Here, we report a case of Cockayne syndrome (CS) in a Japanese man who displayed a unique pathology of phosphorylated trans‐activation response (TAR) DNA‐binding protein 43 (pTDP‐43) with abundant Rosenthal fibers. Many round pTDP‐43‐positive structures were detected throughout the CNS; however, most of them were located in two regions that also exhibited neuronal depletion: the cerebellar cortex and the inferior olivary nucleus. To a lesser extent, these aggregates were also present in the cerebellar white matter, around the subependymal regions in the brain stem, and in the spinal cord. Intraneuronal pTDP‐43 inclusions were only observed in a small number of neurons in the inferior olivary nucleus. Double‐label immunofluorescence revealed that many of the aggregates were localized to astrocytes. The observed distribution and the morphology of the pTDP‐43‐positive structures were unique and have not yet been reported. Therefore, a pTDP‐43‐related pathology may be implicated in CS as well as in other neurodegenerative diseases such as frontotemporal lobar degeneration and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Whether the pathology of these diseases reflects a primary neurodegenerative process or a secondary reaction is not known.


Based on the analysis of the clamped,input,voltage current mirror,a modified active current mirror is presented. According to the result of simulating by specreS simulator with BSIM3v3 transistor model parameters of Austria Mikro Systeme 0.6μm n-well CMOS technology. The current mirror achieves high current transfer accuracy in five,order range of input current, and offers resolution higher than 10bits(error term less than 1/2LSB). It is suitable for the 5MHz sampling rate ADC circuits.


We consider the problem of communication over a classical-quantum broadcast channel with one sender and two receivers. Generalizing the classical inner bounds shown by Marton and the recent quantum asymptotic version shown by Savov and Wilde, we obtain one-shot inner bounds in the quantum setting. Our bounds are stated in terms of hypothesis testing and one-shot max divergences. These results give a full justification of the claims of Savov and Wilde in the classical-quantum asymptotic iid setting; the techniques also yield similar bounds in the information spectrum setting. We obtain these results using a different analysis of the random codebook argument; our method yields a classical one-shot Marton bound with a common message and a classical one-shot mutual covering lemma based on rejection sampling.


We study joint processing (JP) for network MIMO systems where base stations exchange the user's message and channel state information under per-BS power constraint. In this letter, we propose a weighted sum mean square error (WS-MSE) minimization algorithm for the JP systems by considering the channel gain as the weight factor in the MSE metric. To efficiently solve the formulated WS-MSE problem, an alternating optimization method which iteratively finds a local optimal solution is employed in our algorithm. The simulation results confirm that the proposed algorithm provides the sum rate performance close to the near-optimal gradient ascent approach and outperforms conventional schemes. In addition, we also propose a modified WS-MSE design which is robust to channel mismatch caused by channel estimation and feedback errors.


W A number of studies'-" have documented the fact that, in normal subjects, the visual evoked response (VER) may be of higher voltage over the cerebral hemisphere opposite the visual field in which the photic stimulus is situated. Bitemporal hemianopsia provides a clinical situation that offers an additional opportunity to assess the components affected and the extent of the variations caused by differential hemispheric inputs, since the central connections of the intact visual half-field of each eye project to the ipsilateral visual area. VER data in individual cases have been reported previously by Vaughan and Katztnan" and Lehmann and associates. A scalp-wide plotting technic has been used in the present study to define the spatial characteristics of each major component of the VER. It is shown that ( 1 ) the voltage maxima of several, but not all, components of the VER are maximal ipsilateral to the eye being stimulated, (2) the observed asymmetries involve late components, as well as early ones, and (3) successive components have distinctive areal distributions.


The article provides statistical data on the effectiveness and side effects of topical drugs in the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis. The absence of clinical symptoms leads to late diagnosis and treatment of the disease. The main goal is to draw up the correct treatment plan and prevent the occurrence of a secondary infection, as well as prevent the early onset of the scarring stage. It is characterized by increased levels of IL-12, IL-2, IFN-y and THF-a in response to increased Th1 and decreased modulation of IL-4 and IL-10 production, which promotes increased macrophage activity, which is critical for management and clinical treatment of the leishmaniasis parasite.


This Paper evaluates the constitutionality of an administrative law approach to torture victim compensation and torture deterrence. Notwithstanding Jose Padilla's initial trial court success against John Yoo, individuals that have been tortured in the course of the war on terror have little hope of obtaining monetary compensation. Commentators have reacted with a variety of proposals nested in administrative law. Unfortunately, forcing the federal government to pay damages is unlikely to deter torture - claims against federal officials might be necessary. I argue that under a permissive reading of Granfinanciera v. Nordberg, Congress can create Article I tribunals that adjudicate claims for money damages against federal officials.


OBJECTIVES : To determine the characteristics of the enteroperitoneal TBC ( TBC- E) as a cause of surgical emergency. MATERIAL AND METHODS : Review of medical records of 40 patients operated at the Emergency Hospital Dos de Mayo with the diagnosis of TB -E ( 1990-1996 ) . RESULTS : The most affected age group was 21-30 years ( 45 % ) , predominantly male ( 62.5 %). History of pulmonary tuberculosis was found in 14 ( 35%). The clinical picture is characterized by abdominal pain ( 100 % ), nausea (77.5% ), vomiting (72.5% ) , abdominal distension (62.5 %) and abdominal wall resistance ( 55%). In E175 % compatible radiological pic-tures with pulmonary TB was found. The time of disease prior to surgery was less than a week in 67.5 %. 100% was laparotomized being most affected intestinal segments ileocecal and ileal (38.5% each). The pathology was ( +) in 17 of 30 samples ( 56.7 %). The postoperative hospitalization was less than a week at 55 %. 4 patients died ( 10%). CONCLUSIONS: TBC- E can cause acute surgical abdomen and should be considered in our hospitals emergencies .


The purpose of this study was to (a) identify the motivational factor for subscribing to collegiate athletics" social media (b) analyze the effect of subscribing to collegiate athletics" online social media on team identification (c) analyze the effect of subscribing to collegiate athletics" online social media on behavior intentions mediated by team identification. The study also examined the difference across demographic information which can be used for fan segmentation. By analyzing a total of 146 undergraduate students from University of Arkansas Recreation and Sport Management classes, this dissertation found the following. This study verified seven motives for subscribing to school teams" social media including information, diversion, socialization, pass-time, fanship, team support, technical knowledge through a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). In addition, a result of multiple regression indicated that five of seven motives including diversion (β = .210, p < .01), socialization (β = .220, p < .001), fanship (β = .184, p < .05), team support (β = .139, p <. 05), technical knowledge (β = .218, p < .001) significantly predicted social media consumption. According to a result of simple regression, social media consumption significantly predicted team identification, F(1, 144) = 61.35, p <. 001. Both the linear relationship between team identification and intention to recommend [F(1, 144) = 120.24, p <.001] and the linear relationship between team identification and intention to attend the game [F(1, 144) = 210.00, p <.001] were statistically significant. Furthermore, this dissertation found the mediating effect of team identification on the relationship between social media consumption and intentions based on a four step approach (Baron & Kenny, 1986). These results will expand the growing literature on social media in sport and offer practical data for marketers to use social media more effectively.


It is shown that ${\mathrm{AdS}}_{5}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{\mathrm{S}}^{5}$ supergravity has hitherto unnoticed supersymmetric properties that are related to a hidden 12-dimensional structure. The totality of the ${\mathrm{AdS}}_{5}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{\mathrm{S}}^{5}$ supergravity Kaluza-Klein towers is given by a single superfield that describes the quantum states of a 12-dimensional supersymmetric particle. The particle has super phase space ${(X}^{M}{,P}^{M},\ensuremath{\Theta}),$ with a $(10,2)$ signature and 32 fermions. The worldline action is constructed as a generalization of the supersymmetric particle action in two-time physics. $\mathrm{SU}(2,2|4)$ is a linearly realized global supersymmetry of the 2T action. The action is invariant under the gauge symmetries Sp $(2,R),$ $\mathrm{SO}(4,2),$ $\mathrm{SO}(6),$ and fermionic kappa. These gauge symmetries ensure unitarity and causality while allowing the reduction of the 12-dimensional super phase space to the correct super phase space for ${\mathrm{AdS}}_{5}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{\mathrm{S}}^{5}$ or ${M}^{4}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{R}^{6}$ with 16 fermions and one time, or other dually related one time spaces. One of the predictions of this formulation is that all of the SU$(2,2|4)$ representations that describe Kaluza-Klein towers in ${\mathrm{AdS}}_{5}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{\mathrm{S}}^{5}$ or ${M}^{4}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{R}^{6}$ supergravity universally have vanishing eigenvalues for all the Casimir operators. This prediction has been partially verified directly in ${\mathrm{AdS}}_{5}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{\mathrm{S}}^{5}$ supergravity. This suggests that the supergravity spectrum supports a hidden $(10,2)$ structure. A possible duality between ${\mathrm{AdS}}_{5}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{\mathrm{S}}^{5}$ and ${M}^{4}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{R}^{6}$ supergravities is also indicated. Generalizations of the approach applicable 10-dimensional super Yang-Mills theory and 11-dimensional M theory are briefly discussed.


Abstract Shoot and root dry matter yields of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) grown on the solutions containing 0.025 and 5.0 μg boron (B)/mL (referred to as B1 and B3, respectively) were less than those grown on the solutions containing 0.5 μg B/mL (referred to as B2). Silicon (Si) added increased shoot and root dry matter yields of B1‐treated plants, while decreased those of B3‐treated plants. Shoot and root dry matter yields of B2‐treated plants were slightly affected by Si added. The effect of B and Si on leaf area was similar to that on shoot and root dry matter yields. Excessive B supply (B3) and B deficiency (B1) resulted in a decrease in net photosynthetic rate. Silicon added increased the net photosynthetic rate under B deficiency, but had little effect at normal and excessive B levels. Silicon seems to enhance B uptake and accumulation by plants under B deficiency, but depresses B uptake at normal and excessive B levels. The Si/B ratios of B1‐ and B2‐treated plants were much lower than those of ...


Halo - boron compound (B-X compounds, one or more of boron - a compound having a halogen bound) when the reacting silanes, boranes (B-H compounds, one or more of the B-H compounds having a bond) to give the halosilanes. Inorganic hydrides such as surface-bonded hydrogen silane (Si-H) produces a halosilanes bound B-H compound and the surface reacts with B-X compound. Surface bound halosilane is reversed into the silanes were surface bonded by an electrochemical technique. Halo - boron compound produces a stannane compound (Sn-H tin compounds having a bond) and reacted with boranes and halostannanes compound (tin compound having a Sn-X bond). Halostannanes acids is reversed into stannanes such by thermal decomposition of Sn- formate compound by an electrochemical technique. Halo - When boron compound is BCl


In this present study, we dealt with relative clause typologies in the world languages in general and Turkic Type Relative Clause typology in particular. By doing this, we compared Turkish relative clause construction with Japanese, Korean and Hungarian ones, which are all considered in Uralic and Altaic Language Family. In doing this, we made use of Chomskian theories called Generative-Transformational Grammar and Governement and Binding Thoery. As is known, Chomsky declared that all languages have the same typolgy in the Deep Structure. The changes among languages are witnessed in Surface Structure. There is a transformation between deep structure and surface structure. It means that, a noun pharse can be moved to another place leaving an empty place behind by constructing a chain between the empty place and its antecedents (moved element). When we * Bu makale, ICANAS 38 (10-15 eylül 2007) Uluslarası Asya ve Kuzey Afrika ÇalıĢmaları Kongresi'nde sunulan bildiriden geniĢletilerek yazılmıĢtır.  Yard. Doç. Dr., Celal Bayar Üniversitesi, ÇağdaĢ Türk Lehçeleri, elmek: email@example.com Türk Dili Sıfat-Fiilli Yapı Tipolojisinin Japon, Kore ve Macar Tipolojileri... 1313 Turkish Studies International Periodical For the Languages, Literature and History of Turkish or Turkic Volume 6/1 Winter 2011 compared Turkic type relative clause typology with Japanese, Korean and Hungarian, we amasingly saw that the strategies are the same in these langauges.


The relationship between experiencing major stress events (MSEs) and changes in appearance (CAs) was studied in a sample of 128 participants. All participants completed the Major Stress Event and Changes in Appearance Inventory. Results indicated a significant correlation between experiencing MSEs and considered or actual CAs (r = .50 p < .01). Scores on the Changes in Appearance Inventory were significantly higher in groups with moderate to high scores on the Major Stress Event scale. This relationship between MSEs and CAs was affected by age but not gender. These results suggest that stressful life events may prompt body image dissatisfaction and underlie motivations for changes in body appearance to promote self-image. Successive or dramatic appearance changes may be an important signal of stressful experiences.


Protists are microscopic organisms which play an important role in nutrient degradation in tank bromeliads (Carrias et al 2001). Their diverse communities provide good subjects of study on community assembly and their existence in bromeliads make them a unique, yet accessible case study. Resource based models suggest that an increase in resources leads to an increase in biodiversity. Since no two species can occupy the same niche, increased resources can lead to niche differentiation, promoting community diversity (Osborne 2000). This study hypothesized that as the amount of light, area, water, and food sources increase in a bromeliad community, the diversity of protists will also increase. Data were collected among 48 bromeliads at the Ecolodge San Luis (1100 m), Monteverde, Costa Rica, at the end of dry season, between April 20 and May 5, 2005. Shannon Weiner indices (H', N, S, and E) were calculated and analyzed against the four resources (light, area, water, and food source) using a multiple regression. The results of the multiple regression showed that an increase in these resources had no significant effect on protist diversity in bromeliads (p values > 0.05). This study indicates that there may have been other factors influencing protist diversity in bromeliads. An increase in resource diversity may have effects on protist diversity, but further study is needed.


Peptides have shown Promising effect as pharmaceutics with the potential to treat a widevariety of diseases. Peptides are mostly synthesized by biological technology or chemicalmethods. Solution phasepeptide synthesis (SPS) and solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) aretwo major chemical techniques for peptidesproduction.In this research, the synthesis ofdipeptde(β-alanine-L-histidine)wasexaminedby the both SPS and SPPS methods. Thesolution phase synthesizeswasdonebyN-phthalic anhydride as a protective group andthe solidphase using standardtert-Butyloxycarbonyl (BOC) and Fluorenylmethyloxycarbonylchloride(Fmoc).Inthe both methods,themicrowave was assisted in different steps. Themolecular structure of the dipeptide(β-alanine-L-histidine)  wasdefined using differentspectrometrymethods such as:UV-Vis, FT-IR, 1HNMR and LC-Massanalysis.


The Tennessee Self-Concept Scale (TSCS) was individually administered to 905 juvenile offenders and their responses subjected to factor analysis in an attempt to verify the multidimensional factor structure of the self upon which the TSCS is based (Fitts, 1965). There was no evidence to support a multifactorial internal structure for the TSCS in this population. A single factor which accounted for the majority of the variance was supported, consistent with previous studies in other age groups. The use of the standard interpretive guidelines offered in the TSCS manual does not appear to be warranted for this population, although the total positive score may be interpretable as an index of overall level of self-esteem.


Intelligent tower crane has large structure deadweight. The service life of the whole machine is dependent on the life of the structure. As a result, the metal structure should be designed by using correct and reasonable methods to obtain excellent fatigue properties. And it can guide the design, manufacturing, use and maintenance process for crane. And it has great significance to prevent the fatigue fracture accident. The theoretical mechanics and material mechanics theory is a semi-theoretical semi-empirical traditional design method, but it is not the suitable design method. Now, the finite element method, fracture mechanics, the boundary element method, the optimization design method, reliability design and fatigue design methods are widely used in the structure design of crane. In this paper, the intelligent tower crane structure is analyzed by finite element modeling. According to the actual situation, crane structure is studied by finite element statics analysis. Then mechanical property of this kind of structure is analyzed in detail. And the weak links of the structure are found out. The residual life can be estimated finally. As a result, designers can comprehensively understand the fatigue life distribution of different parts in the crane. Therefore, they can provide intuitive and comprehensive basis for comparing the advantages and disadvantages of different design schemes and fatigue performances for design improvement.


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BACKGROUND: Anionic surfactant sodium bis (2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT) had an inhibiting effect on lignin peroxidase (LiP). To improve the catalytic activity of LiP in an AOT reversed micelle in isooctane, nonionic surfactant polyoxyethylene lauryl ether (Brij30) was incorporated into the interfacial membrane. H2O2 played dual roles in the LiP-catalyzed oxidation of substrates. To obtain a sustainable high activity of LiP, a coupled enzymatic reaction, i.e. the glucose oxidase (GOD)-catalyzed oxidation of glucose was used as an H2O2 source.

RESULTS: Owing to modification of the charge density of the interfacial membrane, the activity of LiP in an optimized AOT/Brij30 reversed micellar medium (χB (the molar percentage of Brij30) = 0.53, ω0 ([H2O]/([AOT] + [Brij30]) = 23, pH = 4.8) was 40 times that in a single AOT reversed micelle. Due to the controlled release of H2O2, the concentration of H2O2 in the mixed reversed micellar medium was maintained at a moderately high level throughout, which made the LiP-catalyzed oxidation of substrates proceed at a higher conversion rate than counterparts in which H2O2 was supplied externally in one batch at the beginning of the reaction. Decolourization of two waterless-soluble aromatic dyes (pyrogallol red and bromopyrogallol red) using LiP coupled with GOD in the medium also demonstrated that a higher decolourization percentage was obtained if H2O2 was supplied enzymatically.

CONCLUSION: The proposed measures (both physicochemical and biochemical) were very effective, giving significant improvement in the catalytic performance of LiP in a single AOT reversed micelle in isooctane, which helped to degrade or transform hydrophobic aromatic compounds with LiP in reversed micelles more efficiently. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry


In the context of the Third International Conference on Humanistic Discourse, this text introduces Andreas Kablitz's « RenaissanceRebirth : Some Remarks about the Humanistic Interpretation of History » and reports on the central concerns that emerged in its discussion.


For stratifying skewed populations, the Lavallee-Hidiroglou(LH) algorithm is often considered to have a take-all stratum with the largest units and some take-some strata with the middle-size and small units. Related to its iterative nature have been reported some numerical difficulties such as the dependency of the ultimate stratum boundaries to a choice of initial boundaries and the slow convergence to locally-optimum boundaries. The geometric stratification has been recently proposed to provide initial boundaries that can avoid such numerical difficulties in implementing the LH algorithm. Since the geometric stratification does not pursuit the optimization but the equalization of the stratum CVs, the corresponding stratum boundaries may not be (near) optimal. This paper revisits these issues concerning convergence and near-optimality of optimal stratification algorithms using artificial numerical examples. We also discuss the formation of the strata and the sample allocation under the optimization process and some aspects related to discontinuity arisen from the finiteness of both population and sample as well.


OBJECTIVE
The EORTC Quality of Life Group has developed a questionnaire for evaluating Quality of Life in international clinical trials: EORTC QLQ-C30, which is widely used in many countries. The purpose of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of the third version of this questionnaire, EORTC QLQ-C30 (version 3.0), when applied to Spanish prostate cancer patients.

METHODS
A sample of 137 prostate cancer patients prospectively filled in the questionnaire three times: on the first and last day of the treatment, and in the followup period. Psychometric evaluation of the structure, reliability and validity was made.

RESULTS
Multitrait scaling analysis showed that most item-scale correlation coefficients met the standards of convergent and discriminant validity. Few exceptions appeared mainly in CF Most scales had low to moderate inter-correlations. Cronbach's coefficients of the scales were above 0.7, except for the CF and NV values. Group comparison analyses showed better QL in patients with higher Performance Status. Changes in functioning and symptom areas appeared throughout the different measurements, which were in line with the treatment process.

CONCLUSIONS
The EORTC QLQC30 (version 3.0) appeared as a reliable and valid instrument when applied to a sample of Spanish prostrate cancer patients. The results are in line with previous studies.


We present a multispectral laser for LIDAR applications based on stimulated Raman scattering in a hydrogen-filled hollow-core photonic crystal fiber. Six rotational Stokes orders with unique temporal profiles are produced in 1.5-2 bar H2 with 7 ns pulses from a 1.064 μm pump laser.


Introduction Emergency medicine (EM) is a long-awaited specialty to be established in Nepal, although it has been practiced for a long time starting with hospitals in Nepal. Currently, almost all hospital emergency departments in Nepal are run under general practitioners (GPs) as emergency consultants (emergency physicians) and medical officers work as 24-hour duty doctors. Methods This was a five-year observational study (2006–2010) after the Department of General Practice joined with MD in Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Institute of Medicine, Kathmandu, Nepal. Results There are no academically trained MD physicians working in Nepal according to the Nepal Medical Council's Registered Doctors, however, there are Nepalese doctors trained and working in EM in foreign countries. There is a demand of training those GPs interested in EM in a Fellowship/MPhil/MD program. There is a need for developing curriculum of EM for the Fellowship/MPhil/MD or for a different level of training collaborating with universities abroad. There is no ideal prehospital EM/emergency medical services capable of ambulance services. There must be a national code for mobilization and it must be under an umbrella of a governmental Department of GP and EM. Development of infrastructure for the EM department in every hospital in different parts of country is also a challenging task. Standards must be developed for EM and the EMS according to the need of the country. All known and unknown challenges can be addressed by coordinating with international support.


This article explores the development of religious discourse surrounding the experiences of the atomic bombings of 1945. Although there have been attempts to discuss the ethics of the use of the bomb and nuclear weaponry from theological perspectives, little exists in the way of religious approaches to the experiences of those who suffered directly from the atomic bombings. I argue that religious understandings can and should contribute to the existing atomic bomb discourse, which is largely determined by a nation-state framework.


This paper begins with an outline of the role of the traffic engineer as an expert in vehicle collision reconstruction cases. It then briefly describes the range of functions a traffic engineer may be called upon to provide in the process of evaluating and presenting collision data before the Courts. The paper then provides a check list of vehicle investigation data and lists in the Appendix a range of formulae which have been found useful in collision investigation cases. Like most professional skills, the evaluation and subsequent presentation of expert evidence on vehicle collision reconstruction before the Courts can be said to comprise both an art and a science. The paper also outlines the importance of the relationship with Counsel and provides advice on some of the problems which might be encountered in the Court.


Polymer encapsulants are an essential component in photovoltaic (PV) devices, providing mechanical support, optical coupling, and electrical and physical isolation. However, moisture ingress into the module can degrade these polymers and subsequently the performance of the device. In this paper, we report experimental measurements of the temporal evolution of moisture content in ethylene‐vinyl acetate (EVA) encapsulant in a double‐glass PV module. Using physical properties of EVA as determined by water vapour transmission rate measurements, we simulate diffusion of water into the module using a finite element model. The model accounts for realistic geometry of our module and is used to simulate accelerated test conditions and outdoor operation in geographic locations. Using the calculated results, we propose two schemes using the accelerated test results to understand the behaviour of modules operating in humid climates. Finally, we show that the time needed to reach the saturation water concentration can be increased by as much as a factor of two by reducing the initial water content in EVA films.


This manuscript describes the approach to stabilize the line of sight (LOS) of 2-axis gimbal system. For stabilization of LOS the direct approach technique have been used. LOS stabilization is needed in missile guidance, gun target, and handheld cameras. The compensator has been composed utilizing Linear-Quadratic-Gaussian (LQG), Linear-Quadratic Regulator (LQR) and H-infinity technique furthermore with PID controller, to meet the prerequisite of following command rate, unsettling influence constriction and stability robustness. The plant model was simulated under disturbance and without disturbance. This paper has also demonstrated bode plot and the step response of LQR/LQG and H-infinity controller to meet the design specifications. The simulation of the plant model is carried under MATLAB tool. The result collected from H-infinity controller are far better than above all methodologies as it reduces the error up to minimum and also reduces the overshoot in the system and make the system speed faster. It also increases the Gain margin and Phase margin of the system and makes the system without lack of robustness.


Abstract Objective To estimate the prevalence of severe dual sensory loss (DSL) among older persons (aged ≥65 years) in the Swedish population, to identify the diagnoses that cause severe DSL, and to identify rehabilitation services in which the participants have been involved. Design A cross-sectional design was applied. Medical records from Audiological, Low Vision, and Vision clinics from two Swedish counties were used. Study sample 1257 adults, aged ≥65 years with severe hearing loss (HL) (≥70 dB HL) were included, whereof 101 had decimal visual acuity ≤0.3. Results Based on the population size in the two counties (≥65 years, n = 127,638), the prevalence of severe DSL was approximately 0.08% in the population. Within the group having DSL (n = 101), 61% were women and 71% were aged ≥85 years. Common diagnoses were cataract and/or age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in combination with HL. The rehabilitation services offered were mainly hearing aids and various magnifiers. Conclusions The study confirmed previous results, indicating that the prevalence of severe DSL increases with age and that sensorineural HL and cataract, AMD or glaucoma coexist. The identified rehabilitation services mainly focussed on either vision loss or HL but not on severe DSL as a complex health condition.


Safety climate refers to organizational perceptions, policies, procedures and practices. Safety climate could affect the way workers carry out work in the form of safe and unsafe actions. Unsafe action was incompatibility between procedures or rules with the actions taken. The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship of safety climate with unsafe actions on the building project X Semarang. Dependent variable in this study was unsafe action. While the independent variables were commitment and management competency in safety, management safety empowerment, and management safety justice that were dimensions from the safety climate. The study used a quantitative method with a cross sectional design. Samples were 87 people with the proportional sampling method. Instrument used Nordic Safety Climate Questioner and observation checklist for unsafe act. The results of observations show that unsafe actions outweigh safe actions. Based on the results of the Rank Spearman test, there was a relationship between management safety empowerment and management safety justice with unsafe actions.


The paper presents an explicit and complete implementation of a platform which includes an embedded system and the software necessary to recognize hand gestures on the basis of which an environment is controlled. The platform is developed using an ATmega328P controller and it is based on active infrared (IR) proximity sensor. The proposed platform will be used to detect hand gesture and also approximate the distance with a higher accuracy. This deployment provides the beginner developer with a platform for understanding, testing and learning the concepts of an embedded system, human machine interface (HMI) and a closed loop controller that works in real time. The experimental results were obtained using four active infrared (IR) proximity sensor, a temperature sensor, a buzzer and a relay, all connected to the Atmega328P microcontroller. They are used to demonstrate the functionality of the platform. The main purpose is realization of a reliable gesture sensor which is easy to build and understand, also facilitating future improvements and capabilities.


Summary.— Eight patients with symptomatic porphyria (porphyria cutanea tarda symptomatica, PCT) were treated with small doses of chloroquin sulphate over periods ranging from 2 to 16 weeks. A good clinical and biochemical response was obtained in all but one patient, who relapsed after initial improvement. Manifestations of acute untoward reaction were seen in one patient only. It is concluded that low dose chloroquine therapy is both safe and effective in PCT.


The Apiaceae (previously known as the Umbelliferae) is one of the largest plant families in the world. This family comprises approximately 450 genera and 3700 species worldwide. The members of this family are well known as vegetables, culinary and medicinal plants. Members of Apiaceae possess various compounds with many biological activities. Some of the main properties are ability to induce apoptosis, antibacterial, hepatoprotective, vaso-relaxant, cyclooxygenase inhibitory and antitumor activities. In this study, 70% methanol extract prepared from the aerial parts of Eryngium billardieri, which belongs to Apiaceae family, and ethyl acetate, n-butanol fractions obtained from this extract were investigated by MTT method for cytotoxic effect on MCF7 (human breast cancer cell line) cell line. In result, the methanol extract was found more cytotoxic than fractions with 99.50 µg/mL IC50 value on MCF7 cell line.


The biradicals produced in the type I photocleavage of cycloalkanones in solution can be trapped by nitric oxide. The reaction results in the formation of relatively long-lived cyclic nitroxide radicals which contain structural information on the nature of the two biradical ends. The reaction is likely to proceed in a stepwise manner. In the case of 2-methylcyclohexanone the radical produced is I, for which g = 2.0066, ..cap alpha../sub N/ = 7.07 G, and ..cap alpha../sub H/ = 1.91 G.


With great interest we read the article "Progression of fatigue in Parkinson's disease - a 9-year follow-up" by Ongre et al.(1). The authors compared the course of fatigue in subjects with Parkinson's disease (PD) and a healthy control group identifying higher fatigue rates in PD patients, along with several factors associated with fatigue.


This paper presents a model environment for construction of patient-specific computational fluid dynamic (CFD) models for the abdominal aorta (AA). Realistic pulsatile velocity waveforms are employed by using in vivo ultrasound blood flow measurements. Ultrasound is suitable for acquisition of blood velocity profiles, but these are influenced by noise, which will cause convergence problems in CFD simulations. Therefore, physiological smoothing of the velocity profiles is needed. This paper uses the Womersley-Evans model for physiological smoothing of measured blood velocity profiles in the AA. The geometry for the CFD simulation model was obtained by segmentation of MRI scans using a 3 Tesla scanner (Magnetom Trio, Siemens Healthcare, Erlangen, Germany). Spectral velocity data were obtained from a BK Medical ProFocus scanner using a research interface. All data were obtained from healthy volunteers. The estimated and smoothed velocity profiles were quantitatively compared. The energy contained in the velocity profile after smoothing is 65% larger relative to the noise contaminated estimated profiles. In conclusion, a model environment that produces realistic patient-specific CFD simulation models without convergence issues has been developed. The data processing for the model environment can be performed within six hours which is fast enough to be used in the clinical setting.


The effects of the various xenon and krypton isotopes on the nuclear shielding of 19F in xenon and krypton difluoride in solution were studied by 19F NMR spectroscopy. For both molecules, linear relationships were observed between the one‐bond secondary isotope shift of the 19F nucleus, 1Δ; 19F(m′/128Xe) and 1Δ 19F(m′/78Kr), and the relative mass factor, (m′ − m)/m′, and also between the shifts and the quadratic mean bond displacement, 〈(Δr)2〉. On the basis of the latter correlation and the linear relationship between 〈Δr〉 and 〈(Δr)2〉 for the linear combination of the first and second derivatives of the 19F shielding, the values −1742 and −5804 ppm Å−2, respectively, were determined. Further, the temperature dependence of the 129Xe and 19F chemical shifts and the 129Xe, 19F indirect spin‐spin coupling of XeF2 were determined. The 129Xe chemical shift is extremely sensitive to temperature with Δδ/ΔT = −0.4718 ppm K−1, whereas for 19F Δδ/ΔT = +0.0042 ppm K−1. In contrast, the 129Xe, 19F indirect spin–spin coupling is independent of temperature over the range 243–303 K, the mean value being 5644.2 ± 0.6 Hz.


Modern Control Laws are based on the optimization of a certain performance Index. These control laws behave well for the nominal plant parameters but the performance can be very sensitive to small errors in the plant model. Recently considerable work has been done to evaluate robustness of modern control laws in the presence of plant transfer function uncertainties. This work indicates poor robustness particularly when state estimation is used to derive variables for feedback. This paper discusses an approach to synthesize multivariable control laws which are robust with respect to system errors. The approach is based on the frequency shaping of penalty functionals, and combines good features of modern and classical control approaches.


Center for Grid Engineering Education (GridEd) under a DOE SunShot grant, the Integrated Socio-Technical Modeling Framework to Evaluate and Enhance Resiliency in Islanded Communities (ERIC) project sponsored by the NSF [Grant number 1832576]
Power Grid Assessment Post IRMA and MARIA project sponsored by the NSF [Grant number 1807813]
EcoElectrica L.P.


Man and nature are two inseparable elements of the world, and the unbreakable connection and coexistence between them is the origin of all kinds of literary works. From ancient times to the present day, we often see poems about nature both in Russian and Persian literature. Using the Natural objects and phenomena in the form of myths and symbols in literary works and giving them personality have various reasons, including political ones. Sometimes poems may be composed under the influence of a poet from another country. This influence can be seen in contemporary Iranian literature. Among the contemporary Iranian poets who are very familiar with the ideas and works of Russian poets and writers is the Iranian naturalist (пейзажист) poet Shafiei Kadkani. He composed his poem "Happy Journeys!") based on Lermontov's "The Rock" and "The black Clouds" poems. Both poets have used natural images such as plant (растение), breeze (ветерок), blossoms (цветения), rain (дождь), desert (пустыня), dust (пыль), horror desert (пустыня ужаса), rock / cliff (утес) and black clouds (тучи), which have a symbolic role. By comparing the poems, we can see that they are similar in terms of content and have the same message. And some of the symbols of Shafiei Kadkani are the same as the symbols of Lermontov, such as the desert, or they are chosen in terms of meaning very close to the symbols of Lermontov, such as "rock / cliff and milkvetch" or "small clouds and breeze", as well as the dynamic movement of small clouds and breeze, which are the symbol of transition and change. Like Lermontov, Shafiei Kadkani also complains about the situation of his society, but symbols like "blossoms and rain" at the end of Shafiei Kadkani's poem, unlike Lermontov's poems, promise the morning of freedom, prosperity and transition, but with doubts.


'Veeglo' is an attractive, high quality peach (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch) that matures during the last week in August, 9 days after 'Redhaven'. Assessments indicate typical, moderate susceptibility to perennial canker (Leucostoma spp.) and moderate resistance to bacterial spot (Xanthomonas pruni (E.F. Smith) Dows.). 'Veeglo' was introduced to satisfy the requirement for a high quality fresh market or home preserving peach maturing between Redhaven and Loring, and adapted to climatic conditions in southern Ontario, Canada.


As well as being an established oncoprotein and a therapeutic target in cancer,Proviral Integration site for murine Moloney leukemia virus-1(pim-1) has been implicated in human autoimmunity. We previously confirmed this serine-threonine protein kinase to be strikingly upregulated in circulating CD4+ T cells of untreated rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients as a consequence of IL-6 signalling1-2. Evidence for the relevance of pim-1 signalling in the disruption of RA synovial fibroblast (RASF) homeostasis3further supports its candidacy as a therapeutic target.To investigate PIM1 and its family members (PIM2 and PIM3) as potential candidates for drug repurposing in RA.A flow cytometric assay for PIM1 transcript measurement in circulating CD4+ T cells of early arthritis patients was validated against real-time PCR in paired cells isolated by bead selection. Synovial protein expression in tissue from the same cohort of untreated RA patients and disease controls was determined by quantitative multiplex immunofluorescence. The functional consequences of manipulating pim kinase family expression in freshly purified T cell receptor (TCR)-stimulated CD4+ T cells from early RA patients was explored. The impact of pim-1 specific and pim-1-3 (pan-pim) kinase inhibition on progression of the IL-6 dependent collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model was assessed.The percentage of circulating CD4+ T cells positive forPIM1transcript by flow cytometry proved a faithful surrogate for gene expression in early arthritis (Figure 1A), distinguishing RA from other pathologies (Figure 1B). Pim-1 protein expression was increased in the synovium of untreated RA compared with disease controls, including amongst infiltrating CD4+ T cells (Figure 1C-D).In vitro, exposure of TCR-stimulated early RA CD4+ T cells to pim kinase inhibitors restrained their activation and proliferative capacity; diminished pro-inflammatory cytokine production (IFN-g and IL-17) and an expanded CD25hiFoxP3+ regulatory T cell (Treg) fraction were also observed in treatedversusun-treated cells. Finally, administration of pim inhibitors robustly attenuated clinical scores of arthritis in the CIA model, with reduced cartilage loss observed in animals treated with a pan-PIM inhibitor compared with vehicle control (Figure 2).Our data highlight pim kinases as plausible therapeutic targets for a subgroup of early RA patients that may be identifiable using tractable in vitro assays. Pim kinase inhibitors could simultaneously target immune inflammation and RASF dysregulation; consideration should now be given to their repurposing for this condition.[1] Anderson AE et al Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases 2016; 75:466-73.[2] Anderson AE et al Rheumatology 2019; 58:1250-1258[3] Ha YJ et al Rheumatology 2019; 58:154-64Nicola Maney Consultant of: Current employee of Eli Lilly, Henrique De Paula-Lemos: None declared, Ben Barron-Millar: None declared, Andrew Mellor Shareholder of: NewLink Genetics PLC, and has received patent licensing income from this source., John D Isaacs Consultant of: AbbVie, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Gilead, Janssen, Merck, Pfizer, Roche, Amy Anderson: None declared, Arthur Pratt Grant/research support from: Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKlein


This work presents the application of two methods of nondifferentiable optimization applied to the problem of optimizing the economic gain in the production of oil fields operated with continuous gas-lift. The problem addressed consists in allocating the amount of lift-gas to be injected into each well, subject to a limited lift-gas compression capacity of the field, and to the minimum and maximum flow of gas of each well, so all the constraints considered are linear. The potential of Directional Direct-Search and Nondifferentiable Trust-Region methods in solving this problem is analyzed, through the resolution of the stated problem in a field of wells, considering varied scenarios.


This book is based on a PhD thesis that the author conducted at Oxford University and concerned with an ever more interesting theme in port economics: the competition among adjacent ports and their relative competitiveness. Port studies have been a topic for transport geographers and transport economists. Their respective approaches and/or perspectives to the ports are, however, rather segregated, having spoken their discipline-based languages. Interestingly, the author of this book has a unique strength in his academic background of transport geography and transport economics. This book is an outcome from such a beautifully combined knowledge on the two related disciplines. This book aims to achieve the following six objectives—(i) providing a concise research platform in the decision-making process of liner shipping companies in choosing a transhipment hub (and thus port competitiveness from user perspectives), (ii) introducing a methodological process in identifying the major factors and their roles in affecting port competitiveness, (iii) assessing the degree of significance of less-readily quantifiable factors such as geography, service quality and subjective preferences in deciding the competitive positing of a port, (iv) evaluating the competitive position of the so-called Core-Six Ports—that is, Antwerp, Bremerhaven, Felixstowe, Hamburg, Le Havre and Rotterdam—acting as transhipment hubs in Europe, (v) examining the reasons for the current competitive structure among the ports, and finally (vi) forecasting future competitiveness of the sampled ports. The book consists of eight chapters. After the introductory chapter one, chapter two discusses the literature review and theoretical framework on the author-claimed Port Competitiveness Model, a diagrammed chart showing a number of factors and/ or determinants having an impact on a port's competitiveness. Chapter three deals with the study area (the Core-Six Ports in Europe) and research methodology. Chapter four presents the findings from questionnaire survey and establishes a Port Performance Index, which is then converted into an estimated momentary value via simulation and embedded into generalised cost equations to calculate 'comparable' generalised costs. With these generalised costs, chapter five discusses the current competitive positions of the sampled ports. In this process, a multinomial logit model is utilised. Chapter six attempts to provide an explanation of the results obtained in the previous chapter. A series of attempts to forecast the future competitive position of each sampled port are presented in chapter seven, having relied on the technical features of logistics regression model. Chapter eight concludes the book, providing a summary and revisiting the objectives and hypotheses built in the earlier chapters. Indeed, these objectives seem ambitious to have done in a single research work. The author has managed, however, to produce an interesting result, which could offer a platform for further studies and facilitate further discussions among researchers.


The definitions of the Kondo energy in the numerical renormalization group (NRG) and the Friedel artificially inserted resonance (FAIR) theory fail sadly for small samples where their predicted Kondo energy increases, while in reality the Kondo effect disappears. Therefore a different, universal definition of the Kondo energy is proposed, which uses the evasion of the orthogonality catastrophe by the Kondo impurity. In the absense of the Kondo effect the multi-electron scalar product (MESP) between all occupied spin-up and spin-down states approaches zero (the so-called orthogonality catastrophe). In contrast in the Kondo ground state the corresponding conduction electrons of opposite spin are pairwise aligned within the Kondo energy. In the present paper the MESP is investigated for the FAIR solution of the Friedel-Anderson impurity. The MESP is numerically determined for the (enforced) magnetic and the singlet states as a function of the number N of Wilson states. The magnetic states show an exponentially decreasing MESP as a function of N. In the singlet state the ground state requires a finite MESP to optimize its energy. As a consequence there is no orthogonality catastrophe. Within the energy range of the Kondo energy the scalar product between corresponding (single electron) spin-up and spin-down states is very close to 1.000 and falls off beyond the Kondo energy. The energy which separates the two regions is well suited as a universal definition of the Kondo energy.


In this paper, we propose a design procedure and an automated design flow for a fully differential switched capacitor amplifier. The proposed procedure uses the gm/ID design methodology, which relies on searching lookup tables pre-generated from accurate simulation models. A set of specifications including power consumption, noise, bandwidth, gain, static error, and output swing is used to constrain the design process. The operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) is implemented using a telescopic cascode architecture. The automation program is written in MATLAB and is capable of generating sizing parameters, writing circuit netlists, running simulations, and displaying and analyzing simulation results. A design example is used to verify the proposed program, where Cadence Spectre is used to verify the achievement of the required circuit specifications.


The advances in mobile robotics allow us today to add the mobility concept into many different classes of Wireless Sensor Networks. The deployment of mobile sensors is possible and useful in many application scenarios, ranging from the environmental monitoring and public safety applications, to the industry, healthcare and military applications. Two topics are elaborated in this thesis: networked robot middleware design and a set of approaches for mobile robot deployment in the context of wireless sensor networks. The middleware proposed and described in this thesis allows the user to easily implement different types of deployment algorithms for mobile robots. In the second part of the thesis, three main problems are presented and analyzed. The first is the problem of improving the quality of service with the use of mobile robotic networks, which is solved with the use of deployment algorithm that improves the performance of a multimedia communication by using an intrusive methods to gather the necessary transmission quality evaluation metrics. Second problem is the coverage of the point of interest with mobile robots, where the fixed base station is placed inside the field of interest, while the available mobile robots cover the point of interest and relay the information about it towards the base station in a multi-hop manner. The third problem is the point of interest discovery and coverage with the use of mobile robots which follow concentric circular paths to explore and cover the field of interest, and, by adjusting the movement velocity, they satisfy the constraints on point of interest coverage and connectivity with the base station.


The abuse of resoures exploitation leads to deterioration in the western regional ecocnvironment. Strengthening the protection and construction for ecoenvironment is the base of the enforcement of west development strategy, which has important meaning to western region and the whole country. This acticle puts forward the appropriate channels and measures on construction a sound ecoenvironmental system of west development and sustainable development on the basis of analysing the questions and primary factors on west regional resources exploitation.


The "language or dialect" problem has remained topical for the Karelian
language for a century and a half now. Finnic language specialists from Russia and
Finland have not managed to hammer out a common opinion regarding Ludic subdialects: whether they belong to Karelian or form a language of their own. Lately,
the long-standing concept of Karelian Proper and Livvi sub-dialects as belonging
to the same language has also been questioned. An unresolved issue is the dialectal
division of the Karelian language. Seeking to fi nd the lexical criteria for determining
the linguistic status of certain Karelian varieties (idioms) in this study, we applied
the lexicostatistical approach. Th e percentages of matches between idioms were
calculated using Swadesh basic vocabulary (100-word) list. Data on 30 Karelian and
Veps sub-dialects were selected from the "Comparative Onomasiology Dictionary
of Karelian, Veps, and Sami Dialects" (2007). Based on the threshold match
percentages for discrimination between languages (91–90 %), all the idioms fell into
two groups: the Karelian and the Veps languages. Mikhailovskoe Village sub-dialect
occupies a transitional position between them. Th e results demonstrate a relatively
identical composition of the basic vocabulary of Karelian Proper, including Tver, as
well as of Livvi and Ludic sub-dialects. Within the Karelian language, sub-dialects
formed three large groups: 1) Karelian-Proper sub-dialects of Northern Karelia; 2)
Karelian-Proper sub-dialects of Central Russia; 3) Karelian-Proper sub-dialects of
Middle Karelia together with Livvi and Ludic sub-dialects. The results of the study
are going to be used in working on the dialectal classification of the Karelian language,
which primarily relies on linguistic criteria.


1. The effects of single intramuscular injections of prazosin, 0.1 mg/kg, upon blood pressure, heart rate and plasma renin activity, were studied, over 24 h, in groups of anaesthetized rats, control rats receiving 0.9% saline.


ABSTRACT Prior research into illegal goods has typically looked at one-way effects, such as illegal demand on legal demand. This research investigates a previously unexamined component of the market, illegal supply. The authors examine the supply and demand of legal goods and their illegal counterparts as a market system of four interdependent components. This research makes theoretical and empirical contributions by evaluating illegal supply in this system. Simultaneous equations estimate each market component on the others using data from the motion picture industry. The results find illegal supply has no effect on legal supply (movie screens), positive effects on illegal demand (piracy downloads), and some effect on legal demand (box office revenues). Timing effects highlight this: illegal supply has a positive effect on legal demand during a film's opening week, but no effect post-launch. The other market components have positive effects on illegal supply (except legal supply, which is negative in the opening week). Additionally, illegal demand has a negative effect on legal demand during the opening week of release, but not in the subsequent weeks. This finding alleviates prior research tension as to whether piracy helps or hurts legal sales, as omitting illegal supply could result in biased estimates.


Brudney, Schiavoni, and Merritt address an important debate dividing lawyers and political scientists: To what extent do extradoctrinalfactors uch as political party, gender, and professional experience influencejudicial decisionmaking? They analyze an area of law, decisions interpreting the National Labor RelationsAct, that has long been characterized by assertions ofJudicial bias. By including every federal court ofappeals decision applying the Act over a seven yearperiod, and controlling for both deference to the administrative agency and differences among issues arising under the Act, the authors are able to identify previously undetected influences on judicial decisionmaking. These include a strong interaction between gender and political party, the influence ofprior experience representing management clients under the Act, and associations based on race, religion, and educational background At the same time, the authors place those influences in contex4 suggesting the complex interweaving of doctrine and personal background in shapingjudicial decisions.


The journey narrative is the central device that provides the backbone to the structure of almost all of Flannery O'Connor's works. The journey is "at once a form and a symbol": a form in the sense that it is at the center of the narrative development and a symbol in the sense that it signifies the journeyer's descent into the heart of darkness of his soul. "Parker's Back," which O'Connor was compelled to finish to round off her writing career on her deathbed, is her last report on man's stubborn and futile run away from God and his ultimate journey backward to God. The God-pursued fugitive Parker is through running as he bears God on his back; he is finally stepping forward into the divine realm with his walk backward from this world. The stern eyes of the Byzantine Christ tattooed on Parker's back to "GO BACK" are to be obeyed. The paradox of going forward with backward steps is perhaps O'Connor's final message to the "hostile" and unbelieving readers who refuse to readjust their worldly vision.


Entropic chain effects on dynamic bonding reactions are shown to enable the tuning of reaction equilibria not only by changing the mass of the reactants, but also by merely altering the building block side chain structure and thus the intrinsic stiffness. The findings enable a step change for the design of on-demand bonding systems and reversible ligation chemistry in general.


Objective To exame the ability to produce Interleukin-2(IL-2) and Interferon γ(IFNγ) in intestinal intraepithelial lymphocyte(iIEL).Methods iIEL was isolated from small intestine of mice by using Percoll discontinuous density gradient centrifugation.The somatic polysaccharose of bifidobacteria was isolated by organic solvent,which was cultured with iIEL.Results The test showed that the difference between the somatic polysaceharose of bifidobacteria and the control is obvious(P0 01).Conclusion The somtic polysaccharose of bifidobacteria could prompt the ability to produce IL-2 and IFN γ in iIEL.


AIDS is unique in the social and demographic devastation it inflicts. It is uniquely disruptive to economies because it kills people in the prime of their lives. It kills the better educated and the most productive members of society. The loss of each breadwinners income reduces the access of his or her dependants to health care education and nutrition--leaving them in turn more vulnerable to infection. This cycle need be repeated only a few times and AIDS destroys an entire community. (excerpt)


ABSTRACT Introduction Hyalocytes are sentinel macrophages residing within the posterior vitreous cortex anterior to the retinal inner limiting membrane (ILM). Following anomalous PVD and vitreoschisis, hyalocytes contribute to paucicellular (vitreo-macular traction syndrome, macular holes) and hypercellular (macular pucker, proliferative vitreo-retinopathy, proliferative diabetic vitreo-retinopathy) diseases. Areas covered Studies of human tissues employing dark-field, phase, and electron microscopies; immunohistochemistry; and in vivo imaging of human hyalocytes. Expert opinion Hyalocytes are important in early pathophysiology, stimulating cell migration and proliferation, as well as subsequent membrane contraction and vitreo-retinal traction. Targeting hyalocytes early could mitigate advanced disease. Ultimately, eliminating the role of vitreous and hyalocytes may prevent proliferative vitreo-retinal diseases entirely.


The unified constitutive model developed by Estrin and Mecking (1984) has successfully been used in hot rolling to provide information for the control of strip thickness. It has presented a high accuracy in predicting the hot strength of austenitic steels. However, the materials can show quite different properties under different deformation conditions and the constitutive models are not able to be generalised to cover a wide range of compositions and deformation conditions, therefore, the potential of those model is limited. In this work, the robustness of the unified constitutive model is enhanced by incorporating an artificial neural network model to predict the flow strength of austenitic steels with carbon content ranging from 0.0037 to 0.79%.


Disjunctive Logic Programming (DLP) is a very expressive formalism: it allows to express every property of finite structures that is decidable in the complexity class ΣP2 (NPNP). Despite the high expressiveness of DLP, there are some simple properties, often arising in real-world applications, which cannot be encoded in a simple and natural manner. Among these, properties requiring to apply some arithmetic operators (like sum, times, count) on a set of elements satisfying some conditions, cannot be naturally expressed in DLP. To overcome this deficiency, in this paper we extend DLP by aggregate functions. We formally define the semantics of the new language, named DLPA. We show the usefulness of the new constructs on relevant knowledge-based problems. We analyze the computational complexity of DLPA, showing that the addition of aggregates does not bring a higher cost in that respect. We provide an implementation of the DLPA language in DLV- the state-of-the-art DLP system - and report on experiments which confirm the usefulness of the proposed extension also for the efficiency of the computation.


Subject
 Central Europe's resilience to EM sell-off.

 Significance
 Central Europe's economies have withstood intense recent selling pressure in emerging markets (EM), the longest sell-off since the 2008 financial crisis. A confluence of idiosyncratic and generic vulnerabilities has significantly undermined investor sentiment towards EM assets as a whole over the past several months. Yet the Polish zloty, one of the most liquid EM currencies, has risen by 2.6% against the dollar since end-May, and Hungary's ten-year local bond yields are still significantly below their levels in the aftermath of the 'taper tantrum' in May 2013.

 Impacts
 Despite the 27% decline in Turkish equities since end-June, negligible trade links with Central Europe will limit financial contagion.
 In Central-Eastern Europe, Romania will be vulnerable because of its wide fiscal and current account deficits.
 Ten-year US Treasury yields are trading above 3%, increasing the risk of a sell-off in global debt markets if yields rise more sharply.


The shape control of 2-(3-(4-hydroxystyry1)-5,5-dimethylcyclohex-2-enylidene) malononitrile (OH1) organic nonlinear optical (NLO) single-crystalline thin film grown by physical vapour deposition (PVD) has been achieved by optimizing the growth temperature condition.


It is common practice among young vehicle owners to modify the exhaust system of their vehicle to reduce exhaust backpressure with the perception that the output power increases. In the process of backpressure reduction, the output noise (Whakapau) of the vehicle also increases correspondingly. The conflict of interest that arises from modified vehicle exhaust systems and the general public is well publicised. This prototype was designed to meet the demands of exhaust back pressure reduction while at the same time mitigate the sound output of the vehicle. The design involves lining a cylindrical pipe with common glass marbles which is normally used for playing. The marbles are made of a sustainable material as it does not erode when exposed to exhaust gases and it is easily recycled. The prototype muffler is much smaller in size when compared to conventional mufflers. All tests were done in a simulated controlled environment and data collated using approved New Zealand Transport Agency testing regime. It has to be noted that the test focus was noise mitigation and not comprehensive engine performance testing. The results of the test prove a reduction of sound levels, however more testing needs to be undertaken with varying annulus depth, marble sizes and arrangements and engine loads.


The Lyapunov direct method is used to study the non-linear stability of parallel convective shear flows of a mixture heated and salted from below for any Schmidt and Prandtl numbers. Global non-linear exponential stability for small values of Reynolds number R is found and conditional stability results up to the criticality which are independent of R are given for rigid and stress-free boundaries. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


The growth of tourism in the world and in particular in Peru has made of this area an emerging productive activity with a lot of potential for development. Tourism is an economic activity which encourages foreign currency exchange as well as new employment opportunities. The objective of this article is to know whether or not there exist any gap between the formative offer in this area and the requirements of the labour market related to it. The research was conducted in two parts. The first one makes a literature review from secondary sources which found out there are limited research for the Peruvian case. The second one is an exploratory qualitative research which conducted semistructured interviews with 20 experts from the public, private and academic sectors. The analysis and interpretation of the interviews' discourses were made from a deconstructive approach. The study concludes in Peru there is in fact a gap between higher education in tourism and the requirements of the labour market related to it.


There are a number of Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) working in the third world's field of educating children in rural areas. In this paper, we review an experience of a purely children's education centered NGO that works in western Nepal, the facilitator of which received the Ramon Magsaysay award in 2007. This NGO uniquely demonstrates the variety of entrepreneurship through self-help groups that generate profits to run and support education for the children. At the conceptual level, the paper begins with the relationship between aid and development in the third world, its impact on poverty reduction; thus presenting a framework for resilience and also reviewing the development of the 'bottom up approach' favorably considered as programme strategy in this NGO. As part of this qualitative paper, the authors have also provided brief biographical details of the founder of the NGO and his mission to make his community self-reliant as resilient.


The Source Geometry Experiment was successfully conducted over the time period 17 April to 7 May 95. Recording in the mine was conducted 24 April to 4 May 95. Five single sources were instrumented that included four cylindrical charges at different burdens (distance from the free face) and a pseudo-spherical charge. Nine production shots conducted during the two week visit to the mine were also recorded. Included in these production shots were a number of explosions designed to primarily bulk (no cast) the overburden and a number which cast material into the mine pit. Instrumentation was divided into six primary types: (1) Near-source accelerometers were deployed at distances of approximately 20 to 300 m [14, three-component 25 g/volt accelerometers and 16, three-component 1 g/volt accelerometers]; (2) Linear array of velocity gauges to quantify wave propagation effects [4-11 three component strong motion velocity gauges]; (3)Far-field velocity gages deployed in an azimuthal array around the mine at ranges from 500 to 2500 m [8, three component velocity gauges]; (4) High speed film and multiple camera video designed to quantify the two and three dimensional affects around the explosions [2 high speed cameras and 3 Hi-8 video cameras]; (5) Velocity of detonation and detonation time measurements of selected explosions [2 VODR systems]; and (6) Pre and post shot laser survey. Any one shot had as many as 154 channels of data. Although the complete data set is still being assembled, quality checked and analyzed, it appears that nearly 2,000 channels of data were successfully recovered during the experiment. Preliminary analysis of the data illustrates the: (1) Significant spall accompanied both the cylindrical and spherical single sources; (2) Similarity of waveforms from the cylindrical and spherical single sources; (3) Strong variations in the body and surface wave generation from the nine production shot.


Food waste is one of the major challenges to be faced in the world and, therefore, its elimination is one of the most important issues in the perishable product market. Thus, it is necessary to develop and/or apply algorithms and mathematical tools that relate food products perishability with their cost, i.e, how the value of a product varies as function of its deterioration over time until spoilage. This decision support system aims to assist in the product's price definition during its shelf life, maximizing the profit and reducing the spoilage and consequently waste, this means that this system has the objective to relate sales efficiency and the reduction of losses in perishable food products, allowing to answer to which logistics strategy provides a higher profit and consequently less food waste. The proposed easy and expedite computational decision support system compares the FIFO, FEFO or LSFO logistics strategies. The system is tested for two cases of perishable products. First, the system is explained and tested in detail for the yogurt. The second product to be considered is the apple, where the results are briefly presented in order to compare and justify the proposed method.


In article are considered laws of formation of series, in consecutive sample of a continuous random variable by positions of individual values concerning the central line and attitudes of the order between the next values. The opportunity of generalization of results of the theory of Mizes-Feller's recurrent events for series, is shown by attitudes of the order. The general view of making function of time of returning and asymptotic estimations of numerical characteristics of number of series of the fixed length for series of the specified type is received. On the basis of the established laws of distribution are revealed инварианты structures of series, criteria of accident of sample are formulated and their experimental check by statistical modelling by a method of Monte-Carlo is lead.


The Quality Control Group of Midwife Professional Study Program makes maximum efforts in carrying out its main tasks and functions as well as quality control in every lesson in the study program. The obstacle faced is the absence of clinical clerkship evaluation activities by field preceptors on the learning process carried out in study programs through relevant measuring instruments in the form of questionnaires. The purpose research is to create   documented, can be analyzed and followed up As an effort to improve and improve sustainable quality. Type of research is cross-sectional approach. This study used total sampling with respondents from all field preceptors in the practice area of the Health Center, Independent Midwife Practice and network hospitals in the Midwife Professional Education Study Program with a total of 21 respondents. The results of the validity test on the research questionnaire items were 0.001 so all questionnaire items were declared valid. The results of the questionnaire reliability test were > 0.8 so the reliability was very good. The results of average value of the field preceptor on the assessment of the application of the theory are 84.69%, and the assessment of lecturer and student interactions is 78.91%. Furthermore, the assessment of the preparation for clinical clerkship activities was 88.10% the assessment of students regarding clinical clerkship activities was 75.89%. The results of the overall assessment are categorized as very good so that they can be used as a reference for improving the quality of learning.


In this regular feature, we will ask individuals to make connexions between theory and practice, between the international political and economic order and organizational analysis, between action and disinterested observation. Here Sue Jones makes connexions which are important to her between Las Vegas, Somalia, organization studies and the content of a journal named Organization.


Pepper has been grown in Eritrea for a very long period. The crop was well utilized during the 1950s up to 1970s when the export demand was high. Currently yield per hectare of pepper is continuing to decline from 10.6 t/ha in 2008 to 4t/ha in 2011. A study was conducted in 10 major pepper growing sub-regions located in four regions for determining the major constraints and opportunities of pepper production in Eritrea. A participatory rural appraisal method that included collection of secondary data, key informants interviews, focus group discussions and formal household survey was used. The major constraints identified were unavailability of improved and quality seed, inputs and services, insect pests and diseases, small acreage and discouraging land tenure system, improper marketing chain, poor extension service and persistent drought that affect water availability. Opportunities are availability of vast lands, favourable climate, domestic and export markets and experienced farmers with high willingness to grow pepper. The results of the study show that average family size was 8.2±3.2, working members of the family were 3±2.2 and male to female ratio was 1.1:1. The age of the respondents ranged from 24-86 with average of 53.2±13.5 years and 98% of the interviewed households were man headed. Respondents who had formal education were 73% and illiterate 15.9% while 11% could read and write. Experience in growing pepper ranged from 1 to 66 years with average of 16.4±13.8. Cereals and vegetables producers comprised 49.5% of the respondents while 31.3% were active in vegetable production. The percentage of respondents growing green pepper was 40.7%, dry pepper 25.8% and both types 33.5%. Average land size was 3.66±8.1ha and area allotted to pepper 1±2.22. Farmers who kept their own seed were 69.2% and those who produced their own seedlings are 82.4%. Days from sowing to transplanting ranged from 20-90days with average of 44±13 days. Majority of farmers (86.3%) grow pepper once a year, 73.6% of them plough the land 2 or 3 times, 51.6% use animal driven equipments for plough and 83.5% transplant into narrow ridge. Average spacing between rows was 51.4±13.2cm and between plants in row was 29.6±12.2 resulting in 51, 154 plants/ha. Majority of the farmers applied fertilizers. The percentage of respondents who applied organic and mineral fertilizers was 76.9% and 70.9% respectively; however, the amount is far below the recommended. Severity of insect pests, diseases and weed problems were found to be 58.8, 56.6 and 42.3% respectively. Eritrea has great potential for pepper production however, constraints need to be overcome and opportunities maximized.


Molecular beam epitaxial growth of (Al,Ga)Sb/InAs hetero-structures is described. Electron transport studies indicate that these heterojunctions are of high quality. Shubnikov-de Haas measurement of the AlSb/InAs/GaSb quantum well shows a two-dimensional electron gas of concentration 2×1012cm2 and a low-temperature mobility approaching 105cm2/Vs. Low-temperature capacitance/voltage measurement indicates that the thin AlSb barrier is a classical Mott-type barrier.


Existing methods of synchronous generator emulation utilize simplified synchronous machine models which neglect the effects of stator transients for calculating the terminal voltage. These models are suitable when the load current consists of only a fundamental frequency positive sequence component. Unbalanced and non-linear loads draw currents having negative sequence and other low-order harmonic contents as well. This paper details a method which takes into account the stator transients for emulating a synchronous machine. The performances of the emulated synchronous machines using the proposed and conventional methods are compared with that of an actual generator through simulations. The voltage and current waveforms of the actual generator are found to be much closer to those of the proposed emulator as compared to those of the conventional emulator. The experimental waveforms of the two emulators are observed to be similar to the simulated ones.


Introduction: There is a wide scientific literature indicating that family relationships (family style, family climate, etc.) constitute a specific context that determines adolescent behaviors, as well as the likelihood that these behavior are o not problematic. Moreover, the quality of the relationships in the family context can determine the safety and confidence perceptions with which boys and girls will manage the risks and crises in life. Our interest is to know why and how the family influences adolescent behaviors. That is to say, we think that there are certain variables related to this safety and confidence base that work as mediating factors in the relation between family and adolescent behaviors problems; and that this mediating factors contribute to the explanation of the above mentioned relation. We have considered two variables that can play this mediating role: adolescent self-esteem and perceived social support from significant relationships.
Aims: The general aim of this research is to analyze the relationships between family functioning, family satisfaction and family communication and three indicators of psychosocial maladjustment (delinquent behaviour, substance use and depressive mood), considering adolescent self-esteem and perceived social support from a multidimensional perspective as mediating variables.


Biostatistical data obtained by Soviet research and commercial vessels from 1970 to 1991 have been used to determine tlne age-length composition of mackerel icefish (Chnnzpsoceplzalus g~~izllnrl) from different parts of the South Georgia area. An analysis of the spatial distribution of C. giirzrznri size and age groups over the eastern, northern, western and soutlnern parts of tlne shelf, and near Shag Rocks, revealed a similar age-leingtl~ composition for young fish inhabiting areas to the west of the island and near Shag Rocks. Differences were observed between those t~7o groups and the easterin group. The larger number of mature fish in the west is related to the migration of maturing individuals from the eastern and western parts of the area. It is implied that part of tlne western group migrates towards Shag Rocks at the age of 2-3 years. It has been found that, by number, recruits represent the largest part of tlne population, whether a fishery is operating or not. As a result of this, as well as the species' ability to live not only in offbottom, but also in pelagic waters, an earlier age of sexual maturity compared to other nototheniids, and favourable oceanographic conditions, the C. g~lrliznrl stock could potentially recover quickly from declines in stock size and inay become abundant in the area, as has bee11 demonstrated on several occasions in the 1970s and 1980s.


A comparative analysis of the species composition of the segetal flora of the surveyed steppe zone and the segetal flora of the entire Krasnodar Territory based on the materials of numerous scientific publications is presented. The main part of the floristic spectra of both segetal florae coincides in the composition of the 10 leading families, which attests to their unity. The leading families in the compared lists are Asteraceae Dumort., Poaceae Barnhart, Fabaceae Lindl., and Brassicaceae Burnett. Floristic homogeneity of the weed species compositions between the segetal floras in the areas under different types of field crops is considered. Besides, species with a high degree of permanency in the agrocenoses of each field crop have been identified. These species are objects of phytosanitary risk for a number of field crops or some of them in the steppe zone of Krasnodar Territory. The most common weeds in the fields of all surveyed crops are field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis L.), common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.), bristly thistle (Cirsium setosum (Willd.) Bess.), and cockspur grass (Echinochloa crusgalli (L.) Beauv.). Information about the predicted widespread species in the fields under a certain crop will make it possible to plan the volume of production or purchase of protective means focusing on groups of dominant species, and anticipate possible changes in the reformatting of the acreage structure, violations of the reclamation system and crop rotation schemes, etc.


What approach or combination of approaches did you test in each of your submitted runs? TRECVID2005_UNIMORE_??.xml: the same linear transition detector (LTD) was tested for every run, with ten uniformly spaced thresholds for the detection. What if any significant differences (in terms of what measures) did you find among the runs? The system behaved as expected: the higher the threshold the better the recall. Of course the precision lowered correspondently. Interesting enough, it seems that we cannot overcome the overall limit around 80% for recall and 88% for precision, independently of the other parameter. Based on the results, can you estimate the relative contribution of each component of your system/approach to its effectiveness? One of the main objective of our system was to test the performance of a single algorithm for both cuts and gradual transitions. So all the merit and the demerits are related to our LTD. Overall, what did you learn about runs/approaches and the research question(s) that motivated them? The use of a single algorithm allows the system to be run without training. Just a single parameter may be employed to tune the sensibility of the system, thus allowing its use in general purpose/user friendly systems.


The exhaust from diesel engines consists of a large quantity of toxic substances, including NOx,CO2, CO, SOx, particulate matter (PM), and HC compounds from incomplete combustion. In this study, enzyme fuel additive was added to Class A fishing vessel fuel in different proportions in an experiment to measure the changes in the content of air pollutants emitted from the combustion of fuel in a single-cylinder diesel engine power generator. The specimen used in this study was a Class A fishing vessel fuel under the national policy of subsidizing fishermen in fuel consumption blended with enzyme fuel additive. In this experiment, a Class A fishing vessel fuel was used as the controlled specimen to compare three different types of diesel additive available from the market and the fuels blended with enzyme. A diesel engine power generator was used in the experiment to observe the emission of gas pollutants from the engine operated with different formulas of fuels under the same loading conditions. A gas pollutant analyzer was used to observe the content of gas pollutants and their influence on air pollution.


In the application of various kinds of high accuracy linear CCD,it is important to sample and store data quickly.Taking TCD1501D for example,it has introduced a method to acquire and store the data of linear array CCD with SOPC technique.This system has realized the CCD driving circuit and A/D controller circuit on Altera′s Cyclone EP1C6Q240C8 chip.Using two little FIFOs and DMA technique,it can storage the A/D results in high speed.This design is flexible,high-integrated and takes little CPU′s time.


THIS paper describes a new general-purpose electromagnetic relay for use in telephone switching systems. It is a wire spring relay known as the AF-type relay and, with variations which provide slow release or marginal characteristics, it is known as the AG and AJ relay respectively. Figure 1 shows a typical AF-type relay, Figure 2 shows all of the parts of the relay, and Figure 3 shows the relay assembly.


The music industry and the media have painted a biased, monolithic, negative picture of African American adolescents, their music choices, and emotional uses of music. To further investigate this media bias and understand this relationship, African American adolescents (n = 176) were surveyed as to their emotions associated with music and their mood management uses of music, especially their favorite types of music—rap, R&B/soul, and jazz. Positive emotions, rather than negative emotions, were associated with overall music preference. Rap evoked emotions of happiness and excitement. It was used to "get pumped up." R&B/soul was most related to grief, anger, and pride. Jazz evoked similar emotions with the addition of pride, hope, and confidence. Jazz was also used to strengthen moods and was related to age. A model of music use for mood management is suggested.


The availability of anti-staphylococcal antibiotics today has revolutionized the treatment strategies to fight Staphylococcus aureus. However, its virulent nature still remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality, especially in the pediatric age group. It presents with a wide spectrum of illnesses ranging from minor skin and soft-tissue infections to fatal necrotizing pneumonia and disseminated disease. However, its presentation as meningitis with septic venous sinus thrombosis in pediatrics remains a rare complication till date. We present the case of an 8-month-old girl child with disseminated staphylococcal disease (DSD) caused by community-acquired methicillin-sensitive S. aureus and complicated by acute mastoiditis, meningitis, and cerebral venous sinus thrombosis. This rare and severe manifestation of DSD was managed successfully with intravenous antibiotics and systemic anticoagulation.


The vitamin, L-ascorbate is an essential component of human nutrition and is readily available in fruits and vegetables. L-Ascorbate is reported as present in plant cell walls and thought to inhibit oxidative coupling and lignification of the wall, while it may also promote expansion. L-Ascorbate is also an important antioxidant in both plants and animals, reacting with oxidative radicals present in the environment and produced by biochemical reactions within cells. L-Galactonolactone has been shown to be the direct precursor to L-ascorbate; however, information regarding i-ascorbate degradation is limited to only a few plant species and within limited organ types. Ascorbate is the precursor for the synthesis of several well-documented metabolic products including L-tartrate, L-threonate and oxalate. However, studies into the conversion of L-ascorbate to these compounds has only ever taken place within excised immature fruit or leaves. It was of interest to trace the metabolic fate of L-ascorbate within an intact plant, including the possible transport of L-ascorbate throughout the plant and also its metabolism within a storage organ. Endogenous ascorbate concentrations remained unaffected following exposure of excised radish hypocotyls to various forms of stress that included aerobic, anaerobic, light, dark, 254 and 366 nm ultraviolet and contact with 33 mM sodium nitroprusside. Exposure of intact radish plants to a high-oxygen atmosphere produced significant drops in the ascorbate concentrations of the hypocotyl tissue. Irrigation of the roots of radish plants with 50 mM sodium ascorbate did not affect hypocotyl acorbate concentrations. Exposing radish plants to (50 mM) sodium ascorbate by watering through laterally trimmed roots and vacuum infiltration failed to increase endogenous ascorbate concentrations. Excised radish leaves fed 0.1 M L-galactonolactone showed a clear increase in Lascorbate concentrations. Hypocotyls bathed in 0.1 M L-galactonolactone showed no increase in L-ascorbate concentrations. Radish plants fed L-galactonolactone through an incision in a leaf petiole showed a clear increase in L-ascorbate concentrations in the fed leaf as well as neighbouring leaves; however, no increase in ascorbate concentrations was seen in the hypocotyl. Hypocotyl disks bathed in de-gassed water for 24 hours showed production of Lascorbate after being fed L-galactonolactone as well as clear uptake of L-[63H]galactonolactone with a Km of 0.96 /IM. A hypocotyl disk fed 17 MBq of L-[6-3H]galactonolactone produced cellular radiolabelled ascorbate as well as several other unknown metabolic products The hypocotyl bathing solution contained several unknown products released by the cells into the extracellular fluid. Compounds were detected by electrophoretic fluorography at pH 6.5 and by chromatographic fluorography BuOH:HOAc:J-120 (12:3:5). Unknown compounds were detected by this method while tartrate, threonate and oxalate, metabolites of ascorbate metabolism were not detected.


A comprehensive program was undertaken to develop a unique gas fired backup for solar domestic hot water systems. Detailed computer design tools were written. A series of heat transfer experiments were performed to characterize the performance of individual components. A full scale engineering prototype, including the solar preheat tank and solar heat exchanger, was designed, fabricated and subjected to limited testing. Firing efficiency for the backup system was found to be 81.4% at a firing rate of 50,000 Btu/h. Long term standby losses should be negligible.


Objective: A retrospective study was conducted with 73 patients of enteric ileal perforation to determine the factors influencing survival. Method: A 2 years retrospective analysis from March 2008 to March 2010 was carried out at South Surgical Unit of Mayo Hospital, Lahore (Pakistan) from admission and operation records taking into account multiple factors associated with sur-vival in patients of enteric ileal perforation. Results: A total of 73 patients presenting over two years in South Surgical Unit of Mayo Hospital were included in the study. An overall mortality rate of 10.96% was observed. Most common predictive factors for the mortality were perforations > 0.5 cm (15.9%, p 0.135*), peritoneal fluid recovered at laparotomy > 1,000 ml (13.3%, p 0.702*), with most significant factors being > 2 weeks pre-hospital symptoms of perforation (53.8%, p 0.5 cm, > 1,000 ml of peritoneal fluid (p-values > 0.05 for each), pre-hospital symptoms of perforation > 2 weeks (p-values < 0.05) and development of septicemia (p-values < 0.05). Most of deaths occur within first week of admission. Key Words: Enteric Perforations, Ileal Perforations, Septicemia.


Group theory is used to establish three results likely to be useful in solving the crystal structures of complicated incommensurate phases. In the first of these it is demonstrated that an incommensurate structure with paired scattering vectors ± q must contain two different component structures, one modulated with cos q.r and the other with sin q.r. The second theorem states that the two components have different but related symmetries if the average structure has at least one element in its space group which turns q into -q. In that case, each aspect of the modulation is assigned uniquely by symmetry to either the cosine or sine factor. The third result concerns the Patterson function that may be constructed from the intensity scattered by the incommensurate modulation. This is also necessarily two-dimensional, the plus difference Patterson function being the sum of the Patterson functions obtained separately for the two component structures, while the minus difference Patterson function contains cross terms between the two components. Other symmetry arguments are mentioned, including symmetry signatures in Patterson functions, and systematic equalities in satellite intensities which arise from systematic extinctions in the scattering from one component or the other.


Globalization and free trade in South East Asia is just around the corner, all countries are preparing themselves to face the new era along with its challenges. One of the important aspects in facing such challenges is the readiness of teachers in preparing the next generations. Many teachers in Indonesia do not have substantial training before they become teachers, while they are experts in the subject content they teach. The Sampoerna Foundation Teacher Institute (SFTI), an Indonesian philanthropy organization that focuses on developing the quality of education through teacher trainings across the archipelago, is responding to the challenge with the Teacher Education Programme (TEP), a one-year teacher training course that gives basic pedagogic skills development, teaching and learning strategies, integration of technology in the classroom, English language skills enhancement, and monitored teaching practice sessions to ensure that the student teachers meet the requirements of a 21st century teacher. Questionnaires and interviews conducted at the end of the academic year show that this training gives impact to the teachers in ways of becoming reflective practitioners, sensitive to educational issues, and starting to make a change to themselves and their environment.


The aim of the study was to verify the assumption t hat organic food consumers have higher self-assessm nt of health, and, in addition, they have a closer contact with nature and evaluate their living environment better than co ventional food consumers. A direct interview based on a survey questi onnaire was carried out in Warsaw in 2009-2010. The respondents were women and men aged 26-55. The results were develope d by means of introducing three indices (including 41 questions in total): health self-assessment, quality of living e nvironment and the frequency of contact with nature . The significance of differences between the obtained results was assess ed by means of one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) using Statistica software. The research has demonstrated that organi c consumers had higher self-assessment of health th an the conventional ones. There were no significant differences b tween organic and conventional groups in terms of the quality of living environment. When it comes to contact with nature, a significantly better index was reported only in t he case of women from organic group. That was not confirmed for the whole group consisting of men and women.


Long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) are widely distributed animals around the world that require special attention from the research and management perspectives. Daily activity budget of M. fascicularis were studied near the Kuala Selangor Nature Park as one part of study on its behavior and ecology. The study location was based along the M. fascicularis trails starting from the ticket counter of the local train station to the main entrance of KSNP and their daily activity budget were studied from February 2011 until July 2011 inclusive of intensive direct observation using the scanning method. Observations revealed that longtailed macaques use most of the their time for moving (20.27%), followed by feeding (18.78%), being inactive (17.05%), grooming (10.84%), playing (10.50%), vocalization (10.36%), mating (7.42%) and the last is fighting (4.78%). Qualitative results found that the interaction between the longtailed macaques group with silvered-leaf monkeys are fighting and grabbing food. The long-tailed macaques also cause disruption in this area such as disturbing the visitors. There is a strange behavior that is rarely seen which is mating behavior between the long-tailed macaque with a cat that was found in the study area. Chi-square test demonstrated that daily activity budget differed significantly among the behaviors.


This study focuses on improving the technology for the preparation of geospatial information for land management design. The following hypothesis was the basis of the study: if the technology of geoecological assessment of the territory in the GIS environment is developed in the preparation of information for land management design, then its quality will increase, and as a result, the effectiveness of managerial decisions in the field of environmentally friendly land use will increase as well. The geoecological assessment of the territory is understood as the mathematical-cartographic, spatial, multi-parameter analysis of the auspiciousness of its agro-resource and geoecological conditions for sustainable production of plant agricultural products without disrupting the functions of life support (environmental and resource production). The developed technology can be used to solve the following problems: a) improving the land management system; b) improving control of land management; c) the formation of a database on the suitability of the territory for agricultural development, taking into account its sustainability; d) the territorial distribution of agricultural loads based on the geoecological situation. The advantage of the technology developed by the authors lies in the fact that a really working mechanism of geoecological assessment of the territory in the GIS environment is created when preparing information for land management design, which will allow to improve the quality of the developed design solutions and as a result will ensure the environmental safety of the functioning of natural and agricultural systems and the careful use of land resources.


Retrieval evaluation without relevance judgments is a hard but also very meaningful work. In this paper, we use clustering technique to improve the performance of judgment free retrieval evaluation. By using one system to represent all the systems that are similar to it, we can largely reduce the negative effect of similar retrieval results in Retrieval evaluation. Experimental results demonstrated that our method outperformed all the previous judgment free evaluation methods significantly. Its overall average performance outperformed the best previous result by 20.5%. Besides, our work is a general framework that can be applied to any other judgment free evaluation method for performance improvement.