This study analyzes determinants of bond returns in terms of systematic risk versus idiosyncratic risk by examining relationship among those factors. First we examined the cross-sectional determinants of corporate bond returns with Korean bond market data from 2001 to 2014. This paper uses term factor and default factor for systematic risk, and duration factor and credit rating factor for idiosyncratic risk. The empirical result shows that systematic risk can explain cross-sectional differences of bond returns rather than idiosyncratic risk which is the same result in advanced markets(US or Europe). This result is different from the previous Korean studies which showed that idiosyncratic risk is more important than systematic risk in Korean bond market. The reason for the different result may be the longer sample period which includes the most recent period. It is insisted that Korean bond market is getting more synchronized with the advanced bond market. In conclusion, this empirical result implies that Korean bond portfolio managers should focus on systematic risk, which is contrary to current system in Korean asset management industry.


This paper presents an analysis of the fin line. The spectral-domain technique is used to determine both wavelength and characteristic impedance. Numerical results are compared with known data for ridged waveguide slab-loaded waveguide, and slotline. Design curves are presented for practical millimeter-wave fin line structures.


The convergence of product integration rules, based on Gaussian quadrature points, is investigated for functions with interior and endpoint singularities over bounded and unbounded intervals. The investigation is based on a new convergence result for Lagrangian interpolation and Gaussian quadrature of singular integrands.


Chronic rejection is the major limiting factor to long term survival of solid organ allografts. The hallmark of chronic rejection is transplant atherosclerosis, which is characterized by the intimal proliferation of smooth muscle cells, endothelial cells, and fi-broblasts, leading to vessel obstruction, fibrosis, and eventual graft loss. The mechanism of chronic rejection is poorly understood, but it is suspected that the associated vascular changes are a result of anti-HLA Ab-mediated injury to the endothelium and smooth muscle of the graft. In this study we have investigated whether anti-HLA Abs, developed by transplant recipients following transplantation, are capable of transducing signals via HLA class I molecules, which stimulate cell proliferation. In this report we show that ligation of class I molecules with Abs to distinct HLA-A locus and HLA-B locus molecules results in increased tyrosine phosphorylation of intracellular proteins and induction of fibroblast growth factor receptor expression on endothelial and smooth muscle cells. Treatment of cells with IFN- g and TNF- a up-regulated MHC class I expression and potentiated anti-HLA Ab-induced fibroblast growth factor receptor expression. Engagement of class I molecules also stimulated enhanced proliferative responses to basic fibroblast growth factor, which augmented endothelial cell proliferation. These findings support a role for anti-HLA Abs and cytokines in the transduction of proliferative signals, which stimulate the development of myointimal hyperplasia associated with chronic rejection of human allografts. The Journal of Immunology, 1999, 163: 1010–1018. on a FACScan flow cytometer as previously described (42). Expression of ICAM-1, HLA class I, and VCAM-1 was determined by direct immunofluorescence using mAbs from Coulter (Miami, FL) and R&D Systems (Minneapolis, MN). Cell fluorescence was analyzed on a FACScan flow cytometer using CellQuest Software obtained from Becton Dickinson (Mountain View, CA). Gates for forward and side scatter measurements were set on EC or SMC, and a minimum of 10,000 events were acquired. Instrument calibration was performed using Cali- BRITE beads and FACScomp software (Becton Dickinson).


E.coli microbial electrode for biosensor was prepared and its performance for acute biotoxicity determination of heavy metals(Cu2+,Zn2+ and Pd2+),Ametryn and Acephate by single or mixture was studied preliminarily.A measuring condition with E.coli in logarithmic phase(incubated for 16 h),p-benzoquinone as mediator and pH 6-8 was used as the optimized conditions.The experimental results revealed that the inhibitory effects of toxicants to E.coli′s respiration were in a decreasing order: Cu2+ Zn2+ Pd2+,Ametryn Acephate,which was in accordance with the results of other ways,such as the experiments using luminescent bacteria,fish,algae etc.This method is rapid,simple,sensitive,cheap and promising for wastewater monitoring on line.


Background and study aim: In our experience, biopsies from small residual islands of nonburied Barrett's mucosa after radiofrequency ablation (RFA) are occasionally reported by pathologists to contain "buried Barrett's" upon histological evaluation, despite the fact that these islands of columnar mucosa were visible endoscopically. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of buried Barrett's in biopsies obtained from small residual Barrett's islands ( < 5 mm) sampled post-RFA, compared with biopsies from normal neosquamous epithelium. Patients and methods: Biopsies obtained from normal-appearing neosquamous epithelium and from small Barrett's islands ( < 5 mm) in 69 consecutive Barrett's patients treated with RFA were evaluated for the presence of buried columnar mucosa. Results: A total of 2515 biopsies were obtained from neosquamous epithelium during follow-up post-RFA. Buried glands were found in 0.1 % of biopsies from endoscopically normal neosquamous epithelium. However, when small islands of columnar mucosa were biopsied, buried glands were detected in 21 % of biopsies. Conclusion: To avoid accidental sampling of small islands resulting in a false-positive histological diagnosis of buried Barrett's, thorough inspection should be performed before obtaining biopsies during post-RFA follow-up.


The beam size at the ATF damping ring was measured by the use of the SR interferometer. The spatial coherence of the visible SR beam (λ=500nm) was measured for both of the vertical and horizontal directions. From the measured spatial coherence of the SR beam, ATF beam size measurements of 14.8μm in the vertical and 39 μm in the horizontal were obtained. The observed horizontal beam size agreed with the estimated beam size.


The iterative closest point (ICP) algorithm is an accurate and fast approach for registration between two point sets in a same scale, but it doesn't handle the case with different scales. This paper instead introduces a novel approach named the iterative closest point with bounded scale (ICPBS) algorithm which integrates a scale with boundaries into the traditional ICP algorithm. This proposed technique uses the singular value decomposition algorithm and the properties of parabola to compute the similar transformation at each iterative step, and yields more satisfying robust results than the traditional ICP method in registration between two m-D point sets with different scales. Experimental results demonstrate the presented method is robust and fast for practical use.


Interlevel causation refers to the causal influence of an entity at one level on an entity at another. Top-down causation is said to occur when items at higher levels influence items at lower levels. Bottom-up causation is said to occur when items at lower levels influence items at higher levels. On some readings of the terms level and causal influence, the idea of interlevel causation is metaphysically mysterious. On another reading, interlevel causation is a metaphysically central and utterly commonplace feature of sciences that integrate the reductive pursuit of lower-level mechanisms with the discovery of higher level causes and effects in systems biology.


Integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) combined with massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) can simultaneously improve the spectral efficiency and the sensing capability. However, the use of wide bandwidth and a large number of antennas introduces severe beam squint effects, significantly degrading the target sensing performance. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to estimate the target parameters for wideband massive MIMO-ISAC systems in the presence of beam squint. We first investigate the echo signal model for target sensing when employing both the large signal bandwidth and the antenna array. Then, we formulate the received echo signals as a third-order tensor that admits a canonical polyadic decomposition model. Based on the model, we analyze the associated uniqueness condition and propose a tensor-based estimator to extract the target parameters including the direction of angles, ranges, and velocities. The numerical results demonstrate that the proposed estimator achieves superior target sensing performance over existing methods.


The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify and describe the essential components of the current science education experience as constructed by female high school physics and advanced chemistry students. The participants identified five major factors as salient components of the science education experience: (a) mathematics, (b) interest in science, (c) previous experiences, (d) instructional strategies, and (e) the teacher. Unfortunately, participants recalled very few school-related elementary experiences. As a result, out-of-school experiences emerged as crucial to interest development. Further, students related teacher attributes closely to course attributes. In addition, instructional strategy preference varied widely. Mathematics (i.e., the quantitative nature of science) was described as a key factor in the determination of future science participation. Apparently, in high school, as the quantitative nature of science emerges, students must adjust their personal perceptions of science. This adjustment may determine the likelihood, and type, of future science participation.


The period from the late 18th to the mid-19th century is a distinctive era for scientific ethnographic writing.1 The research literature on the history of this discipline connects these essential origins of social anthropology mainly to the great, global scientific expeditions of James Cook (1728–1779) and Louis Antoine de Bougainville (1729–1811).2 By contrast, I have adopted a complementary approach, along the lines of Alix Cooper's Inventing the Indigenous.3 My research grew out of the exact descriptions of the traditional economy, which today continue to be a main empirical interest of the disciplinary fields of "cultural anthropology," "social anthropology," "ethnology" and "folklife studies" ("Volkskunde, Völkerkunde").4 Such records of traditional economic practices were kept not only in the context of so-called global expeditions but on a larger scale also in the context of Economic Enlightenment ("Ökonomische Aufklärung") which, since the mid-18th century, gradually covered all of Europe. A constitutive element of Economic Enlightenment is the systematic development of knowledge stocks for the purposeful exploitation of resources in


Objectives To observe expression changes of nuclear transcription factor Nrf2 pathway during acute stage of intracerebral hemorrhage(ICH) in rats and to investigate the antioxidative mechanism of Nrf2 in the secondary brain injury after ICH.Methods 120 rats were divided into either an ICH group or a sham operation group(n=60 in each group).A rat ICH model was induced by stereotaxic injection of autologous blood into the basal ganglia.According to the different time points after ICH,the rats were randomly divided into 2 h,8 h,24 h,3 d,5 d,and 10 d subgroups(n=10 in each group) and a sham operation subgroups.The expression changes of Nrf2 and its downstream genes on mRNA and protein levels were detected at each time point after modeling.The neurological behavior test and determination of brain water content were performed at corresponding time points.Results ① From 24 h after ICH,the proportion of forelimb raise in the ICH group was lower than that in the sham operation group;the proportion of turn right angle in the ICH group was higher than that in the sham operation group.The differences were statistically significant(P0.05).②The brain water content in the ICH group was higher than that in the sham operation group at 24 h,day 3 and 5 after ICH.The brain water content in the ICH group reached the peak(86.9 %±5.4 %) at day 3,and then decreased gradually.③Compared to the sham operation group,the Nrf2 mRNA levels were higher than the sham operation group from 2 h to day 5 after ICH.The differences were statistically significant.The Nrf2 downstream genes such as heme oxygenase(HO),glutathione S-transferase α1(GST-α1),glutathione(GSH),and thioredoxin(TRX) expression increased to various degrees,the HO-1 mRNA expression was most significantly upregulated,and it was higher than the sham operation group from 2 h to day 5 after ICH.It reached the peak at day 3.④Compared to the sham operation group,the Nrf2 protein was higher than that in the sham operation group from 2 h to day 5 after ICH.The differences were statistically significant.They reached to the peak at 24 h,and the relative expression level was 0.39±0.05.The HO-1 protein was higher than that in the sham operation group from 8 h to day 10.The differences were statistically significant.They reached to the peak at day 3,and the relative expression level was 0.99±0.08.Conclusion The Nrf2 pathway is activated in the acute period of ICH in rats.It affects the expression of downstream genes.The expression changes of HO-1 are similar to the behavior and the change trend of brain water content.It may have great significance in reflecting the severity of secondary brain injury after ICH.


Disorders associated with sleep have assumed a major emphasis for practitioners of medicine and investigators over the past three decades. These disorders are common, with over fifty million adults in the United States reporting difficulty with sleeping in 1979 (1). Additionally approximately ten million sought medical advice for sleep disorders in that year. A small percentage of these people have obstructive apnea [OSA]. A national cooperative study of five thousand patients seen in sleep laboratories found 22% with sleep apnea (2). This clinical syndrome was initially reported in 1965 (3, 23) and has become frequently recognized since that time. The typical patient presents as an obese, hypertensive adult male with daytime sleepiness, a long history of snoring, sexual impotency, morning headaches and has noted or has been noted to have personality changes. The recognition of the symptom complex frequently precipitates referral for sleep study (polysomnography) with the findings of frequent apneic episodes which may take three forms: obstructive, with continuing respiratory effort without respiratory air movement; central, without continuing respiratory effort; or mixed episodes which begin with a central episode and are followed by an obstructive episode (3). The therapy for OSA has taken several forms:


In historical sketches of India-Australia or Australia-India relations, the important dimensions of the cultural and religious connections from the shared colonial period and Gandhi's nationalist voice echoing in all corners of the Empire, through to the diasporic migration, settlement and temple culture, is largely overlooked. This essay intends the redress that absence in current research and contribute toward a critical appraisal of that rather 'esoteric' part of history, arguably still in its infancy. The story begins close to the early white settlement period to the aftermath of the events of 9/11 (2001 in New York) and Bali (2002). The focus will be on Hindus with some reference to Sikhs, Muslims, Sri Lankan Tamils, and migrants from the subcontinent, as the conduits for the particular Indian-Australian diasporic connection and 'spiritual diplomacy' being explored.


A field experiment was undertaken to evaluate the performance of different weed control treatments in cluster bean during kharif, 2011 at Tabiji, Ajmer in randomized block design with three replications. Treatment of weed free check was found best by recording highest values of yield attributes, seed (12.20 q/ha), haulm (32.16 q/ha) and biological yield (44.36 q/ ha) with maximum weed control efficiency at successive stages. It was at par with Pendimethalin 1.0 kg/ha (PRE) + one hand weeding, imazethapyr 40 g/ha and imazethapyr 60 g/ha at 20 days after sowing (DAS). Among different herbicides treatments, imazethapyr 60 g at 20 DAS showed highest values of yield attributes, seed yield (11.65 q/ ha), haulm yield (31.12 q/ ha), weed control efficiency ( 90.1, 88.0 and 83.9 per cent at 30, 60 DAS and at harvest, respectively) and minimum weed index (4.7). In monetary term also imazethapyr 60 g/ha recorded higher net returns (Rs 69030/ha) and benefit-cost ratio (5.31) than season long weed free check (Rs 66990/ ha and 4.05, respectively) on account of higher cost of cultivation involved in latter treatment to a tune of Rs 5930/ ha.


The male-dominated nature of U.S. politics still means that the vast majority of women who run for office face a male opponent. As a result, one dramatic change in U.S. politics-the increase in women candidates-may contribute to another change, that being the experience of men who run for office. The research reported here begins to consider how running against a woman might have influenced the behavior of male candidates for Congress in 2002 and 2006. Past research suggests that men who run against women feel that they need to take steps to appeal to women voters by giving attention to issues of concern to women in their campaigns. Copyright (c) 2008 by the Southwestern Social Science Association.


PTHrP control of the MC3T3‐E1 cell cycle machinery showed that, during differentiation, PTHrP induced G1 growth arrest. Cyclin D1 was a critical mediator as a downstream effector of cAMP, PKC, and MAPK signaling, and the process was PKA‐independent. The involvement of JunB has been found critical for PTHrP effects.


Using the mixed powders containing gas-atomized powders of metallic glassy alloys (Cu50Zr45Al5, Fe73Si7B17Nb3, Ni52.5Nb10Zr15Ti15Pt7.5) blended with high-conductive Cu particulates, we produced bulk metallic glassy alloy composites with high strength and high electrical conductivity, as well as with enhanced plasticity and satisfying large size requirements by a spark plasma sintering process. In this paper we present and review our research results on the fabrication and properties of the bulk glassy alloy composites by the spark plasma sintering process.


Cooper's paper reviews some current research directions in macroeconomics. The paper made me worried about the state of macroeconomic research and my comments below consist of some critical remarks ...


The autism who have communication disorders need the intervention of Augmentative and Alternative Communication Techniques. Currently,the intervention techniques being used include PECS,sign language and speech- generating device. Although researchers conduct numerous explorations and gain significant discoveries,but there are still some weaknesses,including lacking of comparative studies between techniques,and lacking studies of impacts on the speech development and functional communication. As a result,we need more researches to supply a gap.


Traditionally, the British reaction to the League of Nations has been narrated in terms of an almost uniform acceptance. British Churches, in particular, have been seen as among its most enthusiastic supporters and principal campaigners for its creation. In fact, a significant amount of debate over the League erupted in the Church of England and the Free Churches. In these debates, Christian Socialists emerged as passionate League enthusiasts and conservative premillenarians as equally passionate opponents. Throughout, many of the key church leaders who were publicly supportive of the League continued to harbour deep private reservations.


Language is the reflect of culture. Like culture, language has nationality. Euphemism is not only a phenomenon of language, but also a phenomenon of culture. The essay discusses the reflection of euphemism in American culture, it interprets that British and American culture can be seen through the use of euphemism.


The study of biomineralization and corresponding mechanisms of environmental response can promote the development of biogeology in the interdisciplinary frontier and provide the scientific basis for the new significant pollutant control technology in the environmental fileds. The key scientific issue of this project is the mechanisms of mineral formation/decomposition controlled by life activities and the corresponding response to environmental factors. The main research scope includes the mechanisms of biomineralization, the environmental effects of biomineralization and the controlling theory and methods for biomineralization. The objectives of this project are to develop the theory of biomineralization from a multidisciplinary view, to discover the micro-mechanisms of heavy metal mineralization controlled by bacteria, to propose the principle of microorganism approach for the remediation of heavy metal pollution, to open the coupled mechanisms of POPs degradation by semiconductor minerals and bacteria and then construct a ternary system research method, to understand the decomposition mechanism of metallic sulfide mines accelerated by bacteria, to optimize a controlling means of mineral decomposition by bacteria influencing the eco-environment.


A finite element technique, with two-dimensional isoparametric elements, is developed, for the analysis of a steel pipe, with a circular cross-section. The pipe is installed above the ground and is used to transport natural gas at very high pressures. The material of the pipe is assumed to obey a bilinear elastic-plastic model. Double symmetry is considered when setting up the mathematical model problem and creating the finite element mesh. Step increments or decrements on the internal pressure are applied (cyclic loading). Yielding is detected by the Von Mises yield criterion. Also, a flow rule is employed to handle the plastic strain component. A four-point Gauss-Legendre quadrature is used to numerically perform all necessary integrations. Finally, the so-called "shakedown phenomenon" is studied when cyclic loading is applied after the commencement of plastic deformations on the pipe. Numerical results obtained by the method compare favorably with the analytic solution.


The paper make use of Double DC-DC convertor to resolve some problems of current DC-DC convertor that work in the breadth voltage.these problems include lowering efficiency of switch,switching device working inordinately so much as damage.On the base of current signal lamp,it designs a explosion-flashing alarm lamp with a long life,breadth working voltage,fully functions and convenient in production,management,use and repair.


Non-exclusive (multi-client or spec) seismic data are one of the most valuable information used for petroleum exploration and development. This data is owned by investor groups or seismic companies that pay for the acquisition and processing and who license the data for a fee to multiple clients in order to recover their investment and in time turn a profit. The non-exclusive data provides professionals such as regional and prospect geophysicists, area and development geologists and petroleum engineers a cost-effective, easy accessible way to characterize the subsurface, acquire exploration acreage, investigate petroleum systems, select drilling prospects and image and monitor hydrocarbon fields. Billions of dollars of cutting edge hardware technology used in seismic acquisition and hundreds of millions of dollars of seismic data libraries are now equally accessible to multinational, intermediate and small exploration companies. Once licensed, non-exclusive seismic data libraries are loaded on sophisticated PCs and workstations providing petroleum related information on vast areas located onshore and offshore, in international or domestic regions and in frontier or mature basins. The use of non-exclusive data is governed by a Model Licensing Agreement (MLA) established by the International Association of Geophysical Contractors (IAGC) that contains the rights, restrictions on use, and obligations of the seismic vendor (Licensor) and petroleum company user (Licensee). The MLA stipulates that regardless of the format on which they are stored and manipulated the seismic data and its derivatives, including re-processed variants, navigation information, and any direct measurements taken from the data represent valuable and highly confidential intellectual property and a trade secret of the Licensor. The Agreement clearly states that by paying a fee to the Licensor, the Licensee will not own but will only receive certain limited rights to use the seismic data. The non-exclusive seismic data regardless of media form or format, or if comingled with other information, still remains in perpetuity an asset of the owner. The owner (frequently the original geophysical company, the investor group or the seismic broker who financed the survey or bought the contract at the later date) retains full ownership of all copyright and intellectual property rights to the data. While acknowledging that during pre- and post-processing of seismic data and throughout workstation interpretation numerous seismic derivatives and attribute are created which add value of the data, the MLA reiterates that these products do not annul or modify the initial license. Of upmost importance to the Licensor is the Confidentiality Clause affirming that all licensed data is confidential, although access is allowed to certain parties listed in the agreement such as company professionals, bona fide consultants and wholly owned affiliate company employees. Disclosure or dissemination of data to other parties contrary to that stated in the agreement, including potential business partners or potential asset buyers is prohibited. A perceived grey area is what happens to the licensed data after oil companies merge or are bought out. In most cases a discounted transfer fee allows the buyer or merged entity to license the data from the owner, and in some cases a new License Agreement needs to be executed.


The ion–ion neutralization reactions of NO+(X 1Σ+:v″=0) with C6F5Cl−, C6F5Br−, and C6F−5 have been spectroscopically studied in the flowing helium afterglow. The NO(A 2Σ+– X 2Πr,C 2Πr–X 2Πr,D 2Σ+–X 2Πr ) emission systems are observed in the NO+/C6F5Cl− reaction with the branching ratios of 0.96, 0.017, and 0.028, respectively, while only the NO(A–X) emission system is found in the NO+/C6F5Br− and NO+/C6F−5 reactions. The vibrational and rotational distributions of NO(A,C,D) indicate that only 1%–11% of the excess energy is deposited into vibration and rotation of NO(A,C,D) for all the reactions. In the NO+/C6F5X− (X=Cl,Br) reactions, a major part of the excess energy is expected to be partitioned into the relative translational energy of the neutral products and the vibrational energy of C6F5X. A comparison of the observed vibrational and rotational distributions with the statistical prior ones indicates that the reaction dynamics is not governed by a simple statistical theory because of the large impact ...


In this paper we study proximity structures like Delauney triangulations based on geometric graphs, i.e. graphs which are subgraphs of the complete geometric graph. Given an arbitrary geometric graph G, we define several restricted Voronoi diagrams, restricted Delaunay triangulations, relative neighborhood graphs, Gabriel graphs and then study their complexities when G is a general geometric graph or G is some special graph derived from the application area of wireless networks. Besides being of fundamental interest these structures have applications in topology control for wireless networks.


Abstract This volume examines the Condor Bioreserve Watershed Protection Area (CBR), a major effort to conserve Ecuador's biological patrimony, and offers management suggestions to make it more successful. The CBR is a landscape-level ecosystem management effort in the high Andes devised by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to conserve freshwater and biodiversity resources (Anonymous 2001). The watershed feeds Quito, Ecuador's capital city, among other cities and communities. TNC is setting up partnerships with diverse groups, communities, and organizations in the CBR and using community-based natural resource management and integrated conservation and development to achieve sustainable natural resource goals. The CBR project is one of many worldwide to conserve ecosystems (e.g., Clark 1999). These efforts are challenging in that science, management, and policy must be integrated in practical ways through effective programs (Clark 1993). This introduction (1) summarizes Ecuador's biophysical and social contexts as background for the rest of the volume and (2) gives a description of the papers in this volume.


Pr2Co7Cx carbides (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75) are prepared by arc melting of pure components in stoichiometric proportions followed by high energy ball milling and annealing at 873—1323 K.


Time properties of seismic activity of the Etna Volcano (Italy) from 1874 to 1913, are investigated by fractal dimension analysis. Period selection was due to the interesting volcanic and seismic activity which had occurred within this time interval. A catalogue was adopted, revised by the reexamination of historical sources and with the addition of new material. Time evolution of the temporal fractal dimension Dt, calculated on a 40 seismic events moving window, revealed the following correlations with the eruptive processes: long term fractal dimension variations are due to the magma rise from the depth; mid term variations are closely related to stress conditions at the volcano edifice, and short term variations are induced by the onset of eruption. The spatial localisation of data allowed interpretation of seismic activity in relation to the main structural systems outcropping on the volcano edifice and in the surrounding areas.


This study provides a performance analysis for the quantised innovation Kalman filter (QIKF). The covariance matrix of the estimation error is analysed with the correlation between the measurement error and the quantising error. By taking the quantisation errors as a random perturbation in the observation system, an equivalent state-observation system is obtained. Accordingly, the QIKF for the original system is equivalent to a Kalman-like filtering for the equivalent state-observation system. The boundedness of the error covariance matrix of the QIKF is obtained under some weak conditions. A sufficient condition for the stability of the QIKF is also obtained in the general vector case. Then, the relationship between the standard Kalman filtering and the QIKF for the original system is discussed. Based on the analysis of the stability of the QIKF, the design of number of quantised levels is discussed. The relationship between the filtering performance and the number of quantisation levels is also given. Finally, the validity of these results is demonstrated by numerical simulations.


Purpose To investigate the clinical feasibility of accelerated free-breathing stack-of-spirals (spiral) three-dimensional (3D) ultrashort echo time (UTE) lung magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using iterative self‐consistent parallel imaging reconstruction from arbitrary k‐space (SPIRiT) algorithm in patients with breast cancer. Methods The institutional review board approved this prospective study and patients' informed consents were obtained. Between June and August 2018, 29 female patients with breast cancer underwent 3-T MRI including accelerated free-breathing spiral 3D UTE (0.98-mm isotropic spatial resolution; echo time, 0.05 msec) of the lungs and thin-section chest computed tomography (CT). Two radiologists evaluated the image quality and pulmonary nodules on MRI were assessed and compared, CT as a reference. Results The pulmonary vessels and bronchi were visible consistently up to the sub-sub-segmental and sub-segmental branch levels, respectively, on accelerated spiral 3D UTE. The overall image quality was evaluated as good and excellent for 70.7% of accelerated spiral 3D UTE images (reviewer [R]1, 72.4% [21/29]; R2, 69.0% [20/29]) and acceptable for 20.7% (both R1 and R2, 20.7% [6/29]). Five patients on CT revealed 141 pulmonary metastatic nodules (5.3 ± 2.6 mm); the overall nodule detection rate of accelerated spiral 3D UTE was sensitivity of 90.8% (128/141), accuracy of 87.7%, and positive predictive value of 96.2%. In the Bland-Altman plot analysis comparing nodule size between CT and MRI, 132/141 nodules (93.6%) were inside the limits of agreement. Conclusion Accelerated free-breathing spiral 3D UTE using the SPIRiT algorithm could be a potential alternative to CT for oncology patients.


Mixed exponential distribution plays an important role in life time data analysis.As the ageing process of products,the sample proportion in the mixed exponential distribution is dynamic.Under the normal stress life time test,we employ the EM algorithm to estimate the parameters of mixed exponential distribution in dynamic sample proportion,with full data or censored samples.We use the Monte Carlo method to simulate the conclusion,and found it to be tallied with the test facts.


Objectives Acute cough is the most common symptom among children in primary care, but the economic impact of cough episodes has never been investigated in Italian families. Materials and methods A cross-sectional telephone survey was conducted on a representative sample of Italian families, randomly selected from general population. Collected data were analyzed to evaluate the economic impact of cough episodes according to, first, Italian Family Perspective and, second, National Health System Perspective (NHS-P). The costs considered in the analysis were the cost of drugs used (antibiotics, corticosteroids, antitussive drugs, and aerosol therapy) and the cost of child care during nursery/school absenteeism. Results Six hundred four valid questionnaires were analyzed: mean age of children is 7 years (SD=3.3) and that of parents is 40 years (SD=6.2). Mean rate of cough episodes was 3.15/year, and in general, they were short lasting (94.6%, <2 weeks). Nursery/school absenteeism was mostly <7 days (63.2%), but almost 30% of respondents declared 7–15 days. The respondents' willingness to spend out-of-pocket for an "effective remedy" against cough was an average of €20 (>€30 in 19.7% of cases). The overall economic impact on Italian families was estimated as €1,204 (SD=€88); it resulted in a cost per cough episode equal to €337, mainly due to nursery/school absenteeism (94.6%), whereas pharmaceutical expenditure was marginal (5.4%). Conclusion Cough episodes are acute (lasting <1 week, mainly) but frequent, causing a considerable socioeconomic impact. The pharmaceutical costs are in line with parents' willingness to pay but these costs result negligible when compared to those related to school absenteeism, generally not perceived by parents.


Background : Limited research is available on how Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) clients' cognitions, attitudes and behaviours experienced over time during the therapeutic process and recovery, affect functioning. Aims : This prospective study investigated whether changes in 1) clients' ratings of therapeutic alliance, sense of empowerment over their illness, attitudes toward medication and insight, 2) clinicians' assessment of medication adherence and 3) delivered services predicted functioning of ACT clients in southern Ontario, Canada. Method : Hierarchical Linear Modelling was used to assess time-varying and invariant predictors of overall functioning, over a two-year follow-up period. Results : The study found that during each 6 month follow-up time period about 90% of clients achieved successful community tenure and overall functioning increased between baseline and year 1 and decreased between baseline and year 2. Clients' ratings of therapeutic alliance on functioning were moderated by previous lifetime days in hospital, while change in ratings of empowerment was moderated by age and previous lifetime days in hospital. Improved insight and medication adherence predicted functioning. Number of client contacts by ACT staff was not associated with functioning. Conclusions : These findings suggest that changes in client's cognitions, attitudes and behaviours experienced during the therapeutic process and recovery can predict client functioning.


1. The effects of colchicine, caffeine, hydroquinone, pyrogallol, pyrocatechol, 8-hydroxyquinoline, and p-aminodimethylaniline monohydrochloride on root-tip cells of Allium cepa and Lilium tigrinum were determined by cytological observations and cytochemical procedures, employing purified ribonuclease, desoxyribonuclease, and pepsin. 2. The morphological changes induced by the chemicals included: c-tumor formation (by colchicine); c-mitosis (by colchicine, hydroquinone, and pyrogallol); chromosome fragmentation (by caffeine, hydroquinone, and pyrogallol); failure of cell-plate formation (following treatment with caffeine); increase in nucleolar volume (in cells of all chemically treated roots); and pycnosis with characteristic agglutination of chromatin (produced by all chemicals except caffeine under suitable conditions). 3. No difference was found between the tissues of chemically treated and untreated roots with respect to stainability or digestibility of their nucleic acids and proteins with purified enzymes, unless the chemicals caused pycnosis. 4. In some pycnotic cells the over-all basophilia of cytoplasm and nucleus was reduced, and filaments containing desoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) were observed in the cytoplasm. Cytochemical analysis indicated that the DNA was polymerized. In general, however, pycnotic nuclei were characterized by shrinkage and intense, uniform staining, with loss of individuality of chromosomes. When stained with pyronin-methyl green, the chromatin of these cells appeared violet, and there were pools of deep-red-staining material in the nucleoli, around the nuclei, and around the condensed chromosomes. Cytochemical analysis suggested that these red-staining materials consisted of both ribonucleic acid and protein. The analysis also indicated that the violet color of the nuclei was probably due to the presence in agglutinated chromatin of both polymerized and depolymerized DNA.


We propose an algorithm for solving region-to-region visibility problems on digital terrain models using data parallel machines. Since global communication is the bottleneck in this kind of algorithm, the algorithm we propose focuses on the reduction of global communication. The algorithm analyses a strip of the source region at a time and sweeps through the source strip by strip. At most four sweeps are needed for the analysis. By exploring the coherence properties in the processor structure, global communication is minimized and complexity is substantially improved. Furthermore, all global write operations are exclusive and concurrency in global read operations is minimized. Since the problem size is usually large, we also designed rules of decomposition to efficiently handle the cases where the required number of processors is greater than available. The algorithm has been implemented on a Connection Machine CM-2, and results of computational experiments are presented.


The present work analyses the effects of curing temperature (25, 40, 60 °C for 24 h), silicate modulus Ms value (1.5, 1.7, 2.0), and slag content (10, 20, 30, 40 wt%) on the compressive strength development (1, 7, 14, 28 days) of low-alkali geopolymer mortars with matrices from fly ash and blast furnace slag. These data were used to generate predictive models for 28-day compressive strength as a function of curing temperature and slag content. While the dominant variable for the 1-day compressive strength was the curing temperature, the slag content was dominant for the 28-day compressive strength. The ratio of the 1-day and 28-day compressive strengths as a function of curing temperature, Ms value, and slag content allows prediction of the maximal possible curing temperature and shows cold-weather casting to present an obstacle to setting. These data also allow prediction of the 28-day compressive strength using only the 1-day compressive strength.


FIELD: mechanisms. SUBSTANCE: invention relates to industrial production of articles from composite materials. Installation for proportioned feed of components of composite material includes containers with hardener and polyester resin, electric drive, pneumatic cylinder, and kinematically linked therewith hydraulic pumps to feed components. Dosage unit for components is made in form of lever system and includes rocker on hinged support. Rocker ends are articulated with rods of hydraulic pumps. Hinged support is connected to reciprocal movement drive. EFFECT: technical result is improvement of quality and shorter process cycle of making articles. 5 cl, 1 dwg


The impact of electronic publishing (e‐publishing) on library collections, services and administration is complex. There are no simple solutions to the problems of managing the collection, archiving and access to e‐publications as well as including them in library services. There are, however, many good usable solutions that libraries can learn from each other. No one needs to recreate the wheel to cope with e‐publications. Many librarians feel that the technology to solve the problems and take advantage of e‐publishing is either currently available or clearly under development. How the advent and increasing presence of e‐publications will impact the people who will read them may ultimately be of more importance than what we will do with the machines, the storage media or the delivery mechanism. Therefore, emphasis in this special theme issue is more on the human‐interaction aspects of e‐publishing rather than on the technology or delivery mechanisms.


This paper studies and explores steel-arch-tower installation scheme Huihe Bridge and solutions to construction difficulties at developing road in Shuozhou city,and preliminarily formulates the construction scheme of "prefabrication in the workshop,welding in the field,hoisting horizontal beam,post-conjunction of vertical conversion of arch-tower",which has certain guiding meaning for the bidding and construction of similar engineering in future.


Objectives Self-rated health (SRH) is an assessment and predictor of health based on an individual's general condition; however, evidence of the value of SRH for predicting frailty remains scarce for older Asian adults. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between SRH score trajectory and frailty among older individuals in Taiwan. Design An 8-year retrospective cohort study. Setting Data were retrieved from the Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Aging from 1999 to 2007. Participants Respondents aged 53–69 years old who were not frail or disabled in 1999 (n=1956). Primary and secondary outcome measures Frailty was defined using the Fried criteria. The group-based trajectory modelling technique was used to estimate SRH trajectories. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the associations between changes in SRH and frailty. Results Four SRH trajectory classes were identified across the 8-year follow-up: 232 participants (11.9%) were classified into the constantly poor SRH group, 1123 (57.4%) into the constantly fair SRH group, 335 (17.1%) into the constantly good SRH group and 266 (13.6%) into the good-to-fair SRH group. After adjusting for gender, age, level of education, income, social participation, health behaviours and major comorbidities, it was found that age, poor income satisfaction, without job and constantly poor SRH were associated with increased risk of frailty, while constantly good SRH (OR 0.04, 95% CI (0.01 to 0.32)) and good-to-fair SRH (OR 0.19, 95% CI (0.06 to 0.63)) were associated with reduced risks of frailty. Conclusions Constantly poor SRH was associated with an increased risk of frailty in older age. SRH in older adults should be recognised as a predictive tool for future frailty. Diet and exercise interventions may help to prevent frailty among high-risk older individuals with constantly low SRH.


Mutual funds, along with other open‐ended instruments such as investment companies, investment trusts, and unit trusts, fall into the category of collective investment schemes (CIS). The OECD estimates that CIS assets in the 16 largest developed countries increased from $3.4 trillion to $15 trillion between 1992 and 2003. The laws governing CIS differ substantially from country to country. This article restates the business principles of fund governance that underlie the 1940 Investment Company Act and compares the U.S. principles with those of other developed countries. In doing so, the article highlights the risk of abuse when different categories of investors entrust their funds to others.


The invention relates to the heat-storing field of solar thermal power generation, especially to a high-thermal-conductivity heat-storing nanometer-particle-mixed molten salt, and a preparation method thereof. The molten salt consists of a sold heat-storing molten salt, a dispersant and nanometer particles, wherein the dispersant and the nanometer particles disperse uniformly in the heat-storing molten salt and a eutectiform structure is formed, and the nanometer particles coat the surface of the heat-storing molten salt crystal particle. By adding the nanometer particles into the sold heat-storing molten salt, and by utilizing quantum size effect, surface effect, small size effect and the like possessed by the nanometer particles, the thermal physical property of the molten salt as a heat-storing medium has a substantial change. The preparation method is simple in technological process and low in cost, can help to substantially promote heat conductivity and specific heat capacity of the conventional heat-storing molten salt and substantially improve heat stability of the molten salt in a high temperature section, and can help to promote a heat storage capacity and system security of a concentrating solar power generation system and reduce costs of construction and operation of a power station.


The invention relates to the field of in-vitro diagnosis biochemical reagents, particularly a high-stability creatine kinase detection kit. The high-stability creatine kinase detection kit is composed of a reagent R1 and a reagent R2 which are mutually independent, wherein the reagent R1 is composed of a biological buffer solution, an enzyme protective agent, a reaction substrate, a complex, a surfactant, a preservative and an activator; the reagent R2 is composed of a biological buffer solution, a reaction substrate and a preservative; and the volume ratio of the reagent R1 to the reagent R2 is 4:1. After adding the enzyme protective agent into the detection kit, the enzyme protective agent can be adopted to protect the enzyme on the premise of enhancing the stability of the reagent. After adding the enzyme protective agent, the enzyme can keep stable in the water solution for a long time, and the activity of the enzyme is not influenced.


An orbit is defined as the partition of an equivalent relation of elements in a group. In order to obtain the orbit, a group action acting on the elements of the groups is considered. In this study, the orbits of some metabelian groups are found using conjugation action. The metabelian groups considered in this study are some nonabelian metabelian groups of order 24, which are the dihedral group, D!" as well as the semidirect products, R = Z! ⋊ Z! and S = Z! ⋊ Q. The results obtained from the orbits are then applied into an extension of commutativity degree, which is the probability that a group element fixes a set where the probability is the ration of the number of orbits and the number of elements in the set. The set considered in this study is the set of all pairs of commuting elements of the groups that is in the form of (x, y), where lcm(|x|, |y|) = 2. Then, the results of the orbits will also be applied into graph theory, specifically generalized conjugacy class graph where its vertices are the non-central orbits and two vertices are adjacent if the cardinality of the orbits is not coprime. Lastly, some properties of the graph which are the chromatic number and clique number are obtained.


Aiming at the problem of low visual recognition accuracy of waste materials (copper, brass, aluminum and plastic) in the scrap automobile industry, a novel YOLO V4-tiny algorithm was proposed by adding Mosaic data enhancement and improving the Efficient Channel Attention (ECA) mechanism to the original feature extraction network, which strengthened the learning ability of the target detection algorithm and made the network focus on effective features. Suppress interference features, enhance the model's attention to useful information, improve the detection ability of the algorithm. The improved network model was trained, verified and tested on the self-made data set. The results show that the algorithm can effectively improve the identification accuracy of scrap materials of scrapped vehicles, and finally improve the mAP (mean Average Precision) of the existing YOLOV4-tiny algorithm from 91.33% to 95.17%.


In this paper, the organic-inorganic hybrid circuit is demonstrated with the sandwiched structure of Au/poly(3,4-ethylene-dioxythiophene): polystyrenesulfonate/Au organic memory device and N-type MOSFET for nonvolatile memory application. The MOSFET is fabricated with 0.13-µm CMOS technology. One transistor and one resistor (1T–1R) structure is fabricated in this hybrid circuit, in which the transistor is used as a select cell to limit the compliance current. The compliance current is determined by the transistor's gate voltage, resulting in the control of electrical resistance of the filamentary conductive paths in the low resistive state. The resistive ratio between the ON- and OFF-state is on the order of 103.


The influence of semi-crystalline morphology on the electrical breakdown strength of syndiotactic polypropylene (sPP) based materials is investigated. Different sPP samples (with varying molecular mass and syndiotacticity) and an sPP/ethylene random copolymer are studied. The semi-crystalline morphology of these materials was characterized using different techniques like WAXD, DSC and SEM. The crystalline morphology of the considered materials was varied by varying the processing conditions and by copolymerizing with ethylene. The crystallinity and the crystalline interphase content of the materials were then correlated with the electrical strength.


Objective To investigate the relationship of umbilical cord spiral index(UCI) detected by color Doppler ultrasonography and perinatal ending.Methods Three hundred and thirty cases of late pregnancy pregnant women were examined by color Doppler ultrasonography from umbilical cord placenta end to fetal umbilical wheel.Image features of umbilical cord torsion were recorded and UCI was detected.According to UCI,pregnant women were divided into 3 groups,including A group(n=18,UCI﹤0.07),B group(n=284,0.07﹤UCI﹤0.30) and C group(n=28,UCI﹥0.30).The fetal distress,Apgar score,intrauterine growth retardation(IUGR) and S/D were calculated.After the birth,umbilical cord length was measured and rotating circles were calculated in detected cases.Results Mean UCI was(0.22±0.07)circle/cm in all pregnant women.90th percentile was 0.30 circle/cm.10th percentile was 0.07 circle/cm.There were significant differences in the incidence of IUGR,fetal distress and Apgar≤7 among the three groups(P﹤0.01).There was no significant difference between A group and C group.Conclusion UCI detected by ultrasound combined with blood flow parameters of umbilical artery can provide a reference basis for clinical pregnancy ending.UCI calculated by color Dopple ultrasonography provides a convenient,quick,direct and accurate method for clinical knowing torsion condition of umbilical vessels.


The effect of different formats of message delivery has received little theoretical and empirical examination. This research focuses on the effect of written relational communication formats used by service providers. This study aims to answer three questions: Do different formats of written communications (i.e. handwriting and print) influence customer perceptions (i.e. feelings of warmth) of service firms? What are the mediators of these influences (i.e. perceived effort and psychological closeness)? And under what conditions do they occur (i.e. what is the contextual factor)?,One field study and three laboratory studies were conducted to provide a comprehensive understanding of the role of format in written communication.,Handwritten messages are more effective than print messages in building relationships in a service context because they elicit stronger feelings of warmth because of both the perception of greater effort and feelings of greater psychological closeness to the service provider. However, the presence of handwriting fails to deliver feelings of warmth when the quality of core services is low.,Service providers can effectively use handwritten communication to signal effort and create psychological closeness for relationship building with their key customers only when the quality of core services meets customer expectations.,First, the research differentiates the formats of written relational communication (handwritten vs print), and links communication formats with feelings of warmth, which is an important factor for impression and relationship formation in the practice of services marketing. Second, based on cognitive-experiential self-theory, this research demonstrates the dual mediators underlying the effect of handwriting (vs print) on warmth: perceived effort and psychological closeness. Third, it identifies the quality of core service as a boundary condition for the effect of handwritten communication.


As General-Purpose Graphics Processing Units (GPGPUs)become more powerful, they are being used increasingly often in high-performance computing applications. State space exploration, as employed in model-checking and other verification techniques, is a large, complex problem that has successfully been ported to a variety of parallel architectures. Use of the GPU for this purpose, however, has only recently begun to be studied. We show how the 2012 multicore CPU-parallel state-space exploration algorithm of the SPIN model checker can be re-engineered to take advantage of the unique parallel-processing capabilities of the GPGPU architecture, and demonstrate how to overcome the non-trivial design obstacles presented by this task. Our preliminary results demonstrate significant performance improvements over the traditional sequential model checker for state spaces of appreciable size (>10 million unique states).


In the present investigation, apple and tomato were dried in three modes of drying viz. indirect solar drier, electric drier and open sun. The shelf life and quality parameters of dried products were compared between these three modes of drying. It has been found that shelf life of dried products dried in solar drier is higher than other modes of drying. The quality parameters such as, TSS, reducing sugars, total sugars, total solids and titratable acidity of dried products were better in solar drier as compared to other modes of drying. The drying efficiency of the solar drier ranged between 33.84% to 40.45%. The carbon emission has been reduced in solar drier as compared to electric oven between 15.52 to 19.83 kg.


The Mellin transformation-based method is developed to estimate the parameters of non-Rayleigh radar cross section (RCS) models for synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images from the observed image. Models investigated include heavy-tailed Rayleigh and Weibull. For each model, we consider the three kinds of images: intensity, square-root of intensity, and multi-look averaged amplitude. Using the Mellin transformation, we derive the analytical expressions of the first two second-kind cumulants for speckle and RCS respectively, and obtain the estimators according to the multiplicative model of SAR images and the Mellin convolution. Results of parameter estimation from Monte Carlo simulation and real SAR images demonstrate that the proposed estimators, which are easy to implement in the form of closed expressions, are efficient in estimating the parameters of non-Rayleigh RCS models from the observed SAR images.


This paper will discuss various processes used in urban and surrounding areas to manage urban waste in the city of Maputo, the capital of the Republic of Mozambique, Southern Afiica. Mozarnbican scholars have argued that waste management (garbage and sewage disposal) in developing countries it is a matter of development itself and, so has been considered as a matter of social, political and economic development. In general, waste management in the city of Maputo is significant for this study for three major reasons: i) Waste is both a way of survival and a public health. In this context, two things have to be considered about the waste management toward these two variables (poverty and disease spread that work together) and mismanagement; ii) Waste management in the city of Maputo interferes in the context of coastal cities with marshy areas and a deficient drainage (drainage of the rain and sewage disposal) and; iii) The usage of protected areas for building expensive houses for welloff people. Our argument in this study is the municipality is not a system that can manage properly the city and the continuous population concentration in a single city puts specific problems to level economic, social, and environmental that do become true challenge for the governments and the civil society. Transactions on Ecology and the Environment vol 67, © 2003 WIT Press, www.witpress.com, ISSN 1743-3541


The utility model relates to an automatic coating production device, comprising a transmitting element and a spraying element. The transmitting element includes a conveyer belt that can fix a workpiece on the transmitting element. The spraying element includes a cover device and a spraying equipment. The cover device has an obstruct body and an exhaust fan arranged at the obstruct body. When the workpiece is conveyed to the place between the spraying equipment of the spraying element and the cover device, the utility model can detect the workpiece through an inductor and automatically activates the spraying equipment to spray coating material. At the same time, the coating material in the air is closed over by the cover device, and then is discharged through the exhaust fan. Therefore, the coating efficiency is improved, and the workpiece is sprayed uniformly, and the work environment avoids being polluted by coating material.


32 pp. Bookmarks supplied by UO. Includes maps and figures. Adopted July 28, 1993; published October, 1993. Captured October 23, 2007.


The multifactorial process of ageing is one of the biggest biological and medical challenges of the 21st century with age-related conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, neurodegeneration and cancer being among the leading causes of death among industrialized countries. Rather than one single causative factor, a range of environmental, demographic, biological, behavioral and social factors determine the development and onset of age-related diseases (ARDs). While it remains a challenge to assess the cumulative effect of environmental influences on human ageing, growing evidence indicates that both ARDs and non-pathological ageing processes are driven by environmental influences. The present review takes a closer look at the different environmental factors including air, climate, water, soil, urban green, social and individual environments and their influence on common ARDs and other life-limiting pathologies. It is of major public health relevance, to understand the interactions between these factors to develop preventive strategies both at individual and societal level to support healthy ageing.


Adopting the cooling technique to smooth the discontinuous Z(2) lattice gauge field, we found that on SU(2) gauge configurations obtained by this smoothing there exists clear discontinuity of the topological property at almost the same point as the confinement-deconfinement phase transition of the original Z(2) gauge theory. This observation suggests the possibility that Z(2) gauge model might be a testbed for analyzing the relation between the confinement and the chiral phase transition in which the topological objects are believed to play crucial roles.


Single-phase induction motors are widely used in home appliances and industrial control. The multispeed operation and multipurpose operation are provided by controlling the speed of these motors.This research paper is variable speed drive of induction motor using frequency control method. It is to develop the solid state control system to be reliable and economically feasible to use with fractional horse power motors. The proposed variable speed drive includes power conversion section (AC to DC and DC to AC), used the switching element of IRF 840 N-channel MOSFET. The four IRF 840 MOSFETS are used as H-bridge inverter to provide the alternating current to the motor. In this drive, C124 transistors and MJE 13002 transistors are used as driver circuit to drive the H-bridge inverter. There are two power supplies in this drive. The 12 V power supply is used for frequency control circuit and driver circuit. The 300 V power supply is used for H-bridge inverter. In this drive, pulse width modulation SG3525A IC is used to control the frequency. The frequency range of the constructed variable drive circuit is 16 Hz to 56 Hz at constant voltage for changing the speed of induction motor.In this research paper, drive schemes of single-phase induction motor, principle operations of components used in constructed variable speed drive, and design calculation to construct this drive are included. Moreover, the experimental tests of this drive when driving a fractional horse power single-phase induction motor are described.


The heat power system of the Siberian Federal District is almost coal-based: energy generation at coal-fired TPPs makes up 87.2%. But due to low reactivity of coals fed to the pulverized coal boilers, expensive high-reactive fuel oil is used to ignite and light the pulverized coal flame, which is a technological and economic problem. To increase the energy efficiency of flame burning of coal, an increase in their reactivity due to mechanochemical activation is considered using the technology developed at IT SB RAS. For several different coals, experimental studies on burning were carried out at a 5 MW pilot setup using mechanochemical activation of coal. These studies showed reliable ignition and stable access to the autothermal coal combustion, which indicates an increase in coal reactivity and the ability to replace fuel oil with coal.


An attitude determination and control system for small spinning spacecraft based only on a threeaxis magnetometer and magnetic coils is proposed. The pointing error components, namely roll and yaw angles, are estimated in an Extended Kalman Filter, making use only of magnetometer data. The coarse Sun direction estimation provided by body mounted solar panels, is used to improve the filter convergence rate. The control law provides spin-axis pointing, spin rate regulation, as well as nutation damping. The pointing accuracy obtained by this system is on the order of one degree, which is often suitable for small missions. For missions requiring better pointing accuracy, this system can be used as a backup in case of failure of the primary pointing error detection system. Contrary to previous implemented methods, this algorithm does not make use of a dedicated sensor to estimate the pointing error and does not require nutation dampers, thus reducing on-board hardware.


Abstract Background and objectives The increasing popularity of remote work makes the implementation of health promotion initiatives at the workplace challenging, particularly in bridging the gap between employees' intentions to adopt healthier habits and their actual actions. Previous evidence suggests that action planning can foster the adoption of healthier behaviors. Therefore, we investigated action planning in the context of reducing sedentary behaviour and improving dietary quality for remote workers. Methods A mixed-methods investigation of a web-based self-help intervention featured a randomized planning trial, quantitative engagement measurements, and follow-up qualitative interviews with a participant subset. For one work week, participants received access to 2-minute workout videos to reduce sedentary time and a balanced meal approach with recipe cards for weekly lunches and dinners. The intervention group was given a motion plan and a meal plan to execute these actions, while the control group only obtained access to the resources. Results Having a motion plan proved more effective in increasing engagement with online resources compared to the condition with no plan. In the follow-up interviews, participants noted that the plan served as a reminder to engage with the resources and simplified adherence to the exercise and meal recommendations. Ease of use and the ability to incorporate exercises and meals around work tasks were crucial factors in promoting resource adoption, while time constraints and concerns about colleagues' perceptions of taking breaks to utilize the resources hindered adoption. Participants' self-efficacy correlated with overall resource use but not with plan adherence. Conclusions Incorporating plans (motion and meals) into online self-help resources could boost their adoption and improve lifestyles among remote workers. Key messages • Incorporating plans (motion and meals) into online self-help resources could boost their adoption and improve lifestyles among remote workers. • Ease of use and the ability to incorporate exercises and meals around work tasks were found to be facilitators of adoption.


The article presents the results of theoretical and practicalresearch aimed at the formation of health-saving technologies in educational institutions of the education system. The developed experimentally substantiatedmodel of the special course "Theory and methodology for the formation of healthimproving skills" is proposed.


Machine vision systems comprise a technology whose development has grown exponentially in recent years. These technologies not only make an essential tool for certain applications, but also enable the substitution of multiple mono-variable sensors (used in process automation) for a single multi-variable sensor adquisition system. In this paper the actual implementation of an inverted pendulum is presented. The control loop is based on artificial vision for the determination of position and the application of a Kalman Filter for the estimation of complete system state. This document describes the model of the system, its stochastic characterization, implementation of Kalman Filter and vision system considerations aimed at improving its robustness. Simulations and tests are presented concluding with the comparative analysis of image-based measurement vs encoders based measurement.


Abstract TiB2 based hard material has been fabricated by combustion synthesis from elemental powders using Fe–Al intermetallics as the binder phase. Both the crystal orientation map and the pole figures by electron backscatter diffraction analysis showed that the TiB2 particles have no preferential orientation. Preheating of the power compact is helpful to increase the relative density and to reduce the particle size of the synthesised product, which increases the hardness of the product. The highest hardness and relative density were achieved for a composition of TiB2–20 vol..-%FeAl.


The accounting is a course of strong practical applicability.The practical teaching of the accounting profession should be sticked to through all schooling years in the secondary vocational schools.This paper suggests to apply the case teaching method and project teaching method,make full use the multimedia teaching means and perfect the practical teaching system to develop the students' comprehensive qualities and application abilities so as to develop the students' post qualities for their employment.


This paper studies the relationship between capital buffer and banks'-risk-taking level.Based on a dataset with 1211 commercial banks from 97 countries,this article develops a dynamic panel model and examines the theoretical hypotheses with one- step systematic GMM estimation.The results show that the increase of capital buffer stimulates banks' risk taking level,which seems to be more significant in periods of economic upturns;as capital buffer increases,the positive effects between capital buffers and bank risk-taking behavior like a "U" shape curve(first decrease,then intensify,and decrease again).The increase of core capital in banks' capital structure will enhance the positive relationship between capital buffer and risk-taking level.


Storing full motion graphics animation or television images in a Personal Computer will generate huge amounts of data which will soon overwhelm even very large disc drives. Storing or retrieving images from a disc at 30 frames per second speed is not yet possible. The now common JPEG image compression standard can offer some relief at the price of generating more and more image distortions and visual artifacts with increased compression. A new "Lossless" image compression scheme, based on Autosophy networks, has been implemented and tested in an IBM PC (486). The algorithms operate by constructing pyramidal cascades of image fragments in a mathematical Omni Dimensional Hyperspace library which is stored in a disc file. Each image fragment of any size is stored only once to be reused and recycled in subsequent image storage. This will lead to saturation in the storage requirement in which the more images that have already been stored the less additional storage space is required to store additional images. The storage requirement for graphics images becomes totally independent of the image size, image resolution or the number of frames to be stored. Storage requirement only depends on the "Novelty" within the images or how similar the frames are to each other. Experimental data confirms the algorithms and suggests a highly superior method for storing images in PCs. But, real live animation or on-screen teleconferencing is only possible with specialized new graphics boards, which are slightly larger and slightly more expensive than conventional graphics boards.<<ETX>>


Acknowledgements In the past, in order to accurately visualize the mouse brain for quantitative measurement, time and resource intensive staining methods, such as Nissl or immunofluorescence, have been required (1,2). A newly developed labelfree method using the Serial Optical Coherence Scanner (SOCS) has the potential to dramatically reduce the time required to prepare brain samples for analysis by utilizing the natural differences in the way white and grey matter scatter light to produce an accurate image from which numerous quantitative measurements can be taken (3,4,5). In order to establish that SOCS can be used for the same precision of analysis that can be performed using immunohistochemistry in measurements including cerebellar area/volume as well as differentiation and measurement of the main layers of the cerebellum, we utilized a mouse model predicted to have notable deficits in these areas. A mouse model of Spinocerebellar ataxia type 8 (SCA8) has been documented to exhibit cerebellar Purkinje Cell death, which can be expected to thin the molecular layer, as well as demyelination, which would manifest in a decreased amount of cerebellar white matter (6,7). A profound cerebellar atrophy has been observed in multiple MRI studies of human SCA8 patients (8, 9). Together these instances of cell death and evidence from human patients should result in a measurable difference in area between SCA8 and wild type (WT) animals. In this small preliminary study, we wanted to determine if the SOCS method could be employed to parse out any difference in overall cerebellar area and molecular layer thickness between SCA8 and age matched WT mice.


Abstract:The scope of this article is twofold: to revisit the foundational importance of Business Spanish to the United States and to track its early formalization in American secondary and higher education. It will focus on the years surrounding American Independence in 1776, followed by the key role played by the American Association of Teachers of Spanish (AATS) and Hispania from 1917 through the mid-1940s. Each period represents a historical starting point for Business Spanish. The focus on these separate but closely related starting points, the second issuing from the first, distinguishes this article from previous research through its emphasis on the initial groundwork laid. The historical record shows that the foundational importance of Spanish for commerce and trade contributed to the ongoing importance of the study of Spanish itself in the United States. These two starting points also contained within them the dialectic between the practical and the cultural reasons for studying Spanish, and the aspirational balance that might be achieved between competing rationales. Quotations of the protagonists themselves will anchor a palimpsest methodology that allows the rhetoric of earlier times to speak for itself and reverberate into the discourse of contemporary curriculum development.


PURPOSE: A local area wireless communication device and a call quality improving method thereof are provided to improve the quality of the call through an equalizer including a local wireless communication device. CONSTITUTION: A microphone(101) receives a voice call. The microphone outputs an audio signal. An equalizer(102) compensates for distorts the signals according to the frequency characteristics of a terminal for the audio signal outputted from the microphone. A wireless communication unit(106) transmits the compensated audio signal to the terminal. A storage unit(110) stores the equalization information to compensate for the signal distortion and terminal identification information for one or more terminals. [Reference numerals] (102) Equalizer; (103) Power amplifier; (104) Analog-digital converter; (105) Echo and noise reducer; (106) Wireless communication unit; (107) Digital-analog converter; (108) Audio amplifier; (110) Storage unit; (111) Control unit


The article is devoted to the determination of global trends of the world financial architecture transformation. The views of scientists on the term "world financial architecture" were considered, the institutional and economic aspect of this term was studied in the context of financial globalization. It was determined that the global economy is at the stage of significant financial and currency crises. This is accompanied by the weakness of the financial sector in emerging markets, the increase in the number of offshore financial centres, the limitation of the international institutions' ability to provide financial support to developing countries, etc. Reasonably, the global financial architecture and the need for its transformational shifts directly depends on the trends in the world financial market and the stability of the world economy, which has been experiencing crisis phenomena in recent years. The global economy is experiencing persistently high inflation, the highest in last decade, amid heightened economic and geopolitical uncertainty and disruptions in energy and commodity markets caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine. An analysis of world commodity price trends is provided. It determines the high inflation of consumer prices, that is especially high in developing countries. It was determined that the national regulators of developed countries apply a stricter monetary policy and curtail measures to support the economy. It was concluded that the situation on the world commodity markets, high inflation, the increase in the cost of borrowing and the weaker growth of the leading economies significantly undermine the growth prospects of developing countries with emerging markets. This group of countries is in a more unfavourable condition than others and undermines the global stability of the world financial architecture. It is necessary to carry out stabilization measures if inflation indicators will grow not only in developing countries, but also in developed countries, whose destabilizing effect on the global economic system will be more impressive.


In this paper, we investigate large deviation asymptotics involving classes of nonparametric estimates. We introduce a random process, say Z n , which allows to derive, using the contraction principle, results for several nonparametric estimates from the large deviations principle stated for Z n . The usual examples of nonparametric estimates include the histogram density estimate as well as the regressogram. Note that uniform behaviours over classes of density and regression functions as well as over classes of their estimates have been considered.


Binary mixtures of monomers, e.g., styrene and acrylamide in 1:1 methanol:water solution, were grafted onto cellulose acetate film by taking recourse to preirradiation grafting procedure. The surface modification of the films due to grafting was examined by means of scanning electron microscopy. The mechanical properties, e.g., tensile strength elongation at break, and elasticity as well as water vapor permeability of the grafted films, were investigated. In the case of ungrafted films or when acrylamide was grafted to a low extent, the film surfaces were smooth and hence were not modified to any significant extent. But when acrylamide was grated appreciably, or when styrene was grafted singly or in binary mixture with acrylamide, the surfaces were found to be covered with fibrils. The pattern of the surface modification also changes with the increase of the extent of grafting. The observed properties of the grafted films were explained on the basis of the electron microscopic results. 18 references, 7 figures, 2 tables.


Lucy Bloom is broke, been dumped by her boyfriend, and had to sell her house to send her nineteen-year-old son to drug rehab. Although she's lost it all, she's determined to start over. So when she's offered a high-paying gig helping clear the clutter from the home of reclusive and eccentric painter Marva Meier Rios, Lucy grabs it. Armed with the organizing expertise she gained while writing her book, Things Are Not People, and fueled by a burning desire to get her life back on track, Lucy rolls up her sleeves to take on the mess that fills every room of Marva's huge home. Lucy soon learns that the real challenge may be taking on Marva, who seems to love the objects in her home too much to let go of any of them.


Background. The urgency of the problem is due to the high specific gravity of the victims with gunshot fractures of the limb, type C (according to the classification of AO) in the structure of surgical sanitary loss. These injuries lead to non-union accompanied by defects in bone tissues and the development of false joints. To date, there is no scientifically substantiated approach to providing specialized care to those with injured limbs during local conflicts. The purpose of the study: to improve the treatment outcomes in victims with gunshot fractures of the limb bones and defects of bone tissues. Materials and methods. The study included 378 patients with limb injuries sustained in the first and second periods of the anti-terrorist operation from April 2014 to February 2015. Results and conclusions. Defects of bone tissues were observed in 5.95 % of patients with limb injuries. In victims with severe and extremely severe trauma of the limbs, the bone defects were 2.5 times more frequent compared to those with moderate injuries and 3 times — with mild trauma. The free auto-cancellous bone grafting was indicated with bone defects up to 1 cm. This technique was not used for suppuration of soft tissues, clinical and radiological signs of gunshot osteomyelitis. Free auto-cancellous bone grafting was performed only after the healing of the infection focus and the elimination of the osteomyelitis. A two-stage bone grafting was indicated if there was the risk of developing purulent complications, with the intermediate use of cement spacers. Non-free bone autografting according to G.A. Ilizarov to be done with defects of bone tissue more than 2 cm in the presence of purulent infection and gunshot osteomyelitis.


This editorial seeks to help eradicate confusions, enlighten the current perceptions, and highlight a global need to develop feasible guidelines for optimum bioprocessing of barley grain (BG). The optimum processing techniques must result in moderated rumen fermentation of starch and protein, improved rumen microbial protein synthesis, reduced risks of Sub-Acute Rumen Acidosis (SARA) and pro-inflammatory immune responses, and improved food-producing dairy and beef cattle performance and health.


HEALTHIER OFFICERS, HEALTHIER CORPS: A STUDY OF SALVATION ARMY CORPS OFFICERS' SPIRITUAL RENEWAL AS A MEANS OF CONGREGATIONAL RENEWAL by Grant Sandercock-Brown The Salvation Army Australian Eastern Territory has many unhealthy and declining congregations, a significant percentage of which have leaders who are struggling with congregational ministry because of the complexity of the t ask, because of the multiplicity of expectations, and because of their place in their own spirit ual journey. In this study I sought to test if the application of systems theory thinking and practices could help corps officers understand their role and primary responsibi lities in the context of self-differentiation and thus improve their spiritual well-being and the health of their corps. I assessed the corps and the corps officers at the commencement of the study . Corps officers then attended a retreat to explore the concept and implications of selfdifferentiation. I assessed the well-being of the corps officer and the h ealth of the corps a second time five months later to measure the impact of an improvement in well-be ing from adopting a systems approach to ministry. The positive impact of the retreat on the participants led to some significant findings, particularly as regards the improvement in the spiritual well-being of t he participants. These findings have implications for congregational ministry i n a Salvation Army context and for congregational ministry in general. DISSERTATION APPROVAL This is to certify that the dissertation entitled HEALTHIER OFFICERS, HEALTHIER CORPS: A STUDY OF SALVATION ARMY CORPS OFFICERS' SPIRITUAL RENEWAL AS A MEANS OF CONGREGATIONAL RENEWAL presented by Grant Sandercock-Brown has been accepted towards fulfillment of the requirements for the DOCTOR OF MINISTRY degree at Asbury Theological Seminary April 25, 2012 Mentor Date April 25, 2012 Internal Reader Date April 25, 2012 Representative, Doctor of Ministry Program Date April 25, 2012 Dean of the Beeson Center Date HEALTHIER OFFICERS, HEALTHIER CORPS: A STUDY OF SALVATION ARMY CORPS OFFICERS' SPIRITUAL RENEWAL AS A MEANS OF CONGREGATIONAL RENEWAL A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of Asbury Theological Seminary In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree


We have recently demonstrated that mechanical compression causes dilation of soleus feed arteries. The current study examined the pressure dependence of compression induced dilation. We hypothesized that the magnitude of dilation would be directly related to the compression pressure. Rat soleus feed arteries (n=10) were isolated, cannulated, mounted on micropipettes in a sealed vessel chamber, and pressurized to 68 mmHg. Luminal diameter was measured using an inverted microscope. An electronically controlled solenoid valve system permitted delivery of accurately timed pulses of extravascular pressure at 68, 100, 300, or 600 mmHg. Arteries dilated to single, 1‐sec pressure pulses at each pressure and the dilation was similar at all compression pressures (15±2%, 16±2%, 17±2%, and 18±2% dilation respectively). Multiple pressure pulses (30 1‐sec pulses with 1‐sec intervals) produced dilations of 27±3%, 40±5%, 46±6%, and 44±6% dilation respectively (p<0.05). These data indicate that the dilation to single compressions is not dependent on compression pressure. The dilation to multiple compressions is related to compression pressure, but plateaus at pressures above 300 mmHg. Since the arteries dilated to pressures within the range of those observed during locomotory exercise, we conclude that compression induced dilation could contribute to the rapid hyperemia observed at the onset of exercise.


A function programmable circuit and an operation method thereof are provided. The function programmable circuit includes a micro-controller unit (MCU) and a field programmable gate array (FPGA). The FPGA is coupled to the MCU, and is capable of being configured to execute a first function and work with the MCU in a first period, while the FPGA is being programmed a second function by the MCU in the same first period. The FPGA is controlled by a function switch pulse output from the MCU to terminate the first period, and switched from the first function to the second function, and then executes the second function and works with the MCU in a second period.


Based on the discussion of the conception of educational technology, the development of educational technology in our country was discussed in view of to the evolution of the definition of educational technology in America and the situation in our country. It was also discussed the research of educational technology in universities of our country.


The invention relates to a method for efficiently and intensively leaching metals in waste lithium ion batteries. In the method, lithium cobaltate powder is added in dilute acid solution, solid-to-liquid ratio is controlled to be less than 1:10 g/mL; then ferrous sulfate is added, dosage of ferrous sulfate is more than lithium cobaltate powder by less than 1.5 times; next, direct voltage of 0.4-0.7 V passes through; an iron electrode is used as a cathode; graphite, titanium plate or platinum is used as an anode; and rotating speed of a stirrer is 200-500 r/min. Compared with traditional acid leaching, the method can greatly reduce dosage of acids, operate at constant temperature, greatly shorten time when lithium cobaltate is leached and greatly increase leaching efficiency of lithium cobaltate. A high-efficiency, energy-saving, high-leaching-efficiency technical method is provided for recovery of valuable metals in waste lithium ion batteries.


This article describes the Trailmaster Highway Closure and Restriction System (HCRS), a real-time information service developed for the Arizona Department of Transportation. Trailmaster provides updated road and weather information through a toll-free telephone line kiosks, personal computer dial-up and the Internet. Efforts are also in progress to distribute the information to the public as part of an advanced traveler information system.


The temperature dependence of GaInP/GaAs/Ge multi-junction solar cells are numerically modeled. The temperature dependence of the solar cell dark current and the spectral sensitivity of the solar cell are demonstrated.


ABSTRACT In plants, spermidine synthase (SPE) received detailed investigation due to its key roles in the biosynthesis of spermidine, a major form of polyamine. However, there is no report on the identification and characterisation of SPE in edible mushrooms. Here, a full-length cDNA of a gene encoding a potential SPE was isolated from fruiting bodies of Agaricus bisporus. Homology search, InterPro inquiry and multiple sequence alignment showed that it was a chimeric bifunctional gene (named as nSpe-Sdh) with a single transcript that could also encode saccharopine dehydrogenase (SDH). Furthermore, we found that the expression of nSPE-SDH mRNA and protein were both significantly up-regulated with the cap expansion of A. bisporus during storage. Once the protecting veil broken, both expression levels decreased to an initial storage level and remained relatively constant until the end of the storage, indicating the possible involvement of nSpe-Sdh in postharvest mushroom development. Besides, the up-regulation of the expression of nSPE-SDH mRNA and protein was both tissue-specially in cap tissues. To our knowledge, this is the first study focus on a specific gene for putative spermidine biosynthesis in edible mushrooms. Our present study provides valuable information for further functional characterisation of SPE-SDH proteins in postharvest mushroom physiology.


Today, the world is on the eve of a major energy crisis, a situation that seems to be accelerating steps towards a revolution in identifying complementary energy sources to ensure continuity in all activities, including humanitarian ones. Starting from the relationship between disasters - humanitarian emergencies - complex humanitarian emergencies, the paper highlights the novelty of the concept of humanitarian energy and highlights the important role of energy in the management process of humanitarian activities. This paper defines humanitarian energy as the interface zone between humanitarian response and energy. Our method of documenting the topic is based on bibliometric analysis that involved extensive literature screening. The research put into evidence the results of recent studies revealing the links between energy and humanitarian clusters, and the recent research subjects related to humanitarian energy. The study's findings indicate that humanitarian energy is a new and emerging theme, approached from multiple perspectives and disciplinary areas, including economic one, that requires a broad level of knowledge, integrated analysis, and public-private management. The research results reveal that most of the studies related to this field are on renewable energy and energy access. Although security (protection) issues are recognized as a priority in the management of humanitarian problems, this topic has not received much attention given the risks that lack of access to energy generates in humanitarian settings. Considering the applicability of the research studies linked to the humanitarian energy for all the stakeholders and the predictable dynamics of forced displacement movements in the context of climate change and/or conflict, as well as the risks arising from lack of inadequate planning, we conclude that research studies should further deep explore the issues of humanitarian energy management in emergencies and crises from both an economic and security perspective.


In team sports there must be a player spe- cialized in the organization of the games. In volleyball game this role is assigned to the setter. It is not uncom- mon to hear the claim that the setter is ''the brain in the team''. With that we want to emphasize that the setters are players from which depends overall organization of the game. However, the setter with the prefi x ''top'' must meet certain condition: functional, motor abilities and anthropometric or morphological characteristics but also meet certain requirements. The Characteristics of top setter is to be various and unpredictable espe- cially when he set up the ball to attack, so that his every action has a tactical justifi cation and be unexpected for opponents. Primary demands for the setter that he as a specialist must meet are the proper technique for setting a ball, mastering of all kinds of setting techniques, tacti- cal ability of reviews and ability of peripheral vision. Secondary demands that one specialist make complete in this area are mastering of spike techniques in attack and in defense, assuming the role of assistant of end- blocker. How is possible to ''produce'' of such a player, it is hard to say, however, the fact is that in modern vol- leyball exists positive trend outstanding setters despite the fact that today it is much more diffi cult to succeed in the struggle for this specifi c player's position in the team.


Model for HgCdTe photoconductor sensitivity was constructed by solving a three dimensional (3-D) transport equation. The model takes into account recombination velocities at crystal side walls and surfaces, device temperature rise due to bias current Joule heat and temperature dependence of ambipolar mobility. Parameters, i.e., recombination velocity at crystal side wall, minority carrier bulk lifetime and majority carrier concentration were fixed by comparing the measured responsivity and carrier lifetime with the calculated responsivity and carrier lifetime. Using parameters thus fixed, noise was calculated and was compared with the measured noise. Good agreement between the calculated and the measured noises was obtained.


Many useful software packages exist today that effectively implement physical theory in order to support dynamic physical system simulation. As simulation methodologies mature and extend, so must their software implementations. A relatively new software methodology, known as object oriented programming, is investigated to determine its impact on the future of physical system simulation. A bond-graph/block-diagram processor is developed using Smalltalk-80 to help delineate the benefits and difficulties of using the object oriented paradigm. Encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism are shown to provide a framework that supports extendible software on both a small and large scale that is typically lacking in conventional languages (e.g., FORTRAN and PL/I). This includes user customization of the software, as well as incorporating major enhancements to the software. Additionally, object oriented implementations are shown to follow closely the world they are modeling. This allows the software designer to concentrate on the problem being solved and not on transforming a theoretical solution of the problem into a software implementation.


We developed a real-time controller for a 2 degree-of-freedom robotic system using xPC Target. This system was used to investigate how different methods of performance error feedback can lead to faster and more complete motor learning in individuals asked to compensate for a novel visuo-motor transformation (a 30 degree rotation). Four groups of normal human subjects were asked to reach with their unseen arm to visual targets surrounding a central starting location. A cursor tracking hand motion was provided during each reach. For one group of subjects, deviations from the "ideal" compensatory hand movement (i.e. trajectory errors) were amplified with a gain of 2 whereas another group was provided visual feedback with a gain of 3.1. Yet another group was provided cursor feedback wherein the cursor was rotated by an additional (constant) offset angle. We compared the rates at which the hand paths converged to the steady-state trajectories. Our results demonstrate that error-augmentation can improve the rate and extent of motor learning of visuomotor rotations in healthy subjects. We also tested this method on straightening the movements of stroke subjects, and our early results suggest that error amplification can facilitate neurorehabilitation strategies in brain injuries such as stroke.