(1) Catalytic activity of pigments often causes problems in mixture systems used in cosmetics, such as oxidation of oils and decomposition of perfumes. These pigments generally contain transition elements, such as chromium, iron, and manganese. Linalool, a common component of perfumes, is dehydrated via a carbonium-ion intermediate at acidic sites of the pigments. Linalool molecules experience allyl rearrangement to form a cyclized structure. The cyclized molecules are further dehydrogenated to result in p-cymene, which is a main cause of unpleasant odor in certain pigmented cosmetics.(2) Surfaces of the pigments used in cosmetics were modified with various chemical substances, which include metal oxides, metallic soap, silicone-and fluorine-contained compounds. In particular, a novel two-step method to produce pigments possessing various functional groups was developed. The method consists of chemical vapor deposition of 1, 3, 5, 7-tetramethylcyclotetrasiloxane and hydrosilylation of various vinyl compounds. The silicone film formed on the pigments at the first step has a thickness of less than 1.0nm and various functional groups could be attached to the film.


CONTEXT
The novel coronavirus virus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV2) causing the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in worldwide disruption to the delivery of patient care. The Seattle Washington metropolitan area was one of the first in the United States affected by the pandemic. As a result, the anatomic pathology services at the University of Washington experienced significant changes in operational volumes early in the pandemic.

OBJECTIVE
To assess the impact of COVID-19 and both state and institutional policies implemented to mitigate viral transmission (including institutional policies on non-urgent procedures) on anatomic pathology volumes.

DESIGN
Accessioned specimens from January 2020 to June 2020 was evaluated as COVID-19 and institutional policies changed. The data were considered in these contexts: subspecialty, billable CPT codes, and intraoperative consultation. Comparable data were retrieved from 2019 as a historical control.

RESULTS
There was a significant reduction in overall accessioned volume (up to 79%) from pre-pandemic levels, during bans on non-urgent procedures when compared to 2020 pre- COVID-19 volumes and historical controls. The gastrointestinal and dermatopathology services were most impacted, while breast and combined head&neck/pulmonary services were least impacted. CPT code 88305, for smaller/biopsy specimens, had a 63% reduction during non-urgent procedure bans. After all bans on procedures were lifted, the overall volume plateaued at 89% of pre-pandemic levels.

CONCLUSIONS
A significant decrease in specimen volume was most strongly associated with bans on non-urgent procedures. While all departmental areas had a decrease in volume, the extent of change varied across subspecialty and specimen types. Even with removing all bans, service volume did not reach pre-pandemic levels.


Growth of Indonesian Industrial sector in 2018 as much as 5.3 % will trigger an increase in refrigeration needs. In terms of regulation of refrigerant with Chlorofluorocarbon base (CFC) phase out is targeted in 1995 for developed countries and 2015 for developing countries. Hydro Fluorocarbon-based refrigerant (HCF) phase out is targeted in 2020 for developed countries and 2030 for developing countries, so it important to find refrigerant that is environmentally friendly as well as energy efficient. Based on the problem as an alternative refrigerant that is environmentally friendly, currently available technology based hydrocarbon refrigerant (propane) R-290 is considered environmentally friendly. From the conversion process from R-22 to R-290 Air conditioning various capacities 1 PK (± 9.000 BTU / h), 1.5 PK (± 12,000 BTU / h), 2 PK (± 18,000 BTU / h); 3PK (± 24,000 BTU / h) in PT.Phapros. Tbk at comfortable working conditions, obtained energy savings of 10765, 44KWh / year. Refrigerant R290 is flammable special handling is required especially in terms of safety and spare part compatibility when converting.
Keywords: Hydrocarbon Refrigerant, Energy Efficiency, R290


Objective: to analysis the fear of crime factors according to the research carried out in 2009 in Ljubljana (Slovenia).

Methods: dialectic, systemic, comparison, observation.

Results: the analysis shows that the level of fear of crime has not changed significantly over the last two decades. The latest survey from 2009 implies that the influence of perceived probability of victimization in an emotional reaction is strongest among those who believe that consequences of victimization can be severe, and their own ability to defend from an assailant is low. Analyses have shown that the fear of crime is strongest in women and the elderly. Personal experiences with crime do not result in an increase in perceived probability of victimization, or influence fear of crime, nor do they affect the anticipation of seriousness of the potential consequences of victimization. The article contributes to reflections on fear of crime based on a literature and research review as well as utilization of new models of testing fear of crime factors.

Scientific novelty: the research shows that the used model of fear of crime explains more variance (R² = .54) than other models used prior to this study (Slovenia, 2001, R² = .43; Croatia, 2002, R² = .43; Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2002, R² = .45) and imply some new findings and confirm findings from the previous surveys. The findings imply that the respondents in Ljubljana relate fear of crime to the impacts of different crimes on their lives. However, research did not confirm that the level of fear of individual crimes is proportional to their severity. It was found out that respondents feel the most threatened by robbery followed by assault.

Practical significance: the article provides insight for crime control and prevention and will be useful for scientific and educational staff, policy makers, graduate and post-graduate students and all those interested in crime control and prevention.


In this paper, we experimentally investigate the impact of costly indirect and direct messages on coordination levels in a stag-hunt game. We also compare the coordination rates with costly pre-play communication to the rates with costless pre-play communication. Three main insights emerge from our experiments. First, we find a significant decrease in message usage with message cost in both treatments and a higher decrease in the indirect-message treatment. Second, we find that although there is no significant effect of costless or costly indirect messages on the frequency of risky actions, both costless and costly direct messages significantly increase the frequency of risky actions. Third, while we find a significant increase in the coordination rate on the payoff-dominant equilibrium from costless indirect message treatment to costly indirect message treatment, this rate significantly decreases from costless direct message to costly direct message treatment. Our findings show that depending on the structure of messages, message cost may increase or decrease the coordination rates on the payoff-dominant equilibrium.


Images corrupted by the noise during either transmission or acquisition process. Filtering and or smoothing an important task to reduce the effect of noises that contaminates images. Hence the processed image is useful for further applications. This paper analyses the suitable smoothing filter for the edge mask derived using Third Order Difference Equation (TODE). State of the art edge preserving smoothing filters like non linear bilateral filter and linear guided filter is applied on different sample images after degrading them with Additive White Gaussian Noise(AWGN). Since AWGN is most common type of Gaussian noise useful for testing. Both second and third order edge mask is tested using these approaches. Performance metric such as MSE, PSNR and Entropy were computed. The results prove that the guided filter is best suited for the TODE edge mask.


STUDY QUESTION
Are maternal and paternal preconception urinary bisphenol A (BPA) or bisphenol S (BPS) concentrations associated with offspring birth size?

SUMMARY ANSWER
Maternal-but not paternal-preconception urinary BPA concentrations were associated with lower birth size among couples seeking fertility evaluation.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY
Prenatal BPA exposure has been previously associated with reduced birth size in some but not all epidemiologic studies. However, the potential effect of BPA exposure before conception in either parent is unknown. Data on BPS is practically absent.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION
Ongoing prospective preconception cohort of women and men seeking fertility evaluation between 2005 and 2016 in a large fertility center in an academic hospital in Boston, MA, USA.

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS
We examined the association between maternal and paternal preconception, as well as maternal prenatal urinary BPA and BPS concentrations, and size at birth among 346 singletons from couples recruited in the Environment and Reproductive Health (EARTH) Study using multivariable linear regression. Infant birth weight and head circumference were abstracted from delivery records. Mean preconception and prenatal exposures were estimated by averaging urinary ln-BPA and ln-BPS concentrations in multiple maternal and paternal urine samples collected before pregnancy, and maternal pregnancy samples collected in each trimester.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE
Maternal preconception urinary BPA concentrations were inversely associated with birth weight and head circumference in adjusted models: each ln-unit increase was associated with a decrease in birth weight of 119 g (95% CI: -212, -27), and a head circumference decrease of 0.72 cm (95% CI: -1.3, -0.1). Additional adjustment by gestational age or prenatal BPA exposure modestly attenuated results. Women with higher prenatal BPA concentrations had infants with lower mean birth weight (-75 g, 95% CI: -153, 2) although this did not achieve statistical significance. Paternal preconception urinary BPA concentrations were not associated with either birth weight or head circumference. No consistent patterns emerged for BPS concentrations measured in either parent.

LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION
We observed a strong negative association between maternal-but not paternal-preconception BPA concentrations and offspring birth size among a subfertile population. Although these results are overall consistent with prior studies on prenatal BPA exposure, these findings may not be generalizable to women without fertility concerns.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS
This study suggests that the unexplored maternal preconception period may be a sensitive window for BPA effects on birth outcomes.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)
Work supported by Grants (ES R01 009718, ES 022955 and ES 000002) from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). C.M. was supported by a post-doctoral fellowship award from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. There are no competing interests to declare.


A survey was carried out among 200 elderly outpatients to determine the amount of information they had received about their medication, the source of their information and whether they wanted to know more about their treatment. Seventy-one per cent (142) indicated that the reasons for the medication had been explained, although only 13% (26) had been warned about side-effects; most of this information was obtained from their doctors. Thirty-six subjects (18%) claimed that no-one had given them any information about their drugs. More information about their drugs was requested by 114 patients (57%). Forty-eight subjects (24%) were taking additional medications, mostly obtained 'over the counter'. Lack of information about drug therapy makes prescribing hazardous and not fully effective. Various ways of improving patient knowledge about medication are discussed.


The use of hygrometry for the measurement of ethanol water content and the application of molecular sieves for column drying of 95% ethanol are described. The commercial hygrometer used in this study permitted measurement of water content in the range 0.005–5% (by vol) but was subject to a number of limitations which made measurements more time-consuming than anticipated. Grossly wet ethanol containing 5% (by vol) water was readily dried to a water content of about 0.3% (by vol), by treatment with a column of 3A molecular sieves. Slow flow rates enhanced the drying action, which was largely independent of the column dimensions and scale of the drying process. Water breakthrough occurred when water adsorption by the sieves exceeds about 10% (by wt).


Supplemental digital content is available in the text. BACKGROUND Access to pediatric trauma care is highly variable across the United States. The purpose of this study was to measure the association between pediatric trauma center care and motor vehicle crash (MVC) mortality in children (<15 years) at the US county level for 5 years (2014–2018). METHODS The exposure was defined as the highest level of pediatric trauma care present within each county: (1) pediatric trauma center, (2) adult level 1/2, (3) adult level 3, or (4) no trauma center. Pediatric deaths due to passenger vehicle crashes on public roads were identified from the NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System. Hierarchical negative binomial modeling measured the relationship between highest level of pediatric trauma care and pediatric MVC mortality within counties. Adjusted analyses accounted for population age and sex, emergency medical service response times, helicopter ambulance availability, state traffic safety laws, and measures of rurality. RESULTS During the study period 3,067 children died in fatal crashes. We identified 188 pediatric trauma centers in 141 counties. Significant disparities in access to pediatric trauma care were observed. Specifically, 99% of pediatric trauma centers were situated in population-dense urban counties, while 28% of children lived in counties no trauma center. After risk adjustment, counties with pediatric trauma centers had significantly lower rates of pediatric MVC death than those with no trauma center: 0.7 versus 3.2 deaths/100,000 child-years; mortality rate ratio, 0.58; and 95% confidence interval, 0.39 to 0.86. In counties where pediatric trauma centers were absent, adult level 1/2 trauma centers were associated with comparable risk reduction. CONCLUSION The presence of pediatric trauma centers was associated with lower rates of MVC death in children. Adult level 1/2 trauma centers appear to offer comparable risk reduction. Where population differences in pediatric trauma mortality are observed, addressing disparities in county-level access to pediatric trauma care may serve as a viable target for system-level improvement. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Epidemiological, level III; Care management, level III.


Abstract This paper presents an extensive review of the kinetics, hydrodynamics, mass transfer, heat transfer and mathematical as well as computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling of Low-Temperature Tropsch Synthesis (LTFT) synthesis in Slurry Bubble Column Reactors (SBCRs), with the aim of identifying potential research and development areas in this particular field. The kinetic expressions developed for F-T synthesis over iron and cobalt catalysts along with the water gas shift (WGS) reactions are summarized and compared. The experimental data and empirical correlations to predict the hydrodynamics (gas holdup, Sauter mean bubble diameter, and bubble rise velocity), mass transfer coefficients and heat transfer coefficients are presented. The effects of various operating variables, including pressure, temperature, gas velocity, catalyst concentration, reactor geometry, and reactor internals on the hydrodynamic and transport parameters as well as the performance of SBCRs are discussed. Additionally, modeling efforts of SBCRs, using axial dispersion models (ADM), multiple cell recirculation models (MCCM) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD), are addressed. This review revealed the following: (1) Numerous F-T and WGS kinetic rate expressions are available for cobalt and iron catalysts and one must be careful in selecting the appropriate expressions for LTFT. Iron catalyst suffers from severe attrition and subsequent deactivation in SBCRs and accordingly building a costly catalyst manufacturing facility onsite is required to maintain a steady operation of the F-T reactor; (2) Experimental data on the hydrodynamic and transport parameters at high pressures and temperatures, typical to those of actual F-T synthesis, remain scanty when compared with the plethora of studies conducted using air–water systems in small reactors at ambient conditions; (3) Several empirical correlations for predicting the hydrodynamic and mass as well heat transfer parameters are available and one should select those which consider the reactor diameter, gas mixtures and the potential foamability of the F-T liquids; (4) The effect of cooling internals configuration and sparger design on the hydrodynamic and transport parameters, local turbulence, mixing and catalyst attrition are yet to be seriously addressed; (5) The impact of operating variables on the hydrodynamic and transport parameters as well as the overall performance of the SBCRs should be investigated using actual F-T fluid–solid systems under typical pressures and temperatures using a large-scale reactor (>0.15 m ID) in the presence of gas spargers and cooling internals; (6) Significant efforts are still required in order to advance CFD modeling of SBCRs, particularly those pertaining to the relevant closure models, such as drag, lift and turbulence. Also, cooling internals configuration and the design as well as orientation of gas spargers should be accounted for in the CFD modeling; and (7) Proper validations of the CFD formulations using actual systems for F-T SBCR are needed.


The study of tourism destination images is of great significance in the tourism discipline. Tourism user-generated content (UGC), i.e., the feedback on tourism websites, provides rich information for constructing a destination image. However, it is difficult for tourism researchers to obtain a relatively complete and intuitive destination image due to the unintuitive destination image display, the significant variance in departure time and data length, and the destination type in UGC. We propose TDIVis, a carefully designed visual analytics system, aimed at obtaining a relatively comprehensive destination image. Specifically, a keyword-based sentiment visualization method is proposed to associate the cognitive image with the emotional image, and by this method, both time evolution analysis and classification analysis are considered; a multi-attribute association double sequence visualization method is proposed to associate two different types of text sequences and provide a dynamic visual encoding interaction method for the multi-attribute characteristics of sequences. The effectiveness and usability of TDIVis are demonstrated through four cases and a user study.


Bolus-tracking dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) is increasingly applied to quantify pulmonary perfusion. Quantification requires a deconvolution of a measured arterial input function (AIF) and tissue function (TIS) to obtain a residue function (R). From R pulmonary blood flow (PBF), pulmonary blood volume (PBV) and mean transit time (MTT) can be obtained. Deconvolution methods can be model-dependent or model-independent and generally differ in assumptions of the global shape of R , computational stability and oscillations in estimated R . It is unknown what deconvolution methods perform best for pulmonary perfusion quantification. Furthermore, it is unknown how delay and dispersion in estimated AIF affect perfusion parameters. This study evaluates the robustness of different deconvolution techniques and explores the role of delay and dispersion in pulmonary perfusion quantifications. All analyses were performed in control subjects, patients with pulmonary hypertension and patients with pulmonary atresia who underwent DCE-MRI. Results indicated that model-independent deconvolution using Tikhonov regularization with an optimized L-curve criterion and parameterization of R using B-splines was most robust and more robust than Tikhonov regularization alone. Delay correction of the contrast bolus arrival time was essential for accurate quantification, while dispersion had a negligible effect on perfusion estimates.


Background: Visceral pain is one of the most common sign of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Chronic stress during pregnancy may increase visceral pain sensitivity of offspring in a sexdependent way. Combining adult stress in offspring will increase this sensitivity. Based on the evidence implicating estrogen exacerbates visceral hypersensitivity in female rodents in pre-clinical models, we predicted that chronic prenatal stress (CPS) plus chronic adult stress (CAS) will maximize visceral pain sensitivity; and estrogen plays an important role in this hyperalgesia.Methods: The CPS plus CAS rodent model was established in which the balloon was used to distend colorectum. Meanwhile, the single fiber recording in vivo and patch-clamp experiments in vitro were used to monitor neuronal activity. The RT-PCR, Western Blot, and Immunofluorescence were used to study the effects of CPS and CAS on colon primary afferent sensitivity and molecular or transmission changes. We use Ovariectomy and Letrozole to treate female rats respectively in order to assess the role of estrogen in female-specific enhanced primary afferent sensitization. Letrozole mainly used to reduce estrogen levels.Results: As predicted, CPS significantly increased single unit afferent fiber activity in L6-S2 dorsal roots in response. Activity was further enhanced by CAS. And the activity in offspring females was significantly greater than the males. Besides, the excitability of colon-projecting dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons increases in CPS + CAS rats that was associated with a decrease in transient A-type K+ current. Letrozole treatment decreases the colon DRG neuron excitability in females by decreasing the estrogen levels. Conclusions: This study adds to the growing evidence for the development of chronic stress induced visceral hypersensitivity in female, which involves estrogen-dependent sensitization of primary afferent colon neurons. Understanding this neurophysiological mechanisms will spur the development of female pain specific therapies.


Mobile applications need to dynamically adapt to requirements of new environments (or locations) as users and their devices continuously move. Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) is a recent approach for designing and developing open and distributed systems. However, SOA has to be extended in order to fully accommodate the requirements of mobile services. This paper presents an approach called AmbientSoaML, which introduces ambients in Service oriented architecture Modeling Language (SoaML) [8] proposed by the OMG in order to allow its models to include mobility primitives. Ambients are considered to be the service providers and the service consumers for providing/consuming mobility services. They also represent the boundaries that services have to cross when moving from one location to another. This paper demonstrates the use of SoaML for modeling SOA of a mobile application in order to motivate the problem our research purports to address.


This paper presents a combined forecasting model for uncertain demands based on rough set (RS) and radial basic function (RBF) network. First, RBF network is introduced to work on the historical data and extrapolate future demands. Then attributes reduction of the RS is applied to analyze the datasheet and draw the kernel index set from it. The forecasting results are obtained with a combination of the above two methods. The combined model is tested with real historical data collected from a large firm in the automobile industry, and it produces more precise results than the RBF model


The subject of the study in the article is the use of technology of recovery of the algorithm for the allocation of binary attractors in the machine-independent form for the safety analysis of the software. The purpose is the first stage of the method of allocation of the algorithm from the binary code with the use of additional attractors preparatory, which includes the task of allocating a set of attractors with simillar features and synthesis of information about the studied system. The following results are obtained. During the cource of the research the analysis of specialized simulators was performed. Such simulators allow to solve the problems of allocation (removal) of some algorithms from binary code. It was determined that additional attractors of the binary code of the program are required in order to increase he accuracy of software security testing. The general structure of the algorithm extraction from binary code is presented. A set of algorithms were developed. Conclusions. When combined they create the model of the first stage of data allocation of the algorithm from binary code for the analysis of software security. The key feature of development of this stage is the possibility of constructing a graph for arbitrary attractors, without restriction of the static nature of the code. This will allow a significant expansion of the spectrum of the program code under investigation, including codes with signs of a dynamic change. The further development of this research is to study the whole scheme and develop an appropriate method for allocating a binary code algorithm for software security analysis.


STUDY DESIGN
Systematic review.

OBJECTIVE
To examine the evidence supporting the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for improving psychosocial outcomes in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI).

METHOD
Electronic databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, and PsycINFO) were searched for studies published between 1990 and October 2010. Randomized control trials (RCTs) and nonrandomized control trials (non-RCTs) utilizing a CBT intervention to improve psychosocial outcomes (depressive symptomatology, anxiety, coping, and adjustment to disability) in outpatient persons with SCI were included for review. Levels of evidence were assigned to each study using a modified Sackett scale. Effect size calculations for the interventions were provided where possible.

RESULTS
Nine studies met the inclusion criteria. The studies reviewed included two RCTs, six prospective controlled trials (PCTs) and one cohort study. All studies examined at least two groups. There is Level 1 and Level 2 evidence supporting the use of specialized CBT protocols in persons with SCI for improving outcomes related to depression, anxiety, adjustment, and coping.

CONCLUSIONS
CBT holds promise as an effective approach for persons with SCI experiencing depression, anxiety, adjustment, and coping problems. As CBT may involve many different components, it is important in the future to determine which of these elements alone or in combination is most effective in treating the emotional consequences of SCI.


As maize is a C4 plant it is expected to have greater productivity however, its production and productivity are not found to its potential. Therefore, to evaluate the effect of detasseling and defoliation to increase the productivity, a field experiment was conducted on sweetcorn at Khotang, Nepal in 2021. The study was executed in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications and seven treatments. The results revealed that number of kernels (608.46), number of rows (15.20), 1000 grains weight (210.68gm) were recorded significantly higher in the plot where 50% plants were detasselled. It clearly shows that 50% detasseling is one of the best options to enhance the yield of sweetcorn followed by detasseling + defoliation of all leaves leaving three leaves below the ear.


This thesis employs Gramsci's language of hegemony in order, firstly, to explore the role of civil society in legitimating and resisting state hegemony, and secondly, to examine the sociological basis of counter-hegemonic politics in post-2000 Zimbabwe. The thesis arose out of a critique of reductionist approaches in the theorising and study of changing state-society relations in post-2000 Zimbabwe that identifies civil society exclusively with opposition politics and excludes organisations aligned to the ruling party, and therefore resulting in functionalist discussions that view civil society as necessarily anti-state. This thesis demonstrates however that a dense hegemonic civil society also exists and it is organically aligned to ZANU-PF in its advocacy for a social change based on a radical transformed terrain of the relations of social forces of production, vis-a-vis land redistribution, albeit implementing this vision through coercive violence, persuasive but exclusionary discourses of radical nationalism, Afro-radicalism and nativism. Confronting it, is an equally militant counter-hegemonic civil society aligned to the MDC, and it deploys the discourses of constitutionalism and human rights to resist state hegemony and to unravel the violent nature of ZANU-PF's nationalist project, but in ways devoid of a serious critique of the structural inequalities of a post-independent Zimbabwe.


Abstract: As logistics providers are becoming more aware of the changes in sustainable growth around the globe, they set out their own sustainability goals including environmental aspect. Hence, the logistics organizations' priority is to utilize natural resources towards the highest reduction in CO2 consumption from their logistics activities. It is rarely seen that a logistics organization publishes its strategy. This is true especially when it comes to sustainability elements; because it could be a potential threat to the leakage of the organization's confidential data.
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to discuss environmental sustainability strategies for logistics service providers (LSPs) based on the case study of DHL. In particular, this research explores two distinctive aims: 1) Constructing the general framework of environmental sustainability strategy for LSPs with the support from actual data of DHL to eventually applying it to other LSPs, and 2) Discussing the impact of environmental sustainability strategy on both logistics organization's activities and the environment in general.
Methodology: The study data collection was entirely conducted by the secondary approach. More specifically data has been collected from actual DHL annual report from 2010 to 2017 which was professionally and independently audited by PWC. A general framework of environmental sustainability strategy is proposed by investigating the case study of DHL in their period 2010-2017 sustainability campaign.
Findings: The findings of this research indicate the need for an environmentally sustainable strategy for logistics firms using the data from DHL case study. Prior to this study no framework has been offered or implemented except for internal DHL operation. Hence, it is inevitable to build up a general framework to help other logistics businesses gain awareness of the importance of environmental sustainability. The findings will help their growth and will improve the community as affected by pollution. The strategic framework is tested with the actual DHL data to perceive how practical this strategic framework would perform in reality.
Research implications: This study would help logistics firms to have a better understanding of the applicability of the aspects of the framework in their businesses. Logistics organizations may put some of the elements up to the scale to view what is the best for them towards their environmental sustainability goal. As the businesses grow faster and bigger, their new adaptation of environmentally sustainable strategies will benefit from the findings of this decade-long study.


As emerging digital technologies and capabilities continue to dominate our economic landscape, organizations are facing increased scrutiny on how digital transformation can provide the mechanism for innovation and firm performance. Using resource-based view (RBV) framework, this research examines the mediating effects of digital transformation in the relationship between IT capability and firm performance. Empirical data collected from CIOs from US firms reveal that although IT capability positively influences firm performance, it is mediated by digital transformation. Furthermore, our findings show that digital transformation positively influences innovation and firm performance while innovation is reaffirmed as having a positive implication on firm performance.


Matrices and the operation of dual interchange are introduced into the study of Dung's argumentation frameworks. It is showed that every argumentation framework can be represented by a matrix, and the basic extensions (such as admissible, stable, complete) can be determined by sub-blocks of its matrix. In particular, an efficient approach for determining the basic extensions has been developed using two types of standard matrix. Furthermore, we develop the topic of matrix reduction along two different lines. The first one enables to reduce the matrix into a less order matrix playing the same role for the determination of extensions. The second one enables to decompose an extension into several extensions of different sub-argumentation frameworks. It makes us not only solve the problem of determining grounded and preferred extensions, but also obtain results about dynamics of argumentation frameworks.


Richard Lopez was born into a Spanish-speaking Mexican-American family and grew up in an impoverished neighborhood near Los Angeles. He graduated from high school in 1958 when he was 18, and tried to enlist in the army. An examining physician questioned him closely after he had answered "yes" to a question asking if he were exceptionally nervous. According to Richard, the army doctor told him in a loud voice in front of many other young men, "You might flip your lid," and he was rejected. Richard became very angry at the doctor but did and said nothing. Two months later he recounted the incident to a resident psychiatrist in a psychiatric clinic. He explained that he had been very nervous for a long time and that his hands and knees shook when he was with a girl or when someone near him would chew food


Because of the high energy demand required to heat a production hall, the aim of this project is to find out whether it is possible to verify the heating consuming process for heating with the standard simplified calculation method [1], especially for cold regions such as Kosice (Slovakia). The energy requirement for heating a case study industrial building was evaluated using measurements and calculations.During the winter period, energy consumption was measured in the selected industrial building according to a validation standard [2]. The building is comprised of two halls. The measurements were analyzed according to the criteria used for validating residential and public buildings, with several regression dependencies taken into account in the resulting evaluation of heating energy consumption. The mathematical dependencies of measured values in real conditions are shown in this paper. In addition, the building's heating energy demand was calculated according to the Austrian standard [3], ONORM EN ISO 13790, the simplified calculation method for non-residential buildings. It was investigated whether the measured values could be replicated using this calculation. It was found that the precise definition of the internal heat gains is very important.


A random lattice order decision analysis method is proposed based on an interval probability distribution preference vector by way of entropy theory, focusing on a decision preference system in which preference relation probability is described by interval values and the decision maker's behavior is also considered. The preference characterization of decision makers is extended from four varieties of relations to seven varieties of preference relations. In addition to the concept, property, and operation rules of interval probability, the concept of interval-valued distribution preference vectors and the relative entropy on the lattice-ordered preference system are given. Then, the interval probability can be more precisely determined, and the weighting interval probability is transformed into the interval probability weight. The ER nonlinear optimization model based on preference entropy is established, individual preferences are aggregated by applying the priority rule and the intersection rule, and the specific steps of decision making are given. Finally, the feasibility and effectiveness of the approach proposed in this paper are illustrated with a numerical example.


Partially reconfigurable systems are promising computing platforms for streaming applications, which demand both hardware efficiency and reconfigurable flexibility. To realize the full potential of these systems, a streaming-based partially reconfigurable architecture and unified software/hardware multithreaded programming model (SPREAD) is presented in this paper. SPREAD is a reconfigurable architecture with a unified software/hardware thread interface and high throughput point-to-point streaming structure. It supports dynamic computing resource allocation, runtime software/hardware switching, and streaming-based multithreaded management at the operating system level. SPREAD is designed to provide programmers of streaming applications with a unified view of threads, allowing them to exploit thread, data, and pipeline parallelism; it enhances hardware efficiency while simplifying the development of streaming applications for partially reconfigurable systems. Experimental results targeting cryptography applications demonstrate the feasibility and superior performance of SPREAD. Moreover, the parallelized Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), Data Encryption Standard (DES), and Triple DES (3DES) hardware threads on field-programmable gate arrays show 1.61-4.59 times higher power efficiency than their implementations on state-of-the-art graphics processing units.


The effects of iso- and hypo-osmotic reduction of the CSF [Na+] on the tolerance to blood loss and concomitant cardiovascular and humoral responses were studied in conscious sheep. Animals only subjected to haemorrhage served as controls. The changes in CSF composition were induced by intracerebroventricular infusions of 0.3 M mannitol, respectively, 0.04 M NaCl. In the former instance the CSF [Na+] was reduced by 18 mM whereas a lowering by 13 mM concomitant with decreased CSF osmolality (mean change 25 mOsm kg-1) was seen in response to the NaCl solution. Apart from a slight lowering of the cardiac output during the infusion of 0.3 M mannitol preceding haemorrhage, the changes in CSF composition did not have any significant haemodynamic effects in the normovolaemic animal, or altered the cardiovascular responses to a subsequent hypotensive haemorrhage. The amount of blood needed to be withdrawn to obtain the predefined degree of hypotension did not differ significantly between treatment groups. The plasma vasopressin and angiotensin II concentrations were consistently increased by the hypotensive haemorrhage, but the magnitude of the vasopressin response was significantly reduced when the CSF [Na+] was lowered. We conclude that lowered CSF [Na+] and/or osmolality, in contrast to increased CSF [Na+], does not influence the tolerance to blood loss or the accompanying haemodynamic changes in sheep, in spite of an attenuated vasopressin response.


Ultrahard titanium and vanadium carbides (TiC-VC) particles are combined among ferrotitanium (Fe-Ti),ferrovanadium (Fe-V), graphite, rutile, etc. by means of high temperature arc metallurgic reaction in deposited metal. The microstructure, properties and wear mechanism of surfacing metal were systemically studied. The results show carbides particles are embedded in Fe matrix, Microstructure of which is lath martensite. The carbides mixed in the lath martensite provide a combination of good hardness and toughness. The residual austenite transforms to martensite, which is caused by the press stress, strengthens the matrix and releases the stress. The surface layers have high abrasive resistance and cracking resistance. The integration of dispersedly distributed carbides, lath martensite and residual austenite of the surface layer results in satisfactory wear resistance.


In this paper we present a system which automatically generates 3D face model from a single frontal image of a face with the help of generic 3D model. Our system consists of three components. The first component detects the features like eyes, mouth, eyebrow and contour of face. After detecting features the second component automatically adapts the generic 3d model into face specific 3D model using geometric transformations. Once the model is ready six basic facial expressions are generated with the help of MPEG-4 facial animation parameters (FAPS). To generate transitions between these facial expressions we use 3D shape morphing between the corresponding face models and blending the corresponding textures. Our system has the advantage that it is fully automatic, robust and fast. It can be used in a variety of applications for which the accuracy of depths are not critical such as games, avatars, face recognition etc. Our morphing results show the accuracy of system. We have tested and evaluated using database BU-3DFE.


The variable-order filter method is used in linear prediction (LP) speech modeling. Since the prediction order would be very small for some frames in the method, it can reduce bit rate further. However, due to the large dynamic range of the speech spectrum it might happen that LP analysis is unable to match the higher formants properly if the prediction order is too small. A frequency domain technique is presented to be used in speech modeling to improve the performance of low order linear prediction (LP) in modeling of formants of voiced speech.


It is appropriate for us to contemplate the growth of understanding of chemical kinetics which has taken place since the time of Planck. Understanding starts with the recognition by Stark in 1908 of the photon as an elementary particle in chemical reactions, and with the conception of the chain reaction by Bodenstein in 1913. Time was needed for the realization that the atom and the free radical are more often than not the entities responsible for chain propagation; time for Franck in 1924 to amplify Nernst's conception of dissociation as the primary photochemical process; time for Semenov to give us the understanding of degeneracy in branched chain reactions; by 1930 the pattern had taken shape. When nuclear reactions were discovered their kinetic description needed no other modification than a change of time scale. In the evolution of chemical kinetics, the photochemistry of the halogens is not only typical but basic. From our early struggles with the hydrogen-chlorine reaction, through kinetic spectroscopy to population inversion of excited states and laser action, there is an unbroken thread, woven from the halogen staple, which knits together the fabric of chemical reaction mechanisms.


In most finite-element-analysis codes, accuracy is achieved through the use of the hexahedron hexa-20 elements (a node at each of the 8 corners and 12 edges of a brick element). Unfortunately, without an additional node in the center of each of the element"s 6 faces, nor in the center of the hexa, the hexa-20 elements are not fully quadratic such that its truncation error remains at h 2 (0), the same as the error of a hexa-8 element formulation To achieve an accuracy with a truncation error of h 3 (0), we need the fully-quadratic hexa-27 formulation. A competitor of the hexa-27 element in the early days was the so-called serendipity cubic hexa-32 solid elements (see Ahmad, Irons, and Zienkiewicz, Int. J. Numer. Methods in Eng., 2:419-451 (1970) [1]). The hexa-32 elements, unfortunately, also suffer from the same lack of accuracy syndrome as the hexa20"s. In this paper, we investigate the accuracy of various elements described in the literature including the fully quadratic hexa-27 elements to a shell problem of interest to the pressure vessels and piping community, viz. the shellelement-based analysis of a barrel vault. Significance of the highly accurate hexa-27 formulation and a comparison of its results with similar solutions using ABAQUS hexa-8, and hexa-20 elements, are presented and discussed. Guidelines are proposed for selection of better elements. *Contribution of the U.S. National Institute of Standards & Technology. Not subject to copyright


The stationary phase method is applied to gauge theory path integrals, taking into account the fermion determinant. This approximation is shown to lead to a unique bound state equation in QED. In the nonrelativistic limit, the equation reduces to the usual Schrödinger form. In 1 + 1 dimensions it leads to "bag"-type wave functions and an energy spectrum which agrees with known exact results. An analytic expression is given for the wave function of states with two massless fermions connected by an unbroken string.


On the Semantic Web, the content of the documents must be explicitly represented through metadata in order to enable contents-based inference. In this study, we propose a mechanism to convert the Conceptual Graph (CG) into Resource Description Framework (RDF). Quite a large number of representation languages for representing knowledge on the Web have been established over the last decade. Most of these researches are focused on design of independent knowledge description. On the Semantic Web, however, a knowledge conversion mechanism will be needed to exchange the knowledge used in independent devices. In this study, the CG could give an entire conceptual view of knowledge and RDF can represent that knowledge on the Semantic Web. Then the CG-based object oriented PROLOG could support the natural inference based on that knowledge. Therefore, our proposed knowledge conversion mechanism will be used in the designing of Semantic Web-based knowledge representation and inference systems.


SIR,-In their study of 62 walking sticks used by the elderly (12 June, p 1751) Drs R Sainsbury and G P Mulley comment that "of the 24 patients who had fallen while using their sticks, 18 (75%) had sticks of the incorrect length. This suggests that sticks that are not of the conventionally accepted length may be dangerous." This is a remarkable conclusion since they found that 45 of 60 sticks (75%) studied were of incorrect length. I welcome their interest in this neglected subject, but the results published provide no evidence whatever that "incorrect" length sticks are dangerous.


An asymptotic formula is obtained for the distribution function of the spectrum of the Laplace operator, in the adiabatic limit for the foliation defined by the orbits of an invariant flow on a compact Riemannian Heisenberg manifold. Bibliography: 21 titles.


An extraction method using 80% EtOH was selected and applied to obtain the total extracts from leaves, flowers, fruits, twigs, and roots of Vitex rotundifolia L.f. based on the antioxidant activity-guided experiments. Subsequently, total extract from each part of V. rotundifolia was successfully partitioned into fractions, which were evaluated for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties via DPPH, ABTS, and NO assays, respectively. Among them, EtOAc (E) and n-butanol (B) fractions showed the potent antioxidant activity and the methylene chloride (MC) fractions of roots, leaves, and fruits that exhibited strong scavenging activity on DPPH and ABTS radicals. In the anti-inflammatory assay, n-hexane (H) and MC fractions of leaves potently inhibited NO production in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells, followed by E fractions derived from fruits, flowers, twigs, and roots, along with B fractions from flowers and twigs. Additionally, a comprehensive HPLC-decoupled MS profiling was established and validated using seven isolated marker compounds (1–7), which were identified by analysis of their UV, NMR, and MS data. The established method was also applied for quantification of these marker compounds in each organ collected from different locations, and to assess their antioxidant capacity by a screening DPPH-HPLC method. Principal component analysis suggested the botanical organs from this plant correlated with the marker compound contents in association with bioactivity. The study results are a prelude to further studies involving the active fractions and provide a comprehensive insight into the functional products of this plant against oxidative diseases.


Purpose : To investigate a computational approach for analysing the structure-function relationship of poliovirus 2A protease using various bioinformatics tools. Methods : The three-dimensional structure of 2Apro was modelled and analyzed using the crystal structure of coxsakievirus B4 as a template to understand the function of this protein. Structural validation programs, VADAR and QMEAN, were used to verify the 2Apro model. Analysis of protein stability changes in poliovirus 2A protease-mutated sequences using various servers was also performed. Furthermore, mutation pattern, intrinsic disorder regions (IDRs), hydrophobic regions, drug binding sites (DBS) and subcellular localization were identified. Results : Hydrophobicity results confirmed the suitability and reliability of 2A protease as a potential drug target. Less IDRs were observed in the protein. Moreover, the results showed the presence of various important drug binding targets among conserved regions of the protease. The predicted drug binding sites indicate their suitability for the inhibition and development of anti-viral drugs against poliovirus 2A protease. Conclusion : The current study resulted in the detection of important ligand interactions with respect to the binding site of the targeted protein. Thus, these compounds may be potent drug candidates and their potency may be increased against poliovirus 2A protease with relatively simple structural changes. Keywords : 2A Protease, Computational analysis, Drug binding sites, Intrinsic disorder regions, Hydrophobicity


Since the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997, the prevalence and transparency of state ownership – both domestic and foreign -- has exhibited considerable variance across the region. To explain this puzzle, I argue that a tight focus on two dimensions of politics yields a remarkable degree of analytic purchase: centralization of political control and a regime's coordination commitments. The centralization of political control refers to whether the executive faces institutional checks on its decision-making power. Coordination commitments concern political leaders' need to accommodate particularistic or encompassing interests. The theory leads to the expectation that state-owned firms in authoritarian regimes will exhibit greater stability in a period of heightened financial Volatility. Tests conducted on 896 firms around the collapse of Lehman Brothers offer support for this expectation.


Sentiment analysis regarding the COVID-19 vaccine can be obtained from social media because users usually express their opinions through social media. One of the social media that is most often used by Indonesian people to express their opinion is Twitter. The method used in this research is Bidirectional LSTM which will be combined with word embedding. In this study, fastText and GloVe were tested as word embedding. We created 8 test scenarios to inspect performance of the word embeddings, using both pre-trained and self-trained word embedding vectors. Dataset gathered from Twitter was prepared as stemmed dataset and unstemmed dataset. The highest accuracy from GloVe scenario group was generated by model which used self-trained GloVe and trained on unstemmed dataset. The accuracy reached 92.5%. On the other hand, the highest accuracy from fastText scenario group generated by model which used self-trained fastText and trained on stemmed dataset. The accuracy reached 92.3%. In other scenarios that used pre-trained embedding vector, the accuracy was quite lower than scenarios that used self-trained embedding vector, because the pre-trained embedding data was trained using the Wikipedia corpus which contains standard and well-structured language while the dataset used in this study came from Twitter which contains non-standard sentences. Even though the dataset was processed using stemming and slang words dictionary, the pre-trained embedding still can not recognize several words from our dataset.


Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) affects 1% of the adult population and is a chronic disease lasting for many decades. RA often results, despite therapy, in progressive joint destruction, deformity and disability, causing a major economic loss for the patients and the society. Most common the onset of the disease is between the 4th and 5th decade: RA affects 3 times more women than men. Both, the diagnostic as well as the therapeutic opportunities, have greatly improved over the last years. Nevertheless, there are still deficiencies in the care of patients with early RA (ERA). Consequently, the "German Society for Rheumatology" has set up recommendations for "The management of early RA", which are introduced in this article.


The results of the CSIRO National Telehealth trial were recently released and very widely publicised. In a Before and after Controlled Intervention (BACI) design involving >230 patients, the keynote results included a reduction of 46% in the rate of expenditure on medical services after one year, a 53.2% reduction in the rate of admission to hospital and a 70-76% reduction in the rate of LOS. Patient acceptance of the technology was >83%, and >89% of care coordinators would recommend telemonitoring services to other patients. The return on investment, calculated as the ratio of net benefit to net cost of providing the telemonitoring service was estimated to be between 5-6 times. These results strongly suggest that new models of care for the management of chronic disease in the community, based on at home telemonitoring and care coordination can improve healthcare outcome and reduce hospitalisation in both urban and rural and remote settings. Longitudinal vital signs data and periodic patient administered clinical questionnaires provide powerful tools for early identification of an exacerbation of a patient's condition and permit the early mobilisation of clinical resources to avoid unnecessary hospitalisation. In this paper we consider the consequences of this trial for the delivery of health services in rural and remote communities and discuss whether at-home or community health centre based telehealth could alleviate the impact of clinical shortages, overcome the tyranny of distance and facilitate better patient self-management and healthcare outcomes. Given the lack of clinical specialists in rural and remote communities, the ability to connect to specialists in urban and regional centres becomes a critical necessity. Whilst traditional telehealth systems provide a good baseline for the provision of tele monitoring services, are they sufficient to support remote specialist consultations in emergency settings? We will discuss a blueprint for telehealth solutions for mobile community nursing as well as telehealth services that can be delivered from community health centres under remote medical supervision.


The current economic and financial crisis has shaken confidence in funded pension systems in general and in defined contribution (DC) pension plans in particular. The crisis has highlighted the impact of market conditions on retirement savings accumulated in DC pension plans and the uncertainty as to whether those retirement savings may prove adequate to finance retirement – particularly for those close to retirement. The purpose of this paper is to provide recommendations on how to ensure adequate retirement income from DC pension plans. In this context, this paper addresses three main questions: 1) How much do people need to save? 2) How can the effects of market risk on DC pension plans be alleviated? 3) How can retirement income be protected during the payout phase? The analysis concludes that in order to deliver adequate retirement income from DC pension plans with a certain degree of certainty, there is a need for comprehensive measures which include: higher contributions; increasing the contribution period by postponing retirement; setting as default options relatively conservative investment policies including life-cycle strategies; and managing risk in the payout phase with inflationindexed life annuities.


INTRODUCTIONThis Note explores how various factors unique to asylum adjudications- (1)substantial obstacles to obtaining corroborating evidence of persecution; (2) the high stakes of credibility determinations; (3) vague statutory guidelines for making such determinations; and (4) exceedingly limited judicial review- combine to make particular groups of asylum applicants distinctly susceptible to subconscious cultural biases.Although there is a growing body of research on the ways implicit biases impact judges' and juries' factual determinations,1 few articles have sought to address how cultural narrative norms influence judicial expectations of "credible" testimony. Such scholarship is increasingly essential in the aftermath of the REAL ID Act of 2005 ("REAL ID Act"),2 which created a substantial risk that not what asylum applicants say but rather the way in which they say it will definitively determine their right to remain in the United States.The primary purpose of this Note is to shed light on a subject matter that is often neglected despite academia's recent fascination with implicit racism, sexism, and homophobia.3 We must remember that such issues are merely the tip of the iceberg. countless forms of subconscious biases, both independently and in conjunction, currently impede judicial objectivity in modern American jurisprudence. Acknowledging that we will likely never be able to entirely eliminate such biases, this Note proposes various ways to address one group of subconscious cultural biases-those stemming from culturally imposed narrative expectations.I. BACKGROUND"Asylum is an immigration benefit [granted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security4] that allows certain foreign nationals who fear persecution to remain lawfully in the [United States] indefinitely."5 In addition to providing protection from forcible deportation, for many asylum is a pathway to U.S. citizenship.6Yet the road to asylum is not an easy one. Asylum applicants face numerous obstacles to obtaining a legal grant of asylum. They are forced to navigate a complex legal system and to satisfy an exceedingly high burden of proof.7 At the same time, many applicants must undergo immigration proceedings without any legal representation. Nationally, 14.6% of asylum seekers are unrepresented.8 Women with children are disproportionately unrepresented in immigration courts, with more than 70% lacking legal representation.9 In the highly subjective system of asylum adjudications, such representation can often mean the difference between legal protection and forcible deportation, because unrepresented litigants are often left without any assistance to navigate complex cultural expectations that subconsciously impact immigration judges' credibility determinations.10 In fact, a study of more than 26,000 immigration cases throughout the United States involving women with children found that 98.5% of individuals without representation were forcibly deported while only 73.7% of individuals with representation were forcibly deported.11 Yet, because the Supreme Court has explicitly held that deportation is not "punitive,"12 despite recognizing that "deportation is a drastic measure and at times the equivalent of banishment or exile,"13 asylum applicants cannot invoke the Sixth Amendment right to effective assistance of counsel, which is reserved for only criminal proceedings.14In addition to the difficulties of navigating the American legal system as a foreigner, often without representation, many asylum applicants face substantial obstacles to obtaining corroborating evidence of their persecution. The systemic lack of documentation evidencing incidents of persecution coupled with vague statutory guidelines for making credibility determinations in the absence of such evidence make asylum adjudications susceptible to subconscious biases.15 Biases stemming from immigration judges' and asylum applicants' differing perceptions of time, tendencies regarding explicit and implicit communication, and observational norms can adversely impact such determinations. …


A version of indifference valuation of a European call option is proposed that includes statistical regularities of nonstochastic randomness. Classical relations (forward contract value and Black-Scholes formula) are obtained as particular cases. We show that in the general case of nonstochastic randomness the minimal expected profit of uncovered European option position is always negative. A version of delta hedge is proposed.


INTRODUCTION
Vedolizumab is an anti-a4b7 monoclonal antibody that is licensed for the treatment of moderate to severe Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

AIMS
To establish the real-world efficacy and safety of vedolizumab in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.

METHODS
Retrospective study involving six NHS health boards in Scotland between June 2015 and November 2017. Inclusion criteria included a diagnosis ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease with objective evidence of active inflammation at baseline (HBI≥5 / Partial Mayo ≥2 plus CRP >5 g/L or faecal calprotectin ≥250 µg/g or inflammation on endoscopy / MRI) and at least one clinical follow up by 12 months. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to establish 12-month cumulative rates of clinical remission (HBI <5 or Partial Mayo <2), mucosal healing (absence of ulceration/erosions on colonoscopy/MRI or Mayo score 0) and deep remission (clinical remission plus mucosal healing). Rates of serious adverse events were described quantitatively.

RESULTS
Our cohort consisted of 180 patients with ulcerative colitis and 260 with Crohn's disease. Combined median follow up was 52 weeks (IQR 26-52 weeks). In ulcerative colitis, 12-month cumulative rates of clinical remission, mucosal healing and deep remission were 57.4%, 47.3% and 38.5% respectively. In Crohn's disease, 12-month cumulative rates of clinical remission, mucosal healing and deep remission were 58.4%, 38.9% and 28.3% respectively. The serious adverse event rate was 15.6 per 100 patient years of follow up.

CONCLUSION
Vedolizumab is a safe and effective treatment for achieving both clinical remission and mucosal healing in ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.


This paper presents the problem of undetected shorts on IEEE 1149.1 compliant self-monitoring pins. Unidirectional and bidirectional self-monitoring pins may contain sufficient series termination resistance and low enough voltage swings such that shorts between two pins become resistively isolated from the receivers and therefore are undetected during wiring interconnect tests. Potential solutions to mitigate the problem are offered.


Pediatric intracranial aneurysms are rare and differ from aneurysms in adults in terms of location, etiology, natural history and management. This is a case report of giant aneurysm in a 10-year-old patient presenting with symptoms of headache and vomiting. Cerebral catheter angiogram revealed a large aneurysm in the left middle cerebral artery, M1 segment. The patient underwent left pterional craniotomy, clip reconstruction of the patent artery, and aneurysmectomy. Post operatively the patient had an unremarkable course and was discharged improved after 1 week. Cerebral catheter angiogram was performed after 2 months and revealed no residual aneurysm. Intracranial aneurysms in children are rare; 0.5% to 4.6% of intracranial aneurysms occur in patients aged 18 years or younger. Aneurysms occurring in very young children and infants are exceedingly rare. Unlike their adult counterparts, pediatric aneurysms have been reported to exhibit features such as male predominance, a higher incidence in locations such as the internal carotid bifurcation and posterior circulation, and greater numbers of giant aneurysms. By far, pediatric aneurysms present more commonly as subarachnoid hemorrhage, with peaks at ages 2-5 years and in adolescents older than 15 years. However, the rate of subarachnoid hemorrhage in children is far lower than in adults. This may be due to high incidence of giant aneurysms that present as space-occupying lesions rather than hemorrhage. In the Philippines, intracranial aneurysms are more common in adults rather that in children. Moreover, there has been no published data about pediatric intracranial aneurysm. Presented here is a case of a 10-year-old female with left middle cerebral artery (MCA) giant aneurysm. This report discusses the epidemiology, signs and symptoms and management of the pediatric patient with a giant aneurysm. Conclusions: Intracranial aneurysms in children differ from those in adults in location, morphology, etiology, natural history, and management. Giant aneurysms produce neurologic compromise related to mass effect. The most efficacious form of treatment involves complete elimination of this lesion from cerebral circulation. Regardless of whether these aneurysms are treated or observed, children with intracranial aneurysms require follow-up imaging and clinical surveillance, given their expected long-life span during which treated aneurysms could recur or additional aneurysms could arise. Key words: pediatric, giant aneurysm, craniotomy, clip reconstruction, aneurysmectomy


Pleural effusion (PE) can be seen during the course and treatment of many malignant or benign diseases. Congestive heart failure and pneumonia are the most common causes of benign pleural effusion (BPE), while lung and breast cancer are the most common causes of malignant pleural effusion (MPE). MPE indicates that the disease is extensive or advanced and the average survival is 4-12 months. In this study, we aimed to investigate the changes in complete blood count parameters in patients with benign and malignant PE. Patients who underwent thoracentesis and pleural fluid analysis between January 1, 2015 and December 1, 2020 were included in the study. Demographic characteristics, pathological diagnoses, pleural fluid cell analysis, blood parameters of the patients were recorded. The patients were divided into two groups according to their MPE and BPE detection status. Complete blood count parameters, Systemic Inflammatory Index (SII), Platelet / Lymphocyte Ratio (PLR), Monosin / Lymphocyte Ratio (MLR), Eosinophil / Lymphocyte Ratio (ELR) and Neutrophil / Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) values were found in both groups and were recorded and compared. 240 patients with PE and meeting the study criteria were included in the study. There were 154 (64.17%) patients with BPE and 86 (35.83%) patients with MPE. In patients with MPE, WBC (103 / mL) 10.22 (2.32-27.50) (p = 0.001), Neutrophil (103 / UL) 8 (0.48-24.25) (p <0.001), Monocyte (103 / UL) 0.7 (0-1.9) (p = 0.002) were detected. In addition, SII 1868.54 (139.88-16862.63) (p = 0.001), NLR 6.68 (0.38-92.91) (p = 0.001), MLR 0.58 (0-4.46) (p = 0.038) were detected. All these values were statistically higher than the patients with BPE. SII, MLR and NLR values are cheap and easily applicable parameters that can help in the differentiation of malignant and benign pleural effusion, in predicting the prognosis of patients with MPE and in treatment planning.


Until recently, phrases were deemed suboptimal features for text classification because of their sparseness (Lewis 1992). In recent work (Koster et al. 2011, D'hondt et al. Forthcoming), however, it was found that for classifying English patent documents, combining phrasal and unigram representations leads to significantly better classification results, because phrases are better suited to catch the Multi-Word Terms (MWT) abundant in the terminology-rich technical patent texts. In this article, we consider the task of patent classification of English abstracts at the class level (about 120 classes) of the International Patent Classification (IPC). We compare (a) the impact of two types of phrases to capture meaningful information (bigrams and skipgrams); and (b) the impact of performing additional filtering of the classification features, based on their Part of Speech (PoS). For this purpose we performed a series of classification experiments using different phrasal text representations and feature selection to determine which representation is most beneficial to English patent classification. We further investigated which type of information (as captured by the PoS-filtered skipgrams) has most impact during classification. The results show that combining unigrams and PoS-filtered skipgrams leads to a significant improvement in classification scores over the unigram baseline. Additional experiments show that the most important phrasal features are bigrams and additional useful phrases can be captured by allowing at most 2 skips in the skipgram approach. Deeper analysis revealed that the noun-noun combinations and – to a lesser extent – the adjectival-noun combinations are the most informative phrasal features for patent classification.


Technological advancements have revolutionized the proliferation and availability of information to users, which has created more complex and intensive interactions between users and systems. The learning process of users is essential in the construction of new knowledge when pursuing improvements in user experience. In this paper, the interruption factor is considered in relation to interaction quality due to human–computer interaction (HCI) being seen to affect the learning process. We present the results obtained from 500 users in an interactive museum in Tijuana, Mexico as a case study. We model the HCI of an interactive exhibition using belief–desire–intention (BDI) agents; we adapted the BDI architecture using the Type-2 fuzzy inference system to add perceptual human-like capabilities to agents, in order to describe the interaction and interruption factor on user experience. The resulting model allows us to describe content adaptation through the creation of a personalized interaction environment. We conclude that managing interruptions can enhance the HCI, producing a positive learning process that influences user experience. A better interaction may be achieved if we offer the right kind of content, taking the interruptions experienced into consideration.


The Mau Ogiek are an ethnic minority, forest-dwelling hunters and gatherers who inhabit the Mau Forest Complex. The people still don their ethnic dress to date, though sparingly. This paper discusses the forces that occasioned the construction and wearing of the indigenous dress. The forces include materials, religion, isolation, social attitudes and values, trade, lifestyle, cultural experts, matriarchy versus patriarchy and indigenous knowledge. A lot of significance is attached to the dress thus, it is constructed and worn in conformity with the normative order for dress and clothing customs. Barter trade with the Maasai people avails gariig, red ochre and brass for fashioning ilmintoisieg and taet. Hunting and gathering occasioned the fabrication of motoget, oguriet op poinet, guiyang'nta, ingerut, and long'et. The documentation of the dress has provided a cross-cultural point of view on the universal theories and practices of dress and adapting the same to an African ethnic dress.


The Australian Institute of Family Studies was contracted by the National Child Protection and Support Services (NCPASS) Data Group to undertake the Review of Data Comparability Project. The aims of the Project were to: • Examine the rates of total notifications, investigations and substantiations, and the rates of children on orders and in out-of-home care for the period 2000–01 to 2005–06; • Analyse the differences in rates across jurisdictions, and the differences in rates over time within jurisdictions; and • Identify and assess factors that may explain differences in rates across jurisdictions and within jurisdictions over time.


OBJECTIVE
Heart failure is responsible for a huge burden in hospital care. Our goal was to evaluate the value of N-terminal-pro-brain natriuretic peptide (Nt-proBNP) on predicting death or hospital readmission after hospital discharge in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF).

METHODS
From March 2003 to April 2005, 135 consecutive patients (97 male and 38 female, mean age 60.7 years +/- 13.1 years) with chronic heart failure [dilated cardiomyopathy (44%) and coronary heart disease (35%)] were included in this study. Plasma concentrations of the Nt-proBNP were measured by ELISA on admission. All patients received conventional therapy and were followed up for 24 months. The primary end point was death or readmission.

RESULTS
(1) During the follow up period (640 days +/- 100 days), 11 patients died and 39 patients rehospitalized, the median Nt-proBNP level on admission was significantly higher in patients died during the follow up period (5908 ng/L) than that of rehospitalized patients (2768 ng/L, P = 0.038). Plasma Nt-proBNP level on admission were significantly higher in primary end point group (n = 50, 2947 ng/L) than that in non-primary end point group (n = 85, 917 ng/L, P < 0.01). (2) Variables associated with an increased hazard of death and/or rehospitalization were Nt-proBNP and NYHA degree when analyzed by logistic regression models. Increased Log Nt-proBNP was the strongest independent predictor of an adverse outcome of CHF (odds ratio 13.8, 95% confidence interval 2.29 to 2.78, P < 0.01). (3) Area under the curve for Nt-proBNP in evaluating prognosis of CHF patients was 0.885 (positive predictive value 88.5%, negative predictive value 11.5%).

CONCLUSION
Nt-proBNP level on admission is a strong predictor of rehospitalization and death within 24 months after hospital discharge in patients with chronic heart failure.


This article discusses the life and career of a Tamil teacher of English working in the government education system in northern Sri Lanka. Based on data gathered in an extended life history interview, the article explores the teacher's own experiences of schooling, his reasons for entering teaching as a profession, his professional training, and aspects of his working life in areas fought over by government and LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) forces. The teacher's narrative is contextualized within the history of the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka between the majority Sinhalese and minority Tamils and aims to shed some light on how an individual finds the motivation to continue to work in a situation of extreme personal danger and, further, how he positions himself within his community as a teacher of a foreign language which might be seen as an irrelevance to students in his context. Though the limitations of case studies are recognized, as well as the particularly distressing conditions of life and work for this teacher, the article nevertheless contends that his story will contribute to extending the knowledge base of TESOL as a discipline by providing space for a voice from a peripheral community to be heard.


In this paper we review and integrate key aspects of behavioral and life history traits, food supply and population dynamics of the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus), a species that is abundant and widely distributed across much of eastern North America. Results are based largely on a 33-year mark-and-recapture study in a forest fragment in northwest Ohio, USA. Behavioral plasticity in such reproductive traits as mating system and parental care allows this species to adjust quickly to changing environments. The species has a relatively "fast" life history, with rapid attainment of sexual maturity and high fecundity in the face of high mortality rates. Maximal reproductive effort early in life enables a rapid population response. Food supply, in the form of mast, determines the size of the reproducing population in early spring, which, in turn, influences the size of the late summer peak population. The peak population size is also affected by short-term weather events possibly acting via the food supply. The effects of weather and food on population growth are in part mediated through competition, including defense of space and suppression of reproduction. The inelasticity of female territories appears to set an upper limit to population density.


This study utilized composite flour from wheat, coconut shell and tiger nut to produce cookies in order to improve the nutrient contents of cookies and encourage the use of compounded flour. Appropriate quantity of the different blends of compounded flour and wheat were mixed with other ingredients to produce cookies. Microbial, organoleptic and nutritional assessments were carried out on the flour and cookies. The sensory evaluation shows the cookies produced were all acceptable in terms of texture, taste and acceptability in general. The 100% wheat flour cookies were appraised to be the best in terms of appearance and texture while 100% tiger nut flour cookies were most preferred in terms of crumbliness and general acceptability. Furthermore, 90:10 (wheat: Coconut Shell) cookies were most preferred in terms of taste. The organisms isolated were characterized and identified to be Bacillus alvei, Bacillus brevis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Aeromonas hydrophila and Staphylococcus aureus. Saccharomyces cerevisiae was found to be the most occurring isolate. The total viable and total fungal counts vary from 1.0 x 101 to 2.7 x 101 and 1.0 x 101 to 4.0 x 101 CFU/g respectively. Enterobacteriaceae was not detected in any of the samples. The proximate composition of the cookies were from 4.38 to 12.03, 2.10 to 20.10, 22.10 to 32.00, 3.00 to 5.00 and 1.20 to 3.10% for total crude protein, crude fibre, ether extract, moisture and total ash contents respectively. Conclusively, given the nutritional value and microbial quality of the cookies, the use of the composite flours is recommended which in return will cause a reduction in total reliance on wheat flour.


Sperm macrocephaly syndrome (SMS) is characterised by a high percentage of spermatozoa with enlarged heads and multiple tails, and is related to infertility. Although this multiple sperm defect has been described in other mammalian species, little is known about this anomaly in birds. Morphological examination of semen from nine South African black ostriches (Struthio camelus var. domesticus) involved in an AI trial revealed the variable presence of spermatozoa with large heads and multiple tails. Ultrastructural features of the defect were similar to those reported in mammals except that the multiple tails were collectively bound within the plasmalemma. The tails were of similar length and structure to those of normal spermatozoa, and the heads were 1.6-fold longer, emphasising the uniformity of the anomaly across vertebrate species. Flow cytometry identified these cells as diploid and computer-aided sperm analysis revealed that they swim slower but straighter than normal spermatozoa, probably due to the increased drag of the large head and constrained movement of the merged multiple tails. The high incidence of this defect in one male ostrich indicates that, although rare, SMS can occur in birds and may potentially have an adverse effect on breeding programs, particularly for endangered species.


UNLABELLED
Several systemic diseases, including granulomatous and infectious processes, tumors, bone disorders, collagen-vascular and other autoimmune diseases may involve the middle ear and temporal bone. These diseases are difficult to diagnose when symptoms mimic acute otomastoiditis.

CASE REPORTS
The present report describes our experience with three such cases initially misdiagnosed. Their predominating symptoms were otological with mastoiditis, hearing loss, and subsequently facial nerve palsy. The cases were considered an emergency and the patients underwent tympanomastoidectomy, under the suspicion of otitis media with cholesteatoma, in order to remove a possible abscess and to decompress the facial nerve. The common features were the presence of severe granulation tissue filling the mastoid cavity and middle ear during surgery, without cholesteatoma. The definitive diagnoses was made by means of biopsy of the granulation tissue from the middle ear, revealing granulomatosis with polyangiitis (formerly known as Wegener's granulomatosis) in one case, middle ear tuberculosis and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma respectively. After specific associated therapy facial nerve functions improved, and atypical inflammatory states of the ear resolved.

CONCLUSIONS
As a group, systemic diseases of the middle ear and temporal bone are uncommon, but aggressive lesions. After analyzing these cases and reviewing the literature, we would like to stress upon the importance of microscopic examination of the affected tissue, required for an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment.


High energy demand in corporate and/or public buildings is nowadays one of the main reasons of excessive energy consumption. At the same time, electric vehicles (EVs) have become very popular worldwide being a considerable alternative power source when parked. In this work we propose a scheduling mechanism which optimizes the control of the charging-discharging schedule of an altered but finite number of EVs arriving at a university building for a typical load-day in February aiming at the minimization of the energy demand and the electricity cost of the building. In the aforementioned framework, a parallel operation of a small sized gas turbine generator (GGT) is considered. To this end, a mixed integer linear programing (MILP) model containing binary and continuous variables has been developed to optimize the control process and minimize energy cost. Results showed that the use of the EVs as an alternative energy source can significantly contribute to the reduction of the building's energy demand leading to important cost decrease. The exploitation of the energy produced by the GGT further contributed to the minimization of the total energy consumption of the building and the total electricity cost.


Background Identifying epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations in lung adenocarcinoma (LADC) is vital for treatment decision-making. This study aimed to establish a convenient and noninvasive nomogram prediction model based on 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) imaging and clinical features to predict EGFR mutation status in patients with LADC. Methods A total of 274 patients (male 130, female 144, median age 65 years) were enrolled in this retrospective study. Imaging data from 18F-FDG PET/CT and clinical information were analyzed, with the Mann-Whitney U test, Student's t-test, and chi-square test used to compare categorical or continuous covariates as appropriate. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify independent variables associated with EGFR mutation status, from which the nomogram prediction model was constructed. Leave-one-out cross-validation was performed, and the discrimination ability and calibration of the nomogram were assessed by calculating the area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic curve and the calibration curve. The clinical net benefit of the nomogram was evaluated. Results Of the 274 patients, 143 (52.2%) had EGFR mutations. Female sex [odds ratios (OR): 2.64, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.29–5.45, P=0.008], non-smoking status (OR: 2.78, 95% CI: 1.30–5.88, P=0.008), mean standardized uptake value ≤9.23 (OR: 2.44, 95% CI: 1.35–4.55, P=0.004), metabolic tumor volume ≤17.72 cm3 (OR: 5.00, 95% CI: 2.38–12.50, P<0.001) and the presence of pleural retraction (OR: 1.88, 95% CI: 1.05–3.40, P=0.034) were independent predictors for EGFR mutations in LADCs. The nomogram based on these risk factors showed good predictive efficacy, with an area under the curve of 0.805 (95% CI: 0.753–0.857), a sensitivity of 90.2%, a specificity of 59.5% and an accuracy of 73.0%. Conclusions The nomogram prediction model incorporating sex, smoking status, mean standardized uptake value, metabolic tumor volume, and the presence of pleural retraction could effectively discriminate EGFR-mutant from wild-type LADCs.


As is well known, space-borne coherent wind LIDAR system is considered to be a useful tool to directly obtain the global distribution of 3-dimensional wind field. The article introduces the space-borne wind LIDAR system, and the development of it. The advantage and system indicators of space-borne coherent wind LIDAR were discussed, and the difficulty of building such a system was analyzed. A ground validation system with a 2°m solid-state laser, φ150 Cassegrain and Glens is built on the basis of the wind LIDAR system.


Digital surface Models (DSMs) contain information about topographic surfaces and also about other objects higher than the surrounding topographic surface such as buildings, trees etc. therefore, they are ideal for analyzing urban landscape. In this research DSMs of Bhopal city are made from Cartosat 1 stereo data. Three DSMs are made using three different techniques such as adaptive ATE, traditional ATE available through Leica Photogrammetric Suite (LPS) and automated terrain extraction available through Orthoengine. The paper compares the steps of DSM extraction and concluded that process of DSM generation comprised of image orientation and image matching. The output DSMs are compared in context of identifying urban features. It was found that DSM generated through traditional ATE and Orthoengine are more reliable compared to DSM generated through adaptive ATE. This is because; object filter within adaptive ATE modifies the elevation value resulting error in object heights.


AbstractA questionnaire is an integral component of methods determining the temperaments of dogs. From the range of questionnaires used for evaluation of a dog's temperament, we selected C-BARQ. This particular type of questionnaire allowed us to determine the degree of agreement of evaluations of the same dog by individual members of one household. The evaluation included dogs in 29 households with a total of 71 members. The degree of agreement between ratings of individual members of the same household was determined by Intraclass correlations coefficient (ICC). The correlations observed ranged between 0.53 and 0.9, depending on the category. This result is further supported by the results of other studies that showed similar perceptions of the same dog between family members.


When we indicate or describe an object in everyday lives we often use a color of the object. Although there are a million of colors around us we do not use so many colors, but categorize different colors into several color names. Eleven color names; red, green, yellow, blue, brown, orange, purple, pink, white, black and gray, have been qualified as basic color categories, that are used consistently among observers and occasions. In this study we measured categorical regions in a color space determined with a categorical color naming method using these 11 basic color names. Two color-appearance modes; aperture color mode and surface color mode, were tested. We employed both a color CRT monitor and a OSA uniform color set as test stimuli in the two color-appearance modes. It is shown in our results that both aperture and surface color spaces were consistently divided into the 11 basic color categories, and that positions and borders of color categories depend on luminance (lightness) of test stimuli in the surface color mode, but almost independent of luminance in the aperture color mode. Furthermore, test stimuli made by a color CRT do not appear so different from those by color chips in both color-appearance modes. There are some similarities between our results and the Kelly's chart.


This paper presents the design of an antenna array utilizing stacked multiloop structures to produce the electromagnetic radiations with dual circular polarizations and multiple directional beams. In particular, with a proper design of isolations, each combination of these polarizations and beams can be operated in a relatively independent fashion to increase the system capacity by using a single antenna set. The antenna structure was validated by numerical simulations and experimental measurements, which are presented to exhibit the characteristics of radiation.


Evolutionary game theory has been used to predict the effect on sperm expenditure of a trade–off between the value of a mating and the cost of its acquisition. In particular, G. A. Parker has predicted that if two males 'know' whether they are first or second to mate, but these roles are assigned randomly, then sperm numbers should be the same for both males whether the 'raffle' for fertilization is fair or unfair. This prediction relies on the assumption that, in the absence of sperm competition, ejaculates would always contain enough sperm to ensure complete fertilization after mating. The slightest risk of incomplete fertilization, however, is enough to ensure that favoured males expend more than disfavoured males in the presence of sperm competition, unless the competition is perfectly fair. Divergence of expenditures increases with unfairness until unfairness reaches a critical value, beyond which a disfavoured male should no longer compete. The higher the fertilization risk, the lower the critical unfairness. All predictions are independent of the probability of mating first or second. Implications are discussed for the mechanisms that underlie sperm competition.


This article describes the case of a 70-year-old woman with an adnexal cystadenocarcinoma located in the right broad ligament and displaying a striking resemblance to a well-differentiated endometrioid adenocarcinoma. The uniqueness of this pseudoendometrioid carcinoma lies in the fact that its mesonephric nature is revealed by the origin from a papillary cystadenoma of the broad ligament, where remnants of the mesonephric duct are seated, and the immunohistochemical profile, particularly a uniform negativity for estrogen and progesterone receptors, apical-luminal positivity for CD10, and strong nuclear positivity for GATA3.


The possibility of increase in depth of penetration into soil and rocky targets of composite projectiles with the tail part thrown back in the course of interaction is considered. The thrown back tail ballast mass had a tubular part that acted as a ballistic barrel in which the penetrating module was placed. When the ballast mass is thrown in the direction opposite to the penetration direction, the penetrating module receives an additional impulse in the direction of its movement, which can lead to an increase in the penetration depth of the module. Based on the calculation results, the influence on the penetration depth increase of the mass ratio of the thrown back and penetrating parts of the projectile, of the ballast mass throwing back time, of the throwing pressure and of the ballast mass tubular part length determining the powder gas pressure action time is established for the targets of the type of dense soil and rock.


In this study, Anne Jensen provides an exhaustive account of the many roles that women played in the early church (confessors, martyrs, prophetesses, and teachers) and their subsequent marginalization by the later church. This book is required reading for anyone interested in the history of the church and its impact on the lives of women throughout the ages.


The human body is thought of conventionally as a biological entity, with its longevity, morbidity, size and even appearance determined by genetic factors immune to the influence of society or culture. Since the mid-1980s, however, there has been a rising awareness of how our bodies, and our perception of them, are influenced by the social, cultural and material contexts in which humans live.

Drawing on studies of sex and gender, education, governance, the economy, and religion, Chris Shilling demonstrates how our physical being allows us to affect the material and virtual world around us, yet also enables governments to shape and direct our thoughts and actions. Revealing how social relationships, cultural images, and technological and medical advances shape our perceptions and awareness, he exposes the limitations of traditional Western traditions of thought that elevate the mind over the body as that which defines us as human. Dealing with issues ranging from cosmetic and transplant surgery, the performance of gendered identities, the commodification of bodies and body parts, and the violent consequences of competing conceptions of the body as sacred, Shilling provides a compelling account of why body matters present contemporary societies with a series of urgent and inescapable challenges.


Cities are focal points of introduction for invasive species. Urban evolution might facilitate the success of invasive species in recipient urban habitats. Here we test this hypothesis by rearing tadpoles of a successful amphibian urban coloniser and invader in a common garden environment. We compared growth rate, morphological traits, swimming performance, and developmental rate of guttural toad tadpoles (Sclerophrys gutturalis) from native rural, native urban, and non-native urban habitats. By measuring these traits across ontogeny, we were also able to compare divergence across different origins as the tadpoles develop. The tadpoles of non-native urban origin showed significantly slower developmental rate (e.g., the proportion of tadpoles reaching Gosner stage 31 or higher was lower at age 40 days) than tadpoles of native urban origin. Yet, tadpoles did not differ in growth rate or any morphological or performance trait examined, and none of these traits showed divergent ontogenetic changes between tadpoles of different origin. These findings suggest that prior adaptation to urban habitats in larval traits likely does not play an important role in facilitating the invasion success of guttural toads into other urban habitats. Instead, we suggest that evolutionary changes in larval traits after colonization (e.g., developmental rate), together with decoupling of other traits and phenotypic plasticity might explain how this species succeeded in colonising extra-limital urban habitats.


The study carried out to access the influence of school library on student achievement, three research questions were made, the research questions sought to find out the availability of library and information system and services in secondary school, library resources, influence of school library in their performance. a survey research method was adopted for the study, proportional stratified sampling was use to select sample size of 10% (200) from population of 2000, questionnaires were adopted as data collection instrument, data collected from the research question were analyze , the research discover 51 of the respondent representing 29% agree that they have School Library While 123 representing 71% disagree that they have no school library, 54 of the respondent representing 31% agrees that books are available, 12 representing 7% agrees that magazine are available, 4 representing 2% agrees that newspapers are available 8 representing 5% agreed that Audio visual are available, 13 representing 7% agreed that computer are available, 2 representing 1% agreed that all of the above are available while 81 representing 47% agreed none of the information resources are available, school library in school lead to Excellent Academic learning, excellent Health Status, excellent personal development and excellent knowledge development The research concludes that standard school library should be provided in secondary school. Finally, it was recommended that Motivation of student toward the use of library for their academic and personal purposes as to be familiar with the importance of library in their academic and entire life. Keywords: School Library, Students, Achievement, Secondary School and influence


A series of vented explosion tests were performed in a small‐scale cylindrical vessel using a short discharge duct. Overpressure–time profiles were recorded with five transducers both inside and outside of the vessel. Visualization of the flow field is provided by a high‐speed shadowgraph imaging system using sequential shadowgraphs. As is well known, two or more pressure peaks can occur during explosion venting, one from the vent rupture and the other from a secondary explosion induced by combustion of the vented combustible gases. Three typical distinct processes of vented explosions were found. Variations in intensity of the secondary explosion were measured as a function of vent burst pressure, ignition location, blockage ratio at the vent, and equivalence ratio of the fuel. © 2006 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog, 2006


Coastal sandy beaches are considered to be an integral part of the coastal ecosystems in marine environment. Sandy beach is an extremely dynamic environment where sand and water are always in motion. There are several fauna and flora occurring in this zone. The mole crab, Emerita asiatica is one of them from this sandy beach of Gopalpur coast. Gopalpur is a small fisherman village and also an important tourist spot of Odisha. The monthly data was collected over two years from January 2011 to December 2012 to assess the water quality. In this chapter we have discussed on the water quality standard of the major tourist beach with special reference to mole crab community. Various physico-chemical parameters like air temperature, water temperature, pH, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, salinity, and nutrients were studied along with the population study of mole crab species.