Historians would, for the most part, readily agree that the force and coherence of American historical writing have played a recognizable part in this process. The Canadian experience was equally novel, and at times Canadian feeling has been equally strong. But the Canadian expedients have been notably different. That the potential contribution of the first Dominion to the thinking and action of the emergent nations of the Commonwealth should be less recognizable than that of the United States is of course in part due to the fact that Canadian reactions are less acceptable; it is perhaps significant that the recommendations of the Monckton Commission on Rhodesia and Nyasaland, on which Professor Creighton served, proved unacceptable. But much must be due to the fact that large parts of Canada's history have only been written up in terms of ' Canadiana'; the result is of little interest to any except Canadians. The Road to Confederation, clear and well-written, blending wide general considerations with intimate personal studies and with detailed local knowledge, is an important contribution to the flow of new historical writing which the Centenary has provoked. It will go far to answer the need for a study of Canada 'in the round'.


Doping is one of an effective method to modify the physical properties of ZnO material in order to extend its applications. An investigation on Zn1-xMxO (M = Gd,Mg and x = 0, 0.03) nanopowders have been synthesized by sol-gel method and sintering at 600oC for 2 hours were reported.The decomposition process of the dried gel system was investigated by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and the nanopowders with different heating temperature were studied using FT-IR spectroscopy. The crystal structure of the nanopowders after sintering 600oC using  X-ray diffraction (XRD).The TGA curves of the samples showed  the  various  weight  loss  regions correspond to removal of starting materials and no weight loss was observed in the temperature range from 300 to 800oC corresponding to the phase-crystallization step. The FT-IR spectra, ZnO band is assigned to the stretching frequency at 669 cm-1 and Gd/Mg doped ZnO at 668 cm-1, 666 cm-1. The XRD studies, crystal structure of samples indicates  single  phase ZnO  crystalline and have been  a  hexagonal wurtzite structure (space group P63mc)


Abstract : Performance-Based Service Acquisition is a Department of Defense (DoD) acquisition reform that has had noted success in reducing costs and streamlining the management of noncore government service capabilities. The guiding principle in Performance-Based Service Acquisition is that when an outside vendor exists who can perform a service more effectively than a government user could organically, that user should specify measurable outcomes to the service vendor, and allow the vendor to best determine the appropriate processes (how) of delivering the service. Performance-Based Logistics (PBL) is an extension of Performance-Based Service Acquisition and is aimed at the logistic services for major weapon systems. PBL is intended to reduce life cycle costs, increase readiness, improve reliability, and reduce the logistical footprint of weapon systems.


In the era of globalisation of business, industrialisation, digitisation, etc. higher education systems face a lot of challenges, and higher education institutions all around the world develop different strategies and tactics in order to achieve key educational goals and create a competitive system that will meet the demands and overcome challenges of the modern labour market. Especially important are the educational goals defined by UNESCO, that, more than ever, seem to describe the essence of the educational process which can be introduced through idea »I learn to know, I learn to do, I learn to be and I learn to live together«. In the last decade, the idea of community learning (as well as learning from the community) gains more importance, so it is not surprising that many educational policies around the world and many prestigious higher education institutions devote a lot of attention to the introduction of 1 Assistant Professor Anđela Jakšić-Stojanović, professor of English Literature and French, Ph.D, e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com experience from ti Ljetopis socijalnog rada 2019., 26 (2), 281-290. 282 experience from practice the concept of »service learning« in curricula. This paper presents the process of introduction of the concept of »service learning« at the Faculty of Visual Arts, Mediterranean University and describes all challenges that were faced in order to adopt this concept and make it an integral part of the curricula.


ABSTRACT In the past two decades, researchers have extensively examined a variety of factors that have contributed to the escalation or curtailing of binge drinking behaviors among college students while infrequently addressing more prevalent drinking behaviors or general deviant or criminal behaviors resulting from intoxication. Broader contextual elements have also been traditionally overlooked when examining correlates related to college students' alcohol use. Previous research studies have typically centered on students' attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors related to episodic heavy drinking behaviors. Although individual characteristics must be considered, imported factors (i.e., student traits that exist prior to the college experience) as well as inherent factors (i.e., college environmental and social influences) may also contribute to college students' drinking practices and behaviors resulting from alcohol consumption. The purpose of the present study was to look beyond the commonly examined binge drinking predictors and investigate the role of imported and inherent risk factors among a large sample of college students from the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study.


The contribution made by informal carers to the provision of care in the community in the UK is formally acknowledged in the 1995 Carers (Recognition and Services) Act. This legislation has focused attention, once again, on the relationship between formal services and those providing informal care. The Act has re-created a lack of clarity about the position carers hold in the carer dyad. Findings are presented here from an exploratory study about the experience of dementia. This seeks to examine the realities of caring for a relative with dementia in the context of three particular aspects of the caring activities which relate to role ambiguity: the needs of carers, their relationship with formal services and their position as being experienced and skilled in the care of their relatives.


This paper relates to the development of an ultrafast compact system readily applicable to the field of ultrawideband microwave applications such as transient radar or laser drivers. The design, production, and experimental results of a short-pulse generation system are presented in this paper. The coaxial generator technology based on the principle of a line discharge by means of a high-pressure gas switch in a simple transmission line arrangement is described. In the first stage of the process, the coaxial generator was charged by a high-voltage direct current source. Interesting results were obtained, but due to the jitter of the discharge formative time, the reproducibility of the output pulses was not sufficient. To improve the performance, a pulsed source was developed in order to apply an overvoltage to the gap switch and thus reduce the jitter of the discharge formative time. The characteristics of the pulsed source are defined. A thyristor Marx generator and a pulse transformer using magnetic properties of ferrite cores were combined in order to produce this pulsed source. The main performances of this source are a pulse amplitude of 60 kV, a rise time of 250 ns, and a maximum frequency of 900 Hz from a 1-kV dc supply. Finally, the complete generation system is able to generate pulses with 25-kV amplitude and 70-ps rise time through a 50-Omega impedance from the single shot mode up to 900 Hz. The output pulses reproducibility obtained is better than plusmn5%


A history of the rise, decline, and re-emergence of short line railroads in the U.S. describes key events that influenced their development. They date back to railroading's origins, with the oldest current short line that is still in operation having been formed in 1832 in Strasburg, Pennsylvania. As trucks became more prevalent, and manufacturing patterns changed in the 1920s and for the next several decades, short lines shrank in number to about 200. The Staggers Rail Act of 1980 and the formation of Conrail a few years earlier spurred a resurgence of short line growth. For the next two decades, hundreds of new short lines were formed, and short line trackage rose from 8,000 miles in 1980 to 50,000 miles in 2000. By 2002, there were 545 regional and short line railroads. Today, that number is more than 550, and they operate on about 55,000 miles of track. Productivity enhancements achieved with automation and computerization have enabled much of the more recent growth. Half of today's short lines came into existence in the past 50 years.


This Conference was held between 20 and 22 April 1979 and it was attended by about 100 USAmerican sociologists. They participated in lectures, informal discussion groups, a showing of cinema films and a reci~al of classical dances of India organized by the SocIOlogy Department of the College. Theoretical and empirical sociological analyses of painting, photography, cinema, architecture, dance, literary art and popular arts were discussed. In this report I shall limit myself to the discussions dealing with the visual fine arts, which are of primary interest to the readers of Leonardo. A list of papers presented by participants of relevance to these discussions is given in the References. 1?e p~pers and discussions dealt with the following socIological aspects: (1) Art objects-exploration of the influence on styles in art by social changes on styles including changes in ideology, class structure and pat~ ronage. (2) Artists as members of society-influence of family and of society on the work of artists. (3) Organization of art in the U.S.A.---examination of profit and nonprofit organizations dealing with artworks.


Objective To explore the diagnosis,treatment and efficacies of primary central nervous system lymphoma(PCNSL).Methods A total of 29 patients pathologically diagnosed as PCNSL were assigned into three groups according to the differences in therapeutic approaches:6 cases with comparatively small extent of tumor resection(including 2 cases diagnosed by biopsy)could not receive further treatment due to intracranial hypertension;7 cases received postoperative radiotherapy;16 cases received the integrated postoperative treatment of radiotherapy+chemotherapy.All the cases were followed up after discharge.Results The median survival time of patients who only received operations was 3.20 months,but that of the other two groups(operation+radiotherapy and operation+ radiotherapy+chemotherapy)were respectively 32 and 40 months.The therapeutic efficacies of the latter two groups were significantly higher(P0.05).Conclusion Operations cannot effectively inhibit the progression of PCNSL alone;the assistant postoperative radiotherapy and(or)chemotherapy may evidently prolong the survival time of patients.Operations should be performed aiming at the sufficient degradation of intracranial pressure,so that patients may further endure radiotherapy and(or) chemotherapy.


It summarizes types of wall cracks,analyzes split causes from material,design and construction three aspects.Due to different types,it introduces quality control measures,which promotes the application of economicale、nergy-saving block material.


Vannucchi et al. (2020) present an interesting attempt to frame the origin and emplacement of serpentinized peridotites (SPs) into the Wilson cycle. Besides the well-known examples of SPs exhumed by extensional faulting along passive margins, Vannucchi et al. illustrate the case of the Calabrian accretionary wedge (CAW) intruded by serpentinite diapirs, and make the point that fossil examples of this last emplacement mode can be found in the northern Apennines, Italy. It can be argued that the occurrence of serpentinite diapirs in the CAW is not supported by evidence, and that a diapiric emplacement of serpentinite is not appropri-ate to explain the External Ligurian (EL) ophiolites of the northern Apennines.


For BALTIC Ginny Reed is creating two new works with an emphasis on sound; a performance and an audio tour, in response to The Dream of Fluxus. These will be performed at regular intervals during gallery hours and the audio tour will be available throughout the day.


The world is only beginning to see the value and potential impact of the internet of things (IoT). Until recently, access to the internet was bounded via desktop, tablet, or smartphone. With the (IoT), practically all devices and objects can be connected to the internet and monitored remotely. IoT devices simplify our lives and make organizations more efficient; however, there are still challenges to address, particularly in the security context. As we continue to embed these connected objects and a wider variety of wireless devices, it is mandatory to provide confidence in this vast incoming information source. Blockchain has emerged as a disruptive technology that will transform the way we store, share information, and impose restrictions to know the authentications. The data distribution and robust level of encryption will remove the need for trust among the involved parties and add another security layer for IoT data. IoT devices generate too much data using sensors and stored, processed, accessed the same using cloud computing and achieve security some extend using big-data. Big-data security mechanism is not sufficient to meet the security requirements of IoT devices. We have proposed the Blockchain encryption mechanism using different layers architecture for the IoT devices to achieve the desired security level. In this paper, we have focused on how Blockchain could possibly improve IoT security. We also survey the most relevant work to investigate challenges associate with IoT Blockchain convergence. This proposed mechanism will achieve the security mechanism in IoT devices some extend.


This paper presents a dynamic model of the power circuits of the hydraulic system of automotive automatic transmissions. The model includes a variable-displacement vane-pump, a regulator as a load. The load may be any combination of leakage, compliance, and time-dependent hydraulic resistance. This model was used to analyze the dynamics of the hydraulic system of a conventional step-transmission under both fixed-ratio and shift conditions.


Information is given concerning the magnetization processes in high permeability 80 Ni Permalloys which shows the importance of the magnetic structure on the magnetic properties and consequently the significant role of the impurities contained in the alloys. Some impurities are more easily extracted from the alloy by solid state refining mainly carbon and sulfur. The thermodynamic and kinetic conditions for a proper extraction of these impurities taken as examples are discussed. Some examples of the consequent improvements of the magnetic properties are given.


A new method for the synthesis of
N,N′,N″,N‴-tetraalkyl 2,5-diamino-1,4-benzoquinonediimines is described together with the
structure of a binuclear Pt(II) complex with such a bridging
ligand which provides an extended π-system.


Global performance, defined as "the aggregation of economic, social and environmental performance" (Baret, 2006), is a multidimensional concept that was introduced with the emergence of the concept of CSR and sustainable development. Today, the difficulty for organizations is to measure global performance and understand the interactions between its different dimensions: economic, social and environmental. The search for global performance has become increasingly important for any organization to affirm its relevance, effectiveness and efficiency in meeting the expectations of their stakeholders in order to ensure its sustainability. Cooperatives are no exception to this logic. Assessing the performance of cooperatives takes on new importance given all the challenges they will have to face and given their dual nature (association/enterprise). The objective of this article is to propose a model of representation and evaluation of the global performance of cooperatives allowing to describe the components of this performance and to analyze the interactions between its different dimensions.


Social scientists have long sought to understand what Islamic banking is. This study seeks to answer this question by exploring the neoliberalisation process of Islamic banking policies in Malaysia and identifying policymakers' logic behind this process. For this purpose, this study conducted interviews with actors associated with Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), the central bank of Malaysia. The findings demonstrate that, in the neoliberal era, BNM quietly and continuously pursued the goal of preferably giving economic opportunities to Malay Muslims by establishing institutional mechanisms rather than by offering preferential treatment in a straightforward manner. The Shariah nature of Islamic banking served to conceal this goal from the public. I define Islamic banking as an ethno-political tool rather than simply as a religious economy and contend that the philosophy of Islamic banking as a moral economy conceals an agenda of protecting Malay interests.


n this paper we presented the results of organ-preserving treatment of initial stage of endometrial cancer in women of reproductive ages 23 patients were treated. Individual hormonotherapy included the combination of gonadoliberine agonist — Leuprolerine acetate depo 3,75 mg (Lucrine Depo, «Abbot laboratories») and intrauterine introduction of medium contained 52 mg levonorgestrel (Mirena, «Bayer Schering Pharma»). The patients were taking Lucrine Depo during 6 month (№ 6) and then intrauterine form of Mirena was using during 1 year for treatment. This method was effective in all patients and it can be offered like an alternative for surgical treatment (panhysterectomy) in women with initial stage of endometrial cancer. Pregnancy and followed deliveries are the final stage of this type of therapy and the best appearance of medical and social rehabilitation of women.


In the 2008 case, Baze v. Rees, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of Kentucky's lethal injection protocol. Four of the seven opinions looked to the 1947 Supreme Court case of Louisiana ex rel. Francis v. Resweber for Eighth Amendment Cruel and Unusual Punishments precedent in the death penalty context. Resweber upheld Louisiana's determination to send Willie Francis - a poor, African American teenager who had survived the State's first electrocution attempt - to the electric chair a second time. This chapter provides an in-depth examination of the Resweber case telling Francis's personal story, the efforts of his attorneys, Bertrand de Blanc and J. Skelly Wright, to prevent his execution, and the precedential effect of Resweber, particularly in Baze. At the time Resweber was decided the Supreme Court still considered de jure segregation constitutional and held that the Cruel and Unusual Punishments Clause did not apply to State actions such as a second execution attempt by Louisiana. Ultimately, this Chapter argues that, in light of the passage of six decades, which heralded massive changes in criminal law and procedure, the use of Resweber as modern Eighth Amendment guidance - especially in Baze - is troubling. In addition to the legal account, this Chapter details personal reactions to Francis's story obtained through interviews with members of Francis's family and residents of Francis's hometown of St. Martinville, Louisiana, as well as numerous letters that people from all over the country wrote Francis while he was waiting in jail. These letter writers discussed many topics, including their reflections on racial injustice in America and the need for religious redemption, not only for Francis but also for his judgers and this country. Yet a number of letters were deeper, more private. Francis, it seems, was not only an imprint of the social and legal times, but also a projected muse of sorts to whom individuals could confide their heartfelt thoughts and wishes - about God, death, health, hopes, family, even romance.


Sensor-cloud computing is envisioned as a promising technology that can integrate various services by extending the computational capabilities of physical sensor nodes. It is prone to attack because of special characteristics of physical sensor nodes and virtual sensor-service nodes. Considering the intrusion detection threshold, false alarm probability of the intrusion detection system (IDS), and three different attacked scenarios, we devise a physical IDS (PIDS)-to-gateway and virtual IDS (VIDS)-to-gateway detection model for Sensor-Cloud. We formulate a two-layer gateway-assisted detection and defense decision problem involving multiple IDSs using an evolutionary game in order to optimize the intrusion detection strategy for lowering energy consumption and reducing alarm messages. We derive an evolutionary stable strategy and prove that the proposed mechanism achieves Nash equilibrium, such that each IDS completes cooperatively defense tasks. We propose a game-theoretic approach to achieve an energy-efficient cooperative defense scheme for sensor-cloud computing environments. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed mechanism achieves energy-efficient defense and increases security of data in the Sensor-Cloud.


In this paper,Wuchuan County of Inner Mongolia as the study region,the spatial and temporal change of cultivated land is studied by using the relevance analysis,as well as the driving forces for change by principal component analysis and regression analysis.The results indicate that the factors of social development include the mechanism oil,the first domain,the second domain,the third domain,real estate,the denizen consume,and the agricultural loan.The driving factors of scientific progress include the total power of agricultural machinery,agricultural use of film,the use of chemical fertilizers,the irrigation and drainage area by electrical and mechanical,the use of pesticides,the number of the well,and the fruit production.The linear regression analysis shows cultivated area change is significant correlated with the mechanism oil,the agricultural loan,the agricultural use of film,the fruit production,and the number of the well.


Effective engineering undergraduate programs should be well-structured to respond to the needs of students and prepare them for the workforce or further studies. Undoubtedly, the teaching and learning process should be student-centred to promote problem-solving skills and facilitate the generation of new knowledge by students. A capstone research project is one of the practices that aim to enable students to successfully move into either employment or graduate studies. In this study, a survey containing different categories was prepared to assess the usefulness of a capstone research project in achieving various outcomes, including personal, learning, and research perceptions, as well as other aspects such as supervision, career aspirations, safety matters, and hands-on experience . The survey was sent out to honours students who were carrying out an engineering capstone research project. The results suggested that an undergraduate research program can be an efficient tool in the teaching and learning process. Interestingly, the results showed that undergraduate research was unable to prompt students to choose their future career pathway or encourage them to pursue postgraduate studies. Defining projects that reflect the industry's needs with focusing on the society's demands could present a possible solution to this issue.


To understand status and roles of shrub in vegetation degradation and recovery processes in semiarid areas,China,we investigated effects of shrub canopy on soil properties,organic litter,seed bank and understory herbage community properties in Horqin sand land,Mongolia.The results showed that in shifting sand dunes,very find sand,silt,clay,organic matter,total N and P,available P and soil moisture in 0—20 cm depth were 17.3%,4.4%,49.5%,43.8%,40.0%,23.1%,16.3% and 10.8% higher for Caragana microphylla,and 3.5%,21.3%,0.0%,20.0%,16.7%,8.3%,10.6% and 28.1% higher for Salix gordejevii,respectively under canopy of remnant shrub species than those in open space;average organic litter output was 18.3 times for C.microphylla,365.2 times for Artemisia halodendron and 15.5 times for S.gordejevii,respectively,under shrub canopy compared to open space;soil seed density was 10.9 times higher under A.halodendron canopy than that in open space;perennial herbage Pennisetum centrasiaticum belonged originally to fixed sand dune not only could survived under shrub canopy in shift sand dunes,but also had higher plant densities,height,coverage and above ground biomass.There were a significant gradient of organic litter mass,soil seed bank density and plant density under shrub canopy,decreasing gradually from the centre of shrub canopy to the edge of the canopy,and disappeared entirely in open space of one to two meter distant from the shrub canopy.These results suggested that shrub had significant "fertile island" effects and important "keep species" roles in shifting sand dunes.


Spigelian hernia is a rare variety of abdominal wall hernia occurring through the spigelian fascia which is composed of the aponeurotic layer between rectus muscle medially and semilunar line laterally. Generally it is difficult to diagnose because of their location and non specific symptoms. Diagnosis is aided by ultrasonography and Computerized Tomography. Once the diagnosis is confirmed, it is repaired surgically as risk of incarceration is high. We reported this interesting case of spigelian hernia with associated port site hernia in a 53 year old female patient from Arwal district, Bihar who presented with occasional lower abdominal pain. The hernia was reduced and defect was repaired. Her recovery was uneventful.


Intimate partner violence (IPV) is characterized by a pattern of coercive behaviors (e.g., repeated battering and injury, psychological abuse, sexual


This paper investigates the consensus problem for the distributed multiagent system (MAS), where the trajectory of each agent is displayed by curvature and torsion, and the communication behaviors among agents are influenced by time delay and corrupted by noises. According to the Frenet–Serret formulas, a class of consensus protocols is designed for all agents, and a closed-loop system is obtained. Based on the Lyapunov method, several consensus criteria are derived, where the consensus criteria are characterized by curvature functions and torsion functions. Finally, one example shows the reliability of the proposed methods.


This volume argues that the highly articulated dynamics of Williams's first two volumes of collected poetry, Collected Poems 1921-1931 and The Complete Collected Poems 1906-1938, constitute nothing less than major poetic sequences that give compelling lyrical structure and definition to his overall poetic development.


A new fossil dicotyledonous wood has, been described from the Tertiary rocks of South India near Pondicherry, South Arcot district, Tamil Nadu (Madras). In all the anatomical details it shows closest resemblance with those of modern Diospyros and Maba of the family Ebenaceae.


The preferential distribution of carbon atoms among three different interstitial sites of α iron, depending on the direction of the spontaneous magnetization, has a close formal resemblance to the directional order induced by a field cooling. The measurement of the hysteresis loops of α iron and with carbon content 0.0046% by weight actually revealed such close resemblance to those of the Perminvar type alloys and those of certain ferrites containing cobalt oxide.


Our group has recently developed a new family of chelating ligands that contain both phosphoryl and N-oxide donor centers. In particular, [Ph{sub 2}P(O)CH{sub 2}]{sub 2}C{sub 5}H{sub 3}NO, is a ligand that strongly binds trivalent actinide and lanthanide ions present in strongly acidic solutions. It has been shown that this ligand binds in a neutral form. not through an ionic displacement process. Phosphonic acid derivatives of this ligand, on the other hand, do bind by H{sup +} displacement and this coordination behavior will be discussed together with the results of binding with other phosphonic acid ligands.


The use of atmospheric CO2 as a chemical feedstock is a promising way to decarbonize the chemical and transportation sectors, which currently rely heavily on fossil fuels. This transition demands new technologies to reduce the energy required to capture and separate CO2. Here, we develop and demonstrate an alternative method of carbonate solution regeneration using an anion exchange membrane electrochemical cell. This process simultaneously regenerates the CO2 capture solution on the feed side, while enriching a stream of H2 with CO2 on the permeate side of the cell. Preliminary results show a CO2 transport faradaic efficiency of 50% (100% CO32– transport) when supplying a pure K2CO3 solution at current densities up to 60 mA·cm–2. A small cathode gap benefited cell operation by preventing membrane transport of OH–, although with an increased ohmic resistance. This represents a step forward in the application of electrochemistry to drive processes that are critical to CO2 valorization.


Purpose: We compared biochemical control rates of 3D conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT) plus neoadjuvant hormonal therapy (NHT) with those of prostate 3DCRT alone. We also examined the effect that two definitions of biochemical failure had on the comparison. Patients and Methods: We studied 126 men with stage T1-3B prostate cancer, who were treated with 3DCRT (Median dose of 72.0 Gy prescribed to the PTV) to the prostate alone (minimum follow-up duration of 1 year). Thirty-nine men received 4 to 6 months of NHT and 87 had 3DCRT alone. Hormonal therapy consisted of a LHRH agonist +/- an anti-androgen. We subdivided the patients into risk categories according to their baseline PSA and Gleason score: Low risk (Gleason Scores >7 and baseline PSA >10), Intermediate risk (Gleason Scores >7 and baseline PSA ≥10 or Gleason Scores ≥7 and baseline PSA >10), and High risk (Gleason Scores ≥7 and baseline PSA ≥10). We used two definitions of biochemical failure. First we defined failure according to the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) consensus statement. In the second analysis, biochemical failure was defined as three serial rises in the PSA with a rise above 1.5 ng/ml. Results: According to the ASTRO definition, the use of neoadjuvant hormonal therapy resulted in a significantly lower PSA control rate in low and intermediate risk patients (P = .0028). When the data was reanalyzed using the second definition for PSA failure, the results were reversed, in that the biochemical outcomes of HT patients were better than the outcomes of patients who received 3DCRT alone. Conclusion: This reversal of outcome indicates that treatment outcome depends on definition of biochemical failure in patients receiving NHT. Given this limitation, it is important that ASTRO address the use of hormonal therapy in devising a new consensus statement defining biochemical failure.


The managed lane concept is currently being considered on major free way projects in Texas cities. The term managed lanes encompasses a variety of facility types, including high-occupancy vehicle lanes, high-occupancy toll lanes, single-occupancy vehicle express lanes, special-use lanes, and truck lanes. The premise of the managed lanes concept is to increase freeway efficiency and provide free-flow operations for certain freeway users by packaging various operational and design strategies. The strategies deployed offer the flexibility to be adjusted to match changing corridor and regional goals. Research undertaken in Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) research project Operating Freeways with Managed Lanes, which assessed state legislative needs necessary for Texas to legally and successfully implement the various types of managed lane facilities across the state, is discussed. Texas statutes may require changes in various areas to allow the implementation of managed lanes, including defining managed lanes as an operational concept in Texas, authorizing entities to develop managed lane facilities for congestion mitigation purposes, allowing entities operational flexibility with managed lane facilities, authorizing entities to develop exclusive lane facilities for congestion mitigation purposes, authorizing TxDOT to establish lane restrictions for congestion mitigation purposes, removing the time-of-day limitation on current municipal authorization for lane restrictions, and making the unlawful violation of any managed lane facility in Texas punishable by fine.


The article presents a commentary on the article by Mario Teodoro Ramirez «The Body by Itself. From the Phenomenology of the Body to an Ontology of the Embodied Self», in which he tries to declare an attempt to build a realism based on a correctly rethought philosophy of the body. It allows building a new type of realistic ontology of the embodied subject. Maurice Merleau-Ponty and Jean-Luc Nancy's approaches to corporeality and flesh are seen by Ramirez as the most important steps in the so-called the 'Corporal Turn' and laying the conceptual foundation of the ontology of New Realism.


In the presented work the composition and function of stored ribonucleo-protein particles (EPPs) in tobacco male gametophyte was studied. EPP particles serve as a long-term store of various mRNA molecules, ribosomal and cytoskeletal proteins and other components. They are synthesized during the pollen maturation, kept untranlated and gradually used in proteosynthesis in progamic phase to support the rapid pollen tube growth.


The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is among the top food-wasting countries worldwide, despite it being considered a religious society. Hence, an important question has emerged "to what extent and by what mechanism can religiosity influence food waste intention?". This research answers this research question and examines the direct impact of both religiosity and food consumption culture on food waste intention as well as the indirect impact through the constructs of theory of planned behavior. For this purpose, a pre-tested self-administered questionnaire was collected from 1135 restaurant customers in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The results of structural equation modeling (SEM) using Analysis of a Moment Structures (AMOS) showed a very weak negative influence of religiosity on food waste intention. However, food consumption culture has had a high positive significant influence on food waste intention. The results also showed that attitude towards behaviors, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control fully mediate the relationship between religiosity and food waste intention. On the other side, they were found to partially mediate the relationship between food consumption culture and food waste intention. The results have several implications for policy-makers, scholars, and restaurant practitioners.


Literature information resources management in China goes through three stages: ancient literature information resources management,modern literature information resources management,and contemporary literature information resources management.The ancient book storing attached greater importance to storing than using,with officer to manage,serving few privileges.In modern times there appeared "library",practicing the "combination of storing and using",with professional librarians.Contemporary literature information resources management,completely open,established a management system and culture.Study of development and evolution of literature information resources management in China is of great significance to the understanding of the history of literature information resources management in China and future trend.


The object of the investigation was to determine the sites at which impurity adsorption occurs on crystalline surfaces. This was done by measuring the variation of surface free energy (γ) with orientation (θ). A relation between the torque [τ=(∂γ/∂θ)μ], chemical potential (μ), surface excess (Γ), and orientation is derived: (∂τ/∂μ)θ = — (∂Γ/∂θ)μ. Methods for determining surface torques by measuring dihedral angles at grooves where twin boundaries and grain boundaries intersect surfaces are discussed.Measurements were made of relative torques τ/γ on copper surfaces for the range of oxygen pressures from 10−22 to 10−13 atm at 1000°C using water—hydrogen mixtures. Increasing po2 was found to increase the magnitude of the torque on the (111) and (100) orientations. This indicates preferential adsorption at a range of orientations on the smooth, low‐index (100) and (111) surfaces rather than on stepped surfaces of orientations different from the low‐index orientations.A calculation based on a simple model of t...


Due to the negative effect of li-ion battery monomer inconsistent performance in electric bicycle, a low-cost intelligent li-ion BMS (battery management system) is designed based on atmega16. Multi-channel analog switch and differential amplifier are used for multi-channel data acquisition, and the equalization circuit is used for the balance of each single cell. The results show that the design can realize the intelligent management of li-ion battery.


The sequelae of long-term complications of COVID-19 have been reported in many studies. These complications are almost similar in both adults and children and were observed during infection with other coronaviruses like SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. It is observed too that these complications develop in both previously symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals. The symptoms of long COVID start to manifest usually after 4-12 weeks of initial onset of SARS-CoV-2 infection. In the long run, COVID-19 affects various body parts in different ways. These majorly include respiratory, cardiovascular, hematological, inflammatory, immunological, and neurological disorders along with gastrointestinal, metabolic, renal, hepatic, and skin disorders. However, there is a lack of detailed summary of the clinical presentation and effects of long COVID in the literature. This review summarizes the current evidence of the long-term effects of COVID-19 in adults and children along with the presenting signs and symptoms in these patients. This finding highlights the need for future epidemiological studies to access the risk of long-term complications of COVID-19 in order to develop effective multi-disciplinary risk reduction and management strategies for long COVID in patients.


This paper focuses on the labour market issues in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). Moreover, it highlights the leading role and the importance of migration in the context of the development of this market. The social and economic importance of the labour market in the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union is manifested in the globalisation of the modern world economy. The development of labour relations suggests the creation of new approaches to the evaluation of the regulation of employment of the labour force at the national and supranational levels. The emerging risks which associated with the migration security require represent the need to research and address the problems of the formation and future development of the EAEU single labour market. This paper presents an analysis of the development and improvement of the common labour market of the Eurasian Economic Union. We describe the problems of labour migration and forms the prospects for the functioning of the common labour market in the EAEU countries. Moreover, we reveal the role of the Russian Federation as a leader in the receiving of foreign migrants. Finally, we propose some measures and regulations allowing to mitigate the migration flows among the EAEU countries.


ABSTRACT In this exploratory case study, the authors employed an "interpretive communities" lens to investigate the ways in which 12 high school English teachers of one district read and reasoned with literary works. Primary data sources were verbal protocol interviews and semistructured interviews. Analysis revealed that the focal teachers represented three distinct interpretive communities: questing, finding, and associating. Further, there were distinct patterns in their pedagogical reasoning about literacy teaching that seemed to be aligned with their dominant interpretive community. Results have implications for literacy research, professional development, and teacher education. Results may be of particular interest to proponents of disciplinary literacy teaching and learning.


Energy supply utilities release significant amounts of greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere. It is essential to accurately estimate GHG emissions with their uncertainties, for reducing GHG emissions and mitigating climate change. GHG emissions can be calculated by an activity-based method (i.e., fuel consumption) and continuous emission measurement (CEM). In this study, GHG emissions such as CO2, CH4, and N2O are estimated for a heat generation utility, which uses bituminous coal as fuel, by applying both the activity-based method and CEM. CO2 emissions by the activity-based method are 12–19% less than that by the CEM, while N2O and CH4 emissions by the activity-based method are two orders of magnitude and 60% less than those by the CEM, respectively. Comparing GHG emissions (as CO2 equivalent) from both methods, total GHG emissions by the activity-based methods are 12–27% lower than that by the CEM, as CO2 and N2O emissions are lower than those by the CEM. Results from uncertainty estimation show that uncertainties in the GHG emissions by the activity-based methods range from 3.4% to about 20%, from 67% to 900%, and from about 70% to about 200% for CO2, N2O, and CH4, respectively, while uncertainties in the GHG emissions by the CEM range from 4% to 4.5%. For the activity-based methods, an uncertainty in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) default net calorific value (NCV) is the major uncertainty contributor to CO2 emissions, while an uncertainty in the IPCC default emission factor is the major uncertainty contributor to CH4 and N2O emissions. For the CEM, an uncertainty in volumetric flow measurement, especially for the distribution of the volumetric flow rate in a stack, is the major uncertainty contributor to all GHG emissions, while uncertainties in concentration measurements contribute a little to uncertainties in the GHG emissions. Implications: Energy supply utilities contribute a significant portion of the global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It is important to accurately estimate GHG emissions with their uncertainties for reducing GHG emissions and mitigating climate change. GHG emissions can be estimated by an activity-based method and by continuous emission measurement (CEM), yet little study has been done to calculate GHG emissions with uncertainty analysis. This study estimates GHG emissions and their uncertainties, and also identifies major uncertainty contributors for each method.


The input has two main functions in optimality theory (Prince and Smolensky (1993)). First, the input defines the candidate set, in other words it determines which output candidates compete for optimality, and which do not. Second, the input is referred to by faithfulness constraints that prohibit output candidates from deviating from specifications in the input. Whereas there is general agreement concerning the relevance of the input in phonology, the nature of the input in syntax is notoriously unclear. In this article, we show that the input should not be taken to define syntactic candidate sets, and that all syntactic faithfulness constraints can straightforwardly be reformulated as constraints on outputs. In view of this, we contend that the input can be completely dispensed with in syntax, in contrast to what is the case in phonology; and we argue that this asymmetry between phonology and syntax is due to a basic, irreducible difference between these two components of grammar: Syntax is an information preserving system, phonology is not.


Objective To examine the efficacy of waist-to-height ratio( WHtR) combined with body mass index( BMI) in prediction of cardiovascular diseases risk and to provide a reference for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Methods Medical physical examination records of 1 327 staff in a university in 2010 were collected.WHtR categories( 0. 5 and ≥0. 5 for non-central obesity and central obesity) were further stratified by BMI categories( 24. 0 kg /m2,24. 0- 27. 9 kg /m2,and ≥28. 0 kg /m2 for normal,overweight,and obesity). Prevalences of cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension,hyperglycemia,dyslipidemia,and metabolic syndrome( MS) were compared among the participants of different subgroups. Results Of the participants with normal BMI,22. 8% could be classified as central obesity based on WHtR,while of those with the WHtR for non-central obesity,15. 0% could be classified as overweight or obesity according to categories of BMI. The results of logistic regression analyses showed that the odds ratios( ORs) for hypertension,hyperglycemia,dyslipidemia,and MS( 1. 63,1. 43,1. 45,and 3. 27) estimated based on WHtR score were greater than those( 1. 31,1. 19,1. 28,and 1. 74) according to BMI score. Among the participants having normal BMI,those with the WHtR of ≥0. 5 had increased risks of hypertension,dyslipidemia,and MS,with the ORs of 1. 68,2. 08,and 20. 10,compared to the participants with the WHtR of 0. 5. Among the overweight participants categorized based on BMI,the ORs of hyperglycemia and MS were 2. 88 and 9. 25 for those with the WHtR of 0. 5 and the ORs of hypertension,hyperglycemia,dyslipidemia,and MS were 2. 57,3. 09,2. 94 and 61. 70 for those with the WHtR of≥0. 5; among the obesity participants categorized based on BMI,the ORs of hypertension,hyperglycemia,dyslipidemia,and MS were 5. 94,3. 33,4. 91,and 183. 33 for those with the WHtR of ≥0. 5. Conclusion WHtR is more strongly associated with cardiovascular disease risks than BMI,and the combined application of WHtR and BMI can indentify populations at high-risk of cardiovascular disease efficiently.


Since the reform and opening-up,China political system reform has achieved outstanding achievements.The Seventeenth National Congress has re-planned the reform of China political system,which demonstrates that China political system reform comes into a new era.In the new era,China political system reform is still confronted with many predicaments,so we should meet the challenges and seize the opportunity,to enlarge democracy in Party,give priority to grassroots democracy,establish service-oriented governments,strengthen the limitation and supervision over power and run the country by rule of law so as to settle the predicaments in political system reform and promote socialist democratic and political construction.


As today's tele-conference system cannot fully meet the needs of cooperative checking of electronic drawings, this paper presents the concept and the implementation of a cooperative drawing inspection model which orients to designing process. This model applies COM/ DCOM technology to realize the synchronous interaction involved during drawing discussion. It combines the characteristics of drawing discussions and the function of Tele-conference, thus provids a model of high efficiency for designing departments.


The purpose of the current investigation is the construction and
 validation of the Self-Efficacy Scale (ACAES) through a deliberate sample of
 1101 Chilean school students. The methodological procedure was carried out
 from the classic approach perspective of the theory of the test,
 complementing the exploratory factor analysis with the models of the
 structural equation modeling (SEM). The exploratory factor analysis of the
 18 statements of the scale showed a structure of 3 factors, namely:
 confidence in the task; effort made in performing the task and comprehension
 of the task. The statistics associated to the instrument show a 57.037% of
 explained variance and a Cronbach alpha of the total scale of 0.917. At
 confirmatory level (SEM), the model obtained a goodness degree of global
 adjustment (Chi Square /gl) equal to 2.87, a RMSEA equal to 0.049, as well
 as, adequate adjustment index, namely, CFI=0.963; IFI=0.963 and RMSR
 (standardised)=0.0359. The psychometric properties account for a valid and
 reliable instrument for measurement of academic self-efficacy in school
 context, as well as, to facilitate cognitive and metacognitive processes as
 self-regulatory learning strategy.


This article studies the formation of microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti–6Al–4V alloy manufactured by direct laser deposition (DLD) as a result of post-processing. Heat treatment, hot rolling and hot isostatic pressing (HIP) of additively produced material as well as different combinations of these methods were carried out as part of the investigation. It was determined that material density increased as an average of 0.05% as a result of post-processing. Specimen's microstructure changed subtly upon post-processing, however, HIP of specimens caused widmanstatten structure decomposition and resulted in the most intense material strength deterioration. Post-processing including plastic deformation causes a decrease in material tensile strength at an average of 3% and an increase in elongation by almost 2 times.


Sixty-five hours of Na lidar observations of vertical and horizontal winds, temperature, and Na density were obtained during eight different nights in 1994 and 1995 at the Starfire Optical Range, New Mexico, using a 3,5 m diameter telescope. The high-resolution data are used to study the spectra of gravity wave perturbations in the mesopause region. Wave activity was strong during the observations. The average variances of temperature, relative atmospheric density, horizontal wind, and vertical wind were 80 K 2 , 28 (%) 2 , 1100 m 2 /s 2 , and 4.3 m 2 /s 2 , respectively. The temperature, relative density, and horizontal wind spectra are generally consistent with the large body of published measurements and with the predictions of gravity wave theory. The observed temporal frequency (ω 0 ) and vertical wave number (m) spectra of vertical winds are both very shallow. The indices of the ω o spectra vary between -0.59±0.13 and -1.2±0.09, and the mean value is -0.76. The indices of the m spectra vary between -0.83±0.04 and -1.48±0.03, and the mean value is -1.1. In contrast, the indices of the horizontal wind m spectra vary between -2.8±0.10 and -3.2±0.13 with a mean of -3.0. These large differences imply that the underlying intrinsic spectra are not separable. However, the observed vertical wind m spectra are not consistent with the nonseparable theories which predict index values near +1. By using mathematical and numerical models, we show that the observed m spectra are distorted by Doppler and critical layer effects associated with the height-varying mean wind field. This distortion is greatest at high values of m and leads to observed vertical wind m spectra which are steeper than the underlying intrinsic spectra. Although the intrinsic spectra are definitely shallower (i.e., indices more positive) than the observations, it is not possible to determine if the measurements are entirely consistent with any of the nonseparable wave dissipation theories.


Future environmental regulations are creating new employment requirements within traditional engineering organizations. Theseorganizations require recent graduates to have a strong handle on environmental issues related to new product development. Sincemechanical engineering curricula are saturated with courses covering a broad spectrum of engineering fundamentals, there is littleroom to develop a separate course to teach principles related to sustainable product design. This manuscript presents a novel method for teaching Design for Environment (DfE) strategies within a mechanical engineering product design course through theuse of expert critiques. The results from this study indicate that integration of a critique based module within an existing designproject is an effective medium for teaching sustainable product design. Also, receiving feedback in the form of disruptive designcritiques breeds innovative design modifications that lower the energy and carbon footprints of the design across multiple lifecyclestages. More importantly, the results indicate that after participating in this teaching module, students are more likely to apply thelearned DfE principles within academia and industry.


It has long been known that sub-volcanic gas-solid reactions involving iron play a major role in determining the redox state (R H = log f H2 /log f H2O ) of discharging gases [1]. However, the role played by calcium in these environments has only recently been recognized through high temperature gas-solid experimental studies. These studies show that SO 2 in high temperature (>600°C) volcanic gas mixtures efficiently reacts with plagioclase and other calcic rock-forming minerals to simultaneously deposit anhydrite and release reduced sulfur [2]. Through low anhydrite and sulfide solubilities, these reactions control the total S content of the gas phase and thence the redox state and H 2 S/SO 2 ratio of the gas mixture. We have confirmed using multi-component thermochemical modelling of gas-solid equilibria and titration-precipitation reactions along adiabatic expansion pathways from magma to surface, that for volcanic gas mixtures of > 400 °C, R H is primarily controlled by anorthite - pyroxene - anhydrite - sulfide reactions, irrespective of their tectonic location, state of volcanic activity and the composition of the gas mixtures released from the magma. These open system models result in compositions that are consistent with global high temperature fumarole gases (Figure 1). Sulfur sequestration is therefore an inevitable consequence of anhydrite and sulfide


Samples are prepared with (Sr,Pb)TiO3 powder as main raw material.Donor dopant used
Y2O3.The preparation gists of (Sr,Pb)TiO3 material with V-type positive temperature coefficient are
outlined.The suitable amount of dopant is determined.The semiconductor mechanism of it is
explained.


Since the advent of Self Help Groups (SHG) and Microfinance(MF) in the '90s, they havecome to play a major role in many gender and development strategies because oftheir direct relationship to financial inclusion, poverty alleviation and the empowerment of women. Women are the most crucial elements of the social fabric and are playing a pivotal role in the socio-economic scenario of Karnataka. Microfinance programs for Self Help Help(SHGs) in India have been promoted for their positive economic impact and the belief that they empower women. The survey was conducted on around 50 respondents from various SHGs of Mysore and Chamarajanagar districts of Karnataka and the analysis was done for identifying the empowerment of women through microfinance. The result stronglydemonstrates that on average, there is a significant increase in women empowerment of the Self Help Groups members.


A method for heating a cooking vessel by means of an induction heating device, wherein the induction heating device includes a resonant circuit having an induction heating coil, comprises the steps of: feeding a predetermined amount of energy in the cooking vessel by means of the induction heating device as a function of a selected by a user heating stage and / or from one of the user selected cooking vessel type, then determining and storing a parameter value of the resonant circuit, which is dependent on a temperature of the cooking vessel, in particular the cooking vessel base, and controlling the at least one parameter value to a desired value which is dependent on the stored parameter value.


This article provides the merits and demerits of artificial or cultured meat as against conventional method of meat production. It then highlights and discusses the key issues that must be addressed to promote cultured meat in Africa, such as the acquisition of this meat production technology, enactment of the needed laws to govern its production, establishment of the meat standards and safety measures and addressing the aesthetic appeal of cultured meat. The rest include education of the general public about its merit, encouraging entrepreneurs to venture into it and lastly using innovative marketing strategy to promote its consumption.


The objectives of this Participatory Action Research atr to create and synthesize the youth's network development in order to make a prevention against the fray among vocational students. There were 3 groups, which were local researcher, research participants, and stakeholders. This study had completed 3 loops. Each loop consisted of planning, taking action and observation, and reflection. The research found that there were 3 forms of the youth's network development. One of them happened inside the educational instutite that was the beginning of forming network. For the others were something happening between or among different institutes, breaking the wall and co-operation for development. Apparently, each form indicated the relationship, activities, stages of manipulation, related persons, and results. Keywords: the youth's network,  prevention against the fray among vocational students, participatory action research


Firstly, it is theoretically justified that the microstrip line metamaterials consisted of the composite right/left handed transmission line is of the left handed property. Then, the metamaterials possessing the characteristic of wide frequency band are constructed with the composite right/left handed transmission line. At the same time, the investigation results of the passive microwave devices composed of the metamaterials, which are analyzed, designed and developed by our group in recent years, are introduced. The investigation results indicate that because of having the left handed property of the composite right/left handed transmission line, the novel devices are predominant either in insert loss, size or in performances than the devices consisted of the traditional microstrip lines.


The title compound, C8H9ClN4S, which has potential insecticidal activity, was synthesized by the reaction of 2-chloro-5-methylnicotinaldehyde and thiosemicarbazide. In the crystal structure, the molecules are linked via intermolecular N—H⋯N, N—H⋯S and N—H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds, forming a three-dimensional network stacked down a.


The present paper deals record of a Rhipicephalus tick, reported for the first time from Manipur, a new record of India. The species under this genus have usual morphological features viz., having a hard sclerotized scutum which completely cover the dorsal surface of the body in males but present a small shield just behind the capitulum in female, basis capitulum is hexagonal in shape, mouth part anterior in position, eyes if present are located near the lateral margin of the scutum, presence of adanal plate in male, presence of festoons, etc. The present specimen which is reporting as a new record was collected from cattle (Bos indicus) from Wakha (24o46'22'' N, 93o59'12''E) Imphal East District, Manipur,India. On detailed microscopic observation, the present specimen was found to possess the morphological characters similar to the already known Rhipicephalus species, Rhipicephalus deltoides is a first record from India. Figures : 02 References : 06 Table : 01


JUIN 2008 14 The US and NATO sit precariously perched on the precipice of failure in Afghanistan. As suggested by Lieutenant-General David Richards, former commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, "We need to realize we could actually fail here." Such a failure could irreparably damage NATO's credibility and create a regional crisis throughout central and south Asia. In this article, Thomas H. Johnson and Richard English suggest that the lessons drawn from British experience in Northern Ireland might be constructively applied to the situation in Afghanistan — offering a way for NATO to edge back from the brink of failure and regional catastrophe.


526 children in special families and 510 children in ordinary families are tested by using the self-made Mental Health Checklist for elementary and middle school students. The results indicate that the self-concept of children in special families is the worst followed by learning and cognitive problems, and character disfigurement and emotional problems rank the third. Results also reveal that children in special families are significantly lower than children in ordinary families in 'learning and cognition', 'interpersonal adaptation', 'behavioral problem', 'emotional problem', 'character disfigurement', 'self-concept' and general mental health. Mental health of children in different types of special families is compared and the results reveal that the level of mental health of children in separation families is the lowest followed by that of children in migrant families, and that of children in divorced families, spouse-loss families and remarried families ranks the third, and the highest is that of children in parent-absent families. Furthermore, in special families, results also show that the problems of learning and cognition of junior high school students are significantly more than those of elementary school students. And the problems of self-concept of female elementary school students are remarkably more than those of male elementary school students. And the problems of interpersonal adaptation, behavior, and the general mental health of male junior high school students are observably more than those of female junior high school students.


Scaled dot-product attention applies a softmax function on the scaled dot-product of queries and keys to calculate weights and then multiplies the weights and values. In this work, we study how to improve the learning of scaled dot-product attention to improve the accuracy of DETR. Our method is based on the following observations: using ground truth foreground-background mask (GT Fg-Bg Mask) as additional cues in the weights/values learning enables learning much better weights/values; with better weights/values, better values/weights can be learned. We propose a triple-attention module in which the first attention is a plain scaled dot-product attention, the second/third attention generates high-quality weights/values (with the assistance of GT Fg-Bg Mask) and shares the values/weights with the first attention to improve the quality of values/weights. The second and third attentions are removed during inference. We call our method knowledge-sharing DETR (KS-DETR), which is an extension of knowledge distillation (KD) in the way that the improved weights and values of the teachers (the second and third attentions) are directly shared, instead of mimicked, by the student (the first attention) to enable more efficient knowledge transfer from the teachers to the student. Experiments on various DETR-like methods show consistent improvements over the baseline methods on the MS COCO benchmark. Code is available at https://github.com/edocanonymous/KS-DETR.


Haavelmo's visit to Aarhus in 1938-39 did not have any influence on his famous econometric contributions. But if one considers Haavelmo's post-1945 research in the balanced budget multiplier and the investment theory, there seem to be indications of much more inspiration from the discussion that went on at Aarhus University. At least, this is the simplest explanation of a couple of 'independent' publications of closely parallel results.


This document describes various data problems and procedures for the treatment of merchandise trade. Preparation of bilateral merchandise trade for the GTAP 7 Data Base involves different approaches for confronting multiple challenges. Although wide discrepancies in reported bilateral trade flows are not a new problem, some of the largest discrepancies in bilateral trade are the result of re-export activity. With China now playing a more prominent role in world trade there are growing complexities because of indirect trade. Indirect trade is not permitted in the GTAP Data Base and it must be dealt with. Most methods for reconciling trade flows have generally not worked well for China and its trading partners because of the intermediary role of Hong Kong in China's external trade. Nearly every country is a trading partner of China directly or indirectly, including China itself.1 Transshipment activity presents one of the most complex and growing problems, not just for China and Hong Kong, but for reconciling global bilateral trade flows.


The paper discusses the modern works devoted to the hereditary form of breast cancer. There are the basic differences of the hereditary and sporadic forms of breast cancer in clinical course, pathomorphological characteristics and prognostic factors. The principal preventive methods against the Development of the hereditary breast cancer are discussed: dynamic supervision, conservative and surgical prophylactics.


Abstract Objective. To evaluate the efficacy of a training program in pediatric intensive care for pediatric residents. Design. A prospective observational study. Setting. A pediatric intensive care unit. Interventions and measurements. A training program for residents in pediatrics. We performed an initial and final written theoretical test, an evaluation by the physician responsible for the program, a self-assessment by the residents, and a written survey on the quality of the training program. Results. Fifty-three pediatric residents were included in the training program. All residents showed improvement between the initial and final written theoretical tests [initial score 4.8±1.2, final score 8.3±0.8, p<0.001]. Only 7.5% of the residents answered correctly at least 70% of the questions in the initial theoretical test, compared with 94.1% in the final test [p<0.001]. The score in the final theoretical test, 8.3±0.8, was significantly higher than the residents' self-evaluation, 6.7±0.9, and the evaluat...


In the Window XP system,an experiment software of automatic control theory based on MATLAB has been developed.This software is manipulated convenient and easy,it has strong man-computer conversation and graphical and computer parameters functions,it is a experiment teaching software with strong practicality.In the paper,the background and the structure of the software has been introduced in detail.It has been indicated that the system has great sense in teaching and experiment.


Each year, in a solemn Sunni Muslim feast, the Ait Mazine of northern Morocco reenact the story of Abraham as a ritual sacrifice, a symbolic observance of submission to the divine. After comes a bacchanalian masquerade which seems to violate every principle the sacrifice affirmed. Costumed men sing and dance and torment villagers, their wild activities centering around a mute figure sewn into the skins of sacrificed animals. This character is attended by several others who keep up a constant patter that mocks the social order, especially marriage, women, older men, and the Qu'ran. Because of the apparent contradiction between sacrifice and masquerade, observers have described the two as entirely separate events. Abdellah Hammoudi's study reunites them as a single ritual process within Islamic tradition. Working with metaphors of stage and play, Hammoudi details the festival from the rituals of makeup and costume through the final spectacle. Each part of the ceremony denies and at the same time conjures up the other. The contradictions inherent in social and religious life are vividly enacted; sacrifice and masquerade appear.


The invention relates to a plate-like member having a thickness (t) with a plate-like member (1) by a mounting opening (9) having the inside dimension (D) by cross-fastening means (2), wherein the fastening means (2) comprises: - sweeping a rigid, the mounting opening (9) the sleeve (6) of a length L>, t through which a fastening element can be guided, - the sleeve (6) on the outer circumference / disengagement body (3) surrounded by at least one damping of a knitted wire fabric, wherein the damping body (3) (9) has in the region of passage through the fastening opening an outer dimension of D


Biologically active PTH (bio‐PTH) has been assayed by the cytochemical bioassay in five members (three affected) of a family with typical features of familial hypocalciuric hypercalcaemia (FHH). Carboxy‐terminal immunoreactive PTH was undetectable and bio‐PTH was within the normal range in all the subjects regardless of whether or not they were hypercalcaemic. These results suggest that increased biological activity of circulating PTH cannot account for the hypercalcaemia of FHH.


Several researches concluded roles of training including increasing the efficiency and compatibility of staff with the environment and consequently, improving service quality. Create job satisfaction and reduce conflict and disobedience, reduce absenteeism rates, other unnecessary costs and accidents, help improve individual performance and organizational effectiveness, develop talent, improve staff morale, facilitate the achievement of organizational goals. In the new normal conditions triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic which has occurred for more than 1 year in Indonesia, this also has an impact on training and learning activities so that the company transfers all training activities that are normally done face-to-face in class, replaced with digital and online training. This research is designed to see the relationship between the dimensions of online training participant satisfaction with online training referrals by participant to recommend the training to other employees to get online training business opportunities. This research was conducted through two methods in stages. The first one uses the exploratory method and continues by using the descriptive method. As the result of this research there is a significant relationship between the Online Training Dimension and Participant Training Satisfaction and Referral Training optimized to get greater opportunities to answer online training needs for companies, especially during the pandemic. This study has limitations, namely, research is only carried out under the ongoing Covid 19 pandemic, and research is carried out on a population of online training participants who attend training with a typical method.


The invention discloses a drilling bucket and a rotary drilling rig. The drilling bucket comprises a drilling bucket upper bottom, a drilling bucket lower bottom and a drilling bucket cylinder body for connecting the drilling bucket upper bottom with the drilling bucket lower bottom, wherein spiral reinforcing ribs are formed on the inner circumferential wall of the drilling bucket cylinder body. According to the invention, the spiral reinforcing ribs arranged inside the drilling bucket cylinder body can improve the stiffness of the drilling bucket, so that the possibility of the deformation of the drilling bucket cylinder body can be reduced, and the service life of the drilling bucket can be prolonged; besides, the weight of the conventional drilling bucket can be reduced while the drilling bucket stiffness is improved, so that the load of a mast and an amplitude variation mechanism of the rotary drilling rig can be reduced, and the service life of the rotary drilling rig can be prolonged.


The magnetism of nine salts containing the bis[2-(2-pyridylamino)-4-(2- pyridyl)thiazole]iron(II) ion has been investigated over the temperature range c. 100-350°K. All salts were obtained hydrated and in some instances the magnetism of the anhydrous salts was also investigated. The magnetism was found to be markedly dependent on the anion of the salt. Two distinct classes of compounds were recognized- those obeying a simple Curie-Weiss law and having magnetic moments corresponding to the expected value for spin-free iron(II); and those whose temperature dependence of magnetism was found to be anomalous. For these compounds the magnetic moments varied from almost spin-paired to almost spin-free values. The anomalous behaviour has been qualitatively interpreted in terms of a thermal equilibrium between the nearly equi-energetic spin-paired and spin-free states of the iron atom. The differences in the behaviour of different salts have been ascribed to differences in crystal lattice forces. The presence of hydrate water in the crystal lattice has been shown in some instances to have a marked influence on the magnetism. Two magnetically isomeric forms of the anhydrous chloride salt have been obtained. It has been shown that there is an association between the magnetism and colour of the compounds.


The latest results are presented from NBCD experiments at the Globus-M spherical tokamak. The Globus-M2 NBI upgrade program is discussed, in particular, the analysis of the injection geometry and choice of the optimal experiment layout. The results from numerical simulations of plasma heating and current drive by two neutral beams in the Globus-M2 shots are also analysed.


Advanced ultrasonic beamforming techniques are often computationally intensive and difficult to implement in real-time. GPU computing has become a vital tool for software beamforming because of its massive parallel computing capabilities. However, GPU-based software beamforming has not yet been integrated into a real-time imaging system. We have recently introduced short-lag spatial coherence (SLSC) imaging as a coherence-based beamforming technique that is more robust to clutter than conventional B-mode imaging. The algorithm is computationally expensive, and has been limited to offline processing to date. By combining SLSC beamforming on the GPU with a Verasonics ultrasound scanner, we have realized a real-time side-by-side B-mode and SLSC imaging system capable of achieving up to 6 frames per second (fps). We demonstrate the system's real-time capabilities with phantom and in vivo scans, and briefly examine the relative performance of B-mode and SLSC imaging.


This study was carried out to determine the performance level of junior secondary school teachers in Ebonyi State, in test development skills. The population of the study was made up of 363 Junior Secondary school teachers. Three research questions were developed and answered while one null hypothesis was formulated and tested. A 23 structured item questionnaire was developed, which was validated by three experts. The instrument was administered to the respondents through the help of three research assistants. The Cronbach alpha method was used to test the internal consistency of the questionnaire items and obtained a co-efficient of 0. 92. Mean statistics was used to answer the research questions, while the null hypothesis was tested using t-test at 0.05 level of significance. The result of the study reveals that the performance level of the teachers in 7 principle and process skills was of little and very little extent; while their performance level in 6 specification skills shows very little extent. The study also revealed 10 constraints to effective performance of both male and female teachers in the skill required for good test development. It was therefore recommended that Tertiary institutions which train out teachers should create more time and practical exercises for in-service and preservice teachers, Government should provide test development modules or materials, and then organize and sponsor test development workshops and seminars for teachers for improved school based cognitive (test) assessment.


The Digital transformation (DT) has challenged most of the Event Management (EM) services at a time when organizers of open public events still faced a lot of manual operations upon registration of the public event's participants. This survey demonstrates a model to increase a level of digitalization and use of technology, with increased self-service level for registered participants and digital data transfer. The model is based on outcomes from the series of several case studies, practical tests and research activities in Latvia, Albania, and Germany. The paper examines different ways how organizers are able to innovate their routine activities and encourage the broader public to learn and use various digital technologies: Radio-frequency identification (RFID), Near-field Communication (NFC), Quick Response (QR) codes and Mobile apps with a purpose to link the physical and the digital world in the one coherent model. In this research the major part of event management process modelling had been done by Business process Model and Notation (BPMN2) approach. The approach proposed by authors aims to reduce the costs and workload of organizers associated with participants' registration in open public events where preliminary registration is still practically impossible or forbidden because of personal data protection issues.


The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the long-term results after subantroscopic laterobasal sinus floor augmentation (SALSA). The mean follow-up was 6,5 years. 94 patients (37 male, 57 female) were treated with this minimally invasive technique. The augmentation material was autologous bone or bone substitute material. During 1996 and 2007 320 implants were inserted. 295 implants were placed simultaneously, 25 implants were placed in a delayed surgery. 13 implant failures were observed, most of them in the first year after loading. The implant survival-rate was 95,8% and the success rate was 94,7%. In our group of patients the mean bone loss was estimated by 2,9 mm. The mean probing depth was 2,9mm mesial and 3,3 distal. The mean results using the periotest were -2,42 and thus confirmed the osseointegration of the implants. Regarding the implant location, the survivalrate was lowest at position of the first molar (92,6%) compared to premolars or second molars. Concerning the preoperative bone height, the implant survival-rate was worse in highly reduced residual bone (93,6%) in comparison to higher preoperative bone heights (98,2%). The SALSA-technique was approved by most patients because of low postoperative discomfort and an improvement in quality of life. With this technique adequate bone levels for implantation can be achieved. The minimally invasive SALSA-technique is a predictable and longlasting therapeutic option.


Reverse channel selection problem in reverse supply chain management were studied.A model that contains a single manufacturer and a single retailer was established and solved based on the relationship between unit take-back cost and return rate.In addition,the beginning investment parameter was defined in measuring the difficulty for each supply chain members to build their reverse channel.By case analysis,the best strategy in different situations was given.


The arthritic varus knee (AVK), charaterised by an overloaded medial compartment of the joint, shows different clinical patterns with corresponding distinctive pathological signs. The surgical approach with opening wedge high tibial osteotomy is indicated in less demanding cases. Transferring the stress in the cartilage and bone of lateral compartment it may represent a definitive solution for both the deformity and the mechanical axis.

Between 1995 and 2003 we treated 52 patients, 60 knees, with distractional osteogenesis using external fixators. The mean age was 51 years (range 45 to 68 years). Radiographic findings showed a third-degree condition according to the Ahlback classification, while pathologically the condition was considered second degree according to the Outerbridge classification. The mean initial varus angle was 8.2°. We analysed the clinical results using the Hospital for Special Surgery score scale and the radiographic result by standing standard X-rays and Rosemberg X-rays.

We followed 38 of 52 patients for 3, 6, 9 and 12 months and then conducted a yearly control with a mean follow up of 4.2 years. The clinical score was 78.5 versus 45.5 in the pre-operative evaluation. At the follow-up radiographic evaluation shows a valgus angle of 2.98° even if there was less of initial correction (mean angle at 6 month 3.53°).

The technique used, moving the weight to the normal compartment of the knee, gives a definitive solution to varus of the femoral-tibial joint, correcting both the deformity and the mechanical axis. The treatment showed several advantages for possible new correction in the late post-operative period and and a minimally invasive operation, even though patient compliance is not good. The best results were obtained thanks to rigorously following the indication for this treatment. In these patients we consider distractional osteogenesis using external fixators a definitive treatment for AVK and not only a way to gain time and to postpone total knee replacement, which is always possible after an osteotomy.


In an op-ed article in The Times of India, Bill Gates wrote that "information and communication technology is opening up enormous opportunities for many more people to participate in the global economy no matter where they may live. Soon, the prospects of a highly educated young person in India or almost any other emerging economy will match those of a young person in Europe or the United States and this opportunity will depend not on where you live, but what you know" (April 23, 2008). Developed countries--such as the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada--have poured billions of dollars into bringing technology into schools without, as yet, realizing a huge difference in productivity. The early focus on buying computers and wiring schools has given way to a focus on more clearly defining the objectives of information and communication technologies in education and linking those to needed changes in curriculum and professional development. Still, effectively integrating technology into schools and classrooms continues to elude school systems in many developed countries. However, the greatest likelihood for educational transformation through technology may occur in emerging economies, where schooling has not been universal and governments can't keep up with the growing aspirations of their populations for education at all levels. In these countries, technology can provide access to underserved communities, can improve quality and learning outcomes, and can deepen educational experiences on a large scale. For example, in India, the government is facing the challenge of expanding enrollment in secondary schools from 40% to 65% of the age group over the next few years and doubling the number of university places without sufficient financial resources or teachers to do so. Technology has to be a big part of the solution. As Sam Pitroda, chairman of the Indian government's National Knowledge Commission, points out, "school is not synonymous with a building with a blackboard and a teacher." India is taking advantage of the fact that technology makes it possible to bring the knowledge of the entire world to the smallest rural villages or urban slums. Experiments with online courses; with open sourceware, in which universities put their courses and materials online for free; and with iLabs, where students can perform a range of experiments online despite their schools' lack of traditional laboratories, will help India meet the knowledge challenges for its more than one billion people. In China, where there has been vast migration from the countryside to large cities, it's difficult to attract people into teaching in rural areas and bring the quality of education in those areas up to the standards of the cities. Rural schools use satellite broadcast and distance learning technology extensively to provide high-quality science education, taught by master teachers, as well as professional development for local teachers. Korea, by contrast, is a highly wired country where computing is ubiquitous and students live in a digital culture. Here, the driver for using technology isn't lack of access or quality of schools, but how to communicate effectively with today's students. Korea has created a national online tutoring system to help students prepare for examinations. A digital textbook is also being piloted. …


In this thesis, the structural ensembles and interactions of three proteins in different states have been characterized by high-resolution solution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) in combination with several other techniques: (i) the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-binding protein LBP, which is the first receptor of LPS by the innate immune system, (ii) the hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx), which is involved in hepatitis B virus entry and replication, and (iii) urea-denatured ubiquitin, as a model system for an unfolded state ensemble.

Chapter 1 provides an introduction to the current state of Structural Biology, stating the importance of the three-dimensional structure of biomolecules and of changes in the structure during function. However, it is now recognized that also highly disordered proteins with no fixed three-dimensional structure, such as intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs), have important functional roles. Related to this phenomenon is the question how a specific amino acid sequence determines the three-dimensional conformation of a protein.
Chapter 2 describes the successful production of the human lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-binding protein (hLBP) in insect cells and its biophysical characterization. By circular dichroism (CD) it was shown to contain a mixture of secondary structure elements that is similar to the solved mouse LBP (mLBP) structure. Using a growth medium supplemented by isotope-labeled algal extract (AE) and yeast extract (YE), the protein was 15N-labeled and further characterized by NMR. A 1H-15N-TROSY HSQC spectrum allowed to resolve 324 out of 473 expected resonances. In addition, 15N T and T relaxation experiments led to the determination of the rotational correlation time (τc) of hLBP, verifying its monomeric state in solu- tion. To characterize the interaction of hLBP with various glycolipids, two tryptophan residues on the N-terminal tip were used as a probe to assess the binding of glycolipid ligands. Upon binding, the internal quenching of the tryptophan fluorescence was released. This effect was more pronounced for LPS F515 and Lipid IVa than for smaller glycolipids. Additional surface plasmon resonance (SPR) experiments showed that hLBP binds to glycolipid aggregates with low micromolar affinity. Further, it was shown by SPR that LBP covers LPS micelles at a 1:3 LBP:LPS stoichiometry. However, only in the presence of the cluster of differentiation 14 (CD14) protein the LPS disaggregates.
Chapter 3 provides a detailed structural and dynamic characterization of the hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx). Using NMR, a nearly complete backbone and side-chain assignment was achieved. The analysis of secondary chemical shifts and 15N relaxation data showed that, despite being highly mobile on the nanosecond time scale, the protein contains four regions with slower backbone dynamics and propensity to form transient secondary structure elements (α-helices and β-strand). Remarkably these regions overlap with known functional motifs of HBx.
Chapter 4 describes a comparison of single-molecule Forster Resonance Energy Transfer (smFRET), NMR and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) data to describe the urea-denatured state of ubiquitin. The analysis showed perfect agreement between the dis- tance-distributions derived from smFRET and NMR/SAXS-restrained ensembles. The NMR measurements supplied important details on local structural propensities and backbone dynamics, and provided even short- and long-range interactions that are only populated to a low percentage. The SAXS data complemented the NMR data with additional constraints of the overall shape of the unfolded-state. The smFRET provided subpopulation-specific distance distributions over a wide range of denaturant concentrations and revealed chain reconfiguration times in the 50-100 ns range. Overall, the combination of the three methods presents the currently most comprehensive description of the structural and dynamic properties of an urea-denatured protein.


Stress is common in medical students. However, studies on stress among students in Indian medical schools are very few. The present study was undertaken to determine the prevalence and sources of stress among first year Malaysian students at Melaka Manipal Medical College (MMMC), (Manipal Campus), India. The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) was used as the screening instrument. Based on the score, the prevalence of emotional disorders was determined. The sources of stress in students were identified by asking them to respond to a questionnaire which had items categorized under academic and non-academic problems. It was found that the prevalence of stress among the students was 37.3%. Among the sources of stress, frequent examinations and information overload were found to be the greatest sources of stress among academic problems. Among nonacademic problems, limited time for recreation and home-sickness were found to be the greatest sources of stress. The present study revealed that academic problems were greater sources of stress in first year medical students compared to non-academic problems. The study provided scope for adopting strategies intended to reduce students' stress


Individual learning capabilities can vary from gifted to exceptionally slow; some students may take longer to understand a concept and may not be able to achieve the expected standard. However, in a non-discriminative education system, one of the objectives is to motivate individuals to acquire new knowledge and understand concepts, no matter what their initial skills and knowledge levels may be. Students get motivated and will continue to learn only if they feel engaged and rewarded. In this paper we propose an interactive environment, using 3D rendering, for computer-based learning and testing. A novel approach to automatically assign difficulty levels to questions and to adaptively evaluate individual student performance is discussed along with some examples.


In one embodiment, the support structure includes a substrate, a compliant layer and the protective layer, the support structure for the semiconductor device in the welding process (e.g., a lead frame) secured to the window clamp. When holding a semiconductor device, the compliant layer uniform load distribution over the surface of the semiconductor device. In other embodiments, the compliant layer can be segmented into individual portions of the window corresponding to the openings in the jig. Window clamp may also have a compliant layer and the protective layer, and may have a structure on the support member without having to use or compliant layer. It may include a feature on the protective layer to the support structure of the semiconductor device.


Background: Human resources are the key component of health systems. It is critical to have the right number of human resources at anytime and anywhere in the health system. This article aims to help local health decision makers to identify potential gaps between the future supply and demand of human resources and to make necessary changes in medical training processes to fill the gap. Methods: An eight-stage process was applied to project the supply and demand of health workers in Ilam province in 2025 for the following fields: public health, environmental health, general medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing and midwifery. To estimate the demand for human resources, a mainly population-based model (manpower-to-population ratio) was applied. A modified version of the Australian dynamic stock and flow model was used to predict the supply of new recruits in 2025. The potential surplus or shortfall in the health workforce was calculated by comparing the supply and demand in 2025. Results: The demand and supply projections for the chosen fields were estimated respectively as: general medicine 457, 709; pharmacy 131, 86; dentistry 86, 251; nursing 949, 1657; midwifery 24, 247; public health 182, 211; and environmental health 92, 225. Conclusions: The current trend of medical graduates will meet the need for human resources in 2025, and there is no need to increase medical student admission. The Education Deputy of Ilam Medical University should take into account the health needs of its catchment area in medical educational processes and training new health-care staff.


Credit risk models have played a key part in the global credit crisis. The main shortcomings of these models are examined and a new causal framework is proposed to build deductive credit default models that have predictive capabilities.


Based on the study of the principles of the three-step search (TSS) algorithm, an improved new TSS algorithm is proposed, in which the idea of parallel seach is used in the first step of search. The improved new TSS algorithm solves the problem of that the estimation result is poor for smaller motion, and at the same time keeps the high efficiency of the origoinal TSS algorithm.


X‐ray microtomography can visualize 3D structures of biological soft tissues at cellular to subcellular resolution. Such 3D structures are composed of a great number of cells and extracellular matrices that should be assigned separately as tissue constituents. Here, we report a method for building a skeletonized model of the human brain network in a 3D distribution map of linear absorption coefficients determined by microtomography. The 3D models of neurons were automatically built by using a Sobel filter and manually edited via a graphical interface. The simplification of the 3D coefficient map facilitates understanding of microtomographic structures composed of huge numbers of voxels. We suggest that x‐ray microtomography along with model building in the 3D coefficient map is a potential method for understanding 3D microstructures relevant to biological functions, like x‐ray crystallography in molecular biology.


Abstract In this article, a dynamic analysis of an offshore wind turbine (OWT) considering soil structure interaction (SSI) is performed. The design of these highly expensive structures tends to find the best compromise between cost and safety. To do so, a coupling between reliability-based design optimization and the numerical model of the OWT is required. An extension of some RBDO methods such as the optimum safety factor, hybrid method, and the robust hybrid method in the case of an OWT considering SSI is then proposed. Results show that these techniques lead to an optimal configuration in the unsafe zone. For this, a modified hybrid method (MHM) is developed in order to overcome the drawback of the other methods. By comparing it results to the classical ones, the advantages and the efficiency of the MHM is then presented.


Development and Optimization of a Micro Degasser for the HPLC considering the industrial feasability ln liquid chromatography, degassers are used to reduce the amount of gas dissolved in the solvents used. The solvents are typically stored in contact with the surrounding air so that they usually are in a gas saturated state. These dissolved gases adversely affect the chromatographic measurements. lf a solvent mixture is used, for example alcohol/water, the gas solubility of the mixture may be reduced in comparison with that of the single substance. This Ieads to the formation of gas bubblas which have detrimental effects on the stability of the fluid flow and the composition of the solvents. Oxygen dissolved in a solvent adversely affects detection sensitivity. ln UV detection, the high solubility of oxygen in eluents is noticeable, and large fluctuations of oxygen concentration can Iead to pronounced detection noise at wavelength below 260 nm. The high absorbance even can be used to measure the oxygen content. ln fluorescence the presence of oxygen causes the quenching effect which may Iead to a suppression of the fluorescence detection. For this reason, fluorescence measurements can only be made when using degassed solvents. To avoid gasbubblas and to improve analyses results given by the detectors, it is imperative to degas the liquids being used. The development of the degasser is based on the on-line vacuum degassing technique. A membrane permeable for gases and less permeable for liquids is used for degassing. The liquid is Iead through a cavity, which is covered by that membrane. On the other side of the membrane, another cavity is evacuated by a vacuum pump. The dissolved gases permeate through the membrane in the evacuated cavity driven by the pressure difference and are removed by the vacuum pump. The membrane is made out of PTFE (Polytetrafluorethylene) only having a thickness of about 5 !Jm. The manufacturing process is the AMANDA-Process, developed at the Institut für Mikrostrukturtechnik of the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe. A new process is developed to join chemically inert that thin membrane and a housing, also made out of PTFE, to create the fluid cavity. The process costs are very low, the process is fast and a connection without destroying the thin membrane is achieved at a very high output rate. A FEP-Foil is used as a welding foil between the membrane and the housing. By pressing a thermode on the membrane and heating the assembly to the melting point of the FEP, a connection is established within 1 0 to 15 s. The evacuated cavity contains a supporting structure, which prevents the thin PTFE-membrane from being damaged by the Ioad of the high pressure difference of about 1 bar. Experiments have been made to evaluate the maximum stretched circular area of the membrane without any support structure to achieve a lifespan of about 5 years. The maximum radius of such an area is about 16 IJm. The geometrical dimensions of the micro degasser, described in this report are smaller than usual online vacuum degassers. The degasser's inner volume is 60 times smaller so the chromatograph can be put into operation in a shorter period of time. The performance of the first prototype (66 mAU) already is about one third of the usual used degasser's performance (200 mAU). All materials used are chemically inert.