A hydrothermal recrystallization method was employed to determine the phase relations in the Fe-S system involving pyrrhotite between 350 degrees and 115 degrees C. The superstructures of pyrrhotite, as designated by Nakazawa and Morimoto (1970, 1971), are considered to be thermodynamic phases. The solvus between pyrite and hexagonal (1C) 1 pyrrhotite continues below 325 degrees C along the slope established by Toulmin and Barton (1964) to 308 degrees C, where a discontinuity marks the upper stability of the MC superstructure. The solvus then continues along a similar slope to 262 degrees C where, with the onset of the NA superstructure, there is a discontinuity and the curve reverses slope sharply. At 254 degrees C, monoclinic (4C) pyrrhotite becomes stable in the peritectoid reaction hexagonal (NA) pyrrhotite (47.30 at. % Fe) + pyrite = monoclinic (4C) pyrrhotite (47.25 at. % Fe). Monoclinic pyrrhotite exists over a range of compositions, the maximum being 46.4 to 46.9 at. percent Fe at 115 degrees C. Hexagonal pyrrhotite is separated from monoclinic pyrrhotite by a narrow miscibility gap down to the upper stability limit of the NC superstructure at 209 degrees C. Below 209 degrees C, the miscibility gap widens, with hexagonal (NC) pyrrhotite of 47.3 at. percent Fe coexisting with monoclinic pyrrhotite of 46.9 at. percent Fe. At the sulfur-rich limit of the stability field, monoclinic pyrrhotite coexists with pyrite. The phases greigite, smythite, and marcasite were not encountered.Our results are in reasonable agreement with those obtained previously by hydrothermal synthesis methods, but they are in disagreement with some results obtained in "dry" experiments which have produced metastable phase assemblages. The phase diagram is compatible with natural pyrrhotite occurrences and in particular with those from geothermal boreholes at Broadlands, New Zealand, from which samples were recovered at known quench temperatures. On the other hand, our studies cast considerable doubt on the validity of the "pyrrhotite geothermometer" as applied to ores.


This paper proposes a new identification method for position sensorless control of Interior Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors (IPMSMs) based on an unknown input observer. In position sensorless control, precise motor parameters are required to accurately estimate the rotor position. Thus, these parameters should be identified prior to the realization of position sensorless vector control. However, d-q axis model is not valid for parameter identification without position measurement because accurate position estimation is impossible. The authors have proposed a method for estimating rotor position using an unknown input observer that is possible to realize significantly robust to error in parameter identification. This paper proposes that the parameter identification method with the assistance of the robust unknown input observer in the position sensorless control.


This study analyses the East Asian Community (EAC) initiative for its potential in promoting regionalism in East Asia. The main aim of the study is to examine the development of the EAC building process since the regional financial crisis of 1997, which led to a new wave of regionalism in East Asia. The study examines whether the EAC as a form of bandwagoning strategy can deepen East Asian regionalism through national interests and policies used by ASEAN and Japan, China and the United States in pushing for East Asian cooperation. The study particularly focuses upon the impediments to the process of EAC building and how competing forums, initiatives, conflicts and disputes between regional countries have distracted countries from developing an EAC. The significance of the study is to deepen understanding of the nature of East Asian regionalism and the fate of specific initiatives relative to overall regional and international relations. My research findings indicate that the EAC does not look like becoming an organisation that significantly deepens regional cooperation. East Asian regionalism is characterised by a plethora of regional initiatives. The EAC was proposed as a political organisation to for smaller and weaker countries to bandwagon with regional great powers, thereby contributing to peace and prosperity. In this thesis I argue, however, that there are many barriers in the way of building the EAC. The obstacles seem greater than the drivers for building the EAC, and lead to the conclusion that the fate of the EAC is unlikely to be more successful than other previous regional initiatives. Although the EAC initiative has been supported by both the stronger and weaker countries in the region, the support is on the surface only and is not substantial or deep enough to achieve all that is hoped for.


Introduction/Background Dance with Cancer Association is the one of the important advocacy and patient organization dealing with awareness of all types of cancer especially focusing on woman in the country often faced.Our main vision is aiming for early diagnosis and prevention, to make the future cancer treatment patient-centered not forgetting either you, me or beloved one danced with cancer, and will go on.Over the last year, we have created awareness on colon cancer, lung cancer, gynecologic and breast cancer for woman with some special events. Methodology Dance with Cancer Association worked with ESGO Engage in translation of ovarian, cervical cancer leaflets into Turkish. We also worked on psycho oncology and palliative care and nutrition leaflets that will be printed in 2019. Immunotherapy leaflets were prepared for lung cancer and a YouTube video was taken with sign language and subtitle by a well-known physician in Turkey.In the three largest cities in Turkey, Ankara,İstanbul,İzmir, Booths are opened and brochures were distributed for giving information.Webinars were held on reaching 20.000 people.With the collaboration of a hospital in Ankara, yoga has been done in every week.A seminar was given at 3 locales of Cankaya Municipality and at 2 dormitory for girls in the breast cancer awareness event to around 120 guests.Self-examination was described with silicone breast model by a well-known physician and a physician radiologist.In Ankara, Kugulu Park, leaflets were given and again self-examination was described for 4 days and last two days concerts took place with the participation of approximately 1000 people. In 2018, our colon model has visited 18 cities including Ankara, Istanbul, Izmir and Bursa and thousands of women have been reached.Since March was the month of colon cancer awareness, many seminars were held in cooperation with the hospitals. Results Awareness Conclusion More awareness, fewer cancer for women. Disclosure Nothing to disclose


Mine fires occur on abandoned mine lands throughout the U. S. coal fields. They threaten the health and safety of the local populations and consume a non-renewable natural resource. In general, mine fires are the most costly abandoned mine lands problem to mitigate. In active mines, fires are quickly extinguished by the mining company as they present a direct threat to their economic resource. In abandoned mines, however, fires started by natural or other means are often unnoticed for many years, or are ignored or otherwise unattended until they become a threat to nearby residents. These fires then become a government responsibility. Methods of assessing an underground mine fire are often a function of project size and include field reconnaissance, airborne thermal infrared imagery, surface and underground map analysis, drilling, instrumentation and monitoring and underground temperature and mine gas analysis. Effective remedial measures may be a combination of mitigation technologies that depend on whether the goal is to extinguish or limit the spread of an underground mine fire. Such technologies include total excavation or trenching, flooding and quenching, bulk filling mine workings, surface seals, tunnel plugs in mine workings, inert gas injection, chemical foams and burnout control. If fire control or extinguishment methods are not implemented, then the alternative is to abandon the surface and let the fire spread to its natural limits. Case histories of mine fire projects in Pennsylvania9s anthracite and bituminous coal fields demonstrate successful extinguishment by utilizing a combination of mitigation technologies.


An 8-year-old spayed, domestic, shorthaired cat was examined with signs of feline urological syndrome which were unresponsive to previous therapy with antibiotics and urinary acidifiers. Biopsy of the bladder revealed signs of cystitis similar to interstitial cystitis in humans. Treatment with sodium pentosan polysulphate resulted in a decreased frequency of urination and resolution of haematuria. This condition may be more widespread in cats than realised, as it is only by bladder biopsy that diagnosis can be made.


Yields of dryland crops are limited by precipitation in the Great Plains. Winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown in the wheat-fallow (WF) system (one crop in 2 yr) occupies the greatest area. The use of grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] in the wheat-sorghum-fallow (WSF) system (two crops in 3 yr) is becoming popular. Other cropping systems include sorghum-fallow (SF) and continuous sorghum (SS). Research was conducted in the central Great Plains at Garden City, KS, from 1987 through 1992 to quantify soil water storage and use and grain yield in the WF, WSF, SS, and SF systems in order to develop more efficient dryland grain production systems. No tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) were compared in the WF and WSF systems. Available soil water at planting and harvest was measured in 0.3-m increments to a depth of 1.5 m, and grain yield and water use efficiencies were determined. Water moved deeper in the profile under NT. Compared with CT, twice as much water was stored due to NT in the WSF sorghum profile as in the WF and WSF wheat profiles. An average of 62% of the additional water was found below 0.9 m. As much water was stored in the 11-mo fallow period prior to WSFNT sorghum as was stored in the 15- and 19-mo fallow periods of WF and SF. No tillage resulted in yield increases 17% of the time in WF, 34% of the time for wheat in WSF, and 60% of the time for sorghum in WSF. For sorghum, the yield of SF was similar to that of WSFNT, whereas SS had the lowest grain yield per planted hectare. Efficient storage of precipitation in WSF prior to NT sorghum and increased sorghum yield make the WSFNT system superior to other systems in this study. Kansas Agric. Exp. Stn. Contribution no. 93-432-J.


We determine by a theoretical analysis the optimal dimension of a piezoelectric actuator attached to a multilayered elastic plate clamped at both ends. The dimension is optimal in the sense of producing maximal plate center flexural displacement. The first-order theory for laminated piezoelectric plates is used. A theoretical solution is obtained. Numerical results calculated from the solution show that when the actuator length takes a particular value, the center flexural displacement of the elastic plate reaches a maximum. For PZT4 and PZT5A actuators this happens when the actuator length is about 55% of the plate length. Basic vibration characteristics of the structure at the first resonance near the optimal actuator length are also calculated. It is found that the admittance is also maximal when the electrode length is optimal.


A database of 1700 digital seismograms from 186 earthquakes of mag- nitude mN 2.5-5.6 that occurred in southeastern Canada and the northeastern United States from 1990 to 2003 was compiled. Maximum-likelihood regression analysis of the database was performed to determine a model for the attenuation of Fourier spectral amplitudes for the shear window, for the vertical and horizontal component of motion, for frequencies from 0.2 to 20 Hz. Fourier amplitudes follow a hinged trilinear attenuation model. Fourier spectral amplitudes decay as R 1.3 (where R is hypocentral distance) within 70 km of the source. There is a transition zone from 70 to 140 km as the direct waves are joined by strong postcritical reflections, where the attenuation is described as R 0.2 ; spectral amplitudes actually increase with distance in this range for low frequencies. Beyond 140 km, the attenuation is well described by R 0.5 , corresponding to geometric spreading in two dimensions. The associated model for the regional quality factor for frequencies greater than 1 Hz can be ex- pressed as Q 893f 032 . Q can be better modeled over a wider frequency range (0.2- 20 Hz) by a polynomial expression: log Q 3.052 0.393 log f 0.945 (log f ) 2 0.327 (log f ) 3 . The polynomial expression accommodates the observation that Q values are at a minimum (about 1000) near 1 Hz and rise at both lower and higher frequencies. Correction factors for the spectral amplitude model that describe the effects of focal depth on the amplitudes and their attenuation are developed using the subset of events with known focal depth. The attenuation model is similar to that determined from an earlier study with more limited data (Atkinson and Mereu, 1992), but the enlarged database indicates more rapid near-source amplitude decay and higher Q. The attenuation model is used to play back attenuation effects to determine the apparent source spectrum for each earthquake in the database and hence determine moment magnitude (M) and Brune stress drop. The events have moment magnitude in the range from 2.5 to 5. Stress drop increases with moment magnitude for events of M 4.3, then appears to attain a relatively constant level in the range from 100 to 200 bars for the larger events, as previously noted in Atkinson (1993b). The results of this study provide a useful framework for improving regional ground-motion relations in eastern North America. They further our understanding of attenuation in the region through analysis of an enlarged ground-motion database. In particular, the inclusion of the three-component broadband data gathered over the last decade allows extension of attenuation models to both horizontal and vertical components over a broad frequency range (0.2-20 Hz).


"The Art Gallery Handbook" is an invaluable new resource for teachers that will generate stimulating lesson-plans and help schools extract the maximum value from gallery visits. Produced in collaboration with Tate's renowned education departments, this book offers exciting and creative ideas for activities both in and out of the gallery setting, all of which have been tried and tested. Until now there has been nothing available to assist teachers and pupils in engaging with works of art. Not only does the "Handbook" do this, it also specifically addresses the National Curriculum requirements for critical and contextual approaches to art, offering everything from a behind-the-scenes look at how work is selected and presented to contributions from contemporary artists about what a gallery means to them. Cross-curricular approaches and activities are outlined, in particular with such National Curriculum subjects as History and Citizenship, while links with the Literacy strategy are also highlighted. Illustrated throughout with lively and colourful practical examples, "The Art Gallery Handbook" has been developed with teacher groups and the QCA, and will provide a wealth of new ideas for teachers of art to age groups from Key stage 1 through to Key Stage 5, and will have a particular appeal for the non-specialist at Key Stages 1 and 2.


Purpose : To investigate effects of neurolytic celiac plexus block (NCPB) on stress and inflammation in rats with partial hepatectomy (PH). Methods : A model of PH rat was established, and serum C-reactive protein (CRP); corticosterone (GC); adrenocorticotropin (ACTH); noradrenaline (NA); adrenalin (AD); aspartate transaminase (AST); alanine transaminase (ALT); as well as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α); interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6; high mobility group box1 (HMGB1); and nitric oxide (NO) concentrations in serum assessed after PH. Additionally, Western blotting was performed to determine the effect of NCPB on expressions of glucocorticoid receptors (GR), inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa B (IκB), p65, c-Jun and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) of PH rats, as well as assay effects of NCPB on nuclear translocation of GR, c- Jun and p65. DNA binding activities of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and activator protein 1 (AP-1) were also determined. Results : NCPB reduced AST and ALT (P < 0.05), decreased secretion of inflammatory cytokines and NO (P < 0.05), as well as decreased CRP, GC, ACTH, NA and AD after PH (p < 0.05). NCPB increased expressions of GR and IκB, but expressions of p65, c-Jun, and iNOS (p < 0.05). Additionally, NCPB increased nuclear translocation of GR (p < 0.01), but decreased nuclear translocation of p65 and c-Jun after PH (p < 0.05). Additionally, DNA binding activity of NF-κB and AP-1 was decreased by NCPB (p < 0.05). Conclusion : The results indicate that NCPB treatment can significantly inhibit stress and inflammation in PH rats. Keywords : Neurolytic celiac plexus block, Cytokine, Nuclear translocation, Partial hepatectomy, Stress, Inflammation


Abstract:The mass incarceration of more than 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II has usually been assessed in terms of devastating economic and property losses, racist profiling, and the abrogation of constitutional rights. However, survivors also claimed incarceration as an experience of individual and collective disablement. In a break from decorum, survivors testified about a range of mental and physical disabilities at the U.S. Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians Hearings (CWRIC) held across the United States in 1981. This article discusses how a grassroots redress movement for government restitution brought the experiences of disabled, chronically ill, and mad people into the Commission hearings. Informed by 1960s-1970s Asian American and Third World Women's movements, intergenerational redress organizing transmitted and amplified the subjugated knowledge of disabled survivors. These efforts to involve ordinary people in redress produced an unanticipated yet profound record of what I call carceral disability: the aggregate disabling effects of mass incarceration and state violence. I further deliberate on the unresolvable ambiguities and ongoing anticarceral legacies of the Redress Movement.


The possible effect of high concentrations of plasma triglycerides on arterial oxygen tension was investigated in rats by infusion of lymph chylomicrons or a soybean oil emulsion (Intralipid). Mean triglyceride concentrations were raised from 130 to 1454 mg/100 ml without statistically significant change in arterial oxygen tension, oxygen saturation, carbon dioxide tension, or pH. The small reduction in arterial oxygen tension, content, or saturation observed in earlier studies may have been due to inadequate stabilization of fat emulsion then available for intravenous use. The present data suggest that high concentrations of plasma triglycerides produced by infusion of chylomicrons or Intralipid do not affect arterial blood gases in the normal rat.


Objective. It has not been possible to draw firm conclusions about the effects of prenatal cocaine exposure because of methodologic problems involved in the conduct of this research. This study, designed to overcome some of these methodologic problems, is a prospective, longitudinal investigation of the effects of prenatal cocaine/crack exposure on neonatal growth in two samples, one with and one without prenatal care (PC). Methods. Women in the PC sample (n = 295) were interviewed at the end of each trimester about their use of cocaine, crack, alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and other drugs. Women in the no prenatal care (NPC) sample (n = 98) were interviewed at delivery about their drug use during each trimester of pregnancy. In both samples, information was also obtained about sociodemographic, lifestyle, psychologic, and social support characteristics. Both samples consisted of women who were predominantly low income, single, and high school educated. Of the women, 48% in the PC sample were black; 81% in the NPC sample were black. Infants were examined during the postpartum hospital stay by project nurses who were blind to maternal substance use status. Results. Women in both samples who used cocaine/crack during pregnancy were older, had lower family incomes, and used more alcohol than did women who did not use cocaine/crack during pregnancy. In addition, women in the NPC sample were more likely to be black, less educated, gained less weight during pregnancy, and used more alcohol than did women in the PC sample, regardless of cocaine use. In both samples, cocaine/crack use during early pregnancy predicted reduced gestational age, birth weight, length, and head circumference, after controlling for the significant covariates of cocaine use. In a comparison of the samples, the offspring of the NPC/cocaine group were significantly smaller than were the offspring of the PC/no cocaine group, whereas the offspring of the PC/cocaine and NPC/cocaine groups did not differ. Conclusions. These results indicate that exposure to cocaine/crack during early pregnancy decreases the intrauterine growth of exposed offspring in women with and without PC. Each of the growth parameters was affected indicating symmetric growth retardation. The adequacy of PC was not a significant factor in determining the difference between cocaine-exposed and nonexposed infants. These samples are being followed throughout childhood to determine whether there are long-term effects of prenatal cocaine/crack exposure on growth.


The present study describes the effects of germination on nonnutritional factors and antioxidant activity in the nonconventional legumes Vigna unguiculata (cowpea), Canavalia ensiformis (jack bean), Lablab purpureus (dolichos), and Stizolobium niveum (mucuna). Protease inhibitors and lectins were detected in raw legumes and were significantly decreased during the germination. Regarding total and individual inositol phosphates (IP5-IP3), important reductions of IP6 and high increases in the rest of inositol phosphates were also detected during this process. In addition, total phenols, catechins, and proanthocyanidins increased, accompanied by an overall rise of antioxidant activity (79.6 μmol of Trolox/g of DW in the case of mucuna). Germination has been shown to be a very effective process to reduce nonnutritional factors and increase bioactive phenolic compounds and antioxidant activities of these nonconventional legumes. For this reason, they could be used as ingredients to obtain high-value legume flours for food formulation.


This article argues that the literatures on policy transfer and policy diffusion are complimentary, but need to focus more clearly on five key issues drawing insights from both literatures. First, work in each area can benefit from a greater focus on the changing interactions between the various mechanisms involved in diffusion/transfer. Second, the diffusion literature privileges structure, while the transfer literature privileges agency, but we need an approach which recognizes the dialectical relationship between the two. Third, the diffusion literature concentrates on pattern-finding, while the transfer literature examines process-tracing, but any full explanation of transfer/diffusion needs to do both. Fourth, both literatures suffer from skewed case selection with, in particular, too little attention paid to developing countries. Finally, while both literatures need to be interested in whether diffusion/transfer is likely to be successful/unsuccessful, neither considers any criteria that might be used to establish policy success and failure.


ABSTRACT Silveira, T.M., Carapuço, A.M., Sousa, H., Taborda, R., Psuty, N.P., Andrade, C. and Freitas, C., 2013. Optimizing beach topographic field surveys: matching the effort with the objectives In any study design, the surveying approach should match the objectives, thereby limiting the effort to focus on the purpose of the inquiry. Often, in beach geomorphological research, study design is based on expert judgment, that does not assure the optimization of the field surveys. In this study, several dimensions of survey strategies were evaluated to compare the outcomes and uncertainties associated with field data collection. The objective of this work is to assess the accuracy of the derived volumes achieved by different survey strategies, including cross- and alongshore lines, with varying density and spatial distribution, to optimize the field survey effort. A number of survey strategies are simulated, covering a range of data resolutions and configurations, replicating a number of possibilities for field data gathering. Topographical data from different field surveying approaches were analyzed for a 4 km long coastal stretch in Portugal. Measures of beach volume were computed from cross-shore as well as alongshore information, and the errors associated with each approach evaluated. Results show that beach volume varies with the adopted survey strategy. As an example, beach volume change can be adequately portrayed and survey effort minimized either through the surveying of 3 alongshore lines, or through 200 m spacing beach profiling. This work highlights the importance of the study design in beach contexts because of its inevitable influence on the results of volumetric change analyses.


This article deals with the notion of social myth and the interconnection between myths and personal consciousness as a complex system. The purpose of the work is the integrative philosophical analysis of the issue of interaction and interconnection between personal consciousness and social myths. The key problems of transformation of different social myths in post-soviet Ukrainian society are outlined. The connection between social myths and political, cultural, economic, axiological and ecological aspects of social being is defined. Key words: Person, Society, Myth, Manipulations, Values.


The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of inquiry–based agriscience instruction on student scientific reasoning. Scientific reasoning is defined as the use of the scientific method, inductive, and deductive reasoning to develop and test hypothesis. Developing scientific reasoning skills can provide learners with a connection to the scientific process by creating knowledge through evidence–based or authentic investigations. Higher reasoning scores indicate the learners' ability to change a nonscientific belief based on factual evidence. This quasi–experimental study investigated the effect of two teaching methods (inquiry–based instruction and the subject matter approach) on agriscience student scientific reasoning. Fifteen agriscience education classes confined within seven secondary schools across the United States participated in the study. Utilizing univariate analysis of covariance, there was a statistically significant difference between groups based on scientific reasoning. Those students taught through inquiry–based instruction were reported as having higher scientific reasoning than students taught through the subject matter approach.


This paper outlines the recent power devices developments in the maturation of a SiC power MOSFET technology, focusing attention on device structure and performance trade-offs. Improvements will be made on the gate width, gate oxide thickness, doping concentration of the polysilicon gate and overlap spacing of existing silicon carbide MOSFET designs. The success of this design will impact power applications in the areas related to high temperature and high voltage. In the on state, the specific on-resistance is 130 m/spl Omega//cm/sup 2/. The specific on-resistance of 6H-SiC MOSFET is lower than any others due to the field effect mobility of 35 cm/sup 2//Vs.


Biometric time and attendance system is one of the most successful applications of biometric technology. One of the main advantage of a biometric time and attendance system is it avoids "buddy-punching". Buddy punching was a major loophole which will be exploiting in the traditional time attendance systems. Fingerprint recognition is an established field today, but still identifying individual from a set of enrolled fingerprints is a time taking process. Most fingerprint-based biometric systems store the minutiae template of a user in the database. It has been traditionally assumed that the minutiae template of a user does not reveal any information about the original fingerprint. This belief has now been shown to be false; several algorithms have been proposed that can reconstruct fingerprint images from minutiae templates. In this paper, a novel fingerprint reconstruction algorithm is proposed to reconstruct the phase image, which is then converted into the grayscale image. The proposed reconstruction algorithm reconstructs the phase image from minutiae. The proposed reconstruction algorithm is used to automate the whole process of taking attendance, manually which is a laborious and troublesome work and waste a lot of time, with its managing and maintaining the records for a period of time is also a burdensome task. The proposed reconstruction algorithm has been evaluated with respect to the success rates of type-I attack (match the reconstructed fingerprint against the original fingerprint) and type-II attack (match the reconstructed fingerprint against different impressions of the original fingerprint) using a commercial fingerprint recognition system. Given the reconstructed image from our algorithm, we show that both types of attacks can be effectively launched against a fingerprint recognition system.


Significant quantities of Energy Resources in Sub-Saharan Africa are still unexploited due to derisory technological savoir faire and funding. Close to 75% of Cameroon's electric power is obtained from hydropower schemes while the rest comes from other renewable energy sources. Despite these vast energy potentials, access to, and distribution of, electrical energy is a herculean task, especially in rural areas. Faced with acute electricity shortages and unreliable supply, the people of the Kururu village have sought for a means to produce and distribute local electrical energy. This article x-rays the strategies put in place by the local community to salvage their inadequate electricity supply. The paper advocates that local communities can synergize to develop their areas. Data collection in the Kururu village was done through the administration of questionnaires, field observation and focus group discussions. Also, 483 inhabitants of the Kururu village representing a 20% sample were questioned. A total of 53 households were administered questionnaires from the 265 households which make up the entire population. Results from findings revealed that a 9m2 surface area and 1.7m deep dam was constructed to generate some 25 to 30KW of electricity. This enabled six out of eight neighbourhoods of the Kururu village to be electrified through two distribution centres. Some 67% of funds for the electricity project were supplied by the ADEID non-governmental organization, 22% from the local community and 11% from the village development associations. The presence of electricity has led to the establishment of businesses which have enhanced socio-economic development in the area. Accessibility to electricity has also upgraded the learning process in the area and abridged the rate of rural exodus. This paper endorses that four additional electricity distribution centres be created, in order to reduce the shortages of electricity and ensure a steady supply in all the quarters of Kururu.


Background: Tuberculosis is a public health problem. Conditions that interfere with immunity increase the risk of tuberculosis, and diabetes mellitus are thought to fit into this category of risk-enhancing diseases. Prevalence of DM has risen over the past decades.Tuberculosis when occurs with diabetics causes more mortality Objective: find Prevalence of DM in TB cases Methods: A cross sectional study was done in Baghdad during the period August 2010 – May 2011. Any patient attending during the study period diagnosed as a new case of TB was enrolled in this study. A total number of 326 TB patients were enrolled in this study. 28 diabetic TB cases and 298 non diabetic TB cases .A full medical history , physical examination and Blood sugar tests was done for each patient Results: Age mean for the diabetic group was 51.9±12.4year while for non diabetic was 35.8±15.0, with significant difference .In all groups male gender exceeds female gender .85.7 % of diabetic group was pulmonary TB while for non diabetic group the percentage was 73.5 % .For diabetic group, Cough Duration mean was 11. 5±13.6 weeks, while for non diabetic group, it was 7.0±5.6 weeks with significant difference .37.5% of diabetic group presented with Hemoptysis while 16.0 % of non diabetic group presented with Hemoptysis with significant difference .The Prevalence of diabetes among all TB patients was 8.6%, The Prevalence of diabetes among male TB patients was 8.5%, and The Prevalence of diabetes among female was 8.7% Conclusions: The Prevalence of diabetes among TB patients was 8.6%, diabetic group of TB was older in age with longer duration of cough. Pulmonary TB diabetic cases more likely to have hemoptysis in comparison to non-diabetic cases.


Seventy-five pregnant women (mean gestational age 32.26 weeks, range 20-36 weeks) with premature rupture of the membranes (PROM) were admitted in our department during 1989 and the first 6 months of 1990. Amoxicillin and clavulanic acid was initially administered at a dose of 1.2 g i.v. every 8 hours for 3-4 days and was followed by oral administration of 625 mg every 8 hours until labor. Sixty-one patients (mean gestational age 32.6 +/- 2.3 weeks, range 26-36 weeks) achieved an uncomplicated course of their pregnancies with a mean time of 11.4 +/- 5.7 days (range 3-27 days), from rupture to delivery. Fourteen women (mean gestational age 30.8 +/- 5 weeks, range 20-36 weeks) developed chorioamnionitis 3.5 +/- 0.9 days (range 1.4-5.6 days) after the rupture with several degrees of leukocyte infiltration of the membranes, placenta and the umbilical cord. Five women (mean gestational age 23.8 +/- 2.3 weeks, range 20-26 weeks) had complications resulting in fetal/infant death, three of them because of fetal sepsis (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeroginosa, Staphylococcus aureus). The newborns were followed up 6 months from delivery and had no signs of drug influence. Few side effects were observed with the chief complaints involving the gastrointestinal tract (4%). No one discontinued the drug. It seems therefore, that the prophylactic administration of amoxicillin and cluvalanic acid in women with PROM is associated with a significant prolongation of pregnancy and with a reduction in the incidence of fetal/maternal infections.


Abstract How do we write about cities in a world of deepening inequality, real-estate geopolitics, and the planetary water crisis that is unfolding in parts of Asia and elsewhere? Indian urban studies, which began to gain ground as a legitimate subject of scholarly enquiry two decades ago, has now emerged as a site to study political society, state-making, and citizenship, and to offer rich accounts of how post-colonial urban governance and law-making work. In this review, I explore the powerful analytics developed in three recent books in urban studies: Anindita Ghosh's historical work on colonial Calcutta, Claiming the City: Protest, Crime and Scandals in Colonial Calcutta, c. 1860–1920 (2016); Asher Ghertner's geographical analysis of neoliberal Delhi, Rule by Aesthetics: World-Class City Making in Delhi (2015); and Nikhil Anand's ethnographic account of restive publics and citizenship in Mumbai, Hydraulic City: Water and the Infrastructures of Citizenship in Mumbai (2017). This recent scholarship on urbanization has moved away from earlier rubrics of segregation, biopolitical disciplining, and resistance to offer rich accounts of the frictions that make and unmake political societies, critical tools to study the life of law in post-colonial cities, infrastructures as sites for the production of citizenship, and new financial and legal assemblages of risk-management, building lobbies, and syndicates around which urban politics is swirling. These accounts also deepen our understanding of the long genealogy of the contemporary moment, including populism, electoral politics, and post-colonial state-making. Indeed, the future of urban studies in a rapidly urbanizing world should be one that helps us to understand the nature of politics, contestations around legalities, environmental crises, and new financial geographies of power and dispossession.


A lattice model is presented for predicting the adsorption thermodynamics of benzene in silicalite. The parameters for the lattice model are obtained from a detailed atomistic representation of benzene and the silicalite structure. The parameters describe the free energies in the various adsorption sites due to interactions between a benzene molecule and the zeolite, as well as interactions between neighboring benzene adsorbates. The development of the more coarse-grained lattice model from the full atomistic model is presented in detail, noting the approximations involved. The lattice model reproduces the adsorption isotherms calculated previously from atomistic grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations, which were in good agreement with experiment, but the lattice model is over an order of magnitude more efficient computationally. Calculations were performed for the silicalite structure with Pnma symmetry (the so-called ORTHO structure) and with P2[sub 1]2[sub 1]2[sub 1] symmetry (PARA). The model accounts for the step seen in the experimental isotherms; this feature is ascribable to a transformation of the silicalite structure from the ORTHO form to the PARA form at a benzene occupancy of about four molecules per unit cell. 29 refs., 7 figs., 2 tabs.


Ordinary kraft pulping of bagasse was adjusted by utilizing green liquor at the laboratory and research of Misr-Edfu Pulp, Writing and Printing Paper in a small pilot batch digester (Edfu, Aswan, Egypt) as an environmentally friendly method. Bagasse pulp was produced with and without green liquor, and the physical and mechanical properties of unbleached bagasse were assessed. The parameter states of cooking were completed utilizing antacid substance charge from 10% to 13%, cooking temperature from 160 to 170 °C, cooking time from 20 to 50 min, and solid to liquor ratio of 7:1 that was steady in all preliminaries. The results demonstrated the exploratory idea that green liquor can provide critical pulping advantages in comparison with customary kraft pulping. Screened pulp yield improved 2.6%, rejects content decreased 0.9%, kappa number was reduced by 26.9%, and brightness was increased by 3%. There also was improved mechanical quality of bagasse pulp: increases of 14.3% (tensile index), 8.7% (tear index record), 4.6% (burst index), and 15.4% (double fold number) were observed compared with conventional kraft pulping. This process also saved money related to the expense of depleted vitality, lime consumed during causticizing process, and upkeep of the causticizing plant.


Stem cell dynamics in vivo are often being studied by lineage tracing methods. Our laboratory has previously developed a retrospective method for reconstructing cell lineage trees from somatic mutations accumulated in microsatellites. This method was applied here to explore different aspects of stem cell dynamics in the mouse colon without the use of stem cell markers. We first demonstrated the reliability of our method for the study of stem cells by confirming previously established facts, and then we addressed open questions. Our findings confirmed that colon crypts are monoclonal and that, throughout adulthood, the process of monoclonal conversion plays a major role in the maintenance of crypts. The absence of immortal strand mechanism in crypts stem cells was validated by the age-dependent accumulation of microsatellite mutations. In addition, we confirmed the positive correlation between physical and lineage proximity of crypts, by showing that the colon is separated into small domains that share a common ancestor. We gained new data demonstrating that colon epithelium is clustered separately from hematopoietic and other cell types, indicating that the colon is constituted of few progenitors and ruling out significant renewal of colonic epithelium from hematopoietic cells during adulthood. Overall, our study demonstrates the reliability of cell lineage reconstruction for the study of stem cell dynamics, and it further addresses open questions in colon stem cells. In addition, this method can be applied to study stem cell dynamics in other systems.


The lean startup refers to a decade-old, practitioner-developed, hypothesis-driven entrepreneurship method that entrepreneurs use to develop scalable new products, business models, and enterprises by learning through experimentation. Since its introduction, the lean startup empiric literature has evolved, and opportunities exist to extend these works. This review engages the research question- What relationship does the lean startup have with organizational learning? Utilizing systematic and snowball techniques, this review engages 132 citations- 38 lean startup, 21 lean startup-related, 72 organizational learning, and 1 systematic literature review method. This paper offers multiple contributions to the literature. It identifies multiple characterizations of the lean startup. This analysis highlights that the lean startup situates well with multiple aspects of organizational learning- including process, behavioral, and cognitive. However, it finds limited evidence reflecting a direct effect of the lean startup on organizational learning. Accordingly, while this work does extend current publications, it sees the need to build on the extant literature, emphasizing lean startup's direct influence on organizational learning. Emerging from this observation is a research question that captures this opportunity- How does the lean startup method's use directly impact organizational learning in nascent ventures? Finally, from this question and considerations around the study's findings and limitations, this review proffers multiple questions that define an agenda for future empiric research around these two phenomena.


Different Checkpoint kinase inhibitors (Chk-i) have been developed to increase the cytotoxic effect of genotoxic agents inhibiting the key elements of the DNA damage response (DDR) pathways. Our group has already showed the efficacy of this class of compounds in single agent in different in vitro/ex vivo/in vivo studies for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of a Chk1/Chk2 inhibitor in combination with the topoisomerase II inhibitor doxorubicin for the treatment of ALL. Firstly we evaluate the efficacy of doxorubicin on human B (NALM-6, NALM-19 and REH) and T (MOLT-4, RPMI-8402 and CEM) ALL cell lines in term of reduction of the cell viability, modification of cell cycle profile and activation of the DDR pathways. Cells were treated with doxorubicin (0.25-2.5 uM) for 24 and 48 hours and the reduction of the cell viability was quantified using WST-1 reagents. In all the cell lines treated the cytotoxic effect of doxorubicin was time and dose dependent. The induction of the apoptosis (Pi/Annexin V) and the effect on cell cycle profile (Pi staining) was also evaluated in all the cell lines. Due to the inhibitory effect of the compound on the topoisomerase II enzyme and due to the activation of the cell cycle checkpoint, cells were arrested in G2/M phase. Then the effectiveness of the Chk-i as a chemo-sensitizer agent was evaluated. Different cell lines were treated with doxorubicin (5, 10, 25 and 50 nM for the more sensitive cell lines; 50, 100, 250 and 500 nM for the less sensitive cell lines) in combination with the Chk-i (2, 5 and 10 nM) for 24 and 48 hours. The combination showed a synergistic effect in term of reduction of the cell viability and induction of apoptosis. The effect of the combination was also analyzed using western blot looking for specific marker of activation of the DDR pathway showing the same synergistic effect. Moreover the effect of the combination on cell cycle profile was evaluated using a double staining Pi/Anti-phospho-Histone H3 ser10 (marker of mitosis). Cell lines were pre-treated for 18 hours with doxorubicin and then with the Chk-i for different time points (1, 2, 3, 6 and 9 hours). The treatment with Chk-i removed the G2/M arrest induced by the pre-treatment with doxorubicin, progressively reducing the number of cells in G2/M phase, increasing the percentage of cells positive for the mitotic marker p-HH3 (ser10) and increasing the percentage of cells in sub-G1 phase. In our opinion the combination between the Chk1 inhibitor,LY2606368, and the topoisomerase II inhibitor, doxorubicin, could be a promising strategy for the treatment of B/T-ALL. Supported by ELN, AIL, AIRC, progetto Regione-Universita 2010-12 (L. Bolondi), FP7 NGS-PTL project. Citation Format: Andrea Ghelli Luserna di Rora, Ilaria Iacobucci, Enrica Imbrogno, Enrico Derenzini, Anna Ferrari, Valentina Robustelli, Viviana Guadagnuolo, Cristina Papayannidis, Maria Chiara Abbenante, Sandro Grilli, Giovanni Martinelli. The synergistic efficacy of Chk1/Chk2 inhibitors and doxorubicin in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 2723.


Segmentation methods for images often have cost functions which evaluate the (dis)similarity between pixels or segments. Thresholds on cost values are then used to decide whether or not to grow, join or split segments. The results for a given image critically depend on the selection of the threshold values. In remote sensing, a too low threshold will split up regions of constant ground cover and a too high threshold will join adjacent regions of different ground cover. Optimal thresholds can be determined using different classes of methods: generating cost value distributions from the original image; obtaining statistical distributions from segmented images; comparing a 'true' segmentation with the results of segmentation using a range of thresholds. A so-called 'true' segmentation can be derived from human expert segmentations or from maps obtained by ground surveys or segmentation of higher resolution images. Also artificial images can be generated having the advantage that the segmentation is known to sub-pixel level. Several methods for threshold determination are described for a hybrid segmentation method developed by us. Measures are described for comparison of two segmentations. Results are evaluated using several (parts of) LANDSAT images and artificial generated images.


For more than 20 years, scholars have assessed a plan's content to determine the plan's quality, with quality serving as a proxy for planning efficacy. However, scholars rarely examine the relationship between a plan's quality and the plan's intended outcome. Thus, it is unclear whether quality influences planning outcomes or even advances equity. To close this gap, this study assessed a non-random sample of housing plans from 43 cities in California's Los Angeles and Sacramento regions to observe how cities accommodated low-income housing needs and to observe whether each plan's quality influenced low-income housing production. The analysis indicates that the plans identified 42 different planning tools to accommodate low-income housing needs, and nearly 60% of the implementing objectives proposed construction programs. Quality is influential after the city's location, land-use, population, and the plan's compliance with state housing law are taken into account. In summary, quality illuminated how these cities accommodated low-income housing needs and, in conjunction with other city conditions, quality influences low-income housing production. Due to this non-random sample, this study calls on planning scholars to subject quality to more empirical tests on planning outcomes in other areas to increase quality's importance in scholarship.


Background Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, preoperative care, also termed prehabilitation, has become increasingly relevant due to the decreasing functional and psychosocial health of patients with cancer, which is a result of the pandemic restrictions. Concurrently, access to telehealth has improved; telehealth comprises all remote care delivery facilitated by information technologies (ie, virtually). Objective The aim of this protocol is to describe the rationale and methodology for a major trial investigating the feasibility and safety of multimodal virtual prehabilitation services (ie, teleprehabilitation). Methods This single-arm feasibility trial aims to recruit 100 patients with cancer to receive teleprehabilitation throughout their preoperative period. The inclusion criteria are as follows: (1) 18 years of age or older, (2) scheduled for elective cancer surgery and referred by a surgeon, (3) medically cleared by the referring physician to engage in physical activity, and (4) have a good comprehension of the English or French language. Feasibility will be assessed by documenting recruitment, adherence, and retention rates, in addition to patients' motives for not participating in the trial, low participation, or discontinuation. The secondary outcome of safety will be assessed by reporting program-related adverse events. Results The Montreal General Hospital Foundation funded the project in August 2020. The protocol was then approved by the Research Ethics Board of the McGill University Health Centre in January 2021 (ID No. 2021-6730). The first patient was recruited in March 2021, and recruitment is expected to end in September 2022. As of March 2022, 36 patients have been recruited, including 24 who have completed their participation. No adverse events have been reported. Data collection is expected to conclude in November 2022. Data analysis will be performed, and the results will be published by the beginning of 2023. Conclusions This trial will provide guidance on the use of telehealth in the administration of prehabilitation services. The trial will provide a large amount of information that will respond to gaps in the literature, as there are minimal reports on the use of telehealth rehabilitation and prehabilitation services among elderly populations and in acute contexts, such as the preoperative period. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT0479956; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04799561 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/29936


In this research, we undertake a numerical study of the interaction between laser beams and two as well as multi-level atoms. The main aim of this research is to obtain a deeper understanding of laser-atom interactions and non-linear processes such as optical four-wave mixing. This work will supplement experiments to be conducted by other members of the group, who are involved in generating entangled photons via four-wave mixing in cold rubidium atoms. We begin by performing a basic study of the interaction between laser beams and two-level atoms as an aid to gain knowledge of numerical techniques, as well as an understanding of the physics behind light-atom interactions. We make use of a semi-classical approach to describe the system where the atoms are treated quantum mechanically and the laser beams are treated classically. We study the interaction between atoms and laser beams using the density matrix operator and Maxwell's equations respectively. By solving the optical Bloch equations for two-level atoms we examine the atomic populations and coherences and present plots of the density matrix elements as a function of time. The effects of various parameters such as laser intensity, detuning and laser modulation have been tested. The behaviour of the laser beam as it propagates through the atomic sample is also studied. This is determined by Maxwell's equation where the atomic polarization is estimated from the coherence terms of the density matrix elements.


The existence of spare capacity is traditionally an important element in the assessment of horizontal mergers in homogeneous goods industries. In principle, non-merging firms with spare capacity can react to a price increase by the merged entity and expand output. This output expansion could make such price increase unprofitable for the merged entity and ultimately offset it. But when do competitors have an incentive to expand output to such an extent as to avert anticompetitive effects? Conversely, when do they have an incentive to follow a price increase by the merged entity? In previous case practice, the European Commission (Commission) often focussed its assessment on the degree of spare capacity available to competitors, i.e., on competitors' ability, rather than incentive, to expand output. In some of these cases, the mere existence of a large amount of spare capacity at industry level was considered as sufficient to eliminate the risk of unilateral price effects. In two recent important merger cases, the Commission carried out an in-depth analysis of spare capacity that was not only focussed on competitors' ability to react, but also on their incentive to do so: Outokumpu/Inoxum and INEOS/Solvay/JV. As we explain in more detail in this article, these two cases show that normally competitors of a merged entity do not have an incentive to react to a post-merger price increase sufficiently to alleviate competition concerns. This approach is consistent with the Commission's Horizontal Merger Guidelines, and supported by sound economic analysis and empirical insights.


Exposing water to a (2 x 2)-O precovered Pt(111) surface at 100 K and subsequently annealing at 155 K led to the formation of a well-ordered (square root 3 x square root 3)R30 degrees overlayer. The structure of this overlayer is determined by DFT and full dynamical LEED calculations. There are two O containing groups per (square root 3 x square root 3)R30 degrees unit cell and both occupy near on-top positions with a Pt-O bond length of (2.11 +/- 0.04) A. DFT calculations determined the hydrogen positions of the OH species and clearly indicate hydrogen bonds between the neighboring adsorbed OH groups whose interaction is mainly of electrostatic nature. A theoretical comparison with H(2)O shows the hybridization of OH on Pt(111) to be sp(3).


The development system of the main hydrocarbon deposit of the Shtormove field was designed taking into account the change in reservoir rock properties in horizontal and vertical sections of the gas-saturated interval. Based on the results of core analyses and interpretation of logging data from exploration and appraisal wells, maximum porosity values were assigned to the top part of the deposit, with lower porosity values assigned closer to the gas-water contact area. The analyzed thin sections demonstrated vertical and subvertical fractures, as well as multiple pores and dissolution vugs. Most of the fractures occur in the top part of the gas-condensate deposit. Natural fractures in the rocks of the productive interval were confirmed by well testing using a steady flow analysis.
 Taking into account the determined reservoir properties' distribution pattern in the gas-condensate deposit II, the wells were drilled in the top part of the deposit from a fixed offshore platform during the pilot development period. During this period, the estimated recoverable gas reserves' values matched the values obtained using the volumetric estimation method. In the following years, in order to increase the gas recovery rate, the infilling production wells were drilled in the top part of the deposit. Based on the analysis of the development, it was determined that the addition of new wells had little effect on the performance of existing ones. As a result, attributable to infill drilling in the top part of the deposit, the annual gas production increased. Given the similarity of the geological model and distribution of reservoir properties, the implemented development system of the Shtormove field should be recommended for new development targets.


. We present a fast condition estimation algorithm for the eigenvalues of a class of structured matrices. These matrices are low rank modifications to Hermitian, skew-Hermitian, and unitary matrices. Fast structured operations for these matrices are presented, including Schur de- composition, eigenvalue block swapping, matrix equation solving, compact structure reconstruction, etc. Compact semiseparable representations of matrices are used in these operations. We use these operations in a new improved version of the statistical condition estimation method for eigenvalue problems. The estimation algorithm costs O( n 2 ) flops for all eigenvalues, instead of O ( n 3 ) as in traditional algorithms, where n is the order of the matrix. The algorithm provides reliable condition estimates for both eigenvalues and eigenvalue clusters. The proposed structured matrix operations are also useful for additional eigenvalue problems and other applications. Numerical examples are used to illustrate the reliability and efficiency of the algorithm.


Multiprocessors have emerged as a powerful computing means for running realtime applications, especially where a uniprocessor system would not be sufficient enough to execute all the tasks. The high performance and reliability of multiprocessors have made them a powerful computing resource. Such computing environment requires an efficient algorithm to determine when and on which processor a given task should execute. In multiprocessor systems, an efficient scheduling of a parallel program onto the processors that minimizes the entire execution time is vital for achieving a high performance. This scheduling problem is known to be NPHard. In multiprocessor scheduling problem, a given program is to be scheduled in a given multiprocessor system such that the programs execution time is minimized. The last job must be completed as early as possible. Genetic algorithm (GA) is one of the widely used techniques for constrained optimization problems. Genetic algorithms are basically search algorithms based on the mechanics of natural selection and natural genesis. The main goal behind research on genetic algorithms is robustness i.e. balance between efficiency and efficacy. This paper proposes Genetic algorithm to solve scheduling problem of multiprocessors that minimizes the make span.


Though household surveys have long been an established part of development practice and regularly used to gather data on poverty incidence and the range of associated indicators, they have not yet become a common tool of justice reform practitioners. This guide aims to be a practical starting point for integrating justice work and household data collection, targeted both towards justice practitioners interested in survey design, as well as survey researchers interested in incorporating justice questions into their work. It provides guidance on designing a survey, suggested topics and questions, and ideas to facilitate a constructive engagement in discussions around justice in development practice.


We have been engaged in the researches on the active lighting techniques for twenty years. At first, we proposed a method to measure the 3-D shape of the object by projecting multiple patterns of structured light, because it is much faster than the method with scanning slit of light, and dense range image can be measured. For this purpose, we made a projector which consists of mechanicallychangeable masks, but it was soon replaced by a speciallymade liquid crystal panel with many slit segments. From the fact, we can proudly declare that the projector is not a diverted device but exclusively developed as a part of projector-camera systems, and the projection target is originally not a planar screen but a real scene with varied depth. Actually, this infant device was successful and commercially enough practical for 3-D shape measurement, but unfortunately we had to wait for the evolution of panel display technology more than a decade, to make a step to the studies which utilizes full duality between cameras and projectors. In the middle of 1990s, many researchers started using video projectors. Since we were computer vision researchers, we used the flexibility of video projector not for a interaction technique but improving performance of 3-D measurement such as motion tracking. But we were also aware of its advantage as a visualization tool in a real scene. Alike to the other research activities, we have confirmed that the projector can change the seen color, texture and specular of the real object. In addition, faked shade projected on the object make it possible to change our interpretation of its shape. Furthermore, the traditional shape measurement method we had developed is seamlessly combined with the visualization technique. Therefore, we have a common view to the possibility of intuitive interface systems with realistic visualization for communicating, training and designing works, so now is a good time to look-ing back on the history of projector-camera systems for our community. Of course you are already familiar with most researches in this field, but we regret our less presence if you are not aware of our research activities. Therefore, in this paper, we summarize the history and progress on light projection methodologies in our laboratory.


Serum IgD levels were determined by radial immunodiffusion among 349 patients with various dermatoses and 40 normal blood donnors. An increase of serum concentrations was found in atopic patients 62,5 p. 100 of which had levels over 50 mg/1 compared to 20 p. 100 in controls. No correlation was found between IgD and IgE levels in these patients. An increase (but statistically not significant) was also found in chronic urticaria whereas levels were normal in acute urticaria. No difference was found in contact dermatitis nor in psoriasis. High levels occurred in most of patients with primo-secondary syphilis and in acne pustulosa, whereas low IgD levels were found in most patients with malignant proliferative diseases (mycosis fongoide, malignant melanoma, carcinoma). However, the number of patients tested in these groups is too small to allow definitive conclusions. In our experience, determination of serum IgD values is not very useful for diagnosis in dermatologic patients.


Sequence labeling, in which a class or label is assigned to each token in a given input order, is a fundamental task in natural language processing. Many advanced neural network architectures have recently been proposed to solve the sequential labeling problem affecting this task. By contrast, only a few approaches have been proposed to address the sequential ensemble problem. In this paper, we resolve the sequential ensemble problem by applying the sequential alignment method in a proposed ensemble framework. Specifically, we propose a simple but efficient ensemble candidate generation framework with which multiple heterogeneous systems can easily be prepared from a single neural sequence labeling network. To evaluate the proposed framework, experiments were conducted with part-of-speech (POS) tagging and dependency label prediction problems. The results indicate that the proposed framework achieved accuracy values that were higher by 0.19 and 0.33 than those achieved by the hard-voting method on the Penn-treebank POS-tagged and Universal dependency-tagged datasets, respectively.


Graves's ophthalmopathy, the commonest extrathyroidal manifestation of Graves' disease is an autoimmune disorder of the orbit. Restoration of thyroid dysfunction, lubricant eye drops and smoking cessation is important. Clinical activity and disease severity determine specific treatment. Referral to specialist centres is urgent in sight-threatning optic neuropathy. Intravenous methylprednisolone is first-line therapy for clinically active disease. Retrobulbar irradiation may help in persistant ocular muscle inflammation. Prompt orbital decompression is warranted for sight-threatning neuropathy not responding to high-dose methylprednisolone. Decompression is otherwise performed in the chronic phase, before possible eye-muscle and eyelid surgery. Rituximab is a promising immunomodulating drug for resistant clinically active cases.


Purpose Sustained opioid use is a well-known complication after surgery. Our objective was to determine whether there is any association between a patient's race or ethnicity and the sustained use of opioids in the year following surgery. Opioid use over the initial 3, 6, and 12 postoperative months was categorized as "sustained early", persistent, and chronic, respectively. Patients and Methods Single-institution retrospective study of adults (≥18 years) who had undergone open abdominal surgery for cancer. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between race/ethnicity and opioid use. Results Of the 3523 patients included in the study, 2543 (72.2%) were non-Hispanic (NH) White, 476 (13.5%) were Hispanic or Latino, 262 (7.4%) were NH-Black, 186 (5.3%) were Asian, and 56 (1.6%) belonged to other racial or ethnic groups. The overall rates of sustained early, persistent, and chronic opioid use were 15.9%, 7.1%, and 2.6%, respectively. In the multivariable analysis, patient race/ethnicity was associated with sustained early postoperative opioid use (p-value=0.037), with Hispanics/Latinos having significantly higher odds than NH-Whites (OR = 1.382 [95% CI: 1.057–1.808]; p = 0.018). However, neither persistent nor chronic opioid use was associated with race/ethnicity (p = 0.697 and p = 0.443, respectively). Conclusion In this retrospective study of adults who had undergone open abdominal surgery, patient race/ethnicity was not consistently associated with the development of sustained opioid use over the first 12 postoperative months.


Abstract Any poorly crystalline serpentine-type mineral with a lack of recognizable textural or diffraction features for typical serpentine varieties (i.e., chryotile, lizardite, and antigorite) is usually referred to as proto-serpentine. The formation of the so-called proto-serpentine seems ubiquitous in serpentinization reactions. It is related to dissolution-precipitation of strongly reactive particles prior to true serpentine formation (e.g., in veins where both chrysotile and proto-serpentine are described). However, the structural characteristics of proto-serpentine and its relation with serpentine crystalline varieties remain unclear. In this study a model describing the transformation from proto-serpentine to chrysotile is presented based on experimental chrysotile synthesis using thermogravimetric analyses, transmission electron microscopy, and high-energy X-ray diffraction with pair distribution function analyses. The combination of the high-resolution TEM and high-energy X-ray diffraction enables to resolve the local order of neo-formed particles and their structuration processes occurring during pure chrysotile formation (i.e., during the first three hours of reaction). The formation of individual nanotubes is preceded by the formation of small nanocrystals that already show a chrysotile short-range order, forming porous anastomosing features of hydrophilic crystallites mixed with brucite. This is followed by a hierarchical aggregation of particles into a fiber-like structure. These flake-like particles subsequently stack forming concentric layers with the chrysotile structure. Finally, the individualization of chrysotile nanotubes with a homogeneous distribution of diameter and lengths (several hundreds of nanometer in length) is observed. The competitive precipitation of brucite and transient serpentine during incipient serpentinization reaction indicates that both dissolution-precipitation and serpentine-particle aggregation processes operate to form individual chrysotile. This study sheds light into mineralization processes and sets a first milestone toward the identification of the factors controlling polymorph selection mechanisms in this fascinating system.


Abstract : The report describes an investigation to evaluate a medium-duty aluminum honeycomb-core landing mat designed and fabricated by Goodyear Aerospace Corporation, Akron, Ohio, as a result of the Government request for proposal dated 6 May 1968. The medium-duty mat was a sandwich-type structure with a honeycomb core bonded by an epoxy film adhesive to aluminum top and bottom skins. Extruded aluminum edge connectors were also bonded with a similar adhesive to the top and bottom skins and to the core. Individual panels were joined along two edges with a hinge-type connection and along the adjacent two edges by overlap-/underlap-type connections that were locked together by insertion of a connector bar. The panel dimensions, weight, and placing rate were 4 ft by 4 ft by 1.5 in., 67.5 lb, and 478 square feet per man-hour, respectively. The weight per square foot of placing area was 4.1 lb. Traffic and skid tests were conducted to obtain information for evaluating the service life and performance of the medium-duty mat as specified by project requirements. Laboratory tests were performed to determine the mechanical properties of the mat panels and their component parts, and results indicated that the materials in the mat met the specified requirements. The traffic tests were conducted with a rolling wheel load, simulating aircraft operations on mat placed on a prepared subgrade.


Credibility theory provides a tool for modelling various phenomena in insurance. Changes in life circumstances such as the pandemic and its consequences require adjustment of old and creation of new theories that would improve existing parameters in modelling phenomena in insurance and actuarial analysis. Thus, by using c-credibility measure, we try to respond to some of the challenges that have emerged. The paper presents a summarised theory of c-credibility and gives an algorithm for constructing c-credibility measure, which is illustrated by an example.


We present a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) imaging sensor containing two novelties in the field of current mode sensing. First, the in-pixel read-out transistor operates in velocity saturation mode and allows for high linearity between integrated photo charges and output current of the pixel. Second, the column parallel read-out circuitry includes a novel current conveyor with a feedback mechanism, which improves linearity of the output current and leads to improvements in fixed pattern noise. Correlated double sampling, a noise reduction technique, is performed on-chip via current mode circuits to improve spatial noise characteristics of the imager. A prototype of the proposed imaging sensor was fabricated in 0.18 μm triple well CMOS process. The sensor operation and measurements are presented.


Often it was found that, when people face uncertainty, no matter the field, they turn to others for advice on how to respond, on the same time, demonstrating a tendency to imitate the behavior others, especially of their superiors. This is why, a certain behavior of the project manager indicate how other people have to work on the project. By his behavior, the project manager can influence others to act and determine others to respond to a variety of issues related to the project. To be effective, project managers must also work with the project team and discuss all the existing or potential problems. JEL classification: M21


Osteomyelitis can be a challenging entity to treat. Because of the emergence of risk factors, including broad-spectrum antibiotics, intravenous drug abuse, immunocompromised hosts, and other factors, opportunistic pathogens have increased in prevalence in bone infections. A review of the published data revealed few reported cases of fungal osteomyelitis localized to the foot. In the present report, we describe a rare case of fungal osteomyelitis localized to the calcaneus in an elderly female patient who was successfully treated with surgical debridement and a 6-week course of oral fluconazole.


Abstract Effective teamwork performance is essential to the delivery of high-quality and safe patient care. In this mixed methodological observational cohort study, we evaluated team performance immediately following a real medical crisis in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) following implementation of a simulation-based team training (SBTT) program. Comparison of teamwork skills when rated by study observers demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in 12 out of 15 composite teamwork skills during real emergency events following SBTT (p < 0.05). Pre- and post-SBTT intervention survey data demonstrated an improvement in the perception of teamwork, most notable in the area of shared mental model and situational awareness following SBTT. Study results suggest that teamwork behaviors and skills acquired during SBTT can translate into improved bedside performance in the PICU.


Abstract "Sabkha" is a term used to describe the coastal flats and salt marches deposited in lagoonal areas under arid conditions. In this study, water and sediment samples (n = 51 and 182, respectively) were collected from sabkhas systems of the Red Sea coast, which extends between Jeddah city and the town of Yanbu Al-Bahar and is bounded by latitudes 21°30′ and 24°00′N and longitudes 38°00′ and 39°30′E. The collected sediment samples were subjected to sedimentological and mineralogical analyses using grain size and X-ray diffraction techniques. The water samples were subjected to hydrochemical analyses using several standard procedures. The study found that climatic conditions in the Red Sea coastal plain sabkhas lead to the formation of marine brines of magnesium-sodic to chloride type with neutral pH value. Because of the evaporation of the groundwater, the evaporite minerals, especially aragonite, halite, and gypsum, were precipitated. The present study shows that this resulted in an increase in the Mg+2/Cl−1 ion concentrations and the formation of protodolomite mainly in the sediments of the supratidal flats. The reported results indicate that the precipitation of the evaporite minerals and the early diagenetic dolomitization caused decrease in sulfate concentration and the Mg+2/Ca+2 ratios in the water of the supratidal flats. The study also found that more than 50% of the Na+1 ions were precipitated as halite as indicated from the average value of Na+1/Cl−1 ratios, which is lower than 0.75. The absence of clay beds in the sediments overlying the water table is probably the reason for the similar potassium ion concentrations in both upper intertidal and supratidal flat waters in addition to the Red Sea water. The relatively low concentrations of sulfates in the water of the supratidal flats of the studied sabkhas in comparison with their concentrations in the water of the upper intertidal flats are probably due to the precipitation of gypsum in the sediments of the supratidal flats of these sabkhas. The slightly high concentrations of bicarbonates in the water of the studied sabkhas are due mainly to the precipitation of carbonates, especially aragonite, as well as to the low pH values of these waters. The reported results can be considered as documentation of the hydrogeochemical characteristics of the Red sea sabkhas and could be useful for planners and researchers interested in the Red Sea coastal systems.


A controversial topic, mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) is thought to be a mechanism involved in regeneration of the uterine epithelial layer following pregnancy and menstruation. Little is known about this process though, requiring further exploration. Previously, MET was thought to only occur as a damage-repair mechanism following parturition and menses-like events in mouse models. However, in the current study we hypothesized that MET would also occur in other endometrial epithelialization events as a mechanism of homeostatic epithelial turnover. To identify mesenchymal-derived cells within the adult uterine epithelium, an Amhr2-Cre; Rosa26-EYFP reporter mouse line was used. Mice were staged by vaginal cytology prior to the isolation of uterine epithelial and stromal cells, which were then stained with EpCAM to identify epithelial cells and analyzed by flow cytometry. EpCAM+YFP+ cells were identified in all stages of the estrous cycle except diestrus, indicating a proportion of epithelial cells were derived from the stroma (i.e., mesenchyme). Up to 80 percent of the uterine epithelia was EpCAM+YFP+ during estrogen-dominant stages (proestrus and estrus) of the cycle, with negligible amounts found during progesterone-dominant stages (metestrus and diestrus), suggesting this population may be responsive to estrogen. Uteri were also evaluated direct fluorescence and immunofluorescence in tissue sections. Immunofluorescence for EpCAM, forkhead box protein A2 (FOXA2), Ki67, estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1), and progesterone receptor (PGR) was performed to assess epithelial characteristics and potential functionality. To further investigate the role of MET in epithelialization and assess the temporal origin of mesenchymal-derived epithelial cells, we evaluated key postnatal (P) developmental time points using Amhr2-Cre; Rosa26-tTA; H2B-GFP reporter mice. Flow cytometry data indicated that MET may initially occur immediately after birth at P 0.5, with results varying from negligible amounts (0.21 percent) to approximately 82 percent. Similar results were found at P 3, but with decreasing variation; the highest EpCAM+GFP+ population representing approximately 50 percent of the epithelium. Between P 3 and early adenogenesis at P 8, this population decreased to average less than 2 percent. By the completion of adenogenesis initiation at P 14, approximately 10 percent of epithelial cells were EpCAM+GFP+, suggesting MET may occur during adenogenesis initiation and is maintained through P 21. Together, these results suggest that MET may be a more ubiquitous mechanism of epithelialization than originally thought and is likely hormone regulated. This research will help elucidate the role of MET in uterine epithelialization with potential for insights into dysregulation of MET in diseases such as endometrial adenocarcinoma and endometriosis.


Investigations were carried out of climatic ageing influence on acrylic coatings adhesion to the steel substrate. Obtained results showed that ageing factors action for two years contributed to the decrease of coatings adhesion to steel substrate. Pull-off adhesion strength (examined according to PN-EN ISO 4624:2016-05) was 8 MPa in the case of unaged coating whereas, in the case of coating aged climatically, decreased to 4,3 MPa. Evaluation of unaged coating state after pull-off test revealed adhesive break between the bond layer and the acrylic coating surface on the whole area of the stamp surface. However, in the case of the climatically aged coating, the cohesive break occurred in the primer layer on the 95% area of stamp surface and the cohesive break between the bond layer and the coating surface on the 5% area of the stamp surface.


In the present work, the effect of temperature gradient on the behavior of a water nano-droplet resting on a suspended graphene was studied based on a non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulation. The acquired results indicate that the applied temperature gradient to the suspended graphene drives the water nano-droplet to the colder region. The droplet accelerates its motion toward the cold reservoir as the temperature gradient is increased. In addition to the translational motion of the nano-droplet, the vortical motion of the water molecules was also observed. Contact angle analysis was also utilized to describe the directional motion of the nano-droplet. The translational motion of the droplet leads to the estimation of contact angle hysteresis through advancing and receding contact angles while the rotational motion resulted in the advancing and receding fronts being switched with one another through the simulation. The average displacement vector of the water molecules shows that parts of the droplet seem to stagnate while other parts rotate around them. The reason behind this particular behavior was studied based on interaction energy contours between a water molecule and the suspended graphene. The obtained data indicate that the rotational motion is in agreement with the migration of the water molecules to low interaction energy regions in order to avoid high interaction energy areas.In the present work, the effect of temperature gradient on the behavior of a water nano-droplet resting on a suspended graphene was studied based on a non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulation. The acquired results indicate that the applied temperature gradient to the suspended graphene drives the water nano-droplet to the colder region. The droplet accelerates its motion toward the cold reservoir as the temperature gradient is increased. In addition to the translational motion of the nano-droplet, the vortical motion of the water molecules was also observed. Contact angle analysis was also utilized to describe the directional motion of the nano-droplet. The translational motion of the droplet leads to the estimation of contact angle hysteresis through advancing and receding contact angles while the rotational motion resulted in the advancing and receding fronts being switched with one another through the simulation. The average displacement vector of the water molecules shows that parts of the drople...


It remains unclear whether the short-term benefits and long-term outcomes of laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) accrue to elderly patients with medical comorbidities. The aim of the present study was to compare the outcomes between LLR and open liver resection (OLR) in elderly patients (≥65 years) with solitary, treatment-naïve solitary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). From January 2013 to August 2017, 256 elderly patients with solitary treatment-naive HCC underwent liver resection. All patients were Child–Pugh class A and older than 65 years. The OLR and LLR groups contained 160 and 96 patients, respectively. The median tumor size in the OLR group was significantly larger than that in the LLR group (3.9 vs. 2.6 cm), but the tumor size did not differ between the two groups after matching. The median operation time, blood loss, transfusion rate, and postoperative complications in the OLR group did not differ from those in the LLR group, but the operation time in the LLR group was longer than that in the OLR group after matching. The median hospitalization in the LLR group was significantly shorter than that in the OLR group. Disease-free survival (DFS) in the LLR group was better than that in the OLR group before and after matching, but the difference was not significant. Patient survival (PS) in the LLR group was similar to that in the OLR group. LLR is feasible and safe for elderly patients with solitary, treatment-naïve HCC. The short- and long-term benefits of LLR are evident in geriatric oncological liver surgery patients.


The terms assessment, evaluation and quality assurance have various interpretations in higher education. The first two, assessment and evaluation, share considerable conceptual ground and interconnected histories. Quality assurance, on the other hand, is a more recent development. The issue of academic achievement standards in particular has significant implications for quality assurance. The first half of this article provides a selective broad-brush outline of the topics just described. The second half is about an emerging concept, grade integrity, which is focused on the trustworthiness of course grades recorded on student academic transcripts. This focus serves as a platform to illustrate: how difficult issues can be analysed; why established conventions and assumptions need to be challenged; and how ways forward can be sought out and thought through. The context for the paper is higher education but the principles also apply to other educational sectors.


The energy and mineral resources of the vast Pacific basin and its neighboring land areas play a vital role in meeting the ever-growing needs of society worldwide. Building on the foundation of a highly successful conference held in 1978, this volume contains 51 of the 135 papers presented there. Subjects included are general and specific in nature--oil, gas, and coal resources; geothermal fields, uranium; tin; evaporites, trace elements; water resources; magma energy and fuels from magma. Geological and geophysical techniques, and also the new tool of remote sending for petroleum and minerals exploration are represented. Tectonics, structure fundamentals, subsurface hazards, international treaties and the law of the deep sea are discussed. Seventeen countries and regions are represented in these papers: Thailand, Nicaragua, the United States, Japan, Peru, Antarctica, El Salvador, Australia, Mexico, Taiwan, New Zealand, China, Chile, Indonesia, Canada, and the Pacific Ocean.


The number of constructed dams has been largely increased due to high demands of water supplies, and earth dams are the most common types since they are more compatible to the environment. Nevertheless, the stability of these important structures during earthquakes has to be carefully evaluated and guaranteed. In the past, earth dams usually designed with pure clay core, but in recent decades they are widely designed and constructed with mixed clay core due to their better performance against vibrations particularly earthquake loadings. This paper evaluates the displacement performance of the Karkheh Large Embankment Dam with mixed- clay core, recently constructed in south-western part of Iran, under earthquake motions and compares the dynamic analyses' results with those of pure-clay core. In this work, the Karkheh Dam with both mixed and pure clay core is numerically modeled using the FLAC 4.0software. After calibrating the model and completing the static and dynamic analyses under different excitations, belonged to some heavy past earthquakes, the results in terms of the maximum settlements, horizontal displacements of upstream and downstream shells are estimated, compared and discussed. Based on the obtained results, it is noted that the dynamic performance of earth dams with mixed-clay core is more desirable than that of pure-clay core. It is also observed that the seismic settlements of the dam with pure-clay core averagely show an increase of 20 percents compared with that having the mixed-clay core.


Abstract Background Excessive alcohol use, including binge drinking (i.e., ≥5 drinks (males); ≥4 drinks (females), per occasion during the past 30 days), is associated with work-related injuries, absenteeism, and lost productivity. Binge drinking varies by sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., age, sex, income). However, information on binge drinking by occupation is limited. Purpose: This study examined binge drinking prevalence, frequency, intensity, and total binge drinks per binge drinker by sociodemographic characteristics and occupation. Methods: Data were analyzed from 358,355 currently employed U.S. adults who resided in the 32 states that administered the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System industry and occupation questions during 2013–2016. Binge drinking was evaluated using weighted and adjusted prevalence models. Results: Among currently employed adults in the 32 states, 20.8% reported binge drinking, with an average of nearly 49 times per year and an average intensity of 7.4 drinks per binge episode, resulting in 478 total binge drinks per binge drinker. The adjusted binge drinking prevalence ranged from 15.9% among community and social services workers to 26.3% among construction and extraction workers. The total annual binge drinks per binge drinker ranged from 207 drinks among community and social services workers to 749 drinks among construction and extraction workers. Conclusions: One in five employed adults binge drink, and binge drinking varied across occupation groups. Widespread use of effective community-based strategies for preventing excessive alcohol use (e.g., regulating alcohol outlet density), as well as interventions tailored to specific occupation groups, and could reduce binge drinking and improve occupational safety and health.


Wheat is a vital dietary component for human health and widely consumed in the world. Wheat rusts are dangerous pathogens and contribute serious threat to its production. In present study, PCR-Based DNA Markers were employed to check the rust resistance genes among 20 wheat genotypes and 22 markers were amplified. NTSYS-pc 2.2 was used to calculate genetic diversity and Nei and Li's coefficients ranged from 0.55 to 0.95. Cluster analysis was obtained using UPGMA (Unweighted Pair Group Method of Arithmetic Average) algorithm. Maximum no. of genes (23) was amplified from TW-760010 genotype whereas minimum no of genes (14) were amplified from TW-76005 genotype. The data gained from present study open up new ways to produce new varieties by breeding rust resistant germplasm to avoid the economic and food loss and varieties with improved characteristics.


Abstract: Field studies were conducted from 1995 through 1998 to evaluate citronmelon control with postemergence (POST) herbicides. Imazapic at any application timing and late postemergence (LPOST) applications of 2,4-DB were the only herbicides that provided >80% control of citronmelon late season. Other herbicides such as acifluorfen, imazethapyr, lactofen, and pyridate provided acceptable (>75%) early-season control of citronmelon, but control was inadequate at harvest. Nomenclature: Acifluorfen; imazapic; imazethapyr; lactofen; pyridate; 2,4-DB; citronmelon, Citrullus lanatus var. citroidas #3 CITCL; peanut, Arachis hypogaea L. 'GK-7'. Additional index word: Groundnut. Abbreviations: DAP, days after planting; EPOST, early postemergence; LPOST, late postemergence; POST, postemergence.


An  experiment  was  conducted  to  investigate  variables  which  affect  a communicator's attribution of freedom to a communicatee. A communicator delivered a communication to a communicatee who reacted either favorably or unfavorably. Further, the communicator expected to have to deliver a subsequent communication either to the same communicatee or to a different communicatee. As predicted, greater freedom was attributed to the communicatee (1) when the reaction to the communication was favorable than when it was unfavorable, and (2) when a subsequent communication was to be directed toward the same communicatee than when it was to be directed toward a different communicatee. These findings were discussed in terms of a person's need for compliance and the role of the attribution of freedom in serving this need. Evidence was also provided about the relationship between the attribution of freedom and liking.


For the information theoretic criterion methods of detecting the number of signals, a penalty function which is of fixed form has been utilized. A new penalty, depending on samples, is introduced. It is shown that it gives a strongly consistent estimate of the number of signals. Simulation results show that for small samples, it performs well as compared with others, such as the Hannan criterion. >


Abstract Maize silage, which in Europe is the main feed for dairy cattle in winter, can be contaminated by mycotoxins. Mycotoxigenic Fusarium spp. originating from field infections may survive in badly sealed silages or re-infect at the cutting edge during feed-out. In this way, mycotoxins produced in the field may persist during the silage process. In addition, typical silage fungi such as Penicillium spp. and Aspergillus spp. survive in silage conditions and produce mycotoxins. In this research, 56 maize silages in Flanders were sampled over the course of three years (2016–2018). The concentration of 22 different mycotoxins was investigated using a multi-mycotoxin liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method, and the presence of DNA of three Fusarium spp. (F. graminearum, F. culmorum and F. verticillioides) was analyzed in a selection of these samples using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Every maize silage contained at least two different mycotoxins. Nivalenol (NIV) and deoxynivalenol (DON) were the most prevalent (both in 97.7% of maize silages), followed by ENN B (88.7%). Concentrations often exceeded the EU recommendations for DON and zearalenone (ZEN), especially in 2017 (21.3% and 27.7% of the maize silages, respectively). No correlations were found between fungal DNA and mycotoxin concentrations. Furthermore, by ensiling maize with a known mycotoxin load in a net bag, the mycotoxin contamination could be monitored from seed to feed. Analysis of these net bag samples revealed that the average concentration of all detected mycotoxins decreased after fermentation. We hypothesize that mycotoxins are eluted, degraded, or adsorbed during fermentation, but certain badly preserved silages are prone to additional mycotoxin production during the stable phase due to oxygen ingression, leading to extremely high toxin levels.


— Since information and communication technology (ICT) plays a critical role in enhancing national competitiveness, it is a driving force for social and economic growth and prosperity. The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) will integrate this into ASEAN countries as a new mechanism and a measure that will improve economic performance as a global economy. Government policies may support or impede such harmonization. This study was to investigate, analyze the status of Thai IT entrepreneurs and define key strategies to enhance their competitive advantage. Data were collected based on in-depth interviews, questionnaires, focus groups, seminars and fieldwork on information technology excluding communication. SWOT was used as a tool to analyze the study. The results of this study can be used to enable the government to guide policy, measures and strategies for creating a competitive advantage for Thailand's IT entrepreneurs in the global market.


This study evaluated the relationship between access to modern energy systems and the social-economic situation of households who live in urban zones Turkey. As a case study, in Yalova province in western Turkey, has been chosen the socio-economic and educational conditions of the households who can access clean energy services have investigated. For this purpose, we have conducted a survey covering Yalova urban areas. Results of the statistical calculations, the sample size was determined with a 6.7% acceptable error rate and a 95% confidence level, and as a result, it was seen that 214 households should be surveyed. Our results indicate the level of access of households living in Yalova to modern energy systems was changed according to their income level and education. In the city center, where access to electricity is not lacking, it has been observed that the inadequacy of households in access to electricity is only due to income difference. It has been considered that fossil fuels and derivatives are mostly consumed by low-income and low-education households. Based on this, it can be said that access to clean energy systems will increase as the income level increases, and the education level increases.


poststructuralism, such as Chapter 4 on Foucault's archaeology of knowledge, genealogy and domination (p. 111). The ensuing chapter focuses on Derrida's deconstruction. Most of the essays are not formal exposés with definitions, but rather discussions or articulations between two elements – for example, poststructuralism and Marxism, or poststructuralism and post-colonial theory, or Chapter 18 on 'poststructuralism, resistance and utopia' on Alain Badiou and Slavoj Žižek. In sum, 'poststructuralism is a social and political event in philosophy' (p. 385). Not for undergraduates, this Edinburgh Companion to Poststructuralism will please doctoral students in French Studies, social theory and philosophy who already have an interest in these conceptual approaches. Most of my colleagues in IR and quantitative sociology would certainly feel lost in these pages. Although the best introduction to poststructuralism remains the direct access to the texts of Foucault and Althusser in their original French versions, this Companion provides a good compromise and can be consulted at random.


Combination effects of intravenous hyperalimentation (IVH) and chemotherapy were studied in rats with meningeal carcinomatosis. Sprague-Dawley rats were inoculated intracisternally with 1 X 10(4) Walker 256 carcinosarcoma cells. Animals were divided into five groups of 10 to 12 animals per group: 1) no treatment; 2) cyclophosphamide 30 mg/kg i.v. at 5 days after tumor inoculation (Day 5); 3) IVH (Day 5 to Day 10); 4) cyclophosphamide (Day 5) and IVH (Day 5 to Day 10); and 5) cyclophosphamide (Day 5) and IVH (Day 10 to Day 15). The group of IVH alone reduced survival time significantly (p less than 0.001) compared with no treatment group. Cyclophosphamide alone increased survival time significantly (p less than 0.001) in comparison with no treatment group. Combination of cyclophosphamide (Day 5) and IVH (Day 5 to Day 10) did not prolong survival time compared with cyclophosphamide alone. However, IVH (Day 10 to 15) in combination with cyclophosphamide (Day 5) prolonged survival time significantly (p less than 0.001) in comparison with cyclophosphamide alone. Mean body weight was reduced maximally at 5 to 10 days after cyclophosphamide injection. However, no reduction of body weight was noted while animals were on IVH. The present data appears to indicate that IVH may reduce the side effects of cyclophosphamide and may prolong the survival time.