Abstract Influence of thermal treatment on magnetic and dielectric properties of nanostructured BaTiO3 samples, sintered at 700, 1000 and 1200 °C was studied. The sample sintered at 700 °C is not ferroelectric one, and then two other samples undergo a ferroelectric phase transition at ≈ 393 K. It was found that all samples after aging at room temperature during the month after preparation demonstrated the diamagnetic response. Annealing at 250–350 °C leads to the increase in ferromagnetic magnetization and diamagnetic response. The both superparamagnetic magnetization and diamagnetic response are decreased with a rise of the sintering temperature.


Background Cell characteristics, including cell type, size, shape, packing, cell-to-cell-adhesion, intercellular space, and cell wall thickness, in�uence the physical characteristics of plant tissues. Genotypic differences were found concerning damage susceptibility related to beet texture for sugar beet (Beta vulgaris). Sugar beet storage roots are characterized by heterogeneous tissue with several cambium rings surrounded by small-celled vascular tissue and big-celled sugar-storing parenchyma between the rings. This study presents a procedure for phenotyping heterogeneous tissues like beetroots by imaging. Results Ten Beta


Based on the analysis of the domestic and foreign relevant test data,concentrated load practical formula of the high-strength RC rectangle section beam diagonal cracking load are discussed,and with the computational formula of 《Code for Design of Concrete Structures》(GB50010-2010) and American 《Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete and Commentary》(ACI318-08),test data are analyzed.The results show that,for high-strength RC beam with stirrups under concentrated load,the reliability of Chinese specification is lower.Comparing with Chinese specification,American specification is more safe,regulating partial security surplus degrees are higher.According to these,a practical design formula of the high-strength RC rectangle section beam resisting shear bearing capacity under concentrated load is proposed.


Drawing on the most vibrant interviews from the hundreds recorded for BBC Scotland's principal radio series to celebrate the Millennium, this volume charts the progress of the nation through the memories and reminiscences of its people. Those interviewed include not only cardinals and judges, cabinet ministers and tycoons but also former miners, jute-workers, domestic servants and fishermen; whether the life was lived in the full glare of publicity or, more likely, with complete anonymity, each has its own, equally valid, insights to offer on living and working in Scotland this century. In essence, this book is a collage of personal histories which collectively form the autobiography of the nation.


This research is aimed at learning about the origins and functions of shrines, and changes to the pilgrimage movement in Poland during the Vatican II era (c. 1948–1998). The objective required finding and determining the following: (1) factors in the establishment of shrines in Poland during this time; (2) factors in the development of shrines with reference to the transformation of religious worship and to the influence of political factors in Poland; (3) changes in pilgrimage traditions in Poland, and (4) changes in the number of pilgrimages to selected shrines. These changes were determined by archive and library research. Additionally, field studies were performed at more than 300 shrines, including observations and in-depth interviews with custodians. Descriptive–analytical, dynamic–comparative and cartographic presentation methods were used to analyze results.


Australian EDs are required to conform to the National Emergency Access Target (NEAT): patients must depart within 4 h of arrival. The study's aim was to determine if a nursing role called the 'Emergency Journey Coordinator' (EJC) improved NEAT through resolving delays in patient processing.


A method and an apparatus for comprising the contents on a portable terminal implementing suitable contents are provided to regenerate contents composed without individual inputting each contents of the user. If it is a contents set up mode, the input of the regulations is received from a user(405). According to the inputted regulations, contents for the continuous regeneration of a plurality of contents are composed(420). If it has the input indicating the comprised contents playback, a plurality of contents is consecutively reproduced(425).


Sir Andrew Macphail: The Life and Legacy of a Canadian Man of Letters

Ian Ross Robertson

McGill-Queen's University Press; 2008

421 pp $49.95

It would be a rare Canadian physician who could name the founding editor of the Canadian Medical Association Journal : Andrew Macphail (1864–1938).


Objective:To probe into the relationship between quality control before detection and analysis on K+, Na+, Cl-, Ca++ and specimen collection. Method: 498 patients were detected electrolyte. 36 samples with quality problems were drawing blood again for reexamination. Result: Among 36 unqualified samples,3 patients' name didn't accord with their samples (8.3%); 6 samles were mixed with ingredient of liquid (16.7%), the difference between testing results and reexamination results of K+ and Ca++ had remarkable significance; testing results of K+ in 27 patients with sample hemolysis were different from the clinical diagnoses (75%), the difference between testing results and reexamination results of K+ had very remarkable significance. Conclusion: Preanalysis quality control is an important link in the whole process. Only by cooperation among doctors, nurses and technicians and prevention of mistakes in specimen collection can we provide timely and reliable test report for clinical diagnosis and treatment


This book provides stark and moving narratives of the Vietnamese boat people's flight in the years following the fall of Saigon (1975). The life stories were collected and edited by Mary Cargill, an associate professor of English at Christian Brothers University (Memphis, Tennessee), with Jade Quang Huynh, assistant professor of English at Appalachian State University (Boone, California). The people escaping from the Communist regime and various forms of oppression set sail on rickety boats o...


To reduce the start-up time of a crystal oscillator (XO), a chirp injection (CI) and a negative resistance booster (NRB) are proposed. By combining CI and NRB, the measured start-up time of a 39-MHz XO in 180-nm CMOS is reduced by 92% from 2.1ms to 158μs, which is the shortest time in the published XO's. The measured start-up time variations due to the ±20% supply voltage change or the temperature change are less than 13%.


Our Rotating Planet. The Earth's Atmosphere and Oceans. The Earth's Radiation Balance. Heat and Cold at Earth's Surface. Winds and Global Circulation. Atmospheric Moisture and Precipitation. Air Masses and Cyclonic Storms. Global Climate Systems. The Soil-Water Balance and Climate. Low-Latitude Climates. Midlatitude and High-Latitude Climates. Materials of Earth's Crust. The Lithosphere and Plate Tectonics. Volcanic and Tectonic Landforms. Landforms of Weathering and Mass Wasting. Runoff, Streams, and Ground Water. Landforms Made by Running Water. Denudation and Climate. Landforms and Rock Structure. Landforms Made by Waves and Currents. Landforms Made by Wind. Glacial Landforms and the Ice Age. The Soil Layer. World Soils. Energy Flows and Material Cycles in the Biosphere. Concepts of Biogeography. World Patterns of Natural Vegetation. Epilogue. Appendices. References. Glossary. Index.


It is difficult for Elderly persons to arise from chair because of muscle deterioration. This paper proposes that elderly persons' arising action and its support tool. The point of adequate arising action is making the upper body lean forward and pulling legs. As a result, the body's center of gravity move into basal surface, and the elderly persons can use leg and arm force effectively. To realize those actions, we developed a cushion type support tool that can change seating angle freely. When using the support tool, the values of acceleration, arm force and arising time were improved. Additionally, antiversion angle and peg position became appropriate. As a result, the proposed arising action and the support tool are effective in improving elderly persons' arising action.


Vaccination is the only guarantee for elimination of measles infection. Healthcare workers have a 13- to 19-fold higher risk for contracting measles than the general population. The number of individuals in the population who did not respond to vaccination is up to 10%, and their accumulation may lead to an outbreak of the infection. The aim of our research was to find potential predictors of arising post-vaccination measles antibodies in the panel of biochemical and immunological serum markers in healthcare workers. The group of healthcare workers (n = 76) aged from 19 to 51 years, with proven absence of pre-existing anti-measles antibodies were twice vaccinated 3 months apart with live measles culture vaccine (SPA "Microgen", Russia). Measles-specific IgG, total IgG, IgM, IgA, IFNγ, IL-6, CRP, total protein, ALT, AST, total bilirubin, urea, creatinine, protein fractions were determined before vaccination, 1 month after vaccination, 1 month following revaccination, 1 year after revaccination. ROC analysis was used to gain access to the diagnostic performance of quantitative variables in predicting a categorical outcome. Development of a predictive probability model for the binary outcome was carried out using logistic regression. IFNγ, total IgG, IgM, total bilirubin, ALT activity at various post-immunization stages may be considered potential laboratory predictors of measles vaccination failures in healthcare workers. Meanwhile, the contents of pre-vaccination IFNγ, and IgG to measles virus after first vaccination proved to be most informative indexes, which formed the basis for the development of regression models predicting the risk of both primary and secondary vaccination failures. These models allowed to develop algorithm for predicting failures of the measles vaccination in healthcare workers that can be used for detection of persons at risk for non-forming specific humoral immunity. This algorithm is primarily focused on search for the persons who have not responded to measles vaccination, including subjects with probable immunodeficiency conditions. We do not exclude that, on the basis of revealed predictors following measles vaccination, it would be possible to build prognostic models of vaccination efficiency for other vaccinemanaged infections.


Agreement between Senegal and the international atomic energy agency for the application of safeguards in connection with the treaty on the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons. Vienna, 14 January 1980 [United Nations, Treaty Series, Vol. 1195, i-18973.]


This essay considers the status of magazine studies as a cohesive and coherent discipline. We ponder why magazine studies, if considered at all, is usually conflated or elided with periodical studies and question whether this should be the case. We suggest that in addition to practical, methodological and disciplinary challenges (such as access to comprehensive searchable digital archives), and unlike periodical studies, magazine studies has been neglected because of associations with everyday culture and the feminine. We argue that magazine studies offers many rewards for scholars working in writing, literary and media studies and we offer up a case study of two of our postgraduate coursework units of study as examples of pedagogy and practice in a nascent field.


In the modern design and construction of building structures, building structural safety, reliability is a top priority for construction work. In combination with practical engineering quality inspection and reinforcement methods the building structure are analyzed and presented.


The development of compact accelerator machines is leading towards the use of plasma-based devices that are able to sustain large acceleration gradients up to several tens of GV m−1. The main issue, in this regard, is due to the necessity to produce the plasma shot-by-shot starting from neutral gases, since its lifetime is limited to a few tens of microseconds. This puts severe limitations on its resulting uniformity, stability and reproducibility, which in turn strongly affects the quality of accelerated beams by plasmas. In this work, we describe a gas-filled discharge-capillary where the plasma generation, achieved by ionizing Hydrogen gas with a high-voltage electrical discharge, is stabilized by triggering its ignition with an external laser pulse. Results show a noticeable stabilization of the resulting plasma density along the capillary and the discharge pulse. This enables the development of very long capillaries and in turn, acceleration lengths as required, for instance, by next-generation plasma-based facilities delivering beams in the GeV-scale.


High-dose myeloablative hematopoietic cell transplantation is becoming an increasingly common treatment modality for a variety of diseases. Patient survival may be limited by substantial treatment-related toxicities, including chronic kidney disease (CKD). Although the majority of CKD after transplantation is idiopathic, thrombotic microangiopathic syndromes and nephrotic syndrome have been described. Epidemiology, pathogenesis, and potential treatment options for the various clinical syndromes that are associated with CKD in hematopoietic cell transplantation patients is reviewed. As the indications for and the numbers of transplants that are performed worldwide increases, so will the burden of CKD. The nephrologists and oncologists will have to work together to identify patients who are at risk for CKD early to prevent its development and progression to end-stage kidney disease. H igh-dose myeloablative therapy followed by hemato-poietic cell transplantation (HCT) is an increasingly common treatment for many malignancies and some genetic disorders. Approximately 20,000 HCTs now are performed annually worldwide and offer the prospect of cures for otherwise fatal or incurable diseases. The indications and applications for HCT are growing; for example, HCT now is considered for treatment of autoimmune diseases, Crohn's disease, and vas-culitides that are refractory to other therapies (1,2). However, patient survival may be limited by substantial treatment-related toxicities. This review focuses on chronic kidney disease (CKD) in survivors of HCT. For the nephrology consultant who deals with transplant survivors, it is important to be aware of the specific type of transplant and its complications to determine how best to treat the patient with renal injury secondary to thrombotic mi-croangiopathy (TMA) syndromes, nephrotic syndrome (NS), persistent acute renal failure (ARF), and idiopathic CKD. Each type of transplant carries its own risks and toxicities (Table 1). Autologous transplants involve the harvesting of a patient's own bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells before high-dose myeloablative therapy, followed by re-infusion. Allogeneic transplants use bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells from family members (ideally, HLA-matched siblings) or HLA-matched unrelated donors or stem cells from umbilical cord blood. Syngeneic transplants are from an identical twin donor. The infusion of stem cells is preceded by either myeloablative therapy (usually a combination of chemotherapy drugs or chemotherapy plus total body irradiation [TBI]) or nonmyeloablative (but immunosuppres-sive) therapy that allows host hematopoietic cells to coexist with donor stem cells to achieve mixed hematopoietic cell chimerism. The components of both myeloablative and nonmyeloablative conditioning regimens vary from center to center. The most common …


The application of varied discrete dynamic Bayesian network(VDDBN) in unexpected mobile threats is not available as it is used in the perceiving of pop-up still threats.Therefore,a new decision-making model of the re-planning for UAV is proposed.Under the situation without knowing the state of the mobile threat target,a target state estimate model is created based on dynamic Bayesian network(DBN) with the combination of Kalman filter theory,which is added on the path re-planning model as a module to make the re-planning decision.The simulation results show the correction of the decision-making model.


Tandem plate pipe conveyor is a new type of equipment for convey- ing loose material, which could solve the problem of long-distance conveyance for the heavy-mass powder material with powder ma- chinery conveyance. The closed-loop control system consist of tandem plate pipe conveyor and helix feeder could realize the running of driving motor of tandem plate pipe conveyor at rated velocity with rated load while conveying different material or same material but with different physical characteristic.【 Descriptors】 Tandem plate pipe conveyor Helix feeder Material flux


Detecting covered cracks in metals is critical in many applications. In this article, a single dual-polarized circular aperture antenna and synthetic aperture imaging are devised to detect arbitrarily oriented cracks covered under thick dielectric layer. The devised monostatic quad-polarized system facilitates measurements of the reflection (copolarized) and transmission (cross-polarized) parameters which form the basis for reliable detection. Through analysis and measurements involving dielectric covers with thicknesses ranging from 4.25 to 12.7 mm, it will be demonstrated that the background clutter and the effect of the cover are largely suppressed in the images formed using the cross-polarized parameter. On the other hand, it will be highlighted that the crack could be actually masked by the clutter in the image formed using the reflection measurements commonly used for crack detection.


Designing a electromagnetic control moving device. Sensor SCA100 on pole detects swing-pole angle in real time.MCU compares measured angle and set angle, then adjusts duty cycle of the PWM by PID algorithm, the PWM pulse controls current of electromagnet coil by L298N drive circuit, adjusting electromagnetic force to control swing-pole's angel and period required. This device functions includes displaying swing-angle, set angle, detect period, set period of swing.


The term «specialist's information culture» and ways of personality's information culture formation have been considered. The following conclusion has teen drawn: a specialist's knowledge, skills and habits concerning computer technologies guarantee a personality's sovereignty and assist in realization of his creativity.


The experiment uses municipal sewage as the research object and runs SBR reactor in completely aerobic conditions. Through controlling different of DO concentration and COD concentration, we study spreading comparison. The results show that when DO concentration was 1mg/L, the removal effect of aerobic granular sludge process in SBR treating municipal sewage was best, the average removal rate of COD, ammonia nitrogen, total nitrogen and phosphorous was 90.12%,98.95%,87.65% and 83.74% respectively. When COD concentration of influent was about 400mg/L, the treatment effects of aerobic granular sludge for COD, ammonia nitrogen, total nitrogen and phosphorous were all better, the average removal rate was up to 92.33%,98.83%,88.17% and 80.25% respectively.


PURPOSE: An apparatus for generating sodium hypochlorite is provided to minimize the generation of hydrochloric acid by adjusting material balance in case of the contact of solid and liquid. CONSTITUTION: An apparatus for generating sodium hypochlorite includes a diaphragm electrolyzer(10) composed of an anode chamber(12), a cathode chamber(14), and a cation exchanging membrane(16). An anodic water storing tank(20) stores chlorine gas and anodic water generated from the electrolysis of the anode chamber. Caustic soda generated from the electrolysis of the cathode chamber is stored in a cathodic water storing tank(30). The cathodic water storing tank emits hydrogen gas. A gas-liquid contacting part(40) reacts the chlorine gas and the caustic soda in order to generate sodium hypochlorite.


More than 50% of the spinal cord injury (SCI) population have injuries at the cervical level. Located at this level are the respiratory bulbospinal pathways which mediate breathing. Therefore, injuries at the cervical level can leave many of these patients unable to breath. One promising intervention to restore breathing is HF‐SCS (300Hz). In previous investigations, we demonstrated that HF‐SCS applied at the T2 level after an experimental complete C2 spinal cord section leads to evoked inspiratory diaphragmatic EMG activity that can enable survival of the animal. However, the extent to which HF‐SCS can promote spinal respiratory motor plasticity in order to promote restoration of breathing function is still unknown. To address this question, we performed a HF‐SCS at the T2 level in six anesthetized rats while recording bilateral diaphragmatic EMG activity one week after C2 hemisection. As expected, C2 hemisection abolished activity in the hemidiaphragm ipsilateral to the hemisection, while spontaneous activity contralateral to the C2 hemisection still remained. HF‐SCS resulted in robust inspiratory activity bilaterally in the diaphragm. Following discontinuation of HF‐SCS bilateral spontaneous activity persisted. Moreover, EMG activity on the hemisected side was synchronized with the contralateral side. Taken together, these results suggest that HF‐SCS after a C2 hemisection can enhance activity and promote plasticity of the crossed phrenic pathways which still remain. Further studies are planned to explore the mechanisms of these observations with the ultimate goal to restore function in patients following SCI.


As technologies change rapidly, improved information technology (IT) products and services are released daily throughout the world. This phenomenon gives tremendous pressure on organization managers to plan, implement and adopt new technology solution in accommodating such changes. Thus, one of the most significant current discussions is IT infrastructure flexibility. Most of the studies in IT infrastructure flexibility have been carried out across industries; however less attention has been paid to measure flexibility of IT infrastructure in construction industry. The purpose of this paper is to provide a conceptual understanding on how IT infrastructure flexibility responds in changing the business demand by exploring the dimensions that could be used to measure IT within construction industry. The study is based on textual reading in a range of recently published works, of which majority of them are from 2000 to 2010. The findings will provide potential variables about each dimension in measuring IT infrastructure flexibility, indicating factors that can be used for future development of an IT infrastructure flexibility maturity model. In this context, the maturity model will be useful for construction organisations to determine where they are. It also offers a benchmark for assessing different organisations for equivalent comparison.


The utility model discloses a digital multiplexing (DMX)-based intelligent controller for a digital sprayer. The DMX-based intelligent controller comprises a DMX signal receiving and processing circuit, a micro control unit (MCU) microprocessor circuit, a DMX channel setting circuit, a stepper motor driver control interface, a frequency converter control interface and a light output control interface, wherein the DMX signal receiving and processing circuit is connected with the MCU microprocessor circuit; the DMX channel setting circuit is connected with the MCU microprocessor circuit; and the MCU microprocessor circuit is connected with the stepper motor driver control interface, the frequency converter control interface and the light output control interface. A control mode for the digital sprayer is simple, and the DMX-based intelligent controller is high in accuracy and working efficiency and long in service life.


An estimator using an adaptive IIR filter form was used to estimate the frequencies of a biological signal. This signal was the instantaneous ventricular diameter of a dog's heart. This method was found to be more accurate in determining frequency than traditional FFT and periodogram methods. Its high speed of estimation makes it useful as a real time process.<<ETX>>


A system and method for controlling the endload force of a variator includes reducing a net force applied to a variator input disc of the variator. The variator includes an endload chamber, a subtraction chamber, and a valve fluidly coupled between the endload chamber and the subtraction chamber. Each of the endload chamber and the subtraction chamber applies an opposing force to the variator input disc. The valve is activateable to reduce the net force applied to the varialor input disc. The valve may be activated based on the variator ratio, the position of the variator roller, and/or other parameters of the variator or operation thereof.


Kant's claim that geometry and arithmetic are synthetic is the hard part of his doctrine that they are synthetic a priori. His argument is admittedly obscure. His explanation of why "7 + 5 = 12" is synthetic (B.15ff) (1) needs much more detail before it will convert skeptics. Nevertheless, I believe that Kant was right that geometry and arithmetic are synthetic, and I believe that the argument for this conclusion can be freed from all obscurity. Indeed, I believe that a clear and convincing case for this position emerges from post-Kantian mathematics itself, in particular, from non-Euclidean geometry, Godel's first incompleteness theorem, and a certain metatheorem about the consistency of non-standard mathematics.


Preplant fumigation with 1,3-dichloropropene and related chlorinated C3 hydrocarbons and Agel TG-67 significantly increased cabbage yields over the untreated check where the nematode Heterodera schachtii was present in high numbers. Some weed control was also obtained with the Agel formulation. The high nematode populations present in the soils in the fumigated plots at the end of the growing season showed the need for rotation or annual fumigation if a susceptible crop is to be grown on infested land.


Objective:To analyze the epidemiology characteristics of thoracolumbar fracture.Method:From Jan. 1994 to Dec. 2003,661 cases(457 males,204 females,age range 6~83 years,mean age 33.5 years) suffered from thoracolumbar fracture were reviewed,and 523 cases underwent surgical operation.The epidemiology was analyzed statistically,with P0.05 standed for the significant difference.Result:Most of cases were in the range of 19~49 years old.Considering sex distinction,male cases outnumbered female cases significantly under 49 years old,but the condition was contrary above 60 years old(P0.05).Fall injury and traffic trauma were the main causes of thoracolumbar fracture(P0.05).The most frequent segments of fracture were:L1T12L2(P0.05).The frequency of multiple level spine fractures was not different significantly according to the type of injury except slight injury(P0.05)?In view of ASIA,class E was above 50% of 523 cases and class A was above 20% of 523 cases,either pre-or post-operation.Conclusion:The epidemiology of thoracolumbar fracture has special characteristics,the knowledge of its characteristics is beneficial to the prevention and treatment of the fracture.


In the western North Pacific and the South China Sea the typhoon is one of the most fearsome elements a ship can encounter and one of the major decisions that must often be considered is whether to seek, or remain in, the shelter of a harbour or to take evasive action and ride out the storm at sea. With the many variables involved, such as topography, the different directions of approach of tropical cyclones, type of holding ground, size and shape of the ship, &c, it is often not possible to stamp a particular harbour as safe or unsafe. This paper deals with some of the many factors that a Master should consider when deciding to remain in, or sail from, Hong Kong on the approach of a typhoon.


Greater flexibility in delivery resulting from increased use of e-learning will inevitably change the way university students approach studying. Recent studies have examined relationships between attendance, online learning and performance but findings are inconclusive. One concern is that an unintended consequence of placing lecture resources online may be increased absenteeism possibly leading to decrease in performance. This study explores patterns of student engagement across two geography courses. Findings corroborate the importance of attendance as a predictor of performance, demonstrate how assessment influences study behaviour, particularly online, and provide evidence for a need for integrated blended learning designs.


Abstract In 1940, Lebesgue gave an approximate description of the neighborhoods of 5-vertices in the class P5 of 3-polytopes with minimum degree 5. Given a 3-polytope P, by h5(P) we denote the minimum of the maximum degrees (height) of the neighborhoods of 5-vertices (minor 5-stars) in P. Recently, Borodin, Ivanova and Jensen showed that if a polytope P in P5 is allowed to have a 5-vertex adjacent to two 5-vertices and two more vertices of degree at most 6, called a (5, 5, 6, 6, ∞)-vertex, then h5(P) can be arbitrarily large. Therefore, we consider the subclass P*5 of 3-polytopes in P5 that avoid (5, 5, 6, 6, ∞)-vertices. For each P*in P*5 without vertices of degree from 7 to 9, it follows from Lebesgue's Theorem that h5(P*) ≤ 17. Recently, this bound was lowered by Borodin, Ivanova, and Kazak to the sharp bound h5(P*) ≤ 15 assuming the absence of vertices of degree from 7 to 11 in P*. In this note, we extend the bound h5(P*) ≤ 15 to all P*s without vertices of degree from 7 to 9.


The magnetic and transport properties of a single layer of La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 are compared with one topped with magnetic nanodots formed from oxides of iron. Remarkably enhanced magnetization and metal-insulator transition temperature were observed for the decorated film capped with In2O3. The saturation magnetization increased by ∼35%, and the metal-insulator transition temperature increased from 75 K to 145 K at zero field. However, no enhancement was observed for either the La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 film with uncapped magnetic dots or the bilayer formed from La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 and In2O3.


Rubber modification of poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) (PPO)/crosslinked polystyrene (CPS) semi-interpenetrating polymer networks (semi-IPNs) was studied using polybutadiene (PB), a linear styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) triblock cocpolymer and a star-shaped SBS multi-block copolymer, at different composition ratios. The materials, obtained by reactive compression moulding of mixtures containing PPO, an elastomer, styrenic monomers and crosslinker (divinylbenzene), show a very high glass transition temperature (Tg), high dimensional stability and good impact properties.


The performance of bulk‐heterojunction solar cells based on a phase‐separated mixture of donor and acceptor materials is known to be critically dependent on the morphology of the active layer. Here we use a combination of techniques to resolve the morphology of spin cast films of poly(p‐phenylene vinylene)/methanofullerene blends in three dimensions on a nanometer scale and relate the results to the performance of the corresponding solar cells. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and depth profiling using dynamic time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF‐SIMS) clearly show that for the two materials used in this study, 1‐(3‐methoxycarbonyl)propyl‐1‐phenyl‐[6,6]‐methanofullerene (PCBM) and poly[2‐methoxy‐5‐(3′,7′‐dimethyloctyloxy)‐1,4‐phenylene vinylene] (MDMO‐PPV), phase separation is not observed up to 50 wt.‐% PCBM. Nanoscale phase separation throughout the film sets in for concentrations of more than 67 wt.‐% PCBM, to give domains of rather pure PCBM in a homogenous matrix of 50:50 wt.‐% MDMO‐PPV/PCBM. Electrical characterization, under illumination and in the dark, of the corresponding photovoltaic devices revealed a strong increase of power conversion efficiency when the phase‐separated network develops, with a sharp increase of the photocurrent and fill factor between 50 and 67 wt.‐% PCBM. As the phase separation sets in, enhanced electron transport and a reduction of bimolecular charge recombination provide the conditions for improved performance. The results are interpreted in terms of a model that proposes a hierarchical build up of two cooperative interpenetrating networks at different length scales.


By Federal Agent, Dr David Craig, Team Leader, Target Development This article by Dr David Craig seeks to shed some light on the legal ' grey' area that exists between the right to silence and police undercover investigations. While conducting doctoral research on international undercover operations, Federal Agent Craig attended undercover training courses in the United States (US) with the FBI and in Canada with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. He also conducted interviews with undercover operatives and those that supervise undercover operations in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and the Netherlands. During the course of this research Dr Craig was privy to sophisticated and confidential undercover methodologies and tactics. This article does not disclose these. However, when researching material for this article, he was surprised and alarmed at the quantity and accuracy of publicly available information on undercover policing methodologies


In recent years recording GPS data has become more common. Location data is collected as part of travel surveys but also as part of different kinds of smartphone applications, such as journey planners, health or running apps and self-tracking applications. Highly accurate, second-by-second GPS data has the main advantage that detailed routes can be observed. The goal of this paper is to describe and model route choice observed in a multi-day multi-modal GPS study of the greater Zurich area. The paper is structured as follows. First, the data requirements and the route data set are described. In Section 3 the used methods for map-matching, choice set generation and modelling are introduced. Followed by the results for car, bicycle and pedestrian route choice models. The paper concludes with summary remarks and an outlook on future work.


This is my final blog from a terrific day of debate in Los Angeles about the future of social participation and media. It must have been a good conference because it has made me think very hard, think a bit more clearly and change my mind.


Primary cardiac tumors are extremely rare. Cardiac myxomas most frequently appear in the left atrium. In this article, we present a case of an asymptomatic 6 cm right atrial mass in a patient undergoing staging for endometrial cancer. The mass was resected, and final pathology was consistent with cardiac myxoma.


The effect on the electronic structure of an indirect Mn-Mn interaction mediated by the valence states and the sp-d hybridisation is presented. In Al(rich)-Mn phases related to quasicrystals (Al12Mn, o-Al6Mn, �-Al9Mn2Si), this indirect interaction creates a Hume-Rothery pseudogap in the density of states together with a minimisation of the band energy. It is shown that the Mn-Mn interaction up to the distance around 10-20u plays an essential role in stabilizing related quasicrystal structures.


The utility model provides a matte overhead conductor, and comprises an electric-conducting layer and a supporting layer which is arranged in the electric-conducting layer. The electric-conducting layer is a multi-layer, each layer is composed of a plurality of single wires, and the outer surface of the matte overhead conductor is a matte surface. The surface reflected light of the matte overhead conductor is diffusely reflected, thereby generating no glare, being not glaring, and being capable of avoiding light pollution effectively.


A large, multistage program (GEothermie 2020) for developing the deep geothermal energy resources of the trans-border (Swiss- French) Greater Geneva Basin has been initiated in 2013 by the State of Geneva (Switzerland). In this framework, two PhD research projects have been initiated to study the subsurface geology of the region focus on both geothermal and hydrothermal energy prospection. The first project aims at characterizing facies distribution, petrophysical and thermal properties of the sedimentary sequence ranging from Permo-Carboniferous to Lower Cretaceous units. The second project investigates the basin structural evolution, fault-related fractures and their geometrical characteristics and properties. This information is being integrated in 3D geological models at both regional and local scale, derived from 2D seismic lines and well data. Detailed rock typing description from petrophysical measurements and laboratory analysis of core and outcrop samples (facies and micro-facies description; geochemical, petrophysical and thermal properties) are being carried out in order to assess the lateral variations of facies and their reservoir properties. Fracture analysis and laboratory test from outcrops and core data are also being performed in order to develop mechanical-stratigraphic models of target reservoir units. Regional facies mapping based on reconstruction of depositional environment evolution through time, as well as insights on structural evolution of the basin will help to understand better the distribution of productive reservoir facies and fractured zones within the study area. These elements will be key geological parameters for the successful development of geothermal energy in the Greater Geneva Basin.


ARTICLE INFORMATION ABSTRACT Original Research Paper Received 21 July 2016 Accepted 09 September 2016 Available Online 09 October 2016 Bulging with elastomer tool has been used in the production of integrated hollow parts as one of the flexible forming methods. Nowadays, most industries such as Aerospace and military are using flexible die forming methods due to their flexibility, high quality and lower cost. In this research, finite element simulation has been implemented by ABAQUS software to investigate the behavior of stainless steel 304 tube bulging process using elastomer tool. By comparing the geometry of deformed tubes in experimental tests and simulation results, the FEM model was verified. The aim of this study is to determine the process factors and their effects on the average thickness and depth of bulged tube. In this regard, design of experiment (DOE) was performed using a full factorial method and the results were interpreted using analysis of variance (ANOVA). Also, a regression model was presented to predict these responses. Results showed that among the studied factors, friction (between tube and rubber), rubber height, punch displacement and tube axial feeding have significant effects on the process. Finally, the optimal values for significant factors were presented.


It was a pleasant surprise during the Christmas vacation of 1966 to receive a letter from a Mrs. C. T. Williams, who described herself as "a graduate student in oriental art history at Harvard University" working on Khotanese painting, and enclosed the four photographs which are now published here. They provide four previously unpublished Khotanese inscriptions, which, though difficult to read and providing little information, are of interest because of their occurrence on objets d'art. Three are written in the late cursive script and one (Kha. i C 0096) in the old square script.


This paper deals with the study of the verses that dealt with foolishness, as these verses were interpreted by clarifying the meanings of words and the general meaning of interpretation and treatment of irrationality.  Dictionaries and language books such as Al-Sahih and Lisan Al-Arab are used to clarify the above purpose.


Purpose: Cellulose is a natural substance from plants or bacteria. It is known that bacterial synthesized cellulose has an effect of wound healing. The aim of this study is to show the effect of bacterial synthesized cellulose from citrus on wound healing. Methods: Three full-thickness skin defects were made on the back of Sprague-Dawley rats. Three wounds were treated by vaseline gauze (Group V), Algisite (Group A) and bacterial synthesized cellulose from citrus (Group C) was used for dressing on skin defect on rats. We analyzed the gross, histological and biochemistry finding. Results: Group C showed more decrease of wound size compared to Group V (33% versus 7.2%) after 14 days. The histologic findings revealed Group C and Group A preceed the process of wound healing rather than Group V (More rapid collagen deposition and neovascularization and reduced inflammation). Also, the expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and transforming growth factor (TGF)- were increased in the Group C and Group A compared with the Group V in 7 days. VEGF and TGF- expression were decreased in the Group C and Group A in 14 days, however Group V was not decreased at 14 day because of delayed wound healing process. Conclusion: Bacterial synthesized cellulose from citrus affects wound healing by reducing the inflammatory stage. And stimulates wound contracture by the deposition of extracellular matrix, thus preventing the formation of chronic wounds.


The third division of this indeed remarkable psalm. I've already seen the voice of the father. In verses 4 to 6 after we've seen the voice of the nations in one to three nations are crying rebellion against God and Christ the Father is meeting out he is dispensing chastisement. And rebuke. To the nations. Now the voice of the son versus 7-9. I will tell of the decree the Lord sent to me thou art my son this day have I begotten thee ask of me and I'll give thee the nations for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy position. Thou shall break them with a rod of iron. Thou shall dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel verses 7-9. The voice of the sun or as he's saying here we have the commission and rule of the son. Verse seven. He has it because of his person because of these persons in verse eight he has his possession and because he is who he is this person these possessions are in good hands and they are secure because he has the power. Verse nine we read. I will tell of the decree. The son is speaking.


This article describes an approach to determine effective oxidation material properties for a unidirectional laminate or tow. The effective properties will ultimately be used to model the oxidation behavior of textile composites. It is necessary to use homogenized properties for the tow because it is impractical to discretely model all the fibers in a composite. The basic oxidation model is taken from existing work in the literature, which was used to simulate the oxidation behavior of neat PMR-15 resin. The governing equations and the finite element formulation for the model are described as well as approaches for determining the various effective properties. Three configurations were analyzed to test the accuracy of the effective oxidation properties. The configurations were discretely modeled to provide a reference solution. Different idealizations were tested in order to determine the accuracy of the effective properties. The configurations included fully homogenized idealizations as well as mixed idealizations which have a combination of both homogenized and discretely modeled regions. The concentration of oxygen in the model as well as the oxidation state of the materials in the composite are compared to the reference model. The effective oxidation properties performed reasonably well for the three configurations in terms of predicting the oxidation layer growth.


Describes a technique of multi-frequency microwave radiometry that draws heavily on thermal modeling for non-invasive measurement of deep brain temperature in the new-born infant. A recent study has shown that the technique is feasible, but improvements in the temperature retrieval process seemed possible. Here, a new algorithm for the derivation of tissue temperature from brightness temperatures is presented that does just that, under the provision of accurate thermal modeling. Preliminary results of simulations show that the confidence interval, as produced by thermal noise, is 0.11/spl deg/C for the central brain temperature. If the conductivity of brain tissue is estimated wrong by 10%, this will result in an error of the retrieved central brain temperature of 0.5/spl deg/C.


With the recent explosive increase of the use of mobile communication handsets, there has been a growing concern about possible hazard to a human body, especially head part, exposed to the EM fields radiated from handsets. The specific absorption rate (SAR) is normally used for one of the important criteria to evaluate the degree of the hazard. The SAR is influenced by various kinds of parameters such as kind and size of antenna, position of antenna, radiated power, handset structure, distance and angle from human body, area of absorbing material if used, and so on. Most of the studies on this area have been performed to evaluate SAR values based on these parameters. In a previous paper (Minscok Jung and Bomson Lee, IEEE APS, vol. 1, pp. 444-448, 2002), after defining SRF (SAR reduction factor) for a quantitative discussion of effective SAR reduction methods, we analyzed the effects of the ferrite sheet attached to the handset based on power conservation relation. In this paper, we analyze the SAR data for various shapes of the ferrite structure. After investigating the reflection and transmission characteristics of the absorbing material layer, we also present a method to estimate the complex permittivity and permeability having a maximum absorption. We then evaluate SAR and SRF data for handsets coated with those absorbing layers.


This paper shows experimental performance evaluation of a new control system for active mass dampers (AMDs). The proposed control system consists of a position controller and neural oscillator, and is designed for the solution of a stroke limitation problem of an auxiliary mass of the AMDs. The neural oscillator synchronizing with the response of a structure generates a signal, which is utilized for switching of motion direction of the auxiliary mass and for travel distances of the auxiliary mass. According to the generated signal, the position controller drives the auxiliary mass to the target values, and the reaction force resulting from the movement of the auxiliary mass is transmitted to the structure, and reduces the vibration amplitude of the structure. Our previous research results showed that the proposed system could reduce the vibration of the structure while the motion of auxiliary mass was suppressed within the restriction; however the control performance was evaluated numerically. In order to put the proposed system to practical use, the system should be evaluated experimentally. This paper starts by illustrating the relation among subsystems of the proposed system, and then, shows experimental responses of a structure model with the AMD excited by earthquakes on a shaker to confirm the validity of the system.


Foreword Summary Introduction The Cruise Missile Cruise Missiles in the Third World Cruise Missile Guidance Building Cruise Missiles Responses to Cruise Missile Proliferation Appendixes Notes Index


created for himselc although the very width of the topics which he includes under the umbrella of economic interests may only serve to revive the reader's daubts as to the exclusion of consideration of the financial consequences of personal injuries. Cane's work will undoubtedly come to be regarded as a leading example of the application of the 'law in context' approach to the traditional law of tort. The range of the techniques used to protect economic interests makes the adoption of this approach a considerable challenge, but it is one which the author does not shirk. The writing considers tort techniques alongside contract, equity and restitution and then ranges widely over the judicial, administrative and self regulatory techniques which are used for the protection ofeconomic interests. It is a considerable achievement to have welded this diverse body of material together into a coherent whole. This is a book which is aimed at the specialist rather than the beginner. It contains a mass of useful commentary from the author on a wide range of subjects which is certain to make it a primary source for those who seek to write on tort in the future. However, the book does more in seeking to challenge many tort lawyers' perceptions of the scope of their subject and of the way in which they should present it. The author may well feel that he has achieved much of his purpose if he merely provokes others into explaining why they disagree with his approach. Some readers may feel that the fragmemtation of discussion of torts such as negligence and intentional interference with business by unlawful means in the early chapters is bought at the expense of clarity of exposition and depth of treatment. If the book was to be seen as a direct rival to Clerk 6' Lindsell or Winfield @Jolowicz such criticism would undoubtedly be justified. However, ifit is accepted on its own terms as a academic treatise which attempts to present the relevant material in a new way which produces new insights into its subject matter it is a major success. It is a welcome contribution to common law literature which deserves to find its way into the libraries of all serious students of the law of tort.


In order to obtain more information about the sequelae of vasectomy 247 men vasectomized in the last 10 years were interviewed for numerous consquences of vasectomy. A high degree of satisfaction with this method of contraception was found; only 1 of 42 men under age 30 1 of 14 childless men at the time of vasectomy and 12 of the remainder now regret the operation. Conflicts with partners at the time of vasectomy have proven to be a factor in later regrets. More than 1/2 the vasectomized men reported postoperative discomfort which lasted varying lengths of time but was universally described as a "pulling" sensation the organic cause of which remains unclear. The patients should however be made aware of this phenomenon to avoid mistreatment of the symptoms and interference with sexual activity. The length of time before confirmation of sterility by spermiogram could be achieved also varied depending on the amount of sperm stored in the remaining vasa segments and the speed of the emptying process. Most sperm found in semen after 13-15 days are dead and therefore not capable of conception but any living sperm present indicate failure of the operation which must be repeated as quickly as possible. Sperm examination is recommended after 6-8 weeks where 1-3 repeats are necessary as a rule. Histological examination is costly and inaccurate compared with sperm control. In 4.5% of the cases interviewed vasectomy was possibly not the right decision but a good prognosis for the operation can be asserted under the following conditions: stable partnership agreement of both partners voluntariness of the decision lack of cultural-religious conflicts and use of contraception until achievement of sperm-free ejaculate. With proper counseling this is a simple and successful method of contraception.


In Iceland, and many other places globally, the detrimental impacts of whale interactions with fishing gear on both fisheries and whales are not well understood or managed. This study conducted anonymous questionnaires of Icelandic fishers and interviews of capelin purse seine boat captains to gather first‐hand knowledge of the issues the fishers face due to whale interaction with their fishing gear. Results suggest that the humpback whale is the most common of the large whale species to become entangled or encircled in fishing gear and cause damage; however, on occasion other large whale species are interacting with gear as well. Interactions between humpback whales and fishing gear appears to be primarily concentrated in the north/northeast and southwest of the country where there is high fishing effort as well as a known humpback whale feeding habitat. Humpback whale interactions with gear occurred most often with capelin purse seines, which are targeting humpback whale prey, and data suggests that bycatch of whales in this fishery may be under‐reported. Damage and losses due to whale collisions with gear were reported to cost fishers up to a maximum of 55.000.000ISK per incident, suggesting this can be a costly issue for which mitigation measures should be explored. The use of acoustic 'pingers' is one mitigation measure that has been previously tested by capelin purse‐seiners and is something that captains indicated they would be interested in continuing to try. The creation of a whale entanglement/whale‐gear interaction reporting system in Iceland would aid in gathering more data, quantifying these events and determining what the consequences are to both the fishers and the whales. This study provides new information about the consequences of large whale interactions with Icelandic fisheries and suggests that future collaboration with fishers can provide insight contributing to best management practices for sustainable fishing and whale conservation.


Scientific article. The article analyzes the ways of improving strategic management of healthcare innovative development. The structural model of strategic management of healthcare innovative development has been proposed. The implementation of the innovation scenario is primarily due to an increase in the role and activity of state institutions, and effective tools of state regulation of innovation processes has been identified. An expert assessment of the social significance of innovative medical technologies introduction based on the analytical hierarchy process Saati has been carried out. The study made it possible to determine that the primary task for the overall improvement of health care in Ukraine is the formation by the state of measures for the introduction of cytotoxic chemotherapy for the treatment of 3-4 stages of oncological diseases. Abstract The article analyzes the ways of improving strategic management of healthcare innovative development. The structural model of strategic management of healthcare innovative development has been proposed. This structural model of strategic management of healthcare innovative development includes the following elements: defining guidelines for the healthcare innovative development; establishment of priority directions of healthcare sphere innovative development; development of strategy, policy in order to achieve strategic goals of healthcare innovative development; ensuring an adequate level of management, decision-making in order to achieve strategic goals of healthcare innovative development; ensuring the possibility of adapting the healthcare system to changing needs of the population, accumulating regulatory, political, social and legal instruments for managing the healthcare innovative development. The sequence of realization of strategic management of innovative development of sphere of health protection in a horizontal vector has been offered. The is primarily state tools An important role in the management health play the state for innovation Therefore, it is to the structure of the and to take into account the directions of state regulation of healthcare innovative the effectiveness R partner development granting the


Let F_q be the finite field with cardinality q, where q is a prime power. Given a finite field extension F_q^n over F_q and a,b in (F_q)^{*}, we investigate in this article the number N_n(a,b) of elements in F_q^n whose norm equals a and trace equals b. Our approach to probe N_n(a,b) is to connect it with the number of rational points on certain Artin-Schreier curve. After establish an improvement of the Hasse-Weil bound for that Artin-Schreier curve, we improve the known estimates for N_n(a,b) when (roughly speaking) n \geq \sqrt{q}-1. Moreover, we use this approach to improve the bound given by Moisio and Wan for the number of rational points on the toric Calabi-Yau variety studied by Rojas-Leon and Wan in 2011. We finish the paper with explicit calculations of N_n(a,b) and an application to the number of irreducible monic polynomials in an arithmetic progression.


Cells of Micrococcus sp. ATCC No. 407 grown in glutamic acid medium were permeable to maltose, maltotriose, maltotetraose, maltopentaose, 3-ketomaltose, and β-methylmaltoside but not to glucose, α-methylglucoside, isomaltose, maltitol, cellobiose, sucrose, trehalose, or lactose. The results suggest that the uptake mechanism is constitutive and may be specific for sugars with α,1–4 linkages. The kinetics of maltose and maltotriose uptake are in accord with the sugars undergoing an initial combination with a site followed by a rate-limiting reaction. Maltotriose competitively inhibited maltose uptake, which suggests that the same site is used during uptake of these two sugars. Maltotriose was taken up at a greater rate than maltose, which suggests that the rate-limiting process during uptake is not diffusion but a reaction that proceeds faster with maltotriose than with maltose.


The reference in a preface of the Disticha Catonis to Lucan's poem as treating Romana et Punica bella is not an error or description of an otherwise unknown work. Rather, it is metonymic for the Pharsalia as a whole and serves to remind the reader of Cato, whose death in North Africa is recounted in the ninth book. Inclusion of Macer, author of a work on cures for snake bites, in the preface provides another allusion to Pharsalia 9 .


Scientific reflection is a course to further study the truth already known and the basic way to make Marxism localized in China.Scientific reflection can help us to understand the features in different periods of this course and ensure the correct direction for this course,meanwhile scientific reflection can help us to avoid blind arrogance or pessimism and take a correct attitude towards Chinese-Marxism.The key of scientific reflection is to seek truth from facts.


Failure in the teaching of English, which is an important factor for a successful career, is one of the main problems of the current education system in Turkey. One of the major factors affecting the learning of English is motivation towards learning English. Therefore, motivation levels and motivation types of high school students in English classes in Bartin were determined in this study. Survey Design was used in the study to collect data. A questionnaire was applied to 323 high school students (159 female, 164 male) in 18 state high schools in Bartin. According to the results of the study, it was concluded that the motivation levels of students were adequate, female students had a higher level of motivation compared to male ones and motivation partly differed in accordance with the school type. Another finding of the study was that instrumental motivation was favoured more than integrative motivation by students.


Abstract (Tetraphenylporphyrin)palladium was developed as a catalyst for the chemoselective and stereoselective hydrogenation of alkynes to cis-alkenes by the syn-addition of hydrogen. Alkynes containing various functional groups were tolerated in the reaction, which gave the corresponding cis-alkenes in good to excellent yields.


In the course of the studies it was found that against the background of wild boar depopulation, the population density of deer and roe deer increases. Species do not compete in the original communities of the ungulates because they don't have adaptive advantages. Some species are able to dominate in the newly formed communities. An increase in population density affects the protective and adaptive reactions of wild ungulates. In conditions of ecological optimum and pessimism the development of resistance of wild ungulates is characterized by phases.


INT RO DUCT ION: Whether there is a protective or stimulating effect of atopy on the risk of neoplastic disease is an interesting question. Studies that have analyzed the matter to date have proposed various explanations for such an effect. In this study, the prevalence of neoplastic diseases in patients with confirmed atopic diseases compared with a control non-atopic group was analyzed. MAT ERIAL AND M ETHO DS: A total of 1451 patients with atopic disease and 1389 control subjects over 35 years of age received a physical examination, a skin-prick test and measurement of IgEs specific to common inhalant allergens. A medical history based on an original questionnaire and analysis of family history for the possible occurrence of neoplastic diseases and allergies were performed. Additionally, tumor markers AFP, CEA, SCC, PSA, Ca15.3, Ca19-9, Ca125, HCG, and CYFRA 21-1 were measured in serum. RES ULTS : The results confirmed no significant difference in the prevalence of most analyzed neoplasms between the groups. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia and chronic myelogenous leukemia were significantly less common in the study group. A negative correlation between the concentration of total IgE in serum and the probability of neoplasm diagnosis in the study group was noted. A higher concentration of serum marker CYFRA 21-1, but without clinical manifestation in patients with atopic disease was observed. CO NCL US IO NS : The occurrence of neoplastic diseases is slightly lower in patients with atopic diseases than in the control group without allergies. There were no significant differences in the analyzed serum tumor markers between the groups.


Abstract High and low limits were developed from best-fit formulas for WF's of 20,000 and 10,000, assuming critical cut-off levels of 500,000, 1,000,000, and 1,500,000 cells per milliliter. These were tested, using 92 bulk tank samples, for a total of 276 applications. Samples were classified as above, below, or questionable in relation to the selected critical cell count. On approximately 75% of the 276 applications a WF of 20,000 gave a precision for screening purposes at least equivalent to counts made with WF's in the range of 2,500 to 5,000. Of the remaining samples, two out of five were classified above or below on a second count (WF 10,000). The remaining 15% of the applications were very close to the critical levels (2/3 within 10%) and were considered as unclassifiable. Total errors were 1.8%.


Within this work, the novel technique of synchrotron X-ray activation has been developed and was used in combination with subsequent annealing to generate noble metal particles spatially resolved and on demand in noble metal ion-doped soda-lime silicate glasses. The photoactivation technique has enabled the separation of nucleation and growth of noble metal particles. Thus, atomic particles and the early stages of the cluster growth process could be identified for the very first time. The glasses have been characterised by photoluminescence, UV-Vis absorption, EPR, SAXS and XANES spectroscopy. As a result, the red luminescing gold dimer could be identified in synchrotron activated gold-doped glasses. Thermal annealing at 550◦C has induced the growth of gold nanoparticles by heterogeneous nucleation. As a model for the nucleation center a gold dimer bound to a silanolate center has been suggested. In contrast to gold, in synchrotron activated silverdoped glasses non-luminescent silver atoms have been generated. Annealing at 300◦C has induced the growth of luminescent atomic silver particles. After a thermal treatment at a higher temperature of 500◦C non-emitting silver nanoparticles have been generated. The early stages of the gold and silver cluster growth process have been identified as efficient donators in photoluminescence energy transfer processes. Therefore, the luminescence of glassintrinsic luminescence centers as well as the phosphorescence of co-doped trivalent lanthanoide ions could be enhanced significantly. As for nonlinear luminescence studies, an unprecedented increase of the gold amount of up to 20 mol% has been achieved by the preparation of ultrathin silicate-titanate layers with a combined sol-gel and spin-coating approach. The photoluminescence of the gold nanoparticles generated by annealing at 300◦C could be excited by a three-photon induced process. Furthermore, the technique of confocal titanium:sapphire laser activation has been developed to write nanometer-sized patterns containing luminescent gold nanoparticles into the glassy layers. TEM and SEM studies have shown, that the gold nanoparticles are not only embedded within the thin films, but are also located on top of the glassy layers. Furthermore, their accessibility to biological molecules has been proven by determining the surface-enhanced Raman scattering of adsorbed adenine molecules.


The irradiation of fresh hens' eggs with Co/sup 60/ rays for 18 weeks produces a change in the color of the white and the formation of white bodies in the latter. The yolk becomes separated from the white by a dense layer of protein substances. An electrophoretic investigation of these substances established their difference from the protein substances in fresh eggs. (auth)


B lymphocytes, or B cells, are important players in immunity that produce antigen‐specific immunoglobulins. As a result, they are involved in various immune‐linked pathologies. To better understand, prevent, or treat B cell–associated disease and immunotoxicity, we developed an in vitro assay to model early murine B cell differentiation within the bone marrow. This model uses sorted B cell precursors cultured on a supporting stromal cell layer, which over time acquire markers of further differentiated B cells, such as surface antigens and rearranged immunoglobulin light chain. Importantly, we utilized our in vitro model to validate our previous observations that xenobiotics, such as tungsten and organotins, alter B cell development in vivo. Furthermore, gene expression can be modulated in this model using retroviral transduction, making it amenable to investigating signaling pathways involved in disruption of B cell differentiation. © 2019 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.


The neurokinin-1 receptor 'knockout' (NK1R-/-) mouse has been proposed as a preclinical model of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Previous work from our group demonstrated that these mice are hyperactive, and display inattentiveness and impulsivity: the core signs of ADHD. The main aim of this thesis was to examine the predictive validity of the NK1R-/- mouse, by testing the effects of the ADHD treatments, guanfacine, atomoxetine and methylphenidate on ADHD-like behaviour, primarily in the 5-Choice Serial Reaction-Time Task (5-CS RTT).
Guanfacine (0.1 mg/kg) improved attention in NK1R-/- mice, but not wildtypes, and did not affect anxiety-like behaviour in either genotype in the Elevated Plus Maze. This drug also reduced impulsivity in both genotypes at a higher dose (1 mg/kg), but this was likely secondary to its locomotor suppressant effect. Further studies revealed that the low dose of guanfacine improved spatial memory in NK1R-/- mice, but not wildtypes, in an object recognition task, but this effect was not mirrored by another alpha2-adrenoceptor agonist (medetomidine, at 1 –
10 tg/kg). In contrast, atomoxetine had no effect on attention, but selectively improved hyperactivity and impulsivity in NK1R-/- mice, only, at doses of 3 and 10 mg/kg, respectively. Similarly, methylphenidate (10 mg/kg) reduced two types of impulsivity (motor impulsivity and behavioural disinhibition) in NK1R-/- mice, only, but had negligible effects on attention in either genotype, when tested in an extension of the 5-CSRTT, the 5-Choice Continuous Performance Task (5C-CPT).
Based on literature suggesting ADHD and obesity can be comorbid, and the finding that NK1R-/- mice were smaller, but ate more than wildtypes during the 5-CSRTT and 5C-CPT tasks, the second aim of this thesis was to determine whether NK1R-/- mice had underlying differences in body composition. Carcass composition analyses revealed that the fat content of mice depended on an interaction between genotype and gender, but bone density was increased in NK1R-/- mice compared with wildtypes. Furthermore, a comparison between two types of carcass composition analyses revealed that dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) may over-estimate body fat by approximately 10%. Overall these studies consolidate the predictive validity of the NK1R-/- mouse model of ADHD, and highlight a role for NK1Rs in growth and body composition.


The article gives a short overview of new features, released in 9th version of geographic
 information system for roads IndorRoad. Special attention is paid to the ability of working with
 satellite images, laser scanning data, working with artificial structures and traffic planning design.


Internet of Things (IoT) technology promises to bring new value creation opportunities across all major industrial sectors. This will yield industries to deploy more devices into their networks. A key pillar to ensure the safety and security of the running services on these devices is remote attestation. Unfortunately,existing solutions fail to cope with the recent challenges raised by large IoT networks. In particular, the heterogeneity of the devices used in the network affects the performance of a remote attestation protocol. Another challenge in these networks is their dynamic nature: More IoT devices may be added gradually over time. This poses a problem in terms of key management in remote attestation. We propose FADIA, the first lightweight collaborative remote attestation protocol that is designed with fairness in mind. FADIA enables fair distribution of load/tasks on the attesting devices to achieve better performance. We also leverage the Eschenauer-Gligor scheme to enable efficient addition of devices to the network. We implement our solution on heterogeneous embedded devices and evaluate it in real scenarios. The evaluation shows that FADIA can (i) increase the lifetime of a network by an order of magnitude and (ii) decrease the remote attestation runtime by a factor of 1.6.


This paper reports the results of experimental work on a two-dimensional model of a supersonic parallel diffuser of the type used to achieve some recompression of a high-temperature jet, though in the present tests a relatively low temperature was employed. Visual observations were made of the flow patterns developed in the diffuser, together with corresponding measurements of static pressure distributions and local heat transfer rates, for a range of initial total pressures. The effect of varying the area of the diffuser cross-section, for the same upstream generating nozzle, has also been studied. The static pressure recovery across the diffuser is found to reach a maximum at the transition from a normal shock to a multiple oblique shock system of diffusion. Following a peak value near the diffuser entry, the heat transfer, which generally follows the static pressure distribution, fluctuates about relatively low values in the region of the shock patterns, but rises steadily when the flow becomes subsoni...


Compromised patients are predisposed to the acquisition of resistant Gram-negative bacilli from the hospital environment. Infections caused by Gram-positive organisms are becoming more frequent, and this increase is obviously related to the extensive use of in-dwelling intravenous (IV) catheters. In compromised hosts, Gram-negative and Gram-positive infections are almost always nosocomial, being a result of the severity of the underlying disease and frequent and/or prolonged hospitalisation. Careful handwashing by hospital personnel, low microbial diets and careful attention to IV devices can significantly minimise the colonisation phenomenon in hospitalised compromised patients. The level of colonisation by Gram-negative bacilli can also be reduced in these patients by the oral administration of effective antibiotics.


Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) is the most potential sector, and it is extensively applied in defense, medical, flood mitigation, and meteorology. Each component in a WSN is linked to the next component and shares data with it. Information protection is critical while transmitting data over a network. In the field of networks, privacy is critical. Premised on an assessment of current WSNs protection vulnerabilities, a blended cryptographic technique relied on WSNs is postulated, incorporating the features of symmetric and asymmetric cryptographic schemes. A hybrid cryptographic approach was proposed which was implemented by employing REA (Rijndael Encryption Approach) in the first stage, HFEA (Horst Feistel's Encryption Approach) in the second stage, and improved- Rivest-Shamir-Adleman (i-RSA) in the last stage. The findings demonstrate that the technique may lower encryption and decryption time while maintaining safety. The results obtained from the suggested ensemble cryptographic technique in WSN are good in terms of execution time, power usage, communication cost, and storage cost.


Foreign citizens are a more and more significant part of the population of Italian cities and society (8% of the country's total population), and they contribute to changes in the cultural, social, and economic structure of the country. Our aim was to assess the incidence of the immigrant population on urban house price polarization, as measured using an original indicator: the center-periphery housing price gradient. While there is ample literature on the relationship between average prices and immigrant populations, less research has been conducted on immigration and the housing price gradient on a national scale. This price gradient may indicate whether immigration contributes to changing the residential market, also possibly revealing segregation phenomena. We ran multivariate regressions in several steps on an original dataset of housing prices and socio-economic factors concerning 112 Italian provincial capitals to elucidate whether immigration is correlated with the housing market divide. Our main findings confirmed that larger immigrant populations coincide with steeper housing price gradients on a national scale. Our tests also demonstrated that the relevance of this phenomenon varies for different urban forms, confirming related to housing price dynamics between the cities of northern and southern Italy the relevance of urban density in elucidating.


The Greek and Roman atomistic tradition (whose most famous representatives are Democritus, Epicurus and Lucretius), defends radical and immanentist ideas about the discovery of technologies in human societies. The appearance of new technologies, insofar as it is due to the satisfaction of human needs and derives from natural necessity, reveals that human work is in some way a natural process. Consequently, human beings do not need any kind of Promethean intervention, which would provide them with new skills and technologies. However, the Epicurean tradition, as evidenced by several texts (especially in Lucretius), echoes the mythological figure of Prometheus, in showing that human beings, through their discoveries, are independent from the gods. Epicurus himself, in Lucretius' De rerum natura, embodies, like Prometheus, the ideal of human emancipation from superstitious representations of the gods. It does not mean, however, that work and technical discoveries are the best means of emancipation : for Epicurus and his followers, philosophy itself remains the safest way to tranquillity and freedom.


Mitsubishi is developing a new type of accumulator incorporating the technology of fluidics as one of the seeds for the improved safety of the newly constructed pressurized water reactor plants. This accumulator employs a vortex flow control device, called a vortex damper, as a fluidic device to simplify the safety systems. A fundamental experimental study with a one-fifth scale model and confirmation tests with a one-third scale model to develop the vortex damper have been carried out, and satisfactory results have been achieved. The results of the confirmation tests under the prototype pressure conditions agree well with the basic tests. The flow rate ratio can be 5 to 6. The pressure loss coefficient in the large flow rate period is 8. A cavitation factor is the main parameter of the flow rate coefficient.


Enhanced pion production at low transverse momentum has been proposed as a signature for chiral symmetry restoration in dense hadronic matter and/or as a novel measure of system temperature through resonance excitations. Using the wide acceptance version of the E814 magnetic spectrometer the authors have measured identified pion yields down to P{sub t} = 0 over the rapidity range 2.0 {le} y {le} 5.0 in {sup 28}Si + Pb collisions at 14.6A GeV/c. Results for {pi}{sup +} and {pi}{sup {minus}} will be presented and compared with models that include resonance production.


SummaryThis study describes an objective measurement of rehabilitation after inguinal hernia repair, by assessing the ability to drive. When performing an emergency stop the reaction time (RT) and the time taken to achieve full depression of the brake pedal (MPPT) were measured. The method was validated by testing reproducibility of measurements on 10 individuals, with no significant variation found on the different occasions. One hundred and seventy-five people (99 women) with valid driving licences were selected at random and assessed. The median age was 50 (range 19–85) yr and no significant correlation was found between age and the measured values. The results obtained were similar to the values used by the Highway Code to calculate stopping distances (mean MPPT 670 ms; Highway Code 700 ms). It is intended to use this method to study rehabilitation in patients following inguinal hernia repair.


This study shows systematic differences in how parents structure mealtime discourse in two cultural groups in Hawaii. Fifty-nine families were videotaped during week-day evening meals at home. Thirty of the families were middle-class Japanese-American (JA) families; 29 were middle-class Caucasian-American (CA) families. Evening meals in the Caucasian-American homes in this sample are clear-cut events. Families sit at tables and talk throughout the meal. Children are encouraged to describe their experiences, wishes, plans and perceptions. Parents cue children to focus on distinctive aspects of their realities, to talk about 'what's new', or unfamiliar to the audience. Evening meals in the Japanese-American homes are less focused on formal discussion. Half the families watch television while eating; others play games, cook, listen to music, talk on the phone or play with babies or pets during dinner. JA family members talk to each other less and structure their discourse differently. Rather than report on distinct, individual experiences, JA family members co-narrate and comment on what they are collectively doing. The observed differences are related to cultural differences in construals of self and other. The cultural importance of being able to clearly communicate individual realities across separate beings is seen in the CA mealtimes. Appreciation of smooth, group process and coordinated belonging is seen in the JA evening meals.


Different substances have different freezing points and melt crystallization utilizes this difference to separate and purify these substances.The technology is mainly used in the separation of organic compounds and is characterized by high purity of products produced,low energy demand,no need for other solvents and low pollution to the environment.Commercial melt crystallization units currently use either suspension crystallization process or normal freezing process (i.e.layer crystallization).Melt crystallization is not only used in the separation of fine chemicals and isomers but is also used in the production of large output of organic chemicals such as bisphenol A and naphthalene.It can be anticipated that melt crystallization will become an important technology for producing high-purity organic chemical products.Integrating melt crystallization and other separation techniques is currently a hotspot for the research of melt crystallization technology with the research mainly targeting the application of techniques for separating and purifying specific systems.The research should be strengthened into crystallization process,solid-liquid phase equilibrium theories,crystal separation and crystallizers to meet the needs from the development of material science and the application of new materials.


Melody writing of Chinese art-songs must solve the problem of choosing lyrics and analyzing lyrics,based on which choices must be made about modes,tempi,speed,phrases,wording,entering point and ending,then the layout of both lyrics and melody,of which the combination must follow the result of declamation,thus to form the melody.Meanwhile,the significance of articulation must be focused.Also,repetition of melody,use in varied registers,and making of characteristics are also the points must be careful in melody writing.


The financial planning industry is evolving into a profession, underpinned by a range of regulatory, professional and market changes. A key component of the challenge to professionalism is to attract high calibre new entrants to financial planning degree programs and into the emerging profession. This paper details results of a survey of 191 financial planning practices on their expectations and plans for new entrants. The study finds that there is growing interest in the graduate pathways and methods of obtaining access to a talent pool. In addition, the majority of firms indicated that they would like to grow their staff numbers in the five years (to 2019) and nearly two thirds indicated that they will be seeking graduates for these growth positions. This paper will explore the demand for new entrants, particularly university graduates, into financial planning.


SUMMARY The growth and seed production potential of white clover (Trifolium repens L.) was studied in field plots in 2 years, with and without a companion grass (Lolium perenne L.). Three rates of grass suppressant, fluazifop-butyl (Fusilade), applied in early June, were compared on plots sown with the companion grass. Two clover varieties, Aberystwyth SI84 and Olwen, were compared. Sowing a companion grass reduced the amount of clover in the sward in both the first and second harvest years, but did not affect the vigour of individual clover growing points or the number of clover inflorescences when the crop was ready to be harvested for seed. Fluazifop-butyl, at the highest rate used (125g/ha), reduced the rates of leaf emergence and extension, and the numbers of reproductive tillers, in Lolium, without reducing the rate of leaf emergence in clover, although the weight per clover leaf was somewhat reduced. In the first harvest year, the numbers of SI84 inflorescences in June and July were increased by fluazifop-butyl, but the effect had worn off by harvest (24 August). Seed yield potential was not increased by fluazifop-butyl at the rates used. Olwen produced heavier leaves, but fewer leaves and fewer growing points/0·1 m2 than SI84. In the first harvest year, Olwen had fewer and smaller inflorescences than S184. It proved feasible to measure the weight of new leaf produced per week and the nett additions to stolon and inflorescence dry matter (DM). The estimate of nett addition to stolon DM was increased by increasing the number of visible internodes included in the calculation, up to the maximum number recorded (nine). The rate of leaf emergence was slower on young branches than on main axes.


The final task in the form of field work is based by HIPMI Peduli Jawa Tengah as a charity organization under the auspices of the Himpunan Pengusaha Muda Indonesia Regional Jawa Tengah (HIPMI Jawa Tengah) that recently established. The establishment of HIPMI Peduli Jawa Tengah aims to cultivate the spirit of social awareness and participation of entrepreneurs and societies in order to improve the social welfare of the Indonesian people on the social issues that happening nowadays. As a charities organization under the auspices of HIPMI Jawa Tengah, awareness of HIPMI Peduli Jawa Tengah is not widely known even by members of the HIPMI Jawa Tengah. The lack of awareness by HIPMI Peduli Jawa Tengah makes the participation of entrepreneurs and societies are less in any social activities undertaken by HIPMI Peduli Jawa Tengah. This leads to the small number of donors who participated through HIPMI Peduli Jawa Tengah that has not give maximum support at each social activities undertaken. Based on the concept of branding and persuasion theory, field work aims to increase awareness HIPMI Peduli Jawa Tengah and encourage the target audience to join and participate in any social activities undertaken by HIPMI Peduli Jawa Tengah. The implementation was held in August to September 2015 that makes it a total of 5 weeks, through a series of activities with the theme of education 1000 Book 1000 Goodness For Coastal Children, managed to get an increase in awareness activities HIPMI Peduli Jawa Tengah significantly from 25.84% to 84% and the increase of donation participation from 11.2% to 34%. The amount of participation in each of a series of activities in 1000 Book 1000 Goodness also achieve the target that managed to get donations 3540 books, 103 visitors in the pre event Sunday Morning Share Reading and more than 1500 visitors in the event of peak Charity Food Festival HIPMI Peduli Jawa Tengah. This field work indicates that the "Branding HIPMI Peduli Jawa Tengah Through Strategic Communication Activity" was carried out according to goals specified by division manager program.


Objective To explore the changes of cognition and sleep status in the youngsters with internet addiction disorder(IAD),and to clarify the relation between cognition and sleep-related indicators of IAD youngsters.Methods Event related potential(ERP)and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI)test were used for forty-two IAD(case group)and forty non-IAD(control group)in youngsters,and the indexes of period latency(PL)of N1,P2,N2,P3and amplitude of P3(P3amp)of ERP were analyzed,the factor scores of sleep quality(SQ),sleep latency(SL),sleep time(ST),sleep efficiency(SE),sleep dysfunction(SD),sleeping pills(SP),daytime dysfunction(DD)and total score of PSQI were analyzed.The correlation between the P3PL,P3amp of ERP and all the indexes of PSQI in case group was analyzed.Results The PL of N2,P3of ERP in case group was significanly longer and the P3amp was significantly lower than those in control group(P0.01);the factor scores of the SQ,SL,ST,SE,SD,DD,and the total score of PSQI test had significant differences between two groups(P0.01).The correlation analysis results showed that there were remarkable positive correlations between the P3PL and the factor seores of the SQ,SL,ST,SE,SD,DD and the total score of PSQI test in case group(r=0.46,0.34,0.51,0.40,0.48,and 0.54;P0.01),and there were remarkable negative correlations betweeb P3amp and the indexes of PSQI test in case group(r=-0.42,-0.45,-0.49,-0.38,-0.38,and-0.50;P0.01).Conclusion The IAD youngsters have cognition and sleep dysfunction,and the both factors can affect each other.


garian kingdom into a national Magyar state. The struggle was to lead to the Slovak withdrawal from Hungary in 1918 and their linking up with the Czechs in the Czechoslovak republic. The next two essays—"The Politics of Frustration: The Slovak Political Experience, 1918— 1938" (Susan Mikula) and "The Slovak Republic, 1939-1945" (Stanislav J. Kirschbaum)— deal with periods when the interaction of Slovak political, social, and economic forces in the former and the clash of European international forces in the latter became too complex to be reduced into meaningful essays. The seventh essay—"The Slovak Republic: A Lived Experience" (Kurt K. Neumann)—attempts to define an elusive subject—the Slovak national character—in order to explain the failure of the Slovak government to save the Slovak Jewish community from the Nazi Holocaust, but also the heroic efforts of many individual Slovaks from all walks of life to save their Jewish fellow citizens. The essay—"Slovakia in Post-War Czechoslovakia" (Kirschbaum)—lacks enough perspective and detachment to be satisfactory. The final essay—"The Challenge of Slovak Literature" (Peter Petro)—is a very perceptive evaluation of the role of Slovak literature in Slovak history. But it is—as, indeed, are all of the essays in this collection—too short to do justice to the subject. A historical essay, unlike straight narrative history, is based on a balance of judiciously selected facts and ideas. To be effective it presupposes a fair knowledge of the subject on the part of the reader. Unfortunately, Slovak history is not well known to English readers. There is great need of a solid factual account of Slovak history in English. The young authors of this collection would render Slovak history a great service by writing one.


The principle and practice of feeding back glass density testing results for production control are described.During a continuous period of time(May 1 to 31)under stable production,glass density was tested day by day,and the results were plotted.Based on the principle of normal distribution,the upper and lower limits for glass density variation were specified.Through the analyses of glass density test results for a long time,it is concluded that glass density tests,in combination with chemical analyses,enable fast and accurate control of glass composition.


This paper examines the factors that determined the Indonesian rupiah against US dollar nominal exchange rate post crisis period. The effect of the oil prices and the interaction of supply and demand in the foreign exchange market are included as part of explanatory variables besides other fundamentals, using an Error Correction Model (ECM). The use of composite model that incorporates a number of familiar approaches in exchange rate determination is found to outperform the model based on one single approach in term of their forecast performance. The estimation results show that the increase in oil price will depreciate the rupiah exchange rate and that risk factor is the most important factor that influences the rupiah development.


Along with the city's development,modern city will face the "city disease".For searching the way of city's sustainable development,and concordance between the city and the environment,it points out that the urban planning may enhance the building of the environment,bring forward the principle of the "ecological city" planning and explore the planning strategy of the "ecological city",by using the ecological theory,reference to the urban planning theory and the situation of our country.


Japan and the European Union have recently made several agreements aiming to deepen their cooperation. An example of this is the "Partnership on Sustainable Connectivity and Quality Infrastructure between the European Union and Japan," by which both EU and Japan agreed to "promote free, open, rules-based, fair, non-discriminatory and predictable regional and international trade and investment, transparent procurement practices, the ensuring of debt sustainability and the high standards of economic, fiscal, financial, social and environmental sustainability." This is just the latest part in an effort by both to revive multilateral cooperation in the face of US withdrawal from international agreements and the rise of a more assertive China. Japan and EUs Strategic Partnership Agreement provides a legally binding framework for further cooperation in the field of politics, security, and development. Underpinning it are shared values and principles of democracy, the rule of law, human rights, and fundamental freedoms. For the protection of democracy and the liberal world order, Japan and the EU seem like ideal partners. The question is whether ongoing shifts in the power balance, geopolitics, crises of liberalism, domestic politics, and legal and technological changes will lead to broader and deeper cooperation. This chapter provides a historical background to Japan-European relations from WWII until today. The relation started with a heavy emphasis on trade and business. It is only recently that the two have broadened their cooperation and now stand up as two of the strongest defenders of a liberal rule-based world order.


The working states and moving performances of vertical steering cylinders and external loading cylinders were analysed according to the requirements of the support test-bed for the synchronous system.The design idea and research method of the synchronous control system of hydraulic support test-bed were given based on the electro-hydraulic proportional technology.The mathematic models of electro-hydraulic proportional valve,asymmetry hydraulic cylinders and the synchronous system were deduced.The methods of static analysis,dynamic analysis and system correction were given.


Welcome to the Fall 2011 issue of First Opinions, Second Reactions. The theme of this issue is orphans and survivors in children's and young adult books. Why would we choose such a seemingly dismal, even depressing, theme? One reason could be the ubiquitous presence of the theme in literature for youth. In some ways, all children's and young adult books feature characters that are literal or metaphorical "orphans" or "survivors." Putting characters in situations and contexts that require them to be independent is a common trope to provide young protagonists the space and opportunity to make decisions, overcome adversity, and, eventually, mature. A second reason for our theme might have something to do with the season itself—at least in our home state of Indiana. As days become shorter and leaves fall from the trees, we may feel the need to find life-affirming fictional messages amid an increasingly barren reality. We might be looking for a bright light in an otherwise dark landscape. The books chosen for this issue highlight the outsider status of the main characters, even more than many books for young readers do. Their protagonists are separated from a parent (Moon Over Manifest, Turtle in Paradise, One Crazy Summer), displaced by war (How I Learned Geography), or alienated by a domineering father (The Dreamer). All of these protagonists, while in radically different places, times, and situations, share one thing: They find themselves living in a world they have difficulty accepting or even recognizing, and yet they flourish within it. While the settings of the books often provide challenges that seem overwhelmingly bleak—the Great Depression, rejection by parents, violence, and social injustice—the main characters find ways to survive, and even thrive, despite these hardships. They are able to find joy in an otherwise joyless existence, often through art, imagination, and storytelling. By reading these stories, perhaps we can vicariously experience the tenacity, curiosity, and optimism exemplified by the characters that populate them. We hope you enjoy the "first opinions" and "second reactions" that follow and are inspired to share these inspirational stories with young readers you know.


The main objectives of this study were to access the loan repayment performance of smallholder maize farmers in Kanke Local Government Area of Plateau State. A sample of 90 farmers was randomly selected and analyzed using percentages, means, and multiple regression. Results show that farmers received on average of ¦ 75,000 as loan. A large proportion of the farmers adopted mixed varieties of maize. Untimely loan disbursement, low market price of farm produce, and high interest rate were the major constraints militating against loan repayment. It was recommended that more credit from formal sources should be made available in large loan size to farmers. In addition, loan disbursement should be timely to avoid diversion while successful applicants should be trained on proper loan management.


This paper starts from the assumption that political participation outside of institutionalised channels is becoming more important. At the same time, demographic changes in Europe lead an increasing number of older citizens, who have lower participation rates than younger people. Why do older individuals participate less in non-institutionalised channels of politics? On the one hand, existing hypotheses predict a generational catch-up. On the other, we should also expect a permanent gap due to less resources and motivation to participate and due to less political dissatisfaction among older people. Although there is evidence for all of these explanations, they are insufficient to explain the gap between older and younger people entirely. Instead, this paper suggests that the culture of old age – how public opinion sees older people – can partially account for the unexplained difference between younger and older citizens. Surprisingly, the more senior-friendly a society is, the less older people participate in politics outside of institutions, which suggests that this senior-friendliness might be connected to saturated older people's interests. There is evidence that the old age culture of a society is rooted in the religious and welfare traditions of a society as well as its current economic and demographic make-up. The empirical evidence stems from two sources of survey data: the World Values Survey 1981-2000 and the European Social Survey 2002.


Local similarity pattern is proposed as a new method for computing image similarity.Images for comparing are divided into uniform regions and we obtain the similarity by comparing corresponding areas with several features.Genetic algorithm is proposed to optimize the model and to get global optimization.


The High-Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) Observatory is a TeV gamma-ray and cosmic-ray detector currently under construction at an altitude of 4100 meters at volcano Sierra Negra in the state of Puebla, Mexico. Data taking has started during construction, and after nine months of operation, the air shower statistics are already sufficient to perform detailed studies of cosmic rays observed at the site. We report on the detection and study of the moon shadow and its deflection due to the geomagnetic field. From the observation of the moon shadow and simulations, we infer the pointing accuracy and the angular resolution of HAWC for cosmic rays.