ing fluidity increases crystal attachment, perhaps by permitting enhanced long-range molecular motion within the membrane, thus increasing the opportunity for the repeating molecular arrays of the crystal to attach. ADPKD may be complicated by cardiovascular disease, including hypertension, left ventricular hypertrophy, and cardiac valvular disease [4] . There may be an additional vulnerability to atherosclerosis in that subjects with ADPKD may have an increased prevalence of diabetes after kidney transplant [5] . This clinical finding, which does not appear to relate to total dose of prednisone or age, has a mechanistic support in studies that show insulin resistance in subjects with ADPKD and normal kidney function [6] . In addition to showing reduced glucose tolerance and higher baseline plasma insulin concentrations in ADPKD compared to normal controls, this work also showed decreased fluorescence anisotropy in the leukocytes of subjects with ADPKD compared to normal controls. In fact, insulin sensitivity was directly and significantly correlated to fluorescence anisotropy, and thus inversely correlated to membrane fluidity. This finding also occurs in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus [7] . Thus, the increased cell membrane fluidity of ADPKD could explain its association with glucose intolerance. The association of gout and uric acid nephrolithiasis with ADPKD is well known, but largely unexplained [8, Identification of polycystins 1 and 2 has marked an increasingly detailed understanding of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). So, too, have cellular studies advanced the mechanistic knowledge of cyst formation [1] . These and many other studies may result in useful therapies for ADPKD, but they do not explain other important aspects of ADPKD including its metabolic complications of gout, nephrolithiasis and impaired glucose tolerance. I propose that increased cell membrane fluidity occurs in ADPKD, and that it may explain many features of that condition ( fig. 1 ). Membrane fluidity denotes the intramembrane mobility of membrane-associated proteins. It may be measured by fluorescence anisotropy, which uses diphenylhexatriene or other fluorescent molecules as intramembrane probes. That enables a spectrofluorometer to test the physical properties of the tested material. Anisotropy, the property of differing physical behavior according to the direction and orientation of testing, is inversely related to fluidity in this setting. When within the cell membrane, the probe 'senses' the motion of lipid acyl side chains, thus showing fluidity. Thus, for example, there appears to be an inverse relation between red blood cell membrane cholesterol-to-phospholipid ratio and its fluidity [2] . Analysis of fluidity has been used to understand the attachment of calcium oxalate monohydrate crystals to kidney tubule epithelium cell membranes [3] . IncreasPublished online: December 13, 2007


We successfully demonstrate 1.0-Tb/s/λ 3840-km and 1.2-Tb/s/λ 1280-km long-haul transmissions in 4.2-THz full C-band 175-GHz-spaced WDM configuration with improving signal noise tolerance using 168-GBaud high-symbol-rate PCS-16QAM and PCS-36QAM signals generated by our AMUX-integrated frontend module. © 2022 The Author(s)


Abstract The paper focuses on the process of non-contacting kinetic energy accumulation at the dead-end positions of a reciprocating rectilinear motion with a variable stroke. It describes the development of a magnetic-mechanical accumulator that absorbs energy while the moving part is decelerating towards the dead-end position and releases the energy back to the system while it is accelerating from the dead-end position. At the same time, it enables stroke modification of a certain level with a minimal impact on the maximum force of the accumulator. With respect to the magneto-static analysis of components, the preload of the mechanical element has been set accordingly. The dynamic analysis of the system has been carried out and the prototype produced and tested on the testing rig.


In this article we consider methods for automatic query expansion from top retrieved documents (i.e., retrieval feedback) that make use of various functions for scoring expansion terms within Rocchio's classical reweighting scheme. An analytical comparison shows that the retrieval performance of methods based on distinct term-scoring functions is comparable on the whole query set but differs considerably on single queries, consistent with the fact that the ordered sets of expansion terms suggested for each query by the different functions are largely uncorrelated. Motivated by these findings, we argue that the results of multiple functions can be merged, by analogy with ensembling classifiers, and present a simple combination technique based on the rank values of the suggested terms. The combined retrieval feedback method is effective not only with respect to unexpanded queries but also to any individual method, with notable improvements on the system's precision. Furthermore, the combined method is robust with respect to variation of experimental parameters and it is beneficial even when the same information needs are expressed with shorter queries.


|Full Text: PDF (444 KB) 2. A tutorial on particle filters for online nonlinear/non-GaussianBayesian tracking Arulampalam, M.S.; Maskell, S.; Gordon, N.; Clapp, T. Signal Processing, IEEE Transactions on Volume 50, Issue 2, Date: Feb 2002, Pages: 174-188 Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/78.978374 Abstract |Full Text: PDF (355 KB) 3. A tutorial on hidden Markov models and selected applications inspeech recognition Rabiner, L.R. Proceedings of the IEEE Volume 77, Issue 2, Date: Feb 1989, Pages: 257-286 Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/5.18626 Abstract |Full Text: PDF (2272 KB) 4. A simple transmit diversity technique for wireless communications Alamouti, S.M. Selected Areas in Communications, IEEE Journal on Volume 16, Issue 8, Date: Oct 1998, Pages: 1451-1458 Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/49.730453 Abstract |Full Text: PDF (224 KB) 5. A Millimeter-Wave Circuit Technique Razavi, B. Solid-State Circuits, IEEE Journal of Volume 43, Issue 9, Date: Sept. 2008, Pages: 2090-2098 Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/JSSC.2008.2001878 Abstract |Full Text: PDF (1989 KB) 6. A Survey on Mobile WiMAX [Wireless Broadband Access] Bo Li; Yang Qin; Chor Ping Low; Choon Lim Gwee Communications Magazine, IEEE Volume 45, Issue 12, Date: December 2007, Pages: 70-75 Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MCOM.2007.4395368 Abstract |Full Text: PDF (112 KB) Top Articles http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/Xplore/toparticles.jsp (1 of 13) [11/3/2008 2:57:10 PM]


In primary rock mass, with high intact strength and a small or null presence of open discontinuities, the rock mass strength depends on the volumetric distribution and mechanical properties of veinlets filled with different minerals. Vein properties can be used to obtain an index for rock mass characterization and classification into geotechnical domains, or they may be used directly in wedge analysis or in complex numerical models. A mineralized vein presents shear and tensile strength. These properties were measured, and the scale effect was approached by using 150 mm diameter samples for direct shear and indirect tensile tests. Vein properties were also obtained from triaxial compression tests in 48mm diameter samples. The test methods used are analyzed and the values of the mechanical properties of veinlets per mineralogy are given


Background:Reconstruction of soft tissue defects in the lower third of the leg remains challenging. Anatomical constraints limit the number of local flap options, often necessitating microsurgical free tissue transfers to reconstruct defects in these areas. With an increased understanding of the perforator flap concept, we applied the propeller flap design based on the peroneal artery perforators to provide local flap coverage of different defects in this difficult region.Patients and Methods:Between 2002 and 2010, 16 peroneal artery perforator-based propeller flaps were performed for cover of different defects in the pretibial area (n=3), Achilles' tendon and/or hindfoot (n=7) and lateral malleolar area (n=6).Results:The length of the flap ranged from 7.5 to 28 cm, and the width from 3 to 8 cm. Perforator selection depended on the defect location and ranged from 4.5 to 22 cm above the tip of the lateral malleolus. Postoperative venous congestion was encountered in 6 propeller flaps. Most of the congestion subsided within days without complications, except two needed further reconstruction with skin grafts.Conclusion:Peroneal artery perforator-based propeller flaps are reliable and can be designed and harvested with ease. This flap is a good option for covering small defects in the lower third of the leg.


The equation about the loop maneuver of an aircraft in an inclined plane is derived.Its dynamic characteristics involved with speed and altitude,the influence of the inclined angle of the trajectory plane and load on it are also calculated and analyzed in this paper.The analysis shows that the results are correct.


Any readers who wish to submit reports for inclusion in this column should send a brief statement (250-500 words) to Earl J. Reeves, Research Editor, Midwest Review of Public Administration, University of Tulsa, 600 South College, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74104. Articles for the February, 1973 issue must be received by November 30, 1972.


We boost the performance of the Optimal Computing Budget Allocation (OCBA) algorithm, a widely used and studied algorithm for Ranking and Selection (as known as Best Arm Identification) under a fixed budget. The proposed fully sequential algorithms, OCBA+ and OCBAR, are shown to have better performance both theoretically and numerically. Surprisingly, we reveal that in a two-design setting, a constant initial sample size in a family of OCBA-type algorithms (including the original OCBA) only amounts to a sub-exponential or even polynomial convergence rate of the probability of false selection (PFS). In contrast, our algorithms are guaranteed to converge exponentially fast, as is shown by a finite-sample bound on the PFS.


Objective To study the effect of triple surgery in patients with cataract and glaucoma.Methods Combined triple surgery of non phaco small incision ECCE,IOL implantation and trabeculectomy were performed on 46 eyes of 42 cases with cataract and glaucoma.Results After follow up for 3 months,39 eyes had the best corrected visual acuity(BCVA)≥0.3(84.78%),41 eyes had the IOP 20.55 mmHg(89.73%) Conclusion The triple surgery had the advantadge of a small incision,little tissue injury,faster visual recovery,simply instruments and simply manipulation.The improve of visual acuity and IOP control were accomplished in one surgery.This surgery was suitable for substructure hospital.


Note: Proc. 14th Europ. Conference on Contr. Fusion and Plasma Phys., Madrid, Spain, June 1987, Vol. 11D, Part III, 1318 - 1321 (1987) Reference CRPP-CONF-1987-026 Record created on 2008-05-13, modified on 2017-05-12


Focusing on the results of the scientific base and the practice of sports, we have developed the concept of theoretical preparation in sport. It is consists of four hierarchical components: the preconditions level (athletes preparation system, pedagogical and training process guidelines), the basis level (theoretical preparation system, athletes preparation sections and stages of the long-term sports improvement), the implementation level (principles, tasks, functions, implementation provisions, methods, means, forms, implementation conditions, control and implementation and determining elements: separate athletes preparation sections and specified longterm training stages); the result level (cognitive, methodological, psychological, communicative and integral components). Based on the main principles of the concept, a theoretical preparation program in sport was developed and experimentally tested. Upon completion of experimental researches, was recorded an increase in the level of theoretical preparedness of athletes at the stage of the elementary training as a result of the use of a differentiated program developed on the basis of structurally significant units of the "Humanistic and socializing knowledge" section and game and competitive methods application (1.1-2.2 points, 56.1-69.6% at p <0.01). At the stages of preparation for higher achievements and maximum realization of individual opportunities as a result of the use of the differentiated program by means of information search and self-education, the level of theoretical preparedness of the participants in the experiment also increased (14.86-64.00%, p≤0,05). The substantiation of the organizational and methodological foundations of theoretical preparation in sports provides a qualitative construction of the system of athletes training in general. At the same time, the combination of knowledge about the social, cultural and biological unity of a person determines the importance of theoretical preparation as a component of improving the athletic skill and factor of socialization of the athlete.


The article deals with the management of socio-economic development of the subjects of the Russian Federation. It is shown that among the problematic and key issues is the use of strategic planning, including goal-setting and the choice of tools for the implementation of strategies. The analysis of the UN sustainable development Goals till 2030 and their comparison with the National development goals of the Russian Federation till 2024 is carried out. It is shown that sustainable development is a consequence of the use of complex system approaches based on strategic planning rather than individual tools.


The argon arc plasma was used to treatment acrylamide and the actived acrylamide was acted as ini-tiator to initiate the monomers of acrylamide and sodium acrylate copolymerization.The effects of initiation time and power,polymerization temperature,pH of the solution and post-polymerization time on water-absorption of the copo-lymer were investigated.After analysed experimental results,the obtained best process condition was initiation time of 90 second,initiation power of 50W,mole rate of AM to AANa of one,polymerization temperature of 30℃,the polymerization solution pH of 9 and polymerization time of 3 days,respectively,and in which conditon the water absorption rate can be up to 560g/g.


PURPOSE: A driving device for a robot cleaner is provided to prevent a driving wheel from racing on the floor by an obstacle by rotatably installing a motor housing at a cleaner body. CONSTITUTION: A driving device for a robot cleaner is composed of a cleaner body(100), a driving motor(110) installed at the cleaner body and transmitting power to driving wheels(140), a motor housing(120) coupled to the cleaner body by a hinge, and a pressing member(130). The pressing member is interposed between the cleaner body and the motor housing, and presses the motor housing. The cleaner body includes a lower frame(101), and a support bracket(102) coupled to the lower frame and rotatably supporting the motor housing. The support bracket includes a hinge support member(102a). The hinge support member is formed corresponding to rotary hinges(123) formed at the motor housing, and rotatably supports the rotary hinges. The driving motor is directly connected to the driving wheels. The motor housing has an upper housing(121) and a lower housing(122). The rotary hinges are installed at the upper and lower housings, respectively, and are vertical to a driving shaft of the driving wheel.


Finite difference solutions and observations have been presented for the flow of dilute suspensions of rigid, high aspect‐ratio fibers in Newtonian fluids through a 4:1 tubular contraction. The effect of flexibility of particles on the flow fields is also discussed from comparison of their configuration and entry flow patterns between rigid fiber suspensions and flexible molecule systems. For rigid fiber suspensions, the main flow patterns become nearly conical and the corner vortex length is almost independent of flow rate under the Reynolds number less than 0.1. On the other hand, for flexible molecule systems, the corner vortex rapidly grows with an increase in flow rate and the wine‐glass shaped flow with the convex vortex boundary also presents a striking contrast to the fiber suspension flows. Therefore, full discussion of the change in fiber or molecule configuration during flow seems most significant to understand the energy flow kinematics. Further, the computed stress fields clearly indicate tha...


The invention discloses digital TV playing control system and method based on Android. The system comprises a sensor module, a judging module and a playing control module. The sensor module is used for acquiring user data information based on an identifier. The judging module is used for judging status of a user in front of a TV set based on the user data information acquired by the sensor module. The playing control module controls playing of programs of the digital TV set based on the user status judged by the judging module. By the use of the digital TV playing control system and method based on Android, the digital TV set is low in consumption, electric energy consumption of playing TV can be economized; noise pollution caused by playing TV is reduced; and the service life of the digital TV set is prolonged.


It is well agreed that measurable residual disease (MRD) testing in acute leukemia patients following induction chemotherapy has profound prognostic implications. Flow cytometry is well suited to be the mainstay for MRD testing due to the heterogenous immunophenotypic and molecular natures of leukemia. Current flow cytometry MRD testing involves examination of more than 15 antigens, requiring multiple tubes to be run for each patient as current clinical flow cytometers are limited to examining 12 parameters per tube. Because multiple tubes are required, hematopathologists must infer antigen expression between tubes, which can be difficult. As MRD testing has such prognostic implications and defines treatment stratifications and outcomes, MRD testing requires very high sensitivity. While several groups have improved sensitivity by increasing the number of cells analyzed, we propose that increasing the antigenic targets in a single immunophenotyping assay will improve sensitivity by enhancing our ability to differentiate normal from abnormal hematopoietic cells. To test this, we utilized spectral flow cytometry, which allows for targeting more parameters with the same number of lasers for a single instrument. We developed a 23-color flow cytometry panel which was designed to thoroughly examine myelomonocytic differentiation and included multiple other antigenic targets which are known to be aberrantly expressed on leukemia cells. The panel also included a live-dead stain to exclude dead cells from analysis. All data was collected with a 3-laser Cytek Northern Lights spectral flow cytometer, which can analyze 10 million events in ~10 minutes. We tested this panel on more than 50 bone marrow aspirate samples, including normal samples, multiple myeloid leukemias, myelodysplastic samples, as well as more than 20 aspirate samples which also had MRD testing completed at a reference laboratory. Our results for MRD testing had excellent concordance with results from the gold-standard reference laboratory method. As our method only required one tube to be run per sample, we were routinely able to analyze at least 10 million cells per sample. Using in silico modelling from our data, we determined the sensitivity of our assay to be an average of 0.005% (range 0.002 – 0.015%) depending on the specific immunophenotype, when analyzing 10 million cells. As we examined all marker expression in a single tube, we were able to model sensitivity as if only 10-parameters were collected per tube and inference was required between tubes for analysis as is the current standard practice. We found that our 23-color assay was significantly more sensitive (p =0.02) compared to running multiple 10-color tubes and inferring between samples. Overall, higher parameter flow cytometric assays (>20 markers) allow for a more sensitive and robust MRD analysis than current gold-standard methods and should be explored for utilization in the clinical setting.


The notion of "co-modality" was introduced by the European Commission in 2006 as part of its new transport policy. It refers to the "efficient use of different modes on their own and in combination" for the purpose of achieving "an optimal and sustainable utilisation of resources" [55]. Unlike previous European transport policies, co-modality does not seek to oppose road transportation to its alternatives, but rather seeks to take advantage of the domains of relevance of different transportation modes and of their combinations to optimize services. In this thesis, we focus on developing new solution algorithms for variants of vehicle routing problems for city logistics systems arising in the wake of comodality. We were particularly interested in developing effective solution methods for selective variants of the vehicle routing problem and two-echelon variants. First, we address the Team Orienteering Problem with Time Windows (TOPTW), a selective variant of routing problems that takes into account customer availability. We propose an effective algorithm based on a neighborhood search that alternates between two different search spaces, and uses a long term memory mechanism to benefit from information gathered while exploring the search space, to solve the TOPTW. In the se cond part of this work, we deal with the Two-Echelon Vehicle Routing Problem (2E-VRP), a variant of the problem that introduces intermediate facilities, refered to as « satellites ». In a two echelon system, freight is first moved from the depot to the satellites using large trucks, and then delivered from the satellites to the customers using smaller vehicles. To solve the 2E-VRP, we introduce a novel algorithm that combines heuristic methods with mathematical programming techniques. Finally, we consider the Orienteering Problem with Hotel Selection (OPHS), another selective variant that shares similarities with the 2E-VRP, namely, the use of intermediate facilities called hotels. For this problem, we propose a new integer linear programming model, valid inequalities and a Branch-&-Cut solution method. Extensive experimentation on benchmark instances available in the literature demonstrate the competitiveness of our solution methods.


Abstract DSC and X-ray scattering studies of betaine phosphite, (CH3)3NCH2COO·H3PO3, single crystals have been made. The space group of Phase I (T > 355 K) and that of Phase III (T < 216K) are determined as P121/ml and P121 1, respectively, where the cell length of the c axis in Phases II and III are two times larger than that in Phase I. The crystal structure is determined at 373 K. in Phase I and at 173 K in Phase III. The phosphite molecules are disordered in Phase I.


The invariant cross sections for inclusive high pT π° production in αα, dd, and pp collisions have been measured in the central rapidity (y) region at the same center‐of‐mass energy per nucleon pair, √SNN=31 GeV. The transverse momentum range covers 3.5<pT<pT<9.0 GeV/c. The cross section ratio R (αα/pp) shows clearly the anomalous nuclear enhancement with 〈R〉=23.8+0.5 whereas the ratio R(dd/pp) shows no such enhancement and is roughly constant at 〈R〉 =3.7+0.1. The data will be compared with theoretical predictions.


METHODS: From August 1997 to May 2001, off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) was performed in 250 consecutive patients with multivessel disease. Ages ranged from 38 to 83 years (mean-age 59.9 years) and 62% of the patients were males. The main surgical indication was chronic coronary insufficiency (82%). The surgical approach was through median sternotomy in all patients. RESULTS:  Three (1.2%) patients needed cardiopulmonary bypass support. In the 247 remaining patients, we performed 592 grafts (mean 2.4 grafts/patient). The left internal thoracic artery was used in 198 (80.1%) patients, the right internal thoracic artery in 5 (2%) patients and the saphenous vein in all patients (100%). The most frequently revascularized coronary arteries were the anterior interventricular branch (89%) and the obtuse marginal (53%). The mortality rate was 4% and the main primary cause of death was myocardial infarction (1.2%). Twenty-three (9.3%) patients had major complications in the postoperative period. The mean hospital stay was 7.7 days. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, OPCAB can be safely performed in patients with multivessel disease, with low rates of postoperative complications.


Groundwater resource is vital for industrial, drinking and irrigation purposes in the Dagujia river basin, China. The objective of this work was to comprehensively assess the hydrochemical characteristics and evolution processes of the Quaternary aquifer (QA) and the bedrock aquifer (BA) of the basin using statistical methods and hydrochemical plots. In total, 56 groundwater samples were collected from the QA (34 samples) and BA (22 samples). In addition, statistical methods combined with the geographic information system were used to identify the hydrochemical parameters of groundwater, as well as its spatial distribution in the Dagujia river basin. The Piper diagram showed that Ca-Na-HCO3 was the dominant groundwater facies type, while nine QA samples collected near the coastal line showed the Na-Cl facies type. On the other hand, the Gibbs diagram showed that most samples fell in the rock dominance zone. The principal component analysis results showed that the water–rock interaction and anthropogenic activities are the controlling factors, which is consistent with the results obtained using other methods. The results of this study indicated that rock weathering controls the hydrochemical characteristics of groundwater, while anthropogenic contamination and sea water intrusion are becoming increasingly serious issues for both QA and BA in the Dagujia river basin. Therefore, both Quaternary and bedrock aquifers require more attention.


As numbers of graduates with impairments are actually decreasing, higher education access and study conditions are in need of improvement for students with sensory impairments in Switzerland. A survey was carried out in order to determine the status quo in higher education for Swiss deaf, blind, visually and hearing-impaired individuals. The current paper presents the survey, discusses methodological and technical issues and points out preliminary results concerning Swiss-German deaf and hearing-impaired individuals.


Morphological establishment of laboratory information management provides a better platform for morphological laboratory teaching and scientific research,morphology laboratory dynamic management and automatic operation can be achieved.Morphological laboratory information management system establishment,you can make the morphology laboratory full sharing of resources,rapid transfer of laboratory information,daily management of the laboratory to achieve paperless,greatly improve the efficiency of,the full sharing of laboratory resources.


Under the main Trás-os-Montes thrust plane, in the easternmost region of the Morais Allochthonous Complex, a geologic unit has been identified. It shows syn-tectonic S2-related andalusite blastesis, representative of low pressure thermal metamorphism. In the studied sector this metamorphism affects essentially the black slaty lithologies present in Neoproterozoic to Silurian formations. This kind of thermal metamorphism is easily distinguishable from the late to post S3 plutonic-related metamorphism, due to the existence of evidence of synkinematic mineral blastesis with rotation and boudinage, synchronously with S2 development. Syn-kinematic andalusite blastesis seems to affect only the autochthonous Central Iberian Zone rocks and it could be associated to crustal extensional phenomena like the ones identified in the Tormes Gneissic Dome. It is proposed that at least part of this andalusite blast generation could have a distinct origin, reflecting earlier low pressure thermal metamorphic events in inner Variscan orogen zones that were tectonically imbricated to present coordinates during the second Variscan phase. The vertical proximity of only a few hundred meters between extensional structures, to the East, and the compressive ones, to the West of the studied sector, could justify the presence of both preand syn-S2 andalusite blasts inside the above mentioned tectono-metamorphic unit. The kinematic criteria (top to SE) are consistent with the ones of the Variscan synorogenic extensional structures placed nearby to the SE, pointing to a possible genetic relation with those crustal thinning processes.


The purpose of this study was to utilize the organizational perspective of coupling to extend our understanding of effective schools as complex social systems. Part One of die study focused on the continued development and refinement of the Organizational Coupling Structure Inventorv-Teacher Form (OCSI-T) to measure coupling structure in schools (Logan & Ellett, 1989). Part Two of the study focused on the examination of key research questions that bear on understanding the coupling construct and school effectiveness. The findings from Part One of the study support the OCSI-T as a reasonably valid and reliable inventory for measuring five dimensions of organizational coupling structure in schools from the teacher perspective: 1) Goal C onsensus/V ision; 2) Work Scrutiny; 3) Manipulative Control; 4) Autonomy; and 5) Centralization. Tliese findings replicate for the most part the prior structure of the OCSI-T identified in previous research (Logan and Ellett, 1989). The analyses indicated that the criterion-related validity of the OCSI-T varies depending upon which criterion of effectiveness is under study. The findings from Part Two of the study indicated that, when competed against school size and SES, none of the coupling dimensions explained significant amounts of variation in student achievement or attendance. The coupling dimension of Goal Consensus/Vision was the most important variable in explaining teachers' perceptions of the overall effectiveness of the school and this relationship was independent of school size and SES. The findings highlight several important issues in understanding schools as complex organizations from die coupling perspective. First, the notion of the coupling "paradox" (Orton and Weick, 1988) and coupling as a multi-dimensional construct need to be considered in any discussion of effective and ineffective schools. Second, discussions of coupling and school effectiveness will need to specify which effectiveness indices (student


Flooding is a natural phenomenon that has increasing impact on people and their environment. This is very evident that in the devastation wrought by rising waters inundating homes and farms in East Africa. Flooding only serves to exacerbate the crisis faced by people of that region as they struggle against famine and civil war. A spatial decision support system was designed and used to simulate various future scenarios for the Nzoia River basin in Kenya. The purpose of the decision support system was to assist in targeting aid relief to the areas of greatest need. Additional constraints on the decision support system were to use as much data as possible that was not dependent on the at risk area. Satellite imagery, historical rainfall-runoff data, digital elevation models, hydrologic derivatives, vegetation and land use information, and meteorological and climate data were combined to effectively model the physical processes at work. By integrating the flood risk data into the GIS as well as population density, economic data, and transportation routes, timely information on the location and impact of the possible flooding can be shown as visual layers for the relief agency's planning purposes.


A study of B+c→K+K−π+ decays is performed for the first time using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb−1 collected by the LHCb experiment in pp collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV. Evidence for the decay B+c→χc0(→K+K−)π+ is reported with a significance of 4.0 standard deviations, resulting in the measurement of σ(B+c)σ(B+)×B(B+c→χc0π+) to be (9.8+3.4−3.0(stat)±0.8(syst))×10−6. Here B denotes a branching fraction while σ(B+c) and σ(B+) are the production cross-sections for B+c and B+ mesons. An indication of b¯c weak annihilation is found for the region m(K−π+)<1.834GeV/c2, with a significance of 2.4 standard deviations.


Abstract In spite of substantial agreement on the need for urban integration in the South African urban development policy framework, there is also significant scholarly opinion that the outcomes have fallen short of the desired targets. The case of Seshego/Polokwane, however, suggests that some level of integration is possible given predisposing factors. The methodology used in this study included a desk top review and interviews which formed part of a larger study of the area. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with various officials within local government departments, property developers, business people, community leaders, NGOs, and local ward councillors. In-depth interviews were also held with five Seshego households. The paper found that, unlike other South African townships, Seshego remains a well-located, better developed (compared to the alternatives outside formerly white Polokwane), 'suburb' after the ending of influx control. The relatively favourable location and the directed efforts of the municipality led to subsequent (post-apartheid) developments having seen significant integration of Seshego and Polokwane.


The present work examined two Pd-based alloys supported on carbon: AuPd and Au2Pd, both synthesized by chemical reduction with NaBH4. The low Au-Pd loading electrocatalysts were physicochemically and electrochemically characterized. Electrocatalytic activity for methanol oxidation was found exclusively in AuPd/C. However, it was revealed that such reaction was promoted by PdO occurring in the actual active phase of the supported electrocatalyst, through the formation of Au-Pd-PdO ensemble sites.


This work describes a study of the Duoplasmatron ion source for the purpose of investigating the conditions necessary to improve its performance. First a general review is made of theoretical considerations involved in the source's plasma mechanism and the geometry of the extraction system. Then the experimental work deals with the arc discharge characteristics as well as the source's performance when the beam is extracted with a simple Pierce extracting electrode. Through an invar anode insert a 70 mA was obtained at 35 kV. The main improvement was then due to beam extraction from an expansion cup which rendered a 300 mA beam at a lower voltage of 18 kV. The use of different anode materials has indicated the influence of magnetic field penetration on plasma focusing within the expansion cup. A beam current reaching 1 ampere was noticed when a non-magnetic anode was used.


Background. The identification of pretreatment markers with predictive significance for the presence of lymph node metastases and treatment outcome in low stage cancer of the uterine cervix is clinically important. Because the presence of differentiation‐related markers varies in this type of cancer, the authors investigated whether loss of these markers is related to a poor clinical course.


The present study seeks to examine the relationship between parent and youth physical activity (days per week), youth sports participation, and overweight (BMI > 85 percentile) among a national sample of youth; and to assess whether this relationship varies by immigrant generation and sex. Participants included 28,691 youth ages 10-17 years from the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health. Youth were grouped by immigrant generation (1st, 2nd, and 3rd or higher). Primary analyses include Chi-square and post-hoc tests to assess mean differences; logistic regression models, stratified by immigrant generation and adjusted for youth age, sex, race/ethnicity, household income and education, were used to test associations between weight status and independent variables. Findings suggested that each additional day youth participated in physical activity (PA) decreased their odds of overweight (OW) by 10% (OR: 0.90 [0.870.94]); participation in sports significantly reduced their odds of OW by 17% (OR: 0.83 [0.710.98]). First generation boys who participated in sports had 70% lower odds of OW (OR: 0.30 [0.11-0.83]) compared to 1 generation boys who did not participate in sports. For 3rd generation girls, participation in sports reduced the odds of OW by 23% (OR: 0.77 [0.62-0.96]) compared to those who did not participate in sports. Additional analyses revealed that PA and sports participation increased with immigrant generation. This study provides evidence that the protective influence of PA on youth's risk of OW varies by immigrant generation and sex. Parent PA was not related to youth's risk of OW.


Drying is considered one of the industrial processes that requires more energy than other processes, being a topic of much interest to the agricultural sector, especially the evaluation of energy consumption for rice and corn dryers. To meet this goal, an overview survey matrix and protocols for temperature measurements of dryers were developed. The study evaluated 49 rice dryers and 14 yellow corn dryers. As a result, it was determined that the oversizing of the fan/extractor and the dryer engine generates a high energy consumption, added to the lack of insulation in the heat ducts. Therefore, the drying productivity index is very low in dryers using liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) being 0.14 dollar/quintal for rice and 0.27 dollar/quintal for corn and using biomass reaches 1.4 dollars/quintal. In relation to energy losses, these account for more than 55%. Inadequate energy management in drying processes directly influences the marketing chain of products, the losses of which are caused by fluctuations in the price of rice and corn on the domestic market, with the agricultural sector having to generate an energy efficiency plan.


As the Internet becomes an increasingly pervasive communications technology in society, public discussions and other born-digital documents of social and political importance frequently exist solely on various websites. To fulfill their missions of preserving public knowledge, libraries seek to acquire and make accessible web documents to scholars, students, and other library patrons. However, section 108 of the Copyright Act, which previously provided sufficient protection from liability for libraries' acquisition and reproduction activities, does not adequately map onto the technological realities of acquiring digital documents over the Internet. As a result, libraries must accept the risk of copyright infringement liability or forgo preserving historically important online documents. This Note proposes a set of amendments that would update section 108 to extend libraries' current limited protections from copyright liability to the acquisition, preservation, and making available of online documents.


The grapes for wine making are native of temperate climates. In Colombia is grown in the department of Boyaca between 2.200 and 2.650 m a.s.l. Under these specific conditions, both the physicochemical behavior of the fruit and its optimum harvest time are unknown. The objective of this research was to determine the growth and development of the grape fruit varieties "Pinot Noir" and "Riesling x Silvaner" under high altitude tropical conditions. Plants were selected randomly and the clusters were marked to made physic-chemical determinations, weekly. In both varieties, during the development of the berries, their X Determinación del crecimiento y desarrollo del fruto de vid (Vitis vinifera L.) bajo condiciones de clima frío tropical X growth was double sigmoid, the total soluble solids (TSS), pH and the index of technological maturity (ITM) presented increased, while total titratable acidity decreased. The fruits of "Pinot Noir" had the herbaceous, ripening, maturation and overripening stage, the latter period was not evidenced in "Riesling x Silvaner", which can be harvested at 119 days after anthesis (daa), while "Pinot Noir" can be harvested at 140 daa, Based on fresh weight, TSS and IMT, the berry can be harvested at 800.6 degrees day.


In addition to the two finished operas of Nielsen, scattered sources show that throughout his life he had at least five other opera projects in mind, which for various reasons were given up at different stages in their progress. The article presents the sources that are available for these projects, comprising the following works: Judith, Psycke, The Silent Woman, Portia, and Fru Marie Grubbe. The focus of the article is on Nielsen's plan to compose an opera based on Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice under the working title Portia. Two important manuscripts in the Royal Library show that Nielsen himself had worked out a complete synopsis for the opera, and that the librettist, Sophus Michaëlis, had made a full text of the first act. A comparison of the two manuscripts and Shakespeare's play reveals that the opera would have been quite different from the model with its focus on the character of Portia and the leaving out the merchant Antonio. Nielsen apparently gave up the idea, and no music from the work in progress worth mentioning is known.


This study examined p53 gene alterations in human gastric mucosa, intestinal metaplasia and well‐differentiated (cohesive type) adenocarcinomas to clarify to the role of the p53 gene in gastric tumorigenesis by means of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), polymerase‐chain‐reaction‐single‐strand‐conformation polymorphism (PCR‐SSCP) and immunohistochemistry. Gene alterations were compared with numerical changes of chromosome 17. Samples were obtained from 31 surgically resected stomachs affected with gastric cancer. There was no nuclear p53 protein in cells from normal gastric mucosa. Among 23 specimens of intestinal metaplasia, cells with p53 protein were variably detected in 5 incomplete metaplasias (colonic type). A histological study revealed a mildly dysplastic appearance. PCR‐SSCP identified p53‐gene mutation in exons 5 and 8 in 2 of the 5 samples. Numerical aberrations of chromosome 17 and the p53 gene were undetectable both in normal mucosa and in intestinal metaplasia. Variable numbers of tumor cells contained p53 protein in 13 (54%) of 24 carcinomas, and PCR‐SSCP revealed abnormal bands in 5 of them. Mutations were detected in exons, 5, 7, 7, 7 and 8. FISH analysis demonstrated that 6 carcinomas emitted 3 or 4 signals for chromosome 17, and 7 gave one signal for the p53 gene in over 20% of the cells. Ten (77%) of 13 carcinomas examined by FISH appeared to show a p53‐gene deletion. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


We have developed a process for fabricating flexible reflective display devices using thin composite films of aligned polymer-monostabilized ferroelectric liquid crystals encased between plastic substrates. In order to precisely control the thickness of these films, photolithography is used to fabricate spacer posts on a substrate, and a printing technique that can form a liquid crystal/monomer solution film on the substrate uniformly. Control voltages are applied to the layer via transparent electrodes; in order to prevent a short circuit between these electrodes, an insulator layer is also formed on the other substrate. Once the two substrates are attached to one another, polymer walls and fibers are created in the liquid crystal layer between the two substrates by photopolymerization-induced phase separation which was induced by two-step exposure of ultraviolet light. A fabricated device is sandwiched between a polarizer and a diffuse mirror to make a reflective display. Uniform display operation was obtained when the device was driven with a voltage, even when the device was bent with a 5-cm radius of curvature. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 2, 90(2): 33 – 39, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecjb.20192 Copyright © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Introduction: Hypothermia can complicate Transurethral resection of prostate(TURP) and especially geriatric patients are predisposed to the risk
of hypothermia induced shivering under anaesthesia. Shivering escalates oxygen consumption, lactic acidosis and carbon dioxide production, thus
predisposing a patient with low cardiopulmonary reserve to potential harm. Various drugs have undergone investigative trial to reduce
perioperative shivering with more or less similar efcacy. Materials and Methods:Aprospective, double blind, randomised study was conducted
on 90 patients belonging to age group 40-80 years, ASA PS 1 & 2 posted for elective surgery under spinal anaesthesia. Group A received oral
tramadol 50mg (n=30), Group B received oral tizanidine 4mg (n=30), Group C received oral placebo (n=30), all at 90 minutes before spinal
anaesthesia. Heart rate, mean arterial pressure, respiratory rate, arterial oxygen saturation, skin surface temperature were recorded at the beginning,
then every 10 minutes during the operation. The incidence of nausea, vomiting, frequency of shivering during surgery and recovery were recorded.
The observed data were analysed by SPSS 20 and Microsoft Excel 2016. Result: In terms of frequency of shivering during surgery, signicant
difference was seen between tramadol and placebo(p=0.04) and between tizanidine and placebo(p=0.04). A signicant difference was observed
between tramadol and placebo(p=0.0001) and between tizanidine and placebo(p=0.0001) with respect to severity of shivering. A signicant
difference was noted between tizanidine and the other two groups in terms of sedation, calculated by modied Ramsay sedation score (p=0.0001).
Conclusion:Both oral tramadol and oral tizanidine were equally effective in prevention of postspinal shivering with stable hemodynamics.


The cost and benefits of an ERP system are arguably the reason why Deposit-Taking SACCOs are opting for adoption-use of open source ERP in an effort to achieve organisation performance. Technology adoption is only important if it truly leads to performance improvements and, as such the proper criteria by which to judge whether an ERP investment has been successful rest not simply in determining whether an organization adopts a technology, but whether the technology application or use actually improves performance. The main aim of the study was to evaluate the influence open source ERP adoption-use on the organisational performance of deposit taking SACCOs in Kenya. The study-specific objective was to determine the influence of open source ERP adoption-use on the organisational performance of Deposit-Taking SACCOs in Kenya. The target population was 168 Deposit-taking SACCOs with a sample size of 378 respondents. The questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data. PLS-SEM using smart pls was used to analyse the data. The study concludes that adoption-use of open source ERP will have a significant effect on organisational performance; learning and growth, internal process, customers, and financial indicators. Open source ERP by itself cannot contribute to significant performance improvement or sustainable competitive advantage if organizational resources and work processes are not improved or changed to enable open source ERP to promote organizational performance. The organisation management and regulatory authority should create an enabling environment and policies that will increase the adoption-use of open source ERP by deposit-taking SACCOs in Kenya. open source ERP, adoption-use, learning and growth, internal process, customer finance, deposit-taking SACCOs. The paper examines the relationship among ERP adoption-use on organisational performance indicators measured using the balanced score card components. Model testing indicates that open source ERP adoption-use is capable to extend organizational performances significantly and have positive impact on learning and growth, internal process, customer and finance performance of the deposit-taking SACCOs. The Deposit-Taking SACCOs regulatory authority SASRA should come up with atleast three open source ERPs, customize the ERP to meet the user and the regulatory requirements then redistribute the ERP free of charge to deposit-taking SACCOs. The regulatory authority can charge a fee for both technical and user training. This will encourage adoption-use of open source ERP and at the same time improve the organisation performance of their clients which are the deposit-taking SACCOs in Kenya.


─ This paper presents miniature dual-band cylindrical dielectric resonator antenna (CDRA) based on button antenna for wireless body area network (WBAN) applications. A button antenna is designed by stacking two CDRAs (low and high permittivity) fed by coaxial probe through the ground plane and penetrates the bottom CDRA. The prime contributions of using DRAs are to enhance the performance and to provide a compact size of antenna. However, the coaxial probe realizes two radiation patterns, monopole and broadside patterns. A comprehensive validation using CST microwave studio is carried out to determine the characteristics of the proposed button antenna. In addition, to ensure that the results are acceptable to the practitioner in this field, a prototype was fabricated and tested. The superiority of the proposed antenna is confirmed by possessing 39% more compact size compared to previously reported studies, efficiency of more than 63% and bandwidth of 4.9% and 6.6% for lower and upper band, respectively. This proposed design is a promising candidate to benefit on/off body communication devices operating at 2.4 and 5.6 GHz. Index Terms ─ Button antenna, dual-band dielectric resonator antenna, on/off body communications, wearable antenna, wireless body area network (WBAN).


Based on analysis of Brazilian economic indicators in the period 1995-2010, this paper aims to establish a comparative evaluation between FHC and Lula governments. The results indicate that the main macroeconomic and social variables as well as public finance indicators and external financial situation of the country showed a more virtuous behavior during Lula's government. It is noticed that, especially regarding to macroeconomic policies, Lula did not cause significant changes in relation to what was already being implemented at the end of FHC government. Therefore, most of the results should not be attributed to the superiority of management but to the fact that the international economic environment was more favorable to Brazil in the period of 2003-2010 than in 1995-2002. Considering the significant differences in the economic numbers, the paper presents some reasons why it is possible to say that both governments left much to be done in other aspects of Brazilian social and economic reality, mainly regarding the absence of a national strategic plan able to initiate a process of structural and institutional changes that can effectively put Brazil on a way already covered by developed countries.


The last three years has been characterized by an increase of energy peak demand in several European Countries especially in summertime, which caused two direct consequences: the raise of energy prices and greenhouse gas emissions. This problem, actually, makes the Kyoto objectives very difficult to beat. The energy demand management actions seem to be the right way to reduce this continuous increase and to boost the end use energy efficiency. According to the most important energy sector experts, market-based mechanisms are considered one of the best solution to promote energy efficiency because they are strictly connected with the new energy policies adopted by Europe referring to an increase of competitiveness between Member States through the liberalization and an high level of concurrency of internal markets.


B: Three Dimensional Analysis of Human Skeletal Muscles ......................... 130 4.1 Materials and Methods ............................................................................................ 131 4.2 Results and Discussion ............................................................................................ 132 4.2.1 Head and Neck ................................................................................................. 132


Examination of the relevant theoretical and research literature suggests two distinct, and even contrasting, approaches have been used in the study of occupational choice processes. Katz and Martin (1962) have used the term adventitious to refer to the approach which views occupational decision-making as essentially accidental, nonrational, spontaneous, and based on situational contingencies. In the adventitious approach, pressures external to work effect a fortuitiously derived occupational choice. The second approach, stressed in the works of Ginzberg et al. (1951) and Blau et al. (1956), conceives of occupational selection as the end product of a more or less series of previously made rational decisions. Proponents of the purposive approach believe occupational choice to be a compromise between reward preferences and opportunities to enter specific occupational positions. In sum, whereas rational considerations


Reactions of [Ru2(RCOO)4Cl] (R = Me, Ph) with K[HBpz3] (HBpz3− = hydrotris(1-pyrazolyl)borate) afforded the oxo-bridged diruthenium(III) complexes, [Ru2(μ-O)(μ-RCOO)2(HBpz3)2] (R = Me (1a), Ph (1b)) in moderate yields. Complexes 1 were converted by treatment with HPF6 into the hydroxo-bridged diruthenium(III) complexes, [Ru2(μ-OH)(μ-RCOO)2(HBpz3)2](PF6) (R = Me (2a), Ph (2b)), and by reaction with (NH4)2Ce(NO3)6, to the oxo-bridged mixed-valence diruthenium(III, IV) complexes, [Ru2(μ-O)(μ-RCOO)2(HBpz3)2](PF6) (R = Me (3a), Ph (3b)). Complexes 1–3 were characterized by elemental analysis, IR, UV-Vis, and 1H NMR spectroscopies, and X-ray absorption and crystallographic analyses (1a and 2a). Complex 1a consists of a {Ru2(μ-oxo)(μ-carboxylato)2} core with two terminal face-capping HBpz3− ligands (Ru ⋯ Ru = 3.2544(7) A). Protonation of the μ-oxo group of 1a expanded the Ru ⋯ Ru distance to 3.4490(9) A, which was elucidated by X-ray crystallography, and one-electron oxidation of 1a also increases this length to 3.38 A, determined by EXAFS analysis. These complexes interestingly showed, in cyclic voltammograms, a wide range of redox processes, [RuII2] ↔ [RuIIRuIII] ↔ [RuIII2] ↔ [RuIIIRuIV] ↔ [RuIV2], which are coupled with protonation/deprotonation at the monoatom bridge. When complex 1b was reduced with sodium amalgam, the mononuclear ruthenium(II) complex [Ru(PhCOO)(HBpz3)(CH3CN)2] (4b) was isolated and characterized by spectroscopic techniques and EXAFS analysis. Upon exposure to air or dioxygen, complex 4b readily regenerated the oxo-bridged dimer 1b, and the oxo atom was confirmed to be derived from dioxygen by an isotopically-labeled experiment. The present results demonstrate the versatile redox states of diruthenium centres terminally capped by HBpz3− ligands.


Macrophage (Mϕ) plasticity, allowing for transition of Mϕs from an inflammatory to a reparative phenotype, is critical for normal wound healing. In pathologic conditions, such as type 2 diabetes (T2D), wounds fail to heal due to impaired resolution of inflammation. There is increasing evidence that epigenetic-based mechanisms, including DNA hypomethylation, control Mϕ function. The cyclooxygenase (COX)-2/Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) axis as well as upstream pathways including cytosolic phospholipase (c(PL)A2), involved in the release arachidonic acid, have been associated with chronic inflammation, however they have not been examined in diabetic wounds. The purpose of this study was to investigate if epigenetic modifications alter gene expression of the COX-2/PGE2 and c(PL)A2 pathway leading to derangements in macrophage inflammation in diabetes. Using the murine diet induce obesity (DIO) model, we evaluated diabetic wound healing compared with control mice. We demonstrate that TGFβ is elevated in DIO wound Mϕs in comparison to control wound Mϕs. Further, the increase in TGFβ stimulates miR-29B production in wound Mϕs resulting in hypomethylation and overexpression of the COX-2 gene. This results in diabetic wound Mϕs displaying increased levels of COX-2 which shunts amino acid metabolism towards the COX-2 pathway increasing PGE2 while limiting leukotriene synthesis via 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) pathways. Lastly, c(PL)A2 appears to be upregulated in diabetic wound Mϕs and human diabetic monocytes. In summary, these results demonstrate that the COX-2/PGE2 pathway is increased in diabetic wound Mϕs by elevated TGFβ/miR-29b and results in elevated PGE2 that drives Mϕ-mediated inflammation preventing wound repair.


The supper-elevation-in-bend method is a model to calculate the current velocity of debris flow.In this article,the Mozi Valley,locating along the Wenchuan-Maerkang Highway,is chosen as experimental area.First the supperelevation-in-bend method to calculate its current velocity of debris flow is introduced in order to model the average flux and to offer the basis for the renovated project of highway.Then according to field survey,the current velocity of debris flow occurred on August 17,2005 is calculated using this method,and have compared with the result from another method.The results of two methods have certain deviation.Comparing to the latter method,the supper-elevation-in-bend method may solve the limitation of the observation to debris flow.And the irrepeatablility of debris flow,and what's more,this method is simple.Therefore, the supper-elevation-in-bend method is useful in practice for the prevention of debris flow.


Abstract
The main theme of this special volume is the colonial state and its governmental practices. This chapter introduces and contextualizes the contributions by providing a brief induction to recent developments within the study of the colonial state. It then presents the contributions under three perspectives which represent separate yet interrelated themes relevant for the understanding of the colonial state: practices, violence, and agency. Hereby, we also accentuate the value of a non-state-centric approach to the analysis of the colonial state.


Jurisdiction in Internet according to EU Regulation 44/2001 (and the extrajudicial and
technological alternatives). What will be the role of Law in the configuration of normative patterns
of the Internet? Are jurists competent to deal with e-businesses or are they condemned to
extinction in this new environment? Does the traditional legal normative arsenal fit the new
requirements of the digital economy and the information society? Do States have sovereignty over
cyberspace or is it a "territory" free and independent of State Law as the revolutionary
"technologies" have argued? This paper, which evolved from a communication presented to the
International Conference on Cyber Law organized by the Luso-American Foundation in June 2001,
addresses these issues, beginning with the idea that the "revolutionary prophecy" is far from true,
and that in this apparent vacuum of State Law a new entity clearly stands affirming its sovereignty
over many zones of cyberspace: the European Union. In particular, this essay analyses how the new
EU Regulation on jurisdiction on civil and commercial matters (44/2001) provides criteria to the
determination of the competent national courts in situations of contractual and extra-contractual
liability, and provides exclusive competencies for certain situations. The problem of jurisdiction is
informed by a requirement of equilibrium among the parties in order to guarantee access to justice.
In this sense, the principle of fairness of the court is provided by the existence of a reasonable
connection between the forum and the case.
Provisions of the Regulation concerning extra-contractual liability (forum delicti commissi) need
special concretization by the courts in order to prevent not only "legal e-heavens" but also the
dilution of the territoriality principle that inform many rights affected by e-communications, in
special intellectual property rights. Having in consideration the "doing business" US case-law, as
well as the Fiona Shevill precedent of the EU Court of Justice and the German Bogsch Theory, it is
argued that the court of the country of accessibility of the message shall deny competence if there is
no substantial interactivity with that country and the law of the country of origin assures adequate
protection at least according to legal standards set up by international instruments.
Then, concerning the provisions on contractual liability provided by the Regulation, several
questions are also raised. To begin with, it is difficult to determine the place of accomplishment in
situations of direct e-commerce, in particular due to the open discussion concerning the distinction
between provision of services and delivery of digital goods. Moreover, the principle of freedom of
contract is limited in order to protect the weakest party (i.e. the consumer). However, literally it
seems that the EU Regulation will turn out such protection of the weakest party in a mere "legal
risk", having in mind the possibilities afforded to the parties. Furthermore, the principle of good
administration of justice sets up specific rules of competence concerning rights that are granted
upon registration or deposit, such as patent and trademark rights. An open issue is the status of
domain names rights; it is argued however that they shall be treated as rights that are granted upon
public registration.
Another dimension of jurisdiction in Internet addressed in this work is the mechanisms of
alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and the so-called "technical jurisdiction". The e-commerce
directive promotes ADR, including by electronic means (e-arbitrage). However, it is not clear how
the rights of parties and other issues shall be addressed. On the other hand, ADR seems also to
mean "Administrative" Dispute Resolution, since a clear tendency is being affirmed in order to set
up dispute resolution by administrative bodies instead of by the courts. Finally, "technical
jurisdiction" is applied to protect copyright and related rights, as well as conditional access services,
in terms that technology is called to prevent what technology makes possible (i.e. electronic
reproductions of copyrighted works), and law is called to reinforce such technical protection.
However, this "technical jurisdiction" place a number of public policy concerns, namely the
promotion of interoperable computer systems and free access to public information.


The relationship between the inhomogeneities of the boundary conditions (e.g., SST) and the observed precipitation or circulation patterns is not necessarily straightforward because the amount of precipitation is affected not only directly by the in situ surface boundary conditions but also remotely by the circulations driven by the distant features (thermal and/or topographic forcing). With this issue in mind, Hosaka et al. (1998, hereafter, referred to as H98) investigated possible precipitation patterns over the entire tropical region with a simple "aqua planet" setup. In order to clarify idealistic remote effects of the active convection center on the distribution of precipitation over the entire tropical region, one localized warm SST anomaly is placed at the equator on a zonally and equatorially symmetric basic SST distribution. Other than the convection center over the warm SST area, the statistically steady response obtained by H98 is characterized with the east-west asymmetric remote response. In an extensive region to the east of the warm SST area, precipitation is enhanced and pressure anomaly is negative. On the other hand, drying occurs and pressure rises to the west. The appearance of the high pressure anomaly to the west is particularly curious, since, according to the simple linear longwave theory of Gill (1980) or Heckley and Gill (1984), surface pressure anomaly should be negative both to the east and to the west of the convection center (heat source). H98 presents a possible scenario for the appearance of the east-west asymmetries of remote response based on the equatorial wave dynamics and water vapor transport in surface Ekman layer. An initial switch-on experiment must be useful to verify the scenario. However, the initial development of the response is severely contaminated by two types of noise, which are the grid point moist convection event and eastward propagating moist Kelvin wave related to Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO; Madden and Julian, 1972). H98 suggests that the ensemble averaging of a set of runs starting from different


First puts forward the new problem that the security of network technique faces.From several aspects,such as the history,definition,classification and development trend...etc,the article elaborates the foundation knowledge of the Intrusion Detection Technology System. And also elaborates the application of the Intrusion Detection Technology System combining a project of the campus net defense system.


The interaction of guanosine 5′-monophosphate, GMP, with the thallium(I) ion was studied by UV–vis and potentiometric titration methods and 31P NMR spectroscopy. Both NMR spectra and UV–vis titration data have shown that GMP coordinates via guanine to the thallium(I) ion in the pH range 1.5–10. Our study of the system Tl(I) + GMP was performed in water–methanol mixtures with different volume ratios of methanol. The complexation equilibrium in the pH range of study led to the following mononuclear species: TlH2(GMP)+, TlH(GMP) and Tl(GMP)−, where (GMP)2− represents the fully dissociated ligand. The formation constants of the species were calculated in the various media at constant temperature (25 °C) and constant ionic strength of sodium perchlorate (0.1 mol dm−3) using a suitable computer program. The formation constants were analyzed in terms of Kamlet and Taft's parameters. A single-parameter correlation of the formation constants, β121, β111 and β101 vs α (hydrogen-bond donor acidity), β (hydrogen-bond acceptor basicity) and for π* (dipolarity/polarizability) are relatively poor in all solutions, but multi-parameter correlations represent significant improvements with regard to the single-parameter model. In this work, we have also used the normalized polarity parameter, ETN, alone and in combination with some of the Kamlet–Taft parameters to find a better correlation of the formation constants in different methanol–water mixtures. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


In view of recent published studies, a meta‐analysis was undertaken on prospective studies in order to assess any association between lateral epicondylitis and physical exposure at work.


DLR and ISVR independently developed techniques for the purpose of separating
hydrodynamic and acoustic signal constituents in measurements with an
axial microphone array. The DLR technique implements a spatial Fourier transform
and bases on the work of Arguillat and Ehrenfried [1, 2]. The work was
motivated by the objective to separate the hydrodynamic perturbations from
measurements of of the mean power spectral density (PSD). At the ISVR a
beamformer algorithm was developed [3, 4] and utilized for the mapping of the
induct-sound eld into the far eld. A brief comparison of the dierent techniques
is given. The nomenclature follows the paper abstract of Brian Tester [5].
In order to retain comparability to the DLR approach, the coordinate system
and the formulation for axial wave numbers was used instead of propagation
angles.


By virtue of the analytical technic recently introduced by Folin and Denis for the analysis of blood it has become possible to study the retention of nitrogenous waste products with far greater ease and certainty than formerly. Such studies are particularly to be desired in the investigation of nephritis, for urine analyses cannot reveal the stage of accumulation of such products, an accumulation which may vary between almost normal figures and those accompanying uremia. According to Strauss, the high blood-pressure of nephritis is usually or at least frequently accompanied by an excessive accumulation of the nitrogenous waste products, whereas edema is rather associated with a retention of chlorids. For the investigation reported in this paper we have selected a group of patients whose blood-pressure varied between 160 and 225 mm. The chief purpose of our investigation was to determine the extent to which it is possible by


Mass, Number and Surface Area Concentrations of α‐Quartz Exposures of Refractory Material Manufacturing Workers: Jyh‐Larng Chen, et al. Department of Environmental Engineering and Health, Yuanpei University College of Health Science, Taiwan—This study set out to assess the respirable mass, surface area, and number concentrations of the α‐quartz content particles (Cr‐m, Cr‐s and Cr‐n) to which workers were exposed in six different exposure groups, the raw material handling (n=10), crushing (n=12), mixing (n=12), forming (n=10), furnace (n=10), and packaging (n=10), in a refractory material manufacturing plant. For Cr‐m, the exposure values in sequence were found as: mixing (68.1 µg/ m3)>packaging (55.9 µg/m3)>raw material handling (53.3 µg/m3)>furnace (31.0 µg/m3)>crushing (29.8 µg/ m3)>forming (22.4 µg/m3). We also found that ~21.2–68.2% of the above Cr‐m exceeded the current TLV‐TWA for the α‐quartz content (50 µg/m3) suggesting a need for initiating control strategies immediately. We further conducted particle size‐segregating samplings in four workplaces: crushing (n=3), mixing (n=3), forming (n=3), and furnace (n=3). We found that all resultant particle size distributions shared a quite similar geometric standard deviation (σ g; =2.24–2.92), but the process area, associated with higher mechanical energy (i.e., crushing process), contained finer α‐quartz content particles (mass median aerodynamic diameter; MMAD=3.22 µm) than those areas associated with lower mechanical energy (i.e., mixing, forming, and furnace; MMAD=6.17, 5.95, and 8.92 µm, respectively). These results gave a ratio of Cr‐m in the above four exposure groups (i.e., crushing: mixing: forming: furnace=1.00: 2.30: 0.753: 1.04) which was quite different from those of Cr‐s (1.00: 1.74: 0.654: 0.530) and Cr‐n (1.00: 1.27: 0.572: 0.202). Our results clearly indicate the importance of measuring particle size distributions for assessing workers' free silica exposures.


The purpose of this study is to evaluate the seismic performance of Welded Unreinforced Flange - Bolted web (WUF-B) connections used for Ordinary Moment Resisting Steel Frames (OMRSF). The details of the connections follow the FEMA 350 seismic design criteria. Based on the test results which is described in the part 1 of this study, this paper investigates the performance of the beam-column joint of WUF-B connections. The test results indicate that the performance of WUF-B connections is mainly influenced by the slip between the beam web and the shear tab. This slip caused the stress concentration in and around the access hole that was detrimental to the fracture at the end of the access hole cut, but strain demand in and around the weld was relatively low. The test results of this study were compared and discussed with former research results (Stojadinovic et al., 2000; Ricles et al., 2002). And Design recommendations for WUF-B connections are presented.


This short monograph, in six chapters and summary comments, deals with vagal and sympathetic innervation of the lung in a number of species, including amphibian, reptile, avians, rodents, cats, dogs, and man. Chronic denervation, by extrapulmonary neurectomy or reimplantation of the lung in the cat and the dog, resulted in degenerative changes of nervous structures deep in the lung as well as atrophy of bronchiolar and vascular smooth muscles. Anatomical descriptions are adundantly illustrated with photomicrographs, including two colored plates, all superbly reproduced. For this reviewer the text often requires concentrated efforts for comprehension. Certain passages seem repetitious. However, the subject matter may justify the manner of presentation. Comparative anatomists may find this volume valuable as a complete survey of pulmonary innervation. Physiologists may consider the evidence presented here important in explaining many functions of the lung. Clinicians should note that pulmonary denervation may have serious consequences because of atrophic


The study aims to inspect the stableness of interactive affinity between search interest of prices of the stock and evident stock market outcomes on worldwide equity market indices. This study represents and develops former exploration into financial graphs by registering the attributes and magnitudes of graph use and embarkment from representational impartiality. Such a paradox could also be derived through investor's behavior and degree of disclosure inclusion. The stock-specific network searches for the progression of data and equivalent index close values from different countries' stock exchanges are collected and analyzed. Previous investigations and studies suggest that graphs are appropriate decision support to tasks related to the understanding of statistical information. Moreover, observations show that different types of pictorial or graphical information can help or harm the accuracy of decision making of accountants and financial analysts. Empirical judgments show global search interests of prices of stock coordinates more with developing economies with lesser effects in south Asian stock exchanges apart from reinforced connections in western countries.


Sheep and goats are a great investment of poor farmers and so, are called as poor man's cow. The health and production of these small animals is markedly affected by various bacterial and viral pathogens, including Contagious Ecthyma (CE) that hovers all over the world (de la Concha-Bermejillo, 1995, Mondal et al., 2006). The CE is an acute, contagious, debilitating and epithelio-trophic viral disease of small ruminants, other domesticated and wild ruminants. The disease is known by multiple synonyms as sore mouth, contagious pustular dermatitis (CPD), scabby mouth or infectious labial dermatitis (Thomas et al., 2003). The etiological agent is Orf virus and the infection is characterized by nonsystemic eruptive skin lesions (de la Concha-Bermejillo, 1995, Mondal et al., 2006).Walley (1890) first described the disease in sheep and referred it as Contagious Dermatitis or Orf.


Influence and Compensation Theory of Installation Errors in Guideway Straightness Measurement with PSD Is Analyzed. it Shows that Pincushion Distortion Affects PSD's Accuracy, while Angle θ between Laser and Guideway, Error Angle Caused by Straightness Error and Angle β Generated when PSD Rotates about the Guideway Have Significant Influence on System Measurement Accuracy. PSD's Pincushion Distortion Could Be Corrected and Installation State Can Be Determined by Measuring on Site and Calibrating with Laser Tracer. after Error Compensation, System Measurement Accuracy Is Greatly Improved.


We compute an automatic slope enclosure for a continuous function given by two or more branches. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)


Abstract Baiga tribe of Baigachak area is declared as one of the primitive tribe of Madhya Pradesh, based on their pre-agricultural technology, low literacy and stagnant population. The present study was carried out to study the nutritional status of this tribe. A cross sectional study was carried out in the Baigachak area in 2002-2003 to study the nutrition profile of the Baiga Tribe. Eight villages were purposely selected from three blocks of Baigachak area. From eight villages 400 households were randomly selected for the study, and one thousand five hundred forty five individuals from four hundred households were covered for anthropometric measurements, and 80 households were covered for diet survey by 24hr recall method. The extent of malnutrition for preschool children was assessed by SD classification and the nutritional status of adults was assessed by BMI classification. About 61% of the pre-school children were under weight (<Median -2SD) out of them 24.3% children were severely under weight. Stunting and wasting were seen in 44.3% and 37% children respectively. Prevalence of chronic energy deficiency (BMI<18.5) was about 76% among adult population. Consumption of cereals was higher than recommended level (460gm), while the consumption of other foodstuff was lower than the RDA. The intake of all nutrients except calcium was significantly lower than recommended level. The present study revealed that malnutrition is widely prevalent among the Baiga tribe which is mainly due to inadequate dietary intake.


Abstract Ippolito Pindemonte was in England from late August 1789 to the spring of 1790, and during those months he wrote the canzone 'Alla bellissima ed ornatissima fanciulla Agnese H. in Londra.' Praised and quoted by Foscolo, it is perhaps the best of his poems; certainly it expresses a warmth and depth of feeling not often to be found in his writings. He was characteristically discreet in using only the initial letter of Agnese's surname, but clues survive which point to a probable identification.


This paper describes methods and tools for automatic safety analysis of UML statechart specifications. Two types of analysis are presented. The first one checks completeness and consistency based on the static structure of the specification, thus it does not requires the generation of the reachability graph. Accordingly, this method scales up well to large systems. The second one performs dynamic analysis by checking safety related reachability properties with the help of a model checker. It is restricted to core critical parts of the system. Two approaches of the implementation of the static checking are discussed. The use of the tools is presented by a case study.


Under the guidance of regular knowledge from comprehensive geology and geophysics research, a comprehensive prospecting action is carried out in Bailidian region for looking for gold deposition. Bailidian region is chosen on the base of macroscopic and overall geophysics cognition of whole China. The comprehensive prospecting including microgravity, magnetic method, induced polarization and CSAMT methods are carried out according to the regional geology background and geochemical information. Some physical feature data of rocks in mine field are shown in this paper. The comprehensive geophysics model of looking for mine is set up according to the characteristic of" loW magnetic susceptibility-high density-high polarizability-low resistivity" in this region. The result of geophysical analysis and prospecting are discussed in this paper, too.


Background: There is an ongoing debate about whether the cause of dyslexia (reading problems) is based on linguistic, auditory, or visual timing deficits. Objectives: This review of the relevant research provides substantial evidence that visual movement-discrimination can be used to detect and remediate reading problems in all types of dyslexia. What emerges from multiple studies is the essential role for dorsal stream function in facilitating reading fluency, selective and sustained attention, and working memory in both dyslexic and typically developing students between the ages of 6-8 years old. Methods: Specifically, training visual dorsal stream function on discriminating the direction of a dim test pattern (< 2% contrast) moving relative to a stationary textured background pattern is the key to facilitate reading acquisition in dyslexics and those at risk for reading problems. Results: Visual movement-discrimination training improves reading, attention, and working memory through the hypothetical increase in temporal precision and neuronal sensitivity of magnocellular neurons relative to linked parvocellular neurons in the dorsal stream. Conclusions: This research shows that visual movement figure/ground discrimination can be used not only to diagnose all types of dyslexia, but also to successfully remediate dyslexia. The results argue that a shift from phonologically-based to visually-based methods is indicated for the treatment of dyslexia. *Correspondence to: Teri Lawton, Cognitive Neuroscience, Perception Dynamics Institute, P.O. Box 231305, Encinitas, CA 92023, USA, Tel: 310-9036009; E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com


Since WellBody's inception, AMERICAN has averaged 75% employee engagement in the program. Additionally, in a recent 5-year period, AMERICAN realized a 9% reduction in healthrelated risks. These reductions were accompanied by a decrease in health costs for a net overall cost savings of $670 000 and a return on investment of 1.7 to 1.0. These results confirm those seen early in the program's history and demonstrated that favorable health and health-care cost trending have been sustained over time. While cost reduction, high levels of participation and engagement, positive trending, and ROI provide the business case for AMERICAN's Wellness initiatives, the company philosophy is it's the right thing to do. The Right Way is the AMERICAN way. It's a philosophy that started with the golden rule vision of its founder and continues today. The WellBody Program has created and sustained an environment that has successfully woven health into an existing culture of AMERICAN's people-centric business. It is an excellent basis for employees and family members to fully experience the benefits of HWB.


Human resource development is needed to improve employee performance, especially at PT. Inti Dufree Promosindo. The purpose of this study to determine the effect partially and simultaneously compensation and work environment on employee performance at PT. Inti Dufree Promosindo in Denpasar. The population in this study were all employees of PT. Inti Dufree Promosindo in Denpasar as many as 86 people who are divided into 6 shop sections, namely Beauty, Boutique, Fashion Watch, Fine Watch, Food & Liqueur, and Destination. Determination of the sample using saturated sampling technique, where the entire population is sampled. After the instrument test and classical assumption test were carried out, data analysis was carried out using multiple linear regression analysis, determination, t test, and F test. The results of the analysis showed that compensation had a positive and significant effect on employee performance. The work environment has a positive and significant effect on employee performance. Compensation and work environment simultaneously have a positive and significant effect on employee performance at PT. Inti Dufree Promosindo in Denpasar.


Purpose – This research aims to generate consumer knowledge to facilitate the development of new product concepts with optimal product design attributes for new fermented functional cereal beverages (FFCBs) with high market potential.Design/methodology/approach – This research employed a sequential mixed research approach which integrated both qualitative and quantitative methods. A total of 12 in‐depth interviews and three focus groups were carried out to identify product concepts for new FFCBs. A conjoint model (n=299) was then developed to evaluate product‐specific factors that influenced consumer acceptance of FFCBs.Findings – Potential target consumers of FFCBs were more likely to be young females who had relatively high educational and income levels. "Flavour" and "health/nutritional claim" were found to be the most important product attributes for consumers. The simulation analysis predicted two FFCB concepts for target consumers.Research limitations/implications – As there is a limited range of FF...


Based on the relationship of supply and demand, this paper takes an analysis on the a measure of the average earnings in the tanker, bulk carrier, container ship and gas for shipping markets, therefore, it puts forward some profitable suggestions for the decision makers of shipowner and charter to hold the current situation and to forecast the strategy for their future.


Abstract We investigate an inverse spectral problem for the singular rank-one perturbations of a Hill operator. We give a necessary and sufficient condition for a real sequence to be the spectrum of a singular rank-one perturbation of the Hill operator.


In order to research the molecular mechanisms of hypoxic regulation of erythropoietin(EPO) gene expression,the polymorphism of partial fragment(1 308 bp) of the EPO gene in yak,cattle and sheep at different altitudes were analyzed.Through comparing and analyzing the sequence of the 38 nucleotide,16 haplotypes and 84 point mutations,including 6 sense mutations,were obtained.The results showed that Hap_9,10,11,12,13 were unique for cattle,Hap_14,15,16 were specific to the yak.Hap_1 was unique for six sheep breeds,Hap_3 unique for total sheep breeds except to small tailed Han sheep,Hap_6,7 unique for low-altitude sheep of small tailed Han sheep,Hap_2 unique for the high-altitude breed such as Ganja sheep and Qiaoke sheep,Hap_5 were specific to the Qiaoke sheep,Hap_8 unique for the Mongolian sheep in the medium-altitude,Hap_4 was owned by Qiaoke and Mongolian sheep.This fragment of the EPO gene encoding 141 amino acids,6 mutations were found in the three breeds.The results of this study showed that EPO gene was polymorphism,haplotype distribution was different at different altitudes animals.


In grid-tied DC/AC inverter applications, the equivalent grid impedance often varies widely, which may limit the bandwidth of the inverter control system. This paper introduces a new method to perform the online estimation of the equivalent grid impedance with a Kalman filter by observing the grid voltage and grid current, as well as the voltage at the point of common coupling (PCC). With the estimated grid impedance, a high control bandwidth can be achieved for the grid-tied inverter through online regulation of the proportional coefficient of a current controller. A MATLAB/Simulink model of a grid-tied single-phase inverter has been setup to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. The simulation results show that the online estimated impedance is accurate enough and the inverter system can continuously maintain a high bandwidth, even under weak grid operating conditions.


Climate change and rapid urbanization are adversely affecting the urban environment by exacerbating the widely reported urban heat island effect in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Two wetland areas with variable riparian shadings in the warm-humid conditions of urban Dhaka were investigated through field campaigns on microclimatic parameters for their cooling potential on the surrounding urban fabric. It was observed that an inversion layer of fully saturated air develops over the water surface of wetland, suppressing evaporation from the wetland water surface layer, which was effectively reducing the heat exchange between the water surface and the air layer above it through its action as an insulating vapor blanket. Due to this effect, the wetland was unable to render as a source of coolth for the surrounding overheated urban area. This effect of the inversion layer was more pronounced in the urban wetland without riparian shading either by the urban form or tree canopy. A multiphysics simulation study conducted on the selected urban wetlands indicates the effect of differential shading pattern on the relation between fetch and inversion layer thickness. This research hypothesizes that the wetland can act as an urban adaption measure against the urban heat island effect by potentially transforming them into an urban cooling island (UCI) towards a favorable urban bioclimate.


Limited proteolysis coupled to matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometric analyses can be used to screen for compounds that alter protein structure by monitoring stabilizing/destabilizing effects with respect to the rate and nature of proteolysis. When applied to prolyl hydroxylase 2, a key enzyme involved in human oxygen sensing, the method efficiently revealed differential effects on proteolytic stability for structurally similar compounds and for different substrates.


The manifold according to an embodiment is provided with multiple units disposed in the middle of a liquid flow channel that has hoses. The units are provided with: a hollow pipe body; at least 3 nozzle stubs that are in communication with the interior of the pipe body; and respective connection fittings that are provided on each nozzle stub and are to be detachably connected to an object to be connected that has a similar shape. For the manifold, a flow channel that is in communication with each nozzle stub of the multiple units is constructed with the multiple units detachably connected to each other via the connection fittings.


In the past few years we have witnessed the fast development of distance learning tools such as Open Educational Resources (OER) and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). This paper presents the "Mathematics without STRESS" MOOC Project, which is a cooperation between four schools from the Polytechnic Institute of Oporto (IPP). The concepts of MOOC and their quickly growing popularity are presented and complemented by a discussion of some MOOC definitions. The process of the project development is demonstrated by focusing on used MOOC structure, as well as the several types of course materials produced. At last, is presented a short discussion about problems and challenges met throughout the project. It is also our goal to contribute for a change in the way as teaching and learning Mathematics is seen and practiced nowadays.


Nanoscale constituents in bulk materials can promote enhanced boundary-scattering in the transport of phonons as well as electrons, which is considered a key design factor for enhancing thermoelectric properties. Here, we demonstrate a method for synthesizing zinc oxide bulk materials from nanoparticles without significant grain growth by means of pressure-induced deformation at 200 °C. This allows us to comprehensively analyze the grain size dependence of thermoelectric properties in the nanoscale range above 30 nm, the size of a nanoparticle. Grain size was found to largely influence thermal conductivity as well as electrical conductivity. The observed thermal conductivity agreed with the Callaway model, indicating that enhanced phonon boundary-scattering was responsible for the variation. On the contrary, Seebeck coefficient was mostly governed by effective mass and carrier concentration, and was independent of the grain size. The dimensionless figure of merit systematically increased with grain size, ...


The transition from a command to a market economy resulted in widespread cropland abandonment across the former Soviet Union during the 1990s. Spatial patterns and determinants of abandonment are comparatively well understood for European Russia, but have not yet been assessed for the vast grain belt of Western Siberia, situated in the Eurasian forest steppe. This is unfortunate, as land-use change in Western Siberia is of global significance: Fertile black earth soils and vast mires store large amounts of organic carbon, and both undisturbed and traditional cultural landscapes harbor threatened biodiversity. We compared Landsat images from ca. 1990 (before the break-up of the Soviet Union) and ca. 2015 (current situation) with a supervised classification to estimate the extent and spatial distribution of abandoned cropland. We used logistic regression models to reveal important determinants of cropland abandonment. Ca. 135,000 ha classified as cropland around 1990 were classified as grassland around 2015. This suggests that ca. 20% of all cropland remain abandoned ca. 25 years after the end of the Soviet Union. Abandonment occurred mostly at poorly drained sites. The likelihood of cropland abandonment increased with decreasing soil quality, and increasing distance to medium-sized settlements, roads and railroads. We conclude that soil suitability, access to transport infrastructure and availability of workforce are key determinants of cropland abandonment in Western Siberia.


For forging process of the large size alloy wheels have several disadvantages, such as using large tonnage presses, high energy consumption, etc.So rotary-forging process route is developed. Forgings forming require 5000-6000T presses by the traditional process, but only require 350T rotary forging presses by new technology. This new process reduces the production costs and energy consumption and extends the life of die. Investigate the effect of several key factors on the forming force. The results show that forming force decreases with the decrease of press amount per turn, and reduce with the die and bars temperature increases. Forging wheel window has small influence on the forming force, but can decrease the forgings cutting weight, improve material utilization. This study plays a guiding role for equipment R & D and determination of the production processes parameters.


It is generally assumed that the beam intensity that can be transmitted through the atmosphere by a high-power microwave pulse will be limited by the air-breakdown threshold. Air breakdown by microwave has been studied extensively, both theoretically and experimentally. It is a cascade process in which free electrons, driven by the microwave electric field, generate further ionization through collisions with air molecules. The process can disrupt the propagation of a microwave pulse if the electron plasma density grows to within an appreciable fraction of critical density. In a pulsed beam this can happen if, and only if, the field strength is sufficiently large and the beam encounters one or more initiating free seed'' electrons sufficiently early in the pulse. This paper discusses this sparse breakdown in low-altitude wave propagation.


With meticulous academic pursuits and frontier scientific ideas,Lavorier brought out Antoine-Laurent which is a chemical revolution marking an essential intensification in Chemical theory and a beginning of quantitative Chemical's.Lavorier's tragedy in politics left lession to descendants.


Blue-Green Infrastructure (BGI) is an approach to urban flood resilience, recognised globally and in international literature, that capitalises on the benefits of working with urban green-spaces and naturalised water-flows. Literature reveals BGI's sustainable functioning and benefits-provision depend on the behaviour of those who use it, therefore local stewardship is often proposed to support maintenance. However, there is a gap in understanding the requirements and behaviours of users, as well as their potential for developing stewardship behaviours, that is not addressed through traditional analysis approaches based around demographics. Therefore, this research used correlation analysis of survey data from two locations in the UK to explore the potential contribution of Social Practice Theory (SPT) to improve such understanding. Results show statistically significant correlation (better than 1%) between performance of practices associated with urban BGI and attitudes towards BGI stewardship, whereas demographic variables showed little correlation. Reflection on the practices demonstrates that this connection is traceable through the meanings people attach to their practices, the benefits of BGI spaces as material to those practices and their competencies in relation to existing and proposed stewardship practices. Practices, it is proposed, have embedded behaviours and attitudes that transcend locational and demographic factors. These findings imply in a wider context that, for any proposed or existing BGI, understanding associated practices would improve targeting of stewardship-engagement towards users with compatible meanings and competencies. Furthermore, sustainable design of BGI would benefit from consultation with all identified user-groups in order to understand existing and potential practices.


This research investigates the thermal shock resistance behavior of a plate subjected to a sudden thermal load. It contains two parts. In Part I of this research, the nonlocal elastic theory is implemented to obtain the thermal stress and strain fields of the plate. The difference between the nonlocal model and the local model is discussed. It is found that the thermal stresses are highly over estimated by the local model, which ignores the effect of small length scale. The phenomenon indicates confirms the fact that introduction of non-local parameter is essential in the evaluation of thermal stresses of solids.


A double-column symmetrical holding device was designed for determining the critical load of a compression column with one fixed end and one free end when frequency method was applied.The aim of this design is to meet the special condition of free transverse vibration on the free end of column when the column was loaded along axis direction.The designed device was used to determine the critical load of column by frequency method,results of which were close to calculated results through Euler formula.Combined with analysis of experimental data,the adaptability of axial compression and axial tension load was discussed respectively when frequency method was applied to determine critical load of column with one fixed end and one free end.