During schooling, students can undergo, for more or less long periods of time, different contextual settings that can negatively affect their personal and academic development, leading them not to meet their academic goals. The main objective of this research responds to examine the relationships between the constructs of goal orientations, emotional intelligence, and burnout in students. Method: This research comprised 2896 students from 15 Spanish high schools with ages between 12 and 18 years distributed across male (N = 1614; 55.73%) and female (N = 1282; 44.26%) genders. The measurements were made through Perception of Success Questionnaire (POSQ), the Trait Meta Mood Scale (TMMS-24) and the Maslach Burnout Inventory Student Survey (MBI-SS). Results: Results showed links between task orientation, high emotional intelligence levels, and adaptive behaviors and between ego orientation, academic burnout and less adaptive behavior. Similarly, it was shown that emotional intelligence can be used to predict goal-oriented behaviors. Conclusion: It is argued that the promotion of task orientation among secondary school students can lead to the adoption of adaptive behaviors and this, in turn, improve the development of students toward academic and personal settings.


1. Introduction to Accounting and Business. 2. Analyzing Transactions. 3. The Adjusting Process. 4. Completing the Accounting Cycle. 5. Accounting Systems. 6. Accounting for Merchandising Businesses. 7. Inventories. 8. Sarbanes Oxley, Internal Controls, & Cash. 9. Receivables. 10. Fixed Assets and Intangible Assets. 11. Current Liabilities & Payroll. 12. Accounting for Partnerships and Limited Liability Companies. 13. Corporations: Organization, Capital Stock Transactions, and Dividends. 14. Long-Term Liabilities: Bonds and Notes 15. Investments and Fair Value Accounting Complete Financial Statements for Mornin' Joe. 16. Statement of Cash Flows. 17. Financial Statement Analysis. Appendix A: Interest Tables. Appendix B: Reversing Entries. Appendix C: Merchandising End-of-Period Spreadsheet. Appendix D: Annual Report.


A recombinant somatolactin (SL) obtained by cloning and expression of sole SL cDNA was analyzed and used to develop a sensitive and specific RIA. In contrast to native proteins, which tend to dimerize and aggregate immediately after pituitary isolation, the majority of recombinant sole SL (rsSL) remained as a monomeric protein after long-term storage, as shown by size exclusion chromatography and Western blot. Using rsSL as a tracer and standard in the RIA, the minimum detectable dose and the midrange (ED 50) of the assay were 0·15 and 1·8– 2·1 ng/ml respectively. Intra-and interassay coefficients of variation were 4·3% and 6·5% at ED 50 levels. Recom-binant gilthead sea bream GH and recombinant trout GH did not show cross-reactivity, whereas a good parallelism between rsSL standard and serial dilutions of plasma and sole pituitary extracts was observed. In order to demonstrate some biological activity of rsSL, the ability of this recombinant product to prime gilthead sea bream phago-cytes for in vitro enhancement of mitochondrial activity was examined by a chromogenic assay. A bell-shape dose–response curve was obtained with a maximum at 50 nM (1·2 µg/ml), similar to that reported previously for GH. Therefore, taking together all these data, it appears conclusive that rsSL is a long-term stable protein which retains, at least in part, biological activity, providing a useful tool to clarify the physiological role of fish SL.


: Liquid nitrogen (LN) cryosurgery is more often used for the treatment of bone tumors of the extremities. Since 1985 after animal experimentation we began to use it for the surgical treatment of spinal tumors. The temperature of the tissues surrounding the spinal cord was controlled above -20 degrees C by means of thermocouples and somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP) was used to monitor the spinal cord function. Liquid nitrogen was used as an adjuvant treatment in the surgical treatment of spinal tumors, it could reduce operative hemorrhage and kill tumor cells. The function of spinal cord had not been damaged in all 11 patients after cryotherapy. There was infection in one case, it was cured by using antibiotics and by drainage. This study showed that LN freezing can reduce the amount of operative hemorrhage during resection of spinal tumors. Benign tumors can be thus removed easily and thoroughly.


Recent studies have highlighted the gypsum outcrops of Almeria (southeast Spain) as the most outstanding for the conservation of Iberian gypsophilous flora. The need of preserving this natural heritage and the impossibility to protect all the outcrops present within the territory, led us to identify which areas should be considered as of priority for conservation. To this end, we establish as a priority that the proposed conservation network of sites should include all gypsophyte species at least once. Other possible conservation goals on which to base the area selection and the associated scenarios were also taken into account. We first elaborated a cartography for the gypsophytes based on 10 km sided-cells. Next, in order to rank the importance of each locality, several commonly employed conservation criteria (diversity, rarity of the flora, complementarity) were applied to the cartographic information, and the findings obtained by each procedure contrasted. The results showed that protecting the deposits found in three cells (Sorbas, already protected because of its geomorphological singularity, Venta de los Yesos and Topares) would allow the representation of each species at least once and to achieve several complementary conservation targets. The findings are discussed within the context of the social and administrative peculiarities of the area.


In human and experimental glomerulonephritis, glomerular hypercellularity results both from accumulation of macrophages and proliferation of resident glomerular cells. The recent identification of macrophage-derived factors that stimulate mesangial and epithelial cell proliferation suggests that these factors might contribute to the hypercellularity. To determine the identity of such macrophage-derived growth factors, we studied the effect of leukotrienes (LTs), products that are released from macrophages and leukocytes, on proliferation of human glomerular epithelial cells in culture. Dose-dependent (1-100 nM) stimulation of [3H]thymidine incorporation, an index of cell proliferation, was observed in cells incubated with the sulfidopeptide LTs, LTC4 and LTD4, but not with LTB4. The response was 248 and 172% of control values at 100 nM LTC4 and LTD4, respectively. This effect of LTC4 was abolished by FPL 55712. Subsequent binding studies demonstrated that glomerular epithelial cells possess specific receptors for LTC4. [3H]LTC4 bound rapidly at 8 degrees C to the cells. There was a plateau after 40 min incubation. Maximum specific binding was 70-90% of total binding. Specific binding was totally reversible with addition of an excess of unlabeled LTC4. Analysis of time-course association slopes at two concentrations of [3H]LTC4 and of the competition between a single concentration of [3H]LTC4 and increasing concentrations of unlabelled LTC4 allowed calculation of dissociation constants (Kd) of 220 and 217 nM, respectively. Both LTD4 and LTE4 exhibited ED50 values that were at least one order of magnitude higher than for LTC4. Thus, our findings suggest that LTC4 binds to specific receptors of glomerular epithelial cells, promotes proliferation of these cells, and could contribute to epithelial hypercellularity found in glomerulonephritis.


Five steroids named stigmasterol ( 1 ), ergosterol peroxide ( 2 ), ganodertriol M ( 3 ), lucidumol B ( 4 ) and kansenone ( 5 ) were purified from the ethyl acetate extract of fruit bodies of the mushroom Ganoderma australe collected in Savannakhet province, Laos. Their structures were characterized by the combination of HR-MS, one and two dimensional NMR spectroscopic analyses. In addition, ergosterol peroxide  and kansenone showed good cytotoxicity against four cancer cell lines, KB (human epidermal carcinoma), MCF7 (human breast carcinoma), SK-LU-1 (human lung carcinoma) and Hep-G2 (hepatocellular carcinoma). This is the first report on the chemical constituents and cytotoxic steroids from Ganoderma sp. in Laos.


Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) is a growing concern on account of an aging population and its negative health consequences. While dietary protein plays a key role in the prevention of PEM, it also plays a pivotal role in the environmental impact of the human diet. In search for sustainable dietary strategies to increase protein intake in older adults, this study investigated the readiness of older adults to accept the consumption of the following alternative, more sustainable protein sources: plant-based protein, insects, single-cell protein, and in vitro meat. Using ordinal logistic regression modeling, the associations of different food-related attitudes and behavior and sociodemographics with older adults' acceptance to consume such protein sources were assessed. Results were obtained through a consumer survey among 1825 community-dwelling older adults aged 65 years or above in five EU countries (United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, and Finland). Dairy-based protein was generally the most accepted protein source in food products (75% of the respondents found its consumption acceptable or very acceptable). Plant-based protein was the most accepted alternative, more sustainable protein source (58%) followed by single-cell protein (20%), insect-based protein (9%), and in vitro meat-based protein (6%). We found that food fussiness is a barrier to acceptance, whereas green eating behavior and higher educational attainment are facilitators to older adults' acceptance to eat protein from alternative, more sustainable sources. Health, sensory appeal, and price as food choice motives, as well as gender and country of residence were found to influence acceptance, although not consistently across all the protein sources. Findings suggest that there is a window of opportunity to increase older adults' acceptance of alternative, more sustainable protein sources and in turn increase protein intake in an environmentally sustainable way in EU older adults.


Nerve transfer surgery is a reliable technique for restoration of motor function for paralysis resulting from peripheral nerve injury. The donor motor branch or fascicle is selected in proximity to the denervated target, and a tension-free end-to-end nerve coaptation is performed allowing rapid neurotisation and functional restoration. To date, a standardised rehabilitation protocol does not exist. The Birmingham Protocol was developed to enhance communication between surgeons and physiotherapists and to improve patients' understanding of the recovery process. It is a six-phase continuous rehabilitation programme designed to improve the outcomes following motor nerve transfer surgery. The programme was developed in a regional peripheral nerve injury service and has been evaluated over 10 years in >500 motor nerve transfer procedures. The programme is simple to understand and implement, allowing patient engagement and standardisation of treatment by non-specialist physiotherapists in rehabilitation units remote from the regional centre. The phases are described with expected timelines for progression for motor nerve transfers at different sites. Core outcome measures are defined to facilitate multicentre research. It is hoped that this protocol will serve as a framework that can be applied in other centres both in the UK and the international community.


Abstract Heteroleptic ruthenium(II) bioflavonoid complexes of quercetin, morin, chrysin, and 3-hydroxyflavone were prepared and their interaction with CT DNA and BSA along with antioxidant and in vitro anticancer and antimicrobial activities was investigated. The formulation and characterization of complexes were achieved through elemental and thermal analysis, mass spectrometry, 1H NMR spectroscopy along with infrared, electronic absorption, and emission spectroscopy as well as square-wave voltammetry, and magnetic and conductivity measurements. Ruthenium(II) is octahedrally coordinated in cationic complex species to two bidentate diimine ligands (2,2′-bipyridine or 1,10-phenanthroline) and one bidentate monobasic flavonoid ligand through 3,4-site of quercetin, morin, and 3-hydroxyflavone or 4,5-site of chrysin. Complexes bind CT DNA by intercalation and binding constants comparable to ethidium bromide or 10 times higher. Binding constants of complexes to BSA were several times higher compared to ibuprofen and diazepam, and suggest that the complexes have a strong affinity to BSA. Antioxidant activity tests showed that the complexes are more potent in terms of radical inhibition compared to the parent flavonoids. Cytotoxic testing revealed that the Ru(II) complex of quercetin with 2,2′-bipyridine co-ligand has good selectivity to breast adenocarcinoma, while the complex of 3-hydroxyflavone with 2,2′-bipyridine co-ligand showed strong cytotoxicity toward all tested cell lines with IC50 ∼ 1 μM. All complexes showed moderate activity toward Acinetobacter baumannii, while the Ru(II) complex of 3-hydroxyflavone with 2,2′-bipyridine showed excellent activity toward MRSA and Candida albicans.


The expected growth in distributed generation will significantly affect the operation and control of todays distribution grids. Being confronted with short time power variations of distributed generations, the assurance of a reliable service (grid stability, avoidance of energy losses) and the quality of the power may become costly. In this light, Smart Grids may provide an answer towards a more active and efficient electrical network. The EU project SmartC2Net aims to enable smart grid operations over imperfect, heterogeneous general purpose networks which poses a significant challenge to the reliability due to the stochastic behaviour found in such networks. Therefore, the key concepts of the EU project SmartC2Net are presented in this paper targeting the support of proper smart grid control in these network environments. An overview on the required ICT architecture and its functionality is provided and a description of the External Generation Site Use Case is given together with the targeted evaluation approaches.


BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of radioiodine remnant ablation (RRA) for differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) patients with an incomplete thyroidectomy.

METHODS
The medical histories of postsurgical DTC patients who accepted RRA between 2010 and 2012 were retrospectively reviewed. Among them, 113 patients who had undergone a total or near-total thyroidectomy comprised the complete thyroidectomy group (CT group) and the remaining 40 patients who had undergone a lobectomy or sub-total thyroidectomy comprised the incomplete thyroidectomy group (ICT group). The difference in the patients' age, gender, histology, serum TSH level and 24hr radioactive iodine uptake (RIU) between the two groups was analyzed by χ2 Test or ANOVA. The efficacy of RRA in ICT group was evaluated by comparing its rate of complete ablation after the first RRA and its cumulative rate of complete ablation after the second RRA to the rate of complete ablation after the first RRA in CT group respectively by χ2 Test.

RESULTS
Of all the clinical characteristics, only serum TSH level and 24hr RIU have significant difference between two groups (P<0.01 for both). The rate of complete ablation after the first RRA was 67.26% in CT group. The rate of complete ablation after the first RRA and the cumulative rate of complete ablation after the second RRA was 27.50% and 67.50% respectively in ICT group. The ablative rate of the first RRA between the two groups was compared by χ2 Test and the difference was significant (P<0.01). The ablative rate of the first RRA in CT group was compared with the cumulative rate of the second RRA in ICT group and the difference was not significant (P=0.978).

CONCLUSIONS
Although the efficacy of RRA in DTC patients with an incomplete thyroidectomy is not as good as that of patients with a complete thyroidectomy after the first RRA, a higher ablative rate can still be achieved after the second or third RRA.


Pab1 is the major poly(A)-binding protein in yeast. It is a multifunctional protein that mediates many cellular functions associated with the 3'-poly(A)-tail of messenger RNAs. Here, we characterize Pab1 as an export cargo of the protein export factor Xpo1/Crm1. Pab1 is a major Xpo1/Crm1-interacting protein in yeast extracts and binds directly to Xpo1/Crm1 in a RanGTP-dependent manner. Pab1 shuttles rapidly between the nucleus and the cytoplasm and partially accumulates in the nucleus when the function of Xpo1/Crm1 is inhibited. However, Pab1 can also be exported by an alternative pathway, which is dependent on the MEX67-mRNA export pathway. Import of Pab1 is mediated by the import receptor Kap108/Sxm1 through a nuclear localization signal in its fourth RNA-binding domain. Interestingly, inhibition of Pab1's nuclear import causes a kinetic delay in the export of mRNA. Furthermore, the inviability of a pab1 deletion strain is suppressed by a mutation in the 5'-3' exoribonuclease RRP6, a component of the nuclear exosome. Therefore, nuclear Pab1 may be required for efficient mRNA export and may function in the quality control of mRNA in the nucleus.


This article adds a new dimension of mobility among subsistence consumers to investigate their well-being during the process of rural–urban migration. Using social production function theory as the theoretic perspective as well as a mixed method, the authors identify three essential drivers that influence the life satisfaction of subsistence migrant consumers: financial resources, social connection, and sense of control (the last of which also mediates the relationship between social connection and well-being). Findings show that family closeness and social comparison orientation moderate the main effects of financial and social resources on life satisfaction. Family closeness enhances the positive effect of financial resources, while social comparison weakens the positive effect of social connection. This research contributes to the literature on subsistence consumers by introducing social production function theory into the subsistence marketplace and adopting a mixed approach to uncover the complexity of the perception of life satisfaction among subsistence migrant consumers.


For decades, scholars across disciplines have examined the stark injustice of American carceralism. Among that body of work are analyses of the various intent requirements embedded in the constitutional doctrine that governs the state's power to incarcerate. These intent requirements include the "deliberate indifference" standard of the Eighth Amendment, which regulates prison conditions, and the "punitive intent" standard of due process jurisprudence, which regulates the scope of confinement.

This Article coins the term "carceral intent" to refer collectively to those legal intent requirements and examines critically the role of carceral intent in shaping and maintaining the deep-rooted structural racism and sweeping harms of America's system of confinement. This Article begins by tracing the origins of American carceralism, focusing on the modern prison's relationship to white supremacy and the post-Emancipation period in U.S. history. The Article then turns to the constitutional doctrine of incarceration, synthesizing and categorizing the law of carceral intent. Then, drawing upon critical race scholarship that examines anti-discrimination doctrine and the concept of "white innocence," the Article compares the law's reliance on carceral intent with the law's reliance on discriminatory intent in equal protection jurisprudence. Critical race theorists have long critiqued the intent-focused antidiscrimination doctrine as incapable of remedying structural racism and inequities. The same can be said of the doctrine of incarceration. The law's preoccupation with an alleged wrongdoer's "bad intent" in challenges to the scope and conditions of incarceration makes it ill-suited to remedying the U.S. prison system's profoundly unjust and harmful features. A curative approach, this Article asserts, is one in which the law focuses on carceral effect rather than carceral intent, as others have argued in the context of equal protection. While such an approach will not remedy the full scope of harms of U.S. incarceration, it would be a start.


This article included the photostabilization study for poly(vinyl chloride)) by using newly stabilizers derived from [1,1 -Bis (4-aminophenyl)-4-Phenyl Cyclohexane] as additives against photodegradation. For that purpose, many samples (films) has been prepared by adding additives to the poly(vinyl chloride) with different weight percentages from additives and by different thickness. The photostabilization activities of these compounds were determined by detecting the carbonyl group (The position off carbonyl absorption is specified at 1724-1770 cm-1) with irradiation time. The absorption spectra of poly vinyl chloride films were followed using Shimadzu Spectrophotometer Also, change the viscosity of the averagee molecular weight and the degree of deterioration (α) and the average number of chain scission (s) was studied .We found through results that the rate of photostabilization in the presences of additives follows the following trend:- C4 > C3 > C2 > C1 > PVCUV absorption peroxide decomposer, for mechanisms haven been suggested according to experimental results obtained.


Metabolite profiling using (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was used to investigate the metabolic changes associated with deletion of the gene for the transcriptional coactivator p300 in the human colon carcinoma cell line HCT116. Multivariate statistical methods were used to distinguish between metabolite patterns that were dependent on cell growth conditions and those that were specifically associated with loss of p300 function. In the absence of serum, wild-type cells showed slower growth, which was accompanied by a marked decrease in phosphocholine concentration, which was not observed in otherwise isogenic cell lines lacking p300. In the presence of serum, several metabolites were identified as being significantly different between the two cell types, including glutamate and glutamine, a nicotinamide-related compound and glycerophosphocholine (GPC). However, in the absence of serum, these metabolites, with the exception of GPC, were not significantly different, leading us to conclude that most of these changes were context dependent. Transcript profiling, using DNA microarrays, showed changes in the levels of transcripts for several enzymes involved in choline metabolism, which might explain the change in GPC concentration. Localized in vivo (1)H NMR measurements on the tumors formed following s.c. implantation of these cells into mice showed an increase in the intensity of the peak from choline-containing compounds in the p300(-) tumors. These data show that NMR-based metabolite profiling has sufficient sensitivity to identify the metabolic consequences of p300 gene deletion in tumor cells in vitro and in vivo.


Nanomaterials with enzyme-mimicking characteristics have engaged great awareness in various fields owing to their comparative low cost, high stability, and large-scale preparation. However, the wide application of nanozymes is seriously restricted by the relatively low catalytic activity and poor specificity, primarily because of the inhomogeneous catalytic sites and unclear catalytic mechanisms. Herein, a support-sacrificed strategy is demonstrated to prepare a single iron site nanozyme (Fe SSN) dispersed on the porous N-doped carbon. With well-defined coordination structure and high density of active sites, the Fe SSN performs prominent peroxidase-like activity by efficiently activating H2 O2 into hydroxyl radical (•OH) species. Furthermore, the Fe SSN is applied in colorimetric detection of glucose through a multienzyme biocatalytic cascade platform. Moreover, a low-cost integrated agarose-based hydrogel colorimetric biosensor is designed and successfully achieves the visualization evaluation and quantitative detection of glucose. This work expands the application of single-site catalysts in the fields of nanozyme-based biosensors and personal biomedical diagnosis.


A distinctive feature of the health insurance market in the U.S. is the restriction of group insurance availability to the workplace. This has a number of important implications for the functioning of the labor market, through mobility from job-to-job or in and out of the labor force, wage determination, and hiring decisions. This paper reviews the large literature that has emerged in recent years to assess the impact of health insurance on the labor market. I begin with an overview of the institutional details relevant to assessing the interaction of health insurance and the labor market. I then present a theoretical overview of the effects of health insurance on mobility and wage/employment determination. I critically review the empirical literature on these topics, focusing in particular on the methodological issues that have been raised, and highlighting the unanswered questions which can be the focus of future work in this area.


Experiments of laboratory scale twin roll casting to observe strip surface quality and to detect contact point between molten metal and roll by immersing a refractory bar into the molten metal pool have beeen done using stainless and carbon steels and copper alloy to elucidate the relation between surface quality and meniscus behavior of molten metal. Furthermore, dynamic meniscus profile near the roll surface and critical casting speed controlling surface wrinkles have been theoretically analyzed. With increasing casting speed, the depth of surface wrinkles becomes shallow and the flat surface is obtained. The observed critical speed for the wrinkle-free surface is roughly 0.45 to 0.6 m/s for the cast metals. By the immersion of refractory bar ober a depth, the solidification of columnar dendrite zone is delayed and the surface wrinkle is resultantly formed. With increasing casting speed, the depth of bar to result in surface wrinkles increases and the contact point between molten metal and roll moves downward. It has been theoretically found that the descent of meniscus increases with increasing casting speed and surface tension of molten metal and with decreasing the density. The surface wrinkle does not appear when the descent of meniscus is deeper than a critical value, because vibration of the molten pool surface due to the teeming flow becomes less influential at the contact point. A theoretical equation of the critical speed for preventing surface wrinkles has been presented to show that it increases with increasing the critical descent of meniscus and the density and with decreasing the surface tension.


The unpopularity of gerontological nursing is well established and, although
numerous studies have sought explanations for this, few have explored how work
with older people can be promoted as a more fulfilling and challenging career
choice. Underpinned by a constructivist methodology, this thesis provides new
insights into how the experiences of student nurses during their training influence
their predisposition to work with older people. Using a two stage approach, data
were collected from longitudinal focus group interviews with student nurses from
four schools of nursing over a period of eighteen months, together with case studies
in seven clinical placement areas where students had identified a positive experience
of learning to care for older people. The study was part of a larger national
investigation funded by the English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and
Health Visiting.
Data analysis revealed that a positive experience of work with older people in a
range of settings was key to determining whether gerontological nursing was seen as
an interesting and exciting career option. Both 'impoverished' and 'enriched'
environments of care were identified and analysed in terms of the 'Senses
Framework' (Nolan et al 2001a). 'Enriched' environments ensured that students,
staff and patients/carers each in their various ways experienced a sense of security,
belonging, continuity, purpose, achievement and significance. The longitudinal
nature of data collection also indicated that these senses varied in importance as
students' experiences unfolded, and a number of foci for students' efforts emerged.
These were: self as focus; course as focus; professional care as focus; patient as
focus; and person as focus. Findings suggest that only in the most enriched
environments will students have a vision of care that has the person as its focus.
Based on the interdependency implicit in the data, the thesis concludes by arguing
that future policy, practice and education in gerontological nursing should be
informed by relationship-centred care, as opposed to person-centred care.


Sampling from an unnormalized target distribution is an essential problem with many applications in probabilistic inference. Stein Variational Gradient Descent (SVGD) has been shown to be a powerful method that iteratively updates a set of particles to approximate the distribution of interest. Furthermore, when analysing its asymptotic properties, SVGD reduces exactly to a single-objective optimization problem and can be viewed as a probabilistic version of this single-objective optimization problem. A natural question then arises:"Can we derive a probabilistic version of the multi-objective optimization?". To answer this question, we propose Stochastic Multiple Target Sampling Gradient Descent (MT-SGD), enabling us to sample from multiple unnormalized target distributions. Specifically, our MT-SGD conducts a flow of intermediate distributions gradually orienting to multiple target distributions, which allows the sampled particles to move to the joint high-likelihood region of the target distributions. Interestingly, the asymptotic analysis shows that our approach reduces exactly to the multiple-gradient descent algorithm for multi-objective optimization, as expected. Finally, we conduct comprehensive experiments to demonstrate the merit of our approach to multi-task learning.


The EU's common commercial policy is used as an instrument to realize its values in EU trading partners, reflected in the inclusion of sustainable trade and development chapters in EU preferential trade agreements (PTAs). In this paper we ask if including non-trade provisions (NTPs) in EU PTAs has a systematic positive effect on non-trade outcomes in partner countries. We analyze the relationship between bilateral trade flows, the coverage of NTPs in EU PTAs and the performance of EU partner countries on several non-trade outcome variables using synthetic control methods. We find no robust evidence of a causal effect of including NTPs in EU PTAs on indicators of non-trade outcomes.


The results of buccal smear examinations of patients in five institutes for mental retardates, a psychiatric hospital, a home for physically handicapped children, two schools for the deaf, a normal primary school and a newborn nursery are reported. Extra X chromosomes were found in 4/1 000 mentally retarded males, in 1,8/1 000 mentally ill patients and in 1,3/1 000 newborn females. Extra Y chromosomes were found in 1,5/1 000 males, and 3,6/1 000 males were noted to have non-fluorescing Y chromosomes, a normal variant.


Automated individual tree crown detection and delineation (ITCD) using remotely sensed data plays an increasingly significant role in efficiently, accurately, and completely monitoring forests. This paper reviews trends in ITCD research from 1990–2015 from several perspectives—data/forest type, method applied, accuracy assessment and research objective—with a focus on studies using LiDAR data. This review shows that active sources are becoming more prominent in ITCD studies. Studies using active data—LiDAR in particular—accounted for 80% of the total increase over the entire time period, those using passive data or fusion of passive and active data comprised relatively small proportions of the total increase (8% and 12%, respectively). Additionally, ITCD research has moved from incremental adaptations of algorithms developed for passive data sources to innovative approaches that take advantage of the novel characteristics of active datasets like LiDAR. These improvements make it possible to explore more complex forest conditions (e.g., closed hardwood forests, suburban/urban forests) rather than a single forest type although most published ITCD studies still focused on closed softwood (41%) or mixed forest (22%). Approximately one-third of studies applied individual tree level (30%) assessment, with only a quarter reporting more comprehensive multi-level assessment (23%). Almost one-third of studies (32%) that concentrated on forest parameter estimation based on ITCD results had no ITCD-specific evaluation. Comparison of methods continues to be complicated by both choice of reference data and assessment metric; it is imperative to establish a standardized two-level assessment framework to evaluate and compare ITCD algorithms in order to provide specific recommendations about suitable applications of particular algorithms. However, the evolution of active remotely sensed data and novel platforms implies that automated ITCD will continue to be a promising technology and an attractive research topic for both the forestry and remote sensing communities.


A 77-year-old man presented with exertional dyspnea. He had undergone aortic and mitral valve replacement with tissue valves 6-years earlier. The patient's hemoglobin level was 9.8 g/dl and serum aspartate aminotransferase (70 mU/ml) and lactate dehydrogenase (1,112 mU/ml) were elevated. Echocardiography revealed stenosis of the prosthetic valve in the aortic position with peak flow velocity of 3.8 m/second and massive mitral regurgitation. The patient underwent repeat valve replacement. Pannus formation around both implanted valves was observed. The aortic valve orifice was narrowed by the pannus, and one cusp of the prosthesis in the mitral position was fixed and caused the regurgitation, but they were free from cusp laceration or calcification. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful, and he continues to do well 14 months after surgery.


Balassone and Franco review the literature on fiscal sustainability in order to examine the comparative advantages and disadvantages of different methodologies and indicators and to highlight the areas in which more research effort is still needed. They contrast the intuitive character of the concept of sustainability with the analytical and operational difficulties met with when trying to arrive at a rigorous definition. On the one hand, the literature has not produced a unique definition of sustainability; furthermore, the problem has only been dealt with in a partial equilibrium framework. On the other hand, the statistical definition of the main variables to be used for the assessment of sustainability is not uncontroversial; moreover, as the assessment is based on long-term projections, it is necessarily subject to wide margins of error.Balassone and Franco also point out that, theoretical issues notwithstanding, the Treaty of Maastricht and the Stability and Growth Pact set fiscal rules which, if complied with, ensure sustainability according to any definition adopted. Techniques developed for the analysis of sustainability can therefore be used for the assessment of prospective compliance with such rules, a crucial task for both policy evaluation and timely corrective intervention. In re-examining the pros and cons of available indicators, their paper categorises the studies on the assessment of sustainability into two main strands: those testing for the sustainability of past policies and those assessing prospective fiscal stances. Among the latter a distinction is drawn between works based on standard national accounting concepts and generational accounting exercises. The paper concludes by stressing the need for further efforts to guide budgetary policy more effectively.


Total reliance on quarry products as construction materials has prompted commercial quarry activities globally. However, potential risks introduced by radiation exposure to quarries in two different locations in Ondo State, Nigeria were assessed to evaluate the background radiation and distribution of naturally occurring radionuclides associated with these areas. A ground radiometric mapping of eleven traverses across the two quarry sites was carried out using Gamma ray spectrometer. Naturally occurring radionuclides 238U, 232Th and 40K in natural quarried materials of coarse rock aggregates and soil samples collected at a maximum depth of 2 m and up to 500 m away from the quarry sites were measured using gamma spectrometry method. Spectrometric data were processed and presented in form of radiometric maps showing the distribution of radiation level in each location. Results show that activity concentrations varied from one location to another. The radiation level in the recently quarried coarse rock aggregates (QF1 and QF2) (372 cps and 382 cps) are higher than the previously quarried coarse rock aggregates (QP1 and QP2) (365 cps and 377 cps) of the quarry sites. Activity concentrations in soils are in the order 232Th < 238U < 40K. The mean radioactivity concentration values of 232Th, 238U and 40K are 0.0027±0.0003 Bq/kg and 0.0036±0.00036 Bq/kg, 0.028±0.0012 Bq/kg and 0.026±0.0012 Bq/kg and 47.45±0.0313 Bq/kg and 69.42±0.0313 Bq/kg respectively for soils within the quarries of Locations 1 and 2. At 500 m away from the quarry sites, the mean values are 0.0008±0.75 Bq/kg and 0.0049±0.0004 Bq/kg, 0.020±0.0012 Bq/kg and 0.052±0.0012 Bq/kg and 41.54±0.0313 Bq/kg and 200.32±0.0313 Bq/kg respectively for the quarries. The radiological hazard indices calculated were used to access the health implication of exposure to rock aggregates and soil of the study areas. The values obtained when compared with their corresponding world permissible values were found to be below the internationally recommended values. Therefore, the level of radiation and interaction with the rock aggregates and soils do not expose the workers and people within and around the quarries to health problem. Hence, the quarry products can be used as building material for housing and road constructions.


This paper presents an iterative (turbo) channel estimation and turbo equalization when orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) has been concatenated to space-time block code (STBC) over time-varying multipath Rayleigh fading channels. Based on the Kalman filter channel estimator, softinput- soft-output (SISO) minimum mean square error (MMSE) equalizer and a maximum posterior probability (MAP) decoder, the channel estimate can be improved for each iteration by using soft information feedback from the decoder. Computer simulations show good estimation and tracking by the Kalman filter with only a few training (pilot) symbols even when signals experience deep fading. It is observed from simulations that the overall system performance can be improved by 4dB after 14 iterations compared to non-iterative channel estimation and equalization. The proposed method is shown to obtain fast channel estimation and low complexity turbo equalization which are requirements in time-varying fading channels.


Fast-growing scientific work is focusing on alternative sources to replace modern synthetic fibre materials due to the adverse effects caused by petroleum-based materials. Natural fibre possesses high potential as a replacement for synthetic fibre and petroleum-based products. These materials are not only greener and environmental-friendly, but also safe for human health. As such, this study investigated the influence of compatibilising agent of maleated anhydride polyethylene (MAPE) on mechanical performance of pineapple leaf fibre (PALF) reinforced polylactic acid (PLA). The raw materials, such as PALF, PLA, and MAPE, were mixed by using a hot roller mixer machine and hot compression moulding at 190ºC. The specimens were then tested for water absorption and flexibility. The specimens were submerged in water for 0, 7, 14, and 21 days. Three types of tests were conducted, namely water absorption, tensile, and flexural assessments. The results of water absorption, tensile, and flexural tests for the untreated PALF composite (UPALF) and treated PLAF composite (TPALF) were recorded and explained. As a conclusion, composite materials based on hydrophilic natural fibre may reduce the tensile and flexural properties of the composite.


Considers the problem of reconfiguring processor arrays subject to computational loads that alternate between two modes. A strict mode is characterized by a heavy computational load and severe constraints on response time while a relaxed mode is characterized by a relatively light computational load and relaxed constraints on response time. In the strict mode, reconfiguration is performed by a distributed local algorithm in order to achieve fast recovery from faults. In the relaxed mode, a global reconfiguration algorithm is used to restore the system to a state that maximizes the probability that future faults occurring in subsequent strict modes will be repairable. Several new results are given for this problem. Efficient reconfiguration algorithms are described for a number of general classes of architectures. These general algorithms obviate the need for architecture-specific algorithms for architectures in these classes. It is unlikely that similar algorithms can be obtained for related classes of architectures since the reconfiguration problem for these classes is NP-complete. Finally, a general approximation algorithm is described that can be used for any architecture. Experimental results are given, suggesting that this algorithm is very effective.<<ETX>>


We have constructed a second generation CPG chip capable of generating the necessary timing to control the leg of a walking machine. We demonstrate improvements over a previous chip by moving toward a significantly more versatile device. This includes a larger number of silicon neurons, more sophisticated neurons including voltage dependent charging and relative and absolute refractory periods, and enhanced programmability of neural networks. This chip builds on the basic results achieved on a previous chip and expands its versatility to get closer to a self-contained locomotion controller for walking robots.


Development of renal failure requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT) in the cirrhotic patient is a devastating complication. Survival without RRT is less than 10% on average at 6 months. However, it is now appreciated that all renal failure in this group of patients is not due solely to hepatorenal syndrome, and the cause of the renal failure affects the prognosis. This paper reviews the prognosis depending on cause and points out the difficulty in making the correct diagnosis. Provision of RRT is difficult in this group of patients due to hypotension and coagulopathy which is highly prevalent. Survival with RRT is still poor with only 30–60% of patients surviving to liver transplant. Provision of RRT should be offered as a bridge to patients awaiting liver transplant or those undergoing liver transplant evaluation. Provision of long-term RRT is usually not indicated in other cirrhotic patients who develop a need for RRT except as a trial to see if renal function will return. The decision between intermittent hemodialysis or continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is usually based on the clinical characteristics of the patient. Neither has been demonstrated to be superior to the other, although CRRT may be better tolerated in the unstable patient. CRRT is clearly indicated in cases of fulminant hepatic failure as it does not raise intracranial pressure. Provision of intraoperative CRRT during liver transplant may be indicated to help control volume and electrolytes in those patients presenting for liver transplant with renal failure. Newer extracorporeal support systems, such as extracorporeal albumin dialysis (MARS) and fractional plasma separation and adsorption with hemodialysis (Prometheus), have recently been developed to provide both renal and liver support in this group of patients. These are still considered experimental, although the MARS system has been utilized to treat patients with hepatorenal syndrome, and is available outside the United States.


After more than ten years of rural development programmes in Andalusia, there is ongoing concern about the sustainability of the rural development initiated by the LEADER-PRODER programmes in the hypothetical event that such programmes were no longer in place. In order to be able to express an opinion about this issue, it is important to answer to an entire series of questions about the concept of territorial competitiveness as a guarantee of the long term viability of a rural area. In order to be able to respond to these questions, as part of a wider research project into the transformation of rural areas in Andalusia, the competitive position of 3 territories in the "Campina Alta" (Cordoba), which have been benefiting from rural development programmes for several years, were analysed. This paper presents some of our results relating to territorial competitiveness. The analysis were chiefly qualitative, and was applied to the "case study" abovementioned. The methodology used is based fundamentally on the analysis proposal of territorial competitiveness provided by the European Observatory, supplemented with elements of the methodology proposed by the IICA. The results indicate: 1) one cannot generalise about whether certain factors in isolation are positive or negative for territorial competitiveness, 2) only a comprehensive approach to territorial competitiveness can guarantee the long term viability of a rural area and 3) the risks associated when the viability of the territory is linked to the existence of development programmes, whose presence is not guaranteed for the future.


Residential buildings account for a significant proportion of all emissions of greenhouse gases. It is the aim of EU policy to reduce emissions by up to 95% by 2050. This means that the energy efficiency of the stock of residential property will need to improve dramatically. But will such improvements be rewarded in the property market?Using a dataset of Belgian property listings from 2012, this research explores the extent to which energy efficiency is rewarded in the various sales and lettings segments of the Belgian property market. The study further investigates whether the premium to energy efficiency varies across Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels. Lastly, the detailed natured of the CPEB energy efficiency rating and large dataset allow an investigation of non-linearities in the energy efficiency premium, a heretofore unexplored aspect of the relationship between energy efficiency and accommodation costs.


This study tested the hypothesis that expression of the novel adhesion molecule periostin (PN) and osteopontin (OPN) is increased in lung and in isolated pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) in response to the stress of hypoxia and explored the signaling pathways involved. Adult male rats were exposed to 10% O2 for 2 wk, and growth-arrested rat PASMCs were incubated under 1% O2 for 24 h. Hypoxia increased PN and OPN mRNA expression in rat lung. In PASMCs, hypoxia increased PN but not OPN expression. The hypoxia-responsive growth factors fibroblast growth factor-1 (FGF-1) and angiotensin II (ANG II) caused dose- and time-dependent increases in PN and OPN expression in PASMCs. FGF-1-induced PN expression was blocked by the FGF-1 receptor antagonist PD-166866 and by inhibitors of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) (LY-294002, wortmannin), p70S6K (rapamycin), MEK1/2 (U-0126, PD-98059), and p38MAPK (SB-203580) but not of JNK (SP-600125). ANG II-induced PN expression was blocked by the AT(1)-receptor antagonist losartan and by inhibitors of PI3K and MEK1/2. In contrast, FGF-1-induced OPN expression was blocked by inhibitors of JNK or MEK1/2 but not of PI3K, p70S6K, or p38MAPK. Activation of p70S6K and p38MAPK by anisomycin robustly stimulated PN but not OPN expression. This study is the first to demonstrate that growth factor-induced expression of PN in PASMCs is mediated through PI3K/p70S6K, Ras/MEK1/2, and Ras/p38MAPK signaling pathways, whereas the expression of OPN is mediated through Ras/MEK1/2 and Ras/JNK signaling pathways. These differences in signaling suggest that PN and OPN may play different roles in pulmonary vascular remodeling under pathophysiological conditions.


The paper describes a new methodology for performing arterial speed studies using taxis equipped GPS receivers as probe cars. It documents the data collection and data reduction, as well as analyses that illustrate the capabilities of the GPS/GIS methodology. The data collection procedure uses taxis equipped with GPS receivers to automatically collect time, local coordinates, and speed at regular sampling periods, for example every one second. The data reduction procedure filters and aggregates GPS data to compute travel time and speed along highway segments. Finally, the developed methodology is implemented with 100 taxis equipped with GPS receivers of Guangzhou City. The results demonstrate the power of the methodology proposed in this paper on travel time.


Existing methods to recognize actions in static images take the images at their face value, learning the appearances-objects, scenes, and body poses-that distinguish each action class. However, such models are deprived of the rich dynamic structure and motions that also define human activity. We propose an approach that hallucinates the unobserved future motion implied by a single snapshot to help static-image action recognition. The key idea is to learn a prior over short-term dynamics from thousands of unlabeled videos, infer the anticipated optical flow on novel static images, and then train discriminative models that exploit both streams of information. Our main contributions are twofold. First, we devise an encoder-decoder convolutional neural network and a novel optical flow encoding that can translate a static image into an accurate flow map. Second, we show the power of hallucinated flow for recognition, successfully transferring the learned motion into a standard two-stream network for activity recognition. On seven datasets, we demonstrate the power of the approach. It not only achieves state-of-the-art accuracy for dense optical flow prediction, but also consistently enhances recognition of actions and dynamic scenes.


The development of an efficient oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) cathode for hydrogen peroxide production represents an important challenge in the field of electrochemical processes and is highly demanded for chemical industries and environmental remediation applications. In this work, a novel graphite felt cathode modified with electrochemically exfoliated graphene (EEGr) and carbon black was developed, and it presented a very high H2O2 generation rate of 7.7 mg h−1 cm−2 with a relatively low energy consumption (9.7 kW h kg−1). Characterized by SEM, TEM, AFM, Raman, XRD, and XPS, the synthesized EEGr was proven to be a 3–4 layers thin sheet with low defects. Important cathode manufacture parameters, including the ratio and loading of EEGr, were optimized, and the dependence of H2O2 generation with the pH and cathode potential as well as the performance stability were investigated. At an optimized cathode potential of −0.9 V and pH 7, the modified cathode kept a stable performance for H2O2 generation during 10 cycles, which was 2 times that of the cathode without EEGr. Further explored by CV, rotating disk electrode (RDE), and contact angles analysis, the presence of EEGr was found to accelerate the electron transfer rate and benefit the oxygen surface reaction, but not change the two-electrons ORR number, which contributed to the enhanced performance for H2O2 production, and a possible mechanism is suggested. Finally, such a graphene-modified cathode demonstrated effectiveness for the degradation of four kinds of representative pollutants (orange II, methylene blue, phenol, and sulfadiazine) by an electro-Fenton process, proving it has great potential practical application for organic wastewater treatment.


While the initial response to the COVID-19 pandemic was focused on preventing and mitigating a public health crisis, it has rapidly spiraled in many countries into a full blown economic and public finance crisis We describe this evolution and consider how health financing, as well as population health, are likely to be affected by the economic crisis We find that countries have applied a variety of measures which include making extra financial allocations available to the health sector, supporting workers experiencing job loss, and compensating health professionals for lost income and extra expenses


The cooling system is essential for creating suitable ambient for optimal performance of the engine and a healthy operating temperature to achieve high efficiency. Reaching the desired engine operating condition earlier will not only improve the life span of the engine but also improve the fuel efficiency and reduce environmental pollution. In conventional cooling systems, where the pump is always mechanically connected to the crankshaft, the optimum cooling efficiency of the engine is limited. In fact, the coolant circulates in the engine even when cooling is not desired, and this leads to extended engine warm-up time. Decoupling the pump from the crankshaft and driving the pump with electric motor, the cooling process can be controlled efficiently. The pump is then used only when required. A simple Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) controller with variable duty cycle has been adopted to impose the forced convention flow using a pump. The result of the simulation of the electrically driven pump reported here has been obtained for New European Drive Cycle (NEDC) and shows the possibility of saving about 3% of fuel during the homologation cycle compared to mechanically coupled pump. In addition, the engine operating temperature can be reached seven minutes (7mins) earlier in idling condition, corresponding to about 46.5% fuel saving with respect to the conventional cooling system.


This experimental study aims at finding out whether discovery learning using model media improves students' ability in reading projection drawing. Utilizing pretest-posttest design, the study involved 30 students in each of the treatment and the control groups. Result of descriptive and t-test analyses reveal that discovery learning improves the students' ability in reading projection drawing and that it is a better learning model than reception learning.


OBJECTIVE We conducted a Mendelian randomization study to investigate the associations of genetically predicted serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (S-25OHD), calcium (S-Ca), and parathyroid hormone (S-PTH) levels with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Seven, six, and five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with S-25OHD, S-Ca, and S-PTH levels, respectively, were used as instrumental variables. Data on T2DM were available for 74,124 case subjects with T2DM and 824,006 control subjects. The inverse variance–weighted method was used for the primary analyses, and the weighted median and Mendelian randomization (MR)–Egger methods were used for supplementary analyses. RESULTS Genetically predicted S-25OHD but not S-Ca and S-PTH levels were associated with T2DM in the primary analyses. For 1 SD increment of S-25OHD levels, the odds ratio (OR) of T2DM was 0.94 (95% CI 0.88–0.99; P = 0.029) in an analysis based on all seven SNPs and 0.90 (95% CI 0.83–0.98; P = 0.011) in an analysis based on three SNPs within or near genes involved in vitamin D synthesis. Only the association based on the SNPs involved in vitamin D synthesis remained in the weighted median analysis, and no pleiotropy was detected (P = 0.153). Pleiotropy was detected in the analysis of S-Ca (P = 0.013). After correcting for this bias using MR-Egger regression, the OR of T2DM per 1 SD increment of S-Ca levels was 1.41 (95% CI 1.12–1.77; P = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS Modest lifelong higher S-25OHD levels were associated with reduced odds of T2DM, but the association was only robust for SNPs in the vitamin D synthesis pathway. The possible role of S-Ca levels for T2DM development requires further research.


Nitrogen fertilizer is an important factor for crop production. The N application strategies named as former nitrogen moved backward (FNMB) are tested in three ecological regions to optimize the N application in rice. The dry matter accumulation and distribution, yield and quality are studied to understand the formation of yield and quality of rice under different N application strategies. The result indicates that former nitrogen moved backward (FNMB) can increase tiller number and dry matter accumulation; effective ears and yield can be increased with the increase of fertilization; rational nitrogen application can help to establish scientific group structure, harmonize yield component, and then achieve high ratio of input to output and benefit.


Calligraphic animation shifts the locus of documentation from representation to performance, from index to moving trace. Animation is an ideal playing field for the transformative and performative qualities that Arabic writing, especially in the context of Islamic art, has explored for centuries. In Islamic traditions, writing sometimes appears as a document or a manifestation of the invisible. Philosophical and theological implications of text and writing in various Islamic traditions, including mystic sciences of letters, the concept of latency associated with Shi'a thought, and the performative or talismanic quality of writing, come to inform contemporary artworks. A historical detour shows that Arabic animation arose not directly from Islamic art but from Western-style art education and the privileging of text in Western modern art – which itself was inspired by Islamic art. A number of artists from the Muslim and Arab world, such as Mounir Fatmi (Morocco/France), Kutlug Ataman (Turkey), and Paula Abood (Australia) bring writing across the boundary from religious to secular conceptions of the invisible. Moreover, the rich Arabic and Islamic tradition of text-based art is relevant for all who practice and study text-based animation.


Predictions of 21st century climate by different atmosphere‐ocean general circulation models depend on the sensitivities of the models to external radiative forcing and on their rates of heat uptake by the deep ocean. This study constrains these properties by comparing radiosonde‐based observations of temperature trends in the free troposphere and lower stratosphere with corresponding simulations of a fast, flexible climate model, using objective techniques based on optimal fingerprinting. Parameter choices corresponding either to low sensitivity, or to high sensitivity combined with slow oceanic heat uptake are rejected provided the variability estimates used from the HadCM2 control run are correct. Nevertheless, the range of acceptable values is significantly wider than that usually quoted. The IPCC's range of possible sensitivities, 1.5 to 4.5 K, corresponds at best to only an 80% confidence interval. Therefore, climate change projections based on current general circulation models do not span the range of possibilities consistent with the recent climate record.


In this working paper, the biophysical factors and socio-economic conditions that led to Land Use and Land Cover Changes (LULC) and land degradation in Burkina Faso are reviewed. It is found that the country is densely populated and population continues to rise at a rate of more than 3% a year. However, nearly half of the population still lives below the poverty line. The electrification relies heavily on fossil fuels as the country has limited hydropower potential and solar energy received little investment. The rate of electrification is still very low, triggering the use of other sources of energy derived from firewood in rural areas. In addition, Burkina Faso has experienced land degradation in the North as a consequence of the 1970s and 1980s droughts that struck all the Sahel. Subsequently, migration took place from the degraded areas to the central, western and southern regions of the country causing further LULC changes. Furthermore, the country suffers from the effects of climate change and climate variability through increasing temperature trends, highly variable precipitation regimes and intensification of extreme events. Projected changes reveal prevailing conditions that indicate an increased risk of disasters in the agriculture, water and health sectors, among others.

Due to this situation, some technological responses and policy actions have been developed for sustainable land management and climate change adaptation and mitigation. The adopted technological approaches include, among others, irrigation expansion and efficiency, rainwater harvesting, crop diversification, adoption of drought-tolerant crop varieties and rotational grazing. Some policies have been put in place to facilitate the adoption of these technologies. They consist of carbon trading, land-use zoning and integrated landscape planning, payment for ecosystem services, providing access to markets and agricultural advisory services, securing land tenure and empowering women. These actions are part of broader programs and investment plans that include, but not limited to the Strategic Framework for Poverty Reduction (SFPR), the Strategy for Accelerated Growth and Sustainable Development (SCADD), the National Rural Sector Program (PNSR), the Resilience and Support Plan for Vulnerable Population (RSPVP) and the Cereals Price Stabilization Program (CPSP) among others.


This book is particularly timely in view of the growing importance given to science and technology in schools, which calls for up-grading the quality of schoolteachers' work. It presents a wide range of experiences incorporating indigenous technologies in classroom teaching, developing partnerships with industry and collaborating with agricultural and health workers. It also examines recent trends in professional development and training of teachers, including the incorporation of microcomputers in practical work.


This paper studies the strong harmonic generation in the interaction of two conter-propagating pulses with a foil target. When the thin target is irradiated by high-contrast circularly polarized laser pulse, the light pressure push high-density plasma forward.At the same time, because of the role of charge separation field, the ion beam and electron beam bunch well in longitudinal direction, and generate the plasma mirror with a forward movement at relativistic speed. When incidenting on a probe laser pulse on the plasma mirror in the opposite direction, they produce strong monochromatic N -order harmonics by Doppler shift, with the new duration of pulses compressed to 1/ N of the original ones. This paper also discusses the effect of the laser and plasma parameters on plasma mirror movement which influences the order of harmonics, and also the effect of the stability of the relativistic plasma mirror on the harmonics.


In this paper, a novel structure of four degrees of freedom (4-DOF) hybrid magnetic bearing is proposed for double gimbal magnetically suspended control momentum gyro (DGMSCMG). It includes two active parts and one passive part, and every active part has eight stator magnetic poles around the circumference in X and Y directions, which are divided into upper and lower layers. The passive part has two whole magnetic rings, which is located in the middle of this 4-DOF hybrid magnetic bearing. The radial active force is analyzed by equivalent magnetic circuit method (EMCM) and the axial resilience force is analyzed by the infinitesimal method based on the end magnetic flux. Meanwhile, three-dimensional finite-element model of the 4-DOF hybrid magnetic bearing is established with ANSYS software, and the radial displacement versus radial force, the current versus radial force, and the axial displacement versus axial resilience force characteristics are analyzed compared with the EMCM. Furthermore, the 10 Nms DGMSCMG prototype with the proposed 4-DOF hybrid magnetic bearing is manufactured, and the experiments of the radial active force test and the axial resilience force test are carried out. Experimental results show that the presented 4-DOF hybrid magnetic bearing has good force performance and verify the correctness of the theoretical analysis.


The study sought to establish and compare the views of rural and urban primary school pupils on homework in Zimbabwe, using six purposively sampled Masvingo rural and urban primary schools. The inquiry employed a qualitative methodology in which data were gathered through semi-structured personal interviews and document analysis. A sample of thirty rural and thirty urban Grade Five pupils were interviewed. Forty-five homework exercise books were analyzed. The investigation established that while in both rural and urban schools, there are some pupils who like homework while others dislike it for various reasons; there are more pupils in urban areas who view homework in a positive light than those in rural schools. The paper unearthed home and school factors as the causes of rural and urban pupils' different views on homework. The paper makes several recommendations. Firstly, the government should endeavour to narrow the gap between the socio-economic statuses of the rural and urban populace in Zimbabwe as it is a major contributor to pupils' different views on homework. The paper further recommends that rural schools be improved in terms of the quality of teachers and teaching-learning resources. Also, parents in both settings need to be encouraged to take an interest in their children's homework. Moreover, teachers from both rural and urban schools need to take homework more seriously as their attitudes to homework influence pupils' views on it.


In the second half of the nineteenth century, lumbermen logged the virgin pine forests of northern Michigan. The assumption was that the u plow would follow the axe, "and agriculture would dominate the region as it did in the southern half of the state. When farming did not quickly take root, William James Beai and Liberty Hyde Bailey led an expedition of scientists and journalists on a trip across northern Michigan in June 1888 to collect botanical samples, to find a site for a state forest reserve, and to recommend appropriate farming enterprises. This essay contends that without a key reforestation advocate in Charles Garfield the explorers focused too much on the questions related to botany and agriculture. While agriculture would ultimately thrive in some parts of the cutover, much of the region was unsuitable for intensive farming. The failure of the scientists to convey these limits adequately in newspaper articles and subsequent reports allowed for their work to be used by agricultural boosters throughout the region. The result was a cycle of erosion, fire, and farm abandonment that proved to be a political problem in Michigan for the first three decades of the twentieth century.


PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to aid the small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), resulting in enhancement, improved management performance, and sustainability in adopting beneficial competitive practices aligned to the new era. The study was conducted to determine the key managerial factors that affect the performance of Vietnamese SMEs. We analyzed factors like business planning, organizational commitment, strategy implementation, and managerial control, adopting the budget process as the mediating factor, as it was determined to positively affect SME performance. METHODOLOGY: In the pilot study, we collected 105 samples using the convenience technique and analyzed the results to examine and validate the reliability of the research instrument. A quantitative approach was used in the pilot study, which tested for reliability using Cronbach's alpha and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with the software IBM SPSS 20.0. The real study was conducted using quantitative analysis, where the randomization technique was applied to 403 suitable samples. A full quantity of data was tested using Cronbach's alpha, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and EFA. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to test both the conceptual framework and the hypothesis of the real study. This study was conducted from October 2016 to June 2020. FINDINGS: Analysis of SMEs identified the mediating factor, budget process, as having a significant effect on the dependent factor, SME performance. Regarding the total effect on SME performance, among four independent variables, the factor with the highest positive total effect on SME performance was strategy implementation. The second highest positive total effect on SME performance was organizational commitment; the third highest positive total effect was business planning; and the fourth was managerial control. Therefore, it can be concluded that when SME managers change these key factors, they will change the level of performance for their enterprises. IMPLICATIONS: This research provides insight into the performance management of SMEs and how managerial factors affect the level of this performance management. In the results of study, the following key factors have been identified: strategy implementation, organizational commitment, business planning, managerial control, and the mediating role of the budget process. These independent variables have significant total effects on SME performance, and the theory's implication builds on performance management to contribute to the field of management. This research model can be applied to management practices to restructure, innovate, and improve the overall performance of SMEs. Additionally, this study will provide SMEs with management procedures to compete, adapt, and enhance their sustainability within the global market. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: This model provides researchers and practitioners with the invaluable knowledge needed to manage enterprise performance, which will assist SMEs in developing as sustainable and competitive players in this new era.


Twenty-one years have elapsed of the 21 st Century and within the framework of the celebration of the 100 th volume of Botanical Sciences , it is relevant to assess the progress of the research on conservation and on the activities undertaken for protecting the plants of Mexico, including the complementary in situ and ex situ approaches. By means of a systematic search of scientific articles related to the conservation of the Mexican flora on the Web of Science database , for the 2000–2021 period, we identified different scientific inputs, all showing specific objectives for un dertaking conservation activities. The publications that resulted from this search were classified into six categories: (a) Regions and Ecoregions; (b) Communities or Ecosystems; (c) Taxonomic Groups; (d) Species and Populations; (e) Botanical Gardens; and (f) Seed Banks. For these categories, the results are presented under the headings " in situ conservation" and " ex situ conservation." Additionally, we assessed by a random examination, the bibliography used to support touristic development projects. The results show that, despite the wide temporal range considered in this review, and even though there is a vast number of publications related to the characterization of the Mexican biodiversity, the production of scientific work oriented to the development of plant conservation strategies and activities is still scarce. Also evident is the lack of connection and communication among researchers of different disciplines, highlighting the disciplinary or multidisciplinary activities that they undertake. Finally, ten conclusions are presented, and some future research activities are suggested for conserving the Mexican flora.


Avastrovirus infection is associated with enteric disease, nephritis, and hepatitis in birds. In this study, we present a protocol for the complete sequencing of the ORF2 gene of avian nephritis virus (ANV), chicken astrovirus (CAstV), and turkey astrovirus type 1 (TAstV-1) using a conventional Sanger technique. Previously and newly designed primer pairs targeting both the conserved flanking and internal regions of the ORF2 gene of these three viruses were used. The information derived from the astroviral sequences obtained in this study is fundamental for characterizing this virus and providing data regarding several aspects of disease epidemiology and prevention.


In many different context within organizations today, attempts are made by direct reports to influence the decisions of their leaders. In no context does the resulting decision hit closer to home for a direct report than those related to the allocation of pay raises. Under what conditions are attempts by direct reports to influence their leaders' pay allocation decisions most effective? Wit at effect does a threat by the subordinate have on the leader's decision? Does the severity of the threat used matter? In an attempt to answer these questions, a study was conducted of leaders' pay allocation decisions under the conditions of varying levels of dependence and varying levels of severity of threat used by a focal direct report. Results indicated support for the interactive effects between dependence and dependency threats on leaders' pay allocation decisions (i.e., leaders allocated significantly higher increases to those direct reports upon whom they were highly dependent only when the direct report threatened the dependence relationship). Support was also found for the effects of threat severity (i.e., when the leader was highly dependent on the subordinate, more severe threats led to higher allocations). The results allow a more complete understanding of managerial pay allocation decisions and provide the groundwork for additional research.


Background Water is a big part of the life style in Finland, "the land of a thousand lakes". The geographical and cultural features motivate the Finns to learn to swim. However, the statistics on causes of death reveal that among children (0–17) in Finland, drownings are the second largest group among fatalities due to accidents (Finnish Safety Investigation Authority 2012). The project "Water Heroes" was created for children, teachers and parents to help them to enjoy swimming and other water activities in a safe way. Objective The three year project Water Heroes was launched in 2015. Its main goals are 1) to distribute information and inspire children and young people to spend time in and around water in a safe way, 2) to create a teacher handbook including different in-door and out-door models for the teacher to carry out various activities in conjunction with different school topics, 3) to advise parents on how to support their children in learning swimming and other water related skills safely. The project is led by the Finnish School Sport Federation and financed by Reijo Rautauoma Foundation. Results During the first year, the project reached almost 3000 children and their teachers during the tour that stopped in five cities. In Helsinki the event was part of the European Week of Sport. Feedback from the participants has been positive and teachers found the events useful. Project has also received media attention. The experiences from the first events will be used to develop project activities and materials in the future. An online handbook for teachers will be published in the beginning of 2016. Conclusions It is important to have different kind of strategies to tackle the drowning problem as well as to promote water activities in a safe way. Action-based projects seem to work well with school children. In addition, the learning-by-doing – model supports well the new fundamentals of Physical Education 2016, issued by the Finnish National Board of Education.


The aim of this research is to investigate numerically the neck-spinning process of a tube at elevated temperature. The commercial software Abaqus/Explicit was adopted in the simulation. For the construction of the material model, special uni-axial tensile tests were conducted at elevated temperature and various strain rates, since the material is sensitive to strain rates at high temperature. The influence of the element type and mass scaling factor were investigated through numerical simulation. Full-integration shell element is the better choice in the simulation of the neck-spinning process at elevated temperature. The use of suitable mass scaling factor will make the analysis more efficiency. Comparisons between experimental and simulation results on thickness distribution and the outer contour of the spun tube are discussed. Good agreement was found between experimental and simulation results.


The modem, highly competitive business of producing low cost, premium quality iron via the blast furnace route requires precise process control and a thorough understanding of the key operational variables. Much of the understanding of the factors influencing the process can only be obtained from measuring and testing on each individual furnace. This is particularly the case with regard to the raw materials charging system, as local factors including raw material specification and specific equipment design greatly influence the process. When BHP Steel Flat Products Division embarked on the massive project of adding a new blast furnace to the Port Kembla Steelworks a decision was made to ensure the plant would begin operations only after it was thoroughly understood. In keeping with this approach, a significant program of testing was undertaken on the new No.6 Blast Furnace charging system. This thesis details the work done, the results gained and the application of the information on the now operating plant. As the ultimate purpose of the blast furnace charging system is to enable the raw materials to be placed inside the furnace accurately and consistently in a predictable and controlled way, the aim of the test work undertaken on the charging system was to build the understanding necessary to allow the plant to be set up to achieve the desired burden distribution on the stockline. The testing covered the raw materials handling system from the point where the material is first diverted to No.6 Blast Furnace all the way to the inside of the furnace on the burden surface. The information was used to characterise individual pieces of equipment and the systems which together are the charging system. The furnace operation since the original blow-in in June 1996 has been remarkably smooth, with the furnace reaching the uprating targets comfortably. The excellent progress made during the uprating and the consequent stable operation is significantly attributable to the extensive work done as part of the charging system design and commissioning to understand and control raw material size segregation.


Mutations of the BRCA1/2 genes have been described in association with a number of malignancies including cancers of the breast, ovary, prostate and stomach, but have never been described in relation to gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST). We describe a patient with a BRCA2 8642del3insC mutation who developed prostate cancer, breast cancer and GIST. GIST has been shown to be associated with a number of malignancies, including some of the common BRCA1/2-related cancers, but it has never been associated with BRCA1/2 gene mutations. This report highlights the potential association between BRCA1/2 mutations and GIST, and aims to raise awareness for further genetic screening in GIST patients.


Piracy, a criminal activity embellished in maritime East Africa, has become more virulent. Piracy continues to threaten the security of East African regional waters and ports. Consequently, the only way to deal with piracy and maritime insecurity, which is a serious threat in these waters, is to confront and fight through effective policies and laws and their enforcements. This study, therefore, focuses on the dynamics of maritime piracy in the region, drawing attention to explosion of piracy along the east African coast and further examines the factors underpinning the outbreak of piracy in the region and highlights some efforts to curb the scourge. It argues that only an effective combination of counter piracy enforcement measures and robust policies designed to stabilize Somalia can effectively address the growing threat to merchant shipping in east African region.


This paper assesses intersectoral linkages in Uttar Pradesh to identify the lead sector in its economy. It is based on time series data spanning 1980/81 to 2009/10 and used the vector autoregression framework to examine intersectoral linkages. The results suggest that agriculture is the main sector driving the other sectors (industry and services) in the state. Agriculture supports both the industry and service sectors through demand and production linkages. Despite being the leading sector in the economy, the performance of agriculture is far from satisfactory. The findings underscore the need to revive the agriculture sector to achieve high economic growth in the overall economy of the state. Further, the paper recommends developing the emerging food processing industry because of the state's strong potential for competitive advantage.


Nowadays, much of the discussion on traditional streets centers on how the design of modern streets disrupts the character of the traditional street. Observations indicate that this is due to the rapid and uncontrolled development of the cities. Neverthereless, there are characters of the traditional streets that are often remembered when visiting the streets. So, this research is to determine the criteria that successfully attract visitors to traditional streets. The objectives of this research are to investigate the element(s) and the criteria associated with the success of the traditional streets in attracting visitors as perceived by the users. Kuala Lumpur as the capital city of Malaysia has been chosen as the case study for this research where its character is suitable to demonstrate the dilemma of the traditional streets. Three samples of traditional streets in Kuala Lumpur have been chosen which are, Jalan Petaling, Jalan Masjid India and Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman. This research adopts a mixed methodology, using both the quantitative (support) and qualitative (major) methods in data collection and analysis. 330 sets of questionnaire forms are used for quantitative method and 21 respondents were selected for qualitative methods (in depth interview and photo recognition followed by interview) during the field survey. At the same time the applicability of the theories mainly generated in the west can be tested from the user's perspective. The findings of this research suggested that the most frequently mentioned elements fall into four broad categories, namely (i) activity (ii) physical (iii) meaning and (iv) transportations. The three qualities that were frequently mentioned by the users are; (i) user and activities (ii) access and linkages (iii) comfort and image. It was observed that activity element and quality of use and activities were frequently mentioned by the user in attracting them to traditional street. This involves the type and form of trading and mixture of buildings on the street. Informal activities such as hawking and spill over activities that created a "sense of territory" are frequently mentioned by respondents. All these qualities help to contribute towards the presence of many users and activities on the street. Recommendations are given to existing traditional streets environment as well as modern streets that will determine the success of the street in attracting its visitor. This is due to the fact that the design of a street in an urban environment is about the life of the people and their environment that include culture for example.
This research adopts a mixed methodology, using both the quantitative (support) and qualitative (major) methods in data collection and analysis. 330 sets of questionnaire forms are used for quantitative method and 21 respondents were selected for qualitative methods (in depth interview and photo recognition followed by interview) during the field survey. At the same time the applicability of the theories mainly generated in the west can be tested from the user's perspective.
The findings of this research suggested that the most frequently mentioned elements fall into four broad categories, namely (i) activity (ii) physical (iii) meaning and (iv) transportations. The three qualities that were frequently mentioned by the users are; (i) user and activities (ii) access and linkages (iii) comfort and image. It was observed that activity element and quality of use and activities were frequently mentioned by the user in attracting them to traditional street. This involves the type and form of trading and mixture of buildings on the street. Informal activities such as hawking and spill over activities that created a "sense of territory� are frequently mentioned by respondents. All these qualities help to contribute towards the presence of many users and activities on the street. Recommendations are given to existing traditional streets environment as well as modern streets that will determine the success of the street in attracting its visitor. This is due to the fact that the design of a street in an urban environment is about the life of the people and their environment that include culture for example.


In this paper, a novel predictive control-based ap- proach is proposed for a networked control system with random delays containing an input nonlinear process based on a Hammer- stein model. The method uses a time-delay two-step generalized predictive control scheme, which consists of two parts: one is to deal with the input nonlinearity of the Hammerstein model and the other is to compensate for the network-induced delay in the networked control system. A theoretical result using the Popov criterion is presented for the closed-loop stability of the system in the case of a constant delay. Simulation examples illustrating the validity of the approach are also presented.


This paper considers congestion-related performance metrics in tandem networks of Stochastic Fluid Models (SFMs), and derives their IPA gradient estimators with respect to buffer sizes. Specifically, the performance metrics in question are the total loss volume and the cumulative buffer workload (buffer contents), and the control parameter consists of buffer limits at both the node where the performance is measured and at an upstream node. The IPA estimators are unbiased and nonparametric, and hence can be computed on-line from field measurements as well as off-line from simulation experiments. The IPA derivatives are applied to packet-based networks, where simulation results support the theoretical developments. Possible applications to congestion management in telecommunications networks are discussed.


Even though time-interleaved analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) help to achieve higher bandwidth with simpler individual ADCs, gain, offset, and time-skew mismatch between the channels degrade the achievable resolution. Of particular interest is the time-skew error between channels which results in nonuniform samples and thereby introducing distortion tones at the output of the time-interleaved ADC. Time-varying digital reconstructors can be used to correct the time-skew errors between the channels in a time-interleaved ADC. However, the complexity of such reconstructors increases as their bandwidth approaches the Nyquist band. In addition to this, the reconstructor needs to be redesigned online every time the time-skew error varies. Design methods that result in minimum reconstructor order require expensive online redesign while those methods that simplify online redesign result in higher reconstructor complexity. This paper proposes a technique that can be used to simplify the online redesign and achieve a low complexity reconstructor at the same time.


Eighty patients, of whom 22 were men and 58 women, participated in a 1-year follow-up study. All participants in the study showed signs and symptoms of craniomandibular disorders (CMD) and had had pain for more than 6 months at treatment start. The patients were randomly assigned to either acupuncture or occlusal splint therapy. Those patients who did not respond to either of the treatment modes were offered various additional therapies. The result showed that 57% of the patients who received acupuncture and 68% of the patients treated with occlusal splint therapy benefited subjectively (p < 0.01) and clinically (p < 0.001) from the treatment over a 12-month period. No statistically significant difference was found between the two groups as to the assessment variables. Those patients who received various additional therapies after acupuncture and/or occlusal splint therapy responded favorably to additional treatment in only a few instances. The study showed that acupuncture gave positive results similar to those of occlusal splint therapy in patients with primarily myogenic CMD symptoms over a 1-year follow-up period.


The optical and structural properties of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) are considered to define disposable cantilever-based micooptoelectromechanical systems (MOEMS) by ways of soft lithography and with a high degree of monolithic integration. The very low Young's modulus of this material relaxes the dimensions' requirements, being then possible to define thick PDMS structures with a sensitivity comparable to nanometer scale silicon counterparts. Experimental results using a light-emitting diode working at 670 nm have determined the resonant frequencies of the proposed MOEMS and are in agreement with the numerical simulations done. Finally, when a 2-mu L droplet of ethanol (1.58 mg) is dispensed on the cantilever, relative losses rise to 25 dB, returning to its initial value when the droplet evaporates.


The Chinese broadcasting industry is facing variety of booming new services since the Chinese DTTB (digital television terrestrial broadcasting) standard was finalized in August, 2006. Among all of these feasible applications, deploying TV services on the ongoing Chinese High Speed Railway is the one which has drawn much attention. However, due to the vast territory and the different landforms of China, there are many difficulties in deploying Chinese railway TV. In this paper we describe an ongoing railway TV system named ADTB-R in China. The application environment and technical difficulties are analyzed, followed by the detailed description of the whole system including the network. Moreover, the environment, equipments and data of the trial tests are also provided. Finally, we also give of vision of the future of railway TV.


This report concerns nine patients with carcinoma arising in mucous membranes included in a field of radiation therapy; the therapy had been administered previously for benign or malignant disease of other tissues or organs. The tumors recorded here comprise six squamous-cell carcinomas—two of the hypopharynx, two of the tongue, one of the buccal mucosa, and one of the anal canal—and three adenocarcinomas—two of the colon and one of the esophagus. Six of these tumors can, with reasonable certainty, be considered a late result of irradiation; with the three others the origin in irradiated areas makes it highly probable that radiation was a basic factor in the tumor development. Case 1. —A 53-year-old woman was first seen in May of 1948. She gave a history of having had a malignant tumor of the left parotid gland surgically removed in 1939. This was followed by a series of external x-irradiation treatments which


Androgen, mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid receptors (AR, MR and GR, respectively) are ligand‐activated transcription factors that alter gene expression and have a wide variety of effects in the central nervous system. High levels of AR, MR and GR mRNA have been found in the CA1 pyramidal cell region of the rat hippocampus and all 3 of these proteins bind to a similar hormone response element in DNA suggesting the possibility of common receptor function or cross‐talk between these receptors at the level of transcription. To begin to investigate this hypothesis, we examined the regulation of AR, MR and GR mRNA expression in the rat hippocampus following treatment with androgens in combination with gonadectomy and/or adrenalectomy. Three‐month‐old male Sprague‐Dawley rats were either castrated for 3 weeks, castrated and immediately implanted with 2 Silastic capsules filled with the non‐aromatizable androgen, dihydrotestosterone, or left gonadally intact. Four days prior to sacrifice, these animals were either adrenalectomized or sham operated. GR, MR and AR mRNA were measured in the hippocampal subfields using in situ hybridization. In the CA1 region, dihydrotestosterone treatment of castrates decreased GR mRNA levels to 69 percent of levels found in gonadally intact rats and prevented the adrenalectomy‐induced increases in GR mRNA observed in the gonadally intact and castrated animals. No changes in GR mRNA were observed in the CA3 region or dentate gyrus, where AR expression is low or absent. There was no effect of androgen treatment on MR mRNA levels nor did gonadectomy or androgen replacement alter the increases in MR mRNA following adrenalectomy. AR mRNA levels in the CA1 region were unchanged across all treatment groups. In vitro binding studies revealed almost complete nuclear occupancy of hippocampal AR in dihydrotestosterone‐treated castrates. No appreciable in vitro binding of dihydrotestosterone to hippocampal MR or GR (Ki≈1500 nM) was observed which suggests that androgen regulation of GR mRNA in the hippocampus is occurring through AR binding. These data demonstrate a functional similarity of androgens and glucocorticoids in the regulation of GR mRNA levels in an area where AR and GR are colocalized. Androgen‐mediated downregulation of GR expression may prove to be an important event in the adaptive responses of CA1 pyramidal cells to hormonal stimuli.


This chapter traces the way in which national and local policies have at different times favoured selective or non-selective admissions arrangements in English secondary schools. It shows how, for most of the past century, the key issue of contention in political and educational debates was whether and how to select for a bi-partite system on the basis of academic attainment or aptitude at age 11. The chapter goes on to discuss recent policies that have favoured a more diversified school system and parental choice, features that are sometimes criticised for introducing new forms of selection that may be less transparent and even more socially divisive.


Summary Traditional Kirchhoff pre-stack depth migration methods output surface offset common image gathers (CIG) but exploration workflows require subsurface reflection angle CIGs to extract accurate angle versus amplitude measurements. Providing any incremental uplift to the amplitude versus angle (AVA) attributes and the associated seismic inversions can significantly impact exploration and development success. Several high-end imaging techniques exist to extract subsurface angles directly, notably reverse time migration methods and common reflection angle migrations. Here, we explore the ability of the relatively cheap well-used Kirchhoff pre-stack depth migration to output subsurface reflection angle common image gathers via a local space-shift extended imaging condition. A layered synthetic model and a complex 2-D synthetic model are used to assess the space-shift image gathers output from such a migration scheme and to evaluate the seismic attributes relative to the traditional surface offset CIGs. The synthetic results show that the extended imaging condition clearly provides an uplift in the measured AVA over the surface offset migration. Finally, we show an example of a 3D space-lag gather from deep marine data and compare the resultant angle gathers with those generated from an offset migration and a time-shift imaging condition Kirchhoff migration.


Testing conditions are described under which an optical pyrometer offers the best means of temperature measurement even though many difficulties are encountered in the use of the pyrometer. A method is described which, by means of certain approximations, permits temperature measurements, corrections for extraneous light, and measurements of spectral emissivity to be made with a minimum of instrumentation. Controlled experiments have shown that the results obtained provide adequate accuracy for a variety of test requirements.


This article investigates the quantity- and quality-motivated bandwagon effects on individual movie selection from a cross-cultural perspective. Based on theories of information processing and decision making, we examined how people from different cultural backgrounds (e.g., collective versus individual and vertical versus horizontal cultural orientations) differ in their preferences of aggregate electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM), which is related to heuristic information processing, or more detailed individual e-WOM, which is related to systematic information processing. Empirically, we relied on an online study using movie selection scenarios that were distributed to participants in Singapore, the United States, and Germany. Results indicate significant cultural differences in the preference for e-WOM and related information processing modes. The individual cultural orientations of the participants offered a better explanation of the variance than a simple country-of-origin differentiation.