A wide variety of visual recognition systems are developed for precise tasks and types of objects. In this paper we would like to emphasize ways to build a more generic recognition system. Perception is one of these mechanisms that psychologists particularly pointed out as a fundamental one for actively organizing and making sense of input sensory information. Based on psychological assumptions, we propose to explore the concept of perception, infer formalization in the dynamical system framework and quantitatively analyze it on robotic platforms using a unique simple neuronal architecture based on the association of visual and motor information (movements of the body or part of the body). This coupling of sensory flows of information can be characterized by a sensorimotor invariant, a dynamical attractor that we identify as a perception function. For place, object or facial expression recognition, we show how simple sensori-motor architecture can be applied to accomplish each task in terms of behavioral recognition. In each application, some pertinent visual information, based on classical focus point detection, are organized as local views and associated to an action or an internal state corresponding to a set of actions, in order to reach a location, an object or recognize a facial expression. The active learning phase for different points of view or face expressions allows the emergence of a stable perception linked to a stable sensori-motor attractor and allows the robot to perform a stable behavior in very different initial conditions. We will show how the attractor/perception emerges during the learning phase and evaluate its spatial generalization properties.


The corrosion of pure iron was studied by electrochemical noise potential measurements in 0.5 mol/dm 3 H 2 SO 4 containing dibenzyl sulfoxide and plenyl thiourea, respectively, as the inhibitor. The corrosion current density was found to be inversely proportional to the mean square of the potential noise. The proportionality constant was determined with solution analysis and harmonic analysis.


Matt Magoffin drove his white 1977 Chevy truck down a dusty road on his 22,000-acre ranch in the southeastern corner of Arizona. The spring had been brutally dry, and checking on water sources around the ranch was critical this time of year. He was especially worried that a certain earthen stock tank might have dried up. A red-faced Scotch-Irishman in his early forties, Matt had brown hair and blue eyes that were often on the verge of smiling … but not today. Before he opened the truck door he saw the remains of the water he was looking for—a mud puddle, turning to potato-chip curls of dried clay around the edges. But there was worse news to come. He lowered himself from the cab and walked to the tank site. As he approached he could see that the little frogs were running out of water quickly, barely able to cover their backs. Across the tank he watched a coyote reach in and slide a frog down his throat. Herons, too, had joined the feast, and Matt knew that snakes and other predators were sure to finish them off. They needed enough water to hide themselves or they were goners.


This text contains the 2015 winter forecast 2015 by the KOF Swiss Economic Institute at ETH Zurich, released on 17 December 2015. The first part discusses recent economic developments abroad and in Switzerland, and presents the main forecast results across the various sectors of the economy. In the second part, detailed forecasts for Switzerland follow, split up into the main demand components of GDP. We expect the Swiss economy to grow by 0.7% in 2015, 1.1% in 2016 and 2.0% in 2017, respectively, representing a small downward revision for 2015 and 2016 compared with our last forecast from October 2015.


The particularly efficient and low frequency Minnaert resonances of air bubbles in fluids or soft solids make them excellent candidates for the realization of acoustic metamaterials. Here, we study the transmission of a plane wave through a single meta-layer consisting of periodic arrangement of air bubbles trapped in a viscoelastic matrix and show how a perfect coherent absorber can be realized.


The concept of a 'digital divide'—inequality in access to modern information and communication technologies (ICTs) between industrialised and developing countries, and between urban and rural populations—has attracted much attention from policymakers, aid organisations, media and the general public. This paper places discussion of the digital divide in a broader economic context, linking it with the theory of economic growth and technological change. The network effects of diffusion of the Internet are related to the possibility of leap‐frogging by latecomers. This is seen as a 'digital opportunity' presented to developing countries by the 'new economy'. This paper discusses the appropriate policy environment for bridging the digital divide, and concludes that the East Asian region has much to gain from the complementarities of its economies, their openness to trade in ICT products, and policy cooperation.


A program for an electronic computer to evaluate an optical image by means of the diffraction integral has been worked out. An outline of the method and an explanation of the program are given. This method of evaluation is primarily suited to optical systems of very small aberration such as microscope objectives. As an example, a microscope objective 40×, NA=0.65 was tested by this computer program.


COMMERCIAL videos showing NHS hospital operations are of doubtful educational benefit and pander to voyeurism, the Royal College of Nursing has said.


INTRODUCTION: Triple negative cancer is one of the most aggressive subtypes of breast cancer. Currently, no effective treatment methods have been proposed that would significantly affect the long-term results of treatment.OBJECTIVE: To summarize the possibilities of theranostics and nanteranostics in the visualization and elimination of malignant cells and immunosuppressive cells of the microenvironment of thriple negative breast cancer.MATERIALS AND METHODS: A search was conducted for scientific publications in the PubMed information and analytical system for 2015–2022 by keywords: «triple negative breast cancer» («triple negative breast cancer»), «signaling pathways» («signaling pathways»), «tumor microenvironment» («tumor microenvironment»), «cancer stem cells» («stem tumor cells»), «theranostics», «nanomaterials» («nanomaterials»), «nanotheranostics» («nanoteranostics»). After excluding articles devoted to the technical aspects of molecular biological research, 57 publications related to the theranostics of thrice-negative breast cancer were analyzed.RESULTS: Targets for theranostics of triple negative breast cancer are associated with tumor cells and components of the microenvironment. The article presents data on the composition and interaction between various cellular subpopulations in the tumor microenvironment, as well as on the role of cancer stem cells in its formation. State of art classifications of triple negative breast cancer and data on molecular defects associated with various subtypes are presented. Targets for theranostics associated with stem, differentiated tumor cells and components of the tumor microenvironment are described. The authors present their own data on the nature of the distribution of various subpopulations of the microenvironment, which should be taken into account when choosing the nature of the effect on the tumor. The possibilities and applications of radiopharmaceuticals and nanoparticle-based preparations developed to date have been analyzed.CONCLUSION: Triple negative breast cancer is characterized by the presence of a large number of biomarkers that can be targets for diagnostic and therapeutic drugs. It is advisable to use artificial intelligence technologies for their selection. The use of nanoparticles makes it possible to reduce toxicity and ensure the implementation of several treatment methods simultaneously.


This paper provides a nontechnical survey of the status of inventory management systems. The central theme is an enumeration of practical problems that need research and analytic attention. These problems arise in the diagnostic, design, system performance forecasting, and implementation phases of real-life inventory management improvement projects. The paper describes many of the detailed aspects of such projects, and discusses where operations research has not yet provided sufficient scientific foundation to judge the merit of pragmatic alternatives for dealing with these problems.


We present near-IR images of five luminous quasars at z ∼ 2 and one at z ∼ 4 obtained with an experimental adaptive optics (AO) instrument at the European Southern Observatory Very Large Telescope. The observations are part of a program aimed at demonstrating the capabilities of multi-conjugated adaptive optics imaging combined with the use of natural guide stars for high spatial resolution studies on large telescopes. The observations were mostly obtained under poor seeing conditions but in two cases. In spite of these nonoptimal conditions, the resulting images of point sources have cores of FWHM ∼ 0.2 arcsec. We are able to characterize the host galaxy properties for two sources and set stringent upper limits to the galaxy luminosity for the others. We also report on the expected capabilities for investigating the host galaxies of distant quasars with AO systems coupled with future Extremely Large Telescopes. Detailed simulations show that it will be possible to characterize compact (2–3 kpc) quasar host galaxies for quasi-stellar objects at z = 2 with nucleus K-magnitude spanning from 15 to 20 (corresponding to absolute magnitude −31 to −26) and host galaxies that are 4 mag fainter than their nuclei.


Various concerns suggest looking for internal co-categories in categories with strong logical structure. It turns out that in any coherent category E , all cocategories are co-equivalence relations. 0.1. Definition. Let E be any category. An (internal) co-category Q in E is an internal category in E, i.e. objects and morphisms in E


SUMMARY Oesophageal temperature variations during anaesthesia were measured in a number of groups of adult patients. It was found that in the upper half of the oesophagus intubation and controlled ventilation produced a greater degree of cooling than spontaneous breathing through a face-mask. Partial withdrawl of the endotracheal tube resulted in an upward shift of the cooled segment. Reducing the controlled tidal volume increased the mean temperature at the tip of the endotracheal tube and in the related part of the oesophagus. Temperatures in the lower fourth remained stable and it is concluded that the sensing probe should be inserted at least 24 cm below the corniculate cartilages when measuring the oesophageal temperature during anaesthesia.


Analysis of the possiblity of cooling, trapping, and storage of atoms in the
 resonant field of a laser standing wave is presented. Under certain regimes of
 frequency scanning the laser radiation can cool atoms in low-pressure gas to the
 temperature T ≃ 10−4−10−3 K. Because of gradient force
 effects, cooled atoms will be held in the light field for a long time. Joint cooling
 and storage of atoms in a resonant light field is important for spectroscopic
 studies with an extremely high sensitivity and resolution.


Steven Willison, senior HR associate at Fairchild Semiconductor International, provides 10 tips for making the most of your company's talent, suggesting useful ways to nurture those ideas into fruition.


1 BRASOV WATER COMPANY, ROMANIA Context • Upper-middle-income country • Aggregation covering urban and rural areas • Medium level of WSS performance Purpose Performance, professionalization, environment benefits, economic efficiency, equity Scope WSS functions and services Scale • Administrative boundaries • Localities covered: 15 for water and 12 for wastewater • Population covered: 346,330 inhabitants for water and 302,233 for wastewater • Coverage: 95 percent for water and 83 percent for wastewater • Connections: 35,594 for water and 27,197 for wastewater • Network length: 1,263 km for water and 761 km for wastewater Process Top-down with financial incentives Governance • Delegated (49 years) • Public company • Decision making: Municipalities and county councils hold 42 percent of utility shares each; remaining 16 percent is allocated to six other municipalities relative to the proportion of their inhabitants. • Asset transfer: Assets remain the property of local and county authorities and are being transferred to the operator for the duration of the delegation contract. Royalty fee received by local authorities in return for this transfer. This royalty fee is feeding a special fund to finance investments. • Liability: Liabilities and debts from previous operators were not taken over by the aggregated utility. • Staff transfer: There was no commitment to transfer staff. • No clear entry and exit rules Key Characteristics of Aggregation Case Study A U G U S T 2 0 1 7 W S S G S G U T I L I T Y T U R N A R O U N D S E R I E S W A T E R G L O B A L P R A C T I C E


The classical method of moments is applied to express the dynamic structure factor of model two-component plasmas in terms of static correlations. The latter are studied using an original algorithm based on the temperature-Green's-function method and including the local-field corrections to the random-phase approximation


Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the use of overnight oximetry to predict high Apnea–Hypopnea Index (AHI) in Hong Kong children with habitual snoring. Methodology: We have retrospectively analyzed the polysomnography (PSG) of 573 patients with habitual snoring with age ranged from 6 months to 18 years old. Patients with syndromal diagnosis or neuromuscular disorders were excluded from the study. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value , and negative predictive value (NPV) of oximetry to predict AHI were calculated. Results: McGill score >1 had high specificity 99.07% and low sensitivity 16.81% to detect AHI >1. SpO2 nadir <95% has high sensitivity 98.56% and NPV 97.56% to predict AHI >5. Conclusion: The use of the McGill score together with nadir SpO2 in overnight oximetry can help in stratifying the severity of obstructive sleep Apnea and thus prioritizing PSG testing.


Through farm trial,the quantity of spiders in rice-duck-fish commensalisms ecosystem was recorded detailedly and logistic equation was exerted to establish maths model of spider′s increasing in the connected ecosystem.By analyzing these data,the calculated results showed that the parameter of spiders′ total amount in rice-duck-fish commensalisms ecosystem was environment acceptance K was 893.813 7,ratio of natural increase r=0.137 3,equation of spider′s total amount was Nt=893.8137/1+e3.6331-0.1373t;the parameter of spiders′ total amount in rice-fish commensalisms ecosystem was environment acceptance K=936.371 2,ratio of natural increase r=0.153 2,equation was Nt=936.3712/1+e3.9799-0.1532t;while in paddyfield which were generally used pesticides,the spiders was effected by it and the environment acceptance K was not stable,K was a changed curve,that was K=444.2196-0.12624t3+21.277t2-1191.4t+22278(t41)(t≥41),the ratio of natural increase r=0.063 1,the equation was Nt=K/1+e1.6263-0.0631t.The research results indicated that the rate of natural increase of the area which generally used pesticides was lower by 58.8% and 54.0% than that of rice-fish area and rice-duck-fish area respectively.Chemical pesticides killed the spider while killed the pest,damaged the paddyfield entironment.Hence rice-duck-fish commensalisms are propitious to the growth of spiders in payydfield entironment.


In the context of global consumer and financial market formation, international economic institutions, taking into account special aspects of the present stage in economic development in Ukraine, it becomes necessary to focus enterprises on their own goods competitiveness not only in the domestic, but, moreover, at the foreign markets. In order to achieve objectives in view the enterprise should make maximum use of its internal resources, explore the market environment, predict its development and demands, using all tools of the strategic marketing. Special attention should be paid to the development of marketing strategies since they determine the enterprise course of action and they are aimed at achieving stated targets. Marketing strategy formation is one the most important and essential marketing stages at the enterprise.
Marketing strategy is one of the main long-term plans of the enterprise marketing activity, aimed at choosing target consumer segments. It combines elements of marketing complex, basing on which the enterprise creates its effective marketing events targeted to the marketing goals achieving. Successfully chosen and effectively implemented strategy provides enterprise the opportunity to gain competitive advantage not only in the domestic market, but additionally meet demands of international consumers. Based on research of the issue the article highlights the main features of the management system in the strategic development of marketing strategy at the enterprise.
The article substantiates the necessity of using marketing approach to the management of enterprises and the finding the new ways in the formation of appropriate organisational structures. Marketing approach to the management of enterprise characterises it as a complex system that allows to link the capabilities of this economic entity with the needs of the market and gain advantages over competitors. It was defined the main factors influencing the organisation of marketing activities of enterprises (external and internal) and factors influencing the behaviour of their end users (social, informational and consumer attitudes).


On the basis of a statistical treatment of the entire set of published data on anion exchange extraction constants, the authors have refined and expanded the scale of the hydration parameters for the anions ..delta..G/sub hydr/ (the effective free energies of hydration for the anions). The authors have estimated the parameters ..delta..G for 93 anions and the coefficients % for 94 series of extraction systems, which are distinguished within each series only by the nature of the exchanging anions. The series are distinguished from one another by the nature of the cation extraction agent and the diluent.


Different content of service is obvious because of difference between CCTVU and traditional university.In face of competition,CCTVU must develop it's quality of service.Based on the nature of distance education,improving the instructional service of CCTVU and structure of CCTVU organization becomes the initial strategy.


This basic-level course is for dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants who desire information on oral manifestations associated with GI disease.


6 male calves of Chinese Simmental second filial generation were used to conduct the test of veal production for the period of 223 days fattening test.The results showed that the average body weight and the dayly gain in the end period of test were 221.58kg and 0.578kg,resp.There were 365.36 yuan RMB profits for each calf.That means there was better beneficial result by using vicinal feeding stuff to rear Chinese simmental second filial generation in Highland area.The quantity of high scale beef and high quality beef were 18.07kg and 22.95kg,resp.The rates were 8.90% and 11.31% of body weigh resp.This testifies that Chinese Simmental second filial generation was one of beef breed chosen by people to produce high quality beef in Highland area.


The author discusses the implications for Swiss tax law of the non-discrimination clause in the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons between the EU member states and Switzerland.


4090 Background: About one-third of patients suffer tumor recurrence within the first year after surgical resection of HCC. Early recurrence compromised their overall survival. Timing detection of HCC recurrence and its clonality is required to implement therapeutic trials appropriately. This study examined the virus-host chimera DNA (vh-chimera DNA), generated from junctions of HBV integration in HCC chromosome and released into blood, as a potential circulating biomarker for this clinical setting. Methods: We established a capture-next generation sequencing (NGS) platform to identify the HBV integrations in 50 resected HBV-related HCC. For individual HCC, the major clonal HBV integration sites were chosen to design specific primers for droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) to detect and quantify the vh-chimera DNA in plasma samples, collected either just before surgery or two months after surgery. Levels of vh-chimera DNA were then correlated with baseline HCC size or recurrence in one-year follow up. Results: We succeeded in detecting HBV integrations in the HCC from 44 out of 50 HBV-related HCC patients (88%). The copy number of vh-chimera DNA in plasma at surgery from 42 patients correlated with tumor sizes, with the detection limit at 1.5-2 cm. Among the plasma collected 2 months after surgery, 26.2% of samples contained the same HCC signature vh-chimera DNA as baseline plasma, indicating a possible residual tumor. Consistently, 81.8% of them suffered HCC recurrence within one year. The signature vh-DNA in the plasma suggested the majority of recurrences coming from the original HCC clones, whereas 2 from de novo ones. Conclusions: This study supported vh-chimera DNA as a new circulation marker for detecting the existence of most HBV-related HCC. This new biomarker may complement AFP to help detect residual or recurrent HCC and their clonality after curative therapies.


that have brought the classification of Anglicisms according to thematic fields into focus have shown that, in relation to various languages and varieties, sports is the area in which Anglicisms seem to appear most frequently (Seidel 2010, Andersen 2011). Considering Spanish, when introducing English names of sports, the two main choices are either to adopt/adapt these foreign names or to calque them into the recipient language. This paper aims to clarify which of these two options has been the most successful one and whether diatopic variation plays a part in this respect. To fulfil this goal, a series of equivalent pairs and their variants are looked up in CORPES XXI, and the statistics provided by this corpus in relation to geographical distribution are analysed. Results show that diatopic variation affects disparity in the frequency of use of the different forms of English ball sports names in Spanish.


Electronic spectrum of one-dimensional system with a low concentration of weakly bound Fano-Anderson impurities is considered. It is assumed that the energy of the impurity resonance is located in a vicinity of the band center of the host system. It is demonstrated that with increasing the impurity concentration the dispersion of states with the low damping undergoes a transformation. This transformation passes in a threshold manner and results in the reproduction of some characteristic features inherent in the cross-type spectrum rearrangement. At that, the density of states at the energy of the impurity resonance manifests a steady growth.


Until now the standard micromethod for viral serological tests has been that of Takatsy (1955) or one of its modifications. The method employed in this laboratory is a miniature version of the standard macromethod (Bradstreet and Taylor, 1962), using 01 ml volumes. Their method has been compared with the version to be described. Diluent, complement, antigen, and red cell suspension were added by means of a Hamilton repeating dispenser in 20 microlitre volumes, the apparatus giving 50 such volumes per fill. A Marburg syringe with a disposable yellow tip was used to add sera and to make doubling dilutions. These items1 of apparatus are obtain-able in Britain and are cheaper than the apparatus described by Takatsy (1955) or its modifications.


The GDP of China has been growing very quickly during last 10 years. Meanwhile, energy consumption of whole nation has been growing much quickly than the GDP. The amount of energy consumed in building is of a big proportion. The Chinese energy consumption status, energy structure is presented in this presentation and the building energy consumption is also described. It is showed that the total amount of energy is only one third of that of US, only 80% of the energy of RUSS, and the main energy was and will be the energy came from coal burning. A huge amount of energy is used up by buildings in China. In 2003, about 2.03 billion square meters new building had been built. And it is predicted that about 30 billion square meters new building will be built in next 15 years. That means if the level of building energy consumption keeps no change in future, the country will meet a very serious energy shortage and produce a serious of problems. Actually, since 1993, China began import oil from oversea. Therefore, there are many work can be done in energy saving in China, especially in the field of building energy saving. There are several kind of energy saving work are introduced in this presentation, including the ordinance issued by government, some renewable energy source usage in buildings, etc.


ThCr2Si2-type phosphide ACo2P2 (A=Rare earth elements) has the same structure as iron arsenides, but their magnetic behaviors are quite distinct. In this paper, we for the first time grew a series of La1-xCexCo2P2 single crystals (x=0.0 to1.0), and made structural and magnetic characterizations. This allows us to carry out a careful investigation on the evolution of magnetism with cerium content and build a magnetic phase diagram. We found that the introduction of cerium induces a rapid decrease of c-axis and a change from ferromagnetic (FM) to antiferromagnetic (AFM) states. By employing first-principles band-structure calculations, we identify the formation of P-P bonding with the shortening of c-axis, which effectively drives an increase of AFM interaction and eventually leads to AFM ordering in the high doping region. The present study may shed light on the interplay between the structural collapsing and electronic/magnetic properties in 122 iron pnictides.


Abstract Micarea neostipitata sp. nov. is described from conifer trunks in conifer woodlands and bogs in eastern U.S.A. It is superficially similar to M.stipitata, but differs from that and other related species in having minute crystalline inspersions in the hymenium and pycnidial wall, which apparently belong to lobaric acid, shorter conidia, and in possessing fumarprotocetraric acid in the thallus.


This study explores the convergent ground of two separate research projects: an analysis of the role of the state of Pernambuco in the Brazilian federation between 1889 and 1937, and a forthcoming study of the Recife Law School. The first part of this presentation will discuss the definition of the political elite, describe its composition, and examine the theme of continuity and change over the period of study. The second part will focus on the Law School per se, the principal vehicle for the training of the political elite. Pernambuco's political elite constitutes less a model for other Brazilian states than a phenomenon specific to Pernambuco's own historical role. This elite may be examined systematically, although only in the broadest sense. For one thing, its membership never remained static, but changed constantly according to the ebb and flow of political life. Relative power within an elite is not easily measurable; nor does there exist a single elite; rather, one observes a fluid set of power relationships, arrayed vertically according to levels of influence and authority, and horizontally from small urban interest nuclei through local elites to subgrous scattered across regional, economic, and social networks.


Pest insects pose at least 2 major threats to man: they destroy his food, the demand for which is ever increasing with his exploding population; and they threaten his health by transmitting major diseases. Chemical insecticides have been used generally to control pest populations. However, there are basic drawbacks to chemicals: they tend to select for resistance in the target pests, thus making the pesticides useless; there are sometimes unexpected and damaging side effects of the pesticides in the environment, such as increases in numbers of secondary pests, the destruction of natural predators and parasites, and reproductive failure in non-target animals; and there may be residues left in the foodstuffs whose effects are not fully known. To overcome these restrictions, increasing attention is being given to alternative insect control methods.


With the people's ideological and social transformation of the concept of multiple interactions,the employment purpose of contemporary college students become more realistic,more flexible and diverse forms of employment,employment type become more inclined to satisfy their own needs.This community and relevant agencies are put forward new problems,to timely adjust strategy,focus on the psychological trend of college graduates to guide appropriate education.


Characterizing, in turn, Gertrude Stein's loose relations with her American literary predecessor, this essay finds in Four in America evidence that Stein constructed a "queer solidarity" with James's earlier example. "Rereading Gertrude Stein Rereading Henry James (After a Fashion)" proposes that Stein's interested reading of "general" James's life in works looks to both his gender-crossing and his literary aspirations to--and refusals of--popularity.


The 9/11 attack, the SARS epidemic, Katrina and scores of other natural and man‐made disruptions have increased companies' awareness of the need for active risk management. Governments in the West also have realized that more than 85% of the infrastructure in their countries is owned and/or operated by the private sector. At the very least this means that governments need to better understand how resilient private sector enterprises are, and how these organizations manage risk. This article is based on ideas described in my recent book The Resilient Enterprise that outlines some of the ways in which companies can and do prepare themselves for the inevitable large disruptions. Most of the lessons are relevant to government, non‐profit, and any other organization. A Fire in the Desert


This paper presents NMOS based voltage multiplier circuit that can be used to generate both high positive and negative voltages from single charge-pump circuit. Basic, voltage multiplier unit consists of two phase clock signals, charge transfer NMOS transistors and bootstrapped configuration to boost the gate drive of NMOS transistors. Due to use of only NMOS transistors, output resistance of circuit is lower than conventional PMOS based circuits thus able to drive high load current. Electrical conditions of all devices used in the circuit is managed in such a way that there is no electrical stress across any device used in design. Circuit is design and implemented in BCD-110nm technology using conventional (No DMOS) transistors.


In the human cognitive activity, experiencing plays a basic role. This is modeled by the idea of experience sequence here, which has been proposed by the author for the incorporation of the factor of experiencing in man-machine communication. Experience sequence is for modeling the human concept formation through experiencing. Knowledge manipulation requires concept understanding as its basis. An experience sequence deals with such a process of concept formation.


Let $a: I\to \mathbb{R}^3 $ be a real analytic curve satisfying some conditions. In this article, we show that for any real analytic curve $l:I\to \mathbb R^3$ close to $a$ (in a sense which is precisely defined in the paper) there exists a translation of $l$, and a minimal surface which contains both $ a $ and the translated $l$.


This article is focused on the life of artist Tina Rimmer or Mary Christina nA©e Lewin who at 97, is a veteran painter in Sabah, well-known for her 'Tamparuli Tamu' scenes but has chosen to retire in the colony she was sent to as the first Woman Education Officer under the British Colonial Government in 1949. While many of her comrades returned to Great Britain after their retirement, she and her husband Bert Rimmer became Malaysian citizens instead. Still an avid painter, Tina Rimmer feels her artworks are important historical recordings for the future pertaining to Sabah and does not intend to let her artworks leave this country unlike her colonial predecessors. Furthermore, her lifestyle and her art is highlighted in this article as different from those of the colonial women or colonial artists in the colonies in her day. It is this difference which is explored and underlined as 'unconventional' in this article


This paper presents a method for approximation of the constraint region and design centering for statistically distributed design parameters. Arbitrary uncorrelated probability density functions (p.d.f.'s) are considered, including truncated ones. The approximation problem is formulated deterministically and solved by optimization. The constraint region is approximated by a family of second-order ellipsoidal type functions. Formulation of the approximation problem takes into account statistical distributions of parameters, to be used in subsequent design centering. A special metric replaces evaluation of a multidimensional (yield) integral over the constraint region by simple integrals over fixed intervals. An additional outcome of the approximation process is location of a nominal design that increases yield.


Disclosed is an automated drilling rig. Two fan-shaped fingerboards (9) are provided on either side of a headframe (8), two corresponding sink-style setbacks (3) are arranged on a base (4); installed pipes are automatically turned in, turned out and translated back and forth by a catwalk (1); a turn-over manipulator (2) grips the pipes delivered by the catwalk (1) and turns them over to a vertical state and during makeup/breakout, tightly grips the pipes below and applies a reaction torque; and a stand-connecting manipulator (10) moves the pipes up and down, aligns the pipes, and vertically transfers or arranges stands. The drilling rig uses electrical and hydraulic drive technology, an omnidirectional video monitoring system and integrated control, such that a drilling operator can enable, by operating corresponding programs in a control cabin, the drilling rig to drill, and connect or detach the stands, achieving full automation, off-line operation, and safety and reliability, while the operation efficiency can be improved up to 3 times of the existing drilling rigs; moreover, when moving a well site, the automated drilling rig can be moved together with all the stands, improving the operation efficiency and lowering the labor intensity of staff.


Cobalt has been considered as new interconnect metal. In this work, the passivation effect of 1-H Carboxyl Benzotriazole (CBT) on cobalt corrosion during "bulk step" chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) in H2O2 based alkaline slurry was investigated. The result showed that CBT can effectively inhibit the corrosion of cobalt and improve the surface quality after CMP by forming a passivation film on the cobalt surface. Characterization and analysis were given by potential polarization curves, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and SEM measurements. Meanwhile, the passivation effect of CBT on cobalt was also verified from the mechanical aspect such as working pressure and carrier/platen speeds.


This paper investigates the degree to which the British elite sport policy model might inform a strategy for building international competiveness in UK industry. The methodology is qualitative, based on in-depth interviews with key figures in the British elite sport system, including UK Sport's CEO, Performance Directors of National Sport Governing Bodies whose athletes competed in London 2012 and Rio 2016 and Olympic athletes. The analysis also draws upon detailed case studies of sectors that are currently competing successfully in international markets – despite decades of ill-informed industrial policy, if not neglect. Areas standing out as key to the UK elite sport policy model's success include: an institutional structure to provide strategic leadership, identify talent and support the development of internationally competitive athletes and teams, whilst at the same time insulating them from interference by short-term political (and sporting) interests; an enabling competitive environment with access to a reliable source of finance; and an institutional system that encourages learning, innovation and responsiveness to opportunities and constraints. Taken together, these – if available to British businesses, clusters and sectors – would likely facilitate improvement in the UK's industrial performance. The significance of the elite sport case is that not only was it developed and successfully implemented in the British cultural, institutional and political context, in many respects elite sport can be considered a high performance industrial sector. It therefore offers a starting point for evolving strategy for building international competitiveness in comparable sectors of British industry.


Incremental Sheet Forming is a prosperous process to manufacture sheet metal parts that is well adapted for prototypes or small batch production. Compared to traditional sheet forming technologies this relatively slow process is only profitable for the above mentioned production types but it can be used in different applications in automotive and aircraft industries, in architecture engineering and in medical aids manufacturing. In this paper indirectly obtained axial forming force on Single Point Incremental Forming (SPIF) of variable wall angle geometry were studied under different process parameters. The estimation of the forces on AlMn1Mg1 sheets with 0.22 mm initial thickness is performed by continuous monitoring of servo motor currents. The deformation states of the formed parts were analysed using the ARGUS optical strain measurement system of GOM. Interaction plot of forming speed, incremental depth, tool diameter and lubrication were also reported.


The aim of this research is clarify the characteristic of the scale and the regional trend of the apartment house as Tsunami Evacuation Building, designation of which has been rapidly increasing after Great East Japan Earthquake in the local governments, especially the Great NANKAI Trough areas. The type of institutions of the Tsunami Evacuation Building can be classified into 14 functions and 59 uses. There is the most designation of the apartment house in that. But, refuge space of apartment house as Tsunami Evacuation Building is set a limit in the public space. That purpose, it's very narrow. So, the apartment house is demanded that make the roof available.


A mathematical model of the initiation of crevice corrosion of aluminum and its alloys in sea water has been developed. The mechanism of the process, which is fundamentally different to that for stainless steels, was established during the development of the model. Practical exposure tests have been carried out on alloys 1050A, 2024-T3, 5083, 6061, 6082 7010, 8090-T3 and 8090-T851 at DRA`s facilities in Portland Harbor, Weymouth, UK. The model successfully predicts the observations found in these tests with respect to initiation of attack. A simple empirical model of the propagation of attack based on the level of Cu and Zn in the alloy has also been developed. This shows reasonable correlation with the exposure test data.


The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has represented changes in obstetric care and in anesthesiology practice, trying to avoid
general anesthesia and promoting the early use of epidural catheters for the management of labor pain. The care of
pregnant women represents a risk of contagion for health personnel and all recommendations have been made in order
to provide safe environments for the patient and workers. Objective: To describe the current scientific knowledge on
the analgesic management of the pregnant patient during the period of labor in times of COVID-19, through a
bibliographic review of indexed research. Materials and methods: Theoretical-descriptive review, with analysis of
scientific articles published in journals indexed between 2019-2022, consulting databases: PubMed, MedLine, Scielo,
and Google Scholar.The PRISMA diagram was implemented as a tool. Results:The pain associated with labor can cause
both maternal and fetal alterations and interfere with the normal development of the process. Neuraxial analgesia is
recommended when COVID-19 is suspected or confirmed, reducing the need for general anesthesia in the emergency
room.There is no evidence of contraindications in these cases and the possible emission of aerosols does not represent a
greater risk of contagion. Conclusion: Neuraxial analgesia during labor is essential in obstetric care,even in the face of
COVID-19 infection.It is currently known that aerosol-generating procedures do not represent a risk of transmission of
coronavirus infection under biosafety conditions.


Aimed at the shortcoming in conventional shot inspection algorithm oriented to non-compressed domain such as enormous quantity of data and computation and low inspection efficiency,a new compressed-domain-oriented shot inspection algorithm was presented.In this method,the DCT coefficients were extracted first from the video stream according to MPEG standard and then the DC coefficients were obtained for each frame after preprocessing of the former.Finally,a model of the shot inspection information system was established by using the DC coefficients and a video shot was obtained by using a segmentation model.Experimental result showed that,by using this method,the amount of computation and data was reduced greatly and the algorithm efficiency increased dramaticly.


The application of FB-2000DCS system in welding pipe heating furnace isintroduced. It is proved by practice that the system controls temperature very accurately, stably andgets good effect.


Black women with tightly coiled hair are faced with the unique health challenge of abstaining from exercise or other self-care behaviors to maintain hairstyles that are often expensive, time consuming, and conform with Eurocentric standards of beauty. However, recent YouTube natural hair vlogs have emerged to provide a counter-narrative on "do it yourself" hair care practices for highly textured hair. Through a thematic content analysis of the top 20 viewed natural hair YouTube vlogs, findings suggest that Black women vloggers demonstrate product selection through detangling, shampooing, moisturizing, and styling their tightly coiled hair on camera, using their own lived experiences, as both peer and expert to viewers. These vloggers took the role of digital storytellers to describe their personal experiences with self-care in the forms of exercise, eating healthy food, drinking water, medication use, and stress management while maintaining healthy and stylish natural hair. Black female natural hair vloggers disrupt the myths about tightly coiled natural hair and are credible conduits for the distribution of health information aimed at reaching large masses of Black women through sisterhood supported wellness.


The profession of planning must act now to become an integral player addressing the existential crisis of climate change. This Commentary builds on the findings of the 2020–2021 Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning's Presidential Climate Action Task Force, which assessed opportunities to enhance the academy's climate leadership in research, teaching, and operations. We argue that our field must integrate climate research and education into all subfields, refocus on decarbonization, build a pipeline of diverse students involved in climate action, and develop the language and skills to grapple with planning for climate change.


: The study examined the functional efficiency of the uses of the religious land in the city of Kirkuk, where the religious function showed how important it is to the population and its connection to the spatial orientation in the appointment of religious places. The research found clear deficiencies and imbalances in the spatial distribution of the religious function, Religious institutions were constructed without the acceptance of design and absorption criteria by donors, as well as the lack of many other religious institutions that are supposed to exist, which led to the accumulation of population and the emergence of problems resulting from their performance, which reflected the dissatisfaction of the population, Study follow-up and supervision of religious services better to raise their efficiency to keep up with the continuous absorption of population increase. To provide the service you need in advance in accordance with the standards required when the establishment of any religious institution .


The modern management of hospitalized patients with diabetes includes capillary blood glucose determinations at the bedside. This measure is analogous to an additional "vital sign" for people with diabetes. The rapidity with which results can be obtained, and therapeutic decisions made, can improve management and conceivably shorten hospital stays. Replacing venipunctures with finger punctures enhances patient comfort. Bedside glucose determinations can be performed by adequately trained personnel. Use of bedside blood glucose monitoring requires 1) clear administrative responsibility for the procedure, 2) a well-defined policy/procedure manual, 3) a training program for those personnel doing the testing, 4) quality control procedures, and 5) regularly scheduled equipmentmaintenance.Theessentialelements of a bedside glucose monitoring program have been outlined in a published guideline (1).


Low water intake and plasma hypertonicity have been independently associated with hyperglycemia and incidence of diabetes mellitus in epidemiological studies. Recent data also suggest that reducing water intake deteriorates glucose regulation in patients with type 2 diabetes. To date, it is unclear whether plasma hypertonicity would also impact glycemic control in subjects with normal glycemic and insulinemic function.


As the book unfolds, he shows how the C.P. attempted to use the race problem as a 'social wedge' to split the U.S. economic and social system, while the N.A.A.C.P. advocated striving for full equality within an existing social order. In fact, he documents instances in which the C.P. advocated openly and without hesitation that Negroes destroy the very system that they wanted to share equally with other Americans. The two organizations are compared as to membership numbers and membership composition. In concept, the Communist Party is a paradox of doctrines. If the C.P. ideas had been followed, the American Negro would have had little left in which to seek equality of membershipsocially or economically. Mr. Record shows, in unusual depth and breadth, the ability to see the Negro struggle from an 'insider's' viewpoint. In the closing pages of this book, Mr. Record discusses the role of Paul Robeson and W.E.B. Dubois as propaganda for the 'Communist line'. He


The present study is aimed at finding out the influence of capital structure, investment decision and profitability towards the firm value at pharmacist companies of Indonesia Stock Exchange which was studied from 2013 up to 2016. Data obtained through the IDX website (www.idx.co.id). The research design is causal research. The sampling technique purposive sampling method. The method derived from 7 companies that meet the criteria and total company 9 companies during the observation period of four years. The analysis technique used is the panel data regression analysis using three alternative model approach that is common effect, fixed effect and random effect, then use the model selection chow test, hausman test and langrange multiplier test as well as testing used t-statistic test.


Schulze MB, Manson JE, Ludwig DS, Colditz GA, Stampfer MJ, Willett WC, Hu FB: Sugar-sweetened beverages, weight gain, and incidence of type 2 diabetes in young and middle-aged women.

JAMA292 : 927-934,2004

[OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3][Web of Science][4]

Objective. To examine the association between consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, weight change, and risk for type 2 diabetes in women.

Design. A prospective cohort study.

Participants. Study participants were drawn from the 116,671 women aged 22-44 years enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study II. Women lacking dietary or physical activity data or with a history of diabetes, cancer, or cardiovascular disease were excluded. A total of 91,249 women were included in the diabetes analysis. Of these, 51,603 women for whom height and weight data were available were included in the analysis on weight change.

Methods. Information on weight and morbidity was collected every 2 years from 1991 through 1999 using a mailed questionnaire. Dietary data were collected through a food frequency questionnaire every 4 years. Women were asked how often, on average over the previous year, they consumed the following beverages: sugar-sweetened soft drinks ("Coke, Pepsi, or other cola with sugar," "caffeine-free Coke, Pepsi, or other cola with sugar," and "other carbonated beverages with sugar"); fruit juice ("apple juice," "orange juice," grapefruit juice," and "other juice"); fruit punch; and diet soft drinks ("low-calorie cola with caffeine," "low-calorie caffeine-free cola," and "other low-calorie beverages").

The impact of sugar-sweetened soft drink consumption on total calorie intake, weight gain, and incidence of type 2 diabetes was assessed. Similar comparisons were made for fruit punch, fruit juice, and diet soft drink consumption.

The mean weight change in groups of women, defined by their consumption pattern for each beverage type from 1991 to …

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This paper reviewed developmental studies on adolescence, adulthood, and old age. The target studies were journal articles published in Japan between July 2017 and June 2018, and poster presentations delivered at The 60th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Association of Educational Psychology. In the review, the studies were classified from the viewpoint of career development. Finally, the implications of the findings are discussed.


An important stage of power systems development is to provide the required factors of electromagnetic compatibility between a power converter and the grid. In this paper authors propose a technique to calculate sine filters parameters used in active rectifiers and PWM voltage source inverters. Theoretical results are verified by a numerical simulation. Besides that the offered calculation technique was applied in a real electric drive production.


AUTHOR McGoff, R. H.; Harding, F. D. TITLE A Report on Literacy Training Programs in the Armed Forces. Report No. MR-74-6. INSTITUTION Air Force Human Resources Lab., Alexandria, Va. Manpower Development Div.; International Training Consultants, Inc., Burbank, Calif.; Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs (DOD) , WAshington, D.C. Directorate for Manpower Research. REPORT NO APHRL-TR-73-69; OASD-M-RA-MR-74-6 PUB DATE Apr 74 NOTE 50p.


The present invention provides a high heat-resistant self-adhesive rubber bitumen membrane, modified bitumen layer which contains a mineral powder and two or more tackifiers, not flowing at a high temperature (110 ℃), the peel strength of 0.8N / mm or more, having good adhesive properties.


Objective To investigate the status of the pulmonary functions following complete phrenic nerve transfer surgery.Methods Fifteen patients (average age:27.4 years ) with complete brachial plexus palsy underwent the full-length phrenic nerve transfer,and the phrenic nerve was harvested from the thoracic cavity by means of video-assisted-thoracic-surgery and then transferred to the musculocutaneous nerve.Postoperative pulmonary functions were measured and analyzed on a regular basis for 42 to 48 months.Four cases eventually dropped out.Results Although no patient experienced respiratory problems following the surgery,all of the cases showed varying degrees of diaphragmatic paralysis and elevation (for 1.0-1.5 intercostal spaces) at the operated side upon chest X-ray examinations.Pulmonary function parameters,including VC,VC%,RC,TLC,FVC and FEV 1,recovered to the pre- operative levels in one year after the operation,In contrast,the postoperative Pimax value was significantly decreased compared to the predicted values(average decrease 20%)in all of the cases even at 4 years after the surgery. Conclusion In young subjects with healthy lung functions,the unilateral phrenic nerve transection surgery can cause unilateral diaphragmatic paralysis and reduce the inspiratory muscle force.However,most of the pulmonary function parameters gradually recovered to pre-oparative levels within I year.


We described in detail the spore germination events in Physarum globuliferum. Observations were made using depression slides under a computer-supported video microscope. When a spore germinated, one protoplast, one myxamoeba or one swarm cell emerged; not more than one of these was observed. Under most conditions, the release of the spore protoplast was accomplished by the splitting of the spore wall into what appeared to be a V-shaped opening. Sometimes, the spores germinated through a minute pore dissolved in the spore wall and a myxamoeba or a swarm cell emerges. Under unfavorable conditions, myxamoeba may round up to form microcysts. Swarm cells are peanut-like, with one anteriorly attached flagellum. The pseudopodium of the myxamoeba is a typical lobopodium containing endoplasm only.

 Key words: Myxomycete, protoplast, swarm cell, myxamoeba, microcyst.


ABSTRACT Aspiring to become a world power in an increasingly globalised world, the Chinese government recognises the importance of restructuring its economic structure to sustain its economic structure to sustain future economic growth. The Chinese government has also tried to adopt appropriate measures to transform not only the economic structures but also the education systems to produce future workforce with adaptive skills catering for the changing economic and labour market needs. The major objectives of this article is to critically examine the major motivations of students choosing international learning programmes either on offer in the mainland or studying abroad, and their career developments after returning home.


The phase generated carrier demodulation schemes are presented. The principle of phase generated carrier modulation and two types of basic modulation methods are briefly described. And the demodulation schemes, which include: homodyne demodulation, pseudo heterodyne demodulation, synthetic heterodyne demodulation, are introduced in detail. The advantages and disadvantages of the demodulation schemes are subsequently discussed. Besides the application of phase generated carrier techniques in interferometric fiber optic sensor, the application in fiber Bragg grating sensor is covered.


Experimental study on millimeter-wave absorption spectra from 180 to 220 GHz of biopolymers is presented in this paper. The proportional relation of absorbance with the density of the sample film is found out from the data set. Therefore, the technique of millimeter-wave absorption spectra is feasible for identification and early warning of biological agent.


Solutions of α,ω-sodium sulfonatopolyisoprene (α,ω NaPIPS) in toluene are studied using static and dynamic light scattering and dynamic mechanical analysis. At concentrations above 4 g/L, which is well below the overlap concentration of the polymer chains (C * ), a transient network is formed characterized by a plateau modulus at high frequencies and a relatively narrow viscoelastic relaxation time distribution. The intensity autocorrelation function of the transient network shows two relaxational modes : a relatively fast diffusional mode close to the co-operative diffusional mode of semidilute solutions of the unfunctionalized polymers and a slow broader mode which becomes independent of the scattering angle at a concentrations close to C * . The relation between this slow mode and the viscoelastic relaxation is discussed. Both the slow mode and the viscoelastic relaxation processes have an Arrhenius temperature dependence with the same activation energy, E a = 25 kJ/mol.


The central idea of this paper is to show the prospect of RF energy harvesting and converting the energy into DC, utilizing the reasonable power obtained, for low power device applications. The system harvests energy from various frequencies available in the spectrum band. The first part introduces some of the disadvantages of larger antenna height in KHz and higher path loss in GHz band of frequencies compared to MHz band of frequencies. Power used for the experiments is from FM band station of 90.8MHz. The second part of this paper is a voltage multiplier with a conversion ratio of four and the antenna used which is a wide band VHF antenna in order to cover frequency range from 80 to 110 MHz with a gain of 2.14dBi. Then a matching circuit to match the antenna impedance with the input impedance of the voltage multiplier is built in the third part of this paper. At the end, comparison of several power devices for load is made in this paper.


Scaffolds for bone regeneration are mostly prepared with an isotropic, sponge‐like structure mimicking the architecture of trabecular bone. We have developed an anisotropic bioceramic with parallel aligned pores resembling the honeycomb arrangement of Haversian canals of cortical bone and investigated its potential as a scaffold for tissue engineering. Parallel channel‐like pores were generated by ionotropic gelation of an alginate–hydroxyapatite (HA) slurry, followed by ceramic processing. Organic components were thermally removed at 650 °C, whereas the pore system was preserved in the obtained HA bioceramic in the processing stage of a bisque. Even without further sintering at higher temperatures, the anisotropic HA bisque (AHAB) became mechanically stable with a compressive strength (4.3 MPa) comparable to that of native trabecular bone. Owing to the low‐temperature treatment, a nanocrystalline microstructure with high porosity (82%) and surface area (24.9 m2/g) was achieved that kept the material dissolvable in acidic conditions, similar to osteoclastic degradation of bone. Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) adhered, proliferated and differentiated into osteoblasts when osteogenically induced, indicating the cytocompatibility of the bisque scaffold. Furthermore, we demonstrated fusion of human monocytes to osteoclast‐like cells in vitro on this substrate, similar to the natural pathway. Biocompatibility was demonstrated in vivo by implantation of the bisque ceramic into cortical rabbit femur defects, followed by histological analysis, where new bone formation inside the channel‐like pores and generation of an osteon‐like tissue morphology was observed. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Argues that Gower's version of the story of Lucrece in the Confessio Amantis influenced Shakespeare's treatment in his poem, The Rape of Lucrece


Abstract: This report presents experimental study on effect of replacement of fine aggregate by Groundnut shell (GS). GS is used in concrete to minimize the demand of fine aggregate. The groundnut shells are available as agricultural waste in large amount every year. The groundnut shells were replaced in various percentages as 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% by weight of fine aggregate. The strength and durability properties of concrete were tested and compared with the conventional concrete. By comparing these test results 5% replacement of groundnut shell shows better results than the conventional concrete for both strength and durability tests.


Genetic algorithms (GA) are proposed for inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) imaging. GA is used for motion parameters search in place of exhaustive search in the adaptive joint time-frequency (AJTF) algorithm. While maintaining the same accuracy, GA has lower computational complexity, especially for targets with higher order motions.


Ehrlich showed in 1890 that methylene blue, injected in the living animal, stained not only the axons of peripheral nerves, but also some muscle fibres of the arteries. On the basis of the theory that migraine attacks were caused by vascular spasm he decided to try to abort them by injecting methylene blue at their beginning, and was successful in two cases. Many writers have reported f avorably on the intravenous use of methylene blue in cyanide poisoning cases and some have even reported success in carbon monoxide poisoning cases, suggesting to us that it may be used to relieve conditions involving interference with tissue respiration. As local vascular spasm and local relative anoxia in the central nervous system have been demonstrated in both induced and spontaneous convulsions, one of us conceived the idea that this substance might be useful in relieving Status convulsivus. We cannot prove that methylene blue injected intravenously acts as an auxiliary respiratory catalyst, we merely report our experience with its use in severe status. Only those cases in which the patient was completely unconscious (i. e., non-reactive to painful stimuli, with absence of deep reflexes) between attacks were accepted as being status. The treatment was considered entirely successful only when it promptly restored consciousness and terminated the series of convulsions. In contrast to the effect produced by the customary sedative treatments which usually result in longer or shorter periods of continued unconsciousness or sleep and are often followed by severe headache, methylene blue restored consciousness very promptly without these unpleasant after-effects.


About the Program The Digital Bridge Academy program, located at the Cabrillo College Watsonville Center, originated over three years ago under start-up grant funding from the David and Lucille Packard, James Irvine, and National Science Foundations. The program targets Latino and other youth who are "at risk" and under-prepared for college work. It moves them through an accelerated academic program that teaches self-managing leadership skills and motivates them to success in college. The Academy, which has over an 80% retention rate, offers entry-level students a cross disciplinary, integrative, cohort-based curriculum model, consisting of 18+ units in the initial semester. It prepares these students for technical majors leading to high-paying careers in knowledge-based industries.


Rome's behaviour in the Iberian Wars and its ideological influence at home is studied. The author states that these wars abroad provided an important motivation for the rethinking of Roman imperial policy.


The central problem of the Russian society is the need to develop and implement strategies to ensure sustainable socioeconomic development. The solution to this problem is impossible without appropriate organizational and administrative activity of the state. The theoretical justification for the opportunities and limits of the creative potential of power, the role of the state in providing purposeful development of the national economy should be based on the basic theoretical principles of universal evolutionism (system and evolutionary approach). Necessary to develop (selection) of the conceptual model of the national economy, in which the designated long-term goals of socioeconomic development and the means (tools) to achieve them.The article from the standpoint of universal evolutionism formulated imperatives that the state should take into account in the design and implementation of a model of the national economy, justified the position that the social market economy is the most viable option for the model of a mixed economy of Russia, the necessity of the transition to the paradigm of holistic sociooriented development.


It is important for high grade highway construction to control the material yard. Some management problems and measures are presented, such as plan, working staff, mixing unit, raw material, product, production schedule, safety in production, etc. The relationship between the management and other work is given.


Recently commercial egress softwares are frequently used for the risk assessment. The estimation of evacuation time is an important procedure and the outflow coefficient in a bottleneck becomes the crucial factor for design of emergency planning. This paper compares the outflow coefficient of measurement with those of softwares in the bottlenecks of subway stations where masses of people movement is observed. Stairway and turnstile are the 2 bottleneck points along escape pathway. For the escape simulation it is recommended that 2 different modes be used in the programs for 2 kinds of bottleneck. The results of the comparison makes a big difference among them and some of differences can be reduced by correct design of input data. In conclusion the results of simulation should be examined thoroughly by procedure of comparisons with other results.


Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been demonstrated as an attractive cell source for tissue engineering applications because of their ability to be easily isolated and expanded from adult bone marrow, umbilical cord, adipose tissue etc and their versatility for differentiation into multiple cells and tissues. The research is conducted by studying 80 different articles and journals focusing on the efficacy and success of MSC therapy for different disease like Vertebral Disc Regeneration, Craniofacial defects repairmen, Skeletal Muscle Repairmen, Cardiovascular disease, Osteoarthritis, Renal Disease, Type 1 Diabetes, Multiple sclerosis, liver disease, Tendon & Ligament repair, Bone fracture and also for treating COVID patients. Reports of multiple clinical trials conducted upon more than 1,000 patients for treating diversified diseases has been included in this review to study the effectiveness and limitations of MSC Therapy. The results and discussion concluded with appreciative therapeutic outcome of most of the clinical trials conducted and there were few cases in which MSC Therapy failed to generate therapeutic response. Three major limitations and governing factor were found out to the reasons behind the success and failure of the therapy. This special issue has provided unprecedented insights into the roles of human MSC in treating numerous diseases and highlighted the remaining challenges and possible strategies to enhance their therapeutic potential. Despite significant advancements in MSC therapy understanding of the nature, function, mechanism, mode of isolation, and route of administration as well as experimental handling of MSCs is important to improve the therapeutic efficacy of MSCs. The therapeutic potential of MSCs will attract further research investments in this area to resolve the challenges and improve the effectiveness of medical treatment. Thus, it can be concluded that MSC Therapy can open a vast field of exploring regenerative drug.


Ca 2+ /calmodulin (CaM) is a protein that can bind to and activate a variety of target proteins within the pre- and postsynaptic cells of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ). An important presynaptic CaM target is CaM-kinase II (CaMKII). Upon activation, CaMKII has been shown to increase neurotransmitter release from the vertebrate presynaptic terminal. This study addressed the effects of CALP2, a CaM agonist, at the crayfish NMJ. No previous research has studied the effect of CaM agonists on end-plate potential (EPP) amplitudes at the crayfish NMJ, hence the novelty and importance of our experiments. Using single and paired-pulse stimulation of the motor nerve, we measured EPPs in the absence and presence of CALP2. Our results indicate that the application of CALP2 had no significant effect on EPPs. However, this preliminary research highlights the need for a more in-depth investigation to circumvent concerns of small sample sizes and possible CALP2 degradation.


STRATEGIES FOR INSURING CATASTROPHIC ILLNESS: FINANCIAL BURDEN, PROTOTYPE PLANS, AND COST ESTIMATES. By Gordon R. Trapness, James W. Mays, and Inger M. Tallis. Hoffmann-La Roche, Inc, 1983. Catastrophic insurance provisions have been an integral feature of virtually all national health insurance proposals and one of the few features on which a consensus exists. The purpose of the study is to provide technical information to decision makers and researchers concerning the options available for catastrophic insurance provisions and their relative costs and benefits. It begins by developing a theoretical framework for the analysis of catastrophic insurance proposals, and provides three prototype plans: (1) Stop loss. This approach provides protection against costs of needed services exceeding


The realization of spectrum sensing is becoming more and more possible with the development of technologies such as artificial intelligence and software radio. While we are paying attention to its performance, we cannot ignore the security problems it faces. This paper proposes an optimization scheme to defend against spectrum sensing data falsification (SSDF) attacks based on the double threshold energy detection and block chain technology. First, to reduce the impact of noise uncertainty on spectrum sensing results, we assume that the judgment threshold value will be dynamically determined according to the actual SNR of the receiver; Secondly, the block chain is introduced to consider as a spectrum sharing platform, and build the reputation classification mechanism for the cognitive users (CUs). We use a reward and penalty mechanism similar to the bitcoin system for CU's trust value statistics. Only users in the reliable zone can participate in sensing fusion; the rest will be in the waiting or discarding zone. We use MATLAB to carry out simulation experiments on the proposed algorithm. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can achieve the probability of false alarm to 0.1, the probability of detection to 0.93, and effectively avoid the interference of malicious users.


OBJECTIVE
To determine tetanus antitoxin levels in adults and the aged.

METHODS
This study was conducted on 249 adults over 40 years of age who applied to a blood-withdrawal unit in Kayseri, Central Anatolia. Tetanus toxoid-specific antibodies were measured in serum by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

RESULTS
In the research group, only 63 persons (25.3%) were found to have protective levels (>0.1 IU/mL) of tetanus antitoxin. Antibody levels were significantly higher in educated people (30.7%), in those under 50 years of age (38.2%), in those who had been vaccinated at least twice (47.6%), and in those vaccinated not more than 10 years previously (58.3%). There was no association between antibody level and sex, occupation or place of residence.

CONCLUSION
Our findings indicated that tetanus antibody values were under the protective level for most adults over 40 years of age, and vaccination programs directed at the adult population should be developed.


Sleipner is the world's first commercial Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project, located off the coast of Norway, with the goal of reducing carbon emissions by capturing CO2 and storing it in a utsira saline aquifer sandstone reservoir capable of storing up to 600 billion tonnes of CO2. The CO2 injection in these projects increases year after year, so the CO2 development must be monitored to see the distribution pattern and its implications for the reservoir zone. The purpose of this research is to calculate and model the CO2 distribution resulting from acoustic impedance inversion using 4-dimensional inversion, to calculate the repeatability from seismic data between baseline and monitor using the Normalized Root Mean Square attribute. In the processing, baseline and monitor data must be matched in the overburden zone using a cross-equalization process so that the inversion process. The results revealed a correlation between the two seismic data sets (baseline and monitor) with the classification of Reasonable Repeatability, and CO2 distribution in a securely stored reservoir that spreads laterally and does not leak.


The present invention relates to a health-care Chinese herbal medicine soft sweet and its production method. It is formed from the following components: one of starch, fine glutinous rice flour and fine sorghume rice flour, medicinal bee sugar produced from highland, glucose, sorghum sugar, agar, edible gelatin, salad oil and one Chinese medicinal material selected from ligusticum root, gastrodia root, Chinese yam, ginkgo nut, garlic, dandelion, rhodiola root and saussurea involucrate. Said invention also provides the concrete steps of its production method.


The existence of degenerated quantum vacua (coherent states of zero modes), for N-level quantum systems, leads to a breakdown of the original unitary U(N) symmetry in the many-particle theory. The action of some spontaneously broken symmetry transformations destabilize these pseudo-vacua and make them radiate. We study the structure of this thermal radiation, which turns out to be of Fermi–Dirac type.


This work is devoted to the investigation of the influence of the surgical operating theatre architecture design on the efficiency of the flow of air-conditioned supply to create sterile and comfort environment in the theatre. The present work is devoted to investigate the relation between airflow movement and air age and the operating room architecture. The present work made use of a well developed Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model based on modified two-equation model k-e that has been further developed and refined to predict the air flow regimes, turbulence characteristics, air temperature, and relative humidity distributions in a surgical operating theatre. In the present work, 3DHVAC program, previously developed and modified, is utilized to predict the air characteristics in surgical operating theatres. The airflow velocity, turbulent kinetic energy will be used as indicators of the IAQ level performance of the present application. Actually, the central ceiling air supply perforated diffuser over the operating area, would provide a solution for the complex situation of healthcare application by providing acceptable IAQ level in the operating zone with enough energy efficiency. The work includes comparisons between various operating theatres air conditioning designs in view of flow pattern, thermal pattern, and water vapour map and air quality indices. Energy Efficiency in Air-conditioned operating theatres was found to depend on the theatre architecture design configurations and operating parameters. The room architecture design is one of the essential factors that strongly influence the HVAC airflow pattern and consequently the air quality and comfort inside the surgical operating theatres. The present work also introduces some recommendations for architectural designs to facilitate the development of optimum HVAC systems.


By Terry L. Amburgey & Shane C. Kitchens, TASKpro Inc. Creosote-treated wooden crossties have, in general, performed well in a variety of geographic regions since the early 1900s. Increased tie life resulted from the development of new treating standards and acceptable practices promulgated by organizations such as the American Wood-Preservers' Association (AWPA), the Canadian Wood Preservation Association (CWPA) and the Canadian Standards Association (CSA), as well as the efforts of associations such as the Railway Tie Association (RTA), The Association of American Railroads (AAR), and the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA). In spite of these efforts, however, relatively short service life of some ties continues to occur, particularly in the warm, humid areas of the southeastern U.S. that fall in AWPA Hazard Zones 4 and 5. The relatively poor performance of some refractory tie species (e.g., white oak) in these regions has prompted some railroads to separate them for use in regions with lower indices of biodeterioration (AWPA Hazard Zones 1–3). Analysis of probable factors contributing to reduced service life of ties, assuming that ballast drainage is not an issue, indicated that (1) decay occurring in air-drying stacks and (2) the use of wood species whose heartwood is not treatable with traditional preservatives such as creosote (e.g., white oak) likely were the primary causes. Assuming that these factors are the primary causes of the problem, the solution to achieving relatively uniform service life of wooden crossties requires their treatment prior to air-seasoning with a biocide that would penetrate the heartwood, even of refractory species. Biocides with such properties would need to be water-soluble and capable of diffusing through wood cell walls. Borates and fluorides are possible candidate biocides with such properties. Many who have spent their entire careers drying wood prior to pressure treatment with creosote or other oil-borne formulations find the concept of treating non-seasoned stock with a water-borne biocide that continues to diffuse through wood during air-seasoning difficult to grasp. Treating plant owners and operators must understand that "diffusible" biocides, such as borates, require that a biocide "reservoir" be established in the outer wood layers so that it can continue to penetrate the material and, if drying is retarded, establish a relatively uniform retention throughout the treated stock (e.g., crossties). Diffusion treatment makes a lot of sense when treating large-sized commodities (e.g., ties and bridge timbers), where large amounts of time, energy and money are spent removing water from material so that it can be pressure impregnated. Since penetration of "diffusible" biocides is dependent on the temperature and moisture content (MC) rather than the cellular structure of wood, both the sapwood and heartwood (even of refractory species such as white oak) can be penetrated if the initial wood MC is relatively high (near saturation) and drying is retarded during a "diffusion storage period" following treatment. Diffusion will occur in air-dried wood, but the rate of penetration will be very slow. Diffusion will continue to occur until either the wood becomes dry or the retention of biocide reaches equilibrium (is relatively constant) throughout the treated stock. This process requires that the "reservoir" of biocide near the wood surface be sufficiently high to yield a retention that is effective against decay fungi and insects after it comes to equilibrium throughout the piece. To maximize the reservoir, incising is usually required. This "moving target" penetration is a concern of many treaters. When and how penetration and retention can be determined are questions that are often asked when discussing the use of diffusible biocides. Railroad engineers, on the other hand, are concerned that borate treatments may alter the electrical resistance of ties and thereby cause problems with signals at road crossings. To address these concerns of treating plant owners and operators and railroad personnel, and to develop a commercially feasible procedure for producing borate/creosote dual-treated ties, a team of experts was assembled (Osmose, U.S. Borax, TASKpro, and The Crosstie Connection) to work with a cooperating treater (Seaman Timber Company) and an interested railroad (Norfolk-Southern). The methods and results of the RTA/AAR field test described below were used as a starting point to achieve "commercially viable" procedures for treating crossties by a diffusion process.


The half-precision fertilization seeder of rice and wheat is designed against the problems of large straw mulching quantity, high soil water content, the traditional rice and wheat seeder easily blocked and poor fertilization seeding uniformity in Jianghuai region. The machine uses the rotary tillage stubble cleaning way to actively block and improves the traditional furrowing fertilization seeding method easy to cause winding grass. Electric control mode is used to drive the seed fertilizer shaft for sowing and fertilizing, the machine can carry on the straw returning to field, applying fertilizer, sowing, covering earth, rolling and other operations at one time, and can achieve the goal of half-precision fertilization seeding rice and wheat. The test results show that the machine has good anti-blocking performance and high operation efficiency. It works stably and reliably, and the various technical indexes meet the requirements of precision and half-precision mechanization planting, suitable for rice and wheat.


Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) play an important role in innate immunity against pathogenic infections. AMPs exterminate pathogenic bacteria by disrupting cell membranes or inhibiting intracellular molecules. NK-2, first identified in pigs and derived from NK-lysin, has antimicrobial effects against bacteria and parasites. In this study, chimeric peptides (cpNK) of chicken and pig NK-2 and cpNK-derived peptides (cpNK-a1 and cpNK-a2) were synthesized, and their antimicrobial effects against various pathogenic bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes , Staphylococcus aureus , and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) were investigated. The structure of chimeric peptides from chicken and pig NK-2, cpNK, include α -helix like NK-2 and peptide net charge was +9 like porcine NK-2. The cpNK peptide showed powerful bactericidal effects against most bacterial species, including MRSA, especially against gram-negative bacteria. Furthermore, cpNK-derived short peptides, cpNK-a1 and a2 also showed bactericidal activity, but the effects were weaker than those of cpNK. Therefore, we conclude that cpNK- and cpNK-derived short peptides have the potential to be used as antibiotic alternatives.


Plant–herbivore interactions occur in all ecosystems and provide a major avenue for energy flow to higher trophic levels. A long-standing hypothesis to explain the latitudinal gradient in species diversity proposes that the relatively stable and frost-free climate of the tropics should lead to more intense biotic interactions in tropical compared with temperate environments, giving rise to a greater diversity of plants and herbivores. Herbivory rates have been compared across latitudes to test this biotic interactions hypothesis, with herbivory typically being measured from observable leaf damage. However, we argue that a measure of percentage leaf damage alone does not straightforwardly reflect the cost of herbivory to the plant, and on its own does not constitute an appropriate test of the biotic interactions hypothesis. For a given amount of herbivory, the impact of herbivory is dependent upon many factors, such as the construction cost of the leaf, the growth and replacement rates and leaf life span. We investigate the latitudinal gradient in herbivory by analysing a large dataset of herbivory rates for 452 tree species and separating the species into those with short and long leaf life spans. We show that annual herbivory rates tend to be greater at lower latitudes for evergreen species (which have long-lived leaves), but no trend in herbivory rate with latitude was found for species with short leaf life spans. Phylogenetic least squares regression assuming Ornstein-Uhlenbeck processes also showed a negative effect of latitude on herbivory rate for evergreen trees, but we caution that viewing herbivory as a species trait is problematic. An integrative approach that incorporates leaf life span, as well as the costs of investment in growth and potential costs of losing leaf tissue, is needed to further our understanding of the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of herbivory.


Objective: Discuss the relationship between ultrasonic characteristics of Hashimoto's thyroiditis benign nodules (HTBN) and serum TSH. Methods: We summarized 117 cases who were diagnosed as HTBN by thyroid fine needle aspiration according to the inclusion criteria from January 2012 to December 2013 in our department. 32 cases were misdiagnosed by ultrasound as malignant nodules. Using a random number table, we selected 32 patients whose diagnosis was correct as the control group according to 1:1 principle. Comparison between these two groups and the relationship with serum TSH were analyzed. Results: The ultrasound misdiagnosis group, serum TSH value was (6.32 ± 1.11) uIU/ml, while the ultrasound diagnosis group was (2.08 ± 1.23) uIU/ml, P value was 0.047. With the increase of serum TSH concentration, the proportion of HTBN ultrasound misdiagnosis increased gradually (P=0.002). In ultrasound misdiagnosis group, low echo, irregular shape, irregular boundary, inhomogeneous echo and aspect ratio more than 1 were higher than ultrasound diagnosis group. P values were 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.026 and 0.011. In ultrasound misdiagnosis group, for nodular echo, shape and boundary characteristics, serum TSH value was higher than the ultrasound diagnosis group, P values were 0.037, 0.026 and 0.021. Conclusion: Under Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) background, ultrasound characteristics of benign nodules are of great uncertainty. Especially for patients with elevated serum TSH, ultrasound characteristics in nodular echo, shape, boundary does not have great reference value. Differential diagnosis of benign and malignant nodules in Hashimoto's thyroiditis should be made according to the patient's condition, using various individual diagnostic techniques. In this way, we can improve the accuracy of diagnosis and reduce the clinical misdiagnosis and mistreatment.


Over the course of the past three years, the Cornell ElectronStorageRing (CESR)has beenreconfiguredtoserveas a test accelerator (CESRTA) for next generation machines, in particular for the ILC dampingring. A significant part of this program has been the installation of diagnostic devices to measure and quantify the electron cloud effect, a potential limiting factor in these machines. In particular, several Retarding Field Analyzers (RFAs) have been installed in CESR. These devices provide information on the local electron cloud density and energy distribution, and have been used to evaluate the efficacy of different cloud mitigation techniques. This paper will provide an overview of RFA results obtained at CESRTA over the past year, including measurements taken as function of bunch spacing and wiggler magnetic field. Understanding these results provides a great dealof insightinto thebehaviorofthe electron cloud.


Relations between the structure and the morphology of titanium sulphide polytypic crystals are pointed out. A formation mechanism able to explain such relations in the case of rhombohedral polytypes is described. Experimental data supporting this mechanism are: the structures determined, the measure of crystal deformation and the frequent coexistence of some kinds of polytypes.


The absorption rate of lysino-methylene-ampicillin from the rat small intestine, compared with ampicillin, was determined in vitro and in situ to establish the biopharmaceutical properties of lysino-methylene-ampicillin which is one of the new penicillinase-resistance antibiotics. The half of administered dose was absorbed rapidly within thirty minutes. The water-oil distribution coefficient of lysino-methylene-ampicillin was 0.03 in chloroform versus buffer system with acid of pH5.2 at , and its dissolution rate reached the plateau in an hour and then represented 0.6 percent of equilibrium solubility


The use of enclosures is a standard noise reduction technique. In general, the expected insertion loss of an acoustical enclosure is usually considerably greater than that measured after the enclosure is erected. This paper presents the results of a survey of four acoustical enclosures which was undertaken to determine their acoustical effectiveness after installation. Each was manufactured and erected by a different firm and each encloses a functionally similar machine. An employee evaluation of each enclosure with respect to noise, maintenance, and production, was combined with an acoustical survey. The overall effectiveness of the enclosures ran from poor to excellent. Advantages and disadvantages of each are discussed. It is shown that it is possible to achieve a reasonably high noise reduction with enclosures. However, careful construction, design and attenuation to nonacoustical criteria are necessary in order for the enclosure to be practically useful. [Work supported, in part, by National Concrete...


Conflicting views have been expressed with regard to the selection of traction power substation rating and spacing. On one side there is the view that the substations should be frequently spaced and as small as possible, each substation just large enough to withstand its share of the current of two accelerating trains in the vicinity. There are also proponents of the opposing view, that traction power substations should be as large and spaced as far apart as allowed by the line feeder size, technical feasibility, or practicality or by some other considerations of a technical nature such as excessive track potentials. However, neither of these approaches ensures minimum overall system cost. The method presented herein is an attempt to develop a systematic and analytical procedure for finding a combination of TES parameters that results in the least expensive technically acceptable system. It requires somewhat greater engineering effort in the design stage, but the reward can be a significant reduction of the traction electrification system capital cost. In the sample case, there is $6.2/1ft differential between the maximum and the minimum values of the unit cost function. This is equivalent to $682,000 or approximately 8 percent of the actual procurement cost. More experience with TESs that have various load patterns and with different components of cost structure is needed, however, before generalized assessments of the magnitude of potential savings can be made. (Author)


The invention discloses a preparation method of propylene acyloxy propyl trialkoxy silane, wherein the preparation method comprises the following steps: (1) putting acrylate in advance, and then sucking a raw material chloropropyl trialkoxy silane into a reaction kettle; (2) putting a phase transfer catalyst and a polymerization inhibitor A; (3) carrying out a stirring reaction for 3-6 h at the temperature of 100-140 DEG C; (4) after the reaction is completed, cooling a kettle temperature to room temperature, then discharging and centrifuging; and (5) putting the filtrate obtained after centrifugation, rectifying, adding a polymerization inhibitor B, collecting a fraction under a negative pressure, and thus obtaining the high-purity propylene acyloxy propyl trialkoxy silane. The preparation method has the beneficial effects that the phase transfer catalyst and the polymerization inhibitor A are used in the condensation reaction process, and the polymerization inhibition technology is also used in the rectification process, so that the synthesis efficiency and the product purity are greatly improved, the risk of polymerization is reduced, and besides, comprehensive social benefits of low energy consumption and low emissions are obtained.


The accurate calculation of the frictional heat generated between the contacting surfaces of friction clutch elements during the slipping period due to the relative motion between the driving and driven parts is considered to be an essential factor for automotive designers. A numerical model of a single-disc clutch was built using the finite element method to investigate the effect of frictional facing thickness on the heat generation and distribution between the contacting surfaces of the flywheel, friction clutch disc and pressure plate. A sequentially coupled thermal-mechanical approach was used to simulate the thermal-elastic coupling that occurs in dry friction clutches during the slipping period. An axisymmetric finite element model was used to represent the single-disc clutch system at the start of the engagement. The results approved that frictional facing thickness has a significant effect on the distribution of the frictional heat generated and the actual contact area of friction clutches.


This paper examines the thermodynamic limits of photovoltaic solar energy conversion by fluorescent collectors. The maximum efficiency of a fluorescent collector corresponds to the Shockley–Queisser limit for a nonconcentrating solar cell with a single bandgap energy. To achieve this efficiency, the collector requires a photonic structure at its surface that acts as an omnidirectional spectral band stop filter. The large potential of photonic structures for the efficiency enhancement of idealized as well as real fluorescent collectors is highlighted.


Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) wire ratchet actuators overcome SMA wire strain limitations by accumulating actuation stroke over multiple cycles. The underlying architecture is effective for producing large strokes from a small package, creating continuous rotation or extended displacement, and precise. It also provides discrete positioning with zero-power hold. While there have been several successful implementations of SMA ratchet actuators, most are designed ad-hoc since limited models exist to predict the stroke and force interaction during actuation cycles. Since the SMA wire actuation is highly dependent on the forces experienced through the ratchet mechanism, a model requires the prediction of the force interaction between the rack and pawl teeth along with friction in the device, and of the external force variation over actuation cycles due to the relative position change between the external system and the SMA wire. This paper presents a model-based systematic design methodology for SMA ratchet actuator which actuates position-dependent external systems. A generalized ratchet mechanism and operation sequence is introduced along with a force balance model for both austenite and martensite equilibrium to address the mechanical coupling changes. Analytical kinematic and kineto-static rack and pawl interaction models are reviewed, which feed into the force balance models. The effective stroke is evaluated by subtracting backlash from the SMA wire stroke, found through equilibrium with the mechanism and external system. This effective stroke accumulates to produce the overall actuator motion. A design methodology is suggested along with visualization methods to aid design decisions. Parametric studies expose the effects of design parameters on the SMA ratchet actuator to gain further design insight. This model-based design foundation and parametric understanding enable the synthesis of SMA wire ratchet actuators.Copyright © 2013 by ASME and General Motors


This paper is intended to begin a discussion about the need for a future text analysis software tool to model a number of aspects of text analysis as it is practised by critics who are not computing humanists, and that have been barely considered by most developers. It begins by putting this analysis in the context of Douglas Englebart's famous model of computer-human interaction expressed originally by his Augment system. It continues by examining a number of examples of how technology (ranging from 3 X 5 cards to topic maps) is currently used to support critical analyses, and points out that an important aspect of the critical process, which is recognized at least in part by the 3 × 5 card model but not by mainstream humanities computing methods, is the sense of critical analysis as a process rather than merely the presentation of a finished product. The paper finishes by examining some of the underlying concepts present in text-analysis tools used within the social sciences that attempt to deal with this temporal aspect of analysis, and proposes a need to examine the real practices of critics in the light of these issues.


The early Paleoproterozoic (ca. 2.2–2.1 Ga) tectonic evolution of the Jiao–Liao–Ji belt (JLJB) is a continuous hot topic and remains highly controversial. Two main tectonic regimes have been proposed for the JLJB, namely arc-related setting and intra-continental rift. Abundant ca. 2.2–2.1 Ga volcanic rocks were formed in the JLJB, especially in the Liaodong Peninsula. These ca. 2.2–2.1 Ga volcanic rocks therefore could host critical information for the evolution of the JLJB. In this study, we report a suit of ca. 2.2–2.1 Ga felsic metavolcanic rocks in the Liaodong Peninsula of the JLJB to provide new insights into the above issue. Zircon U-Pb dating reveals that the felsic metavolcanic rocks were erupted at 2185–2167 Ma. They have variable εHf(t) values (−0.70 to +9.69), high SiO2 (66.30–75.30 wt.%) and relatively low TiO2 (0.03–0.78 wt.%), tFe2O3 (0.55–5.03 wt.%), MgO (0.17–8.76 wt.%), Cr (9.16–67.30 ppm), Co (2.01–7.00 ppm) and Ni (3.90–25.70 ppm) contents with enrichments in light rare earth element (REE) and large ion lithophile element (LILE), and depletions in heavy REE and high field strength element (HFSE). Geochemical and isotopic results indicate that the felsic metavolcanic rocks were sourced from partial melting of ancient Archean TTG rocks and juvenile lower crustal materials. Combined with coeval A-type granites, bimodal volcanic rocks and the absence of typical arc magmatism, the most likely tectonic regime at ca. 2.2–2.1 Ga for the JLJB is an intra-continental rift.