Two questions are addressed in this article: 1) How to make the students realize the importance of logic; and 2) how to teach the logical rules. The teacher may begin their logic class with an attempt to answer 1. Logic studies and records the basic moves of intelligence. When it analyses an argument A, it splits A into small steps. If each unit step seems to be intuitively right, then we accept A to be a valid argument. This "splitting" is the special skill of the logician. This skill helps one evaluate an ordinary argument in our day-to-day life. Question 2 is directly related to the didactics of logic. One may teach the rules of logic by demonstrating fallacies, i.e., by comparing the rules with their corresponding non-rules. If the teacher shows how the violation of a rule leads one to an intuitively undesired conclusion the student, learns the importance of rules.


Diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPG) represent 75–80% of the brainstem tumors occurring in children, with the highest incidence between the ages of 5 and 10 years (1). The diagnosis is based on clinico-radiological findings and biopsies have historically been reserved for atypical cases, or performed in the context of clinical trials (2). Standard treatment is based on palliative radiotherapy (1,2). Multiple studies over past decades evaluating a myriad of chemotherapeutic and targeted agents have not shown any significant improvement in the survival outcomes compared to standard radiotherapy alone (1,2). The estimated median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) for DIPG patients are 6 and 11 months, respectively (3). In this context, DIPG constitutes the most challenging pediatric brain tumor, given the dismal outcomes and the scarcity of effective therapies.


.. Objectives: The purpose of the current study was to compare the serum Apelin level in patients with and without polycystic ovarian syndrome to assess this as a diagnostic marker for PCOS. In a case-control study 60 polycystic ovarian syndrome patients diagnosed according to Rotterdam criteria and 20 healthy controls of reproductive age group were recruited. Study Design: Case Control study. Setting: Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center in Collaboration with Aga Khan University, Karachi. Period: August 2017 and February 2019. Material & Methods: Blood samples were collected after 12 hours fasting and was used to test serum Apelin, insulin, cortisol and fasting blood glucose levels. Results: Seventy percent PCO subjects had irregular menstrual cycle and 68% suffered from hirsutism; while all PCO subjects had more than 10 antral follicle seen on ultrasound in either one or both ovaries in comparison of 15% controls (p<0.05). Higher Apelin and Testosterone levels in PCO group was reported when compared with controls (p<0.05) across all BMI categories. Apelin showed a positive correlation with number of ovarian cysts (r=0.429; p=0.000); irregular menstrual cyle (r=0.276;p=0.13); blood glucose level (r=0.270; p=0.015) and BMI (r=0.229; p=0.14). Apelin remained independently associated with the risk of PCOS (p=0.020) and elevated testosterone levels (p=0.030). Conclusion: Serum Apelin showed a strong association with irregular menstruation, hirsutism, ovarian cysts, testosterone and deranged blood glucose levels. Therefore, Apelin appears as a potential source for several risk factor in PCOS women of all BMI types.


Case report of a baby and his 26-year old mother suffering from Subsepsis allergica. Her disease was discovered when she was 2 years old. Both patients showed common symptoms such as regular bouts of high fever with brief exanthemas resistant to antibiotic treatment. The results of their hematological tests were typical of this illness. The mother has also suffered from sporadic attacks of arthritis for the past ten years, but these have not handicapped her in any way. In spite of extensive diagnostic tests we were unable to shed new light on the etiopathogenesis of this systemic form of chronic juvenile arthritis. Since the baby's illness has so far proved to be of benign nature, long-term medication was found to be unnecessary. The mother finds relief through symptomatic treatment.


Neural networks that use digital or partly digital processing units have a restricted set of applications, and also are constrained by the set of learning rules that can be used with them. Analogue networks have a greater flexibility in their learning algorithms and a larger domain of problems which they can solve. The flexibility of an analogue output capability can also be used to give an idea of the certainty or accuracy of results. The design was fabricated using a 2 mu m CMOS fabrication process. This provides a relatively low cost, easily available medium for research and would allow easy fabrication of any products arriving from this research on industrial processes. The implementation uses pulse frequency modulation to achieve analogue input and output capability, and uses a pulse width modulation method to realise the synaptic multiplication component. This pulse coding technique reduces the size and complexity of the synaptic multiplier which has to be repeated for each neural connection in the network. This greatly reduces the silicon area required for the architecture.


In this paper, we investigate the performance of two-way amplify-and-forward (AF) MIMO relaying systems with different channel estimation schemes. Two channel estimation schemes, named cascaded channel estimation and individual channel estimation, are considered. In the first scheme, the cascaded source-relay-destination links are estimated at the two users, and no channel estimation is need at the relay station. In the individual scheme, the channels from the users to the relay are estimated at the relay station, and then the estimated CSIs are feed-forward to the two users, while the channels from the relay to the users are estimated at the two users, respectively. The mean square error (MSE) and bit-error-rate (BER) performance of these two schemes are compared through numerical simulations. The simulation results show that the individual scheme outperforms the cascaded scheme in various cases.


Sibling harvest age Black Tiger shrimp triploids and diploids of both sexes were reared to reproductive maturity, crossed with wild caught females and males, conditioned for spawning and a comprehensive reproductive performance trial was undertaken. Ovarian development, spawning frequency, fecundity, hatch rate, gonad morphology, male reproductive tracts and thelycum impregnation rates of the wild female × triploid male cross were assessed. After ablation, ovarian development and cycling between wild G0 diploid and G1 diploids was not significantly different, whereas G1 triploids failed to show any signs of ovarian development and cycling, thus resulting in no G1 triploid female spawnings. There were 10 G0 diploid female × G0 diploid male first-spawnings and 9 G0 diploid female × G1 diploid male first-spawnings, all of which produced viable nauplii. In comparison, there were 7 G0 diploid female × G1 triploid male first-spawnings, none of which produced viable nauplii. The 26 wild G0 diploid female spawnings had more eggs than the 1 G1 diploid female spawning. Gonad morphology and male reproductive tract assessments showed impaired reproductive development in triploid gonadal tissues of both sexes (compared with sibling diploids and wild shrimp) to a point where complete maturation had not occurred. The thelycum of 16 wild G0 diploid females crossed with G1 triploid males had no visible spermatophore present, suggesting that G1 triploid males are incapable of developing viable spermatophores and mating with females. This study demonstrates that the triploid females and males are incapable of producing viable gametes and are thus reproductively sterile.


The Tax Reform Act of 1986 (TRA 86) phased out the deductibility of most nonmortgage interest and also introduced new marginal tax rates that reduced the tax advantage of all types of debt. I estimate that by 1991 aggregate mortgage debt was over 1 percent higher, credit card debt approximately 14 percent lower, and auto loan debt approximately 9 percent lower than they would have been without these changes. The results suggest that consumers attempted to minimize the effects of the deductibility phaseout by reallocating debt toward deductible instruments. Anecdotal evidence suggests that consumers used home equity lines to reallocate their debt.


Objective: Family members of a person with drug addiction often experience negative impacts on their lives and face barriers to seeking professional support. More knowledge is needed about such barriers so they can be reduced. This article examines the help-seeking experiences of parents of adult children with drug addiction, a group that has received little attention in research. Method: We conducted in-depth interviews with 32 parents of adult children with drug addiction in Sweden. Results: Parents described problems in encounters with social services and barriers to adequate support for their children. On a psychological level, they described feelings of shame and guilt, negative views of social services, and fear of stigma and loss of control that were barriers to seeking professional support. On an interpersonal level, barriers to help were connected to problems in the interaction among parents, children, and social services. On a structural level, barriers pertain to deficiencies in the availability and quality of support measures, inadequate cooperation between authorities, and a shift in responsibility from the state to the individual and the family. Conclusions: Parents of children with drug addiction are a vulnerable group that often experience problems in their contacts with authorities. A more collaborative approach by social services may abate parents' self-blame and concern and may strengthen their role in their children's treatment process.


AbstractThis paper addresses The Fashion Paradox – the economic importance of the fashion industry set against its inherent obsolescence and waste through constant change. A new methodology is being developed for designers to approach these complex problems, and to evaluate the impact of design decisions through the development of personalized fashion products. A new "Considerate Design" process model is being created through analysis of practical design processes by transferring tools and methods from engineering design within a framework of sustainability. This project responds to the rapidly changing context of fashion and positions the user at the centre of the design process. It will produce personalized fashion products using 3D body scanning and rapid prototyping techniques integrated with different production processes: the direct 3D manufacturing of seamfree knitwear; the making of bespoke hand-crafted bags, and the direct digital creation of body conformable seamless textile structures. The sub-projects each represent different levels of the industry, to test economic viability of products which are individually tailored to requirements, contributing to the development of mass customization. Considerate Design will reduce environmental impact of fashion products and consider both the end user and the entire product life cycle.


Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL

Background: Urine excretion is the primary route for arsenic elimination. The bladder may thus be exposed to higher concentrations of arsenic due to the bioconcentration of urine by the kidneys. The molecular etiology of cancer linked to arsenic exposure is complex and multiple factors have been described as playing a role in this process. Although there is extensive epidemiologic evidence of increased risk for the development of urothelial cell carcinoma (UCC) associated with arsenic exposure, the mechanisms by which arsenic participates in tumorigenesis are not fully elucidated. Materials and Methods: To prepare in vitro model we chronically exposed immortalized normal human bladder cell line (HUC-1) to arsenic. Briefly, HUC1 cells were cultured in 25cm flask in F12K complete medium with or without 1µM As2O3. Medium and arsenic was changed every two days. Cells were sub-cultured as necessary and frozen down each month for future studies. Morphology differences were monitored over the entire treatment schedule, using a light microscope. Cell growth was monitored by MTT assay. Tumorigenic properties were analyzed by soft agar and invasion assay. Expression of several key molecules of PI3K-AKT signaling pathway was determined by western blot analysis. Results: At 6 months arsenic treated HUC1 cells started to became more rounded and had a tendency to pile on to one another. MTT was performed for each month of treatment in order to determine any changes in cell proliferation due to arsenic treatment. As expected the growth of the HUC1 cells was increased in a time dependent manner after arsenic treatment. Anchorage independent growth was evaluated using soft agar assay. Colonies were observed only in arsenic treated cells and the number of colonies was gradually increased with longer period of treatment. Similarly invaded cells were determined only in arsenic treated cells after 8 months. Withdrawal of arsenic for 2.5 months from 8 and 10 months arsenic treated cells does not reverse the tumorigenic properties. Western Blot analysis of AKT pathway genes, PTEN decreased and AKT and mTOR increased in arsenic treated HUC cells. Conclusion: Our study suggests that the exposure of HUC-1 to arsenic rapidly induces a multifaceted dedifferentiation program characterized by increased cell proliferation, anchorage independent growth and invasion, a motive that is also present after the end of the arsenic treatment indicating that such a manifestation seems to be irreversible. Further studies are needed in order to delineate the molecular effect of arsenic exposal to primary urothelial cancer tissue collected from patients exposed to arsenic. Studies are in progress to understand the mechanisms that induce this tumorigenic properties and potential stem cells activities in arsenic exposed urothelial cells.

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5451. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-5451


Abstract Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was performed using extracts from Ornithogalum narbonense L. (ONL) as a cost-effective and eco-friendly approach. A surface plasmon resonance peak was observed at 440 nm after 12 h. The intense reddish-brown coloration was observed higher than 1.5 mM AgNO3 concentrations. Bioactive compounds were found responsible for the reduction, stabilization, and capping of Ag+ to AgNPs. X-ray powder diffraction analysis confirmed the face-centered cubic silver crystalline structure. The average spherical-shaped individual particle size was around 8.46 nm, while hydrodynamic size ranged between 7–13 nm and 36–131 nm. The AgNPs have good stability (ζ = –31.15 mV). Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis proved the presence of elemental Ag (6.76%). The antibacterial activity with the zone of inhibition is as follows: P. aeruginosa > E. coli > S.aureus > B. cereus (10.35 ± 0.12 mm > 9.40 ± 0.14 mm > 8.20 ± 0.10 mm > 7.0 ± 0.24 mm). The AgNPs did not show antifungal properties against C. albicans. HIGHLIGHTS The aqueous extract of Ornithogalum Narbonense L was used for the green synthesis of AgNPs. XRD, SEM, EDX, FTIR, ζ-potential, DLS and UV-vis characterizations were made. The average surface charge and diameter of individual AgNPs were determined as –31.15 mV and 8.46 nm. AgNPs acted as an inhibitor toward E.coli, P.aeruginosa, E.faecalis, S.aureus and B.cereus. Graphical Abstract


The Indian novelist and journalist Kamala Purnaiya Taylor, (pseudonym : Kamala Markandaya (1924 – 16 May 2004)  expresses her worries about  nature and human's virginity in the sense that both are to harmonize with each other and live in peace ,so that none of them attacks the virginity of the other. Once humans or nature lose it, they become a different element that is entirely different from the one it used to be before the attack takes place. Moreover, each one of them may react violently to the cause or doer, vengeance or passivism may be among the results of that cause or action of the doer. It may get out of control and the destruction caused may not be healed easily, and sometime it may not get healed at all. Ecocrtically, Markandaya studies the human psychology before and that attack happens. She also assesse the reaction of nature to any harm it may undergo.


Abstract The law & finance literature often assumes that financial institutions in Germany, especially in the stock market, were less workable than for example in the U.S. or Great Britain due to extensive state regulation. This article analyses the regulation and admission to listing practices for (initial) public offerings in Germany from 1870 to 1932. It argues, by contrast, that state regulation in the German stock market largely enabled self-regulation and that a closer look at market practices indicates that the written law only offered a framework and left the stock exchanges great scope for manoeuvre. In the end, the German regulatory system came close to what law & finance literature describes as a most efficient market order.


BACKGROUND
Approximately 14% of free-living adults aged ≥65 years are at risk of malnutrition. Malnutrition screen and treat interventions in primary care are few, show mixed results, and the advice given is not always accepted and followed. We need to better understand the experiences and contexts of older adults when aiming to develop interventions that are engaging, optimally persuasive and relevant.

METHODS
Using the Person-based Approach, we carried out 23 semi-structured interviews with purposively selected adults ≥65 years with chronic health or social conditions associated with malnutrition risk. Thematic analysis informed the development of key principles to guide planned intervention development.

RESULTS
We found that individuals' beliefs about an inevitable decline in appetite and eating in older age compound the many and varied physical and physiological barriers that they experience. Also, we found that expectations of decline in appetite and physical ability may encourage resignation, reduce self-efficacy to overcome barriers, and reduce motivation to address weight loss and/or recognise it as an issue that needs to be addressed. Fear of loss of independence may also reduce the likelihood of asking general practitioners for advice.

CONCLUSIONS
The key findings identified include a sense of resignation, multiple different barriers to eating and a need for independence, each underpinned by the expectation of a decline in older adulthood. Interventions need to address misperceptions about the inevitability of decline, highlight how and why diet recommendations are somewhat different from recommendations for the general population, and suggest easy ways to increase food intake that address common barriers.


Bovine embryonic stem cells have potential for use in research, such as transgenic cattle generation and the study of developmental gene regulation. The Nanog may play a critical role in maintenance of the undifferentiated state of embryonic stem cells in the bovine, as in murine and human. Nevertheless, efforts to study the bovine Nanog for pluripotency-maintaining factors have been insufficient. In this study, in order to understand the mechanisms of transcriptional regulation of the bovine Nanog, the 5′-flanking region of the Nanog was isolated from ear cells of Hanwoo. Results of transient transfection using a luciferase reporter gene under the control of serially deleted 5′-flanking sequences revealed that the −134 to −19 region contained the positive regulatory sequences for the transcription of the bovine Nanog. Results from mutagenesis studies demonstrated that the Sp1-binding site that is located in the proximal promoter region plays an important role in transcriptional activity of the bovine Nanog promoter. The electrophoretic mobility shift assay with the Sp1 specific antibody confirmed the specific binding of Sp1 transcription factor to this site. In addition, significant inhibition of Nanog promoter activity by the Sp1 mutant was observed in murine embryonic stem cells. Furthermore, chromatin-immunoprecipitation assay with the Sp1 specific antibody confirmed the specific binding of Sp1 transcription factor to this site. These results suggest that Sp1 is an essential regulatory factor for bovine Nanog transcriptional activity.


A previously unresearched Early Bronze Age dagger-grave found in 1989 at Racton, West Sussex, is profiled here through a range of studies. The dagger, the only grave accompaniment, is of the 'transitional' Ferry Fryston type, this example being of bronze rather than copper. Bayesian analysis of relevant radiocarbon dates is used to refine the chronology of the earliest bronze in Britain. While the Ferry Fryston type was current in the earlier half of the twenty-second century bc, the first butt-riveted bronze daggers did not emerge until the second half. The Racton dagger is also distinguished by its elaborate rivet-studded hilt, an insular innovation with few parallels. The excavated skeleton was that of a senior male, buried according to the appropriate rites of the time. Isotopic profiling shows an animal-protein rich diet that is typical for the period, but also the likelihood that he was brought up in a region of older silicate sedimentary rocks well to the west or north west of Racton. He had suffered injury at or close to the time of death; a slice through the distal end of his left humerus would have been caused by a fine-edged blade, probably a dagger. Death as a result of combat-contested leadership is explored in the light of other injuries documented among Early Bronze Age burials. Codified elite-level combat could help to explain the apparent incongruity between the limited efficacy of early dagger forms and their evident weapon-status.


Layered fiber reinforced composite materials are prone to fracture in planes parallel to the direction of fibers leading to extensive delamination or intralaminar fracture. This phenomenon of crack propagation is frequently accompanied by significant increase in fracture resistance due to different damage mechanisms active on the wake of the crack. The developed zone comprises intact pulled-out fibers bridging the crack faces forming the so-called, large scale fiber bridging (LSB). Several studies have dealt with the evaluation of the traction-separation relations mainly related to the bridging phenomena in delamination, employing different techniques. However, only a few recent studies dealt with the effect of specimen size on LSB and the traction-separation relations, challenging the applicability of the existing relations in structural design. This work initially focuses on the characterization of LSB phenomena in mode I intralaminar fracture of a unidirectional (UD) carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic. Here an already developed semi-experimental technique based on quasi-continuous strain measurements by FBG sensors, adapted to the needs of the current study, is employed to identify the traction-separation relation. The outcome of the identification scheme compares very well with the results from a numerical micromechanical virtual test. The identified traction-separation relation is employed to calculate the energy release rate (ERR) and evaluate the resistance curves (R-curves) associated with LSB of this fracture response. An important toughening effect is demonstrated, which is about two times higher than the corresponding interlaminar values. The aforementioned semi-experimental technique is implemented in intralaminar fracture of a UD carbon/epoxy composite and is devoted in evaluating the effect of specimen thickness on the developed closing tractions due to LSB. Here, double cantilever beam (DCB) specimens of three different thicknesses, loaded with end opening forces are employed to conduct the characterization. A significant effect of specimen's thickness is present on the three identified traction-separation relations. The results of the present study indicate a scaling relationship expressed as a function of the bridging traction profile exponent and the stiffness of the specimen. Nevertheless, a common maximum closing traction at the crack tip is evaluated. Similar to the thermoplastic composite, the measured ERRs are considerably higher than the corresponding interlaminar values. Furthermore, a testing apparatus able to apply pure moments on the bending arms of DCB specimens, by means of pairs of forces is designed, fabricated and used. This testing setup is employed in the fracture characterization of the mentioned carbon/epoxy system to investigate the effect of loading conditions. The acquired results show minor differences on the maximum ERRs, with some small variation on the shape of the R-curves. Finally, the traction-separation relation in delamination of a woven glass fiber reinforced epoxy with tufting through the thickness reinforcement (TTR) is investigated. Accordingly, a generalization of the relation between the closing traction profile and flexural rigidity of the DCB arms is attested and a concise modeling approach for the load history prediction is proposed comprising the effects of LSB and TTR.


Having isolated and characterized a series of sodium cyclopentadienide salts, we have synthesized a number of 1,1'-bis-amino-functionalized ferrocenes, 1,1'-bis-amino-functionalized ferrocene salts, and 1,1'-bis-amino-functionalized ferrocenium salts. Among these are the first crystallographically characterized examples of cyclopentadienyl units containing (piperidin-N-ylethyl)- and (pyrid-2-ylmethyl)cyclopentadienyl side chains. In the cases of some of the ferrocenes, ferrocene salts, and ferrocenium salts, there are some interesting structural features in the solid state. These include C-H...N and C-H...pi cloud interactions as well as N-H...O and N-H...F hydrogen bonds.


Since the recognition of white matter changes on computed tomography, researches were done to investigate a possible relation with ageing and cognition. This study examined whether computed tomography evidence of cerebrovascular disease in the form of white matter changes was associated with decreased implicit performance of frontal tests and with a loss of motivation in a group of 10 elderly volunteers with a mild cognitive impairment and in a group of 29 demented patients; 39 old patients (28 females: 82.4 +/- 7.1; 10 males: 75.5 +/- 11.3) cared in a psycho-geriatric day care hospital were enrolled for this essay. Motivation was evaluated with a specific scale: EAD. Patients were tested during the same period with MMSE for cognition, Cornell's scale for depression, Marin's scale for apathy. There were also assessed with a battery of frontal tests: BREF test. A brain scan was used to determinate the presence of leukoaraïosis. Table 1 give a description of the population according to the pathology. Cognitive disorder, but also apathy and loss motivation, frontal evaluation significantly differ in the two studied groups. The presence of a leukoaraïosis is associated with older people, a weaker cognitive status, a more important apathy or loss of motivation, and weaker results with frontal evaluation (table 2). Similar results were obtained considering only the frontal lesions (table 3). Age related changes of the white matter observed on computed tomography were associated with a decreased cognitive status. Leukoaraïosis is associated with loss of motivation and related with a poor results on frontal assessment. Loss of motivation is associated with certain frontal dysfunctions and with brain abnormal scan anomalies.


Background: Previous work has implicated isolated, control human lung mast cell granules in RNA metabolism using multiple methods of high-magnification imaging based on different mechanistic principles. These methods have demonstrated ribosomes, RNA, U1snRNP and uridine in, around and attached to secretory granules. Methods: Here, we have extended these studies using ultrastructural autoradiography of radiolabeled uridine incorporation in degranulating and recovering mast cells. Results: We found that control cells incorporated uridine into granules, with values that decreased dramatically in conjunction with stimulated histamine secretion and granule extrusion, and that granule stores of tritiated uridine increased together with the reconstitution of secretory granules in recovering mast cells. Conclusion: These findings support a possible new role for secretory granules in RNA metabolism in mast cell biology.


Plant biotechnology predominantly relies on a restricted set of genetic parts with limited capability to customize spatiotemporal and conditional expression patterns. Synthetic gene circuits have the ability to integrate multiple customizable input signals through a processing unit constructed from biological parts, to produce a predictable and programmable output. Here, we present a suite of functional recombinase-based gene circuits for use in plants. We first established a range of key gene circuit components compatible with plant cell functionality. We then used these to develop a range of operational logic gates using the identify function (activation) and negation function (repression) in Arabidopsis protoplasts and in vivo, demonstrating their utility for programmable manipulation of transcriptional activity in a complex multicellular organism. Through utilization of genetic recombination these circuits create stable long-term changes in expression and recording of past stimuli. This highly-compact programmable gene circuit platform provides new capabilities for engineering sophisticated transcriptional programs and previously unrealised traits into plants.


The purpose of the current research is to analyze the effect of auditor independence and ethics on audit quality through professional scepticism. Respondents of the study were all auditors working in the office of the Inspectorate of Regional Government, Papua ProvinceIndonesia. This research was conducted using a quantitative approach. The sample was taken using a purposive sampling method. The data were analyzed using path analysis with the assistance of SPSS 21 application. The results of the study have shown that auditor independence directly affects professional scepticism. Furthermore, auditor independence has a positive and significant effect on audit quality, and auditor ethics has a positive and significant effect on professional scepticism. Next, auditor ethics does not have a positive and significant effect on audit quality, while professional scepticism has a positive, but not significant effect on audit quality. In conclusion, professional scepticism does not mediate the influence of independence and ethics on audit quality in Indonesia.


The aim of this study is to explore the potential of Human Resource Professionals (HRP) to accelerate ideas and innovation towards achieving a sustainable competitive advantage in a swift technology changes. Likewise, this study further discusses the theory and practices of the Human Capital Development (HCD), Organizational Culture (OC) and High Performance Work System (HPWS) in the telecom sector of Pakistan. Despite, there being a substantial amount of discussion about HR Professionals' Effectiveness (HRPE) which is featuring massive challenges and opportunities, there is a paucity of information concerning the extent of this subject matter in Pakistan.Hence, there is every reason to expect that this remarkable growth and transformation will continue at a hasty pace in Human Resource Management Practices (HRMP). A synthesis of literature was reviewed, leading to the identification of numerous situational or contextual factors impacting the HRPE. The development of HR also cannot be achieved without the support of appropriate HCD specifically the soft skills. In spite of this, organizations should create such an environment in which employees feel empowered, thus they can take strategic decisions and achieve higher productivity. Finally, presenting the factors and practices together makes an important contribution to the literature on HRPE by addressing from both conceptual and practical aspects.


Abstract. Historical in situ sub-daily rainfall observations are essential for the
understanding of short-duration rainfall extremes but records are typically
not readily accessible and data are often subject to errors and
inhomogeneities. Furthermore, these events are poorly quantified in
projections of future climate change making adaptation to the risk of flash
flooding problematic. Consequently, knowledge of the processes contributing
to intense, short-duration rainfall is less complete compared with those on
daily timescales. The INTENSE project is addressing this global challenge by
undertaking a data collection initiative that is coupled with advances in
high-resolution climate modelling to better understand key processes and
likely future change. The project has so far acquired data from over
23 000 rain gauges for its global sub-daily rainfall dataset (GSDR) and has
provided evidence of an intensification of hourly extremes over the US.
Studies of these observations, combined with model simulations, will continue
to advance our understanding of the role of local-scale thermodynamics and
large-scale atmospheric circulation in the generation of these events and how
these might change in the future.


The semi-device-independent framework allows one to draw conclusions about properties of an unknown quantum system under weak assumptions. Here we present a semi-device-independent scheme for the characterisation of multipartite entanglement based around a game played by several isolated parties whose devices are uncharacterised beyond an assumption about the dimension of their Hilbert spaces. Our scheme can certify that an $n$-partite high-dimensional quantum state features genuine multipartite entanglement. Moreover, the scheme can certify that a joint measurement on $n$ subsystems is entangled, and provides a lower bound on the number of entangled measurement operators. These tests are strongly robust to noise, and even optimal for certain classes of states and measurements, as we demonstrate with illustrative examples. Notably, our scheme allows for the certification of many entangled states admitting a local model, which therefore cannot violate any Bell inequality.


Case management was initiated in the 1970s to reduce care discontinuity. A literature review focused on end-of-life (EOL) case management identified 17 research articles, with content analysis revealing two themes: (a) seeking to determine or establish the value of EOL case management and (b) identifying ways to improve EOL case management. The evidence, although limited, suggests that EOL case management is helpful to dying individuals and their families. Research is needed to more clearly illustrate its usefulness or outcomes and the extent of need for it and actual availability. Among other benefits, EOL case management may help reduce hospital utilization, a major concern with the high cost of hospital-based care and the increased desire for home-based EOL care.


Hybrid advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), where two or more AOPs are applied simultaneously, are known to give effective degradation of recalcitrant organic pollutants. This article attempts to discern the physical mechanism of the hybrid sono-Fenton process with identification of links between individual mechanism of the sonolysis and Fenton process. An approach of coupling experimental results with simulations of cavitation bubble dynamics has been adopted for two textile dyes as model pollutants. Fenton process is revealed to have greater contribution than sonolysis in the overall decolorization of both dyes. H2O2 added to the liquid medium as a Fenton reagent scavenges •OH radicals produced by cavitation bubbles. Addition of only H2O2 to the medium during sonolysis does not yield marked difference in decolorization. Elimination of transient cavitation with application of elevated static pressure to the medium does not alter the extent of decolorization. The synergy between sonolysis and Fenton process is, thus, revealed to be negative. The dissolved oxygen in the medium is found to play an important role in decolorization through conservation of oxidizing radicals. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 59: 4303–4313, 2013


Classical nova outburst has been suggested for a number of extragalactic symbiotic stars, but in none of the systems has it been proven. In this work we study the nature of one of these systems, LMC S154. We gathered archival photometric observations in order to determine the timescales and nature of variability in this system. Additionally we carried out photometric and spectroscopic monitoring of the system and fitted synthetic spectra to the observations. Carbon abundance in the photosphere of the red giant is significantly higher than that derived for the nebula, which confirms pollution of the circumbinary material by the ejecta from nova outburst. The photometric and spectroscopic data show that the system reached quiescence in 2009, which means that for the first time all of the phases of a nova outburst were observed in an extragalactic symbiotic star. The data indicate that most probably there were three outbursts observed in LMC S154, which would make this system a member of a rare class of symbiotic recurrent novae. The recurrent nature of the system is supported by the discovery of coronal lines in the spectra, which are observed only in symbiotic stars with massive white dwarfs and with short-recurrence-time outbursts. Gathered evidence is sufficient to classify LMC S154 as the first bona fide extragalactic symbiotic nova, which is likely a recurrent nova. It is also the first nova with a carbon-rich donor.


This work fulfills sublinear time Nearest Neighbor Search (NNS) in massivescale document collections. The primary contribution is to propose a two-stage unsupervised hashing framework which harmoniously integrates two state-of-theart hashing algorithms Locality Sensitive Hashing (LSH) and Iterative Quantization (ITQ). LSH accounts for neighbor candidate pruning, while ITQ provides an efficient and effective reranking over the neighbor pool captured by LSH. Furthermore, the proposed hashing framework capitalizes on both term and topic similarity among documents, leading to precise document retrieval. The experimental results convincingly show that our hashing based document retrieval approach well approximates the conventional Information Retrieval (IR) method in terms of retrieving semantically similar documents, and meanwhile achieves a speedup of over one order of magnitude in query time.


The debrisoquine and S-mephenytoin 4-hydroxylation phenotyping tests were performed in 14 healthy subjects. All were extensive metabolizers of both drugs. After at least 4 weeks, they received a 150 mg tablet of d-propoxyphene and 5 h later the debrisoquine-mephenytoin test was repeated. This single dose of d-propoxyphene caused no change in mephenytoin S/R ratio, but increased the debrisoquine metabolic ratio (MR) in each subject (p < 0.025). The four subjects with a relatively high MR (5.1–8.3) in the first test had an MR of debrisoquine in the second test ranging between 22 and 40, falsely classifying them as "poor metabolizers" of debrisoquine. This shows that d-propoxyphene is a potent inhibitor of debrisoquine, but not of S-mephenytoin 4-hydroxylase in vivo. A previous in vitro study has shown that d-propoxyphene inhibits the hydroxylation of desipramine, which is a substrate of the debrisoquine hydroxylase.


Technology in education has a significant impact on how new and creative types of assistance are offered to instructors, students, and the learning process as a whole. This review paper presents a literature review on educational and instructional technology in EFL/ESL classrooms. Utilizing the qualitative method, which relies solely on the collection of materials and findings from previous studies, such as books, papers, and articles, was employed. In addition, this review paper seeks to make the perspectives of earlier academics more visible and distinct. The study sheds light on whether technology enhances and influences the vocabulary, grammar, speaking, and reading skills of students. Based on the existing literature, technology in education is promising and a vital tool, especially in language learning. The findings have shown that there is a strong positive correlation between technology and language learning. Also, technology is the best helper, facilitator, and motivational factor in the classroom environment. Teachers are encouraged to use technology in teaching language skills, especially CALL, and wait to see positive results from their students. Finally, it is also advised that teachers educate themselves to become proficient in using different technology tools with their students. Ultimately, doing so, will lead them to enjoy teaching challenging subjects to their students using technology.


Aim We studied inflammatory response-related genes in cholangiocarcinoma by bioinformatics analysis. Methods The expression profiles and clinical information of cholangiocarcinoma patients were downloaded from the TCGA cohort and the Gene Expression Omnibus. The greatest absolute shrinking and selecting operator Cox analyses were utilized to build a multigene predictive signature. Results An inflammation response-related gene profile was generated using LASSO-Cox regression analysis of Homo sapiens bestrophin 1 (BEST1), Chemokine (C–C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2), and plasminogen activator, urokinase receptor (PLAUR). Individuals in the highest category had a significantly lower overall survival time than those from the low-risk group. A receiver operating curve analysis was used to demonstrate the predictive ability of the predictive gene signature. Through multivariate Cox analysis, the risk score was discovered to be a predictor of overall survival (OS). According to functional assessments, the immunological state and milieu of the two risk areas were significantly different. The expression levels of predictive genes were found to be strongly linked to the sensitivity of cancer cells to antitumor therapy. Conclusion A new signature made up of three respective response-relevant genes is found to be a promising indicator of prognosis by influencing the immune condition and tumor microenvironment.


Monolayer black phosphorous (BP) is a commonly used semiconducting two-dimensional material, thanks to its unique electronic properties of an atomically thin two-dimensional layered structure and its ability to be applied in a novel nanoscale metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect device. In this paper, we focus on a new compact band structure model and apply it to electron mobility calculations for monolayer BP. We propose a new compact band model based on an effective mass approximation considering a second-order non-parabolic correction to calculate the band structure, density of states, velocity squared, and other physical quantities of monolayer BP. Electron mobility using the Kubo-Greenwood formula is calculated based on the new corrected compact band model. Our new compact band model is very useful to TCAD simulation and design of future transistor devices with monolayer BP.


In article basic provisions of the modern theory of the conflicts in the annex to sports preparation are discussed. The characteristic of activity of athletes in psychological aspect is submitted, features of course of the conflicts in the sports environment are shown. By results of research of opinion of athletes the dominating methods of permission of conflict situations in the course of competitive activity during training in university are defined. It is established that the choice of a way of elimination of the conflict depends not only on specific features of its participant, but also on a sport. It is revealed that athletes of a command sport, at creation of the interpersonal relations choose collaborative style of behavior, and at the athletes who are engaged in individual sports at interaction with participants of sports activity the competitive type of behavior is shown.


The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a principal mediator of signal transduction in the cell, and disruption of its normal function (a mechanism known as ER stress) has been associated with the pathogenesis of several diseases. ER stress has been demonstrated to contribute to onset and progression of diabetic retinopathy (DR) by induction of multiple inflammatory signaling pathways. Recent studies have begun to describe the gene expression profile of ER stress-related genes in DR; moreover, genes that play a protective role against DR have been identified. P58IPK was determined to be able to reduce retinal vascular leakage under high glucose conditions, thus protecting retinal cells. It has also been found by our lab that ER-associated protein degradation factors exhibit significantly different expression patterns in rat retinas under sustained high glucose conditions. Future research based upon these collective genomic findings will contribute to our overall understanding of DR pathogenesis as well as identify potential therapeutic targets.


Seasonal changes in the concentration of ethanol and acetaldehyde of satsuma mandarin (Citrus unshiu Marc.) fruit were examined to determine whether these components afford an additional measure of maturity to the Brix-acid and total sugar-acid ratio.Samples of 'Okitsu Wase', an early maturing cultivar, and 'Silverhill', a common cultivar, were harvested at intervals of approximately 15 days from September 3, 1973 to January 28, 1974.The concentration of ethanol and acetaldehyde in the juice and peel of both cultivars increased gradually during maturation; ethanol increased from 9.74 to 19.92 mg and from 8.15 to 18.43mg per 100ml of juice in the early maturing and common cultivars respectively, while acetaldehyde increased from 0.188 to 0.836mg and from 0.183 to 0.823mg per 100ml of juice respectively. These low concentrations and narrow range seem to preclude these components as useful indicators of maturity. The rapid increase in Brix-acid and total sugar-acid ratio during the season provides a more sensitive indication of maturity in both cultivars.


The "one-armed bandit" problem of Bellman is a classic problem in sequential adaptive control. It is important a) for its own direct applications and b) since it is the simplest problem in the important class of Bayesian adaptive control problems. As in other such problems, even though the dynamic programming equation for the optimal expected return may be written down by inspection, it is extremely difficult to obtain explicit solutions. Concentrating on the case where the unknown parameter is beta-distributed, we establish the existence of a simple boundary curve separating the regions of unambiguous decision. Attention principally centers on the characterization and estimation of this curve. This is done with sufficient success to permit an explicit and complete solution of the problem for certain parameter ranges.


Twin methodology for the analysis of continuously distributed traits is presented as a guideline for initial steps in the analysis of twin data. Tests for heterogeneity of twin means and variances are reviewed along with estimates of genetic variance. Analysis of twin data appears on the surface to be a rather simple task, but investigators may well be confused by the wealth of choices available for hypothesis testing. This paper is designed to help the less experienced investigator, with perhaps a modest amount of data, begin analysis with maximum attention to testing all testable assumptions of the twin model, and using recent examples of applications of the methods.


This paper considers the question of the connection of educational institutions and their public communication and the impact on the quality of life. Relations with the public for a school are a presentation of its overall operation and functioning. Communication with the external environment allow the educational institution sending an information and receiving feedback, or establishing two-way process of informing. The power of public relations that establishes the schools in the skill at the right time and in an adequate way to activate interest and public attention to the goals, tasks, priorities, traditions and identity which has the same. The maintenance of public relations drive the school to brings changes in its functioning so to become a dynamic school and to create the image of quality educatio-nal institution in which the public will have confidence. In achieving the objectives, curriculum and other educational activities, besides the participants directly involved in the educational process, influence also points public policy which should be based on common goals and interests with educational institutions and participants in the educational process. Educational policy and implementation of programs related to educational institutions can contribute to easier and more quality functioning of the working activity of the school.


This paper examines (1) how the Ford Administration tried to persuade South Korea to give up obtaining the spent nuclear fuel reprocessing plant and their related technologies, which were one of the most sensitive among peaceful nuclear use, and (2) how the Carter Administration solved the dispute with Japan over the operation of its first reprocessing plant in Tokai-Mura. The Ford Administration found the multinational reprocessing concept as a solution to persuade South Korea to forgo its possession of reprocessing plant. In this concept, the multinational reprocessing plant was supposed to be established in territories of a more reliable nation, while the neighboring nations in sensitive areas were to be allowed to access that facility and gain the benefits in exchange for giving up its own reprocessing. The Ford administration tried to get the Japanese help to realize this concept. In the end, South Korea abandoned its reprocessing option because of the U.S. intimidation that the acquisition of reprocessing plant could have a negative impact on the U.S.-Korean bilateral security partnership. The Carter Administration, on the other hand, considered a reprocessing option uneconomic and even universally harmful in terms of proliferation risk, and so it called for a stronger effort to stop the spread of reprocessing plants. As such, the Carter Administration itself abandoned the reprocessing option domestically, while requesting the Japanese to reconsider the operation of the Tokai-Mura plant in attempt to demonstrate that it would seek the universal goal. Thus although the Carter Administration ended up giving concession to the Japanese government, the agreement was made on the condition that Japan's first reprocessing plant was to be operated on experimental basis for the first two years to obtain the technical data for the creation of the international regime to prevent the spread of sensitive technologies.


Exploring and understanding magnetism in two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) magnetic materials present a promising route for developing high-speed and low-power spintronics devices. Studying their magnetic properties at the nanoscale is challenging due to their low magnetic moment compared to bulk materials and the requirements of highly sensitive magnetic microscopy tools that work over a wide range of experimental conditions (e.g., temperature, magnetic field, and sample geometry). This Perspective reviews the applications of nitrogen-vacancy center (NV) based magnetometry to study magnetism in 2D vdW magnets. The topics discussed include the basics, advantages, challenges, and the usage of NV magnetometry.


Abstract The Dominican Republic retroactively stripped thousands of Dominico-Haitians of their Dominican citizenship yet managed to defuse international opprobrium over time. After a direct assault on people's citizenship status in 2013 provoked the human rights community's ire, the DR employed administrative obstructionism to maneuver around human rights activism and institutions. Policies instituted in 2014 appeared to offer a pathway for Dominico-Haitians to reinstate their citizenship yet were so administratively onerous that most of the affected population remains effectively stateless. Administrative obstructionism makes for an elusive target of attack because it unfolds across a series of decisions over time, transfers responsibility from a highly visible leader to dispersed and faceless bureaucrats, and is exceedingly difficult to monitor. Administrative obstructionism drags out proceedings, causing media attention to wither. Because international forces face special challenges in countering this strategy, a strong domestic opposition movement is necessary to sustain pressure on a rights-violating government.


Spray rolling is a novel strip casting technology in which molten aluminum alloy is atomized and deposited into the roll gap of mill rolls to produce aluminum strip. A combined experimental/modeling approach has been followed in developing this technology with active participation from industry. The feasibility of this technology has been demonstrated at the laboratory scale and it is currently being scaled-up. This paper provides an overview of the process and compares the microstructure and properties of spray-rolled 2124 aluminum alloy with commercial ingot-processed material


Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) owing to reactive organic gas (ROG) ozonolysis can be an important indoor particle source. However, SOA formation owing to ozonolysis of α-terpineol, which is emitted by consumer product usage and reacts strongly with ozone, has not been systematically quantified. Therefore, we conducted 21 experiments to investigate the SOA formation initiated by α-terpineol ozonolysis for high (0.84 h-1 ), moderate (0.61 h-1 ), and low (0.36 h-1 ) air exchange rates (AER), which is the frequency with which indoor is replaced by outdoor air. α-Terpineol concentrations of 6.39 to 226 ppb were combined with high ozone (~25 ppm) to ensure rapid and complete ozonolysis. No reactants were replenished, so SOA peaked quickly and then decreased due to AER and surface losses, and peak SOA ranged from 2.03 to 281 μg/m3 at unit density. SOA mass formation was parameterized with the aerosol mass fraction (AMF), a.k.a. the SOA yield, and AMFs ranged from 0.056 to 0.24. The AMFs strongly and positively correlated with reacted α-terpineol, whereas they weakly and negatively correlated with higher AERs. One-product, two-product, and volatility basis set (VBS) models were fit to the AMF data. Predictive modeling demonstrated that α-terpineol ozonolysis could meaningfully form SOA in indoor air.


In this paper we consider a class of second-order impulsive stochastic functional differential equations driven simultaneously by a Rosenblatt process and standard Brownian motion in a Hilbert space. We prove an existence and uniqueness result under non-Lipschitz condition which is weaker than Lipschitz one and we establish some conditions ensuring the controllability for the mild solution by means of the Banach fixed point principle. At the end we provide a practical example in order to illustrate the viability of our result.\end{abstract}


Controlled-flooding algorithms are widely used in unstructured networks. Expanding ring (ER) achieves low response delay, while its traffic cost is huge; dynamic querying (DQ) is known for its desirable behavior in traffic control, but it achieves lower search cost at the price of an undesirable latency performance; Enhanced dynamic querying (DQ+) can reduce the search latency too, while it is hard to determine a general optimum parameters set. In this paper, a novel algorithm named selective dynamic query (SDQ) is proposed. Unlike previous works that awkwardly processing floating TTL values, SDQ properly select an integer TTL value and a set of neighbors to narrow the scope of next query. Our experiments demonstrate that SDQ provides finer-grained control than other algorithms: its latency is close to the well-known minimum one via ER; in the mean time its traffic cost also close to the minimum. To our best knowledge, this is the first work capable of achieving best performance in terms of both response latency and traffic cost. In addition, our experiments also demonstrate that SDQ works well in various network topologies.


The aggregated journal-journal citation matrix -based on the Journal Citation Reports (JCR) of the Science Citation Index- can be decomposed by indexers and/or algorithmically. In this study, we test the results of two recently available algorithms for the decomposition of large matrices against two content-based classifications of journals: the ISI Subject Categories and the field/subfield classification of Glaenzel & Schubert (2003). The content-based schemes allow for the attribution of more than a single category to a journal, whereas the algorithms maximize the ratio of within-category citations over between-category citations in the aggregated category-category citation matrix. By adding categories, indexers generate between-category citations, which may enrich the database, for example, in the case of inter-disciplinary developments. The consequent indexer effects are significant in sparse areas of the matrix more than in denser ones. Algorithmic decompositions, on the other hand, are more heavily skewed towards a relatively small number of categories, while this is deliberately counter-acted upon in the case of content-based classifications. Because of the indexer effects, science policy studies and the sociology of science should be careful when using content-based classifications, which are made for bibliographic disclosure, and not for the purpose of analyzing latent structures in scientific communications. Despite the large differences among them, the four classification schemes enable us to generate surprisingly similar maps of science at the global level. Erroneous classifications are cancelled as noise at the aggregate level, but may disturb the evaluation locally.


Oxidative stress and inflammation are common manifestations of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and major mediators of its cardiovascular and various other complications. Oxidative stress and inflammation are intimately interrelated as each can cause the other. The present study tested the hypothesis that antioxidant therapy may alleviate oxidative stress and thereby improve inflammation in ESRD patients. To test this hypothesis, we studied 37 hemodialysis patients of whom 20 (aged 53 ± 14 years) were treated with a combination of vitamin (V) E, 800 IU; VC, 250 mg; VB6, 100 mg; VB12, 250 μg; and folic acid, 10 mg daily for 8 weeks. The remaining 17 patients (aged 51 ± 15 years) received placebo. Predialysis levels of f-2 isoprostane (a marker of oxidative stress), C-reactive protein (CRP, a marker of inflammation), and interleukin (IL)-6 (a potent proinflammatory cytokine) were measured prior to and at 4 and 8 weeks after the onset of therapy. Diabetes was the cause of ESRD in 14 of the antioxidant-treated and 9 of the placebo-treated patients. Kt/V (1.56 ± 0.22 vs 1.61 ± 0.23), predialysis blood pressure (155 ± 79 vs 154 ± 8 mm Hg), hemoglobin (11.7 ± 1.3 vs 12.1 ± 1.2 g), and ferritin levels (217 ± 135 vs 301 ± 157 ng/mL) were similar among antioxidant- and placebo-treated groups at baseline and were virtually unchanged throughout the study period. Likewise, f-2 isoprostane, IL-6, and CRP concentrations remained unchanged and were unaffected by antioxidant or placebo administration. Moreover, no significant changes were observed in any clinical parameters. In conclusion, consumption of a high-dose antioxidant cocktail for 8 weeks failed to significantly change either the clinical or biochemical parameters or plasma markers of oxidative stress and inflammation in ESRD patients.


Bacillus subtilis 168M contained a large amount of spermidine during the logarithmic phase of growth, but the amount decreased drastically during the stationary phase. The extracts, prepared from B. subtilis cells harvested in the logarithmic phase, contained activity of arginine decarboxylase (ADC) rather than the activity of ornithine decarboxylase. In the presence of alpha-difluoromethylarginine (DFMA), a specific and irreversible inhibitor of ADC, the amount of spermidine in B. subtilis during the logarithmic phase decreased to about 25% of the control cells. Under these conditions, spore formation of B. subtilis 168M delayed greatly without significant inhibition of cell growth. The decrease in spermidine content in the logarithmic phase rather than in the stationary phase was involved in the delay of sporulation. Electron microscopy of cells at 24 hrs. of culture confirmed the delay of spore formation by the decrease of spermidine content. Furthermore, the delay of sporulation was negated by the addition of spermidine. These data suggest that a large amount of spermidine existing during the logarithmic phase plays an important role in the sporulation of B. subtilis.


The
main objective of this paper is to review and examine the effects of the
selected collision parameter values on the characteristics of collision energy
in several ship collision scenarios. The benchmarking particulars were taken
from the ship-to-ship collision case on Sunda Strait in 2014, while the
collision process was modeled with non-linear simulations using the finite
element (FE) method to determine the predicted damage and internal energy in
the collision process. In the first phase, the verified model for the numerical
simulation was built based on the benchmarks and other previous findings by
researchers. The study of parameters during the collision process was performed
in a later stage. The location of the target point in the vertical axis and the
effect of the collision angle were the primary main focuses. The characteristics
of damage and energy tendencies will be presented. One remarkable findings was
that the structure of the car deck showed a better resistance and was more
difficult to destroy than the other proposed locations. The angle position
between the two objects during the impact process significantly contributed to
the damage pattern on the side hull. The final results also indicated that the
cross-section of the target point's location influenced the observed parameters.


This article proposes the document model of a hybrid knowledgebased document analysis system for business letters. The model combines requirements of object-oriented representation of both, documents as well as knowledge necessary for analysis tasks, and is based on the ODA platform. Model-driven document analysis increases the flexibility of a system because several analysis specialists can be used in co-operation to assist each other and to improve the results of analysis. The inherent modularity of the system allows for a reuse of knowledge sources and integral constituents of the architecture in other document classes such as forms or cheques.


Penetrating the era of the ASEAN Economic Community, the requisite of national business environment to prevail the competitionwas more exorbitant and formidable. A corporation could implement a program of Green Industry from the government to improve the effectiveness and efficiency.In enhancing the efficiency of Green Industry implementation, a corporate attempted to apply the theories in business psychology as an alternative of intervention.The objective of this study was to give the alternative intervention to the manufacturing business in implementing the Green Industry program. This study used the literature study as a method and limited the scope to develop the organization using the theory of business psychology as the intervention. The change management as part of the business psychology is the result of study after comparing the theories in the literature study method.


Mycetoma or Madura foot is a chronic localized granulomatous infection caused by varied species of fungi or actinomycetes clinically diagnosed by active discharging sinuses containing 'grains'. In atypical presentations or patients unwilling for invasive investigations, imaging essentially plays a key role in diagnosis and helps to differentiate actinomycetoma from eumycetoma. Here we present such an atypical case of unilateral foot swelling without sinuses–cryptic mycetoma. This 69 year old male from Kerala had a swelling over the left foot following trauma initially painless. An x-ray taken showed normal underlying bones with mild soft tissue swelling. To evaluate further USG was taken which showed fine hyperechoiec foci settled at the bottom of cavities highly suggestive of mycetoma. For confirmation USG guided biopsy was taken but was inconclusive. As patient was not willing for repeat biopsy, we advised non invasive MRI that revealed classical 'Dot In Circle' sign specific for mycetoma. The distinction that makes the case stand out is its absence of classical picture of discharging sinuses and the fact that imaging rather than histopathology helped confirm the diagnosis in mycetoma.


With increased life expectancy, the incidence of age-related cognitive impairments, faced by the elderly and older generations, is growing. Among the population with cognitive impairments, those that suffer from Alzheimer's disease are the most common. The Alzheimer's disease is a chronic degenerative brain disorder that is characterised by a failure of memory and, in some instances, by disorders in language, perception and planning. As a consequence of the progressive damages imposed by the illness, patients will increasingly seek and need assistance. This paper presents a tool to aid the development and managing of caregiving communities, comprising immediate family members, relatives, neighbours and healthcare professionals, to assist patients with Alzheimer's disease. Such communities could have a strong impact on the quality of care provided to the patients. At the same time, it is hoped that involving communities will significantly improve the quality of life of Alzheimer's patients and their families while reducing the costs related to the care provided. Preventing Alzheimer's Wandering: The Potential of Involving Communities


Communication cost and security issues are both important in large-scale distributed machine learning. In this paper, we investigate a multiclass sparse classification problem under two distributed systems. We propose two distributed multiclass sparse discriminant analysis algorithms based on mean-aggregation and median-aggregation under the normal distributed system or Byzantine failure system. Both of them are computation and communication efficient. Several theoretical results, including estimation error bounds, and support recovery, are established. With moderate initial estimators, our iterative estimators achieve a (near-)optimal rate and exact support recovery after a constant number of rounds. Experiments on both synthetic and real datasets are provided to demonstrate the effective-ness of our proposed methods.


Summary

The influence of wine polymers on the spontaneous precipitation of calcium tartrate in a model wine system has been examined. Rhamnogalacturonan-I was identified as the most effective inhibitor (precipitation induction time of 180 min compared with 7 min for the standard model). It is argued that this is a consequence of rhamnogalacturonan-I's ability to participate in the 'egg-box' type sequestration of calcium ions. The more structurally complex rhamnogalacturonan-II had only a minor influence on the induction time (22 min). Arabinogalactan proteins and mannoproteins also have little influence with induction times ranging from 12 to 15 min. An ultra-filtration study of four Chardonnay wines, prepared with and without the use of pectolytic enzymes, was performed in a search for conditions that might maximise the concentration of rhamnogalacturonan-I. However, rhamnogalacturonan-I could not be identified in any of the four wines. Implications of these observations, specifically the need to understand the inhibition exerted by specific uronic acids, for winemaking and calcium tartrate precipitation are discussed.


The ratiometric fluorescent probe B6S, which contains pyrene as a fluorophore and imidazoline-2-thione as a reactive site, was developed for detection of hypochlorite (OCl-). B6S displays a high specificity toward OCl- in contrast to other reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species. The probe has a low detection limit and operates under biological conditions. Moreover, the low cytotoxicity of B6S enables it to be utilized effectively for OCl- imaging in living cells and tissues by using two-photon microscopy. The findings indicate that B6S has the capability of serving as a probe to explore the biological functions of OCl- in living systems.


Purpose: This study was conducted to identify types of peer feedback in nursing skills performance training and to investigate emotional response, perceived quality of feedback and self-efficacy for learning from peer feedback. Methods: A total of 110 second-year nursing students attending fundamentals of nursing classes at a university participated in 2017. Participants received peer feedback from one selected colleague who observed their skills performance, and completed a questionnaire. Contents of peer feedback video recordings were transcribed and classified into seven types of feedback. Data were analyzed using an independent t-test, ANOVA and Pearson correlation. Results: Participants mostly received feedback of 'correcting' and 'providing information.' Positive emotional responses from peer feedback were above medium, and negative emotional responses were low. The perceived quality of peer feedback was moderate and self-efficacy for learning was high. Quality of feedback correlated with negative emotional response (r=-.24, p=.014), and self-efficacy for learning (r=.35, p<.001). Self-efficacy for learning correlated with intimacy with peers (r=.24, p=.011) and positive emotional response (r=.21, p=.028). Conclusion: The results suggest that peer feedback in skill training could be used in terms of emotional response and self-efficacy for learning.


Distinctions are drawn between various contrasting approaches to thermodynamics: it appears that thermodynamics is to be regarded as a plural discipline. Different types of thermodynamic theory are distinguished and classified, with particular reference to the distinction between a system of thermodynamics in which mechanics and other branches of macroscopic science are presupposed at the start, and a system of thermodynamics in which this is not the case.


In this paper, an energy saving variable damping seat suspension system is designed, manufactured, modeled, and validated. A continuously controllable electromagnetic damper (EMD) system, which consists of a permanent magnet synchronous motor, a three-phase rectifier, a metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) switch, and an external resistor, is built and tested first. Its model parameters have been identified based on the test results. The EMD's damping property can be controlled by exerting pulsewidth modulation (PWM) signal with different duty cycles on the MOSFET switch. The EMD is integrated with a planetary gearbox to amplify its torque output, and the formed variable damper is installed on the center of the scissors structure of a seat suspension. By analyzing the EMD test results and the seat suspension's kinematic, the controllable damping of the proposed seat suspension is derived as 112 to 746 N·s/m. A control method for vibration isolation is proposed based on the system model. The proposed variable damping seat suspension and its controller are validated on a six-degrees-of-freedom vibration platform in both frequency domain and time domain; a well-tuned commercial passive seat suspension is also tested for comparison. The test results show that the controlled variable damping seat suspension has better performance in vibration isolation than the proposed seat with highest and lowest damping, and the conventional passive one. In the meantime, the RMS value of the system harvestable power is 1.492 W, and the power consumption of the PWM control signal is small. Therefore, this variable damping seat suspension can improve ride comfort with ignorable energy cost.


We utilize a vibron-soliton model for amide-I vibrational quanta interacting with optical phonons to study the feature of infrared absorption of the protein molecules with finite temperature. The self-trapping of amide-I vibrational quantum results in red shift of the main peak and largely anomalous band to occur in the infrared absorption for the protein molecules. Utilizing the concise model of vibron and improved theory of color centers we have given theoretically the value of red shifts of the main peak and the intensity of anomalous band in infrared absorption, respectively, the latter reduces with increasing temperature which is consistent with the experimental result.


Improving the thruster efficiency is a crucial challenge for the development of space electric propulsion systems, especially advanced air-breathing thrusters utilizing the surrounding rarefied atmosphere as fuel. A significant reduction in thruster power consumption can be achieved by using field emission (FE) cathodes that do not require heating and have the highest energy efficiency. In this work, we study FE from nano-graphite thin films, consisting of carbon nanostructures with a high aspect ratio, and demonstrate their suitability for use in the space electric propulsion systems. The films shown appropriate FE characteristics in a wide range of gas pressures at high current loads in constant and pulsed operation modes. Based on the obtained experimental results, nano-graphite cathodes were employed for the design of an electron gun with increased reliability and minimized energy losses associated with electron extraction. The possibility of using such a gun in a specific air-breathing satellite operating in low Earth orbits is demonstrated.


The level of control, as well as the duration of the disease is an important factor influencing degenerative changes and good control will delay and possibly prevent degenerative changes.
 Our present knowledge makes it not only possible but practicable to maintain a high level of control of diabetes in children living in a well adjusted home.
 Until more knowledge concerning the treatment of childhood diabetes is available, a high level of control appears to offer the best means of averting or delaying chronic degenerative changes.
 Additional knowledge is needed to understand the pathologic physiology of various levels of noncontrol.
 An optimistic rather than a pessimistic outlook is warranted.


We developed a wideband, low-power, lightweight, prototype ground-penetrating radar (GPR) for subsurface exploration for Mars. The transmitter and receiver subsystems were constructed using a commercially available radio frequency (RF) and digital integrated circuits, connectorized components, and evaluation boards. The transmit/receive system, antennas, laptop controller, and batteries are all accommodated on a 2.5-m sled. Field experiments were conducted in Kansas and Alaska. The experiments in Kansas tested the operation of the system. The primary objective of the Alaska experiments was to investigate the ability of a GPR to detect and distinguish between subsurface deposits of ice and ice-cemented soils. The investigation depths of these experiments ranged from 1 m to 30 m, and the subsurface geology included near-surface thaw, discontinuous permafrost, water-saturated soils, and lenses of pure ice. Dielectric contrasts within the ground were detected with near-meter resolution; however, identifying the geologic context of an interface was difficult due to ambiguities associated with reflection data. These investigations demonstrate some of the difficulties associated with inverting reflection data to obtain dielectric properties of the subsurface. Fortunately, previous geophysical investigations such as drilled cores and seismic surveys helped to constrain the geology, and numerical simulations provided an additional resource for the interpretations. On Mars, additional geological context will be limited and numerical simulations will become extremely important for data interpretation. Due to these difficulties, we demonstrate in one experiment how dielectric information can be obtained directly from bistatic measurements with a fixed transmitter and mobile receiver. Finally, a comparison with a commercially available Geophysical Survey Systems, Inc. (GSSI) radar system is presented, and we discuss how the system can be modified and improved for future exploration on Mars.


One causes of low Physics learning outcomes is the lack of ability in creative thinking. It can solve by integrated biomass energy matterial and equipped with steps of heuristic problem solving learning. Integration of biomassa energy matterial expected to form energy efficient character to students. The purposes of these research are investigate the effects and contributed of integrated biomassa energy material to Physics learning outcomes. This research is Quasi Eksperiment Research with population were all of class XI MIA SMAN 12 Padang listed at 2014/2015 year academy. Results of research show the average of Physisc learning outomes are 82,62 and 74,90 at cognitive competence, 84,60 and 80,50 at affective competence, 87,80 and 85,10 at psikomotor competence. By using t analiys, tcount>ttable so alternatif hipotesis is accepted. From corelation analysis, the contributed of integrated biomass energy material is 66,8% to cognitive competence, 56,4% to affective competence and 67,1% to psikomotor comptence. The conclussions of these researh is there are significant effect and contribution of integrated biomass energy material to work, energy, momentum and impuls material in heuristiv problem solving learning.


An attempt was made to investigate the condition of infestation by the spionid polychaetes settled on the shell of the scallop Patinopecten yessoensis on the Okhotsk Sea coast of Hokkaido in Japan.The boring polychaetes were identified as Polydora variegata, Polydora ciliata and Polydora concharum. A large number of Polydora worms were observed to settle on the shell of the cultured scallop sowed in Abashiri Bay, and the dominant species was P. variegata throughout the year. It was also observed that the worms settled almost exclusively on the left valve of the scallop and the location of the burrows formed by them varied markedly with the species.In general, the larvae of P. variegata hatched out from the egg capsule mainly during the months of October and November and the settlement of these worms took place from January to April. On the other hand, the settling period of P. ciliata seemed to be found twice a year, namely, in July and from December to April. There was a tendency for the earliest settlement of both P. variegata and P. ciliata to occur on a narrow band around the periphery of the left valve. When numerous P. variegata settled on the shell of 1-year-old scallop in the first winter season after the start of sowing cultures, the place of attachment of the adductor muscle to the left valve overlapped the shell region heavily infested with the worms by the time of harvesting (2 years after sowing especially in Abashiri waters). In addition, the burrows often penetrate to the adductor muscle and hence the influence of P. variegata is of concern to our understanding of the low growth rate of scallops in Abashiri waters.


Common techniques for pedestrian candidates generation (e.g., sliding window approaches) are based on an exhaustive search over the image. This implies that the number of windows produced is huge, which translates into a significant time consumption in the classification stage. In this paper, we propose a method that significantly reduces the number of windows to be considered by a classifier. Our method is a monocular one that exploits geometric and depth information available on single images. Both representations of the world are fused together to generate pedestrian candidates based on an underlying model which is focused only on objects standing vertically on the ground plane and having certain height, according with their depths on the scene. We evaluate our algorithm on a challenging dataset and demonstrate its application for pedestrian detection, where a considerable reduction in the number of candidate windows is reached.


Glycine-receptor(GlyR) antibodies are well defined in progressive encephalomyelitis with rigidity and myoclonus (PERM), and are associated with a limited spectrum of immunotherapy-responsive syndromes. Whilst paradigms of autoantibody pathogenicity have been proposed, the trigger and propagation of GlyR antibodies remains unclear. We herein describe and define clinical and immunobiological observations of a GlyR antibody positive patient with PERM with the rare association of an ovarian teratoma. A 36-year-old woman presented with subacute axial and limb rigidity, stimulus-sensitive myoclonus, startle, ataxia, anxiety and episodic apnoea. GlyR antibodies were present in serum and CSF. CT revealed a 53 mm left ovarian teratoma. Despite improvement following immunotherapy, she relapsed with respiratory arrest, therefore removal of the left ovarian teratoma was performed. The fresh teratoma tissue was cultured in B-cell stimulating and plasma cell maintaining conditions, based on similar work with ovarian teratomas from patients with NMDAR-antibody encephalitis (Makuch et al., Annals of Neurology 2018).This teratoma secreted GlyR antibodies into culture supernatants consistent with intra-tumoral synthesis of glycine-receptor antibodies. Whilst marked post-surgical improvement was observed, relapses persisted in correspondence with persistent glycine-receptor antibodies. Our case highlights key areas for clinical consideration; GlyR antibody-mediated disease can be paraneoplastic in nature; ovarian teratomas can produce pathogenic autoantibodies; late tumour removal or immunotherapy worsens prognosis.


This paper draws on the authors' experiences of nursing in general and of action research projects. Parallels will be drawn between, on the one hand, the relationship between the practice and theory of nursing and, on the other band, the relationship between the practice and theory of action research. Difficulties common to nursing and action research will be identified (e.g. between the implementation of the theory of nursing and of action research). Over- simplification, non-specificity of issues and gaps in theory are frequent but inevitable problems that hinder theoretical applications. Similarly, comparisons will be made between the problems associated with the translation of nursing practice into theory and the difficulties in transposing the experience of research into theory. The complexities of practice, whether nursing or research, and the evolutionary nature of experience inescapably give rise to dilemmas when analysing theory and practice. The concepts of theory and practice when conceived as a dichotomy present a useful overview of issues. We argue that, through a discussion of the core themes of action research, including 'knowledge in action' and 'self and group reflection', consideration should also be given to a symbiotic and complementary analysis of theory and practice. We observe that many contradictions exist within the theory and practice of action research and of nursing, and that these need to be addressed to promote theoretical and practical advances. Action research offers theoretical and practical insights that contribute to the current debate on the reciprocal relationship between theory and practice.


Summary 1. Some invasive alien plants accelerate nutrient turnover in the ecosystem because the litter they produce has a high specific leaf area (SLA), high concentrations of nutrients and low concentrations of lignin and polyphenolics, and therefore decomposes rapidly. These litter properties are typical of plants from nutrient-rich but not nutrient-poor ecosystems, and we therefore hypothesize that species that successfully invade nutrient-poor ecosystems might not exhibit them. We tested our hypothesis in a nutrient-poor tropical forest on a granitic island in the Seychelles. 2. Leaf litter properties and annual decomposition rates of six native and six invasive woody species were compared in a field experiment. Each species group included two pioneer, two understorey and two canopy species. We also compared soil fertility under trees of Cinnamomum verum (dominant alien canopy tree), Falcataria moluccana (alien pioneer N-fixing tree) and Northea hornei (dominant native canopy tree), measuring total nutrient concentrations and nutrient absorption by ion exchange resins. 3. Within the ecological groups of pioneer and canopy species, litter of invasive species had higher mean values of SLA (120% higher) and leaf N concentration (80% higher), and litter decomposition was 40%‐80% faster (rate k ) than for native species; however, there were no such differences in the group of understorey species. Soils sampled under the three tree species differed little in nutrient concentrations. 4. The results indicate that even on the very nutrient-poor soils of the granitic Seychelles, some pioneer invasive species produce more decomposable litter and therefore have the potential to alter rates of nutrient cycling. However, the small differences in soil fertility beneath native and invasive trees suggest that impacts of invasive species on nutrient cycling are more complex and less predictable in nutrient-poor ecosystems, where several nutrients may be co-limiting, and native and alien species coexist.


For characterization of the detailed gene structure of human muscle type carnitine palmitoyltransferase I (M-CPTI), we analyzed the 5′-upstream region of the M-CPTI transcripts. As a result, we found a cDNA clone containing a nucleotide sequence unexpected from the reported M-CPTI gene structure in the upstream region of its 5′ end. Comparison of this nucleotide sequence with that of genomic DNA showed that this sequence was derived from the 3′-untranslated region of the gene encoding choline/ethanolamine kinase-β (CK/EK-β) located upstream of the M-CPTI gene. Southern blot analysis showed that there was no other region homologous to the CK/EK-β gene in the whole human genome. Thus, the overlapping transcript was concluded to be produced from the functional genes of CK/EK-β and M-CPTI. Furthermore, cDNAs containing both exons of these genes were detected by the polymerase chain reaction using the cDNA of human heart M-CPTI obtained by specific reverse transcription from its 3′-untranslated region as a template. From these results, the production and organization of these overlapping transcripts are discussed.


This is a documentation of effective partnership that helped to improve Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) outcomes for the urban poor in Kolkata, India. This partnership was supported by the IDA financed (US$ 71.4 million) Family Welfare Urban Slums Project. The Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) implemented the project using a Credit of about US$17 million. A total of 3.8 million urban poor (family income less than US$ 32 per month) from three municipal corporations (Howrah and Chandan Nagar, and part of Kolkata), and 37 smaller municipalities benefited from this partnership. The project provided basic community outreach, as well as facility based Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) services, including counseling to the urban poor. Subsequently, nonbeneficiaries (above poverty line) also received services on payment of costs at lower-than-market rate. This model has subsequently been extended to 20 more cities in the state of West Bengal with support from the Department for International Development (DFID) and IDA.


Donor lymphocyte infusions were given to 13 consecutive chronic myeloid leukemia patients in relapse after allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Of the 13 patients, 11 achieved a molecular remission and 2 a cytogenetic remission. The median time (range) in months to achieve a hematologic, cytogenetic and molecular remission was 2 (1-2), 5 (1-42) and 5 the median response duration is 16 months (range 1-36), and no patient shows evidence of relapse.


This chapter synthesizes findings from the reviews of education using Web 2.0, social networking, mobile learning, and virtual worlds, in light of the earlier chapters on context, technology, pedagogy, content, and design. Benefits and issues associated technology-enhanced learning are generalized, with an important finding being the quite different ways that different technologies contribute to each. Twenty technology-enhanced learning design principles are derived from abstracting the Web 2.0, social networking, mobile learning, and virtual worlds literature. The benefits, issues, and technology-enhanced learning design principles are then related to one another by virtue of 13 clusters of concerns, namely pedagogy, access, communication, content representation, collaboration, motivation and engagement, vicarious learning and reflection, digital learning capabilities, assessment and feedback, student-centered learning, learning communities, protecting students, and teacher support. The analysis enables the general learning technology literature to be linked to concrete examples and evidential sources, so that educators and researchers can construct a deep and connected understanding of technology-enhanced learning design.


BACKGROUND
Anxiety and depression are prevalent comorbidities in COPD and are related to a worse course of disease. The present study examined the impact of anxiety and depression on functional performance, dyspnea, and quality of life (QoL) in patients with COPD at the start and end of an outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) program.

METHODS
Before and after PR, 238 patients with COPD (mean FEV(1) % predicted = 54, mean age = 62 years) underwent a 6-min walking test (6MWT). In addition, anxiety, depression, QoL, and dyspnea at rest, after the 6MWT, and during activities were measured.

RESULTS
Except for dyspnea at rest, improvements were observed in all outcome measures after PR. Multiple regression analyses showed that before and after PR, anxiety and depression were significantly associated with greater dyspnea after the 6MWT and during activities and with reduced QoL, even after controlling for the effects of age, sex, lung function, and smoking status. Moreover, before and after PR, anxiety was related to greater dyspnea at rest, whereas depression was significantly associated with reduced functional performance in the 6MWT.

CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrates that anxiety and depression are significantly associated with increased dyspnea and reduced functional performance and QoL in patients with COPD. These negative associations remain stable over the course of PR, even when improvements in these outcomes are achieved during PR. The results underline the clinical importance of detecting and treating anxiety and depression in patients with COPD.


Dissolved nutrient and chlorophyll-a concentrations were monitored on 17 occasions and at 16 sites in the Garonne River (France). Concentrations of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) increased about threefold downstream of the urban area of Toulouse. Chlorophyll-a concentrations increased concomitantly with DIN and SRP downstream of Toulouse. Chlorophyll-a concentrations were maximal in late winter to early spring and in summer, in-between the snow-melt driven spring flood and rainfall-driven autumn flood. Dissolved silica (DSi) concentrations were negatively correlated with chlorophyll-a concentrations, suggesting uptake by algae. DSi depletion was more severe downstream of Toulouse, suggesting that eutrophication may affect DSi consumption in the Garonne River.


The High Luminosity upgrade of the LHC (HL-LHC) places unprecedented requirements for background monitoring and luminosity measurements. The CMS Tracker Endcap Pixel Detector (TEPX) will be adapted to provide high-precision online measurements of bunch-by-bunch luminosity and beam-induced background. The implementation of dedicated triggering and readout systems, the real-time clustering algorithm on an FPGA and the expected performance are discussed. The innermost ring of the last layer (D4R1) will be operated independently from the rest of TEPX enabling beam monitoring during the LHC ramp and during unqualified beam conditions. The system optimisation and the dedicated timing and trigger infrastructure for D4R1 are also presented.


In the network planning phase, the maximum harmonic emission limits will be allocated by network utilities to individual distorting installation, which will be connected to systems. Each distorting installation is responsible for maintaining its harmonic voltage as well as current levels within the allocated limits in order to avoid the overall harmonic problems in networks. This paper gives the overview of the assessment procedure of emission limits for connection of distorting installations to High Voltage (HV) and Extra High Voltage (EHV) systems as well as the concept of sharing planning levels for harmonic voltages according to the technical report IEC 61000–3–6. In this paper, some new concepts are introduced and implemented as the extension to the method proposed in IEC 61000–3–6 under consideration of the global and future harmonic emission. The proposed method suites network calculations without complicated algorithms and could be seen as complementary to IEC 61000–3–6. The method introduced in this work would contribute to lower harmonic emission limits to the new distorting installations. However, this would be necessary especially in the environment where harmonic distorting degree in neighboring networks is strong and the new distorting installations should not contribute to overall harmonic problems in the considered system. At the end of this paper, a calculation example of wind power grid integration in the aspect of harmonic planning levels is given in order to demonstrate the simplified application of the presented method in this paper.


Preimplantation embryonic biopsy and analysis offer couples at increased risk of having offspring affected with a genetic disorder the possibility of an early prenatal diagnosis. For many couples, this approach would avoid the issue of the selective termination of affected fetuses. Substantial advances have been made in the area of preimplantation diagnosis, but the possible difficulties with this approach cannot be ignored.


The objective of this paper is to analyze the effect of the pollutant such as petrol-emulsion on the electromagnetic scattered filed by a maritime surface. Firstly, we investigate the pollutant influence on the maritime surface and physical properties of seawater. Then, we simulate the variation of electromagnetic scattering of the clean maritime surface and also the polluted surface. In this study, the clean and polluted seas are modeled using a semi-empirical spectrum. The simulations of scattering coefficients are realized by using the Forward-Backward Method (FBM), the Composite Two Scale-Model (CTSM) and the Small Slope Approximation (SSA) in monostatic and bistatic configurations. The effect of the pollutant on the electromagnetic scattering of a maritime surface has been studied as function of oil percentage, angles, frequency values and polarization state.


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Abstract : One of the most significant problems confronting ring laser development is short life. The key to long ring laser life is a clean cavity (free of contaminants). The objectives of the contract were to test the RF cleaning concept and to build deliverable RLG hardware including both sensors and electronics. The RF cleaning study was performed to determine the feasibility of using RF energy to clean ring laser gyro cavities. A 'dual discharge' approach was selected as the most suitable RF coupling technique for cavity cleaning. Experimental studies were conducted to select and optimize cleaning parameters and procedures. Comparative effectiveness of cleaning techniques was measured by optical spectroscopy and by life test of operational ring laser instruments. Data are presented which indicate that oxygen is the most efficient cleaning gas and that RF cleaning used in conjunction with normal thermal degassing processes can provide for improved laser gyro cleanliness. Conclusions and recommendations for future studies are also presented. Instrument and electronic design of the deliverable hardware are described. Autonetics state-of-the-art design and processing techniques are incorporated in the sensor design. Operating procedures and test results obtained with the equipment at Autonetics are given. A summary is presented of brief studies conducted on RLG reliability, maintainability, and system safety.