The matters addressed in this article are of current interest. Although the machinery for protecting Aboriginal sacred sites in the Northern Territory has been operative for some thirteen years, the Coronation Hill case has brought into focus some critical anthropological issues. Prolonged controversy over the Coronation Hill matter was referred to a federal body of inquiry, the Resource Assessment Commission, and a final report was recently submitted to government. Dr. Merlan examines positions taken in reports to the Commission and comments on the final report concerning notions of Aboriginal tradition. Dr. Merlan was co-author of one of the reports to the Commission on Aboriginal issues. One critic of this report, Dr. Ron Brunton, has published three pamphlets through the privately funded Institute of Public Affairs. Dr. Merlan sought to publish a reply through the same outlet but was told the Institute had no provision for this. I have persuaded Dr. Merlan to publish the following paper in Oceania in view of the importance of the issues it raises for anthropology in Australia and the Fourth World My particular thanks to the reviewer who responded at very short notice. Jeremy Beckett Editor


As a special kind of image in the time before Qin Dynasty,the image of assassins in the Biographies about the assassins in Shi Ji attracts people's attention and has been disputed for a long time.Based on the text,the image of assassins is analyzed from three levels such as "basic human nature","deep culture structure" and "specific historical environment",and we can get a comparatively objective understanding,and can obtain a new experience to assassins' vivid image and spiritual in the works of Si Maqian.


In the packed string matching problem, each machine word accommodates – characters, thus an n-character text occupies n/– memory words. We extend the Crochemore-Perrin constantspace O(n)-time string matching algorithm to run in optimal O(n/–) time and even in real-time, achieving a factor – speedup over traditional algorithms that examine each character individually. Our solution can be e ciently implemented, unlike prior theoretical packed string matching work. We adapt the standard RAM model and only use its AC0 instructions (i.e., no multiplication) plus two specialized AC0 packed string instructions. The main string-matching instruction is available in commodity processors (i.e., Intel's SSE4.2 and AVX Advanced String Operations); the other maximal-su x instruction is only required during pattern preprocessing. In the absence of these two specialized instructions, we propose theoretically-e cient emulation using integer multiplication (not AC0) and table lookup. 1998 ACM Subject Classification F.2 Analysis of Algorithms and Problem Complexity, F.2.2 Nonnumerical Algorithms and Problems—Pattern Matching


Laboratory-scale tests of methods for the recovery of aluminum and other metal values from fly ash include reported processes such as lime sinter lime-soda sinter, and the obvious direct acid leach methods, as well as two new combination sinter--dilute acid leach methods. In the first of these new methods, fly ash is sintered with a NaCl-Na/sub 2/CO/sub 3/ mixture at 1000/sup 0/C followed by successive leaches with water and 1 N NHO/sub 3/ or H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/. In the second method, fly ash is sintered with a CaSO/sub 4/--CaCO/sub 3/ mixture at 1400/sup 0/C, after which the sinter-cake is pugged with 36 N H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/ and then diluted to 4 N for a second leaching period. Aluminum recovery is increased in each method as the sintering temperature is increased; recovery is greater than 95% at the optimum sintering conditions, and a pure Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ product can be obtained if a solvent extraction or an ion exchange circuit is included for iron and trace-metal removal. Product option flexibility is provided in that Fe, Ti, Mn, U, and Th can also be recovered.


Records of the woody flora, based on nearly 1500 plotslstands of mainly forest vegetation of West and Middle Tennessee, have been compiled. The data are from 1155 transects (data collected 1993-1995) and 343 0.1 ha plots (data collected 1985-1986). Taxa total 246 species and lesser forms. The dominant woody plants sort into many community types occupying the small remaining areas of natural landscape. Results are reported as percent presence or frequency of stands seen. Some taxa are common-in ca. 85 9% of the stands; others are rare. Some taxa occur only on the Coastal Plain, others only on the Plateaus, and some occupy both areas. The range of some species centers in the Centrai Basin and that of other species exclude the Basin.


Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of essential hypertension treated in light of the pathogenetic theory of excessive heart-liver fire(EHLF) and endogenous heat-toxin(EHT). Methods:A high sensitive retrieval strategy was adopted for literatures of clinical controlled trial in essential hypertension treated according to EHLF and EHT theory until October 2009. The electronic retrieval databases included:①Co.chrane database of reg-istered controlled trials;②Pubmed;③Chinese Biomedical Literature Database;④Chinese Journal Full-text Database;⑤ Vip Chinese Periodical Database;⑥Wanfang Digitized Journal Full-text Database. Seventeen TCM journals not included in databases were searched manually. By means of Rev Man 4.2.2 software,the overall effect of results from multiple studies were analyzed by Meta-analysis. Meanwhile,a sensitivity analysis was also done. A funnel plot was applied to analyze the publication bias. Results:There were 10 studies with a total of 496 cases were included finally. Two trials scored 3 were high quality literatures,while the rest of literatures were low-quality. Meta analysis suggested the overall effect(fixed) was 1.19,95% confidence interval(CI)[1.10-1.29] as for therapeutic evaluation of lowering blood pressure,1.27(95%CI,1.14-1.41) in light of therapeutic evaluation of clinical symptoms,and 0.24(95% CI,0.09-0.63)according to safety evaluation. The main adverse event was mild nausea with occurrence of 2.352 percent. Conclusion:Qinggan Ningxing and Qingre Jiedu prescription were safe and effective herbs to treat essential hypertension,and the results analyzed by Meta-analysis were stable and reliable. In accordance with the principle of syndrome certificated by prescription,we believed that the mechanism of excessive heart-liver fire and endogenous heat toxin in essential hypertension was scientific.


Cerebral oxygenation may become inadequate because controlled ventilation with hypocapnia reduces cerebral blood flow, especially if the PaCO, is reduced to something of the order of 20 mm Hg. Secondly, hypotension, often to an arterial pressure of 50 mm Hg, is often used for aneurysm surgery. GILBERT et al. (1966)' published preliminary observations stating that quite appreciable rises in blood-lactate levels were to be expected in neurosurgical cases in which hyperventilation was used. I t therefore seemed worth while to investigate the matter.


This study is aimed at developing an anisotropic elastoplastic constitutive model for geomaterials at finite strain and its stress calculation algorithm based on the fully implicit return‐mapping scheme. The Cam‐clay plasticity model is adopted as a specific prototype model of geomaterials. As a pertinent representation of deformation‐induced anisotropy in geomaterials, nonlinear rotational hardening is incorporated into the model in a theoretically reasonable manner by introducing the dual multiplicative decompositions of the deformation gradient tensor. In addition to the usual decomposition into elastic and plastic parts, the plastic part is decomposed further into a part contributing to the rotational hardening and a remainder part. The former part leads to a back stress ratio tensor related to the rotational hardening via a hyperelastic‐type hardening rule. The constitutive theory is thereby formulated on proper intermediate configurations entirely in terms of deformation‐like tensorial variables possessing invariance property, without resort to any objective rates of stress or stress‐like variables. Combining the Cam‐clay plasticity with the concept of subloading surface, a class of unconventional plasticity, enables the model to be capable of reproducing complex hardening/softening accompanied by volumetric contractive/dilative responses. Basic characteristics and predictive capability of the proposed model, as well as the accuracy of the developed numerical scheme, are verified through several numerical examples including monotonic and cyclic loadings.


Parental involvement is the level of parents' participation in their child's education and school. The aims of this study to find out parents involvement and students achievement at MTsN 4 Aceh Besar and to discover the influence of parents involvement on students achievement. The writer collected the data from questionnaire and the document of students' score. The data in this study was analyzed through percentage of questionnaire , KKM (Minimum Criteria of Mastery Learning) for students achievement and using pearson's product moment coefficient of colleration SPSS 25. This study involved twenty five students of third grade Junior High School of 4 in Aceh Besar. The writer took the sample by using purposive sampling. The findings in their research show that there are 11 (44%) students have very high parents involvement, 14 (56%) students have high parents involvement and no students are related to low and moderate parents involvement. The result of students' achievement is indicated that all students have high score in English subject at MTsN 4 Aceh Besar. The result of correlation between two variable is 0,662 significant . So that rxy>rtable; 0.662 > 0.396, it means Ha is accepted and Ho is rejected. In another word, there is enough correlation between parents involvement and their achievement. Thus parents involvement and students achievement have a positive correlation.

Keyword :parents involvement, students achievement


Copyright: © 2013 Salerno C, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited Supramolecular assembly into tubular micro and nanostructures has been a field of much interest lately. Lipid-based microtubes are formed by self-assembly which makes the obtention of this type of structures very attractive. The fabrication process is simple and with low costs, hence they are promising micro and nanometric drug delivery systems for industrial scaling up. Molecules such as glycolipids, bola surfactants, phospholipids, and other amphiphiles, particularly molecules with chiral atoms are favoured for self-assembly. Micelles, rods, tubes and various types of related structures, can be obtained according to preparation conditions, mainly concentration, pH and temperature. Microtubes are bilayers packed from molecular association driven by non-covalent interactions such as van der Waals and electrostatic forces as well as hydrogen bonding and stacking through π-π interaction [1,2].


INTRODUCTION: Advances in flowable composites including self-adhesive and bulk fill flowable composite resin have been introduced for time saving and better adaptation. OBJECTIVES: was to compare the microleakage and shear bond strength of Self-adhesive& Bulk fill flowable composite resins. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of forty non carious extracted human molars were selected for this study. For microleakage test, twenty Class V cavities were prepared on labial surface. Teeth were divided into 2 groups (n=10), Group I: was treated with self-adhesive flowable composite, Group II: was treated with one step self-etch adhesive system with bulk fill flowable composite. Microleakage scores were evaluated on the occlusal and cervical walls and data was analyzed statistically. For Shear bond strength test, twenty molars were embedded in acrylic resin inside plastic molds; the occlusal portion of each tooth was removed. To standardize the bonding area, cylindrical shaped plastic matrices with 4mm internal diameter and 3mm height were used. Specimens were divided into 2 groups (n=10), Group I: was treated with selfadhesive flowable composite, Group II: was treated with one step self-etch adhesive system with bulk fill flowable composite. Shear bond strength was measured using universal testing machine. RESULTS:The cervical margins showed a non-significant higher mean of microleakage scores than the occlusal margins in the two studied restorative materials. Filtek flowable bulk fill composite showed significantly higher mean of microleakage scores than Vertise flow at both the cervical and occlusal margins. Filtek flowable bulk fill composite showed a significantly higher mean of shear bond strength than Vertise flow. CONCLUSIONS: All of the restorative materials used were unable to prevent microleakage. Filtek flowable bulk fill composite showed more microleakage but higher shear bond strength than Vertise flow


Since 1994 with democratization the national and its underpinning provincial spatial systems in South Africa were subjected to intensive transformation processes and impacts resulting from a changing policy, legislative and planning instrument frameworks. These influences and impacts resulted in important planning and development consequences for strategic transportation, spatial planning and development within all spheres of government. The South African National Spatial System (NSS) consists of nine (9) Provincial Spatial Systems (PSS). These PSS anchor and optimize transportation and spatial planning and development. Due to historic and locational factors, the study area (Gauteng PSS) fulfills a primary role in the growth and development of the national economy (NSS) and its development. The paper is an endeavour to assess the evolution of provincial planning instruments qualitatively to support sustainable development and to link need and potential in terms of national and provincial plans and to reconcile the transformation process in local context.


In recent times, trilayer graphene has attracted wide attention owing to its stacking and electric-field-dependent electronic properties. However, a direct and well-resolved experimental visualization of its band structure has not yet been reported. In this paper, we present angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy data which show with high resolution the electronic band structure of trilayer graphene obtained on alpha-SiC(0001) and beta-SiC(111) via hydrogen intercalation. Electronic bands obtained from tight-binding calculations are fitted to the experimental data to extract the interatomic hopping parameters for Bernal and rhombohedral stacked trilayers. Low-energy electron microscopy measurements demonstrate that the trilayer domains extend over areas of tens of square micrometers, suggesting the feasibility of exploiting this material in electronic and photonic devices. Furthermore, our results suggest that, on SiC substrates, the occurrence of a rhombohedral stacked trilayer is significantly higher than in natural bulk graphite. (Less)


WE cannot lay down the pen as editor of this JOURNAL, without offering to the members of the British MedicalAssociation our thanks for the invariable support which we have received from them in our efforts to maintain the high standing of our calling, as well as to widen the influence of theAssociation byimproving the condition of its JOURNAL. Thanks to their support and generous sympathy, we may venture to congratulate the Association that we have been enabled not only to hold our own in the struggle of journalism, but to have conquered for our JOURNAL


This paper looks at higher education problems in Algeria and the necessity of introducing 'academic advising' as a pre-step of the human-capital approach to solve the issue of quality. In the aftermaths of 'the bloody decade', Algeria lost the pillars of its tertiary education. To compensate, the government relied on mass access to universities which has in its turn resulted in low quality. This work seeks to check the usability of the human capital approach in solving the quality problem in Algerian universities. Because education could offer both monetary and non-monetary profits, it is considered lucrative to invest in developing human skills and competences which constitute the capital that guarantees earning a living. This research, thus, proposes 'academic advising' as a first step on the short term. The current paper presents a descriptive analysis of 50 questionnaires answered by middle and high school teachers and headmasters, university students and professors and guidance counselors. The results of this qualitative study show how 'academic advising' when extended up to the university level can harness the learner's capital.


A crystalline form of the Sodium Salt of pravastatin, which is known by the chemical name 1-naphthaleneheptanoic acid, 1,2,6,7,8,8a-hexahydro-3, 6,6-trihydroxy-2-methyl-8(2-methyl-1-oxobutoxy)-, mono Sodium salt, which is useful as a pharmaceutical Substance. A method for its preparation and isolation, a pharmaceutical formulation containing the Sodium Salt of pravastatin in the crystalline form and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, and the pharmaceutical method of treatment are also disclosed.


This paper examines the process of change and concentration within the private-sector housebuilding industry over the past 15 years, and assesses the implications for the production of new housing in terms of standard house types. Changes in the housebuilding industry are analysed utilising secondary data, based upon annual dwelling completions, focusing upon firms producing in excess of 1000 dwelling units per annum. Problems associated both with the adequate classification of firms and of constructing typologies are commented upon. It is concluded that the process of concentration observed in the 1970s has continued at an accelerating pace, and that the housebuilding industry is now dominated by large firms which have a predominantly specialised character to an extent not hitherto observed in post-war Britain. The implications for one aspect of standardisationin production-the utilisation of standard house types-are assessed by means of a national questionnaire of housebuilding firms. Analysis based upo...


Studies of large groups of automobile exterior sound level tests were conducted with gross wind speed and direction at the test site as distinct parameters. The effects of wind on test data are slight but not negligible, and certainly not quantifiable. The range of variability of test data is found to be sensitive to wind direction, but not to wind speed (up to 12 mph).


This paper studies the sloshing suppression problem in point-to-point liquid container transfer via a Prismatic–Prismatic–Revolute robot. A multi-mass–spring model is introduced for the characterization of the most prominent liquid-sloshing modes. The control inputs are two forces and a torque applied to the prismatic joints and the revolute joint, respectively. The control objective is to control the robot end-effector movement while suppressing the sloshing modes. A nonlinear mathematical model that reflects all of these specifications is first derived. Then, a Lyapunov-based nonlinear feedback controller is designed to achieve the control objective. Finally, a simulation example is included to demonstrate the effectiveness of the controller.


A high-performance broadband polarization-independent directional coupler is designed by using asymmetric-waveguides configuration on a silicon-on-insulator platform. Through the design of cascaded directional couplers, the coupling characteristics of the light with the orthogonally polarized transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) can be manipulated, so that the coupling strength could be equivalent between TE and TM polarizations within an ultra-broadband. Couplers with 50% splitting ratio are designed and simulated for operating in the wavelength range from 1450 nm to 1650 nm for both polarizations. Within the 100 nm wavelength range from 1500 nm to 1600 nm, the deviations of splitting ratio for TE polarization and TM polarization are <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\pm$</tex-math></inline-formula>3.3% and <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\pm$</tex-math></inline-formula>6.2%, respectively. And within the 200 nm wavelength range from 1450 nm to 1650 nm, the deviations for TE polarization and TM polarization are <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\pm$</tex-math></inline-formula>9.0% and <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\pm$</tex-math></inline-formula>7.8%, respectively. The footprint of this polarization-independent directional coupler is only 21 <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu$</tex-math></inline-formula>m × 1.6 <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu$</tex-math></inline-formula>m.


A defibrillator patient connection system is disclosed for automatically identifying to a defibrillator system the type of pads or paddles assembly connected to the system for conveying electrical energy to shock a pa tient. Each of the available pads or paddles assemblies is identified by a corresponding analog voltage level pro vided to the base unit through a corresponding cable assembly. The identification voltage is sensed by an A/D converter in the defibrillator base unit. The identi fication voltage is provided to the base unit on a charge done signal line which otherwise is asserted by the base unit to controllably actuate a charge-done indicator light in an external paddles assembly. The disclosed methods and apparatus thus maintain a simple defibril lator/cable assembly interface and require no additional signal lines for implementing automatic identification. A plug assembly latch mechanism also is disclosed that provides the dual functions of locking a plug assembly in place in the defibrillator base unit and preventing actuation of discharge buttons on the plug assembly when the latch is not in the locked position, thereby avoiding a high energy discharge unless the plug assem bly is securely locked in position.


The purpose of this research is to measure people's purchasing power in the use of electrical energy with household involvement and economy. The research method using clusters and using a questionnaire as a medium to collect information, the sample used is 100 households. The results of the study show that only purchasing power in the price is significant in the household economy, prices and income are significant in the involvement, significant involvement in the household economy. Indirectly only prices and income in purchasing power are significant to the household economy through the involvement of management and use of electrical energy.


The effect of light and temperature on the growth of Microcystis ichthyoblabe and Anabaena aphanizomenoides, isolated from the subtropical Oued Mellah lake, Morocco (33°30′N–07°20′W), were investigated in batch culture. Growth rates at 66 light–temperature combinations were determined and fitted with different mathematical models. The results show that the two Cyanobacteria grow at all light intensities and temperatures, except at 10 °C for A. aphanizomenoides, where the growth was strongly limited. The μmax of M. ichthyoblabe increased with temperature from 0.56 d−1 at 10 °C to 1.32 d−1 at 35 °C. At all tested temperatures, a relative photoinhibition within the studied range of irradiance was observed and the photosensitivity was thermodependent. For Anabaena, the obtained μmax ranged between 0.07 d−1 at 10 °C and 1.46 d−1 at 35 °C, and a weak photoinhibition was observed at 15 °C. The positive correlation between μmax and Iopt (r2≥0.93) indicates a close interaction between light and temperature on the cyanobacteria growth. The results obtained in this work suggest that the growth of these two species is possible under low light and low temperature.


Introduction: Constitutively active androgen receptor splice variant 7 (AR-V7) correlates with the adaptation to androgen receptor signaling inhibition treatment in prostate cancer (PCa) patients. Despite intensive studies of AR-V7, it is still unclear how the distinct genomic and epigenomic characteristics of AR-V7-dependent cistrome and transcriptome are distinct from full-length AR (AR-FL) and whether AR-V7 may play a role in promoting the metastatic progression of castration-resistant PCa (CRPC). Experiments: To accurately compare the activity of AR-V7 with AR-FL, we generated lentiviral stable cell lines with inducible overexpression of AR-V7 or AR-FL using AR-V7 negative LNCaP and C4-2 cell lines. We assessed the in vivo impact of AR-V7 or AR-FL expression on PCa metastasis by injecting cells in zebrafish embryos and the tibias of castrated male mice. ChIP-seq analyses of AR-V7, AR-FL, FOXA1, and H3K27ac, ATAC-seq analysis, and RNA-seq analysis were conducted in to characterize the global cistrome and transcriptome activity of AR-V7 in comparison with AR-FL. In addition, we also examined how a posttranslational modification, Ser81 phosphorylation, affects AR-V7 activity by generating an S81A mutant of AR-V7 and using S81-phosphorylation inhibitors. Results: Our in vivo study revealed that overexpressed-AR-V7, but not AR-FL, strongly promotes tumor cell invasion into blood vessels and induces osteoblastic bone lesions. Through integrated ChIP-, ATAC- and RNA-seq analysis, we determined that AR-V7 has a "pioneer factor-like" ability to bind to androgen-responsive elements (AREs) located at compact chromatin regions and activates the enhancers by increasing the chromatin accessibility. This mechanism leads to a unique AR-V7-regulated transcriptional program that is completely independent of AR-FL activity and is highly enriched for genes mediating epithelial-mesenchymal transition and metastatic functions. We then identified a subset of AR-V7-specific targets with significant overexpression in CRPC tumor samples and associated with poor clinical outcomes. In particular, we found that SOX9, a critical metastasis driver gene, was a direct target and downstream effector of AR-V7, and its protein expression was dramatically upregulated at AR-V7-induced bone lesions. Furthermore, we found that the pro-metastasis function of AR-V7 can be enhanced by Ser81 phosphorylation through chromatin-binding-independent mechanisms, and that targeting this phosphorylation by CDK9 inhibitors can block AR-V7-induced SOX9 expression and impair AR-V7-mediated metastasis function. Conclusion: Our study provides novel molecular insights into the role of AR splice variants in driving the metastatic progression of CRPC. In specific, these data have demonstrated the distinctive transcriptional program of AR-V7 from AR-FL, identified critical AR-V7 targets, and determined the function of Ser81 phosphorylation on AR-V7. Our data also suggest a new therapeutic strategy to target AR-V7-induced metastasis cascade in CRPC by using CDK9 inhibitor treatment.
 Citation Format: Maryam Labaf, Dong Han, Yawei Zhao, Jude Owiredu, Songqi Zhang, Kavita Venkataramani, Jocelyn S. Steinfeld, Wanting Han, Muqing Li, Mingyu Liu, Zifeng Wang, Anna Besschetnova, Susan C. Patalano-Salsman, Jill A. Macoska, Xin Yuan, Steven P. Balk, Stephen R. Plymate, Shuai Gao, Kellee R. Siegfried-Harris, Ruihua Liu, Gabrielle Foxa, Mary M. Stangis, Piotr J. Czernik, Bart Williams, Kourosh Zarringhalam, Xiaohong Li, Changmeng Cai. Distinct activity of androgen receptor splice variants in promoting prostate cancer metastasis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Advances in Prostate Cancer Research; 2023 Mar 15-18; Denver, Colorado. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(11 Suppl):Abstract nr A009.


"This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited." The Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association Volume 55 Number 2 2020 Received November 9, 2018 Revised July 15, 2019 Accepted January 3, 2020 Correspondence to: Myung Seo Kim, M.D. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong, 892 Dongnam-ro, Gangdong-gu, Seoul 05278, Korea TEL: +82-2-440-7497 FAX: +82-2-440-7498 E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2916-0131


Long segments of heart rate variability signals are usually nonstationary and dynamic, thus limiting the length of the signal available for spectral analysis. An algorithm was developed for accurate power spectrum estimation of short R-R segments not exceeding 15-20 beats. The algorithm was tested during an experiment in two dogs, where frequency modulated pulse train was applied to the vagal nerve after vagal transaction and blockade of the sympathetic system by propranolol. The calculated power spectra presented conspicuous spectral peaks in accordance with the different modulating frequencies between 0.1 Hz and 0.3 Hz. The presence of spurious peaks was negligible even when the analyzed signal segments consisted of 15-20 beats only. These results imply that for a certain range of modulating frequencies the sinoatrial node responds linearly to fluctuations in the parasympathetic tone. System identification methods were used for confirming this hypothesis. For higher frequencies of the modulating signal usually above 0.3 Hz the system tends to deviate from linearity.


The atmospheric pressure waves set off by the explosion of October 30, 1961, were traced over a large portion of the world, including the antipodes in the Antarctic, by means of analyses of available ordinary microbarograph records. The observed geographic variations in propagation speed and maximum amplitude are examined with the aid of air density and wind analyses. Comparison is made with the waves resulting from the great Siberian meteor of 1908 and the Krakatoa eruption of 1883.


The digital age has seen a rise in digital hoarding behavior, which is defined as the behavior of accumulating digital files, resulting in stress and disorder. However, little is known about the causes and psychological mechanisms of digital hoarding. To address this research gap, this study proposed and empirically tested a moderated mediation model of social networking site (SNS) users' causes of and psychological motivation for digital hoarding behavior using an online questionnaire method. We surveyed a total of 556 SNS users online. The results revealed that social comparison of this sort increased individuals' digital hoarding behaviors and that fear of missing out (FoMO) mediated this effect. In addition, dispositional greed moderated the relationship between this comparison and FoMO as well as the relationship between FoMO and digital hoarding behavior such that these relationships were stronger for SNS users with high dispositional greed. Our research improves our understanding of the operative psychological mechanisms and boundary conditions in the relation between upward comparison via SNSs and digital hoarding behavior.


Although international proclamations increasingly recognize legal sex beyond binary categories, domestic legislation is lagging behind. Germany and the Netherlands are the fi rst countries in Western Europe where courts have ruled in favour of a third option. While the German constitution was amended to guarantee a third option, the Dutch government has refrained from implementing comparable legislation. What explains this difference? This article draws on parliamentary debates, newspapers and statements from activists to follow the trajectory of the third option. Building on literature on intersex rights legislation and the diffusion of LGBT rights norms, we fi nd that an established progressive reputation can lead states like the Netherlands to take a back seat, while mobilization by activists was crucial in establishing the self-determination of legal sex on the German political agenda. Our study contributes to unravelling the complex ways in which new norms shape – or fail to shape – domestic political outcomes.


OBJECTIVE: This study verified the prevalence of excess weight and associated factors in adolescents from private schools in Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 741 adolescents from private schools in Rio Branco, Acre. The following data were collected: sex, age, socioeconomic status, parents' education level, number of people in the household, number of siblings, level of physical activity, and number of hours spent daily watching television and using a computer. Logistic regression was used to investigate possible relationships between excess weight and associated factors. RESULTS: The general prevalence of excess weight was 26.9% (30.0% for males and 24.2% for females). Inactive (OR=2.75) males (OR=1.34) from the upper middle class (OR=2.06) or upper class (OR=2.36) were at highest risk of excess weight. CONCLUSION: Inactive male adolescents belonging to the upper middle and upper classes are at high risk of excess weight in this region of Brazil.


We study the dynamics and predictions of a new emergent-universe model recently derived within Quantum Reduced Loop Gravity and based on the so-called statistical regularization scheme. These effective geometries show a dynamical transition from a stationary spacetime, with nearly constant scale factor at very early times, to a late-time semiclassical phase well approximated by a classical Friedmann-Robertson-Walker spacetime. We show that this is always the case when the matter content is a minimally coupled scalar field subject to a quadratic potential, including the massless case. Besides, a finite period of (nearly) exponential expansion in the semiclassical region can take place. Hence, we incorporate cosmological scalar and tensor perturbations, with a well-defined dynamics, and compute their power spectra at the end of inflation. We show that they are nearly scale invariant up to some scale where scale invariance is broken. Besides, they show qualitative differences with respect to the bouncing scenario of Loop Quantum Cosmology at scales where the scale invariance is broken. Nevertheless, the tensor-to-scalar ratio remains approximately constant even for modes well affected by the background evolution.


The necessity,feasibility and development course about carrying out monitoring automation for the concrete dam of Danjiangkou first-phase project are discussed;the configuration and operational condition of the automonitoring system is prospected.


The study aimed at examining management information systems (MIS) in health care administration at the Sunyani West District. The main health facilities studied were Nsuatre Health Center, Chiraa Health Center and the Kwatire Polyclinic. A mixed method research design was used for this study. Participants from the chosen health facilities were selected using the stratified sampling technique for staff and purposive sampling for the management. The main instruments for data collection included in-depth interviews for management and questionnaire for staff. Data collected were analyzed with the use of correlation analysis, descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. The study established a strong positive correlation between factors influencing the adoption of MIS which are leadership, usability, organisational structural change, training and technical support and technology. It was also established that health facilities in the Sunyani district used the MIS applications for internal communications, sending and receiving email messages for official work, monitoring computers and tracking devices for staff registration, and for maintenance of staff attendance. The study also exposed some challenges such as persistent power outages, network problems and limited computer skills by the users. Remedial measures adopted include back-up power system or standby generators and system upgrade. The study recommends that management puts in place incident reporting and response mechanisms, to ensure continuous monitoring and evaluation of the system in order to ensure all users adhere to set standards. 1.0 Introduction Advancements in technology have resulted in rapid changes in modern management in both public and private institutions. Administrative activities in times past used to be mostly paper–based. The changes have been necessitated by advancement in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). The complexity of technological changes has led to far-reaching developments in managerial systems, especially on management tasks at individual and institutional levels [1]. Administration is a process of systematically arranging and coordinating the human and material resources available to any organisation for the main purpose of achieving stipulated goals of that organisation. Administration occurs in every organisation whether it is done manually or electronically. The basic aim of administration is the need to get things done for defined objectives to be accomplished. It is principally responsible for the execution or implementation of plans, programmes and policies. Administration, also involves such elements as planning, organising, programming, staffing, budgeting, coordinating, reporting and evaluating [2]. Hospital administration covers a large number of activities including planning of the hospital system as a whole, regulation for the operation of the hospital, and daily running of the hospital by administrative staff concerned with personnel, finance accounts and technical services. Management Information System (MIS) is basically concerned with the process of collecting, processing, storing and transmitting relevant information to support management operations in any organisation [3]. MIS is any system that provides information for management activities carried out within an organisation. The information is selected and presented in a form suitable for managerial decision making and for the planning and monitoring of the organisation's activities. MIS is one of the most important tools in any organisation in recent times, which aims to provide reliable, complete, accessible, and understandable information in a timely manner to the users of the system [4]. Automation can save time, money, resources, reduce employee's staff, and enhance organisational GSJ: Volume 8, Issue 10, October 2020 ISSN 2320-9186 489 GSJ© 2020 www.globalscientificjournal.com workflow. In addition, it assists in increasing organisational productivity, effectiveness, increase customer satisfaction, and efficiency of the work. Countries, notwithstanding their different political ideologies or leadership, wealth or health-insurance systems, face similar challenges in their bid to integrate eHealth with the general health administrative set-up. These include but not limited to "funding, government/private sector co-operation, stakeholder engagement or integration of local perspectives, workable approaches to interoperability, documented best practices, affordable open-source options as well as privacy and security issues [5]. The meager uptake of technology in the health sector could be attributable to lack of a Health Management Information System (HMIS) Strategic Plan, Policy and Legal framework for health data reporting. 2.0 Problem Statement For the past few years, MIS has become an integral part of the core activities in the health centers in the Sunyani West District in the Bono Region. This has been as a result of management decision to adopt and utilize ICT in the administrative activities of the hospitals. To reduce the manual workload of the administrative activities, hospitals began to electronically automate many of these processes. Since the introduction of the system, technical and interpersonal activities are expected to be effectively managed to achieve the desired objectives of the hospital. The system requires various departments such as human resource, finance, operations and others to carry out their activities within the system. Typically, the system mandates workers to clock in before and after work to check the movement of all staff. The system provides reminders to management and staff on all activities to be performed and other notices. MIS has been shown to have notable benefits for most organizations including cost saving capabilities. However, when implemented in practice MIS systems consistently fail to produce desired results. The World Health Organization (2006) identified a number of obstacles that impede the smooth adaptation and implementation of electronic health records in most developing countries. Among the many obstacles are available technology, technical support and the cost of changing to an electronic system coupled with insufficient healthcare funding. In many developing countries, costs, available technology, lack of technical expertise and computer skills of staff, and lack of data processing facilities are very common obstacles [6]. It is equally imperative that implementing a new technology (such as MIS), especially in complex work environments such as in the health sector requires a careful thought out plan and strategy to address the challenges. Additionally, the factors that inhibit the smooth implementation of MIS in different healthcare settings in the sub-region have not been widely studied despite the the essential role it plays. An important aspect of using information systems is user satisfaction. It is often suggested as an indicator of IS success. Many IS empirical researchers have regarded user satisfaction as important determinant of MIS success [7]. Although satisfaction will indeed lead to system use, elements of satisfaction that promote system use need to be considered in order to prove that a relationship exists between satisfaction and technology use [8]. Satisfaction with the system can be assessed though an understanding of how the technology meets end-user expectations, facilitates the ability of the end-user to meet goals, and provides high quality supports [9]. It is further argued that in administration and management, the ability of the system to facilitate the use of staff competencies is also essential for achieving satisfaction [10]. If the system can meet these requirements, the end user should express considerable satisfaction with the system, prompting its use and integration into the workplace [8]. Given these issues, the current investigation sought to examine MIS in health centres at the Sunyani West district of Ghana following its implementation in recent times. 2.0 Purpose Of The Study 1. Examine factors influencing the adoption of MIS in the administration of Health Centers in the Sunyani West District. 2. Examine the benefits associated with the utilization of MIS in the management of Health Centers in the Sunyani West District. 3. Identify challenges management and staff face in using MIS in the health administration in the Sunyani West District. 4. Examine efforts being made to address the identified challenges in Sunyani West District. 4.0 Research Questions 1. What factors influence the adoption of MIS in the administration of Health Centers in the Sunyani West District? 2. What benefits are associated with the utilization of MIS in the management of Health Centers in the Sunyani West District? 3. What challenges do management and staff face in using MIS in health administration in the Sunyani West District? 4. What efforts are being made to address the identified challenges in Sunyani West District? 5.0 Literature Review Management information system is kind of organizational information computer systems, that take internal information from operating processing system and summaries them to meaningful and useful forms as management reports to use in performing management duties [11][12][13]. A Management Information System is an information system that evaluates, analyzes, and GSJ: Volume 8, Issue 10, October 2020 ISSN 2320-9186 490 GSJ© 2020 www.globalscientificjournal.com processes an organization's data to produce meaningful and useful information based on which the management can take right decisions to ensure future growth of the organization [14][15][16]. The benefits of MIS include to provide a comprehensive array of information through a single database; to enable organizations have structural connectivity between centers and activities to accelerate information transactions; to increase competitiveness by improving operational and administ


At Creare, we are developing a laser-assisted, pre-finishing system that enables the single-point diamond turning of super-hard ceramics into hemispheres, ogives, and other shapes that are ready for final optical finishing. Currently, super-hard ceramic materials cannot be affordably processed due to the low material removal rates and the high amount of sub-surface damage associated with current processes. Our innovation uses a low-power, far-infrared laser to heat, but not ablate, a thin layer of material prior to its removal. By heating the ceramic material, plastic-like deformation at the cutting edge is fostered by high-temperature dislocation motion. In doing so, the cutting forces are reduced which enables attendant reductions in tool wear, surface and sub-surface damage, and processing time. Our paper will summarize the development of our innovation, describe the process, discuss the machine tool, and review the latest results.


This article is a single case analysis of trouble talk taking place between teachers and care workers at a Swedish special residential home for boys and young men (aged 12–20). The topic of the talk is a potentially unwarranted solitary detention of a student. Using sequential- and Membership Categorisation analyses, we examine the participants' methods for talking about the event as institutionally problematic while avoiding to blame the teacher responsible for the disciplinary action. Specifically, we demonstrate how the grounds for the confinement were initially disputed by the care workers and how an extended negotiation with the teachers eventually lead to a jointly acceptable account of the event. This involved recasting the event as a real-life experience that should afford the student important opportunities for socialisation into the social and institutional orders which inform daily life at the residential home. More generally, the analysis demonstrates how presumed knowledge of social and institutional structures and practices is mobilised and negotiated – through 'categorial ordering work' (Hester & Eglin, 1997) – in the service of coming to terms with the complex accountability arrangements of the special residential home.


The present work reflects some knowledge areas about the dance and literature artistic languages to sensitize children and teenagers that live in a risky situation. These students are from peripheral public schools in Viçosa MG and they participate in social projects. Key-words: dance, literature, teaching/learning process


Abstract This study is an interpretive ethnography based on participant observation over a two‐year period of time as members of one academic institution responded to a Board of Trustees' mandate to revise the system of governance. Two communication codes were identified in faculty and administration subcultures of this institution. The code of "collegiality,"; used by members of the faculty subculture, valued "talking things through,"; because this channel of communication best affirmed the individual self and facilitated personal and egalitarian relations among organizational members. The code of "professional management,"; used by members of the administration subculture, privileged "putting it in writing,"; because written codification best insured the rights and responsibilities of organizational members.


This paper discusses identification schemes for the online auto-tuning of three-term controllers using multiharmonic perturbations. The emphasis in the schemes discussed lies in developing computationally economical algorithms suitable for implementation in controllers with modest processing power. In this paper an established method is used to develop new algorithms with reduced computational cost and gives an example of identifying the -180 degree point used in classical tuning rules such as Ziegler-Nichols. An example is demonstrated in the context of the -135 degree point used in the Kessler-Landau-Voda tuning method.


The paper introduced the basis and the principle of borehole structure design,the deepest borehole structure of core drilling in China and the deep borehole structure suggested by the experts according to the new core drilling rules.Hereby,the design of borehole structure for deep drilling in Xiaoqinling region was put forward;the initial diameter should be enlarged to provide enough space for casing to isolate deep complex formations.


Briteback Explore is a service provided by the company Briteback. The service provides a survey tool to its users that allows access to results through the downloading of a comma-separated values ( ...


The worldwide diffused bubble snails, Haminoeidae, although characterized by an extreme morphological homogeneity, display the most diverse radiation inside the order Cephalaspidea. This hidden diversity within the family Haminoeidae was recently unraveled by molecular studies, which helped to understand the evolutionary history of this group by clarifying some aspects of its systematics. In fact, the type genus Haminoea W. Turton and Kingston (1830) was proved to be polyphyletic and, consequently, the genus Haminoea sensu stricto was restricted to the Mediterranean, Atlantic and East Pacific species, with the Mediterranean Haminoea hydatis Linnaeus (1758) as the type taxon. However, at the specie rank, many aspects need to be clarified, especially concerning the Mediterranean fauna. Due to low reliability of macro-morphological characters, the minimal quantity of molecular data currently available on Mediterranean specimen adds to the lack of molecular comparison in most reports. Based on such considerations, Haminoea species from an interesting Mediterranean study area, Faro Lake, a Sicilian coastal lake that is considered a hot spot for both alien and endemic marine Heterobranchia, have been studied using an integrative taxonomic approach. Eleven Mediterranean specimens belonging to four Haminoea bubble snails have been collected, identified and compared with samples from other localities, integrating ecological, morphological, anatomical (reproductive apparatus) and molecular data. Based on molecular investigations carried out on three different molecular markers (H3, 16S and COI), the morphological identifications of the species collected in the Faro Lake have been confirmed, and 37 new sequences are provided for future comparisons. Furthermore, results from this integrative systematic study shed light on the phylogenetic relationships occurring in this group of bubble snails that could be useful in identifying valid diagnostic morphological characters. Haminoea hydatis and H. navicula were confirmed to be close to each other, with H. orteai as sister to them and with H. orbignyana as the basal taxon. Given external morphological features are unreliable with species identification in Haminoea genus open questions on the geographical distribution of the species and on their ranges of intraspecific variability have yet to be addressed and further in-depth studies are needed. Finally, the presence of three sympatric Haminoea species, two of which are considered native or long-time naturalized, along with other occasional congeneric species, and the absence of the introduced invasive Haloa japonica, reflects both the resilience and stochastic space-temporal dynamics of Faro Lake. This confirms it as an inexhaustible source of case-studies.


Abstract The objective of this paper is to investigate the successes and challenges of participatory planning of three urban improvement projects. The paper uses a case study approach with mixed methods of interviews and documents to investigate how women were included and whether the strategies used succeeded in overcoming gender inequalities in the preparation of the master plans and action plans, thus achieving benefits for both men and women in the camps. The results indicate that using of mixed gender inclusion strategies support gender equity, but significant changes cannot take place depending on context. Such projects should focus on the sustainability of the change even if incremental.


Summary The present study describes a bioassay system for evalulating the activity of thymic humoral factor. The X-irradiation depressed weight and hexose monophosphate shunt enzyme activity of rat thymus, spleen, and lymph nodes were partially restored by thymus extract, but not by spleen extract injections. The influence of dietary vitamin C on the maintenance or production of thymic humoral factor was also investigated. Thymus extracts prepared from guinea pigs maintained on high levels of vitamin C accelerated the regeneration of lymphatic tissue weight and restored hexose monophosphate shunt enzyme activity, whereas further loss of tissue weight and depressed enzyme activity occurred in the irradiated rats treated with thymus extract prepared from guinea pigs maintained on low levels of vitamin C. The evidence thus suggests that thymic humoral factor production or activity is dependent in part on vitamin C. The concentration of total ascorbic acid in the thymus of hypovitaminotic guinea pigs had decreased 40% below normal and the ratio of oxidized to reduced ascorbic acid had increased 5-fold, indicating the oxidation state of ascorbic acid is particularly important for the maintenance of thymic humoral factor activity.


The article analyzes the trajectories of rural producers in order to point out the elements that bring them closer to the reality of rural entrepreneurship. The article contributes to the perception of rural entrepreneurship as an auxiliary tool in the creation and distribution of wealth as well as to socioeconomic development. The qualitative approach methodology adopted for the study is based on multiple case studies and on semi-structured interviews to generate the data. Three entrepreneurial trajectories were analyzed in two Brazilian states: Minas Gerais and Rio Grande do Sul. The restriction to take risks may demonstrate a less common characteristic among rural entrepreneurs. However, the break with traditional techniques and the innovation in production processes, elaboration and distribution of products stands out in the three cases. Finally, it is possible to identify the approximation of trajectories to the notion of entrepreneurship as a process that benefits from opportunities.


This chapter reviews the epidemiology, disease associations, molecular biology, and pathogenic mechanisms of human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV) types I and II. Association of HTLV-I with two distinct disease processes, a malignancy and a chronic neurologic disorder, spurred worldwide surveys for prevalence of HTLV-I and associated diseases. Transmission of HTLV-I seems to require prolonged, close contact between individuals. Transfer of infected T cells is likely required. The three major reported routes of HTLV-I transmission include sexual intercourse, blood product transmission, and mother-to-child transfer. The most commonly used screening test for HTLV-I/HTLV-II is an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) which uses a viral lysate-based antigen derived from HTLV-I infection of human T cells. Unlike human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which has significant genetic differences between isolates, the various HTLV-I strains show a high degree of genetic conservation. There are two major hypotheses for pathogenesis in HTLV-I associated myelopathy (HAM)/tropical spastic paresis (TSP). The first hypothesis is that HTLV-I infects glial cells in the CNS and subsequently induces a cytotoxic immune response against these cells, leading to demyelination. The second hypothesis is that HTLV-I infection activates autoreactive T cells which then cause autoimmune destruction within the CNS (and perhaps in other areas). The molecular biology of HTLV-II is strikingly similar to that of HTLV-I. HTLV-I infection, however, has been linked to several disorders, especially adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) and HAM/TSP. HTLV-I and HTLVII have a similar genetic organization and regulation and share several unique transregulatory proteins.


Review of: "Storia e futuro. Rivista di storia e storiografia".
A new Italian on-line history journal is born. The idea of "Storia e futuro. Rivista di storia e storiografia", the new product born from the collaboration of well-known professors and experts of the field as Maurizio Degli Innocenti, Franco Della Peruta and Angelo Varni, is that one of putting itself midway between traditional historiograhic elaboration and a new morphology of intervention in the context of historical research that takes into due account the spread of new media, starting up "an historical journal tendentially thought for the specific needs of the web, but that refers to the usual purposes of the methodology of historical research".


Introduction Turkey has experienced significant changes in its domestic and international politics since the 'post-Islamist' Justice and Development Party (AdaletveKalkinmaPartisi, hereafter AKP) came to power in late 2002. The AKP government improved relations with several non-Western countries (most notably, with Syria, Iran, and Russia) and downgraded relations with Israel, a close US ally. Turkish economy has also been more 'Easternized' during the AKP rule with the declining share of the European Union in Turkish trade. What explains Turkey's 'Eastern turn' in the first two terms of the AKP rule? Two competing explanations are ideology and economy. Wary of the post-Islamist turn of the AKP leadership, some analysts argued that Turkey's Eastern turn is driven by the AKP's 'hidden' Islamic agenda (see, among others, Pollack 2005, Cagaptay 2009, Cohen 2009, and Rubin 2010). Turkey's improving relations with Eastern countries on the one side and declining relations with Israel on the other led those analysts to the conclusion that Turkey, under the governance of ex-Islamists, is moving away from the West, the political and cultural beacon of the secular founding fathers of Turkey. An alternate group of scholars (particularly Kirisci 2009 and 2011, but also Tsarouhas 2009 and Logan 2009) argued that as a result of changes in Turkey's domestic and international economic relations, Turkey has transformed into a 'trading state'. Consequently, Turkish foreign policy is guided to a greater extent by economic considerations such as trade, export markets, foreign direct investment, and energy security. According to this group of scholars, Turkey's improving relations with the non-Western world is driven more by a sensible economic rationale than by ideological orientation. No systematic empirical test of these arguments has been made so far. In this article, we aim to fill this gap and make a quantitative test of hypotheses driven from these two competing arguments using state visits of Turkish Prime Minister Recep T. Erdogan to foreign countries between 2003 and 2010. We first provide a brief history of Turkey's relations with the West. Then, we outline some of the major changes in Turkish foreign relations in the first two terms of the AKP rule (20022011) and the two competing explanations regarding these changes. Next, using Poisson regression models, we analyze Prime Minister Recep T. Erdogan's state visits to non-Western countries to see whether there is any particular trend away from pro-Western countries, which we fail to find. We conclude with an elaboration on the implications of our findings. Turkey and the West As a combined effect of their detestation of the Ottoman past, their contempt for the 'treacherous' Arab, and their admiration of the 'civilized' West, the founders of the Turkish Republic were staunchly pro-Western. They viewed the adoption of Western institutions and maintenance of cordial relations with the West as necessary instruments of securing Turkey's place among "civilized nations." Although the anti-imperial sentiments that were strong among the founders kept some distance between Turkey and the West in the early years of the Republic, the rise of the Soviet threat in the aftermath of the World War II led Turkey to solidify its military and economic ties with the Western world. Since then, Turkey has participated in almost every major Western political, economic, and military organization. Turkish inclusion in the Western bloc during the Cold War helped Turkey maintain its territorial integrity. It also moved the Republic further in the direction of the "Westernization" ideal of its founding fathers. However, on the negative side, Cold War politics required Turkey to follow a passive and dependent policy. As it became obvious during the Cuban Missile Crisis, Turkey's inclusion in the superpower rivalry turned Turkey into a "subject of negotiations," (Criss 1997: 101). …


Digital Video Broadcasting-Handheld (DVB-H) allows the efficient transmission of rich multimedia services to small, handheld terminals. Such portable terminals pose specific requirements on the transmission technology, such as the need for seamless cell handover. This paper first presents mechanisms which allow loss-free hard handovers with DVB-H using only a single receiver front-end. It is then shown how even 3G-like soft handovers are possible with DVB-H, still using only a single receiver front-end. The proposed schemes are evaluated using simulations and field measurements.


To clarify the research positioning and teachers' motivation to do research and to solve the contradiction between them is critical to conduct effective research management and enhance the research quality level.Higher vocational colleges should set a proper positioning on research goal,direction,content and strategies.In the meanwhile,colleges should give teachers correct guidance on their motivation while integrating their actual demand.With more funding and integrated management system,comprehensive service is provided to enhance the efficiency of overall research management.


Objective:To study the mechanism of Tiaogan Daozhou(TGDZ)therapy in treating atherosclerosis.Methods:Peritoneal macrophage of mice were cultured in different culture media(with high lipid serum or/and different Chinese herbal medicines).Content of nitric oxide(NO),nitric oxide synthase(NOS),oxidative modified low density lipid(OX-LDL)in culture were determined.Results: TGDZ could markedly increase the content of NO and NOS in culture and inhibit the production of OX-LDL.Conclusion:TGDZ could arrest the occurrence and development of atherosclerosis by way of regulating NO,NOS and OX-LDL.


A 30 GHz hybrid-type optically injection-locked self-oscillating optoelectronic mixer is implemented with a high-performance InP/InGaAs heterojunction photo-transistor. Using this mixer as a harmonic up-converter, 60 GHz radio-on-fiber downlink transmission of 20 Mbps 16QAM data is successfully demonstrated. The link performance is uniform over a wide range of optical LO powers.


The invention discloses a cooling and setting device for producing stone paper wallpaper base material. The cooling and setting device consists of a vacuum setting device and two cooling devices, wherein the two cooling devices are two closed annular water or oil jackets; the vacuum setting device is an annular closed chamber; the two closed annular water or oil jackets are respectively connected with two ends of the annular closed chamber to form an overall structure; the annular water or oil jackets are provided with multiple water/oil inlets or water/oil outlets which are uniformly distributed; a joint connected with a vacuum machine is formed in the annular closed chamber; and small holes or linear grooves which are regularly distributed are formed in an inner side wall of the annular closed chamber and are communicated with the annular closed chamber. According to the device, high-temperature parisons extruded from a film blowing machine head have fixed geometrical shapes and sizes, and the stone paper wallpaper base material which accords with related size and quality standard is obtained. The defect that the base material is large in width fluctuation during air cooling of a traditional blowing process is overcome, the absolute accuracy of the size of the stone paper wallpaper base material is guaranteed, the smoothness is greatly improved, and the quality and yield of the product are improved.


A discrete fruit fly optimization algorithm (DFOA) is proposed in this paper to solve the flow shop scheduling problem with intermingling equal sublots (FSP-IES). Two main search procedures are designed in the DFOA to well balance the exploitation and exploration abilities, i.e., the neighborhood-based search and the global cooperation-based search. To handle the intermingling characteristic of the problem, two types of neighborhood structures and a self-adaptive selecting mechanism are presented for generating new solutions. To analyze the effect of parameter setting on the DFOA, investigation based on the design of experiment is carried out. Finally, computational results and comparisons demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed DFOA.


The adjoint equations of the nonlinear shallow water conservative equations are set up,and the formulas for adjusting the open boundary conditions of unstructured triangular meshes are presented, based on the idea of the Godunov scheme and the Roe's scheme.The adjoint model used to invert the open boundary is founded based on the unstructured triangular meshes and finite volume method.The adjoint model is used to inverse the open boundary conditions of the generalized tidal bore estuary and the Qiantangjiang tidal bore estuary through some iterations.The average errors of amplitude along the open boundary are 0.000 6 m and 0.053 3 m respectively.The results indicate that the adjoint model is viable and adaptable to the discontinuous solutions.


Distributed optimization allows a separate set of data owners to collaboratively optimize a learning model, wherein information exchange between agents is usually explicit, and hence it is easy to cause the leakage of sensitive information. In order to address the critical issue of data privacy, a distributed online optimization algorithm with privacy protection is proposed in this paper. With the weight between two connected agents being decomposed into weight pairs, the homomorphic encryption mechanism (Paillier Cryptosystem) and the online distributed dual averaging algorithm are combined to propose an online distributed dual averaging privacy-protection algorithm. We prove that the sublinear regret bound and privacy protection can be guaranteed for the strongly connected undirected network. Finally, theoretical analysis and numerical simulations show that the adversaries can not steal the sensitive information of neighboring agents when collecting the multi-step intermediate information, therefore the algorithm can effectively protect the agents' privacy of the network.


Background: Global evidence suggests that transgender persons (TG) are disproportionately affected by HIV and other STIs, and culturally competent prevention and treatment services are often unavailable or inaccessible. Despite recent improvements in national HIV responses for many key populations in East Africa, research evidence to document transgender sexual health needs and inform service development is lacking.

Methods: We recruited adult men and transgender persons who reported reporting sex with men through respondent driven sampling. Gender identity, sociodemographics, sexual behaviour and HIV prevention and care uptake were assessed by self-completed computer-assisted survey. Participants undertook testing for HIV, syphilis and anogenital gonorrhoea and chlamydia. Differences in the prevalence of sexual health outcomes, risk behaviour and service uptake between transfeminine and cisgender participants were assessed using multivariable Poisson regression.

Findings: Among 618 recruits, 86.1% identified as cisgender, 11.5% transfeminine and 0.7% transmasculine. Transfeminine persons were more likely to be HIV positive (41.4 v 24.6%: p =0.001) and report symptoms suggesting a rectal STI. Transfeminine persons reported higher recent male partner counts and were more likely to report recent condomless anal intercourse, receptive anal intercourse, transactional sex with men and experience of sexual assault. Utilisation of existing biomedical prevention was low for all groups despite availability in Kenya.

Interpretation: Transfeminine persons who have sex with men have a higher burden of HIV and associated HIV acquisition behaviours compared to cisgender MSM in the same context, yet uptake of prevention and care services is low. Policies should acknowledge the specific needs of transfeminine persons as distinct from men who have sex with men, and support providers to address these.

Funding Statement: This study was funded through the Evidence for HIV prevention in Southern Africa (EHPSA) programme, funded by UK aid from the Department for International Development, and Sweden, through the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), mandated to represent the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad), and managed by Mott Macdonald.

Declaration of Interests: No author has conflicts of interest to declare.

Ethics Approval Statement: This study was approved by the Kenya Medical Research Institute Scientific and Ethics Review Unit (KERMI/SERU/CGMR-C/CSC 044/3334), the University of Oxford, Oxford Tropical Research Ethics Committee (OxTREC 47-16) and London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Human Research Ethics Committee (REF: 14144). All participants provided separate written informed consent to the questionnaire, sample collection and sample storage, and were able to withdraw from any portion of the study.


This research is based on the problems experienced in learning Indonesian especially in writing deskripsi texts among others as follows: (1). the problem that is often encountered in writing deskripsi text lessons is the lack of variation in the use of learning methods, thus making students less motivated in writing exposition texts. (2). students find it difficult to determine the right diction in expressing an opinion. (3). Lack of facilities and infrastructure supports in the skills of writing deskripsi texts. (4). students are less able to write into a coherent sentence. (5). students are less able to express an opinion of the observed object .. This study aims to (1) know the influence of TSTS learning methods on writing skills texts deskripsi of students of class X SMK Negeri 1 kota Bukittinggi. (2) know pengearuh conventional method of writing skill deskripsi text of students of class X . (3) to know the difference of learning influence using TSTS method and conventional teaching method to writing skill deskripsi text of class X . This is seen in the comparison of tcount with ttable (7.89> 2.021), because tcount is bigger than ttable then Ha (Alternative Hypothesis) is accepted. Thus the result of the improvement between the control class and the experimental class is an increase of 19.12%, it can be said that the learning of Two Stray Two Stay method is better than the conventional learner.


Transnational terrorism is an inherently international phenomenon as it involves attacks where the perpetrators are from a different country than the victims. Accordingly, a growing literature explains patterns in transnational attacks with a focus on international variables, for example, the presence of a border wall or alliance patterns. Despite the importance of the topic, no common empirical framework with theoretical basis has emerged to analyze the flows of transnational attacks. We propose that recent versions of the structural gravity model of transnational flows, long the workhorse model in trade economics, can be modified to provide a theoretically motivated model of the flows of transnational terrorist attacks among countries. The gravity model provides several empirical advantages for the study of international variables and transnational terrorism, for example, recent specifications allow the researcher to estimate count models that condition out all time-varying country-level confounders with fixed effects. This facilitates sidestepping the typical problem that any international variables associated with transnational flows are often correlated with omitted or imprecisely measured domestic factors, which draws their estimates into question. Moreover, we demonstrate that the structural gravity model does a much better job in predicting outcomes, particularly when multiple attacks flow across borders.


Making comparisons with 1982/1983 strong ENSO event, this paper revealed some characteristics such as rapid onset, the large intensity, and sudden retreat of 1997/1998 warm episode. Furthermore, the features of intra-seasonal oscillation related to the onset of ENSO episode were also discussed.


In the Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide (M-EPDG), prediction of flexible pavement response and performance needs an input of dynamic modulus of hot-mix asphalt (HMA) at all three levels of hierarchical inputs. This study was intended to verify that this input modulus could be achieved in the field construction. Four newly built Superpave pavements of the Kansas Department of Transportation and four Superpave pavement test sections on the Kansas perpetual pavement project on US-75 were selected as test sections in this study. Deflection data on all test sections was collected with a Dynatest 8000 Falling Weight Deflectometer shortly after construction. Normalized deflection data for all new projects and test sections were used to back-calculate asphalt layer moduli using three backcalculation computer programs, EVERCALC, MODCOMP II and MODULUS. Laboratory dynamic modulus tests were conducted on asphalt concrete (AC) cores from four new projects and on laboratory-compacted samples from the US-75 perpetual pavement test sections. Dynamic modulus was also predicted with the Witczak equation, new Witczak model and Hirsch model. The results show that the backcalculated AC moduli from various programs used in the study are generally comparable for all projects and test sections. The backcalculated modulus is highly affected by the FWD test temperature. Laboratory dynamic modulus is comparable for all projects and sections at 40o F but the variation increases as the test temperature increases. The laboratory dynamic modulus is much higher than the backcalculated moduli at 70o F and 25 Hz test frequency. The discrepancy is greater when the dynamic modulus test samples are compacted in the laboratory. The Witczak equation underestimates the dynamic modulus at low temperature and overestimates it at higher temperature. Results from the Hirsch model and new Witczak equation are better. The parameter estimate when the laboratory dynamic modulus is used as a dependent variable and the moduli from other approaches as independent variables is close to 1.0, especially for the AC moduli predicted by various prediction methods. This may indicate that the prediction equations can be used for estimating dynamic modulus of Superpave mixtures.


The maximum incident solar radiation is important for power generation which can be achieved by optimization of solar photovoltaic system tilt angle. In this paper optimum tilt angle is calculated for six sites in India. It was found that the optimum tilt angle is 0° in April, May, June, July and August for six different sites and it is maximum in December. The two new correlation of optimum tilt angle in terms of declination angle is developed which is important for installation of solar photovoltaic system in India.


Purpose: The paper aims to present project No. 2020-1-SK01-KA226-VET094266 BEQUEL and partial results of the benchmarking questionnaire.
Methodology/Approach: The starting point for the project solution was an analysis of the current state of ensuring the quality of e-learning in vocational training and education in the partner countries of the project (Slovakia, Greece, Spain, and Italy) and an overview of laws and regulations valid at the European level and in the world. A benchmarking survey was conducted to determine the level of e-learning quality assurance in these countries compared to good practices in the European Union. The Benchmarking Badge published monthly on the www.bequal.info portal tracks changes over time.
Findings: The average standard for the four involved countries after the pandemic was the level for VET (Vocational Education and Training) providers: (1) strategy and policy for e-learning 71.6%, (2) support for trainers and trainees for e-learning 70.4, (3) infrastructure support for e-learning 74.9%, (4) program/course design and development and approval for e-learning provision 75.8%, and (5) e-learning training program evaluation procedures 67.9%.
Research Limitation/Implication: On the one hand, the project was limited by the measures of the Covid-19 pandemic, during which face-to-face meetings and training were not allowed. Still, on the other hand, the VET providers recognised their weaknesses, strengths, and readiness for complete online education.
Originality/Value of paper: Examples of good practice and video presentations inspire improving the quality of e-learning in VET.


The dependence of the chaotic mixing of fluids on the Reynolds number Re in a partitioned-pipe mixer (PPM), composed of alternately placed horizontal and vertical plates in a rotating cylinder, is studied. By numerical simulations of the velocity field and fluid mixing, tubular transport barriers extending in the axial direction are observed. Some of them expand in their cross-sectional area with increasing R e . We find that the barriers exist within the regions where the flow is locally symmetric, that is, nearly two-dimensional, and that the expansion of the barriers occurs in accordance with the expansion of the regions where the flow is symmetric with increasing R e .


We report on organic polymeric materials designed for electro-optic waveguide device fabrication and a fabrication method for integrated-optical devices We have developed polymers and poling procedures that produce electro-optic tensor elements as large as 38 pm/V at 1.3 μm (98 pm/V at 632 nm).


In this paper, we present the experimental results of a waveguide superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) mixer with an inhomogeneous distributed junction array. The mixer consists of five Nb-AlO/sub x/-Nb SIS junctions with different dimensions distributed on a superconducting microstrip. The critical current density of the fabricated junctions was 3100 A/cm/sup 2/. Detailed measurements of the receiver noise temperature have been made in the frequency range from 190 to 284 GHz at 4.2 K. A double-sideband (DSB) receiver noise temperature of 5 hw/k was obtained in the frequency range from 202 to 284 GHz and the lowest DSB receiver noise temperature of 46 K was obtained at 210 GHz.


The invention concerns the cyclization, by the removal of water, of mixtures of stereoisomers of 8,12-dihydroxy-13,14,15,16-tetranorlabdane in the presence of acidified aluminium oxide. The cyclization reaction gives yields of at least 95 % of mixtures of stereoisomers of 8,12-oxido-13,14,15,16-tetranorlabdane.


To determine if a CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP) occurs in breast cancer, we examined the expression of 54 methylation‐sensitive genes in 12 breast cancer cell lines and non‐neoplastic MCF12A cells by RT‐PCR, using lack of expression as an indirect measure of putative promoter hypermethylation. A subset of 25 genes was selected for further analysis based upon expression in MCF12A cells and differential expression among breast cancer cell lines. Representative genes (n=12) demonstrated 5‐aza responsiveness, supporting the possibility of their epigenetic regulation in breast cancer cells. The majority of breast cancer cell lines, 7/12 (58%), exhibited loss of expression of numerous genes (60–76%), suggesting the existence of an aberrant methylator phenotype. The remaining cell lines lost expression of fewer genes (36–56%), suggesting the existence of a normal methylator phenotype. Five genes previously implicated in tumor progression emerged as highly predictive of the aberrant methylator phenotype ‐ CST6, ESR1, CDH1, SCNN1A, and CEACAM6. Aberrant methylator cell lines exhibited a high rate of loss of these genes (80–100%), while the normal methylators exhibited a much lower level of loss (0–40%). These findings suggest that there is a subset of breast cancer cell lines that express an aberrant methylator phenotype, and that the preferential targets of methylation include genes whose silencing directly contributes to breast carcinogenesis.


Ghare Baire is one such text written by Tagore which has created a furor in the then society not only because it has questioned the western version of nationalism but more because it has exposed the existing patriarchal values that shrouded the Bengali middle class conjugal life. The novel is not simply a story depicting the woes of women. It rather surpasses it and went beyond the patriarchal structure thereby bringing forth the issue of autonomous subjectivity of women, in a paradyme different essentially from its western connotation. The present study tends to view the text from a gendered perspective keeping in mind the multi-cultural aspects that differentiates most of the middle class families of a Bengali society from its western counterpart. Keywordsnationalism, gender, patriarchy, conjugality, subjectivity, multi-cultural. There can be a multiple reading of a text. This becomes more true for a text like Ghare Baire which is fiercely contested over the years, be it, in terms of nationalism or gender. In the recent years, reading strategy has attracted the attention of many scholars all over the world. Controversies relating how to read a text, no wonder has divided the world of literature into different schools starting from textual, contextual to author centric. Though these schools differ largely from one another yet their arguments on reading strategy opened a new horizon in the interpretation of a text. Interpretation, infact, plays a crucial role in the analysis of a text. It is a difficult task since it goes beyond the simple literal meaning of the text and tries to bring out those aspects which perhaps attach a new meaning to the characters involved in it. The broad categories of textual and contextual approaches to interpretation were not enough and so a new Cambridge historian Quentine Skinner's emphasis on authorial intention assumed a special significance. Tenence Ball's work contributed significantly to the theory of interpretation. It denies giving undue importance to the process of the recovery of the authorial intention behind a given text and went further to the point of its reception, the reader's response. The logical argument that the text is not merely an artifact produced by the author but it is also a piece of communication to be received by the reader/ interpreter was strongly upheld in his book. As such for Ball there could be no single method or strategy for the task of interpretation. One could select from a variety of strategies depending upon the nature of the interpretative problem. This suggests that texts have a life of its own which can be interpreted, reinterpreted and the process might have continued years after thereby making the text either more relevant or irrelevant in the contemporary world. It is with this objective, one of Tagore's most controversial political novels was taken for introspection. The present article tries to re-read Tagore's Ghare Baire and attempts to figure out, how the concept of gender has evolved and found new meaning which perhaps seems to depart from its western notion. The novel with an explicit political and gender undertone has sown the concepts of gender firmly rooted into the indigenous soil. With Said's questioning on the entire oriental formulations, followed by post modern emphasis upon cultural differences, Ghare Baire had become even more relevant now in projecting Tagore's view on gender from a different perspective. Rabindranath Tagore never seems to be Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science School of Social Sciences Netaji Subhas Open University 46 NSOU JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES comfortable with his creation, GhareBaire. The novel published in 1916 created furore in the then society thereby giving rise to serious debates and criticisms from almost all quarters of society. Ghare Baire, the Bengali original of The Home and the World was written and serialized in a journal Sabuj Patra. Serialized roughly between Baisakh to Falgun 1322 ie. May 1915 to February 1916 Ghare Baire apparently seems to locate the key social and political themes of Bengal. Here it must be noted that Sabuj Patra has contributed significantly in creating a new trend in the world of Bengali literature. It introduced two specific innovations. The first was the use of more colloquial language (chalitbhasa) instead of the formal sanskritised version (sadhubhasa). Rabindranath had however used such informal languages earlier but the only difference is that he employed it in only personalized forms such as diaries and letters. The second innovation was its pertinent attention to gender, specifically relating to questions of women's choices and desires. This part of innovation makes Sabuj Patra more significant in creating a new gender equation in Bengal and therefore more relevant for our discussion. In fact, most of the stories that Rabindranath wrote for the journal dealt with women as individual subjects. Is it true even for Bimala, the female lead character out of the three in The Home and the World is the question which will be touched upon as we proceed further. Ghare Baire appears to be otherwise a simple story revolving around three main characters. Apart from Bimala, the other two protagonists of the novel were Nikhilesh and Sandip. Nikhilesh, Bimala's husband was an 'enlightened, introspective, upper-caste young zamindar' who wants his wife to enter the modern world by learning the English language and manners through Miss Gilby, a British governess engaged for the purpose. The story would not have gained momentum until and unless Sandip, Nikhilesh's charismatic swadeshi friend appeared before us. Sandip, a fiery nationalist leader represents a new personality of his time. Despite the existing differences in their outlook, vision and values, Sandip received regular financial help from Nikhilesh much against Bimala's wishes. However, Bimala's initial disliking for Sandip underwent a change when she sees him delivering a political speech at a public place. Swayed away by his attractive looks and personality Bimala developed an intimate erotic relationship with Sandip. Sandip, being an ardent advocate of power desires to control everything even a human relationship in a masterful manner. Nikhilesh knowing well the growing relationship between Sandip and Bimala has throughout been very composed yet quite firm in his attitude, strongly hold on to his ideology though his mental conflict tore apart his heart. This novel apparently seems to be a triangular love story, but it soon surpasses it and goes further beyond to show the latent aspects of nationalism, conjugality and patriarchy in the then Bengali society. Before taking up the novel for discussion it is essential for us to know how Tagore has viewed the notion of nationalism in general and then tries to find its reflection in the novel. Whether intentional or not Ghare Baire has questioned the stereotyped mainstream conjugality of the then Bengali society which may be relevant even now. The institutionalized conjugal life may allow couple to stay under the same roof without even knowing each other. The novel in a way tried to construct a new kind of conjugality based on the recognition of equality of men and women. Such a new conjugality was aspired by none other than Nikhilesh in the novel. However, the honest intention behind Nikhilesh's aspiration didn't appeal to Bimala initially who were used to think in a conventional way of the society. "The first two anniversaries of our married life I spent in Calcutta, where I went through my examinations. But from the next year onwards, for seven years without a break, we have celebrated our union among the blossoming water-lilies. Now begins the next octave of my life. It was difficult for me to ignore the fact that the same month of August had come round again this year. Does Bimala remember it, I wonder? —she has given me no reminder. Everything is mute about me". For Bimala conjugal life was premised on a traditional role played by women while carrying out a selfless service to the family. Furthermore, being highly influenced by her mother's chastity Bimala wanted to retain the same legacy in her own domestic life. As such initial years of her marriage went away in worshipping her husband, that too in a much institutionalized form. Infact she wanted to uphold her chastity as the replacement of her beauty which she lacked in the conventional sense. In doing BEYOND A CONJUGAL LIFE; TAGORE'S HOME AND THE WORLD 47 so she was neither true to herself nor to her relationship. So they both perhaps were unable to share and communicate of a life which they aspired for to the other. This gap in understanding of life silently existed despite their physical proximity just like many other Bengali middle class families even now. Again, through Bimala Tagore actually wanted to construct a 'new woman' who will be more lady like ie. educated, sophisticated, holding on to the Victorian values unlike common women who were more "course, vulgar, loud, quarrelsome, devoid of superior moral sense, sexually promiscuous, subjected to brutal physical oppression by males". Her education is required so long she could successfully play the role of an intellectual and emotional companion to her husband. However here it must be noted that the picture of a new woman restricted mainly to the upper class denies the existence of the subaltern lower class women. Further while constructing the new woman Tagore took every care to see that she does not crosses the limited sphere of activity framed essentially for her and if she does she will be penalized both from inside and outside. So does her heroine Bimala at the end of the novel. Viewed essentially from a gendered perspective Ghare Baire has a special significance because of its narrative style. It was designed in an autobiographic forms of the three characters, as if each speaking their own stories, holding the secrets fro


Previous attempts to evaluate the polygraph in a real-life·situation suffered from several defects, The present study attempts to eliminate these defects by meeting six necessary conditions for an acceptable real-life validation of the polygraph. The procedure devised guarantees the objective identification oL"liars," without jeopardizing the real-life appearance of the experimental situation. Fifteen sub jects participated in the experiment; two ofthem actually cheated on a test. All subjects went through .a standard polygraph test using the control questions method. Each subject was evaluated by three polygraphers. One had access to the polygraph charts only, one observed the subject's behavior but not his charts, and a third, who conducted the interrogation, had both kinds of information. The evaluations of all three were. compared with the criterion. The evaluations that were based both on behavior observation and on the physiological charts were superior to those based on either type of information alone. However, the evaluations based on the physiological information alone were not superior to those based on the behavioral information alone, Polygraphic interrogation is a very im portant area of applied psychology, both in terms of the extent of its use and in terms of its social ramifications (Lykken, 1974), However, very few validity studies concern ing the use of the polygraph in real-life sit uations have been done, and the interpre tation of these few studies is highly controversial (Lykken, 1979; Raskin & Pod lesny, 1979). The interrogation method most frequently


Based on the article published with the title of Corneal specular microscopy in infectious and noninfectious uveitis(1), some brief comments about the specular microscope and the methodology used must be made. The specular microscope SP2000P on its version without the complementary Imaginet software for corneal endothelium, does not allow images recording for later analysis, despite not being able to obtain images of various areas of the endothelial mosaic or even focus on the areas of interest(2). Upon repeating the same exam three times with the contact specular microscope on the central area of the endothelial mosaic with the patient staring at the same target, it is probable that part of the obtained endothelial image in one of the images may repeat itself on both others, because when the target is starred by the patient, the ray of light generated by the flash of the specular microscope tends to be reflected around the same region of the endothelial mosaic. In a sampling process, the necessary images must always be different; on the other hand three other analysis can be done on the same image. Having the cells been considered only once for endothelial analysis purpose, the number of cells to be included in the sampling process of the endothelial exam may be discussed. In 1976, Laing et al. suggested that at least 30 endothelial cells per image(3) should be considered. Doughty et al. suggested that at least 75 cells should be counted per image(4). Inaba et al. preferred to include at least 100 cells per image(5). Binder et al. suggested the inclusion of all cells of at least three images of the central and paracentral regions(6). These four references are mentioned by McCarey et al. in the article named Review of corneal endothelial specular microscopy for FDA clinical trial of refractive procedures, surgical devices, and new intraocular drugs and solutions(7) using as reference the article now being mentioned(1). The use of 10 to 20 cells, as recommended by the equipment manual instructions, is reckless, as this manual must have been written over two decades ago. From that time until now, the understanding of the number of endothelial cells necessary for an exam has changed(4-6,8-9). The Cells Analyzer software calculates the statistical significance of endothelial samples obtained by the specular microscopy(9), with all endothelial data described on figure 1 of the article (endothelial density 2,026 cells/mm2, area 493.5 μm2 and coefficient of variation of 30) which 12 cells are counted; the calculated sample error is 17% when it should be less than 5% for a confidence degree of 95%, i.e., sample error 340% superior to the accepted by the medical science (5%). In case two other images with similar results are included on the sampling process, the error will reduce to 9,8% and still, it would be necessary at least more than 102 cells for the sample size to be considered correct. Besides, the clustering effect was not considered(7). The analytical resources of the article being discussed show statistical equality among the studied groups, thus they do not correct the inherent sample error of the performed exams. On the study mentioned, endothelial abnormalities secondary to uveites do not jeopardize the use of the Cells Analyzer, conversely, they help the examiner to obtain more accurate and reproductive results. The Cells Analyzer orients the examiner to obtain samples of the correct size, to determine the minimum number of cells to be included on the sampling process, optimizing the time spent to perform the specular microscopy. It also calculates the sample error existing in one exam, whether with one or more endothelial images. In case the purpose of the exam is to obtain endothelial screening and not to compare it with past or future exams, a sample error of little above 5% may be accepted, and in case one wants to compare exams regarding the time, the sampling rigor is crucial. In case specular microscopy is performed for scientific purposes, the rigor of the sampling of every exam must be followed to avoid the methodological error that involves the specular microscopy already identified by the FDA in 1999(10).


Abstract: Aim The aim of this study was to present the description of new species of fish parasites in native and non-native hosts and the parasite interaction / host, available in studies for 37 years in the upper Paraná River floodplain. Methods The sampling described in this study is part of a scientometric methodology, in which specific query expressions were used, together with the database available in the Nupelia Sector Library, through Theses and Dissertations. Results A total of 44 species of parasites belonging to different groups were described for 27 species of fish of different orders. In these 37 years of studies, an increase 68% was observed in the number of parasite species, presenting a richness of 201 species in the floodplain, being: Monogenea, Digenea, Nematoda and Cestoda are the groups that present the largest records of species. More than 80 hosts have their parasite fauna registered and most studies are carried out with species of native hosts in the floodplain, being Prochilodus lineatus the host with the highest number of records. Conclusions Parasitological studies are an important scientific tool for understanding the dynamics of ecological interactions in the natural environment, and knowledge of this diversity of organisms is continuous and necessary, and the results of the monitoring carried out in the floodplain during the last 37 years only reinforce this with a constant increase in the description of new species and new records of parasite-host interactions. In times of constant environmental loss and habitat fragmentation, it is of utmost importance to care for and preserve floodplains to maintain biodiversity.