This paper describes the structure and function of conceptual dictionary placing in our narrative generation system architecture to provide knowledge of verb concepts and noun concepts associated with an event concept that is a basic constitutional unit in narrative. Currently, verb concept dictionary has 5337 case frames and modified 1158 constraints, and noun concept dictionary contains 142168 noun concepts including 5770 intermediate concepts. After we explain the structure and development process, we introduce the role and function in narrative generation process based on two application systems.


Microprocessors have long employed caches to help hide the increasing latency of accessing main memory. The vast majority of previous research has focussed on increasing cache hit rates to improve cache performance, while lately decreasing power consumption has become an equally important issue. This thesis examines the lifetime of cache lines in the memory hierarchy, considering whether they are live (will be referenced again before eviction) or dead (will not be referenced again before eviction). Using these two states, the cache utilisation (proportion of the cache which will be referenced again) can be calculated. This thesis demonstrates that cache utilisation is relatively poor over a wide range of benchmarks and cache configurations. By focussing on techniques to improve cache utilisation, cache hit rates are increased while overall power consumption may also be decreased. Key to improving cache utilisation is an accurate predictor of the state of a cache line. This thesis presents a variety of such predictors, mostly based upon the mature field of branch prediction, and compares them against previously proposed predictors. The most appropriate predictors are then demonstrated in two applications: • Improving victim cache performance through filtering • Reducing cache pollution during aggressive prefetching These applications are primarily concerned with improving cache performance and are analysed using a detailed microprocessor simulator. Related applications, including decreasing power consumption, are also discussed, as are the applicability of these techniques to multiprogrammed and multiprocessor systems.


Pallister–Killian syndrome (PKS) is a rare sporadic disorder caused by tetrasomy of the short arm of chromosome 12. The main clinical manifestations are global developmental delay, intellectual disability, epilepsy, dysmorphic features, hypopigmented and/or hyperpigmented lesions, and multiple congenital anomalies. PKS is associated with tissue mosaicism, which is difficult to diagnose through peripheral blood sample by conventional cytogenetic methods and fluorescence in situ hybridization.


12 The Integrated Catchment model for Nitrogen (INCA-N) is a semi-distributed, process based 13 model that has been used to model the impacts of land use, climate, and land management 14 changes on hydrology and nitrogen loading. An observed problem with the INCA-N model is 15 reproducing low nitrate-nitrogen concentrations during the summer growing season in some 16 catchments. In this study, the current equation used to simulate the rate of in-stream 17 denitrification was replaced with an alternate equation that uses a mass transfer coefficient 18 and the stream bottom area. The results of simulating in-stream denitrification using the two 19 different methods were compared for a one year simulation period of the Yläneenjoki 20 catchment in Finland. The alternate equation (Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency = 0.63) simulated 21 concentrations during the periods of the growing season with the lowest flow that were closer 22 to the observed concentrations than the current equation (Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency = 0.63), 23 but the results were mixed during other portions of the year. The results of the calibration and 24 validation of the model using the two equations show that the alternate equation will simulate 25 lower nitrate-nitrogen concentrations during the growing season when compared to the 26 current equation, but promote investigation into other errors in the model that may be causing 27 inaccuracies in the modeled concentrations. 28


Partial Discharge (PD) measurements of large generators are extremely affected and hampered by noise, making the denoising of PD signal an inevitable issue. Wavelet shrinkage is the most commonly employed method for PD signal denoising. The appropriate mother wavelet and decomposition level are critically important for the denoising performance. In consideration of the PD signal characteristics of large generators, a novel wavelet shrinkage scheme for PD signal denoising is presented. In the scheme, a scale dependent wavelet selection method is proposed; the core idea is that the optimum wavelet at each scale is selected as the one maximizing the energy ratio of coefficients beside and inside the range formed by the threshold, which correspond to the signal to be reserved and noise to be removed, respectively. In addition, taking into account the influence of mother wavelet at each scale on the decomposition level, an approach for decomposition level determination is put forward based on the energy composition after decomposition at each scale. The application results on the simulated signals with different SNR obtained by combining the various pulses and measured signal on-site show the effectiveness of the proposed scheme. Besides, the denoising results are compared with that of the existing wavelet selection methods and the proposed wavelet selection method shows an obvious advantage.


The invention belongs to the technical field of recycling of coal ash and discloses a process method for producing high-purity aluminum oxide and co-producing silicate form the coal ash. The coal ash contains highly-radioactive coal ash. By the method, the aluminum oxide and most of silicon oxide in the coal ash, and uranium, thorium and other elements in the highly-radioactive coal ash are recycled to ensure that industrial waste can be reduced greatly, changed to be harmless and recycled. According to the method, the quantity of generated tailings is less than 25 percent of the weight of the original coal ash, and the produced aluminum oxide and silicate are high in purity. The method is suitable for coal ash of all types, such as the highly-radioactive coal ash. The process flows of the process method can be extremely easily industrialized.


For investigating any science and identifying its different aspects, we need a true understanding about its changes and developments. This true understanding occurs through using an accurate framework. One of the approaches which are used in discourse changes and political phenomena is the discourse analysis. In the field of marketing, the recent paradigm shift from marketing management to relationship marketing has led to deep and extended attitudinal changes. In this study, for investigating the mentioned shift the Laclau and Mouffe discourse analysis in political sciences has been applied. It has been attempted to present a basic framework for better understanding about marketing and discussions.


The usefulness of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) has been proven in recent years and will continue to be. The authors review current AUV state of the art. A feasible present-day AUV mission discussion reviews present AUV capabilities. Also addressed are the state of key AUV sensor technologies and design features, with areas most critical to continued future AUV development progress identified.


Studies of the products of alkaline hydrolysis of phenyl- and benzyl-phosphonium salts bearing 1-methylpyrrol-2-yl substituents show that while the forming 1-methylpyrrol-2-yl carbanion is more stable than the forming phenyl carbanion, in contrast to the 2-furyl and 2-thienyl analogues it is less stable than the forming benzyl carbanion. The order of cleavage of heteroaryl substituents from phosphorus is established as 2-thienyl > 2-furyl > benzyl > 1-methylpyrrol-2-yl > phenyl. Kinetic studies show that methyltris-1-methylpyrrol-2-ylphosphonium iodide (VII) undergoes hydrolysis considerably more slowly than the 2-furyl- and 2-thienyl analogues, but slightly faster than methyltriphenylphosphonium iodide. The ability of the 1-methylpyrrol-2-yl substituent to stabilise a forming negative charge on an adjacent carbon has been investigated by studies of the kinetics of hydrolysis of (1-methylpyrrol-2-ylmethyl)triphenylphosphonium iodide (XI). Comparison of the rate data with those for the 2-furylmethyl-, 2-thenyl-, and benzyl analogues indicates that the relative order of stability of the forming 2-heteroarylmethyl carbanions is 2-furylmethyl > 2-thenyl > benzyl > 1-methylpyrrol-2-ylmethyl.


The Brownian motion of a harmonic oscillator is treated quantum-mechanically and the same method is applied to the relaxation of a spin. The method is quite general and applicable to a system displaced from the equilibrium state by an arbitrary amount initially. The oscillator or the spin is interacting with a thermostat composed of a great number of harmonic oscillators. The equation of motion is solved in operator form taking average as to the thermostat to the second order of the interaction parameter. The Langevin equation, the Kramers-Chandra-sekhar equation for a harmonic oscillator and the Bloch equation for a static field are derived.


This study explores the relationships among student performance prior to instruction, the problems students are assigned, and performance after instruction in fourth-grade mathematics. I argue that one way to describe the curriculum is to document the problems that students are assigned. The utility of this approach was tested by recording all problems assigned during a full school year to a sample of 204 children in 9 classrooms, in 5 schools. The findings revealed that fourth-grade students typically are assigned many problems throughout the year that they know how to solve before entering the fourth grade. The types of problems assigned varied considerably across the 9 classes, and both problem coverage and student entry levels contributed to the variance in year-end performance. The effect of coverage was explored further by comparing 2 classes with identical entry scores. Results indicated that assigning challenging material may lead to notable gains on a test of fourth-grade mathematics (which was created to reflect the types of problems found in the 9 classes' mathematics texts). The implication of these results for possible modification of mathematics curricula is discussed.


This paper provides an isomorphism $K_n (\mathscr{A}) \cong K_n (\mathscr{A}_1) \times_{K_n(\mathscr{A}_0)} K_n(\mathscr{A}_2)$ of $K$-groups, i.e., an exact sequence $0 \to K_n(\mathscr{A}) \to K_n(\mathscr{A}_1)\times K_n(\mathscr{A}_2) \to K_n(\mathscr{A}_0)$ corresponding to a 2-fiber product of abelian categories, taken with respect to exact functors. Using recent patching results of D. Harbater, J. Hartmann and D. Krashen, given fields $F_1, F_2 \leq F_0$ and $F= F_1 \cap F_2$ which satisfy a simple matrix factorization criterion, our isomorphism relates the $K$-groups of the fields $F$ and $F_i$ ($i$ = 0, 1, 2). In particular, we establish a local-global principle for $K$-theory of function fields of curves defined over a complete discretely valued field.


The article proves the need to develop social entrepreneurship in Russia. The author states a contradiction that needs resolution: in a country with so many social problems, this type of activity is practically not developed. We see the cause in hard-to-reach balance of social goal and profit: things are affected by the lack of financial resources due to the tax rate, insurance cost and bureaucratization of all processes. The author thinks that it is strategically important to develop projects of social entrepreneurship in university environment, since it is the cradle of the future. At University you should learn to face obstacles. These Universities could serve for social start-ups as business incubators. This is especially important for regional universities, whose mission is entrepreneurship. The article suggests measures that the university is able to undertake to support social entrepreneurship on its territory. The most important measure is the creation of a model of entrepreneurial institution with an organizational structure of the matrix type. keywoRdS: social entrepreneurship, basic universities, program and project management, model of entrepreneurial institution, organizational structure of the matrix type, social partnership JEl classification: i23, i29, l26, l31 Received: 13.10.2017 / published: 16.11.2017 © Author(s) / Publication: CREATIVE ECONOMY Publishers For correspondence: Chernysheva T.L. (email@example.com)


virus. Imiquimod (1-(2-methylpropyl)-1H-imidazo[4,5-c]quinolin-4-amine) is a topical immune-response modifier licensed for viral anogenital warts. It activates monocytes, macrophages and dendritic cells, leading to production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interferon-a, several interleukins and tumour necrosis factor-a. This causes a Th1-type response that is more effective for clearance of viral infections. Imiquimod may also induce apoptosis in tumour cells. Although imiquimod is not licensed for molluscum contagiosum, its efficacy has been reported in immunocompetent and human immunodeficiency virus-positive patients. However, a similar benefit has not been documented for solid-organ transplant patients receiving immunosuppressive therapies. We report this case so that the benefit of imiquimod, i.e. its efficacy, tolerability and lack of scarring, can be appreciated more widely and used in this susceptible patient group.


Disclosed is a device and method for switching between primary and secondary in communication system. On each main control board and business board are equipped with crossing switch; the pair of signal input and output of the crossing switch on main control board are connected with processing module, other pairs of signal input and output are separately connected with the signal input and output of crossing switch on each business board; signal input and output of crossing switch on each business board are connected with business module, other signal input and output are separately connected with the input and output of crossing switches on each main control board. The main control board and business board send primary and secondary indicating signals to each other, according to the received signals, inputting control signal to the controlling signal input of crossing switch to control the switch of primary and secondary devices.


In soft handover process, the mobile station maintains simultaneous communication with multiple base stations near the cell boundary. This increases overhead on the radio and network resource utilization. Proper design of handover, therefore, becomes a challenging task for radio resource management in 3G wireless mobile networks. In this paper, we analyze the performance of soft handover algorithm based on pilot signal strength measurements. Outage probability is used as the performance metric. The impact of averaging window size and time to trigger on the outage probability is presented. Finally, based on the numerical results obtained via simulation, proper settings of averaging window size and time to trigger are determined for optimized handover performance for the given system parameters.


AbstractThe consequences of the loss of bond in a sodium-bonded pin were considered. Experiments and previous analyses were reviewed. New calculations were performed and indicated that loss of bond could lead to fuel redistribution within the clad but not to clad failure.Fuel-coolant interactions with carbide fuel were also considered. Interface temperatures between molten fuel and sodium were determined and applied to the Fauske criterion for spontaneous nucleation. Results indicate that rapid sodium vaporization is not likely with carbide fuel. Upper limit work-energy yields were calculated for sodium contact with molten oxide and carbide fuels using SOCOOL-II code. Temperatures, properties, and geometry were varied to determine the relative dependency of the results.The yields were very similar for the carbide and oxide and varied more with the boundary conditions than with the type of fuel.


This paper reports that unionized firms experienced lower average wage growth than their non‐union counterparts between 1984 and 1988. We attempt to evaluate the relative importance of two possible explanatory factors, the union‐related legislation of the 1980s, and increases in product market competition. While recognizing that these factors are intertwined, the results suggest the latter is of primary importance. © 1991 Blackwell Publishing Ltd / London School of Economics


The AEMU(Advanced EMU) running test has been performed to verify the reliability in the DABUL test line. For reliability verification, the AEMU consists of a 6-car production is tested as full load. Periodically, failure data from running test is analyzed and system parts are modified to reflect the result of analysis. Because these remedy actions affect reliability, the AEMU can meet reliability target. In this paper, so far the reliability results of AEMU are presented.


In recent years, with camera pixels shrinking in size, images are more likely to include defocused regions. In order to recover scene details from defocused regions, deblurring techniques must be applied. It is well known that the quality of a deblurred image is closely related to the defocus kernel, which is determined by the pattern of the aperture. The design of aperture patterns has been studied for decades in several fields, including optics, astronomy, computer vision, and computer graphics. However, previous attempts at designing apertures have been based on intuitive criteria related to the shape of the power spectrum of the aperture pattern. In this paper, we present a comprehensive framework for evaluating an aperture pattern based on the quality of deblurring. Our criterion explicitly accounts for the effects of image noise and the statistics of natural images. Based on our criterion, we have developed a genetic algorithm that converges very quickly to near-optimal aperture patterns. We have conducted extensive simulations and experiments to compare our apertures with previously proposed ones.


During hypersonic, the shock heated air generates a weakly ionized plasma layer around a vehicle. Since the created plasma layer has a high plasma number density, the vehicle has a communication problem known as radio blackout. Solving radio blackout is an important issue for safety of the vehicle, catastrophe analysis, and mission success. In order to solve radio blackout, we propose to manipulate a plasma number density. This paper describes studies of manipulating a flowing plasma with electric and magnetic fields. We suggest a two-dimensional model of an ExB layer which helps to determine the optimal configuration of the ExB layer and location of an antenna. The suggested numerical model uses a hydrodynamic MHD approximation and it is solved using a finite volume method with a Riemann solver. In this paper, we demonstrate that an applied ExB layer can manipulate plasma density in a specific region. The manipulated plasma reduces radio wave attenuation in a plasma layer and provides the possibility for communication during radio blackout.


The Revitalised Flood Hydrograph (ReFH) method is used for estimation of design flood hydrographs in the United Kingdom. This paper comments on aspects of the method, discussing its strengths and weaknesses and comparing its results with those of other methods. Design flood peaks estimated using the ReFH method and the statistical method presented in the Flood Estimation Handbook are compared at a sample of locations across Great Britain. The ReFH method gives higher flows at two‐thirds of the sites; on average 16% higher for a flood return period of 100 years. Differences between the results of the two methods are greatest on catchments with significant reservoirs and lakes and catchments with high average rainfall. Recommendations for users of the ReFH method and suggestions for further research are offered, the most urgent of which is to improve the performance of the method on heavily urbanised catchments.


Objective: To explore effects of ethanol extract of angelicae pubescentis radix on cyclooxygenase in vitro.Methods: Contents of 6-keto-PGF1α and PGE2 in rat abdominal macrophages were determined.Results: COX-1 and COX-2 were inhibited by angelicae pubescentis radix.The inhibitive rate of COX-2 was bigger than the inhibitive rate of COX-1 at the same concentration.Conclusion: One of the antirheumatic mechanisms of angelicae pubescentis radix might probably be mediating through inhibition of cyclooxygenase.


The effects of gallium doping into indium–zinc–tin oxide (IZTO) thin film transistors (TFTs) and Ar/O2 plasma treatment on the performance of a‐IZTO TFT are reported. The Ga doping ratio is varied from 0 to 20%, and it is found that 10% gallium doping in a‐IZTO TFT results in a saturation mobility (µsat) of 11.80 cm2 V−1 s−1, a threshold voltage (Vth) of 0.17 V, subthreshold swing (SS) of 94 mV dec−1, and on/off current ratio (Ion/Ioff) of 1.21 × 107. Additionally, the performance of 10% Ga‐doped IZTO TFT can be further improved by Ar/O2 plasma treatment. It is found that 30 s plasma treatment gives the best TFT performances such as µsat of 30.60 cm2 V−1 s−1, Vth of 0.12 V, SS of 92 mV dec−1, and Ion/Ioff ratio of 7.90 × 107. The bias‐stability of 10% Ga‐doped IZTO TFT is also improved by 30 s plasma treatment. The enhancement of the TFT performance appears to be due to the reduction in the oxygen vacancy and OH concentrations.


I argue against the view that Lcibniz's construction of reality out of perceiving substances must be seen as the first of the modern idealist philosophies. I locate this central feature of Leibniz 's thought instead in a decidedly premodern tradition. This tradition sees bodiliness as a consequence of the confused perception of finite substances, and equates God' s uniquely disembodied being with his maximall y distinct perceptions. But unlike modern idealism. the premodern view takes confusion as the very feature of any created substance that makes possible its distinctness from the Creator. Modern idealism, in contrast, emerges when the external world becomes a problem, when the epistemological worry arises as to how the mind might access it. In the tradition in which I place Leibniz, there simply is no such worry. I t will be recalled that for the mature Leibniz there is nothing in the world but simple substances, and in them perception and appetite. Perception is the representation within the monad of the order of coexistence of monads; appetite is the tendency to move from one representation of the order of coexistence to another. With these basic definitions in stock, we might in turn define 'confusion' as the characteristic of monads whereby they represent to themselves the order of coexistence of simple substances as an order of coexistence of corporeal substances. We might, further, define 'dazedness' as the tendency of monads to move from one representation of the order of coexistence of simple substances as corporeal substances to another such representation. Note that the definitions of 'confusion' and 'dazedness' are posterior to, and build upon, Leibniz's basic definitions of 'perception' and' appetite' respectively. All perception of created substances is confused perception; all of their appetition occurs in a daze. I will be referring in what follows to the 'Confusion Theory of Body', for the sake of succinctness, though the full story of a created substance's plight in the world involves not just its confused perception of the order of coexistence, but also its dazed succession from one confused perception to the next. There is of course nothing new about the observation that Leibniz's mature account of body is rooted in confused perception. What I would like to argue in this paper is not just that the world of bodies, for Leibniz, can be exhaustively accounted for in tenns of confusion and dazedness, but, at the same time, that this


Elephant apple fruit is reported to have medicinal properties; similarly leaves and bark are also known for various health beneficial compounds. The fruit rich in fibre and due to presence of adhesive substances, extraction of juice becomes tough. The elephant apple fruit is found to have numerous health benefits viz . Antimicrobial, inhibitor, Analgesic, anti-inflammatory drug, dysentery, medicinal drug etc. Fruit and juice of the plant traditionally used for the treatment of varied diseases including diabetes. Additionally elephant apple is used for making curries and other recipes. In this review we intend to give some emphasis on the food and clinical use of flowering tree Dillenia indica (elephant apple) as medicinal herb.


In this paper,the electromigration behavior of 400μm sized solder interconnects(SnAgCu-Bi-Ni,Ag1%) was investigated.Current stressing tests were conducted with assembled BGA package at different temperatures for different periods.The microstructure evoluation at the interface and hardness gradient distribution inside older bulk were studied.The results indicated that after the electromigration test,the intermetallic compounds(IMC) disappeared and a large number of micro voids appeared closeto cathode area where the copper were consumed obviously.A large amount of(Cu,Ni)6Sn5 IMC and hillocks were observed at the anode.With current stressing,the hardness of solder joint increased from cathode to anode.High aging temperature increases electromigration behavior significantly.


This thesis examines the process of migration of medical doctors from Poland to the United Kingdom following the European Union expansion in 2004. The research covers all the stages of the process, from a study of the determinants, the decision-making process, through the channels of migration, to the reception in the host country and the impact on the sending country. The conceptual framework, largely based on the brain drain approach and push-pull model for evaluating mobility, is extended to include a more comprehensive study of the socio-political conditions, as well as micro, meso and macro theories from different disciplines in order to explain migration and its outcomes.
A broad range of sources is used for the study, combining the analysis of statistical data and documents with original in-depth interviews with doctors who moved abroad and those who had no intention to do so, a quantitative survey measuring the migration propensity among medical students, as well as interviews with recruitment agents and key informants.
The thesis concludes that the increased flows of medical doctors, though triggered by the EU expansion, occur primarily due to push factors, resulting from the deeply rooted problems in the healthcare system. Motivations for migration are universally recognised by respondents and no clear migrant profile can be identified. Recruitment agents are important for facilitating mobility in the early stages of the EU membership, though the development of migrant networks is also observed. The UK is found to be a welcoming environment for the new arrivals with strong retentive characteristics. In terms of the impact of migration on Poland, despite an interest in the phenomenon, the policy response remained limited. Nevertheless, the increased mobility of medical doctors has helped to highlight the challenges faced by the Polish healthcare system, which need to be addressed to prevent skill shortages.


Ilmenite and rutile, with apatite, are deuteric minerals in gneissic granulite (oligoclase-andesine, minor quartz) with ferro-magnesium bands. Titanium minerals replace feldspar, but are earlier than the abundant chlorite and uralite to which the original augite, hornblende, and olivine are largely altered. Source of the mineralizing solutions is believed to be the residual magma from which the host rock crystallized.


With a rapid downscaling of the complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) devices, the ZrO2 becomes a promising candidate for application in microelectronic and therefore the information about the electronic structure of the perfect and defect ZrO2 crystal becomes important. In the present study, the local orbital Hartree–Fock approximation was applied to the ZrO2 crystal electronic structure calculations. The noncanonical orbitals localized on ions were employed, which are the solutions of the Hartree–Fock equations for ions in the confining potential simulating the crystal environment. The confining potential was calculated selfconsistently to bring the minimum to the crystal energy. The cluster expansion for the crystal energy was employed. The general idea of the method is similar to that of the study (1978, 20, 565), devoted to the electronic structure calculations of MgO crystal. In the present study, the more complicated system is considered. First, ZrO2 crystal has lower symmetry, and second the d-orbitals are present among ions occupied orbitals. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2007


Objective
To explore the effects of miR-93 on cell invasion and migratory capacities in neuroblastoma (NB) cell and its mechanism.

Methods
The expression levels of miR-93 were detected by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in primary and metastatic neublastoma tissues from 13 diagnosed children patients. miR-93 was transfected into SH-SY5Y and SH-N-SH neuroblastoma cells and its expression level detected by qRT-PCR. The invasive capacities of SH-SY5Y and SH-N-SH cells were examined by Transwell invasion after an over-expression of miR-93. And the migratory capacities of SH-SY5Y and SH-N-SH cell were examined by wound healing assays after an over-expression of miR-93. And the expression levels of MYCN in SH-SY5Y and SH-N-SH cells were detected by Western blot. The potential miR-93-targeting MYCN 3 'UTR sequence in Targetscan, primers of wild and mutant type of MYCN 3' UTR, were designed and synthesized for cloning 3'UTR of MYCN into luciferase reporter vector. And luciferase activity was detected and verified by double luciferase detection kit after co-transfecting luciferase reporter vector and miR-93 into SH-SY5Y cells with X-tremeGENE.

Results
miR-93 became down-regulated in metastatic neuroblastoma tissues compared with primary tissues. And the invasive and migratory capacities decreased after transfecting miR-93 in SH-SY5Y and SH-N-SH cells. And the expression level of MYCN decreased after transfecting miR93. MiR-93 could suppress the enzymatic activity of luciferase reporter vector of MYCN.

Conclusions
MiR-93 can suppress the invasion and migration of NB cells by down-regulating the expression of MYCN.

Key words:
Neuroblastoma; Neoplasm metastasis; Fluorescein


BACKGROUND
Atopic dermatitis (AD) endotypes differ with ethnicity. We examined the skin microbiota, cytokine-, and lipid-profiles in Greenlandic Inuit and Danish children with AD.

METHODS
25 Inuit children with AD and 25 Inuit control children were clinically examined and compared to previously collected data from 25 Danish children with AD. Skin tape strips and skin swabs were collected from lesional and non-lesional skin. Levels of cutaneous immune biomarkers, free sphingoid bases and their (glycosyl)ceramides were analyzed. Skin swabs were analyzed with 16S rRNA and tuf gene for characterization of bacterial species communities.

RESULTS
Bacterial β-diversity was significantly different between Inuit and Danish AD skin, in both lesional (p<0.001) and non-lesional (p<0.001) AD skin, and there was a higher relative abundance of Staphylococcus aureus in Danish compared to Inuit lesional (53% vs. 8%, p<0.01) and non-lesional skin (55% vs. 5%, p<0.001). Danish AD children had a higher α-diversity than Inuit children in non-lesional (p<0.05) but not in lesional skin. Significantly higher levels of type 2 immunity cytokine interleukin (IL)-4 (p<0.05) and IL-5 (p<0.01) were identified in Inuit compared to Danish AD children. In contrast, IL-33 (p<0.01) was higher in Danish lesional and non-lesional AD skin. Higher levels of long-chain glucosylceramide (GlcCER)[S](d26:1) were found in lesional (p<0.001) and non-lesional (p<0.001) Inuit skin compared with Danish AD skin. NMF levels were similar in Inuit and Danish AD skin.

CONCLUSION
Skin microbiota, cytokine and lipid composition differed significantly between Inuit and Danish children with AD and showed a stronger type 2 immune signature in Inuit children.


Smart objects can be smart because of the information and communication technology that is added to human-made artifacts. It is not, however, the technology itself that makes them smart but rather the way in which the technology is integrated, and their smartness surfaces through how people are able to interact with these objects. Hence, the key challenge for making smart objects successful is to design usable and useful interactions with them. We list five features that can contribute to the smartness of an object, and we discuss how smart objects can help resolve the simplicity-featurism paradox. We conclude by introducing the three articles in this special issue, which dive into various aspects of smart object interaction: augmenting objects with projection, service-oriented interaction with smart objects via a mobile portal, and an analysis of input-output relations in interaction with tangible smart objects.


Iterative multireference configuration interaction (IMRCI) has been exploited to calculate the properties of small molecules. Atomisation energies of CH2(1A1), H2O, HF, CH(X2Π), OH(X2Π) and CH2(3B1), and singlet–triplet separations of CH2, NH2 +, SiH2, and PH2 + are computed with MRCI and IMRCI. The accuracy of IMRCI is comparable to that of coupled-cluster singles, doubles, and perturbative triples (CCSD(T)), and better than that of MRCI. Singlet–triplet separations calculated with IMRCI are compared with the results of the second and third order Møller-Plesset perturbation theories, CCSD, CCSD(T), MRCI and FCI as well as experimental results. It is shown that the IMRCI method is both accurate and reliable. Moreover, the effect of the frozenness of the highest unoccupied molecular orbital (HUMO) on the IMRCI results is also investigated. It is demonstrated that the frozen HUMO approximation significantly lowers the computational cost of IMRCI with almost the same computational accuracy. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT


In modern conditions of long-term reduction of the country's income, and, respectively, searches of financing of regions optimum structuring of regional space, use of historically developed spaces-regions as one of the sources of social and economic development by the way of increase in volumes and soundness of investments is very important. The article represents the East Siberian region as historically developed economical and geographical space and transformation of its image in modern geo-economic conditions. Meridional location of the region united by common Baikal-Angara-Yenisei water system should be taken into account at planning of development of separate economic sectors in its territory for the purpose of achievement of both all-federal purposes and purposes of regional development. The youngest and most dynamic sector in the territory of the region is oil and gas that provides an opportunity for creation of general federal and regional strategy for its further development. It is necessary to use the existing regional system of oil product supply while implementation of federal programs and plans of vertically integrated oil company in oil and gas industry in the territory of the region and to build operating structures not only for the West-East line, but also for the North-South.


Recent events have sparked a renewed interest in securing our nation's infrastructure. A key component of this infrastructure is the Internet. Today, the Internet plays an important role in many sectors of the economy, from banking and finance to intelligence and defense. Initially constructed for scientists sharing unclassified research, the Internet was not designed with security in mind. However, with the globalization and commercialization of the Internet, it can no longer be assumed that all agents participating in the Internet are trustworthy. In considering potential attacks on the Internet, one of the most attractive targets is the router. Routers are responsible for properly forwarding all data that flows through the Internet. If a malicious agent can gain control of a router, he can cause significant damage by disrupting data flow and communication. In order to prevent this potential for interference, the objective of this project is to study methods of identifying misbehaving routers in a wired network such as the Internet. We present a system called ISPY that is capable of detecting routers that maliciously drop packets. ISPY involves two components: a set of secret tester nodes scattered throughout the Internet and a distribution center that responds to queries for the address of a single secret tester node. In this paper we also analyze the ISPY architecture to determine the optimal number and placement of secret tester nodes. We argue that with ISPY, it is significantly more difficult for a misbehaving router to evade detection. Additionally, we show that ISPY is not burdened with the prohibitive state requirements of previous approaches.


TOWARDS the end of last century, the mysteries of biology were, one by one, becoming reduced to a simple organic explanation, and on the crest of this wave of iconoclasm, religion and the fine arts seemed ready victims. So in turn we find the revered paintings of the past being blithely dismissed as the by-products of a miscellany of eye diseases-astigmatism, cataract, colour-blindness and so on. Nowadays these rather frail mechanistic interpretations have gone out of fashion as psychology has "come in", and from this new and comfortable pastime of nibbling away at the artist's ego, no one has much time for those crude old organic interpretations. But the trouble is that one cannot dismiss them quite as easily as all that; so with all the proper humility of a simple technician I would like to lead you through the evidence, such as it is; and in rash moments fly a few small kites-remembering always that what I say can be only fairly applied to naturalistic paintings, which have been of quite secondary concern in most periods and most cultures.


The invention discloses a remote-control data processing method and system. The remote-control data processing method comprises the following steps: a former master station generates a first operational order according to a first operational order request from a simulated substation and a preset remote operation sequence list; a novel commissioning master station generates a second operational order according to a second operational order request from the simulated substation and the preset remote operation sequence list; the simulated substation saves the received first operational order as a first communication message and saves the received second operational order as a second communication message; a verification unit compares first remote operation information obtained by analyzing the first communication message and second remote operation information obtained by analyzing the second communication message, obtaining the comparison result, and generates and outputs the corresponding verification result report according to the comparison result. Therefore, the remote-control data processing method and system can increase the master station upgrading efficiency, improve the correctness of the remote scheduling right transfer, and further increase the security of a grid system.


Metapelitic residual enclaves in the Neogene Volcanic Province of SE Spain are residues left after melt extraction. Glass (quenched melt) of granitic composition occurs as inclusions in most minerals and as intergranular pockets. The most common enclave types show one stage of garnet growth that is interpreted to have occurred at the same time as glass production. Some of these show a well‐developed foliation outlined by fibrolite, biotite, graphite and glass, which wraps around elongate garnet crystals that have aspect ratios up to 10:1. Based on microstructures and chemistry, the garnet within these rocks shows clear core and mantle structure. The core has an average composition of Alm76–Prp08–Sps14–Grs03 and contains primary inclusions of biotite and melt, trapped during garnet growth. A thin (c. 100 μm), irregular mantle overgrows the garnet core, enclosing oriented fibrolite inclusions in strain caps, and biotite in strain shadows. In places, the overgrowths form skeletal elongated arms, which extend parallel to the foliation. The garnet mantle contains less Mn and higher XMg, but both core and mantle display flat Mn profiles, the contact being a sharp break. Ternary feldspar and Grt–Bt thermometry yield temperatures in the range 800–900 °C, with no systematic differences among the different microstructural domains of elliptical garnet. Based on the observed intracrystalline microstructures, the high amount of melt extraction in the rock by flattening component strain and the chemical zoning of garnet, the formation of elliptical garnet is modelled by a multistage sequence. This involves pressure solution and reprecipitation of the core, followed by post‐kinematic, partly mimetic growth of the garnet mantle.


Digital transformation is changing how and by whom financial services are provided, how payments are made within an economy and across borders, and how and where goods and services are produced in a globalized economy. These transformations bring significant benefits in the form of greater variety and convenience of financial services, faster speed of payment transactions, and more efficient production processes. But there are also potential costs. Traditional commercial banking models are challenged by unregulated FinTech and BigTech firms, possibly threatening systemic financial stability. Globalization of production processes has led to greater spillovers of economic fluctuations across borders, thereby complicating macroeconomic policy decisions. This paper reviews how digital transformation is likely to impact financial stability, payment systems, and macroeconomic stability, and discusses the need for changes in regulatory and macroeconomic policies to mitigate the associated risks. The paper ends with reflections on the possible consequences of the current Coronavirus pandemic for the analysis and conclusions.


The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of various intensities of grazing upon roots and root systems of plants native to the ponderosa pine zone of the Colorado Front Range. It was designed to ascertain the root characteristics of certain species of the plant community and any changes in root distribution induced by 17 years of moderate and heavy grazing by cattle. The cumulative effects of such grazing are also illustrated. Most studies concerning the effects of plant defoliation show that any cropping (clipping or grazing) reduces plant growth, especially root growth. The initial root and rhizome response to defoliation is the cessation of elongation (Parker and Sampson 1931, Crider 1955). Subsequent reactions to continued defoliation are reduction in root numbers and branching (Jacques 1937, Albertson, Riegel, and Launchbaugh 1953), root diameter (Biswell and Weaver 1933), and depth of soil penetration (Ruby and Young 1953, Cook, Stoddart, and Kinsinger 1958). The amount of reduction is directly related to the severity and frequency of defoliation (Graber 1931, Albertson et al. 1953, Thaine 1954). In general the degree of defoliation is more detrimental to root growth than frequency of defoliation. Crider (1955) showed that apical growth of grass roots stopped within 24 hr after the removal of 40% or more of the foliage in one operation. The time required for roots to resume growth varied directly with the degree of foliage removal. The consequences of overgrazing are apparently carried over from season to season. WVeaver


This research examines the way gender based double standards represented in Taylor Swift's song namely "The Man". The objects of the research are the song lyrics and music video of Taylor Swift's "The Man". The research applies social semiotic analysis theoretical framework. The song lyric is analysed using the ideational metafunction of Halliday, while the music video using the representational meaning of Kress and Leeuwen's Visual Grammar. The result shows that, in the lyrics, the portrayals of gender-based double standards mostly realized through the use of relational and material processes. The relational processes relates man with attributes such as "more of a boss", "fearless leader", "alpha type", and "Leo"(Leonardo Di Caprio), while the material actualizes man's action such as "play the field", "hustled" and "put in the work". Additionally, the Music Video is dominated by reactional processes that reveal people's positive reaction towards man's action and followed by symbolic attribute process that represents men in a more central, active and agentive manner and women in a marginal, passive, and object positions. Man is also portrayed as successful leader, greatest dad, rich man, while women are mostly seen laying down, wearing sexy attire and as object's to man's pleasure.


Gestation by substitution is a technique of assisted reproduction by which a woman commits to carrying a child so that one or several people can become the parents of it. The objective of this work is to analyse: First: the general issue and the registration of the children in the Civil Registry. And second: the main effects and the recognition, by the jurisprudence of the labour courts, of the right to maternity benefit in the cases of surrogacy.


Recently a circuit-theoretical work showed that a purely mathematical memristor model may exhibit two distinct stable DC characteristics, as well as two distinct stable pinched hysteresis loops emerging under the same AC periodic excitation by simply changing the memristor initial state. This work presents the first ever real memristor which exhibits such a peculiar bistable behaviour, thus giving a strong practical evidence for the latest theoretical developments in memristor circuit theory.


Menopause is a period in every woman's life that subjects her to a variety of changes that may substantially influence her health and well-being. It involves not only physical and psychological changes but also increased risk of osteoporosis, cardiovascular diseases and other diseases related to estrogen deficiency. With an aging population and an increased life expectancy in Singapore, a larger proportion of the female population will be in the postmenopausal age group. This raises the interest in efforts to prevent or reduce morbidity and premature mortality during the postmenopausal period. There will thus be a wider use of estrogen replacement therapy in this group, as there is now an increasing awareness of its benefits in the prevention of genital atrophy, cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. There is some disagreement about the risks and benefits associated with estrogen replacement therapy. Such therapy has proven efficacy in alleviating menopausal symptoms including hot flushes and urogenital complaints, in maintaining bone mass and preventing fractures, and in reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with coronary heart diseases. However, long-term use of estrogen is associated with a small increase in the risk of breast cancer, and when estrogen is used unopposed in a woman with an intact uterus, there is an increased risk of endometrial carcinoma. However, the risk of endometrial cancer associated with estrogen replacement therapy is minimized by adding progestins, whether in a cyclical or continuous fashion.


According to some authors, the three fossil algal forms discussed in this paper, Cordilites cretosus (Reus, 1846), Elianella elegans Pfender & Basse, 1948, and Parachaetetes asvapatii Pia in Rao & Pia, 1936, are synonyms. However, we document that they represent three discrete species. The genus Elianella Pfender & Basse, 1948, gets unique features that make it easy to discriminate; we describe a new species from Albian limestones of Brazil. The other two genera, Cordilites Pocta, 1887, and Parachaetetes Deninger, 1906, share some common features, such as having a thallus made of a lattice-network with columns (filaments) and rows. However, on the basis of their diagnostic criteria, the species Cordilites cretosus and Parachaetetes asvapatii should not be confused.


The temperature regime and the amount of precipitation during the vegetation period of growing the winter triticale (2015-2017) have been analyzed. The reaction of varieties of different ecological type on wintering and preservation of plants to harvesting, formation of productive stelbiosis, grain weight of corn, grain yield and seed yield, conditional seed output and breeding indices have been discovered.


The aims of this issue is a reflection on the concept of user in design projects and its place in design processes. Beyond any lexical choice, questioning the multiple identities of users means considering them according to the contexts and approaches: users, individuals, persons, citizens, beneficiaries, stakeholders, actors, subjects, agents, clients, patients, consumers, etc. Each definition consists in a conceptual posture that both includes and constructs an anthropological vision of the subjects concerned as well as the consequent practices.


This working paper shows China's technological advance, its basis in using foreign technology combined with its own manpower resources, and its clever integration of regional ambitions with national policies and programs. It also indicates an emerging global rivalry as China moves towards a future status as technological superpower. In any attempt to understand recent and future industrial and economic development in China it becomes unavoidable to think about its various regions as the equivalents of major countries in other parts of the world. In several ways the regions of the Pearl River Delta, the Yangtze River Delta and the Bo-Hai Rim, including Beijing, can be compared with France, Germany and the UK in Europe. By world standards the regions essentially have middle-income purchasing power. The US in the early part of this century remains unchallenged in defense, economics, politics and technology. Japan can be termed a superpower in economics and technology. EU is conceived as a superpower in economics, politics and technology, while Russia has remaining strength in defense and technology. Today, China is a superpower in politics with an emergence in economics and great ambitions in technology. China has during the past ten years dramatically increased the number of students in tertiary education and provided more funding for R&D, not only in absolute terms but also in relation to its GDP. Traditional indicators, such as patents, still suggest that China is far from reaching its goal of becoming a knowledge-based economy. However, monitoring signs of dynamic changes within industrial sectors and emerging competencies in a number of research fields brings forward a much more optimistic scenario.


An algorithm for processing raw 12-lead ECG data has been developed and validated in this study that is based on the S4D model. Among the notable features of this algorithm is its strong resilience to noise, enabling the algorithm to achieve an average F1-score of 81.2% and an AUROC of 95.5%. It is characterized by the elimination of pre-processing features as well as the availability of a low-complexity architecture that makes it suitable for implementation on numerous computing devices because it is easily implementable. Consequently, this algorithm exhibits considerable potential for practical applications in analyzing real-world ECG data.


A technical review of the Oconee-3 Probabilistic Risk Assessment (OPRA) has been performed with the objective of evaluating containment response, radiological source terms, and off-site consequences. In the OPRA study, a detailed structural analysis for determination of ultimate failure pressure of the containment has not been performed. A sensitivity study shows that the off-site consequences as well as the frequencies of release categories can be changed by a large magnitude depending on the assumptions used on the distributional parameters and the probabability of containment isolation failure. The assessment of the OPRA shows that very late overpressurization failure is the dominant containment failure mode. The OPRA radiological releases are comparable in magnitude to those used in other recent studies. Cost-effectiveness analysis by a multiobjective optimization approach suggests that various containment safeguards are designed to provide adequate safety margins for severe accidents.


A striking feature of Nicholas Tampio's Teaching Political Theory is both the breadth and narrowness of its focus. At various times, Tampio focuses broadly on the very nature of political theorizing before proceeding to give more targeted advice on syllabus design, lecture writing, and teaching for different audiences. It is, in this respect, an ambitious and comprehensive book. It is also clear how Teaching Political Theory is situated within political theory scholarship, but also Tampio's own interests, loves, and specialities. While it is indeed crucial for instructors in political theory to engage in central debates, questions, and themes in academic political theory and philosophy, Tampio is right in drawing a connection between Blau's (2017, 14) view that "[a]cademia works best when we study what we love," and the need for students to learn from academics with different loves and specialities (Tampio 2022, 16). Tampio's Teaching Political Theory begins with an examination of the nature of political theory, its relationship with disciplines like political science, and the kinds of lessons and concepts political theory instructors ought to teach. Whether or not we agree with any of Tampio's characterizations of the nature of political theory—as a sub-discipline of political science, for example—is beside the point. This broader examination of the nature of political theory should be a call for all instructors to think seriously about their own views on these topics, as they have the potential to meaningfully shape the courses and lessons we design. My own teaching, for example, is shaped by my interests in areas that Tampio does not share: "positive political theory, rational choice theory, or "wacky" thought experiments that clarify our normative principles" (Tampio 2022, 16). Unlike Tampio, I find that teaching central ideas and figures in analytic political theory is crucial to delivering on the reasons we teach political theory, such as the need to "think intelligently about government" (Shklar in Tampio, 2022, 4). Despite this point of disagreement, Tampio's lack of focus on fields like analytic political theory does not detract from the book's overall value. Tampio endorses a pluralistic approach to political theory, encompassing European, American, Chinese, and Indian perspectives. These perspectives have been excluded for so long from the canon of the history of political thought, so their inclusion over, say, analytic political theory, encourages instructors in political theory to think of how different perspectives shape our


For the purpose of parameter sensitivity analysis of concrete bridge durability in marine environment,computing formulas of three critical times and simulation method of section reduction in degradation process of concrete bridges exposed to marine environments were proposed first.A prestressed concrete continuous bridge was illustrated as the numerical example,the effect degree of several design parameters,which are cover thickness,atmospheric temperature,corrosion critical chloride concentration,concrete chloride concentration and concrete compressive strength on concrete bridge durability,were analyzed with a program written by author.The results show that in the whole degradation process,cover thickness has significant effect on whole process;corrosion critical chloride concentration and concrete chloride concentration have great effect on corrosion initiation time;atmospheric temperature and concrete compressive strength have some effect on corrosion rate.As a result,the concrete bridge durability in marine environment can be significantly improved by increasing the cover thickness or decreasing the concrete permeability.


The author analyzes the issues related to the offense of the indecent excess, defined in Art. 140 of the Offense Code. The narrative runs through the issues of: the object – protection, assassination – which is morality and decency in the public perspective and the public order; forms of committing of the offense – it is universal nature and may take the form of an action. The considered offense does not have to be implemented "directly" in the public space, it is enough for the occurrence of the indecent excess, that it could be noticed by other people. Indecent excess does not have to be a behavior that violates shamefulness, exposing publicly intimate or obscene sexual behavior, but it can also violate decency in other ways. An indecent excess may be carried out intentionally or unintentionally. Article 140 of the Offense Code typifying the analyzed offense may occur – from the point of view of legal qualification – in the coincidence (apparent or real) with specific provisions listing specific crimes or offenses.


Objective: To develop a Subjective Socioeconomic Status Scale for Chinese Adolescents.Methods: A total of 6687 middle school students,from grade 7 to grade 12,finished SSS-A and other scales from four cities of China,495 of them finished the SSS-A the second time after 3 weeks.Results: The intraclass correlation coefficient of SSS-A was 0.78,0.76 for the family place and 0.71 for the school place;criterion validity analyses showed SSS-A had significant negative correlation with CES-D and MASC(r=-0.14~-0.38,P0.01),and positive correlation with the RSES and objective SES(r=0.12~0.44,P0.01).Conclusion: The Subjective Socioeconomic Status Scale for Chinese Adolescents in the present study attains acceptable psychometric properties.


In this work, the constructing of different carbon nanostructures materials were studied, and the single-structure and pure surface of carbon nanostructures were employed to as catalyst support and the morphology and structure of different carbon nanostructures-based catalysts were investigated. NO catalytic reduction was used as a probe reaction to investigate the catalytic properties of different carbon nanostructures materials and how the controlling of carbon nanostructures would affect its catalytic functions. The results show that vanadium was molecularly anchored on the surface of carbon nanostructures and the mesh-carbon nanotubes as a support show a high catalytic activity.


(−)‐Epigallocatechin‐3‐gallate (EGCG) is the major polyphenolic constituent found in green tea. It has been reported that may be a natural agent for reducing thermal and mechanical pain after nervous system injuries. However, the molecular pathways implicated in these beneficial effects have not been completely elucidated. This study aimed to assess the EGCG treatment effects on thermal hyperalgesia, spinal cord gliosis and modulation of Ras homologue gene family member A (RhoA), fatty acid synthase (FASN) and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) expression after spinal cord contusion in mice.


This paper is concerned with the aspects of social life implied in the terms community and welfare. Community is considered to be a spatially contingent interactional system in which there may emerge many kinds of products, one of which is welfare. Welfare is a rather ambiguous term variously employed, but, in general, it seems to describe a community condition that conforms to our value system, such as a presence of health, happiness, prosperity, social control and good housing, and the absence of undesirable conditions such as illness, poverty, vice, delinquency and crime, child neglect, ignorance, and unemployment. As responsibility for public welfare becomes increasingly a governmental concern and as "private" philanthropy becomes more and more a semi-public bureaucratic activity, there will be increasing demands for a public accounting. The handwriting is on the wall in the form of Congressional investigations of groups collecting funds for veterans, in the shape of attempts of medical associations to bring order into the community arena where a multitude of fund-raisers are fiercely contending for the various organs and parts of the human corpus, and in the restlessness of city and county governments that have to support an ever increasing welfare load in spite of a booming economy. Such accounting will require demonstrable ways to show the need for and accomplishments of social welfare action. And if this purpose is to be achieved, adequate and reliable definitions of welfare, and indices and measurements of it must be developed. The solution of this problem would be accelerated if there were good answers to some theoretical questions such as: Is welfare a basic or crucial element in community life; or to put it another way, is welfare one of the factors that must be included and its effects considered if variations between communities are to be explained? Is welfare a relatively independent factor or is it systematically related to other variables such as urbanism, rurality, wealth, etc.? If it is related to other community elements, then which ones and to what degree do these relationships exist? What is the anatomy of welfare in terms of measurable characteristics, and what are the best indices of its presence or absence? If the last question can be answered satisfactorily, a basis for an operational definition of welfare will have been laid upon which measures of the degree of welfare present, and the amount of progress toward a state of welfare, may be constructed.


Biology of amphibian tumors. Recent Results in Cancer Research, 312 Canadian Cancer Conference. Edito da Morgan J. P., 314 Current topics in microbiology and immunology. Edito da Arber W. et al., 312 Exploitable molecular mechanisms and neoplasia, 187 'Handbuch der speziellen pathologischen Anatomie und Histologie. Edito da Lubarsch O. e Henke P., 188 Illustrated tumor nomenclature. VICC monograph series, 188 MEEK E. S. Antitumor and antiviral substances of natural origin, 312 Rubidomycin. Recent Results in Cancer Research, 311 Spezielle pathologische Anatomie. Edito da Doerr W., Seifert G. e Uehlinger E., 188 The quantification of environmental carcinogens. VICC technical report series, 187 Treatment of Burkitt's tumour. VICC monograph series, 311


The text stimulates a reflection and discussion about other aspects concerning contemporary slavery in Brazil: the process of constructing masculinity carried out by young male rural workers who leave their family home to search for work and run into debt, together with the process of social uprooting that eliminates links with the family left behind and with the place of origin of these young men. Those processes increase their vulnerability and contribute to making their lives devoid of political value and social importance.


In this article, the mass spectra of radially excited states of doubly heavy baryons (cid:2) cc are calculated under mean field confinement of Martin-like potential with a parametric center of mass correction in an independent quark model with Dirac relativistic formalism. We have predicted the ground state masses as well as radial excitation of (cid:2) cc baryon using the optimized fitted potential parameters which are found to be in good agreement with other theoretical models as well as Lattice QCD results. Here, the experimental results are not available in Particle Data Group (PDG) or not with other experimental collaboration. Magnetic moments for (cid:2) cc baryon are also calculated in this manuscript. For predicting ( 32 + ) and ( 12 + ) states, we have incorporated the j − j coupling in this study.


Alan Bold's Muriel Spark includes nine essays that range from quite good to very good, indeed. Perhaps, though, I should change that number to ten and count Bold's own enlightening Introduction, which elaborates on what he means by Spark's "odd capacity for vision" in fiction. He is particularly good at describing the operation of the "poetic muse" in Spark's fiction. Bold's own view of Spark's poetic aesthetic is a favorable one, not so the view in one of his inclusions, Walter Perrie's "Mrs. Spark's Verse." The word verse in the title ought to tip the wary reader to Perrie's stance: he explodes Spark's reputation. For Perrie, "The unfortunate truth seems to be that Mrs. Spark has no clear idea of what she is about and shifts her ground in relation to the promptings of her interlocutors. What she has created is a jungle of aesthetic and philosophical incoherence." Perrie constructs a tight and formidable argument against Spark's "extreme form of epistemological scepticism" and judges her fiction severely limited by that position. Between the intriguing aesthetic extremes of Bold and Perrie are less engaging but helpful background essays by contributors such as Alan Massie ("Calvinism and Catholicism in Muriel Spark"), Trevor Royle ("Spark and Scotland"), and Tom Hubbard whose "The Liberated Instant: Muriel Spark and the Short Story" gives serious attention to Spark's considerable work in that genre. But I would like to close this review with a nod to the two best essays in the collection: Valerie Shaw's "Fun and Games with Life-Stories" and Faith Puffin's "Autonomy and Fabulation in the Fiction of Muriel Spark." Shaw makes effective use of Spark's poetry as the basis for her discussion of the "vistas and corners of Kensington" in the later fiction, particularly in Loitering with Intent. Loitering also plays a large part in Pullin's marvelous essay, sharing center stage with TAe Public Image and TAe Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. Pullin's primary concern is with the way in which Spark's typical heroines achieve autonomy as authors of their own fates; my only objection to her essay is that it is not longer. In some ways, I wish Susan Merrill Squier's Virginia Woolf and London had been shorter. The second chapter, "Talland House and Hyde Park Gate," is overdrawn; the reader would have been better served by simply being directed to WoolFs wonderful "A Sketch of the Past." Chapter Five, "The Carnival and Funeral of Mrs. Dalloway's London," also seems overdone, adding little in new insight into that overly scrutinized novel. What is left of Squier's study, though, makes a worthwhile contribution to Woolf scholarship. Indeed, Squier offers a detailed and convincing answer to WoolFs own question: "Why do I dramatise London perpetually?" That answer involves charting the ways in which "WoolFs dual literary strategies, the acts of assimilation and revision" politicize the cityscape. Particularly effective in Squier's argument is her analysis of an essay series that Woolf contributed to Good Housekeeping in 1931-32 and her careful explications of city imagery in Night and Day, Flush, and TAe Years. Squier's close readings offer extensive evidence that Woolf 's subtle yet radical "reshaping of the city's meaning—both as an actual place and as a


Revision with unchanged content. The demand for information security professionals and applications has been one of the fastest growing markets internationally. This book is addressed to professionals, students, researchers and engineers interested in theory and applications of multimedia security. By exploring the ideas of fragile fingerprinting and non-perfect secret sharing, the authors take a fresh approach to 1. Deliver a framework for Joint fingerprinting and decryption (JFD) in multicast environments with focus on traitor tracing. 2. Introduce methodologies for constructing collusion resistant semi-fragile fingerprints. 3. Provide efficient and illustrative algorithms for construction of anti-collusion codes (ACC) (a) By Edge coloring, (b) Using Hadamard 2-designs. 4. Explore the multi-faceted nature of a non-perfect secret sharing algorithm called MIX-SPLIT and its properties of Association, Inheritance, Anonymity with traceability and Closure. 5. Present several practical application scenarios such as the protection and tracking of highly sensitive medical records, selective access of strategic maps and distributed secure storage of biometric PINs.


Bitstream extraction is an important issue in scalable video coding (SVC). In this paper, we propose an effective GOP-adaptive priority-based Rate-Distortion optimization extraction algorithm. The main feature of this scheme is being able to achieve the global optimal path. The extraction procedures, mainly including the calculation of PSNR and the allocation of priority, are carried out with Group of Pictures (GOP) as a unit. Firstly, we analyze the structure of SVC stream, then present PSNR score mechanism, based on the R-D curvepsilas characteristics and bandwidth distributions, we propose a novel performance evaluation principle for comparing the R-D performance of different extraction paths. Finally, our proposed algorithm is introduced in detail. Experiments are performed to verify the proposed scheme with JSVM, and the experiment results show that the proposed algorithm which wonpsilat bring too much computation costs offers better performance as compared with default and SNR-based methods.


Traditional electron spectroscopy methods provide an opportunity to analyze an energy of electrons released during ionization of atomic or molecular impurities A by particles B * with definite energy Ep. It is presumed that A become ionized to produce free electrons e , if the B * particles (metastable atoms or VUV photons) energy Ep is high enough: A + B * → A + B + e (1) The electrons released in this process gain kinetic energy Ee: Ee = Ep Ei (2) where Ei is the ionization potential of an impurity atom or a molecule under analysis. Measuring electrons energy spectra provides a very powerful method of a substance analysis. In this way any kind of atoms and molecules in a gas phase can be detected and its concentration can be measured. Fundamental equations (1) and (2) and their implementation seems very simple, but for a decades traditional electron spectroscopy methods did not widely enter into analytical practice. It is due to a high vacuum requirements inside of conventional electron energy analyzers, common known problems of a gas sampling and transportation from high pressure atmosphere to ionization chamber and, therefore, significant dimensions and complexity of the analytic device. To traverse above mentioned shortcomings we have developed a new concept called Collisional Electron Spectroscopy (CES) for gaseous media analysis and ionization detectors for its implementation [1-3]. The method CES allows to analyze energy of electrons generated during ionization of atomic or molecular impurities at a high pressure because dimensions of ionization cell L and a gas mixture pressure p are chosen so that the energy distribution of the electrons reaching analyzing electrode is formed in a non-local regime [4]. If the electron energy relaxation length ε L λ >> electrons would reach analyzing electrode


Abstract In some animals, transformation to the adult stage occurs in a hidden location, such as a burrow or a host. Males that can locate hidden females sooner, e.g., before they emerge, may have a mating advantage, particularly if the females are ready to mate. Whether males locate pre-emergent females and whether pre-emergent females will mate was examined in the parasitoid wasp Spalangia endius Walker. S. endius parasitize fly pupae. A single wasp offspring feeds, pupates, and transforms into an adult within the fly puparium (an outer shell around the fly pupa), and males emerge a day or more before females. Whether pre-emergent wasps are ready to mate was examined by dissecting them out of their hosts and presenting them with naturally emerged adults of the opposite sex. Many of the pre-emergent wasps were ready to mate. Nevertheless, males did not distinguish between hosts containing a pre-emergent female versus a pre-emergent male, or even between parasitized and unparasitized hosts. In contrast, males were able to differentiate between hosts from which a female versus a male had recently emerged. Although females are ready to mate before emergence, there may be little advantage to recognizing and staying with a host that contains a pre-emergent female because emergence takes so long, which raises the cost of missed mating opportunities elsewhere.


The article is devoted to the norms of corporate ethics that have developed in the Russian university environment of the late XIX – early XX century. The study, carried out by the method of situational analysis (case method), is based on materials extracted by the authors from the russian (State Archives of the Russian Federation, the National Archives of the Republic of Tatarstan, the Central State Archives of Moscow) and foreign (State Archives in Warsaw, State Archives of the Odessa Region) archives. It is emphasized that the university lecturers of pre-revolutionary Russia were a rather cohesive professional community, and the forms of manifestation of professional identity consisted in their active participation in the discussion of the "university issue", attempts at self-organization, and the existence of similar ethical principles on which the value system of the university person was based. Development by an University of corporate ethics rules, following them were an integral part of this system of values. The following norms of behavior developed in the Russian university lecturer environment of the turn of the XIX–XX centuries are distinguished: manifestation of nobility towards colleagues, observance of subordination, demonstration of mutual respect, scientific objectivity, striving for scientific truth, prevalence of university interests over personal ones. It is concluded that the presence of similar ideas about corporate and scientific ethics, written and unwritten norms of service at the university, facilitated the infusion of the professor into the new lecturer collegium when moving to a new university, and the observance of ethical standards helped to correctly resolve the sensitive issues that arose at work.


Software architecture can be a critical factor in software development. Understanding what software architects do in practice is necessary to the enterprise of providing techniques, methods, process, tools and technologies to support the development and use of software architecture. In this paper, we present the results of how architects handle requirements in practice. We then summarize the key lessons learned from the study.


The correct registration and encoding of medical data in Electronic Health Records is still a major challenge for health care professionals. Efficient terminological systems are lacking to enable multilingual semantic interoperability between general practitioners, patients, medical specialists, and allied health personnel. The aim of this paper is to propose an architectural structure for a Multilingual Medical Interface Terminology. We propose a dual structure with a multilingual reference terminology and a collection of unilingual end-user lexicons. Our methods rely on terminological standards, such as Terminology Markup Framework (ISO 16642) and Lexical Markup Framework (ISO 24613), and on Semantic Web technologies. We present procedures to select words, phrases, and concepts to populate these resources (manual concept extraction, automated term extraction), to link them to NLP applications and international classifications. We present the publication of these resources in Linked Open Data and show the feasibility in a use related to heart failure. We illustrate in particular the difficulties in linking real life concepts (N=168) to multiple international classifications with different functionalities, level of granularity, and scopes. The expansion of entries (from 77 to 298) in the lexicon is shown, when lay term synonyms are considered and decomposing of phrases is performed.


Andrade, L. C. M. (2010). Neurofuzzy Approach for Very-Short Term Load Demand Forecasting. Dissertation (Master's Degree) – Escola de Engenharia de Sao Carlos, Universidade de Sao Paulo, 2010. Since adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference systems are universal approximators that can be used in functions approximation and forecasting applications, this work has the objective to determine their best parameters and best architectures with the purpose to execute very short term load forecasting in distribution substations. This can allow the development of more efficient load automatic control for power systems. The system inputs are load demand time series, which are composed of data measured at each five minutes interval, during seven days, from substations located in cities from Sao Paulo state countryside. Several input configurations and different architectures were examined to make a prediction aiming one step forecasting. The Adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system results in comparison with other approaches found in literature were promising.


An electron beam microbunched on the optical wavelength scale of o2.5 mm by an inverse free electron laser accelerator was observed. The optimum bunching was achieved for a 1% energy modulation of a 32 MeV electron beam with 0.5 GW CO2 laser power. The microbunching process was investigated by measuring the coherent transition radiation produced by the energy modulated electron beam. A quadratic dependence of the transition radiation signal on the electron beam charge was observed. The observed shortest wavelength of coherent transition radiation is less than 2.5 mm. The debunching process of the microbunched electron beam was experimentally investigated. [S0031-9007(98)06085-2]


The purpose of this research are to know the effect of pH extraction on yield, physico-chemical and functional properties of pigeon pea protein concentrate, and also to know the appropriate pH extraction to obtain the best yield and properties of pigeon pea protein concentrate. The research was using Randomized Complete Design with pH extraction treatment which consist of five levels were 9; 9,5; 10; 10,5; and 11. The parameters were observed consist of yield, physical properties (lightness), chemical properties (protein and moisture), and protein's functional properties (water holding capacity, oil holding capacity, emulsion capacity and stability, and foaming capacity and stability). The result showed that pH extraction gave a significant effect to protein and moisture, and gave very significant effect to yield, lightness (L), water holding capacity, oil holding capacity, emulsion capacity, emulsion stability, foaming capacity and foaming stability of pigeon pea protein concentrate. The best properties of protein concentrate was found at sample which treatment of pH 10 with a yield 17,29% (db), lightness (L) 18,84, protein 86,15% (db), moisture 7,96% (db), water holding capacity 1,96 ml H2O/g solid, oil holding capacity 2,62 ml oil/g solid, emulsion capacity 54,67%, emulsion stability 54,83%, foaming capacity 100%, and foaming stability 38,19%. Keyword : Protein concentrate, pigeon pea, pH extraction, physico-chemical.


Recently, the symmetry of many single-particle non-Hermitian Hamiltonians has been conjectured to be sufficient to keep their spectrum real. We demonstrate this and how the similar concept of a `weakened Hermiticity' can be extended to some exactly solvable two- and three-particle models.


This paper reports the results of new malacological analyses from a thick tufa sequence at Direndall (Luxembourg). The study is temporally contextualised with radiocarbon dates and an age–depth model. The malacological study focuses on species associations to reconstruct palaeoenvironmental developments. The gradual appearance of several shade-demanding species reflects the expansion of forest environments during the early Holocene. After c. 7.5 cal. kyr BP, three phases of maximal expansion of shade-demanding species are interspersed with two phases of decline of these taxa dated between c. 7.1 and 6.5 cal. kyr BP and between c. 3.5 and 2.4 cal. kyr BP. Malacological data are discussed with previously published calcite stable isotope data from the same sequence. Strong correlations between malacological data and δ13C profile are highlighted over the whole sequence. Combined influences of local environmental conditions and regional climatic trends are emphasised. The sequence provides a palaeoenvironmental succession free of any anthropic influence.


While the autonomous nature of free-choice learning can have numerous positive effects on student learning in science fields, there is a lack of research on how college-age adults learn in informal settings. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively describe college-age adults' experiences at informal learning settings by administering the Informal Learning Experiences Survey (ILES), which is intended to serve as a tool for practitioners to reflect on undergraduates' participation in learning experiences at informal settings. We administered the ILES to 441 introductory biology undergraduates in Fall 2018 and found the most commonly visited informal learning setting in the last six months among our participants was city, state, and national parks. Further, participants reported that their main reason for learning about science at informal settings was for fun and enjoyment, and that their primary barrier against engaging in learning at informal settings was limited finances. We hope the ILES will (a) allow instructors of introductory college biology courses to reflect on and describe the prior experiences and interests of their students related to learning in informal settings, and (b) inform program directors at informal learning settings about how to better incorporate experiences designed for college-age adults.


We announce the discovery of eight new β Cephei stars and several other interesting variable stars as the preliminary result of the ongoing campaign on two northern open clusters, NGC 6910 and χ Persei.


The challenge of ensuring future food and nutrition security received widespread attention in 2013. This chapter describes discussions on the direction of the global development agenda as the world approaches the 2015 deadline of the Millennium Development Goals and reviews major 2013 food policy events and decisions around the world.


Background & Objectives:. Tobacco carcinogens induce generation of free radicals and reactive oxygen species, which cause lipid peroxidation. Because of the lipid peroxidation, there is a greater utilization of lipids for new membrane biogenesis. Hence the present study was carried out to determine the variations, if any, in the serum lipid profile of subjects with tobacco habit and patients with oral precancers. Methodology: The study consisted of 30 healthy controls, 30 patients with oral tobacco habit and 30 oral precancer cases. After thorough clinical oral screening for all the subjects of the groups and histopathological confirmation for premalignancy, 5 ml of fasting blood was collected. Blood was allowed to clot and serum separated. The serum triglycerides were estimated by the GPO-PAP, End Point Assay method; Total cholesterol by CHOD-PAP and HDL-Cholesterol by PEG-CHOD-PAP, End Point Assay method with Lipid Clearing Factor (LCF). The LDL and VLDL levels were calculated using the Friedewald's equation. One way ANOVA SPSS version 19.0 was used for statistical analysis. Results: In the present study there was no statistically significant change in values of serum lipid profile in either the oral tobacco habit group or the oral precancer group when compared with age and sex matched controls. There was no statistical significant change in the lipid profile parameters on comparing oral tobacco habit group with oral precancer group also. Conclusion: Therefore it was concluded that oral precancer, though it represents 'potentially malignant lesions', it is localized and hence might not cause a significant serum lipid profile change as frank cancers do. Hence the precancerous lesions might not have the required need for greater utilization of lipids for new membrane biogenesis, which are fulfilled by synthesis or degradation of the circulating lipids in the blood, which might cause a significant change in the serum lipid profile values. Introduction Lipids are major cell membrane components, essential for various biological functions including cell growth and division of normal and malignant tissues. Lipids are carried in body fluids with the help of lipoproteins; Chylomicrons transport triglycerides (TG) from intestine to all cells. Very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) are involved in the transportation of triglycerides from liver to other cells. Low density lipoproteins (LDL) are responsible for the transport of cholesterol from liver to the cells and high density lipoproteins (HDL) are involved for the transport of cholesterol from cells to the liver. Chylomicrons and VLDL are rapidly catabolized. Thus TG, Cholesterol, LDL–cholesterol and HDL–cholesterol constitute Plasma Lipid Profile. The recent decades have seen a massive global increase in tobacco use, the consumption of cigarettes alone having risen from 300 million per year in 1920 to 5.5 trillion in 2000. It has been pointed out that 82,000-99,000 young people worldwide are initiated into smoking each day. Smokeless tobacco users in India and Pakistan together have been estimated to number 100 million.The World Health Organization predicts that tobacco deaths in India may exceed 1.5 million annually by 2020. Epidemiological studies show that the risk of developing oral cancer is five to nine times greater for smokers than for nonsmokers. In one study of women in the southern United States, chronic users of snuff were estimated to have a four times greater risk of developing oral cancer. In addition, a significant number of oral cancers in smokeless tobacco users, develop at the site of tobacco placement. Tobacco usage leads to the uptake of many hazardous compounds and their metabolites extracted from burning tobacco. These substances may be electrophilic and react with biological molecules, and give rise to oxidative stress through the formation of reactive species, or the initiation of lipid peroxidation chain reactions in the membranes. Because of the lipid peroxidation, there is a greater utilization of lipids for new membrane biogenesis. Cells fulfill these requirements either from circulation, by synthesis through the metabolism or from degradation of major lipoprotein fractions like VLDL, LDL or HDL. Usage of only tobacco/ tobacco with other ingredients (areca nut) is responsible for WebmedCentral > Research articles Page 2 of 10 WMC004034 Downloaded from http://www.webmedcentral.com on 18-Feb-2013, 07:44:08 AM causing various oral precancers. Premalignancy / precancer can be defined as any lesion that displays the metabolic and histologic activity found in cancerous lesions and within whose boundaries it is possible, but not mandatory, for a carcinoma to develop. Oral cancer lesions are usually preceded by the occurrences of premalignant lesions and / or conditions. Malignant transformation of Oral Leukoplakia, a premalignant lesion is 1% to 2% over 5 years, while Oral Lichen planus (OLP) and Oral Sub Mucous Fibrosis (OSMF) , both being premalignant conditions have malignant transformation of 0.05% in 10 years and 5% to 8% respectively. Researchers have reported association of plasma/serum lipids and lipoproteins with different cancers, as cholesterol is essential for maintenance of structural & functional integrity of all biological membranes. As neoplastic disease is related to new growth, there is a greater utilization of lipids including total cholesterol, lipoproteins and triglycerides for new membrane biogenesis. Cells fulfill these requirements either from circulation, by synthesis through the metabolism or from degradation of major lipoprotein fractions like VLDL, LDL or HDL. The idea of screening and following patients by blood test is appealing from several points of view, which inc lude, i t 's ease, economic advantage, non-invasiveness and possibility of repeated sampling. Hence the present study has been taken up to evaluate the variation in serum lipid profile (total cholesterol(TC), VLDL, LDL, HDL & total TG levels) if any, in patients with oral tobacco habits and in oral precancer lesions and conditions. Materials And Methods The study was conducted in the Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Sri Sai College of Dental Surgery, Vikarabad. A total sample size of 90 subjects was chosen, with study group consisting of a total of 30 patients each in Precancer group and Tobacco Habit group. The control group consisted of 30 age and sex matched individuals, without any systemic or oral condition. The controls and patients selected belonged to similar socio-economic background. Any subject with systemic disease (eg: diabetes mellitus, thyroid disorders and liver dysfunction) and taking any drugs (including steroids) for the same were excluded. Obese subjects weighing more than 20% above the ideal weight were excluded. The tobacco habit group subjects were selected on the basis of the study by Robson N. et al., who have defined a current smoker as someone who had smoked > 100 cigarettes in their lifetime and who at the time of the study reported that they were smoking. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 1996) and a current smokeless tobacco chewer as defined by Ernster VL. et al., (1990) in their study, as one who has used smokeless tobacco more frequently than once a month and who had used smokeless tobacco within the previous month. After obtaining informed consent, patients were tested for fasting blood glucose levels, and complete blood picture to rule out diabetes mellitus. An incisional biopsy was performed, if clinical evidence of oral precancer lesion and/or condition was present. After the confirmation of the precancerous state, 5 ml of fasting (12-14hrs) blood sample was collected in a sterile bottle and allowed to clot for about an hour at 37°C. The serum was then separated and stored at 4°C. The serum triglycerides were estimated by the GPO-PAP (Glycerol-3-phosphate Oxidase – Peoxidase), End Point Assay; Total cholesterol by CHOD-PAP (Cholesterol Oxidase – Peroxidase) and HDL-Cholesterol by PEG-CHOD-PAP(Polyethylene glycol 6000Cholesterol Oxidase – Peroxidase), End Point Assay with Lipid Clearing Factor (LCF). The LDL Cholesterol level was calculated by the Friedewald's equation. VLDL= triglycerides/5 LDL=Total CholesterolHDL-VLDL. The data collected was tabulated based upon the LDL, VLDL, HDL, total cholesterol and serum triglyceride levels separately for each of the three groups and subjected to statistical analysis. One way ANOVA SPSS version 19.0 was used for multiple group comparison for statistical analysis. For all the tests p value of 0.05 or less was used for statistical significance.


We examine an allocation problem in which limited resources are allocated among competing activities. Certain substitutions among resources are possible. The substitutional relations are formulated using tree structures, where a node resource can substitute for all its descendants. Potential applications with such resources are found, for example, in the manufacturing of high technology products. The objective is to minimize the maximum weighted relative deviation of the activity levels from given demands. Our formulation of this problem involves a large number of possible resource constraints. We develop an efficient minimax algorithm that is based on an iterative solution of relaxed problems, where each such problem considers at most one aggregated constraint from each tree. The algorithm is extended to minimize lexicographically the nonincreasingly sorted vector of all terms in the objective, each of which represents an activity's deviation. Computational results show that the algorithm solves large problems using relatively small computation time.


This proceedings, Restructuring: America and Beyond , contains the papers presented at the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Thirteenth Structures Congress held in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, April 3-5, 1995. These papers cover structural engineering subjects ranging from research to practice which concern planning, analysis, design, aesthetics, testing, materials, and construction of structural systems. Within these broad categories, the papers discuss a number of topics including: 1) Inspection, maintenance, and rehabilitation of buildings and bridges; 2) intelligent damage monitoring; 3) seismic retrofit; 4) structural testing during construction; 5) innovative materials for the infrastructure; 6) structural behavior and performance; and 7) lifetime cost, maintenance and reliability of structures. This collection provides design professionals, researchers, educators, and students with a wealth of technical information regarding the international status and progress of structural engineering with a good balance between theoretical concepts and practical applications.


After concisely highlighting the book's main themes, this chapter explains why it is important to think about responses to radical skepticism, and provides an overview of the book and its key concepts. First, it identifies three reasons it is worthwhile to devote time to thinking about how best to respond to radical skepticism. These reasons are that it enables us to consider (in a more informed way) our options for dealing with less radical forms of skepticism (e.g. moral or religious skepticism), it affects our stance on a multitude of other positions in epistemology and other subfields in philosophy, and it is intrinsically interesting. Second, this chapter provides a detailed overview of the book's contents, noting that Part I objects to argument-based resistance to radical skepticism, Part II defends noninferential commonsense epistemic-intuition-based resistance to radical skepticism, and Part III responds to objections to epistemic intuition (on which the approach to skepticism, developed in Part II, heavily relies). Third, it clarifies three key concepts that play an important role in the book—skepticism, justification, and evidence—by distinguishing a variety of understandings of each concept and highlighting the ones that are relevant to the book's content.


This paper presents a trajectory planning strategy for collision avoidance in unmanned aerial vehicles. First, a varying cell strategy is proposed to integrate aerodynamic constraints into trajectory planning. Basic avoidance actions in the varying cell strategy are adapted accordingly to go through different cells, enabling more flexible avoidance maneuvers. Second, given the limited decision-making time involved, offline and online path planning methods are developed to increase the convergence rate. Finally, Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate that the proposed method satisfies aerodynamic constraints, while both the convergence and collision avoidance rates are better than that achieved by fixed cell-based methods.


This article empirically details the trade-off between scoring and competitive balance in professional basketball. Noting reduced time of possessions in 2000, basketball federations sought to increase the speed and attractiveness of the game. At the same time an increase in possessions reduce the impact of randomness on outcome. Using both game- and season-level data from the Spanish professional league, this study confirms that the resulting increase in scoring was accompanied by decreased competitive balance. This finding empirically reveals a trade-off between the two measures, which presumably drive consumer demand.


Different meanings,attitudes and pursuits of nature are reflected in both Wordsworth and Tao Yuanming's poems.Tao Yuanming expresses his metaphysical inclinations of nature to achieve a unity of the simplicity and creativity with a peculiar description of the natural beauty.In contrast,Wordsworth describes nature of the universe with pantheism.Nature stands for truth,virtue,beauty,sublimity and grandeur.


In this paper, we study the potential determinates of the capital structure of non-financial firms listed on Karachi Stock Exchange. We analyse a sample of 445 firms listed on the KSE for the period 1997–2001. We have chosen tangibility of assets, size, firm growth rate, and profitability as independent variables, and measure their effect on debt/total asset ratio (proxy for leverage). Using the technique of panel data analysis, we observe that of the four independent variables, growth, size, and profitability have significant effect on leverage. However, we do not find tangibility as significantly correlated with leverage.


The time of onset of beer brewing in ancient China remains unclear. Jiajing Wang et al. (pp. 6444–6448) report the discovery of brewing artifacts in two pits dated to around 3400–2900 BC and unearthed at Mijiaya, an archaeological site near a tributary of the Wei River in northern China. Yellowish remnants found in wide-mouth pots, funnels, and amphorae suggest that the vessels were used for beer brewing, filtration, and storage. Stoves found in the pits likely provided heat for mashing grains. Morphological analysis of starch grains and phytoliths found inside the artifacts revealed broomcorn millets, barley, Job's tears, and tubers; some starch grains bore marks reminiscent of malting and mashing. The presence of oxalate, a byproduct of beer brewing that was identified using ion chromatography, in some of the artifacts further supported their use as brewing vessels. Together, the lines of evidence suggest that the Yangshao people may have concocted a 5,000-year-old beer recipe that ushered the cultural practice of beer brewing into ancient China. According to the authors, the identification of barley residues in the Mijiaya artifacts represents the earliest known occurrence of barley in China, pushing back the crop's advent in the country by approximately 1,000 years and suggesting that the crop may have been used as a beer-making ingredient long before it became a familiar agricultural staple. — P.N.