Relationships between alcohol consumption and suicide rates were examined through an ecological study. Data on total apparent per capita alcohol consumption, as well as beer, wine, and spirits consumption, from 1977 to 1988 in each of the fifty U.S. states and District of Columbia were compared with suicide rates. It was found that total alcohol consumption was weakly but significantly related to suicide rate by univariate analysis (r = 0.16, p < 0.01). Pearson correlation coefficients were 0.30, 0.12, and −0.01 for correlation of suicide rate with beer, wine, and spirits consumption, respectively. Over the twelve years, the magnitude of associations between total alcohol consumption and suicide varied with correlation coefficients of 0.29, 0.23, 0.09, and 0.11 for four three-year periods, 1977–79, 1980–82, 1983–85, and 1986–88, respectively. The association between beer consumption and suicide persisted over the whole period with correlation coefficients of 0.35, 0.31, 0.26, and 0.30, while that between wine and suicide did not. Associations were also examined by quartile of each alcohol's consumption. Significant inverse association was found for beer as well as total consumptions at the lowest quartile. However, at the highest quartile, beer and spirits consumption showed positive association with suicide. These data suggest a "U-shaped" curve relating suicide rate to alcohol consumption. By using 1980 census data with adjustment for confounding effects of socioeconomic factors, total alcoholconsumption was found to be positively associated with suicide especially at high consumption level. At low level consumption, beer showed an inverse association with suicide after controlling for confounding effects.


Objective To prepare human ovarian cancer—targeted liposome microbubbles, and to assess its targeted ability in vitro. Methods Ligand LHRH was attached to the surface of self-made liposome microbubbles with covalent bonding to prepare targeted microbubbles. Immunofluorescent staining assay was used to identify the combination of LHRH with liposome microbubbles; the targeted microbubbles were added to ovarian cancer cells OVCAR-3 and then were observed under the light and fluorescence microscope to evaluate the targeting ability of the targeted liposome microbubbles with ovarian cancer cells in vitro. At the same time, LHRH was used to perform a block experiment compared with the common liposome microbubbles. Results Targeted microbubbles were positive in immunofluorescent straining assay. In vitro, study of the targeting ability showed the targeted microbubbles could actively adhere to OVCAR-3 cell, while the control was negative. And LHRH could effectively block the targeted microbubbles. Conclusion The targeted liposome microbubbles can be prepared successfully with covalent bonding method and effectively bound to human ovarian cancer cells specially in vitro.


The Supreme Court decision in NATIONAL LABOR REL4TIONS BOARD V. IRON WORKERS LOCAL 103 unsettled the traditional status of prehire collective bargaining agreements executed between trade unions and construction industry employers pursuant to section 809 of the National Labor Relations Act. The authors summarize the Court's decision and analyze each of the issues to which the ruling has given rise. After discussing the nature of the problem, the authors offer their suggestions as to howfuture NLRB and court decisions should treat these issues, and how to protect long-term collective bargaining relationshps in the construction industry. I


Objective: To introduce the treatment of materials and the repairing of wounds for plate exposure after fracture surgery.Methods: The data of 275 cases with nickelclad exposure were reviewed from January 2000 to June 2011.The size of defect in the limb wounds,infection and the condition of surrounding soft tissues were comprehensively considered.Wound were treated with dressing change or wound debridement.The plate was kept if the wound was not infected or the infection was controled.The plate was removed and switched to external fixation with fixed support if infection was occurred.local rotation flaps,pedicle transfer flap,and free flap were used to repaire the wounds.Results: In 275 cases,10 cases were performed limb amputation,164 cases were kept plates,101 cases were removed l plates.In patients who reserved plates,14 cases were complicated by osteomyelitis,and the wounds were closed up by 1 to 4 times debridement,irrigation and drainage.Five cases were nonunion,and the fractures were healed by bone grafting.In patients who used external fixation,3 cases were complicated by osteomyelitis,and the wounds were closed up by irrigation and drainage.Two cases were nonunion,and the fractures were healed with free bone grafts and bone flap treatment.For the repairing of wounds,108 cases were performed local rotation flaps,of which,9 cases had part necrosis and the wounds were healed by dressing change.In 42 cases with island flaps,1 case had necrosis and the wound was closed up by free flap.In 125 cases with free tissue flaps,2 cases had venous crisis and the flaps survived after exploration,and 1 case had necrosis in free anterolateral femoral flap because of infection.Conclusion: For wounds with nickelclad exposure,part of the plates can be reserved with correct treatment and the wounds can get a better repair by the flap techniques.


The paper analyzed the factors affected desilication process, and by orthogonal experiment confirmed the parameters controlled by suitable normal-pressure desilication process.It brought the new process of producing refining solution of seed precipitation by enhanced predesilication and normal-pressure desilication,analyzed the energy consume of the new process,reached the economic production and reduced the energy consumption.


Abstract Background Striae distensae (SD) are common skin conditions. Objectives This study was done to test the hypothesis that 'the use of microneedling (MN) before platelet-rich plasma (PRP) application will allow for deeper penetration and therefore, augment its efficacy in the treatment of SD.' Patients and methods Forty patients with SD were divided into (i) Group I, the patients were treated with MN only, and (ii) Group II, the patients were treated with combined MN-PRP. The clinical improvement was evaluated by two dermatologists. Skin biopsies were obtained before and after therapy to examine immunohistological changes. Results As compared to the use of MN alone, therapy with combined MN-PRP was associated with: (i) a marked to the excellent improvement of the skin lesions of SD, (ii) a more significant deposition of collagen and elastic fibers, (iii) increased proliferative activity in the epidermis, and (iv) a decreased caspase-3 protein expression values in the epidermis. Conclusions This study proved that the combined MN-PRP is more effective than MN alone for the treatment of the lesions of SD. The underlying molecular mechanisms are open for future studies.


Phenolic compounds, especially those with plant origin, constitute an essential part of the human diet due to their antioxidant properties. Antioxidants protect biological systems (nucleic acids, proteins, lipids, lipoproteins) against free radicals and reactive oxygen species. Some medicinal plants contain so high amounts of antioxidants that their use can be considerably effective for human health. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of flooding extraction method on phenolic compounds, flavonoids and the level of free radical scavenging properties of medicinal plants including Thyme, Hamadani Yarrow, Shirazi mountain thyme, Yarrow, Chamomile, Saffron corm hyssop Sagebrush, wormwood, Artemisia and Ziziphora clinopodioiedes, in four extraction solvents including water, methanol, acetone and ethanol. The results showed that methanol and water solvents had the highest and the lowest total phenolic, flavonoid and antioxidant activity, respectively. The results also showed that methanol extraction of Shirazi thyme and water extraction of Wormwood plant had the highest and the lowest phenol and flavonoids contents, respectively. The results of trapping the free radicals of DPPH indicated that the methanol extract of Shirazi thyme and aqueous extract of wormwood had the highest and the lowest inhibition activities, respectively. Therefore, the selection of solvent type can affect the rate of the extraction of phenolic compounds, flavonoids and antioxidant activity.


Simira robusta (Rubiaceae), a new species from the Atlantic Rainforest of the Espirito Santo state, south-eastern Brazil, is here described and illustrated, and compared with similar species. It most resembles S. grazielae , from which it differs by the larger inflorescences, antrorse pubescent flowers and fruits, and by its larger fruits. Its habitat and conservation status are discussed. A key to the species of Simira from Espirito Santo state is provided.


Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is a heterogeneous group of disorders, characterized by hypogammaglobulinemia and defective specifi c antibody production [1,2]. Although the hallmark of the disease is frequent infections, primarily affecting the respiratory cancer; there were 4 cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and 3 cases of gastric adenocarcinoma. The demographic data and laboratory fi ndings for these 7 patients are presented in the Table. The mean (SD) age at onset of symptoms was 7 (1.7) years and the age at diagnosis was 13 (2.4) years; these ages were signifi cantly higher than those recorded in all Iranian CVID databases (P<.001). Surprisingly, all the patients with lymphoma had childhood onset, while those with gastric cancer were in their fourth decade of life when the cancer was diagnosed. Although no population-based epidemiological studies have analyzed demographics or epidemiological indices for malignancy in patients with CVID, the incidence of all types of cancer has been estimated to be 1.8 to 13 times higher than in the general population [5]. According to our fi ndings, the incidence of cancer in Iranian CVID patients is 10%, which is 2.5 times higher than the risk of cancer in the general population [6]. The increased prevalence of cancer in immunodefi ciency may be explained by an increased risk of immune dysregulation, increased susceptibility to an infectious agent involved in carcinogenesis, or chromosomal instability due to the nature of the disease [7]. Moreover, lower total and CD4 T cells and natural killer cells in terms of number and function have been strongly associated with risk for subsequent development of malignancy in CVID patients [8]. In our study, the most common forms of cancer were non-Hodgkin lymphoma and gastric adenocarcinoma. In previous studies, patients with CVID, and particularly female patients, have been found to have an 15.2to 438-fold increased risk of developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma compared to the general population [5,7,9]. In another study of 120 CVID patients, 46% had non-Hodgkin lymphoma, while 7% had Hodgkin lymphoma [10]. Most of the patients in our study developed


Introduction The discipline of criminology is a variegated one; and like any scientific pursuit, its philosophical and theoretical orientations reflect the culture not only of the period in which such views emerge but also its intellectual tradition. If one runs through the list of pioneers of modern criminology, the stamp of their contribution attests the reflection of cultural epochs and various intellectual orientations. The vast majority of the seventeen pioneers discussed by Hermann Mannheim (1960) were of European extraction with the English and Italian ones playing prominent roles. Only two of them were Americans. Eight of these pioneers Cesare Becaria, Jeremy Bentham, Enrico Ferri, Raffaele Garofalo, Pedro Montero, Gabriel Tarde, Hans Gross and Charles Doe were lawyers. Five of them, including Isaac Ray, Cesare Lombroso and Charles Goring were physicians with primarily psychiatric interests. And as Bloch and Geiss (1970:85) further noted, of the lot, only Durkheim and Bonger were sociologists; Alexander Maconochie was a naval officer while Haviland was an architect. What diverse backgrounds! Granted the fact that different approaches to the same subject matter are discernible in almost all disciplines, the diverse orientations of the pioneers in criminology make its subject matter particularly of interest to various fields of knowledge psychology, psychiatry, biology, law, endocrinology, anthropology, and sociology. Emphasis tends to vary from one country to the other, although as has been observed, the orientation of European criminology has been predominantly biological and legal while that of the United States has been sociological. A consequence of its own historical continuity, each orientation is simply one approach "to the scientific study of crime and criminals" (Wolfgang et aI, 1962). Historically, criminology can be dated back to 1885 when Raffaele Garofalo so christened the discipline concerned "with the study of violations of the criminal law and of those who commit them". This is not to imply that some efforts on the subject matter of crime did not antedate this appellation: in fact as early as 1764, Becaria published his essay later translatedInto English as "Essay on Crimes and Punishment" (Bloch and Geiss, 1970:84); besides it is conventional to regard Cesare Lombroso (1836-1909) as the father of scientific criminology. The essence of the" reference to Becaria, Garofalo and Lombroso is its relevance to the relatively tender age of criminology as a discipline.


This case examines a successful 64-year old as he considers his goals, and how he should be spending his time, at this stage of his life. It briefly recounts his life story, and provides a special focus on personal financial planning and wealth management issues.Learning Objective:To examine evolution of an individual's goals, plans, and life activities across four aspects of life (money, community, family and self) and dimensions of success (happiness, significance, achievement, legacy).


Increasing the milk production of small dairy producers is necessary to cover the increase in milk demand in Tanzania. Currently, the population of people in both Tanzania and the world has increased and is predicted to increase more in the year 2050. The use of multilevel association rule mining methods to mine strong patterns among smallholder dairy farmers could help in identifying the best dairy farming practices and increase their milk production by adopting them. This study employed multi-level association rule mining to discover strong rules in three clusters, resulting in three levels of rules in each cluster. These three clusters were high, medium, and low milk producers. Rules were obtained for feeding practices, milk production, and breeding and health practices. These rules represent strong patterns among smallholder dairy farmers that could help them improve their dairy farming practices and have a gradual increase in milk production, from low to medium and from medium to higher milk production. Smallholder dairy producers would be provided with recommendations on their dairy farming practices, using rules based on the cluster to which they belong that could help them achieve higher milk production.


Denis A. Markelov Dynamical and structural properties of dendrimer macromolecules Lappeenranta 2010 58 p. Acta Universitatis Lappeenrantaensis 428 Diss. Lappeenranta University of Technology ISBN 978-952-265-077-1, ISBN 978-952-265-078-8 (PDF), ISSN 1456-4491 This work is devoted to the study of the dynamical and structural properties of dendrimers. Different approaches were used: analytical theory, computer simulation results and experimental NMR studies. The theory of the relaxation spectrum of dendrimer macromolecules was developed. Relaxation processes which are manifest in the local orientational mobility of dendrimer macromolecules were established and studied in detail. Theoretical results and conclusions were used for experimental studies of carbosilane dendimers.


Background/Aims The diagnosis of small bowel Crohn's disease with negative ileocolonoscopic findings has been challenging. Fecal calprotectin (FC) has been used to detect colonic inflammation, but its efficacy for detecting small bowel inflammation is less established. We performed an updated meta-analysis to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of FC to detect active small bowel inflammation observed during capsule endoscopy. Methods We conducted a systematic literature search for studies that evaluated the correlation between small bowel inflammation and FC in patients with suspected/established Crohn's disease. We calculated the pooled sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds ratios (DORs) and constructed hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic curves for FC cutoffs of 50, 100, and 200 µg/g. Results Fourteen studies were eligible for the final analysis. The DORs of all FC cutoffs were significant. The highest DOR was observed at 100 µg/g (sensitivity, 0.73; specificity, 0.73; and DOR, 7.89) and was suggested as the optimal diagnostic cutoff. If we analyzed only studies that included patients with suspected Crohn's disease, the DOR was 8.96. If we analyzed only studies that included patients with a Lewis score ≥135 as a diagnostic criterion for active disease, the DOR was 10.90. Conclusions FC has significant diagnostic accuracy for detecting small bowel inflammation, and an FC cutoff of 100 µg/g can be used as a tool to screen for small bowel Crohn's disease. (Gut Liver 2021;15-741)


We have fabricated transistor structures using fluorinated single-layer graphene flakes and studied their electronic properties at different temperatures. Compared with pristine graphene, fluorinated graphene has a very large and strongly temperature-dependent resistance in the electroneutrality region. We show that fluorination creates a mobility gap in graphene's spectrum where electron transport takes place via localized electron states.


We emphasize the importance of including radiative corrections when extracting physics from colliders such as the Tevatron Run II at Fermilab, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, and a future linear collider (LC). We review both well-tested methods and recent advances for calculating these corrections within the Standard Model of electroweak and strong interactions. We discuss the demands on theory and the prospects for matching or exceeding the anticipated experimental precision.


A diterpene (2), (+) 2-hydroxymanool was obtained as the predominant isolate from the CH 2Cl 2 extract of Xylopia benthamii using CH 2Cl 2/Hexane as the eluent followed by repeated flash column chromatography of a specific range of fractions using also CH 2Cl 2/Hexane. Its structure was assigned using modern sp ectroscopic techniques: 1 H NMR, 13 CNMR, DEPT 135, 1 H- 1 H COSY, HMBC, HMQC. It is the first labdane diterpene of such a nature to be isolated from a Xylopia species and for the first time isolated as its pure hydroxymanool form. The pure d iterpene (2) was monoacetylated using acetic anhydride in the presence of pyridine at room temperature for 24 hours and was obtained as a brown viscous liquid (9) whic h was also characterized via the above techniques.


In this paper,a modified cosine function with nonlinear deviation,which employs Bezier spline curve to control the changes of the axial profiling parameters,is applied as the basic profiling function and establishes a non-axisymmetric endwall profiling system in a cascade.A special 3D blade stacking rule based on Bezier spline curve is concerned additionally.Combining the bowed blade profiling method and non-axisymmetric endwall profiling system,a new 3D flow passage modeling system is developed:non-axisymmetric endwall and 3D blade stacking joint profiling system,which has fewer designing parameters and direct physical conception.Aforementioned technologies are integrated by using the commercial optimization software iSIGHT:to get the highest aerodynamic efficiency,an aerodynamic optimization design of the first stator blades in a two stage turbine is conducted using simulated annealing algorithm.The isentropic efficiency is improved by 0.43%,and the flow rate is improved by 2.1%.This result demonstrates that the joint profiling system is appropriate on further increasing the aerodynamic efficiency of cascade comparing to single profiling method.


Having gone to bed young — pink-cheeked and lily-scented — I woke up swearing at the old face trembling over the sink. Little fuckhead, she just stared back, nonplussed, into my rage. After dozing away a few more years, I came awake in the wrong arms. Someone who scratched in his sleep like a dog. Oh. I must have married him when I was too young to care. I did; I tried. I slept as hard and fast as I could but woke as an infant, quite unable — however Herculean the effort — to turn myself over inside the crib's bright white bars.


This work studied in a wide geographical area during two vacational seasons, the presence of hydrocarbon contaminants in sinkholes along the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, an important caribeann tourism region. Phenanthrene, naphthalene and benzene derivates were found as the most common hydrocarbon contaminants present in underwater sinkholes located in Cancún and Playa del Carmen, two well-developed tourism poles. Other regions of Quintana Roo, with intermediate tourism development (Puerto Morelos, Tulum, Cozumel and Bacalar) show hydrocarbon presence too. In comparison, Holbox which is a recent touristic development where the use of motor transportation for tourists and locals is less common, has not reached the contamination level of Cancún or Playa del Carmen nor the pollution level of intermediate tourism development poles as Tulum or Cozumel. Concentration of hydrocarbons is related to vacational seasons, sinkholes during "High" season shows major hydrocarbon concentration and diversity than during "Low" season.


Life-cycle cost management is the foundation and techniques for life-cycle cost management. Petri nets has a graphical expression, can improve and add more features and information to Fault tree analysis, Markov equations and so on, raising the speed and accuracy of the entire system of risk assessment. The paper propose a risk assessment based on the life-cycle management approach, establish four state model to analysis transformer substation main wiring operation, discuss elements occurring planned maintenance events and breaker tripping phenomenon, and propose using the basic equations of Petri nets to determine system status and calculate the corresponding probabilities, quantitative analysis of the outage costs of the substation main connection off for running, and seek the best value under the run. In the example discussing and calculating the risk indicators of outage costs for different wiring schemes, the results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed algorithm.


The difference between engineering bill quoting and traditional quota pricing was analyzed,the quoting principle should obey under bill pricing model was proposed.The labor,material and machine quoting in engineering cost were discussed,the problems should attention in bidding were illustrated so as to enhance the rates of winning the bid.


We have obtained A-band absorption resonance Raman spectra of 1-chloro-2- iodoethane in cyclohexane solution. We have done preliminary time-dependent wavepacket calculations to simulate the resonance Raman intensities and absorption spectrum in order to learn more about the short-time photodissociation dynamics. We compare our preliminary results for 1-chloro-2-iodoethane with previous resonance Raman results for iodoethane and find that there appears to be more motion along non- C—I stretch modes for 1-chloro-2-iodoethane than for iodoethane. This is consistent with results of TOF photofragment spectroscopy experiments which indicate much more internal excitation of the photoproducts from 1-chloro-2-iodoethane photodissociation than the photoproducts from iodoethane photodissociation.


The invention provides a maintenance management method, a device and a system for bank network devices. The maintenance management method comprises the following steps: receiving a maintenance management request which comes from a request device and is used for maintenance management of the network devices; authenticating the maintenance management request according to a preset password; when the authentication on the maintenance management request is successful, acquiring maintenance management information related to the maintenance management request from the maintenance service center; and carrying out the maintenance management operation on the network devices according to the maintenance management information. The invention can save resources and enhance work efficiency.


This is indeed an unusual tome. It presents a collection of articles all dealing with ocular oncology. It comprises nearly 900 pages and more than 800 illustrations. It covers nearly all aspects of ocular tumors in an encyclopedic fashion. Nothing like this has ever been offered to the ophthalmic community and it is unlikely that anything like it will come forward in any language in the near future. The book is dedicated to Algernon B. Reese, the doyen of ocular pathology in this country. The editor is now in charge of the laboratory at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, where Dr Reese worked for many decades. The book has 71 contributors and most of them are ophthalmic pathologists. Many of the authors are associated with the College of Physicians and Surgeons or with the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) in Washington, DC. A number of chapters


Objective To analyze retrospectively the short-term and long-term effects of the stage I nonsmall-cell lung carcinoma patients who received video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery(VATS)and minimal incision thoracotomy(MIT)from January 2010 to January 2012.Methods We selected VATS 75 cases and MIT 74 cases of initial pathological staging Ⅰ(UICC2009)patients who did not receive postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy,and analyzed the differences between the two groups in postoperative recovery related indicators,postoperative complications,the number of lymphadenectomy and 1,2,3 year diseasefree survival rate.Results VATS is less and shorter than MIT(P 0.05)in intraoperative blood loss,days of intensive care,first standing time and duration of stay in hospital.After dynamic monitoring WBC and PCT,the results showed that the systemic inflammatory reaction of VATS was slighter than that of MIT(P 0.05).The 1,2,3 year DFS rates of VATS is 84.3%,68.6 and 63.8%;while the MIT is 72.3%,67.7% and 63.1%,and there was no statistical differences between the two groups(P =0.288).Conclusion Comparing with MIT,VATS has obvious advantages in postoperation recovery for early stage of NSCLC patients,and has the similar disease-free survival rate in postoperation.


1 Never Enough: The Beginnings of Rapid Transit in New York 2 The Deadlock over More Subways, 1902-1909 3 Rapid Transit to Save New York 4 Stumbling toward a Solution 5 The Dual System of Rapid Transit 6 The Battle over Financing the Dual System 7 Impact of the Dual System


Summary form only given. A series of experiments has been under way at the Naval Research Laboratory, in collaboration with Argonne National Laboratory and Euclid Techlabs LLC, with the goal of demonstrating efficient, high gradient acceleration in X-band dielectric-loaded accelerating (DLA) structures [1]. These studies have focused on the mitigation of multipactor and breakdown phenomena in DLA structures. This paper will discuss a study of multipactor loading in a standing-wave (SW) DLA structure, a study of multipactor suppression in a traveling-wave (TW) DLA structure by means of an applied axial magnetic field, and planned tests of multipactor suppression in new SW and TW DLA structures.


This article reports on mass experiments sup� porting the idea that data extracted from strongly comparable corpora may successfully be used to build statistical machine translation systems of reasonable translation quality for


Schools have faced previously unheard-of difficulties as a result of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, including the need to swiftly move to an online format, ensure that all students have fair access, support teachers' and students' educational needs, and make plans i n the face of significant uncertainty. The epidemic itself has generated a lot of anxiety, tension, and sorrow. Anybody can have mental health issues due to these pressures, and those who may already be dealing with such issues may experience acute symptoms as a result. Some of the common signs that instructors could look for in order to spot pupils who are having mental health issues might not be present. It's possible that some professors aren't actually meeting with kids. The same student drop-ins might not occur for all teachers. The disguised faces of kids may be invisible to certain professors. Teachers may therefore be concerned about their pupils' progress or level of difficulty, particularly in the case of emotional issues. Here, we discuss the methods teachers might employ to spot pupils who may want more help, particularly in the case of anxiety and depression, which can sometimes go unnoticed even in the best of situations.


The discovery of mirror neurons (Gallese et al. 1996; Rizzolatti et al. 1996) and the empirical research generated in the following two decades by their discovery has made it possible to address basic aspects of intersubjectivity on the basis of well-documented neurophysiological mechanisms and consider intersubjectivity and social cognition from a novel perspective that emphasizes the crucial role of the acting body. The discovery of mirror neurons gave us a new, empirically grounded notion of a constitutive aspect of intersubjectivity: intercorporeality, that is, the mutual resonance of intentionally meaningful sensorimotor behaviors. The ability to understand others as intentional agents does not exclusively depend on propositional competence but instead is primarily dependent on the relational nature of action. According to this hypothesis, it is possible to directly understand others' basic actions by means of the motor equivalence between what others do and what the observer can do. Intercorporeality thus becomes the primordial source of knowledge that we have of others. The motor simulation instantiated by neurons endowed with "mirror properties" is probably the neural correlate of this human faculty, describable in functional terms as an instantiation of embodied simulation (Gallese 2003a, 2005, 2011; Gallese and Sinigaglia 2011b). Action, though, constitutes only one dimension of the wealth of experiences involved in interpersonal relations. Every interpersonal relation enables the possibility of sharing a multiplicity of states such as, for instance, emotions and sensations. Empirical research demonstrated that, as originally hypothesized by Goldman and Gallese (2000), the very same nervous structures involved in the subjective experience of emotions and sensations are also active when such emotions and sensations are observed in others. A multiplicity of "mirroring" mechanisms are thus present in our brain. It has been proposed that these mechanisms, thanks to the "intentional attunement" they generate (Gallese 2006), allow us to recognize others as our fellows, thus making intersubjective communication and mutual understanding possible. The functional architecture of embodied simulation seems to constitute a basic characteristic of our brain, making possible our rich and diversified intersubjective experiences, which provide the basis for our capacity to empathize with others.


The study of frontal crash simulation optimization with Pam-Crash software is carried out for a vehvcle.The assessment index was proposed.Some improved plans are compared in view of energy absorbed、the acceleration time history curve of B pillar and intrusion of firewall.The simulation results showed that the improving plan enhanced the frontal crash performance of the whole vehicle.


The economic emission load dispatch problem treats economic and emission as competing objectives for optimal dispatch, which requires some form of conflict resolution to arrive at a solution. Assuming that the decision maker (DM) has imprecise or fuzzy goals for each of the objective functions, the multiobjective problem is transformed into a minimax problem, which is then handled by the simulated annealing (SA) technique. The solution methodology can offer noninferior optimal solution for the DM. Numerical results for a sample test system have been presented to demonstrate the performance and applicability of the proposed method.


This paper aims to address the principles and practices of the Theory of Constraints, as a way to analyze the balancing of the portfolio of projects contributing as a tool for Portfolio Management. The main objective was to investigate the main problems of balancing process using the tools of the Theory of Constraints (Theory of Constraints - TOC), which seeks to optimize the production of an organization through the identification of system constraints, minimizing or eliminating the them, and suggest the implementation of changes to improve the overall performance of the portfolio. The results showed that the main constraint was caused by a human resource sharing between design and operation. It was suggested, so the use of tools cited as a solution to the restrictions.


In the ever-expanding field of parallel computing, we have seen a number of textbooks , some emphasizing the design aspects of parallel algorithms based on abstract models of paralle l machines (such as PRAMs) and some others focusing on the topological properties of paralle l architectures . What is needed in this area is a book which provides a linkage between th e topological properties of a parallel network and its computational capabilities or limitations , as well as comparative analyses of parallel architectures, not only among the proposed ones but also in view of a desirable general-purpose parallel machine which is yet to be built . The book under review comes closest to this goal . The author, a well-known researcher in paralle l computing, once again has proved his expertise and authority on the materials covered . This book will certainly have an impact to the psychology of students and researchers alike, on ho w to correlate parallel architectures and algorithms . Physically, this book is organized around three categories of parallel architectures : Arrays and Trees, Meshes of Trees, and Hypercubic networks . Each category covers not only th e basic type of architectures but also other variants or related models . For example, Chapter 1 on Arrays and Trees encompasses linear arrays, two-dimensional arrays, trees, ring, torus, X tree, pyramid, multigrid networks, systolic and semisystolic networks, and higher-dimensional arrays as well . Similarly, Chapter 2 on Meshes of Trees shows different ways of looking at two-dimensional meshes of trees at the beginning and further extends to higher-dimensiona l meshes of trees, and shuffle-tree graphs at the end . The third chapter, Hypercubes and Related Networks, covers butterfly, cube-connected-cycles, Benes network, shuffle-exchange, de Bruij n network, butterfly-like networks (Omega network, flip network, baseline and reverse baselin e networks, Banyan and delta networks, and k-ary butterfy), and de Bruijn-type networks (k-ar y de Bruijn network, and generalized shuffle-exchange network) . Whereas the above parallel networks constitute the architectural domain of the hook as th e basis, the application domain — parallel computation problems and algorithms — threads th e chapters together and helps a reader to view the similarities and differences of each network , from algorithm design standpoint . In addition to the definitions and characterizations of th e topological properties of the parallel architectures, each chapter examines a carefully-chose n subset of fundamental computational problems such as integer arithmetic, prefix computation , list ranking, sorting and counting, matrix arithmetic, graph problems, Fast Fourier Transfor m and Discrete Fourier Transform, computational geometry, and image analysis etc . The solution s to these problems are explored from simple algorithms to more complicated ones until it achieve s optimality. This approach seems to be adequate to reveal the capability and limitations of eac h network . The problems and algorithms are not treated in an isolated context but provokes a reader to capture what is achievable in terms of speedup and efficiency, and what is the limi t in terms of lower hounds, in a particular parallel network under focus . The author pays special attention to the routing problem . Considering that routing is a common vehicle for solving most of the regular and irregular parallel computation problem s in a fixed-connection network, the general capability of each network against an abstract parallel machine model is properly exposed via routing problem . Also discussed are the containment/embedding of one network in another, i .e . mapping between networks and the simulatio n


A study has been made of the effect of hydrolysis on the structure of three types of starch and their subsequent gelatinisation behaviour. The techniques utilised are simultaneous small and wide angle X-ray scattering (SAXS and WAXS respectively) using a synchrotron source, and differential scanning calorimetry. By fully fitting the small angle scattering curve to identify the behaviour of the different regions within the starch granule, it is possible to understand how the SAXS peak can get less pronounced upon hydrolysis, while the WAXS peaks get more intense. The breadth of the DSC gelatinisation endotherm also increases with extent of hydrolysis. All three findings can be related to the preferential destruction of the amorphous background region during the hydrolysis process.


Members of the G,, subfamily of heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide-binding proteins (G proteins) activate phospholipase C (PLC). The complementary DNAs (cDNAs) for the G protein a subunits G,, and G11, were expressed in insect (Sf9) cells using recombinant baculovirus. Active, nonaggregated, and membrane-associated protein was generated only when the a subunit cDNA was expressed together with cDNAs encoding G protein B and subunits. Recombinant a subunits (rGqa and rGll,) were purified by three-step procedures, as was a PLC-activating a subunit(s) endogenous to Sf9 cells. Guanosine 5'-3-(thio)triphosphate (GTPrS) activated rG, and rGll, with an apparent Ko.5 of 30 NM; similarly high concentrations of the nucleotide were required to observe ['"SIGTPrS binding to rGqa. Activated rG,, and rGll, each stimulated all three isoforms of purified PLC-B with the rank order of potency PLCB 1 = PLC-83 2 PLC-B2; both a subunits also stimulated PLC-B1 and PLC-j33 to a much greater extent (10-fold) than they did PLC-62. In contrast, activated rG,, and rGll, failed to stimulate either PLC-61 or PLC-71. Recombinant GSal, GL2, Gi-3, GOP(*), G and G, all failed to stimulate any of the isoforms of PLC. The apparent affinities of rG,, and rGll, for PLC-B1 and their capacities to activate the enzyme were similar to values observed for purified brain Gqa,ll,. Purified brain ,& subunits also stimulated the three isoforms of PLC-8. The capacities of rG,, and rGll, to activate PLC-B1 and PLC-83 greatly exceeded those of Br, whereas G,,, G11, and By were roughly equiefficacious with PLC02; the a subunits were more potent than in all cases. The effects of a and Br together were nonadditive for both PLC-B1 and PLC-82. These results demonstrate that G,, and GI1, specifically and selectively stimulate B isoforms of PLC and confirm the idea that these members of the G,, subfamily of G proteins are physiological regulators of this signaling pathway.


Assessment of oocyte quality to avoid overproduction of embryos is now considered an important goal in ICSI cycles. Although in classic Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) cycles selection is mainly done for embryos and not for follicles. Follicular fluid and its contents representing the oocyte environment are now gaining more attention because not only of its crucial influence on oocyte developments but also due to easy isolation of follicular fluid with every case of ICSI. By its aspiration during ovum pick up (OPU). substances isolated from follicular fluid to assess oocyte quality were in the form of: hormones like, Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH), Luteinizing Hormone (LH), Anti-mullerian Hormon (AMH), Growth Hormone (GH) etc., growth factors like Insulin Like Growth Factor (ILGF), proteins and amino acids like Lactoferrin (LF) which is an iron-binding glycoprotein that was detected in follicular fluid and was thought to be related to good oocyte quality when present in high concentration. Objectives: The aim of this study was to detect the possible effect of follicular fluid lactoferrin on oocyte quality and hence pregnancy rate in ICSI cycles. Methods: Follicular fluid was obtained from 64 patients undergoing Intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) procedure in Ain Shams University Maternity Hospital. Follicular fluid (FF) was collected at the time of oocyte harvesting. The lactoferrin concentration in FF was assayed by ELISA. Results: The mean LF concentration in follicular fluid of the positive biochemical pregnancy group (0.63 ± 0.17 ng/mL) was not significantly higher than that in the negative biochemical pregnancy (0.61 ± 0.16 ng/mL). A positive correlation between a number of mature oocytes and lactoferrin concentration was not found (r.101). Conclusion: Lactoferrin level in follicular fluid does not correlate with oocytes quality or pregnancy rate.


The three collections of essays* demonstrate a number of characteristics of the field of urban history itself at the present time. One of these is the growing frequency and role of inter-European and, indeed, international, scholarly colloquia devoted to exploring issues of common interest. These meetings may be said cumulatively not only to have provided exchange of ideas and information from the scholarly community of one nation to another. By facilitating such dialogue they have changed the field itself. What was once, perhaps most obviously in Britain, a strongly insular tradition of scholarship has now become strongly comparative instead. In addition, each of the three collections before us adopts a functional approach to urban communities, thus exemplifying one of the more vibrant axes of current research in the field. The cities described in these essays are much more than constitutional constructs, or physical environ-ments, or containers for human activity characterized by density of settlement, and they are most emphatically more than societies considered in and of themselves. They are active players in the larger economies, cultures and political systems to which they belonged, and their activities in each of these dimensions is far greater than the sum of the parts. The English,


On the basis of daily water consumption for rice under control irrigation condition and the measured rainfall information of typical year with rainfall frequency of 50%,75% and 90%,irrigation regimes of control irrigation for rice were scheduled,and furthermore,control irrigation was applied in the central area of Liaoning. The results showed that compared to the traditional irrigation,the irrigation water of control irrigation decreased from 13. 67% to 15. 41%,while rice yield and water use efficiency under control irrigation condition increased 11. 3% ~ 12. 7% and 29. 26% ~32. 97% respectively.


Analyses of sea water collected during 1958 at the International Hydrographic Station E1 (lat. 50° 02′ N., long. 4° 22′ W.) are given here in the same form as in earlier reports (Armstrong, 1954, 1955, 1957, 1958; Armstrong & Butler, 1959). The methods of collection and analysis remain the same. Salinities were determined by the Government Chemist, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. We wish again to thank Lt.-Cdr. C. A. Hoodless, D.S.C., and the crew of R.V. 'Sarsia', and Capt. W. J. Creese and the crew of R.V. 'Sula' for help at sea.


Digital elevation models (DEM) are widely used in hydrological applications for computing useful topographic parameters such as slope, flow direction, flow accumulation area and stream channel network. However, DEMs generally contain numerous topographic depressions which are real and/or artifactual. These depressions can take the form of single cells (pits) or contiguous areas in DEM (depressions). The problem with these pits and depressions is that they interrupt continuous flow paths in DEMs. To avoid these problems, all pits have to be rectified and create a depressionless DEM before calculating flow directions or any related topographic parameters. Agency provided DEMs may be pit filled, but pits can also be generated while interpolating DEMs for changing grid spacing (e.g. LiDAR data). Therefore pit filling is an essential requirement for any hydrological study. A number of algorithms have been developed over the past few decades to treat pits in DEMs. With the availability of high resolution data, DEMs typically contain millions of cells which increase file sizes and computational effort. Therefore, efficiency of pit filling algorithms has to be taken into account when using such DEMs in hydrological applications. In this paper, two of most widely used pit filling algorithms (Jenson and Domingue, 1988 and Planchon, 2001) are compared in terms of their performance and ability to extract topographical parameters. One arc second DEM derived from Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data was used in the study. Two study areas were used in the comparison. The first study area is comprised of three catchments located in Eastern Australia and they were used for evaluating topographic changes made by pit filling algorithms. The second study area is located in East coast and it was used to compare the performance of the two algorithms across a regional extent. According to the results, both algorithms behave similarly in modifying existing topography, but calculated flow accumulations and drainage networks were slightly different from each other. When the filled area was relatively small, both algorithms have resulted in similar flow paths. But in relatively large filled areas, they have resulted in unrealistic parallel flow paths significantly different from each other. Both algorithms were implemented in the Python programming language to provide a common platform for comparison. Python is an interpreted language and the Cython tool has been recently developed to convert Python code to C code and allow it to be compiled. Cython was used to convert Python code to C extensions and the performance of both Python and Cython versions were evaluated. Time taken to execute pit filling algorithms on different sizes of DEMs was measured. The execution time of the Planchon algorithm showed a linear relationship with the size of the DEM while execution time of Jenson algorithm increased exponentially. Moreover, performance of both algorithms was evaluated for different resolutions, on a constant grid extent. The execution time of the Jenson algorithm increased with DEM resolution and showed a direct relationship to the total number of pits. However, execution time of Planchon algorithm remained almost constant regardless of the total number of pits. In Cython, both Jenson and Planchon algorithms showed significant improvement in execution time, relative to implementation in Python.


Introduction This study in healthy volunteers (HVs) was designed to investigate the bioavailability of inhaled NVA237 (glycopyrronium bromide-GP) delivered via the Breezhaler® device and to investigate the contributions of pulmonary and gastrointestinal (GI) absorption to systemic exposure. GI absorption was blocked with oral activated charcoal (AC) to study the pharmacokinetics (PK) of the NVA237 absorption via the lung. Methods In Part 1, NVA237 400 µg was administered orally to 10 HVs with and without concomitant administration of AC to demonstrate that GI absorption of NVA237 can be blocked. In Part 2 (n=20 HVs) the PK of 200 µg inhaled NVA237 with and without AC were compared to those of an i.v. infusion of 120 µg GP. Plasma PK data were analyzed by non-compartmental and compartmental methods. Results Result of Part 1 showed that oral AC was effective in blocking the oral absorption of NVA237. Absolute bioavailability of orally administered NVA237 (without AC) was estimated to be about 5%. In Part 2 the absolute bioavailability of inhaled NVA237 was about 40%. About 90% of systemic exposure was due to pulmonary absorption, 10% to GI absorption. About 36% of the inhaled dose was deposited and absorbed in the lungs. The mean terminal half-life of NVA237 was 52.5 h and 57.2 h in the inhalation treatments, 6.2 h after the i.v. dose and 2.8 h after the oral dose. Conclusion NVA237 inhaled via the Breezhaler® device is efficiently deposited and absorbed in the lungs. The terminal half life of NVA237 is much longer after inhalation than after i.v. or oral dosing which points to sustained lung concentrations of NVA237 following inhalation.


In order to improve the detection efficiency and accuracy of spacecraft thermistor wire solder joint detection and defect identification, yolov5 neural network model is studied and optimized, ECA attention module is introduced, infrared thermal imager and microscope lens are used, temperature control fixture and optical fiber coupled semiconductor laser are used to realize the detection of micro holes in its solder joint Infrared image signal acquisition and quality detection of cracks and other defects.


The effects of transforming growth factor ¡i(type 1)(TGF-0,) on DNA synthesis, cell proliferation, and protein synthesis were examined in a series of v-ra£transformed rat liver epithelial (RLE) cells, which exhibit a range of transformed phenotypes. All of the transformed cells were relatively resistant to the growth-inhibitory effects of TGF-0,, compared to normal RLE cells and control cells infected with a helper virus. The more tumorigenic cell lines had very few surface receptors for TGF-/3] and showed no increase in the secretion of a number of specific proteins, including fibronectin, following TGF-ß,treatment. In contrast, the more normal-looking, less tumorigenic v-ra/lransformed cells bound similar amounts of TGF-ß,as normal RLE and control cells and showed a similar pattern of TGF-/3i-stimulated protein secretion. These findings suggest that the effects of TGF-/9, on cell proliferation and on the expression of certain secreted proteins are mediated through different mechanisms. Following transformation of RLE cells with \-ruf, the signalling pathways controlling TGF-/3t growth inhibition are perturbed, while those involved in regulating the synthesis of certain proteins may remain intact. Thus, the escape from the various distinct biological effects of 1(, 1--/;,may be an important stage in the progression of neoplastic transformation of RLE cells in vitro.


This study aims to determine the influence of parents and self-efficacy on children's career interests in society in the 5.0 era. The method used is quantitative. Researchers use multiple regression analysis to determine whether there is an influence or not between the variables studied. The research was conducted on 458 new students in Surabaya. The results showed that there was no direct effect of parental support on children's career interests. Parental support can influence career interest through self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is also important for individuals to survive or give up on certain tasks or challenges. Various information that students get will make them more independent in determining attitudes and choices. Parents are only a motivator so that they are more confident in what they choose.


Path-based techniques make the analysis of very large Markov models feasible by trading off high computational complexity for low space complexity. Often, a drawback in these techniques is that they have to evaluate many paths in order to compute reasonably tight bounds on the exact solutions of the models. In this paper, we present a path composition algorithm to speed up path evaluation significantly. It works by quickly composing subpaths that are precomputed locally at the component level. The algorithm is computationally efficient since individual subpaths are precomputed only once, and the results are reused many times in the computation of all composed paths. To the best of our knowledge, this work is the first to propose the idea of path composition for the analysis of Markov models. A practical implementation of the algorithm makes it feasible to solve even larger models, since it helps not only in evaluating more paths faster but also in computing long paths efficiently by composing them from short ones. In addition to presenting the algorithm, we demonstrate its application and evaluate its performance in computing the reliability and availability of a large distributed information service system in the presence of fault propagation and in computing the probabilities of buffer overflow and buffer flushing in a media multicast system with varying system configurations


This paper presents two methods for increasing comprehensibility in technical trading rules produced by Genetic Programming. For this application domain adding a complexity penalizing factor to the objective fitness function also avoids overfitting the training data. Using pre-computed derived technical indicators, although it biases the search, can express complexity while retaining comprehensibility. Several of the learned technical trading rules outperform a buy and hold strategy for the S&P500 on the testing period from 1990-2002, even taking into account transaction costs.


The popularity of electric vehicles is still growing. The investment in R&D has been focused on the development of new and cheaper motors like Switched Reluctance Machines (SRM). This article presents an overview of SRM converter topologies critically compared for EV application in terms of controllability, costs, fault tolerance and complexity. The studied topologies are classified into two groups: hard-switching and soft-switching. But also, other features like the amount of components (switches, diodes, etc.) and modes of operation are taken into account.


Harrod method in the differential form has a discrete character and the resulting growth of economy exponentially is insubstantial. The mistake is based on adjunction of the capital and annual income through a constant ratio. This becomes clear from the positions of study of dimensionality of the used values, which is knowingly avoided in the mathematical economy. Representation of the capital through intensity of income in categories of continuous analysis is quite naturally realised with the help of the Steklov function. It forms a correct Harrod method (CHM), which, unlike the above mentioned exponent, results in inevitability of economic crises, however, the moments of their appearance are calculable. The Steklov function allows generalisation by means of the component designed for monitoring of the economic situation with the aim to specify model parameters. Refraction of CHM to the balance of participants of the economic system in cost interpretation is quite fruitful. The obtained model is a system of differential equations of the first order with variable ratios. Due to this the article formulates general principles of modelling of socio-economic processes.


The atmospheric dynamics in an alpine valley under stable co nditi ns (at night or in winter) is mainly dominated by down-slope winds. Internal gravity waves must be generat ed by these winds, may be trapped and possibly break, thereby inducing mixing within the valley despite the stabl e conditions. The impact of these mixing processes in the dispersion of pollutants motivated our work. These points a re addressed here, using numerical simulations with the ARPS code of the Chamonix valley. Our purpose is to invest igate the features of the emitted internal gravity waves and to evaluate the potential of the wave dynamics in flu id mixing. We found that the wave characteristics are controlled by the valley dimensions and that the waves ar therefore trapped. Ubiquitous wave breaking is observed in the atmosphere of the valley, implying that mixi ng should be quantified to evaluate its importance. Mots-clefs : Fluid mechanics, stably-stratified atmospheric boundary l ayer, alpine valley


The invention relates to a video decoder device and a method thereof. The device comprises a device resources perceivable unit, a frequency control unit and a multitask decoder. The device resources perceivable unit is used for determining the present available power; the frequency control unit is used for assigning working frequency for each task according to the present available power determined by the device resources perceivable unit; the multitask decoder is used for dividing video code stream into a plurality of tasks and decoding each task according to the working frequency for each task assigned by the frequency control unit. In the invention, the multitask parallel processing is carried out on the decoder and the frequency of each task and each function module is dynamically adjusted, thus reducing the power consumption under the premise of satisfying the system performance.


In this work we investigate some asymptotic properties of an age-structured Lotka-Volterra model, where a specific choice of the functional parameters allows us to formulate it as a delayed problem, for which we prove the existence of a unique coexistence equilibrium and characterize the existence of a periodic solution. We also exhibit a Lyapunov functional that enables us to reduce the attractive set to either the nontrivial equilibrium or to a periodic solution. We then prove the asymptotic stability of the nontrivial equilibrium where, depending on the existence of the periodic trajectory, we make explicit the basin of attraction of the equilibrium. Finally, we prove that these results can be extended to the initial PDE problem.


We investigate overdamped Brownian motion in a fluctuating potential on a one-dimensional interval bordered by absorbing boundaries. The potential switches randomly between the ∨-shaped and the ∧-shaped form and is symmetric with respect to the origin. We derive exact expressions describing the absorption process, dynamics and stochastic energetics of the particle. The mean absorption time can exhibit a pronounced minimum as the function of the potential switching rate. Moreover, there exists a parameter region where both the output work and the released heat are positive. We give a plausible explanation for this phenomenon based on typical statistical features of absorbed trajectories. The presented analytical method can be generalized to other models based on dichotomous switching between two potential shapes.


The main consequence of the ozone depletion, which was apparent over much of the globe several years ago, is the increase of the biologically damaging UV irradiance at the ground level. Data of the airborne spectral observations of upward irradiance at the upper level (∼5 km) and downward irradiance at the lower level (∼500 m) are compared for finding the empirical dependence between them. Radiative experiments above different surfaces (sand, water, snow) and in different conditions (clear or cloudy sky) are considered.


A transformation of current food systems is needed to nourish the growing global population in more sustainable ways. To support this, some are advocating for a shift to plant-based or -exclusive diets. These recommendations – typically borne out of concerns for the environment – often fail to account for unintended nutritional consequences, which could be particularly pronounced for protein intake. While there is enough protein to meet current global needs, the issue of protein quality is often overlooked and oversimplified. High-quality protein, including from animal source foods (ASF), is needed to meet nutritional demands in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), particularly among vulnerable population groups. In high-income countries (HIC), protein quality is important for at-risk populations who have higher protein requirements and lower energy and/or protein intakes. Further, as the global population increases, driven primarily by population growth in LMIC, it is possible that protein production will need to increase in HIC to support exports to help feed the global population. The global dialogue and resulting dietary recommendations must therefore become more nuanced to consider the interaction between nutritional value and environmental impact to help better reflect trade-offs across multiple domains of sustainability. Nutritional life cycle assessments are one way to help accomplish this nuance and evaluate how all types of food production systems should be refocused to improve their environmental efficiency and nutritional impact.


In this thesis we look at one of the aging mechanisms that may have affected current aged Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs). Irradiation as an age-related degradation mechanism is studied for Reinforced Concrete (RC) in NPPs. This problem can be important for aged reactor buildings, radwaste buildings, spent nuclear fuel, research reactors, or accelerators that experience high levels of radiation close to existing thresholds. Mechanical properties of concrete are the most important parameters affected by radiation in NPPs. Compressive strength of concrete is reduced between 80 and 35 % for radiation fluences between 2×1019 and 2×1021n/cm2. Tensile strength reduction is more significant than compressive strength. It is reduced between 20 and 80 % for a radiation fluence equal to 5×1019. We chose three radiation levels 2 × 10, 2 × 10, 2 × 10 based on experimental results as the critical levels of radiation that RC structures in NPPs may be exposed to. Structures susceptible to the problem are mostly RC walls; so the RC panel is chosen as an appropriate representative scale element for the analysis. The effect of radiation on mechanical properties of concrete is considered to analyze degraded scale elements. Material properties, geometry, and loading scenarios of scale elements are selected to be close to actual quantities in existing nuclear power plant. Elements are analyzed under six types of loading combination of shear and axial loading conditions. A nonlinear finite element program, Membrane-2000, based on the Modified Compression Field Theory (MCFT) is used to solve scale elements numerically. Element behaviors are studied considering the factors influence ultimate strength capacity, failure mode, and structural ductility index of members. The results show that ultimate shear capacity of the elements subjected to combinations of shear and tension loading are reduced significantly for highly reinforced elements (1.35 < ρ < 1.88) in 2× 10n/cm radiation. RC panels under shear-biaxial and uniaxial compression also show significant strength capacity reduction in radiation levels 2×1020n/cm2 and 2×1021n/cm2, respectively. Failure modes of the elements change from yielding of steel to shear failure by increasing level of degradation for the elements with reinforcement ratio between 0.9 and 1.88. Ductility of the RC panels is reduced significantly in the critical levels of radiation. Ductility of the elements became less than the allowable ductility value by increasing level of radiation.


Conditions of adenosine in Culture medium of the cordyceps militaris(L.) Link were studied by microwave extrecting.An HPLC was used to determine the content of adenosine in extracting solution of cordyceps militaris Link.And the orthogonal experimental design L934 was used to optimum the conditions of microwave treatment.The optimized conditions of microwave treatment were as follows: extracting solution volume 10 mL,solid-liquid ratio at 1∶200,middle firepower(microwave irradiation power 50 W) and extraction time 2 min.Content of the adenosine in sample was 0.50 mg/g.The extraction time of microwave extraction was 1/45 of supersonic extraction and extraction rate of microwave extraction is high than supersonic extraction.


The study examined the E-cheating awareness and attitudes of senior secondary certificate examination's (SSCE) candidates in Ondo state with the view of proffering solution to reported cases of examination malpractices in the study locate. The sample for the study comprised three hundred and ten (310) candidates selected from five coaching centres through purposive sampling techniques. Two research questions guided the study using two instruments named: Students' E-cheating Awareness Questionnaire (SEAQ) and Students' Attitude to E-cheating Scale (SAES). The instruments were given experts' validation. The results were analyzed using frequency count and mean statistics. The result showed (mean=2.54) indicating that the SSCE candidates were aware that questions and answers were online prior to the day of their examinations and some students have access to SSCE questions and their answers through various websites. Further, the result indicated that larger proportion of the candidates (mean=3.52) had positive attitude to E-cheating with the opinion that cheating in examination was good and helped students to pass. The study found that the respondents were of the notion that since Nigerian leaders were corrupt, nothing is wrong in electronic cheating. It was therefore recommended that integrity clubs should be established in schools to develop in students' examination ethics and help them to acquire the values of handwork that will checkmate their involvement in examination malpractices.


In many arthropod species, the gut contains exogenous ice nucleators. These substances might be transmitted to spiders through predation and cause ice formation in the spider's alimentary canal. To test this hypothesis, supercooling point (SCP) of the house spider, Achaearanea tepidariorum that ate either the whole body of Porcellio scaber or only the isolated gut by way of cricket were compared. Ingestion of the cricket that had fed isopod's gut elevated the spider's SCP from about -15°C to -9°C and this effect was comparable to that of whole body of the isopod. The supercooling ability of A. tepidariorum is thus limited by ice nucleators present at least in the gut of prey animals.


It has been clear for a number of years that small DNA tumor viruses such as simian virus 40 (SV40) and papillomavirus interact with cell cycle control pathways during lytic replication in a way that promotes entry into the S phase of the cell cycle. Since these viruses do not code for their own DNA


This study was a mixed method research which was aimed to examine EFL students' digital literacy skills, as well as the factors impacting their growth and effective web application programs for enhancing their digital literacy skills. This study was conducted at a state-owned university in South Sumatra Province where the participants involved were the sixth semester students of English Education Study Program students from the university. Questionnaires (adapted from Ravitz, 2014) and interviews were used to gather data for the study. The questionnaire data were collected and analyzed using Google form while the interview data were collected through Zoom meetings and were analyzed using thematic analysis. Based on the findings of this study, the vast majority of sixth semester English Education Study Program students were in good to excellent level of digital literacy. More than half of them believed that the lack of digital devices on campus was the most significant problem impeding their development of digital literacy abilities. Furthermore, the vast majority of the participants (90,3%) thought YouTube was the most influential web application program for improving their digital literacy skills.


Prior applications of a system to monitor ITmediated communication activities of engineering teams provided new insights into the collaboration behavior during the early phases of engineering projects. Building on those findings, we now present an architecture for a platform that aims to establish 'out-of-the-box' monitoring capabilities for virtual team environments and to facilitate the sharing and evaluation of recorded activities within a larger research community. To demonstrate the applicability of our instrument, we present the intended usage workflow and provide an outline of current applications in the domains of software engineering and engineering design. Our vision is a common service for capturing and analyzing virtual collaboration activities that promotes comparative research and team diagnostics across engineering disciplines.


The first-principle calculation method based on the density functional theory (DFT) in combination with the LDA+U algorithm is employed to study the electronic structure and magnetic properties of Co/Mn co-doped ZnO nanowires. Special attention is paid to the optimal geometric replacement position, the coupling mechanism, and the magnetic origin of Co/Mn atoms. According to the simulation data, Co/Mn co-doped ZnO nanowires of all configurations exhibit ferromagnetism, and substitution of Co/Mn atoms for Zn in the (0001) inner layer brings nanowires to the ground state. In the magnetic coupling state, the obvious spin splitting is detected near the Fermi level, and strong hybridization effects are observed between the Co/Mn 3d and O 2p states. Moreover, the ferromagnetic ordering forming Co2+-O2−-Mn2+ magnetic path is established. In addition, the calculation results suggest that the magnetic moment mainly takes its origin from the Co/Mn 3d orbital electrons, and the size of the magnetic moment is related to the electronic configurations of Co/Mn atoms. Therefore, a realistic description of the electronic structure of Co/Mn co-doped ZnO nanowires, obtained via LDA+U method, shows their potential for diluted magnetic semiconductor materials.


The next generation of infrared remote sensing satellite instrumentation, including climate benchmark missions will require better absolute measurement accuracy than now available, and will most certainly rely on the emerging capability to fly SI traceable standards that provide irrefutable absolute measurement accuracy. As an example, instrumentation designed to measure spectrally resolved infrared radiances with an absolute brightness temperature error of better than 0.1 K will require high-emissivity (<0.999) calibration blackbodies with emissivity uncertainty of better than 0.06%, and absolute temperature uncertainties of better than 0.045K (k=3). Key elements of an On-Orbit Absolute Radiance Standard (OARS) meeting these stringent requirements have been demonstrated in the laboratory at the University of Wisconsin (UW) and refined under the NASA Instrument Incubator Program (IIP). This work recently culminated with an integrated subsystem that was used in the laboratory to demonstrate end-to-end radiometric accuracy verification for the UW Absolute Radiance Interferometer. Along with an overview of the design, we present details of a key underlying technology of the OARS that provides on-orbit absolute temperature calibration using the transient melt signatures of small quantities (<1g) of reference materials (gallium, water, and mercury) imbedded in the blackbody cavity. In addition we present performance data from the laboratory testing of the OARS.


The concept of covariate adjustment is well established in therapeutic and etiologic studies. However, it has received little attention in the growing area of medical research devoted to the development of markers for disease diagnosis, screening, or prognosis, where classification accuracy, rather than association, is of primary interest. In this paper, the authors demonstrate the need for covariate adjustment in studies of classification accuracy, discuss methods for adjusting for covariates, and distinguish covariate adjustment from several other related, but fundamentally different, uses for covariates. They draw analogies and contrasts throughout with studies of association. A popular topic in medical research today is the development of markers to classify subjects as diseased or disease free, as high or low risk, or in terms of treatment response or another future event. These markers may be the results of, for example, genetic or proteomic evaluations, imaging techniques, bacterial culture, or risk factor information. Oftentimes, factors other than disease affect marker observations. For example, levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a biomarker widely used to screen men for prostate cancer, tend to increase with age. Many markers are also affected by aspects of the test procedure, test setting, or test operator; attributes of the specimen collection or storage method (e.g., storage time); or ''center effects'' in multicen-ter studies. Although adjustment for covariates is commonplace in therapeutic and etiologic studies, the issue of covariate effects is not well appreciated in the classification setting. In this paper, we demonstrate the need for covariate adjustment and describe statistical methods that can be used to accomplish it. We also distinguish covariate adjustment from several other related, but fundamentally different, uses for covariates, including matching, prediction, and incre-mental value. Finally, we provide practical recommendations for determining when and how to adjust for covariates, and we include links to software that can be used to implement these techniques. The classification accuracy of a continuous marker, Y, is its ability to distinguish between two groups defined by a binary outcome. We refer to the groups as ''cases'' and ''con-trols.'' Classification accuracy is most commonly quantified by using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, a plot of the true positive fraction (sensitivity) versus the false positive fraction (1 – specificity) for the set of rules that classify an individual as ''test positive'' if his or her marker value is above a threshold, c, for all possible thresholds. The ROC curve characterizes the separation …


Application of corrosion inhibitors in production systems containing oil and water is an economic method to protect carbon steel against internal corrosion. This study investigates how intermittent oil/water wetting of such a steel surface, simulating multiphase flow phenomena, impacts corrosion inhibition in exploration-production (high salinity with CO2) and refinery (low salinity without CO2) environments. The employed corrosion inhibitor was a pyrimidinium-type model compound, its effectiveness against corrosion being characterized using linear polarization resistance measurements and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Experimental results demonstrated that the presence of an aliphatic oil promotes corrosion inhibition in the exploration production condition, but failed to do so in the refinery condition. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy revealed two different protection mechanisms in the presence of oil between the two environments. The inhibitor layer in refinery condition with oil was different from in the simulated exploration production environment after oil wetting. Results also demonstrated that the inhibitor in this study was physically adsorbed on the surface steel via electrostatic attraction. Anions, identified as chloride ions, played a critical role in inhibitor adsorption.


Objective To understand the Disinfection situation in medical cosmetology clinics of Dongcheng district of Beijing and improve the quality of disinfection work of medical cosmetology clinics. Methods Medical cosmetology clinics in this district were investigated through field inspection and sample detection. Results Among 21 medical cosmetology clinics in Dongcheng district,71.4% established isolation regimen of disinfection,only 38% operating room of consmetic surgery established reasonable arrangement. The overall eligible rate of quality detection of disinfection and sterilization was 97.54%.Problems such as deficiency of special knowledge of disinfection,unperfect system,medical sewage without disinfection,overdue disposable medical device existed with a varying degree. Conclusion Problems such as unperfect system and deficiency of special knowledge of disinfection existed in the disinfection and management work of Dongcheng district of Beijing,while the overall qualified rate of disinfection was high.


Vascular endothelial growth factor‐A (VEGF) is an important regulator of vascular permeability. In preclinical studies, VEGF induces endothelial fenestrations in pre‐existing and neo‐vasculature, while inhibition of VEGF leads to a reduction in endothelial fenestrations. Recently, vascular regression in response to VEGF inhibition has been shown to correlate with the presence of endothelial fenestrations. Plasmalemmal vesicle‐associated protein (PLVAP) is believed to be a component of diaphragmed endothelial fenestrations, but a direct relationship with VEGF signalling has not been established. The aim of this study was to characterize the expression pattern of PLVAP and investigate whether PLVAP is a transcriptional target of VEGF signal transduction. The expression pattern of PLVAP was characterized in normal and neoplastic human tissues by in situ hybridization and/or immunohistochemistry. The role of VEGF signal transduction in the regulation of PLVAP expression was investigated in vitro using receptor‐selective engineered forms of VEGF, a neutralizing monoclonal antibody against VEGF, and inhibitors of downstream signalling pathways. PLVAP mRNA and protein were widely expressed in the endothelium of normal and neoplastic tissues. In cultured endothelial cells, VEGF signalling through receptor 2 stimulated expression of PLVAP total RNA and protein. This induction could be blocked with an anti‐VEGF monoclonal antibody and by inhibitors of phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (LY294002) or p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase (SB203580), but not by PD98059, a mitogen‐activated protein/extracellular signal‐regulated kinase 1 inhibitor. These data show that PLVAP is more widely expressed in the vasculature of normal tissues than previously thought and that it is expressed in the vasculature of most human tumours. We suggest that PLVAP is a downstream target of VEGF signalling. This work solidifies the association between VEGF and the appearance and maintenance of fenestrations by providing a potential mechanistic link. Copyright © 2005 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


The aim of the study was to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of the drug karpoora silasathu parpam (Internal) in Azhal Kalladaippu.
• Before initiating the clinical trial, approval was got from the Institutional Animal Ethical Committee (1248/ac/09/CPCSEA/4/04/2011 – 20/12/2011) and Institutional Ethical Committee (NIS/IEC/2011/3/04 – 24/12/2011) for conducting the pre clinical studies and clinical studies respectively by submitting the well defined protocol and proforma.
• The raw drugs were authenticated by the concerned department and the trial drug was prepared by the investigator in the Gunapadam lab of National Institute of Siddha as per the Standard Operating Procedure mentioned in the protocol.
• The medicine was then subjected to pre clinical toxicity studies (Acute and sub acute toxicity studies) as per the protocol and the safety of the drug was ensured.
• From the Acute oral toxicity study, the trial drug was found to be safe even at higher dose level of 4.68mg/kg/bw.
• From the sub acute toxicity study the trial drug at the dose of 46.8mg/kg/bw (10X) did not exhibit any mortality in rats.
• The qualitative and quantitative bio chemical studies were done at the bio chemistry lab of National Institute of Siddha and IIT Chennai respectively.
• The biochemical study of the trial drug reveals the presence of sulphate, potassium, phosphate and carbonate.
• Among the 60 cases screened at the OPD of department of Maruthuvam NIS, 40 cases were recruited for the trial as per the inclusion and exclusion criteria.
• Clinical diagnosis of Azhal kalladaippu was made by Siddha and Modern methodology.
• Before inducement into the trial informed consent was obtained from the patients. Out of the 40 cases 33 cases were treated in OPD and 7 cases in IPD.
• The patients were treated for a period of 48 days The trial medicine selected for Internal treatment were karpoora silasathu parpam (internal medicine) at the dose of 130 mg twice a day with adjuvant of Radish juice referred under Siddha literature Agathiyar chendhooram - 300, moolamum uraiyum 1st edition respectively.
• Required lab investigations were carried out before and after the treatment and the concerned data was recorded in the proforma.
• Clinical assessment was done daily in all the IP patients and in OP patients it was assessed once in 7 days.
• During the study period, there was no event of any adverse reactions owing to the drug or disease.
• Statistical analysis showed significant difference between before and after treatment in the kidney stone size (p < 0.001) and symptoms (p < 0.0001).
• 38 cases (95%) had clinically good improvement (symptoms completely relieved) after treatment with trial drug, 2 cases (5%) had moderate improvement (symptoms reduced).
• All the 40 patients were taken ultrasonography, after the completion of the trial drug treatment,
• 87.5% showed Good results and 12.5% showed poor results.
Good - Normal study (stone completely dissolved), Reduced its number (more than 2 / multiple), Reduced its size.
Poor - No change in size and increase in size.
CONCLUSION:
The safety studies (Acute toxicity and sub acute toxicity) studies conducted revealed that the trial drug was safe even at higher dosage of 46.8 mg/animal. There were no abnormalities found in blood investigation and histopathological examination. Hence it can be reasonably assumed that the drug is safe for human.
Clinical study revealed the therapeutic efficacy of the trial drug by showing,
In the result of USG ABDOMEN,
1. 87.5% showed Good results and 12.5% showed poor results.
2. 38 cases (95%) had clinically good improvement 2 cases (5%) had moderate improvement in clinical symptoms.
3. There were no adverse reactions complained during the trial.
4. Statistical analysis showed significant difference between before and after treatment in the kidney stone size (p < 0.001) and symptoms (p < 0.0001).
5. Because of the encouraging clinical outcome, the study may be further carried out with the same drug in a large number of cases.


MANET is a mobile ad-hoc network. It is an infrastructure less communication network through which we can send the information from source to destination in the form of packets using different routing protocols. There are different type of protocols like AODV (Ad-hoc on demand distance vector), DSR (Dynamic Source Routing) and DSDV ( Destination Sequenced Distance Vector ) .While sending the information from source to destination there are different parameters which have to be considered like delay, packet loss, throughput etc. Out of the three protocols named above AODV is the best routing protocol. In this paper we have discussed about MANET, AODV protocol and improvement in AODV protocol to reduce the delay and packet loss.


Objectives To study the effective intervention ways of preventing and treating the development of the "three high" population diseases. Methods 60 "three high" patients aged over 50 by the inpatient treatment were followed up, and randomly divided into experimental group and control group equally. The level of knowledge of "three high" disease, habits, diet, physical exercise, therapy and nursing were investigated by the self-made questionnaire survey. At the same time, the experimental group received the lifestyle therapy according to nursing program. Results The evaluation after three months suggested that compared with that of the control group, "three high" indicators of the experimental group were significantly different. Conclusions A comprehensive prevention of home-based care such as improving the lifestyle to the "three high" patients is an effective measure of preventing the occurrence of "three high" population diseases as well as preventing the complications.


Preface Note on Sources Introduction PART I: EARLY MODERN BOYHOODS 1. Noble Imps: Doomed Heirs 2. Separating the Men from the Boys: Roman Plays 3. Pages and Schoolboys: Early Modern Educations PART II: AFTERLIVES 4. Sentiment and Sensation: The Long Eighteenth Century 5. Pathos and Tenderness: The Victorian Era 6. Damage and Delinquency: The Twentieth Century and Beyond


Utilizing renewable energy systems (RES) is an important part of the design and development of green buildings. However, it is unreasonable to assess renewable energy utilization (REU) only with the net ratio of renewable energy earning to a building's total energy consumption, while ignoring the system efficiency of RES with the additional conventional energy consumption, such as electricity. In this paper, the energy quality coefficient (EQC) is introduced to describe the quality of energy, while the energy conversion coefficient (ECC) is applied to evaluate energy system efficiency. The indexes and their expressions were developed based on exergy analysis. Based on these two indexes, an effective substitution ratio (ESR) was developed for the evaluation of REU. Furthermore, a new scoring method of RES is developed. According to a case study, the feasibility of the new index and scoring method was validated.


This paper reports on an early childhood technology project that has been conducted in Australia since 2000. The background to the project is that IBM extended their international KidSmart Early Learning program to the Asia‐Pacific region. A partnership with the Australian National Schools Network was formed to implement the program in Australia. This organisation took responsibility for identification of early childhood centres (preschool and day care) serving low socio‐economic status communities across Australia (approximately 100 centres per year), the design and facilitation of professional development for teachers and research and evaluation in conjunction with the program. Whilst this was a national project, this paper deals only with the research conducted in Western Australia with the first round of centres involved in the project. The paper highlights themes emerging from teacher action research based in early childhood centres. The pedagogical considerations, challenges and dilemmas emerging from teachers' use of ICT in early childhood settings are also discussed.


This paper aims to explore the analysis of climate patterns embedded in the Global Climate Data Sets generated by the Community Climate System Model (CCSM) for the 4 Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Report for Climate Change (IPCC). A Geographic Information Systems (GIS) approach is taken to examine spatiotemporal correlates among climate processes and to draw insights into their relationships and responses to climate change scenarios. With foci on El Nino southern Oscillation (ENSO) events and precipitation anomalies, the research explores three CCSM cases from worst-case, average, and conservative CO2 emission scenarios, respectively. The scenarios used are A2: continental economic regions dominate with an economic focus (representing a worst case scenario), B1: a global economy with environmental focus (representing an average scenario), CC: CO2 levels are stable at the current level (representing the best case scenario). GIS methods were used to examine the spatial and temporal development of precipitation anomalies under these three scenarios. A GIS spatiotemporal object growth classification scheme is proposed and then developed further in this paper. Further research is proposed to further the development and use of the GIS spatiotemporal object growth classification scheme.


According to the Insurance Industry Statistics Report for the year 2010 (Association of Kenyan Insurers, 2011 ), the penetration of insurance in Kenya is estimated at only 3%. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the distribution challenges facing the insurance industry in Kenya and to identifY initiatives to overcome these challenges. The study will explore the Kenyan Insurance Industry and the background of the Kenyan way of funding disasters. It will summarize the performance of the Kenyan Insurance Industry compared to various African countries an[l then review the main distribution channels used to sell Insurance in Kenya. As this study is specific to the Kenyan market, I will take a closer look at the current distribution channels used in Kenya. This study will also offer insight on the distribution challenges that are currently being faced in this sector. Finally, the initiatives to overcome these challenges will be discussed in detail.


A set of 12 pairs of CVCV /sɪsi,sɪsɑ/ tokens spoken by one male were subjected to PCM editing to remove the friction noise of the intervocalic /s/. In a perceptual identification test subjects judged the consonants represented by the intervocalic silent intervals as one of /p,t,s,f,θ/. In a second test subjects were forced to choose only fricatives /f,θ/. For the /sɪsi/ series of tokens with the /−i/ final vowel, when the manner judgment was a stop, it was predominately /p/ indicating a labial place cue. When the manner judgment was a fricative, it was predominately /θ/ indicating a dental‐alveolar cue. Perceived place depended on perceived manner. For the /sɪsɑ/ series, a manner‐place effect was not apparent; nearly all judgments were /t/ or /θ/. Clearly, any association between place and manner judgments may be specific to the vocalic context. This investigation extends the work previously reported by the writer [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. Suppl. 1 71, S105, 1982] and the work of Cardin, Levitt, Jusczyk and Wa...


Fullerene-like MoS2 and WS2 nanoparticles can be used as building blocks for the fabrication of fluid and solid lubricants. Metal dichalcogenide films have a very low friction coefficient in vacuum, therefore they have mostly been used as solid lubricants in space and vacuum applications. Unfortunately, their use is significantly hampered by the fact that in the presence of humidity, oxygen and moisture, the low-friction properties of these materials rapidly degrade due to oxidation. The use of closed-cage MoS2 and WS2 nanoparticles may eliminate this problem, although the fabrication of lubricant thin films starting from dichalcogenide nanoparticles is, to date, a difficult task. Here we demonstrate the use of supersonic cluster beam deposition for the coating of complex mechanical elements (angular contact ball bearings) with nanostructured MoS2 and WS2 thin films. We report structural and tribological characterization of the coatings in view of the optimization of tribological performances for aerospace applications.


Objective To evaluate MR diagnostic value of neurovascular compression in patients with hemifacial spasm(HFS). Methods MRI and MRA manifestations and operative results of eighteen patients with HFS were reviewed retrospectively.Results (1)The roots of the facial nerve involved sides were compressed by vessel in all cases.(2)There was statistical correlation between the vascular compression of the root exit zone(REZ)of facial nerves and the symptoms of HFS(P0.001).(3)There were 29 arteries resulting in neurovascular compression in patients with HFS,including 14 anterior inferior cerebellar arteriae (48.27%),10 posterior inferior cerebellar arteriae(34.48%),3 vertebral arteriae(10.35%),1 basilar arteriae(3.45%),1 superior cerebellar artery(3.45%).(4)The roots of nerve compressed by single artery in 10 cases (55.56%) and multi-arteriae in 8 cases(44.44%).(5) Neurovascular compression types appeared as contact in 14(48.28%) and encasement in 15(51.72%).)Conclusion MRI and 3D-TOF MRA are of important value in diagnosing hemifacial spasm caused by vascular compression.


Background: Many parents of overweight children have believed that their children's weight may be lost with the increase of their height. The purpose of this 2-year prospective study was to examine whether such belief is valid. Methods: A total of 190 children (113 boys and 77 girls) aged 6-11 years who were overweight (BMI > 85th percentile of age and gender-specifi c 1999 Korean children standard) from two elementary schools were the subjects. Their height and weight were measured again after 2 years. Children and their parents completed questionnaires on eating habits and physical activity, and their attitude on weight in the beginning of study. Children's weight status was evaluated using relative BMI. Results: Children's baseline relative BMI was 134.9 ± 13.8%. About 60% of the children reported weight loss attempt and 49% of their parents tried to persuade their child to lose weight. Children's BMI increased by 1.6 ± 2.1 kg/m 2 and their relative BMI decreased by 1.2 ± 12.1% over 2 years. While children's eating habits and physical activity, and their attitude on the child's weight were not related to the 2-year relative BMI change, the child's age, gender, baseline relative BMI, and the 2-year height change were associated with the 2-year relative BMI change (R 2 = 0.15, P < 0.001). The 2-year relative BMI increased with the 2-year height increase after controlling for the three predictors (B = 0.86, SE = 0.28, P = 0.002). Conclusion: We found the 2-year height change positively associated with the 2-year relative BMI change among schoolaged overweight children. Then, the belief that children's weight status may be improved with the increase of their height should be denied.


Energy models are optimisation tools which aid in the formulation of energy policies. Built on mathematics, the strength of these models lie in their ability to process numerical data which in turn allows for the generation of an electricity generation mix that incorporates economic and the environmental aspects. Nevertheless, a comprehensive formulation of an electricity generation mix should include aspects associated with politics and society, an evaluation of which requires the consideration of non-numerical qualitative information. Unfortunately, the use of energy models for optimisation coupled with the evaluation of information other than numerical data is a complicated task. Two prerequisites must be fulfilled for energy models to consider political and societal aspects. First, the information associated with politics and society in the context of energy policies must be identified and defined. Second, a software tool which automatically converts both quantitative and qualitative data into mathematical expressions for optimisation is required. We propose a software framework which uses a semantic representation based on ontologies. Our semantic representation contains both qualitative and quantitative data. The semantic representation is integrated into an Optimisation Modelling System which outputs a model consisting of a set of mathematical expressions. The system uses ontologies, engineering models, logic inference and linear programming. To demonstrate our framework, a Prototype Energy Modelling System which accepts energy policy goals and targets as inputs and outputs an optimised electricity generation mix has been developed. To validate the capabilities of our prototype, a case study has been conducted. This thesis discusses the framework, prototype and case study.


Earnings manipulation, financial fraud, and other financial criminal cases involve the process of alteration of financial report that can mislead it. This had led to losses amounting to millions of ringgit to the company. Since the management of the company controls the business operations and activities, there is a need to investigate the future managers on the earnings management actions. Therefore, this study investigates the business and accounting students' perceptions of the morality of specific earnings management actions. In addition, the study also examines the differences in the perception based on gender and course. 172 from 280 self-administered questionnaires were received and analyzed. It is found that only one out of 18 actions were viewed as "questionable actions", where the respondents would rather feel uncomfortable for not saying anything to the person involved in the action. On the other hand, 17 actions were considered as "minor violation", where the respondent will warn the person not to involve in the action again. In addition, the study also found that there is a significant difference on the mean ethicality of the eighteen earnings management actions between male and female students. In fact, the analysis shows that females are stricter than males in four actions out of 18 earnings management actions, where the difference is statistically significant. On the other hand, there is no significant difference in the mean ethicality of the eighteen earnings management actions between business and accounting students.