This article discusses how researchers at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) are using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to address public health and safety concerns. CFD, a numerical prediction tool used to simulate fluids, can aid in the design and engineering process by providing insight without the need to physically build or observe a system. Here we present two applications in the public health domain. The first application models and predicts the spread of aerosols in operating rooms in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The insight derived from this modeling will enable the design of next-generation operating rooms that offer better control of airborne contaminants. The second application focuses on modeling and evaluating the impacts of hurricanes by integrating numerical weather prediction and damage prediction modeling tools. The insight gained from these hurricane simulations enables evaluation of the potential risks and benefits of hurricane modification technology and a greater understanding of the threat of severe storms as a consequence of climate change. From hospitals to hurricanes, the modeling and simulation of fluids can enable insights to inform public health and safety.


The paper makes a preliminary assessment of the Bank's involvement with agricultural knowledge systems in the East and Central Asia (ECA) Region and in each country specifically, and treats agricultural research and extension as components of these systems. Where information is available, it has been presented in a country profile. While conditions vary in each country, agricultural knowledge systems in ECA countries have the following general characteristics: emphasis on basic science over applied research, emphasis on output quotas over efficient production, large production units, high quality of scientists and research, lack of 'client orientation,' professional isolation, public-sector dominance, financial unsustainability, and crisis management. In Group I countries, the Bank has provided support to new private agricultural enterprises to assist them in qualifying for Bank subloans. In Group II countries, the Bank provides institution building support for agriculture ministries and academics responsible for providing public sector support services. In Group III countries, the Bank is concentrating on policy and structural adjustments, irrigation, and other broad areas, and will explore the research, education, and extension needs of the countries. In Group IV countries, the Bank provides supports to strengthen public and private capabilities in extension.


Abstract : A technology assessment of expert systems as they might be used in Navy utility operations is presented. The report covers hardware and software descriptions and presents applications where computer expert systems can be useful. Some of these applications include design, fault diagnoses, training, data base management, and real-time monitoring. An assessment is given of each application. A description is given of what an expert system is and how it works.


We have examined a possibility to use an AlxIn1-x P layer as an active region of a 650-nm semiconductor laser. Encouraging results have been obtained with compressively strained oxide-stripe AlInP-AlGaInP quantum-well lasers, which operated in continuous-wave mode at room temperature, producing an optical power of 460 and 320 mW per uncoated facet at 10 degC and 20 degC, respectively. In pulsed mode, a power level of 780 mW/facet was achieved at 2-A drive current at 5 degC. The results indicate that wide-bandgap AlInP affords an opportunity to develop lasers for the wavelengths 600leslambdales650 nm, which is difficult to achieve by any semiconductor heterostructure


This article is an excerpt from a longer work in progress, tentatively titled "Decoding and Recoding Natural Monopoly Theory in the Intellectual Property Debate."


Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) have potential applications in cell replacement therapy and regenerative medicine. However, limited information is available regarding the immunologic features of iPSCs. In this study, expression of MHC and T cell co-stimulatory molecules in hiPSCs, and the effects on activation, proliferation and cytokine production in allogeneic human peripheral blood mononuclear cells were examined. We found that no-integrate hiPSCs had no MHC-II and T cell co-stimulatory molecules expressions but had moderate level of MHC-I and HLA-G expressions. In contrast to human skin fibroblasts (HSFs) which significantly induced allogeneic T cell activation and proliferation, hiPSCs failed to induce allogeneic CD45 lymphocyte and CD8 T cell activation and proliferation but could induce a low level of allogeneic CD4 T cell proliferation. Unlike HSFs which induced allogeneic lymphocytes to produce high levels of IFN-c, TNF-a and IL-17, hiPSCs only induced allogeneic lymphocytes to produce IL-2 and IL-10, and promote IL-10-secreting regulatory Tcell (Treg) generation. Our study suggests that the integration-free hiPSCs had low or negligible immunogenicity, which may result from their induction of IL-10-secreting Treg. OPEN ACCESS Citation: Lu Q, Yu M, Shen C, Chen X, Feng T, et al. (2014) Negligible Immunogenicity of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Derived from Human Skin Fibroblasts. PLoS ONE 9(12): e114949. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0114949 Editor: Guangwei Liu, Department of Immunology, China Received: July 14, 2014 Accepted: November 16, 2014 Published: December 11, 2014 Copyright: 2014 Lu et al. This is an openaccess article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Data Availability: The authors confirm that all data underlying the findings are fully available without restriction. All relevant data are within the paper. Funding: This work was supported in part by the grants from National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and the Research Grants Council (RGC) of Hong Kong Joint Research Scheme (N_HKU 747/11), National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81170606), and Doctoral Fund of Ministry of Education of China (No. 20120181110087). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0114949 December 11, 2014 1 / 15


Extensive work is now in progress around the world to create a more stable financial system. An important part of this work is to tighten the requirements on the banks' capital adequacy. There is abundant research on optimal capital levels from the micro perspective, but few studies try to estimate an appropriate capital ratio from a societal perspective. This report seeks to fill this gap by using several different approaches to calculate the socially appropriate capital ratio for Swedish banks. The approach is based on weighing the benefits of higher capital ratios against the costs. The calculations of costs and benefits are based on methods and models from the relevant literature that have been adjusted to Swedish conditions as far as possible. However, estimating appropriate capital ratios is very complex and requires a number of assumptions regarding the advantages and disadvantages of higher capital ratios. Rather than resulting in a single figure, the calculations indicate that the socially-appropriate capital ratio for the Swedish banks is somewhere in the interval of 10 to 17 per cent of risk-weighted assets. One conclusion is that the higher capital adequacy requirements of the international Basel III Accord appear too low for the Swedish banks. According to Basel III, the lowest permitted capital ratio is seven per cent of risk-weighted assets. This is much lower than the 10 to 17 per cent concluded from the calculations in this report.


Abstract Infantile pneumonia (IP) is an acute lower respiratory infection that imposes a heavy burden on children's health. Increasing evidence has demonstrated that long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) LINC00707 participates in the regulation of the pneumonia process. Cell proliferative ability and apoptosis were measured using Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU), and flow cytometry assays. Bcl-2 related X protein (Bax), NF-kB activating protein (NKAP), p-P65, P65, p-IκBα, and IκBα protein levels were detected using western blot assay. The binding between miR-382-5p and LINC00707 or NKAP was predicted by starBase v2.0 and then verified by a dual-luciferase reporter and RNA Immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays. LINC00707 and NKAP levels were increased, and miR-382-5p was decreased in LPS-stimulated WI-38 cells. Furthermore, the silencing of LINC00707 could abrogate LPS-engendered WI-38 cell proliferation, apoptosis, and oxidative stress. LINC00707 deficiency could relieve LPS-triggered WI-38 cell damage by regulating the miR-382-5p/NKAP axis, providing a new therapeutic strategy for IP treatment.


A statistical study of all patients in the aeromedical system who entered Travis Air Force Base during a six-month period reveals the percentage of psychiatric patients (by individual military service) and also the percentage of patients with psychoses, neuroses, and character disorders. Studies during World War II and the Korean War are utilized to assess the effectiveness of present-day preventive psychiatric practices in the military. The author also discusses the effect of the Vietnamese war on psychiatric patients at David Grant USAF Hospital.


Quantum Hall effect wavefunctions corresponding to the filling factors 1/2p+1, 2/2p+1,..., 2p/2p+1, 1, are shown to form a basis of irreducible cyclic representation of the quantum algebra U_q(sl(2)) at q^{2p+1}=1. Thus, the wavefunctions \Psi_{P/Q} possessing filling factors P/Q<1 where Q is odd and P, Q are relatively prime integers are classified in terms of U_q(sl(2)). Adopted as dynamical symmetry this leads to non--existence of a ``universal microscopic theory" of the quantum Hall effect, defined as the eigenvalue problem of a differential operator O: O \Psi_\nu =\ell_\nu \Psi_\nu. for \nu =1,1/3,2/3,..., in the complex plane.


Unmanned systems are transforming how the military performs its missions. Many existing program-of-record platforms were designed as multimission general-purpose systems—which can drive up costs and limit aspects of performance. High vehicle cost, slow payload integration cycles, and limitations on vehicle dynamics preclude the use of these platforms for many missions. Advances in 3-D printing and COTS hardware—along with open-source software—offer a solution to deliver cost-effective systems that meet performance requirements through an integrated rapid development process. This process uses the entire vehicle design trade space (cost, range, payload, endurance, autonomy, etc.) to develop customizable systems for specific missions. Current commercial systems offer single static point solutions ill equipped to perform many challenging missions. These advances have the potential to significantly open the aperture of what is possible with unmanned systems—and do it in a way that rapidly turns operator requirements into deployed capabilities. essary to use the system effectively. Permitted flight envelopes are very conservative, and operation with aggressive maneuvers, in dangerous locations, or in proximity to the ground is avoided to reduce risk to the unmanned asset. One might assume that unmanned systems are routinely used in high-risk missions because a pilot's life is not at risk, but in reality, operators of program-of-record unmanned systems are very averse to risk because of the expense of the asset and the adverse impact on perceived system reliability that may result from the loss of a vehicle. INTRODUCTION Limitations of Current Unmanned Systems Currently fielded program-of-record unmanned systems are designed to perform a variety of missions and carry payloads designed to fit only the target platform. While many missions are well served by the current model, this approach has several limitations that inhibit the use of unmanned systems for numerous mission sets. Typically, program-of-record unmanned systems are teleoperated, possessing no real autonomy beyond following planned waypoints. They require at least one operator per vehicle, and in many cases an entire support team is necIntegrated Rapid Development for Unmanned Systems Johns Hopkins APL Technical Digest, Volume 33, Number 4 (2017), www.jhuapl.edu/techdigest 269 A plethora of missions could be accomplished by low-cost, essentially disposable, unmanned systems with autonomous capability, but the current paradigm of unmanned system development and use does not support these kinds of systems. This article presents a new set of capabilities and a development philosophy that reinvents the creation and use of unmanned systems. By rapidly customizing unmanned systems around a specific mission or payload at low cost, a new range of mission sets becomes possible. In addition, marinization of unmanned aerial systems (UASs) enables their operation in the ocean and in littoral areas, increasing the breadth of mission scenarios that can be supported. With large numbers of low-cost, highly capable unmanned vehicles, an asymmetric effect that may be used as a component of the Third Offset Strategy is within reach.1 The following section provides an overview of the enabling technologies and concepts used to reinvent unmanned system development. Reinventing Unmanned Systems The last 10 years have seen the emergence of several technologies that have caused an explosion in the real-world capabilities of unmanned systems, enabling the rapid customization of low-cost unmanned vehicles with complex, fully autonomous behaviors. Specifically, the following list outlines the pillars of the integrated rapid development process for unmanned systems, as presented in this article: • Using additive manufacturing (also known as 3-D printing) including a novel soluble tooling process • Leveraging COTS technology, including computing, flight hardware, autopilots, software, sensors, communications, structures, and coatings • Understanding and automating the performance trade space of COTS technology • Modifying open-source technologies (e.g., autopilot control software) to rapidly enhance standard capabilities • Developing algorithms for real-time sensor processing that leverage advancements in low-power, highly parallelized computing hardware targeted for mobile devices • Developing advanced, robust, deployable autonomous behaviors • Conducting modeling and simulation (M&S) for rapid design and validation of autonomy and control The following sections delve into more detail on each of these concepts, describing how capabilities now possible in each of these areas enable rapid fielding of robust customized autonomous unmanned systems. INTEGRATED RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF UNMANNED SYSTEMS Additive Manufacturing for Rapid Prototyping Additive manufacturing, often referred to as 3-D printing, is a collection of technologies that has revolutionized the way engineers look at fabrication of mechanical systems. It has been said that "complexity is free" when using additive manufacturing techniques. Although that may not be entirely true, the spirit behind the statement is accurate in that additive manufacturing provides the ability to make very complicated parts very quickly and at low cost. In many cases, geometries that would not be possible using other subtractive fabrication techniques— or would require multistep fabrication processes—may be produced in a single-step additive manufacturing process. The ability to rapidly fabricate components by using both thermoplastics and metal allows for functional, fieldable parts to be produced quickly, diminishing the reliance on economies of scale for production. In an extension of additive manufacturing, the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) has developed a means to construct molded and composite structures quickly and at low cost by using a novel soluble tooling process. This process uses additive manufacturing to create a form made of soluble plastic that can be wrapped in carbon fiber, fiberglass, or other composite fabric and then dissolved out to leave behind a lightweight hollow structure formed to the exact dimensions of the soluble tooling. The form may be made completely of soluble plastic or may contain a combination of soluble and nonsoluble structures. After dissolution, the nonsoluble structures remain, accurately positioned within the composite structure. Figure 1 shows the stages of this process for the fabrication of a small unmanned aircraft system designed to be submersible. In addition to enabling the fabrication of complex shapes at low cost, the use of additive manufacturing techniques enables a very short development cycle for engineering new platforms with novel capabilities. In one case, using this process, engineers were able to model, fabricate, assemble, and fly a completely new UAS in less time than it takes to order and assemble a COTS system. With shortened development cycles, the development of more complicated flight platforms, such as ones that are submersible or able to fly both as a fixed-wing airplane and a multirotor helicopter, can be shortened from months to weeks. Case studies showing real-world results of this process are presented for platforms that were realized using additive manufacturing techniques, shortened development cycles, and the novel soluble tooling process. Leveraging COTS Technology The use of low-cost COTS components enables rapid customization of unmanned systems for specific misA. S. Watkins et al. Johns Hopkins APL Technical Digest, Volume 33, Number 4 (2017), www.jhuapl.edu/techdigest 270 sions. The current boom in the consumer drone market has had the effect of drastically reducing the cost of both small UASs and their components, including motors, batteries, speed controllers, propellers, sensors, cameras, gimbals, autopilots, radios, computing hardware, materials, and coatings. Companies that produce low-cost drones have helped reduce the cost of ready-to-fly UASs by an order of magnitude from where it was only a few years ago. The growing marketplace has resulted in continual improvements in capability and lowered cost of key technologies. APL has leveraged this rapid advancement of COTS hardware to create highly capable autonomous platforms at low cost. In recent years, proprietary autopilots have been supplanted by equally capable open-source autopilots that are available at a fraction of the cost. Open-source autopilots currently on the market are capable of aircraft stabilization, Global Positioning System (GPS) waypoint navigation, and autonomous execution of preprogrammed missions. Such systems are continually integrated with the latest sensors, including laser altimeters and imagers. One of the primary drivers for the reduction in cost of COTS autopilots derives from the smartphone industry. These autopilots use the same gyroscopes and accelerometers found in today's smartphones, leveraging the performance advances and economies of scale derived from mass production. In addition to highly extensible COTS autopilots, a myriad of COTS flight-related hardware can be leveraged to quickly customize the design of a platform to optimize performance for a given mission's requirements. By understanding the trade space of these components and their impact on flight time, speed, payload capacity, acoustic signature, and other parameters, a wide array of system capabilities may be realized with COTS hardware. More details on understanding this complex trade space appear later in this article. One extremely important COTS technology leveraged in APL's integrated approach is high-performance computing solutions in packages with low size, weight, and power. Efficiently processing sensor data in real time, running complex control algorithms and autonomy, and managing communications and telemetry are all essential tasks for computing systems placed on board sma


3D model of whole flow field in a two-stage axial-flow fan used in collieries was established, and unstructured grid was used to discrete the computational domain. The inlet and outlet pressure served as the boundary conditions, and SIMPLE algorithm was combined with RNG κ-e turbulent model to conduct the numerical calculation of the flow field. In addition, finite element method was applied to analyze the vibration characteristics of the next-stage rotor, and the vibrative frequencies in various vibration modes were abstracted. Based on combined simulation results, the distribution laws of the pressure field of the impeller and the vibration characteristics at various vibrative frequencies were analyzed emphatically. The simulation results were of significance for the optimization design and noise control of the two-stage axial-flow fan.


This disclosure is directed to: (a) processes for preparing a compound and salts thereof that, inter alia, are useful for inhibiting hepatitis C virus (HCV); (b) intermediates useful for the preparation of the compound and salts; (c) pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compound or salts; and (d) methods of use of such compositions.


Mafic microgranular enclaves (MMEs) are a ubiquitous feature of post-collisional magmatism, receiving much attention among earth scientists over the last decades. While recent advances point to the large-scale involvement of the lithospheric mantle in granite petrogenesis, MMEs have received less attention in such discussion. Because MMEs are commonly acknowledged to represent the mafic end member with a mantle affinity that is related to early-stage batholith petrogenesis, they constitute a good proxy for the mantle role in the process. Using MME data from Los Pedroches batholith in southwestern Iberia, we conduct a geochemical comparative study between MMEs and the mafic-intermediate (sanukitoid) suite of post-collisional batholiths. An accurate overlap between the two groups is revealed, implying a potential genetic link between MMEs and the sanukitoid suite. Together with evidence from experimental cotectic liquids, the link between the high-Mg signature of post-collisional magmas and the predominance of amphibole in the studied MME samples is used to account for the composition of post-collisional magmatism. Implications for post-collisional batholith petrogenesis is then discussed in a qualitative manner, suggesting a heterogeneous yet common two-stage origin for all post-collisional magmatism in which the relationship between MMEs, sanukitoid, and the host felsic magmas is a differentiation process, thus representing a major input of juvenile magma into the crust.


Department of Electronics and Communications, Kwangwoon University, Seoul, Korea(Received : 2008. 7. 23., Accepted : 2008. 11. 18.)This paper described the extraction/purification of β-carotene from recombinant E.coli and evaluation of anti-wrinkle activity of purified β-carotene. No significant differences in extraction yields were observed when hexane or isobutyl acetate was used. However, extraction from wet-cell cake resulted in 2-fold higher amount of β-carotene than that from dry cells. Disruption of 5 g-wet cells by ultrasonic homogenizer, acetone dehydration, extraction with isobutyl acetate resulted in 36 mg of β-carotene corresponding to 61.2% of recovery. The formation and separation of β-carotene crystal improved the purity. 633 mg of β-carotene crystal with 93% purity was obtained from 223 g/L of wet-cell cake harvested from 2.5-L fed-batch culture broth. The cultures of normal human primary fibroblast were performed to investigate the effect of β-carotene on cytotoxicity as MTT assay and anti-wrinkle activity as collagen synthesis assays. 1.7 μM of β-carotene was found to be optimal concentration at which 1.4-fold higher amount of collagen was synthesized than that in absence of β-carotene. This indicates that highly purified β-carotene can be obtained from recombinant E.coli by applying simple method with less toxic solvent and can be used in functional cosmetics as anti-wrinkle agent. Key Words : Recombinant Escherichia coil, β-carotene, Extraction, Anti-wrinkle activity, Functional cosmetics


Based on the structure of convolutional neural network (CNN), a new method for judging the fault phase of double-circuit transmission lines on the same pole is proposed. The six independent CNN classifiers are used to judge the current of the six-phase line of the double-circuit transmission line of the same pole to judge whether the phase is faulty. Through simulation verification, the classifier can accurately identify the fault phase, with high accuracy and quick action, and is not affected by the fault location, fault initial angle and transition resistance.


This investigation was motivated by the need for radiometric calibration of the Landsat-5 Thematic Mapper (TM) thermal band (Band 6), covering its 25 years of operation. Through fusion of environmental data and physical modeling, a vicarious calibration approach was implemented. Results, which were demonstrated to agree with data from previous field campaigns, indicate the Landsat-5 thermal band has been calibrated to better than 1 K over the 24 years in orbit. The data indicate the sensor exhibits a small gain error (approximately constant over time) and a bias shift for all data post-1999. The lifetime calibration error can be reduced to 0.49 K, in reference to a 300 K blackbody, by a pair of linear corrections. This study established that the methodology presented can be implemented to achieve a very high level of radiometric integrity, applicable to both historic and current data from remote thermal infrared systems.


This study analyzes the functional relationship between the efficiency of Islamic Commercial Banks (BUS) and the implementation of good corporate governance (GCG) as a variable predictor. Using panel dataset of 6 BUS listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange during the 2014-2018 period, the fixed effect panel regression model was used to analyze the relationship between variables. This study proves that the simultaneous implementation of GCG consisting of the proportion of share ownership, size of board, and board composition have a significant effect on the efficiency of BUS. Partially, the proportion of share ownership and the boad composition have a positive and significant effect, on the other hand, the board size has no significant effect on the efficiency of BUS. Keywords: Efficiency of sharia commercial bank, implementation of GCG and panel regression


This paper deals with the problem of a camera calibration for a photogrammetry and computer vision purposes. Mathematic formulation of the 3D point representation in an external space and its transformation into 2D image space is exposed. The pinhole camera model is used for a problem simplification The camera calibration problem represents intrinsic and extrinsic parameters determination. The stereo correspondence problem is outlined also. Finally the designed special software (Recon3D) for 3D reconstruction is presented.


For the present invention nunhwajang of vinyl acetate group portion of the polymer, a vinyl pyrrolidone type polymer, or increasing the film-forming agent and a tanning effect or a mixture thereof containing a self-tanning agent to impart an excellent coloring effect on the skin at the same time to increase the persistence relates to compositions, it may further include a buffer solution of pH 4.0-5.0. Nunhwajang composition of the present invention has the advantage to minimize the blurring or cleared by sweat or water, excellent in water resistance and excellent in the persistence and tanning effect. Tanning film * * * weak acid buffer * nunhwajang


In this work the selective transport of silver(I) and copper(II) ions from aqueous nitrate(V) solutions by transport through polymer inclusion membrane (PIM) has been studied. The membrane consisted of cellulose triacatate (CTA) as the polymeric support, o-nitrophenyl pentyl ether (ONPPE) as the plasticizer and Cyanex 471X (triisobutylphosphine sulphide) as the ion carrier. Ag(I) ions were effectively removed from the source phase by transport through PIM into 0.01 M Na2S2O3 as the receiving phase. The influence of membrane composition on the transport of silver(I) ions has been evaluated.


Abstract Taxes are the main source of national revenue, with a portion of approximately 83% of the total sources of national revenue for the Republic of Indonesia. No one is really willing to pay taxes, especially because the taxpayers receive no direct counter compensation for spending their money to pay the tax. So it is necessary to enforce the criminal tax law so that taxpayers are obedient in fulfilling their tax obligations. Tax crime are regulated in the Act on General Provisions and Tax Procedures.


Data set used for a paper published in SOIL (2019) Short-range-order minerals as powerful factors explaining deep soil organic carbon stock distribution: the case of a coffee agroforestry plantation on Andosols in Costa Rica. Data comprised : Sheet 1 geographical coordinates, elevation of 72 soil profiles located in the watershed of the Aquiares Farm (1km2) ; Sheet 2: measured data for C content, C:N ratio, oxalate and sodium-pryphosphate extractable forms of Al, Fe and Si ; Sheet 3 : 4 replicates of measured bulk densities on 9 soil profiles; Sheet 4 : Mid infrared spectra of the 598 soil samples from the 72 soil profiles (a,b, c, d, e , f ,g, h are the soil depths; each 10cm from 0 to 200 cm deep). Sheet 5 : predicted values for C content, C stock, bulk densities and oxalate and sodium-pryphosphate extractable forms of Al, Fe and Si ; and belonging to measured and spectral cluster (see the paper in SOIL for explanation)


Glucosamine (GlcN)-induced insulin resistance is associated with an increase in O-linked-N-acetylglucosaminylated modified proteins (O-GlcNAcylated proteins). The role played by O-GlcNAc-selective-N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (O-GlcNAcase), which removes O-N-acetyl-glucosamine residues from O-GlcNAcylated proteins, has not yet been demonstrated. We investigated whether GlcN-induced whole-body insulin resistance is related to tissue O-GlcNAcase activity and mRNA expression. GlcN (30 µmol/kg/min) or physiological saline (control) was intravenously infused into Sprague-Dawley rats for 2 h. After GlcN treatment, rats were subjected to the following: intravenous glucose tolerance test, insulin tolerance test or removal of the liver, muscle and pancreas. GlcN was found to provoke hyperglycemia compared to control (8.6 ± 0.41 vs. 4.82 ± 0.17 mM, p < 0.001). The insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) increased (15.76 ± 1.47 vs. 10.14 ± 1.41, p < 0.001) and the β-cell function index (HOMA-β) diminished (182.69 ± 22.37 vs. 592.01 ± 103, p < 0.001). Liver glucose concentration was higher in the GlcN group than in the control group (0.37 ± 0.04 vs. 0.24 ± 0.038 mmol/g dry weight, p < 0.001). Insulin release index (insulin/glucose) was less in the GlcN group than in the control (2.2 ± 0.1 vs. 8 ± 0.8 at 120 min, p < 0.001). In the GlcN group, muscle O-GlcNAcase activity diminished (0.28 ± 0.019 vs. 0.36 ± 0.018 nmol of p-nitrophenyl/mg protein/min, p < 0.001), and Km increased (1.51 ± 0.11 vs. 1.12 ± 0.1 mM, p < 0.001) compared to the control. In the GlcN group, O-GlcNAcase activity/mRNA expression was altered (0.6 ± 0.07 vs. 1 ± 0.09 of control, p < 0.05). In conclusion, O-GlcNAcase activity is posttranslationally inhibited during GlcN-induced insulin resistance.


The finite-frequency shot noise of electron transport through a serially coupled double quantum dot system with Rashba spin-orbit coupling is studied based on an effective particle-number-resolved quantum master equation. We demonstrate that the finite-frequency shot noise displays an obvious dip, and the dip position, which is independent of the spin polarizations of the source and drain electrodes, is determined by the energy difference between the coherent singly-occupied eigenstates of the quantum dot system. These results suggest that the dip position of the finite-frequency shot noise can be used to quantitatively extract the information about the energy difference between the coherent singly-occupied eigenstates and the magnitude of Rashba spin-orbit coupling. The predicted properties of the finite-frequency shot noise are of particular interest for understanding of the internal dynamics of the coupled quantum dot systems.


Cultural studies construct and theorize those forces around which the whole human life revolves. A few indicators of culture that exist in society are literature, poetry, architecture, visual arts etc. It became a discipline from 1964 to onward. Cultural studies combine every aspect of society by relating social norms, customs, tradition, religion, language, food and arts with politics and economy. Sometimes tools of culture used by the power to meet the political ends. Indian culture is multi dimensional having various shades of religious identities like Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam. These identities played a vital role in the development of Indian culture. Indian culture has its own significant from ancient times. In the age of empire king Asoka patronized Buddhism as state religion and introduced a unique culture. The Mughal king Akbar (1556-1605) also made an effort. Akbar successfully involved every community of India and his neighboring countries in formation of the culture of his Empire. He used every method to crystallize a unified Indian culture which was highlighted by each historian of Medieval India. It is proven that the emergence of this culture through power but the existence of this was even today testifying its popularity among masses. Akbar also delayed the process of conflict through cultural synthesis at least for his generations. This paper highlights the dynamics of material culture in age of King Akbar. It explores the involvement of different communities in the culture making and they respect the cultural norms of each other. It identifies that cultural synthesis avoid conflict in traditional society like India.


An exception is an unusual condition which the main body of code has not been designed to handle. Exception handling is a technique that allows control to be transferred to an alternative block of code when an exception has been detected. We present a set of macros which supports exception handling in ANSI C. Source code using these macros needs no special pre-processing; the usual C pre-processor pass will suuce. Exceptions can be deened, thrown and caught with a uniform block-oriented syntax. Top-level handlers can be installed for exceptions that would otherwise not be caught. The package also includes a callback facility which can restore user-deened data structures when exceptions are thrown. Two application examples are presented: an error message handler and a scheme for translating signals into exceptions. Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this report provided the copyright notice and this permission notice are preserved on all copies.


N-((2-hydroxynaphthalen-1-yl)methylene)nicotinohydrazide ligand derived from the condensation reaction of 2-hydroxynaphthaldehyde and nicotinic hydrazide was obtained. New hydrazone metal complexes L2Fe, L2Co, L2Ni and L2Cu2 were synthesized from the reaction of N-((2-hydroxynaphthalen-1-yl)methylene)nicotinohydrazide ligand and Fe(II), Co(II), Ni(II) and Cu(II) acetate salts in a 2:1 stoichiometric ratio, respectively. The synthesized compounds were characterized by techniques such as FT-IR, NMR (ligand only), UV-Vis, elemental analysis, molar conductivity measurement, magnetic susceptibility. Magnetic susceptibility measurements were recorded as 5.96 BM, 1.03 BM, 1.08 BM and 1.61 BM for the L2Fe, L2Co L2Ni and L2Cu2 complexes, respectively. It has been determined that the L2Cu2, L2Ni and L2Co complexes have antiferromagnetic properties. The L2Fe, L2Co and L2Ni complexes have octahedral geometry, while the L2Cu2 complex has a square plane geometry. The molar conductivity values of the complexes are between 1.31-2.61 μS/cm and do not have conductivity properties.


This paper offers a historical overview of private antitrust enforcement in the United States and an explanation of why private case filings have increased and decreased over the years.


The biochemical components (protein, carbohydrate and lipid) including amino and fatty acids in a solitary ascidian Microcosmus exasperatus were analysed from Palk Bay region (southeast coast of India) in March 2009. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the nutritive value. Moisture, protein, carbohydrate, lipids and ash contents were 67.01±5.9%, 24.7±3.65%, 4.97±2.82%, 2.64±1.11% and 1.03±0.4% in dry weight, respectively. Among 18 essential and non essential amino acids, ten essential and seven non-essential amino acids were reported in ascidian muscle. In essential amino acids, leucine and in non-essential amino acids, tyrosin were recorded in maximum level. The saturated fatty acid (SAFA), monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) contents ranged from 0.131 to 1.612%, 1.304 to 1.546%, and 1.021 to 1.732% of total fatty acids, respectively.


The CKF initiative has identified certain hard-to-reach populations in order to focus its outreach programs most effectively. This report examines grantee efforts to reach out to these vulnerable populations.


a nervous and vascular cutaneous reaction attributable to the irritation of the contained salts, modified to a certain extent by the temperature of the water. The baths produce a reduction of the mean arterial pressure, and an equally marked rise in the venous blood pressure. This explains the feeling of lassitude and drowsiness which is frequent after a; warm sulphur bath, and is more marked than after an ordinary warm bath. The quickening or retarding of the pulse-rate seems to depend entirely on the temperature of the bath. The Moffat sulphur water originally came into note for its reputed curative effects in cases of rheumatism and strumous affections of the glands and joints. I need not say we have discarded all belief in the latter claim. I find I get my best results in gouty and rheumatic patients. Rheumatic affections of joints and lumbago and sciatica of rheumatic origin seldom fail to derive great benefit from the waters and baths. Holding as I do that gout is a toxaemia caused by some toxin formed in the liver or intestine, or both, and due to a faulty chemistry of digestion, I take it that gouty patients are bound to derive benefit from a course of the sulphur water, and in my experience they do. Certain cases of that puzzling affection, rheumatoid arthritis-with its obscure andI elusive etiology-obtain a considerable amount of relief. Nervous disorders, such as neuritis, sciatica, lumbago, are also greatly benefited. And in some toxic forms of neurasthenia I have seen excellent results follow a course of treatment. Certain renal and bladder affections show the most gratifying results. Here the diuretic action of the water is most manifest. Cases of abdominal plethora and engorged portal circulation do well. Especially good results are seen in tropical livers. In many cases of gastric derangement the waters tone the stomach and stimulate digestion. The water must on no account be taken by patients suffering from tuberculous lung trouble. Haemoptysis is the almost invariable result. The baths are followed by most beneficial results in rheumatic and gouty joint affections, in lumbago and sciatica, and in scaly eczematous affections, seborrhoeic eczema, and psoriasis. The warm sulphur bath gives great temporary relief in some cases of neuritis. Gouty patients who suffer from insomnia generally obtain a night's rest after a bath.


Beckwith–Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) is an overgrowth disorder caused by defects at the 11p15.5 imprinted region. Many cases of female monozygotic (MZ) twins discordant for BWS have been reported, but no definitive conclusions have been drawn regarding the link between epigenetic defects, twinning process, and gender. Here, we report a comprehensive characterization and follow‐up of female MZ twins discordant for BWS.


Like many other nival mountains in Japan, Mount Tairappyo in the Mikuni Mountains (36°48′N, 138°49′E, 1, 984m a. s. l.) lacks the subalpine conifer forest zone. Instead of conifers, grasses cover large areas of slopes above the upper limit of montane broadleaf forest (1, 600-1, 700m a. s. l.). An examination of phytoliths from peat soils focused on understanding the Holocene landscape evolution, particularly for changes in Bambusoideae (mostly Sasa) grasses occupying the present-day subalpine zone. Bambusoideae grasses, which densely covered slopes in the early Holocene, would have begun to decline between 5, 600 and 4, 940 cal yrs BP. This situation seemed to have persisted until 1, 300 to 680 cal yrs BP, when Bambusoideae grasses began to recover. This change in grassland vegetation from the middle to late Holocene epoch was probably induced by variance of snowmelt timimg related to climatic variabilities.


OBJECTIVE:
Our objective was to investigate the neurochemical mechanisms underlying cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS). We hypothesized an alteration in major neurotransmitter levels in certain brain areas, and performed a cross-sectional MR spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) study in patients with CVS and matched healthy controls to quantify brain levels of GABA and glutamate/glutamine (GLX).
BACKGROUND:
Cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS) is characterized by recurrent episodes of incapacitating nausea and vomiting interspersed with relative symptom-free inter-episodic periods that last weeks to months. While CVS is now an accepted and distinct clinical entity very little is known about its pathophysiology, particularly the brain circuitry supporting CVS symptomatology.
DESIGN/METHODS:
A newly developed motion-corrected 3D MRSI sequence that reliably edits GABA and GLX was used for non-invasive brain mapping of neurotransmitters in ten patients with CVS and eleven matched healthy controls. A novel group level analysis of spectroscopic data was performed using a mixed effects model in the MNI152 standard space to detect significant regional changes of neurotransmitter levels.
RESULTS:
Group analysis revealed that compared to healthy controls the CVS patients have: 1) greater GLX levels in the anterior cingulate cortex and in the anterior and posterior regions of the right and left insula, 2) greater GABA levels in the middle region of the right insula and the posterior-lateral nuclei of the right thalamus.
CONCLUSIONS:
Our results indicate potential brain circuits that may be involved in the pathophysiology of CVS. These brain circuits could be defined by an imbalance between regional distributions of the major inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitters. Mapping the structures of central nervous system involved in the process of nausea and emesis is feasible by non-invasive 3D MRSI and is expected to help understand the mechanisms of disease and design new pharmacological approaches to manage these patients.
Study Supported by:
NCI/NIH K22 Career Award 1K22CA178269-01 Disclosure: Dr. Andronesi has nothing to disclose. Dr. Garcia has nothing to disclose. Dr. Bogner has nothing to disclose. Dr. Castel has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kuo has nothing to disclose. Dr. Napadow has nothing to disclose.


Introductory considerations: Telling the story of testing The psychological testing enterprise today Social foundations of testing: a multicultural perspective Mathematical foundations of testing: the quantitative worldview Psychological and philosophical foundations of testing: on the origin of differences. The pioneer era: Reliability and intelligence tests: two critical developments Putting psychology on the map: testing and the first world war Criterion-related validity. The golden age: Spreading the "good" word: operationism and the MMPI Intelligence dismantled a sort of: factor analysis and IQ tests New developments: content validity, internal consistency, item analysis, and more. The modern era: On becoming a profession: ethics, training, and standards Construct validity: a major shift The anti-test movement. Contemporary developments: The construct of intelligence: structure, challenge, and new directions Personality assessment The neobehavioural alternative Neuropsychological testing Recent developments in testing Looking toward the future.


Education presents an interesting area in which to apply artificial intelligence techniques. While most AI projects area designed to mirror one intelligent entity, education involves two: the learner and the teacher. Further, for the learner, skill acquisition is very different from concept formation, while deductive concept-formation differs from inductive concept-formation. For the teacher, choices of teaching strategies vary for different learner goals, particularly depending on whether training or education is the purpose of instruction. Currently a gap exists between artificial intelligence and current educational computing and training. And the advantage is NOT all on the side of AI programs. Many of today's educational programs are cleverly constructed, rich in color graphics and can be Currently our expectations for acceptable educational software usually require only that it meet basic functional design criteria, and even those criteria are rarely met. Sometimes we will intuitively feel that a piece of software is exceptional. Usually, this impression is the result of quality designed into the physical interface. This, however, is not enough! For significant learning to result from student-computer interactions;we must begin to challenging. But they lack real intelligence, especially explore and attend to the psychological interface. in the tutoring module. On the other hand, AI based And in the near future we should expect even more. education programs possess advanced tutoring abilities In this presentation I look at where we are and but often seem weak in graphics, animation and what is needed, and suggest some promising principles of optimum interactive strategies. Programs directions to pursue. Unfortunately, the computer today is an underused and often misused educational tool, with even the best educational software barely tapping its potentia In the past (and too often in the present) we have looked to computer scientists to focus their attention on the computer and design quality into software. In this presentation I argue that now, if we are to make full use of the computer as an educational tool, we must focus on the person, learn about the learner, and look to this side of the computer-student system to advance the state of the art. with the best of both approaches will not automatically just appear because powerful microcomputers become available. Considerable lateral thinking and team efforts are among their prerequisites.


In this study, the physicochemical and sensory characteristics of low-salt Myungran jeotkal (Alaskan pollock roe) were evaluated after fermentation at 4°C and 20°C with or without the addition of deep sea water, salt from deep sea water, and vegetable-origin lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus fermentum JS, LBF). When fermented at 20°C, the addition of LBF to Myungran jeotkal resulted in a slow increase in lactic acid content, followed by an abrupt increase after five days of fermentation. However, when fermented at 4°C, the lactic acid content did not change significantly. Further, when Myungran jeotkal fermented at 4°C, the pH decreased as lactic acid production increased. The salinity of Myungran jeotkal fermented at 4°C and 20°C was 7% and was not affected by fermentation period. When fermented at 20°C, volatile basic nitrogen and amino nitrogen contents increased with increasing duration of fermentation. Further, volatile acid content decreased, however, the content of amino nitrogen increased after 11 days of fermentation with LBF and no salt effects were observed. When fermented at 20°C for 13 days, preference (sensory evaluation) was the highest in all experimental groups after 9 days of fermentation, and then decreased as the fermentation period increased. The free amino acid content was highest (1,648.8 mg/100 g) in Myungran jeotkal when sun-dried salt and LBF were added, 2.3 times higher than in the control.


Abstract : Costs for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers civil works projects are first estimated before concept designs are prepared. These projects are not immediately authorized for construction; in fact, it may be several years before appropriations are made for even the detailed design phase. During this time, inflation usually makes the current costs higher than previously estimated. For programming requirements, the estimates must be updated annually. Corps districts can do this in two ways: (1) performing a detailed reestimate, or (2) applying an inflation factor to the latest estimate. Both methods have advantages and disadvantages. Re-estimating gives results that are at least as accurate as the prior estimate, but it is very time-consuming and is therefore not practical to do annually because of the limited number of personnel available at the district level. Updating using an inflation factor can be done very quickly, with acceptable accuracy. The U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) has developed a system of indices -- the Civil Works Construction Cost Index System (CWCCIS) -- specifically for updating civil works construction costs before the official Government estimate for contract award. The Office of the Chief of Engineers asked CERL to computerize this system so that the calculations needed to change index values and update estimates could be done automatically.


Relativity in a Deformed Space-Time: An Axiomatic View to Special Relativity Deformed Minkowski Space-Time Relativistic Kinematics in a Deformed Minkowski Space Wave Propagation in a Deformed Space-Time Metric Description of Fundamental Interactions and the Breakdown of Local Lorentz Invariance: Leptonic Interaction Hadronic Interaction Breakdown of Local Lorentz Invariance Mathematics of Deformed Space-Time: Generalized Minkowski Space Killing Symmetries of Generalized Minkowski Spaces Finite Structure of Deformed Cronotopical Groups and other articles


Fragmentation of consumer demand and the need to personalise retail offers have led to the need to improve the responsiveness of the entire supply chain. This paper aims to build theory to integrate consumer behaviour data into logistics planning in the food industry. To connect consumer behaviour data with supply chain analysis, a product freshness and price sensitivity related consumer survey (n = 384) was first conducted. The paper demonstrates how the results of the consumer survey can be connected to logistics planning and cost engineering parameters.


Over the last few years, remarkable progress has been made in diagnosis, severity assessment and treatment as well as in our understanding of the pathophysiology of acute pancreatitis. New treatment modalities and new specific drugs have been introduced and this has led to practical changes in the daily bedside management of patients with acute pancreatitis. Treatment is essentially medical, both for mild and severe disease, and is aimed at reducing abdominal pain, restoring electrolyte and fluid losses, removing the aetiological factor(s), attenuating inflammation and autodigestive processes, as well as preventing local and systemic complications. Diagnostic and interventional percutaneous or endoscopic procedures are indicated mainly for patients with severe forms of the disease. Surgery is generally indicated for patients with necrosis infection or other local complications not manageable by percutaneous or endoscopic means.


A geometric method is described to characterize the different kinds of extremals in optimal control theory. This comes from the use of a presymplectic constraint algorithm starting from the necessary conditions given by Pontryagin's Maximum Principle. The algorithm must be run twice so as to obtain suitable sets that once projected must be compared. Apart from the design of this general algorithm useful for any optimal control problem, it is shown how to classify the set of extremals and, in particular, how to characterize the strict abnormality. An example of strict abnormal extremal for a particular control-affine system is also given.


OBJECTIVE
This study provides an overview of the epidemiology of diabetes in the Manitoba First Nation population.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
The study uses data derived from the population-based Manitoba Diabetes Database to compare the demographic and geographic patterns of diabetes in the Manitoba First Nation population to the non-First Nation population.

RESULTS
Although the prevalence of diabetes rose steadily in both the First Nation and the non-First Nation populations between 1989 and 1998, the epidemiological pattern of diabetes in these two populations differed significantly. The First Nation population was observed to have age-standardized incidence and prevalence rates of diabetes up to 4.5 times higher than those found in the non-First Nation population. The sex ratio and the geographic patterning of diabetes incidence and prevalence in the two study populations were reversed.

CONCLUSIONS
The results of the study suggest that diabetes prevalence will likely continue to rise in the Manitoba First Nation population into the foreseeable future, and that the impact of this rising diabetes prevalence can only be effectively managed through a population-based public health approach focusing on primary and secondary prevention. The dramatically higher rates of diabetes in Manitoba First Nation population as compared with the non-First Nation population highlight the urgency of this activity. These prevention efforts need to be supported by further research into the reasons for the unique epidemiological patterns of diabetes incidence and prevalence in the First Nation population observed in this study. These include investigating why First Nation populations living in the Northern areas of the province seem to be protected from developing high rates of diabetes and why First Nation women experience much higher rates of the disease.


PARP-1 is a nuclear enzyme involved in a range of activities associated with DNA metabolism, playing a key role in maintaining the integrity of DNA and chromatin
structure. As such, this enzyme is likely to provide a useful target when using a rationale drug design approach to develop pharmaceutical reagents including cancer
therapeutics. A major obstacle to this work however is that our knowledge of the relationship between structure and function of PARP-1 is rather limited. Structure - function studies of enzymes typically require the application of techniques for producing reasonable quantities of high quality protein. To this end, this thesis describes the development of a rapid and relatively simple approach to producing and purifying PARP-1.


ABSTRACT The encyrtid Ooencyrtus kuvanae is a solitary parasitoid of the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar L. (Lepidoptera-Lymantridae) that is used in biological control programmes and whose mass rearing is influenced by superparasitism. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the self-superparasitism of O. kuvanae at different host densities (5, 10, 15 and 20), female ages (3 and 5 days) and durations of exposure (1 and 5 days) under various laboratory conditions (25°C ± 1°C, RH 60 ± 5% and a 16:8 h light:dark photoperiod) as well as in a new laboratory host, Philosamia ricini (Danovan) (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) of O. kuvanae. In this study, we determined the rate of egg superparasitism and adult emergence and recorded development time, longevity and body weight. Superparasitism increased with female age and the duration of exposure to parasitoids when females had access to five host eggs. Superparasitism increased the number of parasitoid offspring, but it resulted in male-biased (56.90%) progeny. Furthermore, superparasitism caused deleterious effects to the fitness of the progeny by prolonging the developmental process, and decreasing longevity. For example, we found that when four adults can emerge from one superparasitised host egg, the body size of the parasitoid offspring decreases significantly. Hence, superparasitism should be avoided when mass rearing O. kuvanae.


[Objective] To discuss the method of producing FAME and extracting phytosterol from deodorizer distillate with immobilized lipase. [Method]With camellia oil deodorizer distillate from Jiangxi as raw material,the single-factor test was conducted on the reaction conditions,the optimum reaction technique parameters were determined. [Result]The experiment showed that,the immobilized lipase 8%,methanol 10% with stirring speed 150 r / min at 40 ℃ for 16 h,the esterification rate was up to 93%. After crystallization and recrystallization,the extraction rate and purity of phytosterol was up to 89%,90% respectively. [Conclusion] The obtained technique for FAME synthesis and phytosterol extraction could reuse waste liquid,increase the added value and protect the eco-environment.


Component comprising: a first region (2) made of a titanium material; a second region (4) made of an aluminum material; wherein the first region and the second region are bonded to each other; and wherein the first and the second portion are integrally connected by a running in the aluminum material of the second deep-welding process or heat conduction welding process in combination with an initiated by a heat flux from the aluminum material toward the titanium material diffusion process.


The authors are searching for mathematical models, which can represent the complex nonlinear behaviour of muscles, so that the contractions can be better controlled. The authors have developed a number of dynamic muscle models based on force measurements taken from a muscle stimulated by an irregular pulse train. The results of experimental investigations have shown that a simple linear transfer function model of muscle response can be rather inaccurate over the full operational range. The muscle response is significantly nonlinear with respect to the value of isometric tension (the output response to pulse stimulation) and it is also known that muscle fatigue over time results in significant dynamic variations. Nonlinear models based on local model networks (LMN) are able to capture the nonlinear effects and provide accuracy over a wide operational range. The authors describe the type of network model used, the training algorithm, and show some typical experimental results based on real measured data.<<ETX>>


By contrast with materials and structural tests of various insulators,this paper investigates the outer insulation properties of electric locomotive roof aliphatic epoxy insulators and the silicone rubber insulators.According to two typical types of structures and materials epoxy insulators and a silicone rubber insulator,as well as traditional porcelain insulators,we have done a lots of comparative measurements,such as the frequency dry and wet fog,salt spray and artificial contamination flashover voltage and the surface hydrophobicity.And simulating the pantograph support insulator installation form,simulation of the outer insulation electric distribution is done.Test results of the roof insulator are beneficial to the selection and operation of electric locomotive roof insulators.


Objective:To detect the accuracy application of free hand pedicle screw replacement technology in lower thoracic spine under minimally invasive.Methods:Seventeen cases of A group with thoracolumbar fractures but without decompression from March 2007 to April 2010,using three-dimensional reconstruction of CT and positioning steel wire X-ray to determine the surface projection of the pedicle of vertebral arch.Then made 2 cm incision,free hand inserted pedicle screw relying solely on hand-line,routine fracture reduction and fixation.The position of 40 cases of thoracic screw placement was evaluated by CT after operation.While,the relative screw placement and complication rate were statistic,and which were compared to 40 cases of thoracic screw of B group.Results:There was no blood vessels and visceral complication in two groups,and there was no significant difference in thoracic screw between the two groups(P0.05).There were no broken nails,broken rods,and screw off.Conclusion: Free hand pedicle screw minimally invasive replacement technology is secure and there are many advantages for clinical application.


If the theory and practice of Pre-Raphaelite medievalism are something more today than historical curiosities, it is partly because critical interest still attaches to a question they explore. This question may be phrased as follows: how far is Ruskin's doctrine of unmediated sense perception, of the so-called uneducated or innocent eye, an artistic possibility? In this essay I shall consider a few of the ways in which Browning's approach to the question differs from the characteristic approach of three contemporaries. I shall briefly compare three of Browning's poems on medieval subjects – "Childe Roland," "Count Gismond" and "Old Pictures in Florence" – with D. G. Rossetti's "The Blessed Damozel," William Morris's "The Chapel in Lyoness," and Gerard Manley Hopkins's "Duns Scotus's Oxford."


The accurate prediction of water demand has great significance for the development of city.The water demand is affected by multiple factors and most of these factors have strong relevance.Based on the calculation steps of the principal component analysis,and introduced an instance(water consumption data of Jinhua city from 2000 to 2010),the regression model of predicting water demand was established.The results showed that the model was applied to forecast water demand,and the conclusion agreed quite well with the local actual conditions,the model fitting degree and prediction accuracy were ideal.


A beam position monitor system has been developed for Brookhaven's Linac to Booster transfer line. Beginning in early 1991, this line will transport a chopped, RF modulated H− beam from the 200 MeV Linac to the AGS Booster. Over a 15dB dynamic range in beam current, the position monitor system will provide a real‐time, normalized position signal accurate to ±0.5 mm. Directional coupler style pickups have already been installed in the line and one prototype has been tested in beam. Analog processing electronics will be located in the tunnel and will incorporate the amplitude modulation to phase modulation normalization technique. To avoid interference from the 200 MHz linac RF system, processing will be performed at 400 MHz. In bench tests, prototypes of the electronics meet the above requirements for accuracy and dynamic range. This paper will provide a system overview and a detailed description of the analog processing electronics.


This article presents the new class of rapidly developing tools for integrating enterprise applications in the cloud. The basic characteristics and the examples of the solutions of iPaaS are presented


The programming language Ada was used to develop a message handling system for the Royal Australian Navy. The system runs on an IBM PC-AT compatible computer equipped with a multipart serial I/O card and uses the MS-DOS operating system. A menu based operator interface has been designed and various features of Ada are used to simplify the program structure. The Ada system was easier to develop than a similar system developed earlier in assembler language and Ada allows the system to perform multiple tasks although MS-DOS is not a true multitasking system.


Analysis of average yield result of the nation mid-late in north-west in potato cultivars regional test was made using AMMI model and combined bi-plot in 2007. The results indicated that,L0031-17 and Qingshu No.6 had higher but less stable yield,Longshu No.3 had higher and more stable yield,960102 and Zhong9931-48 had lower but more stable yield,8025-1 had lower but less stable yield. AMMI mode was material,intuitionistic and effective method,to evaluate potato cultivars.


63 soil samples in Qingdao were selected.The morphology distribution characteristics of Pb in soil and their influencing factors were studied by sequential extraction test method.The results revealed that the morphology distribution laws of Pb in soil was residual fraction Fe-Mn oxides carbonates organic binding form exchangeable form.The total amount of Pb and organic matter content in soil were the main factors that affected the chemical forms of Pb.


ABSTRACT In Australia and elsewhere, aged care and disability services are being transformed by the introduction of person-centred approaches. This radical reform to prioritise the dignity and needs of the people receiving care or support is an urgent matter of justice. Person-centred approaches are also transforming the organisation and conditions of employment for direct care workers, which has implications for the vocational education and training (VET) qualifications designed as preparation for their jobs. COVID-19 has highlighted problems with casualised employment and inadequate training, revealing the terrible impact on the elderly and people with disabilities. The broader context is a shift to market-based approaches to service delivery, with the increasing commodification of care, support services and VET. Drawing on a study of Australian VET qualifications for aged care and disability services, this article identifies limitations with dominant transactional forms of VET and the foundational ideas that underpin them. It argues that the introduction of transactional qualifications to prepare workers for poorly designed transactional jobs has a severe human cost.


An electric motor for use with a power tool includes a motor housing having a first end and an open second end, a first bearing coupled to the first end of the motor homing, a plurality of magnets coupled to the motor housing, and an armature having a first end and a second end. The first end of ihe armature is rotatably supported by the first bearing. The second end of the armature protrudes fromthe open second end of the motor housing without being supported by the open second end of the motor housing. The electric motor also includes a second bearing coupled to the second end of the armature. The motor housing is supportable by a first portion of the power tool housing. The second bearing is supportable by a second portion of the power tool housing.


A new three-stage quadruple pass (QP) EDFA is presented in this paper. The mathematical models for designing this proposed EDFA are developed. In the mathematical models, the effects of amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) of prior stages are included. Performance analysis of this QP EDFA is carried out with the variation of input pump power ratio and signal power. Change in Erbium ions concentration in energy level 1 and energy level 2 with the variation of fiber length is also analyzed to determine optimum fiber length. From the obtained results the optimum design parameters (pump power, signal power, fiber length) are recommended for practical implementation.


Simple Summary This review article focuses on canine M-mode (motion mode), particularly for assessing the left ventricle measurements in several dog breeds. It traces the evolution of echocardiography techniques, highlighting A-mode, B-mode, and M-mode for accurate unidimensional cardiac structure records. This article emphasizes M-mode's significance in diagnosing conditions like MMVD, where identifying cardiac enlargement requires measuring left ventricular end-diastolic internal diameter corrected with body weight (LVIDdN). Also, M-mode's role in DCM diagnosis is explained, noting criteria such as left ventricular dilatation. This review compiles data from various scientific sources to establish a methodology, presenting a detailed table of M-mode measurements for different breeds, ages, and sexes. In essence, our review underscores M-mode echocardiography's crucial role in diagnosing and managing cardiac diseases in dogs. It highlights the significance of breed-specific reference values and offers a comprehensive summary of such measurements for diverse dog breeds, benefiting both clinicians and researchers. Abstract This review article focuses on the use of canine M-mode in veterinary medicine, specifically in assessing the left ventricle measurements in several breeds. It traces the historical development of echocardiography techniques, including A-mode, B-mode, and motion mode (M-mode), which provide accurate unidimensional records of cardiac structures. This article highlights the significance of M-mode measurements in diagnosing stage B2 of MMVD, where left ventricular end-diastolic internal diameter corrected with body weight (LVIDdN) is essential for identifying cardiac enlargement. It also explains the role of M-mode in diagnosing DCM, outlining criteria such as left ventricular dilatation. The authors emphasize the importance of breed-specific reference values for echocardiographic measurements due to variations in somatotype among dogs. This review provides a comprehensive table summarizing M-mode measurements of the left ventricle for 44 different dog breeds, including interventricular septum thickness, left ventricular internal diameter, and left ventricular posterior wall thickness during systole and diastole. This review's methodology involves compiling data from various scientific literature sources, providing an extensive tabular representation of M-mode measurements for different breeds, ages, and sexes. Overall, this review highlights the critical role of M-mode echocardiography in diagnosing and managing cardiac diseases in dogs, underscores the importance of breed-specific reference values, and presents a comprehensive summary of M-mode measurements for various dog breeds, aiding both clinicians and researchers.


to base critical business decisions. A variety of studies have suggested that the demographic characteristics of individuals are highly correlated with their use of the Internet. For example, previous research suggests that Internet use is related to gender, education, income, race, occupation, and even geographic region and that males are generally more likely than females to use the Net, people with higher socioeconomic status are more likely to use the Net, and whites are more likely to use the Net [21, 22]. Recent research also suggests that the demographics of Internet use are shifting, so the Internet appears to be going more "mainstream" in its demographic makeup, and that this trend is likely to continue as the Internet moves toward critical mass as a commercial medium [9]. Our objectives in this article are twofold:


Smaug is a RNA-binding protein that regulates translational repression and/or degradation of its targets, and is required for the elimination of a large number of maternal transcripts in early Drosophila embryos. Here, I explored a novel role of Smaug in regulation of Smaug in early embryos. Previous experiments identified mRNAs encoding glycolytic enzymes as associated with Smaug. I found that mRNAs encoding these enzymes have predicted Smaug recognition elements (SREs) and are destabilized by Smaug. Furthermore, I performed enzyme activity assays and showed increased activity of several glycolytic enzymes in smaug mutants. Experiments comparing the metabolome of wild-type and smaug mutant embryos implicated Smaug in an array of metabolic pathways including glycolysis.


Copyright © 2015 by Journal of Korean Academy of Oral Health This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/), which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Objectives: This study aimed to examine the impact of a regular professional oral health care program and the accompanying oral health education. Methods: We included 552 patients who visited the C dental hospital more than 5 times as part of a regular professional oral health care program from January 2009 to March 2014. This program comprised of an O'Leary plaque control record, tooth brushing instructions, professional tooth brushing, professional tooth cleaning, periodontal or operative treatment (optional), and education on auxiliary devices. The O'Leary plaque control record was evaluated at the fifth consecutive visit, from the first visit to the recent visit. Results: The study data revealed that patient plaque control rate significantly increased with a lapse in care provided from the baseline. However, no intergroup differences were observed with respect to age and sex. The plaque controlling ability of a patient who was educated on the Watanabe's brushing method, which was a combination of the Watanabe's brushing method and rolling method, was significantly increased. Use of an interdental brush, attending the 5-time tooth brushing instruction program, and tooth polishing aided to enhance the plaque-control rate. Further, the plaque control rate of a patient with a pontic, fully covered tooth and implant was significantly higher than those without the same. The Watanabe's brushing method, number of fully covered teeth, and number of implants were significant variables that impacted the final plaque control rate, as ascertained using multiple linear regression analysis. Increased plaque control rate was maintained till the recent evaluation from the fifth visit. Conclusions: The ability of patients to reduce plaque formation was improved after the educational program, which comprised of tooth brushing instructions as part of a regular professional oral health care program.


In certain circumstances, both researchers and policy makers are faced with the challenge of determining individual efficiency scores for each decision making unit (DMU) under consideration. In this study, we use a Monte Carlo experimentation to analyze the optimal approach to determining individual efficiency scores. Our first research objective is a systematic comparison of the two most popular estimation methods, data envelopment (DEA) and stochastic frontier analysis (SFA). Accordingly we extend the existing comparisons in several ways. We are thus able to identify the factors which influence the performance of the methods and give additional information about the reasons for performance variation. Furthermore, we indicate specific situations in which an estimation technique proves superior. As none of the methods is in all respects superior, in real word applications, such as energy incentive regulation systems, it is regarded as best-practice to combine the estimates obtained from DEA and SFA. Hence in a second step, we compare the approaches to transforming the estimates into efficiency scores, with the elementary estimates of the two methods. Our results demonstrate that combination approaches can actually constitute best-practice for estimating precise efficiency scores.


Formant transitions are critical for identifying the place of articulation for consonants. If these transitions are masked by background noise, perceptual confusions can occur. To better understand the masking of formant transitions, masking thresholds were measured for tone glides and single-formant trajectories of varying frequency extent (0 - 3 ERBs), duration (10, 30 and 100 ms), and center frequency (.5, 1.5, 3.5 kHz). Results show that thresholds are independent of frequency extent and only depend on the duration and center-frequency of the transition. A novel, time-frequency detection model, fit to previous noise-in-noise masking experiments (JASA 101, 2789-802 (1997)), is proposed which can predict these data.


Introduction: Continuous Erythropoietin Receptor Activator (CERA) is a new agent for treatment of anemia with extended administration interval in patients who have Chronic kidney disease (CKD). Preclinical and phase I and phase II studies have demonstrated that CERA has unique pharmacological properties, acting differently than Erythropoeitin (Epoetin) at the erythropoietin receptor level, with long serum half life (134 hr after intravenous and 139 hr after subcutaneous administration) and low clearance. These half life values are considerably longer than those reported in healthy volunteers for epoetin alpha (6.8 hrs (iv) and 19.4 hrs (s.c.) and epoetin beta (8.8 h (iv) and 24.2 hr (sc) and upto 5 times longer than those reported for darbepoetin alpha. CERA is equally efficacious when given intravenously or subcutaneously. Material and methods: It was a prospective study of six months duration which included 30 adult predialysis patients of chronic kidney disease with anemia.  Each patient acted as his own control. After enrolement in the study, each patient was subjected to detailed physical examination and investigations. CERA was administered in a dose of 50 μg subcutaneously once every fortnightly for initial two months. Thereafter, CERA was administered once monthly for the next 4 months. Patients were followed up every fortnightly .Complete haemogram, Packed cell volume (PCV) and Renal Function Tests including GFR were carried out at each visit. Ferrokinetic studies were carried out at baseline and at the end of study. Results: There was significant rise of hemoglobin concentration at 2 months i.e. 11.04±0.34g/dl from base line 8.94± 0.53 g/dl(p<0.01). Also when CERA was administered once  monthly after intial fortnightly dosing, levels of Hb continued to be maintained at 4 months (10.90±0.37 g/dl),& at 6 months (10.79±0.41 g/dl) respectively which was statistically significant (p<0.05). Similarly there was significant rise in the PCV. Conclusions: The observations of the present study reveal that there was a significant improvement in various hematological parameters in predialysis patients of CKD after administration of CERA. The haemoglobin cycling was not observed even after decreasing the frequency of administration of CERA.


We propose new five-dimensional gauge theory descriptions of six-dimensional N = (1, 0) superconformal field theories arising from type IIA brane configurations including an ON0-plane. The new five-dimensional gauge theories may have SO, Sp, and SU gauge groups and further broaden the landscape of ultraviolet complete five-dimensional N = 1 supersymmetric gauge theories. When we include an O8−-plane in addition to an ON0-plane, T-duality yields two O7−-planes at the intersections of an ON0-plane and two O50-planes. We propose a novel resolution of the O7−-plane with four D7-branes in such a configuration, which enables us to obtain three different types of five-dimensional gauge theories, depending on whether we resolve either none or one or two O7−-planes. Such different possibilities yield a new five-dimensional duality between a D-type SU quiver and an SO − Sp quiver theories. We also claim that a twisted circle compactification of a six-dimensional superconformal field theory may lead to a five-dimensional gauge theory different from those obtained through a simple circle compactification.


This is Part Two of a two-part paper on the geographical content of "Seven Pillars of Wisdom", T. E. Lawrence's account of his involvement with Arab guerrillas during the First World War. This part deals with Lawrence's description and occasional interpretation of terrains within six natural regions of Arabia and eastern Palestine through which he travelled during the Arab campaign. As in Part One, he is revealed here as an astute observer, occasionally interpreter, of landscape, whose writing deserves wider notice and a place in the geographical canon of this region.


The UNESCO UNEVOC Regional Conference was held at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology from 11-14 November 1996. Delegates from almost all UNEVOC countries attended the conference. The theme of the conference, 'Policy development and implementation of technical and vocational education for economic development in Asia and the Pacific' resulted in papers and workshops which related experiences, identified issues and outlined possible solutions for the region. The purpose of this paper is to overview the development process and implementation of a software platform to develop training packages for training modules related to the steel industry competency standards. Lotus 'Notes' was chosen as the platform and the paper was accompanied by a demonstration of the final products.


A GC-MS system was used for the determination of decomposed products of Trichlorfon in gas chromatographic analysis.After MS interpreter,the decomposed product's structures were confirmed.The effect of gas chromatographic condition on decomposed products of Trichlorfon has been studied.


The review of works, in which the problem of a discharge and filling of viscous mineral oil from tanks is considered at transportation by railway or by motor transport, is given. The problem of application of various ways of warming of the "stiffened" mineral oil for better improvement of discharge process from transport reservoirs and reservoirs of storage is investigated.


for-profit organization she founded in 1991. She designed Grassroots to support the initiatives of village-level women's organizations in India by providing financial and technical assistance. Her other interests include feminist participatory research as a tool for social change, personal narratives, the experiences of Hmong women who have immigrated to the United States, and the challenges of uniting feminist theory with feminist practice in Women in Development projects and research. She is the author of "'With All of Us Together, There Is Hope': Profiles of Five Women Instrumental in the Development of a Dynamic Grassroots Women's Organization in Rural Maharashtra," in The Woman in India: Myth and Reality, ed. J. P. Singh and R. C. Prasad (Delhi: Gian Publishing, in press).


Madurapperuma et al. creates a novel approach for identifying social values and issues of fragmentation at a protected coastal area. In this article, the authors explore the Ecological and Social Values of the Dunes, the degree to which human-induced impacts, such as recreation trails, have on the ecosystem, and the resulting effects on native plant and animal populations. The authors detail a methodology on the use of geospatial technology, such as sUAVs, to monitor changes in a coastal dune environment.


A study was made of the effect of uranium on sodium, potassium, and calcium radiation as well as the effect of aluminum and vanadium on calcium radiation in an acetylene-air flame. A method is described for the determination of sodium, potassium, and calcium in uranlum and its compounds by flame photometry without separation of uranium beforehand. (auth)


Environment monitoring and control is the next evolutionary development step in building, utilities, industrial, home, shipboard and transportation systems automation. Wireless sensor network technologies are becoming increasingly essential in the arena of smart homes to provide the residents with various intelligent services. However, due to their limited energy and hardware capabilities (storage, communication and processing), WSNs are not so popular. In this paper, an IEEE 802.15.4 based intelligent network prototype has been designed, implemented and tested for automatic temperature monitoring and control in smart homes. The system is designed considering the limited power, storage, processing power and bandwidth of sensor nodes.


Tax offsets for private health insurance have helped to make private health cover more affordable. But recent changes to the eligibility rules have scaled back the available offset for many clients, resulting in an effective increase in cost.


In view of higher vocational education's cultivating aim and character,Ningbo Vocational and Technical College prompted reformation of teaching model of higher vocational education and actively probed into approach of cultivating enterprise,speeded the use of enterprise on human resource and developed collaboration on many orientation and multilayer college and enterprise,which is the only way to develop higher vocational education.Ningbo Vocational and Technical College tightly collaborated with surrounding chemical enterprises,and it has participated with each other and made educational mechanism of order form.Ningbo Vocational and Technical College reformed and innovated teaching model of management and mechanism in the operation of higher vocational education so as to meet the students' need with ability in enterprise and gaining wider educational market and developing space.


This paper presents a new technique for frame field generation. As generic frame fields (with arbitrary anisotropy, orientation, and sizing) can be regarded as cross fields in a specific Riemannian metric, we tackle frame field design by first computing a discrete metric on the input surface that is compatible with a sparse or dense set of input constraints. The final frame field is then found by computing an optimal cross field in this customized metric. We propose frame field design constraints on alignment, size, and skewness at arbitrary locations on the mesh as well as along feature curves, offering much improved flexibility over previous approaches. We demonstrate the advantages of our frame field generation through the automatic quadrangulation of man-made and organic shapes with controllable anisotropy, robust handling of narrow surface strips, and precise feature alignment. We also extend our technique to the design of n-vector fields.


In this thesis we have discussed several parameters that affect the electrochemical conversion of enviromentaly harmful molecules such as nitrates and carbon dioxide to more valuable and less deleterious compounds, in order to cast light onto the mechanism of the reaction to achieve an efficient and selective system.The thesis is divided in two main parts, the reduction of nitrates(chapter 2) and the mechanistic study of CO2 conversion to different products such as ethanol(chapter 3), ethylene(chapters 4 and 5) and propylene carbonate (chapter 6).


Abstract For the axisymmetric Helmholtz equation it is shown that fundamental solutions constructed by the Gellerstedt method and by means of a transmutation operator are coinciding.


This article reports on an e-learning readiness study that was carried out to assess the organizational and individual factors of the two major stakeholder groups (teachers and students) in the secondary education institutions in the State of Kuwait in order to provide significant information to the policy makers and regulatory bodies for the development of successful e-learning strategies. Data were gathered with the use of the e-learning Readiness Survey from a purposive sample of 1,314 teachers and 1,307 students. This study looks specifically at some factors at the initial stage of an e-learning introduction that can have tremendous impact on the later stages of the process. The findings from the study were instrumental in implementing successful e-learning strategies for Kuwait and will also benefit e-learning initiatives in similar institutions in other Gulf Cooperation Council countries and beyond.


: The use of remote sensing in the design of land use mapping allows analyses of landscape evolution during a certain period of time which helps studies in a global scope. The objective of this study is to identify and analyze changes in characteristics of rural land use in the municipality of Passo Fundo, located in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, during the years 2001 and 2020, through images taken from the Landsat TM-7 and TM-8 satellites. Methodologically, satellite images were classified by supervised methods, generating thematic maps, and taking into account the following groups: tillage (growing area), forest, exposed soil and water resources. Results demonstrated that the process of connecting agricultural crop patches went from 5.495 in 2001 to a figure of 10.812 in 2020, thus having an increase of 96%.


Cells respond to stress by synthesising chaperone proteins that correct protein misfolding to maintain function. However, protein homeostasis is lost in ageing, leading to aggregates characteristic of protein-folding diseases. Whilst much is known about how these diseases progress, discovering what causes protein-folding to deteriorate could be key to their prevention. Here, we examined primary human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs), cultured to a point of replicative senescence and subjected to heat shock, as an in vitro model of the ageing stress response. We found through proteomic analysis that the maintenance of homeostasis deteriorated in senescent cells. Time-resolved analysis of factors regulating heat shock protein 70 kDa (HSPA1A) revealed a lack of capacities for protein turnover and translation to be key factors in limiting the stress response during senescence. A kinetic model predicted a consequence of these reduced capacities to be the accumulation of misfolded protein, a hypothesis supported by evidence of systematic changes to protein fold state. These results thus further our understanding of the underlying mechanistic links between ageing and loss of protein homeostasis.


The use of voltage dependent, saturable capacitors as nonlinear turn-off snubbers for power electronic switches is discussed. Emphasis is placed on the optimisation of such a nonlinear turn-off snubber, is dissipative snubber configuration. The snubber capacitance is optimised in terms of minimum total energy losses (consisting of the stored energy in the capacitor, and the energy loss in the power switch during turn-off). By means of a computer analysis, which uses the exact capacitance-voltage curve of the nonlinear snubber capacitor, the needed energies are calculated and the results presented in clear graphical form. The computer simulation is also verified by means of an experimental measurement. From the results, it is evident that, from an energy point of view, the nonlinear capacitive snubber is about always superior to the normal linear snubber. This conclusion is applicable to the stored energy in the capacitor, total energy losses, as well as to the minimum total energy loss.


Liver fibrosis is a serious health problem and may lead to advanced liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma if left untreated. In this study, a mouse liver fibrosis model was established by the administration of 3,5-diethoxycarbonyl-1,4-dihydrocollidine (DDC), and tanshinone IIA. Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge extract, shown to play a regulatory role in liver fibrosis, was administered to study its effect on the expression of COL1A1. Mice were divided into 3 groups, control (Con), model (DDC), and drug administration (DDC-Tan) groups, and were subjected to the respective treatment for 2 months. Following treatment, the degree of liver fibrosis in mice in each group was determined. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), bilirubin, and albumin levels in mice were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Mouse liver tissues were used for hematoxylin-eosin and immunohistochemical staining. ELISA results showed that treatment with tanshinone IIA inhibited the expression of ALT, AST, and bilirubin in the DDC-Tan group compared with the DDC group. Hematoxylin-eosin, Sirius red, and α-SMA staining showed that liver injury was delayed in the DDC-Tan group. Immunohistochemistry, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and Western blot results showed that COL1A1 expression was reduced after tanshinone IIA treatment. Moreover, the bioinformatic analysis indicated that let-7a targets COL1A1, and H19 regulates let-7a expression. The quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot results confirmed that the H19/let-7a axis regulates COL1A1 expression. Thus, tanshinone IIA inhibited liver fibrosis by regulating COL1A1 expression through the H19/let-7a axis in mice.


When a polar‐solute molecule undergoes an electronic transition and forms a state of different polarity, the Franck—Condon principle shows that the new system is first formed in a nonequilibrium thermodynamic state. An expression for the spectral shift and broadening by a series of solvents of differing polarity is derived in the present paper in terms of thermodynamic properties of certain equilibrium distribution systems. For this purpose use is made of a recent particle description of nonequilibrium and equilibrium polar media, which emphasizes functional dependence and avoids, thereby, the usual more specific assumptions. A relation between the broadening and the shift is then deduced under certain conditions. Expressions are also derived for the effect of pressure and temperature on the shift, in terms of the polar contribution to the volume and entropy of solvation, respectively, and for the influence of applied electrical fields. An expression is obtained for the solvent‐reversal shift of Brooker in terms of the polarizability difference of the initial and final states of the solute. Introduction of more specific assumptions is then made for purposes of comparison with earlier works, which constitute special cases of the present one, and for estimation of dipole moments and polarizabilities of excited states from spectral and electrical shifts.


The invention relates to a casting apparatus and a casting method. An ingot is produced by an ideal unidirectional solidifying method, in which the low lifetime region and the impurity amount of the ingot are reduced. Also, the sticking formation in the crucible can be suppressed. An ingot casting apparatus used in the method includes: a crucible (2) storing the melt and having an opening on top; a heater (33, 43) heating the crucible; and an inert gas supplying devise (42) supplying an inert gas to the upper part of an inner space in the crucible. The inert gas supplying device is extended to the upper part of the inner space and has a gas flow passage having a gas ejecting hole at the distal end part. The gas ejecting hole is provide in such a way that the flow of the inert gas ejected from the gas ejecting hole becomes parallel to the bath level of the melt.


This special issue presents analyses of the elections in India, Japan, Thailand, the Philippines and Australia, each written by a specialist with extensive experience of domestic politics and elections in their country of study. These articles offer detail and rich analysis of the elections in the five Indo- Pacific countries, all held in 2019. The analyses presented in this issue reveal some clear trends emerging from these elections. First, the ruling parties in each of these countries were returned to power or given endorsements, producing continuity in government. Second, in most cases the opposition forces seem frail and divided. Third, on the Asian political landscape, as in many other countries around the world, conservative nationalist and right-wing populist leaders dominate national politics.


The primary objective of this research was to study the chemistry of coal liquefaction in carbon monoxide-water system in order to develop more efficient routes of coal hydrogenation. Work was accomplished under two Tasks aimed to optimize the yields of coal conversion as a function of the operating variables (Task 1) and to evaluate the quality of the coal-liquids in comparison with similar products from more conventional donor-solvent liquefaction processes (Task 2). Under Task 1, a set of four medium and low rank coals were converted under CO-steam conditions and the effect of changing the operating variables and nature of the catalysts were examined to understand the chemistry of this reaction more fully. These studies confirmed that a water-gas-shift reaction (WGSR) intermediate is the reducing species of the system and that a good matching between the reactions of WGSR-intermediate generation and thermal coal activation is essential to yield high coal conversions. The potential of temperature-staged liquefaction as well as the use of multicomponent catalytic systems were investigated. After establishing the optimum reaction conditions, comparative tests of coal liquefaction with tetralin/H2 were performed (Task 2). Results showed that the CO/water system gives coal conversion yields which are comparable, if not superior,more » to that obtained with the donor-solvent. 27 refs., 26 figs., 10 tabs.« less


The purpose of this paper is to present the challenge of waste management for the emerging megacities of the developing world and transition countries and to outline the necessity for new tools, based on complexity theory and complex systems' science in order to plan and deliver sustainable waste management systems in megacities.


In real-world applications, handling partial observability is a common requirement for reinforcement learning algorithms, which is not captured by a Markov decision process (MDP). Although partially observable Markov decision processes (POMDPs) have been specifically designed to address this requirement, they present significant computational and statistical challenges in learning and planning. In this work, we introduce the Energy-based Predictive Representation (EPR) to provide a unified approach for designing practical reinforcement learning algorithms in both the MDP and POMDP settings. This framework enables coherent handling of learning, exploration, and planning tasks. The proposed framework leverages a powerful neural energy-based model to extract an adequate representation, allowing for efficient approximation of Q-functions. This representation facilitates the efficient computation of confidence, enabling the implementation of optimism or pessimism in planning when faced with uncertainty. Consequently, it effectively manages the trade-off between exploration and exploitation. Experimental investigations demonstrate that the proposed algorithm achieves state-of-the-art performance in both MDP and POMDP settings.


(62) Division of application No. 09/615,240, filed on Jul. 13, 2000, now Pat. No. 6,391,309, which is a division of application No. 09/162,038, filed on Sep. 28, 1998, now Pat. No. 6,261,565, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 09/035,588, filed on Mar. 5, 1998, now Pat. No. 6,033, 714, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 08/868,629, filed on Jun. 4, 1997, now Pat. No. 5,792,503, which is a division of application No. 08/614,545, filed on Mar. 13, 1996, now Pat. No. 5,702,752. (60) Provisional application No. 60/060,549, filed on Oct. 2, 1997.