Objective 61 specimens of liver biopsy were studied with victaria blue stains.Distribution of elastic fibre formation in chronic liver disease was observed.The formative process of liver fibrosis from chronic hepatitis to liver cirrhosis was studied.Methods The elastic fibre of the tissue of chronic liver disease were shown and observed with victaria blue staining and light microscope.Results The hepatic parenchyma was separated by the septa of fine,blue stained elastic fibre.Conclusion Victaria blue stains may have a diagnostic significance for chronic liver disease.The fibrous tissue in the parenchyma of liver may originate in fibroblast and fat-storing cell.


The dynamics of the food system are rapidly evolving so that intangible assets are relatively more important than tangible assets. This evolving shift in the basis of rivalry among firms puts increasing demands on corporate strategy. A future challenge for agrifood firms is to embrace strategy that includes, at least conceptually, knowledge as a strategic asset of a firm. Knowledge and its management are emerging in contemporary thought as a potential source of sustainable competitive advantage. This analysis begins by examining the next evolutionary phase in supply chain integration as a learning supply chain. Conceptually a learning supply chain offers the significant benefits of a truly agile, dynamic response capability for end-users and a fair distribution of returns to all chain participants. The focus then turns to the relationships between network embeddedness and the strategic mix between exploitation and exploration, using knowledge management logic. Managing knowledge for agrifood firms implies the creation and commercialization of intangible assets. The analysis indicates that significant intangibles in the form of brand equity may influence supply chain characteristics to strong ties and close networks. Some specific characteristics would be relatively high embeddedness, high social capital, more easily exchanged tacit knowledge, and higher levels of trust. Finally, the rapidly emerging field of real options as a potential source of new thinking about corporate strategy formulation is examined. The analysis incorporates some real options logic to form a nexus between learning and real options as the foundation for this new thinking. The authors conclude that the conceptual foundations of knowledge management, learning, and real options could enrich the formulation of agrifood firm corporate strategy.


We examine in the context of general relativity the dynamics of a spatially flat Robertson–Walker universe filled with a classical minimally coupled scalar field ϕ of exponential potential V(ϕ) ∼ exp(−μϕ) plus pressureless baryonic matter. This system is reduced to a first-order ordinary differential equation for Ωϕ(wϕ) or q(wϕ), providing direct evidence on the acceleration/deceleration properties of the system. As a consequence, for positive potentials, passage into acceleration not at late times is generically a feature of the system for any value of μ, even when the late-times attractors are decelerating. Furthermore, the structure formation bound, together with the constraints Ωm0 ≈ 0.25 − 0.3, −1 ⩽ wϕ0 ⩽ −0.6, provides, independently of initial conditions and other parameters, the necessary condition , while the less conservative constraint −1 ⩽ wϕ ⩽ −0.93 gives . Special solutions are found to possess intervals of acceleration. For the almost cosmological constant case wϕ ≈ −1, the general relation Ωϕ(wϕ) is obtained. The generic (nonlinearized) late-times solution of the system in the plane (wϕ, Ωϕ) or (wϕ, q) is also derived.


Variational quantum algorithms rely on the optimization of parameterized quantum circuits in noisy settings. The commonly used back-propagation procedure in classical machine learning is not directly applicable in this setting due to the collapse of quantum states after measurements. Thus, gradient estimations constitute a significant overhead in a gradient-based optimization of such quantum circuits. This paper introduces a random coordinate descent algorithm as a practical and easy-to-implement alternative to the full gradient descent algorithm. This algorithm only requires one partial derivative at each iteration. Motivated by the behavior of measurement noise in the practical optimization of parameterized quantum circuits, this paper presents an optimization problem setting that is amenable to analysis. Under this setting, the random coordinate descent algorithm exhibits the same level of stochastic stability as the full gradient approach, making it as resilient to noise. The complexity of the random coordinate descent method is generally no worse than that of the gradient descent and can be much better for various quantum optimization problems with anisotropic Lipschitz constants. Theoretical analysis and extensive numerical experiments validate our findings.


A portable radio unit used with an adaptor unit having a hand-free circuit is disclosed. The hand-free circuit is activated in response to a contact between a contact-type connector of the portable radio unit and a contact-type connector of the adaptor unit in the event that the portable radio unit being in a communication state is attached to the adapter unit. Power supply to the hand-free circuit is also initiated in response to the contact of the connectors.


An optimization process for the horizontally polarized HF-band receive antenna based on an extended concept of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) noise model "ITU-R P.372-14 on radio noise" is presented. Considering the ambient noise (or sky noise), a receiving antenna has been optimized based on the concept of equivalent antenna system noise figure. Furthermore, the ambient noise is evaluated with the optimized antenna and the results are compared with the reference noise curves.


Using magneto-optical materials, an asymmetric multi-quantum state magnetic lattice is proposed to host an entangled multipartite system formed by using ultracold atoms in a Bose Einstein Condensate (BEC). The discrete magnetic bands magnetic lattice is devised to locate a controllable long-range entanglement of many qubits separated in space. The confinement of the coupled magnetic quantum well (CMQW) system may significantly improve the condition for the long-range entanglement of the multipartite that to be used in quantum information processors.


This paper concentrates on the rationale for statistical data processing in ground-based radio and electronic equipment operation system. In this regard, a comparative analysis of the two maintenance strategies was performed. The first strategy is based on planned maintenance and repair procedures in case of equipment failure. In the second strategy, decision on the implementation of preventive actions based on the results of statistical data processing on diagnostic variable trends changes. An indicator of the efficiency of each strategy is the mathematical expectation of operation costs. A probabilistic-event model was used for formula determination. The limiting ratios for the efficiency improvement indicator were found. The requirements for the average cost of statistical data processing were defined on basis of limiting ratios.


Empathy is a key component of socioemotional skills and contributes to prosocial responses and relational closeness. There remain challenges to accurately assess children's empathy, particularly given the reliance on external observer reports, and the lack of frameworks for how empathy may manifest differently at various developmental stages. In this study, we systematically reviewed research on the measurement of empathy in children ages 3–12. We identified 193 independent research publications reporting the use of empathy measures with children. From those, we identified 136 different empathy assessments across studies, with 66% involving rating scales and 48% involving self‐report data. We conducted a reliability generalization analysis and meta‐regression to examine the psychometric properties of empathy measures for children. We then discuss implications and recommendations for future research.


Background: Lymphomagenicity of EBV in the setting of HIV infection has been widely accepted. However, the underlying carcinogenic mechanism of EBV is largely unknown and warrants further study. We sought to investigate the hypothesis that EBV infection is associated with expression of specific B-cell oncogenic markers in HIV+ DLBCL. Methods: HIV+ DLBCL cases diagnosed between 1996-2007 within the Kaiser Permanente California Health Plan were identified. Archived tumor specimens were retrieved and HE another 7 had undetermined EBV status; and 70 were included in the study. Marker expressions are shown in the table: Conclusion: There was a suggestion that Cyclin E and PKC-β2 were more commonly expressed in EBV+ DLBCL, and that FOXP1, BCL2, and Survivin were more commonly expressed in EBV- DLBCL. However, none of these associations reached statistical significance. These findings provide limited support that the underlying carcinogenic mechanism of EBV involves the mediation of the expression of oncogenic markers examined here. However, our study power was limited, thus requiring confirmation in larger studies. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4643. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-4643


4016Background: Preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) may improve overall survival in resectable pancreatic cancer (RPC) and borderline resectable pancreatic cancer (BRPC). Long term results are pre...


The pandemic of the COVID-19 [1] has reawakened people that viruses are still the greatest threat to human society. Quarantining the patients and tracking close contacts has been used for hundreds of years in the battle between humans and the plague, which are still useful today. In the information society, we can employ information communications technology (ICT) to suppress the spread of epidemics and lower the epidemic curve. By using spatiotemporal information, we can trace the trajectories of patients and their close contacts. However, spatiotemporal information also involves personal privacy, and it has become a topic of concern about whether people's privacy should be sacrificed for epidemic control. In this paper, we propose a close contact tracing solution based on crypto-spatiotemporal information (CSI). First, the solution encrypts spatiotemporal information to protect personal privacy. Then, it uses a blockchain platform to realize the proof of CSI and uses Intel SGX [2] based trusted execution environment [3] to perform close contact judgment. Finally, it can trace close contacts while protecting personal privacy. The evaluation results indicate that the advantages and efficiency of the proposed scheme are significant.


In line with the development of e-government, Tehran Water and Wastewater Company can examine its current status from various aspects of ICT development and improve their desirability by planning on relevant indicators and criteria. In this regard, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of e-government development. Statistical population in the qualitative part was the managers and in the quantitative part of the research it consists of a number of managers in the field of information technology of Tehran Water and Wastewater Company with 13 subsidiaries comprising 240 persons. The sample size was determined by Cochran formula and simple random stratified method. 148 individuals were selected as sample size. In order to collect data in the qualitative part, an open questionnaire was used and in the quantitative part a closed questionnaire was used. Expert opinion was used to determine the validity of the questionnaire and Cronbach's alpha was used to determine the reliability, and the results showed that the reliability was confirmed. Structural equations with AMOS software were used for data analysis. The results showed that the model has 7 dimensions which include structural, behavioral, environmental, process factors, output, outcome and impact that can be effective in applying e-government in Tehran Water and Wastewater Company, also the necessary investigations for fitness of the results showed that the proposed model has a good fit. Therefore, this model can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of e-government application in Water and Wastewater Company.


The problems of state support of agriculture of Ukraine are analyzed. Scientific publications are dominated by criticism of existing support systems without conventional approaches to improving it. Even the interpretation of the concept of "state support" is debatable. The development of state support programs is complicated by the unformed market environment, the high level of monopolization of the agricultural procurement sector, and the difficulty of bringing small producers to target market segments. It is concluded that because of this, the possibility of creating private farms without their registration as legal entities is not realized. There has been a tendency for the emergence and accelerated development of particularly large farms focused on production for the export of raw materials while aggravating the social problems of the village. Only by government support will the negative trends in cattle reductions be offset. It is proposed to increase the effectiveness of state support programs by creating self-regulatory vertical marketing systems, in which the interests of all participants of these systems, ensuring their sustainable development, will be coordinated without direct state administrative intervention. Organizationally, it is easiest to create vertical marketing systems based on the initiative of existing processing plants, for which this is a way of procuring the required amount of raw materials with specified characteristics. Such raw materials can produce competitive products both domestically and internationally. Public financial support for such systems will ensure that their processes of origin and development are intensified. The organization's discussion on the cooperative principles of small processing is critically evaluated. It is shown that the main advantage of organizing such processing is to overcome market monopolization, to ensure without price interference stabilization of prices and their formation at a level acceptable to all members of the cooperative association. The risk of expected price uncertainty is reduced and bank loans may be attracted accordingly. Business plans for the development of individual enterprises and industries can be developed based on the expected price. The development of state targeted programs for agricultural development is simplified. Direction of state targeted programs of agricultural development and achievement of strategic goals, orientation to the data of the purpose of individual economic entities implies constant research and forecasting of market trends. Even large agricultural enterprises or business associations cannot carry out such research on their own. They provide for taking into account the expected values of macroeconomic indicators, and taking into account the international integration of Ukraine and the situation of the international market. Such research by state institutions, dissemination of information on the results of research, bringing information to all participants of the agrarian market is more important state support than direct state financial support.


Today world the brain tumor is life threatening and the main reason for the death. The growth of abnormal cells in brain leads to brain tumor. Brain tumor is categorized into malignant tumor and benign tumor. Malignant is cancerous whereas Benign tumor is non-cancerous. Diagnosing at earlier stage can save the person. It is actually a great challenge to find the brain tumor and classifying its type. The proposed system has many stages like noise removal, textural feature enhancement, segmentation, feature selection and Classification phase. The enhanced system is more accurate in classifying the tumor regions.


ceased and the swelling started to decrease 1–2 h thereafter. A marked improvement was visible after 3 h (Fig. 1), and a complete resolution was achieved 36 h after administration. The treatment was well tolerated. Recurrent angioedema appeared during the following weeks. Then, rituximab treatment was initiated for the B-NHL. Interestingly, the attacks immediately disappeared after the first application. Moreover, levels of C1-inhibitor activity and concentration, measured 1 month after initiation of rituximab, increased compared with pre-treatment values (Fig. 2). Therefore, we suggest a consumption of C1-inhibitor in our patient, most probably as a result of the underlying B-NHL. C1-inhibitor is a major inhibitor of several complement and contact system proteases (plasma kallikrein and coagulation factor XIIa). During HAE attacks, different plasma proteolytic cascades are activated and several vasoactive substances are generated. Bradykinin, which is synthesized by kallikrein, has been shown to be the predominant mediator of enhanced vascular permeability in HAE attacks. It exerts its actions by binding on its cognate receptor (bradykinin-B2-receptor). The lack of C1-inhibitor leads to the overshooting formation of bradykinin, as C1-inhibitor inhibits the action of kallikrein. This is the first report of a successful treatment of a patient with AAE by subcutaneous administration of icatibant in its recommended dose. This case demonstrates the pathogenetic importance of bradykinin in the development of AAE symptoms.


Most empirical disciplines promote the reuse and sharing of datasets, as it leads to greater possibility of replication. While this is increasingly the case in Empirical Software Engineering, some of the most popular bug-fix datasets are now known to be biased. This raises two significants concerns: first, that sample bias may lead to underperforming prediction models, and second, that the external validity of the studies based on biased datasets may be suspect. However, there is a key factor of these datasets that has not been examined carefully: size. Biased datasets are sampling only some of the data that could be sampled, and doing so in a biased fashion; but biased samples could be smaller, or larger. Smaller data sets in general provide less reliable bases for estimating models, and thus could lead to inferior model performance. In this setting, we ask the question, what affects performance more? bias, or size? Our results strongly suggest that size always matters just as much bias, and in fact much more than bias when considering information-retrieval measures such as AUC and F-SCORE. This indicates that at least for prediction models, even when dealing with sampling bias, simply finding larger samples can sometimes be quite helpful.


According to the assessment made in the article, the current data on the number of water bodies on the territory of Ukraine are: 63119 rivers; about 20 thousand lakes; 1054 reservoirs; 50793 ponds. There are rivers in Ukraine: large (> 50 thousand km2) – 8 rivers: Dnieper, Dniester, Danube, Desna, Pripyat, Southern Bug, Seversky Donets, Tisa; medium (2.0-50 thousand km2) – 82 rivers; small (<2.0 thousand km2) – 63,029 rivers (99.87%). There are lakes in Ukraine: very large (> 100 km2) – 1 lake: Yalpug; large (10-100 km2) – 21 lakes; medium (1-10 km2) – about 70; small (0.5-1.0 km2) and very small (<0.5 km2) - all other lakes (99.54%). There are reservoirs in Ukraine: very large (10-50 km3) – 2 reservoirs: Kremenchug and Kakhovskoe – on the river.Dnipro (0.2%); large (1.0-10 km3) – 5 reservoirs; Kievskoe,Kanevskoe, Kamenskoe, Dneprovskoe (on the Dnieper river), Dnestrovsky – on the Dniester (0.5%); medium (0.1-1.0 km3) – 11 reservoirs (1.0%); small (0.01-0.1 km3) – 88 reservoirs (8.4%); small (<0.01 km3) – 948 reservoirs (89.9%). There are ponds in Ukraine: very large (> 500 thousand m3) and large (200-500 thousand m3) – 13%; medium (50-200 thousand m3) – 29%; small (10-50 thousand m3) and very small (<10 thousand m3) - 58%. Of great importance was the approval by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in 2016 of the hydrographic zoning of the territory of Ukraine with the allocation of 9 regions of river basins: the Dnieper, Dniester, Danube, Southern Bug, Don, Vistula, Crimean rivers Black Sea rivers, Azov rivers. Almost all rivers of Ukraine belong to the basin of the Black and Azov seas. In addition to the area of the river basin Vistula (Western Bug and San rivers) which belongs to the Baltic Sea basin and occupies only 2.5% of the country's territory.
It is shown that since hydrographic studies in Ukraine were carried out more than 50 years ago, modern hydrographic surveys of the country's territory with the creation of a modern water cadastre and the establishment of real morphometric parameters of water bodies (rivers, lakes, reservoirs, ponds) are necessary. The main organizations dealing with these issues are the State Agency for Water Resources of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center of the State Service of Ukraine for Emergency Situations. It is also necessary to regulate a number of concepts that are used a priori, but do not have a definition, clear parameters (for example, a stream, a source, a digging pond, etc.). This is difficult to implement through the Water Code of Ukraine or state standards, but it can be easier to do through the officially approved methods in which these terms are used.


According to the feature of military academy of engineering,the paper explored the means to innovate in metalworking practice by means of visiting,learning and Student Research Training.The practice levels have been improved,and the reform has been proved successfully.


In this paper, we introduced an extension of the Marshall-Olkin Extended Topp-Leone distribution using the quadratic rank transmutation map (QRTM). Statistical properties of the proposed distribution are examined and its parameter estimates are obtained using the maximum likelihood method. A real data set defined on a unit interval is employed to illustrate the usefulness of the proposed distribution among existing distributions with bounded support.


Thank you, Alden [McCall]. I feel right at home in a room full of MBAs. As many of you know, I am not a PhD economist like the majority of my colleagues sitting on the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC). I admire my colleagues tremendously for their intellectual capacity and their well-trained insights into the dismal science of economics and the arcana of monetary policy, but I am proud of just being an MBA. I was privileged to attend all those schools Alden mentioned: the Naval Academy, Harvard and Oxford. But I feel that the MBA program at Stanford Business School prepared me best for my career as a banker, a money market operator, and for the past decade, a policymaker at the Federal Reserve. (Though plebe year at Annapolis probably best equipped me for the sleep deprivation and the pressure we operated under during the financial crisis). So Alden, I begin with a tip of the hat to the MBAs you have assembled this evening.


Purpose – Risk tolerance, understood as the willingness of accepting a certain amount of risk which was perceived in an uncertain scenario, has been broadly studied under the framework of personal financial. This research aims to validate a scale for investment risk tolerance when dealing with real assets, in a business context.
Design/methodology/approach – A survey was performed with 150 managers, directors, and entrepreneurs who make investment decisions regarding real assets in the commerce, industry, and service sectors. Exploratory factorial analysis was performed was applied to detect the dimensionality of Risk Tolerance construct.
Findings – Risk Tolerance in real assets investments is a construct composed by two dimensions, the first factor is related to the familiarity of the decision-maker with the company and its investments, and it was denominated comfort and security, following the original dimension from personal finance research. The second dimension refers to the unpredictability and the complexity of risky investments in real assets, and it was denominated 'black box effect'. The last factor, however, did not achieve the standards of reliability and it need further research.


This investigation examines the use of the MPAA television advisory ratings in the decision‐making of parents of intellectually gifted children and explores the manner by which ratings information is incorporated into rules and regulations about television in the home. It comes on the heels of published reports suggesting the general inadequacy and counter productivity of the age‐based ratings. In comparison to parents of non‐gifted children, parents of gifted children were more likely to utilize TV ratings information in the mediation of their children's televiewing. They tended to employ a highly inductive (communication‐oriented) style of child rearing and a highly evaluative (discussion‐based) method of TV mediation, tended to believe that television can have significant positive and/or negative effects on children, and were more concerned with cognitive‐ and affective‐level effects. The possible ramifications of these findings with regard to the new content‐driven ratings campaign and forthcoming V‐c...


Background Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is the main cause of visual impairment in premature infants. Due to advances in neonatal care, the increased survival of extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants in recent years has produced a population of infants at very high risk of ROP. Objective The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence and potential risk factors for ROP. Methods This retrospective study was conducted at the Neonatalogy Ward, Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, from January 2005 to August 2010. We included all premature infants of gestational age (GA) < 37 weeks, body weight (BW) not exceeding 2000 grams, as well as those who had eye examinations and complete medical records. Risk factors such as GA, BW, duration of oxygen (Oz) therapy, sepsis, and red blood cell (RBC) transfusion were analyzed using the Chi􀀻 square and logistic regression tests. Pediatric ophthalmologists had performed eye examinations on all infants. ROP was graded according to the International Classification of ROP. Results The prevalence of ROP and of stage 3 or greater ROP was 11.9% and 4.8% of all subjects, respectively. Body weight, GA, duration of Oz therapy, and sepsis were found to be associated with the development ofROP. However, stepwise logistic regression analysis revealed that only BW of:s 1000 g [odds ratio (OR) 10.88; 95% CI 3.09 to 38.31; P < 0.000], 02 therapy 2: 7 days (OR 5.56; 95% CI 1.86 to 16.58; P < 0.0001), and GA of oS 28 weeks (OR 4.26; 95% CI 1.15 to 15.81; P = 0.030) were statistically significant risk factors for ROP. The equation obtained was y 􀀃 -4.092 + 2.388 (BW) + 1.451 (GA) + 1.716 (duration of 02 therapy). The model showed good calibration (a non􀀻significant Hosmer􀀻Lemeshow test; P = 0.816) and discriminative ability. The area under the curve (AUC) value was 92.2% (95% CI 0.867 to 0.976; P < 0.0001). Conclusion Prevalence ofROP in this study (11.9%) was lower than that of previous studies. By regression logistic analysis, the main risk factors for development ofROP were BW of:s 1000 g, Oz therapy 2: 7 days, and GA :s 28 weeks. The probability of ROP occurrence increased v.ith greater number of risk factors. [Paediatr rndones. 2012;52:138-44].


Heat conduction oil,as a kind of high efficiency and energy-efficient of the heat transfer medium,has been widely using in all kinds of chemical process units.Based on the practical application of the heat conduction oil in the company,its using characteristics,the role of expansion tank to its normal operation,controlling and operation key points and prevention metamorphism measures were introduced in details,which could provide the reference and suggestions for the heat conduction oil system running smoothly for a long time and prolonging its service life.


There is an increasing awareness of the role of mangrove forests in coastal ecosystems and coastal protection. At the transition between ocean and land, they have to absorb the energy that comes from the motion of the water. Little quantitative in formation is available, however, on wave transmission in these forests. In this paper the possibilities of the use of mathematical models to determine the influence of mangroves on waves are being explored. Both short and long waves have been examined. The results also been used to try to say something on phenomena encountered in nature .


Some gathering and transportation pipelines in an oil field corrode seriously,and accidents occurred frequently.The material of pipelines was 20# steel.In order to clarify the reasons for such a serious corrosion, corrosion monitoring was carried out at major parts of processing station,simulation experiment was carried out in laboratory.XRD,SEM and EDS methods were used to analyze the corrosion product film.The results showed that the main reasons of corrosion was the existence of high mineralization water and high concentration of chloride ion in CO_2 environment.In addition,poor corrosion resistance of pipeline material was also an important reason.


We recently reported that the oral mucosal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis targets the C- type lectin receptor DC-SIGN for invasion and persistence within human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs). The DCs respond by inducing an immunosuppressive and Th2-biased CD4+ T cell response (Zeituni et al 2009); moreover, DC invasion and immunosuppression are dependent upon expression of the 67 kDa mfa-1 fimbriae by P. gingivalis . We have now purified mfa-1 by ion exchange chromatography and sequenced it by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), confirming its identify and revealing two putative N-glycosylation motifs as well as numerous O-glycosylation motifs. We further show mfa-1 is glycosylated by ProQ staining. Further monosaccharide analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) confirmed that mfa-1 contains fucose (1.35 nmol/mg) mannose (2.68 nmol/mg), N-acetylglucosamine (2.27 nmol/mg) and N-acetylgalactosamine (0.652 nmol/mg). Analysis by transmission electron microscopy reveals mfa-1 form oligomeric strains approximately 200 nm in length, which could be involved in targeting/ cross-linking DC-SIGN. These findings shed further light on mechanisms of invasion and immunosuppression by this unique mucosal pathogen.


........................................................................................................................ 11 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ........................................................................... 12 Reflexive Statement ........................................................................................... 12 Overview of the Research .................................................................................. 16 CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF LITERATURE .......................................................... 18 Topical Literature............................................................................................... 18 Narratives by or about Working Class Students and Faculty ................... 18 The Student Affairs Profession ............................................................... 30 Analytic Literature ............................................................................................. 37 Expanded Definition of Class from Critical Theory Literature ................ 37 Feminization of the Field and Intersections of Class and Gender ............ 46 CHAPTER THREE: METHODS ................................................................................. 50 Selection of Participants ..................................................................................... 55 Data Collection .................................................................................................. 60 Validity/Generalizability .................................................................................... 64 Ethics/Confidentiality ........................................................................................ 64 CHAPTER FOUR: LOCATING MYSELF IN THE RESEARCH ................................ 66 Sharing with Reluctance ..................................................................................... 66 CONSTRUCTING CLASS viii My People .......................................................................................................... 70 A Budding Feminist ........................................................................................... 71 Building My Identity .......................................................................................... 74 Foundations – Academic Decisions ........................................................ 74 Foundations – Student Affairs Decisions ................................................ 78 Student Affairs Work and Acknowledging My Difference ................................. 80 My Professional Identity .................................................................................... 84 Connecting Self to Study .................................................................................... 87 CHAPTER FIVE: GENERAL PATTERNS.................................................................. 89 Overview of Participants .................................................................................... 89 Macro-Level Demographics ............................................................................... 91 Enrollment Trends .................................................................................. 91 Educational Attainment .......................................................................... 93 Grounding Structural Patterns ................................................................. 94 Lifting Structural Patterns ....................................................................... 96 General Observations ............................................................................. 98 Social Group Memberships................................................................... 111 Micro-Level Themes ........................................................................................ 119 Family Relationships ............................................................................ 119 Perceptions of Labor ............................................................................. 135 CONSTRUCTING CLASS ix Habits of Class ..................................................................................... 138 CHAPTER SIX: STRUCTURED PATTERNS OF BECOMING A STUDENT AFFAIRS PROFESSIONAL ....................................................................................... 140 Families and Early Schooling Experiences ....................................................... 141 Typical Student Affairs Path ............................................................................ 145 Graduate Preparation Programs ........................................................................ 152 Professional Associations ................................................................................. 155 Mobility in the Field ........................................................................................ 161 CHAPTER SEVEN: INTERPERSONAL DAILY LIVED EXPERIENCES ............... 165 Identity Development ....................................................................................... 165 Code-Switching ............................................................................................... 169 Deconstructing "Professionalism" .................................................................... 173 Passing ............................................................................................................. 178 Accepting Responsibility ................................................................................. 184 CHAPTER EIGHT: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ....................... 191 Core Findings .................................................................................................. 191 Limitations ....................................................................................................... 197 Implications ..................................................................................................... 199 Future Research .................................................................................... 199 Preparing Student Affairs Practitioners ................................................. 200 CONSTRUCTING CLASS x Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 202 References ................................................................................................................... 205 Tables .......................................................................................................................... 222 Figures ........................................................................................................................ 223 Appendices .................................................................................................................. 224 Appendix A – Approval from ACPA ............................................................... 225 Appendix B – Recruitment Email Invitation ..................................................... 227 Appendix C – Phone Discussion Script ............................................................ 229 Appendix D – On site Interview Guide ............................................................. 231 Appendix E – Consent Form ............................................................................ 233 Appendix F – Overview of Participants ............................................................ 236 CONSTRUCTING CLASS xi


Higher‐order finite difference solutions of the Schrodinger equation for the helium atom have been obtained. For the S‐limit equation the ground‐ and first‐excited‐state energy values were found. There was a substantial reduction in the difference error in comparison with the treatment of Winter, Diestler, and McKoy (1968). For the complete (nonrelativistic) Schrodinger equation for He finite difference expressions of error O(h6) gave the ground‐state energy to five significant figures (− 2.9038 hartree). This problem seems to be near the limit of practical solution by the finite difference method.


Over the past two years, a methodology for the equitable testing of surficial erosion control materials has been developed and tested using the portable University of Guelph rainfall simulator on highway construction slopes. This paper reports on the second year of work in which four hydraulic mulches and three erosion control blankets were tested. The results continue to confirm the validity of the original model based on the Universal Soil Loss Equation. The model is especially useful in categorizing equitably the effectiveness of surficial erosion control materials that vary widely in their composition, mode of operation, and effectiveness. Because the results of the evaluation are in terms comparable to those used in the determination of the susceptibility of slopes to erosion, the categorization of erosion control materials/products using this model has the other practical application of assisting highway designers in identifying the group of erosion control materials/products using this model has the other practical application of assisting highway designers in identifying the group of erosion control materials/products that has an equal erosion control capability for a particular erosion susceptibility application. This ability to "match" the erosion capability of products to a potential level of erosion susceptibility should realize a greater success in achieving cost-effective temporary surficial erosion control, and minimize the potential environmental damages associated with sediment generated during and immediately following construction. Based on these results, the Ontario Ministry of Transportation is developing a testing protocol to be followed by companies desiring to obtain approval of the Ministry for contractors to use their erosion control products.


A class of p-Laplace equation with a nonsymmetric term on a bounded domain is studied.By using the large Morse index of the corresponding Laplace equation,we give a growth estimate about the series of min-max values of associated functional for the problem.The estimate is better than the given result in some range.It is shown that the problem possesses infinitely many weak solutions.


The erosion of material by solid particle impact is a serious problem in coal combustion equipment, coal liquefaction-gasification pipeline systems, and ,many chemical plants. For coal gasification systems the problem of erosive wear is quite severe at pipe bends. A numerical computation of the LDV results of Kliafas and Holt is reported for a turbulent gas-solid particle flow in a square-sectioned 90{degree} bend. A Eulerian model with generalized Eulerian solid surface boundary conditions for the particulate phase is employed. In the momentum balance equation, the particulate-phase momentum exchanges with solid walls are included. The turbulent closure is effected by using the gas-phase RNG-based {kappa}-{epsilon} turbulence model, and the particulate turbulence diffusivity is related to the turbulent viscosity of the gas phase. Comparisons are made with experimental data for the mean streamwise velocities of both phases, the streamwise turbulence intensity of the gas phase, and the particulate concentration distribution in the bend. The localized high particulate concentration near the outer curve of the bend that occurs at large Stokes number is accurately predicted. Empirical computational evidence is presented for a relaxation of the minimum particle number density required to allow the use of a continuum model.


Sound quality of alternators used in automobiles is discussed. It is known that a rapid change in number of rotation of an alternator sometimes results in inadequate noise from cooling fans fixed to the rotors. This noise is referred to a word pronounced as "Myah". It is found that the primary reason of this "Myah" sound is caused by the change of the frequency band with maximum noise level. Sound quality can be improved by controlling the center frequency of this frequency band within certain range. (A) For the covering abstract see ITRD E113232.


Abstract In the present study, intraseasonal variations of precipitation over Thailand [Thailand daily rainfall (TDR)] during 1998 and the accompanying variations of the tropospheric circulation are analyzed, mainly with the use of rain gauge data and the Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment (GEWEX) Asian Monsoon Experiment (GAME) reanalysis version 1.5. Wavelet analysis reveals that the amplitudes of the intraseasonal variations of the 1998 TDR exhibit two peaks. One peak is categorized as a 30–60-day variation that appeared in the early half of the rainy season, while the other peak is categorized as a 10–20-day variation that appears in the later half of the rainy season. The variation of atmospheric circulation associated with the latter peak of the TDR is analyzed. When the 10–20-day variation of the TDR is in the most active phase, a negative streamfunction anomaly at the 850-hPa level exists over the Bay of Bengal, and a positive anomaly is found in the Southern Hemisphere to the south of the n...


Schizothorax zarudnvi, is an endemic fish of east country waters. (Triple lagoons of Hamoon and relevant water resources) that in the world it is reported in this resource specially. This fish named Hamoon mahi is one of the most economically valuable species in this region. Because of the recent years droughts, Hamoon logoon has been drive since 2000. Also, semi-wells (a semi natural resource) were affected drastically by recent drought years and their volume reduced to nearly one third of their real volume and resulted in changing at growth and reproduction physiology process in Schizothorax zanidnyi, brood stocks. Beginning of this project was done from October 2003. It's field studies begun (brood catching) since November 2001 by two methods including entangling gairs and at semi wells of Sistan that (Beach seine) had maximum rate of preparing qualified brood stocks. Broods transferred to Cyprinidea reproduction work shop of Zahak and after taking primary measures they stored in to the edaphic pools. Increasing the success safety factor (coefficient) for artificial reproduction of Sthizothorax zarudnyi , identifying the appropriate tune for Hormonal acceptance (physiological preparation of broods) is needed , so this important work was done regularly by histological studies and GSI measurements since November. Highest GSI rates of females (%80.51) and highest IV stage abundance of sexual maturity (%l 00) were observed an march. On the base of this date, Hormone therapy was done on broods on march. The used hormones are as follows Hypophysis. extraction, GnRHa and Anti Dopamin at the dozes of 3-6 ml, 20-30kg and 10-15 ml per kg body weight respectively and 2-3 times from 11-12-80 they were injected. Injected broods kept in to two circumstances, flow-through (rounded pool) and stagnant systems. In stagnant system 14 and 19 individuals of female and male (Schizothorax zauiulnri) broods, respectively injected in 11th, 15111, 19th, and 24th of march 1380. Non of the injected broods in 11 and 15 and 19th march (in stagnant Condition) answered to Hormone therapy. After final injection broods had general less activity and a few of them died. Mean temperature of brood pond waters (daily) which were injected. Fluctuated between 10-25-13. 63°c but injected broods on 24th march had different characteristics. They had pale color and had few fecundity. In this stage of injection they hadn't any successful vulation. After injection, Mean daily water temperature was 15, 88-17, 54°c. In Flowing system, 13-16 individual of males and females respectively were injected on 15th, 19th, 22th and 23th march. None of injected producers on 15th and 19th march with mean daily water temperature of 10, 25-12°c were prepared for spawning but injected producers on 22nd an 23th march with mean daily water temperature of 13.5-1 rc responded about 75-100 percent. (Schizothorax zarudnyi) brood stocks were prepared for spawning after 353-428 hours/day from final injection. Diameter of obtained eggs (before fertilization) was between 1.9-2.3 min and of fertilized eggs was 3.8mm. Fertilized eggs of (Schizothorax zarudnyi) were hatched after 6-7 days with mean water temperature of 17.08°c. Mean length of on one day larvae was 9.47 mm. Larvae was 9.47 mm. Larvae adsorbed the whole yolk sac after , 5-6 days at 17- 1°c and were prepared for releasing in to edaphic pools. Because of the lack of necessary and complementary facilities in the region , they had to release them in to veniros and growing them for 8 days. At the end of 18th day , 35000 larvae (at first) released into an edaphic pond with a volume of 150m2. After growing them for one moth , mean length and weight of new hatched larvae was 29.41 mm and 1.12►r , respectively. With respect to results of this investigation , artificial reproduction of (Schizothorax zarudnyi) Can be possible at 14-17°C and flowing water with Hormonal treatment. It -s breeding has increased development than other cultural specious in the region. Due to high economical value of this specious in Sistan and ti-s specialization east waters of Iran and having high resistance and proper growth There is a need of it's development and reproduction and culture in fish culture fanns (edaphic ponds• two-purpose pools) at the region and country.


In order to improve the diagnosis level of transformer winding deformation,and reduce or avoid the happening of transformer winding deformation accident,field test data of a certain transformer in different period are analyzed by using low voltage short circuit impedance method and frequency response method,and rules of transformer winding deformation are discussed. By combining above two methods,whether the deformation of transformer winding has happened or not can be diagnosed,and further more the winding of deformation and the degree of the deformation can be obtained. Preventive measures for the transformer winding deformation from aspects of test,protection and maintenance are proposed.


This paper is the result of analysis data gathered from a 2013 survey of all 204 Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) sites in the United States. That 2013 ASR site survey included all active, inactive, test and study sites, and collected both operational and construction details. The differences between the operational and inactive sites are of particular interest because the differences are where the most information can often be gleaned as to the potential for success of the test and study sites. The statistical analysis utilized in this analysis focused on the active and inactive sites – all sites in study mode and early stages of development were not included in the initial analysis. The intent was to determine is a predictive model for ASR success could be developed for the test and study ASR sites, as well as potential future sites. The results improve on prior papers by the author related to ASR system success and provides insight on what factors improve the likelihood of successful ASR projects. Using the results of the PCA, a linear regression model was developed for the active and inactive sites, and applied to the test and study sites to predict their likelihood of success. The results provide insight into the potential for success in the 50+ test/study sites that may be years for full development.


Despite the widespread popularity of growth curve analysis, few studies have investigated robust growth curve models. In this article, the t distribution is applied to model heavy-tailed data and contaminated normal data with outliers for growth curve analysis. The derived robust growth curve models are estimated through Bayesian methods utilizing data augmentation and Gibbs sampling algorithms. The analysis of mathematical development data shows that the robust latent basis growth curve model better describes the mathematical growth trajectory than the corresponding normal growth curve model and can reveal the individual differences in mathematical development. Simulation studies further confirm that the robust growth curve models significantly outperform the normal growth curve models for both heavy-tailed t data and normal data with outliers but lose only slight efficiency for normal data. It appears convincing to replace the normal distribution with the t distribution for growth curve analysis. Three information criteria are evaluated for model selection. Online software is also provided for conducting robust analysis discussed in this study.


This thesis describes the investigation of reactions of iron-sulfur clusters in proteins using direct electrochemistry. The influence of potential on metal uptake to generate the [M3Fe-4S] cluster from the [3Fe-4S] cluster of Desulfovibrio africanus Fd III is studied. The influence of potential was complex: rapid and reversible interconversions (M = Fe and Zn) occurred only between the states [M3Fe-4S] 2+ and [3Fe-4S] 0 , with [3Fe-4S] 1+ having little affinity for M. The [M3Fe-4S] 1+ cubanes and the hyper-reduced [3Fe-4S] 2- were relatively unreactive. The reactivity of the transformed cluster, [M3Fe-4S] (M = Fe, Zn, Co), from the 7Fe Fd of Desulfovibrio africanus was studied and was found to react with a number of small thiol molecules, indicating that either ligand addition or exchange takes place at the transformed M site of the cluster. No reaction was observed with oxygenic ligands. In all cases, with the exception of imidazole, negative shifts in reduction potentials were observed. Reactions of the [2Fe-2S] cluster from the ferredoxin of Clostridium pasteurianum and a number of site-directed mutants of this ferredoxin are studied. The cysteine ligands of the cluster were identified and evidence was obtained for serinate ligation of the cluster in a number of mutants. The reduction potentials of these serinateligated clusters were found to have a notable dependence on pH. A mutant ferredoxin containing only three cysteine ligands was investigated, which was found to interact with an exogenous thiolate ligand and, in addition, displayed a second reduction couple, indicating the formation of the [2Fe-2S] 0 state. Reactions of the [3Fe-4S] cluster and various [M3Fe-4S] adducts, from the ferredoxin of the hyperthermophile Pyrococcus furiosus , are studied. The [3Fe-4S] cluster exhibited a complex pH dependence over a wide pH range. The formation of the hyper-reduced [3Fe-4S] 2- state was observed, which required 3H + for the overall 3e‧ reduction from [3Fe-4S] 1+ . Metal uptake reactions for M = Fe, Zn, Cd, were found to be slower than for its mesophilic counterpart, the 7Fe Fd III from Desulfovibrio africanus . Conversely, Tl uptake was found to be rapid, suggesting that co-ordination of Tl does not require reorganisation of the protein structure.


Random sampling for pose determination and refinement, G. Roth and M. Levine robust high breakdown estimation and consensus, P. Meer model-based synthesis of vision routines, T. Messer electromagnetic models for perceptual grouping, T. Pun multiple-font alpha-numeric recognition using multi-layer neural networks with a rejection function, K. Yamada 3-D object model synthesis in a monocular imaging system, A.M. Earnshaw and A.K.C. Wong a microcomputer based supervised system for automatic scoring of mitotic index in cytotoxicity studies, M. Garza-Jinich et al a multi-operator approach for the segmentation of 3-D images of dental imprints, J. Cote et al modeling sonar range sensors, D. Wilkes et al.


ABSTRACT To add to the confusion about phenylketonuria (PKU), there is a new wrinkle. According to a report published in March of this year in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (75:1562), deficiency of the nonessential amino acid tyrosine may be just as responsible for the mental retardation in PKU as high levels of phenylalanine.A study by Samuel Bessman, MD, Malcolm Williamson, MD, and Richard Koch, MD, of the University of Southern California School of Medicine, attempted to correlate the mean IQ of siblings of known PKU children (67% of PKU siblings are heterozygous for PKU and 33% are normal, according to Mendelian predictions) with their ability to convert phenylalanine to tyrosine. Results showed a 10 point mean IQ difference between those siblings least able and those most able to convert phenylalanine to tyrosine.According to the investigators, since the mothers of PKU children are always heterozygous for


Background: Halliwick concept focus on people with disabilities, to participate in water activities and move independently. Many studies found a considerable improvement and positive outcomes in children that were included in hydrotherapy programs. The aim of this study was to investigate the Halliwick hydrotherapy in combination with on-land intervention, versus only on-land treatment, on the supine-sitting transition and head symmetry.

Methods: 54 children with cerebral palsy (CP), two groups, the intervention group-water (N=28) (1 water and 1 on land treatment) and the control group-on land (N=26) (2 treatments on land). The duration was 3 months and the assessment via gross motor function measure (GMFM), parameter B, questions 18-37, and head angle via the Kinovea software.

Results: In GMFM before intervention the mean value of the intervention group was 69.632 (±13.1269), while for the control group was 61.227 (±20.4681) and after for intervention group was 75.757 (±12.3766), 6.125% improvement, while for control group was 65.308 (±20.6663), 4.081% improvement. In the sitting head angle before intervention, the mean value of intervention group was 19.36 (±9.639) while for the control group was 20.15 (± 11.199) and after for the intervention group was 13.93 (±7.333), 5.43o improvement, while for control group was 16.46 (±9.205), 3.69o improvement.

Conclusions: The addition of intervention in water in combination with intervention on land in the rehabilitation program of children with cerebral palsy can lead to a statistically significant increase in the effectiveness of the therapeutic program.


The invention discloses a catalyst for preparing substitute natural gas by using coal based synthesis gas, and a preparation method thereof. The catalyst mainly comprises a magnesium-aluminum composite oxide carrier, an active ingredient nickel, and one or more than two assistant agents selected from a Ca oxide, a Mg oxide, a Ba oxide, a K oxide, a Ce oxide, a La oxide, a Ti oxide and a Zr oxide, wherein the nickel oxide content is 5-30 wt%, the assistant agent content is 3-10 wt%, and the carrier content is 60-92 wt%. The preparation method of the catalyst comprises: adopting a precipitation method to prepare the magnesium-aluminum composite oxide carrier, then adopting an impregnation method to load the active component and the assistant agent on the carrier, and carrying out high temperature baking to obtain the finished catalyst. The catalyst of the present invention is mainly used for high temperature and high pressure methanation reactions, and has advantages of high activity, good hydrothermal stability, strong carbon deposition resistance, long service life and the like.


Museum collections provide primary data for paleontologists, and recent advances in information technology have revolutionized how museums collect and share this information. However, many natural history museums have huge collections and small budgets, so museum scientists are challenged to keep these critical data current and available to the public. We suggest that establishing an open collaboration through the Internet is one possible solution to this challenge. To achieve this solution, we have implemented a Web-based collections catalog to encourage collaborative maintenance of collections data as a shared resource. Anyone can search the catalog via a simple interface designed for any standard Web browser, and Web users can also be authorized to add information or update records as stratigraphic and taxonomic concepts change. The goal is to establish two-way communication between our catalog and the scientific community wherein the museum shares its collections and related data, and in return the community contributes new data acquired through use of the collections. The catalog also provides a basic function for building links with online publications and other data sources. As data exchange standards become accepted, these links can be used to create metadatabases that could lead to global networks of collections, taxonomic, stratigraphic, and bibliographic information. By providing an efficient mechanism to locate and synthesize large volumes of disparate information, such loosely integrated systems have resulted in rapid progress in disciplines of the life


: Marx's concept of practice has changed the influence of traditional epistemology on human life. Understanding does not lie in obtaining an absolute knowledge system that has nothing to do with human life once and for all, but rather a continuous process that is related to the basic values of human life and constantly adjusts and improves in human practical activities. Understanding freedom in Marx's practical philosophy enables us to have a conscious awareness of the virtue dimension of our own subject. This kind of consciousness is of great significance for contemporary people to reflect on their own existence and the reconstruction of their subject. Freedom is by no means limited to the quantity and quality of the subject's understanding of the object. Freedom is the exploration of the infinite process of the generation, development and resolution of the contradiction between the subject and the object, as well as the redevelopment and resolution of the new contradiction.


A photoluminescence study was made of the green emission band in GaP:Zn,O grown by liquid-phase epitaxy. The spectra are shown to originate from donor-acceptor-pair transitions involving sulfur and zinc. This conclusion is supported by an analysis of the peak energy, peak shape, excitation-intensity dependence of the spectrum, and secondary-ion-mass-spectrometry data. A series of three LO(\ensuremath{\Gamma}) phonon replicas are identified. Temperature-dependence measurements of the no-phonon donor-acceptor-pair peak and the Zn-O bound-exciton-complex peak intensities reveal the important role that green transitions play in reducing the recombination rate of the primary red recombination photoluminescence.


For policymakers exploring appellate mechanism options for the international investment law (IIL) regime, the competing interests of efficiency and finality will receive due consideration. But two additional—and possibly overlooked—risks also merit close analysis. First, gains in the consistency of treaty interpretation by a standing, permanent appellate body would not guarantee corresponding gains in the accuracy of treaty interpretation. As illustrated by two lines of case law applying denial of benefits provisions, consistent treaty interpretation does not ensure accurate treaty interpretation. Second, a shift from an ad hoc to a more institutionalized international investment dispute settlement regime would significantly impact the balance of power between States and adjudicators. Standing, permanent tribunals generally are associated with greater levels of independence than ad hoc tribunals. The WTO Appellate Body illustrates how standing, permanent tribunals can develop as institutions through decisive acts of independence. Greater levels of tribunal independence give rise to a greater need for control mechanisms to address the risk of tribunals exceeding their mandate. That risk is heightened in the context of international investment arbitration, where, even under the current ad hoc regime, the level of tribunal independence is significant. Persuasive policy arguments—based on goals of achieving greater consistency, coherence, and predictability—can be made in favor of the development of one or more appellate mechanisms within the IIL regime. But policymakers exploring appellate mechanism options should give careful consideration to all competing policy interests, which are not limited to the goals of efficiency and finality. The two additional risks analyzed in this article—the gap between consistent and accurate treaty interpretation, and the balance of power consequences of greater institutionalization— should be part of the policy discussion. That discussion also should consider a range of control mechanism options—including budget power, appointments, specificity in rulemaking, joint interpretations, and soft law—to address such risks. 1 Associate Professor of Law, Peking University School of Transnational Law. For valuable comments, the author thanks participants at workshops organized by the National University of Singapore Centre for International Law and Peking University School of Transnational Law. For excellent research assistance, the author thanks Lu Ye, J.D./J.M. Candidate, Peking University School of Transnational Law. The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of ICSID. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: firstname.lastname@example.com Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/icsidreview/article-abstract/32/3/528/4091466 by National University of Singapore user on 09 January 2018


For pt.I see ibid., vol.14, p.4171 (1981). Semiclassical and quantal time-dependent results are presented for a model of N identical two-level atoms occupying the same site (the Dicke model) and driven by a CW off-resonance laser field. The exact semiclassical time-dependent solutions are derived from an analysis of the Fokker-Planck equation for the system in the atomic coherent states representation. Steady-state behaviour predicted by these solutions is in agreement with that obtained from the exact quantal steady-state analysis in the thermodynamic limit N to infinity . The semiclassical theory predicts (in the steady state) one type of fluorescent spectrum, which is a single sharp line ( delta function) centered at the driving field frequency. This is like the case at exact resonance and below threshold. Quantum mechanically, analytical results are obtained in the strong-field limit and within the secular approximation of the master equation: the fluorescence spectrum is the usual dynamical Stark triplet, apart from a cooperative factor N2. The absorption spectrum and the second-order intensity autocorrelation function are also calculated. Numerical results are also presented for finite N(N<or approximately=5). The effect of detuning on the additional sidebands (occurring at higher harmonics) in both the fluorescent and adsorption spectrum are examined.


Effects of surface plasmon dispersion and single-particle effects on the image force are studied for parallel incident particles. The inclusion of such effects avoids the unphysical logarithmic divergence of the parallel force at the surface. The probability of surface plasmon excitation is reduced with respect to the undispersed model.


A novel electrochemiluminescent (ECL) cytosensing strategy for sensitive dynamic monitoring of carbohydrate expression on living cells was designed by combining the specific recognition of lectin to carbohydrate groups with the functionalization of immobilized CdSe quantum dots, which acted as ECL emitting species.


Pulsed discharge plasma is typical oxidation technologies for disposing organic compounds in aqueous solutions. In this paper, electric field generated by pulsed highvoltage discharge plasma over water surface has been performed under argon atmosphere to degrade dye compounds. The effects of various parameters with pulsed highvoltage arc discharge plasma are studied for decoloration of Orange G, Orange II, Congo Red, Naphthol Blue Black. The experiments were conducted at 313 K and 0.2 MPa using a batch type reactor. Intermediate compounds from the degradation of dyes in the aqueous products were analyzed by UVVis (ultra violet visible) spectrophotometer. The dyes degradation increases with increasing peak pulse voltage applied which leads to the formation of its derived compounds. The decoloration rate significantly increased also with the number of pulse discharge plasma. When the number of discharge plasma was 20000x with 9 kV peak pulse voltage applied, the degradation of Orange G, Orange II, Congo Red, and Naphthol Blue Black could approach to 50.81 wt%, 41.64 wt%, 56.41 wt%, and 53.25 wt%, respectively.


The problem of assigning all poles of a closed-loop system in a specified disk by dynamic output feedback is considered for discrete systems with multiple non-commensurate time delays. This kind of pole assignment problem is called D-pole placement, and its relation to robustness properties is discussed. Thus, the robust D-pole placement is subsequently proposed and a robust criterion is derived to ensure D-stability of the discrete multiple time-delay systems subject to parametric uncertainties. Furthermore, with this robust criterion, the bounds can also be estimated for allowable parametric uncertainties that guarantee all the poles of the discrete uncertain multiple time-delay systems to remain inside the specified disk. Finally, an example is given to illustrate obtained results.<<ETX>>


Motivation: Detailed knowledge of coding sequences has led to different candidate models for pathogenic variant prioritization. Several deleteriousness scores have been proposed for the non‐coding part of the genome, but no large‐scale comparison has been realized to date to assess their performance. Results: We compared the leading scoring tools (CADD, FATHMM‐MKL, Funseq2 and GWAVA) and some recent competitors (DANN, SNP and SOM scores) for their ability to discriminate assumed pathogenic variants from assumed benign variants (using the ClinVar, COSMIC and 1000 genomes project databases). Using the ClinVar benchmark, CADD was the best tool for detecting the pathogenic variants that are mainly located in protein coding gene regions. Using the COSMIC benchmark, FATHMM‐MKL, GWAVA and SOMliver outperformed the other tools for pathogenic variants that are typically located in lincRNAs, pseudogenes and other parts of the non‐coding genome. However, all tools had low precision, which could potentially be improved by future non‐coding genome feature discoveries. These results may have been influenced by the presence of potential benign variants in the COSMIC database. The development of a gold standard as consistent as ClinVar for these regions will be necessary to confirm our tool ranking. Availability and implementation: The Snakemake, C++ and R codes are freely available from https://github.com/Oncostat/BenchmarkNCVTools and supported on Linux. Contact: firstname.lastname@example.com or firstname.lastname@example.com Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.


Bottom-up fatigue cracking is one of the major distresses for asphalt pavements. Accurate prediction of fatigue cracking for asphalt pavement is of paramount importance for a cost-effective pavement design. The fatigue model in the mechanistic empirical pavement design guide (MEPDG) is based on original Asphalt Institute model, with some modifications. However, there are some controversies about the effectiveness of fatigue model in the MEPDG. The major concern exists on the use of dynamic modulus as key parameter and there is no damage property of asphaltic mix to predict fatigue which is induced by damage to the material. This study developed a damage-based phenomenological fatigue model. The pavements at the Federal Highway Administration's accelerated loading facility (ALF) were used to test the effectiveness of existing models, including the MEPDG fatigue model, and validity of the damage-based fatigue model. The data used in this study included dynamic modulus and critical strain energy density of hot mix asphalt (HMA), and tensile strain at bottom of HMA layer and the fatigue life of ALF pavements. It was found that the damage-based model significantly improved the accuracy of the prediction, when compared to the MEPDG fatigue model and other conventional models.


The workhouse is the totemic symbol of our understandings about the harsh life faced by the poor of nineteenth-century England. Workhouse paupers provide the human embodiment of this symbol, characterized, according to well-established assumption, in the words of David Englander, as the victims rather than makers of history. This article argues that this assumption is, in fact, false. At the core of its research is the pauper perspective. This is used to understand the role played by gossip in pauper agency at Basford Union Workhouse. The basic premise here is that much can be learnt from social exchanges, including idle and aimless talk, about the formation of social relationships and the way in which the exercise of power was manifest. This study brings a rarely used perspective to the narrative surrounding paupers under the New Poor Law, a specific focus on workhouse gossip not previously attempted. Overall, the words and writings of Basford Union's pauper inmates, augmented by relevant testimony from people in the community, and from official sources, create a sense that Basford's indoor poor depended on each other. It was they, and not the Union's officers who 'powered' the workhouse machine, and this independency was forged through chatter. Inter-pauper conflict was not unusual and the fracture lines between officer and pauper, and between pauper and pauper, were intertwined. These paupers' participation in the gossip of the workhouse, allowed them, however, to negotiate their own circumstances in a way that has often been under-estimated in the historiography.


At a metallurgical plant comprising a a hot and / or danger area having smelter operation work area with at least one smelter operation means and one of the at least one smelter operation means associated industrial robot (R2a-R13), a solution is to be created, which allows the working areas preferably in a metallurgical plant operation under utmost workflow automation to make safer and more ergonomically. This is achieved in that the industrial robot (R2a, R3a, R3b, R3c, R3d, R3e, R4a, R4b, R4c, R5a, R5b, R5c, R6, R7, R7a, R8, R9, R10, R11, R12, R13 ) which performs the metallurgical plant under the smelter operation of the at least one smelter operation means associated with work activities in the hot and / or hazardous area.


ABSTRACT Tillage method scan have a drastic impact on soil quality, and the effects may be cumulative overtime. Therefore, soil analyses were done in 1987 to quantify effects of three tillage methods on soil quality following 25 years of continuous coin (Zea mays) cultivation on two well drained soils at South Charleston and Wooster in central Ohio. Crosby soil at South Charleston is classified fine, mixed, mesic Aeric Ochraqualf, and Wooster silt loam at Wooster is a fine loamy, mixed, mesic. Typic Fragiudalf. The three tillage methods were plow till (PT) involving moldboard plowing in the fall, minimum till (MT) involving chisel plowing in the fall, and no till (NT) involving direct sowing in the residue of the previous crop. Soil samples were taken for 0–60 cm depth using a truck-mounted core sampler, with separate for row zone (RZ) and traffic zone (TZ) cores taken for assessment of soil physical properties. Soil chemical analyses were done on samples composited by mixing equal proportions of soil fro...


The paper introduces a practical method of repairing mine shaft developed during the repairing of shaft in Shuikoushan lead and zinc mine.


A slit-lamp Training-of-Trainers (ToT) workshop was held for ten ophthalmic nurses in Ghana who subsequently trained 23 of their colleagues within a three-week period. This article outlines the methods, results and reflections from the training sessions held following the ToT course.


This paper distinguishes two kinds of rhyme alternations which lead to sound changes in the Fu'an dialect,alternations in terms of the tone types and ones that result from a systematic autoregulation.It also argues that analyses on the static rhyme system should be based on its synchronic behaviors.


Summary Anatomy and physiology knowledge of the airway is important for the initial care of the patient with systemic decompensations. The present review aims to mention the most important features of upper and lower airway, dismembering each of the constituent organs and their role in the functioning of the respiratory system, its relevance in the process of airway emergency and its importance for handling advanced airway. The second part evaluates physiological variables that allow ventilation and respiration as a functional element of the human body, showing relevant aspects of the processes of diffusion of gas, ventilation-perfusion distribution, vascular tone and lung volumes. Knowledge of anatomy and physiology is the complement to the initial handling by staff trained in airway management.


22 Instrumented pile tests are vital to establish the performance of a pile and validate the 23 assumptions made during initial design. Conventional instrumentation includes vibrating wire 24 strain gauges and extensometers to measure the change in strain or displacements within a 25 pile. While these strain and displacement gauges are very accurate, they only provide 26 strain/displacement readings at discrete locations at which they are installed. It is therefore 27 common to interpolate between two consecutive points to obtain the values corresponding to 28 the data gaps in between; in practice, these discrete instrumented points could be tens of 29 Manuscript Click here to download Manuscript Pelecanos_et_al_Manuscript_7.2.docx


Abstract Among the categories of the telecom and internet frauds, the online romance scam is of particular concern for its sharp rise of victim numbers and the huge amount of cost. A social semiotic approach could be used to investigate the victim identity of the online romance scam from the aspects of the (re)construction and interpretation of discursive practices. The range of papers in this section shows that the study of text, context and the way that people use semiotic resources to produce communication, to create and manage events and to interpret them.


The spirit of"Diligence,self-helping and cooperation"in the Korean new village campaign has brought tremendous changes to Korea's rural economy,politics and spiritual fields.There exist plen- ty of similarities between China and Korea in the culture and tradition.In addition,China's current eco- nomic development situation is also similar to Korea in the process of the reform.Accordingly,from the perspective of sustainable development,this paper analyses its enlightenments to China's rural construc- tion.Integrating China's special situation,this paper also puts forward several suggestions to new Chi- na's socialist rural construction.


Background: Inoperable melanoma brain metastases are usually uniformly fatal, and complete response after cytotoxic therapy is rare. Case report: A patient with multiple inoperable melanoma brain metastases was treated with 6 cycles of oral temozolomide (300 mg once daily over 5 days every 28 days). A complete response was documented by magnetic resonance. Conclusions: The present observation suggests that temozolomide may be an active and well tolerated treatment for malignant melanoma brain metastases.


From the early 20 th century, immunotherapy has been studied as a treatment modality for cancers, including in children. Since then, developments in monoclonal antibodies and vaccine therapies have helped to usher in a new era of cancer immunotherapeutics. However, efficacy of these types of therapies has been limited, mostly in part due to low tumor immunogenicity, cancer escape pathways, and toxicities. As researchers investigate the cellular and molecular components of immunotherapies, mechanisms to improve tumor specificity and overcome immune escape have been identified. The goal of immunotherapy now has been to modulate tumor escape pathways while amplifying the immune response by combining innate and adaptive arms of the immune system. Although several limiting factors have been identified, these recent advances in immunotherapy remain at the forefront of pediatric oncologic therapeutic trials. Immunotherapy is now coming to the forefront of precision treatment for a variety of cancers, with evidence that agents targeting immunosuppressive mechanisms for cancer progression can be effective therapy [1-3]. In this review, we review various types of immunotherapy, including the cellular biology, limitations, recent novel therapeutics, and the application of immunotherapy to pediatric oncology.


This article aims to problematize the subjective processes related to travestilities, crossed by the new settings of the expressions of gender, sexuality and corporeality in contemporary times. In this sense, we have the school locus as a backdrop to enhance linearity, regularities and orders of binary identity constructions these devices before provocation triggered by the presence of students transvestites and disruptions with essentialist logic that has nothing to contribute to the psychologies and productions sciences committed to the guarantees of basic and sexual rights of people in multiple human diversity.


Divisors whose Jacobian ideal is of linear type have received a lot of attention recently because of its connections with the theory of $D$-modules. In this work we are interested on divisors of expected Jacobian type, that is, divisors whose gradient ideal is of linear type and the relation type of its Jacobian ideal coincides with the reduction number with respect to the gradient ideal plus one. We provide conditions in order to be able to describe precisely the equations of the Rees algebra of the Jacobian ideal. We also relate the relation type of the Jacobian ideal to some $D$-module theoretic invariant given by the degree of the Kashiwara operator.


An improved transmission scanning electron diffraction system is described. It can make angular measurements comparable with those of photographic instruments, its intensity measurements can have an accuracy of ±0.2% for single traces, ±1% for complete frames, its sensitivity is sufficient to give clear intensity signals from specimens of average thickness equal to an atomic layer, its angular resolving power is 0.23 mrad. Important features of the system are a high productivity rate so that many specimens can be grown within the instrument and examined in a short time; the ability to record diffraction patterns continuously as films are grown by vacuum deposition with growth rate/vacuum values of up to 107 A sec−1 Torr−1; and ability to scan diffraction patterns in two dimensions. Scan rates depend on the response speed of the X‐Y recorder used and are 10–50 sec for a single trace, 20–60 min for an entire frame from a single crystal film. The design of the system is discussed and results from polycrystal...


During cocoa beans roasting, there are physicochemical changes that develop the chocolate quality attributes. Roasting systems have a particular influence on the development of these characteristics, and the effects of operation variables for each system must be evaluated. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of roasting time and temperature in a rotatory system on cocoa beans physicochemical parameters of quality as moisture, water activity, pH, total acidity, color , total phenolic content (TPC), and DPPH radical capacity. Cocoa beans were roasted as a function with a central rotatable design with 22 + 5 central points and 4 axial points ( 1.414, 1, 0, +1, and +1,414) and a response surface methodology was applied. Temperature and time levels were 110–170°C and 5–65 minutes, respectively. The effect of the variables was nonlinear and modeled with a second-order response polynomial. Roasting time and temperature presented a significative effect ( ) on the response variables except for both TPC and DPPH radical capacity in aqueous extract.


ABSTRACT The natural fiber Epipremnum aureum was extracted from its plant. E. aureum fibers (EAFs) were investigated by chemical analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and single fiber tensile test. Chemical analysis, FTIR, and X-ray analysis evidenced that these fibers has 66.34% cellulose content with crystallinity index of 49.33%. The thermogravimetric analysis reveals that EAFs can thermally withstand temperatures until 328.9°C. The morphology of the EAFs was observed by scanning electron microscope. It was established that the fiber can be utilized as reinforcement in polymer composites.


In recent years, end-to-end approaches to automatic speech recognition have received considerable attention as they are much faster in terms of preparing resources. However, conventional multistage approaches, which rely on a pipeline of training hidden Markov models (HMM)-GMM models and tree-building steps still give the state-of-the-art results on most databases. In this study, we investigate flat-start one-stage training of neural networks using lattice-free maximum mutual information (LF-MMI) objective function with HMM for large vocabulary continuous speech recognition. We thoroughly look into different issues that arise in such a setup and propose a standalone system, which achieves word error rates (WER) comparable with that of the state-of-the-art multi-stage systems while being much faster to prepare. We propose to use full biphones to enable flat-start context-dependent (CD) modeling and show through experiments that our CD modeling approach can be almost as effective as regular tree-based CD modeling. We show that our flat-start LF-MMI setup together with this tree-free CD modeling technique achieves 10 to 25 % relative WER reduction compared to other end-to-end methods on well-known databases. The improvements are larger for smaller databases.


This paper presents design and implementation of a Data Acquisition System (DAS) in Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) using System on Chip (SoC) methodology. To ensure the reliability of data being transmitted over the Channel, a suitable framing interface along with error detection is proposed and interfaced with Xilinx Aurora IP core. The proposed DAS is capable of transmitting the data @ 1.25 Gbps over the channel. The main advantage of the proposed DAS is that the configuration and monitoring is done using the in-built PowerPC processor of FPGA through Universal Synchronous Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter (UART). This type of DAS is suitable for multi channel acoustic data acquisition and in Electronics Warfare systems.


In presented paper the composite wall structure made of concrete and Zahorski/Mooney Rivlin rubber cross pads subjected to impact loads was investigated. Mentioned rubber cross pads were assumed to be inserted or injected in specially formed holes during the production process. Moreover, two different impact loads were taken into further considerations - pressure and concentrated force. Such impact loads due to the small time step size allowed observation of mechanical wave propagation in analyzed structure in the form of stress plots. On the basis of composite wall comparison with the solid concrete wall it could be stated that the mechanical wave propagation was significantly damped via inserted/injected rubber cross pads. Discussed problem was solved with the use of finite element method using ADINA program.


OBJECTIVE: To compare the predictive value of various subtypes of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in relation to progression to dementia and mortality in the NEDICES (Neurological Disorders in Central Spain) elderly cohort.
 DESIGN/METHODS: MCI subgroups were established in a non-dementia baseline NEDICES cohort using the MMSE-37 by computing two cut-offs on the total test score, and by defining MCI subtypes according to the impairment in five MMSE-37 domains. Functional capacity (Pfeffer-11) was preserved or minimally impaired in all participants. The dementia diagnoses were established by specialists and the mortality data obtained from Spanish official registries.
 RESULTS: 3,411 participants without dementia were assessed in 1994-5; 1,889 (55.4[percnt]) females and 1,522 (44.6[percnt]) males. The cohort mean of age and education were: 72.8 (5.91 SD), and 7.0 (5.2 SD) years respectively and was followed 3.2 years (1997-8). The prevalence of MCI varied according to the MCI definition (4.3[percnt]-31.8[percnt]). Over 3.2 years dementia incidence was between14.9 and 71.8 per 1,000/person-years. The majority of MCI subgroups had greater risk of dementia and risk of mortality compared with cognitively normal subjects. The amnesic-multi-domain MCI subgroup had a dementia conversion rate of 71.8 (CI95[percnt]:46.9-105.2) per 1,000 persons-years and a mortality rate of 55.9 (CI95[percnt]:38.2-78.9) statistically significant versus the considered normal cognitive participants, and also had the best predictive power for anticipating dementia conversion.
 CONCLUSIONS: The amnesic-multi-domain MCI subgroup had the greater risk of progression to dementia conversion in this cohort as in other surveys.
 Study Supported by: All NEDICES cohort collaborators and funding institutions are listed in www.ciberned.es Disclosure: Dr. Sanchez has received personal compensation for activities with AbbVie. Dr. Bermejo-Pareja has nothing to disclose. Dr. Contador has nothing to disclose. Dr. Trincado has nothing to disclose. Dr. Lora has nothing to disclose. Dr. Mitchell has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hernandez-Gallego has nothing to disclose. Dr. Llamas has nothing to disclose. Dr. Villarejo Galende has nothing to disclose. Dr. Benito-Leon has nothing to disclose.


In this paper, we propose a new end-to-end articulated structure-aware network to regress 3D joint coordinates from the given 2D joint detections. The proposed method is capable of dealing with hard joints well that usually fail existing methods. Specifically, our framework cascades a refinement network with a basic network for two types of joints, and employs a attention module to simulate a camera projection model. In addition, we propose to use a random enhancement module to intensify the constraints between joints. Experimental results on the Human3.6M and HumanEva databases demonstrate the effectiveness and flexibility of the proposed network, and errors of hard joints and bone lengths are significantly reduced, compared with state-of-the-art approaches.


The invention discloses a method to remove arsenic with high arsenic lead anode mud in noble metal metallurgical technical domain, which comprises the following steps: adding alkali liquor into high arsenic lead anode mud; leaching with alkali under the condition of air-blowing and heating; removing the arsenic; getting lead anode mud; reclaiming god and silver and other valuable metal with known craft; incorporating sodium arsenate in the leachate; depositing arsenic with lime; reclaiming arsenic clean ore; supplementing alkali liquor for the solution after depositing arsenic; backing to alkaline leaching process. This invention can make arsenic of anode mud decrease to below 1% and does not need any alteration for original craft.


The subject of the present paper has of late excited much attention in this locality, the trade of the port of Cork and the industry of the neighbouring counties being immediately connected with the produce and export of provisions, a main portion of which consists of cured pork.


Hospital‐acquired hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection has been well described and continues to occur worldwide. Recent nosocomial outbreaks have been linked to unsafe injection practices, use of multi‐dose vials, and poor staff compliance with standard precautions. This report describes a nosocomial outbreak that occurred in a pediatric hematology and oncology unit of a large academic hospital, the epidemiological investigation of the outbreak, and preventive measures implemented to limit further in‐hospital transmission.


The case presented demonstrates microbiologically successful treatment of daptomycin nonsusceptible methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis and infected pacemaker/implantable cardioverterdefibrillator, using the combination of daptomycin and ceftaroline after the prolonged failure of both vancomycin and daptomycin monotherapy.


Traditional topographic correctional methods do not take fully account of the bumpiness and texture of the surface. In this paper, a topographic correction approach is proposed based on the surface roughness model. The model presents non-Lambert's characteristics of the terrain surface better than others, because it assumed the surface is composed of Vcavities. The V-cavities facets were partially illuminated or visible as the adjacent facet casts a shadow on it or occludes it. Additionally, the geometric attenuation factor (GAF) is used for improving accuracy, which equals the ratio of the facet area that is both visible and illuminated to the total facet area. Meanwhile, Bi-directional topographic correction is deliberated based on the hypothesis of V-cavities. The advantage of the proposed model is tested through a topographic correction case on remote sensing image.


This study deals with the utterances of an English teacher of SMP A. Wahid Hasyim Tebuireng. It is aimed to know the type of speech function used by the English teacher in the classroom, and to find out how speech functions are applied by an English teacher in the classroom. The researcher applies qualitative approach and content analysis design based on Ary et al (2010). The subject of this research was an English teacher in SMP A. Wahid Hasyim Tebuireng. The source of the data is the subject in which the data are obtained, while the data are the utterances used by the English teacher. The researcher used observation and audiovisual material of collecting data. The data of transcription are classified into six basic types of speech function; they are expressive, directive, referential, metalinguistic, poetic, and phatic. From the teacher who was observed, the researcher found different total of utterances from each meeting. The total utterance is 41 utterances which are classified into five types of speech function. How the speech functions are applied by the English teacher in the classroom is when the teacher interacted with her students.


1. Medical nutrition therapy and lifestyle modification. This involves modification of diet, exercise and physical activity and other practices with the aim of improving metabolic control and cardiovascular health. 2. Use of anti-diabetic drugs. Various drugs (both oral and parenteral) have been approved for the management of DM and form the mainstay of therapy for type 2 DM. 3. Insulin. Insulin and its analogues in various regimens are used for the control of hyperglycaemia in all forms of DM.


Latin America as a region has been a meeting point between Brazil and the EU. Brazil uses the region, mainly South America, as a platform to increase its weight in the international arena, and as a means to strengthen its trade and economic development. Meanwhile, the EU has projected its model of integration in this region with the intention of finding stable and similar partners with whom to close partnership agreements, with the wider goal of contributing to a regionally-organized multilateral system.


We use 64 levels of depth/disparity while building the cost volumes. The hyperparameters in the loss function λz and λn are set to 0.7 and 3 respectively. We train the network without the consistency module first for 30 epochs with ADAM optimizer with a learning rate of 2×10−4. Further, we finetune the consistency module with the end-toend pipeline for 10 epochs with a learning rate of 1× 10−4. The training process takes 5 days and uses 4 NVIDIA GTX 1080Ti GPUs with a batch size of 12. We use a random crop size of (320× 240) during training which can be optionally increased in the later epochs by decreasing the batch size.


Workplace wellness programs (WWPs) have the capability to improve and maintain personal health and well-being among employees while reducing health care costs and increasing productivity. Wellness champions have been proposed as a high-reach strategy to facilitate these outcomes through increasing participation in WWPs, promoting a worksite culture of wellness, and positively impacting healthy lifestyle behaviors among employees. Studies show that with proper training, support, and ongoing guidance, peer support programs like worksite wellness champion teams can promote employee well-being. However, little evidence exists regarding factors that can impact the effectiveness of a wellness champion team. This study examines the relationship between employee engagement in a worksite wellness champion program and their direct manager's support of the wellness champion role. Methods: A 9-item cross-sectional survey was developed and administered to wellness champions at a large academic institution. Results: A total of 227 (40 percent) wellness champions responded to the survey. Disengaged wellness champions were more likely to report a low level of manager support for their role than champions moderately, very, or extremely engaged in communicating wellness initiatives (P=.0055), motivating and encouraging colleagues (P<.0001), and planning wellness activities (P=.0458). Conclusion: Findings suggest that the support wellness champions receive from direct managers is a key determinant of their level of engagement in efforts to improve their colleagues' health and well-being. As employers look to impact the health and productivity of their employees, and generate cost-savings, organizational leadership and manager support of wellness champion teams has the potential to increase employee engagement in WWPs.


In view of the fact that the traditional neural network training in short-term prediction of urban water consumption tends to have some problems,such as falling into local minimum points easily,slow convergence and so on,the expansion speed of radial basis function in GRNN neural network is optimized by PSO algorithm with the concept of global stochastic optimization.PSO-GRNN neural network forecasting method for urban water consumption is put forward.In addition,the measured data of daily water consumption in Xi'an City was used for the model establishment and prediction.By comparing it with the simulation results of least-squares model,kernel estimation model and local linear estimation model,it is shown that the PSO-GRNN network has stronger adaptive ability and generalization ability,which can effectively improve the prediction precision of water consumption.


The paper intends to understand the process of global branding and recommend an approach for global branding for the Indian management institutions. The study has been made by performing a content analysis of the brand name, logo, and symbol and text information in form of faculty, placements, accreditation, and targeted audience. The analysis reveals that the top institutes are investing in brand building through accreditations with local as well as global agencies, student-placements, faculty, and location, and out-reach through off-campuses in other countries. The paper brings out the prevalent and proposed branding practices of these institutes.