Disconnection syndromes are unique patterns of neurological symptoms resulting from the disruption of specific pathways interconnecting areas of the brain. The syndrome of alexia without agraphia was first described by Déjérine in the late 19 century based on observations of two patients that lost the ability to read but retained variable writing abilities. In contrasting their individual presentations and lesions, he concluded that the dominant, typically left, angular gyrus functions in visual word image storage. It is now hypothesized to facilitate visual-auditory and sensorimotor integration required for reading and writing. Alexia without agraphia is an inability to read with preserved writing capacity and classically localizes to the dominant occipital cortex and splenium of the corpus callosum (Figure 1). Left visual cortex damage compromises right visualfield input, causing a right visual field deficit. Splenial involvement disconnects the right visual cortex carrying visual information from the left visual field to the angular gyrus and Wernicke's area responsible for comprehension of spoken and written language. Therefore, written word information cannot be processed from visual to auditory for pronunciation, or even comprehended. The angular gyrus and its connections with language and motor centers are concomitantly spared so written ability is preserved, as is the remainder of language functioning including fluency, comprehension, naming, and repetition, resulting in a "pure" alexia or word blindness. The most common etiology of this rare syndrome is posterior cerebral artery (PCA) stroke, although there are cases reported in acute encephalopathy, multiple sclerosis, glioblastoma, and nonconvulsive status epilepticus. We report a case secondary to posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES). A 25-year-old right-handed male presented with spontaneous epistaxis andwas found tohaveseverepancytopenia.Bonemarrow biopsy revealed aplastic anemia, requiring multiple transfusions and subsequent hospital admission for immunosuppression with only anti-thymocyte globulin and cyclosporine. Four days following treatment initiation, he had gradual onset occipital headache unresponsive to analgesia and suddenly developed difficulty reading.Acute stroke activationwas initiated.Onassessment, he stated, "I can see and text, I just can't read my messages." He was alert with no meningismus and blood pressure of 140/ 90 mmHg. Language assessment revealed normal fluency, comprehension, repetition, and naming. There was no finger agnosia, right–left disorientation, or acalculia. He could read individual letters, but not words. He could write sentences but could not read aloud what he had written. There was an incomplete right homonymous hemianopia. The remainder of his neurological examination was unremarkable. Bloodwork revealed stable pancytopenia, normal electrolytes including magnesium, renal, and liver function. Urgent noncontrast CT head revealed hypoattenuation in the left subcortical occipitoparietal region and right internal capsule (Figure 2A). CT angiogram showed increased left occipitoparietal region vascularity with no stenosis or occlusion. Sparing of the cortex and paramedian occipital lobe, including the calcarine fissure, were out of keeping with PCA territory infarct as was coinciding involvement of the contralateral internal capsule. MRI brain revealed multiple areas of subcortical vasogenic edema including the left occipital lobe with extension into the left posterior splenium and a smaller area of restricted diffusion, consistent with PRES (Figure 2B–D). The patient's cyclosporine was held while antihypertensives were used to prevent hypertension. His deficits resolved within 3 days at which point he could read and write normally. Given rapid improvement, follow-up imaging was not pursued. He was started on tacrolimus 1 month later, subsequently undergoing stem cell transplantation, with no new neurological symptoms. PRES is a syndrome of generally reversible, posterior, and subcortical predominant vasogenic edemaoften presenting acutely with visual disturbances, headache, seizures, and encephalopathy in the settingof immunosuppressionorbloodpressurefluctuations. Additional risk factors include eclampsia, renal failure, and autoimmune disorders. Pathophysiology is thought to be related to autoregulation failure causing blood–brain barrier breakdown and fluid extravasation in posterior brain regions, which are more susceptible to hyperperfusion given less posterior fossa sympathetic innervation. Pronounced blood pressure fluctuations result in cytokine release, activating endothelial cells to secrete Figure 1: Alexia without agraphia localization and anatomy. There is direct damage to the left visual cortex causing a right homonymous visual fielddeficit.Outflowtracts fromthe intact right visualcortex travelingacross the splenium to the angular gyrus and other language areas are interrupted disrupting the understanding and pronunciation of written language. LE JOURNAL CANADIEN DES SCIENCES NEUROLOGIQUES


The solvency of captive insurance is the key financial metric captive managers care about. We built a solvency prediction model for a captive insurance fund using Monte Carlo simulation with the fund's historical losses, current financial data and setups. This model can predict the solvency score of the current captive fund using the fund survival probability as a measurement of solvency. If the simulated future solvency ratios break the upper and lower bounds, we count it as an insolvent case; otherwise, it is counted a solvent (or survival) case. After large scale simulation, we can approximate the future survival probability, i.e. the solvency score, of the current captive fund. The predicted income statements, the balance sheets and financial ratios, will also be generated. We use a heat-map to visualize the solvency score at each retention level so that it can provide support to captive insurance managers to make their decisions. This model is implemented in Excel VBA macro and MATLAB.


ABSTRACT Piezoelectric material can be used to generate the electrical energy when it is compressed or expanded. This paper deals the modelling and design of a Cantilever Beam for Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting on which Piezoelectric Ceramic Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT) patches are bonded. There may be two configurations one is "Unimorph" in which only one PZT patch is used and the other is "Biomprph" in which two PZT patch are used to generate the energy. The beam is assumed as Euler-Bernoulli beam. The PZT patch is also treated as Euler-Bernoulli beam element. The contribution of mass and stiffness of PZT patch in the design of entire structure are also considered. The beam is modelled using four Finite Elements. PZT patch(s) can be bonded near the fixed end of the beam, near the free end of the beam or other locations in the middle of the beam. A harmonic sinusoidal force is applied. The design uses first vibratory mode. It can be concluded from the work that best result is obtained when the PZT patches are bonded near the fixed end.


The CMS silicon tracker consists of 25 684 sensors that provide measurements of trajectories of charged particles that are used by almost every physics analysis performed by CMS. In order to achieve high measurement precision, the positions and orientations of all sensors have to be determined very accurately. This is achieved by track-based alignment using the global fit approach of the Millepede II program. This approach is capable of determining about 200 000 parameters simultaneously. The alignment precision has now reached such a high level that even small calibration inaccuracies are noticeable. As such, the alignment framework has been extended to treat position sensitive calibration parameters. Of special interest is the Lorentz angle which affects the hit positions due to the drift of the signal electrons in the magnetic field. We present a general description of the alignment and calibration procedure, as well as results from measurements of the Lorentz angle and its time dependence during the full 2012 data taking period.


A field experiment was conducted at Student's instructional farm, Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh during the kharif season 2019 and 2020. "Macro and micro nutrients status in soil under application of vermicompost, Zn and Fe fertilizers in Maize crop." Two levels of organic manure and four levels each zinc and iron was evaluated under factorial randomized block design with three replications. All the nutrients were applied to maize crop in both seasons and their direct residual response was ascertained to soil were findout. Results indicated that the available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium status in soil was highly improved with the application of 2.5 tonne vermicompost + 7.5 Kg Zn + 15 Kg Fe ha-1 over all the treatments. The treatment combination M1Zn3Fe3 (2.5 tonne vermicompost + 7.5 Kg Zn + 15 Kg Fe) gave the best result in terms of available nitrogen (221.60 & 220 Kg ha-1), available phosphorus (15.50 & 15.70 Kg ha-1), available potassium (145.15 & 145.24 Kg ha-1), available zinc (0.578 & 0.588 ppm) and available iron (4.30 & 4.36 ppm) across the seasons.


Not only the types of strategic resources, but also the methods of sourcing resources are found to result in heterogeneous firm performances. Not all unrelated diversifications are same either. There are strong serial and cross-sectional dynamics about the execution of various practices of unrelated diversification. The definition of performance also dynamically changes across different business groups. The existing literature focuses on how corporate diversification creates value, using measures of relatedness as moderating variables. We contribute to the research by classifying diversification practices, investigating their performance and recommending how to undertake unrelated diversification.


Preventing leakage and structural stability of vertical barrier at offshore containment facilities are very important. Two-dimensional numerical analysis were performed to evaluate seepage and flow characteristics regarding to different embedded depths and hydraulic permeability of vertical barrier. In addition, stress and displacement at corner of vertical barrier were evaluated by using 3-dimensional numerical analysis. The effluent flux in the case of vertical barrier with insufficient embedded depth was significantly increased by 200 ~ 240 times compared with the case of embedded barrier in low permeable clay layer. The effluent flux was increased by 4.5 and 45 times according to 10 and 100 times increase of hydraulic permeability of vertical barrier, respectively. The seepage and flow analysis results imply that the most important factor to prevent leakage is to embed the vertical barrier in low permeable layer. The 3-dimensional stress and displacement analysis results showed small displacement but large moment and shear stress at the corner of vertical barrier. Therefore, the stiffness and strength at the corner of vertical barrier compared with other parts should be increased to secure stability of vertical barrier at offshore disposal facilities.


This course serves as an introduction to the basic concepts, methods, primary empirical materials, theoretical approaches, and current challenges of comparative politics. Students will be trained to think and write critically on substantive issues in the politics of different countries. Although comparative politics is often defined as "the study of all countries excluding the United States," this course will not abide by that rather perfunctory definition. The U.S. will be included at different points in the course as a baseline for comparison. As a primer for newcomers to this subdiscipline of political science, the course has been organized with an increasing level of difficulty. Students begin with an introduction to the most basic tools of political science; then they are trained to analyze complex empirical materials. Later, they must make their way up the "ladder of abstraction" to the tricky world of theorybuilding and hypothesis-testing. In the first section of the course (Session 1), students will examine the methods, concepts, and epistemology of comparative politics. Learning how to use these tools to study politics is similar to "basic training." I prefer: a "bootcamp for the mind" - not very pleasurable, but very necessary. Aspiring majors in political science and/or international relations will find this primer useful. I strongly recommend that such students enroll in POSC 230 Methods of Political Research soon after completing this course. The second section of the course (Sessions 2-4) introduces students to six country cases - Britain, Germany, and the "BRICs" – Brazil, Russia, India, and China. Students will also receive a primer on the European Union. This survey will provide students with a basic lay of the political land. Students will learn about the crucial moments, institutions, processes, and individuals that shaped the political experiences of these major actors in world politics. The surveys will also present several "mid-range propositions" - causal statements about particular sets of countries that come in handy when attempting to understand complex empirical materials. As students use these empirical cases and mid-range propositions, class lectures will introduce students to some of the theoretical arguments that have been built on the comparative study of the countries examined in this section. The study of Britain and Germany will inform our ongoing discussion about diverse routes to democracy; Russia and China will provide empirical material for the application of theories about state-building and revolution that are taken from


Substance abuse is a pervasive problem in American society that extends to persons with mental illness. Despite the fact that substance abuse in the mentally ill is a major clinical problem, there have been very few systematic investigations of the dimensions, nature, and treatment of this problem. This issue of the Schizophrenia Bulletin attempts to examine the problem of substance abuse in schizophrenia from various perspectives by reviewing the published literature, presenting original data, and identifying areas and approaches for future scientific investigation.


Objective:To evaluate the effect of catharsis method on the breathing mechanics and airway Inflammatory factors of patients with respiratory failure induced by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.Methods:Those patients were randomly divided into experiment group(n=50) and comparison group(n=30).The experiment period is 28 days.Routine western medicine(including mechanica ventilation method) was used in two groups,and patients in the experiment group were added the Tongfu Pingchuan decoction for each day.Such values as Oxygenation index and breathing mechanics,including pulmonary compliance,peak inspiratory pressure,plateau pressure,airway resistance,were compared before therapy,on the 3rd and 7th day after therapy and after offline.Meanwhile,the Changes of sputum supernatant Inflammatory factors,including IL-8,TNF-α and Neu/Leu%,between the two groups were compared before therapy,on the 5th and after offline.Finally,we compared the time of mechanica ventilation(MV),incidence rate of ventilation associ-ated pneumonia(VAP) and mortality rate between the two groups.Results:Compared with the comparison group,the breathing mechanics values(peak inspiratory pressure excepted) of the experiment group were improved rapidly 3 days later(P0.05).Oxygenation index and peak inspiratory pressure were also improved obviously in the experiment group(P0.01).IL-8 and TNF-α in the Sputum supernatant of experiment group were improved markedly 5 days later(P0.05),so is the time after offline.The mortality rate showed no signi-ficant difference between the two groups,But the time of MV in treatment group [(8.71±1.81) days] wasmarkedly shorter than that of comparison group [(11.85±1.59) days,P0.01],and the incidence rate of VAP in treatmentgroup was also reduced more markedly than that of the comparison group [18%(9/50cases) vs.43.33%(13/30cases),P0.05].Conclusion:The catharsis method can effectively improve the airway inflammatory factors and breathing mechanics of patients with respiratory failure induced by chronic obstruct-tive pulmonary disease,Which can reduce the incidence of VAP and shorten the time of mechanical ventila-tion ultimately.


This paper explores the evolution of self-appraisals and social power over a sequence of issues to reveal the influence of duplex network structure on opinion dynamics in social networks, where several new findings are available based on the DeGroot-Friedkin model. According to the reflected appraisal mechanism, an agent's self-weight is expressed as the joint effect of his/her social power on both layers, and the mathematical formulations and convergence properties are studied for duplex networks. We find that the self-weights of agents converge to an autocratic configuration on duplex networks with the same star topology on each layer, and establish a democratic system with doubly-stochastic influence matrices where each agent shares uniform social power. The findings demonstrate that the social power of an agent is significantly affected by the involved populations' network topology.


There are rich water cultures existing in the ethnic minorities of Yunnan, which have benefited the subsistence and development of the ethnic minorities of Yunnan for long, and have protected the ecologic environments of Ynnnan actually. The water culture, consisting of the ideas of water, the custom, institution, norm, religious element and so on, is the important foundation for the contemporaries to solve water crisis, to build a nicer water environment and to realize the sustainable development, and is the effective method of settling the problem of water environment from the source. So the water culture of the ethnic minorities still has high value in contemporary age for understanding and keeping a balance relationship between human and Nature.


Not all diabetic patients should be routinely started on statin therapy regardless of serum cholesterol level. Current American College of Cardiology (ACC), American Heart Association (AHA) and Ame...


Dynamics characteristics such as natural frequencies and mode shapes presents current performance of structures. Due to natural hazards or aging problems, structures may have degraded strength or reduced stiffness that can induce a critical safety issue. Thus, damage detection methods based on vibrational measurements of structures become important to diagnose integrity of structures. In this study, six mode shape-based damage detection methods are numerically investigated based on the first mode shape to evaluate effectiveness of determining damage existence and locations. These methods include the mode shape curvature method, bending energy damage index method, the modal assurance criterion method, strain energy damage index method, continuous wavelet transform method, and the method of changes in the first mode shape slopes. First, a bunch of mode shapes are obtained from the numerical model of a shear-type ten-story building with various damage patterns in terms of story stiffness. The finite difference method is exploited to compute the slopes and curvatures of mode shapes. In numerical examples, these six methods are explored to evaluate the capabilities of detecting a single and multiple damage locations. As seen in the results, the strain energy damage index, continuous wavelet transform, and first mode shape slopes methods exhibit high performance to determine damage existence and locations.


When a nonlinear dynamical or observational model is used to describe a system, the Kalman filter cannot be used to estimate the state without some approximation being made. If the approximation used is linearization of the equations about the state estimate, the resulting modification of the Kalman filter is often called an extended Kalman filter. In this paper we obtain a similar result, where the filter is constrained to be of reduced order to avoid excessive computational complexity.


In this paper we will present a new - application oriented - control method for the biped jump. We shall be restricting our study to the vertical jump with both feet together and legs placed exactly side by side, and with the robot moving in the sagittal plane. The control method is based on the sliding mode technique. We will end up with a simple control law which impose the trajectory following for the distance between the foot and the total center of mass and which maintains the CoM above the feet during the whole jump (take-off, flight, land-in). This allows to control precisely the jump and to reduce the impact at land-in


The spectral shift response of optical whispering-gallery modes due to the adsorption and desorption of water molecules into a SiO2 nano-coating is investigated. This coating is applied to a silica microsphere and optical-shift measurements are made at a very low humidity level (<10%). The micro-optical coupling system is incorporated into a sealed vacuum chamber for controlled humidity testing. The experimental observation of the whispering-gallery-mode spectral shift with refractive index is consistent with a theoretical analysis using Mie theory. A significant hysteresis effect is observed in the spectral shift of individual whispering-gallery modes during variable humidity tests. To understand the hysteresis mechanism, tests with step changes in humidity are performed, which reveal complex and dynamic water molecule transport phenomena between the nano-coating and surrounding environment.


The second type reservoirs in the Eastern Block of Beierxi were put into production in December 2005 and October 2009. The block, a total of three production stages: the first stage (September 2009 - January 2015) for the production of initial water flooding production stage, perforated SII1- SII15+16 reservoir groups, and product some series adjustments in November 2014, blocking SII1-9 reservoir group, opening SIII reservoir group; The second stage (From January 1, 2015 to May 8, 2015) is the pre-slug stage of polymer injection; The third stage (From May 8, 2015 to the present stage) is the ternary main slug stage, entering the effective period. This article based on the fine reservoir geological characteristics of anatomy, using fine geologic research results, combined with the notes in the process of ternary dynamic reflection, and we also targeted comprehensive measures in order to adjust the work, control water cut increase rate, improve the block effect situation, and ultimately maximize recovery.


The invention provides a parallel processing performance test method for a multinuclear firewall, and the method comprises a base line performance test process and a simulated current network test process. The method is characterized in that the base line performance test process comprises the following steps: testing the throughput of the multinuclear firewall to be tested in single-line and multi-line connecting states respectively; based on the known throughput, testing the time delay values of the multinuclear firewall to be tested in the states of light load, heavy load and full load respectively; and testing the newly built connecting rates of a pair of interfaces and a plurality of pairs of interfaces of the multinuclear firewall to be tested respectively. According to the invention, the existing mononuclear firewall performance test method is improved; and the test method can be used together with the existing test method to provide index parameters for reflecting the parallelprocessing capacity of the firewall more intuitively for a user.


This paper reviews current research on the role of Smartphones and similar technology play in mental health and mental health maintenance, promotion, and assessment. The first section overviews the current state of the art concerning the role Smartphones may play as tools for mental health in general. The second part reviews one of the more promising Smartphone application areas related to social gaming and gambling addiction and related mental health issues. This is followed by a section that presents a prototype Smartphone app for data collection related to social gaming behaviours and their potential relevance to gaming and gambling addictions. The prototype app is outlined in order to delineate the major components required for collecting player data as a means of inferring behaviour. The final section overviews the inclusion of technology such as Virtual Reality or Augmented Reality in apps being developed and directed toward mental health.


The present state-of-art Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) technology is based on platinum (Pt) as a catalyst for both the fuel (anode) and air (cathode) electrodes. This catalyst is highly active but susceptible to poisoning by CO, which may be present in the H 2 -fuel used or may be introduced during the fuel processing. Presence of trace amount of CO and H 2 S in the H 2 -fuel poisons the anode irreversibly and decreases the performance of the PEMFCs. In an effort to reduce the Pt-loading and improve the PEMFC performance, we propose to synthesize a number of Pt-based binary, ternary, and quaternary electrocatalysts using Ru, Mo, Ir, Ni, and Co as a substitute for Pt. By fine-tuning the metal loadings and compositions of candidate electrocatalysts, we plan to minimize the cost and optimize the catalyst activity and performance in PEMFC. The feasibility of the novel electrocatalysts will be demonstrated in the proposed effort with gas phase CO and H 2 S concentrations typical of those found in reformed fuel gas with coal/natural gas/methanol feedstocks. During this reporting period we synthesized four Pt-based electrocatalysts catalysts (Pt/Ru/Mo/Se, Pt/Ru/Mo/Ir, Pt/Ru/Mo/W, Ptr/Ru/Mo/Co) on Vulcan XG72 Carbon support by both conventional and ultra-sonication method. From current-voltage performance study, the catalytic activity was found in the increasing order of Pt/Ru/Mo/Ir > Pt/Ru/Mo/W > Pt/Ru/Mo/Co > Pt/Ru/MO/Se. Sonication method appears to provide better dispersion of catalysts on carbon support.


UP TO recent times the families of the angiosperms have been studied mainly from a taxonomic point of view. To some extent the morphological and anatomical aspects have been considered, but both of these mostly in a gross and external way. The observations made in such studies have been used extensively by different workers to organize a phylogenietic plan of development within the groups of flowering plants. For the most part, these observations have been incomplete and fragmentary, and interpretations of the known facts have been various. With some of the fundamental and critical facts lacking, the conclusions reached are subject to revision or verification. Much of the work does not have a firm foundation; too much has been based on hypothesis rather than on facts. If a more satisfactory phylogenetic picture of the flowering plants is to be gained, both the internal and external structure of the flowers must be studied. Not only should this study be made grossly, but also minutely. Especially is this true of the flower, the part of the plant which has been particularly emphasized in modern classification. It was not until a few years ago that much intensive work was done on internal floral morphology and anatomy. Van Tieghem, Henslow and a few others made a good start, but they were greatly handicapped in their work by crude equipment; their understanding was good but relatively rudimentary. With present-day equipment and methods, a more complete knowledge of the structure of plants can be worked out, and from the facts obtained, hypotheses, both old and new, can be substantiated or discarded. It was from this standpoint that the author began his work on the polygonaceous flower. Much work had been done on the Polygonaceae but little upon the floral anatomy. It is hoped that the facts revealed in the anatomical and morphological structure of the polygonaceous flower may prove valuable in determining the relationship of the group. FLORAL, STRUCTURE.-The Polygonaceae is generally considered to consist of about 30 genera, embracing roughly 700 species. For a family of such size and distribution, its members show unusual homogeneity in floral makeup, indicating a natural grouping. Most of the members of the group have perfect flowers, the dioecious condition appearing in a few genera only. The number of perianth parts can be used conveniently to subdivide the family into two main


Abstract. This paper presents sufficient conditions which guarantee that the equilibrium of the damped harmonic oscillator x′′ + h(t)x′ + ωx = 0 is uniformly asymptotically stable, where h : [0,∞) → [0,∞) is locally integrable. These conditions work to suppress the rapid growth of the frictional force expressed by the integral amount of the damping coefficient h. The obtained sufficient conditions are compared with known conditions for uniform asymptotic stability. Two diagrams are included to facilitate understanding of the conditions. By giving a concrete example, remaining problems are pointed out.


around the outermostsurfaces of L=1 Helical Systems UM. Aizawa and Y. Nagamine Institute of Quantum Science, College of Science and Technology, Nihon University, Tokyo, 101-8308, JAPAN E-mail:email@example.com Abstract The L=1 torsatron systems having a spatial magnetic axis have been studied. The features of magnetic field properties among high and low helical coil aspect ratio systems which are different pitch modulation *  have been examined. Especially, magnetic field structure around the outermostsurface of each system, have been studied by examining the Lyapunov characteristic exponents. As the result, we propose the desirable properties of magnetic field of helical system.


In 2019, the Department of Culture and Tourism of Surabaya stated that there were 87 "restaurants", 776 restaurants and 14 food courts dumping waste every day. If waste is collected, the weight will reach 2.64% of the total volume of waste in Surabaya. Based on data from the Department of Sanitation of Surabaya shows the total volume of waste is 9,009.28 m3 in 2012. The problem is that restaurant waste is not managed well. Urgency of the research is to identify waste management restaurants in Surabaya and constraints in order to obtain the right solution. Data is obtained through surveys, interviews and observations. The population is 87 managers of "restaurant" in Surabaya. Samples taken randomly. The sample is 20 restaurants. Data is analyzed qualitatively. The results showed that restaurant waste was put into special waste plastic without being sorted and disposed of in the trash. The janitor takes it. The challenge is that if refuse collector do not take out waste, then the waste will accumulate, the smell will disturb consumers, damage the scenery and spread disease. The research recommendation is to sort waste before being disposed. Waste is sorted between wet waste and dry waste. Wet rubbish is used as catfish or duck food. It is better for restaurant owners to work together with catfish and duck breeders regarding wet waste that has been sorted out.


Health workers are warning that the recent, high profile legal cases against tobacco firms in the United States may lead to mass "dumping" of American made cigarettes in the Philippines, where the number of smokers has almost doubled in the past 10 years.

Latest statistics, from a survey of 4500 adults and 4500 minors, showed that 73% of adults, about a fifth of them women, and 56% …


Background: Lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP) is a key factor that mediates lipopolysaccharide (LPS) activation of monocytes and macrophages. Although the endotoxins play important roles in the chronic liver diseases and cirrhosis, the significance of the endotoxin binding protein in cirrhosis remains unclarified. Aims: To appraise the endotoxin and LBP levels in patients with cirrhosis, and to investigate their relevance to the prognosis. Methods: The plasma levels of endotoxin and LBP in cirrhotic patients were determined by chromogenic substrate Limulus amebocyte lysate assay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. Ascitic fluid levels of endotoxin and LBP were determined in cirrhotic patients with ascites. All cirrhotic patients with ascites were followed up for two months, and their survival data were recorded. Results: The plasma levels of endotoxin and LBP in cirrhotic patients were significantly higher than those in healthy controls (P0.05). In addition, patients with ascites showed higher level of plasma endotoxin than those without ascites (P0.05). Among the ascitic cirrhotic patients, those with Child-Pugh grade C showed higher level of ascitic fluid endotoxin and lower level of plasma LBP than those with Child-Pugh B (P0.05); and in short-term survival analysis, the ascitic fluid endotoxin level was significantly higher in non-survivors than those in survivors (P0.05). Conclusions: In cirrhotic patients both the plasma levels of endotoxin and LBP are increased, and the elevation of LBP level may be a continuous chronic inflammatory response to enterogenic endotoxemia. The ascitic fluid endotoxin level may be served as a predicting index for short-term survival in cirrhotic patients with ascites.


Mr. President and Members of the American Health Resort Association: —My attention was first directed to the climate of Texas as a fit place for consumptives in the spring of 1868. Dr. J. Scoonover a classmate of mine had just graduated from the College of Physicians and Surgeons, of New York: and was now physically a wreck. The doctor had been a hard student for several years and had a family history that was unmistakable, having lost two brothers of consumption. Dr. Metcalf of New York, after a careful examination of the case advised him to go to Texas or Florida, he chose the former place having some knowledge of the country. Dr. Scoonover's case was an unmistakable one of tubercular deposit in the right lung as shown by physical examination and confirmed by great emaciation and spitting of blood. His case seemed hopeless, but with small means at his


Limit feeding cattle may result in more efficient gains, however, limiting intake may result in increased morbidity in higher-risk cattle. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of limit feeding on performance and health of newly received cattle. One hundred sixty-eight crossbred beef steers (BW = 215 ± 21 kg) were purchased from several sale barns in TX and AR and shipped to the University of Arkansas Southwest Research and Extension Center in Hope, AR. One-half the steers arrived one week, and the other one-half arrived the following week. Upon arrival, steers were vaccinated against respiratory and clostridial pathogens, treated with an anthelmintic, and administered a growth-promoting implant (40 mg TBA + 8 mg estradiol). Additionally, each animal was administered a metaphylactic treatment of tulathromycin. Approximately 52% were bulls that were surgically castrated upon arrival. Cattle were stratified by bull status and assigned to pens (n = 7 steers/pen) and pens were randomly assigned to one of three treatments (n = 8 pens/treatment): limit-fed pellet comprised of approximately 12% DDGS and 25% corn gluten feed fed at the rate of 2.25% of BW, without additional hay (NH; 2.25NH); a limit-fed pellet comprised of 12% DDGS and 25% corn gluten feed fed at the rate of 1.75% of BW, without additional hay (1.75NH); or a limit-fed pellet with similar composition as the other two, fed at the rate of 2.0% of BW along with free choice access to long stem hay (H; 2.0H). Cattle were fed diets twice daily at 0800 and 1400 hours, and hay was weighed and offered once per week, with hay refusals weighed back to correct for hay disappearance. Cattle were monitored for symptoms of bovine respiratory disease (BRD), and any symptomatic animals were treated with antimicrobial therapy. Cattle were weighed on d 0, 21, 42, 62, and 63. Data were analyzed using PROC GLIMMIX, pen was the experimental unit, treatment was a fixed effect, and block (arrival date) was considered random. Body weight was affected by treatment (P < 0.05) on d 42 and 63 with cattle fed 2.25NH and 2.0H having greater BW than 1.75NH. Similarly, ADG was greater from d 0 to 42 and d 0 to 63 for 2.0H and 2.25NH compared with 1.75NH (P < 0.05). Cattle fed 1.75NH and 2.25NH had more efficient feed conversion compared with 2.0H for the entire study (P < 0.05). No differences (P = 0.17) were noted for morbidity, mortality (P = 0.63), or treatment success (P = 0.76). Data from this study suggests limit-fed diets based on by-product feeds could be used for diets in high-risk cattle.


In employment, increasing participation within the unchanging workforce with current structure may lead to a decrease in sustainability. Meanwhile in education, the sustainability of a program is mainly influenced by the association of all stakeholders. The stakeholders are referred to as the institutions, industries, government and community. In order to achieve sustainability, changes and challenges related to those stakeholders cannot be avoided. This paper investigates how the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Teacher Education Program in Malaysia can be sustained in the 21st Century. A case study has been conducted to look into the changes and challenges faced by the stakeholders. The data collection process comprised four semi-structured interviews with the experts in TVET Teacher Education Program. The findings from the case study indicated that the challenges faced by the stakeholders are inclusive of teachers' attitude towards learning; the perception of the society on TVET as the second class education; lack of partnership between the institutions and the industries; and lack of pragmatic policies in improving the quality of TVET Teacher Education Program.


LBA4511 Background: Interleukin-2 (IL2), used to treat MRCC, is not known to improve survival. To assess this potential benefit, the French Immunotherapy Intergroup designed a multicenter trial for patients (pts) with intermediate prognosis for response to cytokine treatment (Negrier et al NEJM 1998). Methods: Untreated pts with more than one metastatic site and Karnofsky score ≥80 were randomized to medroxyprogesterone (MPA: control group), α-Interferon (IFN), sc IL2 or IFN+sc IL2 in a 2x2 factorial design. Patients were evaluated after 3 months; pts without progression continued treatment for up to 6 months. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). The planned sample size was 456 pts based on a minimum expected difference of 10% in OS at 2 years with 5% α error and 80% power. Intent-to-treat analysis was planned 6 months after last enrollment. OS analysis (1 interaction check test and 2 log-rank tests) will be performed after α-level adjustment to maintain overall α risk at 0.05. Results: From Ja...


This paper provides an overview of some key results from a recent study by the Stanford Energy Modeling Forum on the economic and energy sector impacts of the Kyoto Protocol. The first comprehensive report on this set of analyses will appear as a special issue of the Energy Journal (Weyant et al. 1999) in April of this year. The focus here is on using model results to assess the potential advantages of various degrees of international emissions trading in reducing the costs of implementing the protocol. The paper starts with a brief discussion of the scenarios designed by the group to address some of the key uncertainties in the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol, followed by a brief overview of the models included in the comparison. This is followed by a summary of model comparison results from the study, focusing on results concerning the impact of various degrees of international emissions trading on the costs of implementing the protocol. 1. SCENARIOS


Abstract This paper examines the extent to which marketing assistance administered to a group of high performing Northern Ireland SMEs led to improved export revenue growth. Standard OLS models provided no evidence to support the view that marketing grants substantially improved the export performance of assisted firms; however, substantial impacts were detected when treatment models were estimated, indicating that selection into marketing assistance tended to be a non‐random event. Marketing assistance was found to be a highly effective policy tool when targeted towards SMEs already active in export markets and/or involved in product innovation. From a methodological standpoint the analysis highlights the potential benefits of using other grant information within the treatment model as a means of uncovering additional important information on firm level characteristics that might otherwise have been missed.


Fear and anxiety can be a normal adaptive reaction to help cope with stress in the short term, but when the emotional, cognitive, and physical manifestations are long lasting, extreme, and disproportionate to threat, whether real or preceived, anxiety is maladaptive and has become a disabling disorder. Anxiety disorders may be deconstructed to elementary behaviors/symptoms that can be conceptualized as quantitative characters determined by the combined effects of several risk genes and nongenetic factors (e.g., early-life adversity). Progress in neurogenetics, molecular and cellular neuroscience, and neuroimaging is beginning to yield significant insights of how genetic and nongenetic factors contribute to specific manifestations of anxiety disorders. The aim of this overview is to summarize and integrate the current knowledge on anxiety-related macromolecular pathways and mechanisms initiated by genetic risk and envionmental factors. These pathways interact with each other, often during specific periods of development, and could lead to alterations in the formation and function of neuronal circuits that encode emotional behavior.


The intent of this study is to illustrate the limited usefulness, for the purposes of economic history, of the neoclassical aggregate concept of capital formation, i,e., a simple percentage of GNP saved and invested and an aggregate fixed rate of technical progress, and to emphasize the necessity of a deeper scrutiny of the process of technological change by focussing on a distinct and varying aspect of capital accumulation and technological change such as the process of technical sectoral diffusion among countries. Three national cases of capital accumulation are used to develop this approach: France, Spain and Italy. In each of them, the growth of the iron and steel sector during the nineteenth century is examined.


33 examination. However, here concern has been heightened by uncertainty over what is the newexam format and how it will work, and by changes in the clinical examination, with the introduction of mentally handicapped patients and a newapproach to the oral examination. During the day trainees were asked to complete a ques tionnaire. The larger part of this related to manpower matters, training audit and CTC issues. This has also been sent to all trainees who were not able to attend and it is hoped that the results will be reported in due course. The remainder of the questionnaire was an audit of the day's proceedings. This was satisfactory with 88% of trainees thinking there was enough academic content to the day's programme, 76% happy with the exam content, and 82%


, terrorists killed more than three thousand people in their attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City, for Americans in particular the world suddenly became a much more frightening place. Insecurity became the norm as the Bush administration's new Department of Homeland Security used its color-coded terror alert system to orchestrate and manipulate the public's fears. Among the many consequences of 9/11 has been the flow of federal funds to scientists committed to finding ways to identify terrorists before they can act. One of those is Paul Ekman, a psychologist who has devoted his career to studying facial expressions and is working on methods of surveillance designed to read the telltale involuntary facial signs that betray the potential terrorist's deadly intentions. Ekman's goal is to reassure us that we don't have to be frightened by the tendency of human beings to dissimulate, because science can be counted on to reliably distinguish authentic facial expressions from false ones, genuine from feigned. 1 In this paper, I examine the theoretical assumptions and methods informing Ekman's approach to the emotions and facial expression. I offer my analysis as a contribution, from the perspective of the history of the human sciences, to our understanding of one major strand of research in the United States that has helped shaped the science of fear. Ekman's is not the only game in town; in fact, as we shall see, there are signs today of a growing opposition to his research program from within psychology. But for the last thirty years he has exerted, and indeed continues to exert, a powerful influence. Not only do psychologists and neuroscientists routinely cite his experimental findings ; as a consequence of the striking recent growth of interest in the emotions and affect in the humanities and social sciences, his work has begun to attract the attention of scholars in philosophy, political theory, cultural studies , literature, and related fields. Among those who share many of Ekman's 66 A B S T R A C T This essay provides an analysis of the role of posed facial expressions and of the facial image in the development of the science of fear.


Hosokawa Alpine has decades of experience with air classifiers that operate on the principle of a potential vortex. A potential vortex can be used to obtain products that have a steep particle size distribution and are free of oversize particles, and sharp separations. The trend towards ever finer products has led over the years to increases in the speed of the classifier wheels and, associated with this, to increasingly high pressure losses. In contrast with this, rigid-body vortices have the advantage of a low pressure loss. While in a potential vortex, the cut size becomes finer at the centre of the air flow, in a rigid-body vortex the finest particles are separated at the perimeter of the wheel. Special measures were necessary, however, to make the rigid-body vortex usable for practical applications. With a new wheel geometry, the pressure loss could be reduced considerably for products of the same fineness and steep particle size distribution. This saves up to 40% energy at the classifier blower.


Purpose Stimulation with selective wavelength light has been used to preferentially activate the different types of retinal photoreceptors in humans and thus evoke a differential pupil response to red and blue light. Patients who have outer retinal photoreceptor disease with preserved inner retinal function show a loss of pupil contraction to bright red light and dim blue light. It is hypothesized that the greater inner retinal contribution to the pupil signal in these patients is also reflected in the pupillary re‐dilation after colored light stimulation.


Objective:To study the values of treating the cervical disc herniation by collagenase under CT guiding.Methods:Collagenase was used to treat the protrusion of cervical disc under CT guiding in 15 cases.Results:15 cases were successful,the time period for follow-up was from 1 to 16 months.The rate of good results was 93.3% and no compli-(cations) happened.Conclusion:Treating cervical disc herniation by CT-guided collagenase injection is a safe and effective method and deserves further research.


Quality teaching and learning is critical to producing high caliber University graduates equipped with the knowledge, skills and values to contribute to the knowledge economy and the economic growth and development of countries while ensuring self-efficacy and personal success. Teaching quality measures and indicators have, however, not enjoyed adequate debate and discourse within the higher education sector, and, as such are largely quantitative and measured by proxy in University ranking systems. Proxy teaching indicators used by the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings and the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings were correlated with U-Multirank indicators applicable to the Faculty of Health Sciences for the period 2007-2011, with the Faculty considered as a microcosm of the University of KwaZulu-Natal. There were no statistically significant differences in the indicators between years. There were just 2 significant correlations, viz., ratio of PhD to Bachelors degrees awarded significantly correlated with throughput from cohort at 95% and 99% while the number of PhDs significantly correlated with graduate employment at 90%. Teaching quality measurement by proxy is thus justifiably contested in University rankings. The challenge for University ranking systems is thus (1) identifying suitable quantitative and qualitative indicators for quality teaching, (2) striking the correct balance between quantitative and qualitative teaching quality indicators, and (3), ensuring that the quantitative/ qualitative indicators address both teaching inputs and teaching impact/learning outcomes.


In a 2-yr study, population densities of and damage by second-generation European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner), larvae were compared among corn plantings containing or lacking different weed communities. Treatments were corn without weeds, corn principally with broadleaves, corn principally with grasses, and corn with a mixture of broadleaves and grasses. In both years, larval density (number of larvae per corn plant) and damage (number of tunnels per corn plant) were significantly lower in treatments with broadleaves than in treatments without broadleaves. Larval density was significantly lower in treatments with grasses than in treatments without grasses in 1989. The broadleaf × grass interaction was significant for larval density in 1989, and significant for damage in both years. Although natural enemies of O. nubilalis may be more abundant and effective in weedy corn, the presence of weeds, particularly grasses, attracts adult moths to cornfields, which may result in larger infestations of corn and greater damage. In addition, weeds may harbor other pests of corn and compete with corn for nutrients and water, leading to reduced yields.


The Weyl semimetal CeAlGe is a promising material to study nontrivial topologies in real and momentum space due to the presence of a topological magnetic phase. Our results at ambient pressure show that the electronic properties of CeAlGe are extremely sensitive to small stoichiometric variations. In particular, the topological Hall effect (THE) present in CeAlGe is absent in some samples of almost identical chemical composition. The application of external pressure favors the antiferromagnetic ground state. It also induces a THE where it was not visible at ambient pressure. Furthermore, a small pressure is sufficient to drive the single region of the THE in magnetic fields into two different ones. Our results reveal an extreme sensitivity of the electronic properties of CeAlGe to tiny changes in its chemical composition, leading to a high tunability by external stimuli. We can relate this sensitivity to a shift in the Fermi level and to domain walls.


A two‐dimensional quadrilateral spectral multidomain penalty method (SMPM) model has been developed for the simulation of high Reynolds number incompressible stratified flows. The implementation of higher‐order quadrilateral subdomains renders this model a nontrivial extension of a one‐dimensional subdomain SMPM model built for the simulation of the same type of flows in vertically nonperiodic domains (Diamessis et al., J. Comp. Phys, 202:298‐322, 2005). The nontrivial aspects of this extension consist of the implementation of subdomain corners, the penalty formulation of the pressure Poisson equation (PPE), and, most importantly, the treatment of specific challenges that arise in the iterative solution of the SMPM‐discretized PPE. The two primary challenges within the framework of the iterative solution of the PPE are its regularization to ensure the consistency of the associated linear system of equations and the design of an appropriate two‐level preconditioner. A qualitative and quantitative assessment of the accuracy, efficiency, and stability of the quadrilateral SMPM solver is provided through its application to the standard benchmarks of the Taylor vortex, lid‐driven cavity, and double shear layer. The capacity of the flow solver for the study of environmental stratified flow processes is shown through the simulation of long‐distance propagation of an internal solitary wave of depression in a manner that is free of numerical dispersion and dissipation. The methods and results presented in this paper make it a point of reference for future studies oriented toward the reliable application of the quadrilateral SMPM model to more complex environmental stratified flow process studies. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Historically, African customary marriage was regarded as abhorrent by the European community owing to its polygynous nature and the institution of lobolo, and because of which they did not recognise such marriages and relegated them to the official status of 'unions'. As a consequence, the courts had in effect 'bastardised almost the entire Native population'. It is trite to say that this caused immense suffering for African families, especially for women and children who were excluded from legal protection in the familial environment. Over the years their position was remedied to a limited extent by legislation that, in certain circumstances, afforded them the same protection provided to spouses and children from civil marriages.


Objective To study the effects of Na+/H+ exchanger(NHE)inhibitor on preventing intracellular Ca2+ overload and antagonizing cell contracture of myocardial cells of diabetes mellitus(DM)rats. Methods The cultured myocardial cells of DM rats were treated in ischemia/reperfusion condition and myocardial cell I/R damage was simulated. Dynamic change of cytoplasm Ca2+ concentration of single cell was monitored in the ischemia/reperfusion condition,and the influence of EIPA (as a type of NHE blocker)on Ca2+ concentration was observed in different period;meanwhile the changes of cell area and survival rate were determined. Results EIPA protected myocardial cells of DM rats and lessened I/R damage in the animal models. Although it could effectively antagonize the cell contracture when the normal dose of EIPA was given before reoxygenation,it didn't block intracellular calcium overload,so it could not increase myocardial cell survival rate remarkably. When large dose of EIPA was given before hypoxia or when normal dose EIPA was given in whole course,it could effectively inhibit Ca2+ increase,prevent intracellular Ca2+ overload of DM rats,antagonize cell contracture,and obviously increase cell survival rate. Conclusion EIPA added before the period of hyperoxia or reoxygenation with a general or lager dose can efficiently reduce the degree of hypercontracture of cardiomyocytes.


The paper analyses the problems in the management of Chinese Tungsten industry. And briefly states that the impact on the management of Chinese tungsten industry after China entering World Trade Organization(WTO). At last puts forward some countermeasures.


The syntheses of the complexes [Ru"(terpy)(BIQN)Cl]C104 (1) and [Ru" (terpy)(BIQN)(OH2)](C104)2 (2) are described. The structure of 1 has been established by X-ray crystallography. The dihedral angle between the two isoquinoline rings is 37.4". In aqueous solution, [Ru"(terpy)(BIQN)(OH,)](ClO,), shows two reversible/quasi-reversible oxidation couples assigned to the oxidation of ruthenium(I1) to ruthenium(II1) and ruthenium(II1) to ruthenium(IV). [Ru"(terpy)(BIQN)(OH,)](ClO4), is an active catalyst for the oxidation of alkenes by PhIO. 2,2'-Bipyridine and its substituted derivatives are useful ligands for the generation of highly oxidizing Ru===O complexes.',2 Studies by Meyer and Che and their coworkers revealed that the ,??' and reactivities of [Ru"(terpy)(L-L)O]'+, (terpy = 2,2', 6',2"-terpyridine, L-L = substituted 2,2'-bipyridines) are affected by substituents on the 2,2'-bipyridine ring. 'b*2d With 6,6'-dichloro-2,2'-bipyridine, which has an electron withdrawing substituent, it has been possible to prepare a relative robust and active ruthenium catalyst for alkane oxidation by tert-butylhydroperoxide.2dT3 We are interested in the coordination chemistry of 1, l'-biisoquinoline,4~S a ligand which has the combined structural features of 2,2'-bipyridine and 2,2'-bis(diphenylphosphino)-l,l'-binaphthyl (BINAP). Regardless of the numerous studies on binaphthylic ligands and their metal complexes in asymmetric organic synthesis,6 related studies on BIQN and its derivatives are sparse. The title ligand, because of its robust nature towards oxitAuthor to whom correspondence should be addressed. dative degradation and its potential C2 chirality, may be useful in the design of new RuzO catalyst for organic oxidation. Herein is described the synthesis, molecular structure and reactivities of some ruthenium(I1) complexes of BIQN. The [Ru (terpy)(BIQN)(H20)12+ complex has been found to catalyse alkene epoxidation by PhIO.


Based on electric circuits for radio‐frequency plasma reactors it is shown numerically that not only the mean electron density and the mean electron temperature can be determined from the discharge current as described in R. J. Seebock, R. Deutsch, and E. Rauchle, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 11, 682 (1993), but also the ratio of the mean electron temperatures in the electrode boundary sheaths can be estimated.


The purpose of the present study is to identify prospective science teachers' achievement goal orientations in reference to the variables grade, gender and voluntarily/involuntarily selection of the department. The population of the study was comprised of 250 prospective science teachers from the Faculty of Education, Kafkas University. The study was based on the survey model. The data were collected through the Achievement Goal Orientations Scale, which was developed by Midgley et al. (1998) and adapted to Turkish by Akin and Cetin (2007). The findings suggest that most of the participants had learning orientations and performance-approach orientations while only a small proportion of them had performance-avoidance orientations. Their achievement goal orientations did not differ depending on their grade. However, female prospective teachers had higher learning and performance-approach orientations whereas male prospective teachers had higher performanceavoidance orientations. In addition, those students who had chosen the department voluntarily had learning orientations while those who had not chosen the department voluntarily had performance-avoidance orientations


The interferon (IFN)-inducible MxA protein is known to play an important role in the host defense against certain viruses. We aimed to see if any genetic polymorphism in the promoter region of the MxA gene is associated with the IFN responsiveness of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients. Initially we sequenced the promoter region of the MxA gene in 12 subjects and found a polymorphic site. We then constructed a specific PCR-RFLP system for this site and subjected 63 samples from chronic hepatitis C patients who were nonresponders (NR) to IFN therapy to it, 52 with sustained response (SR), and 42 healthy controls. Subjects were all Japanese, and unrelated. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was identified in the MxA promoter region: G/T alleles at nt position –88. Interestingly, this SNP was involved in a genetic element highly homologous to the IFN-stimulated response element consensus sequence, and the G-to-T change there makes this homology a little greater. The rate of G·G homozygosity was 31% in the SR patients, significantly lower than in the NR patients (62%, p = 0.0009), while that of healthy controls was between the two groups (48%). Differences in HCV genotypes did not influence this result. Based on these findings, we propose that the SNP of the MxA promoter at nt –88 identified in this study affects the expression of MxA protein, and may thus be associated with the response of HCV patients to IFN.


The development of tomato saladette was evaluated in different substrates of vermicompost:perlite [VC:P (v:v), with ratios 1:1; 1:2; 1:3 and 1:4] and different volumes of irrigation, under shade net conditions. In substrates three volumes of water were applied: daily watering with 0.50 and 0.75 L and watering every other day with 0.75 L. Seeds were sown 24/02/2013 in polyestyrene trays with 200 cavities, padded with Peat moss: seedlings were transplanted 56 days after sowing in 18 L black plastic bags and placed in a line to double array and "tresbolillo" arrangement at 5.3 pots•m -2 . From the interaction among watering volumes and substrates 12 treatments were generated, each with four replicates. The evaluated variables were soluble solids content, polar and equatorial diameters, pulp thickness, number of locules, fruit weight and yield. The experimental design was split-plots in a randomized block design with watering volumes as a large plot and substrates as a small plot. Data were statistically analyzed by ANOVA and means were separated by the LSD 0.05 test. The outstanding results for polar and equatorial diameters, fruit weight and yield were registered in T7, with 5.56 and 3.81 cm, 44.58 g and 1.703 kg•pot -1 , respectively.The VC was able to retain moisture and satisfy the nutrient demand of tomato without applying synthetic fertilizers


Background: Antibiotics have long been associated with gastrointestinal (GI) side-effects, leading to antibiotic noncompliance, related morbidities and increased costs. Antibiotic-induced disruption of intestinal microbiota has created interest in prophylactic use of probiotics to prevent antibiotic-associated GI side-effects, with recent trials suggesting GI benefits with concomitant probiotic and antibiotic use. The aim of this study was to see if commercially available Florajen Digestion can help maintain GI health during antibiotic regimens in the community. Methods: This prescriber and pharmacist directed, open label, patient experience study took place between September 2018 and January 2019. Healthcare professionals (HCPs) and patients from 40 states participated. Florajen Digestion probiotic was given to patients free of charge through their prescriber or pharmacist when prescribed or dispensed antibiotics. Surveys were completed by HCPs and patients, who reported on antibiotics prescribed/taken, GI upset, compliance and product satisfaction. Results: A total of 839 HCPs and 404 patients completed the study. Although 63% of patients reported prior GI side-effects with antibiotic use, only 12% experienced GI upset with concomitant Florajen Digestion use. Approximately 93% of patients completed their antibiotic regimen, with 77% asserting that Florajen Digestion helped them complete their course of antibiotics and 88% extremely satisfied with the probiotic. Among HCPs, 94% believed reducing side-effects improved antibiotic compliance, with 88% stating that probiotics should be recommended concomitantly with oral antibiotics. Conclusion: The results reveal the GI benefits of concomitant use of Florajen Digestion probiotics with antibiotics and support recommendation of Florajen Digestion by HCPs when prescribing or dispensing antibiotics.


Abstract The idea that the brain has mental properties is widely accepted among psychologists and cognitive scientists. Nevertheless, mental properties are usually attributed to persons. This paper aims at elucidating the reasons why, in various contexts, attributing psychological properties to the brain seems the natural thing to do. It also insists that the very idea of locating thoughts is pointless: expressions such as thinking in the head, calculating in the head should not be understood as mentioning locations. Furthermore, the paper tries to show that many proposed solutions to the mind/brain problem are misguided by the belief that the brain thinks and suggests a different answer to this problem, inspired by several remarks by Wittgenstein and by Kenny's distinction between mental abilities and their vehicle. In many respects, this answer is more a dissolution than a solution to the problem.


Metallic nanoparticles in a dielectric matrix can be transformed from spherical to nonspherical shapes by irradiation with intense femtosecond laser pulses. In particular, it has been previously shown that several hundred linearly polarized pulses can successively transform initially spherical Ag nanoparticles in glass into prolate spheroids with symmetry axes along the laser polarization. Using pulses of ∼150 fs duration at a wavelength of 400 nm, which is close to the surface plasmon resonance of the nanoparticles, this process works well for peak intensities in the range of ∼0.5 to 1.5 TW/cm2. We have now studied the ultrafast dynamics of this reshaping process in situ for each individual laser shot by help of an optimized femtosecond pump–supercontinuum probe setup. This unique setup allows us to trace the transient spectral changes up to ∼1 ns after each pulse as well as the step-by-step evolution of the persisting changes of the extinction spectrum in the focal volume. The results of our investigati...


This research aims to study 1) the current and desired practices of academic management and 2) the priority needs for developing academic management of Cambodian secondary schools based on


EVIDENCE Communication failures are a leading cause of sentinel events, including preventable patient deaths, and account for 80% of adverse events1. In response to a national call for improved patient safety, a standardized team training program, Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety (TeamSTEPPSTM), was developed based on 20+ years of human factors research and teamwork principles noted in high-reliability organizations2.


According to the scale of transverse transfer zones and the features of the structures,the transverse accommodation zones are subdivided into three orders.The first order zones control not only the depression architecture,but also the provenance direction in the zones.The second and third order zones mainly control the provenance direction of the main part of the sag and the distribution of the depositional system.


There is an increased interest in the hydroponic production of strawberries in protected cultivation systems, and it is, therefore, urgent to develop new, more sustainable growing media alternatives. This study investigated the physical properties of wood fiber produced from Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst.) and peat:wood fiber substrate blends as well as the performance of the wood fiber in comparison to the industry standards, i.e., peat and coconut coir in the cultivation of hydroponic strawberry. Tray plants of the June-bearing strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) cultivar 'Malling Centenary' were transplanted into five different growing media: a peat (80%) and perlite (20%) mixture, stand-alone (100%) coconut coir and three stand-alone (100%) Norway spruce wood fiber substrates (including coarse textured fibers with compact and loose packing density and compacted fine-textured fibers). Ripe strawberries were harvested and registered throughout the production season. The overall marketable yield was comparable across all the tested growing media; however, after 4 weeks of harvest, both coarse wood fiber and fine wood fiber showed better fruiting performance than the peat-perlite mixture. A trend for earlier berry maturation was observed for all wood fiber-based substrates. Plant parameters recorded after the end of production showed that plant height, number of leaves, and biomass production were higher in coarse wood fiber than in the peat-perlite mixture. Moreover, plants grown in wood fiber-based substrates had less unripe berries and flowers not harvested in comparison to both the peat and coir treatments.


The article suggests the methodological approaches to the problems of corporate actions harmonization and optimization, as well as the mathematical and computer modeling of supporting information flows, a systematic analysis of mathematical and computer modeling, which is connected with many decision-making centers, was conducted. The main problems of those centers are the propagation of constraints, coordination of decisions, implementation of the principle of cooperation and ensuring a fair balance between the interests of its participants. The main purpose - to ensure that the simulation model will not lose its adequacy and realistically reflect the ongoing production processes, that shall be mandatory confirm with the coincidence of appropriate practical data and data, which will be obtained during the modeling in the business structures.


Abstract- Milkfish which cultivated in brackish water ponds utilize plankton as their natural feed. This study aimed to compare the abundance and type of phytoplankton, zooplankton in waterand stomach milkfish also the water quality of brackish water ponds. This research uses survey method, samples were taken in 3 brackish water ponds. The composition of phytoplankton wasfound in three brackish water ponds with 4 divisions, in the fish stomach 6 divisions, zooplankton composition was founded 2 divisions and fish stomach 2 divisions. Milkfish consumed allcomposition of plankton in water. Based similarity index of plankton composition in water and stomach milkfish about 73%-80%. The water quality of the three brackish water ponds is classified as oligotrophic, abundance of phytoplankton in the range of 630 - 1122 cell/ ml and zooplankton 0-30 ind/ml. Water qualities are classified as good for milkfish cultivation. Therefore, it is recommended to keep the good condition of brackish water ponds.


Discovering all useful solutions for a given task is crucial for transferable RL agents, to account for changes in the task or transition dynamics. This is not considered by classical RL algorithms that are only concerned with finding the optimal policy, given the current task and dynamics. We propose a simple method for discovering all possible solutions of a given task, to obtain an agent that performs well in the transfer setting and adapts quickly to changes in the task or transition dynamics. Our method iteratively learns a set of policies, while each subsequent policy is constrained to yield a solution that is unlikely under all previous policies. Unlike prior methods, our approach does not require learning additional models for novelty detection and avoids balancing task and novelty reward signals, by directly incorporating the constraint into the action selection and optimization steps.


Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) oncoprotein LMP1 has been described as the major transforming protein in various cell types, by rerouting the TNF-receptor family signalling pathway. Despite this undoubtedly role in EBV-associated transformation of cells, toxicity of LMP1 is a well known experimental feature, poorly studied, may be because it contradicts the dogma of its transformation power. This phenomenon may be important to understand in the view of natural immune control of the EBV burden in the immunocompetent host (Le Clorennec, 2006). Moreover it is noteworthy that, at the single cell level, expression of LMP1 is very heterogeneous both in EBV-associated tumours and in cell lines. To understand the toxic effect of LMP1 in LCLs, we cloned wild type LMP1 into a novel double inducible episomal vector pRT-1, from which the gene of interest is expressed under the control of a bi-directional doxycyclin regulatable promoter with a truncated version of NGFR (NGFRt) as a surrogate marker of inductibility. We first found that increasing levels of doxycyclin concentration induce over-expression of CD95 that parallels induction of LMP1. Induction of LMP1 resulted in induction of CD95 aggregation, FADD phosphorylation, activation of caspase 8, 9 and 3, followed by late stages of apoptosis as demonstrated by PARP cleavage and sub-G1 peak. Immunoprecipitation of CD95 and caspase 8 suggested that LMP1 induction was associated with formation of CD95-dependant DISC. Induction oxygen species (OS) has been shown to induce aggregation and autoactivation of CD95. We found that inhibition of the formation of oxygen species (OS) by catalase resulted in a decrease of LMP1-dependant apoptosis, whereas treatment of cells with H2O2 had the opposite effect. We also show that induction of latency III is associated with induction of OS. Levels of OS in latency III EBV-infected B-cells were significantly increased by induction of LMP1. Therefore, our results are in agreement with a model according which (i) EBV latency III increases the pool of OS of the infected B-cell, rendering the cell permissive to CD95 auto-activation, (ii) increasing levels of LMP1 induces both expression of the pro-apoptotic CD95 and survival of the cell through NF-kappa B activation, and (iii) increasing CD95-autoactivation due to inappropriate over-expression of LMP1 finally overwhelms the antiapoptotic effect of NF-kappa B. From this model, it is expected that at the single cell level, LMP1 expression results from an equilibrium between NF-kappa B dependant survival of cells and CD95-dependant apoptosis, explaining the heterogeneity of LMP1 expression from cell to cell and pointing a new mechanism of regulation of LMP1.


Executive Summary This working paper describes a new approach for estimating the costs of affordable multifamily rental housing over the course of a property's lifecycle and applies this methodology to compare the costs of two alternative approaches for developing properties—new construction and acquisition-rehab. Applying this methodology to a convenience sample of more than 200 affordable multifamily rental properties, and adjusting for other factors that might influence costs, we found that the lifecycle costs of new construction were approximately $40,000 to $71,000 (25 to 45 percent) higher per unit than those of acquisition-rehab properties. Since our sample is not necessarily representative of the full universe of affordable multifamily rental properties, these findings should not be understood as providing a definitive assessment of the relative costs of the two production approaches. Nevertheless, our findings are consistent with other data suggesting that acquiring and rehabilitating existing multifamily rental housing may be significantly more cost-effective than new construction. Rather than looking solely at the initial development costs of affordable rental housing, this new approach – which we call " lifecycle cost analysis " or " lifecycle underwriting " – estimates the costs of both developing a property and maintaining it in decent condition over a full 50-year lifecycle. Applying this methodology to our convenience sample, we found that around half of the properties appeared to be capable of meeting projected capital needs for a full 50 years by using cash flow and refinancing without an infusion of new equity or soft debt, while the balance required additional funds to cover those costs. For properties in need of an infusion of funds at some point in the lifecycle, we estimated the amount of additional funds that would need to be deposited into the replacement reserves at the time of development in order to avoid a negative balance in the reserve over a 50-year period; we call this amount the " lifecycle cost adjustment. " Adding the lifecycle cost adjustment to a property's total development costs (TDC) produced an adjusted TDC that we used to compare the costs of new construction with the costs of acquisition-rehab. We found that, for the properties in the sample, acquisition-rehab is a lower-cost method of developing and maintaining affordable multifamily rental housing than new construction. This relationship holds true after controlling for various factors such as property location, size, and building type. The lifecycle cost analysis methodology developed for this …


CsGaHO10P3, monoclinic, C121 (No. 5), a = 9.061(1) A, b = 8.7105(9) A, c = 6.2195(8) A, = 111.993(6)°, V = 455.2 A, Z = 2, Rgt(F) = 0.018, wRref(F) = 0.046, T = 295 K. Source of material The title compound was synthesized in aqueous solution by two steps. In the first step, the reaction was carried out with the mixture of GaCl3(1.046 metal gallium dissolved in 5 ml 37% HCl), CsCl (2.525 g) and an excess of HCl (molar ratio Ga : Cs = 1 : 1). The mixture was heated to the boiling point. While it was cooled down and evaporated in air for several days, transparent colorless crystals were obtained. After filtering from liquid, they were identified to be CsGaCl4 [1], and it was confirmed by X-ray powder diffraction. On the second step, the reaction was made with the mixture of CsGaCl4 (3.44 g), Cs(OH) · H2O (1.679 g) and 5 ml 85% H3PO4 (molar ratio 1:1:7). The starting materials were all of analytical grade. The mixture was heated (open system) to the boiling point on stove and kept heating for three days to evaporate the solvent. Three modifications of crystals of CsGaHP3O10 were obtained in the reaction product. The -modification showed in block shape; 3M-modification in thick plate and 1M-modification in thin plate. All of them were colorless and transparent. The 2O-modification reported by Anisimova (1995) as IIICsGaHP3O10 was not found in these products indicating that it should have different synthetic conditions or a different stability temperature range. Experimental details The position of the H atom was determined from a difference Fourier map.


Southwestern Cumberland Peninsula has been glacierized at various times by eastward flowing Laurentide ice, by an expanded Penny Ice Cap, and by fiord and valley glaciers fed from cirques. Two major weathering zones (A and B) and a fivefold subdivision of the younger zone (A) are recognized. The zone boundaries are marked by end and lateral moraines, some of which are related to raised marine deltas. Radiocarbon dates and amino acid age estimates on fossils from these deltas and correlations with the stratigraphic record of northern Cumberland Peninsula allow establishment of a tentative "absolute" chronology. The oldest terrain is that glaciated before the last interglaciation. The last glaciation is subdivided locally into the Duval, Outer Usualuk and Ranger stades, named for the end and lateral moraines which mark their maximum extents. During the Duval Stade (ca. 100,000 to 60,000 yr BP), Laurentide ice filled the inner one-third of Cumberland Sound and ice from local sources filled Pangnirtung and Kingnait fiords. Relative sea level was 100 m above present at the ice mar


Although many thin-section ultrastructural studies have recently been carried out on the effects of retinoids on psoriatic skin, few freeze-fracture studies have been performed. Since keratinocyte membrane disturbances may be involved in psoriasis and since retinoids biochemically affect biologic membranes, we employed a freeze-fracture technique to study the effects of retinoid on the junctional and internal structures of membranes. Lesional and nonlesional skin was biopsied from 5 patients with psoriasis vulgaris before and 3 of them after oral treatment with 50 mg of etretinate (Ro 10-9359) per day for 4 weeks. The most remarkable finding was the reduction in size of desmosomes-from 0.43 ± 0.07 μm to 0.23 ± 0.08 μm diameter in spinous cells and 0.35 ± 0.03 μm to 0.14 ± 0.03 μm in horny cells in lesional skin. Similar results were obtained in nonlesional skin. This reduction in desmosomal size appears to be large enough to produce an extensive exfoliation. It was also of great interest that the intramembranous particle density on the P face (the fracture face of the protoplasmic half-layer) of the spinous cell plasma membranes was 1140 ± 57/μm 2 in lesional and 429 ± 89/μm 2 in nonlesional skin before treatment, and 1184 ± 93/μm 2 and 1179 ± 147/μm 2 after treatment, respectively, although the lesions were clinically resolved. This may suggest that the agent does not revert the keratinocyte membrane from a psoriatic to a normal state despite clinical improvement. Many openings of pinocytotic (or exocytotic) vesicles were produced on the plasma membranes of keratinocytes. This was associated with the appearance of fine granular substances (so-called mucous-like substances) in the intercellular spaces.


Article History Received: 17.09.2021 Accepted: 25.10.2021 Published: 29.10.2021 Abstract: This paper analyzes the advertisements of beauty products in Arabic TV through verbal and non-verbal aspects. The discussed items are multimodal analysis used in the beauty of products advertisements in Arabic TV and the procedures used by advertisers to guide consumers who are female. Through four dimensions of the multimodal analysis, such as, Sebeok's six types of sign, Chandler's denotation and connotation, Halliday's systematic functional linguistics (SFL), and Scollon and Scollon's geo-semiotics. This study examined 5 Arabic advertisements (each one of them has a different theme) from a verbal and non-verbal perspective. This paper concludes that Arabic advertisements biased to females rather than males to introduce the products, because they considered females as a powerful sign who use their high attractiveness to promote the products or brands.


Aim:To study the effects of nerve growth factor on the expression of Fas protein and cell apoptosis in the hippocampus following cerebral ischemia and reperfusion in rats.Methods:The model of ischemic/reperfusion is established by clipping bilateral cervical arteries for 30 minutes and then removing the clips.The rats in nerve growth factor(NGF)and normal saline(NS)groups were given intramuscular injection of NGF and NS respectively at the beginning of reperfusion.Immunohistochemistry staining is used to detect the expression of Fas protein,and TUNEL to detect cell apoptosis in the region of hippocampus CA1.Results: The average optical density(AOD)of Fas protein is lower in NGF group than in NS group at 6h and 24h after reperfusion(P0.001,P0.05 respectively).It shows no difference at 48 h(P0.5).The percentage of apoptosis is lower in NGF group than in NS group at 6 h,24 h and 48 h(P0.005).Conclusion:NGF can downregulate the expression of Fas protein and reduce cell apoptosis in the hippocampus following cerebral ischemia and reperfusion in rats,to achieve the protective effects.


On 25 October 2015 the United Nations approved The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs). It is an important event from different points of view: clear judgment was expressed on the unsustainability of current development models, not only on the environmental level, but also on the economic and social ones. The implementation of the agenda requires a strong involvement of all members of society, especially business. The article aims to provide a literature overview on the relationships between innovation and sustainable development objectives in the industrial context. SDGs are also analyzed in terms of stakeholders involved, reactions of companies and citizens and metrics recently proposed by researchers of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC). These preliminary results show that different stakeholders approach the SDGs differently, but also that the interest of companies toward SDGs is growing, confirming the considerations that emerged in literature. Furthermore, some SDGs appear to be more a prerequisite for achieving targets, than actual goals, while innovation has proven to be a driver for most SDGs.


This paper reports on a 2-year study in England with the overall aim of determining what the public understands by climate change and how it sees transport contributing to it. The research involved a longitudinal study with 140 participants split into five socioeconomic life stage groups in different parts of England. Each group took part in five deliberative events in which the participants were given the opportunity to express their views in an open forum, to challenge each other, and to direct the information they received and activities in which they took part. While these events formed the core of the project, it is well understood that there is a gap between stated intentions and actual behavior, and the project therefore also required the participants to complete four 1-week travel diaries and two psychographic questionnaires through the course of the study. The information from the travel diaries was analyzed to represent the associated amount of carbon consumption and fed back to the participants as part of the study. This paper describes the research process and presents some of the materials that were developed and used in the study. It then reflects on what each element of the research methodology brought to the study and the combined impact of using the different methods both during the study and in interpreting the findings. The paper concludes by addressing the strengths and limitations of the deliberative approach, in studying not only climate change and transport but also broader policy issues.


The purpose of this quarterly report is to summarize work performed to date by A.F. Meyer and Associates, Inc. (AFMA) under DOE Contract DE-AC01-80ET13650.002 in support of SARS implementation. Under this contract, AFMA is providing technical assistance to DOE to: analyze SARS data and develop recommended milestones for the Headquarters review requirements; analyze and recommend alternative procedures for conduct of such reviews and develop costs thereon; and support such Headquarters reviews and evaluate SARS activities at project and field analysis and review levels.


Localized rotors have been implicated in the mechanism of persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). Although regions of highest dominant frequency (DF) on spectral analysis of the left atrium (LA) have been said to identify rotors, other mechanisms such as wavefront collisions will sporadically also generate an inconsistent distribution of high DF. We hypothesized that if drivers of AF were present, their distinctive spectral characteristics would result more from their temporal stability than their high frequency.


Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) are complex structures, with nonlinear characteristics, that have strict quality criteria, and carry out the treatment using various resources, with special emphasis on electricity. The optimization of WWTPs is a necessity to achieve sustainability. This work proposes the use of metaheuristic algorithms to optimize the functioning of a WWTP. Genetic Algorithm, Particle Swarm Optimization, and Simulated Annealing are used to minimize the aeration energy consumption prediction by an artificial neural network. The optimization framework aims dynamically adjusts the reference value for the proportional-integral (PI) controller. The proposed approach was able to dynamically adjust the oxygen pumping requirement and thus reduce the electricity consumption compared to the default PI controller adopted by the Benchmark Simulation Model no. 2 (BSM2).


Based on sport training and competition practice,and Marxist philosophical views,this paper initially describes the basic connotations of competitive state,and puts forward a theoretical survey.It points out:with the view of materialistic dialectics and practice,it analyzes and researches competitive state.Competitive state is the integration of complexity and simplicity, and variability and stability,and adjustability and a certain degree of controllability.The evaluation of the competitive state should be the combination of physiological and biochemical evaluation,sport result evaluation and relative result.The relationship of competitive state and sport result is the combination of symmetry and asymmetry.It aims at a more comprehensive and scientific understanding of the state of motion.


Ten years ago the Greek island of Leros became notorious throughout Europe as one of the worst examples of the inhumanity of the 'total institution' still existing within the European Union. With the expansion of the Union in the next century we may well find more such examples and we will need to apply the lessons learned from the transformation of Leros ‐ both the successes and the unresolved problems. This account by John Henderson and Bob Grove ‐ both of whom were involved in monitoring the reform programme for the European Commission, is inevitably the view of outsiders. It does, however, set the scene for one of the most dramatic processes of escape into ordinary life that has been seen anywhere in the past decade. We hope that in future editions of A life in the day we will be able to persuade the participants to give first hand accounts of their experiences.


in relation to both society and the avant-garde in a post-colonial situation. Rama is selected for his influential discourse on Latin American cultural identity, particularly through his introduction of anthropological terms and concepts such as acculturation and transculturation into liter~ and cultural currency. Losada's role is to demonstrate the social character of literary production, by focusing on literature's function in society, and by showing how literary systems connect with different social subjects. Cornejo Polar empnasises the necessity of adopting a socio-historical perspective when undertaking literary criticism, and the importance of cultural plurality in informing assessments of Latin American writing. And Sarlo is included especially for her study of the means by which the complex diversity of literary forms popular and elite may be represented systematically as a social phenomenon. It is clear that more th.an one common thread runs through this volume. In addition to the overall intention of uniting key contributors to Latin American criticism there is the combined emphasis on connections between, on one hand the aesthetic and the cultural, and on the other hand the social, historical and political. Moreover, the postcolonial context is a key factor. One of the things to emerge from the book, therefore, is a sense that Latin American criticism has reacted against dependency and achieved a large degree of autonomy. The critics are fully aware of international modes of thought, but they are also preoccupied with revising concepts of nationality, and they are profoundly interested in local identity. Dr D' Allemand sees the ultimate value of Latin American cultural criticism as that of keeping up the debate on the inequalities between Latin American societies and what she calls the 'metropolitan centres of power' (p. 169). Implicit throughout this volume is the conviction iliat criticism of cultural criticism is not a narcissistic exercise but an illuminating activity: that is, critics' voices are significant in the formation and development of cultures. It is worth stepping baCk momentarily in order to review this implication. As far as Mariategui and Rama are concerned there is no question: each in his own way has made a very significant impact not only on cultural criticism but also on Latin American culture. In the remaining cases selected for study here there must be some debate as to whether the impact has reached or will reach beyond cultural criticism itself, good though the critics are in their field. On the other hand, there are others chiefly writers who are also critics, it must be said who have proven to be far more important contributors than these to Latin American culture through their cultural criticism. In short, Dr D' Allemand's erudite work makes us realise that a few outstanding critics, though perhaps not the majority of critics, impinge in a significant way on Latin American culture. The book coufd prove to be a lanamark in the development of this field of study.


ABSTRACT Deinococcus xibeiensis strain R13, isolated from radiation-contaminated soils, synthesizes a unique ketocarotenoid, deinoxanthin. Here, we present a 3.49-Mb assembly of its genome sequence, which can help us find the key genes of the deinoxanthin biosynthesis pathways and modify genes obtaining a high yield of the new carotenoid.


Microwave Digestion Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP AES) method was established for the determination of Cu,Fe,Pb,Ni,Cr and Sb in vat olive green B. Various factors affecting spectrum intensity were examined in details. The optimum conditions for the determination are defined. The limit of the method is 0.003~0.013μg·mL -1 , the recycling rate ranks from 96.60% to 103.56%, RSD is less than 3.08%. This method features high accuracy, rapid response and simple operation. It is used in the determination of impure elements with the satisfactory results.


Mechanism of sand movement due to asymmetric oscillatory flows was investigated through experiments. Measurements of bed forms, suspended sand concentration and net sand transport rate were carried out by using an oscillatory flow tunnel. The process of entrainment and suspension of sand above asymmetric ripples was quantitatively described. The geometry of ripples and the net sand transport rate in regular and irregular flows were expressed in terms of hydraulic parameters characterizing the oscillatory flow. Two-dimensionality of ripples was found to be an important factor in the estimation of the net sand transport rate.


This paper presents a survey done in relation to the behaviors of Chinese college students.Result shows that individual influencing factors include personal attributes,capabilities,and attitudes towards misconduct.Situational factors include traditional culture,society,college,family and internet.12 propositions are presented to explain the causal relationships between these factors and dishonest behaviors of college students.Colleges and families are the most two important situational factors to which attentions must be paid.


The modification methods and mechanisms of recently developed of epoxy resins with high performances are reviewed. A description is also given on their application in anticorrosion coatings.


We prove an asymptotic formula for the number of orientations with given out-degree (score) sequence for a graph $G$. The graph $G$ is assumed to have average degrees at least $n^{1/3 + \epsilon}$ for some $\epsilon > 0$, and to have strong mixing properties, while the maximum imbalance (out-degree minus in-degree) of the orientation should be not too large. Our enumeration results have applications to the study of subdigraph occurrences in random orientations with given imbalance sequence. As one step of our calculation, we obtain new bounds for the maximum likelihood estimators for the Bradley-Terry model of paired comparisons.


Abstract Many studies have indicated that many financial and cost variables are non-normally distributed. For example, empirical studies of financial ratios and cost variance data have found non-normality. However, instead of identifying the correct distribution of these financial variables, many of these decision models (e.g. bankruptcy prediction, bond rating prediction, cost-volume-profit analysis and the cost variance investigation decision) have simply adopted an assumption of normality. This is contrary to the empirical evidence which has suggested that some of these input variables are non-normally distributed. The reason for this common adoption of the normal distribution assumption could be attributed to the lack of knowledge regarding the appropriate distribution function for the variable. In order to encourage the use of the appropriate distribution function for the required financial variable, this paper examines this aspect. The objective of this study is to assist in identifying an appropriate distribution function for modelling non-normally distributed accounting variables. A three-step procedure is described and actual cost variance data of a Fortune 500 company's manufacturing plant are used to illustrate the procedure.


MITRE's TICCIT program began in 1968 with the hypothesis that coupling television displays to a time-sharing computer system would result in a computer-based instruction system low enough in cost to permit schools to provide a significant quantity of individualized instruction to a large number of students. The subsequent TICCIT effort has demonstrated this hypothesis to be correct, and has led to the development of a model for this technology (See Figure I ) that has been shown by the ten TICCIT systems in operation and under construction to have a wide range of options which match a wide range of instructional and general purpose environments.


Resumes of fictitious applicants for entry-level professional positions were mailed to 458 potential employers, and the responses were analyzed. A three-group experimental design permitted control ...


Using the method of patent analysis,based on the introduction of optical communication industry,this paper analyses the technological level of patent at home and abroad,and discusses the innovation sources along industrial chain. At last,it concludes some suggestions for innovation of optical communication industry of China.