Using the introduced cedar planted in the tent as material, the content changes of SOD and MDA in blade in the natural temperature falling were studied. The results showed that the SOD activity change curve of cedar was a shape of M in the same year, the activity would not drop constantly with the fall of environmental temperature and the MDA content showed a change law of parabola. As the falling of temperature, oxygen free radical began to accumulate, which caused the peroxidation of membrane system, and also caused MDA content to increase. There were close relations between keeping higher SOD activation in the cedar body and the cold-resistant ability. It is one of important reasons for injured cedar blade that the active oxygen catabolism imbalance at the low temperature stress。


THE N O R T H E R N S E A R O U T E : Soviet exploration of the North East Passage. By TERENCE ARMSTRONG. Cambridge: Scott Polar Research Imtitute (Sp. Publn. No. I ) , 1912. 9 t x 64 inches; xiii + 162 pages; illustrations, sketch-maps, and folding map. 21s. [In Canada, Macmillan Company, $4.001. It is four hundred years since the notion of Northwest and Northeast Passages was conceived in Western Europe. Yet it is only within the last two decades that spectacular results have been achieved in the pursuit of this idea. In the American North, the Northwest Passage has been barely conquered. In the Soviet North, a useful sea lane, called the "Northern Sea Route", has been developed. After so many years, it is not surprising that the West is still asking questions about the Russian success. I t is unfortunate that the available facts admit of little more than historical presentation. But Mr. Armstrong confines his historical survey to the period prior to 1933. Thereafter, undaunted, he marshals his data under the headings of physical characteristics, traffic, administration, equipment, and scientific support, in order to make a sustained and courageous effort at analysis. T h e result is more than an exhaustive collation, and a number of interesting conclusions, convincingly documented; it is the author's especial achievement, that, working with scanty and rapidly aging materials, he provides or adumbrates the answers to many major questions. T h e subtitle of this study emphasizes that there is a long record of navigation in Russian Arctic waters. This is to be digested before one approaches the Soviet achievement. I t is a somewhat tangled story. There were voyages which were made both by Russians and by non-Russians; which were inspired by economic, scientific, or strategic ends, or by a mixture of these; and which were confined to one or more sectors of the Russian Arctic, as well as directed along the entire northern coast of Russia. An outline of events in each of three regions unravels the skein. Most important is the Kara Sea, which was penetrated from the West. There is the sector east of the Lena, which was entered from the Pacific. Finally, there is the central sector, and the difficult navigation around the Poluostrov Taymyr (Taymyr Peninsula). It is a treatment by which the few attempts to sail the entire Northeast Passage are left for the reader in easy isolation. Russian navigation in arctic waters apparently dates from the ninth century. but this was confined, in all probability, to the Barents Sea. This fascinating, but less relevant mediaeval link in the story is omitted. It is sufficient for the narrative to begin in the first half of the sixteenth century, to show that Russian vessels were already in the Kara Sea, and probably also in the Laptev Sea before mariners from Western Europe first entered the waters of the Barents in their search for a sea route to China. But these vessels were manned by traders from the White Sea coast, where the expanding Russians first debouched on the arctic seas. They were exploiting what a later age might have called a "Sable Coast", and none are known to have dreamed of an Orient beyond. Nevertheless, it emerges that the native contribution to navigation in Russian Arctic waters is very old and that it is important. It also develops that the Soviet government did not discover the Northeast Passage, and was not he first Russian administration to commission voyages along the entire route. If the reader is grateful for a clarification of the confusing maritime history of the Russian Arctic, he is especially indebted for the story of operations in the Kara Sea. Of all the activities in the waters north of Russia, these were and probably remain unique for their commercial importance. Appropriately, they occupy almost


citizens are not ordinary people. They are representatives of the elites of our society, because they are public figures, politicians and militaries. The problem of jurisdiction in general and universal jurisdiction in particular relates to the concept of the scope of international and domestic law and is important for both theory and practice of international relations. In light of this issue, the following questions are particularly relevant and the purpose of the article: the legitimacy of establishing universal jurisdiction and legal restrictions imposed on the exercise of universal jurisdiction. Methods. The methodological basis of the study is general and special legal research methods used in the theory of international law. Among them, there are general scientific research methods, such as philosophical, dialectical, synergetic, methods of induction and deduction. Results. We can assume that the concept of universal jurisdictions is now on the path of its formation as a separate institute of international criminal law. It is clear that until universal jurisdiction has become universally recognized institute of international law, although several agreements have already been concluded, and States legislative acts have been adopted, for the unambiguous approval of their place in the system of international law, this concept requires regulatory legal international regulation, for example, in the form of a single treaty. Conclusions. There are several essential features of the above definition. First, universal jurisdiction is governed by the law of a State that has an extraterritorial scope. Second, the reason for its application is the crime itself, irrespective of the legal or factual connection of the State with the persons or territory in which the crime was committed. However, the modern understanding of universal jurisdiction does not exclude other types of jurisdiction that arose in earlier historical stages.


Mangrove leaves (Rhizophora apiculata) has potential as animal feed because their had high protein content around 11,72%. Mangrove leaves contain anti-nutritional substances in the form of tannins. Tannins are antinutrient compounds that bind to proteins, carbohydrates (cellulose, hemicellulose and pectin), vitamins and minerals. Boiling can reduce the content of tannins and other anti-nutrients because phenolics are soluble in hot water and lime can hydrolyze tannins causing the active phenolic tannin groups to become inactive. The purpose of this research was to determine the effect of boiling time on the nutritional content of mangrove leaves. The treatments given soaking with lime water 10 minute, the treatment consist of : A : control, B : 5% lime, C : 10% lime, D : 15% lime. The research method used Randomized Block Design (RBD) with 4 treatments and 5 replications. The best result of this research was B Treatment with 5% lime which resulted in the nutritional value includes 93,32% dry matter, 7,934% ash, 92,066% organic matter, 8,16% crude protein, 15,91% crude fiber, 3,812% crude fat, 27,64% acid detergent fiber, 35,86% neutral detergent fiber, 13,15% 13,15% cellulose, 8,22% hemicellulose, and 13,05% lignin.


The article presents historical data on the feeding, care and education of children of the Northern peoples of the Tyumen region.


(57) Abstract: via a data bus (101), between (such as cellular telephone) communication unit (100) (such as a hands-free kit) external accessories (102), audio and control method and apparatus for transmitting both data. The method, the sequence of bits, and formatted into a sequence of iterations of the first time slot and a second time slot, and transmits the voice data in the first time slot, and in the second time slot in transmitting control data. In particular, the first bit of each of the second time slot, the clock bits in between successive second time slot, which alternates between high and low values (e.g., "1" or "0") including.


s of scientific conference "ACHIEVEMENTS AND PROSPECTS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST INFECTIOUS DISEASES (MICROBIOLOGY, VETERINARY, PHARMACY), May 18, 2017, Kharkov, Ukraine 65-87


The Ginzburg-Landau equation is used to investigate the Josephson effect in superconductive tunnelling in which condensed electron pairs tunnel through the barrier. (C.E.S.)


Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) are currently recognized as the gold standard for evaluating the efficacy and safety of medical interventions. However, often the presentation of the results of RCTs in reports and articles does not give a complete and reliable description of all the results of the test, which often leads to incorrect conclusions and guidelines. In order to comply with certain uniform requirements for reporting documents based on materials of the conducted RCT, a group of authors and editors of medical journals in the early 1990s came out with a proposal to the medical community about using common standards for presenting RCT results, which they called CONSORT (CONsolidated Standards Of Reporting). The first version of CONSORT, however, caused a lot of criticism from both authors and editors of journals. The accumulated critical comments were taken into account by the developers of the revised and published in 2010 version of CONSORT, which is currently accepted as a reference for presenting the results of RCT in the world's leading medical journals. CONSORT 2010 contains a statement, supplemented with a set of questions on the conducted RCT, requiring a clearly formalized answer, and a flowchart for visual presentation of the results. In addition, the CONSORT developers submitted a separate document to clarify the terms in order to clarify the cases of application of this methodology. It is important to understand that CONSORT does not include recommendations for developing, conducting and analyzing the trials. It contains only reports on what and how it was done, what was eventually established, and only indirectly affects the design and conduct of RCT. However, authors who are familiar with the requirements of CONSORT will strive to meet these requirements when planning and conducting RCTs. As an example, the article presents a case of assessing the quality of the presentation of one of the RCTs according to CONSORT 2010 standards.


Objectives of this review were to present the state of the art of the technologies used to develop cultivars in allogamous species, excluding the perennial and asexually propagated species. It was reviewed the genetic structure of these species and its relationship with the development of cultivars, the technologies used to develop hybrids and improved open-pollinated varieties and their F1´s, and the impact of the biotechnology and the mixed models on the development of cultivars. A summary of results from the researches developed in the maize breeding project at the Department of Genetics of the Agriculture College "Luiz de Queiroz" will be presented.


This article examines the private diplomatic efforts of Olof Lamm. A Swedish Jewish ex-diplomat and businessman, he used his personal network to protest against Nazi persecution of the Jews in Germany, and informally lobbied the United States to increase its immigration quotas. Shedding light on these informal back-channel diplomatic networks, the author provides examples of the attitudes and obstacles Lamm faced when dealing with individuals, and reveals how those he petitioned justified their defense of Nazi ideology and actions and their own restrictive immigration policies.


Feather pecking and cannibalism in laying hens continues to be a serious welfare and economic problem in the egg industry, and presents a major obstacle to the adoption of non-cage production systems. This project examined internal and environmental factors involved in the development of feather pecking and cannibalism in one commercial laying strain (ISA Brown), with particular attention to changes associated with sexual maturation at about 16 weeks of age. A detailed study of behavioural and hormonal development in pen-housed pullets under constant environmental conditions revealed age-related changes in the number, type and targeting of bird-to-bird pecks. Feather pecking, which began in juvenile birds between 5 and 10 weeks of age, was associated (on a per pen basis) with more severe pecking damage after the onset of lay. This resulted from increased vigorous feather pecking/pulling, vent pecking and aggressive pecking. Times spent preening and dustbathing also increased at sexual maturity. Increased pecking damage at the onset of lay coincided with physiological changes, most closely with increased plasma progesterone concentration. Large variability between pens in the extent of pecking damage illustrated the unpredictability of pecking problems. Investigation of the circumstantial link between damaging pecking and hormonal state (through experimental manipulations of the latter) proved to be problematic, and a direct causal link could not be demonstrated. The only evidence supporting such a link was from an experiment where acute administration of the anti-oestrogen tamoxifen resulted in reduced vigorous pecking and pulling (but not gentle pecking) at a novel pecking device (a bunch of string). There was no evidence of a relationship between birds' individual plasma hormone levels at 25 weeks of age and their feather pecking behaviour before or after sexual maturity. Effects of dietary protein source on the development of damaging pecking were investigated, prompted by reports of increased pecking damage in layer flocks as a consequence of the widespread use of plant protein-based diets. In a comparison of pullets fed animal (fishmeal) or plant (soyabean meal) protein-based diets, there was some evidence (higher numbers of vigorous pecks/pulls) that damaging pecking was greater with the plant protein diet. There was no evidence of an oestrogenic effect of the plant protein diet (soya beans are a rich source of phytoestrogens), as indicated by plasma indicators of reproductive state or egg production. Feather eating was common in both juvenile and adult layer pullets, with short feathers (<10cm in length) preferred. In juveniles, levels of feather eating (as indicated by depletion of moulted feathers on pen floors and the presence of feather material in droppings) were associated with pecking damage at 14 weeks on a per pen basis and reliably predicted the incidence of more severe pecking damage at the onset of lay. When birds from one experiment (in pens) were housed in cages and presented with short feathers, those previously identified as feather peckers ingested more feathers than non-peckers. In another, two-choice test, both peckers and non-peckers pecked at and ingested more unwashed feathers than washed ones, suggesting that the presence of preen oil may be a factor affecting attractiveness of feathers. These findings identify external factors (feather eating and dietary protein source) which influence the aetiology of damaging pecking which may have important strategic implications for the egg industry.


In this article, I explore the pedagogical function of #MeToo, highlighting what it might teach about gender-based mistreatment and mainstreamed feminism. I begin by reviewing linkages between adult education and social movements, then trace the development of #MeToo, drawing on both media and scholarly texts. Next, I apply the concepts of feminist snap and neoliberal feminism, layered on top of Foucault's thoughts on confession, to examine how #MeToo has been shaped by the newer phenomena of neoliberalism and social media, and the older phenomena of feminism and social inequities. The role of confession in social ideals of the feminine, feminist activism, and neoliberalism becomes a steady consideration. My analysis illuminates tensions in globalized feminist activism, and possibly other types of equity-seeking movements, and the adult learning and education that it fosters.


Abstract
Introduction: Immigrant medical doctors (IMDs) are systematically denied medical recertification to practice medicine in Canada. While many seek alternative work and are essentially forced to abandon their medical career, others persist in seeking out opportunities to better prepare for a chance to practice medicine in Canada. The latter is a long, arduous, frustrating, discouraging and expensive (both time and money) process for IMDs. This presentation seeks out a proposal for empowering IMDs through the use of social media in preparing for a chance of medical recertification in Canada.

Background: Technological innovations since the 1980's have transformed the world into a new huge and interconnected mass. Globalized market competitions have triggered increased migration trends. As people migrate to other countries as a result of these innovations and for better economic, political, professional and personal enhancements, social media is also rapidly infiltrating the world's sphere as the new lifestyle in the 21st century. On the professional front in medicine, medical doctors worldwide are embarking on migratory ingenuities to grasp opportunities for new and advanced knowledges and experiences in medicine. The continuing message that there is a shortage of doctors in Canada, in addition to new Canadian immigration policies, which attract IMDs to immigrate to Canada, proved to be unfair for IMDs, especially IMDs from ethnic and developing countries. The IMDs who persist for the chance to better themselves and sustain their career, do so amidst continued economic and social hardships. Bitterness, anger and frustrations with the recertification process and the unjust way IMDs are treated, lead to deteriorated health and low self-esteem of individuals. Financial costs for books, study materials, travel to libraries and study group meetings and safety are added stresses to IMDs.

Objective: This study seeks to determine the use of social media as a means to empowering IMDs in their learning and preparation for a chance of a medical license to practice medicine in Canada.

Method: The literature on IMDs' study style and habits, their use of computer, technology and social media is sparse. The evidence that social media is the new medium of communication, business and education is compelling. After analyzing and correlating the literature with new data from a recent qualitative study comprising of one-on-one interviews with IMDs, I conclude that IMDs are hardworking and resilient professionals who are passionate about the field of medicine. Medicine is their passion and is deeply ingrained in their well-being. As long as these doctors are in good health, they will not stop yearning for new knowledges, discussions and participation of the medical sciences and how they can be good doctors to their patients.

In conclusion, connecting IMDs through social media activities as a new medium to study, prepare for medical exams, share knowledge and expertise, will relieve the hardships and empower IMDs in their quest for medical recertification. []


Abstract Modern day building design projects require multidisciplinary expertise from architects and engineers across various phases of the design (conceptual, preliminary, and detailed) and construction processes. The Architecture Engineering and Construction (AEC) community has recently shifted gears toward leveraging design optimization techniques to make well-informed decisions in the design of buildings. However, most of the building design optimization efforts are either multidisciplinary optimization confined to just a specific design phase (conceptual/preliminary/detailed) or single disciplinary optimization (structural/thermal/daylighting/energy) spanning across multiple phases. Complexity in changing the optimization setup as the design progresses through subsequent phases, interoperability issues between modeling and physics-based analysis tools used at later stages, and the lack of an appropriate level of design detail to get meaningful results from these sophisticated analysis tools are few challenges that limit multi-phase multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) in the AEC field. This paper proposes a computational building design platform leveraging concurrent engineering techniques such as interactive problem structuring, simulation-based optimization using meta models for energy and daylighting (machine learning based) and tradespace visualization. The proposed multi-phase concurrent MDO framework is demonstrated by using it to design and optimize a sample office building for energy and daylighting objectives across multiple phases. Furthermore, limitations of the proposed framework and future avenues of research are listed.


This research is the preliminary research of the development of a Self-Massage Therapy Model for migraine healing. In Indonesia, research on the migraine prevalence in large populations has not been widely carried out, so that valid data about migraine prevalence have not been widely known. The peak prevalence in both men and women occurs between the ages of 25-55 years. Hormonal factors are thought to be the main cause of more women suffering from migraine than men because of the menstrual cycle, contraception, and postmenopause. Most migraine sufferers have a family history of migraine and experience headaches and muscle tension. The research was conducted in the students of Yogyakarta State University in March 2018. The sample of 50 people was incidentally determined based on their complaint of suffering from migraine. The research used descriptive statistical analysis test. The survey results showed that 86% of students suffered from migraine every week. 50% of them took drugs to eliminate migraines, 30% chose to sleep to eliminate migraine, and 20% chose massage therapy in the clinic or salons. They explained that there were positive changes in migraine by taking drugs, which could reduce and cure migraine, but had side effects, one of which was drowsiness. A small percentage of students who suffered from migraine chose massage therapy at a salon with a minimum duration of 45 minutes and costs around 30-150 thousand Rupiah. From this research, it can be concluded that the most-chosen migraine treatment by migraine sufferers is taking the drug.


Yong Huang has recently claimed that after the demise of foundationalism, philosophy and theology can turn to Ludwig Wittgenstein's non-foundationalist or coherentist religious epistemology where, it is said, religious beliefs are justified by a 'reflective equilibrium' with other kinds of beliefs, with action, and with different 'forms of life'. I argue that there are very good reasons to reject this reading of Wittgenstein: not only unsupported, it is seriously mistaken. Once the epistemological terms of the debate are properly understood, the evidence indicates that Wittgenstein's view of religious beliefs is a form of foundationalism, not coherentism.


This paper concerns the cohesive sediment dynarnics in Trentemoult Harbour which is situated in Loire estuary in France at 50 km from the ocean. This harbour was created in 1979 ta shelter 20 fishing boats and 80 yachts. The sedimentation rate in-situ has increased progressively since 1979. Maintenace dredging had originally been planned every five years but at present. these works permit an adequate operation of the harbour for only about three months. This study has been carried out in order to optimize navigation activIties in Trentemoult Harbour. The following aspects are considered in this paper : the description of hydraulics and cohesive sediment dynamics in Loire estuary. the hydro-sedimentary dynamics in Trentemoult Harbour and possible solutions of the problem of sedimentation in the harbour. The measurements of hydro-sedimentary parameters in Loire estuary and the test of the erosive peiformances in-situ of a submarine agitator are IWO fundamental phases of this study. Technical assessment of the possible solutions is based on two mathematical models •. the first. unidirectional. simulating the whole Loire estuary, and the second, bidimensional, concerning the Trentenwult area only. The suggested solutions to a high sedimentation rate in Trentemoult are presented in the conclusions at the end of this paper.


In view of the shortcomings of the current wearable human body sensor, such as poor comfort and low sensing accuracy, the application of semiconductor nano materials in the reconstruction of wearable human body sensor is studied. The best zinc concentration of 10 mm and the best reaction temperature of 75∘C were selected as experimental conditions to prepare the modified silk. The two ends of the silk sensor were connected by silver glue and wire respectively to form a single silk sensor. The sensor is placed in the wearable clothing of the wearable human body sensor, which uses the sensor to sense the physiological signal of human body and sends it to the control center. The central processing unit of the control center uses the data eigenvalue fusion decision-making method of BP neural network to process the physiological data of human body and then transmits it to the display terminal to realize the physiological data induction of human body. The experimental results show that the human body sensor can effectively sense human heart rate, blood oxygen signal, blood pressure and other physiological signals, and the sensing accuracy is above 97%.


Widespread middle to late Eocene calc-alkalic volcanism, which formed the Northeast Nevada Volcanic Field, marks the earliest Tertiary volcanism in the northern Basin and Range. The central part of this major field in northeast Nevada and adjacent Utah is herein defined by 23 40Ar/39Ar ages that range from 42.6 to 39.0 Ma, rock chemistry from 12 localities, stratigraphic position of the volcanic rocks above a regional middle Eocene unconformity, volcanic setting, and lithology. The type area is at Nanny Creek, in the northern Pequop Mountains, Nevada, where rhyolite ash flow tuffs are overlain by a thick section of intercalated andesitic to dacitic flows and flow breccias and rhyolite ash flow tuffs. The intermediate composition rocks are locally derived throughout the volcanic field, whereas the sources for rhyolite ash flow tuffs are unknown. The uniform and widespread occurrence of the andesitic and dacitic flows and flow breccias strongly suggests that the upper crust was perforated by intermediate composition magma across the entire region. In the central part of the field the middle Eocene volcanic rocks rest with depositional angular discordance on deformed middle Paleozoic to Triassic strata; ostracode-bearing limestone, probably of early Eocene age, is locally present below the volcanic rocks. In the western and southeastern parts of the field these middle Eocene volcanic rocks rest with depositional angular discordance on lower Eocene lacustrine strata of the Elko and White Sage Formations, respectively. This angular discordance documents a middle Eocene deformational event previously unrecognized in the region.


Perovskite manganite material has been extensively investigated because it has many attractive properties. In this paper, crystal structure of La0.7Ag0.1Ca0.2MnO3 (LACMO1) and La0.65Ag0.15Ca0.2MnO3 (LACMO15) materials will be reported. LACMO1 and LACMO15 materials were synthesized by sol-gel method with sintering temperature 900°C for 24h. Structural properties of LACMO1 and LACMO15 materials were characterized using X-Ray Diffractometer (XRD). The characterized results show a crystal structure transition from orthorhombic (Pnma spacegroup) to rhombohedral (R3¯c space group) along with increasing the concentration of Ag doping. The crystal structure transition show there is a distortion of the material structure caused by Ag-doping. Increasing the concentration of Ag doping may affect the tolerance factor (t) that used to measure the degree of distortion of a perovskite.


Recent publications have demonstrated that most tissues contain stem‐like progenitor cells that play a key role in the repair of tissue injury. When the endogenous stem/progenitor cells in a tissue are exhausted, they are supplemented by similar stem/progenitor cells from the bone marrow. A major focus has been on the stem/progenitor cells from bone marrow referred to as mesenchymal stem cells or multipotent stromal cells (MSCs). MSCs and similar cells from other tissues have been shown to repair tissues by differentiating so as to replace injured cells, by producing chemokines, and in part by cell fusion. However, there has been no obvious explanation for repeated observations that MSCs enhance repair of tissues in experimental models in which their level of engraftment is extremely low. We have recently found that MSCs can repair injured cells and tissues by two additional mechanisms: Stimulation of the proliferation and differentiation of stem cells that are endogenous to a tissue and by transfer of mitochondria or mitochondrial DNA to cells with non‐functional mitochondria. Human MSCs infused into the hippocampus of immunodeficient mice stimulated proliferation of and neurogenesis by endogenous neural stem cells (Munoz et al. PNAS, 2005). Co‐culture of human MSCs with a line of pulmonary epithelial cells with non‐functional mitochondria generated clones of the epithelial cells with functional mitochondria as a result of active transfer of either mitochondria or mitochondrial DNA from the MSCs (Spees, Olson, et al., PNAS, 2006). More recently we observed (Lee et al., PNAS in press) that intravenously infused human MSCs lowered the blood sugar, increased mouse insulin and decreased morphological changes in the renal glomeruli of streptozocin‐treated diabetic mice (NOD/SCID). The human MSCs engrafted into the pancreas and increased both the number of islets and the immunoreactive mouse insulin per islet. The human MSCs also engrafted into the kidney but it was not apparent whether the decrease in renal pathology was explained by direct action of the cells or by the decrease in blood sugar. Therefore there are now multiple strategies for developing new therapies for a broad range of diseases by enhancing one or more of the multiple mechanisms whereby MSCs normally repair tissues. Supported in part by grants from NIH grants AR48323, HL 073755, HL075161, and HL073252; HCA the Healthcare Company, and the Louisiana Gene Therapy Research Consortium.


It seems that some English sentences naturally invite irreducibly multiple application of the method of supervaluations. In this paper, I use the machinery and ideology of Game-Theoretical Semantics (GTS) to investigate this phenomenon and trace some of its implications, both on the logical and


In this work, we will study the nitrate pollution level in the groundwater of the coastal area between Sidi Abed and Ouled Ghanem (Province of El Jadida, Morocco). This area is characterized by the dominance of vegetable market gardening and cattle breeding. The aim of this study is to identify the main factors contributing in nitrate pollution. It was based on piezo-metric data, Lambert coordinate and the results of physicochemical analyzes of the water from 73 wells. The principal components analysis (PCA) was applied to all data collected. Firstly, the descriptive statistics shows that the well depth varies between 1 and 75 m with 16.5 m as average. Nitrate levels vary between 25.7 mg/l and 161.5 mg/l with 89 mg/l as average. Secondly, the results of the PCA revealed the impact of the depth, correlated with the geographic location, on the quality of 89% of the wells. However, 11% of the wells remain indifferent to this parameter. In this case, we can say that nitrate pollution is mainly due to the geological nature of the region allowing greater infiltration of nitrates.


Abstract:  In this article I analyze the moral discourse of the Palestinian kairos document A Moment of Truth (2009) using the distinctions between prophetic, ethical, narrative, policy, and participatory discourse offered by James M. Gustafson and Lisa S. Cahill. I conclude that the document articulates a sixth variety: invitational discourse. This is a kind of moral discourse that invites a wide range of groups and individuals into a normative discussion on a given issue.


Diaspora studies have undergone a sea change in recent years. Skilled diasporas as a subset of diasporas have drawn the maximum attention as the developed countries have started to vie for talent from the global supply of human capital rather than relying mainly on the supply of knowledge workers in their home population. As a result, diasporas' potential contributions to development in the developing countries of their origin have become important policy consideration and focus of research. This special issue of Asian Population Studies is addressed to an evaluation or assessment of such place for skilled diasporas in homeland development. The first selection is a short paper focused on the methodology of diaspora analysis, with examples from the Indian high-skill diaspora in the United States. The next three papers refer to the role of diaspora in contemporary Asian development*one is a comparative study of policy lessons China and India can draw from each other, another one looks into the potential that its medical diaspora has for contributing to the development of Bangladesh and a third one argues for diaspora networking as a development strategy with examples from India. The final paper, focused on internal migration from rural Pakistan and the absence of a substantial diaspora originating in rural Pakistan, substantiates this emerging perspective by providing a contra-view. The papers together thus cover substantial ground on the issue of South Asian diasporas and their role in development. Beginning with the conceptualization of a framework for an underlying matrix of the large expatriate Indian migrant community abroad, which comprises a number of typologies of models and actors, the paper by Binod Khadria proposes a way of addressing a number of the binaries in the sub-matrixes, while still keeping the issues together under a holistic entity called the Indian Diaspora. It deconstructs the interface between the Indian diaspora and its international context* identifying each as a dependent variable under one construct and as independent variables under a different construct. The choice would depend on which perspective of policy is more dominant in time: of the origin home country of the diaspora or the destination host country. The reason a paradigm shift in the host societies and regions where Indians have settled has become important lies in the realization that, given certain assumptions, one type of diasporic actors can become the other. The paradigm shift in India*away from 'brain drain' being looked at as an outright loss, and therefore painful for development, towards 'brain bank' or 'brain gain', and therefore a gainful opportunity*could be understood as the outcome of such change only. What role the diaspora would play in making these transformations reality has been left as an open question. The paper suggests construction of alternative matrices of diaspora actors and models based on the chosen role. Xiang Biao's paper also highlights this change in policy thinking on skilled migration, shifting focus from discouraging emigration in the 1970s to encouraging returns in the 1980s, and to facilitating 'brain circulation' since the 1990s. Based on a comparison of China and India, this paper argues that the fact that the highly skilled migrate out in the first place could be as important as their return and the way they could connect back to the homeland. Using the example of the Information Technology (IT) industry, brain circulation with minimum government intervention in India has been shown to be more


Type of funding sources: None.

 Cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD) is one of the major complications being reported in breast cancer (BC) patients. The clinical relevance of CTRCD and its cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) remains unclear.

 Our aim was to investigate the impact of baseline CVRF on ventricular systolic function in BC patients.

 Retrospective study of patients with BC treated with anthracyclines (A) and/or trastuzumab between Jan 2017 and Dec 2018 who underwent a transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) before, during, and after chemotherapy. CTRCD is defined as a reduction of LVEF >10% to a value <50% or as a relative reduction of GLS >15%.

  We included 128 females with median age of 54 ± 11 years-old, treated with A (78; 60.9%), T (14; 10.9%) or A followed by T (36; 28.1%). LVEF at baseline was 64,7 ± 5,7%.
 At baseline, hypertension was present in 34,4% (44), dyslipidaemia in 29,9% (38), overweight (BMI: 25-30kg/m2) in 33,6% (43), obesity (BMI: >30kg/m2) in 28,1% (36), diabetes in 13 (10,2%) and smoker status in 11 (8,6%).  No one had ischemic heart disease.
 During a mean follow-up of 38 months, 35 (27%) patients developed CTRCD from which 9 (7%) suffered clinical heart failure.
 After multivariate analysis, in the group treated with T (with or without A), the BMI >25 kg/m2 was the only CVRF associated to the development of CTRCD (p < 0,01). In the group treated with A, no CVRF was associated with CTRCD. During follow-up, BMI >25kg/m2 was not associated to a lower survival (log-rank p test = 0.627).
 In the baseline TTE did not occur statistically significant differences between the groups according to the absence or presence of CVRF. Nonetheless, some statistically significant differences occurred during follow-up. In hypertensive patients, treated with T, the TTE at 2 years of follow-up had a significant decrease in LVEF (5,9 ±2,8; p = 0,047) compared to non-hypertensive patients. In diabetic patients, treated with A, there was a significant decrease in tricuspid annular systolic velocity (S") in the TTE after chemotherapy (2,8 ±1,4; P = 0,049) compared to non-diabetic. The group of patients with dyslipidaemia treated with A had a significant decrease in GLS in the TTE after chemotherapy (1,5 ± 0,7; p = 0,037) compared to patients without dyslipidaemia; The same group treated with T (without A) revealed a significant decrease in S' in the TTE during T therapy (5,2 ± 1,6; p = 0,034). The group of patients with BMI >25 kg/m2 treated with T (without A) showed a significant decrease in the GLS during T therapy (5,1 ± 1,6; p = 0,021) and in the LVEF at 2 years of follow-up (15,3 ± 5,7; p = 0,036) compared to patients with BMI <25 kg/m2.

 In our cohort, a high BMI was an independent risk factor for CTRCD among patients treated with T. This finding is in agreement with literature data. These results should encourage further research into the mechanisms linking overweight/obesity to CTRCD.


Initially, the Internet transport protocol TCP has been designed to provide a "best effort" service: it is meant to share the network resources with other users and applications. However, there is nowadays also a growing demand for transmitting big amounts of data in the background, namely background transport that uses spare capacity, but with minimal effect on other traffic. For instance, systems can proactively download content that the user/system would need in the future (e.g. update packages, video files, etc.). Efforts have therefore been made in the IETF for the sake of such a service with Low Extra Delay Background Traffic (LEDBAT) congestion control. While LEDBAT works in some cases, there are however known situations where it causes serious performance problems, particularly in combination with the ubiquitous bufferbloat for example in current broadband networks. In this paper, we analyse the issues of LEDBAT and propose a new approach for background traffic. Inspired by an astronomical event, we have named this approach Eclipse. Unlike LEDBAT, Eclipse can dynamically adapt to the network characteristics not only to minimise the additional network delay but also to maximise the utilisation of spare network capacity. We will show the usefulness of Eclipse by simulations.


We investigate powers of supertropical matrices, with special attention to the role of the coefficients of the supertropical characteristic polynomial (especially the supertropical trace) in controlling the rank of a power of a matrix. This leads to a Jordan-type decomposition of supertropical matrices, together with a generalized eigenspace decomposition of a power of an arbitrary supertropical matrix.


A spatial hydroeconomic model was developed to analyze the competition between small private (SPIS) and large public (LPIS) irrigation systems for water control in tropical watersheds and applied to several water allocation policies in Kou watershed in Burkina Faso. Capital (cash and motorpumps) is the main constraining factor for SPIS expansion, and capital inflow accelerates SPIS development and reduces water flows for downstream LPIS users. As SPIS is more cost-effective and less water thirsty, LPIS needs to shift to less water-demanding and high-value crops or adopt more water-saving practices. Otherwise, only a sharp rice yield increase in LPIS can justify a reserved water quota for downstream users.


Objective To investigate the effects of mild hypothermia (MH) on expression of spectriuαⅡ, calpainⅠand caspase 3 in rats after focal cerebral ischemia reperfusion (FCIR).Methods The rat models of mid- dle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and reperfusion were established by using an intraluminal filament.The rats were randomly divided into a sham-operated group (SO group) ,a normothermia ischemia reperfusion group (NIR group) and a mild hypothermia ischemia reperfusion group (MHIR group).The expression of SpectrinαⅡ,ealpainⅠand caspase 3 was detected by using immunohistochemistry.Results SpeetrinαⅡpositive neurons in peri-infarc- tion region were gradually decreased at 2 h after reperfusion,and reached the peaked at 24 h.Compared with those in the NIR group,the expression of spectrinαⅡwere markedly increased,while the calpainⅠand caspase 3 expression were decreased greatly in the MHIR group.Conclusion The MH neuro-protective effects on FCIR are partly asso- ciated with the inhibition of calpainⅠand caspase 3 expression,attenuation of spectrinαⅡdegradation.


Due to the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Philippine government encouraged enterprises and businesses to utilize flexible work arrangements such as work-from-home (WFH) or telecommuting setup. Nowadays, the key components necessary for a telecommuting include a WiFi-enabled IT equipment, secured work environment, and reliable internet connection, while research shows that type of work and computer literacy are also key factors for telework implementation. Multiple studies in relation to telework have already been conducted but some studies were deemed inconclusive and need further analysis. Therefore, in this study, a Mamdani fuzzy-based model was developed for telework capability assessment for Philippine government employees based on four significant factors namely: internet speed, IT equipment availability, computer literacy, and type of work, which are expressed in linguistic representations. The proposed fuzzy system can provide a feedback telework capability score based on the four input parameters which may also be characterized with the potential telecommuting cost requirement.


It is well known that trees grown on roadsides suffer from stressful environments, including poor soils, bad weather, and harmful gases from automobile exhaust. Improving the adaptability of roadside trees to adverse environments is important for urban management. An experiment was carried out with six-year-old Buxus megistophylla Levl. hedgerows, where 20 mg/L 5-aminolevulinic acids (5-ALA) solution was sprayed on the blade surface at the end of April. Three months later, plant morphology, chlorophyll fast fluorescence characteristics, antioxidant enzyme activities and the mineral element content were investigated. The results showed that leaf size and thickness were significantly greater with 5-ALA treatment, and the leaf color was also greener than those of the control. 5-ALA treatment significantly promoted the electron transfer activity of the PSII reaction center on the donor side, the reaction center itself and the receptor side. It reduced energy dissipation through the heat with increased photochemical quantum yields. The activities of antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) in leaves and roots, were stimulated by 5-ALA treatment. The content of soluble sugars and free proline in leaves was significantly increased by 5-ALA treatment, as were the absorption and accumulation of several kinds of mineral nutrient elements, such as nitrogen, phosphate, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and boron. Additionally, 5-ALA application significantly increased the content of cadmium, mercury, chromium and lead in the roots but decreased them in the leaves. This implies that 5-ALA may induce a mechanism in B. megistophylla in which toxic elements were intercepted in roots to avoid accumulation in leaves, which ensured healthy growth of the aboveground tissues. 5-ALA may regulate the absorption and utilization of mineral nutrient elements in soil with the interception of toxic heavy metal elements in roots, promote leaf photosynthetic performance, induce the accumulation of soluble sugars and free proline, and improve the antioxidant enzyme systems for plants to adapt to the stressful environment of urban roads. These results provide a basis for 5-ALA applications alongside city roads.


In contrast to many other particles, stopping pi /sup -/ mesons effectively produce stars with large energy release. These phenomena were utilized for selected detection of pi meson. The star-detector of pi mesons consists of a telescope of two scintillation counters set in coincidence. The first counter is an ordinary counter with 100% efficicncy for passing particles. The second counter works at a comparatively low voltage supply, hence it detects the large light impulses only. A typical range curve for 160 Mev pi /sup -/ mesons in carbon is given (W.D.M.)


A MBIGUITY, AMBIVALENCE, TENSION, paradox, irony, tragedy, contradiction, and schizophrenia have always governed the status of the black man in the American political system and process-as indeed they have presided, somewhat like Platonic essences and pure forms, over his position and lot in the total institutional firmament and public and private life of the country. Politics is, after all, a function of culture-the values, presuppositions, world-view, ethos, style, materiality, and vision of the whole web and heart's desire of a people and culture. Racism and its ideology have informed, inspired, and guided the broad sweep of American culture. In a tortuous and anguished way, racism has been, on the ultimate level, both the affirmation and the negation of the American Dream. Inevitably, therefore, political life has reflected the subjugation and oppression of blacks in the total framework of American cul-ture. At home but a stranger, free but bound, citizen but alien, agent but spectator, involved but tyrannized, participant but victim, embraced but exiled, a "Thou" but an "It," a person but a thing, in the company of the blessed but cursed, a part of the elect but


CHD is the most common birth defect with an incidence of 9 per 1,000 live births. The severity of the disease and the choice of treatment depend on the underlying anomaly. Despite advances in medical and surgical treatment that have led to more children with CHD reaching adulthood, disorders such as intestinal dysfunction, poor nutrition, and growth failure are still common in infants with CHD. Increased metabolic demand, decreased caloric intake, malabsorption, genetic factors, and fluid restriction can all result in an energy imbalance that negatively impacts morbidity and mortality in these patients. On the other hand, malnutrition is an important risk factor for adverse postoperative consequences. The state of nutrition affects growth and development, wound healing and the functioning of the immune system. Malnutrition affects both short-term and long-term postoperative outcomes. Recurrent infections caused by impaired immune system function and delayed healing of surgical wounds are considered short-term effects, while impaired growth, physical and cognitive development are seen as long-term effects. High postoperative mortality and morbidity, such as increased rates of hospitalization, delayed growth, prolonged recovery time, and longer hospital stays are associated with preoperative malnutrition. Appropriate nutrition protocols tailored to the requirements of patients with congenital heart disease help to improve short and long-term treatment outcomes. Nutritional and metabolic changes are age-dependent, and since this is a high-risk population, enteral and/or parenteral nutrition is difficult. Sources of increased metabolic demand in CHD include greater workload on the heart, pulmonary hypertension, and increased catecholamine secretion.


The mechanisms contributing to densification during non-isothermal heat treatments in sol-gel titania films have been studied. At low temperatures, shrinkage is attributed to condensation reactions between hydroxyls located primarily within the oxide skeleton. At higher temperatures, densification is due to both continued condensation between surface hydroxyls and structural relaxation. Shrinkage stops when films attain a level of crystallinity corresponding to the percolation threshold. At conventional rates, densification is delayed by faster heating; however, at very fast heating rates provided by rapid thermal annealing (8000°C/min), condensation is highly arrested and densification is faster. Similarly, the onset of crystallization increases with conventional heating rates, but crosses over to a lower temperature with rapid thermal annealing.


Alcohol addiction is among the leading causes of preventable morbidity and mortality in India and elsewhere in the world. It is estimated that approximately 30% of adults consume alcohol at harmful or hazardous levels. Of these, 25% meet the criteria for an alcohol abuse disorder, such as the DSM-IV criteria for alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence. It is well established that persistent heavy alcohol use and acute episodes of heavy drinking are linked to a wide range of adverse health, social, economic, and legal consequences. Individuals who consume alcohol to excess have elevated risk for physical, mental, and social problems, such as motor vehicle and other accidents, violence and vandalism, unwanted sexual experiences, liver and cardiovascular diseases, cancers, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, depression, panic attacks and suicide. The objective of the present study is to assess the adverse consequences of alcohol abuse across five dimensions, namely Social Responsibility, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Physical Health and Impulse Control. For this study I have taken 20 subjects diagnosed as chronic Alcoholics as my sample. The scale, "The Short Index of Problems" (SIP) was used to assess the adverse consequences of alcohol. It was found that the adverse consequences of alcohol represent themselves in all dimensions equally without any significant variation. The negative effects of alcoholism are seen in all aspects of an individual's life.


A human-machine interface is created for an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) network control unit (I-NCU). I-NCU is a sophisticated terminal device that allows a voice communication channel and two data channels to he connected through an ISDN I-series interface. ISDN communication functions and network control opera- tions are analyzed to determine the required characteristics of I-NCU. I-NCU features the minimum number of control buttons and a liquid crystal display. Visual and audible information are used to keep the operator fully informed about the states of communication channels.


Nitrogen oxides (NOX) are one of the air pollutants and cause acid rain. The method of NOX treatment using dielectric barrier discharges has been developed. Pulsed power is able to produce streamer discharges without barrier material. The treatment with high efficiency and break-proof reactors, therefore, are expected by application of pulsed power. Moreover, shortening of the pulse width would improve the efficiency of treatments. The pulsed power with pulse width of approximately 1 ns is applied to the NOX treatment. The reactor consists of the coaxial electrodes connected parallel is used for the treatment. The gas of NO/N2 is used. The maximum NO removal efficiency is around 0.3 mol/kWh on the experimental condition. The removing ratios of both NO and NOX reach up to near 100% when the energy deposited in the gas is enough for the treatment. The number of parallel reactors obtaining maximum efficiency for higher initial concentration of NO is larger than that for lower initial concentration.


An overview over the ongoing analyses of in ight data at PS197 is given. Most emphasis is put on the nal states 3 o , 2 o , 2 o and 3 at an incident p ? ~ momentum of 1.94 GeV=c.


Many public goods have a spatial dimension and therefore both their level of provision and their location are policy questions that deserve careful attention. The present paper has used a general-equilibrium model with congestable concentrated public goods, in which the provision and location of public goods are endogenously determined, in order to explain the current urban mosaic of public facilities within cities. We find that the optimal provision of public goods should take into account the opportunity cost of land as well as its potential users, because otherwise public facilities can grow too little or too large. Also, if government does not take into account the long-run effects of a public good facility on community development, then there is the possibility that the public good level chosen is not the efficient one and that congestion costs might be higher in the future. We also conclude from our analysis that location of public facilities involves both private and public sector location behavior. In particular, the equilibrium location of a particular public facility is consistent with the access needs of their users and an Alonso-type bidding process for sites in competition with private uses. Moreover, location of public facilities can also be explained by economies of agglomeration with other public facilities or private firms. Finally, a dispersed rather than a concentrated public good configuration tends to emerge if the gains in accessibility to the facility or the congestion costs are high, or if the households' valuation for the public good or the agglomeration benefits are small.


Apparatus (10) for protecting an electrical load (14) from excessive current, which apparatus comprises: a semiconductor switch (18) for connecting the electrical load to a current source (12) and having a control input ; a current sensor (24) coupled to the semiconductor switch (18) and producing a signal indicative of the magnitude of sensor current flowing to the electrical load (14); and a control circuit (26) connected to the current sensor (24) and the semiconductor switch (18) and responsive to the sensor signal by producing a control signal applied to the control input, characterized in that: the circuit control has a first mode of operation when the magnitude of current is less than a first threshold wherein the semiconductor switch (18) is maintained in a continuous conductive state, a second mode of operation when the magnitude of the current is greater than the first threshold and lower than a second threshold wherein the semiconductor switch (18) becomes nonconductive after a predefined period of time, and a third mode of operation when the magnitude of current is greater than the second threshold wherein the semiconductor switch (18) is alternately pulsed conductive and non-conductive to limit the current through the load (14) to be less than s econd threshold.


Through a documentary investigation, the process of building autonomy in the Mexican public university was analyzed. It should be noted that autonomy was not conferred upon it from its foundation but achieved after a series of efforts by the university community, carried out during most of the 20th century. Both the actors and the key events that influenced the formation of university autonomy are indicated, as well as the progressiveness with which it was granted by the government. After the constitutional recognition of autonomy around 1980, the university has used its self-management in tasks such as the search for modernizing processes, efficiency in the use of resources and the improvement of performance standards.


A new model for interface roughness scattering in modulation-doped (MD) heterostructures, based on the physical structure of a molecular beam epitaxy- (MBE) grown heterointerface, is formulated. The parameters describing interface roughness have been derived from growth studies and analysis of photoluminescence linewidths of quantum wells. The model has been applied to analyze low-temperature electron mobilities in normal and inverted In0.53Ga0.47As-In0.52Al0.48As MD heterostructures. It is found that the mobility in the normal heterostructure is limited by alloy scattering, whereas both alloy and interface roughness scattering play equally dominant roles in the inverted structure.


CdS thin films were grown on quartz substrates using femtosecond pulsed laser deposition. X‐ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), photoluminescence (PL) measurements, and optical transmission spectroscopy were used to characterize the structure and optical properties of the deposited CdS thin films. The influence of substrate temperature in the range 100–600 °C on the structural and optical characteristics of the CdS thin films was systematically studied. The XRD and AFM results show that the crystalline and surface quality of the CdS thin films can be improved with increasing the substrate temperature to 450 °C, but further increasing the substrate temperature to 600 °C may lead to degradation of the crystallinity and surface quality of the CdS thin films. The corresponding PL and optical transmission results show that the optical properties of the CdS thin films deposited by the femtosecond laser ablation technique can be improved by increasing the substrate temperature from 100 to 450 °C. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)


Autonomous operation has been one of the main concerns due to the advantage of excluding human error in industrial fields. In the case of nuclear power plants (NPPs), there are some automated systems to assist operators for safety. Such a system is mainly composed of algorithms to maintain specific variables during power operation or to automatically activate safety functions in case of an emergency situation. However, the overall operation flow must be performed by humans, which has resulted in an increased operator workload in startup and shutdown operations where temperature and pressure change dynamically. In case of startup operation, operating tasks are conducted by human operators manually, taking more than 20 hours to finish. In the previous work, the framework to develop autonomous system for startup and shutdown operation was suggested [1]. In this paper, evaluation method for startup operation of NPPs is suggested by quantifying operation performance. As an application, artificial intelligence (AI) model was implemented to two operating blocks and a plant parameter prediction model. Since the action was selected through the exploited method for the convergence of reinforcement learning (RL) in the training stage, the evaluation of the suboptimal action is not learned as detailed as the best action. Nevertheless, in a complex multi-agent environment, the influence between agents cannot be ignored. This is why the evaluation method is needed regardless of RL training.


The Flood Plain Lakes of the Atlantic Colombian have been impacted by artisanal gold mining during last decades. However, the obtained results have been compared to action levels relevant to other latitudes and the investigations have not included other trace metals of sanitary interest. The present study contributed to understanding the spatial geochemical response controlled by hydrological pulse and organic matter (OM) composition within the Ayapel Flood Plain Lake influence area. We assessed the seasonal and spatial variations of mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), and chromium (Cr) content in recent Ayapel Flood Plain Lake sediments and then compared them with the determined local pollution level of Hg (0.032 μg g-1), Pb (2.39 μg g-1) and Cr (89.58 μg g-1) found in Betulia Formation. The ranges of metal content were 0.008-0.117 μg Hg g-1, 1.090-11.870 μg Pb g-1, and 5.350-93.430 μg Cr g-1. Hg showed the largest spatial variation (0.083 ± 0.064 μg g-1) and the highest values at the distributaries of the former gold mining fronts. About 91 % of samples displayed Pb enrichment (6.376 ± 4.048 μg g-1) and 66.6 % Hg enrichment when compared with the reference levels. In contrast, Cr content was relatively low (96.325 ± 29.868 μg g-1) and showed a decreasing trend from East towards West. The sediment was mainly inorganic (88.154 ± 3.822 %) with depleted OM levels (11.846 ± 3.822 %). The results suggested enhanced Hg motility owing to a high respiration rate of OM about the centre of the main water table. The sediment resuspension and migration was facilitated by thermal instability of the water column influenced by wind action.


Previous papers have argued that countries accumulate foreign reserves in order to deteriorate terms of trade to increase welfare. On the other hand, the optimal tari theory argues that tari s can increase the welfare of a country by improving its terms of trade. This paper provides a plausible explanation for the di erent foreign reserves policies regarding terms of trade. I build an endogenous growth model of a small open economy with technological spillovers generated from exports. Internalizing the growth e ects from these externalities, the government decides whether to accumulate foreign reserves or to borrow from abroad. This paper nds that when the export externalities are large enough, it is optimal to hold positive foreign reserves to achieve faster growth through terms of trade deterioration. However, when the export externalities are small, the combined e ects from the consumption smoothing motivation and better terms of trade outweigh the growth e ects of exports, so the government holds negative foreign reserves. ∗I deeply indebted to Tim Kehoe and Manuel Amador for their guidance and support this project. I also thank Hannes Malmberg, Cristina Arellano, Kei-mu Yi, Jorge Mondragon, Junghyun Oh, Serdar Brinci, Kurt Gerrard See and participants of International Trade workshop for usuful comments. †Department of Economics, University of Minnesota, 4-101 Hanson Hall, 1925 Fourth Street South, Minneapolis, MN, 55455. Email: email@example.com


Whether an enterprise is deploying their applications to virtual machines or 'real' machines, monitoring of those applications is often critical in meeting key business priorities. The monitoring domain is a mature and competitive one with many offerings ranging from traditional closed proprietary products to open-source collaborative projects. Whilst the offerings have continued to increase in their core monitoring capabilities and sophistication, one area which has received less attention is the programmatic control of monitoring configuration; most monitoring solutions provide little to support the solution designer's goal of loose coupling with high cohesion between the service management layer and the monitoring layer. There is still less support for such a Service Management Layer to specify it's monitoring requirements in terms of the SLA the services it manages are being offered against.


i Just recently, during APL91 in Stanford, the answer to this question was obvious: "Certainly, Yes." Due to recent events in the Soviet Union, I am well aware that the answer to this question worries many people. Last week my Internet mailbox was "swollen" with a huge number of messages, and almost all of them contained the words: "What about APL927" The purpose of this article is to give additional information about the conference in Len-ingrad, with the goal of making the situation clearer. My wife Olga, Nikolai Puntikov, and I were just in time. We were "lucky." We came back from the United States only a few hours before the beginning of the coup. Other Soviet APL91 participants either returned earlier or were still in the USA. Thus, Nikolai in Leningrad, and Olga and I in Moscow were witnesses to all of the events of August 19-21_ At first it was a shock. It seemed as if the whole life stopped. They broadcasted only classical music and every hour one and the same declaration of the so-called GKChP (the official Russian abbreviation of the junta's name) over TV and radio. President Gorbachev was deposed (we all know very well what is meant by the "incapability to fulfill his responsibilil'ies for reasons of health"), democratic newspapers were being closed, meetings and strikes were prohibited, and some of the democratic leaders were arrested. At night we talked with Nikolai over the phone. It was relatively quiet in Lenin-grad. At dusk the first tanks entered Moscow. I live less than a mile from the Kremlin. The roar of tanks was heard all night through. I wouldn't like to describe all the events of those three days. The western mass media covered events in the USSR very well. We had no doubt that the junta would not last a long.time (they held out only 60 hours). The Soviet Union has changed greatly during the last five years. People understood very well what freedom and democracy meant. Some independent agency carried out a poll in Moscow on August 20. The junta was supported by only 14% of the population. In the absence of Gorbachev, Russian Federation President Boris Yeltzin led the struggle against the junta. The mayor of Leningrad, Anatolij Sobchak, fully controlled the situation in the city, and he didn't allow the appearance of the troops in the streets. One of the major …


Objective: This study aims to observe user's experience longitudinally in a natural context of use by using DRM (Day Reconstruction Method). Background: DRM is an observation technique that periodically surveys user's experience and evaluates it systemically. Observing user's behavior is critical in identifying users' implicit needs. Previous studies on observation techniques have mainly been conducted in forced and artificial environments. So far, it was difficult to observe user's behavior in natural context. Method: In this study, in addition to emotions collected by existing DRM, we also investigated contextual information using structured questionnaires. Each questionnaire was conducted for one episode which is composed of specific actions that are taken, context of each episode, and detailed description of mood and emotion at that time of episode occurrence with detailed reason. Results: For a case study, DRM for TV-viewing was conducted. As a result, users showed different TV-viewing behaviors depending on the day of the week. DRM also showed that users typically did not use the majority of the technical functions provided by the modern TV sets popularly used today. Moreover, we figured out that many secondary tasks were conducted concurrently together with TV-viewing. Conclusion: The study suggested that a diary-based observation technique proposed in this paper can be used to analyze the context efficiently and quantitatively without bias. Application: It is expected that the proposed method could be helpful for understanding user's implicit needs on the products.


Single-drop splash/detachment studies and multiple-drop splash/detachment experiments were carried out to measure detachment by single and multiple drops. A raindrop tower 7.0 m in height was used to study soil splash by single drop raindrop impact over time on repacked soil samples in containers 76.2 mm in diameter. The waterdrop diameter and kinetic energy were 4.1 mm and J , respectively. The samples consisted of five agricultural topsoils sieved to intensity for 85 min using the same soils as the single drop experiments. The total soil splash value for 85 min on Appling, Cecil, Dyke, Pelham, and Worsham soils were 6121, 6206, 4183, 5160, and 3247 g , respectively. There were no obvious relationships between soil loss measured from the different experiments.


Flows over micro-scale airfoils are investigated using both particle and continuum approaches. An implementation of the information preservation technique based on the direct simulation Monte Carlo method is used to simulate flows over a flat plate of zero thickness at low Reynolds number (Re<100), and good agreement is obtained comparing with experimental data and theoretical results. Investigation shows that the aerodynamics of a 5% flat plate at Re=4 is quite different from that at Re=4,000 that were measured experimentally. A continuum approach with slip boundary conditions predicts a similar basic flow pattern as the IP method with differences in details, which may indicate that continuum approaches are not suitable for this kind of flow because of rarefied effects.


An operator means a bounded linear operator on a complex Hilbert space. The familiar Fuglede-Putnam theorem asserts that if A and B are normal operators and if X is an operator such that AX = XB, then A* X = XB*. We shall relax the normality in the hypotheses on A and B. THEOREM 1. If A and B* are subnormal and if X is an operator such that AX = XB, then A*X = XB*. THEoREM 2. Suppose A, B, X are operators in the Hilbert space H such that AX = XB. Assume also that X is an operator of Hilbert-Schmidt class. Then A *X = XB* under any one of the following hypotheses: (i) A is k-quasihyponormal and B* is invertible hyponormal, (ii) A is quasihyponormal and B* is invertible hyponormal, (iii) A is nilpotent and B* is invertible hyponormal. 1. In this paper an operator means a bounded linear operator on a complex Hilbert space. An operator T is called quasinormal if T commutes with T* T, subnormal if T has a normal extension and hyponormal if [T*, TI > 0 where [S, TJ = ST TS. The inclusion relation of the classes of nonnormal operators listed above is as follows: Normal ; Quasinormal 9 Subnormal ! Hyponormal; the above inclusions are all proper [3, Problem 160, p. 1011. The familiar Fuglede-Putnam theorem is as follows ([3, Problem 1521, [4]). THEOREM A. If A and B are normal operators and if X is an operator such that AX = XB, then A*X = XB*. In this paper we relax the normality in the hypotheses on A and B in Theorem A, namely, we show that the normality can be replaced by the subnormality of A and B*. We show some applications of this result. Finally we present some remarks on Berberian's results [1] which are related to the relaxation of normality in the hypothesis in Theorem A. 2. First we show Theorem 1 as an extension of Theorem A by an easy calculation. Received by the editors May 16, 1978 and, in revised form, June 16, 1978. AMS (MOS) subject classifications (1970). Primary 47B20, 47B15; Secondary 47A20, 47B10.


To the Editor: In your November 2013 edition, Sturm et al. confirm quantitatively that which we clinicians have known qualitatively for many years, viz. that 'obesity and tobacco use are associated with significantly increased healthcare expenditure'. This, and other research papers on the same issue, prompt me to ask when the Commissioner of Medical Schemes will permit the various medical aids to charge non-smokers, and those of an appropriate body mass index, a lower monthly premium?


at TKTB is found to be larger than the universal value. Although this may be understood with a vortex dielectric constant of v 1:9 within the usual KTB theory, this is a relatively large value and indicates that such a system may be out of the domain of applicability of the low-fugacity (low vortex density) KTB treatment. This opens up the possibility that at least some of the discrepancy from a non-universal magnitude is intrinsic. Our nite frequency measurements allow us access to a number of other


Objective To observe the effect of O-methylmoschatoline on the proliferation of cancer cell lines GLC-82 and HL60.Methods The GLC-82 and HL60 cells were treated with different concentrations of O-methylmoschatoline and the proliferation ability of the cancer cells were determined by MTT assay.Results Compared with the control group,10 μmol/L,100μmol/L and 1000 μmol/L O-methylmoschatoline significantly inhibited the proliferation of GLC-82 cells,and 0.1μmol/L,1 μmol/L,10μmol/L,100μmol/L and 1000 μmol/L O-methylmoschatoline significantly inhibited the proliferation of HL60 cells,P0.05 or 0.01.The IC50 of O-methylmoschatoline for GLC-82 and HL60 were 83.31 and 65.59μmol/L,respectively.Conclusion O-methylmoschatoline could inhibit the proliferation of cancer cell lines GLC-82 and HL60 in vitro.


One of the challenges in pharmaceutical tablet manufacturing is the poor API tabletability, which describes the relationship between the compaction pressure and tablet tensile strength. Material sciences tetrahedron explains that performance of drug is determined by its properties, which are in turn determined by its structure. [1] Tabletability could be altered through multiple ways, including but not limited to modifications of particle size, particle shape, compaction speed, water content, as well as crystal structure. As a mean to modify crystal structure, cocrystallization has been used to successfully improve mechanical properties of drugs. It has been shown that tabletability may be improved by introducing slip planes to increases the plasticity, which leads to larger bonding area and stronger tablets when compressed. [2] Another challenge in formulation development is the unsatisfied dissolution rate. Studies have shown that pharmaceutical cocrystals can improve solubility, dissolution, and bioavailability of poorly water soluble drugs. [3]


MRJ is funded by the President's PhD scholarship of the Imperial College London and the 'Dositeja' stipend from the Fund for Young Talents of the Serbian Ministry for Youth and Sport. TJH is funded by an Imperial College Junior Research Fellowship. JDI gratefully acknowledges support from the DISCSIM project, grant agreement 341137, funded by the European Research Council under ERC-2013-ADG and support from the STFC (grant number ST/R000549/1). DF gratefully acknowledges support from the ECOGAL project, grant agreement 291227, funded by the European Research Council under ERC-2011-ADG. CJC acknowledges support from the STFC (grant number ST/M001296/1). CW acknowledges financial support from the University of Leeds.


We have now reached the point at which we can look at Fowles's work in its entirety, and attempt to understand and assess it as a whole. It must be clear by now that I feel Fowles's output to be somewhat uneven; in the course of this chapter I shall seek to account for some of the less successful features of his work, and also for some of its great strengths.


The experimental evaluation of incremental plasticity models and multiaxial fatigue life prediction require the use of multiaxial testing machines. In this paper, an axial-torsion biaxial machine is developed and applied to perform multiaxial fatigue tests. This innovative electromechanical system uses two DC motors connected to gearboxes to generate axial and/or torsion loads. The design of the axial-torsion machine comprises the analysis of its structural integrity, component dimensioning and fatigue life prediction, complete modeling of the resulting dynamic system, development of a control technique, and finally its construction and testing. The control technique applied is a PID sliding control, which combines the advantages of a PID and sliding control. The optimal values of control parameters (proportional, integral, derivative) allow reaching the desired control response and avoid overshoot. The proposed sliding mode controller is chosen to ensure the stability of this electromechanical system. The controller is able to independently specify the axial force and torque load to be applied, being implemented in LabVIEW software running in a cRIO-NI control system. The inputs for both control systems are the error values of each load to be applied to the test specimen. The tension-torsion machine is designed to meet the requirements of a wide range of multiaxial fatigue tests, with a maximum axial force capacity of ±200kN and ±1300N.m torque capacity. The performance of the electromechanical system is experimentally evaluated from stress-strain multiaxial test results.


The process of planning for future site use by the Department of Energy must acknowledge the role that local governments play in land use planning. This role is based on statutory delegation of authority from the state as well as practical considerations that arise from other responsibilities of local government. Future site planning without adequate input from the local government may be frustrated by the impact of local land use regulations at the site, and the impact of local land use planning for the areas surrounding Department of Energy facilities. Coordination with local governments can assure that local land use regulations will allow the planned future uses; it can assure that those uses will be compatible with planned uses in the surrounding area; it can assure that appropriate clean-up standards are set; and it can assure that there is adequate infrastructure to support the planned uses.


The study describes the current costing and management control practices in Algarve's hotel sector. The study further evaluates the extent of the adoption of the Uniform System of Accounts for the Lodging Industry (USALI, enacted 1926). The paucity of research on management accounting and control systems in service organizations, such as hotels, motivates this research. Data was collected from financial managers of 66 (four and five star) hotels, through personal interviews using a structured questionnaire. Results indicate a high level of adoption of the USALI and of other traditional management accounting tools. However, Activity Based Costing (ABC), Customer Profitability Analysis (CPA), Balanced Scorecard (BSC) and other innovative tools, have low or null adoption rates. Some of the findings reported in the paper are not in line with those from other studies, suggesting that a careful data collection is important to ensure reliability


A dichotomy between 'analogue' modeling and 'digital' implementation is often encountered when designing vector quantizers. In the case of digital systems, the requirement of optimality can bring about NP-hard problems. The paper discusses the possibility of using advanced paradigms such as quantum computing for digital optimization processes in order to overcome the limitations of conventional machinery. The presented research provides analytical criteria determining the relative advantages of conventional over quantum-computing approaches.


Although environmental protection does not hit the headlines every day at present, it is sure that environmental protection is an important issue. Standards and programmes discussed form a set of harmonised instruments aimed at lasting improvements in health, safety, and environmental (HSE) performance. Once a company has adopted and implemented one of these standards or programmes, adding on more elements from other standards or programmes is relatively easy and does not necessarily involve much duplication of effort.


Abstract: This study deals with the spatial and temporal variation of clearness index (KT) in different meteorological stations, well distributed in Iraq, during the period between 1995 and 2015. The results indicate that the clearness index varies with the geographical location and period of the year. Monthly values of clearness index (KT) in the months of January and December show the lowest values of the index ranging between 0.38 and 0.64. Meanwhile, August shows the highest values ranging between 0.53 and 0.71. Seasonal variation of KT is well noted. The range of (0.40 to 0.58) has been measured in winter, while the range of (0.53 to 0.70) has been detected in summer season. The annual variation of KT shows a range between (0.47 - 0.64) in all stations. The standard deviation (SD) of the monthly values of KT ranged between (0.01-0.06) for all stations, while the coefficient of variation (CV) for the monthly values of KT ranged between (2-10) percent.
Keywords: Clearness index, Global solar radiation, Extraterrestrial radiation, Time series, CV, SD.


The existing circular target model has a huge limitation which just represents the target angle or frequency interval with respect to the station, but ignores the influence of observed direction. To solve this problem, in this study the correlation coefficient for rectangular scattering model which has two parameters of width and length in spatial and frequency diversity multiple-input multiple-output radars is studied. Under the rectangular scattering model, the authors can describe accurately the change of effective target size varying with the observed direction, which represent a better approximation of the scattering characteristics that the target shape brings. The uniform analytic expressions of correlation coefficient are derived, and the results are verified by numerical simulations.


The article is devoted to the analysis of various plant motives on Mayan terracotta figurines of the 1st millennium A.D. Two basic types of plant motives are identified, which are represented by plants that are independent subjects of the image, as well as those that are secondary in nature, supplementing the plot composition.
A characteristic is given of voluminous, bas-relief and flat forms of the image with a detailed characteristic of their localization, which differ in great variety: costume, hair-style, jewelry, headdress, tattoo, attributive objects, weapons, etc. The Jaina materials provide statistical data on the frequency of occurrence of all the above indicators. Attention is paid to the characteristics of individual plants and their elements, both domesticated and growing near humans, which can be identified and correlated with real prototypes. Quantitative and percentage characteristics of the occurrence of various plants are given, indicating their names in cases when they are definable.
Iconographic features in the images of plants are described in detail, consisting both in "photographic" copying of the features of real plants, and in significant artistic stylization of images characteristic rather of images on stelae painted with polychrome ceramics. Conclusions are made about the features of images of plant motives, which are expressed in places of localization, their role in the plot and composition of terracotta, and the semantic load that the visual embodiment of a particular plant or its image carried.


This work describes the method of preparation of composite lithium-ion battery cathodes that allows total replacement of conventional polymer binders and electroconductive carbon black additives with redox-active conductive polymeric nickel complexes of salen-type Schiff base ligands in the electrode layer. The structure and electrochemical behavior of the electrodes prepared by this method have been investigated. Polymeric metal complexes have been shown to successfully perform the functions of binding and conductive components and also reversibly store charge in the lithium iron phosphate cathodes, which could result in the improvement of the specific capacity of the cathode layer, as compared with the conventional electrodes.


We discuss statistical mechanics on nonamenable graphs, and we study the features of the phase transition, which are due to nonamenability. For the Ising model on the usual lattice it is known that below the critical temperature fluctuations of magnetization are much less likely in the states with nonzero magnetic field than in the pure states with zero field. We show that on the Cayley tree the corresponding fluctuations have the same order. 2000 Math. Subj. Class. 60F10, 82B20.


THESIS 8186%%%%FMD is a highly contagious livestock disease with significant repercussions for livestock producers
particularly in terms of productivity and trade effects, with many other sectors also being negatively
affected by the measures which must be taken to control an outbreak. The disease has the ability to spread rapidly and survive under a variety of conditions and its control and eradication is hindered by the many ways in which it can be spread. Following the 2001 outbreak in various EU Member States, there was severe criticism throughout Europe of the culling policy used to contain the virus in the Member States affected and attention has turned towards the strategic use of emergency vaccination in the event of future outbreaks. This thesis examines the potential use of emergency vaccination in an Irish context, as an adjunct to the basic slaughter policy, and explores the cost-effectiveness of the alternative control strategies of stamping out (SO) alone and stamping -out in conjunction with e emergency vaccination (SOEV). In the current climate of moving towards greater agricultural trade liberalisation, leading to the increasing movement of animals, future outbreaks are not just likely but inevitable; therefore it is vital that the hazards and control of another epidemic be confronted. Economic damage was minimised during the 2001 outbreak in Ireland due to the speed and effectiveness of the control strategy put in place; the economic costs of a potential future outbreak could well prove more damaging. Numerous legislative changes were undertaken on the European Union level after 2001 and the FMD Directive 2003/85/EC introduced. Each Member State is now required to prepare a cost-beneflt analysis of alternative control strategies.


Texaco Inc.'s Thousand Peaks Ranch wildcat in the mountains of northeast Utah exemplifies the problems facing an operator in the western Overthrust Belt. Conquering the weather, logistical problems, and mountainous topography was only the begining; from a technological viewpoint, Texaco's most demanding task was tailoring the drilling and casing programs to the area's complex geology. Spudded on September 10, 1981, the well eventually reached a depth of 21,874 ft, a Utah record. Although it was a dry hole and subsequently abandoned, Texaco's technological achievements in drilling this record well should not be overlooked.


Morocco is famous as one of the archaeologically richest places with many sites. In addition, some of the sites have been listed as UNESCO World Human Heritage sites. In situ observations are used in cultural heritage and archaeological sites mapping. However, this procedure requires periodic observations, which are practically difficult to combine with traditional methods and practices since this is time consuming and expensive. Thus, modern technologies, mainly GIS and remote sensing, are gaining attention as tools for prediction at archaeological sites. The aim of this paper is to assess the application of GIS and remote sensing in order to develop a predictive model, which will be used in locating areas with high potential as archaeological sites in the Awsard area (southern Morocco). The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) as a multi-criteria decision making method, which integrates archaeological data and environmental factors, geospatial analysis and predictive modelling, has been applied to the identification of possible tumuli locations in the study area. The model was developed using a zone of 21 km2 with 233 known sites. It was later validated using 530 unknown sites within an area of 980 km2. The acceptable accuracy of 93% was calculated using an estimation of predictive gain, which proves the efficiency of the model's predictive ability.


The combinative analysis method of thermal history inversion with apatite fission tracks has been discussed in the paper.It cornbnes two modelling techniques,the Monte Carlo method and Simplex method.The Monte Carlo Box used to generate random numerical data gives initial values for geothermal inversion.The Simplex method is for searching appropriate geothermal temperature.The combination of the two methods can avoid tripping in a local minimal position for the object function and give a suitable solution of thermal history.The utlizable and stable text has been taken by the inversion calculation of a theoretical model. Even the difference between the initial and theoretical values is 20-50℃,the suitable results of the inversion can be got.The example of thermal history inversion has been calculated with apatite fission track data.The sample came from an oil well of Eastern China. The result of thermal history inversion gives a clear reflection of structural and sedimental development.


The concept of"Notes Novel"has insufficiency of logic. The use of it causes the confusions of novel and bibliography. The reason is that the study was left behind the times: the scholars couldn't face the changes of times squarely. There are contradictions in concepts,mainstream ideologies and the ways of classifying the novels between the ancient times and the modern times. This article classifies the notes into novel notes,history notes, textual criticism notes and mixed notes.


The experimental processes of decoloration treatment of night soil secondary biochemical high colority water with electrolysis are expounded and analyzed.The impacts of electrode materials,impressed voltage,electric current strength and electrolysis time,etc.on decoloration effects are proved.