Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and the internet have had, and are having, a major impact on tourism by deeply affecting the pre-, during and postvisit experience, as well as changing the business models. ICT and the internet are also playing an important role in mediating the religious experience (eReligion), yielding a number of experiences, studies as well as official documents within the Christian Catholic Church. This paper presents online communication activities of Word Youth Days (WYD), one of the most important religious youth events. A comparison and analysis is performed from the websites of the last three WYD editions and presents in detail a number activities done by the WYD2011 (Madrid, August 2011) to set-up and increase its online presence and visibility.


Faced with the problems posed by the abusive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, it is important to find other alternatives that can guarantee a sustainable and environmentally friendly agriculture. The objective of this study was to evaluate the tolerance of a PGPR (plant growth promoting rhizobacteria) Pseudomonas putida strain to different abiotic stress in in vitro conditions and the synergistic effect of this rhizobacterium in combination with chitosan extracted from crab exoskeletons on the growth of maize in greenhouse conditions. The strain of P. putida was put in culture at different temperatures, pH, and NaCl concentrations to determine its growth. Then, this strain in combination with chitosan extracts were tested for their ability to improve maize growth for 30 days. The results showed that the P. putida strain showed excellent resistance capacities to different salt concentrations, pH, and temperature variations. Moreover, an improvement in plant growth and biomass yield parameters was observed. The highest values of height, diameter, and leaf area were obtained with the plants treated with the combination of chitosan extracted from Cardisoma armatum and P. putida, with increases of 26.8%, 31%, and 55.7%, respectively, compared to the control. This study shows the possibility of using chitosan and rhizobacteria as biostimulants to improve productivity and increase maize yield in a sustainable manner.


The Problem: Decision-making among members of a group entails aggregating the opinions of the constituents. If the opinions are unconstrained, then concensus typically fails when any vote is taken. In contrast, when opinions reflect a shared model of the domain, then concensus is likely, assuming members can communicate accurately the reasons for their individual choices. How, then, will concensus degrade if communications or models of the domain are noisy or inadequate?


Recently, the demand of multimedia applications is on the increase in the vehicle and set-top boxes, etc. A variety of multimedia systems based on embedded system have been developed. It plays storage video files and real time stream video as DMB, CAM and DVB-T. In this paper, we study a system that can display simultaneously videos of different types such as DMB, CAM and storage video file. The proposed system supports Dual Display or Multi Instance Display about the video output of two or more for only one processor. By using the proposed system, we should expect reduction in costs, and variety application as RSE multimedia system.


This article analyzes the narratives of women in the academy regarding the disadvantages they face in relation to their male peers. To this end, three discussion groups were held with the participation of female academics and administrators. In order to contextualize the stories, quantitative data on gender gaps in undergraduate and graduate education in Chile were analyzed. The questions formulated for this work were: what are the narratives that women construct around the practices of domination in the academy? How do they explain the position of disadvantage that they face? The analysis carried out shows the presence of androcentric structures and symbolisms that reify traditional relations and gender stereotypes. Symbolic gender boundaries are visualized in a generalized and commodified labor space, which devalues women's contributions and promotes a hegemonic-masculine conception of success and productivity.


The poetry of The Flow of People Matters was originally written by Jixia Lu, as an effort to reflect the imagination and the facts of people's flow in the globalization context.


PURPOSE: An environment-friendly polymer gel is provided to generate no dust or fogging phenomenon by water particles injected in the asbestos removal, and to have no danger that asbestos dusts included in the high pressure water are eluted as the gelation is progressed. CONSTITUTION: An environment-friendly polymer gel includes a major material and a curing agent. The major material includes a monomer including acrylic acid and methacrylic acid; a crosslinking monomer including propoxylated trimethylolpropane triacrylate or sulfonated pentaerythritol triacrylate; a neutralization agent in which sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, lithium hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide or calcium hydroxide are mixed; and water-containing diluent. The curing agent comprises an initiator including potassium persulfate or sodium persulfate; a redox initiator including sodium bisulfite; a polymerization accelerator including amine; a crosslinking accelerator including polyvalent amine group; and water-containing diluent. [Reference numerals] (15) A gun; (16) B gun; (17,18) Check valve; (19) Spay nozzle; (20) Discharge pipe of a solution; (21) Discharge pipe of b solution; (AA) Frequency of gun usage; (BB) Device body


The method of surface organometallic chemisty for modification of molecular sieves were introduced and the recent progress in the study of the grafting alkyl-tin on the surface of some important zeolite molecular sieves, such as Y zeolites, Cloverite, Mordenite and MCM-41, by the method was reviewed with 32 references.


Component Based Software System (CBSS) provides an easy and efficient way to develop new software application with the help of existing software components of similar functionalities. It increases the reusability of software components and reduce the development time, cost and effort of software developers. To select the appropriate component, it become essential to assess the reusability of software components so that suitable component can be selected to reuse in another application. For assessing the reusability of CBSS, several factors are required to be considered. In this paper, four reusability sub-factors Interface Complexity (IC), Understandability (Un), Customizability (Co) and Reliability (Re) are used as input variables and reusability is assessed using Fuzzy Inference System (FIS) and Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) approach because these two approaches are commonly used approach for assessing the quality factors. For experimental work, one case study has been done where rules are generated to assess reusability using four different reusability factors by taking feedback from researchers and academicians using online survey. Reusability was assessed for ten different values of input variables. Experiment shows that results obtained from ANFIS method were closer to the original values. Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of FIS results was 6.05% which was further reduced by the application of ANFIS approach and finally 2.20% of RMSE was achieved. This research work will be helpful for software developers and researchers to assess the reusability of software components and they will be able to take corrective decision for choosing the appropriate component to be reused in new software applications, which will reduce their effort, time and cost of development


Objective To estabilish a new rapid and high throughput method for detection and typing of varicella-zoster virus basing on Luminex liquid-phase chip. Methods According to the BLAST result for the sequences of each VZV strain from Gen Bank,we designed VZV-specific primers and probes for various subtypes to establish rapid VZV detection and genotyping system encoded by fluorescent microspheres,and the sensitivity and specificity were analyzed. The VZV genotyping of herpes fluid samples from 19 varicella patients and 25 zoster patients were detected. Results The established VZV detection and genotyping system using Luminex liquidphase chip could detect and distinguish Clade 1-5 samples,and the minimal detectable amount for each subtype was 102 copies / reaction,but the other subtypes of VZV and human genome showed negative results. The results of detecting 19 samples showed the positive rate was 94. 7%( 18 /19),in which 17 cases were Clade 2 and 1 case was clade 1. The positive rate of 25 samples from herpes zoster patient was 80%( 20 /25),in which 20 cases were Clade 2. Conclusion The established VZV detection and genotyping system using liquid-phase chip should be characterized by rapid,high-throughput,high sensitivity and specificity,so that the system can be used for clinical diagnosis and epidemiological surveillance of VZV infection.


Introduction: Medical professionalism is one of the areas of competence in undergraduate and postgraduate medical education. In this study, we aimed to determine the medical professionalism attitudes of third-year medical students and to investigate the effect of gender, reason for preference, and presence of a doctor in the family on these attitudes. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out with 331 third-graders who volunteered. Data was collected in 17.02.2020. As data collection tools, the Penn State School of Medicine (PSCOM) professionalism questionnaire-student form and a short sociodemographic information form were used. Data were analyzed using the SPSS 20.0 software (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) program. Results: The average age of stu dents was 21.45±2.00, and 168 (50.8%) of them were female. Average attitude scores are found as, for accountability 30.29 ± 4.19 (7-35), enrichment 24.88 ± 3.78 (6-30), equity 18.26 ± 2.12 (4-20), honor and integrity 36.37 ± 3.87 (8-40), altruism 13.11 ± 1.90 (3-15), duty 21.92 ± 2.80 (5-25), respect 9.05 ± 1.25 (2-10). Professional attitude scores of female students were higher than men's, students who chose the medical school for their ideal and to help people had significantly higher scores than students who preferred it for other reasons. No significant difference was found between attitude scores of students with and without the presence of a doctor in their family. Conclusion: Third-year medical students have a positive attitude towards professionalism. While gender and medical school preference were effective on these attitudes, the presence of doctors in the family was not found to be effective.


A photo cathode RF gun has been studied in SPring-8 in order to generate high density, short pulse and low emittance beam. We constructed an experimental apparatus and also have developed a simulation code to make a comparison with experimental results. In this report, we present comparison results to make sure accuracy of our simulation code, then using this simulation code, we discuss how to reduce the beam emittance of our experiment apparatus. Results of high power test for several different cavities are also mentioned.


Multi-ribbed slab structure(MRSS) is a new structural system developed in recent years.As the main bearing member of MRSS,the multi-ribbed slab wall(MRSW) is composed of reinforced concrete ribbed-beams,ribbed-columns and the embedded light blocks.Its material properties and mechanical parameters are complex and difficult to identify.To determine the contribution of the light blocks and the concrete ribs to the anti-seismic capability of the wall,the single box grid is studied through a set of tests.Based on the test data,the micro-mechanics finite element method was employed to perform an elastic-plastic analysis of the box grid.Micromechanics models suitable for MRSW were established.Comparing the numerical results with the available experimental data,the paper concludes that the strength of the infilled material and the section characteristic of RC ribs significantly affect the bearing capacity and the deformation performance of the single box grid.


Through concrete cases in library work, this paper discusses on the mistakes in book lending associated to the functions of "registering and cancel ing by appointment","renewing based on book", etc. of the automatic managemen t system ILASⅡ, analyzes on the reasons of these mistakes in book lending, and puts forward some concrete treating and preventing methods.


This article gives an account of the specificity of competing uses of pas and non (pas) in corrective sequences of the [Neg X (mais) Y] or [X (mais) Neg Y] types. With respect to the corresponding properties of negation markers, we show that there are, indeed, two clauses, even if they are averbal ones, in corrective sequences. And we also show that the choice of the marker is related to the syntactic and pragmatic relation between these two clauses: the use of pas marks an enunciative coordination, whereas non (pas), specialized in expressing contrast, marks an enunciative subordination. The use of the latter is more constrained as it underlines, in the sentence where it occurs, a conflicting link between the syntactic level and the enunciative organization.


A formal system is studied having both sentences and diagrams as well-formed representations. Proofs in the system allow inference back and forth between sentences and diagrams, as well as between diagrams and diagrams, and between sentences and sentences. This sort of heterogeneous system is of interest because external representations other than linguistic ones occur commonly in actual reasoning in conjunction with language. Syntax, semantics, and rules of inference for the system are given and it is shown to be sound and complete.


The previous research shows that ITR has more merits than CTT in the evaluation of examination. Based on the data collected in math subject in National College Entrance Examination of one district,the paper compares the differences between CTT and IRT on project parameters,ways of evaluation and accuracy assessment. The research shows that the characteristics of each project properties are more easily reflected under the IRT parameters,and the IRT parameters are more accurate than the CTT. The function of the project information can reflect the information of the tests better. IRT and CTT have different evaluation ways and the scores under the evaluation of IRT,which represents students' abilities,are higher than those of CTT. CTT is different from IRT in precision estimation,but the test information function and confidence interval of IRT are more accurate than that of CTT. The Empirical study shows the advantages of IRT in evaluating the math subject in College Entrance Examination,which is valuable and has potential applications.


The coronavirus diseases around the end of 2019 (COVID-19) has spreading within open space and the parameters of this dynamic system are time variant. As consequences, existed models are impractical for real-time forecasting of the COVID-19 trend. Therefore, this study provides a real-time trend forecasting model called extreme IR model with the propagation law. Based on SIR model, the propagation of COVID-19 is simplified to three states. Also, the model uses extreme learning machine to generate the parameters of each state. As a result, the proposed model can evaluate time-variant parameter and predict the number of confirmed cases, dead cases and recovered cases during spreading process. The experiment demonstrates that the extreme IR model achieves accurate real-time prediction. Hence, this paper provides an effective approach to analyze the trend of the diseases.


Through varied case studies, this original book compares changes between Northern and Southern European countries, and bigger and smaller cities, over ten years to present a compelling framework showing how Europe's post-industrial cities are striving to combat environmental and social unravelling.


The boreal forest, one of the world's larger biomes, is distinct from other biomes because it experiences a short growing season and extremely cold winter temperatures. Despite its size and impact on the earth's climate system, measurements of mass and energy exchange have been rare until the past five years. This paper overviews results of recent and comprehensive field studies conducted in Canada, Siberia and Scandinavia on energy exchanges between boreal forests and the atmosphere.


Policy makers, university teacher education faculty, school leaders, and government officials are asking the same question: How do we recruit, prepare, and retain effective teachers who will produce desired student outcomes in every classroom? This complex question garners distinct opinions depending on the queried stakeholder, but most agree that significant improvement is needed in the processes of teacher preparation and induction (Darling-Hammond, 2010; Greer & Meyen, 2009; Sykes, Bird, & Kennedy, 2010; Wang, Odell, Klecka, Spalding, & Lin, 2010). An argument can be made that the need for improvement is most urgent within the field of special education teacher preparation (Brownell, Sindelar, Kiely, & Danielson, 2010; Piper, 2007; Pugach, Blanton, & Correa, 2011; Simonsen et al., 2010; Sindelar, Brownell, & Billingsley, 2010) . To illustrate, recent achievement data for students with disabilities provides striking evidence of the critical need for improvement in areas of literacy, graduation rates, and other postsecondary outcomes (e.g. National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2009; Wagner, Newman, Cameto, Levine, & Garza, 2006). There is substantial variability in the numerous factors that contribute to the struggles of students with exceptionalities on measures of academic and social success (see Skiba, Poloni-Staudinger, Simmons, FegginsAzziz, & Chung, 2005; Wagner et al., 2006). Many complex factors influence a teacher's impact on student achievement, which leads to the need for us to continue to examine and reform our current models of teacher preparation. Thus, teacher educators and practitioners must continue to investigate and evaluate the effects of new and existing policies, programmatic structures, and individual practices on outcomes of interest and disseminate those findings. Although calls to reform teacher education and P-12 instruction for children with exceptionalities are not new (Vaughn & Fuchs, 2003), it is clear that new thinking is needed to overcome traditional barriers to academic and social success for individuals with exceptionalities. However, despite the critical need for improvement, teacher preparation models within special and general education largely remain fixed to traditional methods


The academic community has been conducting research on the founder of Taoism, LaoZi, who has made tremendous contributions to Chinese traditional culture. LaoZi is revered as a sage as Confucius. The study of LaoZi's book Tao Te Ching has become an indispensable learning for philosophers, politicians, strategists, and literati scholars in any period. In LaoZi's remarks, "Tao" has neither name nor time, and the Dao is much more earlier springing up than other all life. "Tao" is something unfathomable that we cannot figure it out. LaoZi uttered sentences: "The Tao was unshaped and had no sound, with the sake of getting further understanding with respect to it, and afterwards gave it a name temporarily, which excerpted from the book of LaoZi. "It has been a long time since the Tao has no exact shape. This article creatively foster a word "the Tao is hidden", and the Tao is not a specific form. However, we cannot say that it does not exist in that it can see all of us. This article will continuously pluck up everyone to explore "Taoism" in Chinese culture, which will be a new beginning. 老子的"隐道"之说辩析 李正 西安石油大学马克思主义学院,西安,陕西,中国


Two opinions currently exist on the role of zero-filling in data processing for in vivo MRS: that it results in a purely cosmetic interpolation; or that it confers a benefit. Most commonly, in vivo MRS data are acquired as complex time-domain half-echoes, that are Fourier transformed to the give a real spectrum that is modeled for quantification. In this manuscript, we highlight that performing zero-filling draws the independent information from the imaginary part of the spectrum into the real spectrum, improving modeling accuracy. In order to demonstrate this, 10,000 time-domain datasets were simulated as decaying exponentials and noise was added. Data were then Fourier transformed with no-zero filling, 2x, 4x and 8x zero-filling. All spectra were then modeled using a simple single-Lorentzian frequency-domain model. It was demonstrated that 2x zero-filling results in a ∼√2 benefit in modeling accuracy, compared to no zero-filling. There was no additional advantage for further zero-filling.


The 3-D velocity distribution of ionized photofragments resulting from the dissociation of methyl iodide is recovered by digitally deblurring and Abel inverting a single measured 2-D projection. The reconstructed distribution reveals two rings which are the dissociation channels corresponding to ground state and excited state iodine. A channel resolution improvement factor of 1.6 is achieved by deconvolving the 2-D projection using a line-by-line implementation of Kawata's (1980) reblur algorithm. This technique guarantees noise-smoothed projections for the notoriously sensitive Abel inversion procedure, which in this paper is implemented using discrete Fourier and Hankel transforms.<<ETX>>


In finite difference methods, the notorious 'staircase' effect arises when a slanted or curved boundary is rendered on a cartesian grid. The new flexible local approximation methods (FLAME) approximate material interfaces algebraically, by a suitable set of basis functions, rather than by geometrically conforming meshes. For example, the approximating functions in the vicinity of spherical particles are chosen as spherical harmonics. FLAME seamlessly incorporates these local analytical approximations into the difference scheme. Even though FLAME typically operates on cartesian grids, its solution for problems with dielectric or magnetic particles can be orders of magnitude more accurate than the finite-element solution on complex meshes.


Original Research Ar cle Ghimire HR et al 1. Associate Professor, Department of Pulmonary, Cri cal Care and Sleep Medicine, Nobel Medical College Teaching Hospital 2. Medical Officer, Nobel Medical College Teaching Hospital 3. Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Nobel Medical College Teaching Hospital 4. Registrar, Department of Medicine, Civil Service Hospital. © Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publica on with the work simultaneously licensed under Crea ve Commons A ribu on License CC BY 4.0 that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and ini al publica on in this journal. * Corresponding Author Dr. Ram Hari Ghimire


When I look backward, it seems easy to see the threads of continuity in my life. When I look forward, it is not that easy to see a plan, which makes me wonder whether this chapter is a convenient fabrication of hindsight. Practicing anthropologists have a particular challenge to create coherent careers because there is no one path or career for using anthropology to generate practical knowledge and action. All of the women in this Bulletin have forged lives that come in part from inner sources of strength and knowledge, sometimes good fortune, and sometimes desperation. But we share the belief that anthropological knowledge is valuable and good for something, and we share the common experience of trying to apply it. In this chapter, I identify what I think are the key values, circumstances, people, and events that made me choose to be a practicing anthropologist. Although we originally were to focus on gender and how that influenced our lives, this Bulletin has become a much broader look at our lives. I follow the key circumstances, values, and decisions that led me to practicing anthropology, including my family background, educational choices and degree programs, and my first academic appointment. I describe my transition to the federal government and experience in the executive branch as a program manager encouraging and integrating anthropology into program missions for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Sea Grant College Program. My most recent work with the U.S. Senate as a legislative aide for environment and energy to a Democratic Senator is the latest addition to this story, but I do not think this is finished. As with all the chapters, I end with practical advice.


Domestic violence perpetrated by individual soldiers not only harmed their families but also caused losses to the soldiers themselves both morally and materially. Proving a criminal offense, the process of investigation, prosecution, and examination in a court of law in a case of a crime of domestic violence is carried out according to the provisions of the applicable criminal procedure law. This type of research is normative law that is analyzing a decision made by combining primary data legal materials with secondary data obtained in the field with interviews. The investigation process in which the Military Police conduct an investigation of suspects with military status and refers to Law Number 31 of 1997 concerning the Military Criminal Code where eventually the case files will be submitted to military prosecutors for trial in military court. There are 4 stages in the process of resolving cases in the military court in the investigation stage, the prosecution stage, the hearing stage in the trial, the decision implementation stage. The form of criminal liability for military members who commist crimes is regulated in Article 6 of the Military Criminal Code.


Between 1955 and 1960, theories about lignin configuration were vacillating between random-coil and cross-linked "microgel" representations for macromolecular lignin chains. Light scattering was important in these early studies, but it was difficult to deal adequately with lignin fluorescence at the 546 nm incident wavelength being used. Cross-linking then prevailed, largely because of the hydrodynamic compactness of high molecular weight lignin species. The conceptual ramifications of this paradigm led to 40 wt % incorporation limits (or less) for lignins in cohesive polymeric materials. In due course, however, further evidence for a random-coil description of individual lignin components materialized; it became less obvious why simple lignin derivatives could not, on their own, form promising polymeric materials. The first plastics composed solely of a (native) ball-milled softwood lignin are similar to polyethylene in tensile behavior. Blending with just 5 wt % tetrabromobisphenol A (a flame retardant)...


[Objective]To extract the flavonoids from Clausena indica(Datz).Oliv.fruits and study their antimicrobial activities.[Method]The microwave-assisted method was used to extract the flavonoids,whose antimicrobial activities were determined by filter paper diffusion method and LB medium double dilution method.[Result]The concentration of concentrated flavonoids extracted from Clausena indica(Datz).Oliv.fruits was 162.298 5 mg/ml,and the flavonoids had good antimicrobial effects against Staphylococcu saureus,Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli with the MIC of 20.29,40.58 and 81.15 mg/ml,but the antimicrobial effect against Mucor and Saccharomyces cerevisiae was not obvious.[Conclusion] The study provided theoretical basis for further exploring and developing Clausena indica(Datz).Oliv.resources and producing new,safe and high-efficient biopreservatives.


ABSTRACT The Mycobacterium tuberculosis gene Rv2747 encodes a novel 19-kDa ArgA that catalyzes the initial step in l-arginine biosynthesis, namely the conversion of l-glutamate to α-N-acetyl-l-glutamate. Initial velocity studies reveal that Rv2747 proceeds through a sequential kinetic mechanism, with Km values of 280 mM for l-glutamine and 150 μM for acetyl-coenzyme A and with a kcat value of 200 min−1. Initial velocity studies with l-glutamate showed that even at concentrations of 600 mM, saturation was not observed. Therefore, only a kcat/Km value of 125 M−1 min−1 can be calculated. Inhibition studies reveal that the enzyme is strongly regulated by l-arginine, the end product of the pathway (50% inhibitory concentration, 26 μM). The enzyme was completely inhibited by 500 μM arginine, with a Hill coefficient of 0.60, indicating negatively cooperative binding of l-arginine.


This meeting takes place only two weeks after the Third Conference of the Albanian Association of Banks, which was dedicated to the sustainable development of the banking sector in the future. At this Conference, where I had the honour and pleasure to address, I underlined the valuable contribution of the banking industry to Albania's development over the past two decades and identified some challenges and opportunities that may lie ahead for all of us, together, in the future. In our vision, these challenges and opportunities are related to the degree and quality of intermediation of funds in the economy – in other words, the volume and structure of credit, and the expansion of the range of financial products – to boost financial inclusion of the population and innovative technological development in the economy.


The information era's arrival makes educational technology ability a university teacher's essential quality.The article,by questionnaire,makes a sample survey of the current situation of some university teachers' educational technology ability,and based on the survey,analyses and summarizes the main problems,such as,less knowledge of their own educational technology ability that they should have,no solid and systematic basic educational technology knowledge,lack of information collecting and integrating ability,being unable to use information technology comprehensively and inflexibly,less consciousness of reform and innovation as well as innovative ability.And finally,it puts forwards some solutions and suggestions to solve these problems.


The present article is devoted to socially relevant problem of addictive behavior. The aim of this study was to identify meaningful Self-central functions in patients with addictive behavior. Methods of research – Self-structural Ammon test. The experimental group consisted of patients with dependent behavior. As a result of the research the leading Self-central functions of patients with addiction were identified which included deficient narcissism, deficient external self-limiting and destructive fear.


The remarkable contribution of cooperatives to the economic efficiency and stability of countries worldwide has manifested comprehensive development. And multipurpose cooperatives are among the resilient type that is referred to herein (Quilloy et al., 2015). Such achievement is attributed to compliance as a concept and a tactic that is dependent on its implementation (Foorthuis & Bos, 2014). It enabled cooperatives as an economic force while maintaining their civic virtues, unleashing competitive advantage, and improved performance (Zamagni, 2012). Its inherent marketing mindset begins as a people-centered enterprise as described by the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA, Battaglia, et al. 2015; Benavides, Ehrenenhard, 2015). These performances were further sustained by the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) by its award and recognition program in the Gawad Parangal instituted in 2011. With various economic environments even amidst pandemic, compliance and marketing management strategies are essential to the significant performances of cooperatives. CDA revealed that in 2016, the total operating cooperatives was 19,082, however, only 50% are reporting to CDA. In 2017, operating cooperatives surge to 6.37% and reduced the non-reporting to 51.44%. Operating cooperatives in 2019 increased to 4.33% including 6.25% of the newly registered cooperatives from 2016 onwards. None reporting cooperative increased to 7%. This study investigated the degree of compliance and marketing strategies of multipurpose cooperatives in the Large Millionaire and Billionaire categories. This descriptive-quantitative and qualitative research utilized frequency, percentage, weighted mean chi-square for the statistical treatment. Structured survey and interview results showed a categorical weighted mean of 4.96, an overall mean of 4.93 as to compliance with regulatory provisions. This underwrites the viability and sustainability of the cooperative enterprises' performance evidenced by being an awardee and their unprecedented networth for the past five years.


By a numerical example between the container liner shipping industry and the international freight forwarding industry,the threshold of the corresponding mutualistic symbiotic system is found and the stability thereof is analyzed. Parasitism and commensalism relationships between the two industries are also explained.


Ecuador's external debt comprises two main parts, namely, an old deb arising from the financing of the Guayaquil and Quito Railway in the late 1890's, and held largely in Britain, and a new debt which consists of intergovernmental credits extended to Ecuador since the beginning of world war two, primarily obligations to the U. S. export-import Bank. The net external principal liability, however, should not exceed $27 million since an estimated $4 million of the old debt is believed to be owned by the Ecuadorian Government. Finally, and in addition to the above, interest arrears on the old debt have accumulated to nearly $20 million.


The issue of recognition, validation and certification of skills, especially those developed in non-formal and informal fields, is becoming a current topic for all educative institutions, including University. Soft skills is a psycho-sociological term relating to a cluster of personality traits, social abilities, communication, language, personal attitudes that characterize relationships with other people. Soft skills complement hard skills which are the occupational requirements of a job and many other activities. In Italy the legal framework on skills is leaded by the Legislative Decree n. 13/13. According to the Decree, University should assure the effective implementation of lifelong learning through guidance and counselling services. The University of Macerata (UNIMC) has been involved from a long time in the field of soft skills with many activities, formal as well as informal and non-formal. A system to recognize and validate them has been experienced in the last years. The objective of the paper is to describe the designed procedures aimed to the recognition and validation of soft skills such as observation, active listening, communication in small group and problem solving. Each skill was operationalized through the identification of specific indicators to recognize three level of expertise: basic, intermediate, advanced. Moreover several tasks were tested in order to identify a set of activities useful for the aim of a kind of formal recognition.


Abstract Interaction matrices are widely used in environmental impact assessments (EIAs). However, this technique is considered an illustrative approach, since its analytical power is deemed to be insufficient for effectively handling complex decision-making. It can be argued that the misuse of interaction matrices has (in some instances) contributed to flawed EIAs, which have been deliberately misrepresentative and have been used for endorsement of projects. Consequently, an alternative for better EIAs in the short term is to enhance the matrix approach, so that a more rigorous evaluation of impacts can be achieved. The approach presented here is based upon mathematical matrices to determine the significance of impacts; specifically it encompasses the use of minimum link matrices, interpretative structural models and exponential and linear equations. This method allows users to systematically weight all possible cause-effect interactions and pathways, and to consider primary and secondary impacts identified in a matrix. Consequently, the approach increases the effectiveness and rigor of matrices in handling complex data and predicting environmental impacts in a strict and traceable way.


Rice humid planting technique with plastic mulching in whole life time in cold water paddy field improved soil physically and chemically: increased temperature, kept fertilizer, saved water, killed weed etc. It created favorable ecological environment for rice growing. Due to draining and covering with film in cold water paddy field, it adjusted water with heat, gas and fertility of the soil, so it accelerated rice early and rapidly growing. The effective spikes, available grains per ear and yield were all significantly increased. Rice yield, increased from 11.1% to 32.2% comparing with conventional planting.


It is proposed that the deep inelastic electron and neutrino scattering dat:a near x=0 provide a way of dis-tinguishing between SU(3) and SU(4) as the fundamental underlying hadron symmetry.


A unique phase-shifted long period grating (PS-LPFG) is proposed and demonstrated by means of fabricating a microbend in the center of LPFG written by CO2 laser. Experiments demonstrate that this PS-LPFG can be used to develop a promising high sensitive force sensor by measuring the wavelength separation between the two resonance loss dips. Moreover, the wavelength separation is insensitive to the external temperature. The force sensitivity of the PS-LPFG with a bending radius 2.62 mm is measured to be up to −186.74 nm N−1, which is enhanced two orders compared to the LPFG without a microbend.


The invention discloses a manufacturing process of a loofah sponge hat which is good in breathability, light in weight, easy to clean, anti-corrosion and easy to dry. Specifically, the manufacturing process comprises the following steps: I. selecting materials; II. manufacturing a fabric of the loofah sponge hat; II. manufacturing a blank of the loofah sponge hat; and IV. sewing the loofah sponge hat. The manufacturing process disclosed by the invention has the advantages that the raw materials, which are renewable resources, pure natural, green and environmental-friendly, are free from secondary pollution to environment, and the raw materials are rich and cheap. The loofah sponge is good in breathability, light in weight, easy to clean, dry to dry, water-proof, durable and anti-corrosion, and comfortable and cool.


The application of compost bedding system on sheep farm is a technology to minimize the negative impact of sheep manure waste toward environment. The microorganisms which inhabit the compost bedding, especially nitrifying bacteria are expected to have significant role in odor emission reduction which become environmental problem around the sheep farm. This study aims to analyze the abundance and diversity of nitrifying bacteria of compost bedding obtained from sheep farm which have important role in reducing odor emission of ammonia. The 12 days, 1 and 1,5 months old of compost bedding samples were obtained from sheepfold, while 3 and 4 months old of compost samples were obtained from compost pile. Furthermore, nitrifying bacteria were isolated from compost samples by pour plate method using specific media for Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter. The results indicated that compost bedding samples with different composting time duration displayed different abundance and diversity of nitrifying bacteria. The current study was successfully isolated 39 and 47 nitrifying bacterial isolates using specific media for Nitrobacter and Nitrosomonas, respectively. The highest diversity of nitrifying bacteria was gained from 12 days old compost bedding sample. Nitrifying bacterial isolates from compost bedding samples have significant role in odor emission declining as well as manure composting at sheep farm. The obtained bacterial isolates are also potentially to develop as bio-activator for compost bedding.


The utility model relates to the technical field of air filtering devices, in particular to a rotating air filtering device which comprises an air filter and a dust removal device (5), wherein the air filter comprises a filtering barrel body (1), a piece of filtering cloth (2), a wall board installing assembly (3) and a driving assembly (4), the filtering cloth (2) covers the filtering barrel body (1), the filtering barrel body (1) is in sealing connection with the wall board installing assembly (3), the driving assembly comprises a driving motor, a gear box and a driving ring, the driving motor can drive the filtering barrel body (1) to rotate by the driving ring, and the driving motor is connected with the dust removal device (5) by the gear box. Compared with the prior art, the rotating air filtering device is novel and simple in structure, and can realize an automatic dust removal function. Fine dust deposited on the surface of the filtering cloth can be removed by an automatic dust removal device continuously, so that the filtering efficiency can be ensured, the filtering area is large, air with a large amount of dust and fibers can be filtered efficiently and air discharged from a factory can be ensured to confirm to discharge standards.


19 This study set out to improve our understanding of potential pedagogical factors which may 20 influence the mental health of veterinary students. Previous research has demonstrated 21 that the type of feedback given to children by parents and teachers can strongly influence 22 young people's beliefs in their ability to modify their intelligence - their 'mindset'. There is 23 also evidence that we can change the mindset of students relating to their intelligence by 24 changing the methods by which we teach and assess. We used a paper based questionnaire 25 to assess mindset and psychological wellbeing in veterinary students (n=148). We found an 26 association between students' mindset relating to their intelligence


The Computer Science Curricula 2023 (CS2023) effort includes a synergistic endeavor to provide supplemental material to aid in the adoption of the guidelines. This supplemental material takes the form of a series of peer-reviewed articles by experts on the design and delivery of Computer Science programs. The Computing for Social Good (CSG) committee is responsible for providing an international perspective on Computing for Social Good in Education (CSG-Ed), description of models for incorporating CSG into curricula, and a discussion of best practices including examples. There is a wide range of approaches to CSG-Ed both in the classroom and beyond. This BoF is intended to gain input from current instructors about these approaches including a discussion of which approaches work well and which are more problematic. We also intend for the BoF to bolster the community of educators who are interested in CSG-Ed in order to disseminate approaches to a wider audience.


In this paper we introduce a new blind adaptive per tone equalization scheme in OFDM systems. The proposed equalizer scheme consists of a (complex) equalizer per tone. In this scheme, we compare the performance of the per tone multimodulus algorithm (PT-MMA) with the per tone constant modulus algorithm (PT-CMA). The PT-CMA for blind equalization requires a separate carrier-recovery system for phase recovery, but the PT-MMA performs joint blind equalization and carrier recovery without the need for a separate carrier-recovery system for QAM signal constellations. The PT-MMA compensates for an additional carrier frequency offset (CFO). The results of our simulations indicate that the PT-MMA can correct the phase error, because it implicitly incorporates a phase-tracking loop, which automatically recovers carrier phase.


This focus of this report explores the effect that school partnerships with outside agencies are having on primary school teachers' continuing professional development (CPD) in physical education The review of relevant literature led to sub-questions of research which can be found in the 'Introduction' – these are later analysed and discussed to form a deeper understanding of the variant issues impacting on the research project focus area. A small-scale case study was undertaken in a mainstream primary school, using the perceptions of teachers (obtained from questionnaires) and tying these in with information of the school partnership received from the schools PE coordinator (obtained from a semi-structured interview). Findings indicated that not there was a relatively even split between teachers that did engage in the school partnership and those that didn't. There appeared to be a correlation between levels of engagement with the outside agency (OA) and improvement in CPD, suggesting that outside agencies are having a positive impact within primary education. Some teachers however seemed to be using the external coaches to avoid PE teaching themselves, which was stifling their own CPD.


Intense, unaccustomed exercise is documented to result in muscle damage and transient
immune perturbation. Strenuous exercise is considered to generate free radicals and confers
an oxidative stress burden on the body, supplementary to that of the normal in vivo
metabolism. Excessive amounts of free radicals can cause cellular and tissue damage and are
implicated in the manifestations of muscle damage in the post-exercise period. A further
consequence of intense exercise is the initiation of an immune and inflammatory response
during and post-exercise. Whilst these processes are vital for normal immune function, an
exaggerated response can exacerbate cell damage and be self-propagating. One route to
modulating these responses is by intervention with antioxidants. Boosting of the existing
antioxidant defences is hypothesised to provide additional protection against free radical
damage. The series of investigations presented within this thesis attempt to provide further
elucidation of the proposed role of antioxidants on post-exercise responses. [Continues.]


TiO2 (titania) reinforced low density polyethylene (LDPE) composite is studied as substrate for microstrip patch antenna that is to be used in microwave X band (8 GHz to 12 GHz). Physical, thermal and microwave characterization of the composite is done to confirm the applicability of the composite material as substrate for microstrip antennas. Microstrip antenna with rectangular radiating patch is fabricated on composites with different volume fraction (VF) of filler in polymer as substrate. S11 measurements are carried out on the antenna designed on different substrates using vector network analyzer. To increase the operational bandwidth of the antenna three layer grading of the composite substrate is done. The bandwidth and S11 parameter performance of the antenna is found to be improved by using graded composite as substrate material. Enhancement of directivity is observed for graded substrate as compared to ungraded substrate.


ABSTRACT Aim To analyze how interventions of a multidisciplinary team promote the safe transportation of critically ill patients. Method A systematic mixed-methods review was developed using an integrated convergent approach according to the Joanna Briggs Institute. This study was conducted using MEDLINE, CINAHL, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials electronic databases, which generated 107 references. After removing duplicates and applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 17 articles were evaluated for methodological quality, resulting in 15 articles as the final sample. Data extraction was performed using a tool in the form of a table and synthesized through thematic analysis. Results Thoughtful decision, planning, problem-solving action and action for improvement are interventions that the multiprofessional team promotes the safe transportation of critically ill patients. Conclusion and implications for practice The standardization of transport (institutional protocols, a checklist, and equipment adequacy), continuing education, and skills training in the capacitation of teams foster a culture of safety that prevents harm to the patient. Further research is suggested on the subjective dimension and with the family in transportation.


In this study, a novel neuro-fuzzy clustering algorithm is proposed based on spiking neural network and ink drop spread (IDS) concepts. The proposed structure is a one-layer artificial neural network with leaky integrate and fire (LIF) neurons. The structure implements the IDS algorithm as a fuzzy concept. Each training data will result in firing the corresponding input neuron and its neighboring neurons. A synchronous time coding algorithm is used to manage input and output neurons firing time. For an input data, one or several output neurons of the network will fire; confidence degree of the network to outputs is defined as the relative delay of the firing times with respect to the synchronous pulse. A memristor crossbar-based hardware is utilized for hardware implementation of the proposed algorithm. The simulation result corroborates that the proposed algorithm can be used as a neuro-fuzzy clustering and vector quantization algorithm.


This paper shows the optimization of a PD (Proportional Derivative) fuzzy-type Takagi-Sugeno controller, which is used to control the voltage of a single-phase DC-AC inverter. This approach seeks to establish an initial configuration of the fuzzy system which is used as a starting point for the optimization process and thus improve the controller performance. The fuzzy system is designed aiming to have a low number of parameters to be optimized. The results show that the initial proposed configuration allows the successful optimization of the fuzzy controller.


The effects of misalignment and unbalance on gas foil bearings are presented. The future of U.S. space exploration includes plans to conduct science missions aboard space vehicles, return humans to the Moon, and place humans on Mars. All of these endeavors are of long duration, and require high amounts of electrical power for propulsion, life support, mission operations, etc. One potential source of electrical power of sufficient magnitude and duration is a nuclear-fission-based system. The system architecture would consist of a nuclear reactor heat source with the resulting thermal energy converted to electrical energy through a dynamic power conversion and heat rejection system. Various types of power conversion systems can be utilized, but the Closed Brayton Cycle (CBC) turboalternator is one of the leading candidates. In the CBC, an inert gas heated by the reactor drives a turboalternator, rejects excess heat to space through a heat exchanger, and returns to the reactor in a closed loop configuration. The use of the CBC for space power and propulsion is described in more detail in the literature (Mason, 2003). In the CBC system just described, the process fluid is a high pressure inert gas such as argon, krypton, or a helium-xenon mixture. Due to the closed loop nature of the system and the associated potential for damage to components in the system, contamination of the working fluid is intolerable. Since a potential source of contamination is the lubricant used in conventional turbomachinery bearings, Gas Foil Bearings (GFB) have high potential for the rotor support system. GFBs are compliant, hydrodynamic journal and thrust bearings that use a gas, such as the CBC working fluid, as their lubricant. Thus, GFBs eliminate the possibility of contamination due to lubricant leaks into the closed loop system. Gas foil bearings are currently used in many commercial applications, both terrestrial and aerospace. Aircraft Air Cycle Machines (ACMs) and ground-based microturbines have demonstrated histories of successful long-term operation using GFBs (Heshmat et al., 2000). Small aircraft propulsion engines, helicopter gas turbines, and high-speed electric motors are potential future applications.


We report on the measurement of element-specific magnetic resonance spectra at gigahertz frequencies using x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD). We investigate the ferrimagnetic precession of Gd and Fe ions in Gd-substituted yttrium iron garnet, showing that the resonant field and linewidth of Gd precisely coincide with Fe up to the nonlinear regime of parametric excitations. The opposite sign of the Gd x-ray magnetic resonance signal with respect to Fe is consistent with dynamic antiferromagnetic alignment of the two ionic species. Further, we investigate a bilayer metal film, Ni80Fe20(5 nm)/Ni(50 nm), where the coupled resonance modes of Ni and Ni80Fe20 are separately resolved, revealing shifts in the resonance fields of individual layers but no mutual driving effects. Energy-dependent dynamic XMCD measurements are introduced, combining x-ray absorption and magnetic resonance spectroscopies.


This research evaluates the effect of fluids on the deformation and ductile to brittle transition of silicon. Scratches were made on a polished silicon wafer surface by using a diamond stylus under increasing loads until the brittle transition was detected. The scratches where drawn while the diamond–silicon point of contact was completely submerged in one the following fluid environments: air, de-ionized water, acidic chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) slurry or an alkaline CMP slurry. The CMP slurry environments produced a suppression of the brittle transition compared to the air environment resulting in an apparent increase in toughness. Under higher loads, the de-ionized water and both CMP slurries resulted in an apparent increase in hardness compared to air.


Retirees face a difficult financial choice. They need to decide on an appropriate amount to withdraw from their retirement investment and they need to 'optimise' between outliving their money and living below their means. In the USA, financial advisors frequently advocate a 'safe' 4% withdrawal (or spending) rate. We examine spending rates for retirees in a South African setting.


This paper demonstrates that the effects of the exogenous shocks experienced by the Philippine economy have been permanent rather than transitory. The finding emerges from the application of the Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) model and the segmented trend model which confirm the presence of unit roots in several Philippine macroeconomic time series variables. Moreover, the use of the segmented trend model focuses some insights regarding the influence of the government's stabilization policies on the macroeconomic variables under investigation.


An important property of an algebraic system is to satisfy an identical relation. "Although simplest closed propositions of the language of logic, the identities form a language rich enough to express quite fineproperties of algebraic systems" (Malcev [219]). Lie algebras satisfying identical relationshave been at the focus of investigations since the very beginning of the theory, more than a century ago. Indeed, a large portion of usually studied classes of Lie algebras can be singled out by imposing certain identical relations. Of these one can readily name such classes as abelian, nilpotent, solvable Lie algebras and some others. Moreover, recent investigations have shown that in some important classes of Lie algebras their members are completely determined by identities. This is the case, for instance, for finite-dimensional simple algebras over any fixed field which is either finite (Bahturin and Olshanskii [50]) or algebraically closed (Razmyslov [309]). Many classical results admit reformulation in the language of identities. Of course, a reformulation of this kind is rather formal as it concerns such theorems as those of Lie and Engel. However, the course of evolution has led to problems where identities become the core of the subject. An impressive illustration for this is supplied by A. I. Kostrikin's work on Burnside's problem. Here one of the principal points is the study of Lie algebras satisfying the Engel identities. It is from the 1950s, when this and some other works were published, that we date the beginning of a regular study of identical relations in Lie algebras. A basis formuch of the research was formed by the work of A. I. Shirshov who proved the theorem on subalgebras of free Lie algebras and gave exceptionally useful constructions of linear bases in these algebras (Shirshov [335, 338, 340]). Bokut' [76] has studiedpolynilpotent Lie algebras, Latyshev [200, 201] has introduced standard identities and initiated the study of special Lie algebras. Shmelkin [341] has applied the methods of Lie algebras to the study of varieties of groups. An important Engel identity has been studied by Cohn [90], Higgins [141], and some others. The next stage in the development of the theory, the study of systems of identities without their immediate connection to the particular types of algebras, as well as the study of varieties of Lie algebras as classes determined by such systems, began in the fall of the 1960s and thebeginningof the 1970s. Toa considerable extent, thisworkwas facilitated by the achievements in the theory of varieties of groups (H.Neumann [247]). Thus, for some years, the former theory was "in chase" of the latter one. As a result of this we find examples of a variety of Lie algebras without finite basis for identities, the theorem on the freeness of the semigroup of varieties of Lie algebras over an infinite field, some other analogues of group-theoretic results over infinite fields (Parfenov [255]; Vaughan-Lee [354]; Bahturin [21, 22]). It was realized very soon, however, that this new theory had many specific features. For instance, in contrast to the group theory case, themultiplication of varieties over arbitrary fields need not be associative (Bahturin [22]). Another distinction is that


In 2009, in France, nearly 3 of 4 of the people receiving benefits from the general pension system retired at (or before) 60, which is the legal minimum age required. We discuss, in this paper, the arguments in favour of an increase of this age. We also put forward that increase of the legal age is less satisfactory, on the point of view of justice, both at intra and inter generation?s levels, than a rule based over affiliation duration increase. The reforms of the retirements system passed on 1993 and 2003, combined with socio-economic trends (increase of the age of entry in the labour force, more volatility in careers), should lead to an important increase of the average retirement age in the fifteen next years. This will not required an increase of the legal minimum age for retirement. JEL classification: J20. J26.


Abstract The Solea graben in the Troodos ophiolite of Cyprus is host to some of the largest and richest cupriferous sulphide deposits on the island. The graben is oriented in a northwesterly direction and defined by similarly oriented dykes and faults. The deposits within the graben display a variety of characteristics which reflect their mode of genesis. They include deposits displaying classic exhalative genesis, as well as others which formed at some depth below the seafloor, or by fluids which travelled away from their source to deposit sulphide on the surface of the ocean floor. A special case is the Phoenix deposit which is the result of supergene enrichment from the weathering of massive sulphide. A strong control of ore deposition is evident for some of the deposits by a major structure interpreted as an oceanic detachment fault. Other deposits are localised at the intersection between axial structures and transfer faults. However, in all cases, an underlying heat source appears to have played a major role in ore deposition. The location of the deposits at the top of the volcanic sequence is consistent with an off-axis setting. A number of errors in the print version of this paper were corrected before publication of the online version, which should be viewed as definitive. An erratum detailing the changes will appear in the next printed issue of the journal (Vol. 119, No. 3).


The study effect of rural electricity on entrepreneurship development in Nigeria: a mediating role of business performance among zobo producers in Abaji area council, Abuja. The population of study is 82 zobo producers in Abaji Area Council and the figure was used as the sample size of the study. The study used survey research design using structural questionnaire administered to the respondents who the producers of zobo in Abaji Area Council of Nigeria. The study used correlation and regression analysis and correlation as statistical tools to analyse the data. The study also found that there is a significant relationship between rural supply of electricity and entrepreneurship skills among zobo producers in Abaji Area Council, Abuja, there is a significant relationship between entrepreneurship skills and performance among zobo producers in Abaji Area Council, Abuja, there is a significant relationship between rural supply of electricity and performance among zobo producers in Abaji Area Council, Abuja, there is a significant relationship between rural supply of electricity and entrepreneurship knowledge among zobo producers in Abaji Area Council, Abuja and there is a significant relationship between entrepreneurship knowledge and performance among zobo producers in Abaji Area Council, Abuja. The study suggested that rural electricity in Abaji Area council of Nigeria should improve upon by the Nigerian government and ensure that there is prompt electricity supply in the Abaji since it enhance performance as well as encouraging producers zobo in Abaji to preserve the zobo in their refrigerator. Zobo producers should continue to apply their entrepreneurial skills and knowledge such as their practical skills, research skills, creative skills, ability to recognize opportunity, ability to creative opportunity and immediately take action to achieve pre-determine goal.


Quantum computers are designed based on quantum mechanics. They have special features such as entanglement and parallelism, which do not exist in classic mechanicsbased computers. Therefore, quantum algorithms have their own privilege for solving some problems compare to classic ones such as finding the minimum value of a function in optimization problems. For instance, finding the minimum of N elements in quantum method is faster than classic method. In this case, having information about N elements of distribution does not reduce the cost of finding the minimum value in classic method due to linear search of each element. But in quantum method, all elements are simultaneously considered as well as distribution information, which is related to the whole elements. This distribution information effectively influences on finding the minimum value. Numerical simulations show having mean and variance of N elements can reduces the cost of minimum finding through quantum method by %40. Furthermore, it is shown the greater variance causes less cost.


&NA; Tauopathies are neurodegenerative diseases characterized by tau protein pathology in the nervous system. EIF2AK3 (eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 alpha kinase 3), also known as PERK (protein kinase R‐like endoplasmic reticulum kinase), was identified by genome‐wide association study as a genetic risk factor in several tauopathies. PERK is a key regulator of the Unfolded Protein Response (UPR), an intracellular signal transduction mechanism that protects cells from endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. PERK variants had previously been identified in Wolcott‐Rallison Syndrome, a rare autosomal recessive metabolic disorder, and these variants completely abrogated the function of PERK's kinase domain or prevented PERK expression. In contrast, the PERK tauopathy risk variants were distinct from the Wolcott‐Rallison variants and introduced missense alterations throughout the PERK protein. The function of PERK tauopathy variants and their effects on neurodegeneration are unknown. Here, we discovered that tauopathy‐associated PERK alleles showed reduced signaling activity and increased PERK protein turnover compared to protective PERK alleles. We found that iPSC‐derived neurons carrying PERK risk alleles were highly vulnerable to ER stress‐induced injury with increased tau pathology. We found that chemical inhibition of PERK in human iPSC‐derived neurons also increased neuronal cell death in response to ER stress. Our results indicate that tauopathy‐associated PERK alleles are functional hypomorphs during the UPR. We propose that reduced PERK function leads to neurodegeneration by increasing neuronal vulnerability to ER stress‐associated damage. In this view, therapies to enhance PERK signaling would benefit at‐risk carriers of hypomorphic alleles.


Helmets are designed to prevent catastrophic brain injury such as skull fractures and intracranial hemorrhage. Helmets do not prevent concussion, and are sometimes used as a weapon that may actually lead to a concussive injury. Football helmets are certified by the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE), and the National Football League has also developed criteria for evaluating football helmets independent of NOCSAE. To mitigate concussion and repetitive head impact exposure, the head needs to be taken out of the game, irrespective of the use of helmets.


ABSTRACT The important role of citizen movements towards dissolving the conceptual and practical imperatives of urban modernism during the 1960s and 1970s is widely accepted. However, the ideological impulses and social character shaping this movement are less known, particularly in the Australian context. Amid the growing discontent towards modernism and renewal, the outlooks of resident and voluntary organizations had the potential to intersect with the perspectives of government and development bodies: both sought to achieve vibrant, prosperous, and fashionable urban environments. The intersections of these seemingly opposed points of view demonstrates that it could be simultaneously envisioned that either by encouraging or obstructing renewal, Melbourne had the potential to harness the latest international trends in urban ideas, economy and design. Adopting the case study of the nineteenth-century Queen Victoria Market, a fresh food market on Melbourne's city edge marked for renewal to facilitate the expansion of the CBD, the article demonstrates that both overlapping and competing interests marked the end of modernism. It also identifies ensuing conceptual and practical opportunities for governance, development, design, conservation and community involvement, which facilitated the flourishing in urban thought, policy and participation in 1970s Australia.


The pandemic outbreak presented many challenges to higher education in the UAE, but the government and universities adapted quickly to ensure that students could continue their studies without interruption. The Ministry of Education launched a virtual learning initiative that provided universities and colleges with the necessary guidance and resources to deliver their courses and lectures remotely. The government offered financial assistance and launched several initiatives to help students access the necessary tools and technology to continue their studies remotely, such as providing laptops and tablets to students who needed them. The Department of Chemistry at UAEU shifted to online learning, provided faculty-wide support, and ensured that every student was able to participate in digital learning. The measures taken by the UAE government and the Department of Chemistry at UAEU ensured the safety of its students and staff while continuing to deliver quality education.


Aim. Anatomic variations of the sinonasal region are commonly seen in people. Recently, the developments in paranasal sinus surgery increased the need for detailed knowledge of the anatomy and pathology of this region. Computed tomography (CT) is a research method that shows the anatomy and pathology of the paranasal sinus at the highest level. Method. In this study, the aim was to determine the frequency of anatomical variations of sinonasal region by reviewing the coronal section CT scans of 1008 patients admitted to Cumhuriyet University, The Ear Nose and Throat Clinic between January 1999 and January 2009 retrospectively Results. The analysis of the 1008 patients' CT scans revealed that mucosal changes were present in 645 patients (64%; Group 1), the remaining 363 patients (36%, Group 2) had no mucosal changes. When all of the cases in this study were examined in terms of anatomical variations, there were no significant differences between Group 1 and group 2 regarding pterygoid process pneumatization, anterior clinoid pneumatization and septum pneumatization (p>0.05). There were significant differences between the groups regarding all anatomic variations outside of the above-mentioned cases (p<0.05). Sinusitis were present in 548 (67.7%) of 809 variation-positive cases, whereas 261 (%32.3) of 809 variation-positive cases did not have sinusitis. Conclusion. There are not definite results in the literature about the prevalence of anatomical variations of paranasal sinuses. We believe that the differences of the results of this retrospective study conducted on a large sample arise from the genetic, gender and racial differences as well as evaluation of only coronal section CT scans.


This paper provides a survey of the Estonian reception of Boccaccio's oeuvre since its beginnings in the 18th century to the reception of the latest publication of the Estonian Decameron in 2004. As the translator of the second work by Boccaccio to be published in Estonian, The Elegy of Lady Fiammetta , I subsequently characterise a number of the major points of the reception of that particular book as well, both in the world and from the Estonian perspective. In the vein of expanding the understanding of and the Estonian reception of Boccaccio's works as a whole, this article finally discusses and disputes a claim about the handling of tragic motifs in Boccaccio's oeuvre in the chapter dedicated to Boccaccio of Erich Auerbach's monograph Mimesis: the Representation of Reality in Western Literature .


Based on pre-clinical data showing patterns of aberrant methylation in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and evidence of cellular differentiation associated with reversal of methylation by decitabine [1–3], MDS became a prime candidate for development of the hypomethylating agents decitabine and 5-azacytidine. Noteworthy, albeit fewer, reports have been published which suggest that acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) might also be amenable to intervention with these agents. Some of these reports provide evidence that promoter regions of genes associated with biological and prognostic importance in ALL are methylated and can be demethylated with exposure to decitabine, including the putative tumor suppressor gene FHIT in pediatric ALL [4,5], and ERG isoforms and BMP-6 in T-ALL [6,7]. Arraybased approaches have also identified a multitude of additional aberrantly methylated genes in ALL that may warrant further investigation [8,9]. There are few reports of clinical investigations exploring the activity of decitabine or 5-azacytidine monotherapy in ALL. The authors of a Letter to the Editor in this issue of Leukemia and Lymphoma cite the report of a single pediatric patient with ALL who achieved a complete response (CR) with decitabine and dexamethasone, and an older study wherein two responses were seen among 23 patients with ALL receiving three different schedules of 5-azacytidine. Additional patients with ALL may be included in acute leukemia studies, such as the one patient who was treated in a phase 1 decitabine study, but was not listed among the responders [10], but response data are not yet available for a uniformly treated cohort with ALL. More recently, interim data from a phase 1 study of decitabine in relapsed and refractory ALL was reported in abstract form in 2009 [11], and updated results should be forthcoming. In this Letter to the Editor, the authors describe the clinical course of a single adult patient with concurrent MDS and ALL who achieved a morphologic remission of ALL with MDS-directed 5-azacytidine therapy [12]. Post-treatment, the patient had cytogenetic evidence of persistent MDS with residual cytopenias, presumably due to MDS. This observation, in addition to available pre-clinical data and earlier clinical reports, provides a hint that the epigenetic regulation of genes contributing to the pathophysiology of ALL should be further and more systematically studied, and that consideration be given to continued testing of DNA methyltransferase inhibitors in pediatric and adult patients with ALL in the context of clinical trials. For example, future trials could target untreated older patients with ALL, given their characteristic relative intolerance to standard therapeutic approaches and the acceptable toxicity of these agents in MDS trials in which the median age was approximately 70 years. Younger patients would also benefit from more treatment options. In the arena of new drug development for acute leukemias, ALL often 'takes a back seat' to acute myeloid leukemia. Although hypomethylating agents have secured their place in the management of acute myeloid leukemia and MDS, this report and others suggest that the potential of the hypomethylating agents in ALL and other lymphoid malignancies may be untapped.


The Ethics of Fetal Tissue Transplants Heretofore, damage to the brain or spinal cord, whether from injury or disease, has been considered irreversible. There is no satisfactory cure for Parkinson's or Alzheimer's disease, for paraplegia resulting from spinal cord injury, for certain forms of epilepsy, or for a host of other less common but equally grave neurologic disorders. This situation may soon change. Over the last ten years, animal experiments have demonstrated that transplantation of appropriate fetal brain tissue to an impaired adult brain can in certain cases restore normal function. Human fetal brain tissue recently was used in transplants for patients with Parkinson's disease in Mexico and Sweden, and similar procedures are planned or underway in China, Canada and elsewhere. Future uses of fetal tissue may not be restricted to neurosurgery but might include transplanting of fetal pancreas to treat diabetes mellitus or fetal liver for certain blood and metabolic disorders. The prospect of therapeutic use of human fetal tissue has aroused strong emotions. Objections have been raised on several grounds: * The requisite killing and dissection of the fetus both are an abuse to the developing human being and brutalize those who perform them. Further, the therapeutic use of fetal tissue will encourage abortion, may motivate conception with the express intent to abort, and might even lead to the sale of fetuses and fetal material. * Collection of fetal tissue in a medically useful form exposes the mother to unnecessary risk, while transplantation of such tissue exposes the recipient to unacceptable risk. * The medical use of human fetal tissue has unacceptable social consequences. * The legal safeguards necessary to overcome these objections are either undesirable or unenforceable. Such objections raise important issues for the most immediate practical application of fetal tissue, the transplantation of human fetal dopamine-secreting neurons to the brains of patients with medically unresponsive Parkinson's disease. Scientific Grounds Parkinson's disease is a devastating neurologic disorder that occurs when neurons degenerate in the region of the midbrain called the substantia nigra. Normally, fibers from these cells secrete the chemical dopamine in forebrain regions important for regulating movement. In the absence of normal dopamine secretion, the patient suffers from a variety of impairments including rigidity, difficulty initiating movements, and tremor. The underlying causes of the disease are unknown and there is currently no cure. Existing drug treatments inevitably lead to unacceptable side effects, and as the disease itself progresses the patient becomes unable to carry out the essential activities of daily life. Animal experiments over the last decade have demonstrated that fetal dopaminergic neurons can be grafted to the brain, restoring normal movement to rats and monkeys with experimentally induced Parkinson's disease. Similar grafts of tissue from adult adrenal glands, which also produce dopamine have been shown to have beneficial effects in animal experiments. Such a procedure has been performed in at least one hundred patients with Parkinson's disease in Mexico, China, Sweden, and the United States. While it would be premature to draw definitive conclusions about the therapeutic value of this procedure, there appear to be no significant adverse effects. Nonetheless, based on animal experiments, it is likely that grafts of fetal human dopamine-secreting neurons will be substantially more effective than adrenal grafts. Procedures for transplanting human fetal neurons are under development in a number of laboratories, and at least five operations have been performed in Mexico City, Stockholm, and Birmingham, England. [1] Numerous factors influence the success of neuronal transplantation to the brain. …


In the summer of 1896 or '97 Hugo von Hofmannsthal and his father, Dr. Hugo Hofmannsthal, were sitting in a train bound for Bad Fusch, a small resort in the Austrian Alps and the favorite vacation spot of the Hofmannsthals. Sitting in the same compartment with them were four attractive young ladies whose pleasing demeanor prompted the poet's father to exclaim, in English: "Nice girls!" "Yes," answered the poet, "but there are too many of them!" The Hofmannsthals' attempt to be discreet was unsuccessful; the girls' blushes and giggles attested to their proficiency in English. Introductions and a lengthy conversation followed; they marked the beginning of a long acquaintance between the Hofmannsthal family and the four daughters of Hofrat Dr. Albert Speyer.


Recently, there have been many published articles on implementing the enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) (www.erassociety.org) protocols with special reference to gastrointestinal surgery.[1,2] ERAS is a clinical pathway proposed to improve the outcome and to speed the recovery process after surgery.[3] In implementing enhanced recovery after bariatric surgery (ERABS) protocol, it was found that the use of ERABS ensured the highest safety standards.[3,4] ERAS guidelines for the postoperative management were successfully implemented in gynecologic/oncology surgery.[5] Looking in depth to the ERAS protocols, you will find that anesthesia plays an important role in many aspects of ERAS, including patient education, preoperative evaluation and optimization, anesthesia choice and medication, fluid therapy, temperature monitoring, and postoperative analgesia. Therefore, the term enhanced recovery after anesthesia (ERAA) is accurately describes ERAS protocols. We have designed the ERAA ladder which summarizes all aspects of ERAS protocols including the background, preoperative, intraoperative as well as postoperative management [Figure 1]. Briefly, if you look into the background section, you will find the most important three pillars of the protocol including the risk assessment, optimization of preexisting organ function, and education. Furthermore, a brief note is given insulin resistance in terms of long fasting hours and the trend nowadays of giving preoperative carbohydrates to reduce surgical stress. In the preoperative section, you will find the most important risk stratification tools commonly used in clinical practice with strong recommendation grade. Of note the Lee index which grades the patient as high risk if he/she has a history of ischemic heart disease and or cerebrovascular disease, heart failure, diabetes mellitus who is undergoing high-risk surgery with a creatinine level >177 mmol/l. Smoking cessation for at least 4 weeks Is enhanced recovery after anesthesia a synonym to enhanced recovery after surgery?


e15505 Background: Patients with advanced gynecologic cancer often have massive ascites and pleural effusion, requiring frequent paracentesis (PC). Triamcinolone acetonide (TA) is a slowly metabolized corticosteroid. We evaluated the efficacy of intraperitoneal and intrapleural administrations of TA for control of malignant ascites and pleural effusion.

METHODS
We conducted a retrospective review of 48 patients with gynecologic cancer who were treated with PC followed by 400 mg of TA at our institutions since 2005.

RESULTS
Intraperitoneal TA therapy was performed in 44 patients (38 ovarian, 3 endometrial, 3 cervical) and intrapleural therapy in 4 (2 ovarian, 1 cervical, 1 endometrial), of whom 31 (65%) had recurrent cancer. Twenty-five (52%) were treated in a palliative setting, while 23 (48%) underwent chemotherapy (n=21) or surgery (n=2) following TA therapy. The median age of all patients was 60 years (range, 36-80). ECOG performance status (PS) before TA therapy was 1 in 2, 2 in 10, 3 in 28, and 4 in 8, with 43 (90%) showing improved PS after therapy. In addition, the interval between PC treatments was prolonged in 16 of 21 (76%) assessable patients. One patient complained of abdominal pain (grade 2, NCI-CTCAE ver.3) 1 day after TA therapy, while bowel perforation occurred 7 days after TA therapy in 2 ovarian cancer patients in a palliative setting. Median overall survival after therapy in a palliative setting was 20 days (range: 5-168), while it was 137 days (range: 15-1319) in other settings.

CONCLUSIONS
Intraperitoneal and intrapleural TA administrations were found to be feasible and effective for patients receiving either palliative or aggressive treatment.


Granta has been, since its inception, an important literature-disseminating vehicle. With this analysis, we intend to understand the role women have been having as collaborators of this literary magazine. For this purpose, the 132 issues of Granta released between the fall of 1979 and the summer of 2015 were qualitatively analyzed. It was concluded that the presence of women as collaborators of Granta is clearly inferior and that the gender of collaborators seems to also have an influence over the theme and the literary genre to be published, but not over the opportunities given to emerging authors. The gender of the editors who select collaborators is also a weighty variable on the final panorama. Finally, the participation of women in Granta has shown a tendency to increase. kEywORDS Granta; gender; publication; literature; inequality. Introduction: Of Granta and the Objectives of this Analysis Granta – The Magazine of New Writing is, in its current form, a literary British magazine which has been dedicating itself to the promotion and diffusion both of already consecrated authors, but also of new authors who are still taking their first steps in the world of literature. Granta as we know it today appeared in 1979, with Bill Bufford as editor, with a fixed quadrienal format having been adopted as of 1983. Since 1979, 132 issues of Granta have been published, each with a different theme to which several writers dedicate themselves. All these issues have been analyzed in the context of this research paper, including works of fiction, essays, memoirs, poetry, interviews and artistic pieces hailing from a variety of countries. It is important, however, to keep in mind that, while in terms of the sort of literature they produce, the authors included in the many numbers of Granta don't seem to work according to the repetitive and comfortable paradigm characteristic of cultural industries which Adorno (2003) theorized, they would eventually insert themselves in the scope of these same cultural industries, since they would start a literary career that would get them involved in the world of publishing. What this research paper intends is to analyze the participation that women have had as collaborators of Granta in the 36 years of its existence. In what pertains to methodology, a qualitative approach was adopted, based on the analysis of the contents of the summaries of the current 132 issues of Granta. Before the gathering of data and the establishment of conclusions (which brought to light issues that had not been previously considered), it was 1 M.A. Student in Publishing Studies, University of Aveiro: email: firstname.lastname@example.com. 2 Professor in the PhD Program in Cultural Studies, Universities of Aveiro and Minho, email: email@example.com. 3 Assistant professor at the Potiguae University and postdoctoral student at the University of Aveiro, email: firstname.lastname@example.com. 471 expected that the number of female collaborators of Granta would be relatively low when compared to the number of male collaborators. It was also thought, taking into account the theme-oriented character of the publication, that the number of female authors would be higher in themes socially considered feminine (such as the topics of Home, Children or Love Stories), and that their participation would be lower in themes socially considered masculine (here topics related to war, politics, sports or economy were included). It was further assumed that women would mostly work with fiction, while men would primordially prefer essays and non-fiction in general. Finally, it was anticipated that there would be a bigger percentage of male collaborators still unknown, as opposed to a number of female collaborators still unacknowledged that was expected to be smaller. Theoretical Framework: Of (In)Equality and Gender-Based Stereotype Beere, King, Beere and King (1984) defined gender-role equality as the ability to view individuals regardless of their gender. Thereby, no one, either male or female, would be discriminated against based on gender, and the opportunities that a person would be presented with and judgment of his or her true capabilities would not be dependent on any perception made biased by gender. However, a careful evaluation of current reality, even after the strong and demanding feminist movements of the 60s through to the 80s, will showcase the fact that this state of equality still hasn't been established. There are, in fact, several studies that corroborate this notion on various levels. Steinpreis, Anders and Ritzke (1999) exposed the way how, in job-searching situations, with equal CVs, men end up being favored. Eigenberg and Whalley (2015) concluded that parity is still nonexistent in academic publishing by analyzing the publication of women in journals on the criminology field. Goldin and Rouse (2000) analyzed the discrimination to which women were submitted during auditions for orchestras, even concluding that the number of hired women would increase when gender-blind auditions were held. Eagly and Karau (2002) dealt with the issue of the glass ceiling and the reasons for which women still see themselves prevented from reaching jobs involving great power and responsibility. Ceci, Williams and Barnett (2009) sought to understand the still worryingly low number of women working in fields related to science. A reason that would explain why this discriminative framework still remains could be the prevalence, even nowadays, of gender stereotypes. Williams, Satterwhite and Best (1999) believed that gender stereotypes would have their roots in the different psychological characteristics attributed to men and women, with these stereotypes being either universal or specific to a given culture. The psychological characteristics we attribute to members of both genders will then influence the way we view their capabilities and, consequently, the way we evaluate their suitability for certain tasks or roles – which would greatly explain the aforementioned situations. The wrongfulness of many of these stereotypes is confirmed by Ross and Geffner (1980), who mention the research of Pheterson, Kiesler and Goldberg (1971) in which it was understood that, while men and women were evaluated in an egalitarian way when their work was already amply recognized, women would still be discriminated against when they were still relatively unknown. Therefore, for women, the problem would be in GRANTA AND THE FEMININE – THE INFLUENCE OF GENDER ON PUBLISHING OPTIONS


In order to solve the problem of self-adaptive and accurate segmentation of knuckleprint,this paper brings forward a new segmentation algorithm of knuckleprint based on modified Gabor filter.In the stage of calculation of character direction,this algorithm uses the direction of finger axis as Gbor filter's direction,which solves the problem of rotation overflow and singular value region in traditional Gabor filter.In the segmentation stage,this algorithm uses certain frequence value to processing characteristics of knuckleprint,which can reduce time-consuming and avoid to calculate with certain projection value of Gbor parameters.Emulation experiment shows that this algorithm not only reduce time-consuming,get rid of noise and hand-shape affection but also robust in different quality images.


The initial surface absorption test (ISAT) is examined in detail. An equation describing water absorption through an ISAT geometry circular absorbing surface is developed. It is shown that the test...


Continuous phase modulation, as the constant-envelop digital modulation scheme, has high spectral and power efficiency. However, how to realize the low-complexity demodulation for continuous phase modulation scheme is a challenge. In this paper, we give a new demodulation method based on maximum a posteriori probability and tilted-phase algorithm for continuous phase modulation scheme. Compared to the typical Viterbi algorithm, the proposed new demodulation algorithm can obtain similar demodulation performance. Moreover, the new algorithm does not require the redundancy modulation symbol to provide auxiliary information. The transmission efficiency is higher.


We study how external habit formation by investors affects the transmission of financial crises. Habit formation increases the effective risk premium on assets when there is a negative wealth shock and introduces non-linearities which can lead to multiple equilibria. We embed this investor's behavior in the Jeanne (1997) model which allows for a competitiveness effect and for contagion through changes in fundamentals. Habit formation, however, can lead to transmission of financial crises even in the absence of the competitiveness effect, and makes multiple equilibria more likely. The possible stabilization effects of capital controls and a Tobin tax on the international transmission of financial crises are also discussed.


Far from being a mere rebuttal against romanticized views of the Middle Ages, Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court engages constructively with the medievalist milieu of the late-Victorian fin-de-siècle. Twain depicts sixth-century England as a time of squalor, but he extends a level of appreciation to the selflessness of King Arthur. Framing time-traveling rabble-rouser Hank Morgan as a symbol of both Enlightenment reformism and self-aggrandizing authoritarianism that justifies wanton violence through abstract claims of societal progress, Twain is as critical of industrial commercialism as of medieval feudalism. This article argues Twain engages with the same questions as the more overtly medievalist writers of the fin-de-siècle, specifically William Morris. While Morris was more laudatory toward the medieval period, this article asserts they both staunchly criticized the solipsism and obsession with technology they believed defined the industrial age without desiring merely to re-create the hierarchies of the past.


Modern armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs) are provided with compact and efficient coolingsystems. Any increase in volume warrants the protection which, in turn, increases the weightand size of the vehicle. In a combat vehicle, space is at premium. The AFVs (battle tanks) usedby the Indian Army were found to be overheating when operated in deserts at very high-ambienttemperatures of 323K (50 oC). This imposes severe restrictions in operating the tanks for prolongedtime in deserts. The various subsystems of the cooling pack were investigated scientifically andan optimised solution was arrived at, implemented and proved successful in the subsequentdesert trials. This paper deals with the details of investigations, modifications, and the resultsof studies on bridge layer tank (BLT–T72).Defence Science Journal, 2008, 58(1), pp.77-85, DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.14429/dsj.58.1626


This paper, by analyzing the laws of development for hi-tech industry, points out some effective ways to perform governmental functions according to various stages the hi-tech industry reaches.


The Internet of Things (IoT) is one of the most widely used technologies today, the number of IoT connections growing by 18% to 14.4 Billion active endpoints globally. Thus, with such a large scale IoT application, security becomes the focus. The issue of intrusion and interception has been a controversial and much disputed subject within the field of IoT security. The main limitation of IoT security, however, is a single security technology cannot ensure security of the IoT system. The Internet of Things requires diverse technologies applied at different layers to work together to ensure security. Based on these problems, proposed a security solution with integrity is necessary. Edge computing is a great way to solve security problems for resource-constrained devices. This paper proposes a machine learning and cryptography combined IoT security scheme at edge computing, achieves monitoring and detection abnormal behaviors of IoT system and automatically responds at an early stage. Designed a lightweight key management scheme without third-party involvement. The combination of active detection and passive protection for IoT security is achieved. Meanwhile, data for this study were collected using Edge-IIoTset dataset for the prediction of IoT security threats in edge computing networks. In this paper, experiments offers some important insights into the model selection for the prediction of time series data. The models selected include Support Vector Machine(SVM), K-Nearest Neighbor(KNN), and Long Short-Term Memory(LSTM) models. The significance of the comparison of several models is to assess their accuracy in detecting IoT communication data. To compares the performance of models, the following performance evaluation parameters were used: Precision, Recall and F1-Score. This study has identified LSTM has better precision in time series data such as communication data, 10% more precision than the other models used in this paper.


Abstract The microstructural study of the La1/3Sr2/3FeO3−ysystem by electron diffraction and microscopy shows that for they= 0.1 composition, La and Sr are ordered in small domains preserving the 1:2 ratio and following a sinusoidal modulation. This ordered state disappears when no oxygen vacancies are present (y= 0), the material presenting a small rhombohedral distortion.


This study investigates the impact of active investment management on the efficiency of public security markets. The scholarly literature indicates that active management contributes to market efficiency, thereby providing positive externalities for all investors, including investors in passively-managed funds. Contrary to popular interpretations of Sharpe's (1991) "active arithmetic," the benefits of active management are amplified in small- and mid-capitalization U.S. stocks, enhancing the ability of these companies to raise capital for investments in the real economy. Across all public corporations, the improved efficiency afforded by active management helps to discipline capital expenditures by corporations through a more efficient stock price.


Supply chain management (SCM) is an emerging field that has commanded attention and support from the industrial community. Forecasting activities are widely performed in different categories of supply chains for predicting important supply chain management (SCM) comparis ons such as demand volume in order management, product quality in manufacturing processes, capacity usage in production management, traffic costs in transportation management and so on. Demand forecast taking inventory into consideration is an critical issue in SCM. The demand is forecasted using SIMULATION and compared with various forecasting models. The paper describes an application of discrete event simulation for forecasting the demand for next few periods, where the previous demand pattern show a purely random variation and increasing trend with random variation. The main objective of the study was to determine the demand of the product for future periods based on past data using simulation technique and compare its efficiency with conventional techniques for the SCM environment. By simulation we can forecast the demand either with the same accuracy or with more accuracy by increasing number of iterations. Mean absolute deviation (MAD) is used as measure of accuracy of various techniques. In this paper, this technique is verified by considering a case study which deals with the demand of tyres over past three years(2002,2003,2004) and forecasting the demand in the present year(2005) and successful results are obtained.