The purpose of this study is to determine the factorial validity of an adapted "Attitudes towards Mathematics Inventory (ATMI)" measure. The ATMI was originally developed by Tapia and Marsh (2004) in the western culture to measure attitudes towards Mathematics. This paper reports the psychometric prosperities of the adapted Amharic version of the ATMI based on a sample of 385 Ethiopian university students enrolled for Mathematics classes. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) procedure is employed to test the factorial validity of the ATMI-Amharic. The results reveal that the original four-factor model (Self-confidence, Enjoyment, Motivation, and Value) is retained for the adapted ATMI-Amharic since no statistically significant difference (χ2= 1.827, p = 0.401; RMSEA < 0.0001) was found between the base and the observed models. Further, a test of factorial invariance across gender groups and year-levels also yielded that the model has measurement invariance revealing the ATMI-Amharic is independent of gender and number of years in college. Besides, the coefficient alphas for the four subscales (α = 0.78-0.89) and for the overall measure (α = 0.94) are found to be high. The implications of the findings in relation to the psychometric properties of the ATMI-Amharic and its use in Ethiopian context are discussed.


In fish, estrogens are well known for their involvement in ovarian differentiation and have been shown to be very potent feminizing agents when administrated in vivo during early development. However, the mechanism of action of exogenous estrogens is poorly understood. We report here on the feminizing effects of estrogen treatment on the testicular levels of some steroidogenic enzyme messenger RNAs [mRNAs; cholesterol side-chain cleavage (P450scc), 17-hydroxylase/lyase (P450c17), 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3βHSD), 11β-hydroxylase (P45011β), and aromatase (P450aro)] in the rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss. Treatment was carried out by dietary administration of 17β-estradiol (E2; dosage of 20 mg/kg diet) to a genetically all male population. Steroidogenesis in the differentiating testis was demonstrated to be strongly altered by E2, as this treatment resulted in considerable decrease in P450c17, 3βHSD, and P45011β mRNAs after only 10 days of treatment. In contrast, P450scc and P450aro mRNA levels we...


The United Nations Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor estimated i in 2008 that there were 4 billion people who lived outside the protection of the law. More recently, in 2019 it was estimated that 4.5 billion people are excluded from ii opportunities that the law provides . By 2030, 85% of those remaining in extreme poverty – some 342 million people – will be in Fragile and Conflict Affected Areas (FCAS), situations in which the rule of law is almost non-existent. For many of the excluded, the law is an abstraction or a form of punitive threat, not something that they can use to exercise their basic rights. The idea behind the inclusion of access to justice under Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG 16) on peace justice and strong institutions, was in part for legal empowerment of the poor (LEP), in conflict and post-conflict zones. The legal empowerment of the poor is rooted in a human rights-based approach in which markets and human rights interact. The four pillars of LEP are access to justice and the rule of law, and property, labour and business rights. It also admits the fact that every individual should have access to justice, which includes a due process of law and remedies to eradicate discrimination. This paper considers the special requirements for pursuing LEP in Fragile and Conflict Affected States (FCAS) such as legitimate politics, security, and rebuilding social and economic foundations.


The existing manual orange harvesting needs to be automated to reduce high labor cost and minimize perishing of fresh fruit due to manual harvesting. In this paper, a preliminary design of a robotic gripper for orange harvesting and its compliance control is presented. The main focus is to have a low cost and lightweight design with a soft touch, actuated by a lead screw based mechanism. During grasping and detaching of fresh fruit, robotic gripper is in direct physical contact with the fruit. Thus, gripper need to behave like a complaint system to generate adequate force for picking of orange and avoid bruising of fruits and other parts of plant. To incorporate compliance control, integral sliding mode control is employed which emulate the behavior of an ideal mass-spring-damper system. The effectiveness of the dynamic model-free controller is validated through simulation.


The solubility (vapor−liquid equilibria) of carbon dioxide (CO2) has been measured in ionic liquids, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([emim][Ac]), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoroacetate ([emim][TFA]), and a mixture containing a fixed mole ratio of 49.98 ([emim][Ac])/50.02 ([emim][TFA]) using a gravimetric microbalance at three temperatures (298.1, 323.1, and 348.1) K and pressures up to about 2 MPa. The [emim][Ac] strongly (chemically) absorbed CO2 with hardly any vapor pressure above the mixture up to about 20 % mole fraction of CO2 at 298.1 K. The [emim][TFA] did not show the same behavior and physically absorbed CO2. The ionic liquid mixture containing equimolar amounts of [emim][Ac] and [emim][TFA] showed a combination of both chemical and physical effects, and the CO2 solubility was well predicted at a fixed pressure using either a molar average of the pure component solubilities or a model based on linear isobaric lines in the ternary phase diagram. The binary pressure−temperature (PTx) da...


In this paper, we investigate the mechanism of atomic force microscopy in tapping mode (AFM-TM) under the Casimir and van der Waals (VdW) forces. The dynamic behavior of the system is analyzed through a nonlinear dimensionless mathematical model. Numerical tools as Poincare maps, Lyapunov exponents, and bifurcation diagrams are accounted for the analysis of the system. With that, the regions in which the system presents chaotic and periodic behaviors are obtained and investigated. Moreover, the fractional calculus is introduced into the mathematical model, employing the Riemann-Liouville kernel discretization in the viscoelastic term of the system. The 0-1 test is implemented to analyze the new dynamics of the system, allowing the identification of the chaotic and periodic regimes of the AFM system. The dynamic results of the conventional (integer derivative) and fractional models reveal the need for the application of control techniques such as Optimum Linear Feedback Control (OLFC), State-Dependent Riccati Equations (SDRE) by using feedback control, and the Time-Delayed Feedback Control. The results of the control techniques are efficient with and without the fractional-order derivative.


Objective To evaluate the use of an acellular matrix graft of the tunica albuginea for functional penile reconstruction in severe cases of Peyronie's disease.


The optima ingredients and quantity of bread preservative were determined on the basis of orthogonal experiments, which are 1.25% benzoic acid, 2.0% ethylparaben, 3.75% sodium diacetate, 3.5% sorbic acid. Respectively, furthermore, the optima carrier is determined to be active carbon mixed with 50% ethanol.


President Caron and Professor Hunter, distinguished scholars and practitioners, members of the American Society of International Law, ladies and gentlemen,It is great honour for me to have been invited to deliver the Fourteenth Annual Grotius Lecture at the invitation of the American Society of International Law and the International Legal Studies Program of American University Washington College of Law. It is likewise a great pleasure to be speaking before the annual meeting of the American Society of International Law, which has for so many decades been dedicated to enabling open and creative discussions of the outstanding legal issues of the day. It must be admitted, however, that addressing the opening of an ASIL meeting entitled "Confronting Complexity" presents a great challenge, for the general theme seems to aptly encapsulate both the times we live in, which are undoubtedly complex, and calls on me to try to outline how we might deal with complexity.It should come as no surprise that my remarks will primarily focus on the role of the law in confronting the complexity of violence, and particularly the role of international humanitarian law in confronting the complexity of armed conflict. It is fitting, in this context, to pay tribute to Hugo Grotius. In line with principles established by his Spanish and Italian intellectual counterparts Francisco de Vitoria and Alberico Gentili, he laid the foundations of international law, and in his timeless treatise On the Law of War and Peace determined that certain rules govern the conduct of war whatever the justness of its cause. We are far beyond the writings of Grotius today in terms of the elaborateness of the international legal framework, including the one governing armed conflict, yet we remain in his debt. He not only paved the way to our current thinking but showed us that complexity may-and can only be-addressed with reason, vision, and humanity.What does complexity mean when armed conflict is the reference point for analysis? It means, first of all, that armed conflicts remain a tragic reality in the twenty-first century and that enormous human suffering continues to be caused by this form of violence. We are all witness to continued violations of international humanitarian law, including deliberate attacks against civilians, the destruction of infrastructure vital to the civilian population, the forcible displacement of entire communities from their habitual places of residence, and various forms of sexual violence inflicted against vulnerable individuals and groups. Persons deprived of liberty in armed conflict are likewise frequently subject to appalling behaviour by their captors, including murder, torture and other forms of illtreatment, deprivation of humane conditions of detention, and denial of procedural safeguards and fair trial rights. Medical personnel and humanitarian workers are also an increased target of attacks. The law tries to prevent or put a stop to suffering and to deter future violations, but it cannot, by itself, eradicate abuses or be expected to do so.Complexity may also be approached by examining the features of current armed conflicts and the political, economic, and social backdrop against which they take place-all issues which are beyond the scope of my remarks. Allow me, nevertheless, to note that the International Committee of the Red Cross, which has operations in some eighty contexts around the world, is involved in a range of situations: from those in which the most advanced technology and weapons systems are deployed in asymmetric confrontations, to an assortment of armed conflicts typified by low technology and high fragmentation of the actors involved. Each case must be approached on the particular facts and a humanitarian response devised to meet the specific needs of those most affected, which is by no means a simple endeavour.Increased complexity is also a feature of contemporary armed conflicts, the nature of which continues to evolve. …


An optimized two-step camera calibration algorithm is developed. The proposed method starts with the well known linear calibration which approximates the transformation as a 3/spl times/4 matrix. Based on the results of the linear calibration and the camera model we construct the 4/spl times/4 homogeneous transformation matrix. Quaternion algebra is used to extract the optimum rotation matrix and this optimization is later extended to the other calibration parameters. Our calibration method includes nonlinear optimization which takes into consideration lens distortions. The convergence rate of the nonlinear optimization is accelerated by three more objective functions we introduced. To assess the accuracy of our proposed quaternion method, Euclidean norm of the error matrix between the original and computed homogeneous transformation matrices is calculated and compared to those of the existing methods. Simulations show that the quaternion method yields more accurate results both before and after the nonlinear optimization.


The United States Government did something that was wrong, deeply, profoundly, morally wrong. It was an outrage to our commitment to integrity and equality for all our citizens. We can end the silence. We can stop turning our heads away. We can look at you in the eye and finally say on behalf of the American people what the United States Government did was shameful. And I am sorry.' -President William Jefferson Clinton, 1997


To accommodate high penetration of renewable energy in the bulk power system, the ancillary service of PV systems and wind generators was proposed so that the renewable power generation can be controlled according to the variation of system frequency and voltage. For the N-1 contingency of transmission line tripping, the participation factors of renewable systems was derived to determine the generation curtailment of PV systems to solve the overloading problem of transmission lines. The power flow analysis was executed to illustrate the effectiveness of reactive power generation by renewable energy to support the voltage quality for system steady state operation. The transient stability analysis was also performed to investigate the transient response of system frequency after contingency of generator tripping by considering the ancillary service of emergency generation control of renewable energy. Based on the computer simulation, the ancillary service of renewable energy is very critical for the voltage support of power systems with large renewable integration. The fast ramping up capability of power generation of renewable systems with smart inverters can also improve the system transient stability effectively for system severe disturbance.


In this investigation, the possibility of exciting synchrotron radiation in a system of highly relativistic monoenergetic electrons rotating in a cold collisionless magnetoactive plasma is discussed. For such a system of relativistic rotating electrons and background plasma, the temporal growth rate for synchrotron radiation is derived for general direction of observation. Evaluation of the growth rate is carried out for some parameters of interest. The spatial amplification rate of the wave is also deduced.


In this paper, we investigate the existence of solutions of four-order two-point boundary value problems in a Banach space by using technique of monotone iteration and the method of upper and lower solutions. The obtained results are the improvements and extensions of the results of paper.


The space sensor cryo-vacuum chambers at Arnold Air Force Base are world class sensor characterization and calibration facilities. The chambers provide a simulated deep space background and accurate infrared projections. Several large optical systems are used within the chambers to accomplish this. Calibration of the chambers requires the use of a database of the measured optical properties of these components to simulate the output. However, as the information in the database is room temperature information and the chambers run near 20K, some discrepancies exist between the actual output and the model output. The purpose of this work is to translate the room temperature spectral information to cryogenic information as correctly as possible. To achieve this, the relevant temperature dependent material information was collected from literature. A program was written using this information that calculated spectral performance with temperature as a parameter. An ambient calculation and a cryogenic calculation were performed where necessary for each component of interest. The translation between the two calculations was then measured and applied to the measured ambient data of the components to obtain their expected cryogenic performance.


Objective:To discuss the changes of superior mesenteric venous perfusion(SMVP) and splenil venous perfusion(SpVP) respectively before and after cholestatic cirrhosis by CT perfusion of portal vein in dogs.Methods:Only partial liver was involved in this cholestatic cirrhosis model.Twelve dogs survived from the process of model building.By selective catheterization in superior mesenteric artery and splenic artery by femoral Seldinger technique,SMVP and SpVP were available after portal CT perfusion.SMVP and SpVP of the normal part and cirrhotic part,before and after cirrhosis,were compared respectively.Results:SMVP and SpVP of the involved lobe decreased significantly from those of normal state,and the decrease ratio of SMVP differed significantly from that of SpVP(P=0.003).After model building,there was significant difference between SMVP and SpVP of the involved lobe and those of the normal lobe,and the decrease ratio of SMVP differed significantly from that of SpVP(P=0.001).Conclusion:After cholestatic cirrhosis,SMVP and SpVP decreased significantly,and the decrease of SMVP contributed more.


The invention discloses an acoustic cavity structure of a mobile terminal. The acoustic cavity structure comprises a shell provided with a first air leakage hole and an additional layer which is attached on the shell and at least covers the first air leakage hole; the additional layer is provided with a second air leakage hole communicated with the first air leakage hole; and the aperture of the second air leakage hole is smaller than that of the first air leakage hole. The aperture of the second air leakage hole is 0.05-0.4mm. Compared with the prior art, the acoustic cavity disclosed by the invention can not only balance the pressure inside and outside the acoustic cavity, but also ensure the sealing property and dust resistance of the acoustic cavity.


This chapter contains three parts covering recent efforts to increase the accuracy of opti- cal coherence tomography (OCT) differential diagnostics of bladder pathologies. The first part compares the diagnostic efficacy of traditional OCT and cross-polarization OCT (CP OCT); CP OCT and fluorescence cystoscopy (FC) for detecting flat lesions in the bladder at the early stages of cancer. The second part contains a report on achievements in appli- cation of CP OCT for detection of recurrent carcinoma in the scar area that is a hardly distinguishable form of bladder cancer using an optimized CP OCT image analysis. The third part of the chapter reviews the results on CP OCT usage for in vivo diagnosis of the bladder cancer after radiation therapy of cervical cancer. bladder pathologies. The first part compares the diagnostic efficacy of traditional OCT (equivalent to obtaining co-polarized image only), CP OCT (employing combination of cross-polarized and co-polarized images), and fluorescence cystoscopy (FC) for detecting flat lesions in the bladder at early stages of cancer. In the second part, we report on the recent achievements in application of CP OCT for detection of carcinoma recurrence in scar area using an optimized CP OCT image analysis/quantification platform. The platform is based on detecting alterations in the collagen compartment of interrogated tissue's extra-cellular matrix (ECM). The third part reviews the pilot results of CP OCT employment for in vivo evaluation of the severity of the bladder mucosa damage after radiation therapy of cervical cancer. In addi-tion to morphological analysis with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and picrosirius red (PSR) staining, nonlinear laser scanning microscopy (LSM) study was performed to confirm the level of collagen damage and remodeling as a consequence of cancer invasion and radiation therapy. significant changes as a result of pathological processes which affect their cross-scattering properties that can be detected and quantified in vivo with CP OCT. An approach to quantitative, robust, and potentially automated assessment of CP OCT images reflecting the state of bladder collagen fibers was developed. It was shown that IDF can be applied to in vivo detection of clinically relevant pathological states in urology. Differentiating between carcinoma recurrence at post-operation scar and tumor-free scar resulted in diagnostic accuracy of 97%. Thus, CP OCT and IDF quantification have promis-ing potential to visualize and quantify the structural and spatial organization of CF in bladder tissues for clinical disease assessment including differential diagnosis applications.


[1] On 28 February 1998, four quasi-periodic pressure pulses with an amplitude of a few nPa detected by ACE gave rise to periodic compressions of the magnetosphere with period of about 14 min. In concert with periodic compressed and expanded states of the magnetosphere forced directly by the pressure variation, a coherent geomagnetic field fluctuation with the same period appeared on a global scale and was recorded at stations located from polar to equatorial regions. Most ground-level geomagnetic field signatures on the dayside can be interpreted as the result of a global ionospheric current system, like the global Pc5 event examined by Motoba et al. [2002]. In the afternoon polar ionosphere covered with the dense magnetometer stations, a vortical current structure associated with pressure-induced field-aligned currents (FACs) is centered at 72° ± 1° and consists of a counterclockwise (clockwise) vortex in response to positive (negative) changes of solar wind pressure oscillation. Although the vortical current signatures are unclear in the morning sector, each afternoon vortex could pair with the morning one with opposite rotation. During this event, the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) remained steady with a strong southward orientation (−10 nT or less). In addition to the pressure-induced FAC system, the steady southward IMF drives the dayside Region 1 (R1) current system, resulting in the familiar large-scale two-cell convection pattern in the ionosphere observed by SuperDARN radars. The SuperDARN convection patterns indicated that the ionospheric convection reversal boundary (CRB) in the afternoon was located in the range of 73° ∼ 77°N around 15 MLT. The ionospheric footprint of the pressure-induced FAC in the afternoon was found to be 1.5° ± 1.1° ∼ 4.0° ± 1.4° equatorward of the CRB. This suggests that the pressure-induced FAC is started inside the R1 current system originating from the outer magnetospheric boundary layer. We argue that the paired FAC system responsible for the global geomagnetic fluctuations on the ground arises from the oscillatory large-scale dynamical convection originating well inside the closed field lines in direct response to the quasi-periodic pressure variations, not from the localized undulations on the magnetopause nor from global eigenmode oscillations of the magnetospheric cavity.


Without the cooperation of supermarkets, it is very difficult to continuously measure temperature during supply distribution and within retail display cases for fresh fruit and vegetables. We conducted this research in cooperation with a major supermarket in the Okinawa Islands. Temperature and humidity were measured during transportation from the central depot to retail stores, and in refrigerated display cases for fruit and vegetables, to investigate the quality management of fresh fruit and vegetables during daily delivery and sales operations in 54 stores in the Okinawa prefecture. Temperature and humidity were measured by recording thermometers every 10 seconds during delivery and in the refrigerated display cases. Surface temperature of fruit was measured indirectly using an infrared thermometer. Delivery from the distribution center to the store was mainly done using a van-type truck without temperature control. Insulated roll box pallets and gel ices were used for the delivery of the fresh fruit and vegetables, so that they could be transported in conjunction with foods that required no refrigeration, hence reducing transportation costs. The cold storage temperature at the supermarket was 9°C on average, so fruit and vegetables could be kept in the store for a few days and not in refrigerated display cases or cold storage. However, if kept at this temperature for an extended period, chilling injury symptoms will occur on tropical and subtropical fruits in the display cases or during removal from storage.


Abstract A little power is a dangerous thing. Department chairs in small U.S. universities are half faculty members and half administrators. In dealing with the faculty, chairs work in a collegial, Theory Y/Z environment characterized by long-term employment, slow promotion, and a generalist orientation to university governance. In dealing with the university administration, however, chairs operate in a bureaucratic environment. The resulting role ambiguity means that chairs have weak leadership positions—and rightly so.Attempts to put on their little ring of power and rule bureaucratically are likely to be counterproductive. Golden Role Management is recommended as the most adequate philosophy for what should be a limited-term position: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you if the roles were reversed."


The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of Transformational Leadership and Psychological Empowerment on employees' Job Satisfaction as well as to confirm the moderating role of Transformational Leadership between the relationship of Psychological Empowerment and Job Satisfaction by selecting the sample of respondents from Gujranwala Electric Power Company (GEPCO) Circle Gujrat. The data were collected using well structured questionnaire and the results have shown that Transformational Leadership is more strongly correlated as well as influencing Job Satisfaction than Psychological Empowerment. All the relationships have been found positive and significant. It has also been found that Transformational Leadership plays a moderating role between the relationship of Psychological Empowerment and Job Satisfaction.


This study examines the effect of financial reporting quality on risk shifting, an investment distortion that is caused by shareholders' incentives to engage in high-risk projects that are detrimental to debtholders. I use asymmetric timeliness to proxy for a dimension of accounting quality that is particularly useful to debtholders. Asymmetric timeliness is expected to improve debtholders' ability to effectively monitor the management's actions and to discipline the managers when necessary. I predict that the effect of accounting quality on risk shifting will be stronger in firms with poor information environment, in distressed firms, in cash-rich firm, and after the adoption of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. I also expect this effect to vary based on the firm's source of debt. The results are consistent with the predictions and robust to alternative measures of risk shifting, accounting quality, distress risk, and various control variables. Thesis Co-Supervisor: S.P. Kothari Title: Professor of Management and Accounting Thesis Co-Supervisor: Joseph P. Weber Title: Associate Professor of Accounting


No milestone has proven as elusive as the always-approaching "year of the LAN," but the "year of the scanner" might claim the silver medal. Desktop scanners have been around almost as long as personal computers. And everyone thinks they are used for obvious desktop-publishing and business tasks like scanning business documents, magazine articles and other pages, and translating those words into files your computer understands. But, until now, the reality fell far short of the promise. Because it's true that scanners deliver an accurate image of the page to your computer, but the software to recognize this text has been woefully disappointing. Old optical-character recognition (OCR) software recognized such a limited range of pages as to be virtually useless to real users. (For example, one OCR vendor specified 12-point Courier font from an IBM Selectric typewriter: the same font in 10-point, or from a Diablo printer, was unrecognizable!) Computer dealers have told me the chasm between OCR expectations and reality is so broad and deep that nine out of ten prospects leave their stores in disgust when they learn the limitations. And this is a very important, very unfortunate gap. Because the promise of recognition -- what people want it to do -- carries with it tremendous improvements in our productivity and ability to get tons of written documents into our computers where we can do real work with it. The good news is that a revolutionary new development effort has led to the new technology of "page recognition," which actually does deliver the promise we've always wanted from OCR. I'm sure every reader appreciates the breakthrough represented by the laser printer and page-makeup software, a combination so powerful it created new reasons for buying a computer. A similar breakthrough is happening right now in page recognition: the Macintosh (and, I must admit, other personal computers) equipped with a moderately priced scanner and OmniPage software (from Caere Corporation) can recognize not only different fonts (omnifont recogniton) but different page (omnipage) formats, as well.


In this paper, a performance analysis of DS-CDMA and MC-CDMA is conducted. With DS-CDMA, data is spread using a spreading sequence in the time domain. In contrast, with MC-CDMA, data is spread over different sub-carriers using a spreading sequence in the frequency domain. The comparison of DS-CDMA and MC-CDMA is presented under an AWGN channel. Also, the simulation results for maximal ratio combining and equal gain combining in MC-CDMA are discussed under a Rayleigh fading channel. When the number of users is small (i.e., ≤ 14), maximum ratio combining exhibits better performance than equal gain combining because maximum ratio combining does not increase much multiple access interference. However, when the number of users is large (i.e., ≥ 16), equal gain combining has better performance than maximal ratio combining because maximal ratio combining increases multiple access interference. To facilitate understanding of different systems, the conceptual block diagrams are also introduced.


Structural health monitoring (SHM) is becoming increasingly attractive for its potentialities in many application contexts, such as civil and aeronautical engineering. In these scenarios, modern SHM systems are typically constituted by a multitude of sensor nodes. Such devices should be based on low-cost and low-power solutions both to ease the deployment of progressively denser sensor networks and to be compatible with a permanent installation; this allows real-time monitoring while reducing the global maintenance costs. Among the developed inspection methodologies, operational modal analysis (OMA) is an efficient tool to assess the integrity of vibrating structures. This article describes a sensor network that is based on either microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) accelerometers or cost-effective piezoelectric devices to extract strictly synchronized modal parameters. The performances of the two sensing technologies are evaluated in two different setups, to assess the reliability in the estimation of modal features even in the presence of potential damages. Particular attention was given to the mode shape reconstruction issue from piezoelectric signals, primarily encompassing a purposely developed modal coordinate tuning procedure. Moreover, the consistency of the obtained results paves the way to a more compact and affordable monitoring system exploiting piezoelectric-driven modal analysis.


The Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) provides an important source of sub-seasonal to seasonal (S2S) predictability. Improved MJO prediction can be beneficial to S2S prediction of global climate and associated weather extremes. In this study, hindcasts based on an atmosphere-ocean coupled general circulation model (CGCM) are compared to those based on atmosphere general circulation models (AGCMs) to investigate influences of air-sea interactions on MJO prediction. Our results suggest that MJO prediction skill can be extended about one week longer in the CGCM hindcasts than AGCM-only experiments, particularly for boreal winter predictions.Further analysis suggests that improved MJO prediction in the CGCM is closely associated with improved representation of moistening processes. Compared to the AGCM experiments, the CGCM better predicts the boundary-layer moisture preconditioning to the east of MJO convection, which is generally considered crucial for triggering MJO deep convection. Meanwhile, the widely extended east-west asymmetric structure in free-tropospheric moisture tendency anomalies relative to the MJO convection center as seen in the observations is also well predicted in the CGCM. Improved prediction of MJO moisture processes in CGCM is closely associated with better representation of the zonal scale of MJO circulation and stronger Kelvin waves to the east of MJO convection, both of which have been recently suggested conductive for MJO eastward propagation. The above improvements by including air-sea coupling could be largely attributed to the realistic MJO-induced SST fluctuations through the convection-SST feedback. This study confirms a critical role of atmosphere-ocean coupling for the improvement of MJO prediction.


This chapter contains sections titled: Introduction, Levels of Parallelism, Cray X-MP/48, ELXSI System 6400, Denelcor HEP-1, Suport, Conclusions and Future Plans, References


This study presents a preliminary architectural training program that aims to prevent disadvantages of the Turkish examination system and accustom the students to their further higher education. It is a well-known fact that comprehensive and sophisticated education systems including architectural education need a preliminary preparation period for students. Therefore a series of orientation activities presenting different aspects of architecture was organized. The orientation program, which took place during the foreign language prep-school year, was divided into six steps that followed a particular development process. It is expected that by generalizing qualified orientation activities in universities, architecture students will improve their performance especially in the freshman year at the School of Architecture. © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Peer-review under responsibility of the Organizing Committee of CY-ICER 2014.


The following text has been written in a somewhat unorthodox style. This is the case for two reasons. a) It is based on a fast-moving live presentation. With this in mind, it can be seen to be an aide mémoire to those who attended the presentation. It has nevertheless been written in such a way that anyone can follow its meaning. b) Unlike most presentations at this conference, it has been specifically designed as a 'food for thought' presentation, less based on fact than those of my colleagues in this session. With this in mind, a somewhat alternative layout is a natural consequence. This being the case, for those who would like to know more about what is implied but not fully stated below, please feel free to write to the email address indicated in the header of this text.


Abstract This research aims to identify, and critically understand, the key opportunities for and barriers against tour operators and their ground handlers sourcing and selling more sustainable tourism products. The study is framed in the literature of organisational culture and buyer–seller collaborations both downstream (sustainable supply chain management) and upstream (business-to-business marketing). Semi-structured interviews help to identify the tour operators' barriers, opportunities and key decision-making criteria. The findings suggest that a supportive organisational culture is a prerequisite to success for companies that wish to scale up the volume of sustainable products they source and sell. Sustainability only sells when it contributes to an organisation's ability to meet its requirement of quality of service, especially in relation to suitability of the products to its target markets and reinforcing professional and trustworthy relationships. For services that are keenly priced, and/or that have tight health and safety regulations, buyers and sellers often lack the motivation to consider sustainability requirements unless they are clearly valued and marketed. Business-to-business marketing requires suppliers to understand the relative importance of sustainability to each of their buyers and, in response, to develop appropriate arguments to explain the importance of sustainability within their buyers' organisational needs.


A comprehensive analysis including palaeocurrent direction,sandstone clastic composition,cutting combination,heavy mineral characteristics and grain size was made,combined with the study of outcrops surrounding the basin,the provenance and characteristics of parent rocks in the 8th member of Shihezi Formation in the southwest of Ordos Basin were deeply analyzed.The result shows that the south-western Ordos Basin can be divided into three provenances in the southwestern,southern and northern directions.The provenance of the south-western area is from the northern Qilian Mountains and the Western Qinling Mountain in the South-western Ordos Basin.The provenance of the southern area is from the northern Qinling Mountain.And the provenance of the northern area is the Yinshan Area in the north of the basin.


Globalization has led to the need for incorporating world cultures into foreign language curricula to develop students' intercultural communicative competence. As a result, intercultural approaches as well as intercultural communicative competence have been widely studied. While there are a number of studies discussing this issue from the perspectives of teachers, the literature finds few studies regarding students' perceptions. Therefore, the question of whether there are any gaps between teachers' and students' perceptions remains unanswered. To help answer this question, this study conducted a survey exploring university students' perceptions of culture learning and teaching in the English classroom by using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. Based on the results of a questionnaire and interviews, this study found the practice and the materials used in EFL teaching might not satisfy the requirements of leaners as users of English as a lingua franca (ELF) for intercultural communication. Thus further research regarding effective teaching methods is needed.


We propose a fully differentiable optical design method enabled by curriculum learning. Preliminary results show that our framework is suitable to solve highly non-convex problems like cellphone lens design.


Direct nucleation control (DNC) is a process analytical technique (PAT) based model free feedback control strategy for batch and continuous crystallization processes, which has been successfully applied in numerous cases. The basic principle of DNC is the use of controlled dissolution cycles to control a measurement directly related to the particle number in the system. During DNC, in the case of cooling crystallization fines are dissolved by repeated heating–cooling loops. In this context, the controlled variable is the (relative) particle number, which is manipulated using a feedback control approach through the temperature. The particle number is traditionally measured with focused beam reflectance measurement (FBRM); however, other PAT tools can also be employed in a similar feedback control setup. Often, crystallization processes are also monitored by real-time imaging systems. In the current work a novel DNC setup is proposed in which microscopy images are captured and processed by means of image an...


Objective This study aims to evaluate all aspects of job satisfaction in registered nurses working in different hospitals in Shiraz, Iran. Methods This cross-sectional study was performed during February to August 2015 in Shiraz, Iran. It comprised of 371 registered nurses working in government and private hospitals using multi-stage cluster sampling. Job satisfaction was evaluated using 5 items of the Job Descriptive Index (JDI) consisting of 63 questions developed by Smith, Kendall, and Hulin (1969). Statistical tests including independent sample t test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used in order to identify the relation between job satisfaction, and demographic features and work environment. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 15.0, using descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-test, and ANOVA. Results Our findings showed no relationship between demographic variables and job satisfaction. However, a significant association was observed between environmental aspects such as work rotation (fixed versus rotating) nurse's status (staff vs. supervisors), type of hospitals (governmental vs. private) and work (p<0.01), promotion (p<0.02) and pay (p<0.01) items respectively; however, type of hospital was deemed exempt regarding promotion. Also regarding the number of shifts per week, nurses with more than eight shifts present a lower mean score of satisfaction about pay significantly (p=0.03). Conclusion The results concerning younger nurses have different types of satisfaction based on several environmental factors. Nurses' policy makers must pay more attention to nurses' satisfaction and focus on reducing the various inequalities.


In Sweden there are more than 6000 contaminated sites which need some form of remediation. In the majority of these sites the contaminants are heavy metals, however, the level of contamination are often unknown. One of the important efforts that needs to be done is to map the extension of the contaminant at the specific sites, facilitating accurate placement of other actions.


"Bibliography of Malaysian Demography" contains the most comprehensive and up-to-date list of 1,379 titles covering various aspects of the demography of Malaysia. The titles have been classified into twenty-one sections dealing with the more important topics such as census reports, population laws, internal migration, urbanization, ethnic composition, nuptiality, fertility, labour force, family planning, population problems, population ageing, and future population trends. Within each section, the titles have been arranged according to the alphabetical order of the author's name, and also included is an author index. The book is an indispensable source for researchers interested in the demography of Malaysia.


Abstract : Rations, heating devices, and food service equipment proposed for Army Field Feeding System (AFFS) were evaluated at Fort Carson, CO with 4 units of the 4th Mechanized Infantry Division from 10-20 April 1989. Data were collected through questionnaires, focus groups (moderated group discussions), and structured interviews. Results show the Mounted Ration Heating Device (MRHD) was the best liked of the heating devices due to its convenience and versatility. The Zesto Therm (ZT) Energy Pads heated the rations faster and were especially acceptable to dismounted soldiers. The MORE (Meal, Operational, Ready-to-Eat), which included commercial items, was well liked and a morale booster. The MRE Supplemental Pack's new items were a welcome addition. The response to the T Rations was not favorable, due in part to cool serving and eating temperatures and lack of variety. The focus groups supported the findings from the questionnaires and contributed significantly to the understanding of the troops' usage of the items. The combination of methods allowed a more thorough evaluation. Food service equipment was evaluated by cooks and senior food service personnel and was rated well. Recommendations were made for adjustments. It was also recommended that future studies on feeding concepts should evaluate fewer items at once, to simplify test logistics.


woo hooo!!!! I edited my theme to match color scheme of website. Realized I needed to do the compiled mini css and not just the


The call announcement can not service a method and system in the absence of a user of the receiver terminal can call SIP-based packet forwarding can not be the reason for providing the sender with any communication network is disclosed. Method a) if the byte (INVITE) from the caller terminal message generated, the method comprising: the receiver terminal of the Invite message checks whether the UE can not join the call announcement services; b) identifying whether the terminating terminal has joined the call if the terminal can not be guided broadcast service, a call can not guide the broadcast service is active for the called terminal; And c) and transmits the 200 OK message to the originating terminal, the 200 OK if in response to the message, the ACK message is generated from the calling terminal, the calling party that the user of the call destination call not announcement set in advance It includes the step of providing the terminal.


Research has been conducted into childhood resilience, a term which according to A. Masten, K. Best and N. Garmezy (Resilience and development: contributions from study of children who overcome adversity, Development and Psychopathology, 2, pp. 425-444, 1990) is defined as the process of, capacity for or outcome of successful adaptation despite challenging or threatening circumstances. The study to be presented here asked 9-12 year olds and their teachers from primary schools in disadvantaged areas in South Australia what it was they thought made the difference between 'kids with tough lives who do O.K.' and 'kids with tough lives who don't do O.K.' Using Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory to frame the analysis, this paper explores how the two groups of respondents discussed how the family, the school and the community might help make the difference. While both children and teachers tended to see the role of the family and the community in promoting resilient behaviour in fairly similar terms, the two groups saw very different roles for the school.


The invention provides an adjuster for light spots output by a carbon dioxide laser therapeutic machine terminal. The light spot adjuster comprises a light spot adjustment main body with a hollow structure, wherein a laser beam input end is connected with a laser beam input end connection seat with a hollow structure; the laser beam input end connection seat is in threaded connection with a light guide arm of external laser input equipment and is used for introducing a laser beam; a laser output end is connected with a light spot positioning display cover for positioning and displaying the output light spots at a position to be treated; the light spot adjustment main body comprises a lens moving frame in which a focusing lens is fixed, a lens moving supporting frame, a lens moving frame supporting ring for supporting a moving space for the lens moving frame, a light spot adjustment handle, a smoke discharging device and a handle moving clearance adjustment ring. According to the adjuster disclosed by the invention, laser beam light spots with different light spot diameters can be obtained only by adjusting a distance between the focusing lens of the same specification and a treated tissue, and uniform and consistent laser beam light spots with different diameters can be scientifically, quickly and conveniently obtained.


The current-perpendicular-to-the-plane giant-magnetoresistance (CPP-GMR) using a spin-valve (SV) structure is an attractive read sensor for high-density recording. CPP-GMR with an SV structure generally shows a small magnetoresistance (MR) ratio so many researchers are attempting to enhance it. In this paper, the authors investigated CPP-GMR using oxidized CoFe current screen layers of various CoFe compositions to vary the crystalline structure of current screen layer.


3 Spacecraft observations in the inner heliosphere offer the first opportunity to measure 4 1–10 MeV solar neutrons. We discuss the cross sections for neutron production in so5 lar flares and calculate the escaping neutron spectra for mono-energetic and power-law 6 particle spectra at the Sun and at the distance (0.48 AU) and observation angle of MES7 SENGER at the time of its reported detection of low-energy solar neutrons associated 8 with the 2007 December 31 solar flare. We detail solar physics concerns about this de9 tection: 1. the inferred number of accelerated protons at the Sun for this modest M210 class flare would have been 10× larger than any flare observed to date and 2. the im11 plied energy in accelerated ions would have been 50 to 10 times what we would expect 12 based on the observed energy in non-thermal electrons and the energy in the thermal 13 X-ray plasma. We find that there is no compelling evidence for a high electron/proton 14 ratio in the solar energetic particle (SEP) event raising concerns that the neutron counts 15 came mostly from SEP ion interactions in the spacecraft; this concern is supported by 16 the similarity of the SEP and neutron count rates. The MESSENGER team made de17 tailed calculations of neutron production from SEP protons. However, if interactions <30 18 MeV had been included in their calculations and the carbon spacecraft structure were 19 a significant source of secondary neutrons we estimate that SEP proton and α-particle 20 interactions could account for the observed fast neutron rate. This is due to C that 21 has a 3 MeV proton threshold for neutron production and is exothermic for α-particle 22


This is a 52 years-old male patient that presented at the clinic complaining of a hearing loss at his left side since the past 2 years. He denied tinnitus, dizziness, earache, otorrhea or trauma. He used to work in agricultural production and had controlled hypertension. He denied any family history of hearing loss. Physical examination did not present any changes. An audiometry was requested and a sensorineural hearing loss in the left ear was observed (Figure 1), and a MRI was performed. A contrast enhanced (T1 weighted (A)) and heterogeneously hyperintense (T2 weighted (B)) lesion was observed within the internal auditory canal on the left side (Figure 2 arrow), characteristically compatible with acoustic neuroma. After discussion, the patient decided for observation instead surgery. Unilateral Hearing Loss due to Cerebello-Pontine Angle Lesion


The Tacata‐12E new field discovery well (1998) lies within the Quiamare La Ceiba Unit of the Eastern Venezuela Basin and represents confirmation of the existence of a subthrust structural closure, located some 40 km beyond western extremity of the prolific El Furrial trend. New 2‐D seismic data, acquired across the area in 1995, allowed important insights into the structural configuration. While the interpreted structural style is similar to that known at El Furrial, the age of repeated section is different. The proposal to drill well Tacata‐12E was supported by the use of prestack depth migration processing. An intermediate level VSP, acquired while the well remained above the objective reservoir, served to increase confidence in the forward prognosis.


Abstract : We have designed and synthesized highly porous COFs and MOFs as functional architectures that are capable of capturing volatile TICs. In parallel, we have explored novel crystalline porous materials that have reactive sites and functionalities, which can be controlled by an external stimulus. We demonstrated that reticular chemistry facilitates the design and synthesis of new robust COFs, as well as isoreticular covalent functionalization and metallation. In addition, a MOF with self-contained photo-active switches was prepared. As stimuli-responsive functional molecules that can release multiple copies of nucleophilic agents to combat electrophilic CWAs, we have developed linear/branched oligoether/esters. Upon cleavage of a Si-O bond, fast and repetitive QM rearrangement occur along the molecular backbone to release phenoxide derivatives that detoxify OP agent simluant. The progress of such reaction could be visually monitored by a large enhancement in the fluorescence intensity, which allows for detection and detoxification achieved by a single integrated molecular system. These functional modules could be grafted onto chemically modified inorganic surfaces. Shape-persistent conducting polymers were also prepared from borasiloxane cage molecules. The light-absorbing properties and electrical conductivities of these materials change in a reversible fashion upon exposure to volatile TICs.


Objective To investigate the molecular mechanism of treatment with adult adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AMSC) on acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD)patients.Methods A dose of 2×106 AMSC per kg of the aGVHD patients' weight was given intravenously.The distribution of TCR VβT repertoire was determined with amplification of the CDR3 of TCR Vβ 24 subfamily genes by using RT-PCR in 3 cases with GVHD following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.Results It was found that they were expressions of TCR Vβ3 gene and other subfamily genes when GVHD was obvious,but they were not detected after AMSC treatment with remission of GVHD,while during relapse of the GVHD,expressions of Vβ3 gene reappeared,but disappeared after treatment.Conclusion The molecular mechanism for the treatment with AMSC on GVHD might be correlated with the inhibition of TCR Vβ subfamily gene expressions and the TCR Vβ3 gene might be the target gene for AMSC.


The natural abundance of 15N in rice grown in a flooded rice soil was determined to evaluate varietal differences. In some trials at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), statistically significant differences in grain 15N abundance were observed. The δ l5N values of the grains ranged from 5.2 to 10‰, depending on the fields and the coefficient of variation was 6–9%. The difference between the maximum and the minimum δ 15N values in the grains of several rice varieties was 22% of the mean value of δ 15N. IR42 grains had a lower δ l 5N value than the OS4 grains. The grains exhibited a higher 15N abundance than straw and roots in all the varieties except one. The 15N abundance in available soil N increased with the soil depth. Grains had a lower 15N abundance when grown in pots with a bottom than when grown in the field where, the rice roots penetrated into deeper layers. When grown in pots the δ 15N value of the grains was lower than that of available N in the surface soil. It is therefore, reco...


Sponsored by the Provincial Education Committee, Provincial Social Sciences Plan and the National Education Science Plan, based on the behaviour research method by the potential exploration of the two middle schools in Zhangye we concluded the comprehensive working model of Psycho-sanitation and Psycho- education in rural middle schools in a western undeveloped area, including guidance idea, working principle, working content, working form, working approach, working method etc.


Whereas the metal-catalyzed C(sp2)–N cross-coupling of cyclopropylamine with aryl electrophiles represents an attractive route to pharmaceutically relevant N-arylcyclopropylamines, few catalysts that are capable of effecting such transformations have been identified. Herein, the nickel-catalyzed C(sp2)–N cross-coupling of cyclopropylamine and related nucleophiles, including ammonium salts, with (hetero)aryl (pseudo)halides is reported for the first time, with the demonstrated scope of reactivity exceeding that displayed by all previously reported catalysts (Pd, Cu, or other). Our preliminary efforts to effect the N-arylation of cyclopropylamine with (hetero)aryl chlorides at room temperature by use of (L)NiCl(o-tolyl) precatalysts (L = PAd-DalPhos, C1; L = JosiPhos CyPF-Cy, C2) were unsuccessful, despite the established efficacy of C1 and C2 in transformations of other primary alkylamines. However, systematic modification of the ancillary ligand (L) structure enabled success in such transformations, with ...


To the Editor:— The widespread dissatisfaction with the management of the emergency maternal infant care plan for wives and babies of men in the armed forces by representatives of the Children's Bureau emphasizes the need for a committee, nationwide in scope and representation, to meet with government bureaus when they have to administer medical care programs. Could not the Council on Medical Service and Public Relations call together representatives of the various state medical societies and departments of public health to consider policies to be followed in the administration of such plans? Such a committee could offer its cooperation to the persons or bureau responsible for the administration of the program. If necessary, the committee could offer uniform nationwide opposition to ill considered schemes that might be put forward by the bureau. It would be difficult for any bureaucrat to ignore such a committee. Points of difference, if any arise,


In the present work, we review the current state of knowledge and research trends on freshwater fishes of Greece to assess a) the status of fish populations and their habitats; b) the state and priorities of fisheries science and legislation; c) priority gaps and needs in freshwater fish habitat management; and d) future strategies for freshwater fishes and aquatic resources. Freshwater fish fauna of Greece currently consists of 135 taxa including diadromous and introduced species. The taxonomy of some taxa is unclear. The distribution and origin of freshwater fishes, especially endemics, has been attributed mainly to the geological history of the country. Commercial fishing in inland waters is conducted mainly in 32 natural or artificial water systems. The total annual commercial catch for the 1988–2000 period ranged from 1,950 t in 1988 to 1,810 t in 2000 with a mean annual catch of about 1,500 t. The major part of inland catches comes from lakes, while catches from rivers are of minor importance. Aquaculture contributes greatly to the total production of freshwater fishes. The total annual aquaculture production for the period 1988–2000 ranged from 2,638 t to 3,656 t with a mean annual production of 2,832 t, 1.33 to 2.02 times higher than the traditional inland catches. Due to human activities, Greece has lost 75% of its wetland area since 1900. Today, the pressures upon the surface freshwater resources are moderate with the exception of some systems where human intervention is intense, leading to species extirpations from their type localities. Recently, surface waters have been classified under the auspices of the European Union Water Framework Directive where fishes have an essential role as indicators of the ecological integrity of running waters. Under this concept, there is an increasing emphasis on gathering biological data, to serve a broad-spectrum of environmental objects and plans such as the protection of endangered and threatened species. However, to date effective management and conservation of freshwater fishes and fisheries have not been much considered in the management of freshwaters of Greece. Existing plans for managing aquatic inland resources primarily focus on water usage and do not include specific, enforceable monitoring and management objectives, conservation actions, and control measures for aquatic habitats and fish communities, including endangered and threatened fishes. It is concluded that future efforts need to be directed to severely endangered or nearly extinct species. Furthermore, the creation of GIS-based databases for incorporating all the information on species, habitats and genetic diversity should be addressed under the guiding principle of conserving aquatic biodiversity.


There are several techniques available for quickly assessing the age of developing avian embryos, all of which rely on determining air cell growth within the egg. As megapode eggs do not form a fixed air space, these methods cannot be used. This study presents a method for estimating the hatching date of Australian brush-turkey (Alectura lathami) embryos quickly and reliably using a candling technique. Eggs were candled using a hand-held torch. The percentage of eggshell covered by the chorioallantois was recorded several times throughout the incubation period for each egg. These percentages and their corresponding values for 'days until hatching' (calculated by counting back from the actual hatch date to the date of observation) were used to construct a simple linear regression equation. The reliability of this method was tested by predicting hatch dates of eggs from the 1997/98 breeding season using the regression graph and comparing the estimated hatch dates with the actual hatch dates.


This is a humorous myth-puncturing account of a mans search for a vasectomy which takes him to 5 doctors before he is able to find the right one. A general practitioner a gynecologist (his wifes) and a pediatrician do not recommend the operation primarily on grounds of emotional health. A urologist and an internist do but so impersonally as to allow for no emotional impact. A description of the eventual operation follows and the author is very pleased with his decision. However 1 strong plea is made: consult a good psychologist to determine your real motives before you have the operation. It is concluded that "if you have enough money. . .a healthy ego plenty of self-confidence a sense of humor a stable marriage and have never had a single doubt about potency and virility then you are probably an excellent candidate for a vasectomy."


AbstractThis study aims to produce teaching materials based on pictorial stories on thematic learning in class II theme 4 sub-theme 2 Clean and Healthy Living in Schools. This type of research is a development research using a model ADDIE with analysis, design, development, implementation, evaluation steps. Data quantitative data comes from the score of the product assessment results by the validator as well as from the results of filling out a questionnaire on the practicality of teaching materials by teachers and students. Qualitative data obtained from suggestions and notes by the validator. The level of validity of teaching materials based on the results of assessments by experts design and material experts while the practicality of teaching materials is based on the results of the assessment by students and teachers of class II Public Elementary School 35 South Pontianak. Results validation of teaching materials design experts obtained an average of 4.1 with the "valid" category. Results expert validation of teaching materials obtained an average of 3.8 in the "valid" category. Results the practicality of teaching materials by students obtained an average of 3.6 with the category "very" practical". The results of the practicality assessment of teaching materials by teachers obtained an average of 3.4 with the "very practical" category.Keywords: Comic, Development, Teaching Materials


A Web news recommendation method based on multiple topic tracking was proposed to improve the precision of recommendation.The proposed algorithm used multiple user profiles to represent user's interests in different topics,and dynamically updated user's profile to reflect the changing of user's interests.The central recommendation algorithm was implemented,and experiments on Reuters Corpus Volume 1 were carried out.The experimental results show that the proposed algorithms can effectively improve the precision of recommendation.


Unconventional symmetry breaking without spin order,such as the rotational symmetry breaking (=nematic or smectic) orders as well as the spontaneous loop-current orders, have been recently reported in cuprate superconductors and their related materials.They are theoretically represented by non-$A_{1g}$ symmetry breaking in self-energy, which we call the form factor $f_{k,q}$.In this paper, we analyze typical Hubbard models by applying the renormalization-group (RG) method, and find that various unconventional ordering emerges due to the quantum interference among spin fluctuations. Due to this mechanism,nematic ($q=0$) and smectic ($q \ne 0$)bond orders with $d$-wave form factor appear $f_{k,q}\propto \cos k_x - \cos k_y$ in both cuprates and $\kappa$-(BEDT-TTF)$_2$X. The derived bond orders naturally explain the pseudogap behaviors in these compounds. The quantum interference also induces various current orders with odd-parity form factor. For example, we find the emergence of the charge and spin loop-current orders with $p$-wave form factor in geometrically frustrated Hubbard models. Thus, rich quantum phase transitions with $d$- and $p$-wave form factors are driven by the paramagnon interference in many low-dimensional Hubbard models.


Background Common Variable Immunodeficiency (CVID) is the most common primary immunodeficiency (IDP), occurs primarily in adults between the second to fourth decades of life, without gender predominance. It is characterized by concentrations of immunoglobulins (Igs) of at least 2 standard deviation (DS) of normal, recurring infections, some patients have autoimmune diseases and tumors, absence of isohemagglutinins and lack of production of antibodies (Ab) after vaccination and have excluded other causes of hypogammaglobulinemia. Objective Determine the prevalence of CVID in the Specialty Hospital—Centro Medico Nacional Siglo XXI, IMSS, Mexico City. Methods We included all patients with suspected diagnosis of CVID, clinical history, laboratory tests, determination of serum Igs and isohemagglutinins and were given a dose of gamma globulin 500 mg/kg/dose every 21 days. The results were analyzed with descriptive statistics. The protocol was approved by the local research committee. Results A total of 15 patients, 11 women and 4 men, mean age 34 years (± 11), 14 patients met all international standards and just only one patient has positive isohemagglutinins. The prevalence of CVID calculated according to the total population that is entitled in this hospital, 1, 520, 900, 1: 101, 393. In relation to the number of patients served by our service, the prevalence of 0.053% with a ratio of 1:2.533 right holders. Conclusions Our results show differences in relation to the published literature, prevalence in female sex ratio of 3:1, participating patients were diagnosed at the 34 years of average age, just only 2 patients were diagnosed before 20 years of age, unlike some of the international and national reports, we establish the definitive diagnosis according to international standards in 93% of cases evaluated. The prevalence of CVID obtained in our study is 1:101.393, higher than reported in international literature is 1:30.000 to 1:50.000, but similar to that reported in Spain in 1997 and Iran in 2006.


Anterior encephaloceles have been extensively reported and classified. Most have occurred at the juncture of the anterior part of the sphenoid with the pars orbitalis of the frontal bone. This corresponds to the region of either the crista galli or the cribriform plate. Encephaloceles in this location are seen in the region of the glabella, medial orbit, or in the nasal cavity or nasopharnyx and have been described in detail [1]. Posterior orbital defects also occur and appear in conjunction with partial agenesis of the greater wing of the sphenoid bone, most frequently associated with neurofibromatosis [2, 3]. A more lateral anterior defect in the roof of the orbit involving the pars orbital is of the frontal bone is extremely rare, and to our knowledge only one case has been briefly mentioned in the literature [4]. This form of anterior encephalocele has not been included in the comprehensive classification formulated by Suwanwela and Suwanwela [5]. We recently encountered two patients with congenital defects in the anterior part of the pars orbitalis of the frontal bone. This structure, derived from membranous bone, forms most of the roof of the orbit and the floor of the anterior fossa. On the basis of the embryogenesis of the orbital roof defects and the radiologic and gross anatomic features in these patients, we believe that this lesion should be considered an additional although rare form of anterior encephalocele. Thorough radiologic evaluation , including tomography, is necessary for correct diagnosis and for planning appropriate surgical management.


Objective: Recently we demonstrated in a double-blind, randomized, controlled study (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02667912) that "distal" renal denervation in segmental branches of renal artery is more effective for treatment of resistant hypertension than "conventional" mode of the therapy in main trunk only. Then we continued the study to increase our experience with distal renal denervation. Design and method: Patients with true drug-resistant essential hypertension were randomized either to "conventional" treatment restricted to the main renal artery or to "distal" treatment applied mainly in segmental branches of the artery beyond the bifurcation. Computer-based treatment assignment was performed in the catheterization laboratory at the time of the procedure by the interventional radiologist and remained unknown to patients, investigators, and other outcomes assessors for the entire study period. Baseline antihypertensive pharmacotherapy was maintained as strictly as possible during the follow up. Results: A total of 55 patients were finally enrolled and 51 patient completed 6 months follow-up. Per protocol analysis again showed a significantly greater decrease of 24-hour mean systolic BP (primary outcome) in the distal therapy group (n = 27) as compared to the group of conventional renal denervation (n = 24): −21.1 ± 19.3 vs −10.3 ± 17.8 mmHg; P < 0.05. No major safety issues were observed in either group. No significant change of blood flow in segmental branches of renal artery was detected by Doppler flowmetry. Conclusions: These data continue to show that distal renal denervation in segmental branches of renal artery is significantly more effective for treatment of resistant hypertension than the conventional intervention in main trunk only.


In this article, a local case of a centipede bite, with fairly typical symptoms and an uncomplicated course, is presented. The literature is reviewed, indicating that serious complications, while rare, are possible. The author recommends that clinicians structure assessments of centipede bites around knowledge of serious potential complications and provide counseling on prevention of future attacks.


Pa-230 was produced with the reaction Th-232 (p, 3n) 230Pa in the irradiation powder targets of ThO2 with 35 MeV proton beam. Sources of (230)pa -->(beta-) U-230 were prepared by radiochemical method. Using solid-state track registration detectors, two events of U-230 decay with heavy cluster emission have been observed. The preliminary branching ratio to alpha-decay comes out to be B = lambda(Ne)/lambda(alpha) = (1.3 +/- 0.8) x 10(-14).


To assess the cross‐sectional relation of planus foot morphology to ipsilateral knee pain and compartment‐specific knee cartilage damage in older adults.


This paper presents an overview of the Beijing government's policy and implementation on primary English curriculum reform. TEYL in Beijing is undergoing an important phase of innovation along with challenges featured by differences in quality of teaching and learning between urban and rural areas due to shortage of qualified teachers and high quality materials and technology. Teachers' professional development is obviously the key for the success of TEYL (Teaching English to Young Learners). The strategies adopted by the government have effectively helped the implementation although there are still tasks to be fulfilled.


The automotive industry is experiencing a period of innovation, represented by the term CASE (connected, autonomous, shared, and electric). Among the innovative new technologies for automobiles, intelligent tire (iTire) collects road surface information through sensors installed inside a tire and informs the driver of the road conditions. iTire can promote safe driving. Various kinds of research on iTire is ongoing, and this paper proposes an algorithm to determine the road surface conditions while driving. Specifically, we have proposed a method for extracting the feature points of a frequency band, by converting acceleration data collected by sensors through fast Fourier transform (FFT) and determining road surface conditions via an artificial neural network. Lastly, the applicability of the algorithm was verified.


The adsorbent efficiency from rain tree wood sawdust, corn cob and coconut shell were studied removal of heavy metals lead and iron. The materials were activated with sodium chloride at a temperature range of 400- 900 oC for 2 hours. They were ground and separated a size range 0.840 - 0.500 mm (20-40 mesh). And then, the adsorbents were characterized by SEM, XRD, Iodine number, adsorption isotherm and the efficiency of adsorption. It was found that the appropriate temperature for preparation adsorbent at 800 oC. Because of the maximun iodine number of rain tree wood sawdust, coconut shell and corn cobs were 1,236.46, 921.15 and 932.75 mg/g, respectively. SEM found that the corresponding with value of iodine number. XRD patterns shown amorphous carbon. The adsorption isotherms had the corresponding with the Freundlich. The efficiency absorption of iron from rain tree wood sawdust, coconut shell and corn cobs were 99.63, 99.82 and 99.77 percentages, respectively. The efficiency absorption of lead from rain tree wood sawdust, coconut shell and corn cobs were 99.07, 98.54 and 99.19 percentages, respectively. Besides, the mixture adsorbents showed fine efficiency absorption of iron and lead, as well.


A smart fire extinguisher location notification stand using an electronic sensor is disclosed. This fire extinguisher location notification stand consists of a main body on which fire extinguishers are mounted; An electronic sensor unit provided in the main body to detect a fire; And an alarm unit provided in the main body for alarming the position of the fire extinguisher through light or sound according to the fire detection signal of the electronic sensor.


The determination of the rational parameters of a vibration machine for the internal compaction of concrete mixtures. We researched the "vibration machine – concrete medium" system wherein the concrete medium is represented by a system with distributed parameters that takes into account the resilient, viscous, inertial and energy properties of the compacted concrete medium. We researched the propagation of the viscous-resilient-plastic deformation waves in the contracted concrete mixture represented in the form of a half-space. We determined the amplitudes of the oscillations and stresses occurring in the compacted mixture depending on its physical and mechanical characteristics. We determined the oscillation amplitude of the vibration machine, identified its rational parameters. We determined the regularity of the motion of the compacted mixture and the vibration machine depending on the physical and mathematical characteristics of the compacted mixture, the thickness and width of the compacted layer, the angular oscillation frequency and the amplitude of the exciting force. The presented dependences enable the substantiation of the rational parameters of the vibration machine and the modes of vibratory action.


Location of Tumours: Factors concerned reviewed by Dr. Georgiana Bonser in her Ernestine Henry lecture. She considers that a return to a " natural " way of living could not eliminate carcinogenic risks (p. 655). Leader on this page. Changes of Blood Pressure: From a longitudinal survey in two population samples Dr. W. E. Miall and Mr. H. G. Lovell conclude that these are related to the level of pressure and only indirectly to age (p. 660). Leader at p. 650. Polycythaemia Vera: Dr. P. J. Watkins and his colleagues consider that "P and venesection are still the treatment of choice (p, 664). Haematological Changes in Elderly Patients: Frequent evidence of iron deficiency and low serum folic acid concentrations found by Dr. M. Batata and his colleagues (p. 667). Professor R. H. Girdwood and his colleagues found lower serum-folate values in geriatric inpatients compared with subjects of same age group living at home (p. 670). Leader at p. 652. Immunization in a Developing Country: Dr. Pamela M. Sherman and her colleagues from the University of Ibadan suggest that in ti developing country simultaneous smallpox vaccination and immunization with " further attenuated " measles vaccine is justifiable (p. 672). Secretin: Dr. D. R. Boyns and his colleagues show that this increases insulin secretion only if given in unphysiological amounts (p. 676). Mlyasthenia Gravis: Dr. J. Housley and Dr. J. J. Oppenheim found normal lymphocyte transformation in patients, whether they had undergone thymectomy or not (p. 679). Intrauterine Contraceptive Devices: Considered in a " Current Practice " article by Mr. John Frampton and Mr. Dudley Mathews (p. 683). Experiments on Man: Book review by Professor L. J. Witts (p. 689). New Medical Schoal: Financing from private sources discussed by Dr. N. Malleson (p. 692). Parliamentary Committee on N.H.S.: Article by a senior clerk of House of Commons (p. 694). Rheumatoid Hand: Surgery (p. 696). Pertinax: Without Prejudice (p. 697). Clostridial Sepsis: Twenty cases (p. 698). B.M.A. Constitution: Letter from Chairman of Organization Committee (p. 703). A.R.M. Agenda: Supplement, p. 149. G.M.C.: Disciplinary cases (Supplement, p. 167).


exican lime is one of the most important and econom ic fruit crops in the southern regions of Iran. This crop is susceptible to Citrus Tristeza V irus (CTV) and Witches Broom Disease of Lime (WBDL). Therefore, optimization of regeneratio n and transformation system for this plant is necessary for its improvement. In this pro ject, the effect of different factors such as inter ode and epicotyl explants; two different regeneration media containing different concentrations of BAP and NAA , different Agrobacterium strains: "LBA4404" and "EHA 105", each harboring a binary vector pBI were studied in a factorial experiment. The results show ed that the etiolated epicotyl was the best explant s for regeneration and callus production. There was no si gnificant difference between two regeneration media . Furthermore, EHA105 was the best Agrobacterium strain for this purpose. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) using gus-specific primers has been carried out on DNA extra cted from all regenerated plants. Twenty-one shoots were carrying this gene but only 8 shoots out of these 21 showed the expression of t his gene. Furthermore, the lack of Agrobacterium-related infections has been confirmed using virG-specific markers.


Pneumonia is a process of acute infection associated with lung tissue (alveoli), which is one of the biggest causes of child death in the world. One of the efforts made by the government is to reduce the incidence of toddler pneumonia by carrying out a program of finding toddler pneumonia. Toddler pneumonia discovery program has a target that has been set nationally. Community Health Centers in Temanggung Regency have very significant differences in coverage of toddler pneumonia findings between primary healthcare that have reached and have not yet reached the target.The purpose of this study was to describe the diferences officer factors  in public health centers with high and low coverage of infant pneumonia findings in Temanggung Regency.This type of research uses observational analytics using cross sectional methods. The sample of this study was 10 primary Healthcare Temanggung District. The results of the study the difference between high and low coverage health centers, the knowledge factor of officers was 72.0% and 62.0%, the motivation of the officers was 64.0% and 73.0%, the activeness of officers was 64.0% and 73.0%, work officers are 80.0% and 100.0%. Published to the Health Office to refresh knowledge about toddler pneumonia to harmonize understanding of toddler pneumonia and how to detect toddler pneumonia.


Struma ovarii represents a rare type of teratoma that is formed entirely of thyroid tissue. In most cases, these tumors are benign; however, malignant ones have also been reported. It is usually seen between 40 and 60 years and accounts for about 5 % of all cases of ovarian teratomas. Our case was a female patient, 40 years old, who was presented with vaginal bleeding, abdominal swelling and left sided pelvic mass for six months. Clinical examination and imaging techniques showed left ovarian neoplastic lesion and small amount of fluid in Douglas pouch. After laparoscopic excision, Histopathological examination was performed, it showed ovarian tissue, predominantly formed of mature thyroid tissue which are the key features of struma ovarii. In Conclusion: Struma ovarii is a rare ovarian tumor with variable clinical presentations, even can be malignant. Pre-operative diagnosis is usually difficult and confusing, so, it should be put in consideration in differential diagnosis of ovarian masses.


A simplified physical model for LDMOS was presented by making an in-depth investigation into physical characteristics of LDMOS.In this model,an analytical solution was used to solve differential equation concerning electric field in drift region,and based on proper assumption,voltage drop of the drift region was obtained by using a modified algorithm,which simplified calculation of the model while maintaining certain accuracy.Specifically,this physical model was modified to an LDMOS model,according to requirements of Saber for user defined device model,and also considering characteristics of LDMOS physical model.The model could be embedded into Saber for circuit simulation.


Abstract This paper presents a research which involves the observation of the movement of points presented on a material surface under the influence of mechanical extortion. Tests were performed using two 15 mm silicone layers, one of which contained 1 mm thick elements of nitrile-butadiene rubber. Analysed materials were structurally heterogeneous tissue phantoms. Test results that were obtained indicated that the developed method allows detecting inhomogeneity and its approximate location, what may be used in pathological state prevention.


Traction electricity (TE) consumption in rail transportation (rail transport) is determined by factors (determinant) related to the characteristics of railway lines and vehicles. They have an impact on driving speeds, which, in turn, affect energy consumption. The scientific research presented here combined the results of expert, direct and indirect measurement methods, including brainstorming, mind mapping, system approach, heuristics, failure mode and effect analysis. The main objective was to demonstrate the influence of the determinants of TE consumption, depending on the route (road) geometry and characteristics of the traction of electric vehicles and whole trains (catenary-supplied electric vehicles, non-autonomous electric vehicles, and network traction vehicles, especially electric locomotives and electric multiple units, electric multiple-units (EMUs)). Using a new approach, the TE consumption equation, we applied values for the movement resistances of electric locomotives during braking for a jointed railway track Mres JRT braking and continuous welded rail tracks Mres CWRt braking. The values of the movement resistances of the electric locomotives during startup on the jointed railway track Mres JRT startup and continuous welded rail tracks Mres CWRt startup were also applied. They showed a strong correlation with the existing speeds of catenary-supplied electric vehicles. The implementation of the new innovative approach is an important contribution to the development of engineering and technical sciences, in particular, the disciplines of civil engineering, surveying/geodesy, and transport.


We introduce here the notion of a fuzzy Hausdorff topological space. The definition is natural and its appropriateness is established by showing that the theory of fuzzy Hausdorff topological spaces is largely parallel to its counterpart in general topology. In doing so, we have to slightly modify Wong's definition [3] of "a fuzzy point belonging to a fuzzy set." Fortunately, this modification does not disturb any existing result. Several equivalent forms of fuzzy Hausdorffness are given. A particularly pleasing observation relates to the two functors 3: TOP -+ FTOP and i: FTOP + TOP of Lowen [2], where TOP and FTOP respectively denote the categories of topological spaces and fuzzy topological spaces. We note that both these functors preserve Hausdorffness and (3 also reflects it.


Abstract A numerical investigation is performed to analyze the coupled heat and mass transfer in porous media with a strong exothermic reaction. Similar problems have received great attention due to their relevance in a wide variety of engineering applications, such as heat pipes, drying technologies, nuclear reactors, catalytic reactors, environmentally clean utilization of energy, and many others. The momentum transfer in the porous substrate is modeled with the Darcy–Brinkman–Forchheimer law, while the temperature and concentration fields are obtained subsequently from the energy and diffusion equations. The considered configuration consists of a cylindrical duct where a first-order reaction is supposed to occur. The governing equations are solved by using the finite-volume method. The SIMPLER algorithm is applied to solve the momentum and continuity equations. The power-law scheme is used to model the interaction between convection and diffusion terms. The effect of the main governing parameters, such as permeability, aspect ratio, solid-to-fluid conductivity ratio, Reynolds number, Biot number, and the modified Frank-Kamenetskii number, are studied. The comparison with previously published work shows excellent agreement.


Since VLSI technology has become ubiquitous in today's world, this field is a prime candidate for power reduction. Tremendous growth in chip density and reduction in dimensions contribute to an escalation in clock rate. Delay faults are detected using at-speed scan testing. This paper proposes a novel method to achieve power reduction during scan test by using x-filling. In this paper, ISCAS'89 benchmark circuits have been used with an industrial 90nm technology. The tools used were Synopsys TetraMAX and Synopsys Design Compiler. Experimental results show a considerable reduction in average shift power and average capture power.


In A group communication network (100), sleep - wake method and apparatus for reducing up latency, actual total dormancy - initiated by wake-up time and network directed to target listeners wake by storing up trigger cache supplies a significant reduction in the PTT {XE "PTT"} latency perceived by the talker. Then, as soon as the target mobile station (104, 106, 108) to re-establish its traffic channel, to deliver a wake-up trigger to a target mobile station. .FIELD 1


NMR (Nuclear magnetic resonance) spectroscopy has become an essential technique for the organic chemist for its interpretative power. However analytical chemists have exploited this technique less largely because of problems of analysing mixtures on a routine basis. Within the past decade LC-NMR (liquid chromatography NMR) has become increasingly available, although many of the earlier reports involve fairly slow analyses using quite high concentrations which often are readily separable. Recently it has become easier to couple HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography) to NMR allowing cheaper and more routine applications. In parallel to improved instrumentation, advances in data analysis such as Fourier transformation, digital signal processing and maximum entropy played a major role in the 1980s by improving the quality of NMR spectra. With the ability to obtain LC-NMR, chemometrics methods for deconvolution and enhancement of spectral quality also have an important role. Many LC-NMR experiments are performed using high concentrations, slow analysis times and often stopped-flow conditions. Although these experiments overcome many of the problems of sensitivity and distortion in the chromatography due to high concentrations necessary to obtain acceptable spectral signal to noise ratio, the inherent expense and difficulty means that LC-NMR is not yet a routine technique in the same way as HPLC-DAD and LC-MS (liquid chromatography mass spectrometry). Despite this LC-NMR is now possible using mid range NMR and LC instrumentation. In addition to interpretative power proton NMR has a major advantage over many other forms of quantitative coupled chromatography in that the intensities of the signals are proportional to the number of protons and concentrations under suitable pulse conditions. In this article we report the use of LC-NMR for the on-flow resolution of a seven component mixture. Using rapid flow rates, the LC-NMR signals coelute. It would not be easy to determine how many compounds are in the mixture without chemometrics.


The invention discloses a method for producing a smell-reduction garlic product, belonging to the technical field of food processing, wherein the method comprises the following steps: soaking hulled garlic in alkaline liquor for a period of time and then washing; then, soaking in acid liquor for a period of time for neutralization; adding extracts of ginger paste, ginger juice and ginger in a certain proportion after grinding, dicing or slicing; and then mixing to obtain the smell-reduction garlic product. According to the method, the nutrient value of garlic is kept, the smell is obviously small 30 minutes after people eat the smell-reduction garlic product compared with eating raw garlic; three hours later, half of the smell can be reduced, the smell of garlic is rarely smelt, and no small is given off; and the endurance time of garlic smell discharge is efficiently reduced so that garlic products are more easily accepted and eaten.


Measurements of blood coagulability and liver function parameters were made on alternate weeks in 14 young unmarried female volunteers for two months before and for three months during fortnightly intramuscular injections of 100 mg. of dydrogesterone (Duphaston Depot). No difference, significant at the 5 per cent level, was found for the following: fibrinogen, the prothrombin‐proconvertin complex, factor VII, factor X, partial thromboplastin time with or without previous kaolin activation, euglobulin lytic activity, antiplasmin, platelet count, collagen induced platelet aggregation or platelet adhesiveness to a glass bead column. A small but statistically significant reduction of factor VIII and plasminogen was noted in association with dydrogesterone administration. No significant difference of serum glutamic pyruvic or serum glutamic oxalacetic transaminases levels or of thymol and zinc sulphate turbidity tests was observed between the samples taken before and during dydrogesterone administration. A slight but statistically significant reduction of alkaline phosphatase and of total bilirubin was, however, noted.


In Eric Wooltorton's article on vitamin and mineral supplements,[1][1] a footnote to Table 1 states that vitamin K has an anticoagulant effect. In fact, vitamin K promotes healthy coagulation, because it is a cofactor in a carboxylation reaction that is essential for the clotting process.[2][2] [A


The study investigated the effect of class classification, class size and gender on academic performance. Specifically, the objectives of the study was to evaluate the effect of class classification, class size and gender on academic performance of senior secondary school students in Mathematics and English Language. However, three research questions and hypothesis were designed to guide the study. The study employed expo-facto research design and purposeful sampling technique which is stratified in nature in selecting all one-hundred and eighty nine (189) Grade II (SSS II) students participated in the Unified Promotion Examination (UPE) conducted by Osun State Ministry of Education in May, 2017. In this regards, Grade II students' scores in Mathematics and English Language was used to proxy academic performance which are disaggregated  into three strata such as class stream (Science, Art and Commercial), gender (female and male) and class size (large class size and small class size). Inferential statistics such as t-statistics was used to analyse the generated data. The findings of the study revealed that there was no significant difference between the academic performance of students in Science and Art stream, Science and Commercial stream and Art and Commercial stream while significant difference existed in the academic performance of students in English Language between Science and Commercial stream as well as Art and Commercial stream respectively but in favour of Science class and Art class. The study also indicated that there was no significant difference in the performance of students in both Mathematics and English Language not only on the basis of the number of the students allocated into a class (Class size) but also gender quality (female or male). It was concluded that the explanatory variables such as class classification, class size and gender are not only the necessary condition in determining academic performance among students but also work hand-in-hand with other factors in order to guarantee favourable academic performance. The study recommended intensification of efforts by school authority towards monitoring of students in doing class work, assignment, punctuality in school and re-visitation of the classroom instructional practice by the teachers among others.  Article visualizations:


Harmonious department was the foundation of harmonious hospital. Harmonious department was considered to innovation, stable and orderly, good internal relationship and hospital patient relationship. Sustainable changing management concept, improving management mechanism, enhancing medical professional moral, promoting skills and medical quality, highlighting detail management and training human resource were considered as the foundation and grantees.


Perhaps because Richard Strauss's ballet output includes just two original scores ( Josephslegende and Schlagobers) and arrangements of harpsichord works by French baroque composer François Couperin— music unfamiliar to most audiences and typically dismissed by Strauss scholars—this book is the first detailed account of Strauss's lifelong engagement with ballet. Neither a rescue mission nor a product of the current project to redefine Strauss as a modernist, Heisler's excellent and original study contributes significantly to Strauss scholarship by meticulously fleshing out the sketchy accounts of his unfinished ballets and those using Couperin arrangements, placing all the projects within the context of dance history, and—perhaps most importantly—deepening our understanding of the aesthetics and ideology behind Strauss's interest in ballet and appropriation of eighteenth-century music. The book is divided into an introduction and two parts: part 1 features chapters on Die Insel Kythere (The Isle of Cythera, 1900) and Josephslegende (The Legend of Joseph, 1914), part 2 on the Ballettsoirée (1923), Schlagobers (Whipped Cream, 1924), and Verklungene Feste: Tanzvisionen aus zwei Jahrhunderten (Bygone Celebrations: Dance Visions from Two Centuries, 1941). According to Heisler, these chapters "chronicle a gradual transformation from his modernleaning, parodic conception of classical dance in the years leading up to World War I to a belated obsession with romantic-era ballet during World War II" (p. 6). To put Heisler's coverage in perspective, the most thorough account of Strauss's life and works, Norman Del Mar's Richard Strauss: A Critical Commentary on his Life and Works (3 vols. [London: Barrie and Rockliff, 1962–72]), spends a page and a half on Kythere, twenty-six on Josephslegende, thirteen on Schlagobers, and ten combined on the Couperin arrangements for the Ballettsoirée and Verklungene Feste (discussed as instrumental suites, not ballets). Heisler does not discuss the music comprehensively, but rather offers focused analyses to make specific points. The introduction notes the marginal status of dance in musicology, emphasizes the novelty of Heisler's multidisciplinary approach, and locates the study outside the main current of Strauss scholarship. Stating that his research centered on the genesis, premiere, and early reception of each work, he identifies his method as the book's chief asset:


BACKGROUND Relationship between serum uric acid and cardiovascular system has been recognised since years. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is a known risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events. The role of uric acid as a risk factor for vascular disease and acute stroke is controversial and there is little information about it.1 It is unclear as to whether high uric acid concentrations promote or protect against the development of cerebrovascular disease, or simply acts as a passive marker of increased risk. As serum hs-CRP is an established risk factor for stroke, its positive correlation with serum uric acid levels would suggest that high serum uric acid could predict stroke risk. Also, it would prove to be a more cost-effective investigative tool in our present set up. METHODS In this cross-sectional study, we assessed 100 patients admitted with acute stroke in Victoria and Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital from October 2016 to November 2018. Clinical records, routine investigations, radiological imaging, serum uric acid and hs-CRP of the patients were investigated. RESULTS Majority of the patients (33 %) belonged to the age group of > 70 yrs., followed by 61 - 70 yrs. (26 %). 69 % of the patients were males and 31 % were females. 67 % of them were hypertensive and 32 % were diabetic. 91 % had an hs-CRP level of > 3.0 mg / L and 8 % had hs-CRP levels between 1.0 and 3.0 mg / L. None of the female patients had a serum uric acid value > 6.5 mg / dL and none of the male patients had a uric acid level of > 7.0 mg / dL. There was a correlation between serum uric acid levels and serum hs-CRP levels in patients ≤ 50 yrs. of age. There was no correlation between serum hs-CRP levels and serum uric acid levels in patients more than 50 yrs. of age. CONCLUSIONS Our study showed that stroke is most common in persons > 70 yrs. of age and is more common in males compared to females. Hypertension is an independent risk factor for stroke. hs-CRP is a well-established risk marker for stroke, being raised in majority of stroke patients. Serum uric acid is not raised in all patients of acute stroke. So, it cannot be used as a risk marker for stroke. KEY WORDS hs-CRP, Serum Uric Acid, Acute Stroke