Introduction: The growing number of patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is alarming. This is particularly so in developing countries where glomerulonephritis and unknown causes are common in addition to the rising incidence of hypertension and diabetes. Hemodialysis is the common Renal Replacement Therapy (RRT) modality worldwide; however, many ESRD patients in developing countries cannot sustain hemodialysis beyond few months. We review the experience of a new hemodialysis center in a developing country to highlight the indications and outcome of hemodialysis. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the case files and dialysis charts of all patients that had hemodialysis at Rasheed Shekoni Specialist Hospital over the first two years. Result: A total of 96 patients were dialyzed in the center during the two years. Fifty-seven were males and 22 were businessmen. The mean age was 39.19 ± 16.9 years, females were slightly younger. Seventy one of the patients had CKD while 25 had Acute Kidney Injury (AKI). Males had significantly higher serum urea and calcium, while the females had significantly higher serum albumin. More than half of the patients with CKD could not afford hemodialysis beyond the first 6 weeks. At the end of two years only one patient was still on dialysis, 3 patients were referred for kidney transplantation while the remaining patients had discontinued dialysis after an average of 8 weeks. Conclusion: The discontinuation rate of hemodialysis due to ESRD is high in developing countries. This is mostly due to the high cost of hemodialysis and relatively few centers that are concentrated in urban areas. The government has to develop policy to subsidize hemodialysis as well as develop other RRT modalities such as peritoneal dialysis and transplantation.


When Anti Japanese War was locked in a stalemate the national government decided to establish an economy guerilla in the war zone and carried out economic blockade and anti economic blockade in order to crush Japan's conspiracy of 'fighting supported by fighting' and destroy the economy of the occupied areas and assist the regular troops of the Kuomingtang from March,1940 to November,1941,the economy guerila pinned down the enemy and destroyed the force and materials of the enemy,which contributed to the Anti Japanese War.Because of the KMT's corruption the economy guerila failed to achieve the expected result and was dismissed eventually.


The present study was designed to investigate the pattern of follicular dynamics during the estrous cycle, for evaluation the superovulatory response of different follicular wave cycles as well as studying the effect of presence or absence of a dominant follicle on the superovulatory response in Egyptian buffaloes. A total of 30 buffalo was used in the present study. Three experiments were conducted: in experiment1, the growth, selection and ovulation of ovarian follicles were ultrasonically monitored in 30 animals after estrous synchronization by using PGF2 .Experiment 2 was conducted to examine superovulatory response in different follicular wave cycles ,while experiment 3 was performed to evaluate the effect of presence or absence of a dominant follicle at the time of gonadotrophin injection on the superovulatory response. Results indicated that the 30 examined buffalos have estrous cycle with one(6.6%), two(53.3%) or three 3(40%) follicular waves and that the number of waves in the cycle is associated with the luteal phase and with the estrous cycle length. Moreover, there were no significance differences in the superovulatory response between two and three wave cycles. However, the numbers of corpora lutea, recovered embryo and transferable embryo were higher in buffalo with non-dominant than with dominant follicles (4.64±0.2 vs 3.36±0.23, 2.35±0.22 vs 1.09±0.19 and 1.4±0.17 vs 0.63±0.15, respectively). In conclusion, the present results showed that the out come of superovulatory response in buffaloes can not be influenced by type of follicular dynamics, Moreover, the feature of ovarian status at initiation of gonadotrophin treatment tended to be related to superovulatory response in the presence or absence of a dominant follicle. Key word: Buffalo Superovulation Follicular dynamics Dominant follicle.


Land suitability maps are useful tools for protecting soil resources. The main objective of this study was to elaborate and assess soil suitability maps for different rainfed and irrigated crops. This study was conducted in the North-East area of Tunisia, three speculations were adopted (Cereals, arboriculture and vegetable crops) in both rainfed and irrigated conditions. Arithmetic multiplication methods were used based on Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) classification based on Free and Open Source Geographic Information System (QGIS) tools and soil pedological properties, slope, elevation and climatic data. Overall, regardless of rainfed or irrigated conditions, results showed that the studied soils were particularly suitable (S1) for cereals crops and marginal suitable (S3) for arboriculture crops with 20.44 and 23.71%, respectively. More particular, we registered an improvement in soil land suitability under irrigated conditions for cereals with 28.63%. The findings indicated that using the GIS system, the soil in the study area is more suitable for cereals and then for arboriculture under irrigated conditions, which requires some improvement in use strategies and good management of the soil resources. In our study area, where agricultural productivity and environmental and the impact of climate change are in a struggle, classifying land on the basis of soil capacity and suitability could help define the best agricultural practices to apply in order to preserve soil functions could help define the best agricultural practices to be applied in order to preserve soil functions.


..................................................................................................................................viii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION............................................................................................. 1 1.1 Background of the study ........................................................................................................... 1 1.1.1 Product Innovation ............................................................................................................. 2 1.1.2 Financial Performance........................................................................................................ 3 1.1.3 Product Innovation and Financial Performance ................................................................. 4 1.1.4 SACCO'S Licensed by SASRA in Kenya ......................................................................... 5 1.2 Research Problem...................................................................................................................... 6 1.3 Research Objective.................................................................................................................... 7 1.4 Value of the study .................................................................................................................... 8 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................... 9 2.


In their role as problem solvers, engineers are expected to take responsibility for the grand societal challenges that require technical expertise and innovation. This urges them to broaden their horizon from the traditional, deeply technological world view to one that examines the surrounding globe with empathy and social responsibility. Such a call for systems intelligence necessitates a novel approach to engineering education to allow students to practice systemic capabilities.
As methodology, life-philosophical pedagogy was experimented with in an English language course that was integrated with the Philosophy and Systems Thinking lecture series. Such pedagogy deviates from conventional methodology in that instead of focusing on correcting deficiencies and filling competence gaps, it takes a midwife approach and recognizes the potential in individuals and delivers the abundance in them. The principles of positive psychology and frameworks of socio-emotive intelligence guide the reflective workout in the course, catalyzing, stimulating and rooting new thinking. Ultimately the course promotes self-growth, intentional change and overall life management, while allowing students to rehearse various interpersonal skills relevant for industrial tasks.


We hypothesized that positioning corrections matching the image in image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) for bone metastasis contain information on temporal structural changes in irradiated bone metastatic lesions during the treatment period. To extract and quantify these changes, a hill-shading
 technique was used to emphasize the characteristics of the structure. Spatial frequency components of the bone lesions were described based on hillshading transformations of the images, and a quantification method was suggested. The matching images of 11 patients who received IGRT for lytic
 bone metastases were evaluated retrospectively. The hill-shading technique was applied to images of both metastatic lesions and normal bone outside the irradiation field. Outlined bone microstructures were analyzed by a two-dimensional power spectrum using fast Fourier transformation, and
 the frequency components were quantified. Correlations between the frequency components and cumulative radiation doses were analyzed between the irradiated metastatic bone and normal bone outside the irradiation field. The high-frequency components of the metastatic bone lesion images decreased
 by a mean of 7% (minimum:−0.2%, maximum: −13.2%) following cumulative irradiation doses of 20–30 Gy versus 0–10 Gy. In the normal bone outside the irradiation field, high-frequency components increased by a mean of 0.07% (minimum:−2.0%, maximum: +4.4%) following
 irradiation doses of 20–30 Gy versus 0–10 Gy. High-frequency components were significantly different between the normal bone and bone metastases following radiotherapy (p <0.0001). Hill-shading transformation of matching images obtained during the treatment period enabled
 adaptation and evaluation of irradiation-induced changes in the microstructure of bone metastatic lesions.


Energy is an important research parameter in rock mechanics. To explore the law of energy evolution of coal, a one‐time loading and unloading test under uniaxial compression was conducted on coal taken from four different coal mines. By utilizing the area integral method, the total input, elastic, and dissipated energy densities in coal at different unloading levels were calculated. The correlation between various energy densities and the evolution law of energy density with different unloading levels was attained. The peak strengths of the coal slowly declined with an increasing unloading level, which conforms to the relation of a linearly decreasing function. The energy dissipation rate has nonlinear characteristics, and the shape of the dissipation rate fitting curve changed from an upper concave to a downward concave with increasing strength. In all the coal samples, the energy density grew nonlinearly with the unloading level. Moreover, the growth rate of the total energy density was the highest, followed by the growth rates of the elastic and dissipated energy densities. All ratios of the elastic and dissipated energy densities to the total input energy density and the ratio of the dissipated energy density to the elastic energy density were constant. As the strength increased, the input energy and the elastic energy density increased at a faster rate, and they observed the same law. There is an insignificant relationship between the degree of destruction of the coal and the level of unloading. Energy is a major factor that drives the failure of a test piece, but this is not the main factor that determines the degree of damage to the test piece.


This report gives the results of the comparison of Beall's list of predatory open access journals with the VABB-SHW lists of journals – including all journals that are being or have been indexed in the Web of Science – as of July 2013. The report may facilitate the GP's decision making. More generally, the report may raise awareness on the prevalence of predatory open access publishing in the social sciences and humanities in Flanders. The number of articles in predatory open access journals submitted to ECOOM-UAntwerpen by the universities in view of inclusion in the VABB-SHW is increasing in recent years. Whereas no publications in predatory open access journals appeared in 2000-2002, the yearly number remained below 5 in the period 2003-2009. In 2010 the number rose to 5, and then jumped to 15 in 2011 and 24 in 2012. This illustrates that in Flanders too predatory open access publishing is gaining ground. Nonetheless, the percentage of publications in predatory open access journals remains very small thus far (0.20%, the largest proportion for any year thus far, in 2012).


Cash takeover bids financed from internally generated cash reserves could be a function of capital market imperfections (Myers and Majluf 1984) or symptomatic of "free-cash-flow" problems (Jensen 1986, 1988). We find that bids financed from cash reserves outperform those that use debt financing. Further, 'free cash flow' firms outperform 'non-free cash flow' firms. The majority of cash bids are made by 'non-free cash flow' firms, and the profile of the typical 'free cash flow' cash bidder is consistent with firms that hold high levels of cash due to capital market imperfections. Our evidence supports the market imperfections theory of investment financing. * University of Sydney # University of Stirling † University of Western Australia Corresponding Author: R.J.Limmack Dept of Accounting, Finance and Law University of Stirling Scotland FK9 4LA Email: email@example.com


To investigate important aspects of a mountainous ecosystem, a group of students designed and built an instrumentation array. The goal was to monitor effects of climate change. The pristine environment provided a unique and valuable place for establishing a baseline of data. In all, 78 sensors were divided into three wired micro-networks at altitudes of 1200m, 1800m, and 2400m. Among these sensors were CO2 sensors, precipitation, temperature, soil moisture, leaf wetness, animal traffic, etc. Important challenges for power and communication included three-dimensional terrain, forest canopy, and creative sensor placement. The three networks were linked wirelessly to each other and to an Internet router to storage and presentation two thousand kilometers distant. The networks provided communications through self-healing mesh topologies. Experience soon showed that the current state of technology in not as well developed as one might expect for reliable communications in this challenging environment. Power was available from combinations of wind, photovoltaic, and hydroelectric sources with lithium battery storage. Providing small amounts of power in the remote location with solely renewable sources encountered proved to be quite difficult. To maintain the pristine nature of the environment and test conditions, power apparatus had to be carefully placed and concealed. This paper describes the design and installation of this instrumentation system in the remote mountainous environment. Two years after installation was completed, student learning is assessed by improvements quality of data collection over the course of the project and by the quality of data presented since the project.


Recently enterprises and corporations have reported several incidents of leakage of sensitive data and plagiari sm of copyrighted information on the Web. We address theBulk Document Leakage (BDL) problem: Given a large set of sensitive or copyrighted documents in an enterprise, determine if a portion of the document set has leaked (or has been plagiarized) and been published on the Web. An adversary who wishes to evade detection may partially tamper the content before publishi ng it. We present an automated tamper-proof low complexity algori thm to solve the BDL problem. We extractembedded signatures from sensitive documents and use them in conjunction with search engines to determine whether near-duplicate versions of th e document (or portions of it) are available on the Web. The embedded signature is tamper-proof ; even if an adversary partially modifies a document, our mechanism can detect duplicate copi es. Also, if a duplicate copy is present in the Web, our system can detect such a copy with a small number of queries to a search engine. We have tested the validity and tamper-proof aspect of our algorithms over a wide range of documents and corpora gathered from different large enterprises. Based on access logs of a large enterprise, we show real-world evidence of bulk le akage across several other domains.


Based on the characteristics of low velocity CDA blade shape,this paper investigated low velocity CDA used in the design of high pressure fan and analyzed the characteristics of flow field of CDA blade shape fan.


With higher power ratings in automotive cooling systems the correct calculation of the heat transfer coefficient when nucleate boiling is occurring has become important. In accounting for the enhanced cooling that nucleate boiling provides, analysts can achieve two goals: more accurate metal temperature prediction at local hot spots; and an assessment of the probability that catastrophic film boiling will occur. Two correlations examined: the classic Chen correlation and the more recent Liu and Winterton correlation. The method of extending the correlations to mixtures is explained. Predictions are presented for the 50:50 mixture of water and ethylene glycol, and compared with literature data. The method of incorporating these correlations into engine CAE analysis is explained and demonstrated. The paper also considers the effect of nucleate boiling on vapor production, leading to vapor blanketing and the critical heat flux. A method of estimating critical heat flux for the mixture is described.Copyright © 2002 by ASME


: The paper presents our public Gait Analysis Data Base (http://gaitanalysis.th-brandenburg.de), which contains 3D walking kinematics and muscle activity data from healthy adults walking at normal, slow or fast pace on the flat ground or at an incremental speeds on treadmill. The acceleration, angular velocity and magnetic rate vectors are measured using XSens MTw sensors attached to both feet, shanks, thighs and the pelvis. EMG recordings are acquired using PLUX sEMG sensors applied at various leg muscles. The paper gives not only a detailed description of the data base, its webpage and the used terms (scenario, proband, experiment and trial), but also an overview about the experimental setup, the acquisition of data and the procedure of the experiments, the data processing and evaluation. Results of exemplary applications are described in the second part of the paper. Here the focus is set on the performance of walking: the individual ability to control, to repeat and to reproduce the pace or the dependence of gait parameters on the pre-set velocity.


Alternator (115/208 Volt, 400 Hz, 12 kVA) is a very important electrical system on Fokker-27 aircraft. The device supplies electrical current for flight equipment and other equipments on airplanes. This paper describes the performance calculation of an aircraft alternator including the power calculation and energy, fuel usage, mileage, calculating speed and frequency of the alternator, power efficiency and load analysis. In another part, it explains the alternator relationship with other tools such as: inverter (voltage converter DC to AC) which uses a voltage regulator to keep excitation and alternator rotation constant, and the battery used for special equipment or backup power source.


A bill to double the budget of the US National Science Foundation (NSF) by 2007 was passed by the House of Representatives and Senate at the end of November. The bill was approved following a lengthy lobbying campaign by US physical scientists, who argued that they should receive as much money as biological scientists (Physics World October 2002 p11). The NSF, which supports most non-biomedical university research in the US, had a budget of about $4.8bn last year.


Scaffolding is crucial as transfer of learning does not occur naturally and teaching-learning strategies found to be effective for experts may not be suitably adopted as is for novice learners. Furthermore, opportunities are often "found" or "made." The quality of solutions, however, is mediated by different conceptualizations of contexts. We aim to investigate whether design thinking and metacognitive reflective scaffolds can help graphic design students to design on a different canvas, i.e., for industrial design, in order to increase their job opportunities. Findings indicate that students are able to identify and match patterns, theorize based on their graphic design knowledge (to transform fuzzy association patterns into fuzzy associative rules) and analyse existing designs in the market to create their own designs. The significance of the study are useful to the learning of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, co-design of designs/uses for smart technologies, industrial design, and embedded cognitive systems, such as robotics and Internet of Things (IoT).


We present a case of a 70-year-old male patient, who was referred to the Urology ward for the evaluation of prostate hypertrophy and who had a large, compressible pudendal lump. The phlebologist was consulted and she referred the patient for duplex ultrasound. A mostly hyperechoic thrombus was found to occlude the left common femoral vein (Figure 1), but the distal venous circulation was completely normal. However, the circulation through the external iliac venous segment could not be scanned. In the upright position, the patient appeared with compressible pudendal mass (approximately 8 5 5 cm, Figure 2) that consisted of large dilated pudendal veins (Figure 3), which obviously served as a collateral circulatory pathway. Most likely, blood finally exited the leg through the hypogastric vein system. The patient reported that he got hurt 35 years ago when he fell from a high position, and broke his skull and lumbar spine. He was immobilized for several months and noticed swelling in the groin, which was overlooked at the time. He later developed a pubic lump, which got worse with time, and nowadays he even suffers from ulceration in the pubic area during hot summers (clinical grade 5 out of 6, according to the clinical, aetiological, anatomical and pathological element (CEAP) clas-


Combining inverter technology and hydraulic volume velocity adjusting method,a new type of hydraulic velocity adjusting unit was established.The control program was set up using LabVIEW graphical development environment,which makes the system realization more convenient,easier with adjustment.


The subject of Projects in Architecture has allowed from the past the application of active learning methodologies based on projects promoted by its teaching in workshop format and its evaluation system of works and portfolios. Method. The work is aimed at evaluating the incidence of the use of this type of methodologies on the motivation of university students. For this, different methodologies implemented during the last three academic years are analyzed in the subject Projects 6 of the Degree in Fundamentals of Architecture of the Polytechnic University of Cartagena. Results. In this paper, three variants of the active learning methodology based on projects are evaluated: conventional active method, interdisciplinary active learning and, finally, service-learning. For each one of them, a double valuation system is presented: quantitative, which analyzes parameters such as the abandonment rate, the success rate or the rank of qualifications; and qualitative, evidencing the degree of student satisfaction with the implementation of the different educational innovation instruments, as well as the methodologies themselves, which are presented here. Conclusions. The comparative analysis of the different variants of the methodology of active learning based on projects leads us to presume a greater influence of service-learning methodologies on the motivation of university students, who assume the usefulness of the task through the provision of service to the Community as a complementary incentive that increases its involvement with the subject of this study.


In 1955, Martha Graham and her company of diverse dancers landed in Japan to begin their first official State Department–sponsored tour of Asia and the Middle East to countries that President Dwight D. Eisenhower designated as the "domino nations," or those most likely to fall to communist influence. On the tarmac, Graham was greeted by mass crowds and children bearing bouquets. American modern dance challenged the Soviet ballet, as a tour by Galina Ulanova preceding Graham. Newspapers announced, "U.S. and Soviet Competition in Dancing: Graham and Ulanova." Graham triumphed with her abstract works alongside tales from the Western canon, fractured narratives, and female protagonists, all to describe the "soul of mankind." Graham became useful as she attached herself to Eisenhower's American battle for "hearts and minds," particularly since she added the frontier and its pioneers to the cast of archetypes presented onstage in "the language that needs no words," and embodied what she called the "universal." Graham was heralded as an ambassadress during high-level diplomatic exchanges and embassy parties on the "cocktail circuit of diplomacy." Graham and her company also functioned as diplomats when they engaged with the public during lecture-demonstrations and shopping for artifacts. While Graham proclaimed that her work was "universal," and thus not political, one critic remarked that "the patriotic placing of American national interest at the end with Appalachian Spring" served "to underscore the diplomatic nature of this cultural mission." Graham's dances were modernist and seemingly apolitical art as creatures of Cold War politics.


The utility model brings forward a camera aperture and a camera shooting device. The camera aperture comprises a plurality of blades, a magnetic wire coil module, an auxiliary device for force conduction and a base seat, wherein the magnetic wire coil module comprises a plurality of magnetic parts and a plurality of wire coils corresponding to the plurality of magnetic parts, the plurality of magnetic parts are arranged on an annular guide rail in a separated manner, the magnetic wire coil module is mounted in the auxiliary device for force conduction, the auxiliary device for force conduction can be driven to move by the magnetic wire coil module, and the plurality of blades are mounted in the auxiliary device for force conduction in a pivoted manner and are connected with the base seat. Acting force is generated between the magnetic parts and the wire coils after the plurality of wire coils are electrified, and therefore the magnetic wire coil module is enabled to relatively move in the forward direction or in the backward direction. The auxiliary device for force conduction is driven to move in a corresponding direction, and therefore the blades are driven to move.


In this paper we provide a model and data structure to identify the determinants of health care use by low income children, and the channels through which they operate. The most distinguishing feature of our approach is that we decompose the decision to use health care into three stages. The advantage of our approach is that variables can influence each stage differently. We find that children living in towns with higher prevalence of violence are in higher need of health care but violence decreases the probability that the child will use health care conditional of the mother perceiving that health care will provide positive gross benefits. We also find that knowledge about self-care (measured by the percentage of women in the village that knows how to treat diarrhoea and by mother's education) decreases the probability that the mother perceives positive gross profits of obtaining health care. These relations are unmasked if we use a standard Probit model.


(57) Abstract: The present invention is a stabilized copolymer latex particles in a protective colloid, a vinyl acetate - has a heterogeneous form in which the different monomers based if necessary and copolymers, these the ethylene content of the latex particles is less than 30% by weight relative to the total amount of monomers, relates to the copolymer latex particles, these particles, in the outer phase, substantially the vinyl acetate polymers, the monomers of the outer phase and a 0-40 wt% ethylene, the outer phase, and an inner phase, and a substantially 0-40% by weight of ethylene and vinyl acetate polymers, the monomers of the inner phase, the inner phase It comprises further at least one of these two phases but is intended to include ethylene. The present invention also relates to a process for the production and use of their aqueous dispersions of copolymer latex particles with heterogeneous forms. The present invention is, that the heterogeneous morphology is obtained in a manner as intended, i.e., the core - shell morphology or inverse core - whether shell morphology, and for the composition of the inner phase and an outer phase, within the ranges indicated characterized in that it is changed in a flexible manner.


This paper describes a study of the ergonomically relevant design parameters for the handwheel drive system of self-propelled wheelchairs. The study covered the design areas of the size of the handwheel, gearing, and the hand-wheelrim interface. After a short description of the work system man-wheelchair, the strain on the wheelchair user is considered


Correspondence Anesthesiology 2020; 133:461–86 485 believe that decision makers could specify a lower threshold of negative predictive value that would justify the use of universal airborne precautions, irrespective of preoperative test results: given the relatively fixed characteristics of the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction test, any such change would be driven by estimates of population prevalence. As a specialty, we should engage in a continuous, transparent process of adapting these policies in collaboration with other leaders and stakeholders in the context of new information.


Interlocal service agreements were used widely by the horizontal cooperation of counties, cities, and special districts. But there were few empirical researches estimating their horizontal cooperative relationships. In 2002, the Florida Legislature required all counties with populations of more than 100,000, and the municipalities and special districts within those counties, to assess the provision of urban services and then provided "Interlocal Service Delivery Agreement Report". This research intended to test the horizontal cooperative relationships of geographical factors, adoption of interlocal service agreements, and scale economics outlined by theoretical developments and our hypotheses. Our findings further supported that geographical factors indeed mattered to the adoption of interlocal service agreements. To measure the effects of scale economies, we used the ratio of the populations for the agreement counties versus the populations of independent counties as our critical test. The evidences emphasizing the adoption of interlocal service agreements did not only result from scale economies but also from political considerations or other factors. The limitation of our research only measured differences between agreement counties and independent counties rather than their changes at the long time period. In the future, the vertical financial grants sustaining for local governments will be declining because of budgetary pressures. We can expect horizontal collaborations will be emphasized more among interlocal service delivery. Therefore, more and more efforts are needed to invest empirical cumulating researches resulting from the review and direction of this type of local practice.


The Labour government came into office in October 1964 with a public commitment to end arms sales to the apartheid regime in South Africa. Yet, less than two months later, Prime Minister Harold Wilson's Cabinet agreed to proceed with a substantial order of Buccaneer aircraft for the South African Navy. A number of factors affected this apparent reversal of intent, including fears for the security of Britain's remaining colonies in southern Africa and the need to retain the use of the Simonstown naval base, though the most important influence was the desire to safeguard export earnings.


Avoid displaying keywords as images. Searchbots can?t read the text displayed on images and so your site won?t be ranked for keywords designed as images.


One of the most private, personal, and critical decisions one makes in life is if, when, and whom one should marry. It seems the ultimate in big government, if not social engineering, to have public policy anywhere near these critical, life-altering decisions; but this is precisely what some members of Congress and the Bush Administration have in mind, to the tune of $200-300 million per year, in the context of TANF reauthorization. Described in language that articulates the desire to help build only "healthy" marriages, the proposal may at first, seem reasonable—that is, until the plan's many inclusions come into full view. For example: why use poverty reduction dollars to fund marriage counseling activities for individuals who may or may not be poor; and why even take the risk of potentially encouraging low-income women to stay in abusive marriages? Ultimately, why not seek to build strong, healthy, and economically-secure families of all types, regardless of marital status, instead of being limited to the Ozzie and Harriet model? To think more broadly in this way is not anti-marriage. To the contrary, it is pro-family in the ultimate sense, in that it respects and supports the many faces of America's families. Be they single, divorced, widowed, same-sex couples, or involved in cohabitating relationships, low-income families of all types deserve the same care and support that married families do if our ultimate goal is to provide stable, economically secure households within which children can flourish.


Biotic interactions are hypothesized to be one of the main processes shaping trait and biogeographic evolution during lineage diversification. Theoretical and empirical evidence suggests that species with similar ecological requirements either spatially exclude each other, by preventing the colonization of competitors or by driving coexisting populations to extinction, or show niche divergence when in sympatry. However, the extent and generality of the effect of interspecific competition in trait and biogeographic evolution has been limited by a dearth of appropriate process-generating models to directly test the effect of biotic interactions. Here, we formulate a phylogenetic parametric model that allows interdependence between trait and biogeographic evolution, thus enabling a direct test of central hypotheses on how biotic interactions shape these evolutionary processes. We adopt a Bayesian data augmentation approach to estimate the joint posterior distribution of trait histories, range histories, and co-evolutionary process parameters under this analytically intractable model. Through simulations, we show that our model is capable of distinguishing alternative scenarios of biotic interactions. We apply our model to the radiation of Darwin's finches—a classic example of adaptive divergence—and find support for in situ trait divergence in beak size, convergence in traits such as beak shape and tarsus length, and strong competitive exclusion throughout their evolutionary history. Our modeling framework opens new possibilities for testing more complex hypotheses about the processes underlying lineage diversification. More generally, it provides a robust probabilistic methodology to model correlated evolution of continuous and discrete characters.


The types,numbers and distributions of antennal sensilla were studied in both female and male adults of two Acrididae species(Mecostethus baichengensis Ren and Mecostethus grossus L.) using scanning electron microscope(SEM).Female and male antennae of both species have the same 12 types of sensilla.They were identified as trichoid sensilla,chaetic sensilla(Ⅰ,Ⅱ),basiconic sensilla(Ⅰ,Ⅱ,Ⅲ,Ⅳ,Ⅴ),coeloconic sensilla,cavity sensilla,Bhm′s bristles and paddle-shaped sensilla.We described the morphology and distribution of antennal sensilla of these two species and demonstrated the differences of the number and distribution of antennal sensilla occurring in female and male species.


This study investigates the sulfidation of limestone at high temperatures (700--900{degree}C) as the first step in the design of a High-Temperature Coal-Gas Clean-Up system using millimeter-size limestone particles. Several workers have found that the rate of this reaction significantly decreases after an initial 10 to 15% conversion of CaCO{sub 3} to CaS. The present work attempts to explain this feature. It is first established that millimeter-size limestone particles do not sinter at temperatures up to the CaCO{sub 3} calcination point (899{degree}C at 1.03 bar CO{sub 2} partial pressure). It is then shown that CaS sinters rapidly at 750 to 900{degree}C if CO{sub 2} is present in the gas phase. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) photographs and Electron Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) data reveal that the CaS product layer sinters and forms a quasi-impermeable coating around the CaCO{sub 3} grains that greatly hinders more H{sub 2}S from reaching the still unreacted parts of the stone. Moreover, most of the pores initially present within the limestone structure begin to disappear or, at least, are significantly reduced in size. From then on, subsequent conversion is limited by diffusion of H{sub 2}S through the CaS layer, possibly by S{sup 2{minus}} ionic diffusion. The kinetics is thenmore » adequately described by a shrinking-core model, in which a sharp front of completely converted limestone is assumed to progress toward the center of the pellet. Finally, experimental evidence and computer simulations using simple sintering models suggest that the CaS sintering, responsible for the sharp decrease in the sulfidation rate, is surface-diffusion controlled.« less


This paper discusses the mummified body of Michael Willmann (1630–1706) – one of the most outstanding painters of the Baroque period in Central Europe. Willmann's mummy was preserved in the crypt of the former Cistercian monastery church in Lubiąż, Silesia (Poland). The article presents the history of the mummy and possibilities for opening the crypt and displaying it to the public, following the example of similar expositions in Europe which have found respectful and sensitive solutions for presenting the bodies of the deceased (e.g. Capuchin Crypt in Palermo and Capuchin Church in Brno). Willmann's mummy is not only the body of an artist, but also a part of the cultural heritage of the Lubiąż Cistercians, making it worthy museification. This issue is particularly important in the context of the plans for establishing the Michael Willmann Museum in the former Cistercian monastery church in Lubiąż.


The Darial Pass through the Caucasus today, as in the nineteenth century, provides the main viable route between Russia and Georgia, along what is now called the Georgian Military Highway. The journey from Vladikavkaz in modern North Ossetia into Georgia follows the Terek River, which flows north from Mount Kazbek (Georgian: Qaz(i)begi, Mqinvari; lit. "Glacier") into Russia, while the southern flanks of the route follow the Aragvi River, flowing south toward Tbilisi (Fig. 1). This journey from Vladikavkaz to Tbilisi and vice versa runs across some very well traveled literary terrain for European, Russian and Georgian Romantics, whose overlapping narratives in genres from fairy tale to travel account, lyric verse to adventure tale gave the landscape a peculiar ambivalence where fact and fancy were intertwined.' Indeed, the Darial Gorge itself has sometimes


The large scale weather system of the southwest vortex rainstorm process during 1~8 July 2000 is analyzed. Also the numerical simulation of this process is conducted by a mesoscale model(MRM1). It is shown that the rainstorm process of southwest vortex is divided into two stages, corresponding to two cold air processes of moving southward respectively. Latitudinal fluctuation of warm shear line is an important factor for rainstorm. Northward propagation of southwest jet cores causes the rain area moving northward. The meso-α scale vortex and shear line are successfully simulated. Its intense inclined rising air current, mesoscale columnar structure of positive vorticity, as well as the convergence moisture flux divergence provide for dynamical and moisture conditions of the heavy rainstorm, while the energy frontal zone of the south-north orientation, the long and narrow warm moisture tongue along low-level jet axes, the rather strong middle and low level unstable stratifications are important condition of this persistent rainstorm.


Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) is an established method to study the overall structure of biological macromolecules and complexes in solution, allowing one to also rapidly analyze structural changes in response to variations in external conditions [1]. The last decade saw a major progress both in data analysis methods and instrumentation, and these developments significantly enhanced the possibilities of SAXS and quality of structural models provided by the method. Large scale structural studies in molecular biology are now possible on high brilliance synchrotrons thanks to the automation of the experiment, data processing and interpretation. Importantly, SAXS is directly applicable to medical formulations raising the popularity of the technique for pharmaceutical industry. Hybrid applications are gaining momentum where SAXS is combined with the high resolution methods like crystallography, NMR and electron microscopy, but also with computational, biophysical and biochemical techniques. In these applications, rapid validation of predicted or experimentally obtained high resolution models in solution, identification of biologically active oligomers and addition of missing fragments to high resolution models are possible. The quaternary structure of macromolecular complexes, can be modelled by rigid body movements/rotations of individual subunits, but, very importantly, SAXS can also account for potential flexibility of the objects. The method can help visualizing flexible portions of the structures, not seen by the high resolution methods, and also characterize (partially) disordered macromolecules like intrinsically unfolded proteins. SAXS is very effective in quantitative analysis of equilibrium mixtures of states in combination with on-line size-exclusion chromatography and in time-resolved studies of processes. The broad spectrum of the structural information that can be gained about about macromolecules in solution is presented in Figure 1. In the talk, main principles and recent developments in SAXS will be presented and illustrated by examples of application to various macromolecular systems. The perspectives of the synergistic use of SAXS for hybrid structural modelling using other methods will be discussed.


A 46-year-old African–American male patient with no significant medical history presented to the hospital with dyspnoea. He was in his usual state of health until 6 months ago when he experienced congestion, dry cough, exertional dyspnoea, fever, night sweats, decreased appetite and generalised


The purpose of this research is to investigate employee's perspective in the context of effects of new technologies of information systems on improving financial manager's decision making in Urmia's marking office. The population of research includes Urmia's marking office financial managers as 71 individuals and with respect to the fact that population is limited; the entire population is selected as the sample too. This research is a descriptive- survey research. For data collection the questionnaire of Moghimi and Ramezan was used. For the purpose of data analysis also the Pearson correlation test and regression test are used. Results indicated that there was a significant relation among new technologies of information systems and financial manager's decision making. In addition, results showed that there was no significant relation among new technologies of information systems and each of peremptory, advisory and collaborative decision making styles.


It is generally acknowledged that Japanese novels have more verbal resources to express affect than novels written in English. By comparing English and Japanese versions of certain novels, I will analyze how and why affective expressions differ between English and Japanese novels. In Japanese novels, the viewpoint often shifts from the narrator's to the character's, or the narrator often comments as an interlocutor, sometimes seemingly speaking to readers in a friendly way even in third-person narratives. On these occasions Discourse Modality (DM) indicators (Maynard,1993) such as sentence-final particles and auxiliary verbs like desu and masu are employed. In English, on the other hand, tag questions, discourse markers, and the frequent insertion of address terms or endearments function as DM indicators. But the Japanese DM indicators mentioned above are phonetically shorter and more easily incorporated into sentence ends as morphemes. Therefore the rate at which DM indicators appear in English novels is much lower than in Japanese novels. In this respect, Japanese novels have more expressions of affect. The use of such DM indicators is part of the pragmatic competence of a language user, and translators should adjust the amount of DM indicators to suit the cultural and linguistic norms.


With population increase,economic growth,living standard improvement,non agricultural land use expansion and land resources degradation,China's cropland resources may fail in supplying Chinese people with sound food security in the next century.Intensive land exploitation and cropland protection are crucial approaches to China's future food security.


Abstract In this paper, a numerical algorithm is developed for the solution of second order linear and nonlinear integro-differential equations. The Haar collocation technique is applied to second order linear and nonlinear integro-differential equations. In Haar technique, the second order derivative in both linear and nonlinear integro-differential equation is approximated using Haar functions and the process of integration is used to obtain the expression of first order derivative and expression for the unknown function. Some linear and nonlinear examples are taken from literature for checking validation and convergence of proposed technique. The maximum absolute and root mean square errors are compared with the exact solution at different collocation and gauss points. The convergence rate using different numbers of collocation points is also calculated, which is approximately equal to 2.


Pale and gloomy for the progressive deterioration of his health, Paganini is renowned for his supreme perfection. His violin playing was admired and also attributed to a demonic pact. The truth is that his joint hypermobility and long fingers probable by Marfan Syndrome, allowed him along with his virtuosity, to be considered the most extraordinary violinist of all times.


Image classification is very important in pattern recognition and computer vision, where, for integrating final representation, feature pooling methods of the max-pooling, sum-pooling and average-pooling have been widely used. In this study, the authors propose a new method called K
-strongest responses (KSRs) on the dictionary atoms for integrating the coding coefficients to generate the final representation that is compared with the previous pooling methods, produces better performance for the image classification task. On the basis of the KSR method, to improve classification accuracy and generate more compact and discriminative final representation, a new framework consisting of two-part KSR and bag-of-features is proposed. To evaluate the performance of the proposed method and framework, they apply it to locality-constrained linear coding, linear distance coding and sparse coding by using two datasets from benchmarks of scene classification: 19-class satellite scene and UC Merced Land. The results show that the coding coefficients integrated by their method and framework are more discriminative than other methods.


The aim of this diploma thesis is an analysis of modern commercial bank performance indicators. The work includes methods that banks use to measure performance and effectiveness. It contains a brief description of the functioning of the banking sector and selected commercial banks.


A FREE-FLIGHT technique has recently been used in the AEDC-VKF Tunnel L to obtain drag data for cylinders normal to the flow. (Tunnel L is an arc-heated, continuous, low-density facility using nitrogen as the test gas. Flow properties are given in Table 1 for the two different nozzles used in the present tests.) The technique, which has previously been used to obtain data for spheres,1 has provided cylinder data over the range of Knudsen numbers 0.135 < Knmtd < 18.4.


Invertebrates are major determinants of soil processes in tropical ecosystems. Whereas pest management is an integral part of crop production, the potential for the beneficial manipulation of soil animals has rarely been considered in the design of monagement practices. Recent research, however, demonstrates that practices which eliminate beneficial soil faunal communities are unlikely to be sustainable i n the long term, especially in low-input systems based on organic fertilisation. Key groups such as earthworms, termites, ants and litter-feeding arthropods have been shown to affect the physical structure of the soil and influence nutrient dynamics through their effects on immobilisation and humification (Anderson and Flanagan, 1989; Lavelle et al., 1992). The presence of soil invertebrates can be conspicuous (for example, the large nest structures of the fungus-growing termites which may be 10 m high), but more often it is less obvious. Although rarely seen on the surface, in some hydromorphic soils earthworms may deposit up to 200 t/haof casts at the soil surface (Kollmansperger, 1956). The habitat structure, vegetation architecture and litter cover is utilised by a wide range of litter-feeding arthropods and their predators within natural ecosystems, resulting in complex food webs and habitat structures. The combination of soiland litter-dwelling species resdts in a diverse faunal community, which may be severely reduced by certain agricultural practices (Critchley et al., 1979; Lavelle and Pashanasi, 1989; Dangerfield, 1990). Degraded soils also have reduced faunal complexities and biomass (Barois et al., 1988; Betsch et al., 1990). These changes in community organisation may favour species that are potential pests of food and cash crops. The economic costs of pests and pest control have overshadowed the potential beneficial effects of soil invertebrate activity on soil properties and plant production. The diversity and role of soil fauna have been largely ignored by traditional and conventional agriculturalists. Termites and leaf-cutting ants are often considered as serious pests and destroyed in high-input farming systems. The beneficial effects of soil invertebrates on plant production, when they are acknowledged, are considered negligible in comparison with the spectacular effects obtained in the short t e m by energy-intensive pest control measures. Consequently, IittIe attention has been paid to the conservation of these fauna .


Background: Decision aids are currently being developed and evaluated for use in cancer-screening decisional settings.Purpose: The purpose of this article is to review and discuss the theoretical basis of interventions to promote informed decision making in cancer screening.Methods: We reviewed interventions cited in Briss et al. (1) and Rimer et al. (2) to identify their theoretical basis, intervention content, measurement strategies, and outcomes.Results: Few interventions had a strong, decision-oriented conceptual basis. This was apparent in their intervention content, the measurement strategy, and the choice of outcomes for the study.Conclusions: We recommend that more research occur into the basis of decision making in cancer screening and that future interventions use this research to rigorously design and evaluate decision aids to help people make choices about cancer screening.


Abstract Steady-state phosphorescence measurements have been carried out for the quenching of benzophenone triplet state by several transition metal β-diketonate complexes. The results suggest a complex quenching mechanism in which energy and electron transfer processes might be involved.


Backfill can be classified into paste backfill, hydraulic backfill and rock backfill according to the filling materials and the transferring methods. This paper aims at using the tailings at Sangdong tungsten Mine as a backfill material to solve the environmental and economic problems caused from the tailing dumps. It appeared that the particle size distribution and the components of the tailings sampled in this study were to be appropriate as filling material upon the physical and the environmental conditions. Cement-tailing mixture was set according to the mixing ratio of cement by 3%, 4%, 5% and 6% for property test of filling material and the slump values of the sample mixture were set to 170 mm, 200 mm and 230 mm. Curing periods were 7 days, 14 days and 28 days, respectively. The uniaxial compressive strength appeared to be affected by the content of cement, slump value and curing period. The strength was to be higher as the content of cement became higher and slump value lower. It showed the highest value of 668 kPa when the content of cement was 6%, slump value, 170mm and the curing period, 28days. After examing the seepage water quality from the filling materials, the amounts of pollutant were found to meet environmental standards.


The author employed an ethnographic research approach, combined with a clinical element, to explore the nature and role of culture in the context of organizational change. The study took place at the U. K. operations of a global human resources consulting firm, People Associates. Using Schein's levels of culture model, the author identified cultural assumptions and values and explored how these relate to behaviors, using the author's relationship with the organization as a rich data source. This study contributes in two main ways: first, it shows how an organizational culture develops historically, is internally coherent, and has potent effects on behaviors that should be studied and understood by managers and clinicians undertaking organizational change programs. Second, it highlights and illustrates how researcher reflexivity and subject reactivity can be useful sources of data for understanding an organization.


Intergranular stress corrosion cracking of stabilized austenitic stainless steels in 288 C water has been studied experimentally. Fracture mechanics crack growth rates were obtained with double cantilever beam specimens. Three Ti-stabilized and two Nb-stabilized stainless steels all exhibited intergranular stress corrosion cracking in simulated, faulted BWR water. The crack growth rates were similar to those of 316 NG, i.e. about one nun per year at stress intensities beyond 20 MPa{radical}m. Extreme sensitization and coarse grains result in crack growth rates up to one hundred times faster. It is shown that weld sensitization in a very narrow zone (several hundred micrometers from the fusion line) can cause chromium carbide precipitation and corresponding chromium depletion and corresponding susceptibility to stress corrosion cracking in BWR water.


Lumbosacral parasitic twin is an extremely rare entity. About 200 cases have been reported in the literature. It may be associated with neural tube defects. We encountered a 3-day-old female child with this presentation, who was successfully operated on at the age of about 2 months. Being an uncommon entity, it is presented here.


In this study, we have discussed the security of mobile phone services against information security threats during development process. The use of internet has increased on the mobile phones whic ...


Unique abnormalities were found in the hearts of two patients who recently came to necropsy. A supernumerary left atrium was present in each and communicated with the left ventricle by means of an ostium distinct from the mitral valve. In one of these hearts there was an additional miniature ventricle on the left, and in the other there was possibly a rudimentary extra ventricle. The clinical findings in one of these patients were distinctive enough to have made clinical diagnosis possible. In each instance the anomaly contributed directly to the patient's cardiac difficulties.


SUMMARY In sub-Saharan Africa, soybean production fails to meet soyabean meal (SBM) requirements of the poultry feed industry hence the need to search and develop alternatives for the industry. Indigenous tree seeds are potential dietary protein sources in feeds. Chemical and in vivo studies have demonstrated the potential of Marula nut meal (MNM) as a dietary protein source in broiler chicken feeds. The gastrointestinal (GIT) microbiota composition of quail differ from that of chicken, thus this study evaluated MNM's potential to substitute SBM on the growth performance, feed economy, and viscera macro-morphometry of broiler Japanese quail. Two hundred 7-day old quail chicks were randomly allocated to and fed the grower and finisher diets for 4 and 2 weeks, respectively. The MNM substituted SBM on a CP basis at 0%, 25%, 50% 75% and 100% for diets 1 through to 5, respectively. Body mass and feed intake (FI) were determined. Body mass gain (BMG), average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion ratio (FRC) were computed. On slaughter, feathers were hand-plucked, viscera dissected out and their mass and length (where relevant) and empty carcass mass determined. Dietary MNM had no effect (P > 0.05) on terminal body mass, BMG, ADG, FI and FCR and on the empty carcass mass of the quail. Relative to body mass, caeca from quail fed diet 3 were heavier (P


To explain the difficulty in separating lignin from carbohydrates in wood, Erdman (1866) hypothesized that the two combined chemically to form "glycolignose". This hypothesis was accepted by many in his day. Since that time, numerous investigations have been made on the nature of the association between lignin and carbohydrates in wood. Merewether (1957) published an excellent review of the phenomena conjectured to arise from lignin-carbohydrate complexes (LCCs) in the course of the chemical or microbiological treatment of wood. Of particular interest in that review are the references to the research of Traynard et al. (1953), who had already extracted a water-soluble LCC from poplar wood.


With the constant demand of strict quality control and efficient inspection, there are a number of automatic inspection systems installed in the distributed production lines. In order to solve numerous cross-process quality analysis problems, a cross-linked integrated information system was developed by China Steel Corporation (CSC). The system has three main functions, such as single coil integrating information query, by rolling sequence quality analysis and dynamic analysis. The range of data covers host data, quality statistical data of production lines, and various kinds of automatic surface inspection system (ASIS) data and images. This makes the quality analysis of coils from the upper process lines to the lower ones much easier and more efficient. There were several successful applications achieved by using this system, such as strip thickness profile unqualified causing mechanism clarification, new product physical property analysis, steelmaking shell defects and hot-rolled scratch defects development tracking, etc. With this system, the quality management skill of CSC was improved tremendously.


We present a novel reconfigurable comb laser design that enables channel sparing, and demonstrate its functionality in a III-V/Si external cavity configuration. The laser is comprised of a single shared tunable Si ring mirror Vernier-paired with an array of tunable channel ring filters each coupled to their respective reflective semiconductor optical amplifier. This comb laser is not only tunable, capable of shifting all comb lines together, but it is flexible, able to change the spacing of channels in the comb within a fixed grid defined by the ring mirror. This flexibility results in features not previously demonstrated in a comb, such as mixed channel spacing and channel sparing capability. This is a practical candidate for flexible, scalable wavelength division multiplexed links targeting the next generation of data centers for the cloud.


Opioid prescription changes in Sweden 2000-2015 In contrast to the well-established »opioid epidemic« in the US, very little is known about how the prescription of opioids in Sweden has developed d ...


The light barrier may be installed in a doorway or gateway. It has two posts (1,1'). The first post has a first lamp (2) directing a beam of light to a first photocell (3), mounted in the second post. A second lamp (4) in the first post sends a beam of light (6) to a mirror (5) in the second post. The mirror returns the light along its path to a photocell near the second lamp.


This chapter examines the aetiology, diagnosis, and management of malignant tumours of the oesophagus, stomach, liver, pancreas, gall bladder, and biliary tree. Surgical, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy treatments are mentioned, in relation to both early-stage and metastatic disease. It highlights the multidisciplinary approach to these tumours. Nursing management of dysphagia and other complex nutritional issues is also covered.


We present an approach for embedding defect structures modeled by density functional theory into large-scale tight-binding simulations. We extract local tight-binding parameters for the vicinity of the defect site using Wannier functions. In the transition region between the bulk lattice and the defect the tight-binding parameters are continuously adjusted to approach the bulk limit far away from the defect. This embedding approach allows for an accurate high-level treatment of the defect orbitals using as many as ten nearest neighbors while keeping a small number of nearest neighbors in the bulk to render the overall computational cost reasonable. As an example of our approach, we consider an extended graphene lattice decorated with Stone-Wales defects, flower defects, double vacancies, or silicon substitutes. We predict distinct scattering patterns mirroring the defect symmetries and magnitude that should be experimentally accessible.


Previous work by the authors has demonstrated the ability to predict solar particle event dose and dose rate temporal profiles using Bayesian inference models as implemented by Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling techniques. Dose and dose rate time profiles have a nonlinear temporal dependence, usually modeled as a nonlinear sigmoidal growth curve. These models lend themselves to the prediction of future doses given data from early in the event. The operational implementation of this methodology would utilize onboard instruments to mark the beginning of an event and onboard dosimeters to provide real-time dose and dose rate values as input to the empirical model. Similarly, solar particle event integral proton fluences demonstrate a nonlinear temporal dependence and may be modeled as a nonlinear sigmoidal growth curve. Predicting fluences rather than doses allows the forecaster to then calculate and predict the response function of choice. A larger sample of historical solar particle events was used for proton fluence prediction model development than previously for the dose and dose rate prediction efforts. In addition to quantitative forecasts, our models provide almost immediate qualitative classification of new events as significant versus insignificant, thus providing a tool to operators for making decisions concerning the commitment of forecasting resources. The justification for modeling fluence using non-linear sigmoidal growth curves and hierarchical models is examined, and the hypothesis that significant events (in terms of fluence) can be identified by fluence alone, early in the evolution of the event, is examined


In the lead article, the author suggests a ground-breaking theoretical model for studying and explaining the processes of acculturation and adaptation experienced by immigrants in receptor countries. Through this model the author brings much needed attention to a growing worldwide phenomenon.


POLICE 'ffiAININ; has received considerable attention since the Gore c.ommittee was set up by the Government of India in 1971. In the last few years particularlY,, the number of police training institutions has increased, the infrastructural facilities have improved, the curriculae have been ui:x:Iated and more police officers than ever before are attending refresher programmes and seminars. Yet, there are no signs of improvement in police performance or police behaviour, nor is there any improvement in the police image. So, it is necessary to try and understand why the past training t:·fforts have not made much impact and what are the inherent limitations of training.


The institutionalisation of dedicated early pregnancy units (EPU) has resulted in better patient care and satisfaction with faster times to diagnosis, continuity of care and reductions in duration and number of hospital admissions. Research from specialist-led EPU has also led to the introduction of new concepts in the management of early pregnancy complications. Pregnancies of unknown location (PUL) and conservative management of ectopic pregnancy are now included in the spectrum of complications and options of care associated with and available to women presenting with pain and/or bleeding in the first trimester of pregnancy. The enthusiasm for and widespread uptake of EPU by hospitals in United Kingdom (UK) and more recently in Australia have been a major success for improving women's health in early pregnancy. These successes of EPU have resulted in a re-evaluation of existing systems for managing women presenting with non-pregnancyrelated acute gynaecological problems. In the United Kingdom, the National Health Service (NHS) has expanded the early pregnancy services to include nonpregnancy-related acute gynaecological services (AGS). The expansion of EPU to include AGS is aimed at reducing waiting times for specialist care as well as improving the quality of care and experiences of women presenting with acute gynaecological symptoms. This reform is consistent with the objectives of the UK National Service Framework (NSF) for children, young people and maternity services for a patient-centred care using a onestop assessment, diagnosis and management ethos. The combined early pregnancy and acute gynaecological services was therefore developed as a rapid-access, onestop service for the immediate assessment of acute gynaecological presentations by senior clinicians with background in ultrasound-based sonologic assessment of the pelvis. Evidence from the UK has shown that by combining these services, women with acute gynaecological symptoms received standards of care that meet designated quality and safety goals. In one of the first studies to investigate the impact of an acute gynaecological service in the United Kingdom, Haider et al. (2006) reported a change in clinical management for 38.1% of nonpregnant women, a reduction in admissions from 37.1 to 19.4% and outpatient follow-up examinations from 25.7 to 18.1%. Other reviews have also demonstrated improved patient satisfaction, significant cost savings and shorter time spent in the emergency department (ED) for women following the introduction of acute gynaecological services. These experiences from the NHS demonstrate that improvements in patient safety, patient experience and cost efficiency can be achieved within an existing healthcare delivery environment. This has led to the recommendation of this model of care as the minimum standard for providing acute gynaecological services. In Australia, the AGS is in a state of flux. More than a decade after the introduction of EPU, acute gynaecological services remain largely underdeveloped. To the best of our knowledge, only one institutionalised AGS currently exists in Australia at the Nepean Hospital in Sydney, New South Wales. Yet, current practices for managing acute gynaecological presentations in Australia are inefficient, disjointed and result in long waiting times and high bed occupancy rate. Women experiencing acute gynaecological symptoms often attend the ED where they are seen and assessed by ED staff before the most junior on-call gynaecology trainee is asked to attend. The on-call gynaecology trainee attends when able between their birthing suite commitments to make an assessment further contributing to the lengthy ED stay. The assessment often occurs in an inadequate environment without appropriate gynaecology equipment for complete evaluation of the woman. Discussions with the on-call consultant then ensue but with incomplete clinical information. This convoluted and lengthy process often results in unnecessary admissions as well as in delays in diagnosis; a wholly unacceptable experience for the woman involved. The Prime Minister and Heads of State in a recent National Health Reform Agreement stated that 90% of all patients presenting to an ED in a major public hospital should receive all necessary care or have been admitted to hospital within four hours by 2015. This mandates a review of the traditional approach to managing women presenting with acute gynaecological complications in Australia. Pakmehr et al. (2013) demonstrated that the main barriers to compliance with this National Emergency Access Target (NEAT) for women presenting with gynaecological complications in an Australian hospital were incomplete examinations by ED staff; waiting for ultrasound examinations and blood test results; waiting for specialty review; and delays caused by initial review by surgical teams. Expanding existing EPU services to include non-pregnancy-related AGS in Australia could be a cost-effective strategy to overcome these barriers and achieve the objectives set out by the National Health Reform Agreement for women's health. The impact of introducing an ultrasound-based model of care for assessing women with acute gynaecological complications in Australia was reported by Bignardi et al. (2010) in a prospective comparative study. Their comparative findings demonstrated that the group who attended the Acute Gynaecology Unit (AGU) had a significantly lower admission rate (7% vs 36%, P < 0.0001) and significantly shorter time to see a


Virtual laboratories offer access to virtual science experiments and they are recognized as pedagogically effective in increasing students' interest in science, as well as students' motivation and engagement. Moreover, the proliferation of mobile devices has created a growing trend for developing mobile virtual labs. However, the process of designing and developing such mobile apps should be based on specific guidelines towards addressing the technical restrictions of mobile devices and improving end-user experience. Existing guidelines that aim to facilitate this process are the App Quality Alliance (AQuA) guidelines. In this paper, we identify common functionalities of existing mobile virtual labs and we exploit AQuA guidelines towards proposing a method for developing mobile virtual labs. Additionally, we apply this method for developing a mobile virtual lab, namely ASK Mobile Virtual Laboratory (ASK-MVL) and we perform an initial evaluation in terms of user experience.


Report and presentation completed by students enrolled in PA 5242: Environmental Planning, Policy, and DM, taught by Carissa Schively Slotterback in spring 2015.


Chiral symmetry restoration at nonzero temperature and quark densities are investigated in the framework of a linear sigma model with N{sub f}=3 light quark flavors. After the derivation of the grand potential in mean-field approximation, the nonstrange and strange condensates, the in-medium masses of the scalar and pseudoscalar nonets are analyzed in hot and dense medium. The influence of the axial anomaly on the nonet masses and the isoscalar mixings on the pseudoscalar {eta}-{eta}{sup '} and scalar {sigma}(600)-f{sub 0}(1370) complex are examined. The sensitivity of the chiral phase transition as well as the existence and location of a critical end point in the phase diagram on the value of the sigma mass are explored. The chiral critical surface with and without the influence of the axial U(1){sub A} anomaly is elaborated as a function of the pion and kaon masses for several values of the sigma mass.


A range of hydrophilic membranes composed of copolymers of
bis-N,N′-(5-vinylsalicylidene)-1,2-diaminoethane
with 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate have been synthesised. Over a period of
approximately 2 h these membranes coordinate copper(ii) ions from aqueous
solution to yield tetradentate species in a first-order process. However,
only a small fraction of the potentially ligating sites are fully used in
this way. Kinetic studies of the interactions with the nitrate, chloride
and sulfate salts of copper(ii) are described and a detailed mechanism is
proposed. Molecular rotations at the ligand site are suggested to be the
rate determining steps of the overall process. Values of individual rate
and equilibrium constants have been determined, and shown to be consistent
with the equivalent data found for simpler ligands involved in reactions
in homogeneous solutions. The permeation of the nitrates of
Co
 II
 , Ni
 II
 and Cu
 II
 through membranes of
these copolymers is also described. Due to the slow rates of complex
formation, the ligand sites have no significant effect on either the
permeability of the salts through the membrane, or the time lags before
salt passage is detected. For comparison purposes, permeation data for the
passage of the nitrate of the substitutionally inert
[Cr(H
 2
O)
 6
 ]
 3+
 ion through
4-methyl-4′-vinyl-2,2′-bipyridyl-containing membranes are also
reported.


Using archaeological data from two closely located sites within the Sidon chora, Chhim and Jiyeh, the author considers possible oil distribution routes in Phoenicia in the Roman–Byzantine period, taking into account the impact, on this, of the administrative fragmentation of the region between the 1st and 7th centuries AD. A typology of, and data on, local and imported amphora from Chhim are presented. Various models are proposed in order to explain what appears, based on calculations relating to the output of the presses, a surplus of oil for which no corresponding evidence for exports — in the form of Chhim amphorae — can be identified. These include: alternative packaging for the oil (skins; Jiyeh amphorae-Beirut imitations); non-continuous, ad-hoc seasonal production; possible alternative markets, including Chhim's role and context in the road networks connecting the coast, Chhim and the Beqaa Valley.


The gemm.l theory for frequency domain shuctual synthesis is based oo z suuctora~ synthesis @ensformation, a direct analytic rdation between two frequeocy respome fooction sh'octoml models. This transformation provides ao exact formula for tie localization of fiiite element modeling enon, independent of emx magnitude. The localization matrix plays a critical role in the associated theory of fnquency domain sIxoctmal identification, as it provides the iofotmation required to insure a unique sohtion for the modeIing errors. The localization matrix is sew to be a geoerzd frequency domain statemeot of the error matrix and unity check methods. Methods for the pmctical implementatioo of frequency domain localization are presemed. The implications of such methods are discussed.


Yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) is a native plant of South America widely consumed as hot infusion. It is a vegetable that has many bioactive compounds, such as caffeine, theobromine theophylline and saponins, phenolic compounds, mainly chlorogenic acids and dicaffeoylquinic acids, and minerals as Fe, Ca, K y Mg, which have many beneficial properties for the health. Polyphenols have the property of chelating the transition metals, as iron and magnesium, decreasing their bioavailability. Iron deficiency anaemia and subclinical hypomagnesemia is observed in the American population. Women at childbearing age belong to a specially vulnerable group. The aim of this work was to evaluate the "in vivo" effect of the polyphenols from yerba mate infusions, consumed in their traditional form, on the bioavailability of Fe and Mg in the diet. Eleven healhty young female volunteers participated in the magnesium and iron study. After the first blood sample was taken (time 0), the volunteers ingested 300 mL of yerba mate infusions, ferrous sulfate or yerba mate infusions plus ferrous sulfate at50 °C in no more than 5 minutes. They remained seated at a comfortable temperature throughout the study. Blood samples were taken 20, 40, 50, 60, 80, 100 and 120 minutes after ingestion.The yerba mate infusions prepared in their traditional form of "hot mate", which containining an average of 4.68 ± 0.54 GAE/L of polyphenols, have an inhibitory effect on the bioavailability of the magnesium and mainly on non-heminic Fe consumed as ferrous sulphate of the 76 ± 10 % .


In Bangladesh, SMEs play a dominant role in the national economy as well as contributing to gross domestic product [2, 3]. The government has already taken some initiatives to support SMEs such as establishing SME foundation, dealing with SME sectors' problems and facilitating and promoting SME development. However, there are many factors that SME foundations are unable to perform due to inadequate resources and policies. Therefore, this brief paper is aiming to highlight these factors at the present time facing SMEs in the country. The paper is mainly dependent on a secondary research through screening key publications in the literature to determine those factors. The paper has included a general overview of these factors including insufficiency of resources and information, employee turnover and low levels of productivity, poor physical infrastructure and utility support, interest rates and bank loans, availability of appropriate technology, skilled manpower, lack of government support, and external changes. This brief paper opens key considerations for researchers in the field to further explore these factors and to enhance further understanding, and provide key solutions to overcome these challenges to be considered by SMEs, entrepreneurs, and policy developers in the country.


Regarding a submarine as the target object, with blue and green laser as the detecting field, This work completes the design of an underwater laser fuze for a torpedo. It establishes an underwater target identification standard, an anti-interference standard and a direction identification standard, which can be used as the basic fuze signal handling standard. Using this standard as a foundation, the signal handling electronic circuit was designed. As proof, this project can satisfy the requirements of the underwater laser fuze war skill index.


In this study, the software development cost model with Lindley-Type (Basic-Lindley and Modified-Lindley) distribution property was compared with the Goel-Okumoto basic model, and the attributes of software development cost and optimal release time were newly analyzed. For this purpose, software failure time data were used, parameter estimation was applied to the maximum likelihood estimation method, and nonlinear equations were calculated using the bisection method. As a result of comparing Lindley-Type models, we confirmed that the Modified-Lindley model is more efficient because it has lower software development costs and faster software release time than the Basic-Lindley model. Also, it was confirmed that the Goel-Okumoto basic model is relatively efficient than the Lindley-Type model. Through this study, we newly analyzed the attributes of the Lindley-Type software development cost model which has no previous study case. Also, it is expected that software developers will be able to use this study data as a basic guideline for exploring the attributes of economical software development cost and optimal release time.


As documented in previous research, the attitude-behaviour gap (inconsistency between declared values and actual purchases) is phenomena which affects consumption in many different markets of ethical consumption. The diploma thesis analyses this phenomena, specifically in Czech Fair trade market. The attitude behaviour gap in the Czech Fair trade market was found to be in around third of the population, confirming the presence of the gap, which replicated the results of previous research in the field. From people with pro Fair trade values who do not buy Fair trade products, approximately half is not aware of Fair trade existence, indicating that lack of Fair trade awareness could be possibly hurting Fair trade sales. When analyzing respondents with pro Fair trade values who also have Fair Trade awareness, the skepticism towards ability of Fair trade movement to fulfill their declared goals and high quality perception of Fair trade products turned out to be the strongest and statistically significant predictors of whether one buys Fair trade or not. Focus on raising awareness about Fair trade existence, improving quality perception and decreasing skepticism towards Fair trade conversion is suggested for Fair trade marketers for helping to convert people with pro Fair trade values into Fair trade buyers.


System and method for gas drainage and outburst prevention in coal seam by a drill-cut linkage of long drilling hole and high pressure water jet are provided. The system comprises a drill bit(9),a pressure induction valve(8),a drill rod(7),a drill machine(5), a high-low pressure water delivery and rotation device(6),a high pressure pump(3) and a water tank(1).The pressure induction valve(8) is mounted on the front end of the drill rod(7).The drill bit(9) is mounted on the front end of the pressure induction valve(8).A nozzle(22) is arranged on the outside of the pressure induction valve(8).The drill machine(5) drives the drill rod(7) to rotate. Water in the water tank(1) is delivered to the high-low pressure water delivery and rotation device(6) by the high pressure pump(3), into the drill rod(7) through the high-low pressure water delivery and rotation device(6), and to the pressure induction valve(8) through the drill rod(7). In the process of withdrawal of drill, coal seam is cut by high pressure water, which achieves the drill-cut linkage, improving work efficiency. The cutting diameter of the system is more than three meters, which increases the gas exposed area to more than six times of a conventional gas exposed area, and increases the range of gas release to more than three times of a conventional range of gas release, solving the problem of gas drainage and outburst prevention in coal seam.


New techniques are sorely needed to aid in the development and maintenance of large application systems. The problem with traditional approaches to software engineering is well in evidence in the field of office information systems: it is costly and difficult to extend existing applications, and to get unrelated applications to "talk" to each other. The objectoriented approach is already being tentatively applied in the modeling of "office objects" and in the presentation of these entities to users as such in "desktop" interfaces to office software. In order to fully exploit the approach to achieve integrated office systems, we need to use object-oriented programming languages, object-oriented run-time support, and object-oriented software engineering environments.


Taking advantage of short-range radio communication technology coupled with USB(Universal Serial Bus) interface technology,this paper sets out to design and,thereafter,successfully brings into effect a radio data-collecting system on the basis of utilizing such chips as nRF905,PDIUSBD12 and AT89S52,so as to tackle the defects of immobility of cable data-collector and its limited adaptability of laying to physical surroundings.


In this paper we, present a new heuristic called PowerFM which is a modification of the well-known Fidducia Mattheyeses algorithm for VLSI netlist partitioning. PowerFM considers the minimization of power consumption due to the nets cut. The advantages of using PowerFM as an initial solution generator for other iterative algorithms, in particular Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Tabu Search (TS), for multiobjective optimization is investigated. A series of experiments are conducted on ISCAS-85/89 benchmark circuits to evaluate the efficiency of the PowerFM algorithm. Results suggest that this heuristic would provide a good starting solution for multiobjective optimization using iterative algorithms.


Globalization is a multifaceted phenomenon. The term Globalization is a controversial term and has been defined in several different ways. The word globalization can imply different meaning for different people across the glob. Some focus on the economic aspect and hence emphasize the global economy outlook, whereas some focus on the cultural aspects of this phenomenon and how globalization has effected different aspects of their culture, still others focus on the political aspects of the structure of globalization, yet others equate globalization with advanced technology, particularly in the area of communication and transportation. Globalization is all that. According to Majidi (1 ) There is not yet any single definition about globalization and there no consensus about it among the scholars. According to Walsham (2) "The term globalization has achieved the unusual status, in a relatively short time, of becoming fashionable in academic debates in the social sciences, in the business world, and to some extent in the popular media. . However, even a cursory examination of these sources would demonstrate that the term is highly ambiguous, and that it masks a wide variety of opinions on what is happening in the world.'' Anthony Mcgrew (3) confirming that globalization is a multidimensional phenomena, pays due attention to the issue of communication, defining globalization as the increasing mutual communication. He introduces the following items as the components of his definition: 1 – Under the conditions of globalization, social, political and economic activities Influence and are influenced by the trans-national events. 2 – Globalization intensifies mutual interactions, creating a new global system. ______________________________________________________________


In human history, the factor of international relations and what system they will develop has always been present. For the last three hundred years, the dynamics in this aspect have been significant until the 90s, which opened the possibility for the first time that the world would be under the control of a hegemonic idea. However, the political practice of the 21st century shows that globalization is facing problems and some countries are looking for an alternative path. The traditions and values resulting from them unite different peoples, nations, and countries in the idea of civilizational cooperation. This study aims to explain the multipolar international system and how civilizations are divided in Indonesia according to Huntington's theory of the Clash of Civilizations and as well as to find out the prospects and opportunities for Indonesia as a country with one of the largest economies in the world. This research uses a qualitative research method with a descriptive approach. The results of this study explain Indonesia's position amid various civilizations which can lead to conflicts in the future.


Effect of Static VAR Compensator (SVC) on the transmission capability of Henan grid was analyzed by digital simulation. Various locations of SVC were investigated using limitation scanning and the sensitivity of transient stability margin provided by EEAC. A SVC controller based on reinforcement learning was also presented. It is proved that SVC can improve the transient stability. Digital simulation demonstrates its better performance on transient and dynamic stability than PID controller.


As for English teaching,it is very important to understand and treat the functions of L1 in SLA.In China's foreign language teaching circle,it has been widely accepted that there exists negative transference of L1 in SLA.The Chinese language is regarded as an obstacle for the acquisition of the second language.Yet,the teaching methods based on this understanding fail to be very helpful to L2 learners.Through an introspection of the point above,it has been found out that the inter-language system deserves more attention,which is very good to understand the function of L1 in SLA more scientifically,and,consequently,helpful to curb the blindness in foreign language teaching and to promote the teaching reform by applying the right remedy for the case.


An inventory of pollution for 14 municipalities in Hidalgo, Mexico is reported in this paper. The studied zone concentrates about 40 % of Hidalgo's population, its main communication roads, services, the most representative industries and all the state's industrial zones. Therefore, it is important to determinate qualitative and quantitatively pollution emissions in this area. The methodology used was the environmental pollution sources fast evaluation, a fast and economic way to evaluate the main pollution sources. This study afforded identification and measure of pollution emission sources. The information obtained, helps to understand Hidalgo's environmental problems, their importance and magnitude. This study will permit the formulation of policies to struggle and prevent environmental pollution in this state.


An efficient ruthenium catalyzed fluorous biphasic epoxidation of alkenes with oxygen in the presence of a pyridine-benzimidazole ligand bearing perfluorinated ponytails is described. Excellent yields and reaction rates were obtained and the fluorous phase could be recycled up to ten times without any loss of activity.


onsidering the strategic importance of Pakistan for India and the world, periodical assessment of developments in Pakistan is necessary to better identify the direction of its domestic politics and foreign policy. After the Mumbai attacks, it was even considered more important, especially in India, to have a holistic analysis of the developments in Pakistan. As part of this effort, an attempt was made to consult experts on Pakistan from India and abroad through a survey for their considered view on current developments in Pakistan. The Delphi Technique, developed by the Rand Corporation in the 1950s and 1960s, was employed for the survey with minor modifications. The main objective of this exercise was to understand the degree of convergence or divergence among Pakistan experts on some key assessments provided in the form of assertions in the questionnaire (consisting of 15 assertions) sent out to them. The questions were carefully developed to cover a wide range of issues concerning the politics, economy, and foreign policy of Pakistan from a futuristic point of view. The experts were requested to indicate whether they agreed or disagreed with the assessments and were also asked to provide their reasoning if they wished to do so. It was also decided not to reveal the identity of the participants and extreme confidentiality was maintained in this matter. The questionnaire was sent to 100 experts in India and abroad, identified on the basis of their research work and publication. Experts from Pakistan were excluded from this survey because it was felt that their views might not be unbiased due to their proximity to the developments. By the end of July 2009, 65 experts sent in their response. The responses were then tabulated and the results were presented in graphic form. These were sent back to the experts for their final assessment and response in early August 2009. The final results of the survey have been presented below for wider dissemination and understanding of the Pakistani situation based on the assessments of Pakistan experts.


PURPOSE: A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device is provided to implant impurities into a poly silicon pattern after a device isolating film which requires a hot annealing process is formed, thereby fundamentally blocking impurities in the poly silicon pattern from being spread into an insulating film. CONSTITUTION: An insulating film(103) and undoped poly silicon films(105,107) are laminated on a semiconductor substrate(101). A poly silicon pattern(P1) is formed by etching the undoped poly silicon films. An insulating film and the semiconductor substrate are etched to form a trench(111) wherein the insulating film is exposed by the poly silicon pattern. The trench is filled with an insulating material for isolating a device. The insulating material for isolating a device is hardened by an annealing process to form a device isolating film(113).


Triplophysa ( Hedinichthys ) yarkandensis (Day) is one of the most common fish in the Tarim River and is commercially important for the local fishing industry. In this study, we investigated the reproductive biology of T. yarkandensis . Totally, 940 individuals were sampled during January 2018 to December 2020. T. yarkandensis specimens (n = 940) were collected. The female to male ratio was 1:1.18. The standard length, weight and age of the females at minimum maturity were 82 mm, 7.4 g and 3 years old, respectively, and those of the males were 65 mm, 3.4 g and 2 years old, respectively. From June to August, the egg diameters exhibited a unimodal distribution, indicating that the eggs followed a pattern of one-time spawning. The fecundity of 88 females in stages IV-V was calculated; these calculations included the standard length (30 to 195 mm), weight (3.59 to 114.04 g), absolute fecundity (1101 to 56320; 9944 ± 5487), relative fecundity (824 to 1140; 982 ± 158) and population fecundity (4,034,600). The TW and TL of T. yarkandensis were positively correlated with absolute fecundity, meaning that its absolute fecundity increased with increasing TW and TL. This study provides much information about the reproductive biology of T. yarkandensis , which can be used for fish population protection and artificial reproduction research.


This study was aimed to conduct in genotype distribution of local chicken crosbred in Poultry Breeding Centre Temanggung-Central Java. Total amount of 41 blood sample from different offspring were used. The parameter observed are genotype distribution of pre albumin (Pab), albumin (Alb), transferrin (Tf), post transferrin (Ptf), ceruloplasmin (Cp), and amylase (Amy-1) loci through each of distribution of genotype and gene frequency. Genotype distribution calculated by sum of genotype revealed at each individual. Gene frequency counted by Warwick et al. (1990), genetic differentiation are determined by using heterozygosity (h) and average of heterozygosity (H) according to Nei (1987). Based on identification of gel electrophoresisi indicate that local chicken crosbred had two allele allele at each loci observed and could not obtain different allele. The result of this study showed that there were no significant (P> 0,05) genotype distributiom among local chicken crosbred in Poultry Breeding Center-Temanggung


The present paper deals with the procedures relating to the enforcement of security instruments in India and also about the issues revolving around it.The Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002 (hereinafter, "SARFAESI Act") enacts some very cardinal provisions in India for 3 domains of securitization, resolution of non-performing loans via the asset management route, and, also for enforcing rights vested in a secured creditor.


Agreement on economic, scientific and technical cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Korea and the Government of the Mongolian People's Republic. Seoul, 28 March 1991


This paper studies domestic sport industry,university physical education,and finds that university physical education have been unable to meet the development of sport industry.On this basis,this paper devises strategies for university physical education curriculum and professional training.


Attempted preparations of indium(III) cyanate were unsuccessful, and probable reasons for this are discussed. Addition compounds of the type In(NCO)3L3(L = unidenate ligand) and In(NCO)3LII1·5(LII= 2,2′-bipyridyl or 1,10-phenanthroline) were obtained from the corresponding indium(III) halide complexes. The properties of these adducts are compared with those of the analogous halide and pseudohalide compounds.


Urinary incontinence is prevalent in the older population, but it is not an inevitable consequence of growing older. Ann Yates addresses the root causes and sets out how to promote or return contin...


Abstract The superconducting T c of the α′ phase1 is independent of pressure between ∼150 and ∼120 kbar. With decreasing pressure T c (P) rises by ∼0.6 K to 1.9 K at the α/α′ phase boundary at ∼36 kbar. We suggest that phonon softening is responsible for the enhancement of Tc in approaching the structural phase transformation. The increase of T c in the α-phase2 between 20 and 40 kbar can be, perhaps, understood on the same grounds.


Surely enough has been written over the past 20 years to show that the use of relative risk reductions in research publications is nothing but a deception? Yet this misleading measure of efficacy continues to sully the pages of medical journals: McCartney's article on the polypill draws attention to the …