Background: Breast malignancies encompass various subtypes which differ in their clinical presentations, outcomes, and response to the treatment regimens. Thus, a proper histological diagnosis and a special mention of the rare histologic subtypes are required to formulate clear recommendations of their treatment protocols. Materials and Methods: This is a 1-year retrospective study highlighting the rarely encountered subtypes on the mastectomy specimens received. Results: We encountered only 11 rare cases out of the total 153 mastectomy specimens received. The rare subtypes were as follows mucinous cystadenocarcinoma (0.6%), mucinous carcinoma (0.6%), dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (0.6%), Squamous cell carcinoma (0.6%), papillary carcinoma (2.6%), medullary carcinoma (0.6%), and malignant mesenchymal tumor (1.3%). Conclusion: Our data suggest that these variants are distinct clinicopathological entities with a unique hormonal receptor status. Scant information is available on the rare breast tumor subtypes.


. This research project investigates the role that social mediation plays in the destabilisation of preconceptions of the concept of light among the primary school pupils. The resistance that this system of representations shows in the attempt to destabilise it has been studied with two groups of 10 years old children. One of the groups (the experimental) participated in a teaching process which aimed to lead pupils to cognitive conflict; the second (the control group) followed traditional teaching methods. In all experimental situations that were studied the difference between pre-test and post-test was significant for the subjects of the experimental group both at the level of explanation of the transmission of light, and at the level of the stability of cognitive acquisitions.


* Dept. of Human Environment Design Faculty of Human Life Design Toyo Univ., ** Dept, of Mechanical Engineering, Chung Ang Univ., *** Dept. of Mechanical System Engineering, Iwate Nat'l Univ., **** Rehabilitation Dept., Tokyo Teishin Hospital, ***** College of Systems Engineering and Science, Shibaura Institute of Technology (Received January 21, 2010 ; Revised January 27, 2011 ; Accepted February 13, 2011)


Advances and key display applications are discussed. Computer, compact mobile, TV and collective large screen displays are mentioned. Flat panel displays step on CRT devices to leave them behind in 2007. Materials, active matricies and applications of bright radiative field emission and organic LED displays are developing successively and pressing other technologies to be used in photo-cameras, cellular phones, auto-cars and avionics. Progress in flexible screens can substantially extend the display design and application soon. 3D display systems are under intensive development, and laser is an important unit in some vaiants of holographic and volumetric 3D displays. Value forecast of different display markets is presented.


Abstract We report the liquid‐crystalline (LC) and luminescent properties of a series of N‐annulated perylenes (1–4) in whose molecular structures amide and ester groups alternate. We found that the LC properties of these compounds not only depend on the number of hydrogen‐bonding units, but also on the relative position of the amide linkers in the molecule. The absence of amide groups in compound 1 leads to no LC properties, whereas four amide groups induce the formation of a wide temperature range columnar hexagonal phase in compound 4. Remarkably, compound 3, with two amide groups in the inner part of the structure, stabilizes the columnar LC phases better than its structural isomer 2, with the amide groups in the outer part of the molecule. Similarly, we found that only compounds 1 and 2, which have no hydrogen bonding units in the inner part of the molecule, exhibit luminescence vapochromism upon exposure to organic solvent vapors.


set of individual views about the future of the city centre, seen from widely varying perspectives' (p . viii) . This variety of style and approach may have been acceptable at the conference, but it only results in a mediocre publication . The volume is divided into three roughly equal sections, together with introductory and concluding chapters. The first section paints an overview of city centre planning with four chapters on city centre plans, the property market, urban morphology and townscape . This is followed by six chapters which examine various functional activities employment, retailing, housing and transport while the third section comprises four case studies on particular aspects of planning in Paris, Copenhagen, London and Newcastle-upon-Tyne . In the Introduction, Sir Wilfred Bums raises some of the key issues which the other authors address (with varying degrees of depth and success) in later chapters . He emphasises the need to view planning, in its numerous aspects, as a political act and thus a reflection of the changing nature of society as a whole . Unfortunately, the contributors generally seem unwilling to question the ability of current city centres to satisfy the needs and desires of society . Rather they take almost for granted that the `traditional' British city centre must be retained or, at most, that it should undergo limited `creative adaptation' . It is certainly true that many of the authors, especially of the chapters on individual functional activities, stress the need to view the city centre in a broader spatial context (inner city, central city or city region), but they still brush over the more fundamental questions . Such issues may well have received attention during discussions at the conference, but they are a notable omission from the book . A disconcerting aspect of the variety of styles of presentation is the varying extent to which authors are willing to use their crystal ball to predict how the city centre will change over the next two decades . The chapters written by academics are considerably more quantitative in approach than those written by planners and consultants, but they are usually no more than descriptions of past changes (often heavily based on the academic's own research) . One wonders if academics are simply more aware of the potential errors in predictive techniques, or whether it is some innate fear of having their incorrect predictions quoted back at them . Admittedly, any prediction can quickly become unrealistic due to some unexpected development. There are, for example, references in this volume to `pessimistic' predictions of up to three million people being unemployed (and that was under the `unadjusted' method of counting). Similarly, in the light of recent events, comments on London's `Fair Fares' policy and the success of the reformed system of local government in the metropolitan counties in England appear somewhat ironical . Overall, one is left wondering what the purpose of producing this volume was. Some of the contributions, including the case studies, could have been omitted, and a stricter editorial policy could have been adopted in order to co-ordinate the others. As it stands, it is not clear if the BOOK REVIEWS 107


Seismic reflection profiles are the most powerful tool in use today for studying subsurface geological structure. The groundwork of the technique was laid by academics in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and the first use of reflected energy was by Reginald Fessenden who in 1914 used a sonic sounder to measure ocean depths. In the 1920s the first successful seismic profiles were made across possible oil-bearing structures beneath the continental U.S.A., and since then the method has been embraced by the petroleum industry. It is now the pre-eminent exploration tool. In 1982, for example, of the £2800 million spent in the non-communist world on all types of geophysical survey, over 95% went to seismic reflection profiling (Senti, 1983). Reflection profiling is not particularly cheap: the cost of acquiring 10 km of profile on land is typically £20000 to £100000, although at sea it is perhaps ten times cheaper. But the results are worth the expenditure. By comparison with conventional geological mapping the power of reflection profiling can be immense. Whereas field geology can only yield the rock distribution on a single essentially two-dimensional plane the earth's surface reflection profiles can show the shapes and structure of the sub-surface down to the base of the crust, and beyond. It is quite feasible to delineate structures of, for example, a few tens of metres' relief at depths of four or five kilometres beneath the surface. It is also possible to obtain a completely three-dimensional picture of the shapes of reflecting surfaces at depth by running networks of closely spaced parallel seismic lines. From such densely sampled surveys and using modern computer techniques for handling digital data it is a comparatively trivial task to construct, for example, cross-sections along any chosen azimuths or structure sections on any given sub-surface horizons. Having given birth to reflection profiling academics have, in general, been content to be bystanders whilst industrial companies have poured huge resources into developing both the hardware and the processing techniques applied to reflection profiles. This is not to suggest that academics have been completely inactive; some new processing ideas and, in particular, the initiative for constructing synthetic seismogram models to assist in the understanding of observed seismic sections, have come from academic groups. But in general the impetus for improving the imaging of the sub-surface by reflection profiling has come over the past two decades largely from the industrial exploration sector. One only has to compare a commercial seismic section produced today with one made ten or even only five years ago to see the improvements that have been and continue to be made in routine acquisition and processing of seismic profiles.


In this article we focus on clinical trials in which the
compliance is measured with random errors, and develop an
error-in-variables model for the analysis of the clinical trials.
With this model, we separate the efficacy of prescribed treatment
from that of the compliance. With additional information
correlated with compliance, we prove that the model is
identifiable, and get estimators for the parameters of interest,
including the parameter reflecting the efficacy of the treatment.
 Furthermore, we extend the model to stratified populations, and
 discuss the asymptotic properties of the estimators.


The information integrated plan based on Web services was proposed, in view of the informations in current CAD, CAE systems are heterogeneous, distributed and diversity. Combined with the CAD/CAE information integrated system to expound the realization process of Web Services. On the basis of overall analysis of the CAD/CAE information integrated system, provided the framework of information integrated system with PDM functions as the core, which based on Web services technology. The development of CAD/CAE information integrated system based on Web services offerrs a possibility for remote collaboration in a distributed enviorment.


The fabrication and characterization of BRS lasers monolithically integrated with butt-coupled polymer-based buried strip waveguides is presented. Threshold currents of lasers with one cleaved and one etched mirror facets are 15-18 mA and waveguide output powers are in excess of 5 mW at 100 mA laser driving currents and for 600 /spl mu/m long waveguides. The device exhibits a total waveguide insertion loss less than 5 dB. The integrated device is potentially suitable as a building-block for photonic integrated circuits.<<ETX>>


This paper takes as its starting point the commonalities and differences in Indonesian Muslim responses to September 11, the Bali bombings and the war in Iraq. Empirical evidence suggests that Muslim leaders from all Islamic groups, whether 'moderate' or 'radical', in varying tones condemned the terrorist attacks of September 11. Likewise, a majority of Muslims from mass organizations and political parties condemned the US and coalition attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq, so it is now impossible for Indonesian Muslims to conceptualize September 11 in isolation from events in the Islamic world. This paper first attempts to consider Indonesian Muslim perceptions of terrorism and second suggests that since September 11 enhanced solidarity among Muslims is changing the contours of Indonesian nationalism, and third suggests that the ideological basis of the post-independence Indonesian state is beginning to lose its credibility in the eyes of many Muslims and may in time be replaced by an accommodationist format more acceptable to its santri adherents. The author would like to acknowledge the helpful comments of Donald E. Weatherbee, section co-editor Rasmus Gjedssø Bertelsen and the journal's anonymous reviewers, who provided sound advice (which I was not always wise enough to follow).


The observed properties of the Lyman-α (Ly α) emission line are a powerful probe of neutral gas in and around galaxies. We present spatially resolved Ly α spectroscopy with VLT/MUSE targeting VR7, a UV-luminous galaxy at z = 6.532 with moderate Ly α equivalent width (EW0 ≈ 38 Å). These data are combined with deep resolved [CII]158μm spectroscopy obtained with ALMA and UV imaging from HST and we also detect UV continuum with MUSE. Ly α emission is clearly detected with S/N ≈ 40 and FWHM of 374 km s−1. Ly α and [C ii] are similarly extended beyond the UV, with effective radius reff = 2.1 ± 0.2 kpc for a single exponential model or r$_{\rm eff, Ly\alpha , halo} = 3.45^{+1.08}_{-0.87}$ kpc when measured jointly with the UV continuum. The Ly α profile is broader and redshifted with respect to the [C ii] line (by 213 km s−1), but there are spatial variations that are qualitatively similar in both lines and coincide with resolved UV components. This suggests that the emission originates from two components with plausibly different H i column densities. We place VR7 in the context of other galaxies at similar and lower redshift. The Ly α halo scale length is similar at different redshifts and velocity shifts with respect to the systemic are typically smaller. Overall, we find little indications of a more neutral vicinity at higher redshift. This means that the local (∼10 kpc) neutral gas conditions that determine the observed Ly α properties in VR7 resemble the conditions in post-reionization galaxies.


The desire to elect more women to public office is likely to affect a range of political behaviors and may explain the relatively low levels of women's descriptive representation overall. Yet, little is known about the public's view of the ideal gender composition of government. We find that the public expresses a preference for higher levels of women's representation than the country has experienced. Women are more likely than men to express a view, though men and women do not differ in their preferences on the ideal percentage of male officeholders. We examine the role of gender stereotypes and the experience of being represented by women officeholders in shaping support for women's representation.


Historic maps, aerial photographs, and field data from the Mississippi River delta plain in Louisiana have shown that coastal structures can severely disrupt the sensitive sediment dispersal system of barrier shorelines with a limited sand supply. This problem has arisen because projects are designed not only to control erosion but also to aid navigation and support the oil and gas industry. The nature and magnitude of erosion-related problems varies with the type, size, and location of the structure in the barrier shoreline system. Coastal engineering projects built specifically to reduce erosion have had somewhat limited success in Louisiana. At many locations, the coastline is retreating at rates of 5 to 15 m/year. Where structures interfere with the sediment dispersal system of the barrier shoreline, rates of retreat may exceed 20 m/year. The ineffectiveness of these structures is, in part, due to natural processes, including rapid compactional subsidence and frequent storm impacts, and to a poor understanding of sediment transport processes. For example, jetties extending several hundreds of meters offshore cut off sediment transport to downdrift shorelines. Impermeable, shore-parallel structures such as revetments and seawalls prevent fair-weather, constructive processes from returning sediment removed during storms to the beach. In contrast, nonstructuralmore » measures such as repeated beach nourishment and vegetative stabilization allow longshore and onshore transport to continue. These measures have had the greatest success and hold the most promise for reducing erosion in Louisiana.« less


This paper discusses different techniques for the experimental estimation of the static and dynamic internal friction coefficients of fragmented ceramics. These were applied to the powders of two ballistic ceramics, SiC and Al2O3. The relationship between the fragment sire and the internal friction coefficients of the powders was determined. The results obtained with the different techniques are compared.


Economic theory (particularly with optimizing economic agents) usually imposes a set of moment restrictions on economic data. These restrictions are known as orthogonality conditions, which correspond to a set of unbiased estimating functions with the dimension of the estimating functions often larger than the dimension of the parameters of interest. This paper provides a selected review on the efficient methods of estimating such over-identified models, using the approach of estimating functions (see Godambe, 1960, 1976; Godambe and Heyde, 1987, and Godambe and Thompson, 1974, 1989), as an organizing principle. The discussion in this paper takes place in a random sampling framework and draws heavily from Qin and Lawless (1994), who use the estimating-functions approach to combine the estimating functions in an over-identified model optimally.


A water-soluble β-D-glucan (T-5-N) has been isolated from 1N sodium hydroxide extract of the fruit bodies of Dictyophora indusiata FISCH. T-5-N, [α]18D+28.7°(c=0.5, H2O), IR νKBrmaxcm-1 : 890, was homogeneous as judged by ultracentrifugal analysis and Tiselius-type electrophoresis. Structural analyses indicated that T-5-N has a main chain composed of β-1→3 linked D-glucopyranosyl residues, and two single β-1→6 linked D-glucopyranosyl units are attached as side chains, on average, to every seventh sugar residue of the main chain. In addition, a few internal 1→6 linkages and branching points at position 2 of the β-1→3 linked main chain are also present in the molecule.


Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) is a new tool for the study of ash-related and other problems in power plants. LA-ICP-MS was used for multielement determination of fly ash. The results were compared to ICP-optical emission spectroscopy (OES) and scanning electron microscopy energy-dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS) results. LA-ICP-MS provides detailed information about elemental composition of solid samples and can be used as an alternative or complementary method for SEM-EDS.


We study the evolution and oscillations of fixed massive neutrinos interacting with stochastic gravitational waves (GWs). The energy spectrum of these GWs is Gaussian, with the correlator of the amplitudes being arbitrary. We derive the equation for the density matrix for flavor neutrinos in this case. In the two flavors approximation, this equation can be solved analytically. We find the numerical solution for the density matrix in the general case of three neutrino flavors. We consider merging binary black holes as sources of stochastic GWs with realistic spectra. Both normal and inverted mass orderings are analyzed. We discuss the relaxation of the neutrino fluxes in stochastic GWs emitted mainly by supermassive black holes. In this situation, we obtain the range of energies and the propagation lengths for which the relaxation process is the most efficient. We discuss the application of our results for the observation of fluxes of astrophysical neutrinos.


For the purpose of studying the aging changes of macromolecular synthesis in the colonic cells of experimental animals, we studied 10 groups of aging mice during aging from fetal day 19 to postnatal month 24. They were injected with 3H-leucine, a precursor for protein synthesis, sacrificed and the colonic tissues were processed for light and electron microscopic radioautography. On many radioautograms the localization of silver grains demonstrating protein synthesis in colonic epithelial cells in respective aging groups were analyzed qualitatively. The results revealed that the number of mitochondria increased from embryonic day 19 to postnatal adult month 1 and 2, reaching the maximum, then decreased to senile year 1 to 2. On the other hand, the number of labeled mitochondria showing protein synthesis increased from embryonic day 19 to postnatal newborn days, adult month 1 and 2, reaching the maximum and decreased to month 24. To the contrary, the labeling index increased from embryonic day 19 to postnatal day 3, reaching the maximum, then decreased to day 14, increased to month 1, decreased to month 6, increased to month 12 and decreased to month 24, indicating the aging changes. These results demonstrated that intramitochondrial protein synthesis in the colonic epithelial cells increased and decreased again and again for 3 times repeatedly due to aging of individual animals depending upon the cellular activities at respective aging stages


Introduction Over 4 million students travel outside their home countries to pursue tertiary education in the world, with over 600,000 students traveling to Canada alone. Adjustment to new cultures has often been shown to be stressful. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a significant global event that has affected all aspects of life in different ways. Although there is research showing the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on international students globally, the study of the experiences of incoming cohorts of international students, particularly during the process of planning, traveling, and arriving at the host country, is still evolving. Methods Given that international students are sometimes at higher risk for mental health concerns, this qualitative study sought to explore the experiences of six incoming international graduate students, ages 18 to 32, through a semi-structured interview, as they moved from their home country to Canada. It explored their cultural adjustment in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic using a thematic analysis, through a descriptive phenomenological paradigm. Results Six themes emerged: choosing graduate programs; influence of pandemic on admission acceptance, moving to Canada, university experiences, adjustment; and adjustment as a student. Overall, international students appear to experience a "double dose" of stressors - the typical stressors of student hood, COVID-19 related challenges, as well as their unique manifestations in the context of being an international student. Discussion Limitations and implications of the study are discussed.


In this paper we develop a probabilistic real-time calculus for performance evaluation. The calculus applies a simple generative model of probabilities. Next to probabilistic action transitions, probabilistic time transitions are supported. An operational characterization is given in terms of a labelled transition system. The operational rules for the real-time part of the calculus are constructed in such a way, that the transition system can be interpreted as a discrete-time Markov chain. They further yield a constructive approach towards the efficient execution of processes and generation of transition graphs. On top of the operational rules, bisimulation equivalence is defined and proven to be a congruence for all operators. We define three different performance characteristics in terms of reward functions and prove that equivalent processes have an identical performance. Using an ergodic theorem of Markov chains, we further show how these performance figures can be computed in practice. We introduce an experimental software tool and we show how it can be applied to calculate the performance of a nontrivial real-time data communication protocol.


Despite an American Academy of Neurology Practice Guideline and ASCO/SNO endorsement against the routine use of anticonvulsant prophylaxis in patients with primary and metastatic brain tumors, there remains widespread variation in practice and several unanswered questions.

 Exhaustive evidence-based literature searches were conducted, and patient-level data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were analyzed to answer three questions: does anticonvulsant prophylaxis reduce the risk of first seizures in patients with primary and metastatic brain tumors; does prophylaxis improve one-year overall survival in patients with primary and metastatic brain tumors; and what effect have practice guidelines had on practice patterns.

 Five RCTs (n=441 patients) addressed anticonvulsant prophylaxis in patients with brain tumors. Overall, anticonvulsant prophylaxis did not reduce the risk of a first seizure in patients with any brain tumor (RR= 0.95 [0.58-1.55], p= 0.85, anticonvulsant prophylaxis vs. placebo), brain metastasis (RR = 0.96 [0.73-1.25], p=0.77, 5 RCTs) or primary brain tumors (RR= 1.03 [0.19-5.72], p=0.97, 4 RCTs). Eleven RCTs of anticonvulsant prophylaxis (n=3767 patients with CNS tumors) provided data for survival analysis and demonstrated a lower RR of death at one year compared to those who did not receive prophylaxis (0.88 [0.81-0.94] p = 0.0006). Physician-reported practice of prescribing anticonvulsant prophylaxis diminished only negligibly after initial guideline publication (54.9% [1 study] vs. 51.6%, [3 studies] p<0.014).

 Prophylactic anticonvulsants in patients without a history of seizures does not reduce the risk of first seizures in patients with primary or metastatic brain tumors. Despite this, anticonvulsant prophylaxis provides a small survival benefit at one year, although, this finding may be driven by confounded studies. Rates of anticonvulsant prophylaxis prescription have decreased only minimally and remain very high despite strong evidence against this practice and guideline publication. Evidence-based medicine requires additional mechanisms for encouraging practice change.


Young drivers are at disproportionate risk of collision. It is unclear whether it is age or lack of driving experience that is the problem because age and experience are confounded in most studies (experienced drivers are typically much older). This study focused on drivers who were about the same age: all within the critical first years of skill development. The authors compared drivers just starting to drive (learner's license) with those with a full license. Young drivers are especially at risk when driving with passengers. Consequently, the authors were interested in how the ability to drive with passengers changes in these first years. Driving performance was measured in a driving simulator when the passenger was absent (Absent condition), and when there was a passenger who was either asking the driver questions or was silent (Talking and Silent conditions). As predicted, the experienced young drivers had lower hazard response times and fewer collisions. Similarly, as predicted, performance was worse in the Talking condition, insofar as more drivers missed their turnoff in the way-finding task (where they were required to arrive at a certain destination using signs and landmarks). However, there were also interactive effects of experience and condition. In-vehicle conversation had an especially negative effect on the least experienced drivers, producing more collisions. Conversely, the more experienced young drivers sped up when they were driving with a passenger who talked with them. There was little difference between Silent and Absent conditions for all measures. This suggests in-vehicle conversation may be the critical factor.


In 1974, Snam Progetti S.p.A. built a pilot plant for study of solids pipeline transportation, following earlier studies with a small unit using 2 in. dia pipe. The facility enables Snam Progetti to investigate a wide range of materials, grain size distribution, concentrations, and pipe diameters in order to predict pipeline performance. Specific tests can be conducted at any time during the design stage of a slurry line. The main purpose of basic experiments is to establish valid theoretical correlations of a general nature. In design, the most important parameters are pipe diameter and thickness, solid grading, concentration and velocity, and location and performance of pumping stations. Details of the pilot-plant facility, representative data obtained with magnetite as the solid material, and aspects of economic evaluations are discussed.


Insulating systems invariably contain some cavities or voids entrained within the insulation or at boundaries between dielectric and conductors. The paper presents experimental results obtained in an investigation of the factors affecting the discharge characteristics in voids in solid dielectrics. An E.R.A. discharge detector was used for detection and measurement of discharge magnitudes. The dependency of the discharge magnitude in voids on; the applied voltage, the void dimensions and the duration of the applied voltage was investigated experimentally. Test results also indicate that the discharge magnitude-applied voltage characteristics exhibit same hysterisis. This hysterisis effect is more pronounced for deeper cavities.


In this month's issue, we begin on p. 151 with a re‐examination of drought in Ireland, as reported in newspapers. Conor Murphy, Simon Noone, Catriona Duffy, Ciaran Broderick, Tom Matthews and Robert L. Wilby show that, even in the usually moist climate of Ireland, droughts occur irregularly, but with serious effects in 'Irish droughts in newspaper archives: −rediscovering forgotten hazards?'


This article has been retracted by IOP Publishing following an allegation that this article may contain tortured phrases [1]. IOP Publishing has investigated and agrees the article contains a number of nonsensical phrases that feature throughout the paper, masking overlap with previously published work [2], to the extent that the article makes very little sense. This casts serious doubt over the legitimacy of the article. IOP Publishing wishes to credit PubPeer commenters [3] for bringing the issue to our attention. The authors neither agree nor disagree to this retraction. [1] Cabanac G, Labbe C, Magazinov A, 2021, Tortured phrases: A dubious writing style emerging in science. Evidence of critical issues affecting established journals arXiv:2107.06751v1 [2] Alpha Vijayan Ms. and B.S Chandrasekar Dr. 2021 IOP Conf. Ser.: Mater. Sci. Eng. 1110 012015 [3] https://pubpeer.com/publications/D199B041E18D160C4FD91BC55BA023 Retraction published: 11 July 2023


Introduction: Heart failure is a major growing problem that affects not only patients but also their families and social networks and reduces the functional capacity of patients and impaires their social life. This study was conducted to investigate the illness related worries in heart failure patients. Methods: In this descriptive, cross-sectional study, 130 patients with class II to IV heart failure were selected upon to researcher characteristics and in non randomized sampling from patients of Hazrate Rasoolakram, Imam Hossein and Shariati Hospital of Tehran in 2013. They completed demographic questionnaire and illness related worries questionnaire (IRWQ) and data were analyzed, using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 19. Results: Average age was 62± 13.9 year, 51.5% of them were illiterate and the average of their monthly income was less than one million toman per month (92.3 percent). The mean score of social dignity was 3.9± 1.1. The highest mean score were obtained for physical-psychological complications dimension and the lowest mean score, were obtained for worry about the future of the disease. ANOVA test revealed a significant difference in the mean of illness related worries in Patients, especially between physical-psychological complications and the future of the disease. Pearson statistic test showed significant correlation between age and illness related worries score and between disease severity and illness related worries score. Conclusion: The results should be useful for planning of patients support, improving their care and treatment.


Eggplant (Solanum melongena) is one of the most important and popular crop all over the world as well as in Egypt. The total area planted with eggplant during 2004 in Egypt was 102700 faddans produced approximately 1046742 tons with an average of 10.19 tons/faddan. It plays an important role in human nutrition as a cheap source of vitamins and minerals. It is known to be rich in carbohydrates and minerals such as calcium, phosphorus and iron. It is considered as a national popular diet in many tropical and sub-tropical countries (Abd El-Rahim et al., 1996) .


A theoretical understanding of the nature of knowledge and its development in children was applied to an under-researched area: children's thinking about television alcohol advertisements. Methodologies were developed which recognise that children have multiple ways of thinking about things, that leaming is a dynamic process and that knowledge is not always available for verbal report. Research took two complementary routes. Firstly, cross-sectional studies with children aged 7 to 10 tapped into children's implicit, pre-explicit and explicit knowledge, by means of a categorisation study, a story style paradigm and interviews. Children of all ages found television alcohol advertisements attractive and particular styles of advertising, e. g. humour, cartoon fortnat or the inclusion of an animal, increased the popularity of an advertisement. Children's pre-explicit and explicit responses appeared to be biased by the development of alcohol knowledge. Secondly, a longitudinal study followed a group of over 100 children aged 9 for three years, collecting data every six months and investigating the potential influence of a number of factors on positive alcohol expectancies, a predictor of alcohol behaviour. New measures provided data on children's alcohol expectancies (Alcohol Beliefs and Expectancies in Childhood questionnaire), family and peer influences (The Children's Alcohol 1nventory), self-esteem (IAM questionnaire), television viewing habits (TV Viewing Habits Questionnaire), and exposure to television alcohol advertisements (Television Advertising Awareness Questionnaire). The findings suggest a possible long term influence of alcohol advertising around the age of II on later alcohol expectancies, but that this influence is less than that of peer behaviour and parental attitudes. It is also suggested that children as young as seven be included in future research, that the style of alcohol advertisements is monitored closely to minimise their appeal to children and, finally, that applied research should include methodologies which reflect the state and complexity of children's developing knowledge.


PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a pigment ink for ink-jet recording which is capable to exhibit high discharge and storage stabilities, and furthermore to form a printed matter recorded on a sheet of glossy paper having high scratch resistance. SOLUTION: The pigment ink for ink-jet contains a pigment, a water soluble solvent, water and a copolymer, wherein the copolymer is prepared by the copolymerization of an aromatic acrylate (monomer A), a (meth)acrylate added with an ethylene oxide with a polymerization degree of 5 or more (monomer B) and acrylic acid (monomer C). COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT


ment. They afford any aspirant a glimpse into other analysts' consulting rooms and into the different and kindred ways in which psychoanalyses proceed and how their progression is portrayed. Reading these very different cases draws the experienced analyst, like a kind of involved voyeur, into all these dyadic relationships. It activates his own basic assumptions, placing him at an almost supervisory distance ('I would do this straight away or not that way'), leaving him at once astonished, critical and in awe. This book is an exciting challenge and – if one accepts it – a decidedly enriching addition to a skilled craft!


Pool scrubbing is one of the effective way to prevent releasing of fission product, usually aerosol type, into environment during severe accident in nuclear power plant. Many researchers have studied the pool scrubbing phenomenon, and reliable analysis codes were developed, such as SPARC [1]. The codes usually have good agreement with experiments performed in low Weber number condition. However, it is questionable whether the reliability of the code results is also good in high Weber number region. In unit 2 of Fukushima accident, a large amount of fission product was removed with pool scrubbing in suppression pool, with pool scrubbing, and it is expected that Weber number during the pool scrubbing was higher than 10 [2]. In addition, in case of C-SGTR accident [3], jet pool scrubbing regime could be developed with operation of auxiliary feed water pump system. In the jet pool scrubbing condition, the efficiency of the pool scrubbing could be changed. There are few studies in the world on the jet pool scrubbing phenomenon [4]. Thus it is necessary to research on jet pool scrubbing phenomenon to increase safety of nuclear power plant.


Multiservice networks require careful mapping of traffic in order to provide quality of service. Applying offline Traffic Engineering techniques leads to a better usage of resources and allows to assure some degree of quality of service. Even with those techniques applied, as network and traffic conditions change dynamically, the initial quality could be reduced. When addressing this problem, online Traffic Engineering has a major role. In MONTE project a solution for addressing this problem in Multiprotocol Label Switching networks was proposed and implemented in software. Such solution involves network discovering and monitoring, congestion detection, a corrective algorithm, and a mechanism for signalling changes in the network. The entire solution was conceived to work in real time and vendor independent. This paper explains the details of the solution and its implementation. Results validating the correct operation of the tool are also shown. This results were obtained through tests in a live network.


A time warping approach for estimating the fundamental period of a speech signal is described. The problem of estimating the period of a signal corrupted by background noise is formulated in terms of a minimum error function which defines a matching score between two signal segments and, depending on the error criterion, leads to well-known estimation schemes. To allow for the fact that the speech signal is only a quasi-periodic waveform with time-varying structure from period to period, a nonlinear time warping function is introduced. Using a dynamic programming technique, a computationally simple recursive algorithm is obtained which has the capability of tracking the time-varying period.


Objective To assess the change of serum thrombopoietin(TPO) level in patients with Hepatitis B cirrhosis.In order to make clear the reason ofplatelet decreaced in patients with Hepatitis B cirrhosi.Methods Selected 40 cases of Hepatitis B cirrhosis patients(Chi1d-Pugh A,15cases;Child-Pugh B,15 cases;Child-Pugh C,10 cases) as experimental group and 20 healthy volunteers as control group.Serum TPO level was detected by ELISA(enzyme linked immunosorbent assay).Meanwhile,routine blood tests,serum levels of ALB,TBIL and PTA were tested.Spleen color Doppler ultrasound was measured by the same doctor under the same conditions.Results In cirrhosis group PLT was lower than that of healthy controls,while the spleen thickness was higher than those in the control group,the differences were statistically significant(P0.05).No significant difference was noted in serum TPO level between the control group and the cirrhosis group(P0.05).The PLT of class A,B,C groups were lower than those of healthy controls.The spleen thickness of class A were higher than those in the control group.The serum TPO levels of class B and C were lower than those of class A and the healthy control group.The TPO and PLT of the class A were higher than those of class B,C.The spleen thickness of class A was lower than those of class B,C,all differences were statistically significant(P0.05).Overall,TPO and PLT,ALB,PTA was positively correlated with the decline in liver function(r=0.498,0.619,0.766,P0.01).TPO was negatively correlated with TBIL.Spleen thickness was negatively correlated with PLT(r=-0.587,P0.05).Conclusion Reduction in the level of serum TPO and spleen enlargement may be the main reason for thrombocytopenia.Serum TPO can be used as parameters for evaluation of liver function.


Oxygen difluoride, OF2, is reacted with ethylenically unsaturated fluorocarbon compounds. Depending upon the fluorocarbon material and reaction conditions, OF2 can chain extend fluoropolyenes, convert functional perfluorovinyl groups to acyl fluoride and/or epoxide groups and act as a monomer for an addition type copolymerization with diolefins.


Routine examination of the fundus requires a dilated pupil. If a cycloplegic drug is used the three major disadvantages are: paralysis of accommodation, an increase in intraocular pressure produced by a mechanism not involving angle-closure (Schimek and Lieberman, I96I; Christensen and Pearce, I963), and a frank attack of acute closed-angle glaucoma. With a sympathomimetic drug only the last complication is of consequence. After the pupil has been dilated it can be either left as such, inviting potential disaster in an eye with a narrow angle, or a parasympathomimetic drug can be instilled, which, if successful in producing miosis, causes a tonic pupil and spasm of accommodation. Neither combination is therefore satisfactory. The purpose of this paper is to describe a mydriatic miotic combination in which the dangers and disadvantages are reduced to a minimum and to illustrate the properties of the miotic used.


Sr_xBa_(1-x)Nb_2O_6(SBN) thin films have been prepared with citric acid,metal nitrate,metal carbonate and ethylene glycol as source materials by aqueous precusor gel.SBN thin films were prepared on a annealed Si/SiO_2/Ti/Pt substrate with the SBN gels.The effects of pH value,the mass ratio of EG/CA,heating temperature on the phase constitution,phase structure and the microstructural morphology of SBN thin films have been investigated.The results showed that a homogeneous Sr-Ba-Nb precursor sol was formed at CA∶EG=40∶60 and pH≥7.Also the analysis of heating treatment and infra-red spectrum(IR) revealed that the SBN peak increased as well as the peak of Sr—O,Ba—O and Nb—O by IR with the temperature increased,which showed that the COO~-base had gradually disappeared.Tetragonal tungsten bronze-type structural SBN phase can been obtained at 800℃.The SEM analysis showed the SBN thin film achieved at 750℃ was smooth and crack-free,moverover the grains had a level of nanometer.


Tourism is part of an unbalanced exchange between rich and poor. Filmmakers contribute to a history of the vision, the document the evolution of the way explorers, tourists, filmmakers themselves and their hosts, consider each other. Starting from the film shown during the last Cinema du Reel festival (Paris, Centre Pompidou), this paper explores some important questions raised by exoticism, invented tradition, authenticity, and commodification.


This paper presents the current status of the National Automated Highway System Consortium (NAHSC) regarding automated highway systems supporting mixed (automated and manual) traffic. One motivation for mixed traffic is to build up as technology matures. But human factors must also be considered, since the driver will not monitor reliably. Response to all hazards encountered by human drivers is essential. The team identified five situations that cover almost all such hazards. In many cases the vehicle needs information from the road, such as drivers get visually, and so designated roads will be used. These may be instrumented or restricted.


On-the-stop literature has attracted people's attention and made great achievements because of its authenticity. but its developent is not so smooth--it has a lopsided development during the "Cultural Revolution ".this paper briefly comments on the development and breakthrough of the literature during this special period from the point of style amd perception. [


Using as a starting point a deformed Clifford algebra with an involutive braid we introduce a natural deformation of the Cartan procedure to construct Spin(4-h,h) groups. The method presented produces braided groups instead of quantum groups.


In contemporary discourses on cosmo-political hospitality, contributions of Derrida, and especially of Levinas, have special significance on account of the vision, scale and relevance of their discussions on the theme, in the context of an increasingly globalizing international scene, and the consequent global encounter with diversity. The article strives to read the Indian hospitality tradition and ethos, articulated in several of India's culturally significant texts, and available in some way as a cultural practice even to this day (propped up by a heritage of tolerance and acceptance of difference, which, however, has not necessarily translated into egalitarian social structures), through the lenses of cosmo-political hospitality, found in the writings of Levinas and Derrida, as openness to the other, irrespective of social labels imposed on her/him. Although homely, ritualistic and hierarchical, Indian hospitality was always universalistic in intent. The article argues that an attempt to recapture the core of the Indian ethos of hospitality, should take into account this universalistic intent, revisited as genuine openness to the other person, in the light of contemporary concerns raised by Levinas and Derrida, and fully awake to India's and the world's transformed context.


Polyamidine is a kind of important polymers,there are some amidine groups in their backbone or in their pendant chain.It attracts researcher′s attention evidently,due to their potential use in medicine,electrophotography,flocculating agents and paper-making additives.In this paper,the recent progress of the polyamidine including its synthesis,properties and its application was reviewed.


Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is well recognised cause of acute coronary syndromes (ACS), typically affecting female and younger individuals with no underlying atherosclerotic disease (1). SCAD is a relatively rare presentation of ACS however its reported prevalence varies from as low as 0.2% in angiographic studies (2) to as high as 4% of ACS cases in studies using optimal coherence tomography (OCT) (3).


Mapping knowledge domain (MKD) is an important research technology in bibliometrics. It provides a visual perspective for researchers and helps researchers to clearly understand the general situations of specific research fields. Presently, MKD has been widely used in fields such as ecology and transportation safety. In this paper, we conduct a systematically bibliometric analysis of the development trend on urban vitality research by using VOSviewer software, and this work is based on the related articles published in the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) and Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) between 1998 and 2018. In the implementation, we firstly introduce the annual numbers of articles, source journals, highly cited papers, and production countries relating to urban vitality research. Then, we adopt a keywords co-occurrence analysis to explore the topic distribution, research frontiers, and research trends of urban vitality research intuitively. Overall, the Mapped Knowledge Domain method has proved to be an effective way to assess research trends in specific disciplines and to contribute to researchers and governments with respect to management and decision-making on issues of science.


A technique for the measurement of scattering parameters of an infinite reflectarray is presented which takes into account effects of mutual coupling. Infinite reflectarrays designed at 10 GHz with different substrate thicknesses have been analyzed in which maximum 10% and 20% bandwidth values from resonance are shown to be 157 MHZ and 250 MHz, respectively, constructed on 0.508‐mm thick substrate. Moreover, a figure of merit (FOM) has been defined which decreases from 0.320 to 0.26 °/MHz as the substrate thickness is increased from 0.127 to 0.508 mm, and the results demonstrate a significant decrease in the slope of reflection phase curve. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:77–80, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.25662


Common femoral artery volume flow was measured at rest and during postocclusive reactive hyperaemia in 80 normal subjects and 67 patients with radiological evidence of occlusive peripheral vascular disease. At rest, mean(s.d.) common femoral artery volume flow in normal subjects (344 (135) ml/min) and all patients with peripheral vascular disease (401(168) ml/min) was not significantly different. During postocclusive reactive hyperaemia, mean(s.d.) peak flow was significantly higher in normal subjects (1951 (438) ml/min) than in patients with peripheral vascular disease (996(457)ml/min) (P < 0·01). Common femoral artery volume flow in patients with critical ischaemia and intermittent claudication did not differ at rest but mean(s.d.) peak flow in patients with critical ischaemia (697(276) ml/min) was significantly lower than in claudicants (1131 (447)ml/min) (P < 0·01). Mean(s.d.) resting common femoral artery volume flow in limbs with femoropopliteal disease (457(185) ml/min) was significantly greater than that in limbs with occlusion of the aortoiliac segment (308(130) ml/min) (P < 0·01). However, this difference did not persist during postocclusive reactive hyperaemia. A hyperaemic index, calculated from the hyperaemic responses to below knee and whole limb ischaemia, was used to quantify segmented perfusion during postocclusive reactive hyperaemia. The mean(s.d.) value in normal subjects, 46(9) per cent, and in those with aortoiliac disease, 52(12) per cent, indicated approximately equal perfusion of the above and below knee limb segments. In those with femoropopliteal disease the mean(s.d.) hyperaemic index was 17(13) per cent, revealing relative hypoperfusion of the below knee segment.


Existing methods for reducing the computational burden of neural networks at run-time, such as parameter pruning or dynamic computational path selection, focus solely on improving computational efficiency during inference. On the other hand, in this work, we propose a novel method which reduces the memory footprint and number of computing operations required for training and inference. Our framework efficiently integrates pruning as part of the training procedure by exploring and tracking the relative importance of convolutional channels. At each training step, we select only a subset of highly salient channels to execute according to the combinatorial upper confidence bound algorithm, and run a forward and backward pass only on these activated channels, hence learning their parameters. Consequently, we enable the efficient discovery of compact models. We validate our approach empirically on state-of-the-art CNNs - VGGNet, ResNet and DenseNet, and on several image classification datasets. Results demonstrate our framework for dynamic channel execution reduces computational cost up to 4x and parameter count up to 9x, thus reducing the memory and computational demands for discovering and training compact neural network models.


The confrontation of family agriculture with competitive markets poses the problem of the competitiveness and questions about its future. Product marketing makes up one of the major concerns of producers and their representatives. Differentiation by quality, like the French terrain, is presented as an opportunity. This article attempts to characterize and analyze a situation that takes place in a particularly favoured area, Santa Catalina (Brazil), given that diverse local initiatives try to mitigate the embryonic institutional processes, which they have contributed to pushing forward. These attempts still remain uncertain and confined to local markets given that they are practically not developed and are based on the legal requirement for certification.


Lattice‐dynamics information on polycrystalline I2, IBr, ICl, and I2Cl6 molecular crystals was obtained by means of the Mossbauer effect in the 27.8‐keV line of 129I. In the case of I2 and IBr, which are isomorphous, evidence was found that the mean‐square displacement is larger in the direction of the molecular axis, and from considerations regarding the molecular arrangements, it is concluded that the larger 〈x2〉 is in the ac plane. Similar evidence was found also for ICl. No anisotropy in 〈x2〉 was detected in the case of I2Cl6. From the temperature dependence of the recoilless fraction and from its absolute value, the Debye temperature was calculated and found to be 58° ± 2°K for both I2 and IBr, suggesting a similar density of phonon states, in accordance with far‐infrared results obtained with the halogens at 77°K. The 〈x2〉 found for I2Cl6 is compared with that calculated from Raman data for ICl4−, and it is concluded that the I‐Cl intramolecular vibrations are not excited by the recoilless mechanism...


One of the greatest global traumas of the 20th century was World War II. Millions of children have become abandoned. In this extreme life situation, professionals, responsible adults and reform educators felt it their job to embrace and save them. They worked to ensure that orphaned children could continue their lives without a family background. In my study, I present the importance of action instead of 'bystander effect' and the importance of 'becoming capable' and 'empowerment' instead of simple care for children in need through a couple of examples of so-called children's republics, primarily Father Flanagen's Boys Town and Gábor Sztehlo's Gaudiopolis.


The youngest deposits of the Mszana Dolna Tectonic Window belong to the NP24 and NP22-23 calcareous nannoplankton zones in the Dukla and Grybów units respectively. In the Grybów Unit of the Szczawa Tectonic Window the NP22 Zone was determine in the Grybów beds, whereas the Cergowa beds belong to NP 23 and NP 24 zones. These ages are very well co relatable with that from the southern part of the Silesian, and Dukla units.


Cabbage and Celery were prepared by microwave digestion,and using 17 kind mineral elements in Cabbage and Celery were deter mined by ICP-AES.The result showed that two vegetable contained abundant mineral elements Ca,Mg,K,Na,and P,and higher mineral elements in Celery.There were small quantities of beneficial trace elements that were able to adjust human physiological function,such as An,Fe,Mn,Al,Cu,and Ni elements,baneful heavy metal meet sanitation criterion accord with National sanitation standard,except for Hg element..


New vaccines against pertussis are needed to evoke full protection and long-lasting immunological memory starting from the first administration in neonates—the major target of the life-threatening pertussis infection. A novel live attenuated Bordetella pertussis vaccine strain, BPZE1, has been developed by eliminating or detoxifying three important B. pertussis virulence factors: pertussis toxin, dermonecrotic toxin, and tracheal cytotoxin. We used a human preclinical ex vivo model based on monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MDDCs) to evaluate BPZE1 immunogenicity. We studied the effects of BPZE1 on MDDC functions, focusing on the impact of Bordetella -primed dendritic cells in the regulation of Th and suppressor T cells (Ts). BPZE1 is able to activate human MDDCs and to promote the production of a broad spectrum of proinflammatory and regulatory cytokines. Moreover, conversely to its parental wild-type counterpart BPSM, BPZE1-primed MDDCs very efficiently migrate in vitro in response to the lymphatic chemokine CCL21, due to the inactivation of pertussis toxin enzymatic activity. BPZE1-primed MDDCs drove a mixed Th1/Th17 polarization and also induced functional Ts. Experiments performed in a Transwell system showed that cell contact rather than the production of soluble factors was required for suppression activity. Overall, our findings support the potential of BPZE1 as a novel live attenuated pertussis vaccine, as BPZE1-challenged dendritic cells might migrate from the site of infection to the lymph nodes, prime Th cells, mount an adaptive immune response, and orchestrate Th1/Th17 and Ts responses. The Journal of mAb (BD Biosciences). Cells were then fixed and permeabilized using Cytofix-Cytoperm and Perm/Wash protocols (BD Biosciences) and stained with a predetermined optimal concentration of fluorochrome-conjugated anti-cytokine Abs (IFN- g , IL-4, IL-17, FOXP3) or appropriate isotype con- trols. Cells were analyzed by flow cytometry in a FACScan or FACSCanto flow cytometer.


For the computation of three-dimensional heat flow in hot glass melts, an accurate model is needed that does not require an excess in computation time. Although the raytrace method has been proven to give accurate results, its high computational consumption was prohibitive. In this article we study an algebraic formulation of the ray-trace method, which when implemented, eliminates most of the work needed for ray-tracing for certain applications.


Four-beam laser interference is shown to stimulate the self-organisation of periodic two-dimensional arrays of nanoislands on the surface of GaAs/InGaAs/GaAs epitaxial structures. (Self-organisation is here taken to mean processes that determine the island size.) The island size distribution has two well-defined maxima. The smaller islands (∼5 nm) form inside each heat-affected zone, and the larger islands (∼15 nm), at the periphery of such zones. The island width is a factor of 20 — 60 smaller than the standing wave period, which can be accounted for in terms of the elastic stress on the surface of the epitaxial film.


List of AcronymsBingtuan see PCCCCP Chinese Communist PartyEHM Eastern Turkistan Islamic MovementETR Eastern Turkistan Republic (p44-49)NA III National Army, the military force of the Eastern Turkistan RepublicKMT Chinese Nationalist Party under Chiang Kaishek, defeated on the mainland in ~49MAC Mnzu Affairs CommissionMnzu Official ethnonational category in the PRC; comprises 56 groups, including Uyghurs and HansNationalists see KMTPCC Production and Construction CorpsPL& People's liberation ArmyPRC People's Republic of ChinaTIREI' Turkish Islamic Republic of Eastern Turkistan (p33-34)XUAR Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous RegionExecutive SummaryThis paper analyzes the sources of Uyghur discontent and ethnonational conflict in Xinjiang since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. It argues that the episodes of unrest in Xinjiang have not been simply contemporary manifestations of an enduring culture of violence. Nor have they been the product of foreign intrigues. Instead, while conflict in the region has had several causes, the system of "regional autonomy" operating in Xinjiang must be seen as a principal source of the unrest. Instead of resolving a longstanding political dispute between Uyghurs advocating independence and the Chinese government, this system has deepened Uyghur discontent and exacerbated conflict. To support this thesis, the paper presents both a historical analysis of policy changes over time in Xinjiang and a close study of current policies in the region.Autonomy arrangements around the world have been enacted to protect both states' territorial integrity and the fragile rights of minorities. But all autonomy regimes privilege territorial integrity over absolute responsiveness to the demands of the autonomous group: they are a compromise between (a) states, which want unabridged sovereignty and homogeneous populations; and (b) peoples that want self-determination, generally meaning independence. Thus we should not be surprised to find both state actors and autonomous groups pressing for renegotiation of their agreements. Yet there are dramatic differences in the degree to which states have honored their formal commitments and in the amount of pressure for change brought to bear by nominally self-ruling groups. In Xinjiang, the political system has chronically thwarted Uyghurs' exercise of self-rule and thus provoked and exacerbated Uyghur discontent.One demonstration of the absence of regional autonomy in Xinjiang is that extreme policy swings there tightly followed those in the rest of China and its other autonomous provinces. Relatively tolerant policies in the early 1950s were replaced by strongly repressive and assimilationist ones as the country embarked on the Great Leap Forward in 1958. A return to moderation in the early 1960s was then reversed again with the advent of the Cultural Revolution in 1966. By the end of that movement in 1976, pressures to assimilate linguistically and culturally, the persecution of religious practices and personnel, and attacks on respected authorities had profoundly alienated most Uyghurs. Deng Xiaoping's announcement of economic reforms in China in 1978 was soon followed by somewhat more tolerant cultural and economic policies in Xinjiang, though signally without relaxation of political controls. After public demonstrations in Xinjiang in 1988 and 1989 and a violent uprising in 1990, Deng ordered a crackdown in that province. The political clampdown in Xinjiang was accompanied by new restrictions on culture and religion that have remained in place up to the present.Both long-standing and recent policies by leaders in Beijing and Urumci have combined to deepen discontent among Uyghurs, and the official refusal to allow open expression of dissatisfaction in the region has only increased that discontent. Invariably harsh responses to demonstrations have left the field of overt political action to the violent and desperate while failing to address the concerns of the majority. …


The acute toxic effect of different crude oils (heavy crude oil and bonny light crude oil) on embryos of marine medaka Oryzias melastigma was measured and evaluated by exposure to the water-accommodated fraction (WAF) in the present study. The cardiac function of medaka embryos was used as target organ of ecotoxicological effect induced by oil exposure. Results showed that the developing marine medaka heart was a sensitive target organ to crude oil exposure the heavy crude oil WAF was more toxic to cardiac function of medaka embryos than bonny light cured oil one. Cardiac function of medaka embryos was clearly affected by exposure to heavy crude oil WAF after 24 hours exposure and showed a dose-dependent slowing of heart rate. Furthermore, swelled and enlarged heart morphology, lowered blood circulation and accumulation of blood cells around the heart area were found. However, the toxic effect of bonny light crude oil on cardiac function of medaka embryos was comparatively low. Statistical results showed that the cardiac function was only affected by highest bonny light crude oil WAF (9.8 mg/L) exposure treatment. These findings indicated that cardiac function of marine medaka embryo was a good toxicity model for oil pollution and could be used to compare and evaluate the toxicity of different crude oils. The heart rate was an appropriate endpoint in the acute toxicity test.


The invention relates to a multifunction display and operating system (2) and a method for operating functions and / or vehicle systems (8). there is provided a multifunction display and operating system (2) for switching information and detecting operating actions for controlling functions and / or vehicle systems (8) of a motor vehicle (1) comprising a display device (3), coupled to said display device (3) control unit (4) for controlling a display of information on a display surface (5) of the display device (3), one with the display device (3) and the control unit (4) coupled position detection unit (6) for detecting a position of an actuating element relative to the display surface (5), wherein the control unit (4) comprises logic (7), the information displayed relative to the display surface (5) generates control commands for operation of the functions and / or vehicle systems in response to the detected position of the actuating element, wherein the control unit (4 ) comprises a context evaluation unit (20) detects the state information and evaluates and according to the evaluation in a control mode, a size of an input portion (21) of the display surface (5) for displaying input information and a size of an output portion (22) of the display surface (5) defining for outputting output information, said logic (7) is formed.


Several aspects of GARCH(p,q) models that are relevant for empirical applications are investigated. In particular, it is noted that the inclusion of dummy variables as regressors can lead to multimodality in the GARCH likelihood. This invalidates standard inference on the estimated coefficients. Next, the implementation of different restrictions on the GARCH parameter space is considered. A refinement to the Nelson and Cao (1992) conditions for a GARCH(2,q) model is presented, and it is shown how these can then be implemented by parameter transformations. It is argued that these conditions may also be too restrictive, and a simpler alternative is introduced which is formulated in terms of the unconditional variance. Finally, examples show that multimodality is a real concern for models of the £/$ exchange rate, especially when p>2.


This paper addresses the question of what value pluralism tells us about the pursuit of moral coherence as a method of moral reasoning. I focus on the status of the norm of 'systematicity,' or the demand that our principles be as few and as simple as possible. I argue that, given certain descriptive facts about the pluralistic ways we value, epistemic ways of supporting a systematicity norm do not succeed. Because it is sometimes suggested that coherence functions in moral reasoning as it does in scientific reasoning, my argument considers analogies and disanalogies between moral reasoning and scientific reasoning.


...................................................................................................................... x LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ......................................................................................... xi CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................. 1 1.1 Background of the Study .............................................................................................. 1 1.1.1Innovation..................................................................................................... 2 1.1.2Financial Performance.................................................................................. 5 1.1.3Innovation and Financial Performance ........................................................ 5 1.1.4Commercial Banks in Kenya........................................................................ 6 1.2Research Problem .......................................................................................................... 6 1.3Research Objective ........................................................................................................ 8 1.4Value of the Study.......................................................................................................... 8 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................ 9 2.1Introduction .................................................................................................................... 9 2.2Theoretical Review ........................................................................................................ 9 2.2.1Innovation Diffusion Theory........................................................................ 9 2.2.2Social Cognitive Theory............................................................................. 10 2.2.3Resource Based Theory.............................................................................. 11


Over the second half of the 20th Century and the beginning part of the 21st Century, major change has occurred in the worship practice of many churches. Within this time frame enormous change has occurred in the social, economic, political, technological, scientific and religious framework of British society. Worship practice has been influenced by these changes. This doctoral dissertation sets out to explore how British Methodist worship has changed over the same time period.

The focus of this dissertation is on change in the practice of non-Eucharistic worship in British Methodism. This is the form of worship practiced most frequently in the British Methodist Church. It examines the form, content, style and ordering of worship and explores how the very ethos of worship has altered.

In this time period there has been expressed discontent about worship. This thesis examines what the Liturgical Movement has promoted as a way toward renewal of worship, and explores how British Methodism might appropriate from the Liturgical Movement ideas and lessons that would aid the renewal of worship in the Methodist Church.


No-prescription Web sites are online pharmacies that supply controlled substances without a valid prescription. The authors present a comprehensive investigation and content analysis of no-prescription Web sites, including a review of the legal environment, an in-depth critique of policy and interventions, and suggestions to help monitor and shut down these illegal sites.


A class of education programs, designed to use for test questions generation is considered. Generalized structure and operation algorithm are described. Basic properties of the generator program(s) are listed. Examples of generator programs are provided, ready to apply for educational knowledge testing process organization. A tested technology of generator programs as applied in computer training programs and textbooks is considered. Experience of generator(s) application in a real educational institution in Tomsk interuniversity center of distance education is given for consideration.


A 67-year-old man with a history of coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation, left ventricular dysfunction, congestive heart failure, and a dualchamber implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD; Medtronic Maximo DR TM , Medtronic Inc., Minneapolis, MN, USA) presents to clinic after he receives two ICD shocks. His ICD was interrogated. He is programmed in a DDD pacing mode, with a long atrioventricular delay. His lower rate limit is 70 beats/min. He is programmed as a single zone for detection and therapy with detection set at 350 ms (171 beats/min) and therapy of 20 J for the initial shock, followed by 35 J for the remaining shock. No antitachycardia pacing is programmed. The atrial and ventricular leads thresholds, impedances, and intrinsic amplitudes were normal. Examination of stored episodes revealed two shocks (Fig. 1). What caused the detection? Should this device be reprogrammed?


Adaptations for sperm competition in insects fall roughly into two categories: adaptations that promote the reproductive success of the male whose sperm is in storage (e.g., Craig, 1967; Riemann et al., 1967; Fuchs et al., 1968), and adaptations that increase the reproductive success of subsequently remating males (e.g., Villavaso, 1975; Waage, 1979). The literature on Drosophila melanogaster has supported a variety of interpretations about the nature of sperm competition. In 1962, Lefevre and Jonsson presented evidence for sperm displacement in D. melanogaster females which remated rapidly. Since that time, displacement of previously-stored sperm has been invoked many times to explain (1) reduction of first-male productivity associated with remating and (2) the high proportion of second-male progeny following female remating (Lefevre and Jonsson, 1962; Minamori and Fukui, 1970; Boorman and Parker, 1976; Prout and Bungaard, 1977; Gromko and Pyle, 1978; Gilbert et al., 1981). In the same year that Lefevre and Jonsson suggested sperm displacement, Manning (1962, 1967) provided a very different view of the reproductive biology of repeated matings in this species. Instead of rapid rematings, Manning allowed female receptivity to play a larger role in the timing of remating. He suggested that first males were effective at preventing female remating, since malecontributed seminal substances caused females to become unreceptive to male courtship until sperm from the previous mating had been depleted. Under such conditions sperm displacement is not a possibility because few or no first male sperm remain in storage to be displaced. Thus, Manning's results gave evidence that males whose sperm are in storage are adapted for sperm competition, and many workers have contributed to the elucidation of mechanisms whereby male-contributed seminal substances have their effects (Garcia-Bellido, 1964; Leahy and Lowe, 1967; Merle, 1968; Bumet et al., 1973; Connolly and Cook, 1973; Richmond et al., 1980; Tompkins et al., 1980; Venard and Jallon, 1980; Gilbert et al., 198 1; Tompkins and Hall, 1981). Gromko and Pyle (1978) attempted to evaluate both the "displacement" and "effective first male" explanations within the same experimental context. They showed that the effect of displacement on reproductive success was small in comparison to the effect of first-male-contributed substances on female receptivity. Those results raised questions about the necessity of the "displacement" explanation. Gilbert (1981; Gilbert et al., 1981; Gromko et al., 1984a) attempted to discover the mechanism by which sperm displacement might occur. Extensive counts of sperm in storage gave no evidence that displacement occurred. We have, consequently, undertaken a re-examination of the evidence for sperm displacement in this species. What is the nature of the evidence for sperm displacement? Lefevre and Jonsson's (1962) argument for displacement in rapidly remating females was based on the following characteristics of the reproductive biology of D. melanogaster: (1) Female storage organs are filled to ca-


Clonidine is drug which was initially used as a nasal decongestant and now commonly used in the treatment of several conditions both in adults and children. Even though there is no minimum toxic dose for this drug, low-dose clonidine poisonings are commonly seen in children. Accidental ingestion of this drug or transdermal exposure can cause altered sensorium, hypertension, hypotension and bradycardia because of various mechanism of action.


Glutamine synthetase is the key enzyme of nitrogen assimilation, which is encoded in the first cistron of glnALG operon and is induced under nitrogen limiting conditions through transcriptional activation by NtrBC in Salmonella and E. coli. 2-oxoglutarate serves as the carbon skeleton of glutamate and glutamine, but how 2-oxoglutarate fluctuation is controlled in response to nitrogen availability remained unknown. We show that the glnA mRNA produces an Hfq-dependent GlnZ sRNA from its 3' sUTR through RNase E-mediated cleavage. Through a base-pairing mechanism, GlnZ primarily regulates sucA, encoding the E1o component of 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase. In the cells grown on glutamine as the nitrogen source, the endogenous GlnZ represses the expression of SucA to redirect the carbon flow from the TCA cycle to the nitrogen assimilation pathway. This study also clarifies that the release of GlnZ sRNA from the glnA mRNA by RNase E is essential for the post-transcriptional regulation of sucA, and thus the mRNA coordinates the two independent functions to balance the supply and demand of the fundamental metabolites.


In this paper, the writer states the own experience about developing p rocess and objective laws of project management, some questions appeared in cons truction and operating is concretely analyzed,In view of existing problems, corresponding measures are put forward, from reforming personnel system, carryi ng out project supervision system, effective excitation mechanism and strict bal ance mechanism. At the same time, the writer points out that project management can develop healthy only through converting concept and mechanism and drawing ef fective management ways .


This study w as conducted to investigate the effects of selenium and vitamin E on nutrient apparent digestibility,nitrogen balance,energy metabolism and blood biochemical indices of beef cattle.Four Simmental steers [average body w eight w as(500 ± 20) kg,5 years of age]w ith permanent rumen fistulas w ere used in a 4 × 4 tw o-factor design,and fed the diets supplemented w ith 0,0.1,0.2 and 0.3 mg / kg selenium and 0, 30,60 and 90 IU / kg vitamin E,respectively.There w ere 16 diets in all.Selenium(mg / kg) / vitamin E(IU /kg) levels were 0 /0(group 1),0.1 /0(group 2),0.2 /0(group 3),0.3 /0(group 4),0 /30(group 5),0.1 /30(group 6),0.2 /30(group 7),0.3 /30(group 8),0 /60(group 9),0.1 /60(group 10), 0.2 /60(group 11),0.3 /60(group 12),0 /90(group 13),0.1 /90(group 14),0.2 /90(group 15) and 0.3 /90(group 16),respectively.Changes of nutrient apparent digestibility,nitrogen balance,energy metabolism and blood biochemical indices of beef cattle w ere analyzed.The results show ed as follow s: 1) the digestibility of OM in group 14 w as significantly higher than that in group 1(P 0.05),the digestibility of CP and DM in group 8 w as significantly higher than that in group1(P 0.05),EE digestibility in groups 11 and 12 w as significantly higher than that in groups 1,2 and 3(P 0.05),NFE digestibility in groups 8,12 and 14 w as significantly higher than that in group 1(P 0.05),NDF digestibility w as not affected(P 0.05), and ADF digestibility in groups 4,7,8,12 and 14 w as significantly higher than that in group 1(P 0.05). 2) Digestive nitrogen in group 8 w as significantly higher than that in group 1(P 0.05),and retention nitrogen in groups 4,8 and 12 w as significantly higher than that in groups 1,2,5 and 9(P 0.05).3) Fecal energy,gaseous energy and energy retention w ere not significantly affected(P 0.05),but digestible energy and metabolizable energy in groups 4 and 8 w ere significantly higher than those in group 1(P 0.05).4) Serum glucose,total protein and urea nitrogen contents w ere not significantly affected(P 0.05),but albumin content and GSH-Px activity in groups 4,8 and 12 w ere significantly higher than those in group 1(P 0.05),and GPT activity w as significantly higher than that in the other groups(P 0.05 or P 0.01),GOT activity in groups 8,12,13 and 14 w as significantly higher than that in the other groups(P 0.05),T 4 content in groups 1,9 and 13 w as significantly higher than that in the other groups(P 0.05),and T 3 content in group 12 w as higher than that in the other groups except for groups 4,8 and 15(P 0.05).The results indicate that selenium and vitamin E have a positive influence on nutrient apparent digestibility,nitrogen balance and energy metabolism.The optimum selenium and vitamin E supplemental levels are 0.3 mg / kg and 30 IU / kg,respectively.


The insulin superfamily proteins (ISPs), in particular, insulin, IGFs and relaxins are key modulators of animal physiology. They are known to have evolved from the same ancestral gene and have diverged into proteins with varied sequences and distinct functions, but maintain a similar structural architecture stabilized by highly conserved disulphide bridges. A recent surge of sequence data and the structures of these proteins prompted a need for a comprehensive analysis which connects the evolution of these sequences in the light of available functional and structural information and their interaction with cognate receptors. This study reveals a) unusually high sequence conservation of IGFs (>90%), which has never been reported before. In fact, it was interesting to observe that the functional domains (excluding signal peptide) of human, horse, pig and Ord's kangaroo rat are 100% identical. (b) an updated definition of the signature motif of the relaxin family (c) a non-canonical C-peptide cleavage site in a few killifish insulin sequences and so on. We also provide a structure-based rationale for such conservation by introducing a concept called binding partners imposed evolutionary constraints. Furthermore, the high conservation of IGFs appears to represent a classic case of resistance to sequence diversity exerted by physiologically important interactions with multiple partners. Furthermore, we propose a probable mechanism for C-peptide cleavage in killifish insulin sequences.


Morphological and cytological characteristics of the naturally occurring diploids (n=12), tetraploids (n=24), and hexaploids (n=36) of S. nigrum were studied.


In order to find an effective coupling effect of water and fertilizer and reduce non-point pollution,nitrogen transportation,dynamics and pollution in paddy field as affected by different levels of water and fertilizer are investigated by analyzing surface water and soil solution samples.The experiments are conducted in lysimeters and TN、NO-3 and NH+4 are analyzed during the whole season of rice growing.The results indicate that the value of contamination concentration reaches to the peak ten days after fertilizing,then drops rabidly and last approaches to a steady state.The drainage should be regulated in order to reduce the runoff of nitrogen.As affected by different level of water and fertilizer,the feature of NO-3 and NH+4 concentration is different in surface water and soil solution.The pollution produced by nitrogen in surface water in paddy field can be decreased by control irrigation,and the concentration in soil water is higher than traditional irrigation,however,the total leaching is lower.Overall,the pollution can be efficiently reduced by control irrigation.Under traditional irrigation,the effect of different levels of fertilizer on concentration of N is not obvious,but under control irrigation,the concentration of site-specific nutrient management(SSNM) is higher than farmers' fertilization practice(FFP).It can be concluded that the concentration of control irrigation and SSNM is an effective way for reducing nitrogen leaching.


Abstract The Excellence in Rehabilitation of Aging Persons Award lecture will feature an address by the 2020 Excellence in Rehabilitation Award recipient Kenneth J. Ottenbacher, PhD, OTR. The Excellence in Rehabilitation of Aging Persons Award is designed to acknowledge outstanding contributions in the field of the rehabilitation of aging individuals.


PBC neurons are critical for inspiratory rhythm generation and naturally increase epsilon subunit expression in GABAARs during pregnancy. Since epsilon subunits confer resistance to positive allosteric modulators (allopregnanolone and pentobarbital) that enhance chloride ion influx, epsilon expression may protect breathing during pregnancy when central allopregnanolone levels increase 3‐fold. We hypothesize that increased epsilon subunit expression increases when central neurosteroid concentrations are increased. Thus, we tested whether MPA treatment (progesterone analogue, 10 mg/kg, SQ, 7 days) increases epsilon subunit expression in the PBC. Multichannel electrodes were used to record spontaneous action potentials of PBC‐region neurons in medullary slices from control (n=7) and MPA‐treated (n=4) P30 rats before bath‐application of 300 μM pentobarbital. In neurons (n=68 cells) from control rats, the mean neuronal firing rate decreased to 44 ± 5% of baseline; 13% of cells were pentobarbital resistant. In neurons (n=31) from MPA‐treated rats, the mean neuronal firing rate was 91 ± 12% of baseline; 52% of cells were pentobarbital resistant. These data suggest that increased central neurosteroid levels are sufficient to increase epsilon expression in PBC‐region neurons, and thereby protect inspiratory motor output from excessive inhibition. Supported by NIH T32 HL07654.


We have developed a simple multi function vision system for 3D data acquisition for a wide range of applications in robotics and automation. The system uses one CCD video camera and an active directed laser light source based on a direct drive spherical pointing motor (SPM). The anatomy of the system and algorithms used are described. System calibration methods and measurements of accuracy of the outputs are presented. A list of applications is shown.


Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection progresses more rapidly to fibrosis among persons who are immunosuppressed than among those who are not. Most studies on this topic have involved patients who became immunocompromised after chronic HCV infection was already established. To learn more about individuals who develop …


Esters of pentavalent phosphorus acids are the most important class of organophosphorus (OP) compounds. They are derivatives of the following three parent acids, viz. phosphinic acid, phosphonic acid and phosphoric acid. Phosphorus compounds may be classified as anhydride, aliphatic, aromatic, and heterocyclic. The majority of OP insecticides are derivatives of phosphoric acid. Triesters of phosphoric acid (phosphates) are considered the prototype of the entire family of OP compounds, in which phosphorous is surrounded by 4 atoms of oxygen. Phosphorothionates (parathion, methyl parathion, diazinon, chlorpyrifos) and phosphorothioates contain a P=S bond. Cationic polyelectrolytes have also been employed for the substrate, which accelerate the hydrolysis. The reactivity of nucleophilic reagents (amines) towards the chlorpyrifos suggested that the reaction proceeds via both nucleophilic and general base catalysis. When substrate is catalysis by amines like ammonia, hydrazine and ethanolamine, etc. suggests that amines also react via nucleophilic attack at phosphorus to catalyze substrate. Nucleophilic cleavage of chlorpyrifos has been reported in the presence of hydroximate nucleophiles to release 3,5,6 trichloro 2-pyridinol with second order rate constants. Various amines like ethanolamine, hydrazine, imidazole, n-butylamine and ammonia etc. have been reported to catalyze chlorpyrifos via general base catalysis, in contrast to phosphonate diesters which undergo nucleophilic catalysis by amines. The hydrolytic study of substrate was performed in the presence of amine catalyst, at the temperature of 80C. The concentration of substrates and amine catalyst in all kinetic runs unless otherwise specified. All the measurement was done on the LC-20AD (ULFA Prominence Liquid Chromatography (Shimadzu) equipped with a UV/Vis detector (HPLC). The Kinetics was found to be of first order with respect to substrate concentration in both the free amine as well as in amine catalyzed reactions. In this study we found that amines catalysis reaction more efficiently at mild acidic regions and ammonia is better catalyst than the other amines. These results are quite encouraging for using ammonia as a powerful decontaminating agent for phosphorothinate ester pesticides at around neutral to slightly acidic pH range i.e. by water from any available source.


Presented bachelor thesis ?Financial Analysis of the Company KOTOUC STRAMBERK, Ltd.? is divided in two chapters. In the first chapter there are summarized theoretic findings of financial analysis issues and the company financial health appraisal, including especially methods and procedure of assessment. The practical chapter is concentrated on application of methods stated in the theoretic chapter and appraisal of finan-cial situation of chosen company.


Address delivered at the Lutheran School of Theology, Chicago, IL; October 14, 1975. Audio interrupted at tape direction change, tape end. (Audio digitized by permission of the Lutheran School of Theology. License available in Archives.)


A treatise on dropsy is not calculated to excite much expectation or interest at first sight, and we acknowledge that we took up this volume with some degree of reluctance. ^Considering how much had been written upon the same topic, and how scanty the information that had been communicated; how numerous the remedies which had been recommended, and how few the instances of cure that we had witnessed, or could expect to witness, since the dropsical effusion is generally a symptom of some serious derangement of the health, rather than itself a disease ; we sat down to the persual with no anticipations of interest or information to be derived from the task. But we


Solicitations induced by the passage of trains (wheels) on rail tracks are difficult to analyze, as there are many kinds of mechanical phenomena: impact, sliding and rolling. In order to make studies, the contact wheels/rails was simplified by a rig test which encountered a rigid steel disk to determine each mode of wear and fatigue. The model was built in the form of a machine-test. This paper presents a numerical model of the rig test and results obtained are compared with the experimental data. A good correlation between numerical and experimental value of the dimensions of contact zone is obtained. The influence of contact parameters on the damage of the crossing material (Hadfield steel) was investigated by numerical model of the impact-sliding contact test.


Zinc oxide(ZnO) is an exceptionally important semiconductor material.Due to the wide band gap energy(3.37eV) and large exciton-binding energy(60 meV),it is suitable for making short-wavelength light-emitting diodes and laser diodes.Bulk ZnO single crystal growth methods,including chemical vapor transport,the hydrothermal process and the flux method,are summarized.The principles as well as the advantages and disadvantages of these methods are reviewed.The growth parameters and characteristics of ZnO single crystals grown by the hydrothermal and flux methods are discussed in particular.The growth process and formation mechanism of ZnO crystal in KOH+H2O molten solution is described in detail.The growth defects and their influence on ZnO properties are also discussed.


Project- based learning (PBL) is a constructivist approach to learning which has been used successfully in a variety of settings and has received recognition as a method of enabling students to acquire 21st century skills (Cyprian, 2014: & Al- Ali, 2015). Some (Al-Saifi, 2016; Taskin-Can, 2011; & Baysura et al., 2016) have argued that if pre-service teachers are to be effective at implementing PBL with their students, they need repeated experiential exposure to the model in their university teacher training programs. One area of investigation has focused on the ability of pre-service teachers to implement the PBL model within their own classroom instructional experiences despite demonstrating adequate knowledge about PBL in their university coursework. The purpose of this manuscript is to address the value of preparing pre-service teachers to be K-12 science teachers through immersing them in PBL methodology in order to enhance their future teaching practices by modeling PBL teaching methodology in their university courses. It also sheds the light on online implementation of PBL and technology integration. 45 relevant studies have been reviewed in this manuscript. The challenges of implementing PBL found in the literature were mainly related to four: programs' policy, professional development, environment, and students' willingness. Professional development sessions for faculty members, partnerships with local and international organizations specialists in this area of learning, and continuous evaluation of the current programs can be helpful strategies in achieving successful implementation of PBL in teacher preparation programs. Implementing PBL in teacher preparation programs contributes in fully integrating theory and practice; and positively influences student teachers' professional, academic and personal skills.


This paper concentrates on the size of mango fruit. Mangoes grading by humans in current agricultural industry are subjective, inconsistent and inefficient because there is an individual difference in visual inspecting which is affected by environment, physical and psychological conditions. In this paper, fuzzy logic is used to create a novel grading method. A membership function and fuzzy rules are generated from training instances based on minimum entropy formulas. Computer and Red Green and Blue (RGB) fiber optic sensor are used to examine and clarify data corresponding to human judgment and intelligence. A total of 77.78% of accuracy is achevied under the proposed method which capable of differentiating three different grades of mango. This paper offers a competent practice and capable to be applied to improve and standardize the current mango fruit grading system.


A focus measurement for astronomical images is a significant factor in astrometry research because an accurate measure of celestial objects' properties is focus-dependent. In this paper, we compare a new proposed focus measure with other focus measure operators. The operators are chosen from a review of the state-of-the-art and applied to two sequences of star clusters. These sequences are observed using the 74-inches telescope of the Kottamia astronomical observatory (KAO) at different focus positions. Each data set contains in-focus and out-of-focus frames. The focus operators are ranked according to accuracy, range, the number of false maximum, and the width of the curve. The ranking criteria clarify that the proposed reduced Tenegrad can achieve the best performance to the focus measure.


Derided at the time of its release, Suzuki Seijun's hitman noir now looks like a masterpiece from Japan's first postmodern filmmaker.


Fabricating holographic apodized gratings is often impeded by nonlinear property of materials, which makes the resultant profile out of expectation. In this paper, the new scheme to fabricate Gaussian apodized grating is proposed. Instead of fixed Gaussian recording beams, recording beam profiles that can compensate the nonlinear sensitivity of the material at low recording intensities are created by a gray level spatial light modulator (SLM). DuPont's HRF-150-38 photopolymer is chosen because of its stability and ease to use. As the first result of the experiment, a Gaussian grating of 2.7±0.02mm standard deviation is recorded at 0.3mW/cm2 recording intensity after exposure of 300 seconds.


The Johnson–Cook (J–C) constitutive model is not suitable for Ti-6Al-4V alloy in the high-speed cutting finite element simulation, as it has no response dynamic recrystallization softening effect under heavy impact and high temperature. In this paper, an improved constitutive model considering the recrystallization effect was established, and the parameters were fitted with the data of flow stress–strain of the Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) test. The relevant theories of cutting finite element simulation were studied, such as nonlinear constitutive elastic–plastic deformation, strain state, and material yield. A subroutine that included the Recht shear failure instability criterion and the improved model was coded in Fortran and embedded in the finite element simulation software AdvantEdge FEM, along with the return mapping stress integration algorithm. The simulated stress of the improved model dropped dramatically from 460 MPa to 220 MPa when the temperature rises from 950 °C to 1000 °C, and its decline reached 46.7%, while the J–C model only decreased by 10%. Comparative studies indicate that the stress change of the improved constitutive simulation is closer to the SHPB test results than the J–C constitutive, and the new one is more suitable when it expresses the high temperature and heavy impact in the high-speed milling.


M A ANY ANALYSTS HAVE ARGUED that there is no nuclear industry. Even if there is, there are so many statements by industrialists that profits from atomic energy activities are a thing of the future that now there may appear little reason for interest. This is a superficial conclusion. Actually, some very important companies and industries are being changed materially and a heavy foot is on the accelerator, research.


Coatings failures on North Sea oil and gas platforms within 1 to 2 years of application were due to inadequate film thicknesses, improper surface preparation, poor application by unskilled painters, poor standards of quality inspection, and lack of environmental control during application phases. Systems involved application of various zinc loaded primers, intermediate and surface coats, chlorinated rubber and vinyl. Maintenance procedures are hampered by inclement weather. Improvements have been affected by an on site testing program and by the use of independent inspectors. /Author/


Graph data are prevalent in communication networks, social media, and biological networks. These data, which are often noisy or inexact, can be represented by uncertain graphs, whose edges are associated with probabilities to indicate the chances that they exist. Recently, researchers have studied various algorithms (e.g., clustering, classification, and k-NN) for uncertain graphs. These solutions face two problems: (1) high dimensionality: uncertain graphs are often highly complex, which can affect the mining quality; and (2) low reusability, where an existing mining algorithm has to be redesigned to deal with uncertain graphs. To tackle these problems, we propose a solution called URGE, or UnceRtain Graph Embedding. Given an uncertain graph G, URGE generates G's embedding, or a set of low-dimensional vectors, which carry the proximity information of nodes in G. This embedding enables the dimensionality of G to be reduced, without destroying node proximity information. Due to its simplicity, existing mining solutions can be used on the embedding. We investigate two low- and high-order node proximity measures in the embedding generation process, and develop novel algorithms to enable fast evaluation. To our best knowledge, there is no prior study on the use of embedding for uncertain graphs. We have further performed extensive experiments for clustering, classification, and k-NN on several uncertain graph datasets. Our results show that URGE attains better effectiveness than current uncertain data mining algorithms, as well as state-of-the-art embedding solutions. The embedding and mining performance is also highly efficient in our experiments.