Background: Literature studies and analysis of the situation in business practice indicate the organizational culture as an important determinant that can inhibit or assist in the implementation of adaptive, proactive and proinnovation changes. New situations appearing in the external and internal environment as well as new conditions created by technical and technological progress oblige enterprises to adapt or even anticipate changes. Readiness for modification occurs when employees are not satisfied with the existing organizational culture and they prefer a different one. The diagnosis of the discrepancy between the existing and expected organizational culture allows us to assess the willingness to change the situation in the enterprise. This article presents a case study focused on identifying the actual and desired organizational culture in order to diagnose the crew's readiness for changes in the company and possibility an application of design thinking as a as a way to implement innovative solutions. Methods: The study was conducted in was used OCAI questionnaire, whose authors are: K.S. Cameron and R.E. Quinn. While using the questionnaire, the current and desired state of the organizational culture of the analysed enterprise has been determined. Based on literature studies, the possibilities of using design thinking in the process of changing the organizational culture were verified. Results and Conclusions: The research results reveal dissonance between the existing and desired state and enable the assessment of the willingness and readiness of the company's staff to change and the possibility of using design thinking. The aim of study was to identify a research gap a diagnosis organisational culture as a factor in change and a possibility of using design thinking in process change. Organizational culture in the course of changes in an enterprise has a decisive impact on employees' abilities and inclinations to develop and implement new ideas.


Recent experimental and clinical data demonstrate that regulatory T cells (Tregs) are recruited to the tumor site where they can suppress tumor-specific immunity. Increasing evidence indicates that Treg recruitment to the tumor is mediated by the production of chemokine CCL22, a ligand of chemokine receptor CCR4, by tumor cells and tumor resident macrophages. Therefore, blocking Treg migration and function through CCL22/CCR4 axis may have therapeutic value in cancer treatment. With a mouse model bearing CCL22-secreting ovarian xenograft and tumor-specific T cells, we assessed the therapeutic effect of human anti-CCR4 antibody mAb2-3 to block or modulate immunological axes involved in tumor immune evasion. CCR4 expression was demonstrated at a high level on functional CD4+CD25+ Tregs and T cell proliferation was restored by removal of CCR4+ Tregs in vitro. In vivo examinations showed isotyping of mAb2-3 had marked effects on its mode of action: mAb2-3 IgG1 results in Treg depletion whereas IgG4 blocks in vivo chemotactic migration to CCL22-secreting ovarian cancer (OVC) cells without Treg depletion. The mAb2-3-treated mice bearing OVC xenograft and tumor-primed T cells showed the ability to inhibit Treg recruitment and resulted in potent anti-tumor immunity. The results revealed that depletion of Tregs and blockade of Treg recruitment through mAb2-3 IgG1 and IgG4, respectively, could reverse Treg suppression and improve cellular immunity against tumors.


The last three decades have witnessed fundamental structural changes in many western economies. Traditional sectors have seen dramatic reductions in manpower needs and large organisations have reorganised and rationalised. As in-house jobs have disappeared, opportunities for entrepreneurial, small firms to meet the outsourcing needs of growing numbers of organisations have increased dramatically. Agencies and government departments concerned with economic development and boosting levels of new firm formation are keen to encourage would-be entrepreneurs to establish ventures. While the provision of external support and the role of mentors through the venture creation process are valuable inputs into the process, the entrepreneur is arguably the most important resource. Understanding the role of the entrepreneur in the start-up process, and the knowledge and skills which he requires to perform his role effectively, will assist those seeking to enhance levels of new venture creation. This paper explores the sources and development of knowledge and skills in a group of 94 high-technology small firm founders in software and electronics. Marked differences are apparent in the background and experiences of entrepreneurs in the two sectors, as the founders have travelled contrasting routes to arrive at the entrepreneurial starting line. Findings are of significance for agencies supporting technology-based firm development and would-be entrepreneurs considering enterprise creation opportunities.


This paper presents many varied mobile platform suited for different kinds unmanned ground vehicles applications. The Unmanned Ground Vehicle's platform is the glue that holds together all the other aspects of a field able tactical military unmanned ground vehicle. Unless the platform exhibits a high degree of mobility and outstanding ruggedness it will fail to achieve its target location. If the UGV can not deploy its sensors at the correct location then the mission is rendered useless. The platform should merge the drive system, a power supply system sufficient for the required mission period, an advanced communication system capable of returning real-time information to the user and a user friendly Human Machine Interface that allows long term, stress free operations. The platform must have a very high immunity to electro-magnetic interference, and logistically any tactical UGV must not impose a heavy load on available systems or manpower. Unmanned Ground Vehicle technology areas, platforms for reconnaissance, surveillance and EOD missions, the first dedicated IED disposal robotic platform "Wheelbarrow", remotely controlled French tank (AMX30B2) for mine clearance operations, All terrain vehicle Gamma Goat, schematic of typical hybrid electric power train for UGVs, AHED 8x8 Phantom view revealing power and propulsion are presented in the paper.


The increasing market demand for Glyptocidaris crenularis shapes its great potential for aquaculture. Temperature is an important factor affecting gonad production and quality of sea urchins. Therefore, it is essential and valuable to carry out an evaluation of the temperature effects on gonad production and quality in G. crenularis before potential aquaculture. Here, we investigated the long-term effects of temperature on gonad production, colour and flavour in G. crenularis. There was no significant difference of test diameter, height and body weight between the sea urchins in high (16–23°C) and low (12–16°C) temperatures (P > 0.05). Glyptocidaris crenularis showed significantly higher gonad production and index in high temperature and in low temperature (P < 0.05). L*, a*, b* readings were slightly higher in the low temperature groups, although no significant difference was found (P > 0.05). Subjective colour and flavour ratings found that G. crenularis in the low temperature group showed significantly better colour (P = 0.003) and flavour (P < 0.001) than those in the high temperature group. The present study provides valuable and insightful information into the establishing G. crenularis aquaculture.


Background : Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) is an important indicator of reproductive health and its reduction remains a challenge in India. Aims &Objective: This study was conducted with the aim of estimating MMR in two states Orissa and Rajasthan having high MMR as well as to identify the associated medical causes of maternal mortality. Material Methods: This survey was conducted from October 2010-June 2012 on a sample of 13 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in Orissa and 15 PHCs in Rajasthan. These numbers have been derived after estimating the total number of live births using MMR and birth rate from Sample Registration System. 1997-2003.An adapted snowball technique was adopted wherein maternal deaths were captured by snowball technique and the numbers of live births were taken from the available records from the various health facilities in the study.  Results : The overall birth rate in Orissa was found to be 19 per 1000 population while in Rajasthan it was 24 per 1000 population. The study revealed that 17% additional maternal deaths could be captured by snowball technique as against the official record. The overall weighted estimate of MMR was 252 per one lakh live births (95% CI: 246-259 per 1,00,000 live births) in Orissa and 209 per one lakh live births (95% CI: 207-211 per one lakh live births) in Rajasthan. The main causes of maternal deaths were post-partum haemorrhage, anaemia and septicaemia. More than 25% maternal deaths could be attributed to indirect causes including suicide, accident and infectious diseases. Conclusion : There appears to be a positive trend towards reduction of maternal mortality in Orissa and Rajasthan. Greater care is essential to reduce medical as well as incidental causes of death during pregnancy.


Geopolymer concrete is a relatively new form of concrete that is considered "green" and environmentally friendly. The production of Portland cement accounts for five percent of the carbon dioxide emissions today. As abundant as this material is, it should not be one of the top contributors to carbon dioxide emissions and therefore a new form of concrete should be developed. The current goal for scientists and engineers is to formulate a Geopolymer that possesses the most beneficial characteristics of all of these different types while maintaining its environmental integrity. This goal sounds simple but because there are so many different compositions, it is tough to obtain a Geopolymer concrete that adheres to the previously mentioned guidelines. We are doing our project on Geopolymer concrete using GGBS which will react with sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate solutions. GGBS is rich in silica and alumina which will react with alkaline solution to produce alumina silicate gel that acts as the binding material for the concrete. As coarse aggregate we are using a combination of gravels and broken tile (Mangalore tile) pieces and rock sand as fine aggregate.


Strategic management is a term used to describe a decision process. It relates to the strategy in which decisions are made and activities are performed in order to achieve company goals most effectively. Our previous research on strategic decisionmaking combined both SWOT and ANP within the same case study. Now, we propose to use another method of analysis, as the values of indicators and attributes that impact the decision making process are often vague and imprecise. Therefore in the current research design we aim to use both SWOT and the Fuzzy approach of ANP to measure weight priorities. In order to obtain higher certainty and accuracy across a number of criteria comparatively our results suggested that SWOT and Fuzzy methodology use an enhanced version of the previous SWOT and ANP analysis and is not only a more accurate guide for strategic management at IUH but also leads to improved effectiveness for related decisionmaking processes.


Section 12(1)(c) of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 provides for inclusion of children from disadvantaged and weaker sections in private unaided schools. Although meant to foster inclusion and achieve social justice objectives, this legal provision has been highly contested and its implications for the expanding private sector in school education are not fully understood. This article is based on an exploratory study, conducted in Bengaluru and Delhi, which examines the status of implementation of this provision with a view to delineate key issues at the level of state administration, schools and parents. Using qualitative data collected from the two sites, the study compares and comments on the extent to which the provision has been able to deliver on its purported goal of inclusion. It concludes by identifying gaps and challenges that require an urgent policy response.


Coumarins are known for their diverse biological activities. In this study, antiangiogenic potentials of Herniarin (7-methoxy derivative of coumarin-7MC) were tested using embryonic angiogenesis of zebrafish (Danio rerio) as model. Laboratory raised developing embryos (in triplicate sets of 20 embryos/set) were exposed to 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5mM concentrations of 7MC from 6hpf (hours post fertilization) until completion of embryogenesis. After hatching (72hpf) development trajectory of larva was traced for a week. At 72hpf, patterning of blood vessels, detection of blood flow by the presence of red blood cells (RBC) by globin expression, cardiac anomalies/heart rates, cellular apoptosis, morphological deformities and mortality rates were recorded. IC50 (50% ISV inhibitory concentration) and LC50 (50% lethal concentration) were determined for 7MC exposed larvae. Whole mount staining for alkaline phosphatase at 72 hpf indicated that formation of major blood vessels Viz. intersegmental vessels (ISV), dorsal aorta (DA), dorsal longitudinal anastomotic vessel (DLAV), posterior cardinal vein (PCV) and common cardinal veins (CCV) was perturbed and blood flow in them was disturbed in larvae of chemical exposed embryo sin comparison with corresponding controls. Exposure of embryos to higher concentrations (> 4mM 7MC) not only interfered blood vessel patterning but resulted in a decrease in heart rates, tail distortions, increased cellular apoptosis and elevated mortality rates. These results suggest that 7MC manifests antiangiogenic effects on zebrafish embryonic angiogenesis with IC50 value of 2.64mM. This biological property of 7MC may be explored in tumour suppressor therapeutics to enhance the antiangiogenic effects drugs in synergistic combination.


Estimating the distribution over failures is a key step in validating autonomous systems. Existing approaches focus on finding failures for a small range of initial conditions or make restrictive assumptions about the properties of the system under test. We frame estimating the distribution over failure trajectories for sequential systems as Bayesian inference. Our model-based approach represents the distribution over failure trajectories using rollouts of system dynamics and computes trajectory gradients using automatic differentiation. Our approach is demonstrated in an inverted pendulum control system, an autonomous vehicle driving scenario, and a partially observable lunar lander. Sampling is performed using an off-the-shelf implementation of Hamiltonian Monte Carlo with multiple chains to capture multimodality and gradient smoothing for safe trajectories. In all experiments, we observed improvements in sample efficiency and parameter space coverage compared to black-box baseline approaches. This work is open sourced.


Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explain the reversal of language hierarchy in a Finnish multinational corporation (MNC) from a political perspective. This paper situated the language hierarchy in the historical context of the colonial-style relationship between Finland and Russia. From a post-colonial perspective, the colonial legacy of Russia has had an influence on language strategy and everyday translation work in the Finnish multinational until the present day.

Design/methodology/approach
This paper undertook a case study based on qualitative secondary analysis of existing data sets. These data sets originated from two previously conducted studies of the same Finnish MNC.

Findings
The findings revealed a reversal of the traditional corporate language hierarchy. Russian, as the host country language of powerful local subsidiaries, rose to the top of the hierarchy at the expense of English, the common corporate language, and other languages. The colonial-style relationship was enacted by professional and paraprofessional translators who collaborated by using "the master's language and imitating the master's voice" to reap the strategic benefits of local responsiveness.

Originality/value
In contrast to previous work drawing on post-colonial theory in the study of MNCs, this paper represents the headquarters in Finland as the "colonised" party and the Russian subsidiaries as the "coloniser." Owing to its colonial legacy, Russian, the host country language, became very powerful and influenced the language strategy of the entire MNC. This paper conceptualized translation as a multilevel phenomenon and offers a holistic explanation of why the language hierarchy in the Finnish MNC was reversed.


This study is dedicated to the interaction between oil and gas companies and local communities that depend deeply on the production of oil. One of the key concerns of all oil-dependent communities is the distribution of oil rent: Who participates in decision making regarding the distribution of oil profits and who can claim the benefits and on what grounds? Benefit sharing arrangements are used to decide such matters in global practice. Using Russian Arctic and subarctic areas as examples, we analyze the main rules and practices of the distribution of benefits from oil production at the local level. This study focuses on the coexistence of oil companies and indigenous people, many of whom practice a traditional way of life. We also pay attention to the institutionalization of the norms and rules of oil-dependent communities at the local level.


This paper investigates the problem of global asymptotic stabilization of underactuated surface vessels (USVs) with input saturation. A novel input transformation is presented, so that the USV system can be transformed to a cascade structure. For the obtained system, the improved fractional power control laws are proposed to ensure input signals do not exceed actuator constraints and enhance convergence rates. Finally, stabilization and parameter optimization algorithm of USVs are proposed. Simulations are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the presented method.


This paper proposes the possibility of developing fault diagnosis and remedial operating strategies, which enable a fault tolerant induction motor drive system. The fault mode investigated is the case in which a misfiring does occur in one of the power switches. The fault diagnosis is achieved by using a strategy that permits both identification and isolation of the faulty components. The fault tolerance is obtained by reconfiguration of the inverter topology. This allows for continuous free operation of the drive even with complete loss of one of the legs of the inverter. Experimental results demonstrate the validity of the system proposed.


At the annual meeting of the American Dermatological Association in 1924, under the title of "Mycotic Paronychia and Dermatitis," the results of a study demonstrating the etiology, pathology and symptomatology of what apparently was at that time a new clinical entity were reported. 1 In addition, this investigation included the successful therapeutic management of the disease by the use of certain essential oils—a use apparently entirely new for a group of drugs long familiar in pharmacologic texts. Such a strikingly favorable therapeutic response on the part of a disease that is representative of a group containing many members refractory to ordinary remedies seemed worthy of further investigation. This was undertaken, and the results were reported at the meeting of this association three years later, in 1927. 2 The latter study, while admitting the vast discrepancy often existing between laboratory experimentation and clinical application, still seemed to demonstrate a superiority on


Abstract Land managers frequently use prescribed burning to help maintain grassland communities. Semiarid grassland dynamics following fire are linked to precipitation, with increasing soil moisture accelerating the rate of recovery. Prescribed fires are typically scheduled to follow natural fire regimes, but burning outside the natural fire season could be equally effective and more convenient for managers, depending on their management objectives. We conducted a field experiment in desert grassland to determine if fire seasonality influenced plant community recovery. Experimental burn treatments occurred in fall, spring, and summer in replicate 0.24-ha plots to determine if fire seasonality affected the rate of recovery of an ungrazed Chihuahuan Desert grassland in central New Mexico. Plant communities were surveyed seasonally for 5 yr after the burns. Grassland community structure responded to fire but not fire seasonality. Grass cover in all burned treatments remained lower than unburned controls for 3 yr after the burns. Community change through time was largely influenced by low rainfall, as grass cover in burned and unburned communities converged during a year with severe drought. In conclusion, fire seasonality did not influence rate of community recovery, but extended drought was possibly more influential than fire on grassland dynamics.


Advanced clinical practice (ACP) roles evolved to fill gaps in healthcare provision and improve consistency in standards of care. Historically, variance in service specific requirements, combined with inconsistent approaches to role governance and education, resulted in a multitude of ACP roles and remits. Definitions of roles and titles vary, but there is agreement on academic level and role competency assessment. Irrespective of these definitions, staff and services need support to operationalise guidance. In Scotland, development of advanced practice roles is supported through regional NHS Advanced Practice Academies. One Scottish Board has initiated a local board level advanced care academy to fulfil the three key components of advanced practitioner development: master's level theoretical knowledge, effective supervision and robust clinical competency assessment in practice. This development model, known as the 'triangle of capability', has allowed rapid progress with the advanced practice agenda, which is a central component of sustainable healthcare provision.


The purpose of the article is to substantiate the investment component in promoting the development of the digital economy and society. Methodology. General scientific methods are used in the research, in particular system economic analysis – to substantiate the strategic dominants of the digital transformation of the economy; statistical analysis – to study the current state and trends in foreign direct investment in digitalization; methods of positive and normative analysis – to develop recommendations for improving the investment component in promoting the development of the digital economy and society. Results. The analysis of the capital investment dynamics by section of information and telecommunications for 2010–2018 shows an increase in the share of telecommunications in its total capital investment by 0.38 percentage points. This increase was due to a slight increase in telecommunications investment in 2018 and an overall increase in capital investment. In general, capital investment increased 3.2 times in eight years, and investment in information and telecommunications – 3.5 times. It is proved that significant innovative changes in telecommunications, the transition to 3G and 4G in 2015 and 2018 increased the amount of investment in these periods by 14,799.9 million UAH and 11,489.7 million UAH, respectively. According to the growth rate, it is necessary to note the receipts in the area of computer programming and the provision of other information services, which increased 11 times (telecommunications – 3.4 times, publishing, radio, television – 2.5 times). It is noted that foreign direct investment in the economic activity of information and telecommunications has a positive trend to increase from 1,734.9 million USD in 2010 to 2,201.1 million USD in 2018. These investments also characterize a favorable investment climate for foreign investors when investing in digitalization. It is proved that today in Ukraine the most attention is paid to the creation of high-tech and engineering clusters. In addition, the development of intersectoral alliances, RD centers, laboratories, incubators, accelerators, venture funds and innovation teams is promising. The strategic dominants of the economy digital transformation are determined. Practical meaning. The main priority projects for investing in transformation infrastructure in 2020–2030 are presented. Prospects for further research. It is substantiated that the model of financing through venture capital, business angels, grants, business incubators, accelerators, crowdfunding platforms, innovation teams is expedient for innovative projects. It can be through raising funds in the stock market, through IPOs, SPOs, ISOs, direct investment funds, mutual investment institutions, state and non-state pension funds.


Apoptosis of abnormal oocytes is essential for defective oocyte elimination during prepubertal ovary development, and the ubiquitin system regulates the cell apoptosis via the degradation of specific proteins. Ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCH-L1) is a component of the ubiquitin system, and the UCH-L1-dependent apoptosis is important for spermatogenesis. In the present study, the change in the number of follicles and the expression of UCH-L1 in oocytes were determined in prepubertal mouse ovaries by immunohistochemical techniques. A significant decrease in the follicular pool was found in prepubertal mouse ovaries during the period of day 21 to day 28 after birth, and accordingly, the UCH-L1 protein expression was increased, to some degree in association with Jun activation domain-binding protein 1 (Jab1) and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27(Kipl). The increased UCH-L1 protein, together with the corresponding changes of Jab1 was detected in morphologically abnormal oocytes of prepubertal ovaries. Through the immunofluorescent colocalization, UCH-L1 was shown concentrating in abnormal oocytes, and a parallel change in Jab1 was also seen. The affinity analysis confirmed the interaction between UCH-L1 and Jab1 in ovaries. These results suggest that UCH-L1 plays an important role, possibly in association with Jab1 and p27(Kipl), in selective elimination of abnormal oocytes during mouse prepubertal development.


The article suggests a technique of determining admissible efforts in rails on the basis of the analysis of random removal of a rail from track. The differentiation of admissible efforts in rails is offered depending on a category of track.


In this article, I present a theoretical model for predicting future housing prices as a function of the expected future interest rate, housing depreciation and rent rate. Focusing on the notion of arbitrage, where the returns on investing in housing is equal to the return on bonds, I forecast housing prices in the US as a function of the expected future interest rate on corporate bonds graded at categories AAA or AA. I get that a change in the expected future bond yield will lead to a change in future housing prices.


Deep learning shows great promise in providing more intelligence to augmented reality (AR) devices, but few AR apps use deep learning due to lack of infrastructure support. Deep learning algorithms are computationally intensive, and front-end devices cannot deliver sufficient compute power for real-time processing. In this work, we design a framework that ties together front-end devices with more powerful backend "helpers" (e.g., home servers) to allow deep learning to be executed locally or remotely in the cloud/edge. We consider the complex interaction between model accuracy, video quality, battery constraints, network data usage, and network conditions to determine an optimal offloading strategy. Our contributions are: (1) extensive measurements to understand the tradeoffs between video quality, network conditions, battery consumption, processing delay, and model accuracy; (2) a measurement-driven mathematical framework that efficiently solves the resulting combinatorial optimization problem; (3) an Android application that performs real-time object detection for AR applications, with experimental results that demonstrate the superiority of our approach.


The structural design of the switch element is evaluated theoretically and experimentally, and an optimum combination of membrane length and insulator thickness is obtained. Based on the results, a 32-element electrostatically driven switch array is fabricated; its switching performance was found to be excellent. The switch array is applied to a subscriber transmission system using an abnormal subscriber end. A disturbance light from an abnormal subscriber end is successfully interrupted. >


Project-Based Learning (PBL) is a teaching learning approach, which is widely accepted as a new challenging alternative model to achieve maximum learning among the learners. This approach is more applicable to Science teaching and learning. PBL is a project based learning approach, which engages learners to sharpen 21 st century skills and contents. PBL is an approach to learn any subject with in-depth understanding of the concepts. PBL in science teaching and learning is an activity based approach, engaging learners to work in groups and design their own to solve the given task. 31 practising school teachers at secondary levels of Tamil Nadu state of India were given training on PBL approach of teaching science, and directed them to implement this method in their regular classroom situations during the first year of training. A research tool was prepared to study the effectiveness of PBL method of teaching science at secondary school levels. A field survey was made in the second year of study to find out to what extent PBL was implemented in those schools, and how effectively PBL had been implemented and used in the school system. In this study, 1309 students participated in the process. The finding of the present study suggests that all the schools under study have successfully implemented PBL, and a positive correlation was achieved through this study.


In this paper, we propose a novel anti-phishing scheme, image code-based anti-phishing scheme ICAP, for securing mobile access through an image code. The proposed scheme can protect mobile users from phishing attack and side-glance attack which are threats to mobile environment. The proposed scheme employs the image code as the interaction between a mobile device and a server. This image code can maintain the quality of user-interface and protect the user from the side-glance attack. The proposed scheme basically uses the quick response code, which is a famous image code and has the human-unreadable property. Moreover, we propose two novel algorithms based on image code to improve our basic scheme; image key encryption, and image code identity-based encryption. The proposed scheme can choose one of two algorithms for its objective, and each algorithm has its own advantage. Image key encryption is a symmetric algorithm that can improve the transmission and encryption delay and reduces the power consumption. Image code identity-based encryption is an identity-based encryption algorithm which has the advantage of identity-based encryption. Our implementation result shows that our ICIP scheme can defend the phishing attack and side-glance attack, and shows the superiority of delay, power consumption, and accuracy. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


During the standardization of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (3rd ed.; WAIS-III) and the Wechsler Memory Scale (3rd ed.; WMS-III) the participants in the normative study completed both scales. This "co-norming" methodology set the stage for full integration of the 2 tests and the development of an expanded structure of cognitive functioning. Until now, however, the WAIS-III and WMS-III had not been examined together in a factor analytic study. This article presents a series of confirmatory factor analyses to determine the joint WAIS-III and WMS-III factor structure. Using a structural equation modeling approach, a 6-factor model that included verbal, perceptual, processing speed, working memory, auditory memory, and visual memory constructs provided the best model fit to the data. Allowing select subtests to load simultaneously on 2 factors improved model fit and indicated that some subtests are multifaceted. The results were then replicated in a large cross-validation sample (N = 858).


Abstract:We provide a study of Russell's argument (in An Inquiry into Meaning and Truth) against naive realism in which we distinguish five different forms of the argument. We agree with McLendon's (1956) criticism, that Russell's premiss that naive realism leads to physics (our emphasis) is ambiguous as between "leads historically or psychologically" and "leads logically". However, physics does logically lead to naive realism, in the sense that it presupposes it. In that case it is physics that is false. There is also the possibility that physics and naive realism are compatible, and that possibility obtains if phenomenalism is true.


Results of compatability studies of vehicle fuel system components and materials with gasoline containing 4.5 volume % methanol/4.5 volume % gasoline-grade tertiary-butyl alcohol are presented. Vehicles from on-the-road use over several years showed no increased corrosion of metals or deterioration of elastomers and plastics when compared to hydrocarbon-only fuels. Vehicle exhaust emissions remain unchanged or are reduced. Charcoal canisters and evaporative emissions do not appear to be differentially affected.


The following topics are dealt with: reinforcement learning; neural networks and its applications; tele-existence; fuzzy control for robots; robot assisted therapy and activity; pet-type robot for aged people's welfare; rehabilitation support system; human-robot interaction; emergence of adaptive behavior, behavior based architecture; new trends in robotics; hybrid intelligent systems in robotics; co-creation system; cooperative mobile robots; evolutionary computation; robot design; micro robot; computational intelligence in industrial applications; vision-based robotics; virtual reality; navigation system; artificial intelligence and application; fuzzy pattern recognition; intelligent systems and nonlinear control; dynamic path planning; collision detection; evolutionary robotics; modular robotics; virtual environment; global localization; pattern recognition by neural networks and evolutionary algorithms; digital human; social learning; biologically inspired robotics; manipulator analysis; manipulator control; learning from agent, human, and world; distributed autonomous systems; future manufacturing; bio-mimetric robotics; computer vision and pattern recognition; fuzzy neural network for modeling; fuzzy neural network for control; adaptive control; agent-based socio-economic simulation; intelligent method for industrial and robotics application; multi-agent systems; advanced fuzzy control; image recognition and reconstruction; sensor fusion.


With the growing market of vehicle electrification the need to understand impacts on California's electricity grid becomes essential to utility providers. This paper reviews the concerns and mitigation efforts by California's IOUs and MOUs in response to the paradigm shift in light duty vehicle (LDV) electrification; specifically, Plug-In & Hybrid Electric vehicles. Tariff scheduling, pricing structure, and specialized incentive programs are the primary methods with which utility companies are influencing time of day vehicle charging. California's utility companies currently forecast little impact on state-wide energy consumption out to 2020. However, investigations into local electric power distribution systems show a need to address high expected neighborhood adoption rates. This paper summarizes the special attention needed for local transmission and distribution circuits and poses a short list of prospective consumer-level technologies to help in the alleviation of costly upgrades. Emphasis is on California utility companies, California electricity distribution grid, and current implementable technology.


We find more self-tuning solutions by introducing a general form for Lagrangian of a 3-index antisymmetric tensor field $A_{MNP}$ in the RS II model. In particular, for the logarithmic Lagrangian, $\propto\log(-H^2)$, we obtained a closed form weak self-tuning solution.


There are various models proposed for conceptualization and measurement of customers' perceptions of service quality in the marketing literature. This study presents an empirical evaluation of customers' perceptions of service and product quality in the chain supermarkets within the Turkish retail sector through developing and estimating multidimensional factor models such as independent clusters factor model (correlated factor model) and second order (hierarchical) factor model. For this purpose, interaction quality, physical aspects and reliability dimensions of service quality were conceptualized as first order factors of a superordinate second order factor of service quality in the hierarchical model. However, product quality perceptions were also considered because service quality alone is not enough to explain quality in all respects for supermarkets. With considering customer perceived product quality and product policy as product quality dimensions correlated with first and second order service quality factors, confirmatory analyses indicated that the first-order model consisting of five correlated factors −for which valid and reliable measures are provided− has better fit than the model with the second order service quality factor.


ABSTRACT We estimate hybridization rates among hummingbirds using nearly a million banding records from the United States and Canada. Annually from 2006 to 2019, an average of 44,600 individual hummingbirds and 14 hybrids were banded. Nearly all reports of hybrids come from localities west of the Mississippi, where multiple species breed in sympatry, whereas only Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) breeds east of the Mississippi. Adult male hybrids comprise 62% of all hybrids banded, a significantly greater fraction than "regular" adult males, which are 29% of all birds banded (excluding Ruby-throated Hummingbird). We infer that this excess of adult male hybrids is caused by ascertainment bias: banders more often misidentify female hybrids as parental species because females mostly lack species-specific showy sexual ornaments of male hummingbirds, making them harder to identify, rather than Haldane's rule of reduced survivorship of the heterogametic sex. Also influencing the apparent hybridization rate are banders, a few of whom seek out or avoid hybrids. After considering these biases, the data suggest that, in areas of the United States and Canada with >1 species, approximately 1 hummingbird in a thousand (0.1%) is an F1 hybrid. LAY SUMMARY Nearly a million hummingbirds have been banded in the United States and Canada since 1960. West of the Mississippi, roughly, 0.1% of wild hummingbirds are F1 hybrids. This estimate excludes birds from hybrid zones. More adult male hybrids are reported than adult female hybrids. This is due to ascertainment bias: banders misidentify hybrid females more often than hybrid males.


The present investigation is guided by the assumption that using a language games-based approach is likely to provide more learning opportunities for pupils through creating an enjoyable learning environment which will enhance pupil-pupil and teacher-pupil interaction. This study involves the use of language games in teaching English to young Libyan learners in two state schools in Libya's capital, Tripoli. One hundred 11 year old pupils and two teachers took part in this study. Pupils were divided into four classes, two traditional classes and two language games classes. Activities based on language games replaced some activities presently in the course book. The main purpose of the study is to explore the nature of classroom interaction in Libyan EFL primary classrooms and how this is affected by the use of language games. The study also aims to discover the teachers' perceptions concerning the use of language games and their impact on pupil learning in action. The study employed a multi-method research design based on a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods. Data was gathered by means of live classroom observation using computerised observation software as well as videorecording, stimulated recall and semi-structured interviews with teachers, and the analysis of pupil-pupil talk during a spot-the differences game. The coding scheme used as a general framework in this study was adapted from the work of Sinclair and Coulthard (1975). Transcripts of the observations were coded and analysed at the level of acts. The nature of classroom interaction in the traditional classes and language games-based classes was compared. The overall findings revealed that, although teachers still dominated the talk and controlled classroom discourse, some significant differences were found in the nature of classroom interaction between traditional and language gamesbased classes. It also emerged that pupils who used language games were more successful than their counterparts in traditional classes in producing more and longer utterances containing English. It was also found that the teachers participating in this stud y developed positive perceptions concerning the use of language games.


Precise and accurate delineation of flooding areas with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and multi-spectral (MS) data is challenging because flooded areas are inherently heterogeneous as emergent vegetation (EV) and turbid water (TW) are common. We addressed these challenges by developing and applying a new stepwise sequence of unsupervised and supervised classification methods using both SAR and MS data. The MS and SAR signatures of land and water targets in the study area were evaluated prior to the classification to identify the land and water classes that could be delineated. The delineation based on a simple thresholding method provided a satisfactory estimate of the total flooded area but did not perform well on heterogeneous surface water. To deal with the heterogeneity and fragmentation of water patches, a new unsupervised classification approach based on a combination of thresholding and segmentation (CThS) was developed. Since sandy areas and emergent vegetation could not be classified by the SAR-based unsupervised methods, supervised random forest (RF) classification was applied to a time series of SAR and co-event MS data, both combined and separated. The new stepwise approach was tested for determining the flood extent of two events in Italy. The results showed that all the classification methods applied to MS data outperformed the ones applied to SAR data. Although the supervised RF classification may lead to better accuracies, the CThS (unsupervised) method achieved precision and accuracy comparable to the RF, making it more appropriate for rapid flood mapping due to its ease of implementation.


The aim of this study was to compare oral iron supplementation in feed with a standard iron injection and assess the impact on the health and productivity of pigs. The reliability of a quick test (HemoCue) for the measurement of blood haemoglobin concentration was also investigated. Three pig herds, with a total of 88 sows and their piglets, were included in the study. Piglets in treatment group O were fed a special iron-rich feed on days 2 to 4, 5 to 7 and 8 to 12 of lactation using a specially designed feeding device. Piglets in group IM received 200 mg of an iron dextran complex intramuscularly at three days of age. Haemoglobin concentrations and performance of the piglets were compared between groups. The mean haemoglobin concentrations in pigs at weaning were 131.4 and 116.4 g/l for pigs in groups O and IM, respectively (P<0.01). Daily weight gain (253.9 v 248.8 g/day) and piglet mortality (11.4 v 12.2 per cent) were slightly better in group O than in group IM (P>0.05).


Over half of the large African mahogany plantation estate in northern Australia has reached the mid-point of the target rotation length of 20 to 25 years. As such, there is increasing interest in understanding the potential volume and grade qualities recovered from these young trees using different processing methods. The objective of this study was to compare the recovery rates and product grade quality for rotary veneer using spindleless lathe technology and sawn boards using traditional sawing techniques. Net veneer recovery ranged between 42% and 55% of log volume, with most veneers being limited to D-grade. Compression, surface roughness, and grain breakout were the most prominent defects limiting veneer grade. The sawn-dried-dressed recovery was low, with less than 20% of the log volume representing a potential saleable product. The small log diameter combined with defects including wane, heart shake, pith, and knots reduced the potential recovery. A high presence of sawn board distortion was observed that negatively impacted the efficiency of sawn timber processing along with product recovery. While low, the recovery of veneers and sawn timber from young African mahogany was like other young plantation grown hardwoods.


We herein report a case of dramatic intracranial response to osimertinib in a poor performance status patient with lung adenocarcinoma harboring the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) T790M mutation encoded in exon 20. The patient was a 59-year-old woman with EGFR exon 19 deletion-positive lung adenocarcinoma, who relapsed with multiple brain metastases. Computed tomography-guided biopsy of the left pleural tumor revealed adenocarcinoma harboring an EGFR exon 19 deletion and an EGFR T790M mutation encoded in exon 20. The patient was treated with osimertinib, a third-generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Two days after treatment initiation, the patient displayed profound disturbance of consciousness, possibly due to carcinomatous meningitis, and treatment had to be discontinued due to difficulty in taking osimertinib. However, the patient gradually started to recover consciousness and, after 3 days, she was again able to take osimertinib. One month after the initiation of osimertinib treatment, magnetic resonance imaging revealed an apparent reduction in brain metastases. The patient is currently under continued treatment with osimertinib. At the last follow-up (February, 2017) she exhibited partial response to the treatment.


Mammoths, woolly rhinoceroses, musk oxen, primitive bisons, and horses of northern races were stenobiotic cryoxerophiles living only under extreme cryoarid conditions according to the 'steppetundra crash paradigm'. These animals are considered to be strict grazers on arid steppe-tundra grasses; hence, the possibility that mammoths maintain their pastures the way modern elephants do is rejected. Climatists claim that mammoths and their faunal satellites were killed by the Holocene warming a result of their inability to feed themselves in any of modern landscapes and to withstand the weather-caused losses. Their survival throughout interglacials is considered as resulting from climatic instability: short warm episodes are said to have alternated with very cold ones. It is believed that a permanent Arctic Ocean ice-shield persisted along the Siberian coast even in summer; its cooling and aridifying influence maintained steppe-tundras and similar ecosystems throughout Northern Eurasia. On the contrary, the stable Holocene warming resulted in the disappearance of this ice-shield, in the destruction of the ecosystem of the mammoths, and in megafaunal extinctions. This conception is based mainly on the properties of Eemian Greenland ice layers. However, these layers do not indicate the real Eemian climate. Non-altered Antarctic ice cores and Atlantic deep sea cores show that the Eemian optimum climate was as stable as the Holocene one. The idea of the persistence of the Arctic ice-shield throughout interglacials also contradicts with this evidence. The real reason why woolly mammoth and rhino persisted throughout interglacials (as well as throughout glacials) is in their tolerance to a vast range of climates and their ability to maintain highly productive pasture ecosystems. Contrary to the opinion of climatists, these pachyderms were polyphages that ate various herbaceous and woody plants. They held back forest and tundra vegetation by various direct and indirect influences. Whatever the climate was, pachyderms prevented the appearance of closed forests and they ensured the predominance of grasses and herbs over mosses and shrublets, as well as high mosaicism of the vegetation. The pachyderms trampled on snow and broke the frozen snow crusts, thus facilitating the smaller ungulates to overwinter. Similarly, Paleoloxodon and Dicerorhinus created vast meadows throughout the temperate forest zone. Giant deer, bisons, horses, etcetera, used these meadows. The ecosystem impact of the climate-resistant pachyderms caused remarkable stability of pasture ecosystems throughout the Pleistocene. In addition, the largest carnivores were important prehistoric stabilising agents, due to their pressure on populations of humans, wolves and herbivores. The Pleistocene crisis in the Palearctic included the same main processes as in other continental realms: (1) liberation of mankind from carnivore control, (2) human-induced removal of pachyderms, (3) drastic environmental changes harmful to megafauna as a result of this removal, (4) secondary extinctions of herbivores as a result of environmental effects of pachyderms, (5) impoverishment of the large predator guild due to the great prey shortage aggravated by the other reasons, (6) other secondary extinctions, (7) installation of a new equilibrium. Due to the long coevolution of Palearctic megafauna with man, the extinction process in Palearctic was long-lasting and less catastrophic when compared to the Nearctic situation.


The author's theme is that the forward view of British shipping over the time span being considered will be to a large extent a view of existing ships. The industry is too capital intensive, too highly geared and operates at too low a level of profitability to admit of a very rapid change. Developments in the future must be based on the profitability of the present. It must be anticipated that in the early part of the period considered, a great part of the developments will be concentrated on improving the efficiency of the existing industry. Future developments will be dictated by techno-economic considerations. It is likely to be the middle 1980s before the scene is substantially changed by nuclear power and fluidics. A major technical development of the middle part of the period will be the growth of a fleet of liquid gas carriers for which gas turbines will provide the main propulsion system.


The speed of rotary machine varies with the fluctuation of voltage and load. And the method of period-based time domain synchronous averaging can not process the case of fluctuation of rotation speed because ofthe phase errors accumulation from the errors of round-off and frequency estimation. In order to solve the problem, a modified method of Period-based Time Domain Synchronous Averaging is proposed in this paper. The idea is to get the frequency of per rotation by using FFT-FS (Fast Fourier Transform Fourier series). This method can improve the effectiveness of the phase error accumulation. Simulation and experiment results have shown that the new algorithm is excellent on extracting the periodic of signal from speed fluctuation signal.


The rapid spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in early 2020 prompted a global lockdown from March to July 2020. Due to strict lockdown measures, many countries experienced economic downturns, negatively affecting many industries including energy, manufacturing, agriculture, finance, healthcare, food, education, tourism, and sports. Despite this, the COVID-19 pandemic provided a rare opportunity to observe the impacts of worldwide lockdown on global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and climate change. Being the main greenhouse gas responsible for rising global surface temperature, CO2 is released to the atmosphere primarily by burning fossil fuels. Compared to 2019, CO2 emissions for the world and Malaysia decreased significantly by 4.02% (−1365.83 MtCO2) and 9.7% (−225.97 MtCO2) in 2020. However, this is insufficient to cause long-term impacts on global CO2 levels and climate change. Therefore, in this review, we explored the effects of worldwide lockdown on global CO2 levels, the impacts of national lockdown on Malaysia's CO2 emissions, and the influence of climate change in Malaysia.


Recently, deep learning with Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and Transformers has shown encouraging results in fully supervised medical image segmentation. However, it is still challenging for them to achieve good performance with limited annotations for training. In this work, we present a very simple yet efficient framework for semi-supervised medical image segmentation by introducing the cross teaching between CNN and Transformer. Specifically, we simplify the classical deep co-training from consistency regularization to cross teaching, where the prediction of a network is used as the pseudo label to supervise the other network directly end-to-end. Considering the difference in learning paradigm between CNN and Transformer, we introduce the Cross Teaching between CNN and Transformer rather than just using CNNs. Experiments on a public benchmark show that our method outperforms eight existing semi-supervised learning methods just with a simpler framework. Notably, this work may be the first attempt to combine CNN and transformer for semi-supervised medical image segmentation and achieve promising results on a public benchmark. The code will be released at: https://github.com/HiLab-git/SSL4MIS.


Underfill materials protect electronic package interconnects. They are designed to bridge the thermal expansion behavior of die, substrates and interconnects and couple their stiffness. However 3D integration requires higher thermal conductivities than conventional underfills can provide. Because percolating thermal underfills promise to offer substantially higher conductivities, this study investigates property gradients within percolating thermal underfills. All sphere-filler composites in electronic packages have limited properties close to the interface: Fillers cannot penetrate the interface. Thus, structure and properties show a interface vicinity gradient. Although the composite behavior dependence on filler content and distribution has been well described for both disperse fillers and heterogeneous materials in general, especially of the CTE, moduli, and conductivity, the transition to communicating fillers both in bulk and contrained spaces is only covered insufficiently. The effective medium approach to thermo-mechanical underfill modelling faces a lack of geometry representation, especially when the ratio of filler size to gap size increases to 0.5 and beyond. Therefore we sub-layer the underfill and apply unit cell model results to the ratios and fill fractions of the layers. A central layer of the linear buckling phase shows a high filler volume fraction and is approximated by a face centric cubic unit cell. It reveals a 30 % drop in Young's modulus where the share of the central layer is more than one third of the entire underfill thickness. To evaluate the model errors we compare a stacked-layer effective modulus to an effective modulus from a constrained space unit cell that is being published separately. We present bulk specimen preparation and relate first experimental results to the unconstrained space unit cell model. All values are shown for an example of monodisperse 45 μm diameter silica fillers in a 2 GPa matrix. With this study we suggest that the ratio of filler size to gap height could be utilized to tailor the modulus along the height axis. Package simulations could potentially benefit from sublayering an underfill layer.


Ecological research of gamasid mites was carried out in three natural forest ecosystems with Picea abies (1350 m a.s.l.), Abies alba (950–1000 m a.s.l.) and Fagus sylvatica (1200 m a.s.l.) situated in the Bucegi Massif, Southern Carpathians, Romania during 2001–2003. In the studied forest ecosystems, the taxonomic structure of gamasids was represented by 11 families (Epicriidae, Parasitidae, Veigaiidae, Ameroseiidae, Aceosejidae, Rhodacaridae, Macrochelidae, Pachylaelapidae, Laelapidae, Eviphididae and Zerconidae), with 39 genera and 97 species. The maximum number of species was recorded in the ecosystem with Abies alba (80), followed by the ecosystem with Fagus sylvatica (73), while the minimum in the ecosystem with Picea abies (68). 2,016 samples, 97 species with 23,441 individuals were analysed. In order to show similarities between predator mite populations from these areas, the vegetation and some abiotic parameters of the soil (temperature, humidity, pH) were analysed and described. Similarities between gamasid mite populations from the investigated ecosystems were analysed using the Jaccard index (q). The highest similarity index (q = 0.706) was recorded between gamasids identified in Picea abies and Abies alba forests, at soil level, in comparison with those from Abies alba and Fagus sylvatica forests (q = 0.656). Based on the similarity index, it is discussed that the gamasid population structure was influenced by the type of soil, the specific composition of the herbaceous, shrub and tree layers, the microclimatic factors, all characteristic for each studied ecosystem.


This is a happy moment for us to present Volume 12 Dhaulagiri Journal of Sociology and Anthropology to our respected readers. As this volume is the 12th, we have changed the size and layout of our Journal to make it standard size and reduce the paper waste during the printing process. We hope, you like it. Many people have contributed in different aspects of publishing this volume. We would also like to inform to our reader that this Journal is indexed in DOAJ and Ebscohost. The journal is also ranked by the Journal Publishing Practices Standard and awarded 'One Star'. We most work hard and sincerely to achieve higher ranking in coming volumes.
We would like to offer our deep respect to Prof. Gregory Marskarnec who has contributed NPR. 10,000 (Ten Thouand Rupees) for printing of this volume. We are delighted with the work of wonderful reviewers, who supported and encouraged both authors and editorial team to improve and make appropriate judgement to the submitted papers. Without their rigorous work we would not have been able to bring this journal in this form. We would like to express our heartfelt thanks and sincere gratitude to all valuable reviewers: Rajendra Raj Timilsina, Janak Rai, Jiban Mani Paudel, Madhav Pokhrel, Ganga Ram Gautam, Dan Raj Regmi, Sushant Acharya, Sadruddin Bahadur Qutoshi, Prem Bahadur Bhandari, Jhakendra Bahadur Gharti, Jailab Rai, Madhu Giri, Anita Sherestha, Madhusudan Subedi, Man Bahadur Khattri, Rishikesh Pandey, Binod Pokhrel, Jaganath Adhikari, Madan Kumar Rimal, Dilli Raj Sharma, and Gyanu Chhetri. We must not forget to thank Sioux Cumming at INASP who has been very co-operative throughout the online publishing proceses. Similarly, we would like to express our sincere thanks to Netralal Neupane and Tika Ram Sapkota for their time and hard effort for proof reading.


The present study, second of three dwelling with ultrasonic in endodontic therapy, is a review of the literature about clinical applications of some of the sonic and ultrasonic system.


We present a modification of the standard linear closure for small to medium-sized defects of the lower nose that avoids many of the limitations of flap or graft reconstruction. The surgical technique detailed yields predictable functional and cosmetic reconstruction with very few complications. The dermatologic surgeon should consider this option when reconstructing defects of the lower nose.


Common responses after exposure to threat include reexperiencing the event, intrusive thoughts and images, hyperarousal, avoidance and numbing, a sense of a foreshortened future, and shattered assumptions about control and safety.


The random amplified polymorphic DNA technique (RAPD) has found wide use in molecular genetics because of its speed and ease of use. For various reasons, with this method the amplified DNA fragments are produced at different concentrations between genotypes and even between polymerase chain reaction (PCR) runs. Since the detection of the multiple amplified fragments is performed routinely by agarose gel, and seldom by acrylamide gel electrophoresis, we have found that by capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE), which is more sensitive and accurate than gel electrophoresis, it is possible to unequivocally detect amplified fragments even at low concentration, avoiding polymorphism misinterpretation. CZE is also useful to make more potentially polymorphic fragments evident per random primer used, with obvious economical benefits.


IL (interleukin)-8 [CXCL8 (CXC chemokine ligand 8)] exerts its role in inflammation by triggering neutrophils via its specific GPCRs (G-protein-coupled receptors), CXCR1 (CXC chemokine receptor 1) and CXCR2, for which additional binding to endothelial HS-GAGs (heparan sulphate-glycosaminoglycans) is required. We present here a novel approach for blocking the CXCL8-related inflammatory cascade by generating dominant-negative CXCL8 mutants with improved GAG-binding affinity and knocked-out CXCR1/CXCR2 activity. These non-signalling CXCL8 decoy proteins are able to displace WT (wild-type) CXCL8 and to prevent CXCR1/CXCR2 signalling thereby interfering with the inflammatory response. We have designed 14 CXCL8 mutants that we subdivided into three classes according to number and site of mutations. The decoys were characterized by IFTs (isothermal fluorescence titrations) and SPR (surface plasmon resonance) to determine GAG affinity. Protein stability and structural changes were evaluated by far-UV CD spectroscopy and knocked-out GPCR response was shown by Boyden chamber and Ca2+ release assays. From these experiments, CXCL8(Δ6F17KF21KE70KN71K) emerged with the most promising in vitro characteristics. This mutant was therefore further investigated in a murine model of mBSA (methylated BSA)-induced arthritis in mice where it showed strong anti-inflammatory activity. Based on these results, we propose that dominant-negative CXCL8 decoy proteins are a promising class of novel biopharmaceuticals with high therapeutic potential in inflammatory diseases.


In this paper, we analyze the performance of a wireless-powered full-duplex (FD) relaying network over generalized Nakagami-m fading channels for 5G and beyond wireless communication systems. We employ a power beacon that provides a stable and reliable radio-frequency energy and resolves the energy-constraint problem. We also employ a time-switching (TS) receiver for simultaneous energy harvesting and information transmission. We consider the impact of residual self-interference (RSI) because of the imperfect self-interference cancellation. Further, we consider the impact of transceiver hardware impairments (HIs). For the performance analysis, we derive the closed-form expressions of outage probability, system throughput, and energy efficiency over Nakagami-m fading channels. We highlight the impact of RSI, HIs, TS factor, overall system ceiling effect, and other system parameters on the performance of the considered network. An optimal value of the TS factor is obtained for which the considered network exhibits optimum outage performance. In last, we perform the Monte-Carlo simulations to verify the derived closed-form expressions.


AbstractElastic stable intramedullary nailing (ESIN) has became a well-accepted method of osteosynthesis of diaphyseal fractures in the skeletally immature patient for many advantages, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the preliminary results of this minimally invasive treatment for severely displaced distal tibial diaphyseal metaphyseal junction (DTDMJ) fractures.This study was carried out over a 6-year period. Twenty-one severely displaced DTDMJ fractures treated using ESIN were evaluated clinically and radiographically. Complications were assessed: the patients were evaluated with regard to nonunion, malunion, infection, growth arrest, leg length discrepancy, implant irritation, and joint function.Mean age at the time of surgery was 7.8 years (range between 5.3 and 14.8 years), mean body weight 34.1 kg, all fractures were transverse or mild oblique type, including 3 open fractures, 5 multifragmented fractures, and 4 fractures associated with polytrauma; 6 cases were treated with antegrade ESIN of tibia while 15 cases need combined retrograde fibula and antegrade tibia fixation treatments. Follow-ups were ranging from 11 to 36 months, 19 fractures showed both clinical and radiographic evidence of healing within 5 months; all cases had full range motion of knee and ankle with symmetrical foot progress angle. Nail removal was at a mean 7.1 months, at final follow-up, no growth arrest or disturbances occurred. Five patients had complications; leg length discrepancy had decreased yet affected 2 patients, 2 cases showed delayed union, and 1 case developed restricted dorsal extension at the metatarsophalangeal joint of the hallux.ESIN is the treatment of choice for pediatric severely displaced DTDMJ fractures that cannot be reduced by closed reduction or ones that cannot be casted. The advantages include faster fracture healing, excellent functional and cosmetic results, safe and reliable surgical technique, and lower severe complication rate.


Soil quality, function, and productivity potential are interrelated concepts that cover the range of soil properties and their associated ecological processes. Since the passage of the National Forest Management Act in 1976 (NFMA) and related legislation, management of National Forest lands must be done is such a way as to maintain their productive potential as demonstrated through implementation, effectiveness, and validation (research) monitoring. However, the concept of site productivity is not well defined, and the impacts of timber removal or fire on soil productive potential are not well understood or easily measured (Powers 2006). Two main factors make it difficult to define: (1) the variability in soil and climatic conditions across forest sites and (2) the length of time it takes for trees to reach a predictive age. If tree (or vegetative) growth is used as an indicator of productivity, it may take more than 20 years before the consequences of various management practices in many North American ecosystems can be evaluated (Morris and Miller 1994).


ABSTRACT Concerted integration of retrovirus DNA termini into the host chromosome in vivo requires specific interactions between thecis-acting attachment (att) sites at the viral termini and the viral integrase (IN) in trans. In this study, reconstruction experiments with purified avian myeloblastosis virus (AMV) IN and retrovirus-like donor substrates containing wild-type and mutant termini were performed to map the internalatt DNA sequence requirements for concerted integration, here termed full-site integration. The avian retrovirus mutations were modeled after internal att site mutations studied at the in vivo level with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and murine leukemia virus (MLV). Systematic overlapping 4-bp deletions starting at nucleotide positions 7, 8, and 9 in the U3 terminus had a decreasing detrimental gradient effect on full-site integration, while more internal 4-bp deletions had little or no effect. This decreasing detrimental gradient effect was measured by the ability of mutant U3 ends to interact with wild-type U3 ends for full-site integration intrans. Modification of the highly conserved C at position 7 on the catalytic strand to either A or T resulted in the same severe decrease in full-site integration as the 4-bp deletion starting at this position. These studies suggest that nucleotide position 7 is crucial for interactions near the active site of IN for integration activity and for communication in trans between ends bound by IN for full-site integration. The ability of AMV IN to interact with internalatt sequences to mediate full-site integration in vitro is similar to the internal att site requirements observed with MLV and HIV-1 in vivo and with their preintegration complexes in vitro.


The "crisis" seen through the lens of metaphor theory. The article considers the "crisis" from the perspective of metaphor theory. Metaphor is understood as a semantic re-interpretation of reality in the sense that the speaker does not only transfer a sign to a different context, but creates new and innovative meaning. Metaphorical expressions bring specific characteristics into focus and are framed by social context. Following this view the paper ties in with new metaphor theories which have given important impulses to recent social and cultural studies. In 2009/2010 managers of machine tool industries as well as further regional actors in Germany were interviewed. The interviews showed that the "crisis" was understood as a 'wave' resp. a cyclical phenomenon, but also as a singular situation in the 'game' of competition. Regional differences were also uncovered: Only in the region of Stuttgart the crisis was also described as a problematic 'path' of regional specialisation.


A study was made of photoinhibition of spinach chloroplast reactions. The kinetics and spectral characteristics of the photoinhibition over a range between 230 and 700 mmu have been examined. The decline of activity due to preillumination was independent of wavelength, and dependent upon the number of quanta applied, not upon the rate of application. The effectiveness spectra of photoinhibition indicate that active ultraviolet light is absorbed by a pigment which is not a normal light absorber for photosynthesis and acts with a high quantum efficiency (> 0.1) for photoinhibition.Active visible light is absorbed by the pigments which sensitize photosynthesis (chlorophyll, carotenoids). A very low quantum efficiency (about 10(-4)) was observed for the photoinhibition with visible light.The action spectrum of the photoinhibition of dye reduction by chloroplasts and lyophylized Anacystis cells indicated that the damage caused by visible light is due to quanta absorbed by photosystem II. However, since system I might not be involved in dye reduction, the spectra may reflect only damage to photosystem II.


Transition-metal oxides (TMOs) are potential candidates for anode materials of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to their high theoretical capacity (∼1000 mA h/g) and enhanced safety from suppressing the formation of lithium dendrites. However, the poor electron conductivity and the large volume expansion during lithiation/delithiation processes are still the main hurdles for the practical usage of TMOs as anode materials. In this work, the CoSnO3@NC@MnO@NC hierarchical nanobox (CNMN) is then proposed and fabricated to solve those issues. The as-prepared nanobox contains hollow cubic CoSnO3 as a core and dual N-doped carbon-"sandwiched" MnO particles as a shell. As anode materials of LIBs, the hollow and carbon interlayer structures effectively accommodate the volume expansion while dual active TMOs of CoSnO3 and MnO efficiently increase the specific capacity. Notably, the dual-layer structure of N-doped carbons plays a critical functional role in the incorporated composites, where the inner layer serves as a reaction substrate and a spatial barrier and the outer layer offers electron conductivity, enabling more effective involvement of active anode materials in lithium storage, as well as maintaining their high activity during lithium cycling. Subsequently, the as-prepared CNMN exhibits a high specific capacity of 1195 mA h/g after the 200th cycle at 0.1C and an excellent stable reversible capacity of about 876 mA h/g after the 300th cycle at 0.5C with only 0.07 mA h/g fade per cycle after 300 cycles. Even after a 250 times fast charging/discharging cycle both at 5C, it still retains a reversible capacity of 422.6 mA h/g. We ascribe the enhanced lithium storage performances to the novel hierarchical architectures achieved from the rational design.


Cisplatin is a chemotherapy drug that is used to treat different types of cancer, including testicular cancer, germ cell cancer, bladder cancer, cervical cancer, small cell and non-small cell lung cancer, head and neck cancer and others. Its chief dose-limiting side effect is nephrotoxicity, which evolves slowly and predictably after initial and repeated exposure. Organic cation transporter-2 is responsible for cisplatin uptake in the kidney. In this article we will underline the use of antidepressant as a new approach for protective interventions of cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity through the interference of cisplatin uptake by Organic Cation Transporter-2 to improve the therapeutic index of cisplatin and to treat depression which occurs in cancer patients together after considering the risk of side effects and interactions.


A series of filed tests have been performed to investigate the aerodynamic effects on platform of the railway station during the passage of train that can be unpleasant and even dangerous to the pedestrians. To assess the aerodynamic effects on the platform, two aerodynamic properties has been measured; one is the wind gust induced by the train and the other is the pressure pulses generated when the nose and the tail of train passes. To measure these aerodynamic properties during the train passage, and array of hot-wire type anemometers and several sets of pressure transducers have been used, respectively. This paper deals with the filed test on conventional railway at about 100km/h operational speed, in which total 34 measurements has been made at the Bugok station in Seoul-Busan line for Saemaul-ho and Mugungwha-ho train. The results showed dramatic differences in the aerodynamic features between the two trains that are supposed to originate form the contrasting nose shapes of the trains.


Purpose To characterize differences in retinal ganglion cell (RGC) function in mouse strains relevant to disease models. C57BL/6J (B6) and DBA/2J (D2) are the two most common mouse strains; D2 has two mutated genes, tyrosinase-related protein 1 (Tyrp1) and glycoprotein non-metastatic melanoma protein B (Gpnmb), causing iris disease and intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation after 6 months of age that results in RGC degeneration, and is the most widely used model of glaucoma. DBA/2J.Gpnmb+ (D2.Gpnmb+) is the wild type for the Gpnmb mutation and does not develop IOP elevation and glaucoma. Methods Young (2–4 months of age) B6, D2, and D2.Gpnmb+ mice (n=6 for each group) were tested with pattern electroretinogram (PERG) in response to different contrasts and spatial frequencies. PERG amplitude and latency dependencies on stimulus parameters (transfer functions) were established for each mouse strain, together with corresponding thresholds for contrast and spatial resolution. Results PERG analysis showed that B6, D2, and D2.Gpnmb+ mice had comparable contrast threshold and spatial resolution. Suprathreshold spatial contrast processing, however, had different characteristics in the three strains. PERG amplitude and latency changes with increasing contrast were different between B6 and D2 as well as between D2 and D2.Gpnmb+. Conclusions B6, D2, and D2.Gpnmb+ mice have different characteristics of PERG spatial contrast processing consistent with different mechanisms of contrast gain control. This may imply differences in the activity of underlying PERG generators and synaptic circuitry in the inner retina.


In this chapter, the author argues that placing justice at the heart of Canadian custody and access law has ethical consequences. In particular, the detached objectivity of liberal legalism's concept of justice imposes upon families a model of family life that ignores the contextual realities of child rearing and parenting. In such a system, little space is left for recognition of caregiving or the subjectivity of actual family life. The author questions the central place of justice in Canadian custody and access law and suggests, drawing on a feminist ethic of care, that it is care, not justice, that should form the wider framework within which custody and access decision-making should take place. After explaining her use of the terms "justice" and "care" in the context of custody and access law, she discusses why the justice paradigm is flawed and why an ethic of care might be a more appropriate paradigm within which to make custody and access decisions. Consideration is given to how Canadian custody and access law might be reformed to better incorporate an ethic of care, including whether the "best-interests-of-the-child" test is capable of incorporating such an ethic, and finally whether the best interests test might need to be abandoned in favour of a model less tied to a justice framework.


Meat-borne zoonotic parasites raised from consumption of undercooked and/or crossly contaminated meats can infect human by direct and/or indirect ways causing many mild to serious diseases; so in the present study, some meat-borne transmissible parasites were investigated in 5239 freshly dressed sheep carcasses in local Egyptian abattoir located at Cairo governorate along the period of 2017-2018. Results of Post- Mortem inspection revealed the detection of Fasciola, Cysticercus and Hydatid cyst in 3.47, 1.06 and 1.83% of the total examined carcasses with total economic losses of 9306.78 L.E, 2892 L.E and 4380 LE, respectively. It is worthily noted that fascioliasis recorded the highest incidence of infection, followed by hydatidosis and cysticercosis in the examined carcasses, respectively. Cysticercus ovis and C. tenuicollis were detected in 32.14% and 67.85% with total economic losses of 714 L.E and 2178 L.E because of infected heart and liver condemnation during 2017 and 2018, respectively. Furthermore, hydatid cyst was detected in 0.47% and 1.35% of the examined lung and liver samples with total economic losses of 1188 L.E and 3192 L.E because of infected lung and liver condemnation during 2017 and 2018, respectively. Referring to the obtained results, it was obvious that parasitic infection of sheep meat and offal constrains a lot of economic losses, threatens the meat production industry and throws lights over the health importance of veterinary inspection great role in protecting human-being from be infested with zoonotic meat-borne parasites. So, magnification and great support should be given to training veterinary inspectors in slaughter houses in Egypt.


Abstract:Near the end of August 1872, Mark Twain traveled to England for the first time ostensibly to gather notes for a new literary project, which he would refer to over the next several months as the "English" book. Commentators from Albert Bigelow Paine to Howard Baetzhold have described the England trip of 1872 generally as a pleasurable experience for Twain. However, the fall of 1872 was an enormously turbulent time for Twain psychologically. He was in the throes of what he remembered years later as one of the darkest, most grief-filled periods of his entire life: a two-year stretch marked by an unrelenting succession of personal misfortune and tragedy. Considered from this perspective, the England trip of 1872 looks less like an enjoyable overseas excursion and more like a season in hell.


The great progress of genetics research, during 2015-2017, will certainly influence all medical specialties including nuclear medicine. In nuclear medicine there are still problems to solve as to differentiate between infection, inflammation and cancer etc. Furthermore, in dosimetry and radiation protection there are worldwide problems. It has been reported that 64 Cu-cetuximab immune-PET represented EGFR expression levels in ESCC tumors and that 177 Lu-cetuximab radioimmunotherapy effectively inhibited the tumor growth. Recent important research findings and few related suggestions for further research are mentioned related to Gastroenterology, Neohippocratic Medicine, the Respiratory System, Neurology and the Hayflick phenomenon. Perhaps we now live in the genetics transformation era, the Genomie's Era.


The study of the anthropometric characteristics and functional state of lungs of the students from Peoples' Friendship University of Russia of the South-East Asia and the middle zone of Russia and the functional state of their lungs showed the presence of significant correlation between the anthropometric indicators and forced vital capacity of lungs. It was found that among students with reduced functional reserve, this correlation was weak, and among healthy strong.


The effect of mutual coupling on the performance of adaptive antennas has been a topic of considerable interest for the last three decades. The general conclusion of the work reported in the open literature is that mutual coupling degrades the performance of adaptive antennas. We have carried out an in-depth study of the effects of mutual coupling on the performance of adaptive antennas. Our studies show that this conclusion is not entirely correct. Yes, one does need the in-situ array manifold to obtain the fixed response in the desired signal direction. Otherwise, adaptive weights can also suppress the desired signal. Note that for adaptive antennas based on minimizing the mean squared error between the array output and a locally generated reference signal, this is not an issue. However, mutual coupling between antenna elements hardly affects the nulling performance of adaptive antennas. In fact, in a given size aperture, as the number of antenna elements is increased, one obtains better nulling performance, irrespective of the increased mutual coupling between antenna elements. Also, as expected, for strong wideband interfering signals, one should carry out space-time adaptive processing (STAP).


Two long time series of swimming intervals of a bacterium inverting its motion under periodic light pulses are analysed. The associated next-period plots reveal, through their filiform structure, that the underlying dynamics are low-dimensional. Using recently described properties of such dynamics, a simple second-order black-box model for the swimming intervals is derived and validated. The model reinforces the conjecture that this bacterium is endowed with an oscillator controlling the switching of the flagellar motor.


Animal survival hinges on good decision-making abilities, but most decisions are subtle and difficult to quantify. One tractable class of decisions is the choice about where to look. Primates use smooth-pursuit eye movements to track objects moving in the world, and, in busy natural scenes, we must select a single object to track amongst distracters. This dissertation addresses the following question: How do primates choose a direction for pursuit? The frontal pursuit area (FPA) is a cortical structure that responds selectively to smooth pursuit and has been identified as a candidate for choosing pursuit directions. Is this area the control center for pursuit choices? Answering this question would add to our understanding of decision-making, motor control, and the visuomotor system. First, we found that FPA neurons discriminated pursuit direction, but not in time to influence pursuit selection. Instead, the activity seemed to be involved in setting the gain of the pursuit system, ensuring that the motor output matched the visual input. Second, we found that causally manipulating activity in the FPA, with both electrical stimulation and chemical inactivation, failed to change the monkey's selection behavior. Disrupting activity in the area affected the precise acceleration and velocity of the pursuit movement without changing which target the monkey tracked. Taken together, our findings suggest that the FPA is a key player in preparing and supporting the motor system's execution of the smooth pursuit response, but is not the ultimate authority in choosing a pursuit direction. In this system, there is a clear functional segregation between making a decision and executing that decision, and the FPA is involved in the latter role. This work deepens our understanding of selection and control in the visuomotor system, but it also gives a more general insight into neural organization. Despite its location in frontal cortex, the FPA does not play a role in executive control or selection. There is evidence that, for eye movements, these functions may be carried out in the brainstem. We should keep this lesson in mind as we continue to explore the neural underpinnings of primate decision-making


This paper presents a method with an accurate control of threshold voltages (Vth) of AlGaN/GaN high-electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) using a fluoride-based plasma treatment. Using this method, the Vth of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs can be continuously shifted from -4 V in a conventional depletion-mode (D-mode) AlGaN/GaN HEMT to 0.9 V in an enhancement-mode AlGaN/GaN HEMT. It was found that the plasma-induced damages result in a mobility degradation of two-dimensional electron gas. The damages can be repaired and the mobility can be recovered by a post-gate annealing step at 400 degC. At the same time, the shift in Vth shows a good thermal stability and is not affected by the post-gate annealing. The enhancement-mode HEMTs show a performance (transconductance, cutoff frequencies) comparable to the D-mode HEMTs. Experimental results confirm that the threshold-voltage shift originates from the incorporation of F ions in the AlGaN barrier. In addition, the fluoride-based plasma treatment was also found to be effective in lowering the gate-leakage current, in both forward and reverse bias regions. A physical model of the threshold voltage is proposed to explain the effects of the fluoride-based plasma treatment on AlGaN/GaN HEMTs


The bonding interface between bamboo elements and adhesives is presumed to be significantly influenced by the degree of adhesive penetration into the porous network of interconnected cells of bamboo surfaces. In the study presented here, the average depth and effective depth of phenol-formaldehyde resin (PF) modified by different contents of lower-molecular weight (LMW) PF on bamboo surface were evaluated, making use of fluorescent microscopy characterization. The shear distribution at the bonding interface was measured by means of electronic speckle pattern interferometry (ESPI), along with tensile strength measurements, to determine the shear strain distribution on a macroscopic scale. This research combined macroscopic mechanical properties with microscopic interfacial mechanical properties, and it was found that PF modified with 10% LMW PF performed better than other modified PF. Moreover, it was assumed that the results of this study would influence the choice of bamboo-specific adhesives under different strain conditions.


Syrian golden hamsters received multiple subcutaneous injections of N-diethylnitrosamine (DEN) or N-dibutylnitrosamine (DBN). Ultrastructural examination of the sequential alterations of bronchial epithelia was performed. Starting from the third to fourth treatment, the formation of lamellated inclusion bodies (LBs) was observed in nonciliated cells of segmental bronchi and peripheral bronchioles. These organelles closely resembled those LBs normally found in alveolar epithelial cells Type 2, which are a characteristic feature of alveolar cell carcinomas.


ABSTRACT Forest roads are the most important infrastructural facilities to exploit forests that are renewable natural resources. They are of great importance for all kinds of scientific and technical interventions to be made to the forest. Despite the benefits of forest roads, they have great potential to cause degradation and fragmentation of natural habitats. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of forest road technical features and intensity of use (traffic volume) on movements of mammals. From August 2017 to September 2017, a total of six forest roads and their surroundings were observed from fixed plots with wildlife camera traps. The study identified a total of twelve species of mammals. All together 589 individuals were counted from 461 wild animal images. Golden jackal, wild boar, and red fox are dominant species in the study area. The species composition of wild mammals was not strongly related to road characteristics. Drivers and wild animals use the same area but differ in time of use. It was also determined that wild animals adopted the road as a part of natural surroundings.


Standards 3 and 5 for the SHAPE America National Standards for K-12 Physical Education address the importance of maintaining a health-enhancing level of physical activity and valuing physical activity. A number of helpful tools, including Godin-Shephard Leisure-Time Physical Activity Questionnaire and The Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES) allow physical educators to assess student progress both in terms of their daily physical activity levels and their attitudes towards physical activity. By systematically tracking student daily physical activity levels and attitude towards physical activity, physical education teachers will be able to more accurately determine to what degree students in their classes are meeting SHAPE Standards 3 and 5.


The authors illustrate methods for the graphic depiction of the course of unipolar and bipolar affective illness. The utility and advantages of such an approach include 1) accurate assessment of episode patterns, 2) elucidation of relationships to environmental events, endocrine and seasonal factors, and psychosocial stressors, 3) better delineation of treatment response, 4) a greater understanding of the longitudinal and characteristic patterns of illness, and 5) the associated better patient management with psychotherapeutic and pharmacological interventions.


The production of vacuum dried egg powder through a simplified technique was studied. The advantage of egg powder with its production and variation in its technology which helps for a better quality and cost efficient product was tested. Eggs as a raw source were collected from the local poultry farm and processes for production were carried out. High risk factors like, reduced glucose in the dehydrated product gets eliminated through vacuum drying technology. The increase of carbohydrate in the egg powder produced through vacuum technology has a visible proof of increased shelf life which indirectly reduces the risk of caramelization. Proteins in white like ovomucoid and ovalbumin which were considered to be important for blocking digestive enzymes are also eliminated through this technology.


Various welding parameters as well as the material properties of the electrode should be taken into consideration simultaneously for the analysis of the metal-transfer phenomena of gas-metal-arc (GMA) welding. In order to determine the dominant factors, which affect the metal transfer mode, a dimensional analysis is conducted in this study. Several dimensionless numbers are derived and the NSE number, which represents the ratio of the electromagnetic force and the surface tension, is found to have the most dominant effects on the metal-transfer mode over the whole range of welding conditions. The transition current and detaching-droplet size calculated from the analyses are compared with experimental data and resulted in reasonably good agreement.


Abstract Background: Cardiovascular mortality is high in end stage renal disease (ESRD). This study aimed to: (1) calculate within-week within- and between-subject biological variation (CVI and CVG) for hs-cTn in ESRD; (2) determine the magnitude of hs-cTn concentration changes during haemodialysis (HD) treatment; and (3) compare the CVI and CVG to the within and between-subject variation of cTn concentration changes during HD treatments (CVDIFF-I and CVDIFF-G). Methods: Serum samples were collected from 20 patients before and after 10 consecutive HD treatments. cTn were measured using the hs-cTnT (Roche Diagnostics) and the hs-cTnI (Abbott Diagnostics). The CVA, CVI, CVG, CVDIFF-I and CVDIFF-G, were estimated using nested ANOVA. Results: The within-week data showed hs-cTnT CVA, CVI and CVG of 1.6, 7.3 and 94.4%. Reference change values (RCV) were estimated to −18.7–23.0%. The Index of individuality (II) was 0.08. Corresponding values for hs-cTnI were 5.3, 13.2 and 142.4%, whilst the RCV was −32.5–48.2% and the II was 0.10. The mean concentration of cTn decreased by −6.4% (hs-cTnT) and −7.6% (hs-cTnI) during HD treatment. The CVDIFF-I and CVDIFF-G was 4.2 and 6.3% for hs-cTnT, and 10.7 and 9.4% for hs-cTnI. The RCVDIFF was −18.2–5.4% (hs-cTnT) and −39.0–23.8% (hs-cTnI), respectively, and the IIDIFF-values were 0.7 and 1.3. Conclusions: The CVI and CVG are similar to earlier findings. Mean hs-cTn concentrations decreased during HD. The within-subject hs-cTn variation during HD is similar to the between-subject variation, i.e. determining a cut-off value for hs-cTn changes during HD may be useful.


Background and Objectives: Conflicting definitions concerning the exact location of the lumbar plexus have been proposed. The present study was carried out to detect anatomical variants regarding the topographical relation between the lumbar plexus and the psoas major muscle as well as lumbar plexus anatomy at the L4-L5 level. Methods: Sixty-three lumbar plexuses from 32 embalmed cadavers were dissected to determine the topographical relation between lumbar plexus and psoas major muscle. At the L4-L5 levels variability in the course of the femoral as well as obturator nerve were described. Results: The lumbar plexus was situated within the psoas major muscle in 61 of 63 cases. In 2 of 63 cases the entire plexus was localized posterior to the psoas major muscle. In the 61 of 63 cases in which the lumbar plexus was situated within the psoas major muscle, emergence of the individual nerves most often occurred on the posterior or posterolateral surface. Conclusions: Our results synthesize contrasting assumptions in previous literature, by demonstrating that both locations of the lumbar plexus may be encountered in clinical practice: within and posterior to the psoas major muscle. However, the latter situation represents a minor variant. At the level of L4-L5 the femoral nerve, showing a remarkable degree of branching, as well as the obturator nerve, were found within the psoas major muscle in the vast majority of specimens.


In this study, we investigate the relationship between customer satisfaction and firms being selected as admired firms. Also, we confirmed the ESG effect on this correlation. Based on 8,126 Korean firms, we use regression analysis to examine the relationship between customer satisfaction and being designated as admired firms, using Korean firms from 2014 to 2018. Our study reports that the firms with satisfied customers are likely to be admired in the market. We also found when the firms are actively engaged in ESG, customer satisfaction plays a role positively, leading to being selected as admired. Among ESG index, the environment index positively impacts on the relationship between customer satisfaction and admired firms. Our findings suggest that customer satisfaction is an intangible asset that affect firm value positively. Our study has contributed that we examine the impact of customer satisfaction on non-financial information, explaining firm value. As we test the effect of firms' customer satisfaction, we expanded the social contribution including environment, society and governance.


Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has revolutionized the tourism industry. The rapid development of information and communication technology in the distribution and the intermediation of tourism products have a set new competitive environment for the tourism industry. This technological innovation has developed the destination management system.  The DMS is the IT infrastructure used by a destination organization for the collect, the storage, the manipulation and the distribution of all kind of information in all its forms. It is also used for bookings and for other commercial activities.DMS is not yet implemented in Madagascar, but in the near future, the Malagasy tourist offices plan to adopt one. The goal of this study is to define the factors which allow the implementation and to evaluate the strength of each one of them through the CSFs system. The research will take the following three factors in consideration: environment, managerial, and technological. We will examine the influence of each factor according to the situation of the country. The CSFs will determine the interesting sub-factors which might have a significant impact on the success of the implementation of the device while the AHP analysis will evaluate the weight of each factor. The result will give the ranking in importance of the factors, in order to target political strategies. The 22 existing regional offices in Madagascar will be the population of the research; the study will mainly be qualitative and will be conducted through interviews. Besides, the research will suggest a policy on the implementation of the DMS in Madagascar, and the aim is to give a global vision in helping the tourist offices of Madagascar to successfully adopt the DMS. Therefore, this study will provide a new approach in the implementation of the DMS. Keywords : Destination management system (DMS), determinants, Critical success factors (CSFs), Analytical hierarchy process (AHP), Madagascar