Introduction: Nowadays, changes in social habits such as reduction in sleeping hours and the sleep-wake rhythm increasingly irregular, increased exposure to light at night and the high consumption of snacks acting in the brain, causing loss of perception of internal and external rhythms. The interruption or the internal desynchronization of circadian rhythm alters the metabolism, contributing to the onset of complications that occur in obesity such as glucose intolerance, type 2 diabetes mellitus, endothelial dysfunction, hypertension, dyslipidemia, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases, among others, decreasing life expectancy. Nurses are health professionals, in most cases subjected to rotating schedules and night shifts, so it is necessary to better understand the influence of shift work on the lifestyle and health of these individuals. Objective: Evaluate the relationship of metabolic parameters, physical activity and eating habits of nurses working in fixed or rotating shifts. Methods: Questionnaire with collect data relating to the socio-demographic characteristics of the sample, blood pressure and biochemical data, International Physical Activity Questionnaire short version, anthropometric and bioimpedance data and the food inquiry related to the preceding 24 hours. Results: The study sample consisted of 85 nurses, of which 37 (43.5%) belonging to the fixed shift and 48 (56.5%) belonging to the rotating shift. The fixed shift workers showed lower levels of physical activity, blood pressure and biochemical parameters with higher values, higher anthropometric parameters and higher total energy intake than workers on rotating shifts, although the differences were not significant. The number of meals per work day as well as total energy intake at


Unilateral economic sanctions have become one of the most significant foreign policy tools used by most powerful developed nations across the globe. Some of these countries include Japan, Canada, Australia, and others. However, the United States (US) and European Union (EU), in particular, are very ardent users, having placed unilateral sanctions on North Korea, Iran, Venezuela, and partially on Russia, among others. It is an alternative to military intervention, war, or conflicts. Among these strong nations, the US is one country that applies unilateral sanctions than any other country in the world. Also, various successive US administrations have used this foreign policy tool one way or the other. Further, unilateral sanctions have become more popular in recent decades, and currently, the US has nearly 8000 sanctions in place worldwide, Iran and North Korea by far the largest state target. Though sanctions have existed for a long time, they still remain controversial international foreign policy tools. Notwithstanding, US application of unilateral economic sanctions by both present and previous successive administration is backed by legal authority including the trading with the enemy act (TWEA), the United Nations Participation Act (UNPA), the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Nevertheless, there is legal controversy surrounding unilateral sanctions among critics and proponents, who are entrenched in the position that the developed countries used sanctions against smaller countries, including North Korea. What is more, this argument of controversy is still ongoing, and there seems to be no agreement between critics and proponents. This paper, therefore, provides a legal basis for unilateral sanctions used by the US against other countries, in particular, North Korea. Also, we will elaborate on the justification or otherwise of the legitimacy of US unilateral sanctions against North Korea. The paper is divided into four sections. The first section of this paper elaborates on the introduction, relations between North Korea and the US. Also, it highlights a general overview of unilateral sanctions and US unilateral sanctions on North Korea. The second section deals with the questions: Why do countries such as the US impose unilateral economic sanctions? What other bodies impose sanctions on North Korea? The third part deals with international concern about North Korea, and the fourth part also talks about certainties and issues that make North Korea a worldwide concern. The final part looks at U.S. Legislative Authority and justification or otherwise of the legitimacy of U.S unilateral sanctions.


Mobile devices have been widely used in our daily life. Smartphones and tablets are very popular among students and teachers. These devices are increasingly being brought into the teaching environment. Teachers and students expect to use their own devices to get teaching / learning resources and complete teaching / learning tasks. This is a challenge for the educators. Bring your own device (BYOD) is proposed as the new mode in education, and Existing works showed that BYOD can be used in education. However, BYOD based education needs more creative and flexible management and environment support. In this paper, we proposed the design and practice of using BYOD for the flip class in a primary school. BYOD was used to support the flip class, which had a significant influence on the teaching, learning and resource sharing. BYOD broke the time and place a restriction on teaching / learning. And BYOD could help to enhance the communication between teachers and students. The experiences showed that BYOD based flip class could be a beneficial mode in primary school.


In this speech, the opposition minister for foreign affairs and trade discusses the key issues facing Australia's energy security. He notes Australia's position as a net energy exporter, the need for rational approaches to reducing climate change, and the possibility of nuclear power as an alternative source of energy. He emphasised the need for international cooperation in dealing with these energy security issues.


Emerging VLSI technologies, as well as emerging platforms, are giving rise to systems with inherently high potential for runtime failure. Such failures range from intermittent electrical and mechanical failures at the system level, to device failures at the chip level. Techniques to provide reliable computation in the presence of failures must do so while maintaining high performance, with an eye toward energy efficiency, and when possible, maximizing battery lifetime in the face of battery discharge non-linearities. This work presents one approach for achieving reliable computation in the face of failure, and presents a set of metrics, for characterizing system behavior in terms of energy efficiency, reliability, computation performance and battery lifetime. The proposed technique for reliable computation in the presence of failures, Dynamic Fault-Tolerance Management (DFTM), relies solely on local decisions to attain global reliable computation. The proposed combined metrics, referred to as ebformability measures (since they combine the effects of energy, battery lifetime, performance and reliability), are used to evaluate the efficacy of DFTM. For an example platform employed in a realistic evaluation scenario, it is shown that system configurations with the best performance and lifetime, are not necessarily those with the best combination of performance, reliability, battery lifetime and average power consumption.


Pedestrian detection is a particular case of object detection that helps to reduce accidents in advanced driver-assistance systems and autonomous vehicles. It is not an easy task because of the variability of the objects and the time constraints. A performance comparison of object detection methods, including both GPU and non-GPU implementations over a variety of on-road specific databases, is provided. Computer vision multi-class object detection can be integrated on sensor fusion modules where recall is preferred over precision. For this reason, ad hoc training with a single class for pedestrians has been performed and we achieved a significant increase in recall. Experiments have been carried out on several architectures and a special effort has been devoted to achieve a feasible computational time for a real-time system. Finally, an analysis of the input image size allows to fine-tune the model and get better results with practical costs.


A symbiotic relation between the operator and the operational environment can be realized by an advanced computing platform designed to understand and adapt to the cognitive and the physiological state of the user, especially during sensitive and cognitively demanding operations. The success of such a complex system depends not only on the efficacy of the individual components, but also on the efficient and appropriate integration of its parts. Because near infrared technology allows the design of portable, safe, affordable, and negligibly intrusive monitoring systems, the functional near infrared (fNIR) monitoring of brain hemodynamics can be of value in this type of complex system, particularly in helping to understand the cognitive and emotional state of the user during mentally demanding operations. This article presents the deployment and statistical analysis of fNIR spectroscopy for the purpose of cognitive state assessment while the user performs a complex task. This article is based on data collected during the Augmented Cognition-Technical Integration Experiment session. The experimental protocol for this session used a complex task, resembling a video game, called the Warship Commander Task (WCT). The WCT was designed to approximate naval air warfare management. Task difficulty and task load were manipulated by changing the following: (a) the number of airplanes that had to be managed at a given time, (b) the number of unknown (vs. known) airplane identities, and (c) the presence or absence of an auditory memory task. The fNIR data analysis explored the following: (a) the relations among cognitive workload, the participant's performance, and changes in blood oxygenation levels of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex; and (b) the effect of divided attention as manipulated by the secondary component of the WCT (the auditory task). The primary hypothesis was that blood oxygenation in the prefrontal cortex, as assessed by fNIR, would rise with increasing task load and would demonstrate a positive correlation with performance measures. The results indicated that the rate of change in blood oxygenation was significantly sensitive to task load changes and correlated fairly well with performance variables.


Simple Summary Leptin and adiponectin are adipokines involved in the carcinogenesis of gastrointestinal cancers, even though no clear link with pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (PanNENs) has yet been investigated. We aimed to evaluate the possible relationship between leptin, adiponectin, and the leptin–adiponectin ratio, and PanNEN's grade or stage, including the presence of metastases. We obtained a significantly higher concentration of adiponectin in the control group compared to the study group. The concentration of both adipokines was significantly higher in females than in males. An increased leptin–adiponectin ratio was observed in well-differentiated PanNENs (G1) vs. moderatelydifferentiated PanNENs (G2) and in PanNENs with Ki-67 < 3% vs. Ki-67 ≥ 3%. We identified patients with distal disease as having lower leptin levels and decreased leptin–adiponectin ratio. Thisstudy reveals the importance of adipokines assessment and provides new insights into the mechanisms leading to PanNEN development. Abstract Data on the possible connection between circulating adipokines and PanNENs are limited. This novel study aimed to assess the serum levels of leptin and adiponectin and their ratio in patients with PanNENs and to evaluate the possible relationship between them and PanNEN's grade or stage, including the presence of metastases. The study group consisted of PanNENs (n = 83), and healthy controls (n = 39). Leptin and adiponectin measurement by an ELISA assay was undertaken in the entire cohort. The serum concentration of adiponectin was significantly higher in the control group compared to the study group (p < 0.001). The concentration of leptin and adiponectin was significantly higher in females than in males (p < 0.01). Anincreased leptin–adiponectin ratio was observed in well-differentiated PanNENs (G1) vs. moderatelydifferentiated PanNENs (G2) (p < 0.05). An increased leptin–adiponectin ratio was found in PanNENs with Ki-67 < 3% vs. Ki-67 ≥ 3% (p < 0.05). PanNENs with distal disease presented lower leptin levels (p < 0.001) and a decreased leptin–adiponectin ratio (p < 0.01) compared with the localized disease group. Leptin, adiponectin, and the leptin–adiponectin ratio may serve as potential diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive biomarkers for PanNENs. Leptin levels and the leptin–adiponectin ratio may play an important role as predictors of malignancy and metastasis in PanNENs.


Our objective in this study was to examine children with and without listening difficulty (LiD) longitudinally to ask whether LiD was developmentally transient or persistent. Like many other developmental problems, we hypothesized that LiD persists into adolescence. Behavioral and physiological data were collected from children initially aged 6-13 years at baseline and two and four years later. Of 169 enrolled participants, 147, 100, and 31 children completed required testing in study visits at baseline, 2 years, and 4 years later, respectively. All children had clinically normal audiograms at all visits. Listening skills scores from a caregiver report scale (ECLiPS), and auditory and cognitive skills were significantly poorer in the LiD group than in a typically developing (TD) group throughout the study period. In both groups, age-adjusted listening and auditory skills increased over time. Using the longitudinal data, a parsimonious prediction model for ECLIPS scores (pooled across groups) was created. The final model included maternal education, spatial listening skills, and cognitive performance, which explained 54.8% of the variance in the ECLiPS score. Children with LiD but normal audiograms have, relative to TD children, persistent listening difficulties, challenges in competing speech tasks, and poor cognitive performance through adolescence. The degree of LiD can be independently predicted by maternal education, cognitive performance, and spatial listening skills.


Southeastern New Mexico (SENM) is rich in mineral resources, including oil and gas. Produced water is a byproduct from oil and gas recovery operations. SENM generates approximately 400 million barrels per year of produced water with total dissolved solids (TDS) as high as ~ 200,000 ppm. Typically, produced water is disposed of by transporting it to injection wells or disposal ponds, costing around $1.2 billion per year with an estimated use of 0.3 million barrels of transportation fuel. New Mexico ranks first among U.S. states in potash production. Nationally, more than 85% of all potash produced comes from the Carlsbad potash district in SENM. Potash manufacturing processes use large quantities of water, including fresh water, for solution mining. If the produced water from oilfield operations can be treated and used economically in the potash industry, it will provide a beneficial use for the produced water as well as preserve valuable water resources in an area where fresh water is scarce. The goal of this current research was to develop a prototype desalination system that economically treats produced water from oil and/or natural gas operations for the beneficial use of industries located in southeastern New Mexico. Up until now, most water cleaning technologies have been developed for treating water with much lower quantities of TDS. Seawater with TDS of around 30,000 ppm is the highest concentration that has been seriously studied by researchers. Reverse osmosis (RO) technology is widely used; however the cost remains high due to high-energy consumption. Higher water fluxes and recoveries are possible with a properly designed Forward Osmosis (FO) process as large driving forces can be induced with properly chosen membranes and draw solution. Membrane fouling and breakdown is a frequent and costly problem that drives the cost of desalination very high. The technology developed by New Mexico Tech (NMT) researchers not only protects the membrane, but has also proven to generate higher water flux, based on the series of experiments conducted. Laboratory tests at NMT demonstrated that an unprecedented water flux of 1300 l/m2/hr (where typical flux is on the order of 0-3 l/m{sup 2}/hr) can be achieved from a properly designed membrane module. The patent pending NMT system, which was designed and developed at NMT was successful in reducing the possibility for concentration polarization and thereby increasing the permeate water flux, while still maintaining a high salt rejection rate of 96% or greater. For feed solutions having a dissolved contaminant concentration greater than 10,000 ppm, preliminary economic analysis demonstrates that a well-designed FO process will outperform an RO process. Most produced water generated in SENM has TDS higher than 10,000 ppm. Therefore, it is logical to use FO to desalinate the water. Since the issues associated with concentration polarization has only recently been solved by our mechanically enhanced membrane module, the level of system maturity is not at the same level as that for RO. Our efforts going forward will be directed at taking the technology to a higher level of system maturity. With the superior cost effectiveness for FO, it is imperative that this technology reach a point that is competitive with RO in order to meet the expanding need for water for industries in SENM. NMT seeks to demonstrate the greater cost effectiveness by proving the process through a scaled up model. To ensure success, NMT feels it is important to demonstrate this technology in a larger system, (~ 100,000 GPD), before venturing to the commercial scale. This will build confidence in the process with the commercial sector. In addition, it will be possible to develop some of the operational processes around renewable energy sources for the scaled up model. This will further lower the operating costs and enhance the environmentally clean aspect of the process.


The present invention discloses a digital trunk circuits that support the functionality of a plurality of trunk circuits in a single board. Digital trunk circuit according to the present invention comprises at least includes a framer and line interface functions to support framer functions and line interface functions at the same time. The framer and line interface functional unit may operate as a T1 or E1 framer framer in accordance with the change in the register values, also having the framer T1 or E1 line interface framer stage which can be connected in response to. Digital trunk circuit according to the present invention can also be operated by the user, a trunk selection unit for outputting a trunk selection information for selecting a trunk circuit corresponding to operation of the user from among the plurality of trunk circuit; ROM which stores a plurality of the driving program for driving each circuit and the number of the trunk; It is connected to a local line, and the receiving transformer for receiving a signal from the local line; Coupled to the local line, and a transmission transformer for transmitting a signal to the local line; The framer and line interface function section line interface end and is made to comprise a plurality of relays coupled between between and the transmit transformer of said received transformer, the relay driving control signal is switched in response As input the line interface end and the receiving receiving path between the transformer and the relay switching unit for providing a transmission path between the line interface end and the transmitting transformer and; Thereafter it is determined the trunk circuits for drive from the trunk selection information output from the trunk selection unit drives the program corresponding to a number of the operating program stored in the ROM according to the determination result, the framer and line interface functions Framer portion to produce a register value for determining a mode of operation provides the portion framer and line interface functions, and further is made to generate the relay driving control signal corresponding to the determination result further comprises a processor for switching the relay portion. The present invention can even number of built-in trunk circuit on one board, if any one of the trunk circuit is selected in which to prevent amongst other is unnecessary remaining trunk circuit, and to facilitate the maintenance, repair and management of the trunk circuit this has the effect of.


The use of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) has been disseminated in the gyms, and a lot of times these drugs are marketed within the academy. Thus, the physical education teachers who work in academies are prone to questions about these drugs, and may interfere with its use. The objective of this study was to analyze the knowledge of AAS by physical education teachers working in academies in Belem-PA. We used to collect data and an anonymous closed questionnaire, applied to 90 teachers. The degree of knowledge of respondents about AAS was compared according to level of education, through non-parametric statistics, X2 test (chi-square test), considering the confidence interval p <0.05. The results on substances classified as AAS for physical education teachers who work in academies, was similar to that of lay individuals users of these drugs. In relation to the same side effects seem to have enough scientific knowledge, considering that flavor, decreased spermatogenesis, increased risk of tendon tears and muscle damage were rarely reported as side effects from AAS. It is concluded that scientific knowledge of AAS analyzed by physical education teachers who work in academies of Belem, does not seem to distinguish individuals lay users of these drugs.


The quality of scientific data depends on the accuracy of the absolute intensity calibration. This absolute calibration is especially difficult in ground-based sub-mm astronomy. At the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX), we take various measures in order to ensure a proper calibration of the final science product, including real-time efforts (e.g. pointing models) and dedicated measurements whose results are applied afterwards (e.g. opacity or efficiencies). In this presentation we will give an overview over the various steps taken at APEX to overcome most calibration challenges. We will explain their implementation as calibration plan, present an analysis of the results obtained, and discuss those results in view of the reliability of the released science product.


We consider a hybrid system controlled by a sampled-data controller whose action is periodically time-driven, that is, the control inputs can change only at the particular time instants. Then, we introduce transition systems as semantics of the controlled hybrid systems and consider a control specification given by a predicate. First, we derive a necessary and sufficient condition for the predicate to be control-invariant. Next, we show that there always exists the supremal control-invariant subpredicate for any predicate. Finally, we propose a procedure to compute it and obtain a sampled-data event controller which satisfies it.


Causal induction forms the basis for adaptation of animals. It enables diagnosis of the past, judgment in the present, and prediction for the future in uncertain environments. In AI, it is argued that efficient causal inference supports human-like quick learning and decision-making with small amount of data. The purpose of this study is to elucidate how humans judge the causal relationship when given small data. We assume that causal induction has two stages, observational and interventional, according to Hattori and Oaksford. In our experiment, we controlled a factor (symmetry between occurrence and non-occurrence of the causal events) that has been shown to manipulate the cognitive distinction between the two stages. We compared the models that correspond to the two stages, pARIs/DFH and delta-P. It was shown that pARIs, the probability of biconditionals and equivalent to Jaccard index, describes the result best in both conditions.


Cypermethrin is a synthetic pyrethroid pesticide, widely used to control pests in cotton and vegetable crops. A current environmental concern is the contamination of aquatic ecosystem due to pesticide discharges from manufacturing plant, agricultural runoff, leaching, accidental spills and other sources. An effective pesticide waste treatment technology is needed to prevent water pollution and to comply with increasing regulatory pressures. The microorganisms play a significant role in detoxifying pesticides in the environment. There are few reports on the degradation of pyrethroid insecticides in soils. This study may provide basis for prevention and control of pesticides pollution. The ability of five bacterial isolates (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, P.fluorescens, Bacillus licheniformis, Alcaligenes sp. and Corynebacterium sp.) isolated from cultivated field to degrade cypermethrin was studied using enrichment technique, with varying concentrations of cypermethrin in the medium. The P.aeruginosa was enumerated with and without adding cypermethrin. The concentration of cypermethrin and its intermediates during the biodegradation experiment analyzed on GC-MS.In these five different bacterial colonies, degradation was found to occur to a great extent only in the presence of P.aeruginosae culture. P.aeruginosae, Pseudomonas fluorescens and B.licheniformis were found active in utilizing cypermethrin (3%) whereas Corynebacterium sp. and Alcaligenes sp. were moderately active in utilizing cypermethrin (0.5 and 1 %).These findings suggest that the utilization of cypermethrin by Pseudomonas sp. and Bacillus licheniformis may be feasible and this treatment option for the removal of pesticide from the soil and degradation observed only in the presence of microorganisms.


P roponents of the intelligent design (ID) explanation for how organisms developed claim that the bacterial flagellum (BF) is irreducibly complex. They argue that this structure is so complicated that it could not have emerged through random selection but had to be designed by an intelligent entity. One part of this claim is that each flagellar component is used solely for the purpose of making a flagellum that, in turn, is used only for motility. Further, each flagellar protein is assumed to have appeared independently of the other component proteins. Here, we summarize evidence from hundreds of laboratories, including our own, showing that these assumptions are false. Instead of by design, BF developed as modular systems, with components deriving from many different sources. Each BF module evolved independently from various primordial systems, which, in most cases, had nothing to do with cell motility. Complexity within BF arose by domain and protein recruitment, by intragenic and extragenic duplication events, and by superimposition of various modules onto others. The net result was coevolution of many types of structurally and functionally distinct flagella in various bacterial species. Although these different flagella are all used for motility, they share only about half of their protein constituents.


Speedy trial is part of life and personal liberty guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. Any delay in expeditious disposal of a criminal trial hampers right to life and personal liberty. The resurgence of IT has left little or no impact on Judiciary which is reeling under deficiency of technological and human resources. The debate on judicial arrears has thrown up number of ideas however the judiciary has failed to set its own house in order.It was envisaged by 230th law commission report that law should respond to the demands of the society is apposite. The major recommendation of the same report has been discussed at length. At the end, the paper suggests following recommendations in view of challenges faced by Judiciary today. (a) Matters pending more than five years to be segregated with the help of technology and forwarded to "contractual courts" presided by senior lawyers for quick disposal within fixed period of time period and trials to be recorded by audio-visual techniques. (b) Implementation of Order V Rule IX(III) in true spirit which provides that service of summons may be made by delivering or transmitting a copy thereof by any other means of transmission of documents (including fax message or electronic mail service). (c) Exchange of documents and evidence by video conferencing to be implemented and promoted to make the best use of technology available for judicial purposes. (d) Video recording of Trials to be made mandatory and footage to be observed during appeals. (e) No adjournment more than three times during hearing of the suit to be entertained except for genuine emergencies. (f) videotaped confession by accused before police/prosecutor to be made admissible by bringing an amendment with adequate safeguards avoiding miscarriage of justice.


Data and samples obtained in the Marquesas Islands from 1954 to 1960 form the basis of this report. Various morphological traits of the Marquesan sardine, Sardinella marquesensis, are described, and measures of their variation are given . These sardines were found mostly in bays with clear to slightly turbid and clear-green to brownish-green water and with substrate of sand, rock, coral rubble, or a combination of these. The composition of their stomach contents was very similar to that of plankton obtained in sardine habitats. Ten of the 35 species of fish taken with sardines in the seine are probable predators of the latter. Sardine behavior in the field, in captivity, and as tuna bait ;s noted . Parasites included hemiurid trematodes, camallanid nematodes, and an ergasilid copepod . Attainment of sexual maturity is estimated at a standard length of 84 mm. Spawning is believed to occur throughout the year. Between 1,000 and 8,000 ova are deposited at a single spawning. The sex ratio favored males. The abundance of Marquesan sardines appears to be inadequate to sustain commercial live-bait tuna vessels like those operating from California ports. BIOLOGISTS ABOARD a research vessel or the U.S. Bureau of Commercial Fisheries from Honolulu, Hawaii, scouted the Marquesas Islands (Fig. 1) in 1954 for small fish suitable as live bait for tuna fishing. Large quantities of a sardine-like fish were seen in Taiohae Bay on the island of Nuku Hiva (Royce, 1954). This fish was also found at the otner islands, where it was not as abundant nor as readily available as at Taiohae. During the subsequent six years, scientists of the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries made 12 more cruises to the Marquesas Islands to obtain fishery and environmental data for a survey of the tuna resources in this area (Austin, 1957; Wilson and Rinkel , 1957; Wilson, Nakamura, and Yoshida, 1958; Yoshida, 1960) . When the Marquesan sardines were captur ed for use as live bait, samples were preserved, and observations on the ecology of the sardine were made. On eight of these cruises live sardines were brought back for introduction into Hawaiian waters, where they have become established 1 Manuscript received September 2, 1969. :! Bureau of Commercial Fisheries Biological Laboratory, Honolulu, Hawaii 96812 . 3 D ivision of Int ernational Affairs, Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, W ashington, D .C. 20240. 359 (Brock , 1960; Murphy, 1960 ; Hida and Morris, 1963) . The Marquesan sardine was described as a new species by Berry and Whitehead (1968) who named it Sardinella marquesensis. Aside from faunal and taxonomic reports, very little has been published about the Marquesan sardine. The purpose of this paper is to present information on various aspects of the biology of this species in the Maronesas Islands .


The Mobile Audiometry Application hopes to utilize the ubiquity of the mobile device by providing a means of healthcare focused on audiometry. This application enables a mobile device to perform audiometric testing to detect a user's hearing range, and notify the user whether he or she is suffering from hearing loss. This project seeks to fulfill a social need for increased access to hearing testing by providing a portable, affordable, and reliable screening tool that is accurate. The result was sleek application that provided a calibration method, executed an audiometry test using accurate and calibrated files, displayed the results graphically, and notified the user of hearing loss. The application also let the user save their test results under created profiles, using local storage, and peruse the saved results at a later time. Mobile Audiometer Application Kevin Nguyen & Shweta Panditrao Acknowledgements Although Shweta and Kevin are responsible for creating this application, several notable individuals have been essential in its conception and establishment. With that in mind, we would like to give a special thanks to Dr. Silvia Figueira, who has been our advisor for the duration of this project. She was the one to first approach us with this idea, and has aided us through the development process by being a source of constant feedback and always ensuring that this project continued to stay on track. We would also like to thank Dr. Don Riccomini who has aided us tremendously in our technical writing abilities. He was a big influence in the creation of our documentation as well as the slide deck used in presenting this project. Lastly, a special thanks to Dr. Stephane Pigeon, who is an audiologist and signal processing engineer. He has been given us so much information regarding audiology, as well as lending us his own sound files to use in our application. Mobile Audiometer Application Kevin Nguyen & Shweta Panditrao


Missing patient reported outcomes data threaten the validity of PRO‐specific findings and conclusions from randomized controlled trials by introducing bias due to data missing not at random. Clinical Research Associates are a largely unexplored source for informing understanding of potential causes of missing PRO data. The purpose of this qualitative research was to describe factors that influence missing PRO data, as revealed through the lived experience of CRAs.


Drilling still depends on human judgment to solve many problems.
 Some of the problems are big: How much volume is flowing out of the well, and how does that compare with how much was pumped in? These are critical measures for well control and efficient drilling.
 Other observations are needed to improve the process. How well do the data coming to surface predict the wear on a drill bit?
 And some problems are related to niggling details. There are few problems less compelling than coding the steps described in thousands of memos found in the daily drilling reports. But for those searching the reports to identify bits of wasted time, that information can be crucial.
 This article discusses three innovations aimed at improving the data flows.
 In Search of a Flowmeter That Is Sensitive but Tough
 Drillers live with a worrisome question: How much fluid is actually flowing out of the well compared to what flowed in?
 A growing rise in the fluid flowing out can signal a dangerous gas influx, increasing the volume of the outflow.
 Accurate measures are needed to create a condition-monitoring system allowing a driller to more accurately assess what is coming out and to distinguish changes that are warnings signs from routine fluctuations during drilling, such as turning mud pumps off and on.
 Eric Cayeux, chief scientist for the Norwegian Research Centre (NORCE), is working on filling a need for a "quantitative" measurement of the flow rate out of the well that is not influenced by mud mixing and treatment activities."
 The widely used tool he wants to replace is a paddle that moves up and down based on the flow rate—seemingly a low bar to clear.
 Cayeux describes paddles as "a very crude instrument which can only be used to give a gross indication of the flow rate" in a paper about his work at the NORCE (SPE 199661).
 However, sometimes the indications are misleading. Paddles can get stuck when mud clogs the hinges. A change in the level may be due to a change in fluid properties rather than flow rate.
 Fluid levels in return tanks are a measurable indication of the difference between flow in and out, but fluid transfers among mud pits can complicate the calculations, as can measuring fluid levels on moving offshore platforms.
 On the input side, counting pump strokes offers a measure of how much fluid is pumped into the well, but the volume depends on pump efficiency, which drilling experts say varies.
 There is one direct measurement tool for flow that offers quantitative results—a Coriolis mass flowmeter. It can directly measure the flow, but must be fully filled to work and requires a location below the flowline. Such a location can be hard to find, and particle buildups inside the flowmeter can lead to misleading results.


"Public relations" is a science which saves in its methodic direct communication and something more- develop of theory for its elaborating. Close to pedagogic, physiology, science for the theater, rhetoric, business's communication, etc. - Public relations take from them these active methods which assist persuasive communication in the direct contact with the public. Persuasive communication in PR is a meaning and contents of this science which realize its aims on the basic of the direct influence to the attitudes of the society in the context of their determinate interests.


"Theatre, along with all other forms of the performing arts - music, literature and visual arts, in their various manifestations - have always accompanied humanity, offering, among seductive ways to spend the free type, entertainment, moments of wonderful introspection, beneficial soul healing, indispensable spiritual development. Theater, through its specific means and effects, must be seen as material for reflection and thought, as a forum for implantation in contemporary consciousnesses or future of healthy moral and social concepts, as a space of prophylaxis or emotional recovery. Consequently, the actor as direct witness and keen observer of the times, can encompass, gratitude to his art, various functions: from histrion - in an appreciative sense, to spokesperson of the system or the collective, or the therapist."


The culture of human preimplantation embryos from the 1-cell to the morula/blastocyst stage of development is not satisfactory at present. The success of various IVF laboratories ranges from 18 to 23%, therefore there is a requirement for improvement in the standard conditions used to culture the embryo. Using a limited number of 'spare' human embryos which were donated for research, in-vitro studies have been undertaken using various culture media. The results show that a significant improvement in viability is achieved using Ham's F-12 medium compared with other media presently used for culturing embryos.


In this paer,we describe a new way of estimating parameters in smapling data.These methods(include) signal allocation filtering and semi-parametric regression.We also provide the outcome of variance(analyses.)


By means of literature review and logic analysis, a comprehensive analysis is made of the feasibility on the application of red PE to sports courses of universities/colleges from three perspectives, namely, theoretical explication of the dissemination of red PE, PE in universities/colleges as the means to disseminating red PE and the possibility of presenting the peculiarity of red PE in universities/colleges. The findings show that the soft and hard facilities in universities/colleges are well equipped to carry out the education of red PE; and the implementation of red sports courses not only provides more electives about PE, but opens up a new field in which undergraduates can practice the core values of socialism.


Based on the tests of six beams,the failure type,the ultimate strength and the influence factors of reinforced concrete beams with externally bonded Basalt Fiber Reinforced Sheet are researched and analysed.The results showed that,compared with the CFRP reinforcement,using BFRP construction costs and less demanding,and the construction is simple,has good prospects for development.


This paper presents a high-gain millimeter-wave array antenna highly integrated on a single organic chip package. The multi-phased beam steering capability is enabled to reduce multipath fading and over-the-air applications around 30GHz. To improve antenna bandwidth, gain and radiation efficiency, a dual-patch antenna is built on a superstrate structure. A number of design attributes, such as patch, dipole, and slot sizes have been studied. Advanced interconnect between die and antennas in multi-layered dielectric is optimized for transceiver integration and packaging with minimal insertion loss and coupling between the antenna feed-lines. Good correlation is reached among measurement and full-wave electromagnetic simulations. System-level characterization of a mechanically assembled transceiver module is presented with antenna radiation patterns.


Article history: Received: October 28, 2020 Received in revised format: November 28 2020 Accepted: December 22, 2020 Available online: December 22, 2020 This study aims to investigate the impact of human resource accounting (HRA) on the overall performance of the organization. By presenting the details of HRA the study identifies various dimensions of organizations' financial aspects viz., human capital efficiency, organization profitability, return on asset, and return on equity. To understand the impact of various measurements, the study collected required data from 268 responses of human resource and finance departments of SME firms and analyzed the data using linear regression and the result of ANOVA and coefficient values illustrated there is a positive significant effect of HRA on human capital efficiency, organization profitability and return on equity. This is evident that the SME firms in Saudi Arabia are aware of the benefits on HRA of the organization and the only concern is it needs rapid implementation initiatives from the management which is possible with wide awareness across the nation. However, there is no significant effect of HRA on return on assets. This study contributes to the SME firms, human resource departments, and managerial decision-makers to understand the HRA concept and its usefulness to a make positive difference in their financial statements. © 2021 by the authors; licensee Growing Science, Canada


Abstract— The histological, histochemical and ultrastructural features of fibrous lesions of the oral mucosa containing large, stellate mononuclear and multinucleated cells are described. The cell are present in a spectrum of hyperplastic lesions. The surrounding matrix is distinctive and the cells show myofibroblastic differentiation. These changes are not sufficiently characteristic or unusual in normal or pathological tissues to warrant separation of these lesions as a distinct entity or to include them within groupings of more specialized lesions. 1985 Australian Dental Association


Background: The high prevalence of overweight among Mexican children is of concern because obesity in scholar age increases the risk of obesity in adult life and has negative effects on health due to its association with chronic-degenerative illnesses, such as diabetes mellitus and heart diseases, which may be prevented with a proper nutrition and physical activity since early ages. Objectives: 1) To document the existence of the aggregation phenomenon of family overweight in a schoolchildren group in Mexico City; 2) to analyze the relationship between parental modeling and feeding habits and physical activity performed by the schoolchildren. Material and methods: Cross-sectional, observational and analytical study performed with a convenience sample of children aged between 9 and 11 years old (n = 212). Among children, overweight was diagnosed when their BMI (body mass index) was greater than the 85 percentile in the Must tables, while in the mothers a BMI greater than 25 kg/m 2 was used as cut-off point. Separate questionnaires were applied to children and their mothers through whom several variables of interest were observed. Both mothers and children were asked about modeling practices for feeding habits, physical activities and amount of time employed by the children watching TV. Children were also questioned about their alimentary preferences and their physical activities. Results: Overweight prevalence among all schoolchildren was 48.5%. Overweight prevalence among children whose mothers had a normal weight (BMI less than 24.99) was 35.2%, while prevalence for children whose mothers had overweight grades I and II were 59.7 and 62.2% respectively; the differences were statistically significant (χ 2 =13.08, p=0.001). Both the children's and the mothers' reports Articulo original


In the paper the idea of an evolutionary multi-agent system (EMAS) for multiobjective optimization is presented. Decentralized model of evolution employed in EMAS allows for effective approximation of the whole Pareto set, even if it consists of several disjoined parts. The introduced mechanism of crowd is described and its effects on the performance of the system are discussed. A control parameter called crowding factor indicates how the agents representing similar solutions behave in the system. Selected experimental results show the influence of the crowding factor on the quality of the solutions generated.


External quantum efficiency in solar cells based on junctions between PbSe quantum dots (QDs) and thin ZnO films is increased by replacing the ZnO films with a vertically oriented array of single-crystalline ZnO nanowires, and infiltrating this array with colloidal QDs. When illuminated with 100 mW/cm2 of simulated solar light, QD-nanowire solar cells exhibited power conversion efficiencies approaching 2%, approximately three times higher than that achieved with thin-film ZnO devices constructed with the same amount of QDs. Significant photocurrent and power conversion improvement with increasing nanowire length is consistent with higher exciton and charge collection efficiencies.


In Canada, peatlands are the most common type of wetland, but boundary delineation in peatland complexes has received little attention in the scientific literature. Typically, peatland boundaries are mapped as crisp, absolute features, and the transitional lagg zone—the ecotone found between a raised bog and the surrounding mineral land—is often overlooked. In this study, we aim (1) to advance existing approaches for detecting and locating laggs and lagg boundaries using airborne LiDAR surveys and (2) to describe the spatial distribution of laggs around raised bog peatlands. Two contrasting spatial analytical approaches for lagg detection were tested using five LiDAR‐derived topographic and vegetation indices: topography, vegetation height, topographic wetness index, the standard deviation of the vegetation's height (as a proxy for the complexity of the vegetation's structure), and local indices of elevation variance. Using a dissimilarity approach (edge‐detection, split‐moving window analysis), no one variable accurately depicted both the lagg‐mineral land and bog‐lagg boundaries. Some indicators were better at predicting the bog‐lagg boundary (i.e., vegetation height) and others at finding the lagg‐mineral land boundary (i.e., topography). Dissimilarity analysis reinforces the usefulness of derived variables (e.g., wetness indices) in locating laggs, especially for those with weak topographic and vegetation gradients. When the lagg was confined between the bog and the adjacent upland, it took a linear form, parallel to the peatland's edge and was easier to predict. When the adjacent mineral land was flat or sloping away from the peatland, the lagg was discontinuous and intermittent and more difficult to predict.


Populations of cellulose-degrading microorganisms were enumerated on a seasonal basis according to depth from Sediments inside and adjacent to a North Carolina Zostera marina seagrass bed. Anaerobic cellulose-degrading bacteria (ACD) but no aerobic cellulose-degrading bacteria or fungi were detected in sediment core samples. Late summer sediment cores generally had greater numbers of ACD bacteria inside (5.7 10 ACD g dry wt. sediment) than outside the seagrass bed (6.6 x l O ACD g" dry wt. sediment) and had significantly greater numbers of ACD bacteria than in corresponding winter sediment cores (9.3 x l O ACD g" dry wt. sediment). Fall sediment cores generally had greater numbers of ACD bacteria inside (7.6 x 10 ACD g~ dry wt. sediment) than outside (1.2 x l O ACD g" dry wt. sediment) the seagrass bed. Late spring core samples only showed significantly higher numbers of ACD bacteria in 0—3 cm subcores inside the seagrass bed (7.5 x l O ACD g' dry wt. sediment). With few exceptions, there was little significant difference in the number of ACD bacteria with depth (0—15 cm). Root-rhizosphere sediment samples (roots with clinging sediment) contained the greatest number of ACD bacteria for all seasons with a maximum in the late summer (2.8 x 10 ACD g" dry wt. sediment). ACD bacteria arising from spores from root-rhizosphere sediment were a small percentage of the total population of ACD bacteria for all seasons sampled. Isolates were tentatively identified äs belonging to the genera Bacteroides and Clostridium.


Directed at the existing problems of the mineral processing technological flowsheet in Xinjiang Ashele copper Mine,the technological transformation and renovation were conducted by means of preferential flotation of copper,stirring de-reagent,the middlings regrinding,and optimization of reagent combination,pulp density and fineness of grinding,effective recovery of copper and zinc was achieved.Production practice indicated that after completation of the technological transformation,the grade of copper concentrate can reach 22.20% with a recovery of 93.25%,the grade of zinc concentrate is 53.62% with a recovery of 50.76%.


T he Psychoanalytic Model of the Mind is a book dedicated by Dr. Elizabeth L. Auchincloss to her students. She describes the book as "the result of a course by the same name that I have taught to students in the Department of Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical School since 1987" (p. xxiii). Its goal: "to explain how the psychoanalytic model of the mind works and how it contributes to the care of people with mental suffering" (p. xv). The psychoanalytic model is then described as "the most complex model of mental functioning ever invented for clinical purposes" (p. xv). This book is a clear, coherent, and creative work that first explains and then integrates different schools of psychoanalytic thought in a language that is understandable to new students of psychodynamic theory. Dr. Auchincloss presents to the reader a historical unfolding of our current psychodynamic understanding of the mind, while contextualizing it with other points of view, including neurobiological, cognitive, and cultural perspectives. The book opens by asking basic questions such as: "What is Psychoanalysis?" (p. 4) "What is a Model?" (p. 5), and "Why Do We Need a Model of the Mind?" (p. 7). At times it reads like a story: it points out that the psychodynamic model is young, and that its birth was contemporary with the discovery that the basic unit of brain structure is the neuron. It tells the story of how around that time, Sigmund Freud, a curious neurologist and neuropathologist, was struggling to treat the debilitating symptoms of what was then called hysteria, a poorly understood condition. In attempting to


This paper begins by deening annotation systems as hypertext systems that allow their users to link new nodes to existing hyperdocu-ments, and so extend the original for future users. The paper brieey describes the historical development of annotation systems form Van-nevar Bush to the WorldWide Web. Twelve characteristics which help deene and diierentiate annotation systems are then discussed. These twelve characteristics are then used as a tool for reviewing a number of annotation systems. The annotation systems reviewed are three WorldWide Web based systems (Futplex HyperNews and WDA), two commercial systems (FirstClass and Lotus Notes) and three systems designed as educational tools (CLARE, CSILE and Mole). A table is presented which summarises the reviewed systems, followed by concluding remarks.


The implementation of Community Service is intended to provide socialization to the community about the existence of various MSME business opportunities and the creative economy during the time when the Covid-19 pandemic ended. The main target of this Community Service is the community or residents in Suci Village, Karangpawitan District, especially those affected by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. This PKM activity was carried out to share knowledge about various business opportunities in times of crisis, as well as to distribute information related to the socialization that was carried out. With the socialization program for various MSME business opportunities and the creative economy post-Covid-19, it is hoped that the target community for this PKM activity will be aware of various MSME business opportunities and the creative economy to be used as motivation in an effort to take advantage of all available opportunities. Campus academics are also expected to become a source of knowledge, liaison or interface with MSME stakeholders and become a center of excellence in MSME business development through the creative economy.


The article reflects what young people are currently suffering from low wages, until various addictions which may suffer. It also shows how, young people has excluded from civil actions, keeping them in a "sleepy" mood. Moreover, young people have certain social disadvantage, sometimes they do not have the opportunity to study.


We present an efficient routing algorithm for quality-of-service (QoS) connections requiring deterministic end-to-end delay bounds. Such routing selects paths with enough resources to accommodate the connections and satisfies their QoS. We assume that the connection scheduling, connection admissibility and state advertisement at every node is based on the rate-controlled static priority (RCSP) algorithm. We provide conditions to efficiently find a path that satisfies the QoS constraints. The performance of the QoS routing algorithm can be seriously degraded if the states are outdated and/or has high advertisement overhead. We propose conditions coupled to the RCSP algorithm that provide efficient state updates.


As a major group of insects, locusts frequently cause agricultural damage, however, they have high economic value due to their rich nutritional content. In this paper, we systematically summarise the research results on the species, distribution, and functional composition of locusts in China over the past three decades and analyse the differences in research results in relation to experimental methods, locust species, and the experimental dates. In addition, we also introduce the methods for obtaining mass locusts, and discuss the edible, medicinal and feed usage of locusts, and prospect the exploitation of locust resources in order to provide a reference for locust-related research.


HUNCH is an instructional partnership between NASA and high school, intermediate school, and middle school students. This partnership benefits both NASA and students. NASA receives cost-effective hardware, while students receive real-world hands-on experiences. The results of this cooperation is the inspiration for the next generation of researchers and space explorers. Our team was comprised of seven members: Eli Rand, Nicholas Nolting, Jonathon Woods, Luke Goetsch, Paul D'Amico, Joey Dominski, and Daniel Barr. Each member of our team had designated roles within the group, but we all worked together to advance towards goals and meet deadlines.


Abstract Field observations indicated considerable loss of eggs of smallmouth bass and a high incidence of fungus infection in the nests in Cayuga Lake, New York, and tributaries. To investigate the possible effect of temperature changes on embryo survival, several tests were run using constant-temperature facilities at the Cornell University Insectary. In 1945, two trials were run raising the temperature of developing ova from 53° to 77° F., and no eggs were killed. During 1946, eggs developing at 65° F. were transferred at 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4 days following fertilization to 50° and 75° F. None of the eggs was adversely affected. The temperature changes took place within one-half hour. The mean incubation period was determined to vary from about 2 1/4 days at a constant temperature of 75° F. to nearly 10 days at 55° F. The observations presented lead to the conclusion that temperature changes in the ranges indicated are not directly responsible for the death of smallmouth bass embryos.


This article is too brief and lacks originality. The author does not propose any new methods or present new research findings. The article does not introduce the current research status, fails to provide experimental data, lacks sufficient experimental results, and lacks analysis and discussion of the results. It does not meet the standards of a research paper. This study does not make any contributions to academic research. Qeios, CC-BY 4.0 · Review, June 3, 2023


These studies are the continuation of previously conducted researches based on displacements of the Solina Dam. To support the monitoring of the dam, the EDF model were used. This model determines the dependence between displacements observed on the elements of the dam and the level of the upper water, cyclicality of temperatures and the impact of time. The use of model, in both the imaging of displacements of the Solina Dam and forecasts made for the benchmarks located on the crest of the dam, gave satisfactory results, therefore further analysis were undertaken. Displacement forecasting was made based on data from feeler gauges located at the pillars, retaining walls and four galleries. Analysis based on 4 different forecasting periods enabled for the conclusion that to obtain reliable forecasts, measurement data based on 10 years of operation with frequency of 1 per month is required. The use of such a comprehensive database allowed for the achievement of full compliance between modelled values and observed displacements within the established confidence intervals.


This commentary responds to the commentaries Appreciative Disagreements by J. Bardzell (Human-Computer Interaction), Usability and the Primacy of Practice by O.W. Bertelsen (Human-Computer Interaction), Usability—A Sensitizing Concept by M. Hertzum (Human-Computer Interaction), Usability and Theory Building by K. Hornbæk (Human-Computer Interaction), Usability in Vivo by S. Reeves (HumanComputer Interaction), Actionable Constructs for Practitioners by V. Roto (HumanComputer Interaction), and Usability in Theory and Practice by J. Stage (Human-Computer Interaction) on the article The Usability Construct: A Dead End? by N. Tractinsky (Human-Computer Interaction). I thank the commentary authors for their interest in the target article. The commentaries address diverse issues and seem to vary in their agreement with the article's basic tenets. However, for the most part, they also reflect a shared discomfort with various aspects of current usability research. The target article argued that research involving the usability construct has reached a dead end. I arrived at this conclusion following an analysis of two characteristics of research on this construct: its status as an umbrella construct and the unclear specification of the relation between the construct and its measures. In this response, I concentrate on what I believe are the most fundamental issues raised by the commentators, with more space naturally given to dissenting comments, rather than to those in agreement.


High-density biomass plantations have played a key role in the national energy landscape in Italy since the 1990s but, to date, an inversion of tendency and a significant reduction of cultivated areas has been noted. Despite this, the existing plantations have seen their coppicing rotation become significantly lengthened, resulting in large quantities of biomass per hectare. This study aimed to identify the best raw material suitable for pellet production using whole trees or stems without branches from poplar plantations at the end of the third, sixth and ninth year of age. All types of pellets made reach the requirements of class A1 for diameter, length, moisture content, ash melting point, lower heating value, as well as nitrogen (N), sulfur (S), and heavy metals. None of the theses satisfied the bulk density parameters while for ashes and mechanical durability, a great variability was observed according to the different raw materials used. An improvement in terms of heating value was observed by transforming the poplar wood chips refined into pellets. The pelletizing process using high density poplar plantation as a raw material highlights the possibility of obtaining a product that meets many of the quality standards required on the market. These aspects are closely related to the innovation carried out in the agro-forestry sector for effective energetic sustainability.


On the example of surgery of endonasal structures, taking the leading place in ENT-surgery, the organization of municipal hospital ENT-aid for public of Russia has been studied. Th e results of analysis of fulfi lled operations in the volume of endonasal correcting surgery (ECS) have been presented septoplastic (S) in deviation of septum and conchaeplastic (C) in conchae pathology and surgical treatment of rhinigenic orbital complication (ROC) and rhinogenic abscesses of the frontal brain lobe (RAFBL). Th e comparison of the results of operations conducted in accordance with confi rm standards and fulfi lled with application of new technologies has been conducted. Th e discrepancy of preoperative diagnosis and results of operation in fulfi llment of C, K and surgical treatment of ROC and RAFBL an accordance with the standards of ECS has been revealed. Th e possible causes of this discrepancy are discussed.


The active aggregations of small animals are often called "swarms." The term has been applied to the mass flight of workers and queen from a fissioning beehive, and to the dispersal flights of termite reproductives. Swarming in insects otherwise is generally a mating activity characterized by pair formation in flight. There is great variation among insect mating swarms with regard to the degree of aggregation. Most swarms fit into one of two classes, which are the extremes of a continuum. In one class, males fly throughout an area of female availability and are, more or less, evenly spaced. In the other, males are strongly clumped within a small portion of the volume where females are available and they tend to fly at a station for a prolonged period. I use the modifer "dispersed" to refer to swarming of the first class, while the unmodified swarm is reserved for the second class. Gruhl (1955) proposed the terms "synhesmia" and "synorchesia" for the same purpose. The adoption of particular terms by other workers is not as desirable as is a general realization that there are important behavioral differences among various mating swarms, and that it is therefore often worthwhile to describe swarms in considerable detail. Dispersed swarming describes situations in which males individually search for and pair with females while in flight and in sufficient density that someone has called the phenomenon a "swarm." This activity occurs in areas where females are emerging, feeding, ovipositing, or dispersing when flight is integral to these pursuits. Males of some mayflies and caddisflies fly in great numbers over water and shoreline vegetation where females are emerging or resting, and intercept females as they fly (e.g. Needham et al. 1935, Solem 1978). Mass mating flights of ants may be synchronized over a large area (Sudd 1967). The "swarms" of lovebugs, Plecia nearetica (Bibionidae), seem to be dispersed swarms (Thornhill 1980a) . Small dense swarms of the second variety occupy a volume of a cubic meter or so and usually keep station with reference to some object. This object, the "swarm marker" (Downes 1969), generally has no value to the swarming species except its use in swarming, but flying males of some species may aggregate at resources where females may predictably occur, such as the hosts of blood feeding flies (e.g. Gubler and Bhattacharya 1972). Swarms may be closely spaced or separated by hundreds of meters, but in any case the greatest part of the volume within which females fly has a very low male density in comparison to the swarms. The process of assembly at a marker occurs in many insect species that do not mate in flight. Shields (1967) provides an extensive review of hilltopping behavior, which is the best known form of the phenomenon.


The International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility (IFMIF) requires generation, by a linear accelerator (linac), of 250 mA continuous current of deuterons at a nominal energy of 35 MeV, with provision for operation at 30 MeV and 40 MeV. Our basic approach is to provide two linac modules, each delivering 125 mA to a common target for a total of 10 MW of continuous beam power. The deuterons would be stripped in a molten lithium target to two neutrons, with a neutron energy spectrum peaked at /spl sim/14 MeV as would be found in a fusion device.


Let $I$ be the toric ideal defined by a $2\times n$ matrix of integers, $$\mathcal{A}= \left(\begin{array}{cccc} 1&1&\ldots&1\\ a_1&a_2&\ldots&a_n\end{array}\right) $$ with $a_1 < a_2 < \ldots < a_n$. We give a combinatorial proof that I is generated by elements of degree at most the sum of the two largest differences $a_i-a_{i-1}$. The novelty is in the method of proof: the result has already been shown by L'vovsky using cohomological arguments.


A manuscript of late seventeenth-century English harpsichord music was sold to an anonymous private collector at Sotheby's in London on 26 May 1994 for £276,500, a record price paid for any British music manuscript. The 85-page oblong quarto, in its original covers, includes 21 pieces in the hand of Henry Purcell (1659–95), five of which were previously unknown, and a further 17 works by Giovanni Battista Draghi (c.1640–1708), also probably autograph, four of which were previously unknown. The manuscript is important because of the rarity of Purcell autographs: this is the first to be sold at public auction since the great collection of fantazias and sonatas (now British Library, Add. MS 30,930) was offered in 1826, and the only major source to surface this century.


We have been developing an excavation robot for lunar subsurface investigations. The robot locomotion is based on the peristaltic crawling of an earthworm, which enables stable movement. The robot comprises three units: propulsion, excavation, and discharging units. In our previous research, we demonstrated that the propulsion and excavation units can excavate down to 650 mm without the discharging unit. However, when all three units were incorporated into the robot, excavation was limited by soil dropping from the discharging unit. To overcome this problem, we developed a novel soil circulating system. This paper presents the new system and experimentally verifies its feasibility. Finally, the contribution of the proposed system is confirmed in an excavation experiment. The robot's performance was remarkably improved by the system, and its excavation depth increased to 938 mm.


Designing successful negotiation protocols for particular negotiation scenarios is a very challenging task. Negotiations not only have to cope with strategic behavior by the negotiators but also with restricted and false centrally available information. Recent research covers this design problem and proposes a variety of potential procedures. However, there is no single protocol that is the answer to everything. Furthermore, the protocol choice can have a significant influence on the outcome of the negotiation. Since there is no benevolent mechanism designer in real-worlds applications, the negotiators have to find an agreement on the rules of encounter on their own. In consequence of self-interest, the protocol search constitutes a negotiation problem in itself. This paper introduces and discusses the problem of metanegotiation. A metanegotiation represents a higher-level negotiation for a protocol which is used for an underlying lower-level negotiation. To support the parties in finding adequate protocols, we present an architecture for a metanegotiation support system (MNSS). The MNSS comprises different tools such as logs, repositories, or analytical tools that can also serve as a stand-alone decision support system for the agents. The framework features ex ante and live support, protocol selection and generation, and different learning approaches. Moreover, we develop preliminary classifications for negotiation scenarios as well as protocol rule categories and show how related tools from literature can be integrated in the system. Finally, we give an overview on how we intend to approach the presented problem in future work.


Vocabulary is always considered to be a very important component of second language learning by learners and classroom teachers. As speakers of a second or foreign language, we have all had the experience of not having the words and phrases we needed to express our thoughts and ideas adequately, in the way that we can in our first language. Nevertheless, the study of second language vocabulary learning went somewhat out of fashion in the 1970s and 1980s among applied linguists and language educators, during the time when the communicative approach to language teaching was very influential. This situation has changed to a large extent since the 1990s, with a wealth of books, articles and research reports being published on various aspects of vocabulary acquisition. A similar pattern can be seen in the development of tests to measure the vocabulary knowledge of language learners. There has been a renewed interest in different types of vocabulary test over the last ten years. However, in some respects vocabulary testing has not kept up with our changing view of the role of vocabulary in communicative performance. One observation I made recently in writing a review of vocabulary research over the last five years (Read, 2004) is that the focus of most published work is still on learners' knowledge of, and ability to use, individual words. This is obviously a core element of vocabulary study but it needs to be reconciled with two important trends in our field: one is the widespread adoption of communicative tasks as a key element in the design of both curricula and tests, under the influence of the communicative approach to language teaching; and the other is the increasing recognition of the extent to which multi-word lexicalised sequences play a role in ordinary language use. This means that we need tests not only to measure knowledge of words in isolation but also the learners' ability to use their vocabulary in a broad sense for various communicative purposes. In this paper, I want to explore the implications of these two trends for our understanding of the nature of L2 vocabulary assessment and how it should be carried out.


Research published today in Science Advances has identified a specific pattern of gene activity in areas of the brain that are most vulnerable to the damage caused by Alzheimer's disease, even in young, healthy brains.


We present the results from numerical and theoretical investigations of rotating Rayleigh–Bénard convection for relatively large dimensionless rotation rates, 170 < Ω < 274, and a Prandtl number of 6.4. Unexpected square patterns were found experimentally by Bajaj et al. (Phys. Rev. Lett., vol. 81, 1998, p. 806) in this parameter regime and near threshold for instability in the bulk. These square patterns have not yet been understood theoretically. Sánchez-Álvarez et al. (Phys. Rev. E, vol. 72, 2005, p. 036307) have found square patterns in numerical simulations for similar parameters when only the Coriolis force is included. We performed detailed numerical studies of rotating Rayleigh–Bénard convection for the same parameters as the experiments and simulations. To better understand these patterns, we compared the effects of the Coriolis force as well as the centrifugal force. We also computed the coefficients of the amplitude equation describing one-, two- and three-mode bulk solutions to rotating Rayleigh–Bénard convection. We find that squares are unstable, but we do find stable limit cycles consisting of three coupled oscillating amplitudes, which can superficially resemble squares, since one of the three amplitudes is rather small.


Learning Objectives: A 32-year-old female with past medical history of Glanzmann Thrombasthenia (GT) presented from an outside hospital with severe anemia. Methods: Hgb at outside facility was 1.9. She received 15 units of PRBC and 10 units of platelets prior to transfer. Upon arrival she was pale, diaphoretic, dizzy and tachycardic. Tagged RBC scan demonstrated active bleeding within the jejunum. GI was consulted and performed EGD with unsuccessful clip placement and epinephrine injection. Patient was diagnosed with acute hemorrhage secondary to angiodysplasia of the colon. She was placed on IV Protonix, continuous infusion of NovoSeven (rVIIa) and transexemic acid. During her hospital stay required another 20 units of PRBC for a total of 35 units. On day 9 of her admission she had four tonic clonic seizures secondary to NovoSeven requiring intubation. Patient was placed on continuous electroencephalogram (EEG) and neurology was consulted. After thorough chart review it was determined that NovoSeven was the causative agent. NovoSeven was held with cessation of seizure activity. However, due to continued bleeding was restarted with recrudescence of tonic clonic seizures which were treated with propofol. During her admission, the patient ultimately received a total of 1285 mg, or 214 doses, of NovoSeven. Due to the profound number of transfusions that she required she developed pulmonary edema and eventually progressed to renal failure. CRRT was initiated but was unsuccessful secondary to frequent clotting of CRRT filter. Patients treatment plan became complicated by her concomitant need for dialysis and NovoSeven. Despite aggressive treatment her prognosis continued to deteriorate and after a prolonged period of intubation her health care power of attorney decided to transition to comfort care. Results: Glanzmann's thrombasthenia (GT) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder that results in impaired platelet function due to abnormalities in the platelet fibrinogen receptor glycoproteins (GP) IIb/IIIa. As a result, these individuals tend to have prolonged bleeding time, abnormal clot retraction, and lack appropriate platelet aggregation. safe, effective ways to control acute bleeding in these patients is imperative to survival. Here we describe a rare adverse reaction to NovoSeven, a relatively new drug used to aid clot formation in acute hemorrhage.


The title complex, [Ni(C 2 H 8 N 2 ) 2 (C 5 H 5 N) 2 ](NO 3 ) 2 , consists of an Ni II atom in a pseudo-octahedral coordination environment composed of two pyridine donors in a cis arrangement and four primary amine donors from two ethylenediamine ligands. The cations pack in layers held together via a network of N-H...O hydrogen bonds and close intermolecular interactions with the anions.


ABSTRACT Background Patients with substance use disorders are at high risk for suicidal ideas and behaviors. Prevention of suicide among these patients should be a public health priority. Objective The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence and correlates of suicidal ideas and suicide risk among patients with substance use disorders. Methods This study included 100 patients with substance use disorders who sought treatment at Zagazig University hospital, Egypt. All participants were interviewed using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition-Text-Revised and rated by Beck Suicide Scale. Drug-related problems were assessed using the Arabic version of Addiction Severity Index. Urine screen for drugs was done for all patients participated in the study. Results Twenty-seven percent of the patients with substance use disorders had suicidal ideas, 22% had suicide risk, and 9% had history of suicidal attempts. Females were 5 times more likely to have suicide risk than males. Unemployed patients were three times more likely to have suicide risk than employed or skilled workers. There was an association between suicide risk and heroin use and alcohol dependence and patients with positive family history of suicide. . Conclusions Suicidal ideas and suicide risk were common among patients with substance use disorders. Female gender, unemployment, heroin use, and alcohol dependence and positive family history of suicide were predictors of suicide ideation and risk in patients with substance use disorders.


Plastic deformation introduces internal stresses in the crack tip region that modify crack growth (direction and kinetics). Therefore, fatigue crack propagation models for metallic materials have to care about history effects. A model was developed for mode I fatigue crack growth under variable amplitude loading conditions. The purpose of this work is to extend it for a 316L steel which contained both isotropic and kinematic non-linear hardening. To identify the parameters of the model, a multiscale approach is used to transpose local results obtained using FE simulations of crack tip cyclic plastic deformation at the global scale. Several experiments were made using potential drop as a measurement of crack tip propagation and also Digital Image Correlation (DIC) which allows us field measurement. SEM fractographies were also performed to determine the fatigue crack growth rate at a local scale. The 316L steel displays cyclic hardening, which is then also found at the global scale. A direct consequence of this is an increase of the overload retardation effect with the number of consecutive overloads. This effect is found both using FE simulations and in the experiments, under mode I conditions.


Objectives: In an effort to decrease the frequency of postoperative positive surgical margins (+SM), a modified extrafascial radical prostatectomy technique was developed and evaluated.Methods: 402 consecutive radical prostatectomy specimens removed for clinical stage T2 cancers from 1987 to 1994 were histologically examined prospectively for tumor volume, extraprostatic extension and +SM. Surgical technique modification was introduced in 1990. We compared the histologic status and biological outcome of the prostatectomy cases in 1987–1989 (n = 166) to those treated from 1990 to 1994 (n = 236).Results: The two series were comparable in (1) clinical stage and preoperative (PSA, (2) tumor volume, grade and location, and (3) capsular penetration, seminal vesicle and lymph node status. +SM fell from 32 to 25% overall, but for 146 (36%) prostates with a tumor volume <2 cm3, +SM fell from 21 to 6% which was statistically significant. Outcome measured by biological progression showed a decrease from 33% for +SM to 13% for –SM for cases with a tumor volume <2 cm3. For cancer volumes >2 cm3, the incidence of +SM did not vary significantly. We describe the anatomic details necessary for exposure of periprostatic fascias and extrafascial dissection at (1) the prostatourethral junction which ensures wide excision of the anterior and apical aspect of the prostate, (2) the posterior and apical area (development of the prerectal space), lateral and posterior areas at the base of the prostate which ensures wide excision of the rectoprostatic fascia (Denonvilliers's fascia) and lateral prostatic fascia.Conclusions: Differences in surgical technique probably accounted for the significant decrease in +SM for those T2 cancers with volumes ≤2 cm3 which represents 36% of the T2 cancers in our series. Recent screening with PSA (T1c cancers) increases the incidence of these cancers ≤2cm3. This modified uni– or bilateral anatomic extrafascial prostatectomy with improved +SM and biological progression rates for T2 cases should be evaluated for T1c cases.


A new transfer alignment algorithm was presented for normal navigating and campaigning of military aircraft in polar regions.The rapid convergence of the Earth's meridians makes it difficult to establish true heading at high latitudes.To solve the problem,a grid technique was employed,and the grid mechanization equations and error equations were derived by using the technique.A velocity plus position matching Kalman filter was designed to estimate and correct the slave inertial navigation system's velocity,attitude and inertial sensor errors.Simulation results show that the algorithm could achieve 5' alignment accuracy in less than 5 s by only requiring a brief wing-rock maneuver without time-consuming heading changes,and provide a combat capability for military aircraft in polar regions.


Microscopical examination of the scrapings from the hand revealed fungi, but unfortunately no attempt at culture was made. When the crusts had been removed several kerion lesions the size of a shilling were seen and a diagnosis of "cattle ringworm" was made, although there was no apparent source of infection. The kerion phase settled down, but was followed by the appearance of yellowish perifollicular crusts found to contain masses of fungi. The picture was that of favus, but there was no fluorescence under Wood's light. Culture at this stage produced a colony which was identified as T. violaceum. In view of this finding x-ray epilation was carried out, and appears to have been completely successful. Inquiry into a possible source of infection brought to light an Indian school friend, who was persuaded to attend for examination. She has subsequently been proved to be suffering from T. violaceum infection (Case 2) and was the apparent cause of infection. Case 2.-A 10-year-old Indian girl had come to this country six years previously. On examination all that was found were five or six small scars, and a little fine scaling over the vertex of the scalp. There were no broken hairs, no crusts, and no fluorescence under Wood's light. The scaling, however, was in definite patches and was not quite typical of dandruff. Microscopical examination of scales and hairs on three ocrasions failed to show any fungi, but eventually one of numerous cultures made produced a typical colony of T. violaceum. Mother, father. and baby brother were examined without anv abnormality of the scalp being discovered. The question of treatment is still undecided at the time of writing because of various racial problems. Commnent.-T. violaceum infections of the scalp apparently present themselves in very varied clinical appearances. The Indian girl showed lesions of superficial scaling of a degree which might have passed unnoticed, whilst the British girl developed favus and kerion-like lesions. I think it can be assumed that the British girl was infected by the Indian, and it seems probable, in view of the fact that other members of the Indian family were not infected, that she herself was infected in India.


The Mesozoic era (~252—66 Ma) is traditionally considered as a prolonged greenhouse period, witnessing the breakup of the Pangaean supercontinent. Orbital cycles have, for example, been invoked as drivers of e.g. Pangaean „Megamonsoon“ variability and eustatic sea level cycles in the Mesozoic.

We aim to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of orbital effects on Mesozoic climates by employing the newly developed CLIMBER-X Earth System Model. Here, we primarily use its coupled atmosphere, ocean, sea ice and vegetation modules, but also include preliminary tests with dynamic carbon cycle and ice-sheets. We present first results from a set of transient climate simulations of four Mesozoic timeslices representative for Triassic, Jurassic, Early Cretaceous and Late Cretaceous boundary conditions (e.g. paleogeography and solar luminosity). The simulations each cover ~100,000 years and are driven by changing precession, obliquity, and eccentricity.

We would like to use the opportunity to discuss this approach and associated questions with the community. For example: Would changing paleogeography and climate background state have modified the response to orbital forcings? Could eustatic sea level cycles have been caused by orbitally-driven redistribution of water between the ocean and land water storages or should orbitally-forced ice sheets also have played a role in the alleged Mesozoic greenhouse? Which connections can be established to proxy records?


Contents: Introduction Wandering knights: romance at court Sidney's Arcadian expectations Errant scholars: the travails of mercenary printing The tales of 'Robin Greene' Deviant women: fiction in other hands 'Dancing in a net': Mary Wroth's Urania Afterword Selected works cited Index.


We present novel elementary proofs of Stirling's approximation formula and
 Wallis' product formula, both based on a Gautschi's inequality for the Gamma
 function.


Bayesian networks (BNs) are widely used graphical models usable to draw statistical inference about network structures. We present here Graph sampler a fast free C language software for structural inference on BNs. Graph sampler uses a fully Bayesian approach in which the marginal likelihood of the data (the data prior predictive distribution) and prior information about the network structure are considered. Inference on continuously valued BNs is treated as a Gaussian regression problem where the regressands are children nodes and the regressors their parents. Normal-gamma or Zellner likelihoods can then be used. For the discrete case a Dirichlet-multinomial model is available. A MetropolisHastings algorithm with fast jump kernel is used to sample graphs from their joint posterior distribution. The source C code distributed is very compact, fast, uses low memory and disk storage. We also reviewed the key features and working environment of other available software. As an illustration we compared the performance of our code to that of Structmcmc, a R package, using simulated data sets for graphs of 5 to 120 nodes. Our results show that Graph sampler is time ecient in identifying the underlying network and is time ecient. Several problems that arise when using Zellner priors are discussed. The relative weights of prior and likelihood are also discussed.


The invention discloses an imitation pistol shrimp explosion hearth catapult which is a dapper aircraft catapult, does not need external power and needs power generated by heating a hearth and a flow guide plate during aircraft starting only. The hearth is filled with high-temperature high-pressure gas to close two doors to form a sealed hearth. In the sealed hearth, an explosion occurs under the action of flame ejected by an aircraft, high-pressure steam and closure of imitation pistol shrimp pincers while closure of the two doors, so that the aircraft takes off with the assistance of the catapult.


Oxygen atom transfer from pyridine N-oxides (PyO) to triphenylphosphine is catalyzed by MeReO(mtp)PPh3, 1, where mtpH2 is 2-(mercaptomethyl)thiophenol, at a rate given by v = kc[1][PyO]2/[PPh3]. When, however, other nucleophiles N are added, the rate law becomes v = kN[1][PyO][N]/[PPh3], and values of kN correlate with the nucleophilic strength of the added cocatalyst N.


The present study aimed to investigate the chemical composition of essential oil (EO) and the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of methanol extract (Me-OH), ethyl acetate extract (ETOAC) and EO of B. carteri resin. Using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), 40 components were identified in B. carteri resin essential oils, and the most abundant components were, verticiol (14.48 %), isobutylcyclopentane (12.25 %) and n-octyl acetate (9.20 %). The Me-OH extract exhibited the highest antioxidant activity using DPPH radical scavenging, Fe chelating and the reducing power assays compared to ETOAC extract and EO. Also, the Me-OH extract showed the highest antimicrobial activity against all the tested bacterial and yeast microorganisms compared to ETOAC extract and EO. The Me-OH and ETOAC extracts exhibited the highest antimicrobial activity against Streptococcus faecalis, Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus circulans with MIC value 25μg/ml. In conclusion, Me-OH and ETOAC extracts as well as EO of B. carteri resin may be considered as a natural source for antimicrobial and antioxidant agents and could be used for application in pharmaceutical and food industries.


It CONSISTS OF A dosage form (20) to release a drug (26) to an environment of use, comprising: A) a wall (22) that includes at least a part a composition permeable to the passage FLUID AND SUBSTANTIALLY impermeable to the passage of the drug (26), surrounding and defining said wall; B) a compartment (25); C) a dosage amount of a drug in a compartment; YD) output means (23) in the wall of the dosage form LAYING IN CONNECTION COMPARTMENT (25) with the exterior of the dosage form to release the drug (26) of the dosage form; Characterized BY E) means for producing a biologically acceptable GAS (27) inside the compartment, said means comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable GAS is released by controlling means (28); Characterized by C) a dosage amount of a drug selected from antiinflammatory ACID ACILCARBOXILICO enol or acid, both anti-inflammatory drugs FOUND IN THE COMPARTMENT (25); AND D) means (27) to produce gaseous carbon dioxide in the compartment, SUCH AN UNDERSTANDING polymer film (28) surrounding a member selected from a carbonate and bicarbonate.


As they are really difficult to predict, simulating tsunamis is an important task in estimating their impact. This simulation should be well connected to a previous earthquake simulation. For the earthquake simulation tool SeisSol and the tsunami simulation tool sam(oa)2 this connection is currently quite poor, as SeisSols output format doesn't match the input requirements of sam(oa)2. This thesis aims to resolve this issue by converting SeisSols triangular mesh to sam(oa)2s rectangular grid. This conversion is done via integral over the original data for the rectangles area. The result is a program with a low runtime that provides a conversion with high accuracy and enables precise simulations of possible tsunamis.


Controversial questions of safety and ethics have surrounded use of recombinant DNA techniques from the beginning. This book takes a historical perspective on the issue, examining the public policy, political, and international aspects of the debate and presenting the views of scientists, industry, and the press. It emphasizes how lessons learned from the experience can be used to cope with similar issues in the future.


Almost everything you need to know about guidelines is covered in this week's issue: where to find them, how to create them, and when to ignore them. You might imagine that the Medical Defence Union's Paul Colbrook advocates sticking to guidelines in all cases. If so you'd be wrong. A doctor's first duty is to look after a patient's best interests, and that might mean deviating from normal good practice. However you'll …


A 24-node, 64-degree-of-freedom, solid hexahedronal finite element is used to analyze the interlaminar free edge stresses and delamination of composite laminated plates. The difficulty due to the requirement of large storage space which is frequently encountered in the modeling of contoured delamination problems is resolved by using the preconditioned conjugate gradient method. One of the advantages of this method is that there is no need to store the fill-in elements in the stiffness matrix decomposition process, which leads to a significant reduction in storage space required, thereby making the numerical analysis of the complicated contoured delamination problem feasible as well as effective. To evaluate the accurateness of the present formulation, numerical algorithm and computer program, free edge stress analyses are performed for a [0/901 cross-ply and a [+ 45], angle-ply laminated plate. Both plates are subjected to an axial tensile strain loading. The present three-dimensional results are found to be in good agreement with those obtained using an alternative quasi-three-dimensional methods. To further demonstrate the applicability of the present development, the strain energy release rate of a [+25/90], graphite-epoxy rectangular laminated plate subjected to tensile strain is studied. Two initial delaminations are assumed to be located in the midspan of the two opposite free edges and also at the middle of the thickness. The delamination contour is assumed to be a straight line segment joined by two circular arcs. The strain energy release rates along the delamination front are calculated using the modified crack closure method. As a step beyond the solution using quasi-3D assumption, the present results show the non-uniform distribution of mode I strain energy release rate G1 along the boundary of the delamination front which fluctuates to a maximum value when approaching both ends at the free edge of the laminate.


Globalization has improved technological advancement in communication and information sharing. This drives market growth into digital settings that goes beyond geographical restriction. In order to survive the competition, organization should adapt by managing their business process virtually. This situation leads to the formation of virtual team, that are more likely to be exposed by multicultural interaction. This study examined journals articles, published from 2016 to 2020, about the relationship between virtual and multicultural team through a systematic literature review. We analyzed 40 articles and identified the nomological map of knowledge and gap in the context of virtual and multicultural team. The majority of the studies selected were empiric qualitative from various context. The reviewed studies indicated that virtual team activities, such as dispersed team members, crowdsourcing and outsourcing the project to freelancers, should be followed by high multicultural communication competency and intelligence, mediated by integrative systems and virtual team leadership. Afterwards, we built a conceptual model based on multicultural team characteristics to enhance virtual team performance.


The colour of rhodochrosite is pale light pink when pure, but commonly it is pale pink, dark pink, purple, reddish brown and brown in natural crystals. In the Yakumo mine, colour of rhodochrosite crystallizing in the early stage is pale or dark pink, or rarely purple, and the saturation is pale, while those crystallizing in the later stage are variable from reddish pink to reddish dark orange(brown) in colour, and the saturation is deep. It is remarkable that the former is almost free from iron component, whereas the latter always contains about 10 percent of FeO.


Wild boar (Sus scrofa) is one of the most challenging mammalian species to manage in the wild because of its high reproductive rate, population density, and lack of predators in much of its range. A recent outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) and the transmission into domestic pigs in commercial farms empower the necessity of establishing management strategies of the wild boar population in the northern region of South Korea. A population genetic study, including the dispersal distance estimation of wild boars, is required to prepare fine-scale population management strategies in the region. In this study, both population structure analysis and dispersal distance estimation based on kinship were conducted using 13 microsatellite markers. The results revealed a high level of genetic diversity compared to a previous study. The population was not structured obviously, but there was a slight level of genetic differentiation between groups mainly formed by isolation by distance rather than mountain ridges. The dispersal distance estimation of Korean wild boars based on kinship analysis showed a philopatric pattern in females. However, extensive dispersal ability in both sexes was observed with a considerable proportion. The population genetic status and dispersal traits of wild boars may provide valuable data for planning detailed ASF and wild boar population management strategies in South Korea.


Due to the influence of scatterers around the receiving antenna, the multipath signal in satellite mobile communication systems is correlated with each other which would influence the system performance. There is no systematic standard on the channel modelling of the wideband satellite channel at present, so the study of the modelling of the wideband satellite channel is of great importance. In this paper, firstly we created a multi-beam model which can figure out the antenna gain of the nth component beam. Secondly, we combined the characteristics of multi-beam satellite channel and the distribution of the scatterers, and set up a three-dimension random channel model. This model is more realistic for satellite communication system since it considers the height of scatterers. According to the channel models, we had the formula of spatial correlation coefficient. We used the formula to calculate the relationship between spatial correlation coefficient and the interval of antennas. The result shows that the spatial correlation exists and cannot be ignored while modeling for mobile satellite system.


One of the most important criterion of forest fire occurrence probability is the ratio of coniferous vegetation area to total area of the forestry. The work develops method of automated analysis of dynamic of coniferous forest area on the basis of NDVI index received from the temporal ranges of Landsat images, as well as tests it on the example of a forestry in Baikal Region. Maps of summary results of carried out spatio-temporal analysis of the forestry area are shown. Developed method and algorithm of processing Landsat images allow assessing condition and dynamics of spatiotemporal changes in vegetation (forest) cover in the area of study.