Pipeline transportation systems are used in various industries for the purpose of delivering various substances and materials to consumers. If, as the result of an accident development, a certain number of random linear elements (pipelines) consecutively fail, such scenario of events is called progressive damage. If several pipelines converging at a node fail simultaneously, such point element of the system is blocked. Progressive blocking of a certain set of nodes of a pipeline system in random order is called a progressive blocking. Simultaneous development within a system of progressive damage to linear elements and blocking of transportation nodes represents mixed damage. Mixed damage is a hazardous form of emergency, and its development causes fast degradation of a system's transportation capabilities.The Aim of the paper is to study the characteristic properties and patterns of the progress of mixed damage affecting network structures of pipeline systems, as well as evaluating such systems' capability to resist its development.Methods of research. The characteristics of network entities' resilience to the development of mixed damage were identified by means of computer simulation. The nature of the effects to which a system is exposed was defined with a cyclogram, whose integer parameters indicate the alternation of the process of sequential damage of linear elements and nodes of a network structure.Results. It has been established that a correct comparison of the resilience of various network structures to mixed damage is only possible with regard to comparable facilities. For that purpose, the analyzed systems must have identical numbers of nodes, linear elements and end product consumers. Additionally, such systems must be exposed to effects with identical cyclograms. It is shown that the correlation of the resilience of comparable network structures does not depend on the specific type of mixed damage cyclogram, but is defined by the nature of the connections within a particular system.Conclusions. Mixed damage is a hazardous development scenario of an emergency situation that is associated with rapid degradation of the transportation capacity of pipeline systems. The ability of network structures of pipeline systems to resist mixed damage is evaluated based on indicators that are defined by means of simulation. A correct comparison of the resilience of various structures to mixed damage is only possible in case they are comparable. For that purpose, they must have identical numbers of nodes, linear elements and product consumers. Additionally, such systems must be exposed to damage procedures with identical cyclograms. The correlation of the resilience of network structures that comply with the comparability conditions does not depend on the adopted damage cyclogram, but is defined by the existing set of connections within a particular system.


Developing highly efficient and cost‐effective electrocatalysts to boost the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is vital for the sustainable energy systems. The nitrogen and phosphorus codoped vesica‐like carbons with hierarchical nanoporous structure are synthesized through an efficient self‐polymerization strategy with the template of g‐C3N4 monolith. Featuring sufficient heteroatom‐doping, well‐developed porous hierarchy, and high electrochemical surface area, the fabricated carbon materials exhibit considerable activity and robust stability in both electrocatalyzing ORR and OER, in competition with the precious metal electrocatalysts, which are thus capable of using as air cathode catalysts for rechargeable Zn‐air batteries, affording large discharge current density and impressive operation stability.


Despite many efforts to control low-back pain problem it still continues to be a concern. Since the causation of low-back pain is under multifactorial control, it will always be the factor most vulnerable at a given time which will determine safety. The present study is an integrative inferential synthesis of the published work to discern the margin of safety. An attempt has been made to conclude, on the basis of objective evidence, an all encompassing criteria to ensure system safety. Though psychophysical approach integrates biomechanical and physiological variables the role of sensory conditioning needs to be addressed.


Through analysis on datas of dynamic changes of water quality of representative points in Jinan spring region for many years,and analysis on water quality gained from 53 copies in dry season and wet season,the water quality variation of representative points in the region for many years has been summarized,and distribution and variation rule of major chemical indicators in dry season and wet season in 2010 have been analyzed and compared.It will provide some references for the protection of groundwater in Jinan spring region.


The withdrawal of Hong Kong from the British Commonwealth and its resulting status as an administrative region of The People's Republic of China has changed several aspects of fundamental law in Hong Kong. One such aspect is the effect on the law of real property.' Courts in Hong Kong have begun to cite US case law for various propositions of law, and particularly in the area of compensation for land use regulations that affect otherwise permitted uses of land. In the United States, regulations that go 'too far' may be considered takings, for which compensation from the government regulator may be due. In other words, under certain circumstances, the effect of a regulation is deemed similar to an exercise of the


— Cloud computing does an all time existing data storage that stores and provides data in large amount also at any time. The storage of data however has some kind of security issues in accessing the authorized data. Some of the data in the cloud should be deleted for certain reasons to maintain confidentiality. And many other issues are to be overcome by the cloud. There are certain techniques discussed in this paper to address the problems in the cloud communication. We get an idea of the available methods in which the data can be secured. Anyway each architecture has its own shortcomings. But without these techniques, it is difficult to maintain a good client-server storage mechanism in the cloud computing.


Polyaniline iron oxide nanocomposites were prepared by in-situ polymerization method These nanocomposites were characterized by employing Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM),Thermal study by (TGA).The dc conductivity of prepared nanocomposites was measured as a function of temperature which shows the strong interaction between Polyaniline and iron oxide nanoparticles and exhibits semiconducting behavior.Finally, the sensing properties of these nanocomposites are also studied at room temperature.


The copolymers of N-vinylcarbazole/methyl acrylate (V/M) of different compositions were prepared by solution polymerisation using 2,2'-Azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as an initiator and their composition was determined from quantitative 13C{1H} NMR spectroscopy. Reactivity ratios for the comonomers were calculated using the Kelen–Tudos (KT) and non-linear error in variable methods (EVM). The complete spectral assignment of the overlapping 1H and 13C{1H} spectra of the copolymers were done with the help of Distortionless Enhancement by Polarization Transfer (DEPT), two dimensional heteronuclear single quantum correlation (HSQC) and total correlated spectroscopy (TOCSY). The assignments of various compositional sequences were done in the carbon resonance signals of the methoxy region of M unit, the methine region of both V and M units and the methylene region of both V and M units.


A fundamental problem in the current second generation of Peer-to-Peer algorithms and applications is that they are based on schemes and models that have predetermined, predefined centralized and distributed techniques. The majority of second-generation Peer-to-Peer systems assume stable environments. Workarounds are commonly used to fix them. However, when subject to dynamic contexts, the algorithms and applications are brittle, unscalable, and limited to continue providing services.
A Peer-to-Peer Distributed File System, as an application developed on top of a Peer-to-Peer system, inherits second-generation Peer-to-Peer drawbacks, unless special workarounds are provided. The Peer-to-Peer Distributed File System has limitations to manage its distributed file services effectively in decentralized, self-organized, ad-hoc environments. This thesis tackles these problems by first presenting a new computing paradigm called the Emergent Thinker and then applying the Emergent Thinker to design and develop a Biologically Inspired Peer-to-Peer Distributed File System. As a collateral contribution, the thesis provides a paradigm and a methodology that can be used to provide Systems Research a new approach to solve distributed systems problems.
The thesis introduces the Emergent Thinker paradigm, an area-wide logical computing entity, named after a philosopher that continuously analyses information and has emergent computed solutions for new and/or existing requests. The Complex Adaptive System (CAS) emergent computation model and the CAS propagation model are proposed as mechanisms to achieve the Emergent Thinker. The Thinker is intended as an alternative approach for new and current design and implementation challenges in systems research.
The Biologically Inspired Peer-to-Peer Distributed File System (BPD) implements the Emergent Thinker paradigm. The BPD design and implementation is the major thesis contribution. The biological inspiration comes from the natural and biological models used in the implementation of the CAS that form the basis of its services. The BPD provides file system services in a complex information system environment that is dynamic, self-organized, ad hoc and decentralized. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)


Every fall, first-year graduate social work students begin their internship placement by making the weekly trip with me to the women's state prison to meet with the support group for survivors of domestic violence, which includes many women serving time for killing their partners. Eager, curious, and often more than a little nervous, the students admit they are fascinated by the concept of meeting women in prison. They have been through training and have worked at the shelter and on the crisis line for weeks, but this, they believe, will be entirely different. Invariably, on the ride home, their remarks center on the following two themes: (a) "It's not like I thought it would be, these women are just like the women we meet at the shelter"; and (b) "Why are they in there? This doesn't seem fair. What went wrong?" These questions have also intrigued activists and researchers in various fields. How is it that women attempting to survive abusive partners are found by the justice system to be criminals? Are these women different in any discernable way from other battered women? Elizabeth Leonard, the author of Convicted Survivors, also had an opportunity to meet and interview incarcerated battered women who were serving lengthy sentences for the homicide of partners and formulated these same questions. As a criminologist writing her doctoral dissertation, Leonard developed connections to the women through their participation in a prisoner-led support group (Convicted Women Against Abuse) in the California Institute for Women (CIW). With this book, she follows in the footsteps of other noted authors who have studied or interviewed women convicted of partner homicide in the hope of gaining some insight into what went (and continues to go) wrong. Incarcerated battered women are said to be invisible, and Leonard herself makes this claim, citing a need for more study and information. Actually, researchers and writers in various fields have explored these issues and asked these questions since the mid 1980s: historian Ann Jones; psychologists Angela Browne and Lenore Walker; attorneys Cynthia Gillespie, Roberta Thyfault, and Elizabeth Schneider; psychologist and attorney Charles Ewing; and sociologist and activist Beth Richie, to name only a few. In fact, much has been written about the


The state space approach developed in [1–4] for the solution of coupled thermo-elastic problems is adopted for the solution of one-dimensional problems in generalized thermoelasticity with one relaxation time. The technique is applied to a thermal shock half-space problem and to a problem pertaining to a layered medium. Some numerical results are given.


As a coal resources province,coal resources tax reform had significant influence on coal production.In Shanxi,and there were close links between coal production,economic growth,environmental pollution.Coal resources tax reform as a dummy variable was introduced into the economic growth: industrial "three wastes" discharge model.The results showed that: The increasing of coal resource tax had no significant effect on the emissions of industrial solid waste material.Each rising only had some impacts on one kind of the "three waste",and this effect was just obvious in the current period,in the long term point of view,pollutant emissions would grow with economic growth.When the cumulative amount of emissions grew over the decrease amount in the current period,the policy impact of coal resources tax was lost.


1. Introduction Part 1. The Subject: Purpose and Focus 2. Developing Citizens, Consumers and Owners 3. Work-related Learning and Enterprise Education 4. Government Policy and the Shape of the Curriculum 5. Business, Not-for-profits, Higher Education and Teachers: Contesting the character of the subject Part 2. The Subject in School: Learning and Assessment 6. Making Sense of Assessment Frameworks 7. Choosing and Using Different Types of Assessment 8. Learning through Doing: Designing tasks and types of processing 9. Learning through Thinking: The roles of experience and conceptual understanding Part 3. Professional Development 10. Evaluating Teaching in Business, Economics and Enterprise 11. Conclusions


Spectrophotometer for characterization of receptors (1, 2) solar collector to determine optical properties (transmittance and reflectance). The computer evaluates a receiver tube in real time and in all lighting conditions, both indoors and outdoors. The team also detect the eccentricity between the outer and inner tube, which directly influences the reliability of the measure. The machine has a mechanical system to allow rotation of the machine around the tube to find the optimal measurement position and affixed to the pipe.


A method of studying the burnup of high-cross section materials in nuclear reactor control rods by neutron radiography is described. The technique was applied to the examination of the burnup pattern of a CP-5 reactor control rod and was found to provide a detailed picture of the burnup pattern showing a very sharp transition region. The radiographic study was made by a comparison method in which the neutron transmission of the irradiated cadmium control material was compared to that of normal cadmium. In the regions in which the cadmium control material was highly depleted in Cd/sup 113/, the equivalent normal cadmium thickness comparison can be made to an estimated accuracy of 0.0006 inch. (auth)


The ratio of the a phase and max phase of presumed Shagan River contained and cratering explosions are studied across the WWSSN network of short-period stations. The amplitude of the a phase of the presumed cratering explosion of Jan 15, 1965 is found to be systematically larger in comparison to the max amplitude of this cratering explosion when compared to contained explosions in the vicinity of the cratering explosion. The log of the ratio of the amplitudes of the a and max phase, log(Pmax/Pa), is on average smaller for the Jan 15, 1965 cratering explosion than for any of the contained explosions studied. Several methods wre used to study the systematics of the log(Pmax/Pa) value across the WWSSN network. The preferred method for determinig the average log(Pmax/Pa) was a maximum-likelihood method that includes the effects of data truncation of clipping for Pmax and nondetection of Pa. Assuming that the a phase amplitude of the cratering explosion is unaffected by the influence of the non-linear free-surface interaction, the corrected magnitude for the cratering explosion is 0.17 to 0.27 magnitude units larger than its 5.88 WWSSN network magnitude. If the cratering explosion is credited with a yield of 125 kT then amore » 125 kT contained explosion in the Shagan River test site should produce a WWSSN network m sub b between 6.05 to 6.15.« less


At present our country enterprise process management in which the problem and put forward the people-oriented humanized management,and the new ideas in process management system construction and work arrangement,team construction are discussed in this paper.


This paper analyzes the action of women editors in Chile, through their discourses about woman, maternity and family in the first period of woman periodical press history (1850-1890. A definition of woman editor is presented, as well a corpus of three publications are analyzed. The aim is to show how woman editors constructed a space of power for themselves in order to dispute a place in public sphere. This will have done through a device which allowed them take decisions to articulate politic discourses. All of them expressed through contents, formats and outline of a press media.


The advanced manufacturing technology is developing rapidly and it has gained more and more attention from manufacturing industry and other related fields. It has permeated into every subjects and majors by its characteristics of progressiveness, universality, practicability and integration, and has played an immeasurable role in promoting the development of industry product modeling design. This paper discusses and analyzes concretely the application of advanced manufacturing technology in product modeling design from some aspects such as advanced manufacturing technology, computer aided design, rapid prototyping technology and virtual manufacturing technology.


The objective of the present study is to analyze steady MHD stagnation point flow of a nanofluid over a nonlinear permeable stretching sheet with slip boundary conditions and chemical reaction. Viscous effect is also considered The profiles for the velocity, temperature and nanoparticle concentration depends on the parameters velocity ratio parameter N, suction S, velocity slip A, thermal slip B, concentration slip C, nonlinear stretching parameter n, surface temperature r, Prandtl number Pr, Lewis number Le, Brownian motion Nb, thermophoresis parameter Nt, Eckert number Ec, chemical reaction parameter  and magnetic parameter M. The governing partial differential equations were transformed into coupled non linear ordinary differential equations using appropriate similarity transformations. The transformed ODE's were then solved by Kellor-Box method. Numerical results and Graphical representation are obtained for distributions of velocity, temperature and concentration, as well as, for the skin friction, local Nusselt number and local Sherwood number for several values of governing parameters.


Here we introduce an assembly for bioremediation of polluted water based on the immobilization of alginate beads loaded with filamentous fungus Stereum hirsutum inside nanoporous silica hydrogels. The resulting hybrid device exhibits good physical, chemical and biological stability, being effective in the removal and degradation of malachite green (MG), even in solutions with a high concentration of the dye. This fact is a consequence of adsorption and regulated transport of the dye, as well as the retention of dye degradation enzymes inside the hydrogel. The optimal structure of the hydrogel for an efficient dye–enzyme encounter resulted from the fine adjustment of synthesis conditions in order to achieve a suitable porosity. The results presented here open the possibility of bioremediation without dissemination of exotic organisms to the environment, and can be extended to a vast variety of strains due to the inherent high biocompatibility of the present procedure.


Extracting composition of β methyl pyridine, the possibility of process was studied with the method which is called the dual solvent liquid liquid anti-stream extracting separation. In this experiment,the centrifugal extraction instrument was used. The comparing test was done with small quatity test.


Powdery mildew is one of the most serious diseases of wheat in China. In this paper,bulked segregant analysis (BSA) was used to search for randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers linked to the Pm12 gene,which confers resistance to the powdery mildew in wheat. 200 decamer primers were screened and one RAPD marker (S107 1900 ) was identified to be linked to Pm12 in coupling phase,and their genetic distance is 11.98± 4.00cM. This marker can be used for marker-assisted selection in wheat breeding for the identification or pyramiding of Pm12 with other resistance genes.


Monte Carlo methods are presented for the evaluation of the various components of the force between parallel charged surfaces due to the presence between them of an electrolyte, represented by the restricted primitive model. This is a significant problem because some recent theoretical results, and computations on even simpler models, have put in question the adequacy of traditional Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek (DLVO) theory in offering a basic understanding of colloid stability. The methods are applied principally to 2:2 electrolytes at a variety of surface charge densities. We find, in contrast to DLVO theory, that the force between the surfaces resulting from the electrolyte is almost everywhere attractive; in detail these forces turn out to have a remarkably rich behavior resulting from the interaction of their various contributions. The results bolster the perception that we need to take a new look at some basics of colloid science.


This article summarized caprolactam production engineering and the use in my country,compared the advantage and disadvantage of all kinds of process,and analyzed the developing aspect of caprolactam all over the world.


Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) have been used as a promising electrolyte for supercapacitors due to their high processing flexibility and electrode–electrolyte interaction. Poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)-based SPEs have received considerable interest due to their ease of synthesis, low mass density, strong mechanical stability, low binding energy with ionic salts, and excellent charge carrier mobility. In order to overcome the low room-temperature ionic conductivity and poor thermodynamic stability in high-voltage devices (> 4.2 V) of the PMMA materials, composition modulations incorporating PMMA with ionic liquids have been designed, which could effectively enable the applications of PMMA-based SPEs with widened electro-stable voltage ranges. In this review, we explain the fundamental physical properties of PMMA as a suitable polymer host in SPEs, as well as numerous modifications to overcome its brittleness. Some explanation of the types of polymerisation reactions is discussed and the free radical polymerisation of methyl metahcrylate in ionic liquid is specifically reviewed. Further advancements and enhancements to PMMA-based materials for building of improved supercapacitors were also revealed.


Abstract In September 2013, the PreSquat workshop on numerical prediction of dynamic squat of ships in shallow and restricted waters was held by the University of Duisburg-Essen, the Federal Waterways Engineering and Research Institute (BAW) and Germanischer Lloyd (GL) in Mülheim, Germany. The purpose of the workshop was to benchmark the capabilities of available numerical methods for squat prediction through comparison with experimental data for a large container carrier of Post-Panamax type. With the exception of one test case the comparison with model test results was blind, i.e. the test results were not provided prior to the workshop. This technical note describes the model tests and the numerical results submitted to the workshop.


In 2002 the FASB and the IASB issued a formal agreement (Norwalk Agreement) of strict commitment in order to remove any difference among existing US GAAP and International Standards (IAS/IFRS) and to develop jointly any new standard. This commitment has been renewed in 2006 and again in 2008 with the memorandum of understanding (MoU) that describes the goals and the deadlines for the completion of that project. Although the defined goals of these agreements are clearly stated, several obstacles to their achievement still persist. This paper aims to investigate the difficulties arising from this convergence project and the effects that the crisis could have on the development of such a project. The literature survey helps to demonstrate that these difficulties are mainly based on the different framework assumptions between US GAAP and IAS/IFRS and on the lobbying activity of involved stakeholders. Then, the analysis of stock option accounting issuing process and of the recent financial worldwide crisis are addressed as useful examples of how two different kinds of crisis have had an impact on moving convergence project toward a specific direction.


Book Building is the process of determining the price at which an Initial Public Offering will be offered. SEBI guidelines, 1995 defined book-building as "a process undertaken by which a demand for the securities proposed to be issued by a body of corporate is elicited and built up and the price for such securities is assessed for the determination of the quantum of such securities to be issued by means of a notice, circular, advertisement, document or information memoranda or offer document". Every business organization needs funds for its business activities. It can raise funds either externally or through internal sources. When the companies want to go for the external sources, they use various means for the same. Two of the most popular means to raise money are Initial Public Offer (IPO) and Follow on Public Offer (FPO). During the IPO or FPO, the company offers its shares to the public either at fixed price or offers a price range, so that the investors can decide on the right price. The method of offering shares by providing a price range is called book building method. This method provides an opportunity to the market to discover price for the securities which are on offer. The paper aim to examine detail Analysis of Book Building Process.


This invention relates to steel alloys and more par ticularly is concerned with the provision of stainless steel alloys having improved machinability. Machinability may be defined as that property of an alloy which governs the performance of the alloy machin ing processes and denotes the success with which a mate rial may be machined. Metal machinability is a complex and not fully understood property. However, the mani festations thereof are readily recognized by a skilled artisan from the manner in which the alloy is machined by cutting tools in such operations as turning, milling, broaching, threading, reaming, sawing or grinding. Free machining alloys are characterized, among other things, by the relatively lower degree of friction or gumminess and hence freer cutting action by the tool; by the small chips removed from the work, and the manner by which the chips fall free from and do not adhere to the tool. Of the many factors which affect machinability, the composi tion of the alloy appears to be the most significant be cause of its effect upon the structure, processing, and mechanical properties of the alloy. Metallurgists have long sought to improve machinability of alloys by modifying their composition or form. For example, for the purpose of improving machinability, varying amounts of one or more of such elements as car bon, phosphorus, sulfur, lead, selenium, tellurium, arsenic, zirconium and bismuth have been included in alloys. Sulfur, selenium, tellurium and others of these elements are believed to affect machinability when present in the form of a sulfide, selenide or telluride, respectively, and for this reason one or more of the elements aluminum, chronium, manganese and molybdenum may be included to form such compounds. The free machining additives hitherto used have had relatively limited usefulness for various reasons. Those compositions in which one or more of the foregoing ad ditives have been utilized with success to provide improved improved machinability, often had a deleterious effect upon other desired properties. For example, in the case of stainless steel, such as that commonly designated as 18-8 stainless, the addition of about 0.3% sulfur results in a marked reduction in the corrosion resistance of the composition in a medium such as 5% sulfuric acid al though a substantial improvement in free machinability is achieved. The present invention stems from our discovery that boron mononitride (BN) dispersed in the matrix of 18-8 stainless steel, an alloy which is machinable only with difficulty, markedly improves its machinability. This im proved free machinability is obtained without the obejec tionable loss in corrosion resistance normally associated with the addition of such elements as sulfur to 18-8 stain less steel to render the same free machining. On the other hand, when corrosion resistance is of secondary import ance to free machinability, boron mononitride in addition to one or more of the aforementioned free machining addi tives may be used to provide greatly enhanced free ma chinability. The foregoing as well as additional advantages of the present invention are achieved by providing a stainless steel alloy which, in its broader aspect, comprises in the 5


Radio refractive index variations have been studied with the passage of two tropical cyclones. It is observed that the refractive index values show a marked rise upto about 800 mb with the approach of the cyclone and register a fall with its weakening.


cell surface and internalizes in response to human SDF-1, whereas CXCR4WHIM fails to internalize when exposed to SDF-1. Walters et al subsequently generate transgenic zebrafish using the myeloperoxidase promoter driving neutrophil-specific expression of the GFP-CXCR4WHIM allele to show aggregation of neutrophils at the sites of hematopoiesis and other sites of high SDF-1 expression in zebrafish embryos. Knocking down the expression of SDF-1 using morpholino antisense oligonucleotides causes the dispersal of CXCR4WHIM neutrophils. In contrast, ectopic expression of SDF-1 leads to neutrophil aggregation at these sites. Together, these results show that CXCR4WHIM neutrophils accumulate and remain at sites of high SDF-1 expression in vivo. The transparency of zebrafish embryos allows for the direct visualization of the vasculature in live animals without perturbation. When neutrophil motility is assayed in transgenic embryos expressing GFP-CXCR4WHIM, the GFP-positive cells display greatly reduced 3-dimensional motility compared with GFP-CXCR4 controls. The GFP-CXCR4WHIM animals are also severely neutropenic, like human WHIM patients, with virtually no neutrophils in circulation. The aggregation of zebrafish CXCR4WHIM neutrophils and their failure to circulate in an SDF-1– dependent manner make it a useful model for WHIM syndrome. The question of clinical importance is how the CXCR4WHIM neutrophils respond to inflammation. By clipping the tailfin, which stimulates neutrophil migration to the wound site, the authors show that the CXCR4WHIM neutrophils fail to migrate to the wound. When SDF-1 expression is inhibited, migration occurs. This is not, however, a trivial result because Walters et al observe that the CXCR4WHIM neutrophils respond to the tailfin clip by increasing cellular protrusion and localized motility. This implies that the neutrophils are not deaf to inflammatory signals, but rather that their motility is in some way restricted by the CXCR4WHIM/ SDF-1 interaction. This has not been previously demonstrated in vivo, and it may be an important factor for understanding the excessive neutrophil proliferation and apoptosis in the marrow of WHIM patients. Walters et al have also begun to dissect the pathway regulating neutrophil motility using a photo-activated Rac GTPase, a downstream component of the SDF-1 signaling pathway. Earlier work suggested WHIM neutrophils are defective in actin polarization.9 Walters and colleagues used this Rac allele to drive actin polymerization, which in turn allowed neutrophil migration to wound sites. These experiments demonstrate a more direct cause-and-effect link between CXCR4 function and the machinery for cellular motility. It is nicely consistent with the observation that CXCR4WHIM neutrophils do, in fact, respond to inflammatory signals, but they cannot mobilize. The zebrafish WHIM syndrome model presented by Walters et al demonstrates in vivo that truncated alleles of CXCR4, together with its ligand SDF-1, are essential drivers of neutrophil retention in WHIM syndrome. They demonstrate in vivo that the CXCR4 alleles found in WHIM syndrome are a dominant "on" receptor that still requires its ligand, SDF-1, for activation. This "activation" is a STOP signal preventing actin polymerization, and hence retards neutrophil motility out of the marrow into the periphery. Walters and colleagues are now positioned to use their zebrafish system to investigate how CXCR4WHIM/SDF-1 interactions affect neutrophil homeostasis. The signals driving myelokathexis in WHIM patients remains an important unsolved mystery. This zebrafish WHIM model now provides a tool to screen for agents that either enhance or inhibit neutrophil migration from the bone marrow. The recent identification of zebrafish G-CSF will further enhance the value of this system.10 Conflict-of-interest disclosure: The authors declare no competing financial interests. ■


Handwriting education is the best cultural tradition of China,and is the most important component of quality-oriented education.Setting handwriting course in colleges and universities has important significance in improving students' cultural quality,connoisseurship and estheticism.


Technological innovation is a process of changing varies of technological resource into economic growth and social development.Technological diffusion makes all economic potential function and promotes the evolution of technological economy.Industrial cluster is the basis of technological innovation which also makes the other improve competitive ability.


The present invention relates to a housing for the radiator blind (10) of a motor vehicle, which is provided with a base section (1) and an adapter section (2;2'), wherein the base section is used for accommodating the radiator blind (10); and the adapter section (2;2') is designed for being equipped on a preset connecting device.


The effect of background turbulence on the evolution and instability of a counter-rotating vortex pair is investigated via the use of direct numerical simulation at a circulation Reynolds number of 2400. The ambient turbulence is modelled as decaying homogeneous isotropic turbulence with the initial levels of turbulence intensity (Tu) varied from 0.0% to 10.0%. The major effect of the external turbulence during the early-time development is that it reduces the vortex separation distance, leading to the mutual interaction of the two vortices. The onset to transition is also found to occur earlier. For a low-level turbulence intensity (Tu ≤ 6.25%), the vortex pair breaks down to turbulence due to the short-wavelength elliptic instability, whose characteristic is qualitatively similar to that in a quiescent background despite exhibiting a shorter wavelength. Increasing the turbulence intensity results in a decrease in the growth rate of the elliptic mode. The long-wavelength Crow mode dominates the breakdown process of the flow once Tu ≥ 7.5%. The Crow instability gives rise to the vortex disconnection and reconnection, resulting in the transformation of the vortex pair into a vortex ring.The effect of background turbulence on the evolution and instability of a counter-rotating vortex pair is investigated via the use of direct numerical simulation at a circulation Reynolds number of 2400. The ambient turbulence is modelled as decaying homogeneous isotropic turbulence with the initial levels of turbulence intensity (Tu) varied from 0.0% to 10.0%. The major effect of the external turbulence during the early-time development is that it reduces the vortex separation distance, leading to the mutual interaction of the two vortices. The onset to transition is also found to occur earlier. For a low-level turbulence intensity (Tu ≤ 6.25%), the vortex pair breaks down to turbulence due to the short-wavelength elliptic instability, whose characteristic is qualitatively similar to that in a quiescent background despite exhibiting a shorter wavelength. Increasing the turbulence intensity results in a decrease in the growth rate of the elliptic mode. The long-wavelength Crow mode dominates the breakdown...


According to some sources, there are as many as 600,000 hysterectomies performed annually in the US, making it the most common nonobstetrical surgical procedure among women in the US. While the procedure itself is relatively safe, we need to ask what are the long-term effects of a hysterectomy?


NineteenthCentury American Women's Poetry (Prince ton, NJ: Prince ton University Press, 2004); Eliza Richards, Gender and the Poetics of Reception in Poe's Circle (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004); Virginia Jackson, Dickinson's Misery: A Theory of Lyric Reading (Prince ton, NJ: Prince ton University Press, 2005); Angela Sorby, Schoolroom Poets: Childhood, Per for mance, and the Place of American Poetry, 1865– 1917 (Hanover, NH: University Press of New En gland, 2005); Max Cavitch, American Elegy: The Poetry of Mourning from the Puritans to Whitman (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2007); Meredith L. McGill, ed., The Traffic in Poems: NineteenthCentury Poetry and Transatlantic Exchange (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2008); Augusta Rohrbach, ed., "Special Issue: Poetry," ESQ 54 (2008); Kerry Larson, ed., The Cambridge Companion to NineteenthCentury American Poetry (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011); Christopher N. Phillips, Epic in American Culture: Settlement to Reconstruction (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2012). 4. Two important exceptions are Deborah Jenson's chapter on lyric, libertinage, and "courtesan rap" in her book Beyond the Slave Narrative: Politics, Sex, and Manuscripts in the Haitian Revolution (Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 2011), 277– 302; and Lloyd Pratt, "The Lyric Public of Les Cenelles," in Early African American Print Culture, ed. Lara Langer Cohen and Jordan Stein (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2012), 253– 73. 5. A de cade on, we still await work comparable to Silva Gruesz's groundbreaking Ambassadors of Culture (2002). 6. The most notable exception is the critical and anthologizing work of Robert Dale Parker. 7. See Meredith McGill's innovative work on "format," in "Frances Ellen Watkins Harper and the Circuits of Abolitionist Poetry," in Langer and Stein, Early African American Print Culture, 53– 74. 8. On new lyric studies, see Virginia Jackson, "Who Reads Poetry?" PMLA 123.1 (2008): 181– 87. On historical poetics, see Yopie Prins, "Historical Poetics, Dysprosody, and the Science of En glish Verse," PMLA 123.1 (2008): 229– 34. 9. See Max Cavitch, "Slavery and Its Metrics," in The Cambridge Companion to NineteenthCentury American Poetry, ed. Kerry Larson (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011), 94– 112.


An algorithm for detection of Dual Tone Multifrequency (DTMF) tones suitable for VLSI is proposed. The algorithm is based on an approximation of the correlation. The input signal is correlated with the hardlimited versions of three sinusoids having ¿/3 phase difference. This requires only additions and subtractions. The algorithm is realized as a fully integrated digital DTMF receiver chip fabricated in 1-¿m CMOS technology.


The effectiveness of communication apprehension laboratories may depend on at least two fundamental considerations: first, the methods employed to reduce apprehension about communication; and second, the methods employed for enrolling students in these programs. Because the effectiveness of treatment is dependent upon the needs of those receiving treatment, multiple selection criteria and enrollment procedures should be developed for determining who may benefit the most from treatment. The selection of candidates should therefore be a consideration equal to the selection of treatment methods, so that laboratories may best help those they are designed to help.


Server operating systems described in Chapter VI usually come preinstalled. Additional components can be installed "on-demand" in the form of ServerWare components and modules, as explained in previous chapter. However, there exist more advanced technologies, both hardware and software, aimed at further enhancing the levels of continuous computing and business continuity. These technologies are introduced and briefly explained in this chapter.


Extensor spasms regularly occur in spastic Cerebral Palsy (CP) children making their bodies unbalanced and causing wheelchair instability. Furthermore the child may be uncomfortable as a result of the high contact forces potentially causing pain and injury, which will impair their functional ability. Dynamic seating systems have been designed to absorb the energy associated with these spasms. For people with physical disabilities, especially patients who have strong extensor spasticity, the dynamic design prevents pressure ulcers and injury from impact. However, the quantitative effectiveness and impact of using dynamic components has yet to be established. Therefore our objective is to compare the imparted forces on equivalent rigid and dynamic seating systems, to understand the interactions between force, wheelchair compliance and physical activity throughout a four hour session of non-laboratory based daily living.


This project aims to design a data structure that allows to model a "personal network", this means all the contacts that a person would have, interpreting the different concept that all social networks have with their variants of presentation (profiles) and the degree of influence each contact has on the center or core "person" of the network, given the type of relationship, messages between them, mentions, numbers of publications, etc. It seeks to establish the rules that identify each contact of the "person" to allow comparisons between models and real data. The logical implementation uses a network model and graph to relate the entities and a keyvalue model in the storage of data within each entity. The material implementation uses a small field insertion engine based on key-value. The M structure (set of messages to which the person under study has been exposed) is implemented in text files where the insertions are made in an orderly manner by time following the guidelines of the NoSQL databases. The characteristic data of the test were taken on: 4 clients and 653 subscribers between real and simulated contacts. Each of the contacts generated a random message ranging from 50 to 350 characters and sent it in a random time ranging from five seconds to an hour. The duration of the test was 31 days (June 2016) and the following information was obtained: messages generated at an average of 5.9 per second; an average of 161 characters per message, an average of 493,579 messages per day; messages generated, for a figure higher than 15.3 million; an average of 90.49 MB generated per day, for a total of 2.65 GB of data on file. For the stress test and load simulation, the two implemented clients were used taking real information of the social networks and two generators of messages in a month, to be able to evaluate the answer load in a real environment As conclusion we can affirm that from the stress test, the stability both in the reception of messages and in the writing of the data in the structure was acceptable.


Based on the data obtained from Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (Kemenparekraf), music subsector only gain 0,36%. The statistics considered independent music is one of the weak points in creative economy. Bekraf also stated that lacks appreciation in music makes the situation more challenging especially in independent music industry. Unfortunately, this is in accord to the reality that many independent musicians who produced subcultural music to struggle in terms of economy. One of the weak points is the lack of knowledge in business planning or creating business model, especially for independent musicians in Indonesia. This forces marginalized subcultural music community, such as metalheads, find an option to make another economic access. Bandung based metal band, Koil, considered one of the most well-established musicians in terms of musicality and economy. This research aims to conduct case study base on the alternative economic source of Koil. The output will be the formula of recommendation to the subculture economy well-being. The approach of this research is qualitative method. The validation obtained through empirical inquiries such as interview, observation and literature studies. The conclusion is formulated to business model recommendation. Based on Koil's case study, subcultural improvement through collaboration is the key point for sustainable economy, moreover on the creative economy. Subcultural improvement can be initiated through the collaboration with actors engaged in the community, developing the value based on its lifestyle and crafts. From that stand point, the channel to more economic income will be opened and moreover, new market development will be created. Koil is established not only as musician but as a subculture agent, moreover, a brand that people in subcultural sector can relate to, especially the metalhead subculture. The engagement to the community is established through their collaboration with other actors in the community.


In the opening words of his preface the Editor states "The injured adolescent knee covers in detail the most commonly encountered injuries at this site". Experienced knee surgeons, however, will find that there are a number of gaps in the subject material while in general the literature reviews are inadequate for a work of this type, reflecting as they do the regrettable tendency of some transatlantic authors to neglect the enormous and valuable contribution to the subject in the European literature.


The effectiveness of combined use of capillary electrophoresis (CE) and X-ray crystallography in fragment-based drug discovery has been investigated. Using Heat Shock Protein 90α (Hsp90α) as a test system, CE fragment hits were validated by X-ray crystallography with the added benefit of structural information. The crystal structure of one of the fragment hits in complex with Hsp90α ATPase domain has shown that even weakly binding fragments can cause conformational change of macromolecules upon binding. Another investigation was focused on identifying stabilisers of the tetrameric plasma protein transthyretin (TTR), which can cause amyloidosis when its monomers are misfolded. Two methodologically distinct CE assays were developed to detect TTR binding fragments. 129 fragments were screened using one method and 15 of the 16 initial hits were tested positive by the other (hit rate = 11.6%). Structure activity relationships were built up from analogue screening on two chemically different fragment hits using both CE assays. In parallel, ligand-protein interactions were characterised by X-ray crystallography to assist hit-to-lead development. The CE assays and structural data yielded a detailed perspective on the binding of heterocyclic rings to TTR. Aromaticity and hydrophobicity are favoured in the binding sites but not basicity. Moreover, Ser117 hydrogen bonding with heterocyclic nitrogen atoms was frequently observed. Through the combined use of two biophysical techniques and testing of fewer than 200 compounds, a novel TTR binding scaffold was discovered. The scaffold is likely to be active in vivo as it binds to TTR in neat plasma (IC50 = 34.45μM). It has high ligand efficiency (0.60) with an ITC Kd of 260.42nM and 15 non-hydrogen atoms. Use of CE and X-ray crystallography provides a powerful combination worth considering in early stage drug discovery.


The survival of density inhibited Chinese hamster cells assayed immediately after 1500 rads ( ${\rm SF}_{0}$) was compared to that obtained from cells held for 6 hr at 37°C in their high density co...


Gold (Au) is an economically important metal. Its determination is a challenging and crucial task due to its presence in low concentration and heterogeneous distribution in gold-bearing minerals. The suitability and performance of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) to identify base and precious metals, especially gold, in a boulangerite sample was evaluated. X-ray diffractometer phase analysis was carried out to determine constituent phases, revealing the presence of boulangerite, tridymite and galena. Analysis of the optical emission spectra obtained on the boulangerite surface using a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser at a fundamental harmonic (1064 nm) in the 200–720 nm spectral range revealed the presence of Pb, Sb, S, Au, Cu, Ca, Fe, Mn, Zn, Si, Mg, Al, Na, Ni and Li. Most of the emission lines for the major elements constituting boulangerite (Pb, Sb and S) were observed in the shorter wavelength region. The resonance line of Au appearing at 242.79 nm and corresponding to the 5d106p2P3/2 → 5d106s2S1/2 transition facilitated its identification. The plasma temperature was calculated by the Boltzmann plot method using neutral Au lines which resulted as 11 295 ± 1100 K. A more accurate method known as the Saha–Boltzmann plot method was also employed to strengthen the plasma temperature calculation with good agreement. The electron number density was estimated using the Stark-broadened line profile of the neutral silica line at 288.15 nm and was found to be 7.63 × 1017 cm−3. The laser-generated plasma on the boulangerite surface was optically thin and fulfilled the local thermodynamic equilibrium condition. The LIBS compositional analysis results were cross-validated using scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, revealing an analogous composition. The results obtained using LIBS and other techniques displayed their ability as powerful and complementary tools for the compositional analysis of base and precious metals, especially gold, in gold-bearing minerals.


The Military convention of Belgrade was concluded between the Allies and Hungary when the First World War came to an end. This convention established the boundary line on the southeast part of Hungary. But this boundary line was violated by the Rumanian Army which crossed it from Transylvania on 15th December, 1918. Later, this line was modified in favor of Rumania. About that time the Ukrainian invasion started under the initiative of the French Army. The French Army was obviously defeated owing to a shortage of forces. Some historians argued that the Ukrainian invasion had an influence on the amendment of the boundary line. They explained that the French policies took a measure in favor of Rumania, because they wished the supplement of the shortages of forces by the Rumanian Army, accepting the territorial demands of Rumania as compensation. The purpose of this article is to explain in view of the Ukrainian invasion why the amendment of the line was realized in favor of Rumania. The first chapter makes clear the significances of the Military convention of Belgrade for Hungary, France and Rumania. This convention should accept the Hun garian territorial demands and contribute to extend the French influence on Central Europe through the occupation of Hungary. But for Rumania it would hinder her territorial claims. The second chapter makes evident through the process of the Ukrainian invasion the factors related with the amendment of the boundary line. It is quite obvious that the French Army was not enough to invade Ukraine, therefore the military authorities suggested to make a profit from the Rumanian Army. The French Army without the


In laser materials processing, the transverse intensity distribution of focus affects processing quality greatly. In this paper, phase shifts is used to analyze high-power CO2 laser beam propagation and focus, especially the change of transverse intensity distribution along beam propagation path. From theory, the phase shifts of high-power blending laser beam determines the transverse intensity distribution. It is also found that if there contains odd mode in blending laser beam, the asymmetry of laser beam is broken. Moreover the high-power laser beam focus and unfocused diagnosis system UFF100 is used to test the beam transverse intensity distribution. Theory is accord with measurement. According to the theory, two optical transformation system is designed to attain the minimum intensity changes.


Water is one of the most crucial elements in developmental planning of India for the 21st century. The growth of urban megalopolises, increased industrial activity and dependence of the agricultural sector on chemicals and fertilizers has resulted in the overcharging of the carrying capacity of the water bodies to assimilate and decompose wastes. Several ambitious legal and institutional measures and projects like the Water Pollution Act, Pollution Control Boards, and the National River Action Plan have yielded no significant results. There is a need to bring about a perceivable shift in philosophy and address water problems to meet the demands of a growing population by improving efficiency, prioritizing the water demand sector-wise, and adopting policies and practices that check resource degradation.


Spectrum-based Fault Localization (SBFL) has been widely studied as a debugging technique to reduce time and effort in locating faulty code in software. In SBFL, execution profiles (spectra) of pass and fail test cases are analyzed with SBFL metric to rank software code according to their likeliness to be faulty. However, there are significantly more pass test cases than fail test cases in typical test suites for faulty programs. The domination of pass test cases creates imbalance test suites that have a negative impact on the performance of SBFL. This is attributed to the fact that the execution profiles of fail test cases provide the essential information on the location of faulty code. In this paper, we propose to clone the spectra of fail test cases beyond balanced test suite to improve the performance of SBFL. Our empirical study shows that the proposed cloning method significantly improves the performance of commonly used SBFL metrics. Furthermore, we attempt to identify the amount of cloning required to achieve the optimal performance for the proposed cloning method.


call mpi_waitall(acount,areq,stat,ierr) http://cesdweb.aori.u-tokyo.ac.jp/~nicam/ NICAM stands for Nonhydrostatic ICosahedral Atmospheric Model, which is an application for Global Cloud Resolving Model Developed by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute (AORI) at The University of Tokyo, and RIKEN Advanced Institute for Computational Science (AICS). Based on the existing NICAM-DC-MINI using MPI and OpenACC To exchange sleeve regions among processes, we use coarray features instead of MPI MPI_Send/Isend → coarray assignment MPI_Recv/Irecv → (be deleted) MPI collective communication → intrinsic subroutine (e.g. co_max) MPI_Wait and MPI_Barrier → sync all statement


N THE early part of the present century collections of mammals were from widely scattered localities throughout North America, and nothing was known about the vast intervening areas. It was natural, therefore, to assign full specific rank to nearly every kind of mammal that was dignified with a latinized name. As collections increased, and as geographic gaps narrowed, it became apparent that some of the species had more or less unbroken ranges that extended to those of other named kinds. As a consequence, the number of species decreased and the number of subspecies increased. At the time of Osgood's revision of the genus Peromyscus (1909) most of the named kinds of North American mammals were given full specific rank. Accordingly, there were some 28 species of Peromyscus that were destined to become subspecies or synonyms of what Osgood considered to be one species, maniculatus. Thus, it was Osgood's classical work that focused thinking in terms of the trinomial rather than the binomial, as had been common practice among his predecessors as well as many of his contemporaries. To cite two more examples, Miller listed 24 species of weasels (Mustela) in his 1911 checklist (1912) and 25 species in his 1923 checklist (1924); Hall (1951) reduced the number of species of weasels occurring over the same geographic area to three, with 60 subspecies. In the coyotes of the genus Canis, Miller (op. cit.) listed 14 species; these were recently grouped under one species by Jackson (1951), with 19 subspecies. This does not indicate that evolution has been going on in reverse. It does indicate that our interpretations now are quite different from those of students of 50 years ago. Along with the change in evaluation of the lower categories, there grew up a school, of which I was one, of subspecies describers. I fear that the objective of many in this group was to discern small differences in samples of populations from different localities rather than to study the similarities of the samples, or the variability within a population. Our most horrible example of what can result from this indiscriminate naming of local populations is to be seen in the present literature on pocket gophers of the genus Thomomys. In one species, T. bottae, we now have listed more than 150 subspecies, and there are more to come. If this continues, eventually every colony of Thomomys bottae will bear a formal name recognized by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. It is now necessary to have a large-scale map just to indicate the type localities of all the subspecies of Thomomys bottae. What does all this show from the biological point of view? It shows that Thomomys bottae is highly variable throughout its range. But is it necessary to have 150 or more names in the literature to show this? I think not. I sincerely believe that the variations in most of the morphological characters used as bases for naming the subspecies could be shown with symbols on a map, as some of the botanists have been doing with plants and as Blair (1953) attempted to do with Peromyscus. Blair's symbols


The influence of nonequilibrium radiative energy transfer and the effect of probe configuration changes on the flow phenomena around a Jovian entry body are investigated. The radiating shock layer flow is assumed to be axisymmetric, viscous, laminar and in chemical equilibrium. The radiative transfer equations are derived under nonequilibrium conditions which include multilevel energy transitions. The equilibrium radiative transfer analysis is performed with an existing nongray radiation model which accounts for molecular band, atomic line, and continuum transitions. The nonequilibrium results are obtained with and without ablation injection in the shock layer. The nonequilibrium results are found to be greatly influenced by the temperature distribution in the shock layer. In the absence of ablative products, the convective and radiative heating to the entry body are reduced under nonequilibrium conditions. The influence of nonequilibrium is found to be greater at higher entry altitudes. With coupled ablation and carbon phenolic injection, 16 chemical species are used in the ablation layer for radiation absorption. Equilibrium and nonequilibrium results are compared under peak heating conditions.


With its ever increasing number of speakers, Spanish, being one of the so-called major languages of the world, has overtaken English in terms of native speakers in recent years, now ranking second behind Chinese, and its growing popularity and expansion can be felt in Latvia as well. In recent years it is evidenced by an increase in translations of original works into Latvian, cinema and theatre performances, rapid growth of various Spanish companies and, undoubtedly, the interest of the residents of Latvia, particularly young people, in learning Spanish. In Latvia, Spanish can be learned in general education schools, starting from Form 6; it is more popular among secondary school pupils, as evidenced by the number of general education schools: in academic year 2018/19 Spanish could be learned in 18 general education schools, while in academic year 2019/20 there were 16 education institutions offering the language. Moreover, the capital of Latvia is not the only place where Spanish is taught as a second or third foreign language: everything depends on the opportunities provided by each individual school. In total, there were 32 schools in Latvia where Spanish was taught as the third or even the fourth foreign language during last academic year. To obtain secondary education in Latvia, one of the centralised exams has to be taken in a foreign language; English is the most popular choice among schools. Those who wish to obtain a certificate in Spanish can do so at the Instituto Cervantes DELE examination centre, which has been operating at the Latvian Academy of Culture since 2004. The centre offers an opportunity to take exams at 6 levels and obtain the internationally recognised DELE diploma, certifying the examinee's Spanish knowledge and skills. Spanish can also be learned in courses and at language centres irrespective of the students' age and previous knowledge. Picasso and Seneca, two private Spanish language centres, have been successfully operating in Latvia for more than 10 years, and their students range from pupils to seniors. Bachelor students learn Spanish at the Latvian Academy of Culture in the Latvia-Spain Cross-Cultural Communication programme; however, they do not obtain a qualification in philology. Master students can learn Spanish as part of the Romance Language and Culture Studies study programme at the University of Latvia, and the language is also offered as an elective course at other higher education institutions in Latvia. Unfortunately, systemic Spanish acquisition and programme continuity is hindered by the lack of a Spanish philology bachelor study programme at the University of Latvia. The paper focuses on Spanish learning traditions, issues, and future opportunities in Latvia, drawing upon data available in the state education system and interviews with industry experts: officials, educators, and translators.


Time-cost trade-off analysis represents a challenging task because the activity duration and cost have uncertainty associated with them, which should be considered when performing schedule optimization. This study proposes a hybrid technique that combines genetic algorithms (GAs) with dynamic programming to solve construction projects time-cost trade-off problems under uncertainty. The technique is formulated to apply to project schedules with repetitive nonserial subprojects that are common in the construction industry such as multiunit housing projects and retail network development projects. A generalized mathematical model is derived to account for factors affecting cost and duration relationships at both the activity and project levels. First, a genetic algorithm is utilized to find optimum and near optimum solutions from the complicated hyperplane formed by the coding system. Then, a dynamic programming procedure is utilized to search the vicinity of each of the near optima found by the GA, and converges on the global optima. The entire optimization process is conducted using a custom developed computer code. The validation and implementation of the proposed techniques is done over three axes. Mathematical correctness is validated through function optimization of test functions with known optima. Applicability to scheduling problems is validated through optimization of a 14 activity miniproject found in the literature for results comparison. Finally implementation to a case study is done over a gas station development program to produce optimum schedules and corresponding trade-off curves. Results show that genetic algorithms can be integrated with dynamic programming techniques to provide an effective means of solving for optimal project schedules in an enhanced realistic approach.


Abstract Introduction The aim of this study was to compare five different techniques for chest wall (CW) and lymphatic irradiation in patients with left‐sided breast carcinoma. Methods Three‐dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT), forward‐planned intensity‐modulated radiotherapy (FP‐IMRT), inverse‐planned IMRT (IP‐IMRT; 7‐ or 9‐field), and hybrid IP‐/FP‐IMRT were compared in 10 patients. Clinical target volume (CTV) included CW and internal mammary (IM), supraclavicular (SC), and axillary nodes. Planning target volumes (PTVs), CTVs, and organs at risks (OARs) doses were analyzed with dose–volume histograms (DVHs). Results No differences could be observed among the techniques for doses received by 95% of the volume (D95%) of lymphatics. However, the FP‐IMRT resulted in a significantly lower D95% dose to the CW‐PTV compared to other techniques (P = 0.002). The 9‐field IP‐IMRT achieved the lowest volumes receiving higher doses (hotspots). Both IP‐IMRT techniques provided similar mean doses (Dmean) for the left lung which were smaller than the other techniques. There was no difference between the techniques for maximum dose (Dmax) of right breast. However, FP‐IMRT resulted in lower Dmean and volume of right breast receiving at least 5 Gy doses compared to other techniques. Conclusion The dose homogeneity in CW‐CTV was better using IMRT techniques compared to 3DCRT. Especially 9‐field IP‐IMRT provided a more homogeneous dose distribution in IM and axillary CTVs. Moreover, the OARs volumes receiving low radiation doses were larger with IP‐IMRT technique, while volumes receiving high radiation doses were larger with FP‐IMRT technique. Hybrid IMRT plans were found to have the advantages of both FP‐ and IP‐IMRT techniques.


In the present paper, we review about the thyroid gland which is one of the examples of endocrine system. The endocrine system and endocrine organs, like the thyroid, undergo important functional changes. The prevalence of thyroid disorders increases with numerous morphological and physiological changes of the thyroid gland. In this, we review on the thyroid gland structure, and the hormones related or released by the thyroid gland, the thyroid evaluation, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, including their sign and symptoms, thyroid carcinoma and goiter.


This paper argues that Behavioral Economics (BE) needs to be liberally inclusive in formulating its criteria for rationality against which to evaluate people's cognitive ability and performance. The paper focuses on BE's assessment of people's probabilistic reasoning. It examines the famous Blue Cab experiment upon which several behavioral studies have grounded their assessment of an average person as probabilistically challenged. The paper identifies a number of flaws in that experiment. The most serious of these flaws is the confusion between cognitive performance and cognitive competence.


A varactor-based tunable bandstop filter has been proposed in this letter. The proposed filter is based on a dual-mode circuit developed by introducing inductive and capacitive couplings into a notch filter. The frequency tunability is achieved by using varactor diodes instead of the lumped capacitors in the circuit. Next, the equivalent circuit model has been implemented in planar microstrip technology using thin inductive traces and varactor diodes. The fabricated filter prototype shows a continuous center frequency tuning range of 0.66–0.99 GHz with a compact size of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$0.12\lambda _{g} \times 0.16\lambda _{g}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, where <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\lambda _{g}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> is the guided wavelength at the middle frequency of the tuning range.


A 41-year-old man was admitted to the hospital because of double vision. He was short of stature and the hair was white. His voice was high tone and hoarsely. Tylosis like skin lesion and hypospadias were found. There was a previous history of undergoing an operation for cataract. Dysbolism of glucose and fatty liver were confirmed. The patient was diagnosed as Werner's syndrome. Angiography revealed strictures of the bilateral carotid arteries, stricture of the left subclavian artery, and complete occlusion of the left external carotid artery. The coronary artery was normal. A diagnosis of aortic arch syndrome with transient cerebral ischemia was made. This case was determined to be a possible candidate for vascular reconstruction of the cranial portion of external carotid artery. After thromboendarterectomy for the stenosed portion of the left subclavian artery, by using the same portion and greater saphenous vein, a bypass operation was performed at the left internal carotid artery. Postoperative course was uneventful. Some characteristic findings were obtained by cultivation of the abdominal skin. This is the first case of vascular reconstruction of the cranial portion of external carotid artery for this syndrome in this country. Since the disease presents a rapid progress of arteriosclerosis due to its peculiarity, strict observation of the clinical course would be mandatory.


may cause blindness, as burglar proofhedges; and a quotation from Culpeper warning that orchid tubers may "provoke lust exceedingly." Doctor Lovell has done well to pack a large amount of factual information and references into a fairly small volume of 272 pages. The book has chapters on the individual at risk; identification of plants; urticaria due to plants; irritant plants; phytophototoxic reactions; allergic contact dermatitis due to plants; and a short epilogue on the therapeutic uses of some plant products. There is a coherent approach with an introduction, followed by accounts of clinical presentations, in turn followed by descriptions of the plants responsible. Those sections written by other authors maintain a reasonable unity of style and content. There are over 250 illustrations, and here there must be some criticism as several have been reduced to such a size that the salient points cannot be adequately appreciated. Others, however, complement the text very well. The book's major role should be as a work of reference (it has a full, accurate, and extensive index), but it is also entertaining reading. Larger works of reference will continue to have their place, but Plants and the Skin falls into a niche previously unfilled. Earlier texts have been rather turgid and disordered, so I will certainly regard Dr Lovell's book as my first port of call when faced with any unusual cutaneous eruptions from plants. I recommend it to all dermatologists, to, botanists, and to colleagues in other medical disciplines who have an interest in disorders caused by the natural environment.-MICHAEL H BECK, consultant dermatologist, Skin Hospital, Salford, Manchester


The invention discloses a method, a device and a system for identifying copyright of media files, so as to solve the problem that the prior DRM technology can not identify the copyright of piratic media files. The method comprises: extracting copyright information according to attribute information of a media file, identifying the content of the media file if the copyright information is not extracted, and obtaining an identification result; and searching for copyright information corresponding to the identification result from a preset database according to the identification result, and taking the found copyright information as the copyright information of the media file. Therefore, not matter the media file is legal content or piratic content subjected to transcription and transcoding,the copyright information of the media file can be accurately identified, so that the copyright identification rate of the media file is improved. Moreover, the method, the device and the system can also effectively position user groups according to the playing time and the playing region of the media files, and automatically send different related advertisement information, so the release is precise and fixed-point.


When an external overvoltage intrudes into the interior of an oil-immersed transformer winding, its inter-turn insulation will withstand the threat of bipolar oscillation surge voltage. This paper aims to provide a reference for the rational design of the longitudinal insulation of the winding and the investigation of the liquid discharge mechanism through the simulation study of the pre-breakdown discharge characteristics of the transformer oil under the bipolar oscillation voltage. Taking the rod-plane electrode gap transformer oil as the research object, based on the field ionization mechanism, a partial differential equation for the generation and transport of carriers in the liquid dielectric pre-discharge process is established. Combined with the electric field Poisson equation, it is used to simulate the pre-breakdown characteristics of transformer oil under bipolar oscillation surge voltage. The simulation results show that the peak polarity and oscillation coefficient of the bipolar oscillation surge voltage will affect the initiation and propagation of the streamer.


The optimal control of a continuous process has been performed using genetic algorithms(GAs). GAs are robust and easily applicable for complex and highly nonlinear problems. We introduce the heuristics 'dynamic range' which reduces the search space dramaticaly keeping the robust search of GAs. GAs with dynamic range show the better performance than SQP(Successive Quadratic Programing) method which converges to a local minimum. The proposed methology has been applied to the optimal control of the continuous MMA-VA copolymerization reactor for the production of the desired molecular wieght and the composition of VA in dead copolymer.


The structure of the sperm of Aplysia californica was studied by both transmission and scanning electron microscopy.  Aplysia californica, a species with internal fertilization, has the modified type of molluscan sperm structure.  Spermatids had a glycogen helix spiraled about the flagellum, both enclosed by a common microtubular basket.  A second vacuole helix was periodically seen only in spermatids and absent in spermatozoa.  An additional basket of microtubules appeared to direct the elongation and spiraling of the nucleus about the flagellum/glycogen helix. A flat acrosome was present while the centriolar derivative was embedded in a deep nuclear fossa with strands of heterochromatin arranged nearly perpendicular to its long axis.  The mitochondrial derivative consisted of small, frequently electron dense, closely spaced rods but individual mitochondria were also seen surrounding the axoneme of spermatids.  The axoneme consisted of dense fibers that appeared to have a "C" shape substructure with a central dense fiber thus providing a 9+1 arrangement of singlet units; the typical 9+2 microtubule arrangement of flagella was absent. Flagella with two axonemes were frequently seen as well as an extra axoneme within the head of immature sperm.


Various 'short cut' approaches have been adopted in cash flow forecasting ranging from the statistical, mathematical, simulation and the use of artificial intelligence techniques. However, the majority of these approaches failed to consider the issues of risks and uncertainties inherent in construction. As such, a wide variation is observable between the predicted cash flow profile and the actual. This study attempts to model the variation between predicted and actual cost flow due to inherent risks in construction. Data were obtained through questionnaire survey and empirical data collection. Contractors on individual projects were requested to score on a Likert type scale, the extent of occurrence of each identified risk variable that resulted in the variation between the predicted and actual cost flow profiles. An analysis of the responses, using ranking of the mean response enabled the study to focus on the most significant risk variables. The impact of these risk variables on cost flow forecast was then investigated by collecting data on predicted and actual cost flow from completed construction projects in order to determine their variation. Neural network was employed using the back propagation algorithm to develop the cost flow risk assessment model. The developed model was tested on 20 new projects with satisfactory predictions of variations between the forecast and actual cost flow at 30, 50, 70 and 100% completion stages.


Growth of GaN thin films on AlN‐buffered Si(111) by ultrahigh‐vacuum rf glow discharge reactive magnetron sputtering is reported. Epitaxy of GaN is established by x‐ray and electron diffraction. Raman scattering from the epitaxial films consistent with that of wurtzitic GaN is observed. The ion energies involved in the growth process are quantified by measuring the plasma potentials of the Ar/N2 glow discharge by an emissive Langmuir probe technique. As a function of increasing input power, a systematic increase in ion energies and a systematic straining of the GaN lattice are observed. Measured GaN phonon energy scales with lattice strain.


FIELD: physics, computer engineering. SUBSTANCE: invention relates to means of monitoring movements of a three-dimensional (3D) object. The apparatus comprises a detector unit for detecting two-dimensional (2D) body parts on input images; a computing unit of 3D lower body parts through the detected positions of possible 2D body parts; a computing unit of 3D upper body parts based on a model thereof; a unit for rendering the model in accordance with the result of the calculated 3D upper body parts, wherein the model rendering result is provided to the 2D body part detector unit, where the range of movements of 3D lower body parts is greater than the reference value among the 2D body parts, and the range of movements of 3D upper body parts is less than the reference value among the 2D body parts. EFFECT: high accuracy of monitoring movements of an object on images of said object. 11 cl, 12 dwg


Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to design a microgripper that can achieve nondestructive gripping of a miniaturized ultra-thin-walled cylindrical part. Design/methodology/approach – The microgripper is mainly made of an inflatable silica gel gasbag, which can minimize the damage to the part in the gripping process. This paper introduces the design principle of a flexible air-filled microgripper, which is applied in an in-house microassembly system with coaxial alignment function. Its parameters and performance specifications have been obtained by simulation, experiment demarcating. The results show that the microgripper is able to grasp an ultra-thin-walled part non-destructively. Findings – For the microgripper, finite element simulations and experiments were carried out, and both results indicate that the microgripper can achieve nondestructive gripping of a miniaturized ultra-thin-walled cylindrical part, with good stability, great grasping force and high repeat positioning accuracy. Originality...


In this article, I examine the manner in which the lower federal courts have applied the affirmative defense to liability for supervisory sexual harassment, which was articulated by the United States Supreme Court in the 1998 cases of Burlington Industries, Inc. v. Ellerth and Faragher v. Boca Raton. In particular, this article focuses on the second prong of that affirmative defense, which requires that employers prove that employees who are targeted for sexual harassment failed to act reasonably in responding to the harassing conduct. The article explores the conclusion of most of the federal courts to examine the issue that the failure to immediately file a formal complaint about harassing conduct constitutes unreasonable conduct on the part of the target of harassment. The article then addresses the ways that women typically respond to sexual harassment, referencing empirical research, and explains why women reasonably fail to immediately file formal complaints concerning harassing conduct. Finally, the article explores the ways in which the reasonable woman standard might be used by courts in judging the reasonableness of women's conduct in response to sexual harassment under the affirmative defense.


The article argues that the preamble of the European constitution aims to construct a European identity via the presentation of a genealogical myth, which combines the idea of universal prevalence of certain values with the claim that these values were and are still European. Such a construction of a European identity must lead to inconsistencies. This can be shown mainly at three aspects: 1. The quotation of Thukydides as a motto. 2. The deletion of important aspects of the European history, namely of Christianity and of wars and disruptions. 3. The idea of an especially intimate relation between Europe and the history of civilization. The conclusion of the article Is, that the preambles euro-centric world-view is hardly convincing, its capability to promote a shared European identity is marginal and its implicit concept of international cultural relations is not as seminal as it could be.


Lymphocytes can become neoplastic at any stage of their development. When the neoplastic change occurs early on in their ontogeny, they act aggressively, producing a disease designated as lymphoblastic leukemia, invading the marrow, the blood, and sometimes, solid tissues (the latter are called lymphoblastic lymphomas). The antigen profile of these neoplastic cells recapitulates that of lymphoid precursors. When the oncogenic change takes place after lymphocytes have acquired maturation, the neoplastic progeny exhibit the phenotype of adult elements. If these more differentiated lymphocytes infiltrate lymph nodes or other lymphoid tissues or organs, we use the term lymphoma. When mature neoplastic lymphocytes circulate in the blood, they usually produce indolent ailments, generally designated as chronic lymphoproliferative disorders (CLPD). Differences between lymphomas and CLPD are not always distinct, since malignant lymphocytes may simultaneously involve tissues and blood. The term myeloma applies to systemic neoplasias of the bone marrow that are composed of plasma cells, the latest stage in the life of the B-lymphocyte. The nomenclature of lymphoid neoplasias has evolved over time and this process is certain to continue, as new biological advances are made. Until recently, characterization of the lymphomas and lymphoproliferative disorders was largely descriptive and based exclusively on microscopic observations. While useful, this approach is very limited, since the identity of neoplastic cells cannot always be established, nor can their clonal nature be recognized. Descriptive terms, such as large or small, follicular or diffuse, granular, intravascular, anaplastic, plasmacytic, etc., which were prevalent in earlier classifications, are still being used to characterize malignant lymphoid cells, even in modern taxonomies, like the World Health Organization (WHO) classification (1). However, this classification scheme now incorporates more meaningful biological properties for their category definitions, including extensive descriptions of the immunophenotype of the neoplastic cells. Flow cytometry (FCM) has been used in the analysis of human lymphomas since the late 1970s. The earlier studies focused mainly on the measurement of cell cycle phases and ploidy, exploiting the simplicity of measuring DNA content by this technology. In the 1980s, we witnessed a rapid increase in the use of FCM analysis of lymphoid tumors, as the understanding of the biology of the immune cells became much clearer and the production of specific markers such as monoclonal antibodies expanded rapidly. Today, FCM analysis is an accepted and essential medical practice in the clinical evaluation of lymphoid neoplasia. This technology assists in the diagnosis and characterization of lymphomas and CLPD, and in the detection of low-level disease. In patients with plasma cell dyscrasias, FCM is playing an ever-growing role, providing diagnostic support and prognostic information.


Summary form only given. The operation of NMOS transistors made in laser-recrystallized SOI material has been investigated at both 77 K and 4 K. The back-gate voltage (and its history) turns out to have an important influence on the characteristics. It is found that by applying adequate pulses at the back gates, a variety of stable operating states, which are reflected in a variety of threshold voltages, can be established. This multistable behavior of SOI-NMOS transistors at low temperatures is illustrated for a bistable case at 77 K. By applying different back-gate conditions it is possible to obtain different high-threshold states. Stress measurements confirm the stability of the various states. A very similar behavior is also found for transistors operating at 4 K.<<ETX>>


The author points out the importance of angiography for study of collateral circulation, size, shape, and pedicle in cases of aneurysm of the anterior cerebral artery. For the surgical treatment the ligature of the internal carotid in the neck is discarted as useless. In aneurysm of the precommunicating and communicating portions of the artery that grow downwards it must be used sub-frontal approach; the fronto-sagital approach must be reserved for those aneurysms that grow upwards (communicating artery, distal portion of the anterior cerebral artery or its branches). Very important is the controlled hypotension, which must be used during the disection of the aneurysm's neck; once the ligature has been done the arterial tension must be brought up to normal, if necessary by means of intra-arterial transfusion. In cases where there is arterial spasm, verified by angiography, controled hypotension must not be used, as arterial hypotension with ischemia produced by spasm leads to arterial thrombosis, with fronto-callosum hemorrhagic infarctation and death. The author presents 10 cases of operated aneurysms of the commuunicatting-anterior cerebral system, with tree deaths and seven recoveries.


【Agricultural polyethylene mulching film containing a UV reflective additive which is known to exhibit insect repelling ability was manufactured. By measuring UV reflectance ratio( $R_{A}/R_{B}$ ) which is known as a criterion for insect repellency, the optimum composition of mulching film was investigated. Also, the mechanical properties and the corresponding morphology of the above films were investigated. Tismo-D was used as a UV reflective additive and the composition of TIsmo-D in prepared mulching film was varied from 0 to 10 wt%. Meanwhile, in order to investigate the reproducibility of the film for mechanical properties, bulk samples with the identical compositions were also prepared and their mechanical property and morphology were analyzed. The maximum $R_{A}/R_{B}$ was obtained at 3 wt% Tismo-D, and maximum mechanical property were obtained at the same Tismo-D content.】


SYNOPSIS Evidence from both animal and human studies had been presented by various authors to suggest that reduction of pancreatic function increased iron absorption. The present experimental studies in rats showed that there was increased radioiron (59Fe) absorption after pancreatectomy, but this appeared to be due to the operative procedure as there was a similar increased absorption in animals who had sham operations performed. There was no certain evidence that pancreatic enzymes or extract had a specific inhibitory effect on the absorption of iron. But with increased doses of pancreatic extract, above the normal doses, the amount of radioiron absorption was greatly enhanced. A significant increase in hepatic storage iron was found in the groups of rats who had been fed a diet supplemented with dl-ethionine. All these animals showed extensive damage and atrophy of the pancreas, with degeneration and considerable regenerative activity in the liver. The absolute increased hepatic storage iron was not due to the liberation and laying down of haemosiderin from the damaged cells or to decreased liver mass. Rats who had carbon tetrachloride-induced liver cirrhosis without pancreatic damage showed no increased hepatic storage iron. It was observed that in liver damage with considerable cellular proliferation there was increased liver iron content. As this was found only when there was associated pancreatic injury, it is suggested that decreased pancreatic function in the presence of liver cell injury with cellular proliferation leads to increased iron absorption and storage. The relationship of liver injury with cellular proliferation and pancreatic damage to increased hepatic storage iron merits further study. suggest that reduction of pancreatic secretion increases iron absorption and encourages its depo-sition in the tissues. Biggs and Davis (1963) showed that the absorption of iron in patients with haemo-chromatosis can be reduced by the administration of a pancreatic extract. They postulated that a primary pancreatic defect may be responsible for the excess absorption and deposition of iron in patients with idiopathic haemochromatosis. However , there is an apparent discrepancy between the findings of increased absorption of iron in pancreatic disease and the lack of siderosis. Reports of siderosis in chronic pancreatitis are rare, and Gambill (quoted by Murray and Stein, 1966) was unaware of any (1952) observed that dl-ethionine, a presumed antagonist to methionine, inhibited protein synthesis and induced a rapid fatty infiltration with cellular damage of the liver. A diffuse pancreatitis with destruction of the acinar glands and preservation …


A creation of models is becoming an important part of informatics education bes ides algorithmization and programming. An appropriate example concerning use of computer science while modelling real world are the L-systems. In the paper we describe a proposal of teaching of plant's growth modelling by the L-systems at a high school. Our goal is to help students to understand and try creation of plant's model on the computer.


Erosion and sedimentation is a prevalent water-quality issue in many Piedmont streams in Georgia (Landers and others, 2002). Typically, concentrations of suspended sediment are determined by collecting water samples and making physical measurements of sediment mass per unit volume in a laboratory setting. Particle-size distributions of individual samples also are typically performed in a laboratory. The U.S. Geological Survey is conducting an ongoing research project in Rockdale County, Georgia, and is using state-of-the-art instrumentation in an attempt to develop surrogate in situ, real-time measurements of particle-size and suspended-sediment concentrations in streamwater. The ultimate goal is to use in situ, real-time particle-sizeand suspended-sediment concentration measurements for computing continuous sediment loads. Instrumentation installed in the Yellow River near Milstead, Georgia, includes the Sequoia LISSTTM-100 (Laser In-Situ Scattering and Transmissiometery) size distribution sensor (Fig. 1) and the SonTek Argonaut-Shallow Water (SW) velocity meter (Fig. 2). The LISSTTM-100 is designed to report real-time in situ measurements of particle-size distribution (Gartner and others, 2001). The Argonaut-SW is a bottom-mounted, acoustic Doppler meter that is designed to report water velocity utilizing two vertically oriented beams and water-surface elevation using a third beam. The instrumented site is characterized by graduallysloping, nonvegetated granite bedrock that controls flow of the river from baseflow to flood conditions. The gradual slope of the granite bedrock presented design and installation obstacles to locating the instruments at the proper depth and outside of an area of recirculating backflow. Site installation was designed to protect the instrumentation from potentially-damaging flow-transported debris, premature wear, and vandalism, and to allow removal of the sensor for periodic maintenance during low to high baseflow conditions (Wagner and others, 2000). To meet these requirements, a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe "deployment" tube was assembled and attached with steel wedge anchors bolted into the granite bedrock. ________ Figure 1. Sequoia LISSTTM-100 before deployment at study site. The deployment tube was raised approximately 10 centimeters off the streambed to ensure that the LISSTTM-100 would only measure entrained particles in the primary flow and not be skewed by larger sediments transported within the variable flow zone resulting from the bedrock channel. The LISSTTM-100 sensing tip was exposed approximately 10 centimeters beyond the end of the deployment tube such that the sensor would not be fouled by the collection of fine sediment within the interior of the deployment tube. To prevent excessive strain on the LISSTTM-100 data cable, a light-gauge wire tether was connected to the instrument casing and anchored to the bedrock streambed. The degree of exposure of the sensor from the deployment tube end could be adjusted by changing the length of the wire tether. The Argonaut-SW was designed to use Doppler technology to measure stream velocity. The instrument functions by measuring the Doppler shift in reflected acoustic energy from entrained sediment particles within the water column. In order to use the Argonaut-SW to produce a surrogate for sediment concentrations, data compiled from the reflectivity function within the velocity computation are compared to actual sediment concentrations (Gray and others, 2003) measured from traditionally collected samples. In theory, a larger measured reflectance will correspond to a greater sediment concentration. Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Figure 2. SonTek Argonaut–Shallow Water velocity meter; pen for scale. The SonTek Argonaut-SW was mounted on the upstream side of the LISST-100 deployment tube on a polyethylene board to prevent turbulence from interfering with the velocities of the particles being measured. Data cables initially were run from each instrument to the data collection platform for real-time data transmissions. Electrical interference with existing instrumentation, difficulties in effectively grounding all equipment, and lack of space within the gage house increased field maintenance trips to the site. Internal logging of the data to the in situ instruments resolved these problems. Data collection for this project is ongoing, and analysis and results are still preliminary. Future plans call for public posting of data on the Internet once data collection has been reviewed and reached a satisfactory level of accuracy. LITERATURE CITED Gartner, J.W., R.T. Cheng, P.F. Wang, and Kenneth Richter. 2001. Laboratory and field evaluations of the LISST-100 instrument for suspended particle size determinations. Marine Geology, vol. 175, pp. 199–219. Gray, J.R., Eduardo Patiño, P.P. Rasmussen, M.C. Larsen, T.S. Melis, D.J. Topping, C.F. Alamo. 2003. Evaluation of sediment surrogate technologies for computation of suspended-sediment transport. In Proceedings of the 1st International Yellow River Forum on River Basin Management, October 21–24, 2003, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China, the Yellow River Conservancy Publishing House, vol. III, pp. 314–323. Also available at http://water.usgs.gov/osw/techniques/yrcc_surrogates.pdf Landers, M.N., P.D. Ankcorn, K.W. McFadden, M.B. Gregory, and C.J. Wipperfurth. 2002. Does land use affect our streams? A watershed example from Gwinnett County, Georgia, 1998–2001. U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 02-4281. Wagner, R.J., H.C. Mattraw, G.F. Ritz, and B.A. Smith. 2000. Guidelines and standard procedures for continuous water-quality monitors: Site selection, field operation, calibration, record computation, and reporting. U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 00-4252, p. 8.


The role of MSMEs in the last few decades is considered strategic, but its performance is not considered maximal in the face of competition and growth of production as a whole in a country. This can be attributed to various constraints and obstacles that must be faced, especially in access to finance, production technology, marketing, as well as skills and access to information. As is known, the era of free trade immediately took place in the ASEAN region, but in entering the export market is not easy for the perpetrators of SMEs.  To find out the impact of the covid-19 pandemic on MSMEs in Manado and To knows the survival strategies of MSMEs during covid-19 pandemic in Manado. The analytical method used is Descriptive. Based on the results of the analysis and discussion The impact of covid-19 caused a very drastic decline in sales, especially in the micro business sector in the city of Manado, this happened because of the fear of consumers about the pandemic which made them afraid to leave the house which made the marketing sector especially in micro businesses bad. The survival strategy carried out by micro-enterprises in the city of Manado is that some of them have prepared emergency funds and they are promoting to regular customers by offering products and of course by implementing good health protocols so as to win back the trust of consumers.