In order to standardize extraction technique and purification of DNA from hair in swine, samples of 35 sires of Yorkshire and Landrace maternal Lines were obtained and the frequency of the genes ESR and PRLR were valued using PCR-RFLP. As a result of this technique a high quantity and quality of DNA was extracted. Two genes related with high prolificidad were identified: Estrogen (ESR) and prolactina (PRLR) receiver. These genes were amplified using PCR and RFLP´s and the genotypes were identified. The enzyme Pvu II was used to identification of ESR and Alu I for PRLR. The results showed that the genotypes associated to the genes ESR and PRLR were not in Hardy-Weinberg balance (X2,p<0.05). The favorable allele A of the gene PRLR and B of the gene ESR it showed frequencies of 0.21 and 0.14 respectively. There were not homocigote genotypes BB for the ESR gene.


In this paper, the improvement of fuzzy c-means clustering method is discussed. In the improvement of fuzzy c-means clustering method, the distance definition in Euclidean space is replaced by fuzzy weighting distance, a new definition of distance. As a result, using the method of data simulation, we prove the improved method of fuzzy clustering has a better result and clearer classification than the original method.


Unsaturated acid and its esters can be polymerized by heating and with the use of proper catalysts. It was reported that oleic acid can be dimerized with BF3 or organoperoxide catalysts. The author found that oleic acid and its esters can be polymerized by the activated clay catalyst. This paper deals with the studies of polymerization of oleic acid and ethyl oleate with the catalyst. The effects of the amounts o catalyst and the reaction temperature on the yields of dimer and polymer, on the properties and structures of the products were studied. Besides the polymerization, such side reactions as decarboxylation, lactone formation, and isomerization were observed. Hydrogenation, accompanied with the dehydrogenetic dimerization, was also estimated from the formation of saturated acids. Under the reaction condition of 210°C and 2 hr, about 25% of dimer and 25% of polymers were formed from oleic acid with the use of 50 wt % of activated clay to oleic acid. The main diner was considered to have one double bond in its molecule, but the dimer which contains two double bonds was also formed by the selection of the reaction condition.


Abstract This study examined the effects of similarity, both actual (race and gender) and perceived, and amount of contact between mentor and protege on the quality of mentor relationships. Mentor relationship quality was measured by liking, satisfaction, intended retention, and degree of psychosocial and instrumental functions experienced by the protege. The participants were 104 summer intern proteges and their volunteer staff mentors employed at a large West coast media organization. Proteges were randomly assigned to one of two types of mentor pairings—same and different race mentors. Results indicate that liking, satisfaction, and contact with mentor were higher when proteges' perceived themselves to be more similar to their mentors. Actual race pairing was related to proteges' perceptions of the amount of career support and to mentors' liking of proteges.


The article presents the content of the training of masters of industrial education, the tasks of their positions and services, the level of digital competence, the issue of regular professional development on the basis of professional educational institutions, the necessary knowledge and practical skills to be acquired, as well as feedback on their mastery.


The assemblage of fungi including unicellular yeasts in schools is understudied. We conducted an environmental study to characterize fungal communities in classroom floor dust. We collected 500 samples from 50 elementary schools in Philadelphia, PA, and evaluated room dampness/mold conditions. Genomic DNA from dust was extracted for internal transcribed spacer 1 Illumina MiSeq sequencing to identify operational taxonomic units (OTUs) organized from DNA sequences. Differential abundance analyses were performed to examine significant differences in abundance among groups. We identified 724 genera from 1490 OTUs. The genus Epicoccum was not diverse but the most abundant (relative abundance = 18.9%). Fungi were less diverse but most dissimilar in composition in the most water-damaged classrooms compared to the least water-damaged, indicating differential effects of individual classroom water-damage on fungal compositions. We identified 62 yeast genera, representing 19.6% of DNA sequences. Cyberlindnera was the most abundant (6.1%), followed by Cryptococcus, Aureobasidium, Rhodotorula, and Candida. The average relative abundance of yeasts tended to increase with increasing dampness and mold score and was significantly (p-value = 0.048) higher in the most water-damaged classrooms (22.4%) than the least water-damaged classrooms (18.2%). Our study suggests the need for further research on the potential health effects associated with exposures to yeasts in schools.


As recently as the early 1970s, organizational theory was principally focussed on the internal workings of organizations, and on the analysis of internal factors as the sources of organizational behavior. The bulk of the field utilized either human relations theory, which connected internal structure to worker morale and productivity, or neo-Weberian analysis, which sought to understand the impact of internal power relations on organizational behavior. This work tended to assume unchanging organizational structures invulnerable to outside forces. Contingency theory, though it escaped the static assumptions of previous work, maintained the focus on the internal workings of the organization. This neglect of the environmental context limited the analytic leverage of organizational theory and led to misleading and incorrect descriptions of corporate behavior. The human relations approach, for example, sought to connect managerial strategy with worker productivity, but it ignored the supply of labor in its analysis. As Pfeffer and Salancik (1978) later argued, however, scarce labor usually implies less compliant workers and more accommodating management. Human relations evaluations of the effectiveness of various managerial strategies were therefore flawed, since the outcomes of each strategy would vary depending on the supply of labor, a variable which was not addressed in their research. There were, of course, exceptions to this general trend. Works which emphasized the context within which organizations operated included Selznick's (1949) classic study of the TVA, Thompson's (1967) seminal work on organization-environment relations, and the unorthodox contingency theory advanced by Lawrence and Lorsch (1967; see also Zald, 1970).


Morphological tagging is an important problem in the area of computational linguistics as it underlies other crucial tasks such as syntactic parsing and machine translation. Nowadays, the problem is being most commonly solved by a statistical approach. Artificial neural networks (ANN) represent another promising approach to this kind of problems for which the exact algorithmic solution is unknown or not efficient enough. In this paper we present the results obtained by application of the well-known backpropagation (BP) neural network in several types of experiments. We have focused on the Czech morphology, because its morphological system is very rich and no experiments concerning application of artificial neural networks have been carried out for this language. First, we have verified on a set of preliminary experiments that the neural network is capable of capturing the Czech morphology, which, secondly, served also for determination of appropriate network and context parameters. Thirdly, we have used neural networks for a voting experiment. The aim of the voting experiment was to select the correct tag (if present) from the outputs of two statistical taggers, the Markov model tagger and the Featurebased tagger. In this experiment, BP showed higher tagging precision (93,56%) than any of the input statistical methods (92,74%, 92,58%) and exceeded even the currently best available statistical result (93,47%). BP has proved to be a worthy post-processing tool that is able to perform implicit evaluation on complementary aspects of different statistical approaches.


There are three basic course patterns in integrating information technology with curriculum,i.e.having information technology curriculum independently;considering information technology as assisted means of teaching; considering information technology as cognizant means of learning.In this paper,the instructional tactics of three kinds of course patterns are discussed separately in the views of the author himself.


The truly creative organization is one that integrates the concepts of total quality and empowerment. It is founded on the concepts of continuous improvement and continual innovation, is guided by the clear anticipation of customer wants and needs, and develops a sense of commitent and team spirit throughout the organization that supports self-responsibility and personal growth and development


The utility model relates to a cooling device for improving a vacuum effect of a condenser. The cooling device (1) is provided with a shell body (15), a gas-steam inlet (8) is disposed at the lower end of one side of the shell body (15) and the upper end of the other side of the shell body (15) is connected with a water adding pipeline (14). An air outlet (9) is arranged on the top portion of the shell body (15), a water discharging tube mouth (10) is arranged at the bottom of the shell body (15) and a group of screw type heat exchange tubes (16) is arranged inside the shell body (15). The device enables steam of gas-steam compounds drawn out of the condenser to be condensed and drained out, and therefore condensation heat release of the steam inside a water-ring vacuum pump is reduced, working water temperature is reduced, cavitation of a vacuum pump is effectively avoided and pumping capability of the vacuum pump is improved.


Abstract Aims The purpose of this scoping review is to provide an overview of developmental outcomes of children diagnosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). Methods The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework was used to guide this scoping review. A comprehensive search of CINAHL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, and PsycINFO was conducted using search terms related to NAS and developmental areas. Full-text screening was completed for 30 articles, and eight studies were included in this review. Results Cognitive and language development, as well as school performance, social and motor domains, may be areas of concern in children with NAS. Conclusions The developmental outcomes of infants with NAS cannot be firmly determined due to inconsistent results across reviewed studies. Future research investigating development across various ages is required for rending more appropriate intervention services to this high-risk population.


We are grateful for the interest in our manuscript describing synovial histology features that associate with patient reports of morning stiffness in rheumatoid arthritis1 . Jain et al raise an important point; not all joints in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis are affected equally at any given time, making it challenging to associate studies of synovium from only one joint with assessments of global patient symptoms. We had discovered that morning stiffness duration was associated with the presence of fibrin and neutrophils in synovium, however, neither of the questions used in this analysis focus on any particular joint and it is likely that joints other than the arthroplasty joint influenced patient responses.


Third harmonic generation (THG) is one of the most attractive techniques for producing short-wavelength coherent light. THG is yielded by a third-order nonlinear process, but it is difficult to achieve efficient THG because the third-order nonlinear optical coefficient is usually small. A TH wave can also be obtained by using two second-order nonlinear processes in series, and high efficiency can be expected because second-order nonlinear processes are usually more efficient than third-order nonlinear processes. In this method, a pump wave is once converted into a second harmonic (SH) wave, and then converted into a TH wave by frequency-mixing of the pump wave and the generated SH wave. Previous works used two bulk crystals and a birefringent phase-matching method for such second-order nonlinear processes [1]. Recently, efficient second-order nonlinear processes have been demonstrated by using a waveguide structure and ferroelectric-domain-inverted grating for quasi-phase-matching (QPM) in second harmonic generation (SHG) devices [2-8] and sum-frequency generation (SFG) devices [9]. We have proposed the application of such techniques to the generation of a TH wave [10]. In this paper, we demonstrate THG of a Nd:YAG laser light with cascading QPM-SHG and QPM-SFG in LiNbO3 waveguide.


PURPOSE
We investigated efficacy and safety of adalimumab (ADA) treatment for exacerbation or recurrence of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) patients.

METHODS
Medical records of 70 VKH patients who received ADA treatment for more than 6 months were retrospectively investigated.

RESULTS
The mean age of VKH patients was 54.8 ± 15.1 years, and male/female ratio was 34/36, and sunset glow fundus was observed in 71.4%. Subfoveal choroidal thickness, indocyanine green angiography scores, and corticosteroid and cyclosporine doses were significantly reduced by ADA treatment for 6 months compared to baseline, while LogMAR and flare counts were also improved without being statistically significant. Adverse events were observed in 17.1%, in which tuberculosis was at 7.14% and psoriasis was at 2.86%; however, ADA treatment was continued in 91.4%.

CONCLUSIONS
ADA was shown to be effective to achieve remission of VKH disease refractory to conventional treatments and was generally well tolerated with few serious adverse events.


A method and technical details are described for direct observation of effects of high amplitude ultrasonic stress waves on dislocations in metal crystals. The technique combines, for the first time, ultrasonic treatment at high acoustic energy densities (up to 109 ergs/cm3 at frequencies between 30 and 100 kc), observation of damping of stress waves, and electron microscopy. Results from this in situ technique allow fundamental refinement of present theories on ultrasonic activation of dislocation mechanisms.


In present scenario, various industrial, agricultural, transport and domestic resources have validated the diverse application of electric drives. The efficiency of the industry is increased by selectively regulating the operation of electric drives. The dc motor plays a significant role in modern industrial drives due to its higher performance, reliability, adjustable speed control etc. The speed control of separately excited dc motor is carried out by varying the armature voltage for below rated speed. A speed control methodology by varying the armature voltage using a buck converter is presented in this paper. The controller used in this methodology is proportional-integral type. Using this controller, the fast correction is performed by the proportional term and the integral term makes the steady state zero in finite time frame. A MATLAB simulation is performed for automatic control of dc motor using PI controller and buck chopper in a close loop. In addition to this, an antiwind up system is incorporated in the simulation to enhance the rate of speed control in the model.


unchanged. He is a three-year cure. It has been impressed upon the patient that he must return for re-examination every four m'onths for the next two years and then once or twice a year. This paticnt's only presenting symptoms were those of prostatism. .The initial pain in the left loin and groin and burning on voiding were undoubtedly due to a prostatitis, vasitis and culminating in an acute epididymitis. It was probably for this reason that he was not cystoscoped prior to his operation. Undoubtedly cystoscopy would have revealed the tumour at the apex of the bladder. The patient at no time noticed blood in his urine. It was indeed unfortunate that the cystogram was cut off the films in the excretory urogram as they probably would have revealed a filling defect in the bladder vault that would have made the examiner suspicious of a tumour of the bladder before operation.


Wirz' doctoral thesis on the history of women mountaineering in Switzerland between 1840 and 1940, goes beyond the mere academic informative - it dares to be an entertaining read too. While showing with great aplomb that the depiction of the Alps and of "conquering" them always implies a meta-discourse on dominance and othering, Wirz does not fall into the trap of re-hashing truisms about the so-called battle between the sexes.


In this paper are being investigated, the mental representations of pre-school age children, according to the conceptual model of "energy chains", using individual semi-structured interviews, so much before, as much as afterwards the activities of the teaching intervention, which were designed according to the frame of the strategic confrontation of "objectives-obstacles" and based on the principles of the constructivism and innovative perception. Children are called to name, to predict, to justify and to interpret the experimental cases of three phenomena, concerning three different ways of turning on an electric lamp (by the National Electric Company, with the help of a battery and with the mediation of photovoltaic element). One first qualitative analysis of children explanations has shown that the majority of them are able by activating/building a pre-energy casual reasoning, to approach a precursor model of the significance of energy, creating linear representations of the objects of an energy chain, not only from the operation's point, but also from the energy distribution's.


In this work, we tried to optimize y-treatment of sperm to obtain large numbers of haploid gynogenetic embryos after fertilization. The analysis of increasing doses showed a typical « Hertwig effect)) in all cases, but we found wide between-male variations in the most efficient dose. This variability was reduced by mixing several irradiated samples collected from different males or given different efficient doses.


Time‐resolved mass spectrometric data of the decay of monosilane concentration and of the formation and decay of disilane and trisilane are presented together with the silicon deposition rates measured under the same conditions. The data can be quantitatively explained by the mechanism involving, as a first step, the fragmentation of silane into SiH2 and H2, and deposition of a‐Si via higher silanes which are formed by a fast insertion reaction of silene into gaseous silanes. Deposition via a SiH3 radical, which has been suggested by several groups, cannot explain the experimental data.


Voltage dips represent a significant power quality problem. The main cause of voltage dips and short-term interruptions is an electrical short circuit that occurs in transmission or distribution networks. Faults in the power system are stochastic by nature and the main cause of voltage dips. As faults in the transmission system can affect more customers than faults in the distribution system, to reduce the number of dips, it is not enough to invest in a small part of the transmission or distribution system. Only targeted investment in the whole (or a large part of the) power system will reduce voltage dips. Therefore, monitoring parts of the power system is very important. The ideal solution would be to cover the entire system so that a power quality (PQ) monitor is installed on each bus, but this method is not economically justified. This paper presents an advanced method for determining the optimal location and the optimal number of voltage dip measuring devices. The proposed algorithm uses a monitor reach area matrix created by short-circuit simulations, and the coefficient of the exposed area. Single-phase and three-phase short circuits are simulated in DIgSILENT software on the IEEE 39 bus test system, using international standard IEC 60909. After determining the monitor reach area matrix of all potential monitor positions, the binary bat algorithm with a coefficient of the exposed area of the system bus is used to minimize the proposed objective function, i.e., to determine the optimal location and number of measuring devices. Performance of the binary bat algorithm is compared to the mixed-integer linear programming algorithm solved by using the GNU Linear Programming Kit (GLPK).


This paper describes a GPR study carried out with the aim of evaluating deterioration of concrete floors in textile factories. During some years, spillages from the production process were split onto the floor of the factory. The slow but continue action of these spillages in the concrete caused an important variation in its porosity, which could be detected by studying changes in GPR reflected pulse. A simple synthetic model was developed in order to obtain information about how the response of GPR antenna pulse is depending on changes in the porosity of concrete. We also take into account the different conditions of the factory floor at the moment (since many years ago it's been isolated from the action of the spillage). The heterogeneous conditions of the floor and the simplicity of the model used did not allow for an accurate estimation of porosity, but it was possible to map degraded areas on the floor related to changes in the reflected signal. Core drills made later confirmed in some of them a concrete porosity of up to 25%, closer to that of sand than to concrete.


A 2x2x2x2 factorial study tested the effects of race and sex of perceivers (Ss, N=48), and race and selc of expressors (actors, N=20) each photographed enacting seven emotions. Race of perceiver was found significant as were tLe patterns of bot71 correctly and erroneously per-


The design process of dynamic architecture has been an emerging topic in recent studies, in which researchers try to find an effective method of generating and controlling adaptive components. In this paper, we present a digital-physical modelling process that seeks to explore tectonic fusion of origami folding patterns and micro-kinetic movements. A flexible modular prototype system is developed and evaluated through combining origami-based fabrication simulation and mathematical characterisation mimicking the pinecone's nastic movements. The modular design system is then applied to an urban site as a test case study. The results show how the pinecone-like nastic movements may be translated into design and fabrication of an adaptive architecture. We discuss the lessons learned from the digital-physical prototyping process finding the balance between geometric flexibility and micro-kinetic adaptability.


© 2018 CEUR-WS. All rights reserved. A PhD requires the mastery, and development of a passion for knowledge. It may begin with the choice of some topic of interest, but then develops into a journey of discovery and knowledge creation, often without end, as one transitions to academia. This talk will discuss the journey, focusing on the methods we use when we create knowledge, and argues how the areas of knowledge engineering and knowledge acquisition lie within the intersection between computer science and computer art. The challenge throughout is to re-think methods of scientific discovery; create novel approaches, or adapt ideas from other disciplines, whilst making the case for a more systematic and rigorous way of evaluating the results of our investigations.


The invention discloses an information processing method and a device, which overcome the defect that the display mode of various lists on an electronic device lacks individuality and therefore cannot represent the personal preference of a user. The method is applied to the electronic device, the electronic device at least comprises a touch display unit, wherein the method includes the following steps: the touch operation of a user on a first list interface is detected, the first list interface includes a plurality of item objects, the item objects at least include a first item object and a second item object, and a first space exists between the first item object and the second item object; whether the touch operation is first predetermined operation touching the first item object is judged, so that a first judgment result is obtained; when the first judgment result indicates that the touch operation is the first predetermined operation touching the first item object, the touch operation is responded to adjust the first space. The embodiment of the application provides an individualized list interaction mode for users, and improves the experience of users.


1. The need to develop and validate an assay capable of detecting substances active in the thyroid system of vertebrate species originates from concerns that environmental levels of chemicals may cause adverse effects in both humans and wildlife. In 1998, the OECD initiated a high-priority activity to revise existing guidelines and to develop new guidelines for the screening and testing of potential endocrine disrupters. One element of the activity was to develop a test guideline for the screening of substances active on the thyroid system of vertebrate species. Both an enhancement of the 28-day repeat dose in rodents (Test Guideline 407) and the Amphibian Metamorphosis Assay (AMA) were proposed. The enhanced TG 407 underwent validation and a revised Test guideline has been issued. The Amphibian Metamorphosis Assay (AMA) underwent an extensive validation programme which included intraand inter-laboratory studies demonstrating the relevance and reliability of the assay 1,2 . This Test Guideline is the outcome of the experience gained during the validation studies for the detection of thyroid active substances, and of work conducted elsewhere in OECD member countries.


Abstract: Abnormally hyperphosphorylated τ is the major protein subunit of paired helical filaments in Alzheimer brains. We have examined its site‐specific dephosphorylation by different protein phosphatases. Dephosphorylation of τ was monitored by its interaction with several phosphorylation‐dependent antibodies. Alzheimer τ was dephosphorylated by brain protein phosphatase‐2B at the abnormally phosphorylated sites Ser46, Ser199, Ser202, Ser235, Ser396, and Ser404, and its relative mobility on sodium dodecyl sulfate‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis shifted to that of normal τ. Protein phosphatases‐1 and ‐2A could dephosphorylate only some of the above six phosphorylation sites. These results indicate that protein phosphatase‐2B might be involved in hyperphosphorylation of τ in Alzheimer's disease.


Khrushchev has by now made an undeniable reputation for himself as a clever man. He has credit for the "de-Stalinization" of the Soviet system and a return to "Leninism," but he also holds the reins to a system of controls largely created by Stalin. It is perhaps a bit early for judgments, but Khrushchev seems indeed to be having his cake and eating it too. A survey of the question of the transition to communism, for example, reveals that his position is nothing less than a synthesis of a most remarkable sort, and one well calculated to gain the benefits of both Stalinism and Leninism. He has apparently set out to achieve a wedding between controls and ideals which will both mark him as the builder of communism in the manner of Lenin and at the same time retain in his hands the power of a dictator.


The invention discloses a remote operation sharing system, which comprises a security module, a monitoring module, a notification module, a receiving module and an execution module, wherein the security module is used for performing identifiable information pairing on an electronic device to be connected with a computer; the monitoring module is used for monitoring whether a scrapbook in the computer is changed or not after the computer and the electronic device are successfully paired, and acquiring operation resulting in the change of the scrapbook if the scrapbook is changed; the notification module is used for transmitting the operation and operation contents to the electronic device in form of notice when the electronic device supports the operation; the receiving module is used for receiving the notice; and the execution module is used for executing corresponding operation according to the notice if the electronic device supports the type of the notice. The invention also provides a remote operation sharing method. By the system and the method, any text operation in the computer can be shared to a mobile phone in real time.


A bstract. W e characterise the perm utations (cid:25) such that the elem ents in the closed lower Bruhat interval[id ;(cid:25) ]ofthe sym m etric group correspond to non-taking rook con(cid:12)gurations on a skew Ferrers board. It turns out that these are exactly theperm utations (cid:25) such that[id ;(cid:25) ]correspondsto a (cid:13)ag m anifold de(cid:12)ned by inclusions,studied by G asharov and Reiner. O urcharacterisation connectsthePoincar(cid:19)epolynom ials(rank-generatingfunc-tion)ofBruhatintervalswith q -rook polynom ials,and weareableto com putethe Poincar(cid:19)e polynom ialofsom e particularly interesting intervals in the (cid:12)nite W eyl groups A n and B n . The expressions involve q -Stirling num bers of the second kind. A s a by-product ofour m ethod,we present a new Stirling num ber identity connected to both Bruhat intervals and the poly-Bernoullinum bers de(cid:12)ned by K aneko.


Partial discharges (PDs) can erode insulating paper, altering its surface morphology. This morphological transformation, subsequently, influences the evolution of further PDs. This study constructs a numeric streamer model, integrating the hydrodynamic drift-diffusion model in oil, the bipolar charge transport model in the insulating paper, and the Ohmic model for interface charge transfer. The model serves to explore how changes in surface morphology affect the discharge process. Simulation results demonstrate that morphological alterations on the profiled surface accelerate PD development and augment surface charge accumulation on the insulating paper. The generalized concave crater's charge accumulation effect results in an intensity increase at the bottom of the electric field and a decrease at the top of the profiled surface. The positioning of concave and convex features on the surface primarily impacts the amplitude of local electric fields, which decreases as the distance from the arc center increases. The distortion rate of the electric field in a convex or concave surface is a time-independent characteristic, solely reliant on surface morphology. Given identical surface morphology, a greater value of surface roughness suggests a higher capability for electric field distortion. The results in this article contribute to a better understanding of surface morphology's effect on the streamer propagation process.


Objective To investigate the effect of simulated ischemia on Na+/K+ pump current(IP)of ventricular myocytes.Methods Ventricular myocytes were isolated from guinea pig by collagenase solution,and IP of ventricular myocytes was recorded using whole-cell patch clamp technique.Dihydroouabain(DHO)was used to simulate ischemia perfusion,thus to make simulated ischemia of the cells.We observed the effect of simulated ischemia on IP of the ventricular myocytes and on the IP of high-and low-DHO affinities.Results In simulated ischemia,Ip was significantly reduced in a time-dependent manner.In addition,simulated ischemia inhibited the low-DHO affinity Na+-K+ pump current(Il)but did not effect on the high-DHO affinity Na+-K+ pump current(Ih).Conclusion The specific inhibition of simulated ischemia on the low-DHO affinity Na+-K+ pump current may be one of the mechanisms responsible for the ischemia-induced elevation of Na+ in ventricular myocytes.


The content and distribution of rare earth(RE) in normal human plasma have been investigated by ultrafiltration, FPLC and ICP-MS methods, The results showed that there are trace RE in normal human plasma, and their contents are in accordance with their abundance, The RE can bond with immunoglobulin G(IgG), transferrin(Tf) and albumin(Alb) species, but mostly bond with Tf.


Air injection into light oil reservoirs is an effective technique for improving oil recovery,and this technique mainly depends on a spontaneous low temperature oxidation( LTO) process which occurs at reservoir temperature. During LTO process of air injection,oxygen in the injected air is consumed and carbon dioxide can be produced in the reservoir,leading to flue gas flooding and generating a significant amount of heat. Products of the air-oil oxidation reaction mainly include oxidized hydrocarbons and carbon oxides. Oxygen consumption rate and CO2 conversion ratio are analyzed based on the mechanisms of the LTO reaction and experimental results. The CO2 conversion ratios at different reaction conditions were calculated and the corresponding influencing factors are analyzed. Experimental results show that the LTO activity of crude oils and the CO2 conversion ratio is mainly affected by oil composition,and reaction temperature. Higher temperatures and pressures and existence of reservoir sands can promote faster reaction rate,more or complete oxygen consumption,as well as higher CO2 conversion ratio. The CO2 conversion ratio can be used to determine which reaction( low temperature or high temperature reactions) is prevailed at reservoir conditions.


As van Bruggen writes, "Never before have the Olympic Games been held in a region that contrasts more strongly with the glamour of the event than Sochi. Just twenty kilometers away is the conflict zone Abkhazia. To the east the Caucasus Mountains stretch into obscure and impoverished republics such as North Ossetia and Chechnya. On the coast, old Soviet-era sanatoria stand shoulder to shoulder with the most expensive hotels and clubs of the Russian Riviera." Now, in 2014, the area around Sochi has changed beyond recognition.


Preface. 1. Birth and Consolidation 1919--1922. 2. Earlier 20th Century Developments World War I. 3. The IRC and the 'Neutral' States Suspicion and Resentment. 4. 1922--1928: First General Assemblies IAU becomes Fully International. 5. The Years 1928--1938. 6. The IAU and Political Persecutions in the 1930's. 7. 1938--1948 World War II: Interruption and Recovery. 8. 1948--1958 Flourishing Science and Disturbing Politics. 9. The China Conflict. 10. 1958--1964 Reforms, Berkeley 1961, and Hamburg 1964. 11. 1964--1969 Reforms Continued, the Astronomer's Handbook Prague 1967, and the 50th Anniversary. 12. Financing in the Union a Review over 75 Years. References. The IAU Historical Archives. Subject Index. Name Index.


The early 1920s witnesses the unstability of political situations and difficulty of finance of the Beiyang Government, which result in serious arrears of teachers' salaries and stagnation of education. In 1921 teachers of eight higher learning institutions in Beijing launch a large scale salary demending movement with great social response. In spite of the hostile attitude of the government, it wins deep sympathy and strong support from every social statum.


An armor system for defeating a solid projectile having an exterior rigid armor plate associated with a fiber-reinforced sheet armor affixed to the interior surface of the exterior armor plate, an interior armor plate, and an inner armor plate displaced from one another to form a first dispersion space between the sheet of self-bonded polymer and the interior armor plate. The first dispersion space is sufficiently thick to allow significant lateral dispersion of armor passing therethrough. The inner armor plate is disposed approximately parallel to the interior armor plate and displaced therefrom to form a second dispersion space between the interior armor plate and the inner armor plate. The second dispersion space is sufficiently thick to allow significant lateral dispersion of materialspassing therethrough.


In the process of DAVY large-scale methanol synthesis process and the main reason for the phenomenon of wax and harmful effect is analyzed.According to the operation of 5 500t/d methanol synthesis device in China Coal Shaanxi Yulin Energy Chemical Industry Co.,Ltd.,a number of targeted preventive measures is formulated,which achieves good effect,reduces the production cost,improves the benefit of enterprise.


Hard carbon coatings with diamond-like properties were applied on AISI M-50 steel rods which were subjected to rolling contact fatigue (RCF) testing at a cyclic Hertzian stress level of 5.5 GPa. The coatings were produced using a single, broad beam ion source that directed 450 eV ions, derived from a methane discharge, onto the rods. Results from preliminary tests show that hard carbon coatings alter the fatigue failure characteristics of this material substantially


The present invention relates to an oxidized polyethylene wax microemulsion composition, which comprises 5 to 40% by weight oxidized polyethylene wax, 2 to 20 wt% nonionic surfactant, 0.1 to 5% by weight of a cationic surfactant, 0 to 5 % by weight of co-emulsifier and 40 to 92% by weight of water, based on the total weight of the oxidized polyethylene wax microemulsion composition as a reference. Oxidized polyethylene wax of the present invention, transparent appearance microemulsion composition, good dispersibility and stability, as compared to conventional microemulsion oxidized polyethylene wax having a better acid stability and application performance. The present invention is an oxidized polyethylene wax microemulsion composition effective to improve the smoothness of the sewing of the knitted fabric.


Inner‐magnetospheric conditions for subauroral polarization streams (SAPS) and subauroral ion drifts (SAID) have been investigated statistically using Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms and RBSP observations. We found that plasma sheet electron fluxes at its earthward edge are larger for SAID than SAPS. The ring current ion flux for SAID formed a local maximum near SAID, but the ion flux for SAID was not necessarily larger than for SAPS. The median potential drop across SAID and SAPS is nearly the same, but the potential drop for intense SAID is substantially larger than that for SAPS. The plasmapause is sharper and electromagnetic waves were more intense for SAID. The SAID velocity peak does not strongly correlate with solar wind or geomagnetic indices. These results indicate that local plasma structures are more important for SAPS/SAID velocity characteristics as compared to global magnetospheric conditions.


Because of advantages such as small critical diameter,high detonation velocity,excellent flexibility and easily taken,the flexible explosive has become one of most important polymer bonded explosives.In this article,the developing progress of flexible explosives is reviewed,and the typical formulations as well as their main properties of flexible explosives are introduced.Upon the summarization of military and industrial applications of flexible explosives,some advice focused on the research direction of flexible explosives is proposed.


Subject. The subject of the research is the assessment of the status of federal taxes and levies in the Russian Federation, identification of the existing problems and possible solutions in the area of the discussed topic. Purpose. Tracking of features and specificity of federal taxes and levies according to their classification criteria. Method and methodology. In the study, the author applied such techniques as an exploratory method, system analysis method, comparative method, method of consolidation and other methods. By using these methods, the author assembled and processed the necessary theoretical and practical material for the study. In particular, the author analyzed the Russian experience of formation of tax revenues of the federal budget, introduced performance indicators of the studied taxes and levies, identified a share for each federal tax and levy. In addition, proposals for solution of the identified problems, aimed at enhancing their relevance were developed. Results. Federal taxes and levies are a major source of the State revenue, which is interested in the correct approach to the formation of tax policy. The author notes that if the tax or levy has federal status, then this indicates that it is governed by federal tax laws, but may be distributed among the budgets of the budget system, such as excise tax. The aim of this work is to develop proposals and measures to strengthen the tax component of the federal budget. The author proves the feasibility of improving tax legislation regarding the examined taxes. Opportunities to increase income from federal taxes and levies in the federal budget are identified. The current tax practice among federal taxes and levies for the formation of the federal budget, the largest value is assisted by two taxes: value-added tax and a tax on mineral extraction, because the 85% is approximately the sum of all tax revenues. All other federal taxes and charges are less significant. Growth tax potential at the expense of other federal taxes and levies is possible by removing the cyclical fluctuations in the economy, the presence of a high tax culture in the country, competently conducted work of tax authorities.


This study uses biogas, an environmentally friendly renewable energy resource, to operate the prototype of a micro-gas turbine (MGT) system called the Proto X-3 Bioenergy Micro-gas Turbine, designed for green building application. The biogas is produced by an anaerobic digester. The aim of this research is to simulate slurry flow in an anaerobic digester as the basis for developing a biogas digester that will produce biogas to meet the requirements of the Proto X-3 Bioenergy Micro-gas Turbine. The digester is a rectangular type with 3.4 m 3 capacity. The flow calculations and simulations were done using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) methods in two-dimensional, body-fitted coordinate mesh. The simulations were conducted with various baffle clearances for the digester: 50 mm, 100 mm, and 150 mm. The CFD simulations showed that the recirculation phenomena was found in all flows but that the 50-mm baffle clearance model had the largest recirculation, and it would lead to better mixing of the slurry.


This report provides a summary of several analyses concerned with the dimensional structure of Forms 7A, 7BA, 8A, and 8B of the P-ACT+. Two basic questions drove the analyses: 1) are the data from the P-ACT+ sufficiently unidimensional to justify the use of unidimensional IRT models for score reporting, and 2) are the different forms similar in whatever dimensional structures may be revealed? The dimensionality of the tests were assessed using factor analysis, multidimensional IRT, and the Stout Test for Essential Unidimensionality. The factor analyses showed that all tests contained a dominant factor with several additional factors of varying importance. For the English, Reading, and Science Reasoning tests the dominant factor appeared to be a general factor in each of those content areas while the smaller factors were method or nuisance factors. The factor patterns for the Mathematics tests were interpretable in terms of content. These results were essentially replicated by the multidimensional IRT analyses. The Stout Test for Essential Unidimensionality indicated that the tests on each form were not unidimensional. These results, combined with those from the factor analyses and MIRT analyses, raise questions concerning the appropriateness of applying a unidimensional IRT model to these tests for score reporting purposes. The consistency of the dimensional structure across the test forms was investigated by comparing the factor patterns, the MIRT item statistics, and classical items statistics (i.e., p-values, point-biserials, and intercorrelations between scores). The factor patterns indicated a reasonable degree of consistency in the dimensional structures across forms for each of the tests. The MIRT item statistics tended to show more variability across forms but still indicated consistent patterns. Both analyses showed greater similarity between forms developed in the same year than between forms developed in different years (i.e., forms 7A & 7BA vs. forms 8A & 8B). Analyses of p-values, point-biserials and score intercorrelations also revealed considerable similarity across forms. These findings, in conjunction with those from the factor analyses and MIRT analyses, would indicate that the dimensional structure is relatively consistent across forms for all tests. Since this is the case the use of a unidimensional IRT model will probably provide ability estimates with comparable meaning across test forms. The issues raised in this paper are investigated further in the companion paper "Assessing the Appropriateness of the Unidimensional IRT Model for Estimating Content Area Scores". 3


Introduction: Recently it has been shown that presolar diamonds extracted from meteorites can be separated into grain-size fractions by means of ultracentrifugation [1,2]. It transpires that grains of different sizes have distinct carbon, nitrogen and noble gas isotope signatures. In addition, noble gas concentrations vary by orders of magnitude [3], which has been explained by ion implantation [4]. We believe that grain-size analysis offers the best hope of understanding the nature of the isotopically and genetically different components acquired by diamonds during their irradiation history. It is already well established that the behavior of nanometre diamonds in solution (and during ultracentrifugation, in particular) is determined by their charge, which depends on the number of acid groups on their surfaces [5]. To investigate whether parameters such as particle grain size and/or number of defects on their surfaces are affected by solution chemistry, we have extended the grain-size separation technique to combine ultracentrifugation with colloidal separations at different pH. Experimental: The starting material was a diamond colloid isolated from Boriskino (CM2). This diamond was centrifuged (700g, 6h) at pH~3 to produce a supernatant (designated as BD-1) and a sediment. The sediment was then transferred into solution at pH~3.8 and centrifuged (700g, 6h) to produce two further fractions (supernatant BD-2) and sediment. The sediment was repeatedly centrifuged (700g, 6h) at pН > 5 to produse supernatant (fraction BD-3) and another sediment. Each fraction was then put into solution at pH>5 and ultracentrifuged simultaneously (10g for 4 h) to produce samples of sediment and supernatant (designated a and b). These were then analysed by MS-86 [6] for carbon isotopes and Finesse [7] for C, N and noble gases. Herein we present the results for BD-1a, BD-1b, BD-3a and BD3b. Results: As in previous studies [1,2] grain-size fractions a/b for BD-1 and BD-3 showed differences in concentrations and isotopic compositions of all elements analysed. However, we also observed smaller but significant differences between BD-1 and BD-3 (Figure). For some parameters ([Ar], [Xe] and Xe isotopes) these differences are in keeping with the variations observed between a and b which suggests that pH separation is sensitive to grain sizes. In contrast, variations in nitrogen isotopes and [He] between BD-1 and BD-3 are at odds with simple grain size separation. It seems that other properties, such as the presence of defects, for instance, might play a role during pH separation, indicating that these diamonds could represent a different population. In particular, the data in the Figure indicate that in addition to two major diamond populations (i) the carrier of Xe-HL with relatively heavy carbon isotopic composition (d13C>25‰) and (ii) the carrier of Xe-P3 with light carbon (d13C<-41‰) a third population might be present, possibly the carrier of Xe-P6, with an intermediate d13C.


Data mining involves the computational process to find patterns from large data sets. Classification, one of the main domains of data mining, involves known structure generalizing to apply to a new dataset and predict its class. There are various classification algorithms being used to classify various data sets. They are based on different methods such as probability, decision tree, neural network, nearest neighbor, boolean and fuzzy logic, kernel-based etc. In this paper, we apply three diverse classification algorithms on ten datasets. The datasets have been selected based on their size and/or number and nature of attributes. Results have been discussed using some performance evaluation measures like precision, accuracy, F-measure, Kappa statistics, mean absolute error, relative absolute error, ROC Area etc. Comparative analysis has been carried out using the performance evaluation measures of accuracy, precision, and F-measure. We specify features and limitations of the classification algorithms for the diverse nature datasets.


In this article we give a general methodology to build and work with functional networks, a network‐based alternative to the neural networks paradigm. In functional networks, neural functions are allowed to be not only multivariate but also truly multiargument and different for all neurons. Thus neural functions instead of weights are learned. In addition, outputs coming from different neurons can be connected, that is, forced to output the same values. The topology and neuron functions of functional networks can be selected based on data, domain knowledge, or a combination of the two. Functional equations play an important role in functional networks, since the preceding types of connections lead to functional equations that impose a substantial reduction in the degrees of freedom of the initial neural functions. Some methods are given to obtain equivalent functional and differential equations, and they are applied to approximating the solutions of differential equations problems. The examples of an associative operator, a cantilever beam, and a mass supported by two springs and a viscous damper are given to illustrate the methods and show their power.


Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) is a common livelihood across 80 LMICs, particularly among the rural poor in remote areas. Such livelihoods offer higher income potential but also potentially higher environmental and health risks which may incude child malnutrition. Wasting affects ∼15% of children in gold-mining households in northern Guinea, for example, and higher-than-average levels observed in non-mining areas of other countries. This research aims to understand potential causes of child undernutrition by examining diets of children in ASM communities as well as factors driving caregivers' food choices.

 Data were collected in 2018–2019 via cross-sectional surveys of mining households with young children (n = 611); in-depth interviews with young children's mothers and other caregivers (n = 112), and observations at mining sites and in young children's homes (n = 25). Quantitative data were analyzed, via descriptive and associational analysis. Qualitative data were analyzed using deductive coding.

 Young children's diets were generally very poor, with only 22% and 21% meeting minimum dietary diversity and minimum meal frequency, respectively. Consumption of micronutrient-rich foods was rare. Key factors influencing household food purchase and food consumption for young children included highly variable day-to-day incomes, low availability of fresh food and appropriate complementary foods, higher availability of highly processed foods, concerns about food hygiene and safety, and limited time available for buying food. A lack of childcare options, combined with unsafe environments for children at mining sites, led to young children being cared for by non-parent caregivers who struggled to provide nutritious meals.

 Social and economic realities shape food choices for young children in households that subsist on unstable, informal livelihoods. Improving children's nutrition in such areas will require improving availability of appropriate complementary foods and engagement of caregivers and food vendors.

 Funded by Drivers of Food Choice Competitive Grants Program through DFID and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and managed by the University of South Carolina. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK Government's official policies.


A new digitally controlled decibel-linear variable gain amplifier (VGA) is presented. The proposed VGA uses a folded cascode opamp and a capacitance-selecting technique to provide dB-linear gain control. The VGA provides a 36.6dB gain control range with a gain error less than 0.2dB while operating at 1GHz. It can also be operated at 2GHz to give a 28dB gain control range with an error less than 0.65dB. The power consumption is 10.77mW at 1.8V supply voltage


A quasi-experimental design with non-equivalent groups assessed the impact of privatized management on crime and personal safety in large public housing communities in Miami, Florida. A randomly-selected sample (N = 503) of low-income African Americans living in 42 different housing "projects" were surveyed. Privatized sites had greater mean values for break-ins and thefts (m = 2.03, S.D. = 1.47, p ********** The idea of "privatizing" state, local, and federal services has been a tradition in the United States for many years (Barnekov, Boyle, & Rich, 1989; Hays, 1994). Privatization occurs when government sectors transfer partial or full responsibility for a variety of public services to the private sector (Bendick, 1985). By using grants, purchase-of-service contracts, and different types of reimbursement mechanisms, a complex partnership was developed between governments and private, non-profit agencies to deliver a wide range of human services (Abramovitz, 1986; Gilbert, 1986; Salamon, 1993). In the 1980s, the Reagan Administration ushered in an ideological shift toward a different type of privatization--that involving private, for-profit firms (Kamerman & Kahn, 1989). This new philosophy was crystallized when President Reagan appointed a Privatization Commission and subsequently integrated the philosophy into many of his Administration's operational and policy decisions (Reid, 1995). The assumption behind the thinking was that private firms would improve management and implementation based on a perception of market discipline, superior management skills, and the profit motive, characteristics which are supposedly lacking in the public sector (Van Horn, 1991). The 1990s were characterized by an accelerated momentum in the provision of public welfare services by for-profit firms (Netting, McMurtry, Kettner, & Martin, 1994; Salamon, 1993; Stoesz & Karger, 1994), including services such as hospitals, nursing homes, home health, child care, social services, and housing (Pack, 1991; Reid, 1995). The current study examines privatized management of public housing ("projects") and its comparative impact on the incidence of crime, neighborhood problems, and personal safety as perceived by public housing residents. The research is based on a 4-year public housing privatization experiment conducted under the auspices of the Miami-Dade Housing Agency (MDHA), which is the official Public Housing Authority (PHA) for the City of Miami and unincorporated Miami-Dade County. The MDHA is also the 8th largest PHA in the United States with 20,653 family and elderly housing units under their jurisdiction countywide (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development [USHUD], 1999). An independent research team was contracted by Miami-Dade County to do a comparative assessment on the impact of privatization and develop recommendations on the feasibility of the MDHA expanding the managerial scope of privatized property managers (Becker, Bowie, Dluhy, & Topinka, 1998). After going through an extensive competitive bidding process, the MDHA selected four national property management companies with good "track records" and considerable experience, and the firms were given maximum administrative and operational flexibility. The overall assessment was multi-faceted with an emphasis on cost-containment variables, but a major component of the study was an empirical examination of perceived crime, personal safety, and levels of satisfaction with police as perceived by public housing residents. …


MEGA♪ is a comprehensive, ecologically framed, structured risk assessment tool for assessing sexually abusive behavior, coarse sexual improprieties, or both in all youth under 19 years, including male and female adjudicated and nonadjudicated youth, children under 12, and youth with low intellectual functioning. MEGA♪, or Multiplex Empirically Guided Inventory of Ecological Aggregates for Assessing Sexually Abusive Adolescents and Children (Ages 19 and Under; Miccio-Fonseca, 2006b) is composed of 7 aggregates and 4 distinct risk scales: (a) Risk Scale, (b) Protective Risk Scale, (c) Estrangement Risk Scale, and (d) Persistent Sexual Deviancy Scale. Discussed are the internal consistency findings on a sample of 1,184 (979 males and 205 females). MEGA♪'s Risk and Protective Risk Scales are discussed in depth.


Paphiopedilum liemianum Fowlie, is a terrestrial orchid species and endemic in Northern Sumatra, Indonesia. However, due to a deep dormancy that the seed display at dispersion and the difficulty to obtain uniform plant in a short time period, micropropagation may be a feasible alternative. l'vficropropagation by in vitro seed germination techniques have been applied to the conservation of endangered orchid. Four months old seeds of P. liemianum germinated on five different basal media. All media were supplemented with 2.5 µM a-apthalleneacetic acid (NAA) and cultures were incubated in the dark for 4 weeks followed by protocorm development at condition a 16/8 h LID photoperiod. Germination percentage was 78.8% in Vacin and Went (VW) medium were significantly higher than other basal media. To evaluated the effect of organic nutrient additives on seed germination and protocorm development, the seed were cultured on VW medium amended with different of organic nutrient. Additives, especially 10% Coconut Water (CW) to VW medium improved the protocorm development well, with 33.3% the protocorm development to stage 5 (seedling). The seedlings were cultured on VW medium supplemented with different concentrations (0.0, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 µM) of thidiazuron (TDZ). Healthy plantlets with developed leaves and roots were planted in pots with sphagnum moss and grown under ex vitro condition and the result was 76% survival rate after 4 weeks.


The paper deals with the problem of Hinfin output feedback control for the stochastic singular systems with time-varying norm-bounded parameter uncertainties and random state which are subject to stochastic disturbances. The problem addressed is to design a output feedback controller such that the resulting closed-loop system is regular, impulse free and mean-square stable for all admissible uncertainties and a prescribed Hinfin performance is achieved. Finally, an illustrative example is given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the presented method.


Compositional feed limits have been established to ensure that a nuclear criticality event for the 2H and 3H Evaporators is not possible. The Enrichment Control Program (ECP) requires feed sampling to determine the equivalent enriched uranium content prior to transfer of waste other than recycle transfers (requires sampling to determine the equivalent enriched uranium at two locations in Tanks 38H and 43H every 26 weeks) The Corrosion Control Program (CCP) establishes concentration and temperature limits for key constituents and periodic sampling and analysis to confirm that waste supernate is within these limits. This report provides the results of analyses on Tanks 38H and 43H surface and subsurface supernatant liquid samples in support of the ECP, the CCP, and the Salt Batch 10 Planning Program.


In a 1976 Journal of the American Medical Association, Dr. Michael Britt and his colleagues reviewed data from one-day prevalence surveys of nosocomial infections in 18 small (each less than 75 beds) hospitals in small communities dispersed throughout the five state intermountain area around Utah. The paper suggested that the prevalence of nosocomial infections, community acquired infections, and antibiotic use was similar to published reports from larger community-teaching hospitals. This was especially true when the data from all the hospitals were pooled into one data set. The paper concluded that full time infection control nurses and full time specialists in infectious diseases were economically unrealistic resources for each of these widely scattered hospitals to acquire individually. Modification of existing surveillance methods to better suit smaller hospitals, and development of regional cooperative efforts in infection control were recommended for future consideration.


Under a certain stiffness and strength, the dynamic characteristics directly affect the stability and off-road quality of the all-terrain vehicle (ATV) when driving on complex terrain. With the innovative design of ATV, the 3D model and the finite element analysis model are established. Based on the static analysis, ANSYS analysis software is applied for the body modal simulation analysis, aiming at reducing the body deformation and improving the low-order natural frequency of ATV. By comparing the influence of the finite element modal analysis results on the dynamic characteristics and stiffness characteristics of the ATV under typical conditions, the weaknesses of the structural design are pointed out, which provides the research basis for the further improvement and technical upgrading of the prototype.


Financial reporting represents a current issue of economic environment, given globalization and the recent economic crisis. Accounting -as profession - along with the investors and state institutions have started a comprehensive project of accounting convergence designed to improve the comparability of accounting information released by financial statements synthesis. The success of the project can only be provided by taking into account several constraints imposed by the economic environment, and not only. Therefore, attention must be paid to the voice of capital markets and large multinational corporations regarding the future development of financial reporting.


In recent years, ESL and some EFL teachers have emphasized student-centered learning and focused on Computer-Aided Language Learning (CALL) and the use of linguistic corpora through Data-Driven Learning (DDL). Corpus consultation has been integrated into second language writing classrooms for a few decades. Some studies have reported that corpus consultation is useful to some extent. The present study aimed to review the potential of concordancing in L2 writing using existing literature. Therefore, all these empirical studies provide useful information on the impact of corpus concordancing. The results of the review showed that learner would benefit from concordancing as a reference tool if they are trained adequately in corpus consultation. Moreover, it is implied that learner concordancing raised learners' awareness in linguistics aspects and promote learner autonomy. Future studies are also suggested based on the gap identified in the reviewed studies.


The theory of "Customer Value Level" is of great significance in guiding enterprises to promote automobile sales with entirely new operating strategy and awareness of service,along with the enterprises construction so as to reveal the value of a particular automobile and meet the rapid development of automobile marketing.


Labor process research has documented a shift in the nature of control – from techniques that aim to limit worker discretion to consent-oriented controls that are believed to generate greater effort by increasing intrinsic rewards or bonding employees to managers and/or the firm. Over the past several decades, however, growing pressure to increase profits has prompted firms to adopt cost-cutting strategies that have eroded job security, relationships with management and commitment to organizational goals. This study investigates how a changing labor process and rising job insecurity shape workers' orientations toward work, managers and the firm, and in turn influence workplace behavior. Analyses of content-coded data on 212 work groups confirms that discretion-limiting controls (supervision, technology and rules) are associated with more negative orientations and/or reductions in effort (with variations across distinct forms of control), while investment in workers' human capital (but not involvement of workers in decision-making) has the reverse effect – generating more positive orientations toward work, managers and the firm, and (in turn) promoting discretionary work effort and limiting covert effort restriction. Implications of insecurity are more complex. Both layoffs and temporary employment reduce commitment to the organization, but layoffs generate conflict with management without reducing effort, whereas temporary employment limits effort without producing conflict. We illuminate underlying processes with evidence from the qualitative case studies.


The study aims to ascertain whether the technology dedicated to assisted reproduction techniques refl ect positively on family relationships, at the possibility of overcoming infertility, and then deduct an allowance for affection in family relationships. Adopts the reasoning that the desire to have children, the origin and formation of families, is inserted into the Freedom Family Planning, with the prevalence of autonomy among its members, because the idea of having children is also intrinsically related to the personal fulfi llment of subject. We used the deductive method, topic-argumentative, supported by bibliographic and documentary research.


A full-pose, position and orientation, trajectory-tracking control of kinematically redundant flexible-macro-rigid-micro manipulators is proposed. Redundancy is resolved such that the forces exciting the lowest-frequency modal coordinates of the system are minimized, while imposing a proportional damping on the flexural dynamics, rendering it stable under certain conditions. The simulation results show that the initial posture of the manipulator plays an important role in satisfying the foregoing stability conditions.


Review(s) of: Women, hormones and the menstrual cycle (3rd edition), by Ruth Trickey, Publisher: Trickey Enterprises (Victoria) Pty Ltd 2011.


The invention provides a main pole frame, which relates to an electrolytic bath process in the water electrolysis hydrogen production field. The main pole frame comprises a main pole frame body, wherein the main pole frame body is provided with a center hole, the back of the main pole frame body is provided with an annular groove, and the annular groove is in connected arrangement with the center hole. The main pole frame has the advantages that the whole length of an electrolytic bath is shortened, the weight is lighter than that in the prior art, the assembly difficulty is reduced, materials are saved, and the cost is reduced.


: Yield stresses (τ) of whipped foams prepared from various ratios of native whey protein isolate (WPI) and polymerized whey protein isolate (pWPI) were characterized by means of vane rheometry Yield stress displayed a parabolic response to increasing concentrations of pWPI, peaking at 50%. Foam air phase volume steadily decreased with increasing pWPI content, whereas equilibrium surface tension steadily increased. Dynamic surface tension measurements revealed that native WPI adsorbed much more rapidly than pWPI, presumably because of the latter's larger size. Interfacial dilatational elasticity (E') displayed a parabolic trend with increasing pWPI content, peaking at 50%. This suggested that pWPI coadsorbs with native WPI, bolstering E' of native WPI interfaces. However, too much pWPI caused a weakening of the network. A positive, curvilinear relationship between E' and τ was observed, consistent with a previous observation for WPI foams formed at various pH levels and salt concentrations, further suggesting a general link between these parameters.


This year, 2016, marks the 40th anniversary of the Cockcroft and Gault formula. During four decades we have tried to overcome the limitations of relying on serum biomarkers as indicators for kidney function.With estimating equations that include variables such as age, sex, race and body size, repeated attempts have been made to account for unmeasured physiologic processes that affect the serum concentration of creatinine aside from glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Another GFR estimating equation appears in this week's issue ofNephrology Dialysis and Transplantation [1]. However, whereas GFR estimation is gradually settling into clinical practice [2, 3], appreciation of its prevailing limitations and of the differences between available equations remains limited, even among nephrologists [4]. An accurate equation provides an estimate of the measured GFR (mGFR) that is unbiased—average estimated GFR (eGFR) for a group equals the mGFR—and precise—for an individual, the mGFR is close to the eGFR. Improvements in model development and standardization of creatinine measurement using methods traceable to isotope-dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS) have served to reduce the overall bias, but bias within subgroups and precision overall have remained an inescapable truth. Differences in non-GFR determinants of creatinine between groups of people may heavily bias estimates within those groups. For example, in vegetarians, patients with a muscle disease or people who have had a limb amputation, creatinine generation may be low, causing systematic overestimation of the GFR regardless of the estimating equation used. Conversely, in bodybuilders, serum creatinine generation may be high, with systematic underestimation of the true GFR as a consequence. Some of these non-GFR determinants of serum creatinine concentration can be taken into account by the observant clinician interpreting eGFR results. Regrettably, it is far more difficult if not impossible to incorporate them into mathematical equations, which causes random variability and overall imprecision to be unavoidable. In essence, no existing equation is sufficiently accurate (combination of bias and precision) on the individual level. For current estimating equations, the P30—a classicmeasure of accuracy defined as the proportion of values of eGFR that liewithin 30% of mGFR—reaches 75–85% at best. Put differently, up to 25% of people will have estimates >30% above or below the mGFR. For those with an eGFR of 10 mL/min/1.73 m, up to a quarter will have an mGFR <7 or >13 mL/min/1.73 m. For those with an eGFR of 60 mL/min/1.73 m, up to a quarter will have an mGFR <42 or >78 mL/min/1.73 m. In the (theoretical) ideal situation, the distribution of mGFR around the regression line at each value of eGFR is normal (Figure 1). Even in the ideal situation, this would result in acceptable values of mean bias (difference between mean eGFR and mGFR), but still wide confidence intervals for the individual point estimators. In reality, the distribution of mGFRs at each point of eGFR is not normal, but random, because of the presence of nonGFR-related determinants of serum creatinine concentration, such as creatinine generation and distribution volume. This further enhances variability of the point estimates in an unpredictable manner. As a consequence, at each point of the regression line that links mGFR to eGFR, there is substantial variability in mGFRs. For the individual estimation and each point on the regression line, precision is poor, as it is impossible to know how much or in which direction the true GFR deviates from the average mGFR (Figure 1). This imprecision might have consequences for CKD classification and for dose adaptation. From Table 5 of Pottel et al. [1], it is apparent that there is substantial misclassification (∼30%) of patients in the different subgroups of CKD when using eGFR. The Full Age Spectrum (FAS) equation (1) apparently has the advantage that it intrinsically adjusts for differences in


In the recent article by Cazzolato and Hansen [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 104, 2878–2889 (1998)] it was shown that it is possible to derive for a structure some set of surface velocity distributions, referred to as radiation modes, which are orthogonal in terms of their contributions to the acoustic potential energy of a coupled cavity. The technique used an orthonormal decomposition to derive an expression for the radiation modes which was based on prior work for free-field sound radiation. It will be shown in the following letter that for the special case involving the calculation of global internal potential energy it is possible to use a simple approach which requires no orthonormal decomposition since the expression for the global potential energy is already in a form that can be easily diagonalized.


Abstract : Viruses may attack computer systems and carry with them a variety of symptoms. Details of the many ways in which they spread are given and it is shown how this is prevented in conventional system using procedural controls. More effective measures, which are to be employed in the SMITE secure system, are also described. Great Britain.


Binary tree-structured filter banks have been employed in the past to generate wavelet bases. The equivalence between binary paraunitary tree-structures and orthonormal wavelet bases is proven. It is known that a binary tree with paraunitary filters on each level generates a discrete time orthonormal wavelet basis. It is shown that every discrete-time orthonormal wavelet basis can be generated using paraunitary binary trees. Next, this analysis is extended to arbitrary tree structures such as those used for generating wavelet packets. It is shown that an arbitrary tree with paraunitary filers gives an orthonormal basis of wavelet packets. The strict converse is not true, but a weaker result is presented.<<ETX>>


The invention relates to the technical field of hydraulic excavator driving systems, in particular to a hydraulic excavator driving system with a potential energy recovery function. The hydraulic excavator driving system comprises an internal combustion engine and a variable-displacement hydraulic pump, and further comprises a movable arm control system, a rotation control system, a multi-way valve set, a bucket actuator and a bucket rod actuator, wherein the variable-displacement hydraulic pump is connected with the internal combustion engine, the movable arm control system is connected with the variable-displacement hydraulic pump, and the bucket actuator and the bucket rod actuator are connected with the multi-way valve set. The hydraulic excavator driving system is used in hydraulic excavators and overcomes the defects of throttling loss, structure complexity, high cost and the like of energy recovery in the prior art.


Insulated rail joints are used for signal control and detection of broken rails in railway operations. Bonded insulated rail joints are the standard in freight railroads with heavy axle loads. While there have been many numerical and experimental studies investigating the mechanics of insulated rail joints, mechanisms to understand the impact failure of insulated rail joints require further attention. This study presents a dynamic finite element model designed to simulate the mechanics of an insulated rail joint starting from a wheel–rail contact interface to stresses and deflections at any point under the wheel loads at speeds up to 60 mph. Track configuration and product design options were chosen as input variables for the model. The selection of these variables was driven by the need to answer track engineers' questions about supporting versus suspending joints on wood or concrete ties and responses of different design options to different track configurations. Results show that contact stresses did not change significantly as a result of track configuration. The differential deflection between the two rails right before the impact had a linear correlation with the resulting contact stresses on the rail head. Supporting joints were better at reducing bar stresses, especially on wood ties. Certain product features can greatly influence the bar and the adhesive stresses of the insulated rail joint.


Background—Given its proven survival benefit, left internal thoracic artery to left anterior descending (LITA-LAD) grafting has become a fundamental part of CABG. This grafting also led to increased use of other arterial conduits, of which the radial artery is most popular. Whether radial grafting improves survival beyond that achieved by LITA-LAD alone is not known. Methods and Results—We compared 6-year outcomes in propensity-matched CABG-LITA-LAD patients (925 each) divided into those with ≥1 radial grafts and those with vein-only grafting. Matched patients had essentially identical demographics, comorbidities, coronary disease, and operative data. Perioperative outcomes, including death (radial, 11 [1.2%]; vein, 10 [1.1%]), were similar for the 2 groups. Cumulative 0- to 6-year survival was better for radial patients (risk ratio, 0.675), particularly after 3 years (P <0.03). Six-year survival in vein (86.8%) and radial (92.1%) patients indicated 67% greater overall vein mortality. Incidence rates of radial and vein repeated catheterization (190 of 925 [20.5%] versus 199 of 925 [21.5%]) and revascularization (8.8% versus 8.5%) were similar. Angiography data in restudied symptomatic patients showed a trend for greater radial patency. Vein failure (66 of 161 [41%]) was significantly worse than radial failure (46 of 157 [29.3%]) in patients receiving both types of grafts (P =0.039). Conclusions—Using radial as a second arterial conduit in CABG-LITA-LAD as opposed to vein grafting improves long-term outcomes as a result of decreased late deaths, especially after the third postoperative year.


In buffer solutions containing excess o-phenylene-diamine (OPD), glyoxal is condensed with OPD and the condensation product produces two diffusion-controlled reduction waves (E1⁄2=−0.211 and −0.358 V. vs. SCE, pH=1.6) at pH values below 2.5 and a single well-defined reduction wave (E1⁄2=−0.782 V., pH=8.5) at pH values above 2.5. In the pH range between 2 and 8, an ill-defined reduction wave, which seems to be a catalytic hydrogen wave brought about by the reduction product, is also observed at a more positive potential than a normal hydrogen wave. A linear relationship between the limiting current and the concentration of glyoxal has been obtained under the following conditions, which are recommended for the practical determination of glyoxal; (1—2)×10−2 M for the concentration of OPD, 7—10 for pH, 25°C for the temperature, and 30—60 min. for the condensation time. The application was made to the determination of the purity of a commercial glyoxal aqueous solution, and also to the determination of the gly...


The article examines The Slippery Slope Argument and the question of how it should be identified and evaluated. The Slippery Slope Argument is used in practical thinking and dialogue, it's structure corresponds to the negative argument from consequences. In principle it has a defeasible nature and is often effective in an effort to transfer the burden of proof to the opponent. Slippery Slope Argument evaluation is based on the context of the dialogue rather than on evaluation of it's deductive or inductive validity. The article presents four types of this argument: At first The Sorites Slippery Slope Argument, whose designation refers to the sorites paradox or so called paradox of the heap.


The objective of this research is to develop a Mobile Geographic Information System based on android mobile from user and customer requirements, which it will help the business owner in marketing their products. MSMEs has a big contribution not only to economic growth but also become a private income source for most of the people in Indonesia. Therefore, to increase the independence, efficiency and effectivity of MSMEs, utilization of information technology should be improved. The reason why a mobile application was chosen because mobile technology is one of technology that often used by the community. So, it's easy to use. An object-oriented approach was chosen in this system development because it can give a clear and understandable information to the stakeholders and also it can describe the task and function of each actor in the system. We expect that this model will help the developer to see the system and application comprehensively. And also help the owner of MSMEs to increase their effectiveness and efficiency in promoting their product


Accurate positioning within a range of 1 or 2m using satellite navigation receivers indoors is currently prevailed by signal blockage, reflection and diffraction. To increase the positioning accuracy, knowledge about the propagation channel is essential. Therefore, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) conducted measurements in the scope of the satellite-to-indoor wave propagation for later channel modelling. As an essential tool for algorithm testing in order to improve the positioning accuracy, the channel model needs to be suitable designed and implemented for the use case. Within this contribution, we describe the basic concept of a satellite-to-indoor channel model emphasizing the multipath components being able to represent the spatial characteristics of the propagation channel.


This paper describes the derivation of the level 5 versions of Ramanujan's system of ordinary differential equations satisfied by the Eisenstein series, [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text]


This work aims at identifying the strategies applied at teachers' practice in preschool about education with ethnic-racial relations in the school from the perspective of Law 10.639/2003. Present some proposals and actions experienced at Escola de Educação Infantil at Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (EEI-UFRJ). The research pinpoints to a demand for continuous teaching training which praises the relationship between theory and practice.


A setting up method of synchronization includes distributing a priority level for each base station when system is initialized, setting up synchronization to source base station and using synchronization priority level of said source base station to replace current synchronization priority level of its own if that current synchronization priority level of its own is lower than source base stationsynchronization priority level carried in CBP packet is detected out when CBP packet sent from overlapped source base station of its own is received by current base station.


The surface crystal structure and electrocatalytic activation of β PbO_2-SPE composite membrane electrode were improved when inorganic additives,Fe~(2+) and Co~(2+),were added into the electroless process.The SEM and XRD results showe that additives can make coating crystal grains more fine,uniform and compact.The polarization curves demonstration that reaction rate of β PbO_2/Co-SPE membrane electrode is the fastest,and the another two electrode are similar.The cyclic voltammogram tests proved that order of oxygen evolution voltage of coating is: β PbO_2/Co PbO_2 /Fe β PbO_2,and(β PbO_2/Co-SPE) is the most optimistic electrode in degradation phenol.The electrochemical degradation phenol results showed that electrocatalytic activation of β PbO_2/Co-SPE electrode is higher than others.


The durability and effectiveness of nonhost resistance suggests promising practical applications for crop breeding, relying upon elucidation of key aspects of this type of resistance. Inheritance and mapping studies are valuable for identifying genes that are determinants of specificity of the host or nonhost status. To overcome the problems associated with inheritance studies involving two different plant species, it is possible to study the genetics of resistance in plants that display natural variation in the degree of resistance to a non-adapted pathogen, the so-called "near-nonhosts". Barley can be considered a near nonhost to non-adapted powdery mildews of cereals and grasses (Blumeria graminis ff. spp.), because a few accessions are somewhat susceptible at seedling stage. In the present thesis, the main goal was to investigate the genetic factors responsible for the specificity of the (non)host status in barley to B. graminis ff. spp. We also investigated the causes of an unknown condition affecting the grain quality in three mapping populations having the barley line SusPtrit as a parent.


Introduction The Genesis of Britain's Anti-Communist Propaganda Policy The Initial Years of the Information Research Department The BBC Russia Service: Britain's White Propaganda Station (1946-1953) American Cold War Propaganda Policy During the Truman Administration The Early Years of Radio Liberty 1953-1960 American Cold War Propaganda Efforts during the First Eisenhower Administration Cultural Infiltration: A New Propaganda Strategy for a New Era of Soviet-West Relations Afterword


Hermann Kuhn - In Memoriam.- Plenary Lecture.- The Eyes of Halobacteria.- I Rhodopsin - Structure and Function.- Mutagenesis Studies of Rhodopsin Phototransduction.- Structural Stability of Rhodopsin and Opsin Studied by Differential Scanning Calorimetry.- Molecular Analysis of Photoreceptor Protein Function.- Octopus Rhodopsin.- II Transducin and Phosphodiesterase.- The Activation of Transducin: Studies on its Mechanism and Modulation.- The Transitory Complexes Between Photoexcited Rhodopsin and Transducin. Biochemical and Spectroscopic Studies.- The Rate of GTP Hydrolysis by Transducin and the Termination of the cGMP Cascade in Retinal Rods.- The Molecular Biology of the Rod Photoreceptor cGMP Phosphodiesterase ?- and ?-Subunits.- III Deactivation Mechanisms.- The Phosphorylation of Rhodopsin.- Mechanisms of ?-Adrenergic Receptor Desensitization.- IV The cGMP-gated Channel.- Gating Kinetics of the cGMP-Activated Conductance of Retinal Cones.- Molecular Properties of the cGMP-gated Cation Channel of Rod Photoreceptor Cells as Probed with Monoclonal Antibodies.- Cyclic Nucleotide-gated Channels - A Family of Proteins Involved in Vertebrate Photoreception and Olfaction.- V Ca2+ Metabolism and Light Adaptation.- Interactions Between Calcium and cGMP in Dialyzed Detached Retinal Rod Outer Segments.- The Role of Cytoplasmic Calcium Concentration in Photoreceptor Light Adaptation.- Photoreceptor Guanylate Cyclase and Its Regulation by Calcium.- VI Transduction in Invertebrates.- Cyclic-GMP Phosphodiesterase in Photoreceptor Cells in Limulus Ventral Eye.- The Molecular Mechanism of Retinal Degeneration in the Retinal Degeneration B (rdgB) Mutant of Drosophila.- Glycosylation of Dipteran Opsins During Membrane Biogenesis.- Molecular Genetics of Visual Transduction in Drosophila.- Index of Contributors.


— We will consider abstract second order evolution equations with unbounded feedback with delay. Existence results will be obtained under some realistic assumptions. Sufficient and explicit conditions will be derived that guarantee the exponential or polynomial stability. Some illustrative examples that enter into our abstract framework will be presented.


ith the conclusion of the Uruguay Round and a wave of unilateral reforms , barriers to trade have fallen substantially around the globe, spurring the growth of world trade. Developing countries as a whole gained significant market share—about 7 percent—in world nonenergy merchandise trade, thanks mainly to ambitious domestic policy reforms in the 1990s. However, progress in lowering barriers has lagged in two of the sectors with both the highest protection and with the greatest impact on poverty—agriculture and labor-intensive manufactures (such as textiles and clothing). Agriculture and other labor-intensive products matter to the world's poor because they represent more than half of low-income countries' exports , and about 70 percent of least-developed countries' export revenues. Developing countries themselves are part of the problem. Although South-South trade is a much smaller share of total trade, average tariffs in manufactures are three times higher for trade among developing countries than for exports to high-income countries. Taken together and because of high protection for labor-intensive products around the globe, the world's poor face tariffs that are, on average, roughly twice as high as those imposed on the nonpoor. Protection that affects the poor takes several forms, including tariff peaks, quotas for textiles and clothing, tariff escalation, and agricultural subsidies in high-income countries. In textiles and clothing, the opening of markets has been slow, because the implementation of the World Trade Organization (WTO) agreement allows importers the leeway to select the products to be freed of quota restrictions. Thus despite progress made by the agreement, foregone export earnings for developing countries are sizeable. And due to still-high tariffs, market access will remain restricted even after the quotas have been abolished in 2005. These issues provide fertile areas where reciprocal negotiations in a " development round " could provide substantial benefits for development. Open trade in agriculture and labor-intensive manufactures would raise incomes among the world's poor. —but effectiveness requires cooperative policies to complement negotiations Global cooperation beyond negotiations could also expand trade. For example, most preferential access schemes to high-income countries' markets only partly breach the walls of protection. Their limited coverage and various other impediments to trade undermine their otherwise positive effects. The recent European Union's " Everything But Arms " initiative mitigates these problems by removing barriers on exports from least-developed countries. Extension of this initiative to the United States, Japan, Canada, and other higher-income countries would greatly stimulate the exports …


Genetic algorithm is a classic intelligent bionic algorithm, which is evolved according to the genetic evolution process of organisms in nature, and has strong global optimization ability. Firstly, this paper expounds the basic principle of genetic algorithm, which comes from the viewpoint of "survival of the fittest and survival of the fittest" in Darwin's theory of evolution, introduces the main characteristics of the algorithm, and summarizes the shortcomings of the algorithm. Based on the specific running steps of genetic algorithm, aiming at the shortcomings of genetic algorithm, an improved adaptive genetic algorithm is proposed. Finally, an example is used for simulation. The simulation results show that the improved algorithm has certain advantages.


Patients with facial paralysis present with a constellation of ocular manifestations. Ectropion resulting from downward displacement of the lower eyelid appears after loss of orbicularis tone and function.1 In addition, upper eyelid retraction, resulting in lagophthalmos and a decrease in tear production and/or proper tear distribution and channeling,may result in dry eyes and epiphora. Tear flow is impairedbecause of a dysfunctional orbicularis oculimuscle and a decrease in transportation of tears.2 Thegoalsof surgery forparalytic lowereyelidectropionand lagophthalmos are to preserve visual acuity, improve corneal exposure, reduce ocular complaints, and restore facial symmetry. Initial management would include the application of an ocular lubricant, use of a moisture chamber, or possibly temporary tarsorrhaphy.Whenparalysis is expected to persist, a more permanent procedure is needed. The use of a laterally based tarsoconjunctival flap combinedwith a standard lower eyelid ectropion repair allows for correction of the constellations of symptoms observed in patients with paralytic ectropion in a single-stage surgical procedure. The technique can be viewed in the Video.


Formulation and manufacture of low-dose tablets require careful production, because blending a large amount of bulk powder, such that each amount has a total active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) content within a few percent of the target concentration is a significant challenge. The British Pharmacopeia (BP) defined lowdose formulation as those formulations "containing less than 2 mg or 2% drug loading (w/w) of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), and that's why content uniformity, among basic requirements for the manufacturing of solid dosage units, is a particularly important attribute for drug products containing low levels of API (Fayed et al.,2020; Siew, 2018). While formulating a tablet with low-dose of API three factors can directly contribute to content uniformity problem: non uniform distribution of the drug substance throughout the powder mixture or granulation, segregation of the powder mixture or granulation during the various manufacturing processes, tablet weight variation. To overcome the problems of content uniformity and provide dosage units within the acceptance criteria, granulation is usually the first choice for preparation of homogeneous, segregation-resistant blends because of the strong APIexcipient bonds formed by the agglomeration process (Kukkar et al., 2008; Mao et al., 2013). Based on the literature data and progress in pharmaceutical research, apart from conventional formulation techniques (like wet granulation, dry granulation, and direct compression) various new techniques have been reported such as high shear granulation, fluidized bed spray granulation and spray drying (Mao et al., 2013). The objective of the present study was to achieve optimum homogeneity for a low dose formulation (0.04 % w/w) by comparing the two types of closed granulating systems: fluid bed granulator and high-shear mixer.


interpret any effects that are uncovered by the quantitative analysis. My only major criticism of the book is that it fails to place the results in a broader contextthat is, how do career academies compare with other kinds of viable reform in terms of implementation issues and program effects? In particular, it would have been nice to see a fuller assessment of the cost-effectiveness of these programs. Only when such an analysis is provided can we really know whether such reforms are worthwhile. This book sets us well on the road to ultimately knowing the answer to this question, however. I recommend it not only as a resource for those interested in improving the nation's schools, but also as a model of how to conduct a competent evaluation.


Abstract Previous research has shown that during work at visual display units (VDUb) most subjects prefer viewing distances greater than 50 cm. The present study investigates whether this is also true in those VDU tasks that require the subjects to shift their gaze frequently between the VDU screen and a paper document. In a laboratory VDU task two conditions were compared: one in which both screen and document were located at the same viewing distance of 50 cm (as recommended in most ergonomic guidelines) and another in which the distance to the document was 50 cm and the distance to the screen was 70 cm. Gaze shifts between screen and document were made every 2 s. Visual strain of 20 subjects aged 19-51 years was estimated with a questionnaire. Contrary to expectation, visual strain was not greater when the viewing distances to screen and document differed. Thus, the dynamic load on accommodation and convergence due to the different viewing distances (50 and 70 cm) did not produce stronger visual strain...


This research investigates the technical eficiency of the banks listed in Jakarta Stock Exchange inIndonesia from year 2009 to 2012. This research also compares the levels of technical efficiency betweenBank Umum Milik Negara (BUMN), Bank Umum Swasta Nasional (BUSN) Devisa and Bank UmumSwasta Nasional (BUSN) Non Devisa by using non-parametric Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA).DEA was calculated using input orientation and variable return to scale. ANOVA is also applied tocompare efficiency between banks. The sample was selected using purposive sampling of 33 banks listed inJakarta Stock Exchange for period 2009-2012. The result of this study shows that BUMN is the mostefficient banks compared to the BUSN Devisa and BUSN Non Devisa. Furthemore, BUSN devisa is theleast efficient bank. Finally, this research found that there is a significant difference of the technicalefficiency between the groups of banks.


Civic Education is the most essential subject,for it contains complete and free education concept and value concept,which is acquired not only by ideological education,but also by the emotional influence of literature and art.Relatively speaking,civic education by artists through artistic image creation is more thorough and to the mind.Only by combining sensibility education with rational education can a really free citizen and cosmopolite be formed.