In any national economy entrepreneurial entry serves to transform and revitalize markets and industries, thereby enhancing their competitiveness. Existing empirical research suggests that the pre-entry knowledge of the market and the entrepreneur's prior practical and managerial experience will influence the new venture's chances of survival and its future growth. The current paper emphasizes the key role that the entrepreneur has on the market entry as this entry influences business survival, growth or exit. In the paper we seek to better understand the relationship between the pre-entry knowledge and experience and the new venture's success, by performing an in-depth analysis of the specialized literature. We argue that the pre-entry knowledge should be assessed against three key perspectives: (1) personal characteristics of the entrepreneur, (2) knowledge about the business activity, the market and the industry, and (3) resources at entrepreneur disposal. Also, the pre-entry experience can contribute to development of three categories of skills in an entrepreneur, such as: (1) functional skills – ability to perform various managerial functions, (2) relational skills – ability to work with external actors, and (3) resource management skills – ability to effectively identify and allocate scarce resources.


Robotic surgery has advantages in myomectomies, which are a technically complex surgery. Multi-site robotic myomectomy (MRM) is widely used and is a safe, minimally invasive surgery. Single-site robotic myomectomy (SSRM) is further expected to provide potential advantages such as better cosmesis and easier fibroid removal. Compared with MRM, SSRM has technical limitations, including a restricted range of motion, especially for large-sized myomas; less powerful suturing in thick myometrium; and non-articulating instruments. To overcome these limitations, additional ports are used, larger skin incisions are made, and the procedure is combined with laparoscopy. However, these adjustments may neutralize the advantages of a single-port surgery. Here we describe our novel gradual turning out method, which enables us to do SSRM without adjustments. Additionally, we introduce know-how on how to accomplish an SSRM.


All disc-accreting astrophysical objects also produce powerful disc winds and/or jets. In compact binaries containing neutron stars or black holes, accretion often takes place during violent outbursts. The main disc wind signatures seen during these eruptions are blue-shifted X-ray absorption lines. However, these signatures are only observed during "soft states", when the accretion disc generates most of the luminosity. By contrast, optical wind-formed absorption lines have recently been detected in "hard states", when the luminosity is dominated by a hot corona. The relationship between these disc wind signatures is unknown, and no erupting compact binary has so far been observed to display wind-formed lines between the X-ray and optical bands, despite the many strong resonance transitions in this ultraviolet (UV) region of the spectrum. In turn, the impact of disc winds on the overall mass and energy budget of these systems remains a key open question. Here, we show that the transient neutron star X-ray binary Swift J1858.6-0814 exhibits wind-formed, blue-shifted absorption features associated with C IV, N V and He II in time-resolved, UV spectroscopy obtained with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph on board the Hubble Space Telescope during a luminous hard state. In simultaneous ground-based observations, the optical H and He I lines also display transient blue-shifted absorption troughs. By decomposing our UV data into constant and flaring components, we demonstrate that the blue-shifted absorption is associated with the former, which implies that the outflow is always present. The joint presence of UV and optical wind features in the hard state reveals a multi-phase and/or spatially stratified evaporative outflow from the outer disc. This type of persistent mass loss across all accretion states has been predicted by radiation-hydrodynamic simulations and is required to account for the shorter-than-expected outburst durations.


We investigate how to generate multimodal image outputs, such as RGB, depth, and surface normals, with a single generative model. The challenge is to produce outputs that are realistic, and also consistent with each other. Our solution builds on the StyleGAN3 architecture, with a shared backbone and modality-specific branches in the last layers of the synthesis network, and we propose per-modality fidelity discriminators and a cross-modality consistency discriminator. In experiments on the Stanford2D3D dataset, we demonstrate realistic and consistent generation of RGB, depth, and normal images. We also show a training recipe to easily extend our pretrained model on a new domain, even with a few pairwise data. We further evaluate the use of synthetically generated RGB and depth pairs for training or fine-tuning depth estimators. Code will be available at https://github.com/jessemelpolio/MultimodalGAN.


Methods: Forty-three multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, and 15 healthy individuals as controls were included in the study. MS patients were divided into three groups as relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), relapsingremitting with optic neuritis (RRMS+ON), and secondary-progressive MS (SPMS). An experienced psychologist performed modified Wechsler Memory Scale Revised form (WMS-R), Lines Orientation test, Stroop Color Word Interference test (STROOP), Standard Raven Progressive Matrices (SRPM), Benton Facial Recognition Test, verbal fluency test, and Paced Auditory Serial Addition tests in all cases. Optic coherence tomographies (OCT) were done. Cranial subcortical volumes of all subjects were measured using 3-dimensonal T1A imagines obtained by the cranial subcortical 1.5 tesla MR device (fully automatic Freesurfer program). Brain parenchymal fractions were calculated by proportioning the obtained volume measurements to the total intracranial volume. Results: Fifty-eight subjects (65.5% female, 34.5% male) were enrolled in the study. There were significant differences among the groups in terms of parenchymal thickness, volumes of third ventricle, and white matter. There was a significant correlation between the volumes of the deep gray matter, mesial temporal structures and lateral ventricular volumes, and the test results of the WMS-R. OCT scores of all MS patients, whether or not they experienced optic neuritis, had increased, being worse especially in the SPMS group. Correlation between RNFL and the brain parenchymal fractions of the patients were statistically significant.


An angular resolution of about 10 seconds of arc may be obtained with a double calcite crystal spectrometer for Cu Kα‐radiation. However, the shape of the rocking curve at large angles is such as to make the detection of radiation from weakly scattering materials difficult. Of the order of 106 counts per second are detected with a stationary, water‐cooled copper target and parallel crystals. Wing intensities, even at large angles, do not fall much below 102 counts per second. Wing heights may be considerably reduced by the addition of a third calcite crystal. With this modification the crystal spectrometer is a useful instrument for most scattering experiments in which extremely high resolution is desired. It is inferior to a slit system and Geiger counter arrangement when poorer resolution may be tolerated but high sensitivity is required. A slit instrument with an angular resolution of 4 or 5 minutes of arc provides an effective incident flux of more than 106 counts per second while wing intensities may be as low as 1 count per second.


This workshop intends to address the process of evaluation and design to improve existing college classroom and laboratory facilities. As many campuses face substantial demands for increasing access to and utilization of educational facilities, the physical plant of these campuses also faces increased needs for modernization. There are three phases to the workshop, specifically intended to foster discussion and exchange of experiences from a variety of practitioners, users, and disciplines.


The Omaha section of the American Chemical Society will host the 2012 Midwest Regional Meeting (MWRM 2012) during National Chemistry Week, from Wednesday, Oct. 24, through Friday, Oct. 26. The meeting, which has a theme of "Chemistry: A Bridge to Discovery," will be held at the Ramada Plaza Omaha Hotel & Convention Center in Omaha. The general chair of the meeting is James Carroll of the University of Nebraska, Omaha. The program chair is James Fletcher of Creighton University. Please visit the MWRM 2012 website, www.unomaha.edu/mwrm2012, for evolving program details as well as registration and hotel information. TECHNICAL PROGRAM. Special symposia will include "Advances in Drug Delivery," "Biophysics of Proteins & Nucleic Acids," "Chemical Education Research," "Drug Development & Discovery," "Inorganic Solid-State Chemistry," "New Frontiers in Bioanalysis," "Organic Solid-State Chemistry," and "Synthetic Methods & Bioactive Molecules." In addition, the meeting will include general sessions in analytical,...


In the coastal systems of the southeastern United States, populations of weakfish (Cynoscion regalis) and red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) are in decline, and knowledge of their spawning areas is important for the for‐ mulation of fisheries management plans. Weakfish and red drum, both members of Family Sciaenidae, use their swim bladders to produce species‐specific sounds associated with spawning activity. Large spawning aggregations of these fish can produce sound levels as high as 145 dB (re:1 μPa), and these sounds can be used to identify spawning areas. Recordings and spectrograms of spawning sounds will be presented for each species. Water depth, bottom type and contour, sound‐speed gradient, and water current gradient all affect the propagation of the fish sounds through the water. Measurements of these factors and the sound level of the fish calls are used to obtain an approximate range to the spawning aggregation. [Work supported by North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries and U.S. Fish and Wild...


This paper develops a method for predicting the expected low‐cycle fatigue damage in structures subjected to nonstationary loading processes. The load is a filtered Gaussian random process of limited duration. The resulting strain‐response process in a given structural component determines the fatigue damage of the component. The fatigue analysis is based on a recursive definition of waiting‐time distributions for range‐pair cycles. The range‐pair waiting‐time distribution is derived from the crossing rate of the strain‐response process through strain‐range limits. The waiting‐time distributions determine the probability that a given number of range‐pair cycles will occur through the duration of the response. The damage is assumed to accumulate linearly according to the Manson‐Coffin relationship. The methodology is applied numerically to a spherical storage tank subjected to a moderate earthquake. The expected damage correlates well with the results of a Monte‐Carlo simulation, indicating that the method...


Human lives can be saved from an accident by detecting an accident before it occurs. But this need advance accurate human detection and also accident detection capability. At present there are several works regarding pre crash detection & avoidance system from obstacle. But we are lacking to priorities crash with human or animals compared to obstacles. What would be the situation when a system has to choose between human and obstacles? If the system is unable to detect human then there is a probability to hit humans instead of obstacles. To solve this problem in this work we have priorities humans or animals first. Car will avoid human or animal first then if possible it will try to avoid obstacles also. If the system is unable to avoid accident then our system has accident detection technique with pin point location tracking using GSM only.


Thermoplastic polyurethan-based nanowebs with various strengths and moduli were electrospun by adding multi-walled nanotubes. The obtained webs were impregnated with epoxy resin to form a reinforced composite. The tensile properties of the nanoweb-reinforced composites were determined to demonstrate the effect of the nanowebs on the properties of the epoxy resin. A significant increase in the mechanical response is observed, up to 29% in tensile strength, 4% in elastic modulus and 19% in tensile strain, compared with neat epoxy, when the weight fraction of multi-walled nanotubes is 3 wt% within the webs. To further understand the mechanical behavior of the nanoweb-reinforced composites, a micromechanical theory, bridging model, is employed and the in situ properties of the epoxy matrix and nanofibers is studied. The effect of incorporation of nanofibers and multi-walled nanotubes is indicated in the micromechanical analysis, which is helpful for the optimization design of nanofibers-reinforced epoxy composites.


Background: The local electric (E) field or potential gradient produced by a shock reliably predicts VF termination. In this study we evaluated a multiple electrode, catheter‐based device for closed‐chest 3D measurements of E field from transthoracic defibrillation shocks.


Abstract In spite of the increasing attention being paid to short food supply chains (SFSCs), research in the area is still scarce, particularly in Portugal. Thus, based on a case study in Viseu Dão Lafões Region (VDLR), we intend to identify and discuss (emphasizing potentialities and constraints) the movement of SFSCs in the region. This case study is based on document analysis and interviews with agrifood baskets' promotors. On the one hand, the results show the wide variety of SFSCs that exist in the region and the emergence of new forms of SFSCs like the agrifood baskets. On the other hand, the empirical research also emphasizes the environmental, economic, and sociocultural benefits of SFSCs that will have a positive impact on the well-being of producers, consumers, and/or on the whole region. However, the interviews have also exposed a (certain) limitation in terms of communication and marketing that may constraint these initiatives. From a practical point of view, it became clear that producers must do their best to develop their communication and marketing strategies; from a political point of view, local authorities should provide the necessary assistance to help implement training programmes and develop suitable communication and marketing skills.


Objective To investigate the relationship between early diastolic notch of uterine artery and hypertensive disorders in pregnancy at 20-24 weeks of gestation.Methods Color Doppler ultrasound was used to detect the spectrum of bilateral uterine artery in 969 pregnant women at 20-24 weeks of gestation.According to whether the notch of uterine artery was present or not,798 pregnant women followeed up till childbirth were divided into two groups:notch group(81 cases) and non-notch group(717 cases).The average of notch index(NI) of bilateral uterine arteries was calculated.Then bases on the level of NI,798 pregnant women were classified into four groups.The incidence of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy was compared among these groups.Results(1)The incidence(21/81,25.9%)of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy in notch group was significantly higher than that in non-notch group(35/717,4.9%)(χ2 =49.396,P=0.000).(2)The incidence of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy in notch group(21/81,25.9%) was higher than that in NI 1(36/719,5.0%;χ2=48.142,P=0.000) and NI 2 group(6/44,13.6%;χ2=2.543,P=0.111),while was lower than NI 3(8/27,29.6%;χ2=0.141,P=0.707) and NI 4 group(6/8,75.0%;χ2=8.297,P=0.004).Conclusion The method of uterine artery NI classification can well predict the incidence of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy.


Ecological situation of many countries, including Ukraine, is characterized by progressive anthropogenic and technogenic pollution, which causes growth in thyroid pathology, the share of which is significant in the structure of endocrine diseases. The main causes of thyroid disorders include iodine deficiency in the environment, exposure to a number of widely used chemicals (thyrodisruptors), heavy metal ions. A variety of physical environmental factors are important. A significant increase in thyroid cancer is frequently associated with local or general exposure to ionizing radiation. Prolonged exposure to electromagnetic fields can lead to disorders in the gland's homeostasis. The functional capacity of the gland is also impaired by unsanitary living conditions, some bacteria and viruses, and improper nutrition. High sensitivity of the gland to external impacts and high social significance of thyroid pathology give grounds to consider the morphofunctional condition of the thyroid gland as a marker of ecological well-being of the environment.


To explore a new mode of rural medical care and promote the development of rural health care in China,firstly,this article briefly introduced the existing medical care modes in China,then,discussed the main influencing factors of the development of rural medical care system,finally,put forward the favorable conditions and impeditive factors to promote the reform of rural medical care system.


Abstract A solid super-acid catalyst /Fe2O3-ZrO2 (FeSZ) was prepared by coprecipitation method to remove olefins from aromatics. Effects of iron sources and Fe2O3 content were studied. FeSZ and /ZrO2 (SZ) were characterized by XRD, FT-IR and NH3-TPD. The characterization of the catalysts revealed that the addition of iron purified the tetragonal phase of ZrO2, increased the strength of the acid sites. Catalytic activity test showed that FeSZ with 5 wt% Fe2O3, using Fe2 (SO4)3 as iron source, exhibited the highest activity for removal of olefins. Compared with SZ, the catalytic activity of FeSZ increased 6.1%.


Sphingidae attracted to light were systematically collected in an Amazonian forest canopy. Sampling occurred at a height of 34 m in an upland primary rainforest plateau in the Cueiras river basin, located within the Experimental Station of Tropical Silviculture, Manaus municipality, Amazonas, Brazil. The hawkmoths were collected using a vertical white sheet illuminated by a 250 W mixed mercury light and a 20 W black-light (BLB) fluorescent tube. Monthly collections were carried out from January to December 2004, during three nights of lunar transition from third quarter moon to new moon between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. We sampled 1748 specimens, represented by 1485 males and 263 females, belonging to 52 species and 21 genera. Xylophanes comprised the highest number of species (seven), followed by Erinnyis, with six species. The most abundant species were Pseudosphinx tetrio (169 specimens), Pachylia darceta (162), Erinnyis ello ello (154), Isognathus excelsior (151) and Callionima parce (139). The species accumulation curve showed that the species richness tended to stabilize by the eighth month. We also observed that species composition altered significantly throughout the night period. All presented hawkmoth records are new for the canopy in the Central Amazon.


A compact frequency reconfigurable antenna which could be easily switched between a narrowband state and a dual-band state is presented in this letter. The narrowband covers the WLAN (2.4-2.48 GHz) and WiMAX (2.5-2.69 GHz), while the dual-band supports the PCS (1.85-1.99 GHz) and WiMAX (3.4-3.69 GHz). The reconfigurability is achieved by using a single GaAs field effect transistor switch to change the length of the current flow path. The switch can be directly driven by digital signal, and no bias network is needed. The simulated results are in agreement well with the measured results. The proposed antenna is well suited to be integrated within the wireless handheld devices.


The magnetoresistive element of the present invention, a part of a substrate (1) and the magnetic thin film and a metal non-magnetic thin film are laminated alternately in two or more layers, the metal artificial lattice film formed in a predetermined pattern (4) , a first protective layer (5) formed over the metal artificial lattice film (4) made from a second protective film (6) formed on the first protective layer (5), the 1 the protective film (5) is substantially zero residual stress, a second protective layer (6) is made of a material having a transmission blocking ability of moisture. Thus, hysteresis is not generated even in a high temperature state, small characteristic deterioration, heat resistance, can achieve excellent magnetic resistance effect element in corrosion resistance can be applied even in harsh environments such as automotive.


The paper is devoted to the examination of the main aspects of the legal regulation of exporting dual-use goods in the EU under Council Regulation (EU) No. 428/2009 of 5 May 2009. The main objective of the instrument under consideration is to establish a system common for EU Member States to control effectively the export of dual-use goods in order to ensure compliance of EU member States with international obligations, especially with regard to the regime of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. The author concludes that the current Regulation on export of dual-use goods is a logical extension and continuation of the EU instruments regulating arms trade with the third countries that pursues the same objectives, i.e. to implement the international legal obligations of the EU Member States assumed under multilateral control and non-proliferation regimes. Under the selected regulatory model, the EU failed to take the opportunity of replacing relevant national regulation; the Dual-Use Export Regulation defines a general framework, leaving it to Member States to take certain measures aimed at promoting an EU-wide approach. It is up to Member States to establish an appropriate control system for transactions, involving dual-use products, carried out by their nationals and legal entities. On the one hand, it allows the authorities of Member States, due to their proximity to economic entities, to take into account to a greater extent the characteristics of the national market. On the other hand, such a system leads to discrepancies in the practice of applying, in theory at least, uniform measures for the whole Union. Thus, even with the legal basis for independent and exclusive regulation of the export of dual-use products, the EU has faced with the unwillingness of Member States to adopt such restrictions and had to focus on coordinating the activities of Member States, leaving them with a considerable degree of independence and autonomy.


Experimental and numerical simulations were made on the characteristics of the temperature distribution inside building with radiant floor heating.Experiment analysis shows that one of the main features of radiant floor heating is the uniform temperature condition from floor to ceiling.The vertical air temperature difference measured in a test space is less than 0.73 ℃,and this is the reason why radiant floor heating can cause to a good thermal comfort.Experimental results show that the air temperature of the radiant floor heating room is uniform in despite of the door open or closed.Four turbulent mathematical models were validated by using the CFD software Fluent and the velocity fields and temperature fields were numerically computed by using a steady turbulent mathematical model for the radiant floor heating system.The results show that the radiant floor heating can cause to a good thermal comfort,and the standard κ-e turbulent model can be the right simulation model for radiant floor heating.


This paper reports on the transport critical current measurements that were performed on polycrystalline YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub x} in various thermal and magnetic field cyclings. The magnetic history and magnetic field dependence of J{sub c} reveals that there are many strong links between grains in YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub x} polycrystalline samples.


Photographic portrait. Image of young man with small mustache standing near a lace-covered table and a staircase. Inscribed "Christ Kauck." Circa 1910. Courtesy of Edward and Christina Munsch Berreth Collection, 2011.41, GRHC.


A capillary gas chromatography method with electron captured detector was established for the determination of isosorbide dinitrate in plasma after multiple administration of a daily dose of 40mg isosorbide dinitrate domestic and imported sustained release capsules in a randomized crossover design. The fluctuation of isosorbide dinitrate valley concentrations was observed and the steady state pharmacokinetics was characterized in a multiple dose schedule of 40mg isosorbide dinitrate sustained release capsules. The steady state of isosorbide dinitrate plasma concentration was reached in three days oral administration. The relative bioavailiability of multiple oral dose of 40mg domestic capsules was 100.5%± 8.1%. The results of statistical evaluation by three factor variance analysis and two one sided t test showed that two brands capsules were bioequivalent.


The aim of this Master's thesis is to examine librarian images and stereotypes in Swedish and American fiction, and to discover if there are any differences between these. The images and stereotype ...


Patients with RA seldom have an isolated foot problem. When the feet cause symptoms, there is usually involvement of the hip and knee joints, which may both worsen and be worsened by concurrent foot problems. A non-corrected malposition of the hindfoot may, eg, jeopardize gait improvement after a hip and knee arthroplasty. It is a good rule to manage malpositions of the knee joint before correcting malpositions of the ankle– hindfoot–midfoot. Usually, many joints of the foot are affected, often with varying degrees of destruction in different joints and often asymmetrically distributed between the feet. Arthritis of the ankle seldom occurs isolated, but follows arthritis of the hindfoot and midfoot. It may be severely debilitating and is perhaps the most common cause of more significant gait difficulties among rheumatics [19,25]. The ankle is affected by malalignment of the hind and midfoot to a high degree, and it is usually appropriate to manage these before considering surgery of the ankle.


A fast algorithm for the local maximum likelihood deter- mination of the difference of arrival time of a common signal at two spatially separated sensors with uncorrelated noise is given. The fast algorithm consists of locally maximizing the crosscorrelation function from the two wide-band signals by using Newton's method for finding the root of an equation. Using a theorem by Rice on the probability density of local maxima of Gaussian processes, the probability density of the local maxima of the cross correlator is obtained. In the special case that both the signal and the noises have flat power spectral densities, it is shown that the mean-square error (MSE) of two iterates of Newton's method is practically equal to the crosscorrelator (via Rice's theorem). The above holds if the starting point used in Newton's method is within a quarter signal resolution bin width from the true delay and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at the crosscorrelator output is 15 dB or higher. The MSE of the local maximum estimator obtained from Rice's theorem is almost equal to the Cramer-Rao bound, even for low SNR, i.e., 5 dB. This result points out that it is possible to approach the Cramer-Rao bound in performance by local maximum likelihood estimators as long as we are within a quarter of the signal resolution bin width from the true delay.


The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of the rating scale used with the Paid Caregiver Self-Efficacy Scale (PCSEST). The PCSEST is a 19-item screening tool that was designed to measure paid caregivers' perceived confidence in their ability to use proper body mechanics when lifting and/or transferring individuals who are semior non-ambulatory. This study utilized the Rasch Measurement Model and Linacre's (2002) guidelines to evaluate the rating scale of the PCSEST and to analyze if the 5-point scale was effective in creating a valid assessment. The majority of the response categories displayed unique peaks. Some response categories on the low end of the scale (zero to two) tended to not have unique peaks. Fourteen items advanced properly and five items had some disordering among response categories. The step difficulties also had some disordering at the lower end of the scale. Ninety-two of the 95 response categories had outfit mean squares of less than 2.0. Twenty-six of the 95 response categories advanced by at least 1.4 logits and all of the response categories advanced by less than 5.0 logits. Overall, the scale functioned well, except for the lower end where few participants used response categories zero to two. The participants in this sample tended to be more confident, thus making it more difficult to accurately evaluate the lower end of the rating scale. Future research should include participants with a fuller range of confidence to evaluate all response categories on the rating scale. Occupational therapists can use the PCSEST to determine whether paid caregivers are at a higher risk for back pain and injuries resulting from poorly performed transfers. This information would be valuable to employers as they develop methods to enhance employees' ability to transfer clients safely.


Summer weather conditions in Spain generate many thermal discomfort hours. Consequently, it is difficult for low-income family units to ensure adequate conditions inside dwellings. Natural ventilation could improve the thermal comfort conditions of these users. However, the number of thermal comfort hours could be limited in summer. This study analyses the possibility of improving users' thermal comfort by applying tolerances to the upper limit of adaptive thermal comfort models. The study is conducted in 10 Spanish cities in the current scenario and in a climate change scenario. The tolerances were those considered by the adaptive standards: 1.2 °C, 1.8 °C and 2.2 °C. The results showed that the use of the upper limit without tolerances could imply a low number of thermal comfort hours in some cities and that the use of the tolerances would improve thermal comfort conditions. The estimated climatic evolution throughout the 21st century could limit the use of natural ventilation even with tolerances in the warmer regions, while in regions with less severity in summer natural ventilation would be an appropriate measure.


Since the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party was held, our party and government have conducted hard explorations of socialist ownership so as to realize common prosperity. The starting point and final aim of reformation of ownership is to stimulate laborers' and producing-element owners' enthusiasm and creativity, so as to produce more social wealth, guarantee most people's basic interest, and realize the aim of common prosperity. However, the reformation has not only increased people's income, but also enlarged the gap among people's income. If the phenomenon develops without control, it will finally bring bad influence to common prosperity.


Occupancy detection is a process of inferring the presence of persons in a space but without necessarily knowing their identities or quantity. Knowledge of occupancy is essential in building information modeling, building energy demand forecast, energy simulations, security, and smart control. Unlike other approaches that require the installation of additional sensors, such as cameras, infrared sensors, optical devices, sound sensors, within the targeted areas, we propose to improve a state of the art approach by Kleiminger, Beckel, and Santini that infers occupancy based on the aggregated power consumption data readily available in many residential houses. Our new approach integrates both aggregated and appliance specific electricity consumption data for occupancy detection. Evaluation of our new approach using the publicly available ECO dataset shows that our best approach can achieve an overall accuracy between 84% and 93%, which improves the baseline accuracy by 1% to 8%. However, our second experiment with a dataset that does not include data about HVAC yields much poorer performance than the first. Our central conclusion is that while appliances are usually strong predictors of occupancy, individual appliances rarely offer adequate coverage of a whole day as they tend to be used rather sporadically. They work well when combined with HVAC, as in the first experiment, but not so well when there is no HVAC, as in the second experiment. Therefore, the key for this approach to work well is when there are sufficient coverage from appliances, or perhaps to complement other data sources.


Interviews with 320 former ministers in post-communist cabinets in ten Central and East European countries, covering their experiences in the period 1990–2003, confirm that prime ministerial staff are accepted by the majority of cabinet ministers as helpful advisers. Moreover, the degree of administrative and political advice differs substantially across the ten countries. Furthermore, the impact of prime ministerial staff on cabinet decision-making is contingent upon the interests of the prime minister and the structure of party government. Finally, there are still striking differences between the role of prime ministerial staff in Western and Central and Eastern Europe.


This article presents the consideration of relation between compressive strength and rebound number of concrete cooperating with quarry dust as fine aggregate (natural river sand was replaced by quarry dust at the rate of 0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% by weight of fine aggregate). The properties of the tested concrete samples are w/c = 0.6, maximum size of coarse aggregate is 20 mm., cement contents are between 308 and 348 kg/m 3 , slumps range from 0 to 100 mm., the 28-day compressive strength from 14 to 30 MPa. It was found that the rebound number results were affected by quarry dust especially the standard deviator of rebound number. The cube compressive strength at 28 days and the supplementary curve from the instruction manual were discussed. Moreover, the prediction equation is proposed to estimate the compressive strength of concrete cooperating with quarry dust as fine aggregate.


The development of corona discharge in a needle-plate configuration is affected by several experimental parameters such as gap distance, tip radius, etc., but the influence of the dielectric effect was rarely mentioned. In this paper, both light radiation and the discharge current were measured under negative linear voltage. By adding an epoxy sample parallel to the needle-plate direction, the discharge sequence development of surface discharge is compared with the discharge sequence in corona discharge. Epoxy sample does not affect the initial discharge voltage, and both corona discharge and surface discharge present two stages in pulse sequence development. However, the accumulated negative charge on the epoxy sample inhibits the corona intensity at the same applied voltage and delays the transition voltage in the pulse sequence development. Moreover, the relation between the mean of current pulse magnitude and discharge frequency in surface discharge is coincident with that of corona discharge, demonstrating that epoxy has no effect on the development of continuous pulse pattern in the experimental setup.


Abstract : The report describes in detail the commonly encountered fusion welding and vacuum brazing designs for the construction of modern high vacuum components. In the area of fusion welding, the joining of stainless steel tubing to stainless steel flanges, Kovar tubing to stainless flanges, copper tubing to stainless flanges, thin-wall stainless bellows to stainless flanges, butt welding of stainless tubing, and vacuum chamber construction are discussed. The vacuum brazing section includes brazing of feed-thrus to flanges and flange adapters, tubing to flanges, end-caps to tubing and bellows to flange adapters. (Author)


In this article we analyse the oil-food price co-movement and its determinants in both time and frequency domains, using the wavelet analysis approach. Our results show that the significant local correlation between food and oil is only apparent. This is mainly due to the activity of commodity index investments and, to a lower extent, to the increasing demand from emerging economies. Furthermore, we employ the wavelet entropy to assess the predictability of the time series under consideration. We find that some variables share with both food and oil a similar predictability structure. These variables are those that mostly co-move with both oil and food. Some policy implications can be derived from our results, the most relevant being that the activity of commodity index investments is able to increase correlation between food and oil. This activity generates highly integrated markets and an increasing risk of joint price movements which is potentially dangerous in periods of economic downturn and financial stress. In our work we suggest that governments should also provide subsidy packages based on the commodity traded in commodity indices to protect producers and consumers from adverse price movements due to financial activity rather than lack of supply or demand.


Significance
 Long-time Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani and new Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) chief Bafel Talabani discussed how to form a common front over government formation in Baghdad. The Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) is benefitting from temporary stability linked to higher oil prices.

 Impacts
 Kurdish hesitation on whether to commit to a Sadrist-led majority federal government will also simultaneously hold back Sunni groups.
 Both Turkey and Iran could become more militaristic in their approach to the KRI -- and each other.
 The intra-PUK deadlock could lead to fighting in Suleimaniya, but mediation is more likely, if senior party figures step up.


a Popular mediao is often viewed as a troubling feminist space, one that furthers and propagates patriarchal desires rather than subverting them. For example, members of the a women and mediao division of the 2000 online preparatory working groups for the a Beijing Plus 5o meeting have been vigorously arguing about the most critical global issues related to media concerns, such as the role of cyberspace, the creation of educational and radical products by women's groups using a range of media forms, and the need to contest dominant media representations of women; popular magazines or television or radio programs have not only been largely ignored as avenues of change but rather seen as the primary obstacles that one needs to demolish or work around. And yet, popular media reaches a large variety of women in ways that are beyond the reach of individual groups, and may be able to raise feminist issues in non-didactic ways, making them part of everyday conversations. The question is, does the context of glossy consumer products and domestication inevitably contaminate potentially radical messages? Is it even possible to frame issues in radical ways if they are to be packaged as conversation pieces which pay great deference to dominant ideologies about gender, sexuality, capital, or nation? Are popular media inherently suspected as feminist spaces? I examine these questions in this paper by looking at the Bengali magazine Sananda, and at the ways in which it claims radical space for Bengali women. I am interested in the ways in which Sananda interpellates the middle-class Bengali cosmopolitan woman by calling upon progressive social and political constructions of Bengali identity while simultaneously selling consumer products, and particularly the ways in which norms of gender are both recuperated and challenged. Given the claim of the magazine to speak the truth on a women's issueso , representations of sex and genderÐ having sex, sexual choices and related residence norms, gender identityÐ can be seen as one of the most signi® cant arenas for interrogating the limits of talking about sex in popular culture.


Abstract The present research further extends recent data revealing implicit attitude towards persons with disability, with the aim to explore if meditation practice can reduce automatic mental processes initiating prejudice. Forty adult experienced meditators and 34 meditation-naïve individuals performed an evaluative priming task. None of them presented any disability. Results show important discrepancies between control and meditation practicing participants: subliminal disability-priming inhibited evaluation of positive words and facilitated evaluation of negative words in the control group, thus revealing the presence of an implicit prejudice toward people with disability. In the meditator group, a quite different pattern of results emerged: disability-priming did not affect the evaluation of words, whether positive or negative. These findings suggest that meditation practice could deter automatised categorisation. They provide a hopeful message in the limited current armamentarium for decreasing negative attitudes towards persons with disability.


Abstract While the larval morphology and peculiar behaviour of several epigean species of molopine beetles (Carabidae: Pterostichini: Molopina) have been known for several years, we know very little about the specialized subterranean species of some genera endemic to the Tyrrhenian area, including Molopidius Jeannel, 1942, Oscadytes Lagar, 1975, Henrotius Jeannel, 1953, Zariqueya Jeannel, 1924, and Speomolops Patrizi, 1955. In this paper, we describe and illustrate the third instar larva of Speomolops sardous Patrizi, 1955, a specialized troglobitic beetle endemic to eastern Sardinia. Diagnostic features include the lack of stemmata; the presence of a longitudinal, membranous furrow along the dorsal surface of the mandibles; a small retinaculum; and a uniquely shaped seta FR8. We compare the morphology of this larva with some of its close relatives in the genera Molops Bonelli, 1810, Tanythrix Schaum, 1858, and Typhlochoromus Moczarsky, 1913. Some data are also given about the habitat and bionomics of the larval stages of Speomolops sardous, which show an obligate, fossorial behaviour into sandy soils in deep zones of large, periodically flooded subterranean systems.


One of the primary characteristics of Hungarian literature from the very beginnings of its history has been that literatures of other nations have been an inspiring source for Hungarian authors and the practice of literary translation has greatly enriched literature in Hungarian. In the 18th century and the first decades of the 19th century, a significantly higher number of translations were done and published than in the earlier period, and most of the most prominent writers were also translators. The notion that translation serves as a point of departure point, a kind of foundation on which the structure of national literature should rest, became widespread opinion. This view was also shared by Ferenc Verseghy (1757–1822), one of the most significant figures of intellectual life in Hungary at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. He was a well-trained and industrious translator of poetry, fiction, and scientific works, so when scholars evaluate the outstanding quantity of his literary production, he is generally overtaken by contemporary writers who are considered more original. One would not consider Verseghy an original thinker or writer on the basis of his works on aesthetics, but this was true of most of the Hungarian and foreign authors working in this field. Even so, he was a talented translator, compilator, and editor, who wrote about the elements of contemporary anthropological aesthetics in a unique way, arranged in a logical, transparent system.


The relaunch of Acta Crystallographica Section E in June heralded its transformation from Structure Reports Online to Crystallographic Communications and saw the publication of the first papers in the new Research Communication format designed to bring out the science behind the structure determination. Reports are no longer limited to a short description of a single structure and figures are no longer relegated to the Supporting information. We are delighted to see that an increasing number of authors are choosing to publish their work as a Research Communication, with the numbers of these articles increasing every month. The November issue includes the one hundredth paper to be published in this format, so what better time to celebrate the great breadth in the range and scope of the Research Communications published so far?

Authors are positively encouraged to report and discuss related structures in a single Research Communication rather than publishing a series of short structural reports. We are pleased to see that papers reporting two structures are a now regular feature and one three-structure paper has been published. Authors have made the most of the opportunity to include extra tables and figures in the published paper to illustrate their results and enhance the discussion of the underlying science.

We are pleased to see that the variety of compounds covered is vast, and includes a fullerene, a potential secondary explosive, a herbicide, MOF's, a two-dimensional grid-type structure, a layered coordination polymer, a four-layered [3.3](3,5)pyridinophane, an anti-HIV agent, a new solid form of the drug seratrodast, a helicene, isotypic structures, polymorphs and caged compounds to name but a few. While the majority of crystals have been measured with Mo Kα or Cu Kα radiation, some studies have benefited from synchrotron and even neutron time-of-flight measurements.

These full papers have discussed some very interesting science, the findings of the studies including, amongst others, an example of the importance of freely refining the positions of the amino-group H atoms, the influence of solvent upon the stoichiometry of the formed salt, relative substituent orientation, extension of the coordination chemistry of a certain ligand type farther towards the early transition metals, and the influence of the molecular shape on the hydrogen-bonding pattern.

Each month a Section Editor has the pleasure of choosing the structure for the cover. The cover choices reflect the broad range of topics you will find among the Research Communications. In July, the cover image was taken from the first Research Communication ever to be published, which reports alkyne dicobalt clusters featuring asymmetric or symmetric alkynes, classic tetrahedral C2Co2 cluster cores, with each carbon atom of the alkyne bridging two Co atoms, and highly distorted octahedral geometries. A two-dimensional grid-type structure with the organic guest molecules occupying the space between adjacent grid layers was the choice in August, whereas the molecular structure of 2,7-diethoxy-1,8-bis(4-nitrobenzoyl)naphthalene, which possesses crystallographically imposed twofold symmetry and whose crystal packing is characterized by C—H⋯O=C and C—H⋯O=N hydrogen bonds appeared in September. The October cover featured two molybdenum(II) cyclopentadienyl complexes in which the steric demands of the different phosphine ligands have a minor effect on bond lengths and angles within the complex molecule whereas the crystal packing in the two structures is markedly different, with the acetyl oxygen atom playing a crucial role as an acceptor of non-classical C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds. This month, the choice relates to the interesting chemistry and crystallography of N-arylhydroxylamines, where four independent molecules are linked via O—H⋯N and N—H⋯N hydrogen bonds to form a tetramer-like unit.

We would like to see even more of our authors old and new submit to the journal in this format. Our editors and many of our authors already take advantage of the IUCr's publCIF software to write and edit their papers using a word-processing environment. publCIF takes a crystallographic information file (CIF) and prepares a formatted paper (preprint) in the Research Communication style. The CIF and the preprint are presented side-by-side and can both be edited – changes made to one are applied to the other as you type. publCIF also includes many useful editorial tools to help you write your paper. It can be used to add data items required for publication, prepare standard and customized geometry tables, check your CIF for both syntax and completeness, print or export a preprint of your paper, check the references and more. Using publCIF, a Research Communication can be produced with just a little extra effort. Be sure to use the latest version of publCIF, which is available to download free of charge from http://publcif.iucr.org.

A large part of the success of the new Research Communication format is down to our dedicated team of Co-editors who are doing an excellent job in advising authors how to promote their science. On behalf of the Section Editors of Acta E, I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for helping make Acta Crystallographica Section E the obvious choice for disseminating the results of the excellent crystallography that is being carried out by our authors worldwide.


ContextRecent data suggest a protective role of carotenoids in the development
of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), possibly via an antioxidant effect, but
no randomized trial has directly assessed the efficacy of β-carotene
to prevent DM.ObjectiveTo determine whether long-term β-carotene supplementation reduces
the risk of developing type 2 DM.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsA total of 22,071 healthy US male physicians aged 40 to 84 years in
a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, from 1982 to 1995. More
than 99% of the participants had complete follow-up (median duration, 12 years).InterventionSubjects were randomly assigned to receive β-carotene (50 mg on
alternate days) or placebo.Main Outcome MeasureIncidence of type 2 DM.ResultsA total of 10,756 subjects were assigned to β-carotene and 10,712
to placebo. Incidence of type 2 DM did not differ between groups: 396 men
in the β-carotene group and 402 men in the placebo group developed type
2 DM (relative risk, 0.98; 95% confidence interval, 0.85-1.12). The lack of
association between β-carotene supplementation and incidence of type
2 DM persisted despite multivariate adjustment. There was no evidence of benefit
when the period of risk was subdivided into years of follow-up or increasing
duration of treatment.ConclusionIn this trial of apparently healthy men, supplementation with β-carotene
for an average of 12 years had no effect on the risk of subsequent type 2
DM.


This paper presents a protocol for 3D functional evaluation of fingers. A specific methodology has been developed to solve problems related to material limits, such as optoelectronic camera configuration in a gait laboratory environment, clusters shape and dimensions for small segments, precise initial processing for quality of data collection , postprocessing for better visualization of clinical parameters. The protocol provides data related to subject specific kinematic of the hand (ranges of motion (ROMs), helical axes specifications, motion patterns...). The protocol was applied in a group of twenty healthy volunteers. Results show good agreement with the literature. This protocol will be used in the future in patients with various finger disorders to allow rehabilitation quantification, deficit measurement, recovery objectification, etc...


A simple method for the optical resolution of several unfunctionalized epoxides by inclusion in cholic acid is presented. (ee values up to 95%).


Micro-profited economy as a general phenomenon can been seen everywhere in today's society . The essential point of this article is to recognize the phenomenon , the forming cause and the functioning mechanism of the micro-profited economy , so as to realize the micro-profited economy more effective and to provide a theoretical basis for the rational analysis of future economic development and the correct choice of industries.


According to a World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) estimation,
only 5% of the world's one million print titles that are published every year
are accessible to the approximately 340 million blind, visually impaired or print
disabled people. Equal access to information is a basic right of all people. Essen-
tial information such as flyers, brochures, event calendars, programs, catalogues
and booking information needs to be accessible by everyone. Information helps
people to make decisions, be involved in society and live independent lives. Ar-
ticle 21, Section 4.2. of the United Nation's Convention on the rights of people
with disabilities advocates the right of blind and partially sighted people to take
control of their own lives. However, this entitlement is not always available to
them without access to information. Today, electronic documents have become
pervasive. For vision-impaired people electronic documents need to be available
in specific formats to be accessible. If these formats are not made available,
vision-impaired people are greatly disadvantaged when compared to the general
population. Therefore, addressing electronic document accessibility for them is
an extremely important concern. In order to address the accessibility issues
of electronic documents, this research aims to design an affordable, portable,
stand-alone and simple to use "Complete Reading System" to provide accessible electronic documents to vision impaired.


The study was a survey meant to assess the extent of utilization of e-learning opportunities in the effective teaching and learning of Business Education in the tertiary institutions of Nigeria. The study aims at determining the teachers' usage of e-learning packages in their education delivery services; the teachers' competence in computer applications to the optimization of e-learning packages in effective teaching and learning of Business Education. Questionnaires were used to elicit answers to the three research questions that guided the study. The study revealed that Business Education in tertiary institutions utilize e-learning applications in most aspects of educational service delivery, such as, students assessment, research, lectures, etc. Furthermore, the study disclosed that Business Educators face problem of inadequate ICT infrastructures, paucity of fund, irregular electricity supply, and lack of trained professional. It was recommended that stake holders in the education sector should make internet connectivity and other e-learning resources such as computer, projectors, and scanners available to the tertiary institutions. It was further recommended that teacher training institutions should incorporate computer training programmes in their curriculum.


We explore the relevant key factors in the process of knowledge transfer within MNCs, and suggest a new model that is based on the two gaps model of knowledge transfer within them. Our finding can help managers of MNCs effectively control foreign subsidiaries and successfully achieve knowledge transfer.


Pile-soil stress ratio is a very important indicator to reflect the level of the together-work of the pile and soil,also a major parameter calculating bearing capacity of composite foundation and settlement,and it is interrelated with the physical and mechanical properties of the soil,whose influencing factor is also complicated.Combined with a large-scale project,the large stress ratio test to the DJM pile composite foundation in the soft clay of Chengdao was conducted.The regulations of the pile-soil stress ratio of DJM pile composite foundation with the change of load,time,thickness and stiffness of pillow in Chengdao region were obtained.The finite element analysis was carried out,and these two results were compared.The results show that there is no time effect to the pile-soil stress ratio of DJM pile composite foundation.The pile-soil stress ratio of DJM pile composite foundation is negative correlation to the thickness of pillow.The pillow with a certain thickness could coordinate the work of the pile-soil,and the best thickness range should be confirmed by experiments.The pile-soil stress ratio of DJM pile composite foundation is positive correlation to the elastic modulus of pillow.Pile-soil stress ratio would never change when the elastic modulus reaches a certain value.The pillow material with proper elastic modulus should be chosen based on the pile material.The numerical value of the pile-soil stress ratio of DJM pile composite foundation in this region mainly distributed from 6.5 to 9.0.


Glucose meter, its transmission method for using a local area network to transmit a standard message on the blood glucose level information, to a blood glucose information transmission system and method using the same. According to the present invention, a standard message, a standard message received using a local area network and the received to and from the blood glucose meter for measuring a member blood glucose level of the blood glucose level information that the blood glucose meter generated gateway means for transmitting by the network, the network; It consists of a blood glucose information management system receiving the standard message via the network gateway from the network means and stores and manages the received standard message that is glucose information. Thus, defining the standard for blood glucose measurement field, and use them to provide the networking of the blood glucose level information through the local area network because it does not depend on the blood glucose meter for a particular manufacturer, different manufacturers to one of hyeoldanggi of heterogeneous telemedicine or Ubiquitous Health and Production It may be associated with care services. Blood glucose level, a local area network, telemedicine


With great interest we read the article by Han et al. 'Study familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy using patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells' recently published in 'Cardiovascular Research'.1 Life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) remain a challenge not only for clinical management of individual patients, but also from the viewpoint of cellular cardiac electrophysiology. It remains an enigma how mutations of sarcomeric proteins can increase the propensity for arrhythmias. A recent concept suggests that the often increased Ca2+-binding affinity of mutated sarcomeres in HCM increases Ca2+ buffering and, by diastolic release of Ca2+, the propensity for arrhythmias.2 The advantage of patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) should be that effects of patient-relevant mutations can be studied in the correct genetic …


China's grain circulation industry market structure is highly decentralized, with the deepening of reform and market mechanism further improving; M&A will inevitably become an important means of competition in the market to grain circulation enterprises. Based on fully investigating Characteristics of the grain circulation enterprises, this paper uses merger integration theory, firstly analyzes China's grain circulation enterprises M&A model and the interests, secondly inspects the Integration and M&A costs and risks, finally presents the measures of integration to prevent and reduce the risk of M & A.


By extrapolation of measured mass‐loss values, maximum values for accumulated litter‐mass loss were estimated by using a nonlinear statistical model. This model predicted that the proportion of mass lost through decomposition should be on the average about 85% for Scots pine needle litter and for lodgepole pine needles the corresponding value was almost 100%. The single incubations of Scots pine and lodgepole pine needle litter were made simultaneously and in parallel plots and could thus be compared pairwise. When thus compared, the limit values (asymptotic values) were significantly different in five cases out of six—the exception being a short measurement series. Lodgepole pine is an introduced species in this system.


OBJECTIVES
To determine the frequency of malpresentation in pregnant women with polyhydramnios.
METHODOLOGY
This Cross-Sectional Study was conducted at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, from March 2021 to September 2021. A total of 175 pregnant women with polyhydramnios were included in the study. Ultrasound was done to make a diagnosis of malpresentation.
RESULTSThe age range of pregnant women in this study was from 18-40 years with a mean age of 31.137±3.67 years, mean gestational age of 34.022±2.78 weeks, mean parity of 2.537±1.69 and mean AFI level was 29.017±2.32 cm. A previous history of malpresentation was seen in 25.7% of patients. Malpresentation was observed in 10.3% of patients. The previous history of malpresentation and polyhydramnios had strong statistical significance with current malpresentation (p<0.01).
CONCLUSION
With the timely diagnosis of polyhydramnios with documentation on ultrasound by an expert radiologist and clinical examination by a gynaecologist, malpresentation can be reduced significantly by prompt treatment.


Abstract Copper(I)-catalyzed diastereoselective borylative exo-cyclization of alkenyl ketones with bis(pinacolato)diboron is reported. The reaction of alkenyl aryl ketones under a CuCl/Xantphos catalyst system provides four- or five-membered-ring syn-2-(borylmethyl)cycloalkanol derivatives in good yields with high syn selectivities. The utility of this method is demonstrated by further transformations of the cyclic products.


The process of band structure formation which occurs abruptly at the upper yield stress has been observed in polycrystalline iron with a high speed camera of 400 frames/s. The results are summarized as follows: (1) The width and propagation speed of the band across the specimen cross- section are almost constant in the strain rate range in which the upper yield stress is insensitive to strain rate. (2) The width of the band at the beginning of deformation coincides with that of the affected zone formed around each individual deformed grain. (3) The propagation speed of the band increases with decreasing grain size of the specimens. (4) The spring constant of the stretching system does not affect the formation process of the band, though it strongly affects the sidewise propagation of the band along the specimen axis, i.e. the propagation of the Luders band front.


In this paper we present TOTBEM: a freeware application for the in-house computer aided design and analysis of grounding grids. The actual version of the software is available for testing purposes (and also use) at no cost and can be run on any basic personal computer (as of 2011) with no special requirements. The distribution kit consists in a single ISO bootable image file that can be freely downloaded from the Internet and copied into a DVD or a USB flash memory drive. The application runs on the Ubuntu 10.04 (Lucid Lynx) LTS release of Linux and can be easily started by just booting the system from the live DVD/USB that contains the downloaded file. This operation does not modify the native operative system nor installs any software in the computer, but the application is still fully operational while the live DVD/USB is taking control. The pre- and post-processing engines of the application have been built on top of the open source SALOME platform toolkit. On the other hand, the analysis part of the code is based on the Boundary Element Method (BEM). The implemented BEM formulation (that has been presented by the authors in previous publications) is suitable for computing the equivalent resistance and the step and touch voltage in most large electrical over ground substations with a grounding grid embedded in a single- or multi-layer stratified soil.


equally fair to assume that the attributes of value, the capacities for reorganization and adaptation, the intrinsic harmonies, are features of existence no less real? According to the author, this spiritual interpretation of the world is essential for religion. Religion is an independent source of authentic experience about the world and about life. The aim of religion is the "realization of the objective system of personal and social values through communication with the Cosmic Intelligence." We possess "three psychophysical agencies of personal communication: articulate speech, practical invention and construction, and aesthetic perception and expression." In the field of religion these take the forms of "prayer, devoted service, and worship." In some places the author is a little vague and one wishes that he had talked in more specific terms. On the whole, however, the book is stimulating. Modern science is simply one way of interpreting the universe in which we live. It is not the only way, and it undoubtedly has its limitations. Mechanism seems to be a valid scientific program and it should be applied as far as possible, but it seems inadequate as a complete interpretation. Some will claim that Professor Wright is interpreting the universe from the point of view of human hopes and ambitions. Perhaps he isbut there seem to be many "levels" and "units" in the evolutionary process. Why insist on fixing attention upon one set of units, whether electrons, atoms, cells, or persons, and demanding that all things be reduced to these particular units?


A research report submitted to Kampala International University, IODL in partial fulfillment of the requirements of award of the degree of bachelor of Education, Special needs Education (SNE) of Kampala International University.


The attitudes and behaviours of nursing staff are critical to determine patients' satisfaction and to have a competitive advantage for any healthcare organization. This study is set to investigate the effects of internal service quality (ISQ) on nurses' job satisfaction, employee commitment, well‐being and job performance in the healthcare sector of Pakistan. Further, this study also examines the mediating role of nurses' well‐being for the relationship of job satisfaction and commitment with their job performance.


Solid-liquid separation can be accomplished by pressure or vacuum filtration in a batch or continuous mode. Generally, following filtration, the cake must be washed and subsequently dried to specifications. The technology choice process depends on a wide range of parameters, including the nature the solids (crystal size and distribution, shape and type), the liquids (temperature, viscosity and nature) and the process itself. This article examines the use of a continuous-indexing vacuum belt filter (CI-VBF) as a replacement for manually operated filter presses and offers insight into one plant's technologyselection process. A specialty chemical plant was using several filter presses to produce various high-valued products in the form of thin filter cakes. Each unit contained 136 plates with a total filter area of 4,400 ft2 (440 m2). Unfortunately, the plant was experiencing a wide range of operating and process problems: • excessive use of wash liquid and requirement of high wash ratios to meet a conductivity specification • high moisture content in the discharged cake required longer drying times • frequent filter-media blinding resulted in high maintenance costs for changeouts • manual processes, such as discharge of cake from the filter press, raised operating costs • difficulty in handling the wet-cake discharge required frequent operator intervention • mixing of the mother liquor and wash filtrates increased the costs of distillation and liquid recovery. STEP 1. Establish Performance Criteria and Pick Technology with Highest Marks The plant engineers took a Six-Sigma approach to improving the filtration process that involved replacing the existing equipment with centrifuges, nutsche filters or vacuum belt filters (VBF; moving tray, rubber belt and continuous-indexing designs). The criteria for the initial evaluation included continuous operation, multiple washing stages in the forward and countercurrent modes, ease of cleaning, cake compression, thermal drying features to recover drier solids and to minimize the quantity of drying equipment (i.e., reduced capital expenditures for the project). A primary consideration was the high compressibility of the product cake. On a nutsche filter-dryer, this cake would necessitate long cycle times and potentially cause cloth blinding. The engineers suspected that centrifuges would have similar cycle-time and blinding issues. Another crucial requirement was thorough washing of the cake. Tests revealed that centrifuges and filter-dryers did not satisfy this criterion. Since the VBF met the first two objectives and also operated continuously, it was designated as the preferred technology. The engineers then compared the three available VBF technologies to find the one that was most suitable for their application. Table 1 illustrates this decision-making process, which led to the selection of the CI-VBF system for further bench-top and pilot-scale testing. Figure 1 depicts the operational features of the CI-VBF, while Figure 2 illustrates the process technology. The slurry is fed continuously from above and spreads out evenly onto A Six Sigma Approach to Evaluating Vacuum Filtration Technologies


A major impediment to effective consideration of sustainability issues is that quality ecological information is in short supply, and our ability to predict long term impacts is consequentially circumscribed. We need to think of ways in which we can make best use of the information we have, and most of all we need a comprehensive coordinated framework for assessing the sustainability of waterways. As part of a new approach to water planning and management in the state, the Queensland EPA is developing a framework which aims to provide a clear direction on how the conservation values of waterways should be assessed, how water extraction and water infrastructure development proposals should be evaluated and how the sustainable limits to the development of waterways should be established. The framework aims to make maximum use of existing data, and more specifically target further data needs. This work is intended to provide a scientific basis for future development, and thereby reduce reliance on the reactive and often limited approach of project environmental impact assessment.


Objective The siege of health behavior in postmenopausal women. Methods This survey adopt uniform questionnaire 600 cases of Perimenopausal women. Results In the survey of 600 questionnaire,424 cases of menopause is accounting for 70.67%;176 premenopausal cases is accounting for 29.33%;The self-conscious health condition is extremely good or very good menopausal transition women 80 cases,accounted for only 13.33%.Different age,areas,menopausal status and different education degree of menopausal women past menopause symptoms appear to seek treatment proportion all have significant statistical difference(P0.05). Conclusion Perimenopausal women is lack of knowledge and awareness of health menopause,menopause health need to strengthen the health education to improve self-monitoring and self-care ability,so as to further improve their quality of life.


1 Acknowledgements 4 Declaration 5 Abbreviations 6 Publications 8 Chapter 1: General Introduction 1.1 ATP 9 1.2 Historical Aspects of ATP Receptors 10 1.3 Properties of P2X7 Receptor 14 1.4 Advantages of Using Cells from Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) Patients to Study B-lymphocytes 17 1.5 In Vitro Model For Lymphocyte Transendothelial Migration 18 1.6 L-selectin 22 1.7 CD23 28 Chapter 2: Materials and Methods 2.1 Materials 32 2.2 Solutions 33 2.3 Preparation Of HUVEC Culture Flasks And Plates 36 2.4 Isolation of Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVEC) ...... 36 2.5 Subculture HUVEC 37 2.6 Cell Preparation 37 2.7 Lymphocyte Transmigration Assay By Phase Contrast Microscopy 38 2.8 Lymphocyte Transmigration Assay by Transmission Electron Microscopy 38 2.9 Monitoring L-selectin Expression 39 2.10 L-selectin and CD23 Shedding Induced by ATP, BzATP or PMA 40 2.11 Measurement of soluble L-selectin using ELISA 40 2.12 Correlation between L-selectin MESF and Molecules per Lymphocyte 41 2.13 Measurement of L-selectin and CD23 Changes during Transmigration 42 2.14 Ethidium Influx Measurement by Time Resolved Flow Cytometry 43 2.15 Prepare Cell Lysates 43 2.16 Western Blot for L-Selectin and CD23 44 2.17 Statistics 44 Chapter 3 : ATP-induced Shedding of CD23 and L-selectin (CD62L) from Lymphocytes Is Mediated by The Same Receptor but Different Metalloproteases 3.


The invention relates to a flash memory which increases the electric property by reducing or preventing gap from generating. The method for producing the flash memory according to the implementation way of the invention comprises the steps as follow: a plurality of gate patterns containing a tunnel oxide layer, a floating gate, a dielectric medium layer and a control gate is formed on a semiconductor substrate; a separator is formed at the upper part of the side wall of the gate pattern as the combined insulation layer structure; a source/leakage region can be formed at the upper part of the semiconductor at the two sides of the control gate; and the insulation layer which is positioned at the outermost of the separator layer is removed. A contact hole can be formed between the gate patterns by forming and drawing a insulation layer between layers. A contact plug is formed in the contact hole.


The reasons for the recent growth of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) for industrial and environmental applications are briefly explained, and thence why the users and managers of CFD systems should understand the main underlying principles, the different options and future possibilities of this essential element in modern engineering design. The paper reviews in non-mathematical terms (a) current concepts of turbulence and the mechanisms that need to be modelled; (b) the three levels of computer code, classified according to their output level, their requirements for data and computational resources; (c) the way the codes are constructed and used; (d) how the results have to be interpreted and qualified for all practical applications; and (e) finally how CFD is developing, with better accuracy in specific areas and applications to more complex problems (with thermodynamics, chemistry, etc.) and even to flows where the turbulence is controlled interactively.


The brain blood flow blockage in ischemic stroke increased oxidative stress and free radicals that cause neurotic cells damage. Computed Tomography Scanning (CT scan) assesses the brain structural damage but not the brain cells damage quantitatively. A discrepancy between CT scanand clinical symptoms of ischemic stroke patient is often found. 8-Hydroxy-2-Deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) serum concentrationis the result offree radical interaction with the cluster C8guanine bases, was used to assess the degree ofneuron cells damage, oxidative stress levels. Increase of 8-OHdG serum concentration indicates brain cellsdamage as reflected in the neurological deficitsby the The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). The aim of this study was to know the correlation of 8-OHdG serum concentration with the determination of the degree of neurological deficitby NIHSS inischemic stroke patients. Seventy-two patients with acute ischemic stroke were enrolled in the Dr. Hasan Sadikin Hospital from August 2013 to January 2014. The research was carried out by cross sectional study design. Statistical analysis was performed by Kruskal-Wallis test, rank Spearman's correlation test. Mild neurological deficit with a median of 8-OHdG serum concentrations was 3.9 ng/mL (3.3−12.0 ng/mL), moderate neurological deficit was 23 ng/mL (8.0−51.0 ng/mL) and the severe neurological deficit was 77.5 ng/mL (54.0−97.0 ng/mL). The correlation of 8-OHdG serum concentration with neurological deficits in acute ischemic stroke was 0.912 (p<0.001. Correlation of serum 8-OHdG concentration with neurological deficits in acute ischemic stroke was 0.912 (p<0.001). Based on this study result it can be concluded, that this research has a strong meaningful positive correlation of 8-OHdG serum concentration with neurological deficits as examined by NIHSS. In conclusion, serum 8-OHdG has a strong meaningful positive correlation with neurological deficits. 8-OHdG serum concentration can be considered to be used to assess discrepancy between CT scan and clinical symptoms as well in health facilities without CT scan.


The CW diode-end-pumped solid-state Nd:YAG laser using a prece of Cr4+:YAG passively Q-switched crysta1 was reported.Optics coupling systerm was studied and designed,used a Cr4+:YAG crystal with the singal transmission of 80% and a plane-concave cavity.Under the incident power of 5 W and repetition rate of 5 kHz,the maximum laser output enegey is 118 μJ,pulse width is 5 ns,and conversion efficiency from light to light is 15.7%.It can be used in carving jewellery field.


The paper analyzes the relation between agricultural moderniza ti on and sustainable agricultural development at first,then based on the case of Heilongjiang Province,by analyzing the actuality of agricultural development of the province,points out the problems of realizing agricultural modernizati on and sustainable agricultural development of the province.


The article actualizes the problems of development of the commercial and public sector of the sports and recreation industry in the context of international sanctions. In a situation of budgetary funding cuts, it is proposed to solve the problems of sports and recreational work with young people, in which local authorities play an important role. In particular, in the direction of the work of regional authorities for physical culture and sports on social advertising of a healthy lifestyle, as well as on explaining the methodological foundations regarding self–study in innovative non– traditional types of health–improving physical culture for online training. The article also discusses the problems of developing commercial fitness/wellness clubs, outlines aspects of a marketing strategy aimed at customers in the economy class segment and expanding the network of small format fitness studios. The positive and negative aspects of the pension reform of the Russian Federation, the health care reform of the Russian Federation are analyzed, the consequences are identified, and some conceptual proposals are formed. From the author's point of view, in order to increase the working capacity and productivity of workers of pre–retirement age, it is necessary to focus on free services of restorative rehabilitation medicine by resuming the work of physiotherapy departments in city clinics and on providing pre–pensioners with free sanatorium– and spa–treatment.


The presentation deals with several examples that show that Persian speakers, consciously or unconsciously, project patterns of Arabic word formation unto Persian words.


ABSTRACT The cowpea is subject to both quantitative and qualitative loss during storage due to attack by the insect pest Callosobruchus maculatus (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). There is a growing interest in controlling the pest using insecticides that result from the reactions of secondary metabolites produced by plants, due to their high efficiency, wide availability and selectivity for the target organisms. The present study aimed to evaluate the fumigant activity of allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) on the development of C. maculatus and its effect on the physical properties of the cowpea. To evaluate the instantaneous population growth rate (ri), the insects were exposed to concentrations of 3.81, 5.71, 7.67, 9.41 and 17.85 mL AITC m-3 cowpea (corresponding to LC1, LC10, LC30, LC50 and LC95) for 40 days, after which the physical properties of the cowpea were analyzed. The degree of infestation increased considerably with the reduction in AITC concentration, as did the water content and electrical conductivity. The germination percentage and apparent density decreased with the reduction in AITC concentration. The LC10 sublethal concentration reduced reproduction in C. maculatus and the degree of infestation of the cowpea after 40 days of storage. AITC inhibits the development of C. maculatus and helps maintain the physical properties of the cowpea, thereby representing an alternative to the use of traditional insecticides and showing potential for the control of insect pests in stored grain.


ABSTRACT The rhodium(II) acetate [Rh2(OAc4)]-catalyzed reaction of ethyl diazoacetate with N-methylisatin leads to the formation of diastereomeric oxiranes spiro-fused to N-methyl-2-oxindole together with 1,3-dioxolane bis-spiro-fused to N-methyl-2-oxindole. The formation of ylide from the reaction of rhodium-carbenoid with C-3 carbonyl group of the N-methylisatin undergoing a 1,3-cyclization, and a [3 + 2]-dipolar cycloaddition with another molecule of N-methylisatin, respectively, explains the formation of products. The application of nuclear overhauser effect spectroscopy to determine the E–Z-configurations of the spiro-oxirane-oxindoles is demonstrated.


Background: Infectious diseases caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria (MDR) remain a global health issue. The population uses several plants from the Cameroonian pharmacopeia to treat bacterial infections. The methanol extract from the aerial parts of Psychotria sycophylla (K.Schum.) Petit (Rubiaceae) (PSA) previously showed antibacterial activities against MDR bacteria. In the present study, the antibacterial activities of PSA were determined in the presence of an efflux pump inhibitor (EPI), phenylalanine-arginine β-naphthylamide (PAβN). The effects of PSA on the bacterial membrane and its ability to inhibit the bacterial biofilm were also assessed. Methods: The evaluation of antibacterial activity of PSA in the presence of PAβN was evaluated using the microdilution method. The modification of the bacterial membrane permeability as well as the inhibition of biofilm were evaluated using spectrophotometric methods. Results: When tested with PAβN, the inhibitory effects of PSA increased vis à vis all the tested bacteria. PSA also destroyed the bacterial membrane and showed significant inhibition of biofilms of Escherichia coli AG102 strain. Conclusion: The reported data provide complementary information on the antibacterial effect of Psychotria sycophylla and might be helpful in formulating a phytomedicine to combat infections due to multidrug-resistant bacteria. Keywords: Bacteria; modes of action; multidrug resistance; Psychotria sycophylla; Rubiaceae.


It discloses a method and apparatus for the liquid before the heavier material into the hydrocracking unit and separating a hydrocarbon stream pretreated diesel effluent material pretreated in a hydrotreating reactor. Thus, the diesel save material, but recovered together with the hydrocracked effluent. The recovered stream fed to the diesel hydrotreating unit to improve its cetane number.


Don't blame the employer if the allocation of (the remainder of) the actuarial surplus of a pension fund may have been inequitable between the participants and the employer now wants to transfer his fair share from a reserve account to the employer surplus account. This is the ruling of the Supreme Court of Appeal in its latest judgement on the issue in Registrar of Pension Funds v ICS Pension Fund (288/09) (2010) ZASCA 63 (May 4 2010).


Analytical models of spatial trajectories of mobile objects during synthesis of algorithmic support in integrated inertial-satellite navigation systems is considered. In the paper, spatial analytical model of the trajectory means the trajectory on the field of the Earth, for which an analytical relationship between the spatial coordinates (latitude and longitude) of the object moving along this trajectory exists. In this work, the trajectory of the object in the area of the Earth with a constant azimuthal angle (so-called loxodromic model) is considered. The use of this model is possible for a very wide class of objects moving in pre-known spatial trajectories, which can be approximated with high accuracy in a set of loxodromic trajectories. One of the advantages of such representation is invariance to the nature of the object's movement and type of the physical model. Presented models have important predominant features, which are the reduction in the dimension of the evaluated vector and the fundamental problem solution in a posterior assessment of the object parameters by autonomous measurers during the disappearance of satellite messages. The illustrative example is presented for an integrated inertial navigation satellite system.


A short experiment in 9th grade civics classes, com paring the effects of divergent and convergent study ques tions on both divergent and convergent post-test perform ance, revealed some differential patterns among predictive and post-test measures. It was found that performance on the convergent post-test was more predictable, that a verbal subtest of the Minnesota Tests of Creative Think ing contributed to the prediction of performance (in addi tion to what was predicted by an achievement index) on the divergent but not the convergent post-test, and that performance was generally more predictable when pupils were tested in the same manner they had studied. RECENT STUDIES of creative mental abili ties have indicated that the pupils who perform well in learning or testing situations that require divergent thinking abilities are not always those who are commonly recognized by standard in telligence or achievement scores as the best learn ers (1, 5, 6). Many learners with creative potential apparently have a greater chance of being recognized if they have a chance to use divergent thinking, the mental operation em phasized by the studies of Guilford as being closely related to creativity (2, 3). If this is true, then the normal predictive relationships as sociated with school achievement could be altered if atypical learning and testing situations, par ticularly those involving divergent thinking, are introduced. Although there have been studies of the con ditions fostering creative and divergent think ing, few studies of teaching methods designed to elicit divergent thinking in relation to academic topics in the classroom have been reported in the literature.2 Little can be said, consequently, of what classroom methods are most effective in eliciting divergent thinking and how such meth ods affect performance on conventional achieve ment tests. As more methods are devised and ex amined, more can be said about their effective ness in promoting both divergent thinking and conventional test performance. If only group averages are considered when the results of these newer methods are studied, how ever, the information would hardly be complete. Experiments which compare teaching methods I and reveal no significant differences among the I mean scores may yet have widely varying pat terns of results if interactions of methods with several variables, such as personality of the stu dent or sex of the teacher, are investigated (4). This admonition would seemingly include a study ? of a divergent thinking method contrasted with i a more orthodox method. The knowledge of who performs best with a divergent method and who with a more conventional method could lead to more efficacious use of either method. This possibility would justify examining and contrast ing those predictive relationships that exist in divergent and conventional learning situations.


AbstractDamage diagnosis has been a challenging inverse problem in structural health monitoring. The main difficulty is characterizing the unknown relation between the measurements and damage patte...


Traces assigned to Rusophycus versans are recorded for the first time from Furongian (Upper Cambrian) strata, as exposed at Wiśniowka Wielka quarry, Holy Cross Mountains, central Poland. These traces are ascribed to the life activity of trilobites in a fully marine environment. In contrast, previous records of R. versans have been attributed to notostracans, isopods or arthropleurids and are preserved in non-marine settings. The relatively wide phylogenetic distribution of R. versans within various arthropod groups indicates that this ichnotaxon represents behavioural convergence amongst arthropods.


This study aims to describe the opinions of students majoring in make-up and beauty regarding practical lectures that are carried out boldly in terms of the teaching and learning process, the capabilities of the lecturers, and practical facilities and infrastructure. This type of research is descriptive quantitative. The research sample was 46 students majoring in make-up and beauty, of whom 21 students from class 2018 and 25 students from class 2019. The research variable is a single variable. The research instrument used a questionnaire with a Likert scale which stated as many as 60 items. The research data were analyzed using descriptive analysis of proportions using SPSS 20. The results showed that student learning was as big as make-up and beauty towards practical subjects 77.95% boldly with moderate criteria. Student learning review includes 3 indicators in the form of practical learning and teaching processes, lecturer capabilities, practical facilities and infrastructure. Student learning of practical subjects as seen from the indicators of the teaching and learning process with a result of 80.40% with good criteria. Student learning towards practical subjects is boldly seen in terms of lecturer capability (lecturer competence) with a result of 82.13% with a good category. And student learning towards practical subjects was boldly seen in terms of practical facilities and infrastructure with a result of 71.32% in the moderate category. Based on the results of research for research for students to carry out practical lectures in a bold and serious manner by providing practical facilities and infrastructure so that the practices we carry out boldly can be carried out in accordance with the objectives of the lecture.


In pursuit of the value of subjectivity life education,High School Affiliated to Nanjing Normal University adopts freedom to boost youth passion and use emotion to expedite intelligence as its educational strategy,and plans happy careers and seeks lifelong development as its educational orientation.The actual path of human-based and resurgent education is studded with life achievements and poetry.


Objectives
In clinical studies, the visceral fat obesity has been emphasized because of its correlation with the metabolic syndrome. But the...


8. Saglio G, Kim DW, Issaragrisil S, le Coutre P, Etienne G, Lobo C, et al. Nilotinib versus imatinib for newly diagnosed chronic myeloid leukemia. N Engl J Med. 2010;362:2251—9. 9. Giles FJ, Mauro MJ, Hong F, Ortmann CE, McNeill C, Woodman RC, et al. Rates of peripheral arterial occlusive disease in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in the chronic phase treated with imatinib, nilotinib, or non-tyrosine kinase therapy: a retrospective cohort analysis. Leukemia. 2013;27: 1310—5. 10. Gambacorti-Passerini C, How Piazza R. I treat newly diagnosed chronic myeloid leukemia in 2015. Am J Hematol. 2014;90:156—61. 11. Mayer K, Gielen G, Willinek W, Müller M, Wolf D. Fatal progressive cerebral ischemia in CML under third-line treatment with ponatinib. Leukemia. 2013;28:976—7. 12. Perk J, de Backer G, Gohlke H, Graham I, Reiner Z, Verschuren M, et al. European guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention in clinical practice (version 2012): the Fifth Joint Task Force of the European Society of Cardiology and Other Societies on Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Clinical Practice (constituted by representatives of nine societies and by invited experts). Eur Heart J. 2012;33:1635—701. 13. Breccia M, Colafigli G, Molica M, Alimena G. Cardiovascular risk assessments in chronic myeloid leukemia allow identification of patients at high risk of cardiovascular events during treatment with nilotinib. Am J Hematol. 2015;90:E100—1.


A direct all-solid-state Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst of a g-C3N4-coated tree-like α-Fe2O3 was rationally constructed toward CO2 conversion. The so-called artificial tree shows excellent p...


Engagement with the Library is essential in delivering a successful student experience. A previous Library Impact Project found that students who use the Library more tend to achieve better academic results. However, analytics from library systems indicate declining book borrowing and electronic resource usage. Are students really reading less? Student academic reading patterns have adapted to the increase in digital resources. As a result they may be "reading smarter''. Feedback indicates they expect to find and use information quickly, synthesising information from a variety of sources. As part of a commitment to improve retention and completion figures, the Library has initiated a Reading Behaviours project at the University of Salford, focused on the reading habits of undergraduate students. It explores what motivates their academic reading; whether reading patterns vary according to purpose or source, academic discipline, status, or age and what this means for our role in helping students to find resources. In light of findings, how should we tailor classroom training, e-learning and collaboration with academics to support the student journey? Several key issues have emerged during this project:
1. Synthesizing information for an academic purpose
2. Embedding information literacy as a flexible learning habit
3. Supporting students as they adapt to new learning contexts


3D I/O devices, long awaited in Computer Aided Design (CAD) systems, are finally available as force feedback devices such as PHANToM (SensAble Technologies, Inc.). This paper presents Feature Based Haptic Rendering (FBR), which provides haptic feedback of a more accurate shape required by the haptic man-machine interface for surface CAD than intermediate representation (IR) [1][2]. Fig. 1 shows the FBR architecture. Virtual surface modelling process is connected to a haptic rendering loop using a single asynchronous TCP/IP socket stream. As [2] states, decoupling haptic rendering process is indispensable to obtaining high haptic fidelity that requires device control latency of ~kHz, since shape modelling, e.g. NURBS knot insertion, may take time. IR is data exchanged between decoupled processes, which actually is a plane in [1] and to which [2] added a few more primitives. Because only received IR is used in haptic rendering, the haptic process does not need a geometry database. The database coherency problem that arises with such architecture, in that each process has its own geometry database copy, can thus be avoided. FBR generalizes the idea of IR to a feature, which is the unit of communication and can be categorized into two groups -data and commands. The data feature includes local haptic properties of virtual objects, such as shape (Fig. 2), texture, stiffness, and position. Command feature is used to control other processes, e. g., switching interpolation strategies of received shape features in the haptic rendering loop. FBR provides a communication protocol to exchange features. A feature is split into one or more fixed-length packets from which the receiver reconstructs the original feature. The haptic renderer has feedback force calculation algorithms and interpolation strategies for features. FBR can be used by any point-contact type force feedback device as IR and can be easily extended to multiple-contact type devices by introducing an object momentum feature. Haptic volume rendering is also easy: shape features can be constructed as local isosurfaces by the Marching Cube algorithm [3], for example. Physically correct haptic rendering of a thin, elastic object is then possible, which is important for surgical simulation but is difficult with the voxel density field algorithm [4]. A virtual surface modeler with force feedback has been implemented with FBR, whose modelling and graphic rendering run on a SGI Indigo2 Elan (200 MHz R4400) and the haptic display is PHANToM (6 DOF input and 3 DOF force output) on a PC (200 MHz Pentium Pro). The user can touch, trace, and deform a B-Spline and a triangular surface directly [5] with virtual tools catching haptic feedback (Fig. 3). Rich shape features display the surface shape accurately. A 5-10 kHz device control latency has been achieved with 20-30 Hz communication and graphics refresh rate. Quantitative and qualitative evaluation of FBR using psychophysical methods are in work.


Thomas Malory's reading of his sources in Le Morte D Arthur leads him to locate Arthur's final resting place, the legendary Avalon, in two different locations. One of theseGlastonbury-continues from the "indefinite pastness" of Malory's text into his own, fifteenth-century world.' There, as William Caxton attested in his preface to the 1485 edition, one can still travel and see Arthur's "sepulture."2 In all probability, Glastonbury Monastery is where Arthur was buried by a hermit who received the body from the three ladies who, in turn, received Arthur (while yet alive) from Bedivere.3 Yet Malory's sources cannot make him certain where this place is, so he refrains from asserting a connection between Glastonbury and Avalon. Malory seems not to have visited the grave at Glastonbury; he can only report that "many men say that there ys wrytten uppon the tumbe thys: HIC IACET ARTHURUS, REX QUONDAM REXQUE FUTURUS" (717:33-35). This may be the text that Bedivere "made... to be wrytten" (717:28), but such facts can only be surmised. Malory can only rely on what is writtenin his sources, on tombs-about Arthur and on what has been reported by "many men."4 Reports of others, in fact, suggest another possible "location" for Avalon: "Yet som men say in many partys of


G. Bernard — The African and the City . Growth and development of Kinshasa, before and since independence, collective representations of city life and urban problems, from residents' interviews.