The aim of this study is to analyze the influence of consumption, production and gross domestic product on the volume of beef import from Australia in period 2010- 2019. This research applied explanatory research method with quantitative approach. The data sources collected from Badan Pusat Statistik (BPS) and trademap.org. The sample in this research is determined by purposive sampling The study explored with multiple linear regression statistical analysis. The result showed that consumption had insignificant effect on the volume of beef import partially. Meanwhile, production had significant negative effect on the volume of beef import. Gross domestic product also had partial significant positive effect on the volume of beef import.


tal response in stage IB/IIA demonstrates meaningful clinical benefit with MOGA in early stage MF pts previously treated with systemic therapies despite MAVORIC not being powered to determine treatment effect by disease stage. Sponsor: Kyowa Kirin.


This paper examines the twin deficits hypothesis, i.e., a causal relationship between the budget and current account deficits for Turkey between 1989-2008 by using co-integration methodology and by estimating an error correction model. The analysis showed that there is a long-run relationship between the two deficits. Overall, the evidence shows that budget deficits significantly contribute to a deterioration of the current account. Therefore, we have concluded that the twin deficit hypothesis holds for Turkey during the 1989-2008.


Induction motors are widely used in a variety of fields,and the mechanical failures are mostly related to air-gap eccentricity.A survey on the research of air-gap eccentricity in induction motors is given in the paper.Detection of air-gap eccentricity based on motor current signature analysis is described in detail,including the mathematical model used in theoretical analysis.Some important conclusions about static eccentricity,dynamic eccentricity,mixed eccentricity and inclined eccentricity are given in this paper.Then a brief introduction of unbalanced magnetic pull and vibration caused by eccentricity is presented,including the calculation of unbalanced magnetic pull and vibration signal analysis.Finally,the future research prospect of air-gap eccentricity faults is discussed based on the current problems and deficiencies.Fault diagnosis and eccentricity restriction are thought to be the developing direction.And curved dynamic eccentricity which is more precise is proposed in this paper.


Abstract The goal of this paper is to describe the actual procedure that is used to model the consequences and costs of a flood of the Scheldt basin, dealing with the actual uncertainties. This contribution fits in the framework of a project worked out by International Marine & Dredging Consultants (IMDC). The main goals of the project are to estimate the average annual risk of a flood of the Scheldt basin, on the one hand, and to estimate the effect of the position and type of structural measures on that average annual risk, on the other hand. These results will be used in the framework of a societal cost-benefit analysis to compare different long term scenarios of preventive measures to be taken for the Scheldt basin


At 102 K, the isopentyl group of the title compound, C23H26P+·Br−, is in the extended conformation. The phenyl rings are in the propeller configuration usually found in this family of triphenylphosphonium compounds. The methanol solvent molecule is hydrogen bonded to the bromide ion.


Two genetic sexing strains of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) were mass-reared. Both strains contain a Y-autosome translocation which links the wild-type brown allele of the white pupae ( wp ) gene to the male-determining Y chromosome. Continuous inbreeding of each strain results in the production of brown male and white female puparia, thus enabling the automated separation of the sexes before release of sterilized males in sterile insect technique pest management control or eradication programs against this pest. Past experience has shown such strains to be prone to breakdown through a variety of mechanisms. The present experiments were designed to assess the stability of both strains under mass-rearing conditions. Aberrant brown female pupae appeared in the T:Y( wp +)101 strain in the first generation of mass rearing. By the fifth generation, the reproducing component constituted 24.4% of the brown pupae. The corresponding level of aberrant phenotypes in the brown pupae of the T:Y( wp +)30C strain was 2.3% by generation 10. The first reproducing aberrant females appeared in generation 4 of this strain. The frequency of reproducing aberrant white male pupae in T:Y( wp +)101 also increased with successive generations, reaching 12.4% in generation 5. No increase in aberrant white males was observed in T:Y( wp +)30C. The results indicated that the breakdown of the T:Y( wp +)lOl strain was caused by a low degree of male recombination combined with a high genetic load carried by the mutant wp allele. Whether or not the rate of breakdown observed in this strain was accelerated by an accidental introduction of wild-type genotypes could not be conclusively determined. The slight breakdown in T:Y( wp +)30C was attributed solely to an introduction of wild-type material, and no indication of male recombination could be found. The overall viability of the latter strain was not significantly different from that of the standard, mass-reared "Sohag" strain. It is concluded that T:Y( wp +)30C is acceptable for mass rearing and that it shows excellent potential for utilization in sterile insect technique programs relying and depending upon the release of genetically sexed sterile males.


This paper presents results of research, built upon earlier Bureau of Mines laboratory research, to enumerate the problems encountered in cobalt recovery from the copper concentrate under actual mill conditions; to present alternative solutions to these problems; and finally, to describe the best available technology for cobalt recovery within the imposed constraints. Mineralogical analyses showed the cobalt present as a distinct mineral phase, predominately siegenite, amenable to a physical separation method such as froth flotation. Flotation was chosen for recovery because of easy adaptation by the mills.


Abstract An account of the use of landscape as subject‐matter as a basis for the exploration of personal concerns and the search for self by various 20th Century photographers. Particular reference is made to the landscape photography of Eugene Atget, Edward Weston and Bill Brandt.


This article is substantiating the relevance of the development of educational tourism caused by the trends of globalization and internationalization of education. The analysis of scientific works on the research of educational tourism is presented. It is noted that despite the relatively long history of the existence of some forms of educational tourism, taking into account the views of scientists that innovation in education is not always a completely new phenomenon, educational tourism can be considered a pedagogical innovation. According to the authors, the existing conviction of scientists about the close relationship of pedagogical innovations with information technologies enhances the innovativeness of virtual educational tourism. The periodization of educational tourism from antiquity to the present day is presented. The significant impact of travels for knowledge and academic exchanges on the modern infrastructure of the tourism industry is noted. Indicating the role of educational tourism for the development of international cooperation in education, the authors analyze the dynamics of external and internal academic mobility in the period from 2015 to 2019 years at the Kostanay State Pedagogical University, which now is Kostanay Regional University named after A. Baitursynov. The innovative nature of modern educational tourism, which is enhanced by the use of information and communication technologies and digital resources, along with traditional forms of tourist and educational activities, is emphasized. A virtual excursion is considered as one of the innovative forms of education. The experience of the participation of students of pedagogical specialties in the development and implementation of digital resources in secondary schools in a virtual environment, contributing to the formation of the readiness of future teachers for productive activities in the context of distance education, is presented.


In the eastern Pacific Ocean an eastward countercurrent is found in the subsurface layers at 3°–6°N, just to the south of the North Equatorial Countercurrent in the shallower surface layers. Data from the Eastropac expedition (1967–1968) indicate that the subsurface countercurrent is remarkably stable and persists at about the same latitude in all seasons of the year at least between 119°W and 98°W. At 119°W the maximum eastward geostrophic speed is about 30 cm/sec and occurs at 170–180 cl/t of thermosteric anomaly (actual depth 100–200 meters); the width of the countercurrent is 110–160 km, and the average eastward transport is estimated to be 32 km3/hr (9 × 106 m3/sec).


In 1995 the Governments of Canada and British Columbia jointly funded the installation of a high intensity, thick target, ISOL (Isotope Separator, On-Line) based, accelerated radioactive beams facility. This facility, named ISAC (Isotope Separator and ACcelerator) will take advantage of the high intensity (100 microamps), intermediate energy (500 MeV) proton beam available at TRIUMF to produce a wide range of radioisotopic ion beams. Beams with masses below 30 will be accelerated to energies from 0.15 to 1.5 MeV/u, an energy range optimal for studies important for understanding explosive nucleosynthesis in cataclysmic events in the universe. There will be two main experimental areas, one using only the mass separated, radioactive beam in studies such as fundamental interactions, material science, and nuclear structure, and the second using the accelerated beam for nuclear physics and astrophysics studies. Operations into the first area are expected to commence in November of this year. This report will provide a summary of the scientific program planned for the first years of operation along with a brief report of the facility.


Carlos G. Vélez-Ibáñez and Ana Sampaio's edited volume exemplifies the ongoing Chicana/o and Latina/o critique of traditional social science; taking to task its assimilationist, ahistorical, traditional culturological, functionalist, and utopian paradigms. Beginning with Frank Bonilla and Manuel Pastor's call to study emergent forms of global and transnational interdependence between Latina/os in the US and in Latin and South America, scholars have produced an important body of literature over the last decade. The volume advocates a strong position to centre Latina/o Studies on transnationalism both because ongoing migration has had a significant impact on the cultural and social life of Latino/a households and communities in the US; and because family members remaining in the homeland are dependent upon resources and remittances from the US. Nevertheless, VélezIbáñez and Sampaio's volume does more than argue this position; they provide a critique of field of Chicana/o and Latina/o studies in the US, identifying its strengths, weaknesses, and promising scholarly trends and directions. The editors begin with a comprehensive survey of background information on the Latina/o population in the United States, beginning with the basic (but nevertheless still controversial) explanation of terminology used to describe this population. Embedded within the history of the ethnic labels is an analysis of the racial politics that transfigured their meanings and uses. A brief accounting of US colonial exploits provides the links to explain how individuals migrating under differing circumstances from unique cultures and nations are transformed into a homogeneous government category in the US. Imperialist interventions forced open doors to 'free-market' or 'free-trade' to gain access to cheap labour. Indigenous and mixed populations were forced off the land to work in overseas plants or to join the growing lowwage service economy in the US. Thus, significant connections are made that place transnational global capital at the centre of Latina/o studies. The demographic profile of Latina/os residing in the US that emerges includes changes in migration patterns, intra-ethnic comparisons in age, poverty, education, employment, intermarriage, as well as comparisons to the white population. The heterogeneity of Latinization of the US is alluded to by identifying significant populations whose presence changes ethnic/racial politics: Dominicans in New York, Salvadorans in Los Angeles, Guatemalans in San Francisco and Nicaraguans in Miami. Continuing migration, intermarriage and hybrid racial politics argues for a more nuanced 'processual' approach in the field. This approach requires researchers to attend the developing historical relations between and within the numerous ethnic groups integrated under the category of Latina/o in the US. It also requires attending to gender, race, and class relations of power at the local, regional, national and transnational level. Focusing on power relations calls researchers to examine processes of articulation and legitimation by identifying 'cultural scripts' and then observing them in the field where they are contested, negotiated, or rejected. Vélez-Ibáñez and Sampaio propose the use of 'scripts' to capture the


For some problems of hand-painted part of the teaching process at architectural design basics,the paper gives some ideals of strengthening the reform of teaching ability based on hand-drawn idea that the capacity of hand-painted should be combined with design,the growing of hand-painted capacity should integrate the input with the output and both of its cyclical and mutual cycling should be reinforced.Lastly,the article put forward some concrete and practical reform measures.


This paper describes contemporaneous efforts undertaken in the seismic imaging of sub-basalt features offshore the southwest coast of India particularly focused in the Kerala-Konkan Basin. Data for this basin study originates from a modern 3D seismic survey integrated with long regional 2D seismic lines and with joint regional investigations comprising gravity, magnetic, electro-magnetic and MT data to form the basis for the geological assessment of the key components of deep-water petroleum systems, both along the Tertiary overburden above basalt and, below it, the critical imaging of the Mesozoic lithology. The modern marine 3D Q-surveys conducted with long spreads and processed with state-of-art migration algorithms brought in remarkable improvements for the imaging resolution and coherence of sub -basalt structures these interpreted by pairing images of pre-stack time and depth migrated lines.


Global catch rates of sharks and rays from artisanal fisheries are underreported, leading to a lack of data on population status. This forms a major barrier to developing effective management plans, such is the case in Central and West Africa. Over 3 years, we undertook the first systematic quantitative assessment of sharks and rays landed by an artisanal fishery in the Republic of the Congo. During 507 sampling days (mean 14 surveys per month), we recorded 73,268 individuals. These comprised 42 species, of which 81% are considered at an elevated risk of extinction. Landings were dominated by immature individuals, especially for species of conservation concern. Presence of species thought to have largely disappeared from the region such as the African wedgefish (Rhynchobatus luebberti) and smoothback angelshark (Squatina oculata) suggest Congolese waters are a potential stronghold for these species—warranting increased protection. We identified seasonality of catch within years, but not across years. Both inter‐ and intra‐annual trends varied by species, signifying annual fluctuations in catch of each species but consistent catch of all species year‐on‐year. Analysis showed increased catch between the short‐wet and the long‐wet, and the long‐dry seasons (January–February and August–September). Lowest catch was shown to occur during the short‐wet and the short‐dry seasons (October–December), which may provide an opportunity for seasonal closures or gear restrictions.


The contribution of quantum shape fluctuations to inertial properties of rotating nuclei has been analyzed within the self-consistent one-dimensional cranking oscillator model. It is numerically proven that for even-even nuclei the dynamical moment of inertia calculated in a mean field approximation in the rotating frame is equivalent to the Thouless-Valatin moment of inertia. If the contribution of the quantum fluctuations to the total energy is taken into account, the dynamical moment of inertia differs from the Thouless-Valatin value.


A vertical liquid nitrogen cryostat is described. The liquid nitrogen is injected into the cryostat by an underpressure of about 130 mm of Hg from the normal reactor ventilation. Perlite is used as filling for the vacuum jacket surrounding the injection tube. (C.J.G.)


Describes a technique for the automatic generation of an interpretive implementation for a programming language from a layered operational semantic description of the language. Layers in the semantic model represent levels of abstraction which correspond to the needs of various classes of user of the semantic description (programmers, language designers, and so on). The layers are built one on top of the other, with the innermost layer of the model being based on the algebraic specification of abstract data types. Different kinds of user can thus use the same language definition, examining it to differing levels of detail. The complete layered programming language definition can be submitted to a system which automatically generates an interpretive implementation of the language. The implementation is then consistent with the description of the language being used by each kind of user. In particular, this technique presents many advantages for language designers, since aspects of the language description within any of the layers may be altered and a new experimental implementation obtained.<<ETX>>


Epigenetics play a role in the development of hypertension. However, the precise mechanisms of how histone modification in renal tubule cells regulates blood pressure is largely undiscovered. In this study, we investigated the role of renal Kdm6a in salt-sensitive hypertension using a kidney tubular cell-specific Kdm6a gene knockout (Kdm6a cKO) mouse model. First, we demonstrated that knockout of Kdm6a in the renal tubular cells resulted in an increase of H3K27me3 associated with the development of hypertension in both male and female Kdm6a cKO mice. To explore the mechanism of H3K27me3-mediated hypertension, we performed a ChIP seq to identify the target genes of H3K27me3 in the renal tubular cells. Data showed that H3K27me3 regulated several physiological pathways in the renal tubular cells, including sodium transport in proximal convoluted tubule (PCT), and blood pressure regulation in distal convoluted tubule (DCT). Indeed, we found that the expressions of NCC, NKCC2, and AQP2 were upregulated in kidneys of Kdm6a cKO mice. Furthermore, ChIP seq data reveals that FBLN2, an extracellular matrix protein, appears to be a target of H3K27me3, which was downregulated in the kidney of Kdm6a cKO mice determined by real-time PCR, Western, and IHC. Notably, we demonstrated that FBLN2 abated high salt-induced hypertension through downregulation of NCC, NKCC2, and AQP2 in the tubular cells of Kdm6a cKO mice. Interestingly, pre-treatment of FBLN2 prevented salt-sensitive hypertension in these mice. Additionally, we have provided evidence that FBLN2 may regulate blood pressure through mediating the NCC cell membrane trafficking. Using a super high-resolution microscopy, we demonstrated that FBLN2 reduced levels of cell surface NCC in DCT cells cultured in hypotonic medium. Here, we have first demonstrated that FBLN2 may be a target gene of H3K27me3 in epigenetic-mediated hypertension. FBLN2 treatment may prevent and treat salt-sensitive hypertension. NIH This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2023 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.


I propose means of immediately converting the Department of Treasury's existing 'TreasuryDirect' system of freely available transaction accounts into a publicly administered digital savings and payments platform. A platform of this type is an essential public utility in any commercial society such as our own. It is additionally growth-promoting inasmuch as growth-tracking GDP is a measure of transaction volume, while transaction volume is a function of more efficient and inclusive transacting. As Congress seeks means of streamlining the payments infrastructure in a time of pandemic-induced crisis, the Treasury route recommends itself as the fastest way to digitize payments for 95% of our citizens and business enterprises. I also map means of migrating the Treasury architecture to the Fed over time once the crisis is past – as the 'Greenback' paper dollar itself did in the late 19th and early 20th centuries – and include my draft Treasury Dollar Act as an Appendix.


BACKGROUND:  Blood components that appear hemo‐lyzed are discarded. However, visual inspection is subjec‐tive and criteria for excessive hemolysis are poorly defined.


The purposes of this study were: 1) to verify the goodness of fit between empirically observed data and Epistemological Beliefs In Learning Process Model proposed by the researcher; 2) to design a teaching program based on "Teaching Strategies for Adjusting Epistemological Beliefs", and then examine the effects of the teaching program for junior high school students on learning performance; 3) to analyze the changes of the students with the use of qualitative analysis, and then provide suggestions for the implementation of teaching. In order to accomplish these purposes, the whole study was divided into two parts. In StudyⅠ, the researcher proposed an Epistemological Beliefs In Learning Process Model which included the components of epistemological beliefs, learning motivation, action control strategies, and learning strategies, and then verified the goodness of fit of the Model. The Participants were 412 students from five junior high schools in northern Taiwan. The instruments employed in this study include Epistemological Beliefs Inventory, Learning Motivation Inventory, Action Control Strategies Inventory, and Learning Strategies Inventory. Except the Chi-square test that was easily influenced by the sample size, the results indicated that the Epistemological Beliefs In Learning Process Model fitted the observed data well in preliminary, overall, and internal structure model fit criteria. In StudyⅡ, according to the results of StudyⅠand the literature about epistemological beliefs, the researcher designed a teaching program of "Teaching Strategies for Adjusting Epistemological Beliefs" and examined the effects of the teaching program. The design of nonequivalent pretest-posttest control group, as quasi-experiment design, was being applied to this study. The participants were 105 seventh-grade students belonging to experimental group and control group. The instruments employed in this study include Epistemological Beliefs Inventory, Learning Motivation Inventory, Action Control Strategies Inventory, and Learning Strategies Inventory. The researcher analyzed the collected data by two-way MANOVA, and then investigated students' learning changes with the use of qualitative analysis. The results of StudyⅡwere presented as follows: 1)The teaching program of "Teaching Strategies for Adjusting Epistemological Beliefs" could help the experimental group adjust their epistemological beliefs about innate ability, quick learning, simple knowledge, and certain knowledge. 2)The teaching program could help the experimental group promote their performance in learning motivation (attitude), action control strategies (cognitive and others control), and learning strategies (cognitive, self-test, and self-monitoring strategy). 3)After the teaching, the most students in experimental group could change their epistemological beliefs by the ways of awareness, reflection, and practice, but the few students weren't be changed. 4)After the teaching program, the low epistemological belief case's beliefs about innate ability and quick learning, the middle case's beliefs about simple knowledge, and the high case's beliefs about certain knowledge were been changed noticeably. To conclude, the results of StudyⅠfit in with the Epistemological Beliefs In Learning Process Model and the results of StudyⅡsupport the effects of "Teaching Strategies for Adjusting Epistemological Beliefs". The researcher also provided several suggestions for instructional assistance and future studies.


The phytohormone auxin is widely recognized as a regulator of growth and morphogenesis. Since retarded growth and altered developmental patterns in plants are known to follow exposure to ionizing radiation, Skoog (26) investigated the inactivation of auxin by xand ?-rays. His data indicated that both native auxin preparations and pure 3-indoleacetic acid (IAA) in solution were highly labile when irradiated. A marked reduction in auxin levels also occurred when plant tissues were given moderate doses of x-radiation. Auxin thus appeared to be radiosensitive in vitro and in vivo. Skoog pointed out the parallel effects of decreased auxin levels and low doses of radiation in growth and correlation phenomena. His results were used subsequently by other workers to interpret various radiation responses on the basis of auxin radiosensitivity (10, 16, 27). However, certain considerations discussed below cast doubt on the implied direct sensitivity of the auxin molecule, and prompted our reinvestigation of auxin radiosensitivity. Concomitantly, a more precise evaluation of IAA inactivation kinetics was obtained. The present work deals with the destruction of auxin in aqueous solution by ionizing radiation. Auxin sensitivity in the plant, and the biochemical mechanisms whereby auxin levels are lowered in vivo, will be treated in subsequent papers of this series.


Majority group members often hold inconsistent attitudes and behave inconsistently toward minority group members (LaPiere, 1934). We conceptually replicated LaPiere (1934) to examine discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in two studies. As predicted, randomly selected bed-and-breakfasts were more likely to discriminate against gay male individuals when impersonally contacted (Study 1) than when personally contacted (Study 2), suggesting an attitude–behavior discrepancy. We reason that establishments were more likely to discriminate when they did not have the motivation to appear nonprejudicial, and we discuss the results in terms of the MODE model of attitude–behavioral processes.


We recently isolated a cDNA encoding the novel X7365 protein from a Xenopus hypophysial library (Eib and Martens, 1996), and subsequently cloned the mouse (M7365) and human (H7365) homologs from brain and small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) cDNA libraries. 7365 expression is highest in neuroendocrine tissues and is enriched in SCLC relative to nonSCLC. The 7365 homologs are nearly identical in their EGFlike domain, transmembrane and cytoplasmic regions. The unique EGF-like domain of H7365 meets all criteria imposed by the consensus sequence for EGFR ligands (Carpenter and Wahl, 1990), except that it has a histidine in place of the arginine required at position 41. In addition to the EGF-like domain, the extracellular region of 7365 also contains two follistatin modules, not seen previously in a transmembrane protein. Although the function of 7365 is unknown, we mapped its human chromosome location to gain insight into possible relationships with other genes and genetic disorders.


Type A personality among Anglo and Hispanic diabetes and cardiovascular disease patients was assessed. The specific objectives were to relate differences in Type A personality to Anglo and Hispanic ethnicity and to diabetes and cardiovascular diseases — hypertension and heart disease. The subjects for this research were consecutive patients selected from the patient population of a primary care internal medicine clinic affiliated with the University of California, Irvine Medical Center. A total of 162 currently active diabetes and cardiovascular disease patients and a comparison group of 74 patients who did not have diabetes and cardiovascular disease were included. Type A personality was measured by the 10 item Framigham Type A Questionnaire.


To Eleanor and Larry, quoting passages from the new book that attribute origination of techniques to L. D. Miles. Also mentions recent visit, and Larry's health.


To the Editor: In his review of the management of overactive bladder (Feb. 19 issue),1 Dr. Ouslander states in Table 1 that cholinesterase inhibitors could theoretically contribute to detrusor overactivity, but he suggests that there is no evidence to support this association. Cholinesterase inhibitors are widely used to manage the symptoms of dementia.2 Two case series have identified patients in whom urinary incontinence developed after the initiation of treatment with cholinesterase inhibitors. In one report, among three adults with Alzheimer's disease associated with Down's syndrome, two had incontinence after starting donepezil.3 A second report documents the emergence of transient, dose-dependent . . .


Under the title Long‐Term Trends in Productivity Professor Revans, high priest of Action Learning, has issued the following statement through his publishers. We have given the piece a different title and reproduced it in full. It refers to a project for bringing the techniques of Action Learning to bear on a study of global economics and prosperity. Our own interest in the paper stems from our belief that the managerial interest should have more influence on the formation of national policy on how the economy is to be run and, in particular, on wealth creation.


Collaborative destination marketing has been a major topic in tourism research. Several studies have been conducted on the subject, and researchers developed various models that try to understand and explain this issue. In this article, we make a literature review with the purpose of systematizing the several contributions to the topic, presenting different approaches to it, critically analyze various models proposed, and discuss the main issues regarding the subject. The paper also illustrates the intimate relationship between destination marketing and networking, in developing collaborative destination marketing strategies. At the end of the article, a synthesis of the elements involved in collaborative destination marketing is presented within a theoretical framework. Collaborative destination marketing must be seen as a dynamic process happening in a certain context, it is initiated with a specific purpose, involving diversified actors performing integrated activities, and leading to different types of outputs with added value to its stakeholders.


The essay focuses on the research of the archetypal figures that have merged into the character of Albus Dumbledore, the famous magician presented in the first six volumes of the Harry Potter saga by J.K. Rowling. This figure mixes in itself the distinctive features of the scholars and philosophers, first of all Pythagoras, the most charismatic of the sages of the ancient era. In addition to the classic sources, the influence of the English and French literary works seems evident through some references to the character of King Arthur and the Round Table, or the Magician Merlin. J.K. Rowling has so skillfully combined in the construction of Albus Dumbledore many traces that come from the past.


The meta-cognition in mathematics is an important topic in mathematics education.Nearly 20 years in China the study on meta-cognition in mathematics mainly focuses on it's concept,its influence on mathematics study,its level and its ability training.Great achievements and limitations coexist in the research field of meta-cognition in mathematics,and reconsiderations have to be made in terms of both theory and methodology.


Rail noise has increasingly been regarded as a problem by the European Union over the past few decades. To be able to continue measures for a reduction of rail noise related health costs in the most economic and efficient way, selective maintenance and control measures have to be designed and evaluated. Rail noise differentiated track access charges are an appropriate method to reduce noise at its source. If such access charges are based on one-time certification measurements, it cannot represent the actual exposure of railroad noise in daily operation. This can only be achieved by continuous monitoring of continuous railroad traffic. The goal of this paper is to determine measurement methods for a sensor system that introduces a track access charging based on real-time data. To achieve this goal, a currently used noise monitoring system is extended with psychoacoustic components to include the human hearing perception as well. For the calibration of the psychoacoustic evaluation procedure and to simulate the influence of a noise related track access charge based on real-time data, in-situ measurements on the track of the Austrian Federal Railways in a defined study area were conducted. An examination of the results using statistical analysis shows, that psychoacoustic parameters offer a higher explanation of variance than the A-weighted sound pressure level. Therefore psychoacoustic parameters are a suitable additional indicator to calculate social costs of noise and to be used in noise monitoring systems in the future.


Based on unsteady aerodynamic model,a numerical method has been given to calculate the unsteady lift and pitching moment acting on an airfoil of the rotor operating at slightly stall and deep stall conditions in compressible flow.The method was expressed as a set of semi-empirical indicial response formula,and solved by numerical discretization.As numerical examples,the normal force and pitching moment on NACA0012 and SC-1095 airfoils were calculated,and the comparisons with available experimental data were made so as to show the capability of the present method.The influence of the reduced frequency and Mach number on dynamic stall responses is also investigated.Then,the method was improved to be suitable for the calculations of dynamic stall responses in swept flow,and the swept effects on the airfoil responses were analyzed and discussed.Finally,a few conclusions were presented.


Following an observation by Hughes (1986), two experiments concerned the extent to which children try to make use of numbering that is already present in an array when counting it. In the first experiment 96 4- and 5-yr.-old children counted sequentially numbered circles arranged, for different experimental groups, in horizontal lines, vertical lines, circles, and random arrays. Starting consistently at the circle labelled '1' was taken as evidence of an intention to count by following the printed numerals. This intention was exhibited equally by the different groups and by significantly more 5-yr.-olds than 4-yr.-olds. In the second experiment 64 4-yr.-olds counted arrays that varied, across experimental groups, in whether they were composed of sequentially numbered circles or sequential numerals, and the number of circles/numerals present. Following the counting task all children were given a numeral recognition task which tested their ability to find numerals corresponding to number labels. In the counting task the intention to follow the printed numerals was exhibited equally by the different groups. There was a strong relationship between starting consistently at the '1' and performance on the recognition task. The results suggest that failure to try to make use of numbering that is already present is largely limited to preschoolers and primarily reflects an inability to read numerals.


In one embodiment, a method is performed by a computer system. The method includes creating an integrated topology model (ITM) instance of interconnected topology objects. The ITM instance includes a physical infrastructure topology model (PITM) instance comprising first interconnected topology objects, a virtual infrastructure topology model (VITM) instance comprising second interconnected topology objects, a network service topology model (NSTM) instance comprising third interconnected topology objects and inter-model linking information. The method also includes generating dependencies between the interconnected topology objects of the ITM instance based, at least in part, on the inter-model linking information. Further, the method includes generating a dependency graph based, at least in part, on the dependencies. The method also includes outputting at least a portion of the dependency graph for presentation to a user.


This research is motivated by the use of problem-based mathematics student worksheets (LKPD) in class XI science students by teachers in schools which can be said to be imperfect. It is said to be imperfect because it does not yet meet the requirements of the Ministry of National Education, namely there is no component of study instructions and supporting information. To overcome this, one of the efforts made is to develop a problem-based mathematics student worksheets ( LKPD)  in class XI science students in accordance with the terms and conditions set by the Ministry of National Education. The purpose of this study was to develop a problem-based mathematics student's worksheet (LKPD) in class XI science students that is valid and practical. The hypothesis in this study is the problem-based mathematics student's worksheet (LKPD) in class XI science students is valid and practically used. The type of research used is Research and Development (R&D). The Method of  development of LKPD use Plomp model. It consists of an initial investigation phase, a design phase, a realization phase, a test phase, an evaluation and, a revision and finally an implementation phase. But this research is only until the test, evaluation and revision phase. Validation was carried out by two Mathematic's lecturers. Practicality testing was carried out on 33 students of class XI IPA of SMA N 1 Bukittinggi and one mathematic's teacher. Based on the validation results from the experts, it was found that the LKPD was valid with an average validity of 87.96%. Based on the practicality questionnaire from the teacher obtained an average practicality 89.58% with very practical criteria. While the results of the practicality of students' questionnaires were on average 86.67% with very practical criteria. From the results of this study the researchers suggest that further research can develop problem-based mathematics student's worksheet (LKPD) in class XI science students to phase 5, namely implementation. It is also hoped that researchers will also be able to develop this problem-based mathematics student's worksheet ( LKPD) with language that is easier for students to understand in class XI Science Keywords: Student's Worksheet (LKPD), Math learning, Problem Based Learning


Connectivity as a whole and the Internet of Things (IoT) has influenced a great many things in the past decade. Among those, the most prominent is our daily life routines, which have increasingly started to depend on technology. A Smart Home, being a central part, has gained more importance from a forensic perspective since it affects many lives and can be an easy target for cybercrimes. In this work in progress paper, we explore the feasibility of conducting forensic analysis on different Smart Plugs and what sort of challenges are encountered in such a forensic investigation. We also review current related work for forensic analysis of Smart Plugs.


— Modelling the frictional sliding of one surface against another under high pres-sure is often required to correctly describe the response of complex systems to shock loading. In order to provide data for direct code and model comparison, a new dynamic friction experiment investigating dry sliding characteristics of metal on metal at normal pressures up to 10 GPa and sliding velocities up to 400 m/s has been developed. The test consists of a specifically designed target made of two materials. A plane shock wave generated by plate impact results in one material sliding against the other. The material velocity of the rear surface of the target is recorded versus time by Doppler Laser Interferometry. The dynamic friction coefficient µ is then indirectly determined by comparison with results of numerical simulations involving the conventional Coulomb law. Samples can also be recovered in order to carry out metallographic analyses of sub-surface deformation at the interface. Using this new experimental configuration, three dynamic friction experiments with various impact speeds were performed on AA 5083-Al (H111) / AISI 321 stainless steel tribo-pair. Results suggest a decrease in the friction coefficient with increasing sliding velocity, a classic experimentally observed phenomenon.


ABS T RAC T. Supernatant of a culture of BaviUue pumilus D 78 was precipitated with ethanol and chromategraphed on DEAEand GM-cellulose to isolate and purify g neutral protease with fibrinolytie and caseino. lytic activity. Analysis by ultracentrifugation and immunoelectrophoresis indicate the homogeneity of the purified enzyme with the sedimentation constant s20, w equal to 2.3. The fibrinolytic act ivi ty had a lower heat stability and was also mere sensitive f~ pH higher than 8.0. The caseinolytie act ivi ty was stable over a wide range of pH (4.5 to ll .0). The enzyme binds acid dyes and is inhibited by Cu 2+, Zn 2+, Ca 2+ and Fo 3+, as well as by L-eysteine and KCN at a concentration of 10 raM. Likewise, EDTA and p-chloromercuribenzoate show an inhibitory effect.


The allicin and alliin contents of Allium obliquum L. ethanol extract were analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry method. Additionally, the ability of A. obliquum to inhibit the growth of Botrytis paeoniae Oudem. on the nutritive medium was assessed. The in vitro fungicidal activity of A. obliquum was studied by the ultrastructural changes induced in the conidia and sclerotia of B. paeoniae treated with the plant extract in minimum inhibitory concentrations.

 Key words: Allicin, alliin, antifungal activity, electron microscopy, minimum inhibitory concentration.


The sulfidation of crystalline m-WO3 and WO3·H2O and the thermal decomposition of (NH4)2WO2S2 to an {WOS2} oxysulfide and (NH4)2WS4 to {WS3} were studied by means of temperature-programmed sulfidation (TPS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), thermogravimetrical analysis (TGA), and laser Raman spectroscopy. Several basic steps of the sulfidation reaction could be resolved and explained in terms of the structures of crystalline m-WO3 and WO3·H2O. The sulfidation reaction starts at low temperatures with a reduction of the crystalline oxides by reaction with H2S without incorporation of sulfur. Only after this reduction does an exchange of terminal O2- ligands of the oxides for S2- take place. In subsequent W−S redox reactions S22- ligands form, which leads to oxysulfidic intermediates. The {WOS2} oxysulfide phase serves as a reference of structural features of oxysulfides. The presence of oxygen at bridging and terminal positions as well as of disulfide ligands seems to be a common structural property ...


. Let κ be an uncountable cardinal with κ = κ <κ . Given a cardinal µ , we equip the set κ µ consisting of all functions from κ to µ with the topology whose basic open sets consist of all extensions of partial functions of cardinality less than κ . We prove results that allow us to separate several classes of subsets of κ κ that consist of continuous images of closed subsets of spaces of the form κ µ . Important examples of such results are the following: (i) there is a closed subset of κ κ that is not a continuous image of κ κ ; (ii) there is an injective continuous image of κ κ that is not κ -Borel (i.e. that is not contained in the smallest algebra of sets on κ κ that contains all open subsets and is closed under κ -unions); (iii) the statement " every continuous image of κ κ is an injective continuous image of a closed subset of κ κ " is independent of the axioms of ZFC; and (iv) the axioms of ZFC do not prove that the assumption "2 κ > κ + " implies the statement " every closed subset of κ κ is a continuous image of κ ( κ + )" or its negation.


Based on the concentrated parameters theory, a 7-freedom coupled vibration dynamic model of the spiral bevel gear transmission system is established, which includes transmission error, time-varying mesh stiffness and the tooth backlash clearance. In the model, the axial vibration, the torsion oscillation of the gear pair aroused by tooth meshing force and the lateral oscillations resulting from flexional deformation of the gear shaft are taken into account. The mesh stiffness fluctuation is developed as 5-order Fourier series and the tooth backlash clearance is fitted by 7-order polynomial function. Through the Gear method, the dynamic response of the system is obtained, and the vibration characteristics are analyzed.


The purpose of this study is to classify efficient and inefficient stocks using the CAPM method so that investors can make the right investment decisions on the IDX30 and Bisnis-27 Index on the Indonesia Stock Exchange for the 2018-2022 period. The data used in this research is secondary data of 18 samples. The findings in this study, it can be seen that the greater the systematic risk (β), the smaller the expected rate of return E(Ri). This shows that there is a non-linear or non-linear relationship between (β) and E(Ri). Because the average beta value is less than 1 which indicates that stock prices tend to rise or fall lower than the market price index or Rm in general. The criteria for determining investment decisions are choosing efficient stocks. Efficient stocks are stocks that have levels individual returns that are greater than the expected rate of return or [Ri > E(Ri)], while eliminating inefficient stocks, namely stocks that have individual returns smaller than the expected rate of return or [Ri < E(Ri)]. The investment decisions made on efficient stocks are considering buying these shares and the decisions made on inefficient stocks are considering selling these shares.


T h e B a c k g r o u n d o f M y P e r s o n a l C o n c e r n O n e of the reasons that attracted me to psychiatry ( from an expected career in pa thology) was, when doing a summer externship at a mental hospital nearly 35 years ago, I was given a book entitled Objective and Ex perimental Psychiatry. T h i s book was written by an ex-staff physician of the hospital and stated in its preface: "Whether we recognize it or not, the influ ence which most strongly beat upon those of us who passed into psychiatry . . . was the humanitarian. Sympathy, patience, insight rapport — these were the magic words. They must remain so, but as a means to an end and not as an end in themselves. The more scep tical 'tough minded' worker, thrusting out from these enshrouding curtains to the harder realities of active treatment, found himself at once in a sad dilemma, where to find solid ground? "So many of our concepts are mere traditions, so many of our entities were agglomerations


of his use of anaphora, amplification, digressions, and repetitions are particularly fruitful. She sees Péguy as a chronicler rather than as an historian, as an explorer of the reality around him. His open-ended search finds reality, she points out, to be multiple and heterogeneous, unclassifiable in modern scientific categories, as his explorations of his changing world lead him through the numerous digressions familiar to his readers. His sometimes lengthy sentences, branching grammatically into myriads of parallel clauses, reflect this groping for truth and mirror the parallelisms Péguy finds in history (see, for example, his 'Les Suppléants parallèles'), and which, in Bruley's analysis, are for him the proof of consistent, divine forces at work in the material world. She shows Péguy seeking classical clarity and simplicity, always striving to unite form and content. She finds him in his written reactions to such notable thinkers of his era as Bernard-Lazare, Michelet, Bergson, Jaurès, and Maurras, and to the nefarious forces he defines as 'le parti intellectuel', 'le monde moderne', and 'l'esprit de système'. His style is an open-ended search for meaning in his markedly post-classical, post-rhetorical world. While Bruley's portrait of him is fragmented, developed point by point rather like a pointillist's painting across all of Part II, she constructs a coherent and original image of Péguy as, among other things, a self-selected martyr, enjoying the role of a (sometimes polemical) voice crying in the wilderness, writing plainly and directly, with great respect for the simple truth, a 'peasant' at heart, though with a classical education, penning unique chronicles of his age. Bruley demonstrates full mastery of her extensive bibliography.


FSM-based and microcode-based controllers are two widely known techniques used for memory built-in self test (MBIST). FSM-based controller is commonly the hardwired BIST whilst microcode-based controller is a programmable memory BIST (P-MBIST) controller. The P-MBIST is popular because of their flexibility of programming new test algorithms. Recently, the FSM-based memory BIST has evolved from hardwired BIST to P-MBIST by applying macro-commands on-line. In this macro-command P-MBIST, the test algorithms and the MARCH elements are represented by macro codes. However, the read/write operations, the applied test data and the addressing orders in an element are still controlled by the FSM. In this paper, the read/write operations and the applied test data are micro-coded before being controlled by the FSM in order to minimize the area overhead for the P-MBIST. To reach the objective, the previous P-MBISTs using macro-commands are studied and reconstructed. The components of the proposed P-MBIST controller are designed and explained. These controllers are written using Verilog HDL and implemented in ALTERA Cyclone II FPGA. Analysis and comparison of architecture between these three P-MBIST controllers are performed. The simulation and synthesis results of all three architectures are presented. The performance of each controller is compared in term of area overhead and speed. The synthesis result proves the area of the proposed controller is improved by 24 to 31 percent compared to the previous P-MBIST controllers.


The purpose of this study is to detect any mispricing on Islamic stock in four countries which are the founding fathers of ASEAN (Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand). Three-factor Asset Pricing Model [1] is employed in this study with daily individual stock price from June 2005 until December 2017, and later categorized into 25 portfolios based on their size and book-to-market equity. This study found no evidence of mispricing in Indonesia and Malaysia so that these Islamic stock markets are efficient. Different evidence was found in Singapore and Thailand as in those Islamic stock markets significant mispricing can be found in Thailand Islamic Stock Market and marginally significant mispricing in Singapore Islamic Stock Market, which indicates those markets are not efficient. Moreover, this study also found that Financial Crisis 2008 only has a significant effect in Indonesia and Thailand Islamic Stock Market. This paper gives new insight of Islamic Stock Market Efficiencies by focusing on Islamic stock in ASEAN which is a region dominated by emerging markets and this study also used the daily stock price of an individual stock and not index level data.


It is widely recognized that Center for Research in Security Prices (CRSP) returns may differ from "true" returns because of the bid-ask effect. Using a large sample of New York Stock Exchange and American Stock Exchange securities, the author confirms a discernible bid-ask effect, the magnitude and importance of which decrease with the security's price level (increase with the spread). The author finds volatility estimates using CRSP returns to be greater than those based on quote returns. However, market model properties, such as I² and ["R" superscript 2], are generally unaffected. Bid-ask effects are clearly apparent in event studies, but because of certain offsetting effects commonly used test statistics remain unaffected. Low-priced stocks (below $2.00) do not conform to these patterns. Finally, the evidence raises the possibility that the existing literature on filter rule tests may underestimate the bid-ask spread component of transaction costs.


Purpose
This study investigates the role of cryptocurrencies in enhancing the performance of portfolios constructed from traditional asset classes. Using a long sample period covering not only the large value increases but also the dramatic declines during the beginning of 2018, the purpose of this paper is to provide a more complete analysis of the dynamic nature of cryptocurrencies as individual investment opportunities, and as components of optimal portfolios.

Design/methodology/approach
The mean-variance optimization technique of Merton (1990) is applied to develop the risk and return characteristics of the efficient portfolios, along with the optimal weights of the asset class components in the portfolios.

Findings
The authors provide evidence that as a single investment, the best cryptocurrency is Ripple, followed by Bitcoin and Litecoin. Furthermore, cryptocurrencies have a useful role in the optimal portfolio construction and in investments, in addition to their original purposes for which they were created. Bitcoin is the best cryptocurrency enhancing the characteristics of the optimal portfolio. Ripple and Litecoin follow in terms of their usefulness in an optimal portfolio as single cryptocurrencies. Including all these cryptocurrencies in a portfolio generates the best (most optimal) results. Contributions of the cryptocurrencies to the optimal portfolio evolve over time. Therefore, the results and conclusions of this study have no guarantee for continuation in an exact manner in the future. However, the increasing popularity and the unique characteristics of cryptocurrencies will assist their future presence in investment portfolios.

Originality/value
This is one of the first studies that examine the role of popular cryptocurrencies in enhancing a portfolio composed of traditional asset classes. The sample period is the largest that has been used in this strand of the literature, and allows to compare optimal portfolios in early/recent subsamples, and during the pre-/post-cryptocurrency crisis periods.


A detailed investigation of the magnetic response of YBaCuO grain boundary Josephson junctions has been carried out using both radio-frequency measurements and Scanning SQUID Microscopy. In a nominally zero-field-cooled regime we observed a paramagnetic response at low external fields for 45 degree asymmetric grain boundaries. We argue that the observed phenomenology results from the d-wave order parameter symmetry and depends on Andreev bound states.


Primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNETs) belong to a group of highly malignant central nervous system tumors that are composed of small, round, undifferentiated neuroectodermal cells. The current study reports a case of perirenal PNET in a 25-year-old female. The tumor presented as an adrenal tumor and caused symptoms of left waist and back pain, which increased over a 2-month period. Open surgery was performed to achieve radical mass resection. The pathological and immunohistochemical diagnosis confirmed that the tumor was a perirenal PNET, which had spread into nervous and adrenal tissue. To our knowledge, the present case of perirenal PNET is the first to be reported in PubMed.


This Article does not argue that veterans who have been adjudicated mentally incompetent by a court after a hearing or have been involuntarily committed to a mental health facility should be permitted to purchase or possess firearms. However, this Article does compare the VA's determination of "financial incompetency" to other determinations of "mental defectiveness," demonstrating that the VA's standards do not rise to the level of "adjudicat[ing] [the veteran] a mental defective" in a manner sufficient for him to be stripped of his constitutional rights. This Article also argues that including veterans determined financially incompetent for VA purposes on a list of persons unable to exercise their Second Amendment rights is an unconstitutional deprivation of these rights which must be remedied for all affected veterans, past and future.


In this paper, an accurate model of an airbrake electro‐hydraulic smart actuator is obtained by physical considerations, and then different control strategies (variable‐gain proportional control, PT1 control with switching integrator, and second order sub‐optimal sliding mode control) are proposed and analyzed. This application is innovative in the avionic field, and is one of the first attempts to realize a fly‐by‐wire system for airbrakes, oriented to its immediate employment and installation on current aircraft. The project was carried on with the participation of the Italian Ministry of Defense, and was commissioned to MAG, a leading provider of integrated systems and aviation services for aerospace.


ABSTRACT Scientific evidence and knowledge are central to movements for environmental justice. Cases of pesticide toxicity have often led to the emergence of controversies around the nature of evidence and its causal connection to observed pathologies. Toxic effects depend on multiple, situated socioecological conditions such as time and place, duration, and mode of administration, making quantifiable etiology tenuous. Research on toxic exposure issues has shown limitations of regulatory sciences in establishing causality and argued for bringing various ways of knowing to understand, acknowledge and act against harms due to exposure. This article draws on sociological research carried out in northern Kerala, where continued use of the insecticide endosulfan between 1977 and 2000 has had significant health impacts on farmworkers and the general population. We present the case of endosulfan poisoning as an instance of controversy over evidence and uncertainty about causality emerging from agriculture scientists' insistence on proof of etiology that has effectively jeopardized justice for endosulfan victims. We argue that, in cases of economy-oriented production agriculture, powerful actors like agriculture scientists, governments and the pesticide industry use science as a tool to maintain uncertainty as a resource to obscure the truth, making claims about reparative policies and actions impossible.


The dynamic and thermal processes of an Mg-Zn-Y alloy droplet's spreading and solidification are investigated using the level set method in order to understand their effects on the phase change process in a uniform droplet spray process. The level set method, driven with the solidification velocity predicted by a free dendritic growth model, is capable of tracking the evolution of the solidification front within the deformed droplet. It is found that the solidification process heavily depends on the initial thermal state of the droplet, the latent heat released during solidification, and the heat loss to the substrate. A rapid solidification occurs in the initial microseconds before a slow solidification process takes place.


The paper introduces the particular implementation ways,process controlling,quality managing,assess and check-up measures and the detail evaluation of teaching effect in part work and part study model for training professional talents.


Prevalence & determinants of depression in type 2 diabetes patients in a tertiary care centre. Raval A, Dhanaraj E, Bhansali A, Grover S, Tiwari P. Author information Abstract BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Depression is common among people with diabetes and it is associated with poor outcomes. This study was carried out to investigate the prevalence and determinants of depression in patients with established type 2 diabetes (T2DM) attending a tertiary care hospital in north India.


In the assembly system, a pallet plays an important role of transfer and storage. As products become various, many different pallets are also necessary. Since some of them are redundant, a design of pallet with high flexibility is important. This paper suggests design alternatives, in designing pallets with high flexibility. The purpose of this study is to rationalize assembly process of mid-small size products. Every pallet has suitability values depending on characteristic factors of a product, and this value is determined by using AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) technique. As the characteristic factors of a product are changed, the suitability value is also changed. Design alternatives can be found by tracing change of the suitability value, which are based on correlation between the characteristic factors of a product and a pallet element.


The book steers the debate on inter culture, international adoption, custody, parenting and child rearing to the next level. It uses the Right to self –determination and principles beyond decolonization as the framework to consider the recent US Supreme Court ruling on "Baby Veronica" a Native American child, right to Identity and culture. This is a framework rarely engaged in by the "lukewarm defenders" of indigenous rights to discuss complicated issues involved in adoption of Native children by non-Native parents under the Indian Child Welfare Act. The cover picture on the book is a reminder of the past and current success and resistance to violation of right to identity and culture. The culmination is the use of court systems to advance "mono humanistic" and Euro-eccentric standards used determine concepts like the best in of child, permanency and loving home. It is a very important work, where I closely worked with leading human rights Law Scholars Robert Williams, Barbra Artwood and Melissa Tatum, Professors of Law at Arizona.Finally, I dedicate the book to my family who accepted to move to Kenya from U.S with me to facilitate and secure our children identity and cultur


When for the first time the concept of Integrated Information System in the early 1990s introduced, thousands of companies are racing to implement the new paradigm of looking at business strategy tersebut.Hasilnya surprisingly enough, in the sense of quite a lot of companies that ultimately managed to significantly improve their performance significant and transforming itself into a world-class corporation. Seeing this, a number of executives in developed countries are trying to apply this concept to his company with the ultimate goal to improve the quality of the performance of institutions, particularly in meeting the challenges of the globalization era .From the results obtained shown that the paradigm of Integrated Information System that is used is a stone stepping effective in helping to run the company's business. Keywords: integrated information systems, business


The size effect observed for copper in reduced dimensions is studied by several different routes in order to further understand the relative influence of various scattering mechanisms and determine where to focus our efforts in order to reduce line resistance.


An arrangement (1) for measuring an output current between a first output (7) and a second output (8) of a bridge assembly (9) comprises a first series circuit (2) with two switches, connected to a first terminal (4) of a DC source (6) and a first connection point (13), said first output (7) between the two switches of the first series circuit (2) is arranged, and a second series circuit (3) with two switches, connected to the first pole (4 ) of the DC source (6) and a second connection point (14), said second output (8) between the two switches of the second series circuit (3) is arranged. A controller controls the switches of the first and second series circuit (2, 3) in accordance with a bipolar clock pattern. Furthermore, the arrangement (1) comprises a first measuring resistor (11) connected to the first connection point (13) and a second pole (5) of the DC source (6), and a second measuring resistor (12) connected to the second connection point (14) and the second pole (5) of the DC source (6). A device for voltage measurement (15) is connected to the first and second connection point (13, 14), and determines the voltage drop across the series connection of first and second measuring resistor (11, 12) as a measure of the output current of the bridge arrangement (9). In a method using the device (1) are voltage values at the first and second measuring resistors (11, 12) used to generate switching signals for the bridge device (9).


When people read Web-based science-related journalistic articles, they usually read more than one text. As a consequence, they face the task of constructing a coherent mental model of the issue on the basis of conflicting information. We assume that recipients handle this task by evaluating the plausibility of information against their current understanding and prior knowledge (epistemic validation). On the one hand, information judged as implausible is often not processed further, yielding a bias toward plausible information in the mental model (plausibility bias). On the other hand, recipients can also engage in elaborative processing when they are motivated to develop a justified point of view (epistemic reading goal), which should lead to a rich mental model in contrast to the goal of memorizing facts (receptive reading goal). The present study investigated the relationships of perceived plausibility and comprehension of multiple articles related to a social science topic (the OECD's Programme for Int...


Abstract does not appear. First page follows.
 Introduction
 A branch wilt disease affecting Persian walnuts (Juglans regia L.) in California has been reported (Wilson, 1945), (1946).3 The trouble was first noticed about ten years ago in the southern San Joaquin Valley;
 but, according to some growers, it has been present in the Sacramento Valley for an
 equal length of time. Within the past five or six years it has become a major disease
 of certain walnut varieties throughout the central valleys.
 The Disease
 Name. Growers call the disease "wilt," "limb wilt," "twig wilt," or "branch wilt." The
 fourth name seems preferable, since the outer branches, not the limbs or twigs, are
 most commonly affected and since the disease is not a wilting of the entire tree,
 as the term "wilt" might imply.
 Symptoms. As would be inferred from the name, the principal manifestation of the malady is
 the wilting of certain branches. During July and August the leaves wither, turn a
 deep brown, dry up (plate 1, A, page 443), but remain attached to the twigs. Because wilted leaves are very conspicuous
 against the surrounding green foliage, the disease is easily detected in an orchard
 during late summer. Only one other malady that might be confused with the branch wilt
 has been encountered. This is a twig blight4 occurring in summer and suddenly withering the leaves on twigs; but it seldom if
 ever kills large branches in one season. Specimens of this other disease on small
 branches 1.0 to 1.5 inches in diameter were received from southern California; but
 in this instance evidently the disease first attacked a twig and then gradually extended
 to the branch, which it killed only after two or three years.
 Once established in the outer branches, the branch wilt proceeds into the limbs (plate
 1, B) and within a few years may involve most of the treetop.


Objective: The aim of our study was to determine whether energy expenditure modified by increasing body mass over the wide range of body mass index (BMI) was related to insulin resistance, cardiovascular risk factors and dietary intakes. Subjects and Methods: A population of 87 obese non-diabetic outpatients was analyzed prospectively. Indirect calorimetry, tetrapolar electrical bioimpedance, serial assessment of nutritional intake using written 3-day food records and biochemical analyses were performed. Results: The mean age was 45.1 ± 16.7 years and the mean BMI was 35.2 ± 5.2. Indirect calorimetry showed a resting metabolic rate (RMR) of 1,732.2 ± 406.6 kcal/day and oxygen consumption of 266.2 ± 63.3 ml/min. RMR corrected by fat-free mass was 36.8 ± 14.1 kcal/day/kg. Serial assessment of nutritional intake using written 3-day food records showed a calorie intake of 1,660 ± 551.7 cal/day, a carbohydrate intake of 168.63 ± 76.6 g/day, a fat intake of 72.1 ± 26.42 g/day and a protein intake of 81.1 ± 23.3 g/day. Insulin, HOMA, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, waist circumference, fat mass, waist-to-hip ratio were higher in the third BMI tertile than in the first and second tertiles. No differences were detected in calorie intake, carbohydrate intake, fat intake, protein intake, drinking and alcoholic habit among BMI tertiles. RMR was similar in the different tertiles and the corrected RMR by fat-free mass was higher in first tertile than in the second and third tertiles (44.2 ± 20.7 vs. 34.5 ± 9.1 vs. 33.1 ± 8.5 kcal/kg/day; p < 0.05). In multivariate analysis with a dependent variable (RMR), the fat-free mass remained in the model (F = 7.8; p < 0.05), with an increase of 10.1 (95% CI 3.6–17.5) kcal/day with each 1 kg of fat-free mass adjusted by age and sex. Conclusion: Resting energy expenditure in obese patients is not related to the BMI, insulin resistance and dietary intake. RMR is related to fat-free mass in a multivariant model.


This cross-sectional study examines differences among individuals deemed eligible for lung cancer screening under USPSTF 2013 vs under USPTSF 2021 guidelines.


The aviation sector is not yet covered by the European Union's Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS). Taking into account the fact that aviation increasingly contributes to climate change, the European Commission adopted a proposal for legislation to include aviation in the EU ETS. The proposal foresees the inclusion of internal EU flights as well as external flights to and from the Union within the EU ETS. On 20 December 2007, EU Environment Ministers reached political agreement in the Environment Council on the basis of a new compromise text tabled by the Presidency. However, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), as well as various stakeholders, does not consider that the EU has the competence to include aviation within the EU ETS. A crucial point concerning the legality of including aviation in the EU ETS is the fact that Article 2(2) of the Kyoto Protocol states that the parties 'shall pursue limitation or reduction of emissions of greenhouse gases not controlled by the Montreal Protocol from aviation . . . working through the International Civil Aviation Organization . . .'. This article reviews the legality of the EU's stand-alone approach, focusing on the European and international legal framework and taking into account the express role given to the ICAO by the Kyoto Protocol.


A structural sandwich consists of two thin face sheets made from stiff and strong relatively dense material such as metal or fiber composite bonded to a thick light weight material called core. This construction has often used in lightweight applications such as aircrafts, marine applications and wind turbine blades. Sandwich structure is used in heavy weight applications such as electric overhead crane for reduction of weight, reduction of deformation, increasing of strength. In this paper the structural analysis of X core, Vf core with stainless steel (C40) face sheets and core (C40) is done using ANSYS work bench. compressive strength, deflection, is compared with theoretical value. The model of the I sec, X core, and Vf core sandwich structures are done in CATIA and the weight, equivalent stress, deformation are analysed of sandwich structure and this values compare to I section beam. Key Word: Sandwich structure, Universal Testing Machine, Electronic Overhead Transfer Machine ______________________________________________________________________________________


Improving the microbial quality of agricultural water through filtration can benefit small farms globally. The incorporation of zero-valent iron (ZVI) into sand filters (ZVI–sand) has been effective in reducing E. coli, Listeria spp., and viruses from agricultural water. This study evaluated ZVI–sand filtration in reducing E. coli levels based on influent water type and the percentage of ZVI in sand filters. A ZVI–sand filter (50% ZVI/50% sand) significantly (p < 0.001) reduced E. coli levels in deionized water by more than 1.5 log CFU/mL compared to pond water over six separate trials, indicating that water type impacts E. coli removal. Overall reductions in E. coli in deionized water and pond water were 98.8 ± 1.7% and 63 ± 24.0% (mean ± standard deviation), respectively. Filters constructed from 50% ZVI/50% sand showed slightly more reduction in E. coli in pond water than filters made from a composition of 35% ZVI/65% sand; however, the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.48). Principal component analysis identified that the turbidity and conductivity of influent water affected E. coli reductions in filtered water in this study. ZVI–sand filtration reduces Escherichia coli levels more effectively in waters that contain low turbidity values.


Black amaranth (Amarantus quitensis Kunth) is an ancestral crop of the Ecuadorian Andean region, where traditionally it is called ataco or sangorache. Nowadays, there is some information about the phenotypic diversity of black amaranth landraces, but there are no data about their genetic diversity. In this study, we evaluated the genetic diversity of 139 black amaranth accessions collected twice (1981–1986 and 2014–2015) in three representative Ecuadorian Andean provinces for this crop (Imbabura, Tungurahua, and Cañar) using nine simple sequence repeats (SSR) markers. We detected low genetic diversity levels; only a total of 36 alleles were amplified in 139 accessions, with a mean allelic richness of 4.0 per marker, observed heterozygosity of 0.014, expected heterozygosity of 0.134, and Shannon's information index of 0.297. In addition, only 17 genotypes were found, with a predominant genotype (83.6%) and up to 12 accession-unique genotypes. Moreover, a certain genetic diversity decrease was observed over the last decades, especially in Tungurahua and Cañar, where today practically only the predominant genotype exists. The ataco germplasm is genetically structured into two well-defined genotype clusters and could constitute two different genetic lineages. Furthermore, a clear association of each genotype group with a different color morphotype defined in a previous agromorphological characterization was observed. The accessions of the majority group of genotypes showed purple pigmentation in stems, leaves, and inflorescences, whereas those of the other genotype group showed less intense pigmentation (pink stems, inflorescences, and green leaves). Molecular information obtained in this study may be useful for the suitable management and conservation of this underutilized genetic plant resource that is of great food and cultural significance for indigenous farming communities of the Ecuadorian highlands.


Aims  Low plasma erythropoeitin (EPO) is a key causal factor in the anaemia of diabetic patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of anaemia in relation to EPO in patients with Type 2 diabetes.


The first true sphodrine known from North America was collected in a cave in Veracruz, Mexico, in 964. I described it as Mexisphodrus veraecrucis (Barr, 965), emphasizing the sharply truncate, triangular base of the prosternum, which appears to. be the most reliable sphodrine character. Straneo (957) had previously assigned another interesting anchomenine genus, Bolivaridius Straneo, to. the true sphodrines because of a superficial resemblance to Sphodropsis Seidlitz, but Bolivaridius lacks the characteristic prosternal feature so clearly exhibited in Mexisphodrus and the Palearctic sphodrines, and in mv opinion does not belong in this group. Mr. James R. Reddell and the members of the. Association for Mexican Cave Studies have recently sent me additional specimens referable to Iexisphodrus. rather obviously specifically distinct from 36. veraecrucis. These insects were .collected in deep pits in San Luis Potosi and Tamaulipas, respectively. I am indebted to Mr. ReddelI and to Messrs. David McKenzie, John Fish, L. E. Gilbert, and Orion Knox for this unusual material. Holotypes of both species are deposited in the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University. Mexisphodrus tlamayaensis Barr, new species


! The diagnosis of and therapy for cholangiocar-cinomas still remains an interdisciplinary challenge. For diagnostic and therapeutic purposes intra-and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas need to be distinguished. Multiple imaging tools such as sonography, multidetector computer tomography, magnetic resonance tomography as well as endoscopic ultrasound and endoscopic retrograde cholangiography for the diagnosis and localisation of these tumours are available. To date, surgical resection is the only curative treatment. At the time of diagnosis, most of the tumours are advanced. Therefore, only a small percentage of patients are suitable for curative surgery. Infiltration of the portal vein no longer constitutes a contraindication for surgery. Liver transplantation is not a reasonable option for intrahepatic cholangiocarci-nomas but may be of advantage for perihilar Klatskin tumours. Severe cholangitis is the main cause of death of patients with obstructive cholangiocarcinomas. Drainage of the biliary tree system or surgery with construction of a biliary-digestive anastomosis is often necessary. If possible, a photodynamic therapy (PDT) should be performed in addition to biliary drainage. PDT has been shown to facilitate biliary drainage and to improve survival. The value of radiologist-assisted interventional procedures as well as percutaneous ablation and radiochemotherapy


Nutrient media for shoot development from shoot tips 0.5-0.8 mm with several leaf primordia in four grapevine genotypes were optimized by means of a mathematical design of experiment. Over the range of component concentrations CaCl2 had considerable the highest effect on shoot tip development compared to other components of the media. Grapevine genotypes were different in their needs for concentrations of macro-elements to optimize the process of their growth and development. Shoot development from shoot tips in each grapevine genotype as a function of macro-element concentrations in media must be described by an individual regression equation. The proposed method of result evaluation and the mathematical design of experiment may be used in physiological and agricultural research for optimization of processes affected by numerous factors. The optimized media for shoot tip development may by used for sanitation of grape plants from viruses in meristem cultures


A biglobal stability analysis based on an initial value problem instead of an eigenvalue problem is presented. It is employed for investigating the biglobal stability of the boundary layer flow separating from a flat plate due to an induced pressure gradient and for the flow past a NACA0015 airfoil at a high angle of attack. For the stability analysis of the NACA0015 airfoil both steady and unsteady base flows are considered. The link between experimentally observed 3D separation for airplane wings at high angles of attack, also referred to as stall cells, and unstable biglobal modes is explored. The occurrence of asymmetric 3D separated flow structures can have a detrimental effect on the controlability of the airplane in deep stall conditions. In this paper the difference between biglobal stability analysis formulated as an initial value problem instead of as a boundary value problem is presented. It will be shown that conducting a biglobal stability analysis based on an initial value problem formulation can drastically reduce computational expense compared to the eigenvalue approach while still capturing the relevant physics.


Garbhini and Sutika paricharya (Antenatal and postnatal care) are very well described by ancient Ayurvedic scholars starting from samhita period. Samhitas have given a detailed description of ahara (nutrition), vihara (life style) and vichara (thought process) to be followed by women during pregnancy and puerperal period. The author of Yogaratnakara (17AD) provided the additional information about antenatal and postnatal healthcare measures. The paper reviews the herbs mentioned in Yogaratnakara for antenatal and postnatal care in the light of modern scientific validations. The wise and appropriate use of the herbs mentioned help in reducing the complications during antenatal and postnatal period and promises a healthy


This proposes a resistor-coupled gate with high current density using Josephson elements. In a superconductive logic circuit the input-output connections must be made using strip lines when the distance between logic gates is increased. In such a case the logic gate must be designed with consideration of the characteristic impedance of the strip line. In the usual design of the logic gate, however, the current density of the Josephson element is limited at the upper and lower sides by the characteristic impedance of the strip line, when the probabilities of punchthrough and misoperation by thermal noise are to be suppressed below a certain value. Then the operating speed of the logic gate is accordingly limited. In order to overcome such limitation, this paper first indicates by calculation that the output voltage should be increased. By connecting two Josephson elements in series, a resistor-coupled step-up gate is constructed. This logic gate has the feature that the Josephson current density is increased and the probability of punchthrough misoperation is drastically decreased. A high-speed logic gate with better overdrive characteristics can be realized. Consequently, the proposed resistor-coupled gate with high current density can be applied to high-speed logic circuits.


Purpose – In this investigation, attempts were made to distinguish critical coating faults in order of repair priority in DCVG+CIPS survey data by new proposed equation for calculating IR drop. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – DCVG+CIPS, XRD, EDS. Findings – A new empirical equation was developed which is able to predict the importance more precisely. Besides, the studies proved the corrosion products were mainly hematite and goethite, and the presence of Cl anions was not noticed. As a result, the corrosion attack had a form of non-uniform localized corrosion. Originality/value – The values were gathered by DCVG+CIPS method of survey.


Although Kenya has been touted as one of Africa's family planning successes with a relatively high contraceptive prevalence rate of 39% and a long history of making services available there is still significant unmet need for family planning services. Poor access to family planning services is a major constraint to contraceptive use in large parts of the country particularly in Coast Nyanza and Rift Vally provinces the sites of Pathfinder's ongoing efforts to support FP programs in Kenya. Delays and setbacks are endemic in the implementation of a new contraceptive logistics system and new decentralization policies. Attempts to reform the government package of free health services will most certainly encounter obstacles. In this context the unmet need for FP is difficult if not impossible to address without significant NGO and private sector involvement. The situation is made still more complex by strong community demands for HIV/AIDS information and services which calls for maximizing resources and expertise by integrating efforts at both the community and clinic level. (excerpt)


ABSTRACT Governments today are striving to improve services in the public sector through digital transformation programs but face tremendous pressures from multiple fronts (economy, national security, healthcare, education, etc.). Even when worldwide enterprise IT spending for the government and education markets has been increasing and is expected to surpass $652 billion in 2023 to cater to such transformation programs, 80% of the government transformation efforts failed to achieve expected results. A plausible reason for this lacklustre performance could be the presence of tradeoffs or conflicts that is particularly salient in public organisations. To better understand the mechanisms by which IT enables or inhibits capabilities of the public organisations in attaining public value, we adopt a conflict resolution lens to study how information technology (IT) enabled capabilities to mitigate these tradeoffs. Using a dataset collected from public organisations in a European country unreeling from a financial crisis, we examine the processes by which IT enables public organisations to manage the tradeoffs arising from conflicting value-based goals. We identify three mitigation strategies facilitated via IT-enabled organisational capabilities – bias, tunnelling and hybridisation. This paper contributes to the understanding of how IT mitigates value-based tradeoffs in public organisations to achieve public value.


Traffic Accident is an incident on the streets that happened out of nowhere that can cause damage, injuries, and even death. The research problem of this thesis are to know the criminal liability of the act of Negligence Caused Death in Indonesian's Law and the application of its criminal liability towards someone's behavior of negligence caused death in the Medan District Court Verdict No: 3569/Pid.Sus/2021/PN Mdn). The research method that is used by the author is the method of normative juridical which uses case approach and statute approach. The data sources that is used by the author is the secondary data in which are primary materials, secondary materials, and tertiary material. For the outcome, the author concluded that the Prosecutors can't proof the Defendant actions in details. In the Medan District Court Verdict No: 3569/Pid.Sus/2021/PN Mdn, there is nothing that can be use a proof or something that can be convincing enough to proof that the Defendant is indeed driven the Vehicle above the Speed Limit. So because of that, the Judges should've made the verdict as a free verdict.


We examine all 50 states' legal codes to determine the roles and tasks that state legislatures require of police. We find that law enforcement is most prevalent, followed by peacekeeping and service roles. We make suggestions for remedying the lack of the service role in state legislative definitions of police.


Hungarian rocketry developed in connection with the Hungarian Revolution and the War of Independence is outlined. Progress in weapons technology through the 1840's and 1850's is explored and work by Vincenz Augustin, William Hale, and Sandor Mozer in war rockets is cited.


AbstractWhen planners debate settlement density, residential mobility typically gets short shrift: conventional wisdom holds that people want to stay where they are. Unsurprisingly, therefore, demographic change is often framed as a burden: an ever larger cohort of ever older people live ever longer in family dwellings, exacerbating pressures on land use. Yet the residential preferences of ageing baby boomers suggest that change is often welcome, and that demography can be an opportunity for a more sustainable use of built-up areas.To empirically ground the often emotional debate about a more efficient use of the housing stock, the author conducted a representative survey of 1200 people, aged 50–87, in the Cantons of Aargau and Zurich in 2011. Contrary to widely held beliefs, 43% of respondents said they could envisage moving: to purchase real estate, to upgrade residential qualities or location, and to reduce space and housework. Add to this the desire to remain mobile, and to remain independent, and it ...


Gossypiboma is the term used to describe mass lesion caused by retained surgical sponges with reactive tissue after a surgical gosypiboma of the peritonsillar space in a 31-year old male patient, who previously undergone incision and drainage for treat-ment of peritonsilar abscess but had persistent symptom of sore throat, myalgia and febrile sensation for 6 months. The gauze was acidently left in the peritonsillar space after a surgical intervention and resulted in mas like lesion in the ipsilateral peri-tonsillar space. To our knowledge, this is the first case of oropharyngeal gossypiboma in the literature. Although it is rare in adults, foreign body of peritonsillar space should be considered in the diferential diagnosis of unilateral recurrent tonsillitis. (Korean J Otorhinolaryngol-Head Neck Surg 2008;51:677-80)


The article traces the emergence of the myth of the Middle Ages as the "age of allegory"—from the formative developments of the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, through its classic statement in the work of Jacob Burckhardt, to its consolidation at the hands of John Addington Symonds and other British and American authors—and discusses its continuing influence on English literary historiography.


The abundant natural resources in Taiwan enable the development of the tourism industry flourish; hot spring resource not only provides visitors taking a bath, but also becomes an exclusive tour spot. In the recent experiential tendency, travelers are more willing to consume the hot spring in a resort hotel and enjoy the beautiful and pleasant scenery at the same time. Therefore, the research designed the spa tourism for travelers to make their dreams come true and explored the relationships among these critical factors - experiential marketing, experiential value, satisfaction, and behavioral intention. Three hundred and twelve respondents in Tainan were randomly surveyed to gather data in the Guanzihling Hot Spring Scenic Area, Tainan City, Taiwan. The findings showed that experiential marketing have very significantly positive influence on behavioral intension, experiential value, satisfaction because the tourism of Guanzihling Hot Spring Scenic Area provides good itinerary planning, beautiful scenery, relaxing atmosphere, and luxury spa hotel for accommodation. Moreover, it displayed that the degree of satisfaction and behavioral intension are in pace with travelers' perception of experiential value. Finally, applying personal information to measure these variables, it revealed that spa tourism is a popular leisure activity for Taiwanese people. People who live more closely Guanzihling Hot Spring Scenic Area would be willing to do this spa tourism more frequently. Moreover, prime people (age 41-55) with characteristics of business job, higher annual income, and married people have stronger feeling of experiential marketing and value to spa tourism. Therefore, tourism industry should design a VIP itinerary, including luxury hotel, pretty or magnificent scenery, and gourmet food to upgrade or improve their satisfactory extent and ensure their revisits or recommendations.


For given multivariate functions specified by algebraic, differential or difference equations,the separability problem is to decide whether they satisfy linear differential or difference equations in one variable. In this paper, we will explain how separability problems arise naturally in creative telescoping and present some criteria for testing the separability for several classes of special functions,including rational functions, hyperexponential functions, hypergeometric terms, and algebraic functions.


Abstract Lithium niobate has a number of attractive piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties that have been exploited for many applications. The main purpose of our work was to grow lithium niobate thin films on silicon substrates and make surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices. Theoretical curves of SAW properties of bulk crystals and films lithium niobate on silicon with a coating of silicon oxide were also obtained. The theoretical results include elastic wave properties (velocities and power flow angle) in lithium niobate bulk crystals and SAW properties (velocities and coupling coefficients). Thin films of lithium niobate have been deposited on Si (100) substrates (with SiO2 coatings) by rf magnetron sputtering. Lithium niobate film samples with very good transparency and uniformity were obtained. The film samples were structurally analyzed using Bragg x-ray diffraction (XRD). Lithium niobate XRD peaks for specific sputtering conditions corresponding to thin film orientation of (012), (104) and (110) ...


Through the analysis of the situation and existing problems of "atmospheric sounding", a series of pertinent teaching research have been carried out, the goal of scientific curriculum construction has been determined, and a reasonable and high-level teaching team has been set up to standardize the teaching infrastructure, serious and difficult problems in the course construction and teaching have been solved, teaching method has been innovated, teaching effect has been improved. Students' autonomous learning model has been constructed to improve students' learning ability. A multidimensional practice teaching system has been established, and practical training has been carried out in many ways to improve students' practical quality. The system of academic evaluation has been reformed and a diversified assessment system has been constructed. The students' ability has been proved, and the graduates have been fully recognized by the employers. The reform of the teaching methods and the construction of "atmospheric sounding" are good. It explores a new curriculum construction model which is consistent with the training target of talents, and constructs a teaching mode which meets the needs of the industry and diversified development of students. Keywords—Atmospheric sounding; Teaching methods; Curriculum construction


Potentiometric and 1H NMR studies have been performed on the interaction of [Pd(en)(H2O)2]2+ and [Pd(pic)(H2O)2]2+ (pic = 2-picolylamine) with N-alkyl nucleobases and N-acetyl amino acids. The ligands 1-methylthymine, 1-methyluracil and uridine formed only mono and bis(ligand) complexes in the whole pH range (2 to 10) via the co-ordination of N(3) donor atoms of pyrimidine rings. In the case of 1-methylcytosine (MeC), N-acetyl-L-histidine (AcHis) and N-acetylhistamine (AcHm) polynuclear complexes containing a deprotonated exocyclic amino group of MeC or a fully deprotonated imidazole of AcHis or AcHm were also formed. In the [Pd(pic)(H2O)2]2+–MeC and AcHis/AcHm systems various isomeric species including the cis–trans and linkage isomers were detected by NMR measurements. The thermodynamic equilibrium constants of the complexes of [Pd(pic)(H2O)2]2+ with nitrogen donors were generally higher than those of [Pd(en)(H2O)2]2+. The differences in the complex formation reactions of [Pd(en)(H2O)2]2+ and [Pd(pic)(H2O)2]2+ were especially high for N-acetyl-L-methionine. The high trans-effect of the thioether donor function of AcMet resulted in the liberation of free ethylenediamine in the [Pd(en)(H2O)2]2+–AcMet system, while bidentate (S,O) co-ordination of AcMet was proposed for [Pd(pic)(H2O)2]2+ in acidic solutions. The hydrolytic reactions of the complexes were also followed. The formation of dihydroxo complexes [Pd(en)(OH)2] and [Pd(pic)(OH)2] was characteristic in alkaline solutions, while the existence of a dimeric–trimeric and monomeric–dimeric equilibrium was suggested in the neutral pH range for the monohydroxo complexes of [Pd(en)(H2O)2]2+ and [Pd(pic)(H2O)2]2+, respectively.


Background In a previous study, we reported that the distribution of total depressive symptoms scores according to the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) in a general population is stable throughout middle adulthood and follows an exponential pattern except for at the lowest end of the symptom score. Furthermore, the individual distributions of 16 negative symptom items of the CES-D exhibit a common mathematical pattern. To confirm the reproducibility of these findings, we investigated the distribution of total depressive symptoms scores and 16 negative symptom items in a sample of Japanese employees. Methods We analyzed 7624 employees aged 20–59 years who had participated in the Northern Japan Occupational Health Promotion Centers Collaboration Study for Mental Health. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the CES-D. The CES-D contains 20 items, each of which is scored in four grades: "rarely," "some," "much," and "most of the time." The descriptive statistics and frequency curves of the distributions were then compared according to age group. Results The distribution of total depressive symptoms scores appeared to be stable from 30–59 years. The right tail of the distribution for ages 30–59 years exhibited a linear pattern with a log-normal scale. The distributions of the 16 individual negative symptom items of the CES-D exhibited a common mathematical pattern which displayed different distributions with a boundary at "some." The distributions of the 16 negative symptom items from "some" to "most" followed a linear pattern with a log-normal scale. Conclusions The distributions of the total depressive symptoms scores and individual negative symptom items in a Japanese occupational setting show the same patterns as those observed in a general population. These results show that the specific mathematical patterns of the distributions of total depressive symptoms scores and individual negative symptom items can be reproduced in an occupational population.