'Superior' white potatoes were planted on 10 Apr in a Sassafras sandy loam field. Plots consisted of 3 rows that were 25 ft long and 3 ft wide and replicated 4 times in a randomized complete block design. Treatments were applied with a self-propelled, high-clearance sprayer with two drop nozzles/row calibrated to deliver 45 gal/acre at 40 psi operated at 2 mph. Treatments were applied on 7, 19 Jun, 3 and 8 Jul. Plant % defoliation caused by CPB was recorded on 3, 8 and 11 Jul. Numbers of CPB larvae per 5 hills were recorded on 12 Jun. All data were taken from the middle row. Potatoes were harvested on 30 Jul. Plots were irrigated when moisture was below normal.


Experimental studies on flexural performance of adherence shaped steel joints for composite sandwich plates were carried out,including load-deformation behavior,strain development and failure modes.The I-shaped steels used for adherence joints have 3 different inside declining angles,whose effects on joint strength were studied.The tests show that the adherence joints can satisfy the loading-capacity requirement corresponding to the deformation limit of building structures,and be applied to paulownia wood core composite sandwich structures.The effect of inside declining angle on connecting strength was slight.The deformation behavior,failure mode and effect factors on strength were discussed.The results could be referred to for design and application of adherence shaped steel joint for composite sandwich plates.


A fundamental objective of IS research is the investigation of the dynamic interplay between the social and the material. As a consequence, the concept of sociomateriality has evolved to depict the interaction of the social and material in different environments, such as organizations. Although various definitions have emerged, sociomateriality remains a buzzword, however, its application in real world settings often remains unclear. Our study's objective is to assess the IS artifact in sociomaterial research and to clarify the intertwining of the social and material agencies. On the basis of the conceptualization of the IS artifact and the dominances of the agencies, we suggest a framework to systematically evaluate the artifact's role in sociomaterial research settings, and derive opportunities and potentials for future research on sociomateriality. Our approach will be helpful to focus greater attention on the dynamic interplay and the role of the IS artifact in sociomaterial inquiries.


The laser-ranged satellite LARES is expected to provide new refined measurements of relativistic physics, as well as significant contributions to space geodesy and geophysics. The very low area-to-mass ratio of this passive and dense satellite was chosen to reduce as much as possible the disturbing effects of non-gravitational perturbations. However, because of its height, about 1450 km compared with about 5800-5900 km for the two LAGEOS satellites, LARES is exposed to a much stronger drag due to neutral atmosphere. From a precise orbit determination, analyzing the laser ranging normal points of LARES over a time span of about 3.7 years, it was found an average semi-major axis decay rate of -0.999 m per year, corresponding to a non-conservative net force with a mean along-track acceleration of -1.444 x 10^-11 m/s^2. By means of a modified version of the SATRAP (ISTI/CNR) code, the neutral drag perturbation acting on LARES was evaluated over the same time span, taking into account the real evolution of solar and geomagnetic activities, with five thermospheric density models. All of them were able to model most of the observed semi-major axis decay, with differences among the average drag coefficients smaller than 10%. A further independent check carried out analyzing the orbital decay of a passive spherical satellite (Ajisai) just 40 km higher than LARES, it was then concluded that some of the currently best models developed for neutral atmosphere, within their uncertainties and range of applicability, were able to account for most (about 98.6%) of the observed semi-major axis decay of LARES. Finally, after modeling the neutral atmosphere drag, a residual semi-major axis decay, corresponding to an average along-track acceleration of about -2 x 10^-13 m/s^2 (i.e. about 1/72 of neutral drag), was detected as well.


The objective of this research is to study the phytochemical content of Malaysian medicinal plants (Andrographis paniculata, Morinda Citrifolia and Ficus Deltoidea). This study involves the investigation on total phenolic content, total flavonoid content and DPPH scavenging activity using different method of extraction hot extraction and ultrasonic assisted extraction. From the experiments, it can be seen that Ficus deltoidea leaves has the highest amount of phenolic content, flavonoid content and better scavenging activity compared to Andrographis paniculata and Morinda citrifolia. Each extraction was carried out with different solvents water, 80% methanol and 80% ethanol. It is found that the solvents used for extraction has significant effect on phenolic content (p=0.0014) and flavonoid content (p=0.004) for all three plants used in this study. 80% methanol has the highest effect on the extraction of phytochemicals followed by 80% ethanol and water. As for DPPH scavenging, solvents do not have any significant effect on the scavenging activity. Ultrasonic assisted extraction is significantly better in extraction compared to water under the same conditions.


Deep learning has shown great potential in image generation, such as texture synthesis, style transfer and generative adversarial model. In our project, we use auto-encoder network and feature fusion model to generate interpolated and extrapolated video frames. We show that for frame generation, making networks fuse and learn from feature space given frames is of great significance. An auto-encoder network is used to extract features from given frames. Each layer generated by auto-encoder of two input frames are fused by another convolutional neural networks, in order to predict object motion and frame shift and generate predicted frame. We also use the sum of l2 loss on each feature layer in autoencoder network of predicted and true frames. Our results surpass the performance of beyond MSE model in [9].


The purpose of this research is to increase interest and achievement in mathematics learning models Missouri Mathematic Project (MMP) in class X MC SMK Tamansiswa Jetis Yogyakarta. This research is Classroom Action Research (CAR) conducted in two cycle. The subjects of this research is students of class X MC SMK Negeri Tamansiswa Jetis Yogyakarta totaling 23 students. Data collection techniques in this research uses observation, questionnaires, tests and documentation. The results showed after the application of models Missouri Mathematic Project (MMP), interest and learning mathematics achievement of students has increased. Mathematics achievement of students and the percentage of completeness students (with KKM 75)also increased. Models Missouri Mathematic Project (MMP) to increase interest in mathematics learning and achievement of students, it is suggested that mathematics teachers can apply the learning model.


The invention relates to a position distribution method of a spherical surface sound source in virtual reality sound rendering. The method comprises the following steps: (1) dividing a spherical surface into an upper half spherical surface and a lower half spherical surface, and dividing the upper half spherical surface into different circular rings; dividing the circular rings into a plurality of equal unit blocks; (2) projecting to a two-dimensional plane circular disc by Lambert mapping; converting a unit block coordinate from (theta, phi) to (gamma, phi); (3) dividing the circular disc into a plurality of unit blocks with the equal area; (4) calculating an aspect ratio shown in the specification of each unit block on the circular disc and an aspect ratio shown in the specification of the unit blocks on the half spherical surfaces; (5) recursively calculating an elevation phii of the circular ring of each half spherical surface; (6) calculating a horizontal angle theta of the unit blocks on the half spherical surfaces and obtaining position distribution (theta, phi) of all the unit blocks on the half spherical surfaces; and (7) calculating position distribution (theta, phi) of all the unit blocks on the spherical surfaces. With the adoption of the position distribution method of the spherical surface sound source, the elevation phi is almost converged to 1/2sinphi so that the omni-directional property of the sound source is guaranteed and the reality of virtual reality sounds is guaranteed.


Limb muscle weakness is associated with difficult weaning. However, there are limited data on extubation failure. The objective of this cohort study was to evaluate the association between limb muscle weakness according to the Medical Research Council (MRC) scale and extubation failure rates among patients in a medical intensive care unit (ICU).


Elevated atmospheric CO2 (eCO2) is anticipated to have marked effects on soil microbial populations. While there is experimental evidence to support this view there are also studies where changes in microbial populations, such as the abundance of bacteria, are suggested but cannot be statistically established. We conducted this study to identify whether the sampling and sample treatment methods used could influence the results obtained using bacterial abundance as the variable of interest. We tested three different sampling methods and two different DNA extraction kits. The first because microbes are distributed heterogeneously in soil so the sampling procedure might be expected to influence the accuracy and precision of the population estimate and the second because the quantity and quality of DNA extracted influences the microbial analyses that can be performed and can introduce bias. Samples were taken from a long-running FACE experiment on grassland from under plants ofAgrostis capillaris. We found that bacterial abundance was consistently lower under eCO2 but we were only able to establish a statistical difference where a more intense sampling regime was used and bulking of the soil sample was avoided. A reduction in bacterial abundance is a consistent outcome in eCO2 field experiments but the only other occasion where this reduction has been found to be significant was also where individual soil cores were analysed rather than the samples being bulked. We conclude that while there is extra work and cost attached to more detailed sampling this approach is highly desirable if we are to make robust conclusions about the impacts of eCO2 on soil microbes.


In present recommender systems, users receive items recommended on basis of their purchase records. New user experiences the cold start problem : as there records is very poorly. This paper proposed an NCT/TF(number of common terms / term frequency) collaborate filtering Algorithm Based on demographic vector. First, generates user demographic vector base on the user information (age, occupation, gender).then calculate two users similarity base on previous result. and generate new similar by combine it with cosine or PCC similar And then predict item rates by top N similar neighbors. The experiments show that the quality of recommendations improved, while the new user effort is smaller as no initial rating are asked.


The relationship between vast resources of oil and development has repeatedly provento be a problematic one, and the reality shows that development states who are (un)blessed with the resource always have struggle with economic growth, civil wars, human rights torts and social development. TNC:s with oil interests claims that oil and development do match and that their presence in development states increases the state's chance to development. The problem I will focus on in this essay concerns even might make the situation worse for the oil rich development state. I discuss if and how TNC:s should have a greater social responsibility for the states they're exploiting in, both in a legal and moral way. The conclusion of the study is that TNC:s do have a corporate social responsibility when they're active in oil rich states, partly because the fact that human rights concerns everyone in the world and due to the TNC:s large economic assets and therefore their capability of contributing to development.


Throughout this century, schools have been in a state of flux as they have attempted to meet the needs of a constantly changing society. Within the field of technology, there has been considerable confusion as to direction, a confusion that has resulted from a variegated past of different curricular movements designed to serve various politically acceptable purposes. There has also been confusion about the place of technology within education as a field of study. The context in which programs in technology education exist today presents a new challenge and responsibility. The new context necessitates not only an integration with fields of study such as science and society, but also directs attention to the evolution of the disci-


In this paper, we prove �-pairs and a unique common fixed point theorem for six maps in cone metric spaces. Our result generali zes and extends some recent results.


This paper concerns with the identifiability of an unknown deterministic vector in the presence of random nuisance parameters. In these cases, the classical definition of identifiability, which requires calculation of the Fisher Information Matrix (FIM) and of its rank, is often difficult or impossible to be implemented. Instead, the Modified FIM (MFIM) can be usually computed. We generalize the main results on parameter identifiability to take the presence of random nuisance parameters into account. We provide an alternative definition of identifiability that can be always applied also in the presence of nuisance parameters and we investigate the relationships between the classical and the new identifiability conditions. Finally, the new definition of identifiability is applied to a common estimation problem in netted radar systems: the relative grid-locking problem.


Abstract Trace densities may be a potential proxy for tracemaker densities, especially in settings where traces but not body fossils preserve well. The relationship between the density of the gastropod Batillaria minima and its trails was examined in a modern muddy intertidal zone of a lagoon on San Salvador Island, the Bahamas. The number of snails found within a quadrat was a moderately positive predictor of the number of trails that crossed the quadrat's boundaries. This suggests in some modern ecological systems, trace density is a reasonable proxy for tracemaker density. However, in some cases, high densities of snails are found without correspondingly high trail densities, which may be driven by the snails clumping or moving little, perhaps to access shared resources. Observations of tagging individual snails and speed measurements also suggest that B. minima disperses around this type of mudflat habitat a few tens of centimeters a day.


This study was designed to evaluate the effect of ischemia and reperfusion on myocardial mechanical function in the neonate. Newborn (NB,n=14) and adult (A,n=14) rabbit hearts were studied utilizing the isolated arterially perfused septal preparation that was maintained at 27°C or 33°C and paced at 90 beats/minute. The muscle was perfused initially with an oxygenated Krebs-Henseleit solution. After stabilization of mechanical function, 60 minutes of global ischemia was induced and then the muscle was reperfused with oxygenated solution. The muscle was kept in a humidified, warm, oxygen-poor atmosphere. Developed tension (DT), maximal rate of tension development (+dT/dt) and resting tension (RT) were recorded continuously. The changes in DT and +dT/dt were similar. During ischemia, +dT/dt declined hyperbolically at the same rate in all groups, and the values after 60 minutes of ischemia were not significantly different from zero. During ischemia, the RT increased significantly in both groups and the increase in the A was significantly (P < 0.001) greater than in the NB. After 60 minutes of reperfusion, the recovery of +dT/dt (97 ± 5% of control at 27°C; 48 ± 12% at 33°C) in the NB was significantly (P<0.001) greater than in the A (58 ± 6% at 27°C; 16 ± 6% at 33°C). After reperfusion, the RT returned to control in the NB, but not in A. These data indicate that the NB myocardium is more resistant to ischemia than the A myocardium.


In this chapter our goal is to explicitly calculate bounds on the mean throughput rate of executing a single transaction type or a given transaction workload mix for a particular class of models of computer communication systems. In many instances, this provides a fundamental limitation on system performance: if a packet switch can only switch one hundred packets per second, then no amount of chicanery (e.g., clever scheduling, increasing the degree of multiprogramming, adopting a new paging strategy, and so forth) will allow this packet switch to switch two hundred packets per second. On the other hand, we must ask ourselves what is the best that we might do: is there any intrinsic reason why the packet switch can switch at most one hundred packets per second, or is it possible to increase this to five hundred packets per second by judicious changes in hardware, operating system kernel, data base manager, and application code? The crux of performance analysis is describing how a computer communication system processes each step of a job. The models described here require as inputs a detailed description of the step by step processing of a job, and give as outputs bounds on system performance. By dealing with examples or tractable models of parallelism and concurrency for computer systems, we hope to build up intuition about the benefits of different approaches. A disclaimer is in order: systems that improve performance via added concurrency are in many ways more sensitive to the workload than systems that improve performance via raw speed, because in order to take advantage of concurrency some knowledge of the workload must be used. What happens when the workload changes? Caveat emptor! 2.1 General Approaches Figure 2.1 shows the two fundamental approaches to parallelism in computer communication systems. The hardware configuration and operating system are fixed: a group of processors interconnected by a high speed bus, with a network operating system to coordinate resource allocation. How do we structure a set of application programs to take advantage of this type of system? At one extreme of parallelism, the group of processors operates in parallel (i.e., fed by a single queue or work stream) Each processor does all the work for each job. As more processors are added, more work can be done. The total delay will be approximately the processing time of a job, because if we have sufficiently many processors it is highly …


Borderline ovarian tumors (BOT) consist of epithelial ovarian lesions that express cytological features of malignancy, but unlike malignant ovarian tumors, do not show obvious stromal invasion. The tumor incidence is between 1.8 and 4.8 per 100,000 females per year. The two major groups of BOT include serous BOT (S-BOT) and mucinous BOT (M-BOT). S-BOTs are divided into two categories: tumors limited to ovary and tumors spreading outside the ovary. M-BOTs are divided into two categories. The more common type is intestinal that constitutes 85% of cases and the second type is endocervical or Mullerian. Mullerian M-BOTs is bilateral in 40% of cases, while it is accompanied by pelvic endometriosis in 20-30% of patients. Microscopic examination by intraoperative frozen section is necessary because macroscopic view of ovarian tumors alone is not reliable. It is better to perform conservative surgery until the final report is ready in patients who wish to preserve their fertility. It is hard to differentiate them based on clinical characteristics. Values of tumor markers including CA125, CA19-9 and CEA in diagnosis of BOT are confirmed. Standard treatment of BOT is surgery as is the case with invasive epithelial ovarian cancer. In the majority of patients referred for BOT, since there is no suspicion of malignancy, staging is not performed. In these cases, making decision to repeat surgery and staging depend on factors such as the type of histology, abdominal exploration results in the previous surgery and probability of the presence of residual tumor.


In text processing, hearers/readers relate the meanings into a cohesive whole and integrate them into the mental representation to build a situational model. Here it is argued that discourse comprehension is divided into three stages, functionally grammatical parser, cohesion construction and mental model completion. Finally, a discourse comprehension flow chart is presented in the hope of providing insight into the teaching of listening/reading comprehension.


This article proposes a new set of configurationsfor the construction of a low cost servo-actuatedshake table with a wide range simulation ability, especially regarding ground motions with strong vertical components up to 3.86g and 1.62m acceleration and stroke respectively. Designing decision and challenges faced during the process are also presented.


The cylindrical portion having a first outer diameter (61); Disc portion 62 disposed at the distal end of the cylindrical portion 61, having a longer second outer diameter than the first outer diameter; And is disposed on the inner surface of the cylindrical portion 61, jusat needle 26 of jusat needle of jusat needle shield 29 and the friction comprising a holding surface (63) adapted to be engaged, a medicament tube 20 above (26 ) discloses a lid 60 for covering the jusat needle shield (29) above.


In this paper we develop a new DSGE model for a small open economy in a currency union, estimated with Bayesian methods, which incorporates a banking and a housing supply sector, consumers and entrepreneurs who accumulate debt, a rich structure of fiscal variables and monopolistic competition in products and labor markets. As an example of its capabilities, the model has been estimated for the Spanish economy, which is an interesting example of a booming economy before the Great Recession, and a country that particularly suffered from the negative consequences of the sovereign debt crisis and exhibited a robust recovery until 2019. Our results show the usefulness of DSGE models, conveniently designed and extended to account for the interaction of real and financial variables and other prominent characteristics of modern economies, as part of our toolkit to analyze the empirical evidence.


A competent mould designer must have a thorough knowledge of the principles of mould making as the design of the various parts of the mould depends on the technique adopted for its manufacture. This paper deals with the literature review on study of application of taguchi method and suitable finishing of core and cavity, and proper gate location which will reduce the maximum war page of the plastic injection molding/component. Injection molding is a major part of the plastics industry and is a big business worldwide. It is a widely used polymer processing method due to its high production rate, low cost and capability to produce intricate Parts with high precision. It is much difficult to set optimal process parameter levels which may cause defects in articles, such as shrinkage.


It is proved that milk yield in winter is characterized by a decrease in the absolute indicator of the average daily milk yield with a simultaneous increase in the mass fraction of fat in milk in camels, regardless of the breed and the zone of their breeding. On average, the milk yield in December - February for camels of Arvan breed was from 4.8 kg to 6.4 kg, with a mass fraction of fat in milk of 4.6 - 4.7%. In winter, the milk yield of the Kazakh Bactrian camels in comparison with the peers of the Arvana breed of the "bestorrangyla" plant type is 2.5 times lower. The female camels of the Kazakh Bactrian in the first and second months of the winter period did not experience a sharp decrease in milk yield and on average December 2.5 - 3.0 kg and January 2.3 - 2.8 kg. At the end of the winter period - in February it drops sharply and reaches the level of 1.6-2.1 kg. At the same time, the fat content of milk in the winter period is in the redistribution of 5.9 – 6.2%.


This article offers a reading of nineteenth-century Roman Catholic theology through the sacred art produced by and for women religious. The practices and devotions that the article explores, however, are not those that drew from the institutional Church but rather from the legacies of mysticism, many of which were shaped in women's religious communities. Scholars have proposed that mysticism was stripped of its intellectual legitimacy and relegated to the margins of theology by post-Enlightenment rationalism, thereby consigning female religious experience to the politically impotent private sphere. The article suggests, however, that, although the literature of women's mysticism entered a period of decline from the end of the Counter-Reformation, an authoritative female tradition, expressed in visual and material culture, continued into the nineteenth century and beyond. The art that emerged from convents reflected the increasing visibility of women in the Roman Catholic Church and the burgeoning of folkloric devotional practices and iconography. This article considers two paintings as evidence that, by the nineteenth century, the aporias1 of Christian theology were consciously articulated by women religious though the art that they made: works which, in turn, shaped the creed and culture of the institutional Church. In so doing, the article contributes to the growing body of scholarship on the material culture of religion.


The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of loneliness on academic participation and success among 213 students studying at Usak University. A total of 213 international students studying at Usak University, including 151 males and 62 females, were selected and participated in the research voluntarily. In the study, feelings of loneliness among international students significantly impacted academic participation and success of the students. According to research, feelings of isolation and lack of aspiration for the future significantly affect the academic performance of students in complex ways. Generally, students who have aspirations for the future tend to participate and thrive in school. However, students who feel lonely and isolated tend to spend their time idly and therefore do not thrive in academic environments. Keywords: aspiration, academic success, loneliness, international student


We study the temperature-dependent molecular dynamics, ion conduction, and phase behavior of plastic-crystal electrolytes based on the succinonitrile molecule. We employ calorimetry and dielectric spectroscopy to probe binary mixtures of succinonitrile with glutaronitrile or acetonitrile and also analyze the effect of dissolving lithium salts in these systems. The glutaronitrile–succinonitrile mixture has the highest conductivity, and it is the only plastic-crystal system that displays a perfect correlation between the ion drift and the on-site reorientational dynamics. Doping with lithium ions boosts the conductivity but breaks such perfect correlation. All of these features can be rationalized by assuming that conduction is due to the self-diffusion of a minority of ionized dinitrile molecules. Doping with lithium salts slows down the collective molecular dynamics while leaving the intramolecular relaxation motion unaffected. All samples exhibit a very broad melting transition and exist in a mixed liqui...


From time-to-time, the Annals has published or, critically appraised national guidelines. Where guidelines involve clinical biochemistry then their publication in the Annals enables them to be disseminated to relevant professionals in laboratories, not just in the UK, but also internationally. Such dissemination helps increase the uptake of any guideline and, hopefully, speeds up consequent improvements in practice. I will illustrate this point by considering the national guidelines for analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for bilirubin in suspected subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH). These guidelines first appeared in 2003 and were the culmination of much 'behind the scenes' work of many with an interest in this field. Until these guidelines were published, the analysis of CSF for bilirubin in relation to the investigation of SAH left much to be desired. The most important use of the test was/is to exclude SAH in patients who are negative for blood following computerised tomography (CT) scanning and thus to avoid subsequent cerebral angiography. In present times, due to pressure on acute beds, the test has developed greater importance in identifying these patients as they are unlikely to have suffered SAH and can therefore be safely discharged from acute locations. Much reliance has therefore been placed on this test by clinical staff. Historically, there has been much debate as to which is the best way of looking for bilirubin in CSF. Prior to the publication of the guidelines, the majority of laboratories used visual inspection of CSF, performed in microbiology laboratories as part of standard cellular and microbiological analysis. Visual evidence of a straw coloured fluid (hence xanthochromia) was used as evidence of altered blood in the CSF and publications at the time described findings based on visual examination, even though these may have not been well controlled. Such investigations, however, have one major flaw; namely they are subject to differences in human interpretation. In a desire to remove subjectivity from the investigation, in 1989, workers in the Netherlands recommended xanthochromia be 'investigated by spectrophotometry'. This publication in turn led to an editorial appearing the same year in the Lancet. Although some laboratories took up the mantle of spectrophotometry following this editorial, much uncertainty remained as to the role of spectrophotometry and result interpretation. In response to this uncertainty, one of the first papers that appeared in the Annals in this area was published. It consisted of a Personal View, prepared under the auspices of the former Analytical Investigations Standing Committee of the Scientific Committee of the Association for Clinical Biochemistry. I believe this publication helped to kick-start the work that has appeared over the last 15 years, much of it in the Annals, that has turned this field from an art, to a more evidence-based science. Both the Dutch paper and the Lancet editorial, advocated the investigation of xanthochromia by spectrophotometry. Xanthochromia was defined as, 'an absorbance, at 415 nm, of greater than 0.023 AU and/ or a peak in the absorbance curve in the 450–460 nm region'. In their Personal View, Beetham et al. found this definition of xanthochromia 'unclear and ambiguous.' One aspect of their critique was that an increase in the concentration of CSF protein will result in an absorbance at 415 nm of more than 0.023 AU.


A new technology for producing large volume microwave plasmas is introduced, Microwave energy is coupled into the plasma by means of a slow wave structure, and plasma volumes well in excess of 1000 cm3 can readily be achieved with 2.5 kW of microwave power at 2.45 GHz. General operating characteristics and some experimental data are presented.


Application of multiple scattered-wave X_α method with overlapping atomic-sphere to ionization potentials is reported for benzene, pyridine, pyrazine, pyrrole and imidazole. The calculated results show that the orbital charges in the intersphere region are non-negative and the energy levels get improvements in orderings.


With the development of Internet technology, big data technology provides technical support for China's targeted poverty alleviation. The key to targeted poverty alleviation lies in providing employment. Employment poverty alleviation is the most direct, realistic and effective way for poor workers to get rid of poverty. How to establish an information communication platform between the poor and enterprises is a key problem to be solved urgently. This paper uses cloud computing, big data and intelligent decision making technology to develop the big data "Internet plus" platform for precision employment and poverty alleviation. It has solved the problems of asymmetric information among enterprises, the poor and government departments, lack of effective supply and demand docking platform, unbalanced regional distribution of employment posts and labor force, inaccurate employment services, long employment chain and difficult tracking services. This paper describes in detail the architecture design, targeted employment framework process, deployment and implementation for the platform adopting scrum and continuous integration development method. The platform has been successfully online, exploring employment poverty alleviation for about one year, successfully solved the employment of nearly 2,000 poor labor forces and 5,000 needy students in secondary vocational and higher vocational education, cooperated with more than 100 large-scale well-known enterprises in manufacturing, logistics and service industry, formed a systematic targeted employment poverty alleviation model, scheme and experience. Compared with the existing systems in the literature, the advantages and transformation effect of this platform are remarkable. The platform construction experience of this paper can provide reference for the application of big data, cloud computing and other technologies in other fields of national construction.


Recent reports stress the importance of the development of experimental activities for students during regular Biology classes. However, the development of teaching methodologies with a strong emphasis on experimental activities is a permanent challenge for all teachers. The current study was applied to 9 th grade students (14 to 16 year-old students) and 1 st year Psychology Integrated Master students. To validate this activity and to evaluate what students had learnt, they were asked to answer the same questionnaire before and after the laboratory teaching (Pre-test and Post-test, respectively). In a general way, we found thatthere was a lack of knowledge among students regarding these topics in the pre-test. On the other hand, the post-test showed a clear correlation between the use of experimental activities and an increase in the scientific knowledge. These activities provide a novel perspective for the study of the human body by using a hands-on–approach, with self perceived advantages. Additionally, this study also demonstrated that it is possible to conduct simple experiences with low economical resources, which clearly improve students' knowledge.


4,5′,8‐Trimethylpsoralen‐conjugated oligonucleotides have been used in the study of photo‐cross‐linking with target oligonucleotides and in the field of the photodynamic therapy. This unit describes synthetic procedures for oligonucleotides using 2′‐O‐methylphosphoramidite units and an adenosine phosphoramidite unit containing a 4,5′,8‐trimethylpsoralen derivative attached at the 2′ position of an adenosine sugar moiety via an ethoxymethylene linkage. Procedures for obtaining the photo‐cross‐linking efficiency of 2′‐O‐methyloligonucleotides containing a 4,5′,8‐trimethylpsoralen derivative with a target oligonucleotide under UV irradiation conditions are also described, together with the procedure for preparation of 32P‐radiolabeled RNA. Curr. Protoc. Nucleic Acid Chem. 58:5.15.1‐5.15.15. © 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.


This paper describes a low latency compression algorithm intended for use in a visually lossless display stream system in order to improve the quality of still and slowly moving video. The motivation for the algorithm is to utilize a temporal differencing method to provide a low latency coding system that can attain better bits per pixel (bpp) compression than conventional approaches. This particular study observed that an algorithm operating well at 8 bpp without temporal differencing will show similar or better results at 6 bpp with the temporal differencing method. Conventional algorithms tend to grow exponentially in complexity as measured by silicon real estate (gates or line buffer memory, or both) to attain similar results. As complexity grows, so does power consumption. By employing temporal differencing, the inherent redundancy in low motion and still video can be employed to improve the quality of the video. Experimental results are summarized for a still image sequence and a variety of video sequences with varying amounts of motion and type (natural images/computer screen content). A sequence of identical still images benefits the most, with an average gain in PSNR of 8 dB using a test database of 20 different images.


The acid corrosion inhibition process of mild steel in 1M of HCl were studied from newly synthesized Ionic Liquid (ILs) from Good's buffer ionic liquid (GB-ILs) namely as [BMIM] [HEPES].GB-ILs are new class of ILs that are formed by the combination of Good's buffers as anions and various organic bases as cation. The inhibition efficiency has been investigated using weight loss measurement, electrochemical impedance (EIS) and potentiodynamic polarization. Ionic liquid tested as corrosion inhibitors after polarization curves displayed corrosion protection efficiency of 82 % at 200 ppm for mild steel in a 1 M aqueous solution of hydrochloric acid. For all two inhibitors, the inhibition efficiency increased with increasing concentration of the inhibitors. The adsorption of the inhibitors on mild steel surface obeyed the Langmuir's adsorption isotherm. The surface morphology of the X52 mild steel was investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) also shows unfailing result. As for ground work, the commercially available Good's Buffer inhibition performance studied alone as corrosion inhibitor and compared with the synthesised Ionic Liquid (GB-ILs) to appreciate the availability of the Ionic Liquid.


A novel base antenna is proposed in this paper, it is a ring-shaped structure with a square almost circumscribed, $22 \times 22$ mm2 in size. With a defective ground structure and a suspended ground 1.171cm away from ground. The antenna designed is 81.9% efficient at 10.157 GHz with 4.345 dBi. Further frequency reconfigurability is introduced by controlling four pin diodes due to which the antenna works in C band, Ku band apart from X band with return loss less than −10 dB. Gain of the antenna is observed in the range of 3–6 dBi at different frequencies. The antenna works for different modern wireless applications such as radar application, satellite purpose and disaster management.


Nowadays fiber biphoton sources are nearly as popular as crystal-based ones. They offer a single spatial mode and easy integrability into optical networks. However, fiber sources lack the broad tunability of crystals, which do not require a tunable pump. Here, we report a broadly tunable biphoton source based on a suspended core fiber. This is achieved by introducing pressurized gas into the fibers hollow channels, changing the step index. The mechanism circumvents the need for a tunable pump laser, making this a broadly tunable fiber biphoton source with a convenient tuning mechanism, comparable to crystals. We report a continuous shift of 0.30THz/bar of the sidebands, using up to 25bar of argon.


China is a big country both at agriculture and human resources.For a long time,rural human resources,as a basic resource,are influenced by the dual urban and rural economic structure and the traditional small-scale peasant economy.And the development and management of human resource in rural areas are difficult to adapt to the needs of social and economic development.Thus,it is of great significance to strengthen the research of rural human resource management and development.


The methods for the determination of dissolved oxygen adopted as standard by the American Public Health Association are the Winkler method for unpolluted waters and the Rideal-Stewart modification of the Winkler method for waters containing organic matter. Neither of these methods makes any provision for the presence of iron (-ic or -ous) which liberates iodine in either case and for this reason simulates dissolved oxygen. The development of a method for the determination of dissolved oxygen which would give accurate results in the event that iron were present would be a very desirable addition to the literature of water and sanitary chemistry. In this paper we have given a set of corrections to be applied for the various concentrations of iron to the results obtained by the above methods. It is a common belief that there is no further change after the final addition of the sulfuric acid preliminary to the titration step in the Winkler methods, and that the rest of the test may be carried through within a few hours as convenient. As a matter of fact, serious errors are the result of allowing this time to elapse previous to the titration if much iron is present. The magnitude of these errors varies with the concentration of the iron present and the time interval between the final addition of a sulfuric acid and the titration of the liberated iodine. In field work it is often necessary to wait as long as the following day to make the titrations. Even in the presence of small concentrations of iron this last procedure results in considerable error. The water in many streams in industrial sections contains an average of 100 p.p.m. of iron as the result of receiving pickling liquors* mine drainage, etc. In fact it is not uncommon to find such streams containing as high as 250 p.p.m. of iron. Some well waters also run quite high in iron. The results for dissolved oxygen obtained by the standard procedure in the presence of these high concentrations of


The present invention, (-) - 2-exo - morpholino iso Born-10-thiol, to provide an efficient and economical process for the synthesis of chiral catalysts which its enantiomers, and related. Also disclosed novel compounds and asymmetric synthesis method.


One of the most basic theorems in harmonic analysis on locally compact commutative groups is Bochner's theorem (see [16, p. 19]). This theorem characterizes the positive definite functions. In 1971, R. Lindhal and P. H. Maserick proved a version of Bochner's theorem for discrete commutative semigroups with identity and with an involution * (see [13]). Later, in 1980, C. Berg and P. H. Maserick in [6] generalized this theorem for exponentially bounded positive definite functions on discrete commutative semigroups with identity and with an involution *. In this work we develop these results, and also the Hausdorff moment theorem, for an extensive class of topological semigroups, the so-called "foundation topological semigroups". We shall give examples to show that these theorems do not extend in the obvious way to general locally compact topological semigroups.


It is popular to keep reptiles as pets in Swedish households. The number of households reporting reptile ownership is more than 15 000 (SCB, 2006). This means that a veterinary practice should consider how to take care of reptiles as patients.

The aim of this study was to examine literature and studies concerning safe handling and restraint of reptiles as well as the effects of acute and long term stress response and to suggest a simplified plan for handling reptiles in a veterinary practice.

The result of literary studies is that common recommendations for safe handling and restraint of reptiles is based on old techniques and experiences from safe handling of wild animals. The main concern is safety for the veterinary nurse and for the reptile.
Stress studies indicate that acute stress response is not harmful for the animal i long term. On the other hand studies of the effect of prolonged stress are not conclusive. The reaction of an ill or wounded reptile is unpredictable. Therefore it is important to avoid any stress that is not necessary for safety reasons in the handling situation.

At the end of this study there is a suggested simplified plan for handling reptiles in a veterinary practice.


The effects of two pyrethroids and one organophosphorous broad spectrum insecticides were tested in laboratory conditions on the main European parasitoid of the cereal aphids at the recommended rates. The 3 compounds were found to kill both the host aphid and its parasitoid when living parasitized aphids were sprayed. When the mummies were sprayed, the number of emergences was significantly reduced by dimethoate and deltamethrin. The longevity and the percentage of females in the F1 offsprings was reduced by all 3 insecticides and the number of offsprings from emerged adults was only reduced by dimethoate. When adults were in contact with either pyrethroid during one hour, their longevity was reduced and the sex ratio of their offsprings became unbalanced in favour of males.


45. Poudel D.D. et al. Comparison of soil N availability and leaching potential, crop yields and weeds in organic, low-input and conventional farming systems in northern California. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 2002. 90: p. 125—137. 46. Eltun R., A. Korsæth and O. Nordheim. A comparison of environmental, soil fertility, yield, and economical effects in six cropping systems based on an 8-year experiment in Norway. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 2002. 90: p. 155—168.


In this paper we focus on the interesting relationship of geometry and music from the perspective of problem-based learning. This teaching has to be designed with the intention of supporting students' self-education. We are looking for a connection between teaching geometry, especially congruent transformations in plane and selected musical works. We also provide specific examples of these works and analysing the occurrence of congruent transformations in them. Subsequently, we created tasks for students from this field. Our interpretations of the findings from student solutions are also presented.


The observed gas‐to‐solid shift, splitting, and intensity ratio of the vibrational band in solid α‐CO and the shifts of CO isotopes suspended in solid 12C16O and in N2 matrices have been studied by calculations based on known gas‐phase and matrix properties. Equations and numerical results for the crystal sums of the various intermolecular interactions are tabulated. It has been shown that the random distribution of the two possible orientations of the CO molecules modifies the dipole–dipole interaction in such a way that the ir spectrum is not affected whereas the Raman spectrum is spread over the entire vibron band. The splitting in the ir spectrum reported by Dubost is interpreted as LO–TO splitting which becomes visible because of nonnormal incidence. The vibron–phonon combination bands have been calculated using electrical anharmonicities, i.e., the bilinear dependence of the polarizability and of the dipole moment on internal and external coordinates. An ellipsoidal cavity has been assumed to comput...


The invention provides ticagrelor orally disintegrating tablets and a preparation method thereof. The ticagrelor orally disintegrating tablets are prepared from the following components in parts by weight: 1 part of ticagrelor, 1-4 parts of a filling agent, 0.3-3 part of a disintegrating agent, 0.05-2 parts of a lubricant and 0.05-2 parts of a flavoring agent. The preparation method comprises the following steps: taking one part of the ticagrelor and taking 1-10 parts of mannitol according to the weight and carrying out micronization treatment; controlling the grain diameter of the ticagrelor to be smaller than 20 microns; adding the filling agent and the disintegrating agent; granulating by taking an alcohol water solvent as a wetting agent; granulating by a 24-mesh sieve; and after drying by a fluidized bed, mixing with an added auxiliary and tableting to obtain the ticagrelor orally disintegrating tablets. Compared with the prior art, the mannitol and the ticagrelor are mixed and then are crushed; the taste of the medicine is improved and the dissolving degree of a preparation is improved; and the medicine is prepared into the orally disintegrating tablets and is easily absorbed in bodies, so that the bioavailability of the medicine is improved and the medicine taking compliance of patients is enhanced.


A case of malignant giant cell tumor of the soft tissue in a 59‐year‐old female is presented. Total hysterectomy was performed for uterine carcinoma (histologically squamous cell carcinoma) in 1963, followed by radiation treatment for 6 months. Chronic radiodermatitis developed thereafter on the skin of the hip joint region, buttocks and lower abdominal region. A tumor developed in the lesion of chronic radiodermatitis of the left hip joint region in August 1976 and this was excised on February 23, 1977. Two recurrent tumors and a metastatic lesion in the inguinal lymph node developed, which were surgically removed. The main tumor, measuring 7.5 cm in maximum diameter, was found chiefly in the subcutaneous adipose tissue. Histologically, it was composed of a mixture of fibroblastic spindle‐shaped cells, histiocytic mononuclear cells, bizarre giant cells and osteoclast‐like multinucleated giant cells. Occasionally osteoid tissues were seen. Electron microscopically, undifferentiated cells, fibroblastic cells, monohistiocytic cells, osteoclast like multinucleated giant cells and macrophages were observed, and these cells were considered to be divided into three cell lines, that is an undifferentiated cell line, fibroblastic cell line and histiocytic cell line.


The field desorption mass spectra of azathioprine, I, and some of its metabolites, II–IV, were investigated and compared to their electron impact spectra. The field desorption spectra were shown to be especially well suited for the determination of molecular weights in drug metabolism studies of drugs conjugated with amino acids and peptides. This technique was applied to a metabolite of azathioprine isolated from rat urine and proved to be useful.


It is interesting to note, in an age so strenuously political as our own, how few of the really great writers of our time have found much good to say about modern political movements or have been in any way able to identify themselves with any particular political undertaking. Henry James, in The Princess Casamassima, did not disguise his contempt for what he called the "ulcer of envy-the greed of a party hanging together only that it might despoil another to its advantage." Lawrence over and over again expressed his distaste for the political movements of his day; he detested both democratic 'individualism' and 'theoretic socialism.' T. S. Eliot, intensely more conscious of the importance of social traditions than Lawrence, deplores a social set-up which he finds " worm-eaten with Liberalism," and Yeat's Aristocraticism and his contempt for a world where " all things at one common level lie " are too well known to need comment. One reason for this almost universal scepticism concerning the politics of our day among writers of this calibre lies in their appreciation of the vast gulf between what might be termed political motivation and the overt manifestations of political faith. As soon as one comes to examine in particularised detail the motive forces which urge men into public life, to spend themselves on the political stage (and it is always the job of the writer to seek the skull beneath the skin), one is inevitably struck by the immense variety of motives clustering behind those vapid formulae which at first sight may yet seem adequate for binding men together into political association. For each individual inevitably injects into the support of particular political doctrines something of his own private ego; and those egos, with their purposes, aims, devotions, selfinterests, masked behind high-sounding talk about peace, prosperity, progress or what have you, are so varied, so complex, so incalculable by mere rational analysis that the bald exposi-


A robust speaker verification system is expected to provide high recognition accuracy not only in adverse environments but also in the presence of spoofing attacks, which renders voice spoofing detection as crucial to prevent automatic speaker verification systems from a security breach. In this work, we present anti-spoofing systems developed for tackling spoofing attacks introduced for the ASVspoof 2019 challenge. We employ frame-level descriptors such as discrete Fourier transform, as well as constant Q transform-based spectral and cepstral features as countermeasures. These descriptors are both used on their own with a spoofing detection classifier to detect spoofing attacks, or in tandem with deep bottleneck features, i.e. approximate posteriors parametrized by a neural network designed to discriminate between bonafide and spoof signals. Fisher vector encoding and i-vector representations are further learned from the frame-level descriptors of the signals. For modeling, we employ two classification strategies. We finally build an end-to-end anti-spoofing system by making use of modified versions of light convolution neural networks as well as well-known ResNets. Our primary system for the logical access task and a single end-to-end system for the case of physical access we attain significant improvements over two baseline systems.


Physicochemical states of H2O are divided into three phases, solid, liquid and vapor. Especially, the vapor-liquid phase boundary is called the saturated steam pressure curve. The terminated point of this curve is called the critical point. Liquid density becomes equal to gas density at that point. The fluid's state above the critical point is called supercritical fluid (water). Supercritical fluids exist near the deep-sea hydrothermal vent or in the deep earth's crust. Supercritical fluid has a characteristic property that chemical reactivity, solubility and/or ion product. It is very important for the understandings of fluid/crustal rocks interaction. Therefore, decision of supercritical point of crustal fluid and characterization of fluid's state is very important. The and C2H5OH fluids temperatures and high pres-sures 400 o C/30 MPa out by visible-type autoclave. observed the state of the optical property of the fluid near the critical point. for the critical point determination of multicomponent fluid by the spectral measurement of the transmitted light through the fluid. On the critical point, intensity of transmitted light each fluid became low drastically. The minimum intensity of transmitted light corresponded to critical temperature and pressure of each fluid. between determined and in literature of pure fluids within about 1.6 o C, and pressure differences less than 0.3 MPa. to evaluate critical temperature and pressure of multicomponent geofluids by using spectroscopic measurement under hydrothermal conditions. Intensity between about 940 and 960 nm of H2O and of C2H5OH was always dark through entire temperature range in both cases of heating and cooling stages. Those absorptions in near-infrared region were corresponded to a combination of fundamen-tal vibrations of -OH. It indicates that spectral measurement of multicomponent fluid will also lead to a further understanding of the fluid composition and the molecular structure. Mineral solubility in supercritical aqueous fluids has been determined mainly with "single crystal weight-loss method" (e.g. Manning, 1994). The detection limit of the weight loss (typically 10 micro gram) produces relatively large errors for nominally insoluble minerals (e.g. Antignano and Manning, 2008). In this study, we have been developing two different methods for mea-suring the solubility of Ce-monazite in aqueous fluids in the lower crustal conditions. Firstly, synthetic fluid inclusion method was tested. We synthesized fluid inclusions in a gem-quality quartz single crystal at 0.8-1.2 GPa and 700-900 degC using a piston cylinder apparatus. The volume fractions of synthesized fluid inclusions were determined by using X-ray CT. The quartz crystals were dissolved with HF acid and the solution was analyzed with ICP-MS. The concentration of the fluid inclusion was then calculated by subtracting the amount of Ce in the background quartz. Secondly, we conducted direct analyses of solute recovered from runs at 1 GPa and 800 degC. In order to separate the fluid from the starting material, we put CePO 4 powder with deionized distilled water into a gold inner capsule with one end welded shut and the crimped lightly. The fluid was expected to be equilibrated diffusively during the run duration (24 hours). The weight of water in the outer capsule was measured after quenching and the quenched crystals only in the outer capsule were dissolved with HNO 3 acid for ICP-MS analyses. In the synthetic fluid method, solubility in the SiO 2 -saturated system the concentration can be determined with this method is large due to small volume fraction of the synthetic fluid inclusions. The preliminary results obtained with the direct solute analyses method were consistent with the result reported by a previous study (Tropper et al., 2011). Fractures are dominant fluid pathways in the upper crusts. Ubiquitous occurrences of quartz veins suggest that precipitation of quartz provides significant effects on the hydrological and mechanical properties of crustal environments. For example, a model has been proposed that fracture sealing processes control the change of pore fluid pressure and thus earthquake cycle. Previous studies on quartz veins have focused on the P-T conditions, stress and strain fields and fluid compositions; however, details of dynamics of fluid flow and how fractures are sealed during vein formation are still unclear. In this study, we carried out the hydrothermal experiments to synthesis quartz veins, and observed the aperture structures by using X-ray CT. The purpose of this study is to clarify how aperture structures evolve by quartz precipitation in fractures and to understand the behavior of permeability evolution during vein formation. We conducted the hydrothermal flow-through experiments for quartz precipitation from Si-supersaturated solutions at 430C and 30 MPa (supercritical region). The experimental apparatus consists of two vessels for preparation of the Si-supersaturated solution and for precipitation, respectively. The precipitation vessel has double-structure: the main flow path was the inner alumina tube, and the outer SUS tube was filled with static solutions connected with the flow path. A granite core (Westerly granite, diameter=3.6mm, length=50mm) with a slit of 300 micro-meter width was placed in the alumina tube. Inner and outer pressure of the inner tube was almost same (31MPa). Precipitation occurred preferentially within the alumina tube (mainly in the slit of granite), and alumina tube was broken when fracture was sealed and upstream fluid pressure was raised toward ˜35 MPa. The fluid pressure was recorded by the second to calculate the change of the permeability during run. The advantage of this system is that we can take out the non-destructive sample. We observed the aperture sizes of fractures before and after of run by computer tomography. The mineralogy and aperture structures changes systematically along the fluid flow path. Near the inlet of the precipitation vessel, only amorphous silica precipitated predominantly. From the inlet to 35mm of fracture, nucleation and growth of quartz predominantly occurred, regardless of vein wall minerals. In this region, precipitation of quartz occurred preferentially on top wall rather than bottom wall, indicating the effects of the gravity on the density fluctuation of supercritical water. From 35mm to outlet of fracture, silica precipitates occurred as epitaxial overgrowth from quartz crystal. The wavelength of aperture structures is controlled by distribution and grain size of quartz of the host granite. Accordingly, fractures are not sealed homogeneously, but complex 3D flow pathways are evolved during vein formation. Geofluids have compositions in C-H-O system, mainly composed of H2O, CO2 and CH4, and the compositional variation of fluids within the Earth's interior is of special importance for understanding the global carbon cycle. In this study, we characterized the C-H-O fluids in the ancient subduction zone, that were trapped in mineral veins as fluid inclusions within the accretionary complex, Shimanto belt, SW Japan. Although calcite-bearing veins commonly occur in the Shimanto belt, it is known that fluid inclusions were mainly composed of H2O and CH4; therefore it is unclear why calcite precipitated from the fluids in absence of CO2.The Muroto Peninsula belongs to the Tertiary (Paleogene and Neogene system) Shimanto belt, and it is mainly composed of sandstones, mudstones and conglomerates with small amount of basalt. The ages of accretion become younger toward the south, and maximal temperature evaluated from the vitrinite reflectance increased from north(214C) to south(278C) in this area (DiTullio, 1993). Mineral veins were mainly composed of quartz, with small amount of calcite. We collected the mineral veins from the 9 outcrops along the coast, W1 to W5 in the western side, and E1 to E4 from the eastern side from Paleogene system. Lewis (2000) reported the fluid inclusions of CH4 and CO2 mixture at the locality W5, but the regional distribution of CO2 fluids is not clear. The mole fraction of and gasses in the two-phase fluid inclusions in quartz veins and carbonic(one-phase) fluid inclusions and calcite were It is considered that dehydration of serpentine in slab or mantle wedge causes seismicity (Yamasaki and Seno(2003 J. Geo-phys. Res.)). We performed an in situ observation of serpentine dehydration using Basset-type externally heated diamond anvil cell (W.A.Bassett et al. 1993 Rev. Sci. Instrum. ). We placed antigorite( Mg 48 Si 34 O 85 (OH) 62 ) in water along with an air babble in the cell. Before the heating, we confirmed there was no forsterite in the cell by Raman spectroscopic investigation. With Raman spectrum data of antigorite, we compared with Enami(2006 Gansekikoubutsukagagu in Japanese). On the heating, we observed, when antigorite dehydrate in water, antigorite melted in water and then forsterite formed and separated from water at 550-600 C and 0.2-0.7 GPa. The forsterite grew to about 30micrometer size in an hour. The stability of antigorite suspected from this experiment isn't in contradiction Evans et al. (1976 Schweiz. Mineral. Petrogr. Mitt. ). Takahashi et al. (2011 J. Geophys. Res.) suggests dehydration of antigorite causes strengthening and embrittlement of the gouge by shear-sliding test. We got the result of supporting this suggestion. We didn't observe talc after the heating, so we considered that talc melted in water. each pressure, it kept a few hours, and quenched. The quenched sample was analyzed by scanning electron microscope. In all experiments, chlorite was quickly dehydrated to forsterite + pyrope + fluid within 1 hour. Dehydration boundaries of chlorite were determined at 3 to 8 GPa, with compared with the previous works. The boundary has negative P/T slope at 5 to 8 GPa. Chlorite was stable at ˜ 800 deg C below 4 GPa. The dehydration boundary in the present study is consistent with previous phase equilibriu


This research addresses a new iterative geometrical noise cancellation method for closed-form camera pose estimation based on collinearity theory. We first explain how to estimate camera position and it's orientation by employing extra nonsingular point of the edge line of the landmark's corner through a closed-form geometrical pose estimation algorithm. Then, we propose a new iterative noise cancellation algorithm to reduce the estimation error of camera transaction matrix, which has the most portion in camera pose estimation errors. To validate our proposed method, we test it as a computer simulation. The results show that this method is efficient, accurate and robustness. But the drawback is that the camera rotation matrix, which used in noise cancellation algorithm, may not always be inverseable.


Different sustainable systems of husbandry on soil with various protective technologies are frequently studied. Direct sowing without ploughing is one of the alternatives. This article presents results of the effect of conventional tillage (CT) and no-tillage system (NT) on soil bulk density, soil porosity, maximum capillary capacity and available water capacity of Gleyic Fluvisol in conditions of the East-Slovakian Lowland. Observed years 1999 - 2005 from point of wiev of annual sum of precipitation are valued as dry till humid and of annual average air temperature as normal or warm. The effect of used agrotechnical arrangements was statistically highly significant (a = 0.01) for porosity changes and statistically significant for soil bulk density (a = 0.05). Non-significant effect was found for maximum capillary capacity and available water capacity. In the soil layer 0 - 0.3 m during years 1999 - 2005 soil bulk density increased about 22 kg m-3 (1.54 %) at no-tillage system in comparison to conventional tillage. At no-tillage system average values of porosity decreased about 1.32 %, maximum capillary capacity and available water capacity non-significantly decreased about 0.32 % in comparison to conventional tillage.


Clothes dryers are heat-producing appliances that are frequently blamed for causing residential fires. Clothes dryers apply heat to garment loads to evaporate water; thus, overheating to the point of ignition of those combustibles is a potential hazard. Because of that potential hazard, clothes dryers incorporate engineering safeguards such as high-limit thermostats to prevent fires. Yet many fires involving clothes dryers occur where these engineering safeguards operated properly, and the cause appears to have been ignition of the garment load in the drum. Several researchers have performed investigations of drying oils and cooking oils to reveal that these oils can lead to self-heating of garment Figure 1. Probe locations are as follows: (1) drum front air temperature, (2) outlet air temperature (lint screen), (3) drum back air temperature, (4) inlet air temperature after heating element, (5) outlet exhaust temperature, (6) lower cabinet temperature, (7) top of load, (8) middle of load, and (9) bottom of load. Breaking News ...........................................................


A least-connection algorithm based on variable weight is presented in this paper in order to satisfy the requirement of multimedia transmission, which is based on the analysis of the existing cluster architecture, algorithms of the load distribution and balancing of network nodes. A validating trial has been performed and the results show that our algorithm has effective load balancing in one central control node scenario.


What is striking about the list of 2008 anniversaries is the number of hymnwriters and hymn publications that mark turning points in the development of congregational song. Mechtild of Magedeburg wrote poetry in the mid-thirteenth century that Jean Weibe Janzen could adapt into congregational hymns in the twentieth century. Martin Luther placed congregational song at the centre of reformed worship, adapting the chorale form from the Roman mass to the Lutheran service. Orlando Gibbons, from an English family of professional musicians, adapted the structure of sixteenth-century madrigals and motets into congregational hymn tunes for one of the first English-language hymn collections, George Wither's Hymnes and Songs of the Church (1623). Three English poets developed Wither's initiative in congregational song: Samuel Crossman, George Herbert and John Milton. Nonetheless, it would be another 125 years before the Church of England would acknowledge hymns as part of the liturgy. In 1708 Lyra Davidica challenged the prevailing use of psalm tunes by offering translations of Latin and German hymn texts, along with some original pieces. EASTER HYMN, a typical eighteenth-century song, imbedded "Jesus Christ is risen today" in the congregational memory bank. A Supplement to the New Version of the Psalms by Dr. Brady and Mr. Tate [1696], attributed to William Croft, provided imaginative settings of the psalms such as ST ANNE. By mid-century the singing master and book-seller, William Tans'ur, had added his A Compleat Melody, or, the Harmony of Sion (1734) to the growing body of congregational tunes, including BANGOR. Congregational song flourished in the nineteenth century. In Pennsylvania, Unitarian printer John Wyeth published a collection of folk tunes for the use of Methodists and Baptists in the camp meetings and revivals of the second Great Awakening. Reginald Heber, from Yorkshire, adapted the successful Methodist hymn model to write hymns for the church year, a collection published posthumously in 1827 with the support of the Church of England. Nikolai F. S. Grundtvig countered the Rationalism of his era through his hymns for Danish Lutherans. Ira D. Sankey created a new form of congregational song that crossed denominational boundaries. About 1875 American and British populations became predominantly urban, a demographic factor which would influence the shape of congregational song in the twentieth century. Lucy Broadwood and Ralph Vaughan Williams collected folk-tunes before such tunes disappeared along with rural societies. Charles Tindley adapted the American spiritual into an urban gospel song. In response to Vatican II, Huub Oosterhuis adapted the music of the Latin mass into a vernacular mass setting which incorporated congregational singing. Colin Gibson started searching for upto-date hymns and songs for New Zealand and Australian congregations in the mid-1960s, about the time that Erik Routley was leading the Dunblane consultations on church music in Scotland looking for new models of congregational song to meet the needs of inner-city and suburban congregations. The Dunblane consultations prepared the way for singing workshops in Glasgow in the 1980s, led by Graham Maule and John Bell. Simultaneously, western missionary hymnody was undergoing a quiet transformation. Daniel T. Niles began writing hymn texts and tunes based on Asian sources for his E.A.C.C. Hymnal, while S. C. Molefe started adapting the Roman Catholic mass to Xhosa rhythms of South Africa. I-to Loh brought his knowledge of Asian hymnody to his graduate studies in the United States, which led to the Methodist publication of Hymns from the Four Winds. Returning from music studies in Europe, Pablo Sosa recognized a need to find a South American voice in congregational song to enable worshippers to sing in their languages: musical and verbal. Global hymnody, with its contagious melodies and rhythms, was taking root. Hymnal committees meeting in the 1980s and 1990s faced an enormous selection task. …


Some books show us that the time of household register is from the first month to the third month,but the exact time is from the early first month recorded in other books. Some scholars think that household register in the first month began from the eighteenth years of Kaiyuan,but before this it was the eleventh month. However,according to contents,function and unearthed relic,household register in the first month is right in the early period of the Tang dynasty.


: In 2014, the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine in collaboration with the European Society of Regional Anaesthesia and Pain Therapy convened a group of experts to compare path- ways for anesthetic and analgesic management for patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty in North America andEurope andto develop aprac- tice pathway. This review is intended to be an analysis of the current literature to assist individuals and institutions in designing a pathway for total knee arthroplasty that is based on existing evidence and expert recommendation and may be customized according to individual settings. ( Reg Anesth Pain Med 2017;42: 683 – 697)


Until now, the discussion to get a reconciled respected and easily applied definition of terrorism is not pacific. As the concept is raised it is very functional to the parcialiced interpretive. The shades that this concept acquires are very dissimilar, that that variety of interpretations is fomented, with more reason, if the actions are violent and this threaten or attack in a real or supposedly way certain interests of countries are considered as powers; in this case, the emotional grade about terrorism increases, for this reason, the antiterrorist answer has an emotional value amount, and whit this, the infringing persecution of fundamental rights to individuals on which there is an ill-will, individual that has been considered terrorists that allows them rights under the consideration almost unanimous of the humanity, of necessity protection of the whole society.


We discussed the BER performances versus SNR variation for every level of interference of LED neighbours in MIMO VLC network serving 6 user equipments (UEs). The MIMO configuration is 2x3 and 3x2, based on NHS-OFDM and NOMA schemes. The required power ratio for a successful NOMA of MIMO-2x3 is 1:2:4 while MIMO-3x2 configuration needs 1:2 of power ratio. To obtain BER below FEC limit, the minimum SNR should be above 20 dB for each MIMO configuration with the maximum interference level allowed is 3% for MIMO-3x2 and 1 % for MIMO-2x3. In case where the SNR is 30 dB, the maximum interference level allowed are 13% and 10% for MIMO-3x2 and MIMO-2x3, respectively, to maintain the BER below FEC limit.


The main objective of the research is to verify the connection between sustainable cities and intelligent cities from the necessary urban and environmental planning within urbanism and urban law. The problem is to know the proximity between sustainable cities and smart cities considering the urban organization and the regulatory dispositions of urban law. The methodology was developed through reading by the hypothetical-deductive method. This is basic, exploratory and bibliographical research, structured in three fragments. The first part studies urbanism and urban law and their respective principles. The next part talks about urban and environmental planning, highlighting the City Statute and the Director Plan, with an emphasis on sustainability. In the end, the link between sustainable cities and smart cities is analyzed to understand that these are different but similar situations, the first is about a normative guideline that leads to development, while the second concerns the information and communication technology that induces an urban revolution.


Rural areas in the developing countries are predominantly unconnected as it is not viable for operators to provide broadband access in these areas. To solve the problem of poor broadband penetration in rural areas, we propose a wireless middle mile Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE-A) network using TV white space to connect villages to an optical Point of Presence (PoP) located in the vicinity of a rural area. We design a genetic algorithm based tool which can be used for network planning. We consider Registered Shared Access (RSA) as a feasible regulation scheme to access the TV white space. We discuss the spectrum sharing among multiple operators under (a) static network load and (b) dynamic network load conditions. We design a Fairness Constrained Channel Allocation (FCCA) scheme based on graph theory for the first case. For the second case, we model spectrum sharing as hierarchical resource allocation problem with inter-operator resource allocation in the first stage and then intraoperator resource allocation in the second stage. We present a novel idea of allocating resources in the form of orthogonal time and frequency (TF) blocks. For inter-operator resource allocation, we propose two algorithms which achieves fair demand aware resource allocation to the operators. The first algorithm is designed using the concept of Virtual Clock Scheduling [1] while the second is based on the Weighted Fair Queuing [2]. These algorithm takes the demand from the operator as input and returns the resource allocation vector for each operator as output. We show that both of these algorithm ensures long term as well as short term fairness in terms of resource allocation. For intra-operator resource allocation, we propose an optimal as well as graph theory based sub-optimal solution. We simulate this scenario in MATLAB [3] and present the simulation results to assess the performance of the algorithms. We demonstrate that the proposed hierarchical resource allocation scheme is adaptable to network load and thus resulting into efficient spectrum utilization in most scenarios.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the feasibility of a Carrel patch method in feline renal transplantation.

STUDY DESIGN
Descriptive case series.

ANIMALS
Nine healthy donor cats and 9 client recipient cats with chronic renal failure.

METHODS
Renal transplantation was performed in 9 cats with chronic renal failure after collection of a donor's left kidney with a Carrel patch technique. A patch of donor aortic wall was removed with either 2 or 1 renal artery (ies) (n = 1 and 8 cats, respectively) central to the patch, with a cuff of tissue (≤1 mm) protruding from the base of the vessels. The Carrel patch was implanted in recipient cats with an end-to-side artery-to-aorta anastomosis, in a simple-continuous pattern of 9-0 nylon. The renal vein and ureter were implanted as previously described.

RESULTS
All donors and recipients survived surgery without vascular complication.

CONCLUSION
The Carrel patch is a novel approach allowing the harvest of kidneys with multiple renal arteries. The technique also simplified the implant procedure, potentially decreasing the risks of bleeding and thrombosis.


Circumcision is the oldest and most common neonatal surgical procedure. Despite evidence that circumcision is intensely painful, analgesia is rarely provided. A recent study has shown that pretreatment with EMLA, a topical anesthetic, can reduce the pain associated with circumcision. Similarly, data from a study of newborns undergoing heel lancing suggest that even small amounts of orally administered sucrose can be antinociceptive. This study sought to determine whether pretreatment with both topical EMLA and oral sucrose would reduce the duration of crying associated with circumcision more than either agent alone.


Abstract This study investigated the effect of seasonal variation on the chemical composition, antioxidant and antidiabetic activities of essential oil from leaves of Eucalyptus globulus. Pulverized leaves (500 g) of E. globulus from dry and rainy season harvests afforded 0.54 and 0.43 % (w/w) of essential oils respectively when subjected to hydrodistillation. GC and GC/MS analyses revealed the presence of forty-five and thirty-three compounds that represented 95.4 and 98.4 % of the oils obtained from leaves harvested during the dry and rainy seasons. The principal constituents of the essential oils were; D-limonene, m-cymene, o-cymene, 6-camphenol, terpinen-4-ol, globulol, diosphenol and spathulenol. The oils showed scavenging activity for DPPH radical with IC50 of 20.15 (dry) and 11.23 μL/mL (rainy). The essential oils showed significant reducing powers of 356.46±0.88 (dry) and 394.34±0.95 (rainy) FRAP equivalent. The oils inhibited the activity of α-amylase with IC50 of 8.37 (dry) and 6.78 (rainy) μg/mL. The IC50 for the α-glucosidase inhibition of the oils were 6.19 (dry) and 7.20 (rainy) μg/mL. The antioxidant and antidiabetic activities of the oils compared favourably with the standards used for the study. Hence, the essential oils can serve as an alternative to synthetic drugs to ameliorate oxidative stress and management of type 2 diabetes.


The globalization has led to more firms internationalizing on the global market. This in turn has led to unclear borders between the home and host market. However, these internationalizing firms fa ...


Loud, Gray, and Arbitrary A New Jersey detention center houses asylum seekers who have fled persecution in their home countries. Even the U.S. physician who comes to examine them must tread careful...


The anthocyanins is known as water-soluble natural pigments,it has a variety of biological effect helping to our human health.But the stability of anthocyanins is poor and vulnerable to external factor.This paper will give an overview of the influence under its own molecular structure,pH,temperature,light and other factors on anthocyanins,and make a further study of organic acid acylation and flavonoids complementary color about anthocyanins on the base of pre-existing researching,for thorough research of stabilization about anthocyanins,and expanding the application of anthocyanins in food processing.


A one-pot Sonogashira cross-coupling/5-endo-dig cyclization procedure leading to 2-aryl-4,5,6,7-tetrahydroindoles was developed. This short (only two steps from commercially available compounds) sequence avoids harsh conditions and expensive catalysts. Our procedure is highly tolerant to a range of functional groups (amino, nitro, carboxy, cyano, hydroxy, and bromo). A family of 21 tetrahydroindoles was synthesized on a gram scale in a good to excellent yields, which is indicative of the general character and scalability of this reaction. This methodology allows access to indoles bearing miscellaneous substituents at the C2 position (by variation of ArI) and at the nitrogen atom (by variation of RNH2, including chiral moieties).


At present, ion implantation into metallic systems is given increasing attention, aiming at achieving properties and functionalities of technologically valuable materials not easily available via conventional techniques. In our experiments thin Al films were implanted with Fe ions in order to find out how the superconductive properties of the metal can be modified at will. The purpose was twofold, viz., first, to study the basic physics of superconductivity in low-dimensional metallic structures doped with impurities. The second purpose was to apply ion implantation for the suppression of undesired superconductivity in aluminum widely used for fabrication of micro- and nanodevices operated at low temperatures. In many applications transition to the superconductive state is detrimental for the device's functionality, for instance, those based on Coulomb blockage (CB) effect (e.g., in CB thermometry).


The purpose of this essay was to enhance the understanding and knowledge about phenomenon access support. Access support means that a third person (contact person) must be present during access vis ...


Ab initio first-principles calculations were carried out to investigate Li-decorated boron nitride atomic chains (BNACs) for their applications as hydrogen storage materials. We have shown that the interaction between hydrogen molecules and the pristine chains is too weak to be used at room temperature, and the hydrogen adsorption energies and storage capacities can be obviously increased by decorating Li atoms on the ends of the BNACs. Moreover, the bonding energy between Li and BNAC is much greater than the cohesive energy of bulk Li so that the clustering of Li atoms will not occur once Li is bonded with BNAC. Our studies also revealed that the van der Waals interaction plays an important role in the adsorption of the H2 molecules. Therefore, with two Li atoms binding to each end of the BNACs, the hydrogen storage capacity can reach up to 29.2 wt % theoretically.


Differentiation of osteomyelitis (OSTEO) from bone infarction (BI) in patients with sickling disorders is a difficult clinical problem. In patients with OSTEO there is increased uptake of isotope on bone scan (BS) soon after onset of symptoms. We have used 99mTc suifur colloid for bone marrow scan (BMS) and 99mTc diphosphonate for BS to evaluate acute bone pain in 26 patients with sickling disorders. 99mTc tagged agents are readily available, and radiation is within the acceptable range for repeated diagnostic tests. In all 22 patients whose course subsequently indicated BI, the area of infarction had decreased or absent uptake on BMS. The corresponding area on BS varied in appearance depending on the interval between onset of pain and scanning. Of 7 patients studied within 5 days of onset, 6 had decreased uptake and 1 had increased uptake on BS in the area of the marrow infarct. Of 15 patients evaluated 5 days or more after onset, 4 had decreased and 11 had increased uptake on BS in the area of infarct due to reactive bone formation. One patient had diffuse increased uptake on BS with normal BMS, ruling out infarction and consistent with the clinical diagnosis of septic arthritis. Three patients with cellulltis had normal BS and BMS. In patients with BI extensive abnormality on BMS with minimal abnormality on BS indicates primary involvement of the marrow. Since these typical patterns are present at any stage of BI, the combination of BS and BMS may be useful in differentiating BI from early OSTEO.


Multi-numerology systems are considered to be promising communication frameworks in 5G new radio (NR) due to their flexibility. However, inter-numerology interference (inter-NI) degrades the quality of communication systems. Hence, techniques for mitigating inter-NI are needed to support multiple numerologies. In particular, the effect of the inter-NI should be considered in channel estimation process. We propose a pilot design which requires relatively short training overhead and mitigates the inter-NI. We stress that inter-NI does not exist in most cases when the proposed pilot signal is used. With taking account of the special case where inter-NI exists, we develop the channel estimation algorithm based on inter-NI cancellation. In addition, we analyze the effect of inter-NI cancellation algorithm which not only eliminates interference but also reduces the variance of noise. The simulation results verify that the performance of channel estimation with the proposed pilot signal is better than the quality of estimation with the case where user equipments transmit their pilot signals in a time division manner.


model is applied to fluctuation phenomena in the equilibration process for terilow friction force and the interilow diffusion tensor, are extracted. The multi—iluid model and the corresponding transport coeiiicients, i.e. the in The relativistic Boltzmann-Langevin equation is reduced to a stochastic Abstract 1994


The present paper deals with the numerical analysis of the process of cold extrusion of tubes. The analysis was carried out for a specific technological problem in which the principal objective was to reduce the outer tube diameter in a segment within a given length. Assumptions were made as to initial and boundary conditions, and the punch speed was preselected. In particular, the influence of the friction coefficient between the die and workpiece has been analyzed. As a result, using the CAD/CAE system, the diagrams of pressure distribution for each node in the CAD model of the die in several time steps have been obtained and presented. The results of the numerical analysis are of great importance, as they make it possible to (approximately) estimate the die load. Though the actual extrusion process is accomplished within split second, the setting up of a workpice equipped with all required measurement sensors to register the die load poses a very complicated problem and often requires significant outlays. Additionaly, the numerical result of the obtained diameter of the tube has been presented.


We report on compression behaviors of oil-immersed insulating pressed-boards used in transformers for analyzing the axial vibration of windings. Compression behaviors of oil-immersed pressed-boards depended on strain rates and temperatures, that is, viscoelastic behaviors were observed. By applying the time-temperature superposition principle to the pressed-boards' compression behaviors, we obtained the relationship between the modulus of compressive elasticity and strain rate. Based on the relationship, the pressed-boards' compression behaviors were estimated under the condition of high compression forces and high strain rates. The 20cSt silicone liquid-immersed pressed-boards showed almost the same compression behavior as the mineral oil immersed pressed-boards. The viscoelastic behavior of the oil-immersed pressed-boards was mainly decided by the properties of the cellulose fibers, and not influenced by the viscosity of the immersed oils.


The burning problem of modern society - cybercrime, was considered in the article. In the process of studying cybercrimes and the mechanisms of protection against information security threats, the concept of cybercrime classification was carried out. The comparative analysis between the number of registered cyberattacks and losses from them was performed. The analysis of factual data was carried out, on the basis of which the table of cyberattacks quantity indicators, general losses was developed, and the cost of cyberattacks was calculated. The study provides recommendations for improving the reliability of information protection.


As Islam was transformed into a missionary religion in the modern sense around the turn of the twentieth century, three questions were faced by almost all writers called on to publicise the deeds of the new breed of mobile Muslim pietists: How can a biographer turn the often tedious chores of the missionary into exciting reading? How can the humdrum tasks of founding mosques and schools be turned into the narrative trappings of a Muslim hero? And how can a modern Muslim be portrayed as a saint without recourse to "superstitious" miracle stories? The essay addresses these questions through an examination of an Urdu biography written to publicise the deeds of an Indian Muslim missionary to South Africa. In view of the revival of interest in biography, through inspecting one such missionary organisation's understanding of the life of its founder, the essay explores the necessary compromises involved in writing a life at any given moment in history.


Because in the EL device comprising the light-emitting layer interposed between the upper electrode and the lower electrode, the light emitted therefrom, light that is totally reflected by the light-emitting layer interface are not drawn out, there is a problem of reducing the light emitting efficiency. Thus, there is provided between the light scattering layer of the electrode and the light emitting layer to be a dispersion of metal particles. According to such a structure, the light from the light emitting layer is scattered is drawn by the metal particles, thereby improving the light emitting efficiency. If the plasmon is excited in the metal particles, and each layer in the limited light or near the light emitting layer can be used, and therefore improves the light utilization efficiency.


A kind of centrifugal compressor of the illustrative aspect according to the disclosure specifically includes impeller, which, which is arranged in main flow path and constructs, is used to pressurize to the main flow of fluid.The compressor further includes time flow path, which is used to by making a part of main flow provide time flowing and recycling.Become time amount of the main flow of flowing less equal than 15%.Also disclose a kind of method.


We discuss a multicriteria transaction (MCT) model to address problems encountered in large-scale e-commerce transaction processing systems. A MCT is a generalized transaction where users can specify their preferences in a request by specifying multiple criteria in the transaction. With each criteria specification, a set of alternate execution paths is included. Thus, a MCT is less likely to fail. Moreover, the MCT model allows easy extraction of criteria from a set of transactions and, hence, optimal decisions can be made to achieve better customer satisfaction. We discuss the design of a MCT processing system and compare the MCT model to conventional transaction processing approaches.


The Internet has long been recognised as a space where extremists can disseminate propaganda, recruit, and spread hate speech. However, whilst more (empirical) research is required to fully understand the contours and scale of the issue of online radicalisation, the EU and its Member States are taking significant action to remove illegal online content. Takedowns raise a number of issues concerning the safeguarding of fundamental rights and the measure is potentially counter-productive. This article presents an overview of the debates surrounding online radicalisation and examines the use of takedowns, highlighting the specific issues that arise.


Flipping through the recently published collection of R. K. Laxman's cartoons chronicling Indian democracy (titled Brushing Up the Years: A Cartoonist's History of India 1947–2004, 2005), I was intrigued by the dynamic nature of the material collected together. It is indispensable as a teaching tool that displays the many vicissitudes of Indian democracy over the years. But also, the active nature of actual democratic life pulsated through each and every framed visual satiric political presentation. What is it about his visual melancholic humor that seems to question democratic functioning at its kernel? There is nothing funny/trivial about democratic governance, but by drawing in the comical aspect of a functioning democracy, Laxman's cartoons draw out a democracy alive to its inherent possibilities; a democracy laughing at itself for the aberrations from its idyllic potential.


This dissertation seeks to explain variation in
macroeconomic management among Latin American governments of the
left and of traditional labor-based parties during the commodity
boom that lasted from 2003 to 2013. In particular, it aims to
explain why a set of governments during this period of loosened
external constraints - in a break with the past, some of their
peers, and theoretical expectations - exercised consistent
macroeconomic restraint. The dissertation argues that political
learning on the basis of inflationary crises in the 1970s and 1980s
constitutes an important factor for explaining discipline during
the commodity boom. Lessons from such crises instilled a respect
for - what during the commodity boom were largely latent - economic
constraints. Leaders of left and of traditional labor-based parties
who embraced the lessons such processes had yielded therefore opted
for disciplined fiscal and monetary policies. The dissertation
argues further that political learning was the most likely to take
place and be lasting when past crises had occurred in the context
of resurgent left or labor-based parties and where individuals with
direct experience of past crises had been incorporated into
contemporary governments. Empirically the dissertation focuses on
the governments of Evo Morales in Bolivia and Alan Garcia and
Ollanta Humala in Peru, which pursued disciplined macroeconomic
policies, and the government of Nestor and Cristina Kirchner in
Argentina, which relinquished restraint. It is based on 104 elite
interviews - including with several Ministers of Finances and close
advisors of the relevant presidents - carried out over the course
of nearly 8 months of fieldwork in 2015 and 2016 as well as a
review of newspaper reporting and a variety of government and party
documents. The dissertation also provides a toolkit for studying
the effect of political learning by elites on outcomes. This set of
tools centers on three criteria for systematically assessing the
descriptive accuracy, relevance as a proximate cause, and
independence of political learning. These criteria provide the
basis for a transparent and structured empirical strategy for
studying political learning and facilitate cross-case
comparisons.


BACKGROUND: Muscle weakness, defined by the Medical Research Council scale, has been associated with delay in mechanical ventilation weaning. In this study, we evaluated handgrip strength as a prediction tool in weaning outcome. METHODS: This was a 1-y prospective study in 2 ICUs in 2 university hospitals. Adult patients who were on mechanical ventilation for at least 48 h and eligible for mechanical ventilation weaning were screened for inclusion. Handgrip strength was evaluated using a handheld dynamometer before each spontaneous breathing trial (SBT). Attending physicians were unaware of handgrip strength and decided on extubation according to guidelines. RESULTS: Eighty-four subjects were included (median age 66 [53–79] y, with a median Simplified Acute Physiology Score II of 49 [37–63]). At the first evaluation, median handgrip strength was significantly associated with weaning outcome as defined by international guidelines: simple (20 [12–26] kg), difficult (12 [6–21] kg), or prolonged (6 [3–11] kg) weaning (P = .008). Time to liberation from mechanical ventilation and ICU stay were significantly longer for subjects classified as having muscle weakness according to the handgrip strength-derived definition (P = .02 and P = .03, respectively). In multivariate analysis, known history of COPD (odds ratio [OR] 5.48, 95% CI 1.44–20.86, P = .01), sex (OR 6.16, 95% CI 1.64–23.16, P = .007), and handgrip strength at the first SBT (OR 0.89, 95% CI 0.85–0.97, P = .004) were significantly associated with difficult or prolonged weaning. Extubation failure, as defined by re-intubation or unscheduled noninvasive ventilation within 48 h after extubation, occurred 14 times after 92 attempts, leading to an extubation failure rate of 15%. No association was found between handgrip strength and extubation outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Muscle weakness, assessed by handgrip strength, is associated with difficult or prolonged mechanical ventilation weaning and ICU stay, but not with extubation outcome.