Frequency translation circuits are key elements in communication systems. This paper presents a frequency balanced tripler for 12.6 GHz satellite communication systems, focusing on the advantages of substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) technology. The successful first iteration SIW balanced tripler achieved a state-of-the-art output power of 20.75 dBm and a conversion gain of 3.75 dB.


Abstract We derive a Markovian kinetic equation by a combination of the operator methods of Zwanzig and the Bloch-Hubbard theory of spin-phonon relaxation, whereby the diagonal singularity condition for the matrix elements of the interaction operator is not invoked. The formalism is useful for the derivation of the stochastic ising model master equation employed by Glauber.


Modified 9Cr-1Mo steel is now being used for high-temperature structural components on a world wide scale because it has an extremely high allowable stress. In the design of high-temperature equipments, the prevention against creep-fatigue failure is an essential problem. However, the method of creep-fatigue life prediction has not been clarified for modified 9Cr-1Mo steel. In the creep-fatigue design of structural components, an inelastic analysis is often used when their service conditions are severe. And in such case, the estimated life is affected not only by the accuracy of a life prediction method but also by the accuracy of an inelastic analysis. Therefore, both of these accuracy should be taken into consideration to establish a rational creep-fatigue design method.In this paper, the method of life prediction by the linear damage rule for modified 9Cr-1Mo steel was investigated in the viewpoint of both the inelastic analysis and the damage evaluation. The results show that the effect of loading history should be considered both in stress-strain properties used for inelastic analysis and in creep-rupture properties used for creep damage evaluation in order to make a rational prediction.


Along with the tremendous vitality that alliance networks exhibited,the evolution of alliance networks has also aroused great concern from a number of academics. The paper firstly analyzes the connotation of alliance networks and evolution from diversified perspectives and then introduces the basic situation and typical literatures on alliance networks evolution. On this fundament,the factors which facilitate the formation and evolution of alliance networks are expounded from three aspects,they are intrinsic motivation,extrinsic motivation and co- evolution views.


8-Phenyl-7,10-dithiasesquifulvalene-3,4-quinone (7a) and its halogen derivatives (7b and 7c) are synthesized. Although their IR and NMR data suggest a contribution of dipolar structure (7″) to the ground state, the solvent effect on the 1st bands in their ES showed a larger contribution of 7″ to the excited state rather than the ground state.


In response to our Report "Little emperors: Behavioral impacts of China's one-child policy" (22 February, p. [953][1]), X. Zhao et al. argued that only children resulting from China's one-child policy (OCP) are successful relative to their peers ("China's little emperors show signs of success," Letters, 22 February, p. [905][2]). However, our methodologies differ from those of the studies that Zhao et al. cite.

The papers cited by Zhao et al. rely on a simple comparison of behavioral outcomes between only children and children who have siblings. It is unclear whether the observed behavioral differences (or lack of behavioral differences) reflect parental behavioral differences or the effect of growing up without siblings. The effect of family background would be even more pronounced in families that had more than one child under OCP; these families would likely live in more rural environments, be minorities, or be immune from OCP through wealth or political connections.

We addressed this issue by comparing people born just before and just after OCP. Our instrumental variables method allows us to compare individuals who grew up as only children because of the OCP and who would have otherwise grown up with siblings, with individuals who were born just before the introduction of the OCP and hence grew up with siblings. We analyzed and controlled for the possibility of sample bias in education, wages, and age. (More details can be found in the supplementary online materials of our Report.) To clarify the power of our approach, we compared our results with those one would find if one did not account for the endogeneity problem explained above. In the section on "Evidence of Endogeneity" and in table S5 of our Report, we show that without the instrumental variables approach, we would have found differences between the two groups only in the trust game. However, with our approach, we detected that growing up without siblings also has an impact on risk and competition preferences.

Our Report also differs from previous studies because it uses experimental techniques in addition to survey questions to measure behavioral differences. We conducted games from the economics literature that are designed to elicit altruism, the ability to trust, trustworthiness, risk preferences, and competitiveness, allowing researchers to observe specific, well-defined types of behavior. Monetary incentives within the games were used, as experimental economists argue that they provide greater motivation for participants to reveal their true preferences ([ 1 ][3]). Our data may thus serve as more reliable indicators of behavior than self-reported surveys.

1. [↵][4]1. D. Davis, 2. C. Holt
 , Experimental Economics (Princeton Univ. Press, Princeton, NJ, 1993).

 [1]: pending:yes
 [2]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.339.6122.905-b
 [3]: #ref-1
 [4]: #xref-ref-1-1 "View reference 1 in text"


Abstract: The problems of tool-workpiece vibration surveillance during machining have been researched. The object of investigation has been analysed, and cutting dynamics and calculation model creation described. Various approaches to and computer simulations of non-stationary model vibration surveillance are explained, based upon optimal spindle speed control and step-changing spindle speed control. A procedure is developed for computer prediction of results of the programmecontrolled spindle speed surveillance strategy. Performance results are compared with those measured on a VMC FADAL 4020HT milling machine.


We present here a novel concept for the synthesis of branched N-acetyllactosamine (LacNAc) glycan structures. Through a combination of sequential enzymatic and chemical reactions of Leloir-glycosyltransferases, galactose oxidase and reductive amination, we obtained branched glycan oligomers with a variation of LacNAc and/or N',N''-diacetyllactosamine (LacdiNAc) glycan epitopes. Incorporation of a branching point was accomplished by an optimized galactose oxidase protocol rendering the C-6 aldehyde functionality at the terminal galactose of a LacNAc oligomer. After glycan chain elongation by glycosyltransferases, the C-6 aldehyde containing linear building block was conjugated with amine-linker functionalized glycans. Methanol and a temperature of 50 °C were found to be optimum conditions for the α-picoline borane catalyzed reductive amination. Chemically branched glycans were obtained in high synthetic yields (~81 %) in preparative batches. Product isolation was accomplished by preparative HPLC with good overall yields (>60 %). The structural integrity was proven by ESI-MS and NMR. The herein synthesized branched LacNAc oligomers feature a variation of Lac(di)NAc epitopes and were confirmed to be potent inhibitors of human galectin 3 (Gal-3). The branched decasaccharide with two LacdiNAc-LacNAc branches ranks among the most potent poly-LacNAc-based Gal-3 inhibitors so far.


Electronic-based loads such as computers, smart phones, etc. are fast expanding all around the world. On the other hand, the aging of distribution systems to deliver power to these users results in a low quality of power. To this aim, in this study, renewable energy sources (RESs) connected to networks by smart inverters, are allocated to support networks' weakness related to harmonic distortion, resulting in delivering high-quality power to customers. In other words, solar and wind energy resources are optimally allocated in reconfigurable distribution networks with the aim of minimizing total harmonic distortion (THD). Due to the nonlinearity of the problem, the proposed methodology is then optimized by using the differential evolution algorithm (DEA). The simulation results from a typical 33-bus IEEE test network demonstrate that network reconfiguration in the presence of renewable energies with the interface of smart inverters has an active role in THD compensation, loss minimization, etc.


X is ethylene or propylene, R is saturated alkyl hav ing from four to 14 carbon atoms, R. and Ra each are hydrogen or saturated alkyl having from six to 14 car bon atoms, R is a saturated alkyl of six to 14 carbon atoms, R is a saturated alkyl of 6 to 14 carbon atoms, n is an integer from 2 to 25, 2 is an integer from 1 to 9 and Me is hydrogen, alkali metal or an al kaline earth metal ion. These dispersing agents show a distinctly improved dispersing effect and effect a higher tinctorial strength so that smaller amounts of the dispersing agent are necessary as compared with other dispersing agents known hitherto.


The study of the Hol (Holocaust) provides the opportunity to study enduring effects of stressful experiences, many years after their occurrence. Yet the effect on attitudes and beliefs has been shown relatively little research interest. The present study compared Hol. survivors and children of survivors to two control groups in regard to political attitudes, religious identity, and future orientation. Survivors and children of survivors have been found to be different from the controls; almost 5 decades after the exposure to the trauma, both survivors and their descendants support the more centrally located political parties, express greater belief in God and a greater belief in a better future (χ2=8.945, p<0.030, χ2=15.046, p<0.020, χ2=17.438, p<0.042). Possible explanations accounting for these results are discussed.


PurposeInnovative small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are key economic actors, but they are fragile. Their innovation trajectory requires an evolution in their competencies as their strategy evolves, and this is a particularly critical concern when they are engaged in both exploration and exploitation activities and want to develop organisational ambidexterity. In turn, this brings challenges for human resource management (HRM): some research studies have identified "mobilising" practices for innovation, but few authors have taken a dynamic approach. This study aims to fill this double-theoretical gap by answering the following two questions: how does HRM respond to the challenges associated with the search for ambidexterity in an innovative SME's trajectory? What HRM practices are mobilised in the innovation trajectory of SMEs?Design/methodology/approachThe authors carried out two longitudinal case studies concerning innovative SMEs in the medical equipment sector, which are now over 10 years old and seeking to stabilise an ambidextrous way of operating. The authors conducted 37 semi-structured interviews in 2018–2019 and collected public and internal documents. For each case, the authors identified sequences (Bidart et al., 2013) displaying a certain homogeneity in terms of innovation strategy. The authors then performed a cross-case analysis.FindingsThese case studies produced two main results. First, the trajectory of innovative SMEs consisted of sequences during which competency needs and HRM practices evolved. Despite their similar modes of ambidexterity, the two SMEs have mobilised different human resource (HR) practices. Second, the HRM practices implemented struggle to support the firm at key turning points in the innovation trajectories and can even hinder such changes in direction.Originality/valueThe originality of this work lies in two major dimensions. First, the authors choose to explore innovation and the search for ambidexterity, two themes that are traditionally studied in large firms, in the setting of SMEs. Second, the authors choose a longitudinal method to explore the evolution over time in modes of ambidexterity and HRM, along these SMEs' innovation trajectory. This is a departure from more traditional approaches seeking to identify which HR practices, or configurations of practices, are best able to foster ambidexterity and innovation. It leads the authors to show, in a contingent, dynamic perspective, the importance of the Human Resources Foundation's (HRF's) positioning and attitude in supporting diversified SMEs' innovation trajectories. This requires allocation of the necessary resources to the function, which needs time and resources to reflect on how to build the ambidextrous HRM that is essential for the firm's survival.


Every piece of information learned in human health has the potential to improve the length and quality of life for patients. However, the search for more knowledge in the domain of Health Informatics has led to vast quantities of data, far more than can be easily processed by researchers. Fortunately, Justas this problem of Big Data has begun to challenge advances in Health Informatics, so too can the data mining and machine learning techniques used for the general study of Big Data be brought to bear on the these problems. This paper will discuss recent studies done on Big Data Analytics in the field of Health Informatics which sought to answer various clinical questions, using data acquired from the molecular, tissue, and patient levels of Health Informatics. We also consider what work remains to be done in this area.


4533 Background: Numerous well-designed retrospective studies of prognostic factors for survival in patients (pts) with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) have appeared in the literature since 1986, however there is no single accepted model for describing survival in this population. This is in part because previous studies have not consistently evaluated the same factors, definitions have varied, and different treatment populations have been studied. Methods: To overcome these difficulties and develop a single validated model for survival in mRCC, the IKCWG has established a comprehensive database of previously reported prognostic factors that are part of the usual pt work-up. The database includes demographic, clinical, pathological, and laboratory data from 3780 pts with previously untreated mRCC who were entered onto institution review board approved Phase I, II, or III clinical trials conducted in Europe and the United States between 1975–2002. Results: 70% of the pts were male, median age at stu...


Deep learning models are known to be vulnerable to specifically crafted adversarial inputs that are quasi-imperceptible to humans. We propose a novel method to detect adversarial inputs, by augmenting the main classification network with multiple binary detectors (observer networks) which take inputs from the hidden layers of the original network (convolutional kernel outputs) and classify the input as clean or adversarial. During inference, the detectors are treated as a part of an ensemble network and the input is deemed adversarial if at least half of the detectors classify it as so. The proposed method addresses the trade-off between accuracy of classification on clean and adversarial samples, as the original classification network is not modified during the detection process. The use of multiple observer networks makes attacking the detection mechanism non-trivial even when the attacker is aware of the victim classifier. We achieve a 99.5 percent detection accuracy on the MNIST dataset and 97.5 percent on the CIFAR-10 dataset using the Fast Gradient Sign Attack in a semi-white box setup. The number of false positive detections is a mere 0.12 percent in the worst case scenario.


In programming, there are often pairs of functions running in opposite directions: the
domain of one is the codomain of the other. Their functionalities are so closely related
that it is possible to derive one from the implementation of the other. Bidirectionalization
techniques address this concern. This thesis studies some of the theoretical and practical aspects of bidirectionalization.
As the theoretical part of this thesis, we generalize an existing bidirectionalization technique,
known as semantic bidirectionalization. Our generalized algorithm scales well and lifts some of the restrictions set by the original algorithm.
As the practical part of this thesis, we focus on the problem of tracking expressions in the low-level generated code to their origins in the high-level code.


ABSTRACT THE PURPOSE OF THIS ARTICLE IS TO EXPLAIN HOW THE ANTERIOR AND POSTERIOR SERAPE (APS) CAN BE SYSTEMATICALLY TRAINED USING A SIMPLE MOVEMENT MODEL; THE TRAINING OCTAGON (TO). THE DIRECTIONS OF THE MUSCLES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE DIRECTIONS OF THE TO, AND A SYSTEM OF FIVE BASIC CABLE/BAND EXERCISES IS PROVIDED FOR TRAINING. TABLES AND FIGURES ORGANIZING AND CLASSIFYING THE MUSCLES, MOVEMENTS, AND EXERCISES FURTHER ASSOCIATE THE TRAINING AND BIOMECHANICAL MODELS OF THE APS. THE MODEL PRESENTED IN THIS ARTICLE IS A TOOL FOR STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING PROFESSIONALS TO USE WHEN TRAINING THE CORE MUSCULATURE.


Patients with bilateral parieto‐occipital brain damage may show intact processing of individual objects, while their perception of multiple objects is disturbed at the same time. The deficit is termed 'simultanagnosia' and has been discussed in the context of restricted visual working memory and impaired visuo‐spatial attention. Recent observations indicated that the recognition of global shapes can be modulated by the spatial distance between individual objects in patients with simultanagnosia and thus is not an all‐or‐nothing phenomenon depending on spatial continuity. However, grouping mechanisms not only require the spatial integration of visual information, but also involve integration processes over time. The present study investigated motion‐defined integration mechanisms in two patients with simultanagnosia. We applied hierarchical organized stimuli of global objects that consisted of coherently moving dots ('shape‐from‐motion'). In addition, we tested the patients' ability to recognize biological motion by presenting characteristic human movements ('point‐light‐walker'). The data revealed largely preserved perception of biological motion, while the perception of motion‐defined shapes was impaired. Our findings suggest separate mechanisms underlying the recognition of biological motion and shapes defined by coherently moving dots. They thus argue against a restriction in the overall capacity of visual working memory over time as a general explanation for the impaired global shape recognition in patients with simultanagnosia.


We use a bioinformatics approach to search for the biological features that determine the cleavage site of the Microprocessor complex (or Drosha) within known miRNA hairpins. Towards this goal, we employ a previously developed methodology, termed DuplexSVM, which can accurately identify the four ends of a miRNA:miRNA* duplex. Here we use DuplexSVM to study how the Drosha determines its cleavage site. We perform in silico mutagenesis experiments on 142 hairpins by changing the distance of the Drosha site from the loop tip or the stem - single stranded tails junction by adding or removing matching nucleotides. Our results suggest that the Drosha cleavage site is mainly determined by its distance from the terminal loop tip.


Rabbits were immunized with group A‐variant (Av) streptococcal vaccine to elicit antisera containing antibodies of "restricted heterogeneity" specific for Av polysaccharide. Antibodies that migrated as single bands in polyacrylamide gel isoelectric focusing were isolated on agarose block electrophoresis and preparative isoelectric focusing. These homogeneous antibodies were analyzed for content of the a locus markers by inhibition of allotype‐anti‐allotype radioimmunoassays. Both single‐band preparations and preparations containing 2–5 bands were deficient in content of the a locus markers. These analyses were strongly influenced by the different anti‐allotype antisera used. Single‐band preparations, deficient in a2 or a3 markers, were further used to produce anti‐allotype antisera, and these sera were assayed for reaction with pooled a2 or a3 molecules. The results, in contrast to the a 1 allotype, failed to demonstrate common determinants on either a 2 or a 3 molecules indicating that each a allotype consists of a set of different Ig molecules. The data suggest different evolutionary pathways of the a 1, as opposed to the a 2 and a 3 molecules.


This study was conducted to investigate the control possibility of garlic white rot causing severe yield losses of Allium species and cultivars using cultural practices such as optimal sowing date and burial depth, and lime application. Inoculum density in infested field soil was investigated at different soil depth, and that on the diseased plant debris was done. Inoculum density and recovery ratio of white rot pathogen of garlic was highly different between two species of Sclerotium cepivorum forming comparatively small sclerotia and Sclerotium sp. forming comparatively large ones. It was confirmed that S. cepivorum formed more sclerotia on bulbs of garlic than S. sp., and sclerotial recovery of S. cepivorum was higher than that of S. sp. Inoculum density of white rot pathogen in the infested field at garlic seeding period ranged from one to thirteen sclerotia per 30 g soil. Inoculum density of white rot pathogen decreased remarkably with increasing soil depth and above 95% of sclerotia were distributed within 5 cm of soil depth. Disease severity of white rot was higher on slightly planted garlics than deeply-planted ones. Garlic seed bulbs infected by white rot pathogens were confirmed to be one of main inoculum sources of white rot in the field and the disease incidences caused by garlic seed transmission showed big differences among garlic varieties. When nine garlic varieties harvested from infested plots were sown in the field, highly susceptible varieties, 'Wando', 'Daeseo', 'Namdo' and 'Kodang' showed high disease incidences, whereas other five varieties were not infected at all. It was confirmed that white rot occurred higher on early-sown garlics, before middle October, than on late-sown ones, after late October. Meanwhile, increasing application rate of lime ranged from 100 to 300 g reduced disease severity of white rot.


A word recognition system has been developed at NIST to read free-formatted text paragraphs containing handprinted characters. The system has been developed and tested using binary images containing 2,100 different writers' printings of the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution. Each writer was asked to print these sentences in an empty 70 mm by 175 mm box. The Constitution box contains no guidelines for the placement and spacing of the handprinted text, nor are there guidelines to instruct the writer where to stop printing one line and to begin the next. While the layout of the handprint in these paragraphs is unconstrained, a limited-size lexicon may be applied to reduce the complexity of the recognition application. The system's four components have been combined into an end-to-end hybrid system that executes across a UNIX file server and a massively parallel SIMD computer. The recognition system achieves a word error rate of 49% across all 2,100 printings of the Preamble (109,096 words). This performance is achieved with a neural network character classifier that has a substitution error rate of 14% on its 22,823 training patterns.


The modern theory of aerodynamic sound originates from Lighthill's two papers in 1952 and 1954, as is well known. I have heard that Lighthill was motivated in writing the papers by the jet-noise emitted by the newly commercialized jet-engined airplanes at that time. The technology of aerodynamic sound is destined for environmental problems. Therefore the theory should always be applied to newly emerged public nuisances. This issue of Fluid Dynamics Research (FDR) reflects problems of environmental sound in present Japanese technology. The Japanese community studying aerodynamic sound has held an annual symposium since 29 years ago when the late Professor S Kotake and Professor S Kaji of Teikyo University organized the symposium. Most of the Japanese authors in this issue are members of the annual symposium. I should note the contribution of the two professors cited above in establishing the Japanese community of aerodynamic sound research. It is my pleasure to present the publication in this issue of ten papers discussed at the annual symposium. I would like to express many thanks to the Editorial Board of FDR for giving us the chance to contribute these papers. We have a review paper by T Suzuki on the study of jet noise, which continues to be important nowadays, and is expected to reform the theoretical model of generating mechanisms. Professor M S Howe and R S McGowan contribute an analytical paper, a valuable study in today's fluid dynamics research. They apply hydrodynamics to solve the compressible flow generated in the vocal cords of the human body. Experimental study continues to be the main methodology in aerodynamic sound, and it is expected to explore new horizons. H Fujita's study on the Aeolian tone provides a new viewpoint on major, longstanding sound problems. The paper by M Nishimura and T Goto on textile fabrics describes new technology for the effective reduction of bluff-body noise. The paper by T Sueki et al also reports new technology for the reduction of bluff-body noise. Xiaoyu Wang and Xiaofeng Sun discuss the interaction of fan stator and acoustic treatments using the transfer element method. S Saito and his colleagues in JAXA report the development of active devices for reducing helicopter noise. The paper by A Tamura and M Tsutahara proposes a brand new methodology for aerodynamic sound by applying the lattice Boltzmann finite difference method. As the method solves the fluctuation of air density directly, it has the advantage of not requiring modeling of the sound generation. M A Langthjem and M Nakano solve the hole-tone feedback cycle in jet flow by a numerical method. Y Ogami and S Akishita propose the application of a line-vortex method to the three-dimensional separated flow from a bluff body. I hope that a second issue on aerodynamic sound will be published in FDR in the not too distant future.


With its mix of family drama, sex, and violence, Britain's Tudor dynasty (1485-1603) has long excited the interest of filmmakers and moviegoers. Since the birth of movie-making technology, the lives and times of Kings Henry VII, Henry VIII, and Edward VI and Queens Mary I and Elizabeth I have remained popular cinematic themes. From 1895's The Execution of Mary Stuart to 2011's Anonymous, this comprehensive filmography chronicles every known film about the Tudor era, including feature films; made-for-television films, mini-series, and series; documentaries; animated films; and shorts. From royal biographies to period pieces to modern movies with flashbacks or time travel, this work reveals how these films both convey the attitudes of Tudor times and reflect the era in which they were made.


Background. Chordomas are uncommon primary malignant tumors of bone that typically occur in the axial skeleton including the sacrum, vertebrae, and skull base. The base of skull tumors usually are not amenable to complete surgical resection, and most require postoperative radiotherapy. The natural history of skull base chordoma is typified by slow locally invasive tumor progression and eventual death, although few parameters are known that allow stratification of patients into prognostic groups.


We draw parallels between coalition game logics developed in [Pauly, 2000b] and [Pauly, 2000c] on one hand, and alternating-time temporal logics of computations introduced in [Alur et al, 97] on the other. In particular, we show equivalence of their semantics, embedding of coalition game logics into alternating-time temporal logic, and propose axiomatic systems for these logics.


INTRODUCTION "Never again!" was the message that characterised the Nuremberg and Tokyo Military Tribunals responsible for prosecuting Nazi war criminals after the Second World War. Fifty years after Nuremberg, a bloody civil war broke out in the former Yugoslavia claiming the lives of thousands of ordinary civilians, especially women and children. In December 1995 the Dayton Peace Accord was signed by the warring parties in the Balkans purportedly with the message "never again will the horror of Bosnia be repeated." Three years later the horror of Bosnia is repeating itself in Kosovo. During the 1994 genocide in Rwanda it is estimated that between 500 and 1 Million or more people were killed in a period of three months. The genocide in Rwanda occurred after the failure of the 1993 Arusha Peace Accord.


A primipara aged 36 was seen at the antenatal clinic at ihe 36th week of pregnancy. She felt well except for pain in the region of the left hip which radiated down the back of the thigh, and numbness of the left foot. She had had the pain in varying degrees for the past eight years, and on three occasions had almost lost the power of the left leg. Sometimes " pins and needles " were felt. She also noticed that flexion of the spine aggravated the pain, as also did the pregnancy. On examination she appeared to be a healthy woman. Examination of the central nervous system showed reflexes, power, and sensation to be normal and equal on both sides. There was a suggestion of wasting of the left leg and buttock, noticeable on inspection, but not sufficient to be confirmed by measurement. Movements of the spine were limited, but this was thought to be due to the pregnancy. A foetus the size of a 36-weeks pregnancy was found to be presenting as a vertex, but free above the brim. Vaginal examination revealed a very tender soft cystic tumour fixed to the left side of the sacral promontory ; the lower border was definable-the upper border could not be reached. It appeared to be just below the level of the promontory, and was difficult to distinguish from it. The distance from the front of the tumour to the lower border of the symphysis pubis was clinically about 3s in. (9.8 cm.). The pelvis was otherwise normal. On rectal examination the tumour, which lay behind the rectum, was more obvious, and the vaginal findings were confirmed. X-ray pelvimetry revealed a normal pelvis, but in the antero-posterior view an erosion of the left side of the body of the first sacral vertebra could be seen. A week later the patient was admitted to hospital, as the pain was much worse. It continued to increase, and the pelvic tumour appeared to fluctuate in size, the palpable part varying in size between a small cherry and a large plum. No definite diagnosis was made at this time regarding the nature of the tumour, but it was felt that ganglion neuroma was a possibility. At 38 weeks' maturity, because the pain was very severe and the foetal head could not be made to engage, it was decided that a lower uterine section should be done and an attempt be made to remove the tumour at the same time. Pre-operative intravenous pyelography showed both ureters to be in a normal position. Accordingly, after a healthy infant had been delivered and the uterine incision closed, the tumour was examined. It was found to be coming through the first sacral vertebral foramen on the left side. The pelvic portion was the size of a plum, cystic, vascular, and with a well-defined lower border which seemed to be attached to the first sacral nerve root. The tumour did not extend up int,o tbe abdomen, and, because of the large uterus, access to it was not easy. However, the peritoneum was dissected off the front of the tumour, and, as the attachments made its removal impracticable at this time, a piece was taken for biopsy. There was a fair amount of bleeding,. which was controlled by pressure. I


For a given trimming level 2 (0,1) an trimmed version, P , of a probability P is a new probability obtained by re-weighting the probability of any Borel set, B, according a positive weight function, f 1 1 , in the way P (B) = R B f(x)P(dx). If P,Q are probability measures on an euclidean space, we consider the optimization problem of obtaining the best L2 Wasserstein approximation between say a fixed probability and trimmed versions of the other, say trimmed versions of both probabilities. These best trimmed approximations naturally lead to new perspectives in the theory of Mass Transportation, where a part of the mass could be not necessarily transported. Since optimal transportation plans are not easily computable, we provide theoretical support for Monte-Carlo approximations, through a general consistency result. As a remarkable and unexpected additional result, with important implications for future work, we obtain the uniqueness of the optimal solution. Notice that such solution involves an optimal map T transporting some trimmed version P of P to some other Q of Q, thus for any point x in the support of P the weight function associated to P allows to partially or completely avoid the consideration of x in the transport. Our results show that in fact only the non-trimmed points (verifying f(x) = 1 1 ) are transported, while the partially trimmed points (verifying 0 < f(x) < 1 1 ) must remain untransported by T.


Recently, Mastroianni and Monegato derived error estimates for a numerical approach to evaluate the integral ∫ab ∫-11 f(x, y)/x-y dxdy, where (a,b) ≡ (-1,1) or (a,b) ≡ (a,-1) or (a,b) ≡ (1, b) and f(x,y) is a smooth function (see G. Mastroianni and G. Monegato, Error estimates in the numerical evaluation of some BEM singular integrals, Math. Comp. 70 2001, 251-267). The error bounds for the quadrature rule approximating the inner integral given in Theorems 3, 4 of that paper are not correct according to the proof. However, following a different approach, we are able to improve the pointwise error estimates given in that paper.


The present paper deals with an argon microwave plasma torch atomic emission spectrometry detector(GC MPT AED) for gas chromatography, argon was used as the carrier gas, plasma support gas and make up gas. The effect of different kind of gases as the plasma scavenger gas, sheathing gas on the response characteristics for Sn, P, Si and B is discussed. Detection limits, dynamic range and relative standard deviation of the elements Sn, P, Si and B was studied, and the content of element P in Rogor emulsifying oil was also determined.


The carcinogenic activity of some compounds is linked to the electronic structure of their molecules. The authors calculate the localized molecular orbitals (LMO) by means of a topologic method they have developed, based in the electronic distribution of a single molecular region, that coincides or is next to the K region, instead of having to consider the two classical regions (K and L).


In this paper, we study one type of predator–prey model with simplified Holling type IV functional response by incorporating the fear effect into prey species. The existence and stability of all equilibria of the system are studied. And bifurcation behaviors including saddle-node bifurcation, transcritical bifurcation and Hopf bifurcation of the system are completely explored. Numerical simulation is carried out to illustrate the theoretical analysis. It is shown that the fear effect does affect some dynamic behaviors of the system. Finally, we summarize the findings in a conclusion.


Aiming at Carrier frequency lower,information not large,delay not quite accurate and anti-jamming require strict,the thesis proposes a solution about digital acquisition and tracking in Spread Spectrum Communication in electric power line,contacting with modern communication and digital signal processing technique,which makes the improvement to the traditional Spread Spectrum Communication,and effectively enhances its transmitting accurate rate.


Objective: To evaluate the outcome of phacoemulsification and middle incision cataract extraction during Vision Action in Honghe,Yunnan Province.Methods: Total 100 cases of age-related cataract patients during Vision Action in Honghe,Yunnan Province were divided into two groups of this study,for whom phacoemulsification(Phaco) and middle incision cataract extraction(MICS) were performed.Uncorrected visual acuity,best corrected visual acuity,IOP,astigmatism,and complications were followed and compared for up-to 3 months postoperation.Results: At 1 week and 1 month postoperation,uncorrected visual acuity and best corrected visual acuity in phaco cases were better than those of MICS ones,and no difference was found at 3 months follow-up between these two groups.No significant difference was found between Phaco and MICS cases for IOPs during the follow-up;while postoperative IOPs in two groups were 3 mmHg lower than those of preoperative IOPs(P0.01).Corneal astigmatism was not affected by phaco,while MICS induced more cases of astigmatism with the rule at 1 week and 1 month postoperatively(P0.001).And no significant difference was found for surgery-related complications between these two groups.Conclusion: During Vision Action,MICS is a safe and effective surgery for cataract victims,especially takes the advantage of less damage to endothelial cells for the beginners of cataract surgeries.Phaco could restore vision in much shorter rehabilitation term,with the development of economics;it could be a choice for experienced surgeons after systematic training.


The appearance in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the bones depends, to a large ex- tent, on the unmineralized content of the bone cav- ities. Because yellow marrow contains a large num- ber of fat protons and red marrow a significant num- ber of water protons, MRI offers the opportunity to map the distribution of red and yellow marrow. In addition, red marrow MR appearance varies accord- ing to the relative proportion of fat and nonfat cells. Variations in the composition of red marrow and its distribution among normal subjects, mainly in rela- tion to age and sex, contribute to creating a wide spectrum in bone MR appearance, which must be known in order to avoid confusion with bone marrow abnormalities.


In order to protect ancient Chu-culture of China,virtual reality technique was used to reconstruct and imitate cultural space and historic activity.According to literal recordation,ancient images and ancient relic,we reconstructed chime bell,bronze utensils,lacquers,characters,finery and architecture by 3d scanner and 3d modeling technique,and we also recovered the fading color painted on culture relic in ancient times.Motion was collected from chu-dancers by motion capture technique.Then all models were incorporated into a scene for rendering animation,and chime bell music was combined with the animation.Finally,an interactive system to exhibit culture was founded by VRML technique.The method to protect and transmit culture heritage is more acceptable and enjoyable than traditional one,which is better to attract audiences' attention,make audiences to obtain experience,increase the extent and depth of culture transmitted.


In this paper, we propose a new solution to automatically detect potholes on the road surface from dash camera images using a state-of-the-art deep learning based object detection algorithm, namely, You Only Look Once version 5 (YOLOv5). The dash camera image data were preprocessed and augmented as inputs to Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) models, which are trained to output the detected potholes with location bounding boxes. Through transferred learning, different sizes of CNN models with different layer architectures are evaluated in terms of mean Average Precision (mAP) and the number of frames per second (fps). Compared with previous work, experimental results show that our proposed solution using YOLOv5 achieved higher detection accuracy at faster detection speeds, while enabling tradeoffs between accuracy and speed with three different model size options.


With increasingly large smartphones, it becomes more difficult to use these devices one-handed. Due to a large touchscreen, users can not reach across the whole screen using their thumb. In this paper, we investigate approaches to move the screen content in order to increase the reachability during one-handed use of large smartphones. In a first study, we compare three approaches based on back-of-device (BoD) interaction to move the screen content. We compare the most preferred BoD approach with direct touch on the front and Apple's Reachability feature. We show that direct touch enables faster target selection than the other approaches but does not allow to interact with large parts of the screen. While Reachability is faster compared to a BoD screen shift method, only the BoD approach makes the whole front screen accessible.


Somali immigrants and refugees constitute one of the largest African ethnic groups immigrating to the United States over the past three decades with the majority resettling in the state of Minnesota. Previous studies have documented significant cancer screening disparities between the Somali population and the general population. However, little is known about cancer incidence among Somali groups living in the United States.


Extract: The surface-active complex lining alveoli in normal lung lowers surface tension on expiration, thus preventing alveolar collapse. Surface activity follows a developmental timetable. Infants with idiopathic respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) almost exclusively are prematurely born, and their lungs lack adequate surface activity and are deficient in the principal surface-active component, lecithin. This deficiency implies that RDS is a "disease of development," with fetal and neonatal timetables for lecithin synthesis. The biosynthesis of lung lecithin in the living human infant was studied by examining phospholipids in lung effluent (pharyngeal aspirates, mucus), which have identical phospholipids to those in lung lavage (alveolar wash). The fatty acid esters of isolated lecithin and phosphatidyl dimethylethanolamine (PDME) were examined. The β-carbon fatty acids are indicators of the primary pathways of synthesis of lecithin: (1) a preponderance of palmitic acid signifying cytidine diphosphate choline (CDP-choline) + D-α,β-diglyceride → lecithin (choline incorporation pathway) and (2) a preponderance of myristic acid signifying phosphatidyl ethanolamine (PE) + 2 CH3 → PDME + CH3 → lecithin (methylation pathway).Fetal lung of 18 and 20 weeks showed slight incorporation by CDP-choline pathway, absence of PDME, and almost no methylation. Salivary lecithin had totally different fatty acids from lecithin in aspirates. Phosphatidyl dimethylethanolamine (PDME) (therefore methylation) was identified in aspirates as early as 22–24 week-gestation. Lecithin fatty acid esters in aspirates from premature infants after birth or those with no RDS closely resembled PDME fatty acids. With RDS, PDME disappears and β-carbon palmitic acid (therefore dipalmitoyl lecithin) increases. With recovery, PDME reappears, as does the premature infant's major lecithin, palmitoylmyristoyl. Full term infants are born with more β-carbon palmitic acid (20–40%) and by 12–18 hr have equal palmitic and myristic acids, indicating function of both lecithin synthesis pathways. Stress (hypoxia acidosis, hypothermia) cause disappearance of PDME and loss of β-carbon myristic acid. Similar changes in full term infants who do not get RDS are due to adequate lecithin synthesis by the GDP-choline pathway. The capacity to synthesize lecithin in the lung by methylation in the human fetus and newborn allows the human to be born prematurely; rabbits and sheep lack this capacity and cannot be prematures, but die from respiratory insufficiency if born too soon.Speculation: The diagnosis of RDS can be made objectively by looking for PDME in aspirates (lung effluent). Prognosis also can be established by lack or presence of PDME. The effects of various therapies also can be assessed this way. The techniques and consideration described herein can be employed to study biochemically the effects of other stresses to lung, including oxygen toxicity and anesthesia.


In this paper we consider output controllability for linear time-invariant systems. In a recent paper by Danhane, Loh{\'e}ac and Jungers it has been pointed out that although output controllability is a classical notion in control theory, only a Kalman-type characterization was available in the literature. In their work that authors consider time-varying linear systems. In this short note we provide a Hautus-type characterization of output controllability for time-invariant linear systems which is more comprehensive and reduces to state controllability in case the output matrix is the identity matrix.


The presence of Streptococcus pneumoniae in chronic otitis media was determined with a new antigen detection kit, the NOW test. The NOW test was originally designed as a urinary antigen test but was adapted to middle-ear effusions for the present study. Middle-ear effusions from 52 children were studied. Streptococcus pneumoniae was cultured from 10 per cent of the effusions. The NOW test was positive in 23 per cent of the effusions, 80 per cent of culture positive and 17 per cent of culture negative effusions. The NOW test proved to be rapid, simple, reliable and relatively inexpensive for the detection of pneumococcal antigen in the middle-ear effusions. This test may prove valuable for the management of children with acute otitis media who undergo tympanocentesis.


The micro-hydration degree plays a significant role in the strength of cement-sandy soil mixtures. The present study used cement-fiber-sandy soil mixtures in which the fiber was sourced from waste cotton/linen-blended fabric to investigate the impacts of different levels of fiber content on the hydration mechanisms and micromechanical performance. Experiments using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) were carried out to determine how the component content of the different constituents changed with the fiber content (0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5%) during the microhydration of the mixtures. A comparative analysis of the strength characteristic curves and the tensile strength variations for different groups of reinforced cement-sandy soil mixtures were conducted by performing triaxial shear tests. The results show that the peak unconfined compressive strength of the mixtures gradually increases with the quartz content of the matrix. The compressive strength of the matrix reaches a peak of 1.5938 MPa, an increase of 24.17%, when the cement and fiber contents were 3% and 1.5% (weight), respectively, with a fiber length of 9 mm. This paper has reference values for the green reinforcement of cement-sandy soil mixtures in the development of underground space.


Hepatitis caused by hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a public health concern worldwide. HEV strains have been isolated from several animal species, some of which induce zoonosis. Recently, the isolation of HEV from rabbits was reported. Here, the partial capsid gene (320 bp) of HEV was detected in rabbit feces via reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR). Rabbit HEV was found in two of six rabbit farms and 17 of 264 rabbit fecal samples (6.4%). A phylogenetic analysis of the partial capsid gene classified the 17 HEV isolates into the putative rabbit HEV clade. A full genomic sequence, KOR‐Rb‐1, was obtained from one rabbit HEV isolate by 5′ and 3′ rapid amplification of cDNA ends‐PCR and RT‐PCR, and comprised 7275 bp excluding the 3′ poly(A) tail. It shared 77.5‐86.8%, 86.6%, and 80.2‐84.3% nucleotide identities with rabbit HEV isolates from China, the US, and France, respectively. It also shared 72.3‐73.0%, 71.4%, 76.7‐78.3%, 72.8‐73.3%, and 47.1‐47.2% nucleotide identities with representative strains of HEV‐1, HEV‐2, HEV‐3, HEV‐4, and avian HEV, respectively. A full‐genome phylogenetic analysis classified KOR‐Rb‐1 into the provisional rabbit HEV clade. This isolate could be used to study the pathogenesis and zoonotic potential of rabbit HEV.


With the development of the modern telecommunication systems and networks many new options for providing education services have emerged. A general worldwide trend is the development of distance learning sites and virtual laboratories, which are providing state-of-the-art education in all possible areas and are coexisting with the available on-site and in-person courses and subjects. In the Internet-oriented 21st century many university students have turned to and prefer these electronic and virtual educational resources, not only as additional learning options, but also as primary means for obtaining the latest educational materials by the leading university lecturers worldwide. This process has presented one of the major challenges for the available virtual learning environments - how to make it possible for the students to access, use and work with real equipment. In this paper we present our vision for a virtual laboratory which will provide the possibility for the students to access remotely and in real time the available laboratory set of telecommunication devices. In the Introduction section of the paper we analyze the advantages and disadvantages of the available virtual learning environments. In the next Section we introduce the general conceptual model of the planned laboratory and later we present the actual structure and the organizational requirements for its implementation. The paper continues with a Section, which presents the created virtual laboratory and its capabilities, and is finalized by the Conclusions and References sections.


The spectral characters of the interaction between salidroside and human serum albumin (HSA) were investigated by fluorescence and UV-VIS absorption spectroscopy in physiological buffer solution(pH7.4). The experimental results showed that the fluorescence intensity of HSA could be highly enhanced accompanied with hypsochromic shift with the addition of salidroside. The difference absorption spectra between HSA-salidroside and salidroside at the same concentration and gradually increase in fluorescence anisotropy (r) of salidroside further indicated that salidroside could interact with HSA in solution. The binding constants were obtained at three different temperatures. The calculated thermodynamic parameters from the relevant fluorescence data suggested that the interaction between salidroside and HSA was driven mainly by hydrogen bonds and van der Waals force. The results of synchronous fluorescence spectra and three-dimensional fluorescence spectra demonstrated that salidroside induced a conformational change of HSA.


Today's Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are used for a variety of missions including surveillance, reconnaissance, search and rescue, border patrol, law enforcement and disaster management. In order to conduct surveillance operations unmanned aircraft are equipped with downward pointing cameras monitoring the environment. Multiple aircraft can be assigned a cooperative mission providing a better surveillance platform in comparison to a single UAV in service. The automation of the vehicles in the formation, however, becomes a complicated task possibly demanding higher energy requirements. Soaring flight strategies thus appear to be effective for large area observation. In this paper we consider multiple glider UAVs and study the static soaring flight formulation in the form of a multiple-Vehicle Routing Problem (mVRP). The proposed guidance algorithm promises high level of autonomy for a UAV formation and guarantees energy efficient flight trajectories for the mission performance optimization. The flight path planning mechanism is demonstrated through a simulation scenario involving a team of unpowered UAVs being navigated along near-optimal flight trajectories and performing climb maneuvers to utilize rising air currents.


Locally available plant extracts, bio-control agents and fungicides were evaluated against lentil wilt/root complex caused by the association of fungi (wilt-Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lentis/ root rot complexRhizoctonia solani, R. bataticola and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) at Grain Legumes Research Program, Rampur, Chitwan, Nepal during two winter seasons of 2013 and 2014 AD. The experiment was conducted in wilt susceptible field using randomized complete block design with four replications. The treatment combinations were seed treatment with bavistin @ 2g/kg, seed treatment with vitavax @ 2.5g/kg , spraying of chlorothalonil @ 2ml/L of water, spraying of Iprodione @ 2g/L of water, seed treatment with Xanthoxylum armatum @ 2g/kg, soil incorporation of Lantana camara 2 2 @ 250g/m , Trichoderma viride (PPD isolate) @ 350g/8m plot and Trichoderma harzianum (PPD isolate) @ 350g/8m2 plot. The control plots received no treatment. In 2013, the higher percent disease control (PDC) i.e. 42.66% and 41.70% with higher percent yield increase (PYI) i.e. 186.33% and 174.37% were found in plot where lentil seed was treated with Vitavax (carboxin) and Bavistin (carbendazim) respectively prior to sowing. Almost similar trends of disease control with higher yield was observed in subsequent year 2014. The plot where lentil seeds were sown after treatment with vitavax had lower percent disease index (PDI) i.e. 47.67% with higher yield value of 850 kg/ha. The result revealed that the fungicides Vitavax and Bavistin were most effective in controlling wilt/root rot complex disease of lentil.


Recent studies have identified the effectiveness of using GnRH + PGF2" to synchronize estrus and ovulation in beef cattle (1998 Cattlemen's Day Report; pp 34-36). This protocol (known as Select Synch) requires an injection of GnRH 7 days before PGF2", which is given on the first day of the breeding season. Cows then are observed for estrus and inseminated. This protocol requires three separate handlings through the working chute (two for hormone injections and one for AI). The handling depends on when heat occurs. Pregnancy rates (number of pregnant cows/number of cows treated) have exceeded 50% using this protocol in other studies.


Between January 1992 and December 1994, a prospective study was performed in two centres comparing chemical synovectomy using repeated weekly injections (range, 1–17) of Rifampicin (Group R) vs. radioactive synovectomy using 1–2 injections of Yttrium‐90 (Group Y). The study was performed on 38 joints in a total of 35 haemophilic patients suffering from chronic haemophilic synovitis unresponsive to 3 months of conservative treatment (substitution therapy with the deficient coagulation factor plus a rehabilitation protocol). Group R included 18 patients with an average age of 9 years, with an average follow‐up time of 25 months. In Group R, 19 joints were treated: nine knees, four elbows and six ankles. Group Y included 17 patients with an average age of 18 years, with an average follow‐up time of 23 months. In Group Y, 19 joints were treated: 14 knees, two elbows and three ankles.


Iconic architecture assists in the identification of a place, city or precinct. Structural, functional and aesthetic aspects of architecture, particularly those that represent unique features, attract tourists. The aim of this study is to explore the value of iconic buildings to tourism with particular focus on the recently opened University of Technology Sydney Business School's Gehry designed Dr Chau Chak Wing (CCW) building. Five case studies which estimate the economic and social value of buildings to tourism are examined and the benefits transfer method is used to estimate the value of the CCW to tourism.


The Standard Model of field and particles is the theory that provides the best description of the known phenomenology of the particle physics up to now. Data collected in the last years, mainly by the experiments at the big particle accelerators (SPS, LEP, TEVATRON, HERA, SLAC), allowed to test the agreement between measurements and theoretical calculations with a precision of 10{sup -3} {divided_by} 10{sup -4}. The Standard Model is a Quantum Field Theory based on the gauge symmetry group SU(3){sub C} x SU(2){sub L} x U(1){sub Y} , with spontaneous symmetry breaking. This gauge group includes the color symmetry group of the strong interaction, SU(3){sub C}, and the symmetry group of the electroweak interactions, SU(2){sub L} x U(1){sub Y}. The formulation of the Standard Model as a gauge theory guarantees its renormalizability, but forbids explicit mass terms for fermions and gauge bosons. The masses of the particles are generated in a gauge-invariant way by the Higgs Mechanism via a spontaneous breaking of the electroweak symmetry. This mechanism also implies the presence of a massive scalar particle in the mass spectrum of the theory, the Higgs boson. This particle is the only one, among the basic elements for the minimal formulationmore » of the Standard Model, to have not been confirmed by the experiments yet. For this reason in the last years the scientific community has been focusing an increasing fraction of its efforts on the search of the Higgs boson. The mass of the Higgs boson is a free parameter of the Standard Model, but the unitarity of the theory requires values not higher than 1 TeV and the LEP experiments excluded values smaller than 115 GeV. To explore this range of masses is under construction at CERN the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), a proton-proton collider with a center of mass energy of 14 TeV and a 10{sup 34} cm{sup -2} s{sup -1} peak luminosity. According to the present schedule, this machine will start to provide collisions for the experiments at the end of 2008. In the meanwhile the only running accelerator able to provide collisions suitable for the search of the Higgs boson is the Tevatron at Fermilab, a proton-antiproton collider with a center of mass energy of 1.96 TeV working at 3 {center_dot} 10{sup 32}cm{sup -2}s{sup -1} peak luminosity. These features make the Tevatron able for the direct search of the Higgs boson in the 115-200 GeV mass range. Since the coupling of the Higgs boson is proportional to the masses of the particles involved, the decay in b{bar b} has the largest branching ratio for Higgs mass < 135 GeV and thus the events Z/W + b{bar b} are the main background to the Higgs signal in the most range favored by Standard Model fits. In this thesis a new technique to identify Heavy Flavour quarks inside high - P{sub T} jets is applied to events with a reconstructed Z boson to provide a measurement of the Z+b and Z+c inclusive cross sections. The study of these channels represent also a test of QCD in high transferred momentum regime, and can provide information on proton pdf. This new Heavy Flavour identication technique (tagger) provides an increased statistical separation between b, c and light flavours, using a new vertexing algorithm and a chain of artificial Neural Networks to exploit as much information as possible in each event. For this work I collaborated with the Universita di Roma 'La Sapienza' group working in the CDF II experiment at Tevatron, that has at first developed this tagger. After a brief theoretical introduction (chapter 1) and a description of the experimental apparatus (chapter 2), the tagger itself and its calibration procedure are described in chapter 3 and 4. The chapter 5 is dedicated to the event selection and the chapter 6 contains the results of the measurement and the study of the systematic errors.« less


A method of using one or more 3G communication networks, a method using shortening settling time of the call setup process (FIG. 7A) between the user to initiate. The method is provided between at least one pair of similar H.324 terminals (entity A and entity B) with the one or more 3G communication networks coupled. The method comprising: after a call signaling process, to establish a bearer channel between the first terminal and a second terminal; transmitting a first FSS message from the first terminal to the second terminal. A first FSS message includes a first operating mode associated with the call with a first profile and preferences associated with a second mode of operation of the associated call a second preference profile. The method further comprising: selecting a first operating mode or a second mode of operation.


Anemia is a common complication in post-lung transplant recipients. Although its mechanism is often multifactorial, clinicians should investigate an eventual underlying explanation to provide the best care. Among the reasons for anemia in lung transplant recipients, blood loss should be thought within the first few days after surgery. Later on, immune-mediated mechanisms, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia and reduction in red blood cell production mediated by viruses, drugs and infiltrative disorders prevail. This article reviews the mechanisms of anemia in post—lung transplant patients and provides an algorithm towards its approach.


Permission is granted to quote short excerpts and to reproduce figures and tables from this report, provided that the source of such material is fully acknowledged. Abstract Accurate probability estimation generated by learning models is desirable in some practical applications, such as medical diagnosis. In this paper, we empirically study traditional decision-tree learning models and their variants in terms of probability estimation, measured by Conditional Log Likelihood (CLL). Furthermore, we also compare decision tree learning with other kinds of representative learning: na¨ıve Bayes, Na¨ıve Bayes Tree, Bayesian Network, K-Nearest Neighbors and Support Vector Machine with respect to probability estimation. From our experiments, we have several interesting observations. First, among various decision-tree learning models, C4.4 is the best in yielding precise probability estimation measured by CLL, although its performance is not good in terms of other evaluation criteria, such as accuracy and ranking. We provide an explanation for this and reveal the nature of CLL. Second, compared with other popular models, C4.4 achieves the best CLL. Finally, CLL does not dominate another well-established relevant measurement AUC (the Area Under the Curve of Receiver Operating Characteristics), which suggests that different decision-tree learning models should be used for different objectives. Our experiments are conducted on the basis of 36 UCI sample sets that cover a wide range of domains and data characteristics. We run all the models within a machine learning platform-Weka.


Introduction The study of patient management times is one of the essential parameters for evaluating the quality of care in the emergency department. The aim of this work is to assess the time taken to take charge of patients admitted to the medical emergency rooms of the


The present study was carried out to investigate the integrated effect of non-edible oil cakes with reduced dose of urea on yield and fodder value of Cenchrus setigerus along with gene expression of rhizospheric Azospirillum. Maximum yield of 23.75 t/ha was obtained when 75 % of nitrogen required by the grass was provided by Neem cake and rest by urea. Fodder value in terms of acid detergent fibre, neutral detergent fibre and crude proteins were also significantly (P<0.05) affected by the treatments. The population of free-living Azospirillum in the rhizopheric soil was directly proportional to the amount of cakes applied in soil. With Urea alone, the nifH and ntrC gene activity was found to downregulated by 1.5 and 4.0 folds respectively but integration of cakes (both Jatropha and neem cake) upregulated the nifH and ntrC gene expression.


The authors are encouraged by the outcome of classroom tests of a new approach to teaching programming to beginners in schools. This approach is based on structured programming and emphasizes general problem‐solving strategies while considerations related to coding and syntax are deferred until solutions are found. The new method employs a pedagogical representation of the interplay between problem analysis, algorithm design and implementation language. This representation was specially devised to facilitate the teaching and learning of programming skills. The authors have found the method to be effective with students in the classroom and with teachers on in‐service courses.


This paper first reviews the application of design optimization techniques to axial compressor blade design, commenting on the feasibility of this approach for highly constrained, highly dimensional problems. It then analyzes an innovative method to characterize the design space, based on proper orthogonal decomposition (POD). The method was used to generate a reduced order model (ROM) from the true complex system, and revealed its potential to find optimum solutions in selected regions of the design space. Nomenclature A = matrix of expansion co efficients B = blockage C = blade tip clearance e = difference between predicted and true response f = blockage function k = number of retained principal components m = number of geometrical parameters n = number of blade configurations P, Q = generic poin ts in the design space p, q = loci of points in the transformed design space r = rank of X


Ask any urologist. Intravenous pyelography (IVP), like kissing your spouse good-bye in the morning or brushing your teeth before going to bed, goes hand in hand with transurethral prostatectomy (TURP). The most commonly performed urologic procedure in America, TURP until now has been almost invariably preceded by IVP for detection of any pathological condition in the upper urinary tract. But a new study conducted at the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington by Department of Urology chairman J. William McRoberts, MD, and urology residents Daniel L. Bauer, MD, and Robert W. Garrison, MD, indicates that in most cases IVP before TURP is probably not necessary. "When we reviewed a specially selected group of 601 patients who had had routine IVP prior to transurethral resections," explained Bauer, "we found positive results so seldom that we believe the test is not indicated and certainly not cost-effective." However, Bauer was quick to


A group of five highly functionalized polycyclic α,γ-disubstituted-α,β-unsaturated-γ-lactones (3−7) featuring a unique bicyclo [11.1.0] carbon skeleton joined in a trans fashion have been isolated from a Caribbean gorgonian, Pseudopterogorgia bipinnata. These rare marine diterpenoids can be regarded as representatives of the uncommon gersolane ring system. Two of the new metabolites, pinnatin A (3) and pinnatin B (4), showed significant differential antitumor activity in the National Cancer Institute's 60-cell-line tumor panel. The biogenesis of the pivotal metabolite pinnatin A (3) appears to involve a photochemically allowed [σ2a + π2a] cycloaddition process of a conjugated 2,5-bridged furanocembrane precursor. Structural assignments were accomplished through extensive spectroscopic analysis including 2D NMR, accurate mass measurements (HREIMS), X-ray crystallography, and chemical interconversions.


These are just some of the consumer gripes that proved costly to companies in the third annual corporate reputation survey conducted by Harris Interactive Inc., an online market-research firm. The Harris-Fombrun Reputation QuotientSM (RQ) is designed to help identify the relative placement of a company's reputation among competitors in the marketplace. It also reveals the areas that might be weakening a company's position. Developed jointly by Harris Interactive and Professor Charles Fombrun of New York University's Stern School of Business and Executive Director of the Reputation Institute, RQ is a syndicated study that draws on Harris Interactive's global multimillion-member database. The RQ Gold 2001 is the third wave of an annual survey measuring the reputations of the most visible companies in the U.S. With 60 companies measured in the most recently measured year–including companies in the Airline, Oil/Energy, Automotive, Technology, and Retail sectors–the RQ Gold 2001 represents the most comprehensive RQ Gold study conducted to date. Each company is evaluated by an average of 600 U.S. adults (18+ years). Results from the RQ Gold 2001 were publicly released and first appeared in The Wall Street Journal on January 16, 2002. NEWS THAT MAY HAVE ESCAPED YOUR ATTENTION UNTIL NOW


The flight activity of predatory staphylinids was studied at two sites of Bad Vilbel near Frankfurt/M. (Germany) by window traps on the borders between fields of sugar beet and cereals, in 1989–1991, and by one light trap in 1989. Although Paederus litoralis and Paederus riparius were not observed flying, 84 other staphylinid species were, of which 26 were also observed on the soil of the fields. The flight intensity was very high in Oxytelus and Tachyporus spp., with the flight showing a peak early in the season and sometimes an additional one in the autumn. The flight activity was compared with the average population density. No correlation was found between population density in the fields and flight activity for the 26 agricultural species.


Adherence to illness self‐management among youth with sickle cell disease (SCD) positively impacts health outcomes and decreases overall healthcare costs. Despite this, children with SCD face several barriers to adherence, with adherence rates that remain moderate to low. The current feasibility study examined the Intensive Training Program (ITP), a mobile health (mHealth) intervention for youth with SCD designed to promote disease knowledge, adherence, and patient‐provider communication.


A study conducted on 432 hybrids from two hybrid series (Texas and Primorski) and 11 crossings, revealed that, compared to their genitors, hybrids from the following crossings stand out when it comes to the attractive shape and appearance of their fruit: Texas x Saucaret, Texas x Nikitski 62 and Primorski x Texas.


In considering the equilibrium of stars of high density the effects of the Pauli Exclusion Principle must be taken into account. For large values of the degeneracy parameter, which will be denoted by λ, an explicit formula for the partition function may be obtained, from which we may easily find the pressure and density in terms of λ. When λ ≪ 1 the relations for a Fermi-Dirac gas reduce to those for a Boltzmann gas. For λ of the order of, but less than, unity, series expansions for the relevant physical quantities can be found, but for λ of the order of, but greater than, unity, a set of numerical quadratures must be performed at intervals (in λ) close enough for interpolation purposes. The method for this is discussed in § 2 and the numerical results are given at the end of the paper.


We report new 40 Ar/ 39 Ar and K-Ar dates from the Upper Cretaceous Adel Mountain Volcanics of northwestern Montana and spatially related Tertiary igneous rocks. The Adel Mountain volcanic field consists of about 900 square kilometers of lavas, associated volcaniclastic strata, and intrusions that lie astride the easternmost folds of the Montana disturbed belt of the Cordilleran fold and thrust belt. The Adel Mountain volcanic rocks have been intensely deformed by folds and thrust faults along their southwestern margin but are essentially undeformed to the east. Prior to isotopic dating, the age of the Adel Mountain Volcanics was the subject of debate, with age assignments ranging from Late Cretaceous to early Tertiary. Isotopic dates reported here demonstrate that the Adel Mountain Volcanics are clearly Late Cretaceous and that the volcanic rocks were probably emplaced during an approximately 2-to 3-mill ion-year interval between about 76 to 73 mega-annum (Ma). The new dates from the Adel Mountain Volcanics are significant in that they provide a more refined and reliable age for the Late Cretaceous cratonic paleomagnetic reference pole for North America. The dates from the Adel Mountain Volcanics, as well as those from spatially related younger intrusions, also provide important constraints on the age of fold and thrust-belt deformation along the eastern margin of the Montana disturbed belt. Syntectonic deformation of the Adel Mountain Volcanics, as well as apparent folding and faulting of Tertiary quartz monzonite sills, indicates that contractional deformation clearly spanned the Late Cretaceous and may have extended to as young as the Paleocene/Eocene boundary at about 55.5 Ma. Elsewhere, posttectonic field relationships indicate that deformation may have ended prior to 60 Ma. Complexities in field relationships with respect to folds and faults shown by the early Tertiary intrusions as well as complications in the argon systematics indicate that these interpretations must be considered preliminary. Further field work and structural studies and additional high-precision geochronology are needed in order to place limits on the cessation of contractional deformation in this part of Montana. Unambiguously posttectonic dikes (47.5 Ma) that cut all deformed rocks and structures in the area indicate that disturbed belt deformation had clearly ceased by the early middle Eocene prior to the onset of widespread crustal extension in this part of the northern Cordillera.


Thin sections of Trypanosoma cruzi in tissue cultures and from blood agar medium have been examined with the electron microscope. In the leishmania and crithidia forms of the parasite a neat separation of kinetonucleus and blepharoplast has been obtained and these structures are described. The blepharoplast is the row of basal corpuscles which give origin to the axial fibres of the flagellum. Division of the parasite seems to begin in the basal corpuscles; it is followed by binary division of the kinetonucleus and only later by fission of nucleus and cytoplasm. During the development of the leishmania into the crithidia form, the kinetonucleus and basal bodies are dislocated towards the posterior half of the trypanosome. The migration of these two structures and the consequent lengthening of the flagellum causes the surface membrane of the flagellum to be pushed inwards to form a deep invagination, so that the flagellum comes to the surface of the body and is separated from it along its whole length by its own sheath. In the adult form of the parasite a great vacuole is formed near the posterior tip of the trypanosome. It has no definite structure in the electron microscope, is transparent and seems to be filled with a liquid content. The basal corpuscles are situated in this region near the wall of the vacuole. The typical structure of the kinetonucleus could not be identified with certainty in these forms; it seems to be altered by the formation of the vacuole. The vacuole is crossed by a fibre system which comes from the body of the trypanosome and is often dislodged by the size of the vacuole. This fibre system ends in a sharply pointed process of varying length. The cost of reproduction of figures was defrayed by the Instituto de Biofísica da Universidade do Brasil.


New users of drip irrigation inMyanmar had no idea howmuch water to apply to their crops with drip and could not afford tensiometers or other soil moisturemonitoring tools. The concept of a simple paper calculator was born out of their need for an easy-to-use yet inexpensive tool to estimate horticultural crop water requirements. We used a generalized crop coefficient and growth stage approach together with average evapotranspiration (ET) for the vegetable crops ''Water Wheel'' calculator and a canopy cover approach for the tree fruit calculator. Differences among published crop coefficients are relatively small for a large number of vegetables and single coefficients were used for groups of crops without putting farmers' crops at risk. Vegetable crops were divided into two groups based on whether water requirements during harvest remained the same as for the flowering and fruiting stage or were reduced for the harvest period. A simplified canopy cover approach was used to determine water requirements for perennial fruit, tree, and vine crops. Our faith in the ability of farmers tomake their own adjustments gave us confidence to simplify ET-based water requirements andmake them available in the form of simple rotating disc calculators printed in color on laminated card stock. The calculators were welcomed by our staff and enabled them to provide reasonably reliable recommendations for new users of drip irrigation. When surveyed, field staff responded that 74% of farmers they advised followed Water Wheel recommendations. Rough estimates of fruit and vegetable water requirements reached a large number of new drip users in a form they could easily understand, thereby lowering adoption barriers for an unfamiliar technology. This paper describes the Water Wheel concept and design so nonspecialists might develop their own calculators using local climatic data.


This utility model makes public a vacuum discharge chamber (1), the cavity of said vacuum discharge chamber (1) is a vacuum environment, a transport roller train (2) is arranged in the cavity of said vacuum discharge chamber (1), supports (10) and glass storage units (6) are arranged in said cavity, the outer side of the vacuum discharge chamber (1) is provided an actuating device (5), said actuator (5) is connected to supports (10), said supports (10) are provided with glass storage units (6), said actuator (5) controls the elevation of the supports (10), so that the glass (3) is parked in the glass storage units (6) at different heights on the supports (10). In each vacuum discharge chamber (1) a plurality of glass assemblies (3) can simultaneously undergo removal of gas, treatment yields increased dramatically; this utility model also makes public an evacuated glass production line equipped with an even number of said vacuum discharge chambers (1) to control the homogeneity of the discharge times of the glass of the gas.


The US Marine Corps takes pride in the famous motto, 'no one gets left behind'. The whole unit counts, not simply the skilled, or even remnant, members. A fallen marine can safely expect the rescue and support of his comrades and intense loyalty grows between the interdependent members of the team. While for many of us the wartime context of this saying is blessedly distant, the attitude of mutual importance, support and care it implies can provide a powerful metaphor for the way we approach being 'Church' in a post-Christian world.


Spatial variability of concrete is an important characteristic, which qualifies the non-homogeneity of concrete properties within structural components. Assessing it can be of great interest for damaged areas localization and for reliability analysis of structures. A two-stage experimental program was carried out using non-destructive testing (NDT) on laboratory concrete slabs in outdoor environment and on an existing bridge. The spatial variability was quantified at three scales: point (repeatability), local and global, for several NDT techniques (ultrasonic pulse velocity, electrical resistivity, radar and rebound hammer). The experimental results were analyzed using statistical and geostatistical tools.


The platelet glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa receptor is an attractive target for therapeutic intervention in patients with acute coronary syndromes, since its activation constitutes the final common pathway of platelet aggregation. Three antithrombotic drugs in the anti-GP IIb/IIIa class are currently approved and a large number of agents are under development. The pharmacological differences among GP IIb/IIIa receptor antagonists may be important in defining their clinical effects. Among the class of GP IIb/IIIa antagonists approved or under development, the chimeric monoclonal antibody fragment abciximab, c7E3 Fab or, commercially, (ReoPro) stands out because of its potent and sustained clinical benefits. Unique pharmacological characteristics of abciximab include binding to important vascular receptor targets in addition to GP IIb/IIIa, sustained circulation of the platelet-bound drug fraction, rapid clearance of the free-plasma drug fraction, and a gradual and tapered recovery of Dlatelet function.


It is shown that ordinary irreducible characters of height zero in 2‐blocks of finite groups have trivial 2‐local Schur index. In view of Brauer's height zero conjecture, it is therefore extremely plausible that the irreducible characters in 2‐blocks with abelian defect groups have trivial 2‐local Schur index. If q is an odd prime, then there is no relationship expected between the height of an irreducible character in a q‐block and the q‐local Schur index, but a condition for a prime p≠q not to divide this index is given in terms of a rationality property of a defect class of the character's p‐block.


Ideally, a vaccine against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) would induce neutralizing antibody levels which would provide sterilizing immunity. The levels of antibody required however may not be achievable by vaccination (Gauduin et al., 1997; Parren et al., 1997; Moore and Burton, 1999; Shibata et al., 1999). Nevertheless, neutralizing antibody responses albeit of lesser, but still significant potency, will likely be essential in an HIV-1 vaccine in combination with broadly active cellular responses (Burton and Moore it et al., 1998). The necessity or benefit of stimulating B cells that produce neutralizing antibodies has been clearly established in murine infection models with retroviruses and other RNA viruses (Planz et al., 1997; Baldridge et al., 1997; Dittmer et al., 1998; Parren et al., 1999; Dittmer et al., 1999a; Dittmer et al., 1999b). Effective vaccines have been developed against a number of viral diseases mostly by using empirical methods. Many of these vaccines, including those against smallpox, measles and polio, consist of live attenuated viruses. Live attenuated viruses have consistently provided protection against infection with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) and SIV/HIV-1 chimeras in non-human primates. Serious safety concerns exist however which preclude the use of such vaccines in humans (Ezzel, 1997; Baba et al., 1999). The immune correlates of protection against infection of macaque monkeys by live attenuated SIV have not been clearly defined and the role of antibodies and cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL) have been questioned (Stott and Schild, 1996; Stebbings et al., 1998). Protection against SHIV (SIV/HIV chimeras expressing HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein) by vaccination with attenuated SIV argues against a role of antibodies (Shibata et al., 1997; Wyand et al., 1999). A series of elegant experiments in which protective immune responses against the Friend retroviral complex were dissected however have shown that T cells (CD4+ and CD8+) and B cells are required to act in concert to achieve protection against pathogenic challenge in mice vaccinated with an attenuated retrovirus (Dittmer et al., 1999a). Furthermore, whereas CTL were required to protect against lethal infection, neutralizing antibody responses appeared necessary to prevent persistent infection (Dittmer et al., 1999b). Understanding neutralization of HIV-1 primary isolates is important for a knowledge-based approach for the development of a vaccine against HIV-1. Here we review HIV-1 neutralizing antibodies and their epitopes.


To develop and evaluate a novel method of generalized auto‐calibrating partially parallel acquisition (GRAPPA) with spatially varying calibration of self‐constraint for parallel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) reconstruction.


This essay analyzes Max Weber's place in post-World War II US social thought, when Englishlanguage translations, interpretations, and applications of his work proliferated and it became widely known in American sociology and related fields. The focus is on shifting interpretations and meanings of Weber's work in different phases of postwar American culture, society, and politics from the Cold War era through the post-9/11 years. Weber's ideas have been fused with those of diverse thinkers and traditions and have been applied in ways that he likely would have rejected and that stricter Weberians castigate. The various Weber fusions engage modernization theory arguably the postwar era's primary metanarrative for legitimating and challenging the liberal democratic policy regime. The historical discussion provides context for later sections on Weber's salience in the US today and for a possible Weber fusion after postwar modernization. Max Weber has been understood and constructed in divergent ways in different historical moments and contexts. His rich, multisided corpus is open to diverse interpretations, and, thus, arguments about its overall shape or main thrust have varied widely. And just when he seems to have lost relevance, like a phoenix he appears again on the horizon. This essay analyzes his place in post-World War II US social thought, when English-language translations, interpretations, and applications of his work proliferated and it became widely known in American sociology and related fields. (2) His ideas have been fused with those of other thinkers and applied in ways that he likely would have rejected and that stricter Weberians castigate. Even Weber's hostile critics often have employed facets of his thought (often unknowingly) against him. Like Nietzsche's views, Weber's ideas have been "in the air," and much of his impact has been tacit. His concepts and vocabulary have been embedded in wider rationalization and modernization discourses. This essay focuses on shifting interpretations and meanings of Weber's


The technique of laser direct writing has attracted a wide interest in the past ten years because it is a rapid and direct fabrication technique to manufacture the component prototype with micro sizes and without needing masks. Different laser direct writing methods, such as laser induced chemical vapor deposition (LCVD), laser induced electro-less plating (LEP), laser induced solid oxidation or reduction of thin metal films (LISO), laser induced forward transfer (LIFT) and Matrix Assisted Pulsed Laser Evaporation Direct Write (MAPLE DW), laser thermal spraying (LTS) as well as laser micro-cladding (LMC) have been developed to fabricate the conductive lines, electronic components, and even MEMS. However, above technologies have two shortcomings: lower deposition rates and narrow deposition ranges for the materials, which limited its industrial applications in many cases.In this report, a novel method named laser micro-cladding electronic pastes (LMCEP) was introduced. LMCEP has several advantages over other laser direct writing technologies above mentioned: the first is that the deposition rates for conductive line preparation are 2-3 grades higher than that by LCVD, LEP and the conventional LMC; the second is that the resolution rates for the conductive line preparation are much higher than that by traditional silk screen printing methods; the third is that wide range of electronic materials including the conductive lines, resistors, capacitors, sensors and even MEMS can be used as the deposition materials with high deposition rates and without mask. The main processing procedures and the parameters that determine the performances of the conductive lines and resistors by LMCEP were reported, and the concerned mechanisms were discussed.The technique of laser direct writing has attracted a wide interest in the past ten years because it is a rapid and direct fabrication technique to manufacture the component prototype with micro sizes and without needing masks. Different laser direct writing methods, such as laser induced chemical vapor deposition (LCVD), laser induced electro-less plating (LEP), laser induced solid oxidation or reduction of thin metal films (LISO), laser induced forward transfer (LIFT) and Matrix Assisted Pulsed Laser Evaporation Direct Write (MAPLE DW), laser thermal spraying (LTS) as well as laser micro-cladding (LMC) have been developed to fabricate the conductive lines, electronic components, and even MEMS. However, above technologies have two shortcomings: lower deposition rates and narrow deposition ranges for the materials, which limited its industrial applications in many cases.In this report, a novel method named laser micro-cladding electronic pastes (LMCEP) was introduced. LMCEP has several advantages over oth...


We examine the properties, determinants, and consequences of peer benchmarks chosen by firms to evaluate relative total shareholder returns (rTSR) in executive relative performance contracts. Among firms that explicitly use rTSR, 60% select specific peer firms while 40% select a stock index as benchmarks. Consistent with the intent to filter out the systematic component of TSR, firms' chosen benchmarks exhibit a return-regression slope coefficient of 1 and remove a significant amount of systematic noise in TSR. However, index-based benchmarks are considerably noisier compared to those based on specific peers. Inconsistent with standard contracting models, firms using index-based benchmarks do not exhibit relatively lower pay-to-performance sensitivities, nor do they face lower gains from filtering precision. Instead, index-benchmark use is associated with weaker corporate governance and compensation consultants' preferences, which are uncorrelated with observable firm attributes. The use of index-based benchmarks is also associated with lower ROA, even after controlling for benchmarks' noisiness and companies' governance attributes. Our analyses suggest the salience of peer comparisons as an important attribute of relative performance benchmarks. <br>


There are many instances where distance education for children is in a state of upheaval and change. This is particularly true of Australia and, as earlier reports indicate, of Canada. Central planners often have abandoned the old 'correspondence schools' and established 'open access' centres; central schools have been de‐centralised; correspondence stuthes are offered to children in city schools; isolated children attend 'classes' vastly different from their old 'School of the Air' classes; etc. Some of these changes are the marks of progress; the quality of other changes is debatable. This account is that of one country teacher operating in northern South Australia where distance education has now changed to be offered, Statewide, by a series of open access schools and has also been regionalised to be offered at the initiative of Education Department Regional Centres with a broad responsibility for education of children in their region. The article makes no pretence to being considered as 'international...


Since China launched the national silk road economic belt and formulate action plans, Xinjiang as the core of the land of the silk road economic belt looks remarkably, build Urumqi as the central Asia regional financial center. This is of great significance to the development of the west and to the outside world. In this paper, by analyzing the financial current situation of Urumqi, and will be in Urumqi, compared with the domestic and international financial center, summed up the Urumqi advantages and disadvantages, to be a regional financial center advantage make up, make it better in Urumqi, to contribute the land of the silk road.


Adolescent nutritional behaviors are assuming considerable importance in nutrition interventions given their important relationships with medium‐ and long‐term outcomes. This is the period when young people undergo major anatomical and physiological maturational changes in preparation for adulthood. Nutritional requirements during puberty are higher during adolescence than during the prepubertal stage and during adulthood. A significant proportion of adolescents also become parents, and hence the importance of their health and nutritional status before as well as during pregnancy has its impact on their own health, fetal well‐being, and newborn health. In this paper, we describe the evidence‐based nutrition recommendations and the current global guidance for nutrition actions for adolescents. Despite the limitations of available information, we believe that a range of interventions are feasible to address outcomes in this age group, although some would need to start earlier in childhood. We propose packages of preventive care and management comprising nutrition‐specific and nutrition‐sensitive interventions to address adolescent undernutrition, overnutrition, and micronutrient deficiencies. We discuss potential delivery platforms and strategies relevant to low‐ and middle‐income countries. Beyond the evidence synthesis, there is a clear need to translate evidence into policy and for implementation of key recommendations and addressing knowledge gaps through prioritized research.


: To monitor the granularity of anaerobic sludge, the determination of granule density is vital importance. Granular sludge is the key factor for the efficient operation of upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor. For this reason several techniques have been proposed. In the proposed algorithm, the granular density was calculated. The granular density was strongly correlated with the VSS/TSS ratio.


This thesis is devoted to problems of influence of structural heterogeneity on the plasticity of IF steels for the bodywork. The introductory part deals with the isme of steel materials used in the manufacture of carbodies and suitability of certain types of steel to their individual structural parts. Then next charter approaches the process of forming a steel and main factors affecting formability of steels. The core of the thesis consists of a practical part, which presents and evaluates the findings of several performed material analyzes of samples IF steels with two different qualities - a material with good plasticity and material with problematic formability in the production of moldings. The measurement showed differences in the state of the surface layer. A significant part of the thesis is consisted of experimental verification of the indication posibility of the problems identified by using indentation hardness measurement methods. On the basis of comparative measurements were evaluated differences in elastic-plastic behavior of tested different grades of material and were recommended procedure for using this method in the application. Furthermore, it was found that the decrease of elasticity of the material with poor plasticity is probably related to the occurrence of grain boundary precipitates.


Background: The objective of this study was to quantify the sleep behavior of Korean high-school students and its relationship with academic performance. Methods: Sleep surveys were completed by high-school students in Daegu, South Korea during September 2017. The questionnaires investigated factors such as sleep quality, sleep and wake schedules, nighttime smartphone use, and scores on a five-level grading scale pertaining to academic performance (A, 1-20%; B, 21-40%; C, 41-60%; D, 61-80%; E, 81-100%). The chi-squared test, independent t-test, analysis of variance, and regression analysis were used to analyze the results. Results: The questionnaires were completed by 691 high-school students consisting of 279 (40.4%) boys and 412 (59.6%) girls. Poor sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index [PSQI] ≥8.5) was identified in 111 (16.1%) students, and depressed mood (Hospital Depression Scale score ≥8) was identified in 254 (36.8%). Students with better academic performance tended to have lower PSQIs (A, 5.29±2.58; B, 5.41±2.98; C, 6.00±2.65; and D/E, 6.15±2.97), and the morningness-eveningness questionnaire scores were significantly higher in A-level students than in Dand E-level students. Regression analysis showed that leaving school early each day and greater nighttime smartphone use were significantly associated with worse academic performance in high-school students. Conclusions: This study found a close relationship between the sleep behavior of students and their academic performance. Students with better sleep quality, morningness, and less nighttime smartphone use tended to perform better academically. Lifestyle modification should be considered as an important factor for improving academic performance. J Korean Neurol Assoc 37(3):262-268, 2019


The term of cemento-osseous dysplasia is a member of jaw disorders belongs to fibroosseous lesions; characterized by replacement of bone by varying degrees of mineralizated connective tissue matrix and fibroblasts. In this report we present a case of a cemento-osseous dysplasia at the inter foraminale area which is occurred during the orthodontic treatment of a 15 year is old male patient.


Abstract The Ross-Ungar-Kerwin theory of damping treatment in plates/beams is extended to estimate the loss factors of damping treated structural cable, which is made by introducing some viscoelastic material between the strands and the outer cover. The loss factors for axial and bending deformations are analytically investigated. It is concluded that the maximum magnitude of the axial loss factor, as well as the bending loss factor, for the case of a soft outer cover could be of the order of 10-2, because even in the bending deformation mode, the bending-induced axial deformation acts as the main source of damping when a comparatively soft outer cover is chosen. For the case of an extremely stiff outer cover, however, the maximum magnitude of the bending loss factor obtained could be of the order of 0·2.


Recent studies have showed that microindentation techniques allow assessing the logarithmic creep rate of a cement paste in good correlation with the long-term creep rates measured by compressive tests at macroscopic scale. After having applied microindentation techniques to characterize the effect of relative humidity (RH) on both the creep and relaxation behavior of a cement paste, the objective of this work is to analyze the duality between creep and relaxation curves by means of the analytical models which are currently employed in open literature. First, large grids of creep and relaxation microindentation tests were carried out on a cement paste sample in hygral equilibrium at different levels of RH. Thus, the results were modeled by a viscoelastic model by considering different creep functions (logarithmic and power-law) and corrective terms for initial plasticity under loading. The presented results provide new insights to understand the duality between creep and relaxation rates of a cement paste measured at micrometer scale, especially considering the possible plastic effect.