This paper is based on intensive data collection and analysis during part of April-May 2001 within one local education authority (LEA). Questionnaire, interview and documentary data have been gathered from teachers, academics, LEA employees, workers in a range of community based organisations, as well as young people. We suggest that those who are currently engaged in citizenship education in a variety of roles reveal a wide variation of understandings about citizenship and preferences for particular types of citizenship education. The data seem to reveal very positive general support for citizenship education, some uncertainty about current practice, and a creative uneasiness about the prospects of further developments. Respondents suggest that citizenship education should focus on content that is relevant and 'real', employ a participative process, be inclusive, ensure that outcomes are valued by a range of people, be primarily (but not exclusively) locally based, and is organised realistically. We do not claim that this work would lead to similar results elsewhere. We do, however, feel (as we move towards a general implementation of citizenship education) that others may wish to compare their own situation with the one that is described here.


cells of the wall of the gastrointestinal tract. It can be benign or malignant. In this report, we have presented a case of malignant GIST with uncommon site of metastasis. Th is is of interest because of three reasons. Firstly, metastases to the testis are extremely rare. However, metastases to distally localized organs are not commonly associated with GIST, and fi nally, to our knowledge this is the fi rst case of malignant GIST metastasis to the testis reported in the world.


For government or leaders, public speaking is an important way to show the statesmanship and eloquence. It is a means of attracting groups of people who come from different classes. As the president of the United States, Donald Trump's speaking talent plays an important role in the general election. Stylistics, which uses theories of modern linguistics to solve problems, aims at studying linguistic features and revealing the effect and function of pragmatic expression. This article selected Donald Trump's three typical speeches, which studies from the perspective of stylistics on three major aspects—language description, textual analysis and contextual analysis. The analysis yielded the following results, 1) Language description consists of lexical analysis and syntactic analysis. On lexical level, Trump tends to use more abstract nouns and first person plural pronoun to make the addresses persuasive and more acceptable. Syntactically, for the sake of expressing information effectively and attracting more support, simple sentences and declarative sentences are prevailing in the speeches; 2) On the aspect of textual analysis, Trump employs topical division, problem-solution division and chronological division in an overlapping way in main body of speeches and creates crescendo in closure; 3) Contextual analysis shows that language varies from situations and they are formal and highly-structured. In a word, to analyze Donald Trump's speech on stylistic features is significant for us on observing the features of his speeches and word-using habits.


Investigation was conduct to determine the chemical composition of Cymbopogon nardus oil (CNO). Firstly, the leaves of CNO was characterized on its macro nutrient. Distillation was carried out on C. nardus leaves which were air dried conditioning for previous 24 hours. CNO was then analyzed using GCMS Pyrolysis Type Shimadzu QP2010. The nutrient laboratory test found that C.nardus leaves have water content 11.15%, C organic 25.30%, total N 0.77%, C/N ratio (33.00%), total P (0.40%) and total K (1.08%). Literature study on benefit uses were carrying on previous study. A total of 29 active compounds have been identified and quantified by GCMS Shimadzu QP2010. Predominant constituent among them: ammonium carbamate (18.26%), carbinol (13.57%), neophytadiene (11.65%), transgeraniol (6.92%), phenol-methoxy (6.15%), norolean (4.93%), benzofuran (3.9%), guaiacol (3.23%), hexadecen-phytol (3.1%), beta-citronellol (2.69%), trans-caryophyllene (2.61%), alpha.-humulene (2.45%) and valerol (2.38%). A diverse spectrum benefit among: bactericidal activity (BA), anti-fungal, anti-free radicals, waste degradation (agricultural, faecal), insect repellents and natural staple preservation.The constituents of CNO active compound varied related habitat, distillation and analysis method. Agreement among researchers on predominant compounds: citral, citronellal, geranyl acetate, geraniol and citronellol to be responsible compounds on a broad of benefit.


This paper deals with the nature and origin of the ∼1.41‐eV emission band observed in the photoluminescence (PL) spectra of n‐GaAs samples subjected to diverse treatments. An investigation of the defect center responsible for this emission is carried by performing PL measurements on several samples (n substrates and n/n+ epilayers) subjected to two types of heat treatments (''preepigrowth'' and ''open tube'') at different temperatures and under varied conditions of surface protection. In light of the different experimental results we propose that the defect under consideration is a complex center formed by the association of arsenic vacancies and Si atoms (SiAs). Also, the existence of this defect in undoped epilayers grown on heavily silicon‐doped substrates by the LPE technique, is tentatively explained as due to the contribution of the substrate during the epiprocess.


Objective To compare autologous serum skin test (ASST) and autologous plasma skin test (APST) in the diagnosis of autoimmune urticaria Patients and methods A prospective study was done in patients with chronic urticaria. Autologous plasma and serum skin tests were performed in all patients who were meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria and readings were taken at the end of 30 minutes. Results Fifty-nine patients (Males-25 and Females-34) were enrolled in the study. ASST was positive in 24 (40.7%) and APST was positive in 27 (45.8%) out of 59 patients. 20 (33.9%) were positive to both ASST and APST, 28 (47.5%) were negative to both ASST and APST. Conclusion ASST and APST are two simple, inexpensive and easy to do in-office procedures which can be used to diagnose autoimmune urticaria. APST was slightly superior to ASST in diagnosing autoimmune urticarial in our study. Although many patients showed positivity to both tests, significant numbers of patients were positive to only one test. We thus recommend the performance of both ASST and APST in all patients of chronic urticaria to detect those patients of chronic autoimmune urticaria.


Trade liberalization has been claimed as one prime mover of environment degradation. This article discusses the contradiction between environment and trade liberalization. It suggests that in order to met the interest of both of them, the concept of sustainable development can be applied


A comprehensive overview of the activities in the area of nuclear desalination (i.e., the production of freshwater via seawater desalination using nuclear energy as the thermal and/or electrical energy source) is provided in this paper.Present and future market of desalination is discussed in detail. Of particular interest is a nuclear desalination demonstration NDDP/MED plant (1600 m/d LT-MED coupled to a PHWR). Technologies that are used mainly in the seawater desalination industry are reviewed and evaluated in this paper. Other related activities are also presented, including a technical and economic overview of desalination processes as well as assessment of economic competitiveness of nuclear desalination with conventional desalination options. The overall intent is to demonstrate that production of potable water to supplement the increasingly scarce water resources is an option that should be considered by coastal areas of Saudi Arabia, which will soon have greater water demands that cannot only be fulfilled by conventional desalination technologies. MultiEffect Distillation technology is considered in detail, and the Desalination Economic Evaluation Programme (DEEP), provided by IAEA, is used for general feasibility study. A special feature of commercialization of fresh water and brine products from NDDP/MED plant is also included in the paper. The product water cost from different desalination processes like MSF, MED, RO and Hybrid systems is incorporated in this paper. [Hussain A, Abolaban F. Nuclear Desalination: A Viable Option for Producing Fresh WaterFeasibility and Techno-Economic Studies, Life Sci J 2014;11(1):301-307] (ISSN:1097-8135).http://www.lifesciencesite.com. 45


Combined with practical work of one high rise building with frame shear wall structure in this paper the advantages of bamboo plywood form are mainly introduced as well as its application scope, specification for use and construction steps such as blanking and standing formwork. Author points out that as a good formwork material the bamboo plywood form has a wide application prospect.


The just noticeable difference (jnd) unit of classical psycho-physics is introduced as a new way to describe accuracy and agreement in observer evaluations of personality. A formula for estimating jnd's from typically available summary statistics is derived from Thurstone's law of comparative judgment. A study examining four traits judged in 10 samples of subjects where the design permitted the calculation of jnd's by the method of paired comparisons indicated that the formula predicted the empirically derived jnd's associated with the mean judge ratings with considerable precision. Jnd's of criterion measures were also predicted, and while fit was somewhat less impressive in this case, there was still appreciable convergence between predicted and empirical values. The implications of jnd measures of agreement and accuracy are discussed. These implications include (a) possibilities for increased understanding of bias in observer judgments, (b) a new recognition that equal correlations to external criteria do not necessarily imply equal accuracy, and (c) alternative ways of describing the magnitude of effect in psychological research.


We describe the implementation of a half-edge data structur e for the static representation and dynamic handling of arbitrary po lygonal meshes. The particular design of the data structures and cla sses aims at maximum flexibility and high performance. We achieve this by using generative programming concepts which allow the comp iler to resolve most of the special case handling decisions at compi le time. We evaluate our data structure based on prototypic implemen tatio s of mesh processing applications such as decimation and smoo thing.


This article summarizes the main arguments of the special issue. It also probes into the deficiencies of the Belgian federal system and argues that the most recent crisis of Belgian federalism (2007–11) is not the result of rising socio-economic differences between Flanders and Wallonia, but the consequence of building a bipolar federation on to a split party system. The article concludes by identifying some potential roadmaps (federal reform, confederalism, and the referendum) for the future.


To reduce the energy consumption of non-unidirectional airflow cleanrooms,a mass-balance mathematic model was developed to calculate the appropriate air change rate in the cleanrooms.The model was parameterized to focus on a simulation-based interpretation of the indoor airborne particle transport processes,and the airborne particle concentration was expressed as a function of several key parameters,including air change rate,internal particle generation rate,air filter efficiency,outdoor make-up air percentage and outdoor airborne particle concentration.A comparison between the new model of indoor particle mass-balance and previous experiential ones was made.The calculated air change rate is more reasonable by employing the new mathematic model due to its consideration more parameters and variables.Through sensitivity analysis,the effects of different parameters on cleanroom cleanliness were calculated.A much lower air change rate was recommended to reduce the cleanroom energy consumption and also meet the cleanliness requirement.


The arylene–ethynylene arrays involving pyridine were constructed successfully by taking advantage of double elimination reaction of β-substituted sulfones (sulfoximines) which are easily accessibl...


The United Kingdom should train more generalist doctors to support the move towards caring for patients outside of hospitals, a review of postgraduate medical education and training has concluded.

Most organisations and individuals who responded to the Shape of Training review agreed that more doctors should be trained to deal with a varied range of conditions and care settings.

Medical royal colleges and other organisations representing doctors have rejected the possibility that generalists should be trained to a basic or "subconsultant" level, with many instead arguing that they would require a longer training period than specialists.

The Shape of Training Review, led by David Greenaway, vice chancellor of Nottingham University, …


CONTENTS ECONOMY AND SOCIETY Aleksandra KANJUO MRCELA and NINA BANDELJ: CONTRIBUTION TO THE UNDERSTANDING OF CONTEMPORARY ECONOMY Barbara HOBSON and Luwam BEDE: PRECARIOUSNESS AND CAPABILITIES: MIGRANT CARE/DOMESTIC WORKERS IN TWO INSTITUTIONAL CONTEXTS Aleksandra KANJUO MRCELA, Miroljub IGNJATOVIC: FROM FLEXIBILITY TO PRECARITY: ESCALATION OF NEGATIVE CHANGES AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 21 st CENTURY Donald TOMASKOVIC-DEVEY: BEWARE FINANCIALIZATION, ATTRACTIVE AND DANGEROUS, BUT MOSTLY DANGEROUS Miroslav STANOJEVIC: TRADE UNION STRATEGIES IN TIMES OF CRISIS Yader R. LANUZA, Nina BANDELJ: THE PRODUCTIVE ROLE OF CHILDREN IN IMMIGRANT FAMILIES Marjan SMRKE, Mitja HAFNER FINK: THE ECONOMY AND RELIGION: ECONOMIC CRISIS AND THE ECONOMIC ORIENTATIONS OF RELIGIOUS VS. NON-RELIGIOUS SLOVENIANS Branko ANCIC, Mladen DOMAZET: POTENTIAL FOR DEGROWTH: ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOURS ACROSS 18 EUROPEAN COUNTRIES Klemen PLOSTAJNER: NEOLIBERALISM AND ITS MANIFESTATIONS IN THE CITY Kresimir ŽAŽAR: EXPLORING THE BRIGHT SIDE OF CONTEMPORARY GLOBAL CAPITALISM: THE PARTICIPATORY POTENTIALS OF CREATIVE ECONOMY Marijana CAR, Aleksandra KANJUO MRCELA, Dana MESNER ANDOLSEK: ARTFUL MAKING: USE OF THE PRINCIPLES OF ARTISTIC CREATION IN MANAGEMENT Andrej SRAKAR, Miroslav VERBIC: INCOME INEQUALITY IN SLOVENIA AND THE ECONOMIC CRISIS REVIEWS Richard Westra (ur.), Dennis Badeen (ur.), Robert Albritton (ur.): The Future of Capitalism After the Financial Crisis: The Varieties of Capitalism in the age of austerity (Ana Podvrsic) Sorein Keil (ur.), Bernard Stahl (ur.): The Foreign Policies of Post-Yugoslav States. From Yugoslavia to Europe (Marko Lovec) William P. Cross (ur.), Richard S. Katz (ur.): The Challenges of Intra-Party Democracy (Alenka Krasovec) AUTHORS' SYNOPSES TEORIJA IN PRAKSA let. 52, 3/2015


The invention provides a bulletproof helmet and a manufacturing method thereof, which belong to the technical field of human body protective equipment. The bulletproof helmet takes non-woven cloth with polyethylene (PE) fiber embedded in thermoplastic polymer resin as a main inner-layer material, and reinforcement materials are covered on the inner surface and the outer surface. The reinforcement materials covered on the inner layer and the outer layer enable overall rigidity of the helmet to be further improved, and enable penetrating bullets to be prone to deformation and fail to penetrate through the helmet. The helmet no longer requires complex surface treatment, and adhesive force of coated paint is enhanced. A whole pressing process of the helmet is achieved through a performing process and a forming process and uses a hot pressing mold and a cold pressing mold respectively, production efficiency is led to be at least doubled, and the problem of energy consumption caused by repeated warming and cooling of a mold in the prior art is resolved.


In this paper a visual approach to querying in large spatial databases is presented. A diagrammatic technique utilising a data flow metaphor is used to express different kinds of spatial and non-spatial constraints. Basic filters are designed to represent the various types of queries in such systems. Icons for different types of spatial relations are used to denote the filters. Different granularities of the relations are presented in a hierarchical fashion when selecting the spatial constraints. The language constructs are presented and examples are used to demonstrate the expressiveness of the approach in representing different kinds of queries, including spatial joins and composite spatial queries.


Pectinases are observed to selectively alter the albedo structure of citrus fruits and, hence, aid the removal of the peel and adhering albedo layer. This study was carried out to determine the optimum conditions needed to peel local mandarins using pectinases (Peelzym II, Novo Nordisk, Denmark). The experiment variables were enzyme concentration, vacuum pressure and vacuum infusion time. The mandarins were first scored from the stem end to the blossom end, followed by immersion in 1000 mL of enzyme solution at a set vacuum pressure and ambient temperature (27 ± 1C). Only one parameter was varied in any one experiment. Peelzym II at 0.4% v/w, 650 mm Hg vacuum and 16 min of vacuum time were optimal. The enzyme-peeled fruit segments were judged by the panelists using three different sensory tests to ascertain their appeal to consumers. A significant (P < 0.05) difference between enzyme-peeled and hand-peeled segments was found, with the panelists preferring the enzyme-peeled segments.


Biomass and hydrocarbon productivities of Botryococcus braunii under the influence of different nitrogen sources, pH and culture age were evaluated. Potassium nitrate was found to be the best source of nitrogen for growth and hydrocarbon yields in B. braunii. Oleic acid and palmitic were found to be the predominant fatty acids produced by the algae B. braunii (LB-572 and SAG 30.81) and they also produced alkyl substituted fatty acids such as 12-methyl hexadecanoic acid, -methyl tetradecanoic acid, -methyl heptadecanoic acid and 25-methyl heptacosanoic acid in trace amounts as identified by GCMS. The algae B. braunii (LB-572 and SAG 30.81) exhibited tolerance to pH in the range of 6.0 to 8.5. The biomass yields of 1.2 and 0.56 g L-1 with 30-35% (w/w) hydrocarbon yields was observed respectively for B. braunii strains LB 572 and SAG 30.81.


We describe an inexpensive technique to minimise contamination of operative field by bone dust in hip resurfacing. During femoral head reaming, multiple wet cotton swabs are usually placed around femoral head, causing surgeon inconvenience as reamer entangles in the swab threads. We pass the femoral head through apertures of two sterile ophthalmic Steridrapes (3M, Bracknell, Berkshire UK) placed together, costing £20.41 each (Fig. 1). When the reamer touches the drape, it tears the superficial one avoiding reamer entanglement, increasing surgeon convenience. The drapes are then lifted up as a single layer along with the dust, avoiding spillage into the wound.

Figure 1

Use of two sterile ophthalmic Steridrapes to minimise contamination.


According to the nAtionAl Security council, "president obama has identified cybersecurity as one of the most serious economic and national security challenges we face as a nation, but one that we as a government or as a country are not adequately prepared to counter [2]." in may of 2009, the president supported the recommendations from his commissioned cyberspace policy review that, among other endorsements, included promoting cybersecurity awareness and building the digital workforce of the 21st century. the recommendations from the cyberspace policy review were based upon the 2008 comprehensive National cybersecurity initiative (cNci), which consists of 12 individual initiatives designed to help secure the united States in cyberspace. this column will focus on initiative 8 – expand cyber education – as it relates to two-year college programs. First a little background on cNci initiative 8. presently, an insufficient number of cybersecurity practitioners and professionals exist to protect and defend the united States in cyberspace. the current cybersecurity training and education programs are limited in focus and lack unity of effort. Evolving from cNci initiative 8, the National initiative for cybersecurity Education (NicE) was established with the goal of creating "operational, sustainable and continually improving" cybersecurity education that will enhance the nation's security [8]. the Department of Education and the National Science Foundation (NSF) are serving as co-leads for this NicE component called Formal Cybersecurity Education. the mission of this component is to bolster cybersecurity education programs from kindergarten through graduate school, with an emphasis on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (StEm) disciplines to fill the pipeline with technologicallyskilled and cyber-savvy personnel. During the summer of 2011, an acm innovation and technology in computer Science Education (iticSE) working group studied 16 associate-degree programs in information assurance (a.k.a. cybersecurity). the findings are revealing and in concert with cNci initiative 8. "a lack of consensus of what constitutes information assurance (ia) education has led to ia degree programs with widely varying curricula [10]." associate degree ia programs vary in their particular emphases, their curricular structure, and whether they are meant to place graduates into the workforce or to matriculate students into baccalaureate degree programs. of the 16 associate-degree programs examined by the 2011 working group, 14 were associate of applied Science (a.a.S.) degrees and 2 were associate of Science (a.S.) degrees. of the a.a.S. career programs, two areas of concentration emerged, network security and computer forensics. Figure 1 depicts the composition of a typical network security degree, while Figure 2 illustrates the composition of a typical computer forensics


Continued settlement monitoring and modeling of landfills are critical for land redevelopment and safety assurance. This paper adopts a MTInSAR technique for time-series monitoring of the Xingfeng landfill (XFL) settlement. A major challenge is that the frequent and significant settlement in the initial stage after the closure of landfills can affect the coherence of interferograms, thus hindering the monitoring of settlement by MTInSAR. We analyzed the factors that can directly affect the temporal decorrelation of landfills and adopted a 3D phase unwrapping approach to correct the phase unwrapping errors caused by such deformation gradient. SAR images from four platforms, including 50 Sentinel-1A, 12 Radarsat-2, 4 ALOS-2, and 2 TerraSAR-X/TanDEM-X images, are collected to measure the settlement and thickness of the landfill. The settlement accuracy is evaluated by a cross-evaluation between Radarsat-2 and Sentinel-1A that have similar temporal coverages. We analyzed the spatial characteristics of settlement and the relationship between the settlement and thickness. Further, we modeled the future settlement of the XFL with a hyperbolic function model. The results showed that the coherence in the initial stage after closure of the XFL is primarily affected by temporal decorrelation caused by considerable deformation gradient compared with spatial decorrelation. Settlement occurs primarily in the forward slope of the XFL, and the maximum line-of-sight (LOS) settlement rate reached 0.808 m/year from August 2018 to May 2020. The correlation between the settlement and thickness is 0.62, indicating an obvious relationship between the two. In addition, the settlement of younger areas is usually greater than that of older areas.


According to the radial theory and waveguide theory, the paper deals with several problems about propagation of the electromagnetic waves associated with earthquakes. It is supposed that ULF and VLF SEMSs which could propagate far are mainly via groundwaves. The cut-off frequency for the atmosphere-crust wave guide is also estimated.


The QK1214 simple digital controlled steel pipe boring machine with two boring heads is designed to machine the bea ring bores a t ends of conveyor idlers.This paper presents its overall scheme,desi gn calculation and manufacturing process.


Activated carbon fibers(ACF) were prepared from pitch-based carbon fibers by multiplex activation process, using ammonium salt solution as chemical activator to pretreat CF and (H2O+CO2) as physical activator. The influences of process parameters on ACF properties were studied. The results show that the surface areas and yield rate are obviously influenced by ammonium salt pretreatment, steam flow, activation temperature and time. In our experiments, the optimized process is that carbon fibers pretreated for 6 hours are activated at temperature 900℃ for 30 minutes by the mixture of (H2O+CO2) with flow ratio 3∶1 and the ACF with high surface areas and yield rate can be prepared. The amount of C-O surface oxygen-containing group obviously decreases in activation,but the amount of nitrogen-containing group of ACF does not increase with ammonium salt pretreatment.


Microindentation experiments were carried out on 500 nm thick films of copper grown on sapphire substrates, containing titanium interlayers of different thicknesses. The films were near single crystal and were grown by molecular beam epitaxy. The width of the titanium interlayers was varied from 0.7nm to I 10nm. The load-displacement data obtained from the indentation experiments was analyzed in terms of a new model. Just 0.7nm of titanium produced a 40% increase in the interfacial shear strength. Further increase in the thickness of the titanium interlayers produced only a slightly larger increase in the interfacial strength, suggesting that the measurement reflected the influence of the atomic bonding at the interface. The technique and the model present a simple way to estimate the relative change in the interfacial strength of metal-ceramic interfaces.


ARTICLE INFO: Article history: Received: 10 April 2015 Received in revised form: 28 May 2015 Accepted: 10 June 2015 Available online: 31 March 2015


Abundant karstic groundwater is hosted in the Paleozoic carbonate rocks around in the periphery of the Ordos Basin. Controlled by background geological conditions, the lithology, recharge and storage of karstic groundwater in different zones are various and many karstic groundwater systems are formed in this area.


Formal truth-conditional semantics and a definite 'written language bias' within traditional linguistics have lent academic respectability to naive and pervasive pre-theoretical conceptions of language as some sort of a conduit transmitting meaning. The Cartesian variant of the myth of literal meaning reifies meaning in terms of linguistically mediated mental representations, and main stream multidisciplinary research on ordinary language is indeed dominated by models in which hypothetical constructs from idealisations of language as a super-individual system are assigned 'psychological reality' as intervening vari ables in theoretical accounts of real-life discourse. A constructive alternative to such a paradigm may be developed by careful philosophical and social psycho logical analyses of human options with respect to categorisation of states of affairs in a pluralistic social world, the subtle circularity inherent in acts of speech, and the orderly 'trade on one another's truths' entailed in our intuitive mastery of dialogue roles. Significant contributions to such a novel, social-psychologically oriented general paradigm can be found in the works of Volosinov, Wittgenstein, Goodman, Putnam, Mead, James, Heider, Wertheimer and Vygotsky. The most significant prospective contribution of social psychology to interdisciplinary studies of ordinary language, it is argued, is a radical re-conceptualisation of truly social and collective aspects of language by means of dynamic-interactional rather than static Cartesian concepts.


The actively clamped resonant DC link inverter (ACRLI) is a well established soft-switching topology, however its resonant inductor is problematic, and is often cited as its primary stumbling block. This paper presents the design and fabrication of a very-low-loss high frequency ACRLI optimised inductor. The low-loss design was obtained by minimising the hysteretic and eddy current loss of the inductor's ferrite cores, and the conduction loss of the Litz wire windings. The inductor was built, including custom Litz wire, with a resulting loss of less than 16 watts, or 0.16% of the total 10 kW inverter throughput. This represents a significant improvement in the current state of the art in ACRLI inductor design and extends the applicability of the ACRLI topology.


The state-controlled sections of Pengshan Minjiang River Bridge locates at the main stream of Minjiang River.The average water quality of these sections were in the control of Standard Grade IV,worse than Standard Grade V and worse than Standard Grade V in 2010,2011 and 2012 respectively.The key pollutants were ammonia nitrogen and total phosphorus.Based on the routine water quality monitoring data of these sections,this paper analyzed the water quality variation of Minjiang River Bridge sections synthetically,which was elaborated from the aspects of assmssment method,concentration and flux.The results showed that in 2010 ~ 2012,the concentration of ammonia nitrogen was mainly affected by the water quality of Huanglongxi section,and the total phosphorus variationwas affected by the water quality of both Huanglongxi section and Dongbazi section.


Periostin is a protein that serves as a downstream marker of the T‐helper type 2 (Th2) cell response. It may serve to identify drug‐responsive inflammatory phenotypes, particularly in children with asthma and possibly bronchiolitis. There are no published levels of periostin in healthy children <2 years of age, limiting interpretation of periostin levels in disease. We sought to explore the range of periostin levels of children <2 years without significant confounding illnesses.


Sandstone-filled channels occur widely in the Upper Carboniferous (Westphalian) rocks of South Wales. Subsurface and outcrop studies of channels and associated structures in three formations within the Westphalian sequence reveal significant regional variations in orientation, transverse profile, geometry and lithology of fill. The pattern of channel-orientation in each formation is consistent with the system of palaeocurrents derived from independent studies of cross-bedding and indicates that in the lowest Westphalian (Basal Coal Measures) derivation was principally from the north and east, with intermittent supply from the south, whereas in the Upper Westphalian material was derived mainly from the south and east but with substantial contributions from the north.

Formation of the channels is ascribed to fluvial erosion and filling. The mutually consistent regional variations in channel-parameters are compared with the conspic- uous changes in lithofacies and interpreted as indicating diRerences in Auviohydraulic locale within the original basin of sedimentation.


Guide services are the core of tourist reception services,guides' abilities are strong or not are key to the quality and level of tourism services.In recent years,China's rapidly developing tourism industry pose new demands for the guides ability.Based on the current trends of the development of guides services,we combined with a number of tourism enterprises in Chongqing city to research,to analysis and research capacity of tour guides in the new period,in order to measure the guides' comprehensive ability at all sides and provide some basis of upgrade guide service.


A new mixed variational formulation for the Navier--Stokes equations with constant density and variable viscosity depending nonlinearly on the gradient of velocity, is proposed and analyzed here. Our approach employs a technique previously applied to the stationary Boussinesq problem and to the Navier--Stokes equations with constant viscosity, which consists firstly of the introduction of a modified pseudostress tensor involving the diffusive and convective terms, and the pressure. Next, by using an equivalent statement suggested by the incompressibility condition, the pressure is eliminated, and in order to handle the nonlinear viscosity, the gradient of velocity is incorporated as an auxiliary unknown. Furthermore, since the convective term forces the velocity to live in a smaller space than usual, we overcome this difficulty by augmenting the variational formulation with suitable Galerkin-type terms arising from the constitutive and equilibrium equations, the aforementioned relation defining the additi...


Path Finder was sent to Mars in 1998. This was achievement a great which detected the secrets of "Mars". This project deals with RF controlled robot.The robot is controlled by a RF remote. Robot can be moved forward and reverse direction by selecting appropriate keys in the remote section. Also the robot can take sharp turnings towards left and right directions. The robot consists of a controller which processes the received information. A metal detecting sensor is used to detect the metal. Simultaneously the images around the robot will be transmitted to remote place. User can monitor the images and metal detection alarms on Television.The transmitter section uses 9V battery. The receiver section uses 12V lead acid battery. The robot is used to detect the mines and surveillance application.


The radius of curvature (ROC) of a curve y = f(x) at a point (x,y = f(x)) is the radius of a circle which osculates with the curve at that point. For any point on any smooth function f, it is the circle which, when properly shifted in the x-y plane, both contains the point (x,y = f(x)) and is equal to the function in a differentially small region about that point. The most familiar example to optical scientists of an osculating circle is the circle that "matches" a parabola near its vertex. The vertex radius of curvature of the parabola is the same as the radius of curvature of that circle for which the parabola is the second order expansion (via the binomial theorem).


The group analytic theories referring to large and median groups can offer the understanding of the benefits of large group membership; something desired but often absent from the studio /open art psychotherapy group. The suggestion to keep the focus on the group and not necessarily the individual provides the opportunity for societal, cultural, class and political concerns to be considered and actioned. Keywords: Median Group, Art Psychotherapy Studios, Adult Psychiatry, Studio Groups, Large Groups, Social Inclusion.


We show how the natural Abelian duality of 2 and 3-form gravity theories on seven-dimensional manifold CY3 × S1 leads to an S-duality between 2 and 3-form theories on simply connected CY3. The massless sector of the 2-form field theory on CY3 corresponds to the A model string field theory. We discuss the complex structure independence of the 2 form theory for a general Kähler manifold and derive the holomorphic anomaly equations for simply connected CY3. e-mail: email@example.com e-mail: h email@example.com


Great and numerous risks will be encountered in the construction of rock tunnel; the tunnel boring machine(TBM) construction for deep-buried long tunnel is affected by various uncertain factors with random and fuzzy behaviors, which can't be quantitatively analyzed by current methods. A synthetic evaluation index system for TBM construction risk is established by analyzing the factors that influence TBM construction. Based on the hierarchy of these factors, a model of two-stage fuzzy synthetic evaluation is proposed; and analytic hierarchy process(AHP) is used to determine the weight of each stage factor; fuzzy sets method is used to determine membership function; risk ranking is also classified. The proposed method is applied to the TBM construction risk in South-North Water Transfer Project; the simulation results show that the method is reasonable. The analytical approach and the results will be practical and helpful to other similar projects.


ATPS (2013):Towards Influencing National Legislation, Policies, Strategies and Programmes for appropriate Protection and Benefit-Sharing of Traditional Knowledge (TK) with and byTraditional Herbalists In Uganda. ATPS Technopolicy Brief No.39 Towards in uencing National Legislation, Policies, Strategies and Programmes for appropriate Protection and Bene t-Sharing of Traditional Knowledge (TK) with Traditional Herbalists in Uganda


The Velocity Air Intake System is an important component in a motor vehicle engine, particularly in a 155cc engine. Its function is to optimize the airflow process to the throttle body or carburetor. However, many users or people tend to overlook the significance of improving engine performance by varying the model or replacing the velocity air intake system itself. One common issue is the diameter and shape of the airflow model, which can affect the power, torque, and exhaust emissions produced. Installing a velocity air intake system is one approach to achieve an efficient air delivery process into the combustion chamber. In our research conducted using a dyno test on a 155cc four-stroke engine, the results showed that using a 46 mm size yielded the highest power of 11.03 Hp and produced a torque of 12.39 N.m. Using a 47 mm size resulted in 11.02 Hp and decreased the torque to 12.28 N.m. With a 48 mm size, there was a decrease in power to 11.00 Hp and an increase in torque to 12.72 N.m, while using a 45 mm size led to a decrease in power to 10.09 Hp and produced a torque of 11.31 N.m.


Probabilistic Influence Diagram (PID) is induced in Risk Assessment on ocean plat-forms in this paper. By combining the object-oriented method of PID and FMEA used astraditional risk analysis method, a new system model is built successfully- Construction ofthe relation matrix and data structure makes it possible to dynamically describe the modelstrucutre so that analysis process and inference can be reached. The model and ways tothis problem are widely applicable although only plat form is used as an examp1e in this pa-per.


Moral realism and ethical naturalism are both highly attractive ethical positions but historically they have often been thought to be irreconcilable. Since the late 1980s defenders of Cornell Realism have argued that the two positions can consistently be combined. They make three constitutive claims: (i) Moral properties are natural kind properties that (ii) are identical to (or supervene) on descriptive functional properties, which (iii) causally regulate our use of moral terms. We offer new arguments against the feasibility of Cornell realism and then show that there is a way to be a naturalistic realist that avoids internal inconsistency and uniquely provides for moral normativity.


In supervised image restoration tasks, one key issue is how to obtain the aligned high-quality (HQ) and low-quality (LQ) training image pairs. Unfortunately, such HQ-LQ training pairs are hard to capture in practice, and hard to synthesize due to the complex unknown degradation in the wild. While several sophisticated degradation models have been manually designed to synthesize LQ images from their HQ counterparts, the distribution gap between the synthesized and real-world LQ images remains large. We propose a new approach to synthesizing realistic image restoration training pairs using the emerging denoising diffusion probabilistic model (DDPM). First, we train a DDPM, which could convert a noisy input into the desired LQ image, with a large amount of collected LQ images, which define the target data distribution. Then, for a given HQ image, we synthesize an initial LQ image by using an off-the-shelf degradation model, and iteratively add proper Gaussian noises to it. Finally, we denoise the noisy LQ image using the pre-trained DDPM to obtain the final LQ image, which falls into the target distribution of real-world LQ images. Thanks to the strong capability of DDPM in distribution approximation, the synthesized HQ-LQ image pairs can be used to train robust models for real-world image restoration tasks, such as blind face image restoration and blind image super-resolution. Experiments demonstrated the superiority of our proposed approach to existing degradation models. Code and data will be released.


The paper complies with socialization trend in moral education,tied in oneself characteristic of the present age college student,having discussed the necessity putting moral education socialization into practice,and having discussed the socialization of college student moral education on the pattern and the construction.


GENERAL FEATURES Our nation's schools are facing increased challenges-violence, drug abuse, eating disorders, behavior problems, and suicide. There is a shortage of highly qualified school counselors prepared to deal with a range of students, from those who are gifted to those who are in pain. (Schwab, 2001) This excerpt clearly articulates how the perceived shortage of qualified school counselors may affect children in our nation's schools. In the 1960s, when faced with shortages of school counselors, paraprofessionals were introduced into school settings (Carlson & Pietrofesa, 1971). This role evolved into what the current American School Counselor Association (ASCA, 1999) statement for paraprofessionals suggests are clerical tasks in the school. Today, most state laws as well as ethical and professional mandates require school counselors to obtain and hold professional licensure or certification. This may require 48 to 60 semester hours in accredited programs. However, shortages may be addressed through state administrative codes for provisional licensure. The United Federation of Teachers (UFT, n.d.) in their publication, Focus on Certification and Licensure: A Guide for PPTS Teachers dedicates an entire section to temporary or provisional licensure issues among their membership. State boards of education may grant conditional or provisional licenses for school counseling students prior to completion of their coursework. Provisional licensure opens the door for individuals with limited semester hours in their counselor education programs to enter the profession. Thus, students are hired as early-entrant school counselors. However, this hiring practice may have limitations (Stott, 1992). Early-entrant school counselors may lack the formal opportunity for pre-entry counseling experience through planned, supervised structured practica and internships. In addition, early-entrant school counselors may lack the requisite knowledge, awareness, and skills necessary to fulfill their professional roles within the school system. An example might include large and small group facilitation skills necessary for implementing guidance curriculum or small group work. Early-entrant school counselors facing these challenges on a daily basis may simultaneously be attempting to complete degree requirements or state endorsements. In reality, it is difficult for these individuals, employed full-time, to make up the deficits and qualify for professional licensure or certification (Kraft, 1992). Many new school counselors find the realities associated with their positions "disconcerting and/or disappointing" (Good, 1992, p. 85). This may be due to naivety or unrealistic expectations proportionate to the lack of orientation to the profession. Early-entrant school counselors may exhibit feelings of inadequacy due to this lack of induction. In addition, experiential limitations may create hardships (e.g., an underdeveloped concept of the school as a system) for the early-- entrant school counselor (Kahn, 1999). It has been the experience of this researcher that school counseling students are asked to accept positions prior to completing their graduate degrees. Therefore, students are confronted with the decision to enter the school counseling profession earlier than they had anticipated. Observations by the researcher indicate the decision-making process appears to be anxiety-laden. This may be due to student feelings of inadequacy, lack of confidence, or fears of early career goal attainment. Anxiety seems increased for these students when school district administrators, who are forced to choose between hiring early-entrants and denying children access to school counseling services, initiate the employment discussions. Issues related to this decision-making process and the realities of employment for early-entrant school counselors have not been examined in the broader counseling literature and are absent from the literature on school counseling. …


To address gender gaps in politics, a new policy introduces double preference voting conditioned on gender and guarantees a minimum presence of both genders on candidate lists. We focus on Italian local elections, which were subject to this policy for the first time in 2013, and we study its impact on the share of female councilors and on the composition of municipal spending. Using a regression discontinuity design, we estimate that the reform raises the share of elected female politicians by 19 percentage points. The result is mainly driven by the increase in preference votes cast for female candidates, suggesting a salient role of double preference voting in promoting female empowerment in politics. We also find that municipalities with a larger share of female councilors caused by the policy spend more on education and environment.


Based on the carbon dioxide mass mixing ratio concentration profiles of Hefei Science Island from 2013 to 2016, the distribution characteristics of carbon dioxide in the subtropical monsoon climate and the characteristics of carbon dioxide source and sink in Hefei Science Island were analyzed from the night, season and year respectively. At lower altitudes, CO2 builds up during nighttime hours as respiration is trapped within the nocturnal boundary layer. Throughout this nighttime the CO2 concentration at 390m shows that only little variation. After sunrise, convection begins to spread the CO2 trapped at low levels to higher altitudes. When the measurement height was more than 100m, the obvious seasonal change was shown, with the minimum in summer and the maximum in winter, which the difference in concentration of about 19.32mg/m3 . The annual distribution of the concentration of carbon dioxide from 2013 to 2016 had no significant difference in the gradient change of the height above 100m, the correlation coefficient was above 0.9, and the CO2 vertical concentration goes up with a rate of about 4.35mg/m3 per year. Through data analysis from three different timescales, it could be concluded that the concentration of carbon dioxide near the ground was greatly influenced by the atmospheric environment. The seasonal distribution of carbon dioxide concentration was the result of a combination of atmospheric movement and the activities of plants and animals. In the process of long-term carbon dioxide cycling, there was a current that the near-surface carbon dioxide transported to a higher altitude.


The invention relates to a method of interaction between service-oriented components and devices, wherein offered by a service provider services are invoked by a service requester. To enhance the flexibility and to facilitate the reconfiguration of the system, it is provided that each service includes a set of ports and each port is an instance of a port type having a set of interaction operations and corresponding message transfer between the service provider and service requester defined, wherein the provided by the service provider available service is executed by a plurality of interaction phases with the service requester, wherein the interaction phase-specific, associated with the instances of the port type protocols follow and an access to the service is prepared by a sequence of different phases associated with the ports.


In recent years, futsal is one of the most popular sports. The injuries that are often experienced by female futsal athletes involve the lower body. This paper presents scientific knowledge about the use of Kinesio Taping in futsal athletes who have suffered injuries, both during training and competing. In this study, a systematic review is used by reviewing several related articles of Kinesio Taping. This kinesio taping is made of cotton with acrylic adhesives that are patterned like human fingerprints, so that it matches the surface of the skin with an estimated usage of Kinesio Taping is 20-35 minutes. The nature of this Kinesio Taping is elastic which is able to stretch from 30% to 40% of its basic length resulting in convolution in the surface layer of the skin, which will lift the surface of the skin so that it can accelerate blood circulation and improve lymphatic circulation. Therefore, we suggest that Trainers and athletes should know the positive effects of using Kinesio Taping and how to use it, thus the results are more leverage.


The thesis describes the development of a software tool for managing Scrum projects. The first part of the thesis focuses on the relevant theoretical concepts, mainly on the presentation of agile principles in software development and on the Scrum method as the most popular agile method. It is followed by an overview of the currently available software tools for managing Scrum projects, from which a few interesting concepts have been derived. These concepts form the basis for the software solution presented in this thesis and include the support for: an automatic recording of the developement progress, an online documentation management, a remote communication between Scrum Team Members and a computer supported user stories evaluation using the »Planning Poker« method.
The second part of the thesis focuses on the presentation of the realized software tool. It encompasses a detailed specification of requirements in the form of user stories, an overview of the technical structure of the software solution (data base structure and program logic) and the presentation of key use cases. The developed tool is a web based application using PHP technology for the program logic and MySQL technology for the data base. Special emphasis was also given to design a responsive user interface based on AJAX technology. In addition of the finished application fully supporting the management of Scrum projects it also supports all of the above mentioned concepts thus ensuring a positive distinction compared to other similar applications.


This technical manuscript presents a method to scan CCN activity of aerosols as a function of particle size and supersaturation using two different CCN counters and a DMA. The results include activation curves, CCN spectra, and CCN size distributions which are important in assessing chemical effects and establishing appropriate boundary conditions for models. The authors then present results from a controlled laboratory experiment on biomass burning. However, they do not present adequate evidence to support their conclusions, limiting the evaluation and application of the method. I feel that the authors' interpretations should be reformulated before this paper is published in ACP and offer the following points for consideration.


Extremely robust climbing bamboo. Culm hollow, 15-20 mm in diameter, with about 5 mm thick walls; internodes about 30 cm long, rather rough with scattered stiff appressed hairs. Young shoots green. Culm-sheaths usually glabrous, but occasionally with appressed white hairs on the back, base covered with stiff, easily shed, light brown hairs; ligule very short, less than 1 mm long, entire; auricles not present; blades deflexed, broadly ovate, tapering to the tip, base cordate, 1118 cm long, up to 5 -5 cm wide near the base, adaxially pubescent especially near the base, glabrous abaxially. Leaf-blades 9 517 x 1 -52 5 cm, smooth, glabrous; ligule very short, usually without bristles (Dransfield SD752 with bristles). Flowering branch about 2 m long, or 8-10 cm long terminating leafy branches (the type), axes glabrous. Pseudospikelets 2 -5-3 mm long. Fruit not seen. (Fig. 8, in Kew Bull. 36(3): 631. 1981).


Year-to-year changes in springtime (September-October-November or SON) values of Antarctic 100 mb temperature and total ozone have been compared with each other and with year-to-year changes in SON values of equatorial 50 mb temperature (reflecting the quasi-biennial oscillation or QBO) and sea-surface temperature (SST) in eastern equatorial Pacific (reflecting El Nino). During the 30-year period 1958-87, there has been a significant (at the 5% level) correlation of 0.73 between year-to-year changes in SON values of Antarctic 100 mb temperature and total ozone, as well as a significant correlation of −0.64 between year-to-year changes in SON values of Antarctic 100 mb temperature and equatorial 50 mb temperature. There has been little correlation (−0.18) between year-to-year changes in Antarctic 100 mb temperature and SST in eastern equatorial Pacific. However, year-to-year changes in Antarctic total ozone have been almost equally related to year-to-year changes in equatorial 50 mb temperature and equatorial SST (respective correlations of −0.44 and −0.42), with a significant correlation of −0.60 if the latter two quantities are considered jointly (multiple correlation). Unlike the Arctic in winter, there is no evidence of an increase in springtime values of Antarctic 100 mb temperature (and total ozone) with increase in sunspot number when the equatorial QBO is in the west-wind phase, but there is provisional evidence of such an increase in the east-wind phase.


Handwriting recognition can benefit from combining results obtained from different recognizers. Various methods can be employed to combine the results (6). Often such multiple recognizers are used independently. This is usually done without interaction among the recognizers. A question can be raised as to whether any dynamic interaction during recognition and combination could improve recognition results. This paper investigates effects of dynamic configuration of the combination topology.


The relativistic corrections to the non-relativistic energies of the 1s~22p~2P states of Lithium-like atoms from Z=3 to 7 are calculated with the aid of irreducible tensor theory. Firstly, analytic expressions for the matrix elements of the relativistic Hamiltonian operators, such as mass correction term, one- and two- body Darwin interaction terms, spin-spin contact interaction term and orbit-orbit interaction term, are derived explicitly. Secondly, all the angular integrations and spin sum are calculated by using irreducible tensor theory and all the radial integrations are calculated by using hydrogen-like atom radial wave functions. Finally, the relativistic corrections energies are obtained and compared with experimental values. The differences between the calculated results and the experimental data are found to be less than 0.8%.


The degree of photonic integration is still very inadequate compared to the electronics-integration because of their large foot-print and high power consumption.


It is suggested the concept of a switching function used for the linearization of the static converter circuit in the analysis of steady-state and transient, defuse to the formal decision of problems of synthesis. The article shows the possibility of presenting switching functions in the basis of binary operations of choice of implicative algebra for the identification of individual variables with the energy of the process parameters and predicate variables with the parameters of the information process. The article obtain the logical-algebraic models for the typical energy transformations, which allows to reveal the structure of the switching functions and formalize the power and data circuits of static converters synthesis procedure by element basis, reproducing binary implicative algebra operations selection.


A comprehensive analysis on various fertilizer processes in China is done for the efficient use of phosphate resource ,the decrease in waste residue and the high demand of crop's nutrition, based on the viewpoint from the fertilizer application of agriculture. Some approaches are advised, i.e.advocating the compound fertilizer production without the process of waste residue phosphogypsum in the course of phosphate treatment, recognizing the positive role of potassium chloride without the extreme development of Clfree potash fertilizer, recommending the compatible applications of organic and inorganic fertilizer without the sedulous production of organicinorganic fertilizer, and promoting the extension of extruding granulation.


With the rapid development of China's tourism industry and investment on hospitality industry, hotels are facing more furious competition. Competitive intelligence (CI) finding and using is playing a more significant role in strategy-making, marketing and daily managing of tourist hotels. This paper analyzes tourist hotels' CI ability by combing it with characteristics of hospitality industry. It defines that CI ability of tourist hotels consists of five sub-abilities. On this base, this paper then uses experts' scoring, factor analysis and AHP software Yaahp 9.1 to construct the CI ability evaluation index system. This system will be helpful for hotels to build up their own CI system, improve their CI abilities, and then gain advantageous position in tough competition.


This paper concerns frequency division duplex cdma systems (WCDMA FDD, cdma2000, etc.) to which extension frequency bands might be added, e.g. for capacity enhancement reasons. Such asymmetric capacity enhancements might be desirable in the future due to increased data transmission over mobile networks especially when asymmetric data is transmitted like, for example, in mobile Internet browsing. Here it is assumed that the frequencies to be added are in downlink. In such a case the one-to-one coupling of uplink (or reverse link) and downlink (or forward link) frequencies is not valid any more. This paper illustrates a new interference scenario that can occur with the new downlink extension bands, and introduces new RRM (radio resource management) solutions for this interference case. The interference mechanism is illustrated for WCDMA. The assumed frequency scenario is WCDMA/FDD uplink/downlink plus additional FDD downlink, e.g. at 2.5 GHz band identified by ITU-WP8F. The new type of interference can be detected by additional mobile station measurements that benefit in efficiency from co-siting of extension and existing frequencies. Both interference detection and avoidance being based on RRM allows flexible and efficient use of extension bands with little impact on current specifications and products.


Parkinson's disease (PD) is a highly age‐related disorder, where common genetic risk variants affect both disease risk and age at onset. A statistical approach that integrates these effects across all common variants may be clinically useful for individual risk stratification. A polygenic hazard score methodology, leveraging a time‐to‐event framework, has recently been successfully applied in other age‐related disorders.


Rituals are formalized behaviour patterns, methods of communication, verbal and nonverbal, necessary for the establishment of relations among members of a group or between groups; for the relations among organisms of any kind are governed to a large extent by the forms of communication, both expected and required. Apart from the many symbols of unity and of function in modern social organisms, ceremonies and ritualistic practices are common (Arnold 1937). There are rites of passage, as initiation of apprentices into occupational groups, rites of intensification, as conventions, regular meetings and conferences, and rites of sanctification, as 'proper channels', formalized reporting systems and the like, not just utilitarian but reinforcing common purpose and solidarity. Such rituals have an overtly rational basis in that they are apprehended as, or believed to be necessary or ancillary to the purposes of groups, as in Sir Julian Huxley's (a), (b) and (c) (seep. 267). However, there are other rituals more akin to those seen in the higher vertebrates in not being rational, the word 'rational' implying a process of brain functioning, thought or mind, limited to man. The higher vertebrates show awareness (perception) and consciousness (perception of causality) but not, as distinct from man, mind (conception) which is a process stemming from the development of verbal communication. These nonrational rituals are 'emotive', the result of ritualization of behaviour at a 'subconscious' level, just as routine, or habit can be a Pavlovian reflex.


Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss important aspects concerned with credit risk measurement of SMEs.Methodology - Paper presents theoretical study, based on literature review and summary of findings of similar research papers, which have focused on credit risk assessment of SMEs. Research Findings - Research identifies and discusses five distinctive aspects of risk assessment practice: choice of models, rating philosophy and time horizon, default definition, determinants of default and dataset issues.Research limitations – Paper is theoretical and does not present an empirical study or analysis of numerical data. It restricts itself with analysis of the above five points only. Practical implications – Paper considers frequent problems encountered when dealing with each of the five points in consideration, which impact the model structure and assumptions.Value – Paper discusses possible remedies and applications to the highlighted problems given characteristics and specifics of SMEs.


Precipitation behaviour and effect factors of Z-phase in domestic S30432 steel in supply state and after creeping at different temperatures and stresses were investigated by RD-2type creep testing,transmission electron microscopy and energy disperse spectroscopy.Results show that only MX phase was observed in S30432 steel in supply state.Cu-rich phase and M23C6 carbide precipitated under the conditions of 650 ℃,170 MPa and10 712 h.Besides,Z-phase and hybrid MX/Z-phase particles were found under the conditions of 700 ℃,150 MPa and 937 h.Z-phase,whose size increased slowly under the conditions of 700 ℃,150 MPa and 1 944 h,coarsened obviously under the conditions of 700 ℃,100 MPa and 11 832 h.The precipitation of Z-phase could be accelerated by high-temperature and stress.


We give sufficient conditions on a radial basis function that imply that the multi-integer translates of this radial function satisfy a local stability estimate in the uniform norm.


OBJECTIVE:  The aim of this study was to summarize the clinical features of autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) and review the advances in the differential diagnosis with pancreatic carcinoma, thus help to make a correct diagnosis and avoid unnecessary surgery in clinical practice.


State of the art exoplanet transit surveys are producing ever increasing quantities of data. To make the best use of this resource, in detecting interesting planetary systems or in determining accurate planetary population statistics, requires new automated methods. Here we describe a machine learning algorithm that forms an integral part of the pipeline for the NGTS transit survey, demonstrating the efficacy of machine learning in selecting planetary candidates from multi-night ground based survey data. Our method uses a combination of random forests and self-organising-maps to rank planetary candidates, achieving an AUC score of 97.6% in ranking 12368 injected planets against 27496 false positives in the NGTS data. We build on past examples by using injected transit signals to form a training set, a necessary development for applying similar methods to upcoming surveys. We also make the autovet code used to implement the algorithm publicly accessible. autovet is designed to perform machine learned vetting of planetary candidates, and can utilise a variety of methods. The apparent robustness of machine learning techniques, whether on space-based or the qualitatively different ground-based data, highlights their importance to future surveys such as TESS and PLATO and the need to better understand their advantages and pitfalls in an exoplanetary context.


Net primary production (NPP) serves as a crucial indicator of the ecosystem's capacity to capture atmospheric CO2. Gaining insights into the dynamics of NPP and its driving mechanisms is pivotal for optimizing ecosystem carbon sink resource management. Since the implementation of the Grain-for-Green Program (GFGP) in 1999, the Yellow River Basin (YRB) has been one of the most significant areas for ecological restoration in China. However, our knowledge regarding the interannual variability (IAV) of NPP and the underlying driving forces in this region remains incomplete. In this study, we utilized a light use efficiency model to assess the spatiotemporal dynamics, IAV, and driving factors of NPP in the YRB during the period from 1999 to 2018. Our findings revealed that the average annual NPP in the YRB approximated 189.81 Tg C. Over the study duration, NPP significantly increased in 79.63% of the basin with an overall increasing rate of 6.76 g C m−2 yr−1. The most prominent increase was observed in the key GFGP implementation area, predominantly in the semi-humid region. Notably, the middle altitude region (1–1.5 km), semi-humid region, and grassland emerged as the primary contributors to the basin's total vegetation carbon sequestration. However, it is worth emphasizing that there was substantial IAV in the temporal trends of NPP, with the semi-humid region being the most influential contributor (62.66%) to the overall NPP IAV in the YRB. Further analysis of the driving mechanisms unveiled precipitation as the primary driver of NPP IAV in the YRB with a contribution of 62.9%, followed by temperature (23.07%) and radiation (14.03%). Overall, this study deepened our understanding of the IAV and driving mechanisms of NPP in the YRB under ecological restoration, and provided scientific support for optimizing the management of regional carbon sequestration resources.


It is well-known that the high correlation existing in speech signals is very helpful in various speech processing applications. In this paper, we propose a new concept of context-dependent quantization, in which the representative parameter (whether a scalar or a vector) for a quantization partition cell is not fixed, but depends on the signal context on both sides, and the signal context dependencies can be trained with a clean speech corpus or estimated from a noisy speech corpus. This results in a much finer quantization based on local signal characteristics, without using any extra bit rate. This approach is equally applicable to all (scalar or vector) quantization approaches, and can be used either for signal compression in distributed speech recognition (DSR) or for feature transformation in robust speech recognition. In the latter case, each feature parameter is simply transformed into its representative parameter after quantization. In preliminary experiments with AURORA 2 and simulated GPRS channels, this concept is integrated with a recently proposed histogram-based quantization (HQ), the partition cells of which are also dynamic depending on local signal statistics. Significant performance improvements were obtained with the presence of both environmental noise and transmission errors.


As fundamental part to assess traceability and quality of pH-measurements carried out in various sectors of industry and academy in Colombia, National Metrology Institute-INM has developed and implemented a primary pH-measurement system that will allow to certification of reference materials. In this work, it is showed according to Guide for the Expression of Measurement Uncertainty ISO/IEC GUM, the uncertainty estimation of the primary system by Monte-Carlo simulation method.


In this study, we analyzed the influence of coastal zone engineering on suspended sediment concentration (SSC) in the Yangtze River mouth based on HY-1C and Chinese GaoFen (GF) satellite data. The results show that: (1) SSC in the Yangtze River mouth is mainly in the range of 200–1300 mg/L, which changes due to natural factors as well as coastal zone engineering; (2) The sand blocking engineering effectively protects the channel from siltation, and SSC in the central line of the channel is 100–300 mg/L lower than that near the dikes in the north and south; (3) Qingcaosha Reservoir plays a stabilizing role in the hydrodynamic force, promoting the deposition of suspended matter, so that the water in the reservoir is clear. SSC inside the Qingcaosha Reservoir, located in the center of the estuary, is 100–500 mg/L lower than the high SSC water outside the reservoir; (4) The bridges interact with the current, facilitating the transport of local sediment, resulting in the increase in SSC downstream of these bridges, and obvious vortexes appear with the length up to nearly 2400 m; and (5) Corresponding protection and development suggestions were put forward as follows. A linear array of wind power plants can be built near and parallel to dikes and leading jetties; to increase the depth of the southeast end of the reservoir; and the location of the bridge should be selected in the place of river where siltation is easy. This study aimed to study the SSC distribution under the complex impact of coastal zone engineering with satellite and to provide possible improvement suggestions.


When the current block is at the very edge of the moving objects or on the boundary between two objects,the existing intra prediction modes can not present the difference of the neighboring pixels well.This paper presented a distance based intra prediction method in video coding to solve this problem.The authors used the pixels up to the current macroblock to make a reference which would express the changes in vertical direction to create vertical matrix of distance in horizontal intra mode.Similarly,the authors used the correla- tion of the pixels left to the current macroblock to create horizontal matrix of distance in vertical intra mode. Based on the different correlation according to different distances,the authors changed 5 intra modes referred to the distance based on the method.The experimental results show that video sequences with different reso- lution can be compressed effectively with these new intra prediction modes.


The structural transformation and catalytic properties of metal/polymer nanocomposites derived from hypercross-linked polystyrene (HPS) exhibiting both microporosity and macroporosity, and filled with Pt nanoparticles, are investigated in the direct oxidation of L-sorbose to 2-keto-L-gulonic acid. Transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, anomalous small-angle X-ray scattering, and catalytic studies suggest that the catalytically active species, nanoparticles of mixed composition with a mean diameter of 1.6 nm, develop after the initial induction period. At the highest selectivity (96.8%) at 100% L-sorbose conversion, the catalytic activity is measured to be 2.5 10 -3 mol/mol Pt-s, which corresponds to a 4.6-fold increase in activity relative to the Pt-modified microporous HPS previously reported. This substantial increase in catalytic activity is attributed to the presence of macropores, which facilitate mass transport and, consequently, accessibility of the nanoparticle surface for reactants.


In modern high-speed single sheet printing presses,the delivery equipment often used chain transmission systems,but the traditional method to select the delivery chains is experimental test that can not be recognized as optimization.The process of design is tedious and the design cycle is long.In order to avoid these disadvantages,the author re-designs the delivery chains based on the idea of optimization and the method of internal point penalty function.The effect is obvious.


Fish fauna of the river Ravi and its some tributaries in and from earlier and present survey from Ranjit Sagar dam to Kathour, Pathankot, Punjab, including Kathua district, has revealed the presence of 97 fish species belonging to 8 orders, 18 families and 53 genera. Among various orders, there is dominance of Cypriniformes (54 spp.) followed by Siluriformes (26 species), Percformes (9 species), Synbranchiformes (3 species), Osteoglossiformes (2 species) and Clupeiformes, Salmoniformes and Beloniformes (1 species, each). The list also includes a new record of Ailia punctata and Clupisoma naziri (reported earlier from Pakistan) for Punjab state and Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Salmo trutta fario noticed in Sewa River is also included in the present list. Like other Indian states, fish fauna is rapidly declining due to overfishing, fishing during monsoon breeding and illegal fishing methods (Dynamiting, electric shocking, poisoning etc.). Conservation status based on IUCN observations has also been discussed.


Reaction of the lithium amides [(2-C5H4N)C(CH3){CH2N(Li)SiMe3}2]2 (2a) and [(2-C5H4N)C(CH3){CH2N(Li)SiMe2tBu}2]2 (2b) with the imidotransition metal complexes [Ti(NtBu)Cl2(py)3], [Ti(N-2,6-C6H3iPr2)Cl2(py)3], and [Zr(N-2,6-C6H3iPr2)Cl2(thf)2] yielded the five-coordinate imido-titanium and -zirconium complexes [{κ3N-(2-C5H4N)C(CH3)(CH2NSiMe2R)2}Ti(NR')(py)] (R = Me, R' = tBu:  3a, R= tBu, R' = tBu:  3b, R = Me, R' = 2,6-C6H3iPr2:  4a, R = Me, R' = 2,6-C6H3Me2:  4b) and [{κ3N-(2-C5H4N)C(CH3)(CH2NSiMe3)2}Zr(N-2,6-C6H3iPr2)(py)] (5). The tridentate diamido-pyridine ligand adopts a facial coordination mode in the distorted trigonal bipyramidal complexes with the imido ligand occupying an equatorial position, as was established by X-ray diffraction for 3a and 5. Sublimation of 3a and 4a yielded the pure four-coordinate imidotitanium complexes [{κ3N-(2-C5H4N)C(CH3)(CH2NSiMe3)2}Ti(NR')] (R' = tBu:  6, 2,6-C6H3iPr2:  7) which were structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography. Reaction of 3a with the Lewis a...


Studies of tissue metal concentrations in shellfish have progressed along two major lines: first, to record the range of concentrations within commercial species, a response to the need to identify potentially hazardous levels from a human nutritional standpoint; and second, to compare concentrations within a single species on a geographical basis as a framework for an environmental monitoring programme. Body size is a parameter which can influence tissue metal concentrations, and if significant variations due to size do occur, then clearly it is a factor which should be taken into consideration within these contexts.


Three types of anion exchange resin supported palladium (Pd) catalysts were synthesized, which are weakly basic anion exchange resins (AH-1, AH-2ФH), medialely basic anion exchange resins (AH-31, ЭДЭ-10П)and strongly basic anion exchange resins (AB-17-8, AB-16ГC).The results showed that Pd-AH-1, Pd-AH-31, and Pd-AB-16ГC possess better catalytic activities for the hydrogenation of nitrobenzene. The effect of the different structure of the resins on the catalytic activities was also disscussed.


DAVID STARR JORDAN, Chancellor Leland Stanford, jr., University; President N. E. A., 1915. 1 am totally opposed to the introduction of military training in any form in the high, schools or grammar schools of America. To voluntary training, I am opposed as a waste of time that might be better used. It is not true that the conventional military drill is superior to the drill of a well-ordered gymnasium. Every expert teaches the contrary. Some features of drill may be better than no gymnasium, or military training itself may be interpreted as ordinary gymnastic work. But the ethical value is lost when it leads to the use of arms and to preparation for killing. There is moral damage in the association of killing or preparation for killing with "patriotism." No word has been more cheaply degraded in these times than the word patriotism. Love of country which is genuine brings harm to no one. If we wish to develop a nation of. free men we must work for the discipline from within, the self-control and the self-direction, which it is the aim of military discipline to destroy.


A data acquisition, processing and communication system based on DSP TMS320LF2407 is introduced .An instrument of measuring the velocity of motor is consisted of above- mentioned system and photoelectricity encoder.High speeding and high performance DSP chip and Internal integrated EVA and EVB module are used to measure motor velocity and location in this system. Data transmission between internal integrated serial communication interface (SCI) and computer can be displayed on the upper computer in real time, Level transformation chip interface chip is MAX3221 made by MAXIM company. Feasibility of above design solution is proved through the result of experiment


The article is devoted to the study of electronic documents in criminal proceedings and their application in practical activities: the procedural prerequisites for the introduction of these documents, as well as the existing positive effect, are considered. The author studies various points of view of theoretical scientists in relation to the definition of the concept of electronic documents, according to the results of the study, he proposed his own definition of this concept. The article also describes the possibility of functioning of authorities in the context of the introduction of electronic documents on the example of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, describes already existing experience in the practice of the Russian executive body. A comparative analysis of the use of electronic documents in foreign judicial practice was carried out, using the example of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Based on existing experience in the practice of the Russian Federation, established procedural rules, as well as the experience of a foreign state, the author concludes that he is ready to switch to a digital format of criminal cases.


Babies and children will frequently travel in car seats and pushchairs for convenience and safety, but they must spend time moving freely in order to meet developmental milestones.


Adoptive transfer of regulatory T cells (Treg) is therapeutic in T1D mouse models. Notably, Treg specific for pancreatic islets are more potent than polyclonal Treg in blocking disease. However, the frequency of antigen-specific Treg is extremely low and ex vivo expansion has the potential to destabilize Treg leading to an effector phenotype. Here, we developed methods to generate durable, antigen-specific engineered (ed)Treg from primary human CD4+ T cells using a combination of lentiviral TCR transduction and FOXP3 homology-directed repair (HDR)-editing. Using TCRs derived from clonally expanded CD4+ T cells in T1D, we generated islet-specific edTreg that exhibit a Treg-like phenotype. Islet-specific edTreg effectively suppress proliferation and cytokine production by islet-specific effector T cells (Teff). Notably, edTreg suppress Teff recognizing the identical peptide as well as bystander Teff recognizing alternative islet antigens. Consistent with this, islet-specific edTreg suppress polyclonal islet-specific T cells derived from PBMC. Further, edTreg expressing TCR with high avidity have superior suppressive capacity to those expressing TCR with low avidity. To directly assess the capacity of edTreg to modulate T1D in vivo, we established an identical HDR-editing strategy in islet-specific murine cells. Adoptively transferred islet-specific mu-edTreg homed to the pancreas and blocked diabetes triggered by islet-specific Teff in recipient mice. Collectively, our approach enables the production of edTreg specific to pancreatic islets with the capacity to efficiently suppress islet specific responses. This approach has the capacity to deliver targeted islet specific therapy to treat or prevent T1D.


The paper analyzes the similarity conditions for pickup factor simulation. There have been determined the similarity conditions while studying the cloud drops deposition from an air flow on similar bodies. The analysis has been done and the similarity parameters determining the conditions of a liquid water film existence and behavior on the surfacewater or icewater boundaries have been formulated. There have been examined the data on speed, height, and time of icing effect on a fullscale design and meteorological conditions affecting the structure. There have been derived a generalized equation for simulating the final ice thickness distribution within the pickup area, the system of equations in which the scale factors combinations obtained with the use of similarity conditions meet the requirements of the fullscale design. There have been obtained the scale factors depending on the wind velocity, a structure size under testing, kinematical air viscosity, the cloud spectrum diameter, test time under artificial icing conditions, drops quantity per the air volume unit, drops density in a unit of air volume. There have been also obtained parameters for fullscale and pipe tests a rational scheme for solving the system of equations (1.3).


Two Er-fiber laser combs with repetition frequency of 500 MHz and 400 MHz are used to measure the frequency of a free-running external cavity diode laser. The mode number is determined by operating the 500 MHz comb at two different repetition rates while keeping the repetition rate of the 400 MHz comb unchanged. A monochromator measures the wavelength of the ECDL to offers an approximate mode number to help determining the mode number shift between the two repetition rates of the 500 MHz comb. The mode number of the beating comb line can be determined with short average time of 1 s.


Current capabilities for predicting skill retention, i.e., the extent to which human operators retain learned skills over time, at an individual level are limited due to a requirement for large data sets and methods that can extract relevant patterns in highly dimensional data. This paper investigates the application of Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) decision tree models for predicting a high-resolution individual skill retention curve. For this, a large skill-based tracking experiment dataset is used to extract different feature classes and train an XGBoost predictive model. To identify the robust predictors, the effects of the different features on the model's output are analyzed using SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP). Furthermore, the proposed XGBoost model is trained using both the experiment dataset and a matched synthetic dataset, with both approaches evaluated on the experiment data. Overall, the available experiment dataset was found to include too few retention measurements, and too significant between-group differences, to extract a reliable prediction model. On the synthetic dataset, the XGBoost model was found to accurately capture individuals' skill retention curves, where the features that contributed most (21%) to the prediction model's accuracy were found to be the considered learning curve parameters. Overall, this paper shows that experiment data of skill-based tracking tasks can be used to predict skill decay curves using XGBoost, but that more research and data are needed to achieve sufficient accuracy and reliability at an individual level for practical applications.


Relationship violence is a serious social problem. Given the prevalence and detrimental effects of relationship violence, much research has been undertaken to investigate the various risk factors that may be associated with this type of violence. In the present research, I examined the interrelationships among several correlates of violence (including rejection sensitivity, cognitive biases, decoding deficits and attachment style) in order to understand what differentiates physically abusive from non-abusive individuals. Hence, the current program of studies examined aggressive behaviours between partners with a focus on risk factors for violent behaviour in men and women and in particular on the role of rejection sensitivity in physically aggressive behaviour. In order to examine these constructs, the thesis includes six chapters. Following a review of the literature, a rationale was provided for the creation of an amended measure of rejection sensitivity as Downey and Feldman's (1996) Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire was not suitable for the purposes of the current thesis. Hence, a series of validation studies were conducted in Chapter 2 to test and develop a revised measure of rejection sensitivity that would be applicable to a wider range of intimate relationships (dating, cohabiting and married) and contexts. The study reported in Chapter 3, investigated the role of rejection sensitivity, hostile attributions and attachment patterns in the etiology of intimate partner violence. This study provided preliminary support for insecure attachment and negative attributions as the link between expectations of rejection and intimate partner violence, with a stronger link for male-perpetrated violence compared to female-perpetrated violence. Consistent with the marital violence literature, when mediator and moderator relationships existed, these occurred predominantly in married relationships (as opposed to dating or defacto relationships). The studies reported in Chapters 4 and 5 built on the foundations of Chapter 3 by incorporating two constructs, the 'overattribution bias' and empathic accuracy into the investigation of the associations between rejection sensitivity and violence. Specifically, the study reported in Chapter 4 examined the decoding deficits and inferential biases of maritally-violent and maritally-violent rejection-sensitive men when interpreting their own partner's messages whilst engaging in a laboratory-based decoding task. Overall, results showed that maritally-violent partner rejection-sensitive men were less accurate than were maritally non-violent partner rejection-sensitive men when interpreting their wives' positive messages and more accurate when interpreting their wives' negative messages. Likewise, maritally-violent rejection-sensitive men displayed an inferential bias to perceive their wives' messages as being more negative, critical and rejecting in intent than did maritally non-violent rejection-sensitive men. In addition, maritally-violent men as a group were less accurate for their own partner's positive and neutral messages than were maritally non-violent men and more accurate for their own wives' negative messages than were maritally non-violent men. Finally, maritally-violent men tended to attribute their wives' messages as being significantly more negative, critical and rejecting in intent than did maritally non-violent men. Overall, the data suggested that both rejection sensitivity and marital violence were key factors that were associated with married men's decoding problems and biased interpretation of their own wives' messages. In extending the previous findings, the study reported in Chapter 5 examined the decoding accuracy and inferential biases of both maritally-violent and maritally-violent rejection-sensitive men and women in relation to female strangers' messages. There were no differences between maritally-violent rejection-sensitive women and maritally non-violent rejection-sensitive women on decoding deficits and inferential biases for female strangers. However, there was a trend for maritally-violent women to be more negatively biased than were maritally non-violent women when interpreting female strangers' messages. Additionally, in contrast to the findings of Chapter 4, the data pointed to independent relationships among rejection sensitivity, violence and married men's decoding deficits and biases for female strangers' messages. In particular, there were no differences in decoding deficits or inferential biases between maritally violent rejection-sensitive and maritally non-violent rejection-sensitive men when decoding female strangers' messages. Instead, the data revealed that maritally-violent men were poor decoders of female strangers' positive messages compared to maritally non-violent men and maritally-violent women. In relation to negative messages, maritally-violent men were more accurate for female strangers' negative messages than were maritally non-violent men. Maritally violent men had the highest decoding accuracy for negative messages. Maritally-violent men also tended to attribute female strangers' messages as being significantly more negative, critical and rejecting in intent than did maritally non-violent men and maritally-violent women. Finally, the results showed that maritally-violent rejection-sensitive men's decoding deficits and biases were relationship specific whereas maritally-violent men's decoding deficits and cognitive biases were global deficits that extended to women other than the men's wives. Implications of the findings were discussed, as well as the strengths and limitations of the study. The discussion concludes with implications for theory and practice and suggestions for future research.


According to cancer statistics for 2012 (GLOBOCAN), the global incidence of HNC in that year stood at around 680,000, with 390,000 of these cases occurring in Asian countries. Around 240,000 Asian people died from HNC, accounting for 5.5% of global cancer deaths (1). Patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (R/M SCCHN) have a poor prognosis. Treatment goals are limited, but include prolongation of survival, palliation of existing symptoms and prevention of new cancer-related symptoms. In particular, systemic chemotherapy has only a modest impact on outcome in these patients (2), and median survival in reported Phase III randomized trials ranges from 6 to 9 months (3-8). Platinum-based chemotherapy remains the standard, and although combination therapy has shown higher response rates, no other regimen has demonstrated a survival advantage over cisplatin monotherapy. In their randomized Phase III trial of cisplatin or carboplatin plus 5-FU (PF/CF) with or without cetuximab against PF/ CF for R/M SCCHN (EXTREME Study), Vermorken et al. reported that the hazard ratio for overall survival (OS) of PF/CF plus cetuximab to PF/CF alone was 0.80 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.64–0.99]. Median OS was 10.1 months for PF/CF plus cetuximab versus 7.4 months for PF/CF alone (P=0.04) (9). From this result, PF/CF + cetuximab, the so-called EXTREME regimen, has been the standard first line chemotherapy for patients with R/ M SCCHN. For platinum-refractory R/M SCCHN, the anti-PD-1 antibodies nivolumab and pembrolizumab demonstrated a survival benefit in the pivotal Phase III trials (CheckMate141, KEYNOTE-040) (10,11). Recently, however, Burtness et al. reported the practicechanging results of a Phase III trial (KEYNOTE-048; KN-048) which compared the EXTREME regimen with pembrolizumab alone or PF/CF plus pembrolizumab for patients with previously untreated R/M SCCHN (12).


The goal of this project was to characterize basic biochemical and mechanical properties of egg capsules from several species of whelk snails, including the channeled whelk snail, Busycon canaliculatum, native to the East Coast, and the Kellet's whelk snail, Kelletia kelletii, native to the West Coast. Tests focused on quantifying the material's response to being stretched. Of particular interest was measuring the amount of energy dissipated as the material returns to its original shape. Other tests involved stretching and relaxing the material repeatedly.


........................................................................................................................... v INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 1 1. BETWEEN HINDUS AND CHRISTIANS: CONVERSION AND RE-CONVERSION AMONG DALITS AND ĀDIVĀSĪS IN INDIA............................................................................................................................... 8 2. SELF-SSUPPORTING? SELF-PROPAGATING? SELF-GOVERNING? EVANGELICALS AND EVANGELISM IN CHINA....................................................... 29 3. IF AT FIRST YOU DON'T SUCCEED: MODERN APPROACHES TO CHRISTIAN MISSIONS IN THE TIBETAN AUTONOMOUS REGION IN LIGHT OF HISTORICAL MISSIONS TO TIBET........... 49 CONCLUSION................................................................................................................. 72 BIBLIOGRAPHY............................................................................................................. 74 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH............................................................................................. 80


An apparatus (3) was evaporated and the medium, and separating the liquid, to condensation, in the device, the evaporator (A) and the condenser (B) is one out of the in such a way that they are separated from each other by a dividing wall 12 It is disposed within a casing (8, 9, 9 ').


The higher energy consumption, the increasing of the price for primary energy sources and the continuous worldwide debates for carbon emission in the atmosphere determined the reorientation to energy production from renewable sources (biomass, solar energy, wind, hydro, geothermal etc). Taking into account the low capacity that produce energy from renewable sources, we conclude that there are needed important investment in this sector.


In this thesis, I present a case where Dark Matter subhalos would annihilate at some stage in their lifetime. The implication of this scenario could potentially aid the Missing Satellites and the Cusp-Core density profile problem. The Dark Matter particles' annihilation process and effective "friction" lead to an energy and momentum loss into radiation and hence to the destabilization of the Dark Matter subhalo with subsequent collapse and total annihilation. Expected possible observational signa- ture of this effect is a multi-GeV gamma-ray burst, which is potentially observable by high-energy gamma-ray detectors such as FERMI etc. The basic purpose here is to develop a simple analytic model for the collapse dynamics of such a subhalo. I present results that show how the particle departure rate of a given subhalo does not depend on initial parameters such as initial contraction velocity, the initial radius and the initial mass of a given subhalo. Only does it depend on fundamental constants and Dark Matter model parameters, namely its mass and couplings to ordinary mat- ter particles in the Standard Model. This remarkable result potentially allows one to distinguish a whole class of catastrophic astrophysical events with universal characteristics independent on the formation history of such objects. These characteristics could then be used as constraints for the above-mentioned fundamental constants for a given Dark Matter model.


Physical planning for geographic areas such as cities, counties, or regions can be greatly simplified if the planner can display the entity under consideration together with land-use and socioeconomic data and can interact easily with that data to modify the presentation and redisplay it. Presented in this paper are a system and a language to aid such physical planning and user experience with the system and language. Further research on gruphic presentation, the incorporation of models and statistical routines are also discussed.


An 18‐year‐old primigravida was admitted in the seventh month of pregnancy with a diagnosis of pre‐eclampsia, based on a recent rise of the blood pressure up to 175/110 mmHg. Oedema and proteinuria were absent. Examination revealed absent femoral pulses and no measurable blood pressure in the lower limbs. A harsh holosystolic murmur, grade 4, was audible over the pre‐cordium. A collateral pulse was felt at the medial border of the left scapula. The chest film showed rib erosions and a possible widening of the ascending aorta. A diagnosis was made of aortic coarctation with probable aortic aneurysm. To avoid the strain of labour a Caesarean section was successfully undertaken. Subsequent aorto‐angiography showed the presence of a marked aortic coarctation, an aneurysm of the ascending aorta and markedly dilated innominate, left subclavian and mammary arteries. Surgical repair was undertaken eight weeks after delivery. The aortic stenosis had a diameter of only 3 mm. Histologic examination of the removed specimen revealed marked atheromatosis, intimal fibrosis and mucoid degeneration. The findings thus justified the therapeutic procedure selected. The diagnosis of aortic coarctation is reviewed and the management when found during pregnancy is discussed.


The utility model is a dry-type tempering preventer for the gas welding and cutting, which comprises a metal shell, a metallic rod core, a metal net, an adjusting barrel, a seal head, an air-in connector and an air-out connector (or a welding and cutting torch). The characteristics of the utility model are that the metallic rod core is tightly rolled by a number of metal nets, then is put into the metal shell and is kept in close touch with an inner wall of the metal shell, a crossbar network on the metal net, together with the metallic rod core, the inner wall of the metal shell, the adjusting barrel, and the seal head form a special microchannel for the air to pass. When a tempering happens, the metal rod bar and the metal net receive the heat and quickly expand to block up the micropore, seal the gas passage, prevent the fire and extinguish the fire immediately, thereby realizing the purpose of preventing the tempering.