Modular approach in teaching has been a buzzword in our educational system. This paper ascertained the effectiveness of Modular Teaching Approach in teaching Grade 10 Science at Maximino Noel Memorial National High School. Quasi-experimental and Purposive sampling was utilized. Data were collected through pre-test and post-test using the learning module in Science 10 prescribed by the Department of Education. Data obtain using frequency count, percentage, mean and standard deviation and t-test for the significant difference. Results revealed that the performance of the Grade 10 students during the pre-test in the following competencies: describing the distribution of active volcanoes, earthquake epicenters, and major mountain belts; distinguishing the different types of plate boundaries; and explaining the different processes that occur along the plate boundaries, was described as Beginning. However, after using the Modular Teaching Approach, the post-test performance of the students on the aforementioned competencies increased significantly and was described as Proficient. This indicated that the approach evidently showed positive results and displayed a vital connection in increasing students' academic achievement. Thus, enhanced learning module was proposed as instructional intervention in improving students' performance in Science 10.


As an area which has long been known as a tin, almost all economic activity depends on the tin industry. It is natural resources are not renewable, therefore, it should be thought for economy sector in support of the Bangka Belitung. Tourism is one of the sectors which have the potential for regional Bangka Belitung, bearing numerous tourist objects can be developed and packed; expected to contribute through tourist visits.
The study is to analyze the development of tourism in the blue ocean strategy, is expected to provide inputs and become priority for stabilizing regional economy in the future. Things to be carried out, i.e. by the way subtract, create and enhance within the framework of a step in developing tourism in Bangka Belitung.
The analysis method is applicable in the strategy is the ocean or the blue ocean namely creating the market without competitive and to let the no longer relevant.


Locomotives reach a high value of tractive effort. The high values of tractive effort can cause problems if an adhesion conditions are poor. A wheel velocity high value that is much greater than the train velocity can occur in this case. The high slip velocity value has to be eliminated because it causes a high wear of wheels and rails and can cause damage to some locomotive mechanical parts. The slip velocity can be decreased by significant reduction of the tractive effort. The result of the tractive effort reduction is the train velocity reducing and mechanical stress. Slip controllers are used to avoiding this situation. There are many types of slip controllers that were developed in the past. New slip controllers are still developed and improved today. In the paper is presented slip control method that is based on an extended Kalman filter that can rapidly and reliably detect decreasing of the adhesion. The method performance is demonstrated on simulations that are based on measured data.


Introduction: The acute appendicitis is an important problem faced by surgeons and radiologist in daily routine. It can progress to perforation and have high mortality and morbidity. That's why the surgeons operate the cases rather than waiting or going for conservative treatment. [1] Clinical examination gives accuracy of 71% to 97%. [2] To increase the diagnostic accuracy of acute appendicitis now-a-days, USG, laparoscopy and even radioactive isotope imaging is done. Aim and objectives: To compare the sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy of Tzanakis and Modified Alvarado scoring system and to know which scoring system is better in the diagnosis of Acute Appendicitis. The objectives of our study, to compare, the diagnostic efficacy of Tzanakis and Modified Alvarado scoring system, to asses, the Sensitivity, specificity of symptoms, sign and laboratory Parameters, age wise incidence, gender wise incidence of acute appendicitis. Results: Comparison of results of both scoring systems Tzanakis test sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, Accuracy is 82.02%,36.36%,91.25%,20%,77% and Modified Alvarado scoring system test sensitivity ,specificity , PPV, NPV, Accuracy is 97.75%,18.18%, 90.63%,50%,89%. Conclusion: Hence our final conclusion after comparing these studies, both studies show the positive correlation. But when we think which is best Modified Alvarado's scoring system is better than Tzanakis scoring system as in Tzanakis system there are chances of observer bias and we don't wait for total leucocyte count to go up to 12000/cmm if clinical suspicion is there.


Objective:To study the significance of small megakaryocyte(SMK) by APAAP staining in differential diagnosis of anemias and MDS. Methods:The bone marrow smear of 238 patients were stained by APAAP technique and using anti-platelet membrane glycoprotein Ⅱb-Ⅲa (CD41a) monoclonal antibody.The SMK of each marrow smear were counted and classified according to morphologic characteristic. Results:Compared with Wright's staining, APAAP staining of SMK in all bone marrow smears had a significant difference(P0.01). The positive rate in turn of SMK of every disease group was MDSITPETMgAMetastatic carcinoma in bone marrowThe platelet production of megakaryocytes is lackMFmixed anemiasecondary anemia HAIDA. There was a significant difference in the type of SMK among the group of MDS,MgA and ITP(P0.05). Conclusion:APAAP staining is contributed to identify SMK. Variety of the quantities and types will provide a reliable evidence for differential diagnosis of anemias and MDS.


Today, Photovoltaic (PV) systems are very popular for power generation because they enjoy the advantage of being pollution free abundant natural resource, low maintenance cost and noiseless operation. Photovoltaic (PV) systems needs maximum power point tracking (MPPT) to maximize the PV array power output which is independent of the temperature, irradiation coPIC18F452nditions and electrical characteristics of the load. The Research Work introduces photovoltaic MPPT system based on PIC18F452 to achieve maximum power tracking. Moreover, the combination of boost circuit and PIC18F452 microcontroller is used for tracking of the maximum power generation from PV system. Moreover, Research presents a practical implementation of Perturbation and Observation (P&O), Incremental Conductance (IncCon) and Fuzzy Logic algorithms to achieve MPPT control. These algorithms are widely used because of its low-cost and ease of realization. Proposed P&O, Incremental Conductance and Fuzzy Logic algorithms are implemented and tested under different loads, and the test results are analyzed and compared. The results show the performance of the Fuzzy Logic and Incremental Conductance algorithm in tracking MPP is better than the P&O algorithm and the experimental results of Fuzzy Logic and Incremental Conductance algorithm indicate the feasibility and improved system functionality with high-efficiency. Also, results concludes that the design can effectively accomplish the purpose of the maximum power tracking.


With the point of departure in discourse analysis (DA), this corpus comparative study concentrated on sequences with adversarial questions in political press conferences to investigate the differences in the use of adversarial questioning between two contexts, namely, English and Persian political press conferences, and particularly highlight the strategies which were used by journalists in such sequences of talk journalists and politicians so as to show the importance of improving linguistic proficiency in EFL context. For this reason, this study analyzed a corpus of data from some political press conferences with American and Iranian Government which is randomly selected from appropriate websites between 2007 and 2021. The study applied Clayman, Heritage, and McDonald (2006) for quantifying adversarial questions as exhibited by the press to the questions addressed the Presidents of Iran and the United States. Questions from selected conferences were coded according to adversarialness. Frequency and chi-square tests were used for analysis. The results showed significant difference across the 2 corpora in some journalists' questions. In terms of question design, accountability questions in Iranian journalists' questions as Persian corpus indicated higher frequency. In addition, in referencing frames, higher frequency was observed in declarative questions in Persian corpus. However, English corpus displayed higher frequency in other-referencing frames. Finally, in content adversarialness, global adversarialness indicated higher frequency in Persian corpus. Consequently, the results showed that adversarial questions were used in Persian corpus more significantly than English corpus. The results of the study not only will help the students gain linguistic competence, but it will also improve their overall language proficiency.


Environmental education (EE) has been replaced since the 2000s by education for sustainable development (ESD), in yet another example of the uncertainties of globalized curricula. In some countries, ESD has been rejected in favor of a paradigm which aims at being endogenous and decolonized: Vivir Bien, which puts forth a bio-centered and spiritual vision of the relationship between humans and nature. The case of Bolivia shows that Vivir Bien and its curriculum reform are actually hybrids. On the one hand, they have been created from historical experiences which are due to multiple transnational exchanges, and on the other hand, the teachers involved have heterogeneous perspectives because of their education and the variety of their scientific, religious and environmental beliefs.


As is well-known, Australia is the first English country to officially make and efficiently carry out multi-lingual and plural culture in the world, whose language education policy has been highly spoken of by most linguists and politicians in the world in terms of the formulation and implementation. By studying such items as affecting factors, development history, implementing strategies of Australian language education policy under the background of multiculturalism, researchers can get a clue of the law of development of the language education policy in the developed countries and even the world. To be specific, through studying the development history of Australian language education policy under the background of multiculturalism, the paper puts forward some enlightenment and presents some advice on the China's foreign language education.


Abstract Eugénia da Conceição-Heldt's sophisticated comment on our analysis of the European Commission's role in economic governance notwithstanding, we stand by our conclusion that the Commission emerges as an 'unexpected winner' from the current crisis. It wins by significantly gaining competences in absolute terms — and unexpectedly so, given the constant murmur about the Commission being in decline. We agree, however, that further research is needed to fully grasp the complex institutional implications of the still ongoing crisis for the Commission.


The present status of nickel resource is introduced.The fire methods,including matte smelting,nickel ferror,reduce roast-magnetic dressing and wet methods,including ammonia leaching,microwave heat-FeCl3 leaching,high pressure acid leaching,water hot,vulcanization roast-water leaching,reduce roasr-acid leaching are described,respectively.Besed on the present situation of nickel industry,the future development direction for the nickel oxide ores smelting is pointed out.


Three species of the ammonoid genus Utaturiceras, including U. chrysanthemum sp. nov., and two species of Graysonites, from the Soeushinai area of northwestern Hokkaido, are described under revised diagnoses of the genera. They form the basal subzone of the Cenomanian sequence of strata in the studied area. This faunule is recognized in restricted parts of Japan and the correlatable faunule is also known in certain particular provinces of long distance in the world. The reason for this fact is discussed to some extent.


One of the difficulties developers encounter in maintaining tasks of a large-scale software system is the updating of suitable libraries on time. Developers tend to miss or make mistakes when searching for and choosing libraries during the development process, or there may not be a stable library for the developers to use. We present a novel approach for helping developers modify software easily and on time and avoid software failures. Using a tool previously built by us called GPES, we collected information of projects, such as abstract syntax trees, tokens, software metrics, relations, and evolutions, for our experiments. We analyzed the contexts of source codes in existing projects to predict changes automatically and to recommend suitable libraries for the projects. The collected data show that researchers can reduce the overall cost of data analysis by transforming the extracted data into the required input formats with a simple query-based implementation. Also, we manually evaluated how the extracted contexts are similar to the description and we found that a sufficient number of the words in the contexts is similar and it might help developers grasp the domain of the source codes easily.


It is a world of war and tenorism that we live in since I lth September' 2001 and since the war in lraq. There are daily news report of ethnic cleansing and evil cycles of revenge in several countries. Many people, including politicians, ask themselves whether there is stitl any hope of a peaceful and non-violent world' The famous and popular Finnish author Väinö Linna said in an interview in 1980 that before war breaks out, the idea of war is developed in someone's brain'¡ Thus, to resist war and violence implies puriSing the imagination and ideology of violent elements. The imagination, and ñlms and books which are full of violence and warlike phantacies, offer a ready model for violent action and war. Such books and imagination are not a modem phenomenon, the ancient epics of humankind are illustrative examples of war and violence as means to attaining


Improved therapies are needed for nonsmall cell lung cancer. Diazeniumdiolate-based nitric oxide (NO)-releasing prodrugs are a growing class of promising NO-based therapeutics. Recently, we have shown that O(2)-(2,4-dinitrophenyl) 1-[(4-ethoxycarbonyl)piperazin-1-yl]diazen-1-ium-1,2-diolate (JS-K, 1) is effective against nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells in culture and in vivo. Here we report mechanistic studies with compound 1 and its homopiperazine analogue and structural modification of these into more stable prodrugs. Compound 1 and its homopiperazine analogue were potent cytotoxic agents against NSCLC cells in vitro and in vivo, concomitant with activation of the SAPK/JNK stress pathway and upregulation of its downstream effector ATF3. Apoptosis followed these events. An aryl-substituted analogue, despite extended half-life in the presence of glutathione, did not activate JNK or have antitumor activity. The data suggest that rate of reactivity with glutathione and activation of JNK/ATF3 are determinants of cancer cell killing by these prodrugs.


The corrosion properties of chromium nitride (CrN) coating on nickel have been evaluated in order to improve the anti-corrosion of metallic bipolar plate materials with applications such as redox flow batteries. The CrN layers are prepared by nitridation of electroplated Cr layers with different thickness. The nitrogen content of CrN coating layers varies from 0.5 to 4.2wt% depending on nitriding time and coating layer thickness. Electrochemical and chemical corrosion behaviors are investigated by potentiodynamic polarization test in 5% sulfuric acid and by immersion test in 50% sulfuric acid, respectively. Electrochemical analysis of corrosion potential and corrosion current density as well as passivation behavior and chemical corrosion rate prove conclusively that an intact thin CrN layer is more corrosion resistant than thicker layers where cracks are developed. Sheet resistance of CrN coating layers before and after the corrosion test exhibits no significant difference. The improved corrosion resistance and the excellent stability of CrN coating layers suggest an efficient anti-corrosion method for metallic bipolar plate materials. © The Electrochemical Society of Japan, All rights reserved.


This paper describes an intelligent Decision-Support System developed to analyse alternate locations for petroleum distribution so that delivery, storage and dispatching costs can be considered jointly with potential environmental risks. It consists of a visual, modelling environment that allows decision-makers to describe problems and a knowledge-based component that interacts with users to generate and explore alternatives during decision-making iterations. Given the run-up in petroleum costs and the disruptive effect of environmental phenomena such as hurricanes, such assessments may be beneficial where tradeoffs between environmental risks and operating costs must be evaluated.


A review of the command and service module controls and displays subsystem is presented. The subsystem is described, and operational requirements, component history, problems and solutions, and conclusions and recommendations for the subsystem are included.


The invention relates to a cylindrical zinc-nickel cell and a fabrication method thereof. The zinc-nickel cell comprises a cell shell, a cap, an electrode assembly and electrolyte, the electrode assembly and the electrolyte are contained in the sealed cell shell, the upper part of the electrode assembly is connected with the cap, and the electrode assembly consists of a flexibly wound nickel anode, a flexibly wound zinc cathode and a composite diaphragm; the edges of the nickel anode and the zinc cathode, which are not covered by substance, are respectively exposed out of both ends of the electrode assembly, moreover, the exposed sections are respectively bent inwards to form bags, so that the cathode and the anode are respectively loaded in the respective bags and isolated, and both end surfaces of the electrode assembly are formed into two even conductive metal end surfaces; the nickel anode and the zinc cathode are first fabricated and formed into the electrode assembly, a thorny cathodal current collector is crimped on the upper end of the electrode assembly, a thorny anodal current collector is crimped on the lower end of the electrode assembly, the outmost layer of the wound zinc cathode is completely covered by a layer of alkali-resisting insulating tape, the zinc cathode is then put into the nickel-plated steel cell shell, and the cathodal current collector is welded with the upper cap. The invention is characterized by simple technique, low cost, safety, reliability, long-term storage, long cycle life, high shock resistance, good high-current discharge performance and the like.


Based on the equipment for producing conventional polyester Industrial yarn, under the conditions of industrial production, to produce high performance polyester industrial yarn with good dimension stability is selected as a target for this study. How to control the viscosity of upgraded chips, how to select right spinneret and how to set the proper parameters of drawing heat setting have been systematically investigated, and a successful solution to produce high performance polyester industrial yarn with the EASL(4.0cN/dtex) around 5% and hot air shrinkage (177℃,1 min) from 4% to 5% has been reached.


The article summarized the practice and achievements in the digital hospital construction based on intelligent hospital infrastructure.The author put forward that intelligent hospital architecture is the basis,and clinical information system is the core content.Envisioned prospect and future development are also proposed.


A 4H-SiC pin diode with improved termination named mesa JTE has been developed and a high blocking voltage of 6.2kV and a low VF of 4.7V at 100A/cm2 have been achieved. A developed diode has a short reverse recovery time of 28.5ns at room temperature. By evaluation of reverse recovery characteristics, a developed diode has a minority carrier lifetime of longer than 1μs at 350°C in spite of a minority carrier lifetime of 64ns at room temperature. Furthermore, a developed diode has 1/29th lower recovery loss than those of a commercialized 4.5kV Si diode.


What problems were addressed? Whereas medicine is a science, the practice of medicine is an art. Over the years, medical practice becomes increasingly dehumanised. Medical schools assess their students mainly on medical knowledge and clinical skills, and neglect the humanist aspects of medicine. This approach will not facilitate the development of clinicians who can express themselves clearly, and who listen attentively to their patients, show empathy and possess good bedside manners. Although humanist qualities are powerful healing tools that can help in the cultivation of strong patient–doctor relationships, there is, sadly, an absence of humanism in the culture of modern medicine. Changes in medical training are required. What was tried? Our medical school provides an early introduction to the humanities in medicine with the aim of educating students in humanism and the art of medicine. In our revised medical curriculum, the 'Language in Medicine' component is introduced at the commencement of Year 1. Four themes are highlighted in this component: Icons in medicine; Good science, bad science; When there is no doctor, and Death and dying. The first theme introduces students to local and international icons in medicine. The second theme exposes students to uncertainty and scepticism in medicine. The third theme emphasises that the provision of health care represents a team effort and exposes students to health care that does not involve doctors. In the fourth theme, students are introduced to palliative care and end-of-life issues. They learn about compassion, empathy and the art of breaking bad news. Blended learning is facilitated through activities on an e-learning platform, lectures and show-and-tell sessions in which patient volunteers share their experiences. Interspersed with this, students visit six centres, including an emergency department and a community clinic. Communication skills workshops equip students with essential skills for communicating with patients. Students are encouraged to reflect on their activities throughout the week and to write about their experiences as a group. Learning is supported by feedback provided through online forums, online resources and formative assessments. What lessons were learned? The introduction of Language in Medicine has raised awareness among students of the humane aspect of medicine. Group assignments hone students' team skills and communication skills training enhances their ability in history taking and interpersonal interaction. The Death and dying theme emphasises the fact that although doctors cannot always heal, they can always care. Tutors in subsequent basic science blocks commented that the revised curriculum has made students more inquisitive and has improved communication between tutors and students. Despite the efforts and enthusiasm contributed by everyone involved in implementing the many useful activities, some students commented that the time might be better spent on learning medicine. After a review, the 12-week component was condensed to 8 weeks for subsequent cohorts. Curriculum review and transformation helped us to humanise our undergraduate medical curriculum. Over time and with continuous feedback for improvement, a change in the student learning experience is slowly taking shape.


The design and use of management control systems can play a key role in dealing with cybersecurity issues that have arisen in tandem with the emergence of the Internet. Efficient management control systems will reduce a firm's likelihood of suffering significant losses from cybersecurity breaches. Drawing on and extending the extant agency-based capital budgeting literature, this paper demonstrates the relevance of the study of management accounting controls to problems arising in the cybersecurity setting. The main finding is that firms can use an information security audit (which is an integral part of a management control system) along with adjustments to the compensation payments to the agent and the investment decision rules, to mitigate a Chief Information Security Officer's inherent empire building preferences. The paper also identifies additional research areas where management accountants with expertise in management control systems can contribute to the academic literature and practice surrounding cybersecurity issues.


1. Introduction: What Works and what matters, George Mair 2. The origins of What Works in England and Wales: a house built on sand? George Mair 3.The uses and abuses of positivism, David Smith 4. Dangerous thinking: a critical history of correctional cognitive behaviouralism, Kathleen Kendall 5. How cognitive skills forgot about gender and diversity, Margaret Shaw and Kelly Hannah-Moffat 6. The barking dog? Partnership and effective practice, Judith Rumgay 7. Getting tough or being effective: what matters? Carol Hedderman and Mike Hough 8. Beyond programmes: organisational and cultural issues in the implementation of What Works, Hazel Kemshall, Paul Holt, Roy Bailey and Gwyneth Boswell 9. Supervision, motivation and social context: what matters most when probationers desist? Stephen Farrall 10. Community reintegration: for whom? Jon Spencer and Jo Deakin 11. Community service as reintegration: exploring the potential, Loraine Gelsthorpe and Sue Rex 12. What Works: a view from the chiefs, George Mair 13. Purposes matter: examining the 'ends' of probation, Gwen Robinson and Fergus McNeill 14. Getting personal: developments in policy and practice in Scotland, Gill Mclvor 15. What Works and the globalisation of punishment talk, Anne Worrall


The invention belongs to the field of geological environment, and particularly relates to an ecological treatment method oriented to geological environment disasters caused by riverway goafs. The ecological treatment method oriented to geological environment disasters caused by riverway goafs includes the following steps that firstly, the geology of a sand excavation area is observed, the geological environment of the riverway goafs is analyzed, and soil property parameters are determined according to the range and the shape of sand excavation hanging-in-air caves; secondly, the destructing mode of the disasters in the riverway goafs is determined, and the long-time sinking rule and the action mechanism of the hanging-in-air caves are determined; thirdly, the sinkage of the HuLu caves is controlled with a filling grouting method. The geological environment of the riverway goafs is treated ecologically with the method, an optimum method is obtained through on-site exploration, analytic demonstration, theoretical analysis and filling experiments, potential danger of accidents is eliminated, and the method has extensive application prospects and promotional value for guaranteeing smoothness and safety of riverways, reducing geological environment disasters and maintaining ecological balance and has great social and economic benefits.


We report loading of laser-cooled caesium atoms into a hollow-core photonic-bandgap fiber and confining the atoms in the fiber's 7μm diameter core with a red-detuned dipole trap. In this system, the atom-photon interaction probability is in the range of 0.5% and optical depths exceeding 100 can be achieved. We discuss the outlooks for photon storage and nonlinear optics at low light levels, such as cross-phase modulation and single-photon wavelength conversion, in this system.


Current registration methods for diffusion‐MRI (dMRI) data mostly focus on white matter (WM) areas. Recently, dMRI has been employed for the characterization of gray matter (GM) microstructure, emphasizing the need for registration methods that consider all tissue types.


A high-temperature fast neutron detector has been developed for well logging applications. The developed fast neutron detector is based on a single-crystal diamond grown by chemical vapor deposition. Among many other advantages, diamond detectors are rugged, radiation hard, and stable under high temperatures. The diamond detector was evaluated for monitoring the fast neutron intensity of pulsed neutron instruments. Pulsed neutron instruments are employed to deliver formation thermal neutron capture cross section, carbon-to-oxygen ratio, and mineralogy information. The ability to monitor the neutron generator output and correct for fluctuations has a potential for improving the measurement accuracy. Experimental results presented in the article include comparison of spectra acquired in the 25–175 °C temperature range, comparison of spectra acquired in various environments, and normalization of gamma-ray count rates to neutron generator output in a pulsed neutron gamma-ray logging tool. The results clearly show usability of diamond detectors for fast neutron measurements in pulsed neutron instruments.


Objective: to know the social determinants of health that influence the lives of women victims of domestic violence. Method: Integrative literature review guided by the following question: What are the social determinants of health that influence the lives of women victims of domestic violence? The search was carried out in the databases: National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences, Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature and the Cochrane Library; articles published in the period from 2015 to 2019. Results: Ten studies were included in the selection, which after analyzed demonstrated the high prevalence of domestic violence, resulting from physical, sexual, emotional aggressions related to social determinants of health such as low educational level, time marriage, unemployment, culture, housing and food insecurity. Conclusion: The health determinants identified in the studies that most influence violence against women are related to the low level of education, economic condition and unemployment, which affect women are only physically, but psychologically, demonstrating the relevance of the study, in knowing the main determinants and to reverse the situation of violence against women.


Probable ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase FAF-X (2570 aa, ~292 kDa) is encoded by the human USP9X gene. This protein plays a role in the modulation of post-translational protein modification.


Preface and Acknowledgments Part I: Understanding Race and Trust 1 Introduction: Race, Risk, and Discrimination 2 Explaining Blacks' (Dis)trust: A Th eory of Discriminative Racial-Psychological ProcessingPart II: Racial Internalization 3 Being Black in America: Racial Socialization 4 Trust No One: Navigating Race and Racism 5 Trusting Bodies, Racing Trust Part III: Racial Externalization 6 Th e Societal Context 7 Th e Political Context 8 Conclusion: In Whom Do Black Americans Trust? Appendix A: NPSS Descriptive Statistics of Survey Sample Appendix B: Survey Sample and U.S. Census Quota Matching Notes References Index About the Author


In "Reducing birth defects in women with epilepsy: research leading to results," Pennell and Meador discuss: (1) the need for neurologists to carefully consider selection of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in women of childbearing age and (2) the impact of EURAP—a prospective registry of women on AEDs in 42 countries—on facilitating further understanding of the risks of congenital malformations and neurodevelopmental abnormalities associated with AEDs. Braillon and Bewley comment that (1) increased advocacy is needed to ensure whether EURAP's findings affect practice expediently and (2) to make the results more meaningful, EURAP should include detailed data on other risk factors for congenital malformations and neurodevelopmental abnormalities. Finally, the findings of EURAP should have influence on regulatory agencies to improve drug safety. Sethi further notes that it is particularly important for steps to be taken to ensure whether EURAP's findings be used to improve AED prescribing practices in low- and middle-income countries. Pennell and Meador respond that it is challenging to change practice, but partnership with governmental and regulatory organizations and performance of meta-analyses can help disseminate information about medications associated with of congenital malformations and neurodevelopmental abnormalities. Pennell further notes that the International League against Epilepsy is working to facilitate education of all specialists who care for women with epilepsy using knowledge acquired from EURAP in an effort to decrease the frequency of congenital malformations and neurodevelopmental abnormalities in patients on AEDs.


Glow discharge polymerization of hexamethyldisiloxane was carried out on activated charcoal granules through the application of capacitively coupled RF plasma. The coats were examined with Auger and IR spectroscopies, and with SEM. The surface topography and the tenacity of samples coated with plasma were compared with that of the solution-coated ones. Mercury porosimetry was used to study the effect of the coat on pore size distribution. The effect of contact with blood on the number of blood cells were studied.


Due to their complexity, modern systems expose many configuration parameters which users must tune to maximize performance. Auto-tuning has emerged as an alternative in which a black-box optimizer iteratively evaluates configurations to find efficient ones. Unfortunately, for many systems, such as distributed systems, evaluating performance takes too long and the space of configurations is too large for the optimizer to converge within a reasonable time. We present BOAT, a framework which allows developers to build efficient bespoke auto-tuners for their system, in situations where generic auto-tuners fail. At BOAT's core is structured Bayesian optimization (SBO), a novel extension of the Bayesian optimization algorithm. SBO leverages contextual information provided by system developers, in the form of a probabilistic model of the system's behavior, to make informed decisions about which configurations to evaluate. In a case study, we tune the scheduling of a neural network computation on a heterogeneous cluster. Our auto-tuner converges within ten iterations. The optimized configurations outperform those found by generic auto-tuners in thirty iterations by up to 2X.


Aim To investigate the antiarrhythmic mechanism of taurine magnesium coordination compound(TMC)on the potassium current in single ventricular myocytes of guinea pig.Methods Whole-cell patch clamp was used to record IK,IK1 in single ventricular myocytes of guinea pig.Results In ventricular myocytes of guinea pig,IK was decreased from(8.67±1.04)pA/pF to(6.31±1.16)pA/pF at +70 mV.TMC had no effect on the IK1.Conclusions TMC had inhibitory effect on IK directly and this effect maybe resulted in prolonging the action potential duration(APD)and effective refractory period(ERP).It could be one of the basis of antiarrhythmic effect of TMC.


Abstract Music, particularly singing, has been used as an engaging and effective teaching and learning tool for thousands of years. The introduction of standardised testing and implementation of the national curriculum have seen the education focus narrow on literacy and numeracy. Rather than education putting children first, it seems that we are in now in competition with other schools, states, and countries to determine which is 'the best'. This has seen the study of music, seen as non-essential, marginalised. This appears to be a global phenomenon. Behaviour problems in schools continue to increase, results for standardised test results are not improving, but the education focus continues to narrow. This paper discusses the unique role of singing on the development of resilience, which is an umbrella term that describes the ability to successfully navigate life events. Music fills a unique role in development and needs to stand on equal terms with literacy and numeracy for optimal academic and personal development.


• ANKA is a MALE class UAV • Designed to make the surveillance and target acquisition • Developed for day and night real-time intelligence • 24 hour endurance • 200 km maximum line of sight • 30,000 ft. maximum altitude • 10 m Fuselage Length and 17 m Wing Span • ATOLS


The low-rank tensor completion problem, which aims to recover the missing data from partially observable data. However, most of the existing tensor completion algorithms based on Tucker decomposition cannot avoid using singular value decomposition (SVD) operation to calculate the Tucker factors, so they are not suitable for the completion of large-scale data. To solve this problem, they propose a new faster tensor completion algorithm, which uses the method of random projection to project the unfolding matrix of each mode of the tensor into the low-dimensional subspace, and then obtain the Tucker factors by the orthogonal decomposition. Their method can effectively avoid the high computational cost of SVD operation. The results of the synthetic data experiments and real data experiments verify the effectiveness and feasibility of their method.


I am one year late in my celebration of the 100th anniversary of Student's t distribution, but in its honor, the theme of this puzzle is simple inference. The puzzle is a standard bar-type cryptic with one constraint, as you'll read about in the instructions. I certainly hope you can infer what I imply! A one-year (extension of your) subscription to CHANCE will be awarded for each of two correct solutions chosen at random from among those received by November 1, 2009. As an added incentive, a picture and short biography of each winner will be published in a subsequent issue. Please mail your completed diagram to Jonathan Berkowitz, CHANCE Goodness of Wit Test Column Editor, 4160 Staulo Crescent, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6N 3S2, or send him a list of the answers by email at witz@ telus.net. Note that winners to the puzzle contest in any of the three previous issues will not be eligible to win this issue's contest. Write Your Own Cryptic Clue Contest


As a consumer, you read a newspaper or magazine for information on war, the economy or the "Jen and Ben" saga. As a business leader, you read about how corporate governance can directly affect your bank. But whatever your news reading habits, the news media also represents an outlet to talk about what is important about your bank. Maybe your CEO is a third generation banker with huge role in the community. How can you convey that? Without the right hook, a journalist will chuck it out in a hot N.Y.-minute, leaving you questioning, "Why don't they print this?" Last September, at the ABA Marketing Conference, Suzanne Bates, CEO and President of Bates Communications, Inc., Wellesley, Mass., and a former journalist, conducted a workshop called "Media 101:Using the media to your strategic advantage." One question she asked was, "How are you conveying your message?" One obvious answer is "in a press release." Bates says a reporter knows if a release is newsworthy by the first three lines. Are you discussing a new angle in banking? How is it beneficial? Why should it be discussed? These are things that catch the reporter's eye. That also goes for calls you make when you pitch a story. The more powerful and compelling your pitch is, the more interesting the reporter will find it. You also have to remember that reporters often learn as they go along. Putting things in layman's terms is very helpful, especially to reporters who are new to covering banking. Assuming that a reporter knows all about the industry is a no-no. After all, you are trying to establish your credibility as a resource for both the reporter and the public. Your CEO may never grace the cover of Business Week, but you are building the foundation that he or she is a valuable and accessible source of information-- able to discuss facts about your bank and the industry at length. Being a resource and being accessible is not enough, however. You also have to evaluate whether or not you're working with the right publications. Much like a reporter would research your institution, you can learn things about the publication, such as circulation data, reporters on staff, and the tone of the publication. If you are looking at the press as part of your marketing arsenal, then you need to know this weapon very well. Which reporters and publications are credible in your eyes? Before you write a press release or hit send on a Microsoft Outlook message, consider some other pointers. Bates says make a practice of enjoying the interview, and offering story ideas. If you're being cooperative and are helping the story along, you'll likely be called back. …


he Melissa virus, which tore through computer networks at an astonishing speed in late March, sent a shiver down the spine of the computer industry. There was concern because Melissa spread quickly via infected e-mail attachments that, when opened, sent the virus to people in unsuspecting victims' address books. This meant that Melissa spread very fast throughout the world, overwhelming e-mail servers, before it could be stopped. Melissa could also send out sensitive documents to people in address books without the user's knowledge. Melissa's approach was particularly insidious because the virus made infected e-mail attachments appear to come from people the recipients knew. But perhaps the greatest concern about Melissa is what it could mean for the future. Melissa was relatively easy to create and attacked weaknesses in important and popular technologies that could be exploited again with even more serious results. For example, Melissa exploited users' widespread and often careless opening of e-mail attachments, which can contain macro viruses. Melissa also took advantage of a potential security threat created by macro languages , in this case Microsoft's Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), which let users program executable functionality into documents. In the case of Melissa, the author programmed malicious function-ality into a document used as an e-mail attachment. (See the sidebar " Viruses and Visual Basic for Applications. ") Because of this, the Melissa virus represents a major new development in virus technology, said Peter Tippett, chair and chief technologist at the International Computer Security Association (ICSA), a security consultancy. Similar viruses in the future could be much more malicious than Melissa, noted Jeff Carpenter, incident response team leader for Carnegie Mellon University's Computer Emergency Response Team. This could have serious ramifications because many organizations depend on e-mail for mission-critical tasks and because Internet-based commerce is becoming an important economic factor. At its worst, this type of problem could disrupt Internet-based business operations and cause tens of billions of dollars in losses, said Michael A. Vatis, director of the National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC). Users began receiving e-mail messages with • a subject line that read, " Important Message From … " followed by the name of the previous victim, who had the recipient's name in an e-mail address book and thus probably knew him or her; • a text message that said, " Here is that document you asked for … don't show anyone else ;-) " ; …


The weak membrane model with optimization by mean field annealing is applied to the direct segmentation of tomographic images. Models based on the minimum description length principle that include penalties for measurement error, boundary length, regions, and means are also introduced. Outliers are prevented by upper and lower bound constraints on pixel values. Several models are generalized to three-dimensional images. The superiority of the present models to convolution backprojection is demonstrated experimentally.<<ETX>>


Voltage gated K+ channels (Kv) are important in defining baroreceptor (BR) pressure‐discharge characteristics. We have shown that a Ca+2‐activated K+ current (IK,Ca) is expressed in aortic BR neurons (ABNs) with unmyelinated (UM) but not myelinated (M) fibers. Here, we quantify the expression of other Kv subtypes in fluorescently identified ABNs using an intact nodose ganglion preparation for patch clamp study and measure of BR fiber conduction velocity. Voltage clamp recordings were performed using 450 msec steps (−70 to +40 mV, 5 mV increments) at an interval of 3 sec. The protocol was repeated but w/the addition of 10 nM α‐dendrotoxin, then again w/the addition of 5 mM 4‐AP and again with the addition of 15 mM TEA. Trace subtraction yielded the distribution of IDTX, I4AP and IK currents. All ABNs with M‐fibers exhibited a whole cell K+ current (IK,total) magnitude (pA/pF) nearly twice that of neurons with UM‐fibers. The IK,total of ABNs with M‐fibers (n = 3) was comprised of (% total): 71.0 ± 6.1 I4AP, 16.0 ± 2.7 IK, 10.0 ± 2.0 IDTX with a remnant of 7.0 ± 0.2. In stark contrast the IK,total of ABN with UM‐fibers (n = 11) was comprised of (% total) 48.1 ± 6.5 I4AP, 20.3 ± 2.0 IK, 24.0 ± 3.5 IDTX with a remnant of 9.2 ± 2.7%. Analysis of the pooled data did not reveal any quantitative differences in the voltage‐ and time‐dependent properties of these K+ currents, suggesting the expression of a common family of Kv subtypes across M and UM baroreceptor afferents, although at markedly different levels of functional expression. These results demonstrate that ABNs with M‐fibers lack a functionally significant IK,Ca and that repolarization is dominated by I4AP. Computational modeling results demonstrate how such an expression of K+ ion channels leads to the uniquely different discharge patterns of M and UM baroreceptor afferents. NIH ‐ HL072012


The objective of this study was to provide research data about the contribution of WISC-III in the investigation of high abilities children's cognitive profile. Sixteen 6 to 14 year-old children from both private and public schools took part in this study, being received by a public care center in Brazilian north-eastern capital for highly skilled people. They were individually submitted to a testing session divided in two parts, with a thirteen minutes interval between parts. Results indicate a significant discrepancy between verbal and execution domains in 50% of the participants. Especially noteworthy was the discrepancy between results for Factorial Indices of Verbal Comprehension and Processing Speed. These data show that WISCIII not only contributes to calculating IQs, but also give clues for understanding learning difficulties and socio-cultural choices characteristic of high intellectual ability children. Finally, results discussed here justify the need for standardization of WISCIII test for highly skilled population


In this study, we have examined the effects of the benefits of relationship of medical skin care brands on brand identification, satisfaction and loyalty, targeting consumers who have used the growing medical skin care services. For this purpose, we conducted a questionnaire survey, targeting 500 people, both men and women, aged at 18 years or more, who have experience in the use of medical skin care residing in the Busan and Gyeongnam region. Among them, a total of 494 questionnaires were finally used for analysis. The benefits of relationship have been classified as two factors: social benefits and convincing benefits. These two factors were found to have affected the brand identification. Convincing benefits (path coefficient = .366) have slightly higher impact on the brand identification than social benefits (path coefficient = .187). Also, it has been found that the brand identification has affected satisfaction (path coefficient = .196), and in turn the satisfaction has affected loyalty (path coefficient = .904). As the result of this study, it is revealed that the benefits of relationship have an effect on both satisfaction and loyalty through brand identification as its media. In this regards, this study has its significance in establishing the causal relationships between them.


This paper examines a life cycle model of retirement planning in which rational choice regarding the length of life can lead to suicide. The incidence of this rational suicide in realistic economic circumstances is calculated, and it is shown to be quite sensitive to an individual's intertemporal elasticity of substitution. The model is concerned with the allocation of a given initial wealth over an uncertain lifetime, and the critical assumption is that an individual regards the utility of living with some particular low level of consumption as equivalent to the utility of death. Rational Suicide and the Optimal Length of Life 1 Rational Suicide and the Optimal Length of Life


Abstract Governance processes are a legal necessity; but beyond that, they're fundamental to the success of every organization. When governance processes are well designed, they coordinate every aspect of an organization: its people, equipment, and money work in concert toward the strategic objectives of the firm. However, when poorly designed, governance processes can be counterproductive. This article presents a fresh perspective on IS governance as five interdependent organizational systems. the objective is to help leaders understand the scope of the IS governance challenge, and to provide an introduction to design processes that coordinate and control the IS organization while enhancing, not stifling, everyone's performance.


As aggregators, online news portals face great challenges in continuously selecting a pool of candidate articles to be shown to their users. Typically, those candidate articles are recommended manually by platform editors from a much larger pool of articles aggregated from multiple sources. Such a hand-pick process is labor intensive and time-consuming. In this paper, we study the editor article selection behavior and propose a learning by demonstration system to automatically select a subset of articles from the large pool. Our data analysis shows that (i) editors' selection criteria are non-explicit, which are less based only on the keywords or topics, but more depend on the quality and attractiveness of the writing from the candidate article, which is hard to capture based on traditional bag-of-words article representation. And (ii) editors' article selection behaviors are dynamic: articles with different data distribution come into the pool everyday and the editors' preference varies, which are driven by some underlying periodic or occasional patterns. To address such problems, we propose a meta-attention model across multiple deep neural nets to (i) automatically catch the editors' underlying selection criteria via the automatic representation learning of each article and its interaction with the meta data and (ii) adaptively capture the change of such criteria via a hybrid attention model. The attention model strategically incorporates multiple prediction models, which are trained in previous days. The system has been deployed in a commercial article feed platform. A 9-day A/B testing has demonstrated the consistent superiority of our proposed model over several strong baselines.


We have undertaken a systematic analysis of the iron-sulfur clusters present in strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae carrying mutations in the COB-BOX region of the mitochondrial DNA coding for cytochrome b, and in OXI loci of the mitochondrial DNA coding for subunits of cytochrome oxidase. The iron-sulfur clusters and cytochromes in complexes II and III of the yeast mitochondrial respiratory chain have been largely identified. Mutant phenotypes are defined in terms of succinate dehydrogenase and cytochrome c reductase activities, low- temperature absorption spectra and electron paramagnetic resonance spectra.

From quantitative comparison of iron-sulfur clusters in mitochondrial preparations of BOX, OXI and rho° mutants, we have made the following two sets of observations. (a) Among the components of complexIII, the appearance of Rieske's iron-sulfur cluster seems to be correlated only to the presence or absence of the cytochrome b; moreover Rieske's cluster is absent even when polypeptide fragments of apocytochrome b are known to be synthesized. This observation constitutes a very interesting example illustrating perturbation of the incorporation of a cytoplasmically made protein (Rieske's protein) by structural alterations of a mitochondrially made protein (cytochrome b), both being assembled within the same multiprotein complex. The situation differs with another cytoplasmically-made protein (cytochrome c1). (b) Clusters S-1, S-2 and S-3 associated with complex II are present, irrespective of the type of mutation, at about ∼ 10-20 % of the level of that in the wildtype species; this partial repression could be a result of the respiratory deficiency of these mutants.


The WIMP (weakly interacting dark matter) is currently the leading candidate for what is thought to be dark matter, the cosmological material claimed to make up almost 99% of the matter of the universe and which is indiscernible by means of electromagnetic radiation. There are many research groups dedicated to experimentally isolating WIMPs, and in this paper we describe the work of three ofthese groups, the Saclay group, DAMA and UKDM. This exploration into the recent history of astroparticle physics serves to illuminate two philosophical issues. First, is confirmatory evidence more compelling if it coordinates results gleaned from independent experimental investigations? And secondly, in justifying experimental conclusions, how strong must this justification be ? Are the high standards set by philosophers, in the spirit of Descartes, relevant to experimental research ?


The 2011 edition of the IDEAS (International Database Engineering & Applications Symposium) is being held in the city of Lisbon, Portugal, from the 21st to the 23rd of September. Since 1997, IDEAS has established itself as a premier forum in the area of database engineering and applications, providing a unique opportunity for database researchers, users, and developers to exchange new ideas, approaches, and methodologies.

For IDEAS'11, we continue to keep our tradition of inviting international experts in various aspects of database engineering to join our international program committee. As a result, our Program Committee consists of professionals from different parts of the world including: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Japan, Korea Republic, Mexico, New Zealand, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, United Kingdom and United States.


Oil spills are natural disasters that affect marine life, devastate ecosystems and different social series. They have a high risk of not only damaging the environment and human health, but also damaging the image of companies linked to these events. Thus, this article seeks to compile the main events in Brazil and the rest of the world to categorize their causes, impacts and social implications. And through a critical analysis to understand how such accidents could be avoided or better solved, bringing the most effective cleaning methods today. For this reason, it was clear that in many cases of spills, the actual damage generated is omitted to avoid public retaliation, but this only reinforces the need to disseminate the importance of environmental surveillance in the oil sector and to foster new technologies that seek alternative methods. decontamination of water bodies. In addition to making this subject increasingly present in society's daily lives, so that better working conditions and environmental care can be demanded.


The structure of the system for the study of notions and terms of subject domain with an unclear structure is considered, in particular, the structure of data-base system. The proposed system allows to create new educational courses regardless of subject domain, to automatize teaching of users after these courses, to carry out diagnostics of knowledge and manage teaching. The system provides the possibility of the independent study of notions and terms of a several disciplines, the support of the simultaneous teaching of a several users, the verification of rightness of pupil's answers of pupil on a template, the addition of new educational courses without modification of the code of the program, the use of the editor of educational courses.


For a commutative ring A with identity, and for infinite cardinals α as well as the symbol ∞, which indicates the situation in which there are no cardinal restrictions, one defines A to be α-regular if for each subset D of A, with |D| < α and de = 0, for any two distinct d, e ∈ D, there is an s ∈ A such that ds = d, for each d ∈ D, and if xd = 0, for each d ∈ D, then xs = 0, This paper studies α-regular archimedean f -rings, relative to lateral α-completeness. The main result is that the operator l(α) that gives the lateral αcompletion commutes with b, the reflection that closes an f -ring with respect to bounded inversion. An f -ring is α-regular if and only if it has bounded inversion and is laterally α-complete, and the operator that creates the α-regular hull is r(α) = b · l(α). It is shown that the space mr(α)A of all maximal `-ideals of r(α)A is the same as that of the α-projectable hull. Finally, r(α)A contains the ring of α-quotients, and necessary conditions are given for them to coincide.


Extensive research has been conducted to estimate and analyze head poses for various applications. Most existing methods tend to detect facial features and locate landmarks on a face for pose estimation. However, the sensitivity to occlusion of some face parts with key features and uncontrolled illumination of face images make the facial feature detection vulnerable. In this paper, we propose a framework for pose estimation without the need of face features or landmarks detection. Specifically, we formulate the pose estimation as a linear regression applied to the pose space. This method is based on the assumption that pose space cannot be linearly approximated in the pose subspace. The experimental results strongly support this assumption. In cases where the database does not obtain various poses in the intraclass, we propose to generate those poses through a 3D reconstruction and projection method. The experiment conducted on the CMU MultiPIE and IMM Face database has shown the effectiveness of the proposed method.


The chemistry of two types of oligonucleotide conjugates containing novel chromophores are described. One, containing a stilbenedicarboxamide bridge, generates unusually stable hairpin structures that are useful in assessing rates of electron transfer through the π system of a DNA double helix. The other, containing gold nanoparticle conjugates, provides a highly selective system for detecting nucleotide sequences in oligonucleotides.


The Zambia Child Health Project underway since 1992 seeks to strengthen the Ministry of Healths capacity to deliver three specific child survival activities at the district level: control of diarrheal diseases prevention and treatment of acute respiratory infections and prevention and treatment of malaria. A 3-week needs assessment conducted by Basic Support for Institutionalizing Child Survival (BASICS) in 1995 found that practice standards for the management of childhood illnesses varied from one category of health worker to the other and from rural to urban health facilities with no clear working definition for the case management of a sick child. Also observed were severe staffing shortages in the rural district health centers an overemphasis on curative care a lack of information about the health facility catchment area and its health status no developmental framework for supervision of medical officers and gaps in basic clinical knowledge and skills. At present the MOH is decentralizing its approach to health care with an attendant confusion as to roles and responsibilities. Recommended is a systematic approach to child health service training based on a comprehensive review of MOH objectives and a skills audit.


The purpose of this paper is to provide both a general overview of the socio-economic context of each of the partner countries and cities and to explore the role that universities can play and what they can contribute in supporting and enhancing socio-economic development in the pursuit of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It also tales a critical approach to examine some of the global rankings and indicators used to measure or rank 'development'. This is followed by examples of some of challenges the SUEUAA cities and regions face and examples of engagement through research and other initiatives that universities are currently undertaking in collaboration or partnership with city stakeholders including those in local communities to address some of the identified challenges that face their cities and countries more generally.


In this prospective cohort study, 19 volunteer university students with acne were evaluated and photographed at the beginning of an academic quarter


BACKGROUND
High sensitivity of analysis is constantly in demand in biomedical research and clinical diagnosis. In recent years aptamer-based analytical methods have been developed for protein detection. We developed a cascade signal amplification strategy based on molecular switches and aptamers to improve protein detection.

METHODS
Our cascade signal amplification strategy based on molecular switches and aptamers consisted of 2 steps, including the recognition and the triggering of a polymerase reaction. The procedure was designed to simplify the analysis by detecting trace amounts of target isothermally, in real time, and in a homogeneous solution. We applied this method to measure thrombin in human serum samples.

RESULTS
This cascade signal amplification strategy exhibited a linear response in thrombin concentration from 0.3 to 10 nmol/L, with a detection limit of 1.7 × 10(-10) mol/L within 60 min. Results of the analysis of thrombin in human serum diluted 1:1 appeared to be linear, as was observed in buffer, in the tested concentration range of 0.3-10 nmol/L.

CONCLUSIONS
The aptameric sensor provides promising potential for detecting and screening trace concentrations of biomarkers in complex matrices for clinical applications.


Recent publications devoted to the etiology, diagnosis and treatment of cardiogenic syncope were reviewed. The analysis of the current state of views on a pathogenesis, classification and features of a clinical picture of syncope of cardiogenic etiology was performed. Cardiogenic syncope has a 20-30% mortality. The highest risk is characteristic for the age more than 45 years, heart failure, history of ventricular tachycardia, nonspecific changes on ECG. With three and more risk factors the probability of a sudden cardiac death within the next year can reach 80%. The cause of cardiogenic syncope is reduction of cerebral blood flow. Cardiogenic syncope can be caused by a fall in blood pressure, cardiac output and total peripheral vascular resistance. Cardiogenic syncope may be the result of bradycardia and asystole, supraventricular and ventricular tachycardia, pulmonary embolism, dissecting aortic aneurysm, structural defects and cardiac anomalies, presence of myxoma or mobile atrial clot, cardiac tamponade, constrictive pericarditis, acute myocardial ischemia, abnormalities of the coronary arteries, dysfunction of prosthetic valve and cardiac pacemakers. In the diagnosis of cardiogenic syncope anamnesis and data received on physical examination are important. Instrumental examination should include electrocardiography, detection of comorbid conditions, exercise stress tests such as cycle ergometry or treadmill test, Holter ECG monitor, echocardiography, and coronary angiography for suspected acute myocardial ischemia.


Since the collapse of communism in the former Soviet Union and in Eastern Europe, the rise of organised crime has been swift and substantial. It has taken control of many sectors of the economy in these countries and, because of its newly amassed wealth, it has attained significant political influence. Organised crime groups have used their political and economic influence to persuade certain provincial governments in the former Soviet Union to assist them in transferring their ill‐gotten proceeds to apparently legitimate investments in western countries. Some provincial governments, acting on behalf of certain organised crime groups, have exploited their ongoing relationships with leading international banks to obtain documentary credits to transfer billions of dollars of criminally derived money into investments in developed countries.


Objective:To investigate the diagnosis value and its limitation of 64-slice CT angiography and digital subtraction angiography in spontaneous subarachnoid(s-SAH)cases.Methods:153patients with s-SAH underwent 64-slice CTA and DSA,image quality were graded(scale:1-3)and compared between two different angiographies.For brain aneurysm detection,CTA and DSA were compared by sensitivity,accuracy and specific degrees.Results:There was no significant difference between CTA and DSA with sensitivity,accuracy,specific degrees,and image quality(P0.05).The image quality of CTA and DSA was(2.63± 0.62),(2.73±0.54)respectively.The sensitivity,accuracy,specific degrees for brain aneurysm detection of CTA and DSA were 96.2%,94.9%,95.9%and 97.7%,97.4%,97.6%.Conclusion:Both CTA and DSA can accurately detect s-SAH cases caused by aneurysm rupture.CTA can display the size,the neck and axis direction of the detected aneurysms,and it is more valuable in displaying vessel wall or situation surrounding vessels.


. A link is called χ − slice if it bounds a smooth properly embedded surface in the 4-ball with no closed components and Euler characteristic 1. If a link has a single component, then it is χ − slice if and only if it is slice. This article aims to generalize known results about the sliceness of pretzel knots to the χ − sliceness of pretzel links. In particular, we completely classify positive and negative pretzel links that are χ − slice, and obtain partial classifications of 3-stranded and 4-stranded pretzel links that are χ − slice.


and no resistance exists for solvent transport within the fi lm. To shed some light on the drying behavior of electrode fi lms with different thicknesses, the start of capillary pore emptying is observed using a digital microscope. In the experiments, an onset of capillary transport even before the end of fi lm shrinkage is observed for the electrode fi lms with thicknesses above state-of-the-art-thickness. A clusterwise drying behavior becomes more distinct for thicker electrodes, with large areas of dry and wet capillaries next to each other, compared to a more homogenous drying of the thin electrodes. Based on these fi ndings, the linear model is extended to consider transport limitations within the porous electrode fi lm in the form of a moving drying front. The experiments show an increasing deviation from the linear model with increasing electrode thickness and the extended simulation, which considers transport resistances within the fi lm, shows good agreement.


Although solid and gaseous insulations have become increasingly popular during the last decades the application of insulating liquids together with a solid insulant immersed therein is still essential for some kinds of applications like power transformers. A significant risk, reducing the strength of such insulations, is water, thus drying procedures are required to extend lifetime and operation reliability. As actually used systems for this purpose comprise several imponderabilities new systems are required. Actually transformer drying is in most cases performed as a maintenance action where it is tried to remove water by vacuum and heat. Such a procedure has to be performed offline and thus is time consuming and expensive. In this contribution an innovative procedure for the dehydration of the transformer insulating system is presented, working online during transformer operation. Thus it is well-priced and ideally suited for transformers with a moderate water strain, where an immediate drying is not yet indispensable. The procedure not only performs a complete desiccation, it also purifies the liquid without influencing the dissolved gas analysis (DGA) or any other physical property. The application of the system on power transformers has shown, that the procedure is beneficial for insulating liquids as well as for solid insulation immersed therein. As the insulating liquid operates as a "water transport medium", disposing the water out of the transformer insulating system, the efficiency of this system can be increased by a hygroscopic insulating liquid like ester liquid, that is capable to comprise more than 30 times the rate of water compared to mineral oils. Beside the acceleration of the drying process together with the presented system they also have a beneficial effect on the aging of cellulose impregnated therewith. As ester liquids and mineral insulating oils are completely miscible also blends of esters and insulating oils are advantageous. The contribution presents these beneficial effects by means of some examples gained during aging tests in laboratory and also discusses the applicability of the test results for transformers in operation. INTRODUCTION For power transformers the combination of an insulating liquid and a solid insulation impregnated therewith is almost the only kind of utilized insulation. Although long term experience has shown, that this kind of insulation is very reliable, the market demands for an extended efficiency and reliability of the equipment forces the utilities to increase the transformer load while avoiding malfunctions. One of the most significant influences that decreases the insulation reliability and lifetime is water in the insulating system which reduces the breakdown strength of the insulating liquid and increases the aging of the solid insulation [1]. Water is not only absorbed from the environment as it happens especially for breathing transformers, it also is generated inside the device due to the depolymerisation of cellulose as it is schematically illustrated by Figure 1. The solid insulation materials are commonly used as wrapping around the conductors and spacers, thus a refurbishment of these structures during a maintenance action would require an almost complete dismantling of the device. Due to the costs of such a treatment a destroyed paper insulation therefore represents in most cases an unrecoverable failure which leads to the disposal of the transformer. Especially for aged transformers, that have already aggregated high amounts of water, a drying of the insulation therefore seems to be an obligation to increase operation reliability and residual lifetime. With most of the actually available systems for drying transformers a desiccation is performed as a C O


TINA SIDERIS argues that for those wishing to challenge the values and practices which sanction violence against women, a crucial task is to carefully examine the social context in which sexual violence is perpetrated


Introduction. Today, questions of valuable preferences and priorities of young people choosing a career in teaching are attracting widespread interest due to the introduction of new educational standards and subsequently fullygrown social and state requirements for teaching professionals. Individual characteristics (own intensions, potentialities, achievements) of future teachers have to correspond ideally to a humanistic educational paradigm and personally focused model of training and education. The aim of this research is to clarify the specifics of students' reflection on the acquired profession and seeing themselves as future teachers. Methodology and research methods. The methodological framework of the study is based on competencyand system-based approaches. The author's technique built upon a questionnaire was the main research tool. The technique of psychometric diagnostics offered by S. A. Minyurova and A. I. Kalashnikov became initial material for drawing up tasks of the questionnaire; that diagnostics is designed for measurement of professional commitment of school teachers and adapted to study reflexive sphere of students' personality who chose pedagogical field of study. The non-parametric Mann-Whitney U-criterion test was applied when processing the data obtained during the questionnaire to compare average values of independent samples of respondents. Results and scientific novelty . The carried out analysis of dynamically changing external and internal (objective and subjective) allowed the author to emphasize the factors that influence students' motivation to pedagogical activity, desire to realize themselves in it, and aspirations to study "through all life". The proposed by the author new technique of a self-assessment for students with different levels of higher pedagogical education including postgraduate is approved. Significantly, the technique enables to reveal: socially and personally significant purposes of future teachers and lecturers; their valuable orientations; levels of adequacy for reflection of their personal attitudes to pedagogical activity; students' ability to realize own professional competence and pedagogical marginalization. Successful approbation of the trial version of new methodical tools showed that selfassessment of future teachers significantly correlates with recognition of great demands of society required to a pedagogical profession. Practical significance . The research materials will be useful in psychological and pedagogical support for students when designing individual educational paths of pedagogical professional development.


One of the principal conducted EMI (electromagnetic interferences) sources of low voltage DC (direct current) motors is the commutation occurring during rotation. In this paper the small-signal impedance of low voltage DC motors under different functioning modes, including the dynamic one is studied over a large frequency range [0 Hz-200 MHz]. Different test benches inspired from military and European standards (MIL-STD) have been set up. The measurements were performed on the motor's armature, on the DC motor under static mode and during idle rotation. The setups provided repeatable and precise impedance results. They also highlight the impact of the stator and suppression filters in the low frequency range. The role of the parasitic inductances and capacitances in the high frequency range is also pointed out. The results were compared with those of other measurement techniques.


Wireless Multimedia Sensor Networks (WMSNs) advances can route multimedia applications from source nodes to a sink. However, they require energy efficiency and network lifetime due to limited power resources in the sensor nodes. This paper proposes an energy–efficient routing optimization for multimedia transmission in WMSNs. The optimization utilizes a routing algorithm based on the dynamic programming. The routing optimization algorithm selects intermediary nodes which have minimum energy above 60%. Then, the priority selection of paths immediately finds neighboring nodes which have the greatest energy minimum. If there is the same minimum energy between the neighboring nodes, then the second priority selection is based on smaller link cost.


In case-control studies, the analysis of familial co-segregation of disorders proceeds on the basis of two reconstructed cohorts, one of relatives of case-probands, and the other of relatives of control- probands. Analytic models range across a spectrum from broad, summative, 2x2 tables of case-ness by affected status, to regressive, repeated-measure, logistic models incorporating within-individual and within pedigree sources of variation that include indicators of individuals' disease status, and measures of individuals' exposure to disease from other members of the pedigree. We contrast these approaches for selected psychotic and atopic disorders using data from the study on low-prevalence psychotic disorders, which is part of the National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing, Australia 1997-1998. Of the five main analyses, the two methods disagreed in only one instance, however the numerical values for the odds ratio varied. The application of the more detailed analysis provided greater insights into the complexity of within-pedigree disease co-segregation. (author abstract)


Two new (η3-allyl)palladium complexes containing the ligand 3,5-dimethyl-4-nitro-1H-pyrazole (Hdmnpz) were synthesized and characterized as [Pd(η3-C3H5)(Hdmnpz)2]BF4 (1) and [Pd(η3-C3H5)(Hdmnpz)2]NO3 (2). The structures of these compounds were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction to evaluate the intermolecular assembly. Each complex exhibits similar coordination behavior consistent with cationic entities comprised of two pyrazole ligands coordinated with the [Pd(η3-C3H5)]+ fragment in an almost square-planar coordination geometry. In 1, the cationic entities are propagated through strong intermolecular H-bonds formed between the pyrazole NH groups and BF ions in one-dimensional polymer chains along the a axis. These chains are extended into two-dimensional sheet networks via bifurcated H-bonds. New intermolecular interactions established between NO2 and Me substituents at the pyrazole ligand of neighboring sheets give rise to a three-dimensional network. By contrast, compound 2 presents molecular cyclic dimers formed through NH⋅⋅⋅O H-bonds between two NO counterions and the pyrazole NH groups of two cationic entities. The dimers are also connected to each other through CH⋅⋅⋅O H-bonds between the remaining O-atom of each NO ion and the allyl CH2 H-atom. Those interactions expand in a layer which lies parallel to the face (101).


There is no physical backbone infrastructure in Wireless Sensor Networks and all nodes are energy constrained. A virtual backbone can be created by different algorithms to organize the node is a better way. A backbone is a subset of active nodes that are able to perform especial tasks and serve nodes which are not in the backbone. For stance, connected backbone nodes in networks can perform efficient routing and broadcasting. In this paper, we present and compare a classification of backbone formation algorithms. We survey different backbone formation algorithms.


Motion planning for multiple fixed-wing UAVs with formation is challenging because both the kinematics of fixed-wing UAVs and collision avoidance should be taken into account. This paper introduces a novel algorithm about consensus-based distributed model predictive control for multiple fixed-wing UAVs. The algorithm can drive all UAVs achieve desired formaiton simultaneously with collision avoidance. A framework is proposed to combine consensus with distributed model predictive control which is more suitable for fixed-wing UAVs. Based on the distributed fasion, the algorithm can reduce computation time compared to other optimization approaches. And the algorithm is validated through extensive simulations.


In the paper the forming conditions of Shaanxi's main geological hazards was analyzed,and some countermeasures were proposed to prevent the geological hazards and reduce their influence on economic of Shaanxi.


The current study was aimed to explore the histomorphological features of small intestine of quail. The wall of small intestine along the entire length contained only three tunics viz. tunica mucosa, tunica muscularis and tunica serosa from inner to out. The mucosa of the small intestine was thrown into finger like projections known as villi which were finger shaped in duodenum, tongue shaped in jejunum and spatula shaped in ileum. Lamina propria formed the bulk of lumen of villus and contained connective tissue fibres and cells. The shape and pattern of intestinal glands varied in different segments and these were lined by columnar, goblet, enterochromaffin and vacuolated cells. Tunica muscularis presented inner longitudinal, middle circular and outer longitudinal smooth muscle layers. Tunica serosa was predominantly composed of collagen fibres.


The diversity of resources used to produce power in Bangladesh in 2010-2022 is examined in this research paper. The need for energy has increased dramatically as Bangladesh's economy expands quickly. Natural gas has historically been the primary fuel used in Bangladesh to generate power, although there has been a greater diversification towards renewable energy sources in recent years. The paper examines the country's electrical sector's present level of resource diversity and evaluates the possibility of even more diversification. The study takes a qualitative approach by reviewing secondary data sources. The findings show that the government has made significant strides toward diversifying the country's energy generation, even if natural gas remains the main fuel and electricity generated from natural gas in Bangladesh was 51.05% in the fiscal year 2020–2022. Renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, and hydropower, have grown in popularity in recent years, and the government has set ambitious goals for their eventual implementation. However, a variety of difficulties, such as inadequate infrastructure, constrained financing, and legislative limitations are impeding the growth of renewable energy. The study report underlines the necessity to diversify Bangladesh's power-producing resources in order to guarantee energy security, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and achieve sustainable development goals. According to our study, the government should improve infrastructure, offer suitable incentives, and resolve regulatory obstacles to foster investment in renewable energy. The results of this paper can direct stakeholders and policymakers in Bangladesh toward a more diverse, long-term, and robust electrical industry.


A six-month-old female English Cocker Spaniel was presented with severe acute respiratory distress, coughing, retching, and anorexia. On physical examination, muffled lung sounds were heard and three gingival masses were detected. Multiple soft tissue opacities within the lungs and nnediastinum were found during radiographic screening of the thorax. A large heterogeneous mass occupied the entire left side of the thorax, silhouetting with the diaphragm and the liver. On ultrasonography of the abdomen, a mass in the cranial pole of the left kidney, a mass caudal to the left kidney and several masses compatible with mesenteric lymphadenopathy were identified. Euthanasia was advised because of the suspicion of neoplasia with extensive metastatic spread. A necropsy was performed and histopathological examination of the masses revealed the presence of an undifferentiated sarcoma with multiple organ involvement. The presence of this type of sarcoma and the extensive metastatic spread are rare in such a young dog.


This article discusses the 3A frequent authentication problem of GPRS terminals in Fujian Electric Energy Data Acquisition System.The 3A frequent authentication problem of GPRS terminals increases the workload of 3A server,largely consumes its storage resources,and decreases the communication success rate of GPRS terminals.Through various experiments,the cause of this problem is analyzed,and solutions are provided.It has been proved to be effective and can increase the efficiency of the 3A server as well as the communication success rate of GPRS terminals.


Experiments have been conducted to characterize the time-mean and turbulent flowfield of a deflected turbulent jet in a confining cylindrical crossflow. Jet-to-crossflow velocity ratios of 2, 4, and 6 were investigated, with no swirl in the crossflow. A six-position single hotwire technique was used to measure the velocities and all turbulent normal and shear stresses. Measurements confirmed that the deflected jet is symmetrical about the vertical plane passing through the crossflow axis, and the jet penetration was found to be reduced from that of comparable velocity-ratio infinite crossflow cases.


Introduction PART ONE: INDIVIDUAL LEARNING AND PERFORMANCE Effects of Alternative Modeling Strategies on Outcomes of Interpersonal-Skills Training - Timothy Baldwin Enhancing Human Performance - John A Swets and Robert A Bjork An Evaluation of 'New Age' Techniques Considered by the US Army Comparing Traditional and Integrative Learning Methods in Organizational Training Programs - Robert D Bretz Jr and Robert E Thompsett Measuring Mental Models - Anna L Rowe and Nancy J Cooke Choosing the Right Tools for the Job Testing Common Sense - Robert J Sternberg et al PART TWO: TEAM LEARNING AND PERFORMANCE Relations between Work Group Characteristics and Effectiveness - Michael A Campion, Gina J Medsker and A Catherine Higgs Implications for Designing Effective Work Groups Power and the Production of Knowledge: Collective Team Learning in Work Organizations - Ann K Brooks Collective Behavior and Team Performance - James E Driskell and Eduardo Salas Team-Building - Timothy McClernon and Richard A Swanson An Experimental Investigation of the Effects of Computer-Based and Facilitator-Based Interventions on Work Groups Training an Interdisciplinary Team in Communication and Decision-Making Skills - Elizabeth Cooley PART THREE: ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING AND PERFORMANCE Understanding Organizations as Learning Systems - Edwin C Nevis, Anthony J DiBella and Janet M Gould Believing Is Seeing - Andrew C Inkpen and Mary M Crossan Joint Ventures and Organization Learning The Relationship between Organizational Transfer Climate and Positive Transfer of Training - Janice Z Rouiller and Irwin L Goldstein Organizational Learning - Nancy M Dixon A Review of the Literature with Implications for HRD Professionals Building the Learning Organization - Karen E Watkins and Victoria J Marsick A New Role for Human Resource Developers Conclusion


A Pt field emitter with two adjacent emission sites of a gap size of less than 10nm was fabricated using electron-beam-induced deposition followed by annealing. The emission patterns of electrons from the two adjacent sites were observed by field-emission microscopy at room temperature and 100K. The striped emission patterns, corresponding to the interference fringes by electron waves in field emission, were observed for the first time. The fringelike electron-emission patterns in this experiment were found to be in a good agreement with those of the Young's interference from the two emission sites.


TPS1111 Background: The PI3K/Akt pathway is often activated in TNBC through loss of PTEN expression, low INPP4B expression, and/or increased AKT3 amplification. Activation of Akt may then lead to chemoresistance; thus, inhibition of Akt signaling may result in improved efficacy of chemotherapy in TNBC. Ipatasertib (GDC-0068) is an oral, potent ATP-competitive small molecule inhibitor of all three isoforms of Akt. In preclinical breast cancer models, the combination of Ipat with taxanes enhanced efficacy. In a Phase Ib clinical study, the combination of Ipat with Pac was well-tolerated; the most commonly reported adverse events associated with Ipat were Grade 1-2 diarrhea, nausea, fatigue, vomiting, decreased appetite, and rash. RECIST responses were seen with the combination, including pts with tumors having PI3K/Akt activation. Methods: LOTUS is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, global Phase II study designed to estimated the efficacy and safety profile of Pac plus Ipat versus Pac plus plac...


For protecting inshore fishery resources,a monitoring system based on a electronic chart display and information system(ECDIS) and radar monitoring is proposed to oversee coasting ships.Applied result shows this system extends the radar's remote telemetry and monitoring functions.Because of the rapid data transmission between center and radar station,it is an efficient means to monitor coasting ships for protecting inshore fishery resources.


A data set of 293 phase shifts was analyzed in order to determine the relationship between phase resetting and the free-running period (τ) in Djungarian hamsters. Phase shifts in response to a 15-min light pulse were assigned to one of two groups (τshot, <24 hr; τ long, >24 hr), and two phase response curves (PRCs) were constructed. The two PRCs differed predominantly in the advance region, which extended so far into the subjective day of PRClong that a dead zone was lacking. The functional significance of PRC differences was assessed by computer simulations of entrainment to varying skeleton photoperiods and entrainment to a 12-hr skeleton photoperiod with varying τ's. Results from these simulations confirmed the theoretical predictions by Pittendrigh and Daan: Stability of entrainment under varying photoperiods depended on the ratio of the PRC slopes at the phases illuminated by light (SE/S M). This ratio was always larger than 1 for PRClong. It approached 0 for PRCshort as soon as the evening light illuminated the dead zone; this occurred for entrainment to very short photoperiods. Stability of entrainment to lights-off was in general better for PRClong than for PRCshort, especially if PRClong was used in combination with τlong This suggests that it can be advantageous for stability of entrainment to lights-off to express a τ > 24 hr in combination with a PRC lacking a dead zone. Stability of entrainment under varying τ's was not much different for PRClong or PRC short. However, stability of entrainment deteriorated for PRC long in combination with short τ's, whereas it deteriorated for PRCshort in combination with long τ's.


0.05). Conclusion. PTH gene polymorphism is not associated with BMD in Chinese women. The further research to explore the genetic risk factors of osteoporosis should be committed.


As a newly developed method to fabricate Josephson junctions, focused helium ion beam owns the advantage of fabricating reliable and reproducible junctions. In this paper, we have fabricated Josephson junctions with a focused helium ion beam on our 50 nm YBa2Cu3O7-δ(YBCO) thin films. We have focused on the investigation of the junction with irradiation dose from 100 ions/nm to 300 ions/nm and demonstrated that the junction barrier can be modulated with ion dose and within this dose region the junctions act as 'SNS' like behavior. The measurements of I-V characteristics, Fraunhofer diffraction pattern and Shapiro steps of the junctions clearly show AC and DC Josephson effect. Our results show a high reproducible fabrication of junctions using focused helium ion beam and provide possibilities for commercial use devices based on this nanotechnology to work at liquid nitrogen temperature.


LaMnO3+δ nanoperovskites were prepared via the continuous and scalable spray-flame synthesis (SFS) technique from metal nitrate-based solutions by using either ethanol (EtOH) as solvent or a mixtur...


Tales of Turkish harems, imprisoned women, and Western heroes were widely popular during the height of Western Europe's fascination with the Ottoman empire. The idea of these "seraglio stories" is a popular trope in the discussion of musical orientalism. "Exoticism in 18th Century Opera: Appreciation versus Appropriation" expands upon previous research to fully explore the concept of appropriation in regards to the Western interpretation of Turkish culture. Focusing on a study of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's (1756-1791) Die Entführung aus dem Serail (The Abduction from the Seraglio). This research analyzes the implications of the Western musical exploration of Turkish culture. Despite attempting to emulate Turkish traditions, Mozart's music is ultimately inauthentic and diminutive. Additionally, the portrayal of Turkish characters as one-dimensional barbarians exposes Western culture's true view of the Ottoman empire. My research finds that the Western portrayal of Turkish culture is more appropriative than appreciative due to the dichotomy between the Western world's appreciative attitude towards their artistic traditions and their negative depiction of the Turkish people themselves. A fascination with Turkish culture was not a novel idea by opera composers in the 18th century. Plays featuring Turkish themes and characters date back to when Europeans first experienced Turkish culture during the Crusades and consequently brought aspects of Turkish culture back home. The image of the Ottoman changed after the European victory in the Ottoman's Siege of Vienna in 1683 (O'Connell 181). The Ottoman's failed expansion into Europe and later retreat symbolized a shift in European views towards their culture. The Ottoman Empire's expansion no longer threatened European culture and the shift in power allowed Europeans to idealize their culture rather than fear it. This shift in power also led to new alliances between European countries and the Ottoman Empire which further led to new trade relations. The Treaty of Passarowitz in 1718 introduced Austrians to the market of Turkish goods and opened the gates for new products to flow into Europe (Balkis 188). The influx of Ottoman goods influenced European trends and masquerade balls, Turkish coffeehouses, and Alla Turca music styles came into vogue (O'Connell 181). Additionally, Turkish military bands, called Janissary bands, were often sent to European courts as part of diplomatic exchanges leading to European imitation of their musical styles ("The Alla Turca Style in the Late Eighteenth Century" 48). However, these trends represented a shallow interpretation of Turkish culture. Europeans focused their view of Turkish people and their culture as that of an "other" versus their own cultures. Turkish "otherness" was often portrayed through the popular genre of operatic


From the Publisher:
teach yourself...Access 97 for Windows will show beginning and intermediate Windows 95 and NT database developers how to use Access to create database applications without writing code. Read about advanced commands and new features of Access like working with relational databases and creating custom forms and reports. Beginners can jump right in by reading the helpful "Quick Tour" section while more skilled users will quickly master sophisticated calculations and expressions.


Introduction: To gain competitiveness, industrial focuses are addressed towards product quality improvement, product time compression, costs and lead-time reduction. Nowadays, these diverse goals cannot be achieved by an isolated organizational switch but throughout an aimed supply policy. In particular, an integrated view to manage physical goods and virtual information from suppliers to customers through all steps there between has taken place: this is what is named ?Supply Chain?. Managing the Supply Chain has become one of the most important tasks for managers.

To support it, simulation tools have been developed. The main advantages are in analysing complex systems and assessing their variations and interdependencies.

Problem Tetra Pak Al TCA is a filling machine addressed to emerging

Definition: markets into which time to market compression and cost reduction are two imperative issues.

The tool should try to figure out:

- Which are the best economic orders batches that both satisfy customer demand for TP Al TCA and that reduce the capital tied up from time to time?

- Which are the impacts of inventory, safety stock and reduced lead-time in the supply network?

Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to develop a too! to manage a complex supply system flow from raw materials to fished products in order to decrease capita! tied up in the chain, lead-time to market and identify eventual bottlenecks in the flow.

Methodology: The report is both a qualitative and a quantitative case study. There is no intention to extend the findings to different companies or different business units within the same company. Information gathering has been done from interviews, internal Tetra Pak's intranet in combination with secondary sources. Information from secondary sources was collected from literature, books, brochures and articles in addition to the internet.

Objective: The objectives with the project are:

- To build a user-friendly model to be utilized for the analysis of the supply chain

- Create and evaluate different scenarios

- Eventual indications of improvement areas

The desired output is to identify the best economic order quantity to squeeze inventory related costs.

Analysis and A simulation program has been developed to imitate the

Conclusions: behaviour of the system. This simulation tool, based on Visual Basic for Application (VBA), is able to detect different output scenarios by varying the inputs of the model and assess quantitative values to the related outputs. A further risk analysis by means of @Risk software- aiming at selecting eventual key-improvement area ? has been conducted. The program has been run according to the actual inputs of the chain. The purpose is to assess quantitative value to the importance of few inputs on outputs occurring and to qualitatively evaluate the risk related the actual situation.

The suggestions and conclusions of the thesis are:

- review of the agreement for few component suppliers;

- a uniform distribution for the orders and an order batch of 80% of agreement seem to guarantee the major benefits for the chain, according to inputs given by Tetra Pak Carton Ambient (TPCA);

- improvement of forecast for the filling machine, since it affects all the planning activities of the supply network;

- the introduction of safety stock in the chain may lead to benefits for the global lead-time. Conversely, it increases the tied up capital and the holding cost, because the level of the inventory is higher. The management should decide which the sought task is.

Further the analysis regards only one branch of supply chain for the developments: filling machine and therefore, refers to only one module of the

complete filling machine. This is due both to the complexity of fully describing a supply chain of a global company and to the limitedness of time. Anyway, the boundary of the research have been discussed and agreed with Tetra Pak Carton Ambient. A further development could embrace others actors, deliberately omitted in this survey.