This study estimates the parameters of a power law fit of the distribution of log returns of exchange traded funds (ETFs) before, during, and after the recent financial crisis. It is found, that there is considerable variation both between ETFs and between calm and turbulent phases. Exponents of the daily log return distribution are estimated to lie mostly between 3.0 and 5.0 depending on the ETF. In minute-by-minute, trading data much lower power law exponents have been found concentrating between 3.0 and 4.0 and sometimes dropping to values close to or below 3.0. Further, there is evidence for changes in the distribution during times of turbulence (value of the exponent, improvement in the goodness of fit measures of the distribution). It can be hypothesized that effects such as, infinite variance (for α < 3) or changes in the form of the distribution can occur, in turn affecting the predictability of the system which has implications for the possibility to control or regulate financial markets under such conditions. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity, 2014


The invention provides a method for extracting xylose from poly pentose acidolysis liquid, including the following steps: poly pentose acidolysis liquid is neutralized by calcium carbonate, then pre-destaining is carried out, and then active carbon is used for destaining; strong acid cation resin and weak base anion resin are sequentially used for carrying out ion exchange, and then reverse osmosis membrane is used for concentration; concentrated solution is destained by active carbon column and sequentially passes through the strong acid cation resin and weak base anion resin, and finally heat response concentration and crystallization are carried out. The invention overcomes the defect that content of acetate after concentration is improved by utilizing reverse osmosis membrane concentrated acidolysis liquid, cost is reduced, and dialysate thereof can be further taken as washing water in crystallization of wood sugar, thus cost is further reduced; besides, acid-base dosage of the method in the invention is less, the method is environmentally friendly, cost is lower, productivity is high, purity is good, and the method is applicable to industrialization production.


Owing to their unusual Lewis acidic properties, the coordination chemistry of fluorinated organomercurials is attracting increasing interest. In this review, the authors focus on the synthesis, structures, and properties of neutral Lewis adducts involving fluorinated organomercurials such as (CF3)2Hg, (C6F5)HgCl, (C6F5)2Hg, and [(o-C6F4)Hg]3. While most of these organomercurials form adducts with common Lewis basic organic substrates, [(o-C6F4)Hg]3 also interacts with aromatic hydrocarbons, alkynes, N-heterocycles, and metallocenes to form π-complexes. In some cases, this complexation mode results in the formation of supramolecules with unusual luminescence properties or microporosity.


MRI Systems are used for diagnosis of decease in humans which provide results in the form of images. MRI images provide details of deceases in human body. For better quality of images RF coils are used in MRI system. RF coils receive the signals of interest. RF coils can be of different shapes. This paper presents the design of hexagonal RF surface coil of 3T using Characteristic mode analysis. Simulations are carried out using EM package Altair Feko 2021.2


Hypertension is a chronic medical condition with marked increase in systolic and diastolic blood pressure more than 140/90 mm of Hg in three consecutive measures. It increases the risks such as dysfunction of heart, brain, kidney and other organs as the force exerted by circulating blood against the walls of the body's arteries and the major blood vessels resulting in damage. It is a silent threat to the health of the people all over the world. Hypertension is diagnosed most commonly among the age groups above 40 years both in male and female. Almost 1.13 billion people worldwide suffer with hypertension. Recent studies from India have shown the prevalence of hypertension to be 25% urban and 10% rural population. Hypertension could be managed with a comprehensive measure of lowering blood pressure. Primary and secondary prevention of hypertension could reduce half its mortality and morbidity consequences.


In the study of science-led policy debates considerable attention has gone to the role of experts in constructing shared knowledge and defining policy options. This paper explores expert advice as it plays out in one particular political arena – live testimony in a public hearing before Congress – using global climate change as a lens for the discussion. I begin by reviewing literature relevant to expert advice, science as it exists in public arenas, and the management of uncertainty by scientists and politicians. I then use this to frame an analysis of testimony given before Congress on issues of climate change and associated uncertainty. Using the transcripts of three Congressional hearings over the course of 15 years, I show how the use of scientific advice on a policy problem can be problematic when both politicians and experts manage uncertainty to maintain the status quo. In addition, the advancement of policy decisions is hindered due to conflicting notions of "good science" and a mutually enforced assumption of objectivity that narrows the scope of debate. Despite concurrent advances in climate science itself, discourse in this setting demonstrates both a lack of political progress and a striking similarity in the content of political debate about climate science and climate policy, suggesting that such venues are not useful in advancing solutions for, or understanding of, a policy issue.


We propose a way to formulate corporate strategy in the light of platform. A type of linguistic and qualitative game has been defined and developed. Based on class experience of the game played by graduate students, we discuss the effectiveness and possibility/limits.


To the Editor: A 14-year-old girl was diagnosed as having acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Complete remission was achieved with polychemotherapy. Maintenance chemotherapy (6-mercaptopurine 50 mg/m"/day and methotrexate 20 mg/m' once/wk) was started six months later. After eight months of complete remission of hemopathy, she developed facial erythema with butterfly lupus (Fig. 1) and edema predominant on the upper eyelids (Fig. 2), but without rash on the dorsal surfaces of the hands. Two weeks later she began to complain of fatigue in the legs. Examination revealed muscular weakness predominant in proximal muscles of the limbs resulting in functional impotence (difficulty standing and climbing stairs). Laboratory data showed rises in serum creatinine phosphokinase (CPK) and aldolase levels. Lymphopenia and decreased serum globulin levels were noted. Histologic specimens obtained from the biceps muscles showed degenerative changes (vacuolization and necrosis) of muscle fibers. Perifascicular atrophy, interstitial infiltrate, and occlusive vasculitis of small vessels were also observed. There was no evidence of ultrastructurally pseudoviral inclusion in muscle specitnens. A skin biopsy specimeti showed perivascular infiltratioti by mononuclear cells. These findings were consistent with a diagnosis of dermatomyositis (DM). Concomitantly, no progressive viral infection was found, and myelogram indicated continuance of complete remission. Treatment consisted of intensification of maintenance chemotherapy (methotrexate 13 mg/ m' twice/wk) and plasma exchanges (3 times/wk). Clinical improvemetJt was noted. The patient was able to stand up without support, facial edema and • ;


The purpose of this work is to find ways to develop compensatory and pragmatic competencies in teaching English to future doctors using the case method. The relevance is due to modern trends in combining skills developed in higher education under a single professional competence, which requires the combination of all elements of education. The definitions of compensatory and pragmatic competences are given, their features are described. The components of these competencies in their systemic connection with each other and with teaching methods are consi-dered, the necessary conditions for their formation are identified. The scientific novelty lies in the fact that in order to achieve the goal, the case method was adapted to the specifics of medical programmes. The proposed changes made it applicable in problem language learning by shifting the emphasis of control from a solution to the communicative part of the search process. The methodology of the work included abstracted modeling of educational and language situations and their subsequent analysis. The stages of work with the case are highlighted: problematization, discussion, consensus, aimed at the development of compensatory and pragmatic competence. An algorithm for carrying out a case on medical topics is proposed.


1 . The arterial pattern and the histological features in the femoral head and neck were studied at necropsy in twenty-five specimens with intracapsular fractures. An improved visual-arteriographic method employing barium sulphate dyed with Prussian blue was used. Twenty-three of the fractures were from a few days to twenty-four weeks old and two were seven and ten years old. Nineteen had been nailed or nail-plated. 2. The results were divided into four groups according to the state of the femoral head. In the first group, four heads were histologically viable and had a normal vascular pattern; in the second group, four showed partial avascular necrosis with part of the head retaining a normal blood supply; in the third group, ten had avascular necrosis in all or most of the head and showed little or no revasculanisation; and in the fourth group, seven showed extensive revascularisation of grossly necrotic heads. Total or subtotal capital necrosis had occurred in 64 per cent and total or partial necrosis in 84 per cent of the specimens. The results indicated that interruption of the retinacular vessels was the cause of gross necrosis; and that in most cases an intact blood supply through the ligamentum teres cannot keep more than a part of the head alive when the other vessels are cut off. Occasionally the ligamentum teres is torn by the nail, or though intact, its blood supply is interrupted. This accounts for completion of avascular necrosis in most cases with total capital necrosis. Viability of the subfoveal area from an intact supply through the ligamentum teres was the main source of revascularisation after capital necrosis. Other sources—from across a uniting fracture line, from growth of soft tissue round the head and neck and from other small viable foci in the head and neck—were much less important and the degree of revascularisation was generally limited. Revascularisation was accompanied by fibrocellular invasion of the marrow, differentiation of cells and the formation of oil cysts whereby the necrotic fat is removed; but bony reconstitution was limited. 3. Six fractures were uniting and another had united by bone making an overall union frequency of 50 per cent considering only the nailed fractures older than two weeks. Four of them (57 per cent) showed total or subtotal capital necrosis. In fractures older than two weeks the frequency of union among the eleven nailed fractures with avascular necrosis was 36 per cent, and it was 100 per cent among the three nailed ones with viable or substantially viable heads. Necrosis of the neck side of the fracture was unrelated to non-union because it soon becomes invaded by fibrovascular tissue and new bone. 4. Fibrosis was the basis of union when the head was dead but examination of older fractures at necropsy is needed to assess the long-term results of revascularisation and union. The clinical desirability or otherwise of capital revascularisation after necrosis also needs to be studied.


The preparation of the title compunds, using β-ionone, is accomplished in fair overall radiochemical yield from (2-14C) bromacetic acid, in 7 and 8 steps respectively. The sequence utilises ylid reactions of the phosphonoacetate derived from bromacetic ester, and is also capable of the introduction of label at C-14.


Considering characteristics of Grotto Relics,the influence factors and dynamic finite element analysis methods on deformation stability grotto country rock are discussed.Focusing on two sections of Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang of Gansu Province,the dynamic response and variation regularity of rock mass and its adjuncts are revealed through numerical simulation of displacement and stress field under dynamic loads with different PGA,spectra and durations.The results indicate weak points for seismic retrofitting.It also shows that the displacement and stress increase,range of stress concentration expands and the damages probability of country rock increases with the increase of peak ground acceleration(PGA),characteristic period and duration of dynamic loads.The distribution of stress is closely related to the quantity,combination feature,geometry shape and size of caves.This paper provides theoretical basis and practical reference for the preservation of grotto relics and seismic retrofit and seismic hazard mitigation for the rock mass.


The research considered the use of international scales for diagnosis and evaluation of the effectiveness of rehabilitation when working with children diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP), namely the Classification of major motor functions and the Scale of major motor functions, modified Ashfort scale and modified Tardier scale , International Classification of Functioning, Restriction of Life and Health of Children and Adolescents; the sections of the Classification of Large Motor Functions and the Scale of Large Motor Functions, the International Classification of Functioning, Restriction of Life and Health of Children and Adolescents have been studied in detail; comparatively modified Ashfort scale and modified Tardier scale; the peculiarities of the use and relevance of selected international scales in the field of physical therapy are analyzed.


In the current work, we comprehensively focused upon the synthesis of NiFe2O4 nanoparticles (NFNPs) via the sol-gel auto-combustion method. Particularly in the present investigation, we deployed dextrose (C6H12O6) as an organic compound that works as a fuel in the sol-gel synthesis of NFNPs. The as-prepared samples of NFNPs were characterized for structural properties through XRD. The crystallite size (t), the lattice constant (a), unit cell volume (V), and X-ray density dX of NFNPs was determined using XRD data. Crystallite size was obtained through Debye-Scherrer's formula indicates the nanocrystalline nature of the prepared NFNPs sample. The infrared spectroscopy (IR) was carried out for investigating the presence of phases and the function group analysis in the NFNPs. The IR has confirmed the formation of ferrite phase in dextrose assisted sol-gel synthesized NFNPs as we report the intrinsic vibrations belongs to the tetrahedral and octahedral sites.


This paper seeks to establish the thesis that all round development over a sufficiently large area is not possible. Since, an increase in production has a two- fold effect while markets of some sectors located in specific regions are stimulated, invariably there is a depressing effect on some other regions or sectors. There is thus, rarely a balanced growth either over all regions or over all sectors. To counter balance this tendency, as far as possible through mobility of labour and transfer of capital from one sector to another becomes necessary. A historical illustration with time series data for Iran of the middle east growing very fast as a whole at that time is given.


Based on sphere crossover strategy,a dynamic adaptive clone selection algorithm is proposed.Mutation probability of each antibody is dynamically calculated.According to antibody affinity,antibody populations are dynamically divided into memory antibody units and general antibody units.Antibody populations are adjusted by sphere crossover so that global search speed of the proposed algorithm is accelerated.The effectiveness and the feasibility of the proposed algorithm are verified by examples.


We investigate whether international fund flows are pro-or counter-cyclical by employing a concordance index. International fund flows are investments in bond and equity markets by institutional investors, such as mutual funds, exchange traded funds, closed-end funds and hedge funds. We find that fund flows are pro-cyclical ahead of the business cycle and counter-cyclical contemporaneously after the business cycle.


Most medical schools do not require gross anatomy as a prerequisite for admission. Our previous study questioned whether students who had taken an anatomy course prior to medical school performed better in anatomy and in overall academics than students who had not. Data demonstrated that 1st year students at the University of Utah School of Medicine (UofUSOM) showed no statistically significant difference in anatomical or overall academic performance between students who had anatomy and students who did not have anatomy prior to entering the UofUSOM (with the exception of the final practical cadaver exam). A limitation of this previous study was that the survey did not address the relative number of hours spent studying each week by students who had exposure to anatomy prior to entering the UofUSOM to those that did not. The current survey assessed the average number of anatomy and overall weekly study hours self reported by freshman medical students in order to better understand academic performance by students with and without premedical anatomy exposure.


Aiming at the question that the result trained by quantum neural networks is easy to fall into the local least value,the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm was introduced into the original training algorithm to increase the training speed and improve the performance of the network.In addition,the conflict between different objective functions used for the training synaptic weights and quantum intervals can cause mean square error fluctuates.In order to solve this problem,the iteration order of the original training algorithm was adjusted.The experimental results show that,compared with the original training algorithm,the algorithm using LM can significantly reduce the number of iterations,significantly decrease the mean square error when the network convergences,and improve the classification results of quantum neural network.


Background Psoriatic arthritis impacts significantly function and quality of life. Although radiographic damage may be more important in rheumatoid arthritis both disability and quality of life are similarly impaired in both groups. Only few data in large cohorts are available to evaluate the impact of the articular and skin involvement in PsA. The BEPAS cohort is a unique opportunity to study cross-sectionally and longitudinally these aspects and their effect on disability and quality of life. Objectives (1) to estimate the severity of disease based on disease activity scores and active inflammation (2) to estimate the impact in terms of health-related quality of life of PsA in Belgium Methods A cross-sectional analysis at the inclusion visit was performed among all patients included in the BEPAS cohort and subsequently differences between male and female patients were studied. They were evaluated for the demographics, the disease activity at inclusion. Inflammatory parameters were captured at inclusion. HAQ and SF36 patient global assessment and physician global assessment were collected. Gender differences were evaluated by one way ANOVA or Chi –square testing. Results 461 patients including 263 male patients and 198 female patients with mean age: 52.79 years (±12.29) were recruited in the 17 centers from December 2012 to July 2014. Male Female M vs F Mean SD Mean SD P TJ78 3.71 6.75 4.55 7.79 0.215 SJ76 2.30 5.19 1.88 3.32 0.318 No. sites w/ enthesitis 0.73 2.51 1.63 4.09 0.004 No. digits w/ dactylitis 0.35 1.20 0.20 0.66 0.114 BSA 4.88 11.12 3.03 6.67 0.074 PTGAVAS 36.90 26.75 46.15 26.20 0.001 PGAVAS 21.60 19.61 25.20 20.64 0.065 BMI 27.85 4.52 26.94 5.44 0.060 CRP 4.09 11.41 4.34 7.30 0.792 ESR 10.78 12.93 14.15 12.65 0.010 DAS28_CRP 2.53 1.17 2.84 1.08 0.012 PASDAS 3.46 1.46 4.02 1.48 0.001 HAQ (<0.3) 105 (40.1%) 45 (22.7%) 0.002 SF36 Σ phys comp 41.40 10.55 38.27 9.68 0.001 SF36 Σ mental comp 46.58 12.42 42.48 13.65 0.001 Actual use anti-TNF 130 (50.2%) 74 (37.8%) 0.008 Any use of anti-TNF 142 (54%) 86 (43.4%) 0025 Conclusions The differences in disease activity and consequently the burden of disease between male and female patients with PsA in the BEPAS cohort seem mainly based on the patient global assessment and enthesitis score. Swollen and tender joint counts as well as inflammatory parameters are not responsible for these differences Disclosure of Interest K. De Vlam Grant/research support from: MSD Belgium, R. Lories Grant/research support from: MSD Belgium, S. Steinfeld Grant/research support from: MSD Belgium, F. Van Den Bosch Grant/research support from: MSD Belgium, A. Nzeusseu Toukap Grant/research support from: MSD Belgium, M. Malaise Grant/research support from: MSD Belgium, V. Taelman Grant/research support from: MSD Belgium, F. Van Bruwaene Grant/research support from: MSD Belgium, M. Vanden Berghe Grant/research support from: MSD Belgium, R. Joos Grant/research support from: MSD Belgium, J. Lenaerts Grant/research support from: MSD Belgium, P. Geusens Grant/research support from: MSD Belgium, S. Dall'Armellina Grant/research support from: MSD Belgium, I. Peene Grant/research support from: MSD Belgium, G. De Branbanter Grant/research support from: MSD Belgium, M. Van Den Berghe Grant/research support from: MSD Belgium, J. Qu Grant/research support from: MSD Belgium, M. Maertens Grant/research support from: MSD Belgium, H. Leroi Employee of: MSD Belgium


PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to study virtual resistance towards the introduction of Norway's first professional eSport league in the category of sport video games (SVGs), Eserien – the professional FIFA league and its inclusion in the Norwegian Football Federation.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative content analysis of texts published from the first season of Eserien was launched (December 2018) and during the first season of Eserien (April 2019 to December 2019) in Norwegian online spaces. Based on this approach, a total of 23 texts were subjected to a qualitative content analysis. The theoretical framework for the analysis of the material is Guttmann's (1978/2004) characteristics of modern sport and processes of sportification, as well as conceptualizations of the sport-health ideology in national and international sport policies today.FindingsThe arguments made against the inclusion of the professional FIFA league Eserien as part of the Norwegian Football Federation revolves around three main themes: (1) eSport as something unhealthy and inactive, (2) issues of cheating and match fixing in professional eSports and (3) threats professionalized eSport poses for traditional football clubs and players in terms of securing sponsorship and gaining media attention.Research limitations/implicationsA limitation is the small sample size consisting of data from the first season of the first professional FIFA league organized by a Norwegian governing sport body. More research is needed to support the results found here, and readers should be careful to transfer the findings from this study to other sporting contexts.Originality/valueThis study is an empirical exploration of resistance towards eSport expressed by traditional sport fans. These insights expand on existing sport management research on spectators, commercialization and professionalization of eSport.


Summary

Total length-weight regressions on logarithmic transformed data are provided for 33 species, with 26 apparently being first estimates. All regressions are highly significant with slope values between 2.5720 and 3.4436. Slopes and intercepts of length-weight regressions did not differ significantly with location for each of three species. Preservation in 10% formalin for 10 days followed by 30 days in 70% ethanol did not significantly influence regression slopes for the three species, length ranges and/or locations examined (ancova). Significance among regression intercepts was equivocal with ancova analyses mostly suggestive of differences and overlap of 95% confidence limits mostly suggestive of similarities.


The invention discloses a method for synthesizing prothioconazole and an optical active body thereof and an intermediate. According to the method, a hydrazine compound and glyoxylic acid react to obtain a hydrazono acetic acid intermediate, and then the hydrazono acetic acid intermediate reacts with thiocyanate to obtain a prothioconazole target product. The reaction regioselectivity is good, few side products are generated, and the yield is high. The requirement for equipment is not high, and anhydrous and anaerobic operation is not needed. The process is simple, few three wastes are generated, and the method is suitable for industrial production.


To provide high-quality video streaming services in a mobile communication network, a large bandwidth and reliable channel conditions are required. However, mobile communication services still encounter limited bandwidth and varying channel conditions. The streaming video system compresses video with motion estimation and compensation using multiple reference frames. The multiple reference frame structure can reduce the compressed bit rate of video; however, it can also cause significant error propagation when the video in the channel is damaged. Even though the streaming video system includes error-resilience tools to mitigate quality degradation, error propagation is inevitable because all errors can not be refreshed under the multiple reference frame structure. In this paper, a new network-aware error-resilient streaming video system is introduced. The proposed system can mitigate error propagation by controlling the number of reference frames based on channel status. The performance enhancement is demonstrated by comparing the proposed method to the conventional streaming system using static number of reference frames.


The purpose of this practicum was to resolve conflict in a peaceful and constructive manner in the sixtE-grade. Students participated in a conflict resolution and peer mediation program designed to enable friendships to grow and to reduce the number of violent acts within the school setting. Thirty szudents initially began in the program. During the mediation training period, four students withdrew from school, and after peer r..ediation graduation, one student was admitted to the program. At the end of the eight month implementation period 10 out of 15 mediation cases were resolved peacefully. All students participating in the program enjoyed being peer mediators, and many expresses a desire to be peer mediators the following year. Participants' parents or guardians and their teachers evaluated the program after 8 months. The majority expressed positive comments on the survey. Appendices provide mediator forms, parent and teacher surveys, parent participation guide-, and various supplemental materials. Three tables provide the results of the parent and teacher surveys. (Author/SR) *********************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *******************AAAA c***:c iA******************************** * Improving Behavior of Middle School Students Through a Conflict Resolution Program for Sixth-Grade


The Council of Europe inter-governmental programme of activities stresses the importance of a multi-cultural approach to education. The quality and effectiveness of education systems in Europe must be such as to give children and adults the abilities, motivation and knowledge to live in an increasingly interdependent and rapidly changing world. For instance, education must help to promote democratic values and human rights, take account of equality between women and men in the matter of opportunity, and teach the facts of intercultural life in ways that imply more than mere acceptance of migration as a phenomenon. Under the inter-university co-operation programme set up by the Standing Conference on University Problems (CC-PU), and in particular its European programme for the development of postgraduate training, a series of European workshops on multi-cultural and inter-cultural studies has been organised. At the first European workshop in October 1983 at Keele (United Kingdom), participants defined a number of broad themes for consideration with a view to:


Backgrounds: Karamunting (Rhodomyrtus tomentosa), a local wild plant from Central Kalimantan, Indonesia is believed by the Dayak tribe to treat diabetes mellitus. Based on the literature review, there have been no studies related to Karamunting focused on processed products in practical dosage forms in the form of instant powder, which has the longest shelf life. This study aims to explore the solubility and percentage of insoluble solids of Karamunting leaf powder that has been encapsulated with the addition of Maltodextrin. In addition, an assessment of the sensory attributes of Karamunting leaf drinks was also carried out. Methods: This study was used an experimental with applied the Randomized Block Design (RBD) design with 2 factors, comparing the number of Karamuting leaf extracts and the concentration of Maltodextrin to produce a formula of 0.5L:5%, 0.5L:10%, 0.5L:15%, 1L:5%, 1L:10% and 1L:15%. This research conducted in the Laboratory of Agricultural Product Technology, Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia from November to December 2018. Results: The application of spray dryer produced fine powder of Karamunting drink. It has a distinctive aroma and its color was ranged from bright cream to slightly brownish. Addition of Maltodextrin significantly accelerated powder's solubility and decreased its yield (p<0.05). Panelists tend to prefer products with 1 L of Karamunting leaf extract and 10% Maltodextrin. Conclusions: Solubility rate of Karamunting leaf extract is strongly influenced by the concentration of Maltodextrin. The higher the concentration of Maltodextrin, the faster the product will be dissolved. Addition of Maltodextrin significantly reduced the total of insoluble solids. However, antidiuretic activity of Karamunting drink should be investigated to prove its health claim.


Having analyzed the traditional working principle of gearing chain error detector, and on basis of the latest CAT application in the field, the article introduced the working principle, characteristic and application of a computer-aided gear transmission error detecting and analyzing system which the author developed. The system have a nice interface, and easy to operate. It was showed that the detecting effect of the system was quite good.


News is a source of information to know about progress in the various areas of life all across the globe. However, the volume of this information is high, and getting benefits from the available information becomes difficult. Moreover, the frequency of fake news is increasing significantly and used to fulfill a particular agenda. This led to research on the classification of news to prevent the spread of disinformation. In this work, we use Adversarial Training as a means of regularization for fake news classification. We train two transformed-based encoder models using adversarial examples that help the model learn noise invariant representations. We generate these examples by perturbing the model's word embedding matrix, and then we fine-tune the model on clean and adversarial examples simultaneously. We train and evaluate the models on the Buzzfeed Political News and Random Political News datasets. Results show consistent improvements over the baseline models when we train models using adversarial examples. Experiments show that Adversarial Training improves the performance by 1.25% over the BERT baseline, 2.05% over the Longformer baseline for the Random Political News dataset, 1.25% over the BERT baseline and 0.9% over the Longformer baseline for Buzzfeed Political News dataset in terms of F1-score.


The modern politics civilization takes constitutional system as its core,law as its carrier,based on the concept of justice,democracy and right.As the application of the reason in the public realm,the public reason is different from any other comprehensive doctrine.The public reason which guarantee the equality and freedom of citizens,is the reasnable foundation of the application of public power and formation of the constitution.Therefore,public reason is the reasonable foundation of modern politics civilization,and party politics should have something to do with public reason.


ABSTRACT Introduction: Implant-supported orthodontic treatment has gained an expanded interest by researchers and orthodontists in the recent years. Therefore, different methods were tried to achieve the best results in this kind of treatment. Aim of the study: The current research was conducted to compare the effect of 2 different treatment methods on the surface of orthodontic titanium mini-screws and on bone response to the treated implants. Materials and methods: Forty-eight titanium mini-screw implants were distributed under 3 equal groups; as received, sandblasted, and laser-treated, respectively. After application of the surface-treatment methods, half of the selected screws were tested for surface morphology, using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a digital profilometer. To evaluate the biological effects of surface treatment methods, the other screws were implanted in rabbits' tibias which were subjected to histological examination at the end of the experimental periods of 4 and 8 weeks. The surgical procedures and euthanasia were conducted according to the limitations of Research Committee of Mansoura University. Results: Sandblasted implants showed the highest surface roughness and the most pronounced bone response. Conclusion: Sandblasting surface treatment provide more favorable conditions for implant osseointegration, in comparison to laser-treatment.


Stimulation of rocks by borehole fluid injections belong to a standard development practice of hydrocarbon and geothermal reservoirs. Production of heavy oil and of shale oil and gas, CO2 sequestrations, enhanced recovery of oil, developments of enhanced geothermal geothermic systems are branches that require broad applications of this technology. The fact that fluid injection causes seismicity has been well-established for several decades. Observations and modelling show that seismicity is triggered by different processes ranging from linear pore pressure diffusion to non-linear fluid impact onto rocks leading to their hydraulic fracturing and strong changes of their structure and permeability.
I show that understanding and monitoring of fluid-induced seismicity can be used for several applications leading to an integrated reservoir characterization and modelling. Microseismicity contains qantitative information on rock-physics like the virgin and stimulated permeability. It provides a possibility of a high-resolution reflection imaging of the reservoir structure. The model of non-linear pressure diffusion helps to understand fracturing of shale. Spatio-temporal features of microseismicity is indicative for the pressure-dependence of the rock permeability. Understanding of spatio-temporal evolution of microseismic clouds can help to control the quality of microseismic locations. Finally, important seismic-hazard related aspects can be constrained using seismicity-derived parameters like the seismogenic index and the geometric features of microseismc clouds.

No extended abstract available.


Hybrid rocket technology is known since the 30's and a large number of experimental, fundamental and applied research works covers it. It still suffers from a lack of chemical description and of detailed numerical simulation of core phenomena. Several numerical codes have emerged to simulate hybrid rocket combustion chamber but with limited consideration for detailed chemistry. A new 2-D transient reactive numerical code has been proposed in the goal of using detailed chemical mechanisms for both pyrolysis and combustion reactions (over 1000 species and 10000 reactions). The direct computation of such mechanisms is too much time consuming. In order to speed up the computation, methodologies for treating chemistry have been set up. In this paper, one of the methodologies is explained and validated trough several validation cases. With all methods combined, the results show an error less than few percents on the ignition delay of the flame and a computational time cut by a factor higher than 1.


COVID-19 has prompted unprecedented changes to daily life across the EU and has affected the enjoyment of many of the rights set out in human rights international treaties. While the current debate on the impact of COVID-19 on human rights mainly has focused its attention on the role of States, on the emergency measures they have to adopt to contain the Pandemic spread and on the measures they are urged to implement to safeguard rights of individuals, less attention has been devoted to the role played by the private sector. The objective of the paper is exactly to review such a role and to assess, in the light of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), the scope and the content of the Corporate Responsibility to Respect (CRtoR). Under the UNGPs, in effect, enterprises are asked to implement responsible business conduct by respecting human rights in the course of their operations and throughout the entire value chain. Companies are asked to take the necessary measures to prevent their activities from having a negative impact on human rights and, if an impact is originated, to prevent, mitigate and remedy it. This framework applies of course also in respect to the human rights risks associated to pandemic outbreaks, such as the COVID-19 crisis.


The invention relates to a backrest device applied to a nursing bed. The backrest device comprises a backboard and a sliding board, two sides of the sliding board are clamped in the backboard, rollers are arranged between the backboard and the sliding board, and the sliding board is attached to the rollers. By the structure, constriction to the chest and the abdomen of a patient, particularly to the back, due to a traditional automatic nursing bed in the process of back upraising can be avoided completely, pain is relived effectively for patients who are seriously ill and patients who suffer from multiple pains in body, no human assistance is needed, and workload of medical staff is relieved.


This document presents network attacks, intrusion detection systems, intrusion prevention systems, and intrusion detection methods, including signature-based detection and anomaly-based detection. Intrusion detection/prevention (ID/PS) system methods are compared. Some data mining and machine learning methods and their applications in intrusion detection are presented. Big data is introduced into intrusion detection systems, big data analysis for large volumes of data, heterogeneous resources, and real-time stream processing. It also discusses the challenges of intrusion detection systems and the challenges posed by processing huge streams of data in the systems.


In this work, simulations of a strongly swirled premixed flame at atmospheric pressure were carried out using classical RANS-methods as well as different hybrid RANS/LES approaches. In the context of RANS, a large number of simulations using the k-e -model were performed to study the impact of sensitivities related to boundary conditions and model parameters. For the transient simulations, the hybrid methods, DES (Detached Eddy Simulation) and SAS (Scale Adaptive Simulation) as implemented in ANSYS-CFX, were employed. These methods were used to avoid the prohibitive computational cost of LES in boundary layers but to resolve the detached eddies to capture the flame turbulence interaction. Combustion modeling in CFX is based on a transport equation for the progress variable combined with a turbulent flame speed closure to treat the chemical source term. In addition, isothermal LES was performed in advance to identify the coherent structures, such as precessing vortex cores, which were observed experimentally.© 2009 ASME


Today's water resources plans must satisfy the goals of the triple bottom line (TBL): social, environmental and economic viability. Historically, economic goals have dominated water planning decisions and thus are well understood and defined. Since the passage of environmental legislation in the 70s, environmental goals have become increasingly important. The third pillar of sustainability – social equity, has been mostly overlooked in the water resources planning process to date. This research involved the definition of a candidate set of social sustainability indicators for use in water supply planning decision-making. The measures were categorised according to the psychological framework of Maslow's hierarchy of needs (physiological, safety, belonging, esteem, and morality).

A focus group made up of water industry experts was queried about both the usability and the data availability for each of the candidate measures. Results indicated that the social sustainability metrics of greatest importance are related to affordability, reliability, and resilience.


Hybrid thin films based on an environmentally friendly biopolymer, β-chitin and zinc hydroxide carbonate were developed through a biomineralization-inspired approach.


The preparation and characterization (analyses of IR and mass spectra) of 5-methyl-5-hexen-2,4-dione (1) and its polymerization and copolymerization with styrene are described. Poly(1) and copolymers from 1 and styrene give metal chelates in solution and on metal surfaces. Copolymers of 1 and styrene increase the adhesion and the resistance against corrosion of varnishes for metals on the basis of melamine.


Abstract The interstitial metal clusters form a fascinating class of complexes of the transition metals, where a non-metallic atom X is uniquely bonded to the metal atoms of the core. From the structural point of view, two subclasses might be distinguished, the properly called "interstitial" clusters, where the heteroatom is completely surrounded by the metal atoms of the cage in which it is inserted, and the "semi-interstitial" or "exposed" clusters, where the heteroatom is placed on, or nearby, a face or an edge of a metal polihedron. Moreover, even if the carbon atom remains the first reported and the most commonly encountered heteroatom, one example at least has appeared with hydrogen1, nitrogen,2 boron,3 phosphorous,4 sulphur,5 silicium,6 arsenic7 and antimony8 interstitial atoms. Together with these more common systems, there is an increasing number of policarbido and polihydrido complexes, containing several interstitial heteroatoms9; recently, an example of a cluster with carbon and hydrogen toget...


www.thelancet.com/oncology Vol 16 November 2015 1451 define the optimum chemoradiation regimen and establish whether or not this includes oxaliplatin. We also need to determine what the optimum dose of radiotherapy is now that intensity-modulated radiation therapy, image-guided radiation therapy, brachytherapy, and contact therapy are widely available. And we need to establish whether patients (even though they are initially staged as cT1–T2) need to receive additional chemotherapy after completion of chemoradiotherapy treatment as an adjuvant to maximise local control. In summary, we need a common language where procedures and methods are clearly defi ned and consistently used. The outlook for patients with early rectal cancer is excellent. We need to know the real impact of chemoradiotherapy and local excision on long-term anorectal function and quality of life. Further trials are the best method to achieve these goals.


ABSTRACT Introduction: Intravenous patient-controlled analgesia using opioids is frequently used to provide perioperative analgesia. However, there are a number of drawbacks for intravenous patient-controlled analgesia. The sufentanil sublingual tablet system is a major evolution in technology and drug development for postoperative pain management. Areas Covered: We reviewed the use of sublingual sufentanil in postoperative pain management, with a focus on chemistry, pharmacokinetics and clinical use in different surgical patients. Expert Opinion: The sufentanil sublingual tablet system can decrease intravenous patient-controlled analgesia-related safety issues. Current clinical studies have demonstrated this novel system to be safe and effective in postoperative pain management.


Background: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common infections worldwide.
Objective: The aim of the study was to identify different species of microorganisms, along with their antimicrobial susceptibility pattern, causing urinary tract infection in outpatient and indoor patients at Farazy Hospital Ltd, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Methodology: This retrospective study was conducted using urine culture and sensitivity reports collected retrospectively from records maintained in the Department of Microbiology over a one-year period from January 2020 to December 2020 in a tertiary care hospital.
Results: UTI was more common in females (68.39%) than in males (31.61%). Among the uropathogens isolated Escherichia coli (67.6%) was found to be the predominant organism followed by Staphylococcus aureus (12.49%), Klebsiella species (8.23%), and Staphylococcus saprophyticus (6.83%) of total cases. The most common isolates were E. coli showed high sensitivity to tigecycline (97.32%), followed by meropenem (95.88%) and imipenem (95.68%). It was found to be highly resistant to ceftriaxone (62.89%) and ceftazidime (54.12%).
Conclusion: In conclusion, Escherichia coli species is the most common organism causing UTI with high resistance to the commonly prescribed antimicrobial drugs.
Bangladesh Journal of Medical Microbiology, January 2022;16(1):3-7


This paper proposes a model for estimating, at the decoder side, the distortion induced by the transmission over an error-prone channel, when error-free reconstructed frames are not available as a reference. The proposed estimation model considers explicitly the temporal error concealment algorithm adopted at the decoder. In the evaluation of the induced distortion, we model the effects of the absence of motion vectors and prediction residuals in the decoding process. In addition, we take into account the error propagation along successive frames. Experimental results conducted over real video sequences coded with the state-of-art H.264/AVC video coding standard validate the proposed model. In fact, the distortion estimated when no reference is available is strongly correlated both at the frame and group of pictures level with the actual distortion. This technique represents an effective no-reference video quality monitoring tool that can be embedded in any H.264/AVC compliant decoder.


There is described a method (200) for correcting the detected with an image data acquisition device of a magnetic resonance system image data (VB). In the said method (200) a receiving profile of a first reception antenna of the magnetic resonance system is determined. Furthermore, a correction function is determined (f Image data are further received, and (BD) by multiplying the intensity values of the image data (BD) is corrected with the calculated correction function. There is also described a method (400) for magnetic resonance imaging of a region to be imaged (ROI) of an object under examination (O). Furthermore, an image correction means (22) and a magnetic resonance system (1) are described, which comprises the said image correction means (22).


Objective:To assess the safety and efficiency of three procedures,including extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy(ESWL),ureteroscopic lithotripsy(URL),percutaneous nephrolithotomy(PCNL),in the treatment of ureteral calculi.Method:Articles were searched from the abstract databases,such as MEDLINE,EMBASE,Cochrane Library and CBMDisc,and full-text databases,such as PUBMED,CNKI and CQVIP.In addition,we tracked down the reference lists of papers related to this review.Studies were selected based on preset inclusion criteria.The quality of each study was assessed and data were extracted according the Cochrane Collaboration's method.All data were analyzed by RevMan 5.1software.Result:Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis showed that for the treatment of distal ureteral stones,stone-free rate in URS group was significantly higher than that in ESWL group,and re-treatment rate in URS group was significantly low.There was no differences between two procedures in the risk of complications and the time of operation.For the proximal ureteral stones,there was no differences in stone-free rate,postoperative complications and re-treatment rate between ESWL and URS group,but ESWL group had shorter operative time than URS group.Contrastive analysis showed that stone-free rate in PCNL group was significantly higher than that in URS group in the treatment of proximal ureteral stones with no differences in complications,mean operative time and re-treatment rate.Conclusion:For the treatment of lower ureteral stones,URS has much higher stone clearance rate and lower rate of retreatment than ESWL,so URS is worth recommending as a preferred method for lower ureteral stones in clinical practice.As for the upper ureteral stones,the preferred method need further analyses and studies to guide clinical practice.


The main focus of this study was to examine the relationship between the development of educational technologies and teacher competencies. The study focused on UNESCO's educational assistance programmes since the end of the Second World War. To this end, the study heavily relies on archival resources in UNESCO's official documents such as proceedings, conference papers and official reports. It also examines the required teacher competencies for ICT and emerging AI education that have emerged since the 1980s with the development of information and communication technologies, to identify how these competencies differ from previous ones, and to stimulate discussion on the implications of these changes. The rapid development of technology and new media has led to demands for changes in the field of education, with teacher education being no exception. Hence, exploring the global trends of how teacher competencies are presented and their necessity will serve as a vital foundation for organizing teacher competencies in current teacher education in Korea through evolving technology and changes in media.


To investigate the relationship between physical exercise and well-being of the elder people,explore the mediation effect of loneliness in the relationship between physical exercise and well-being of the elder people.Physical activity rate scale(PARS-3),index of well-being and index of general affect,emotion versus social loneliness scales and the demographic questionnaire were used to investigate 150 elder people aged above 55,which were randomly selected in Yangzhou city.The result showed that 1)Residential type and working nature had the significantly main effect on well-being and loneliness of the elder people.2)Physical exercise had the significantly main effect on well-being and loneliness of the elder people,furthermore,with the level of physical exercise rising,the loneliness reduced,while the well-being increased.3)The structural equation modeling analysis results supported that physical exercise had not the direct effect on well-being of the elder people,but indirectly,by reducing the loneliness of the elder people to improve well-being,the path coefficient of the impact of physical exercise on well-being was-0.348.In conclusion,physical exercise has positive effect on loneliness and well-being of the elder people;furthermore,loneliness plays a full mediating role in the relationship between physical exercise and well-being of the elder people.


Refined copper to obtain high quality can use the electrolytic method; the copper cathode plate is applied to the electrochemical machining. In order to make copper cathode plate has high flatness, assuring electrolytic cell cathode and anode plate spacing, so that the purity of copper electrolysis precipitation is higher, so change the straightening plate method has become the urgent task of the enterprise. Through the computer simulation, the ANSYS/LS-DYNA computer optimization, analysis precise straightening device parameters, in ensuring the copper starting sheet straightening can meet basic factories requirements, improve the machining precise straightening machine and copper starting sheet straightening efficiency.


This article compares offline and online petition signing in Australia, to examine whether online forms of political activity can mobilise citizens who would otherwise not participate. Using data from the 2010 Australian Election Study and a model of civic voluntarism comprising online and offline resources, the article presents several unexpected findings. First, women are significantly more likely than men to sign both written and e-petitions, and this will likely continue with the increasing circulation of e-petitions and corresponding decline in written petitions. Second, Australians from a non-English-speaking background are underrepresented in the signing of written petitions but not of e-petitions. Civic skills gained in the workplace and voluntary organisations positively predict both forms of petition signing, but language, gender and income do not constitute barriers to the signing of e-petitions. This article contributes to emerging evidence the internet can mobilise traditionally underrepresented groups to participate in political activity. 本文对澳大利亚脱线和在线请愿做了比较,以了解在线的政治活动能否动员起本来不参与政治的公民。笔者使用了2010年澳大利亚选举研究的数据以及比较在线与脱线资源的公民志愿行动模型,获得了若干意想不到的发现。首先,比起男子,妇女联署纸本及电子请愿书的可能性会大得多,这种情况会伴随着电子请愿的流行和纸本请愿的式微而继续下去。公民在工作单位以及志愿者组织那里获得的技能有助于他们积极参与两种请愿,而语言、性别、收入也不构成电子请愿的障碍。本文印证了互联网可以动员以往不大被代表的人群参与政治活动的说法。


Non-linear correction for the k-ω SST model based on the WJ-BSL-EARSM model was developed and tested for a wide range of flows. For the basic turbulence flows the corrected model (SST-NL) results are close to those of the linear SST model and surpass WJ-BSL-EARSM ones. At the same time non-linear correction is capable to predict secondary motion in rectangle channels and prevents false corner separation for flows around a wing-body junction as well as the WJ-BSL-EARSM model.


In the first paper of this series (Spear and Glucksmann, 1938) it was shown that exposure of the normal brain and eye of the frog tadpole to radiation is followed by (a) a reduction in cell division; (b) alteration in the ratio of the different phases of mitosis, and (c) the appearance of degenerate cells in the germinative zone. The particular stage of mitosis at which the break-down occurred varied with the experimental conditions. This degeneration could be accounted for by assuming that the irradiation had affected cells approaching division at the time of exposure, unfitting them for the ordeal of mitosis and causing them to break down when division was attempted. (See also Tansley, Spear and Glucksmann, 1937.) To test this interpretation of the results a further series of experiments was made (Glucksmann and Spear, 1939), in which the mitotic activity of the tissue was varied by lowering the temperature and by fasting. It was found that when mitotic activity was reduced before exposure, degeneration...


Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC) is a rare, aggressive, high grade histologic variant of squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx. Almost all BSCC cases reported in the literature are immuhistochemically negative for synaptophysin. In this paper a case of BSCC expressing synaptophysin has been presented along with the light of literature.


This paper highlights the high rate of self-harm in young Asian women in the UK. Risk factors include family difficulties, social isolation, depression and sexual abuse. Suggestions for service development include raising awareness about self-harm and reducing stigma in local communities. Culturally appropriate ways of providing care are also discussed.


ABSTRACT The use of light-level geolocators is increasingly common for connecting breeding and nonbreeding sites and identifying migration routes in birds. Until recently, the mass and size of geolocators precluded their use on songbird species weighing <12 g. Reducing the mass of geolocators, such as by shortening or eliminating the light stalk, may make their deployment on small birds feasible, but may also inhibit their ability to receive light reliably, because small geolocators can be shaded by feathers. Here we report geolocator effects on migratory ecology of Golden-winged Warblers (Vermivora chrysoptera) in Minnesota and Tennessee. We also evaluated whether stalk length influenced precision of location data for birds on the breeding grounds. At 8–10 g, Golden-winged Warblers are the smallest birds to be outfitted with geolocators to date. We found no differences in return rates, inter-annual territory fidelity, or body mass between geolocator-marked individuals and a control group of color-banded individuals. We observed no difference in return rates or variation in estimated breeding locations between birds marked with stalked geolocators and those with stalkless geolocators. Our results suggest that some small songbirds can be safely marked with geolocators. Light stalks appear to be unnecessary for Golden-winged Warblers; the added mass and drag of stalks can probably be eliminated on other small songbirds.


Abstract At three Canadian test locations during the cold seasons of 2006 and 2007/08, snowfall measurements are derived from changes in the total depth of snow on the ground using multiple Campbell Scientific, Inc., SR50 ultrasonic ranging sensors over very short (minute–hour) time scales. Data analysis reveals that, because of the interplay of numerous essential factors that influence snow cover levels, the measurements exhibit a strong dependence on the time interval between consecutive measurements used to generate the snowfall value. This finding brings into question the reasonable accuracy of snowfall measurements that are derived from the snow cover surface using automated methods over very short time scales. In this study, two mathematical methods are developed to assist in quantifying the magnitude of the snowfall measurement error. From time-series analysis, the suggested characteristics of the snowdrift signal in the snow depth time series is shown by using measurements taken by FlowCapt Snowdr...


In this paper I would like to present some results of my research on diverse profiles of ascetic cultures in Orissa. In the first section I will describe monastic structures of the new religion shaped by male ascetics. Then I will present missionary areas in tribal Orissa where female religiosity is crucial. The processes of institutionalisation and diversity shall be in addition demonstrated within the Mahima Dharma religious


I am honored to have this opportunity to recognize the man who started this charge-exchange business. He is, of course, John Anderson. A few days ago our workshop chairman, Peter Jackson, called me and reminded me that this is the 25th anniversary of the discovery of isobaric-analog states (IAS). He asked me to say a few appropriate words. Roughly 25 years ago, John Anderson, the late Calvin Wong, John McClure, and Stewart Bloom made an interesting discovery (1). In fact, it was so interesting that it has not yet been superseded by a more important discovery of nuclear structure. John and his colleagues had set out to measure the systematics of nuclear temperatures. They were to look at the spectra of evaporated neutrons from compound nuclei created by proton bombardment of various targets. The evaporation spectra should be smooth functions of energy. The smooth functions were there, but there was a sharp peak superimposed, as shown in Fig. 1 . (2). No known physical phenomenon could produce the sharp peak, so it had to be an artifact of the electronics. However, John and his colleagues convinced themselves that the time-to-pulse-height converters were working right. Well then, it had to be a contaminant in the target. Sharp peaks had 5 1 been seen for isospin mirror transitions, but this target, ??VZK, had five excess neutrons, so there could not be a mirror transition. The prevailing dogma was that isotopic spin, as it was then called, was a bad quantum number because the Coulomb force was so strong. Well, John and his colleagues set about to calculate the Z of the contaminant mirror transition that would put the sharp peak at the observed energy. They found Z = 23, 600 TARGET I


A case of acrodermatitis enteropathica has, after 14 years essential treatment with Diodoquin, been able to abandon this therapy on exhibition of zinc.


Light is generally important for human beings. Visible light supports vision and can modify circadian rhythm, and together with invisible light at longer or shorter wavelength can also make either a direct or indirect impact on human biological and mental health. For medical applications, several studies have shown success in using light to fasten the skin regeneration in burns and to cure diseases such as newborn jaundice. In daily life, an appropriate amount and time exposure to certain types of light can result in rising of alertness and mood improvement, which leads to noticeable growth in one's productivity. Therefore, human centric lighting can modify lighting factors to make the best of the natural characteristics of light. The seek an ideal indoor lighting system is widely carried out not only by scientists but also by architects. A qualified luminaire is considered by many factors, including luminous productivity, visual comfort and expenses; meanwhile, the idealization of illuminance is also constructed in many ways, such as widening the lamp's surface area, changing of luminaire's positions and applying different methods to illuminate a surface. Approaching these problems, our idea is to study the uplighting method and freeform optics using low-cost acrylic lenses. By changing lens shape and optimizing the factors which affect the illuminance such as the irradiation angle and the distance between the luminaire and the reflection surfaces, we find the most effective lens and its peaks due to each factors using the ray-tracing simulation to obtain results concerning high uniformity of illumination.


Neurophysiological experiments in the hippocampal formation of echolocating bats have found grid cells (thought to be used for odometry) as in other mammals, but without continuous theta frequency oscillations (~8 Hz) prominent in other mammals. We describe a `theta-free' model of grid cell property creation for echolocating bats that is amenable to VLSI implementation of hippocampal models of spatial navigation. We demonstrate a hybrid implementation of a 2-D model (microcontroller and neuromorphic VLSI) using recorded input from a sonar system.


Florida has a mild climate, diverse natural habitats, and a growing, mobile human population. Florida also hosts thousands of species of introduced plants, fish, and wildlife. A recent compilation lists 196 non-native bird species, comprising 15 orders, which have occurred in Florida. The list includes 72 species of parrots and parakeets (psittaciformes), 51 passerines, and 22 species of waterfowl (anseriformes). First sightings of newly introduced bird species in Florida increased rapidly through the 1980s, but numbers of new species detected appear to have subsided since then. Sources of introductions are often not reported, but of those that are known, most derive from intentional releases (e.g., for hunting) or escapes from private collections, parks, or zoos. Based on this list and other sources within the state, we identified 14 non-native bird species now considered to be established in Florida. We review those species in particular, and discuss impacts that they are having. We use Christmas Bird Count data to examine geographic and temporal patterns of non-native bird occurrence within the state. We identify additional non-native bird species that are emerging as potentially serious management problems in Florida, and we recommend actions for efficient, effective management of non-native bird issues.


PID is manifested by a continuum of inflammation from the lower genital tract to the upper genital tract. Evidence of this inflammation can be confirmed by performing a saline preparation of the vaginal secretions to document a marked increase in the number of inflammatory cells (A). Evidence ofmucopus further documents lower genital tract inflammation (B). Laparoscopy visually confirms the presence of edematous, erythematous fallopian tubes and a sticky purulent exudate documenting upper genital tract inflammation (C). Further ascending inflammation can result in perihepatic adhesions (Fitzhugh-Curtis syndrome) (D). (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc. !1


The resonance coherent method and phase comparative method are generally used for measuring the sound velocity in university physical experiment. But few measuring instruments use time difference method. In our designing instrument,the time difference method is used under keeping the old functions and the cost of the instrument is almost the same as the old because the single chip processor technology is used. The measuring result accords well with the calculating data in this experiment.


9025 Background: SI-B001 is a first-in-class novel EGFR×HER3 bispecific antibody. The objective of this phase II study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of SI-B001 in combination with chemotherapy in pts with locally advanced or metastatic EGFR/ALK wild-type NSCLC. Methods: This phase II study enrolled patients with locally advanced or metastatic EGFR/ALK wild-type NSCLC who had failed first-line anti-PD-1/L1 therapy, with or without platinum-based chemotherapy (PBC). This study consisted of three cohorts: In Cohort A pts received SI-B001 plus PBC as second-line treatment after failure to first-line anti-PD-1/L1 antibody monotherapy; Cohort B pts received SI-B001 plus docetaxel as second-line treatment after failure to first-line anti-PD-1/L1 therapy plus PBC; Cohort C pts received SI-B001 plus docetaxel as third-line or higher treatment after failure to first-line anti-PD-1/L1 therapy and PBC. This study evaluated SI-B001 in three distinct dosing schedules: Schedule 1 (16+9mg/kg once weekly), Schedule 2 (14mg/kg on Days 1 and 8 every 3 weeks), and Schedule 3 (21+12mg/kg once weekly). The primary endpoints of the study were to determine the objective response rate (ORR) in evaluable patients and to identify the optimal dose. The secondary endpoints included assessment of progression-free survival (PFS), disease control rate (DCR), duration of response (DOR), and safety. Results: As of November 11, 2022, 55 pts have been enrolled in the study, including 1 pt in Cohort A, 45 pts in Cohort B, 8 pts in Cohort C, and one pt enrolled based on the investigator's discretion. Of the 55 pts, 48 were evaluable for efficacy; ORR (n/N, [95%CI]) of 31.3% (15/48, [18.7, 46.3]), DCR of 77.1% (37/48, [62.7, 88.0]). In Cohort B, 23 pts were enrolled in schedule 1, 21 pts were enrolled in schedule 2, and 1 pt was enrolled in schedule 3. Of the 45 pts enrolled in Cohort B, 38 were evaluable for efficacy. Among 22 evaluable pts in schedule 1 the ORR was 45.5% (10/22, [24.5, 67.8]) and the DCR was 68.2% (15/22, [45.1, 86.1]). 18 out of the 22 had no actionable genomic alterations (AGA), the ORR was 50.0% (9/18, [26.0, 74.0]), the DCR was 72.2% (13/18, [46.5, 90.3]), and the mPFS has not been reached. The most common grade ≥3 treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were myelosuppression (17%), decreased neutrophil count (15%), and decreased white blood cell count (12%). There was no drug-related death. Conclusions: SI-B001 plus docetaxel demonstrated antitumor activity in locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC EGFR/ALK wild-type pts who failed on prior first-line anti-PD-1/L1 antibody plus PBC, especially without AGA. The toxicity of SI-B001 + docetaxel was manageable. These findings support the continued investigation of SI-B001 and docetaxel as a treatment option in NSCLC. Clinical trial information: NCT05020457 .


Arthroscopic interventions are widely used to treat the consequences of the meniscus and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. However, the long-term consequences of these surgeries are not always favorable and not in all cases allow to avoid the development of chronic pain and posttraumatic osteoarthritis.Objective: to evaluate the incidence of persistent postoperative pain and the persistence of functional disorders in patients undergoing arthroscopic interventions on the menisci and ACL.Material and methods. The study group consisted of 147 patients (60 women and 87 men, mean age 38.8±12.5 years) who underwent arthroscopic surgery on the knee joint (KJ) in the traumatology and orthopedic department of V.A. Nasonova Research Institute of Rheumatology in 2018– 2021. The condition of patients was assessed by telephone survey and/or online questionnaire. The pain and fatigue levels were assessed on numerical rating scale (NRS, 0–10), as well as the severity of functional disorders on the Lysholm scale (LS).Results and discussion. Moderate or intense knee pain and increased fatigue (≥4 according to NRS) were noted in 11.3% and 14.7% of respondents, respectively. The state of the KJ according to LS in 35.3% of patients was assessed as excellent (95–100 points), in 29.3% – as good (84–94 points), in 21.3% – as satisfactory (65–83 points) and 14.0% – as unsatisfactory (≤64 points).Conclusion. More than 10% of patients after arthroscopic operations on the knee joint experience moderate or severe pain and fatigue, satisfactory and unsatisfactory functional results are observed in 35.4% of cases.


A hydrological characterization is presented, through computational modeling, of the Vaquerías watershed basin. This basin, lacking any monitoring system, represents the main source of water of the Vaquerías Natural Reserve (National University of Córdoba. CHIRPS licencia de Creative Commons Reconocimiento-NoComercial 4.0 Internacional


However, on many engineering projects, no evidence of this may be available when ALARP/ISD assessment is attempted. The safety case team then has to search for relevant decisions in unrelated design documentation and back-fit the ALARP/ISD arguments in discussion with the discipline engineers. In cases where the decision appears not ALARP or not inherently safe, it may be too late to seriously consider alternatives without jeopardising schedule commitments.


While membrane bioreactors have become state-of-the-art technology, fouling is still responsible for high operational costs. Mechanistic modelling is hampered by the complexity of the fouling mechanisms. Therefore, principal component analysis and clustering are used in this contribution to extract information on the membrane state from both lab and pilot scale data sets. It was concluded from all analyses that the first principal component can be used for fouling monitoring, while the second principal component differentiates between reversible and irreversible fouling, if inter-membrane variance was included in the data set. On pilot scale, a low measuring frequency hampered clear results, but also here PCA-based techniques have potential for fouling monitoring.


In order to design three-phase voltage-type PWM rectifier system,control method and parameters should be verified by system simulation model.By the three-phase voltage-type PWM rectifier topology,the rotating coordinate system mathematical model was gotten.According to this model,double closed-loop control system was established based on the inner current loop and outer voltage loop,and gave control system design.Using simplified SVPWM control strategy to achieve the rectifier current control,the system was simulated by the Matlab/simulink.The simulation results show that using this control method,rectifier can output stable DC voltage and realize two-way flow of energy and unity power factor operation,which verify the correctness of the design.


A reconsideration of Finland's relationship with the Holocaust is needed for two reasons. First, the country has recently witnessed a debate over its role in the Holocaust, stimulating new academic research. Second, the standard reference work on the subject, an article published in this journal in 1995 and subsequently condensed in Walter Laqueur and Judith Baumel's Holocaust Encyclopedia, is outdated. By shedding light on a well-known episode in which Finland transferred eight foreign Jews to German control, the following article reframes the question of whether Finland was victim, bystander, or perpetrator during the Nazis' genocide.


An 8 mm fundamental wave gyro traveling wave tube is studied. By the analysis of stability, the parameters are determined. Employing a PIC code, the interaction between electron beam and wave is simulated and discussed in detail, and the primary design is presented. The results indicate that an over 450 kW output power and 50 dB gain are obtained from amplifier under the optimum condition. The efficiency exceeds 22.5% and the 3 dB bandwidth is about 5%.


ABSTRACT This paper considers the problem of variance estimation for sparse ultra-high dimensional varying coefficient models. We first use B-spline to approximate the coefficient functions, and discuss the asymptotic behavior of a naive two-stage estimator of error variance. We also reveal that this naive estimator may significantly underestimate the error variance due to the spurious correlations, which are even higher for nonparametric models than linear models. This prompts us to propose an accurate estimator of the error variance by effectively integrating the sure independence screening and the refitted cross-validation techniques. The consistency and the asymptotic normality of the resulting estimator are established under some regularity conditions. The simulation studies are carried out to assess the finite sample performance of the proposed methods.


【Objective】The immobilization of cholesterol oxidase (COD) was investigated to provide technical support for COD application. 【Method】The immobilized enzyme was prepared by polyvinyl alcohol and boric acid. The optimum concen-tration, reaction temperature, heat stability, pH value, acid stability, Michaelis constant and operation stability were determined through experiments. 【Result】In the optimal conditions for the immobilized enzyme preparation (12% PVA, 5% boric acid, and pH 7.0 at the reaction temperature of 60 ℃), the immobilized enzyme was easily produced with good shape, moderate intensity and high immobilization rate. The optimum reaction pH was 7.0. The thermal and acidic stabilities were better than those of the free enzyme. Its Km was 2.55×10-5mol/L. After five times of repeated reaction, the relative activity of the immobilized enzyme remained above 67.8% with the half-life period of 8.91 times. 【Conclusion】The cholesterol oxidase immobilized by polyvinyl alcohol exhibited good stability and strong affinity to cholesterol. It possesses good application prospects due to its easy recovery and application.


Global food demand is expected to increase in the next decades, pushing agricultural expansion and deforestation. However, food production in agricultural lands is just one dimension of food security, to which forest goods and services also contribute. In this paper, we aimed to explore the relationship between forest cover and food security. We hypothesized that food security is improved by both human‐made and green infrastructure combined. To test this relationship, we explore the relationships between forest cover and a multidimensional index of food security that included both socioeconomic and natural variables taken from Brazilian official databases for 1141 municipalities of the Brazilian Caatinga (a seasonally tropical dry forest). The index was formed by 12 principal components axes (12 PCs) and we found that financial poverty (PC 1) and economic inequality (PC 2) were the main determinants of food insecurity in Caatinga. We found that lowest food security values were found in two contrasting contexts: one is represented by poor and unequal municipalities with high forest cover while the other refers to poor and less unequal municipalities but with little forest cover. Municipalities with intermediate levels of forest cover had slightly higher food security, a consistent pattern across time (2006–2017). Win–win scenarios where both forest cover and food security increased with time were almost as common as lose–lose situations (25% and 22% respectively). This suggests a sort of balance between forests and human‐made land uses and reinforces that natural capital contributes to food security. Zero‐hunger is a main issue for sustainable development goals, and our results adds to the notion that both sustainable use of forests and socioeconomic improvements must coexist rather than being treated as antagonistic policies.


The new dianionic ligand [B(3-Mepz)3(C5Me4)] 2 - was prepared and structurally characterized as its lithium and potassium salts. In the solid state, [Li 2 (THF) 3 {B(3-Mepz)3}(C5Me4)] is monomeric, while [K2(THF) 2 {B(3-Mepz)3}(C5Me4)] ∞ consists of infinite puckered chains. The compounds were synthesized by reaction of B(NMe 2 ) 2 (C 5 Me 4 H) with 2 equiv of 3-methylpyrazole and 1 equiv of M(3-Mepz) (M = Li, K) followed by deprotonation with n-BuLi or KH. The crystal structure of the intermediate monoanion, [Li(THF)2{B(3-Mepz)3}-(C 5 Me 4 H)], is also presented.


Compared to polar regions permafrost in high mountain regions occurs in a great variation of surface and subsurface material and texture. Therefore, the thermal regime of the active layer strongly depends on internal factors like the grain size, the pore volume and type of material beside external factors such as air temperature, incoming radiation, precipitation and runoff. Geophysical measurements are useful methods to get information about the subsurface texture without disturbing it. In addition to the data from direct borehole temperature measurements they yield information about the influencing factors of the thermal regime within the active layer and its seasonal and annual change.


Software is known as one of the components found on a computer. As a software, computer-aided design can be used as a tool to realize ideas. In the process, to be able to realize the idea, it is necessary to have a visual simulation as an aid to be able to see conditions that are able to represent the results of the ideas made. By using qualitative descriptive methods. this research will be useful to be able to provide information to users of computer-aided design software as a basis for using software to produce visual simulations Computer-aided design software in its development can help users to be able to see the condition of a design in a form that represents the original shape. and also can minimize the use of real prototypes to deliver design results. Keywords: Devices, Software, computer-aided design, Simulation, Visual.


The article analyzes scientific research on the issue of forming the moral values of student youth in today's realities through the prism of Ukraine's European integration aspirations, proves the need for its comprehensive study due to the identified contradictions. The publication thoroughly explores the concepts of "value", "morality", "moral values". Thus, the concept of "value" is analyzed through the prism of philosophical approaches. The above concept is also studied from the point of view of psychology, sociology and pedagogy. The authors define the main functions of morality, thoroughly analyze the concept of "moral values", which is also considered from the standpoint of sociology, psychology and pedagogy. The article provides the author's definition of the process of formation of moral values of student youth, which is considered as a process of rationing based on the internalization of primary values and goals by young people. The authors argue that the formation of moral values of student youth is a systemic process of development and self-development of the individual, and moral education is an integral part of education, which provides a relatively meaningful and purposeful cultivation in accordance with the specific goals, groups and organizations. The publication proves that the main focus of the teacher should be the formation of moral values, and the main goal - the development of the child's personality, capable of conscious and responsible choice of behavior and actions in various life situations, without violating universal values. The article identifies the following main theoretical problems of formation of moral values of student youth: the problem of coordination of teachers and parents educational influences on student youth in the process of their socialization and individualization; filling the methods of formation of educational activities with appropriate moral content; functioning of interrelation and mutual influence of personal qualities of student's youth which are in a stage of their formation; creation of an effective model of formation of moral values of student youth which will consider the sequence of development of various qualities of a person. The paper argues that the formation of moral values of student youth is not a common goal that can be achieved in a certain period of time by specific means. The result of this process should be the formed morality of the individual, which can be defined as the highest goal, which allows the existence of all other goals and is the basis of human activity itself. Thus, the formed morality of student youth can be considered not as a goal, but as an ideal - a regulatory principle and a scale for assessing their behavior.


159 Journal of Neuroanaesthesiology and Critical Care | Vol. 2 • Issue 2 • May-Aug 2015 | respectively. Extubation quality (scale‐1) was superior with dexmedetomidine (54%) than fentanyl (16%) and saline (0%). Rescue drugs were used more often in saline group (34%) than fentanyl group (2%) and dexmeditomide group (0%). Sedation and recovery scores at 30 min post‐extubation were similar among the groups. Conclusion: Compared to saline, dexmedetomidine was superior to fentanyl in attenuating haemodynamic responses during emergence and quality of extubation, with similar sedation and recovery profile. Study of pattern of perioperative ECG and echocardiographic changes in the patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage Kiran Jangra, Vinod K. Grover, Hemant Bhagat, Bhupesh Kumar, Nidhi B. Panda, Manoj K. Tewari1, Avanish Bhardwaj Departments of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, and 1Neurosurgery, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India Background: The objectives of the study were: Primary: Perioperative pattern of Electrocardiography (ECG) and Echocardiographic (Echo) changes till seven days following surgical clipping. Secondary: i) Incidence of ECG and Echo Changes following aneurysm rupture. ii) Association of ECG and Echo Changes with Clinical Grades, time elapse from Ictus to hospital admission, site of bleed and location of aneurysm. iii) Association of ECG and echo changes with intraoperative ionotropic requirement. Materials and Methods: This prospective, observational study was conducted in the patients undergoing clipping with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) secondary to aneurysm rupture. Patients with known cardiac disease and unfit for surgery, were excluded from the study. Baseline parameters, such as, Blood Pressure, Heart Rate, ECG, Echo; Hunt and Hess, WFNS and Fisher's Scores were recorded. ECG and Echo changes were recorded preoperatively and till seven days following surgery. Serum electrolytes were kept within the normal range. Results: 100 patients were enrolled. 75 patients developed ECG Changes and17 patients developed Echo changes preoperatively, including global hypokinesias and RWMA. Various ECG observed were QTc prolongation, conduction defects, ST and T wave abnormalities, tachyarrhythmias and bradyarrhythmias. Both echocardiographic and ECG changes, such as, QTc prolongation and bradycardia showed significant recovery on postoperative day‐1 and 2 (P < 0.05). Other ECG changes did not show significant recovery during study period. We did not find association between ECG and echo changes. ECG changes were not associated with increased intraoperative ionotropic requirement but patients with Echo changes were found to have significant high ionotropic requirement. None of the patients had perioperative cardiogenic shock. Conclusion: Early therapeutic intervention can hasten the recovery of these changes by taking care of intracranial pathology. ECG and Echo changes were not associated with clinical grades, time elapse between ictus and admission, location of aneurysm or bleed. Objective monitoring of intraoperative nociception in neurosurgical patients. A preliminary study and analysis K. Lakshman Kumar, Sonia Bansal1, G. S. Umamaheswara Rao1 1Department of Neuronaesthesia, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences Bengaluru, Karnataka, India Background: Pain during neurosurgery is associated with various haemodynamic changes and adverse effects. Identification of pain and its effective management is important. Careful titration of analgesics is also required to prevent interference with the neurological assessment postoperatively. A new monitor Analgesia Nociceptive Index monitor (ANI); Metrodoloris, France) may provide objective information about the degree of pain noninvasively. The basic principle involves the influence of respiration on parasympathetic component of heart rate variability. Materials and Methods: The primary aim of the study was the validation of ANI against standard haemodynamic variables. The secondary aim of our study was to compare the analgesic requirements in patients undergoing spine surgery with those undergoing craniotomy. The adequacy of analgesics intra‐ operatively was monitored with ANI monitor. Therefore in our study, intra‐operative nociception was monitored using ANI and analgesics were administered as and when ANI values fell below 60. Patients aged 18 to 60 years, undergoing craniotomy and patients undergoing lumbar laminectomy and discectomy were recruited. Intraoperative monitoring included standard anaesthesia monitoring, ENTROPY (RE/SE) and ANI. Results: 21 patients undergoing craniotomy for various lesions and 11 lumbar PIVD patients undergoing laminectomy were included. HR, MAP increased and ANI decreased with each noxoius stimuli. HR and MAP are commonly used to monitor pain intra operatively. ANI monitor may help us in identification of the cause of change in HR and MAP. Conclusion: ANI monitor identifies pain with as much sensitivity as hemodyanmic variables. It is definitely superior to SE and RE as monitor of intensity of pain. Change in ANI values parallel the changes in haemodynamics during painful stimulation.


Uruguay has shown steady economic growth in the past decade ([ 1 ][1]), which has benefited its citizens but led to environmental degradation such as widespread eutrophication of aquatic ecosystems ([ 2 ][2], [ 3 ][3]). In 2018, Uruguay's government passed a law that seems to address these issues but applies unreasonable constraints to scientific research.

The law, #19175 decree 115/018 ([ 4 ][4]) and its modification 269/018 ([ 5 ][5]), establishes welcome regulations on the use of aquatic resources and aquaculture, which will be enforced by the National Office of Aquatic Resources (DINARA). However, it also restricts research by requiring scientists to secure a government permit for field activities. Moreover, it forces researchers to withhold publication of results until explicitly authorized by DINARA. These regulations contradict the principle that scientific research is independent of pressures exerted by commissioning parties or by economic, political, and ideological interests.

The Universidad de la Republica, Uruguay's main national research institution, has filed an appeal for the revocation of decree 115/018 ([ 6 ][6]) and engaged in formal negotiations with the government. We hope that this process will successfully eliminate restrictive regulations. Scientists must make clear to the government that scientific research should progress unimpeded and that results should be accessible to peers and to the public without limitations.

1. [↵][7]Trading Economics, Uruguay GDP ( ).

2. [↵][8]1. F. Vidal et al
 ., Toxins 9, 267 (2017).
 [OpenUrl][9]

3. [↵][10]1. G. Chalar et al
 ., Ecol. Indic. 11, 362 (2011).
 [OpenUrl][11]

4. [↵][12]Decreto N° 115/018 (2018); [www.impo.com.uy/bases/decretos/115-2018][13] [in Spanish].
5. [↵][14]Decreto N° 269/018 (2018); [www.impo.com.uy/bases/decretos/269-2018][15] [in Spanish].
6. [↵][16]Track the progress of the Universidad de la Republica appeal case at [www.expe.edu.uy/search.html][17] [in Spanish] by entering the search term 240011-000663-18.

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 [9]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DToxins%26rft.volume%253D9%26rft.spage%253D267%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx
 [10]: #xref-ref-3-1 "View reference 3 in text"
 [11]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DEcol.%2BIndic.%26rft.volume%253D11%26rft.spage%253D362%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx
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 [13]: http://www.impo.com.uy/bases/decretos/115-2018
 [14]: #xref-ref-5-1 "View reference 5 in text"
 [15]: http://www.impo.com.uy/bases/decretos/269-2018
 [16]: #xref-ref-6-1 "View reference 6 in text"
 [17]: http://www.expe.edu.uy/search.html


Based on the analysis of principal characteristics of 9%~12%Cr heat-resistant steel,this paper pointed out that the creep,oxidation and corrosion resistance performance of KT5917(12Cr casting) steel is better than that of KT5031A(9Cr-1Mo forging) steel as a result of higher content of Cr and W.On the other hand,the allowable stress of KT5917(12Cr casting) steel is 53.8 MPa,less than 56.8 MPa of KT5031A(9Cr-1Mo forging) steel.As a result,the design thickness of KT5917(12Cr casting) valve body is more than that of KT5031A(9Cr-1Mo forging) valve.Meanwhile,the casting valve body with thicker casing also leads to the difficulties in Nondestructive Testing(NDT) and welding.The practical performance of KT5917(12Cr casting) is inferior to that of KT5031A(9Cr-1Mo forging).


We present rotating models of a 7 M star at Z = 10−5 and analyze how rotational mixing affects their evolution, nucleosynthesis and yields. We confirm that rotational mixing enables a large production of primary 14N and show that it is responsible for a steep increase in the mass loss rate during the early-AGB phase. We also address the origin of the O-Na anti-correlation in globular clusters. We show that rotating models experience a large surface O-enhancement during second dredge-up which indicates that massive rotating AGB stars are not responsible for this anti-correlation in the so-called pollution scenario.


The initial aim of videodisc development was to produce a system that records audio/video information on a disc, replicates this disc accurately and inexpensively on plastic and finally, plays the replicas on home television screens by means of a disc player attachment. What made the videodisc so interesting is the potential combination of three properties: very low cost in high-volume duplication, very high information density, rapid acces to any portion of a long recording. Presently, two major disc categories are wel1 established: mass replica and write-one discs. Single headed players are almost exclusively used today. But, in some applications, where mainly access and interactivity are very important, two headed players are either used or presently being considered. Some new problems are surfacing, which are not of that much concern for the single-headed players. One of new problems is a time-based error (TBE) caused by recorded asymmetry, which will by discussed in this paper. Al so, the influence of this phenomenon on the medical images stored on the videodisc will be examined.


This paper analyses and discusses from various points of views to what extent Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ) and its generalisation (OTSM) could contribute to the Engineering as Collaborative Negotiation (ECN) process instrumentation and evolution. First, decision-making and optimisation approach are compared with OTSM-TRIZ problem stating approach and overall strategies to perform steps of the ECN process are deduced. Then, it is briefly shown how OTSM-TRIZ deals with exploration and construction concepts that should both take place in ECN process. Finally, a general description of the Problem Flow Networks (PFN) approach based on OTSM-TRIZ technologies is given to show how it could be used within ECN process.


The rise in value and the exhaustion of traditional energy resources make humanity more motivated to find ways to make them more efficient and economical. The main strategic directions for increasing energy efficiency and implementing the energy saving potential are structural and technological restructuring of the Ukrainian economy, the creation of administrative, regulatory and legal mechanisms that promote energy efficiency and energy conservation. The purpose of the research is to search for the possibilities of energy saving and help the subjects of management in determining the directions of their effective energy use. In general, two types of energy audits can be distinguished: express energy audit and integrated energy audit. There may also be energy audits of individual engineering systems. Express audit involves a superficial survey of the building and identifying the most obvious disadvantages, as well as outlining a work plan for integrated energy audit. Usually the accuracy of the recommendations of such an audit is estimated at 10-20%. Comprehensive energy audit involves in-depth study of the design of the building and engineering networks, carrying out instrumental measurements and preparation of a detailed plan for the implementation of energy-efficient measures, including economic analysis. Analysis of the share of expenses of different types of energy in total costs allows us to outline the previous direction of the energy audit, paying attention to the types of energy with the highest share of costs. This allows us to estimate the specific energy consumption of the main and auxiliary industries per unit of output, compared with similar advanced production, allows us to estimate the share of energy costs in the cost of production. The balance of the individual energy resources of an object allows in general to assess the efficiency of the use of different energy sources, to pay attention to individual energy consumers for their in-depth study. Determination of the most energy-consuming consumers of the object, for which the initial data of the catalog nature are established, the schemes of energy use, and also by means of the corresponding measurements, the operational parameters of their work are determined for the further evaluation of the energy use efficiency. On the basis of the analysis, it is concluded that the individual technological solutions adopted in the current object or the replacement of some of them with the progressive ones, while determining the cost of changing the technology, are substantiated and the conclusion is drawn as to the appropriateness of the investment. Thus, the most important aspect of conducting energy audits is the additional economic benefit that a customer (energy user) receives from identifying sites with inefficient and inefficient use of various types of energy and finding ways to save it, which will ultimately lead to energy modernization and energy independence as an individual consumer, and our state as a whole.


Peach and apricot trees usually set more fruit than they can adequately support. Crop load adjustment through fruit thinning is a routine practice adopted by fruit growers to obtain a marketable product. However, hand thinning is an expensive, labor-intense operation. The interest in the mechanization of thinning has increased in the last decades. A new machine, consisting of a tractor-mounted rotor equipped with elastic rods radially inserted on a central axis, has been recently developed to thin both flowers and green fruits in stone fruit crops. In order to test its effectiveness and optimize the operative conditions, trials were carried out in 2016 in two apricot and two peach commercial orchards located in the northeast Italy. Tests were carried out on narrow-canopied orchards, during blooming time, and on green fruit, assessing the flower and fruit removal percentage and the labor saving as compared with the standard fruit hand-thinning practice. In apricot, the machine removed 20.8% of flowers and 43.6% of fruit, allowing 48% time saving in the follow-up fruit manual thinning as compared with the control (hand-thinning only). In peach, mechanical thinning at blooming time removed 63% of flowers, allowing 42.4% time saving in the follow-up fruit manual thinning as compared with the control, whereas mechanical thinning of fruit at the beginning of pit hardening stage removed less than 10%. The development of a mechanical thinning practice, complemented by a manual finishing, could represent a valuable near-term solution to reduce thinning labor time.


This article analyzes the intent of the new Commit to Inclusion campaign and describes how the nine guidelines for disability inclusion can be applied in schools to make physical education more inclusive for students with disabilities.