A 202 MHz aluminum RF cavity has been constructed for the Aladdin synchrotron light source at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The cavity operates on the fourth harmonic of the ring RF frequency and will be used to lengthen the electron bunches in order to increase beam lifetime. The cavity body is machined from a thick aluminum plate with a single penetration for the coupling loop which operates in vacuum. A cover plate at the gap end contains an annular tuner that is moved concentric with the beam axis. The entire inner surface of the cavity is copper plated to increase shunt impedance. The cavity will be initially operated in the beam driven mode with the tuner adjusted by computer to provide optimum bunch lengthening as the beam decays. In the future, active RF drive may be employed to allow a constant bunch length to be maintained at all times. A beam derived RF reference is proposed along with use of RF feedback to avoid instabilities. Results of the first storage ring operation using the new cavity are presented.


Review question / Objective: The purpose of this study is to present a synthesis of knowledge about the effects of bariatric surgery on the body image of women after surgical intervention. Condition being studied: Along with the increase in obesity rates, the number of surgical procedures for its treatment is also growing. While for healthcare professionals, the main indicator of success of bariatric surgery is weight loss and the control/remission of comorbidities associated with obesity, for those who undergo such intervention, their expectations go beyond that, as excess wight has affected their psychosocial spheres, generating disorders of body image, low self-esteem, anxiety, eating disorders, isolations, among others. Therefore, evaluating the effect of bariatric surgery on body image is a key factor in determining the success of surgery from the user's perspective. It is necessary to have synthesis of knowledge considering sociocultural difference, objective measurement through instruments to incorporate them into long-term clinical follow-up.


At the presented work, we report the results of research of optical properties PbTe, ZnSe, ZnS, BaF2 and PbF2 thin fllms in a wide infrared spectral range. These materials are used for manufacturing thin fllm multilayer interference systems working in the mid-infrared and probably be applied in far infrared to submillimeter. Optical properties in our understand- ing are spectral dependences of refractive index and extinction coe-cient of layers. Films with thicknesses 3{7 microns were received by thermal vacuum deposition on single-crystal silicon sub- strates. Refractive index and extinction coe-cient dispersion in 1.5{150 microns spectral range (2{200THz) were determined by method based on analysis of the transmission and re∞ection interference spectra. Films of PbTe under consideration do not possess appreciable absorption bands in the investigated spectral range. While, other investigated fllms have intensive absorp- tion bands in the 25{100 microns region. With using of the investigated materials the \solar blind" fllter for 1.0{50 microns spectral range on the single-crystal silicon substrate was designed and made.


The performance of a digital state regulator system having an A/D converter of finite wordlength and a floating-point estimator/ controller computer of finite mantissa-length is analyzed. An upper bound on the mean-square state error, as a function of the two wordlengths, is derived in closed form. This bound can be used in analyzing the stability of open-loop unstable systems and to give insight into the error-performance/hardware-cost tradeoff for wordlength design choices. An example is given where the estimates of error performance of a second-order digitally-regulated plant, as estimated from the upper bound, from the system covariance equation, and from simulation are compared.


Excerpts from a speech delivered by the Chinese delegate Huang Shu-tse to the United Nations World Population Conference in Bucharest August 1979 are presented. Third World countries were enslaved and sapped by imperialism. Although the superpowers claim that rapid population growth is hurting the developing countries they fail to realize that the countries are just recovering from colonialism. Many countries have achieved political independence but their economies are tied to the superpowers. If the developing countries could make full use of their manpower they would have less unemployment and poverty. Thanks to the efforts of the broad masses of people in surmounting numerous obstacles the material wealth of society has increased despite the dire predictions of Malthus. Problems of population exist in many countries and manifest themselves in unemployment poverty starvation and high mortality rates. Population problems are determined by the social system and the political/economic conditions of the country. Aggression plunder and exploitation by the imperialists have caused these problems not overpopulation. The liberation and independence of Third World countries is bringing about a new international order. Imperialist countries cling to theold economic order. Socialist revolution and socialist construction has succeeded in China in eliminating unemployment.


The entomopathogenic nematode Heterorhabditis bacteriophora has been genetically improved in beneficial traits, like heat and desiccation tolerance, by cross breeding and genetic selection. For instance, a final overall increase in mean heat tolerance of 5.5°C was achieved with Heterorhabditis bacteriophora by cross breeding the most tolerant five strains and then selecting for heat resistance. Success of breeding programmes largely depends on the heritability of the investigated traits. Advances in enhancement of desiccation and heat tolerance often have been lost again during mass production. For heterorhabditid nematodes methods have now been developed to stabilize the traits by selection of tolerant inbred lines. This technique provides a pathway to genetic improvement of commercial strains which will maintain the improved characters also during in vitro mass production. The methodology to produce stable inbred lines for steinernematids needs further investigation, as these nematodes are amphimictic and production of inbred lines is much more laborious. The reproduction potential in liquid culture was also successfully increased. Future targets for genetic improvement are prolongation of shelf life and field persistence and enhancement of virulence. Contributed paper. Thursday, 9:45. 214-STU Perspectives of new nematode formulation technology for biological control to pest insects in Georgia Mariam Chubinishvili, Tsisia Chkhubianishvili, Manana Kakhadze, Iatamze Malania Kanchaveli Institute of Plant Protection, Agricultural University of Georgia, 240, David Aghmashenebeli Alley, 0159 Tbilisi, Georgia Address for Correspondence: email@example.com In the result of route investigations the soil samples for searching of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) have been collected in several agrocenosis of different regions of Georgia. Samplings of testing material were done by using of recent methods in insect nematology (Stock & Goodrich-Blair, 2012). According to preliminary data some active strains of Steinernema sp. have been obtained. EPNs extract efficiency was established on laboratory culture of Galleria mellonella. Further research directions for the identification of local strains (under the Project CRDF/DTRA/GRDF #GMG-01/13) have been conducted at the University of Arizona, laboratory of Entomology by two different ways: morphological and molecular diagnostic methods. It was established that four local EPNs isolates belong to the genus Steinernema. Furthermore partial sequencing of the ITS rDNA gene revealed they are closely related to the species Steinernema feltiae. This conventionally called "Georgian strain", considered as a raw material will be base for local production of bioformulation -"Geo-nema". Provided technological product environmentally safe nematode insecticide will be used for biological control to the pest insects of agricultural crops and ornamental plants. The researches will be continued under the projects CRDF/STEP and SRNSF/STCU financial support. The usage of nematode insecticide will take an important place in IPM (integrated pest management) system for agricultural crop protection in Georgia. CONTRIBUTED PAPERS Thursday, 8:00-10:00


A combination of dental problems such as missing teeth, proclination of teeth and occlusal problems cannot be satisfactorily treated by prosthodontic approach alone. The rehabilitation of patients requiring an esthetic smile demands the collaboration of multiple dental specialists. the need for orthodontic tooth movement prior to restorative treatment is necessary for some patients, in order to optimize both esthetic and functional aspects of dental treatment.The present case report achieved successful implant based oral rehabilitation in a patient with  absence of the right maxillary central incisor utilizing a preprosthetic orthodontic implant site preparation for the purpose of space gain.


A liquid target cell was designed which uses a quartz window, Invar steel, and p-quarterphenyl as wavelength shifter. The response of liquid argon in this cell was measured for protons of energy up to 50 Mev, and a graph of the pulse height vs. energy calibration is given. The resolution needs to be improved.


This paper summarized yield and main characteristics of high starch content sweet potato cv. "Quanshu No. 19"and its high yield cultivation techniques including cultivation of strong seedlings,meticulous land preparation,rational close planting,management of water and fertilizer,control of diseases and pests and harvest in time.


Radio data are used to test coronal models for dMe stars. Specifically, we show that photospheric magnetic field observations imply that the low corona of a dMe star should be saturated by magnetic fields with an average strength in excess of 1 kG. In such fields the hot component of the corona detected in X-ray observations (temperature of order 2 x 10(exp 7) K) would be optically thick at least up to 15 GHz due to thermal gyroresonance opacity. The resulting emission would easily be detectable by radio observations and should have a radio spectrum rising in the microwave range. We have carried out observations to test this prediction, and in the majority of cases find that the observed fluxes at 15 GHz are too low to be consistent with the assumptions. In the few cases where the stars were detected at 15 GHz, the evidence indicates that the observed emission is nonthermal. These results imply that the hot component of the X-ray-emitting plasma in the corona is not coincident with the strong magnetic fields in the lower corona. Because the hot plasma must still be confined by closed magnetic field lines, it is likely to be restricted to heights of the order of a stellar radius above the photosphere. The results seem to imply a different genesis for the two components of the X-ray-emitting corona of flare stars: the hot component may be cooling flare plasma, while the cooler component (temperature of order 3 x 10(exp 6) K) is associated with a more conventional coronal heating mechanism.


Cathy Ragland has written a splendid scholarly study of música norteña, which originated in the Mexican northern borderlands. Although designated as "northern" music, as Ragland notes this music is played throughout Mexico as well as the United States wherever Mexican Americans or Mexican immigrant communities reside. Therefore, música norteña can be heard in Detroit, Chicago, San Jose, San Antonio, Los Angeles, and of course in the different urban and rural areas of Mexico. Ragland's brilliant and informative study is composed of an introduction, five chapters, and a conclusion. The chapters expound on the significant contributions música norteña has made to Mexican and Mexican-American communities. The five chapters bear the following titles: "Mexicanidad and Música Norteña in the 'Two Mexicos'"; "Regional Identity, Class, and the Emergence of 'Border Music'"; "Border Culture, Migration, and the Development of Early Música Norteña"; "Modern Música Norteña and the Undocumented Immigrant"; and "Los tigres del Norte and the Transnationalization of Música Norteña in the WorkingClass Mexican Diaspora." The conclusion highlights and summarizes this musical genre's contributions.


Optical properties of ZnTe1−xOx (ZnTeO) and evidence for the photovoltaic (PV) activity of a ZnTeO intermediate band solar cell (IBSC) are reported. Electron transitions from the intermediate band to the conduction band were observed by photomodulated reflectance measurements. The optical absorption coefficients for the electron transition from the valence band to the intermediate band exceeds 2 × 104 cm−1, suitable for thin film PV device applications. The ZnTeO IBSC exhibits an enhanced spectral response below the bandedge of ZnTe, and all results are consistent with the proposed conversion mechanism of IBSC.


Investigated the agonistic behaviour in male and female Crocidura flavescens under conditions of increasing confinement in the laboratory. Nine sexually mature shrews (four male and five female) were used and six paired encounters were run for each sex. Initially each pair was confined to 1800 cm 2 but this was reduced to 900 cm 2 and finally 450 cm 2 before the encounter was ended. No encounter lasted more than 12 minutes and all audible and visible behaviour was recorded. Two encounters were filmed for analysis. Seven postures and 16 other non-fighting behaviours can be distinguished and the frequency of eight of these differs significantly between the sexes. These components of agonistic behaviour may have preparatory, sensory, communicative and regenerative value and a hierarchy, which would preclude fighting under natural conditions, may exist. Males are significantly more aggressive than females both in the frequency and latency of fighting. Increasing spatial confinement significantly increases the frequency of fighting in both males and females. C. flavescens is considered to be asocial with males indicating a greater tendency for territorial behaviour through being more aggressive and scent marking more frequently than females


Breast cancer is a group of malignant disease that commonly occurs in the female breast and infrequently in the male breast. About 25-30% of breast cancer cases are detected among women below 40 years. The average age recognized nationally is 41 to 50 years. At least 10 to 11 percent of cases of cancer in women in Himachal Pradesh are breast cancer.  The objectives of the study were to assess level of awareness and practices followed by women to prevent breast cancer, to associate the awareness score with selected demographic variables and to correlate the awareness score with practices followed by women to prevent breast cancer. METHODS: Quantitative descriptive study was carried out in selected villages of District Sirmour, HP. Using non-probability convenience sampling, 200 women between the age group of 25-40 years were selected from selected areas. Subjects were interviewed using structured questionnaire regarding the prevention of breast cancer and practices followed to prevent breast cancer. Data was analysed by using SPSS version 15 in terms of descriptive and inferential statistics. RESULTS: The result shows more than half (57.5% ) of the samples  were having moderate awareness about prevention of breast cancer and only 8.0% were having good awareness whereas 34.5% were not having any awareness about prevention of breast cancer. The Mean score of awareness was 7 with a standard deviation of 2.745. Only 10.5% samples were following good practices for the prevention of breast cancer whereas 81.5% were following moderate practices and only 16(8.0%) were having poor practices about the prevention of breast cancer. There was association between awareness and variables( education, occupation and parity) and no correlation was found in between awareness and practices about prevention of breast cancer CONCLUSION: In conclusion, Intensive educational campaigns to tackle the observed educational deficits should be planned in order to raise awareness towards breast cancer, its risk factors with emphasis on role of prevention and guidelines for screening through self -breast examination, clinical breast examination and mammography.


The purpose of this study is to examine the infrastructure and practices of using outdoor sports grounds. Materials and methods. Method of non-included standardized observation was used in the sociological study. With the help of the coding sheet more than 160 observations were recorded at 34 workout sites, selected by the criteria of their size and location. Results and discussion. There was assessed the level of workout areas equipment in Moscow. On the basis of unencumbered standardized observations there were identified: social portraits of people, involved in street sports, the key features of their training process, the use of the infrastructure of the outdoor sports grounds. There were also outlined the gaps in knowledge and adherence to proper physical activity in some groups of sports grounds visitors. Different types of cooperation between sports grounds visitors were identified and the advantages and disadvantages of each of them were outlined. The idea of the most preferable and effective form of interaction of trainees on the sports grounds was formed. The observations made it possible to determine the list of motivating and demotivating factors for visiting the sports grounds. On the basis of the data obtained, there were developed the recommendations for attracting various groups of the population to workout areas and improving the quality of training.


This study aims to investigate the resistance profile of enterococci to commonly used antibiotics to provide correct treatment of urinary tract infections and to stop the continual emergence of highly resistant species of bacteria. Three hundred and twenty five (325) urine samples were collected from patients in Urinary Tract (UT) Department and Outpatient urinary tract clinic of Zagazig University Hospitals in Zagazig city, Sharkia, Egypt. One hundred and twenty seven enterococcal isolates (39.1%) were isolated from urine samples. Seventy (55.1%) of enterococcal isolates were Enterococcus faecalis and fifty seven (44.9%) of enterococcal isolates were Enterococcus faecium. All the isolates are identified and the sensitivity to a number of antibiotics was determined by disc diffusion method. Using standard breakpoint sensitivity values: the highest percentages of resistance of enterococcal isolates were found for penicillin G, rifampin, erythromycin, doxycycline, ampicillin, lincomycin and amoxicillin. The moderate percentages of resistance were found for ciprofloxacin, azithromycin, clarithromycin and spiramycin, gentamicin and clindamycin, whereas the lowest percentages of resistance were seen for and chloramphenicol, vancomycin, teicoplanin, sulphamethoxazole/trimethoprim and imipenem. These values are seemed to be higher than wide world values. This is probably due to the variation in the bacterial sensitivity pattern over time and between different geographical districts, misusing of antibiotics and not continuing the antibiotic therapy for sufficient period of time. In conclusion, this high resistance rate represents a dangerous alarm that necessitates the search for new therapeutic options. ________________________________________________________________________________


Researchers have documented how race and racism influence the college experiences of U.S. citizens. However, research on the ways that race and racism affect international students warrants similar attention. This qualitative study explored how international students learned about U.S. concepts of race and racism and how such concepts shaped their college experiences. The participating international college students learned about U.S. concepts of race and racism through media, relationships, formal education, and lived experiences. They defined these concepts in varying ways and had varying racial ideologies.


The hydrophilic carbon nanoparticles have been produced from synthetic graphite blocks by the electrochemical oxidation method in pure water. The resulting electrolyzed solution contains colloidal carbon nanoparticles (mean diameter is ca. 400 nm) and shows the pH value of around 2.5. The colloidal state of the solution is maintained more than a several years. After evaporation of water from the solution, carbon powders are obtained, which show a high solubility to water, namely the powder is hydrophilic. The electrolyzed solution containing carbon nanoparticles directly used as the electrical conductivity enhancer for the restoring the deteriorated lead-acid batteries by electrochemical method. The hydrophilic carbon nanoparticles were used as the environmental friendly solid-lubricant for the mechanical cutting coolants. In the case of aqueous coolants, the oily substances are used in the emulsion state in usual. By using the hydrophilic carbon nanoparticle suspension, no surfactants and no oily substances are required to maintain the suspension state. However, the cutting coolants are used in the pH values of alkaline state near 10, so the hydrophilic carbon nanoparticle solution has been neutralized by alkaline substances such as alkanolamines. In the case of oily cutting fluids for heavy duties, carbon mamo-particle powders are used after neutralized by basic barium dinonylnaphthalenesulfonate. The aqueous solutions of hydrophilic carbon nanoparticles exhibit the ability of sanitization effects to the cutting fluids and prolong the life times of them.


In the theoretical part of my thesis Teacher and the pedagogical changes I focused on the types of changes, change implementation process, and the methods of incorporating and evaluating changes in the educational system. I also described teachers' professional work in this world of changes, their tasks, roles, and professional growth. With their lifelong learning and by implementing changes in their own pedagogical work, teachers provide favourable conditions for the students to obtain high quality knowledge, and the ability of solving problems and finding their way through different unpredictable situations.
In the empirical part I wanted to find out how primary school class teachers accept changes in the educational system and to what extent they are active in the implementation of their own changes in the educational practice.
The research showed that teachers are mainly acquainted with the changes by the school management, or by lecturers at the educational courses. Primary school teachers' believe that changes are necessary, but they claim that there are too many of them. The number of teachers who think that changes are stimulative, and the number of those who perceive changes as obligations or problems, are rather equal. The majority of the respondents claim to have enough support for the implementation of changes, mainly from their colleagues. The implementation of the changes in their own pedagogical practice is impeded by the fact that the proposed or offered changes have not yet been tested. Several teachers believe it would be reasonable to implement changes which were known before: eight-year classes in the primary school, obligatory homeworks, the evaluation of behaviour, unexpected oral examination, numerical grading in the first triad etc. Their opinion is that the quality of learning, discipline at classes, and the teachers' social position in the past were much better. A positive change is considered to be the implementation of the IKT.
The results of the research also show that teachers observe such changes in the educational system even before their implementation. However, the majority of respondents are not familiar with the current change proposals. They are mainly concerned with the increased norms for students, extended educational requirements for teachers, and the integration of children with special needs without the presence of properly educated personnel, but approve the numerical grading in the third class. Teachers regularly implement changes in their own practice every year. The majority of these changes is related to the different stages of providing new knowledge, and practicing. The basic aim of their implementation is to raise students' motivation, and learning abilities to a higher level. At this point, teachers often encounter problems because of the unfavourable material and financial conditions for the education of students and the work of the teachers, which is due to the large number of students in classes, and lower motivation. The majority of respondents share the opinion that with the implementation of changes they avoid the monotony and dullness in their own classes.


Obesity is has become a major problem worldwide. Since 1975, the prevalence of obesity nearly trippled, and nowadays we are facing an obesity epidemic. Obesity is a major risk factor for many diseases such as cardiovascular ones (mainly heart disease and stroke) -being the leading cause of death worldwide, musculoskeletal disorders or type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM).


Measurements of percent cortical bone area in femoral sections recov ered from two geographically distinct areas of North Carolina are presented. The femora were recovered from archaeological sites 1) on the North Carolina coast and 2) in the North Carolina Piedmont. Both groups · represent the Late. Woodland. The Piedmont group relied on hunting-gathering, supplemented with insipient agriculture. The coastal group relied primarily (almost exclusively) on estuarine resources as a subsistence base. The mean ·percent cortical area was significantly higher in the coastal group, suggesting a better dietary adaptation. Additionally, anteroposterior and mediolateral diameters of the femoral sections were taken in order to assess mechanical stress on the lower limbs. These measures indicate that the Piedmont group may have tended towards a higher division of labor associated with subsistence activities.


Introduction:
 Certain studies suggest that multiple myeloma (MM) induces expansion of bone marrow (BM) mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), but others showed induction of MSC senescence. MM cells suppress MSC lineages such as osteoblasts, while their effects on adipocytes remain to be elucidated. Recent studies identified "regulated" adipocytes that are smaller in size than large adipocytes that are constitutively present (Scheller et al, Nature Commun 2015), and that function as an endocrine tissue and regulators of hematopoiesis (Cawthorn et al, Cell Metab 2014), suggesting that BM adipocytes are functionally heterogeneous.
 We established a MSC gene signature in whole bone biopsies and showed that it gradually changes in different disease stages and is associated with outcome (Schinke et al, CCR 2018).
 The aim of the study was to identify changes in expression of MSC genes in BM of patients with high risk MM and in focal lesions (FLs), and to elucidate whether these changes reflect altered proportion and function of MSCs and their lineages.
 Methods:
 MSC gene expression in whole bone biopsies from normal donors (n=68), and patients with MGUS/SMM (n=90) and MM (n=531) was analyzed using global gene expression profiles. Unexpanded single MSCs from normal donors (n=3; 175 single MSCs) and MM patients (n=3; 162 single MSCs) were sorted by FACSAria and expression of mesenchymal cell, proliferation and senescence markers were analyzed by qRT-PCR using Fluidigm Biomark HD. Functionally, single MSCs were tested for their ability to multiply using supportive serum and MSC-conditioned media. Cell senescence was analyzed by SA-βGal staining. IGFBP2 and adiponectin protein were detected using immunohistochemistry (IHC). Numbers of IGFBP2+ cells were analyzed in biopsies from patients with MGUS/SMM, low risk (LR) and high risk (HR) MM (10 biopsies/group). Cultured MSCs were differentiated to adipocytes by treatment with dexamethasone, insulin and indomethacin for 3-4 weeks. The effects of recombinant IGF1 and IGFBP2 on MM cell growth were performed on BM-dependent MM lines (n=3) cultured in serum-free conditions for 48 hrs.
 Results:
 We compared MSC gene expression levels in random interstitial BM biopsies of patients with LR and HR MM, and in paired biopsy samples from random BM and FLs; 41 of the 345 MSC genes were differentially expressed in both comparisons. Most overexpressed genes were related to angiogenesis and ECM, including several collagen genes (e.g., COL4A1, POSTN, and HSPG2). Several underexpressed genes were associated with adipocytes, including IGFBP2 and aldo/keto reductases.
 To unravel whether these differences in gene expression reflect changes in the proportion of MSCs we tested expression of genes associated with MSCs, osteoblastogenesis, adipogenesis, proliferation and senescence in unexpanded single
 MSCs. MM single MSCs had significant reduction in expression of KI67 and increased expression of the senescence marker, CDKN2A/p16, whereas expression of other tested genes were modestly differentially expressed between the two groups. Functionally, unexpanded MM MSCs had increased SA-βGal expression, and only 65±8% of single MSCs divided at least once compared to 90±4% of their normal donor counterparts (p<0.03), suggesting that the in vivo MSC gene expression in MM reflects modifications in mesenchymal cell lineages that encompass most of the mesenchymal compartment in bone.
 Since IGFBP2 is involved in adipogenesis and bone homeostasis we traced the source of this factor using IHC. Double staining for IGFBP2 and adiponectin revealed that IGFBP2 was mainly expressed by small adipocytes. The number of IGFBP2+ cells was higher in BM biopsies from patients with MGUS/SMM than in those from patients with MM (p<0.02), and the number was lower in biopsies from patients with HR MM than with LR MM (p<0.01).
 Normal MSCs differentiated to adipocytes produced a high level of IGFBP2, while co-culturing MSCs with MM cells inhibits their differentiation to adipocytes by 6 folds (p<0.001) and reduced expression of IGFBP2 and adiponectin. Recombinant IGFBP2 effectively blocked IGF1-mediated growth of MM cells, indicating its role in controlling IGF1 bioavailability.
 Conclusions:
 Our data demonstrate that MM MSCs are less proliferative and that IGFBP2+ small adipocytes are a distinct mesenchymal cell population suppressed by MM, and their depletion may contribute to disease progression.

 Epstein: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences: Employment. Davies:Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; MMRF: Honoraria; ASH: Honoraria; Takeda: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Amgen: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Abbvie: Consultancy; TRM Oncology: Honoraria. Morgan:Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Honoraria; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding.


In this paper, a filter model about Multi-target Tracking is present under the random set framework. Then the PHD filter is used to process the model and its closed-form is given under the linear Gaussian mixture situation. There exist two problems in PHD method. First is that the calculation is very heavy and increases exponentially. Second is the method can not identify the target and its trajectory. In order to solve the problems above, an optimized algorithm is shown to release the heavy load of calculating in PHD and a cluster analysis method is given to identify the target and its trajectory. In the last of the paper, the simulation is used to prove the efficiency of the method.


The encyclopaedia of Vedanta is first of its kind, and it took 10 years to complete. The encyclopaedia has been divided into three parts. The first part deals with Vedantic terms and words, like Brahman and Avidya. While presenting the study of these terms, the apt quotations and references have been incorporated. Wherever necessary, a critical and doctrinal explanation has also been added to. In the second part, a description about the contribution of significant western scholars in the field of Vedanta has been given. The third part deals with the Sankaracaryas and their Mathas and some indians scholars and philosophers of Vedanta.


The technical design of the P̄ANDA experiment at the future FAIR facility next to GSI is progressing. At the proposed anti-proton storage ring the spectroscopy of double Λ hypernuclei is one of the four main topics which will be addressed by the Collaboration. The hypernuclear experiments require (i) a dedicated internal target, (ii) an active secondary target of alternating silicon and absorber material layers, (iii) high purity germanium (HPGe) detectors, and (iv) a good particle identification system for low momentum kaons. All systems need to operate in the presence of a high magnetic field and a large hadronic background. The status of the detector developments for this programme is summarized.


Prevailing dogma holds that activation of the β‐adrenergic receptor/cAMP/protein kinase A signalling pathway leads to enhanced L‐type CaV1.2 channel activity, resulting in increased Ca2+ influx into ventricular myocytes and a positive inotropic response. However, the full mechanistic and molecular details underlying this phenomenon are incompletely understood. CaV1.2 channel clusters decorate T‐tubule sarcolemmas of ventricular myocytes. Within clusters, nanometer proximity between channels permits Ca2+‐dependent co‐operative gating behaviour mediated by physical interactions between adjacent channel C‐terminal tails. We report that stimulation of cardiomyocytes with isoproterenol, evokes dynamic, protein kinase A‐dependent augmentation of CaV1.2 channel abundance along cardiomyocyte T‐tubules, resulting in the appearance of channel 'super‐clusters', and enhanced channel co‐operativity that amplifies Ca2+ influx. On the basis of these data, we suggest a new model in which a sub‐sarcolemmal pool of pre‐synthesized CaV1.2 channels resides in cardiomyocytes and can be mobilized to the membrane in times of high haemodynamic or metabolic demand, to tune excitation–contraction coupling.


Whereas emollients are integral to the long‐term management of atopic dermatitis (AD), the evidence for their efficacy in disease flares is limited.


Search and rescue in high-risk situations and searches in unknown environments pose certain threats to human physical life. The development of mobile robots with exploratory capabilities that can be adapted to complex sites, with high mobility and high obstacle-crossing capabilities, is therefore a research trend. Existing wheeled and tracked mobile robots have excellent locomotion, but they are less adaptable and less efficient when faced with complex terrain or outer space environments. Therefore, how to increase the obstacle-crossing ability and improve the movement efficiency of mobile robots has become a research hotspot in the field of mobile robotics.

 To introduce the classification, characteristics and development of existing hopping robots.

 The various products and patents of hopping robots are summarized, and the structural features, differences and applications of typical hopping robots are introduced.

 By analyzing a variety of hopping robots, the typical characteristics and the current problems of hopping robots are analyzed, the development trend of hopping robots is prospected, the current research status of hopping robots are discussed and the future prospects are carried out.

 Hopping robots can be divided into mechanical energy drive, combustion energy drive and new energy drive according to the driving method. Depending on the drive energy used, jumping robots can achieve a jump height 0.5-30 times higher than their own size, and combined with a specific mechanical structure design, they have the characteristics of high explosive, high mobility, and can solve interstellar exploration, terrain exploration and rescue problems. Compared to mechanical energy drives, combustion chemistry is two orders of magnitude more energy intensive than even the highest performing batteries. The use of recycled renewable energy solves the energy self-loading problem of chemical combustion drives and is more environmentally friendly than the two previous types of new energy drives. Therefore, such products should be invented and patented in the future.


The possible Auger recombination mechanisms in direct‐gap semiconductors are investigated. These include band‐to‐band processes, phonon‐assisted processes, and Auger recombination via shallow traps. The band‐to‐band Auger rates are calculated including Fermi statistics, nonparabolic bands, and screening effects both for n‐type and p‐type semiconductors. The nonparabolicity is calculated using the Kane‐band model. The band‐to‐band Auger processes are characterized by a strong temperature dependence, the Auger rate decreasing rapidly with decreasing temperature. The phonon‐assisted and the trap processes do not exhibit such a strong temperature dependence. This is because the additional momentum conservation for the four‐particle states in band‐to‐band processes gives rise to a ''threshold energy'' for the process. For the same reason, the band‐to‐band Auger rate decreases rapidly with increasing band gap. In large‐band‐gap semiconductors the weakly temperature‐dependent phonon‐assisted processes are expect...


Leishmaniasis are neglected tropical diseases present in 98 countries and is
responsible for the emergence of 1.6 million new cases per year, which can lead to approximately 60 thousand deaths. These diseases are caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania, which present several clinical manifestations that range from the involvement of the skin affecting the mucous membranes, to the most severe clinical form visceral leishmaniasis, which the individual comes to death if do not receive the proper diagnosis and treatment. In this context, current treatment for leishmaniasis has been based on pentavalent antimonials, and in some countries miltefosine has been used as the first choice for the treatment of leishmaniasis. Other alternatives make up the second choice, such as amphotericin B and pentamidine. In general, these drugs present high toxicity, high cost in treatment, and clinical isolates with resistance phenotype to current treatments have already been described. Thus, the search for new compounds that act in selective pathways of these parasites have been studied in addition to the association of new compounds with those already
used in the clinic. The flavonoid EGCG is the main catechin of green tea and has shown promising results in different in vitro and in vivo models of leishmaniasis. Part of its mechanism of action involves accumulation in ROS levels, decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential and consequently death of the parasite. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the in vitro effect of EGCG on L. infantum, its interaction with the drugs used in the treatment for leishmaniasis, as well as to demonstrate the participation of TR as part of the molecular mechanism of action and its evaluation in vivo. EGCG demonstrated antipromastigote activity with an IC50 of 162.0μM. The study of the association with miltefosine or amphotericin B in promastigotes revealed an additive interaction. On the other hand, the mechanism of action involves an increase in H2O2 levels due to the inhibition of TR, triggering a
decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential and subsequent decrease in
intracellular ATP levels, leading to death of the parasite. Our results on intracellular amastigote revealed an IC50 of 3.8μM with a 90% inhibition at 24μM concentration. The in vivo study confirmed the high potential of EGCG administered with 12.5mg/kg orally for only 5 days twice a day reduced the parasite load in the liver of infected mice by 92%. Thus, our data are promising as a viable alternative for leishmaniasis treatment.


Through investigation and analysis on basic cognition status,teaching arrangement,retrieval methods and ways selection,retrieval difficulties of PubMed and CNKI database,the paper finds out the problems existed in studying and utilizing PubMed and CNKI database,proposes corresponding solutions,so as to improve the retrieval level of medical postgraduates.


Traditionally, structural fire safety design is based on conventionally rather than on physically based thermal actions. This certainly holds for the international standards in the field, see e.g. [1]. Therefore, the release of Eurocode 1, part 2-2: "Actions on structures exposed to fire" [2], should be seen as a turning point: for the first time in international standardization, the natural fire concept is presented as an - for the time being -informative option. This option opens the possibility for a more nuanced and functionally based design, enabling to achieve rational and uniform fire safety levels. It should be noted however that the Eurocode approach is a first and still incomplete attempt to arrive at more physically based thermal actions. Hence, the aim of this paper is: - to identify the input data, necessary for a natural fire design; to critically discuss the input data, required by EC1, part 2-2; to demonstrate the potential of the natural fire design


&NA; This multicentric national registry reports the experience of 16 Brazilian surgical teams in laparoscopic colorectal surgery. Between 1992 and 2001, 1966 patients (941 men [47.8%] and 1025 women [52.1%]) were operated on, with ages ranging from 1 to 94 years (average, 55.9 years). Benign diseases were diagnosed in 1170 patients (59.5%). There were 82 (4.2%) reported intraoperative complications (range, 2.0‐9.8%), 209 (10.6%) conversions to laparotomy (range, 1.4‐23.5%), and 383 (19.4%) postoperative complications (8.0‐29.6%). Mortality occurred in 29 patients (1.5%). During the early experience (first 50 operated patients in each surgical team), there were more intraoperative complications (8.1% × 1.7%), conversions (16.6% × 6.8%) and postoperative complications (25% × 16%). After an average follow‐up of 26.5 months, 91 tumor recurrences (13.8%) were reported (0.45% parietal recurrences). There was no incisional recurrence in the ports used to withdraw the pathologic specimen. The Brazilian experience is significant, with complication and mortality rates similar to those reported in literature. The results indicate that experience reduces complication and mortality rates. Oncological results are satisfactory and the incidence of parietal recurrence is low and similar to other series.


With a high migration attractiveness of Russia, the issue of the exercise of fundamental social rights by foreigners, including minors, in Russiа is important. The author reviewed the existing regulations, enshrining the right to health and medical care, education, housing and social security, and the practice of the Ombudsman for children in Saint Petersburg. The ways of solving the identified problems in practice and eliminating conflicts in the legislation of Saint Petersburg are proposed.


The present article seeks to problematize the Enarratio in Isaiam's genesis, attribution and relation to Basil of Caesarea on the grounds of new evidence. On the one hand, a critical and philologic...


An AASHTO Type-III precast/prestressed girder that was extensively damaged by truck impact was used to explore the adequacy of a repair using externally bonded fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites. This paper analytically investigates the evaluation procedure of such repaired prestressed bridge girder that can be applied to bridges with similar vehicle impact conditions. Few parameters were investigated in this study, including (i) the effect of horizontal resistance of elastomeric bearing supports, (ii) the presence of barrier wall and sidewalk, and (iii) live load distribution factors obtained from Finite Element Analysis (FEA) compared to the simplified method prescribed by the Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code (CHBDC). FEA showed that support horizontal resistance has negligible effects on live load distribution factors for shear, Fv, while it has considerable effect on live load distribution factors for moment, Fm. The live load distribution factors Fm and Fv obtained from FEA were observed to be all smaller than those prescribed by CHBDC showing that the approach taken by CHBDC is conservative for the studied bridge. Fm and Fv of external girders obtained by FEA were as much as 30% and 40% less than those of CHBDC. Inclusion of barrier wall and sidewalk in the analysis showed an additional 18% reduction for Fm, with insignificant effect on Fv. The live load capacity factor as the safety indicator in the bridge evaluation was calculated analytically by Load and Resistance Factor Method and Mean Load Method and then correlated with experimental findings of proof load test on the repaired girder.


Comparisons of multispacecraft observations and full-particle simulations are used to understand magnetotail changes during substorms and the related cross-tail current disruptions/reductions. We first show that the electric field accompanying current disruptions can be measured in the tail lobe from the drift velocity of oxygen beams. A stormy period is studied here with a fleet of spacecraft including the four Cluster spacecraft and the Double Star spacecraft TC-1 in the tail, ACE and Geotail respectively in the solar wind and magnetosheath, and five LANL geostationary satellites, thus allowing the determination of the direction of propagation of the substorm disturbances. Each substorm here corresponds to an energy-loading period followed by a dipolarization of the magnetic field seen from 11 to 18 R-E. Plasma sheet thinning inside 12 R-E occurs during energy loading and is enhanced at the onset of strong dissipations of magnetic energy, which precede by several minutes particle injections at 6.6 R-E. Dipolarizations coincide with an increase of the lobe electric field, up to several mV/m. This study shows that the onset of the magnetic energy conversion occurs at about similar to 10-11 R-E and that once initiated, the perturbation propagates both toward the Earth and toward the distant tail. Comparisons of the measurements with recently published 2D full particle simulations of the reconnection process by Oka et al. (2008) indicate a good agreement between data and simulated magnetic lobe signatures. This suggests that the lobe magnetic changes are the signature of a tailward retreating neutral line, with its associated current disruption/reduction.


The inhibiting effect of Laurus nobilis extract on the corrosion behaviour of patinated bronze was evaluated by means of potentiodynamic polarization, statistical experimental design, Raman spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations. The patina layer was electrodeposited at the Cu10Sn bronze alloy in aqueous chloride electrolyte under anodic conditions. Electrochemical and Raman characterizations showed the presence of various tin oxides and crystallized as well as porous cuprite in the chloride patina layer. The statistical experimental design was investigated to model the Laurus nobilis inhibition of the patinated bronze in sulfate electrolyte. The plant extract was found to act as mixed type inhibitor. The relatively low protection efficiency was related to the synergetic effect between the experimental parameters. Quantum chemical calculations were performed with the DFT method at the B3LYP/3-21G basis set. The results revealed that the major molecule inhibitor could interact preferentially with tin oxide.


OBJECTIVE: To establish an HPLC method for the determination of rebamipide in rats' plasma and colonic tissue.METHODS: The rats were assigned to receive 4 mg rebamipide chitosan capsule or its gelatin capsule or its CMC-Na solution peros.Then the plasma and colon tissue samples were taken at different time for a determination of the concentration of rebamipide by HPLC gradient elution with Cmax computed.RESULTS: The linear range for rebamipide was from 20~2 000 ng·mL-1.The average extracting recoveries of rebamipide from the plasma and the colon were 88.4% and 90.8%,respectively.After oral administration of 4 mg rebamipide chitosan capsule or its gelatin capsule or its CMC-Na solution,the Cmax of rebamipide in the colon tissue were 5 963.9,2 190.7 and 1 185.8 ng·g-1 respectively versus 252.7,949.0 and 1 023.3 ng·mL-1 respectively in plasma.CONCLUSIONS: The established HPLC gradient elution in the study can be used to determine quantitatively the rebamipide level in plasma or colon tissue for the development of its colon specific delivery preparations.


Objectives The current study examines the mediating roles of resilience and self-efficacy and the moderating role of gender in the association between neuroticism and psychological distress in Chinese freshman nursing students (FNSs). Methods A total of 1220 FNSs were enrolled from the Be Resilient to Nursing Career (ChiCTR2000038693) Programme and the following instruments were administered to them: NEO Five-Factor Inventory, General Self-Efficacy Scale, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and Kessler Psychological Distress Scale. A moderated mediation analysis and a generalised additive model analysis were performed. Results The direct and indirect effects of neuroticism on psychological distress were significantly mediated by self-efficacy (B = 0.200, 95% CI 0.001 to 0.039), resilience (B = 0.021, 95% CI 0.007 to 0.038) and the interaction between self-efficacy and resilience (B = 0.016, 95% CI 0.005 to 0.028). The interactions between neuroticism and gender (β = 0.102, 95% CI 0.001 to 0.203, p<0.05) and between resilience and gender were significant (β = 0.160, 95% CI 0.045 to 0.275, p<0.01). A non-linear and positive association was confirmed between neuroticism and psychological distress. Conclusions Self-efficacy and resilience significantly mediate the relationship between neuroticism and psychological distress. Gender moderates the relationships between neuroticism and resilience and between resilience and psychological distress.


People's knowledge anxiety is caused by information explosion. At the same time, the development of media technology enriches the video industry. Under this background, knowledge videos have a wide audience. Taking knowledge videos as the research object, this paper adopts the interview method to analyze the practice of digital labor connection and anti-connection. It is found that the digital labor of knowledge videos can consciously eliminate over-connection, but the transition of connection-anti-connection is spiraling, and there are many forms, such as strikes and re-work. This research enriches the theoretical research of digital labor to a certain extent.


Objective: To examine the nomenclature, clinical features, pathophysiology, management, outcome and prevention of the "RSI" construct, with particular reference to that of fibromyalgia syndrome. Findings and Conclusion: The condition known as "RSI" is characterized by regional pain and hyperalgesia and other clinical features also seen in generalized fibromyalgia syndrome. The condition is not caused by ongoing tissue damage, is always potentially reversible and like other chronic pain syndromes is influenced by societal and personal factors more than the initial triggering physical and nociceptive factors.


This paper portrays a simple Q-switched Erbium-doped fibre (EDF) and Ytterbium doped fibre (YDF) lasers by using topological insulator (TI) Bismuth Selenide (Bi2Se3) as saturable absorber. The modulation depth of the fabricated Bi2Se3 is about 39.8% while its saturating intensity is about 90.2 MW/cm . By depositing the TI Bi2Se3 SA onto fibre ferrules and incorporate it inside the proposed cavity, a stable Q-switching operation was achieved at 1 μm and 1.5 μm. The fabricated Bismuth Selenide (Bi2Se3) as saturable absorber (SA) is a broadband SA where it offers a compact and low cost fabrication which is beneficial in various photonic


The utility model relates to a fixture, especially to a multi-hole irregular-shaped plate milling and boring fixture for the machining center. A plurality of press plates arranged along the edges of none-machined blanks and a plurality of positioning pins arranged along the edges of to-be-machined blanks are arranged on the fixture, and a rectangular hole is arranged on the press plate. The rectangular hole is perpendicular to the blank edges adjacent to the press plate, and the press plate is sliding connected with the fixture through the rectangular hole and the fastening part. The utility model can machine multi-hole irregular-shaped plates within one time, so the milling and boring efficiency is greatly improved, and the problems of present multi-hole irregular-shaped plates machining, e. g. large error of distance between machined holes and low milling and boring efficiency, are solved.


The giant freshwater prawn (GFP), Macrobrachium rosenbergii, is one of the most critical crustacean species cultured in Southeast Asia. Investigation of the genetic structure of current commercial stocks allows GFP breeding programs to better manage crosses and germplasm banks as well as to promote the rational use of GFP. In the present study, we aimed to characterize and use 17 microsatellite loci, including 12 novel loci derived from GFP transcriptome data, to assess genetic diversity in a wild (Myanmar) and six cultured populations (i.e., four Chinese (Zhejiang, Guangxi, and Guangdong A and B), one Malaysian, and one Thailand's cultured population). The results showed that the number of alleles per locus ranged from 3 to 18. The mean observed heterozygosity (0.363 ± 0.048) was less than the expected heterozygosity (0.637 ± 0.048). The mean values of polymorphism information content among the seven populations were > 0.5 (ranging from 0.110 to 0.915). These cultured populations exhibited reduced genetic diversity when compared with that of the wild population. Pair-wise genetic differentiation ranged from 0.006 to 0.131 within the seven populations. The dendrogram based on genetic distance showed that six cultured populations were distributed on the same major branch, suggesting that they have a close genetic distance, whereas the wild population was distributed on an independent branch. The results provide a baseline assessment of genetic diversity in some available stocks and lay a foundation for future research efforts toward genetic monitoring and selective breeding.


This rich social history of British India in its local rural setting of Saran district in the Bihar province argues that since colonial rule rested on the foundation of landed power, it was a "Limited Raj"—a concept it elaborates with a fine feel for place, people, and events. The book's "feel" is evident in its evocative reading of the yearly British "meet" grafted on the great annual Sonepur fair that Indians celebrated at the confluence of the Ganges and Gandak rivers. If the colonizer's cricket and tennis matches, races, luncheons, and balls (staged to coincide with the colonized's sacred celebration) expressed the Raj's power, the presence of Indian landed notables—from whom the British gathering drew strength and authority— conveyed its limits. The "Limited Raj," signifying British overlordship and its dependence on the collaborative support from Indian lords, was necessitated both by the colonial inability to penetrate the indigeneous social structure sufficiently and by political and economic expediency. Most of the book's first eight chapters substantiates this argument by reconstructing the history of the Hathwa estate from the Permanent Settlement in 1793 to the beginning of mass nationalist agitations in the 1920s. One of the bigger estates in Bihar, the Hathwa raj's rise to prominence in the late eighteenth century was due to British support. Initially promoted to counter the influence of rebellious landlords, the British later offered an "institutional shelter" under the Court of Wards when the estate had minor heirs. The growth and prosperity of the Hathwa raj was not due only to direct British aid; landlords big or small, contrary to popular myth, were not slothful and inefficient. In fact, as Anand Yang shows convincingly, they were efficient rent-collectors who utilized opportunities presented by an increasingly commercialized economy. Thus strengthened, the landed class represented an enormously powerful force in the nineteenth-century countryside, and the support they offered to the government became crucial when it failed in its effort to reach the peasant directly. Where the alien rulers failed, the indigenous allies succeeded because they could use their network of social control as well as the instruments provided by the courts, rent and credit, to reinforce their domination of the peasantry. When landlord exactions provoked widespread opposition, as they did in 1844 and 1879, British power moved to crush it.


Purpose: The long-term success of pterygium surgery is subject to treatment of the limbal stem cell defect. The purpose of this study is to present an alternative method to conjunctival autografting in patients with large pterygia and consequently a large limbal stem cell defect.
Methods: 38 Patients with primary nasal pterygium of more than 5 mm limbal involvement were selected for the procedure. Simple limbal epithelial transplantation with human amniotic membrane graft placement over the bare sclera after pterygium excision was done. Patients were followed-up for a period of 12 months.
Results: From post-operative day 7, patients had significant improvement in complaints and ocular surface morphology. We reported only one case of graft failure which was a consequence of patient's non-compliance with post-operative medications and follow-up.
Conclusion: Focal-simple limbal epithelial transplantation is an effective alternative to conjunctival limbal autografting in patients with large pterygia where preservation of virgin conjunctiva is prudent for future ocular surgeries.


Meniscus dynamics causing strain energy dissipation in three‐phase systems, e.g., partially saturated rocks, is being studied as a method of detecting changes in the chemical composition of these systems. New observations of dynamic menisci and thin films on contaminated and clean surfaces have been made. Thin films on contaminated surfaces were observed to exhibit time‐dependent relaxation. We propose that this relaxation is responsible for a poorly understood attenuation peak previously observed in partially saturated, contaminated systems.


Abstract The grapsoid crab Xenograpsus testudinatus N. K. Ng, Huang & Ho, 2000, originally described from northern Taiwan, is recorded for the first time from shallow water thermal vents (3–5 m) in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. The Japanese material of X. testudinatus differs slightly from the Taiwanese material in the form of the frontal margin of the carapace, as well as the structure of the chelae, ambulatory legs, and male abdomen, but none of the differences is regarded as significant at the species-level. Genetic studies with mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene support its conspecificity with X. testudinatus.


This paper is concerned with the optimal control of the parabolic p- Laplace equation with lower order reaction terms. The autonomous equation is shown to be exponentially stable with respect to the square integral norm. On the basis of this result, the task of reference tracking using a distributed control input is investigated and, in particular, the optimal control problem associated to the minimization of a power functional is addressed.


To carry over interruptions in the supply of liquid air, a 120‐l triple‐wall, silver‐plated, metal vacuum vessel was designed and built. The radiation theory for its part of the evaporative loss was worked out. The observed and calculated total loss agree at 3 kg/day. The good initial vacuum is maintained by the presence of an ample supply of activated charcoal in a small sphere reentrant into the large inner sphere. The alloy Inconel is used for situations requiring small conductivity. Alternative effective designs are given for the lower centering support for the inner spheres. The vessel is filled and emptied through an opening in the bottom, and this is controlled by a valve of ordinary design. To hasten the discharge the pressure over the liquid is raised slightly by throttling the vapor discharge. The vessel has been in use for 2.5 years without observed change in its evaporative loss.


A new and simple dual‐wavelength erbium doped fiber laser (EDFL) in long band is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. Chirped fiber Bragg gratings (CFBGs) as optical reflecting mirror‐are deployed with 10 nm nominal wavelength spacing. The combined signal of two reflections initialize lasing process. Dual wavelength lasing at room temperature is achieved at input power of 40 mW. Signal reaches to maximum value of 6.40 dBm at pump power of 80 mW where the signal diversity is 1.21 dB. The output of dual‐wavelength laser in linear overlapping cavity configuration appears in unpolarized low noise figure. Relatively large side mode suppression ratio (SMSR) of 41.88 dB is obtained. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:2143–2146, 2016


The wave-particle interactions of a hot ion beam streaming along a magnetic field B are studied. A second-order theory of electromagnetic instabilities in a homogeneous, collisionless plasma at propagation parallel to B is used. The two instabilities most likely to be driven by a hot beam are the right-hand and left-hand resonant ion beam instabilities. If the conditions necessary for the validity of the theory are met, the two modes are found to reinforce one another. That is, each mode acts to produce a beam anisotropy which reduces its own growth rate but enhances the growth rate of the other. Thus this theory predicts that whenever sufficiently hot or ''diffuse'' ions are found at a collisionless shock and the plasma is sufficiently homogeneous that significant wave growth is possible, ion beam instabilities will act to produce a mixture of both right- and left-hand polarized MHD-like waves.


Impressions of male and female medical and nursing students are compared in a sample of high-school students. There are few differences in the ratings of the male and female medical students and both are described as competent and attractive. However, male nursing students are rated as unattractive, unrealistic, and unambitious. The results suggest that men entering a predominantly female profession may be perceived as more deviant than women entering a predominantly male profession.


On 11 September 2001, hijacked passenger planes were deliberately crashed into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, DC. These attacks caused the death of approximately 3000 people. The perpetrators of this terrorist attack were not citizens of the United States but rather foreign nationals who had entered the country on student and tourist visas. It is not surprising then, as Graeme Hugo points out in the interview with him published in this special section, that 'the security considerations that arose after 9/11 . . . have led to much greater dialogue between countries with respect to movement across borders'. It is worth keeping in mind, however, that 9/11 merely exacerbated a tendency already apparent on the part of governments to treat those who move across international borders as a security problem. The tendency is, in fact, part of a wider postCold-War phenomenon of extending the meaning of security beyond the safeguarding of the state against military threats to its very existence, to one that encompasses the safeguarding of its society as a whole against perceived transnational threats to a way of life. If border crossers were considered a security problem primarily because they might be terrorists, all border crossers would be equally suspect and equally the target of control measures. Interestingly, however, the movement across borders of well-heeled tourists, business travellers and the like continues to be facilitated. It is would-be migrants, whether voluntary or forced, who are perceived and treated as the greater threats—perhaps criminals, or, worse still, potential takers of citizens' jobs and destroyers of cultural identity. Didier Bigo has warned academics against accepting this negative linkage of migration and security as a 'truth', arguing that the link is, rather, a construction of those in a social position to speak the language of security authoritatively. The irony, as Jef Huysmans points out, is that academics agreeing with Bigo are faced with the dilemma of 'how to talk or write about the securitization of migration without contributing to a further securitization


To ensure the safe supply of drinking water the quality should be monitored in real time. The conventional method of water quality assurance is to take the samples manually and send it to laboratory for analysis. This technique is time overwhelming and not economical. Also it is not feasible to take the water sample to the laboratory after every hour for quality measurement and Assurance. To overcome from these problems a new system is proposed in this work. This water quality assuring system will measure and assure the essential qualities of water in real time. The proposed system consists of multiple sensors to measure the standard of water, Raspberry Pi 2 and Ethernet Local Area Network (LAN) to send the information to the controlling center. It's a real time system which is able to endlessly measure the standard of water and send the measured values to the controlling center in each predefined time. The system relies on sensors, Raspberry Pi 2 and Internet. Keywords— Internet of Things (IoT ), Water quality assurance, Raspberry Pi 2, Sensors, Turbidity, pH,


Abstract In this paper we first prove some criteria for the propagation of algebraic dependence of dominant meromorphic mappings from an analytic finite covering space X over the complex m-space into a projective algebraic manifold. We study this problem under a condition on the existence of meromorphic mappings separating the generic fibers of X. We next give applications of these criteria to the uniqueness problem of meromorphic mappings. We deduce unicity theorems for meromorphic mappings and also give some other applications. In particular, we study holomorphic mappings into a smooth elliptic curve E and give conditions under which two holomorphic mappings from X into E are algebraically related.


The traditional methods used by the farmers, particularly in India, are very slow, undependable and large amount of crops are damaged in fields due to bacterial attacks and lack of information resources. Annually, such loss exceeds 40% in total. The main goal is to provide feasible solution for the finding problems and to enhance the productivity of the agriculture sector. The main awareness of this work is focused on Indian farmers as it addresses the key problems of getting the market status of different products, weather alerts and also provides multiple language support. This will effectively help farmers to sell their products in global market and earn remarkable profit. At the same time it's a big challenge of getting information about weather situations, kind of fertilization need to use based type of crop. Due to lack of communication to farmers production was not good, also government sanctioning various schemes, benefits towards agriculture sectors and farmers towards their wealth. There is scope to maintain the information of all these and analyze properly and communicate with farmers. This kind of analysis can be done with latest technologies such as big data analytical tools. A real monitor system needed to communicate with farmers, time to time with support of mobile based application.


Online learning is one of the fastest-growing segments of the education system. One of the recent innovations is the massive open online course (MOOC). Since 2008, numerous MOOCs have been run by public and elite universities. Most recently, Stanford, MIT, Harvard, and other universities have embraced the MOOC format through significant resource allocation. MOOCs are not solely confined to elite US universities, as the format is now offered by institutions and education systems around the world.


Henriette-Julie de Castelnau de Murat's "Le Turbot" (1699) is remarkable because its fairy Turbodine is both the tale's true hero and heroine and its author, a character both developing the plot—her own and others'—and narrating it. Turbodine is the protagonist, and her heroic male power, integral to her authorship of the plot, is both highlighted and disguised by the text. Her power and its limitations are representative of the simultaneous influence and marginality of the woman writer of 1690s France.


Purpose: To use non‐invasive single‐cell Raman spectroscopy (RS) and principal component analysis (PCA) to analyze radiation‐induced biochemical changes in human tumour cell lines, and to correlate results with known radiosensitivity. Methods: Six human tumour cell lines, derived from prostate (DU145, PC3, and LNCaP), breast (MDA‐MB‐231 and MCF7) and lung (H460), were irradiated with single fractions (15, 30 or 50 Gy) of 6 MV photons. Remaining live cells were harvested for RS analysis at 0, 24, 48, and 72 hours post‐irradiation, along with unirradiated controls. Single‐cell Raman spectra were acquired from 20 cells per sample with a Raman microscope utilizing a 785 nm excitation laser. All spectra (200 per cell line) were post‐processed, and the total data set for each cell line was analyzed with PCA using standard algorithms. Results: One unique radiation‐induced PCA component was detected for each cell line by identification of statistically significant changes in the PCA score distributions for irradiated samples, as compared to unirradiated samples, in the first 24 to 72 hours post‐irradiation. Correlation analysis between radiation‐induced PCA components from the different cell lines shows that these RS radiation response signatures fall into 3 distinct RS categories: R1 (H460 and MCF7), R2 (MDA‐MB‐231 and PC3), and R3 (DU145 and LNCaP). These RS categories segregate according to radiosensitivity and p53 gene status. The R1 and R2 cell lines are radioresistant (SF2 > 0.6), whereas the R3 cell lines are radiosensitive (SF2 < 0.5). The R1 and R2 cell lines further segregate according to p53 status, as verified by cell cycle analysis post‐irradiation. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that RS is a powerful tool for non‐invasive radiobiological investigations, and is a promising technique for advancing the field of personalized radiation therapy.


Started from the cause of defocus-blurring and motion-blurring,some improvements based on the original inverse-filter is given.Then combined with the relationship between blurred image and Fourier spectrum,the PSF is worked out by Hough transform.In this way,original image can be enduced with inverse-filter.The experimental results show that restoration of the blurred image is good,and the method is easy to implement.But the accuracy of Hough transform parameter' s estimation needs further improvement.


Bamers to access and use of cancer screening services by low-income, uninsured, minority women (underserved) have been related to increased morbidity and mortality in this group.' Such barriers may include demographic (e.g., age, race, and socioeconomic status) and contextual variables (e.g., personal history of cancer, history of previous cancer screening tests, patient-provider relationships, and health care system variables), personal attitudes (e.g., knowledge and belief about efficacy of screening), and subjective norms (e.g., influence of significant others [SOs]). The purposes of this study were to (1) identify barriers to breast and cervical cancer screening services from the perspective of underserved women of the District of Columbia (D.C.) that may influence intentions to perform breast and cervical cancer screening behaviors [i.e., having a mammogram or Pap test within one year and performing monthly breast self-exam (BSE)], (2) determine the relationship of attitudes and subjective norms to intended behaviors as reported by underserved women, and (3) identify the relationship, if any, between the site where services are provided and underserved women's intentions to perform cancer screening behaviors. The study was designed to address the following four hypotheses:


The author says that everyone is doing fine. They had a little bit of horse trouble, some of the horses got scared and loose and ran away. They were able to recover the horses though. The author went hunting in Cooke county, which didn't go well, but he found a bee tree.


In order to optimize the motion characteristics of slide-valve in water hydraulic servo-valve. Hydrostatic bearing technology has been used between valve core and sleeve. The research on performance about the static characteristics of slide-valve in water hydraulic servo-valve with hydrostatic bearing structure and traditional throttle with fixed orifice has been carried. The mathematical model of the pressure-flow characteristics, the pressure sensitivity characteristics and pressure characteristics of servo-valve has been established. Research shows, the application of hydrostatic bearing technology can make the linear relationship of the pressure - flow characteristics of the nozzle-flapper valve maintained, the pressure sensitivity can be maintained constant, but pressure characteristics of servo-valve become worse.


"The more one attends to human values, the more ambiguous endeavors become because human values are rich and, therefore, difficult to grasp in a simple and easy way" (p. 671). With this statement, made at the 1976 Annual Conference in his keynote address, Engelhardt (1977) identified what may be at least one reason for the paucity of literature dealing with the values of occupational therapists. Their importance he alluded to in a later remark from the same address: "Professions define themselves through the values they embrace, as well as the values they reject" (p. 672). Dr. Katz has begun something few of our colleagues have attempted, namely the identification of the values of future occupational therapists. The study of values in one form or another has occupied man at least since the time of Plato. For our purposes, the subject becomes relevant if


In this work, a serious of novel studies on four-dimension (4D) antenna arrays are reviewed and their relevant applications to wireless electronic systems are proposed. Theoretical analysis of 4D retro-directive arrays, generation of orbital angular momentum modes, large-scale 4D heterogeneous arrays and wideband power pattern based on 4D antenna arrays are presented. Then their applications to physical layer secure communication, efficient optimization algorithm for radiation patterns and wideband transmit beamforming are discussed. These studies demonstrate that 4D antenna array is a preferred choice for the next generation wireless electronic systems.


The relative contributions of a mixed mangrove forest vegetation comprising Nypa fruticans Wurmb. Arecaceae, Rhizophora racemosa GFW May. Rhizophoraceae, Avicennia germinans var. africana P. Beauv. Avicenniaceae) of the Great Kwa River, in the Cross River estuary were studied. Litter production and composition along tidal gradients (low, mid, high) were measured over a 12 month period using litter traps. The average monthly litterfall was 37.43g dwt m-2 (~ 449.2g m-2 y-1). Leaves constituted 64%, wood 13% and "miscellaneous" litter (propagules and stipules) 23%. The average monthly litter biomass on the forest floor was 13.38g dwt m-2 (~160.56gm-2y-1). This constituted 35.75% of the litter produced. Litterfall and litter biomass varied significantly (P<0.001) temporally and spatially (across tidal gradients). The average monthly litterfall at low, mid and high tide levels were 21.90, 42.80 and 47.53 (g dwt m-2) with leaf litter constituting 58, 64 and 65%, wood litter 18, 15 and 12% and "miscellaneous" litter 26, 21 and 23% respectively. Similarly litter biomass was 7.43, 16.08 and 16.72 (g dwt m-2) with leaf constituting 56, 65 and 64%, wood litter 21, 15 and 13% and "miscellaneous" litter 23, 20 and 23% respectively. Litterfall and litter biomass were observed to exhibit seasonality. Litterfall had bimodal response peaking during rainy (August) and dry (February) season while litter biomass was low during the rainy season (June to September). Litterfall and litter biomass increased generally across tidal gradients towards the high tide level. The periodicity, amount and fate of litter in this mixed mangrove forests have implications in the understanding and prediction of patterns of accumulation and distribution of mangrove litter. This provides insight into carbon storage potentials of the mangrove ecosystems in Nigeria.


The invention discloses a preparation method for a sand core material for casting a copper part. According to the method, resin which is used as a main component of a binding agent is modified urea resin with low price. According to the preparation method, the cost of the binding agent is about 45% of a binding agent of furan resin or adopts 40% of a binding agent of phenolic resin, so that the sand core material for casting the copper part, which is prepared by the method, has the advantage of low cost; furthermore, the sand core material has good collapsibility, a sand core is manufactured by the sand core material prepared by the method, and the one-time sand shaking time of a casting can be shortened for 10-15 minutes so that the production efficiency is improved.


It is important to estimate a natural period of local soil deposit for the seismic design of buildings and infrastructures. Several simplified equations have been used to approximate the natural period of layered ground in practice. However, it is known that these equations sometimes give inadequate values, because these equations deal with the layered ground on a rigid bedrock. In addition, some of these equations are not based on physics, but are derived through statistical studies. We propose a new simplified equation to approximate natural period of layered ground on the elastic bedrock based on Reflection / Transmission Coefficient method.


The power of an adaptive equalizer is maximized when the structural parameters including the tap-length and decision delay can be optimally chosen. Although the method for adjusting either the tap-length or decision delay has been proposed, adjusting both simultaneously becomes much more involved as they interact with each other. In this paper, this problem is solved by putting a linear prewhitener before the equalizer, with which the equivalent channel
becomes maximum-phase. This implies that the optimum decision delay can be simply ¯xed at the tap-length minus one, while the tap-length can then be chosen using a similar approach as that proposed in our previous work.


Scientists have been fighting creationists and intelligent-design advocates on school boards and in state legislatures, the courts, and even the Smithsonian Institution.


Purpose: The goal of the paper is to analyses process of implementation and effectiveness of 5S method in an industrial enterprise. Design/methodology/approach: Critical literature analysis, questionnaire analysis, case study analysis. Findings: On theexample of industrial organization that was in the presented paper an analysis of effectivenes of 5S implementation. On the basis of conducted analysis the main objectives of using 5S are: order in the workplace, maintenance of cleanliness and efficiency of machines and devices, shorter duration of activities. The main causes of problems with 5S implementation are connected with no time to do the work and lack of funds. The overall rating of efficiency of 5S method in analyzed enterprise is very good. Originality/value: Detailed analysis of main objectives of using 5S method and the main causes of problems with it in the industrial enterprise


A new species belonging to the genus Caenosamerus of the family Ameridae was described from a beech forest in the Shirakami-sanchi World Heritage Area in Nippon.


A method for structural confirmation of the monoclonal antibody/interleukin-2fusion protein was developed.With the determination of accurate relative molecular mass(M r),isoelectric point(pI),N-termiˉnal sequence by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry(MALDI-TOF-MS),capillaryisoelectric focusing(CIEF)andAuto-Edmandegradationmethods separately,and analˉysis of peptide mapping,the proper construction and expression of monoclonal antibody/interleukin-2fusion protein was confirmed.In addition,the research can serve as a reference for the regulation of QC of monoclonˉal antibody/interleukin-2fusion protein.


Based on the function locations of the urban planning management under the market-oriented economy,the paper points out the government and planning department should hand the planning compilation functions to the market, and provides the main functions to the planning's approval,the implementation,supervision and illegal investigation and punishment.


Josephson junctions act as active elements in superconducting electronics. The behavior of this nonlinear element is characterized by the relation between current and the quantum mechanical phase-difference. For an accurate device modeling detailed knowledge about this relation is necessary. To obtain detailed information, a method for direct measurement of the current-phase relation of different types of Josephson junctions was accomplished.


We report a very high performance 100 nm gate length CMOS transistor structure operating at 1.2-1.5 V. These transistors are incorporated in a 180 nm logic technology generation. Various process enhancements are incorporated to significantly improve transistor current drive capability relative to the results published by Yang et al. (1998). Unique transistor features responsible for achieving high performance are described. NMOS and PMOS devices demonstrate drive current of 1.04 mA//spl mu/m and 0.46 mA//spl mu/m respectively at 1.5 V and 3 nA//spl mu/m I/sub OFF/. These are the best drive currents reported to date at fixed I/sub OFF/. They represents 10% drive current improvement for both NMOS and PMOS devices relative to the results published by Yang without any change in gate-oxide thickness. High performance is demonstrated down to 1.2 V. Inverter delay of less than 10 psec is reported at 1.5 V at very moderate I/sub OFF/ values.


Primary Innovation is a 5-year collaborative initiative demonstrating and evaluating co-innovation, a systemic approach to innovation addressing complex problems, in five "innovation projects" (active case studies) in different agricultural industries. In defining the elements of co-innovation, Primary Innovation has emphasized nine principles that guide activity in the innovation projects. To understand how useful these principles were in guiding practice, and their influence on co-innovation, project participants assessed and reflected on how the principles were applied in practice, issues that arose, how each influenced the project, and how important each principle was perceived as being in influencing project outcomes. The nine principles should be understood in each individual project's context because their appropriateness and usefulness were affected by the type of problem being addressed and the stage of the project. It was also evident that they need to be built into the process from the outset.


The purpose of the study was to investigate whether the intended time of 160 minutes per week for 96 weeks was adequate for the treatment of the SSS Core Mathematics. The study used simple random sampling method to select two mixed, two single-sex female and two single-sex male Senior Secondary Schools in the Cape Coast Education District of the Central Region of Ghana. The study involved 790 students. Three achievement tests in mathematics were used to collect data. The data were analyzed by means of student t-test. The results showed that the intended time of 160 minutes per week for 96 weeks for the SSS Core Mathematics Program was inadequate. African Journal of Educational Studies in Mathematics and Sciences Vol. 2(1) 2004: 59-74


Blackcurrant is a berry in the north frigid zone,which has the significant economy sense in its deep processing. However,blackcurrant itself has so lower content of sugar and higher content of acid that the blackcurrant wine produced by spontaneous fermentation is of crude taste and obvious acerbity . The fermentation performance of yeast plays a significant role in production of high quality blackcurrant wine which has thick fruit-perfume,fresh quality and affluent nutrients,and is well received by consumers.The fermentation properties of yeast for producing blackcurrant wine were studied based on four factors(temperature,original sugar degree,original acidity,inoculum size of yeast) . The results showed that the best conditions are:fermentation temperature 20 to 30 ℃,initial sugar degree 14 to 25°Bx,initial acidity 12.0 to 22.0 g/L and inoculum size 4% to 12%.


At present, it is concluded among academic circles that conditions for large-scale land exploitation are the transfer of agricultural workforce to nonagricultural employment and agricultural mechanization. However, they are only exogenous conditions. Its endogenous conditions can be obtained by theoretical deduction ad empirical analysis: there is a need to increase the scale of land exploitation when factors can flow freely and marginal land productivity exceeds marginal labor productivity, and it should increase until the former equals the latter.


This paper represents a system, which detects malicious HTTP request and obtains the lowest false-positive rate with high detection rate. For this purpose, each extracted feature of a HTTP request is modeled by multiple hidden Markov models as a classifier ensemble. HMMs outputs of an ensemble are fused to product a probabilistic value that showing normalcy of corresponding feature. In this system, instead of a threshold, a fuzzy inference is applied to produce a flexible decision boundary. So, fuzzy sets and rules of decision module are formed manually, next, output of each HMM ensemble is converted to a fuzzy value with respect to fuzzy sets. Finally, a fuzzy inference engine uses these values to produce output that indicates whether the HTTP request is normal or abnormal. Experiments show that this approach is flexible and has acceptable accuracy in detecting requests close to the decision boundary, and false-positive rate is 0.79%.


The temperature adaptation of five wild Glycine species of diverse geographic origin was compared with that of the cultivated species (G. max) under controlled conditions. The optimum temperature for germination was about 30°C for G. max and G. tomentella, 22°C for G. argyrea and 20°C for G. clandestina, respectively. In all the species examined, net CO2 exchange rate per unit leaf area (NCE) appeared to be maximal at growth temperatures in the range from 18/13 to 30/25°C (8 h / 16 h, 16 h daylength) with little variation over this range. Four of six species exhibited no net CO2 uptake in the light at 9/4°C after being exposed to successively lowered temperature, but G. clandestina retained a considerable net gain at this temperature. Across the species, NCE was correlated negatively with leaf size, but positively with specific leaf weight (SLW) or chlorophyll content. Most of the species revealed optimal temperatures for relative growth rate (RGR) in the range from 30/25 to 33/28°C. Across the species and growth temperatures, RGR was correlated more closely with relative leaf area growth rate (RLAGR) than with net assimilation rate (NAR). G. clandestina and G. latrobeana of cooler habitats adapted to low, temperature more strongly than other species, by increasing root/top ratio, SLW and chlorophyll content while maintaining a stable NCE. In contrast G. max tended, over a wide range of temperature, to express the greatest potential for leaf growth, leading to greater dry matter production at the expense of NCE.


The advanced culture of coutemporary China means t he socialist culture with the Chinese characteristics.It has the regional orient ation with the Chinese style and imposing manner,and has the quality position wi th adopting advantages from all people and innovation,and has the level orientat i on with high spirit and leading trend,and has the function position with facing masses and serving the people.In order to keep the orientation of advanced cult ure,we must,from the beginning to end,insist on the guiding position of Marxism, advocate and cultivate national spirit,fully develop the national,scientific and popular culture which will face the modernizations,the world and the future.We also take the fundation of opening up,reform and consruction of modernizations a nd put our eyes on the front of the world science and culture development so as to promote cultural innovation.


In order to solve the existing problems in the management of undergraduate's apartments, the paper points out that we must alter the management patterns, strengthen the spiritual civilization building in the apartments, intensify its moral education and civilization functions, and establish the modern management and service conception. Meanwhile, we must improve continuously the overall quality of the managerial staff to improve the moral and political work.


This study, as a concise and critical literature review, examines related studies that investigated the interplay of the three constructs: ethnic identity, national identity and language policy. To do this, five related research articles were located and their similarities and differences in terms of their findings and methodologies were compared and contrasted. The literature review reveals that the researchers have utilized both quantitative and qualitative methods to obtain data. The findings show that ethnic identity is the contextualization of history, beliefs, customs, spiritual values, etc. of a speech community which practice their culture and values via the medium of language. National identity which emerges in time can be defined as an embodiment of the all common cultural values and social practices of different ethnic groups inside the borders of any country, and this is also manifested through a common language used as the formal and official language of their country. However, identity is a notion that remains rather illusive in its operationalization. Finally, language policy may be representative of a body of law, regulation and authoritative linguistic planned programs which are imposed on societies by governments. Language policies as nation building activities can improve the sense of nationality and reduce ethnic discords, and in the event may also suppress the maintenance or development of ethnic identity.


The present invention relates to a secondary battery, and more particularly to a secondary battery having a secondary battery, the electrode assembly and the electrode assembly. According to the present invention, the plurality of electrode members arranged in a stacked shape along a baseline extending in one direction; And a first separator to separate the two electrode members adjacent ones of the plurality of electrode members, wherein the first separator is folded in a zigzag form a plurality of foldable portions, and a plurality of winding portions connecting between the plurality of folded portions the secondary battery includes a secondary battery electrode and the electrode assembly comprising: is provided. A secondary battery, an electrode assembly, the separator, the winding, the electrode member, electrode plates


The Eurozone crisis has been wrongly interpreted as either a crisis of fiscal profligacy or of deteriorating unit-labour cost competitiveness (caused by rigid labour markets), or a combination of both. Based on these diagnoses, crisiscountries have been treated with the bitter medicines of fiscal austerity, drastic wage reductions, and far-reaching labour market deregulation—all in the expectation that these would restore cost competitiveness and revive growth (through exports), while at the same time allowing for fiscal consolidation and private-sector debt deleveraging. The medicines did not work and almost killed the patients. The problem lies with the diagnoses: the real cause of the Eurozone crisis resides in unsustainable private sector debt leverage, which was aided and abetted by the liberalization of (integrating) European financial markets and a "global banking glut".


Abstract THE relationship between meat and egg production traits in the fowl are of real interest at the present time because of the varying philosophies concerning the possibility of incorporating all desirable characters in one bird. Unfortunately, it is not possible to predict the probable consequences of concurrent selection for two or more characters from the phenotypic relationships between traits. This prediction can only be accomplished through a knowledge of the genetic and environmental correlations which contribute to the gross correlations between characters. Hazel and Lush (1943) have shown that selection based on an index which gives proper weight to each character is more efficient than selection for one trait at the time or for several traits with independent culling levels for each trait. The genetic constants necessary for the construction of the most efficient index are the genetic correlations between each pair of traits and the heritable fraction of the …


Eleven latch circuits for ultra-low-power applications with resonant clocking are compared in terms of energy dissipation (the main focus of this work), propagation delay, set-up, and hold time in a wide range of operating frequencies and supply voltages. Transistor-level simulations in a 0.18 µm process point out that the ratioless circuit Cut Cross-over current latch (CC-Latch) saves up to 15% energy towards the second best competitor in low- to mid-frequency applications. The improved efficiency is due to the suppression of the excess of cross-over current, by switching of the pull-up or the pull-down network alternatively in the forward inverter of the latch.


The feasibility of applying binary optical elements (BOEs) to stepper projection optics has been investigated. To obtain a large-scale element with high precision, a novel pattern stitching technique is introduced into fabrication processes which use a stepper for pattern exposures. The influence of mask alignment errors is theoretically studied to confirm that BOEs fabricated with current lithographic tools show sufficiently high performance to be used as stepper lens elements. The influence of uneven transmittance through BOEs and the behavior of spurious order diffraction beams are also examined to estimate the imaging performance degradation caused by inserting such an element into a projection lens. Then, we fabricate a BOE with an effective diameter of 120 mm, and build a projection lens which has a numerical aperture of 0.475 and operates with an exposure wavelength of 248.2 nm. As a result, a pattern size of 0.22 µm is successfully delineated with an 0.8 µm depth of focus, which is comparative to the performance of all-refractive lenses with the same specifications.


Rather than reviewing the details of developments in structural reliability theory and its implementation over the last few decades, more recent and more relevant reliability issues are addressed from this writer's point of view. One of the emphases is placed on issues that have direct design and socio-economic implications, while the other is focused on more innovative technical approaches that present intellectual challenges to those who understand reliability issues beyond the usual probabilistic formalism.


This paper reviews the theoretical relationship between old age pensions and human fertility and offers preliminary evidence from Mexico on the direction and magnitude of the effect on fertility of the introduction of a formal old-age pension system. The security motive is an untested but plausible hypothesis especially for rural areas where alternative methods for caring for the elderly if they exist are likely to be relatively risky and unprofitable. A number of different effects can theoretically be expected following introduction of a system of old age pensions in such areas including a savings-reduction effect and life-cycle effects such as effects on the time-phasing of labor force participation and of consumption and effects on family fragmentation and intergenerational transfers and on the sex composition of the labor force and the allocation of family resources between the sexes. Information costs uncertainties about various aspects of the social security system and the possibility of differences between desired and actual fertility must also be considered. Given the long list of possible effects and offsetting influences and uncertainties about the magnitudes of such effects the actual outcome can only be resolved empirically. Data on sugar cane workers who began to be covered by a social security system in 1963 in 34 contiguous rural municipalities in the Papaloapan River Basin in southeastern Mexico were used to test the relationship. A regression analysis of the determinants of change in the child-woman ratios in the 34 municipalities from 1960-70 indicated among other findings that the proxy used for the influence of participation in an old age pension system had a significantly negative effect on fertility. An increase in social security participation from 0 to 50% would appear to reduce the child-woman ratio by more than 1/10. Despite the simplicity of the testing procedure shortcomings in the available data and the possibility of specification bias the results indicate that the security motive may be important and requires further empirical and theoretical research.