OBJECTIVE
To determine the average cost-effectiveness ratio of treatment of patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML): with first-line interferon alpha-2a (IFN) or with second-line imatinib following IFN failure.

DESIGN
Cost-effectiveness analysis.

METHOD
A general cost-effectiveness analysis was performed using a model. This model consists of two phases: an induction phase of eight months, in which newly-diagnosed patients are treated with either IFN or imatinib, and a chronic treatment phase wherein patients are treated according the result of the induction phase. The model calculated the costs and effects of the treatment. Input for this model was derived from literature and expert opinion. Costs were based on real cost prices and tariffs.

RESULTS
Treatment with imatinib resulted in 6.67 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and treatment with IFN resulted in 4.98 QALYs. Average costs of treatment with 5 million IU/day of IFN were [symbol: see text] 76,969 and [symbol: see text] 53,257 with 3 million IU/day. For imatinib at 400 mg/day the costs were [symbol: see text] 140,765 per patient. Costs per QALY were [symbol: see text] 15,445, [symbol: see text] 10,687 and [symbol: see text] 21,082, respectively.

CONCLUSION
The addition of imatinib to the treatment options in CML resulted in increased quality-adjusted survival, but also higher costs of treatment.


A reference work which lists and defines in English the terminology of Islamic economics. Some 850 entries include legal and technical terms, institutions and historical terms, mostly in Arabic, but also in Urdu, Persian, Turkish and English.


This book on the history of the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission (ABCC) starts at the very beginning: "There were no battles in Hiroshima or Nagasaki. At 8:15 a.m. [sic] on 6 August 1945, Hiroshima was a busy, functioning urban center with a large population and complex support and emergency system. One minute later, Hiroshima—its central four square miles—was gone." According to current Japanese estimates, about 150,000 to 190,000 persons died, and slightly less than 400,000 persons survived in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These survivors are called in Japan "Hibakusha," meaning persons exposed to the bombings. Soon after the bombings, the Hibakushas were followed for radiation sickness by two Japanese teams and later on by three American teams (Army, Navy, and Manhattan District). The initial American studies drew on the work of the Japanese teams and were conducted to gather information which can be used for civil defense plans politically necessitated by the emergence of the cold war. In October 1945, Douglas MacArthur, the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers, directed three American teams to form the Joint Commission. The Joint Commission was transformed into the ABCC by Truman Presidential Mandate in November 1946. The letter signed by the Secretary of the Navy, James Forrestal, and approved by President Harry S. Truman stated that survivors of the atomic bombings offered "a unique opportunity for the study of the medical and biological effects of radiation which is of utmost importance to the United States." The letter further outlined the objectives of the ABCC. The study was "beyond the scope of military and naval affairs, involving as it does humanity in general, not only in war but in anticipated problems of peaceful industry and agriculture." The author continues, "The Americans were studying a population devastated by a terrible new American weapon, in a country under American military occupation. The research required body fluids, information about abnormal births, and survivors' bodies for autopsy." The ABCC continued to be totally dominated by the U.S. scientists and administrators, its funding derived mostly from the Atomic Energy Commission ("the metamorphosed Manhattan Project"), until a 1975 reorganization, when its funding finally became divided equally between the United States and Japan. As described clearly in this book, the ABCC had faced an almost insurmountable problem of attracting to a long-term study enough of the Hibakushas.


this paper presents a discussion on factors behind inapt performance of entrepreneurs in Tanzanian rural IGAs, as its main objective; with specific focus on the shared psychological, anthropological and sociological factors liable for inapt performance of entrepreneurs in rural IGAs and their associated impacts. The study was a survey in nature employing qualitative approach in data presentation and analysis. The multistage sampling as well as Krejcie & Morgan model were the triangulated sampling methods employed in obtaining 92 respondent from the population of study. The data were descriptively presented in tables. The study observed the following as the shared factors influencing the performance entrepreneurs in rural IGAs with varied degrees: psychological factors (dearth of N-achievement, external locus of control, abject risk taking, inadequate tolerance for failure, and impaired innovation streak) by 53.3 percent in average; anthropological factors (strong social norms, impaired business ethics, destructive rural spiritual beliefs, biased interests to IGAs, and bent of attitudes to work) by 55.4 percent in average; as well as, sociological factors (unfavorable rural development policies, poor rural incomes, poor rural social networking, poor technology adoption, and unfavorable milieu; which are in, political, economic, social, technology, and ecological dynamics respectively) by 57.6 percent in average. It was the researcher's belief that, if the objectives are justly met, rural planners will have reliable inputs for IGAs policies revamps in enriching better recital of entrepreneurs. Scholars will have the ready source of literature.


The design of robust guaranteed cost nonlinear controller is studied for a class of time-delay nonlinear systems with norm-bound time-varying uncertainties. By means of Lyapunov functional and linear matrix inequality (LMIs) technique, a sufficient condition of H  robust stabilization which satisfies guaranteed cost index is obtained for the systems. Furthermore, the state feedback nonlinear controller of the systems is given in terms of the feasible solutions of LMIs. Finally, an illustrative example shows the effectiveness of the proposed method.


other' (79) may mislead, if, as on the usual reconstruction, they were some 500 m apart. Second, epigraphy. The author (140) ignores the strong arguments advanced by Wiseman (in PBSR (1965), 21–35 and (1969), 82–91) that the Polla inscription commemorated T. Annius: he is attested at the southern end of the road from Rhegium to Capua and Forum Anni is close to Forum Popili. A further consul should be added to the roadbuilders — M. Aemilius Scaurus cos. 115 B.C. — from a milestone near Cosa (Fentress, PBSR (1984), 72–6). Third, interpretation of texts. A question-mark should at least be put against the identication (283) of Cicero's Post Reditum ad Quirites with the speech Cicero actually delivered on 7 September 57 B.C. about the corn crisis, see the reviewer's Cicero as Evidence (2008), 8–9. An old error is also repeated (302). The 'lex' of Cotta and Octavius about the letting of taxes in Sicily was not a statute passed (rogata) in an assembly, but dicta: it was a regulation imposed by the consuls exercising censorial functions, like those in the lex agraria of 111 B.C. (RS I.2, lines 88–9) and in The Customs Law of Asia (ed. Cottier, 2008), lines 74–8. On constitutional matters, the author is right to reject De Martino's view that the consuls did not have civil jurisdiction in the city in the late Republic (122), cf. lex agraria lines 33–4, where some disputes at least would have come to magistrates in Rome. It is also perhaps relevant that Pompey as proconsul ad urbem in 52 B.C. was asked to act in two actiones ad exhibendum to secure the production of Milo's slaves (Asc. 34C). Later, the discussion of professio (205) would have beneted from reference to Levick, Athenaeum (1981), 378–88. There is much valuable material in this work. As suggested earlier, there are problems with its presentation, but we should be grateful for what we have.


Abstract: Tinea capitis has not been reported to be a prevalent or serious affliction in pediatric patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). We report tinea capitis due to Microsporum canis in a boy Infected with HIV. After falling conventional therapy, he was treated successfully with a four‐week course of itraconazole. His immunologic status improved during therapy. The possible relationship of this response to the ultimate resolution of disease is discussed.


Recent opinion surveys have disclosed the American public's deepening restiveness over the shortcomings of U.S. health care, which has grown to such a point that the majority of the respondents now look favorably on alternative systems, particularly the Canadian one.1 In the face of increasingly severe and widespread criticism and discontent, why has movement toward health reform been at best modest and at worst ineffectual? To begin with, one must distinguish clearly between actions and effectiveness. The challenge of slowing the steep rise in health care expenditures has been the focus of both public and private policy for the past . . .


In the lore of the sea there are few events that have so exemplified heroism and self-sacrifice as the acts of the soldiers and sailors of the British ship Birkenhead when it sank in 1852. The sold...


«National traditions can either promote economic success of the nation or if they are not considered to promote its stagnation». In the paper the author tries to generalize the factors promoting forming of national traditions of Russian people and to show the influence they have exerted on the business environment and character of a Russian businessman.


Adolescents need adequate nutrition to support their growth and to avoid nutritional problems, such as malnutrition or obesity. Nutritional issues during adolescence can significantly influence health problems in adulthood. Although information about nutrition science is widely available on the internet, accurate interpretation requires specialized knowledge of nutrition science. Therefore, a system is needed to provide direct recommendations for healthy food to adolescents. In this study, a recommendation system in the form of a chatbot was developed to recommend healthy food that meets the nutritional needs of adolescents. The system was constructed using Ontology supplemented with Semantic Web Rule Language (SWRL), enabling the recommendation of food according to adolescents' health conditions. From the collected sample data, 150 food menus were recommended. Validation results by nutrition experts showed a precision value of 0.75, a recall of 1, and an F1-score of 0.857. These results indicate that the system is capable of providing appropriate food recommendations for adolescents.


The study was conducted with the aim of establishing the relevance and challenges affecting quality assurance in Nigerian education system. Secondary data analysis methodology was adopted for the study. To easily achieve the objectives, the concept of quality assurance, strategies for building quality assurance into the education system and parameters for measuring quality assurance and challenges were discussed. The study identified some challenges affecting quality assurance to include shortage of funds, insecurity, policy inconsistency, and lack of regular training of staff etc. The paper concludes that since the essence of education is to make an individual useful quality assurance strategies should be monitored and evaluated   on regular basis in order to improve the quality of the educational system in Nigeria. The study therefore recommends amongst others improved funding of the education sector, regular training and retraining of staff and provision of adequate security for learning environment in the country as a way forward.


This paper is presented in an effort to simplify and clarify the essential features of semen examination with special regard to defective spermatogenesis in otherwise healthy men. A new method of fixing and staining a microscopic specimen is detailed, which differentiates component parts of the cell without distorting the protoplasm and enables any physician familiar with the use of the oil immersion lens to recognize and classify abnormal sperm cells, and, in specimens of doubtful character, to count the percentage of these cells as an added index of deficiency or improvement. Such a contribution seems indicated, for, while the profession and also the public now recognize the potential responsibility assumed by the husband in an involuntarily childless marriage, there is convincing evidence that the more thorough study necessary for properly appraising male reproductive vigor is still unappreciated or not believed and thus incorrect diagnoses are very frequent and much useless


Informal evidence supports an argument that using mobile devices for informal learning can be motivating. This paper will consider evidence from the literature in one particular area of mobile learning - informal science learning and also present a brief study of how people use mobile devices in their informal learning. Finally it will briefly review the motivaiton literature to consider this issue further.


The paper analyzes the application situation of container-united technology in our country military logistics,brings up an available method to solve the problem existing in materials storage and transportation and puts forwards several proposals.


Introduction: Conducting longitudinal functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) studies in rats with stroke lesions requires careful choice of anesthetic and experimental paradigm in order to produce consistent, comparable results. Using a recently-developed Alpha-Chloralose anesthetic regime compatible with repeated imaging we present such a study of recovery after stroke of activation in the area of the somatosensory cortex associated with the forepaw. The rats were lesioned in their dominant hemisphere and the level of activation compared when stimulating both the dominant and less-dominant forepaws.


Abstract : The combustion of gas-gas hypergolic propellants with MMH (Monomethylhydrazine) as fuel and RFNA (Red fuming nitric acid) as oxidizer are studied numerically for unlike impinging jets near an inclined wall using a detailed chemical reaction mechanism. The current study focuses on quantifying the effect of the inclined wall on the ignition characteristics: namely, contact time/location and ignition delay/location. Furthermore, the effect of wall is assessed with respect to mixing and flame spreading. The baseline three-dimensional simulation results compare two domains, with and without the inclined wall, under the same inlet flow conditions. These results show that the space between the wall surface and injector tips acts as a mixing zone with intensified vorticity and heat release rate. Two-dimensional results for various injection velocities are also presented and are compared with the three-dimensional results.


The outcomes of a longitudinal research study on a nurse residency program indicated improvement in the onboarding experience for new graduate nurses. Practice changes and implications for nursing professional development practitioners resulting from the study include the number and orientation of preceptors, program length standardization, and improvement of emergency clinical response education. Additional research studies were implemented to further explore issues novice nurses and their proficient registered nurse colleagues experience throughout the organization.


According to the process model of knowledge management research on knowledge management evaluation,it builds a knowledge management dynamic evaluation model based on PDCA cycle process,and analyzes all aspects to illustrate the application of PDCA management aspects in knowledge management evaluation.


The development of new generation sequencing methods and the reduction in the cost per base sequenced over the past few years is drawing the attention of the pig industry to microbiome understanding and modulation. In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of articles published related to microbiome studies in swine. With respect to sows, microbiome studies mainly focused on the gut, with some studies evaluating the reproductive tract and mammary microbiome. However, studies about urinary microbiome are still lacking. The present literature indicates that the microbiome in the sow's gut can affect the microbiome in other body parts. Moreover, the understanding of the dynamics and interactions among microbial populations within the sow or the herd has led to improvements in animal health and reproductive performance. This review provides new insights related to sow intestinal, urinary, mammary, and reproductive microbiomes and their relationships with reproductive outcomes, diseases, and early colonization in offspring by gathering the most recent work in this field as well as pinpoints information gaps that require further investigation. This literature review also sheds light on the knowledge regarding the role of microbiomes in the reduction of antimicrobial use.


Composites of magnetic CoFe2O4 nanoparticles (MNP) in a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) matrix at different ratios have been synthesized. Composites were characterized by electron microscopy, X-ra...


Significance This work used mass spectrometry imaging to visualize a key bacterial virulence factor, lipid A within tissues infected by Francisella novicida, a model organism for Francisella tularensis ssp. tularensis, the causative agent of tularemia. Lipid components of the host were mapped using the same technique, leading to identification of a lethal role for host lipid metabolism in Francisella infection. Combined with profiling of lipid inflammatory mediators, this work defined the dramatic polarity of the cyclooxygenase-2 axis in this infection and overproduction of the proinflammatory product prostaglandin E2. The host–pathogen lipid interface was reconstructed to demonstrate the spatial organization of the host lipid response in the spleen. Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) was used to elucidate host lipids involved in the inflammatory signaling pathway generated at the host–pathogen interface during a septic bacterial infection. Using Francisella novicida as a model organism, a bacterial lipid virulence factor (endotoxin) was imaged and identified along with host phospholipids involved in the splenic response in murine tissues. Here, we demonstrate detection and distribution of endotoxin in a lethal murine F. novicida infection model, in addition to determining the temporally and spatially resolved innate lipid inflammatory response in both 2D and 3D renderings using MSI. Further, we show that the cyclooxygenase-2–dependent lipid inflammatory pathway is responsible for lethality in F. novicida infection due to overproduction of proinflammatory effectors including prostaglandin E2. The results of this study emphasize that spatial determination of the host lipid components of the immune response is crucial to identifying novel strategies to effectively address highly pathogenic and lethal infections stemming from bacterial, fungal, and viral origins.


Group of adolescents who have eating behaviour disorders, food intake restrictions, alcohol consumption, drug addiction require special nutritional attention. In 2013 there were 73% of obese teens in Indonesia. This prevalence increases every year. This study aims to determine the risk of eating disorders and their relationship with excessive food intake. This study was cross sectional design with the simple sixe of 97 girls in grade of university level. Risk of eating disorders was determined by using questionnaires Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26). Intake of nutrient was collected by semi quantitative questionnaires. Data analyszed by Chi-square test using SPSS. The results found that among girls, 5% were at high risk of eating disorder, more than 50% have over intake of energy, protein and fat, and 46,4% have over intake of carbohydrate. There was no relationship between risk of eating disorder and energy and macronutrient intake. However, those who were at high risk of eating disorder have over intake of energy, carbohydrate, protein, and fat. Adolescent girls who were at high risk of eating disorders have higher intake of energy and micronutrients. It is recommended for further research on eating disorders risks, eating behaviour and body image.


A resonant ballistic galvanometer has been developed especially for precise magnetic flux measurements. The sensitivity is high, one millimeter deflection at one meter scale distance corresponding to 4 Maxwell turns as compared with 500 Maxwell turns for the same deflection in commercial galvanometers. The galvanometer is based upon the principle stated by Maxwell that, if the charge to be measured by a ballistic galvanometer can be sent repeatedly through the galvanometer in proper phase, the amplitude of the swings will increase to a steady value which is proportional to the charge and which is greater the smaller the damping. Operating the moving coil in high vacuum eliminates air damping. A flat tape suspension, thin enough to approach in its properties a simple bifilar suspension, reduces elastic hysteresis. Light from the galvanometer mirror acts on a photoelectric cell controlling the switching mechanism, to ensure the correct timing of the repeated impulses. A high accuracy of integration is attai...


This research aims to determine the level of effectiveness of the use of the Flipped-Guided Inquiry Based Learning Learning Model on Chemical Equilibrium Materials. The research method used was a quasi-experimental with non-equivalent control group design. The population in this study were students of class XI MIPA SMA N 8 Padang. The sample class was selected based on the purposive sampling technique, so that the XI MIPA 2 class was obtained as the experimental class and the XI MIPA 1 class as the control class. Data were analyzed using N-gain test and t-test. The instrument of this research is a test of learning outcomes by giving a pretest and posttest in the form of objective questions that are arranged based on the learning objectives. The results showed that the average pretest and posttest scores had different results, namely 53.125 in the experimental class and 48.939 in the control class. So that the average N-gain test is 0.78 in the high category experimental class and 0.68 moderate category control class. It is also supported by the results of the hypothesis test, namely the t-test, with Tcount (3.327) > Ttable (1.669) at a significant level of 0.05 with dk = 63 and probability t0.95. It can be concluded that the Flipped-Guided Inquiry Based Learning Model on Chemical Equilibrium Material is proven to be effective in improving student learning outcomes.


The performance of a mobile sensor can be greatly improved by planning its path with respect to its sensing objective, field-of-view, and platform geometry. Although many algorithms have been developed for the related field of robot path planning, a majority of these methodologies cannot be directly applied to the problem of sensor path planning. This paper presents a technique by which mixed-integer programming (MIP) can be used to determine the optimal path of a mobile sensor. MIP is able to return solutions in non-convex environments, and has a flexible framework that allows for the consideration of vehicle dynamics, obstacle avoidance, and, as shown here, target measurement objectives. The primary contribution of this work is the development of a poof of the duality of robot and sensor path planning. By use of MIP, the proof shows that many approaches to classical robot navigation problems can be reformulated for sensor path planning. Illustrative simulation results for the paths of mobile robots and sensor platforms are presented; MATLAB and Tomlab/CPLEX were used to solve the path optimization problems.


Properties of space-times admitting a two parameter abelian symmetry group acting on a null two-surface are investigated. Within this framework, a class of new solutions of Einstein's vacuum equations are found. Some analogies with the theory of black hole are pointed out.


Non-invasive thermal dispersion flowmeter having a timing monitor for fluid leakage detection, heater, ambient temperature sensor, and includes a flow rate sensor, detects the temperature of the fluid in the conduit to monitor the flow of the fluid in the conduit It is configured to. Fluid flow sensor is incorporated in a Wheatstone bridge circuit used to increase sensitivity to the output of the sensor. Based on the readings of the ambient temperature sensor, flow rate sensor and the heater is adjusted to optimize the operation of a system for detecting a leak. Another embodiment utilizes a single sensor and a separate heater which cooperate in order to determine the heat transfer time, the heat conduction time are used to calculate the flow rate. Based on the readings of the sensors, flow is adjusted so as to prevent damage and leakage by relaxing the system of excessive pressure.


(2018). Birders of Africa: History of A Network, by Nancy J. Jacobs. African Historical Review: Vol. 50, "Bantustan States", pp. 196-198.


SE provides an apparatus and method for detecting target nucleic acid EXPANDED IN WHICH THE PRESENCE AND CONCENTRATION OF DIANA IS EXPANDED determined by total internal reflection DURING THE COURSE OF THE REACTION AMPLIFICATION. ALSO it PROVIDES A method and apparatus for detecting target nucleic acid WHERE THE PRESENCE OF CONCENTRATION OF DIANA IS DETERMINED BY TOTAL INTERNAL REFLECTION AND COUPLING ELEMENT TO DIANA TIR cleavable by binding. It IS ALSO PROVIDES IMPROVED IMMUNOASSAY USING TOTAL REFLECTION AND CYCLE INTERNAL TEMPERATURE DIFFERENTIAL.


ABSTRACT The paper deals with an extension of PO by fringe currents at the reflector rim and at slots in the reflector surface. Such slots occur, for instance, in unfurlable reflectors composed of solid panels or in hinged solid reflectors with no electrical contacts between the panels. The fringe-current effects on the antenna far field are evaluated numerically for representative cases. It is found that they are small and primarily influence the crosspolarized radiation. They may in the case of circularly polarized offset reflector antenna systems be the dominant crosspolar contribution due to the reflector alone.


The data of the ultra-violet spectra and the equilibrium dialysis prove that both 1:1 systems of Ni(Ⅱ)-HSA and Ni(Ⅱ)-BSA have two strong coupling metal-centers with their LMCT bands showing a novel hypochromic effect.This effect is in consistent with the mechanism of dipole-dipole interaction between the electric dipole transition moments of chromophores.


Tendon calcification is a common disease, with the shoulder rotator cuff being the most common site. However, calcific tendinitis of the gluteus medius has rarely been reported. This study reports the case of a 64-year-old woman diagnosed with calcific tendinitis of the gluteus medius and experiencing right lateral hip pain with no apparent trigger. After unsuccessful conservative treatment, hip endoscopy was performed on this patient, allowing for a clear view of a "toothpaste-like" lesion in the gluteus medius tendon. A shaver was used to remove the lesion. After 8 weeks and 14 months of follow-up, the patient could return to regular daily and social activities. This study shows that endoscopic surgery can lead to effective, rapid recovery and minimally invasive clinical outcomes in patients with tendon calcification near the hip joint.


The river water presents clay and organic particles in suspension. Clay and organic matter in suspension in the water can adsorb herbicides and reduce their activity. In water quality, more specifically physical quality, a very important factor to be considered is the amount of sediments in suspension. These sediments obstruct filters and spray nozzles, reduce the operational capacity of the sprayers, reduce the useful life of pumps, nozzles and other sprayer components and can bind to the pesticide added to the tank, inactivating or reducing its effectiveness. Water quality can affect the biological efficiency of the herbicides; it can reduce the half-life of herbicides. The pesticides, in general, are deposited on the plant surface, such as branches, leaves and fruits. Some of them should remain on those surfaces, while Adjuvantes e qualidade... QUEIROZ, A. A.; MARTINS, J. A. S.; CUNHA, J. P. A. R. Biosci. J., Uberlândia, v. 24, n. 4, p. 8-19, Oct./Dec. 2008 16 others should be absorbed, to perform their effect inside the plant tissue. Plant surfaces present a barrier for the penetration of liquids, denominated cuticle. Its characteristics vary from species to species and depend on the age of the plant organ and of the climate conditions. Thus, inert substances, denominated addictive or adjuvants, are used to pass these barriers. They are capable of modifying the activity of the applied pesticides and the spray characteristics. These products can be mixed to the formulation of the pesticide products by the manufacturing companies, or be added to the tank in the moment of the spray.


Ovarian cancer is the 7th most common cancer of women and the most lethal gynecological cancer that demands rigorous treatments involving increased radiation cycles and higher drug concentration that triggers toxicity and eventually mortality of patients. Understanding of the disease's progression warrants effective therapeutic inventions. Epithelial Ovarian Cancer cell lines ID8 derived from C57Bl/6 mice and ID8 transfected with Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor‐A (ID8‐VEGF) were used in vitro to generate a Syngeneic Ovarian Cancer Mouse Model. Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor‐A (VEGF‐A/VEGF) is the critical regulator of tumor angiogenesis that supports the transport of nutrients, hormones and O2 to the tumor cells and removal of waste products and CO2. It regulates vascular permeability, actin reorganization, cell migration, enhances tumor growth and progression, which may be associated with aberrant cellular metabolism due to altered gap junction intercellular communication (GJIC) contributing to the tumorigenesis. The transmembrane protein Connexin forms hexameric hemichannels known as connexons and docks with another connexon of adjacent cells to form a functional GJIC. Connexin 43 (Cx43) is one of the most ubiquitously expressed connexins and its C‐terminus interacts with various molecules to regulate many biological functions, including modulation of hemichannel activity, apoptotic signaling, cell cycle regulation and, cytoskeletal rearrangements. Our study aims to understand the effect of VEGF expression on the spatial expression of Cx43 and its nexus with other cellular factors contributing to consequent GJIC formation in the ovarian cancer cells as well as in the mouse model. Our findings suggest that upregulation of VEGF in ID8‐VEGF cell lines is associated with accelerated tumor formation in syngeneic mouse models. A series of biochemical and cellular studies revealed that Sodium Phenylbutyrate(4PBA) treatment induced differential upregulation of Cx43 trafficking to the cell surface, rearrangement of cytoskeletal proteins, cell migration, and the formation of GJIC in ID8 and ID8‐VEGF cells. 4PBA treatment on ID8‐VEGF cells significantly reduced the rate of tumor formation. These differential cellular activities denote that VEGF may directly or indirectly interact with cytoskeletal proteins that regulate Cx43 trafficking and its GJIC formation. Overall, The increased capacity of GJIC formation post‐4PBA treatment is associated with reduction in cell migration in vitro (ID8 and ID8‐VEGF) and tumor formation in vivo (ID8‐VEGF). Interactome studies combining RNASeq and IPA are designed to understand the nexus between several cellular pathways, including oxidative stress in the regulation of Cx43 in the context of VEGF, to dissect the cellular and molecular mechanism of metastasis.


Chapter three centers on the participants themselves. Who led the riots and why? What motivated people to join the action? The dissemination of outlandish rumors played a pivotal role in the formation of communities of anti-Jewish action during and after the violence, as did the constant efforts at mobilization by new political parties. What were the confrontations between Jews and Christians like? Many of the rioters and Jews knew each other. How did this familiarity affect events? What defensive actions did Jewish individuals, families, small communities, and organizations take? This chapter considers the roles played by various arms of the state, from local administrators and gendarmes to the Galician governor, military commanders and troops, and the ministries in Vienna as they sought to restore order. The final section of the chapter briefly considers the relative lack of participation in the riots on the part of the Ruthenian/Ukrainian population.


Background: Population of India is growing day by day. Thousands of children are born with birth defects. Congenital malformations contribute to an increase in the handicapped population of India resulting in concurrent increase in burden on the health care system of the community. Therefore, this study was undertaken to find the occurrence of gut malformations. Materials and Methods: 46 dead fetuses with anencephaly were included in the study. All the fetuses were preserved, dissected and observed for gut malformations. Result: Gut malformations were observed in 26% of anencephalic fetuses. In some of the fetuses, spleen was present in right hypochondrium, Megacolon, omphalocoele, cleft lip and palate were also observed. Conclusion: Congenital anomalies may be caused by genetic or environmental factors. Most anomalies are a result of complex interaction between genetic and environmental factors. Presence of anomalies in two or more organ systems indicate some common factors affecting development of multiple systems. Further genetic study and research is needed in order to prevent such malformations.


A four-dimensional differentiable manifold is given with an arbitrary linear connection $\Gamma_\alpha^\beta=\Gamma_{i\alpha}^\beta dx^i$. Megged has claimed that he can define a metric $G_{\alpha\beta}$ by means of a certain integral equation such that the connection is compatible with the metric. We point out that Megged's implicite definition of his metric $G_{\alpha\beta}$ is equivalent to the assumption of a vanishing nonmetricity. Thus his result turns out to be trivial.


The existing approaches to predict trust values in social commerce are based on personal social relationships without considering historical transaction information about products in social commerce, which results in false recommendations, and deceptions cannot be differentiated. Trust values extracted from social links can improve the performance of trust and reputation mechanism, but the rates from these links in social commerce can be false because of the stakeholders' manipulation for personal interest. And the rates are also dynamic and inconsistent. Therefore, this paper proposes a comprehensive trust model by fully exploiting the effects of the transaction attributes and social relationships on users' trust. The proposed model refines the granularity of trust evaluation and improves the discrimination of recommended information. Experiments demonstrate that the proposed model performs better and predicts more accurately than the three models compared under the same circumstance.


Atmospheric new particle formation (NPF) produces large numbers of nanoparticles which can ultimately impact climate. A firm understanding of the identity and contribution of the inorganic and carbonaceous species to nanoparticle growth is required to assess the climatic importance of NPF. Here, we combine elemental and molecular nanoparticle composition measurements to better define the composition and contribution of carbonaceous matter to nanoparticle growth in a rural/coastal environment. We show that carbonaceous matter can account for more than half of the mass growth of nanoparticles and its composition is consistent with that expected for extremely low volatility organic compounds. An important novel finding is that the carbonaceous matter must contain a substantial amount of nitrogen, whose molecular identity is not fully understood. The results advance our quantitative understanding of the composition and contribution of carbonaceous matter to nanoparticle growth, which is essential to more accurately predict the climatic impacts of NPF.


A rectangular nozzle with design Mach number 2 and aspect ratio 3 is used to investigate the effects o f various geometric modifications to the nozzle trailing edge on gas mixing and jet noise. Flow visualizations are carried out by the laser sheet illumination technique, while noise is measured by two microphones. Surface flow visualizations by the kerosene-lampblack technique and wall pressure measurements are performed to investigate the major sources o f stream wise vorticity. Variation o f thrust is measured by an axial thrust measuring system. In the ideally expanded case, no measurable mixing enhancement or noise reduction was observed. On the other hand, significant mixing enhancem ent was achieved for all modifications in the underexpanded cases. The near field mixing performance of modified nozzles, which generate kidney type pairs o f stream wise vortices, were found to be better, while at farther downstream locations, nozzles which generate mushroom type pairs o f streamwise vortices performed better. When the modification was used on both sides o f the longer nozzle dimension, mixing enhancement was additive o f that by each modification. When the je t was overexpanded, relative mixing enhancem ent was reduced with downstream locations because o f the much enhanced mixing o f the baseline nozzle due to the flapping motion. Only nozzles which generate mushroom type pair vortices showed better mixing at farther downstream locations. The mixing enhancement


Ignorance, fear of addiction on the parts of physicians and patients alike, improper use of available drugs, and inadequate communication cause many thousands of cancer patients worldwide to live the last months of their lives with unrelieved, severe pain. This sorry state of affairs was brought to light at a recent conference in Washington, DC, on the care of patients with severe chronic pain in terminal illness, sponsored by the American Medical Association and the United


In the current work, the widespread of IgG and IgM antibodies to TORCH (Toxoplasma gondii, Rubella virus, Cytomegalovirus, Herpes simplex virus) agents were investigated in women with Bad Obstetric History (BOH). The study was conducted on 120 aborted women age (15-40) years who visited Public Health Center in Ibn Ghazwan and Basra hospital in Basra city, from October 2019 to March 2020. Forty normal women (age matched) were taken as control. IgG and IgM Abs of infections, were tested with used (TORCH) kit IgG and IgM ELISA and VIDAS technique ELFA (Enzyme Linked Fluorescent Assay) by used Vidas instrument (BioMerieux /France).it is automated immunoassay system. The results showed that the overall of TORCH infection was (75%). This rate contributed the following rates (94.2%, 75.8%, 48.3%, 30.8% and 15%) for Rubella, HSV-1, T. gondii, CMV and HSV-2 respectively. Relationship between aborted women age distribution was important especially women aging from 36-40 years with strongly significant variation between age groups of HSV-2 only (P˂ 0.003).Regarding frequency of TORCH IgG positive according to gestational periods of pregnancy, it did not appear any statistical significant variations between the trimester groups of all TORCH IgG infections, except CMV IgG infection (P˂ 0.04). Residential distribution with type of infection according IgM Antibodies shows that most infection occurred in urban area in all agents except in Toxoplasmainfections, which formed 82.7% in rural area. Keywor ds: Toxoplasma gondii, Rubella virus, Cytomegalovirus, Herpes simplex virus , Abortion DOI: http://doi.org/10.36295/ASRO.2021.24543


In production process of butyl acrylate,refining process is the most main part to affect butyl acrylate(AEB) yield.Main influence factors included system pressure,system temperature,backflow/feeding,cooling water,steam,and so on.Among these factors,system pressure and temperature are main factors to affect butyl acrylate yield.In order to improve butyl acrylate(AEB) yield,these factors can be adjusted to gain the best operation condition.


To provide a tablet pressing apparatus suitable for the production of small quantities of tablets. A tablet pressing apparatus 10 of the present invention includes a mold 38 for containing the powder to be compressed, a pressing member for compressing the powder in the mold 38, the first shaft 46 by the control of the electronic controller and a pressing member (punch) 24 is operable along. Mold 38 is movable between a mold axis between a first position for performing a position compressing coaxially with the first axis 46, at least one further position spaced from the first position . Tablet press device 10 is provided with a plurality of stations, may comprise a mold guide which allows the operation of the mold between the filling station and the compression station under the control of the controller. Press member 24 may be electrically actuated by a motor 28 under electronic control. .The


The raw material is efficiently utilized due to the near net shape fabrication process. The level of resource efficiency is further increased by applying lightweight construction strategies. One example is the replacement of full density body sections with lattice structures of nearly the same strength. It is also possible to create individually optimized structures, for example to increase the relative surface area for improving the efficiency of cooling systems.


The adsorption of Congo red (CR) from aqueous solution using treated ground cranberry stem by varying the parameters such as contact time, dye concentration, adsorbent dose, pH and temperature was investigated. Adsorption isotherms of CR onto CS were analyzed by Langmuir and Freundlich. It was observed that the optimum CR adsorption onto ground CS occurred at contact time of 30 minutes, the adsorbent dosage of 8 g, initial concentration of 50 mg/L and pH 2. In addition, the particle size of ground CS has no significant effect on the adsorption of CR. Adsorption isotherms studied through the use of graphical methods revealed that the adsorption of CR onto cranberry stem follows both Langmuir and Freundlich models, with the maximum adsorption capacity was 95.25mg g-1. The ground cranberry stem investigated in this study thus exhibited as a high potential adsorbent for the removal of CR from aqueous solution.


Film is rapidly becoming in the twentieth century what the popular low-priced pamphlet was in the seventeenth century--an important and influential vehicle by which "special pleaders" (as Schumpeter called them) bring their case before the public. This article evaluates the economic content of a sample of a large and rapidly growing stock of viewing literature. Each film surveyed here is distributed and maintained in good repair by a highly efficient network of distributors. With the rapid diffusion of easy-to-use playback equipment both at schools and private organizations, I expect film to continue to grow in importance as one instrument by which the public stays informed about social problems and examines a range of possible solutions. In fact, a number of colleges have already included "media centers" in their libraries, and the day is rapidly approaching when all but the most traditional professors will include "assigned viewings" on their course reading lists. (1) The films surveyed here are targeted at groups as diverse as elementary school children, church organizations, college students, community groups, and union locals. Many of these films were designed to acquaint the viewer with the "facts" about a certain issue while promoting a good image of the sponsoring organization. While these special pleaders light our screens with their points of view, it is still our responsibility as professional economists to monitor these developments before the "madmen in authority," which Keynes wrote about so perceptively, become the slaves of some "defunct filmmaker." With this purpose in mind I have prepared a bibliography of (mostly) 16 mm documentary film that identifies each film by title and then lists the current (American) distributor followed by the producer and the date the film was released. A second listing of the distributors and their addresses permits any interested reader to track down the film for private viewing or classroom teaching. When preparing the bibliography I was disturbed by the lack of any standard of generally accepted citation practice having to do with film. While it is too much to expect at this stage of technological development that scholars indicate a range of "frame" numbers analogous to a range of page numbers when footnoting film, it would be useful to identify the "author-equivalent" of a film, especially when it is a documentary and a particular point of view is being expressed. A large number of the films included in this sample announce the name of a Ph.D. consultant, and since this seems to be a prerequisite for films that are marketed among educators for classroom adoption, I have listed the names of consultants, narrators, script writers, and so on. It is not clear, however, what responsibilities are assumed by the outside consultant. Did the consultant write the script? Did the consultant read the script written by others? Did the consultant choose the visuals? To the best of my knowledge there is no established job description for consultants in the documentary film industry. (2) I have organized my discussion according to six general subject areas that seem to be of as much interest to filmmakers as they are to economists. In each one, I shall identify the special pleaders, their overall mission, the audience to whom the film is directed, and the quality of the economic reasoning employed. I The Serf-Interest Axiom As a general rule, Hollywood has portrayed the impact wealth maximization has on human behavior as dehumanizing and corrupting (19, 56, 58, 59, 64, 91, 103, 136, 173). The POW camp entrepreneur King Rat (91) is certainly not credited with improving economic life among the prisoners. Instead his commodity arbitrage operations destroy him and those around him. In Fountainhead (56), however, integrity-maximization turns out to be (unexpectedly?) wealth-maximizing as Ayn Rand's entrepreneur-architect hero eventually triumphs within a malevolent economic environment. …


The useages of the wollastonite and the motive of the experiment to make silicon coating wollastonite particles by abio chemical methods are introduced.And the feasibility of this experiment is showed through SEM,mechanics testing method and so on.


An anode comprising a metal, the cathode comprising an active oxygen species, and includes an electrolyte of the non-aqueous battery supplies current of oxidation and reactive oxygen species reduction of the metal battery


Soil fungi and actinomycetes, in floodplain wetland on Inner Mongolian Plateau were measured through Spread-Plate-Technique; the divergent characteristics of these two floras at floodplain wetland and typical steppe were analyzed; and several indicators of soil filamentous microbes, for example, diversity, richness, evenness, and dominance, were calculated. For fungi, there is significant difference between enclosed and grazing regions for diversity and richness; and there is significant difference between bump-top in enclosed regions (WT) and bump-top in grazing regions (WJ) for evenness; there is significant difference between in-between-bumps in enclosed regions (FT) and in-between-bumps in grazing regions (FJ) for dominance. For actinomycetes, there is significant difference between in-between-bumps in grazing regions and bump-top in grazing regions for diversity and evenness; and there is significant difference between bump-top and in-between-bumps in enclosed regions , bump-top in grazing regions and in-between-bumps in grazing regions for richness. The dominant groups are Mucor, Penicilliu floodplain wetland. But the dominant groups have changed in enclosed and grazing regions. The results have demonstrated a better understanding toward the development and succession mechanisms of floodplain wetland to provide the basis for protection and rational utilizations of floodplain wetland.


The chapter re-examines, in light of recent developments, the reasoned action perspective inherent in the expectancy-value model of attitude and in the theory of planned behavior. According to this perspective, people's attitudes follow spontaneously and consistently from beliefs accessible in memory and then guide corresponding behavior. The number and types of beliefs that are accessible vary with motivation and ability to process attitude-relevant information and with the context. Based on these considerations, it is shown that the reasoned action perspective is compatible with evidence for automatic processes in the activation of attitudes and behavior, and with the finding that attitudes can vary with the context in which they are expressed. Implications for the attitude-behavior relation and for the role of habit in human behavior are discussed.


Throughout history, war has had a profound effect on the structures and practices of political authority. 'War' explores the connections between war—purposive, organized violence—and the organization of political authority. It discusses how war shapes such organization: it was central to the emergence of sovereign states in Europe, and the international community has routinely used war to secure the existing system of states. War-making has also been a prime marker of political authority. Finally, war has been the principal object of authoritative control in international relations. Together, these connections have profoundly affected the global organization of political authority, and vice versa.


The prickly pear nopal (Opuntia spp.) is cultivated throughout entire country, but 35% of the national production is found only within State of Mexico. Opuntia ficus-indica L. (Miller) is the predominant species for obtaining prickly pears, but there is not any information available that would taxonomically identify some plagues particular to this crop; such is the case of red bug (Hemiptera: Miridae). Some of these insects were gathered from prickly pear nopal (Opuntia spp.) in different municipalities of State of Mexico in 2008 and 20 new cases of Hesperolabops nigriceps Reuter were found.


Objective To study the expression and clinical significance of MRP(multidrug resistance associated protein) and LRP(lung resistance protein) in gastric carcinoma.Methods Immunohistochemistry was used to examine the MRP and LRP expression in 90 cases of gastric carcinoma and 30 cases of normal stomach tissues.Results The positive expression rates of MRP and LRP in the 90 cases of gastric carcinoma was 92.2% and 93.3% respectively and was all significantly higher than those in normal stomach tissues( P 0.05).The positive expression rates in high moderated differented adenocarcinoma were significantly higher than those in poorly differented adenocarcinoma and mucoid carcinoma.The expression of them had no correlation to different depth of invasion or lymph nodes metastasis.Conclusion MRP and LRP are all highly expressed in gastric carcinoma and play important roles in the primary multidrug resistence(MDR) of gastric carcinoma.


The recent introduction of RepRap (Self-Replicating Rapid Prototyper) 3-D printers and the resultant open source technological improvements have resulted in affordable 3-D printing, enabling low-cost distributed manufacturing for individuals. This development and others such as the rise of open source-appropriate technology (OSAT) and solar powered 3-D printing are moving 3-D printing from an industry specific technology to one that could be used in the developing world for sustainable development. In this paper, we explore some specific technological improvements and how distributed manufacturing with open-source 3-D printing can provide sustainable development by creating wealth for developing world communities through the ability to print less expensive and customized products. Conclusions on the technical viability of 3-D printing to assist in development and recommendations on how developing communities can fully exploit this technology have been outlined.


The early detection of prostate cancer can significantly optimize the prognosis, prolong patient lifespan, and improve quality of life. It has been well documented that prostate cancer tissues have lower zinc content than normal prostate tissues due to an impairment of the zinc accumulation mechanism.


The article contains the description of relationships between church and state in the Russian Empire in the context of the political atmosphere in the 1720s taking into account peculiarities of the Nizhniy Novgorod region. The article shows the problems of these relationships connected with the synod regime formation in the Nizhniy Novgorod region.


Pepper, which is grown worldwide, has a 1.5 dS/m threshold value for soil salinity (ECe) and 1. 0 dS/m threshold value for irrigation water salinity (ECw). Salinity tolerance of some landrace pepper cultivars, Demre Sivrisi, Çalabi Đri Yağlık, Yalova Çarliston 341 and Kandil Dolma, were analyzed. Through the purpose, 0, 50, 100, 250 mM NaCl applications were held on germination percenta ge, relative growth rate, total chlorophyll content and lipid peroxidation criteria, relative water content, osmotic potential were considered. Results show that, all c ultivars were effected negatively by the salt stress; the mo re salt stress was observed, the more negative impact took place. However, among the cultivars being examined through the stud y, Demre Sivrisi cultivar had relatively higher tolerance level than other cultivars and therefore can be recommend ed for pepper salt tolerance breeding studies.


In statistical diagnostics and sensitivity analysis, the local influence method plays an important role and has certain advantages over other methods in several situations. In this paper, we use this method to study time series of count data when employing a Poisson autoregressive model. We consider case‐weights, scale, data, and additive perturbation schemes to obtain their corresponding vectors and matrices of derivatives for the measures of slope and normal curvatures. Based on the curvature diagnostics, we take a stepwise local influence approach to deal with data with possible masking effects. Finally, our established results are illustrated to be effective by analyzing a stock transactions data set.


Ⅱ. The provisions concerning the system of the law application for foreign products liability in the General Principles of Civil Law and their comments Ⅲ. The provisions concerning the system of the law application for foreign products liability in the Law on the Application of Law and their comments 1. Improvements in the system of the law application for foreign products liability in the Law on the Application of Law 2. Discussing the limitations of the provisions regarding the law application for foreign products liability in the Law on the Application of Law Ⅳ. Conclusion


Indigenous Traditional Knowledge is the knowledge and practices of indigenous and local communities that have developed over centuries and are traditionally transferred from elder to younger. The present study aims to document the indigenous knowledge for the protection of paddy from the various pest species by the farmers of different ethnic communities of Kokrajhar District (BTAD) Assam. Three communities were involved in this study which belongs to five different villages. The farmers were randomly selected from each community belonging to different villages. All total sixty farmers were interviewed by developing Questionnaire. A total number of 25 indigenous knowledge have been documented by all the three communities. Among these six practices were practiced mostly and regularly by all the three communities in all the five villages. Since, ITK practice against the pest species is effective and ecofriendly, these should be documented properly for future generation.


In the analysis of the heavy-ion above-barrier fusion cross-sections of complex nuclei, the relativistic effects are usually ignored. In the present work, we undertake a step toward accounting for these effects. Namely, the nucleus-nucleus interaction potential is obtained using the double-folding model with six different effective nucleon-nucleon (NN) forces coming from the Relativistic Mean Field (RMF) theory. We also compare our present results with the ones obtained with the non-relativistic M3Y NN-forces. In all calculations, the nuclear densities resulting from the Hartree-Fock approach with the SKX-Skyrme forces accounting for the tensor part are used. Our calculations show that four sets of the considered RMF forces cannot be used for describing heavy ion fusion. Of the remaining two sets, one results in the barriers which are too high not leaving any room for the dissipative effects. Only the potentials calculated using the NL2 NN-forces allow to reproduce the experimental cross-sections within the framework of the fluctuation-dissipation trajectory model with surface friction with a typical accuracy of 3-5%. The values of the variable parameter of the model which defines the friction strength resulting from the present calculations are systematically lower than those obtained earlier with the M3Y NN-forces.


The scale of forest park planning in Shenzhen City was analyzed,the existing shortcomings were pointed out.Aiming at the status,5 optimal strategies were proposed.By the principle of concentric circles,it was suggested that arrange the future optimal design and management follow a pattern of 4 cycles.


A fixed beam array antenna approach is proposed to meet the omnidirectional receiving and transmitting requirements of LST (Large Space Telescope). The proposed method uses an antenna of known performance and scales the size and frequency to conform with the LST 1/5-th scale model. The simplification that the approach provides over switching antenna elements on board the LST or switching from the ground by frequency diversity makes it worthy of consideration against the factors of performance, cost, reliability, and operations complexity. For LST applications, the system capabilities, requirements, and margins are summarized. The areas to be covered by further investigations into the proposed LST antenna are noted.


This study concentrates on modeling of customer load scheduling of delayable and non-delayable appliances. Considering a group of 20 customers with a Distribution Channel (DC) acts as an Aggregator, which are willing to participate in Demand response (DR) and in Energy Market (EM). Firstly, each customer load scheduling of appliances is done with Delayable Appliances and Non-Delayable Appliances using forecasted Day-Ahead Price, where Non-Delayable Appliance can reduce their power and Delayable Appliances can delay their operation time with in the time period limit set by the customer in a day. The cumulative load information goes to Distribution channel which re-adjusts again only Delayable Appliances. Distribution Channel adjustment is divided into two cases, viz., first with respect to available power and, second with respect to the price of power at that time. Some customers are having solar PV as a generation with battery storage. The scheduling of appliances is assumed as an optimization problem and solved through Genetic Algorithm Optimization (GAO). The results from Day-ahead and Hour-ahead scheduling can help in matching closely load for real-time consumption. This method has social benefits, which benefits the customer as well as utility.


 The model evaluation is based on the latest version of the models at the time of this study (RICEWQ v1.73, PCPF v3.01, and PFAM v0.5) available at the time of study. All models, including executable files and/or source codes, were obtained from the model developers. The results of model evaluation in this study may not be appropriate for the updated model versions in the future. For example, the newly released versions of RICEWQ v1.90 (Williams et al., 2011) and PFAM v0.65 (Young, 2011a) have been improved according to the identified modeling issues in this report.  In this report, modifications on the RICEWQ source codes and recompilation of the program are for model evaluation only.  Standalone PCPF was developed based on the original version in Excel application, and integrated into an integrated modeling platform in this study. The developed codes and applications are for model evaluation only.  Two external modules, for paddy water management and multiple pesticide applications, are developed to enable the PCPF applications with available field data. The development and implementation of the two modules did not change the original simulation algorithms and numerical methods in PCPF. The improvement of PCPF is only developed for model evaluation in this study. In addition, the module of multiple applications may not be appropriate for general modeling applications of PCPF, especially with bi-phasic processes simulated.


In this paper, a multi-objective production planning model has been presented for a captive plant. The model includes multi-products, multi-plants, and multi-objective with some probabilistic constraints. The probabilistic constraints have been transformed into deterministic constraints assuming the parameters as independent normal random variables. The deterministic problem has been computed with two different methods, namely weighting method and fuzzy programming method. Finally, the integral solution obtained by these two methods have been compared.


Spectral behaviors of alizarin red-protein in the presence of carboxylated carbon nanotubes were investigated by resonance light scattering techniques.The light scattering intensity of alizarin red-protein was increased significantly compared with that obtained without carboxylated carbon nanotubes.Under optimal conditions,the intensity of the light-scattering was found to be linear to the protein concentration in the range of 0.10~9.0 mg/L with a detection limit of 0.053 mg/L.The method was successfully applied to the determination of the content of protein in human serum,and the results were satisfied.


Summary In Japan, there has been accumulating data on polybrominated dibenzo- p -dioxins and dibenzofurans (PBDD/DFs) in a variety of biotic and abiotic matrices, based on the indication of the Law Concerning Special Measures against Dioxins. One of the most noticeable occurrences is their presence as impurities in commercial formulations of brominated flame retardants such as polybrominated diphenylethers and subsequent occurrence in household products and recycled products. The Ministry of the Environment of Japan hosted a workshop on the pollution status and control of PBDD/DFs in February, 2012 , which was organized in the context of the review on the findings obtained to date and discussion on the way forward of their risk evaluation and management. Additionally, in 2011 a joint World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Environment Programme expert consultation took place to evaluate the inclusion possibility of PBDD/ DFs in the WHO Toxicity Equivalency Factor scheme. In this paper, the outline and points at issue of the both workshops were briefly depicted. International information transmission from Japan is highly expected to meet demands to fill up data gaps on the occurrence, behavior and control of PBDD/DFs.


The problem of construction exact D-optimal designs of experiments for linear model with heteroscedastic observations is investigated Consider the linear model of heteroscedastic observations yi = θ0 + θ1xi + εi(xi), i = 1, ..., n, n ≥ 2, (1) where yi are observed variables; θ0.θ1 are unknown parameters; xi are controllable variables from the interval [−1, 1], εi(xi) are uncorrelated random errors of observations with mean zero and limited variances D{εi(xi)} = di(xi) > 0 for each realization xi. Functions di(xi) satisfy to inequality: di(xi) ≥ 1 4 ( [di1 + di2]x 2 i + 2[di2 − di1]xi + di1 + di2 ) , di1 = di(−1), di2 = di(1). (2) It is easy to check up that to these inequalities (2) satisfy constant functions (di(xi) = d = const), with linear change (di(xi) = ai + bixi, |bi| < ai, ai > 0) and also all concave functions positive on [-1,1]. In [1] designs of experiments (1) are constructed in a case when variances di(xi) are defined by the same function d(xi). In this article result obtained in [1] is generalized on a case when the variance of each observation can be defined by own function. Theorem 1. For model of observations (1) at which variances of observations di(xi) satisfy to inequalities (2) there is an D-optimal exact design of experiment at which all spectrum points lay on interval ends of [−1.1]. Theorem 1 helps to obtain the following. Theorem 2. Spectrum points of exact D-optimal design of experiments for model of observations (1),(2) are co-ordinates of one of tops of n-dimensional cube xi = ±1, i = 1, n and these co-ordinates maximize function f(x1, ..., xn) = ( n ∑ i=1 1− xi di(xi) )( n ∑ i=1 1 + xi di(xi) ) , provided that this maximum is calculated on all tops of this cube.


In the application of student big data portraits, the use of k-means algorithm has the shortcomings that the K value and initial centers need to be selected manually. To solve this problem, two improvements are made to the k-means. On the one hand, the canopy algorithm is used for preliminary clustering, and the results are provided to k-means as a reference for the K value, which eliminates the uncertainty in the selection of the K value. On the other hand, using the max-min distance algorithm to select K samples with relatively far distances as the initial centers of k-means, avoiding the problem of randomly selecting the initial centers to fall into the local optimum. Using the six-month campus data of 826 students in a university to perform cluster analysis from the two dimensions of consumption and learning, and evaluate the clustering effect through the silhouette coefficient. The experimental results verify that k-means based on canopy and the principle of max-min distance can effectively distinguish students with different behavior characteristics, and provide corresponding decision support for college education managers.


We determine under which conditions three bivariate copulas are compatible, viz. they are the bivariate marginals of the same trivariate copula, and, then, construct the class of these copulas. In particular, the upper and lower bounds for this class of trivariate copulas are determined.


39Background: Indications for Nivolumab (NIVO), a checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy drug, in treating a variety of metastatic malignancies has markedly increased. Radiation therapy (RT) is also commonly used in this patient population, however, there are limited data on the safety profile of combined RT-NIVO. We reviewed our experience to assess the acute toxicity profile of concurrent RT-NIVO. Methods: All consecutive patients who received NIVO from 1/2015 to 5/2017 at 4 centers across 2 institutions were retrospectively reviewed. Those patients who completed a course of RT from 1 day prior to initial NIVO infusion through 1 month after last NIVO infusion were considered to have received concurrent therapy and included in the subsequent analysis. Descriptive statistics are reported for patient/tumor/treatment characteristics and observed acute toxicities within 3 months of RT completion. Results: Among 261 patients who received NIVO, 46 (17.6%) received concurrent RT to 67 different sites. The median f/...


BLyS is a novel human protein called B lymphocyte stimulator that belongs to the tumor necrosis factor(TNF) superfamily of cytokines.BLyS stimulates immune system cells called B cells to mature into plasma B cells,which produce antibodies.BLyS is recently shown to be critical for survival of normal B cells and has been found to be elevated in a number of immune disease models.The discovery of BLyS may lead to therapies for several diseases that involve B cells,including immune deficiencies,autoimmune disease and lymphoma.This review presents the several advanced therapeutic concepts based on the discovery of BLyS,including BLyS therapeutic protein,human monoclonal antibodies targeting BLyS and radiolabeled BLyS.


components with an optically rough surface, the surface structure itself already shows height differences in the range of the wavelength. The range in which the height information can be unambiguously assigned must be enlarged to be able to measure such components as well. For this purpose, two-wavelength contouring is used. Two holograms with different wavelengths are recorded and subsequently evaluated in combination [3]. With this method, it is also possible to unambiguously measure component defects with height differences of more than 50 μm at the object surface. To make the measuring system adequately robust for use in a production environment, the entire light path was encapsulated. The purpose of this is to protect the optical components against contamination and to shield the system from external light which can influence the measuring process. Finally, to compensate for the vibrations that occur in the production environment, the interferograms for the two wavelengths are recorded with very short exposure times of less than 1 ms. To be able measuring also components with a height difference, which exceeds the depth of field of the measuring system, by two holograms, the recorded holograms will be refocused during the evaluating process. with tactile methods. Fig. 1 shows the measuring system with its essential optical components. The optical light paths are completely sealed by a tube system inside the measuring system to protect them against dust and other ambient influences. The light that is used for illumination will be divided into two separate beams by the beam splitter. One light beam is used to illuminate the measuring object and is scattered on its surface (object wave). The object wave is passed through the microscope objective, which magnifies the object of interest. The second beam acts as the reference wave and is reflected by the reference mirror and combined with the object wave on the camera. The actual measurement signal of the system consists of the superposition of the object and reference wave. This superposition generates an interference pattern on the camera, which includes the 3D shape information of the measured object. This information will be obtained by method of digital holography [2] and will be provided for further analysis. It is possible to achieve height resolutions in the nanometer range with a single hologram on optically smooth surfaces, but these resolutions are only unambiguous for height differences up to half a wavelength. In the case of technical Quality assurance of functional surfaces on micro-components is often not done in the production cycle due to the high production rates. This means that testing is usually only conducted on a random sample basis. For this purpose, tactile shape measurement methods or confocal microscopic techniques are commonly used. These techniques usually provide highly accurate results, but in practice they are usually not fast enough to handle the production speed of the manufacturing line. Furthermore, the accessibility of inspected functional surfaces, especially with the tactile techniques, creates a limitation. Therefore, a 100 % inspection of the manufactured parts is usually not possible. To overcome this gap in quality assurance, a robust digital-holographic measuring system was developed at BIAS in cooperation with VEW-Vereinigte Elektronikwerkstätten GmbH, Bremen, which allows the inspection of functional surfaces with a diameter up to 2 mm and a measurement uncertainty of a few micrometers inside within a production environment. In addition, this measuring system allows quality assurance during the production process with a short inspection time of less than 1 s, even up to a 100 % inspection. By using digital holography [1], the shape of a measured object can be recorded and reconstructed from the image of two holograms. The measuring objects can have a lateral extension in the millimeter range. The resolution of the height values is in the micrometer range. This enables fast two-dimensional shape detection for in-line inspection of microcomponents. The developed measuring system is based on a digital holographic microscope with a working distance of 34 mm. Due to the large working distance, many different workpiece geometries can be measured. These are functional surfaces in cavities of deep-drawn components, which cannot be adequately measured 50mm beam splitter camera light source


One of the primary challenges in obtaining heterostructures is control of the morphology and surface features of the components that are suitable for a specific application. In this sense, the use of preformed nanoparticles as building blocks is interesting. However, to create heterojunctions between preformed nanoparticles, a further calcination step is usually needed that can result in changes in nanoparticle morphology and surface chemistry. Therefore, the main goal of this study was to explore collision-induced heteroaggregation and oriented attachment under hydrothermal conditions to obtain heterostructures from preformed nanoparticles without further thermal treatment or addition of capping agents. We use anatase TiO2 and rutile SnO2 nanoparticles as a model system. A kinetic model based on a diffusion-controlled reaction is adapted to describe the process. For tracking charge migration across the interface and, consequently, heterojunction formation, we employ an indirect method based on the detection of hydroxyl radicals formed over a semiconductor during UV radiation. The rate of hydroxyl radical formation is directly proportional to the photogenerated charge lifetime, which, in turn, depends on the number of heterojunctions formed. The insights presented here suggest the possibility of obtaining the benefits of heterostructures by using nanoparticles with controlled morphology and surface characteristics.


Phase transition temperature(TC) of VO2 thin films was changed obviously by doping methods and the TCR of VO2 films can be increased greatly.It is indicated that the Tc can be reduced by doping with the elements of W、Mo,etc,while increased by doping with Al、P,etc.Effects of different doping methods and different impurity upon the phase transitions,temperature hysteresis,optical and electrical properties are summarized.The newest development of the vanadium dioxide film is introduced,and its future research is discussed to expand its application.


Purpose – This paper aims to present a quality and business improvement framework based on Six Sigma/design, measure, analyze, improve, and control (DMAIC); design for Six Sigma (DFSS); and Lean principles. An historical perspective on these methods is also provided.Design/methodology/approach – Through a discussion of the fundamental components of Six Sigma, DFSS and Lean a deployment strategy is developed. This approach is consistent with Deming's philosophy of quality improvement and is based on his system of profound knowledge.Findings – A quality/process improvement effort that utilizes Six Sigma and DMAIC, DFSS, and Lean can form two of the three basic building blocks of a company‐wide quality management system.Research limitations/implications – Some implications for education of future business leaders in a variety of disciplines including engineering, statistics and business administration are discussed. More widespread education about DMAIC and the associated problem‐solving tools is needed.Orig...


State programs to protect and improve wildlife habitat on private lands have characteristically provided indirect incentives including plant materials, signs, technical advice, and trespass control, Bobwhite quail have, no doubt, benefited from these programs although Wisconsin had the only project which specifically featured the species . The high level of participation in the Wisconsin endeavor suggested that certain cohorts of the private sector are willing to work cooperatively with land managers to improve wildlife resources. An interagency, comprehensive land management approach is needed . Wildlife habitat can be benefited by the improved management of soil, water, plant, and animal resources, Specific programs for quail habitat management on private lands will likely work best under a user-pays concept involving hunting recreation. The principal range of the bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus) is about 750 million acres (Johnsgard 1973:Fig. 39); approximately 87 percent of this acreage is rural lands under private ownership. The key to improved bobwhite habitat and increased hunting opportunity is a balanced program of incentives and education directed at the private landowner , State fish and wildlife agencies within the bobwhite's range have applied a variety of programs to improve the management of wildlife resources on private lands (Table 1), This paper will briefly describe the array of state projects, then discuss the efforts underway in Wisconsin, and finally outline the implications of these endeavors for future programs, Wildlife management programs for private lands focus on (1) wildlife habitat protection and enhancement, or (2) access for recreational use of wildlife resources, usually hunting . The Acres for Wildlife program adopted by several states is an example of a wildlife habitat improvement program, and Pennsylvania's Cooperative Farm Game Program and Wisconsin's Project Respect are examples of access programs . Many programs link "habitat development" and "access for recreation" as typified by North Carolina's Gamelands Permit or Nebraska's Habitat Stamp. Private-lands wildlife management is applied in two basic ways. Programs can be "targeted" at specific wildlife species or at protecting or enhancing particular habitat types . South Dakota's Pheasant Restoration Program is an example of a targeted or featured species approach. Conversely, projects may be "non-targeted" such as the Acres for Wildlife 84 program, and the resultant habitat improvements or accessible lands are found in a shotgun-patterned distribution. Programs to protect and improve wildlife habitat on private lands have been reviewed by Gottschalk (1977), McConnell (1977), Kuperberg (1978), Deknatel (1979), Madsen (1981) and Walton (1981) . State programs characteristically provide indirect incentives--plant materials, signs, technical advice, and trespass control--to encourage the management of wildlife on private lands, Some form of aid for habitat development on private lands was provided by 44 states in 1979 (Deknatel 1979) . Most state agencies within the bobwhite's range offer programs of potential benefit to quail , but only Wisconsin's pilot project appears to specifically feature the species . STATE AGENCY PROGRAMS Among the oldest and most successful state programs within the bobwhite's range are Pennyslvania's Cooperative Farm Game Program initiated in 1936 and North Carolina's habitat improvement project begun in 1946. Cooperators in Pennsylvania's program received personal property protection in return for public hunting rights for at least five years, Habitat improvement is encouraged, not required , By 1981, 18,967 landowners had enrolled nearly 2.3 million acres in the program (Horvath 1982) , North Carolina's program provided 174,000 landowners with 870,000 units of plant materials from 1948-1976 (McConnell 1977). Periodic evaluations have shown good 1 Dumke: State Agency Programs for Bobwhite Quail Management on Private La


In order to solve the sparsity of User-Item scoring matrix in collaborative fIltering recommendation, proposed an algorithm that combining user's interests with item's quality to calculate ungraded items in matrix. By setting the weight of user and item, synthesized the value of missing value, which were used to replace the ungraded value in scoring matrix to calculate similarity. Experiment shows that the algorithm can improve the recommendation effect, and when the user's weight values 0.4, MAE reaches minimum, and recommendation quality reaches maximum.


SUMMARY

In this article, the self-recurrent wavelet neural network (SRWNN) is used as a controller in both direct and indirect adaptive control structures to damp the low-frequency power system oscillations when only the inputs and outputs of synchronous generator are accessible for measurement. The gradient descent method using adaptive learning rates (ALRs) is applied to train all weights of SRWNN. The ALRs are derived from the discrete Lyapunov stability theorem, which was applied to guarantee the convergence of the proposed control schemes. Finally, the proposed control schemes are evaluated on a single machine infinite bus power system under different operating conditions and disturbances to demonstrate their effectiveness and robustness. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Protecting children from extremist ideology, improving care leaver support, reforming child mental health services and changes to Ofsted social care inspections were all issues on the agenda at the NCAS conference this month


The purpose of this research is to develop functional food with garlics(Allium sativum var. pekinense) as a healthy food. Fermented garlic broth(FGB)s were prepared with whole bulb of garlics preserved in sugar and sugar syrup, then fermented and aged at room temperature for 36 months. Biological activities of FGBs were tested antibacterial, antioxidative, fibrinolytic activities and analyzed for polyphenol contents. The total polyphenol contents of FGBs in 12~36 month fermented broth(870~885 mg/100 mL of broth) had significantly higher than those of 1~6 months fermented broths(p


The purpose of this study is to cite the Equator Principles to identify relationships between corporate social responsibility and financial performance. Based on the statistics of the 10 earliest EPFIs from 2005-2012, we use panel data to build regression model in order to identify whether and how adopting Equator Principles is relevant to making profi t. According to the result, under full consideration of lagging, the profi t of fi nancial institution is positively correlated to the number of financing of low-risk project C, infrastructure and renewable energy, emerging market countries. At the end of the article, we offer some suggestions on adopting the Equator Principles combined with our national condition and ensuring the continuity of fi nancing guideline.


Compacted fill soils in hillside areas for residential dwellings are becoming prevalent as development within New Zealand continues to expand. Many of these sites are located on tectonically active areas, and hence the seismic performance of such earth structures should be given due consideration. The current earth fill construction standard in New Zealand (NZS 4431:1989) provides only brief mention and no guidance regarding the seismic stability of hillside fills. Consequently, revisions to the New Zealand earth till construction standard are warranted and urgently needed. In this paper, the principal seismically-induced ground deformation mechanisms (i.e., landslides and seismic compression) in hillside fills are identified, and some existing analysis procedures are summarized. Lastly, some considerations for future New Zealand earth fill construction practices are provided.


The pandemic of Corona virus affected almost all countries in the world and causing several thousand deaths. Africa in particular Morocco in full confinement to limit the damage has adopted several ways to protect its patients in anti cancer centers.


The causes of unemployment have been continuously debated ever since the mid‐1970s. Most commentators now recognise both cyclical and structural causes of unemployment. Moreover, discussion is no longer confined to economic issues but includes also changing social values.


Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of health exercise program to old Women's walking ability, depression and WHOQOL-BREF. Data were collected from April to June, 2007 from the falls experienced 70 women elderly. All subjects participated in 12 week health exercise program which was designed in order to develop walking ability. The data were analyzed using frequency, %, paired t-test. The results of this study were as followings; First, there was significant differences in the average time of chair stand (t=2.291, p=.025), one leg standing(Rt. leg)(t=2.236, p=.029), step length between before and after(t=4.015, p=.000) training of 12 week health exercise program. Second, there was non significant differences in depression(t=1.044, p=.300) but, significant differences in WHOQOL-BREF(t=3.528, p=.001). The WHOQOL-BREF in general quality of life(t=2.923, p=.005), physical(t=3.039, p=.003), psychological(t=2.481, p=.016), social(t=2.531, p=.014) and environment domain(t=4.259, p=.000) were significant differences. The results suggest that the 12 week health exercise program can improve the muscle endurance and balance, QOL. Key Words : Elderly, Health exercise, Walking ability, Depression, QOL


The power supply based on pulse step modulation (PSM) technology has been widely used as the high voltage power supply for additional heating systems, such as RF H&CD and NBI in tokamaks. The topology contains numbers of converters and multi-secondary transformers. For the magnetic inrush of the transformer and the charge current of the converters connecting with the secondary windings of transformer, the power up of the power supply system is quite complex. PSM power supply starts up by two steps: the soft start of transformer and the pre-charge of the converters. Resistor branches series with the transformer and each converter are used to limit the inrush current. A lot of resister branches and parallel contactors in the converter modules are required, as a result the dissipation and electromagnetic interference (EMI) are serious. In this paper, the soft start circuit is simplified to only one step for decreasing the dissipation and EMI. The pre-charge circuits of the converters which are connected to the secondary at first are diverted to the primary winding of transformer can also limit the magnetic inrush current. Since the multi-secondary transformer powers up as the same time as converters, the capacitors in all converters will limit the ramp up rate of the transformer voltage, and the magnetic inrush current can be ignored. To analyze the characters of the precharge branches, all converters can be equaled as parallel during the soft start process. The equivalent circuit, a series RLC circuit, is proposed in this paper. A 1.2kV power supply, contains 12 converters, with soft-start has been built up in laboratory. Simulation and experiment results are shown to verify the theoretical analysis. A new soft start circuit of 100kV high voltage power supply system was designed.


We consider Compton scattering from a pion in the framework of chiral perturbation theory (χPT). We investigate off‐shell effects in the s‐ and u‐channel pole diagrams. For that purpose we perform a field transformation which, in comparison with the standard Gasser and Leutwyler lagrangian, generates additional terms at order p4 proportional to the lowest‐order equation of motion. We demonstrate that the two lagrangians which generate different off‐shell form factors predict the same Compton scattering S‐matrix. This result is interpreted as an application of a generalized equivalence theorem.


It is consistently reported in the literature that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students have much lower rates of access, retention and completion in higher education compared to non-Indigenous students. Seemingly bucking this trend, Bond University has experienced retention and completion rates above national averages amongst its Indigenous students. One of the identified factors contributing to the success of Indigenous students at the University has been the supplementary tuition in the form of Bond Indigenous Tutoring (BIT), formerly known as ITAS. This paper investigated the experiences of both Indigenous students and staff involved in the federally funded tuition scheme in order to identify the outcomes of the tuition, what is required for successful tuition and whether the programme was considered part of a deficit model of support for Indigenous learners. Participants in the study indicated that the tutoring programme led to increased confidence amongst students, reduced stress and improved grades. Requirements for a successful programme included rapport between student and tutor, tailoring instruction to students' needs, covering content specific knowledge and academic skills development when necessary and matching students and tutors from similar fields and age groups. Finally, the majority of participants argued that BIT was not part of a deficit model. It is hoped this paper adds to the literature providing evidence for the efficacy of supplementary tutoring for Indigenous students.


I'm writing this editorial in Seattle, during a break at the 2017 IEEE Radar Conference. I'm sure that in some of the future issues of the Magazine you will read the report on this very interesting conference, but now I'll comment only on the AESS Radar Summer School that has been held in conjunction with this conference (Figure 1). This is the first time an AESS School has taken place. The IEEE AES Radar Systems Panel (RSP) Education Committee organized it (thanks to Alex Charlish, Mike Inggs, Ravi Adve, Mike Picciolo, Dan Sego, Bill Correll and Patty Woodard) with the support of the AESS VP Education and it has been a great success. The goal of School was to teach – in two days – introductory radar concepts to anyone who felt the need for a basic introduction to core radar curricula (Figures 2 and 3, refer to page 17). Out of 43 attendees, 70% were PhD students, while others were mostly working professionals, coming from US, China, Japan, South Africa, Finland, Turkey, Italy, Scotland, England, Germany, France, and India. The interactions, the questions of the students were amazing, so it has been a great initiative, to repeat in the future, on all the topics of AESS interest.


There is a substantial lack of data regarding the actual burden of skin diseases in Nepal. Skin diseases often account for a significant number of hospital visits specially in the rural areas of Nepal. 20-30% of the general population is affected by skin disorders at any given time. A hospital based retrospective study reviewed the medical data over a period of one year (June 2014 to May 2015). A total number of 6009 patients presented to the Department of Dermatology which accounted for 6% of the total hospital patients. There was almost equal number of males (51%) & females (49%). Cutaneous infections and dermatitis alone was responsible for more than 50% of the cases (cutaneous infection-34% & dermatitis-20%) whereas pigmentary disorders, including melasma contributed to only 6% of the cases. The occurrence of skin disease did not have significant correlation with socioeconomic class & personal hygiene (p-value>0.05). Conclusively, we need to focus more towards controlling infectious skin diseases.


Abstract Turbulent sensible and latent heat exchanges play an important role in melting snow covers, contributing 30–40% of overall melt energy with daily values reaching over 50% on warm, cloudy days (Morris, 1989). The spatial variability of these turbulent fluxes across a basin and the relative importance of the differences is not well known. This paper specifically addresses small-scale variabilities in sensible and latent energy fluxes related to topographically induced wind speed variations. A simple wind model was used to simulate topographic effects on the surface wind field. Hourly wind observations were areally distributed by the model and used to calculate spatially variable sensible and latent turbulent heat fluxes for a small (63 km2) research catchment dominated by open tundra vegetation. Simulations showed that, even though the study area is characterized by relatively low relief (average slope 3°), the small-scale sensible and latent heat fluxes varied considerably throughout the basin. The resulting variations in snowmelt rates play an important role in the development of a patchy snow cover. Overall, turbulent fluxes within the research area varied by as much as 20% from the mean, leading to differences in potential snowmelt of up to 70 mm snow water equivalent over the entire melt period.


The development relates to a method, a device and a system for strapping articles, said steps are carried out: • transporting an article (7, 7 ') by means of at least one conveyor device (13, 14) to a strapping station, • forming at least one loop of a strapping band (2) around the article (7, 7 ') by means of a strapping device, • connecting the ends of the loop together, wherein at least one position detecting means (17, 18, 19) the position of the object (7, 7 ') detected. The control of the strapping operation is to be simplified and made more flexible. For this purpose, it is proposed to monitor by means of a microcontroller, the movement of the activated when strapping the components and to be strapped object (7, 7 ') by a control unit (20) and to control individually optimized for each strapping operation. In particular, the position of the ribbon loops formed is controlled by controlling the drive motor for the conveyor.


Afunctional food is aimed at affecting beneficially body functions in a way that is relevant to an improved state of well-being and health or disease risk reduction. Claims shall be established based on sound scientific evidence of either enhanced function or disease risk reduction. Functional food science represents progress toward optimum nutrition. Presented at the Experimental Biology 98 Symposium, San Francisco, California. Sponsored by the International Life Sciences Institute, NA Technical Committee of Food Components for Health Promotion.


The article deals with the work by local committees of the Russian Union of Cities, All-Russian Zemstvo Union, and charities in Ufa Province in the first years of World War I, which provided possible assistance to the army and the rear. The author pays attention to the work of the Province's women.


In this paper, the convergence rate and time analysis of a fault-tolerant consensus algorithm that we proposed in [1] is carried out for asynchronous and synchronous partially connected networks with delay on communication paths. The results are also extended to the case of networks with time-varying underlying graph topology.


We wiU use photos or figures to learn annual motion of constellation in astronomy, e.g. a celestial photo looked up from a site on the earth or a figure looked over the solar system from outside. In this research we propose a VR-based astronomy learning support system which allows a student to switch two viewpoints i.e. Iookup view and overlook view, and also to interaet with the learning environment thfough bodily movement, The proposed system consists of two view contro] functions, One is a function which changes view direction from the former viewpoint by head movement. The other is a function which changes vlew direction fi'om the latter one by intuitive hand movement such manipulations as the revolution and rotation of the earth, A student can switch these viewpoi"ts and set any day and time and then obseTve the celestial body freely. AIthough students need a littte experience to use the proposed system, it makes intuitive interaction with the environment possible and experimental results suggest a possibility that students can understand the learning object easily, Key wonds : virtual reality, haptic feedback device, view centrol, star watchlng, learning with experlence


Abstract An approach based on the Wigner distribution function (WDF) is used for analysing the Strehl ratio behaviour for varying focus errors and object source locations. A relationship is found between the WDF of the pupil function and the WDF of the light field in the Fresnel region about the image plane. Tolerance criteria to defocus can be specified in terms of the 'amplitude' of the parageometrical rays that intersect a tilted optical axis defined by the locations of the object and image points.


Ron Bewley has lowered his expectations for the ASX 200 this calendar year, but expects some modest growth in the first half of next year.


National multicultural policy would be defined as institutional commitment by national states to rectify the discrimination and inequality derived from the difference of race, ethnic, language, culture, and religious and to achieve social consolidation. Also, multicultural policy as institution could be a context that is closely related with the recognition and act of individuals or groups belong to national states. Using MIPEX III as data source, the degree of institutionalization on the national multicultural policy were empirically analyzed. Cluster analysis was conducted based on the score of the national multicultural policy and consequently 4 clusters including 29 national states were derived. This study call for more extensive multicultural policy toward social integration in a diverse society and would be a policy window to implement multicultural policy.