The purpose of this preliminary study was to explore the residual barriers and facilitators for a selected group of individuals with severe physical disabilities who had been afforded a comprehensive set of strategies and services aimed at meeting their basic personal as well as academic needs. Their perceptions of both barriers and facilitators, experienced while in school and post-graduation, were the focus of this qualitative research study. Due to the funding source, differences between individuals who majored in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and non-STEM fields were also explored. Personal interviews were conducted with a stratified random sample of 13 individuals with severe physical disabilities (IWSPD) that necessitated personal assistance and had lived at Beckwith Hall and its forerunners at the University of Illinois. Frequent educational barriers included social isolation with fewer attitudinal, programmatic, financial, or health barriers. Career barriers included more instances of social/communication and architectural/environmental barriers. Education facilitators included the disability support staff on campus; living in Beckwith Hall; state and university financial assistance; positive attitudes of faculty, staff, and fellow students; and accessibility of campus. Career facilitators included work supervisors and colleagues, with few other facilitators mentioned. STEM students were more likely to report (a) campus inaccessibility as an educational barrier, (b) career barriers of access, negative attitudes, financial expenses, and health problems, (c) disability support staff and Beckwith Hall as educational facilitators, and (d) a wider variety and frequency of career facilitators. This study provides initial yet valuable insights into the lived experience of IWSPD as they progress through postsecondary education and transition to the world of work. Significant educational supports are needed to ensure the success of IWSPD.


Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore challenges and opportunities in knowledge management (KM) research trends in China.Design/methodology/approach – The literature review presents the status quo of China KM research from a world‐wide perspective and China's economy today. Then the paper explains theoretical analysis of KM development and future trend in the West. The third part of literature review addresses the debate of KM practices followed by the way how KM trend is discussed in Western research. Empirical evidences from the journal literature, the web sites of consultancy companies, and in the presentation of research centres are examined. A triangulated methodology include data from two well known management database searching results for "China" and "Knowledge Management"; two KM surveys in China and other web site and journals.Findings – The paper is an initial exploration of the KM research trends in China. The research explains the opportunities and challenges facing KM researchers...


In North Carolina in the Spring 2000 semester, an experimental 'Geographic Information System (GIS) in Education' course for pre and inservice teachers was introduced at North Carolina State University (NCSU). Participants mastered a complex technology and overcame barriers as they collaborated with university faculty to coconstruct the course through reflective discussions and e-mail. Mostly social studies educators, the students chose final projects that applied GIS to analyze social problems spanning scales of local community history to international migration patterns.


A Buchwald-type ligand attached to a star-shape molecule was synthesized in high yield, and its catalytic properties for the Suzuki reactions are shown to be excellent (down to 50 ppm with a simple chloroarene) including recovery/re-use of this hexa ligand.


The present invention relates to a self-doping trivalent titanium preparation of anatase titanium dioxide nanocrystals, which is based on the principle of forming a solvothermal reaction Nanocrystalline formed by the oxidative gel, solvent heat source of divalent titanium nanocrystals , washing and drying step is completed the product, trivalent titanium, obtained by the method of the present invention, the self-doped anatase titanium dioxide nanocrystals doped with trivalent titanium as compared to conventional anatase titanium dioxide nanocrystals, uniform size distribution, without introducing other miscellaneous elements, introduced into trivalent titanium material defects visible imparting excellent photocatalytic performance. Trivalent titanium to the present invention method is simple, mild conditions, simple process, having a high concentration of trivalent titanium, a controlled doping concentration, high absorption of visible light, etc., prepared from anatase titanium dioxide doped nanocrystals visible degradation of industrial organic dyes methylene blue efficiency than P25, it has a wide application prospect in the field of inorganic catalyst industrial wastewater treatment.


Abstract This study focuses on the non-use of a little-studied component of the serials collection, "free" Gifts and Exchanges. It found that, while Gifts and Exchanges occupied 20.85% of shelf space, they were under-utilized relative to the use of serials acquired by subscription. Specifically, Gifts and Exchanges accounted for only 3.75% of total serial use yet represented 41.85% of catalogued serial entries. The study also found that Gifts and Exchanges which contained only non-anglophone articles were unlikely to be in an Australian university library and therefore should not be added to the collection. Additionally, the paper uses results of the use study to analyze a number of deselection or relegation strategies which could be applied to Gifts and Exchanges.


Overall (all throws), intra-participant (average of all throws of all participant) and inter-participant (average of all throws of each participant) variability, including Box and Whiskers plot, of release variables of the shot put's trajectory during seated throwing. Overall and individual release variables were provided for elite seated shot-putters throwing from four seating configurations involving sitting direction (e.g., front on, diagonal) and use of a holding pole (e.g., with pole, without pole).


Dear Editor, This study is the first to demonstrate that HIF-1α could activate BTBD7 under hypoxia, thus promotingHCC metastasis through tumor cell adhesion andEMT.Hypoxia in the tumour microenvironment influences the entire stages of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) metastasis with unarticulated mechanisms.1 Activation of hypoxiainducible factor (HIF) signalling promotes the invasion of tumour cells and infiltrating immune cells and naturally selects the tumour cells that survived under hypoxia.2 Previously, we have confirmed that BTBD7 in HCC microenvironment canpromote epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and stimulate angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo.3 However, BTBD7 does not be concerned about hypoxiaassociated particular mechanisms. We observed increased BTBD7 mRNA and protein expression in HCC cells (MHCC97L and HCCML3) under hypoxia comparedwith normoxia condition (Figure 1A, B). The qPCR results of 78 paired HCC tissues and adjacent non-tumorous tissues demonstrated that HIF-1α mRNA was significantly overexpressed in HCC (Figure S1), suggesting that HIF-1α was probably involved in hypoxiamediated BTBD7 upregulation, which was preliminarily confirmed by using theHIF-1α activators (CoCl2 andDFO) or inhibitors (17-AAG andDeguelin) (Figures 1C and S2) in HCC cells. The correlation between HIF-1α and BTBD7 expression in HCCwas further investigated in a training cohort of 104 HCC patients using a western blot, showing higher expressions of HIF-1α and BTBD7 in HCC tissues characterizedwith tumour haemorrhage plus necrosis (THPN) (Figure 1D, E). THPN subtype in HCC reflected much severer hypoxia level, higher incidence of intrahepatic metastasis and vessel invasion (Figure S3). Immunohistochemistry of HIF-1α and BTBD7 also gave consistent results (Figure 1F). HIF-1α protein positively correlates with BTBD7 protein


The main purpose of this paper is to present the evolution of the concentration for four main air pollutants in Craiova city, during twelve month (i.e., by any kind of weather). The selected period was between July 1st 2010 and June 30th 2011, and the pollutants submitted to the investigation were: nitrogen oxides NOx, sulfur dioxide SO2, carbon monoxide CO and suspended particulate matter, PM10. Within the paper, two purposes are achieved. The most important one is presenting the data about the evolution of the concentration of the four pollutants taken into study, graphics being used to show the situation of air quality in Craiova during the selected period. Another purpose was to find a statistical model to fit the recorded data for PM10, which is the log-normal distribution (the paper also presents some theoretical features of the model).


The covariance matrix of a rotationally symmetric shape is a scalar identity matrix. We apply this property of covariance matrix to deskew the skewed shape of rotational symmetry. The parameters of the deskew transformation matrix are solved by letting the covariance matrix of the transformed shape be equal to a scalar identity matrix. Then, the rotationally symmetric shape can be recovered by the deskew transformation matrix. The method does not rely on continuous contours, since only second-order moments of the input shape are required to be computed. Experimental results are also presented.


Location tracking systems including the GPS, Active Badge, Bat, SmartFloor and Cricket systems attracted a significant group of researchers during the recent decades. Whatever the coverage and accuracy of these systems are, they all depend on customized hardware and/or trained personnel for implementation. Our aim in this study was to develop a solution that will not be hardware dependent and easy to deploy. In this paper, we propose a pure software based solution, namely WLAN Tracker, which is based on the signal strength measureme nts from different wireless access points (WAPs). Unlike similar systems, WLAN Tracker is designed to operate in multistory buildings. Moreover, as a demonstrative example, a simple location based service (LBS) is added to WLAN Tracker in order to provide text-based services to its clients. We investigate the performance of our system by comparing its location estimations with real values.


Based on the meteorological data of Kolra in recent 10 years,this paper discussed the climate background during the critical period of cotton's seeding(from the last ten days of March to the last ten days of April) in 2000-2009 and deeply analyzed the meteorological elements and abnormal weather which had a great effect on cotton's seeding time,and obtained the climate characteristics and the distribution discipline of critical meteorological elements with reference value.The results showed that the probability of low temperature in the middle ten days of April was higher during the cotton planting in Kolra.The latest frost was abnormally late which happened basically once in three years,the precipitation was less in most years.Wind disaster occurred every year and appeared mostly in the middle ten days of April,however,the strong wind appeared generally in the first ten days of April.The distribution of meteorological elements could provide some useful advice for the cotton's best seeding time in Kolra.


In this paper, the lensing functions and imaging abilities of a quasi-periodic nanohole array in a metal screen have been theoretically investigated and demonstrated. Such an optical binary mask with nanoholes designed in an aperiodic arrangement can function as an ultra-thin planar optical lens, imaging complex structures composed of multiple light sources at tens of wavelengths away from the lens surface. Via resolving two adjacent testing objects at different separations, the effective numerical aperture (N.A.) and the effective imaging area of the planar optical lens can be evaluated, mimicking the imaging function of a conventional lens with high N.A. Furthermore, by using the quasi-periodic nanohole array as an ultra-thin planar optical lens, important applications such as X-ray imaging and nano-optical circuits may be found in circumstances where conventional optical lenses cannot readily be applied.


This paper examined the application of forensic accounting to companies in Nigeria using the basis of whether those saddled with the responsibility of maintaining accountability in both the public and private sector really appreciate its importance. The results show that forensic accounting in Nigeria is still new and that its impacts are not well felt.
 DOI: 10.5901/ajis.2013.v2n2p447


Abstract Introduction Over the past decade, the Advanced Practice Provider (APP) role has expanded into various care settings. The literature confirms that APPs contribute positively to the ICU setting, where better patient outcomes are noted, and they are seen as a safe adjunct to the ICU team. The VA recognizes the need for a more significant presence, and practice-based variations are considered crucial as restructuring goals are established. In 2014, Edkins et al. recognized the need for APPs in the burn setting as the number of residents declined. They stressed appropriate utilization and ongoing educational opportunities to develop the role in burns further. Methods This project was conducted by establishing a protocol within our burn referral call system to adequately and efficiently ensure accurate data is accumulated and leveraged to make staffing decisions. Implementation of the protocol began in January of 2018 and is well established. The primary purpose of the protocol is to efficiently store and transfer patient data to make informed decisions across both clinical and administrative departments. The Customer Relationship Management (CRM) System, Salesforce, was the primary software to implement and maintain this process. Results For three years, a total of 42,460 referral calls came through our burn call system. The number of patient calls that required admission to a regional burn center totaled 15,293. 70% of total patient referral calls came during the hours of Noon-Midnight; similarly, 72% of admission patient calls came during Noon-Midnight. Hourly trends were similar for both total patient call volume and admission patient referral call volume as they both had the highest number of referral calls between the hours of Noon-Midnight. The majority (32%) of total patient referral calls came in during earlier days of the week (Monday and Tuesday), while the majority (30%) of admission patient referral calls came in during the later days of the week (Friday or Saturday). Conclusions Our study demonstrates the benefits of implementing a collaborative protocol that allows sharing data and information across all facets of a burn center. Opportunities for additional studies include implementing similar protocols for administrative staffing and analysis of patient outcomes to see how staffing utilization has affected patient care.


Studies were made of respiration and oxidative phosphorylation in heart and liver mitochondria isolated from adult rats continuously exposed to simulated altitudes of 17,000, 20,000, or 21,000 ft f...


Due to its divine origins, the Sharia is a unique legal system when compared with other legal systems. It is based on divine laws that were revealed more than 1400 years ago and is an all‐encompassing system based on moral values. In the post‐colonial era, serious problems have arisen due to the implementation of foreign codes. Many Muslims believe that the renewal of society necessitates a return to Islam, which draws its inspiration directly from the Quran and the Hadith (traditions of the Prophet). Many further believe that in order to create a truly Islamic order, more Islamic codes need to replace the present Western‐ inspired legal codes. This paper examines the social, religious and philosophical bases of punishment under the Islamic criminal justice system. Each kind of punishment (Hudud, Qisas, and Taazir) is examined and the views of the Fuqaha (jurists) from the different schools of Islamic law are analyzed. The goals and policies of this system are also scrutinized. The Sharia is far more complex and resilient than the perception that it is a rigid, undifferentiated and barbaric system. Current trends indicate a growing interest in Islamic countries to reverting to the Sharia. Some areas of cross‐cultural study for comparative legal scholars are also outlined.


To meet the requirement of workover treatment in marshland,desert and well populated area and to accelerate the construction progress,a self-propelled workover rig without guy rope was designed.This text presents its working principle and key technology,the application effects is analysed statistically.Now the work over has been fully applied in Xinjiang Oilfield.


The article discusses some aspects of pre-profile training of schoolchildren, provides components of pre-profile training. The role of pre-profile elective courses in the professional self-determination of schoolchildren is determined under the conditions of the Federal State Educational Standards of General Education. Attention is focused on the relevance of pre-profile programming courses. The choice of the Python programming language for these courses is explained by its versatility and the ability to increase functionality through libraries, as well as the ease of learning the language due to the peculiarities of writing code. The program of the elective course "Basics of Programming in Python" is presented, including the goals and objectives of the course, planned learning outcomes, learning content, explanations for the implementation of the course, thematic planning, logistical and educational support. It is of interest to implement the learning process in the context of working on a real project. The structure, content and design of the educational site developed for teaching the course are also described. The possibility of using the site in the classroom and for independent work of schoolchildren at home is noted.


In the paper,we introduce the target of mobile IP which is that when changing network access point, it isn't necessary to modify address of IP so that can keep continuity of communication in mobile procedure, meanwhile, illustrating GPRS(General Packet Radio Service) air interface of GSM network and mobile IP backbone network. It presents that mobile IP backbone network can support wireless or wired data transfer, and some possible solution to management and security about mobility and microbility.


A common misconception about the history of mental illness is that, before Freud and psychoanalysis, there was no such thing as talk therapies or what is commonly known today as psychotherapy.


Linear feedback sequence register (LFSR) is a useful cryptographic primitive which is widely implemented in many cryptosystems to represent finite field elements with the counterparts of minimal polynomials. In this paper, an efficient transitive signature scheme from LFSR (LFSR-TS) is considered. First, two derived LFSR sequence operations are designed for LFSR-TS, which are not proposed prior to the current work. Next, the security of LFSR-TS is proven to be existentially unforgeable against the adaptive chosen-message attack in the standard model, which only requires the assumption of the discrete logarithm problem (DLP). Finally, the comparison of performances is presented amongst LFSR-TS and some related schemes.


Incentive effects of depreciation rules for risk-taking are considered. If true economic depreciation is stochastic, profit taxes with expected-value depreciation allowances decrease risk-taking. However, if real capital is used only in the risky sector, more generous depreciation allowances increase risk-taking. It is also shown that the incentive effect of risk-taking-revenue taxes to increase the risky fraction ofinvestment is stronger in the case ofmore generous depreciation allowances.


The software engineering community has been slow to adapt measurement into industrial practice. This article reviews some of the probable causes of this situation, suggests a general approach to metrification, and identifies the most common industrial applications of measurement. These basic applications include project estimation, project tracking, product quality control, product design improvement, process quality control, and process improvement.<<ETX>>


For "Visual Basic Programming" problems in the teaching process,the paper discusses six factors about how to stimulate students interesting in learning VB with theory combining with teaching.


A kinetic study of the racemisation of chlorosilanes shows that the racemisation is second-order with respect to reagent; thus the intermediate is probably octahedral, with each molecule of chlorosilane co-ordinated by two molecules of reagent.


This paper explores the relationships between aggregate profitability and women's labor market participation in the United States during the 1980s and 1990s. We investigate, using decomposition analysis, whether the contribution of the stagnant or declining share of wages in national income to the upswing in profitability was aided by the growing incorporation of women into employment. Comparisons are made between counterfactual and actual wage shares to assess the relative contributions of gender wage disparity and female share of employment to the changes in the wage share. Additionally, we decompose the change in wage share into distributional changes within sectors and changes in the sectoral composition of aggregate value added to examine whether the effects of gender wage disparity and female share of employment on the aggregate wage share were dominated by the effects of compositional changes.


Enhancement request The addition of this functionality in ERM systems is long overdue. E-resources and the problems that inevitably occur through their use will only grow as libraries rely more and more on them. E-books, which are now commonplace in most libraries, have introduced their own set of technical problems as well. Current ERM systems should add troubleshooting tracking tools for librarians to their module options. Library ERM systems are the logical home for such features, and their addition to the systems would simplify and enhance the ability of e-resources librarians to perform their job duties.


Itapema is located on the coast of the State of Santa Catarina, in southern Brazil, and its history points to a strong urban dynamic and growing tourist valorization. This process was particularly striking in Balneario de Meia Praia today characterized by densely constructive, vertical and seasonal occupation. Aiming to uncover this process, this paper studied and recognized forms of urban growth under way, the spatial structure of the Balneario de Meia Praia and ecological relationships established between human occupation and natural ecosystems. To this end, we analyzed the evolutionary of its urban layout and how it comes impacting on the natural structures. Underscoring the importance of those elements more permanent, which persist despite the intensity and speed of the changes ongoing, the study points to strong recommendations to an urban and environmental planning, towards building a future of a qualified city.


This obituary surveys the biography and major works of Liu Zehua, a leading scholar of China's intellectual history, political thought, and political culture. It explores the impact of Liu Zehua's personal experience, in particular the upheavals of the Cultural Revolution, on his conceptualization of Chinese political culture as subjugated to the overarching principle of monarchism. Liu Zehua's critical engagement with China's past distinguished him from proponents of revival of traditional values and made him one of the powerful opponents of cultural conservatives in China.


Based on the geohydrologic conditions of Longhu mine,we used numerical calculation and analog simulation to study the stability and failure form of coal-rock pillar when coal seam thickness and coal pillar width vary.The results show that,with the increase of mining thickness, the height of water flowing fractured zone increase significantly,the fractured height to mining thickness ratio increases,and the big coal pillar cannot obviously reduce the height of water flowing fractured zone.In addition,the water-preventive has two forms of failure:one is the plastic failure,and the other is water flowing fracture becomes connected with the aquifer. For thin coal seams,the reasonable pillar remaining should take the plastic failure into consideration; while for thick seam,the pillar remaining should take the connection of conductive fractures into consideration.


: The experiment was conducted at Zonal Agricultural (ZARS), Gandhi Krishi Vignana Kendra (GKVK), Bengaluru during 2014-15. Thirty two pigeonpea genotypes were screened for resistance against Fusarium wilt in the sick plots and the same set of genotypes were subjected to rigorous screening under greenhouse conditions by using root dip inoculation technique. Among 32 genotypes, 21 genotypes were showed resistant reaction, 4 were moderately resistant three were moderately susceptible and 6 were susceptible under sick plot conditions at 180 days after sowing. Similarly, only 15 genotypes were showed resistant, 9 were moderately resistant, one was moderately susceptible and 7 were showed susceptible reaction under green house conditions at 60 days after root dipping. Root dip inoculation technique confirmed the wilt response in pigeonpea genotypes within short duration of two months. Therefore the identified technique can be used for large scale screening of pigeonpea genotypes against Fusarium wilt.


In this impassioned and challenging lecture, Gillian Evans addresses the interdisciplinary nature of the study of medieval texts and its inherent problems, drawing important lessons for teaching and research within the modern university. Through discussion of the practices, philosophy and constitution of the medieval community of authorship, Evans throws into relief the assumptions which surround our current practice of dividing the subject matter of study into discrete educational 'portions' by discipline and subject. While acknowledging that the task of pursuing the truth through academic study has perhaps been made more manageable by classification, Evans argues that ancient and medieval scholars would not have flourished in a world of single-subject disciplines. Instead, she calls for disciplinary bounds to be broken and for the modern university to lead in the preservation of learning for its own sake and the fostering of a culture of open-ended enquiry.Author: Evans, G. R. Publisher: Cambridge University Press Illustration: N Language: ENG Title: Breaking the Bounds Pages: 00048 (Encrypted PDF) On Sale: 2004-09-30 SKU-13/ISBN: 9780521607285 Category: History : Europe General


In this cross-sectional educational study, second-year MBBS students and teachers were oriented about the study.  62 students (30 females: 48.38% and 32 males: 51.62%) gave written informed consent for participation in the study. Question bank, check lists and script for role play were prepared and validated by the participants, faculty members and experts. The lottery system was used to randomly allocate students into two groups comprising 31 students each – Group A and Group B. Participants in Group A witnessed a role play (mock viva voce examination) before they themselves faced a viva voce examination; while those in Group B faced conventional viva voce examination by the same examiner, who used the same 5 gross pathology specimens. After one month, a formative assessment examination was conducted, wherein Group A students obtained significantly higher scores (Z=2.055; p=0.039) in the viva voce examination as compared their Group B counterparts.


Polymerization-induced phase separation was described using a phase transformation diagram in conversion vs composition coordinates, where metastable and unstable regions were located. Phase separation through a nucleation-growth (NG) mechanism, in the metastable region of the phase diagram, was described with the usual constitutive equations. A distribution of particle sizes was generated as a function of conversion. Different possible composition profiles inside and outside the particles were predicted, leading to refractive index profiles associated with individual particles. Representative sets of particles were properly located in the scattering volume, and the light scattering pattern of the ensemble was generated. A maximum at a wave vector q ≠ 0 was present in the following cases:  (a) at low concentrations of dispersed-phase particles when a depletion layer surrounded the particles and (b) at high concentrations of dispersed-phase particles due to the correlation produced by the location of indiv...


The graphics processing unit (GPU) has evolved into a key part of today's heterogeneous parallel computing architecture. A number of influential data mining algorithms have been parallelized on GPUs including frequent pattern mining algorithms, such as Apriori. Unfortunately, due to two major challenges, the more effective method for mining frequent patterns without candidate generation named FP-Growth has not been implemented on GPUs. Firstly, it is very hard to efficiently build the FP-Tree in parallel on GPUs as it is an inherently sequential process. Secondly, mining the FP-Tree in parallel is also a difficult task. In this paper, we propose a fully parallel method to build the FP-Tree on CUDA-enabled GPUs and implement a novel parallel algorithm for mining all frequent patterns using the latest CUDA Dynamic Parallelism techniques. We show that, on a range of representative benchmark datasets, the proposed GPU-based FP-Growth algorithm can achieve significant speedups compared to the original algorithm.


A laboratory experiment was conducted to assess the effects of participative and directive leadership on participation, performance, and satisfaction of 24 undergraduate student work groups that interacted electronically via a Group Decision Support System (GDSS) to performa creativity task. Participative and directive leadership were manipulated through confederate leaders who entered scripted comments into the GDSS. Performance was measured in terms of quality and uniqueness of solutions.Results of partial least squares analysis indicated that perceptions of both leader participativeness and directiveness were positively related to levels of participation. Participation in turn was positively related to performance but negatively related to satisfaction. Problem structure moderated all these relationships except for the relationship between participation and performance. Practical and research implications, study contributions, and limitations are discussed.


Mobility is a key research area in Next Generation Networks. With operators moving towards Fixed Mobile Convergence where various access networks connect to a common IP centric core, users are being offered a plethora of ways in which to connect to this core. Although there has been a rise in the types of access technologies, we have not seen one access technology prove to be useful in all situations. Each access technology performs best when in a given paradigm. WLAN offers a high data rate and is relatively cheap to install. However it only offers coverage to a small geographical area. UMTS on the other hand offers coverage to a larger geographical area but is expensive to deploy and comparatively offers a lower data rate. One can easily see that a situation where both networks work in conjunction with one another would be most beneficial to the end user. With this in mind, this research paper aims to investigate a manner in which to offer users a seamless experience when performing mid-session handovers. In particular we aim to compare network centric mobility and device centric mobility.


The critical micellization concentration(CMC) and it's temperature dependence of the cationic Gemini surfactants were measured by the open circuit potential and electrical conductivity methods.It is found that the micellization of Gemini surfactants are easier than that of conventional cationic surfactants.From the thermodynamic data(ΔG~0_m,ΔH~0_m,ΔS~0_m) calculated on the basis of the mass action model,we can see that the micellization process is entropy driven,and the enthalpy-entropy compensation plots exhibit an excellent linearity.


Tourism is one of Indonesia's assets to promote economic growth. This sector became one of the largest contributors to national foreign exchange. The number of foreign tourist visits is an indicator of the contribution of tourism which has experiencing the upward trend in annually until the Covid19 happened. In this study, forecasting the number of foreign tourists is needed as a plan to improve the quality of tourism during the pandemic. We used Fuzzy Time Series (FTS) Cheng method. The actual data processed comes from the Central Statistics Agency from April 2020 through December 2021. Based on forecasting results, the performance of the forecasting model is in the very good category with Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) value is 5.06%. It means that our predictions are on average 5.06% away from the actual values they were aiming for. In other side, we have forecasting accuracy value is 94.94% which means that the forecast values were close to the actual.
Keywords:  Tourist, FTS, Cheng Methods


A forward-facing cavity is explored to reduce the severe heating and ablation at the nose tip of a hypersonic vehicle. Whereas previous studies have concentrated on heating rates alone, the present study addresses the effects of the cavity on ablation onset times through joint CFD and solid body heat conduction simulations. Numerically predicted ablation onset times agree surprisingly well with previously obtained Mach 5 experimental data. This agreement benchmarks the computational technique for future use to determine the experimental flowfield physics of this complex, unsteady hypersonic flow problem.


In Sr~utheast 'Isla, Indonesia is the second h ~ g l ~ e s t producing country nf coffee beans after Vietnam. Cn~~sequenrIp, Indonesia comperes with other countries in producing good q u n l i ~ coffee 1,cans. Hou,wer, not many pcaplc havc sufficjcnt skills in tackling problems relatcd to the postharvest handling of coffee bcans. Thc objectire o f thjs study uras tr) asscqs die quality ( ~ f hrabica cnffee (C.i~ff~o mrI~icu) beans in terms o f moisture contcnt. fungal infcction (cspccially ochmtosin ,I or OTI% producing fungi), CjTA contamination, and the tastc of the coffee during str~rilge. The diree processing mmctl~r)ds used were dry, wet, and scrni-wet mclthods. The I,eans were packed using nvo types OF packagng marcrials, i.e., Kantmq S~r?/orhigh p s Garrrcr and pol>+prop~*lene bags (4 kg/bag). They were then stored under warehouse conditions for 4 months o f storage. Thc rnolsturc content of cofl'ec I~cans prncesscrl using thc thrcc mcthnris and paclccd using polypmpylcnc hagswwas higher than that of crlffee beans packed using Kamtflq .l'rmclr high pas barrier; however, ~t was still I.n\ver than the safe moisture content for coffee determined by the Tndonesran National Standard (12.j0/o). / I ~ f ~ i / h n i p was fotlnd in coffee processed using the tl~rec methods and packed using a KQntoq .Smor Iiigh -has bnrj1r.r. Its populatir~n was relativelv lour (< 0.1 x 10 ch/g wet basis). /Ispemi//u.~ ocJrrrttz~.r was found in coffee processed using dry nnd wet methods at the beginning of storzgc. I t s prrpulatiun \vas also relatively low (< O.? s 10 cfu/g %-.I>. oT11 content was not detected In all coffer samples, herausc it mns lower than the dctcction limit of tlic instrument uscd (< 1.85 ppl,). A t tlic beginning of rhc storagc, all coffee sarnplcs wcrc dnminated I>y yeast with the population of 1.9 x 1112 1.2 s 10' c f ~ / ~ w.h. The taste of coffee in r-arious trcatmcnts during 4 months of storagc was still above tlw total standard scorc for specialty firarlc 2 80. Thc l~iglicst total scorc (84) was fot~nd In coffee beans processed using a dry rnetl~od and packed in Kmionq! .Srfllar high gas harricr. The thrcc processing mei-hocls and thc two types r)f packaging materials can l ~ e uscd tn maintain the cluality c ~ f ct~ffec beans for 4 months of starage.


The impact of Co–S coordination environment in pH 7 ORR catalysis is evaluated using dilute Co atoms adsorbed on WS2 nanosheets. Optimal reactivity is achieved when Co is coordinated to both sulfur atoms on WS2 and labile solvent ligands.


Electric vehicles (EVs) have attracted growing interests worldwide because of their advantages of zero emission, low noise and energy saving. Fractional slot interior permanent magnet synchronous motors (IPMSMs) are attractive for EV applications due to their high power density and high efficiency. However, the fractional-slot IPMSMs normally suffer large vibration noise induced by the abundant harmonics in the airgap magnetic field. In this paper, the radial electromagnetic force and the mode of the motor are analyzed based on finite element method (FEM), respectively. Besides, the vibration and noise of the fractional slot IPMSM are studied by the multi-physical field coupling simulation. Finally, the prototype is manufactured and tested to verify the correctness of the theoretical analyses.


The results showed that there was a positive correlation between the length of bearing branches and the number of leaf whorl. The number of fruits were positively correlated with the yield of each branch and the vertical diameter of a fruit but negatively correlated with the vertical diameter of fruit stone. The yield and number of each branch, the vertical diameter and the transverse diameter of fruit showed significant positive correlation with the size of the bearing shoots. The yield of each branch increased along with the diameter of bearing shoots (0.80~1.01 cm in diameter).


To the Editor, We read with interest the recent article by Robertson et al. determining the relationship between 6‐min walk work (6MWW) and the clinical measurements of cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) and investigating the ability to predict peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak) from 6MWW. To meet their objective, Robertson et al.1retrospectively analysed 63 chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (PH) and 54 chronic thromboembolic diseases (CTED) patients. In recent years, exercise capacity has received increasing attention due to its use as a prognostic tool and its association with functional status in patients with pulmonary vascular diseases. For this reason, both distance walked in the 6‐min walking test (6MWD) and VO2peak are included in the risk assessment table of the current clinical guidelines for PH. However, despite the validity of both tests, the CPET is the gold standard examination for assessing exercise capacity, even though it is an expensive test that requires a skilled operator and specialized equipment with limited availability. CPET is useful to support diagnosis, permits stratifying patient's risk and serves as a reliable tool to analyse response to treatment. Despite that, the difficulty of access to this equipment has led numerous researchers to try to create formulas to obtain its main parameter, the VO2peak, from other more accessible and easy‐to‐ perform tests, such as the 6MWT. Nevertheless, to achieve a reliable, reproducible and useful equation in clinical practice, certain test execution conditions standardized by the scientific societies must be met. Having said that, in the Robertson et al. study, there are certain aspects of test execution that deserve attention. One of our main concerns is that two different protocols were used for this study to perform the 6MWT. Initially, a 10‐m corridor was used (2015–2019) and later, a 30‐m corridor (2020) knowing that performing the test in different lengths of the corridor has implications on the results. The current ATS/ERS recommendation supports that the 6MWD is very sensitive to variations in methodology, including changes in track layout and length. Moreover, a recent study showed that the difference between the two protocols could reach almost 70m apart. Additionally, multiple studies have attempted to validate a shorter (less than 30m) course length for the 6MWT, resulting in a significantly smaller distance. The reasons to obtain different distance walked, if the length of the corridor is not the same, are multiple. First, patients slow down the walking speed when going through the cone, which decreases the final distance. For example, a person who walks 600m will only turn 20 times in the 30‐m corridor, but will turn 60 times in the 10‐m corridor. Additionally, if the patient is an older adult or has balance problems, it will be even more difficult to accelerate in each lap. These reasons have led the ATS/ERS to recommend using a standardized corridor of 30m or at least 20m in their clinical guidelines. Furthermore, given this recommendation dates back to 2002, it is not understandable to use circuits shorter or longer than these standardised distances. Another important point refers to what the exercise tests actually measure. The CPET is an incremental test that measures maximum or peak exercise capacity, whereas the 6MWT is usually a submaximal test since it is not incremental. Although our group demonstrated that, in patients with PH, this test represents a maximum capacity, it could not be confirmed that this is the case with all the patients evaluated by Robertson et al., since approximately only half of them, showed PH. It is likely the group with CTED, with a mean pulmonary artery pressure of 16 ± 6mmHg, behaves like the rest of the population and the 6MWT is a submaximal exercise. Furthermore, our data showed that the response to exercise in PH patients indicates cardiovascular limitation due to increased right ventricular afterload. However, in the supplementary material shown by Robertson et al. notable differences in the hemodynamic profile of both populations can be seen and conclusions are not so clear. Finally, we believe that it is essential to generate predictors of maximal capacity, particularly because of


This paper presents our submission to task 4 of the DCASE 2018 challenge. Our approach focuses on refining the training labels by using a HMM-GMM to obtain a frame-wise alignment from the clip-wise labels. Then we train a convolutional recurrent neural network (CRNN), as well as a single gated recurrent neural network on those labels in standard cross-entropy fashion. Our approach utilizes a "blank" state which is treated as a junk collector for all uninteresting events. Moreover, Gaussian posterior filtering is introduced in order to enhance the connectivity between segments. Compared to the baseline result, the proposed framework significantly enhances the models capability to detect short, impulsively occurring events such as speech, dog, dishes and alarm. Our best submission on the test set is a CRNN model with Gaussian posterior filtering, resulting in a 19.37 % macro average, as well as 24.41 % micro average F-score.


Mobile Ad hoc Networks (MANET) has become one of the most important technologies in recent years because of the rapid proliferation of wireless devices. A mobile Adhoc network consists of mobile nodes that can move freely in an open environment. In such an environment, malicious intermediate nodes can be a threat to the security of conversation between mobile nodes.This paper provides an introduction to Mobile Adhoc Networks, Routing related issues and overview of security problems for MANETS &some novel solutions are required to make Mobile Adhoc Network secure.


To evaluate maize yield in an intercropping system with mungbean, this experiment was conducted in 2010 at the Agriculture and Natural Re sources Research Center, Hamedan, Iran. The experiment was conducted in the form of a rando mized complete block design with four replications. Treatments of the experiment included four different ratios of maize / mungbean planting density: 25/75, 50/50/ 75/25, 100/0. Resul ts indicated that different ratios significantly affected most of the measured traits except for pla nt height and the number of ears in plant. 75% maize + 25% mungbean gave the highest yield and yie ld components.


Neutrino oscillation in the matter could get affected by the sub-dominant, yet unknown, non-standard interactions. The upcoming long-baseline (LBL) neutrino experiments will be sensitive to these effects and can provide information on the unknown oscillation parameter values. In this article, we study the parameter degeneracies that can occur in DUNE, T2HK experiments, and a combination of both due to nonstandard interactions (NSI), arising simultaneously, from two different off-diagonal sectors, i.e., $e-\mu$ and $e-\tau$. We derive constraints on both the NSI sectors using the combined datasets of NO$\nu$A and T2K. Our analysis reveals a significant impact that dual NSIs may have on the sensitivity of atmospheric mixing angle $\theta_{23}$ in the normal ordering (NO) case. Furthermore, when non-standard interaction from the $e-\mu$ and $e-\tau$ sectors are included, we see significant changes in the probabilities for DUNE, T2HK, and as well as a combined analysis involving both. Moreover, the CP sensitivity gets affected significantly due to the presence of dual NSIs, and, in addition, the CP asymmetry also exhibits an appreciable difference.


Mg:C60 co-evaporation method has been performed to obtain fulleride of MgxC60 thin films for carrier doping. Atomic concentration of the film has been examined by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to calibrate the composition ratio, and the results indicated that Mg concentration in the film was controlled well. Then, crystal structure of the Mg:C60 mixing film has been examined by using grazing incidence x-ray diffraction method. The diffraction patterns suggested that these films were microcrystalline MgxC60. Conductivity of the mixing films was increased as composition ratio of Mg increasing. It indicates that Mg atoms acted as carrier dopant.


Background: The most common cancer (non-cutaneous) malignancy among men is prostate cancer. Management of prostate cancer, including staging and treatment, playing an important role in decreasing mortality rates. Among all current diagnostic tools, multiparametric MRI (mp-MRI) has shown high potential in localizing and staging prostate cancer. Quantification of mp-MRI helps to decrease the dependency of diagnosis on readers' opinions. Objective: The aim of this research is to set a method based on quantification of mp-MRI images for discrimination between benign and malignant prostatic lesions with fusion-guided MR imaging/transrectal ultrasonography biopsy as a pathology validation reference. Material and Methods: It is an analytical research that 27 patients underwent the mp-MRI examination, including T1- and T2- weighted and diffusion weighted imaging (DWI). Quantification was done by calculating radiomic features from mp-MRI images. Receiver-operating-characteristic curve was done for each feature to evaluate the discriminatory capacity and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and leave-one-out cross-validation for feature filtering to estimate the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the benign and malignant lesion differentiation process is used. Results: An accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of 92.6%, 95.2% and 83.3%, respectively, were achieved from a subset of radiomics features obtained from T2-weighted images and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps for distinguishing benign and malignant prostate lesions. Conclusion: Quantification of mp-MRI (T2-weighted images and ADC-maps) based on radiomics feature has potential to distinguish benign with appropriate accuracy from malignant prostate lesions. This technique is helpful in preventing needless biopsies in patients and provides an assisted diagnosis for classifications of prostate lesions.


In the title compound, C14H10O4·H2O, isolated from the roots of Calophyllum membranaceum, the xanthene ring system is almost planar (r.m.s. deviation = 0.008 Å). In the crystal structure, intermolecular O—H⋯O and O—H⋯(O,O) hydrogen bonds connect the molecules.


Let $(M,g)$ be an n-dimensional Riemannian manifold and $T^{*}M$ be its cotangent bundle equipped with a Riemannian metric of Cheeger Gromoll type which rescale the horizontal part by a nonzero differentiable function. The main purpose of the present paper is to discuss curvature properties of $T^{*}M$ and construct almost paracomplex Norden structures on $T^{*}M$. We investigate conditions for these structures to be para-K\"ahler (paraholomorphic) and quasi-K\"ahler. Also, some properties of almost paracomplex Norden structures in context of almost product Riemannian manifolds are presented.


A smart city has the objective to improve the quality of life of citizens by the extensive use of Information and Communication Technologies. In this project, the focus will be made on winter maintenance operations (WMO). Based on an integrative framework for smart cities initiatives, we will try to understand the links that can be established between smart city theoretical concepts and winter maintenance smart initiatives in practice. This proposal is a first step to bridge the gap between theory and practice by analysing smart city initiatives related to snow collecting. A qualitative analysis, based on structured observations and interviews with decision-makers of WMO in snowy cities, will be made in order to provide relevant knowledge that would serve as a basis for decision-makers to better plan their smart city initiatives.


This article focuses on the analysis of the semantic and syntactic properties of the motion verb nager in order to determine its objects and adverbs, according to the criterion of non-selection represented inde- pendently by different syntacticians or semanticians. The analysis has been carried out on the basis of  a comparative investigation with French and Polish as the main reference languages. The author's goal is to compare the argument structures of the predicate nager and its homologues: plywa and plyn, in order to verify the universal status of their presuppositions and selectionnal restrictions.


Invest in India is an initiative to market India as an investment destination all over the globe, to provide a networking platform to the Indian businesses at a global level and to provide information to the international investors about investment opportunities in India. It is the policy of the Government of India to attract and promote productive Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from non-residents in activities which significantly contribute to industrialization and socio-economic development. FDI supplements the domestic capital and technology. This paper firstly speaks about the FDI culture in India, secondly, reviews economic reforms in India and global response to India's reforms, the next level discusses the policy issues that would address India's relative lack of success in attracting FDI and the 'Expanding Opportunities for Global Retailers' with reference to the retail sector. The last part reveals the key recommendations towards attracting Diaspora FDI. Based on the objective analysis, the key recommendations towards attracting FDI are revealed like allow 100 % FDI in retail and Small & Medium Enterprises (SME), develop a strategic vision for FDI with focus on latest technology, reduce the transaction costs & improve the infrastructure, international and domestic entrepreneurship, decentralize the administration process, reduce overly bureaucratic FDI facilities, private public partnership with private sector taking the lead, Indian professionals placed in key decision making positions, creative joint ventures and partnership to tap entrepreneurship and fix the policies to convert remittances into investment & create venture capital.


In this work, a domain-decomposition finite-difference time-domain (DD-FDTD) method is adopted to study the long-range propagation of a Gaussian pluse. The transfer of tangential components across adjacent domains is properly implemented. Different surfaces, including flat PEC surface, sinusoidal PEC surface, sea surfaces, have been studied to understand their effects on the pulse propagating over them.


Since February this year, the conflict between Russia, one of the important exporters of crude oil, and Ukraine has gradually intensified, causing the international market to worry about the supply of crude oil. Together with the speculation in the United States, international oil prices have been moving higher. We use an option portfolio strategy for hedging to offset the increased costs of crude oil purchaser firms with profits in the financial markets. We use a binomial tree option pricing model to calculate the crude oil option price and use it to derive its delta value. The option portfolio is constructed by selecting real and flat options based on the delta-neutral results. After comparing the results of the analysis, the call inverse ratio spread option is optimal and the bull call option is the next best. The protective strategy constructed using crude oil futures has good risk control but limited profitability. Finally, put forward suggestions for enterprises who uses derivatives for hedging.


The formation of micrometer-size, ring-shaped structures is studied in evaporating solutions of porphyrin-based molecules on glass. Solute concentration, solution and substrate temperature, vapor pressure, and solvent are varied. The molecular arrangements on the substrate are monitored by confocal fluorescence microscopy (CFM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM). From experiment, a nonequilibrium morphology diagram for the observed structures is deduced as a function of solute concentration and evaporation time. The mechanisms involved in ring formation are discussed on the basis of solvent and solute dynamics.


In recent years,chinese outbound tourism grew rapidly and outbound tourism became a new hotspot in chinese consumption.This paper utilized the indicators of gross travel propensity(GTP),country potential generation index(CPGI) and average consumption of tourism(ACT) to conduct a comparative analysis of the difference in outbound tourism between China and other fourteen countries.The conclusion was drawn that it was very low of the penetration of outbound tourism to population in China.China was one of the countries that provided little outbound visitors.The outbound tourism in China was facing transition in consumption,but the high consumption was still an important characteristics of the outbound tourism in China.


In this piece, Dr Manish Nagpal describes his experience and treatment protocol using pattern-scanning laser to manage DME patients, highlighting the benefits of targeted laser application and discussing a case where DME was resolved successfully.


Information Communication Technology Management as a GDP Growth Contributor Within Arab League Nations by Jamal Alexander Thompson MBA, University of British Columbia, 2004 BS, University of Houston, 2002 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Management Walden University November 2017 Abstract The general problem addressed in this study was Arab League nations' over-reliance on fossil fuels as a gross domestic product (GDP) growth driver. Arab League nations that depend primarily on fossil fuel production lack alternative resources for growth in times of fossil fuel usage or price decline. Overdependence on fossil fuels has led to minimal development in other economic sectors, primarily in skilled domestic labor, and to a highThe general problem addressed in this study was Arab League nations' over-reliance on fossil fuels as a gross domestic product (GDP) growth driver. Arab League nations that depend primarily on fossil fuel production lack alternative resources for growth in times of fossil fuel usage or price decline. Overdependence on fossil fuels has led to minimal development in other economic sectors, primarily in skilled domestic labor, and to a high dependency on foreign skilled labor for skilled domestic jobs. The purpose of this study was to examine to what extent information communication technology (ICT) management can be a viable GDP growth contributor in Arab League nations. The main theoretical foundations consisted of diffusion of innovation theory, rate of adoption theory, and the innovation–decision process. The focus of research questions was on how ICT management and fossil fuel production affect the GDP growth rate of Arab League nations. A cross-sectional design was used. Archival secondary data from unesco.org and data.worldbank.org for the 22 countries that comprise the Arab League nations were analyzed. Results of a Pearson's product-moment correlation analysis indicated that there is a significant relationship between real GDP and ICT management growth rates in Arab League nations. Based on study findings, it was recommended that both oiland non-oilproducing governments within the Arab League give more attention to the implementation of ICT management policies. The study contributes to positive social change by providing Arab League governments and stakeholders with a comparative assessment of alternative GDP revenue drivers and potential areas to invest capital to increase skilled domestic labor and maximize human resource capital. Information Communication Technology Management as a GDP Growth Contributor Within Arab League Nations by Jamal Alexander Thompson MBA, University of British Columbia, 2004 BS, University of Houston, 2002 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Management Walden University November 2017 Dedication I dedicate this dissertation to my two sons, Jayden and Jaylen, and my lovely wife, Juanita; you can achieve anything you put your mind to. I owe it all to Almighty God for the strength and preservation that You have given me to achieve my goals. Acknowledgments I thank my chair, Dr. Nikunja Swain, for his support and guidance in this program. I am grateful to my second committee member, Dr. Anthony Lolas, and URR member, Dr. David Cavazos, for their valuable and timely feedback. I thank the staff and faculty of Walden University and the College of Management program director, Dr. Sandy Kolberg, for her pragmatic leadership. I thank all my family and friends who have been with me throughout this doctoral journey. To my mother, Marie Thompson, and grandmother, Liscent Hampton: you motivate me to achieve greatness at all times. Special thanks to all the Walden friends I have acquired during this doctoral journey.


In the presence of tetracyanoethylene (TCNE), Ge-Ge bonds of oligogermanes (Me(Me2Ge)nMe, n = 2-5) were cleaved with CCl4 to yield the corresponding chlorogermanes. A mechanism involving an oligogermane radical cation is proposed for the Ge-Ge cleavage.


Machine learning (ML) offers a great variety of algorithms that can be used in the context of optical networks. In particular, ML algorithms might be applied for classification and to detect patterns, among others. Both, can help to facilitate improving its performance, as well as to understand the behavior of optical networks. In this paper, we review two of these ML algorithms, one for classification and the other for clustering. Illustrative examples of the application of such supervised and unsupervised ML algorithms applied to optical networks are presented.


Multiple myeloma, a malignant tumor resulted by the plasma cell malignancy increment which can synthesis and excrete monoclonal immune globulin while IgG、IgA、IgM all depressed obviously. This text proposes four detection methods which nowadays used most to find the immunoglobulin for the initial stage diagnosis of multiple myeloma.


The article deals with the types of communication breakdown risks appearing in different conditions of speech usage and affecting the language system.


Thank you for downloading the origin of goods rules of origin in regional trade agreements. As you may know, people have search hundreds times for their favorite readings like this the origin of goods rules of origin in regional trade agreements, but end up in malicious downloads. Rather than reading a good book with a cup of coffee in the afternoon, instead they are facing with some harmful bugs inside their laptop.


Abstract We report an experiment designed to study whether models of human-human voice dialogues can be applied successfully to human-computer communication using natural spoken language. Two groups of six subjects were asked to obtain information about air travel via dialogue with a remote "travel agent". Subjects in the computer group were led to believe they were talking to a computer whereas subjects in the operator group were told they were talking to a human. Both groups of subjects actually talked to the same human experimenter. The study focuses on subjects' representations of interlocutor skill and knowledge, and differs from previous analogous studies in several respects: the task is more complex, giving rise to structured exchanges in natural language rather than to question/answer pairs in simplified language; specific attention has been paid to the design, which attempts to avoid biases that have flawed other studies (in particular, conditions are identical for both groups); the time factor has been taken into account (subjects take part in three sessions, at 1-week intervals). Some results confirm those of the literature, namely that subjects of the computer group tend to control and simplify their use of language more than those in the operator group. However, most observations are either new or in contradiction with previous results: subjects in the computer group produce more utterances but no significant differences were observed with respect to most structural and pragmatic features of language; the time factor plays a dual role. Subjects in both groups tend to become more concise. Operator group strategies differ significantly across sessions as regards scenario processing (problem solving) whereas computer group strategies remain stable. These differences in behavior between groups are ascribed to differences in representations of interlocutor ability.


With the increasing use of radioisotope scintigraphy of the skeleton in patients with orthopaedic conditions such as fractures, the problem commonly arises of whether or not it is necessary to remove a cast prior to imaging. In order to resolve this question we have measured the absorption of 99Tcm γ rays by a number of commonly used cast materials and compared it with the absorption of 125I γ rays, which approximate in quality to the X rays normally used in radiography. A rectangular sample of the cast material was prepared by an experienced plaster-room nurse using the recommended procedure for the particular material. Absorption measurements were made with a collimated beam of γ rays and a gamma camera equipped with a multihole collimator. For 99Tcm the analyser window was set from 126–154 keV and for 125I from 15 to 35 keV.


Cloud computing is a burgeoning technology that has ushered in a new era by allowing for a logical computational approach. Over a concept that delivers on-demand services online, it has revolutionized the mechanics of IT consumption. Unlike traditional hosting, cloud services are priced for per basis and may rise or decline in response to feedback. Such services are typically totally managed by cloud service providers and demand only a home computer with an internet connection from users. This model has got the attention of researchers, capitalists, and operators in latest days, with most of them presenting a range of cloud computing, frameworks, and ideas, resulting in a diversity of definitions, requirements, and models. Despite the excitement and development in the field, questions around privacy and security, service discovery partnerships, sharing of resources, and pricing have created additional worries about the model's genuine merits. Deny the reality that infrastructure is predicated on such a 50-year-old business plan, evidence from this study reveals that this still needs to expand and overcome present limits that impede it from fulfilling its full potential. We analyze the top of the line in cloud applications in this study with the purpose of uncovering improvements, gaps, and new difficulties.


This commentary considers the role of Socratic questioning in Alien Landscapes? I discuss the three roles that Glover sees Socratic questioning playing in psychiatry: 1. Questioning to clarify problems, 2. Questioning to treat symptoms, 3. Questioning to reconstruct lives. Although I am broadly sympathetic to the idea that philosophical conversations can help us conceptualise, and deal with, mental distress, I raise two concerns. First, is there any way of providing courses of transformative Socratic questioning cheaply (e.g. through manualisation)? Second, how close is the connection between helping individuals to develop systems of belief and value that fit epistemic norms and helping them to live flourishing lives?


The effect of inhomogeneous velocity flow on Alfvén wave dynamics in the solar wind is investigated. Unlike existing studies in this field that model energy deposition from high‐frequency waves to solar wind particles, we consider here the possibility of obtaining high‐frequency waves (in this case fast magnetosonic waves) from the ordinary Alfvén wave spectrum. It is shown that the spatial inhomogeneity of the velocity field can lead to dissipation of Alfvén waves through ion‐cyclotron resonance. Recent Ultraviolet Coronagraph Spectrometer (UVCS/SOHO) observations indicate that preferential heating and acceleration of heavy ions occurs close to the Sun. The process described here provides a possible interpretation of such solar wind observations.


Thin films of pure and Ti metal ion doped ZnO were grown on glass substrate by spray pyrolysis for various doping ratios keeping the temperature at 400 °C. Impact of Ti doping on morphological, optical and structural properties of ZnO was investigated. Structural confirmation of the thin-film was analyzed by using X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies and it concluded the successful growth of standard thin films of hexagonal wurtzite structure which was polycrystalline in nature. The morphological studies carried out using Scanning Electronic microscope (SEM), endorsed a uniform distribution of grain that are spherical in nature. Composition analysis by energy dispersive spectroscopy showed the presence of Ti, Zn and O in the films. Average grain size was estimated using Scherrer formula and obtained to be in the range of 35 to 50 nm. Atomic force microscopy was used to provide the surface roughness that had increased with the increase of Ti concentration. In the visible region, these films were found to be highly transparent and the average transmittance was obtained to be 85%. Photoluminescence spectral analysis showed a near band edge emission at 397 nm.


This brief communication examines the role of socioeconomic factors and use of social media on the risk perception about COVID-19 in Vietnam, which shares a common border with China. Moreover, Vietnam was the first country to succeed in containment of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003. From a sample of 391 Vietnamese respondents aged from 15 to 47 years, the present study found that geographical regions and behaviors in using social media have a positive impact on the risk perception of COVID-19 epidemic in Vietnam. It also adds to the significance of understanding the risk perception among people to communicate the public health response to COVID-19 to curb the spread of this deadly virus.


A method for constructing model single-null diverted tokamak equilibria is presented. These equilibria are exact solutions of the Grad–Shafranov equation. The exact solution consists of two terms of separable functions. The main merit of this approach is that this solution can describe both the interior and the scrape-off layer of the plasma. The basic properties of such equilibria are discussed. The parameter window is also presented.


ABSTRACT Robert H. Schuller's Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California, appeared to be the model of growth and stability among megachurches—until it imploded. Drawing on archival material and interviews, this article demonstrates how the seeming success of Schuller's church growth philosophy was built on a precarious structure that demanded the continual management of flows of capital. In Schuller's vision, a church's capacity must always exceed a leader's projected plan for growth. Large capital projects stimulate revenue, yet borrowed funds are required to accommodate growth in membership that will produce income to pay off loans later. As new members join, however, structures expand, placing increased strain on mobilizing the loyalty of a wider constituency to uphold the charisma-bearing enterprise. Ensuring the credibility of pastoral charisma requires ever expanding infrastructure, which, in turn, demands increased funding for programs, staff, and buildings—a vicious spiral, exacting enormous strains for sustaining the entire ministry.


This paper explores the contemporary portrayal of US neoliberalism in Hollywood science fiction cinema to investigate in how far and in which form it addresses an increasing loss of confidence in the system. Analysing James Cameron's Avatar (2009), Neill Blomkamp's District 9 (2009) and Elysium (2013), Len Wiseman's Total Recall (2012) and the Wachowskis' and Tykwer's Cloud Atlas (2012) as prime examples of movies that encapsulate science fiction's continued focus on neoliberal stakeholders, this thesis examines motifs in each feature film vis-a-vis their relationship to evidence of discernible self-doubt in the idea that US-led neoliberalism is superior. By combining critical discourse (Foucault 1966, 1969, 1978, 1980) with literary analyses of postcolonial (Said 1978, Shohat and Stam 1994, Hardt and Negri 2000, Kapur and Wagner 2013) and cinematic (Cornea 2007, Geraghty 2009, Ryan and Lenos 2012) works, this investigation explores these films as cases that may genuinely destabilise neoliberalism.
Each of the five selected films demonstrate a certain unease with the notion that neoliberalism can achieve global stability to varying degrees – suggesting a re-evaluation of the parameters of US neoliberal identity. However, while neoliberal failings are considered in these hugely successful sci-fi films, each example simultaneously endorses key aspects of (neo)colonialism and neoliberalism. There remains a general propensity to promote US neoliberal values of individualism and rationality as superior contrary to stereotypical portrayals of the Other as feminine, irrational and inferior.


GPM Core Observatory satellite has been in operation since February, 2014. Before the GPM operation started, TRMM had observed the rain rate in tropical regions. GPM's KuPR is a successor of TRMM/PR, and both have the same design [1]. However, differences have been confirmed in their estimates for the same rainfall. Therefore, we focus on the retrieval method of rain rate, and compare the rain rate estimates by KuPR and PR. As a result of comparison, path-integrated attenuation (PIA), surface reference technique (SRT) and non-uniform beam filling (NUBF) are regarded as the factors of differences of the rain rate. Particularly, overestimation of PIA in KuPR is one of the most important factors of the differences of rain rate. On the other hand, rain rate is overestimated in KuPR when SRT is ignored. Therefore, the number of cases is needed to be increased, and it is necessary to improve the parameters of SRT and NUBF.


Swine influenza, also called types of swine influenza viruses the influenza family of viruses subtypes of influenza A known as throughout pig populations worldwide. Transmission of the virus from pigs to humans is not common and does not always lead to human flu, often resulting o human flu, it is called zoonotic Around the mid-20th century, identification of influenza subtypes became possible, allowing accurate diagnosis of transmission to humans. Since then, only 50 such transmissi pass from human to human. Symptoms of zoonotic swine flu in humans are similar to those of like illness in general, namely discomfort. In August 2010, the we have taken failure due to influenza infections: fever (100 F or greater), cough, nasal secretions, fatigue, and headache with fatigue and failure due to a H1N1 virus due to swine flu. throat, rash, body aches, headaches, occur simultaneously in both the units and after failure the unit undergoes Type immediately. Applying the regenerative point technique with renewal process theory the various reliability parameters MTSF, Availability, Busy period, Cost Benefit analysis have been evaluated.


The reactions of lignins during pulping and bleaching are divided into two categories, i.e. nucleophilic additions and displacements, involved in pulping processes, in later phases of lignin-degrading bleaching and in lignin-retaining bleaching, and electrophilic additions and displacements, initiating lignin-degrading bleaching processes. The attack by nucleophiles, present in pulping liquors, takes place at carbonyl carbon atoms or at vinylogous carbon atoms in intermediates of the enone type, in particular in quinone methides. In addition, nucleophilic groups in the alpha-(or gamma-) position of the side chain attack the beta-carbon atom in a neighbouring group participation type of reaction which, in beta-aryl ether structures, leads to fragmentation. The initial attack by electrophiles, present in bleaching liquors, takes place at sites on the aromatic rings and side chains which are activated by free or etherified phenolic hydroxyl groups. This general concept is illustrated by numerous examples of reactions, known to be involved in pulping and bleaching processes. Possible applications of the concept in the section of appropriate pulping and bleaching combinations and sequences are indicated.


Background— The prognosis of even early stage esophageal cancer is poor. Because there is not a consensus on how to manage T2N0 disease, we examined survival after resection of T2N0 esophageal cancer with or without radiation therapy. Methods— Patients who underwent resection for T2N0 squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma of the mid or distal esophagus with or without radiation were identified using the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results cancer registry from 1998–2008. Five-year cancer specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) after surgery alone and combined surgery with radiotherapy were compared using the Kaplan-Meier approach, risk-adjusted Cox proportional-hazard models, and competing risk models. Results— The 5-year OS of 490 T2N0 patients was 40.3% (95% CI: 35.2–45.4%). Surgery alone was used in 267 (54%) patients and combined therapy in 223 (46%) patients. In patients undergoing surgery only, 5-year OS was 38.6% (CI: 31.7–45.5%) while it was 42.3% (CI: 34.7– 49.6%) for combined therapy, p=0.48. No difference in OS was found even after risk-adjustment (HR: 1.14, CI: 0.87–1.48, p=0.35). However, in landmark studies with left truncation for 3 and 6 months, surgery only showed better OS than combined therapy (HR: 1.33, CI: 1.01–1.75, p=0.04; HR: 1.36, CI: 1.01–1.83, p=0.04, respectively). No such difference for CSS was detected even for the landmark study after 6 months (HR: 1.16, CI: 0.98–1.39, p=0.09). Conclusion— Combining radiation with esophagectomy did not result in improved outcomes compared to esophagectomy alone for patients with T2N0 esophageal cancer in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database.


Efficient Global Optimization (EGO) is a well established iterative approach originally introduced to solve computationally expensive unconstrained optimization problems. EGO relies on an underlying Gaussian Process (GP) model and identifies an infill location for sampling that maximizes the expected improvement (EI) function. The infill point is evaluated which in turn is used to update the GP model, and this cycle continues until the termination condition is satisfied. In order to deal with constrained optimization problems, several modifications have been suggested in the literature over the years. While the approaches are novel and often complex, the performance is assessed using a small set of test cases (typically two or three). It is thus difficult to judge if they indeed offer significant benefits over simple constrained EGO formulations. In this paper we introduce a simple constrained EGO formulation, where the algorithm attempts to locate infill locations that maximize the probability of feasibility (until a feasible solution is identified) and then switches to maximize the penalized EI function (EI is penalized using the probability of feasibility). The performance of the proposed approach is compared with others using a suite of 10 well studied problems. The results obtained using the proposed approach are competitive and often better than previously reported results for the problems. We hope this study will prompt more interest in the development of efficient constraint handling schemes that can be used within EGO.


Judicature-oriented module of administrative enforcement,under the current concrete instead of abstract conditions of our country,is neither logical nor the best alternative,thus failing to embody the enforcement of the concrete administrative action,which is the highest pursuit of a society.In consequence,it is necessary for it to be reformed to avoid the possible results of hurting both the judicature and the administration systems.The value orientation,the pursuit of administrative decision-making procedure,lies in its justice and efficiency.For the pursuit of enforcement of administrative decision,efficiency is the priority while for judicature,justice is the first concern.As a result,they are different from each other.The following module is suitable to the concrete conditions of our country,which is both predictable in the future and can be used to pursue the outcome of no enforcement of administrative decision:enforcement by administrative organs plus administrative and criminal sanction.


A differential equation for degradation is derived by considering variations in friction velocity, critical friction velocity, sediment size, depth of flow, and river width. The armoring effect for nonuniform bed material, which is an important factor in the analysis of degradation problems, is included in the theoretical analysis. Methods of predicting the river-bed degradation below dams are developed by using a differential equation. Numerical examples for a final equilibrium profile demonstrate applications of the method to rivers.


Archaeological desk based research and fieldwork was carried out by the Archaeological Field Unit of Cambridgeshire County Council at King's farm, Chatteris during April and May 1996.Archaeological work was undertaken on behalf of Tarmac Roadstone (Central) Limited. The proposed development includes an irrigation lake within 5.2 hectares of land presently used for arable and pasture. Twenty-six trenches of up to 20m in length and 1.8m wide were machine excavated on a staggered grid across the development area. The basic stratigraphic sequence consists of terrace gravels, overlain by up to 0.76m of desiccated peat which is largely truncated as a result of nineteenth century farming activities. All trenches contained parallel sub-rectangular pits averaging 1.8m x 1.12m in size where they cut through the buried soil. They did not cut into the gravels. The pits form continuous linear arrangements orientated north-west to south-east across the site. They are typical of 'claying', an agricultural technique employed in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, which attempted to reduce peat erosion by introducing clay as a binding agent into the plough soil. The process of claying destroyed the original stratigraphic sequence across much of the site. However, remnants of a buried soil and deposits reflecting the initialisation of peat growth are preserved in pockets throughout the development area. Buried soil within Trench 21 is characteristic of the Ed horizon of an arillic brown earth or former woodland soil (French pers. comm.). In Trench 21 hand excavation of the buried soil which had formed within or collapsed into a tree root depression revealed two flint artefacts: a core and a flake which are probably Neolithic or Bronze Age date. Further investigation revealed no additional traces of prehistoric activity. Other than the presence of 19th or 20th century hand dug 'claying' pits no other archaeological features were present. Given the results of the extensive trenching strategy undertaken it is unlikely that any other archaeological remains are present within the application area.


The leaders of Canada's largest medical research funding organization did not consider the ramifications of proposed restructuring on Aboriginal health research, recently released documents suggest.

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) convened two working groups — one internal,


E-Learning environments which merge traditional classroom instruction with teleconference capabilities are found to overlook the importance of correct localization of both stationary and mobile sound sources for all audience members with the video data on a teleconference screen. Research into conventional sound reinforcement solutions shows how systems based on stereophonic principles fail in this regard. A solution to this localization problem is presented as a 5 loudspeaker frontal line-array and physical implementation of the system is presented for subjective evaluation


Method for the transmission governed corporally of selectable data to a aparatoterminal (10), being memorized in a look-up table for using at least one acceleration sensor (31) capable reference values and data items associated alos thereof, characterized being applied to a body point someUser are detected values influenced vibrations by body movements of the user, because by comparison module are compared vibration values with reference values and esseleccionado at least one data element associated with a reference value and that by a transmission module is transmitted said at least one data item selected alaparato terminal (10).


Methods for measuring functional diversity are essential for functional studies of plant communities. A useful method, the PCA index, based on principal component analysis ordination of functional trait data was introduced and applied to functional diversity analysis of Juglans mandshurica communities in the Beijing Mountains. Thirty-five 10m × 10m quadrats were established in Juglans mandshurica communities. Species composition, functional traits and environmental factors were measured and recorded. The four common indices, FAD, MFAD, FDp and FDc, were used and compared with the PCA index in the analysis. The results showed that the PCA index was successful in quantifying functional diversity and describing its relationships with environmental variables; therefore, it was an effective index in functional diversity analyses. Functional diversity in Juglans mandshuricacommunities varied widely. Elevation and aspect were the key factors affecting functional diversity in communities. Functional diversity inc...


This study explores factors that influence decisions about transition and what works for children with Down's syndrome transferring from primary to secondary school. Qualitative data were collected using semi-structured interviews to gain the views of support staff and parents of two children with Down's syndrome. One parent had chosen mainstream secondary school and was negotiating the transition, whilst the other was making decisions around future placement. The Voice of the Child (VoC) was elicited using rating scales. Thematic analysis revealed practical and ideological insights into transition, highlighting the need for parental involvement, planned transition and recognition of the individual needs of the child. The educational and social implications of these findings are considered along with directions for future research.


The title compound, [Cu(C3H10N2)2(H2O)2](C8H4O4)·2H2O, is a mononuclear complex. The CuII atom is coordinated by four N atoms from two 1,2-propanediamine ligands and two O atoms from two water molecules, to form a distorted octahedral geometry. All the N atoms of the 1,2-propanediamine ligands, and all the O atoms in the water molecules and terephthalate anions, contribute to the formation of a hydrogen-bonded three-dimensional network.


Testicular or paratesticular adenomatoid tumours are benign swellings of the human genital tract. Although benign, they prove a challenge to diagnose clinically, and thereafter treat appropriately. Often, an adenomatoid tumour can be mistaken for a testicular malignancy, causing a patient to undergo an orchidectomy. When symptomatic and diagnosed preoperatively, a testis sparing surgery can be performed in these patients. We report a patient who underwent an orchidectomy for torsion testis, and incidentally was found to have an adenomatoid tumour of epididymis. Though this patient had dull aching pain of the left testis for a significant time, he failed to seek medical help, which if he had done, would have helped him to save his testis! A detailed literature review has been done.


To keep military equipment fit for use, carry out maintenance activities, an important and integral part of which is metrological service. The effectiveness of metrological services depends on the completeness of the coverage of the monitored parameters, frequency and reliability of their measuring control. The most common, at present, when controlling the parameters of military equipment are electromechanical measuring equipment. The main metrological characteristic of electromechanical measuring instruments in a static measurement mode is the nominal calibration characteristic. During operation, the calibration characteristic of electromechanical measuring instruments, under the influence of various factors, has deviations from the nominal, which leads to an instrumental static error. The article deals with the applied aspects of assessing the static error of electromechanical measuring equipment, which is expressed through the sensitivity or static transmission coefficients of measuring transducers. Based on the results of the analysis, a generalized mathematical model of the relative static error of electromechanical measuring equipment for various structural schemes of connecting measuring transducers was obtained. It is proposed to apply a generalized mathematical model to assess the relative static error of electromechanical measuring instruments (with various structural schemes) during their operation. The use of an updated static error will allow to refine the calibration characteristics of electromechanical measuring instruments, which in turn will lead to obtaining reliable information about the state of military equipment during metrological maintenance and immediately before use.


During the homogenisation process of Al-Mg-Si extrusion alloys, plate-like � -Al5FeSi particles transform to multiple rounded � - Al12(FeMn)3Si particles. The rate of thistotransformation determines the time which is required to homogenise the aluminium sufficiently for extrusion. In this paper, a finite element approach is presented which model the development of fraction transformed with time, in the beginning of the transformation, as a function of homogenisation temperature, as-cast microstructure and concentration of alloying elements. We treat thetotransformation mathematically as a Stefan problem, where the concentration and the position of the moving boundaries of the � andparticles are determined. For the boundary conditions of the model thermodynamic calculations are used (Thermo-Calc). The influence of several process parameters on the modelled transformed fraction, such as the temperature and initial thickness of theplates, are investigated. Finally the model is validated with experimental data.


The purpose of this article is to examine workers' rights under Islamic law. The Shari'ah-based financing, investing and related industries establish their businesses on claims that they comply with the Shari'ah's mandates for commercial practices. They focus almost exclusively on the prohibitions on interest, excessive risk and avoidance of dealing with prohibited products and services. However, companies claiming to be in compliance with the Islamic Shari'ah must look beyond the forms of the transactions or the content of the products they sell. The companies and their Shari'ah advisors must also examine the treatment of the workers employed by the companies. As this article will show, the fair treatment of workers is clearly relevant to the analysis of whether a company is Shari'ah compliant. The Qu'ran, the teachings of the Prophet (P.B.U.H.), and the writings of the scholars are replete with instructions regarding the fair treatment of workers. If the workers are not being treated fairly in accordance with Islamic law, the owners of these companies and their Shari'ah advisors should not claim that the companies and products are Shari'ah compliant. This article begins with a case study of janitors working in a building in Indiana that houses one of the offices of a large international company that claims to be conducting its business in accordance with Shari'ah. However, the janitors were being paid less than a living wage. This author argues that under Shari'ah, this practice amounts to the exploitation of the workers and that any company that pays less than a living wage, or benefits from these low wages should not claim to be Shari'ah compliant. Part I of the article gives the reader an overview of the Shari'ah compliant industries and the sources of fiqh (jurisprudence) that are generally relied upon to guarantee Shari'ah compliance. Part III explores the intersection of Islamic commercial law, religious duty and business ethics. Part IV argues based on both classical and contemporary sources of fiqh that the Shari'ah clearly requires the fair treatment of workers. Part V suggests strategies for the implementation and standardization of Shari'ah compliance that would include the fair treatment of workers through requiring those companies that claim to be Shari'ah compliant to pay workers a living wage. The article includes a fatwa issued by Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi, President of the Fiqh Council of North America (2006) which supports the author's arguments.


In this chapter, the authors focus on the principles and guidelines that should be borne in mind when designing and developing (interactive multimedia) language software for foreign language learning. The stages of software design and development can be categorized into six separate stages: (1) feasibility, (2) setting up a team of experts, (3) designing, (4) programming, (5) testing, and (6) evaluating. Each stage is vital to the design and development process for cost effective software, and a wide range of principles and guidelines need to be borne in mind at each stage in order to design and develop effective language learning software. Here, the authors focus on the design principles and guidelines that need to be considered while designing and developing language software.


VGOS radio telescopes enable observations in the range of 2–14 GHz and are much more recep-tive for unwanted radio frequency interference. Some spaceborne transmitters may cause detrimental radiation to VGOS receivers. The registration of new VGOS sites at ITU is important for obtaining administrative protection. This may help to avoid direct illumination by strong radars. This paper introduces the risk of damage and explains the registration procedure.


Let a simple homotopy equivalence of smooth (piecewise-linear) manifolds, c Υ a one-sided submanifold of dimension n, U a tubular neighbourhood of in and let be the universal push-out square of fundamental groups. The groups LS n (F) are the obstruc- tion groups to the splitting of the simple homotopy equivalence / along the submanifold X (see [1]—[3]). We indicate the orientation by a superscript ±. The orientation homomorphisms corre- spond to the orientation of the manifolds, and in the case of the trivial orientation the superscript + will not be indicated. In what follows it is assumed that the horizontal maps in the square F are epimorphisms. Such a square will be called a geometric diagram (there is a discussion of geometric problems in [3] and [4]). We note that in the case when the horizontal maps are isomorphisms the groups LS coincide with the Browder-Livesay groups LN n (ni(Y TC\(Y)).


Tonghai Mongolian women's clothing not only inherits the characteristics of northern Mongolian clothing, but also develops and changes during the long-term production and life, thus becoming a unique style. Through the clothing culture, it maintains the close relationship with the mainstream culture of the nation, the geographical environment in which it lives, and the production and lifestyle, and it also maintains the inner connection of a group. At the same time, it embodies the cultural spirit of a nation, which contains various relics of national totem worship and legendary stories. Keywords—Mongolian people in Xingmeng Township; national clothing; cultural value; cultural implication


Abstract Fruit and vegetable wastes derived from the agri-food industry are generated in large amounts and they can cause great environmental contamination because they have a high moisture content and microbial load. However, both their structural parts (stems, leaves, peels, pulps, seeds, and roots) and the residues resulting after the extraction of their juices are rich in different valuable compounds such as antioxidants, oils, fiber, fatty acids, isoprenoids, lipids, proteins, saponins, and phytoestrogens. Such bioactive compounds can be used as pharmaceutical excipients, food additives, or included in pharmaceutical formulations or food matrices for obtaining nutraceutical products and functional foods, respectively. The aim of this review is to present the most promising alternatives for the valorization of selected fruit and vegetable wastes, currently underexploited, as well as the challenges that may arise when considering the valorization of these wastes in the form of value-added bioactive products. This is exemplified through the revision of the opportunities offered by artichoke, cardoon, asparagus, and pomegranate, which generate large amounts of waste during their processing. A final section is devoted to present the emerging technologies that are being developed for an efficient extraction of bioactive compounds from vegetable matrices. Graphical Abstract


The temperature of asphalt mixtures varies significantly from the plant production to in-situ formation of the pavement structure, especially during the compacting process. Temperature differences from point to point generate segregation, mi* Autor de correspondencia. Telefono: +57+1+275 73 00, extencion 285, fax: +57+1+214 72 80, Correo electronico: email@example.com (O. J. Reyes Ortiz). N.o 36, marzo de 2006 -----� 122 --------------Universidad de Antioquia crofissures, and, especially, changes in the mechanical and dynamic properties of the mixture. In this laboratory study the effect of the temperature during the compacting process on the dynamic module, density, stability and flow of an asphalt mixture with gradation 0/10 and asphalt with penetration 60/70 was determined. When the compacting process was conducted at 100 and 150 oC reductions of: around 30%, 5% and 50% were obtained for dynamic module, density and stability, respectively. ---------


The objective of this research is to develop a decision support system for the investigation of type II diabetes and its risk factors over the region of specific group of people. A total of 732 cases were collected from a government hospital. Predictive analysis was carried out using bee based harmony search algorithm and C4.5 decision tree algorithm with its splitting criterion. From the experimental results, it has been observed that the risk corresponding to Postprandial Plasma Glucose (PPG), A1c-Glycosylated Haemoglobin, Mean Blood Glucose level (MBG), with a prediction accuracy of about 92.87% respectively. It is estimated that the age group corresponding to 34 to 73 was found more prevalent to the disease. The mathematical model proves that age, PPG and MBG have strong co-relation over data matrix. Hence predictive analytics with swarm intelligence techniques can be deployed over risk identification which reduces treatment analysis.


This study was designed to compare the effectiveness of thallium-201 single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and conventional imaging, i.e. computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), in the detection of residual/recurrent squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oral cavity. Thirty-two patients with clinically suspected recurrent SCC of the oral cavity were recruited. All patients underwent thallium-201 SPECT and CT or MRI within 2 weeks. The final diagnoses were based on the histology of biopsy specimen. TI-201 SPECT and CT/MRI both accurately detected 17 of 18 residual/recurrent tumors. CT/MRI had 8 false-positive studies, whereas Tl-201 SPECT successfully excluded all tumors. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and accuracy of Tl-201 SPECT for the detection of recurrent oral SCC were 94%, 100%, 100%, 93%, and 97%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and accuracy of CT/MRI for the detection of recurrent oral SOC were 94%, 43%, 68%, 86%, and 72%, respectively. Thallium-201 SPECT is more accurate than conventional imaging (CT or MRI) in differentiating residual/recurrent oral SCC from post-therapy changes.