: The important thing that must known in the children under five years nutritional status is each parent needs to pay attention to child growth because malnutrition causes negative effects such as slow growth, susceptibility to disease. According to data 2017, community participation coming to the Posyandu at Puskesmas Kelurahan Kebagusan by 62.26%. This shows community participation in bringing children to posyandu is still lacking. The aim of this study is determine the relationships of mother's characteristics, frequency of children attendance in posyandu to nutritional status. The type of research with cross-sectional approach. The sampling technique used was the proportionate stratified random sampling with a sample of 88 people. Data analysis using chi-square. The results showed there was relationship between mother's education (p = 0,0001), mother's knowledge (p = 0,0001), frequency of attendance to posyandu (p = 0,0001) with nutritional status. There was no relationship between the mother's occupation (p = 0,196) with nutritional status. The conclusion of this research was the characteristics of mothers and the attendance of children under five years to the posyandu are indirect factors that affect the nutritional status. Therefore, children under five years need to active in attending to the posyandu.


Wingtip vortices are strongly associated with induced drag for a three-dimensional wing. So it is important to study the characteristics of wing tip vortices in order to reduce the induced drag. In this paper, Numerical simulations of the tip vortices for an unswept and untwisted rectangular wing (NACA 0012) are carried out at a geometric angle of attack 10° using the commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics code(CFD). And Numerical results are compared with the low speed wind tunnel experimental measurements carried out by Chow at NASA. The numerical results that were obtained by using CFD code shows a good agreement with the experimental results. Few different configurations by using active means rather than wing tip shaping have been evaluated computationally to explore their potential to reduce the wing tip vortex qualitatively. It is shown by numerical calculation that the strength of the vorticity is significantly reduced when suction is applied on the wing tip and along a slot on the bottom surface near to trailing edge.


Microarrays provide a powerful tool for the simultaneous analysis of thousands of parameters in a single experiment. However, a number of challenges continue to hinder the widespread application of microarray assays for analytical and diagnostic purposes. Advances in detection methods can help overcome some of these challenges by improving sensitivity and reliability in signal detection and by enabling real-time detection of binding events. The scope of this thesis is to provide platforms and to develop surface modifications, which help to improve the performance and sensitivity of applications in the field of proteomics. The instrument we are mainly focusing on is a waveguide-based technique for fluorescence detection, commercially available under the tradename ZeptoREADER (Zeptosens, Witterswil, Switzerland). As an introduction to the field, the most promising optical microarray biosensing techniques are highlighted. The principles of techniques making use of labels, including scanner type, total internal reflection type, fiber-optics-based, and SPR-enhanced fluorescence, are described, along with a brief summary of labeling strategies. State-of-theart label-free techniques, including imaging SPR and imaging ellipsometry, are also reviewed. Examples of microarray-based assays using each technique are given to illustrate both their usefulness and their limits of detection. Furthermore, the most competitive commercial microarray systems are presented and compared with one another in the context of their detection system. A discussion of the remaining challenges as well as trends and future applications of microarrays are presented in the context of optical sensing. In addition, a novel technique based on surface sensitive absorbance detection using an optical waveguide lightmode spectroscopy (OWLS) instrument is presented. The proof of concept for this extension of a standard technique is demonstrated by painting an increasing number of ink lines on a waveguide, perpendicular to the light path, while


Elizabeth Wright, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Megan Belore, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Andy Cook, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Bill Culligan, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Don Einhouse, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Tim Johnson, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Kevin Kayle, Ohio Department of Natural Resources Roger Kenyon, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Roger Knight, Ohio Department of Natural Resources Kurt Newman, Michigan Department of Natural Resources


The invention relates to a motor assembly in which a motor (10) is rotatably connected to an impeller (22, 24) for producing an air flow. A passage for conducting venturi is a high velocity air jet from the air flow. A deflector is configured on the Venturi passage to pass by drawing a breath of air to the engine to cool down without cooling fan separe.Domaine application: air supply guns to paint, etc.


WHAT a challenging and exciting time the past year has proved to be working on the Bursar Development Programme.We have seen a further 1,200 trainees join the Certificate of School Business Management course.The first Diploma of School Business Management graduation ceremony was followed by national rollout in November and there were DSBM graduates at the joint IAM / NCSL graduation ceremonies.For a full report on this turn to Pages 14-1 5.Other landmarks include:* a growing community of more than 2,000 bursars actively engaged in sharing good practice and supporting each other on the NCSL Talk2Learn online community and at IAM networking events* and agreement secured for the accreditation of the CSBM and DSBM by the Institute of Administrative Management.Graduates now receive dual awards. The NCSL CSBM and the IAM Diploma in Administrative Management are equivalent to the first year of a first degree course (NVQ LEVEL 4).The NCSL DSBM and the IAM Advanced Diploma in Administrative Management is equivalent to the second year of a first degree course (NVQ LEVEL 5).The NCSL, National Bursars Association and I have been out and about spreading the BDP message - particularly at regional Teaching Assistant Induction events held in Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and London.The TTA has been asked to extend its remit to include the training and development of support staff in schools.It undertook presentations at these events to explain its new role and facilitate workshops to stimulate discussion on how best it can fulfil its extended remit.This included confirming the transfer of the BDP to the TTA. I must emphasise that this is restricted to the training and development aspects of the BDP - pay and conditions issues remain the responsibility of the DfES.Now comes the exciting change for me. I joined the TTA on secondment from the DfES in December 2004 as part of the Wider Workforce Team headed by Jill Staley.While these developments and achievements are important and are having a significant impact on thousands of bursars and their schools - it's the more personal events that stick in my memory and continue to keep me motivated.For example: Sharon Golze from Don Valley High School, Doncaster, received the MBE for her services to education. Sharon has been involved with I the University of Lincoln and the NCSL. Her work has had national impact as well making a huge contribution to her school.Her hoadteacher said: "She has a strategic influence on the school that has had large implications for its effectiveness. I certainly could not function as effectively without her."Debbie Brisco, one of the outside managers on the DSBM pilot, has made the move from a manager at Barclays Bank to the School Business Manager at Broughton Hall School, Liverpool - as well as successfully completing the course. …


The percentage of the populationremaining to get connected to electricity has decreasedfrom 35 % to 4.5 % in this decade. However, 1.3 millionout of 29 million Nepal's population still need to beconnected to an electricity supply. As most of thispopulation lives in Karnali State, exploitation ofrenewable energy needs serious attention in this regionas other energy sources are expensive and beyond reach.Choosing a suitable renewable energy technology that iseconomically feasible and environmentally acceptable isa topic of interest among researchers. Using one of theDecision Support systems helps in making easier choicefor policy makers and government levels. In this case theresearch here-within evaluates among three renewableenergy options, i.e., Micro-hydro, Solar Power and Windpower. The research shows that Microhydro would bebest suited option in case of Jumla.


When contrasted to their bulk counterparts, nanostructures exhibit quantum confinement effects, resulting in exotic optical characteristics. Here we employed a straightforward one-step confined thin-film melting technique to synthesize topological insulator...


This vignette highlights a project at Holden Elementary (Kent City Schools) where mentor teacher Christi Bates collaborated with her colleague Amy Hopkins to explore the use of SMART Boards in their classrooms. The vignette highlights various ways that SMART Board technology can be integrated into the primary curriculum to support teaching and learning with young children.


The effect of high (ambient) and low (shaded to 50 % of ambient) light on microphytobenthic biofilm primary production, vertical migration and allocation of photoassimilated carbon into extracellular carbohydrates was investigated over the low tide emersion period at Sarilhos Pequenos on the Tagus estuary, Portugal, in July 2000. Carbon uptake ( 14 C measurements), electron transport (pulse-amplitude modulated [PAM]-fluorescence) and carbon allocation into extracellular carbohydrate fractions were measured. There was a decrease in the maximum rate of primary production (P max ) ( 14 C) over the emersion period (16 decreasing to 5 mg C m -2 h -1 at midday and the end of emersion, respectively) that was independent of the incident light and the light history to which the biofilms had been exposed. Primary production ( 14 C) did not correlate with measurements of in situ relative electron transport rate (rel.ETR), due in part to the light-induced migration of the cells away from the sediment surface during periods of high irradiance (photosynthetic photon flux density [PPFD] > 1200 mol m -2 s -1 ). Downward migration coincided with the light level at which P max ( 14 C) was reached, 750 mol m -2 s -1 , and with a point of inflexion on the rel.ETR versus PPFD curve. Above this light level rel.ETR was over-estimated due to migration of the cells into a lower light field in the sediment. Shading significantly increased the extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) production rate (from 0.4 to 1.0 mg C m -2 h -1 in ambient and shaded light, respectively) and percentage allocation of photoassimilates into EPS (from 4 ± 1.0 to 18 ± 3.5 % of total production in ambient and shaded light, respectively). In contrast, percentage allocation of photoassimilates to low molecular weight extracellular carbohydrate was higher in the non-shaded treatments (35 ± 4.5 % compared with 13 ± 3.8% in ambient and shaded treatments, respectively), probably due to photosynthetic 'overflow'. In non-shaded biofilms there was little or no increase in the concentration of all extracellular carbohydrate fractions until the last hour before tidal immersion. Results indicate that diel patterns in microphytobenthic primary production are not predictable solely from light data.


NAF‐1 (nutrient‐deprivation autophagy factor‐1), an autophagy‐related gene‐related (ATG) protein, has been implicated in the autophagic pro‐survival response. However, its role in autophagy has not been examined in the cardiomyocytes. In this study, we found that nutritional stress (NS) induced by glucose deprivation strongly induced autophagy in cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes, which was associated with NAF‐1 down‐regulation in cardiomyocytes under NS conditions. Furthermore, we demonstrate that ectopic expression of NAF‐1 was sufficient to inhibit autophagy in cardiomyocytes under glucose deprivation conditions. Moreover, results of the co‐immunoprecipitation assay indicate that NAF‐1 antagonized autophagy by promoting the interaction between Beclin1 and Bcl‐2 in NS‐induced cardiomyocytes. Importantly, our results indicate that overexpression of NAF‐1 significantly inhibited AMPK activity and protected cardiomyocytes from NS‐induced cell death. Taken together, these data show that ectopic expression of NAF‐1 antagonizes the degree of autophagy in cardiomyocytes and enhances cell survival during starvation conditions.


System uses hot-air collectors, no thermal storage, and fan with thermostat switches. At cost of heating efficiency, unit could be manufactured and sold at price allowing immediate entry to market as auxiliary heating system. Its simplicity allows homeowner installation, and maintenance is minimal.


As the train speed increased,damage to rail is changed from wear to various forms of fatigue.Inclusions are often seen as the birthplace of micro cracks,fatigue cracks and inclusions have a close relationship.The inclusions can reduce the plasticity,toughness and fatigue life of the rail.The concrete influence intensity that the performance of the inclusion to rail are decided by a series of factors,such as quantity,particle magnitude,shape and distribution and so on.The fracture of U71Mn rail welded butt jioints was analyzed by visual observation,metallographic microscope,SEM and EDS from macro and micro.The results show that:the cracking of the rail is fatigue-crack propagation,fatigue cracking is caused by silicate-non-metallic inclusions which are residues in the weld after flash welding.


To date only two engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) have been approved to be used as biocidal active substances in the formulation of biocidal products under product type 18 (insecticides, acaricides and products to control other arthropods). Such materials are silicon dioxide (as a nanomaterial formed by aggregates and agglomerates) and synthetic amorphous silicon dioxide (nano). The use of non-animal alternative test methods has been foreseen in the Biocides Product Regulation, Regulation (EU) 258/2012 (BPR). Further, the BPR is one of the existing regulations that includes a specific definition of nanomaterials. On the present article, a review is made on the potential uses of Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship approach (Nano-QSARs) to be used as a non-testing method for the generation of ecotoxicological data required for the approval of new active substances in the nanometric scale. Relevant challenges are to be faced in the application of computational chemistry but it could meet the needs imposed by the BPR in relation to the use of non-testing methods. However nanospecific adaptations need to be implemented further on ecotoxicological testing so that obtained results are considered a suitable input for models' building. The BPR, thus, sets the framework for innovative approaches in the regulatory approval of new chemicals that integrate special considerations derived from the chemical nature of ENMs and the application of non-testing methods but, to date, the implementation of such actions is not feasible in practical terms.


The study showed that organic alcohols with 1,2,3,5,6 hydroxyl groups can be used as reducing agents for laser-induced copper deposition from solutions (LCLD).Multiatomic alcohols, sorbitol, xylitol, and glycerol, are shown to be effective reducing agents for performing LCLD at glass-ceramic surfaces. High-conductivity copper tracks with good topology were synthesized.


There have been many changes in education over the past 25 years, but in Europe there is still a great variation in the training of health care specialists. This is not only true for undergraduate and postgraduate medical practitioners, but also for nurses, counsellors and therapists. Greater communication between individuals, organisations and governments has produced many of these changes and there is a trend towards harmonisation. Other changes have stemmed from nonmedical factors, such as the reduction of working hours and a culture of increased litigation. In 2004, Dimitris Hatzchichristou, who was at that time President of the European Society for Sexual Medicine (ESSM), Alan Riley and Kevan Wylie were discussing training in sexual medicine and identified a need for a European training programme and qualification. I was invited subsequently by the executive committee of ESSM to establish a European qualification and to conduct the first trials in the United Kingdom, where both Alan and Kevan are associated with degree courses in sexual medicine. In my early discussions it was immediately apparent that there was a need for such a qualification and that it should not be awarded by a national body or university. An obvious choice was through the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS), but the drawback of this option was that the qualification would be restricted to medical practitioners. Pragmatism led me to accept this limitation in order to get the project off the ground.


Abstract : Defining strategic roles is critical to the Department of Defense (DoD). As combat engagements conclude, defense spending reduces, and force structure rebalances occur, the DoD role in homeland security will correspondingly change. This paper analyzes the DoD role in homeland security of the past, present, and future. Roles are examined through salient policy and strategy benchmarks that predate the modern Homeland Security lexicon. Dominant components in elements of national power since World War One correlate influential National Security Strategy issues to National Defense Strategy change. Baseline homeland security expectations set in 2002 are examined to evaluate how well issues were defined and supported in the last decade. The DoD role in the next decade is postulated through the prism of the current National Security Strategy 2010 and Defense Strategic Guidance 2012. Symbiotic relationships between Homeland Defense and Homeland Security will continue to advance the DoD strategy well beyond original notions of homeland security as a state response only. New DoD strategies will merge Homeland Defense and Homeland Security roles to sustain combat readiness gained in the last decade.


Much work has focused on automatically constructing conceptual taxonomies or semantic networks from large text corpora. In this paper, we use a state-of-the-art data-driven conceptual taxonomy, Probase, to show that missing links in taxonomies are the chief problem that hinders their adoption by many real life applications, for the missing links break the inferencing that the conceptual taxonomy claims to support. To solve this problem, we devise a collaborative filtering framework to infer missing links in taxonomies derived from text corpora. We implement our method mainly on Probase, creating a denser taxonomy containing 5.1 million (about 30 percent) more isA relationships, with an accuracy of above 90 percent. We conduct comprehensive experiments to demonstrate the quality of the revised conceptual taxonomies.


This paper presents an adaptive robust control algorithm for the nonlinear dynamics of robot manipulators with unknown backlash in gears. The basic nonlinear model of a serial manipulator robot is used for the controller design, and this is combined with the nonlinear proposed dead zone model, based on the input and output torque. The main idea of providing this model is to achieve a dynamic model of the system considering the backlash of the robot joint gears, and having less complexity such that the developed controller does not need the inverse backlash model. The adaptive robust controller is developed, without using the inverse backlash model. The proposed controller is designed based on an unknown dead zone parameter and it guarantees the stability and path tracking of the robot trajectory with unknown dead zone parameter in the desired range. Numerical simulations are conducted to show the effectiveness of the proposed controller. Finally, the efficiency and capability of the proposed controller in dealing with the unknown backlash nonlinearities in gears of the manipulator are demonstrated by experimental results with a five-bar manipulator.


The Extended Evolutionary Synthesis invokes a role for development in shaping adaptive evolution, which in population genetics terms corresponds to mutation-biased adaptation. Critics have claimed that clonal interference makes mutation-biased adaptation rare. We consider the behavior of two simultaneously adapting traits, one with larger mutation rate U, the other with larger selection coefficient s, using asexual traveling wave models. We find that adaptation is dominated by whichever trait has the faster rate of adaptation v in isolation, with the other trait subject to evolutionary stalling. Reviewing empirical claims for mutation-biased adaptation, we find that not all occur in the "origin-fixation" regime of population genetics where v is only twice as sensitive to s as to U. In some cases, differences in U are at least ten to twelve times larger than differences in s, as needed to cause mutation-biased adaptation even in the "multiple mutations" regime. Surprisingly, when U > s in the "diffusive-mutation" regime, the required sensitivity ratio is also only two, despite pervasive clonal interference. Given two traits with identical v, the benefit of having higher s is surprisingly small, occurring largely when one trait is at the boundary between the origin-fixation and multiple mutations regimes.


Although the point of the book is not whether Walker has correctly interpreted Uno or Marx, one may question whether the framework that he lays out through his various readings is capable of the task that he sets for himself, namely, to provide a helpful understanding of capital, the state, and the world system. To that end, the book might have benefited from a historical discussion of the emergence of the schema of capital that gives some more examples of how capital recoded or rewrote the earth. Nonetheless, The Sublime Perversion of Capital remains essential reading for scholars interested in area studies, Japanese intellectual history, and Marxist theory and helps us rethink the role that capitalism and the nation-state play in shaping the world in which we live.


A trench structure of a semiconductor device includes first and second regions of a substrate having first and second trenches, respectively, the first trench having an aspect ratio larger than that of the second trench, a first insulation material on a bottom and sidewalls of the first trench forming a first sub-trench in the first trench, a second insulation material completely filling the first sub-trench, a third insulation material formed on a bottom and sidewalls of the second trench forming a second sub-trench in the second trench, a fourth insulation material formed on a bottom and sidewalls of the second sub-trench, and a fifth insulation material completely filling a third sub-trench formed in the second sub-trench by the fourth insulation material.


This article traces the imperial roots of the contemporary asylum–welfare nexus. It explores how English colonial governance exported Poor Law legislation firstly to colonial America (USA) and secondly to British North America (Canada). It argues that these three countries are an Anglophone shared moral space of law and governance, revealing the common unresolved contradictions underpinning contemporary debates about who 'deserves' entry, under what conditions, and why. Historical perspectives unsettle assumptions about the primacy of national geopolitical borders and the exceptionalism of contemporary migration. This article uses historical sociology to trace why and how national sovereignty took primacy over municipalities in controlling the mobility of people and the concomitant moral underpinnings. It then draws on new empirical research in three pioneering 'sanctuary cities' to explore how cities contest the entwining of welfare and migration governance. However, the article explores how these initiatives often reproduce justifications based on 'deservingness' and 'contribution'. Through tracing the common threads that led to these forms of governance, we can understand they are not self-evident. A historical perspective allows us to ask different questions and open realms of alternative possibilities.


Acquired immune deficiency syndrome(AIDS)complicated with herpes zoster has certain relation with service occupation and history of drug abuse,especially in multiple sex partners with unprotective sexual behaviors and some venereal diseases.Its clinical manifestation is serious.Its diagnosis,treatment and prognosis have no obvious difference from general patients with herpes zoster.Therefore,HIV screening should be conducted selectively for herpes zoster patients with service occupation,drug abuse,extramarital sex and history of venereal diseases or current suffering from venereal diseases.


Judith Mackay, a public health doctor who's been the vice chairwoman of the editorial advisory board of the BMJ Group journal Tobacco Control from its inception, was recently selected as one of Time magazine's world's 100 most influential people. It's the first time anyone working in tobacco control has been included in Time's list, and her inclusion, says Mackay, marks the arrival of tobacco control into the mainstream and is a "highly significant recognition of the global tobacco epidemic" (www.time.com).


To clarify the clinical significance of lipoprotein lipase mass in preheparin serum (preheparin LPL mass), its relationships with serum lipoproteins in 305 persons taking healthy check, the values in diabetic patients(n= 36) as insulin deficient state and the value changes during bezafibrate administration in hypertriglyceridemic patients (n=40). Preheparin LPL mass was not necessarily correlated with postheparin plasma LPL mass. Preheparin LPL mass was negatively correlated with serum triglyceride levels, and positively with HDL cholesterol levels, but, not with total cholesterol levels in persons taking health check. Preheparin LPL mass was negatively correlated results, it is suggested that preheparin LPL might be the amount of functioning LPL the Namely, preheparin LPL mass might be one of the indicator of the LPL production rate in the


Hybrid systems are heterogenous dynamical systems characterized by interacting continuous and discrete dynamics. Interval Temporal Logic (ITL) is a temporal logic which includes a basic construct for the sequential composition of two formulas as well as an analog of Kleene star. In this paper, Interval Temporal Logic is applied to represent the hybrid systems. This method is demonstrated by an example in water industry systems.


Zooplankton is colonized by quite different microbes compared with free-living and particle-associated bacteria, serving as a non-negligible niche of bacteria in aquatic ecosystems. Yet detailed analysis of these bacterial groups is still less known, especially in freshwater lakes. To widen our knowledge of host-microbe interaction and bacterial ecosystem functions, we chose two specific populations of zooplankton, i.e., cladoceran Moina and copepod Calanoids, as hosts from five natural lakes, and illustrated detailed features of their associated bacteria. Through 16S rRNA gene sequencing, we found microbes colonized on Calanoids presented significantly higher α-diversity, stronger bacterial interaction and metabolic function potentials than for Moina. It was also notable that zooplankton-associated bacteria showed a high potential of fatty acid metabolism, which is beneficial for host's development. Moreover, we found that zooplankton-associated microbes may exert profound effects on biogeochemical cycles in freshwater lakes, since several bacterial members able to participate in carbon and nitrogen cycles were found abundant. Overall, our study expands current understanding of the host-microbe interaction and underlying ecological dynamics in freshwater ecosystem.


Along with the tendency of aging,the role of the current pattern of caring for the aged in our country gets more and more restricted. However,the community caring pattern origined form England can be of reference significance for us to solve such a practical problem.With the humanist idea, the community caring can load the duty of caring the aged through effective use of the unused community resources and the unofficial social resources.This can concrete the application of the safeguard function of our "community service" which has been proposed in recent years.


Improved HIV treatments were highlighted at the Eleventh International Conference on AIDS in Vancouver. The promising progress in the past year led some researchers to be overly optimistic. Five antiretrovirals have been approved, three of which are protease inhibitors. Several clinical trials, notably ACTG 175, showed marked reductions in viral load counts. Researchers are still concerned with drug resistance and with the need for patients to be compliant with treatment regimens.


Abstract A range of ceramic materials has been developed at Lucas Syalon Ltd under the trade name of Syalon ceramics. Some properties of Syalon ceramics related to metal cutting are outlined and a review is given of the machining tests carried out at the Department of Engineering, University of Warwick. The results indicate that the materials ranging from cast-iron to Jncoloy-901 can be machined with Syalon ceramics at speeds and feeds which previously were not achievable with any other tool material, in terms of productivity an increase of six to tenfold has been achieved in different cases. These materials can cut at speeds normally associated with ceramics, but because of their better impact strength approaching those of ceramic coated carbides they are also able to take heavier chip loads.


The Ayurvedic system of medicine recommends Bacopa monniera (BM) in the treatment of tumors. The present study aims to determine the mode of cell death induced by the ethanolic extract of BM in mouse S‐180 cells. BM‐treated S‐180 cells were assessed for cell viability in a dose‐ and time‐dependent manner using dye exclusion studies. Morphological changes in the BM‐treated and untreated cells were studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Glutathione (GSH) levels were quantified and the percentage of apoptotic cells was determined using Annexin V‐FITC assay. The results indicate that BM induces a dose‐ and time‐dependent loss of cell viability with maximum cytotoxicity at 48 h at a concentration of 550 µg/ml. TEM studies indicate apoptosis in the BM‐treated cells. GSH levels were decreased in the BM‐treated cells and Annexin V‐FITC assay revealed 90.2% of the cells as apoptotic. Conclusively, BM induces cell death by apoptosis in S‐180 cells. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


PURPOSE: To provide a computer system including a central processing unit(CPU) which is constituted to receive coordinate data from a touch pad, etc. CONSTITUTION: A CPU 30 has an operating system which is executed on the CPU 30 and provided with a special support for interfacing with a touch pad 19. The operating system has (1) a function which assigns the geometric area of the touch pad 19 to a concrete area ID in accordance with an application by mapping the geometric area and (2) a function which decides the area ID of a contacting area and gives the area ID to an application program. A support which changes the unit of the command used for area definition is also provided.


LORI BELL There are a number of services and devices that a lihrary can offer to make it a more accessible place for customers with visual impairments and physical or mobility challenges. This month's column focuses on some of the available bardware, software, and services, but by no means offers an exhaustive list. Assistive technology is a rapidly evolving sector of information technology. Amazing new resources are being developed, but collectively, libraries and


The mean free paths and in-medium scattering cross sections of energetic nucleons in neutron-rich nucleonic matter are investigated using the nucleon optical potential obtained within the relativistic impulse approximation with the empirical nucleon-nucleon scattering amplitudes and the nuclear densities obtained in the relativistic mean-field model. It is found that the isospin-splitting of nucleon mean free paths, sensitive to the imaginary part of the symmetry potential, changes its sign at certain high kinetic energy. The in-medium nucleon-nucleon cross sections are analytically and numerically demonstrated to be essentially independent of the isospin asymmetry of the medium and increase linearly with density in the high-energy region where the relativistic impulse approximation is applicable.


BACKGROUND
Oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction play a vital role in the pathogenesis of brain aging. Saponins from Panax japonicus (SPJ) have attracted much attention for its potential to attenuate age-related oxidative stress as the main ingredient in rhizomes of Panax japonicus.

OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effects of SPJ on natural aging rats as well as the underlying mechanisms regarding oxidative stress and mitochondrial pathway.

METHODS
Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into control groups (3-, 9-, 15- and 24-month old groups) and SPJ-treated groups. For SPJ-treated groups, SPJ were orally administrated to 18-month old rats at the doses of 10 mg/kg, 30 mg/kg and 60 mg/kg once daily. Control groups were given the same volume of saline. After treatment of SPJ or saline for six months, the cortex and hippocampus were rapidly harvested and deposited at -80°C after the rats were decapitated under anesthesia. The neuroprotective effects of SPJ were estimated by histopathological observation, TUNEL detection, biochemical determination and western blotting.

RESULTS
SPJ improved pathomorphological changes in neuronal cells and decreased apoptosis in the cortex and hippocampus of aging rats, increased the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), Na+/K+-ATPase, Ca2+-ATPase and Ca2+/Mg2+-ATPase whereas decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) contents in the cortex of aging rats. Furthermore, SPJ increased silent mating type information regulation 2 homolog-1 (SIRT1) protein expression, decreased acetylated level of peroxisomeproliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) in the cortex and hippocampus of aging rats, reversed the aging-induced decline of Forkhead box O3 (Foxo3a), superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2), microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3II) and Beclin1 levels in the cortex and hippocampus.

CONCLUSION
Our data showed that SPJ conferred neuroprotection partly through regulation of oxidative stress and mitochondria related pathways in aging rats.


Background: Studies investigating the association between X‐ray repair cross‐complementing group 1 (XRCC1) genetic polymorphism Arg399Gln and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) risk report conflicting results. The aim of this study was to quantitatively summarize the evidence for such a relationship.


A new frontier science\|molecular imaging which combines the molecular biology technique with the modern medical imaging is facing to us. Using PET, MRI and optical imaging techniques, it already found expression of transgene, learned of embryo\'s development and discovered small tumor in the animal model. At the same time, molecular imaging can used for the gene treatment and the cell transplants etc. The study evaluated the latest progress of molecular imaging techniques and molecular interventional treatment.


Objective To understand the prevalence of occult infection of hepatitis B virus(OBI) and the mutations of pre-S / S gene from blood donors in Dalian.Methods From December 2nd,2010 to May 31 st,2013,samples from blood donors in Dalian Blood Center were screened with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) for HBs Ag,anti-HCV,antiHIV and anti-TP and triplex nucleic acid detection(NAT) for HIV RNA,HBV DNA and HCV RNA.A follow-up was conducted on donors who were tested negative by ELISA but reactive by NAT.OBI was determined by testing the specimens from the follow-up or archive with serological markers of hepatitis B virus,identification examinations,quantitative and semi-nested PCR.The sequences of pre-S / S gene of OBIs and the control group were analyzed(HBs Ag +,Genbank).Results158 232 blood samples were screened,69 of which were OBIs.The prevalence rate of OBIs was 1 ∶ 2 293(69 /158 232).The pre-S / S gene sequences were analyzed in forty-one cases of OBI:6 were type B,34 were type C,and 1 was type D.Comparing the amino acid sequences between the experimental and control groups,there were statistical significance in the S region of OBI(PB= 0.013;PC= 0.003).The main mutation sites of amino acids for type B were V14 G / A,Y161 F / S,V168 A and P217 L while for type C were E2 G / A / V,T118 R / K / A / M,P127 T / L / H / S,E164 D / G,L175 S and S174 N.Conclusion There were multiple mutation loci on the amino acid sequence of OBI from blood donors in Dalian.A particular relationship existed between these mutations in S region from HBV genome and the mechanism of OBI,which was influenced by genotypes.


Burns et al. 1 address important questions with respect to the role of spousal criticism and hostility in affecting pain adjustment. Not only do their findings show that perceived spouse criticism/hostility is related to pain, but that pain behaviors were most frequently observed among members of certain subgroups (ie, women, people with depressive symptoms) when their spouses engaged in greater criticism/hostility. The use of an observational paradigm also advances the science in this field and raises the bar for researchers interested in both interpersonal and pain behaviors. The constructs of criticism and hostility are part of a long line of research on negative emotion expressed to people with pain. "Punishing spouse responses" was first incorporated into a pain measure by Kern et al., in which respondents are asked to report the extent to which their partners responded to their pain with irritation, anger, or frustration. Punishing responses have also been assessed observationally by Romano et al. and others and have been shown to relate to greater relationship distress, pain, and depressive symptoms among people with pain. The research has expanded to include more nuanced and specific negative emotions toward people including hostile solicitousness and emotional invalidation, both which are known to negatively impact intrapersonal and interpersonal well-being. The work of Burns et al. further elucidates the role of negative emotional reactions to people with pain from an expressed emotion perspective. Work such as this is important in providing a clear understanding of different aspects of social communications that play significant roles in the lives of people with pain. In particular, the study by Burns et al. more pointedly examines not just diffuse or general hostility or criticism that might occur in a relationship, but hostility and criticism that occurs when discussing one's pain coping attempts. Burns et al. are also to be commended for attempting to understand for whom critical and hostile responses are especially detrimental; in this case, women and people reporting higher levels of depressive symptoms. The fact that women in this study reported more depressive symptoms than men suggests that an intriguing question for future study is to identify intersecting characteristics that might better explain vulnerability (eg, women with depression may bemost vulnerable to criticism/hostility). It is also important to remember that spouses remained in the room for the pain behavior task. As the authors note in their discussion of the results, it is possible that spousal presence increased the frequency of pain behaviors. It is also possible that people who experience a great deal of hostility and criticism during the coping with pain discussion task may engage in greater pain displays as a way to communicate that their pain is serious and real. Some couples may get caught in a vicious cycle of criticism and pain behavior, as well as general relationship distress. The interactional model of depression, which posits that excessive reassurance-seeking, may relate to interpersonal rejection in people with depression and may explain this interaction cycle. Indeed, evidence from the pain and interpersonal relationships literature suggest that excessive reassurance-seekingmay in turn foster rejecting and isolating reactions from loved ones. To test these hypotheses further, verbal expressions of people with pain, including emotional disclosures to which spouses are hostile or critical, must also be assessed. Finally, a dyadic approach in which relationship distress is assessed may also shed light on the interpersonal dynamics in which spousal criticism and hostility to pain occur. It is not clear if the couples who participated in this study were, on average, distressed or, as is common in many pain studies, relatively satisfied in their relationships. The authors note that spousal hostility and criticism should be addressed in interventions by teaching more constructive methods to manage conflict. Conflict negotiation is not typically a part of interventions to improve quality of life for people with pain. The most well-known approach engages the partner as a coach who assists the patient to maintain healthy coping strategies. There is also some evidence that encouraging well behaviors is associated with lower patient disability. Yet, these coaching approaches may work well only for couples who are effectively handling the illness but not as well for couples who experience relationship distress, including negative emotional interactions including hostility, criticism, and emotional invalidation. For instance, encouragement of well behaviors may be perceived as nagging or criticism in the context of relationship distress. Recent work incorporating intimacy and interpersonal models into the pain experience suggests that empathy and acceptance or validation of disclosures about pain-related distress may prevent or deescalate conflict with respect to pain and promote health. Indeed, partner responsiveness, including empathic responses to a partner's pain expression, is associated with better longstanding physical function among people with pain. Another option for clinical researchers is to approach pain coping as a dyadic task in which both partners bring their own experiences and coping strategies to pain and stressful experiences. From this perspective, both partners are active targets of treatment and both must learn how to attend to, Sponsorships or competing interests that may be relevant to content are disclosed at the end of this article.


Gain coupled distributed feedback lasers have recently received both experimental1 and theoretical2 attention. This structure offers a number of potential advantages such as: increased yield of single mode lasers (due to lifting of the degeneracy present in index coupled structures), reduced longitudinal spatial holeburning (due to a flat intensity profile), and reduced feedback sensitivity. It is the objective of this paper to present analytical results for a number of important device properties, these results are of significant interest for the design of gain coupled DFB lasers.


In this paper, we examine how international diversification affects the cost of debt capital in Korean capital market. In addition, we investigate whether the impact of international diversification on cost of debt capital are affected by 1) analyst coverage as a proxy for information environment and 2) Big 4 accounting firm as a proxy for audit quality. Our empirical results show that international diversification is negatively associated with cost of debt. We also find that the impact of international diversification on cost of debt is working only for firms with analyst coverage and only for firms audited by Big 4 audit firms, suggesting that good information environment and higher audit quality are key factors to allow firms to obtain positive effects of international diversification in Korean debt market. Keywords: International diversification, Cost of debt, Analyst following, Audit quality DOI : 10.7176/EJBM/11-33-03 Publication date: November 30 th 2019


The objectives of option hedging/trading extend beyond mere protection against downside risks, with a desire to seek gains also driving agent's strategies. In this study, we showcase the potential of robust risk-aware reinforcement learning (RL) in mitigating the risks associated with path-dependent financial derivatives. We accomplish this by leveraging a policy gradient approach that optimises robust risk-aware performance criteria. We specifically apply this methodology to the hedging of barrier options, and highlight how the optimal hedging strategy undergoes distortions as the agent moves from being risk-averse to risk-seeking. As well as how the agent robustifies their strategy. We further investigate the performance of the hedge when the data generating process (DGP) varies from the training DGP, and demonstrate that the robust strategies outperform the non-robust ones.


Introduction Background Education--Teaching and Learning Employment Fitness Leisure Political Action and Advocacy Travel and Alternative Tourism Volunteering and Service Resource Index Key Word Index


There are two issues in the Sparse Reconstruction (SR) algorithm of Multiple Measurement Vectors (MMV). One is the high computation complexity and the other is that redundant support set can not be effectively removed. In order to improve the efficiency and accuracy of SR algorithm simultaneously for MMV model, a Fast Orthogonal Matching Pursuit algorithm based on Bayesian Test (FOMP-BT) is presented in this paper. Firstly, the total number of iterations and the computation of each iteration are reduced through the new atomic group selection and warm start matrix inversion, thus the efficiency of the algorithm is improved. Secondly, using the idea of the Bayesian test to eliminate redundant support set, the accuracy of reconstruction is improved. Finally, the theoretical analysis of the algorithm is carried out from the aspects of parameter selection and computation complexity. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm has the advantages of high accuracy, fast speed and good robustness to noise.


Introduction: Pain is a phenomenon that may be experience d every human being. Pain is one of the symptoms of the disease that has negative effects on patients and causes challenges in medical personnel. The aim of the present systematic review was to determine the knowledge, attitude, and pain management status in Iranian nurses. Methodology: This is a systematic review carried out according to systematic review articles checklist (PRISMA). The search was conducted by two researchers separately. In case of inconsistency, the search was examined by a third researchers. In this study, articles that met the inclusion criteria and published between 2000 to June 2019, were included. The search process was carried out in Iranian and international databases. Data were reported in usinga descriptive method using Excel 2007 software. Result: According to result 180 articles were extracted in the initial search, of which 50 were excluded from the study, and finally 19 articles entered the data extraction phase. The extracted articles were classified into 4 dimensions of knowledge, attitude, and practice in pain management, nurses'understanding of pain management, nurses' problems in pain relief, and the extent of pain management implementation and assessment, which are described as follows. Conclusion: Nurses' knowledge, attitude, and managementregarding painmanagementis not in an excellent condition and many studies in Iran should include educational interventions for nurses to help improve their knowledge, attitude, and pain management.


Abstract : This thesis uses pre-commissioning academic and demographic factors, along with flight school performance data to measure pilot success in flight school. The goal is to determine if undergraduate major or school attended affect flight school performance. Measure of effectiveness include: (I) Flight School Completion Status, (2) Aviation Pre-Flight Indoctrination Composite Scores, and (3) Primary Flight Training Composite Scores. Recruitment for naval aviators is focused on individuals with "technical majors," according to present policy of the Naval Recruiting Command. This recruiting philosophy is based on the "Rickover Hypothesis," which postulates that naval officers with technical degrees are superior to naval officers with non-technical degrees. The Logit model showed that aviators with engineering degrees have a statistically greater chance of completing flight school than aviators with non-engineering technical or non-technical degrees. In addition, the results showed an association between academic background and flight school performance. This research justifies the current Navy policy of concentrating aviator recruitment efforts on individuals with technical degrees.


Thoracic endometriosis is the presence of endometrial tissue in the pleura, lung parenchyma and/or airways. It is an extremely rare occurence and is challenging to diagnose clinically due to variable clinical presentations. A high index of clinical suspicion and recognition of the association of the clinical symptoms with menstruation is important to establish a clinical diagnosis of pleural endometriosis. The definitive diagnosis requires tissue diagnosis, demonstrating the presence of endometrial tissue in pleura, either by cytological or histopathological examination. We present a rare case of pleural endometriosis in a young female, presenting with recurrent chest pain, which could be diagnosed on pleural fluid cytology. The present report highlights the significance of correlating the clinical history with the cytomorphological features to reach to an accurate diagnosis. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.


The red pigment,a kind of secondary metabolites,was produced by a new strain of Serratia marcescens jx1,which was screened in our laboratory.The red pigment was extracted and purified by using acetone.The obtained red pigment was identified as prodigiosin by UV/vis spectroscopy,IR and LC/MS.The effects of light,temperature,pH,metal ions,preservatives,antioxidants,reducing agents,as well as food composition on the stability of the red pigment were evaluated.The results showed that the red pigment belongs to the fat-soluble pigment.The main component is prodigiosin.The maximum absorption peak was at 535 nm in acidic environment,and its color value was higher than 250.Direct sunlight caused pigment to bleach,and no significant change was observed in pigment solution when temperature was lower than 100℃.Inorganic ions(such as Na+,Zn2+,Mg2+),oxidant H2O2,sucrose,salt,citric acid and low concentration of sodium benzoate(0.05 mol·L-1) had little effect on the stability of the pigment.Reducing agent Na2SO3,metal ions Fe3+,Ca2+,preservatives sodium benzoate were able to destroy the stability of the red pigment.


We present an initial Gulf of Alaska Report Card this year. The report card follows the format of those for the eastern Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands. This associated ecosystem assessment defines the report card indicators, describes how they were selected, and provides a synthesis of the current state of the Gulf of Alaska ecosystem based on the report card indicators as well as other indicators.


The OBE approach has already been practised in educational institutions in Malaysia, whether in primary, secondary, or higher education. The use of the OBE approach has become an alternative to traditional educational methodology, which prepares the students before entering the working world and to face the challenges of life after completing their studies. This study was conducted to measure the influence of the OBE approach on the Islamic Studies I course OBE achievement. 30 students who have taken the Islamic Studies I course in polytechnics have participated in this study. A set of questionnaires was used to obtain quantitative data and the data were analysed using SPSS 17. 0. The findings show that the contribution of self-regulated learning strategies towards the grade of Islamic Studies I was 13. 9%. Strategies frequently used by the respondents include; studying with friends, repeating and organizing. However, repeating has mostly contributed to the grade and followed by studying with friends. It is because students need to memorize verses and recitation of the daily prayers for the practical test. Islamic Studies I also involves group assignments which leads to the study groups approach. In conclusion, self-learning strategies have minimally contributed to achieving OBE.


(57) Abstract: glass transition temperature is surrounded by 50 ° C. or more rigid shells, dried at low temperature a latex containing glass transition temperature are composed of a soft, core 20 ° C. or less polymer, with no flocculation aid hydrophobic coatings for surface coating obtained by.


There are abundant information after power system signals are processed by wavelet transform, so it is necessary to research appropriate method to perform post-analysis of a great deal of information from wavelet transform and extract their features. From the point view of quantitative analysis, the authors present the concept of the post-analysis of wavelet transform, describe several feature extraction methods for power system transient signals after wavelet transform, i.e., the post-processing method including module maxima and singularity analysis, energy distribution analysis, wavelet coefficient clustering analysis, wavelet coefficient statistic analysis, and wavelet entropy analysis, and the physical meaning of applying them to power system fault detection and classification. The application of a new kind of post-analysis method, namely wavelet singular spectrum entropy, in frequency-varying system is simulated. Simulation results show that this post-analysis method can be applied to fault detection of power transmission lines and equipments.


The objective of the paper is to examine the volatility of index of crisis, index of macroeconomic variables and index of financial variables for BRICS economies. We analyse the existence of main effects of country and indices in four periods viz., the whole period and three break-periods of pre-crisis, during-crisis and post-crisis by conducting two-way ANOVA. The paper concludes that a uniform increase in the absolute volatility in index of crisis was observed during crisis period relative to pre-crisis period for all the countries. A uniform decrease in the absolute volatility in index of crisis was observed in post crisis period relative to during-crisis period for all the countries. The absolute volatility in index of financial variable in post-crisis period relative to during-crisis period was found to decline uniformly for the sample countries with few exceptions.


The NICE Public Health Guidance has taken on a tremendous challenge in presenting combined recommendations in the format of generic principles for behavioural change on the levels of population, community and individual. While it is important to acknowledge the need for multi-level approaches, covering the different levels that require different forms of action means that the guidance is at risk of losing specificity and practical applicability. This Editorial examines the NICE guidance on behaviour change from the health promotion perspective in general and, more specifically, in the light of Finnish experiences of health promotion research in 'real-life' settings. Based on these experiences, the Editorial presents theoretical approaches, which may be valuable tools for guidance in behaviour change from the health promotion perspective.


Rice in tropical Asia is mostly grown in the river valleys and deltas such as the Ganges-Brahmaputra in India and Bangladdesh, the Irrawaddy in Burma, the Manam Chao Phya in Thailand, the Mekong in South Vietnam and Cambodia, and the Red River in North Vietnam. In countries such as Indonesia, Philippines and Sri Lanka rice fields are loacted along the narrow valleys and their surroundings slopes. There are similarity of natural conditions. Successful paddy cultivation depends on adequate water management during the greater part of the growth period of the crop. This sounds simple enough, but in practice this requirement is reached only after solving a number of pre-requisite problems that vary in importance in each particular case. In many areas it becomes not so much a matter of supplying sufficient water but to control the water; not always the supply of water but its drainage; or again, it may be the supply of water at one time of the season and its drainage at another. When water is in short supply or expensive, it is necessary to give special attention to effective use of water resources. Good water management not only helps to boost the yield of the rice crop, and to expand the rice area, but also makes possible full use of water, time and land by allowing multiple cropping to be done. This intensive farming practice makes possible an increase in total yield per unit area per year. A broad account of water management in paddy areas of the tropics is given in this paper. Since there are different kinds of paddy growing systems based upon the source from which water is received and each has its own problems only broad generalizations are possible. Of the total area grown, only about 15-20% is under irrigation and only a part of this is under full water control. The main problem, therefore, is the lack of regional control of water; good water management at the village and field level is not possible where no regional control exists. Hence, much of the farmers efforts have been directed towards adapting their cultivation practices to the difficult conditions in which water availability is often uncertain, and choice of varieties adapted to particular conditions has played a large part in the systems that have been envolved.


This paper attempts to show that it is useful to view productivity as a prisoners' dilemma problem, that conventions are alternative solutions to the prisoners' dilemma, that effort conventions are usually nonoptimal, and that a "shock" is necessary in order to shift from one nonoptimal solution to another. Within this framework the invisible hand does not produce a Pareto optimal result. It is consistent with any number of nonoptimal effort conventions.


3 This document summarises the input of the CALICE collaboration for the discussions 4 towards the DBDs of the detector concepts. In short form it highlights the achievements 5 of the collaboration in the past years and outlines the plans for the coming years. The 6 document should also act as a guidance for speakers in corresponding meetings. It is at 7 the moment strictly internal and will be replaced by a public document later in 2012. 8 This document can only be shown to colleagues outside CALICE after approval by the 9 CALICE SB. 10


This article explores the utility of mindfulness in the field of evaluation. Mindfulness is a translation of the ancient Indian word, Sati, which means awareness, attention, and remembering. While definitions vary, a practical definition of mindfulness is present-moment awareness in an open and nonjudgmental manner. Mindfulness-based interventions have been employed by a wide variety of professions. Although it has received limited attention in the writings of evaluators, we argue that mindfulness can improve the practice of evaluation and support the development of the professional practice and interpersonal domains of American Evaluation Association (AEA) evaluator competencies. We review several mindfulness-based practices and how they can be used by evaluators in their work. Thus, we posit that far from being an esoteric concept, mindfulness practices can serve the pragmatic end of improving our discipline. We also discuss the limits of mindfulness and propose recommendations for future efforts.


InGaAs/GaAs heteronanostructures with a (Ga,Mn)As layer on the surface were fabricated by MOCVD epitaxy and pulsed laser deposition, and the effect of a pulsed excimer laser (wavelength 248 nm, pulse duration ~ 30 ns) on their radiative, structural and galvanomagnetic properties was studied. The radiation energy density was varied in the range from 200 to 360 mJ/cm2. In the studies, photoluminescence spectroscopy was used, which makes it possible to analyze the polarization characteristics of the radiation of the structures. The crystalline perfection of the initial and laser-irradiated samples was studied using Raman spectroscopy. The elemental composition of the structures and its depth distribution were studied by secondary ion mass spectrometry. The effect of pulsed laser annealing on the ferromagnetic properties of heteronanostructures was characterized by the behavior of the magnetic field dependences of the Hall resistance and magnetoresistance at temperatures of 10–300 K in the range of magnetic fields ± 3600 Oe. At room temperature, the study was carried out in magnetic fields reaching values of ± 28000 Oe. To obtain the calculated temperature distributions along the sample thickness and in time using a model of the laser annealing process based on solving the problem of heat propagation in a one-dimensional GaAs system taking into account the (Ga,Mn)As layer on the surface, we used the original data on the thermal conductivity coefficient of structures with a layer (Ga,Mn)As obtained using a modified frequency separation technique (3ω-method).


We describe a variational problem on a domain of a plane under a constraint of geometrical character. We provide sufficient and necessary conditions for the existence of bifurcation points. The problem in  2 coordinate form, corresponds to a quasilinear elliptic boundary value problem. The problem provides a physical model for several applications referring to continuum media and membranes.


Sustainable development goals (SDGs) are a set of seventeen goals adopted as United Nations (UN) agenda for 2030, which provide a blueprint for a sustainable future not only for humans but a diversity of life forms on earth (United Nations, 2023a). The seventeen goals, aim to work towards building a stable and safe environment for coming generations. The goals are interrelated in multitudinous ways and working towards one goal can affect the progression of other goals as well. SDGs were adopted by the UN in 2015 and were hailed as a landmark decision that can have a concrete effect on how we work towards sustainability. There is no denying that after the adoption of SDGs the work related to sustainability has improved but as we move on, there is a constant need to re-look and assess the situation. While assessing the SDGs and the present scenario, it seems that we have missed on a very important aspect of sustainability of life on earth. It is vital to adopt or introduce a new sustainable development goal, "Life Below Land." This includes the whole lot of biodiversity found in soil around the globe and consists of microfauna (e.g., Rotifers), mesofauna (e.g., Collembola and mites), macrofauna (e.g., earthworms), protists (protozoans, algae, and slime moulds), photosynthetic organisms (such as algae), fungi and microorganisms (including eubacteria, archaebacteria). All these species interact in numerous ways impacting the formation of soil, its health and quality, making research in this area one of the most important issues in order to achieve the targets of SDGs. This article aims to showcase the importance of soil biota, analyse the impacts of anthropogenic activities on this hidden world beneath us, and consequently elucidate the importance of a new SDG.


Objective:To investigate the mental status and compulsive symptoms in college students.Method:1 291 college students were assessed using the symptom checklist 90 scale(SCL-90).Results:Psychological problems were common in college students,especially in female senior students.Obsession,interpersonal sensitivity and depression are ranked the top three.There were significant differences in obsession,paranoia,anxiety and psychotic between college students and normal people(P0.01).Conclusion:The psychological problems in college students should be paid more attention.


In particular, an apparatus 10 for fine-machining the workpiece circumferential surface on which an eccentric arrangement relative to the crankshaft or workpiece axis (12) of the workpiece, such as a crank pin of the camshaft, the fine processing tool (42) work the piece peripheral surface the pressing device (28) and wherein the pressure device (28) a first movement path 62 by the action area to the first drive (68) in the movement plane transverse to the workpiece axis (12) of the pressing against apparatus including along, and a second drive by 70, the first movement path 62, the drive device 66 that can be driven along a second path (56) in which each is arranged becomes with respect to the ( 10).


Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy, and temperature‐programmed desorption have been combined to study the formation of water by the reaction of hydrogen with oxygen adsorbed on platinum. The changes in the energy distribution of photoemitted electrons from O‐covered Pt, as a function of H2 exposure, are used as a measure of the O coverage. It is found for O coverages of ≲2×1014 atoms cm−2 (corresponding to approximately one‐half saturation coverage at 295 K) that approximately 0.7 adsorbed O atoms are removed for each H2 molecule incident on the surface. This value is much higher than has been found under different experimental conditions. A mechanism consistent with the data is proposed.


Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) susceptibility is in part related to genetic variants. Most genetic studies have focused on common variation, but rare coding variants are known to affect COPD susceptibility. We hypothesized that an exome array analysis would identify single non-synonymous variants and gene-based aggregates of non-synonymous variants associated with COPD. Methods: We used the Illumina HumanExome array to genotype individuals in six COPD cohorts: Caucasian subjects from the family-based Boston Early-Onset COPD Study (BEOCOPD) and International COPD Genetics Network (ICGN), and the case-control COPDGene (non-Hispanic whites and African-Americans) and Transcontinental COPD Genetics Study (Poland and Korea). Cases were defined as GOLD Grade 2 and above COPD. Controls had normal lung function; the vast majority were current or former smokers. We tested single non-synonymous, stop and splice variants with a minor allele frequency (MAF) of > 0.5% in an additive model using logistic regression and combined results in a fixed-effects meta-analysis. Our gene-based testing was performed on non-synonymous, stop, and splice variants with MAF < 5% and used SKAT-O with meta-analysis in the MetaSKAT software in R. We performed meta-analyses for all subjects and separately by ethnicity. We adjusted all analyses for age, sex, pack-years of smoking, and ancestry-related principal components. Exome-wide significance was determined to be 2.3x10 for single variant testing and 4.1x10 for gene-based testing.


On August 13, 2007, Brooke Astor, a much-admired (and very wealthy) woman died at her estate, Holly Hill, at the age of 105.1 For many years, in New York City, she was known as the city's "unofficial first lady," spending her late husband's money for all sorts of good and great causes. In her last years, she had sunk into the twilight world of Alzheimer's disease; her only son acted as her guardian, and a raucous and bitter squabble broke out between son and grandson, over charges that her son had abused her and pillaged the estate. Earlier in 2007, Anna Nicole Smith died suddenly. This was the cli max to the incredible story of a flamboyant woman. Smith was the young, blond, and sensational widow of a billionaire, J. Howard Marshall, and was suing for a share of his estate. A short time before she died, Anna gave birth to a daughter, Dannielynn. If Smith's lawsuit is successful, Dannielynn will be a very rich child. Several men claimed to be her father; and thus for the right to act as her legal guardian. Both of these situations made the headlines. Both involved a great deal of money. Both concerned persons who were legally incompetent: Brooke Astor, at the very end of a long life; Dannielynn Smith, at the be ginning of hers. The chemical reaction between incompetence and money produces a demand for the legal status of guardianship. Neither babies nor people suffering from dementia can handle their money; someone, then, has to do it for them. We call that someone a guardian, though in some states, and under some circumstances, this role has a different name. Appointing a guardian is a legal proceeding; and a proceeding which has enormous impact on minors, the insane, and the incompetent. Through the power of parens patriae the state authorizes someone to take care of the money?and the body?of those who, due to "mental incompetency"2 have been "deprived of self-determination and self-management."3 Guardians are, in a way, "substitute parents"4 for "wards" of the state dur ing their period of incapacity.5


Abstract Using Maxwell displacement current (MDC) and second harmonic generation (SHG) measurements, the linear and nonlinear dielectric properties of organic monolayer films on a material surface can be examined. In this study, we have developed a novel experimental system which can detect MDC and SHG signals, and examined the molecular motion of 4-cyano-4′-n-alkyl-biphenyls (5CB) on the water surface by monolayer compression. The orientational order parameters expressed by using Legendre polynomials were successfully determined from both MDC and SHG signals, and the difference in the determined order parameters was discussed in association with the molecular motion of 5CB monolayers.


The most important fields of coordination chemistry of fullerenes, including those dealing with synthesis and properties of complexes, multinuclear complexes and coordination dimers, have been considered. In addition, our recent results have been presented concerning the synthesis of fullerene complexes with transition metals by the reduction method and through the reaction of transition-metal compounds with fullerene radical anion salts. The properties of coordination compounds with monomeric, dimeric and polymeric fullerenes as well as with fullerene anions are discussed. The bibliography includes 103 references.


Backgro und: Pandemic of covid-19 appear to the world on late of 2019, the prevalence of pandemic among all the world countries was very fast. The already overburdened healthcare system faced a new challenge as a result of COVID-19's abrupt appearance. Healthcare workers around the world faced more difficulties as a result. However, many developing nations, like Egypt, lack information on these difficulties. Methods: The aim of this study was to explore the challenges faced by staff nurses when caring for covid-19 patients. This study was conducted in two hospitals in Cairo, Egypt that were working as quarantine. A qualitative exploratory research design was employed to explore the experiences of nurses using face to face semi structured in-depth interviews. The sample size was 15 nurses determined by data saturation at the point where no new information is obtained from the participants. Results: Data was tape-recorded and transcribed verbatim and analyzed using content analysis., five main themes and nineteen subthemes were emerged from the analysis of this study. The main themes were challenges related to: personal and family (e.g., fear of virus transmission, family refusing, separation & distance, fear towards covid-19, fear of death, doubt in personal abilities). Work place (e.g., Shift hours, work load, Supplies). Nursing care provision challenges (e.g., working in a new place, using protective equipment, providing high quality of care, witnessing patients suffering). Place of residence and basic needs (e.g., eating, sleeping,toileting), and societychallenge (e.g., fear of social interaction, social isolation, stigma). Conclusion: Hospitalsadministration should create protocol to overcome the challenge that faced nursing staff in such situation.And consider nursing staff as value persons. Challenges ranged from psychological stress, social challenge, patient care challenge, training challenge's and personal needs challenges


Psychedelics paired with new applications of computational tools might help bypass the imprecision of psychiatric diagnosis and connect measures of behavior to specific physiologic targets.


Cloud computing infrastructure helps users to minimize cost by outsourcing data and computation on-demand. Due to the varying user needs in terms of computation power, storage capacity, etc., cloud providers offer various machines to choose from, to maximize the intended need. In this paper, we disprove several common conceptions regarding the performance and cost of cloud by experimenting on instances of two different families (compute and storage optimized) of the most popular cloud platform, Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2). Our analysis shows the interesting finding that, for the machines of the same configuration, storage optimized instances have lower disk read-write speed than compute optimized, which does not completely reflect the claim made by Amazon in all cases. Additionally, storage optimized instances have notable performance difference among them. We also identify that the I/O performance of same instance type varies over different time periods.


Objective To explore the effects of health education pathway for low rectal cancer patients with laparoscopic anus-preserving operation.Methods A total of 72 patients were investigated with self-designed health education path and knowledge needs scale.Preoperative adequate psychological care and intestinal preparation were done,postoperative nursing care for pipeline was done and the complications were observed and cared.Results Defecation function of all the cases recovered well,the occurrence rate of complaints was low,trauma was small and the stay days in hospital were shortened.Conclusions Health education for patients with rectal cancer can improve the patients'enthusiasm on the rehabilitation,be benefit for patients recovery and the improvement of quality of life.

Key words:
Health education; Laparoscopic; Low rectal cancer; Anus-preserving operation


The resistance of a plane grid condenser, moving in a magnetized plasma, is calculated using the quasi-hydrodynamic approximation for the plasma dielectric tensor. It is shown that, as a consequence of the anomalous Doppler effect, the resistance may become negative. Some implications for antenna measurements in the ionosphere are discussed.


A simple analog instrumentation for Electrical Impedance Tomography is developed and calibrated using the practical phantoms. A constant current injector consisting of a modified Howland voltage controlled current source fed by a voltage controlled oscillator is developed to inject a constant current to the phantom boundary. An instrumentation amplifier, 50 Hz notch filter and a narrow band pass filter are developed and used for signal conditioning. Practical biological phantoms are developed and the forward problem is studied to calibrate the EIT-instrumentation. An array of sixteen stainless steel electrodes is developed and placed inside the phantom tank filled with KCl solution. 1 mA, 50 kHz sinusoidal current is injected at the phantom boundary using adjacent current injection protocol. The differential potentials developed at the voltage electrodes are measured for sixteen current injections. Differential voltage signal is passed through an instrumentation amplifier and a filtering block and measured by a digital multimeter. A forward solver is developed using Finite Element Method in MATLAB7.0 for solving the EIT governing equation. Differential potentials are numerically calculated using the forward solver with a simulated current and bathing solution conductivity. Measured potential data is compared with the differential potentials calculated for calibrating the instrumentation to acquire the voltage data suitable for better image reconstruction.


Everything we do is for people,everything we do is for all people and everything we do is for people's all.We comprehensively put into practice the scientific outlook on development by putting people first and accelerate the building of a harmonious socialist society.It will be promoting all people's equal participation in development and sharing of development results,enhancing the level of people's enjoyment of their economic,political,social and cultural rights.Ours human rights will be continuously improved and developed in all fields.


Gastrointestinal symptoms which are related to recent trauma may be associated with a hematoma involving the bowel. This is thought to occur in a significant number of patients who experience abdominal injury. The recent literature contains several examples of the radiographic demonstration of such hematomas (2–6). The case to be reported here was not surgically or pathologically verified, but the clinical and radiographic evidence is conclusive. This patient was treated conservatively and characteristic radiographic changes in the duodenum completely regressed in a few weeks. R. S., a 19-year-old white girl, was admitted to Grant Hospital, Chicago, on Dec. 10, 1954. Two days earlier she had struck her right side on the steering wheel of her car in an automobile accident. She felt no immediate ill effects, but during the next thirty hours nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain occurred, leading to hospitalization. The only significant findings on physical examination were an ill-defined mass in the right up...


The present invention relates to an access processing method, apparatus and system. The method comprises: obtaining sextuple information of a downlink data message, the sextuple information comprising quintuple information and stream label information, where the data messages of different service streams from one same packet data network have different stream label information; and according to the mapping between sextuple information and an access network, obtaining access network information corresponding to the sextuple information. The embodiments of the present invention are capable of selecting access networks for different service streams having the same quintuple information.


Principles are presented for the design of functional near‐infrared (NIR) organic dye molecules composed of simple donor (D), spacer (π), and acceptor (A) building blocks in a D‐π‐A fashion. Quantitative Kohn–Sham molecular orbital analysis enables accurate fine‐tuning of the electronic properties of the π‐conjugated aromatic cores by effecting their size, including silaaromatics, adding donor and acceptor substituents, and manipulating the D‐π‐A torsional angle. The trends in HOMO–LUMO gaps of the model dyes correlate with the excitation energies computed with time‐dependent density functional theory at CAMY‐B3LYP. Design principles could be developed from these analyses, which led to a proof‐of‐concept linear D‐π‐A with a strong excited‐state intramolecular charge transfer and a NIR absorption at 879 nm. © 2018 The Authors. Journal of Computational Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Since the inception of the COVID-19 pandemic, historians have been frequent commentators, searching high and low through their research files, scholarly articles, and books to find the closest analogs in the history of past pandemics to the current crisis Over recent decades, the field of public health history has been transformed as it has addressed the history of pandemics, centering attention on powerful social and structural forces that create unequal vulnerabilities to death and disease, as well as greater attention to the significant obstacles that stand in the way of effective responses 2 In the current issue, Navarro and Markel dive back into the 1918 pandemic in their article "Politics, Pushback, and Pandemics: Challenges to Public Health Orders in the 1918 Influenza Pandemic" (p 416) [ ]nihilistic views of public health are familiar to historians who are well versed in the arguments and rationalizations that disease and disparities are but an aspect of natural selection and biological determinism 6 The historian's responsibility is to draw attention to these specious and historically situated arguments and to demonstrate how they reflect the particular social, cultural, and political forces oftheirtime


In this essay, I describe a "lullaby poetics" practiced by two poets from Puerto Rico who wrote at the beginning of the twentieth century: Clara Lair and Carmen Alicia Cadilla Ruibal. This poetics goes beyond the literary subgenre of the lullaby, inaugurated and practiced by the poet Gabriela Mistral ten years before Lair and Cadilla Ruibal began to write. As developed by the writers from Puerto Rico, the lullaby poetics contains and preserves a complex symbolic experience that the colonial discourse about maternity tries to erase. This is an experience that is at the foundation and at the heart of every society. Here, I claim that to understand the lullaby poetics inaugurated by these two poets the reader must revisit and revise the current approaches to literature, history and sociology as practiced by contemporary feminist, post-feminist, and post-colonial discourses.


The ratification of the nineteenth amendment in August 1920 marked the culmination of the fifty-one-year struggle by organized women in Connecticut to achieve the vote. Suffragists viewed enfranchisement as a matter of justice and as a tool for social, political, and economic change. From the suffrage movement, there emerged a group of politically sophisticated and dedicated women. They were joined after 1920 by others new to politics. These women sought to participate fully and equally with men in the political system and to advance their causes. They ran for office; joined political parties; and worked in outside pressure groups for protective legislation, liberalization of birth-control laws, inter-


This experimental study was carried out to investigate the solidification characteristics of polystyrene added styronaphthalene pattern materials using various castability test methods. The styronaphthalene showed an excellent filling capacity and shaping behavior having about 0.2 mm meniscus radius. The shell thickness of styronaphthalene showing smooth wall at the solid/liquid interface increased with the increasing of polystyrene addition. The solidification microstructure of styronaphthalene showed a typical thin ribbon reinforced composite structure, which has fibrous amorphous skeleton of polystyrene and crystalline naphthalene. From the results of this study, it was found that the polystyrene added styronaphthalene showed a precision shaping behavior as disposable pattern material under the atmospheric condition.


Deep-sea floors contain high levels of biodiversity, which is sometimes comparable to tropical rain forests, despite the apparent uniformity of its environment (Hessler & Sanders 1967; Grassle 1989). It is explained that small-scale disturbances, such as predation and near-bottom currents, frequently occur and cause a patchy distribution of different successional stages across an area (Rex 1981; Levin et al. 2001). The effect of small-scale disturbance on deep-sea assemblages has been studied for several taxa (Kaminski 1985; Hall 1994; Paterson & Lambshead 1995; Thistle 1998). On the other hand, turbidity current, which is a bottom-flowing current laden with suspended sediments generated by tsunamis and earthquake-induced landslides, is an example of a catastrophic disturbance (cf. Harris 2014) and expected to cause a large effect on meiofaunal assemblages. However, little is known how the deep-sea benthic meiofauna respond to such a catastrophic disturbance. On 11 March 2011, an earthquake of Mw9.0 known as the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku Earthquake occurred off the coast of Miyagi Prefecture. Sedimentation caused by the turbidity current was documented over an extensive area (Ikehara et al. 2011; Arai et al. 2013). Therefore, the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake probably impacted not only the shallow-water (e.g. Kanaya et al. 2012; Seike et al. 2013) but also the deep-sea ecosystems. This study evaluated the effect of large-scale disturbance on the deep-sea benthic assemblages inhabiting the landward slope of the Japan Trench using meiofauna, which is most abundant metazoan in deep sea, especially on benthic copepods (harpacticoid copepods). Sediment samples were collected on the landward slope of the Japan Trench off Sanriku during 3 cruises. Two cruises were conducted from late July to early August 2011 (4.5 months after the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake); specifically the KT11-17 cruise of the R.V. Tansei Maru and the YK11-E06 cruise of the R.V. Yokosuka. The third cruise, KT12-18 of the R.V. Tansei Maru, was conducted in late July 2012 (1.5 years after the earthquake). Meiofaunal specimens were extracted from sediments and they were then sorted into higher taxa and counted. We compared the total meiofaunal densities obtained from this study to those before the earthquake in the study area (Shirayama & Kojima 1994). Benthic copepod (harpacticoid) specimens were further identified at the genus level. During the present study, it is indicated that major disturbances to deep-sea sediments mainly influenced the vertical distribution, but meiofaunal densities remained similar through the earthquake or quickly recovered within 4.5 months of the event. In addition, harpacticoid community structure did not change in 1 year after the earthquake even between before and after the earthquake. These results suggest that the strong resilience of meiofauna inhabiting the landward slope of the Japan Trench, where high-magnitude earthquakes frequently occur, against disturbance. In the presentation, we will explain the results and background of this study in more detail.


It should be considered and controlled that the "path" and "time" make a great impact on its internal force development and deformation changes in construction process of large-span space steel structure.In the engineering background of a certain special-shaped,profiled and spatial mesh Pipe Truss Structure,stress deformation of the actual construction is monitored.The whole construction process of main steel structure is simulated with finite element method by applying the FE software,ANSYS.By comparing actual monitoring value with simulation value,revealing the variation of stress and strain in the construction process of the structure,judging the safety and stability of structure in construction process,providing a reference for in-depth study of such buidings in future.


A perhaps unintentional consequence of recent modifications to the mechanism by which research output (at least in UK-based universities) is weighed, valued and consequently funded has been a subtle reassessment of the status of the undergraduate textbook as a measure of 'fresh insights, effectively shared'. In the cynical world of the UK's Research Excellence Framework (REF) submissions and 'Impact Statements' it would seem that one of the vital functions of the academic profession is, potentially, becoming overlooked in terms of its significance within the university community. The important, close pedagogical interface of mind and subject, student and academic, is surely high on the list of key intellectual exchanges which really matter, and it is in the form of the undergraduate textbook that this kind of exchange is formalized, assembled and re-presented. With this in mind, Pitches' and Popat's co-edited volume is a welcome contribution to the field and, in the finest tradition of research-led dialogues that so often define our exchanges in the seminar room or performance studio, their stewardship over a rich assembly of ideas and contexts should


This is a study on TiCl4 concentration,ultrasonic time,water bath temperature,roasting temperature,baking time effects on the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 by using methylene blue.The results showed that the optimization of the preparation technology of TiO2 goes as follows: the TiCl4 concentration is 0.5 mol/L,reaction before the ultrasonic time is 30 min,reaction after the ultrasonic time is 150 min,the water bath temperature is 75 ℃,the roasting temperature is 500 ℃ and the baking time is 2 h.Under this condition,the methylene blue degradation rate is 99.35%.Compared with P-25,the TiO2 power has good properties.Using the XRD and FT-IR for characterization shows that the mixed crystal TiO2 has better degradation efficiency.


In RFID system, the communicated data can be easily eavesdropped and tampered with by an attacker because the communication between the reader and the tag is performed in an insecure channel. Therefore, authentication is an important role in RFID applications for providing security and privacy. In 2006, Lee, Asano and Kim proposed an RFID mutual authentication protocol (the LAK protocol) which utilizes a hash function and synchronized secret information. However, Cao and Shen showed that the LAK protocol is vulnerable to replay attack, and therefore an adversary can impersonate the tag. This paper proposes a new simple two-round RFID mutual authentication (TRMA) protocol based on secure one-way hash function. As a result, the proposed TRMA protocol not only can prevent various attacks and but also provides communication efficiency since they mutually authenticate by performing two-round between RFID tag and RFID reader.


In‐vehicle network is easy to be attacked by masquerade attackers because of the controller local area network, and there are many intrusion detection systems to solve this problem. However, the traditional methods consider the transition and frequent property, but they lose the information of the cooccurrence. In this article, a novel method based on cooccurrence matrixes is proposed, and it makes use of the cooccurrence property of the command stream, which is often ignored. There are two steps in the training process. First, a relatively large number of distinct shell commands are transformed into a smaller number of unique events by hierarchically merging shell commands. Second, considering the correlation property of audit data, the method constructs a partly normalized cooccurrence matrix to profile the valid user's normal behaviors. Although performing detection, the partly normalized cooccurrence matrixes of the current event sequences are generated. Then the distances between these matrixes and the profile matrix are calculated with sliding windows. Finally, distances are used to determine whether they are normal or not. Our method is evaluated against two standard masquerade detection datasets provided by T. Lane et al and M. Schonlau et al, respectively. The results indicate that the proposed method is promising in terms of detection accuracy, which is at least 10% higher than other four solutions, and the proposed method has fewer memory requirements, which saves at most 90% of the compared methods, and it can be conducted in parallel and is more suitable for real‐time masquerade detection.


cludes the first SHEA position paper " T h e H I V I n f e c t e d Healthcare Worker," which was coauthored with the Association for Practitioners in Infection Control (APIC!) and is being published simultaneously in its journal, American Journal of Infect ion Control. This is an especially timely and hotly debated topic, given the recently reported episode of possible transmission of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in a dental operatory and the resulting proposal by the CDC to revise some of its recommendations. A second SHEA position paper, on biohazard waste, is tentatively scheduled for publication in early 1991. Dr. William Rutala is chairing the group working on this issue. Finally, Dr. Robert Sherertz is chairing a task force to develop a position paper on surgical wound infection surveillance. This group includes representation from the Surgical Infection Society, the CDC and SHEA.


The Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats (TROP-ICS) mission was selected by NASA as part of the Earth Ven-tureInstrument (EVI-3) program and flight hardware has been delivered for a launch in the 2021–2022 timeframe. TROP-ICS comprises a constellation of six CubeSats in three low-Earth low-inclination orbital planes. Each CubeSat will host a high performance radiometer to provide temperature profiles using seven channels near the 118.75 GHz oxygen absorption line, water vapor profiles using three channels near the 183 GHz water vapor absorption line, imagery in a single channel near 90 GHz for precipitation measurements (when combined with higher resolution water vapor channels), and a single channel at 205 GHz that is more sensitive to precipitation-sized ice particles. A seventh (spare) flight unit has also been delivered that could serve as the seventh element in the constellation or could be launched in advance of the primary mission for checkout of key system performance. The TROPICS mission highlights a number of aspirations of future earth observing sysems, including high revisit rate, system resilience, rapid technology infusion, and low cost. This paper presents these elements with an eye toward future operational architectures for weather and climate monitoring.


The adiabatic passage scheme for quantum state synthesis, in which atomic Zeeman coherences are mapped to photon states in an optical cavity, is extended to the general case of two degenerate cavity modes with orthogonal polarization. Analytical calculations of the dressed-state structure and Monte Carlo wave-function simulations of the system dynamics show that, for a suitably chosen cavity detuning, it is possible to generate states of photon multiplets that are maximally entangled in polarization. These states display nonclassical correlations of the type described by Greenberger, Horne, and Zeilinger (GHZ). An experimental scheme to realize a GHZ measurement using coincidence detection of the photons escaping from the cavity is proposed. The correlations are found to originate in the dynamics of the adiabatic passage and persist even if cavity decay and GHZ state synthesis compete on the same time scale. Beyond entangled field states, it is also possible to generate entanglement between photons and the atom by using a different atomic transition and initial Zeeman state.


The European Union's role in international trade contains two signifi cant con tra dic tions: fi rst, although its trade policy, with some notable exceptions, is generally fair ly liberal, it has been the respondent in a number of high-profi le trade disputes; second, al though a champion of multilateralism, the EU has had problems com ply ing with World Trade Organization (WTO) judgments. I argue that these contradictions in the EU's trading persona are due to the internal dy nam ics of European policy-mak ing, which create 'regulatory peaks' where the member governments' rules diverge, and render the resulting rules dif fi cult to alter.