The present communication reports nine species of gasterostomes from Pujian.Of these worms five are new to Science,and two of them are considered to belong to a new genus.Brief descriptions of these trematodes were presented in the National Congress of Parasitology held in Peking in 1963.Detailed descriptions are herewith given in the Chinese text.The names of these worms are as follows:1.Parahucephalopsis prosthorchis Tang et Tang,1963 Definitive host:Elopich-thys lambusa (Eieh.) Hemiculter leurisculus (Basil.)2.Parabucephalopsis spheroides Tang et Tang,1963 Definitive host:Spheroides ocellata (Osbeck)3.Pseudoluccphalopsis gmyuei sp.nov.Definitive host:Elopichthys bambusa,(Rich.)4.Bucephalopsis wui Long et Lee,1964 Definitive host:Elopichthys lambusa (Eieh.)5.Bucephalopsis basargini Layman,1930 Definitive host:Pseudolagrus vachellii (Eieh.)6.Dollfustrema foochowensis Tang et Tang,1963 Definitive host:Clarias fuscus (Lacepede)7.Dollfustrema vaneyi (Tseng,1930) Definitive host:Siniperca chuatsi (Basil.)8.Psendorhipidocotyle elopichthys Long et Lee,1964 Definitive host:Elopichthys lambusa (Rich.)9.Rhipidocotyle coronatum Tang et Tang,1963 Definitive host:Lateolabrax japonicus (Cuv.et Val.)The new genus Parabucephalopsis is distinguished from the other closely related genera in the subfamily Bucephalinae Nicoll,1914,such as Bucephalopsis (Diesing,1855) Nicoll,1914;Neolucephalopsis Dayal,1948 and Pseudobucephalopsis Long et Lee,1964,all of which bear muscular,sucker-like head-organs,and have their ovaries lying anteriorly to or between the two testes.The new genus is characterized by the position of two testes which are parallely arranged anteriorly to the ovary.Parabu-cephalopsis prosthorchis is designated as type species of the genus.P.spheroides is distinguished from P.prosthorchis by the oblong shape of the sucker-like head-organ occupying about one-third of the total length of the body,by the sinuous shape of Laurer's canal and the position of the vitellaria.Pseudol)ucephalopsis ganyuei sp.nov.is distinguished from its closely related Named after its host,gan yue. species,Pseudobucephalopsis spheroides Long et Lee,1964 in the shape of its head-organ,in the more posterior position of the vitellaria,in the tandem position of two testes,and in the size of the egg and the length of the reproductive sac.Dollfustrema Bckmann,1934 is a genus characterized by the presence of peri-rhynchal spines in several rows.Dollfustrema foochowensis is most closely to D.vaneyi (Tseng,1930) and D.macracanthum Hanson,1950 in that all the three species have their ovaries anterior to testes.D.foochowensis may be distinguished from the other two species by its body shape,the size,shape and number of perirhynehal spines and a number of other characters.Taxonomic characters distinguishing D.foochowensis from D.vaneyi are listed in Table 1.D.echinatum (Komiya et Tajimi,1941) is considered as a synonym of D.vaneyi.The original specimen described was the progenetie adult of D.vaneyi.There are 26 species described under the genus,Rhipidoeotyle,fourteen species are provided with chitinous head-organs.The new species,Ehipidocotyle coronatum,resembles most closely Bh.illense (Ziegler,1883) Vejnar,1956 and Eh.septpapillata Krull,1934.The new species is distinguished from the former by the structure of the chitinous head-organ,which in the case of Bh.illense has no thickened rod-like structure,and from the latter by the form of the head-organ,which in the new species,possesses a deep cleft at its base.The saccular intestine of Rh.septpapillata is anteriorly directed,while that of Rh.coronatum is directed posteriorly.Difference in the distribution of vitellaria is also noted.In the present study the life-cycles of both Paralucephalopsis prosthorchis and Dollfustrema foochowensis were studied.Limnoperna lacustris (v.Marten's) serves as the intermediate hosts for both of them.Up to the present there are only six complete life-cycles of gasterostomes which have been worked out and none has been recorded for species found in China.For P.prosthorchis,the success


The study aims to analyse factors affecting contributions of goat farming to household economic success and food security in three goat production systems of Ethiopia. A study was conducted in three districts of Ethiopia representing arid agro-pastoral (AAP), semi-arid agro-pastoral (SAAP) and highland mixed crop-livestock (HMCL) systems involving 180 goat keeping households. Gross margin (GM) and net benefit (NB1 and NB2) were used as indicators of economic success of goat keeping. NB1 includes in-kind benefits of goats (consumption and manure), while NB2 additionally constitutes intangible benefits (insurance and finance). Household dietary diversity score (HDDS) was used as a proxy indicator of food security. GM was significantly affected by an off-take rate and flock size interaction (P 0.05). Nevertheless, a significant positive correlation (P<0.05) was observed between GM from goats and HDDS in AAP system, indicating the indirect role of goat production for food security. The study indicated that extent of utilising tangible and intangible benefits of goats varied among production systems and these differences should be given adequate attention in designing genetic improvement programs.


Abstract : Agar plates, prepared from serially diluted food homogenate and containing from 30-300 colonies per plate, are used by food microbiology testing laboratories to estimate the microbial population of food samples. Six analysts counted plates with 0-400 colonies per plate. Analyst accuracy in the 20-200 colonies per plate range was comparable to the 30-300 range and resulted in a 27% reduction in counting time. A method using agar plates and photographs of the same plates was used to establish the number of colonies per plate. The resulting number was compared to the counts obtained by the individual analysts. In the 30-300 colonies per plate range analysts counted within 5% of the photo count on 60% of the plates and within 5% of the mean count on 68% of the plates. Similarly, in the 20-200 colonies per plate range analysts counted within 5% of the photo and mean count on 60 and 67% of the plates, respectively.


Abstract In this work the information provided by a noninvasive imaging sensor was used to develop two algorithms for real time fault detection and product quality monitoring during the Vacuum Freeze-Drying of single dose pharmaceuticals. Two algorithms based on multivariate statistical techniques, namely Principal Component Analysis and Partial Least Square Regression, were developed and compared. Five batches obtained under Normal Operating Conditions were used to train a reference model of the process; the classification abilities of these algorithms were tested on five more batches simulating different kind of faults. Good classification performances have been obtained with both algorithms. Coupling the information obtained from an infrared camera with that of other variables obtained from the PLC of the equipment, and from the textural analysis performed on the RGB images of the product, strongly improves the performances of the algorithms. The proposed algorithms can account for the heterogeneity of the batch and aim to reduce the off-specification products.


There are 2~4 zones of secondary pores in clastic rock of deep formation buried deep than 3 000 m in Dongying Sag with Φ \{max\}=10%~30%,K \{max\}=0.1×10\{-3\} μm2~30×10\{-3\} μm2.It is considered that changes of formation water chemistry caused by organic thermal evolution,clay minerals transformation and thermochemical sulfate reduction are the important factors influencing diagenesis and porosity evloution on the basis of synthetic analysis of organic thermal evloution,diagenesis and faulting of clastic rock in deep formation in the sag.The first and second zones of secondary pore of 3 000 m to 3 900 m in depth were controlled by organic acids dismissed during organ′s maturing ,fresh water permeating along the deep fault and abnormal pressure in argillite.At the depth ranging from 3 900 m to 4 300 m,the third zone of secondary pore was mainly related to clay minerals transformation and thermo-chemical sulfate reduction.These three secondary porosity zones are effective reservoir spaces.There were crevices in the forth zone of secondary pores which are unfavourable to the accumulation of oil.


"Liquid/Liquid Interfaces, Tharwat F. Tadros and Brian Vincent Formation of Emulsions, Pieter Walstra Emulsion Stability, Tharwat F. Tadros and Brian Vincent Microemulsions, Stig E. Friberg and Raymond L. Venable Phase Properties of Emulsions: PIT and HLB, Kozo Shinoda and Hironobu Kunieda Emulsion Droplet Size Data, Clyde Orr Rheological Properties of Emulsions, Philip Sherman Optical Properties of Emulsions, Raymond S. Farinato and Robert L. Rowell Dielectric Properties of Emulsions and Related Systems, Marc Clausse "


The QEP that was implemented in this study focused on enhancing students' critical thinking skills. A pretest/ posttest approach was used to assess students' critical thinking progress in freshman level core English and Math courses. An intervention was performed involving intensive instruction and assignments relating to a set of reasoning strategies such as: analytical, analogical, inductive, deductive, and comparative reasoning, among others. When students performed well on assignments by applying the reasoning strategies, it was assumed that critical thinking occurred. However, pre/ posttest results in these classes were often disappointing, and seemed at times to suggest that freshmen are not very good critical thinkers. Whereas, when another critical thinking national assessment, the Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency (CAAP) Exam was given during the sophomore, or junior year, students performed very well. Thus, the hypothesis that critical thinking skills may be impacted by academic maturity began to emerge.


This paper proposes a consistent approach to discrete time valuation in insurance and finance. This approach uses the growth optimal portfolio as reference unit or benchmark. When used as benchmark, it is shown that all benchmarked price processes are supermartingales. Benchmarked fair price processes are characterized as martingales. No measure transformation is needed for the fair pricing of insurance policies and derivatives. The standard actuarial pricing rule is obtained as a particular case of fair pricing when the contingent claim is independent from the growth optimal portfolio. 1991 Mathematics Subject Classification: primary 90A12 secondary 60G30, 62P20 JEL Classification: G10, G13


Closely related species with
 similar morphology and ecology may suffer from interspecific competition when
 sharing their habitat. This may lead to the long-term exclusion of one
 species. The closely related mouse lemur species Microcebus murinus
 and M. ravelobensis are known to live in sympatry in parts of the
 National Park Ankarafantsika in northwestern Madagascar. This study is the
 first to investigate the long-term population ecology of M. murinus
 and M. ravelobensis over a period of almost 10 years. By comparing two
 geographic areas with exclusive versus sympatric occurrence, the population
 dynamics were investigated for indications of competition between these two
 species.
 Furthermore, the reliability of
 current ecological methods for the estimation of population densities of
 small primates was tested in order to identify the most appropriate method for mouse lemurs.
 For the two study areas JBA and
 JBB, raw data in form of mark-recapture results and to a lesser extent
 line-transect surveys were available. JBA data spanned the period from 1995
 to 2002, while JBB data were available for the period from 1996 to 2002.
 Additionally, new and systematic data were collected in both study areas
 within a four month period during the dry season of 2003. In order to investigate
 the population ecology; monthly mark-recapture studies and monthly
 line-transect surveys were conducted in both study areas. Between 1995 and
 2003, 537 individual mouse lemurs were trapped in a total of 10346 installed
 traps (309 M. murinus and 228 M. ravelobensis). First, in setting up the same
 number of traps in a reduced area, a limitation of the number of trapped
 individuals due to the spacing and number of traps could be revealed in JBA.
 With equal spacing of traps there was no significant difference in population
 density between JBA and JBB.
 The comparison of the population
 density estimated on the basis of line-transect surveys revealed more
 methodical difficulties when using the methods of MULLER et al. (2000) and
 CHAPMAN (1988) than when using the programme Distance 4.1. These difficulties
 were probably caused by the subjectively estimated
 "observer-to-animal" distances that strongly influence the
 results. Therefore, for determining population densities by line-transect surveys,
 the use of the programme Distance 4.1 is recommended. To obtain a quick and
 approximate value of a given population density, however, the use of the
 methods after MULLER et al. (2000) and CHAPMAN (1988) may be sufficient.
 Nevertheless, these methods should always be used in combination with
 Distance 4.1 in order to control for errors.
 Estimates of population densities,
 based on mark-recapture data, will only allow a direct comparison of two
 areas if the effective trapping area is calculated. This could be achieved,
 for example, by using the computer programme DENSITY. However, if it is only
 necessary to determine population changes over time, it is not necessary to
 have an absolute population estimate. In this case, the number of observed
 animals per km or rather the total number of trapped animals may be
 sufficient and can be easily compared.
 The analysis of parameters that
 could potentially indicate interspecific competition, resulted in ambivalent
 findings:
 On the one hand, significant
 differences in the absolute number of trapped animals of Microcebus spp.
 could be observed among years. However, it is more likely that these numbers
 are correlated with the climate rather than with interspecific competition.
 Changes in the relative representation of infants showed a parallel
 development of both species. The results also revealed significant
 differences among study years. Similarly, these can be traced back to other
 factors such as climate and food availability. On the other hand the murinus-biased
 species ratio during the first five years (1995-2000) shifted more and more
 in favour of M. ravelobensis. In 2003, an almost balanced species
 ratio was obtained. Regarding the whole study period, the monthly population
 size of M. murinus declined slightly whereas the monthly population
 size of M. ravelobensis increased notably over time. During the first
 years of the study, M. murinus was the predominant species in JBA and
 accounted for most exclusive trappings. In 2003, as the study was coming to a
 close, a significant change was detected such that M. ravelobensis
 became the predominant species and accounted for most exclusive trappings.
 Between 1998 and 2003, M. ravelobensis expanded its spatial
 distribution range over the whole area, whereas the exclusive distribution of
 M. murinus decreased slightly. By the end of the study period in 2003,
 the exclusive distribution of M. murinus was solely restricted to
 small parts on the edge of the study area. Members of both species were not
 homogeneously captured in the study area. In some parts of the study area, M.
 murinus and M. ravelobensis showed a high degree of spatial
 overlap, indicating rather random and independent species distribution.
 However, other parts of the study area were exclusively inhabited by one
 species indicating competitive species interactions.
 The analysis revealed dynamic
 changes in the composition of the population as well as in the spatial
 distribution of M. murinus and M. ravelobensis in JBA,
 indicating interspecific competition between these two species. The factors
 responsible for the changes and the development of the population in the
 future still remain open. Further studies are needed to answer these
 questions completely.


This paper assesses the earliest evidence for widespread dental modification in Northwest Africa. The intentional modification of teeth has implications for an individual's appearance, sense of identity and perceived status. The range of modifications reported varies from alterations of shape or color to the complete removal of healthy teeth (evulsion or ablation). The availability of well-dated collections reveals that Northwest Africa was the first region where the custom of tooth evulsion was widely practiced. Analysis of Iberomaurusian (Late Stone Age, n = 77) and Capsian dental material (n = 12) shows that evulsion was present in most male and female individuals (>94%). The most common Iberomaurusian practice involved removal of both upper central incisors (around 65%) although removal of fewer, none and more teeth was also recorded. Observations of the extent of alveolar remodeling of different sockets revealed that teeth were frequently removed at different ages, suggesting that the cultural significance was age transgressive and may have related to an event that individuals experienced more than once. During the Capsian period the prevalence of evulsion was lower in males than in females, but when present more teeth were removed with evulsion frequently involving both mandible and maxilla. Tooth wear analysis shows that evulsion affected not only the appearance of the individual but also the functioning of the masticatory complex.


The ornamentally important genus Adonis L. (Ranunculaceae) consists of about
 30 species. In Iran, 8 species are recognized. The new classification system
 recognizes two subgenera, six sections, and six series for Adonis. The
 species differentiation within the genus is controversial due to
 morphological overlaps in different species and extensive morphological
 variation. Therefore, the aims of present study were: 1- Species
 delimitation within the Sect. Adonis based on morphological and molecular
 evidences and, 2- Studying the species relationship based on molecular
 phylogeny. Multivariate analyses of morphological and molecular (ITS and
 ISSR) data differentiated the Adonis species. PCA biplot analysis of
 morphological characters revealed morphological characters such as leaf
 arrangement; leaf length, flower diameter, petal length and width, calyx
 length, and pedicel length are of taxonomic implication in Adonis. Bayesian
 tree of ITS sequences revealed that the sect. Adonis is differentiated from
 the sect. Adonanthe. Based on ITS data, A. microcarpa showed close affinity
 to A. scrobiculata, while A. aestivalis, A. icrocarpa and A.dentata were
 close to each other.


Parasitological investigation was conducted to assess the effects of various biotic factors viz. length, weight and age of host on the infection patterns of Filochona teleostei (Singh & Malik, 1992) in snow trout Schizothorax richardsonii (HAM.) from hill streams of Garhwal Himalayas. The statistical analysis was carried out to calculate infection incidence, mean worm burden, regression values and their significance. About 20% fishes (18% male and 22% female) were found infected with nematode parasites. Infection patterns of Filochona teleostei revealed a negative correlation (r= 0.347 to 0.734) with length, (r= 0.499 to 0.671) with weight and (r= 0.576) with age of host fish. The age immunity and stronger host resistance developed by the larger fishes are the possible reasons for the decrease in infection in larger and older fishes.


The third stage of EMU was successfully launched at the beginning of 1999. There are likely to be institutional implications of EMU, particularly if the process is successfully completed. This article uses the optimal currency area literature to establish scenarios for EMU and then evaluates the possible institutional implications which stem from each scenario. Obviously there are ramifications which stem from the institutional development of EMU for Member States, in terms of regaining or losing autonomy over further policy instruments, or the requirement that certain policies be harmonized. In addition, there are clear implications for the development of EU institutions. EMU will also have implications for the development of EU institutions, and their counterparts in Member States......recognizing that EMU will give rise to a new round of institutional development does not require a great leap of imagination. Begg and Peterson (1999, p. 6)


We study the problem of diagonalizing the DFT by finding eigenvectors through the use of commuting operators. An explicit form for the polar representation of the DFT is presented and powers of the DFT are studied. Possible applications to signal multiplexing and transform coding are suggested.


Artificial intelligence is increasingly present in education, catalyzing the development of intelligent tutors systems that collaborate with teachers' teaching methodology. Considering this context, the objective of this work is to identify, based on the position of the teachers using the MAZK intelligent mentor system, what is the tool's adherence to support the teaching process at different levels of education. As a methodology, the work fits as an exploratory, applied, qualitative, bibliographic research and, consequently, as a case study. The same is based on the current educational scenario, considering the actors involved, the popularization of new technologies in different areas, the insertion of artificial intelligence in education and the accessibility of intelligent tutors systems as supporters of teaching methodology. The tool is detailed through its technical and educational approach to elucidate the object of study. In the practical context, through the tabulation of the reports of experience and the questionnaires applied, it is noticed that the MAZK has been demonstrated as a viable alternative to support the methodology of the teacher. It is understood that the main contribution of this research document is the validation through feedback from actual users on the adherence of a smart tutor system to support the teacher in their strategies. More insertions like this, contribute to a new educational modeling, extremely necessary at this moment.


This paper addresses the transmission channel impact on human-to-human speech communication quality as well as on ASR performance. Transmission channels include standard wireline or mobile telephone networks and IP-based networks, which can be operated via different types of user interfaces. In order to gain control over the transmission channel, a simulation model is developed. It implements all types of stationary impairments which can be found in the mentioned networks. Human-to-human speech communication quality in these situations is estimated using a network planning model. Experiments are carried out for assessing ASR performance over the same channel, with three different types of recognizers: two prototypical recognizers used in a telephone-based information server, and a standardized set-up developed under the AURORA framework for distributed ASR. It turns out that some interesting differences exist in behavior between the ASR system performance and speech quality in human-to-human communication. The differences should be taken into account by both developers of ASR systems and transmission network planners.


Induced spawning procedures developed under local conditions in the Transvaal for the sharptooth catfish, Clarias gariepinus, using a combination of the chorionic gonadotrophin Chorulon with pituitary gland homogenate from the European common carp, Cyprinus carpio, or from C. gariepinus donors, are described. Egg-hatchingprocedures in whichthe glutinosityof the fertilizedeggsof C. gariepinus are first neutralized using a full-creampowdered milk solution and then hatched in funnels, are comparedwith a method in whichthe eggs are directly transferred to nylon screens in trout-hatching trays after fertilization. The hatching trays proved superior and the advantages of this method are discussed.


This paper presents a realistic generator of power quality (PQ) disturbances developed using real time—hardware in the loop (RT‐HIL) technologies; the aim is to reduce the gap between the PQ mathematical theory and its practical application by improving the technical skills of students through the use of instruments in a controlled and safe laboratory environment. The implementation of this interactive teaching tool in a graduate level course has significantly enhanced the communication process between the teacher and students and thus, resulted in a highly effective teaching methodology. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 23:391–402, 2015; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/cae; DOI 10.1002/cae.21609


FIELD: heating. SUBSTANCE: no-frost refrigerator is fitted with products storage compartment and evaporator compartment separated from each other by means of partition. There is a regulating element in opening provided in partition between products storage compartment and evaporator compartment for air flow. The regulating element is implemented so that it can rotate around its axis, which is perpendicular to air flow opening plane (3) and cover effective cross section of air flow opening to a different extent. EFFECT: reliable air exchange control between both compartments and minimization of freezing effects and need in free space. 13 cl, 7 dwg


The karstic region of Lagoa Santa (eastern central Brazil) has been highly important for discussions about the tempo and mode of human dispersal in the Americas, owing to the high density of late-Pleistocene/earlyHolocene sites and hundreds of human skeletons recovered from the local rockshelters. In this chapter we highlight the importance of the Lagoa Santa region by 1) briefly reviewing the two centuries of research history in the region, including the work conducted by our team in the past 15 years; 2) discussing the biological characteristics of the Lagoa Santa population, via multivariate analyses of its cranial morphological affinities with a series representing modern human morphological diversity worldwide; and 3) discussing how these biological characteristics have been used to contribute to the discussion of origins of biological diversity of past and present Native American groups. Our analyses support previous results that members of the Lagoa Santa populations shared a distinct morphological pattern from the one observed among most modern Native Americans, indicating a high diachronic morphological diversity across the continent. However, there is still no consensus on how this diversity originated with different models that have been proposed in the past decade. KEywORdS: Settlement of the Americas, Multivariate analyses, Morphological affinities, Biological diversity 1 Laboratório de Estudos Evolutivos Humanos, Departamento de Genética e Biologia Evolutiva, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo. Rua do Matão, 277 05508-090 São Paulo, Brazil. 2 Department of Anthropology, The Ohio State University, 4048 Smith Laboratories, 174W 18th Ave., Columbus, OH 43210 USA. 3 Instituto de Investigaciones Arqueológicas y Museo, Universidad Católica del Norte, San Pedro de Atacama. Gustavo Le Paige 380 141-0000 San Pedro de Atacama, Chile. 4 Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany. Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany. 5 Museu de Arqueologia e Etnologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil, Av. Professor Almeida Prado, 1466 05508–070 São Paulo, Brazil 6 Scientia Consultoria, São Paulo, Brazil. Corresponding author e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com Introduction Despite centuries of research on the topic, the processes surrounding the time and mode of the human settlement of the Americas have proven hard to elucidate, as can be easily attested by the contributions of this volume and the hundreds of scientific articles dedicated to the topic in the past 25 years. Within the vast realm of unsolved questions that still surround the settlement of the Americas, some deal specifically with the origins of the biological variation seen among Early Human Occupation of Lagoa Santa, Eastern Central Brazil: Craniometric Variation


The present invention relates to a pin and socket connection with a socket (11) and a pivot (10) which is rotatably received in the socket, wherein the socket is a socket surface layer and the pivot pin having a pin surface layer, wherein the socket surface layer (14) and / or the pin surface layer (12) each having at least two surface layer portions which are arranged in a direction parallel to the surface at least partially side by side, having the surface layer regions of different materials. Moreover, the present invention relates to a Verstellleitschaufelanordnung with a corresponding pin and socket connection.


The metabolism of arachidonic acid (AA) by either cyclooxygenase or lipoxygenase is believed to play an important role in carcinogenesis. Leukotriene (LT) D 4 is a proinflammmatory mediator derived from AA through various enzymatic steps, and 5-lipoxygenase is an important factor in generating LTD 4. We investigated LTD 4 receptor (cysteinylLT 1 receptor, CysLT 1 R) expression in renal cell carcinoma (RCC), as well as the effect of the CysLT 1 R antagonist on cell proliferation in the RCC cell line. CysLT 1 R expression was detected by immunohistochemistry and examined in RCC patients and normal kidney (NK) tissues. The effect of the CysLT 1 R antagonist on RCC cell growth was examined by MTT assay. Flow cytometry was used to determine whether or not the CysLT 1 R antagonist induced apoptosis. Initially, only slight CysLT 1 R expression was detected in NK tissues, and marked CysLT 1 R expression in RCC tissues. CysLT 1 R expression was higher in high-grade than in low-grade cancer. Furthermore, the CysLT 1 R antagonist caused marked inhibition of RCC cells in a concentration-and time-dependent manner through early apoptosis. To conclude, CysLT 1 R was induced in RCC and the results suggest that the CysLT 1 R antagonist may mediate the potent anti-proliferative effects of RCC cells. Thus, CysLT 1 R may become a new target therapy in the treatment of RCC.


Dispenser, flush valve, sanitary condition measurement apparatus of the bath apparatus, for providing power and / or communications device hands-free faucets, etc., provide one or more techniques and / or systems. For example, the mounting system comprises a mounting plate that can be attached to a structure such as a wall. Mounting plate may be provided with a mounting connector that may be configured to establish a connection by joining the device connector of the device. It may power the device via the connection. It may be provided to device communication via a connection. For example apparatus, the state of the device at the present time, it is also possible to transmit metering usage and / or other information to a remote source. Remote source instructions, it is also possible to transmit the data collection request, functional modifications and / or other information to the device. .FIELD 1A


The present thesis was conducted, aiming at the simulation of the existing biological urban water waste treatment facilities in the region of Thessaloniki.
 Bearing in mind the demands of the Greek as well as the International Legistation applicable to the Treatment and final Disposal of the urban water waste, the procedure of their treatment is presented and more specifically the following types of treatment are analyzed:
1. Primary Treatment
2. Biological Treatment
3. Tertiary Treatment
 Moreover, the Biological treatment of Thessaloniki is fully presented according to their approved environmental conditions. The treatment is described in detail as well as the qualitative characteristics of the input water waste (provision, organic load, total solids, nitrogen, phosphate).
 With the help of the software STOAT 5.0 the simulation of Biological treatment is carried out, using the model of activated sludge based on the data according to which the biological treatment has been designed (summer) as well as the real data (summer)
 Three different models of activated sludge were used.
 Finally, the conclusions were reached bearing in mind comparing the results of all simulations as well as comparing the simulation results with the demands of legislation.


In current scenario micro drillings have a great influence for manufacturing to apply special parts and items. The micro drill tools play a critical role is increasing the productivity of a cutting process. One of the most important factor in fundamental technologies in machining processes is high precision and high spindle speed applications with good quality and productivity. Drilling is the basic machining process, when it is performed below 1mm hole diameter then it is called Micro-Drilling, which is the precision hole drilling process. Many researchers had worked on Micro-drilling for analyzing behavior of drill tool , torques,thrust forces, stresses etc.also optimization works are carried out but the drill diameters considered were from 0.6mm to 1mm. while below that the process had carried out on Non-conventional machining processes. This research paper deals with Response Surface Methodology approach for optimizing the material removal rate in Micro-drilling machine for drill size 0.5mm. Drilling is carried out on Brass material considering machining parameters as Speed, Feed, Depth of hole and Machining time. The experiments were designed based on response surface design where Box-Behken Design method was used. The value of machining time was calculated and value of material Removal rate was calculated by measuring initial and final weights with knowing the density. After the getting the values of MRR, the effect of the parameters on MRR was determined by analysis of variance (ANOVA). More influence from given parameters on Material removal rate was known and also the interaction of their parameters was considered for their significance. Regression analysis was done and a Linear model was fitted for MRR considering the parameters and their significant interactions. And at last optimization was carried using desirability approach and confirmation experiments were performed, In this the target value was considered to get best possible combination of given parameters.


Firstly, this text reflects on some learnings for the development of more inclusive education that were obtained under the impact of Covid-19, particularly with the sense of belonging that school education should have in the future. Secondly, it introduces the second thematic issue on inclusive education, this section is organized according to the methodological approach of the papers.


The present work describes the system identification process of the lateral-directional stability derivatives of an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) [1]. The Maneuver, Model, Method, Measures and Validation (M4V) [2] , is a well known in-flight identification methodology that was applied to the VECTOR-P UAS. The maneuvers adopted to excite the lateral modes of the system were evaluated with the energy spectral density (ESD). The data was acquired during flight tests by the data acquisition system specifically developed to the Vector-P. Finally, the validation of the identified parameters was performed using statistical methods.


Significance
 Erdogan is the second head of government (after Necmettin Erbakan, 1996-97) to emerge from a specifically Islamist political movement. Under his leadership, Islam has become more prominent in political discourse, public and state affairs, and even foreign policy. One measure of his impact and eventual legacy will be the extent to which Turkish society and politics have become more religious as a result of his rule.

 Impacts
 Religious elements are likely to remain entrenched in the public service and education.
 Any fresh attempt to de-secularise Turkey after Erdogan will be able to draw on his legacy.
 Turkey will struggle to adopt a pragmatic and consistent foreign policy.


Vomiting: as in a large measure the comfort of the patient depends upon the amount of vomiting, I have followed -my after-results closely. At first sight they do not appear good, but it must be remembered that most of ihese patients swallow'some blood, and in my experience this is practically always vomited. Then, as the majority of the vomiting takes place before complete consciousness is established, the patient knows little or nothing about itt -In only one case was treatment for the vomiting required-in that of a woman who vomited for twentyfour hours (after an operation on the spbenoidal sinus). If the number of t imes that the patient vomits may be taken as a rough index of his feelings after an anaesthetic, the following table will be of interest. It must be remembered, however, that he may vomit once ~M~EM


Raisins are made by dehydrating grapes with the help of solar heat or artificial heating. It is popular because of its high sugar content, high nutritional value and easy transportation. Turkey is one of the world's top grape producers. The paper investigates the classification of two kinds of raisin in Turkey based on XGBoost, SVM, MLP, and Logistic Regression. The aim is to determine which model is optional according to the results. According to the analysis, the accuracy rates are 85.9%, 91%, 87.3% and 86.7% for the above four models, respectively. Apparently, the model with the best accuracy is SVM. Besides, its AUC area is 0.91 so it also has a high authenticity. The most important feature may be raisin's Extent. These results shed light on guiding further exploration of classifying other raisins or products.


We investigated factors associated with increased risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in ambulance personnel and the barriers faced in accessing support for work-related stress (WRS). A cross-sectional study of 388 ambulance personnel used self-administered questionnaires to assess for PTSD and level of occupational stressors: Impact of Event Scale-Revised, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Critical Incident Inventory, EMS Chronic Stress Questionnaire, SF-36 Quality of Life and the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale. The prevalence of PTSD in the study population was 30%. The participants were predominantly female (55%), with a median age of 38 (IQR; 31–44) years. PTSD was associated with smoking (OR = 1.76, 95% CI: 1.05–2.95), illicit drug use (OR = 16.4, 95% CI: 1.87–143.86) and problem drinking (OR = 3.86, 95% CI: 1.80–8.23). A self-reported mental health condition (OR = 3.76, 95% CI: 1.96–7.21), being treated for a medical condition (OR = 1.95, 95% CI: 1.22–3.11), exposure to critical incident stress (OR = 4.27, 95% CI: 2.24–8.15) and chronic WRS (OR = 4.46, 95% CI: 1.93–10.31) were associated with PTSD risk. Barriers to seeking help included concerns that services were not confidential and the negative impact on the participant's career. The increased levels of WRS, strong associations with substance use and barriers to accessing care offer starting points for workplace interventions to reduce the impact of PTSD in ambulance personnel.


The simultaenous employment of etiquette and law,morality guiding and punishment supplementing"is the ancient strategy of managing state affairs in our country.Its establishment had experienced such several phases as "Zhou Gong formulating the etiquette,thinking highly of morality and clearly of punishment",the dispute and emergence between the Confucian School and the legalist School,It had been inherited and upheld by all dynasties following the Xi han Dynasty.Its utilization is as follows:to revise the system of etiquette,to arrange the feudal order of morality,and to enable them socialized;to draw the etiquette into the laws,to make the morality legalized and to make the law confucianized;to put the morality and etiquette the highest,to submit law′s to moralities,and to cause the administration of justice moralized.


ABSTRACT Medium- and long-chain triacylglycerols (MLCTs) with high 1,3-oleic-2-medium chain (OMO) triacylglycerols content were synthesized by the acidolysis reaction between Cinnamomum camphora seed oil (CCSO) and oleic acid, catalyzed by lipozyme RM IM. In addition, the simultaneous rate of acyl migration (RAM) was investigated during the esterification process. The maximal yield of OMO-structured triacylglycerols (YST) was up to 64.45% under the optimum condition: the molar ratio of CCSO to oleic acid, 1:4; enzyme dosage, 10 wt%; temperature, 60°C; and reaction time, 24 h. RAM was 28.66% at same time. It is shown that YST positively related to RAM at single experiments of the molar ratio (r2 = 0.999, P< .01), enzyme dosage (r2 = 0.988, P< .01), below 60°C of temperature (r2 = 0.923, P< .05) and within 24 h of reaction time (r2 = 0.940, P< .05). However, YST was negatively correlated with RAM at a temperature higher than 60°C (r2 = −0.682, P> .05) or a reaction time longer than 24 h (r2 = −0.594, P> .05). The effect of temperature on the reaction could be verified by molecular dynamics simulation, opened enzyme lids were increased with temperature elevated, and helped substrates invade into catalytic triad. When temperature rose to higher than 333 K (60°C), rearrangement of the catalytic triad was promoted, which resulted in both decreasing enzyme catalytic activity and irritating acyl migration. This study could help understand the trigger cause of acyl migration at high temperature, and conclusively reaction temperature was a vital factor to balance YST and RAM in a solvent-free system. OMO-structured triacylglycerols might possess a potential application as a new type of nutritional lipids for daily diet. TOC graphic Enzymatic Synthesis of 1,3-oleic-2-medium Chain Triacylglycerols and Strategy of Controlling Acyl Migration: Insights from Experiment and molecular dynamics simulation


Research on the Northern Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) in Washington State began in the late 1970s and has included a variety of topics, including response rates in different forest types (Mills et al. 1993), ecological relationships with the Barred Owl (Strix varia) (Hamer 1988) home range and habitat use (Hamer 1988, Thomas et al. 1990, North 1993) diet (Richards 1989, Thomas et al. 1990, Sovem et al. 1994) nest site characteristics (Buchannan 199 1, Buchannan et al. 1993), prey populations (Carey et al. 1992, Forsman et al. 1994) behavior (Sovem et al. 1994) landscape features around nests (Lemkuhl and Raphael 1993) and distribution (Garcia 1979, Thomas et al. 1990). Although most of these studies emphasized importance of particular types of forest habitat for Spotted Owls, none produced quantitative data on population trends or on underlying parameters that determine population growth rates (e.g., age-specific birth and death rates). Because information on survival and reproductive rates is critical for assessing the health of any animal population, we investigated agespecific birth and death rates and annual rates of population change of Spotted Owls on two study areas in Washington. Our objective was to provide information that would help clarify the status of the owl in Washington, and that could be used in ancillary studies of Spotted Owl habitat relationships (e.g., Lemkuhl and Raphael 1993).


The author proves that in the contemporary and seemingly disordered conglomeration of views on civil society one can identify historically formed elements: the general foundation and the field of variability; and shows that the category of civil society reflects the harmonious proportion between the unique historical experience of the particular society and the potentially universal values nature of the self-organized sphere of civil initiatives, relatively isolated from the state.


Epilepsy is the most common chronic neurological disorder of childhood, encountered by both general paediatricians and paediatric neurologists. The incidence of epilepsy is approximately seven to eight new cases per 1000 per year in children under the age of 11 years (1). Correct diagnosis and appropriate classification are crucial for the overall management of children with epilepsy, including both the type of seizure and the epileptic syndrome, based on clinical findings and the pattern of the interictal and, whenever possible, the ictal electroencephalogram (EEG). Despite recent advances in pharmacological therapy and the development of an improved classification system, over 25% of children diagnosed with epilepsy still remain refractory to drug therapy (2). Paediatric epilepsy has specific characteristics in early life. Seizures in neonates do not seem to severely damage the brain per se, although they are often a manifestation of brain damage, such as arterial ischaemic stroke (3, 4). Later in life, particularly in infancy, seizures may produce damage if they are prolonged, febrile and focal, increasing the risk for intractable epilepsy and other neurological sequelae. Although 10–20% of children with acute symptomatic neonatal seizures develop epilepsy later in life, antiepileptic drug (AED) treatment should be discontinued on leaving the neonatal unit, unless seizures and/or spikes persist. In addition, family counselling and anticipatory medical care after discharge are also important issues to take into account, particularly the description of various types of seizures that may be difficult to recognize clinically. In paediatric patients, epileptic encephalopathies characterized by early continuous interictal spike and slow wave activity combined with cognitive and/or motor dysfunction require vigorous treatment of the epilepsy in order to establish adequate seizure control as soon as possible (5). Age-related characteristics of epilepsy syndromes result from differential maturation of the neocortex, from perisylvian to occipital and then frontal. Moreover, in many instances, subcortical structures as well as the cortex may also be involved. Although mesial temporal areas mature early, their functional connection to other neocortical areas is delayed by several years; this could explain how early damage may produce late epilepsy.


The fast numerical treatment of non-local operators is an important challenge in many fields of mathematics and its applications. This includes classical Fredholm integral operators, retarded potentials for wave equations, inversion of (discretised) partial differential equations, solutions to the matrix Riccati equation, infinitesimal generators of step processes, non-local filter operators in image processing, or non-local potentials in quantum chemistry and process simulation. The terminology "fast" is related to the "Fast Fourier Transform" which allows to apply the (non-local) discrete Fourier transform of N data points in O (N log N) operations instead of O (


The response of 'Early Black' cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.) to differential levels of N applied to new bogs on an Atsion sand in New Jersey was monitored over a 5-year period. More than 17 kg N/ha/year did not increase the earliness of bearing in a new bog nor did it increase the productivity of a bog. Greater amounts of N resulted in poorer berry color in early harvested fruit, increased fruit rot and vegetative growth. A strong biennial bearing tendency appeared to be related to new upright production. Differential N treatment did not influence this biennial bearing tendency. N analysis of plant tissue was not an effective diagnostic method of measuring fertilizer response, due in part to the effective dilution of plant N content by increased vegetative growth. N deficiency symptoms did not develop in the range of 0.74 to 0.82% N in the cranberry plant. Vegetative growth was particularly sensitive to N fertilization and warrants consideration as a diagnostic tool for evaluating N response.


In order to determine the height of the filter in heterogeneous Earth dam, three embankment models were provided in a flume laboratory, with the length of 4.2 m at the base of dam, the width of 60 cm and the height of 1 m and body slope 1H: 2V. In the first model, the fine-grained and coarse-grained soils were used in downstream and upstream of the dam crest respectively. In models 2 and 3 with cutting fine grained soil from the toe of the dam to the dam crest, vertical clay core was replaced. Index of a / L (a thickness of clay core and L is the length of base dam) was 1.7 and 1.10 in the second and third models, respectively. Seepage experiments in tree water height of 80 and 55 and 30 were performed.


Pretreatment for 3 weeks with NaCl, within the range 35-150 mol m-3, of 8 day old Sorghum bicolor cv. 610, results in adaptation of the plants to high salinity; plants become tolerant to 300 mol m-3 NaCl, which is lethal for unadapted plants. During the adaptation period one or more developmentally perturbed leaves (DPL) may occur. DPL formation is positively correlated with the mean relative growth rate (RGR) of the plant following exposure to 300 mol m-3 NaCl, which reflects the degree of adaptation to high salinity. Treatments with exogenous phytohormones affect both DPL formation as well as the adaptation response. When plants 14 days old or more are exposed to salinity, neither adaptation nor DPL formation occurs, demonstrating the existence of a developmental window during which these phenomena may take place. These data suggest that DPL does not result from salt damage to the plant, but rather that it should be considered as a marker of the adaptation process.


A second‐order dual‐band bandpass filter using two outer folding open‐loop resonators and two embedded anchor‐shaped stepped impedance resonators is presented in this letter. The proposed scheme provides sufficient isolation between the two specific passbands, thus each passband can be individually turned. Electric couplings are adopted among the four resonators. By adjusting the spacing of resonators, the electric coupling of two different coupling feeding paths can be independently controlled, which allows flexible control of each bandwidth. The embedded structure which is introduced can further miniaturize the dimensions of the overall structure. In addition, the proposed filter has three transmission zeros at each passband, which exhibit high skirt selectivity. Good agreement between the simulated and measured results validates the correctness of the proposed design approach and shows that the two central frequencies of the fabricated filter are located at 2.5 and 5.1 GHz as desired, with 3 dB fractional bandwidths of 13.8 and 13.6%, respectively. The measured return losses are greater than 18.5 dB, while insertion losses are less than 0.9 dB in each of the two passbands. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 56:642–646, 2014


Rough set is another tool which is dealing ambiguous and uncertain problems after theory of probability,fuzzy set and evidence theory.This paper analyzes the scientificalness and decision-making characteristic of applying Rough Set to bid-evaluation process,brings forward the method of applying rough set to system evaluation.First,this thesis is carried out in scattered disposal respectively on the quantify index and qualitative index of estimating,Second,applying attribute education and rule to pick-up technology based on the core value of Rough Set to pick candidate bidders roughly.


Cardano is a popular blockchain platform known for its balanced approach to security and decentralization, as well as its use of smart contracts and scientific approach. In our research of the Cardano network, we analyzed its architecture and capabilities, including transactions, metadata, and wallets. Our research aimed to answer the question of the potential applications of the Cardano network in modern information systems. The result of our work is a publicly available API that enables data transfer to the Cardano network, allowing for implementation in other programs. Our research provides valuable insights into the possibilities and mechanisms of using the Cardano blockchain for modern information systems development.


The present invention provides a beaded ultrahigh molecular weight polydimethyl diallyl ammonium chloride, and its preparation method. The key technology of the present invention is the use of highly efficient and stable system, inverse suspension polymerization process, may be prepared in a high intrinsic viscosity (≥2dL / g), excellent solubility (≤ 0.5h) of the instant type beads polydimethyl chloride products. Beads by adjusting the process, can be prepared by different intrinsic viscosity poly diallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride product. Alternatively an aqueous solution can be of type intrinsic viscosity poly diallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride product, it will be widely used in water treatment, papermaking, oil drilling, textile and household chemicals.


During January – June 2017 a unique data set of Doppler lidar observations of a single wind turbine wake was collected within the Perdigão flow in complex terrain experiment conducted as part of the New European Wind Atlas. Over the six-month period, over 19,000 10- minute scans comprising a combination of; Arc Scans at ten elevation angles, Vertical Azimuth Display and Range Height Indicator scans were conducted. These data were subsequently analysed using a newly-developed automated wake identification and tracking algorithm. In total, over 1,900 ten-minute periods were identified as 'wake periods' by the algorithm, over 1000 with coherent wake centres. For these wakes, the detailed 3D volume of the wake characteristics are examined to assess the impact of different meteorological conditions on the magnitude and recovery of the velocity deficit in coherent wakes as they advect downwind.


Based on the dynamic concept of Kane′s method,a new method is presented for the analysis and computation of the inverse dynamics of robots with the hybrid open and closed chain mechanism.Logic open chains are divided, on which the velocities and the accelerations are calculated. The Partial velocities are derived with the velocities and the particle derivatives of generalized velocities. The driving forces or monuments are obtained finally through the Kane′s equation. The recursive standard computation is so plain and terse that is can be realized in a computer easily.


Microbial transglutaminase (mTG) is a survival factor for bacteria that is heavily used as a protein glue in the processed food industries. Despite the manufacturers' claims for it safe usage, scientific observations are accumulating for its unwanted effects on human health. The enzyme can cross link proteins, imitating its family member, tissue transglutaminase, the autoantigen of celiac disease. Its gliadin cross-linked complexes are immunogenic in celiac disease. In the intestinal lumen, mTG exerts anti protease activity and forms resistant isopeptide bonds, it is anti-phagocytic, thus suppressing luminal protective pathways. It increases intestinal permeability, is trans-epithelialy transported and faces the enteric mucosal immune cells. Finally, mTG-containing products can react as emulsifiers and mucolytic agents thus compromising barriers' integrities. The present review summarizes and updates on the potential detrimental effects of mTG, aiming to protect the public from the enzyme's unwanted effects.


The Canterbury Earthquake Sequence (CES) of 2010/2011 resulted in extensive damage to the Christchurch City Council infrastructure assets. The Stronger Christchurch Infrastructure Rebuild Team (SCIRT) was established in response and tasked with the assessment and repair of the earthquake related damage in Christchurch to publicly owned horizontal infrastructure, including retaining walls. This paper shares the assessment and prioritisation philosophy especially created for the approximate 1000 retaining walls within the Port Hills, including the use of a multi criteria analysis tool in assisting the rebuild programme. The paper includes lessons learnt during the early data collection stages with the collation from various sources of earthquake damage investigations, the importance of quality asset information (completeness and standardisation of key data), and the benefits of data management through Road Assessment and Maintenance Management (RAMM). The lessons learnt will assist road controlling authorities and councils in managing their assets, and will illustrate the importance of early data capture as opposed to during the challenging times of a post disaster event.


We experimentally demonstrate nanosecond electric modification of the order parameter (NEMOP). Nanosecond electro-optic switching is equally fast for both filed-on and field-off driving what allows using liquid crystals for high speed optical communication devices.


Introduction: The vagal nerve is involved in reflexive control of the heart. We would like to sense vagal activity originating from cardiac sensory neurons, and influence cardiac parameters by electrical stimulation of the vagal nerve. The ability of the 12-segment cuff to influence and sense cardiac fibers in the vagal trunk will be compared with the ring cuff. Methods: Experiments were performed in twelve pigs. At the cervical level three cuff electrode configurations were placed on the left vagal nerve for recording and stimulation. The cuffs were 15 mm long and had three circular Pt/Ir electrode contacts with (Fig. 1b). In seven pigs, the third cuff was replaced with a cuff with 12 segments instead of three rings (Fig. 1a). ECG and left ventricular pressure were also recorded. Sensing In twelve pigs sensing was done with a ring cuff and in seven also with a 12-segment cuff. ENG was band-pass filtered at 100-2000Hz, rectified and low-pass filtered at 10Hz, resulting in the envelope of the ENG. Mean activity was removed to obtain only the variations within a cardiac cycle. An ensemble average was determined from 260 cycles of ENG signal, centered on R-tops of the ECG. A signal was identified as cardiac-modulated if the 95%-CI of the ensemble average had a deviation from zero. Stimulation In five pigs the maximal amplitude (300µs, 50Hz) was determined at which, during stimulation with the ring electrode, no coughing occurred. Next in these five pigs, stimulation with this setting was repeated with the ring cuff and the 12-segment cuff. Results: A significantly cardiac-modulated vagal signal was measured in 6/7 pigs with the 12-segment cuff and in 6/12 pigs with the ring cuff. The effect of electrical stimulation on left ventricular pressure was significantly greater when stimulating with the 12-segment cuff than with the ring cuff (p = 0.03). A significant difference was not reached for R-R (p = 0.2) and left ventricular contractility (p = 0.07). Conclusion: The 12-segment cuff seems superior to the ring cuff, considering selective sensing and stimulation of the cardiac fibers in the cervical vagal trunk.


The aim of this study was to describe the chemical composition of Tunisian Mentha pulegium L. essential oils from Monastir and to test their antibacterial activity. The essential oils, obtained from fresh and dried aerial parts by hydrodistillation, were analysed by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. The leaf extracts were used to test the antimicrobial activity against nine hospital bacteria and five reference strains. The minimum inhibitory concentrations and the minimum bactericidal concentrations were determinated by sub-culture at TSA agar plates which were incubated at 37°C during 18-24 h. Thirty four compounds were identified. All the oils were found to be rich in oxygen monoterpen hydrocarbons. The oils tested displayed antimicrobial activities. Aeromonas hydrophila, Vibrio cholerae non-O1 and Enterococcus faecalis were the most sensitive strains. Grampositive strains are more susceptible to the essential oils from the fresh leaves collected at the vegetative state than from the dried ones.


The coagulation-flocculation and sedimentation beaker test is conducted to compare the flocculating and sedimentation effects of and polymeric aluminum,( PAC) 、( PAFC) 、( PAM) and activation silicic acid.The results show that polymeric aluminum and activation silicic acid is the most effective for the treatment of low temperature and turbidity raw water. The optimum pH for coagulation is 6. 5 ~ 7. 5. Under optimal coagulating conditions coagulation with ferric chloride is the best. It can also be seen that it 's efficient to evaluate and choose coagulants with respect to turbidity and organic substance removal for increasing pollutant removal efficiency in coagulation and sedimentation.


Outsourcing the fabrication of semiconductor devices to merchant foundries raises some issues concerning the IP protection of the design. Active hardware metering schemes try to counter piracy of integrated circuits by enforcing the fabrication plant to run an activation protocol with the IP owner for every chip that is produced. In this work, we analyze the protocols of two active hardware metering schemes that were recently proposed by Roy et al. in [1], [2]. We study how these schemes achieve security and based on this, we suggest more efficient and secure versions for both. Finally, we present a simplified and secure activation protocol based on physically unclonable functions.


Along with social economy's development,the scientific and technological information service which is the important field in scientific and technological information activities faces many challenges.This article puts forward suggestions and countermeasures to improve the scientific and technological information service of ours by analysing the current situation,characteristics,problems and development trend of it.


This paper describes the most common alterations in neck contour produced by the aging process. First, the author's ideas about the role of platysma muscle and the other anatomic elements in causing neck deformities are outlined, followed by a thorough description of the platysma muscle's anatomy. The author's surgical preferences are then detailed and discussed. Finally, the principal complications of surgery for the correction of platysmal deformities are presented and suggestions for avoiding them are provided.


The paper will look at the historical notion of prosthesis through an analysis of Rem Koolhaas's 1998 House at Floirac where technology becomes the literal and spiritual generator of the space mediating, through architecture, the uneasy collision between the body and the machine. Organised around a centralised passenger lift for the wheelchair bound owner of the house, and enveloped by the associated family spaces, the house is a highly calibrated architectural object which supplements the body and its internal desires, while at the same time being dependent upon it for its programmatic completion. In the House at Floirac technology is problematised as competing internal and external programmes which a spatial conversation between the sky and ground. The paper will explore the themes embedded in the spatial programme of the House at Floirac by connecting it with the broader theoretical speculations of OMA and a cultural history of prosthetics. Read as an extension of Koolhaas's gendered observations of the architecture of Manhattan, and eroticised speculations in "Strategy of the Void", the House at Floirac is evidence of a much deeper strand in OMA's work through which technology and the body are entwined.


Objective To analyze the effect of clinical natural delivery for puerperants with nuchal cord. Methods 120 puerperants with nuchal cord and 120 puerperants without nuchal cord in our hospital were randomly selected. Effects of natural delivery and conditions of newborns were compared between the two groups. Results The number of natural delivery in the observation group was less than that in the control group, and incidence of fetal distress, rate of neonatal asphyxia, and rate of Caesarean section and forceps delivery were all higher than those in the control group(P 0.05). Conclusion Nuchal cord brings risks and dangers to the safe delivery of newborns, which increases the incidence of neonatal asphyxia, fetal distress and Caesarean section. A close nursing and monitoring of the delivery with an effective and timely measure helps significantly improve the safety of both mothers and infants.


Common logistics is an important way to alleviate the dual pressures of economy and society.The common logistics involves multi-agents,cooperates in different professions.To forecast and control the operation risk is a key point.The paper designs common logistics operation risk forecast model based on the SVM,takes 15 regions of common logistics operation risk as the foundation,and carries on the forecast about resources environment restraint's common logistics operation risk level.


Objective To study the efficacy and safety of la- ser subepithelial keratomileusis(LASEK) for extremely high myo- pia. Methods LASEK was performed on 40 eyes of 22 patients with extremely high myopia.Mean preoperative uncorrected visual acuity was 0.02±0.02(range 0.01-0.05)and the mean spheri- cal equivalent was-12.75±2.30 D. With a 6-month follow-up, postoperative syndrome,uncorrected and best-corrected visual acui- ty, manifest refaction,intraocular pressure, corneal healing and com- plications were examined. Results The epithelial healing time was 1 to 4 days. Uncorrected visual acuity of 0.5 or better was achieved in 95% of eyes and of 1.0 or better in 27.5% at 6 months after surgery. The average uncorrected visual acuity was 0.70±0.20 and the mean spherical equivalent was-1.25±1.78 D. 14 eyes had haze,of which 10 eyes with grade 0, 5 and 4 eyes with grade 1.5 patients complained of glare. Conclusions LASEK is an effective and safe refractive surgery for the correction of extremely, high myo- pia.


I read with interest the paper by Chung & Wong 'Experiences of stigma among Chinese mental health patients in Hong Kong' ( Psychiatric Bulletin , December 2004, 28 , 451–454). They cited as one limitation of their study that their results might not extrapolate to the Chinese population in


A series of computer experiments has been conducted in order to study the combined combustion synthesis-densification process, in which a mechanical load is applied to a sample as it undergoes a combustion synthesis process. The current work is an extension of a theoretical model of the combustion synthesis process that was developed previously.^1,2 In this work, the appropriate constitutive equations for sample deformation have been incorporated, in order to account for the pore-volume change that may take place when the mechanical load is applied, thus densifying the sample. It was shown that the brief appearance of a liquid phase in the combustion wave front provides an important opportunity for densification when the self-propagating combustion synthesis process is conducted in conjunction with an applied mechanical load. That is, the concomitant decrease in the (local) total volume fraction of the solid phases—due to the elementary melting and dissolution processes that also occur (locally)—effectively lowered the (local) apparent yield strength of the sample, thus allowing for the compaction and densification of the sample (i.e., locally). Results indicated that the mechanical load should be applied at the instant at which the sample is ignited, in order to ensure that articles whose density is uniform throughout the sample can be fabricated. This work provided a more detailed and quantitative understanding of this unique process for preparing dense articles by the self-propagating combustion synthesis process, that is, when it is conducted in conjunction with an applied mechanical load.


The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device and a method for manufacturing the same. The liquid crystal display device according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a first substrate and a second substrate which are arranged to face each other; a wiring part formed on the first substrate and an ultraviolet ray blocking layer formed to be aligned with the wiring part on both sides of the wiring part; an organic film formed on the first substrate to cover the wiring part and the ultraviolet ray blocking layer; a liquid crystal layer located between the organic film and the second substrate; and a sealing member formed on the outside of the liquid crystal layer between the organic film and the second substrate, wherein the wiring part and the ultraviolet ray blocking layer are formed on the same layer, and the sealing member is formed in a position overlapping the wiring part, thereby minimizing defects of an organic film generated when irradiating ultraviolet rays to form the sealing member.


During the coronavirus outbreak, events will move fast, and a home may find itself facing unexpected incidents and adjustments to care plans. Effective recordkeeping is essential. Adrian Ashurst ou...


The purpose of this project is to improve the control and precision of any rover by replacing the convention direct current motors or servo motors with brushless direct current motors. The BLDC motors are much accurate to control because of the sensors they are equipped with. The telephonic signal from the transmitter generates two frequencies one is a lower frequency and the other is a higher frequency. The higher frequency is used to drive the motors. The signal is then sent to the receiver which then transmits the dual tone modulation frequency signal to the DTMF decoder. The DTMF decoder then decodes the received signal and then transmits to the gate driver IC (which is connected to the Arduino for motor control). The Gate Driver IC which has the BLDC motors connected to it drives the motors. Furthermore this rover is being operated by Dual Tone Modulation Frequency (DTMF). In addition the rover is equipped with a Gas Sensor.


The introduction commences with a 'detour' into the history of landscape art and the picturesque, suggesting ways that this mode pre-empted what may seem like more modern ideas about the interference between perception and representation. This discussion is folded into a brief account of the so-called 'spatial turn' and the interventions of theorists including Doreen Massey and Marc Augé, establishing an immediate context for the work of Keiller, Sebald, and Sinclair. Suggesting a twin heritage of the 'English Journey' on the one hand and the French Surrealists and Situationists on the other, the introduction then offers the tension between amant and amateur as a way of characterizing the balance of exotic/everyday, plan/coincidence, and high-brow/low-brow in these figures' work. It considers the role of pedestrianism and melancholia before closing with a discussion of Walter Benjamin and Gustave Doré's 'New Zealander'.


In Reply.—
 Although it is difficult to compare the perinatal patient population in Israel directly with that in the US, the Jerusalem experience with persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPH) is encouraging and consistent with that of a number of centers here.
 Definitive data on this subject are not currently available, but there is considerable indirect evidence, such as that of Bruckheimer and Eidelman, to support the view that babies born at large centers with comprehensive perinatal services are less likely to require ECMO and, therefore, that some of the need for ECMO may be preventable.


Motion detection is of paramount importance in video surveillance systems. In this paper, a novel algorithm is proposed to extract the exact boundaries of moving objects in video frames. Using the concepts of Cross-Correlation and Edge Detection, we combine two well-known motion detection methods to extract the moving regions more accurately. Also, we modify these two methods in terms of accuracy and processing time in order to make them suitable for algorithm. The experimental results prove that the proposed method significantly outperforms the other state-of-the-art schemes in terms of both objective and subjective performance. Another advantage of the suggested method over the others is its relatively low computational complexity and high implementation speed.


A URELIO M. ESPINOSA'S note on Bertram Colgrave's discussion of the "Bear's Son" folktale' was a necessary correction of a grave error. To the thirty-three Spanish American versions which Espinosa has studied, I am adding a thirty-fourth, bringing the total number of versions of this tale up to forty-eight for the Western Hemisphere. My version comes from Chicago, Illinois. The Mexican colony in Chicago is large enough to support two weekly newspapers and two motion picture theaters. I did part-time collecting with a wire recorder among the Chicago Mexicans between I948 and I950. By making the microphone as inconspicuous as possible, I endeavored to create the natural storytelling situation to get the tales down exactly as they are normally told. My informant for this version of "Juan de la Burra" ("John of the Donkey") was Francisca Coronado, a matron of about fifty years, who heard it as a child in Mexico. In the following word-for-word translation from the wire I have essayed to carry over into English all the charm, color, and authenticity of the original. In a town there was a priest who was very charitable and did good to all the people of the town, and all liked him very much, because he was so considerate and generous. His offerings came and he saved them only for the poor, after having spent what he needed on the church. One day when the servant was going out, he found a child crying. It was abandoned at the door of the parish house. He returned and said, "Father, at the hall door is a child abandoned." The priest said, "Bring him here. He must be given help." Thus did the servant. They found that it was a boy, just a few hours from birth. The Father said, "To this child first must be given the faith of Christ. Afterwards, we will see how he can be nourished." Well, thus they did it. They took the baby to the sacristy. They gave him the waters of baptism, but not knowing from what family he came, they called him only John, giving him the name of the Apostle, and thus he remained. Then they nourished him with a goat. Later, he had a donkey on which he rode. But this donkey lost her offspring, and they could not find any way to pacify her. They decided that they could aliment the child with her milk, not only because donkey milk is more healthful, but also to prevent the animal's getting sick. The donkey was docile and permitted the baby to suck her. From the first, it was a rare thing, but since the donkey had lost her own baby, she refused to let the little boy leave her side. Thus he grew very fast and became robust, either through the nutriment from the donkey or because it was his character. He reached the age at which children must go to school. They placed him in the


This paper examines the preservation of several aging classes of lifetime distributions in the formation of coherent and mixed systems with independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) or identically distributed (i.d.) component lifetimes. The increasing mean inactivity time class and the decreasing mean time to failure class are developed for the lifetime of systems with possibly dependent and i.d. component lifetimes. The increasing likelihood ratio property is also discussed for the lifetime of a coherent system with i.i.d. component lifetimes. We present sufficient conditions satisfied by the signature of a coherent system with i.i.d. components with exponential distribution, under which the decreasing mean remaining lifetime, the increasing mean inactivity time, and the decreasing mean time to failure are all satisfied by the lifetime of the system. Illustrative examples are presented to support the established results.


This article surveys probablistic approaches to modeling information retrieval. The basic concepts of probabilistic approaches to information retrieval are outlined and the principles and assumptions upon which the approaches are based are presented. The various models proposed in the development of IR are described, classified, and compared using a common formalism. New approaches that constitute the basis of future research are described.


Global climatic changes will probably have significant effect on the utilization of regional water resources and will influence markedly the operation of water storage and delivery systems. Regional water resources may be affected by climatic change in at least three inter-related ways: water availability (quantity), water quality, and water balance. From the point of view of demand for water, the relative importance of different water uses may change, thus influencing policy decisions regarding the allocation of water and the management of the regional water resources systems.


Three generators in Jinniuping Hydropower Station are directly connected into the grid with a 10.5kV voltage level.This connection of generator-line unit brings about difficulties to design of relay protection. The article introduces the design process and arrangement of the generator-line unit with special main wiring mode.


Major comments The time point of adenosine infusion was 30 minutes after reperfusion of the occluded LAD. The authors should discuss this short time interval. Why have they chosen 30 minutes? This should include a critical comment on the optimal time after reperfusion to perform MCE. Answer: The reviewer's comment was included in the limitation section on page 12: "IS estimation has been demonstrated limited immediately after reperfusion because of reactive hyperemia that occurs shortly after reperfusion and abates within hours. Previous studies have demonstrated that myocardial contrast echocardiography with intermittent harmonic imaging performed after twelve hours of reperfusion provides an accurate assessment of infarct size. One could argue that the period in which myocardial perfusion was evaluated in our study was too close after LAD reperfusion (30 min). However, the study was designed to determine the value of RTMCE in a period of time in which reactive hyperemia is known to occur."


Abstract Background: The impact of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) on left ventricular performance in patients with scleroderma is still unknown. This study aims to perform a comparative echocardiographic analysis of left ventricular function between two different etiological varieties of PAH, namely PAH caused by systemic sclerosis as a representative of systemic inflammatory diseases and PAH caused by myocardial ischemia. Material and method: We conducted a prospective observational study on 82 patients, of which 36 were with documented PAH, with the systolic pressure in the pulmonary artery above 35 mmHg, and 46 were patients with normal pulmonary artery pressure. The study population was divided into two groups, based on the etiology of PAH: group 1 included patients diagnosed with scleroderma (n = 48); group 2 included patients with coronary artery disease (n = 35). Patients from each group were divided into two subgroups based on the diagnosis of PAH: subgroup 1A – subjects with scleroderma and associated PAH (n = 20); subgroup 1B – subjects with scleroderma without PAH (n = 28); subgroup 2A – ischemic patients with associated PAH (n = 16); and subgroup 2B – patients with ischemic disease without PAH (n = 19). Results: A significant difference between LVEF values in patients with PAH versus those without PAH in the ischemic group (p = 0.023) was recorded. Compared to scleroderma subjects, ischemic patients presented significantly lower values of LVEF in both PAH and non-PAH subgroups (p <0.0001 and p <0.0001, respectively). Linear regression analysis between sPAP and LVEF revealed a significant negative correlation only for the ischemia group (r = −0.52, p = 0.001) and the scleroderma 2B subgroup (r = −0.51, p = 0.04). Tissue Doppler analysis of left ventricular function revealed a significant impact of PAH on left ventricular diastolic performance in the ischemic group. Conclusions: Compared to patients with coronary artery disease, those with scleroderma present a less pronounced deterioration of LVEF in response to pulmonary arterial hypertension.


Davis et al. in their article stated that as the practice of medicine has become more complex, it is increasingly difficult for physicians to provide the right care for patients every time without modern health information technology support. c including prescription drugs, devices, and procedures make it possible to improve patient health outcomes and quality of life. Physicians are expected to be knowledgeable about new research, follow state-of the-art clinical guidelines, assist patients with complex health problems in navigating the health care system, fortunately, advances in health information technology make it easier for physicians to do all these tasks [1].


Lasing in the green part of the spectrum was observed for the first time when the triatomic excimer Xe2Cl was pumped optically.


The amount of video information to store and transmit is continuously increasing. The new video compression standard H.265/HEVC provides the ability to halve video bitrate at the cost of higher computational expenses. The most time-demanding part of a compression system is decision making, especially when based on rate-distortion optimization (RDO). There are a lot of papers that tend to decrease the complexity of decision making by either reducing the number of coding options to compare or by reducing the complexity of RDO estimation. The aim of the latter approach is to eliminate from rate estimation the binary arithmetic coder (BAC), as it is the most computationally expensive step. Most of works focus on proper estimation of the residual data, while proper estimation of prediction information is either neglected or is still performed with BAC. In our work we elaborate the proper rate estimation of the prediction header without the use of BAC. The suggested algorithm counts the symbols to be coded with BAC and estimates the bit size of the intra prediction header based on the entropy of the symbols, obtained in the statistical experiments. The proposed algorithm provides the average 8722 Maxim P. Sharabayko and Oleg G. Ponomarev bitrate overhead of 0.09% on JCT-VC test video sequences, and can be used as a part of decision making algorithm in H.265/HEVC video compression systems. Mathematics Subject Classification: 94A08


The Japanese shallow water fauna of Tanaidacea is examined. One new genus in the Parapseudidae Longipedis and two new species, L. fragilis and Hoplomachus toyoshious, are described. Androgynella nipponicus is herein re-erected. Apseudes nasutus is transferred to Longiflagrum.


Mathematical models have been extensively used to shape living organism behaviour. These models are based on the N-dimensional space classification for those in which the patterns may have been defined.GeNeSys neural network family has been postulated as aglobal, comprehensive solution that shapes an individual behaviour. This article describes the GeNeSys family and presents some theoretical results of the researches in speaker recognition. An identification/verification system voice based is proposed. This implementation can identify or verify a speaker from 30 speakers contained in a multisession database. In this paper, a speaker verification system is presented and the tasks related to the speaker verification through the speech are developed. This system is applied to multimedia database access, services and applications. To achieve this goal a previous learning process is necessary. After the training phase is finished, the speaker model is calculated and stored in a database. A speaker recognition task using the database M2VTS from ElRA is about 88%. Speaker Identification, Adaptive control, ART, real-time applications, decision theory.


A comparison of two chemiluminescence methods, the borax buffer-based HRP-enhanced reagent and Lumi-Phos 530, applied to the detection of a biotinylated 30-mer DNA slot blotted onto a nylon membrane, is presented. A streptavidin-HRP and streptavidin-ALP mediated detection system was used. The HRP-enhanced system is up to 15-fold greater with respect to the signal/background ratios than the Lumi-Phos 530 system at 0.5 microgram biotinylated DNA with at least a two-fold improvement in detection sensitivity for 0.5 ng biotinylated DNA.


Building designers and owners continue to avoid natural ventilation despite the promise of significant annual energy savings. The fact is, natural ventilation is riddled with problems. Acoustic privacy, air quality, humidity, and fire safety are just four problems associated with natural ventilation that place it far short of meeting current living standards in many countries. This thesis focuses on overcoming the problem of noise privacy by proposing new designs, dubbed "aero-acoustic wall openings," that permit natural ventilation without sacrificing acoustic privacy. Instead of opening doors and windows, people will open these aero-acoustic wall openings to let in air for natural ventilation. Two aero-acoustic wall opening designs (a transfer duct and a U-shaped duct) are investigated and refined to meet design goals for noise transmission loss and pressure loss. Empirical and theoretical models predict the performance of the designs, and experiments verify the predictions. The final V-shaped duq design has a sound transmission class (STC) rating of 25 (comparable to wellsealed doors and windows), and allows 10 air changes per hour (ACH) through three walls (in series) of a standard 120m 2 (1614ft2) apartment under a total pressure gradient of 8Pa (produced by wind speeds of 3.7mI/s 8.3mph), while occupying only 20% of the available wall area. Profit margin estimates are promising (50% 83%) and encourage bringing aero-acoustic wall openings to market. Whether for an office building, a private home, or a large apartment complex, aero-acoustic wall openings are easily integrated with the architecture to produce an aesthetically pleasing and energy-efficient building. Hopefully, now with one less reason to avoid it, and every reason to use it, building designers and owners will freely adopt natural ventilation for buildings. Thesis Supervisor: Leon Glicksman Title: Professor of Mechanical Engineering


Tender Is the Night , as one of the most well-known works of F. Scott Fitzgerald, to some extent, is a manifestation of his own life and the whole society. J. C. Catford's Translation Shift Theory is very practical and under its guidance, this paper is produced for an assessment of Chinese edition of this novel by Xinmei Tang from two general aspects, namely level shifts and category shifts. This research finds that Tang's translation is faithful not only from the lexical and grammatical level but also from syntactic level. However, his translation is not perfect and still needs to be improved.


The impacts of different methods of comminution on the concentrations of condensed tannins in Tamarix rasosissima branches is investigated. The results were showed that the concentrations of condensed tannins were lower in nitrogen protection than those in air. And the differences were significant. Therefore, trying to use nitrogen protection or in the condition of low temperature in the process of comminution are recommended, which can provide more reliable results than that in the air.


Wireless sensor networks monitor phenomena that vary over the spatial region the sensor network covers. The sensor readings may also be dual-used for additional purposes. In this paper we propose to use the inherent spatial variability in physical phenomena to support localization and position verification. We first present the problem of localization using general spatial information fields, and then propose a theory for exploiting this spatial variability for localization. Our spatio-correlation weighting mechanism (SCWM) uses spatial relationships of measured physical phenomena to determine an appropriate subset of environmental parameters for better location accuracy. We next present the Flex - EP algorithm, which supports our theoretical model for performing localization. Finally, we provide an experimental evaluation of our approach by using a collection of physical phenomena measured across one hundred locations inside a building. Our results provide strong evidence of the viability of using general sensor readings for location applications.


This essay argues against Rosalind Krauss' assertion that the classic avant-gardes' selfacclaimed originality was an ahistorical myth. Constructing at times anachronistic genealogies tying past movements and individual artists to the present, the avant-gardes, perhaps paradoxically, were one of the first in modern art and literature to historicize their own originality. By way of a survey of a number of such genealogies stemming from futurism, Dadaism, surrealism and constructivism, this essay unearths the presentist nature of the avant-gardes and suggests that the many modes of representing history developed by the avant-gardes should be further scrutinized for their historiographical potential.


The objectives of the research program are to (1) identify and develop polymer systems which have potential to improve reservoir conformance of fluid displacement processes, (2) determine the performance of these systems in bulk and in porous media, and (3) develop methods to predict their performance in field applications. The research focuses on three types of aqueous gel systems - a polysaccharide (KUSP1) that gels as a function of pH, a polyacrylamide-chromium(III) system and a polyacrylamide-aluminum citrate system. This report describes work conducted during the second year of a three-year program. Progress was made in the utilization of KUSP1 as a gelling agent. It was shown that gels can be formed in situ in porous media using CO{sub 2} or ester hydrolysis to lower pH. An ester was identified that could be used in field-scale operations. It was determined that KUSP1 will form strong gels when ortho boric acid is added to the system. It was also determined, in cooperation with Abbott Laboratories, that KUSP1 can be produced on a commercial scale. Rheological studies showed that shear rate significantly affects gelation time and gel strength. The effect of rock-fluid interactions at alkaline conditions was examined experimentally and through mathematical modeling.more » A model was developed that treats non-equilibrium conditions and this is an improvement over previously published models.« less


Long-term edentulism leads to the encroachment of the space by the antagonist teeth, which interfere with the occlusion, function, and most importantly the vertical space required for replacement of the teeth. Dental implant therapy has taken over conventional fixed dental prosthesis as a treatment option since the last few decades. Minimum biomechanical requirement for the height of the implant prosthesis makes it imperative for the clinician to modify the height of the opposing tooth. Overcoming the conventional technique of tooth reduction, use of temporary anchorage devices like mini-implants, for tooth intrusion, provides a minimally invasive approach. This article describes a case where mini-implants were activated using elastics for maxillary molar intrusion to create space for the implant prosthesis to replace the missing mandibular molars.


Formula I: Or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, tautomer, or stereoisomer thereof, wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , X 1 , X 2 , X 3 and X 4 are as defined herein and provide a compound comprising at least one F, Cl, Br, I, or 123 I moiety. Also provided are the use of such compounds for cancer imaging, including prostate cancer, and methods of treatment for subjects in need thereof, as well as methods and intermediates for making such compounds. The


The internationalization of small and medium enterprises is recognized as an important
 precondition for growth and development, especially in small economies, such as Croatian.
 Growing businesses enable new employment, they are innovative and competitive. In order to
 internationalize, small and medium enterprises have to be aware of the opportunities and risks
 in foreign markets, and to recognize the factors that play a role in the internationalization
 process as well as possible patterns of internationalization. The main aim of this doctoral
 dissertation is to explore the internationalization process of small and medium enterprises as a
 growth strategy and to analyze the prerequisites for successful implementation. In order to
 answer the research questions raised, this dissertation uses methods of quantitative and
 qualitative research. A secondary database Eurobarometer with the topic of Internationalization
 of Small and Medium Enterprises is used in quantitative research. Results are used as the basis
 for selecting the sample for qualitative research and for preparing a questionnaire for
 conducting semi-structured interviews. In the second part of the research, understanding of this
 research problem is deepened through case analysis. The focus is on the manufacturing industry
 in Croatia, and the research seeks to understand the prerequisites, challenges and patterns of
 internationalization of small and medium enterprises. The final part of the dissertation provides
 recommendations for small and medium enterprises and policy recommendations, as well as
 recommendations for future research.


1,3,4-Oxadiazole derivative, namely, 3-(5-naphthalen-2-yl-[1,3,4]oxadiazol-2-yl)pyridine (NOP) as a
corrosion inhibitor against mild steel in 1M HCl has been evaluated using the weight-loss technique
(303-323 K), electrochemical analysis [potentiodynamic polarization (PDP) and electrochemical
impedance spectroscopy (EIS)], as well as surface morphology investigations (SEM). Additionally the
computational studies such as density functional theory (DFT), the synthesized molecule (NOP) were
utilized to better insight into molecular structure and electronic aspects relating to the anti-corrosion
activities of the examined inhibitors and to envisage the interaction between designed inhibitors with the
mild steel surface. The synthesized molecule (NOP) expressed high inhibition efficiency of 88.62% at an
optimal concentration of 500 ppm at 298 K. A mixed-type inhibition mechanism is suggested by
potentiodynamic polarization (PDP) analysis. The DFT calculations complement well with the experimental
outcomes. This article provides in-depth insights to comprehend the mild steel inhibitor interactions
mode and can be very helpful in accentuating the approach to mitigate the metal dissolution occurring in
acidic corrosive media.


Considering the assumption of the continuing importance of both transnationalism and multiculturalism, the aim is to discuss the two notions and explore their relations within the broader field of migration studies. Even though both concepts present popular keywords in academic literature, they are rarely assessed and researched together. Therefore the article sketches out possible paths for further research, involving intersections between transnationalism and multiculturalism. The first two parts of the paper discuss migrant transnationalism and multiculturalism, including their definitions, different approaches and criticisms. After comparing the two concepts and discussing their similarities and differences, possible paths for further research on multiculturalism and transnationalism are outlined, based on a differentiation between the two notions at a theoretical, public policy and social practice level. Transnationalism and multiculturalism do not lead to an intellectual cul-de-sac, but offer many potentially rewarding paths for further research.


This study was carried out to define the students' perception of digital literacy competencies as learning sources held by the students of English Education Study Program of STKIP Muhammadiyah Bangka Belitung as active users of internet pointed on the internet searching, hypertext navigation, content evaluation, and knowledge assembly by theory of Paul Gilster (1997). This research uses a descriptive qualitative method. Subjects in this research were 9 students determined using a purposive sampling technique, with the subject criteria is the students who are actively using the internet more than 4 hours a day to browse the internet as educational sources. The results of this research indicate that all of the respondents are not literate yet because they do not have all the indicators in digital literacy. But, only one of nine students answered all the indicators on digital literacy, the respondent has stated as well competencies in internet searching, hypertext navigation, content evaluation, and knowledge assembly. So, from the indicators of digital literacy competencies, it can be implied that only one of nine students who have a good perception of digital literacy as learning sources.


This paper outlines the results of a study aimed at developing a framework for quality measurement in higher education, the emphasis being on the teaching aspects of engineering education. Following a theoretical study of the dimensions of quality in this environment, the paper reports on the empirical research carried out to validate the framework through internal consistency testing, factor analysis and predictive validity. A customer-oriented strategy for measurement was selected on the basis of customers' perceptions on quality dimensions, their importance ratings and their overall evaluation of the service provider.