Abstract Nonprofit missions reflect the values of those that create, manage, and support them. We know that the U.S. population has undergone a "big sort" that has resulted in increased community homogeneity along racial, economic, and political lines. We do not know, however, how this process has impacted the nonprofit sector, as there is little work looking at the geographic distribution of nonprofit missions as a function of the demographics of communities in which they operate. To identify the effects of community values on the nonprofit mission, we use landslide voting districts as a proxy for political ideology and propensity score matching to pair districts with statistically equivalent demographic characteristics. Nonprofits in matched voting districts are compared to identify differences in activities, mission, and funding. Missions shape how communities allocate resources to target populations and interest groups, so observed differences in mission may help explain variation in social outcomes across communities.


New information and communication technologies(ICTs) have profoundly changed our social and economic life,which initiates a lot of debates among geographers on the implications of new ICTs application.It is now widely recognized that the development of new ICTs bears much on regional configuration.However,existing researches have concentrated on urban rather than rural areas.Compared to rapid changes in the rural areas caused by the application of new ICTs,geographers' studies on the subject have lagged far behind.Based on a review of existing literature on rural informationalization,this paper calls for more attention from geographers to rural spatial transformation under new ICTs.It first reviews existing research in the field from three aspects,i.e.theoretical debates on rural informationalization,economic implications and social implications of new ICTs application for the rural areas,and then proposes several topics to study in the future,such as the features of rural informationalization,enterprise-based case studies of the spatial implications of new ICTs application,etc.


In this issue of the Proceedings , Starovasnik, Braisted, and Wells (1) present the solution structure of synthetic peptides that are half the size of their natural counterpart, but nonetheless maintain well ordered structures and bind tightly to their natural target site. Small protein domains that are structurally stable and functionally active serve as attractive models for studies of protein folding and as starting points for drug design.

Minimized protein domains were selected by Braisted and Wells (2) solely by the domains' ability to bind to the target site, the constant region of G-type immunoglobulins (IgG). The current paper demonstrates that despite their small size, these miniature binding proteins form well ordered structures that closely resemble the binding motif in the larger natural protein. The similarity between the observed structures and the intended target structure validates the protein minimization strategy and demonstrates that proteins can be designed to do more with less.

The sequences studied by Starovasnik, Braisted, and Wells are derived from combinatorial libraries evolved in vitro (1, 2). Combinatorial methods recently have revolutionized the discovery of new molecules in the laboratory (3). However, combinatorial approaches have been used by nature for eons to evolve new sequences capable of folding into stable structures and performing essential functions. With time and resources that are virtually unlimited, nature can successfully select folded proteins from combinatorial libraries generated entirely at random (4). Compared with nature, laboratory scientists are at a decided disadvantage: With limited resources and far less patience, we can neither sample sequence diversity as extensively nor wait as long. To succeed in the laboratory, we must depart from nature's random approach; we must incorporate elements of rational design to constrain our synthetic libraries to those regions of sequence space most likely to yield desired molecules. For example, merely constraining …


The cultivation program goal was to increase the cash income through developing good personal rapport with donors. It was decided that no one would be directly asked to give more money during the first couple of years until that rapport was established.


is report presents the historical reconstruction of a sediment profile for the 150 years approximately, collected in July 2016 in Pearl cays (Pearl lagoon, South Caribbean of Nicaragua) and the sedimentation and sediment accumulation rates were estimated using the nuclear technique 210Pb. e Buttonwood NIC II sedimentary profile was dominated by the silt fraction and exceeded 50% of the particles, followed by clay (19% 27%) and sand (7% 24%). According to the grain size and its distribution, the sediment profile presented the silty loam texture. Magnetic susceptibility values registered variations with respect to depth, observing five different drastic changes in the quality of sediment particles deposited at depths Revista Torreón Universitario, 2021, 10(28), Junio-Septiembre, ISSN: 2410-5708 / 2313-7215 PDF generado a partir de XML-JATS4R of 5,5 cm, 11,0 cm, 17,5 cm, 18,5 cm and 28,5 cm. e age of the different sections of the sediment profile was carried out with the constant flow method (CRS) and ranged from 2,14 to 130,1 years, recording the history of the last 128 years. e results in the sedimentation rate ranged from 0,022 to 0,725 cm.year-1 between 2014 1886; abrupt changes were observed from 1965. e sediment accumulation rate varied between 0,016 to 0,308 g.cm-2.year-1 between 2014 1886 showing an increase from 1970, suggesting that these changes are related to various factors such as population increase and the influence of natural phenomena (hurricanes and tropical storms).


Background:Collagen fibers arrangement and density play a pivotal role in cell migration and proliferation. Bovine Pericardium (BP) is a collagen – rich tissue which is currently used as a biological scaffold.Aim of the work:The aim of this study was to examine the effects of the decellulrazation processes on the surface architecture and geometry of the BP and consequently cell seeding and epitheliliazation onto it.Methods and Results:To achieve these goals bovine pericardium (BP) was decellularized with 1 % TritonX-100 and 0.1 % sodium dodecyl sulfate . Control group was only treated by PBS and post fixed in glutaraldehyed (GAD) 1%. The buccal cell suspensions were then overlaid on the serous side of the BP scaffolds at concentrations2×105 Cells/mL. 10 days following seeding the samples were fixed and SEM results were analyzed by Matlab software. The pore surfaces were measured 182.05±11.61μm2 and 132.44±12.35 μm2 in acellular and GAD BP respectively (P<0.05). The con surfaces were measured 93.54±13.41 μm2and 114.78±11.67 μm2 acellular and GAD PB respectively (P<0.05).The thickness of collagen bundles in decellularized BP and GAD BP (10 random fields) were obtained 19.5±6.3 μm and 16.8±.99 μm respectively (p<0.05).Conclusion: The results of acellular group showed more attached cells onto scaffold, epithelialization growth, and spreading on the scaffold. While in contrast GAD-fixed group only scattered cell clumping were seen. Our findings showed that topographical changes after decellularization could provide a suitable growth pool or microenvironment, that can influence cellular attachment and subsequently cell-ECM integration in biological scaffold.


The Aghbolagh area is located about 21 km north of Oshnavieh city, WestAzarbaidjan Province, NW Iran. This study showed that the Fe-Cu skarn deposit in this area can be separated into two zones, (1) Garnet skarn and (2) Garnet-pyroxene skarn. Based upon the results of electron probe micro-analysis, the garnets are chemically of andradite-grossularite type with dominant andraditic component. The pyroxenes are also chemically of diopsidehedenbergite type. The skarnification processes took place in two distinct stages, (1) prograde and (2) retrograde. The lack of wollastonite, intergrowth of garnet and clinopyroxene crystals, and the lack of replacement texture indicate that garnets and pyroxenes were formed concurrently during prograde stage within the temperature range of 450-500oC and ƒO2 = 1010. During retrograde stage at temperatures < 430oC, the anhydrous calc-silicate minerals were altered to hydrous calc-silicates, sulfides (pyrite and chalcopyrite), oxides, chlorite, quartz, and carbonates. During this stage, at temperatures <430oC, andradite at ƒS2 > 10 was altered to assemblages of quartz calcite + pyrite but at ƒS2 < 10 to quartz + calcite + magnetite.


For a Digital Performing Agent to be able to perform live with a human dancer, it would be useful for the agent to be able to contextualize the movement the dancer is performing and to have a suitable movement vocabulary with which to contribute to the performance. In this paper we will discuss our research into the use of Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) as a means of allowing a software agent to learn a shared vocabulary of movement from a dancer. The agent is able to use the learnt movements to form an internal representation of what the dancer is performing, allowing it to follow the dancer, generate movement sequences based on the dancer's current movement and dance independently of the dancer using a shared movement vocabulary. By combining the ANN with a Hidden Markov Model (HMM) the agent is able to recognize short full body movement phrases and respond when the dancer performs these phrases. We consider the relationship between the dancer and agent as a means of supporting the agent's learning and performance, rather than developing the agent's capability in a self-contained fashion.


Introduction Ginsenosides are active components of Panax ginseng1. Among the 30 ginsenosides identified so far, ginsenosides Rb1, Rb2, Rc, Re and Rd are the most abundant and are associated with the pharmacological activity of the plant material2. Since ancient times, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used in the treatment of atherosclerosis, arthritis, asthma, diabetes, stroke, multiple sclerosis and endotoxin liver injury3. Ginseng root (Panax ginseng) is the major ingredient in TCM. Active components of ginseng root are ginsenosides that fall under the category of nutraceuticals (food components/products that have therapeutic and pharmacological properties). With an estimated 15 million patients at risk of potentially adverse drug-herb interactions, there is a renewed interest in the analysis of these compounds.


Abstract In dual culture, one among the three isolates of Trichoderma viride, an isolate in each of T. harzianum and Pseudomonas fluorescens were inhibitory to the growth of Sclerotium rolfsii (Sacc.), the causal agent of stem rot of groundnut. The isolate Tv1 of T. viride caused 69.40% inhibition of the mycelial growth of the pathogen followed by P. fluorescens resulting in 64.40% inhibition. Among the five, T. viride (Tv1) and P. fluorescens (Pf1) were most effective in suppressing sclerotial formation. The culture filtrate of Tv1 inhibited the growth of the pathogen (87.05%) as well as sclerotial germination (62.50%) to a greater extent than others. Due to the antagonistic effect of the biocontrol agents germination of sclerotia was also poor. Among the organic amendments tested in greenhouse, mahuacake with T. viride each @ 5 g/kg of soil resulted in 3.75% stem rot incidence as against 39.98% in control. Enhanced activities of defence-related enzymes viz., peroxidase (PO) and polyphenoloxidase (PPO) were noticed in infected plants rather than in healthy ones. Although induction of PO as well as PPO was observed in diseased plants, additional increase in activities of these enzymes were observed in plants treated with either P. fluorescens or T. viride.


word "racism," like the word "integration" has no automatic functional meaning, yet both have been used by the Anglo-American sanctioned, selected African American leaders as if they did. This has led the African American masses to dissipate their energies to achieve goals which have no meaning until they are interpreted by the Anglo-American decision makers phantom objectives and goals. We fought for integration without first defining what it was to mean. The result, in states such as South Carolina, was the takeover of all decision making positions by Anglo-Americans in both the Anglo and African American communities, the ending of de jure segregation, and the continuation of de facto segregation. In Washington, D.C., it has meant the use of African American energy in working for Anglo-American sanctioned leadership, which only existed to front for (take the blame for) the horrible conditions imposed on the African American masses who live in


Speculation about the possible mechanisms for core formation in small asteroids raises more questions than answers. Petrologic evidence from iron meteorites, pallasites, and astronomical observations of M asteroids suggests that many small bodies were capable of core formation. Recent work by Taylor reviews the geochemical evidence and examines the possible physical/mechanical constraints on segregation processes. Taylor's evaluation suggests that extensive silicate partial melting (preferably 50 vol. percent or greater) is required before metal can segregate from the surrounding silicate and form a metal core. The arguments for large degrees of silicate partial melting are two-fold: (1) elemental trends in iron meteorites require that the metal was at is liquidus; and (2) experimental observations of metal/sulfide inclusions in partially molten silicate meteorites show that the metal/sulfide tends to form spherules in the liquid silicate due to surface tension effects. Taylor points out that for these metal spherules to sink through a silicate mush, high degrees of silicate partial melting are required to lower the silicate yield strength. Although some qualitative experimental data exists, little is actually known about the behavior of metals and liquid sulfides dispersed in silicate systems. In addition, we have been impressed with the ability of cumulative olivine to expel trapped liquid when placed in a thermal gradient. Consequently, we undertook to accomplish the following: (1) experimentally evaluate the potential for metal/sulfide/silicate segregation in a thermal gradient; and (2) obtain quantitative data of the wetting parameters of metal-sulfide melts among silicate grains.


Multi-agent distribution systems, which are primarily developed by introduction of privatization and restructuring in power systems, compose of agents independently scheduling their respective resources as well as distribution system operators (DSOs) responsible for reliable operation of the distribution grids. In this regard, failure of network components in distribution systems could result in significant economic loss for DSOs as well as degrading the reliability of the load demands. Consequently, this paper aims to provide a novel framework in which the economic loss associated with the contingency conditions as well as power loss during the repairing state of the distribution grid decrease. In the proposed framework, utilities provide incentives to agents collaborated in supplying the isolated load demands as well as decreasing the operational costs of the grid during the contingency condition. Accordingly, Stackelberg game concept is utilized to determine the incentive control signals employed by DSO to exploit agents' operational scheduling during the contingency condition. Moreover, the proposed scheme is adjusted by the distributed structure of multi-agent systems to address the privacy concerns of the independent agents. Finally, the developed framework is implemented on the IEEE-33-test-system in order to investigate its effectiveness in resource scheduling during contingency conditions.


Copolymer obtainable by polymerizing the monomers (A), (B) and (C), wherein (A) is a monomer of the formula (I) wherein A represents C2 to C4 and B represents a C2 to C4 different from a, k is the number 0 or 1, m is a number from 0 to 500; n is a number from 0 to 500, where the sum of m + n is equal to 1 to 1000; (B) it is an ethylenically unsaturated monomer containing an aromatic group; and (C) is an ethylenically unsaturated monomer containing an alkyl radical.


Copper nanoparticle supported halloysite nanotubes with a 15 nm lumen and 30 nm external diameter via surface initiation reverse atom transfer radical polymerization were fabricated and showed good antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (E. coli).


The field of Statistical Machine Learning (SML) has seen a significant increase in interest in recent years due to the abundance of data and the growing need for automated decision-making in various management applications. SML techniques, including supervised and unsupervised learning, have been successfully applied to a wide range of management applications such as predictive modeling, customer segmentation, inventory management, fraud detection, marketing optimization and human resource management. This review paper aims to summarize recent advances in SML for management applications, highlighting key trends such as the use of deep learning for predictive modeling, unsupervised learning for customer segmentation, reinforcement learning for inventory management, and the use of Explainable AI (XAI) for transparent and interpretable decision-making. Additionally, this paper also highlights some of the challenges faced in the application of SML in management, including the need for high-quality and labeled data, domain expertise, robust evaluation metrics, and transparency. In conclusion, this review paper provides an overview of the recent advances and challenges in SML for management applications, and it could be useful for researchers and practitioners in the field.


Robust Video Stabilization and Quality Evaluation for Amateur Videos by Usha Kalyani Alluri Amateur videos captured by consumer-level devices (e.g., mobile phones, tablets, camcorders etc.) are often shaky, undirected and difficult to watch. Video stabilization techniques attempt to improve the video quality by filtering out unwanted jittering camera motions. Currently there are two key challenges in the field of video stabilization: robustness (e.g., in the presence of sophisticated camera motion including panning and rotation) and quality evaluation. Therefore the main contributions of this thesis are two-fold. First, we present a robust video stabilization algorithm, which post-processes shaky video data and addresses the challenges of rapid camera panning and motion blur. Our algorithm is based on a robust 2-D motion estimation method using Random Sample Consensus (RANSAC) and Mestimator Sample Consensus (MSAC). Additionally, K-Nearest Neighbor based feature replacement was developed to further improve the robustness of feature tracking. It is experimentally demonstrated that the proposed video stabilization algorithm can handle video with low feature count and motion blur. Second, we present a Total–Variation (TV) based quality evaluation metric, which objectively quantifies the shakiness in amateur video. The proposed stabilization technique is compared against existing online video stabilization software (e.g., Deshaker and YouTube) using the newly-developed quality metric. Experimental results demonstrate that the developed algorithm is performing both subjectively and objectively at least as well as benchmark methods.


In this article,the author interprets Vannevar Bush's report on the basis of the history of the belief of scientific research in America.Comprehending from the perspective of the belief of scientific research,Bush's report subtly takes order with those prewar contending belief,and becomes the American culture standard in the early days after the war.Meanwhile,reflection and transcendence about Bush's belief directly lead to the formation of modern belief of scientific research in America.


It is observed experimentally that radiation defects affect normal and anomalous muonium in silicon differently. It is shown that the mobilities of these two states of muonium in the lattice of the specimen differ considerably.


For a nowhere constant continuous function g on a real interval I and for a Borel measure ui on I, we give simple necessary and sufficient conditions guaranteeing, for any Borel function f on I, the existence of a continuous function F on I such that the derivative of F with respect to g is, ,u almost everywhere, equal to f. Let I be an interval of the real line R and let g be a continuous function on I; we shall always assume that g is non-constant on any subinterval of I. If F is a continuous real-valued function on I, the natural notion of a derivative of F with respect to g at a point x E I is obtained by defining it as the number F (x) having the property that for every e > 0 there is 6 > 0 such that for every y xl < 6, (1) IF(y) F(x) F (x)(g(y) g(x))l < elg(y) g(x)I. The approach defining the derivative as a limit has also been used (see [1] and [3]); under the above continuity and non-constancy assumptions our definition is easily seen to be equivalent to (2) F(x) = lim F(y)-F(x) y-+ g(y) g(x) where the limit is taken only over those y for which g(y) Z g(x). It has also been suggested to define the ratio on the right side of (2) as zero whenever y is such that g(y) = g(x). This modification, however, leads to a different notion of derivative: If, for example, g(y) = ysin(1/y), g(0) = 0, and F = g, then our definition gives Fg(0) = 1, while the modified derivative does not exist. We intend to investigate to which extent can Lusin's theorem on existence of a.e. primitives to every Borel function be extended to derivatives with respect to g. The immediate obstacle is that an extension of this theorem in its original formulation, i.e., with Lebesgue measure, may be quite uninteresting because g may well be related to a completely different measure. Since it may even happen that no measure is Received by the editors January 22, 1998. 1991 Mathematics Subject Classification. Primary 26A36; Secondary 26A24, 28E99.


The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between market structure and performance in thebanking sector using data from Pakistani commercial banks. Investigating the effect of changes in the marketstructure on profitability is based on the structure-conduct-performance (SCP) and efficient-structure (E-S)hypotheses. We have taken a sample of 20 scheduled commercial banks incorporated in Pakistan to examine theabove hypotheses, using the annual and pooled data for a period of 9 years from year 1996-2004. Threemeasures of bank's performance are utilized: return on assets (ROA), return on capital (ROC) and return onequity (ROE). We have used concentration ratio (CR) to measure structure-conduct-performance (SCP)hypothesis and market share to measure efficient-structure (E-S) hypothesis. We have also used control variablesto capture market specific characteristics such as bank size, market size, risk to owners, liquidity measure,market risk, and market growth. Using regression analysis, we have found a positive relationship ofconcentration ratio (CR) with profitability. In light of these results, we conclude that there is a positiverelationship between profitability and concentration.The results of market share (MS) which is used for efficient structure (E-S) hypothesis explain a negativerelationship with profitability. The results of our analysis do not support the efficient structure (E-S) hypothesis.The empirical findings suggest that market concentration determines the profitability in Pakistani commercialbanks. Hence, we also conclude that there is a negative relationship between competition and profitability in thePakistani commercial banks. The leading banks are still enjoying the state of monopoly. But, the market trendshows that this state will not continue for a longer period as private commercial banks have started to competewith the existing top commercial banks.


On November 23, 2021, Dr. David Mandel presented Communicating Uncertainty in Warning Intelligence at the 2021 CASIS West Coast Security Conference. The primary concepts of Dr. Mandel's presentation centered on the utilization of verbal versus numeric probabilities, the variability in understandings of verbal probabilities, and the relationship between confidence levels and event probabilities. Dr. Mandel's presentation was followed by a question and answer period directed at a group of panelists allowing the audience and CASIS Vancouver executives to directly engage with the content of each speaker's presentation.


The present invention relates to a chemical etching process for the texturing of the silicon substrate, solar cell to be carried out to facilitate the etching in a silicon substrate made of a desired shape, etching, immersing the substrate in an etching solution composed mainly of HF and HNO


Comet assay Single cell electrophoresis assay (SCGE) is a very sensitive method to determine DNA damage caused by exposure to mutagenic and carcinogenic and environmental agents that effect couples infertility. The aim of project was to evaluate DNA damage in males couples of females with recurrent spontaneous abortions. Forty males couples of females with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortions and 25 healthy fertile males (control group) were evaluated for semen quality by conventional semen parameters, and alkaline comet assay was applied for the two groups. The results showed that patients male couples of females with RSA had a significant higher DNA damage than in the control group. It was concluded that patients male couples of females with RSA had high score of comet assay which suffers from RSA.


One of the key objectives in the rural development program for the Nonchernozem Zone of the RSFSR is the consolidation of rural settlement in larger places. An example of the dispersed settlement pattern is Kaliningrad Oblast, which has a total of 1,527 rural places ranging from fewer than 5 to more than 2,000 inhabitants, with a total rural population of 195,529 (1970 census). The author shows that growth prospects are dependent on a combination of five factors—geographical setting and level of development; population; fixed assets in agriculture; nonfarm fixed assets; availability of services—and, using correlation analysis, identifies 283 places with prospects of future growth, ranging from 32 in the 51–100 size class to one of more than 2,000 population. The preservation of some small rural places is termed inevitable because many serve as outlying settlements for livestock subdivisions of collective and state farms, and dairy and beef cattle represents a characteristic type of farming in Kaliningrad ...


AIM To isolate and elucidate the chemical structures of two C 21 steroidal glycosides possessing cytotoxic activity from the root of Cynanchum auriculatum Royle ex Wight (Asclepiadaceae). METHODS The glycosides were isolated and purified by column chromatography on silica gel and HPLC. The molecular structures were determined on the basis of chemical evidence and extensive spectral analysis(UV, IR, 1HNMR, 13 CNMR, DEPT, HR FAB MS, FAB MS, HMQC and HMBC). RESULTS Two C 21 steroidal glycosides, named cynanauriculosides A and B, were obtained and their structures were elucidated as caudatin 3 O β D glucopyranosyl (1→4) β D cymaropynanosyl (1→4) β D oleandropyranosyl (1→4) β D cymaropynanoside and caudatin 3 O β D glucopyranosyl (1→4) β D oleandropyranosyl (1→4) β D digitoxopyranosyl (1→4) β D cymaropynanoside respectively. CONCLUSION Cynanauriculosides A and B are new compounds.


Abstract This paper reviews evidence from British experience of the valuation of rail crowding obtained over 20 years from 17 studies. It summarizes these studies, places some useful empirical evidence in the public domain and draws lessons from this considerable body of evidence and experience. Crowding valuations, both for standing and seated in crowding conditions, are summarized in terms of time multipliers, which are inherently more transferable than monetary equivalents. A meta‐analysis of 208 valuations is reported, finding the valuations to vary with load factor and journey purpose. The seating multiplier averages 1.19 and the standing multiplier averages 2.32. The latter is in line with widely used multipliers applied to walking and waiting time. The most recent evidence is based around the number of standing passengers per square metre, thereby providing a more accurate measure of the discomfort of standing since, unlike load factor, it allows for the layout of the carriage and ease with which crowding can be accommodated. As far as methodology is concerned, the paper covers issues such as presenting crowding in 'stated preference' exercises and the realism of the crowding levels offered, non‐linearities in the relationship between crowding multipliers and the severity and amount of crowding time, and probabilistic versus deterministic representations of crowding. The paper also identifies future areas for research.


The gross morphology of the body and gastrointestinal tract of genetically-similar tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii) that had been introduced into two different nutritional environments on the North Island of New Zealand were compared using multivariate analysis. Tammar wallabies from Kawau Island had significantly lower body mass per unit body length than those from the Rotorua district where food was more abundant. Furthermore, wallabies from Kawau Island had longer small intestines and caecae relative to other gut regions than did those from the Rotorua district. This suggests that poor-quality food might reduce the efficiency of primary fermentation in the forestomach; similarly, the efficiency of digestion and absorption in the small intestine might be reduced. In addition, poor-quality food might promote secondary fermentation in the hindgut of grazing tammar wallabies.


Economic and economic-statistical models are developed for the synthetic T 2 chart. The input parameters that result in larger cost and affect the optimal parameters are identified. The optimal parameters are quite robust toward changes in input parameters, except the number of variables and the Mahalanobis distance. Alternative choices of parameters, which result in minimal cost increase, can be chosen if it is infeasible to operate the chart optimally. The results are based on numerical examples and verified through simulation. The synthetic T 2 chart has better economic and economic-statistical performances than the Hotelling's T 2 and MEWMA charts under most conditions.


An aluminium-substituted framework gallophosphate with occluded triethylamine was synthesized hydrothermally. 27Al MAS NMR spectroscopy indicates that only the tetrahedral coordinated gallium atoms in the gallophosphate are substituted by aluminium atoms. The substitution leads to an evident decrease in cell volume of the crystal. The differences between the original gallophosphate and the aluminium-substituted one are also found for the IR spectrum and the thermal property.


Interest in how individuals cope with uncertainty when scheduling their activities and trips has increased in recent years. While providing many useful concepts and insights, previous work tends to treat individuals as atomised decision-making units. This paper argues that it is imperative to think of persons coping with uncertainty about the duration of activities and trips as agents in wider sociomaterial networks or assemblages, at least in studies of how working parents collect their children from school or day care. A framework for understanding this way of coping with uncertainty is proposed, which foregrounds the practical, material, and situational aspects of space–time behaviour. Aspects of the framework are demonstrated through a small-scale study among dual-earner families in the Utrecht region of the Netherlands.


N1,N4-Di-tert-butyl-3,6-dimethyl-1,4-dihydro-1,2,4,5-tetrazine-1,4-dicarboxamide was prepared from 3,6-dimethyl-1,6-dihydro-1,2,4,5-tetrazine, and its structure was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. This reaction yields the 1,4-dicarboxamide derivative rather than the 1,2-dicarboxamide derivative. The central six-member ring of the title compound has a boat conformation and therefore, is not homoaromatic.


Given two handwritten documents, the writer verification problem is to determine whether the two documents were written by the same person. It is tackled by extracting various features and classi fying the patterns into their classes. Features are diverse in type while techniques in pattern recognition typically require that features be ho mogeneous. The solution proposed overcomes both the nonhomogeneity of features and the intractability of infinite number of writers by a di chotomy transformation. In this model, the distance between each homogeneous feature type is used. We integrate several distance measures for many feature types: element, histogram, string, convex hull, etc into one useful for writer verification. Experimental results with 1; 000 writers with three sample documents per writer, using only 12 feature distances, results in 97% accuracy.


After the Turkish domination three monastic orders, the Jesuits, the Franciscans, and the order of the Hermits of St. Paul took major part at reconstruction, re-Catholicizing, and education in Hungary. Since the Paulines, as the sole order founded in Hungary, used the liturgy of Esztergom from the beginning of the 14th century, researches on 17–18th century music of the order focused mainly on mediaeval relics: survival of plain chant and the so-called Hungarian notation. Information about the musical life and the music of Paulines can be combined from two types of sources: from inventories, diaries, historia domus of dissolved monasteries, and from musical manuscripts (choir-books, organ-books) written and used by Pauline monks. The song repertoire (hymns) of the Baroque and early Classic era had been regarded of lesser value by Hungarian musicologists although Hungarian translations of some of the songs and their concordance with Franciscan manuscripts suggest a widespread use. Hungarian folksongs and m...


Thispaperpresents a flexible turbidity sensing system thatimplements single andmultiple infrared (IR)beam architectures. Thehardware includes twopairs ofIRLED - IR Photodiode whose relative position permitsthe materialization ofdifferent architectures forturbidity optical measurement. The control ofthesensing architecture is performed by a microcontroller based110boardthatis wireless connected toa PC foradvanced control anddata processing basedon neuralnetworks. Usingintelligent processing procedures, thebestturbidity measurement architecture isselected intermsofmeasurement accuracy fora giventurbidity level. Elements ofneuralnetworkdesign, optimization andembedding aspartofanadvanced processing software component arepresented. D1,~~~~ ~~ D2.piadeetosIE1.E.ihsorcexiato.currents


This study aimed to know and analyze the profile on poverty rate in the
district in Kebumen Regency in 2011 and to analyze the effect of economic
growth to poverty levels in the district in Kebumen Regency during 2002-2011.
This study based on the level of poverty in the Kebumen Regency during 2002-2011 was higher than Central Java Province and Indonesian. The variable that
usedin this study is economic growth. The data that used are secondary from
SUSENAS in 2011 and all sub-districts in Kebumen Regency at 260 observation
units. The best analytical tool model that used in this study is panel data
regression using random effect.
The result show that poverty rate in Kebumen Regency largely found in rural
area mainly as farmers and graduated from elementary education in productive
age during 15-64 years old. The highest poverty rate found in northen area subdistrics such as Karangsambung, Karanggayam and Sempor sub distric. Than
during 2002-2011, the economic growth in Kebumen Regency has no significans
effect to poverty decrease.


Agnes Janet Hamilton McWilliam—usually known as "Jenny"—was a native of Troon in Scotland. She lived with her husband, Bob, in Newcastle under Lyme for many …


In this paper we investigated the focal performances of the refractive cylindrical micro-lenses made of anisotropic material(uniaxial crystal ) with the use of the rigorous diffraction theory and boundary element method (BEM). The expressions of conversion from the H-field into the E-field for the TM-polarization are given. The lateral and axial intensity distributions of the E- ( H-)field for the TM- polarization and E-field of the TE-polarization are calculated. The focusing features of the micro-lenses, including the focal spot size, the focal length, and the diffractive efficiency are appraised. The focusing characteristics of both isotropically and anisotropically refractive cylindrical micro-lenses with different f-numbers have been analyzed and compared. The numerical simulations show that in the case of isotropic dielectricity the E- and H- field distributions for the TE- and TM-polarizations exhibit almost the same focusing behavior for all different f-numbers (f/4, f/2, f/1.5). However, in the case of anisotropic dielectricity, we found that the focal spot size of the E-field for the TM-polarization is quite larger than that of the E-field for the TE- polarization, for instance, the focal spot sizes of the E-field for TM- and TE-polarizations are 2.35μm and 1.98μm in the case of f/2, respectively. It is noted that the positions of the focal plane of the E-field for the TE- and TM-polarizations are shifted remarkably away from each other. The focal length of the E-field of the TE-polarization is shorter than that of the E-field of the TM-polarization. For instance, the positions of the focal plane of the E-field for the TE- and TM-polarizations are 59.35μm and 70.79μm in the case of f/2, respectively. This result can be understood from the simple argument owing to the different refraction index for two polarizations in the uniaxial crystal. These interesting features are reported here for the first time. It is anticipated that this kind of elements may serve as the ideal light switching devices with high speed in the MEMS.


Sufficient conditions are obtained for the existence of positive periodic solutions for a Lotka-Volterra competitive system,by using Mawhin coincidence degree theory,and an example is given in this paper.


This letter presents a Ka-band watt-level high-efficiency Doherty power amplifier (DPA) monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) in 90-nm gallium arsenide (GaAs) pseudomorphic high-electron-mobility transistor (pHEMT) technology. To realize the high efficiency of DPA at 6-dB power back-off (PBO), a low-loss compact Doherty output network is proposed to directly combine the matching network and the load modulation network (LMN) into a compact network. Then, the peaking amplifier of DPA is an optimized design to guarantee a sufficient load modulation at the 6-dB PBO level. The proposed DPA exhibits a measured saturation output power in the range of 29.5–30 dBm, with a corresponding peak power-added efficiency (PAE) in the range of 35%–40% from 26.5 to 30.5 GHz. Moreover, the PAE at the 6-dB PBO level of the proposed DPA is in the range of 25%–30.2% from 26.5 to 30.5 GHz.


In this poster we propose a method for addressing the genomic nomenclature problem by using phylogenetic tools along with the BIO-AJAX data cleaning framework.


Electrochemical technologies have a high potential for display applications because of their cheapness and simplicity, easiness to scaling to large substrates and lowtemperature nature. However, in major display technologies the oxide films should be deposited on transparent conductive substrate, usually ITO on glass. For dielectric substrates like glasses, a special technology of current control is applied to anodizing metal films, which changes the oxide porous structure in a final stage and prevents formation of metal islands. To transform the residual metal nanowires into oxide, a special fading process similar to anoding bonding can be done. Usually, high reactivity electrolytes are used in the anodizing process, which destroys ITO layers. We have analyzed chemical properties of ITO in various anodizing electrolytes and found some suitable reagents and compositions. A lot of functional layers can be created by anodizing. For example, different filters may be formed by filling the pores by ink jet printing. Porous oxides can have low refractive indexes – lower than any bulk material, and can be used as effective antireflective coatings. A titanium oxide cover film forms "self-cleaning" surface due to its semiconductor photonics properties and oxygen production.


Abstract Personal health records can be considered as a noticeable advancement in consumer health informatics. PHRs have been adopted in many nations, whereas other countries are planning to adopt this technology. Understanding the user acceptance of PHRs by organizations and individuals is a critical issue. Many researches discussed the acceptance and adoption of PHRs; few studies were experimental. The main objective of this study is reviewing the related studies that have been made in order to investigate the user acceptance of PHRs through reviewing the theories that have been used, the main factors involved, and any missing aspects to be applied in this field. The review's major components are: topic, location of the study, sample size, statistical tools, models or theories, goals, and findings of the study.


Microwave-Assisted Extraction (MAE) kinetic in three temperatures was investigated for extraction of antioxidant phenolic compounds from Jatropha dioica , Flourensia cernua , Eucalyptus camaldulensis and Turnera diffusa which are plants of semiarid regions of Mexico. The two-site kinetic model and saturation simple equation were used to describe the experimental data. The fit of the data demonstrated that sat uration simple equation was better and could explain the da ta with a slight loss of goodness of fit. The resul ts showed that MAE optimum conditions were extraction temperature of 60°C and extraction time in the rang e from 1 to 6 min. The MAE was more efficient than the conventional Heat Reflux Extraction (HRE). Maximal antioxidant potential was observed in E. camaldulensis extracts. Interestingly differences in phenolic composition and antioxidant activity were observed in the extracts obtained by MAE and HRE for all plants used. Quercetin and catechin were found to be the predominant phenolic compounds. The MAE procedure resulted in suitable alternative to obtai n bioactive phenolic compounds from semiarid plants due to this technology is higher efficient than convent ional methods increasing yield in shorter times.


This study is conducted to measure customers satisfaction from the five dimensions of service quality, which are empathy, tangibility, responsiveness, reliability, and assurance. A quantitative approach, using the gap-model—SERVQUAL, has been used in the survey to gauge the opinions of Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) customers chosen via convenient sampling. Based on 100 respondents picked from several parts of the airport, the self-administered questionnaires were distributed and collected on the same day. Statistical tests such as multiple regression and ANOVA were performed and the results obtained among others showed that tangible elements of KLIA are the most important determinant of customers satisfaction followed by the intangible elements such as empathy, responsiveness, assurance, and reliability. The results of this study will be helpful to the management of KLIA in their effort to continuously upgrade their services in improving the customer services.


Summary  Background  Cost limitations, adverse effects or lack of efficacy limit the use of current topical therapies in mild to moderate acne vulgaris.


Continual learning poses an important challenge to machine learning models. Kirkpatrick et al. introduced a model that combats forgetting during continual learning by using a Bayesian prior to transfer knowledge between task switches. This approach showed promising results but the algorithm was given access to the time points when tasks were switched. Using a model of stochastic learning dynamics we show that this model is very closely related to the previously developed cascade model to combat catastrophic forgetting. This general formulation allows us to use the model also for online learning where no knowledge about task switching times is given to the network. Also it allows us to use deeper hierarchies of Bayesian priors. We evaluate this model on the permuted MNIST task. We demonstrate improved task performance during task switching, but find that online learning is still significantly worse when task switching times are unknown to the network.


Tinariwen, a band of Tuareg musicians from the Sahara Desert region of northern Mali, named their 2007 album Aman Iman, which means 'water is life' in their language, Tamashek. It is hardly surprising that a group of nomads from the hottest and largest non-polar desert would regard water as so important, but it is trite that aman iman is true for everybody, not just desert-dwellers. The link between water and life is the basis of the defining question for exploration of Mars, for if there is evidence of liquid water, past or present, on Mars, then there exists the possibility of life. Fortunately, for life on Earth, both human and otherwise, water is ample on our planet, although distributed unevenly. For many people, such as the Tuareg, life revolves around finding water, whereas people in other parts of the world deal with the problems posed by too much water, such as flooding. The bottom line, however, is that life on Earth needs water. Yet many commentators are providing warnings that our water is under threat. Although there are huge amounts of water on Earth, less than 3 per cent of that water is fresh, and most of that is relatively inaccessible to humans and most other living species that rely on it. The small amount of accessible fresh water, mainly in rivers and in the ground, is suffering from various serious threats. The term 'water crisis' is one that is heard frequently. For example, a recent, influential publication is entitled The Global Water Crisis: Addressing an Urgent Security Issue (H. Bigas (ed.), Papers for the InterAction Council, 2011–2012 (UNU–INWEH, 2012)). The wellknown legal academic, Edith Brown Weiss, in her 2012 article 'The Coming Water Crisis: A Common Concern of Humankind', writes that 'many articles proclaim fresh water to be the new environmental crisis of this century' ('The Coming Water Crisis: A Common Concern of Humankind' (2012) 1:1 Transnational Environmental Law 153).


The present invention relates to novel acylmethylene-1,3-dioxolanes and acylmethylene-1,4-dioxanes of the general formula (I) in which R1, R2, R3 and n have the meanings given in the description, and also a novel process for their preparation. Acylmethylene-1,3-dioxolanes and acylmethylene-1,4-dioxanes are important intermediates for the preparation of pyrazoles and anthranilamides, which can be used as insecticides.


Eddy current test (ECT) is one of the techniques for accurate testing as well as widely used in the aircraft and nuclear industry. Changes in thickness due to corrosion will affect the measurement of defects on pipes or plates. This will make an irrelevant decision as to whether the defect that occurs on the work piece is the thickness of the paint or corrosion. This problem can lead to the occurrence of leaking pipes, apart from the deterioration of the company's productivity and most importantly endangering the safety of employees. Meanwhile, eddy current testing is one of the methods in NDT used to detect cracks or corrosion on the surface of carbon steel. In this work, GMR Eddy Current sensor is used to measure the corrosion on carbon steel pipes, and a permanent magnet is used to generate the magnetic field for corrosion detection. Also, this system is configured with an IoT Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) drone platform to facilitate access at different heights during the inspection process. The change of voltage amplitude at the GMR sensor on the test material proves the conditioning of the material either normal or corrosive. The result shows that when corrosion occurs on the pipe, the voltage amplitude increases up to 0.5% higher than normal. Finally, the metal loss is higher when the corrosion area is larger and at the same time it is directly proportional to the voltage amplitude


The behaviour of various powder systems during high temperature sintering has been investigated by coupling X-ray microtomography and discrete element method (DEM). Both methods are particularly relevant to analyse particle interactions and porosity changes occurring during sintering. Two examples are presented. The first one deals with a copper powder including artificially created pores which sintering has been observed in situ at the European synchrotron and simulated by DEM. 3D images with a resolution of 1.5 μ m have been taken at various times of the sintering cycle. The comparison of the real displacement of particle centers with the displacement derived from the mean field assumption demonstrates significant particle rearrangement in some regions of the sample. Although DEM simulation showed less rearrangement, it has been able to accurately predict the densification kinetics. The second example concerns multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) composed of hundreds of alternated metal electrode and ceramic dielectric layers. The observation of Ni-based MLCCs by synchrotron nanotomography at Argon National Laboratory with a spatial resolution between 10 and 50 nm allowed understanding the origin of heterogeneities formed in Ni layers during sintering. DEM simulations confirmed this analysis and provided clues for reducing these defects.


Encapsulation of a phase-change material (PCM) based on electroplating method is investigated experimentally. The encapsulated PCM has a two-layer structure, which is coated thinly by metallic nickel and rhodium. The PCM obtained has enough strength against melting-solidification cycles when the thickness of nickel is more than 50 microns. The present method offers many benefits for the practical use of PCM, such as uniform film thickness, easy and quick coating and non-sintering among capsules.


Let F (z) = r arz r be a multivariate generating function which is meromorphic in some neighborhood of the origin of C d , and let V be its set of singularities. Effective asymptotic expansions for the coefficients can be obtained by complex contour integration near points of V. In the first article in this series, we treated the case of smooth points of V. In this article we deal with multiple points of V.


In the body with the high specificity and the sensitivity the ability of to detect the physiological and the pathogenic related molecules offers a opportunity which is very powerful and helpful in the treatment of the disease with the early diagnosis. The optical base biosensor in which the optical fiber cable is used in the different research and in many other medical fields. Bacteriophages are ubiquitous viruses, found wherever bacteria exist. It is estimated there are more than 10 31 bacteriophages on the planet, more than every other organism on earth, including bacteria, combined. In recent years it has become widely recognized that bacteriophages have several potential applications in the food industry. They have been proposed as alternatives to antibiotics in animal health, as biopreservatives in food and as tools for detecting pathogenic bacteria throughout the food chain. Phages play a key role in maintaining microbial balance in every ecosystem where bacteria exist, and they are part of the normal microflora of all fresh, unprocessed foods. Interest in various practical applications of bacteriophages has been gaining momentum recently, with perhaps the most attention focused on using them to improve food safety.


Abstract Background The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been shown to be associated with poor prognosis in both malign and benign disorders. However, the studies regarding NLR as a prognostic marker in Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) are limited. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between NLR and survival outcome in patients with CCHF. Methods The demographic and laboratory characteristics of 723 adult patients having a positive IgM and/or a positive PCR result for CCHF in the blood sample between 2007 and 2017 were reviewed. The patients were divided into two groups according to survival and fatal outcome. The area under an ROC curve was calculated to evaluate the relationship between NLR and survival outcome. The statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. Results Plasma NLR, creatinine, AST, ALT, LDH and CK levels in fatal cases were significantly higher than those in survival ones (P < 0.001 for all parameters), while platelet count was significantly lower (P < 0.001). All population were re-evaluated according to NLR. Plasma ALT, AST, LDH, CK, and creatinine levels when NLR was ≤ 2 were significantly lower than those when NLR was > 2 (P = 0.006, P = 0.017, P < 0.001, P < 0.001, and P < 0.001, respectively) (Table 1). The area under an ROC curve for NLR was 72% (P < 0.001).Table 1: Demographic and Laboratory Characteristics in the Patients With Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Characteristics Survival Patients (n = 693) Fatal Patients (n = 30) P-Value NLR ≤ 2 (n = 384) NLR > 2 (n = 339) P-Value Age (%) 49.1 (17.5) 64.6 (14.3) 0.001 48.6 (17.0) 51 (18.3) 0.080 Gender (% Female) 46.6 40 0.477 51.3 40.7 0.004 Platelet count, (×103 platelets/mm3) 49.8 (35.4) 17.8 (7.5) 0.001 49.9 (33.7) 46.7 (36.9) 0.032 ALT (U/L) 230.2 (429.4) 1386 (1295.6) 0.001 225.3(320.5) 338.1(715.5) 0.006 AST (U/L) 387.7 (529.1) 3327.1(3478.8) 0.001 406.7(801.2) 626.4(1262.3) 0.017 LDH (U/L) 857.3(1049.9) 5385.1(5404.3) 0.001 813.4(972.3) 1307.6(2303.4) 0.001 CK (U/L) 850.0(1173.3) 3171.5(5353.2) 0.001 743.5(1023.3) 1176.2(2109.3) 0.001 Creatinine (mg/dl) 0.9 (0.5) 2.7 (2.5) 0.001 0.9 (0.6) 1,1 (0.9) 0.001 NLR 2.9 (3.5) 4.5 (3.3) 0.001 Dead (%) 1.6 7.1 0.001 Conclusion NLR for clinicians may be an additional test as useful as platelet count and plasma creatinine, AST, ALT, LDH, and CK levels. Our study shows that NLR might be used as a prognostic marker to predict the severity of the disease in CCHF. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.


Introduction 1. Theory and measurement at the National Bureau 2. Origins of Friedman's Marshallian methodology 3. Origins of the monetary project 4. Critiques from within the National Bureau 5. Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc, part I 6. Reactions to the Monetary History 7. Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc, part II 8. Friedman and his critics on the theoretical framework 9. The Great Depression 10. Measurement without measurement: Hendry and Ericsson's critique Conclusion Bibliography.


Transistor variability has emerged as one of the important constraints in Nano-CMOS circuit design. The ever decreasing device feature size with CMOS scaling, has resulted in an increasing uncertainty in predicting the exact device behaviour. The issue of variability needs to be addressed across the entire hierarchy of integrated circuits - optimization of process and device technology to yield minimal variability, robust circuit and system design architectures for variability aware design, and CAD tools to unify these two domains. The traditional variability modeling and CAD techniques address the problem in one of the two domains. We propose a unified framework to bridge the gap between technology CAD and design CAD. This framework enables one to directly relate the variation in circuit metrics such as speed, static power and dynamic power to the underlying semiconductor process parameters such as implant dose, annealing temperature etc. The proposed methodology is validated through rigorous simulations at the process, device and circuit level, incorporating various statistical techniques. A few examples will be presented to elaborate the significance of the proposed modeling methodology and its utility in the Nano CMOS design flow. In addition to being an important utility in the circuit design flow, the methodology will also help the foundries by providing a visibility on the impact of unit processes on the eventual circuit characteristics. This in turn can help in a systematic and optimized process monitoring in the foundries.


In this work, we propose a resolution enhancement methodology for discretized scalar fields and apply it to cosmological N-body simulations. We upscale Dark Matter density 3D Eulerian cubes using supervised machine learning and Principal Component Analysis. Once the low-resolution simulation is performed, our methodology doubles its resolution gaining three orders of magnitude in CPU run times compared to performing the full high-resolution simulation in the same computational system. Moreover, we achieve 98% accuracy in the matter power spectrum compared to the full high-resolution simulation throughout most of the k domain $(k < 1.0\ Mpc\ h^{-1})$. Finally, the proposed approach is agnostic to the nature of the simulation field. as long as it corresnonds to a 3D scalar field.


Self-compacting concrete(SCC)intends to be utilized as the core concrete of concrete filled steel tubes(CFSTs).Based on comprehensive understanding to specific requirements of the CFSTs,mix design optimizations of SCC mixtures are carried out and then SCC mixtures are developed successfully.A series of comparative experiments include a site concrete pumping trial and axial compressive test of SCC and normal concrete(NC) filled steel stub columns are conducted.The results show that the SCC mixtures can be pumped conveniently without any segregation;the mechanical and deformation properties such as the combined elastic modulus,the ultimate bearing capacity of SCC stub columns do not differ significantly from the corresponding properties of NC stub columns with the same strength grade.Finally,an application of SCC in a concrete filled steel tubular arch bridge indicated that employing of SCC is benefit to the homogeneity and quality of the structure,while the total material cost is not increased.


Although there is generally a reasonable justification for using lime stabilization for clays and cement or bitumen for sandy soils, no such generalization exists for silts. The range of the applicability of several stabilization techniques to silts is investigated. The main objective of the investigation was to determine the type and quantity of stabilizer(s) suitable for silty soils, which dominate the surface geology of Saudi Arabia. A soil-cement-bitumen model that results in the best mixture performance is presented, and optimum additive percentages are suggested. A physicochemical explanation for such performance is provided. The analysis is based on experimental results obtained from compaction, California bearing ratio, unconfined compression, and modified Marshall tests. It is shown that modification of the silt with 2-3 percent cement followed by stabilization with about 4 percent bitumen gives overall a satisfactory mixture. Such a mixture may be used in the construction of low-volume, low-cost roads or as a subgrade material for paved roads. The proposed mix design is more favorable from the standpoint of strength, durability, and economics than bitumen or cement stabilization, the use of which would require at least 7 and 8 percent, respectively, as minimum stabilizer contents. (Author)


A bispecific antibody (BsAb) is a kind of engineered antibody that targets two or more different epitopes simultaneously on the same or different antigens, with merits which cannot be achieved by the conventional monospecific antibody. Until now, three BsAb drugs (Catumaxomab, Blinatumomab and Emicizumab) have been approved by FDA and more than 110 BsAb drugs are being developed around the world. This review focuses on the advances in BsAb development, the BsAb platforms, and their current and potential clinical applications.


The paper considers the basic capital gains tax implication arising out of farm-outs and how to structure those farm-outs in the light of up-front payments and disproportionate funding. In particular, consideration is given to the acquisition and disposal dates and how altering those dates will impact on the asset cost base of the farmor/farmee. The problem of determining value is also considered.


Rice-straw is an important cattle field in several asian countries even though its quality is low. But in some areas of at least five countries it is burnt. A procedure for rapid composting of rice straw in lots of 10 kg straw in the semi-arid tropics was standardised using Aspergillus awamori, Pseudomonas stritata and bacillus polymyxa


If readers should perhaps take Strauss's statement to the great singer Hans Hotter with a barrel of salt, given the composer's primary dedication to opera, it is nevertheless true that, from beginning to end, he wrote songs. He lived around singers his entire life, after all; in his boyhood, he heard his aunt Johanna Pschorr – a gifted amateur mezzo-soprano – sing, and his father Franz Strauss played the horn in orchestral performances with some of the best singers of the day. Later, Richard's wife Pauline de Ahna was an accomplished professional soprano at the time of their marriage. In fact, Strauss began composing songs when he was a mere six-and-a-half years old: the earliest of thirty-two youthful songs without opus numbers, "Weihnachtslied" ("Christmas Song") on a poem by Christian Friedrich Daniel Schubart (the poet of Schubert's "Die Forelle"), was composed in 1870. There are gems to be found in this repertory composed before Strauss deemed his songs publishable; we discover, for example, that his love of Ludwig Uhland's poetry began early with such sensitive songs as "Die Drossel" ("The Thrush"), while "Der mude Wanderer" ("The Weary Wanderer") on a poem by August Hoffmann von Fallersleben is another worthwhile creation.


Control experiments involving methyl iodide, cesium oxide, and cesium iodide are described together with fission gas release from high-burnup fuel and Knudsen cell studies.


S urgical residency programs are currently populated by residents from the millennial generation who are being trained by academic surgeons from the two previous generations. These mentors are largely ''baby boomers'' (known for their strong work ethic, competitiveness, self-assurance, and resourcefulness) and ''Generation X'ers'' (known to be independent thinkers, self-reliant, skeptical, and adaptable). All developed as surgeons and teachers in an environment that embraced exactly their values. Now, they are required to train a generation that has distinctly different values and has been acclimated to previously unimagined educational resources. Although summative characterizations of any generation imply serious risks of oversimplification, certain characteristics of millennials are often prominently expressed and frequently draw contention. Psychologists find millennials to demonstrate high levels of confidence and optimism. They are generally highly collaborative, seeking team instead of personal success. Paradoxically, these positive values are often confounded by what older generations perceive as individualistic and self-centered behaviors. Millennials effectively combine these traits into a hybrid construct that can be called ''collective individualism.'' In their effort to find meaning and purpose in what they do, they are often accused of being ''dreamers,'' not understanding ''how the world works.'' Although these characteristics may be less strongly manifested in surgical residents, who are thought to be the most competitive and goal oriented of their cohort, there is no question that the phenotype of even the most hard-core surgical trainees has shifted. Independent of this generational change, modern surgical residency training programs are challenged to ensure clinical competencies. One can only suspect that the current characteristics of millennial residents and the possible lack of adaptation to these changes by surgical educators complicate the problem even further. Before starting their training, millennials were often ''spoon fed'' the information they needed to achieve academic success. Transition into a surgical residency required them to start thinking more critically,


Abstract Rule-breaking by psychiatric inpatients is introduced as a common problem, but, surprisingly, how staff respond to such behaviour has attracted little specific literature. It is a subject that raises complex and difficult questions of ethics, law and clinical practice. A sample of psychiatric nursing staff (574), from low-, medium- and maximum-security settings, took part in a decision-making exercise, designed to examine attitudes towards, and concepts of, patients' rule-breaking. Subjects viewed a short video-tape of fictional disturbed patient behaviour and their responses were elicited by a semi-structured questionnaire. They were shown one of a number of possible scenarios, with controlled variables including the fictional patient's gender and racial origin, the diagnosis, any past history of violence and the nature of the incident. Moral judgement emerged as a central theme. A theoretical model is proposed, in which the response to patient misdemeanour involves three inseparable components:...


New Rural Area Program (Nong thon moi) has been being promoted in Vietnam successful certified "standard new rural areas", following the sustainability direction in rural areas in the world. The overall goal of the central government in Vietnam pictures a new rural area development scheme with environmental sustainability and socio-cultural identity. However, it might not be easy for policy implementation to totally match the initial goal. This paper studies the case of Quang Nam's reports on new rural area development and finds out that while the middle-term goals of developing rural areas' infrastructure and reducing poverty are well reached, a long-term goal of building up rural areas' environment and community for sustainable purposes might not yet be fulfilled. The criteria of new rural area in Vietnam is a top-down ambitious list of every aspect becoming better but the community participation into the program has been limited. Using the results from the case study and applying the "sense of place" theory, the paper recommends an approach of enhancing community's sensitivity and attachment to their place which, as a result, increases their willingness to protect and develop their place toward economic, socio-cultural and especially environmental sustainability.


In this paper,the asymmetric information between enterprises in supply chain and the resulting effect of cheating on quality cost are studied.Based on wholesale price contract a stylized contract menu is presented using third party quality cost audit strategy to establish an effective incentive mechanism.The conclusions demonstrate that the new contract can not only eliminate the effect of asymmetric quality cost information but also restrain the upstream enterprise from cheating on the quality cost.The downstream enterprise can improve quality level by raising wholesale price reasonably to incent the upstream enterprise to invest more on quality cost in the new contract.A numerical study is given to demonstrate the conclusions of the paper.


A key is provided to the seventy-seven species efthe Nepalese calliphorid flies are reviewed. List ofnew localities, distributiens and other ecological data are also recorded. The fbllowing 10 new species are described and illustrated: Calliphora himaku,ana sp. nov,, Nepaione,yia p"lchokii gen, nov., sp. nov., IV. shinonagai sp. nov., Onesia girii sp. nev., Mblincla nepalica sp. nov., M. strgiyamai sp. nov., Cbsmina nepalica sp. nov., lsonryia sheipa sp. nov,, L singhi sp. nov. and L hetauda sp. nov. The fouTty-two species are recQrded for the first time from Nepal. The keys are provided for identifications of all Nepalese species exc]uding Isomyia nepalana (Townsend).


An ASE-IC method was developed for the extraction and determination of the phytic acid in rapeseed.The extraction was carried by using ASE.ASE took the advantage over traditional extraction on less extraction time and higher extraction rate.The phytic acid was separated by gradient elution on an Ion Pac AS11 column and was detected by conductivity detector.The determination limit of the method for Phytic acid was 9.45μg/L.The recovery of for the analysis sample was between 96%-104%.


Antimicrobial acitivity of chitosan fiber was reinforced by N-halamine which is a compound containing nitrogen-chlorine covalent bond that is formed by halogenation of amine in chitosan. Upon pH and chlorination time of sodium hypochlorite solution, aminogroup in chitosan fiber was differnetly chlorinated according to respective conditions. The chlorination of chitosan fiber was confirmed by iodometric titration. The results obtained are following: longer reaction time caused the chlorination of chitosan fibers to increase, and acidic conditions during the treatemnt was more effective compared to alkaline or neutral conditions. The chlorinated chitosan fibers showed powerful antimicrobial activity against both E. coli and S. aureus. SEM observations demonstrated that the chlorinated chitosan fibers were not damaged under the acidic treatment condition.


Presently, the greatest challenges faced by the Indian manufacturing enterprises are global competition, higher focus on quality from customer side and increasing cost of manufacturing due to inflationary pressures from economy in that order. These challenges are partially overcome by adopting advanced technology and following latest trends in manufacturing management. To overcome the cost pressure industries try to tap different cost reducing avenues. In search of these, one of the options, which was not popular till recently, is being considered now. The option is to identify measure, analyze and reduce the "Cost of quality "(COQ). Evolution of cost of quality studies and COQ practices started nearly six decades ago. Today quality costing is essential part of every modern enterprise's quality plan. The present study focuses on suitable methodology for implementation of COQ. The motivation of study is to enable development of a sound quality cost management system (QCMS) for varied sizes and types of enterprises working in continuously advancing manufacturing environment. The intended QCMS refers to the practices, policies and procedures followed by an enterprise that relates to collecting, measuring and classifying quality costs data. In addition it should work in tandem with accounting system employed by organization for selecting, using and maintaining the quality related financial matrices.Paper reviews the present state of art of COQ practices reported in literature and industry with more emphasis on manufacturing industry in India. Based on the information obtained a methodology for COQ implementation is devised and illustrated using a case study.


We present a new algorithm for maintaining a DFS tree of an arbitrary directed graph under any sequence of edge insertions. Our algorithm requires a total of $O(m\cdot n)$ time in the worst case to process a sequence of edge insertions, where $n$ is the number of vertices in the graph and $m$ is the total number of edges in the final graph. We also prove lower bounds for variations of this problem.


. By a result of Zucker, every Fra¨ıss´e structure F for which the elements of Age( F ) have finite Ramsey degrees admits a Fra¨ıss´e precompact expansion F ∗ whose age Age( F ∗ ) has the Ramsey property. While the original method uses dynamics in spaces of ultrafilters, the purpose of the present short note is to provide a different proof, based on classical tools from Fra¨ıss´e theory.


The introduction of network management is among the primary challenges in road traffic management. Few systems are currently available, most of them for urban green light waves, for ramp metering coordination and for coordination of variable message signs. Lack of compatibility between different systems from different vendors plays a role in the slow take-up of network management systems in various ways. One of these ways has to do with the attractiveness of these systems to traffic management authorities, the main potential customers group. This was shown with a qualitative and a quantitative research, as described in this paper.


Background
Central neurocytoma (CN) is an intraventricular tumor that affects young adults. It has a favorable prognosis after adequate surgical intervention; however, an aggressive course may take place in some cases.
 Objective
The aim of this study was to evaluate the rate of shunt insertion and outcome of control in CN excision.
 Patients and methods
Ten patients were included in this study and followed up for 24 months. Data collected included age, sex, clinical presentation, early morbidity and mortality, and radiological findings (tumor location, features, residual, recurrence, and hydrocephalus). All patients underwent surgery for total or subtotal excision through a transcortical or transcallosal approach. An external ventricular drain was inserted and then removed and replaced by a shunt, if indicated. Histopathology and the MIB index were used to confirm diagnosis and guide the follow-up. Adjuvant radiotherapy or gamma knife radiosurgery was used for residual or recurrence.
 Results
Patient ages ranged from 14 to 48 years and the mean age was 31 years. Two patients died early after total and subtotal excision from sepsis and thalamic infarction, respectively, and were excluded from the results. Six patients (60%) underwent total removal. Of them, two patients had a high MIB index and showed small recurrence at 12 and 18 months and received gamma knife. One case needed a shunt, and the other four cases were free. Subtotal excision was performed for the other four patients (40%). Early shunt was inserted for two cases. Radiosurgery was used to control the residual in one patient, whereas radiotherapy was used for three patients but failed in one patient who underwent surgery at 18-month follow-up.
 Conclusion
CN may have favorable prognosis with a lower incidence of shunt insertion throughout its course compared with other intraventricular tumors if total removal is achieved.


John Hawthorne in a recent paper takes issue with Lewisian accounts of counterfactuals, when relevant laws of nature are chancy. I respond to his arguments on behalf of the Lewisian, and conclude that while some can be rebutted, the case against the original Lewisian account is strong.
I develop a neo-Lewisian account of what makes for closeness of worlds. I argue that my revised version avoids Hawthorne's challenges. I argue that this is closer to the spirit of Lewis's first (non-chancy) proposal than is Lewis's own suggested modification.


Drought is a familiar climatic phenomenon in the United States Southwest, with complex human-environment interactions that extend beyond just the physical drought events. Due to continued climate variability and change, droughts are expected to become more frequent and/or severe in the future. Decision-makers are charged with mitigating and adapting to these more extreme conditions and to do that they need to understand the specific impacts drought has on regional and local scales, and how these impacts compare to historical conditions. Tremendous progress in drought monitoring strategies has occurred over the past several decades, with more tools providing greater spatial and temporal resolutions for a variety of variables, including drought impacts. Many of these updated tools can be used to develop improved drought climatologies for decision-makers to use in their drought risk management actions. In support of a Food-Energy-Water (FEW) systems study for New Mexico, this article explores the use of updated drought monitoring tools to analyze data and develop a more holistic drought climatology applicable for New Mexico. Based upon the drought climatology, droughts appear to be occurring with greater frequency and magnitude over the last two decades. This improved drought climatology information, using New Mexico as the example, increases the understanding of the effects of drought on the FEW systems, allowing for better management of current and future drought events and associated impacts.


Fifty years ago Vannevar Bush, with the aid of the Federal Government, released the academic research genie. It was argued at the time, and it still may be true, that only academic laboratories could provide the research and trained personnel needed to sustain American's scientific and technological needs. As history has shown, Bush's instinctive distrust of industrial laboratories as a potential training ground was basically correct. In those days, the country's needs were associated with warfare--the end of WWII and the collective hostile activities historically described as the "cold war." Today the country's needs derive from attempts to stay globally competitive. The government's decision to have universities turning out the bulk of the nation's basic research and to use those universities as a venue for developing research talent has created a network of more than 100 research-intensive universities, the output of which is the envy of the world. But, now there is another growing national need--improving the quality of science, mathematics, engineering, and technology (SMET) education throughout the educational system. The genie released 50 years ago, either has to go back into the bottle, or it needs to be re-purposed. The former is highly unlikely, which leaves only the latter as a viable strategy. Indeed, the National Science Foundation, which could be described as the master of the genie, is attempting to do just that. In the past several years, the budget for NSF's suite of "undergraduate" programs has grown to the point where the Foundation currently spends about $180 million on such projects. These programs represent initiatives at the pre-college and undergraduate college levels that are focused on instructional activities (teacher preparation, curriculum development, faculty enhancement, etc.) and research-oriented activities to compliment undergraduate education in a variety of traditional nonresearch environments. These programs are an attempt by NSF to start redressing the imbalance between research and teaching that the Foundation has actively promoted during most of its 50 years of existence. Now, the NSF strategy is to tell the scientists it has supported in the past, and those who will be supported in the future, that what they do in the classroom is as important as what they do in the laboratory; indeed, some would argue it is the most important activity that NSF has to sustain in the current environment. Since NSF is part of the problem, it has an obligation to be part of the solution, which is the essence of a report of an advisory panel. The draft report also has suggestions to universities on how to revise their approach to SMET teaching. It recommends that departments should set goals for what their students should learn, hold faculty members accountable for students' performance, change the academic reward system to incorporate good teaching, and give science faculty members a bigger role in the education of K-12 teachers.

The basic problem is that 65% of all undergraduates, including many who will become the nation's precollege teachers, do not attend the more than 100 research intensive institutions that are so heavily supported by NSF's research efforts. In effect, those students have no access to SMET education in a world of growing technical complexity. The report suggests that NSF would do well to redress this imbalance by shifting more of its resources into undergraduate and precollege programs that focus on teaching. This point of view grows out of a 1986 review which centered on how NSF could help science majors. Now, the Foundation is being asked to address the SMET-related problems of all undergraduate students. Clearly, there is danger in attempting to use a system, the relatively meager resources of which have been aimed at about 10% of the population of undergraduates, to serve the entire population. Still, NSF can send a clear message that teaching is important in research-intensive universities. A message that might have a catalytic effect on all institutions.


TO THE EDITOR: Grisso and Ness [1] lament the increasing shortage of physicians trained to do first-trimester abortions. They invite internists to fill the void by learning and practicing the technique of medical abortion. Their only caution is that the physician must know how to interpret ultrasonographic data to be able to deal with the few incomplete abortions that do occur. Ethical issues are not discussed, and special training in medical abortion is advertised with a telephone number. Before adding to the 1.5 million abortions done each year in the United States, internists should consider several important medical and ethical issues. We should first ask why a shortage of abortion providers exists. Could it be that fewer obstetricians and gynecologists are finding the practice of abortion ethically appealing? The consequences of legal abortion in the United States should also be examined. We now have transplantation of aborted human fetal tissue and late-term partial-birth abortions [2]. Human embryos are being created in the laboratory for the sole purpose of experimentation, and the case of Roe v. Wade is even being used to justify assisted suicide [3]. Medical abortion represents a departure from our tradition of protecting the unborn from the harmful effects of such maternal drugs as thalidomide. Internists should also review early human development. Many of us have forgotten that the heart of the human embryo beats independently just 22 days after conception [4]. The new technique of contact embryoscopy provides compelling video evidence of the humanity of the embryo and early fetus. (For more information, contact the Health Science Curriculum Foundation, 913-469-5116). Finally, internists should be aware of maternal postabortion grief reactions that may be more severe after medical abortion [5]. Serious ethical controversy continues to surround the practice of abortion. This controversy now reaches out seductively to willing internists.


Heart disease is one of the killer diseases in the world. Early detection of the disease is one of the ways to salvage affected people. The use of machine learning techniques can be used to offer solution to the detection of heart diseases. In this study the accuracy of prediction of some tools of machine learning has been carried out. The performance evaluation of the three models have been carried out using precision, recall, F1score and accuracy. The results obtained showed that Logistic regession model out performed others in terms of precision, recall, F1-score and accuracy.


Public service is a  major  instrument  for  empowering  the  public in   a situation  to  get  rid  of  economic  as  well as public  crisis  the enhancement of civil servants performance cannot be postponed any longer in the framework of creating  clean  and  capable government apparition  in giving   excellent  servant to public. Excellent service should become the starting  point  of  the function of public administration  system. Keywords : Public service, government administration


Carcinoma in the vagina often arises by extension from carcinoma of the cervix. Not infrequently an isolated metastatic nodule is found in the vaginal submucosa distal to the primary cervical lesion, separated from it by apparently healthy mucous membrane. Classical intracavitary radium therapy technics for cervical cancer may be inadequate for such vaginal extensions unless adjunctive radiation therapy is utilized. Tubular applicators containing radium or cobalt-60 sources (1, 3–6), radium plaques of linen or lead sheets (spoons), and interstitial implantations of various radioisotopes have been used in the treatment of such isolated vaginal lesions. These have not proved entirely satisfactory, however, and no surface-type vaginal applicator was available that could be reliably employed for each case encountered. At the Johns Hopkins Hospital, use has been made of an aluminum surface-type vaginal applicator designed to apply a radium source to an isolated metastatic nodule or recurrence of carcinoma in t...


In this manuscript, Current Component A lightning strike tests on three different types of carbon fiber reinforced composite panels are analyzed. The panels feature different levels of lightning strike protection: no protection, medium protection and heavy protection. In particular it was analyzed if there were any direct correlations between the peak electric current of the artificial lighting strike and the recorded velocities at the back surface of the composite panels. The existence of a master curve correlating the peak electric current, the mass of the composite panels and the measured back surface velocity was demonstrated. This finding implies that the back surface velocity correlates linearly to the inertia of the panel and the peak current of the lightning strike.


IN a recent article in this Journal', I briefly described an apparatus which I had employed to make manifest very slight volumetric changes. This simple instrument consists of a glass tube, held horizontally, in which a very small quantity of liquid is placed to act as a liquid piston. The movements of the drop of fluid accurately correspond to those of the body of air contained in the apparatus behind it. With a fluid of great mobility like ether, tubes of very small calibre can be used. A barometer tube is well adapted for the purpose. A thermometer tube might be employed in certain cases. The method that I have employed in registering the movements of this liquid piston is as follows: The glass tube is placed in a horizontal position before a slit in a dark room. Behind the slit is an arrangement with which the slit can be brightly illuminated with sun-light reflected from a mirror. In front of the tube is a diaphragm with a horizontal opening to intercept the rays of light passing through the marginal portions of the tube. The light passing througb the drop of liquid is strongly refracted and is brought to a focus a slight distance in front of the tube. By means of a photographic lens placed in front of the tube an enlarged image of the brightly illuminated piston is brought to a focus on any vertical plane behind the lens. The image may be greatly magnified in this way. The image is focused upon a diaphragm having a narrow horizontal slit, behind which a sensitive photographic plate or strip of negative paper is moved by clock-work in a vertical plane. Very slight movements of the piston can be enormously magnified with this apparatus, and the delicacy and accuracy of this method far transcends any other with which I am acquainted. The tube containing the drop of ether, or other liquid, is connected with the other apparatus employed in the same way as a Marey drum or other form of recording apparatus adopted for air transmission. The fluid used should vary with the calibre of the tube; for one of very


The researcher made an investigation on the determinants of performance of the graduate students in master's thesis, taking into account their grades in research course, thesis manuscript, and oral defense as independent variables, while the final thesis grade as dependent variable. To carry out the research undertaking scientifically, after data has been collected, the researcher employed the statistics for a line using the least squares method that specifically calculates for each point the squared difference between the estimated and actual y-values. The findings revealed that all the independent variables, except grades in the research course, when taken singly and collectively through regression equation, are consistently functional in predicting the students' final thesis grade. The investigation finally disclosed that the students' ratings in the thesis manuscript and oral defense are considered determinants of performance in master's thesis which are found evident from the selected Filipino graduate students considered in the study.


On the night of 25 Shaʿbān 1324 (14 October 1906), the pious scholar, Ottoman poet, and judge Yūsuf ibn Ismāʿīl al-Nabhānī, who was born in Palestine in 1265/1849 and died in Beirut in 1350/1932, saw ʿAbd al-Ghanī al-Nābulusī, who had died two centuries before, in a dream; they had a pleasant conversation. The following morning Nabhānī had forgotten what they had discussed, but rejoiced nevertheless, because, he said, Nābulusī


Objective: To identify the commonly used forms of CAM in lung cancer patients, their acquisition costs and clinical characteristics influencing patients' decision on CAM use. Methods: An interviewer-administered questionnaire survey in the Ambulatory Treatment Unit (ATU) at National Cancer Centre (NCC). This paper presents findings from adult lung cancer patients forming part of a larger study. Results: The prevalence of CAM use in patients at the time of the survey was 53.0%, and that in patients before being diagnosed was 33.3%. Majority attributed the main reason for taking CAM to boosting immunity (57.1%). The most common type of CAM used was TCM (57.1%). 37.1% of these patients verified the information about CAM. 51.4% had discussed with their oncologist about their CAM usage. No positive predictor was indicated as P > 0.05 for all the predictors. Conclusion: This study reflected the high prevalence rate of CAM use in adult lung cancer patients in Singapore and this is parallel to the general trend worldwide. The results from such prevalence studies may assist oncologists in enhancing patient counseling in cancer care setting.


In this study, near infra-red (NIR) x-polarized (P-state) light is created from the transmission ray of monoclinic multilayer GaTe near band edge. The P-state transmittance photons are produced via transmission light of a ribbon-like multilayer GaTe with a plurality of nanowire grids being parallel and constructed along the y direction (b axis) from 1.56 to 1.62 eV. At 300 K, a P-state excitonic emission at 1.652 eV can be clearly detected in polarized micro-photoluminescence (μPL) measurement. Free-exciton extinction energy and recombination lifetime of the band-edge exciton are evaluated and determined to be ΔE=32±4 meV and τ~0.032 ns for the multilayer GaTe. Polarized micro-thermoreflectance (μTR) measurement also verifies that x-polarized transition is allowed while y-polarized (S-state) transition is forbidden in the multilayer GaTe. An asymmetric p to p transition along x polarization is thus inferred to comprise in the band edge of multilayer GaTe to form in-plane optical anisotropy.


Developing and analyzing schedules is essential for successfully controlling the time aspect of construction projects. The critical path method of scheduling is by far the most widely use scheduling technique in the construction industry. However, several problems related to its concept and use have been identified in the literature. The lesser known linear scheduling method has much potential for handling the rich information that project managers handle on a daily basis. While being well-suited to linear and repetitive projects, it has been a predominantly graphical method without a comprehensive underlying mathematical model. This paper introduces a new method based on singularity functions using Macaulay bracket notation. It makes beneficial use of the strengths of these functions, including their flexibility and clarity, while remaining intuitive and requiring only basic geometry and algebra knowledge from users. An example from the literature is re-analyzed step-by-step and compared successfully with the critical path method.


In this paper, we propose a novel video fusion algorithm for real-time detection of camouflaged targets. Initially, the targets are detected by using a novel target detection method by applying conventional image thresholding methods in the wavelet domain. The thermal information corresponding to the detected targets are transferred to the output fused image along with the background information by using novel region-based fusion rules. The dominance of the proposed algorithm in terms of the detection of the camouflaged targets is visibly evident from the quantitative and qualitative results of the output fused video.


Antioxidative activities,extracted from 13 kinds of traditional Chinese medicines,are compared in this paper.The raw materials for the compound antioxidants are chosen to study the synergistic relationships among them.The result shows that the optimal raw materials are licorice,shikonin and Huaimi.When the ratio is 2∶1∶1,the synergistic effect is strongest,which presents the good antioxidative activity on goose oil.


This introductory chapter provides an overview of the book's main themes. It begins with a discussion of the concept of foreign direct investment (FDI). It then details the emergence of a New International Economic Order movement, in which a large number of States initiated a campaign against the prevailing norms of equal treatment for foreign investors, culminating in a U.N. resolution known as the Charter for Economic Rights and Duties of States. It also describes developing States' changing attitudes toward FDI. Among the questions addressed by this are: What can an investor do to deter manifestations of political risk once the investment has been made? How can international law be brought to bear as protection against political risk? What remedies are available if political risk materializes to the investors' detriment?


The revival of interest in workplace consultation in the UK reflects both a managerial drive for improved company performance and trade unions'aspirations that new legal rights may strengthen their role in the workplace. This article probes the links between managerial policy, union organization and activity and the wider product and labour market context through a case study of workplace consultation at a UK pharmaceutical plant. The research finds that both management and unions failed to gain from changes to the consultation process, largely as a result of the lack of strategic management, managerial fears about strengthening employee representation and weak trade unions.


Hypertension, as a cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, is endangering human life and health. To address this issue, this article conducted a study on the impact of Tai Chi exercise on middle-aged and elderly hypertensive patients. The study selected a certain number of middle-aged and elderly hypertensive patients for comparative experiments to observe the changes in blood pressure, heart rate, body fat, and other indicators after Tai Chi exercise; evaluate the impact of Tai Chi on the quality of life of hypertensive patients; and reveal the mechanism of Tai Chi in preventing and treating hypertension. The research results indicate that through Tai Chi exercise, patients' systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and pulse pressure difference all show a significant decrease. At the same time, Taijiquan can intensify fat burning and consumption in the body, reduce fat content, improve body mass index and body fat rate, and also improve the central neuromodulation function of the elderly.


Aim: to investigate the process of exoelectrogenesis performed by Desulfuromonas acetoxidans IMV B-7384 in a microbial fuel cell (MFC) under the presence of exogenous electron mediators (fuchsine, methylene blue) and Fe3+. Methods: bioelectrochemical analysis, cultivation in the MFC. Results: The interrelation between Fe (III) – reduction and exoelectrogenesis performed by D. acetoxidans IMV B-7384 in the MFC has been determined. Under the influence of ferric citrate, fuchsine and methylene blue power density decreased in comparison with addition of sodium (ІІІ) citrate (control). Conclusions. Ferric citrate, fuchsine and methylene blue serve as the exogenous electron acceptors while application of D. acetoxidans IMV B-7384 as the anode biocatalyst in the MFC that causing decrease of power density at these conditions.


The width-integrals (Breitenintegrale) as introduced by Blaschke are examined. They are shown to satisfy a cyclic inequality similar to that satisfied by the cross-sectional measures (Quermassintegrale). Other similarities and inequalities between the width-integrals and the cross-sectional measures are shown to exist. The setting for this paper is Euclidean n-space Rn. Compact convex sets with nonempty interiors are called convex bodies and the space of all convex bodies endowed with the Hausdorff topology is denoted by JKn. We denote the unit n-ball and the unit (n 1)-sphere by U and Q, respectively. For a convex body K, we use W.(K) to denote its cross-sectional measure (Quermassintegral) of index i. The n-dimensional volume of K is written as V(K). For a) 6 Q, bK(co) is defined to be half the width of K in the direction co. Two bodies K and L are said to have similar width if there exists a constant A > O such that bK(o) = A bL(co) for all co 6 U. For K EYK and p 6 int K, we use KP to denote the polar reciprocal of K with respect to the unit sphere centered at p. For reference see Bonnesen and Fenchel [21 and Hadwiger [5]. Width-integrals (Breitenintegrale) were first considered by Blaschke [1, p. 851 and later by Hadwiger [5, p. 266]. The width-integral of index i is defined by: Definition. B (K) = I fb Z(co dS(oJ) [i e R; K 6 K] where dS is the (n 1)-dimensional volume element on U. We note that our definition differs slightly from that of Blaschke in that we multiply by suitable constants to normalize the B .'s. In particular, we have BP(U) = cn for all i E R and Bn(K) = cn for all K E Kn,where cn denotes the volume of the unit n-ball. The width-integral of index i is a map, B. :K R. z n It is positive, continuous, homogeneous of degree n i and invariant under Received by the editors May 2, 1974 and, in revised form, June 28, 1974. AMS (MOS) subject classifications (1970). Primary 52A40, 52A20.