2 the output of " utility scale " DERs (> one megawatt). In addition, existing industry standards define advanced functions for DER only at the individual device level, and lack the more aggregated, feeder-level representations that are needed for enterprise integration. This white paper describes ongoing research at the Electric Power Research Institute that is exploring Various ways in which the DMS can utilize these distributed resources more effectively and help in accomplishing the 21st century objectives of electric distribution utilities. A DMS is a decision support system to assist the control room and field operating personnel with the monitoring and control of the electric distribution system in an optimal manner while improving safety and asset protection. Traditionally, electric distribution utilities have relied primarily on manual, paper driven process for electric distribution operations. Managing the electric distribution system was handled in mostly manual fashion with voice communications between responsible parties supported by a collection of independent (standalone) computer systems, communication facilities, and device controllers. DMS is a concept that integrates these mostly independent facilities so that the distribution system can be operated in a well coordinated, highly efficient manner. Figure 1 depicts the DMS " integrated system " concept. Distribution grid modernization (the " smart grid ") is producing Introduction No portion of the electric power grid has been impacted more by grid modernization (the " smart grid ") than the electric distribution system. Grid modernization is transforming distribution operations from mostly manual paper-driven processes to automated computer-assisted decision making and control for distribution system optimization. A central part of this transformation is the Distribution Management System (DMS) which integrates numerous remote monitoring and central control facilities with enterprise level systems to optimize distribution system performance and accomplish a Variety of business goals. At the same time, technology advancements in solar photovoltaics (PV) and battery storage have driven sharp increases in their employment by utilities, consumers, and third parties. These Distributed Energy Resources (DER) are often connected to the grid at the distribution level, and distribution operational requirements are being greatly impacted by their presence. Inverters, the power converter circuits (DC-to-AC conversion), that integrate solar PV and battery resources to the grid are highly-capable devices with advanced message processing and fast power control with nearly instantaneous response to received commands and monitored conditions. Over the last few years, industry efforts have defined a wide range of standard grid-supportive functions 1 …


In this paper, the robustness of FastICA algorithm, one of the indepent component analysis algorithms, has been studied on some face recognition applications. In the algorithm, the efficiencies of tanh and gauss functions which were used for estimating the independent components have been tested by using Yale and ORL face image databases. Structure-1 type of the independent component analysis has been used in the experiments. First, 10 training and test sets were created by randomly selected images from face image databases, then recognition experiments have been performed on these sets. As the correct recognition rate, the average of the correct recognition accuracies of the test sets have been tabulated for each estimating functions. Finally, it was observed that the results according to gauss function gave higher recognition rates than the tanh function for both databases. That's why the usage of gauss function instead of tanh fuction in FastICA algorithm has been recommended for face recognition applications.


A new class of ${R}^{2}$ type of actions without ghosts and tachyons is found in which both the vierbein field ${{e}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}}^{a}$ and the spin connection ${{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}}^{\mathrm{ab}}$ are independent and propagating fields. A complete set of spin-projection operators for ${{e}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}}^{a}$ and ${{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}}^{\mathrm{ab}}$ is constructed. The particle content of these actions and other ${R}^{2}$ theories in the literature is given. The relation of this work to the interesting work of Neville is discussed.


The paper presents and characterizes an integrative model of teacher training for working with young children. The purpose of the study is to develop a universal model that ensures the fulfillment of the society's demand for the training of teachers in course of master's programs and continuing pedagogical education, to help eliminate the shortage of professional staff in preschools. The model has been developed under the competence paradigm of education and taking into account the requirements of federal state educational standards of higher education and the professional standards for teachers in the conditions of coherence between the work-related activities (functions) and competencies. The universality of the model is determined by a unified educational outcome, content, forms, and technologies, as well as indicators and criteria for the effective preparation of teachers for working with young children both in the framework of their master's program and in the continuing education system.


Background: N-Acetylserotonin (NAS, N-acetyl-5-hydroxytryptamine) is the immediate
precursor of the neurohormone melatonin (MT, N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine), which regulates
sleep and wake cycles. NAS is produced by the N-acetylation of serotonin and is converted to melatonin
via the action of Acetylserotonin O-methyltransferase (ASMT). Like melatonin, NAS acts as
an agonist on the melatonin receptors MT1, MT2, and MT3. However, as NAS is abundant in specific
brain areas, separate from serotonin and melatonin, it may also have discrete central effects.
Indicatively, it has been reported that NAS may play a role in the antidepressant effects of Selective
Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) and Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs).

Objective: To decipher the controlled release characteristics of the active substances (NAS and MT)
in a quick initial pace, aiming at a satisfactory sleep-onset related anti-depressive profile and prolonged
release, thereafter, targeting at coping with poor sleep quality problems.

Methods: A series of hydrophilic matrix tablets involving as excipients, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose
(HPMC) K15M, low viscosity sodium alginate, lactose monohydrate, and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)
M.W.: 10.000 and 55.000) was developed and tested at two dissolution media (pH 1.2 and 7.4).

Results: The results showed that commonly used excipients with different physicochemical properties
govern the controlled release of NAS and MT from solid matrix systems.

Conclusions: We have demonstrated how broadly used excipients affect the in vitro controlled
release of NAS and MT from solid pharmaceutical formulations. Currently, we extend our studies
on the controlled release of these drugs using various other biopolymers/formulants of different
physicochemical characteristics, which will help to highlight the discrete release profiles of NAS
and MT.


As alternatives to established carbohydrate‐detection reagents (antibodies and lectins), Lectenz Bio is developing engineered proteins (known as Lectenz®), that target glycan sequences for with existing reagents either do not exist or are sub‐optimal. Lectenz® are engineered proteins derived from catalytically inactivated glycan‐processing enzymes that have been optimized for high affinity towards specific glycan sequences. The conversion of such enzymes into affinity reagents is facilitated by computationally‐guided directed evolution. Lectenz® are being developed for a variety of glycan detection and enrichment applications including affinity chromatography, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry. Here we demonstrate the performance and specificity of two novel sialic acid recognizing Lectenz® engineered from a sialidase enzyme.


For medium-voltage drives multilevel converters are advantageous to reduce the insulation stress of the windings of the machine. State of the art are multilevel converters as Diode Clamped Converter, Imbricated Cell Converter or Stacked H-Bridge Converter with a low number of levels limited by the restrictions in practical construction. The Modular Multilevel Converter is not limited in the number of levels. Its modularity allows a nearly unlimited cascading of sub-modules and therewith of voltage levels at the same complexity in construction. The challenges of this topology used as drive converter are the AC fluctuations of the sub-module voltages rising with sinking output frequency. This paper derives analytically equations for the module-voltage fluctuations for two different controls using the converter in the whole speed range. The results are analysed and compared to simulation results.


Blood samples were received from a 29-year-old woman who had been admitted to the resuscitation room of an Accident and Emergency department. A full blood count showed: hemoglobin concentration 15.2 g/dl, white cell count 9.6 x 10 9 /l, and platelet count 39 x 10 9 /l. A citrate sample for coagulation tests was unclottable. An urgent blood film confirmed thrombocytopenia and showed heavily vacuolated neutrophils and a left shift. Many of the neutrophils contained organisms (top) and in some cells it was apparent that they were diplococci (bottom left). A Gram stain showed the organism to be Gram-negative (bottom right) and a provisional diagnosis of meningococcal septicaemia with disseminated intravascular coagulation was made. A latex agglutination test for meningococcal antigen confirmed the diagnosis and the organism was typed as Neisseria meningitidis group C. Despite appropriate early and vigorous management, the patient required several amputations and succumbed to the effects of the meningococcal infection 3 weeks after presentation. Peripheral blood neutrophils in meningococcal septicaemia show characteristic features-toxic granulation, degranulation, and marked vacuolation. Organisms are often detectable within the neutrophils and permit an early provisional diagnosis.


Whether or not basaltic rocks can be used as mantle probes depends upon the degree to which their compositions reflect their source regions rather than their subsequent histories. Mantle heterogeneities in the central Arizona Transition Zone were studied, and the degree to which interaction with the crust has modified the lavas masking these original variations was examined. Basalts from a thick sequence of basaltic flows in the Hickey Formation and two younger flows were sampled in order to provide a time transgressive suite of rocks. These rocks were dated and an extensive set of analytical data is now available for them.


Abstract Objectives Rapid weight gain (RWG) by 6 months of age has been identified as one of the earliest indicators of childhood obesity. Research suggests that exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) may protect against RWG. The makeup of the infant gut microbiome (GM) may also influence RWG as differences in feeding practices may alter the bacterial makeup of the gut, potentially impacting energy metabolism. The goal of this pilot study was to evaluate differences in GM community structure over the first 6 months of life in relation to feeding practices and RWG. Methods Pregnant mothers (n = 31) were recruited from Women, Infant, and Children's Supplemental Nutrition Program clinics and by word of mouth to participate in this study. Participants were followed over 6 months, completing home study visits postpartum, at 3 weeks and 6 months of infant age. RWG was defined as >+0.67 change in weight-for-age Z-score over the first 6 months of life. Microbial data from infant feces collected at birth, 3 weeks, and 6 months were sequenced using Illumina adapter primers for the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. GM diversity metrics include α-diversity, β-diversity, and differential abundance of microbes were assessed using Kruskal-Wallis and PERMANOVA comparisons, adjusted for multiple comparisons, via QIIME2. Results Among this cohort, 29% (n = 9) of infants experienced RWG in the first 6 months of life, and 22.6% (n = 7) were EBF for 6 months. Results suggested a significant difference in microbial community structure (weighted UniFrac) between infants who were EBF and formula-fed (FF) from birth to 3 weeks of age (p = 0.04). An exploratory analysis of longitudinal GM changes identified the family Prevotellaceae as potentially volatile over the first 6 months of life; however, this model failed to reach significance for either RWG or feeding practice. No additional differences in α- or β-diversity or differential abundance of microbes were observed among RWG or feeding practice groups. Conclusions The present study suggested differences in microbial community structure between infants who were EBF versus FF from birth to 3 weeks of age. Future research is warranted to further explore potential connections between RWG, feeding practices, and the infant GM in a longitudinal study with a larger sample size and more frequent sampling. Funding Sources ASU-Mayo Clinic Partnership Obesity Solutions Seed Grant Program.


Escherichia coli O157:H7 is an important food borne pathogen has been linked to foods of bovine origin and fresh produce. Rapid and sensitive identification of this dangerous pathogen is important for patient management and for prompt epidemiological investigations.This study aimed to detect Escherichia coli O157:H7 presence in samples from diarrhea patients, and food (imported beef and lettuce) and characterize by selective media, biochemical tests, latex agglutination test, and compared with PCR technique. during the period from September 2012 to February 2013 A total 120 samples were collected 50 from diarrhea patients and 70 food samples including (45 imported beef and 25 lettuce) All samples were screened to detect the presence of non-sorbitol fermenting colonies (NSF) on sorbitol Mac Conkey agar supplemented with Cefixime (C-SMAC). A total of 120 isolates, 22 (44%) from diarrhea patients, 18 (40%) from meat and 9 (36%) from lettuce were non-sorbitol fermenting, E. coli isolates were serotyped as E. coli O157:H7 by latex agglutination test, 10(20%) isolates of diarrhea patients, 7 (15.5%) isolates of meat and 5 (20%) isolates of lettuce, Results of the genetic diagnosis using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)with specific primers (eaeA and rfbE genes) by MPCR revealed that 10(20%) isolates of diarrhea patients5 (11.1%) isolate from meat and 5(20 %) of lettuce samples were positive. PCR has become a very rapid and reliable tool for the molecular diagnosis of E. coli O157. Ecoli O157: H7


Here we present the case study of toolmark characterization and tool identification by analysing the striation marks at one cut end of wire versus the striations left by the cutting tool. We use scanning electron microscope for imaging and homemade computer program for image processing and correlation analysis. Following the three steps procedure: (a) feature selection and enhancement; (b) pattern recognition; (c) confidence testing, the tool and the cutting possition at its blades, responsible for the wire cut toolmarks, was pin-pointed.


Older adults around the world lack access to a wide range of potentially life-changing digital applications, services, and information that could be provided by voice assistants (such as Amazon's Alexa, Google's Assistant, or Apple's Siri). However, older adults' needs are underrepresented in the design of voice assistants. Because of this, we are missing opportunities for digital inclusion, and increasing risks of excluding older adults as these devices permeate public settings. In this work, we video record older adults (n=26) interacting with a multi-modal voice assistants while waiting in line at food pantries, and use Interaction Analysis to draw insights from these recordings. We find that by being agnostic to body language, audio-prosodic features, and other contextual factors, voice assistants fail to capture and react to some important aspects of interactions. We discuss design (e.g, interpreting users' posture as a cue to wake the device when they are leaning towards the device) and research (e.g., surveillance trade-offs) implications, and argue for the use of multi-modal inputs with attention to privacy. Designing and training voice assistants to take in and appropriately respond to non-verbal cues may increase their inclusivity, helping them fulfill important needs of our aging population.


The study was motivated by low mathematical creative thinking ability and preparation for the XXI century 4.0 disruption era. Mathematics in Context (MiC) is a learning model that links learning content with the real world and open ended questions to train students' creative thinking ability. The aim of this study was to know the effectiveness of the MiC learning model with open ended approach to mathematical creative thinking ability. Data analysis used a proportion of one party test, one party average test, two proportion difference test, and two average difference test. The result showed that the students who used MiC learning with an open-ended approach were effective on mathematical creative thinking ability. Based on the result, the MiC model with an open-ended approach needs to be a consideration for teachers to carry out in learning.


Brichard, et al., "The Tyrosinase Gene Codes for an Antigen Recognized by Autologous Cytolytic T. Lymphocytes on HLA-A2 Melanomas", J. Exp. Med., 1993, 178:489–495. Robbins, et al., "Recognition of Tyrosinase by Tumor-in filtrating Lymphocytes from a Patient responding to Immu notherapy", Cancer Res., 1994, 54:3124-3126. Wang et al., "Identification of a Gene Encoding a Melanoma Tumor Antigen Recognized by HLA-A31-restricted Tumor-infiltrating Lymphocytes", J. Exp. Med., 1995, 181: 799-804. Topalian, et al., "Melanoma-specific CD4+ T Cells Recog nized Nonmutated HLA-DRA-restricted Tyrosinase Epitopes", J. Exp. Med., 1996, 183:1965–1971. Schadendorf et al., "Metastatic potential of human mela noma cells in nude mice-characteristics of phenotype, cytokine Secretion and tumour-associated antigen', Brit. J. Cancer, 1996, 74: 194-199. Houghton, "Cancer Antigens Immune Recognition of Self and Altered Self, J. Exp. Med., 1994, 180: 1-4.


Atlantic sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus were listed as 5 distinct population segments under the US Endangered Species Act in 2012. At that time, only 2 abundance estimates of the Atlantic sturgeon population were available: one from commercial fisheries landings in the Hudson River ending in 1995 and one from mark-recapture research in the Altamaha River, Georgia, in 2004 and 2005. In 2013, we verified spawning in the York River, Virginia, system and initiated a multiple-year mark-recapture study focusing on spawning-run abundance. We used a Schumacher-Eschmeyer model and Program CAPTURE to produce estimates of annual spawning abundances from 2013 to 2018. The Schumacher-Eschmeyer estimates of spawning-run abundance with 95% confidence intervals from 2013 to 2018 were 75 (31−190), 157 (115−244), 184 (150−238), 222 (137−576), 212 (157−328), and 145 (89−381), respectively. Because Atlantic sturgeon do not spawn every year, the trends in estimates do not suggest a recovering or declining population, but rather variability in proportions of the adult population that return to spawn each year. The estimates produced in Program CAPTURE using M0 (null), Mt (Chao Mt and Darroch), Mh (Chao Mh and Jackknife), and Mth (Chao Mth) models all produced similarly reliable estimates. The models that consider a behavioral response to initial capture (Mb, Mbh, and Mtb) failed to produce reliable estimates for these data, likely because as an endangered species, the dataset for Atlantic sturgeon was sparse. The Jackknife equation (model Mh) was the most precise every year with reliable accuracy and therefore is recommended.


OBJECTIVETo investigate the polymorphism of interleukin-1β gene in the Korean university students and the difference in the distribution of genetic polymorphism between Korean and other races.METHODSUsing techniques of polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism(PCR-RFLP),the polymorphisms of IL-1β gene promoter region-511C/T genotype to evaluate the gene types and calculate their frequencies in 300 Korean healthy university students was analyzed,and compared with those in other races.RESULTSThe IL-1β genotype frequencies for types of C/C,C/T,and T/T are 28.0%,49.0%,and 23.0%,respectively with the allele frequencies to be 52.5% for C and 47.5% for T.the gene distribution matched the equilibrium law of Hardy-Weinberg in Korean university students.CONCLUSIONThe genetic distribution of the genes has significantly difference of the polymorphism distribution of the gene in different races or different areas.


Climate change mitigation in developing economies is a balancing act, between economic development and environmental sustainability. The need for market friendly determinants for low carbon economy, without compromising economic development is of essence. The aim of the study is to determine market friendly factors, which motivates voluntary carbon information disclosure, in the real estate industry. The study modeled economic factor with three variables and financial market factor with three variables against voluntary carbon information disclosure in the real estate industry. Structural equation modeling was used for the modeling and content analysis was used to collect data on the level of voluntary carbon information disclosure, from 2013 annual reports of 126 real estate sector companies listed in the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange (KLSE). The model achieved a good fit, and was acceptable prediction. The results show that financial market factor has a significant predictive influence on voluntary carbon disclosure. The application of the result is that financial market factor is has a significantly positive influence on companies' willingness to make voluntary carbon disclosure in the real estate industry. The result may be limited to the real estate industry that is highly leveraged on syndicated fund.


Abstract Suppose a sample of n units from a population with failure time cdf F(x) is put on test and the ith unit is removed from testing at min (xi, τi) where xi is the failure time of this unit and τi is a fixed truncation time. Similarly, let a second sample of units from be tested for times . A Bayesian approach for testing the hypothesis against the alternative based on such samples is considered. The posterior probability that (where k and the t's are defined later) is obtained.


Taking into consideration the provisions of the legislative modifications recently occurred in the field of society law, the clarification of the legal nature of the relationship between the administrator and the managed company comes as necessary, even more so that this subject was the source of controversy and divergences of doctrinary opinions. Far from elucidating the problem regarding the cumulation of the employee position with the one of trading company administrator, we only intend to present pro's and con's, starting from the doctrinary opinions and legal provisions in effect – Law no. 31/1990 , and with the subsequent amendments and the provisions of the Labour Code with incidence in the subject matter – regarding the legal relationship between the administrator and the company. We believe that an administrator can not conclude a labor contract, and this first of all because of an argument related more to the common sense, namely that such a contract will lack an essential feature of the legal labour relation, respectively the employee subordination to the other party, but at the same time, as far as the sole associate administrator is concerned, the conclusion of a labour contract would be similar to a self-employment.


L aw enforcement officials have consistently ranked the development of remote weapons detection technology as a top priority. Thus when President Clinton read an article by the eminent public policy analyst James Q. Wilson on "What To Do About Crime" in Commentary magazine, he marked two key passages for review and action. Wilson pointed out that although firearms play a key role in rising violence in the Nation, he saw no politically or legally feasible way to reduce the number of guns enough to have a real impact on crime. However, Wilson noted that research was under way to develop technologies that would enable police and other law enforcement officials to detect concealed weapons from a distance, making it easier to identify those involved in criminal activity.


The authorization pursuant to Article 1792 of the Civil Code is "an agreement by which a given authority to another person, who received it, for conducting an affair on his behalf". It seems clear on the one hand there is the so-called to give and some are called to receive power, each party both receiver and giver have equal rights and obligations in running the power. In a very rapid growth dynamics can be found in the deed of transfer of power that the land ownership through purchase, clauses can not be withdrawn or disregard of Article 1813 of the Civil Code which is referred to as "Power of Absolute", it means no longer balanced and adverse the power giver if concerned about the rights and obligations of the giver and the receiver of power. In connection with the absolute power of the transformation of property rights to land through purchase, there are some legislation that expressly prohibits: 1. Instruction of the Minister of Home Affairs No. 14 of 1982 on the Prohibition of Use of Absolute Powerful As the transfer of Land Rights. 2. Government Regulation No. 24 of 1997 on Land Registration, in  Article 39 paragraph (1) letter d. 3. Supreme Court Decision No. 2584 / K / Pdt / 1986 explicitly states that "absolute power of attorney regarding the sale and purchase of land can not be justified because in practice often misused for smuggling and selling land". 4. Decision of the Supreme Court Reg. No. 2817 / K / Pdt / 1994 explicitly states that "buying and selling is done on the basis of absolute power is invalid and void". As a result of the ban, the use of absolute power in the transfer of property rights through the purchase can not be done because it is illegal and null and void.


Although surgical resection remains the only curative treatment for gastric cancer, locoregional and distant recurrence are still common after surgical resection with curative intent underscoring the importance of a multimodal approach. In recent decades, there have been notable improvements in multidisciplinary treatments for gastric cancer that influence clinical decision and treatment algorithms; these include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Notably, multimodal and multidisciplinary approaches to gastric cancer have developed in various ways according to geographical regions in the context of variations in disease incidence, etiology/epidemiology, clinical features, and treatment outcome. Differences in surgical techniques, curative resection rate, survival outcomes after curative resection, and relapse patterns between the East and West lead to different perioperative multidisciplinary strategies. In Western countries, low rates of curative resection and high rates of locoregional recurrence following suboptimal surgery, in addition to systemic spread after surgery, provide a rationale for perioperative chemotherapy (preoperative and postoperative chemotherapy) and postoperative chemoradiation. In contrast, Eastern countries have focused on reducing systemic failures by emphasizing postoperative chemotherapy after curative resection. To further improve perioperative treatment in localized gastric cancer, more sophisticated risk stratification and novel therapeutic strategies such as molecularly targeted agents need to be investigated, based on an understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of the disease.


Cells, originally called "endothelial" cells, have been described in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients developing recurrent aseptic meningitis (Mollaret's meningitis). In an attempt at better establishing their nature, a 6-year-old child was followed for a period of 3½ years. A cytological light microscopic and ultrastructural study was performed on samples of the CSF obtained during 17 attacks. The findings are presented, and the relationship of Mollaret's meningitis to intracranial epidermoid cysts is discussed.


Although the fourth industrial revolution has greatly accelerated the automation of production processes, the importance of human resources has not diminished, as evidenced by the fact that multinational companies are increasingly investing more and more effort in determining the optimal allocation of machines and operators. In this paper, the authors present an approach to the operator-machine assignment task through a suitable model. The mathematical model presented is suitable to support the design of an appropriate human resource management strategy and the implementation of operative human resource management tasks in production systems of different sizes.


Based on preliminary observation in Public Senior High School 1 Tumpang eleventh social three class, known that the problem faced by the school mentioned is the learning process applied by the teacher is mainly lecturing and giving an assignment, also the lesson study has not been applied yet. What is more, students still tend to pay less attention or less observant to Economics subject and some of the students were less active or passive in giving an opinion in class so a proper, interesting and fun learning is necessary, that is  Lesson Study Based Debate Model integrated with Numbered Head Together (NHT). This study aims to describe the implementation of lesson study based debate model combined with numbered head together model (NHT) to enhance student activeness on economics subject (study case of eleventh social three students of Public Senior High School 1 Tumpang 2015/2016 academic year). The type of this research is classroom action research through lesson study. This research was conducted in two cycles. The subject of this research is eleventh social three students of Public Senior High School 1 Tumpang with the total 30 students that consist of 13 males and 17 females 2015/2016 academic year. The data used is lesson study based debate model integrated with numbered head together model (NHT) from analyzing learning implementation plan and observation page, and students' activeness from observation page. The instruments are observation page, field notes, documentation, and interview. Keyword s : Activeness, Debate and Numbered Head Together (NHT)


We analyze the convergence of Anderson acceleration when the fixed point map is corrupted with errors. We consider uniformly bounded errors and stochastic errors with infinite tails. We prove local improvement results which describe the performance of the iteration up to the point where the accuracy of the function evaluation causes the iteration to stagnate. We illustrate the results with examples from neutronics.


From the Department of Paediatrics, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. THIS review of children with pyogenic JL HIS gem meningitis admitted to the University College Hospital (U.C.H.), Ibadan, Nigeria, assesses the results of our present treatment policy, and endeavors to ascertain the factors which make the mortality rate from this disease higher in developing countries than in industrialized countries.


INTRODUCTION Accessibility policy varies from one country to another. Many of the standards in the United States of American are set by government legislation, most notably the Section 508 requirements. In Australia the requirement is for the adoption of 'best practice'. Currently that is defined through the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) 'Notes' (HREOC, 2002a) which show application of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to Australian situations. The HREOC 'Notes' are not legal requirements, but do give service providers advice on how to avoid discrimination. HREOC's Notes interpret the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA) to specify that equal access for people with a disability is required by law where it can reasonably be provided. This is as applicable to individuals and organisations developing web pages and online services as it is to access in the physical world. While in Australia it may not be illegal to have an inaccessible web site, it is illegal to discriminate; thus an inaccessible web site may not be discriminatory if alternative, equivalent, access to the information or service is provided. The AusInfo (2000) and National Office of the Information Economy (2002) accessibility guidelines apply to Australian government sites. Like the HREOC Notes, these guidelines are also based on those of the W3C. Effectively this means that whilst the HREOC Notes and Government guidelines show application of WCAG to Australian situations, it is the international accessibility guidelines that are the predominant focus of best practice in this area. This contrasts with the US and a few other countries where local accessibility regulations have been developed. While government in Australia was the initiator in establishing accessibility policy for online activity and eGovernment, many of these policies have remained effectively unchanged since the late 1990s. In recent years other sectors of the economy have come to the fore with respect to online accessibility policy and 'leapfrogged' the government with policies that sometimes leave the government position looking languid. The Commonwealth and State Governments all require accessibility conformance with WCAG, but as most don't specify the level, the lowest level has been adopted. Some States have recently raised the bar for accessibility and require or recommend WCAG Double-A as the goal. Non-government sectors in Australia are also leading the way forward in the area of accessibility. The Australian Bankers Association (ABA) "Disability Action Plan" (DAP) calls for the banks to improve the accessibility of Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs), Electronic Funds Transfer at Point of Sale (EFTPOS), Automated Telephone Banking, and Internet Banking. The Internet Banking standards call for conformance with WCAG 1.0 Double-A as well as incorporating some WCAG 1.0 Priority 3 and some US Section 508 checkpoints. The "Accessible Web Action Plan" from the Internet Industry Association and the Australian Interactive Multimedia Industry Association (IIA/AIMIA, 2002) was developed to provide a best practice model for their members and assist them to eliminate, as far as possible, barriers for people with disabilities in the provision of Internet, or online-based goods, services and facilities. The Legal Information Standards Council has developed a "Usability and Accessibility Checklist" and "Best Practice Guidelines for Legal Web Sites" (Law Reform Foundation, 2001) to assist web site developers create accessible, usable legal web sites. The Australia Education Systems Officials Committee has drafted "Disability Standards for Education" that will apply to all government and privately supplied education in Australia and apply equally to on-site and online education provision (AESOC, 2002). The single most significant influence on the development of accessibility policy in Australia has arguably been the litigation brought against the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (SOCOG). …


The study highlights English code-switching in Punjab Urdu textbooks. The research aims at finding and categorizing Urdu-English code-switches. Another rationale behind the study is to present Urdu equivalents of the switches from an Urdu-English dictionary; for instance, adakar for actor and sayyah for tourist. Textbooks of 5th, 6th, 9th and 10th class are selected for data collection and analysis. A number of instances are observed at morpheme, word, phrase and clause levels. Data is analyzed qualitatively. The data analysis shows switches at all the mentioned levels. The researchers propose a revision of the existing textbooks in the light of the given equivalents and a careful scrutiny of the compilation of future textbooks to preserve the purity of Urdu language.


Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine police officer perceptions about persons with intellectual disabilities. Design/methodology/approach – In this study, 188 officers from three police districts in the Southeast USA were surveyed using a modified Social Distance Questionnaire. Findings – Results indicate that the majority of police officers surveyed had little or no training with regard to disabilities and that most are willing to interact socially with individuals with intellectual disabilities. Further, this study found that female officers had significantly greater positive attitudes toward individuals with intellectual disabilities than male respondents and that white respondents were more knowledgeable about these individuals than those from minority backgrounds. Research limitations/implications – While these results are significant, it should be noted that the number of female and minority participants was relatively low. Practical implications – The paper includes recommendations for...


The Guest is a short story written by Albert Camus.In the short story,Daru,the protagonist,treated an Algerian murderer in a humanitarian way while they are being together for one day and night,which made the "murderer" feel the dignity of being human.They both made their own existential free choices in a dilemmatic situation,and shouldered its consequences.Thus they both became existential heroes,and made the light of human dignity shine in this absurd cosmos.


This study was conducted to determine the growth and mortality parameters of the comber Serranus cabrilla (Linnaeus, 1758) in the central region of the Algerian coast. A total of 1568 specimens were collected from January 2016 to April 2018. Total length (TL) varied between 9.3 and 26.2 cm. The maximum total length recorded in the Mediterranean Sea for the species is 26.2 cm (TL max ). The von Bertalanffy growth parameters were estimated using ELEFAN I routine in FiSAT II program (L ∞ = 32.80 cm; K = 0.41 yr -1 ; t 0 = - 0.39 yr -1 ) and those related to the length-weight relationship are as follows: W ∞ = 372.15 g; a = 0.012 and b = 2.96 (r 2 = 0.93). Total mortality (Z) and natural mortality (M) coefficients stood at 2.63 yr -1 and 0.43 yr -1 , respectively. The calculated exploitation rate, E = 0.84, indicated that S. cabrilla population is overexploited.


Abstract Pedunculated polypoid tumors of the esophagus constitute only about one-third of all benign esophageal tumors and may also be malignant. Most are probably a variant of the fibrovascular polyp, but they may consist entirely of inflammatory tissue and usually arise in the upper esophagus. Such a tumor was seen associated with (and possibly a complication of) an esophagus lined with columnar epithelium.


Objectives Sentinel lymph node biopsy has been introduced for head and neck cancer with promising results. Research in breast cancer has revealed different histopathological features of occult lymph node metastasis with possibly different clinical and prognostic implications. The aim of the study was to evaluate the histopathological features of occult metastasis detected by sentinel lymph node in oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.


"Wen Bi" theory is an important theory category in Chinese mid_ancient literary history. The scholars, research original intention lies in how to expound and promote the literary transmutation trend of Weijin Nanbei Dynasty and the reason of transmutation. In the 20th century, the research on "Wen Bi" theory was mainly carried on in such aspects as the history and reason of Wen Bi, categories, the connotation of "Wen Bi", and the meaning and the aesthetic value of "Wen Bi". The recognition of academic circle on "Wen Bi" theory of Weijin Nanbei Dynasty has been already overall gradually.


Subtitle: Eight years ago IBM decided to replace its multiple, disconnected supply chains around the world with integrated centers of supply chain excellence. One of those centers, for order fulfillment, was established in the unlikely Eastern Europe location of Bratislava, Slovakia. Here's how that operation has flourished for IBM -- and in the process sparked considerable corporate interest in this fast-emerging player in the European Union.


The aims of the study were to assess the usefulness of Epodyl in the management of superficial bladder cancer, to identify factors which might influence the ultimate success or failure of treatment and to analyse the incidence of tumour invasion in the long term


This paper presents an improved package design of an inverter power module specialized for the 48 V starter- generator used in 48 V mild hybrid vehicles. The inverter module, called the mild hybrid starter and generator (MHSG), is integrated with its motor for size/volume reduction. However, the integrated motor-inverter presents supplementary challenges, such as limited cooling capabilities, in addition to the challenges resulting from the elevated voltage of 48 V of the mild hybrid systems. The proposed MHSG power module addresses these challenges. Parallel-connected metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) dies were solder-bonded onto a direct bonded copper (DBC) substrate, and three DBC substrates (providing six legs) were assembled in a custom housing mounted on a forced air cooler. Shunt resistors and surface-mount device components were also soldered onto the DBC substrates. For improved stability and balance, ribbon bonding was used instead of wire bonding, the module components were repositioned, and DBC patterns were adjusted. The aforementioned approaches minimized the parasitic inductance, unbalanced/concentrated current density, and maximum temperature of the 48 V MHSG inverter module. The proposed module was validated through multiphysics finite-element method (FEM) simulations, manufactured prototypes, and experiments, all of which confirmed that the proposed module exhibits the electrical/thermal characteristics required for 48 V integrated MHSG systems.


Monomelic amyotrophy (MMA) is a rare variant of lower motor neuron disease with benign progression. The disease is characterized by muscular weakness and atrophy in the hand and forearm on one side or asymmetrical lesion of both upper limbs with the presence of cold paresis, fasciculations, and fine tremor of the fingers. Sensory disorders, pyramidal symptoms, and involvement of the leg muscles are not typical of it. The final diagnosis of MMA can be made only on the basis of clinical neurological and electrophysiological tests as well as long-term follow-up of the patient. Timely recommendations for correction of the movement pattern and prevention of flexion compression may slow down the disease progression in some cases and, thereby, improve the quality of life of patients. The article describes two clinical cases with a probable diagnosis of MMA.


iii OZ v DEDICATION. vii ACKNOWLEDGMENT viii LIST OF TABLES xiii LIST OF FIGURES xiv INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Research Background 1 1.2 Problem Statement 3 1.3 The Importance of the Thesis 4 1.4 Objectives of Thesis 5 1.5 Methodology of the Research 5 1.6 Limitations of Research 6 1.7 Structure of the Thesis 7 LITERATURE REVIEW 9 2.


Numerical simulations, optimisation problems, statistical analysis and computer graphics are only a few examples from the wide range of real-life applications which rely on solving large systems of linear equations. The best classical methods can approximate the solution of sparse systems in time O( √ Nκ), where N denotes the number of unknowns and κ its condition number. In 2009, A. Harrow, A. Hassidim and S. Lloyd (HHL) proposed a quantum algorithm with a running time of poly(logN,κ) under the assumptions of the availability of efficient methods for loading the data, Hamiltonian simulation and extracting the solution. This thesis presents implementations for the missing oracles and analyzes the overall performance of the algorithm. A complete implementation of the HHL algorithm running in poly(logN,κ) is given for the case of a special class of tri-diagonal symmetric matrices arising from Finite Difference methods for two-point Boundary Value Problems. Full analyses of the mathematical approximations obtained and the circuit depths are also included.


The production and economic evaluation of the fattening turkeys from Nicholas 700 consisted in estimating productive parameters of the corresponding turkeys to individual weight, weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion weekly and determine the profitability of the fattening turkeys according to income and costs production. The initial average weight, at the 4th week of turkey age was 1,003 kg / poult, and after 11 weeks of fattening, at the 15th week of turkey age, reached a final average weight of 12,906 kg, achieving an increase in fattening of 11,903 kg. Balanced average consumption per animal was 29,807 kg with a feed conversion of 2,504. The total cumulative mortality was 9%, and carcass yield of 89% of body weight. The total cost per animal was $ 45.71, gross profit of $ 61.47, considering the sale of turkey and pavaza, giving a net profit of $ 15.76 per animal and high profitability which reached 34.48%, so we recommend spreading raising turkeys as one of the best productive alternatives for both rural and business sector.


Ebselen 〔2 phenyl 1,2 benzisoselenal 3(2H) one〕 is a low molecular seleno organic antioxidant, which is apt to participate various redox reactions. Ebselen can eliminate the reactive oxygen species in the organism, so it can be used as a valuable supplement to the natural antioxidant enzymes to cure many diseases and keep the normal function of organisms. The reaction mechanism of ebselen similar with action of glutathione peroxidase has been accepted for a long time. But, some results have brought us a novel mechanism, that is ebselen exerts antioxidant action more likely through the thioredoxin reductase and thioredoxin system. This review briefly summarizes the pharmacological effects and reaction mechanism of ebselen.


The article considers the current issues of stimulating innovation in the energy sector and rational use of energy resources. A three-level system of problem-oriented management of human resources for stimulating innovation in the energy sector is proposed. The system considers the impact of the human factor on innovative development at the national, regional and enterprise levels. Also, the need to encourage enterprises to hire highly qualified specialists in the sphere of energy saving and energy efficiency is proven. The role of the tax policy in state regulation of the rational use of energy resources and stimulation of innovation in the energy sector is substantiated. The tax incentives for the rational use of energy resources applied in the world practice are grouped. Features of the application of tax incentives (accelerated depreciation, tax credits, tax holidays, and tax reduction) for energy efficiency and energy saving of households and business entities are analyzed. Directions for stimulating innovation in the energy sector for the efficient use of energy resources are offered.


Abstract The antijuvenile hormones Precocene-I, Precocene-II and other bioactive 2, 2-dimethyl-2H-chromenes have been synthesised by intramolecular oxidative cyclisation of 2-isoprenyl phenols catalysed by a palla-dium(II) salt.


We measured transient photoinduced birefringence (delta n) in various azobenzene dye films by pumping with a nanosecond pulse at 532 nm and probing at 633 nm. The switch-on times for the photoinduced birefringence range from nanoseconds to milliseconds and are systematically related with the lowest optical transition energies for those films. Moreover, our results suggest that the transient photoinduced birefringence measurement is a convenient way to determine the relative energies of pi-pi(*) and n-pi(*) states in azo-based materials.


Phase I of this study entailed a verification of the relationship between oxygen consumption and both concentric and eccentric workrate on the bicycle ergometer constructed for the whole body human calorimeter. This series of exercise experiments, carried out without calorimetry, included a range of pedaling speeds and brakeforces, but also "idling", i.e. pedaling only against the frictional resistance of the ergometer transmission and passively "being pedaled" by the electric motor of the eccentric exercise ergometer. It also included experimentation with the brake on the flywheel, by substituting the von Doblen brake on the monarch ergometer by a known weight suspended from the brake belt. Only one subject was employed for the total of 36 experiments. -- Phase II was carried out on six subjects, who performed a total of 79 experiments with concentric and eccentric exercise at a range of pedaling speeds and brakeforces in the calorimeter. All experiments were carried at a calorimeter temperature of 32.36 + 0.06°C and a dew point temperature of less than 6°C. Each experiment lasted about 50 minutes, or until the various monitored variables, sensible and insensible heat exchange, heart rate and body core temperature (tympanic or esophageal) showed a steady state as judged by visual inspection. Immediately prior to this state metabolic heat production was determined in duplicate from the measurement of oxygen consumption and respiratory quotient. Near the end of the experiment the subject reported his perceived exertion on the Borg scale. -- Phase I, which was intended to familiarise the author with the various methods, did not reveal anything that was not yet known from the current literature. The net mechanical efficiency of exercising on the calorimeter ergometer was 18.6% for concentric work and -100.4% for eccentric work. There was little to be gained by modifying the braking mechanism. -- In Phase II the energy balance was analysed by adding algebraically all heat gains and heat losses during the apparent caloric and thermal steady state. Surprisingly, there was usually a small positive heat storage which was most closely related to the concentric or eccentric workrate applied, and to ta lesser extent to the metabolic heat production. -- Conclusions -- 1. With direct calorimetry one can detect rates of heat storage which cannot be detected by thermometry at the conventional body sites. After 50 minutes of continuous exercise, either concentric or eccentric, there was a small amount of heat storage, which was associated with the workrate (0.5 W storage per applied workrate in watts), but not with metabolic heat production. The average heat storage was small at 33 watts for all experiments. A heat storage rate of 33 watts converts, in a 70 kg subject, to a rise in average body temperature of 0.008°C/min. This may well go undetected by observing the eardrum and mean skin temperature, if the storage takes place in peripheral body regions such as the exercising muscle. -- 2. It is not possible to quantitate internal work thermodynamically as the energy required to overcome these forces must ultimately be derived form aerobic metabolism and thus would show up as heat.


The use of information technology in traffic management can increase the capacity of traffic intersections and reduce vehicle delays. In cities, adaptive traffic control at traffic lights intersections has been well established. Adaptive regulation is applied mainly on isolated traffic lights, where the traffic flow has a predominantly exponential distribution of intervals. It was established experimentally that the effectiveness of the method decreases with a supersaturated traffic flow, which makes it difficult to find a "cutoff point", a convenient moment for switching the traffic light signal. The article shows that at isolated multi-band intersections, the search for a convenient signal switching time is difficult at low loading levels. At uninsulated intersections, the incoming flow will have clear periods of time without vehicles, which makes the operation of adaptive traffic control in these conditions at a multi-lane crossing more efficient. This suggests the need for further study of the patterns of distribution of intervals between cars in urban environments at the approaches to non-isolated intersections and at the approach to intersections operating without coordination with other traffic lights.


Objective To identify the impact of remifentanil TCI concentration on the BIS values in the periods of the pre- incision and post- incision. Methods One hundred female patients underwent open gynecologic surgeries were included in the study. The patients were randomly divided into 5 groups( 20 cases each group),according to the delivered TCI concentration of remifentanil. The Propofol was infused constantly at the TCI concentration of 3. 5 μg / mL following induction of anesthesia. The airway was secured with laryngeal mask and lungs were ventilated mechanically. The remifentanil was infused constantly at the levels of 2. 0,4. 0,6. 0,8. 0 and 10. 0 ng / mL according to predefined regimens in the five groups. The baseline values of HR,MAP and BIS were recorded and the values of variables obtained at the pre- insicion and post- insicion periods were compared using ANOVA. P value 0. 05 was considered as statistical significance.Results The BIS values were significantly increased after incision in the groups of 2. 0,4. 0,6. 0 ng /mL TCI concentration of remifentanil compared with the BIS values obtained at pre- insicion period. The changes of HR and MAP were shown to be similar as the changes of BIS values. Conclusion The TCI concentration of remifentanil played an important rule in the changes of BIS values in the pre- and post- insicion periods when TCI concentration of propofol was kept constantly at 3. 5μg/mL level. However,the optimal TCI concentration of propofol and remifentanil to keep the BIS values between 40-60remains to be further investigated.


The American Cancer Society (ACS) Plan for Youth Education for the Year 2000 is discussed in consideration of other health initiatives such as the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services' Objectives for the Nation and the National Cancer Institutes' Cancer Control Objectives for the Year 2000. Objectives of the ACS Plan are detailed with corresponding data sources to monitor progress. The Plan is designed to serve as a framework for ACS program planning, implementation, and evaluation in substance use, nutrition and eating patterns, cancer-early detection, cancer-the disease, and the environment. Justification for selecting the priority program areas also is described.


The issue of how to distinguish bilingual syntactic representations from processing preferences or strategies is addressed by postulating the concept of permeable bilingual alignments as memory storage devices that include information from different language components. Supporting evidence from phenomena such as the emergence of innovative mappings across different components (phonology, morphology, syntax, the lexicon, and information structure), bidirectional transfer, and frequency effects is presented, and some possible consequences of adopting this proposal are discussed.


The invention relates to methods and systems for debugging software running in a plurality of microprocessor cores, especially in microprocessors, embedded in a system on a chip. More specifically, the invention provides methods and systems for generating compact functional sequence protocol data relates to a microprocessor. According to one aspect of the invention, a system for generating compact functional sequence protocol data for spreadsheet functions, a central processing unit (CPU), which may output to generate a program sequence protocol required program schedule data, and a trace logging unit that is coupled to the CPU and receive program schedule information from the CPU can to generate compact function trace log data. Trace logging unit further includes a first output mode and a second output mode, and can further, either the first output mode or the second output mode for generating compact functional sequence protocol data filter.


In this article We sum up the essential contents of Shapin's idea of the historiography of science.Shapin's historiographic contents are mainly include the scientific controversy and the factors in the practice of making knowledge;His historiographic methods are mainly include the prosopography and a loose sense of historicism.


This study presents a zinc oxide (ZnO) film deposited on a glass substrate by ultrasonic spraying pyrolysis. The ZnO nanostructure was formed by treating the as-deposited ZnO films with hydrogen. The root-mean-square (RMS) roughness increases from 5.83 nm to 12.53 nm during the treatment for 20 min, but slightly decreases to 11.87 nm at a treatment time of 30 min. In the range 400-500 nm, the transparency of all the films with hydrogen treatment is slightly lower than that of the untreated films. The slight drop in the transparency of the films with hydrogen treatment is caused by scattering from pin-holes or nanostructures on the surface.


The Shikoku Basin which locates the north part of Philippine Sea Plate between the Kyushu-Palau ridge and Izu-Bonin (Oga-sawara) ridge is an important area to understand the evolution of the backarc basin. The Shikoku Basin was in backarc rifting and spreading stage during 30-15Ma (Okino et al., 1994). Many seismic reflection surveys have been conducted in the Shikoku Basin. There were rarely reflectors of Moho discontinuity and internal crust. However, we recognized clear Moho reflector which obtained by newest seismic reflection survey in 2011. We discuss about the spatial characteristics of Moho and crustal reflectors using the mapping results of attribute analysis for through legacy data in Shikoku Basin. We compiled 27 seismic profiles across the Kyushu-Palau Ridge (KPR), a remnant intra-oceanic island arc extending north-south at the center of the Philippine Sea plate. The seismic profiles consist of multi-channel reflection and refraction exploration and were carried out in 2004-2008 under the Japanese Continental Shelf Survey Project. The maximum crustal thicknesses of the KPR vary from 8 to 23 km among the seismic lines and are roughly thicker in the north of the ridge than in the south. The thick crust is mainly attributed to the lower crust with P-wave velocity of 6.8-7.2 km/s. Pn velocities just beneath the KPR are less than 8 km/s, often accompanying with rather high Vp of 7.2 km/s at the base of the crust. Reflection signals observed in far offsets along several lines suggest some reflectors exist at the depths 23-40 km beneath the KPR. The crustal structure of the eastern transition from the KPR to backarc basins of the Shikoku Basin and Parece Vela Basin is characterized by a thinner curst and slightly higher Pn velocity, which may relate to the rifting, breakup and early separation of the proto-island arc. The subducting thin crust of the transition was imaged beneath the Hyuganada, east of Kyushu, where corresponds to the western end of the expected large earthquake model in the Nankai Trough. On the other hand, the crustal models of the western side of the KPR show large variety in the seismic lines. This is because that the tectonic setting of the western side is different from north to south, such as the Daito Ridges as paleo-island arcs and intra-arc basins in the north, the West Philippine Basin as a backarc basin and the CBF Rise as the spreading center of the West Philippine Basin in the south. JAMSTEC has carried out seismic surveys in the Izu-Ogasawara-Mariana region to clarify process for arc crustal growth to continent. We have already reported as follows. Much basaltic magmas are needed to make develop arc crust to current one and mafic arc materials are transformed into the mantle (Takahashi et al., 2007; 2008, Tasumi et al., 2008). There is crustal rifting and spreading between current volcanic front and the rear arc (Kodaira et al., 2009). Beneath the forearc region, there is thick arc crust with thickness of about 25 km and relative thin crust with that of about 10-15 km (Takahashi et al., 2011). Although arctic crusts were identified from magnetic anomalies map (Yamazaki and Yuasa, 1998), the real crustal structure with magnetic anomalies is not still shown yet. We carried out a seismic survey using R/V 'Kairei' of JAMSTEC to understand process of arc crusts beneath the forearc region. The seismic line runs from the Shinkurose to the Ogasawara Trough through the Sumisu spur, the Daini Higashi Torishima knoll, and the Omachi seamount. Obtained profiling of the crustal structure along the forearc shows a variation of crustal thickness. The thick curst distributes around 32.5 degree N, the Sumisu spur, the Daini Higashi Torishima knoll, and the Omachi seamount. There is thin crust beneath the Shinkurose. The Omachi seamount has very thick lower crust the inside. The distribution pattern of the thick crusts is consistent with that of magnetic anomalies (Yamazaki and Yuasa, 1998). In the thick arc crusts with Vp of 6 km/s except the Omachi seamount, the velocity contours of 6 km./s and 7 km/s indicate convex and concave shape, respectively. It is known that the arc crusts on the volcanic front has thick layer with Vp of less than 6 km/s (Kodaira et al., 2007). This suggests that the arc crusts beneath the forearc region have much mafic materials rather than that along the volcanic front, and the result is consistent with past drilling studies (e.g., Taylor, 1992). Around the Shinkurose, thin and shallow crust is identified by this study and has high magnetic anomalies. This suggests that the crust beneath the Shinkurose is not in isostasy and that the entire of the thin crust is uplifted. It is possible that the signature of the Shinkurose is brought by the collision of the Izu-Ogasawara arc to the Honshu arc. The Izu-Bonin arc has been regarded as a typical intra-oceanic arc, where the oceanic Pacific plate is subducting beneath the Philippine Sea plate. The current Philippine Sea plate is a complex of active and inactive arcs and back-arc basins. It is dominated by oceanic crust domains forming three large back-arc basins; Shikoku, Parece Vela, and West Philippine Basins, making the present Philippine Sea plate look like an 'oceanic' plate. However, all of these back-arc basins were formed after the inception of subduction at Izu-Bonin arc, which began at ˜52 Ma. Little is known about the proto-Philippine Sea plate, which existed as a counterpart to the Pacific plate during subduction initiation and before the formation of back-arc basins. To understand the detailed geology of the proto-Philippine Sea plate, we have conducted manned-submersible SHINKAI6500 and Deep-Tow camera surveys during the R/V Yokosuka cruise (YK10-04) at the Amami Plateau, Daito Ridge, and Okidaito Ridge (ADO) region in April, 2010. The ADO region comprises the current northwestern Philippine Sea plate and considered to represent the remnants of the proto-Philippine Sea plate. The submersible observations and rock sampling conducted during the YK10-04 cruise revealed that ADO region, especially the Amami Plateau and the Daito Ridge, dominantly expose deep crustal section of gabbroic, granitic, and metamorphic rocks, indicating that a part of the proto-Philippine Sea plate is composed of older, non-oceanic, possibly continental, crust. Jurassic to Cretaceous zircon U/Pb a few millimeters were observed on Nagahama Bay. It is insufficient to explain the observed thickness of the tuff beds. Therefore, the thick tuff beds were driven by rainfall from unformed tuff-rich sediment around rhyolite Iwo-Dake. SM bed could correspond to typhoon events in 2004 to 2005. The strong typhoons drove sediment with Al-bearing mineral to Nagahama Bay and form as sandy mud bed. Since breakwater construction in 2006 at entrance of Nagahama Bay, influence of typhoon to the inside of the bay decreased, resulting no accumulation of sandy mud bed by 2007 typhoon event. 1) Rainfall over 100mm/day supply ash material to the seafloor of Nagahama from Iwo-Dake. 2) Strong typhoon mixed sediments near the seafloor of Nagahama Bay and various minerals such as Al and Si-bearing material (quartz, cristobalite, tridymite and albite) resediment together on this Bay. The formation of back-arc basins is one of the distinctive characteristics of subduction zones. We performed a numerical study to understand the dynamical mechanisms of slab rollback and the resulting back-arc basin formation by using two-dimensional dynamic numerical models of an integrated plate-mantle convection system. Retrograde slab migration is generated when the slab stagnates in the transition zone or when the deep section of the slab is vertical. In both cases, slab rollback is generated because the deep slab section obstructs the descending motion of the shallow slab section with an inclination. Buoyancy of the 660-km phase boundary acts as the obstructing force in the case of stagnant slab formation, and an anchoring force against the horizontal motion works similarly in the case of vertical slabs. To balance the horizontal component of the obstructing force, a suction force at the plate boundary pulls the overriding plate toward the ocean. Back-arc spreading is produced by means of slab rollback when the overriding plate with a weak back-arc area is fixed to the model boundary. The back-arc deformation becomes compressional when the overriding plate is freely movable despite trench retreat, because the wedge mantle flow viscously drags the overriding plate toward the trench. This implies that forces tending to actuate the overriding plate away from the trench are necessary to generate back-arc extension even when trench retreat is generated by slab rollback. In the back-arc basin, some factors such as the proximity to the convergence boundary, dehydration from the slab and the corner flow within the mantle wedge, which do not appear at the mid ocean ridges, have been considered to affect the seafloor spreading process. The Lau back-arc Basin is an active back-arc basin, which has been formed in association with the subduction of the Pacific plate at the Tonga Trench. There are 3 distinct spreading systems in the Lau back-arc Basin; Central Lau Spreading Center (CLSC), Eastern Lau Spreading Center (ELSC), Valu Fa Ridge (VFR). Clear transitions in spreading rate and topography have been observed along the spreading center in the 3 spreading systems. In the standard theory on the correlation observerd at the mid ocean ridge, the fast spreading ridge shows topography dominated by the axial high, not by the rift valley (Forsyth, 1992). In the case of the Lau back-arc Basin, however, the southern segment with slower spreading rate shows topography dominated by the axial high, not by the rift valley (Martinez et al., 2006). Thus the Lau back-arc Basin shows an opposite correlation in the relationship between spreading rate and topography to the mid ocean ridge. The distance from the spreading center


We calculate exact zero-temperature real space properties of a substitutional magnetic impurity coupled to the edge of a zigzag silicene-like nanoribbon. Using a Lanczos transformation [Phys. Rev. B 91, 085101 (2015)] and the density matrix renormalization group method, we obtain a realistic description of stanene and germanene that includes the bulk and the edges as boundary one-dimensional helical metallic states. Our results for substitutional impurities indicate that the development of a Kondo state and the structure of the spin correlations between the impurity and the electron spins in the metallic edge state depend considerably on the location of the impurity. More specifically, our real space resolution allows us to conclude that there is a sharp distinction between the impurity being located at a crest or a trough site at the zigzag edge. We also observe, as expected, that the spin correlations are anisotropic due to an emerging Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction with the conduction electrons, and that the edges scatter from the impurity and "snake" or circle around it. Our estimates for the Kondo temperature indicate that there is a very weak enhancement due to the presence of spin-orbit coupling.


Abstract : A FORTRAN 4 program which implements the solution of a pair of differential equations is presented and described. The method assumes the solution has a Taylor Series expansion and uses the Euclidean algorithm for solving a sequence of derived polynomial equations to produce the series. (Author)


Fucoidan was extracted from the brown seaweed by ultrasonic wave assisted extraction. The weight percent of "sulfate and polysaccharide" reached 22.49% and 36.97%, respectively.


Customs agencies operate under the protection of a customs agent patent as a natural person, and there is a reform to the Federal Customs Law published in the Official Gazette of the Federation on June 25, 2018, establishing the Customs Agency model so that they can operate under the concept of "Customs Agency Patent", conceptualized as a legal person. The objective of the new modifications of the Federal Customs Law in article 167-D establishes the promotion of customs clearance of merchandise for third parties in different customs regimes. Maintaining the continuity of the operations of the Customs Agencies against the risk of extinction due to the lack of the person who holds the Customs Patent, regardless of the reason or cause, through internal strategies of Corporate Governance practice models for compliance with regulations applicable according to the challenges of competitiveness in Foreign Trade and Customs. This article presents a methodological intervention proposal as part of a Master thesis in Administration project at the Tecnologico Nacional de Mexico campus Tijuana.


Objective:This study was designed to delineate the utility and results of intraoperative transesophageal echoeardiography(TEE)in the evaluation of patients undergoing left ventricular outflow tract(LVOT)obstruction surgery.Method:31 cases of LVOT obstruction surgery were studied retrospectively.Patients were divided into TEE group(G TEE)and group without using TEE(Gn).Postoperative left ventricular outflow tract pressure gradient,complications and outcome parameters were investigated and compared between two groups.Result:There were no differences between groups in cardiopulmonary bypass times and aorta occlusion times.LVOT pressure gradient of G TEE[(26±10)mmHg] was significantly lower than that of Gn group[(59±28)mmHg,P0.01].Complication and outcome parameters in G TEE were showed better than that in Gn group as well.Conclusion:Intraoperative TEE has positive impact on the management of anesthesia and surgery for LVOT obstruction patients.


The predominance of the word "hypocrite" in chap.23 has influenced the evaluation of its significance for Matthew. Since Matthew 23 is widely considered to be a polemical chapter, "hypocrite" is widely considered to be a polemical vilification of opponents of Matthew's church historicized in the opponents of Jesus, they are and were pious frauds. As the reference to hypocrisy is so prominent in chap.23, how one interprets the meaning of hypocrisy will affect the interpretation of woes. It would seem curious, if "scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites" had been joined together by Matthew, that he would have omitted in v.16 his own formulation of address when he took this unit and transformed it into one of the woes. This chapter investigates the meaning of the charge "hypocrites" in chap.23. It determines the applicability of this charge as a characterization of scribes and Pharisees, and determines its significance for Matthew's own community.Keywords: hypocrisy; Jesus; Matthew 23; pious frauds


Since the inception of fuzzy sets given by Zadeh, uncertainty arises due to partial information or imprecise information has been measured. The generalized version of fuzzy sets has been introduced by Atanassov, known as intuitionistic fuzzy sets (IFSs), which have wide applications in decision making processes and consider both membership and non-membership functions. A generalized fuzzy based decision making method with aggregation operator has been discussed with application in medical diagnosis. In this paper, IF based method have been discussed for the application of the diagnosis of the type of child cancer.


The leaching process of Fe, V and Ti from vanadium-bearing titanomagnetite pre-reduced by HCl was investigated, concerning the effect of variation factors on the leaching rate, and the phase-analysis of the leaching residue herein. The results showed under the optimal conditions, with initial concentration of HCl of 20%(ω), mass ratio of liquid to solid of 4:1, leaching temperature of 110 ℃ and leaching time of 4 h, the leaching rate of Fe, V and Ti were 91.8%, 95.0%, and 0.3%, respectively. In the leaching process, Ti was firstly dissolved and subsequent hydrolysis-precipitation. The HCl leaching solution can be used for recovering iron and vanadium extraction in the subsequent process. The decomposition rate of Ti O2 of HCl leaching residue by H2SO4 was reached up to 98.2%, deduced the HCl leaching residue can be used as raw materials for production of titanium white by sulfuric acid process.


In 1992/93 the Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD) introduced SWIS (Strasenzustands- und Wetterinformationssystem) as a nationwide road weather information system. In order to forecast road conditions and road-surface temperature over a time period of 27 hours, an energy balance model is used. The course of the energy fluxes is estimated by the meteorological parameters. It is thus very important that the forecaster provides an excellent synoptic input for the energy balance model. The energy balance model is able to account for five different road site characteristics; i.e. unobstructed road sections with regular and little traffic, respectively, shaded road sections, bridges and road sections within urban influences. To evaluate the model's quality, the technique of hindcasting was employed by running the model for a day in the past (running time 0900 UTC of a given day to 1200 UTC the following day), using measured values of a specific road weather monitoring station complemented by observations from a nearby synoptic station. Preliminary results show that from 1500 UTC to 1800 UTC the mean errors are 1 to 2 K, during the remaining forecast time the mean errors are often less than 1 K; results are even better during clear sky conditions.


Abstract The association constants, Ka of KI, Nal and CaCl2 complexing with 1,4,7,10,13-pentaoxacyclopentadecane and 1,4,7,10,13,16-hexaoxacycloocta-decane in DHO were determined by the aid of 13C dipole-dipole relaxation time measurements. The mole fraction of the complexed ligand, PC were obtained by the use of the equation of 1/Tobs 1 - 1/T10 = PC (1/TO 1 - 1/T10) where the T10 and To 1 are the relaxation times of free and complexed macrocyclic ethers respectively. Ka values obtained from the above given equation depending on the cation concentration, [A+ O] typically reflected the relation between the cationic radius and cyclic ether ring size.


Social and Economic Inequalities in diet and physical activity - produced by K Roberts, N Cavill, C Hancock and H Rutter. This briefing paper describes social and economic inequalities associated with two of the key determinants of obesity - diet and physical activity and provides possible explanations for these inequalities.


The development of a double-stage Hall thruster to improve thruster efficiency at low specific impulses, while maintaining high efficiencies at large specific impulses is proposed. The additional electrode configuration and composition for the double-stage Hall thruster will be investigated using computer analysis codes and proof of concepts. As well, the modified magnetic field topography necessary for a double-stage Hall thruster will be investigated and optimized using computer analysis codes. Modification of the 1-kW class closed-drift Hall thruster developed at the PEPL, the PEPL-70, will be based on the initial design criteria developed from the computational analysis and bench top experiments of the double-stage Hall thruster. Two possible electrode materials, which have good electron emittance, will be investigated for the use as a middle electrode; these materials are impregnated porous tungsten (4:1:1 molar ratio of BaO, CaO, and Al2O3) and lanthanum hexaboride (LaB6). The proposed research begins in July 1999 and concludes in July 2002. Objectives The purpose of this proposed project is to develop a Hall thruster, or a modification to an exiting thruster, that is capable of achieving greater efficiencies at lower specific impulse (1000-1300 seconds) than conventional closed-drift Hall thruster while maintaining high efficiencies at large specific impulses (>1300 seconds). A Hall thruster that consists of one region where ionization and ion acceleration takes place is known as a single-stage device. This single-stage Hall thruster requires an electron back flow to establish ion acceleration and ionization of the neutral propellant gas. The generations of ions in the same region as the acceleration of the ions leads to one of the major efficiency loss mechanisms for a Hall thruster operating at low specific impulse. The efficiency loss at specific impulses ranging from 1000-1500 seconds is due to the fact that the majority of the thruster's discharge voltage is devoted to ionization and not acceleration. The goal of this proposed research is to investigate the idea of de-coupling the ionization and acceleration regions of a Hall thruster. This two-region concept is known as a double-stage Hall thruster and has been investigated by Russian and Japanese researchers. The idea behind a double-stage configuration is to provide an additional electrode between the anode and the cathode/neutralizer of a typical Hall thruster. The ionization stage can be designed to operate at a fixed power for a given propellant flow rate, thus ensuring a predictable ionization fraction of the propellant. The acceleration stage, being de-coupled from the ionization process, can be designed to maximize the acceleration of the ions entering this region. The optimization of the acceleration stage can evolve magnetic field and channel length adjustments. To gauge improvements of the double-stage Hall thruster over a conventional single-stage closed-drift Hall thruster, the total efficiency of the double-stage thruster (ηt) will be developed and investigated. The total efficiency of the double-stage Hall will scale like the following expression, equation (1).


A countermeasure against sediment depletion in rivers is sand replenishment. The cost-efficient sizing of its capacity is critical for sustainable environmental management. However, only temporally discrete replenishment is possible, and sediment transport is intermittent and uncertain. In this paper, we approach this new design problem using a robust ergodic control. First, a stochastic differential equation driven by a (tempered) stable subordinator describes the sediment storage dynamics. Sand replenishment is considered an impulse control, wherein observation/replenishment chances arrive at Poisson jump times. The subordinator is ambiguous since the decision-maker does not precisely know its Lévy measure. Using a dynamic risk measure that balances replenishment cost, disutility triggered by sediment depletion, and penalization of ambiguity, we derived the Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman–Isaacs (HJBI) equation to determine the optimal storage capacity. We obtained that the HJBI equation has an analytical solution when a stable subordinator is used. Furthermore, we prove it admits a unique continuous viscosity solution and that it is optimal and applied the proposed model to real data.


This study explored the relationship between classroom teachers' self-reported tolerance levels for maladaptive behavior in their classrooms and experienced supervisors' evaluations of the teachers' effectiveness. Teachers were assessed on the Teacher Effectiveness Evaluation Form (TEEF), covering research-based practices for effective instruction for low-achieving students. Self-report instruments measured teachers' tolerance for maladaptive behavior and their propensity to resist placement of handicapped students in their classes. Those teachers with the most effective teaching strategies for low-achieving students tended to report (a) that they tolerate less maladaptive behavior in their classrooms and (b) that they may actively resist placement of handicapped students in their rooms.


This report concerns experimental work undertaken at ISVR under the EPSRC-funded 'Mapping the Underworld' programme, phase 2, EP/F065973/1. In the experimental work reported here, using a scanning laser is compared with using geophones for the measurement of ground vibration at low frequencies (typically The performance of the sensors was compared on a number of different ground surfaces. For all the surfaces, there was general agreement between the laser data and the geophone data; the laser performed better on some surfaces than others, but the laser data was consistently of poorer quality than the geophone data. Surface velocity was found to be the key factor in determining data quality, rather than the surface texture itself; for most of the tests, the surface velocities were close to the laser system noise floor. A number of ways to improve data quality were investigated including altering the surface texture, either by removal of surface dust/grit or by applying retroreflective tape, high pass filtering, signal averaging, both spatially and in the time/frequency domain, and using different types of input signal. Finally, effects of the laser stand-off distance were assessed.


Sanctions are becoming increasingly central to shaping strategic outcomes in the XXI century. In this light, it is getting more important for analysts in international relations around the world to research one of the most salient issues of the current world politics – the nuclear program of North Korea in the context of UN sanctions policy. The article is tackling UN sanctions policy as an instrument to Korean nuclear crisis resolution. The investigation tries to respond, whether United Nations sanctions strategy is capable to force North Korea to reject its nuclear weapon. Assessing key factors the efficacy of UN sanctions against North Korea impact on, author concludes that United Nations sanctions policy will not stop North Korean state from developing nuclear weapon, but can postpone this process


The experiment consisted of three accessions of aloe viz ., yellow flowering accession-1, yellow flowering accession-2 and orange flowering accession-3 and three temperatures viz ., 50 0 C, 75 0 C and 100 0 C temperatures. The quality components like total soluble solids, moisture, reducing sugars and total sugars of aloe gel was studied in three accessions heated at different temperatures. At all storage intervals (day 1, 10th day, 20th day and 30th day) highest gel TSS was recorded with yellow flowering accession-1 heated at 75 0 C, but the highest gel moisture, reducing sugars and total sugars was recorded with yellow flowering accession-1 heated at 50 0 C. Irrespective of the temperatures highest TSS, moisture, reducing sugars and total sugars was recorded with yellow flowering accession- 1 while the lowest was recorded with orange flowering accession-3.


The recent increase in the breath of computational methodologies has been matched with a corresponding increase in the difficulty of comparing the relative explanatory power of models from different methodological lineages. In order to help address this problem a universal information criterion (UIC) is developed that is analogous to the Akaike information criterion (AIC) in its theoretical derivation and yet can be applied to any model able to generate simulated or predicted data, regardless of its methodology. Both the AIC and proposed UIC rely on the Kullback-Leibler (KL) distance between model predictions and real data as a measure of prediction accuracy. Instead of using the maximum likelihood approach like the AIC, the proposed UIC relies instead on the literal interpretation of the KL distance as the inefficiency of compressing real data using modelled probabilities, and therefore uses the output of a universal compression algorithm to obtain an estimate of the KL distance. Several Monte Carlo tests are carried out in order to (a) confirm the performance of the algorithm and (b) evaluate the ability of the UIC to identify the true data-generating process from a set of alternative models.


To access Nepal Journal of Neuroscience Archives, scan QR code: Abstract Giant intracerebral hydatid cysts are an extremely rare condition caused by the infestation of larvae of Taenia echinococcus (TE). Humans are infected through the feco-oral route by the ingestion of food and milk, contaminated by dog feces containing the ova of parasite or direct contact with dogs. We report a case of a seventeen-year-old boy with giant right temporo-parieto-occipital hydatid cysts (HC). Giant intracerebral hydatid cysts being rare and can at times lead to death, so surgical excision with pre-operative consideration and intraoperative rupture prevention is the best management for a better prognosis.


1. The nutritive value of solubilized wool protein prepared by dissolving finely ground wool in sodium sulphide-sodium sulphite solution followed by precipitation with 40 % acetic acid has been tested by incorporating it into protein-free diets containing the amounts of vitamins and minerals required by weanling rats. 2. At the level of 10 % (w/w) of the diet, solubilized wool protein failed to support growth in weanling rats, but when the diet was fortified with histidine, methionine and lysine a protein efficiency ratio of up to 1.8 was obtained. The effect of the addition of lysine was marginal. Similar results were obtained with solubilized wool protein prepared from dyed wool suiting material. 3. Apart from the methionine content, which varied from 0.49 to 0.66 g/100 g protein, the contents of the essential amino acids in the solubilized wool protein generally met the requirement of the FA0 (1957) provisional pattern, although in many of the preparations the levels of isoleucine and lysine were marginal. The tryptophan content was not determined. Supplementation of the solubilized wool protein with lysine to the level of 6–10 g/100 g protein slightly enhanced the nutritive value.


There is presented a system of registering electric parameters of high-current pulsed electron accelerator "Gamma-1" its output electric power being 1.5 TW. The accelerator system of registration makes it possible to register in a single time scale the voltage pulses with the amplitude up to 3 MV, current pulses with the amplitude up to 1 MA and duration from several nanoseconds to a microsecond. Into the system of registration there are included two-step resistive voltage dividers, capacitive voltage divider, Rogowski coils, sectionalized Rogowski coils, B-dots, shunts, transmission line, attenuators, oscilloscopes, program system. The program system is aimed at reading, transmitting and processing information from oscilloscopes on the archival computer and provides interaction with database of current and voltage sensors, cables and filters. For each registration session the system also forms a map of experiment where system configuration and experiment parameters are presented.


BACKGROUND Excess neurological stress by hemorrhagic stoke induces cardiomyopathy, namely takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Here, the authors report a case of takotsubo myopathy following mechanical thrombectomy for acute large vessel occlusion. OBSERVATIONS A 73-year-old man was emergently brought to the authors' hospital because of left hemiparesis and consciousness disturbance. An ischemic lesion of the right cerebral hemisphere and the right internal carotid artery occlusion was revealed. Emergently, endovascular treatment was performed, and occlusion of the artery was reanalyzed. However, he suffered from hypotension with electrocardiogram abnormality. Subsequently, coronary angiography was performed, but the arteries were patent. The authors made a diagnosis of takotsubo cardiomyopathy. LESSONS Endovascular recanalization for large cerebral artery occlusion is so effective that it is becoming widely used. Even in the successful recanalization, we need to care for the takotsubo cardiomyopathy.


The waste water sample is pumped at the flow rate of 4 cm^3 min^-1 to the mixing joint, where a reaction solution (5×10-^3 M bismuth nitrate-containing sodium acetate buffer at pH 5.0) is mixed at the rate of 1 cm^3 min^-1. Then the mixture containing hydrogen cyanide is fed into a gas-liquid separator. The hydrogen cyanide permeates through a Teflon membrane (0.80 μm pore size, 0.08 mm thick) into an absorption solution (0.02% sodium hydroxide) flowing at 24 cm^3 h^-1. The cyanide ion produced is measured with the cyanide selective electrode. The response time is about 1.3 min at a concentration of 1 ×10-^4 M cyanide. The Nernst equation is valid with a relative standard deviation of less than 2.8% in the range between 1 ×10-^3 and 1 ×10-^6 M. The lower detection limit is 1 ×10-^7 M (2.6 CN^- ppb). This method can detect free cyanide ion and indirectly metal cyano complexes whose stability constants are below 10^17.


In the course of some investigations on the effect of carbon‐carbon and carbon‐hydrogen bond polarizabilities on the optical properties of hydrocarbon polymers, a theoretical calculation of the polypropylene chain principal polarizabilities was performed. The polypropylene chain model given by Natta was used. Results were expressed in terms of carbon‐carbon and carbon‐hydrogen bond polarizabilities. Two sets of values of bond polarizabilities, one given by Denbigh, the other by Bunn and Daubeny, were substituted into the polarizability equation. Values of chain principal polarizabilities were then used to calculate the refractive index and birefringence using the Lorentz‐Lorenz equation. Better agreement was found between experimental and theoretical birefringence values using Denbigh's data. Three explanations are suggested which might account for the differences between the two sets of bond polarizabilities.


This paper addresses the orientation-singularity and orientationability analyses of a special class of the Stewart–Gough parallel manipulators whose moving and base platforms are two similar semi-symmetrical hexagons. Employing a unit quaternion to represent the orientation of the moving platform, an analytical expression representing the singularity locus of this class of parallel manipulators in a six-dimensional Cartesian space is obtained. It shows that for a given orientation, the position-singularity locus is a cubic polynomial expression in the moving platform position parameters, and for a given position, the orientation-singularity locus is an analytical expression but not a polynomial directly with respect to the mobile platform orientation parameters. Further inspection shows that for the special class of parallel manipulators, there must exist a nonsingular orientation void in the orientation space around the orientation origin for each position in the position-workspace. Therefore, a new performance index referred to as orientationability is introduced to describe the orientation capability of the special class of manipulators at a given position. A discretization algorithm is proposed for the computation of the orientationability of the special class of manipulators. Moreover, effects of the design parameters and position parameters on the orientationability are investigated in details. Based on the orientationability performance index, another novel performance index referred to as practical orientationability is presented which represents the practical orientation capability of the manipulator at a given position. The practical orientationability not only can satisfy all the kinematic demands and constraints of such class of manipulators, but also can guarantee that the manipulator is nonsingular.


About 15 years ago, I heard several speakers saying that our crop yields were "leveling off." This stimulated me to assemble data on the subject. The result is shown in Table 1, which gives the U.S. average yields for 10-yr periods during this century for nine crops. The increases are spectacular, varying from two- to sevenfold. Factors contributing to these increases differ from crop to crop. To obtain information on this subject, several experts on each crop were consulted, and their conclusions are summarized in the following text. Only those factors contributing to increased yields are covered. However, great improvements in efficiency of production, product quality, and reduction in soil erosion also have occurred as cultivars and production practices have changed. For most of the crops, increases in yields started in the 1940s and have increased dramatically during the rest of the century. We have not attempted to predict the future at this time, but the rate at which yields are increasing does not appear to be slowing.


Prior to the establishment of the discipline of history science,studying the history of science had already become a vogue in Europe which led to the publication of numerous books on history of science.As one of the centres for the history of science,the United Kingdom has a long tradition as well as an excellent academic ability of studying the history of science.This paper intends to overview the academic institutions,societies,journals,funding organizations and studies on British history of science,aiming to provide a foundation for further studies.


Understanding the importance of peace has been accorded high priority in many religions, such as Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism. In recent years, many economists have realized the monetary value of peace. Peace is a pre-requisite for the development of infrastructural facilities like education, health, roads, irrigation, power and communications. Development activities are all shattered during periods of conflict. In Nepal, too, the decade-long conflict between 1996 and 2006 brought about colossal loss to life and property. Inequality of income and opportunities, together with poverty is the root cause of conflicts. In order to maintain permanent peace, it is essential to divert military expenditure to expenditure on economic activities, like the development of education, health and infrastructural facilities. Peace games, peace enterprises and peace mediation capacity also need to be developed, apart from developing the feeling of oneness in the society.


ABSTRACT Operators have many tools for solving problems with process operations. The oldest method for problem solving relies on current operating information combined with operator training and experience. A more recent and very sophisticated approach involves the use of a calibrated process model that can be run under the current plant operating conditions. These whole-plant, commercial process models are invaluable for evaluating alternative process configurations for design and upgrade and provide an aid for assessing different control options. Models also have the potential to solve process problems and can be developed and maintained as operator training tools. There is, though, a commitment of time and financial resources required to calibrate and maintain complex process models that may be out of reach for small to mid-sized plants.


This paper describes how, as part of a broader reform strategy by the Western Australian State Government, Main Roads WA has implemented a program of reform that is designed to move Main Roads from being a provider and builder of roads to a manager of the road network, and to subject the delivery of road construction and maintenance to market competition. A significant part of Main Roads' strategy was the contracting to the private sector of all road maintenance for the Highway and Main Road network in Western Australia. This was done through the awarding of eight Term Network Contracts (TNCs), each of 10 years duration. The contracts began between July 1999 and February 2001. Six of the contracts are fully outcome based and two are a combination of outcome based and Principal scheduled works. In the fully outcome based contracts, the Contractor undertakes the asset management role as well as the delivery of short and long term maintenance in accordance with standards specified by Main Roads. Main Roads superintends the contracts. As the contracts have now been in place for periods between 2 and nearly 4 years, it is timely to reflect on the experience to date, and particularly on the lessons learnt from that experience. This paper outlines Main Roads' experience with the contracts, the contracts' performance in maintaining the Highways and Main Roads in Western Australia, and provides comment on key lessons learnt over the period of their operation.


The article reflects the development and functioning of the social infrastructure of the region, the social characteristics of regional modernization are allocated, the main directions of social policy in the region are identified, and the state of regional social services is analyzed.