Abstract The kanban production authorization system has been widely implemented as a control scheme for just-in-time manufacturing. This system is normally applied in systems with reliable processes, low setup times, static demand and excess capacity. The use of kanbans avoids the need for complex information and hierarchical control systems on the shop floor. Kanban control also has the advantage of reacting quickly to minor demand changes. In this paper we investigate the use of kanban control at workcentres which produce multiple items with dynamic, random demand. The dynamic aspects of demand may cause temporary capacity shortages. The kanban control system automatically reacts quickly to the random aspects of demand. Selection of the number of kanbans will accommodate the dynamic aspect. We assume an environment with low setup times and a desire for rapid adjustment in production rates to match demand. A mathematical model for the problem is defined and shown to reduce to a simpler problem. Using the...


The paper describes an approach to modelling of objects usin g X-machines (similar to extended finite-state machines). It takes a unifi ed view on data passed to objects during method invocations and data returned by me thods, such that all data passed to an object is considered to be its input and that passed from it — object's output. Subsequently, test generation from such a model based on the X-machine testing method is described.


It has been demonstrated in many biomedical applications that polarization imaging is capable of label-free probing quantitatively the characteristic microstructural features of complex biological specimens. In a recent study, we carried on backscattering Muller matrix imaging on bovine skeletal muscle sample, and we demonstrated that the information of Mueller matrix is valuable for physiological status characterizing, and may be useful for monitoring meat qualities in food industry. In this work, we report an upgraded system with LED light sources of six different colors ranging from the blue to the near IR-I region. The system is calibrated for taking multispectral Mueller matrix images using a single set of rotating achromatic quarter-wave plates. In this in situ application on imaging of thick fresh tissue samples, we demonstrated that the multispectral polarized light backscattering measurements help to reveal more details on the microstructure of the sample, particularly help to separate different effects due to photon scattering and propagation. The experimental results are compared against Monte Carlo (MC) simulations based on sphere-cylinder birefringence models which approximate the complex tissues to a mixture of spherical and cylindrical scatterers embedded in interstitial media. The simulated results provide more evidence for understanding the contrast mechanism of the polarization features.


Air and moisture stable potassium allyl- and crotyltrifluoroborates undergo addition to N-sulfonyl and N-sulfinyl aldimines in the presence of Lewis acids, to provide the corresponding homoallylic amines in high yields and excellent diastereoselectivity.


The frequency for wireless power chargers is in the range of 100–205 kHz when using MnZn ferrite and NiZn ferrite. Compared to ferromagnetic metals, these ferrites have higher resistivity, which reduces the eddy loss at high frequencies, though they also have lower magnetization values that limit the distance and the direction between the receiver and transmitter units. Thus, there is a strong demand for the development of a new metallic magnetic sheet that can suppress the eddy-current loss in the high-frequency range. To meet this demand, a modified dew-point insulation coating method for Fe-4.5 wt% Si powders was assessed and the high-frequency properties of green compacts consisting of these powders were investigated. As a result, a thin high-resistivity layer was successfully coated onto the powders. In addition, both eddy-current loss and hysteresis loss of their compacts were dramatically reduced in the high-frequency region.


Abstract Methoxyflurane, an excellent, nonexplosive, fluorinated anesthetic agent, has occasionally been reported to induce liver injury. We reviewed 24 cases of the syndrome with adequate data. Tw...


Objective: This study sought to determine if low-tidal ventilation during CPB was superior to a resting-lung strategy with no ventilation in terms of pulmonary complications following surgery. Study Design: This was a retrospective study. Place and Duration: This study was done at the Punjab Institute of cardiology, Lahore from 1st May 2021 to 1st Nov, 2022. Methodology: A total of 1348 patients were enrolled in this study following inclusion criteria. They were divided into two groups equally. SPSS version 24 was used to enter and analyzed collected data. For qualitative variables was presented in frequency(%). For quantitative variables i.e., age, height, weight, preoperative FEV1/FCV, tidal volume, PEEP, PaO2 and PaCO2 mean ±SD was calculated. Chi-square was applied to compare post-operative outcomes between the groups. P-value of <0.05 was taken as significant. Results: The mean age of the cases in Group A was 55 ± 9.08 while in Group B was 56 ± 9.19. There were 75% male and 25% females in Group A while 84% male and 16% females in Group B. In our data there were 67% diabetic and 59% smokers in Group A however 62% diabetic and 58% smokers were enrolled in Group B. Mean tidal volume given to Group A was 8.5 ± 1.8 while in Group B was 7.5 ± 1.3. Peak respiratory pressure in Group A was 18 and in Group B was 16. Mean perfusion time, cross clamp time and anesthesia duration was significant between the groups p-value 0.01. Mean tidal volume given to Group A was 8.5 ± 1.8 while in Group B was 7.5 ± 1.3. Peak respiratory pressure in Group A was 18 and in Group B was 16. Mean perfusion time, cross clamp time and anesthesia duration was significant between the groups p-value 0.01. Conclusion: This study found that continuing low tidal volume ventilation was not superior to no ventilation during CPB in terms of the rate of reintubation, pleural effusion, and pulmonary congestion, although there was a significant difference between pneumonia, atelectasis, and prolong ventilation. Keywords: PEEP, CPB, FEV1/FCV ,Pulmonary Complications, Ventilation, Tidal Volume


We give some sufficient conditions for an (S, U)-outline T-factorization of Kn to be an (S, U)-amalgamated T-factorization of Kn. We then apply these to give various necessary and sufficient conditions for edge coloured graphs G to have recoverable embeddings in T-factorized Kn's.


HUMOR AND TASTE OF KHONG GUAN IN JOKO PINURBO'S POEM Joko Pinurbo is one of productive writer. The most interesting part of all works from Jokpin is the humour or jokes he inserted. What makes it interesting there are several poems that he wrote which published in Kompas newspaper on 31st Agustus 2019. There are twelve poems which consists the word Khong Guan in every title: Perjamuan Khong Guan, Hujan Khong Guan, Tidur Khong Guan, Lebaran Khong Guan, Minuman Khong Guan, Sabda Khong Guan, Agama Khong Guan, Keluarga Khong Guan, Mudik Khong Guan, Doa Khong Guan, Bingkisan Khong Guan, dan Hati Khong Guan. Those twelve poems are the subject to this research. The aim of this research is to define how humor was created.  Recent humors are mostly uneducated humor such as insult joke, bullying, and disrespectful. Joko Pinurbo gives alternative in doing humor, through poem. Humor found in the poem is dominated by tragedy humor. Descriptive qualitative method is used in this research. This research found that there are five poems which can be classified as tragedy


This paper considers two modifi ed ratio estimators of population mean in stratifi ed random sampling. The approximated mean squared error and bias of the proposed estimators are derived and theoretically compared with those of the existing estimators. The results show that the modifi ed estimators produce smaller mean squared error and bias than the existing estimators in some conditions. Moreover, the theoretical result is confi rmed by using a census data set.


Background:The authors investigated the impact of acute normovolemic hemodilution (ANH) on intrarenal oxygenation and its functional short-term consequences in pigs. Methods:Renal microvascular oxygenation (µPO2) was measured in cortex, outer and inner medulla via three implanted optical fibers by oxygen-dependent quenching of phosphorescence. Besides systemic hemodynamics, renal function, histopathology, and hypoxia-inducible factor-1&agr; expression were determined. ANH was performed in n = 18 pigs with either colloids (hydroxyethyl starch 6% 130/0.4) or crystalloids (full electrolyte solution), in three steps from a hematocrit of 30% at baseline to a hematocrit of 15% (H3). Results:ANH with crystalloids decreased µPO2 in cortex and outer medulla approximately by 65% (P < 0.05) and in inner medulla by 30% (P < 0.05) from baseline to H3. In contrast, µPO2 remained unaltered during ANH with colloids. Furthermore, renal function decreased by approximately 45% from baseline to H3 (P < 0.05) only in the crystalloid group. Three times more volume of crystalloids was administered compared with the colloid group. Alterations in systemic and renal regional hemodynamics, oxygen delivery and oxygen consumption during ANH, gave no obvious explanation for the deterioration of µPO2 in the crystalloid group. However, ANH with crystalloids was associated with the highest formation of renal tissue edema and the highest expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1&agr;, which was mainly localized in distal convoluted tubules. Conclusions:ANH to a hematocrit of 15% statistically significantly impaired µPO2 and renal function in the crystalloid group. Less tissue edema formation and an unimpaired renal µPO2 in the colloid group might account for a preserved renal function.


An advanced BiCMOS floating gate avalanche MOS (BiFAMOS) technology for high-speed and high-density EPROM applications is described. It is of great interest to develop chips with access times of 20 ns or less to support 33-to-50-MHz systems without a SRAM interface. Since channel hot carrier injection is used in EPROM programming, the high-current and high-voltage programming conditions limit the size of the FET that can be used in the cell and hence the low cell current directly affects speed. A two-transistor cell has been previously introduced to overcome this speed limitation but at the expense of area. Here, BiCMOS technology is used to alleviate this speed/area tradeoff. Fast bipolar sense amplifiers and high-current NPN drivers allow very-high-speed access without a large cell current. With a 1-T cell, an access time of 12 ns was obtained on a 1-Mb EPROM, demonstrating that this 0.8- mu m BiFAMOS is capable of sub-20-ns 4M EPROMs.<<ETX>>


In order to increase dynamic and static performance of inverter output,a model of the dual-loop inverter system is established,and simulates this model by simulink software.Simulation and experimental results show that the inverter output can completely auhieve predictive purpose under the dual-loop coutrol.


An all-metal apparatus has been constructed and installed in the main cell of the Tritium Systems Test Assembly (TSTA) at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The apparatus is being used in an experiment that is part of a study to determine the feasibility of using metal tritides for storing tritium in fusion fuel processing. The structure will handle about 2600 Ci of tritium in the experiment. It allows measurement of equilibrium pressure on metal-hydrogen systems and was made to assure safe handling of tritium. The pressure-composition isotherms for the LaNi/sub 3/Mn/sub 2/-protium (H), deuterium (D), and tritium (T) systems were measured to study isotopic effects in the temperature range of 60 degrees C to 250 degrees C, and the pressure range below 120 kPa.<<ETX>>


Flame retardants are used in plastics, fabrics, furnishing foam and electronics to reduce their
fire hazards. The kind of brominated flame retardants presented in this study are the PBDEs,
polybrominated diphenyl ethers. Because their molecular structures are similar to PCBs, there
is a fear that these substances are environmental hazards as the PCBs, by decreasing the
thyroid hormone levels. Lower brominated PBDEs are found to cause deterioration of
memory capacity, learning capability, and motoric behaviour. There is a discussion going on
whether the higher brominated PBDEs have the same effect. During the last decades the level
of PBDEs in the environment has increased. Two cases that have drawn much attention to the
PBDEs are the discoveries of PBDEs in eggs of peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) and in
breast milk in Swedish women.

The aim of this study is to investigate the background levels of PBDEs in Swedish reference
lakes and to compare them with other areas with or without direct local influence. The study
consists of two parts. The first part is a literature study about PBDEs in biota and sediments in
different parts of the world. The literature study shows that, in all countries, sediment and
biota samples taken from industrial areas and sewage sludge have high levels of PBDEs due
to direct local influence from e.g. foam manufacturing industries or textile industries. Biota
and sediment samples far from direct local industrial effluents have low levels of PBDEs, if
detectable at all. The second part of this study presents the results of a screening study of
PBDEs in perch (Perca fluviatilis) and sediments from ten Swedish reference lakes. Only
three perches out of 79 investigated from the reference lakes contained PBDEs above the
detection level, 1 ng/g dw, and all these samples where just above the detection level. The
other 76 perches and all the sediment samples had PBDE levels under the detection limit. The
levels of PBDEs in this study are in accordance with screening studies of non-point source
locations in other countries.


In the paper, the authors define the purpose, tasks and content of a new working tool in the exploitation and superior valuation of useful mineral substances, based on the principles of geotechnology, respectively Physical - Chemical Geotechnology (P-CG). It presents the vision on Mining Geotechnology as a relatively new science, its theoretical outline having the role of explaining the conditions, means and methods of exploitation and processing of minerals, through underground constructions, but also some ways to adapt existing techniques. It examines how P-CG can improve working conditions, the economy, geoecology, safety production, comfort and quality of life all in the geographical environment. The authors describe the main task of P-CG as a complex structure of scientific disciplines in which all processes and transformations that occur in subsoil exploitation must be discovered, researched and solved holistically through non-standard solutions. It also outlines a roadmap for the assessment of deposits suitable for the use of P-CG methods, addresses the preconditions and what needs to be done for the widespread introduction of new technologies in the mining industry. In this sense, the structure of a business plan of a P-CG enterprise is also drawn.


ABSTRACT The relative density of seabed determines its bearing capacity and affects the site selection, construction, and maintenance of offshore projects. As the modal-identification-based method for monitoring pile foundation scour depth does not account for the relative density of seabed, it cannot be implemented in engineering practice. Therefore, experiments and finite element simulations of a pile–soil model with different scour depths were conducted in this study to update and verify the modal-identification-based method to account for relative soil density using the Winkler foundation model. The results show that for a given scour depth, the average error decreased as the relative soil density increased, and for a given relative density, the average error decreased as the scour depth increased. The accuracy of the updated method was then improved according to the variation of the average error according to soil density and shown to exhibit strong engineering applicability.


The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of liquidity as measured by LDR (Loan to Deposit Ratio) and Loan to Asset Ratio on the profitability (Return on Asset) of Rural Bank (BPR) in Padang City. The data used are secondary data obtained by documentation method taken from publication reports of Bank Indonesia and Rural Banks in Padang City during the period of 2010 - 2015 quarter. The population used in this study are all existing BPR in Padang city and sample selection Based on purposive sampling with the number of 93 observations. Data analysis was done by using multiple linear regression. The results showed that the liquidity measured by the ratio of LDR and LAR did not significantly affect the profitability (ROA) of BPR in Padang City.


A shaking table test of high building model with box beams and concrete encased steel columns as transformation floor is introduced in this paper. A 1∶25 scale model of high building was made up of mini-particle concrete. It is proved from the shaking table test of the model that its horizontal stiffness above and below the transformation floor is not changed abruptly, so it has good seismic performance. The high building is proved to meet demand for seismic capacity and is safe in mimic earthquake.


The Research Unit of LATEM (Universita degli Studi Suor Orsola Benincasa, Naples), involved in the CARE_Italia project, is presently studying the places of worship of two regions: Campania (focusin...


The development activities are things that every country to realize the fulfillment of the needs and welfare of the community. Limited land area is still one of the big problems in carrying out development. The land area that does not increase, followed by the need for land that continues to increase is the cause. The type of research used is the method normative and empirical juridical research which was finally analyzed using qualitative analysis methods. Regulation of the Governor of DKI Jakarta No. 167 of 2012 about underground space and the Regulation of the Minister of Public Works No. 02/PRT/M/2014 on Guidelines for Use of Space Inside the Earth, that exists today is sufficient and accommodate the implementation of the use of space underground for the construction of the Jakarta Mass Rapid Transit (MRT). However, as a step in the future use of underground space, required regulations on the use of space underground in the form of legislation that accommodates all the needs that have not been included in the current rules.

Keywords: Underground Space Utilization, MRT Jakarta, Legal Certainty.


The rapid economic growth in Asia over the past few decades has been accompanied by a dramatic increase in advertising. Today, billions of dollars (US) are spent on mass media advertising in the region all aimed at enticing the burgeoning middle class to consume everything from perfumes to Pentiums. The gradual build-up of multinational business activity has resulted in ideological debates about the role of advertising in development. On the one hand, dependency theorists charge that advertising promotes the consumption of non- essential products, concentrates economic power into the hands of a few large transnational corporations and creates a consumer culture that is damaging to indigenous values. Convergence theorists argue that advertising fuels economic growth and thus helps to diminish the distance between the 'haves' and the 'have nots'. The purpose of this paper is to examine the criticisms of advertising that have accompanied economic growth over the past few decades and to discuss how current trends in economic development in the region are shaping the practice of advertising in Asia. 21 ATTENTION: The Singapore Copyright Act applies to the use of this document. Nanyang Technological University Library


This thesis deals with the question of whether the Swedish Companies Act is adapted to the fast-growing so-called Gazelles, above all from the minimum legal requirements and the flexibility of the law.

The purpose of this thesis is to through an empirical study draw conclusions about whether the decisions of these companies are made by the right corporate bodies and in the right way, and if they are properly documented.

Initially is dealt with the definition of a Gazelle. Next the company bodies role in the decision making is treated. After that follows a review of the board and management work in accordance with the Act, particularly with respect to its minimum requirements and flexibility. This is followed by an account of my empirical studies. Subsequently the empirical material is analyzed in relation to the review of the board and management work according to the Act. Finally, I briefly present the conclusions of my analysis.


Based on the world references in recent ten years and the experiences of the authors,the current status and problems on studies of four properties for traditional Chinese materia medica(TCMM) are analysed.To illustrate the four properties,according to the first law in thermodynamics,biothermodynamics with mathematical status model of enthapy is set up.


Internet Marketing for Financial Planners is your guide to harnessing the internet to get more clients and improve your bottom line. You have an unprecedented opportunity to use the internet to build a prosperous future for your business and get ahead of your competition. This book will show you exactly how to take advantage of the revolution in online marketing. In this book you won't find a bunch of academic ramblings on marketing or a treatise on the internet. What you will find is a supremely practical guide to building a powerful online presence one click at a time.


The results of the vestibular apparatus and cerebellum in orthostatic reflex control are summarized. Mechanisms within the brain which govern circulation reflexes and the consequences of disturbances in their function are also included.


Dear Sir, Multiple glomus tumours are rare and most case reports appear in dermatology journals (Barnes and Estes, 1986; Landthaler et al., 1990; Parsons et al., 1997). A 35 year-old, single man presented to our Hand Unit 15 years ago with multiple bluish periungual lesions (3–5mm in diameter) involving both hands. Similar lesions were also noted in the feet (Fig 1). The lesions were first noted at the age of 15 years and were initially asymptomatic. Clinically, there was only mild point tenderness. There were no other abnormalities and the family history was negative. A clinical diagnosis of multiple glomus tumours was made. Over the last 10 years, the patient has undergone excision of all the hand lesions because of increasing symptoms, but the tumours in the feet have remained asymptomatic. After each of the five surgical procedures, there was complete symptomatic relief with no complications or recurrence. Histopathology examination confirmed the clinical diagnosis of multiple glomus tumours. Love's test (point tenderness) remains to be the most commonly used clinical test for the diagnosis of glomus tumours of the hand. Other clinical tests have been described and include Joseph–Posner's test, the cold water immersion test, Hildreth's test and the transillumination test (Al-Qattan et al., 2005). In addition, plain radiography (to evaluate bone erosion), ultrasonography and MRI may be used pre-operatively, and the latter two have been recommended for the assessment of multiple glomus tumours. These investigations were not done in our patient since the clinical diagnosis was obvious. The basic differences between single and multiple glomus tumours are shown in Table 1. Our case has several unique features when compared to other reported cases of multiple glomus tumours. These include the negative family history, the presence of all the lesions within the digits and the small tumour size. Furthermore, our patient is a native Arab and most reported cases of multiple glomus tumours are from Northern Europe, particularly Scotland. Rudolph (1993) reported on a patient from Scotland with a fivegeneration history of multiple glomus tumours and suspected that several of the published reports deal with branches of the same family. An interesting historical note was that the family tree of affected persons started with a woman who married John Merson. His son George made catgut sutures in Scotland in the early 1900s. The company was later purchased by Johnson and Johnson and was renamed Ethicon, Ltd. Merson's name is memorised in ''Mersiline'' sutures.


DURING the past twenty years the root of Rauwo&a serpentina Benth. has been the subject of extensive chemical and pharmacological investigation1$2. The isolation of the alkaloid, reserpine and its use in psychiatric and hypertensive conditions has stimulated the study of other plants of the same genus. Of the African Rauwo&a species, reserpine has been isolated from R. vomitoria Afz3., R. caffra Sond4. and R. cumminsii S t a ~ f . ~ and extracts of R. mombasiana Stapf. have been shown to have hypotensive propertiesB. R. vomitoria is used commercially and has now largely replaced R. serpentina as a source of reserpine ; its histological structure has been investigated7t8 and a number of non-African species have been similarly s t ~ d i e d ~ ? ~ ~ * l l . As R caffra is a potential African commercial source of reserpine and is of similar geographical distribution to R. vomitoria, it was thought desirable to undertake a histological study of the root and stem; the results are recorded below. R. caffra, one of the largest species of the genus, is a tree 15 to 25 m. high12 with a trunk up to about 120 cm. in diameter. It is of widespread, but not abundant, occurrence in the secondary fringe forest of the high rainfall areas of Central, East and South A f r i ~ a ~ ~ J ~ . The plant has many vernacular names 13915J6 and native tribes have employed it for a wide range of ailments varying from skin rashes to intestinal di~orderP9~5. A number of species of Rauwolfia, originally considered to be distinct1?, are now generally regarded as synonymous with R. caffra. These include R. natalensis Sond.18, R. ochrosioides K. Schum.12, R. inebrians K. Schum., R. obliquinervis Stapf., R. goetzei Stapf.lS, and R. welwitschii Stapf.zO Pichon in his classificationz1 of the genus, has grouped them under Section Afrovolfia. In 1901 Juritz22 demonstrated the presence of a bitter crystalline alkaloid in the bark of R. natalensis. Rind1 and Groenewoudz3 (1932) could not confirm this finding but obtained amorphous alkaloids which they did not characterise and Koepfli14 (1932) isolated a crystalline alkaloid rauwolfine, which had hypotensive activity. Recently Schiiler and Warren4 have isolated reserpine and ajmaline from the root bark and a small quantity of intractable alkaloidal material from the stem bark.


In 2004, an H4N6 subtype avian influenza virus (AIV) was isolated from mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) in Zhalong Nature Reserve of Heilongjiang Province in China. The virus was named A/Mallard/Zhalong/88/04(H4N6) (MZL88/04). In this study, eight gene segments of MZL88/04 were amplified by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequence homology and phylogenetic relationships were determined between MZL88/04 and other H4N6 subtype isolates. Isolate MZL88/04 was classified into the Eurasian lineage, and was closely related to isolates from Nanchang, indicating close evolutionary relationships between the genes studied. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an H4N6 subtype AIV strain isolated from wild birds in the mainland of China.


Talent management is the core functional unit of an organization, and In order to enhance the productive performance of employees, talent management uses human resource planning to achieve this goal. To make them a part of talent management and strategic workforce planning, efforts have been made to retain, develop, attract, and reward employees. Talent management can lead to higher level performance and satisfaction of employees' instead of being a process of hiring; reinforcing and evaluating the aptitude. Keeping in mind the necessity of talent management, this paper analyzes probable scenarios of talent management practices in public sector banks and how these practices, in turn, improve bank employees' performance. Furthermore, it examined how talent management practices could influence the employees' satisfaction in Indian public sector banks. This research paper puts forward a set of valid hypotheses that talent management practices affect employee performance and satisfaction. This paper seeks to confirm these hypotheses on a survey based on data collected from the employees of the public sector banks in the Indian state of Rajasthan. The study will tender to the talent management literature by pondering how talent management practices affect the organizational outcomes, such as employee satisfaction and performance.


I examine the effects of the Jumpstart Our Businesses Startups (JOBS) Act on initial public offering (IPO) pricing using a sample of 546 emerging growth companies (EGCs) that went public between April 5, 2012 and December 31, 2016. The objective of this study is to examine how de-risking and de-burdening provisions affect the IPO pricing process. De-risking provisions decrease the IPO risks for the issuer, whereas de-burdening provisions ease mandatory reporting and disclosure requirements. I find evidence that the JOBS Act increases the pricing accuracy of the initial price range. This result is driven by de-risking provisions that allow the underwriter to exchange information with investors in the pre-filing period. Also, I provide evidence that the JOBS Act increases the initial return. This finding is attributable to increased information uncertainty stemming from de-burdening provisions. The results of the initial return increase confirm previous research, whereas I am the first to address the effect of the JOBS Act on the offer price revision. As a result, this study is the first to provide a complete perspective on the effects of de-risking and de-burdening provisions on IPO pricing.


This paper discusses the rate distortion optimization (RDO) issue in the scalable video coding. It is different from that in the non-scalable video coding because a scalable codec usually presents the decoded video within a certain range of the quality, frame rate and resolution. Therefore, this paper first analyzes the problem from a general model and gives a common description by the Lagrangian formula. Secondly, an algorithm is proposed to solve the above optimization problem at a specific scalable codec: the H.26L-based PFGS. At the same time, two analytic formulae are derived to ascertain the parameters /spl lambda/ in this algorithm. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm significantly improves the coding efficiency of the H.26L-based PFGS. Further studies on this problem will be quite significant and challenging.


As adolescent pregnancy becomes more prevalent and funds for social programs diminish, the need to define the parameters of successful educational programs for pregnant teens becomes clear. This dissertation evaluated four pro grams to determine the effect of centralization of instruc tion and the length of time a student spent in her program on self-concept, vocational awareness, academic achievement, attendance and return to regularly assigned school. The researcher administered the Piers-Harris SelfConcept Scale and the Holland Self-Directed Search to 125 female students. Data were also gathered from school records on the remaining variables. Qualitative data were gathered to supplement quantitative data. Interviews were conducted with program personnel and administrators, and with randomly selected students and their families. Based on the quantitative data, a homogeneous group of teenagers emerged. Student-mothers had mothers who them selves had children young and without the ongoing support of their male partners. Many students had older family members in the same situation. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. The qualitative data permitted a weak conclusion that the centralized program linked to other community agencies offered a superior program of continuing education to preg nant teens. The program occupied a single-story facility unshared with any unrelated activity. Federal breakfast and lunch programs were available. Business and homemaking classes were held at the school rather than at a distant site. Infant day care was available at the school. A serendipitous finding concerned the correlation between one factor score and the total self-concept. For this sample of pregnant teens, a high positive correlation (r = .8068) was found between the 12-item anxiety factor and the total self-concept. Further research is in progress to determine if this correlation holds true for both sexes and all ages. If so, school personnel would have a brief, easily-administered indicator of possible self-concept


In this work, zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles were applied as solid catalysts for studying a glycolysis reaction of disposal PET plastic bottles. The effects of temperature, time and concentration of ethylene glycol and ZnO catalyst on % conversion and % yield of Bis(2-Hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (BHET) product were investigated. The chemical structures of the product were confirmed using melting point, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance ( 1 H-NMR) analysis. The glycolysis product was applied with a different ratio of isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) and polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG 400 ) for the synthesis of polyurethane (PU). The results revealed the optimal condition for the glycolysis, which was conducted at 200 o C for 2 h with the ratio of PET: EG of 1:5 in the presence of 1% wt catalyst to obtain the BHET of about 60% yield. The addition of BHET into PU formulations was to increase their molecular weight, hardness and glass transition temperature ( T g ) of prepared PU. This research reveals the possibility of using ZnO nanoparticles as the glycolysis catalysts, and the application of the glycolysis product as an alternative method for reducing plastic waste and preserving the environment.


In millimeter wave (mmWave) massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems, hybrid beamforming structure can be used to improve spectral efficiency by utilizing less radio-frequency (RF) chains. In this paper, we consider the downlink communication of a mmWave massive MIMO system and propose a novel hybrid beamforming algorithm based on extended block diagonalization (BD) and equal gain transmission (EGT) method with near optimal performance and low complexity. At the RF analog domain, we harvest the large array gain by using the EGT method and discrete Fourier transform (DFT) matrix. At the baseband digital domain, the extended BD algorithm is performed. The extended BD algorithm considers both the interference null space as well as the characteristic of the user's signal space while the traditional BD algorithm only considers the interference null space. Then we also analyze the performance of the proposed algorithm in different channel models. According to the simulation results, we find that the proposed algorithm performs well both in sparse channels and Rayleigh channels. To the best of author's knowledge, the performance of the proposed algorithm is better than other low complexity hybrid beamforming algorithms.


Objective To evaluate the relationship between the melanocortin receptor 1 gene(MC1R) and hair color by comparing the single nucleotide polymorphism(SNP)of human with black hair and those with no-black hair.Methods DNA extracted from specimens of human with black and no-black hair were analyzed and sequenced.Results MC1R gene contains 4 SNP points,and the distribution of T176G was T=0.758,G=0.242 in black group and T=0.817,G=0.183 in no-black group.And the distribution of G274A was A=0.25,G=0.75 in black group and A=0.183,G=0.817 in no-black group.And the distribution of G488A was A=0.675,G=0.325 in black group and A=0.758,G=0.242 in no-black group.And the distribution of A942G was A=0.9,G=0.1 in black group and A=0.933,G=0.067 in no-black group.There were no statistically significant differences in the 4 SNP of MC1R gene between the black and no-black hair people.Conclusion There is no relationship between SNP of MC1R gene and hair color.


Tumours of the skin and subcutaneous tissues account for approximately one-third of tumours in dogs and one-quarter of tumours in cats. This chapter deals with approach to the patient, solitary skin tumours; epithelial tumours; mesenchymal tumours; round cell tumours; melanocytic tumours; mast cell tumours; multifocal neoplastic skin disease.


This paper tries to characterize broadly the process of economic change in China during the century of disturbance which ended with the collapse of the Ch'ing dynasty in 1911. In approaching this task we focus particularly upon the factors that retarded growth. In order to gain perspective upon this century of economic transformation in China and place it in the context of world economic development, we first outline briefly and schematically several paths which industrialization has followed since 1750 in different parts of the world.


This chapter shows how to deconstruct gender and race constructions in a range of popular media texts, and then how to reconstruct gender and race in positive ways in the classroom.


Highlights

 The static friction coefficient and rolling friction coefficient of oat seeds were calibrated by the discrete element method.

 Two representative oat varieties were selected.

 The hollow cylinder method and sidewall collapse method were used together to reduce the test error.

 Abstract
 . Hulless and shelled oat are two types of oat with major differences in physical appearance. To study the contact parameters between the two different oat seed types, these parameters were delineated with the discrete element method and graphic image processing technology. Using plexiglass as the contact material, the experiments used two different angle of repose measurement methods—hollow cylinder and collapse sidewall devices, to perform bench and simulation experiments on the two different oats. Under different measurement methods, bench experiments measured the angles of repose of the two oat seed types at 33.19°, 33.82° and 22.45°, 23.57°; the static friction coefficient and rolling friction coefficient were the experimental factors, and the angle of repose was the experimental indicator in the simulation. The steepest climbing experiment determined the optimal range of the experimental factor, and the regression equation between the static friction coefficient, rolling friction coefficient and angle of repose was established by a quadratic orthogonal rotation combination experiment. Finally, the angles of repose measured by the bench experiment with the two different measurement methods were treated as target values, the coefficient of static friction and the coefficient of rolling friction were solved; the coefficient of static friction between hulless oats was 0.36, and the coefficient of rolling friction between hulless oats was 0.052; the coefficient of static friction between shelled oats was 0.24, and the coefficient of rolling friction between shelled oats was 0.036. The obtained contact parameters between seeds were input into EDEM, the simulation and bench experiment results were verified. The difference between the simulation results and the actual values was within 3%. The angle of repose of oats after calibration was close to the actual situation, and the calibration results had high reliability and provided a referencefor the measurement of contact parameters between other agricultural crop seeds. Keywords: Calibration, Contact parameters, Discrete element method, Oat.


OBJECTIVE: To assess the presence and magnitude of non-ataxia neurologic symptoms in spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) and their contribution to gait dysfunction. BACKGROUND: SCAs are complex and heterogeneous neurodegenerative diseases. While SCAs are characterized by ataxia, they also include non-ataxic symptoms. The presence and magnitude of these symptoms, and the degree to which non-ataxic symptoms contribute to gait dysfunction in SCAs, are not well known. DESIGN/METHODS: 26 patients with SCA were rated using the SARA (Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia), and received general neurological examinations from movement disorders and neuromuscular experts. Eighteen patients received nerve conduction studies (NCS). No patients were diabetic or abused alcohol, and there were no known patients with vitamin deficiencies or comorbid conditions that would cause gait dysfunction. RESULTS: Diagnoses of participants were as follows: SCA1=1, SCA2=2, SCA3=5, SCA6=2, SCA7=1, SCA13=1, SCA14=1; sporadic SCA=13. Moderate impairment was noted with gait and balance (=9.90 (3% of maximum possible), speech (=1.46 (37% of maximum possible), limb coordination (=10.44 (39% of maximum possible) and spasticity (=1.92 (24% of maximum possible). Mild to moderate lower limb spasticity was noted in 81% of patients. Decreased lower limb vibratory sensation was noted in 58% (15 of 26) of patients. NCS was suggestive or showed evidence of peripheral neuropathy in the vast majority of these patients (83%). Thirty percent of patients had mild lower extremity weakness. Worsening symptoms of spasticity, weakness, vibratory and position sense, and pin sensibility were strongly correlated with higher 259 walk times (r=0.57) and the SARA total score (r=0.54). CONCLUSIONS: Non-ataxia symptoms, including spasticity, sensory,and motor dysfunction contribute to gait dysfunction in SCAs. Patients should be assessed in a systematic fashion to identify these symptoms. Further research is needed to determine the impact of treating non-ataxic symptoms on the overall function of patients with ataxia. Disclosure: Dr. Vu has nothing to disclose. Dr. Sullivan has nothing to disclose. Dr. Shaw has nothing to disclose. Dr. Jahan has nothing to disclose. Dr. Allison has nothing to disclose. Dr. Staffetti has nothing to disclose. Dr. Gooch has received personal compensation for activities with NeuralStem, and Baxter Pharmaceuticas. Dr. Gooch has received research support from Baxter Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Greenstein has nothing to disclose. Dr. Zesiewicz has received personal compensation for activities with Teva Neuroscience, GE, ProCE, and UCB Pharma as a speaker. Dr. Zesiewicz has received research support from Friedreich9s Ataxia Research Alliance, Allon Pharmaceuticals, GlaxoSmithKline, Inc. and UCB Pharma. Dr. Zesiewicz has received research support from Friedreich9s Ataxia Research Alliance.


Lifelong education, a relatively new area of discourse and practice, has been influenced by the extensive history and experience of traditional school education. However, lifelong education has recently developed its own distinct language and practices, distinguishing itself from traditional school education. This study focuses on the paradigm issue of socialization in lifelong education and contributes to its redefinition through a de-socialization perspective. The researcher completed three specific tasks to achieve this objective. First, the consequences of education-related ideas of postmodern philosophers, such as G. Deleuze and J. Ranciere, on the meaning of lifelong education were examined. Based on this analysis, the researcher insists on the need to distinguish between education and socialization, examine the relationship between education and learning, and critically examine the role of teachers. These tasks are necessary in order to redefine the meaning of lifelong education. In this study, the researcher proposes departing from discourses and practices that infantilize adult learners, and, instead, advocates for redefining lifelong education with a focus on cultivating adult learners' self-identification, such as saying, "I am a painter!" through the development of sensitivity, rather than aiming solely for their mastery of creating masterpieces.


Training in the responsible conduct of research (RCR) is mandated for select trainees supported by federal funds. RCR Instructors typically address standards and accepted practices for the planning, conduct and reporting of academic research. While this focus may be relevant to future academic scientists, the majority of science graduate students pursue careers in non-academic employment sectors (e.g., government, non-profit, industry). The ethical and regulatory conventions, norms and expectations of the academic setting may not always transfer to other work environments. As such, educators should focus less on answering specific questions about standards and practices in academia, and instead design ethics education to actively engage students in a learning process that prepares them with the skills to identify and navigate ethical dimensions in a wide range of possible science professions. This paper introduces the principles of andragogy and provides recommendations for educators to consider when designing research ethics education for graduate students seeking cross-sector science careers. By applying principles that resonate with adult learning and integrating strategies that promote self-directed and life-long learning (e.g., reflective practice and collaborative projects), professional and research ethics instructional effectiveness may be enhanced. Introduction Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training is provided to students and postdoctoral trainees at academic institutions throughout the United States, primarily in response to federal funding requirements (NIH 1992; NIH 2009; NSF 2009). Core areas of instruction associated with RCR training (e.g., data management, conflict of interest, authorship, research subject protections) were initially identified by the National Institutes of Health (NIH 1992) and, later by the Public Health Service (PHS 2000). While subject matter areas were identified, the NIH did not present a prescriptive plan or establish standards for training; leaving the scope of RCR training open to the discretion of each institution. As a result, RCR educational initiatives have emerged over the past quarter century with diverse goals, content and instructional approaches (Kalichman & Plemmons 2007; DuBois et al. 2010; Mastroianni & Kahn 1999).


This work initiates the path of quadrotor design and control, which had been focused on lately by plenty of researches, linear and non-linear models have been attributed to perform full control of quadrotor with unmanned processing and even environment mapping. As a demonstration, a model of quadrotor has been developed, considering Newton Euler formalism for this paper, and then a PID correction was tuned to assure the desired performance after considering first order linearization for the hovering mode. Simulation was manipulated within MATLAB® Simulink environment, for which results can be observable for many controlling approaches and with variety of parameters ranging in order to get a better design perspective. Further studies on trajectory planning control would use this control approach as inner control loop for attitude stabilization.


ABSTRACT This article argues that the environmental humanities are crucial to creating a sustainable future because issues of culture, values, memory and the imagination are highly pertinent to environmental management and sustainable practices. The article briefly discusses the history of conflict at Spurn Point in the United Kingdom and provides a case study of Ian McMillan's long poem 'East Coast Memories: A Spurn Meditation.' Focussing on the poem's presentation of place, person and social sphere as being intricately connected, this article argues that the poem provides insights into the values and memories of the people associated with Spurn and the deep connections between humans and landscapes that are formed and transformed along with the landscape itself. The poem reflects on mechanisms that are at the heart of the conflicts that have marked Spurn's management for decades and the article asserts that understanding these can facilitate better practices of conservation.


This paper attempts to provide an explanation about the concept of "Adam's state" put forward by Walter Benjamin according to his theological thinking. Adam's state is divided into Adam's paradise state in the garden of Eden and Adam's secular state after his fall. As the origin of human beings, paradise state is a harmonious, unified and perfect heaven state. The secular state is the broken exile life of mankind after Adam's fall. The paradise state is the metaphysical basis of Benjamin's philosophy of language, while the secular state is the background where Benjamin's philosophy presents the fragmentary characteristics and points to the doctrine of redemption. Benjamin's Adam state is not only an important content of Benjamin's theology, but also one of the important logical dark lines of Benjamin's thought.


The objective of this paper was to compare between the effects of two production packages on the applied irrigation amount, crop yield and soil organic matter contents as indicators of the existence soil loss under surface irrigation. These packages were: farmer practices (FP, resulted in application of large amount of irrigation water), which applied to wheat and sunflower and improved management practices (IMP, reduced the applied irrigation water), where pea and cowpea intercropped with wheat and sunflower, respectively. The results indicated that using the IMP resulted in irrigation water saving by 23 and 22% and yield increase by 13 and 14% for wheat monoculture and intercropped, respectively compared to the FP. Similarly, the water saving for sole and intercropped sunflower was 21 and 20% and yield increase was 11 and 17%, respectively when IMP was implemented. Soil organic content was increased after the fourth growing season by 11%, when intercropping systems were implemented, compared zero-time. Land equivalent ratio values were 1.37 and 1.53 for wheat and sunflower intercropping systems averaged over the two season. In conclusion, using raised beds and intercropping systems in IMP package reduce applied water can be useful in reducing soil loss under surface irrigation practice.


We study the ability of different meshfree methods for modeling fracture problems. Since our final goal is modeling dynamic fracture, we limit our studies to the most popular methods in this field, that is, the material point method (MPM), smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) and element-free Galerkin (EFG) method. We demonstrate through several examples that Eulerian kernel formulation are not capable of modeling fracture correctly. Moreover, we show that it is not true that for such formulations fracture occurs naturally without any special treatment as often claimed in the literature. Moreover, we show the influence of several fracture criteria and post-localization models on the accuracy of the results.


The absorption spectra, emission spectra (from 90 to 350 K), luminescence lifetimes (from 90 to 350 K), luminescence quantum yields, luminescence quenching by dioxygen, photochemical behavior, and redox potentials of a caged (4) and a hemicaged (3) Ru(II)-polypyridine complex have been studied and compared with those of the parent compounds Ru(bpy){sub 3}{sup 2+} (1) and Ru(5,5{prime}-(EtO{sub 2}C){sub 2}-bpy){sub 3}{sup 2+} (2) (bpy = 2,2{prime}-bipyridine). A linear correlation between the spectroscopic and electrochemical energies is observed for the 4 complexes. The luminescence lifetimes of 2 (0.57 {mu}s) and 3 (1.9 {mu}s) are shorter than those of 1 (4.8 {mu}s) and 4 (4.8 {mu}s) in nitrile rigid matrix at 90 K and are much more affected by the melting of the matrix (110-150 K). For T > 150 K (i.e., in fluid solution), the luminescence lifetimes of 2 and 3 (0.09 and 0.45 {mu}s) do not change up to 350 K, in contrast with the well-known behavior of 1, where a radiationless activated process with high-frequency factor (A {approximately} 10{sup 14} s{sup {minus}1}) and large activation energy ({Delta}E {approximately} 4,000 cm{sup {minus}1}) reduces the excited-state lifetime to 0.80 {mu}s at room temperature. The caged complex 4 exhibits a less important radiationless activatedmore » process (A {approximately} 10{sup 10} s{sup {minus}1}, {Delta}E {approximately} 2,700 cm{sup {minus}1}) and maintains a longer lifetime (1.7 {mu}) at room temperature. In CH{sub 2}Cl{sub 2} solution containing 0.01 M Cl{sup {minus}}, Ru(bpy){sub 3}(PF{sub 6}){sub 2} undergoes a photodecomposition reaction with {Phi}{sub p} = 0.017, whereas the PF{sub 6}{sup {minus}} salts of 2-4 are photoinert ({Phi}{sub p} {<=} 10{sup {minus}6} for 4). The rate constant for the dioxygen quenching of the luminescent excited state of 4 is ca. 5 times smaller than that of 1. A comparative discussion of the properties of the four complexes is presented.« less


Abstract In the partially depleted (PD) SOI NMOSFET device, the floating body effect emerges due to the accumulation of excess holes in the neutral substrate region. The floating body effect will cause the current curve of kink effect in the saturation region. In this paper, we have discussed the kink effect in different situations and the branchcut method was used to separate the current component into two parts: (1) the parasitic BJT current, (2) the channel current, respectively. Then we find three different cases to analyze: (1) the body effect, (2) the parasitic BJT effect, (3) the combination effect. Furthermore, the partially covered oxide structure is used to suppress the parasitic BJT current without influencing the body effect. It can be proved that the kink effect has two different stages, the first kink effect and the second kink effect, respectively.


1. History and the future 2. Thucydides and Clausewitz 3. Clausewitz out, computers in, military culture and technological hubris 4. Changing the principles of war 5. Military culture does matter 6. History and strategic planning, from Rome to 1945 7. Thoughts on red teaming 8. The distant framework of war 9. The problem of German military effectiveness, 1900-45 10. Reflections on the combined bomber offensive 11. The air war in the Gulf, the limits of air power 12. Thoughts on British intelligence in WWII and the implications for intelligence in the twenty-first century 13. The meaning of World War II.


This article examines gender gaps in academic performance (grades in mathematics and reading) between boys and girls of ninth-grade elementary schools in the Czech Republic. Our analysis is based on 2003 data from the Programme for International Student Assessment, encompassing the academic performance and family background of ninth-grade pupils. Similar to research on other countries, we find that girls strongly outperform boys in grades in Czech language, but that this gender gap is not explained by measured ability in reading nor on family background or student attributes. We also find gender bias in mathematics grades, after controlling for measured ability and other factors. Girls are also substantially more likely than boys to apply to secondary grammar schools, as well as aspire to a college education, even after controlling for measured ability. We put forward a number of theoretical perspectives that shed light on the possible causes of these empirical findings.


Abstract: Subthalamic and globus pallidus neurons of the basal ganglia exhibit intrinsic oscillations with moderate (in vitro) to high (in vivo) interspike interval variability. The spike response and the variability play central role in the functional behavior of the basal ganglia network in Parkinson's disease. The shape of the phase response curves (PRCs), i.e. the relative magnitude and the phase dependent slope, measured from these neurons can be related to the output spike variability, firing rates, and eventually the incoherent network behavior. The shape parameters also determine the nature of the average input synaptic current and the event times of the synaptic input preceding the spike response. We determined numerically the output responses and the reverse correlations of one-compartment model neurons based on the Hodgkin-Huxley equations and its variations that exhibit both type-1 and type-2 PRCs. We test the regimes of both weak and non-weak synaptic input assumptions. Realistic synaptic time constants and reversal potentials are used to examine the role of the relative magnitudes and decay time constants of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic input on the output variability and the reverse correlations. Type-1 PRC neurons exhibited reduction of firing rate with increasing inhibition. Such reduction is nearly linear when strong excitation is present. In the presence Abstract Print View http://www.abstractsonline.com/Plan/AbstractPrintView.aspx?...


The embodiment of the invention discloses a method of reporting feedback information, which comprises the following steps: user equipment UE reports channel quality indicator CQI feedback value to a base station, the CQI feedback value is carried by enhanced specialized transmission channel media access control protocol data unit MAC-i PDU or high speed downlink shared channel specialized physical control channel HS-DPCCH. By the embodiment of the invention and the CQI feedback value carried by MAC-i PDU or HS-DPCCH and reported to the base station by UE, the CQI feedback value can be rapidly and directly reach the base station, thereby saving the processing resources of RNC and transmission resources of IUB port and the base station can timely and accurately determine downlink modulation coding mode and transmitting power according to the CQI feedback value.


Electrons backstreaming into Earth's foreshock generate waves near the plasma frequency fp by the beam instability. Two versions of the beam instability exist: the "reactive" version, in which narrow-band waves grow by bunching the electrons in space, and the "kinetic" version, in which broadband growth occurs by a maser mechanism. Recently, it has been suggested that (1) the backstreaming electrons have steep-sided "cutoff" distributions which are initially unstable to the reactive instability, (2) the back reaction to the wave growth causes the instability to pass into its kinetic phase, and (3) the kinetic instability saturates by quasi-linear relaxation. In this paper we present two-dimensional simulations of the reactive instability for Maxwellian beams and cutoff distributions. The results of the simulations are consistent with suggestions 1 and 2 above; suggestion 3 is not addressed here. We demonstrate that the reactive instability is a bunching instability and that the reactive instability saturates and passes over into the kinetic phase by particle trapping. A reactive/kinetic transition is shown to most likely occur within 1 km and 50 km of the bow shock. We suggest that the frequency of the intense narrow-band waves decrease from above fp to perhaps 0.9 fp (dependent on the beam density) with increasing penetration into the high beam speed region (υb/Ve > 10) of the foreshock, before the wave frequency rises again as the waves become broadband deeper in the foreshock. Both the simulation results and numerical solutions of the dispersion equation indicate that for the observed beam parameters the center frequency of the waves near the foreshock boundary should be between 0.9 fp and 0.98 fp, rather than above fp as previously believed. The simulation results indicate that the effects of spatial inhomogeneity are vital for a quantitative understanding of the foreshock waves.


Medicine has disciplines, and Thrombosis and Hemostasis is one of them. Unlike other disciplines, Thrombosis and Hemostasis has many houses. In many institutions, Thrombosis and Hemostasis was traditionally part of Hematology, whereas in other centers, the thrombosis side would have been dealt with by cardiologists, within the subspecialty of Angiology. In some places, the more recently created subspecialty of Vascular Medicine deals exclusively with the thrombotic aspect, whereas hereditary and acquired bleeding disorders have remained in Hematology. In other places still, Vascular Medicine includes both thrombotic and bleeding disorders, which, if anything, matches the idea of the thrombohemorrhagic balance, where too little of a clotting factor makes a patient bleed, and too much leads to pathologic thrombus formation. Whereas few centers have independent departments of Thrombosis and Hemostasis, sections or subdivisions are often found, sometimes as part of Hematology and sometimes as part of Internal Medicine. And of course, in clinical practice, many aspects of thrombosis and hemostasis are dealt with by other specialists, such as bleeding by surgeons, thrombosis prophylaxis by orthopedic specialists, and recurrent miscarriage by gynecologists. So, we are everywhere and nowhere. Our discipline has sprouted from laboratory medicine, with the identification and characterization of coagulation factors, and the subsequent standardization of their measurement. Over the last few decades, a thrombosis and hemostasis expert has come out of the mist, and a clinical discipline is emerging with consensus as to what the field is and as to what competencies belong there. Recently, the ISTH has taken the initiative to develop a listing of what a specialist in Thrombosis and Hemostasis should know and should be able to do. The core competencies of this clinician are neatly summarized in the Core Curriculum article published in this issue of the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis. A form of crowd intelligence was used to produce this Core Curriculum; that is, members of the ISTH were asked to rate the importance of a large list of competencies. These refer to what an individual should know or is able to do, rather than learning aims, which one usually sees in academic curricula or courses as organized by the ISTH. The rationale for using competencies is that these refer only to the result of education, not the process, and hence can be applied across regions and countries, which may differ widely in how individuals reach these competencies. In essence, the process came down to a working group from across the globe that compiled a list of potential competencies, and a subsequent survey of ISTH members and others in the field known to the ISTH (e.g. recent meeting attendants). They were asked to rate each item on a scale that distinguished between the competencies that one did not even need to be familiar with, those that one should be familiar with or be able to teach, and those that one should be able to actively carry out. After a long process of reviewing, and obtaining views from experts and pilot studies, 143 items were included in the final survey. This survey was sent to approximately 15 000 individuals, of whom 644 sent it back. This response rate is low, but not for these types of study, and in contrast to surveys aimed at medical research questions, it does not seem likely to have biased the results. Perhaps the most remarkable finding of the survey is that respondents, be they clinicians or non-clinicians, senior or junior, or from Europe or elsewhere, agreed, to a high extent, on the ranking of the competencies that were relevant and those that were not. So, although we may dwell in different houses under different names, we generally agree on what we should know and do. The detailed description of the competencies can be read in the article, which concludes that the Core Curriculum consists of 60 competencies that a specialist in thrombosis and hemostasis should be able to do, 55 that they should be able to teach, and 28 that they should know how to do. How to go further with this Core Curriculum? First, the ISTH will tie its educational programs to it. Second, those responsible for national and regional training programs may choose to make it part of the portfolio for specialists in training or postgraduate programs. Finally, the ISTH could decide to offer examinations and award certificates that could be incorporated in the licensing procedures in various places, be a valuable part of a curriculum vitae, or improve a vanity wall in a doctor's office.


Abstract Introduction: Children living in residential care centers are a vulnerable population and have a lower Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL). This study explored a yoga exercise program on HRQOL in children living in residential care centers. Methods: In this quasi-experimental, one group before-after study with time series design, all children aged 8 to 13 years, who qualified for the inclusion criteria and were living in governmental residential care centers of Isfarayen were selected, using the census method. The participants took part in yoga classes for 8 weeks. The HRQOL was assessed using Kids Screen Health-related Quality of Life Questionnaire (KS-HRQOLQ). The gleaned data were analyzed with SPSS21 using repeated measurements analysis. Results: Changes in the total score of HRQOL obtained in five measurements were not statistically significant (P = 0.270). Variations in the score of HRQOL in the dimensions of "mental well-being", "the relations with parents and self-autonomy", "social support and peers", and "school environment" were not significant before to one month after completion of interventions (P = 0.29, P = 0.67, P = 0.16, P = 0.50, respectively). For the physical well-being dimension, the changes were significant frombefore to immediately after completion of interventions (P = 0.013). Changes were not significant in the presence of personal and demographic variables (P = 0.45, P > 0.05). Conclusions: This study indicated that yoga increases life quality only in the physical well-being dimension. Given that life quality reflects the wishes, expectations, and hopes of children and teenagers in relation to their present and future life and this feeling is time-related, culture-dependent, and context-oriented, it appears that life conditions of children in the current study and chronic continuous tension present in residential care centers probably made the effects of yoga different.


Introduction and purpose: Our aim was to determine a morphometric relation between the long head of the brachial biceps and the bicipital groove with respect to the subscapular tendon, and its repercussion on functional imbalance of the shoulder. Materials and methods: For this analytical observational crossover study we took a sample of 30 right-handed, sedentary, duly informed male subjects. The morphometric study was carried out with ultrasonography using a cross-section of the long head of the brachial biceps. Results: In the dominant limb: 1. Bicipital groove (depth 2.6 mm, width 13.4 mm, internal angle 149.8°); 2. Long head of the brachial biceps (area 1.35 mm, internal angle 152.53°, echogenicity 97.95); 3. Subscapular thickness 4.53 mm. In the non-dominant limb: 1. Bicipital groove (depth 2.9 mm, width 12.5 mm, internal angle 145.73°); 2. Long head of the brachial biceps (area 1.07 mm, internal angle 141.32°, echogenicity 112.72); 3. Subscapular thickness 4.12 mm. Conclusions: The greater the thickness of the subscapular tendon: 1. Bicipital groove (greater width and internal angle, less echogenicity and depth); 2. Long head of the brachial biceps (greater area and internal angle, less echogenicity). Therefore, there is a greater risk of dislocation of the long head of the brachial biceps and functional instability of the shoulder.


The study of the expression of genes involved in obesity‐related disorders has been promising for a better understanding of the links between components of the metabolic syndrome.


The radiotherapy treatment planning requires the delineation of the therapy structures that will be submitted to the radiation beams. When executed manually, this delineation is a slow process and can result in human errors due to the amount of X-ray computed tomography (CT) images that are analyzed in each radiotherapy planning. This process needs precision, minimizing the radiation on healthy areas, close to the target tissues. A new system for automatic segmentation of images of clinical structures is proposed in this work. The algorithm is based on multi-region growing followed by the watershed transform. The main contributions are the method of seed pixel selection and predicate of the multi-region growing algorithm and the segmentation results achieved. The system was tested in 400 images and its efficiency was measured by two different statistical methods, correlation and the t-test. The clinical structures of interest are the rectum, bladder and seminal vesicles.


Hicks's book Lesbian, Gay and Queer Parenting: Families, Intimacies, Genealogies is a far-reaching erudite exploration of the field of gay, lesbian, bisexual and queer (GLBQ) family relationships and social policy on adoption and fostering. The blurb on the back cover had enticed me into the book with the promise of "original research," yet some of the data cited were from original interviews or re-interviews with participants from Stephen Hicks's earlier projects on lesbian and gay fostering and adoption (see Hicks & McDermott, 1999). However, in his previous reports Hicks had remained closer to findings relevant to adoption and fostering. In Lesbian, Gay and Queer Parenting: Families, Intimacies, Genealogies Hicks has pushed his ethnomethodological analyses further in exploring longer extracts from particular interviews and juxtaposing findings to come up with new insights into how family is performed by lesbian and gay parents and how family is policed by social workers and other professionals. In particular, the luxury of authoring this new book has enabled Hicks to explore how discourses of gender and race intersect with those of parental sexual identity to investigate how parents and professionals juggle presentation of queer identities in relation to cultural demands to tick and reproduce particular criteria in the competition for adoptive parenthood. For instance, in retelling Nita and Clare's story as a mixed-race couple seeking to adopt, Hicks has reconsidered markers of ethnicity and how these markers serve to prevent this lesbian couple adopting. When social workers pursue adoptive parent-child matches on ethnicity alone a monocultural trope may overshadow the greater need of many children in care to embrace diversity. In presenting Mark's story as a single gay adoptive parent, Hicks has highlighted aspects of Mark's account that indicate heteronormative assumptions about gender role identities: the need for children to have access to the purportedly distinct parenting skills of men and women. In addition, Hicks has pointed to the complexities entailed in creating an authentic narrative for the single non-heterosexual parent without the visibility of a couple relationship.


The numerical simulation of the detonation of a high explosive (HE) is difficult for traditional grid based methods due to the mesh distortion. Smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method,as a Lagrangian particle method,is a best candidate method to solve this kind of problem. Modified SPH method presented by the authors with fully variable smoothing length corrects the variable smoothing length effects of standard SPH method in essence,and improves the simulation precision and stability in the large density gradient problem. 1D TNT slab detonation and 3D TNT shaped charge were simulated with the new method and compared with the standard SPH method and theoretical value. The results show that the new SPH method improves the precision and computes the CJ value more correctly. With the numerical simulation for detonation process of the 3D TNT shaped charge,the properties and the rule of the gaseous detonation products were obtained. The results accord with the explosion theoretical value.


It is common knowledge that once the colon bacillus leaves its normal habitat it sets up inflammation and causes acute or chronic disease in different organs. The two most frequent locations for such disease are the biliary and the urinary tract. In the urinary tract the colon bacillus finds an environment that is favorable for its growth. It would appear that the factors which permit the survival and growth of the colon bacillus in the urinary tract are (1) conditions which cause stasis of the urine and (2) the chemical composition and reaction of the urine. In the treatment of such infections of the urinary tract two methods are in general use: (1) those which relieve conditions that favor stasis of urine and (2) those which change the reaction and chemical composition of the urine so that the organisms have difficulty in surviving. To relieve stasis, obstructions to the free


Atomic structure on the 1-2 nm scale, often referred to as "medium-range order" (MRO), is of great importance for understanding the properties of disordered materials. It is, however, difficult to adequately characterize medium-range order. Fluctuation microscopy is a newly developed TEM technique that has successfully been employed to characterize MRO in amorphous semiconductors. The predominance of highly directional covalent bonds leads naturally to the presence of MRO in amorphous semiconductors. For metallic glasses, however, the bonding is primarily metallic and nondirectional. Thus, it is not readily apparent whether MRO would exist, or whether fluctuation microscopy is a useful tool for studying the structure of metallic glasses. in this work we report the use of fluctuation microscopy to identify differing degrees of MRO in Zr-based bulk metallic glasses; the MRO depends on the alloy content and the method of TEM specimen preparation.


The aluminum electrolysis cell is the most important equipment in electrolytic process, which has many types of fault and high occurrence rate. So, it is a high energy consumption process and the process control is very difficult, which reduce the production and quality of the aluminum and waste a lot of electricity energy. Therefore, this paper proposes an equipment fault diagnosis method based on modified output feedback wavelet Elman neural network. This fault diagnosis model adopts wavelet function, with wavelet expansion coefficient and translation coefficient, which results in the guarantee of the speed and accuracy, avoiding falling into local optimal values, and improving the rate of fault diagnosis. Simulation results prove the effectiveness of this method.


This paper examines the iconolographical origin of Johannes Sambucus' emblem dedicated to Carlo Sigonio, which – according to its title – displays the difference between grammar, dialectics, rhetoric and history. I focus on the central female figure whose innocent nudity represents the truth and whose connection with the ideal historiography standing – balancing together with Dialectics and Rhetoric – on the head of the young virgin Grammar. The special relationship between History and naked truth also defines its symbolic connection with the costumes of the other two figures: Dialectics in rough working clothes and Rhetoric in her long luxury dress. Three symbolic animals also belong to the three female figures: a sphinx to Dialectics, a chimera to Rhetoric and a winged dog to History. Contextual examination of the emblem reveals the possible source of the strange winged dog symbol is Plutarch's short story of Osiris and Isis. In addition, the paper draws attention to an ironic twist of History in connection with Carlo Sigonio that shows that its nudity is not always so innocent.


In an era where the customer has the power, creating not only usable but also satisfiable systems and applications is of importance. However, research shows that software development practices do n ...


Inter-prediction creates a prediction model from one or more previously encoded video frames or fields using block-based motion compensation.This kind of prediction tries to take advantage from temporal redundancy between neighboring frames allowing to achieve higher compression rates,gives the basic predictors adopted in interframe encoding process.


Fecundity of the American eel, Anguilla rostrata, was estimated from 21 specimens migrating from Chesapeake Bay during November 1970. The relationship between total length and fecundity is log y = −4.29514 + 3.74418 log x where y is fecundity and x is total length (mm) and between total weight and fecundity is log y = 3.22990 + 1.1157 log x where y is fecundity and x is total weight (g). Gonadal condition was described statistically and histologically. Specimens migrating from Chesapeake Bay are more sexually mature than either American eels migrating from Canadian waters or European eels, Anguilla anguilla, migrating from Europe. The significance of these findings with regard to Tucker's hypothesis of European eels being more sexually advanced at the onset of the spawning migration is discussed.


In this work, we construct complete (K, n)-arcs in the projective plane over Galois field GF (11), where 12 2 ≤ ≤ n  ,by using geometrical method (using the union of some maximum(k,2)- Arcs , we found (12,2)-arc, (19,3)-arc , (29,4)-arc, (38,5)-arc , (47,6)-arc, (58,7)-arc, (68,6)-arc, (81,9)-arc, (96,10)-arc, (109,11)-arc, (133,12)-arc, all of them are complete arc in PG(2, 11) over GF(11).


In an attempt to elucidate the mechanism by which the surface quality of steel products containing a small amount of Mo is noticeably improved, the precipitates formed on the surface of silicon steel slabs after coating with Mo compounds and the subsequent annealing under various atmospheres of N2, Ar and H2 gases have been investigated. Many fine spherical precipitates of O.05-10μm are formed on the surface of silicon steel slab after annealing under a H2 atmosphere, whereas agglomerated and complex precipitates are formed during slab annealing under N2 and Ar atmospheres. In the analyses of the precipitates by Electron Probe Micro Analysis (EPMA) and Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX), Mo is detected together with the elements S, P, Se and Sb, which have very low solid solubilities in α-iron and the tendency to segregate to iron surface or to grain boundary. As Mo enhances the formation of precipitates consisting of Mo, S, P, Se and Sb on the surface of silicon steel slab and thereby scavenges the ferrite matrix and strengthens the grain boundary, it is considered that the slab annealing treatment after coating with Mo compounds will noticeably inhibit intergranular fracturing.


Career development is the focus of the placement program for Sport and Recreation Management degrees in the School of Sport and Exercise Science at Victoria University. Considerable foresight and initiative since 1996 has seen a traditional fieldwork program be transformed into a leading career development teaching and learning model utilising an existing placement program. Throughout the years a regular cycle of activities characterized by reflecting, planning, doing, reviewing and improving the program has ensured a flexible yet challenging framework to encourage students to become proactive and autonomous career builders whilst at university. The Career and Professional Development Program is embedded as core curriculum during the second and third year of the degree. It incorporates a number of linked components all working together to create a career culture that facilitates student career maturity and equips them to self manage their own career using key career development competencies.


The Island of Vulcano belongs to the still active Eolian volcanic arc. The recent event on Stromboli has renewed public interest and consciousness about this kind of natural hazard not only in Italy, but almost in the whole of Europe. A strong need for a reliable method to recognise significant changes in the intemal state of a volcano has raised, because of the current ongoing and permanently changing activity of the Eolian volcanic system.


Extracurricular sports is an important Part in P.E.of Colleges Universities and has many fuctions to improve students'physique,raise their health level and cultivating their consciousness of life-long P.E.By using the methods of literature date questionaire and mathe matics statistics this paper analyses the achicvements and exsiting problems in extra curricular sports in 9 universities of Shanxi and putting forward the corresponding suggestion.


Power reactors are composed of assemblies with fuel pin lattices or other repeated structures with several grid levels, which can be modeled in detail by Monte Carlo neutronics codes such as MCNP6 using corresponding lattice options, even for large cores. Except for fresh cores at beginning of life, there is a varying material distribution due to burnup in the different fuel pins. Additionally, for power states the fuel and moderator temperatures and moderator densities vary according to the power distribution and cooling conditions. Therefore, a coupling of the neutronics code with a thermal hydraulics code is necessary. Depending on the level of detail of the analysis, a very large number of cells with different materials and temperatures must be regarded. The assignment of different material properties to all elements of a multilevel grid is very elaborate and may exceed program limits if the standard input procedure is used. Therefore, an internal assignment is used which overrides uniform input parameters. The temperature dependency of continuous energy cross sections, probability tables for the unresolved resonance region and thermal neutron scattering laws is taken into account by interpolation, requiring only a limited number of data sets generated for different temperatures. The method is applied with MCNP6 and proven for several full core reactor models. For the coupling of MCNP6 with thermal hydraulics appropriate interfaces were developed for the GRS system code ATHLET for liquid coolant and the IKE thermal hydraulics code ATTICA-3D for gaseous coolant. Examples will be shown for different applications for PWRs with square and hexagonal lattices, fast reactors (SFR) with hexagonal lattices and HTRs with pebble bed and prismatic lattices.


The results of treatment of 65 patients after radical excision of the suppurated pilonidal sinus and cyst of the sacro-coccygeal region with subsequent irradiation of the wound with scattered beam of the helium-neon laser are presented.


Dung beetle serve as valuable indicators for studying environmental changes and as model systems for exploring ecosystem functionality. By analyzing the diversity and composition of gut microbiota in Catharsius molossus under starvation and refeeding conditions, this study investigates the effects of dietary states on the gut microbiota of these insects. Artificial rearing methods, along with 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics, were used to analyze Catharsius molossus gut microbiota under varying dietary conditions. The results indicate that at the phylum and genus levels, the gut microbiota of Catharsius molossus under refeeding conditions is more diverse than that under starvation conditions, with seven phyla and twenty-two genera showing significant differences (P < 0.05). In terms of functional prediction, the predicted functional genes of the gut microbiota were annotated to the KEGG database, revealing significant differences in thirty-two metabolic pathways at the third level (P < 0.05). Furthermore, it provides functional prediction information related to specific microbial taxa. Additionally, Dysgonomonas is speculated to participate in nitrogen fixation, and the gut microbiota of Catharsius molossus may potentially serve as a source of antimicrobial agents like anshanmycin. These findings provide novel insights into Coleoptera ecosystem microbial interactions and offer theoretical support for future applications


Aim. It is supposed that the application of a physical training program over 10 weeks can improve the capacity and will positively influence the course at high school basketball player. Methods. We proposed that this research be in the form of experiment and implement a system of general and specific exercises in order to develop physical training of high school basketball player. Results. Results obtained by statistical calculation performed demonstrates that the program applied was efficient, being structured methodical, with a good selection and dosing of exercises used. Conclusions. Following physical training program conducted over the 10 weeks of Decebal High School basketball team in Constanta, statistical calculations of initial and final testing enables us to say that basketball players have physical training significantly improved. Player performance of initial and final testing increased growth standing at a significance level of p<0.005. These data show an improvement in the performance of players from all samples, which makes the program can be effectively used to the physical, and in particular the driving force capacity, speed, and their combinations.


【Objective】To investigate the status of screening of retinopatly of prematurity(ROP) in basic-level hospitals of Guangdong province which sets the foundation for improved management of ROP in basic medical institutions and reduce the incidence and the rate of deformity of ROP. 【Methods】ROP screening situation in basic hospitals including oxygen therapy monitoring,ROP screening and positive cases,was investigated by letters,emails and field survey.【Results】The rates of oxygen monitoring were 25.00% in first-class hospitals and 51.28% in second-class hospitals which had significantly different(P0.05).Rates of ROP screening in second-class all-around hospitals and second-class maternal and children′s hospitals were 27.78% and 36.84% respectively,and positive rates in these two kinds of hospitals were 1.23% and 0.98% respectively with no significant difference(P0.05). 【Conclusion】ROP screening has not been implemented in basic hospitals and it is imperative to improve ROP management by administration measures.So network pattern of ROP management based on third-class hospitals and including basic hospitals should be established.


This study aimed to aid the enormous effort required to analyze phraseological writing competence by developing an automatic evaluation tool for texts. We attempted to measure both second language (L2) writing proficiency and text quality. In our research, we adapted the CollGram technique that searches a reference corpus to determine the frequency of each pair of tokens (bi-grams) and calculates the t-score and related information. We used the Level 3 Corpus of Contemporary American English as a reference corpus. Our solution performed well in writing evaluation and is freely available as a web service or as source for other researchers.


It has been shown that the gain and the bandwidth of the loop antenna can be substantially improved by increasing the electric dipole moment of the antenna. A suggested combination of the loop antenna with a wideband dipole increases antenna gain by 15 dB and extends the antenna bandwidth by 80%.


The research is devoted to the analysis of the variable module "Children's Athletics" of the physical education syllabus for grades 5-6.
The basic requirements for sports equipment and teaching means for general secondary education institutions on the basis of the regulatory documents and activities proposed by the programme were structured.
The variants of using sports equipment in the exercises prescribed in the syllabus "Physical Culture. Grades 5-6" were requested and improved.
The recommendations on the quality of teaching tools and sports equipment for performing exercises to acquire the skills and abilities prescribed in the syllabus were developed. The list of the necessary documentation that educational institutions should receive when supplying teaching aids and sports equipment was provided.
The problems that require further research were identified.


Streams and rivers originating from Western Ghats have been conferred with diverse fish fauna. Owing to the diverse ichthyofauna, the present investigation was designed to study species diversity, distribution, diversity indices, human use pattern and conservation status of fishes in four fragments of Tamiraparani river system. Altogether, 125 fish species belonging to 13 orders, 44 families and 73 genera were identified from upstream, midstream and lower estuary of Tamiraparani river. In total, 66 fish species were recorded from Vannarapettai, 63 species from Manimuthar, 58 species from Srivaikundam and 53 species from Punnakayal estuary. Cypriniformes (43 species) was the order with diverse species composition and Cyprinidae was the most dominated group represented by 39 species. The river supports 64% food fish, 25.6% ornamental fish and 10.4% ornamental as well as food fish. Out of 125 species, six species were endangered and four vulnerable. Calculated values for various diversity indices were observed on higher side. Our study indicated that the Tamiraparani river system supports highly diverse fish fauna.


STREAM is the acronym of a new concept of mass transit system designed and developed by Ansaldo Trasporti S.p.A. to provide an efficient solution to rubber‐tyred transportation problems in urban areas. One of STREAM's most distinctive feature is the power supply system, which uses a magnetic lift contact line embedded in the road surface to deliver traction power and to provide operating and control information. In this paper the field and the current flow analyses of this buried feeding track are presented and discussed. Analyses are aimed at determining the highest values of accessible voltages on the ground under different environmental and operating conditions. Results provided by a numerical simulation of the 3D model representing the feeding track allow us to identify the most critical conditions and to verify the safety and reliability of the system.


Figure 1. (a) Remaining mass and; (b) non-reversing specific heat capacity obtained during an STA test carried out under nitrogen to determine the heats of decomposition of T700/M21 [1] measurements under inert atmosphere were performed on a degraded sample to obtain a baseline and on a virgin sample during its decomposition. Using the two curves, heats of decomposition can be determined by integrating the area of decomposition peaks. Results of the non-reversing specific heat capacity and the remaining mass are presented in Figure 1.


This paper introduced an application of flexible manufacturing technique in automobileindustry. Aimed at the special technology need of automobile carriage soleplate, a flexiblemanufacturing system of auto-welding with distributed control is designed.


This work proposes a neural network to extensively exploit spatial information for multichannel joint speech separation, denoising and dereverberation, named SpatialNet.In the short-time Fourier transform (STFT) domain, the proposed network performs end-to-end speech enhancement. It is mainly composed of interleaved narrow-band and cross-band blocks to respectively exploit narrow-band and cross-band spatial information. The narrow-band blocks process frequencies independently, and use self-attention mechanism and temporal convolutional layers to respectively perform spatial-feature-based speaker clustering and temporal smoothing/filtering. The cross-band blocks processes frames independently, and use full-band linear layer and frequency convolutional layers to respectively learn the correlation between all frequencies and adjacent frequencies. Experiments are conducted on various simulated and real datasets, and the results show that 1) the proposed network achieves the state-of-the-art performance on almost all tasks; 2) the proposed network suffers little from the spectral generalization problem; and 3) the proposed network is indeed performing speaker clustering (demonstrated by attention maps).


In theory, the characteristics, values and principles of cooperative enterprises give them great potential in terms of their business and social development. However, in practice we actually find situations that stand in the way of their possibilities; for example, lack of involvement on the part of their members, or professional shortcomings in the running of cooperatives. This article focuses on the management role of coffee-growing agricultural cooperatives in Costa Rica, analysing their characteristics and defending the existence and professionalism of this management role as an essential requirement in dealing with the internal and external factors that essentially characterise the activity and running of this type of company, and in achieving the successful development of these companies. This analysis helps us to establish what we call an ideal profile of the cooperative agricultural manager, consisting of professional and personal features and forms of behaviour. The primary objective of this is to bring the economic criteria and purposes into line with the social and human criteria involved in the cooperativeOs activity.


Regional identity as a subject of invented tradition is continuously updated in whole Europe; this process is especially regular in cultures of small populations, such as Latvia. It is a multilayered term, which involves a continuously changing main value-focus and numerous disciplines, including architecture. One of the ways to look at it realistically is to analyze the visually represented main hegemonic values and processes in society. Appropriate platform for this is provided by agglomeration expansion – fusion spots of the urban and the rural, thus creating a characteristic local landscape. The aim of this article is to clarify core impacts on the regional identity formation of the landscape of Riga region as observed today. Methodology is based on the case study of Mārupe County, using RES (residential) landscape inventory, urban-morphology, photo-analytical and rhetoric problem-definition methodology. Major findings lead to a conclusion of unbalanced role between the state intervention and free trade system, based on the neoliberal ideology intensified in the transition – economy zone. Thus regional spatial identity has mostly failed following any professional standards, but has rather developed as clusters with residential function, mostly under the strong impact of the market economy and entrepreneurship.