Thesis (M.P.P.)--Georgetown University, 2009.; Includes bibliographical
 references.; Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. The availability of financial services is
 an important measure of national economic development. Privatization of banks increased in
 many countries after the early 1990's in response to structural adjustment policies and
 pressure from foreign competition. This paper examines the relationship between access to
 financial services and the share of foreign and state ownership structures. Data are from the
 World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank. Controlling for factors related to
 economic and infrastructure development, linear regression models test how ownership
 structures are correlated with levels of access to financial services. State and foreign
 ownership of banks is negatively associated with the availability of financial services
 suggesting that access to financial services is not necessarily dependent on who owns the
 banks. Mobile telephony is positively related to access and outreach of financial services
 while rural populations had a negative relationship to access. This paper argues that while
 there is space for the government as a service provider, governments should focus efforts on
 strengthening the regulatory environment and investing in national infrastructure. By
 improving the investment environment, the government will contribute to the improvement of
 economic opportunities for all members of the population.


This study looks at the quality and dependability of digital census data in the context of sustainable development. The study compares digital census approaches traditional paper-based systems using a mixed-methods approach, concentrating on data quality, accessibility, and their contribution to sustainable development goals. The results show that digital census data is more accurate and reliable than traditional techniques, with fewer errors and inconsistencies. Furthermore, digital data is more accessible and easier to evaluate, allowing for better-informed decision-making for long-term development. However, obstacles such as the digital gap and privacy concerns must be solved for digital census methodologies to be implemented successfully. This paper demonstrates how digital census data may greatly help sustainable development by providing accurate, reliable, and easily accessible information. Digital census methodologies can be essential in designing a sustainable future by solving recognized hurdles and exploiting digital technology benefits.


The management of hypertension in patients with end restriction (4–5 g/day) [6 ]. Tassin in France repeatedly stage renal disease on maintenance haemodialysis has reports the best survival and lowest gross and standardchanged completely in the past three decades. In the ized mortality on maintenance haemodialysis in the early 1960s it was possible to control even the severest world. Excellent blood pressure control is achieved hypertension without drugs by the use of a low sodium without drugs with mean arterial pressures below dialysate (130 mmol ) and a restricted salt intake 99 mmHg. A total of 98.4% of patients of the dialysis (<5 g/day). The diet was simple. It required home population in Tassin do not require blood pressure cooking without added salt and the avoidance of medication. However, recently they have not stressed obviously salted foods. Excellent results using this the importance of salt restriction as a requirement for regime were reported from several centres [1,2] and their successful regime. This may account for the bilateral nephrectomy—a procedure which was partial failure to reproduce the favourable results when common practice to treat otherwise resistant renal only the dialysis time has been lengthened and no hypertension—was considered unnecessary by those attention has been paid to salt restriction [7,8]. who practiced this regime [3]. Associated with success Recently, we and others [9,10] have demonstrated were long hours (8 h) of overnight dialysis on a Kiil that it is possible to lower blood pressure and reduce dialyser with a cuprophan membrane. Successful conor even discontinue antihypertensive medication withtrol of hypertension by this technique occurred indeout prolongation of dialysis time (4–5 h per session) pendently of the buffer used in the dialysate. It was and without altering dry body weight. first described with bicarbonate as a buffer [1,2] and In our study, eight hypertensive haemodialysis later also reproduced with acetate-buffered dialysate patients were assigned to a regime of gradual lowering [3]. the dialysate sodium concentration from 140 to In the late 1970s dialysis times were shortened from 135 mmol/l at a rate of 1 mmol/l every 3–4 weeks in three times for 6–8 h a week to three times 3–5 h. High combination with an attempt to lower salt intake by efficiency haemodialysis was introduced, with high advising the patients to eat a moderately NaClblood flow and dialysate flow rates in combination restricted diet of no more than 6 g/day with no added with large surface area dialysers. This regime frequently salt and avoidance of canned and salty tasting food. caused cardiovascular instability during dialysis, Dialysis time was kept constant. Predialysis systolic muscle cramps and post-dialysis hypotension. As a and diastolic pressures showed a clear trend to fall consequence, in order to avoid patient misery with (systolic pressure 147±9.3 vs 136±17 mmHg, diastolic shorter and more efficient haemodialysis, dialysate pressure 88±5.5 vs 80±9.6 mmHg) without a change sodium was raised to 140 mmol/l or more and dietary of dry weight. The reduction of the mean arterial sodium restriction was abandoned. Today, hypertenpressure reached a level of significance (108±4.4 vs sion is an increasing problem in dialysis patients inspite 98±10.9; P=0.02, Wilcoxon test). The antihypertensof a much larger choice of potent antihypertensive ive medication could be reduced significantly as well. drugs [4]. In addition, cardiovascular diseases remain In four out of eight patients blood pressure pills could the most frequent cause of death and life expectancy be stopped completely. However, in only half of the of the dialysis patient has worsened [5]. patients a decrease of interdialytic weight gain could One centre in the world has remained faithful to the be observed indicating only partial compliance with original formula of long hours of dialysis, a relatively the salt restriction. In some patients lowering the salt low sodium dialysate (138 mmol/l ) and dietary salt load had the effect of restoring taste acuity for salt


Summary A brother and sister with Wilson's disease (hepatolenticular degeneration) were found to have low serum urate levels and were injected with isotopic uric acid for pool size and turnover rate determination. The pool size of both was well below normal and the turnover rate was approximately twice the normal value. Benemid accentuated these findings in the female but was not tried in the male because of its adverse clinical effect. The rapid rate of removal of uric acid is compared to the phenomenon of aminoaciduria that is common in this disease. When ribose nucleic acid was fed to the male subject there was a statistically significant increase in urinary uric acid and this "extra" uric acid was equivalent to about 55% of the calculated purine ingested. There was no significant rise in the excretion of nonuric acid purines after nucleic acid feeding and this suggests that exogenous purine is mainly converted to uric acid before excretion.


Xinaomycin is a new biological fungicide.In 2012,a field trial on the control effect and application dose of 4% Xinaomycin AS against tomato mosaic virus disease was carried out.The result showed that it had good control effect on tomato mosaic virus disease relatively.The control efficacy of 4% Xinaomycin AS at the application rate of 900 mL/ha,1 200 mL/ha and 1 500 mL/ha against the disease was 65.13%,70.96% and 74.62% 7 days after the third spraying,which was significantly better than the control,20% Moroxydine-copper acetate AS.Besides,4% Xinaomycin AS was safe for tomato.So it is an ideal agent to control tomato mosaic virus disease.


A total of 72 Holstein cows from Kelamayi was used to determine the genotypic and milk protein types,and the relationships between milk protein loci or milk yield or body size.Milk samples were typed by polyacrylam ide gel electrophoresis(PAGE).Effects of milk protein loci on milk performance were examined using least square method.The result were as follows:β-lactoglobulin didn't affect milk yield(P0.05).κ-casein affected milk yield perfectly.It demonstrates κ-casein is in relation to the improving of milk yield and has a possibility of being a genetic marker,aimed to supply information to conduct subsidiary selection.κ-casein,β-lactoglobulin didn't affect body size(P0.05).


The purpose of this study was to investigate and evaluate a fast and convenient approach to improve qualitative and quantitative assessments of retinal vessels and neovascularization (NV). Retinas of mice with oxygen-induced ischemic retinopathy at postnatal day (P) 17 were performed whole mount staining for different period of time to determine the best staining time and antibody dilution that shows retinal NV explicitly. Meanwhile we evaluated the retinal NV and the macrophages of the mice with oxygen-induced ischemic retinopathy at P13, P15, P17, P19, P21, P23 and P25 by in vitro immunostaining. The retinas from the rhodopsin promoter/vascular endothelial growth factor (rho/VEGF) transgenic mice were done as well at P21 which showed sub-retinal NV. Griffonia Simplicifolia Lectin B4 (GSA-Lectin) antibody at 1:50 staining for 45 min showed good resolution of the fine structure of retinal NV with a preferable signal/noise ratio. Double labeling with GSA-Lectin antibody and anti-F4/80 showed exquisite localization of bone marrow-derived cells with respect to the vasculature and demonstrated close association of macrophages with NV and regressing vessels. Lots of NV sprouts were shown on the outer edge of the retina in Rho/VEGF mice by this staining method, facilitating investigators to evaluate the retinal NV through either measuring the area of NV or counting the number of beansprouts-like NV. One click staining facilitates an accurate measure of retinal NV and the detailed structural analysis of retinal NV. This approach serves as a time-saving, stable and easy-to-go method in retinal NV study that is useful for anti-angiogenesis study.


The electronic structures of epitaxially grown films of Ti3AlC2 , Ti3SiC2 , and Ti3GeC2 have been investigated by bulk-sensitive soft x-ray emission spectroscopy. The measured high-resolution Ti L ...


Purpose. Ensuring the optimal mode of gas transportation from local sections of the main gas trunkline (GT), subject to repair (maintenance) and/or shutdown, to existing main gas trunkline based on the calculation, determination, and establishment of rational values of the operating modes of mobile compressor stations during the entire time of gas pumping. Methodology. The studies are based on existing physical principles and laws that describe the effect of the properties of natural gas and the geometric parameters of pipelines through which gas is pumped on the dynamics of changes in the mass and pressure of the transported gas. The calculation of the change in the mass and pressure of the gas in the gas pipeline from which the gas is pumped is based on a number of existing theoretical and empirical dependencies included in the generally accepted methods for their calculation. Known physical relationships and mathematical models are used to carry out the calculations. Findings. The mass approach to the issue of calculating the gas transportation time is more mathematically accurate than the volumetric one. The ratio of the relative mass to the relative gas pressure in a localized section of the main gas pipeline, during the entire pumping time, is a constant value. The use of the values of the quantities obtained at the point of intersection of the graphs of changes in the relative mass and relative pressure of the gas, in the preliminary calculation of the time for pumping gas, or pressure, or mass, or the volume of gas in each time interval, makes it possible to select the optimal rate of building up/reducing gas pressure by compressor units and optimal modes of gas transportation by operating gas pipelines during the operation of mobile compressor stations. Originality. The proposed approach to calculating and determining the time of gas pumping by mobile compressor stations from local sections of the main gas pipelines subject to repair (maintenance) and/or shutdown to sections of existing main gas pipelines proves that it is advisable to establish stable patterns in the transportation of natural gas using reciprocating compressor units only after modeling in time the change in the mass and pressure of gas in the local section of the main gas pipeline from which the gas is pumped. Practical value. The proposed approach to optimizing the time of gas pumping by mobile compressor stations makes it possible to increase the level of energy and resource efficiency of gas transmission enterprises, as well as to improve the technical and economic indicators of technologies for repairing the main gas pipelines, compressor stations of main gas pipelines associated with the need to bleed gas from sections of the main (technological) pipelines subject to repair (maintenance) and/or shutdown. Optimization of gas pumping time significantly reduces the time spent by employees of gas transmission enterprises under the influence of hazardous and harmful production factors, thereby reducing the level of relevant risks. Gas emissions and associated risks are reduced by 90%.


Minimization of data-processing time and reduction of software-development time are important practical problems to be tackled by modern computer science. This paper presents the authors' proposal of a family of statistical models for the estimation of program execution time, which is an approach focused on both of the above problems at the same time. The family consists of a general model and specific models and has been elaborated based on empirical data collected for pattern-program loops representing some arbitrarily selected features related to the program structure and the specificity of a program-execution environment. The paper presents steps to elaborate the aforementioned family as well as the results of the carried-out experimental research. The paper demonstrates how the elaborated models can be applied in iterative compilation for optimization purposes, allowing us to reduce the time of software development and produce code with minimal execution time.


Objective To analyze the effectiveness and negative effects of intensity modulated radiation therapy combined with concurrent chemotherapy and RF hyperthermia in ⅢB non-small-cell lung cancer.Methods 84 patients with Non-small-cell Lung Cancer(NSCLC) were randomly divided into the treatment group and the control group.In the treatment group patients were given intensity modulated radiation therapy,with a total dose of 60 Gy,2 Gy/fraction,5 fractions/week,combined with NP(NVB+DDP) chemotherapy and RF Hyperthermia.In the control group,patients received NP chemotherapy only.Results Radiation-induced pneumonitis,radiation induced esophagitis,Ⅰ-Ⅱ°and Ⅲ° leukocytopenia were 2.4%,26.2%,47.6% and 14.3%;The median survival rate was 11.3 months,and 1,2,3 year overall survival were 63.5%,38.5% and 29.5%,respectively.In the control group,the rate of Ⅰ-Ⅱ°and Ⅲ° leukocytopenia was 42.9% and 11.9%.The median survival rate was 11.3 months,and the 1,2 and 3 year overall survival rate were 41.0%,12.4% and 4.0% respectively.Conclusion The intensity modulated radiation therapy(IMRT) combined with concurrent chemotherapy and RF hyperthermia might improve the 1,2,and 3 year overall survival rate in patients with ⅢB non-small-cell lung cancer.


Taking a polyester production device as background,its production process was analyzed,including its temperature control algorithm; through analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of closed-loop PID control and cascade PID control,the fuzzy PID controller was designed and the interactive display was realized on KingVIEW platform. Both simulation result and application show that this control system can satisfy the production and outperforms traditional control scheme. Its application can increase resin's viscosity stability by20% together with reduced insoluble resin particles and improved resin mobility and colure.


Book review of Risk and Reward: The Science of Casino Blackjack (2nd ed.) by N. Richard Werthamer. New York, NY: Springer, 2018, xviii + 508 pp., $126.85, ISBN: 978-3-319-91384-1.


This study analyzes the role of alprazolam in the therapeutic effectiveness of cogniti ve-behavioral treatments for panic disorder. This work belongs to a wider study virhich aim was to study the differential effectiveness of two programs, a standard one and a brief one supported by self-help manuals. We demonstrated the effectiveness of both interventions. The aim of the present study is to analyzed the differential effectiveness according to the use of alprazolam. The results shows that the patients who used alpra zolam improve as well as patients that didn't use it in mostly of the analyzed variables at postest and foUow-up assessment (12-month foUow-up)


In this paper, wideband Ku-band downconverter was designed to receiver digital satellite broadcasting. The low-nose downconverter was designed to form four local oscillator frequencies(9.75, 10, 10.75 and 11.3 GHz) representing a low phase noise due to VCO-PLL with respect to input signals of 10.7 to 12.75 GHz and 3-stage low noise amplifier circuit by broadband noise matching, and to select intermediate frequency bands by digital control. The developed low-noise downconverter exhibited the full conversion gain of 64 dB, and the noise figure of low-noise amplifier was 0.7 dB, the P1dB of output signal 15 dBm, and the phase noise —85 dBc@10kHz at the band 1 carrier frequency of 9.75 GHz. The low noise block downconverter(LNB) for wideband digital satellite broadcasting designed in this paper can be used for global satellite broadcasting LNB.


Purpose: To correlate the main indices of short-wavelength automated perimetry (SWAP) with the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness measured with the scanning laser polarimeter GDx VCC (Laser Diagnostic Technologies, Inc., San Diego, CA) in different diagnostic groups.

Methods: 400 eyes were divided into 56 control eyes, 211 ocular hypertensive subjects, 67 glaucoma suspects and 66 glaucomatous patients, depending on intraocular pressure, optic nerve head morphologhy and standard automated perimetry (Humphrey 24-2 SITA standard). Only one eye was randomly chosen for the study. SWAPs were performed with a Humphrey perimeter and the 24-2 full threshold algorithm. Pearson correlations between SWAP indices (mean deviation -MD- and pattern standard deviation –PSD-) and GDx VCC parameters (Nerve fiber indicator –NFI-, TSNIT average, superior average, inferior average and TSNIT standard deviation) were calculated for each group of subjects.

Results: Mild significant (p<0.05) correlations were observed between SWAP indices and most GDx parameters in the glaucoma suspect and the glaucomatous groups. Few GDx parameters showed mild correlations with the indices of SWAP in the normal group, but no significant correlations were found in the ocular hypertensive group. The TSNIT standard deviation exhibited the strongest correlation with the MD in the glaucoma group (0.33).

Conclusions: Laser polarimetry parameters showed mild correlations with SWAP defects in glaucoma subjects.


There was a high level of agreement between self-reported and medical record–documented coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination status among pregnant individuals. For public health research such as vaccine uptake or effectiveness assessments, self-reported coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination status may be a more efficient measure than verifying vaccination status from medical records if agreement between sources is high. We assessed agreement between self-reported and medical record–documented COVID-19 vaccination status among pregnant individuals followed in a cohort during August 2020–October 2021. At end of pregnancy, participants completed questionnaires about COVID-19 vaccine receipt during pregnancy; staff verified vaccination status using medical records. Agreement was assessed between self-reported and medical record vaccination status using Cohen's kappa. There was high agreement between self-reported and medical record vaccination status (Kappa coefficient=0.94, 95% CI 0.91–0.98), suggesting that self-report may be acceptable for ascertaining COVID-19 vaccination status during pregnancy.


Research literacy Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) The GRADE Working Group has developed a system to define the quality of evidence as 'the extent to which one can be confident that the effect shown in a study is close to the quantity of specific interest' (Guyatt et al. BMJ 2008;336:924–6). Despite its widespread usage, this system could be prone to subjectivity.


Theoretical and applied bases of surroundings approach to the organization of physical culture and sports work with the population at the municipal level are presented in article. The structure of the physical culture and sports environment is described, the model and conditions of the organization of physical culture and sports work with the population is offered.


Cyprinus carpiois an exotic species which originated in European rivers around the Black Sea and the Aegean basin, especially the Danube. During the present study a good population of this species was reported from Khajjiar Lake of district Chamba of Himachal Pradesh (I ndia). It appears to be introduced in the lake as also revealed by the locals. During the course of present study some specimens of two different varieties of Cyprinus carpiocommunis Linnaeus, 1758 (Common Carp) andCyprinus carpiospecularisLacepeds, 1803 (Mirror Carp) have beenrecorded from the lake.


The HIRFL system is the most advanced heavy ion research equipment in China. Every year, we use it to do a lot of important scientific experiments, so it is very important to ensure it safe operation, which is the responsibility Institute of Modern Physics Chinese Academy of sciences. In the HIRFL system, many of the magnet and power need water for cooling, so the water system plays an important role. This paper designs a water pressure monitoring system in order to guarantee the normal operation of the water system and provide chain protection. It can monitor the water pressure throughout to the HIRFL system in time, and intuitive computer display in the control room. This paper gives the theory design, and the concrete practice, and evaluates the effect after the field operation.


In this paper, a coaxial treatment chamber for a liquid foods pasteurization process usingpulsed electric field was designed and numerical studied. A computational model of the treatment chamberwas developed to investigate the behavior of flow and electric field distributions in this study. The incompressibleNavier-Stokes equation and the Laplace's equation are numerically calculated with a commercialcomputational fluid dynamic software package, CFDRCTM for the flow and electric fields, respectively.The software was based on finite volume method. It was found from the calculations that the maximum ofelectric field strength inside the chamber was about 1.845 × 106, 3.689 × 106 and 5.534 × 106 V/m for theinner electrode voltage of 10, 20 and 30 kV, respectively. For the maximum of flow velocity, it was about1.451, 4.214 and 6.975 m/s for the food flow rate of 1, 3 and 5 L/min, respectively. Prediction of flow andelectric field profiles was particularly useful in the design and modify of a coaxial treatment chamber fora liquid foods pasteurization process using pulsed electric field. Keywords : Liquid Foods / Pasteurization / Pulsed Electric Field / Numerical Simulation / HighVoltage


Abstract The river deltas of the arctic coast of Siberia fall into three main categories: deltas infilling gulfs or inlets, e.g., the Taz and Pur, deltas infilling rivermouth lagoons, e.g., the Yana and Indigirka, and deltas which are advancing out from an open sea coast, e.g., the Lena. Each type of delta is discussed in terms of its geometry and channel network, distribution of discharge, lengthening at the mouth, geomorphology of the delta, the hydrodynamics of the area to seaward of the delta, and the boundaries of the rivermouth area and of the delta. A distinction is also made between the "old delta"; and the "present delta"; on the basis of channel geometry, fluvial and deltaic processes and the geomorphology of the two areas. Present processes of delta formation on the arctic coast of Siberia are proceeding at a relatively slow rate, a phenomenon which is ascribed mainly to the retarding effect of permafrost.


The paper is devoted to the current phenomenon of social activity. The author considers the existing interpretations of the given notion, covers different approaches of human being's social activity, such as philosophical, psychological, social and pedagogical.


With the trip survey to the inhabitants in Foshan city, discussion is made on the motorcycle traffic characteristics and the related problems, and provided the countermeasures that can be used for reference by other cities of the same type.


Six-dimensional conformal field theories with p2, 0q supersymmetry are shown to possess a protected sector of operators and observables that are isomorphic to a two-dimensional chiral algebra. We argue that the chiral algebra associated to a p2, 0q theory labelled by the simply-laced Lie algebra g is precisely the W algebra of type g, for a specific value of the central charge. Simple examples of observables that are made accessible by this correspondence are the three-point functions of half-BPS operators. For the An series, we compare our results at large n to those obtained using the holographic dual description and find perfect agreement. We further find protected chiral algebras that appear on the worldvolumes of codimension two defects in p2, 0q SCFTs. This construction has likely implications for understanding the microscopic origin of the AGT correspondence.


To make use of big data, various NOSQL data stores have been deployed, such as key-value stores and column-oriented stores. NOSQL data stores typically achieve a high degree of scalability, while specialized for some specific purposes; thus, Polyglot persistence that employs multiple NOSQL data stores complementally is a practical choice toward a high diversity of application demands. We assume various NOSQL data stores running on database servers are accessed by clients via a network. This paper aims to improve performance of the Polyglot persistence by introducing an FPGA-based 10GbE network interface (NIC) and In-Kernel NOSQL Cache (IKNC) implemented in the NIC device driver. IKNC stores query results as a key-value form in a host memory, and the requested data can be returned to clients immediately if the query result has been cached. In the IKNC keyvalue pair, the key is a hashed value of a given search query and the value is a query result of the search query. Existing works have focused only on key-value stores, while that for column-oriented stores that support range queries (e.g., scan operation) has not been addressed. In this paper, we also propose two cache strategies of IKNC for column-oriented stores. In our experiments, Apache HBase is running on an application layer, while our IKNC with the proposed cache strategies is implemented on an FPGA-based NIC and its device driver. A significant performance improvement is achieved by the proposed IKNC and pros and cons of the proposed two cache strategies are demonstrated.


Observations of the X-ray band wavelength reveal an evident ellipticity of many galaxy clusters atmospheres. The modeling of the intracluster gas with an ellipsoidal $\beta$-model leads to different estimates for the total gravitational mass and the gas mass fraction of the cluster than those one finds for a spherical beta-model. An analysis of a recent Chandra image of the galaxy cluster RBS797 indicates a strong ellipticity and thus a pronounced aspherical geometry. A preliminary investigation which takes into account an ellipsoidal shape for this cluster gives different mass estimates than by assuming spherical symmetry. We have also investigated the influence of aspherical geometries of galaxy clusters, and of polytropic profiles of the temperature on the estimate of the Hubble constant through the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect. We find that the non-inclusion of such effects can induce errors up to 40 per cent on the Hubble constant value.


In Korea, the T-DMB (terrestrial-digital multimedia broadcasting) commercial service was successfully launched. However, T-DMB service providers are very weak for beneficial business because T-DMB A/V services have been started free of charge. Therefore, they want to have pay services like data services. Among these data services, the TTI (Traffic and Travel Information) service based on TPEG (Transport Protocol Experts Group) is proposed as a killer application to overcome financial limitations. At present, the TPEG service is not much popular as it fails to satisfy the users' demands in various aspects. Therefore, to overcome a lack of variety and unidirectional of the existing TPEG application services, in this paper, it is proposed a novel TPEG-UCM (User Created Message) application service. The proposed service uses individual bidirectional media which is initiated and interacted by users. Also, the proposed service is integrated well into the existing TPEG service systems. The usability and the operability of the proposed method are verified through the experiment. KeywordsTPEG; TTI; DMB; Interactive; Bidirectional


On the basis of carbonization testing of concrete in service structure and related civil and foreign datum,major factor(influencing) concrete carbonization is analyzed and mathematical model of concrete carbonization in service structure is founded and method restraining concrete carbonization is put forward.


Customer participation (CP) has received a special interest in service research. It is one of the most important aspects of services which can improve outcomes for customers and service providers. Through their participation, customers play a significant role on the service process and its outcomes. Different studies have investigated CP issues from different angels. Specifically, most of previous studies has focused on the influential factors of CP, the consequential and moderating factors are largerly ignored. However, previous studies have yet to explore an integrative framework of customer participation with multiple antecedents, consequences and moderatorsIn this study, meta-analysis was conducted by collecting data from previous studies using customer participation as its main topic. The results from meta-analysis suggested that customer participation has a positive effect on customer citizenship behaviors (i.e., recommendation, helping customers, and providing feedback), while service-dominant orientation, personality and subjective has positive effect on customer participation. Eleven hypotheses are proposed in this study. It is expected that the results of this research can enable us to get better understanding about antecedents and consequences of customer participation. The results could be very helpful for academicians to further validate the research model and could also be very useful for professionals to design and implement their service strategies.


Summary A simple and accurate procedure for the determination of mannitol and sorbitol based on the method of Corcoran and Page has been described.


This paper introduces a simple method to make a rat trachea tube. It is easy to find cheap materials to make this kind of good-looking tube, which can be inserted into the windpipe of animals and changed as necessary, in order to reduce experimental expenditure. This kind of tube can also be used on guinea pigs or small rabbits.


Since the first survey of fish population in Korea for viral pathogens in 1982, several IPNVs have been isolated from cultured fishes1,2,3). All these IPNVs were isolated from freshwater fishes and were serologically similar to VR299 strain. During 1994, high mortalities of flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) fry were recorded in several fish farms in Korea and birnaviruses were isolated from three of the farms. In this report, the serological characteristics of these isolates were compared with those of the three reference strains of IPNV by neutralization test and SDS-PAGE of viral polypeptides. Three viruses were isolated from dead and moribund flounder fry during an epizootic by the method described by Amos4) and were tentatively named as CS, DS, and YJ respectively. Three reference strains of IPNV, VR299, SP and AB (from Dr. J. L. Fryer, Oregon State University) were also used for comparison. All viruses used in this study were grown in CHSE-214 cells at 18•Ž. To examine the morpholo-


To investigate the effect of pile-rock adhesion condition and rock stiffness on both socket friction in rock and side friction in the overlying soil of piles socketed into rock, pile load tests were performed on four instrumented model piles with hanging bases (i.e. the pile ends were unsupported). Cement grout and lean concrete were used to simulate strata of weak and hard rock, respectively; and slurries of different concentrations were applied to the pile-rock interfaces to simulate different pile-rock adhesion conditions. The overlying soil layer was comprised of compacted silt. The load test results indicate that the side resistance of the piles in the soil layer could fully develop even when the pile tip displacement was relatively small; the side resistance distribution was of a saddle shape in general with higher values at the top and bottom and lower values in middle of the soil layer.


A consideration of the purpose of English in general or liberal educa tion requires some historical perspective. For although for many years the role and goals of the department of English in colleges and universities seemed to remain stable, recently they have changed markedly. If one examines the first three volumes of PMLA (1884-1887), one discovers an implicit set of goals in the statements of our profes sional forebears almost one hundred years ago, when English was struggling to get out from under the shadow of the classics and establish itself as a discipline. Writers in those earliest volumes of PMLA proposed a variety of reasons for the study of such works as The Faerie Queen, The Dunciad, Hamlet, or Don Quixote, and for the teaching of the modern languages, including English. The study of English literature was proposed as a means of familiarizing one self with biography and history, of gaining useful knowledge about the world, and of considering enduring values. Professors of English were proposed as teachers of mental discipline, of rhetoric and composition, and of aesthetics.2 When I entered the profession as a young instructor in the fall of 1946,1 found (and subscribed to) much the same set of goals. In the last twenty years, however, there have been some important changes in how English departments have seen themselves and in how they have performed. I'd like briefly to consider those changes, the reasons for them, and the ways they have affected the teaching of college English. In his Preface to Beyond Culture, Lionel Trilling sets out what seems to me a paradox. He says first:


We consider a strongly correlated spin model with a positive uniaxial anisotropy. We show that in 2+1 dimensions this model is equivalent to spinon and holon excitations coupled to a Z2 Ising gauge field. The Z2 gauge field represents the vortex monopole excitations of the X–Y model. As a function of the hole concentration the X–Y model has two phases: a spin wave phase and a free vortex monopole phase. In the spin wave phase the spinons and the holons are weakly interacting, giving rise to a spin–charge separated phase which at zero temperature is superconducting. When the hole concentration increases the Z2 excitations (the monopole currents) become free, giving rise to holon–spinon binding. The destruction of superconductivity at zero temperature coincides with the appearance of the free monopole currents.


The different forms of morphological integration, developmental, functional, genetic, and evolutionary are defined and their theoretical relationships explored. Quantitative genetic models predict that the co-selection of traits involved in a common function will lead to pleiotropic effects at the loci affecting them while functionally-unrelated traits will be affected by separate sets of loci (Wagner, 1996). The patterns of genetic variation produced by these pleiotropic mutations and stabilizing selection for functionally and developmentally interacting traits results in their specific co-inheritance relative to other traits. This in turn leads to their co-ordinated response to selection. Therefore, functional and developmental integration lead to genetic integration which, in turn leads to evolutionary integration. Three examples of how developmental integration structures pleiotropy and morphological variation in non-human primate crania, artificially-modified human crania, and for the effects ofindividual genes on murine mandibular morphology are presented.


The major concern of this study is a criterion associated with fixed base condition in seismic analysis of nuclear power plant (NPP) structures. The parametric studies are performed to validate that the criterion described in the industrial design code is reasonable in engineering sense. The various shear wave velocities of foundation medium and the various stiffnesses of super-structure are considered as parameters. The comparative objects are the dynamic characteristics and the dynamic responses obtained from modal analyses and harmonic load analyses for several idealized structural models. The study results indicate that the soil-structure interaction effect is governed by the relative stiffness between structure and foundation medium. It is justified that the criterion presented by the industrial design code is reasonably applicable to engineering practice.


The final hosts of Gnathostoma spinigerum in cats and dogs were confirmed in the natural infection and the experimental infection, but cases of natural and experimental infections were not found in the fox.In the infection of cats and dogs, it was said to take three to five months to experimentally evacuate the eggs in the feces after ingesting the larvas; but in this experiment, as an examination of the stool was not done after administering the larvas, the beginning time of the egg evacuation was not confirmed.In the case of the fox, however, in a manner similar to the cases of cats and dogs, a typical stomach tumor was grown at just the same part, and the imagines were kept inside the tumor opened to the stomach hollow. These closely resembled the former two, and this was thought to be natural, judging from their zoological familiarity in their categories.No parasite was found in the hemorrhagic necrosis at the mesentery adhering to the outside wall of the small intestine, and the cause of the growth of the hemorrhagic necrosis was not found. It was thought that this necrosis was perhaps a disorder caused by the movement of the larvas, and this was substantiated by the findings of the mosaic figures on the surface of the lower lobule of the liver.The detection of the fertilized eggs of Gnathostoma spinigerum in the feces confirmed the facts that the imagines in the tumor had matured, and the males and the females continued to live.The parasitic fleas on the body of the fox were ascertained to be dog fleas.


Two coreflood setups were used to measure heavy oil–water, heavy oil–carbon dioxide, and heavy oil–methane relative permeabilities. Using fractional effluents measured with precision meters and differential pressure data records, the Johnson–Bossler–Naumann technique was applied to calculate two-phase relative permeability in a consolidated sandstone core. In order to investigate the effect of temperature on the shape of relative permeability curves, a series of coreflood tests was conducted at three different temperatures (28, 40, and 52 °C) for each fluid pair. Analysis of the data obtained for the heavy oil–water system showed a linear increase of about 65% and 50% in water relative permeabilities when temperature ranged from 28 to 40 °C and 40 to 52 °C, respectively. However, although the oil relative permeability curve showed an increase of about 70% when temperature increased from 28 to 40 °C, it was dramatically decreased by about 30% when temperature was increased from 40 to 52 °C. In the case of ...


The objective of the Konwerl 2010 project is to test future technology for decentralised energy supply, focusing on the rational use of energy using the latest technology and integrating renewable resources into the energy mix. The innovative aspect of the project lies in the use of a decentralised energy management system (DEMS) for the intelligent, economically viable integration of decentralised generation into an existing grid structure. The integration of adjustable and intermittent energy into a generation mix of renewable resources, combined heat and power and fuel cells makes greater demands on the entire system and its operational management, on the part of both the generator and the consumer. The project demonstrates both the technical and economic feasibility. The KonWerl project represents a consistent solution for a decentralised energy supply system using renewable resources, combined heat and power and adjustable loads. The objective is to guarantee the maximum possible reliability of scheduling for the resultant electricity grid load at the transfer point, despite unavoidable forecasting uncertainties, by using DEMS.


This research aimed to explore and analyse the influence of product creativity on competitive advantages in Micro, Small, or Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) within the ceramic centres in Plered Purwakarta. Given that competition in ceramic MSMEs has been becoming steadily more challenging, this research speaks to a practical challenge that must be addressed for their continued survival within this region. The method used in this study is descriptive verificative and is accomplished through regression and correlation analysis techniques. The sample in this study is 65 respondents. The study's descriptive analysis results found that of the total population of ceramic workers in the sample, 65.9% of them were sufficiently creative. When analysing the subconstructs of creativity used in this study, "product novelty" indicators were the highest, with the lowest indicator being "product transformation". The variable value of competitive advantage total score of 63.4% indicates that the target population is quite competitive regarding "price advantage" indicators. However, they scored low on general competition level indicators.


This material serves as supplementary material for the paper "A Comprehensive Approach for Managing Inter-Model Inconsistencies in Automated Production Systems Engineering", which has been submitted to IEEE CASE 2016.


Powder-based laser deposition technology has widely used for parts coating, repairing and additive manufacturing. The quality and efficiency of laser deposition largely depends on the powder stream controlling. For some special laser deposition processing, such as ultra-high-speed laser cladding, inside laser cladding, FGM(Functionally Graded Materials) and MMC(Metal Matrix Composite) coating or parts manufacturing, the power stream controlling become more complex, because the powder melting behaviour is changed and varying proportion mix powder is used. In order to achieve the best feeding properties and highest powder efficiency aiming to different application requirement, the optimization of the nozzle geometry and controlling of powder flow are quite necessary. For this purpose, a comprehensive numerical model is developed to study the powder flow of coaxial nozzles, which include powder stream spatial distribution, flow rate, and trajectory. The powder stream convergence characteristics for different laser deposition application, and the interaction between laser beam, powder stream and molten pool are studied by numerical and experimental methods. The nozzle geometries, powder properties, and shield gas setting are optimized based on the understanding of the powder concentration distribution.


Low-temperature scanning tunneling spectroscopy allows to probe the electronic properties of clusters at surfaces with unprecedented accuracy. By means of quantum transport theory, using realistic tunneling tips, we obtain conductance curves which considerably deviate from the cluster's density of states. Our study explains the remarkably small number of peaks in the conductance spectra observed in recent experiments. We demonstrate that the unambiguous characterization of the states on the supported clusters can be achieved with energy-resolved images, obtained from a theoretical analysis which mimics the experimental imaging procedure.


An electron optical system (EOS) of 0.22THz folded waveguide travelling-wave tube (FW-TWT) was designed in this paper. The design process of Pierce gun and periodic permanent magnet focusing system was introduced in detail. The electromagnetic field simulation software Opera-3D was used to simulate and optimize the magnetic field. This simulation results show that the electron optical system transmitted beam current 33mA and the beam transmission rate was 100% with cathode voltage -19kV and the first anode -3kV.


never professed to have personally experienced what he taught as possible and necessary for others. The result of such assertions is that many feel that Wesley was inconsistent and that this may have been more of a theological abstraction or theory than a question of practical value. One would be less surprised if these assertions were limited to writers outside the pale of Methodism. But when one finds the de nial that Wesley ever professed this as a personal experience being circulated by some who fill the highest offices in Alethodism it cannot be brushed aside as of no consequence. This matter deserves


This thesis describes the project done for the graduation in experimental physics at the University of Amsterdam. The report is twofold. We present the development of a new type of spectroscopy. This Zeeman sideband spectroscopy is based on modulating the magnetic field in a gaseous sample. The laser has been found to be stable, less sensitive to external drifts as compared to previously known types of spectroscopy, narrow bandwidth and cost effective. Based on this type of spectroscopy we present a frequency stabilized laser source to be used in BEC experiments. In the second part we present a model describing the magnetic trapping potential. The algebraic model based on numerical calculations, is found to be extremely useful for the experiments done. We present a new type of TOP trap realized in a Ioffe-Quadrupole trap. As an application we present the first realization of two BEC's in a purely magnetic Ioffe-Quadrupole trap. As a demonstration of the possibilities we briefly show the collisional process of two BEC's.


The results of investigations of the structure and texture of sheet from Al-Li 2.3% - Cu 1.2% alloy of different susceptibility to the processes of static recrystallization are presented. It has been demonstrated that the pole figure image obtained in accurate experimental registration gives additional information about the structure where compared with that accessible earlier by other, complex research techniques. In particular the proposed technique of structural observation through the image of accurately registered pole figure enables; a) identification of the earlier stage of the recrystallization process, b) more accurate definition of the concept of texture material in the case of structure, formed as a result of anisotropic grain growth.


Successful collaboration in cooperative networks require accurate estimation of multiple timing offsets. When combined with signal processing algorithms the estimated timing offsets can be applied to mitigate the resulting inter-symbol interference (ISI). This paper seeks to address timing synchronization in distributed multi-relay amplify-and-forward (AF) and decode-and-forward (DF) relaying networks, where timing offset estimation using a training sequence is analyzed. First, training sequence design guidelines are presented that are shown to result in improved estimation performance. Next, two iterative estimators are derived that can determine multiple timing offsets at the destination. The proposed estimators have a considerably lower computational complexity while numerical results demonstrate that they are accurate and reach or approach the Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB).


The role of cultural creative industries as the new engine of the economy of a country(region) becomes increasingly apparent.There exists financing predicament in the development of cultural creative industries.It is the inevitable reflection of the inherent characteristics of the industry,as well as emerging industries growth process of evolution.Innovative typical experience of advancing the development of cultural creative industries in the developed countries in financial support mode based on government policies,financial institutions,main players in the market,can provide useful inspiration for China's cultural creative industries in the construction and improvement of the system of financial support.


The authors report a case of congenital Leber's amaurosis on alternate convergent strabismus, left eye fixator discovered in a late stage in an 8-year-old male child at the University Clinics of Lubumbashi. This observation draws the attention of clinical researchers to the need of good early clinical assessment in the presence of retinal dystrophy in children.


The invention relates to a weed control composition containing triafamone and metamifop. The weight part ratio of the triafamone to the metamifop is (10 to 1)-(1 to 10), and the sum of the weight of the triafamone and the metamifop accounts for 1-80 percent of the weight of the composition. According to the weed control composition disclosed by the invention, the effect of controlling annual weeds in paddy fields is obviously improved compared with that of a single agent, the usage amount of pesticides is reduced, the adverse effect of the pesticides on the ecological environment is reduced, and the weed control composition has significance on comprehensive treatment of weed resistance and has huge economic benefits and social benefits.


Combining with working practice,this paper summaries the construction management experience in enhancing pavement reconstruction project from aspects of project legal person system administration,prevention for pavement horizontal cracks and vertical cracks,prevention of substandard horizontal slope,controlling for the displacement,stone retaining wall quality disease and foundation construction quality issues and so on,which has important meaning for guiding highway maintenance management.


5087 Background: To report early and late toxicity and biochemical outcome in a prospective series of 445 patients with intermediate- or high-risk clinically localized prostate cancer treated with ...


The effects of supercritical carbonation on fly ash (FA) separated according to particle size and raw cement powder were investigated. ASTM Class C fly ash containing a high content of CaO produced from a fluidized bed-type boiler and normal portland cement were used as raw materials. This type of FA is used to carbonate mortar under supercritical conditions for CO2 fixation because it cannot be recycled and simply reclaimed because the high CaO content may adversely affect environmental friendliness as a result of its volume expansibility. Specimens of various particle sizes of FA and cement (the particles were separated in steps that varied from as received to less than 45 µm in 4 steps), were prepared with distilled water, aged for 3, 7, and 28 days, and subsequently, carbonated in a supercritical CO2 atmosphere at 80 kgf/cm 2 pressure and at 40 o C for 60 min. As a result, an improvement in the mechanical properties of the specimens was expected because CaCO3 was produced in the specimens, which fills the cracks, leading to an enhancement in the mechanical strength. However, because the vacant sites were filled with the reaction products, the average particle size plays an important role in the final compressive strength of the specimen that was carbonated under the supercritical condition. This study investigates the relationship between the average particle size and the mechanical strength after carbonation.


The clearing of native forests for open cut mining for bauxite is a potential cause for severe modification of the hydrological cycle. In the Darling Range, Western Australia, jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata Sm.) woodlands are being cleared for mining and are being replaced with plantations of other eucalypts.

The plantation trees, which were up to 8 years old, showed no greater water stress than those of the original forest. The leaf area index of older plantation trees was usually higher than that of the original, mature forest. Transpiration rate was estimated on twigs enclosed briefly in a transpiration chamber. Prior test showed that this method was appropriate for comparisons in field grown eucalypts. Field measurements of stratified samples showed little difference in transpiration rate per unit leaf area between plantation forests and original forests. For the last 3 months of the dry season, however, transpiration per unit area of leaves was depressed by 25% in the plantation forest.


The corporate image is one of the most valuable resources for business sustainability. Considering a scenario of economic recession and greater demand for companies' social role, it is necessary to incorporate values of socioenvironmental responsibility. The purpose of this study is to analyze the use of social media by companies listed on the Corporate Sustainability Index (ISE, in portuguese), in order to verify the alignment between the message transmitted by these companies with the principles of corporate governance and corporate sustainability. Posts made during the period of one year on the main social networks (Facebook, Instagram and Youtube) of the 28 (twenty eight) companies that make up the ISE portfolio were analyzed. The results found indicate that Youtube is the channel where corporate responsibility messages are more frequent and have a higher volume of accesses. Regarding the engagement of companies listed on the ISE, companies in the financial sector stand out.


In this paper, we evaluate the suitable level of modeling for interconnects in deep sub-micron circuits. We propose high frequency models for transmission lines and crosstalk. Our method is based on the association of electromagnetic (EM) and electrical simulations. We validate the principle of this method by comparisons with time domain characterizations. In particular, we analyze the role of the ground configuration in the mechanisms of crosstalk.


There are two possible ways to conceptualize the relationship between equality and religious freedom. The first is that both equality and religious freedom are derivative of some single, conceptually prior Master Value, such as dignity or self-determination: Monism. The second is that equality and religious freedom are independent, irreducibly distinct rights: Pluralism. According to Monism, the Master Value's conceptual unity means its derivative values cannot conflict. Pluralism understands rights to be susceptible of intractable conflict because they are incommensurable.Though Monism may sound more attractive than Pluralism, the Essay identifies two difficult-to-satisfy prerequisites of Monism. First, each derivative value must be Fully Translatable to the Master Value. For if Full Translatability is not satisfied – that is to say, if a derivative value encompasses normative considerations not captured by the Master Value – then the Master Value alone cannot reliably determine how the derivative values should be reconciled or integrated, because exclusive reliance on the Master Value would omit normatively relevant considerations. Second, Monism is normatively attractive only if the Master Value also encompasses any and all normatively relevant political values not contained within the derivative constitutional values: the Exhaustiveness Requirement. The Exhaustiveness Requirement might be thought to be a null set – that only considerations of a constitutional status properly play a role in resolving conflicts among constitutional interests. But there are strong reasons to think otherwise: because constitutional jurisprudence in all liberal democracies allow some sub-constitutional considerations of sufficient importance to justify restrictions of constitutional rights, it almost certainly follows that some sub-constitutional considerations may play a normatively proper role in sorting out conflicts among constitutional rights.The difficulty of satisfying the Full Translatability and Exhaustiveness requirements must count as strong evidence in favor of Pluralism. The Essay then argues that Pluralism's world of intractable conflict among rights is not as problematic as it may sound at first. Although resolving such conflicts is not a matter of cold logic, conceptual intractability does not rule out the possibility of there being principled, consistent resolutions. The Essay then provides substantial guidance as to how rights-conflicts are best approached. Building on the work of Robert Alexy, the Essay argues there is no a priori ordinal or cardinal ranking of constitutional rights; religious freedom will not always trump equality, nor will equality always trump religious freedom. Rather, the strength of each right will be a function of facts – context matters. But the Essay also identifies an important deficiency of Alexy's metaphor that rights-conflicts are resolved through a process of balancing, and proposes an alternative conceptualization for resolving rights-conflicts that it calls orchestration. Orchestration captures the subjective, identity-reflecting and identify-informing process of resolving rights-conflicts better than does the metaphor of balancing. Determining how the array of rights is to be orchestrated is best understood as being continuous with, rather than subsequent to, the process of constitutional decisionmaking. The conclusion that conflict-resolution is both identity-reflecting and identity-forming raises important questions as to what institution appropriately participate in determining how conflicts are to be resolved. That conflict-resolution is identity-reflecting and identity-determining also suggests there is a range of permissibility among which liberal democracies may select, rather than a single resolution to rights-conflicts that is correct for all liberal countries.


In this study, the genetic diversity and differentiation of seven natural populations of Humulus lupulus in Xinjiang are analyzed with the method of RAPD. Through the amplification with 12 random primers, 121 repeatable loci were detected, in which 119 were polymorphic, and the proportion of polymorphic loci was 98.35%. The proportions of genetic differentiation in the community, estimated by Shannon's phenotypic diversity index and Nei genetic index, were 63. 55% and 65. 65% respectively, which reveals that most of the variation of H. lupulus in Xinjiang occurs among different populations. Based on the above results, it is considered that the genetic diversity of the natural populations of H. lupulus in Xinjiang is high, and certain differentiation occurs among the populations. The gene flow of H. lupulus is 1.003 7, which suggests that the relatively limited gene flow might be one of the important factors affecting the genetic structure of the species. It was found that human disturbances, especially the land reclamation, road construction and deforestation, have resulted in fragmentation of the habitats of H. lupulus in Xinjiang. Such fragmentation of the habitats of H. lupulus directly results in the reduction of suitable habitats in both quantity and area. However, the measures of conserving H. lupulus resources have not be implemented yet, and the distribution area of H. lupulus will be sharply reduced if the habitats of H. lupulus are continuously destroyed. Therefore, it is urgent and necessary to conserve the H. lupulus resources in Xinjiang.


A random Q-switched Erbium fiber laser is obtained with an average repetition rate to several kilohertz, and its output spectrum can be easily flipped from 1535 to 1550 nm by a fiber loop mirror.


In this paper, a carbon nanotube-based charge-controlled speed-regulating nanoclutch (CNT-CC-SRNC), composed of an inner carbon nanotube (CNT), an outer CNT, and the water confined between the two CNT walls, is proposed by utilizing electrowetting-induced improvement of the friction at the interfaces between water and CNT walls. As the inner CNT is the driving axle, molecular dynamics simulation results demonstrate that CNT-CC-SRNC is in the disengaged state for the uncharged CNTs, whereas water confined in the two charged CNT walls can transmit the torque from the inner tube to the outer tube. Importantly, the proposed CNT-CC-SRNC can perform stepless speed-regulating function through changing the magnitude of the charge assigned on CNT atoms.


The electrodeless discharge lamps (EDLs) have been found to be suitable sources of UV/vis light for photochemical reactions. The EDL usually consists of a glass tube (quartz or Pyrex) filled under a reduced pressure with argon and an excitable substance (e.g. Hg, HgI2, Cd, I2, KI, P, Se, S), and generates UV/vis radiation when placed into the microwave field. The utilization of other filling material than mercury is practical and environmentally safe in the EDL performance. The original equipment for easy preparation of EDLs has been described in detail.


The scarce transmission capacity both in lo- cal and regional markets should be allocated to the agents that bid for it based on the application of a coordinated market-based method. Defining Single Prices Areas (SPAs) is central to the implementation of any zonal con- gestion management scheme. If accurate enough SPAs cannot be defined, we would have to resort to computing a single energy price for the whole system or, alternatively, implementing a system of nodal energy prices. This article presents a novel method for the computa- tion of single price areas that is based on the impact that transactions between grid nodes have on the flows of the lines in the system that are likely to get congested. Trans- actions within a SPA should have a negligible impact on the flows of these lines whereas transactions taking place between two or more different areas should significantly affect these flows. Nodes have been classified into areas using different clustering techniques. Following the description of the method, we provide the results corresponding to its application to the definition of SPAs both in the Iberian Peninsula and in the system comprised of France, Spain and Portugal. Finally, we outline the characteristics of an improved version of the method presented here which is aimed at reducing the error committed when computing a zonal instead of a nodal dispatch.


uma descrição completa, prática e intuitiva do comportamento dinâmico do sistema. obtidas a casos Abstract —The dynamic nature of a random process can be characterized by means of second-order statistics. For a wide Gaussian class of fading models covering various physical aspects of the wireless channel, the exact analysis of these statistics yields intricate expressions, which have been explored on a case-by- case basis for particular scenarios. In this work, we provide a general asymptotic analysis of second-order statistics at high signal-to-noise ratio regime for the various referred Gaussian-class fading models. The proposed framework leads to simple, unified, and closed-form expressions that characterize the impact of each physical aspect of fading on the channel. In this way, our results provide a complete, practical, and intuitive description of the system's dynamic behavior. The asymptotic expressions obtained are thoroughly validated, both by reducing them to known particular cases and via Monte Carlo simulations.


Copper in recycling material is accompanied by various groups of metals: (1) Metals which are much more negative than copper, such as Fe, Al, Si, P, Be. They are mainly removed by fire refining during the recovery of copper and leave the process in form of slag. (2) Metals which are more positive than copper or difficult to separate by fire refining and which are partly reduced together with the copper. These metals are for example As, Sb, Ni, Ag, Pb, Zn, Sn. They are enriched in intermediate products and recovered from these or remain for their major part in the fire-refined copper and can be separated by electrolytic refining and recovered from the electrolyte or anode slime. This report describes the process of Huettenwerke Kayser AG in Germany and illustrates how considerable returns of material are partly required to separate or recover associated metals. They are finally removed in saleable products.


Synthesis and Properties of Novel Alkali Metal Alkoxo- and Aroxocobaltates(II).

By reaction of CoBr2 or CoBr2 · 2THF with 4–5 moles of MOR in THF, M Li, Na, K, R = iso-propyl (iPr), phenyl (Ph), 2-naphthyl (2-Naph), the following novel alkali metal alkoxo- and aroxocobaltates(II) have been prepared.

Li2Co(OiPr)4 · LiBr · 3THF (1), Na2Co(OiPr)4 · THF (2), KCo(OiPr)3 · THF (3), Li2Co(OPh)4 · 4THF (4), Na2Co(OPh)4 · 5THF (5), K2Co(OPh)4·0,75THF (6), Li2Co(O-2-Naph)4 · 4THF (7), Na2Co(O-2-Naph)4 · 5THF (8), K2Co(O-2-Naph)4 · 2THF (9), and K3Co(O-2-Naph)5 · 2THF (10).

The blue and violet, crystalline and very air-sensitive (i.e. protolytically sensitive) compounds, some with good solubilities in organic solvents, eliminate THF in vacuo at temperatures between 50 and 100°C to yield the corresponding THF-free compounds (1a) to (10a).

Electronic spectra (VIS/NIR) and the results of magnetic measurements at 293 K point to preferred (but not exclusive) tetrahedral coordination of cobalt(II).


We make use of local operations with two ancilla bits to deterministically distinguish all the four Bell states, without affecting the quantum channel containing these Bell states.


The purpose of this study was to describe the ultrastructural features of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) axonal processes in the median eminence of the monkey, using a post‐embedding immunogold labelling procedure. Evidence was also sought to evaluate the view that release of this peptide may be governed by direct inputs to GnRH axons in the median eminence. Plastic embedding was used to preserve ultrastructure, and a polyclonal rabbit anti‐GnRH was used as primary antibody. Immunogold labelling with 15‐nm particles was almost exclusively found overlying dense core vesicles (dcvs) and preabsorption of the primary antibody with synthetic GnRH eliminated this labelling. Morphometric analysis was performed on tissue from two monkeys. Four types of profiles containing GnRH immunoactive dcvs were observed. Type I profiles were morphologically unremarkable with a cross sectional area of approximately 0.6 μm2 and probably represent intervaricose axon segments. Type II profiles, which were nominally larger than Type I structures, were characterized by a high density of round microvesicles, which were frequently concentrated along the neuronal membrane to form 'synaptoid' contacts with adjacent glia. Two additional and large GnRH profiles (>5 μm2) were observed. One (Type III) contained a high density of dcvs and mitochondria, and was considered analogous to an axonal swelling or Herring body in the magnocellular hypothalamo‐neurohypophysial system. The Type IV structure, which was considered not to be a Herring body because of the relative low density of mitochondria was innervated by a classical symmetrical synapse. The functional significance of these observations is discussed.


The most striking aspect of human communication – and also the one that attracts most of the attention – is certainly language. Language is a complex, adaptive and multimodal communicative system requiring the convergence and integration of multiple mechan-isms (Fitch 2010; Levinson & Holler 2014). Several theories have been proposed to reconstruct the evolutionary pathways that led to this complex human trait, but a unifying framework is still lacking (Christiansen & Kirby 2003). In this volume, Meguerditchian (2022) contributes to the debate on the gestural origins of language by providing a review on baboons' manual and body gestures that have been shown to share key properties of language. Among these, Meguerditchian (2022) also focuses on later-alisation and hemispheric specialisation in the baboon brain. Concerning the neural basis of primate communication, Sliwa et al. (2022) present evidence that primates possess specialised neural pathways coordinating a diverse range of communication systems for organising their complex kin and friendship bonds.


Abstract Background When treating intracranial aneurysms with open microsurgery, rare cases arise in which an ipsilateral approach leads to poor visualization, lack of proximal control, or potential damage to nearby vital structures due to the anatomy of the aneurysm. Case Description We describe a patient with a small, unruptured aneurysm arising from the medial aspect of the distal supraclinoid internal carotid artery (ICA), just below the ICA bifurcation. A contralateral surgical approach was chosen because our view of the aneurysm from an ipsilateral approach would have been obstructed by the ICA. The contralateral approach provided excellent exposure of the aneurysm and allowed for precise clip placement without complications. Conclusions Contralateral approaches may be a good option for some small medially pointing aneurysm of large proximal cerebral arteries.


magazine or Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique. Women of colour, by contrast~ point to work such as This Bridge Called My Back and Making Face, Making Soul, landmark American anthologies of political writing by Black, Latina, Asian, and Native feminists. No single definition of feminism emerges from these accounts. Some women see feminism in conventional individual terms, as permission to have a career and experience the world, while others such as Pamela Dos Ramos insist that feminism must be about working together for the freedom of all women, not just the most privileged. Along the way, women talk about how their experience of motherhood, the body, housework, work, racism, violence, friendship/spirituality, family, and sexuality has forged their feminism. Bringing It Home is geared to a popular audience, and this is one of its strengths. It will appeal to readers new to feminism or those interested in the shaping of popular feminism. Those searching for more critical analytical essays they can use in the classroom or for popular education will be disappointed. The book's epigraph is from a recent essay by the American radical feminist Mary Daly, in which she speaks of the need for women to 'share our experiences' in order to chart future directions. However, as many activists and theorists in the women's movement have discovered, 'sharing our experiences/ while a central component of feminist practice, is simply not enough. The diversity of that experience and the material differences among women mean that such sharing provides no magic road to feminist strategy. We also need some analysis, as Canadian feminist theorists such as Dorothy Smith and Himani Bannerji have argued, about how our experience is produced and how it is linked with the structures of power in our society. (CYNTHIA WRIGHT)


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to investigate the variation of the corrosion resistance of Ni-Cr alloy in acid environment before and after coating titanium in vitro.

METHODS
1. Surface treatment using sol-gel technique of coating titanium. The steps were as follows: (1) Pre-treatment: sanding, washing and activation in order to remove the oxidative product; (2) The preparation of sol: some small charged particles produced by the hydrolytic reaction, and formed sol. These particles would congeal into extremely small ones (diameter usually is 5 microns); (3) Coating; (4) Heat treatment: The organism was resolved and volatilizeed at high temperature, and the atoms of Ti were left. These atoms of Ti were very active and could combine firmly with the atoms on the surface awaiting of treatment. 2.

CONDITIONS
artificial saliva; pH = 7.0 and pH = 5.6; temperature: 36.5 degrees C 3. Electrochemical test: polarization curve; instrument: ZF-3 poteniostat.

RESULTS
Before coating titanium, when pH was 7.0, the electrode potential of Ni-Cr alloy was -160 mV, and the self-corrosion current density was 0.262 microA cm-2; when pH = 5.6, the data were -182 mV and 0.352 microA cm-2, respectively. This result showed that when pH value reduced, the potential and current density descended, too. This indicated that the material was easy to be corroded. After coating titanium, when pH value was 7.0, the potential was -71 mV, the self-corrosion current density was 0.152 microA cm-2; when pH = 5.6, the data were -89 mV and 0.174 microA cm-2. This indicated that the corrosion rate of material descended evidently after coating titanium in acid environment.

CONCLUSION
(1) Not only before coating Ti but also after coating, the corrosion resistance of Ni-Cr alloy would descend in acid environment;(2) In acid environment, the corrosion resistance of Ni-Cr alloy after coating titanium was superior to that of the material before coating. So was in neutral environment.


As a hosting provider, One.com stands out in several ways. For one, they specifically cater to the individual user, as opposed to larger companies. They also seek to make themselves accessible to all users, including those who know next to nothing about creating a website. But even with this small-minded focus, the company has only grown over the years. Founded in 2002, One.com has quickly grown into an international web hosting company, but are they still keeping their customers happy?


RSAP [1] is a computer code for display and manipulation of neutron cross section data and selected SAMMY output. SAMMY [2] is a multilevel R-matrix code for fitting neutron time-of-flight cross-section data using Bayes' method. This users' guide provides documentation for the recently updated RSAP code (version 6). The code has been ported to the Linux platform, and several new features have been added, including the capability to read cross section data from ASCII pointwise ENDF files as well as double-precision PLT output from SAMMY. A number of bugs have been found and corrected, and the input formats have been improved. Input items are parsed so that items may be separated by spaces or commas.


This paper presents results of digital CMOS design for ultra-low power filter that uses logic cells operating at near-threshold voltage supplies. The cells were designed in 65 nm CMOS technology for ultra-low power. The hardware implementation of a pole-radius-varying Infinite Impulse Response (IIR) notch filter is addressed. Previous works have shown that digital design of pole-radius-varying (or Q factor-varying) IIR notch filters can suppress the transient effect. The proposed filter is synthesized using our custom 65 nm near-threshold voltage standard cells library. Comparisons from near-threshold operation to nominal voltages show large gains in energy-savings for this filter that make the logic architecture suitable for sub-nano-Joule per sample applications.


INTRODUCTION: In the fields of traumatology and orthopedics, staphylococci are the most frequently isolated pathogens. Notably Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis are known to be the major causative agents of the bone disease osteomyelitis. Once osteomyelitis has occurred in fractured bones, removal of implants is necessary followed by multiple debridements. In addition osseous infections can be reduced by the use of local and systemic antibiotics, but nevertheless, the clinical relevance of osteomyelitis remains an unsolved problem. Patients can have recurrent attacks of osteomyelitis after completion of treatment, even when causative organisms cannot be isolated. At worst the infection persists for decades with sporadic recurrence. For local release of antibiotics, currently foreign bodies like antibiotics loaded bone cements, antibiotics impregnated collagen sponges and polymethylmethacrylate beads are implanted and particular removed later on. The most widely applied agents in local delivery systems are aminoglycosides like gentamicin. Due to the fact S. aureus has the capability to avoid into the osteoblasts intracellular environment, a sufficient antibiotic treatment is getting difficult. This internalization may provide a reservoir of bacteria for recurring osteomyelitis. Aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of gentamicin versus rifampicin in a primary osteoblast infection model.


The invention belongs to the technical field of wireless communication technology and intelligent information process, in particular to a wireless location technology of a mobile station in a beehive mobile communication system. A wireless location method based on cluster-fusion is used for obtaining an optimized mobile station location result and comprises the following steps: S1, obtaining a position estimating value of the mobile station through at least one mobile station electric wave characteristic measuring value measured by a base station; S2, obtaining a cluster center from a plurality of groups of position estimating values through a particle swarm algorithm; and S3, fusing a plurality of cluster centers of the same mobile station, and outputting an optimized mobile station locating result after making a decision. The invention can locate a plurality of mobile stations, not only improve the location precision, but also greatly improve the efficiency of a location system.


This study describes the Lebak District Transportation Department every day always carry out levies retribution of the terminal on public transportation, it's just that the activity in income to the original income of the region lacks a big influence, this is based on several factors such as frequent menghamabat levy collection activities and the number of unsuccessful elements that are less responsible for the implementation of these charges, so the target. The purpose of this researcher is (1) To mengetathui Terminal Retribution Contribution to the district service lebak to know the income of the Region (PAD), Lebak District (3) To Know how much Influence The Contribution of Terminal of Aweh On Local Own Revenue (PAD) of Lebak Regency.


We report the U‐Pb age distribution of detrital zircons collected from central and southern Appalachian foreland basin strata, which record changes of sediment provenance in response to the different phases of the Appalachian orogeny. Taconic clastic wedges have predominantly ca. 1080–1180 and ca. 1300–1500 Ma zircons, whereas Acadian clastic wedges contain abundant Paleozoic zircons and minor populations of 550–700 and 1900–2200 Ma zircons consistent with a Gondwanan affinity. Alleghanian clastic wedges contain large populations of ca. 980–1080 Ma and ca. 2700 Ma and older Archean zircons and fewer Paleozoic zircons than occur in the Acadian clastic wedges. The abundance of Paleozoic detrital zircons in Acadian clastic wedges indicates that the Acadian hinterland consisted of recycled material and Taconic‐aged plutons, which provided significant detritus to the Acadian foreland basin. The appearance of Pan‐African/Brasiliano‐ and Eburnean/Trans‐Amazonian‐aged zircons in Acadian clastic wedges suggests a Devonian accretion of the Carolina terrane. In contrast, the relative decrease in abundance of Paleozoic detrital zircons coupled with an increase of Archean and Grenville zircons in Alleghanian clastic wedges indicates the development of an orogenic hinterland consisting of deformed passive margin strata and Grenville basement. The younging‐upward age progression in Grenville province sources revealed in Taconic through Alleghanian successions suggest a reverse unroofing sequence that indicates at least two cycles of Grenville zircon recycling.


Based on analysis of the grinding shortcomings associated with brown emery wheel of the rollers skew tooth top-surface,a method was proposed,which used CBN grinding wheel in substitution for traditional brown emery wheel.The structural features and size structure of CBN grinding wheel were determined and a set of diamond wheel trimming device for the CBN grinding wheel was designed.An in-depth research on the CBN wheel′s dressing parameters was performed.Practical use indicates that CBN wheel grinding the top-surface of rollers skew tooth has made the grinding precision and surface quality greatly improved,no phenomenon of grinding burn.The endurance of CBN grinding wheel has been enhanced significantly and the life of it is more than 50 times of that of the brown emery wheel.


This paper presents some new eeciency results on the seemingly unrelated regression equations model. We consider a two equation seemingly unrelated regression model in which the equations have some common independent variables, and obtain the asymptotic eeciency of the ordinary least squares estimator of a parameter of interest relative to its feasible generalized least squares estimator. The small-sample relative eeciency of the ordinary least squares estimator and the seemingly unrelated unrestricted residuals estimator is also provided.


With an ever increasing number of networked devices used in mobile settings, or residing in homes, offices, and elsewhere, there is a plethora of potential computational infrastructure available for providing end users with new functionality and improved experiences for their interactions with the cyber physical world. The goal of our research is to permit end user applications to take advantage of dynamically available, local and remote computational infrastructure, without requiring applications to be explicitly rewritten and/or reconfigured for each scenario and with minimal end user intervention. Edge Cloud Composites (ECC) make possible the dynamic creation of virtual computational platforms that (i) can be composed from specific capabilities - competences - of participating devices, (ii) are guided by end user-centric abstractions capturing current user context and user intent, and (iii) use dynamic methods for device discovery and ECC maintenance. In contrast to datacenter clouds, ECC participants can include both virtualized and non-virtualized devices, and in addition, services running remotely, made possible by ECC's CIC abstractions, where C(ompetence) captures the functional capabilities of accessible devices and/or remote services, (I)ntent articulates end user desires, and (C)ontext describing the current operating environment. Concrete examples prototyped in this work include Android applications for distributed video playback, collaborative UI, and a distributed augmented reality application. For all such applications, an ECC composed from available devices, and guided by ECC's CIC notions, obtains up to 86% performance improvements and reductions in energy consumption of up to 37% compared to running on a single device. A resultant advantage in using ECCs to run applications is the ability to avoid the unpredictable latency variations seen in device-remote cloud interactions.


Pilot scale experiments have been conducted to investigate the use of aerobic thermophilic pretreatment (ATP) of mixed (waste activated and primary) sludge before mesophilic anaerobic digestion to meet Class A sludge pathogen control requirements. The ability of ATP to control Nocardia present in the waste activated sludge, and hence prevent foaming in the subsequent anaerobic digestion, was also investigated. Aerobic thermophilic pretreatment of mixed sludge before anaerobic digestion was able to produce sludge that can meet the following Class A pathogen reduction requirements : fecal coliform density 38% volatile solids reduction). ATP was able to control Nocardia to below detectable levels, whereas the Nocardia levels in the control anaerobic digester were ≥10 5 intersections/g VSS when both were fed mixed sludge containing Nocardia filament counts in excess of 10 5 intersections/g VSS. The ATP system was also able to produce higher volatile solids (VS) reduction, higher methane content in sludge gas, and lower sludge supernatant COD when compared with those achieved in the control anaerobic digester.


In this paper, we improve the lattice Boltzmann pore‐scale model for multicomponent reactive transport in porous media developed in a previous study. Instead of applying a thermal boundary condition to solute transport, we rigorously derive the distribution function boundary condition for the total solute concentration. This is achieved first by correcting an expression of the particle distribution function in terms of the corresponding concentration and its gradient and then by deriving and using the relation that the nonequilibrium portion of the distribution function in opposite directions takes on opposite signs. We implement the new boundary condition in both the two‐dimensional nine‐speed (D2Q9) and four‐speed (D2Q4) lattices. Simulations of reactive transport in various chemical and geometrical systems using different models are carried out, and results are compared to analytic expressions or two‐dimensional FLOTRAN simulations. It is found that with this new boundary condition, the solute mass is strictly conserved by heterogeneous reactions, as was not the case using the thermal boundary condition. It is also found that compared with the D2Q9 model, the D2Q4 model has comparable accuracy and better computational efficiency.


In two separate experiments plastic silos were left opened to air for 3 days and then sealed. The composition of the resultant silages was compared with silages made in silos sealed immediately after filling. In the first experiment Lolium multiflorum of high water soluble carbohydrate (w.s.c.) content (27.3%) and low crude protein (c.p.) content (10.7%) was used and although variations in composition between the inside and outside layers of the "unsealed" silage occurred, both treatments produced well-preserved silage. In a second experiment using a later cut of similar grass but of low w.s.c. content (10.8%) and high c.p. content (23%), delayed sealing resulted in silages of high pH value with relatively high butyric acid and volatile N contents and low lactic acid levels. Dry matter losses during ensiling were also high in these aerated silages.


The paper investigates the relative impact of human capital development on economic rejuvenation and growth in Nigeria form 1981 to 2010, using the bounds testing approach to cointegration. The study utilized a combined proxy of education and health to capture the influence of human capital on growing and consequently rejuvenating an economy. Fixed capital and human capital were found to be positively associated with economic growth in both the short and long run, while Granger-causing economic growth in the period of study, implying the imperatives of using them to rejuvenate an economy. The stability of the coefficients of the estimated model is confirmed by the CUSUM and CUSUMSQ tests. The paper showed that for Nigeria's economic rejuvenation and long-term stable growth, emphasis should be placed on deliberately developing the country's vast human resources.


A 4-day-old, Charolais x Brangus, intersex calf born cotwin with a normal bull calf was donated for necropsy. External examination revealed a distended abdomen. A urethral opening resembling a prepucial orifice was positioned 20 cm below the anus just caudal to the rear teats. A fold of skin representing a primitive scrotal sac hung from each inguinal canal (Fig. 1). Testicles were not palpable; however, small (0.6 x 0.5 x 0.3 cm) testicles, each with an identifiable epididymis, were found in the inguinal canal. Approximately 4 liters of urine were in the peritoneal cavity, and a distended urinary bladder contained approximately 3 liters of urine. The urethra was patent to a point 3 cm proximal to the external urethral opening. There was a white coagulum of debris in the cul-de-sac where the urethra ended. Hemorrhage and edema of the muscular wall of the urethra 5 cm from the neck of the bladder marked where urine leaked into the abdomen from the urethra. Small ampullae and seminal vesicles were present. In the genital fold, two strands oftissue representing paramesonephric duct remnants extended from the neck of the bladder to a point just caudal to the kidneys (Fig. 2). Analysis of urine taken from the abdomen revealed an 1 1.4 mdd l creatinine concentration. A blood chemistry panel done on blood taken from the heart at necropsy indicated a serum urea nitrogen (SUN) level of 117 and a creatinine concentration of 4.0 mg/dl. Histologic examination of the urogenital system demonstrated dissecting hemorrhage and edema at the point of urethral rupture. At the end of the pelvic urethra, located between the urethra and the skin, a separate canal lined by a stratified squamous epithelium (a developing phallic urethra) was observed (Fig. 3). In sections distal to the cul-desac of the urethra, connected to the urinary bladder, the phallic urethra became separated from the surrounding tissues by a stratified squamous epithelial lining as a prepucial vault developed (Fig. 4). The testicles had well-developed seminiferous cords lined by cells resembling Sertoli cells but lacked germinal epithelium. The epididymides, ampullae, and seminal vesicles were hypoplastic. Rudimentary glands


The polarization relaxation phenomena in the uniaxial ferroelectric TGS have been studied by the observation of the angular dependence of the Brillouin scattering spectra. Both the frequency shift and the full width of the Brillouin satellite show remarkable anisotropic anomalies most strongly at 44.94°C below the transition temperature T c =48.86°C. The experimental result is successfully interpreted from the viewpoint of the depolarization effect on the polarization fluctuation. The effect is characterized by the anisotropic relaxation time with only two parameters ; a relaxation time τ 0 for a transverse polarization fluctuation and a generalized Lorentz factor L . The values τ 0 =(0.93±0.09)×10 -11 sec and L ≃0.41 give a good description of the experimental result.


Since investigating something is trying to find out the facts about the truth, criminal investigation is a set of certain procedures for a committed crime in order to: (1) identify the unknown perpetrator; (2) and know how innocence or convicted is a known perpetrator by using legal means used by the investigator to find out the facts about the incident being investigated and keeping away from the illegal means that make the accused confess committing a crime s/he has not really committed. Therefore, this study has been conducted to identify the method of investigation adopted by Imam Ali before making judgments on criminal cases, after the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) prayed for Imam Ali when he sent him to Yemen as a judge and gave him instructions needed for investigation so that he could make accurate judgments. The study findings were as follows: (1) Imam Ali has carried out investigation procedures including laboratory work and interrogation publicly before the adversaries and others; (2) though Imam Ali followed the rule of openness in the investigation procedures, investigation procedures were not completely open as he legislated the rule of conducting investigation with the absence of some of the adversaries and then announced the results of the interrogated; (3) Imam Ali is considered the first one to achieve the guaranty of  investigation codification; (4) Imam Ali is considered the first to separate people under investigation whether they were witnesses or accused, and the first one who separated between the adversary from his witnesses; (5) Imam Ali used the means of preaching the accused under investigation; (6) Imam Ali used suggestion with the accused in order to persuade the accused to tell the truth and then ascertain the veracity of his saying; and (7) Imam Ali used the menace means with the accused under investigation if s/he is determined to deny the truth despite the evidence against the accused, but he did not use this means in case there is no evidence.


PurposeThis study examines the forecasting performance of the professional analysts participating in the Blue Chip Economic Indicators Survey using an alternative methodological research design.Design/methodology/approachThis work employs two methodologies, namely a panel specification, with the cross-section being the forecast horizon (from 1-month to 18-months ahead forecasts) and the time period being the time that the forecast was made and a quantile regression technique, which evaluates the hidden nonmonotonic relations between the forecasts and the target variables being forecasted.FindingsThe empirical findings of this study show that survey-based forecasts of certain key macroeconomic variables are generally biased but still efficient predictors of target variables. In particular, we find that survey participants are more efficient in predicting long-term interest rates in the long-run and short-term interest rates in the short run, while the predictability of medium-term interest rates is the least accurate. Finally, our empirical analysis suggests that currency fluctuations are very hard to predict in the short run, while we show that survey-based forecasts are among the most accurate predictors of GDP deflator and growth.Practical implicationsEvaluating the accuracy of economic forecasts is critical since market participants and policymakers utilize such data (as one of several inputs) for making investment, financial and policy decisions. Therefore, the quality of a decision depends, in part, on the quality of the forecast. Our empirical results should have immediate implications for asset pricing models that use interest rates and inflation forecasts as variables.Originality/valueThe present study marks a methodological departure from existing empirical attempts as it proposes a simpler yet powerful approach in order to investigate the efficiency of professional forecasts. The employed empirical specifications enable market participants to investigate the information content of forecasts over different forecast horizons and the temporal evolution of forecast quality.


As with many people, my career path retraces my own childhood. I was one of those squirmy kids in school. My interests bounced around; I got good grades in the subjects I liked, lousy ones in things I didn't. I had trouble sitting still; lived for recess and arts classes. In high school, I arrived before 7 a.m. for choir rehearsal and stayed most nights until at least 8 p.m., after whatever team practice or play rehearsal I was involved in ended. I was editor of the school newspaper and started an underground film series. Thankfully my mother didn't pull me out of those activities because of my dismal grade point average—perhaps she knew that was why I was even a little interested in school. My success in "extra"curricular activities didn't impress my teachers, however. The theme running through all of my report cards was: "Barry has a lot of potential but is not self-motivated. He always needs to be pushed." Even then that seemed ironic.


Abstract. Seasonal patterns in photosynthetic temperature acclimation and growth were investigated in the sedge, Carex eleocharis Bailey, a species which has demonstrated a marked capacity for shifts in the photosynthetic temperature optimum in previous growth chamber studies. The seasonal production of new leaves was 90% complete by the earliest study date, June 3. Shifts in the photosynthetic temperature optimum of 10°C (from 15 to 25°C) were observed during the months of June and July. These results indicate that in situ acclimatory adjustments in C. eleocharis occur in existing leaf tissue, rather than new leaves which are produced as the season progresses. Despite the 10°C increase in the temperature optimum, mean mid-day leaf temperatures were higher than the optimum throughout the summer. A broad temperature response appeared to be more important than the acclimation adjustments in maintaining near-maximum photosynthesis rates during the mid-day period. Seasonal shifts in the photosynthetic temperature optimum were not as great as those previously observed in growth chamber studies. This discrepancy arises because of the capacity for growth chamber grown plants to produce new leaves with temperature response characteristics closely tuned to the growth temperature regime. In field-grown plants the production of 90% of the leaves during the cool portion of the season places limitations on the potential for acclimation to the warmer midsummer temperatures.