our study, we also found time to feed also decreased significantly.


Dynamic (on the fly) binary translation is an important part of many software systems. In this paper we discuss how to combine efficient translation with the generation of efficient code, while providing a high-level table-driven user interface that simplifies the generation of the binary translator (BT).
 The translation actions of the BT are specified in high-level abstractions that are compiled into translation tables; these tables control the runtime program translation. This table generator allows a compact description of changes in the translated code.
 We use fastBT, a table-based dynamic binary translator that uses a code cache and various optimizations for indirect control transfers to illustrate the design tradeoffs in binary translators. We present an analysis of the most challenging sources of overhead and describe optimizations to further reduce these penalties. Keys to the good performance are a configurable inlining mechanism and adaptive self-modifying optimizations for indirect control transfers.


We present the main design features of the e+estorage ring for the recently proposed r-charm Factory. It is designed to operate at collision energies fi = 3-5 GeV with a peak luminosity L '1: 1O33 cm-'set-'. The double storage ring is fully integrated with the single detector; the micro-p insertion (3; 2 1 cm) includes superconducting quadrupoles protruding into the detector volume. A bunch length ur 2 7 mm is achieved with a 1.5 GHz RF system. Bunches of opposing beams collide head-on and bunches of the same beam are separated by 15.7 m. The ring has two straight sections, one for the detector and separation scheme, and one for RF systems, wigglers and other utilities. In consequence, there are fewer constraints on the dispersion at the interaction point than in other colliders. This facilitates luminosity enhancements and the implementation of a monochromator optics by purely magnetostatic means. The existing LEP pre-injector system (LIL, EPA, PS) could fill the T-charm Factory very rapidly, avoiding the need for ramping.


The paper presents a functional analysis of a singlephase inverter of mid-range power and its optimization based on three performance criteria. The studied inverter is an IMD (Inverter Mono-Phase Digital) with a bridge of IGBT transistors used for supplying vital consumers for guiding, control and safety of railway transport. The inverter operation is analyzed under different load situations together with options for maximizing the efficiency, diminishing the total harmonic distortion factor and reducing the intake current of the adapting transformer, by varying the capacity and inductance of the filter. The results are obtained through experimental tests using high performance measuring apparatus.


The problems for the implementation of alloy steel continuous casting billet hot delivery and hot charging process of high efficiency were researched.By means of the implementation of defect free alloy steel continuous casting billet production technology,high temperature alloy steel continuous casting billet production technology as well as the steelmaking and rolling integration production management technology,the high temperature alloy steel continuous casting billet hot delivery and hot charging logistics were ensured to be orderly,considerable economic benefits were created and the experiences were provided for the promotion.


The writing method of the two date trees at the beginning of Lu Xun's prose poem "Night of Fall" has been causing continuous comments for quite a long time.It is not a figure of speechrepetitionin rhetoric,nor is"a feigned farce"but a unique technique of expression of Lu Xun.This paper discusses the artistic value of this technique on basis of Lu Xun's works and other writings.


This paper examines China's rural minimum living standard guarantee (dibao) program, one of the largest targeted transfer schemes in the world. Using household survey data matched with published administrative data, the authors provide background on the patterns of inequality and poverty in rural China, describe the dibao program, estimate the program's impact on poverty, and carry out targeting analysis. The authors find that the program provides sufficient income to poor beneficiaries but does not substantially reduce the overall level of poverty, in part because the number of beneficiaries is small relative to the number of poor. Conventional targeting analysis reveals rather large inclusionary and exclusionary targeting errors; propensity score targeting analysis yields smaller but still large targeting errors. Simulations of possible reforms to the dibao program indicate that expanding coverage can potentially yield greater poverty reduction than increasing transfer amounts. In addition, replacing locally diverse dibao lines with a nationally uniform dibao threshold can in theory reduce poverty. The potential gains in poverty reduction, however, depend on the effectiveness of targeting.


Lemongrass is reportedly been used in some parts of Nigeria for the treatment of fever, convulsion in children, throat inflammations, stomach upset, skin diseases, and ears/eyes infections, pepper soup ingredient, curries, and in preparation of local drinks. Based on this, there is need to assess the metal contents as excess consumption of lemongrass oil or prolong exposure to them could be injurious to health. In this work, lemongrass oil was extracted using Soxhlet apparatuses and its metal contents analyzed using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). The results obtained were compared with those from similar works from literature and acceptable level in medicinal plants by WHO. The results showed presence of the following metallic elements and their respective concentrations: magnesium (14.159 mg/kg), lead (1.379 mg/kg), zinc (0.844mg/kg), mercury (0.728 mg/kg), chromium (0.530 mg/kg), copper (0.267 mg/kg), iron (0.167 mg/kg), cadmium (0.080 mg/kg), manganese (0.009) and arsenic (no trace). The metal composition is appreciable and tolerable as indicated by the WHO standards except for mercury. Therefore, the concentration of the metals should be constantly monitored to ensure safety of those that consume or apply the lemongrass, and excessive consumption should be avoided in order to prevent associated health challenges such as neuropathy, dementia, Parkinson's disease, and cancer.


Background & objectives: Quitting smoking significantly reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and other illnesses associated with smoking. Training seems to be effective in motivating cessation of smoking. The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the effect of individual and group training on the smoking cessation motivation in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients admitted to Avesina Hospital in Qazvin. Methods: This study was a semi-experimental study conducted on smoker patients with diagnosis of CAD who were admitted to Avesina Hospital in Qazvin. 255 patients were enrolled in the study through available sampling. Patients were divided into three groups: individual training, group training and control. A standard two-part questionnaire, which included demographic data and a questionnaire of motivation to quit smoking, was used to collect data. The information was collected before training, and four and three months after the completion of the training. Data were analyzed using SPSS v.24 through descriptive statistic (mean and standard deviation), and chi-square test and one-way analysis of variance. Results: The mean of motivation score for smoking cessation before intervention in 3 groups of control, individual and group training were 9.4±2.7, 8.5±2.3, 8.7±2.4, respectively. At the first follow-up (4 weeks after intervention), these amounts in 3 groups of control, individual training and group training were 8.76±2.9, 13.5±2.5, and 5.2±14 (p= 0/001) and in the second follow-up (3 months after intervention), were 8.18±3.3, 13.3±2.8 and 14±2.7, respectively. Conclusion: The results showed that group training program resulted in increased motivation for smoking cessation. So, designing a group training program can have a significant effect on increasing motivation and creating lasting behavior for smoking cessation in CAD patients.


Objective:To compare the analytical applications of methotrexate (MTX) or 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in the cesarean section scar pregnancy,uterine artery embolization and chemotherapy treatment.Methods:A retrospective analysis of our hospital cesarean scar pregnancy,82 patients were to be uterine artery embolization and chemotherapy gelatin sponge particles,2 to 4 days after the first induced abortion (suction-dilatation and curettage) treatment.44 MTX routine uterine artery infusion chemotherapy for the MTX group, 38 routine bilateral uterine artery 5-FU infusion chemotherapy,the 5-FU group.Determination of the amount of postoperative bleeding,postoperative serum β-hCG dropped to normal time,B-ultrasound package and compare the situation quickly.Results:The efficient of MTX group was 93.18%,5-FU group was 76.32%.Compared with 5-FU group,MTX group had less postoperative bleeding,serum β-hCG dropped to normal and no mass B-ultrasound shorter time,the difference was significant(P0.01).Conclusion:The cesarean section scar pregnancy,uterine artery embolization and chemotherapy compared with 5-FU efficacy of MTX significant side effects.


The reactions of M+BrCN, where M=Ca, Sr, and Ba, have been studied by laser‐induced fluorescence. The dominant reaction pathway is the formation of the alkaline earth monocyanides (MCN); for the Sr and Ba reactions weak features due to products of the other possible pathway, MBr and CN, are also observed. This study represents the first spectroscopic observation of the MCN molecules. The dominant features of their excitation spectra are broad ''quasicontinua'' several hundred angstroms wide which occur at the same wavelengths as the spectra of the homologous alkaline earth monohalides (MX). Thus, the electronic structure of the MCN molecules is qualitatively similar to that of MX, which has been adequately explained by an ionic model, as discussed previously by Dagdigian, Cruse, and Zare. Radiative lifetimes of the MCN electronic states have been determined by direct observation of the fluorescence decay after pulsed laser excitation. The lifetimes are: CaCN: B state 40.8±1.5 nsec, C state 165±38 nsec; Sr...


We report the performance of a type‐I lithium triborate (LBO) optical parametric amplifier pumped by 15 ps, 355 nm laser pulses. It is seen that with proper design, LBO can be as efficient as barium borate for such an application.


Features of a loop reactor are introduced and fluid flow is analyzed and a mathematic model is developed on the basis of the performance data in 70 kt/a polypropylene equipment of Jingmen petrochemical complex.After the differential equations are solved by computer technique,the relations between the parameter profiles,such as solid content,component concentrations,the temperature in the reactor,the cooling water temperature,the polymerization rate,the chain transfer rate and the catalyst death rate,and the reactor length are obtained.Results can be foundation as improving performance of the loop reactor.


Context: Technical debt is known to impact maintainability of software. As source code files grow in size, maintainability becomes more challenging. Therefore, it is expected that the density of te ...


The synthesis of the water-soluble poly(acrylic acid-co-vinylsulfonic acid) at different feed monomer ratios, while maintaining constant the total number of mol, was carried out by radical polymerization. The copolymers were characterized by FTIR and 1H-NMR spectroscopies. The copolymer composition was determined by its sulfur content and by potentiometric titration. The metal ion binding properties for Ni(II) and Cu(II) in the aqueous phase were studied using the liquid-phase polymer-based retention (LPR) technique for two values of ionic strength. For comparison, the retention properties of both homopolymers were included. The complexing ability of the polymer was determined by the relative amount of carboxylic acid groups. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 88: 1698–1704, 2003


This paper explores the ability of a large set of RBC type models to explain aggregate US data by examining how well the rst-order conditions (FOCs) from each model t the data. Typically, the residuals from the FOC for hours worked are large in magnitude (more volatile than total hours), very highly persistent, and stay away from zero for long periods of time. This pattern suggests that standard RBC models are unable to capture the dynamics in the joint behaviour of consumption, output and hours that exists in the US data. We show that models which generate dynamic terms in the FOC for hours worked are able to capture this feature of the data by exploring a RBC model augmented by learning by doing which has been shown to have such a dynamic FOC. The results are remarkable. The residuals from the hours FOC are much less volatile than total hours and display no persistence. Less conclusive results emerge from models with habit formation in preferences which also yield dynamic FOCs for the labour input. We conclude that an additional dynamic component in the FOCs is essential to better capture the dynamics in the data and future research using the RBC structure should explore models that deliver it.


Intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) with alteplase is one of the effective but timedependent therapies for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) (1). Prehospital delay contributed a lot to the barriers of eligibility of IVT and was associated with various factors from both patient and emergency medical system (EMS) levels (2). As for Chinese, however, there was no standardized EMS, even in Beijing (3). It was reported that there were less than 22% of all AIS arriving at hospitals within 180 minutes of symptom onset (4). Consecutive IVT patients of a tertiary hospital in Beijing from March 2011 to December 2014 were enrolled in this analysis. Prehospital delay was defined as onset-to-door time ≥180 min and referral as the patient had at least got heading imaging before his/her arrival. Demographic data (including sex, age, ethnicity, marriage status, location, transportation means, medical insurance status, referral and admitting date) and baseline variables (like National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, medical history, lesion site, and present symptoms) were abstracted from case report files recorded by the neurologist on duty. All calculations were performed using spss 17·0 software. Comparisons between groups were analyzed using Mann– Whitney U or Pearson's chi-squared test for relative variables, with two-tailed P < 0·05 as statistically significant. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictors of prehospital delay in variables selected from the univariate analyses with a significance level ≤0·20. Together, 201 cases (202 IVTs) were recruited in the analysis, and baseline characteristics were listed in the Table 1. Non-Han nationality, nonlocal area, and referral were more frequent, and age was younger in the group with prehospital delay. The final logistic regression model showed that referral (odds ratio, 5·48; 95% confidence interval, 2·33–12·89; P < 0·001) was the only independent predictor for prehospital delay. Given to the significant variations in Chinese EMS and other health care systems to those of Western countries, for example, the EMS in Beijing (including the 120 and the 999 system) was operated fully isolated from hospitals, and the delivery followed the rules of arbitrary two-way referral rather than preset transfer guidelines between district and Correspondence: Jian Wu*, Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China. E-mail email@example.com


OBJECTIVE
The Snf1/AMPK family of protein kinases is highly conserved among eukaryotes. Our previous study showed that Cryptococcus neoformans SNF1 played critical roles in the production of virulence factors and virulence itself. In this paper, we report a novel function of SNF1 in cell wall integrity.

METHODS
We used Calcofluor white staining epifluorescence microscopy to evaluate the cell wall integrity and cell segregation; tap water with constant flow rate and pressure to wash yeast colonies to evaluate cell-to-agar adhesion capability; growth on Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), Congo red and Fluorescent Brightener 28-containing agar to examine cell wall integrity.

RESULTS
The disruption mutant of SNF1 was sensitive to SDS and Congo red, suggesting impairments in the cell wall. The mutant cells showed abnormal separation, defects in adhesion to agar surface, and growth defects at high temperature which could be suppressed by osmotic stabilization.

CONCLUSION
C. neoformans SNF1 was essential for cell wall integrity that was likely responsible for normal adhesion of the cells to agar and resistance to heat.


In the present work, the design of a symmetric double bifurcation is discussed, which is based on anatomical data. Applying the FIRE® (AVL-List, Graz, Austria) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) package for the solution of the Navier-Stokes and continuity equations, the flow field within the double bifurcation is obtained. In addition, deposition sites for 10 urn aerosol particles are calculated under consideration of the concomitant mechanisms of impaction, gravitational settling and interception.


The conventional wisdom that developing countries are significantly underinvesting in agricultural research and development (R&D) has been challenged by studies that found that the high rates of return in the literature result from data limitations and inadequate modeling choices. However, evidence of low research effort in developing countries as measured by the intensity ratio (IR)—the percentage of agricultural gross domestic product invested in agricultural R&D— has not been questioned. This article argues that the IR is an inadequate indicator of research effort and proposes an alternative index to measure R&D intensity. Using the proposed index, we find that the investment effort in developing countries is much higher than the one observed when the IR is used, that the contribution of low- and middle-income (LMI) countries to growth in global R&D intensity was higher to that of high-income (HI) countries in recent years, that the investment gap in LMI countries is close to 50% of R&D investment, and that the proposed development goal of a 1.0% value of the IR is beyond the possibilities of most Asian and African countries.


The aim of the thesis was to analyze selected indicators of the game performance of the representative team in the defensive and offensive phases of the Slovak cadets' game, depending on the result of the match.
Materials and methods. In the thesis, we assumed that we would find a statistically significant relationship between the observed performance indicators and the result of the match. To obtain the research data, we used indirect observation of seven World Championship cadet matches of 2016. We used Hianik (2010) to diagnose game performance. We analyzed selected indicators of the game performance of the representative team of Slovak cadets (n=18), depending on the result of the match.
Results. We found out that the result of the match is influenced by the game performance of the team in the defensive and offensive phases of the game. Furthermore, we have drawn the conclusion that the game result is also influenced by the performance of the goalkeeper (p<0.01).
Conclusions. The thesis highlighted the importance of the game performance of the team both in the defensive and the offensive phases of the game as well as the performance of the goalie in the match. The results obtained showed statistical significance (p<0.01) and proved that the outcome of the match is influenced by the successful team play in attack and defense. Also, the result of the match depends on the goalkeeper's performance. We recommend using the computer program Hianik (2010) to evaluate the game performance of the team in the game.


The report is devoted to the study of radiation resistance of silicon photomultipliers (SiPM) produced by HAMAMATSU. SiPM was irradiated in neutron fluxes of the JINR IBR-2 reactor. The tested SiPM received fluence from 10 12 up to 2x10 14 of neutrons/cm 2 . Irradiated detectors were investigated using a radioactive source and laser flashes at a temperature of -30 o C. The measurements showed that the SiPM remain fully functional as photon detectors up to neutron fluence 2x10 14 despite a significant increase in noise.


One of the most fundamental problems in chemistry is understanding how chemical reactions occur: that is, how reagents make their journey to products. Traditionally, chemists start by studying the thermodynamics
of a reaction, then its rate, and finally postulate its
mechanism.


To assess the potential problem that different tools for predicting a positive outcome of prostate biopsy can produce divergent outcomes in the same man, by comparing the risk calculators based on the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT) and the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC).


In order to solve the problems of complex operation steps, insufficient measurement accuracy and poor safety of the current generator excitation overvoltage protection device tester, the testing technology of generator excitation overvoltage protection device was deeply studied in this paper. Firstly, the overall architecture of the excitation overvoltage protection device tester was constructed. Secondly, it was designed from two aspects of software and hardware. Finally, combined with the actual application scenario, the developed tester was used to measure the action voltage and working voltage fluctuation range of the excitation overvoltage protection device. It was verified that the tester developed in this paper is simple to operate and the measurement results have high accuracy.


F or the past 20 yrs or so, JeanLouis Vincent has organized a Round Table Conference in conjunction with the annual International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine in Brussels. Each year, the Round Table Conference tackles a different topic relevant to critical care medicine. For example, recent topics have included "Mechanisms of Organ Dysfunction in Critical Illness," "Tissue Oxygenation in Acute Medicine" and "Surviving Intensive Care." In March 2005, the Round Table Conference was held in conjunction with the 25th anniversary of the "Brussels Meeting" and, appropriately, the topic was "My ICU in Ten Years." The Round Table in 2005 was planned by William J. Sibbald (University of Toronto) and Peter M. Suter (Geneva University Hospital) and chaired by the authors of this article. The participants are listed in the Appendix. Our goal here is not to summarize all of the many excellent talks that were presented at this year's Round Table Conference. Rather, we seek to synthesize both the formal presentations and the informal conversations into an agenda for change for our specialty. In our view, it is an opportune time for setting such an agenda. Increasingly, a) intensive care medicine is based on sound evidence from well-designed and well-executed prospective randomized clinical trials; b) the public understands that intensive care unit (ICUs) are not primarily a place to die, but in contrast can provide fragile and vulnerable patients with the care needed to survive life-threatening acute illnesses; and c) payors—whether government officials, insurance company executives, business leaders, or citizens— recognize that when carried out optimally, critical care medicine can save both lives and money.


The negative impacts of poverty start before birth and accumulate across the life course and onto the next generation. Poverty has negative impacts on children's health, cognitive development, social, emotional and behavioural development and educational outcomes. The parents of children living in poverty are more likely to suffer mental health problems, relationship problems, financial problems and substance misuse, which can affect their parenting behaviours, and which can have negative impacts on children's outcomes too. The impacts of poverty are not just important for children's future outcomes, poverty has detrimental effects on children in childhood, especially as children grow older. Children living in poverty, and their parents, do have hopes and aspirations for their future but they lack knowledge of how to achieve their ambitions. Morag C. Treanor Briefing


This essay analyses and contrasts the literature that has already been written about various product recommendation systems and the mechanisms that underlie them. Although there are many research contributions in the literature, in this article I have critically and thoroughly examined recent research and review papers that are relevant to AI-based product recommendation systems. The present techniques are divided into groups based on the fundamental ideas included into their processes. The idea put out by the concerned writers, the experimental technique, and the performance assessment criteria are highlighted. Also noted are the researchers' assertions. The flaws that have been found are highlighted together with our results from the thorough literature study. This work is crucial for the comparison of different AI-based product recommendation systems, which is a necessary step before dealing with related problems. Following a review of the literature, I have put up a system for recommending products to users, in which the tool suggests products that a particular user would want to buy. I have gathered information about items and users by using ML algorithms. The suggested system establishes a link between the people and the products.


The present investigation was carried out for a period of 50 days in cement cisterns to evaluate the efficacies of fermented rice (T 1 ), maize (T 2 ), wheat flour (T 3 ) as well as decomposed kitchen waste (T 4 ) in the production of microbial and zooplankton population. These were added @ 10 mg 1 –1 . The effect of different treatments on the bacterial and zooplankton population was quite significant. The average total bacterial population in 7 weeks duration was found to be highest (1817 No./ml) in T 4 , followed by T 3 (1278 No./ml), T 1 (1234 No./ml), and control (662 No./ml). Highest zooplankton population of 5553 No./1 was obtained from T 4 followed by T 2 (4910 No./1), T 3 (4357 No./1), T 1 (3220 No./1) and control (2113 No./1). The results indicated highest efficacy of decomposed kitchen waste under the existing environmental conditions. The coefficient of correlation between the average total bacterial population and average total zooplankton population was found significant.


The aim ofthe paperis to discuss the nature and trends in interdisciplinary relations of information science. At the beginning, the origin and social background of informafion science are presented, followed by a description of the evolution of information retrieval (IR), the main activity in information science. The evolution of interdisciplinary relations is evaluated in respect to four fields librarianship, computerscience, cognitive science, including Artificial Intelligence, and communication. In the conclusions, the challenges to information science are presented in respect to three critical issues and pressures : contemporary social changes, technological revolution, and interdisciplinary changes. Information science has a role to play in these critical issues.


First order quantum phase transition (QPT) between spherical and axially deformed nuclei shows coexisting, but well-separated regions of regular and chaotic dynamics. We employ a Hamiltonian of the Arima-Iachello Interacting Boson Model (IBM) with an arbitrarily high potential barrier separating the phases. Classical and quantum analyses reveal markedly distinct behavior of the two phases: Deformed phase is completely regular, while the spherical phase shows highly chaotic dynamics, similar to the Henon-Heiles system. Rotational bands with quasi-SU(3) characteristics built upon the regular vibrational spectrum of beta- and gamma-vibrations are observed in the deformed phase up to very high excitation energies.


The saphenous vein graft (SVG) has been the conduit of choice for over 50 years, but its lack of availability makes its superior utility unreliable. Because of the paucity of autologous vein grafts and poor results of alternative bypass conduits, we hypothesized human vein allografts can be used for patients with limb-threatening ischemia who lack adequate vein conduit for restorative bypass surgery. Graft patency and conduit availability remain the 'Achilles' heel' of this procedure.Immune-mediated tissue destruction and remodeling processes start within days after grafting, leading to the formation of intimal hyperplasia; the primary cause of intermediate-phase graft stenosis and failure. Even autologous saphenous vein grafts are affected, leading to reduced patency.We have developed a model in which pretreated human saphenous vein inter-positional grafts are implanted into infra-renal rat aorta, intended to study and prolong patency. This model accelerates the rate of failure due to the extreme difference in species biomarkers. We have performed grafts on 47 Sprague-Dawley rats, with or without pretreatment, for 2 weeks to 9 months. Preliminary data shows a strong immune reaction to the implantation of untreated human SVG, showing serious degradation 2 weeks after grafting. Pretreated grafts appeared superior to controls, with some demonstrating minimal to no hyperplasia out to 9 months. Tissue morphology was investigated using H&E, trichrome, EVG and DiffQuik stains, at magnifications from 5 to 40X. Immunofluorescence studies have provided insight into the destructive and positive remodeling processes with infiltration of native cells, including VWF-positive and Tcells, creating a novel architecture over time. We have successfully tested the hypothesis that human saphenous vein segments can be subjected to pre-treatment such that when grafted into rats, they will retain greater patency and have improved histological and physiological performance at 3, 6 and 9 months compared to controls. This research has significant implications for graft patency and retention in clinical applications.


The method involves assigning a fictitious direction of displacement for an electric car, and performing a virtual movement of the car in a road network (4). The initial reserve energy of the car along a virtual path is calculated, and the car is stopped when the initial reserve energy reaches a threshold value, where the location of the stopped car corresponds to a point that defines a reachable region. The steps are repeated for different fictitious directions of displacement, and the points are connected to reveal the reachable regions (1-3) on a screen (5).


The system of the tasks of the psychological guarantee of sport activity is the basis of fulfillment by trainer or by the psychologist of practical work in the sport commands. With ordered, and that arranging of all, the systems these tasks it is not thus far created. Are here reflected the results of investigating the psychological problems, which appear (or being powerful to arise) in the sport commands. Problems are represented as the tasks of the psychological guarantee of sport activity. Is given the classification of these tasks.


Japan's electoral system, which emphasizes first-past-the-post, singlemember district rules, has led the country's party system to become consolidated around the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Demo cratic Party of Japan (DPJ). At the same time, Japan's electoral rules also made it likely that the two parties would not differ markedly in their policy positions, as well as hinder the emergence of new partisan align ments that could offer more clearly distinct policy options. Put differ ently, Japan's electoral rules have encouraged the development of what is essentially a two-party system, but one in which party alternation in power need not produce sharp policy change. KEYWORDS :electoral sys tems, Japan, policy change, party realignment, party alternation in power, reform, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), Downs, Duverger


A simple one − step dyeing − like approach was presented for fabricating conductive poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) nonwoven fabrics by using reduced graphene oxides (rGOs) as sheet dyestuffs. By using polyurethane (PU) as a middle adhesive layer, the rGOs can be adsorbed and well immobilized on the surface of PET fabrics due to strong attraction between two adjacent components. As a result, conductive fabrics with high structural stability were successfully prepared in aqueous dispersion of the rGOs. The as − prepared composite fabrics were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, Fournier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and thermogravity analysis. The effects of the weight fraction of the rGOs on morphologies, structures and electrical properties of the composite fabrics were discussed. These composite fabrics exhibited a rather low electrical percolation threshold due to the homogeneous coverage of graphene sheets on the surface of PET nonwoven fabrics, and the highest conductivity was about 2.0 × 10 -5 S/sq, ensuring the feasibility to manufacture efficient heating elements. Importantly, direct use of aqueous dispersion of the rGOs in dyeing would open new possibilities for massive production of graphene − based innovative fabrics. a of -13 to -5 S/sq for the composite offered. the of the rGO a continuous interconnection network was over the of PET nonwoven fabrics with low percolation fraction of the rGOs. Moreover, the feasibility of the composite fabrics as efficient elements for thermal generation was demonstrated. Our findings make it possible to process graphene materials in high volume production using low − cost solution processing techniques for preparing flexible conductive textile.


For more than a decade, researchers and practitioners have generally accepted a two-factor model for the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) composed of core personality features and an antisocial lifestyle. Very recently, Cooke and Michie (2001) proposed a three-factor solution that divided the core personality features into two dimensions while eliminating antisocial behavior. This study of male, mentally disordered offenders (N = 96) directly compared factor models via confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). When using testlets to combine theoretically similar items into single ratings, the nested three-factor model was an excellent fit. Of importance, the development of a four-factor model with the inclusion of antisocial items also produced an excellent fit. Combined with recent research, these findings have important ramifications for the construct validity of the PCL-R.


As an interdisciplinary research team of architects, computer graphics, and human computer interaction engineers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, (ETH Zurich) we are working on interaction metaphors in collaborative immersive environments. The main focus of our work is 3D video as an interaction medium for immersive projection and 3D video acquisition scenes. Our research is closely linked to the blue-c project (Gross 2003). The blue-c project provides a collaborative tele-presence environment with simultaneous acquisition of 3D video and projection. Creativity above average and immediate experimental verification of new attempts are remarkable results of co-operation and knowledge sharing between our disciplines. Today, computers and digital media are common tools and supplies in the field of architecture. Up to now, digital video is an integral part in education of architecture as well as in built environments. The use of 3D video as a tool, as a communication medium, and as part of virtual extensions of built environments, leads to novel interaction paradigms in architectural settings.


This paper studies the fractional order model for computer virus in SEIR model. Firstly, the basic reproduction number R0, which determines the threshold of the spread of the virus is determined. The stability of equilibra was also determined and studied. The Adams-Bashforth-Moulton algorithm was employed to solve and simulate the system of differential equations. The results of the simulation depicts that by small change in α led to big change in the associated numerical results.


Electronic components of different sizes are simultaneously mounted with high precision. The disclosed film has a two-layer configuration of a first resin layer (11) having a tack strength of at least 200 kPa, and a second resin layer (12) containing conductive particles. By means of electronic components being installed in the first resin layer (11), use on an IC, FPC, and SMD becomes possible, and simultaneous mounting becomes possible.


Distributed Generation (DG) based on renewable energy resources has become extremely attractive due to their significant ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and decrease the dependency on fossil fuels. However, in modern power systems these DGs should participate with the main conventional power plants and other system's equipments in the power system security and reliability by providing the essential ancillary services. Renewable energy resources such as wind and solar could provide power system ancillary services by using controlled battery storages. In an attempt to answer these issues, this paper studies the feasibility of DGs based on wind and solar energies to provide ancillary services to medium-scale micro-grid, namely frequency response ancillary service. A generic model of IEEE distributed generation system with 13 buses will be used as a test network in this investigation, with the total generation from conventional power plants representing 50% of total generated power and the remaining 50% is renewable power. The test system will be simulated by using the commercial DIgSILENT Power Factory to assess technical feasibility of the contribution of DGs to frequency response, and results obtained will be discussed.


Resolvent analysis has become ubiquitous in aerodynamic studies to identify strong modal behaviour through optimal forcing/response pairs and their associated gains. Such dominant modes can be used, for instance, for the understanding of flow physics and the construction of reduced order models. When interest is in non-canonical three-dimensional test cases of practical interest, earlier computational limitations, when solving the underlying truncated singular value decomposition for a small number of the most dominant modes using matrix forming methods with direct matrix factorisation, have been overcome with either efficient time-stepping methods or sparse iterative solver technology within linear harmonic incarnations of production computational fluid dynamics codes. For the latter iterative methods, besides the so-called randomised singular value decomposition, either single-vector iterations with deflation to identify next-in-line optimal modes or subspace methods with random starting vectors have shown great potential. When using subspace methods, the optimal modes are often computed by adapting algorithms designed for solving eigenvalue problems, but these algorithms yield either the forcing or response modes leaving the other to be determined separately incurring additional computational cost. Herein we will investigate two specialised algorithms for singular value decomposition that allows computation of both sets of modes simultaneously. One is a Krylov subspace method referred to as the Krylov–Golub–Kahan algorithm that benefits from a simpler and more robust deflation procedure compared to the widely used implicitly restarted Arnoldi method. The other is an inverse subspace iteration method referred to as the inexact subspace iteration algorithm that uses cheap, low-accuracy linear solutions. The subspace methods were applied for a two-dimensional circular cylinder and the NASA Common Research Model. Both subspace methods were able to compute the three most dominant forcing-gain-response singular triplets for the circular cylinder problem to the desired tolerance while the single-vector iteration algorithm stalled for the third triplet. The inexact subspace iteration algorithm was found to be more efficient than the Krylov–Golub–Kahan algorithm. As for the NASA Common Research Model problem, only the inexact subspace iteration algorithm was able to achieve the desired convergence for the three most dominant singular triplets


The effect of low-temperature pre-deformation on the microstructural evolution of a Zr–Sn–Nb–Fe–Cu–O alloy was investigated by optical metallography, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, and electron backscattering diffraction (EBSD). It is found that a reasonably homogeneous and fine equiaxed grain structure with uniformly distributed second-phase particles (SPPs) can be obtained in 40% pre-deformed samples (Group A) but not in directly hot-rolled ones (Group B) after hot rolling. The initial SPPs diameter in Group A is also reduced. Noticeable differences in microstructural evolutions including the distribution and size of SPPs, grain size of matrix, and texture are observed between both groups. Reasons for such discrepancies are attributed to the defects (such as dislocations and interfaces) introduced during the pre-deformation and more preferred precipitation sites formed in Group A. The aging after the pre-deformation results in new slip systems activated during hot rolling, leading to more thorough refinement of grains. In addition, the growth of SPPs is interpreted by the Lifshitz–Slyozov–Wagner model.


Fas and Fas Ligand (FasL) expression, activation‐induced cell death (AICD) and mycobacterial antigen‐specific cytotoxicity of peripheral T cells from patients with complete inherited IFN‐γ receptor 1 binding chain deficiency (IFN‐γR1–/–) were investigated. Fas was equally expressed in both normal and deficient T lymphoblasts and they underwent apoptosis when stimulated with agonist anti‐Fas mAb. By contrast, T lymphoblasts and CD4+ T cell clones (TCC) from deficient patients displayed a reduced surface FasL expression and resistance to AICD. CD8+ TCC from healthy and deficient patients displayed similar high level of FasL and susceptibility to AICD. In Jurkat CD4+ T cells competent to transduce IFN‐γ signaling, IFN‐γ induced surface FasL export and their Fas‐dependent apoptosis. Effector T cells generated from a patient with a dominant negative mutation of IFN‐γR1 (IFN‐γR1DN) following stimulation with mycobacterial antigens were unable to kill MHC class II‐matched, mycobacterial antigen‐pulsed macrophages. Normal Fas expression in T cells and FasL in CD8+ cells may account for the absence of autoimmune disorders in these patients. Conversely, defective FasL expression on IFN‐γR1DN CD4+ T cells impairs their cytotoxic functions and highlights a novel role for IFN‐γ signaling in the control of mycobacterial infection in humans.


Enhancement of shelf-life is imperative to stabilize the supply chain of onion when the price fluctuations are due to short of supply amid huge postharvest losses. Sprouting has been a major hurdle to alleviate postharvest losses. The screening of available onion cultivars for abscisic acid (ABA), a growth hormone associated with sprouting could be helpful to categories them for storability potential. Twenty two different varieties were analyzed for initial ABA contents and their sprouting up to five months. Results revealed that the highest ABA content was recorded in Bima Red (80.61 ng/g) followed by Phule Safed (60.63 ng/g). Whereas, the lowest ABA contents were observed in Palam Lohit (9.84 ng/g), followed by Agrifound Rose (11.39 ng/g). Despite, comparatively lower ABA contents, sprouting was not observed in Bhima Kiran, N-2-4-1 and Pusa Madhvi up to five months. It was observed that, the dormancy of onion during storage could not be attributed to the initial ABA content.


The organisation and possible function of the pharynx apparatus of Scutigera coleoptrata was first described in 1967 by Seifert. The pharynx apparatus in the foregut of S. coleoptrata consists of a ballshaped outgrowth of the dorsal pharyngeal wall, the pistil, and a cooperating ventral groove, the pharynx furrow. Here we present new structural details of the pistil and the pharynx furrow with its underlying epithelium, using LM, TEM, and SEM techniques.


Detailed are the range of track maintenance machines and mechanised works trains in use as Stuttgarter Strassenbahnen converts its 115 km metre-gauge tram network to standard gauge Stadtbahn operation.


The drift of displacement sensor has great influence on the control accuracy of a magnetic suspended spindle. There is considerable temperature rising while a magnetic suspended spindle running. The structural design of a magnetic suspended spindle has great influence on its temperature rising and its temperature distribution. The paper discovered the un-even temperature distribution in a magnetic suspended spindle through a practical experiment on a high rotation speed magnetic suspended milling spindle. The temperature characteristic of eddy-current sensor is analyzed. The arrangement of the sensor in the magnetic suspended spindle system and the influence on the control accuracy caused by sensors temperature drift are also studied. The degree of influence and the law of variation of structural form, structural parameters, number of sensors and sensing patterns on the control accuracy of the magnetic suspended spindle are researched separately. On the base of study above several design principles on how to minimize the influence of sensor drift on the control accuracy of a magnetic suspended spindle are suggested.


In this work, we study how different air-inflow velocities affect the apple-temperature distribution during forced-convection cooling of individual apples by simultaneously modeling airflow and heat transfer. In general, an increase in airflow velocity increases the cooling rate and heat transfer fluxes across the apple surface and decreases cooling time. The results show that a reasonable increase in cooling rate is obtained with an increase in airflow velocity to 2.5 m/s; any further increase in airflow velocity simply wastes energy because it leads to a relatively low increase in cooling and heat transfer fluxes across the apple surface. By comparing the temperature simulated with and without accounting for respiratory heat, the maximum temperature difference is ∼0.033 K during cooling. Therefore, respiratory heat has a negligible effect on the temperature variations of fruit. The model was verified by comparing its results with those of experiments. The predicted results are consistent with the measured results.

Practical Applications
To ensure the quality and safety of horticultural products and extend their storage and shelf life across the entire cold chain, a critical step in the postharvest cold chain is the rapid precooling after harvest to remove field heat. In this work, we investigate how to improve the cooling rate and minimize the cooling time during forced-convection cooling of apples. In addition, the effect of respiratory heat on temperature variations of fruit is also studied. This research provides not only a more detailed understanding of flow distribution and temperature variations of fruit during cooling, but also a reliable theoretical basis for minimizing unnecessary energy consumption during forced-convection cooling of produce.


Drinking water systems (DWSs) are huge electricity consumers, mainly due to pumping operations. In these systems, electricity costs represent approximately one-third of the total operating costs. because of the environmental impact of electricity generation worldwide (coal, gas, and diesel), water systems also implicitly contribute to global warming. however, these systems have flexibility thanks to water storage structures (tank and reservoirs) and variable speed pumps. The flexibility of DWSs is generally used to optimize energy costs. Furthermore, this flexibility can also be used to provide an environmental and operational service for the power system, by reducing peak power load and the volume of energy transactions on wholesale markets. Indeed, peak power reduction can be sold by water utilities on electricity markets, preventing the production of an equivalent amount of additional energy. In France, peak hours require a massive use of fossil energy sources, which makes electricity production at these periods extremely expensive, both economically and ecologically. using a mathematical optimization model, we optimize the management of these peak periods by shifting load at off-peak hours and selling the reduced energy on the French wholesale energy market. In this paper, we explore the ecological benefits that water systems could provide through this optimization process. We evaluate the cO2 emissions that can be effectively reduced on three real DWSs in France. For these three systems, avoided cO2 emissions were estimated at 2,190 kg/day for the largest system and 194 kg/day for the smallest one, which is equivalent to the emission of 145–1620 cars during 10 km of driving. We also evaluate, based on some hypotheses, the potential for cO2 reduction from water systems at the French scale.


We deal with developing an optimized approach for implementing nonuniform fast Fourier transform (NUFFT) algorithms under a general and new perspective for 1-D transformations. The computations of nonequispaced results, nonequispaced data, and Type-3 nonuniform discrete Fourier transforms are tackled in a unified way. They exploit "uniformly sampled" exponentials to interpolate the "nonuniformly sampled" ones involved in the nonuniform discrete Fourier transforms (NUFDTs), so as to enable the use of standard fast Fourier transforms, and an optimized window. The computational costs and the memory requirements are analyzed, and their convenient performance is assessed also by comparing them with other approaches in the literature. Numerical results demonstrate that the method is more accurate and does not introduce any additional computational or memory burden. The computation of the window functions amounts to that of a Legendre polynomial expansion, i.e., a simple polynomial evaluation. This is convenient in terms of computational burden and of the proper arrangement of the calculations. A case study of electromagnetic interest has been carried out by applying the developed NUFFTs to the radiation of linear regular or irregular arrays onto a set of regular or irregular spectral points. Guidelines for multidimensional extension of the proposed approach are also presented.


Fast expanding of urban development changes the street function and gives priority for vehicles, which effects the urban fabric and cultural life of the city. It makes walking in the street difficult and uncomfortable. Hence, this research aims to explore the influence of landscape features towards comfort character of traditional streets in Amman, Jordan. The case study was Rainbow Street in Amman, the capital city in Jordan. Mixed-method approach was used in this study, which involved direct observation (visual and behavioural) and user perception (survey and in-depth interviews) techniques. The data was analysed through thematic analyses for qualitative data and descriptive statistics for quantitative data. The results show that landscape features that contribute towards comfort character could be divided into two main categories, namely, pedestrian amenities and sidewalk. This should be taken into consideration in the design of the existing and future streets in Jordan.


To a child psychiatrist this series of 20 minute talks by Clifford Yorke, a distinguished Freudian child psychoanalyst, was infuriating. The many excellent ideas were camouflaged by contradiction and inconsistency. Let me begin by finding some points of agreement. Divorce and marital disharmony are both bad for children. It hardly matters which is worse - neither conveys any benefits to a child. Also, children who end up being the sole recipient of all of one parent's love, interest, and need for companionship are not at an advantage.

On many other points, however, I disagreed …


Objective To investigate the clinical and pathological features of pseudoxanthoma elasticum.Methods Clinical data on 29 cases of pseudoxanthoma elasticum were retrospectively collected.Clinical manifestations,treatment outcome and findings from histopathological examination,Verhoeff-van Gieson staining and von Kossa's staining were studied.Results Among these patients,the ratio of male to female was 1 ∶ 8.7,with an average age at onset of (22.6 ± 11.2) years.Lesions were distributed in the neck (29 cases,100%),axillary fossa (11 cases,37.9%),abdomen (5 cases,17.2%),or groin (4 cases,13.8%).Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining of lesions consistently revealed characteristic curl-like structures in mid dermis,which were confirmed to be swelling,disrupted,curled,and degenerated elastic fibers by Verhoeff-van Gieson staining.von Kossa's staining showed calcium deposition on the degenerated elastic fibers.Of five patients receiving fundus oculi examination and cardiovascular system examination,two had angioid streaks radiating from the video disc,one even had mild retinal hemorrhage and vision impairment,none showed cardiovascular abnormalities.Hyperthyroidism was detected in one of the 29 patients.Conclusions Pseudoxanthoma elasticum has distinct clinical manifestations,and it is usually not difficult to diagnose pseudoxanthoma elasticum according to clinical manifestations as well as findings from histopathological examination and Verhoeff-van Gieson staining.

Key words:
Pseudoxanthoma elasticum;  Pathology;  Diagnosis


Engineered living materials (ELMs) have broad applications for enabling on‐demand bioproduction of compounds ranging from small molecules to large proteins. However, most formulations and reports lack the capacity for storage beyond a few months. In this study, we develop an optimized procedure to maximize stress resilience of yeast‐laden ELMs through the use of desiccant storage and 10% trehalose incubation before lyophilization. This approach led to over 1‐year room temperature storage stability across a range of strain genotypes. In particular, we highlight the superiority of exogenously added trehalose over endogenous, engineered production in yielding robust preservation resilience that is independent of cell state. This simple, effective protocol enables sufficient accumulation of intracellular trehalose over a short period of contact time across a range of strain backgrounds without requiring the overexpression of a trehalose importer. A variety of microscopic analysis including µ‐CT and confocal microscopy indicate that cells form spherical colonies within F127‐BUM ELMs that have variable viability upon storage. The robustness of the overall procedure developed here highlights the potential for widespread deployment to enable on‐demand, cold‐chain independent bioproduction.


Based on the operational characteristics of the general aviation industry, this dissertation builds a systematic and perfect index system of general aviation industry policy effectiveness and quality performance evaluation, and evaluates the effectiveness quality of general aviation industry policy by using the multi objective comprehensive evaluation method of grey correlation degree, according to the results of the assessment, the effectiveness of the general aviation industry policy quality analysis. It provides a basis for policy making of general aviation industry.


To establish protoplast mediated genetic transformation,preparation and regeneration of protoplasts from Sporisorium reilianum f.were studied.The results showed that the optional condition for the protoplast preparation was that,mating type strains SR1 were incubated in the mixed enzyme liquid consisting of 5 mg / mL lysing enzymes,50 mg / mL driselase,50 mg / mL snailase at 28 ℃ with shaking at 100 r / min for 10 min,and the yield of protoplast reached 1.35×108mL and the highest production rate of protoplast reached 99.36%.The protoplast was regenerated on the CM plates containing 1.0 mol / L D-sorbitol and the highest regeneration rate could reach 35.63%.


Some sensitive devices located upon substations may be interfered by the magnetic fleld caused by the transformers, cables and buses. Shielding is necessary in some cases to overcome this electromagnetic interference. The shielding design for a substation is presented in this paper, which is based on the calculation of magnetic fleld and shielding efiectiveness. As a result, the best shielding efiectiveness can reach 98.3%, and the value of the magnetic fleld in the location of the sensitive devices can be reduced to meet the demand of the electromagnetic environment. DOI: 10.2529/PIERS060907210939


Civil association The Long Way is the only organization in the Czech Republic for helping families after bereavement. This study results from a qualitative study, which explores the experiences of surviving mothers from this association. The authors present the four periods of adapting to the loss of a child and what help The Long Way offers for families of dead children. Also authors mention the preliminary scheme of staff structure and workload for social (helping) workers in regional centers about which the Long Way attempt.


Objective The study we have conducted was intended to reveal the correlation between university students' selflearning satisfaction and their time management disposition.Method According to Time Management Disposition and Selflearning Satisfaction,a questionnaire was designed and 300 students randomly selected were asked to answer the questions,which helped us to collect the data.Findings ①There are significant differences in the time management disposition and the self-learning satisfaction on gender(P 0.05).There is significant difference in self-learning satisfaction on grade(P 0.05),but the difference is not significant in time management disposition.②The relationship of time management disposition and self-learning satisfaction has a significant correlation(P 0.05).③ Time management disposition has significant prediction on self-learning satisfaction(P 0.05).Conclusion the self-learning satisfaction of Hexi University students is high,while the time management disposition has significant influence on the self-learning satisfaction.


An earlier theory of ionization of C-rich circumstellar envelopes based on the photochemical model is extended to include the temperature dependence of ion-molecule reactions with polar molecules, particularly HCN, and line self-shielding of CO dissociating radiation. The results are applied to the abundances of HCO(+) and HNC in C-rich circumstellar envelopes. With standard parameters for IRC + 10216, the model is found to be consistent with the new upper limit to the antenna temperature of the J = 1-0 line of HCO(+) obtained with the IRAM 30-m telescope. The photochemical model provides a natural explanation of the relatively large ratio of HCN to HNC observed for C-rich circumstellar envelopes, and good agreement is obtained for the H(C-13)N/HNC antenna temperature ratio measured for IRC + 10216.


This paper provides some ideas for carrying out the special rectifying campaign for ferries and ferry terminals,including the methods for construction of qualified ferry terminals,integration of the ferry terminal with the village,using bonus instead of compensation,and support from transport authority and maritime authority to speed up the process of quality ferry terminal construction.


Cross-linguistically, genitive constructions in which embedding does not make use of a prepositional element have often been noted to display some kind of sharing of definiteness value between the embedded nominal and the larger one within which it is embedded (Longobardi 1996). This is illustrated below with examples from English and Hebrew. In both examples, not only the embedded phrase, but also the DP as a whole is interpreted as definite, despite lacking its own independent definiteness marker:


Consider the set <inline-equation> <f> <sc>H</sc> </f> </inline-equation> of all linear (or affine) transformations between two vector spaces over a finite field <italic>F</italic>. We study how good <inline-equation> <f> <sc>H</sc></f></inline-equation> is as a class of hash functions, namely we consider hashing a set <italic>S</italic> of size <italic>n</italic> into a range having the same cardinality <italic>n</italic> by a randomly chosen function from <inline-equation> <f> <sc>H</sc></f></inline-equation> and look at the expected size of the largest hash bucket. <inline-equation> <f> <sc>H</sc></f></inline-equation> is a universal class of hash functions for any finite field, but with respect to our measure different fields behave differently.
If the finite  field   <italic>F</italic> has <italic>n</italic> elements, then there is a bad set <italic>S</italic> <inline-equation> <f> ⊂</f></inline-equation> <italic>F</italic><supscrpt>2</supscrpt> of size <italic>n</italic> with expected maximal bucket size <inline-equation> <f> <sc>H</sc></f></inline-equation>(<italic>n</italic><supscrpt>1/3</supscrpt>). If <italic>n</italic> is a perfect square, then there is even a bad set with largest bucket size <italic>always</italic> at least <inline-equation> <f> <rad> <rcd>n</rcd></rad></f></inline-equation>. (This is worst possible, since with respect to a universal class of hash functions every set of size <italic>n</italic> has expected largest bucket size below <inline-equation> <f> <rad> <rcd>n</rcd></rad></f></inline-equation> +   1/2.)
If, however, we consider the field of  two  elements, then we get much better bounds. The best previously known upper bound on the  expected size of the largest bucket for this class was  <italic>O</italic>(2<supscrpt><inline-equation> <f> <rad> <rcd>log n</rcd></rad></f></inline-equation></supscrpt>). We reduce this upper bound to <italic>O</italic>(log <italic>n</italic> log log<italic>n</italic>). Note that this is not far from the guarantee for a random function. There, the average largest bucket would be &THgr;(log <italic>n</italic>/ log log <italic>n</italic>).
In the course of our proof we develop a tool which may be of independent interest. Suppose we have a subset <italic>S</italic> of a vector space <italic>D</italic> over   <bold>Z</bold><subscrpt>2</subscrpt>, and consider a random linear mapping of  <italic>D</italic> to a smaller vector space <italic>R</italic>. If the cardinality of <italic>S</italic> is larger than   <italic>c</italic><subscrpt>ε</subscrpt>|<italic>R</italic>|log|<italic>R</italic>|, then with probability 1 - ε, the image of <italic>S</italic> will cover all elements in the range.


Abstract : The goal of this project was to develop a set of analysis tools for performance prediction of flexural-disk acoustic projectors. The emphasis is on analytically based formulations designed to merge the physics of the flexure-disk structure with typical operational requirements of frequency. source level, bandwidth, and operating depth. While finite element analysis coupled with acoustic radiation models would be used to refine designs. analytical models permit isolation of the major effects of essential design variables. By developing an understanding of the transducer performance. the effectiveness of various strategies for flexural-disk designs can be evaluated. The model described in this report covers both center-supported and edge-supported structures and two and three-layer configurations.


FOREIGN language can influence Indonesian language a gr eat deal for the society's need of a terms of r eference for a symbol. The absence of a proper terms in Indonesian language for certain symbol encourages people to bor row for eign or local words to express their ideas. Such use would then spread out among the Indonesian speakers. To avoid it, Indonesian terminology was compiled but unfortunately it was not known yet by the Indonesian speakers. It r esulted in the vast use of foreign words by the people. This article aims at describing the role of the media in intr oducing new words to the society using descriptive qualitative method and collecting data via literatur study. It showed that the media had a significant role in socializing Indonesian terminology.


The study of differential games has yielded a number of substantial results. However, numerical method for the saddle point strategy is still open question. In this paper, a new method with radial basis functions for the two-point boundary value problems of differential games is developed. Moreover, the method is applied to numerical examples to examine its appropriateness. Therefore, it is a useful way to solving the numerical solutions of saddle point strategy.


The impact of the projected climate change on soil water is an important and relevant issue for planning rural activities. The objective of this study was to simulate the fraction of transpirable soil water (FTSW) in wheat, soybean and maize agroecosystems under climate change scenarios in Santa Maria, RS. Air temperature and rainfall were modified to generate climate change scenarios. FTSW was simulated with models available in the literature. The results showed that an increase in air temperature decreases FTSW and this decrease is more evident in soybean and maize than in wheat agroecosystems.


Pressure on government budgets has made it more important to quantify the value of public goods, e.g. tropical cyclone warning services, to society as a whole. Based on a stated preference survey, in which respondents could indicate the amount of their willingness to pay (WTP), this study elicited values for an improved cyclone warning service in Vietnam. To examine motives or reasons behind respondents' WTP, respondents were requested to allocate 10 points among different types of values, including self‐interest motivated value (termed use value), and values with respect to the interests of others (altruistic value) and future generations (bequest value). The more influential the value, the higher the point is scored. Use value, which was scored the highest mean point of 4.1 out of 10, is the most important motive for valuing improvements in cyclone warning services. Altruistic and bequest values were given similar points, approximately 2.9 and 3.0, respectively. This study empirically demonstrates that respondents hold not only self‐interest motivated value, but also altruistic and bequest values. Given the importance of non‐use values, i.e. altruistic and bequest values, economic assessments focusing on only use value would underestimate the benefits of an improved cyclone warning service to society.


Based on the current status of the crowded traffic at the city road intersections,this paper analyses and discusses the factors affecting the traffic safety management at the intersections,and proposes corresponding management method and some improvement measures,which will provide basis for improving safety management at the urban intersections.


From the Department of Pathology, Shinshu University, Matsumoto-shi, Japan. In the disease, at present known by the impressive nomenclature of pulseless disease, a representation of the disturbances of the peripheral circulation in the eye was first reported by Takayasu,l9 an ophthalmologist of Japan. In 1908 he made a report on &dquo;a case with peculiar changes in the central vessels of retina,&dquo; in which he pointed out a unique arteriovenous anastomosis in the retina, and for this reason it


Hyssop essential oil is a rich source of biologically active compounds. This study aimed to characterize the chemical composition of essential oil from the hyssop herb and its phytotoxicity against germination and initial growth of wheat and mustard. The main compounds of the oil were identified as isopinocamphone and pinocamphone. In a Petri dish experiment, the oil mainly inhibited the germination and initial growth of wheat, whereas mustard was less affected. In conclusion, hyssop oil displays phytotoxic potential against the studied species and should be tested further.


In this paper,a Coimbra variable order time fractional diffusion-wave equation has been considered,in which the first order derivative is replaced by a Coimbra variable order time fractional derivative operator,and a new implicit difference method is given.Firstly,the Coimbra variable order time fractional derivative and the second order space derivative is discretized and used to transform the Coimbra variable order time fractional diffusion-wave into a system of algebraic equations.Then,the convergence of the new implicit difference method has been discussed by mathematical induction,and it proves that the method is unconditional stable.Finally,a numerical example shows that the numerical analysis is right and the method is feasible and efficient.


OBJECTIVE To understand the epidemiological characteristics of communicable disease events in Nanning,and provide scientific evidences for its prevention and control.METHODS Descriptive epidemiological methods were adopted to analyze the data on communicable disease events in Nanning from 2004 to June 30th in 2011.RESULTS A total of 453 communicable disease events were reported in Nanning from 2004 to June 30th in 2011,with 32 088 cases and incidence of 2.55%.Most communicable disease events were respiratory infectious(83.22%).Two peaks were observed during March to June and September to December.Most communicable disease events were appeared in schools and nurseries.Students and children in nurseries were highly susceptible population.Respiratory infectious diseases were main in towns,while intestinal infectious diseases were main in countries.CONCLUSION It is important to strengthen the surveillance and management of respiratory infectious diseases in schools and nurseries.