With the introduction of the Service Oriented Architecture(SOA),the integration and development speed of software systems will become quicker and quicker.But the security mechanism of software systems has to be rebuilt when they are developed.Moreover,security mechanism becomes more complex when the number of software systems increases rapidly.A Business Process Execution Language(BPEL)-based method for general security control module design was proposed,which reduced the development and management work.The operation mechanism of right module was exemplified by the account integration of Enterprise Resource Planning(ERP) in manufacturing with e-business system.


Abstract In this paper, first order linear homogeneous difference equation is evaluated in fuzzy environment. Difference equations become more notable when it is studied in conjunction with fuzzy theory. Hence, here amelioration of these equations is demonstrated by three different tactics of incorporating fuzzy numbers.Subsequently, the existence and stability analysis of the attained solutions of fuzzy difference equations (FDEs) are then discussed under different cases of impreciseness. In addition, considering triangular and generalized triangular fuzzy numbers, numerical experiments are illustrated and efficient solutions are depicted, graphically and in tabular form.


chapter is well organized and based on primary documents. There is an analysis of expected gendered behavior in each chapter explained clearly so those not familiar with gender can understand the concepts. The bibliography is divided into sections for each state making it user-friendly. The book is suitable for all adult readers and could be used in classes on women's and gender history, the Old South, and Texas history.


Ballast was carried and distributed from the rock mountain to construction site on the basis of the volume on the loose state, and it is needed that some extra amount of ballast added to the design amount of ballast because the volume of ballast densely compacted by tamping machine should be reduced. The standard of the grading, hardness and wear of ballast for high speed railway is strengthened compared with those of the conventional railway differently. But it has not been measured the additional rate for ballast required in the new built line quantitatively and normally designed with reference to cases of the conventional railway. In addition, ballast for the conventional railway has been reflected the historical experiences and so on uniformly. Therefore, this study constructed the test track to calculate quantitatively the correct amount of decreased ballast for high speed railway construction due to the compaction of ballast, analyse the test result, and then suggest the appropriate additional rate of ballast.


The thesis introduces the scientific concept of highway-ecosystems, the highway -ecosystem is define as an open, dynamic, nonlinear, and complicated huge system with dissipative structures and far from equilibrium states, moreover it is a complex system of highway and ecosystem, gathering substantial cycle and ecological evolution as well as their common natural and artificial environments together. The highway ecosystem sustainable development valuation may provide the science, accurate basis and suggestion for the road ecosystem further control, and conforms to the needs of sustainable development and the building the harmonious society. Aiming at the highway eco-systems of the present sustainable development, the concept of highway-ecosystems is introduced, on the basis of detailed analyze of the concepts of multidimensional space of sustainable development system, a new multi-objective comprehensive evaluation method for sustainable development is presented and a calculation formula for multi-objective comprehensive level of sustainable development. This method was used to evaluate sustainable development of Lin-Chang Expressway. This method possessed definite theoretical value and reliability in practice.


Many work zone hazards can be reduced through improved maintenance of the specialized hardware used in work zones. In 1995, a training course entitled Work Zone Safety Inspection was developed for the Federal Highway Administration. The one-day course focuses on the critical elements of work-zone safety devices and hardware inspection and is most valuable to inspectors, project engineers, and technicians. The course is designed to improve the understanding of important features and functional requirements of typical traffic control devices and safety appurtenances used in work zones; improve ability to identify appropriate documents that address the layouts, operation, maintenance, and repair of devices; improve skills of inspection of traffic control devices and safety features and identify discrepancies and deficiencies; and teach how to establish records related to inspections and action taken to resolve and correct deficiencies.


Since the industrial revolution, burning of fossil increased. Production of CO2
 and NOx increased greatly. Increased CO2
 and
NOx promoted the CO2
 assimilation. Production of grain and fish increased. About 360 billion tone CO2
 is produced by burning
of much fossil. About 14.4 billion tone NOx is produced in 2015. Most of emitted CO2
 is fixed by CO2
 assimilation. Developed
country like USA, Japan, Germany, UK, France and Italy started NOx elimination and NP elimination at around 1980, 6 billion
tone NOx is eliminated. NOx is main nitrogen fertilizer. NP in waste water is main nitrogen, phosphorous fertilizer. Therefore
CO2
 assimilation, CO2
 fix plant growth is retarded and emitted 360 billion tone CO2
 is not fixed completely. Concentration of CO2
increased about 2 ppm. In 2016, 142 billion tone CO2
 is remaining to give global warming. We must promote CO2
 assimilation
by complete use of NOx and NP in waste water.
Fossil fuel is burning out soon. We should not spend precious fossil fuel for the elimination of NOx and NP. We must increase
CO2
 assimilation as much as possible.


The possibility of applying new methodological approaches for dealing with the history of Slavic committees and societies in Russia, mainly Moscow (1858-1878) and St. Petersburg (1868-1921) is considered in the article. It also analyzes the course and consequences of the interaction of the participants of the foreign Slavic organizations, especially the church, and teaching, taking into account the goals and objectives considered by Societies, as well as the expectations and the results of the interaction of certain Slavs foreign leaders. This article also aims to introduce a broad scientific use little-known document on the history of society, the author found in the local archives in the preparation of the dissertation on The Slavic Benevolent Society in Moscow and St. Petersburg. The article also reflects the basic theoretical concepts of this thesis.


Ensuring robustness in object recognition/pose estimation under a wide variation of environmental parameters, such as illumination, scale, perspective as well as occlusion, is still of a challenge in computer vision. One way to meet this challenge is by using multiple features/evidences that offer their own strengths against particular environmental variations. To this end, methods of how to choose an optimal combination of features/evidences and of how to design an optimal classifier/decision-maker with the assignment of proper weights to the chosen individual features/evidences, for a given environmental parameter reading, are to be addressed. This paper presents a framework of adaptive Bayesian recognition that puts its particular emphasis on addressing the two methods described above while integrating multiple evidences. The novelty of the proposed method lies in 1) an AND/OR graph representation of evidence structure for individual object, representing explicitly a set of combined evidences sufficient for decision, 2) An automatic update of the Bayesian network tables of conditional probabilities based on the current environmental parameters measured, and 3) the incorporation of occlusions into the computation of Bayesian posterior probabilities for decision. The experimental results show that the proposed method is capable of dealing with adverse situations for which conventional methods fail to provide recognition.


The purpose of this study is to understand the flow pattterns around prismatic structure with wind direction changes. Wind flows around a model of prismatic shape are investigated experimentally in the wind tunnel and simulated by using finite volume method. Velocity vectors and pressure coefficients are obtained by the experiment and calculated by numerical method of 3-D flows. The effects of wind direction on the pressure coefficients are discussed extensively. The numerical results are compared with those of experiments.


A novel technique for generating high current electron bunches in electron beam driven plasma wakefield accelerators (PWFAs) is suggested based on co-propagation of an electron beam and a laser pulse. It is observed that propagation of a laser pulse in front of an electron beam driver leads to bubble expansion and consequently electron injection into a PWFA. The acceleration structure is extensively studied in this scheme and the bubble evolution process is discussed. The difference in propagation velocity of the laser pulse and the beam driver in the plasma and variation of electron beam driver density in presence of the laser pulse cause the bubble radius grows. Using a laser pulse in a PWFA leads to the generation of an ultra short (10 fs) electron bunch with charge three times larger than the electron beam driver total charge. It is shown by altering the initial electron beam driver density and the laser pulse intensity, the external control of the amount of loaded charge is possible. The number of self-injected electrons is enhanced by increasing the laser pulse intensity and the density of the electron beam driver. The results represent that the accelerator operates in a highly loaded regime. Therefore, by raising the density of the electron beam driver and the laser pulse intensity, the final energy spread of the generated electron bunch increases. An interpretive approach to find the appropriate parameters for the laser pulse and the electron beam is proposed in this scheme.


Cognitive impairment is recognized as an important non-motor symptom of Parkinson ś disease (PD) and it can be particularly characterized by disruption of executive functions, memory, visuospatial functions and attention. Cognitive decline may already occur in early stages of the PD and it can progress from mild cognitive impairment in PD up to dementia in PD. Cognitive rehabilitation (CR) represents one of non-pharmacological approaches to remediation of cognitive impairment in PD patients. At present, we have individual and group non-computerized and computerized approaches to CR. Currently, CR is not an evidence-based approach in PD patients, because of a limited number of studies. The report compares the research of effi ciency of non-computerized CR in comparison with effi ciency of computerized CR and combined approach. For this purpose, we searched for the research published between 2004 -2018. The aims of the report are to analyze current research of CR in PD patients and to compare the effi ciency and benefi ts of computerized, non-computerized CR and combined approach for PD patients. The purpose of the report is to point out the new approaches and innovations in the fi eld of CR in patients with neurodegenerative disorders. Redakční rada potvrzuje, že rukopis práce splnil ICMJE kritéria pro publikace zasílané do bio medicínských časopisů. The Editorial Board declares that the manuscript met the ICMJE "uniform requirements" for


This study was conducted to identify the genetic polymorphisms of one wild
grass sample species and assess the phylogenetic distribution these isolates occupy based on their internal transcribed (ITS) ribosomal sequences. This study amplified one genetic locus covering a portion of the ITS rRNA sequences. A direct
sequencing strategy was performed for the observed PCR amplicons in the amplified genetic locus. Subsequently, a comprehensive phylogenetic tree was constructed in the observed variants for these sequences to reveal the accurate phylogenetic distances alongside other relative sequences. Our results indicated the
identity of the investigated wild grass samples (assigned S1 and S2). Sequencing
reactions indicated that our investigated samples belonged to Echinochloa crusgalli var. crus-galli (panicum grass), a common wild grass dominated in tropical
Asia. Two ribosomal variations were identified in the investigated wild grass
samples, 61C>T, observed in the S2 sample and 408C>A, observed in both the
S1 and S2 samples. According to the identified results, the investigated samples
were positioned within one distinct phylogenetic clade of these identified wild
grass sequences in the currently generated comprehensive tree. These positionings were observed within the main clade of Echinochloa crus-galli. Based on
the identified ribosomal sequences, it was found that the currently investigated
samples may exhibit variable extents of diversities originating from several Asian
and South American ancestors. Also, the currently constructed tree revealed that
the investigated wild grass sequences belonged to one distinct clade of Echinochloa crus-galli, having many sequences of close phylogenetic connections.
This clade occupied far away phylogenetic positions from the other comparable
grasses within the same tree.
Keywords: rRNA amplicons, Echinochloa crus-galli, Rice


GaN thin films were deposited on a porous silicon substrate (PS) by pulsed laser deposition method in the nitrogen atmosphere for using as ammonia gas sensor. Surface topography distinguished by atomic force microscopy (AFM) where the film appears homogeneous and the grain distribution forms are almost convergent (Roughness Average (nm)= 6.758, Surface Area Increase(nm)= 5.423, Average Grain Size (nm)= 16.49). A high density of the GaN nanostructure with shapes like-nano cauliflowers as shown in the field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). XRD measurement showed that GaN have a hexagonal structure. photoluminescence (PL) was performed at wavelengths (413.5 nm) and the emission spectrum was obtained by calculating the energy gap at these wavelengths. Knowing the intensity from the Raman spectrometer calculation. The gas sensitivity for NH3 gas were measured for fabricated gas sensor device as a function of concentration. Keyword: GaN thin films, Pulsed laser deposition, ammonia gas sensor, Photoluminescence


[Objective] The research aimed to analyze the genetic diversity of Gushi goose using microsatellite DNA markers.[Method] Relationships between 11 microsatellite loci in Gushi goose were analyzed by least squares linear model.Genetic variation of 11 microsatellites loci in Gushi goose was analyzed with denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.Allele frequency,heterozygosity,polymorphic information content and the numbers of effective alleles of 11 microsatellite loci were calculated.[Result] The results indicated that 8 microsatellite markers were polymorphic with 4.25 on average.The average heterozygosity was 0.597,the average polymorphic information content was 0.635 and the average of effective alleles was 3.344 7.[Conclusion] The study can provide the reference for conservation and breeding.


This research work evaluated the process of obtaining Cucurbita Ficifolia (sambo) oil for edible use using two methods of extraction, given that the appropriate method for the extraction of oil by pressing and solvent set, setting the optimum conditioning which the raw material is seed bark and bark in which the temperature suitable for heating the seed is also stipulated in the investigation using two temperatures (90 and 100 ° C).
312.5 g sambo seeds for each sample were used, whereas 8 treatments over 1 repeat for a total of 16 samples.
To determine variability in the levels studied physicochemical analysis was performed: acidity, humidity, saponification, refractive index and melting point were performed in the laboratory of Food Science belonging to the State Technical University Quevedo based on INEN Standards analysis.
After obtaining the results of the 5 analysis which was subjected Seed Oil Sambo is established by means of statistical package STATGRAPHICS that existed differences between Factor A (Feedstock), Factor B (temperature heating) and Factor C (Extraction Method). To continue with the respective conclusions and recommendations concerning the objectives and hypotheses raised willing.


Robust power delivery and distribution are considered one of the major challenges in electronic devices today. As a technology develops (i.e. frequency and complexity, increase and size decreases), both power density and power supply noise increase, and voltage supply margin decreases. In addition, thermal problem is induced due to high power and poor power distribution. Until now most of studies to improve power delivery and distribution have been focused on device circuit or system architecture designs. Interconnect process technologies to resolve power delivery issues have not greatly been explored so far, but recently it becomes of great interest as power increases and voltage specification decreases in a smaller chip size.


Authors' Note: We thank Lorenzo Bini-Smaghi, Olivier Blanchard, José de Gregorio, Anna Gelpern, Gabriele Giudice, Patrick Honohan, Philip Lane, Sam Langfield, José Leandro, Michala Marcussen, Ángel Ubide, Nicolas Véron, and Steve Weisman for helpful comments and suggestions on an earlier draft. This Policy Brief draws on two studies published as PIIE Working Paper 18-3 and CEPR Policy Insight 93, respectively (Leandro and Zettelmeyer 2018 a, b).


Using the method of material flow analysis, we have calculated Direct Material Input(DMI), Domestic Processed Output(DPO), and their efficiency and indensity respectively in Yangling, Shaanxi from 2002~2007. Based on the study, dematerialization analysis has been done in this essay, The results indicate: (1) DMI and DPO both have a rising trend; (2) the effiiciency of DMI and DPO have increased, especially in 2004, while the indensity of DMI and DPO have rised; (3) under the effect of demeterialization rebond, the environment pressure has increased with economic development, which is contrary to sustainable development.


The process of image segmentation scheme for marine images is used in area of marine applications in order to detect and identify any ships or boats when it is missed and is identified via satellite image are when the images are taken from a high distance. A system for the automatic identification and segmentation of an object over the water area is done by using K-Means clustering based segmentation algorithm is proposed in this paper. By using this algorithm a ship can be segmented and identified that object seen over the sea or ocean. When it is identified the ship is alone can be segmented from that image and is shown here. Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR) values are evaluated for obtaining the performance measures of our system.


Permutation polynomials have important applications in cryptography, coding theory, combinatorial designs, and other areas of mathematics and engineering. Finding new classes of permutation polynomials is therefore an interesting subject of study. Permutation trinomials attract people's interest due to their simple algebraic forms and additional extraordinary properties. In this paper, based on a seventh-degree and a fifth-degree Dickson polynomial over the finite field [Formula: see text], two conjectures on permutation trinomials over [Formula: see text] presented recently by Li–Qu–Li–Fu are partially settled, where [Formula: see text] is a positive integer.


The diplomatic system of Canton designed by Qing Court experienced the two Opium Wars, and the diplomatic center of Qing dynasty was transferred from southern China to the north,that is Canton, Nanking and then Peking where the Foreign Office was founded. The completing of Qing 's diplomatic organization symbolized the first founding of diplomatic system of modern China and the changes of diplomatic organization from the local authorities to the central government.


Abstract : This POP report is for the Charge Assembly, Demolition, M37 or M183 which is packaged 2 charges/Mil-B-2427 wood box. This report describes the results of testing conducted.


This research is supposed to develop generic science skill-based student worksheets on chemistry learning materials acid and based. The method used in this research is the following ADDIE models (Analysis, Design, Develop, Implementation, and Evaluation). In the implementation step, the worksheet was used on 11th grade of South Tangerang Banten, Indonesia, general high school which was followed by 29 students. The instrument used is a questionnaire to measure the feasibility of the worksheet by experts (lecturer and teacher), and also student questionnaire response sheets. The findings of this research can conclude that the feasibility in terms of design component, appearance, content, language, and worksheet's appropriate with generic science skills. And the student responses, respectively for 84.13%; 92.26%; 92.41%; 95.95%; and 86.9%. This result shows that generic science skill-based worksheets can be used for the learning process. But still need to develop for bigger responders.


Boutique is one of the media forfashion lovers to keep on fashion trends. Before decide to buy, they usually try, compare, and search forproducts information, either from magazine, seller, or other consumers, hence, it is quite a time consuming and most of the customers do not have time to go to boutique. System development allow customers to try the products virtually with the use of virtual simulation and products recommendation systemusing slope one scheme algorithm.


Interest in highly conducting organic solids has concentrated on the chargetransfer salts of the strong organic acceptor TCNQ (tetracyano-p-quinodiWith use of a wide variety of inorganic and organic donors, approximately 400 salts have been made that have segregated stacks, but only a very small number have room-temperature conductivities greater than 50 s2'cm-'. In fact, this large class of materials shows a wide range of magnetic and structural, as well as electrical, properties. For example, the room-temperature conductivities range from to 10f3Q-icm-i . At lower temperatures, some T C N Q salts have activation energies larger than 0.35 eV, in contrast to HMTSFTCNQ,9*'o which is still highly conducting below 1°K. The magnetic susceptibility in some cases is activated, sometimes roughly constant; in some materials it rises sharply at low temperatures, and sometimes exhibits unusual magnetic field dependence. The stoichiometry of donor t o TCNQ is 1: 1 i n the simple salts, but is often found as 2:3, 1.2, or even 1:4 in complex salts. The TCNQ molecules in the acceptor stacks are sometimes uniformly spaced, but more often are grouped into units of two, three, or four at room temperature. In some of the salts with uniform stacks at 300"K, a phase transition is observed at lower temperature, a t which the stacks become distorted. Similarly, there are a large number of effects and interactions which are believed to have an important influence on these properties: U, (the Coulomb repulsion energy between two electrons on the same molecule), V , (the Coulomb repulsion between electrons on neighboring molecules), 4t (the bandwidth arising from the strong n-molecular overlap between molecules along the stack), J (the exchange interaction between neighboring spins), p (the number of unpaired electrons per TCNQ), the stoichiometry (whether simple or complex), the polarizability and size of the cations, the interaction between stacks (both overlap and Coulomb), whether the cations are symmetric or asymmetric (and the disorder that may result from random orientation of the donors in the crystals), steric interactions between stacks, impurities, the temperature dependence of the mobility, effects of stacking faults, whether the stacks are uniform or distorted, the coupling of electrons to intermolecular and intramolecular vibrations, as well as


This paper reviews the body of literature on recreation resource impacts and their management in the United States, with a primary focus on research within designated wildernesses during the past 15 years since the previous review (Cole 1987b). Recreation impacts have become a salient issue among wilderness scientists, managers and advocates alike. Studies of recreation impacts, referred to as recreation ecology, have expanded and diversified. Research has shifted its focus more towards questions driven by wilderness and park planning frameworks such the Limits of Acceptable Change and the Visitor Experience and Resource Protection. This paper begins by providing an overview of recreation impacts and their significance in wilderness, followed by a review of research approaches and methods. Major findings from recent studies are summarized. The contribution of this knowledge base to management decisionmaking and practices is examined. The paper concludes with a discussion of major knowledge gaps and suggested areas for future research. The passage of the Wilderness Act in 1964 and the creation of the National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS) marked a milestone in nature conservation in the United States. The system has expanded from 54 units and 9 million acres at its inception to 624 wilderness areas and 104 million acres by 1998 (Landres and Meyer 1998). The Wilderness Act recognizes the value of wilderness recreation and specifies that unconfined and undeveloped recreational opportunities are to be provided in wilderness areas as a legitimate type of use. Results from recent recreation trends studies show that wilderness visitation has experienced impressive growth during the past three decades (Cole 1996). Hiking, overnight camping, wildlife viewing, horseback riding and nature study remain popular activities, and participation in more specialized activities, such as caving and rock climbing, is increasing. In-depth discussion of wilderness recreational use and user trends is provided in another state-of-knowledge review (Watson, this volume). Continued growth in recreational use in wilderness has tremendous environmental, economic and social implications. This paper focuses on the environmental challenges wilderness managers face in addressing a large and expanding number of recreationists and their associated impacts. Sustaining current use and accommodating future growth in wilderness visitation while achieving an appropriate balance with resource protection presents a considerable challenge. Scope and Definitions ___________ Several definitions and limitations are provided here to clarify this discussion. The term impact is used to denote any undesirable visitor-related biophysical change of the wilderness resource. Social impacts are excluded from this review. The scope of this paper is generally limited to studies conducted in wildernesses designated by Congress. However, research studies from similar backcountry areas outside the NWPS are occasionally included for comparison. Active research in recreation impacts exists in other countries such as Australia, Britain, Canada and New Zealand, but this body of international literature deserves a separate review. Finally, this paper limits its scope to recreation impacts generated from within wilderness boundaries, although recreational use and development outside wilderness boundaries can pose an external threat to the integrity of wilderness resources (Cole and Landres 1996). The Field of Recreation Ecology ___ Negative impacts on wilderness are an inevitable consequence of recreation. Even the most thoughtful visitors would leave footprints and unintentionally disturb wildlife. As recreation is a legitimate use in wilderness areas, the issue for managers is at what level do resource impacts become unacceptable based on wilderness management goals and mandates. Recreation activities can cause impact to all resource elements in a wilderness ecosystem. Soil, vegetation, wildlife and water are four primary components that are affected (Table 1). Because various ecological components are interrelated, recreation impact on a single ecological element can eventually result in effects on multiple components (Hammitt and Cole 1998). The scientific study of recreation impacts, also referred to as recreation ecology, is a research response to the knowledge gaps and information needs about evergrowing visitor impacts in wilderness as well as other protected areas. Recreation ecology can be defined as the field of study that examines, assesses and monitors visitor impacts, typically to protected natural areas, and their relationships to influential factors (Hammitt and Cole 1998; Liddle 1997; Marion 1998). Such knowledge can help managers identify and evaluate resource impacts, facilitating understanding of causes and


Background: Cancer was one of the biggest global challenges in public health before COVID-19 pandemic and even higher challenge in low- and middle-developed countries. Confronting both conditions reveal inequalities. We determined lethality and factors associated with mortality in cancer patients who developed severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) due to COVID-19 in a northeast region of Brazil.Methods: Cross-sectional study developed from secondary data of a Brazilian state. We selected cases of cancer patients aged 20 years or older, who developed SARS due to COVID-19 (confirmed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) and were notified between March 07, 2020, and May 08, 2021. Logistic regression analyzed the effects of different variables on lethality.Findings: We identified 756 cancer patients aged 66·3±15·3 years (51·9% males). Global lethality was 75·8% and progressively increased with age. Tumor type was not described in 25·5% (193) of patients, 3·2% had history of cancer, 11·6% had hematologic cancer, and 59·7% had solid tumors. However, different types or topography of tumors did not influence mortality risk. Adjusted multivariate analyses showed age (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1·02;95%CI 1.01-1·03;p < 0·001) and previous chronic pulmonary disease (aOR 2·02;95%CI 0·96-4·28;p = 0·064) as risk factors for mortality, and overweight (aOR 0·50;95%CI 0·23-1·10;p = 0·087) and cough (aOR 0·57;95% I 0·40-0·83;p = 0·003) as protective factors.Interpretation: Cancer patients who developed SARS due to COVID-19 presented a highly disproportional mortality risk. Death was high in the study population, age increased by 2% the chance of death for each year of life, and lethality was higher in patients older than 80 years. Coordinated proactive strategies are needed to reduce the probability of infection and increase safety and early detection in cancer patients.Funding: This work was supported by grants from the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2018YFC1004701, LD), the National Nature Science Foundation of China (82001629 for XS;81871128, 81571391 and 81401166 for LD;82030040 for HS), the Jiangsu Province Social Development Project (BE2018602, HS), Jiangsu Provincial Medical Youth Talent (QNRC2016006, LD), the Youth Program of Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (BK20200116, XS) and Jiangsu Province Postdoctoral Research Funding (2021K277B, XS).Declaration of Interest: The authors have declared that no conflicts of interest exist.Ethical Approval: The human studies were approved by the Ethics Review Board of the Center for Reproductive Medicine, Shandong University (IRB No. 2021-45), and all samples were donated voluntarily for scientific research after informed consent was obtained.


Environmental virtue ethics is a popular topic in Western environmental ethics. It has been booming since its birth inthe 1980s. EVE focuses on human virtue or character, practical wisdom and social flourishing, and discusses environmental problemsfrom the perspective of virtue ethics. Tracing back to its rise, development, and theoretical justification will be of great significanceto the study of environmental ethics in China. The present paper also analyzes several problems in environmental virtue ethics, andpoints out the likely orientation of it for future study.


This is the final report from Defra project OF0146
Two different systems of organic milk production were studied during the 1998-2002 period. The systems were established at the IGER Ty Gwyn organic dairy farm during the 1998/99 period. The systems were based either on achieving self-sufficiency in both home-grown forage and concentrate feeds or on the production of home-grown forage and the purchase of concentrate feeds. The data collected included recording the changes in the soil indices, level of crop production, crop quality, level of milk production, milk quality, animal health and herd reproductive performance of the two systems.
The main attached report starts with a detailed executive summary.
In the modelling work fifty-four different strategies for organic dairy production were evaluated. Performance data from three commercial organic dairy farms with different climatic conditions (Devon, Pembrokeshire and Shropshire) and cropping strategies (arable with all home-grown feed, home-grown forage only, home-grown forage + purchased concentrates) and also data from the two Ty Gwyn systems was inputted into three models (SAC Dairy Systems, SAC FeedByte, IRS OrgPlan) to evaluate the potential performance from different organic systems. The results produced a range of different options and rankings in relation to their potential financial performance and use of resources. The results from the data modelling predicted the best financial performance and utilisation of resources would be achieved by the establishment of an arable system on the Pembrokeshire farm. The lowest financial performance was predicted to be from the establishment of purchased concentrate systems on the Shropshire and Pembrokeshire farms, with the poorest utilisation of resource use indicators from both the establishment of a forage-only system on the Shropshire farm and purchased feed systems on both the Shropshire and Pembrokeshire farms. In relation to financial indicators the modelling work showed little difference between the two Ty Gwyn systems.
The financial performance of Ty Gwyn was compared with ten commercial organic dairy farms, monitored during the 1998-2002 period. Of the ten commercial farms, four had been organic for a number of years, three were recently converted and three were in conversion. The net farm income of the Ty Gwyn SS system increased from 1998/99 to 1999/00 to a peak of £25,453 but then declined sharply following a fall in the price paid for organic milk to a loss of -£14,269 in 2001/02. In the Ty Gwyn PC system the net farm income increased to £24,122 in 2000/01 but then fell sharply to a loss of -£4,825 in 2001/02. The peak net farm incomes on the commercial farms were recorded in the 1999/00 period, with either a small loss (<-£50/ha) recorded on the well established farms or a small profit (<£50/ha) on the recently converted farms in 2001/02.


"Bored piles + water-stopping curtain" retaining system is applied in the construction of the ventilation shaft on Island A in Jinji Lake.The design of the retaining system applied in the super-deep foundation pit in soft soil under complex environment conditions,as well as the application conditions and water-stopping effect of the jet grouting piles and mixing piles are analyzed.The safety and reliability of the retaining structure of the foundation pit and the reinforcement of the end of the shield launching/arriving shaft are guaranteed.In the end,the shield passes the ventilation shaft successfully.


For more truthfulness to reflect the ecological capacity of middle and small spatial scale. The paper determine the meaning and measurement of equivalence factor and yield factor,to more accurate calculate ecological capacity based on the related data in 2010 in Fujian province. The calculation results showed that "sub- national hectare" framework could more objectively reflect the actual situation of Fujian. The results of ecological capacity showed that crop land average productivity was the strongest land in Fujian,the productivity of crop land of nine districts are close to the average productivity of Fujian. The sum of s- hm2 area are greater than its actual? area in 2010 in Fujian. and there is a large difference in ecological capacity of lands of the nine districts.


This study was conducted to determine if the introduced woody plant Beach Vitex, Vitex rotundifolia (Verbenaceae), (BV), has the potential to displace native beach dune species from front dunes. Nine BV communities on front dunes and control dunes without BV in Georgetown County South Carolina were inventoried. BV accounted for 84% of the stems in BV communities; sea oats, Uniola paniculata (Poaceae), and beach grass, Ammophila breviligulata (Poaceae), contributed 2.8% of the stems. Seaward BV runners grew an average of 188 cm in 2004 and the average 2004 seed crop was estimated to be 10,921 seed / m 2 . In greenhouse experiments, sweet corn, Zea mays (Poaceae), seed germination and seedling growth were reduced by watering with leachate of a nursery pot containing BV compared to watering with leachate from a pot containing potting media only. BV appears to have the potential to be an aggressive invader and deserves monitoring.


Development of products in the competitive industries uses modeling, simulation, product data management, and Internet portal based systems for lifecycle management of product information. Engineering has been elevated to a high level. However, new problems have been emerged in practical application of this virtual technology. The product model basically consists of definitions for engineering objects and their relationships. As a new problem, high number of unorganized relationships makes handling of changes in large product models difficult or even impossible. The authors analyzed this problem and proposed a method as a contribution to one of the possible solutions for that problem. Most important elements of their findings are published in this paper. In Chapter 2, they discuss product development in virtual space, emphasize critical issues, and cite relevant research results. In Chapter 3, they explain their new method for organized management of dependencies in large product models. Chapter 4 introduces a new method for the extension of classical product model to content of model information. Finally, Chapter 5 is a short introduction to the implementation of the proposed modeling in professional systems for lifecycle management of product information.


Understanding the intermolecular forces and dynamics of insulin self-assembly is crucial for devising formulations for the treatment of insulin-dependent diabetes. Insulin must dissociate from its hexameric storage form, through an intermediate dimer form, to the bioactive monomer before receptor binding. Specifically, the dimer dissociation is a pivotal step to control insulin dynamics and self-assembly. Steered molecular dynamics simulations were performed on native insulin to provide molecular insight into the insulin dissociation force spectroscopy experiment. Our simulation results of force-induced dimer dissociation revealed that the dimer dissociation occurs near the limit of extensibility of the B-chain with significant conformational changes to the monomer(s). These long-range interactions, consistent with our experiments, are due to stronger inter-monomer interactions across the anti-parallel !-sheet interface than any other intra-monomer interaction. Novel atomistic data played an important role in detailed


The theme of this lecture on Helicopter All-Weather Operation is a discussion of the equipment requirements for the helicopter in the transport role. I have to say at the outset and possibly somewhat provocatively, that I believe that there are no real problem areas left, as far as the equipment means are concerned, between us and the realisation of a good all-weather capability in a transport helicopter. By this I mean that virtually all the basic work has been done in the main fields of guidance and control. Much of the equipment is already produced or in an advanced stage of development and most of that outstanding has already been defined and the feasibility of meeting the requirements examined. Thus, I believe, all that is required is a determination to achieve all-weather operation and to set in hand the processes of procuring the equipment. This means that the requirement has to be firmly stated and the price paid to meet it. It is idle to think that an all-weather capability can be achieved without an adequate equipment standard. However, it is reasonable to expect that its achievement should cost no more in the transport helicopter than for an equivalent standard in the transport aeroplane.


has evidently not been considered necessary. While a number of contributions contain illustrations, some even in colour, readers of Wolfgang Schmale's essay on continent allegories, which is the only essay in this book that deals specifically with images, have to put up with weblinks to online reproductions given in the footnotes. The most rewarding read in this volume is Julia Heunemann's essay on James Renell's study of ocean currents. Describing how the 'antiquarian of ocean currents' (p.482) studied historical records about currents rather than going to sea himself, Heunemann shows that on the one hand, the collection of data about currents was closely linked to navigational practices aboard ships, while, on the other hand, the possibility to formalise knowledge of ocean currents relied on the routes of intercontinental seafaring. She points out that currents occasionally diverted ships from their courses, hindered, or accelerated their voyages, and thus also determined their routes. With respect to the volume's title, Heunemann argues that the sea itself is one of the actors contributing to the European expansion at sea. One would have wished for this essay to appear in a more carefully conceptualised and edited book. Despite the volume's ambition to enlarge upon the exhibition's topic, readers –including those with a scholarly interest in Europe and the sea – would be well advised to turn to the exhibition's catalogue instead.


—Modern information and communication technology systems more focus on their quality requirements since they have been increasing their complexity. This paper shows how the quality requirements framework of the ISO/IEC 25030 can be applied to an Internet of things application, Elderly monitoring system. The results of this application indicate the usefulness of the framework.


The article describes a new textbook for foreign students on the scientific speech style. The textbook was written jointly by Tatiana Timoshenko, Vadim Shuvalov (the Chair of the Russian language, NUST «MISIS») and Olga Ushakova (the Chair of Physical Metallurgy, NUST «MISIS»). The textbook includes 16 authentic texts on the Materials Science and Metallurgy. Each text is followed by a system of tasks, containing lexical, grammatical and communicative exercises. The exercises help foreign students to prepare for lectures and seminars on Materials Science and Metallurgy. A distinctive feature of the textbook is a system of problem-solving exercises.


1 This work would not have been possible without the generous cooperation of the speakers who shared their knowledge of their language, and the hospitality of the community. This paper presents results of a phonetic study of the vowel system of Paici) , an Austronesian language of central New Caledonia. The Paici) vowel system is of phonetic interest for both its three-way lexical tone contrast, rare among Austronesian languages, and its relatively large inventory of both oral and nasalized vowels. The large number of nasalized vowels is rare not only from an Austronesian persepctive, but also is typologically atypical throughout the world. This paper focuses on the analysis of qualitative aspects of both the oral and nasalized vowels of Paici). It is shown that vowel qualities posited in previous research on Paici) are phonetically differentiated, with the contrast between certain nasalized vowels being more subtle than the contrast involving their oral counterparts. In addition, the phonetic realization of the three tones of Paici) is discussed.


The following publications were selected for this bibliography because they offer insights into the special nature and needs of sound recordings. They were written over a period of more than thirty years and offer a broad range of information from a variety of perspectives, not all of which are oriented toward archival purposes. Inclusion in this bibliography does not imply that the advice offered by the authors is authoritative. Archivists using these works should be careful in applying any suggested or implied treatments or remedies to sound recordings in their collections.


Resilience to uncertainties must be ensured in air traffic management. Unexpected events can either be disruptive, like thunderstorms or the famous volcano ash cloud resulting from the Eyjafjallajokull eruption in Iceland, or simply due to imprecise measurements or incomplete knowledge of the environment. While human operators are able to cope with such situations, it is generally not the case for automated decision support tools. Important examples originate from the numerous attempts made to design algorithms able to solve conflicts between aircraft occurring during flights. The STARGATE (STochastic AppRoach for naviGATion functions in uncertain Environment) project was initiated in order to study the feasibility of inherently robust automated planning algorithms that will not fail when submitted to random perturbations. A mandatory first step is the ability to simulate the usual stochastic phenomenons impairing the system: delays due to airport platforms or air traffic control (ATC) and uncertainties on the wind velocity. The work presented here will detail algorithms suitable for the simulation task.


Objective:To evaluate the value of lung cancer treatment by chemotherapeutic drugs through bronchoartery perfusion combined with interferon. Methods: 40 cases with lung cancer were randomly divided into 2 groups. 20 cases accepted chemotherapeutic drugs through bronchoartery perfusion combined with interferon were considered as observed group, and the other 20 cases accepted only chemotherapeutic drugs through bronchoartery perfusion as control group. X2 test was used to compare the differences of the recent curative effects and survival rates between the two groups. Results: The total effective rate ( CR + PR) of the observed group during the first treatment was 60. 0% (12/20) , which was not significant as compared with that of control group (40. 0% ) ( X2 = 1. 60, P 0. 05 ) . But the survival rates of the observed group during 1 and 2 years were 85. 0% ( 17/20) and 45. 0% (9/20) , respectively. There were significant differences as compared with 50.0% (10/20) and 10.0% (2/20) in control group (X2 = 5.58 and 6. 14, P0.05). Conclusion:Bronchoartery perfusion with chemotherapeutic drugs combined with interferon can raise the survival rates of patients with lung cancer, and is a valuably therapeutic method.


Theoretical and experimental results regarding harmonics photodetection and cavity power gain spectrum responses are presented. The derived analytical expressions establish the link between photodetection and cavity power gain. Second-order distortions are analyzed against the input wavelength and the average input power.


Switching-mode power amplifiers are used in applications where linearity is not critical and efficiency is the utmost priority e.g. phased arrays. This paper presents the design of a differential class-E amplifier for a phased array radar application in 0.25, ¿m SiGe BiCMOS technology. The operating frequency range is 2.9 GHz to 3.1 GHz with center frequency at 3GHz. The design approach of the amplifier which includes damping circuit, shunt charging capacitor and balun will be described, Simulations of the design predict an output power and PAE of 25.8 dBm and 49 % respectively. The output stage is biased with a 3.3 V at the collector.


AbstractThis study aims to describe the level of relationship between emotional intelligence and learning motivation with thematic learning outcomes of fourth grade students at SDN 37 Southeast Pontianak. The method used in this research is a descriptive method with a correlational study. The population in this study were all fourth grade students at SDN 37 Southeast Pontianak. Sampling using a simple random sampling technique with a total sample of 30 students of class IV SDN 37 Southeast Pontianak. The data collection technique used in this study is indirect communication techniques and documentary study techniques. The results showed that the average emotional intelligence was 82.13, the average learning motivation was 82.63, and student learning outcomes got an average score of 80.40. Based on Statistical analysis uses the multiple correlation formula to calculate correlation between motivation and emotional intelligence with student learning outcomes, r count is 0.649, and r table is 0.361, this means r count > r table or (0.649 > 0.361). It can be concluded that there is a strong relationship between emotional intelligence and learning motivation with thematic learning outcomes of fourth grade students at SDN 37 Southeast Pontianak.Keywords: Correlation, Emotional Intelligence, Learning Outcomes, Motivation


Concrete is the second most used material on the earth after water. The current era of concrete making material like the coarse and fine aggregate need alternatives to overcome the demand. In this present study, artificial fine aggregate or artificial sand (AS) as an alternative to fine aggregate has been investigated. The parameters studied in this study to investigate the AS effect of concrete are slump, modulus of rapture, compression strength, split-tensile strength, and shear strength. The experimental results show that the fresh properties and compression strength show significant changes when the replacement dosage of natural fine aggregate or natural sand (NS) increases with AS. However, the other parameters, namely shear strength, tensile strength, modulus of rapture, and AS replacement, also positively impacted concrete. The multi-criteria decision-making technique was used to determine the prepared mixtures' optimum mixture. Based on TOPSIS analysis, it is confirmed that the replacement of AS is 25% more effective. The study revealed that 100% NS replacement is also possible by AS, but a suitable admixture is required for workability.


Research progress of the synthesis of N, N-dimethylacrylamide(DMAA)is reviewed.lt is pointed out that the amdiation of vinyl chloride process and methylacrylate process have good potential use in industry. Applications of DMAA in many fields are introduced, including in petroleum recovery, modification of fiber and plastics, fine chemical industry, science of life, etc.


There are many software solutions for detecting text borrowings. In their development, special attention is paid to methods and algorithms for detecting borrowings, the characteristics of their work. However, technology and usability issues that are directly related to the user interface (UI) are also important. UI design consists of many stages, including the development of a dialogue scenario. The development and testing of a dialogue scenario avoids the difficulty of choosing operations, the state of the program without exit and the lack of necessary data in the already completed transi-tion to an operation. The dialogue scenario can be presented in verbal or formalized form: dialogue graph, automata, Petri nets, UML diagrams of precedents, activities and states. The aim of this paper is to interpret the components of the Petri net to model dialogue scenarios. The tasks are: to determine the essence and purpose of the components of the color Petri net in terms of the components of the dialogue scenario and the process of the program work; construction of a scenario model of dialogue and implementation user interface for the text borrowings detection system of on its basis. To model the scenario, a general coloured Petri net is defined. Its set of positions corre-sponds to the states of the program and is characterized by the set of values of input and output parameters and actions for their transformation. The set of transitions indicates the set of user actions in a certain state. The set of security conditions on transitions control the availability of data in the program to perform operations in a certain state. The rules of formation of these conditions are determined in the work. Chip types denote different sets of input and output data. This interpretation of the net was used to build a scenario model of the dialogue of the text borrowing detection system. Analysis of network properties showed its adequacy of the model to the object of modeling. The results of the implementation of the user interface according to the developed model are presented. The conclusions form the main advantages of using coloured Petri nets to model a dia-logue scenario.


OBJECTIVE
to describe the geographical distribution of intermediate hosts of Schistosoma mansoni in five Brazilian states.

METHODS
this was a descriptive cross-sectional study; municipalities were selected in the states of Paraná (78), Minas Gerais (120), Bahia (82), Pernambuco (51) , and Rio Grande do Norte (98), for the period 2012 to 2014; these municipalities were chosen because they did not have current records of the presence of snails vectores de S. mansoni. The molluscs were captured and taxonomically identified and examined for S. mansoni cercariae.

RESULTS
the work was carried out in 427 municipalities (99.5% of the 429 selected); the presence of mollusks was registered in 300 (70.2%) municipalities; Biomphalaria glabrata were found in 62 (21%) municipalities, B. straminea in 181 (60%), B. tenagophila in three (1%); B. glabrata/B. straminea association was found in 53 municipalities (18%) and B. glabrata/B. tenagophila association in one (0.3%) municipality.

CONCLUSION
B. glabrata, B. straminea and B. tenagophila distribution records obtained in this study are consistent with previously known distribution.


This era of business is marked with a high degree of dynamism. Due to technological advancement, the concept of competitive advantage is eluding day by day. Shopping at the click of a mouse is gaining popularity Now-a-days. Online shopping has given all types of consumers the ability of being able to buy anything, anywhere, and any product, regardless of where its location is in any part of the world. It has come up as a boon for all type of consumers and it has something to offer for everyone. Itinvolves various factors like, low price, saves time, convenience, all time shopping accessibility, broad availability of products but involves the risk of personal privacy and transactional security. Traditional shopping permits and allows physical examination of the products, interpersonal communication but involves high travel and search costs, and also has restrictions on shopping hours. Descriptive analysis was used for the study. 50 samples were chosen and primary data was collected through questionnaire which contains multiple choice questions and dichotomous questions. The data was collected from the students, house wives and business man and convenience method of sampling was used for the purpose of the study. The geographical sampling area for this study is the city of Chennai. Almost all of them have experienced both online shopping and traditional shopping.


India as an emerging market with a rapid growing middle-class attracts both local and foreign investors striving to expand already established businesses. However, market challenges are rapidly changing alongside dynamic environments making the business climate cumbersome for the majority of Swedish Multinational Corporations (SMNCs). The business becomes especially cumbersome in combination with the prerequisites of adapting Western value propositions due to vast differences between western and Indian customer needs. The diversity of cultures in India shed light on an additional challenge for SMNCs to handle involving caste system, domestic diversity and a strict hierarchical mindset of leadership and organizational structures. It could further be argued that a profound local understanding and its potential implications serve of particular importance in order to achieve business success in India. As a consequence of the increasing competition, dynamic market challenges and cultural differences, it was decided to visit India to develop a deeper understanding about the issues for SMNCs to be described in this report. The study was initially based on literature reviews within the fields of culture, leadership, leadership development, Indian challenges and strategy with the purpose to establish a pre-understanding of the research area. Qualitative data was then obtained through 52 semi-structured interviews in India when visiting 9 different companies situated in 5 cities dispersed over the Indian continent. All interviews was transcribed and subsequently summarized into specific company cases to further become compiled into the empirical part. Empirical data indicated that decision makers within SMNCs tended to possess limited experience and knowledge of the Indian culture and present market challenges. Several investigated SMNCs further argued to be strictly controlled by corporate offices in Europe limiting the possibility to accordingly adapt to market demands. This did subsequently account for lost business opportunities to both local and foreign competitors. SMNCs were additionally expressed by interviewees to rely on inappropriate Western values of sustainability and cost reduction. Indian employees, especially high potentials (HiPos), rather encouraged a growth mindset through speed and risk taking in the daily work as being more appropriate in an Indian market context. It was also identified that long term planning frequently became neglected due to dynamic market conditions that consequently implied a limited alignment between leadership development and strategy creation. It was finally deemed that SMNCs should consider a revision of currently held assumptions about how to act on the Indian market to become more agile and to reach their full potential. An opportunistic mindset was argued as needed to be inculcated within SMNCs to allow more local autonomy. This would ease the creation of suitable value propositions of an emerging market as India instead of relying on value propositions developed for mature markets.


Finally, clinicians need to consider that although liver fibrosis can regress despite HEV replication, HEV clearance is needed in chronically infected patients, and that HEV can cause neurological symptoms (such as Guillain-Barré syndrome or neuralgic amyotrophy) andHEV-associated kidney injury. Ribavirin dose should be increased up to patient tolerability, and recombinant erythropoietin should be used, if necessary. We conclude that clinicians should aim to achieve clearance of HEV.


The present invention uses an access point (AP) of, in more specifically, Wi-Fi systems related to a WiFi-based indoor location method and system using the electronic map, but measuring the position of the wireless terminal located in a building, building an AP location Application of electronic maps present invention relates to methods and systems for positioning by. According to the present invention, to perform additional positioning at least one polygon in a plurality of external AP by the first set to a location of the wireless terminal to achieve so that accurate positioning is performed by selecting the final positioning point. In addition, to perform a more precise positioning by correcting the positioning by applying a digital map of the building in order to apply such signal attenuation according to the structure in the building.


Subject. The article addresses the system of measures used to support the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Objectives. The focus is on the comparative analysis of efficiency of measures for economy support during the COVID-19 pandemic in different countries, identification of possible correlation between economic recovery and the amount of financial assistance provided.
Methods. We employed methods of systems, comparative, structural, and logical analysis.
Results. The paper characterizes measures of socio-economic support in China and other countries, discloses relative volumes of support as a percentage of the gross domestic product, analyzes the structure of economic support measures. The performed analysis did not reveal direct impact of the relative amount of assistance to the economy on the growth of real gross product. Using the example of the People's Republic of China, we unveiled the effectiveness of administrative actions to localize the pandemic and support the economy, specified the role of fostering appropriate civic initiative. During the pandemic, the key factor of the subsequent economic recovery is discipline and responsibility of the authorities and society, rather than credit volumes and provision of loans and benefits.
Conclusions. The study demonstrated the effectiveness of the institution of strong central government with high social responsibility, and secondary nature of economic support measures compared to administrative measures to support the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic.


In a Comment appearing earlier in this volume,' Professor Mike Wald suggests that, at this point in its history, the disability movement's heavy reliance on law may represent its greatest problem. At the March 1999 Symposium meetings, this notion provoked a great deal of discussion-and no small measure of consternation-among disability activists who rejoined that the right to assert a legal claim to access had transformed their individual and collective selfconceptions and their relationship to society. Law, in this view, had brought the movement a long, long way. On the other hand, one found broad based agreement among Symposium participants that, in many critical respects, implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act was not unfolding as its supporters had planned. Whether decrying the crabbed constructions of the ADA characterizing federal judicial decisions or excavating derisive media portrayals of the Act's beneficiaries and enforcers, Symposium presenters, commenters, and audience participants repeatedly lamented, "They just don't get it." Professor Wald's suggestion that the movement may be over-relying on the power of law to transform culture and disability activists' frustrated observations that people outside the disability community "just don't get" the ADA may point in the same direction. Both suggest that the ADA, at least as its drafters conceived it, somehow got too far ahead of most people's ability to understand the social and moral vision on which it was premised. Curiously, one of the more obscure definitions of backlash metaphorically describes precisely such a condition. The Webster's Third New International Dictionary defines backlash, among other ways, as "a snarl in that part of a fishing line which is wound on the spool, caused by overrunning of the spool." The image here is one of a fishing reel that has been overcast-that has gotten ahead of itself-and has for that reason become entangled. Backlash, this image suggests, has something to do with one part of a process or mechanism getting too far ahead of another.


Syntheses of transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) using colloidal-chemistry approaches are gaining significant interest in recent years, as these methods enable the morphology and properties of ...


Syncronicity' and Eternal Darkness: Temporal Displacement in Video Games," where Booth argues that time-travel media also represent time spatially, which Booth illustrates by analyzing how video game characters, existing at different moments in time, affect the progress of other characters. The next chapter in this section is Victoria Byard's "'I Belong to The Future:' Timeslip Drama as History Production in The Georgian House and A Traveler in Time," in which Byard explores how time-travel narratives based on real-life events are forms of historical writing and revision. This section ends with Matthew Freeman's "'Who Knows About the Future? Perhaps Only the Dead:' Configuring the Transtemporal Timespan of Planet of the Apes as a Transmedia Saga," where Freeman offers a thorough discussion on transmedia scholarship, after which Freeman investigates the Planet of the Apes series across multiple media platforms. The fourth section of the book contains four chapters and explores the "Tropes, Narratives and Generic Cycles" of science fiction. This section begins with "Temporal Prosthetics and Beautiful Pain: Loss, Memory and Nostalgia in Somewhere in Time, The Butterfly Effect and Safety Not Guaranteed" by Travis L. Martin and Owen R. Horton, in which they discuss how time travel becomes therapeutic, where the repetition of a key moment allows for mastery over that trauma. Following this chapter is "Try Again: The Time Loop as a Problem-Solving Process in Save the Date and Source Code" by Victor Navarro-Remesal and Shaila García-Catalán, where they explore how repetition in video games has affected the representation of time travel in other media. Next in the section is "Time Travel and the 'Afterlife' of the Western" by Peter Falconer, where Falconer argues that media creators rely on genre conventions (i.e., a Western's use of horses and gun slingers to denote the 19th century) to locate a scene in time. The last chapter in the section is "A Stitch in Time: Film Costume as a Narrative Tool Beyond Time Linearity" by Elena Trencheva and Sofia Pantouvaki, where they focus on how a media creator's sartorial choices can advance and/or limit a hegemonic historical narrative about the past and/or potential future. The final section of the book, "Case Studies," provides four chapters that each perform an in-depth reading of time travel in a specific film or television show. The section begins with "'Downwards is the only way forwards': 'Dream Space,' Parallel Time and Selfhood in Inception," by Charles Burnetts, where Burnetts explores how new media technologies have affected the representation of time in Inception. The next chapter in the section is "'A World Without History': Fate, Fantasy and Temporal Fractures in The X-Files," by Eleanor Dobson and Rosalind Fursland, in which they explore how other fiction, television, and film texts influenced the depictions of time travel in The X-Files. The following chapter is "The Therapeutic Value of Fantasy Revealed Through the Colors of Pleasantville" by Elissa Nelson, where Nelson sees time travel as a narrative device to advance character development in Pleasantville. The final section of the book is "Woody Allen's (Post)Modern Nostalgia Games: The Critical Rhetoric of Cinema as Time Machine" by Dario Llinares, in which Llinares explores modern and postmodern conceptions of subjectivity in Allen's timetravel narratives. Time Travel in Popular Media is a wellorganized, well-selected collection that provides a fresh and much needed exploration of one of science fiction's most oft-used tropes. In bringing together a variety of analytical frameworks, this book demonstrates the potential that transmedia/intermedia scholarship has to explain our contemporary moment: marked by immediate access to a plethora of media platforms, inevitably informing our conceptions of time travel. Although Time Travel in Popular Media privileges film as its primary source of study, the chapters nevertheless reference literature, video games, and television to describe how those media platforms enable alternative representations of both time and traveling through it. By grounding its study in terms of their social and historical contexts, the book's contributors demonstrate an interest in not just examining how media have represented time travel but also how culture and society in turn have affected those representations. As such, one of the strengths of Time Travel in Popular Media is that most chapters situate their case studies within a particular historical and cultural context. As with all edited collections, some chapters naturally stand apart for both their creativity and mastery of their subject. However, there are many outstanding chapters in this collection that do well to frame the subject of time travel in media and to provide novel approaches to its study.


A powercontrol procedure forvariable speed wind windspeed causes achange oftherotational speed setpoint powerconverters isdeveloped, whichminimizes electric power(orrather adisplacement oftheoptimal operating point) and fluctuation atmaximumenergy yield. These aimsareachieved on that leads toacontrol process, which maycause considerable baseofiterative adapting control algorithms thatconstantly strain inthepowerdrain oftheplant andmaysimultaneously updates thefrequency distribution ofthemeasured windspeed st inthepower flthetplnt anmaysltaneously andthemeanvalue ofthedc-link voltage. Theresults ofthenew result inadditional powerfluctuations intheelectrical power control methods arecompared toconventional control methods. output. IndexTerms--adaptive control, optimal control, stochastic g rrd optimal control. nner controc'rcu t


The requirements specification and definition is one of the important and difficult tasks in the design and implementation of systems which realize various user requests.

This paper proposes a knowledge-based requirements specification and definition method for computer communication system design. In the proposed method, a framework for representing and utilizing various design knowledge of the requirements specification and definition is introduced based on a knowledge-based design methodology for a computer communication system. According to the proposed method, the requirements specifications of logical functions of a computer communication system can be derived systematically from the users' requests and also represented in the formal descriptions called knowledge models of the requirements definition task.


Masked priming effects for prefixed words sharing a bound stem (e.g., submit-PERMIT) are compared with priming effects for semantically transparent prefixed words (e.g., fold-UNFOLD). In three experiments, priming effects were obtained for both types with no significant difference between them. These results suggest that semantic transparency is not critical for priming in this paradigm. However, in Experiment 2, priming in the bound stem condition did not differ significantly from an orthographic control condition (e.g., shallow-FOLLOW). In Experiment 3, form priming effects were suppressed by the use of close distractors and a longer prime duration. The morphological effects remained unaltered, indicating that they were not a product of orthographic overlap. The magnitude of bound stem priming was also found to be related to productivity of the stem.


The electromechanical dynamics system of permanent magnetic synchronous linear motor is a multivariable,nonlinear and strong coupling system.It is very hard to theoretical research and practical application.It is effective to solve this problem by method of counting energy.Model of electromechanical coupling dynamics system is established by Lagrange-Maxwell equations,which in three phase reference system are turned into differential equations in two phase reference system by C changing.All these can simplify the problem.Motor may run effectively and smoothly by selecting Id = 0 control mode.Solutions of differential equations are obtained by Matlab,through which the electromechanical dynamics model is simulated and analyzed.From the result,the method is correct and reasonable.


The authors discuss their attempts to produce "conceptual understanding" in a university-level precalculus course and the challenges it presented. The authors first discuss the importance of building understanding of math concepts and moving students away from memorization of formulas and provide examples of the types of problems students are asked to confront. Results of surveys show that students are initially uncomfortable with this approach as it violates their expectations about "what math is." The authors discuss their challenges with finding ways to assess this form of complex reasoning and how best to partner with students to enhance their learning.


Background. Smoking is a well recognized risk factor for osteoporosis in the general population but in patients with endstage renal disease (ESRD) the association between smoking and bone turnover has never been fully investigated and clarified. Methods. One hundred stable non-diabetic hemodialysis patients were included in this retrospective study. All patients underwent hemodialysis three times weekly with biocompatible filters and never used aluminum-containing phosphate binders. Hepatitis B or C positive patients were excluded. Intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) measured by means of an immunochemiluminescence assay and alkaline phosphatase were used as markers of bone turnover. All iPTH measurements were performed before the initiation of any treatment with vitamin D or analogs. Regression analysis was used to confirm the correlations and to adjust for potential confounders. Results. Sixty patients (60%) were smokers; 40% heavy smokers (>1pack/day) and 60% light smokers (<1pack/day). Heavy smokers had higher serum levels of iPTH (median: 310 pg/ml) when compared to light smokers (230 pg/ml) and nonsmokers (180 pg/ml). On multivariate linear regression analysis smoking was confirmed to be an independent correlate of iPTH (β=0,27, P=0,002) and alkaline phosphatase (β=0,25, P<0,05). On univariate logistic regression analysis the risk of high iPTH was higher in heavy smokers (OR: 5,4, 95% CI: 1,7-17, P=0,005) than in non-smokers and this risk became even stronger (OR: 10,1, 95% CI: 2,8-39, P<0,001) after adjustment for a series of potential confounders. Conclusions. In hemodialysis patients smoking is independently associated with high levels of iPTH and alkaline phosphatase. Further studies are needed to clarify whether this association is causal or not.


The article considers different approaches to the typology of the state. Analysis of both traditional and non-traditional approaches to the typology of the state.


Wind hazards often result in significant damage to the built environment cascading into impacts on the socio-economic systems within a community. The increasing frequency and intensity of hurricane hazards highlight the importance of developing high-resolution wind hazard models to better predict the consequences. Although previous studies have investigated hurricane-induced wind hazards in terms of hazard modeling and the subsequent vulnerability of buildings and infrastructure, these studies have not yet investigated applications of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) at the community-level. Therefore, in this study, a novel approach was developed to generate CFD models at the community-level by integrating building information modeling (BIM) and geographical information systems (GIS) to automate the generation of a high-resolution 3-D community model to be used as an input for a digital wind tunnel. This was done by harnessing the current advances in BIM and GIS applications and maximizing their capabilities by developing an algorithm that automates the 3-D geometry generation of communities with a detailed discretization of each building within the community. The 3-D community model was developed using the GIS shapefile of the buildings' footprint and a parametric BIM model that uses a number of building parameters such as footprint dimensions, roof shape, foundation type, and the number of stories. Then, an algorithm was developed to automate the creation of the BIM model for each building within the community based on the prescribed building's characteristics. The developed community model was used as an input for a numerical wind tunnel that uses CFD to account for the detailed wind pressure at each building after including the impacts of aerodynamics interference at the community-level. This novel BIM-GIS integration approach provides, for the first time, the next generation of high-resolution community-level CFD wind hazard modeling which aims to shift the current practice of wind hazard simulation at the community-level.


Temperature is one of the most prevalent and important parameters in industry production process. Moreover, it is very important to realize intelligentized management of temperature detection for development of industry. In order to realize this target it researches and designs a voice and graph display system on temperature detection. It sends data to computers, saves data to database, reads current temperature by voice system and displays real-time temperature curve. It realizes information automatization, promotes enhancement of life and production efficiency and is worthy of practical extension and application.


In this paper two new bivariate distributions are defined and studied. They are two-variate versions of the folded normal distribution (Leone et al. 1961) and the folded t distribution (Psarakis and Panaretos 1990). They both arise in the context of evaluating the predictive behaviour of two competing linear models with the aim to select the one that leads to predictions closer to the actual value of the dependent variable


Eleven years of water balance data were analysed in a snowy, mountainous watershed in Moshiri, Hokkaido, Japan. The average annual mean precipitation, discharge, evapotranspiration, and storage change were 1670 mm, 1375 mm, 370 mm, and –75 mm, respectively. The variation in annual mean precipitation was the largest among these components. Meanwhile, variation in evapotranspiration was small. Storage in the watershed reached its annual minimum in July, when precipitation was small and evapotranspiration was large in the summer drought period. Storage increased in September, reflecting the increase in rainfall and then increased drastically with the start of snowfall. Winter storage was several times larger than summer storage, indicating that snow storage is important for the annual water balance. The pre-melt SWE showed a large inter-annual variation, ranging from 400 mm to 800 mm. Those variations reflect the total precipitation during winter and the rain/snow discrimination in the early winter and the melting season.


The utility model relates to a microorganism dredging device. The device comprises a fixed bracket, a frame capable of moving up and down along the fixed bracket, and a microorganism implant tank capable of moving up and down along the frame, wherein a horizontally arranged bottom tablet is arranged at the bottom of the frame, and a hole is formed in the bottom tablet; a feed port is formed in the upper part of the microorganism implant tank, a plurality of discharge ports are formed in the lower part of the microorganism implant tank, and an implant mechanism used for extruding a microorganism preparation out of the discharge ort is arranged inside the microorganism implant tank; the microorganism implant tank penetrates through the hole during implanting, and the distance from the discharge port to the bottom tablet is 10-15cm. According to the microorganism dredging device, the microorganism preparation is implanted into sludge at the bottom of a river channel, so that microorganisms realize aerobic and anaerobic metabolism in aerobic and anaerobic environments, sulfide, nitrite, organic matters and other matters in the sludge can be transformed through microorganism cell metabolism, and the effect of biological cleaning can be achieved.


I am captivated by the process of viewing fiction and projecting the fictional images into acwality so that it almost seems as if it becomes a part of one's reality. As such, the narrative in my work generates a comparison between the character's fantasy and reality. It follows the experiences of the character as she continuously uies to layer her fantasies onto her physical self and environment. At the centre of my investigations, stands the theme of self-image. The character is a manifestation of a person both beautiful and Hawed aspiring to acquire the perceived superior physical and behavioural atuibutes of another. I consider the influences on behaviour, especially influences through the media, which projects the perfect or acceptable image, and examine the challenges faced when what is desired conflicts with what is. I ultimately question whether one can subconsciously mimic fiction, until what one deems as reality is not as easily distinguishable from fantasy as one would think..


Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) inhibit stimulated neuroexocytosis, resulting in flaccid paralysis. Among the seven serotypes (A–G), serotype A (BoNT/A) is the most toxic. BoNT/A consists of a 100 kD heavy chain and a 50 kD light chain (LC). The LC, a zinc endopeptidase, hydrolyzes the vesicle fusion protein SNAP‐25 and thus blocking neuroexocytosis. A prospective countermeasure against BoNT/A poisoning is to inhibit the LC‐induced hydrolysis of SNAP‐25 using a short peptide inhibitor. A high affinity synthetic peptide inhibitor N‐acetyl‐CRATKML‐amide has been reported. We compared this peptide inhibitor and two other derivatives, which include an aldehyde or a fluoromethyl ketone (an irreversible inhibitor) side group, with respect to their inhibitory potencies against SNAP‐25 hydrolysis and blockade of neuroexocytosis induced by BoNT/A in a human neuronal model, M‐17. Using SNAP‐25 hydrolysis and high K+ (80 mM) stimulated (3H)‐glycine release assays, we observed that all three inhibitors significantly inhibited BoNT/A effects. We also observed using an Alexa555 fluorescent tag that the peptide inhibitors were permeable through neuronal cell membranes. These peptide inhibitors show promise as therapeutic intervention(s) against BoNT/A poisoning. Research supported by JSTO‐DTRA Award # T.T.0009_06_RC_B to R. Ray. The views represented are those of the authors and are not necessarily endorsed by the US Army.


The aims of this experiment was to study the effect difference of shelter towards the sum of stomata and longth and wide porus of stomata Zephyranthes rosea. The experiment was performent by using Randomized Complete Design (3 treatment with                  3 replicatesfor each treatment). experiment. The treatment was 1 paranet,2 paranets and control (no paranet). Parameter was sum of leaf and wide of leaf. Data was analized by using Anova test. The result of this experiment indicated that difference shelter was able to decreased of sum stomata at up surface leaf and influence to wide porus stomata up surface, but not influence to length porus stomata up and under and wide under surface leaf.


Introduction. Challenges for Performance Management in the New Economy. Establish a Consistent Responsibility Structure. Balance Long-Term and Short Term Focus. Make Value-Based Strategies Operational. Embrace Information Transparency. Focus on What Is Truly Important. Enforce Performance-Driven Behavior. Balance Integration with Simplification. Implementing the Ideas. Appendix: Management Information and Reporting Analysis. Index.


Government and industry projections indicate that U.S. energy demand in the 1990s will grow steadily, creating the need for approximately 115,000 megawatts (MW) of additional capacity by the year 2000. In a joint effort to keep nuclear power as an energy option, the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) initiated a program to develop the conceptual design of a new reactor that is more economical to build, simpler to operate and maintain, and with an enhanced safety margin. As part of this program, Westinghouse designed the Advanced Passive 600 MWe (AP600) nuclear power plant. Drawing from three decades of nuclear power plant experience, Westinghouse engineers designed a plant with passive safety systems, a simplified nuclear steam supply system, an advanced instrumentation and control system and modular construction. The design uses natural forces - gravity, evaporation, condensation, natural circulation and convection - to attain the standards of simplicity and safety. Analyses and test results show that this design has an enhanced safety factor, can be constructed in 36 months, and significantly reduces capital costs. This paper described how this new generation of nuclear power plant design, which is based on proven technology, can meet near-term energymore » demands safely, reliably, and at a reasonable cost.« less


ABSTRACT Problem definition in social work may be the source of disagreement between social workers and their clients. It can be affected by both client and worker characteristics, as well as the care-giving context. This paper examines the definitions of psycho-social problems by social workers and their clients in a general hospital. It is based on the analysis of interviews with 120 patients and their social workers, which were conducted towards the completion of treatment, shortly before the patients' discharge from the hospital. As expected, differences were found to exist in the ways patients and their social workers define patient problems. These differences were expressed in both the type and the number of problems cited. Social workers tended to identify a larger number of problems than did patients. Congruence was stronger among younger clients of higher socioeconomic status, whose social workers had studied an eclectic approach to practice. The practice implications of these systematic differen...


Pedal peptide (PP) and orcokinin (OK) are related neuropeptides that were discovered in protostomian invertebrates (mollusks, arthropods). However, analysis of genome/transcriptome sequence data has revealed that PP/OK‐type neuropeptides also occur in a deuterostomian phylum—the echinoderms. Furthermore, a PP/OK‐type neuropeptide (starfish myorelaxant peptide, SMP) was recently identified as a muscle relaxant in the starfish Patiria pectinifera. Here mass spectrometry was used to identify five neuropeptides (ArPPLN1a‐e) derived from the SMP precursor (PP‐like neuropeptide precursor 1; ArPPLNP1) in the starfish Asterias rubens. Analysis of the expression of ArPPLNP1 and neuropeptides derived from this precursor in A. rubens using mRNA in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry revealed a widespread pattern of expression, with labeled cells and/or processes present in the radial nerve cords, circumoral nerve ring, digestive system (e.g., cardiac stomach) and body wall‐associated muscles (e.g., apical muscle) and appendages (e.g., tube feet and papulae). Furthermore, our data provide the first evidence that neuropeptides are present in the lateral motor nerves and in nerve processes innervating interossicular muscles. In vitro pharmacological tests with SMP (ArPPLN1b) revealed that it causes dose‐dependent relaxation of apical muscle, tube foot and cardiac stomach preparations from A. rubens. Collectively, these anatomical and pharmacological data indicate that neuropeptides derived from ArPPLNP1 act as inhibitory neuromuscular transmitters in starfish, which contrasts with the myoexcitatory actions of PP/OK‐type neuropeptides in protostomian invertebrates. Thus, the divergence of deuterostomes and protostomes may have been accompanied by an inhibitory–excitatory transition in the roles of PP/OK‐type neuropeptides as regulators of muscle activity.


Introduction: The purpose of this study was to investigate the quality of life (QOL) score based on stress scale, the relationship between the two and their influencing factors in medical and dental students of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences.
Materials and methods: This cross sectional study was carried out on 235 dental students and 488 medical students between April-June 2020. In this study 24 items of physical quality, psychological quality, social quality, environmental quality and 2 general health items related to quality of life and 14 items related to stress level were assessed using the electronic questionnaire of WHOQOL-BREF. The collected data was fed into SPSS and analyzed by ANOVA, T-test, correlation coefficients and linear regression test (α = 0.05).
Results: The mean for total quality of life was 78.5 ± 14.1 (26-120) and 27.6 ± 7.2 (10-56), respectively. In both professions, the relationship between QOL and total stress showed a significant and inverse relationship (p value < 0.001, r = -0.78). In dental students, four domains and the total score were significantly higher and stress levels were significantly lower compared to medical students. In both professions, women had significantly higher levels of stress than men (p value = 0.03). Based on academic year, in medical students mean for total QOL scores (p value = 0.04), physical (p value < 0.001) and emotional quality (p value = 0.07) were significantly different and while the academic year increased, the QOL scores decreased.
Conclusion: There is a significant and inverse relationship between QOL and stress level. The level of stress in females is higher than in males and also in medical students than in dental students. The score of quality of life and academic year were inversely correlated.


The rapid deployment of emergency remote teaching in the pandemic presents sweeping societal‐level information systems phenomena worthy of scholarly inquiry. This paper reports findings from teacher interviews conducted with K‐12 public school teachers, exploring how digital access and use gaps in communities reflect wider digital and social inequalities as schools fulfilled emergency remote teaching mandates, becoming swept up into e‐learning technology expansion trends propelled by mandates, and unfettered corporate edtech. Results show persistence of home and school level digital affordance gaps as hindrances to pandemic pedagogy. We build upon theory of the digital divide, and crisis and critical informatics literature considering how critical approaches to the study of socio‐technical systems research can inform these understandings, providing insights into how localized digital inequities contribute to broader digital inequality and social inequality, in the educative processes expected of public education in democratic societies. Our work gives voice to one highly pressured and conflicted stakeholder in these dynamics—K‐12 public school teachers—and demonstrates some of the ways in which digital inequity gaps may play a further magnifying role of societal division through expanding edtech deployment in K‐12 grades, if current edtech trends hold.


In the first section of this report, rainfall observational data are processed by least-squares curve-fitting to call attention to some of the desireable aspects of such fittin. The curve fitting techniques are illustrated for annual rainfall and worst-month rainfall distributions, but are as readily applicable for distributions fo rains-caused attentuation or scattering.


In this article we address two important dimensions of the sociological ap - proach to markets by such classics as Max Weber, Emile Durkheim, Georg Simmel and Charles Horton Cooley. We observe the way in which they have all analysed two important dimensions: the role of innovation and the role played by institutions. In particular, we look at the role of innovation in the division of labor and the expansion of markets, and analyze the role of institutions in the social construction of markets, the reduction of uncertainty and its performance in the circulation of commodities. The paper shows how they have all adopted an evolutionary and historical perspective and, with the exception of Weber, chosen a dynamic perspective (that is, a critical perspective using the neo-classical approach in economics).


In the current climate of skepticism about the capacity of law to ease social problems, legal impact research can perhaps add to our understanding of the limitations of using legal initiatives to produce social change. This article assesses the descriptive and explanatory knowledge provided by legal impact research over the last decade, identifies the primary obstacles that impact researchers have faced, and suggests promising paths that students of legal impact might take. While impact studies no more demonstrate that law is ineffective in achieving policy goals than they do the reverse, the former interpretation is most likely to be made given the dominant tenor of contemporary political discourse. To reduce the chance of erroneous interpretations, it is proposed that researchers take several steps to make their analyses more "context-sensitive."


The layer-by-layer technique (LbL) is an efficient and sustainable low-cost methodology for the removal of heavy metal ions from various matrixes. The present work is focused, for the first time, on the evaluation of the extraction processes of Ni(II) and Zn(II) by the LbL technique with respect to the studies of the solvent effect, reaction kinetics, adsorption isotherm models and thermodynamic parameters. The extraction of Ni(II) and Zn(II) was based on the design of multilayers of these metal complexes with 8-hydroxyquinoline (8HQ) due to the formation of Ni(8HQ)2 and Zn(8HQ)2 complexes, respectively. The efficient sorption of metal ions was found to follow the dissolution order of 8HQ in methanol > ethanol >1-propanol >1-butanol > acetonitrile. The surface adsorptive removal processes of Ni(II) and Zn(II) from aqueous solution were evaluated by four different kinetics models and were found to be better fit to the pseudo-second-order model with R2 corresponding to 0.9891 and 0.9995, respectively. The i...


In relation to the role and purposes of community service, especially for prisoners held at Jakarta Utara Metro Police, there is an interesting phenomenon of formally holding a Community Service program in the prisoner's meeting room with the theme "Prisoner's Empowerment through Outreaching Activities at the Jakarta Utara Metro Police". This community service was aimed at giving training and empowering the resistance. This opportunity is for detainees appointed to represent other detainees.


Brucellosis is a zoonosis found throughout the world with major implications both in the field of public health and farming economy. It is most often caused by Brucella abortus and Brucella melitensis. This study aimed for evaluation of the sensitivity and specificity of immunochromatographic assay (ICA) and comparing the results with those obtained from Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT) and in direct Enzyme Linked Immunsorbent Assay (ELISA) for serodiagnosis of sheep and goat brucellosis. Out of 41 sera samples (21 ram and 20 male goats) which were examined, antibodies against Brucella were detected in ram 8 (38.09%), 6 (28.57%) and 16 (76.19%) in ram samples, whereas they were detected in 3 (15%), 1 (5%) and 12 (60%) serum sample of goats males by RBPT, (ICA) and iELISA respectively. The kappa value between iELISA and ICA was −0.08 and that between RBPT and ELISA was −0.01 in ram and the kappa value between iELISA and ICA was −0.06 and that between RBPT and ELISA was −0.14 in male goats. The sensitivity for RBPT and ICA were 37.5% and 25% while specificity was 60% and 60% in ram; whereas, in male goats, sensitivity for RBPT was 8.33% and ICA was 8.33% while specificity was 75% and 100% respectively. It can be concluded that the developed ICA is immunodiagnostic assay, and it is rapid, non-expensive, economical and suitable for large-scale screening in developing countries and rural areas.


Interactive proofs model a world where a verifier delegates computation to an untrustworthy prover, verifying the prover's claims before accepting them. These proofs have applications to delegation of computation, probabilistically checkable proofs, crowdsourcing, and more. In some of these applications, the verifier may pay the prover based on the quality of his work. Rational proofs, introduced by Azar and Micali (2012), are an interactive proof model in which the prover is rational rather than untrustworthy---he may lie, but only to increase his payment. This allows the verifier to leverage the greed of the prover to obtain better protocols: while rational proofs are no more powerful than interactive proofs, the protocols are simpler and more efficient. Azar and Micali posed as an open problem whether multiple provers are more powerful than one for rational proofs. We provide a model that extends rational proofs to allow multiple provers. In this model, a verifier can cross-check the answers received by asking several provers. The verifier can pay the provers according to the quality of their work, incentivizing them to provide correct information. We analyze rational proofs with multiple provers from a complexity-theoretic point of view. We fully characterize this model by giving tight upper and lower bounds on its power. On the way, we resolve Azar and Micali's open problem in the affirmative, showing that multiple rational provers are strictly more powerful than one (under standard complexity-theoretic assumptions). We further show that the full power of rational proofs with multiple provers can be achieved using only two provers and five rounds of interaction. Finally, we consider more demanding models where the verifier wants the provers' payment to decrease significantly when they are lying, and fully characterize the power of the model when the payment gap must be noticeable (i.e., at least 1/p where p is a polynomial).