Purpose

School is an institution that provides an opportunity to improve children's equity and wellbeing and to bridge the potential disadvantage related to ethnic- or language-minority backgrounds. Information sharing between immigrant homes and school can enhance school achievement, support positive identity formation and provide early support when needed. In this paper, the perspectives of immigrant parents, school welfare personnel and school-going adolescents are analysed in order to understand how they see their respective roles in information flows between home and school. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

The data consist of qualitative group and individual interviews of 34 representatives of school personnel, 13 immigrant parents and 81 young people who have experienced immigration, in the metropolitan area of Helsinki, Finland.

Findings

Despite general goodwill, school personnel may fail to secure the flow of information. Due to structural power imbalance, school personnel are often incapable of engaging the parents in dialogical discourse. Young people of immigrant background in turn try to manipulate the information flow in order to protect their family and ethnic group and to cope with pressures from parents. The patterns of information flows in school as a social field reproduce immigrant homes as subaltern. Adolescents act in a strategically important juncture of information flows between immigrant home and school, which indicates that home-school interaction is actually a triad.

Social implications

Awareness building among school personnel is vital for equity and wellbeing of children of immigrant families.

Originality/value

This triangulated analysis of patterned information flows in school as a social field provides a fresh perspective to those working with children of immigrant families.


Inspection of urea-synthetic tower was introduced,and causes of corrosion to the urea-synthetic tower were analyzed,some attentions and suggestions were proposed in operation condition.


No abstract available. Image:  Chicago view. (From the Program of the "48th Annual Pancreas Club Meeting. Chicago, IL, USA. May 2-3, 2014).


As far as I know, the premises of this e-seminar differ from previous ones in some ways. Firstly, the presenter of the paper (Jay Ruby) and the commentator (myself) are both what may be described as 'veterans' (well, we both have greyish white hair) in the discussion of the key issues raised, indicating that we have 'rattled on', to use a phrase employed by Jay in his paper, about some of the issues for many years.


The utility model discloses a split type monitoring and alarming detector for electrical fire, which includes a central processing unit, a sampling and processing module, an input module, an alarming module, a fire signal processing module and a power source module, wherein an input terminal of the sampling and processing module is connected with the output terminals of a plurality of current transformers or aftercurrent transformers, as well as an output terminal of an ambient temperature sensor; output terminals of the sampling and processing module, the input module, the fire signal processing module, and the power source module are connected with the central processing unit, and an input terminal of the alarming module is connected with the central processing unit. The split type monitoring and alarming detector has the characteristics of flexible configuration and wide application range; and through the reasonable configuration, the detector can be constructed in a simplest manner under the premise that the requirements of the monitoring system are met; and compared with the complicated structure of the integral type monitoring and alarming detector, the split type monitoring and alarming detector can save more expenditure cost when used for constructing an alarm and control system for electric fire prevention.


Summary Rabbit lenses were made cataractous by incubating in culture medium with added tyrosine and tyrosinase. The content of GSH was drastically lowered in the cataractous lens. The GSH which was lost from the lens could be partially recovered as GSSG in the medium. This finding may explain the fate of lens GSH, both normally and in cataract formation.


The purpose of this two-wave longitudinal study was to analyze reciprocal associations between identity styles (i.e., socio-cognitive strategies that individuals adopt in processing, structuring, utilizing, and revising self-relevant information) and civic engagement in adolescence. Participants were 1,308 high school students (9–11 grades; 52.9% girls). Findings of cross-lagged models indicated reciprocal associations between identity styles and civic engagement. Specifically, each identity style (i.e., information-oriented, normative, and diffuse-avoidant) predicted changes in later levels of civic engagement, and civic engagement lessened later reliance on one of three identity styles (i.e., the diffuse-avoidant style). Therefore, effects of identity on civic engagement were stronger than effects of civic engagement on identity. From a practical perspective, these findings underline that interventions aimed at facilitating reliance on various identity styles are likely to have effects also on civic participation and civic experiences are likely to reduce adolescents' avoidance of identity issues.


It has often been reported that different demographic groups show persistent differences in their inflation expectations. Some reasonable explanations have been suggested, but most have failed to fully explain these apparent differences. We argue that the demographic differences have been overstated by using the mean to describe differences across demographic groups. When we use the median to describe inflation expectations, we find little meaningful difference across demographic groups.


In this paper, performance degradation of thermally aged cascode GaN devices is presented in detail. For this purpose, an accelerated aging setup is designed which operates within safe operating area (SOA) to mimic the power cycling in real applications as much as possible. The parametric variations are measured via a curve tracer at certain intervals to find out critical signatures for incipient fault diagnostics. Among those, the on-state resistance gradually increases throughout the power cycles, which can be identified as one of the most reliable failure precursor. Devices with different failure modes are decapsulated to investigate the causes of the failures. Some of failed cascode GaN devices show a high drain-source leakage current, gate-source leakage current and different reverse conduction characteristic compared to other thermally aged single die devices. Through measuring the two detached dies, a failure model is built in LTspice to simulate the failed device characteristics. Finally, weak points of the devices are pointed out based on the failure analysis.


The phonational range of the modal and falsetto registers was determined for 35 nonsingers and eight singers. Each subject phonated the vowel /a/ at different frequencies by matching the pitch of s...


SUMMARY Political and economical transformation, that has taken place in Poland during the last fifteen years caused necessity of carrying deep financial reforms. The modernization of cadastral and land register systems creates new possibilities of defining taxes based on real estate ownership. The system of real estate tax is going to be modified. The tax based on estate area is suggested to be changed into the tax based on estate's value, that is defined in the polish law system as cadastral value. Cadastral value calculation as the basis for due estate tax is going to take place in the whole country. It will be realized by carrying out the mass appraisal. The mass appraisal is going to be not only a great organization task, but a technological one. The valuation methods used by real estate experts are not always proper for mass appraisal. Cadastral value definition does not need such a detailed data, that are necessary for single estate value estimation. So the authors suggest using neural networks for mass appraisal. The neural network analysis concerning internal neuron functions, type and structure layers, that are made in this paper, allowed to establish criteria for employing neural networks. Experiments made in this work show high usefulness of such methods for mass appraisal. That is also possible to use proposed methods for cadastral value verification in countries different from Poland.


THE idea of an International Congress of Entomology originated at Tring, and it was on the initiative of Dr. Karl Jordan, curator of the Hon. Walter Rothschild's Zoological Museum, that a small number of entomologists, representing France, Belgium, Germany, and the United Kingdom, met at Burlington House during the spring of 1909 to consider details. At this meeting, which was presided over by the then president of the Entomological Society of London (Dr. F. A. Dixey, F.R.S.), it was arranged that the first congress should take place at Brussels, in August, 1910. The congress at Brussels proved to be very successful, and, before separating, its members decided that the second international congress should be held at Oxford in 1912, under the presidency of Prof. Poulton, F.R.S., Hope Professor of Zoology in the University.


Fixing Negative Online Reviews : http://www.negativepublicrelations.com/fixing-negative-online-reviews.html , In case your business got some negative reviews , consumer complaints, or negative reports online , we are able to remove on a permanent basis...


Application of Wu Zhendong' s Formula or his simplified formula would result in an accurate calculation of concrete heat-saving and concrete cooling.Wu Zhendong' s Formula is fully applicable at all temperatures i.e.,at positive temperature,at negative temperature and at generalized average temperature.There are two conditions of concrete heat-saving i.e.m≠0,and m=0,in which two-stage calculations under the condition of critical temperature and critical negative temperature would play an important role.


The slow hole transfer from quantum dots (QDs) to the polysulfide redox couple electrolyte deteriorates the photovoltaic performance of QD-sensitized solar cells (QDSCs). To accelerate hole transfer and improve the performance of QDSCs, a series of hole transport materials (HTMs, including graphene oxide (GO), diphenyl sulfide (DPS), and 2,2′,7,7-tetrakis[N,N-di(4-methoxyphenyl)-amino]-9,9′-spiro-bifluorene (Spiro)) are deposited on the QD-sensitized photoanode and serve as hole transfer interplay media. The experimental results indicate that except for Spiro, the other two HTMs have a positive effect on improving the photovoltaic performance of the resulting cell device. The intrinsic mechanism of the effect of GO on the performance of the corresponding cell device is studied systematically. Photoluminescence decay measurements indicate clearly that the introduction of GO on the interface between QDs and the electrolyte can accelerate the hole transfer dynamics by about 4.7-fold. GO modification on the QD-sensitized photoanode can improve the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of ZCISe QDSCs from the original 12.50% to 13.84%, which is among the best performances for QDSCs.


Quality assurance and structural integrity evaluation are the crucial parts of the successful design and service of additively manufactured (AM) components. Discontinuities and flaws in AM parts can affect the mechanical properties of a component during manufacturing and service. It is very important to identify the discontinuities in AM parts in terms of location, size, and geometrical properties using nondestructive testing (NDT) techniques. Existing research in both mechanical testing and nondestructive evaluation involves developing methods for characterizing and inspecting AM components as the use of such materials continues to rise. Although there exist relatively mature ultrasonic inspection techniques for defect detection, AM polymer components face the challenge of considerable internal inhomogeneities caused by the design and printing strategies. It has been shown that the ultrasonic signals are very sensitive to the material inhomogeneities, consequently the reflection/diffractions from the defects will be significantly influenced and defect detection will be very challenging. This work aims to present the potentials and challenges in ultrasonic detection of defects in polymer AM parts. Air-coupled ultrasonic tests to be demonstrated and followed by results and discussions. The role of porosity on detectability in the ultrasonic NDT tests is described and a possible way for attenuation assessment is demonstrated. Finally, the effect of AM part inhomogeneities on detection probability of seeded defects with different sizes and locations in AM parts is presented.


ABSTRACT This article uses multimodal CA to analyze depictive hand gestures that are used to check understanding of the co-participant's preceding action. Drawing on data from cooking and farming interactions, the analysis scrutinizes how depictive gestures come to be treated as other-initiations of repair. The analysis shows that relevant factors in this are: (a) the gesture's design, i.e., its form and movement in relation to the material ecology of the interaction, including relevant objects; (b) the gesture's position and timing in the unfolding sequence; (c) the embodied participation framework, including the body positions and gaze patterns of all participants; and (d) the participants' shared knowledge and understanding of the broader activity context, including their familiarity with the ingredients and dishes in-the-making. The analysis contributes to research on gestural depiction in human meaning making and to the study of embodiment in repair organization. The data are in Finnish with English translations.


Analytical studies of Brahms's music frequently cite conflict and ambiguity as significant aspects of his compositional language. David Epstein's assessment is typical: "What Brahms achieved is a unique kind of musical structure, whose anomalous opposition and counterbalancing of elements build into the music not only the means of forward motion but the means as well for its control, pacing, and ultimate resolution."1 In some of Brahms's compositions, these conflicts lie principally in a single musical parameter, such as meter, harmony, or form.2 For example, in his discussion of metrical dissonance in Brahms's Capriccio in C# Minor, op. 76, no. 5, John Rink argues that "the relative simplicity of the tonal foundation counteracts the almost overwhelming metrical clashes in which Brahms revels."3 More often in Brahms's works, multiple aspects of the music exhibit some type of conflict or ambiguity. Despite its brevity, Brahms's Capriccio in C Major, op. 76, no. 8, features major conflicts in tonal structure, form, and especially meter; these conflicts render it one of Brahms's most challenging conceptions. Composed in 1878, the Capriccio in C Major was published the following year as the last of Brahms's Klavierstucke, op. 76. Brahms apparently had doubts about publishing the piece. In a letter dated 7 November 1878, Clara Schumann wrote to Brahms:


The article highlights the characteristic features of Public Service Interpreting. This type of interpreting is regarded in the aspect of host country's language policy in social sector and in the field of human rights protection. The article also focuses on macro and optional factors that influence the government's language policy.


ABSTRACT Development of a service information system on the list of proposals for determining credit points online based on a website . Service information system list of credit score determination proposals (Simpadu) is a system used to track or monitor DUPAK file management (list of credit score determination proposals) health functional positions at the Directorate General of Health Services conducted through the Integrated Services Unit (ULT) and this is strengthened with the DUPAK Circular Letter dated 4 - May - 2015, in the context of improving the quality of service and orderly administration in the process of Determining Functional Credit Score in the Health sector. This research is a type of Applied Research. The information system development method uses the Prototype model. The method of data collection is done by observation, data sampling, literature study, and interviews. The method used in analyzing and designing a system is the Object Oriented Analysis and Design method using Unified Modeling Language (UML). The results of this research are in the form of software in the form of website Information Systems list service of determining credit numbers that can serve to provide information on the management of DUPAK files. Keywords: Information Systems service list of proposals for determining credit points, DUPAK, Prototype, Object-Oriented Analysis and Design .


Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text. Purpose: We describe an alternative vitreoretinal technique that allows for the macular hole closure without filling the vitreous cavity with gas. Methods: A prospective interventional one-center case series from March 2019 to January 2020. The patients underwent the formation of viscoelastic-assisted temporal internal limiting membrane flap without any gas endotamponade. Preoperative and postoperative visual acuity and foveal structure in optical coherence tomography images were evaluated. Results: Macular hole closure was achieved with a single procedure in 11 of 12 eyes with no endotamponade application. Preoperative, mean best-corrected visual acuity was 1.11 (Snellen equivalent 20/258) ± 0.28 logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution (range 1.398–0.523). We were able to assess visual acuity as early as on the first postoperative day in all patients. It ranged from 1.398 to 0.523 logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution (Snellen equivalent 20/500–20/67) with a mean of 0.97 (20/186) ± 0.29. Final best-corrected visual acuity was 0.31 (Snellen equivalent 20/40) ± 0.18 (range 0.699–0.1) at the end of the 3-month follow-up. Conclusion: This technique avoids the application of any tamponade, does not require positioning, and seems to provide macular hole closure rates similar to those of traditional vitrectomy with gas.


The diachronic history of epistemic formation and discourse creation has inextricably and inexorably embedded into the changing economic condition of the contemporary reality. In  fact, the entire epoch of late nineteenth century to mid twentieth century has been one of the periods of a great political and economic turmoil and upheaval. The unprecedented history of imperialism, dictatorship, materialism along with unsurmounting capitalism has brought  in  a  great  panorama  of  futility  and  anarchy  which  has  become  the  history  of  the contemporary world that is further espoused by Darwin through the survival of the fittest by muting  the words  of Kropotkin's  principle  of  mutual  aid.  The  contemporary system  of capitalism has been brought in as an antithesis to feudal economy and it has given rise to the phenomena of Utilitarianism. The entire philosophical apodosis of Utilitarianism provides us  with  different  forms  of  looking  at  reality  and  human  life-  existence.  The  paper meticulously looks into the uncanny and inscrutable yet a remarkable relationship between  capitalistic growth and spiritual waste land and cultural decay as has candidly been avered by one of the remarkable poets, T.S. Eliot. He in his The Waste Land (1922) articulates:


Objective: To study the protective function of Gardenia yellow (GY) against CCl 4 induced hepatotoxicity in mice.Methods: Healthy Kunming male mice, weighting (20±2) g, 10 per group were randomized into 5 groups:control group, CCl 4 injured group, low dose group(CCl 4 injured+0.1 ml GY solution), medium dose group(CCl 4 injured+ 0.2 ml GY solution) and high dose group(CCl 4 injured+0.4ml GY solution). GY solution was given i.g. 5 d prior to CCl 4 injury. Serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase(SGPT) and glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase(SGOT) and lactic dehydrogenase(LDH) activities were determined 18 h after CCl 4 injury. Hepatic malondialdehyde(MDA), glutathione(GSH) and liver index were also detected. Results: In GY treated groups, the increases of serum SGOT, SGPT, LDH activities and liver GSH were inhibited obviously. The elevations of MDA and liver index were prevented significantly. The lesions in liver lobule were ameliorated obviously. Conclusion: Gardenia yellow can protect against CCl 4 induced hepatotoxicity.


Through co-ordination and self-enforcement,Shanghai Native Banks' Guild formed an interior multi-reputation mechanism enforced compulsively,causing threat of collective retaliation credible and preventing governmental invasion.By applying repeated games in this paper,it is concluded that Guild's institution based on multi-reputation mechanism is efficient,which made the government obey their commitments,protect merchant' rights,and extend market transactions to increase social benefits and tariffs.


Local sales taxes are an important source of revenue for municipalities and counties in over thirty states. How do municipalities set local sales taxes? Studying the sales tax differentials between high and low sales tax states, David R. Agrawal finds that local jurisdictions in low-tax states set higher local sales tax rates than jurisdictions on the other side of the border in the high-tax state. In addition, jurisdictions far inside low-tax states set lower tax rates compared to border towns.


Aim To investigate the anti-proliferative activities of melatonin(MT) and its influence on NF-κB level in HeLa cells. Methods The anti-prolifera-tive activities of MT were evaluated by MTT assay and AO/EB staining,and NF-κB level was observed by Western blot analysis. Results The IC50 on HeLa cells by MT for 72 h was 61. 71 mg . L -1. HeLa cells stained with AO/EB were damaged in a time-depend-ent manner by MT 1 g.L -1 for 1 d,2 d and 3 d. Asthe time goes on,more necrocytosis were seen and less apoptosis were observed. It was shown that MT could down-regulate NF-κB level in a time-dependent and a dose-dependent manner after treated with MT 0. 2 g.L -1 for 1 d,2 d and 3 d and with MT 0. 008,0. 04 and 0. 2 g.L -1 for 3 days. Conclusion MT could inhibit the proliferation of HeLa cells with a concomitant down-regulation of NF-κB level,which may be related to its antiproliferative activity.


With the increasing complexity of cyber-physical systems, it is essential to enhance their self-management capabilities (e.g., self-protection, self-optimization). This paper presents a data-oriented approach to achieving that goal, given that a large amount of measurements can be collected in current systems. We investigate typical data characteristics in physical systems, and identify that the collected data from those systems exhibit a wide range of diversities. Following those observations, a new analytic engine is proposed and developed to extract knowledge from measurement data streams in physical systems. The engine treats each attribute in measurements as a time series and contains an ensemble of models, each attempting to discover a specific data property accordingly, such as periodicity, pairwise dependency and so on. Therefore time series are profiled based on their properties captured by engine models. The extracted data profiles can be further used to facilitate several management tasks of system status monitoring and online anomaly detection. Our experimental results in a real power plant have demonstrated that our analytic engine can correctly profile heterogeneous time series in the system, and successfully detect a number of abnormal situations in the system operation including some system inspection events as well as component faults.


Silica (Si) is a beneficial element for plants because it has many benefits in increasing plant growth and yields. However, the use of silica as fertilizer is currently still very limited, so the use of fertilizer is a major concern given a large number of uses of silica for plants. Today, recent advances in nanotechnology have opened new avenues for plant improvement, wherein plants can derive benefits associated with Si nanoparticles. Several studies have demonstrated the positive effects produced by the utilization of Si nanoparticles. Nanotechnology is expected to be able to answer the challenges of using environmentally friendly fertilizers and high efficiency of nutrient use. The use of nano fertilizers opens up new approaches to precision farming and sustainable agriculture. This paper will discuss the application of silica nanoparticles in plant growth and plant productivity. Nanosilica fertilizer is one of the promising technologies that can be used for precision and sustainable agriculture.


A two-dimensional computational model for simulation of surface pitting of mechanical elements subjected to contact loading conditions is presented. In the model it is assumed the initial crack of length 0.015 mm is initiated at the contacting surfaces due to previously thermal or mechanical treatment of the material. The discretised model with the initial crack is then subjected to normal contact pressure, which takes into account the EHD-lubrication conditions, and tangential loading due to friction between contacting surfaces. The model accounts also for the influence of fluid trapped in the crack on crack propagation. The virtual crack extension (VCE) method in the framework of finite element analysis is then used for two-dimensional simulation of fatigue crack propagation under contact loading from the initial crack up to the formation of the surface pit.


We present the case of a 64-year-old male patient in whom malignant phase of hypertension developed during dialysis therapy. Hypertension was resistant to pharmacological therapy with seven antihypertensive drugs and dialysis therapy with ultrafiltration. In this patient bilateral nephrectomy was performed as a rescue therapy. It led to better control of blood pressure and allowed to reduce the number and dosage of antihypertensive medications.


Italy's prehistoric and protohistoric heritage is subjected to more threats than any other for reasons that go beyond its antiquity: if it is true that the record is often less imposing in its traces, this cannot justify the widespread general ignorance surrounding it. Such ignorance is mirrored and amplified by the lack of systematic recording of all kinds of evidence regarding this timeframe. Even though there is more than one platform available for such recording, its use is rarely considered accessible, and their features appear to be more oriented towards cataloguing rather than research or trying to capture the attention of a non-specialized audience. In this article, we pinpoint what seems to be missing and propose a model that can deal with the challenge.


One of my most vivid recollections of high school in a Maryland suburb of Washington, DC, occurred in my junior year—and it had little to do with academics. It was an hour-long demonstration of table tennis (ping-pong) by the National Chinese Table Tennis Team. Nixon had just come back from his visit to China, and the visit by this team was a method conceived by the White House to popularize the success of Nixon's visit. Even though I attended school with children of diplomats from around the world, the impact of this famous visit still remains with me. In fact, I still have the school newspaper that reported this momentus occasion.


Objective: The selection of hemodialysis access type (arteriovenous fistula versus graft) has clinical implications for patients requiring dialysis. Currently, there are no recommendations for the use of pre-operative contrast venography (CV) or intraoperative duplex ultrasound (DUS) as the most effective imaging modality for selection of hemodialysis access type. The purpose of this study was to determine whether intra-operative duplex ultrasound (DUS) changed the selection of hemodialysis access type recommended after pre-operative contrast venography (CV). Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study in which we identified 48 patients who had hemodialysis access creation with intra-op DUS after having had pre-op CV. We determined the percentage of cases in which intra-op DUS changed the selection of hemodialysis access type after pre-op CV and the percentage of cases in which the change yielded the selection of more favorable access types. Results: Of our 48 patients, 42 (87.5%) had arteriovenous fistula creations while 6 (12.5%) had graft insertions. Intra-op DUS changed the selection of hemodialysis access type in 20 (41.7 %) of our patients with selection of more favorable access type in 13 (27.1%) of these patients. Access failed in 4 of these 20 patients with only 2 patients ultimately requiring the access type recommended prior to intra-op DUS. Conclusions: Our study shows that intra-op DUS changed the selection of hemodialysis access type recommended after pre-op CV and that in most of these cases, intra-op DUS yielded the selection of more favorable access types. Further research is required to establish the most effective imaging modality for the selection of hemodialysis access types.


Philodendron melinonii is an Amazonian species common in botanical gardens and urban landscaping, however its taxonomy, natural distribution and conservation are barely addressed in the literature. This work presents the nomenclatural history of the species with lectotype designation, a typographical correction and comments on its biogeographic distribution and conservation. Keywords: typification; biogeographic provinces; collection effort; Araceae; Amazonia.


Summary Le heros de toutes les saisons. Praise of the Monarch and Political Reflexions in Madeleine de Scudery's Novel "La Promenade de Versailles" (1669) Hitherto, historians have hardly ever dealt with Mlle de Scudery's writings and their significance for the royal propaganda policy, especially in the 1660's. Using the example of her novel "La Promenade de Versailles" the article provides the first detailed discussion of Mlle de Scudery's political reflections and beliefs as well as her encomia of the monarchy and the sovereign. First, the article shows how the book has to be interpreted in light of the historical and literary background of the time and how it corresponds to the complete works of Mlle de Scudery. Then, concrete political respectively monarchal aspects of the novel are analysed as well as the way in which Louis XIV is presented. Consequently, it can be shown that, in literary terms, "La Promenade de Versailles" is not only a unique and successful synthesis of aesthetic, gallant and polit...


Aiming at requirements of high reliability and low power consumption for wireless sensor networks in industrial monitoring,a dynamic slot assignment(DSA) adaptive MAC protocol called DSA-MAC protocol is proposed based on TDMA protocol,and the slot length is adjusted dynamically by link quality estimation in order to improve reliability of data transmission.An adaptive power adjustment mechanism based on receiving signal strength indication(RSSI) is added in protocol to realize low power consumption requirements of the network.The DSA-MAC protocol is implemented on the CC2530 hardware platform,and is tested in the industrial field.The result shows that the protocol improves data transmission rate,and reduces energy consumption of networks,and can adapt to industrial environment application needs.


Distributed fiber optic temperature measurement system has the characteristics of intrinsic safety,strong anti-electromagnetic interference capability,fast multi-points measurement and positioning,easy to install and so on.This paper introduces a distributed temperature measurement system based on DSP.Because the Raman scattering signal including temperature information is completely submerged in noise.We pick up an improved threshold function and threshold selection method to denoise the Raman scattering signal.Simulation results show that the improved wavelet denoising threshold function can effectively improve the noise reduction effect,improve the accuracy of the distributed fiber optic temperature measurement system,and simplify the system structure.


For many years corporations have been buying life insurance on the lives of their key employees to protect the corporations from economic losses in the event of the deaths of such employees. Insurance companies encouraged the corporateowned life insurance (COLI) programs by emphasizing their tax advantages. Corporations began to maximize the tax benefits by taking large loans to pay for policy premiums and then obtaining large income tax deductions for the interest payments. When the Tax Reform Act of 1986 curtailed these unintended tax benefits by imposing a $50,000 per-insured-employee limit on the amount of indebtedness for which interest was deductible, insurance companies created new kinds of COLI policies. One kind has been called "dead peasant policies" or "janitors insurance." These are life insurance policies that corporations purchase for rank-and-file employees naming the corporation as the beneficiary when the employee dies. There is widespread use of janitors insurance by corporations and by banks (BOLI) because it creates significant improvements in their bottom lines. However, the current arrangement takes advantage of uninformed employees and misleads shareholders. Shareholders also pay for hidden executive compensation when corporations buy "split-dollar" life insurance policies for top executives. These arrangements, in which the premiums are split between the corporation and the executive, create millions of dollars of tax-free compensation for the executives without shareholder knowledge. Insurance companies have been very successful in marketing these products to corporations and to banks and, now, even to charities (CHOLI) with the public and Congress initially paying little attention. The intense focus on corporate scandal after the Enron, Tyco, Adelphia, and WorldCom debacles, however, has created interest in these insurance schemes in the business press and among legislators. Reporters for the Wall Street Journal have been writing regularly about these issues since the beginning of 2002. The Internal Revenue Service has been disallowing more deductions taken with respect to these schemes, and courts have been upholding the disallowances. It is important that remaining loopholes are plugged while the public's attention is on overreaching by corporations. When no one is watching, it is difficult for rank-and-file employees and noninstitutional shareholders to know that they are being taken advantage of by large corporations, aided and abetted by large insurance companies. Employees should not be worth more to their employers, or former employers, dead than alive. Not only should their consent be required for such an arrangement, but the consent has to be meaningful so they fully comprehend the entire scope of their employers' benefits from insuring their lives. Similarly, shareholders must be able to know when the companies' earnings are being increased by COLI rather than from business activities and when the company's payments for life insurance premiums for executives increase executives' pay and benefits beyond what is clearly reported. This article first explores the issue of insurable interest, that is, why employers may be allowed to insure the lives of employees whose deaths, individually, have no particular effect on the financial well-being of the company. The article then discusses employees' rights, with respect to COLI, and relevant litigation. The fourth section reviews the tax considerations of COLI and relevant litigation. The fifth section describes how corporations profit from COLI and discusses shareholders' rights to know the sources of corporations' income. The sixth section summarizes split-dollar arrangements that hide executive compensation and their future viability in light of recent legislation. The final section concludes that no one should be able to insure the life of another without the consent of the insured; that corporations should not be able to shift the cost of employee benefit programs to the taxpayer through tax-advantaged COLI programs; and that a corporation should be required to indicate clearly to shareholders the total compensation it is granting top management and the profit it enjoys that is directly attributable to COLI programs.


The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of Helicobacter pylori CagA(H.pylori-CagA) protein in adult patients with chronic immune thrombocytopenia(CITP). One hundred and ten CITP patients with H.pylori infection in the Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital were involved.They were?divided into treatment group and control group using random number table according to numbers that was first-come first ordered.Each group contained 55 cases.Serum antibodies against CagA protein were qualitatively and quantitatively measured.The treatment group received H.pylori eradication therapy,while the control group did not.However,other treatment options were the same between the two groups.Eradication was assessed after 6~8 weeks of treatment by 14C-UBT.The change of platelet count and serum levels of H.pylori-CagA-IgG antibody titer in the CITP patients were evaluated before and after treatment during follow-up period of 3 to 5 months in order to find whether or not there were significant differences between the two groups and to explore the clinical relationship between CITP and H.pylori-CagA protein. There were 46 patients with H.pylori-CagA positive.The prevalence of H.pylori CagA infection was 41.82%(46/110).After H.pylori eradication treatment,the platelet count was increased and the serological levels of H.pylori-CagA-IgG were reduced in 23 patients with H.pylori-CagA positive in the treatment group(P0.05).There was no significant difference in the number of platelets in 32 cases with H.pylori-CagA negative before and after treatment.In the control group,no statistical difference in serological levels of H.pylori-CagA-IgG and platelet count change was found in 23 patients with H.pylori-CagA positive.There was also no significant difference in the number of platelets in the 32 cases with H.pylori-CagA negative before and after treatment.These results suggested a close correlation between H.pylori-CagA protein and CITP development. The addition of serum antibody test may be used as a predictor for clinical treatment of CITP patients with H.pylori infection.Bacterium eradication provides a new non-immunosuppressive treatment for CITP patients with H.pylori-CagA positive.


Meta-analysis reviews, collects, and synthesizes individual sample surveys to estimate an overall eeect size. If the studies for a meta-analysis are chosen through a literature review, an inherent selection bias may arise, since in particular, studies may tend to be published more readily if they are statistically signiicant, or deemed to be of higher quality. Here, `quality' depends on sample characteristics, study design elements such as blinding and control, and many other objective and subjective factors. Within a Bayesian hierarchical model allowing stratiication on quality, we develop a data augmentation technique to estimate and adjust for the numbers and outcomes of missing studies after allowing for such eeects. We apply this method to a meta-analysis of studies of cervical cancer rates associated with use of oral contraceptives.


Ladies and Gentlemen, let me begin by thanking the Institution of Engineers for inviting me to address this distinguished forum. As Chairman of Transparency International, I welcome the opportunity to exchange views with you and to contribute to the debates, which will help shape the coming decades in Australia.


Monitoring land use with geographical databases is widely used in decision-making. This report presents the possibilities, methods and adapted techniques using geo-information in monitoring land use changes. The municipality of Soest was chosen as study area and three national land use databases, viz. Top10Vector, CBS land use statistics and LGN, were used. The restrictions of geo-information for monitoring land use changes are indicated. New methods and adapted techniques improve the monitoring result considerably. Providers of geo-information, however, should coordinate on update frequencies, semantic content and spatial resolution to allow better possibilities of monitoring land use by combining data sets.


In Buncombe County, North Carolina, public health workers are going upstream to tackle health disparities between black and white residents.


Dr Keith Nicholson (Hunterian Museum, The University, Glasgow G12 8QQ), writes: 'I am gathering details of rock and mineral collections, held in museums throughout the UK, which include specimens from any of the islands in the Outer Hebrides. In this I also include the islands of St Kilda, North Rona, Sula Sgeir, the Flannan Isles and Rockall. I would therefore he very interested in details of any specimens from these islands, and the collections, however small, in which they are included.'...


INTRODUCTION: During the period of growth and body development, it is possible to occur changes in posture that may result from wrong breathing, through the mouth. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether the presence of postural changes is related to the presence of mouth breathing in children from second to fourth grade of elementary school. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 117 children with mean age of 9.017 ± 0.851 years, 54 males and 63 females. The evaluation consisted of a questionnaire about signs and symptoms of mouth breathing and a photogrammetric postural assessment with the software SAPO®. The analysis of the comparison between groups was made by student's t-test and Mann-Whitney; and for association analysis it was used the Fisher Exact test. It was considered p 0.05). CONCLUSION: It was found a high percentage of children with signs and symptoms of mouth breathing and postural changes, but it was not found relationship between this findings.


Female American eels, Anguilla rostrata (LeSueur), were artificially matured with injections of salmon and carp pituitary and human chorionic gonadotropin. In vivo ovulation was induced with 4-pregnene-17α,20β-diol-3-one and eggs were spontaneously released. Eggs were fertilized in vitro and survived to the gastrula stage. Males were matured with injections of human chorionic gonadotropin. They were attracted by the sight and odour of maturing and mature females. Ovulated females released a sex pheromone which was especially attractive to mature males and triggered the release of sperm.


This article addresses the perceptual effects of the distribution of voices in a choir. An amateur gospel choir was recorded under 16 performance conditions: 4 by distribution of voices (soprano, alto, tenor, bass), 2 by style of choral writing (counterpoint and vertical), 2 by singing conditions (accompanied by instruments and a cappella). Three listening conditions were studied for each of the performance conditions: choristers perception while singing (chorus internal), choristers listening to the playback of recording (chorus external), and professional musicians not linked to the choir (external). Participants indicated the overall sound quality (balance) and if any voice overpowered the others. The results show a strong agreement in the answers, especially those of the choristers while singing (Cronbach's α=0.93). The "classical" voice distribution (soprano and alto in the front, tenor and bass in the back) was clearly preferred, especially by the choristers (p<.001). The male choristers also preferred a different distribution while singing (male voices in column with the bass in the back, soprano and alto on the sides). The presence of instruments has a limited influence on the assessment of sound quality, even when it was reduced by placing the altos and sopranos on the side of the choir. Sound preference is correlated with the homogeneity of the voices (r=0.32, p<.001). We conclude that the importance of distributing the voices depends on the preference of the choristers who are the most sensitive and coherent in assessing the overall sound.


An efficient catalytic procedure for the preparation of 2-deoxyglucosides from glucals without allylic or Ferrier rearrangement using triphenylphosphine hydrobromide and a wide variety of hydroxylic nucleophiles is described


Abstract Analysis of wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) system utilizing erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) has been carried out by many researchers. In this paper, the performance analysis of 8-channel WDM system utilizing EDFA and fiber Bragg grating (FBG) combination is carried out in a wavelength band 1546–1552 nm at 10 Gbps. The performance of three apodization functions (Uniform, Gaussian and Tanh) of FBG is compared using return-to-zero (RZ) and non-return-to-zero modulation formats at fiber lengths 50, 60, 70 and 80 km. Also, the performance of FBG is compared for both aspects: with chirp and without chirp for grating lengths 5–10 mm. The Gaussian apodized and linearly chirped FBG outperformed the other two in compensating chromatic dispersion. Optimum values of Q-factor are also obtained using linearly chirped FBG with RZ modulation format at 10 mm of grating length.


In this paper, we present the design of a complete system for recording electrophysiology signals from patients and also present the recordings. We observe the signals from relaxed and fatigued muscles as well as from heart (ECG) signals. We designed the complete integrated circuit for flexible substrates using basic ICs. The system captures, amplifies, and filters using analog circuits. The instrumentation amplifier (AD623) in the first step amplifies (gain = 100), a combination of Bessel low-pass filter (2nd-order active low-pass filter with LM741 op-amp in Sallen-Key topology) cut-off = 500 Hz, HPF (1st-order active high-pass filter with LM741) cut-off = 0.03, and twin-T active Notch filter with LM741 filters the input. Design, analysis, and data from the prototype and packing (flexible) plan for this customized new system are presented in this paper.


To evaluate how flow territory asymmetry and/or the distribution of blood through collateral pathways may adversely affect the brain's ability to respond to age‐related changes in brain function. These patterns have been investigated in cerebrovascular disease; however, here we evaluated how flow‐territory asymmetry related to memory generally in older adults.


Highway pavement design in developing countries is usually based on standards borrowed from industrialized countries. However, it may not be economically feasible to use these high design standards in developing countries, because of significant differences in socioeconomic conditions. Using the World Bank's highway design and maintenance standards model (HDM‐III), this paper investigates optimal pavement design and its relationship with the developmental stage of a country. Optimal pavement design can be defined as that which minimizes total transport costs to society, which comprise the sum of agency costs and road user costs. Basic data for the analysis were derived from Chinese conditions, and appropriate adjustments were made to model five classes of hypothetical countries in different developmental stages. It is shown that the optimal trade‐off between initial expenditure on construction and subsequent maintenance depends on the developmental stage of an economy. The same high design standards that are suitable for industrialized countries may not be economically justified in developing countries. Developing countries should start with modest pavements and then spend more on maintenance afterwards, which is an overdue, neglected priority today.


Objective To study the variation of PCNA and EGFR in patients with CAG and the pathological of gastric mucosa with IM and DYS.Methods Immunohistochemistry method was used to detect the expression of PCNA and EGFR in 12 cases of CSG,21 cases of CAG,23 cases of IM and 22 cases of DYS.Results In CSG,CAG,IM,DYS,the positive rates of PCNA and EGFR were increased.CAG to CSG,they were found no marked difference(P0.05);IM to CAG and CSG,they were found marked difference(P0.05);PCNALI were higher in DYS than IM,and it was found marked difference(P0.05),but the expression of EGFR was found no marked difference(P0.05).Conclusions The increase of PCNA and EGFR in IM and DYS may play important role in promoting carcinogenesis by affecting cell proliferation.


The invention discloses a sterilizing composition containing fenoxanil and tebuconazole and its preparation method and application. The sterilizing composition is characterized by containing fenoxanil, tebuconazole and other auxiliary agents, wherein a weight ratio of fenoxanil to tebuconazole is in a range of (50: 1) to (1: 60). The sterilizing composition can be utilized for preventing and treating rice blast. The sterilizing composition has the advantages of low cost and good effects. At present, there is not a report related to mix of fenoxanil and tebuconazole at home and abroad thus the invention is brought forward.


Recently great progress has been made in thrombolytic study. It mainly focused at singlechained plasminogen (Plg) activator of urokinase type (scu-PA), plasminogen of tissue type (t-PA), and staphylokinase (Sak) etc. Staphylokinase is a kind of plasminogen thrombolytic. It combined with Plg to form 1∶1 composite. It then made later into Pli and activate the other molecules. Progress in thrombolytic mechanism of staphylokinase, including the link of it with plaminogen and other factor, the high-level structure, antigenicity of staphylokinase and other issues were summarized in this paper. Furthermore, the anticipation of how to make use of protein engineering to improve the staphylokinase at molecular level was also discussed.


The principal leadership style is principal behaviour in a working process, which influences all school performances. Teachers" job satisfaction refers to the affective attitude of teachers towards their role, derived from the evaluation of characteristics of the job itself. The aim of this research is to define relationship between school principal style and teachers' satisfaction. The sample includes 22 primary and secondary schools from Serbia. In this paper, authors used two different tools. First instrument was used for determination of leadership style of the school principal. The adapted Blake"s instrument also known as the managerial grid model was used for research purpose of school principal behaviour. The second instrument Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS) was used in order to obtain information on teachers" satisfaction. In each school 10 teachers and their principals filled in the questionnaire. This process resulted with 220 teachers" surveys and 22 surveys of school principals. Results indicate that the school principal leadership style influences teacher"s satisfaction. Principals oriented to people positively influence teacher"s satisfaction in the areas school development, relationship with colleagues and teamwork. Principal oriented to task negatively influences teacher"s satisfaction in the areas of communication, school development and safety. Also, results indicate that teachers are mostly satisfied with aspects of safety, working skills, and nature of work.


A universal active biquad based on the dual-output second-generation current-conveyor (CCII±) is presented. The circuit uses only six CCII± and can, simultaneously, support three mixed-mode transfer functions and five current-mode transfer functions. The circuit uses grounded resistors and capacitors and enjoys independent grounded-element control of the filter parameters.


Shannon Steen considers the links between participation in protests against campus budget cuts by members of arts departments and the funding history of those units.


A74-year-old woman with insulin-dependent diabetes was admitted to the medical high dependency unit with a 2-day history of increasing nausea and confusion. On examination she was afebrile, dehydrated and confused. Systemic examination was unremarkable. Capillary blood glucose by self-monitoring strip was 10.6 mmol/litre and urinalysis demonstrated 3+ ketones and 3+ glucose. Biochemical examination revealed plasma glucose 11.9 mmol/litre, sodium 127 mmol/litre, potassium 5.1 mmol/litre, urea 13.9 mmol/litre and creatinine 87 mmol/litre. Arterial blood gas analysis showed pH 7.30, partial pressure of carbon dioxide = 4.4 kPa, partial pressure of oxygen = 9.0 kPa, bicarbonate = 15.3 mmol/litre, base excess -9.2 mmol/litre and oxygen saturation 97%. She was treated with intravenous dextrose-saline and low dose insulin infusion. She made a good recovery and was well within 48 hours of presentation.


Background. Changes in the system of exemption from criminal responsibility and punishment of persons who committed a crime, the need for the principle of humanity necessitates studying the current Russian criminal law. One of the traditional and at the same time the actual problems in the system of application of the Criminal Code is the issue of the use of different types of grounds for exemption from criminal liability. The purpose of the work is to analyze active repentance of people as a means of implementing the principle of humanism and the reason to apply the provisions of Art. 75 of the Criminal Code, as well as to determine the importance of addressing problematic relationship norms of general and specific parts of the Criminal Code. Materials and methods. The research tasks were implemented on the basis of the analysis of the norms of the current Russian criminal law. A special place in this study is occupied by the Criminal Code, the resolution of the Plenum of the Supreme Court on 27/06/2013 number 19 "On application of the law courts, regulatory grounds and procedures for exemption from criminal liability". The methodological potential included methods of comparative law and complex analysis that allowed to compare the content and value bases of various kinds of exemption from criminal responsibility, in particular, active repentance of people as a means of implementing the principle of humanism. Results. The author investigated the question of active repentance as the grounds for exemption from criminal liability and as a means of implementing the principle of humanism, analyzed the application of reason to the provisions of Art. 75 of the Criminal Code, considered problematic relationship norms general and specific parts of the Criminal Code. Conclusions. The study of the existing penal laws allows to understand the reasons, the grounds and the content of active repentance, to explore legal problems of application of the reason to different types of exemption from criminal responsibility, namel,y active repentance as the basis for releasing people from criminal responsibility and as a means of implementing the principle of humanism, to take into account the criminal law and law enforcement practices in order to eliminate the existing contradictions.


of the tern and seagull (Imag. 2.17.11). My third point regards medium. While T. persuasively shows how the natural sciences informed the production and interpretation of subject matter in Hellenistic and Roman art, there is no discussion of what bearing they had on the manufacture and understanding of medium. With regards to painting, it must be significant that authors like Theophrastus and Pliny so often embedded in their scientific exegeses of rocks, plants and animals commentary on the different pigments that can be derived therefrom. By integrating discussion of the natural science of pigment into his argument, T. could have further highlighted the entwinement of 'art, science, and the natural world' in antiquity, especially since he so often hypothesises Hellenistic paintings as the prototypes for Roman mosaics. But I also wonder how far the medium of mosaic related to the taxonomic tendencies of Hellenistic and Roman geology, and the cultures of collecting marbles and gems that the Hellenistic and Roman empires participated in. T. comments on how the different coloured gems represented in the rocky landscape of the Praeneste Nile mosaic reflect Ptolemaic interest in mining and geology (pp. 83–5), but I missed discussion of how these gems might function as self-conscious commentary on the mosaic itself as an arrangement of diversely sourced stones. As will be clear, this is a genuinely stimulating book that is set to inspire further interdisciplinary enquiries. Although T. humbly refrains from using such strong language, this monograph is a rallying cry to dismantle the disciplinary boundaries that keep the historians of art and science separate in the modern university. Its conclusions appear especially remedial at a time when the UK government is fomenting a culture war between the creative arts (useless, self-indulgent, expensive) and STEM subjects (useful, beneficial, good value), not least by siphoning off funding from the former to the latter. T. shows that science and art have always been disciplines more complementary than competitive.


The orbitofrontal cortex (oPFC) sends substantial projections to the ventrolateral striatum and aspects of the nucleus accumbens that are, functionally, poorly understood. This is despite probable cortico‐striatal involvement in multiple diseases such as addiction and obsessive‐compulsive disorder. Here we surgically disconnected the oPFC from the ventrolateral striatum using unilateral asymmetric lesions in mice and classified instrumental decision‐making strategies. Mice with symmetric lesions that spared one oPFC–striatal network served as controls. As a complementary approach, we selectively knocked down Brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf) bilaterally in the oPFC and ascertained behavioral and neurobiological consequences within the downstream striatum. oPFC–striatal disconnection and oPFC Bdnf knockdown blocked sensitivity to outcome‐predictive relationships in both food‐reinforced and cocaine‐associated settings. Bdnf knockdown simultaneously regulated striatal BDNF expression, and striatal c‐Fos predicted sensitivity to action–outcome associative contingencies. Previous evidence strongly implicates the dorsolateral striatum in stimulus–response habit formation. Our findings thus provide novel evidence for functional compartmentalisation within the lateral striatum, with the dorsal compartment subserving classical stimulus–response habit systems and a ventral compartment coordinating outcome‐based decision‐making via oPFC interactions. This compartmentalisation may apply to both 'natural', as in the case of food‐reinforced behavior, and 'pathological', as in the case of cocaine‐seeking, contexts.


BACKGROUND
Splenomegaly and hypersplenism occur in patients with chronic liver disease and liver transplant recipients. The traditional treatment for hypersplenism is surgical removal. Percutaneous interventional methods, such as partial splenic embolization, are alternatives to surgery for hypersplenism. This article gives preliminary findings for a new percutaneous technique in which a narrowed stent is placed in the splenic artery.

METHODS
The study focused on 10 patients (eight males and two females) who were treated for hypersplenism. Partial splenic embolization was performed in six patients (age range, 1-43 years) who were waiting for liver transplantation, and narrowed stents were placed in four patients (age range, 12-47 years) who had undergone either orthotopic two patients) or heterotopic two patients) liver transplantation. For embolization, the splenic artery was catheterized and polyvinyl alcohol particles were infused to the distal branches, reducing blood flow in the spleen by 40% to 50%. In the other cases, a narrowed stent was deployed to the middle portion of the splenic artery.

RESULTS
Hypersplenism was successfully treated in all 10 cases. Compared with partial splenic embolization, placement of narrowed stents was associated with lower frequencies of postintervention fever and pain, shorter hospital stay, and decreased need for antibiotics. In addition to treating hypersplenism, narrowed-stent placement also completely resolved splenic artery steal syndrome in the two patients (orthotopic liver transplant recipients) with this condition.

CONCLUSION
Percutaneous placement of a narrowed stent in the splenic artery is a promising new technique for treating hypersplenism and splenic arterial steal syndrome.


Steroid receptor coactivator 3 (SRC-3) is a multifunctional protein that plays an important role in regulation of bacterial LPS-induced inflammation. However, its involvement in host defense against bacterial infection remains unclear. In this study, we used SRC-3 knockout mice to assess the role of SRC-3 in antibacterial defense in Escherichia coli-induced septic peritonitis. After E. coli bacteria were injected i.p., SRC-3–deficient mice exhibited excessive local and systemic inflammatory responses and more severe bacterial burdens, leading to a significantly higher mortality compared with wild-type mice. Peritoneal macrophages of SRC-3– deficient mice showed a decrease in bacterial phagocytosis in culture and an increase in apoptosis, which was consistent with the defective bacterial clearance observed in SRC-3–deficient mice. Accordingly, SRC-3 null macrophages expressed much lower levels of scavenger receptor A, the antioxidant enzyme catalase, and antiapoptotic gene Bcl-2. Collectively, our data demonstrate that SRC-3 is important not only in modulating the local and systemic inflammation but also in intensifying bacterial clearance, which highlights a pivotal role of SRC-3 in the host defense system against bacterial infection. S evere sepsis is a common, life-threatening infection resulting from a range of causative pathogens (1). The prevailing concept of the pathogenesis of sepsis is that mortality is a consequence of an uncontrolled hyperinflammatory response of the host mediated by proinflammatory cytokines (2, 3). Indeed, inhibition of proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-1b and TNF-a improves organ function and survival in animal models of sepsis (4, 5). However, deficiency in another proinflammatory cytokine IL-6 resulted in accumulation of live bacteria and increased mortality of mice infected by Escherichia coli (6). In addition, phagocytic cells and complements also play crucial roles in prevention of sepsis by clearing bacteria (7, 8). Therefore, precise control of proinflammatory cytokines and effective elimination of bacteria are crucial for host survival from infection. Steroid receptor coactivator-3 (SRC-3/AIB1/ACTR/pCIP/ RAC3/TRAM-1) is a member of the p160 coactivator family that also includes SRC-1 and SRC-2, which interacts with nuclear receptors and other transcription factors to enhance their effects on target gene transcription (9–13). SRC-3 was initially found to be amplified and overexpressed in breast cancer (9). Later studies demonstrated that SRC-3 played an important role in many developmental , physiological, and pathologic events, such as cell growth, oncogenesis (14–18), cancer metastasis (19), differentiation (20), and energy homeostasis (21). We recently reported that SRC-3–deficient mice are markedly more susceptible to LPS-induced endotoxic shock due to an increased production …


This article investigated 314 hearing-impaired college students from the perspective of inclusive education to know the relationship between school adaptation and mental health. The results show:( 1) there are significant differences in school adaptation and mental health for different genders,grades,and the number of deaf friends and normal friends;( 2) school adaptation and mental health were significantly negatively correlated. In a word,colleges should enhance psychological guidance for the communication between hearing-impaired students and normal students.


In general, the transport of thermal energy in living tissue is a complex process. The analysis of the heat conduction of skin tissue is helpful for understanding of the bio-thermo-mechanical behavior of skin tissue. So far, three kinds of conduction law — (1) the Fourier model, (2) the C-V model and (3) dual-phase-lag (DPL) model — are often investigated in bio-thermal transfer process. In this study, the mathematical model of heat conduction of the skin tissue subjected to a general transient heating at the skin surface was established. The analytical solutions of these three conduction models are presented. In addition, the measure of thermal injury of the skin tissue subjected to a harmonic heating was investigated. It was found that the phenomenon of Fourier model is greatly different to those of the C-V and DPL models. Moreover, the effects of the phase lags, the heating frequency, and the heat quantity on the temperature variation and the index of thermal injury were significant. In sum, the analytical method can be used to solve the conduction problem of any one-layer tissue.


1 to diagnose acute cough is shown in Figure 1. At first, life threatening causes like pneumonia, asthma, COPD, pulmonary embolism, bronchiectasis, lung abscess, lung cancer, foreign body inhalation or congestive cardiac failure have to be ruled out by investigating symptoms, signs and laboratory investigations. Patients with pneumonia will be characterized by the presence of cough with productive sputum, fever with or without dyspnea. Dyspnea with wheeze may suggest asthma or COPD. In addition, hemoptysis may characterize the presence of bronchiectasis or lung cancer. Concurrent pedal edema with or without muffled heart sounds, decreased renal output suggests congestive cardiac failure. In case of foreign body inhalation, chest x-ray or bronchoscopy may give evidence on the size and site of the inhaled object. Having ruled these, cough associated with productive sputum may be a sign of acute bronchitis due to upper respiratory tract infections. If cough persists for 8 weeks and above, a diagnosis of chronic cough is made and causes to be investigated 5 . In all the cases of chronic cough and in those with acute atypical cough, a chest x-ray should be performed. Spirometry should be performed to assess whether and to what extent the airways are obstructed by measuring forced expiratory volume in first second (FEV1) when a case of bronchial asthma or COPD is suspected. Presence of low grade fever, productive cough, loss of weight and appetite with an acid fast bacilli being detected in sputum smear would give the diagnosis of tuberculosis. 6


Presented paper is introducing Repertory Grid Method as an objectification of Kelly s Theory of Personal Constructs. The main goal is to introduce Repertory Grid as a psychosemantic research method with all of its potential and possible obstacles and point towards the application potential of Repertory Grid in the domain of marketing communication, as well as present a research of the perception of web pages as a medium for current and potential online promotion by the means of group administration of Repertory Grid Technique.


The cyclopalladation of two different types of aniline derivatives is described: the acetylated anilines N-(3-methylphenyl)acetamide (2a), 3-(acetylamino)-4-chlorobenzoic acid (2c), and N-(2-chlorophenyl)acetamide (2d) are cyclometalated easily with palladium(II) acetate and trifluoroacetic acid to yield the corresponding complexes 4a, 4c, and 4d, respectively, whereas the acetylated meta-toluidine N-(2-chloro-5-methylphenyl)acetamide (2b) cannot be metalated at the only accessible site between the acetylamino and the methyl group. This aromatic CH bond can be activated, however, with the second type of meta-toluidine derivatives: the 2-chloro-5, N-dimethyl-N-nitrosoaniline (3b) readily undergoes cyclopalladation to yield the corresponding PdII complex di-μ-trifluoro-acetato-bis[3-chloro-6-methyl-2-(N-methyl-N- nitrosoamino)phenyl-C,NO]dipalladium(II) (5b) containing a five-membered palladacycle with coordination of PdII at the nitroso N-atom, which is established by 15N-NMR spectroscopy.


Weberian definition of the state is a sovereign entity with international recognition that has the monopoly of force over a defined territory and its population. State-building efforts focus in the following sectors: 1. Enhancing security and rule of law through supporting an effective police and independent judiciary: police service, court system and customs service 2. Promoting efficient and transparent bureaucracy at both the central and local government: central administration. 3. Humanitarian aid and the provision of basic services. The provision of humanitarian aid and basic services is especially important in the immediate post-war context when people lack jobs, housing and access to resources. However, this research project investigates the longer term state-building processes of specialized and differentiated bureaucracies in the areas of security, rule of law, and central administration. Throughout this dissertation, democracy refers to "a regime combining three characteristics: freedom, uncertain results, and certain procedures‖ (Bunce 2001 : 45-46). Freedom refers to civil and political liberties that citizens enjoy in the polity, regardless of their national, class, gender or other identification. Uncertain results refer to the process of 27 periodically held free and fair elections in which political parties compete for power. Finally certain procedures, or the rule of law, refer to the legal system that exerts compliance from the citizens and the bureaucracy through its routine impartial application across time and space. Democracy promotion refers to the purposeful actions that support the transition from autocracy to democracy or that enhance the quality of democracy in regimes that have already moved toward democratic government (see Petrova 2010). International actors promote democracy in the following domestic sectors:  Political Process: Promotion of free and fair elections and political party development  Civil society: Promotion of non-governmental organizations and independent media outlets.  Strengthening governing institutions such as the parliament 8 . In the Venn diagram below, I map out the two concepts of democracy and the state in the policy-making continuum. On the left, democratic components such as civil and political liberties, free and fair elections, and public representation through political parties or interest groups provide inputs to the policy-making processes. The concept of state-building refers to the output side of policymaking, since bureaucracies are required to make decisions and implement policies effectively and impartially (Wallensteen 2010: 48). The rule of law, defined as citizens' equal access in the legal order, is important for both democracy and the state bureaucracies. Properly constituted bureaucracies are important in applying the laws in impartial and noncorrupt procedures, and thereby guaranteeing rule of law as well. 8 Carothers (2000) includes the strengthening of government bureaucracies in democracy promotion, but I treat them as analytically different. 28 Figure 1.1. Conceptual Map of Democracy and State-building The policy instruments available to international actors to promote effective state bureaucracies and democratic institutions range from the most intrusive to the least intrusive:  Overt military intervention: Use of coercion to deter actors who oppose stabilization (Dobbins 2008; Dobbins 2003; Kilcullen 2010).  Political conditionality: Incentives and sanctions (Schimmelfennig 2005).  Political and economic aid: Building capacity through assistance (Vachudová 2005).  Diplomacy: Pressure, persuasion and socialization (Gheciu 2005; Risse and Sikkink 1999).


In the paper a problem of distribution of an acoustic absorption materials on room's boundaries has been presented. A room with a harmonic sound source inside has been considered. A pressure distribution was described using modal analysis assumptions. Usually, most of real rooms have enough high boundaries' impedance (absorption coefficient), therefore the modal coupling can be neglected. Hence, pressure can be represented by a sum over a set of room's eigenfunctions and time components i.e. the modal amplitudes. Amplitudes are dependent of eigenfrequencies ωn, damping coefficients rn and a source function Qn. Conducting analysis of the modal amplitude function, in relation to ωn and rn, an optimal acoustical damping can be obtained. Taking triple criteria objective function into consideration, absorbtion material optimal distribution on boundaries has been found. In order to find minimum of the objective function genetic algorithm was used. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)


Caffeine is widely consumed daily as a stimulant, ergogenic aid or performance enhancer. In addition to the traditional forms of caffeine consumption (e.g., coffee, tea and caffeinated soft drinks), alternative sources are becoming increasingly popular such as caffeinated tablets/capsules and gum. Caffeinated chewing gum offers rapid caffeine absorption and is commercially available. Although the acute cardiovascular effects of caffeine consumption from traditional sources are well documented, the effects of caffeinated chewing gum are unknown. Therefore, this double‐blinded, randomized, placebo‐controlled, crossover study sought to investigate the acute effects of caffeinated chewing gum on central arterial stiffness and aortic blood pressure, independent predictors of cardiovascular disease. Sixteen young (21±1 yrs, means±SE), male, light caffeine users, free of clinical disease, who did not use tobacco products, or medications participated in this study. Central arterial stiffness (carotid to femoral pulse wave velocity; cfPWV) and aortic blood pressures (systolic and diastolic blood pressure; aoSBP and aoDBP, and pulse pressure; aoPP) were assessed using SphygmoCor XCEL (AtCor Medical) on two visits, separated by at least one week. During each visit, vascular measures were obtained before, and 1‐ and 2‐hrs following consumption of caffeinated or placebo chewing gum. We found that cfPWV increased at 2‐hrs following consumption of caffeinated chewing gum (6.3±0.1 vs. 6.5±0.1 m·s−1; pre vs. 2‐hrs; P=0.017), but did not change after placebo (P>0.05). AoMAP and aoDBP increased by 6±2 and 6±1 mmHg, respectively, at 1‐hr following caffeinated chewing gum (P≤0.008) and remained elevated at 2‐hrs, but did not change in response to placebo (P>0.05). AoSBP, aoPP and heart rate did not significantly change in response to caffeinated or placebo chewing gum (P>0.05). In conclusion, caffeinated chewing gum acutely increases central arterial stiffness and aortic blood pressure in young healthy men. Future investigations should confirm these findings in women and examine whether the response is exaggerated in individuals who are hypertensive or have other risk factors for cardiovascular disease.


In view of the most of the research focuses on using a single model to forecast the network workload, ignoring other factors effect on the internal network resources, lead to large amount of data implied information loss, often difficult to obtain accurate results. This paper proposes two hybrid model prediction methods. The hybrid model takes advantage of ARIMA model, Kalman filter model and BP neural network model, and combines the ARIMA model with Kalman filter and BP neural network. Experimental results show that with a single time series prediction method of integral (autoregressive moving average model, BP neural network and kalman filtering), compared two methods of hybrid model has higher prediction accuracy, effectively improve the utilization rate of resources, effectively improve the efficiency of the on-demand scheduling of virtual machine resources.


Aspects of flowering, leaf production, caudex and contractile root morphology, edaphic preferences, and systematics ofJepsonia (Saxifragaceae) are discussed. Although other authors have recognized as few as one species ofJepsonia, various lines of evidence suggest that three allopatric species can be recognized, which are morphologically distinct and separated from each other by barriers to hybridization. These species areJ. heterandra of the Sierra Nevada foothills of California,J. malvifolia of southern California's offshore islands and the Mexican Guadalupe Island, andJ. parryi of mainland southern California and adjacent Baja California. Plants flower from late summer to early winter in response to environmental factors that have yet to be clearly identified. Flowers are heterostylous, and the species are self-incompatible. Pollination is by syrphid flies and halictid bees. Leaves are produced during or after flowering in response to rain. They persist through the winter until the onset of the dry season in the subsequent late spring. Plants perennate by a starchy underground structure, which is hypocotylar in origin and best termed a caudex. Young plants and many old ones also produce one or more very large, whitish, starch-free contractile roots that are annual in duration.Jepsonia heterandra characteristically is restricted to the crevices of slatelike rocks, although the other two species occur in a wider range of edaphic situations. Moisture and temperature conditions, as well as rodent predations, may determine the general and local distribution of the species. The relationships of the genus are briefly considered, and interspecific differences are described.


This paper compares residential segregation by caste across small and large cities in India. It additionally explores how caste based segregation changes over time. To our knowledge, it presents the first systematic attempt to quantitatively examine the change in caste based segregation longitudinally, while offering a more nuanced understanding of how caste dynamics manifest differentially across city size classes in India. We focus on cities within two regions that have differing histories of caste politics: the northern state of Uttar Pradesh and the southern state of Karnataka. In both states, we find strong evidence for spatial inequality by caste across city size, with smaller cites consistently having higher levels of residential segregation by caste compared to larger cities in the same district. In Karnataka, we also find that residential segregation by caste decreases over time in majority of the cities whereas the results are quite mixed in Uttar Pradesh. Study Motivation and Statement of Problem India's transformation from a majority rural to an increasingly urban society has gained pace over the last few years. With 410 million urban dwellers, today India has the second largest urban population globally as compared to 263 million in United States (United Nations World Urbanization Prospects, 2014). Over the next three decades, India's urban population is expected to almost double, 1 making it the single most defining characteristic of India's development trajectory and with profound implications for existing and emerging forms of social inequality and stratification. Against the backdrop of India's rapid urbanization, this paper examines how enduring patterns of caste-based discrimination have evolved in an increasingly urban context. Caste system is a longstanding form of social stratification in India, but how caste shapes social and economic life in India—from where people live to their educational, employment, social 1 Approximately 400 million more Indians are projected to join the urban population by 2050 (United Nations 2014)


A new copper(Ⅱ) complex CuL(py)(HL=2,4-Dihydroxyacetophenone-5-bromo-salicylacylhydrazone) was synthesized by the reaction of Cu(CH3COO)2·H2O with 2,4-dihydroxyacetophenone-5-bromo-salicylacylhydrazone in the ethanol.It was characterized by elemental analysis,IR and X-ray single crystal structure analysis.The crystal belongs to monoclinic,space group P21/c with a=0.5693 7(11) nm,b=3.991 4(7) nm,c=0.881 17(17) nm,β=107.149(3)°,V=1.913 5(6) nm3,Z=4,Dc=1.756 Mg·m-3,μ=3.263 mm-1,F(000)=1 012,and final R1=0.048 3,wR2=0.106 3.The crystal structure indicates that the copper(Ⅱ) lies in a distorted square-planar environment composed of two oxygen atoms,one nitrogen atom from the tridentate acylhydrazone ligand and one nitrogen atom from the pyridine ligand.The molecules are packed in two-dimensional network structure though intermolecular hydrogen bonds formed adjacent molecules.


Quadratic pairs are a substitute for orthogonal involutions in characteristic 2. We prove an analogue of the Knus-Parimala-Sridharan criterion for the decomposition of orthogonal involutions on biquaternion algebras and show that every central element represents the discriminant of some quadratic pair and of some etale subalgebra of degree 4.


Richard Boyse Osborne had a sterling reputation as an Engineer who had built railroads both in Ireland and the United States. In the 1850s this visionary became the dynamic force behind the effort to link Philadelphia and Camden to the New Jersey beaches and the ocean. His railroad became a modest success, and Atlantic City a big Success. Land values were anothe rmatter.


Distributional archaeology tools are used to study anthropogenic soils of Buenos Aires city. The central issue is material culture variability in time and space in order to explain the mechanisms of change of archaeological landscapes. The studied space is considered as a 300 years old urban port technological organization, composed by the selection and integrations of artifacts and structures into artificial space building managment strategies. A research scheme was developed to focus on subsurface historical artifactual contexts providing information about life histories of the inhabitants and urban settlement soils formational processes. Thereby a model is presented in order to measure soil - artifact compositional variability and to infer societal changes between the XVIIIth to the XXth centuries. Artifacts were quantified upon the number of identified fragments (NIF) and the minimum number of identified objects (MNO). Statistical analysis followed controlling artifact frequency distribution, artifact depositional rate, and artifactual richness and diversity in 34 archaeological assemblages from the old river front area. Results show artifact distributional heterogeneity within time and space. All Food related artifacts represent the main percentage of findings in labor as much as in domestic archaeological contexts, followed by Working tools, Hygene and Aesthethics, Ludic, Medicine and Comunication classification categoris. Artifactual assemblages richness and heterogeneity raise in function of time due to the increasing presence of households replacing labor contexts in respect to depositional activity. Results point out that artifactual homogeneity was conditioned by space conformation variability. While early artifact assemblages are similar, since the end of nineteenth century, changes occur in the proportions of artifact categories: Early insignificant or absent categories become important. Such is the case of Medicine, Higyene and Aesthethics, Ludic, Medicine and Comunication. This categories become important in the latter periods of the urban archaeological record of Buenos Aires.


A smooth and uniform BaTiO3 sol was prepared via sol–gel method and the surface of BaTiO3 nano-powder is in situ evenly coated with a homogeneous BaTiO3 sol layer. The properties of the coated powder samples were characterized. The effects of the coated amount of BaTiO3 sol and sintering temperature on the relative density of the coated powder sample were investigated. The results show that the surface of BaTiO3 nano-powder has a uniform homogeneous BaTiO3 sol layer with 5–6 nm thickness. The coating result is best when the amount of BaTiO3 sol is 3.0% in mass and the sintering temperature is 1 260 ℃ . Relative density of the sample with the coated powder sintered at 1 260 ℃ is 96.48%, much higher than that of the uncoated one which is 75.40%. The sample of coated BaTiO3 sol powder is dense, whereas the sintered sample of the original powder is obviously porous.


The present invention discloses a process for preparing high-purity extract from a fermentation broth containing lysine-lysine sulfate, which is a fermentation broth containing lysine body by sterilization microfiltration, nanofiltration impurity decolorization , ion exchange and then destaining solution and deionized ash solution was concentrated from the cross, of acid, cooling crystallization, lysine and drying to obtain 98.5% of the high purity sulfuric acid. After mixing the film dense phase crystallization mother liquor was concentrated and spray dried to obtain 65% sulfuric acid lysine. The advantage of using the method of preparation of lysine characterized: high yield, high purity, the process is simple, easy to operate, less environmental pollution.


A superconducting short-circuit current limiter for an alternating current network consists of a closed iron core (Fe) with a primary winding (P) which is part of an electric line (L) to be protected. A short-circuited, superconducting secondary winding is spaced apart from the primary winding on the iron core. When the nominal current is exceeded, the current cannot continue to rise in the secondary winding (S) beyond a reaction current level because of the limited current conductivity of the secondary winding. A magnetic flow results in the iron core. The iron core has in certain points or areas a small cross-section (Afe) which becomes quickly saturated with a stronger flow, magnetically decoupling the two windings and creating in the network line a current-limiting impedance. A normally conductive, resistance-affected tertiary winding (T) is arranged in direct proximity to the primary winding and is thus always closely magnetically coupled therewith. The tertiary winding attenuates transients in the event of a fault.


Autograft is still regarded as the gold standard in bone-grafting, despite its well-appreciated limitations. The iliac crest has been the primary source of autologous bone, but other sites, such as the tibial metaphyses and the calcaneus, have also been commonly used. The techniques of autograft harvesting have recently evolved to include reamer-irrigator-aspirator (RIA) harvesting. RIA-harvested autograft can be used as stand-alone graft material or, for enhanced structural integrity, in combination with firmly packed cancellous graft. Both cancellous and RIA-harvested grafts have the distinction of being osteogenic, osteoinductive, and osteoconductive, all in their physiologic ratio. However, a need for additional surgical exposure, limited availability, and potential risks associated with graft harvesting have prompted a search for suitable autograft alternatives.

The advent of recombinant human bone morphogenetic proteins (rhBMPs) generated optimism that the pursuit for an optimal alternative to autogenous bone graft had, at last, successfully ended. Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) proved to be an extremely potent autograft substitute as evidenced by numerous preclinical and clinical studies. Although cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the highly selected orthopaedic indications, BMPs (rhBMP-2, rhBMP-7) have been extensively used off-label by many clinicians. However, the prevalent and serious adverse events associated with the on and off-label use of rhBMPs call for a revisiting of its clinical safety and efficacy1. The quest for an optimal bone graft alternative is, again, back on track.

Recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor BB (rhPDGF-BB) has been introduced as another potent biologic graft substitute to stimulate cell proliferation, recruitment, and revascularization. Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) natively occurs as a dimeric polypeptide with A, B, C, or D chains, and …


If $A_n$ is a sequence of C*-algebras, then the C*-algebra $\prod A_n / \bigoplus A_n$ is called a reduced product. We prove, assuming Todorcevic's Axiom and Martin's Axiom, that every isomorphism between two reduced products of separable, unital UHF algebras must be definable in a strong sense. As a corollary we deduce that two such reduced products $\prod A_n / \bigoplus A_n$ and $\prod B_n / \bigoplus B_n$ are isomorphic if and only if, up to an almost-permutation of $\mathbb{N}$, $A_n$ is isomorphic to $B_n$.


We decompose the effect of underwriter prestige on IPO underpricing into a certification effect and a strategic underpricing effect using a novel method to correct for equilibrium sorting between firms and underwriters. For a one-point increase in prestige, underwriter certification reduces underpricing by 2.0 percentage points, while strategic underpricing increases underpricing by 2.5 percentage points. In the 1985-2010 time series, underwriter certification has reduced IPO underpricing regardless of the time period, but strategic underpricing became large and significant only after 1990, a finding that rationalizes the shift in the effect of prestige in 1990s relative to earlier years. ∗The authors gratefully acknowledge comments received from the participants at the University of Colorado Finance Division brownbag, the 2014 International Industrial Organization Conference, and the evening program at the 2014 European Summer Symposium for Financial Markets (Gerzensee). In addition, the paper has benefited from careful readings and helpful suggestions from Pat Akey, Sanjai Bhagat, Rob Dam, Hector Perez-Saiz (IIOC Discussant), Mattias Nilsson, Andrea Polo, and Michael Stutzer. All remaining errors are our own. †Bates White Economic Consulting ‡Corresponding author. Contact: firstname.lastname@example.com. University of Colorado at Boulder Leeds School of Business. §University of Chicago Department of Economics.


Counter-current chromatography is a chromatographic separation and purification technique being developed. The development of different elution modes has significantly contributed to this field. The multiple dual mode elution is a method developed based on the dual mode elution, which consists of a series of changing cycles of the phase role and the direction by switching between normal and reverse elution modes of counter-current chromatography. This dual mode elution method takes full advantage of the liquid nature of stationary and mobile phases of counter-current chromatography and effectively improves the separation efficiency. So, this unique elution mode has gained extensive attention for separating complex samples. This review mainly describes and summarises in detail its development, applications and characteristics in recent years. Meanwhile, its advantages, limitations and future outlook also have been discussed in this paper. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.


Two symmetrically corrugated diaphragms are bonded to form a capsule of special structure and this is used for sensing displacement caused by applied pressure. The displacement is converted into equivalent capacitance by optimally fixed stack of plates and an electrical signal is picked up from it proportional to capacitance. This signal picked up is then calibrated for pressure acting on the capsules. Use of dual capsule structure doubles the capacitance compared to single capsule structure and this increases the sensitivity nearly two folds. Cylindrical plates are used as capacitor plates to concede maximum capacitance from the available space. The construction details of the dual capsule structure, theory and performance analysis are presented. Also presented are the modifications for realizing differential pressure sensor with the dual capsule structure. Furthermore, for increasing the sensitivity to a further extent multiple capsules structure is also presented.


This contribution aims at highlighting the cultural role played by the radio in Canada, as set out by the Canadian broadcasting policy. Cultural identity is a very complex phenomenon, which can be analysed from different perspectives: historical, anthropological and psychological, for instance. According to the discursive perspective, identity and cultural items can be observed through the analysis of discursive formulation and argumentation, as well as the identification of terminological, lexical and stylistic choices. On the basis of the analysis of the fundamental principles set out by the Canadian broadcasting Act (1991), as well as the integration of a selection of documents published by the CRTC (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission) on its official website, this study will be focused on the observation of those discursive elements which have been deployed in order to define the radio as a Canadian cultural project. This analysis will be completed by the identification of some cultural and linguistic items, which shows that the above-mentioned principles established by the Canadian broadcasting policy have been taken into account with respect to the elaboration of Canadian programming content offered by Radio-Canada. In conclusion, some research questions will be raised in order to suggest new avenues for the study of the cultural and political role played by the radio in the present (and future) context of globalization, in the light of modern technological developments.
Mots-cles Politique canadienne de radiodiffusion, identite, culture, analyse discursive, projet culturel


The article provides an overview of deciduous forests of the Balkan Peninsula. It presents riverine, floodplain and moor forests, dominated by Alnus incana, A. glutinosa, Fraxinus excelsior, F. angustifolia, Quercus robur, Salix alba, Ulmus laevis, U. minor; acidophilous forests dominated by Betula pendula, Castanea sativa, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus petraea; thermophilous forests dominated by Carpinus orientalis, Ostrya carpinifolia, Quercus cerris, Q. farainetto, Q. petraea, Q. pubescens and mesophilous forests dominated by Carpinus betulus, Fagus sylvatica, F. orientalis, Fraxinus excelsior, Tilia argentea, T. cordata, T. platyphyllos, Ulmus glabra. At the same time, forests were classified into the synsystematic framework of the standard Central European system to the level of an alliance.


Let Ψ(t,k) denote the set of pairs (v,λ) for which there exists a graphical t‐(v,k,λ) design. Most results on graphical designs have gone to show the finiteness of Ψ(t,k) when t and k satisfy certain conditions. The exact determination of Ψ(t,k) for specified t and k is a hard problem and only Ψ(2,3), Ψ(2,4), Ψ(3,4), Ψ(4,5), and Ψ(5,6) have been determined. In this article, we determine completely the sets Ψ(2,5) and Ψ(3,5). As a result, we find more than 270,000 inequivalent graphical designs, and more than 8,000 new parameter sets for which there exists a graphical design. Prior to this, graphical designs are known for only 574 parameter sets. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Combin Designs 16: 70–85, 2008


This work addresses the fault tolerant attitude stabilization control problem of a quad-rotor UAV utilizing the integral-type sliding mode control strategy, in the presence of external disturbances and actuator faults. As a stepping stone, a simple PD-type controller is introduced to guarantee the asymptotical stability of the ideal UAV attitude control system without any fault. Then, an integral-type sliding mode control based fixed-time robust controller is proposed for the attitude control system under external disturbances. Further consider the actuator faults, a novel integral-type sliding mode control and adaptive technique based fixed-time fault-tolerant controller is proposed, and the chattering phenomenon is restricted by the switching control construction. Finally, a quad-rotor UAV example is utilized to verify the effectiveness and fine performance of the proposed schemes by numerical simulations.


The abundance of wireless connectivity and the increased workload complexity have further underlined the importance of energy efficiency for modern embedded applications. The cache memory is a major contributor to the system power consumption, and as such is a primary target for energy reduction techniques. Recent advances in configurable cache architectures have enabled an entirely new set of approaches for application-driven energy- and cost-efficient cache resource utilization. We propose a run-time cross-layer specialization methodology, which leverages configurable cache architectures to achieve an energy- and performance-conscious adaptive mapping of instruction cache resources to tasks in dynamic multitasking workloads. Sizable leakage and dynamic power reductions are achieved with only a negligible and system-controlled performance impact. The methodology assumes no prior information regarding the dynamics and the structure of the workload. As the proposed dynamic cache partitioning alleviates the detrimental effects of cache interference, performance is maintained very close to the baseline case, while achieving 50%–70% reductions in dynamic and static leakage power for the on-chip instruction cache.


BACKGROUND With increasing demand for "double eyelid" surgery within the United States, it becomes prudent for U.S. surgeons to become familiar with Asian eyelid anatomy. OBJECTIVE To identify and describe anatomic characteristics of the Asian upper eyelid. METHODS A cross‐sectional descriptive series of 9 Korean‐American and 10 Chinese‐American subjects. Standardized photographs of the eyes were analyzed. Three types of eyelid anatomy were described: single eyelid, low eyelid crease, and double eyelid. RESULTS The incidence rate for the three types of eyelid anatomies varied between Chinese and Korean Americans. The mean palpebral fissure height, width, and inclination were not statistically different between the two populations. A few subjects had asymmetric eyelid configurations. Chinese American and Korean American double eyelids tended to flare up laterally when the eye was open. The mean double eyelid crease height at the medial limbus was 3.7 ± 1.1 mm, and the mean height at the lateral limbus 4.6 ± 1.0 mm. This difference was statistically significant (p<.04). CONCLUSION Eyelid anatomies vary in different Asian Americans. Surgeons need to be mindful of different eyelid configurations and measurement patterns to achieve the most natural‐looking Asian double eyelids. The authors have indicated no significant interests with commercial supporters.