The developments in information technology are radically changing the platform of business transactions in Rwanda. However, the adoption and usage is essentially an aftermath of banks' perception and willingness to embrace and internalize change. This assumption was investigated among the commercial banks in Rwanda with regard to ICTs' cost of adoption, risk of innovation, and staff training. This research was perceptual-tailored and relationship-oriented; identifying the underpinning elements and pinpointing relationships on how the principal factors foster the adoption and usage of ICT in Rwandan commercial banks. Hence, the research is descriptive and correlation research design. Data was collected through a self-constructed and statistically validated questionnaire, thus five commercial banks were used for the research. A sample size of 274 employees of different managerial positions was used for the study. Stratified sampling technique was adopted to sample the employees in each department from the various banks headquarters, and the random sampling technique was used to administer the questionnaires to the respondents. A total of 353 questionnaires were distributed and 274 usable questionnaires were retrieved and utilized for the statistical analysis. The statistical results indicate that cost of adoption, risk of innovation, staff training had perceived and significant influence on ICT adoption and usage among the surveyed commercial banks in Rwanda.


This paper introduces the structure of distributed temperature measurement system and memory circuit of applying I~2C bus interface chip.I~2C bus adopts 2-wire serial interface.It is consist of serial data SDA and serial clock SCL.This paper illustrates the characteristic of I~2C bus and addressing space.The transfer process of data based on I~2C bus is expounded in detail.The start time slot and ending time slot of I~2C bus is analyzed.The process of acknowledge signal and non- acknowledge signal in data transfer are explained.The error that is easy to be produced for acknowledge signal and non-acknowledge signal is pointed out.The hardware connection between E~2PROM based on I~2C bus and MCU is given out. The software program of E~2PROM based on I~2C bus is described in detail.Writing program and reading program for E~2PROM are expounded.The circuit connection and software program based on I~2C bus in this paper are already applied on distributed temperature measurement system on success.The function to memory alarm message is realized correctly.


The paper examines the effect of substituents on the mechanisms of chemisorption and electrooxidation of the aromatic hydrocarbons C/sub 6/H/sub 6/, C/sub 6/H/sub 5/CH/sub 3/, and C/sub 6/H/sub 5/C/sub 2/H/sub 5/ at smooth and platinized platinum electrodes. It is shown that the chemisorption mechanism to an appreciable degree depends on the nature of the hydrocarbon and on electrode potential. Electrooxidation of the chemisorption products occurs at E/sub r/ > 0.9 V regardless of the nature of the aromatic hydrocarbon.


The fundamental law of chemistry – the law of stoichiometry - is not properly understood even after two centuries of existence. The significance of the pivotal concept of 'equivalent of a reaction' is not recognized. This led to several misconceptions that include 'what a chemical reaction is'. The origin of the problems lies with lack of understanding of the distinction between a mixture of chemical reactions represented by the equation: ∑αi Xi = 0, and a chemical reaction represented by the equation: ∑νi Xi = 0. νi ≠ αi; (νi is the stoichiometric coefficient of species Xi and αi is a rational number),. These problems are easily identified in the decomposition and combination of chemical reactions (that includes half cell reactions), specifically in case of disproportionation reactions. In these cases we find multiple values of zcell (equivalents per mol of reaction) and properties such as E0 (standard potential) for a given reaction. This is a paradox. It is impossible a for reaction under given conditions to have multiple values of a property (a thermodynamic state function). We critically analyze these issues and highlight in this paper the crucial aspects of a chemical reaction: That it must have a unique number of equivalents per mol, must be decomposable uniquely into two partial or half cell reactions, must be obtainable from combination of two partial or half cell reactions in a unique way; and, the distinction between a chemical reaction and a mixture of chemical reactions. Our analysis leads to: a new definition of chemical reaction; a new definition of linearly independent reactions, a new relation between the number of equivalents per mol of the partial or half cell reactions and the resultant chemical reaction; specify the two necessary and sufficient conditions to be satisfied in combining reactions to get resultant reactions. We apply the criteria to a few examples to show their applicability. We also comment on Avogadro number and the terminology - 'kJ per mol of reaction as written'. Chemistry must play an active role to bring back the preeminent role of chemistry in furtherance of natural sciences.


The marching cubes (MC) algorithm is widely used for converting volume data into surface data. It generates surfaces with the connected intersection points with a level or value equal to a given threshold. The resulting surfaces are iso-surfaces. However, it will be shown that local volume is not preserved in the conversion. Consequently, the resulting shape is not necessarily close to the original shape. We present a new approach to the problem. Instead of a single threshold value for the entire image we adjust thresholds locally so that local volume becomes approximately equal to the corresponding voxel value. First, a detailed explanation is given using a 2D image. Then, for a 3D case a technique to analytically compute volume in various cases of forming iso-surfaces is developed. We will demonstrate the advantage of our algorithm using several artificial and real examples.


In this paper, a model of Gaussian pulse propagation over atmospheric turbulence channel is used to comprehensively analyze the performance of APD-based free-space optical communication (FSO) systems using M-PPM signaling. This model is able to simultaneously take into account all effects of atmospheric turbulence including attenuation, intensity fluctuation, and pulse broadening, which has not been considered in previous works. In addition, the impacts of APD shot noise, background noise, and thermal noise are included in our analysis. The numerical results show that the main factor that limits the system performance is intensity fluctuation. However, when M is large enough, optical pulse is so short that the effect of pulse broadening becomes dominant. By using APD receiver, bit-error rate is improved significantly. Finally, based on channel capacity, we are able to determine the maximum transmission length of the system.


In magnetotelluric(MT) data analysis, the observed apparent resistivity have been used as an interpretative parameter for a long time. However, apparent resistivity has limitations. There is new approach for interpratation of magnetotelluric data by using the method of phase-derivative. In this paper the specific property of phase-derivative was studied and used in the interpretation of MT data from northern Songliao basin. Electric features of profile A were thus obtained. The depth and resistivity of primary electric layers were delimited.


Excursion from safe cathodic protection (CP) potentials occurs on buried steel pipelines due to various forms of electrical interferences such as stray currents. Variations in pH can also occur over some pipeline sections such as seashore and river crossing pipes. Currently, the exact effects of potential excursion and the pH on CP efficiency have not been sufficiently quantified preliminary due to difficulties in measuring these effects. In this work, these effects have been investigated using electrochemical cells designed to mimic the high resistivity and pH conditions observable over underground steel pipes, including a new electrochemical cell that has been designed to facilitate the effective simulation and control of pH, potential excursion and other CP testing parameters. The pH has been shown to be a key factor affecting the patterns of corrosion and CP efficiency. Localised corrosion has been found to be the dominating form of corrosion under potential excursions conditions.


FREEMAN, SHARON ROWE. Utilization of Poultry Byproducts as Protein Sources in Ruminant Diets. (Under the direction of Matthew H. Poore and Peter R. Ferket.) Production of market-ready poultry products results in co-production of millions of tons of wastes. Some, such as poultry litter, poultry by-product meal, and feather meal, are well known and have high acceptance. Others, like spent laying hens and dissolved air flotation skimmings, are less well known and therefore may not be utilized to their full potential. Our research demonstrated that spent laying hens can be mechanically deboned to yield a soft tissue fraction (66% of carcass weight) which could be valuable as a monogastric feedstuff. It also produced a hard tissue fraction (largely feathers and bones and 34% of carcass weight) which could be further processed into a proteinaceous meal for ruminant feeds. Steam hydrolysis of the hard tissue improved pepsin digestibility from 74 to 85%. True amino acid digestibility in the hydrolyzed hard tissue averaged 77% (SEM = 1.9%). Subsequent keratinase enzyme addition did not improve either pepsin or true amino acid digestibility beyond levels achieved by steam hydrolysis (P > 0.10). Co-extrusion of the steam hydrolyzed hard tissue with soybean hulls resulted in feather-bone meal (FBM) which had handling characteristics similar to those of soybean hulls; contained 94% dry matter, 23% protein, 55% neutral detergent fiber, and 7% fat; and which was well accepted when incorporated into concentrate pellets for meat goats to provide up to 60% of added nitrogen. Animals which received FBM in place of a portion of the traditional protein source, soybean meal, had a tendency for higher dry matter intake (703, 710, 673, and 779 g/d intake for 0, 20, 40, or 60% FBM substitution, respectively; P = 0.11) and had higher nitrogen retention than control goats (2.2, 1.4, 2.1, 2.5g N/d for 0, 20, 40, and 60% FBM substitution, respectively; P = 0.06). Dissolved air floatation skimmings (90% water, 6% fat, and 4% non-fat solids) are a product of waste water treatment in poultry processing facilities. Partial fat extraction and dehydration yields a proteinaceous meal called secondary protein nutrients (SPN; 5% moisture, 46.5% protein, 27.8% fat, 28,200 ppm Fe). Evaluation of secondary protein nutrients confirmed that it can be utilized in diets for meat goats and beef steers to supply up to 40% of supplemental protein. Inclusion rates above 50% in steer diets resulted in reduced dry matter intake (6.8, 7.3, 6.9, 60, and 5.2 kg DM/d for 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% SPN substation, respectively; P < 0.001) and average daily gain (1.26, 1.21, 1.11, 0.94, and 0.67 kg/d for 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% SPN substitution, respectively; P < 0.01). Reductions were likely the result of a combination of factors including reduced fiber degradation caused by inadequate supplies of ruminally degradable protein, increasing levels of fat in the diet, and elevated iron content. Goats receiving up to 40% of added N as SPN had similar N retention (g/d) to control animals (P = 0.11). Changes in ruminal parameters varied with species, but reflected the dietary addition of rumen undegradable protein and changes in fat and Fe content. Our research established that wastes from the poultry industry can successfully be converted into novel feedstuffs, offering the opportunity to recycle nutrients and reduce their release into the environment. The novel feedstuffs evaluated supported animal growth, supplying supplemental protein. Although detailed economic analysis was not conducted, we hypothesize that use of novel feedstuffs produced from wastes could reduce feed costs and increase the value of waste, thus improving the profitability of animal and poultry production. Utilization of Poultry Byproducts as Protein Sources in Ruminant Diets by Sharon Rowe Freeman A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty of North Carolina State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Nutrition Raleigh, North Carolina 2007


THE theory of the economies of scale is the theory of the relationship between the scale of use of a properly chosen combination of all productive services and the rate of output of the enterprise. In its broadest formulation this theory is a crucial element of the economic theory of social organization, for it underlies every question of market organization and the role (and locus) of governmental control over economic life. Let one ask himself how an economy would be organized if every economic activity were prohibitively inefficient upon alternately a small scale and a large scale, and the answer will convince him that here lies a basic element of the theory of economic organization. The theory has limped along for a century, collecting large pieces of good reasoning and small chunks of empirical evidence but never achieving scientific prosperity. A large cause of its poverty is that the central concept of the theory-the firm of optimum size-has eluded confident measurement. We have been dangerously close to denying Lincoln, for all economists have been ignorant of the optimum size of firm in almost every industry all of the time, and this ignorance has been an insurmountable barrier between us and the understanding of the forces which govern optimum size. It is almost as if one were trying to measure the nutritive values of goods without knowing whether the consumers who ate them continued to live.


The article compares the educational policy trajectories of four societies in the South‐west Indian Ocean: Madagascar, Mauritius, Ile de la Réunion and South Africa. The main purpose is to trace the political pathways and differing educational policy trajectories of former colonies of Britain and France. Five metaphors are invoked in this paper to describe the political and economic forces that shape the educational policy trajectories of developing countries. Together they form a conceptual model which provides the basis for comparative analysis of the post‐colonial educational policy choices between countries and allows for a more detailed examination of one or a cluster of polices. The methods employed in the research reported here draw on the discipline of comparative history and the resultant trajectories seem to offer a good heuristic device for generating, recording, and graphically illustrating data.


CaTiO3 perovskite has been proposed as a ceramic waste form for immobilization of 90Sr. Nonradioactive coprecipitated xerogel powders with nominal atomic ratios of Ca:Zr:Ti = 0.75:0.25:1.00 were synthesized to mimic the fate of (Ca0.7590Sr0.25)TiO3 solid solution after complete decay of the Sr and its intermediate product Y to stable Zr when an excess B4+ (Ti and 90Zr) cations will present. Ca:Ti = 1.00:1.00 samples were used as a reference. The powders were heated to various conditions to explore the thermodynamic stability of its oxides. The heated Ca:Zr:Ti = 0.75:0.25:1.00 samples formed a major orthorhombic Ca(Zr1−xTix)O3 perovskite phase. The Ti/(Ti + Zr) ratio of the perovskite preserves its nominal ratio at 600°C. The Zr rejects from the Ca(Zr1−xTix)O3 with further increasing the temperature, following the formation of Ca–Ti–Zr–O secondary phases. This study indicates a tendency of the Zr to segregate from an original (Ca,Sr)TiO3 waste form when the stoichiometry is controlled by the conversion of Sr to Zr (in normal oxidation states).


Hong Kong's next chief executive was revealed on 25 March 2012, when the 1,193-member election committee, made up largely of business leaders, professionals, and influential persons loyal to Bei- jing, voted in majority for Leung Chun-ying. Leung defeated his main op- ponent, former chief secretary for administration Henry Tang Ying-yen, by garnering 689 votes over the 285 that Tang received. The third candidate, Democratic Party chairman Albert Ho Chun-yan, secured only 76 votes.The controversy-ridden race to the Special Administrative Region's top position began in November 2011 after Leung resigned from the Executive Council and officially announced his candidacy. Both Tang and Leung are from the larger pro-establishment (jianzhi??) camp, marking the first di- rect competition between two candidates on the same side of the political spectrum. As late as early 2012, the common perception was still that ty- coon-backed Tang would emerge as victor. Son of a wealthy textile family with good political connections on the mainland, Tang had from the begin- ning secured the support of the business community and the city's top real estate developers, including such big names as Li Ka-shing of Cheung Kong Holdings Ltd., Raymond and Walter Kwok of Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd., and Lee Shau-kee of Henderson Land Development Co. Ltd. He was widely seen as Beijing's undisputed pick and its best bet for a smooth political tran- sition. Indeed, supporters of Tang exuded such self-confidence early on that one of them even called upon candidates without Beijing's blessings to be considerate (guquan daju????) and pull out of the race. (1)A post-one country, two systems era?That Leung eventually defeated Tang after a protracted campaign raised speculation about the political support system working behind the scenes to engineer his victory. What caused Tang's popularity to rapidly plummet was an explosive series of scandals. On 13 February, local newspapers re- vealed that Tang had illegally constructed a 2,400-square-foot "underground palace" at his residence. Tang said the descriptions were untrue, insisting it was only storage space. Inspection by the Buildings Department, however, later confirmed the existence of the huge basement. The candidate reacted immediately by having his wife, Lisa KuoYu-chin, shoulder the blame, telling reporters that "[the basement] was my wife's idea." A tearful Kuo admitted that she "just wanted to plan a comfy place for my family" and that she was "very, very sorry."(2)Tang's unwise move prompted Apple Daily, an anti- establishment local tabloid, to accuse him of selling out his wife for power.(3) South China Morning Post also published a damning editorial calling for Tang to withdraw, arguing that "his integrity has been seriously compro- mised."(4)"One oversight is perhaps not fatal," the editorial said, "But at- tempts to cover up one's mistakes are political suicide." A week later, Tang's private emails with his alleged lover were exposed, followed by the circula- tion of photos of his illegitimate child born before his marriage to Kuo. These reignited frenzied probes into Tang's extra-marital affairs and added fuel to incriminating remarks about his dishonesty, infidelity, and "emotional fault" (ganqing queshi ????).Commentator Willy Lam Wo-lap and Open University computing profes- sor Li Tak-shing both raised the alarm that these "black materials" (hei cailiao ???) might in fact have come from national security and intelligence services working for Beijing.(5)Lam specifically pointed to the Central Liaison Office (CLO)(zhongyang renmin zhengfu zhu Xianggang tebie xingzhengqu lianluo bangongshi???????????????????), an organ of the Central People's Government and the de facto United Front (tongzhan ??) headquarters stationed in the SAR responsible for propagandistic ef- forts, the successor to the Hong Kong branch of the Xinhua News Agency.(6) According to Lam, the CLO is an expansive bureaucracy with 23 depart- ments working under the leadership of one director and nine deputy direc- tors. …


The object of this note is to show that if a lIall is a Euclidean norm, then it is the norm arising from an inner product on A. (The converse is obvious.) It follows that a Euclidean norm does satisfy the triangle inequality, although this was not assumed in the definition. (We remark that in Euclid, the triangle inequality is deduced, not assumed; see [7, Book I, Proposition 20].) Note that E2 may be regarded as asserting that the side-angle-side rule of congruence for triangles holds in the very special case where the two corresponding angles are not merely congruent but actually coincide. See Figure 1. The restriction t > 1 is included in E2 only to make this geometric interpretation as clear as possible. It follows trivially from El and E2 that if hlall = llbil, then IIua + vbII = IlIva + ubiI for each u, v E St. Ficken [5] showed that if the latter condition holds in a normed linear space, then the norm arises from an inner product. Our result improves on his in that we do not assume the triangle inequality. In addition, the proof we present is shorter than his. We wish to thank the referees for suggesting improvements in the presentation.


A few years ago, the introduction of the WebGL API has allowed displaying 3D content in web browsers very efficiently by using the power of 3D accelerators. Nowadays, 3D web applications, from games to medical imaging, tend to compete with their desktop counterparts. Among the main factors that can improve the feeling of presence in terms of impressiveness, immersion and natural interaction play a prominent role in enhancing the quality of the user experience. Both immersion and natural interaction rely on dedicated hardware like 3D displays and tracking devices. Unfortunately, browser makers do not supply JavaScript mechanisms for accessing hardware for security reasons. In this paper, we propose a plugin-free solution using the new features of HTML5 (WebGL and WebSockets) in order to handle autostereoscopic displays and widespread tracking devices like IR depth sensors for providing immersion and natural interaction within the web browser.


The article discusses the development of electric ionizers for fruit storage. Based on the technological requirements, the design parameters of the electric ionizer were determined, the current source and operating modes were analyzed and appropriate conclusions and solutions were developed. Optimal quantities of basic geometric sizes specific to needle electrodes are recommended.


We investigate spontaneous and piezoelectric polarization in wurtzite III-V nitride ternary alloys as a function of composition and microscopic structure, using ab initio density-functional techniques and Berry phase method. We find a strong nonlinear dependence of spontaneous polarization on composition in chemically disordered alloys. Nonlinearity is quite pronounced in those alloys (e.g. AlInN and InGaN) made of largely lattice-mismatched binaries. Spontaneous polarization bowing strongly depends on the microscopic structure of the alloy. Chemical ordering in the form of super-lattice structure may increase the bowing up to a factor of five. Piezoelectric polarization is also nonlinear, in random alloys the nonlinearity is entirely due to a nonlinear strain dependence on piezoelectric polarization in pure binary compounds, therefore piezoelectric coefficients follow Vegard's law. In chemically ordered InGaN and AlInN alloys piezoelectric coefficients deviate from Vegard's law, and this effect reduces the strength of the piezoelectric polarization up to 38% of its value in AlInN alloy.


This study was undertaken to use computer simulation to determine the hourly temperature variation in the elements of a large scale poultry chick brooder pen heated solely by the Trombe wall system. The elements include the glass cover, the air gap, the Trombe wall surfaces, the brooder room, and the room surfaces. It was found that the average temperature of the brooder room ranges from 29.94oC to 35.86oC. The Trombe wall back surface temperature was almost constant at 40.05oC. Hence an optimum brooding temperature requirement of between 25oC and 32oC (depending on the age of the bird) was easily met.


We developed a sensitive competitive RT-PCR technique for quantitating the ratio of D2 to cyclophilin messenger RNA (mRNA) and used this to study type 2 deiodinase (D2) mRNA regulation. Hyperthyroidism in rats causes a 2- to 3-fold reduction in anterior pituitary and medial basal hypothalamus (MBH). Thyroid hormone (T3) withdrawal increased the D2/cyclophilin ratio 2- to 3-fold over 48 h in both GC and GH4C1 cells. T3 additional reduced D2 gene transcription by 50% over 2 h and about 30% over the next 2 h. D2 mRNA half-life is 2 h and is not affected by T3, indicating that its effect is due to suppression of D2 gene transcription. The T3 effect did not require new protein synthesis. Longer treatment with T3 led to a maximum decrease of 70% in D2 mRNA, indicating that there is also a T3-independent transcriptional component of the D2 gene. 3,3′,5′-Triiodothyronine (reverse T3) caused a slight increase D2 mRNA over 24 h but an 80–90% decrease in D2 activity, indicating that it acts posttranscriptionally. De...


As environmentally conscious design (ECD) is growing in importance and an increasing number of companies are beginning to introduce it into their product development processes, it is interesting to establish how companies have made it work. As this concept is still new for many organizations it is difficult to predict exactly what constitutes successful ECD. As part of the DEEDS research project at Cranfield University it was therefore decided to conduct a series of in-depth interviews in thirty companies from the electronic/electrical sector in the UK, Central Europe and USA. This paper presents two of the major research findings from this project. Firstly decisions that have a major environmental impact are largely made in the pre-specification stages of the product development process. Secondly, it is recognized that most companies have developed an information supply system to support ECD and have used people identified as environmental champions to do this. This paper explores the significance of these two findings and highlights the way in which other organizations can learn from these results.


Academic literature has reflected increasing concerns about the trade-off between preserving the environment and economic growth. To address these concerns, new measurements are needed to evaluate sustainable development, given the limitations of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in quantifying welfare and sustainability. Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI) is one of those alternative measurements. This paper assesses sustainable development for 28 OECD countries by computing a comparable GPI. Two different approaches to economic growth and sustainable development are discussed. Results suggest that the richest countries are not always the most sustainable. Furthermore, the effect of the financial crisis is verified immediately in the GDP, in contrast to the lagged effect observed in the GPI. Additionally, measures that promote economic growth may not improve sustainability, and may even negatively affect it. Consequently, alternative indicators such as the CGPI can obtain more valuable information for policy-makers seeking to achieve both economic growth and sustainable development.


The logN-period channel is liable to trip spuriously due to inverse period overshoot of the period meter output, resulting from exponentially increasing reactor power from beyond the range of logN channel. The overshoot can be suppressed if the time constant of the logN is limited in the region outside its effective range.It is pointed out that all kinds of measures for limiting the time constant of log N can be simulated by the saturation characteristics of semiconductor p-n junctions. A generalized numerical analysis has been performed using normalized variables and parameters, and the results have been utilized for obtaining universal curves for overshoot analysis. These curves reveal that limiting the time constant is remarkably effective.Finally, it is pointed out that the logN time constant can be uniquely expressed in terms of the saturation time constant.


Objective
To explore the trends of liver fibrosis and biochemistry after Kasai operation in patients with biliary atresia (BA).

Methods
A cross-sectional study was performed from January 2013 to December 2013 and clinical follow-up data were collected. All 121 patients were included with postoperative time longer than 6 months. They were divided into three groups of excellent, favorable and poor according to jaundice-free duration after Kasai operation with cut-off points of 3 and 6 months. Age at Kasai operation, Fibroscan value and biochemical results before and after Kasai operation were statistically analyzed and tendency charts plotted.

Results
There were 69 males (57.0%) and 52 females (43.0%). Three groups were excellent 63(52.1%), favorable 34(28.1%) and poor 24(19.8%). No statistical difference in age at Kasai operation existed among three groups. The Fibroscan values of three groups fluctuated with 1 year after Kasai operation and stabilized gradually after 1 year. One-way ANOVA and rank-sum test showed statistical difference between excellent-good and poor groups within 1 year after Kasai operation. However no difference existed between excellent and good groups. Total bilirubin (TB) of excellent-good group decreased significantly in the first 3 months, declined slowly and TB became stable within a normal range. TB of poor group decreased significantly in the first 2 months with major fluctuations thereafter. Alanine transaminase (ALT) peaked at 1 month. And it decreased without stabilization within 6 months in excellent-good group. In poor group, it could not achieve stabilization. Aspartate transaminase (AST) of three groups decreased within 6 months but couldn't achieve stabilization thereafter. Gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) of three groups peaked at 1 month, declined quickly within 6 months with minor fluctuation and became stabilized.

Conclusions
Liver fibrosis may progress within 1 year after Kasai operation in BA. The liver fibrosis status of survivors with native liver becomes stable and progresses slowly after 1 year. And it becomes more stable after 2 years in excellent group. TB decreases most significantly within 1 month after Kasai operation. And patients jaundice-free within 3-6 months can achieve long-term normal TB level. Liver inflammation, ductular reaction and liver function damage progress after Kasai operation. Improvement occurs after 1 month and stabilizes after 6 months.

Key words:
Biliary Atresia; Liver cirrhosis; Biological markers


Nuisance wildlife in areas where hunting is not an accepted practice and declining public support of lethal control measures have prompted research on contraceptives as a way to manage population levels. However, complex legal. biological, economic, and ethical issues should be addressed before such techniques are tested even on small, isolated populations. Regulatory authority by State and Federal agencies must define protocols for using contraceptive materials in wild populations. Registration of wildlife contraceptives either as pesticides or vaccines will likely be necessary. Health-related issues include harmful effects on target species, nontarget species and humans Nuisance wildlife, particularly high densities of whitetailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), have become a problem in many areas of the United States (Warren 1991). Significant economic losses can result from damage to crops and landscape plantings and from deer-vehicle collisions. Regulated hunting can be an effective means of controlling deer populations (Behrend et al. 1970). However, problems in areas where hunting is not an accepted practice (e.g., national parks and suburban areas) and declining public support of lethal control measures have prompted research on contraception as a means of managing population levels. Recent studies on immunocontraception of free-ranging feral horses (Equus caballus) (Goodloe 1991, Kirkpatrick and Turner 1991) and deer (Turner et al. 1992, Warren and White 1995) indicate that an effective vaccine and oral delivery system could be developed. However, complex legal, biological, economic, and ethical issues should be addressed before such techniques are applied even on small, isolated populations. This chapter will attempt to identify some of the key points of these issues with focus on management of whitetailed deer.


The persistent crisis in the Niger Delta, bordering on the effects of oil exploration among other socio-economic issues, left the confines of politics and found expression in literary works. Tanure Ojaide, a prolific poet and writer from the Niger Delta, and other eco-critics explore these devastating realities in their creative enterprise. This study, therefore, sets out to examine Ojaide's conceptualization of the tensions and struggles of the Niger Delta people against forces of exploitation and oppression and the often tragic consequences of the collusion in his novel, The Activist. While adopting an experimental form of analysis – a reportorial- the novel's message adequately structures its form and makes an explicit comment on the need for educational activism. The paper concludes that the author positions education as a major tool of liberation and a constructive way of subverting both socio-economic and environmental deprivation. This therefore goes to show The Activist as an intellectual work whose agitations offer the dais for a positive change in the Niger Delta.


The objective of this research is to develop an information system for deciding the route to transport goods between Bangkok and Mukdahan province in Thailand. Many techniques are used in this system, such as the risk analysis, analytic hierarchy process and zero-one goal programming. This system is tested by 50 customers from a shipping company in Bangkok, Thailand. The results showed that the system offers shipping cars for customers, and reduces time and errors in finding the transportation routing from staff. Furthermore, the system decreases the time of transaction documents and reduces the time to decide from customer. Staff have not over skill but they can use this program. This research surveys satisfaction of 50 customers. This survey finds the average score of satisfaction is 4.67 from 5. In addition, the number of customers increases by 25.37 percent.


It has been widely acknowledged that assessment is an integral part of any effective educational system. It involves a wide variety of methods or tools that educators use to evaluate, measure, and document the academic readiness, learning progress, skill acquisition, and academic results of students. In his Dictionary of Education Evaluation, Tao (1998) defines educational assessment as a process in which educators make objective evaluation of educational activities, processes, and outcomes through systematic information collection and analysis by using practical, scientific methods, with the purpose of supporting students' continuous improvement and providing evidence for educational decision-making.


This investigation attempts to observe changes in the flow structure of a nominally zero pressure gradient turbulent boundary layer by altering the surface of a smooth plate with small triangular riblets oriented in the direction of flow and protruding just above the viscous sublayer. Hot-wire measurements show a reduction in the local skin friction over the riblet valleys by about 40% compared to the smooth surface near the end of the plate. Local skin friction increases by about 10% over the riblet peaks. Results showing the effects of the riblets on the mean, root-mean-square and skewness factor distributions of the streamwise velocity are presented. The mean profile displays characteristics similar to those of drag reducing additives; the streamwise turbulence intensity is reduced by approximately 10-15% near the surface by the riblets; the skewness factor distribution is virtually unchanged. A comparison of results from an application of the VITA 'burst' detection technique to smooth and riblet surface data is also presented although the results are rather inconclusive. Flow visualization of 'bursting' over both surfaces, while dramatically revealing the structure, reveals little difference resulting from the presence of the riblet.


The wide range of competencies or skills offered through many of the telecom programsavailable in the U.S. makes it difficult for future students to choose a program, for employers tochoose graduates with the skills they need and for academic institutions to structure attractiveand formative curricula. A classification of the core competencies of telecom programs is neededin order to have a basis over which to compare and structure current and future telecomcurricula.This work is an extension of the analysis of the curricula of several graduate telecom programsthat was presented in the ITERA 2007 conference (Caicedo and Thompson 2007). Our analysiscompares different programs based on the competencies that are covered within the curriculumof the individual programs considered. Only competencies considered within the courses labeled"core courses" for each program were considered in this analysis and when compared to ourprevious work (Caicedo and Thompson 2007) (Iqbal and Thompson 2006), the number ofcourses and programs considered has been expanded and the group of core competencies fortelecom education has been further refined.In addition to identifying a core set of competencies for telecommunication programs, ouranalysis gives some insights into the different characteristics and commonalities among theacademic programs analyzed. We hope our results can serve as the basis for future curriculumdefinition projects in academic institutions and can be used as a step towards future definition ofcriteria for the certification of telecom programs.Presented in the 2008 International Telecommunications Education and Research Association (ITERA) conference, March 2008, Louisville, Kentucky, USA


1. We compute its probability of occurrence in every sentences:. 2. We sort the 140 sentences according to their probability. Table 2 shows the position, in this classification, of the 7 sentences where the keyword is really pronounced (" true hits "). • We compute the average position of these true hits over every keyword. (see Table3). muscular 1 2 3 4 5 7 12 grades 1 2 3 5 6 7 8 problems 1 2 3 4 5 6 13 ambulance 1 4 5 9 18 22 100 tradition 1 3 4 7 8 9 88 vocabulary 1 8 19 71 72 73 74 pizzerias 1 2 3 4 5 8 20 alligators 1 2 3 5 7 11 12 proceeding 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 overalls 1 2 3 5 6 14 53 informative 1 2 5 46 49 126 127 ankle 2 3 6 8 34 78 105 superb 1 2 5 28 30 45 121 silly 1 2 3 4 7 13 14 thursday 1 2 3 7 18 29 70 decorate 1 4 5 7 9 10 12 exposure 1 2 3 4 5 8 9 society 1 2 3 4 5 18 23 kidnappers 1 2 7 18 49 135 136 mirage 4 41 51 115 124 136 139 Table 2: Gaussian Models: True Hit Positions. Reading 17 th line: for " exposure " , the first 5 position sentences sorted with this method actually contain this keyword, but the 6 th and the 7 th position sentences do not; only the 8 th and 9 th position sentences contain it. Average positions are computed for the Gaussian based model and the MLP based model. From the document analyst point of vue, we can say that " if we are only interested in finding three occurrences of a keyword, we usually only need to listen to 8-9 sentences out of 140 to find them ". In order to compare these results with those obtained with the frame labelling process shown in [1], we reproduce the latter in Table 4. The ambitious task of keyword spotting on speaker independent data without restrictions on the vocabulary has been tackled, [1][3]. A HMM approach has been used in order to compare it with older frame labeling technique. This comparison shows that a better result can be expected with this new approach. Due to the new …


The kumpanjija, or chain sword dance, of Blato, Croatia, is also danced each April in Sydney, Australia. This paper explores the perpetuation of the kumpanjija in Sydney since 1965, culminating in the fiftieth anniversary performance in 2015. Based on data from ethnographic fieldwork, the paper provides an ethnochoreological analysis of this event and illustrates how the performance fosters experiences of bonding, embodies nostalgic sentiment and provides community focus. The relationship between the dance as performed currently in Blato, and the performance troupe in Sydney is also explored. This event demonstrates the significance of the annual event for this section of the Croatian immigrant community in Sydney.


When asymmetric longitudinal fault occurs in parallel transmission lines, the shift of load current and mutual inductance may produce large zero-sequence current in the healthy line, leading to the improper operation of pilot zero-sequence directional component with voltage compensation. This paper takes four parallel transmission lines under different voltage levels as research object, analyzing the zero-sequence fault characteristics and pilot zero-sequence directional protection performance in longitudinal fault, considering the influence of the potential transformer position, the electrical connection between different lines, the zero-sequence impedance of systems, and the partial coupling effect. Then the improper operation mechanism of pilot zero-sequence directional protection in the healthy line, which has a strong or weak electrical connection with the faulty line, is presented respectively. Moreover, potential solutions based on negative-sequence components, transmission power and smart substation are proposed.


Background: The wellbeing process model formed the basis of questionnaires that can demonstrate which factors predict negative and positive wellbeing outcomes. The Student Wellbeing Process Questionnaire (Student WPQ) uses stressor, negative coping, psychological capital and social support scales to predict positive and negative wellbeing outcomes.
Aims: The usual method of scoring the WPQ has been to sum relevant questions in each scale. The aim of the present analyses was to investigate the microstructure of the WPQ and examine the profile of individual predictor and outcome items.
Methodology: The research was approved by the ethics committee, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, and carried out with the informed consent of the volunteers (1481 psychology undergraduates; 89.4% female; 49.7% year 1; mean age 19.5 years). An online survey was carried out, and a MANOVA was conducted to examine associations between the wellbeing process predictor variables and the wellbeing outcomes.
Results: A multivariate analysis of variance showed that the majority of individual predictors had significant overall effects. Some of the predictors (optimism; self-esteem, developmental challenges; time pressure; avoidance coping) had significant effects on all outcomes, which explains the global effects of the positive personality and stressor composite variables. Negative coping variables had significant effects on all negative outcomes. Other variables had selective effects on specific outcome measures.
Conclusion: The independent variables from the student wellbeing questionnaire are good predictors of both positive and negative wellbeing outcomes. This is observed when either individual items or composite scores are used in the analysis.


Albizia myriophylla bark is traditionally used in the fermented rice beer "atingba" of Manipur, India. Three types of rice beers were prepared viz. (1) using traditional starter, (2) established starters and (3) established starters + ethanolic extract of A. myriophylla bark (AME) and stored at 32C for 3 months. AME contained polyphenols, soluble sugars, terpenoids, anthraquinone, flavonoids and tannins and 12 phenolic compounds were detected. The extract further exhibited antioxidant activity and inhibited lipid peroxidation and growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. During storage, AME fortified beer recorded substantially low counts of general aerobes and other organisms. Moreover, it revealed least change in acidity, anthocyanin content, color, peroxide value and no biogenic amines during storage. Marked extension in shelf life stability of "atingba" was observed with the addition of AME and finds substantial application in the food industry as a natural food supplement and preserving agent.

Practical Applications
Albizia myriophylla bark can be used as a potent source of antioxidants and antimicrobial agents. The bioactive compounds from AME can be purified and incorporated for the enhancement of shelf life of alcoholic beverages like beer. These compounds will find applications in the food industry, where improvement of shelf life is a major concern. Certain value added products like neutraceuticals can also be developed from AME.


Radical pair formation is observed in irradiated aromatic crystals by EPR technique. Single crystals of benzene anthracene and naphthalene were irradiated at 77°K by 60Co γ rays up to a dose of 109 rads. The EPR spectra of the resulting species is reported. (AIP)


Air pollution is increasing everyday in India and one of the main causative factor is vehicular transmission. Increased air pollution is related to decrease in pulmonary function. As taxi drivers work in congested roads throughout the day, they are one of the most affected populations. This study was aimed to assess the Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR) of taxi drivers as well as the train drivers and to compare them. PEFR was assessed in 30 train drivers (Group A) and 30 taxi drivers (Group B) between the age groups of 25 to 50 years. People in Group A (574.7 ± 2.432) performed better in this particular test compared to Group B (488 ± 6.702). Though the present study has found out that the PEFR valueswere less than predicted values in both the groups but taxi drivers' pulmonary function were affected more compared to the train drivers.


The relevance of the article lies in the contradiction between the growing need of service centres and repair companies for highly qualified and creative engineering staff and the inconsistent views on the nature, content and structure of creative potential of future specialists in repairing and maintaining automobiles, unfavourable conditions for its development in colleges. The article aims to define, specify the content and justify the structure of creative potential of future specialists in repairing and maintaining automobiles. Research methods include a theoretical analysis of scientific sources  to identify the coverage of the research problem; comparison  to study scientific approaches to solving the research problem; analysis and synthesis  to determine the closest generic and specific characteristics of the phenomenon under study; systematization  to justify its structural components. Results: the concept of "creative potential of future specialists in repairing and maintaining automobiles" has been defined; its content has been clarified' its structure has been justified; its basic characteristics have been determined. Conclusions: the concept of "creative potential of future specialists in repairing and maintaining automobiles" is an integrative characteristic that contributes to the success of one's professional activities; this phenomenon is a complex construct with certain components (motivational-axiological, intellectual-creative, cognitive-pragmatist, emotional-volitional and personal-reflexive) and basic characteristics (a synthesis of creative and technical skills; an aptitude for creative technical activities; willingness to discover effective solutions to problems in the field of automobile maintenance, repair, restoration or quality; the ability to systematically combine methodological, theoretical, and polytechnic knowledge; certain personal and professional qualities).


Politicians, the media, and some social scientists seek to portray events such as 9/11, 3/11, 7/7 as the result of Islamic 'radicalisation'; a battle of ideas and competing narratives between radical Islam and the liberal West. This indicates a conceptual position which suggests that to counter Islamically inspired political violence it is necessary to change Islamic ideas at their core. This paper examines how ideas of radicalisation are being used in current counter-terrorist and counter-radicalisation policies, and the problems with these policies given that there is no clear concept of what this term means or how it should be studied. This paper particularly highlights the methodological weaknesses that plague research on relationship between Islam and political violence – particularly where this is portrayed as Islamic radicalisation or Islamic radicalism. The paper argues that such single causal orientations indicate ideological research design bias, and that 'effects of causes' approaches fail to take into account the inherent causal complexity of collectively defined, but individually held moral obligations to participate in direct action. Until the study of Islam and political behaviour is radically altered to take account of the majority cases where individual Muslims are either peacefully politically engaged, or even politically apathetic, the success of policies which attempt to prevent violence in the name of Islam will be, at best, a matter of luck and intuition, rather than empirically justified and evidence-based.


OBJECTIVE To isolate and identify the sesquiterpenoid coumarins from the root of Ferula fukanensis K. M. Shen,which can restrain the synthesis of NO in vivo. METHODS The sesquiterpenoid coumarins were isolated by chromatography with silica gel and MPLC. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis(NMR and MS). RESULTS Five sesquiterpenoid coumarins were isolated and identified as umbelliprenin (Ⅰ),fekolone (Ⅱ),badrakemone (Ⅲ),lehmannolone (Ⅳ) and assafoetidin (Ⅴ). CONCLUSION All these compounds were obtained from Ferula fukanensis K. M. Shen for the first time.


Studying efficient ways to organize exchange is one of the objectives of monetary theory. Shapley and Shubik (1977) were among the first to pose a static model that organized multilateral exchange at trading posts between agents who have endowments of goods that may differ from what they prefer to consume. In this issue, Howitt (2005) studies a dynamic environment with some of the explicit spatial, information, and enforcement frictions employed in search models of money (e.g., Kiyotaki and Wright, 1993), but which allows directed matching to trading posts or shops. Howitt studies the conditions under which a fiat medium of exchange dominates an alternative method of exchange, barter, at shops. Trading posts, which are restricted to exchange in only two goods, mitigate search costs between households, but are themselves costly to operate. There are n nonstorable goods in his economy and n(n − 1) household types (i.e., each household is endowed with one of the n goods, but desires one of the other (n − 1) goods). In any active symmetric equilibrium, the minimum number of barter shops that must open is n(n − 1)/2, whereas only n monetary shops are necessary. Since a merchant incurs a fixed cost σ to run a shop, it is then clear that monetary exchange economizes on such costs. On the other hand, for monetary exchange to take place in this spatial setting, consumption this period must be paid for with money earned last period (which is not necessary for barter). Howitt shows (Proposition 4) that if a monetary equilibrium exists, then it is Pareto efficient since it minimizes the fixed costs associated with multilateral exchange and bilateral exchange is ruled out by assumptions in the environment. Conditions for the existence of a monetary equilibrium in the presence of barter alternatives, which depend on the size of the fixed costs and the household's discount factor, are provided in Proposition 3.


To generalize about Aischylos is difficult; to generalize about Euripides is almost impossible; but to generalize about Sophokles is both possible and potentially rewarding. With Sophokles—or, rather, with the Sophokles of the seven fully extant tragedies—we can sense a mood, a use of language, and a style of play-making ('dramatic technique') which are largely shared by all seven works. Of these characteristics it is surely the mood which contains the quintessence of Sophoklean tragedy. My aim in the first section of this paper will be to open the way to an appreciation of that mood by following up one of the most important motifs in Sophokles: blindness. In the second section the scope of the enquiry will be widened: I shall show that, in using the blindness motif, Sophokles was drawing on a theme which was fundamental to a large number of mythical narratives told by Greeks from the time of Homer to that of Pausanias, and beyond. In the final section we shall return to Sophokles, placing him this time not against the background of the whole Greek mythical tradition but rather within the specific context of the fifth century B.C., and attempting to overhear the individual dramatic 'voice' used by him as he explored the implications of blindness.


Abstract We propose modeling COVID-19 infection dynamics using a class of two-type branching processes. These models require only observations on daily statistics to estimate the average number of secondary infections caused by a host and to predict the mean number of the non-observed infected individuals. The development of the epidemic process depends on the reproduction rate as well as on additional facets as immigration, adaptive immunity, and vaccination. Usually, in the existing deterministic and stochastic models, the officially reported and publicly available data are not sufficient for estimating model parameters. An important advantage of the proposed model, in addition to its simplicity, is the possibility of direct computation of its parameters estimates from the daily available data. We illustrate the proposed model and the corresponding data analysis with data from Bulgaria, however they are not limited to Bulgaria and can be applied to other countries subject to data availability.


The reinforcement of existing masonry vaults against seismic actions is an extremely timing issue and it has already involved many researchers in experimental testing and numerical modelling. However, up to now, the results of the research have been expressed and compared in terms of load-displacement capacity curves. But the designers, in the practice, need to assess the resisting peak ground acceleration of the vault (PGA), so to compare it with the seismic demand. In the paper, a strategy to evaluate this parameter, based on the modified Capacity Spectrum Method and accounting for the level of the vault in the building is proposed. The procedure is applied to a case study of a masonry building with barrel vaults, comparing the performances of plain vaults and vaults strengthened with a GFRP (Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer) reinforced mortar coating. The results evidenced significant improvements in terms of PGA after the reinforcement, attaining to values from 3.1 to 3.3 times that of the unreinforced vault.


Gotland is a Swedish island that is connected to the grid only by two high voltage direct current (HVDC) cables. The growth of installed wind power on Gotland has been temporarily stopped due to concerns regarding the reliability of the operations. This study investigates the capability of a centralised energy storage system along with or without wind curtailment to support the growth of installed wind power capacity. The energy storage system is tested for maintaining frequency stability during unintentional islanding through dynamic studies using power system simulator for engineering (PSS/E). The results assess the ability of energy storage to prevent frequency instabilities and provide primary frequency response albeit of the absence of any rotating inertia. The analysis determines the requirements for the power and energy capacity of the energy storage system in relation to the exported power from the HVDC cables at the instant of fault, which eventually relates to the wind power capacity. Moreover, the study examines wind power curtailment as primary and/or secondary frequency response and the impact on the energy capacity. Finally, the study did not explore the effect of fast power ramps on the energy storage to leave the door open for all types of inverter-based energy storage technologies.


Any development in the field of linguistics has the potential to influence second language teaching. However, the applications of cognitive linguistics to second language teaching have not received much attention from scholars. This essay builds upon theories from cognitive linguistics, selecting the ideas that have the most potential to benefit second language teaching and suggesting some ways in which cognitive linguistics could be applied to second language teaching. Then this project analyzes some of the challenges that have to be overcome in order to apply cognitive linguistics to second language teaching in a more efficient way. Finally, this essay proposes taskbased language teaching as the most suitable teaching approach to benefit from cognitive linguistics. Key-words: cognitive linguistics, applied linguistics, second language teaching, taskbased language teaching.


High-resolution late replication banding patterns were obtained on prometaphase chromosomes of Bufo bufo gargarizans and Bufo raddei by treating cultured lymphocytes with 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU).The characteristic late replication regions on each banded chromosome of Bufo bufo gargarizans,which can be easily distinguished from other chromosomes,have been observed.Precise comparison between two species highresolution late replication banding patterns indicates that all chromosomes of two species are highly homologous.These results show that under the same culture condition and at the same time when BrdU were incorporated into DNA,it is possible to research chromosome homology among different species by comparing replication banding patterns.


that in the last decade have organized accreditation systems for public and private institutions—separate from the licensing requirements covering only new private institutions. This step is, in part, a regional response to universal trends: globally, quality assurance is on the rise. Driving these regional initiatives are worldwide trends, such as accountability, the pressures of greater competitiveness, the mounting need of institutions to differentiate themselves, and the increasing power of management in universities. Imitating fashionable reform is, of course, a factor as well. In Latin America these initiatives seem to share the realization that licensing alone fails to maintain pressure on institutions to monitor and improve quality. First, because they are usually exempt from licensing strictures, public institutions are allowed to act irresponsibly if they so choose. Second, licensing regulations for private institutions often come with an expiration date, after which freedom is either absolute or substantial (whatever the market would bear). Given that in most of Latin America licensing standards for new private institutions of higher education have been weak or absent, this surge in accreditation schemes follows the expansion of the unregulated private sector. In this sense, accreditation functions as a sort of delayed regulation, an ex post facto attempt to tighten control over the worst examples of proliferation. Whether the new Chilean law will succeed in fostering quality in higher education is anybody's guess. The QAA builds upon successful pilot experiences carried out since the 1990s to test different approaches to accreditation, and this is reason to be optimistic. However, the new law may be just another station in an endless loop of unacceptable performance. The regulatory response eventually gives way to new forms of questionable practices and in turn to new controls, in a game driven by the marketplace.


This paper presents organisation, challenges, and effects of Software Governance activity that was introduced in a large R&D project GÉANT that had been already in development for several years. We present the background of this activity, its structure, actions taken, as well as its achieved and expected results.


Abstract Due to the influence of crystal vibration, clock offset, and clock skew, time synchronization error will be caused. This study introduces several algorithms to reduce or eliminate the influence of time synchronization error on positioning results, including iterative time-of-arrival algorithm, linear position line algorithm, classical CHAN algorithm, quadratic programming algorithm, and an improved algorithm for quadratic programming problem using weighted least squares algorithm. They are applied to two-dimensional (2D) single target, 2D multi-target, three-dimensional, and various positioning scenarios considering the influence of clock skew and clock offset for the simulation test, which overcomes the defect that the previous algorithm simulation test has few application scenarios. The results show that the iterative time-of-arrival algorithm has smaller root mean square error, higher positioning accuracy, and stable positioning results, and the algorithm has universal applicability to each positioning scene with time synchronization error.


We developed five microsatellite primer pairs for the yellowtail Seriola quinqueradiata. The loci were highly polymorphic, with eight to 14 alleles per locus, and can be used to study kinship and/or population structure. Many of these primer pairs amplified polymorphic loci in cross-species amplification tests for two other Seriola species (S. lalandi and S. dumerili).


A persistent yet understudied aspect of Alberta's "quasi-party system" is the role of the electoral system. While many authors have rightly pointed out that a majoritarian single-member plurality system has helped Alberta's ruling parties produce disproportionate majorities, the province has not always operated under this electoral arrangement. From 1926 until 1955, Alberta had a "hybrid" system, consisting of the Single Transferable Vote in multi-member constituencies in Edmonton and Calgary and the Alternative Vote in single-member constituencies in the rest of Alberta. This unusual attempt at electoral reform played an important role in the dominance of the United Farmers of Alberta and the early Social Credit Party (until 1955). AV acted as an essentially majoritarian system in rural Alberta, producing statistically indistinguishable results from FPTP. This contrasts the Albertan case with other attempts at implementing the Alternative Vote. On the other hand, STV benefited the UFA and Social Credit in two distinct ways. STV increasing proportionality in Edmonton and Calgary, as it has in many other jurisdictions. However, due the hybrid system, the urban opposition in Edmonton and Calgary to the UFA was fragmented by a proportional system like STV. Social Credit, with its larger urban base, used STV to maximize its urban vote through a process of voter transfers. Finally, rural malapportionment is a key feature in both the hybrid system and the subsequent return to single-member plurality. Rural seats, operating under both AV and FPTP, have been the electoral bedrock for Alberta's long lived political dynasties. The unique case of Alberta's hybrid electoral system serves as an important potential case study in debates surrounding electoral reform in Canada and around the world.

Please be aware that a revision to this article was submitted on April 30, 2021. Therefore, there may be some differences between the online version of this submission and the print version.


Characterization of soil-geosynthetic interaction is a key aspect in understanding mechanical performance of structures made using geosynthetics (e.g., geosynthetic-stabilized roadways, geosynthetic-reinforced soil walls). Pullout test has been one of the most widely used experimental techniques to characterize this interaction. This study implements t-z analysis approach, originally developed to evaluate load transfer mechanism in deep foundations, to predict pullout test results of geosynthetics. Formulations of the method and step-by-step solution algorithm are presented. Suitability of the method was evaluated by comparisons made between predictions of the t-z analysis approach and experimental pullout test results presented in literature. Specifically, geosynthetic and soil-geosynthetic characterization data presented in four studies with a wide range of soil and geosynthetic types, normal pressures, and test configurations were used in the t-z analysis framework presented in this study to simulate pullout test results. Results from the simulations were then compared to the experimental data presented in the four studies. This comparison underscored suitability of the t-z analysis approach in producing reasonably consistent results with the experimental data.


The significance of accurate measurement to the performance parameters of hydraulic impactor was introduced.Based on some main testing methods and their principles,a new testing device for hydraulic impactor was introduced in which sensor was used to measure force and data processing software was used to calculate impact energy.Its system composition,work principle and features were introduced.


The invention relates to a method for dynamic reconfiguration of FPGA, in which one or more switching tables consisting of one or more controls and one or more configuration storages are integrated in the module or connected thereto. Configuration words of a switching table are transferred to a configurable element or to multiple configurable elements of the module which then set a valid configuration. The load logic or the configurable elements of the module or modules can write data in the configuration storage or storages of the switching table or tables. The control of the switching table or tables can recognize individual inputs as instructions and execute them. The control can also recognize and distinguish different events and execute a relevant defined action. Upon reacting to the occurrence of an event or a combination of events, the control moves the position pointer or pointers. Whenever configuration data and not control instructions are concerned, the control sends said configuration data to the configurable element or elements declared in the configuration data.


Due to the widening semantic gap of videos, computational tools to classify these videos into different genre are highly needed to narrow it. Classifying videos accurately demands good representation of video data and an efficient and effective model to carry out the classification task. Kernel Logistic Regression (KLR), kernel version of logistic regression (LR), proves its efficiency as a classifier, which can naturally provide probabilities and extend to multiclass classification problems. In this paper, Weighted Kernel Logistic Regression (WKLR) algorithm is implemented for video genre classification to obtain significant accuracy, and it shows accurate and faster good results.


In this paper, we mainly discuss how to calculate the product of linear polynomial function and B-spline curve with arbitrary degree k and generally structured knot. This product calculation involves two questions, the one is how to calculate the product of parameter t and B-spline curve; the other is degree elevation of B-spline curve. Firstly, by making use of the conversion matrix between k-th B-spline bases and (k+1)-th B-spline bases, we present an approach for calculating the product of parameter t and B-spline curve. Meanwhile, we put forward a simple method for the degree elevation of B-spline curve. Further, we obtain the formula for calculating the product of linear polynomial function and a B-spline curve. At the end, we give the examples with k=3, namely the product of linear polynomial function and cubic B-spline curve, which also show that the product calculation method in this paper easily implements.


In supervised learning for image denoising, usually the paired clean images and noisy images are collected or synthesised to train a denoising model. L2 norm loss or other distance functions are used as the objective function for training. It often leads to an over-smooth result with less image details. In this paper, we regard the denoising task as a problem of estimating the posterior distribution of clean images conditioned on noisy images. We apply the idea of diffusion model to realize generative image denoising. According to the noise model in denoising tasks, we redefine the diffusion process such that it is different from the original one. Hence, the sampling of the posterior distribution is a reverse process of dozens of steps from the noisy image. We consider three types of noise model, Gaussian, Gamma and Poisson noise. With the guarantee of theory, we derive a unified strategy for model training. Our method is verified through experiments on three types of noise models and achieves excellent performance.


Learn about the Asbestos NESHAP for Stationary sources of air pollution by reading the rule history, rule summary, compliance information and additional guidances


This study constructed three dimensions of life values of college students,using self-made questionnaire of life values of college students for the research in five universities of 4085 students to investigate the structural and developmental characteristics of college students' life values.The result showed that self-made questionnaire of life values of college students has perfect validity and reliability;the life values of college students has three dimensions,which includes the goals of life values,the process of life values and the assessment of life values.Social orientation is more robust than the individual orientation;In the process of life values,"initiative solving"is highest,"hard work and dedication"is the less,and"Fantasy and retreating"is the least;"positivity and optimism"is higher than"negative fate".The life values of college students first drop and then increase,and male college students pay more attention to individual life value orientation.Different household income levels and learning achievements are sensitive factors which could influence college students' life value.


### Growth, development, equity and stability

Political leaders increasingly perceive health as being crucial to achieving growth, development, equity and stability throughout the world. Health is now understood as a product of complex and dynamic relations generated by numerous determinants at different levels of governance. Governments need to take into account the impact of social, environmental and behavioural health determinants, including economic constraints, living conditions, demographic changes and unhealthy lifestyles in many of the World Health Organization (WHO) Member States. This understanding and increasing globalization means it is very timely to review the role of (global) public health in this changing societal and political environment.

### Globalization

The positive and negative impacts of globalization need to be better understood by public health professionals and more widely acknowledged by policy makers. Globalization is marked by increased interconnectedness and interdependence of peoples and countries, based on the opening of borders to increasingly fast flows of goods, services, finance, people and ideas across international borders and the changes in institutional and policy regimes at the international and national levels that facilitate or promote such flows. It is recognized that globalization has both positive and negative impacts on health development. Increasingly trade agreements provide frameworks for intergovernmental relationships; however, possible impacts on human health are not routinely assessed prior to signing.

### The proposal for a Global Charter for the Public's Health

In this context, the World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA) has developed the A Global Charter for the Public's Health (GCPH) as the main output of its collaboration plan with the WHO to adapt today's public health to its global context in the light of and in conjunction with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). GCPH brings together the best of all the existing models and provides a comprehensive, clear and flexible framework that can be applied globally and within individual countries, whether low, middle or high income.

The WFPHA has …


Smuggling is an enduringly romanticized crime. In the popular imagination it connotes guile, pluck, anxiety, and the breathlessness of narrow evasion. Battles between smugglers and officials, as portrayed in movies like Whisky Galore! (1949), form an archetype of modern film and literature. And yet, in keeping with the clandestine nature of the activity, the history of smuggling tends to be recounted via the yarn rather than the written record. On the other hand, the history of the prevention of smuggling is amply documented in official correspondence among police, politicians, customs officers, and others in the state bureaucracy. The challenge for the historian, then, is to reconcile the myth-busting sobriety of official sources with the popular spirit of folkloric romance found in oral accounts of smuggling. This essay examines cross-border smuggling in Ireland during the Second World War through analysis of archival sources and oral history. In doing so, it contributes to the colorful historiography of the black market during this conflict. In the tightly controlled war economies of the early 1940s, a range of actors sought to satisfy consumer demand through the illegal economy. Official histories written after the war downplayed the prevalence of such criminality in favor of


The term instructional design has been widely used to depict a discipline concerned with improving the process of instruction, but as different approaches and technologies emerged over time, different terms entered the field under the umbrella term learning design. In order to better understand the evolution of these terms and emerging themes, a triangulated bibliometric study was carried out to analyze 513 publications indexed in Scopus database using descriptive statistic data mining and social network analysis approaches.


This study investigates the effects of monetary changes on the U.S. economy. The emphasis is on establishing a causal flow from the money supply (nominal variable) to the two components of nominal output--the price level and real output (real variable). Test results indicate that the impact of monetary growth on nominal output operates through both price levels and real output changes. This impact is positive with respect to both of these variables.


Business image includes mind identity, behavior identity and visual identity. It plays an important role in package design of sight image. It has a direct link with consume colony of the society. It is the first feeling image. Art appreciation design pays attention to appearance identity, consume idea, appreciation interest and the idea of environmental protection.


The computing era started in early 2000 and is highly present now and most likely will be in the near future (Benlian, Hess, & Buhmann, 2010). Cloud computing grows at a very fast pace. Cloud based computing and cloud based e-commerce are among the hottest topics in the IT industry. They are also two of the most widely discussed topics among IT professionals. Cloud based e-commerce is a relatively new and fast growing field. Cloud computing is a way to increase the capacity or add capabilities dynamically without investing in new infrastructure, training new personnel, or licensing new software. It extends Information Technology's (IT) existing capabilities (Subashini & Kavitha, 2010). Cloud computing is a set of web-based applications that are stored on remote servers and accessed via the Internet using a standard Web browser. The word " cloud " is really used as metaphor for Internet. Typical cloud computing providers deliver common business applications online that are accessed from another Web service or software like a Web browser, while the software and data are stored on servers (LeClair, 2009). Consumers are able to access applications and data from a " cloud " anywhere in the world on demand. In other words, the cloud appears to be a single point of access for all the computing needs of consumers. The consumers are assured that the cloud infrastructure is very robust and will always be available at any time (Holtsnider & Jaffe, 2010). There are three broad categories of clouds: public, private and hybrid. Public clouds provide standardized services on provider's cloud and access by subscription. Amazon and GAE are two well-known providers of public clouds (Campesto & Nilson, 2010). Public clouds are good if one needs lots of scaling and generally is not concerned with security. Private clouds provide the same services as public the only difference is that you are behind a firewall (McDonald, 2010). Private clouds are good if one wants to own everything and scaling is needed. The downsides of a private cloud are that it is the least flexible, plus it has higher operating cost. Hybrid clouds are private clouds that also can access resources outside the firewall during period of high demand (Chandra Misra & Mondal, 2010). They maintain some data storage in-house plus rent bandwidth with a pay-as-you-go plan. Large companies may prefer hybrid clouds because they can lower their hardware cost, avoid a complexity …


Objective: To evaluate the application value of T-tube fistula in ureteral stenting insertion in patients with advanced cervical cancer under the condition of unclear ureter openings through cystoscopy. Methods: The ureter openings of 18 sides in 12 patients with advanced cervical cancer complicated with hydronephrosis could not be found by cystoscopy. The ureter openings were explored by T-tube fistula under the straight incision of back,perfusing methylene blue,wire search under X-ray and anterograde venography,ureteral stent was retrogradely implanted into ureter. Results: The ureteral stents were successfully implanted in 17 sides. T tube in 1 case with lower ureter atresia was placed for external drainage,which was replaced after 1 month. Conclusions: The effects of internal drainage in the patients with advanced cervical cancer complicated with unclear ureter openings through cystoscopy maybe good,external drainage is not preferred. T-tube fistula under the straight incision of back is less trauma and high success rate. Increasing the success rate of internal drainage can improve the life quality of the patient,which is worthy to spread.


The modified stage hypothesis (Galloway and Krashen 1980) is one of several explanations put forth in response to the contradictory results of a wave of recent studies exploring patterns of cerebral lateralization for the two languages of bilingual subjects. The modified stage hypothesis, roughly paraphrased, predicts that the degree of right hemisphere involvement in the early stages of L2 acquisition is proportional to the amount of natural acquisition versus learning (in Krashen's sense) that is taking place. Conversely, formal learning of the L2 is predicted to be more dependent upon left hemisphere functions. Thus learners (as opposed to acquirers) are likely to exhibit greater left lateralization in their L2 than individuals for whom that language is the L1. Acquirers, on the other hand, should be less lateralized in their L2 than native speakers of that language.

Findings in support of the modified stage hypothesis compel us to examine how learning and acquisition might differentially engage the two hemispheres in the acquisition process. This examination leads to the discovery of an apparent contradiction between conclusions drawn from the experimental findings in support of the modified stage hypothesis and Krashen's Monitor theory which underlies it.


—An all-in-one UHF RFID tag antenna using nonuniform meandered lines for retail garments in the textile industry is presented. The all-in-one antenna offers relatively low cost, wide band, compactness, and good conjugate matching in the presence of its robust housing with good dipole-like read range. Results show an antenna with a wide bandwidth of 900 MHz and a long read range of 10.2 m making the UHF RFID tag antenna using nonuniform meandered lines a potential candidate for retail garments in the textile industry. Simulations are corroborated by measurements and are in fair agreement.


The article is devoted to understanding the image of the Soviet editor in Russian art (using examples of fiction and cinema). The author examines the personal qualities that contributed to the entry of a person into the profession («editorial character») and provides a chronological observation of the «editorial evolution» – in publishing and film production-throughout the Soviet period and the first years of Russia in the 1990s. An important aspect that has been updated since the early 1920s is the active inclusion of women in editorial work. The characteristics of editors of different Soviet periods are analyzed using examples from the prose of M. Bulgakov, V. Shishkov, L. Rakhmanov, A. Tobolyak, V. Astafyev. Portraits of Soviet film editors are considered in the works of J. Gausner, N. Bogoslovsky, V. Makanin, D. Rubina and M. Kuraev. Representatives of the editorial profession are also represented in the films of A. Tarkovsky, V. Zheregy, K. Shakhnazarov and A. Benckendorf. There are two main types in the artistic depiction of editors and their activities: satirical (in a pointed form ridiculing personal and professional shortcomings) and dramatic (reflecting the complexity of editorial characters in their inseparability with the influence of society, historical era). In the final part of the article, the vectors of professional diffusions in the film-editing corps are outlined with the end of the Soviet era and the need to adapt to the new, post-Soviet realities.


This paper describs a fan-shaped metal loaded helix traveling wave tube working at Ka–band. It has the gain of 37.3-48.7dB, electronic efficiency of 15.18%-19.42% and output power is greater than 286W when it works at a voltage of 9KV and a current of 210mA. The simulation results of VSWR for its coaxial energy coupler are below 1.35, and the test results of it is below 2.1 at the working frequency range.


We describe a 32-year-old woman with oral congelation caused by accidental ice diving. The patient complained of tenderness in the oral cavity. Intraoral examination showed erosion, petechial bleeding, and defects of the oral and lower lip mucosa. The patient was unable to eat solids because of tenderness in the oral cavity. Other symptoms caused by diving were not found. The clinical diagnosis was oral congelation due to acute freezing and ischemia of the oral tissue. The patient was treated with steroid ointment and azunol gargarisma. Erosion disappeared in 7 days and hypoesthesia decreased 4 weeks later. The patient has been followed up for 19 months and continues to show improvement after the treatment.


This paper examines the potential benefits and costs of the imposition of a Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) in the European Union (EU), which commenced in 2007. The analysis begins with a review of the justification, formulation, design and implementation of the EU CPC; examines the available information on the impacts that the CPC is having on the freight trucking sector in Europe; and concludes with a discussion of policy and benefit-cost issues surrounding the EU CPC.


The abrasive article comprises a plurality of abrasive particles, wherein at least a portion of the rotational orientation of the abrasive grains to the z- axis is the center spacing of the abrasive particles along the axis is changed at random within a specified range, y- varies randomly.


Through coordinate changes and an initial control design, the inertia wheel pendulum is transformed into a feedforward-type system with higher order nonlinear terms, and then a controller is suggested to attenuate the higher order terms. Partial state variables in the controller admit moderate small saturation restriction and time delay. The global asymptotic stability of the closed-loop system is proven by showing that it has no finite escape time and converges to an asymptotically stable dynamics in finite time. Simulation results show that the proposed design is effective.


SUMMARY

A Lower Devonian algal reef complex, with a basinal algal turbidite facies, offers excellently preserved autochthonous and allochthonous algal textures and structures of the following types: algal calcilutite biolithites of dense, grumous, cellular, tubular, "pelletoid" and "granuloid" textures, algal calcilutite crusts and algal-bound detritus (e.g., stromatolites), algal pisolites, oolites and circumcrusts, algal pellets and grains (in contrast to faecal and bahamite types), colonial and stem fragments, algal filaments and cells, stromatactis and birdseyes. Encrusting Foraminifera and stromatoporoid colonies were of very subordinate importance in forming the turbulent-water reefs. Protected pools, crevices, and local lagoons offered a favourable niche for calm-water Codiaceae, crinoids, polyzoans, Amphipora and some molluscs. Corals occur rarely.

The wave-resistant calcilutite reefs as well as the high percentage of subsequently introduced fine "internal sediments" within the limestone-frameworks, indicate that grain-matrix-cement ratios do not necessarily reflect degree of turbulence and winnowing.

The algal reefs have no effective primary porosity. Channels and cavities, predominantly horizontally oriented, were filled with internal sediments and early-formed sparite cement.

Fibrous calcite cement is confined to limestones that seem to have formed in a littoral environment whereas granular sparite appears to be an intra-stratal product of a later stage.


A catadioptric lens system includes: a first lens group including a concave mirror and a convex mirror and having positive refractive power; a second lens group having positive refractive power; and a third lens group having negative refractive power, the first to third lens groups being provided, in order, on a light path of incident light and in a direction of travel of the incident light.


Leakage-based methods which are based on the harmonic mean signal-to-interference ratio (SIR) maximization deliver a good tradeoff between the sum rate and bit-error rate (BER). In this paper, we present the joint design of linear transmit and receive beamformers that maximize the weighted harmonic mean signal-to-interference-and-noise ratio (SINR) for the downlink of the multiuser MIMO channel. By exploiting the uplink-downlink SINR duality, the non-convex optimization problem is transformed into a series of simpler problems which can be solved by geometric programming. When the minimum mean square error (MMSE) receive beamformers are employed, it is shown that the harmonic mean SINR maximization becomes a close approximation to the sum MSE minimization problem in the high SINR region. The simulations show that the proposed scheme outperforms other leakage-based schemes in terms of harmonic mean SINR, sum MSE, BER and sum rate.


Housing value estimation relies on hedonic pricing models whereby price is determined by both internal characteristics (bedrooms, bathrooms, living area, etc.) as well as external characteristics (neighboring houses, ZIP code, etc.). While classical parametric models based on linear regression analysis have been well studied in this application, the theory of hedonic prices places no restrictions on the hedonic price functional form, and hence, more recent research has attempted to apply machine learning (ML) approaches such as K-Nearest Neighbors and Support Vector Machine Regression (SVR). Many of these ML methods are employed on the basis of their flexibility in terms of making less assumptions on the shape or distribution of the data. ML models are therefore used with the expectation of higher accuracy on predicting the final sale price of a house. In this study, we consider the combination of various pre-processing procedures and candidate models on a historical data set of house sales in King County, Washington. Different measures of accuracy are considered in interpreting model performance. The results suggest that while machine learning algorithms like SVR achieve top performance as measured by the adjusted R, classical parametric models can also achieve out-of-sample generalization nearing that of the more sophisticated ML models, with faster training times, no need for feature scaling and more easily interpreted parameters.


While long-range beam-beam interaction will not be the limiting effect in the first years after LHC start-up, it will definitely become one in the upgrade scenarios. Upgrade phase 1 will include an exchange of the triplet magnets allowing for a β∗ = 25 cm optics. Phase 2 is an even more ambitious upgrade that will include a modification of the detectors. Currently two phase-2 upgrade scenarios are proposed: the "Dipole Zero" (D0) and the "Large Piwinski Angle" (LPA) option. After some general notes and a brief description of the applied simulation model, the upgrade phase 1 issues and optics will be discussed with regard to beam-beam performance. The following two sections will deal with upgrade phase 2. GENERAL BBTrack [5], a weak-strong 6D tracking code, was used to track (linear transfer matrices between nonlinear elements, interaction points (IPs) 1 & 5 only) particle distributions (initial energy offset δp/p = 2.7× 10−4) for 300,000 turns in LHC at top energy (7 TeV) and determine the particle stability with help of the Lyapunov exponent. The dynamical aperture (DA) is defined as the amplitude at which 40% of the particles in a radial range of width δr = 0.2σ are chaotic. For comparison, the main beam-beam parameters of the nominal LHC are: 15 LR collisions at each side of the IP (β∗ = 0.55) with a full crossing angle θ = 284μrad (average separation d ≈ 9.5σ) at 1.15 p/bunch. This crossing angle was chosen to obtain an acceptatble long-range beam-beam effect [4]. Namely with this crossing angle a dynamic aperture (DA) of 5.4σ is expected that could be improved to DA = 7.2σ by a wire compensation [6]. LHC UPGRADE PHASE 1 By 2013 the whole triplet will need to be exchanged and a new interaction region (IR) scheme with β∗ = 25 cm will be implemented in order to boost the luminosity. In the following, 3 different optics "low β max", "modular" and "compact" as proposed by R. de Maria et al in [7] are briefly discussed. A forth option, similar to the low β max one, called "symmetric" was proposed by J.P Koutchouk, E Todesco et al in [2]. In order to keep an average beam-beam separation of d ≈ 9.5σ the crossing angle in all three options is increased with respect to the nominal LHC (from θ = 284μrad to 450μrad). Given the same magnet technology, the stronger focussing requires a longer triplet and hence it introduces more long-range beam-beam encounters (LRBBIs). The number of long range beam beam encounters (LRBBIs) and other important parameters are summarized in Table 1 and Fig. 1. In order to cope with these additional LRBB encounters and potentially also with a higher beam current or simply to improve the nominal beam-beam performance a wire compensator (BBLR) is foreseen. A wire compensation does not interfere with the IR design as it only requires a) that the wire be placed at a position with equal β-function in both transverse planes, b) a reasonably large β to allow accommodating a wire compensator with a practical wire diameter and c) a small phase advance between the wire and the LRBBIs. Suitable positions can be found in all scenarios. Simulations showed that the simple criterion variable nominal low β Compact modular max β∗ [m] 0.55 0.25 0.25 0.25 #LRBBIs 16 19 22 23 wire @ [m] 104 136 170 160 βwire [m] 1780 3299 2272 3000 σdsep 1.6 3.6 2.2 X Table 1: Comparison of three proposed phase 1 upgrade optics with respect to their long-range beam-beam (LRBB) performance. 1324


The scaled boundary finite element method is extended to solve problems of structural dynamics. The dynamic stiffness matrix of a bounded (finite) domain is obtained as a continued fraction solution for the scaled boundary finite element equation. The inertial effect at high frequencies is modeled by high‐order terms of the continued fraction without introducing an internal mesh. By using this solution and introducing auxiliary variables, the equation of motion of the bounded domain is expressed in high‐order static stiffness and mass matrices. Standard procedures in structural dynamics can be applied to perform modal analyses and transient response analyses directly in the time domain. Numerical examples for modal and direct time‐domain analyses are presented. Rapid convergence is observed as the order of continued fraction increases. A guideline for selecting the order of continued fraction is proposed and validated. High computational efficiency is demonstrated for problems with stress singularity. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Localization and Navigation in an indoor environment are one of the basic problems in the area of robotics. Most of the recent SLAM or SfM based mapping systems use low level features (generally SIFT or SURF features) to infer the 3D structure of the environment and estimates it's location with respect to the inferred 3D structure. The size of the map becomes large with the increase in the size of the environment. Such heavy maps cannot be loaded into robots having a low memory constraint and therefore estimating a memory efficient map representation is interesting in these scenarios. In this paper we explore some techniques to estimate a minimal representation of a map to navigate and localize through an indoor environment without much loss of accuracy. There are two methods to navigate from one place to another, behavior/affordance based navigation (Figure 1) and map based navigation (Figure 2). In the case of behavior/affordance based navigation, we do not create a map of the environment and do not do localization and path planning. It is based on the belief that there exist a particular behavior based solution to a particular navigation problem. For example, to navigate from room A to room B one can design a left wall follower and a room B detector [25]. The decision in this case is made on the all possible actions available in the local environment and then that action is performed. Another way to navigate is through map based navigation. Localization is a necessary building block for navigating a robot from one room to another using map based navigation. Through localization a robot can identify its current position, plan its path through the map and detect if is has reached the goal. However map based navigation requires continuous localization of a robot to identify its location with respect to the map. We believe that a proper balance between the map based navigation and behavior based navigation can lead to a minimal representation of a map by filling the gaps using local behavior based navigation. A better behavior based navigation requires a higher spatial understanding of the environment. For example, if a robot can understand the local structure of the room and recognize the gates and corridors then each node in the map can represent a particular location and the robot can navigate through the map using the local behavior based navigation by recognizing gates and corridors to reach the destination. Using topological map to represent the map can be particularly useful where each node represents an entity (bag of features, 3D structure etc.) used to localize a robot in the global map and edge connect one node to another which is navigated using behavior based navigation. Below we discuss the requirements of behavior/affordance based and map based navigation techniques. Holistic spatial understanding of the environment is a pre-requisite for behavior based navigation tasks. Including semantic spatial knowledge can greatly enhance the performance of robots by providing a more meaningful representation for performing complex tasks. Semantic representation of the environment leads to the formation of spatial primitives each having specific properties and which excites the desired set of behaviors from the robot. Analogously if the robot can understand higher spatial primitive then the map can be built using these spatial primitives itself. This results in memory efficient techniques for building a map where we represent landmarks using higher level spatial primitives instead of lower level features. In this paper, we explore contemporary works in the relevant area of high level scene understanding for behavior based navigation and the map representations which can encode these features. We also propose a technique to create a minimal representation for a map to localize and navigate through an indoor environment.


Seydisuyu Basin, which is located in the Eskisehir province of Turkey, contains very important agricultural lands. In this paper, the total organochlorine pesticide levels in groundwater of Seydisuyu Basin were investigated by determining Alfa HCH, HCB, Beta HCH, Gama HCH, Aldrin, Cis Heptaclorepoxide, Trans chlordane, Cis chlordane, Dieldrin, 44DDE, Endrin, 44DDD, 44 DDT, Metoxyclor and pesticides with Endosulfan in water samples. Groundwater samples were collected seasonally (2011 - 2012) from 29 wells from the Seydisuyu Basin. According to data observed, although groundwater of the Basin has I. - II. Class water quality in terms of total pesticide concentrations in general, organochlorine pesticide accumulations of some wells were higher than the drinking water limits specified by Turkish Standards Institute (TS266).