During a 14‐year period ending in June 1979, 342 patients with calculous biliary disease underwent choledochoduo‐denostomy either as a primary procedure or during reoperation. Eighty per cent of the patients were aged 50 years or more. Follow‐up was either by personal interview and physical examination or by means of a questionnaire, 90 per cent of the patients being assessed at periods ranging from 6 months to 14 years. A high incidence of common bile duct dilatation was found in older patients, in patients with a long history and in patients submitted to reoperation. There were no operative deaths. Postoperative complications occurred in 22 cases (6·4 per cent) and, in particular, no patient developed ascending cholangitis or symptoms related to the 'blind segment'. Choledochoduodenostomy is a valuable and safe procedure and can be used on wide indications, especially where peroperative cholangiography is not available.


Initial in-situ stress field in a multivariate nonlinear system is analyzed systematically by using establishing model theory of greyalgebraic curve model. The authentic initial in-situ stress field is fitted by applied calculating result of Finite Element Analysis. The research result shows that fit precision can satisfy the engineering demanding,which is proved by some engineering practices. In this paper,the research result is finished by MATLAB program.


The invention discloses a switching power supply and a control method thereof. The method comprises the following steps that: a primary side model reference circuit simulates the input/output characteristic of a secondary side output power level circuit and the load characteristic of a secondary side load; a primary side control circuit controls a switching device of an electronic load according to a first sampled signal obtained by detecting the output of a primary side inversion circuit, so that the primary side model reference circuit can better simulate the input/output characteristic of the secondary side output power level circuit; and the primary side control circuit controls a power switching tube of the primary side inversion circuit according to a second sampled signal obtained by detecting a reference voltage to stabilize a direct-current output voltage. Due to the adoption of the scheme provided by the invention, an isolated auxiliary power supply is not required, and an output signal of a secondary side is not required to be fed back by using an optical coupler. Moreover, the change of the reference voltage is consistent with the change of the direct-current output voltage, so that the input/output characteristic of the secondary side output power level circuit is better simulated, and the switching power supply has a good control characteristic.


OBJECTIVE To study the light stability of Safflower Yellow(SY) during preparation,providing the basis for Extraction and purification of SY.METHODS With HPLC measuring the Retention rate of Hydroxy Yellow A(HSYA) as index,we observed the light stability of SY in the different Ethanol.RESULTS Under same Light,retention rate of HSYA in the order was:water10% ethanol30% ethanol 50% ethanol 70% ethanol;The factors of HSYA stability in the order was:Daylight UV Fluorescent dark.CONCLUSION HSYA has poor stability to light in Ethanol than in water,mainly due to the effect of the ultraviolet light.


Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade is one of the major signaling systems in eukaryotes. External signals are tranduced through three protein kinases, which successively relay phosphorylation to finally activate target genes/proteins. However, few information on targets of MAPK have so far been available. In this study, we identified a novel transcription factor, NtWIF, which is directly phosphorylated by a wound-induced protein kinase (WIPK), a typical MAPK from tobacco plants. Phosphorylated NtWIF recognizes the auxin responsive element (ARE), and transcriptionally activates ARE-driven Luciferase-reporter genes. Transgenic tobacco plants, in which NtWIF was overexpressed or suppressed, showed distinct features not only in pathogen resistance, but also in seed development and root growth. Micro-array assay using transgenic lines identified 178 differentially expressed genes, among which nearly half was related to defense and development. Screening of the available promoter regions revealed that multiple genes encoding such as pathogenesis-related protein Q (PR-Q), β-1,3-glucanase, aminocyclopropane carboxylic acid synthase 2, P-450 and WIPK itself possess the ARE motif. Upon coexpression in cultured cells, NtWIF transcriptionally activated the Luciferase-reporter gene driven by intact promoters of PR-Q and WIPK. Since ARE is commonly found in auxin-responsive genes, NtWIF possibly targets diverse genes for defense and development by sharing processes that involve auxins. Transcriptional activation of WIPK by NtWIF suggests that WIPK is produced through a feed-back controlling system. It was thus concluded that NtWIF is a missing link between WIPK and its down-stream proteins, and that WIPK cascade is auto-regulated through a self-amplifying circuit. Addendum to: Chung K-M, Sano H. Transactivation of wound-responsive genes containing the core sequence of the auxin-responsive element by a wound-induced protein kinase-activated transcription factor in tobacco plants. Plant Mol Biol 2007; 65:763-73.


Abstract Polymer thin films with nonlinear optical groups were prepared by spin-coating poly-DR1-(anthranilic acid) on glass substrates. These films were then heated to different temperatures and cooled down to obtain samples with various degrees of cross-linking. The visible absorption decreased for samples annealed at high temperatures. Strong second-harmonic signal generated from the polymer film indicated the nonlinear side chains of the polymer were aligned macroscopically through the heat treatment without external field.


Microscopic pathology of massive atelectasis in man has received little consideration due to its associated low mortality. Reports on this subject have usually been made on autopsies where death was due to some other cause. Bergamini and Shepard 1 reported 2 cases of bilateral massive atelectasis causing sudden death. Microscopic sections of the collapsed lungs revealed cloudy swelling and indistinct outline of the cells; with a dilatation of the capillaries, arterioles and venules which were filled with blood, presenting in parts an angiomatous appearance. From experimental studies it has generally been contended that there appears to be an increased vascularity of the atelectatic tissue; that the capillaries become dilated and engorged with blood simulating a passive congestion of the lung lobe. Recently we have studied microscopic sections of experimental atelectasis at various stages of duration. Massive atelectasis was produced in dogs by stenosis of the bronchi with a solution of silver nitrate. 2 The dogs were sacrificed at irregular intervals ranging from a few days to several months. Atelectasis of only a few days'duration revealed complete collapse of the alveolar spaces and smaller bronchioles with some swelling of the septal cells whose outlines were indistinct. There was an apparent increase in the vascularity of the tissue due to the capillary spaces being brought much closer together. These vascular channels appeared to be engorged with blood, giving it the appearance of a passive congestion. Anthracosis was present, scattered pigment appearing throughout the tissue. By the end of 4 months the alveolar walls were much less closely packed together and the intervening greatly dilated blood spaces more clearly outlined at this time. The blood spaces gradually become larger so that at the end of g and I I months, they were found enormously dilated; some being 2 or 3 times as large as an ordinary alveolus.


The present studies on renaturalization of river valleys, river beds as well as quantitative estimation of water demand of protected hydrogenic habitats exposed to flooding, in many cases require application of flooding flow models. The state of fluviogenic ecosystems is dependent mostly on the conditions of their hydrological alimentation by flooding waters. The possibility of particular swamp vegetation occurrence on those areas is related to the presence of annual floods of certain duration and depth. So there is a significant relationship between the plant communities' pattern and persisting hydrological conditions. The most important hydrological characteristics, conditioning of the growth and the development of swamp vegetation, are, first of all (Oswit, 1991; Hooijer, 1996; Zalewski et al., 1997): inundation surface, mean inundation depth, the frequency and the duration of inundation. That indicates that there is a very strong relationship between a vegetation structure and water conditions. On the other hand, floodplain vegetation significantly affects flood extent in the valley. Hydrodynamic models coupled with GIS techniques make it possible to obtain necessary data for the determination of abovementioned hydrological characteristics. They are also tools which facilitate estimation of the influence of different river valley management methods on hydraulic conditions of water flow. They can be applied in the process of decision-making for: projects, investments and operational activities in the field of flood protection and environmental impact assessment.


In this study, as a candidate of the carbon dioxide () absorbents, the mixture solution of polyethylene glycol dimethyl ether (PEGDME) and tetrahydrofuran (THF) were investigated. absorption rate was measured by using high pressure screening equipment in the range of 1 - 10wt% THF. Absorption capacity of the mixture solution was also estimated. Based on the results, we found that mixture solution containing THF had higher absorption rate and loading capacity compared to PEGDME at .


The question of the improvement in correctional education and the question of the usage norms 40 and 401 of the criminal procedure code of Russian Federation towards underaged offenders are considered in the article.


Intrinsic defects of the nearly stoichiometric (110) surface of TiO2 have been studied by means of scanning tunneling microscopy. Temperature treatment at 870≤T≤1070 K in ultrahigh vacuum induces changes of the orientation of single steps. Line defects along [001] and oxygen vacancies are formed simultaneously as predominant surface defects under these conditions. Atomically resolved scanning tunneling microscopy images make it possible to determine their geometric structures. Simple structural models are derived to explain the high stability of electrostatically neutral [001] single steps and [001] line defects at TiO2(110).


The invention relates to a vehicular volume control system which comprises an external noise detection module, an internal noise detection module and a volume controller module. The external noise detection module and the internal noise detection module respectively detect noise of an external environment of a vehicle and noise of an internal environment of the vehicle, and the volume controller module is connected with the external noise detection module and the internal noise detection module to determine the volume of an external loudspeaker of the vehicle and the volume of an audio loudspeaker of the vehicle according to detection results of the external noise detection module and the internal noise detection module. The vehicular volume control system has the advantages that the volume of the external loudspeaker of the vehicle and the volume of the audio loudspeaker of the vehicle can be adaptively modified in real time according to detection results of the noise of the internal environment of the vehicle and the noise of the external environment of the vehicle, and problems that pedestrians cannot hear reminding sound of the loudspeaker due to the noise and a driver of the vehicle cannot hear sound of incoming calls of a mobile phone due to the noise are solved.


Most existing efforts toward revitalizing local food production have focused on fresh produce and animal products, largely neglecting staple crops such as grains. Nevertheless, there has been increasing interest in many parts of the United States in relocalizing grain production. Wheat is the most commonly consumed grain in the United States. Commercial bakers could be important supply-chain intermediaries for locally grown wheat, but little is known about their attitudes toward local wheat and how they define local. We surveyed commercial bakers in western Washington State and interviewed experts involved with local wheat movements in other regions. Thirty-four percent of survey respondents defined local as within the state of Washington, 25 percent provided a multistate definition, and 14 percent provided a flexible (or reflexive) definition that referred to two or more geographic regions. Perceived barriers to purchasing local wheat included supply-chain, price, quality, and scale factors. We conclude with discussion of the opportunities and challenges for the relocalization of wheat flour supply chains.


A biped robot technology for household use is proposed in this paper. The motivation of the biped robot is to assist an aged person with an unsteady walk in walking and moving up-and-down stairs. The robot has two legs with waist, and its waist is fixed to a handrail of a house using linear guides. The robot is able to walk by supporting itself on the handrail. A control bar is attached to the robot waist. An aged person can easily walk and move up-and-down stairs by stepping onto the feet of the robot. The robot structure using the handrail is advantageous since it allows for a compact, lightweight, and low cost robot mechanism. A scaled down biped robot was fabricated in order to confirm the proposed principle, and the simulation study was also carried out.


BACKGROUND
Extrapyramidal syndrome and alterations in brain magnetic resonance images are described in patients undergoing long-term home parenteral nutrition (HPN) and in cholestatic patients. These abnormalities have been correlated to basal ganglia manganese (Mn) accumulation.

METHODS
A longitudinal 1-year study was conducted on 15 patients undergoing HPN (median duration, 3.8 years; range, 1.7-10; median Mn parenteral supplementation, 0.1 mg/d). Whole-blood, plasma, intra-erythrocytes, and urinary Mn concentrations were measured and brain magnetic resonance was performed at the beginning (time 0) and after 1 year of Mn intravenous supplementation withdrawal (time 1). No patients showed psychosis, extrapyramidal syndrome, or cholestasis.

RESULTS
At time zero, 10 of 15 patients (67%) showed paramagnetic accumulation on cerebral magnetic resonance images; at time 1 there was a reduction of cerebral Mn accumulation. In all patients, blood-Mn levels were significantly reduced after 1 year of Mn intravenous supplementation withdrawal.

CONCLUSIONS
Patients receiving long-term HPN showed an elevated incidence of alterations in brain magnetic resonance images with a median Mn intravenous supplementation of 0.1 mg/d. Mn supplementation withdrawal significantly decreased metal levels in blood and brain storage. We noticed that the intra-erythrocyte Mn level was a good index of Mn status.


It has been argued by Boyer, McCrea, Puthoff, and others that the zero-point electromagnetic radiation of quantum theory really exists. This idea is examined from the cosmological viewpoint. If the field is regenerated on a cosmic scale, its energy density requires an unlikely combination of cosmological parameters. And if the field energy interacts gravitationally in the conventional way, it leads to some awkward cosmological consequences. General relativity appears to imply either that zero-point electromagnetic energy does not exist, or that it exists but does not gravitate. In either event, major revisions may be necessary in quantum mechanics and/or gravitation


In this paper, we investigate the relationship between permanents of one type of upper-Hessenberg matrices (of odd order) and the Pell numbers. At the final part of this paper, we give a Maple 13 source code to strength our calculations.


The dynamic potential response of an 18-crown-6 based ion-selective electrode towards Li+, Na+, K+ and Ca2+, in a flow-injection system is studied. Different double nonmonotonic transient signals are obtained for the different ions. The influence of the flow-injection variables and of ion concentration on the signals is studied. Two signal parameters, the relative return rates, are found to be characteristic for each ion and are constant for a concentration range of 1–3 decades. The nonmomotonic transient signals obtained are explained by reference to the theoretical models reported.


This paper studies order reduction issues for a vehicle active suspension system throughout its modelling, H-infinity controller design and controller refinement. Computer simulations demonstrate that an H-infinity controller for a full active suspension can be significantly reduced to nearly one third of its full order, while the active suspension performance is only slightly degraded. As a by-product, this paper also provides an explicit algorithm for reduced H-infinity control for singular and non-singular continuous-time systems.


We present results of a two-dimensional hybrid simulation of the electromagnetic proton beam instability. We show that for a case of cold and rather high density proton beam the oblique right-handed resonant modes play an important role. The interaction of these modes with the beam protons causes significant beam density fluctuations. At the nonlinear stage the oblique modes give rise to a beam filamentation. Beam filaments influence strongly the evolution of the instability. They create pulses of a strong magnetic field. These pulses share some properties of the magnetic pulsations (short, large-amplitude magnetic structures). We suppose that the oblique modes play an important role in the structure of the quasi-parallel Earth's bow shock.


'Parker' strawberries were transplanted 14 Nov '83 into drip irrigated, double-row raised beds. Beds were mulched with clear plastic approximately 1 wk following transplanting. Treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with 4 replicates of each treatment. Each replicate consisted of 2 sub-beds (17 plants/sub-bed). Insecticides were applied on 9 Feb, 13 Apr and 5 May using 2 hollow cone nozzles/row with D3 orifices, #33 cores and 50-mesh screens. Operating pressure was 7.03 rag/cm2 and delivery rate was 935 liter/ha on the first and second applications and 1,402 liter/has on the third application. All applications contained 0.04% spreader/sticker (Leaf Act 80A). Spider mite populations were assessed by collecting the oldest functional trifoliate leaf/plant for 5 plants/replicate and counting the numbers of larvae + nymphs + adult males, and adult females for 7 wk following the first application (Test 1), 3 wk following the second application (Test 2) and 3 wk following the third application (Test 3).


The application of dielectric barrier discharge with wire to plane configuration to produce ozon and to decide command dissolved oxygen with air gas sources has been
done. The concentration of ozone have been determined by variation of voltage, ozonization time and air flow rate.
Electrode geometry used was wire to plane electrode. Wire electrode was constructed by using 3 cooper wires with length 160 mm and diameters 2 mm. While plane
electrode was made from cooper with length 178 mm and width 38 mm. Glass was used as dielectric material, with length 178 mm, width 38 mm and thick 2 mm. Dielectric barrier
discharge generation used AC voltage with voltage range 10-19 kV. The results show that ozone was produced have maximum concentration 132,57 ppm. The ozone concentration increase with increasing the voltage and ozonization time.
The ozone concentration increase by reduction of air flow rate. Command dissolved oxygen to produce increase wash water to receive with ozone.


approved: _ ----Qetin K. Ko<; The Montgomery multiplication method~ constitute the core of the modu lar exponentiation operation, which is the most popular method in public-key cryptography for encrypting and signing digital data. In this thesis, we con centrate on improving versions of Montgomery Algorithms using a new family of special prime numbers of the form 2k + 2i + 1 (k, i E N, k > i). We show that the multiplication operation (z = x.y.rin the field GF(p)) can be imple mented significantly faster than the standard multiplication when using special primes of the form 2k + 2i + 1. The optimized Montgomery algorithms have been implemented in C. The analysis and actual performance results indicate that the Coarsely Integrated Operand Scanning (CIOS) method, detailed in this thesis, can be best optimized to take advantage of these special primes. We also study how the Elliptic Curve Digital Signature (ECDS) benefits dramatically from a new implementation of Montgomery multiplication algorithms that take advantage of primes of the form 2k + 2i + 1. Redacted for Privacy


Based on the analysis on conceptions of the efficiency evaluation, an input/output index system used the DEA method for the efficiency evaluation on commercial banks is put forward. At the same time, the DEA model which is made use of evaluating the efficiency of commercial banks is established. And then, an empirical study of 20 commercial banks in some province is also given with the model, furthermore, the outcome of efficiency analysis'is gained simultaneously. The result shows that there are only 7 banks is in effective state, and that its resources assignment is reasonable. In addition, there are 7 banks should adjust its input, 6 banks should not only regulates its input ,but also should improve its management.


The Castle is Kafkas top achievement,but its symbolic meaning is still enigmatic to the literary world.An analysis of K,the land surveyor in The Castle will help to rid the dense fog that shrouds the novel.As the land surveyor invited by the castle,K fights against the supreme castle for the sake of his identity and work,but in vain,for his fighting fails to threaten the castles authority and only results in solitude and contempt.It is an individuals fight against the powerful and absurd world,but the fight symbolizes the existence of life.This is perhaps what Kafka hopes to convey.


Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of human activities. The increasing numbers of scientists and tourists are threatening the continent's biodiversity through habitat destruction, chemical and sewage pollution, displacement of wildlife and particularly non-native species introductions which have been recognized as one of the major threats facing conservation in the Antarctic Treaty area. BAS scientists are central to initiating, coordinating and contributing to large-scale multinational collaborative initiatives through the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) by documenting and analysing Antarctic biodiversity data, and using this to generate policy-related advice to stakeholders. In 2012 BAS scientists provided direct input and comment on the revisions to the Antarctic Act 1994, which has passed through Parliament as a Private Members Bill by Neil Carmichael, MP for Stroud as the Antarctic Bill (2012/13). Particular input was given regarding the revisions to the Act concerning permitting, conservation of animals and plants and Annex XI of the Environmental Protocol (Liability arising from environmental emergencies). In addition, BAS scientists provided expert input into the Overseas Territories White Paper (2012) which highlights the environmental protection of the BAT, including marine and terrestrial protected areas, non-native species management and tourism management through the production of guidelines.


Recent stability results of external kink modes and vertical modes in compact stellarators are presented. The vertical mode is found to be stabilized by externally generated poloidal flux. A simple stability criterion is derived in the limit of large aspect ratio and constant current density. For a wall at infinite distance from the plasma, the amount of external flux needed for stabilization is given by Fi = (k2 {minus} k)=(k2 + 1), where k is the axisymmetric elongation and Fi is the fraction of the external rotational transform. A systematic parameter study shows that the external kink mode in QAS can be stabilized at high beta ({approximately} 5%) without a conducting wall by magnetic shear via 3D shaping. It is found that external kinks are driven by both parallel current and pressure gradient. The pressure contributes significantly to the overall drive through the curvature term and the Pfirsch-Schluter current.


1969, Dudrick et a1.3 introduced its use in intravenous hyperalimentation. This paper presents our experience with 695 catheterizations of the subclavian vein performed for rapid infusion of blood and fluids, prolonged intravenous therapy, and for the measurement of central venous pressure. The subclavian route was also employed when veins, more customarily used, were not available. Indications, technique and potential hazards of the method are described.


Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is considered as a promising alternative to conventional semiconductor materials that used in the IC industry because of its novel properties. In this paper, we explore the optical and electronic properties of MoS2 for photodetector and transistors applications. This simulation is done using 'DFT materials properties simulator'. Our findings show that mono- and multi-layer MoS2 is suitable for conventional and tunnel FET applications due to direct and indirect band-gap respectively. The bulk MoS2 crystal, which are composed of stacked layers have indirect bandgap and mono-layer MoS2 crystal form direct bandgap at the K-point of Brillouin zone. Indirect bandgap of bulk MoS2 crystal implies that phonons need to be involved in band-to-band tunneling (BTBT) process. Degenerately doped semiconductor, which is basically spinning the Fermi level, changing the DOS profile, and thinning the indirect bandgap that allow tunneling from valence band to conduction band. The optical properties of MoS2 is explored in terms of Absorption coefficient, extinction coefficient and refractive index. Our results shows that a MoS2 based photodetector can be fabricate to detect light in the visible range (below 500nm). It is also observed that the MoS2 is most sensitive for the light of wavelength 450nm.Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is considered as a promising alternative to conventional semiconductor materials that used in the IC industry because of its novel properties. In this paper, we explore the optical and electronic properties of MoS2 for photodetector and transistors applications. This simulation is done using 'DFT materials properties simulator'. Our findings show that mono- and multi-layer MoS2 is suitable for conventional and tunnel FET applications due to direct and indirect band-gap respectively. The bulk MoS2 crystal, which are composed of stacked layers have indirect bandgap and mono-layer MoS2 crystal form direct bandgap at the K-point of Brillouin zone. Indirect bandgap of bulk MoS2 crystal implies that phonons need to be involved in band-to-band tunneling (BTBT) process. Degenerately doped semiconductor, which is basically spinning the Fermi level, changing the DOS profile, and thinning the indirect bandgap that allow tunneling from valence band to conduction band. The optical propertie...


Planetariums around the world attract millions of adults and children each year to public programs popularizing astronomy and related topics. For many urban school children, the planetarium experience is a unique opportunity to observe and to wonder about the night sky and objects in space. In particular, the planetarium provides children with a needed observational basis for increasing scientific literacy and for understanding astronomical concepts. This paper explores the role of the planetarium in the astronomy education of school children, grades Kindergarten–12, in Tucson, Arizona, over the past 12 years.


Highlights During the economic and financial crisis, the divide between young and old in the European Union increased in terms of economic well-being and allocation of resources by governments. As youth unemployment and youth poverty rates increased, government spending shifted away from education, families and children towards pensioners. To address the sustainability of pension systems, some countries implemented pension reforms. We analysed changes to benefit ratios, meaning the ratio of the income of pensioners to the income of the active working population, and found that reforms often favoured current over future pensioners, increasing the intergenerational divide. We recommend reforms in three areas to address the intergenerational divide - improving European macroeconomic management, restoring fairness in government spending so the young are not disadvantaged, and pension reforms that share the burden fairly between generations. 1. The emergence of an intergenerational divide During seven years of economic crisis, the intergenerational income and wealth divide has increased in many European Union countries. In the bloc as a whole, young people on average have become significantly poorer, while poverty among pensioners has been reduced (Figure 1). Unemployment among the under-25s has risen notably while older workers (aged 50-64) have been less affected (Figure 2). While this pattern has been particularly pronounced in southern Europe, it can also be observed for the European Union as a whole. In the EU as a whole, unemployment in the 15-24 age group increased by 7.8 percentage points between 2007 and 2013, peaking at 23.7 percent in 2013, while unemployment among older workers in the 50-64 age group increased somewhat less, by 2.4 percentage points to 7.8 percent in 2013. A more precise measure of forced inactivity of young people is the 'not in employment, education or training' (NEET) rate, which varies significantly between countries. In the countries most hit by the crisis (Cyprus, Greece, Ireland, Italy and Spain), the NEET rate increased by more than 7 percentage points between 2007 and 2013, peaking at over 20 percent in Greece and Italy (Figure 2). By contrast, the NEET rate declined in Germany in the same period, from 8.9 to 6.3 percent. Figure 1 - Pre and post-crisis material deprivation rate and unemployment rate in the EU Source - Bruegel based on Eurostat. Note - The material deprivation rate is defined as the enforced inability (rather than the choice not) to pay for at least three of - unexpected expenses; a one-week annual holiday away from home; a meal involving meat, chicken or fish every second day; adequate heating; durable goods such as washing machines, colour televisions, telephones or cars; or being confronted with payment arrears. Figure 2 - 15-24 year olds not in employment, education or training (%) Source - Eurostat. Material deprivation rates are typically higher for young people than for those aged 65 or over (Figure 1). In 2007, 20 percent of young people below the age of 18 were materially deprived, compared to 16 percent of people aged over 65. As with the NEET rates, there are major differences between countries. While less than 10 percent of young people faced poverty in Denmark, Finland and Sweden in 2007 (the proportion is even smaller for older people), more than 20 percent of young and old people were materially deprived in Cyprus, Greece and Portugal. In Latvia, Hungary and Poland about 40 percent of young people were poor. Figure 3 shows the percentage change per country in the material deprivation rate during the crisis (2007-13). The rate increased substantially more for the young compared to the old, especially in the countries hit most by the crisis (except Ireland), meaning that already high levels before the crisis in those countries were exacerbated. Only Italy and to a lesser extent the United Kingdom experienced deteriorating ratios for both the young and old. By contrast, Finland and Sweden, with low levels to start with, saw their respective material deprivation rates decline for both young and old people over the same period. The same is valid for Poland1. Figure 3 - Change in material deprivation rate (2007-13, %) Source - Bruegel based on Eurostat. Overall, a worrying picture emerges. First, poverty indicators have shown the emergence of an intergenerational divide, especially in crisis-hit southern Europe. Second, unemployment has become a major concern, with young people hit hardest during the crisis in the most stressed countries. Surges in youth unemployment and youth poverty are particularly worrying because they have long-lasting effects on productivity and potential growth, marking young people for their lifetimes, reducing their productivity and often excluding them from the labour market for an extended period of time (Bell and Blanchflower, 2010; Arulampalam, 2001; Gregg and Tominey, 2005).


Mesonychids from the Lushi Formation, Middle Eocene, Lushi Basin, Henan Province, China are described. They include at least four taxa: Harpagolestes orientalis, Pachyaena sp., Mongolestes cf. M. alxaensis and a new species—Harpagolestes leei.


Between 1965 and 1975 the number of motorcycles registered in the United States nearly quadrupled. In that same decade yearly traffic deaths involving automobile occupants declined nearly 17 percent but fatalities involving motorcycles more than doubled. Since 1975, motorcycle registrations have continued to increase-no doubt at least partially in because of the rising cost of automobiles and motor fuel. In 1977 motorcycle traffic deaths reached 4,082-24.3 percent above the 1975 total-and accounted for almost 9 percent of the nation's traffic death toll. Based on these trends, a U.S. Department of Transportation official has predicted that motorcycle fatalities in 1986 will exceed 6,000. This article reviews data on all motorcycle accidents in Pennsylvania in 1975, and data on all traffic accidents in the state during the same year-as well as total motor vehicle and motorcycle registrations. Some comparisons are made to highlight the differences between the two sets of data in an effort to identify certain characteristics intrinsic to motorcycle accidents. A second intent of the article is to pose some questions for motorcycle safety research and motorcycle safety programs.


Structural analysis is a text analysis technique that helps uncovering the association and opposition relationships between the terms of a text. It is used in particular in the field of humanities and social sciences. This technique is usually applied by hand with pen and paper as support. However, as any combination of words in the raw text may be considered as an association or opposition relationship, applying the technique by hand in a readable way can quickly prove overwhelming for the analyst. In this paper, we propose Evoq, an application that provides support to structural analysts in their work. Furthermore, we present interactive visualizations representing the relationships between terms. These visualizations help create alternative representations of text, as advocated by structural analysts. We conducted two usability evaluations that showed great potential for Evoq as a structural analysis support tool and for the use of alternative representations of texts in the analysis.


FIELD: medicine. SUBSTANCE: claimed invention relates to field of biotechnology. Claimed are: therapeutic antibody and therapeutic antibody fragment for increasing production of platelets, including thrombopoetin (TPO) mimetic peptide, which contains sequence IEGPTLRQWLAARA, and inserted as addition to C-terminus of constant region of light chain and/or in position of less than 20 amino acids following C-terminus of hinge region of heavy chain. In addition, described are composition, containing antibody or its therapeutically active fragment, and method of increasing production of platelets in individual, including introduction of said composition, as well as nucleic acid, coding antibody polypeptide, containing TPO mimetic polypeptide. EFFECT: invention enables higher and faster production of platelets in comparison with knows structures of antibody, where mimetic peptide is inserted instead of one of CDR. 13 cl, 4 dwg, 9 ex


Colin Graham, Deconstructing Ireland: Identity, Theory, Culture, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2001. ISBN hb 0 7486 0975 X, pb 0 7486 0976 8. hb £45, pb £16:99. xviþ 189 pp. A stimulating volume in the tradition of Declan Kiberd's Inventing Ireland. Graham's study employs a more thorough-going Derridean methodology, while providing a more scattergun approach to cultural history than his predecessor. His indebtedness to post-colonial theory is prominent and he allies himself with such historiographic approaches as that of the Subaltern Studies scholars. Topics discussed include the relationship between the artistintellectual and the ''people'' in Joyce, the political thought of John Hume and Richard Kearney and Frank Delaney and the appeal to authenticity in tourism. As such this is an important contribution to Irish studies and to post-colonial studies more generally, albeit one that it unlikely to supplant Kiberd.


The intercalation of copper(I) and (II) ions into the interlamellar regions of the layered compounds ALaNb2O7(A = H, K, Cs) has been carried out. Copper(I) ions could be inserted into the interlayer by ion exchange in aqueous CuCl despite the very low solubility of CuCl in water. Copper(II) ions could be inserted by heating a mixture consisting of copper(II) sulfate with ALaNb2O7 at 400 °C. It was found that the reaction occurred in the solid phase and the intercalation product retained the same structure as the starting materials CsLaNb2O7 and KLaNb2O7, of tetragonal and orthorhombic structure, respectively. The states of the inserted copper and the thermal properties of the intercalation products were examined.


0.1. Our motivation for writing this paper was twofold. On the one hand, we are trying to make sense of the notion of D-module on some infinite-dimensional variety attached to an algebraic group, and on the other hand, we study the structure of a certain interesting representation of the corresponding affine algebra. First, we will explain the representation-theoretic side of the picture. Thus, let G be an affine algebraic group with Lie algebra g. For simplicity, in the introduction we will assume that G is unimodular. Consider the group-scheme G[[t]], which classifies maps of the formal disc D = Spf(C[[t]]) into G. In addition, given an invariant symmetric form Q : g ⊗ g → C one can consider the affine Lie algebra g̃Q := g((t)) ⊕ C. As a subalgebra it contains g[[t]], which is the Lie algebra of G[[t]], in particular, the ring of regular functions OG[[t]] is a g[[t]]-module, via the action by left-invariant vector fields. Let us consider the induced module over the affine algebra VG,Q := Ind g̃Q g[[t]]⊕C(OG[[t]]). It turns out that, in addition to being just a g̃Q-module, VG,Q possesses several other structures and the goal of this paper is to study them. The initial observation is that VG,Q has a natural structure of a vertex operator algebra. In this paper we will adopt the language of chiral algebras, rather than vertex operator algebras, and the above assertion reads as follows: on every curve X there exists a chiral algebra DG,Q and for a point x ∈ X, there is an isomorphism between VG,Q and the fiber of DG,Q at x for every choice of a local parameter at x. In fact, the g̃Q-module structure onDG,Q comes from an embedding of chiral algebras l : Ag,Q → DG,Q, where Ag,Q is the (Kac-Moody) chiral algebra canonically attached to the pair (g, Q), cf. Sect. 3.1. Here comes a crucial observation, which is the main result of this paper: It turns out that in addition to l, there is another embedding of chiral algebras r : Ag,Q′ → DG,Q, where Q ′ = −Q−Q0, where Q0 is the Killing form. Moreover, the embeddings l and r commute with one another in the appropriate sense (in the chiral terminology, they *-commute). On the level of representation theory, this means that on VG,Q there is an action of g̃Q′ , which commutes with the initial g̃Q-action; the induced action of the subalgebra g[[t]] ⊂ g̃Q′ comes from the natural g[[t]]-action on OG[[t]] by right-invariant vector fields. 0.2. Now, let us explain the algebro-geometric meaning of the module VG,Q and of our constructions.


There is evidence to suggest that support through education and provision of a Personal Asthma Action Plan (PAAP) can reduce emergency visits to hospital and the GP. It is known that having a PAAP attracts appropriate treatment of exacerbations, encourages patients to take responsibility for managing their condition and increases their confidence in self-management. One of the recommendations from The National Review into Asthma Deaths (NRAD)2014 report (Royal College of Physicians) ' Why Asthma Still Kills' was for all asthma patients to have a PAAP as part of an education package and structured review. In 2016 the Annual Asthma Survey (Asthma UK) highlighted that the number of patients with a PAAP had almost doubled to 42%. Six years ago we developed a PAAP to use in adults and children with asthma across primary and secondary care in North Staffordshire. It was felt important to evaluate the patient's experience of using the PAAP. During structured asthma reviews in primary and secondary care clinics a sample size of 52 children and 54 adult patients were asked to complete an anonymous questionnaire to ascertain their experience of the PAAP. Of the 106 patients, 102 found the PAAP easy to follow; 99 found the PAAP increased their confidence in managing their/their child's asthma with 83 stating that following the PAAP helped to avoid a hospital admission. Overall the PAAP's were very well received by children/parents and adults. Following the evaluation the PAAP's will continue to be used, reviewed and updated in accordance with national guidance.


Humankind has a long evolutionary history. When we are trying to understand human complex cognition, it is as well important to look back to entire evolution. I will present the thesis that our biological predispositions and culture, together with natural and social environment, are tightly connected. During ontogenetically development we are shaped by various factors, and they enabled humans to develop some aspects of complex cognition, such as mathematics. In the beginning of the article I present the importance of natural and cultural evolution in other animals. In the following part, I briefly examine the field of mathematics - numerosity and arithmetic. Presentation of comparative animal studies, mainly made on primates, provides some interesting examples in animals' abilities to separate between different quantities. From abilities for numerosity in animals I continue to neuroscientific studies of humans and our ability to solve simple arithmetic tasks. I also mention cross-cultural studies of arithmetic skills. In the final part of the text I present the field neuroanthropology as a possible new pillar of cognitive science. Finally, it is important to connect human evolution and development with animal cognition studies, but as well with cross-cultural studies in shaping of human ability for numerosity and arithmetic.


The University of the Arctic is a virtual organisation of universities, colleges, research institutes and other organisations concerned with education and research in and about the North. Within the organisation, Thematic Networks are the primary means of cooperation between member institutions. Through the Thematic Networks faculty and researchers can facilitate knowledge generation and sharing across the North based on common interests and priorities within this area. This feature article describes the formation of the Thematic Network for Teacher Education for Social Justice and Diversity in Education; its values, themes, goals and activities.


AbstractRenewable energy has the characteristics of fluctuation and intermittence due to environmental conditions; the fluctuation of output power affects the operation of the power grid. To combat...


Two factors will determine any future role for arbitration institutions: efficiency and legitimacy. While efficiency is the prerequisite, addressing threats to legitimacy is the biggest challenge that arbitration institutions will face in the future. Among many challenges, institutions will need to develop codes of conduct aimed at avoiding conflicts of interest on the part of arbitrators as well as institutional staff The more institutions put in place transparent systems, the less susceptible they will be to encroachments by national courts.


Background : The Japanese clinical guidelines and the 2015 American Thyroid Association Management Guidelines recommend that indolent papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) be monitored actively and that patients with aggressive PTMC immediately undergo surgery. This study aimed to establish a stage model and provide a reference for the preoperative identification of aggressive PTMC and indolent PTMC, which might guide the treatment of PTMC. Materials and Methods : Risk factors for the aggressive PTMC were identified through multivariate logistic regression analysis. According to the regression coefficient, each risk factor was assigned a risk score; thereafter, a risk score (RS) model and a stage model were established. Results : The tumor's largest diameter > 6 mm, BRAFV600E (v - Raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B1, V600E) mutation, ultrasound - suspected lymph node metastasis, ultrasound - suspected extrathyroidal extension, and microcalcification were identified as risk factors for aggressive PTMC. The stage model was divided into three stages: stage I (RS=0.0; predictive probability for PTMC aggressiveness <10%), stage II (RS=1.0 –2.3; predictive probability for PTMC aggressiveness, 10–50%), stage III (RS=3.2–7.6; predictive probability for PTMC aggressiveness, >50%). Based on the abovementioned results, stages I and II were considered to be probably indolent PTMC, and stage III was considered as probably aggressive PTMC. Conclusion : We suggest that patients with stages I and II PTMC be recommended for active surveillance, while those with stage III PTMC be recommended for immediate surgery.


Structured light 3D imaging is often used for obtaining accurate 3D information via phase retrieval. Single-pattern structured light 3D imaging is much faster than multi-pattern versions. Current phase retrieval methods for single-pattern structured light 3D imaging are however not accurate enough. Besides, the projector resolution in a structured light 3D imaging system is expensive to improve due to hardware costs. To address the issues of low accuracy and low resolution of single-pattern structured light 3D imaging, this work proposes a super-resolution phase retrieval network (SRPRNet). Specifically, a phase-shifting module is proposed to extract multi-scale features with different phase shifts, and a refinement and super-resolution module is proposed to obtain refined and super-resolution phase components. After phase demodulation and unwrapping, high-resolution absolute phase is obtained. A sine shifting loss and a cosine shifting loss are also introduced to form the regularization term of the loss function. As far as can be ascertained, the proposed SRPRNet is the first network for super-resolution phase retrieval by using a single pattern, and it can also be used for standard-resolution phase retrieval. Experimental results on three datasets show that SRPRNet achieves state-of-the-art performance on <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$1\times $ </tex-math></inline-formula>, <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$2\times $ </tex-math></inline-formula>, and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$4\times $ </tex-math></inline-formula> super-resolution phase retrieval tasks.


THE TREND of electric loads on mobile equipment has been upward at an ever-increasing rate since the first generators were installed on automobiles in 1909.


Bulk amorphous materials were produced by the shock wave technique. Shock waves were generated by high explosives. The experiments were performed inside a vacuum chamber. As starting material amorphous ribbon with a thickness of 25 μm produced by rapid solidification was used. Also powder obtained by crushing the amorphous ribbon was compacted. Rings with an outer diameter of 30 mm were obtained. The microstructure of the compacted samples was investigated by an x‐ray diffractometer and optical microscope. No crystallization was observed in the samples compacted from the amorphous ribbon or the powder. A complete adhesion between the different ribbon layers was observed. The microstructure of the samples compacted from the amorphous powder consists of homogeneously distributed grains with an average diameter of 5–10 μm. Magnetic hysteresis curves of the samples were measured using a frequency of 1 Hz.


This article intends to analyse the ideas of the journal Tribuna Militar (1881-82) about economic issues, especially its emphatic defense of national industry and its virulent criticism of the agricultural nature of the Brazilian economy. For us, this newspaper, already studied by authors like John Schulz and William S. Dudley, and published by the Brazilian military in the beginning of the decade of political and military crisis that brought about the fall of the monarchy, might indicate that the rebellion against imperial authorities was not only a matter of corporate pride. This rebellion expressed, even if not explicitly, the opposition to the dominant social and economic structure that was based on slavery and on the exportation of primary products.


Nulling interferometry is the baseline technique for the DARWIN planet finding mission of the European Space Agency. Using this technique it will be possible to cancel, by destructive interference, the light from the bright star and look directly at its surrounding planets and eventually discover life on them. To achieve this goal wavefront errors need to be reduced to a very high degree in order to achieve the required nulling quality. Such a high wavefront quality can only be achieved with adequate wavefront filtering measures. Single mode fibers in general have excellent mode filtering capabilities, but they were not recently available for the broad infrared wavelength region of Darwin (4-20 um). Within an ESA technology development project, TNO has designed and tested an infrared single mode fiber based on chalcogenide glasses that has been manufactured by the University of Rennes. Several tests are carried out to characterize the materials used and the IR single mode fiber. Far field intensity distribution measurement at 10.6 um reveals the single mode operation of the manufactured fiber. Influence of coating, length, light coupling and bending of the fiber are also investigated.


Accurate measurements of myelin volume in the brain are of great interest for both medical research and clinical evaluations. Such measurements can provide an excellent diagnostic information for d ...


The present behaviour of the geomagnetic field as expressed by the International Geomagnetic Reference Field (IGRF) deserves special attention when compared with that shown over the past few thousands of years by two paleo- magnetic/archeomagnetic models, CALS3K and CALS7K. The application of the Information theory in terms of Shan- non Information and K-entropy to these models shows char- acteristics of an instable geomagnetic field. Although the re- sult is mitigated when we correct the CALS7K model for its typical spectral damping, the present geomagnetic field as represented by IGRF is still rather distinct, at least for the past 4000 years, a result that is further confirmed by the CALS3K model. This is consistent with a significant global critical state started at around 1750, and still present, charac- terised by significant decays of the geomagnetic dipole, en- ergy and Shannon information and high K-entropy. The de- tails of how these characteristics may develop are not clear, since the present state could move toward an excursion or a geomagnetic polarity reversal, but we cannot exclude the possibility that the "critical" behaviour will become again more "normal", stopping the apparent trend of the recent ge- omagnetic field decay.


Background Maintaining both walking speed and cognitive function is essential for active, healthy aging. This study investigated age-related differences in walking speed and global cognitive function with aging and the association between them among older adults residing in the developing country of China. Methods This cross-sectional study measured usual (UWS) and maximal walking speed (MWS) of participants for six meters. The Chinese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment was used to evaluate global cognition through in-person interviews. Analyses of variance were used to compare the differences in UWS, MWS, and global cognition between genders and age groups. Multiple linear regression models were used to determine the association between walking speed and global cognitive function. Results In total, 791 Chinese adults (252 men and 539 women) aged 60–89 years were included in this study. Markedly slowed UWS and worse global cognitive function scores were observed for both genders among adults ≥80 years of age. MWS slowed considerably in men ≥85 years of age and in women ≥80 years of age. There was a significant gender difference in MWS—with men walking faster than women—but not in UWS. Linear regression analysis adjusted for the confounding factors of gender, height, weight, years of education, and chronic disease indicated that MWS, but not UWS, was significantly associated with global cognitive function (β = 0.086, [0.177, 1.657], P = 0.015) such that slower maximal walking speed was associated with poorer cognitive performance. This association was statistically significant only for adults aged 75-79 years (β = 0.261 [0.647, 4.592], P = 0.010). Conclusion Walking speed was slower in the older age groups. Global cognitive function deteriorated markedly after 80 years of age. After controlling for confounding variables, slower MWS, but not UWS, was associated with poorer global cognitive function. MWS may serve as a potential indicator for earlier identification of poor cognition and motoric cognitive risk syndrome in an older Chinese population.


This paper studies arts industries in all 366 US metropolitan statistical areas between 1980 and 2010. Our analysis provides evidence that the arts are an important component of many regional economies, but also highlights their volatility. After radical growth and diffusion between 1980 and 2000, in the last decade, the arts industries are defined more by shrinkage and reconcentration in fewer metropolitan areas. Further, we find that the vast majority of metros have strengths in particular sets of arts industries. As we discuss in the conclusion, these conditions present challenges and opportunities for urban cultural policy that goes beyond the current focus on the arts as consumption amenities.


Smart Manufacturing is one of the key contents in the age of Industry 4.0, which helps to significantly improve the quality and efficiency of production. While the digital twin is the core technology in achieving smart manufacturing. Although the importance of Digital Twin is widely recognised, how to construct it and use it for smart manufacturing is not clear. To fill this gap, this paper proposes a systematic method in constructing a digital twin for the customized production, including 3D modelling, mechanism modelling, and real-time synchronization. A case study on constructing the digital twin for a customized furniture production factory has been used to demonstrate this method, with optimistic results proving its feasibility.


Along with the popularization of fully-mechanized coal caving technology in small and medium-sized coalmines,more and more coalmines adopt fully-mechanized coal caving technology to transform the original backward conventional mining technology,which makes the installation of gateroad belt conveyor become an important problem.This paper introduces the details of and methods for the installation of fully-mechanized gateroad belt conveyor with longdistance and big-fluctuation.


J. T. Littleton1 T hroughout the field of radiology, we radiologists enter illustrative marks on radiographs, most often with the time-honored wax pencil (if one can be found). Inadvertent film marking by clinicians can leave indelible artifacts on rare case films, forever destroying the reproducibility of such films, to the disgust and anguish of the radiologist. Marking a stack of films for the photographer is often done too sparingly, so that accurate directions may not be clear. Wax pencil from one film may soil other films in a stack, requiring painstaking cleaning (when proper solutions are available). These and untold other problems result from wax pencils or indelible marking of films. I recently discovered a simple solution: the use of dry-erase whiteboard markers on radiographs. This type of marker was designed for white wall boards on which data can be easily entered by hand and as easily removed with a quick swipe of a dry eraser, soft cloth, or one's own finger, leaving the board clean. Spear and Little [1] have described the effective use of the dry-erase board in resident teaching and procedure planning before plastic or reconstructive surgery. During film review with clinicians and residents at our institution, our staff have found the dry-erase marker to be a perfect way to enhance findings on radiographs. The flow of dye is uniform and is completely removable with a soft cloth or dry finger (Fig. I). Detailed instructions can be written on films sent to photographers for conversion to slides or prints for publication. Reasonable care must be taken when marked films are stacked. The compounds in the dry-erase markers are easily removed and will transfer to an adjacent film unless handled with care. When the copy process is complete, the markings are easily dry-wiped clean, leaving no residual soiling or iridescence on the radiograph. We have found that radiologists' communication skills can be significantly enhanced by the use of these markers, especially when forwarding films to clinicians at remote sites. The salient pathologic findings can be clearly highlighted for the clinician. The markers are available in many colors to illustrate separate or superimposed findings. We know of five different types of dry-erase Fig. 2.-Five common dry-erase makers: 1 = Paper-Mate (Gillette, Boston, MA), four colors, bullet point; 2 = Expo (Sanford, Bellwood, IL); eight colors; bullet, chisel, and fine points;3= DryErase (Binney& Smith, Easton, PA),four colors, bullet point, 4 Dry Erase Marker (Pentel, Elk Grove Village, IL), four colors, chisel and fine points; 5 = Marks-A-Lot Dry Erase Marker (Avery, Framingham, MA), nine colors, chisel point


A family of lifetime distributions is proposed. The problems of estimating the reliability function R(t)=P(X>t) and P=P(X>Y) are considered under type I and II censorings. Uniformly minimum variance unbiased and maximum likelihood estimators are derived. A comparative study of the performance of the two methods of estimation is done. Simulation study is performed.


The fluid loop is the core of thermal control system in the space station. Owing to the complex and changeable operating conditions and long time in orbit, the fault rate and performance degradation rate increase. Therefore, it is of practical significance to timely and accurately monitor the operating state of the fluid loop. This article proposed a combined strategy of canonical variate analysis and slow feature analysis to concurrently monitor the static deviation and process dynamics for the operating state. First, multiple sensors are used to measure the data in all condition of the space station, and typical faults are simulated by fault seeding to obtain fault data. Following that, the serially correlated canonical subspaces for each normal operating condition are modeled, and they are further explored to extract slow features to establish the multiple local static monitoring models. Besides, a global model is built using differential slow features in all condition to detect the dynamic anomalies by monitoring the temporal variations. To illustrate the feasibility and efficacy, the proposed monitoring strategy is applied to monitor the test data consisting of normal samples and fault samples.


Abstract This paper presents a constraint-based analysis of a process that in Traditional New Mexico Spanish (TNMS) generates a syllabic consonant from a sonorant consonant + stressed high vowel combination. It is argued that although vowels are more suitable than consonants to function as prosodic heads, consonants may sometimes be favored over vowels in the role of foot and syllable head. This situation arises when a positional markedness constraint barring the marked value on the place-of-articulation scale (e.g., Dorsal) from the position of foot DTE becomes active. Contrary to previous approaches that assume that vowel deletion is a condition for the syllabization of the consonant, it is argued that the vowel that disappears in the process of syllabizing a consonant is not deleted but either absorbed by that consonant or assimilated to it. It is also demonstrated that syllabic consonants are subject to two universal alignment constraints that govern their distribution by forcing them to be coarticulated with another consonant. Although languages may vary as to whether the syllabic consonant is coarticulated with a preceding or with a following consonant, there are no languages where syllabic consonants appear between two vowels or between a vowel and a pause precisely because in such environments there is not an adjacent consonant available for coarticulation. The condition that the syllabic consonants of TNMS be coarticulated not with a preceding, but with a following consonant, is the reason why they do not occur in prevocalic or prepausal position.


Machine learning is a powerful tool in developing sign language recognition models, significantly enhancing communication accessibility for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. However, such models' creation relies on the availability of comprehensive datasets, which are currently scarce for specific sign languages, particularly for Norwegian Sign Language (NSL). This paper introduces a unique dataset created to address this gap. The dataset, comprising 24,300 images of 27 NSL letters, was captured under varying conditions to represent each sign comprehensively. A man and a woman performed the signs. The goal of creating this dataset was to provide a robust foundation for further research in NSL recognition.
The dataset is hosted by the Department of Applied Data Science at Noroff University College, Norway, and is freely accessible [1] at https://data.mendeley.com/datasets/3cfrj4vd4m/1.


Review(s) of: Plastic Fantastic: How the Biggest Fraud in Physics Shook the Scientific World, by Eugenie Samuel Reich, Published by Palgrave Macmillan, ISBN 9 780 230 224 674, RRP $49.95.


In this study Silver Oxide/Zirconium Dioxide (Ag2O/ZrO2) with different Ag2O:ZrO2 weight ratio were synthesized using microwave assisted method for remove organic pollutant from the aqueous solution through photocatalytic performance. The structural properties of the samples characterized by X-ray diffraction confirm the existence of cubic structures from silver (Ag) nanoparticles, cubic structure silver oxide (Ag2O), and tetragonal structures from Zirconia (ZrO2). The higher ZrO2loading resulted in the higher Ag nanoparticles on the samples. The thermal analysis was investigated using Differential Thermal Analysis and Thermogravimetric Analysis (DTA/TGA). The weight lost at 400 °C could be attributed to the phase transformation from Ag2O into Silver nanoparticles followed by accepted heat from the environment. The UV vis absorbance spectra confirm the existence of surface plasmon resonance from silver nanoparticles. The photocatalytic activity was tested on the degradation of methylene blue from the aque...


In the production of Nata de Coco, leaching is a process of neutralizing the initially acidic Nata de Coco. The present study investigates the effect of leaching tank
configurations on the flow inside the tank using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Based on the simulation results, the most optimum tank design is identified. A
commercial code ANSYS CFX was employed to solve the flow governing equations. The standard k-£ turbulent model was adopted. For a cylindrical leaching tank, two inlets situated at the sides of the tank 200 mm below the free surface with an outlet at the bottom centre provided highest tank velocity as compared to if only one inlet is
used or if the inlet and outlet position is placed the other way round. When double inlet is used, their distance should be keep to maximum for optimum flow in the tank.
For the same flow rate, higher inlet speed combine with smaller inlet area is preferred over the lower inlet speed and larger inlet area option


The issue of literacy has been widely studied by education experts both at home and abroad, including statistical literacy. Statistical literacy is an important thing for productive people to have in this 4.0 industrial revolution era. Statistical literacy is the ability to interpret and describe information that we often encounter in everyday life. Is that simple statistical literacy? What is statistical literacy? can anyone with statistical knowledge be said to have statistical literacy skills? How to develop statistical literacy skills among students? This paper will generally try to answer these questions.


Based on the molecule structure design theory,the experiment of synthesing Amino Sulfonic Acid based Water Reducer is done by modifying technology parameters,such as the molecule ratio,aqua concentration and acidic alkalinity etc..the results indicate that,the synthetic properties,namely,functions like the highly water ruducing and strength enhancing and contolling the slump loss of concrete,can all attain to thier optimum,so the Amino Sulfonic Acid based Water Reducer is an ideal high performance water reducer.


The invention discloses a PVC plastic pipe and its preparation method. The preparation method mainly comprises the step of respectively mixing, heating and molding raw materials of a polyvinyl chloride resin, a polyvinyl chloride recovered material, a low-lead compound stabilizer, a reactive polyamide resin, calcium carbonate, an acrylic impact modifier ACR, titanium dioxide, stearic acid, polyethylene wax, an ultraviolet absorber and a pigment according to a certain weight portions to obtain a finished product. The preparation method provided by the invention is simple with reasonable formulation. The prepared PVC plastic pipe has good heat dissipation performance, corrosion resistance, high temperature resistance and tensile property, and can be effectively applied in all walks of life.


Undergraduate learning involves both the acquisition of the basic competencies required for adequate performance, and deep learning which comes from a thorough understanding of techniques and their application. Nonnal assessment pressures tend to encourage superficial and rote learning at the expense of deep learning. It is much easier to assess basic competencies than deeper understanding. Continuous assessment methods attempt to address this problem, but due to pressures on staff and student time, it is inevitable that many assessment events, particularly final examinations, require the assessment of both basic competence and deeper material simultaneously. This is complicated, and hard to do well. This paper reports on a long-term exercise to separate the assessment in an early computing subject into basic competency and advanced material as far as possible. The basic requirement to pass the subject (as externally accredited) is taught and assessed after two thirds of the semester. This assessment is based on continuous assessments, a practical laboratory examination, and a short answer written examination. At this point, students receive grades between 0 and 64%. Students achieving between 50 and 64% may stop at this point. The remaining third of the semester is used for advanced material to achieve higher grades, and for remedial teaching for those who have failed. Our results are analysed using a comparison of student perfonnance prior to the introduction of streaming, and using a subsequent 'control' year, when streaming was not done. The results show some improvement in performance of students in a subsequent computing subject, an improvement in pass rates in the subject itself, and a very marked reduction in requests for special consideration. Permission to make digital/hard copy of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial dvantage, the copyright notice, the title 01 the publication a d its date appear, and notice is given that copying is by !)ennission f ACM, Inc. To copy otherwise, to republish, to post on servers or lo redistribute to lists, requires prior specific pennission and/or a fee. 01996 ACM D-89791-845-219611l007-S3.50 Introduction The long-term exercise to separate the basic competence and deeper assessment described in this paper we call satisfactory-graded streaming, but will henceforth just use the word streaming. This paper describes the process in some detail, including the costs and benefits, with some quantification of the benefits in subsequent performance. The following diagram shows a schematic view of the three routes students can take in this subject. common teaching and assessment: satisfactory stream


Coastal waters of the northeastern U.S. are subject to recurrent outbreaks of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) caused by toxic dinoflagellates in the genus Alexandrium. PSP is not uniform across the large region, but instead reflects Alexandrium growth and toxin accumulation in five separate habitats or zones defined by circulation patterns and the discontinuous distribution of the dinoflagellates. Each of these habitats has a unique set of environmental and oceanographic forcings that determine the timing and extent of bloom development and transport and that regulate the extent of genetic exchange with adjacent populations. Several habitats (e.g. the southwestern Gulf of Maine, Massachusetts Bay, and Georges Bank) are linked hydrographically and may share the same Alexandrium population via large‐scale transport in a. coastal current, whereas the other two habitats (eastern Maine and southern salt ponds‐embayments) seem to be isolated and have little or no hydrographic or genetic linkage to adjacent regions during bloom seasons. My paper provides an overview of the regional ecology and oceanography of Alexandrium through a focus on these five subpopulations. Issues that relate to PSP and Alexandrium dynamics throughout the world are highlighted, including species dispersal, the role of cysts and "initiation zones" in bloom development, and the influence of large‐ and small‐scale hydrography on population development and transport. The ability of Alexandrium to colonize multiple habitats and to persist over a large region is emphasized in recognition of the adaptability and resilience of this important organism.


Alfalfa is a kind of perennial herb, and as a favorable fodder resource, the ensiled alfalfa plays an important role in easing up the shortage of fodder and regulating the supply and demand of the green feeding stuff. But because of its high buffer energy and low content of soluble carbohydrate, it′s difficult to get the good effect by mixing alfalfa directly. At present, many researches have focused on using additive to obtain good ensiled alfalfa fodder. The relative researches and applying conditions of alfalfa silage additives at home and abroad in recent years were summarized, and the research trend in the future was looked forward.


The work"When I was at the Village of Xiacun"is a dint makes with strong tension and multi-di- alogues.Focusing on the text and regressing to the original context of the work,we'll find that the work,sub- ject to the psychological trend of the political culture at that time in Yan'an,implies with the birth of"Zhen- zhen"the bumps of the thematic cultures and the guard on the nationalness.The work both lashes many in- harmonious phenomena hidden in the newly-liberated areas and boldly throws daylight on the miserable living plight of females,especially those hazing females.


We investigate the quantitative current-state opacity problem with resource constraints in the framework of discrete event systems which is partially observed. Resource information state and event weight capture the variations of a resource that can be consumed or replenished during a system evolution. Existing studies on current-state opacity in discrete-event systems share two common limitations: one is that they do not provide quantifiable measures for opacity of a given system in practice, instead, they provide only binary features (non-opaque or opaque); the other is that they assume that systems and intruders are rational rather than intelligent, whereas in practical applications, systems and intruders are intelligent and they can make rational choices based on analysis and computation. This research mitigates this restriction by extending current-state opacity formulations to the resource automata under partial observation with payoff constraints. We define game min-max current-state opacity in order to provide a reasonable quantitative measure for current-state opacity.


The initial hype around massive open online courses (MOOCs) already subsided, but the number of new learners in MOOCs platforms is still growing. Due to low completion rates in the MOOCs compared to enrolled students it is important to establish and validate quality standards for these courses. Employing of educational data and learning analytics to improve lesson plans and course delivery become an innovative approach for teachers, curriculum developers and policy makers in education. Learning analytics of online courses can be also used for enhancement of classroom teaching by blending online and face-to-face learning models. This work presents some observations about the behavior of students, obtained by analyzing the data generated during delivery of 13 MOOCs. Besides classification of learners by analysis their activity data, other interesting characteristics about platform learners like demographic, gender and level of education are described. The results indicate that the quality of interpersonal interaction within a course relates positively and significantly to student scores.


When the fricative noise of a fricative‐vowel syllable is replaced by a noise from a different vocalic context, listeners experience delays in identifying both the fricative and the vowel [D. H. Whalen, Percep. Psychophys. 35, 49–64 (1984)]. Similar delays occur in making a lexical decision on words containing mismatches [D. H. Whalen, Haskins Laboratories Status Report SR‐73, 1–15 (1983)], though the delays were not significant for nonwords. In the current experiment, noises and vowels within words and nonwords were cross‐spliced, and subjects were instructed to repeat ("shadow") each stimulus as rapidly as possible. Preliminary results indicate that subjects experience delays in shadowing both words and nonwords with mismatched information. Further support for this result would provide evidence against both a prototype model (e.g., the logogen model) and a linearly ordered model (e.g., the cohort model) of lexical access. Instead, word perception would be viewed as simultaneous with phonetic perception:...


To protect outsourced data in cloud storage against corruptions, adding fault tolerance to cloud storage together with data integrity checking and failure reparation becomes critical. Recently, regenerating codes have gained popularity due to their lower repair bandwidth while providing fault tolerance. Existing remote checking methods for regenerating-coded data only provide private auditing, requiring data owners to always stay online and handle auditing, as well as repairing, which is sometimes impractical. We propose a third party auditing scheme for checking deduplication and regenerating-code-based cloud storage. To solve the regeneration problem of failed authenticators in the absence of data owners, we introduce a web service, which is privileged to regenerate the authenticators, into the traditional third party auditing system model. We design a novel third party verifiable authenticator, which is generated by a couple of keys and can be regenerated using partial keys. Thus, our scheme can completely release data owners from


Practice teaching is an important aspect of university professional building and the important way and mean of ensuring the quality of talents training. Based on analyzing the current employment status of higher education graduates and the problems that practice teaching of university computer professional are facing, we introduce the exploration of the reform ideas of university practice teaching which is employment-oriented. we describe our methods such as optimizing and improving the practice teaching plan, the knowledge structure and the course system, the establishment of double-quality teacher group, the construction of internal and external training base under school-enterprise cooperation. At last we analyse the practice running effect.


Abstract Abstract Binary assemblies of hard discs have been grown in a computer simulation following the method of Livesley and Loveday (1986). The pair potentials again included a square-well attractive part, but in this case the relative depths of the three kinds of wells have been chosen differently. The phase diagram of Livesley and Loveday and a phase diagram produced using an ordering of the relative depths of the pair-potential wells inverted with respect to theirs are compared. The constraint on the structure of the assembly arising from requirements of minimum local energy dominates that part of the geometric constraint arising from the proportions of the mixture if the two disc sizes are fairly similar, but the proportions place greater restrictions on the structure in other cases. The nature of the balance between the two constraints has been investigated by varying the relative depths of the potential wells in a systematic way. Attempts to use this model to generate quasicrystalline assemblies...


Summary Two hundred and twenty-six colored patients treated with some form of collapse therapy out of more than 700 admissions, during a period beginning in October, 1928, and ending in July, 1938, are reviewed and studied. The response to treatment marks an improvement over earlier studies made in our institution, showing at this time 53.2 per cent for the improved, quiescent and apparently arrested cases. This improvement has been attributed to (1) a larger series which includes all forms of collapse therapy, (2) enlargement of the scope of our field work, (3) increase in the number of beds in our sanatorium, (4) well planned and well executed programs of the Louisville Tuberculosis Association and the Public and County School Health Units, which have aided in the discovery of earlier cases and in the development of a health consciousness in our community. Cases, as early as moderately advanced, started on collapse therapy, show a percentage of seventy-nine for the favorable side. The influence of cavity closure on end-results is clearly shown in the pneumothorax cases where 91.5 per cent with unsatisfactory collapse are unimproved or dead.


We observe an infinitely dimensional Gaussian random vector x = ξ + v where ξ is a sequence of standard Gaussian variables and v ∈ l2 is an unknown mean. We consider the hypothesis testing problem H0 : v = 0 versus alternatives for the sets . The sets Ve are l q -ellipsoids of semi-axes ai = i-s R/e with l p -ellipsoid of semi-axes bi = i-r pe /e removed or similar Besov bodies Bq,t;s (R/e) with Besov bodies Bp,h;r (pe /e) removed. Here or are the parameters which define the sets Ve for given radii pe → 0 , 0 0 ; e → 0 is the asymptotical parameter. We study the asymptotics of minimax second kind errors and construct asymptotically minimax or minimax consistent families of tests , if it is possible. We describe the partition of the set of parameters κ into regions with different types of asymptotics: classical, trivial, degenerate and Gaussian (of various types). Analogous rates have been obtained in a signal detection problem for continuous variant of white noise model: alternatives correspond to Besov or Sobolev balls with Besov or Sobolev balls removed. The study is based on an extension of methods of constructions of asymptotically least favorable priors. These methods are applicable to wide class of "convex separable symmetrical" infinite-dimensional hypothesis testing problems in white Gaussian noise model. Under some assumptions these methods are based on the reduction of hypothesis testing problem to convex extreme problem: to minimize specially defined Hilbert norm over convex sets of sequences of measures πi on the real line. The study of this extreme problem allows to obtain different types of Gaussian asymptotics. If necessary assumptions do not hold, then we obtain other types of asymptotics.


The most common cause of cardiogenic shock (CS) is acute myocardial infarction (AMI), which is diagnosed in approximately 5–8% of patients hospitalized for AMI and is more common in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). CS is caused by severe myocardial dysfunction, which leads to a decrease in cardiac output, hypoperfusion of the end organs, and hypoxia. Mortality in diabetic patients with AMI is high. Besides the fact that type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) contributes to the progression of coronary atherosclerosis, coronary pathology in this category of patients occurs against the background of a specific diabetic myocardial lesion – diabetic cardiomyopathy. Against the background of cardiomyopathy, acute heart failure is more often developed with a decrease in global myocardial contractility up to CS, which increases hospital-acquired mortality in MI by more than 15 times. The increased risk of death observed in patients with DM2 in the acute period of myocardial infarction (MI) persists for several years, and therefore, at present, in patients with the acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and diabetes, an early invasive strategy is preferable to a conservative strategy. The SHOCK (Should We Emergently Revascularize Occluded Coronaries for Cardiogenic Shock) trial demonstrated that in patients with CS complicating AMI, emergency revascularization with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) improved long-term survival when compared with initial intensive medical therapy. However, in the CULPRIT-SHOCK (Culprit Lesion Only PCI Versus Multivessel PCI in Cardiogenic Shock) study, stenting of non-infarct-dependent coronary arteries in CS increases the risks of major cardiac events, as well as the number of repeated revascularizations within 30 days and 1 year. Patients with multivessel lesions, in most cases, are elderly patients (75–90 years old) who have age restrictions on taking the loading dose at the prehospital stage. Such a loading dose of clopidogrel may not be sufficient to saturate the patient in fact, despite optimal epicardial recanalization, a large proportion of patients still experience impaired reperfusion and in-stent thrombosis. A large body of evidence has been accumulated on the benefits of glycoprotein (GP) IIb-IIIa inhibitors in terms of prevention of stent thrombosis, and benefits in mortality, especially among high-risk patients, and as an upstream strategy.


In the twentieth century and since, Jewish philosophy has been marked by attempts not only to philosophize about classical, abstract questions such as the negotiation of faith and reason, but also to account for the nature of Jewish existence in ways that resonate with broader cultural realities. In what follows, I would like to consider Martin Buber, Hermann Cohen, and Franz Rosenzweig three thinkers who crucially formed Jewish thought in the twentieth century as classic examples of this kind of thinking: As German Jews active in the Wilhelmine and Weimar periods, Cohen, Buber, and Rosenzweig not only reflected on Jewish existence by way of an engagement with traditional sources and lines of questioning, but, through their philosophical reflections on Judaism, participated in wide-ranging, popular-intellectual debates on how to understand Jewish existence in Europe. As will become clear, such debates, which emerged out of movements of Jewish renewal in the German-speaking world, resemble more recent discussions of cultural identity in an important respect: They were largely oriented around the dilemma of integration and separation, which at the time took the form of the question: Where do the Jews belong? and more particularly: Do the Jews belong in Europe, or are they marginal to European culture? What I wish to call attention to in the texts I am focusing on is how they negotiate this dilemma between integrationism and separatism. I take this to be a dilemma between the perceived dangers of cultural assimilation on the one hand and, on the other hand, the danger of denying communication between the Jews and Europe, or between the Jewish and the German, and thus of asserting or demanding homogeneity within these entities.1


In order to solve the problem that frozen block of copper concentrate is hard to crush,combined with the physical properties and in field situation,systematically improved design of the frozen block crushing technology was carried out following the selection of impact crushers,trying to thoroughly improve the low crushing efficiency for frozen block,and meet the requirements for product size. After the frozen block crushing system is put into use,the company's production organization could be optimized,and the production efficiency could be improved,and the production cost decreased.


Indicator system of enterprises'business status is mainly made up of earnings per share,net assets per share,the yield of net assets and main business income growth rate by using the data coming form 64 companies in 2008,and an An evaluation model of enterprises's business status based on BP algorithm is set up by matlab.Finally,the business status of 17 companies in 2009 is evaluated by the model,and the simulation results show that the evaluation model based on BP algorithm is a very effective method.


Key words : assertiveness, critical, vnutrennay dialogue, external dialogue, self-awareness, argument. Annotation : The article reveals the psychological characteristics of a developing personality in adolescence, proved the tendency of adolescents to self-affirmation and critical attitude to reality and to himself. Normal 0 21 false false false DE X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */
 table.MsoNormalTable
 {mso-style-name:"Normale Tabelle";
 mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
 mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
 mso-style-noshow:yes;
 mso-style-priority:99;
 mso-style-parent:"";
 mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
 mso-para-margin-top:0cm;
 mso-para-margin-right:0cm;
 mso-para-margin-bottom:8.0pt;
 mso-para-margin-left:0cm;
 line-height:107%;
 mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
 font-size:11.0pt;
 font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
 mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
 mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
 mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
 mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
 mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}


We investigate Interball-Tail observations of electron pitch angle distributions after the dipolarization phase of a substorm. For 10 keV electrons we observe beamlike, coniclike, and perpendicularly peaked distributions at L ∼ 11, L ∼ 9, and L ∼ 7, respectively. We examine the efficiency of betatron heating and Fermi acceleration associated with adiabatic transport of the electrons during the substorm dipolarization phase. This dipolarization phase was modeled using transition between different K p levels within a realistic magnetic field model. The calculations reproduce well the evolution of the high-energy electron flux in the parallel and perpendicular directions. They also reproduce well the pitch angle distribution observed by Interball-Tail at 10 keV, after the dipolarization phase. It is shown that Fermi acceleration is the leading process, compared to betatron heating. The production of the coniclike distributions is narrowly linked to the existence of a transition region between dipolelike and taillike magnetic fields, at about L ∼ 9.


recommended even though it has been prepared primarily for the North American market. In five sections it covers clinical neurosurgical physiology, pre-operative management, intra-operative management and post-operative management and complications. The basic science is excellent and clinical points of management together with explanations of intra-operative monitering and positioning are well done. The sections about post-operative management and complications are presented in a practical and realistic way. The practical concern for the outcome of the patient's surgical management and adequate rational scientific explanation for the conduct of neurosurgical practice are the two main principles on which this text has been based and account for its excellence. The author admits it is intended to be a supplement to the clinical training normally obtained in the course of a junior appointment in neurosurgery and the minor differences between American and European practice will be corrected by the


The study area of Miandam (35° 1′- 5′ N, 72°30′-37′ E) is located in the District of Swat in the Province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly North West Frontier Province) in the North of Pakistan. The present project is a combination of three different studies that consist of ethnobotanical, phytosociological and phytodiversity aspects.
Due to its geographical and habitat conditions, the area of Miandam harbors a wealth of medicinal plants. The ethnobotanical study was carried out to document which medicinal plant species and which plant parts are used in the region. It was also observed which habitat is frequented by collectors and to which extent medicinal plants are vulnerable due to collection and habitat destruction. A total of 106 ethno-medicinal plant species belonging to 54 plant families were recorded. The most common growth forms were perennial (43%) and short-lived herbs (23%), shrubs (16%), and trees (15%). Most frequently used plant parts were leaves (24%), fruits (18%) and subterranean parts (15%). A considerable proportion of the ethno-medicinal plant species and remedies concerns gastro-intestinal disorders. The remedies were mostly prepared in the form of decoction or powder and were mainly taken orally. Eighty out of 106 ethno-medicinal plants were indigenous. Almost 50% of the plants occurred in synanthropic vegetation while slightly more than 50% were found in semi-natural, though extensively grazed, woodland and grassland vegetation. Woodlands are the main source for non-synanthropic indigenous medicinal plants. Three species (Aconitum violaceum, Colchicum luteum, Jasminum humile) must be considered vulnerable due to excessive collection.
To cover the phytosociological and phytogeographical aspect of the present project, vegetation of Miandam area was thoroughly investigated with particular focus on woodlands, shrublands and other formations. The findings of the vegetation study were compared with other studies in the wider surroundings of Hindukush-Himalaya. It was also assessed to what extant forest ecosystem is threatened by different anthropogenic activities. The vascular plant species found comprise 33 trees, 52 shrubs, 305 herbs and 11 climbers. Based on multivariate analysis twelve plant communities were established from Sub-tropical semiarid groves of Ailanthus altissima in the lowland to Alpine turf of Sibbaldia cuneata with Juniperus patches. Woodland of Abies pindrow and Viburnum grandiflorum is the dominant woodland vegetation in the area. A georeferenced map of the vegetation is presented that will help researchers in spotting vegetation of ecological interest.
Patterns of species richness and diversity were also evaluated along an elevation gradient. Alpha and beta diversities of different growth forms were determined. Species richness of all the vascular plants was highest between 2200-2500 m. A hump shaped relationship was found between shrub richness and elevation with maximum species richness of shrubs between 2000 and 2200 m. For all the vascular plants Alpha diversity was high in the lower zone of the elevation gradient. Beta diversity of all the growth forms was quite high along the entire gradient reflecting high species turnover. A unique pattern of beta diversity of shrub species was observed which fluctuated along the elevation gradient giving rise to a unimodal pattern.


Background Cholera remains a public health problem in Kenya despite increased efforts to create awareness. Assessment of knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) in the community is essential for the planning and implementation of preventive measures. We assessed cholera KAP in a community in Isiolo County, Kenya. Methods This cross-sectional study involved a mixed-methods approach utilizing a questionnaire survey and focus group discussions (FGDs). Using multistage sampling with household as the secondary sampling unit, interviewers administered structured questionnaires to one respondent aged ≥18 years old per household. We created knowledge score by allotting one point for each correct response, considered any total score ≥ median score as high knowledge score, calculated descriptive statistics and used multivariate logistic regression to examine factors associated with high knowledge score. In FGDs, we randomly selected the participants aged ≥18 years and had lived in Isiolo for >1 year, conducted the FGDs using an interview guide and used content analysis to identify salient emerging themes. Results We interviewed 428 participants (median age = 30 years; Q1 = 25, Q3 = 38) comprising 372 (86.9%) females. Of the 425/428 (99.3%) who had heard about cholera, 311/425 (73.2%) knew that it is communicable. Although 273/428 (63.8%) respondents knew the importance of treating drinking water, only 216/421 (51.3%) treated drinking water. Those with good defecation practice were 209/428 (48.8%). Respondents with high knowledge score were 227/428 (53.0%). Positive attitude (aOR = 2.88, 95% C.I = 1.34–6.20), treating drinking water (aOR = 2.21, 95% C.I = 1.47–3.33), age <36 years (aOR = 1.75, 95% C.I = 1.11–2.74) and formal education (aOR = 1.71, 95% C.I = 1.08–2.68) were independently associated with high knowledge score. FGDs showed poor latrine coverage, inadequate water treatment and socio-cultural beliefs as barriers to cholera prevention and control. Conclusions There was a high knowledge score on cholera with gaps in preventive practices. We recommend targeted health education to the old and uneducated persons and general strengthening of health education in the community.


This research is a contemporary study that addresses Indonesia's national interests to make Gunung Sewu a UNESCO Global Geopark Network. Global Geopark Network is a network with the name UNESCO that has a role to preserve the geological heritage and promote sustainable development in the community. Whereas Gunung Sewu is a karst region that is rich in tourism potential and geological heritage. In this study, the author focuses on the importance of the basic Indonesia to make Gunung Sewu the Global Geopark Network. The researcher used Felix Oppenheim's theory of national interests which stated that national interests were the ideals or goals of the state to prosper. As well as perspective from Joshua Goldstein that in order to achieve the goals of a country, a country cooperates with other parties. Based on the analysis and data, it is known that the national interests that Indonesia wants to achieve are our economic interests, namely increasing state revenues from the tourism sector and conservation interests to preserve the nature of mountain waste for the survival of the community.


The problem addressed here is a combinatorial bilevel programming problem called the uncapacitated facility location problem with customer's preferences. A hybrid algorithm is developed for solving a battery of benchmark instances. The algorithm hybridizes an evolutionary algorithm with path relinking; the latter procedure is added into the crossover phase for exploring the trajectory between both parents. The proposed algorithm outperforms the evolutionary algorithm already existing in the literature. Results show that including a more sophisticated procedure for improving the population through the generations accelerates the convergence of the algorithm. In order to support the latter statement, a reduction of around the half of the computational time is obtained by using the hybrid algorithm. Moreover, due to the nature of bilevel problems, if feasible solutions are desired, then the lower level must be solved for each change in the upper level's current solution. A study for illustrating the impact in the algorithm's performance when solving the lower level through three different exact or heuristic approaches is made.