In recent years, two technologies, the cloud computing and the Internet of Things (IoT), have a synergistic effect in the modern organizations as digitization is a new business trend for various industries. Therefore, many organizations outsource their crowdsourced industrial-IoT (IIoT) data in the cloud system to reduce data management overhead. However, data authentication is one of the fundamental security/trust requirements in such IIoT network. The certificateless signature (CLS) scheme is a cryptographic primitive that provides data authenticity in IIoT systems. Recently, CLS has become a prime research focus due to its ability to solve the key-escrow problem in a very recent identity-based signature technique. Many CLS schemes have already been developed using map-to-point (MTP) hash function and random oracle model (ROM). However, due to the implementation difficulty and probabilistic nature of MTP function and ROM, those CLSs are impractical. Hence, the development of a CLS for lightweight devices mounted in IIoT has become one of the most focused research trends. This paper presents a new pairing-based CLS scheme without MTP function and ROM. The new CLS scheme is secure against both the Type-I and Type-II adversaries under the hardness of extended bilinear strong Diffie–Hellman (BSDH) and BSDH assumptions, respectively. Performance evaluation and comparison proves that our scheme outperforms other CLS schemes.


up to the Kyoto Protocol negotiations in Japan later that year, President William J. Clinton described barriers to the adoption of energy-efficient technologies at a White House Conference on climate change. Saying that he was "plagued" by the example of the compact fluorescent light bulb in the reading lamp in his living room, he asked himself, "Why isn't every light bulb in the White House like this?" The president then put his finger on a central question about consumer behavior, asking, "Why are we not all doing this? . . . we'd have to pay 60% more for the light bulb, but it would have three times the useful life. Therefore . . . we'd pay more up front, we'd save more money in the long run, and we'd use a whole lot less carbon. And why don't we do it? Why do we have any other kind of light bulbs in our homes? So when you get right down to it, now, this is where the rubber meets the road." His remarks still resonate today. They highlight fundamental and persistent challenges in the United States to the use of energy efficiency as a potent tool for efforts to mitigate climate change, strengthen national energy security, and realize the economic benefits of a comprehensive, forward-thinking energy policy. These obstacles include individual and collective attitudes and behavior, household economics, and a paucity of readily available information on the benefits of energy-efficient consumer technologies. Understanding and managing such obstacles is the realm of the social sciences rather than technology and engineering, yet the social science of energy efficiency remains underappreciated by those who are best positioned to institute policies to promote energy efficiency as a solution to energy and climate problems. Every president since Richard Nixon has devised a plan for changing the U.S. energy system, yet each one has failed to meet its objectives. The good news is that during the past four decades, the commercial availability of many advanced, efficient, and cleaner energy technologies has increased while their costs have fallen substantially. Partly as a result of the new technologies, the United States has steadily reduced the energy intensity of its economy. Nevertheless, it still ranks 134th among nations in the overall energy efficiency of its economy. Even among its industrialized economic competitors, the United States compares poorly in terms of energy intensity: According to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, it is about 38% more energy-intensive than Germany and Japan. K E L LY S I M S G A L L AG H E R J O H N C . R A N D E L L


The paper studies the determinants of trade credit in the Polish corporate sector. In addition to the readily understandable transaction motive, we investigate the influence of the company's liquidity, leverage and access to capital markets on its willingness to grant trade credit. Our findings suggest that firms actively adjust their trade receivables in order to avoid potential problems related to overtrading. We also find that more leveraged and more financially constrained companies are less likely to grant trade credit. Additionally, the paper studies the influence of the crisis settings on the dynamics of trade credit. We find that the outbreak of the crisis of 2008 caused companies to relax their trade credit policies which may speak in favour of the channelling theory of trade credit. The paper contributes to the on-going discussion on working capital management in the emerging economies.


The paper provides a conceptual model that examines (i) openaccess exploitation and (ii) mangrove deforestation as two potential causes for the scarcity of post-larval shrimp inputs to shrimp mariculture in Ecuador. Results indicate that conversion of mangrove ecosystems to shrimp ponds may have obtained short-term profit at the expense of long-term productivity. Open-access collection of post-larval shrimp may also have contributed to dwindling stock levels. Specific policy recommendations are presented, and future empirical studies are proposed.


In studying the effect of 2,4-D treatment on the chemical composition of bean plants, Sell et al (7) reported that the stem of 2,4-D treated plants contained almost twice as much crude protein as do stems of control plants. Later, Weller et al (9) found that 2,4-D treatment caused a slight decrease in crude leaf protein while the crude root protein remained approximately the same. The amino acid composition in the crude protein from 2,4-D treated stems were different from those of the control plants. A small difference was noted in the leaf and root proteins. These data suggested to the authors that a change had occurred in the character of the protein. Using potato tubers, Payne et al (5) found that 2,4-D caused an increase in free glutamic acid and a decrease in eleven amino acids including aspartic acid. The decrease was explained as an increased catabolism of the free amino acids. In a preliminary investigation on the effects of 2,4-D 2,4,5-T and indoleacetic acid treatment, we have found that the amounts of total aspartic and glutamic acids decreased in both the stems and roots of 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T treated plants, with the greatest change occurring in the stems. Two possible explanations may be given: 1) the 2,4-D treatment might inhibit the synthesis of these amino acids or 2) this treatment nmight increase the rate of oxidation of the amino acids. In order to clarify this point, the present investigation, using carbon 14 as a tracer to study the rates of synthesis of both glutamic acid and aspartic acid in 2,4-D treated and control plants was carried out.


Underwater acoustic communication channels are generally characterized as time-variant dispersive channels,which are also doubly spread channels in time and frequency.Currently there isn't any single communication technique that can work well under different type of channels.A dual mode System is presented in this paper,which incorporate the DSSS and the OFDM technology to develop a channel-robust solution.The system implemented on TMS320C6713 TI DSP platform contains the design of modulation,demodulation and mode switch protocol.The communication technical parameters and the switch protocol are introduced.Experimental results obtained in a physical shallow water channel demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed system.


th century the histories of anesthesia and dentistry have been intertwined. However, office-based dental procedures which frequently involve analgesia, conscious sedation, and anesthesia vary from practice-to-practice with regard to respiratory monitoring. In modern oral and maxillofacial surgery, oxygenation is often emphasized over ventilation via usage of pulse oximetry (S p O 2 ). A recent Pubmed search using multiple appropriate Medical Subject Headings Terms (MeSH Terms) and following up on related citation trails results in a limited number of topic specific citations dating back to 1987. In this review, we summarize the literature that compares oximetry (S p O 2 and the less common P TC O 2 ) to ventilatory measurements, specifically capnometry (P ET CO 2 ) in the setting of oral and maxillofacial surgery and provide a comprehensive primer on the technological and respiratory considerations essential for a practitioner attempting to incorporate ventilatory monitoring. Anderson et al. [1] studied the combination of a capnograph (expired carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) monitor) and a transcutaneous oxygen monitor (P TC O 2 ) as a non-invasive system for monitoring of respiratory function in 10 ASA class I patients undergoing general anesthesia for removal of third molars. They concluded that the continuous display of the measured end tidal volume CO 2 (P ET CO 2 ), which the author's state was measured via nasal prong sampling, proved to be a sensitive and accurate method for detecting apnea and airway obstruction. They further state that all episodes of apnea or obstruction were immediately detected as a dramatic decrease in the expired CO 2 level and that the P ET CO 2 values served as useful indicators of hypoventilation. Interestingly, during steady-state conditions of respiration, P TC O 2 correlated well with simultaneously measured partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood (P a O 2 ) measured by blood gas technology. However, during any period when oxygenation was rapidly changing (step increase in FIO 2 , step decrease in FIO 2 , or apnea) the P TC O 2 lagged behind changes in P a O 2 even after a five-minute equilibration period, thereby not accurately reflecting the true state of oxygenation. They concluded that transcutaneous oxygen monitoring does not appear to be optimal as a respiratory monitor in the setting of ultralight general anesthesia where rapid, critical changes in oxygenation must be detected without delay [1]. Based on a randomly enrolled blind study of fifty-five patients, Bennet et al. [2] stated that in patients with nasal ventilatory exchange rates maintained throughout anesthesia, sampling of nasal P ET CO 2 was an effective way to monitor ventilation status or the respiratory system function. Respiratory depression or obstructive changes in ventilation were detected by capnography with a high sensitivity and low positive predictive value in detecting oxygen desaturation. They state that current technology did not show a clinically significant correlation between P ET CO 2 and oxygen saturation as estimated by pulse oximetry (S p O 2 ), however a combined increase in P ET CO 2 and decrease in respiratory rate suggested a trend of decreasing oxygen saturation [2].


Author(s): Lin, AC | Abstract: © 2020 George Washington University. All rights reserved. The conventional account of most U.S. environmental regulation goes something like this: cooperative federalism schemes accommodate state and federal interests while tapping into the respective strengths of centralized and decentralized regulation. In cooperative federalism arrangements, the federal government sets minimum environmental standards and invites the states to participate in achieving them, even by setting their own more stringent standards. In recent years, however, states and the federal government have displayed a distinct lack of cooperation on environmental matters. With increasing frequency, they turn to the courts to resolve environmental policy disagreements. Under the Obama Administration, Texas emerged as a leading litigant in opposition to federal environmental policies. Under the Trump Administration, California has assumed a similar role. Though these recent suits have attracted much attention, state-versus-federal lawsuits are not a new phenomenon. As this Article demonstrates, states and the federal government have clashed in the courts almost since the beginning of the modern era of environmental law. State-initiated environmental lawsuits against the federal government can be sorted into three categories: (1) challenges to the federal government's handling of public resources, (2) disputes over state prerogatives under cooperative federalism statutes and preemption provisions, and (3) litigation over national policy. Suits in the third category, which have exploded in recent years, have raised the greatest concerns about state standing and the appropriateness of such suits. Standing doctrine, however, generally does not bar such suits, and these suits may not be as problematic as might first appear. Even if states did not sue, private parties would likely challenge the same federal actions. Rather than causing political polarization, state suits are more likely a symptom of an already polarized society. Ultimately, state suits against the federal government might be viewed not as a problem, but as an important mechanism for articulating states' concerns, promoting accountability, and maintaining checks and balances against excessive federal power.


The free energy of mixing and activities of gold in selected six Au-based binary liquid Au-Cu, Au-Zn, Au-Pb, Au-Ni, Au-Sn and Al-Au alloys at different working temperatures have been studied using the quasi-chemical approximation model (QCAM). The predicted free enegry of mixing and activities results were compared with available experimental values. The predicted results are in reasonable agreement with reported experimental data and confirms that the model is reliable and, thus should serve as an alternative for the prediction of thermodynamic properties of binary liquid alloys.
Keywords: free energy of mixing, activities, Au, Binary liquid alloys, concentration


I brainstormed about the methodology to prove the Quranic correctness i.e. to discover the components of Tahara I function, which advocates that studies by mathematical beauty, of the Quranic contents, and of the prophets are good to prove the Quranic correctness.


A group of organotin(IV) complexes were prepared: [SnCy3(DMNI)] (1), [SnCy3(BZDO)] (2), [SnCy3(DMFU)] (3), and [SnPh2(BZDO)2] (4), for which DMNIH=2,6‐dimethoxynicotinic acid, BZDOH=1,4‐benzodioxane‐6‐carboxylic acid, and DMFUH=2,5‐dimethyl‐3‐furoic acid. The cytotoxic activities of compounds 1–4 were tested against pancreatic carcinoma (PANC‐1), erythroleukemia (K562), and two glioblastoma multiform (U87 and LN‐229) human cell lines; they show very high antiproliferative activity, with IC50 values in the 150–700 nM range after incubation for 72 h. Distribution of cellular DNA upon treatment with 1–4 revealed that whereas compounds 1–3 induce apoptosis in most of the cell lines, compound 4 does not affect cell viability in any cell line tested, indicating a possible difference in cytotoxic mechanism. Studies with the daunomycin‐resistant K562/R cell line expressing P‐glycoprotein (Pgp) showed that compounds 1–4 are not substrates of this protein efflux pump, indicating that these compounds do not induce acquisition of multidrug resistance, which is associated with the overexpression of Pgp.


The term beta-beam has been coined for the production of a pure beam of electron neutrinos or their antiparticles through the decay of radioactive ions circulating in a storage ring. This concept requires radioactive ions to be accelerated to a Lorentz gamma of 150 for 6 He and 60 for 18 Ne. The neutrino source itself consists of a storage ring for this energy range, with long straight sections in line with the experiment(s). Such a decay ring does not exist at CERN today, nor does a high -intensity proton source for the production of the radioactive ions. Nevertheless, the existing CERN accelerator infrastructure could be used as this would still represent an important saving for a betabeam facility. This paper outlines the first study, while some of the more speculative ideas will need further investigations.


As a governmental plan for real estate revitalization, remodeling vertical extension has been permitted. Thus, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport preannounced proclaiming the revised Housing Act and establishing the remodeling basic plan, and it is anticipated that the remodeling market will be revitalized in earnest after the enforcement of remodeling vertical extension(April 25th. 2014). As vertical extension is applicable up to 3 stories, the safety of building for remodeling is becoming important, so most remodeling construction works use various methods for structural reinforcement. In this process, the selection of structural reinforcement method has depended on structural engineer's experience and knowledge and there has been a limitation in selecting the optimum structural reinforcement method which considers remodeling project characteristics. Therefore, this study analyzed the factors to determine the kinds of structural reinforcement method in a remodeling project and suggested a process to select the best structural reinforcement method of remodeling construction.


An framework integrated with design pattern,JPA and spring is presented to solve the problem.Key integration technologies of the persistence framework are introduced,and combining a project practice of tourism e-business system,the example of application of the scheme is given.Practice shows that the persistence framework is proved to be practicable and effective.


In order to ease the current nursing disputes in pediatric wards, this paper analyses and discusses the reasons and management strategies for common nursing disputes in pediatric wards from the aspects of reason analysis, countermeasures, and enhancing management.


Based on the data downloaded from Derwent Innovations Index developed by Thomson Reuters,this paper adopts the methodologies of patent intelligence analysis to explore the patent information in NC machine industry in the following three aspects:patents distribution,research institutions distribution and RD hot fields.Revealing the development and the changes in NC machine tool industry in the recent 40 years,the paper offers a reliable reference basis to comprehensively master the technology innovation development in NC machine tool industry.


Cryptosporidiosis was shown a decade ago to be a major contributor to morbidity and mortality of diarrheal disease in children in low-income countries. A serious obstacle to develop and evaluate immunogens and vaccines to control this disease is the lack of well-characterized immunocompetent rodent models. ABSTRACT Cryptosporidiosis was shown a decade ago to be a major contributor to morbidity and mortality of diarrheal disease in children in low-income countries. A serious obstacle to develop and evaluate immunogens and vaccines to control this disease is the lack of well-characterized immunocompetent rodent models. Here, we optimized and compared two mouse models for the evaluation of vaccines: the Cryptosporidium tyzzeri model, which is convenient for screening large numbers of potential mixtures of immunogens, and the Cryptosporidium parvum-infected mouse pretreated with interferon gamma-neutralizing monoclonal antibody.


There exist many problems in the present conditions of Wuxi tourism .T his paper discusses how to promote the sustainable development of tourism from t he following aspects:optimizing the tourist products structure,integrating the t ourism development and the urban construction into a whole,establishing the appr aisal system of sustainable development,and building the network of tourism man-agement and information system.


A 28-year-old female patient felt palpitations without any previous pre/syncopae. The patient was not taking any medications and had no positive family history for conduction disturbance nor arrhythmias. Physical examination revealed no pathology with a resting heart rate of 56/minute. However, 12-lead ECG revealed CHB with the narrow QRS complex. Laboratory findings ruled out systematic auto/inflammatory and/or connective tissue diseases, as well as infectious diseases and malignancies. Stress-ECG testing showed symptomatic CHB with a maximum heart rate of 110/minute. Echocardiography revealed the normal systolic and diastolic function of both ventricles without valvular or structural abnormalities. Cardiac magnetic resonance ruled out myocarditis and structural heart disease. During the diagnostic workout, symptoms started to disappear and 12-lead ECG revealed AVN conduction recovery with PQ interval prolongation (300-340 ms). Furthermore, second stressECG testing was done showing normal AV node conduction, PQ interval reduction, narrow QRS, and maximal heart rate of 180/minute. Thus, the patient was discharged without permanent pacemaker implantation although this was against international guidelines recommendation, due to the AV node conduction recovery and patient being asymptomatic.


The
  2016
  U.S.
  presidential
  election
  led
  to
  one
  of
  the
  most
  contentious
  seasons
  in
  American politics.
  Citing
  the
  inflammatory
  rhetoric
  of
  public
  figures,
  a
  growing
  body
  of
  literature documents
  a
  dramatic
  increase
  in
  bias-‐related
  bullying
  and
  feelings
  of
  anxiety
  in
  K-‐12
  schools across
  the
  country
  since
  the
  2016
  election.
  Using
  student
  and
  faculty
  interviews/focus
  groups, secondary
  data
  analysis,
  and
  direct
  observations,
  this
  case
  study
  offers
  a
  comprehensive examination
  of
  the
  effects
  of
  the
  substance
  and
  tone
  of
  the
  current
  sociopolitical
  climate
  on students
  at
  Portland
  High
  School.
  Data
  was
  analyzed
  and
  suggestions
  made
  for
  administration to
  help
  create
  a
  more
  inclusive,
  welcoming
  environment
  at
  PHS
  and
  other
  local
  high
  schools. Background Throughout
  his
  campaign
  and
  since
  his
  inauguration,
  Donald
  Trump
  has
  expressed controversial
  positions
  that
  call
  into
  question
  the
  status
  or
  rights
  of
  vulnerable populations
  in
  the
  U.S.
  (Rogers
  et
  al.,
  2017).
  Nowhere
  have
  the
  impacts
  been
  more salient
  than
  the
  nation's
  K-‐12
  educational
  institutions
  (SPLC,
  2016).
  Educators
  report feeling
  at
  a
  loss
  for
  how
  to
  temper
  negative
  effects
  of
  the
  political
  environment
  or encourage
  productive
  discourse
  amidst
  a
  campaign
  that
  challenged
  respectful
  values at
  every
  corner. The
  data
  demands
  an
  exploration
  of
  how
  our
  nation's
  youth
  are experiencing
  the
  current
  political
  climate
  and
  raises
  questions
  about
  how
  to
  combat short
  and
  long-‐term
  effects
  and
  teach
  tolerance
  and
  civil
  engagement
  to
  the
  next generation
  of
  voters. As
  one
  of
  the
  most
  diverse
  schools
  north
  of
  Boston,
  Portland
  High
  School
  has
  the opportunity
  to
  embrace
  its
  student
  body
  by
  celebrating
  differences
  and commonalities
  present
  in
  the
  population.
  While
  incidents
  of
  intolerance
  at
  schools continue
  to
  rise
  in
  a
  post-‐Trump
  era,
  it
  is
  imperative
  these
  issues
  be
  exposed
  if
  ever they
  are
  to
  be
  resolved.
  The
  present
  study
  uses
  PHS
  as
  a
  case
  study
  to
  examine student
  experiences
  and
  perspectives
  of
  school
  climate
  in
  the
  age
  of
  Trump.
  The findings
  of
  this
  study
  will
  contribute
  to
  a
  growing
  body
  of
  literature
  on
  student experience
  in
  a
  post-‐Trump
  era. Research
  Questions • What
  are
  students'
  experiences
  and
  perceptions
  of
  school
  climate
  at
  Portland
  High
  School? • How
  did
  the
  2016
  presidential
  election,
  and
  the
  substance
  and
  tone
  of
  current
  political
  rhetoric, affect
  students'
  perceptions
  of
  safety
  and
  belonging
  at
  Portland
  High
  School? • Do
  students
  believe
  the
  2016
  presidential
  election
  and
  the
  current
  political
  climate
  affects
  their relationships
  with
  classmates
  or
  staff
  at
  PHS?
  In
  what
  ways? Methods Case
  Study This
  study
  uses
  a
  case
  study
  approach
  to
  cover
  contextual
  conditions
  of
  the
  Trump
  era, under
  the
  assumption
  it
  directly
  impacts
  student
  experience.
  This
  is
  a
  holistic,
  single-‐ case
  design
  with
  Portland
  High
  School,
  from
  the
  perspective
  of
  students,
  as
  the bounded
  entity
  (Yin,
  2011;
  Creswell,
  2013). Data
  Collection Participants
  were
  selected
  through
  non-‐random
  purposive
  sampling
  and
  snowball sampling.
  Participation
  included
  interviews/focus
  groups
  with
  8
  PHS
  students,
  5
  PHS teachers,
  one
  school
  social
  worker,
  and
  the
  school
  principal.
  Secondary
  data
  analysis
  of 87
  student
  responses
  to
  a
  student-‐conducted
  study
  on
  discrimination
  and
  field observations
  were
  also
  utilized.
  All
  data
  underwent
  categorical
  aggregation
  and thematic
  analysis. Preliminary
  Results Theme
  one:
  "Diverse,
  but
  not
  diverse" Academic
  opportunities,
  self-‐organization,
  and
  perceived
  preferential
  treatment Theme
  two:
  "Everything
  changed
  that
  day" November
  9th as
  a
  catalyst
  event,
  unveiling
  issues
  long
  under
  the
  surface Theme
  three:
  Community
  citizens Life
  outside
  school
  hours
  vastly
  impacts
  school
  experience Theme
  four:
  "Silos"
  to
  swirl "Conversations
  happen
  in
  silos",
  but
  the
  incidents
  have
  viral
  impacts Theme
  five:
  Silence Discussing
  this
  election
  was
  difficult
  and
  often
  avoided;
  this
  left
  much
  to
  interpretation


This article is devoted to the establishment and development of one of the most difficult areas of modern orthopedics, namely arthroplasty of the shoulder joint. We represent the evolution of views on this problem, stages of development and formation of the modern philosophy of replacement of the shoulder joint, constructive features of different shoulder joint implants and indications, which determine the selection of the type of arthroplasty.


The paper presents a new approach for detecting and removing shadows from objects and pedestrians, since shadow removing is a fundamental step in video-surveillance systems for accurate object detection. In order to precisely remove the unwanted shadows, a novel approach is proposed, focused on the problem of representing texture information in terms of redundant systems of functions (frame). The method for discriminating shadows is based on the matching pursuit (MP) algorithm using an over-complete dictionary: the basic idea is to use MP for selecting the best little set of atoms (dictionary functions) of 2D Gabor dictionary and representing texture as linear combination of frame elements. The approach proves how MP is a powerful scheme able to compactly capture detailed textural information of little regions of the image, so MP decomposition coefficients can be used as an exhaustive features in the shadow points detection process. Experimental results validate the algorithm's performance.


The importance of the reactor in industrial processes arises from the fact that it is the essential link between the input (feed) and output (product). This position and its relevance to industrial biological processes are admirably expressed by the editors in the opening sentence of the preface. They state that the bioreactor is the &dquo;natural point of reference, and operations before and after are called upstream and downstream operations&dquo;. Ultimately, therefore, bioreactor design is the critical element in the success or failure of an application of an industrial process. Factors and other considerations related to reactor design are discussed in the preface and more specifically examined in Chapter 1, which presents an overview of the design of a bioreactor system. Regarded


Regression analysis is concerned with the study of the dependence of one variable (dependent variable), on one or more other variables (independent variables) with a view of estimating and/or predicting the mean or average value of the former in terms of the known or fixed values of the latter. In regression analysis there are two types of variables. The variable whose value is influenced or is to be predicted is called dependent variable and the variable which influences the values or is used for prediction is called independent variable. Multiple regression is an extension of simple regression model. The advantage of multiple regression over simple regression analysis is enhancing our ability to use more available information in estimating the dependent variable. Since the multiple regression analysis works under certain assumptions, it may lead to misinterpretation in case of violation of assumption, and thus necessitates the study of Multicollineraity, Heteroscedasticity and Auto-correlation. The coefficients of multiple regression equation are determined by the use of least squares methodology. The use of multiple regression analysis and the associated tools being of tremendous importance in horticultural research, particularly when dealing with multivariate data set. An effort is made to simplify various underlying procedures and techniques in order to get maximum information while utilizing them in statistical analysis. The computation of regression coefficient, the standard error of estimate and coefficient of determination, being time consuming especially when we are dealing with large data sets. An attempt has therefore been made to minimize and facilitate the computational burden while undertaking multiple regression analysis, using R-software.


Differentiation syndrome is a treatment complication which can occur in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) patients treated with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) or arsenic trioxide (ATO), which is characterized by enhanced leukocyte transmigration. Several cellular and molecular mechanisms participate in differentiation syndrome development. This review discusses the changes in expression of adhesion molecules induced during ATRA and ATO treatments and their possible implications in the pathogenesis of this potentially fatal complication.


The article dwells on the features of the calculation of a branched electric circuit containing one or more asynchronous short-circuited electric motors operating with a load which depends on the parameters of the electric circuit itself. A method for solving the problem of calculating a circuit on the basis of the mathematical perturbation method is proposed.


Sport, Branding, "Diplomacying" and Tourism:
The Case of Qatar, UAE and Bahrain
615 words

The importance of sport and branding in contemporary global diplomacy and tourism is arguably undeniable. Combining sports and branding for "diplomacying" is a strategic and fundamental communication decision adopted by a country to identify its goods and to differentiate itself from other competitive countries. This practice is likely to gain more and more significance in terms of branding countries and cultures, the diplomacy associated with sport and regional and global media coverage of sport events will likely be the center of the world diplomatic stages for years to come. In recent time, many small Gulf countries have been racing to host and associate their countries' names with prestigious sports events as a means of branding and "diplomacying" goals. The import of these goals means that the politics of presence or absence, as played out in the realm of sport field, have wider implications for the reinforcement of branding and "diplomacying" patterns, strategies and mechanisms. Equally important is the equation in the questions of branding in the tourism business in these small Gulf countries. The globally mass-mediated sport events, which constitute a site where diplomatic efforts and discourses are construed and negotiated, can potentially enhance the "diplomacying" strategies, tactics and mechanisms.
Hosting prestigious sporting events of regional and global ramifications will undoubtedly be decisive and key factor in branding small Gulf countries and place them visibly on the tourism world map. However, organizing global sporting events can appear as squandering extravagantly substantial financial resources. Fundamental positioning decisions to ensue global exposure involve risky fundamental budgeting decisions like losing a huge amount of capital on negotiation tables. The World Cup 2022 is a case in point. This can raise the question of why these countries would financially guarantee the capital investment to host and organize these sporting events if the net result is not financially returned. The author argues that these countries should tolerate significant financial losses because sport should be regarded as a means of enhancing their brand positioning on a regional and global scale. Because in the world of brands, branding management and brand diplomacy is not about the Return on Investment (ROI), or the purely economic value, but it is about the prestige that goes along with branding and sports for "diplomacying".
In a world saturated with brands, small nations have wisely embraced sport events as a unique opportunity to facilitate engaging experiences and emotions with audiences. In recent time, many Arab Gulf countries have been constantly exploring new ways to sharpen and optimize their branding strategies and diplomatic clout. In the case of Qatar, the exclusive television coverage of high profile sporting events via Al Jazeera Sports granted the small Gulf country a unique capacity for attracting high concentration of attention and visibility among global audiences, including primary target audiences in the Arab world. Along with this, Qatar signed the most expensive global football sponsorship with world-class clubs like the one with Barcelona, "the undisputed brand leader in world football".
 Traditionally, big nations such as China and Russia have used sports diplomacy to polish and enhance the image of their political regimes in the eyes of their own citizens and subjects. Unlike these authoritarian regimes, small Gulf countries such as Qatar, Bahrain and United Arab Emirates have turned to sports events for a number of reasons, expect the political domestication of their populations. Small Gulf countries are using sports events to obtain global media exposure and diplomatic visibility that regionally bigger countries such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Iran deny them. These global sports events can offer small nations a truly global and regional presence that is envied by big neighbors.


This thesis discusses the problems and the methods of finding relevant information in large collections of documents. The contribution of this thesis to this problem is to develop better content analysis methods which can be used to describe document content with


The principle of using DNS security extension for public key distribution in virtual private network is introduced. First, KEY resource record and SIG resource record defined in RFC2535 DNS security extensions are described, and then the method of using the two resource records in public key distributing is presented. Last, it is discussed how to get a public key by using relevant programming interface with C language resolver.


Introduction: The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of adding chicken eggshell powder (CESP) to calcium-enriched mixture (CEM) cement on its compressive strength (CS), solubility, and setting time. Materials and Methods: In this study, CESP was added at weight percentages of 3% and 5% to the powder component of the CEM cement. To measure the CS, a total of 36 samples (height, 6 mm; diameter, 4 mm) were tested in a universal testing machine. The setting time was assessed for 18 disk-shaped samples (diameter, 10 mm; height, 1 mm). Additionally, solubility test was performed on 18 samples (diameter, 8 mm; height, 1 mm) after 24 hours, 72 hours, seven days, and 14 days under dehydration conditions by calculating the weight changes; the results were then subjected to a normality test. Next, for the comparison of different test groups, parametric ANOVA test and post-hoc Tukey's multiple comparison test were performed at a significance level of 0.05. Results: The addition of 5% CESP to the CEM cement significantly reduced its setting time and water solubility (P=0.02 and P=0.01, respectively). Moreover, it significantly increased the CS over a 21-day period (P<0.001). Additionally, the addition of 3% CESP also resulted in a significant increase in CS (P<0.001). While 3% CESP reduced setting time and water solubility, the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion: The findings suggest that the addition of 5% CESP to CEM cement has the potential to improve its sealing ability, durability, and ability to withstand chewing forces in endodontic treatments. These results highlight the relevance of CESP as an additive for cement modifications and indicate its potential clinical implications.


The paper introduces the general layout and building design of Zhuxian mountain villa,it proposes that we should pay much attention to creation of living environment and atmosphere,the architector should start from people and pay attention to cooperation with out factors,so as to create more natural and harmonious living area and to meet people's high requirements on living quality.


This project is an attempt for the understanding of the multiple roles of the head-master and a research on effective ways of management. To be more precise, it is analyzed the pedagogic and managerial role of the school director who is called to handle different issues and to solve problems. Points of view of 32 directos and subdirectors of daily general high schools and vocational high schools of Attica are presented on the aspect of equipment, funding, organization and coordination, management of human resources, students' attendance. Moreover, the existence of positive school environment among students, parents and teachers is examined. Additionally, the traits of the personality of an effective headmaster are investigated, which aims are defined at the beginning of the school year and finally the suggestions of the headmasters for the improvement of the educational results and the school environment are presented. The above factors and opinions are analyzed separately for the executives staff of general high schools and vocational high schools and a comparative analysis is attempted, so as to locate similarities and differences in the way of management. From the results of the research it has come out as a conclusion that while in majority of aspects of organization, coordination, human resources management, technical infrastructure, there were similar responses, however, there were differences in topics such as participation of parents and guardians' association, early school leaving and discipline.


Analyzed the current situation of pharmaceuticals in China,some suggestions would be benefit to the development of imitation pharmaceuticals in our country.


Thank you very much for downloading vegetable growing handbook organic and traditional methods. As you may know, people have search hundreds times for their chosen books like this vegetable growing handbook organic and traditional methods, but end up in harmful downloads. Rather than reading a good book with a cup of coffee in the afternoon, instead they are facing with some harmful bugs inside their computer.


In patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections, needle liver biopsy is used to assess severity of histologic damage and to guide treatment


By analyzing the conditions between universities and enterprises,this paper proposed an interactive mode that makes the information integrated among teachings,researches and practices on the basis of B/S so as to combine the theory and the practice with the assistance of the enterprise,establishing a tripartite interaction information system based on J2EE technology.


An infinite slab subject to temperature variation is analyzed, the problem is formulated using conformal mapping and solved by mellin transform and method of residue. A closed form solution for the temperature distribution is obtained .A detailed verification of the solution is carried out and find to satisfying the Laplace equation.


Abstract Given far-reaching changes in the legal systems of East Central Europe since the mid-1990s, one might expect administrative court judges to have modified the way in which they decide cases, in particular by embracing less formalistic adjudication strategies. Relying on an original dataset of over one thousand business-related cases from the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland, this article shows that – despite some variation across countries and time – judges have largely failed to respond to the incentives contained in the new constitutional frameworks. They continue to adopt the most-locally-applicable-rule approach and are reluctant to apply general principles of law or to rely on Dworkinian 'policies' in deciding hard cases. The analysis links these weak institutional effects to the role of constitutional courts, case overload and educational legacies.


Debates concerning the gender equity claims of enterprise bargaining have taken a particular form. Proponents of decentralised wage-fixing have argued that enterprise bargaining has not disadvantaged women. This claim is supported by reference to the relative stability in gender earnings ratios and the evenness in outcomes for men and women, particularly those in permanent full-time employment, arising from enterprise bargaining agreements. This narrow test of disadvantage obfuscates issues requiring key policy and industrial redress. It is a critique that excludes three key considerations: the equity position of women who remain outside the enterprise bargaining stream; growing income dispersion in Australia, and the prevalence of non-standard employment. Similarly the failure of enterprise bargaining to advance the pay equity position of women significantly beyond the impact of the 1969 and 1972 equal pay decisions is under-explored. Scrutiny of enterprise bargaining provides an opportunity to reaffirm gender (and class) as key analytical tools in enterprise bargaining research and highlights the limitations in the equity benchmarks that are used to appraise enterprise bargaining.


Summary
The program GENCHECK was developed to examine genotyping results of diploid organisms for consistency with the Mendelian laws of inheritance. It can be used to analyse data from co-dominant and dominant loci and large scale pedigrees with many overlapping generations as they are common in animal breeding. The pedigree data and genotyping results are read either from a suitable database or from an ASCII file. The data from individuals, whose genotyping results show a Mendelian segregation error, are written to an output file. Possible error sources can be a result from genotyping errors, false parentage and erroneous data transfer. Additionally, the program derives, if possible, the genotypes of untyped individuals or of individuals, whose genotyping results were assumed to cause a Mendelian segregation error, using information from the parents and/or the offspring. Error checking and derivation of genotypes are combined in a single computation step. Important technical solutions for example, the examination of genotyping results from dominant loci, the representation of possible genotypes on the bit-level and the dependency of the results on ordering individuals in different ways are discussed. The program is written in Fortran 90 and available from the authors.


Despite advances in the development of silk fibroin (SF)‐based hydrogels, current methods for SF gelation show significant limitations such as lack of reversible crosslinking, use of nonphysiological conditions, and difficulties in controlling gelation time. In the present study, a strategy based on dynamic metal‐ligand coordination chemistry is developed to assemble SF‐based hydrogel under physiological conditions between SF microfibers (mSF) and a polysaccharide binder. The presented SF‐based hydrogel exhibits shear‐thinning and autonomous self‐healing properties, thereby enabling the filling of irregularly shaped tissue defects without gel fragmentation. A biomineralization approach is used to generate calcium phosphate‐coated mSF, which is chelated by bisphosphonate ligands of the binder to form reversible crosslinkages. Robust dually crosslinked (DC) hydrogel is obtained through photopolymerization of acrylamide groups of the binder. DC SF‐based hydrogel supports stem cell proliferation in vitro and accelerates bone regeneration in cranial critical size defects without any additional morphogenes delivered. The developed self‐healing and photopolymerizable SF‐based hydrogel possesses significant potential for bone regeneration application with the advantages of injectability and fit‐to‐shape molding.


Integrated study of a series of the Turonian and Coniacian complete geological records has revealed the stratigraphic completeness and specified the faunal contents of the deposits. The south and the southwest of the Ulyanovsk-Saratov trough have been shown to comprise the thickest beds of the studied interval represented by carbonate and carbonate-terrigenous rocks. Northwards, in the zone of the Saratov dislocations, the Turonian – Coniacian bodies are peculiar for terrigenous and terrigenous-carbonate compositions. The beds are ubiquitously monotonous, which complicates identifications at the stage and the substage levels. Distributions of the benthic foraminifer assemblages and the data on the finds of cephalopods, inoceramus, echinoderms, brachiopods and siliceous sponges have allowed to distinguish detailed biostratigraphic units at the level of biozones traced within the examined structural units. An attempt has been made to reconstruct the conditions in the marine environment.


As a modern distribution methods and organizational forms,franchise has greatly prompted the development of modern business,which is now the most vigorous of world and fastest-growing form of operation.Theoretically,researches on franchise can deepen peoples understanding of the basic characteristics of this special commercial forms,and practically,it will provide the enterprise managers with specific guidance.This paper mainly reviews the research both at home and abroad on the theory of franchise,in the hope of deepening the understanding of franchise.


Abstract:Christopher Demuth's early years in the Moravian community of Bethlehem, which included the traumatic transition from its "General Economy," shaped and helped prepare him for a new career in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Trained in carpentry and millwork, Demuth went on to be the most successful tobacconist in Lancaster, specializing in snuff, which he sold throughout Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. His extensive operation demonstrates Lancaster's importance as a production and distribution node, as well as the significant role that Pennsylvania tobacconists played in the state and national economy decades before tobacco was grown commercially in the state.


Laser produced plasma generated by 10ns KrF laser pulses has been investigated by means of X-ray spectroscopic measurements. Electron density and temperature have been obtained with one-dimensional space resolution. The electron temperature was determined from the slope of free-bound continuum to He-like ions. The electron density was estimated from the opacity of resonance line emissions and also from Stark broadening. The observed profiles agree with one-dimensional hydro-dynamic simulation result.


: Metacognition is the cognition of cognition, including all aspects of cognition. The recent years have witnessed a rapid increase in research on the combination of metacognition and face cognition. The cut-in points of recent studies on the combination of the two fields included the applicability of metacognitive illusions (Dunning-Kruger effect and egocentric bias) in face cognition and the applicability of face cognition phenomena (own-race effect and familiarity advantage) in metacognition. Research methods have different emphases according to the time point of measurement and the selection of evaluation objects. It is found that the current research mainly focused on metacognitive monitoring, which can be extended to more directions such as metacognitive control, and the combination with machine learning in the future. It would provide new perspectives for understanding face cognition, and enhance its application values.


Utah State University Management Information Systems (435)-797-2344 Email: firstname.lastname@example.com Education Ph D, University of Arizona, 1993. Major: Management Information Systems Supporting Areas of Emphasis: Management Dissertation Title: Use of an Electronic Meeting System Over Time: An Empirical Investigation with Small Groups 10-week graduate level study program in Information Systems, IBM Systems Research Institute, 1984. MBA, College of William and Mary, 1981. Major: Operations Management BA, College of William and Mary, 1977. Major: Education Professional Positions Academic Associate Professor, Utah State University. (August 2007 Present). Assistant Professor, Florida State University. (August 2000 May 2007). Assistant Professor, University of Virginia. (August 1993 May 2000). Professional Manager, Laboratory Financial Planning, International Business Machines Corporation. (July 1987 July 1989). Manager, Accounts Payable, International Business Machines Corporation. (January 1986 July 1987). Financial Analyst, International Business Machines Corporation. (November 1984 January 1986). Systems Analyst, International Business Machines Corporation. (June 1981 November 1984). Teacher, Sussex County, VA School System. (August 1977 June 1979). Professional Memberships Association of Information Systems (AIS). (January 1994 Present). Academy of Management (AOM). (August 1992 Present).


Objective: Obesity (scaled weight‐by‐height index) charts of a cohort of 597 healthy infants (391 boys and 206 girls) living in Jahrom (Southern Iran) are presented. Material & Methods: An adjusted weight‐for‐height was used to develop power type obesity indices, Ip=W/H p . Polynomial modeling was used by applying HRY (Healy, Rasbash, Y ang) nonparametric method to estimate age‐related smoothed centiles of obesity. Findings: The optimal value of p was found to be 2.5 for girls and 2 for boys. No more than cubic and quadratic polynomials were needed to fit obesity‐for‐age smoothly for infants. Infant's obesity increases from birth to six months of age and decreases later on to the age of 20 months when it becomes stable. Conclusion: Using age–dependent obesity index (scaled weight by height) is an appropriate index which explores the degree of fatness. A local standard for assessing obesity in clinical practice as well as community health programs in Iran is of urgent need; our data serve this purpose.


As the data for free shrinkage alone was found to be insufficient to predict the risk of earlyage shrinkage cracking of restrained concrete, we developed a new technique to characterize the cracking phenomenon based on innovated ring-type specimen tests. The ring test consists of a concrete annulus that is cast around a hollow brass cylinder. As the mortar hydrates and dries, shrinkage is prevented by the ring resulting in the development of tensile stresses in concrete. With this experimental device, we were able to predict the risk of cracking in mortars. For this purpose two kinds of tests were defined: the semi-rigid ring, which allows a partial and constant restraint and the full-compensation system, using a pressurized cylinder around which the mortar was cast. Thus, we were able to follow the growth of internal properties of the material during aging such as, free shrinkage, restrained tensile stresses and visco-elastic response, which will provide precious information for future numerical implantation.


Introduction. The textile industry is one of the most significant manufacturing sectors that produce large volumes of highly polluted and toxic wastewater. Along with the light industry, pigments and dyes industry, domestic service, dry-cleaning, etc., it contributes significantly to water pollution, where dyes are among the top pollutants. Methods. In this study, the degradation of Acid Orange 7 (AO7) dye in a persulfate-bisulfite system under visible (Vis) light (wavelength ≥ 420 nm) was performed. Based on the electron spin resonance spin-trapping technologies and radical scavenger measurements, the produced hydroxyl radical (·OH) is regarded as the predominant reactive oxidant for AO7 decolorization also involving the sulfate radical (SO4· –). The formation of shortlived radicals during AO7 decolorization was detected by the ESR spin-trapping technique at room temperature using a Bruker ESR A-300 spectrometer with the following parameters: center field 3516 G, sweep width 100 G, microwave frequency 9.86 G, modulation frequency 100 kHz, microwave power 1 mW. The intermediate products of the AO7 degradation reaction were analyzed by mass spectrometry. The experiments were performed using an Esquire LC ion trap mass spectrometer (Bruker Daltonics, Bremen, Germany) equipped with an orthogonal geometry ESI source. Nitrogen was used as a drying (3 L/min) and nebulizing (6 psi) gas at 300 °C. The spray shield voltage was 4.0 kV and the capillary cap voltage was 4.5 kV. Scanning was performed from m/z 90 to 400 in the standard resolution mode at a scan rate of 13 kDa/s. Before the analysis, each sample was diluted ten-fold. The intermediates were determined by electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) analysis and, as a result, a plausible degradation pathway was proposed. Results. The results of the study can be useful in designing a simple, effective, and economically sound system for the treatment of non-biodegradable azo dyes.


Having defined the mass distribution in black hole interiors in an earlier paper, thought is now given to the contribution of photons to the structure, with a definite conclusion.


While graphics processing units (GPUs) are used in high-reliability systems, wide GPU dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) interfaces make error protection difficult, as wide-device correction through error checking and correcting (ECC) is expensive and impractical. This challenge is compounded by worsening relative rates of multibit DRAM errors and increasing GPU memory capacities. This work uses high-energy neutron beam tests to inform the design and evaluation of GPU DRAM error-protection mechanisms. Based on observed locality in multibit error patterns, we propose several novel ECC schemes to decrease the silent data corruption (SDC) risk by up to five orders of magnitude relative to single-bit-error-correcting and double-bit-error-detecting (SEC-DED) ECC, while also reducing the number of uncorrectable errors by up to 7.87×. We compare novel binary and symbol-based ECC organizations that differ in their design complexity and hardware overheads, ultimately recommending two promising organizations. These schemes replace SEC-DED ECC with no additional redundancy, likely no performance degradation, and modest area and complexity costs.


Much of the understanding of bulk liquids has progressed through study of the limiting case in which molecules interact via purely repulsive forces, such as a hard-core potential. In the same spirit, we report progress on the understanding of confined water by examining the behavior of water-like molecules interacting with walls via purely repulsive forces. Specifically, we perform molecular dynamics simulations of 512 water-like molecules which are confined between two smooth plates that are separated by 1.1 nm and are interacting via the TIP5P potential. At this separation, there are either two or three molecular layers of water, depending on density. We systematically compare our results with purely repulsive interactions between molecules and the walls with those obtained for Lennard-Jones (LJ) interactions between the molecules and the walls. We find that the thermodynamic, dynamic and structural properties of the liquid qualitatively match those for a system with a LJ attraction to the wall. In previous studies that include attractions, freezing into monolayer or trilayer ice was seen for this wall separation. Using the same separation as these previous studies, we find that the crystal state is not stable with repulsive walls. However, by carefully adjusting the separation of the plates with repulsive interactions so that the effective space available to the molecules is the same as that for LJ confinement, we find that the same crystal phases are stable. This result emphasizes the importance of comparing systems only using the same effective confinement, which may differ from the geometric separation of the confining surfaces.


In order to validate the finite element calculation performed on steel structures, one can carry out experimental tests either on reduced models or on scaled parts of the structure. To verify the precision of the numerical results, experimental determinations of the stress state using strain gauges were undertaken in this paper on a real scale module cut from an Y 25 Cs bolster. Rosette strain gauges were glued on this module, which was subjected to forces applied on the side bearer; the values of loads were chosen as both almost identical to the maximum operating load of the bogie and 50% larger than the maximum operating load. Based on recorded strain, the von Mises stresses under loads were calculated. A geometrical model of the tested module was conceived in order to obtain the von Mises stresses using the finite element method for the same loading cases as used in the experimental tests. The main objective of the research was to validate the numerical model, in order to establish if such model may be further used for the analysis of a complete bogie.


"Forty years ago men might consciously have changed the course of events by nothing more daring than showing the courage of their conviction"


Background As chronic atopic dermatitis (AD) is associated with activation of circulating and infiltrating monocytes, monocytes are considered to play a pivotal role in the establishment of chronic lesions in AD. Histamine is an important mediator of inflammatory and allergic responses. Although new immunomodulatory functions of histamine have recently become apparent, the effect of histamine on the life span of monocytes remains unclear.


5-Hydroxy-isoxazolidinic heterocycles can be easily prepared from hydroxamic acids and suitable ,unsaturated aldehydes or ketones in good yields from solid state synthesis, selectively promoted by DEAE-C. The synthesized products were efficiently derivatized with representative heterobases for the preparation of nucleoside analogues suitable for biological evaluation and SAR analysis.


Prospective memory tasks are often accomplished during the performance of other activities. Despite the dual-task nature of prospective memory, little attention has been paid to how successful prospective memory performance affects ongoing activities. In the first 2 experiments, participants performing an embedded prospective memory task had longer response times on nonprospective memory target trials of a lexical decision task than participants performing the lexical decision task alone. In the prospective memory groups, longer lexical decision response times were associated with better prospective memory performance (Experiments 1, 2, and 3), a pattern not demonstrated with an embedded retrospective memory task (Experiment 2). The results of Experiment 3 suggest that the retrieval of a delayed intention, or the prospective component, can require capacity.


ABSTRACT Social network services (SNSs) have attracted more than 4.3 billion users worldwide. However, many feel SNSs have had an overall negative impact on society. This study utilizes the theory of reasoned action and rational choice theory to explore factors impacting SNS continuance. In addition, the study explores the moderating effect of commitment (i.e., whether an individual is considering leaving their SNS), on factors impacting continuance intention. Using 492 responses collected using MTurk, findings indicate that perceived benefits (i.e., enjoyment and learning) and the costs of non-usage (i.e., fear of missing out (FoMO)) positively impact an individual's attitude toward SNS continuance while the cost of usage (i.e., privacy concerns) has a negative effect. Also, commitment was found to significantly affect the impact of FoMO on attitudes toward continuance. This study makes several significant contributions both to theory and practice related to individuals evolving perspectives on SNS usage.


We present the first measurement of pulse scattering close to the eclipse region of PSR B1957+20, which is in a compact binary system with a low-mass star. We measured pulse scattering time-scales up to 0.2 ms close to the eclipse and showed that it scales with the dispersion measure (DM) excess roughly as τ∝ΔDM2. Our observations provide the first evidence of strong scattering due to multi-path propagation effects in the eclipsing material. We show that Kolmogorov turbulence in the eclipsing material with an inner scale of ∼100 m and an outer scale of the size of the eclipse region can naturally explain the observation. Our results show that the eclipsing material in such systems can be highly turbulent and suggest that scattering is one of the main eclipsing mechanisms at around 1.4 GHz.


This paper studies the GI/G/1 queueing system assuming that customers have service times depending on the queue size and also that they are served in accordance with the preemptive-resume last-come–first-served queue discipline. Expressions are given for the limiting distribution of the queue size and the remaining durations of the corresponding services, when the system is considered at arrival epochs, at departure epochs and continuously in time. Also these results are applied to some particular cases of the above queueing system.


1 ABSTRACTThe question is occasionally asked whether the investment yield achieved on the assets of a pension fund in South Africa is liable to be influenced, adversely or otherwise, by the size of the fund's assets.Statistical tests conducted overseas have tended to suggest that there is no noticeable correlation between size and yield. Nevertheless it seemed that an investigation could with advantage be carried out on the basis of South African conditions, to establish whether any different result would emerge here.This paper sets out the results of such an investigation. They point to the same general conclusions as those arrived at overseas, but in the process certain pertinent questions arise.


On the basis of several widely accepted geological and chemical assumptions, the theory and method for quantitative calculation of simple metal sulphide solubilities at elevated temperatures in dilute vein solutions is presented. Quantitative solubility data for copper are calculated over a wide range of temperature, acidity, and concentrations of salts. From the calculations it is concluded that dilute acid solutions, regardless of composition or temperature, cannot carry dissolved metal sulphides. The case for alkali sulphide transport is discussed, with the conclusion that colloids must play an important part in sulphide transportation.


A fabrication technique for non-alloyed Au/Pt/Ti ohmic contacts to p-InGaAs (N/sub A/=1*10/sup 20/ cm/sup -3/) is discussed. The semiconductor surface is cleaned by Ar/sup +/ ions immediately followed by the metal deposition by electron beam evaporation. The low energy (60 eV) Ar/sup +/ ion etching removes the residual oxide layer existent on the semiconductor surface. The contact is formed by rapid thermal processing (RTP) at 400+or-C. It is shown that extremely low specific contact resistances (r/sub c/ =6*10/sup -8/ Omega -cm/sup 2/) can be achieved, even for 2.5 mu m contact widths, and that the contacts produced exhibit excellent homogeneity and improved uniformity over wet chemically pre-cleaned ones.<<ETX>>


"I'm a woman. Women's sky is low and women's wings are weak ... we were born with lifelong, cumbersome burdens." That was the sentiment of Xiao Hong, a novelist, short-story writer and poet, who once spoke those words to sum up the lives of women in old China. She died young, but, in a writing career that lasted less than 10 years, she left many superb works. To most people, her life was an enigma.


The analysis of job mobility and earnings has been dominated by human capital theory. This approach has been subject to considerable criticism in recent years, particularly about the manner in which it conceptualizes the processes that take place between the start and end of a job. An alternative is the internal labour market approach, which focuses on the very processes which are so problematic for human capital theory. Information from three specially designed surveys of professional scientists in Australia and Britain suggests that the processes that are central to internal labour market theory are crucial to generating the distribution of earnings. While the evidence presented is not necessarily incompatible with human capital theory, it does suggest that future research on the earnings distribution could usefully involve the development of the internal labour market approach.


In the 1990s Russia was a political and economic disaster area. It began the decade in a state of constitutional and economic crisis as it strove to extricate itself from the ruins of the Soviet Union (USSR). Independence, when achieved after August 1991, did not resolve Russia's problems, but exacerbated them. Radical economic reform contributed to political conflict between President Boris Yeltsin and parliament and could not avert a transitional recession of such magnitude that, by 1998, Russia's industrial production was half what it had been in 1990. Although Yeltsin won his constitutional battle with parliament in 1993, he could not reverse the decline of the Russian state. Internationally, Russia's influence did not recover from the losses of territory and status that accompanied the USSR's demise. Domestically, the central Russian state was unable to control regional leaders and Yeltsin traded state property for support from economic elites so that it appeared that the Russian state and public policy had been 'captured' by an oligarchy. Russia's crisis reached its apogee in 1998. Its economic problems led to a debt crisis and forced the devaluation of the ruble in August of that year. Economic crisis then led to a rolling political crisis as Yeltsin tried to control who would succeed him and the Russian government changed four times in a year and a half. Cumulatively the picture at the end of the Yeltsin era looked bleak. In many ways, as Archie Brown has argued, 'the Russia Putin inherited from Yeltsin was in substantially worse shape than the USSR of the perestroika years, or for that matter, the Brezhnev era'. The turnaround in Russia's economy and the reconstruction of political power under President Vladimir Putin has thus been truly astonishing. Russia's gross domestic product (GDP) grew at an average of about 7 per cent a year between 1999 and 2006, and grew again by 7.8 per cent in the first half of 2007. Industrial production has also grown at about 7 per cent a year since 1999, unemployment has halved and average monthly wages have tripled to just over US$300. External debt was 90 per cent of GDP in 1999, but in June 2006 Russia announced that it would clear its remaining US$22 billion debt to the Paris Club and pay an early repayment fee of US$1 billion. The Russian government's New Political Economy, Vol. 13, No. 2, June 2008


This NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) video production presents an STS-106 pre-launch interview with Russian Cosmonaut/Mission Specialist Boris Morukov, M.D., Ph.D. Among other topics, Morukov discusses his background in studying weightlessness at the Russian Institute for Biomedical Problems and how his experiences prepared him to become a Cosmonaut candidate. STS-106 is International Space Station assembly flight ISS-2A.2b and will utilize the SPACEHAB Double Module and the Integrated Cargo Carrier (ICC) to take supplies to the station. The mission will also include 2 spacewalks.


Background: There is an overt association between antibiotic use and resistance. WHO has recommended medical education institutions to conduct a study of rational use of antibiotics. This should especially include the most vulnerable patients, patients with the highest risk of mortality, patients who were in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). This study was conducted to determine the rational use of antibiotics at the ICU. Dr. Kariadi Hospital Semarang-Indonesia in the period of January-December 2012. Method: Quantity and quality assessment conducted by the use of DDD/100 patient day and the Gyssens' criteria. The study was conducted retrospectively at 40 patients' medical records that were obtained by the simple random sampling. Results: There were 83 antibiotic prescriptions from 40 medical records. Ceftriaxone, ciprofloxacin, and meropenem were the most widely used antibiotic and had 45.3; 38.37; and 20.38 DDD/100 patient days. By Gyssens category, 34.5% of antibiotic usage were rational, 3.6% was not rational because improper dosing interval (IIB), 1.2% due to antibiotic treatment was too brief (IIIB), 17.9% because there were other antibiotics that more effective (IVA), 3.6% because there were other cheaper antibiotics (IVC), 38.1% no indication of the use of antibiotics (V), and 1.2% incomplete data (VI). Based on therapy type, this study reveals 34.9% of ADE, 16.9% of ADET, 9.6%of ADD and 38.6%of ADU. Conclusion: In terms of quantity, the most widely used antibiotic was ceftriaxone, and in terms of quality 34.5% antibiotic was used rationally according Gyssens' criteria .


As a widely-used technology maturity evaluation method in the American and British military project acquirement,Technology Readiness Level(TRL) plays an important role in the project management improvement and delay reduction.In this paper,the definition of the TRL used in the US military and the corresponding development phases are introduced,and then,for the development process of electronic warfare equipment,the definition of nine-level TRL of EW equipment is proposed,and some related application issues are discussed.


The purpose of this study is to describe the policy implementation of administrative registration on population migration and the factors supporting and hindering the implementation of the policy in the city of Surabaya. The study uses a qualitative method. The result of this research shows that the policy implementation of administrative registration on population migration in the city of Surabaya for this is still classified as less good because there are still many weaknesses in its implementation. Potential factors supporting the implementation of administrative registration on population migration in the city of Surabaya is regulation clarity, adequacy of facilities, adequacy of costs, and the ability of the implementers. The factors inhibiting are the lack of community participation, low commitment to implementing, lack of executive officers, and the characteristics of the population.


The establishment of the Cooma Oncology Service is a prime example of a united and committed rural community working in partnership with their local health service. It is a reflection of the great things that can be achieved. This project was and always will be all about our cancer patients, many of whom drove this idea and shared their personal battles with cancer to heighten awareness and mobilise support within the local community. Many of these patients are no longer here but their bravery and determination to have a local oncology service has made it much easier for those that follow them.


We report and compare results from several different versions of an experimental interactive guessing game first studied by Nagel (1995), which we refer to as the 'beauty contest' game following Keynes (1936). In these games, groups of subjects are repeatedly asked to simultaneously guess a real number in the interval [0, 100] that they believe will be closest to 1/2 times either the median, mean, or maximum of all numbers chosen. We also use our experimental data to test a simple model of adaptive learning behaviour.


Abstract Silicon carbide matrix composite reinforced by both SiC and carbon fibers [(SiC-C)/PyC/SiC] to alleviate the thermal residual stresses (TRS) between carbon fiber and SiC matrix, then reduce the microcracks in the SiC coating as well as in the matrix, was fabricated by chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) process. Compared with C/PyCHT/SiC composite in which PyC interphase was heat-treated at 1800°C in argon to lower the fracture energy of the interphase, the TRS in SiC matrix and SiC coating was reduced by 69.5% and 62.2%, respectively. Coating cracks density was 50 cracks/m for (SiC-C)/PyC/SiC composite, and 1090 cracks/m for C/PyCHT/SiC composite. Carbon phases could be protected in (SiC-C)/PyC/SiC composite when the composite was subjected to temperatures ranging from 700°C to 1300°C in air for 10 h. The residual strength of (SiC-C)/PyC/SiC composite was higher than those of C/PyCHT/SiC composite below 1200°C. The residual strength of (SiC-C)/PyC/SiC composite was lower than those of C/PyCHT/SiC composite at 1300°C because of the recession of SiC fiber.


This prospective observational study describes the pharmacokinetic characteristics of favipiravir in adult patients hospitalized for mild to moderate COVID‐19 with a positive RT‐PCR test. Favipiravir was administered for 5 days, with a loading dose of 3200 mg and a maintenance dose of 1200 mg/day. Serial blood samples were collected on Day 2 and Day 4 of the therapy. Laboratory findings of the patients (n = 21) and in‐hospital mortality were recorded. Favipiravir concentrations exhibited substantial variability and a significant decrease during the treatment of COVID‐19. The median favipiravir trough concentration (C0‐trough) on Day 2 was 21.26 (interquartile range [IQR], 8.37–30.78) μg/mL, whereas it decreased significantly to 1.61 (IQR, 0.00–6.41) μg/mL on Day 4, the area under the concentration–time curve decreased by 68.5%. Day 2 C0‐trough of female patients was higher than male patients. Our findings indicate that favipiravir concentrations show significant variability during the treatment of COVID‐19 and therapeutic drug monitoring may be necessary to maintain targeted concentrations.


Summary: The introduction of autonomous vehicles (AVs) is projected to increase safety and efficiency of transportation. However, climate change poses a challenge to the smooth integration of AVs to current transportation infrastructure. Increased extreme weather events, higher precipitation and temperature, and damages to infrastructure are challenges AVs will face. Therefore, the authors advocate for Planned Adaptive Regulation, and raise questions that they feel policymakers and driving assessment should consider.


Since I first started teaching 36 years ago, in some ways, teaching has changed significantly. In other ways, we're still trying to accomplish the same thing." Posting about changes in professional education development from In All Things an online hub committed to the claim that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ has implications for the entire world. http://inallthings.org/how-teaching-has-changed-in-the-last-36-years/


With the deepening of the smart grid construction,power grid development mode achieves a major shift.This brings about changes in industrial structure and the lifestyle of the people,so this also brings a change in the way of power marketing services.Building smart business hall is an important part of the link of electricity users in the smart grid construction and an important means of changing service mode of power marketing.The research brings power marketing a new service concept and an intelligent mode of operation.


Abstract : Studies on the buffet characteristics of aircraft in the transonic speed range raise considerable analytical difficulties, which have been of great concern to designers. Due to the complexity of the flow field beyond the buffet boundary, theoretical solutions to the buffet problem are impossible at the present time. Therefore researchers are attempting to develop new wind-tunnel test techniques and establish correlation factors to flight test results. The report gives a state-of-the-art of methods used in Europe to predict buffet boundaries and response. A comprehensive survey of practical techniques and analyses is made and a critical review of their respective capabilities and limits of validity is presented.


In this article,
we review recent progresses in boundary layer analysis of some
singular perturbation problems.
Using the techniques of differential geometry,
an asymptotic expansion of reaction-diffusion or heat equations in a domain with curved boundary
is constructed and validated in some suitable functional spaces.
In addition, we investigate the effect of curvature
as well as that
of an ill-prepared initial data.
Concerning convection-diffusion equations, the asymptotic behavior of their solutions
is difficult and delicate to analyze because it largely depends on the characteristics of the corresponding limit problems, which are first order hyperbolic differential equations. Thus, the boundary layer analysis is performed on relatively simpler domains,
typically intervals, rectangles, or circles.
We consider also the interior transition layers at the turning point characteristics in an interval domain and classical (ordinary), characteristic (parabolic) and corner (elliptic) boundary layers in a rectangular domain
using the technique of correctors and the tools of functional analysis.
The validity of our asymptotic expansions is also established in suitable spaces.


"Time and tide waits for none."While growing up hearing this proverb, Author often wondered, can we wait for time instead? If we could time travel as humans; could we specify when we might end up in the vast ocean of time? Better if we could travel through both Space and Time simultaneously; can we endeavour to determine where and when we might find ourselves after travelling? Desire to find answers to these questions and more has motivated me attempt several experiments; Author write to you based on what author encountered in those 7 experiments over the years. We Know, Standard 3 Dimensional equation determination is 2 2 2 x y z + + Where, x, y, z consecutively length, width, depth/height of an object. Considering the general theory that the fourth dimension is time and time can only proceed in positive axis (We can only go to future but not to past) as long as velocity of object is less then speed of light. When time can only flow forward and Fifth Dimension is undetermined/unconsidered, Then, Fourth Dimensional Equation Determination is | | 2 2 2 6| | xyz v v x y z t ∈ ∆ + + + Where, Volumic Feasibility is xyz ∈ Velocity Resultant of object, |∆v| Velocity Resultant integer of frame is |V| Fourth Dimension is Time, t. Here, Volumic Feasibility is a Mezali condition of objects' Volume before and during time travel, which changes with difference any co-ordinate change of object (Eg. The Volumic Feasibility of when you stand still and when you raise one hand are very different) ultimately depending on M-Curve created by o-skew curves of Length, Width, and Depth of Object. Velocity Resultant of object, |∆v| is the Resultant of velocity components x V , , y z V V of object in X, Y, Z axis with perspective to most detectable stationary reference; which in case of this 4th dimensional equation determination is; |∆v|<3 × 108 meters. |V| is the velocity resultant of frame surrounding the most stationary detectable reference. As we find endeavour to find most stationary object and its` frame; our accuracy in this calculation will increase.


Highly atypical mineralization involving Pd-Pt, Au-Ag, REE, Y, Zr, U, Th, and Cl-F-enriched minerals is found in zones with base metal sulfides (BMS; ~5 vol.% to 20 vol.%) in the eastern portion of the Oktyabrsky deposit in the Norilsk complex (Russia). The overall variations in Mg# index, 100 Mg/(Mg + Fe2+ + Mn), in host-rock minerals are 79.8 → 74.1 in olivine, 77.7 → 65.3 in orthopyroxene, 79.9 → 9.2 in clinopyroxene, and An79.0 → An3.7. The span of clinopyroxene and plagioclase compositions reflects their protracted crystallization from early magmatic to late interstitial associations. The magnesian chromite (Mg# 43.9) trends towards Cr-bearing magnetite with progressive buildups in oxygen fugacity; ilmenite varies from early Mg-rich to late Mn-rich variants. The main BMS are chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite, troilite, and Co-bearing pentlandite, with less abundant cubanite (or isocubanite), rare bornite, Co-bearing pyrite, Cd-bearing sphalerite (or wurtzite), altaite, members of the galena-clausthalite series and nickeline. A full series of Au-Ag alloy compositions is found with minor hessite, acanthite and argentopentlandite. The uncommon assemblage includes monazite-(Ce), thorite-coffinite, thorianite, uraninite, zirconolite, baddeleyite, zircon, bastnäsite-(La), and an unnamed metamict Y-dominant zirconolite-related mineral. About 20 species of PGM (platinum group minerals) were analyzed, including Pd-Pt tellurides, bismuthotellurides, bismuthides and stannides, Pd antimonides and plumbides, a Pd-Ag telluride, a Pt arsenide, a Pd-Ni arsenide, and unnamed Pd stannide-arsenide, Pd germanide-arsenide and Pt-Cu arseno-oxysulfide. The atypical assemblages are associated with Cl-rich annite with up to 7.54 wt.% Cl, Cl-rich hastingsite with up 4.06 wt.% Cl, ferro-hornblende (2.53 wt.% Cl), chlorapatite (>6 wt.% Cl) and extensive solid solutions of chlorapatite, fluorapatite and hydroxylapatite, Cl-bearing members of the chlorite group (chamosite; up to 0.96 wt.% Cl), and a Cl-bearing serpentine (up to 0.79 wt.% Cl). A decoupling of Cl and F in the geochemically evolved system is evident. The complex assemblages formed late from Cl-enriched fluids under subsolidus conditions of crystallization following extensive magmatic differentiation in the ore-bearing sequences.


I was asked recently to do a workshop at a local college on branding. I agreed with the intention of talking about branding as a meta-concept. Little did I know that the talk was pre-titled as a part of a larger ongoing series…and the title of the talk I was booked to do was "Creating…


Analyzing of medical data content in the medical field is a major issue for the medical researcher. Medical researcher need to solve this problem with these vast data. Conversely, there is a need for analyzing a hidden relationship in those vast data. Analyzing these relationship Data mining plays a vital role for analyzing the medical data content in medical fields. Many techniques were implemented for this issue to analyzing the outcomes, they were some issues were occurred. This study paper provide a various classification techniques to analyze the problems and how it will helpful for the medical researchers by using the decision tree, Naive Bayesian and Artificial neural network (ANN) for accurately provide the best outcome to the researchers.


This thesis describes a new line segment detection and extraction algorithm for computer vision, image segmentation, and shape recognition applications. This algorithm uses a compilation of different image processing techniques such as normalization, Gaussian smooth, automatic threshold, and Laplace edge detection to extract edge contours from color input images. Contours of each connected component are divided into short segments, which are classified by their orientation into about ten discrete categories. Straight lines are recognized as the minimal number of such consecutive short segments with the same direction. This solution indeed gives us more precise line segments (including line endpoints) and requires a shorter time than the widely used Hough Transform algorithm for detecting line segments given any orientation and location inside an image. Its easy implementation, simplicity, parameter minimization, speed, ability to split an edge into straight line segments using the actual morphology of objects, accuracy and the use of OpenCV library are key features and advantages of the proposed approach. The algorithm was tested on several simple shape images as well as on real pictures, yielding a more accurate resemblance of straight lines in accordance with the human perception of line taxonomy. The line detection algorithm introduced here requires few parameters and is robust to standard image transformations such as rotation, scaling and translation. Furthermore, some of these parameters are selected by automatic unsupervised methods, thus improving the expected algorithm outcome in terms of the stated problem. Several experimental results are presented to support the validity of the algorithm.


Although Ezell claims that we only "repackaged in a new article the limitations identified by Ezell et al. of PRA in terrorism risk analysis," he neither addresses nor refutes any of our substantive technical points and examples, and his comments reflect a fundamental lack of understanding of our main ideas. We are therefore grateful for this opportunity to clarify our reasoning in light of his comments, as follows.


Background: A Laparoscopic cholecystectomy as called lap cholecystectomy is a common but major surgery with serious risk and potential complications. Laparoscopic surgeries have attended the status of a gold standard for most of abdominal pathology; we therefore performed this study to assess the feasibility and safety of major laparoscopic surgeries similar to laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) at pnemoperitoneum (PP) pressures of 12-15 mm Hg is established for symptomatic gallstones. Metabolic and cardiopulmonary concerns and, pain may be minimized by low pressure PP. Materials and Methods: This prospective, randomized and triple blended observational study was done in Department of Surgery in a Tertiary care Hospital. The study duration was 12 months from February 2021 to January 2022. A total of 80 patients were included, who fulfilled the inclusion criteria and who gave consent to participate in the study. Result: Total Eighty patients of symptomatic gallstone disease planned for laparoscopic cholecystectomy were included in the study. After randomization, there were 40 patients in both groups, i.e. group 1 (LPLC or 8 mm Hg group), and, group 2 (SPLC or 12 mm Hg group). In group 1 the ratio of male and female is 33:7 and in group 2 the ratio of the male and female is 36:4. Both groups were similar with respect to age, sex and BMI. There were no associated co-morbidities in any of the patients. Conclusion: Laparoscopic surgeries with low pressure CO2 pneumoperitoneum are feasible and safe under. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is feasible and safe at 8 mmHg pressure with slight modification of technique, and is associated with less pain compared to surgery at 12 mmHg. Studies with compromised cardiopulmonary or hepatic reserve are required to better quantify the benefits.


This chapter addresses the role played by language and schools in the history of Spain's nineteenth-century liberal nation-building project. Both the Spanish language and the public school system were strategic sites where national consensus could be built and, consequently, the achievement of linguistic homogeneity through education became a central goal for the state. These pages examine, in particular, the conditions that favored the linguistic norms developed by the Royal Spanish Academy (henceforth RAE from Real Academia Española) and the debates that surrounded their officialization and imposition in the emerging national school system. While the historiography of Spanish has traditionally described the selection and implementation of the RAE's norms as if they were undisputed and ideologically neutral (Calero Vaquera 1986; Esteve Serrano 1982; Martı́nez Alcalde 1999, 2001; Sarmiento 1986), this study will emphasize the political complexity of the standardization process by approaching the archival material with "an ethnographic eye for the real historical actors, their interests, their alliances, and where they come from, in relation to the discourses they produce" (Blommaert 1999: 7).


Abstract The effects of hot-plate heating and gravity drainage on steamflood performance were studied for a heavy oil reservoir using a numerical steamflood simulator. A one-eighth of a five-spot model representing the reservoir that was divided into two target sands by a shale layer was used for the study. The shale was assumed to be either continuous or discontinuous. Simulation results show that when the lower target sand of a two-part reservoir is steamflooded, the upper sand becomes heated from below by a phenomenon known as "hot-plate heating." This phenomenon is seen to produce several important beneficial effects for subsequent steamflooding of the upper sand: (1) shortened project life, (2) early production contribution from the upper sand, (3) near vertical sweep of the upper sand by steam, and (4) lower cumulative steam-oil ratio. If the shale is discontinuous, steam can rise through the discontinuity and drive the heated oil in the upper sand toward the producer, thereby further accelerating oil recovery during steamflooding of the lower sand. The simulation model was subsequently used to recommend an optimum operating strategy for this type of reservoir. The optimum strategy depends on whether cumulative oil-steam ratio or present-worth profit is used as the yardstick.


The invention relates to a loudspeaker diaphragm manufactured from a fiber-reinforced resin based composite nanomaterial, belonging to the fields of design and manufacture of electroacoustic devices and acoustic products. The loudspeaker diaphragm is manufactured from the following raw materials in percentage by weight: 75-87% of polypropylene resin, 12-20% of chopped fiber and 1-5% of nano inorganic additive. The loudspeaker diaphragm has the beneficial effects that: the used polypropylene resin raw material has abundant supply and low cost; compared with solid materials with the same size, the density of the loudspeaker diaphragm is greatly reduced, but the rigidity is significantly improved; and large-scale production and performance parameter control are easily achieved.


This dissertation is the product of an investigation into the meaning of Soviet Russian use of nationalism as an instrument of foreign policy during the period of Lenin and Stalin. It is intended to show:,~(l), that the employment of nationalism was consistent with ideas advanced by Marx and Engels; (2) that the Soviet successes in foreign relations depended to a large extent o~ the encouragement of nationalism at home and abroad; and (3) that the chief weakness of this method was that it contributed to the growth of deviationist tendencies among non-Russian Com-


Spruce budworm bas invaded the forest of Quebec since 1939, especially the pines of the coniferous area. There are jour major infested regions : three are located on the North shore of the St. Lawrence river : in the Gatineau river bassin, in the Laurentians between the Lachute Area and lake St. John, and in the North Shore region behind Baie Comeau Sept-Iles. The fourth region starts behind Rimouski and spreads eastward, covering the whole Gaspe peninsula. In this last the authorities are quite concerned about this plague, which is becoming a serious menace to the forest industries. Various air-spays have been used during the past jour years in order to circumscribe the dammages, and more than 4,000,000 acres have been treated with DDT, first step toward the rehabilitation of the forest.


Background As a therapy to prevent and treat hypertension, exercise is widely used in clinical practice. But due to the lack of documentary evidence, Baduanjin as a relaxed and convenient mode of exercise is not currently recommended by professional health organizations to treat hypertension. The purpose of this article is to examine the efficacy of Baduanjin as an antihypertensive exercise therapy. Methods Our systematic retrieved of the entire relevant literatures in 12 databases. Finally, 28 eligible trials involving Baduanjin intervention in hypertension were included. After the quality assessment and bias risk assessment of the included trials, we analyzed the blood pressure values before and after the intervention, and performed meta-analysis on the random effect results. In order to explore the factors influencing the decrease of blood pressure, we also performed a subgroup analysis of the results. Results Participants (n = 2121) were adults (61.74 ± 5.85years of age, mean ± SD), with baseline blood pressure (systolic blood pressure (SBP) = 150.7 ± 9.2 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure (DBP) = 93.2 ± 8.8 mmHg). Baduanjin was practiced 7.5 ± 3.8 sessions / week for 28.2 ± 12.8 min /session for 16.7 ± 9.2 weeks. Overall, Baduanjin resulted in SBP (−9.3 mmHg, d = −1.49, 95%CI: −1.73 to −1.13) and DBP (−6.3 mmHg, d = −1.20, 95%CI: −1.51 to −0.88) vs. the control group (p < 0.001). After a subgroup analysis of age, we found that SBP heterogeneity was significantly reduced in the elderly group. Conclusion Our results indicate that Baduanjin can effectively reduce blood pressure (i.e., 9.3 mmHg and 6.3 mmHg of SBP and DBP reductions, respectively), and reduce the incidence rate of cardiovascular disease in hypertensive patients. In addition, we will be more likely to recommend that the elderly exercise Baduanjin.


This paper discusses the applications of data envelopment analysis (DEA) as a decision tool for enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. DEA provides a number of opportunities, which seem to justify its use in this field. Both the ERP system and its requirements as well as the DEA model are introduced and a model for group decision as often required for ERP solutions is developed.


We identify empirically the extent to which expectations are de-coupled from inflation, how well they are anchored in the long run, and at what level. We thus construct a measure for how well expectations are anchored, which serves as a proxy for credibility. We apply this methodology to US inflation since 1963, and examine how well our measure tracks the periods for which credibility is known to be either low or high. Following the narrative of a number of well documented incidents in the period of the Great Moderation, we check how well our measure captures both the evolution of credibility in US monetary history, as well as reactions to inflation scares.


Some calculation of gamma-ray intensities published in a previous paper are compared with recent measurements made with an elektron metal Sievert condenser-chamber. It is shown that the relative values agree to within 2 per cent, but that the observed values are 24 per cent higher than the calculated. It is found that the Optimum intensity for reducing mitosis in tissue cultures is in the region of 77 Imc.


Introduction: Deliberate polypharmacy overdose is associated with an increasing proportion of admissions to the intensive care unit. Overdose on hemodynamic active substances such as calcium channel blockers can be fatal as it is associated with severe distributive shock. Methylene blue has drawn attention in critical care medicine for its use in the management of distributive shock, particularly in cases of anaphylaxis, septic shock, and shock following cardiac bypass surgery. We describe the use of methylene blue in the management of refractory shock due to calcium channel blocker (CCB) overdose. Case Report: We present a case of benzothiazepine type CCB overdose which leads to admission to the intensive care unit for the management of severe distributive shock. Conventional treatments including vasopressors and high dose insulin therapy were instituted, but despite these treatments the patient remained hypotensive. The decision was made to administer methylene blue following which the patient achieved hemodynamic stability and was successfully weaned off all vasopressors. Conclusion: This case report specifically focuses on the use of methylene blue in distributive shock secondary to CCB overdose. Currently there are no randomized control trials to support its use, and evidence is limited to observational studies including single case reports. In this case report we describe the mechanism of action of methylene blue and why we believe it makes for the perfect adjunct therapy in calcium channel blocker overdose. Annica Bester1, Margareta A Roeck2 Affiliations: 1Resident Medical Officer, Anaesthetics Department, Joondalup Health Campus, Perth, Western Australia, Australia; 2CICM, Consultant Intensive Care, Joondalup Health Campus, Perth, Western Australia, Australia. Corresponding Author: Dr. Annica Bester, Joondalup Health Campus, Shenton Ave, Joondalup, Western Australia 6027, Australia; Email: email@example.com Received: 18 April 2020 Accepted: 30 May 2020 Published: 24 June 2020