Given $k$ natural numbers $\{a_1, \ldots ,a_k\} \subset \mathbb{N}$ with $1 \leq a_1 < a_2 < \ldots < a_k$ and $\mathrm{gcd} (a_1, \ldots ,a_k)=1$, let be $R(a_1, \ldots ,a_k) = \{ \lambda_1 a_1+ \cdots + \lambda_k a_k | \space \lambda_i \in \mathbb{N}, i=1 \div k\}$ and $\overline{R}(a_1, \ldots ,a_k) = \mathbb{N} \backslash R (a_1, \ldots ,a_k)$. It is easy to see that $| \overline{R}(a_1, \ldots ,a_k)| < \infty$. The $\textit{Frobenius Problem}$ related to the set $\{a_1, \ldots ,a_k\}$ consists on the computation of $f(a_1, \ldots ,a_k)=\max \overline{R} (a_1, \ldots ,a_k)$, also called the $\textit{Frobenius number}$, and the cardinal $| \overline{R}(a_1, \ldots ,a_k)|$. The solution of the Frobenius Problem is the explicit computation of the set $\overline{R} (a_1,\ldots ,a_k)$. In some cases it is known a sharp upper bound for the Frobenius number. When $k=3$ this bound is known to be $$F(N)=\max\limits_{\substack{0 \lt a \lt b \lt N \\ \mathrm{gcd}(a,b,N)=1}} f(a,b,N)= \begin{cases} 2(\lfloor N/2 \rfloor -1)^2-1 & \textrm{if } N \equiv 0 (\mod 2),\\ 2 \lfloor N/2 \rfloor (\lfloor N/2 \rfloor -1) -1 & \textrm{if } N \equiv 1 (\mod 2).\\ \end{cases}$$ This bound is given in [Dixmier1990]. In this work we give a geometrical proof of this bound which allows us to give the solution of the Frobenius problem for all the sets $\{\alpha ,\beta ,N\}$ such that $f(\alpha ,\beta ,N)=F(N)$.


The growing prominence of English language in the field of international trade and commerce, its essentiality for learners to capture right opportunities in the Market necessitates continuous research and improvement in the field of ELT. Poor linguistic competencies of students may be due to ineffective method of teaching. This is the driving force behind incessant exploration and reformation in the existing system. There is an outcry by the Private Sector in India that students who are graduating schools, colleges and universities are finding it difficult to dive into Job Market and bag suitable opportunities. Utilizing the features of technology emerging during the instruction process will serve as a Catalyst in the process of imparting quality inputs. English Language and integration of ICT tools in curriculum strengthen's linguistic foundation of Students for better and quick gains in Language. The present paper aims at throwing light into the area of conceptual framework of ICT integration into methodology of teaching English and highlights the need and advantages, features and instructional sequence of integrated approach in language teaching.


Radio spectrum perceives the need for a new paradigm considering its ineffectual use. With such an incentive, Cognitive Radio (CR) paved its way to exploit unused frequency bands in an opportunistic fashion. CR extends different functionalities for its dynamic behavior amongst which spectrum sharing holds a significant place. This paper reviews the state-of-art proposals on the subject of spectrum sharing in CRN and presents an overview on the attributes of allocation and access mechanisms. Finally, it highlights some of the challenging issues for future research in this area.


Catalytic combustion is a promising technology to stabilize lean combustion with low pollutant emissions. Catalytic combustion has been applied to gas turbine combustors; however, some drawbacks of this technology remain to be addressed. In this work, a new concept is demonstrated to overcome the problems of catalytic combustion by using dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) instead of a catalyst. A premixed lean methane-air mixture preheated to 400 °C with an equivalence ratio of 0.45 is flowed through the DBD reactor under atmospheric pressure. Almost complete combustion is achieved with a DBD power of 0.7% of the net calorific value of the mixture. The exhaust emissions are NO=20 ppm, NO2=2 ppm, CO=2 ppm, and HC≅0 ppm. This work demonstrates that DBD-assisted combustion is a potential alternative to catalytic combustion.


Objective:To study the effect of Shehuang Xiaoliu Fang (SHXLF)on treatment of invasion and metastasis in mice with transplanted liver cancer,and to research the possible mechanism. Methods:Observe the index of lymph nodes,thymuses,spleens of the mice(SPF) which were transplanted liver cancer(H22)subcutaneously into left footpads to be established as experimental lymphatic metastasis models,the invasion and metastasis occurring in footpads and lymph nodes,and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF),the microvascular density (MVD) in tumor tissues were measured by immunohistochemistry staining. Results:The SHXLF treatment groups could decrease the level of invasion and metastasis in footpads and popliteal fosaa lymph nodes of hepatocellular carcinoma,the index of lymph,and the high dose group(group D) were significantly decreased(P0.05). The SHXLF middle,high dose groups(group C,D) could significantly increase index of thymus(P0.05).On the other hand,the group B,C,D could significantly decrease the VEGF content and MVD. Conclusion:The SHXLF can inhibit invasion and lymphatic metastasis of liver tumor in the experimental mice by improving immune functions,killing the carcinoma cell,and decreasing the expression of VEGF and MVD.


Recently, many of researchers have been studied in data processing oriented middleware for wireless sensor networks with the rapid advances on sensor and wireless communication technologies. In a wireless sensor network, a middleware should handle the data loss problem at an intermediate sensor node caused by instantaneous data burstness to support efficient processing and fast delivering of the sensing data. To handle this problem, a simple data discarding or data compressing policy for reducing the total amount of data to be transferred is typically used. But, data discarding policy decreases the correctness of a collected data, in other hand, data compressing policy requires additional processing overhead with the high complexity of the given algorithm. In this paper, it proposes a data-average method for enhancing the efficiency of data aggregation and correctness where the sensed data should be delivered only with the limited computing power and energy resource. With the proposed method, unnecessary data transfer of the overlapped data is eliminated and data correctness is enhanced by using the proposed averaging scheme when an instantaneous data burstness is occurred. Finally, with the TOSSTM simulation results on TinyBB, we show that the correctness of the transferred data is enhanced.


A helium microwave-induced plasma (He-MIP) was used in combination with oscillating interference filters as an element-selective detector for capillary gas chromatography. Spectral selection of the MIP radiation was achieved only by narrow band optical interference filters, without installation of a monochromator system. Oscillating optical filters were introduced into this system to register photoelectric signals with the aid of a lock-in amplifier and the modulation technique. A preliminary characterisation of this detector was carried out by investigating the selective and linear behaviour and determining the detection limits. Further, chromatograms of multi-component mixtures were recorded by multi-element detection using several filters and the introduction of a beam-splitting light-guide optic. In addition, tentative experiments, designed to examine the possibility of empirical formula measurements, have been demonstrated by two examples.


This paper analyzes a simple test statistic for abnormal returns in the presence of stochastic volatility during both event and non-event windows and in the presence of event-induced variance increase. Unlike previous tests, the parametric test evaluated here does not require that the volatility effect of the event be the same across all securities. Simulations show that the test exhibits non-trivial gains in power over the previous parametric and non-parametric tests. At the same time, the true null hypothesis is rejected at appropriate levels.


In the article the results of the research of cognition-psychological resource of sportsmen ore submitted. The insufficient level of its development Is revealed especially in sportsmen of low qualification. The mfluenceof a cognition-psychological resourceonbehnviorin varioussituationsand results of performance on competitions is shown.


We report on a 19-year-old boy with visible muscle spasms admitted to the hospitals 24 hours after spider bite. He was treated effectively with intravenous calcium gluconate followed by oral calcium supplements and made a full recovery 48 hours after the incident. Although no specific treatment exists in Srilanka, it has been suggested that calcium supplements may be beneficial to relieve the muscle spasms. Our patient made a full recovery with calcium supplements suggesting the treatment with calcium is beneficial in relieving the pain and muscle spasms caused by Sri-Lankan Ornamental Tarantula Poecilotheria fasciata. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/amj.v7i1.6136 Anuradhapura Medical Journal 2013 7(1): 10-12


First published in 1974, this work has been out of print for several years. A photographic study of New Mexico's vernacular architecture focuses on the village buildings of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, arranged so readers can compare architectural details or study building types.


Rationale: Microthrombosis has been suggested as a major factor contributing to delayed neurological deterioration in patients after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Autopsy studies in humans show mi...


ASIC has succeeded in Federal Court proceedings against Newcrest Mining Ltd arising out of the company's selective briefings to analysts. The briefings, given in May/June 2013, related to the company's expected gold production and capital expenditure for FY 14.


Fault detection in planet bearings is difficult. This is particularly true in wind turbines, where the main rotor shaft is under 20 rpm, such that the planet fault frequency can be sub 1 Hz. This papers analyzes a missed fault on a wind turbine planet bearing, and discuses how changes in the analysis configuration then allowed this type of fault to be detected. Raw data from ten machines was collected. From this, a strategy for fault feature identification was developed, to include: the evaluation of window selection, biasing of the data set with faulted components, and the use of improve analysis techniques. This allowed meaningful and appropriate thresholds to be set. 1. THE WIND TURBINE MARKET There are over 1000 utility scales wind energy projects, representing 74,000 megawatts of power production in the United States. This comprises over 52,000 installed wind turbines, most of then less than 10 years old (AWEA Fact Check, 2016). The vast majority of these machines do not have condition monitoring equipment installed. Because of higher than expected failure rate of these machines, the number of condition monitoring retrofit opportunities is increasing. While condition monitoring does not affect the overall reliability of the wind turbine, monitoring gives the operator improved information into the balance of plant operations. Improved information allows the operator to better marshal logistic assets, resulting in reduced unscheduled maintenance. Additionally, condition monitoring allows the operator to have the right personnel and replacement parts needed for a repair, reduce the time needed for the repair. In many cases, replacing a damaged component, such as a bearing in the high-speed section when indicated by a condition monitoring system (CMS), can greatly reduce the cost of maintenance. These type of actions are performed "up tower" vs. a "down tower". Any "down tower" event will require marshaling a crane, and replacing the entire gearbox (perhaps $450,000 per event). This is compared to replacing a bearing up tower, which might cost $50,000. Recently, a number of 2.0 MW machines were retrofitted with a CMS. These machines had five years of operations and were assumed to be in a nominal state. Once every 10 minutes data was collected by the CMS using a commercial system. The data was processed locally (on the wind turbine) and condition indicators (CIs) were sent to a central server. Configuration data was then used to map the CIs into a component health indicator (HI), (Figure 1). Figure 1. Planet Bearing Health on Ten Machines, Initial Thresholds Using the CI data from all of the machines, the initial thresholds suggested that all 10 machines were nominal. This was not unexpected, as these machines had only operated for five years. Eric Bechhoefer et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE PROGNOSTICS AND HEALTH MANAGEMENT SOCIETY 2016 2 2. CALCULATION OF THE PLANET BEARING HEALTH INDICATOR Because no single CI has been identified that works with all fault modes, the concept of fusing n number of CIs into a bearing HI was presented in (Bechhoefer, He, 2012). The HI provide decision-making tool for the end user on the status of the systems' health. The HI consists of the integration of several CIs into one value that provides the health status of the component to the end user. Highlighted in (Bechhoefer et. al., 2007) are a number of advantages of the HI over CIs, such as: controlling false alarm rate, improved detection, and simplification of user display. This approach uses a well established statistical method. Further, it is a generalized process for threshold setting, where the HI is a function of distribution of CIs, regardless of the correlation between the CIs. To simplify presentation and knowledge creation for a user, a uniform meaning (e.g. a nomenclature) across all components in the monitored machine was developed. The measured CI statistics (e.g. PDFs) will be unique for each component type (due to different rates, materials, loads, etc.). This means that the critical values (thresholds) will be different for each monitored component. By using the HI one can normalize the CIs, such that the HI is independent of the component and have a common meaning across all components. The HI can be designed such that there are two alert levels: warning and alarm. This paradigm also provides a common nomenclature for the HI, such that: • The HI ranges from 0 to 1, where the probability of exceeding an HI of 0.5 for a nominal component (e.g. no damage) is the probability of false alarm (PFA). The nominal PFA is set to 10e-6. • A warning alert is generated when the HI is greater than or equal to 0.75. • An alarm alert is generated when the HI is greater than or equal to 1.0. Continued operations could cause collateral damage. Note that this nomenclature does not define a probability of failure for the component, or that the component fails when the HI is 1.0. Rather, it suggests a change in operator behavior to a proactive maintenance policy: perform maintenance opportunistically to reduce down time. 2.1. Controlling for the Correlation Between CIs All CIs have a probability distribution function (PDF). Any operation on the CI to form a health indicator (HI) is then a function of distributions. For the CMS, the HI function is taken as the norm of n CIs (energy). In general, the correlation between CIs is non-zero. This correlation implies that for a given function of distributions to have a threshold that operationally meets the design PFA, the CIs must be whitened (e.g. de-correlated). Fukunaga presented a whitening transform using the Eigenvector matrix multiplied by the square root of the Eigenvalues (diagonal matrix) of the covariance of the CIs: Α = Λ! !Φ! (1) where Φ! is the transpose of the Eigenvector matrix and Λ is the Eigenvalue matrix. The transform is not orthonormal as the Euclidean distances are not preserved in the transform. While ideal for maximizing the distance (separation) between classes (such as in a Bayesian classifier), the distribution of the original CI is not preserved. This property of the transform makes it inappropriate for threshold setting. If the CIs represented a metric, such as bearing energy, then a HI can be constructed which is the square of the normalized power (e.g. square root of the squared acceleration). A generalized whitening solution can be found using Cholesky decomposition (Becchoefer, 2011). The Cholesky decomposition of a Hermitian, positive definite matrix results in A = LL*, where L is a lower triangular, and L* is its conjugate transpose. By definition, the inverse covariance is a positive definite Hermitian. By construction: LL∗ = Σ!! (2)


The methodology for estimating wind effects presented in this paper is based on the database-assisted design approach. It accounts for the effects of wind directionality, for the effects of the uncertainties in the parameters that determine wind effects, and for the effects of building orientation. The methodology yields estimates of wind effects that are far more realistic than those based on the conventional building code approach, which disregards uncertainties in those parameters, as well as the effects of wind directionality and building orientation, or accounts for these effects through the use of a blanket reduction factor. The pilot software on which the calculations presented in this paper are based is a first step toward modern computer-intensive electronic standards wherein wind loads can be calculated by using database-assisted reliability-based calculations of wind effects. We believe such standards will go a long way toward achieving significantly safer and more economical buildings in regions affected by strong winds.


Following Talmy's (1988a, 2000) force-dynamics theory, the trajector-object (meaning-function) in BA-constructions is understood as the agonist involved in an interaction with other entities of the same force-dynamic event frame. The agonist is realised as the grammatical object (BA-marked). The trajector suggests that the entity is possibly involved in a change. Various trajector-object can occur with the same verb in BA-construction. I name these trajector-object variants. The choice of trajector-object in BA-constructions has surprisingly larger coverage than that of in English causative constructions. The former includes acted, the place where the action happens, an instrument, actor, time and etc. Talmy's (2000) event frame excluding "peripheral" elements (such as place, instrument, time and etc), I argue, is too narrow for the trajector-object variants in BA-constructions. To account for this, I propose the Cognitive Event Frame (CEF) which is richer than Talmy's (2000) event frame. CEF includes not only the core frame elements but the peripheral, extended frame elements, and gapped elements. All the CEF elements including peripheral and extended are possible to be the agonist, realised as the trajector-objects in BA-constructions. Besides, CEF consists of several sub-events with logical linkage to maintain the semantic coherence. A single CEF covering the variants indicates that the CEF is an economic model. The trajector-objects have different distribution with different verbs. I assume the distribution is associated with the semantics of co-occurring verb. The collostructional analysis, investigating two groups, the wrap group [guo (wrap), gai (cover), bao (wrap)] and the load group [tian (fill), zhuang (load), and sai (stuff) ] supports my assumption. I draw out the BA-examples with these verbs from the CNC (Balanced National Corpus of Modern Chinese). The trajector-object functions as (M)aterial or the acted-upon (O)bject/final goal. In terms of motion, they are marked as either (Th)eme or a patient (Pt). I calculate their token frequencies with the investigated verbs respectively and run the distinctive collexeme analysis (Gries and Stefanowitsch 2004) in R software. The analysis yields the results indicate that wrapping verbs and tian (fill) are more attracted to the resultative BA-construction with the O-Pt trajector-object; while the rest (sai (stuff), zhuang (load)) to caused-motion BA-construction with M-th trajector-object. These attractions match with the verb meanings— i.e., the former four verbs emphasis more on the change in state of the acted-upon entity/final goal; while the latter two are more focusing on expressing the motion of the involved material/media.


【Objective】Insecticidal activities and active compounds of Derris cavaleriei Gaghep. were studied.【Method】 Insecticidal and antifeedant activities were determined by leaf dip method and leaf disk method, respectively. The active ingredients were isolated from the roots by activity-directed fractionation with column chromatography, thin layer chromatography (TLC), and recrystallization, and identified predominantly on the basis of MS and NMR data. 【Result】The results showed that only the roots of D.cavaleriei exhibited insecticidal activity. The methanol extract from the roots of D. cavaleriei possesses toxicity against Myzus persicae, the 3rd instar larva of Pieris rapae (L.), the 4th instar larva of Aedes albopictus, the 3rd instar larva of Ostrinia furnacalis, the adult of Phyllotreta striolata (Fabricius), Aphis gossypii Golver and the 3rd instar larva of Herse convolvuli (L.), with corresponding LC50 values at 24 h after treatment being 30.9 mg·L-1, 38.4 mg·L-1, 135.4 mg·L-1, 161.7 mg·L-1, 180.3 mg·L-1, 212.9 mg·L-1 and 244.5 mg·L-1 at 24 h, respectirely. Five active ingredients, rotenone, 6a, 12a-dehydrodeguelin, tephrosin, isolonchcarpin and pongaflavone, were isolated and identified for the first time from the roots of the plant. Rotenoids, rotenone, 6a, 12a-dehydrodeguelin and tephrosin, had significant insecticidal activity against the 4th instar larva of A. albopictus, P. striolata, A. gossypii Golver and the 3rd instar larva of P. rapae with the mortality from 62.3% to 100% at a concentration of 100 mg·L-1. Isolonchcarpin and pongaflavone exhibited no insecticidal activity but antifeedant effect on the 3rd larva of H.convolvuli, with respective AFC50 values of 195.5 mg·L-1 and 106.6 mg·L-1 at 48 h after treatment. 【Conclusion】Only the roots of D. cavalerieiGaghep. had insecticidal activities against various agricultural insect pests. Rotenone, 6a, 12a-dehydrodeguelin, tephrosin, isolonchcarpin and pongaflavone were the major active ingredients.


The research method used to compile the data used in this article is the documentary method. This article represents an attempt to explore and understand the difficulties the stroke patient faces, and to celebrate the use of the pastoral conversation as a rehabilitative tool. The article explores the physical and mental deficits that result from a stroke and the patient's emotional reactions to them. The basic emotional reactions are fear, anger, depression, and feelings of isolation or loneliness. An attempt is then made to explore the possible meanings of the experience for the stroke patient. It is suggested that a commonly perceived meaning of the experience is conviction of sin. Through the pastor's understanding encounter with the stroke patient, the patient's experience can take on a variety of possible new meanings, most of them more positive. Forgiveness can be mediated as the pastor uses his own unique resources to enable the person to negotiate new "covenants" as a basis for his relationships to family, friends, and God. Pastoral resources discussed are not traditional resources, but creative human resources that the pastor possesses because of who he is.


Virtual education in dentistry is a difficult subject to deal with and understand, how can we train dentists at a distance, there has been talk of improving the teaching-learning process by emphasizing the importance of using innovative techniques.


Rab proteins are important for vesicle trafficking where they sort cargo, recruit effectors and control vesicle identity. Rab proteins must be bound to vesicle membranes to carry out these functions and they are therefore prenylated on (usually) two C‐terminal cysteins. Defects in prenylation can cause pathologies such as choroideremia, while Rab geranylgeranyl transferase inhibition appears to have therapeutic effects against cancer and osteoporosis. Therefore a method to measure prenylation in vivo would be an important research and diagnostic tool. However until now, there has been a paucity of methods to measure in vivo prenylation.


The major problem of this study is to reveal how Bethany's abnormality to keep her hope become true in Soul Surfer movie. The objective of this study is to analyze the movie based on its structural elements and an individual psychological approach. In analysis, the writer uses descriptive qualitative method. The object of this
study is Soul Surfer directed by Sean McNamara. The data sorces are primary and secondary data sources. The primary data source is Soul Surfer movie itself and the secondary data sources are the other sources related to the primary data such as informations about director's biography, websites, and the other sources such a book related to the analysis. The technique of the data collection are watching the movie repeatedly, taking note the important part, arranging the data into several groups, selecting particular parts that is important and relevant for analysis, drawing conclusion, educational implication, and formulate it's suggestion. The technique of data analysis is
descriptive analysis. The result of this study is presented in the following conclusions. First, Sean McNamara wants to describe that nothing is impossible in the world if human wants to believe, try hard, and do the best. He wants to show that lack or abnormality is not something that can limit people to achieve their hope. Love of God and lovely people is the most powerful thing to raise the dream. Second, based on individual psychological analysis, Sean McNamara wants to deliver optimism of Bethany Hamilton in her striving to achieve her hope with an abnormal condition.


Abstract Background Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CR-PA) producing Metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) cause severe nosocomial infections with no defined treatment. Combination therapy with ceftazidime/ avibactam (CZA) and aztreonam (ATM) is a potential option, but there is no approved, feasible, synergy testing method for clinical labs to guide clinical decision making. Here, we evaluate the performance of 4 synergy testing methods using gradient-strips or disks. Methods We used 10 representative Enterobacterales strains, namely, E. coli, K. pneumoniae, and E. cloacea, and 6 PA strains harboring MBL, GES or non-MBL enzymes (Fig 1). 4 strains were successfully treated with CZA-ATM in case reports, the rest were from the CDC AR Bank. Four synergy testing methods were evaluated, i) Disk stack (DS), ii) Disk elution (DE), iii) Gradient-strip Stack (SS), iv) Gradient-strip Cross (SX) (Fig 1). All methods were run side-by-side as per CLSI guidelines with broth microdilution (BMD) as the reference. Data is the mean of 3 replicates. Synergy is defined as a strain that is resistant (R) to ATM but drops to ≤ the susceptible (S) breakpoint (Table 1) in the presence of CZA (Fig 2). Categorical agreement (CA), very major error (VME), major error (ME), minor error (MI) were calculated across methods for CZA-ATM synergy relative to BMD. Summary of synergy testing methods evaluated CLSI Breakpoints used for this study Results All CRE with NDM and PA with GES were ATM-R, CZA-R and S to the CZA-ATM combination. PA with NDM or VIM remained R to CZA-ATM likely due to other mechanisms of resistance. CA was high for DE (100%), SS (81%, MI 19%), and SX (88%, MI 13%) but low for DS (25%, ME 54%, MI 31%). Representative strains are shown (Fig 2, Table 2). Removing PA, CA for DE, SS, and SX was 100% and 20% for DS. Representative results of strains with each synergy testing method. Representative data of strains displaying synergy (green) or no synergy (red) Conclusion Overall, DE was the most reliable method for CZA-ATM synergy testing, and could be a valuable tool in low-resource labs. SS and SX were reliable but prone to technical error. DS had the worst performance. Disks and gradient-strips had identical performance across brands. We propose an algorithm for ATM-R, CZA-R, and MBL-positive CRE, where CZA-ATM synergy testing may be beneficial to guide therapy. These methods are reliable qualitative indicators of the presence or absence of synergy. Synergy testing is not recommended for CR-PA due to complex resistance profiles. Disclosures Cesar A. Arias, M.D., MSc, Ph.D., FIDSA, Entasis Therapeutics (Scientific Research Study Investigator)MeMed (Scientific Research Study Investigator)Merck (Grant/Research Support) William R. Miller, MD, Entasis Therapeutics (Scientific Research Study Investigator)Merck (Grant/Research Support)Shionogi (Advisor or Review Panel member)


The introduction by ICRU, in 1985, of the operational quantities H s (0.07) and H P (10) to be measured in personnel dosimetry bridged, to a large extent, the gap between practical measurements of radiation doses received by individuals and the primary (limiting, protection) quantities. However, documentation on the new concepts left several aspects unexplained. Although later ICRU Reports, dealing with the same subject, provided some clarification, there are still questions that need to be answered such as: What phantom should be used for type testing of personal dosemeters? What should be the angular response characteristics of an ideal dosemeter and where should it be worn on the body? Should a personal dosemeter, designed to measure personal dose equivalent, be sensitive to backscatter from the body of the wearer or, more generally, does the fact that the operational quantity 'personal dose equivalent' is defined in the body give rise to (unintended) problems? These and related questions are discussed.


With the rapid development of China's economy, the energy consumption of industry, transportation and construction is increasing, so building energy conservation has become one of the important things to do to broaden sources of income and reduce expenditure policy in energy engineering. Aiming at the building concept design and technical design including construction, equipment and other specialties and combined with the characteristics of office buildings and some experience in architectural design, specific design method is presented, with particular emphasis on how to integrate sustainable idea of energy-saving design in architectural design, instead of just taking "green" as building label.


are by landmines demining the landmines and ERW affecting the places where ordinary people must be cleared, and their safety in areas that have been cleared must be guaranteed. Innovative solutions and technologies are required and hence this book is coming out to address and deal with the problems, difficulties, priorities, development of sensing and demining technologies and the technological and research challenges. This book reports on the state of the art research and development findings and results. The content of the book has been structured into three technical research sections with total of 16 chapters written by well recognized researchers in the field worldwide. The main topics of these three technical research sections are: Humanitarian Demining: the Technology and the Research Challenges (Chapters 1 and 2), Sensors and Detection Techniques for Humanitarian Demining (Chapters 3 to 8), and Robotics and Flexible Mechanisms for Humanitarian Demining respectively (Chapters 9 to 16).


This study aims to determine the impact of PSAK 64 and other factors which related to the financial reporting conservatism on mining companies in Indonesia. The samples of this research are listed mining companies in Indonesia Stock Exchange from year 2009 to 2010,and from 2013 to 2014. This study uses two exploration models that the first model is analyzing the impact of PSAK 64 implementation and other factors, those are; exploration aggressiveness, managerial ownership, and auditor quality to the financial reporting conservatism. While the second research model is to examine the impact of PSAK 64 implementation to the exploration aggressiveness, managerial ownership, and auditor quality to the financial reporting conservatism. The results of this research on the first model shows that the implementation of PSAK 64, managerial ownership, and auditor quality does not significantly affected to the financial reporting conservatism on mining companies in Indonesia, while exploration aggressiveness mark a notably influence to the financial reporting conservatism on mining companies in Indonesia. Then, for the second research model shows that the implementation of PSAK 64 does not materially affected by the relationship in exploration aggressiveness, managerial ownership, and auditor quality to the financial reporting conservatism on mining companies in Indonesia. The implementation of PSAK 64 does not give a remarkable effect for conservatism because there is no notable difference nor alterability of the financial reporting on mining companies in Indonesia before and after the implementation. Keywords : PSAK 64, conservatism, exploration aggressiveness, managerial ownership, auditor quality


Background Statistics indicate that there are more radiographers per population of 10 000 employed by the private sector in comparison to the public sector, in South Africa. This could affect the delivery of effective x-ray services within the public sector hospitals in Gauteng. The Gauteng province could be the one worst affected by the unequal distribution of radiographers, since the majority of private hospitals are situated within this province. Aim The aim of the study was to determine the factors that contribute to diagnostic radiographers leaving the public sector to work for the private sector in Gauteng. Materials and methods The study utilised a quantitative descriptive cross-sectional design to ascertain the factors that contribute to diagnostic radiographers leaving the public sector. A self-developed questionnaire was hand delivered to diagnostic radiographers in 22 private hospitals within the Gauteng province. Results and conclusion The data analysed, using the paired samples t-test, demonstrated the following factors had a large effect on radiographers leaving the public sector: remuneration, working conditions, professional support and career development.


On the basis of the breakdown criterion and the equation of continuity of electrons in air, the amplitude and energy parameters of the electric strength of air in the surface antenna of a powerful microwave relativistic generator are determined when pulses are emitted with a trapezoidal envelope. Triangular and rectangular envelopes were considered as boundary cases of a trapezoidal envelope. The dependence of the parameters of electric strength on the shape of the envelope has been established. The calculation of the dependences of the breakdown field and the maximum permissible energy in a flat aperture on the pulse duration in the range of realizable durations of powerful relativistic microwave generators is carried out. For the same duration, the largest breakdown field has a pulse with a triangular envelope, and the smallest a pulse with a rectangular envelope. Wherein a pulse with a triangular envelope has the lowest maximum permissible energy, and a rectangular one has the highest. The relationships between the maximum permissible energy and the breakdown field for the pulses under consideration are determined. With the same maximum permissible peak amplitude, the highest energy has a pulse with a triangular envelope, and the smallest a pulse with a rectangular envelope.


NKN doped samples, (100-x)NKN-xSBN (0 ? x ? 10) were produced using the conventional mixed oxide route with 0.45 wt% Fe2O3 sintering aid (xSBNF). After 20-24 hours mixing, samples were calcined at 850�C and sintered at 1100?1140�C (� 180�C/hour) for 4 hours. By XRD 4 mol% SBN was found to be the solubility limit for single phase structure. By SEM, second phases were visible when 2 ? x ? 4; their structure was subsequently shown to be tungsten bronze type (TBT). 2-4 SBNF samples were high density, over 96% theoretical. For x = 0, TC = 457�C, TO-T = 234�C, Pr = 22 ?C/cm2 and EC = 16.5 kV/cm. TC was found to decrease by 14.7�C and TO-T by 9.0�C per 1 mol% addition SBN. 2SBNF was the optimal formulation in terms of microstructure and electrical properties, with average grain size 3 ?m, Pr = 25 ?C/cm2 and EC = 8.8 kV/cm, ? = 4.7 k?m and Q = 1.16 eV. This material comprised approximately 90% orthorhombic and 10% tetragonal phases coexisting. Pseudo-cubic lattice parameters are a? = c? = 3.947180 �, and b? = 3.999996 � for orthorhombic phase; the tetragonal has a? = c? = 3.989798 �, and b? = 3.975777 �.Synchrotron XRD studies were undertaken as a function of temperature on 99.5NKN-0.5CuO + 0.6 wt% Nb2O5 solid and powder samples. The data were Rietveld refined. The solid sample underwent two polymorphic phase transitions at 300�C and 515�C; the latter was between two tetragonal phases: lattice parameters for the tetragonal phase (300-520�C) were a? = c? = 4.99557 �, and b? = 4.0363 �; high temperature tetragonal (>500�C) exhibited a? = c? = 4.9519 �, and b? = 4.4941 � The powder sample of the same formulation exhibited more, smaller transformations. It was only orthorhombic at temperatures <140�C with a? = c? = 4.10680 �, and b? = 4.02620 �. Above 140�C both orthorhombic and tetragonal phases were present. Another significant transformation occurred at 360�C where the structural unit cell parameters changed significantly. Parameter lengths are provided. P-E data was characterised by Pr = 19.9 ?C/cm2 and EC = 13.5 kV/cm.Synchrotron X-ray diffraction analysis of 94 NKN-6LiTaO3 showed that tetragonal phase was present at 20-390�C, although an orthorhombic phase was identified at 20-200�C and again at 340-390�C just before the cubic transition temperature at 390�C. This is a new observation for NKN. A new and simple method for tape casting was developed to reduce powder wastage, enabling thick films of 50 ?m to be cast. The reactive templated grain growth (RTGG) method was employed to orient 95NKN-5LiNbO3 and 94NKN-6LiNbO3 samples; CuO was utilised as a sintering aid. Pre-cursor BNN and NN template particles were produced using the molten salt synthesis (MSS) method, using a salt to oxide ratio of 1:1. Resulting NN particles were 15 ?m wide and 0.5 ?m thick. Eight layered 6LN + 0.4 wt% tapes produced using 10 wt% template particles resulted in 210 ?m thick tapes with 67% orientation when sintered at 1150�C. Resulting properties include TC = 440�C and TO-T = 70�C, 25 k? resistance and capacitance 21.6 pF.


This paper analyses how abstract binary oppositions such as civilisation vs. wilderness or the community vs. the individual are communicated visually in some of John Ford's Westerns. Borrowing insights from image schema research, we claim that these abstract concepts and themes are given form in individual films by way of the metaphorical expansion of spatial schemas, and in particular through the containment schema. This schema, which will be analysed as a dynamic pattern of our sensory-motor experience, is considered to be an universal spatialised structure for expressing higher-order oppositional thinking. Using Westerns of John Ford as an example we make the case that the containment schema plays a constructive role in the development of conceptual relations in the Western genre.


Terpenoids are synthesized from acetate units and as such they share their origins with fatty acids. They have also shown antimicrobial activities. This is important due to the increase in antibiotic resistant bacteria, which is occurring globally and at an alarming rate. Terpenoid, samyrin was isolated from a chloroform extract of Euphorbia hirta. Chemical structures of the isolated compounds were identified (mp. 197-197.5 0C; Rf value, 0.26; yield, 0.020 mg/gdw) by TLC and spectroscopic data.


A combined finite element/boundary element modeling technique can be used to analyze fluid‐loaded transducers to compute the displacements of the structure at specified frequencies. The problem with this technique is that there is no way of knowing a priori the in‐water resonance frequency corresponding to a given in‐air mode. A common approach is to ''guess'' a frequency range that will encompass the in‐water resonance frequency by using a coarse frequency step size. A fluid‐loaded analysis is then performed in this frequency range. By examining the resulting displacements versus frequency, it can be determined whether the resonance has occurred in the frequency range. If the in‐water resonance frequency is located, a finer frequency step can be used over a smaller frequency range to determine the resonance to a better resolution. This paper describes a method to determine the in‐water resonance frequency of a finite element/boundary element model using an iterative eigenvalue solution, thus avoiding the...


This paper is a direct generalization of Baker-Bowler theory to flag matroids, including its moduli interpretation as developed by Baker and the second author for matroids. More explicitly, we extend the notion of flag matroids to flag matroids over any tract, provide cryptomorphic descriptions in terms of basis axioms (Grassmann-Pl\"ucker functions), circuit/vector axioms and dual pairs, including additional characterizations in the case of perfect tracts. We establish duality of flag matroids and construct minors. Based on the theory of ordered blue schemes, we introduce flag matroid bundles and construct their moduli space, which leads to algebro-geometric descriptions of duality and minors. Taking rational points recovers flag varieties in several geometric contexts: over (topological) fields, in tropical geometry, and as a generalization of the MacPhersonian.


Ultrasound is a promising tool for assessment of rheumatoid arthritis patients. While acceptable ultrasound assessment was previously confined to large joints, high-frequency linear array transducers now allow high-resolution imaging of superficially located structures such as the joints of the hands and feet. Ultrasound has a particular advantage over magnetic resonance imaging in that an experienced observer can rapidly screen several joints for erosions in a relatively short time. Further data regarding important methodological and measurement issues must be obtained before ultrasound gains wider acceptance.


We review the observed properties of extremely hot hydrogen-deficient post-AGB stars of spectral type [WC] and PG1159. Their H-deficiency is probably caused by a (very) late heliumshell flash or a AGB final thermal pulse, laying bare interior stellar regions which are usually kept hidden below the hydrogen envelope. Thus, the photospheric element abundances of these stars allow to draw conclusions about details of nuclear burning and mixing processes in the precursor AGB stars. We summarize the state-of-the-art of stellar evolution models which simulate AGB evolution and the occurrence of a late He-shell flash. We compare predicted element abundances to those determined by quantitative spectral analyses performed with advanced non-LTE model atmospheres. A good qualitative and quantitative agreement is found. Future work can contribute to an even more complete picture of the nuclear processes in AGB stars. Subject headings: stars: AGB and post-AGB — stars: abundances — stars: atmospheres — stars: evolution — stars: interiors — nuclear reactions, nucleosynthesis, abundances


Cardinal Zen, a vocal supporter of Hong Kong's democratic movement and a passionate defender of the underground Catholic church, painted a very negative picture in interviews with the media.


Objective: To evaluate fluoride concentration in public water supply in locations of Maranhao State that, according to agency responsible, presents regular water fluoridation. Methods: Water samples were collected from public schools. According to National Health Foundation (FUNASA), Water Treatment Station (WTS) of 14 rural cities and 03 WTS from Sao Luiz are supplied by the water supply system of state. The fluoride content of the analysis was performed using a specific electrode for fluoride. Three samples from each school were collected, totaling 42 samples of the rural cities and 45 samples from the capital. Results: Most samples were below the optimal concentration, and only 14.28% of samples collected in the municipalities and 6.67% in Sao Luiz, had acceptable values of fluoride (0.6 to 0.8 ppmF). Conclusion: Fluoridation of public water supplies (FPWS) is uncontrolled and therefore no preventive effect on caries. It is important to emphasize the need to implement control measures to ensure the ongoing effectiveness of FPWS in Maranhao State.


We present results of extensive numerical calculations on the ground state of electrons in the first excited (n=1) Landau level with Coulomb interactions, and including non-zero thickness effects, for filling factors 12/5 and 13/5 in the torus geometry. In a region that includes these experimentally-relevant values, we find that the energy spectrum and the overlaps with the trial states support the previous hypothesis that the system is in the non-Abelian k = 3 liquid phase we introduced in a previous paper.


In this paper, we introduce Waveprint, a novel method for audio identification. Waveprint uses a combination of computer-vision techniques and large-scale-data-stream processing algorithms to create compact fingerprints of audio data that can be efficiently matched. The resulting system has excellent identification capabilities for small snippets of audio that have been degraded in a variety of manners, including competing noise, poor recording quality, and cell-phone playback. We explicitly measure the tradeoffs between performance, memory usage, and computation through extensive experimentation.


Understanding of the proteins, its structure, functions and properties had been carried out centuries together. Even though, it is not clear to the educated non scientific professionals. Indulgent makes the individuals to use the technology in various applications and it leads to overall development. Therefore, it is very essential to have informative investigations based on data available in particular area. This study involves with the basics of protein engineering, advances in computational protein engineering and their applications along with procedures have been selectively documented. It is completely academic review work initiated to inspire the scholars and readers with clear distinguish of every point. The scope of this review is to summarize the current status of computational protein engineering.


This study aims: Higher levels of gender-based rejection sensitivity would be related to higher tendencies to objectify women, i.e., with higher tendencies to perceive women as lacking of human mental states and uniquely human emotions. In turn, verifying whether such enhanced tendency to perceive women as objects would increase men's tendencies to accept the myth rape acceptance. More specifically, a correlation analysis showed that: The rejection sensitivity index did not correlate with any outcome variable; The tendency to objectify women did not correlate with myth rape acceptance; Hurt proneness or anxiety in close relationships was positively correlated with the tendency to perceive women as human beings (rather than objects) and to attribute them human emotions or human mental states. Interestingly, these latter relations clearly emerged among male participants currently involved in romantic relationships; Instead, a onesample t-test showed that the levels of myth rape acceptance were moderately high.


We argue in this paper that so-called new wave reductionism fails to capture the nature of the interlevel relations between psychology and neuroscience. Bickle (1995, Psychoneural reduction of the genuinely cognitive: some accomplished facts, Philosophical Psychology, 8, 265-285; 1998, Psychoneural reduction: the new wave, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press) has claimed that a (bottom-up) reduction of the psychological concepts of learning and memory to the concepts of neuroscience has in fact already been accomplished. An investigation of current research on the phenomenon of long-term potentiation reveals that this claim overstates the facts. Both the psychological and the neural concepts involved have not yet stabilized and face further correction under the influence of both bottom-up and top-down selection pressures. In addition, psychological concepts often refer to functions, and functions are indispensable and irreducible. Function ascriptions pick out objective patterns involving historical factors and dist...


Cortical and striatal turnover rates of acetylcholine TR(ACh) were estimated by applying steady-state tracer kinetics in rats killed by microwave irradiation following a constant i.v. infusion of 3H-Ch. In control rats TR(ACh) was 3.6 nmol . g-1 . min-1 in the cortex and 23.8 nmol . g-1 . min-1 in the striatum. When steady-state plasma concentrations of Ch were increased from 17 to 140 mumol . 1-1 by a 15-min infusion of unlabelled Ch the corresponding TR(ACh) were 3.6 nmol . g-1 . min-1 and 21.4 nmol . g-1 . min-1, respectively. These results indicate that increased plasma levels of Ch are not accompanied by increased synthesis of brain ACh.


The strong words "liberator" and "oppressor" in the title of this article may conjure up images of chains, fetters, prisons, slaves, and slave drivers. And, if one searches in the annals of Church history, he may find that, in its worst moments, the Church has both liberated and oppressed in this sense. On the one side, he will discover the ransoming of captives, often women, during the barbarian invasions, the freeing of women from harsh social taboos in primitive societies, and the release of secluded women of the Orient from virtual captivity. 1 On the other side, he will discover the Inquisition of the late middle ages with its tales of arrest, interrogation, torture, im prisonment, confiscation of property, and execution. However, except for the trials and burnings of witches, who were usually women, the Inquisition fell more fiercely upon men than upon women.


The traditional mechanisms for improving and protecting labour standards in advanced economies are failing. In Britain, the effectiveness of collective bargaining has diminished substantially over the past quarter century. Legally enforceable minimum labour standards have been an inadequate substitute. A new form of 'joint regulation' is emerging that may be better attuned to the contemporary structure of product market competition. It involves employers and unions coordinating action on labour standards across the supply chains of firms that contribute to the production of a particular good or service. This article explores the circumstances in which these 'socially sustainable sourcing' mechanisms develop and examines their impact on labour standards, by means of two case studies.


The article is dedicated to theoretical analysis of the appearance as cultural and historical phenomenon, the author envisages cultural, historical and ethnographical researches, concerning the appearance. There are conclusions that, the appearance is included into certain historically and culturally determined perspective, socio-cultural diversity of the representations about man's appearance, its expressive symbol, and the transformation of the functions of different elements of the appearance in the course of historical development are shown. The deduction, that the appearance is involved into socio-cultural stratification, is the important element of age symbolism, it plays the role of the symbol of historical transformation of age categories, historical differentiation of age periods, it is fixed in the prototype age representations of the appearance. It is underlined, that the appearance is a complicated and historically changeable socio-cultural construct, culture and ethnos build forms of its perception as well as ways of its representations.


Cooperative routing is a cross-layer routing design scheme which combines the physical layer cooperative communication technology and the network layer routing technology to improve network performance.However,the existing cooperative routing mechanism doesn't make good use of the characteristics of network topology and can hardly achieve optimal cooperative routing performance.Based on node distribution of the wireless multi-hop network,this paper proposes a cluster cooperative routing algorithm to improve the transmission reliability.The algorithm includes three phases: the phase of cluster formation,the phase of routing between clusters and the phase of routing in the cluster.To utilize the broadcast characteristics of wireless transmission and cooperative ability of neighbor nodes in wireless networks,each phase in the algorithm takes the impact of node distribution on cooperative communication into consideration to optimize the algorithm design.Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can significantly reduce the outage probability of the route,increase the reliability of the network.


The extensive shelf areas of the South China Sea provide an excellent area for the study of the Quaternary cycles of eustatic sea-level changes. As water depths do not exceed 200 meters and are less than 100 meters over large areas, relatively minor fluctuations of sea-level result in major lateral shifts in sedimentary facies. Evidence from punch cores off the east coast of West Malaysia documents the Quatern ary cycles of eustatic changes in sea-level and their extent. Lithologic changes combined with foraminiferal and spore-pollen data indicate shallowing of extensive areas of the South China Sea from middle neritic depths (50-100 meters) to mangrove swamps, fresh water marshes and coal swamps or even lateritised surfaces , and vice versa. The youngest eustatic drop of sea-level occurred 11,000 ± years ago, coeval with the Latest Wisconsinian/Wiirm event. Two, or possibly three, older Pleistocene events of sea level drop are observed.


In this paper the method for managing a line topology and estimating the topological parameter (length of bridge taps and direct line) are investigated. The method will be evaluated in a simulation environment. With the method and system for managing a line topology and related apparatus it is possible to provide a PLC system with information about network and line quality for performing quick diagnosis, analysis and troubleshooting upon a network and to perform continuous and automatic monitoring of network service quality, increasing the customer's satisfaction and reducing operation cost.


Historically, the decision about participation in an individual retirement account (IRA) has been an approximate one. Consumers and financial advisors have not had any precise way to evaluate the potential benefits of an IRA. As a result of this lack of information, many eligible people may have foregone a very worth while savings plan. This article provides a precise methodology for evaluating the benefits consumers can realize from IRAs and through computer simulation, provides estimates of "gain factors" for a wide variety of situations. These gain factors allow individual consumers to estimate the potential benefits of an IRA over a conventional savings plan. The evidence suggests that the potential gains are probably much greater than is commonly realized.


Soysterol can be acetylated, brominated and then oxidized by using chromic anhydride ; water ; sulfuric acid; glacial acetic acid in carbon tetrachloride solution, and androstenolone is obtainable with stigmasetrol recovered. Yields of androstenolone and stigmasterol were investigated under various conditions. From 150 g of soysterol, iodine value 77.3 (pyridine bromide method), a 22 g of stigmasteryl acetate tetrabromide was recovered and 5.4 g of androstenolone acetate semicarbazone was obtained by using the oxidizing agent containing 228 g of chromic anhydride which was added during 7 hrs and then agitated for 15 hrs at 20°C. The yield of androstenolone acetate semicarbazone was slightly increased by the addition of cupric sulfate as catalyst.


Elmbridge Borough Council's Rent Deposit Scheme. If you own a property within the Borough of Elmbridge and are considering letting privately then look no further, the Rental Support Scheme can offer you all the help you need and at no charge!


The distribution of choline oxidase activity was studied with cell-free extracts of yeasts, molds and actinomycetes. A fungus which was identified as Cylindrocarpon didymum M–1 showed the highest activity. The enzyme was purified from the cell-free extract of C. didymum M–1 by a procedure involving ammonium sulfate fractionation and DEAE-cellulose, hydroxyl-apatite and Sephadex G–150 column chromatographies. The enzyme preparation was homogeneous when subjected to disc gel electrophoresis and ultracentrifugation. Sedimentation velocity yielded a value of . The enzyme showed a typical flavoprotein spectrum of absorption maxima at 276,370 and 454 nm.


It can be argued that the dissatisfaction that occurs in a marriage serves an adaptive function (Shackelford and Buss 1997). Pair-bonding among humans, in particular a union of marriage, likely evolved to increase the reproductive benefits for both sexes (Betzig 1989; Buss and Schmitt 1993). If a marriage is not maximizing the potential benefits and the costs that incur from the relationship outweigh the benefits, then the dissatisfaction that arises would serve to bring awareness of the issues that occur in the marriage. If a couple decides that a relationship is no longer beneficial, then the negative emotions associated with this dissatisfaction would cause one or both of the individuals involved to either address the problems or to end the current relationship to find a more beneficial partnership. The adaptive challenges for both sexes during a union following conception would have been mate retention and the care of offspring. Since men and women have different reproductive strategies (Buss 1989a), those differences in selective pressure would also lead to men and women facing different adaptive problems during a marriage. A major sex-specific conflict that can arise centers around the issue of paternity certainty. Evolutionary psychologists point out that worldwide cuckoldry rates range from 1.7% to 29.8% (Anderson 2006; Shackelford and Goetz 2007). Additional related conflicts such as violence, decrease in intercourse frequency, kin resemblance, the 4-year itch, and infidelity may also arise after conception. Research by Lucas et al. (2008) suggests some cultural and evolutionary components to marital satisfaction in general. This research reveals that there may be some universal component to effective communication skills when it comes to raising an offspring, which would have been adaptive in order to successfully raise a child. This theory is further extended by Cox et al. (1999), who found that those couples who had at least one partner with positive problem-solving skills prenatally had higher marital satisfaction than those couples in which neither partner showed this set of skills. Those couples with better problem-solving skills also reported less of a drop in how satisfied they were after the child was born.


This paper attempts to extend the knowledge in entrepreneurial theory, through the expansion of traditional concepts for entrepreneurial processes, to identify a new phenomenon in new venture creation. In combination with previous research on entrepreneurial processes, creation theory, user entrepreneurs and community-driven innovation in the sport industry, the study will focus on a single in-depth case study, conducted on a new venture in the CrossFit industry. The findings in this paper aim to shed new light on how new ventures can be created within sport communities answering the following research question: "How do entrepreneurial processes develop in community-based new ventures?" The conducted study is based on a qualitative research approach, where an instrumental case study is applied. Looking at one specific startup in the CrossFit industry, located in Helsingborg, Sweden, the empirical data was collected through semi-structured interviews and observations. The aim was to evaluate the entrepreneurial activities that arose in the new venture, as it was created within the CrossFit community. Based on the results of this research, it can be concluded that new ventures created within a community, greatly benefit from having an experienced entrepreneur as a founder. Moreover, it seems that communities with strong personal ties are important for a successful new venture creation, in terms of high-quality customer feedback, product development and revenue. The outcome of the paper is a suggested new model for new venture creation, called "community-based entrepreneurial process". (Less)


Background There is a need to understand the impact of COVID-19 on colorectal cancer care globally and determine drivers of variation. Objective To evaluate COVID-19 impact on colorectal cancer services globally and identify predictors for behaviour change. Design An online survey of colorectal cancer service change globally in May and June 2020. Participants Attending or consultant surgeons involved in the care of patients with colorectal cancer. Main outcome measures Changes in the delivery of diagnostics (diagnostic endoscopy), imaging for staging, therapeutics and surgical technique in the management of colorectal cancer. Predictors of change included increased hospital bed stress, critical care bed stress, mortality and world region. Results 191 responses were included from surgeons in 159 centers across 46 countries, demonstrating widespread service reduction with global variation. Diagnostic endoscopy was reduced in 93% of responses, even with low hospital stress and mortality; whilst rising critical care bed stress triggered complete cessation (p = 0.02). Availability of CT and MRI fell by 40–41%, with MRI significantly reduced with high hospital stress. Neoadjuvant therapy use in rectal cancer changed in 48% of responses, where centers which had ceased surgery increased its use (62 vs 30%, p = 0.04) as did those with extended delays to surgery (p<0.001). High hospital and critical care bed stresses were associated with surgeons forming more stomas (p<0.04), using more experienced operators (p<0.003) and decreased laparoscopy use (critical care bed stress only, p<0.001). Patients were also more actively prioritized for resection, with increased importance of co-morbidities and ICU need. Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with severe restrictions in the availability of colorectal cancer services on a global scale, with significant variation in behaviours which cannot be fully accounted for by hospital burden or mortality.


This study aimed to demonstrate the effect of Enhanced Amino Acid (AA) compositions on human cognitive functioning. The research study design included an open, randomized, enhanced vs non-en - hanced placebo-controlled trial for 90 days. Participants in the study were measured initially, randomly divided into three groups (exper - imental, control, and placebo), and measured 30, 60, and 90 days later. 80 healthy people aged 35-65 (men and women) participated in the study and were randomly divided into three groups. 40 used AA composition enhanced in plasma tachyon igniton treatment (ex - perimental), 20 people used the same AA non-enhanced composi - tion (control), while 20 used a placebo. In the second (after 30 days), third (after 60 days), and fourth (after 90 days) tests. The results showed that using AA compositions during the longitude period sig - nificantly affected cognitive functions in particular memory, speed of reactions and attention and that AAs processed by radiation of a cold plasma had an even more substantial effect.


Background: Pneumonia is the leading cause of childhood death under five years old in developing countries. Anemia is the commonest ailment affecting health, socio-economic development and the overall betterment of mankind. This study was conducted to determine the association between iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and pneumonia in the age group 6 months to 5 years.
Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted in the Department of Pediatrics, SSMC & Mitford Hospital. According to selection criteria, 64 patients with pneumonia were considered as cases and matched 64 patients with fever and cough and but having no pneumonia, participated as control. Chest X-ray and complete blood count with RBC indices, iron profile was done to see pneumonia and IDA. A comparison was done between two groups. p-value was significant when < 0.05.
Results: The mean age was 18.65±16.43 months in the case group and 14.17±10.76 months in the control group. Male was found 65.6% in the case and 73.4% in the control group. Females were 34.4% in the case and 26.6% in the control group. No significant difference in age and sex between the two groups. Decreased level of Hb, RBC, MCV, MCHC & increase RDW and also decreased level of serum iron, ferritin, transferrin & increased TIBC in the case group; all of which were statistically significant when compares to the control group. IDA was 65.6% in the case group; 17.2% in the control group. IDA was significantly higher in the case group compared to the control group.
Conclusion: Sixty-six percent of children of 6 months to 5 years of both sexes with pneumonia associated with IDA. So, Iron deficiency anemic child more risk of developing pneumonia.
EMCJ. July 2022; 7(2): 10-15


Keywords: Economie et societe ; Economie politique ; Sections GC, SV Reference EPFL-STUDENT-152177 Record created on 2010-09-28, modified on 2017-05-12


The Brazilian Visual Analytics Initiative, or BRAVA, aims at leveraging the collaborative research in the field of VA promoting the networking among Brazilian and Canadian researchers. Annual BRAVA Exploratory workshops are being proposed since 2012 to provide a forum for discussions on potential research collaborative projects among Brazilians and between Brazilian and Canadian research centres.


Direct Torque Control has the fast torque and flux dynamic response as we know. This dynamic performance is realized by the estimation of electromagnetic torque and stator flux linkages. Generally, the stator flux estimation is based on the stator voltage equation. The equation uses a pure integrator. If the equation is used without an encoder in Direct Torque Control, there is the drift problem. It is same to sensorless Stator Flux Orientation Control (SFO). In this paper a programmable low pass filter (LPF) is proposed for solving the problem in Direct Torque Control.


Introduction Decreases in trainees' working hours, coupled with evidence of worse outcomes when hip arthroscopies are performed by inexperienced surgeons, mandate the development of additional means of arthroscopic training. Though virtual reality simulation training has been adopted by other surgical specialities, its slow uptake in arthroscopic training is due to a lack of evidence as to its benefits. These benefits can be demonstrated through learning curves associated with simulator training – with practice reflecting measurable increases in validated performance metrics. Materials & Methods Twenty-five medical students completed seven simulated arthroscopies of a healthy virtual hip joint in the supine position on a simulator previously shown to have construct validity. Twelve targets had to be visualised within the central compartment; six via the anterior portal, three via the anterolateral portal and three via the posterolateral portal. Eight students proceeded to complete seven probe examinations...


For individuals with a history of sexual offending, adolescence has been highlighted as a critical period for intervention, and professional attributions' have been shown to impact the efficacy of such interventions. The purpose of this review was to systematically identify and critically review studies, which look at professionals working with adolescents with a history of sexual offending (HSO), to explore possible factors that may influence professional attributions, to provide a starting point for future research. Four papers were selected for the systematic review according to the inclusion/exclusion criteria. Eight factors emerged that indicated relevance towards professional attributions: professionals' (1) experience, (2) training, (3) personal history, (4) degree of psychological knowledge, (5) ethnicity and (6) gender; and the adolescent's (7) age and (8) personal history. Directions for future research are discussed, along with the importance of formulation and training in forensic practice.


Criticality safety analysis is required at various stages of the back-end of the fuel cycle, i.e. reprocessing, transport, storage and disposal of spent nuclear fuel (SNF). To account for the reduction in reactivity due to fuel burnup, the Burn-Up Credit (BUC) concept was introduced. Evidently, this concept depends on the quality of nuclear data, in particular the absorption cross sections of some key nuclides. A dedicated programme has been established at the GELINA facility of the JRC-Geel to produce accurate cross section data and validate the evaluated nuclear data libraries for neutron interactions with fission fragments that are relevant for a BUC approach. In this work, cross section data for 103Rh and 155Gd are presented and the results are compared with the main evaluation libraries, showing good agreement in the thermal energy region with ENDF/B-VIII.0 and JEFF-3.3, but not with JENDL-4.0 for 103Rh.


Two elementary connections are drawn between the Heisenberg relations for photons and for electrons and the maximum number of protons in a nucleus that will permit a stable electron orbital.


Table of contents: For those of you who were not around in the 1930's this little article highlights some of the people whose love of adventure took them around the world. Airliners historian and former Pan Am captain Donald Cooper takes us along this historic adventure.


The origin and development of hacker's culture,advocating the belief of the public share on information,was synchronizing with the development of computer technology which was hatched in laboratory and applied in society later.The essence of the hacker's culture was a representation of the social informationization,induced by the application of computer technology,on the hacker's values.


R., 7 years old, previously not ill, on 31 / III-59, began to cough, on 1 / IV while playing on the street, the child coughed, began to turn blue, and after 10 minutes he was already dead.


Dietary fibers promote gut health and reducerisk for diseases, including cancer. Few Americans consume enough high fiberfoods to meet their requirements without consuming fiber‐containing dietary supplements (FCDS). Differing fibers may exert differing effects on health and disease risk. Fermentability of these fiber components may also influence microbial GI composition. Greater understanding of the fiber constituents found in commonly consumed FCDS are needed to enable consumers and health care professionals to make better health promotion choices.


Ischemic preconditioning (IP) cannot be applied to patients with unexpected ischemia, but understanding its mechanisms could lead to the development of new cardioprotective strategies. In this stud...


All living things from whole people to single cells and even viruses have life cycles. Explore the weird and wonderful world of life cycles at the level of the cell in this top trumps inspired game. Print and cut out the cards, then play anywhere you want! The deluxe edition contains fantastic new artwork from artist Emily Gullberg. Great for 2-3 people age 6+, lasts around 10 mins per game.


This paper describes algorithms and data structures for applying a parallel computer to information retrieval. Previous work has described an implementation based on overlap encoded signatures. That system was limited by 1) the necessity of keeping the signatures in primary memory, and 2) the difficulties involved in implementing document-term weighting. Overcoming these limitations requires adapting the inverted index techniques used on serial machines. The most obvious adaptation, also previously described, suffers from the fact that data must be sent between processors at query-time. Since interprocessor communication is generally slower than local computation, this suggests that an algorithm which does not perform such communication might be faster. This paper presents a data structure, called a partitioned posting file, in which the interprocessor communication takes place at database-construction time, so that no data movement is needed at query-time. Algorithms for constructing the data structure are also described. Performance characteristics and storage overhead are established by benchmarking against a synthetic database.


Approximate flavor symmetries in the quark sector have been used as a handle on physics beyond the standard model. Because of the great interest in neutrino masses and mixings and the wealth of existing and proposed neutrino experiments it is important to extend this analysis to the leptonic sector. We show that in the seesaw mechanism the neutrino masses and mixing angles do not depend on the details of the right-handed neutrino flavor symmetry breaking, and are related by a simple formula. We propose several [ital Ansa]$[ital uml]---[ital tze] which relate different flavor symmetry-breaking parameters and find that the MSW solution to the solar neutrino problem is always easily fit. Further, the [nu][sub [mu]-][nu][sub [tau]] oscillation is unlikely to solve the atmospheric neutrino problem and, if we fix the neutrino mass scale by the MSW solution, the neutrino masses are found to be too small to close the Universe.


Hernani, Christina Winarti and Tri Marwati. 2009. Effect of bilimbi leaf extracts on decrease blood pressure. Traditionally, the leaves of bilimbi has been used for stomach ache, rheumatism and fever, while the fruits used for blood pressure symptom. The aim of the research was to find out the effect of crude and purified extracts of bilimbi leaves on animal testing (cat) blood pressure. The method of research was divided in to several stages, such as processing of raw material, extract preparation, extracts purification and anti hypertension tested with animal. Extraction was done by maceration with treatment of particle size of bilimbi leaves (40, 50 and 60 mesh) to the yield of extract. Extract purification used extraction method using 80% hexane as a solvent. Anti hypertension testing used blood methods and cat as tested animal. The result showed that the highest yield of extract gave from 50 mesh particle size (16.17%). Then, the higher yield of purified extract was found 70.5%. Anti hypertension testing indicated that pure extract was higher than crude extract in decreasing of cat blood pressure. The duration of blood pressure decreasing was found longer in pure extract than crude extract. Purified extract of bilimbi leaf has a potential for antihypertensive medicine because medicine which is developed from natural product should be safely compared with synthetic antihypertensive drugs.


Proper preventive maintenance of complex systems, such as those used for power generation and medical diagnosis is dependent on the availability of their up-to-date reliability models. These models are constructed from historical maintenance and fault information of the equipment. Due to the complex nature of these machines, constructing these models involves significant manual effort which limits the widespread use of reliability-centric maintenance schemes. In this paper, we describe a process for automating the construction of fault trees, a class of non-state space reliability models, by analyzing maintenance data available as free-form text. It uses a combination of linguistic analysis and domain knowledge to identify the nature of the failure from short plain text descriptions of equipment faults. This information is used to automatically enrich and evolve existing fault trees for better reliability estimation


Metallurgical Bonded Clad Pipes present specific technical challenges in relation to material testing and product quality assurance, This article outlines solutions to some of the technical problems encountered in search of a viable testing technique and technology required for development of computerized automated system capable to provide full volumetric ultrasonic testing with simultaneous measurement of clad (CRA) thickness and bond integrity.


AbstractIn this study, six different blends including a base binder, polymer modified binder [5% acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (ASA) by the weight of binder], ASA–nano calcium, and ASA–nano copper...


The article examines John Heartfield's stay in Czechoslovakia between 1933 and 1938. Circumstances of his flight from Germany are discussed on the basis of archival materials, the reception of his photomontages for the Arbeiter Illustrierte Zeitung is revisited, and a new emphasis is placed on his contribution to Czech book design of the interwar period.


Purpose: Purpose to develop a suitable algorithm to filter data from the SCADA system. Design/methodology/approach: A real-time filtering method for SCADA system is developed by capturing the occurrence of data change in SCADA data, which is followed by recording several data before this data change occurs. Then, the algorithm is modeled and developed and in the final step an experiment to verify the algorithm is conducted. Finally, the result from the experiment is analysed to check the effectiveness of the algorithm. Findings: As a result, SCADA data analysis will be easier to conduct since only essential information is left. In fact, in comparison to the the entire data collection, only around 8-22 % of data is changed. Research limitations/implications: By utilizing this algorithm, data analysis will be easier to conduct since only the essential information as a starting point of analyses is left. However, this paper only describes the reasons and steps of data filtering algorithm development, how the algorithm works and the result after it is implemented to analyse data from the SCADA system. Further analyses to the data filtering results haven't been done yet. The next step will be to analyse the results in order to establish the root cause of why the data is changing. Originality/value: It has been noted in many research papers that the SCADA system is able to increase the efficiency of the monitoring itself. However, the SCADA system creates a huge amount of data which is difficult to analyse. This paper proposes a real-time data filtering for the SCADA system. The philosophy that is applied in this algorithm is only to "catch" the occurrence of data change in SCADA data, which is followed by recording several data before this data changes. As a result, SCADA data analysis will be easier to be conducted since only essential information is left. In fact compared to the entire data collection, only around 8-22 % of data is changed. Therefore, this method is highly suitable for the SCADA system.


We investigated the physicochemical properties, pasting characteristics on the rapid visco analyzer, dough characteristics on a mixograph, product characteristics, and attributes of color and hardness of products made from a wheat bagel premix and rice bagel premix according to storage period and temperature. The pH and moisture content of stored rice bagel premix and wheat bagel premix, significantly decreased, depending on the storage temperature and time. The average of water retention capacity, alkaline water retention capacity, sedimentation value, and pelshenke value all significantly decreased temperature increases and increasing storage time. he initial pasting temperature and breakdown depending on the storage temperature and time showed a significant difference, but peak viscosity and setback with increasing storage time and temperature were not significantly different. The initial pasting temperature did not significantly affect the rice bagel premix. The midline peak time and band at 8 min of mixing time of the wheat bagel premix and rice bagel premix did not differ significantly. In product attributes, the cost of wheat bagel premix rice bagel premix and the L, a, and b value in color of wheat bagel premix showed significant difference. The hardness of wheat bagel premix according to storage time and the hardness of rice bagel premix depending on storage temperature significant difference. Therefore, storage time and temperature of wheat bagel premix and rice bagel premix and does not show significant differences. merchant can get regular and consistent, it is expected to lead to the promotion of rice consumption. Futhermore, research on better method to improve it's characteristics instead of wheat bagel premix is expected to.


There have been a several studies observing bitumen microstructure using the environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM); however, these have been few and far between. Nevertheless, there have been findings that show microstructure under ESEM clearly evolving with bitumen ageing. The objective of this paper is to focus on sample conditioning, oxidation and blending. A conditioning procedure was produced and the effect of freezing (−18°C) on the bitumen microstructure for 19 h was examined. A straight-run PG 58-28 bitumen was sampled, with the same bitumen being oxidised using hot air. Additionally, these two bitumens were mixed at ratios of 25/75, 50/50 and 75/25. The microstructures were compared with ESEM observation for their relative density, organisation and fibril size, clearly showing an evolution in the microstructure with oxidation and with different blending ratios.


The passing of a national political leader, widely regarded as a world figure, marked the beginning of the year 2015. The long standing Senior Minister of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew left an undeniably significant mark upon the political leadership sphere. In order to assess his intriguing leadership style I will be using three theoretical models namely; Kouzes and Posner Model (1995), Blondel Model (1987) and Simonton Model (1988). The paper will mainly focus on Lee Kuan Yew's attempts at building a new Singaporean Identity from a multiethnic pluralistic society. By this exercise I try to answer the question of whether another leader can adopt Lee Kuan Yew's leadership style as a guiding principle.


Objective. The aim of this study was to establish the prevalence of hemodialysis headache in a population of Calabrian subjects, in Italy. Methods. We observed a sample of hemodialysis subjects, studied at the University Hospital of Catanzaro and the Hospital of Melito PS, Reggio Calabria. The patients were investigated for the search for hemodialysis headache. The inclusion criteria of the subjects in the study were respected, such as the characteristics of the headache and the close relationship with dialysis. results. The results showed a percentage of hemodialysis headache around 5% of cases. The percentage we found was very low compared with some literature data revealing percentages up to 70% of cases. conclusions. This discrepancy of data is unclear, the results we obtained are in line with few cases of literature. However, our results pose important reflections on the actual prevalence of hemodialysis headache.


Spontaneous emission of fluorophores located close to a reflecting surface is modified by the interference between direct and reflected waves. The spectral patterns of fluorescent emission near reflecting surfaces can be precisely described with a classical model that considers the relative intensity and polarization state of direct and reflected waves depending on dipole orientation. An algorithm based on the emission model and polynomial fitting built into a software application can be used for fast and efficient analysis of self-interference spectra, yielding information about the location of the emitters with subnanometer precision. Spectral information was used to study thin films of fluorescent substances on surfaces.


Abstract Immigrants enter the United States of America at an alarming rate and many seek the "American Dream," one of which is to attend college and have a better life. Some of these individuals however, find the educational system foreclosed to them (biases in the testing instruments) due to their multicultural and multilingual (minority) status. Purpose, Goals, and Objectives: Purpose: To bring about awareness that with the progression of immigration and the vast expansion of languages in the United States, there is a need to make testing instruments reflective of this paradigm shift within the society. Goals: 1) Provide statistics/data on the biases that currently exists with the testing apparatuses. 2) Make available current research findings and the implication of biases to the multilingual and multicultural populations. Objectives: To create awareness that as educators and professionals we have an ethical and moral obligation to help rather than hurt those who are marginalized or disenfranchised due to cultural and/or linguistic differences. Methodology This study employs a theoretical design where an extensive literature review was conducted on biases in testing. The results validated the biases that exist on psychometric tests, and how such instruments disenfranchise the above groups and could defer their dreams of attending college. Additionally, this study revealed that a significant number of immigrants and individuals who speak another language were coded as ESL (English as Second Language) speakers and placed in remedial programs. Data was gathered to demonstrate that skills and aptitudes of the dominant culture were used to influence the scores of this studied group. Conclusions/Questions The literature review has indicated that theses minority groups are at a grander disadvantage in accomplishing college desires. Yet, if they make it to college, the path can be a dismal one. If this trajectory persists, what implication will this have on minority students who usually need support in navigating the educational system?


In this paper, a modified differential evolution algorithm (MDE) is proposed for inserting asymmetrical nulls in various linear antenna array (LAA) configurations. The proposed algorithm optimizes the phase excitations of individual array elements for keeping nulls in any interfering direction. The MDE algorithm replaces the mutation factor in traditional differential evolution algorithm with normal mutation. Simulation results of several Taylor Profile Amplitude Distributed (TPAD) linear antenna array configurations are considered for keeping nulls at any prescribed direction.


Different cutting fluids were selected to slice Single-crystal silicon wafers by using electroplated diamond wire saw.The influences of cutting fluids on the silicon wafers surface appearance,surface roughness,warp and total thickness variation(TTV) were researched,and the cutting fluids action mechanism in wiresaw slicing was analyzed.The experimental results showed that the synthetic cutting fluid had a good effect to reduce the silicon wafer surface roughness,warp and TTV,and get a better wafer surface.The main reason was the synthetic cutting fluid had good lubricant and cleaning effect,which coulc reduce the friction between the wire saw and wafer and avoid the silicon chips adhered to the wire saw surface so that the diamond abrasives maintain sharp cutting states.


The purpose of the paper identifies and measures the factors that influence users' intention to use electronic wallets. We have based on the concepts and theoretical basis related to behavioral intention to accept and the use of new technology to form the proposed research model. Data was collected from Vietnam consumers who are living in Ho Chi Minh City usually use the e-wallet. With a sample size of 195 consumers in Vietnam, respondents were chosen by convenient methods. We used the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) algorithm in Smartpls 3.2.7 for analyzing statistics. The research results investigated Performance expectancy, Effort Expectancy, Social influence, Facilitating conditions, Perceived Risk influence on Mobile wallet use intention through the PLS-SEM algorithm.


To deepen the theories and practice of sustainable development, it is important for academic circles, governments and common people to reconsider the following key problems: Sustainable development is the unity of ideas, strategies and practice, the unity of grade and stage and that of the local and the whole. Institutional innovation is the focus of sustainable development.


Security and provision of energy are the cornerstone of any country sustainable development as well as the main drivers for economic and industrial growth. Countries, whether developed or developing, remain heavily reliant on energy resources, and energy security is gaining critical primacy for all concerned. Faced with a severe energy crisis for a long time, Pakistan has had to rely on oil-based expensive energy mix widening demand-supply gap, lack of integrated energy strategy and poor energy governance, despite being endowed with immense hydro, wind and solar energy potential. This study attempts to map Pakistan vulnerability to the impacts and challenges pertaining to energy security that constrains its socio-economic development and stability. It further explores the need to involve local community and business sector in formulating adaptation strategies and bridging policy-practice gaps to restructure energy policy and systems by shifting energy mix in favour of renewables and improving energy governance.


The fatigue loading is obtained based on the classification society rules and Weibull long-term checking stress range distribution. Equivalent stress method is used to transform random loading spectrum into constant loading spectrum. A procedure which consists of FAD technology and crack growth life prediction method is used to assess the security life of high tensile thick steel plates under complex loading conditions. Fatigue life of a surface crack and an embedded crack located at butt welded joint in the upper deck of a large container ship under complex loading conditions, considering the effect of welded residual stress, are assessed respectively. It is concluded that the initial size of crack has significant effect on crack growth behavior, and the harmfulness of surface crack on structural security is more serious than that of embedded crack in conditions of the same initial crack size and applied load.


Glucocorticoids are quite commonly used in the treatment of many diseases and are one of the most common causes of secondary osteoporosis. Osteoporosis associated with chronic steroid therapy, appears to be an important medical problem. In the USA, glucocorticoids are prescribed to 1 million patients a year. Data from the UK reveal as many as 1.6 million prescriptions for steroid agents within 10 years. Glucocorticoids are used by 0.9% of the total population and approximately 2.5% in the age group of 70–79 years. It is very important to develop the knowledge about osteoporosis, which accompanies chronic steroid therapy, especially with regard to effective counteraction and prevention rules, not only among primary care physicians, but also among patients.


Georgia State University Atlanta, Georgia Special education is a field that probably would not have existed without the failure of regular education to deal with a significant number of children characterized by special learning problems. If regular education had been successful with a greater percentage of exceptional children, rejecting only the more severe cases, special education would have been a relatively small program associated with only the trainable and severely retarded, the severely disturbed, speech impaired, deaf, visually impaired, and multihandicapped. Such has not occurred, however, since regular education has never made preparation to handle deviant children, despite the professed movement in education to adapt instruction to individual differ-


O ctober 1, 2009, marked the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Within the Chinese system for numbering years, the number 60 is of particular significance because it represents the completion of a full cycle. In reviewing the PRC's first completed cycle, it is clear that China has undergone profound economic, political, and social changes that have transformed the country from one of the poorest and most underdeveloped in the world into a rapidly growing, globally integrated power. This transformation has been so comprehensive that many observers have been stunned by China's advancements and by the fact that a country can change so dramatically in such a short period of time. As China sets its sights on the future and becomes an influential—if not yet driving—presence on the world stage, numerous questions and concerns regarding PRC's foreign policy priorities persist. This roundtable features three essays examining different aspects of Chinese foreign policy decisionmaking. First, Allen Carlson explores how Chinese foreign policy elites view the various nontraditional security issues facing China (such as ecological/environmental security, terrorism, illegal immigration, transnational smuggling, economic development, population, and weapons proliferation). Second, Cheng Li explores the emergence and role of Westerneducated Chinese returnees in the formation of strategic thinking and foreign policy in China. Finally, Mark Frazier examines the linkages between the national economy and Chinese foreign policy and the degree to which domestic demand for natural resources influences foreign policy decisions. To place these three essays in perspective, this introduction overviews the first 60 years of PRC foreign policy and then looks ahead at China's role in the world moving into the next cycle.


The relationship between EU foreign policy and national foreign policies of the member states is changing due to various factors: the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty in 2009 and subsequent creation of the European External Action Service (EEAS); the economic crisis in Europe; and shifts in the global balance of power. The article explores these new dynamics in light of two cases, Estonia and Finland. It examines why the two countries support further integration in the area of foreign policy and what determines the limits of their support, applying rationalist and constructivist approaches. From a rationalist perspective, Finland and Estonia view the EU and the EEAS as a means to pursue national interests and make diplomacy more cost-effective; these aspects have become more important due to the economic crisis and changes in the international context. At the same time both countries value the EU as a security community and a source of solidarity, which points to the importance of socialization, as conceptualized by constructivists. However, the predominance of national foreign policy identity and an instrumental approach to the EU leaves limited space for deeper socialization, in spite of the new mechanisms of socialization introduced by the EEAS.


This study investigated the skeleton points in the three dimensional (3D) space using Kinect sensor to be utilised as recognition of human based on their walking gait in frontal view. Firstly, walking gait of 30 subjects is captured using Kinect sensor. Next, all the twenty skeleton joints in the 3D space within one full gait cycle of each subjects are extracted as features. Further, the significant features amongst the skeleton joints are extracted using Orthogonal Least Square (OLS) technique followed by Locally Linear Embedded (LLE) as feature selection. The effectiveness of OLS as feature extraction along with LLE as feature selection is evaluated using Support Vector Machine as the machine classifier. Classification results attained for human gait recognition are 98.67% and 97% based on RBF and polynomial kernel respectively This proven that the significant gait features identified using OLS and LLE techniques are indeed suitable for gait recognition purpose.


"Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders" (FASD) is an umbrella term used to describe a variety of conditions resulting from prenatal exposure to alcohol including Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), Partial Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Alcohol-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder and AlcoholRelated Birth Defects. FASD is more common than Down Syndrome, Muscular Dystrophy and spina bifida combined. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are anywhere from .2 to 1.5 cases of FAS per 1,000 live births depending on the region of the United States and FASD occurs as many as three times as often as FAS. The National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (NOFAS) estimates that more than 40,000 infants are affected each year by FASD. NOFAS also notes that in 2003, FAS—the most severe and least common condition under the FASD umbrella—cost $5.4 billion in direct and indirect expenditures. In 2002, CDC estimated that the average lifetime cost for one individual with FAS was $2 million—and much higher for individuals with severe problems such as profound mental retardation.