The Health Concern Questionnaire used in this study can be found at: http://hdl.handle.net/2022/17250. Other research papers on health concerns and issues such as drinking and problems with alcohol can be found at: https://scholarworks.iu.edu/dspace/handle/2022/17130/browse?type=title; https://scholarworks.iu.edu/dspace/handle/2022/17127/browse?type=title and https://scholarworks.iu.edu/dspace/handle/2022/17124/browse?type=title. Further information about the questionnaire, calculations used for the study, and the original data base can be found in the following item records within IUScholarworks repository. ALL QUESTIONNAIRES developed by Engs are found in the repository at: https://scholarworks.iu.edu/dspace/handle/2022/17141/browse?type=dateissued


Introduction. The fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a voracious and generalist insect pest native to America. It was first detected in West Africa in 2016 and rapidly spread across the continent. The indiscriminate use of chemical insecticides poses risks to human health and threatens the few natural enemies present in these environments. Despite the existence of alternative control measures in America (e.g. genetically modified maize), efforts are needed to develop environmentally friendly approaches that are affordable for smallholder farmers and compatible with the African context. Literature. In this literature review, we describe the potential of the available alternative controls methods which include cultural, physical, biological and semiochemical strategies. The potential of their association is discussed considering their cost-benefice balance and local economic and agricultural context. Conclusions. Several affordable mitigation options could be implemented rapidly, pending proper communication efforts, including (i) the promotion of indigenous natural enemies by promoting refuges and training smallholder farmers on their identification; (ii) cultural methods, mainly by planting directly after the main rainfalls, as well as performing intercropping and crop rotation; and (iii) the use of microbial biopesticides, and avoiding some of the already identified ineffective chemical insecticides.


The introduction of Public-private Partnerships (PPPs) in infrastructure provision has changed the way in which governments around the world now view infrastructure provision. However, the introduction of PPPs to deliver infrastructure has not benefited the broader public. Although SMEs are important for employment creation, inequality and poverty reduction, the participation of SMEs (small and medium enterprises) in PPP projects is very low in developing countries. This is because PPP models in developing countries are developed based on those used in developed economies, and such models ignore the socioeconomic realities facing developing countries. The objective of this study is therefore to demonstrate that PPP projects in developing countries present an opportunity for growing the SME sector and create the needed jobs and contribute to poverty alleviation. The study has found that PPP projects have the potential to develop a sustainable SME sector, as it has found that SMEs do participate in PPP projects; however, their participation is curtailed by a number of challenges such as: lack of access to finance, limited human resources, low technological capabilities, and lack of access to markets. It also found that linking SMEs to PPP projects may address some of these challenges to a certain extent, especially if SMEs provide services to PPP projects during both the implementation and the operational phases of PPP projects. It also found that PPPs have not yet been identified by the South African government as one of the initiatives that can facilitate SME development. Most focus on PPP projects is only on ensuring that they include ownership by previously disadvantaged South Africans. The study recommends that a policy be developed that will incentivise PPP firms to use SMEs in their projects and penalise those PPP firms that fail to comply with the policy imperatives. It went on and found that the different South African government institutional initiatives or frameworks to support SMEs seem to be adequate; however, what is needed is a cohesive approach that links all these initiatives together and ensures that they support one another.


Abstract The average total organic carbon (TOC) content of Chang 91 source rocks is 4.85%, and the main kerogen type is II1, and the average pyrolysis peak temperature is 452 °C in Zhidan-Ansai area, Ordos Basin. These show that Chang 91 source rocks have reached good to excellent level and peak hydrocarbon generation stage. Chang 91 source rocks were formed in semi-deep lacustrine sedimentary environments of fresh-brackish water and weak oxidation-reduction. The discovery of Chang 91 source rock extends the oil exploration field of Yanchang Formation, especially in Zhidan area, it is a favorable area for further exploration in Chang 9 reservoir.


In the previous papers, the authors reported that the decomposition of tocopherol in oxidative rancid oil increases more than those in non-rancid oil.In this paper, the influence on decomposition of tocopherol by oxidation products of oil was investigated. That is for the effect of free fatty acid and peroxide in oil on the decomposition of tocopherol. For examination the following kinds of lard were prepared, namely, without addition of dl-α-tocopherol; with addition of tocopherol by 0.2%; 0.2% tocopherol plus 0.32.3% fatty acid; 0.250.5mg% iron (some iron salts) added thereto; and 13% benzoyl peroxide added thereto; and they were heated at 180°C for 24hrs.The results obtained were as follows;1. Fatty acid and iron in oils did not promote the decomposition of tocoehhrol.2. The decomposition of tocopherol was apparently promoted by the peroxide of oil and the addition of benzoyl peroxide.


Despite having been a specialised agency of the United Nations (UN) since 1974, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is one of the least discussed of the major international organisations. Most analysis of the contemporary global economic system focuses on better known organisations such as the World Trade Organization (WTO) or the World Bank. However, the WIPO warrants more attention, not least as we should be wary of its own depiction of itself as merely a technical agency; rather, it is a highly politicised organisation. Moreover, with a membership of 183 states at the end of 2005, the WIPO falls short of the total UN membership by less than ten countries, and in the last ten years alone has added nearly 50 state signatories to its central establishing Convention. Thus, the WIPO is one the most 'global' of international organisations with nearly 40 more members than the WTO. I briefly set the WIPO in its historical context and then outline its recent activities in the realm of capacity building and technical assistance, before discussing the WIPO Development Agenda. The Development Agenda seeks to shift the WIPO from 'promoting' intellectual property rights (IPRs) to a more developmentrelated orientation, reflecting more explicitly its status as a UN specialised agency. The struggle over the Development Agenda has contributed to a growing realisation among activists and others that the WIPO's claim that it was and is a technical organisation has obscured its political activities.


The development of more effective anti‐tuberculosis (TB) vaccines would contribute to the global control of TB. Understanding the activated/memory T cell response to mycobacterial infection and identifying immunological correlates of protective immunity will facilitate the design and assessment of new candidate vaccines. Therefore, we investigated the kinetics of the CD4+ T cell response and IFN‐γ production in an intravenous challenge model of Mycobacterium bovis bacille Calmette–Guérin (BCG) before and after DNA immunization. Activated/memory CD4+ T cells, defined as CD44hiCD45RBlo, expanded following infection, peaking at 3–4 weeks, and decreased as the bacterial load fell. Activated/memory CD4+ T cells were the major source of IFN‐γ and the level of antigen‐specific IFN‐γ‐secreting lymphocytes, detected by ELISPOT, paralleled the changes in bacterial load. To examine the effects of a DNA vaccine, we immunized mice with a plasmid expressing the mycobacterial secreted antigen 85B (Ag85B). This led to a significant reduction in mycobacteria in the liver, spleen and lung. This protective effect was associated with the rapid emergence of antigen‐specific IFN‐γ‐secreting lymphocytes which were detected earlier, at day 4, and at higher levels than in infected animals immunized with a control vector. This early and increased response of IFN‐γ‐secreting T cells may serve as a correlate of protective immunity for anti‐TB vaccines.


BACKGROUND
Cardiovascular events are a major cause of death in patients with end-stage renal disease. Endothelial dysfunction represents a key event in atherosclerosis development and has been implicated in the pathophysiology of different forms of cardiovascular disease, including chronic kidney disease. In recent years, visfatin, a ubiquitous adipokine, has been described as a potent marker of endothelial inflammation and dysfunction. The aim of the study was to investigate the association of visfatin with well-known markers of inflammation and endothelial dysfunction.

METHODS
Serum and plasma samples from 66 patients (40 males and 26 females) treated by hemodialysis were analysed for visfatin, fibrinogen, CRP, PAI-1 levels. Visfatin was determined by ELISA method while CRP, fibrinogen and PAL-1 were obtained by standard laboratory methods.

RESULTS
We observed statistically significant correlation between visfatin level and fibrinogen (r = 0.51; p = 0.008) and the time on dialysis in female patients (r = 0.70; p < 0.001). PAI-1 and CRP did not correlate with visfatin in males nor in females.

CONCLUSIONS
Visfatin is correlated with time on dialysis and with fibrinogen only in female dialysis patients. To confirm this, further studies are needed with a higher number of patients.


Abstract : The continuation of the United States Army's mosquito survey program, now in its second season, continues to add materially to our knowledge of the abundance and distribution of the mosquito fauna of the seven states in the Southeastern United States which comprise the Fourth Service Command. A considerable number of new state records as well as new locality records have been added this year, and in addition one new species of has been collected in Florida and will be described at a later date. Since the state of Louisiana is no longer under the jurisdiction of this Command, the Fourth Service Command is now composed of the following states: Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Several Army installations scattered throughout the above mentioned states submit weekly collections of mosquito adults and to this laboratory for identification or confirmation. The fundamental purpose underlying these collections is to keep a constant check on the abundance of Anopheles quadrimaculatus at the various Army posts.


The wooden sleeper laid in the railroad is highly contaminated by the preservative such as creosote used in the production process. And the secondary contamination of wooden sleeper happened from the leakage of diesels and lubricant oils. Recently the concrete sleeper has replaced the wooden sleepers. But the wooden sleepers are still used and the huge amount of waste wooden sleeper are discharged every year. Due to the environmental toxicity of contaminants in waste wooden sleeper, the waste wooden sleeper is categorized as the specified waste and its disposal should be carefully conducted. But there is not alternative method except the incineration. In this study, the thermal extraction characteristics of waste wooden sleeper in high temperature were investigated to observe the feasibility of the disposal and reuse of waste wooden sleeper.


Gerrymandering is the process of drawing electoral district maps in order to manipulate the outcomes of elections. Partisan gerrymandering occurs when political parties use this practice to gain an advantage. Increasingly, computers are involved in both drawing biased, partisan districts and in attempts to measure and regulate this practice. Several of the most high-profile proposals to measure partisan gerrymandering involve the use of past voting data. Prior work primarily studies the ability of these metrics to detect gerrymandering. However, it does not account for how legislation based on the metrics could affect voter behavior or be circumvented via strategic voting. We show that even in a two-party election, using past voting data can affect strategyproofness. We further focus on the proposal to ban "outlier maps," which appear biased toward a particular party when compared to a random sampling of legal maps. We introduce a game which models the iterative sequence of voting and redrawing districts under the restriction that outlier maps are forbidden. Using this game, we illustrate strategies for a majority party to increase its seat count by voting strategically. This leads to a heuristic for gaming the system when outliers are banned, which we explore experimentally. Applying a version of our heuristic to past North Carolina voting data shows that these strategies can be found for real states under some stricter assumptions. Finally, we address some questions from the recent US Supreme Court case, Rucho v. Common Cause, that relate to our model.


This paper is focused on the temperature measurements which can detected the influence of temperature changes on the microclimate in animal production building after the installation of photovoltaic (PV) modules. The first series of experiments were performed on a specially designed model cowshed. For the data comparison and verification, the same measurements were realized in real conditions of the animal production object. The temperature balance was identified by measurements of the temperatures in the different parts of roof, PV modules, and the most important were measurements of the ambient temperature and temperatures in three levels of the cowshed interior. For the confirmation of results, measurements were done in two cowsheds, which had the same azimuth orientation and roof slope. The first cowshed was without installation of the PV modules on the roof and the second building had installed PV modules. By the data analyzed from experimentally obtained time-temperature dependencies, it was found that the installation of PV modules on the cowshed roof had a positive influence on the interior temperature balance. The installation of PV also had a positive effect on the cowshed microclimate, which was declared by calculation of the Temperature—Humidity—Index.


Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS), density, and differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) measurements were used to study systematically the variation of the glass-transition temperature (T g ) and the size v and number density N h of local free volumes in n-alkyl-branched polypropylenes. The samples were metallocene-catalyzed propylene copolymers with different α-olefins (from C 4 to C 16 ) and a different α-olefin content (between 0 and 20 mol %). From the total specific volume and crystallinity the specific volume of the amorphous phase V a was estimated and used to calculate the fractional free (hole) volume h and value of N h . The variations of T g , v, V a , h, and N h were related to the degree (number and length) of branching. T g decreases and v increases linearly with the number and length of n-alkyl branches. This behavior was attributed to an increased segmental mobility caused by branching. Both values, T g and v, follow linear master curves as a function of the degree of branching (DB) if this is defined as the number of all side-chain carbons with respect to a total of 1000 (main-chain and side-chain) carbons. Only propylene/1-butene copolymers deviated from these relations. A linear relation between v and T g was also found. The number density of holes was estimated to be N h = 0.49(±0.07) nm 3 and N h ' = 0.58(±0.11) × 10 21 g 1 , respectively. It shows a slight variation with the DB, which is also seen in the behavior of the specific volume V a . This variation was explained by the appearance of sterical hindrances resulting from short-chain branches that may prevent an efficient packing of the chains.


(51) Int. Cl." ....................................................... H02P 7/42 (52) U.S. Cl. ... 318/801; 318/139 (57) ABSTRACT A hybrid/electric Vehicle including a battery System con nected to a DC charger, an inverter coupled to the battery System, and an electric AC motor coupled to the inverter. The motor has first, Second and third Stator windings cor responding to first, Second and third phases of the motor. Each Stator winding has first and Second leads, and the inverter has a plurality of Switches that are connected to provide current to the Stator windings at the first and Second leads.


Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women.According to the current representative of the domestic and foreign practice of psychological care in patients with breast cancer status,objectives and interventions from the intervention were analyzed and compared both clear advantages and disadvantages,an improved strategy to promote the psychological care of patients with breast cancer carry out scientific and effective implementation.


Acupuncture is mainly based on neuroanatomy and neurophysiology. There are peripheral nerves and terminals at each acupuncture point. Suggested acupuncture treatment for selected neurological disorders is presented, showing that acupuncture can play a useful role in the neurology department.


Digital M‐mode echocardiography describes a characteristic alteration in the pattern of left ventricular filling when a dilated cardiomyopathy is present. The peak rates of early diastolic dimension change (dD/dt and dD/dt/D) are uniformly reduced but remain unchanged in time of occurrence (time to dD/dt). The rapid filling period is slightly shortened compared to normals, but the %AD taking place during rapid filling is not different than normals. This pattern is distinct from characteristic alterations seen in other cardiac diseases that have preserved systolic performance. While M‐mode indices of left ventricular filling may be altered by several factors, the most significant factors in dilated cardiomyopathy are the severity of systolic dysfunction and preload. Left‐sided conduction delays and associated right ventricular enlargement have no demonstrable effect on very early portions of diastole, but the conduction delay does prolong the rapid filling period and reduce the extent of filling during this period. Combined use of digitized M‐mode echocardiograms and Doppler analysis of transmitral flow may allow a more complete description of left ventricular filling in future studies. (ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Volume 8, March 1991)


The as-prepared lignin-based activated carbon (LAC) was post-treated by urea and radio-frequency cold plasma separately. The obtained results demonstrated that the BET surface and total volumes of the LAC and plasma-treated LACs were greater than the urea-modified sample. The analysis of surface elemental composition showed that the nitrogen content of urea-modified LAC and nitrogen plasma-treated LAC are 3.79% and 2.62% higher than that of original LAC respectively, while the oxygen content of air plasma-treated LAC is 10.23% higher than that of original LAC. The Fe(III) ions adsorbed studies with pseudo-second order kinetic model revealed that urea-modified LAC had faster chemisorption rates while air plasma-treated LAC had larger adsorption capacity within 3 h. Moreover, the adsorption capacity and chemisorption rates of LAC post-treated by nitrogen plasma are inferior to the air plasma-treated LAC.


Objective:To investigate the effects of ketamine combined with sodium gamma hydroxybytylate on burn or orthopedic operation on the extremities or trunks.Method:The cases with burn or orth opedic on the extremities of trunks were selected and all of them were aged 0.8~6 years old and weighed 6~20kg.The basic anesthesia was performed with first dose of ketamine in 4~6mg/kg,then the push dose of ketamine combined with sodium gamma hydroxybytylate was given internmittently to maintain anesthsia during operation.The blood routine,electrolytes,pre-and post-operative blood-gas in 12 cases of large area burn were recorded and heart rate,blood presure and SPO 2 were aslo monitored during operation.Results:No statistically differences were obtained in such indexes as blood routine,electrolytes,pre-and postoperative blood-gas in 12 cases of large area burn (P0 05).The incidence of heart rate change within and over 20/min was 41.3% and 51.9% respectively;The incidence of BP change within and over 5/min was 62.5% and 23.1% respectively;The SpO 2 was in the range of 96.3±1.5%.Conclusions:It is safe and practical to perform anesthesia by intraveous ketamine combined with gamma hydroxybutylate in burn and orthopedic operation on extremities and trunk.


Currently, the entertainment industry in Ecuador has stagnated in terms of innovative products and services; having a perception by the consumer of being a very limited industry. Due to this fact, the present plan analyzed the feasibility of opening an Escape Game in the city of Quito, giving a positive result, which will be developed in the following paragraphs. Escape Games is an entertainment service that was born less than 5 years ago in Japan. The concept of these games is that a group of between 3 and 8 people enter a room set based on a story; and solving tests that require the use of ingenuity and logic to get out in less than 60 minutes. The project seeks to differentiate by using licenses with high recognition, in order to attract consumers to live an unforgettable experience with stories set in: Harry Potter, Jurassic Park and Pirates of the Caribbean. All this in order to satisfy the need for fun. To carry out this study, various environment analysis tools were used, such as PEST and PORTER; and for consumer analysis such as Focus Group, surveys and interviews with experts; Showing various opportunities for this type of business, such as: favorable industry, consumers interested in the service, few competitors, etc. In the marketing plan, it is proposed to use differentiation strategies, seeking permanent communication to the consumer in order to give the client an understanding of the type of service that is being offered. Using the contracted licenses as a key. And finally, a positive financial analysis is obtained, in which it is observed that the project is viable both for the investor and for the project in general; having positive VAN and TIR and a return time of approximately 3 and a half years.


This paper presents a new conceptual project of a transducer using a magnetic fluid and thereby achieves a relatively
high performance. Due to magnetic properties of used liquids, resulting forces increase several times.


In this paper, the explicit hybrid stabilization method is employed to formulate stabilization vectors for the uniformly reduced integrated eighteen-node solid element. An assumed contravariant stress is devised based on the strain associated with the commutable mechanisms of a geometrically regular element. It will be seen that the stabilization vectors can be derived and programmed explicitly without resorting to numerical integration loops. Admissible matrix formulation is employed in evaluating the flexibility matrix which becomes diagonal and thus induces no inversion cost. The element accuracy is comparable with other state-of-the-art nine-node shell and eighteen-node solid elements. FORTRAN subroutines for constructing the stabilization vectors are presented. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


1. Introduction 2. Naturally occurring aphidicolanes 3. The chemistry of aphidicolin 4. Synthesis 5. Biosynthesis 6. References The occurrence and structure of the biologically active tetracyclic diterpenoid aphidicolin and related aphidicolane natural products, together with their chemistry, their molecular rearrangements and their biosynthesis, are reviewed.


Objective: The aim of the present study was to carried out phytochemical analysis of aqueous and ethanolicextract of Moringa oleifera and to find out antifungal property of Moringa oleifera. Methods: Moringa oleifera leaf extracts was used for plant component analysis and for determination of antifungal activity. Saccharomyces cerevisiae (MTCC No.170), Candida albicans (MTCC No.183),Candida tropicalis (MTCC No.1000) strain were used for experimental purpose.Well diffusion method was used to assess the antifungal effect of the extracts on micro-organisms. Results: The phytochemical screening indicated the presence of flavonoids, tannins, steroid, alkaloid, saponins etc., in the both extracts. Antifungal activity of ethanolic and aqueous extract of Moringa oleifera leaf was highly active against Saccharomyces cerevisiae andactive against Candida tropicalis and not showing activity against Candida albicans . Conclusion: The present study conclusively demonstrates that Moringa oleifera is a good source of various phytochemicals like alkaloids, flavonoids, carbohydrates, glycosides, saponins, tannins, Terpenoids. The antifungal activity Moringa Oleifera was clearly shown by the present study against various fungi like Saccharomyces cerevisiae , Candida albicansand Candida tropicalis . All these preliminary reports warrant an in depth analysis of the usefulness of Moringa oleifera as miracle drug against various ailments.


The invention relates to a nuclear magnetic resonance detection device and a nuclear magnetic resonance detection method for the advanced detection of a water bodies in the front. In the device, a computer is connected with a system controller, a high-power power supply and a signal acquisition unit by a serial port bus respectively; and the system controller is formed by connecting a bridge circuit driver, a high-power H-shaped transmitting bridge circuit, a resonant capacitor and a transmitting coil. Compared with the prior art, the device can detect important information such as the existence of water-bearing bodies in the front, the water content of the water-bearing bodies and the like accurately and effectively. The occupied area of the coil is reduced effectively by a mode of arranging the coil vertically, so that the device can perform exploration in narrow space. The device can detect the underground geological condition within a certain distance in the front directly and accurately in production fields of coal fields and mines or construction sites of tunnels so as to reduce mine accidents caused by geological disasters such as water burst, mud gushing and the like due to unclear geological conditions in the front or various incidents caused by the geological disasters in the process of tunnel construction.


Akind of Antenna Control System of Satellite Communication in Motion is developed .The TMS320VC5502 chip ,which is produced by Texas Instruments Corp., is applied as data processor.It improves the speed of data processing of system ,the speed of responsing of system and the procision of t1he data.And it reduces the cost of the system and realizes the steady communication.The testing results show that this system possesses stable capability and high reliability.The system entirely reaches the demand of the Satellite Communication in Motion antenna control.


Richard Evans is among the select few who have followed and fully understood the inside story of open tennis since it exploded on an unsuspecting public 25 years ago. As professional tennis has defied every economic downturn, Evans has followed the action of each tournament closely, observing a continual growth in prize money, spectator interest and international television coverage. This book analyses the phenomenal impact that John McEnroe and other superstars have had on sporting conduct, charts their greatest matches, and reveals the very latest insider politics that helped create the new ATP tour. As well as examining the heady early days of open tennis and such greats as Laver, Newcombe and Rosewall, this book comes right up-to-date and tackles such topical issues as the bizarre behaviour of Monica Seles, the increase of bigger rackets wielded by bigger players and the shortcomings of power tennis.


The aim of this study was to investigate the level of phosphorus in blood
serum of laying and non laying Magelang ducks. Eight clinically healthy Magelang
ducks (4 laying and 4 non laying ducks) were used in this study. Blood samples
were collected through brachial vein before morning feeding. Serum was separated
by centrifugator (8 minutes at 8000 round per minute). Phosphorus serum was
analyzed using Beckman counter method. The data were analyzed using t-Test. The
results showed that the serum level of phosphorus of non laying ducks was 3,75 ±
0,74 mg/dl, whereas the phosphorus serum level of laying ducks was significantly
higher, 7,72 ± 0,47 mg/dl (P<0.05). Based on the results, it could be concluded that
blood phosphorus level of female adult ducks was influenced by reproduction
status.


In January 1927 the ruling core of the Bolshevik party met to discuss progress towards cutting the retail prices of industrial commodities. This policy was intended to reconcile the interests of urban and rural households with those of the state, and keep peasant farmers supplying food on a scale sufficient to meet the needs of state-led industrialization. The policy was difficult to implement because it ran counter to the requirements of market equilibrium, while the implied squeeze on trading costs and profits also generated widespread resistance. The Bolshevik leaders faced a choice between allowing the market to return to equilibrium and imposing the desired prices and quantities by force. The verbatim minutes of their discussion, available for the first time, show us how they perceived this choice before they made it.


Opportunistic maintenance (OM), which shows its superiority on complex multi-component systems by integrating the maintenance activities of multiple components to reduce the maintenance cost, has been widely studied over the past decade. To our knowledge, most of the existing OM works are developed based on fixed maintenance thresholds without fully utilizing the health state of the multi-component system. This article presents an OM optimization problem of multi-component systems with load sharing, solved by a modified proximal policy optimization approach based on deep reinforcement learning algorithm. The load sharing effect is reflected in the hazard rate function, which further changes the failure probability of the components. Meanwhile, the health states can be recovered by executing imperfect maintenance and corrective maintenance. The optimization problem is formulated as an infinite-horizon MDP with mixed discrete and continuous state and action space to maximize the total discounted reward, taking into account the system reliability and the maintenance cost. The difficulty caused by the mixed action space is solved by designing a parameterized action space structure and multi-task reinforcement learning framework. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is tested on a four-component system and a real-world scenario configured with the high-pressure feedwater heater system in the nuclear power plant. The results show that the performance of the algorithm is stable when facing large-scale problems. The algorithm proposed in this study also contributes to the imperfect maintenance optimization with state-of-the-art optimization techniques.


The editors express concern about a recommendation in the report "The American Academy of Neurology's Top Five Choosing Wisely recommendations" (Neurology® 2013 Feb 20 [Epub ahead of print]; DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0b013e31828aab14). The Methods section contained wording indicating that the AAN Working Group sent the final 7 candidate recommendations to relevant AAN Sections and Committees, specialty societies, and patient advocacy organizations for review before voting on the final recommendations. In fact, as the result of an oversight by AAN staff, the Multiple Sclerosis Section of the AAN was not asked for their input, which was relevant for the fourth recommendation, "Don't prescribe interferon-β or glatiramer acetate to patients with disability from progressive, nonrelapsing forms of multiple sclerosis." Several members of the Multiple Sclerosis Section have responded in Neurology's WriteClick online correspondence with major concerns about this recommendation. Further evaluation is under way to determine whether the authors will change the recommendation after review by the Section. Update: After final evaluation of feedback from the AAN MS Section Executive Committee, the Editors determined that no corrections to the article would be necessary.


1 The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is an important driver of inter-annual variations in climate and ecosystem productivity in tropical regions. Most previous studies have analysed ENSO-induced changes in climate based on a single variable, such as rainfall. Also, it is generally assumed that the ENSO impact in East Africa is geographically uniform. 2 The objective of this study is to improve understanding of the impact of ENSO on East African ecosystems, by measuring teleconnec-tions between an ENSO index and a number of ecosystem variables in a spatially explicit way and for different time lags. We analysed the spatial patterns of teleconnections in the region by combining time series of climate variables measured for meteorological stations with time series of a vegetation index and surface temperature data measured by remote sensing.


Aims: We investigated possible relationships between body constitution, age and sex of school children and their intellectual and physical abilities to provide effective life supporting first aid. Methods: Our observational study was carried out at the end of a school year, after first aid training had been provided by local teachers. As primary outcomes we measured CPR effectiveness parameters (depth of chest-compressions, number of chest-compressions, ventilation volume). As secondary outcomes we rated emergency calls, guideline adherence when checking signs of life and recovery position according to predefined checklists. Possible inter-dependencies between age, sex, body mass index (BMI) and physical or intellectual performance were calculated. Correlations between continuous data were assessed by Spearman rank correlation coefficient and differences between groups were tested by Wilcoxon's rank-sum test. A p-value < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: We included 147 pupils at the age from 9 to...


A method for the simultaneous and multiple rearing of western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), larvae of an even and known age is described, which incorporates parafilm membranes for oviposition and leaf disks for larval development. In total, 59 female F. occidentalis that fed on pollen laid 150 eggs during 6 h in five rearing cages. Over 70% hatched and developed to second instar. Mortality during the pupal stage was high (total mortality > 45%), so the method is less suitable for rearing adults.


A simple, low cost and rapid flow injection turbidimetric method was developed and validated for mebeverine hydrochloride (MBH) determination in pharmaceutical preparations. The developed method is based on forming of a white, turbid ion-pair product as a result of a reaction between the MBH and sodium persulfate in a closed flow injection system where the sodium persulfate is used as precipitation reagent. The turbidity of the formed complex was measured at the detection angle of 180° (attenuated detection) using NAG dual&Solo (0-180°) detector which contained dual detections zones (i.e., measuring cells 1 & 2). The increase in the turbidity of the complex was directly proportional to the increase of the MBH concentration in the range of 2.0-10 µmol/L with a limit of detection 0.35 µmol/L, 0.9981 (R2), and 2.0-12 µmol/L with a limit of detection 0.4 µmol/L and 0.9973 (R2) for measuring cells 1 and 2, respectively. The intra-day precision for three serial estimations of 5.0 and 9.0 µmol/L of MBH exhibited an RSD % of 0.23 % and 0.77 % and 0.68 % and 0.13 %, for cell 1 & 2, respectively. While the inter-day precision for three serials of three days exhibited an RSD % of 0.03 % and 0.77 % and 0.11 % and 0.07 %, for measuring cells 1 & 2, respectively. The accuracy of the developed method has expressed as an error % (E%) and a Rec % (recovery percentage), which was between 100.35 to 101.15 and 99.70 to 101.56 for cell 1 and cell 2, respectively. The present flow injection method has shown no interference effect from the common excipients and permits quantitively determination of 60 samples per hour. The developed method was successfully applied for the quantitative determination of MBH in different tablets containing 135 mg with excellent recovery percentage.


The scale of phenol consumption is significant but to meet the industry needs not only phenol is necessary but naphthols and different phenol homologs are important either. Both naphthols (  - and  --type) have a great technical significance;  -naphthol is the most important one among the simple intermediate products of a naphthalene number. Naphthols are used in the manufacture of azo -dyes as azo-components and they are the initial products for producing of naphtholsulfoacids which are also widely used in the manufacture of azo-dyes. In this article the main regularities of naphthol influence on toxicity of modified adhesive composition are identified. The quantitative interrelation of resin toxicity reduction from the amount of a led modifier is established. The composition and structure of naphthol modified urea-formaldehyde resins by the method of NMR spectroscopy are considered. (Plotnikov N.P., Plotnikova G.P., Denisov S.V. Structure of naphthol modified urea-formaldehyde resins by using the method of nuclear magnetic resonance. Life Sci J 2014;11(11s):651-654) (ISSN:1097-8135). http://www.lifesciencesite.com. 147


Previous work has demonstrated that intergenic V(D)J rearrangement, a process referred to as trans-rearrangement, occurs at an unexpectedly high frequency. These rearrangements generate novel V(D)J combinations which could conceivably have some role in the normsd immune system, and since they probably arise through chromosomal rearrangements akin to those associated with lymphoid neoplasia, they may also serve as a model for investigating recombinational events which underlie oncogenesis. In view of the existence of a mechanism that permits relatively frequent intergenic trans-rearrangements, it seems reasonable that interallelic trans-rearrangements involving segments bdonging to each of the two alleles of a single antigen receptor gene might also occur. To determine the frequency of such rearrangements, we examined thymocytes of F1 progeny of a cross between SWR mice, which have a deletion spanning 10 of the known V0 segments, and NZW mice, which have a deletion involving all Jr32 segments. Rearranged TCR-/3 genes containing V/~ segments from the NZW chromosome and Ja segments from the SWR chromosome were amplified from the DNA of F1 thymocytes with the polymerase chain reaction. Using this approach, we found that such rearrangements are relatively uncommon, being present in about 1 in 10 s thymocytes, a frequency lower than that of V.~/J0 intergenic trans-rearrangements. The ratio of conventional c/s-rearrangement to interalldic truns-rearrangement for any particular Vt~ segment appears to be about 104:1. The structure of the junctions in all trans-rearrangements analyzed closely resembles conventional c/s-rearrangements, indicating involvement of V(D)J recombinase in the ultimate joining event. However, in contrast to c/srearrangements, a strong bias for inclusion of Dal segments over Da2 segments was noted, suggesting that interallel~c trans-rearrangement may occur preferentiaUy during attempted D-J joining. J02 segment usage in trans-rearrangements also appeared to differ from that expected from previously studied c/s-rearrangements. The results have implications with respect to the events and timing of conventional c/s-rearrangement during thymocyte differentiation, and the prevalence of various types of trans-rearrangements.


This article discusses the evolution of the fire service role in accidents in Greater Manchester County, England. It then gives illustrated examples of rescue tools employed by the fire service at road traffic accidents.


'Religion' is a Western construct which, when transplanted to Asian countries, has led to a transformation of indigenous traditions and given rise to ethno-religious forms of identification. This article discusses the continuing influence of 'religious' identities among members of Britain's South Asian communities, in both the work of writers and in official discourses, and argues that this distorts our understanding of the complexity of legal reconstruction among diaspora communities. It proposes alternative categories of 'ritual', 'politics' and 'soteriology' as components of legal pluralism in the South Asian diaspora. The article further explores how combinations among these are leading to distinct tendencies in plural legal reconstruction and official recognition in diaspora.


THIS paper carries on an argument begun in an earlier paper (&dquo;Rationality and Revolutionary Collective Action&dquo;)1 in which I used the explanation of social revolution to help me pin down some general arguments about the roles of action and structure in explaining social change and about the scope of application of rational choice theory. My starting point in the earlier paper was the methodological point of view so lucidly exemplified in Theda Skocpol's States and Social Revolutions.2 Explicitly committed to a &dquo;nonvoluntarist, structural&dquo; explanatory perspective, Skocpol set out to explain structural outcomes directly in terms of structural causes. There was to be no role for intentional action or for individual


Abstract Athletes are icons of sport, as they are considered models to be imitated by society in general, specifically by students. The objective of this study was to verify whether the imagery references of professional athletes represented in physical education textbooks in elementary school I and II in Brazil perpetuate male sports models, or, on the contrary, make visible female sports models. We used a descriptive and comparative methodology by publishers, and, as a research technique, content analysis. The results show the predominance of the male sports model in the images. Therefore, it is necessary that publishers review these teaching materials to increase female representation and begin offering female sports role models to students.


The integration of decoration and insulation,solar water heating system,wind-solar hybrid power supply system are applied in a residential area.The utilization is expounded in details to provide reference for renewable energy technology applications in Henan.


The May 2009 Rose Garden ceremony for President Obama's signing of new fuel efficiency mandates for automobiles was attended by a remarkable gathering of "bootleggers and Baptists" - "Baptist" environmentalists who were pleased to get a policy they desired, and "bootlegger" automakers who were pleased that they will no longer have to make business decisions that weigh the willingness of American consumers to trade-off fuel efficiency for other desirable characteristics such as safety, capacity, power, and comfort. The gathering marked the replacement of industrial capitalism with centralized political management of the auto market.


The impact of moisture stress tolerant Bacillus altitudinis FD48 in promoting seed germination and physiological phenomenon under water deficit was evaluated. Rice seeds (Var CO51) biotized with B . altitudinis FD48 enhanced the seed germination and seedling vigor index by 51.05% followed by Methylobacterium sp.,(37.3%) moisture stress seedlings (-0.7 Mpa osmotic potential). Plant biomass, accumulation of proline and compatible sugars also increased in FD48 treated seeds under moisture stress. Further, the alpha amylase activity also accelerated with increase in moisture stress intensity. GC-MS profiling of bacterial primed seed exudates revealed 35 diverse compounds belonging to the class viz ., sugars, aminoacids, organic acids, flavones, prenol lipids and fatty acids. The B . altitudinis FD48 primed seeds alone released methoxy flavone which may act as a lure for recruiting beneficial rhizospheric bacteria. Hence, this study implies that seed priming with B.altitudinis FD48 is a promising approach for enhancing seed germination and seedling establishment in rice for drought prone areas and subsequent recruitment of beneficial bacteria that promotes plant growth and fitness.


The introduction of user experience to digital library will sublime the goal of digital library from "providing more services" to "providing better services". In this article, the changes of user environment in digital library and the role of the user experience are analyzed; the scheme to enhance the user experience of digital library is discussed from several aspects, such as polishing up the web site design, enriching the library collection, improving the functionality of the retrieval system and so on.


Abstract Wireless Mesh Sensor nodes are deployed in harsh environments, like Industrial Wireless Mesh Sensor Networks (IWMSN). There the equipment is exposed to temperature and electrical noise, so providingareliable, interference free and efficient communication in this environment isachallenge. We proposea Multi Route Rank based Routing (MR3) protocol, which enhances the link dynamics for IWMSNand also provides interference free reliable packet delivery in harsh environments. The rank ofanode is estimated based on density, hop count, energy and Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio (SINR). The route discovery phase finds the rank value to forward the data packet inareliable path. Once the forwarding path is established, subsequently the data packets can be propagated towards the destination without using any location information. Our simulation results show that this method improves the packet delivery ratio and the throughput tremendously, and at the same time minimizes the packet delay, in heavy traffic condition.


!is paper deals with recent actions of the Commission with respect to EU State Aid rules. !e Commission is looking at the compliance with EU State Aid rules of certain tax practices in some Member States in the context of aggressive tax planning by multinationals, with a view to ensure a level playing #eld. A number of multinational companies are using tax planning strategies to reduce their global tax burden, by taking advantage of the technicalities of tax systems, and substantially reducing their tax liabilities. !is aggressive tax planning practice erodes the tax bases of Member States, which are already #nancially constrained.


Abstract The transfer of GIS technology has not met with uniform success in lesser-developed countries. It has been argued that this may be due to many efforts being technology-driven rather than demand-driven. In agricultural development, technology is transferred through a demand-driven participatory approach which incorporates the ultimate recipients of the technology in the design, implementation and evaluation of projects. A project to demonstrate the use of GIS technology for wasteland development in India involving seven Indian research institutes was undertaken by the U.S. Agency for International Development. In the Indian GIS demonstration, technical approaches proposed by each institute were largely technology-driven. To counter this tendency, a set of evaluation criteria or guidelines based on the participatory approach was developed to refine proposals.


In this paper,under the condition that η is affine in the first argument and is skew function,the relation between strictly pseudo-invex monotonicity and strongly pseudo-invexity is generalized.


Human cyclin‐dependent kinases (CDKs) direct the progression of the cell cycle and transcription. They are deregulated in tumours, and despite their involvement in the regulation of basic cellular processes, many CDKs are promising targets for cancer therapy. CDK11 is an essential gene for the growth of many malignancies; however, its primary cellular function has been obscure, and the mode‐of‐action of OTS964, the first CDK11 inhibitor and antiproliferative compound, has been unknown. A recent study has shown that OTS964 prevents spliceosome activation, revealing a key role of CDK11 in the regulation of pre‐mRNA splicing. In light of these findings, we discuss the therapeutic potential of CDK11 in cancer.


Methods and instructions on the production technologies for the restoration and reinforcement of buildings with walls made of fired bricks, which have received various damages as a result of earthquakes, physical wear, and also have inconsistencies in space-planning and design solutions with the requirements of current regulatory documents, are given.
The most typical types of damage to elements and structures of buildings as a result of earthquakes were identified and classified according to the results of analyzes of their consequences, in which the authors were directly involved (by the nature of their scientific and practical activities), as well as according to the analytical review of the relevant sources.
The identification and compilation of classifications of the most common facts of inconsistency of space-planning and structural solutions with the requirements of the current design standards was carried out on the basis of the results of field inspections of the technical condition of numerous objects, the experience of which was accumulated by the authors over the past several years.
Based on the results obtained, methods and technologies for seismic amplification of elements and structures of buildings have been developed, reflecting their features, composition and sequence of operations for the production of work, also based on the authors' many years of experience in the implementation of similar developments, acquired during the implementation of a number of state scientific and technical programs, innovative projects and contractual work.
For each of the considered cases and reinforcement options, the corresponding standards have been developed in relation to the labor intensity and cost of performing work, the recommended composition of the links and the corresponding standard set.


Economic Growth and Price Stability Act of 1995 - Amends the Federal Reserve Act to repeal the mandate of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Federal Open Market Committee to maintain long run growth of monetary and credit aggregates in order to promote maximum employment, stable prices, and moderate long-term interest rates. Replaces such mandate with a mandate to: (1) establish an explicit numerical definition of price stability; and (2) maintain a monetary policy that effectively promotes long-term price stability. Repeals the mandate of the Board and the Committee to report biannually to the Congress on national economic trends, taking into account unemployment, investment and productivity. Replaces such mandate with a mandate to consult semiannually with the Congress and report on their plans and the time required to achieve price stability. Repeals the Full Employment and Balanced Growth Act of 1978 (Humphrey-Hawkins Act). Amends the Employment Act of 1946 and the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to reflect the provisions of this Act.


Summary The ethanolic and aqueous extracts of the leaf and pod of Moringa oleifera were tested to study the effects on the inflammatory reaction, using the technique of carageenan induced paw edema in albino mice. Both the ethanolic and alcoholic extract showed significant anti3inflammatory activity comparable to the reference standard Diclofinac sodium.


The present work proposes a novel model of the release in the blood of cardiac troponin T (cTnT), a biomarker of acute myocardial infarction. Starting from the underpinning mechanisms at the molecular and cellular level, and leveraging a clinical experimental dataset, we have devised a mathematical model that is able to capture the characteristic features of the release curve of cTnT. The model aims at providing the clinicians with an effective tool to evaluate the type and extent of cardiac damage and specific clinical parameters that can be used to improve the diagnosis and treatment planning phases.


Fractional repetition (FR) codes is a family of codes for distributed storage systems (DSSs) that allow for uncoded exact repairs having the minimum repair bandwidth. However, in contrast to minimum bandwidth regenerating (MBR) codes, where an arbitrary set of a certain size of available nodes is used for a node repair, the repairs with FR codes are table based. This usually allows to store more data compared with MBR codes. In this paper, we consider bounds on the FR capacity, which is the maximum amount of data that can be stored using an FR code. Optimal FR codes which attain these bounds are presented. The constructions of these FR codes are based on combinatorial designs and on families of regular and biregular graphs. These constructions of FR codes for given parameters raise some interesting questions in graph theory. These questions and some of their solutions are discussed in this paper. In addition, based on a connection between FR codes and batch codes, we propose a new family of codes for DSS, namely, FR batch codes, which have the properties of batch codes and FR codes simultaneously. These are the first codes for DSS which allow for uncoded efficient exact repairs and load balancing which can be performed by several users in parallel. Other concepts related to FR codes are also discussed.


This text introduces a kind of useding for the liquid a control valve between water tank or fuel tank.That valve with liquid certainly potential energy for control the signal, and pass to regulate the spring coil dint, can realizes the scope of certain liquid a much higher class control.


The Bi2Te3, (Bi1‐xLax)2Te3 (x=0.002, 0.003) and Bi2(Te1‐yLay)3 (y=0.0015, 0.002) alloys were fabricated by mechanical alloying and vacuum hot pressing, and their thermoelectric properties were characterized. The Seebeck coefficient of vacuum hot pressed specimens doped with lanthanum was higher than that of Bi2Te3. The electrical conductivity was improved at specimens doped with relatively small amount of lanthanum improved than that of Bi2Te3. The maximal dimensionless figure of merit in Bi2(Te0.9985La0.0015)3 doped with relatively small amount of lanthanum was 0.48 at 473 K.


New prehistoric discoveries in the yemen and the context of rock art at jabal makhroug and wadi robia in the saada area are the object of a doctoral thesis by ms madiha rachad. This first study of the rock art of northern yemen is very important for stting up the chronology of the roc-art and also for the whole prehistory of yemen. Since 1989 we have undertaken a study on all the sites around saada, en larged by a wide prospection. Connected with the survey and the recording of the rock art it was necessary to start classic research upon its archaeological context. Scouring brought to light oven-like structures containing lithic tool material associated with faunal remains belongin to buffalo and aurochs. These fire-places have been dated by c (charcoals) at 6250+90 bp. The oldest engravings show mainly a large bovinae looking like buffalo or aurochs; the presence in the archaeological level of their fossil bones close to such depiction seems to confirm their antiquity. This strengthens then presumption that the buffalo painters were the buffalo hunters themselves. This hypothesis is very important for setting up the chronology of the rock-art and also for the whole prehistory of yemen. This research even is only in its early stages, has already produced results significant enough to allow the prospect of future fruitful campaign of study. Which will shed light on existing


Objective To investigate the clinical application of vascular pedicled tissue transplantation in the trauma and reparative surgery Methods 127 cases of vascularised tissue transplantation were performed with micro-surgical technique,60 cases with free flaps and myocutaneous flaps,6 cases with osteocuta-neous flaps, 15 cases with bone and semi-joint bone, toe-to-hand transfer 35 cases with 41digits,nail skin flap of toe for reconstruction of distal segment of thumb or finger 6 cases, toe joint transfer for reconstruction of in-terphalangeal joint in 2 cases and jejunum or colon transplantation for esophageal reconstruction in 3 cases. Results All the cases were successful except 2 flaps necrosed. Conclusion Flap transplantation with branches of blood vessel as pedicel, faciocutaneous flap with tendon graft tunnel through fascia-layer, end to lateral vessel anastomosis are useful and exact for surgical repair and tissue graft.


Cutting edge research can be done on a small scale, literally. This month's Research Advances column focuses on innovations that come in small sizes, including microscopic "hands" for building tomorrow's machines; a "micro"-sized mass spectrometer; and "microswimmers" that are making a big splash for improved drug delivery.


It is well known that optimisation of the MHD equilibrium of stellarators can have great influence on the performance and hence have a significant effect on the potential of stellarators as potential power plants. The ROSE code was written to carry out an optimisation based on an equilibrium evaluation using VMEC and several additional codes. This paper presents both a quasi-axially symmetric and a quasi-isodynamic equilibrium obtained with ROSE and demonstrates two important features that are new to stellarator optimisation. One allows the reduction of coil complexity by analysing a current sheet obtained with NESCOIL. The second is a new way of accounting for properties of the vacuum field while simultaneously optimising the finite beta equilibrium.


One significant advantage of imprint lithography (IL) over photolithography is that the field size is not limited optically, and so, throughput can be very high (>100 cm2/s). But, in applications requiring precise (sub-5 nm) overlay, the field size is limited by the distortion (between template and wafer) to about the same field size (26 × 33 mm) as employed in current photolithographic tools for semiconductor integrated circuits. This reduces the throughput of current IL tools to less than that of current photolithographic tools. Here, the authors have, for the first time, created a multifield (dual and quad fields) nanoscale overlay capability by optimally combining (1) Precision mechanical actuators around the periphery of the fields which can correct for magnification and shear over the whole field, and (2) high resolution intrafield isotropic expansion and contraction using an array of local temperature control units. The authors have developed control algorithms for sub-5 nm overlay precision over u...


The single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) could be used as saturable absorber in Q-Switched and mode-locked lasers. In this paper, the influence of the concentration and the ultrasound time on the absorption coefficient of the single-walled carbon nanotubes was discussed. The structure and morphology of the single-walled carbon nanotubes were investigated by the atomic force microscope(AFM)and the scanning electron microscopy(SEM). When the single-walled carbon nanotube saturable absorbers (SWCNT-SAs) were used in both the Yb-doped double cladding fiber laser and the solid state lasers, the Q-switched pulses were obtained. And we use the single-walled carbon nanotubes saturable absorber (SWCNTs) in the passively Q-switched Nd:YCOB (Nd3+:(Nd3+:YCa4O(BO3)3) laser, a duration of 1.6μs pulses were obtained at the center wavelength of 1085.3 nm, a 175 mW output power were obtained at the pump power of 9W.


Carbide inheritance of pearlite spheroidization during heat treatment process in bearing steel GCr15 was investigated by heat treatment and quantitative metallographic.The results show that the spherical carbide average size and standard deviation of its distribution decrease after quenching and tempering.The trend of volume fraction,size and size uniformity of carbide in pearlite spheroidization and tempered microstructure are the same.Carbide inheritance of pearlite spheroidization during heat treatment process is revealed quantitatively.


This article contains a new concept of approximate analysis of data, based on the idea of a "rough" set. The notion of approximate (rough) description of a set is introduced and investigated. The application to medical data analysis is shown as an example.


The invention discloses a multifunctional test tube rack. The multifunctional test tube rack comprises a base, supporting pipes, an air blower, an air pipe, heating wires, humidity detectors, a disinfectant storage device, atomizers and a pressure pump, wherein the supporting pipes are arranged at the upper portion of the base, one end of the air pipe is connected with the bottom portions of the supporting pipes, the other end of the air pipe is connected with the air blower, the heating wires are arranged in the centers of the supporting pipes, the humidity detectors are arranged at the top portions of the supporting pipes, the disinfectant storage device is arranged on the side surface of the base and is connected with the bottom portions of the supporting pipes through pipes, the atomizers are arranged on the side surfaces of the supporting pipes, and the pressure pump is arranged in the disinfectant storage device. Through the arrangement, the multifunctional test tube rack disclosed by the invention has the advantages that a plurality of test tubes can be placed, subsequent work such as disinfection and drying can be performed to the cleaned test tubes on the test tube rack, and the internal portions of the test tubes are guaranteed to be clean and free of any residual medicine.


This conference presentation is made from the perspective of ten years in the future. The author looks back at the accomplishments of ten years, beginning with the year 1992. The year 1992 is seen as the year the world was emerging from recession and the airline industry was suffering one of its worst periods economically. 1993 saw the completion of the internal European Community market in aviation when, for the first time, the full force of the Treaty of Rome applied at least to intra-European Community air services and Community airlines. The mid-1990s saw the demise of bilateral agreements followed by the battle of the giants, with the European Community on the one side and the United States on the other lined up for what could have been a war of attrition. Fortunately, the regulators were outflanked by the workings of the marketplace, and the historic merger of American Airlines and British Airways totally undermined the concept of national cabotage. The latter part of the 1990s is characterized as merger mania. One of the great debates was whether the customer (passenger and shipper) would benefit, when the U.S. Government proposed deregulating the U.S. domestic market. In the area of infrastructure, the use of larger aircraft has meant less demand on runways and air traffic control. However, in 2002 there are still problems, such as the continuing conflict between the regulation-minded official and the free market proponent.


Fibrosis of the lung is a common endpoint for a variety of diseases. Current available treatments have been mostly ineffective. Proliferation of pulmonary fibroblasts, enhanced production of extracellular matrix components by these cells, and differentiation of fibroblasts to myofibroblasts results in tissue fibrosis. Curcumin, a component of the widely used Ayurvedic compound turmeric, is a potent biological molecule. Numerous studies have characterized its effects on a wide variety of cellular processes and diseases. Its potential role as a therapy for pulmonary fibrosis, however, remains undefined. In this study, we show that treatment of both normal human lung fibroblasts and those obtained from patients with idiopathic interstitial pneumonias (IIPs) results in inhibition of proliferative responses and induces cell cycle arrest. In addition, curcumin inhibits transforming growth factor (TGF)‐β1‐induced myofibroblast differentiation and collagen production. The effects of curcumin were demonstrated to occur, in part, through binding and activation of the nuclear receptor, peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor‐γ (PPAR‐γ). These observations suggest a role for curcumin as a novel agent in the treatment of fibrotic lung diseases.


In this paper we present a synthesis on the epistemological process of the discovery, invention and construction of Quantum Biological Thermodynamics with Finite Speed of the Cardio –Pulmonary System (QBTFSCPS) starting from Thermodynamics with Finite Speed Applied to Thermal Machines (TFS). We present first when and how Thermodynamics with Finite Speed of Thermal Machines was invented, developed and validated, and after that we show how we extended it to a Biological – Electrochemical - Thermal Machine, namely to the Cardio-Pulmonary System, creating what we call: Quantum Biological Thermodynamics with Finite Speed of the Cardio –Pulmonary System (QBTFSCPS).


The results of an experimental programme on the hydraulic transport of coal are summarized. The behavior of coal-water mixtures was investigated in 50, 100, 150, 200, 250 and 300 mm diameter pipelines. Solids concentrations were varied from 20 to 50% by volume. Pressure drops and deposit velocities were recorded. The importance of accounting for surface phenomena is discussed. This paper summarizes the experimental results of the work with coals and has two objectives: to present accurate data for metallurgical coals, and to present some of the difficulties in obtaining accurate data for various coals and hence to advise caution in interpretation of data in the literature.


Here we demonstrate low-loss multi-state photonic memory using broadband transparent phase change materials Ge2Sb2Se3 and Sb2Se3, which can be efficiently reprogrammed on-chip.


Definition: Family joint looseness is not a disease, but a physiological condition, where the connective tissue (capsules, ligaments, tendons) is hyperelastic and as a result thereof the active and passive movements in the joints are beyond the physiological limits. In such cases we are speaking of generalized joint hypermobility (GJH).According to Klemp (1997), the joint hypermobility is a variable phenomenon, which is spread in the families and is provoked by many factors.Etiology: Still there are no described actual etiological causes. It is considered that it is due to various combinations of the types of collagen known at present and is hereditary.We studied 103 children of the age from 7 to 9 years, of whom 64 girls and 39 boys. The children are pupils of 1 and 2 grade in the 'Mihail Lakatnik' basic Elementary School in Burgas. We used the Brighton scale for diagnostics, which includes the Brighton's criteria of elasticity with children, complemented also with symptoms from other organs.Our goal was to find out how the physical exercises could have effect on children with hypermobility. Our kinesitherapeutic program included also corrective exercises with apparatuses and on apparatuses from various initial positions – standing, long sitting, lying on the back, knee standing, exercises in open and closed kinetic chain for the large muscles groups by anatomical characteristics, exercises with sand cuffs and dumbbells up to 2 kg, big inflatable fit-balls, static and dynamic breathing exercises. The kinesitherapy procedures were conducted 3 times a week, duration 30-45 minutes in sports premises of the school. However, it is obvious that kinesitherapy and more precisely the adequately selected means of physical therapy improve the functional condition of the pupils. In view of the scarce experience in this regard, we allow ourselves with some reserves to assume that the physical exercises and sports have good effect on children with benign joint hypermobility by strengthening and supporting their general physical development and protecting them from muscle-ligament traumas. Having in mind that the benign joint hypermobility is not a disease, our interest was provoked by the essence and the specifics of the type of physical load and the kind of physical exercises in the kinesitherapy procedures with those children.CONCLUSIONS1. With all children the physical exercises resulted in increase of the general psycho-physical tonicity;2. The prepared, approved and applied for the first time in our country methods of kinesitherapy are well tolerated by the children with the syndrome of generalized joint hypermobility and causes favourable effect on the muscle-ligament complaints;3. Extensive research is needed in order to follow up the result of the effect realized by our methods, as well as the possibility for them to turn into an universal and optimal methodology for treatment of children with hypermobility.


Facing the unexpected events in the international and domestic public caused by the grim situation, we should recognize that sudden public events to establish and perfect the emergency treatment mechanism is imperative. In the facing of these sudden natural disasters and social catastrophe, improving emergency medical response system with hardware and software supporting, grasping the principles of crisis management and emergency treatment correctly,and establishing a sound mechanism for emergency treatment of sudden public events, are not only the objective need of social development, but also for government to performance its functions in an all-round way, particularly,in strengthening social management and public service, in order a build a more harmonious society.


The United Fruit Company has earned the justified ire of scholars throughout the Americas for its ruthless conduct during the era of the "banana republics." Although UFCO came to Ecuador in the 1920s, later than its "classic" period in Central America, the enclave pattern of plantation production parallels its behavior elsewhere. To be sure, differences existed, in that bananas came to Ecuador in the wake of the collapse of the cacao industry and UFCO never gained the political influence that it enjoyed in countries such as Guatemala. Moreover, Ecuadorian banana workers demonstrated considerable success in gaining concessions from the multinational giant, often with state support. However, in both regions, contract labor eventually replaced the enclave plantation system, giving UFCO a more "secure" economic environment for banana production than it had enjoyed early in the 20th century.


1. What data management strategies were deployed? (e.g., assigning data responsibilities, hiring a project manager, developing data documentation, developing/articulating a workflow diagram, defining controlled vocabulary, setting a data review schedule) How have these evolved over the course of the project? 2. What costs, in time or funds, are associated with those strategies? 3. How has data management time compared between reactive management of the [pilot project] data and proactive management of the [main project] data? 4. Has time ultimately been saved by actively managing the data? 5. Has the project proceeded more smoothly specifically because of active data management (as opposed to other project management activities, such as communication)? 6. Through active data management, does the data appear to be in a state that will make long-term use easier? (e.g., ease of internal reuse at a later date, ease of external reuse via deposition into a data repository) 7. Overall, what has been the return on investment (ROI) for active data management? 8. Would you like to discuss anything else about this project related to data management?


THE CALIFORNIA Journal of Politics & Policy Commentary A Response to Paul Gronke's blog, "Measuring Turnout Effects of Vote by Mail in California" Mark DiCamillo* The Field Poll I read Professor Paul Gronke's critique of a recent article of mine, "The Continuing Growth of Mail Ballot Voting in California in 2008," published in the California Journal for Politics & Policy (Volume 1, Issue 1) and feel compelled to respond. Gronke's critique was posted on the Election Updates blog, of which he is a collaborator . In his critique Gronke asserts there are two problems with the analysis presented in my article. The first relates www.bepress.com/cjpp Volume 1, Issue 1, 2009 to the relationship between the recent acceleration in the rate of mail ballot voting in California and the recent rebound in voter turnout in California between the 2000 and 2008 presidential elections. The second has to do with the significance of the higher turnout rate of voters who were sent mail ballots in the 2008 presidential election compared to those who were not. It is curious that Gronke's critique fails to discuss the central thesis of the paper; i.e., that the introduction of permanent mail ballot registration in 2001 and its rapid growth has been a primary driver of the accelerated use of mail ballot voting in California over the past eight years. Let me respond to Gronke by first taking issue with his assertion that there is no significance to the fact that California registered voters who were sent a mail ballot in the 2008 presidential election voted at a significantly higher rate than other registrants not receiving a mail ballot. In that election about 5.7 million of the approximately 6.7 * Mark DiCamillo is director of The Field Poll.


Active control devices are not reliable in case strong earthquake occurs and then structural properties are changed. This is due to the large amount of uncertainty between mathematical model, which is used for the design of active control devices, and real structure to be controlled. So an improved control strategy is needed for designing controllers which have reliable control performance and stability despite of uncertainties. This paper addresses the robustness of improved sliding mode control algorithm for uncertain structures, which have different mass and stiffness from the mathematical model. The proposed algorithm turned out to be efficient for response reduction and guarantee the robustness for the uncertain structure.


[Objective] To study the different mechanism of warm and purgative remedy(WPR) and warm and restraining diarrhea remedy(WRDR) on cytological immunological adjustment in ulcerative colitis(UC).[Methods] Expression level of the T-cell subsets from the three groups of WPR,WRDR and the control was investigated by 3-color immunofluorescence flow-cytometry(FCM) analysis in fresh peripheral blood lymphocytes(PBL) before and after the respective treatment.[Results] Before treatment,the absolute number of CD8~+ cells of WPR,WRDR and the control group was obviously higher than that of the normal referenced numerical value respectively(P0.05),the ratio of CD4~+/CD8~+ of the three groups was obviously lower than that of the normal referenced numerical value(P0.05),and the absolute number of CD3~+ and CD4~+cells of WPR group and the control group was obviously higher than that of the normal referenced numerical value respectively(P0.05).After treatment,the discrepant numerical value of absolute number of CD3~+,CD4~+ and CD8~+ cells of WPR group was significantly higher than that of WRDR group and the control group(P0.01),the discrepant numerical value of absolute numbers of CD3~+and CD8~+ cells of WRDR group was significantly higher than that of the control group(P0.01),and the discrepant numerical value of the ratio of CD4~+/CD8~+of WRDR group was significantly higher than that of WPR group and the control group(P0.05).[Conclusion](1)The specific character of T-cell subsets in UC patients chiefly is the increase of CD8~+ cells level and the decrease of CD4~+/CD8~+ ratio,and the increase of the absolute numbers of CD4~+ cells is in related to its activity.(2)The WRDR can not only evidently decrease the absolute numbers of CD3~+and CD8~+ cells,but also increase the ratio of CD4~+/CD8~+.The WPR can evidently decrease absolute numbers of CD3~+,CD4~+and CD8~+ cells,but it cannot increase the ratio of CD4~+/CD8~+.Both of the two methods have effect on adjusting cytological immunology with different functionary stress and mechanisms.


Different approaches, including polycondensation, polymerization, polymer analog condensation, and ionic binding have been investigated for synthesis of amino acid-based dendritic polymers. It was shown that a growth of dendrons generation prevents obtaining of products with high polymerization degree in polycondensation and polymerization procedures. In polymer analog condensation a growth of dendrons generation leads to considerable decrease of polymer analog reaction rate as well as substitution degree. Degree of ionic binding depends on a strength of ionogenic groups and dendrons generation.


The generalized muscle pain of fibromyalgia can be successfully managed with centrally acting agents—typically antidepressants such as the tricyclics, SNRIs, and SSRIs. Additionally, patients can obtain optimal benefit from aerobic exercise, cognitive therapies, and other nonpharmacologic approaches.


The reaction of 2H-benzotriazole (1) with dichloroacetic acid leads to the symmetric bis(2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)methane (2c) in 40 % yield. Deprotonation of 2c at the bridging methylene group and subsequent carboxylation with CO 2 yielded the new tripodal N,N,O ligand bis(2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)acetic acid Hbbta (3). The sterically less demanding sodium 3,3-bis(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)propionate Na[btp] (5) was obtained by saponification of methyl 3,3-bis(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)propionate (4). The heteroscorpionate ligand 3 was treated with [MnBr(CO) 5 ] and [RuCl 2 (PPh 3 ) 3 ] to form the manganese tricarbonyl complex [Mn(bbta)(CO) 3 ] (6) and the air stable ruthenium complex [Ru(bbta)Cl(PPh 3 ) 2 ] (7). DFT calculations and the IR spectra of the carbonyl complex 6 reveal ligand 3 to be a less electron-donating ligand compared to the bis(1H-pyrazol-1-yl)acetic acid Hbpza. In case of the 1H-1,2,4-triazole-based ligand 5 formation of coordination polymers were observed as proven by the synthesis of [Zn(btp) 2 ] ∞ (8) and [Mn(btp) 2 ] ∞ (9). Polymer 8 crystallises in linear chains of zinc atoms bridged by two molecules of ligand 5 each. These polymer chains show an interesting π-stacking interaction between uncoordinated triazole residues of the ligands. Deposition of the coordination polymer on highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) was successful and was analysed by scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM). Reaction of Na[btp] (5) with MnSO 4 ·H 2 O resulted in a metal organic framework (MOF) [Mn(btp) 2 ] ∞ (9).


At different times and in different countries economic activity was one of the most important areas of human activity. Therefore, thanks to economic activity occurs a consumption and mutual exchange of food products, clothing and consumer goods manufuctured in agriculture and industry. And this is the main condition for human relations. The initial basis of economic activity took shape in the early stages of the development of human society The initial basis of economic activity was shaped in the early stages of development of human society. The essence and mechanisms of effective organization of economic activity were based in the subsequent stages of social progress. Problems of effective organization of economic relations attracted the attention of spiritual enlighteners and educators of the society. Onsor Al-Maali Keykavus, being one of such personalities, in his work "Kabus-name" analyzed social relations in various fields as well as the essence of economic activity. This article discusses the aforementioned issues.


The Josephson Bifurcation Amplifier is a threshold detector that may be viewed as a 1-bit analog-to-digital converter. Such a device is subject to two random processes, firstly the bifurcation itself is a dynamical process that is subject to quantum or thermal fluctuations that broaden the threshold, secondly the device is immersed in an environment that induces low frequency parametric noise. We have developed a new measurement technique that quantitatively and directly links the environmental noise spectrum to the spectrum calculated from the repetitively acquired binary output of the Josephson Bifurcation Amplifier. The technique has considerable advantages over the NMR techniques presently in common use for studies of qubit decoherence and the techniques used for SQUIDs. It is non-dissipative, enabling operation in the milliKelvin range, it has a wide bandwidth, it is operated at low photon numbers, and its sensitivity approaches the shot noise limit of a weak continuous measurement.


Northern Baolang Block in Baolang oilfield is taken as an example to indentify the steep structures by using wave equation cascade depth migration processing technique, idfentify the fractures by using log information and palaeotectonic stress field analysis,predict the reservoirs laterally by using reflection amplitude-thickness and wavelet processing technique. Base on the establishment of fine geologic model and research on reasonable well space, the comprehensive adjustment and bridge plugging of low permeability reservoirs and whole reservoir protection under tubing survey perforating techniques are presented. anti gas rod pump mechanical production technology resolves high gas oil ratio. Multilevel stamping acidizing and individual layer acidizing at high pressure resolves the problem of low permeability reservoir hygroscope difficulty. During oilfield development, a whole set of high efficient development technology for low permeability reservoirs is formed. Oilfield application acquires preferable effectiveness.


In the 1970s and 1980s the United States government initiated what we call the 'War on Drugs.' Soon after, state governments began to enact new legislation imposing mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenders, and eliminating judicial discretion in imposing sentences. It was not long, however, before the public began to react to the impacts of the sentencing laws and began to voice their opinions. After several years of sentencing under the new laws, many states, politicians, and judges became disenchanted with the harsh requirements and called for change. Since then some states have amended their drug laws to remove some of the previous mandatory sentences and restore judicial discretion. Some states, however, have declined to do so. Elected officials claimed the changes were made in response to public opinion which had grown tired of the harsh sentencing practices and the social and economic costs they imposed. Others have argued that the public has been supportive of tough criminal justice practices. In particular, Whites are often seen as supportive of strict sentencing practices which often disproportionately impact Blacks and Latinos. In this article I weigh in on this fractured debate, proposing an empirical test of whether or not states that continue to have strict drug sentencing laws have higher or lower levels of public support for local police and the criminal courts, and if the relationship varies by race or gender.


The use of herbal remedies is usually perceived as a rural phenomenon, hence it is usually not clear whether they are an accepted mode of healthcare system in urban areas. This study aimed at investigating the role of herbal medicines in managing diarrhoea in an urban centre, document important plants utilized and their conservation status. The results indicate that diarrhoea is a serious problem in Thika urban slums. Ninety-eight per cent in the study area had suffered had suffered diarrhoea in the recent past (during the last 1 year). In regard to the mode of treatment sought for this condition, 97.45% had used herbal preparations. The majority (52.5%) first seek treatment for diarrhoea from herbalists before going to the hospital. More people (23.7%) in the study area seek herbal preparations for diarrhoea management because they consider them more effective than biomedicines, compared with 13.2% who opt for the herbal concoctions because they are cheap. A large diversity of species (41 species in 25 families) is used in diarrhoea management. The most common plants include Senna didymobotrya (Fresen.) Irwin & Barney, Physalis Peruvian L., and Cucurbita maxima Lam. Most of these are obtained from wild habitats, hence their conservation status needs to be addressed.


In general, for wireless communication systems, Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output and orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MIMO-OFDM) systems provide high spectral efficiency. However, they have a major drawback of high PAPR which results in inefficient use of a power amplifier and also improper detections. Now a days, in wireless communication systems, channel estimation is mandatory for higher data rates with low bit error rates. The use of OFDM causes a high peak-toaverage power ratio (PAPR), which necessitates expensive and power-inefficient radio-frequency (RF) components at the base station. The proposed precoder focused around the summed up converse is made out of two sections. One is for minimizing PAPR, and the other is for getting the multiplexing addition. Additionally, the proposed precoder contains a scalar parameter β that measures the got signal-to-noise power ratio (SNR) misfortune at the expense of PAPR diminishment. Indeed in instances of little SNR misfortune, the proposed plan drastically lessens PAPR. Moreover, reenactment results demonstrate that we can acquire a PAPR near to 0.5 by utilizing many transmission radio wires with little SNR misfortune.


The objective of this study was to compare and analyze for seasonal long·short-wave radiation characteristics between downtown area and suburban area in Daegu through field observations. This study was confirmed the regional and seasonal radiation environments and it can utilize as basic data for the analysis of the urban radiation environment and the effects of urbanization. The followings are main results from this study. 1) The downward shortwave radiation showed the similar value of the radiation generally in the downtown area and the suburban area of the city during the winter and summer season. 2) The longwave radiation showed that the value of the radiation in the downtown area of the city was higher than that in the suburban area of the city during the winter and summer season. 3) The downward total radiation from the upper atmosphere to the floor in downtown area was higher than that in suburbs area during the winter; however, it was not different trends of the two observation points during the summer.


The effect of various diffusion barriers on the mass transport controlled current for an amperometric gas sensor with a porous membrane is considered. A general equation is derived which relates the total current to the diffusion parameters for each barrier. By varying the thickness of one barrier at a time, keeping all the other parameters constant, the relative roles of each of the barriers can be determined. This is done for CO and H2S sensors and in both bases it is shown that more than 70% of the transport control is provided by the electrolyte film in the porous electrode/membrane. This conclusion is supported by observations of the temperature dependence of the sensor currents. It is concluded that, in order to obtain more consistent and reproducible results from porous membrane covered amperometric gas sensors, a more controllable method of electrode manufacture and assembly would be desirable.


A fully-differential switched-capacitor sample-and-hold amplifier (SHA) used in a 10-bit 30-MS/s pipeline analog-to-digital converter (ADC) was designed using a 0.13-μm CMOS process. Flip-around architecture was used in the SHA circuit to lower the power consumption. A gain-boosted operational amplifier (OPAMP) was designed with a DC gain of 87 dB and a unit gain bandwidth of 388MHz at a phase margin of 75 degree. The simulated results have shown that the SHA circuit reaches a spurious free dynamic range (SFDR) of 94 dB and a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 76 dB for a 10.18 MHz input signal with 30 MS/s sampling rate.


In one embodiment, a method for the (103) bonding the first substrate to the second substrate (303) comprises forming a layer comprising a metal over the first substrate. In one embodiment, the layer comprising a metal surrounding the semiconductor device, which may be a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device. On the second substrate (303), forming a first layer comprising a silicon (401). Forming a second layer (403) comprises germanium and silicon on the first layer. Comprising germanium formed over the second layer of the third layer (405). Such that the third layer is in contact with the layer comprises a metal. And the third layer comprises applying heat (some embodiments, there is a pressure) layer of metal, to form a mechanical engagement between material of the first and second substrates, wherein the mechanical bonding material is electrically conductive. In the case of mechanical engagement, such as a semiconductor device was surrounded by a MEMS, mechanical joining is used as the protective hermetically sealed MEMS is particularly advantageous.


Metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) featuring significant electrical conductivity constitute a growing class of materials, with intriguing possible applications as porous semiconductors or supercapacitors. If such features are combined with photoluminescence (PL), additional functionalities such as selective chemical sensing become accessible. Here, perylene diimide (PDI)‐based linear building blocks are incorporated into the MOF‐74 topology with the three metal ions Zn2+, Mg2+, and Ni2+, resulting in a new series of MOFs, namely PDI‐MOF‐74(M). PDI derivatives are dye molecules exhibiting remarkable optical properties, high electron mobilities, as well as interesting redox behavior. However, PDI‐based 3D MOFs are very rare and to date were only reported once. The frameworks of the PDI‐MOF‐74(M) series exhibit high crystallinity, electrical conductivity, and show well‐defined redox activity. In addition, the frameworks of the series feature PL in the orange and red spectral regions. Herein, the series of electroactive MOF‐74 structures as well as the group of 3D PDI‐based MOFs is expanded, hence opening up the development of novel MOFs with promising optoelectronic properties comprising PDI building blocks.


The adverse effect on the developing brain of an intraor extrauterine athyroid or hypothyroid state is well known. The classical result is mental retardation of a variable degree. Behavioral deviations and abnormalities recorded at electroencephalographic examination (1, 17) have also been noted but neurological syndromes with motor handicaps are only seldom reported. In a follow-up study comprising all cases of ataxia in infancy and childhood from the Uppsala area during the years 1956-1961, one of the authors (6) had two mildly ataxic patients with congenital hypothyroidism, one of them adequately substituted since the age of 8 weeks. Since this preliminary observation, all cases in Uppsala with the diagnosis of congenital hypothyroidism have been particularly observed for the presence or absence of ataxic signs. This paper presents our experiences from a small but unselected clinical series collected during a 12-year period.


Abstract This manuscript deals with the assessment of parallel form of proportional integral derivative (PID) control structure for tracking the reference input designed for large dominant time constant processes whose dynamics are slow (integrating processes). The theoretical bound of integral absolute error (IAE) which is established for unstable first order process is extended to pure integrating process without using any approximations. This relies on direct synthesis tuning (DS) and the theoretical bound is obtained from the transfer function of closed loop system subjected to ramp input changes. An error based performance index is formulated on the basis of this IAE theoretical bound and actual IAE, to measure the behaviour of the controller employed for non self regulating (integrating) processes. This error based index evaluates the performance of closed loop controller and specifies whether the controller requires retuning or not. A sequence of simulated examples is used to illustrate the benefit and effectiveness of this new performance assessment method.


A novel concept of simultaneous matching, decoupling and miniaturization in multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antenna is proposed. Firstly, the integration of matching and decoupling can be achieved by making the resonant frequency of common mode (CM) and differential mode (DM) consistent. Then, the same resonant frequency of CM and DM will move to lower frequency through changing parameters value of the folded cross resonator. The MIMO antenna will operate normally at lower frequency with low mutual coupling without increase the volume. The operating frequency of antenna is reduced from 3 to 2.5 GHz of achieving 16.7% miniaturization, and the isolation is increased from 20 to 45 dB at 2.5 GHz at the same time. The measurement and simulation results are in good agreement, which verifies the correctness of the design. The goal of matching, decoupling and miniaturization for MIMO antenna will be completed without too much software optimization and other complex structures.


Through documents about the characteristics of hot spring resources in Taiwan and the hotel rating evaluation and reference materials about business strategies and strategy management of hotels and B&B and by way of Focus group interview and Analytic Hierarchy Process, AHP, our research aims at establishing the index analysis and analyzing significant items of management quality of hot spring hotels in Taiwan, eventually analyzing the relative weight of each index item with a view to offering the industry proposals of management. In the second dimension of our research, the priority of weight are service quality(43%), hot spring resources(34.7%), and building and equipment(21.4%). From the above, service quality has more effects than hot spring resources as well as building and equipment, which shows that service quality is the focus of hot spring hotel management. Moreover, in the analysis of overall weight in the third dimension, the weight of the staff training and service manners is even higher than all the other items, which indicates that in the management of hot spring hotels, personnel quality and service manners can win tourists' hearts for long and the professional service of hot spring hotel employees has turned into the crucial element for the development of the spa industry. The weight of hot spring cultures and marketing features comes second on account that effective marketing keeping up with international trends can create local cultural characteristics of sustainability and develop marketing innovation of hot spring hotels to attract tourists. Meal quality and dining service comes third. Hot spring hotels make use of local specialty for cuisine, which enables customers to take a bath in hot springs and enjoy local delicacies, and therefore, meal quality and dining service shines. The sum of the above 3 weights has been over 40% of the overall weight, and as a result, our research suggests that the industry should put emphasis on the 3 items to boost the quality of management so as to help increase customers' satisfaction.


ABSTRACT Cryptosporidium parvum is an intracellular protozoan parasite that causes a severe diarrheal illness of unclear etiology. Also unclear is the fate of the host cell upon parasite egress. We show in an MDCK cell model that the host cell is killed upon parasite egress; this death is necrotic, rather than apoptotic, in nature.


Abstract In Final Offer Arbitration, both parties submit a proposal to an arbitrator. In the event the parties cannot reach a negotiated settlement, the arbitrator chooses the submitted proposal that is closest to her preferred settlement. In such a model, asymmetric information can lead to costly bargaining failure. Voluntary disclosure of private information has the potential to eliminate disputes which would otherwise arise. However, the timing of this information transmission is crucial, because information can be used by the previously uninformed party to submit a superior proposal to the arbitrator. Thus, there is an incentive to conceal information if it is to be revealed prior to the submission of proposals to the arbitrator. However, information transmission should occur if it takes place after the submission of these proposals. In this paper, we test this theory experimentally and find individuals with a strong case reveal their private information in 40% of negotiations when revelation comes prior to the submission of proposals and in 60% of negotiations when revelation comes after the submission of these proposals. Moreover, information disclosure by a party with favorable information increases the rate of settlement as predicted by the theory.