The 2017 ASHRAE 189.1 Standard for the Design of High-Performance Green Buildings includes a complete rewrite of the acoustical control section. This section of the standard provides both performance and prescriptive paths to acoustical compliance and permits either acoustic commissioning or visual inspections to ensure the materials and assemblies are built to optimize acoustical performance. We will outline the importance of this new standard and review the basic parameters of the acoustical performance requirements, and how this standard can be used for your projects. This session will discuss the basis for this updated section and how you can use this standard to help guide your clients, and satisfy the LEED v4 for BD + C. The 189.1/IgCC aligns well with LEED, WELL, and other green building and improves on the LEED certification standard, so basic compliance will often garner the acoustic performance points.The 2017 ASHRAE 189.1 Standard for the Design of High-Performance Green Buildings includes a complete rewrite of the acoustical control section. This section of the standard provides both performance and prescriptive paths to acoustical compliance and permits either acoustic commissioning or visual inspections to ensure the materials and assemblies are built to optimize acoustical performance. We will outline the importance of this new standard and review the basic parameters of the acoustical performance requirements, and how this standard can be used for your projects. This session will discuss the basis for this updated section and how you can use this standard to help guide your clients, and satisfy the LEED v4 for BD + C. The 189.1/IgCC aligns well with LEED, WELL, and other green building and improves on the LEED certification standard, so basic compliance will often garner the acoustic performance points.


. We determine the key physical char-acteristics of quasars and galaxies with jet structure from the observed data. The analysis of relationship of radio and optical luminosities versus the redshift for these objects is carried out. We estimate the lifetime of jet sources by difierent methods. Also, we study the relation of spectral indices of objects with cosmological epoch.


A computer network management course was offered in the undergraduate program for students who concentrate on information and computer technology. The course covered a variety of topics dealing with the management of computer networks. In order to prepare students with 21st century knowledge and skills related to network management, we combined lecture-based learning, lab-based learning, inquiry-based learning, and project-based learning as the pedagogical method. At the end of the semester, a survey was conducted to evaluate whether the course content was suitable and helpful to students' learning. The survey questions asked students about the degree of proficiency in subjects of network management before and after they took the course. This paper discussed the analysis of the survey results. The results revealed that our pedagogical method successfully provided an effective way to help students in learning the subjects of network management.


This article focuses on the spectacle found in the 2014 film "The NightCrawler", considering its relevance to the mechanisms used by the media to build and convey news. Therefore, it aims to identify the elements that characterize the spectacularized discourse and examine how the I-other relationship is built in the character Louis Bloom. The concepts of spectacle, by Guy Debord, and architectural, by Mikhail Bakhtin, are the main references of this work. Based on researches, we point to the need of a more careful reading  and  hope to contribute to the awareness of the semiformation  resulted from the spectacularized media.


Using a variety of sources of information collected over time in the professional context by the field agency supervisor, the instructor, and the student ensures a more informed professional judgment than traditional tests and score sheets.


We propose a system for indoor localization using intensity-controllable LED light fixtures and light sensors mounted on the ceiling. While providing accurate location estimates, our approach preserves user privacy and is robust to ambient light conditions. We develop a LASSO algorithm and a localized ridge regression algorithm for locating a single object. In synthetic experiments, our localized ridge regression algorithm achieves an average localization error ranging from 0.24in to 1.39in, for different object sizes, in a 7×12-foot room. The localized ridge regression algorithm also shows the ability to locate multiple objects in experiments with a real-world occupancy scenario.


Optical material properties have been studied in a wide wavelength range. Theaim is future use of spectral design for camou age. The main characterization techniques used in this work are Refection ...


ABSTRACT Each segment (formerly "note") in the mating call of the treefrog Hyla arborea savignyi has two main concentrated bands of energy in the low part of the frequency spectrum and often another one in the upper part. In each segment fall time greatly exceeds rise time. During calling, males change some segment characteristics: dominant frequencies I, II and III become higher; segment duration and fall time become longer; rise time and the interval between segments become shorter. The changing of acoustic characteristics in the course of the mating call is probably a distinct feature of the calling behaviour of H. a. savignyi males that (like pausing between calls) might conceivably serve to avoid monotony.


Background: Developing and sustaining cardio vascular fitness for ambulation are common rehabilitation foci for children with disabilities and their families. Properly designed elliptical trainers may help with pediatric rehabilitation training. Objective: This study focused on the investigation of human factors and ergonomics (HFE) associated with a pediatric elliptical machine, its redesign, and proposing further modifications based on user's feedback to aid usability, comfort, safety, and interaction. Method: Twenty-eight children(11 typically developing and 17 with physical disabilities and/or chronic conditions) who are 3 to 12 years old, their parents and caregivers, and clinicians participated in the evaluation of the machine before and after modification. Temporospatial data of the children were collected, and their interaction with the machine was assessed. Results: Most features, (i.e., chair height, chair depth, console height, stride length, pedalstraps, and steps height etc.) resulted in positive child and adults' assessments, whereas six other features resulted in divergent user assessments. Clinicia ns were satisfied with the positioningof chair, stationary handles, pedal, and pedalstraps. However, a lack of adjustability of the stride length was significantly associated with less-than-optimal elliptical training (p = 0.044). Clinicians and 94.3% adult caregivers agreed on the less-than-optimal elliptical training for the children while using the redesigned machine. Conclusion: The modified elliptical machine is a cost effective one and comfortable with im proved safety. A continuously adjustable stride length of 40cm to 110cm was recommended based on kinematic analyses. Additional modifications were suggested to improve the elliptical's interaction design.


A new method of speech synthesis is proposed. Each phoneme is characterized by a state. The specification of a state involves specifying steady‐state positions of three formants, a frequency region around these formants, and a partial description of the state of the vocal tract while producing the given phoneme. This partial description includes the features of nasality and voicing. The input for this method is a string of phonemes with provisions for stress marks and punctuation. The output is a sequence of control signals appropriate for generating speech on a serial terminal‐analog synthesizer. The control signals that must be generated include three formants and their respective bandwidths, a complex pole‐zero pair for nasals, a complex pole‐zero pair for the fricatives, pitch, and amplitudes of noise and voicing. Speech is generated by proceeding from state to state by a mathematical equation. A state is considered to be reached when the formant values are within a specified region around the target ...


The path vector extension [I-D.ietf-alto-path-vector] has extended the
base ALTO protocol [RFC7285] with the ability to represent a more
detailed view of the network which contains not only end-to-end costs
but also information about shared bottlenecks. However, the view
computed by straw man algorithms can contain redundant information and
result in unnecessary communication overhead. The situation gets even
worse when certain ALTO extensions are enabled, for example, the
incremental update extension [I-D.ietf-alto-incr-update-sse] which
continuously pushes data changes to ALTO clients. Redundant
information can trigger unnecessary updates. In this document, several
algorithms are described which can effectively reduce the redundancy
in the network view while still providing the same information as in
the original path vectors.


The approach to decision making in state departments of transportation (SDOTs) is in the process of change because of several important and complex factors. The results of two recent surveys addressed to the secretaries/commissioners and regional directors of SDOTs are reported. The result of the analysis of response consistency of these two groups of management officials to a set of questions dealing with resource allocation decisions is also reported. The officials' views on the impact of political change in DOT upper management on resource allocation decisions and implementation also are presented and shortcomings associated with current management system programs are identified. The results of chi-square test and correlation analysis performed on the responses to the two questionnaire surveys showed a significant degree of consistency in responses of these two groups of upper SDOT management officials to the questionnaire surveys.


Mobile operating systems adopt permission systems to protect system integrity and user privacy. In this work, we propose INSPIRED, an intention-aware dynamic mediation system for mobile operating systems with privacy-preserving capability. When a security or privacy sensitive behavior is triggered, INSPIRED automatically infers the underlying program intention by examining its runtime environment and justifies whether to grant the relevant permission by matching with user intention. We stress on runtime contextual-integrity by answering the following three questions: who initiated the behavior, when was the sensitive action triggered and under what kind of environment was it triggered? Specifically, observing that mobile applications intensively leverage user interface (UI) to reflect the underlying application functionality, we propose a machine learning based permission model using foreground information obtained from multiple sources. To precisely capture user intention, our permission model evolves over time and it can be user-customized by continuously learning from user decisions. Moreover, by keeping and processing all user's behavioral data inside her own device (i.e., without sharing with a third-party cloud for learning), INSPIRED is also privacy-preserving. Our evaluation shows that our model achieves both high precision and recall (95%) based on 6,560 permission requests from both benign apps and malware. Further, it is capable of capturing users' specific privacy preferences with an acceptable median f-measure (84.7%) for 1,272 decisions from users. Finally, we show INSPIRED can be deployed on real Android devices to provide real-time protection with a low overhead.


Summary:  Purpose: To assess perceptions of knowledge and experience with epilepsy and seizures in the U.S. population to develop communication campaigns to improve the public's understanding of epilepsy. In a national survey, focal points included the public's knowledge of the disorder, whether people know someone who has it, exposure to epilepsy‐related information, and knowledge about how to respond to a person having a seizure.


To discuss optimum parameters of substances participating chemical reaction in industry reaction tower, and some mechanism of reaction process, it is necessary to understand information of particle crowd in reactionary process. For example, we can obtain size parameter,distribution parameter and SMD from size and distribution information of crowd particles. In order to know optimcl reaction effect in high speed centrifugal spray field, it is very important to measure particle size and distribution in atomized field. That requins an instrument, whose measurement principle should be right and can work well under severe atomized field circumstance. This paper describes the principle of such an instrument,analyses work -site environment and takes some relative measures lo ensure measurement, give the measure results at work size, and finally proposes atomizing quality problem. I. Measurement principle of instrument In 1983, Dobbins puts forward using diffraction to measure particles size. With developing of calculation, in 1977, J.Swithenbank puts forward how to measure the size and distribution of liquid and solid particles by using optical information. Its measuring principle is as follows: when a beam of paralled light enters a particle field, it will be diffracted and its pattern will depend on the size of particles, which is shown in Fig.1. If we put Fourier lens in the light path behind the particle field, undiffracted light will be collected at the focus on the light axle, and the diffracted light will be collected around the center point. The diffraction pattern is center symmetric two -dimension Fourier transform, which is independent of particles' position. This is well known as the Fronhoffer diffraction. When Ahe intensity of incident beam is even, the diffracted light intensity is I(0)= Clincf2J1(7CDe /).) /xd0 %7 elf/16g(1) where C is a proportional constant Iine is incident light intensity J1 is the first -order Bessel function D is diameter of particle KiSincident light wavelength If we put a photoelectronic receiving detector on the focal plane,the received energy is: E(Y)= C,rin c íZD%4 ( 1-T02-V) --RIM TO


The present invention provides glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) analogues, which comprise substitutions at positions 1, 2, 3, 10, 11, 15, 16, 24, and 25 of the GLP-2 sequence. These GLP-2 analogues are useful for the prophylaxis or treatment of gastrointestinal -related diseases and for alleviating side effects of chemotherapy. In addition, the present invention also provides a method for preparing these GLP-2 analogues.


This study aims to improve the mathematics learning outcomes of class III UPT students. SD Negeri 20 Baringin through the media of fractional cards. This study used a classroom action research design with the Kemmis & McTaggart model. The research subjects were students of class III UPT. SD Negeri 20 Baringin, totaling 35 students, consists of 20 male students and 15 female students. The object of this research is the result of learning mathematics in simple fractions material after using fraction card media. The data collection instruments used observation sheets and tests. The data analysis technique used is descriptive quantitative analysis and qualitative descriptive analysis. The success of this research is that at least 85% of the total number of students reaches the Minimum Completion Criteria (KKM) that has been set by the school, namely 80 and the percentage of teacher and student activities obtained reaches 75% with good classification. The results showed that the use of fraction card media could improve mathematics learning outcomes comparing simple fractions of class III UPT students. SD Negeri 20 Baringin. The results of observations in cycles I and II showed an increase in student activity in learning using fraction card media from 66.7% to 84.9% and teacher activity increased from 72% to 82.5%. The increase in the percentage of students who achieved the KKM score in cycle I and cycle II was 22.9%, from 23 students (65.7%) to 31 students (88.6%). The average learning outcomes in cycle I to cycle II increased from 76 to 84.


The lighting represents a consumption of about 19% of the world electricity production. We are thus searching new effective and environment-friendlier light sources. The ceramic metal-halide high intensity lamps (C-MHL) are one of the options for illuminating very high area. The new C-MHL lamps contain additives species that reduce mercury inside and lead to a richer spectrum in specific spectral intervals, a better colour temperature or colour rendering index. This work is particularly focused on the power radiated by these lamps, estimated using the net emission coefficient, and depending on several additives (calcium, sodium, tungsten, dysprosium, and thallium or strontium iodides). The results show the strong influence of the additives on the power radiated despite of their small quantity in the mixtures and the increase of visible radiation portion in presence of dysprosium.


Solid waste disposal from waste by-products are one of the major environmental issue nowadays such as tires disposal. The utilization of recycled tyre as aggregate replacement in normal concrete and high strength concrete has been explored. Nowadays, UHPC has become famous due to high compressive strength that can achieved more than 100 MPa. UHPC was produced by using low water cement ratio and replacing the ordinary Portland cement (OPC) with 10% silica fume improved significantly its workability, strength and durability. In this study, an idea to replace the amount of aggregate with waste crumb tyre (WCT) in UHPC mixture was investigated. The WCT was replaced constantly at 5% from the total weight of aggregate. The WCT particle was subjected to pre-treatment process by immersing the WCT particles in NaOH solution for 20, 40 and 60 minutes. Two (2) type of testings namely durability test and chloride penetration were conducted. For durability test, the UHPC samples were immersed in 3% NaCl solution for 7, 14 and 28 days and the exposed specimens were tested in terms of its strength and weight loss. The chloride penetration depth of exposed UHPC was also evaluated. The results showed that the compressive strength for entire rubberized-UHPC significantly lowest in strength as compared to plain UHPC. The chloride penetration depth for rubberized-UHPC was higher value as compared to plain UHPC. In the rubberized-UHPC, UHPC-20 has higher value for chloride penetration depth than UHPC-40 and UHPC-60. The results revealed that UHPC-60 enhanced the chloride resistant penetration than UHPC-20 and UHPC-40.


Floating-gate MOS memories based on single electron effect are very attractive, because of the potential quantized threshold voltage shift, quantized charging voltage to create the shift, small device size and fast charging time. However, to relax the challenges in fabricating such devices, previous single-electron MOS memories (SEMMs) had to have nonconventional structures (e.g. a polysilicon channel or a floating gate consisting of many isolated silicon nanocrystals), causing large fluctuation in device dimension and performance and making them unsuitable to ULSI. Here we present the first SEMMs having a narrow crystalline Si channel and a nanoscale poly-Si floating gate of a well controlled dimension. We report that charging of a single electron to the floating gate will lead to, at room temperature, quantized threshold voltage shift, discrete charging voltage, and self-limiting charging process.


One of key attributes of WBAN is to extend the network lifetime, which can be achieved by adjusting the wakeup and sleep modes of the sensor nodes. Traditional low-power methods such as channel polling and periodic duty cycling are unable to satisfy WBANs requirements due to idle listening, collision, and control packet overhead problems. In this paper, we propose an RFID-enabled MAC protocol (RMAC) for WBAN that dynamically adjusts the wakeup and sleep modes of the nodes according to the traffic, thus solving the idle listening and overhearing problems. The protocol accommodates normal and emergency traffic using pre-scheduled and RFID wakeup methods. Analytical expressions are derived to analyze the power consumption and delay of the proposed protocol for normal and emergency traffic. The analytical expressions are further validated by extensive simulations using Network Simulator 2(NS2).


Keywords Dental implants are implant fixtures that replace the missing teeth, and inserted into the underlying bone to support the prosthesis. The aim of the present study is the development of a suitable technique for interseptal immediate dental implant placement in dogs, the identification of an exact location that is suited for the implants, and the demonstration of the step-by step clinical procedure. Six dental implants of (SLA) type were used in this study. Two pieces of titanium dental implants were implanted in three adult healthy dogs (one implant for each side) in the lower jaw. The implants were placed in two groups, group (A) without using of alendronate, and group (B) using alendronate. To describe the developed technique for interseptal immediate implantation in these dogs, the suitability, the stability, and the clinical effects were recorded just before the procedure, and after the implantation at zero day, 30, 60 and 90 days. At the 90 th day, tooth impressions were taken on the abutment of the implant for restoration of the extracted crown by titanium crown. The technique developed for immediate interseptal implant in this study was anatomically feasible, no blood vessels or nerves in the course of the pilot-drill, and subsequently the implant. The implants in group (A) were more stable than those in group (B). All the implants of group (A) were successfully fixed in place, while those of group (B) were failed. In conclusion, the use of interseptal immediate dental implant placement was suitable, feasible and accessible in dogs.


How do enzymes work? What is the physical basis of the phenomenal rate enhancements achieved by enzymes? Do we have a theoretical framework that accounts for observed catalytic rates? These are the foremost questions—with particular emphasis on tunnelling phenomena—debated at this Discussion Meeting by the leading practitioners in the field.


Human rights constitute a new paradigm in the actual legal system. In this context, the system needs to place the basic minimum as compensation to survive. When an employer takes away labor compensations (social benefits) from any worker it leaves the worker in total despair. It is irrelevant to carry this action by claiming a justification. The decision is always unilateral on the side of the employer. Both the substantive rights and those provisions that regulate labor prosecution have undergone drastic changes. These changes create a need to have a regulation basic compensation to survive; this has to come in effect, in order to protect each person´s human rights. This article addresses from mere definition for basic compensation to be part of a worker´s human rights. A current problem document before the labor courts in the country. As a result and in conclusion it brings up the following proposals. Proposals that are consider to be essential in order to guarantee Human Rights for workers. Any human being is entitled to these rights.


The sustainable development of the Yangtze River will affect the lives of the people who live along it as well as the development of cities beside it. This study investigated the relationship between shipping development and the water environment of the Yangtze River. Canonical correlation analysis is a multivariate statistical method used to study the correlation between two groups of variables; this study employed it to analyze data relevant to shipping and the water environment of the Yangtze River from 2006 to 2016. Furthermore, the Yangtze River Shipping Prosperity Index and Yangtze River mainline freight volume were used to characterize the development of Yangtze River shipping. The water environment of the Yangtze River is characterized by wastewater discharge, ammonia nitrogen concentration, biochemical oxygen demand, the potassium permanganate index, and petroleum pollution. The results showed that a significant correlation exists between Yangtze River shipping and the river's water environment. Furthermore, mainline freight volume has a significant impact on the quantity of wastewater discharged and petroleum pollution in the water environment.


The use of nanotechnology is relatively new in civil engineering industry. Cement and concrete are weak in tension and self-monitoring capability. The modification of the cement matrix with nano particles improves the concrete properties and leads to build a better structure. Mixing of carbon-nanofiber (CNF) to concrete can improve the resistance of water penetration and also improves mechanical and electrical properties such as high Young's modulus, improved fatigue resistance and self-monitoring behavior of concrete. In this paper, the advantages and need of nanotechnology in concrete is discusses. Keywords—Nanoconcrete, CNF, CNT, carbon fiber, concrete


This paper compares the four profiles established in Venezuela and the five profiles formulated in Colombia for training information professionals. The methodology consisted in comparing the aforementioned profiles, using relational matrices as an instrument, registering information on the profiles of a same country, as well as matrices to relate the skills outlined by the schools and programs from both countries. The results highlight a bet on a training that focuses not only on the development of technical and vocational skills, but also transversal competences aimed at a comprehensive training, emphasizing the cultivation of ethical values, which brings a humanistic, scientific and social character to the curriculum provided by the schools and programs training information professionals in Venezuela and Colombia. As a conclusion, the need to change to comprehensive profiles is determined, in order to move towards processes of academic cooperation between the two countries.


G-Quadruplexes are four-stranded helical structures that form in sections of nucleic acids with high guanine content. Because they are instrumental in the transcription and replication of oncogenes, they are promising targets for new cancer therapies. Researchers have found that these motifs dynamically shift conformation, with important biological implications. But they still do not understand exactly how this happens or how fast. Harald Schwalbe and co-workers investigate these questions in two G-quadruplex structures from the promoter regions of the cMYC oncogene and the human telomerase-reverse-transcriptase (hTERT) gene (DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b10367). They prevented conformational changes in the G-quadruplexes by using protective groups to block hydrogen bonding and then released the block and traced the kinetics of refolding with time-resolved NMR. They compared these results with thermal hysteresis kinetics experiments. The team finds that shifts in conformation in these structures take place slowly, over hours. In the case of hTERT, the kinetics are consistent with unfolding of one form before refolding into a new one. Further exploration of these "long-lived folding intermediates" could help expand our understanding of how G-quadruplexes function. Deirdre Lockwood Ph.D.


The Atmospheric Science Education Program (ASEP) established in 1986 at Purdue University had two components: (1) To conduct a summer program for teachers on topics in atmospheric science; and (2) To develop educational materials for teaching atmospheric science to grades five through nine. The ASEP Summer Program for Teachers was conducted at Purdue University in July 1987 for selected Indiana teachers. Its purpose was to help teachers that teach science in grades five through nine to incorporate atmospheric science topics into their school curricula. The teachers participated in a four-week program that included lectures, laboratory sessions, educational applications seminars, field trips, and guest speakers. The ASEP staff also developed a series of videotapes and an accompanying set of instructional booklets for students and teachers. These materials were designed to reach a nationwide audience of students and teachers of science so they could incorporate atmospheric-related activities into the genera...


Upon mitochondrial dysfunction, CHOP acts as a rheostat that attenuates prolonged stress and delays the onset of cardiomyopathy. In response to disturbed mitochondrial gene expression and protein synthesis, an adaptive transcriptional response sharing a signature of the integrated stress response (ISR) is activated. We report an intricate interplay between three transcription factors regulating the mitochondrial stress response: CHOP, C/EBPβ, and ATF4. We show that CHOP acts as a rheostat that attenuates prolonged ISR, prevents unfavorable metabolic alterations, and postpones the onset of mitochondrial cardiomyopathy. Upon mitochondrial dysfunction, CHOP interaction with C/EBPβ is needed to adjust ATF4 levels, thus preventing overactivation of the ATF4-regulated transcriptional program. Failure of this interaction switches ISR from an acute to a chronic state, leading to early respiratory chain deficiency, energy crisis, and premature death. Therefore, contrary to its previously proposed role as a transcriptional activator of mitochondrial unfolded protein response, our results highlight a role of CHOP in the fine-tuning of mitochondrial ISR in mammals.


Abstract Goals/Purpose The tear trough and lid-cheek junction demonstrate among the earliest and most noticeable signs of aging as a result of thin periorbital skin and loss of volume causing shadowing and darkness of the infraorbital region. Thus, rejuvenation of this area is commonly requested by patients. Soft tissue filler injections are the second most common non-surgical cosmetic procedure performed in the U.S, with over 2.6 million procedures reported in the 2020 Plastic Surgery Statistics Report. As such, there is a high demand for filler injection in the infraorbital area. However, there is currently only one FDA-approved filler for the tear trough, Juvéderm Volbella XC, although many practitioners also use Restylane-L. Interestingly, these two products differ significantly in their rheology (G', cohesivity, and flexibility), and the Juvéderm Vycross is smooth gel while the Restylane NASHA is particulate. Despite the high demand of filler in the infraorbital area, there remains debate on injection practices and precise anatomical placement leading to several prior cadaveric examinations of the region. We herein aimed to contribute to the anatomic understanding of infraorbital filler injection via a cadaveric study using Juvéderm and Restylane products with different constitutions and manipulation techniques. Methods/Technique Institutional approval for cadaveric study was obtained. Six cadaveric cephalus specimens were used for filler injection and dissection. All fillers were dyed with food coloring. The Juvéderm products Volbella XC (tear trough, red) and Voluma XC (malar, blue) were used together in hemi-faces (Juvéderm pair), and Restylane products Restylane-L (tear trough, purple) and Restylane-LYFT (malar, green) were used together in separate sets of hemi-faces (Restylane pair). All filler injections were performed by the senior author as follows: 0.5 cc of filler was injected into the malar region in the deep fat compartment above the maxilla both medial and lateral to the infraorbital foramen. In the tear trough region, the orbit was protected with the nondominant hand and 0.3 cc of filler injected just superficial to the infraorbital rim. One hemi-face was injected with the original constitution of filler product and the other was injected with filler blended with 0.2 cc of saline. In two cadavers, after injection the hemifaces were massaged and compared to those which remained unmanipulated. All hemi-faces were then dissected from medial to lateral in the subcutaneous plane and between the superficial and deep facial fat compartments by a single author. All photographs and videography were taken by a single author. All hemi-faces were subjectively analyzed by all authors. Results/Complications All cadavers were in excellent condition, and the subcutaneous tissue, superficial fat, and deep fat compartments were dissected in clear planes. Volbella was found on the periosteum of the infraorbital rim and along the orbicularis retaining ligament (ORL) and crossed into the sub-orbicularis oculi fat (SOOF) and the subcutaneous fat while the Restylane-L did not leech into the fat and remained as a distinct mass on the rim and ORL. Voluma was found in the deep medial cheek compartment and crossed into the superficial medial cheek and superficial nasolabial compartments and subcutaneous fat. In contrast, Restylane-LYFT remained mostly within the deep medial cheek compartment without spreading into the superficial fat pads (Figure). Dilutional manipulation by blending with saline and physical manipulation by massaging both increased spread of all products within the anatomical planes. However, Restylane products appeared to remain distinctly within the anatomical planes they were injected in despite the manipulations. Conclusion This cadaveric study was successful in demonstrating the behavior of different hyaluronic acid fillers injected in the infraorbital region. Tear trough and malar region filler injections just above the periosteum resulted in precise anatomical placement along the infraorbital rim/ORL and in the deep medial cheek fat compartment, respectively. The Juvéderm products appeared to spread across anatomical planes more freely than Restylane products. This may be explained by the lower elastic modulus (G') of the Juvéderm fillers. Manipulation of the filler product including blending and post-injection massage appeared to spread the fillers medially and laterally within the injected anatomical planes compared to unmanipulated filler. Of note, there are limitations to this study including the cadaver model as this does not allow for hydrophilic swelling of the filler nor spread and integration of the products as in live patients. The results of this study provide information about filler products commonly used in the infraorbital region and the effects of manipulation using blending or massage. Confirmation of precise anatomical placement of the fillers and improved knowledge of their behavior in situ through this cadaver study may assist clinical practitioners' selection of rheological properties of fillers, method of constitution, and manipulation technique depending on patient-specific anatomy.


. Let π be a Hecke-Maass cusp form for SL 3 ( Z ) and let g be a holomorphic or Maass cusp form for SL 2 ( Z ). Let χ be a primitive Dirichlet character of modulus M = M 1 M 2 with M i prime, i = 1 , 2. Suppose that M 1 / 2+2 η < M 1 < M 1 − 2 η with 0 < η < 1 / 8. Then we have


Balancing citizens' freedom thought, conscience and religion with the authority of the law which applies to all citizens alike presents an especial challenge for the governments of European nations with socially diverse and pluralistic populations. I address this problem from within the republican tradition represented by Machiavelli, Harrington and Madison. Republicans have historically focused on public debate as the means to identify a set of shared interests which the law should uphold in the interests of all. Within pluralistic societies, however, a greater attention must be paid to the background social conditions that may disrupt the deliberative process and lead to factionalism and instability. This includes certain changes in perspectives by both religious and secular citizens.


Synopsis: Reinforced concrete shear walls are typically modeled with twodimensional continuum elements. Such models can accurately describe the local behavior of the wall element. Continuum models are computationally very expensive, which limits their applicability to conduct parameter studies. Fiber beam elements, on the other hand, have proven to be able to model the behavior of slender walls rather well, and are computationally very efficient. With the inclusion of shear deformations and concrete constitutive models under a biaxial state of stress, fiber models can also accurately simulate the behavior of walls for which shear plays an important role. This paper presents a model for wall-type reinforced concrete structures based on fiber beam analysis under cyclic loading conditions. The concrete constitutive law is based on the recently developed softened membrane model. The finite element model was validated through a correlation study with two experimentally tested reinforced concrete walls. The model was subsequently used to conduct a series of numerical studies to evaluate the effect of several parameters affecting the nonlinear behavior of the wall. These parameters include the slenderness ratio, the transverse reinforcement ratio, and the axial force. These studies resulted in several conclusions regarding the global and local behavior of the wall system.


Autumn senescence is a visually spectacular phenomenon in which trees prepare for the oncoming winter. The mechanism for regulation of autumn senescence in trees has been very hard to pinpoint. In ...


To achieve the function of remote fault diagnosis for ceramic kiln,decrease the cost of fault diagnosis,a scheme based on two-tier structure for ceramic kiln fault diagnosis is proposed.The key software module in the ceramic kiln remote fault diagnosis system is developed including remote fault diagnosis module and remote real-time data monitor module developed with C# language,multithread technology,ActiveX technology and javascript technology.Then backward reference engine module is developed with SQL in the SQL2000 database.The simulation result show that the system designed may provide better reference for rapid diagnosing ceramic kiln fault.


Humate substances (HSs) are raw materials very easy to obtain and are naturally occurring organic molecules found in soil due to the humification of dead organic components. Traditionally used as conventional medicine in China and India and as soil fertilizer in agriculture. Humic acids are widely utilized as feed additives and could enhance ruminant performance. The effect of humic acid on feed intake depends on the level of supplementation, a humic acid source, experimental animals used and the region experimented.  Humic acid also increases the average daily gain, and sometimes increases feed digestibility and feed efficiency in goats, cows and cattle. Enhancement of milk yield, total solids, fat-corrected milk (FCM), and energy but does not influence milk composition. That supplementation also lowers blood cholesterol, excluding eosinophil and neutrophil, without affecting the haematological value. HSs also have anti-bacterial properties and HSs affect gut microbiota and rumen, such as increasing fungi counts and pH alteration, but the effect on bacteria and the protozoal population is non-consistent. In other trials, HSs have also been shown to reduce the process of methanogenesis.


BACKGROUND
Neonatal hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy (NHIE) is an important cause of long-term handicap in survivors. There is limited information on the burden of handicap from NHIE in sub-Saharan Africa.

OBJECTIVES
To determine the developmental outcomes in survivors of NHIE in South Africa (SA).

METHODS
In this prospective observational study, the developmental outcomes in 84 infants who had survived hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy (the NHIE group) were compared with those in 64 unaffected infants (the control group). The Bayley Scales of Infant Development version III were used for assessment of developmental outcomes.

RESULTS
Significant differences were found between the developmental outcomes of the two groups, with a significantly lower composite language score and higher proportions with language, motor and cognitive developmental delays in the NHIE group than in the control group. Cerebral palsy (CP) was present in 13 of the infants with NHIE (15.5%) and none in the control group (p<0.001). CP was associated with developmental delay, and also with the severity of NHIE. Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) was administered in 58.3% of the study group, but although it was associated with lower rates of CP and developmental delay than in the group without TH, the only significant difference was for delay on the language subscale.

CONCLUSIONS
Survivors of NHIE in SA are at risk of poor developmental outcomes.


The resistive evolution through equilibrium states of general plasma configurations with closed magnetic field lines is described. Cases where the magnetic field forms magnetic surfaces and where the magnetic field is ergodic are treated. In the former case, a simple equation for the rate of change of rotational transform at fixed values of toroidal flux is obtained, as is already known. In the latter case the evolution of the equilibrium is naturally described in terms of the magnetic helicity by use of the formalism of relaxed states introduced by J.B. Taylor. The equation for rate of change of magnetic helicity is shown to be a general law of resistive evolution, implying the former equation for rotational transform in the case of magnetic surfaces. In principle, the resistive evolution model provides a complete description of global long-time-scale plasma behavior in the limit where the plasma density vanishes. In this limit, the magnetohydrodynamic description of a plasma is not practical because of the vanishing of the inertial time scale.


This ultrastructural investigation of Trypethelium eluteriae, an en- doperidermal lichen, reveals an amorphous upper cortex devoid of cork cells pre- viously unreported for the Trypetheliaceae. The cells of the phycobiont, Trente- pohlia, possess bilamellar cell walls, large parietal chloroplasts with interthylakoidal starch grains and haematochrome droplets located around the periphery of the cells. The ascomycetous mycobiont has variably thick walls; the thinnest walls are found in the medullary hyphae associated with periderm cells. The mycobiont cells possess the normal complement of organelles. The mycobiont plasmalemma is relatively smooth in those hyphae of the upper cortex and algal layers but in the medullary hyphae, the plasmalemma has extensive invaginations. The amorphous upper cortex, thin medullary hyphal walls and the plasmalemma invaginations suggest a saprophytic relationship between the mycobiont and periderm cells. Algal-fungal contact is of the appressorium type possibly reflecting either the mesic habitat of the lichen or its evolutionary status. Trypethelium eluteriae Spreng. is a tropical-subtropical endoperidermal crustose li- chen. The thallus grows entirely within the periderm with only the perithecia emerging from the bark surface. The ultrastructural aspects of endolithic lichens have been inves- tigated (Kushnir & Galun 1977), but to date no ultrastructural analysis of endoperidermal lichens has been published. Likewise, only one lichen with Trentepohlia as a phycobiont- Chiodecton sanguineum (Swartz) Vain. (Ellis 1975)-has been studied ultrastructurally. This paper is a report on the ultrastructure of T. eluteriae.


Eighteenth-century evangelical Calvinists were a diverse group of people, but the majority of them adhered to Reformed theology. They debated how best to practise their faith, including the proper mode of baptism. Whereas the English Particular Baptists and others insisted that believers be immersed upon a profession of faith as an adult, others, including the Congregationalists and Presbyterians, practised infant baptism. Evangelical Calvinists furthermore sometimes clashed on ecclesiastical policies. The Baptists and Congregationalists, for instance, established independent churches, contrasting the hierarchical structures of the Church of England and Presbyterianism. Despite their diversity on doctrinal and ecclesiastical matters, eighteenth-century evangelical Calvinists were unified in proclaiming that salvation came exclusively by divine grace mediated through Christ's death on the cross, and that conversion was the means by which God redeemed the elect.


The invention discloses lubricating grease for a space aircraft and a preparation method thereof. The product comprises the following components in percentage by weight: 50-90% of basic oil, 2-20% of an anti-friction antiwear agent, 0.05-1.5% of a dispersant, 0.02-2% of an antioxidant, 1-10% of a thickening adjustor, 0.2-10% of a synergic lubricant and the balance of in-situ saponified compound lithium-based grease compounded. The product can reduce frictional wear of a typical friction pair of the space aircraft and prolong the service life of the aircraft in a space environment with the characteristics of high vacuum degree, strong radiation, elemental oxygen, high and low temperatures and the like. The product is good in lubricating performance, stable in quality and simple and convenient in preparation process, and has important application value in the lubricating field of the space aircrafts such as spacecrafts, artificial satellites and the like.


Objective To analysis the clinical characteristic of traumatic splenic rupture and summarize our experiences in the diagnosis and treatment of traumatic splenic rupture.in order to improve the diagnosis and treatment effect of traumatic splenic rupture.Methods Througe the flup to the patients,The clinical date of 265 cases of traumatic splenis rupture treated from January 1984 to December 2004 were retrospectively analyzed.The splenis rupture was classified into four types by B ultrasound subcapsular splenic rupture,central rupture,true splenic rupture and laceration of the splenic rupture.Results The detectable rate of B ultrasonic was 98.6%.194 cases undergoned splenectomy,18 cases undergoned splenorrhaphy,10 cases undergoned deligation of arteria lienalis and 4 cases undergoned splenic partial resection.Five patients died of severe multiple injury or cerebral hernia.39 cases were treated nonoperatively and cured.Conclusions During the period of the treatment of traumatic splenic rupture,it is generally accepted that to save life is more important than to reserve spleen.Splenectomy is satisfactory,the morbidity and mortality of splenectomy are low.It is evident that B ultrasound shoud be the first choice to identify and follow-up the cases of traumatic splenic rupture.


Objective To analyze the diagnosis and treatment methods of 14 cases with hilar cholangiocarinoma.Methods Clinical data of 14 patients with hilar cholangiocarinoma from 2004 to 2009 were analyzed retrospectively.Results of 14 patients,8 underwent radical resection,2 underwent palliative resection and 4 was subjected to nonresectional surgical treatment.Conclusion Operation is the main treatment methods.The principle of the radical operation is that there is no cancer cell in two stumps,No lymphatic metastasis,no liver metastasis The perfect prognosis of hilar cholangiocarcinoma depende on exact preoper-ative evaluation of resectability and choosing a rational surgical procedure.


After reading the debate between Harriet Sergeant and Beverly Malone (features April 20), I was thoroughly disappointed to see the lack of respect for and knowledge of today's nurses demonstrated by Ms Sergeant.


Quasi-continuous fiber lasers have a broad application prospect in the industrial field. However, the current research on quasi-continuous wave (QCW) fiber lasers only uses the single-ended output structure. A double-ended output fiber laser oscillator only needs one resonator to realize two laser outputs. Compared with single-end output laser, it has a lower cost, smaller volume and higher work efficiency. It is expected to learn higher power laser output through double-end output beam combining. Therefore, the double-ended output QCW fiber laser is proposed and studied in this paper. The steady-state rate equation established a theoretical model of a QCW fiber laser oscillator with two ends, considering the stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) and amplified spontaneous emission (ASE). The output power, time domain and nonlinear effects of this type of laser are simulated. The results show that the overshoot effect caused by relaxation oscillation will produce a large amount of thermal deposition and ultra-high peak power in the fiber. It will reduce the nonlinear threshold and limit the power increase of the QCW fiber laser. Prolonging the pump rise time can effectively suppress the relaxation oscillation and obtain a stable pulse output during the pulse duration. In addition, compared with the single-ended QCW laser, the double-ended output structure changes the energy distribution in the fiber and reduces the accumulation of nonlinear effects in the gain fiber, thus inhibiting SRS. Then, the ytterbium-doped fiber (YDF) with a core/cladding diameter of 20/400 μm was used to achieve the first double-ended QCW laser output with a peak power of 3 kW. The peak power at both ends was 1218 W and 2220 W, respectively. The corresponding beam quality factor M2 was 1.34 and 1.27. The optical-to-optical conversion efficiency was ~60%. The pulse width was 100 μs, and the repetition frequency was 1 kHz. This paper verifies the feasibility of high power and high beam quality output by double-ended output QCW fiber laser, which provides support for small volume, low cost, high power and high brightness QCW fiber laser. Further breakthroughs in the research and application of high-power fiber lasers are expected to be made by continuing to optimize experiments, increasing pump power, and improving the laser's output power and conversion efficiency.


Preaching in Acts is defined by the important Lukan concept of the plan of God. This concept provides the theological basis for Luke's understanding of preaching. God has acted for the salvation of the world through the suffering and resurrection of Jesus, and is now acting through the preaching of the disciples. In Acts the disciples must preach as a result of the activity of God. Acts, therefore, emphasises the necessity of preaching. The content of preaching also revolves around the plan of God. In addition, the response to the preaching, whether people accept or reject the message, inevitably leads to the spread of the gospel. Therefore, the preaching of the disciples not only conveys the message of God's plan; it is an integral part of that plan and illustrates its inevitable fulfilment.


Purpose: To study the effect of different sperm preparation methods and incubation times post preparation on sperm DNA fragmentation. Methods: Sperm DNA fragmentation was assessed by sperm chromatin dispersion (SCD) method on motile sperm prepared by gradient centrifugation or swim-up and incubated in IVF medium for up to 24 hours. Data were analyzed to discover the effect of preparation methods and incubation times on sperm DNA Fragmentation Index (DFI). Results: There were no differences in DFI in sperm samples prepared by gradient centrifugation method or swim-up (3.87 ± 2.14 vs. 3.45 ± 1.83, p = 0.544). However, an increase was observed in DFI in samples prepared by swim-up after 6–8 hours compared with by gradient centrifugation (34° vs. 13°, p = 0.04). In the swim-up group, the DFI level at 4 hours was already significantly higher than it was initially. However, following gradient centrifugation, the DFI at 8 hours was significantly higher than the initial DFI level. Conclusion: Sperm samples prepared by gradient centrifugation may be more stable compared to samples prepared by swim-up in terms of DNA Fragmentation.


Abstract The purpose of this study was to profile market segments based on decision making period that can be exploited to increase the effectiveness of travel promotion programs. It is recognized that promotional messages are most effective when they reach potential customers who are in a purchase decision-making mode, in this case planning a pleasure trip. Two possible groups were defined for this study: (1) those whose information processing interval is zero days-defined as 'instant decision-makers' and (2) those whose information processing interval is one day or more-defined as 'hesitant decision-makers'. These two groups were profiled in terms of media habits and trip characteristics. Instant decision-makers were found to report television as the most helpful media in selecting their pleasure trip destinations. The primary purpose of travel for instant decision-makers was more likely to be visiting friends or relatives and less likely to be outdoor recreation. Instant decision-makers were not as action-oriented but were more likely to use a friend's or relative's home as their main type of lodging during their pleasure trips. Results from this study suggest that this interval is nonexistent for the majority of travelers (85%), and more than half of the remaining small minority select a destination within 21 days of requesting information. Clearly, prompt response to inquiries is implied by these results. DMOs would also be advised to reconsider how they allocate their promotion budgets between inquiry generating and processing and their other promotion options.


The Impact of Caseworkers' Educational Background and Placement Outcomes for Foster Children by Katrina Haynes MS, William Carey University, 2008 BS, University of Southern Mississippi, 2005 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Psychology Walden University February 2018 Abstract Decades of data document that permanent placements of children in the welfare system has been a concern in Mississippi. As foster care rates increase, more children are awaiting placement. Researchers have linked child welfare workers' educational background to placement outcomes for foster care children; however, researchers have not addressed the relationship between child welfare workers' educational backgrounds and foster care placement outcomes in Mississippi. This quantitative study examined the educational backgrounds of social work and nonsocial work child welfare caseworkers and other factors such as children's gender and race as predictors in placement outcomes for children in welfare custody. Attachment theory was used to explain parent-child relationships and the importance of permanent, safe, and nurturing homes for children in the child welfare system. Secondary data were used from the 2017 archival records for 176 child welfare caseworkers' caseloads in the Mississippi Department of Child Protective Services (MDCPS). A simple linear and multiple regression analysis was used to examine child welfare caseworkers' educational background and children's gender and race as predictors for the length of stay in placement outcomes. The results revealed that caseworkers' educational backgrounds were not a significant predictor of placement outcomes but gender and race combined were significant in predicting the length of stay in placement outcomes for children in custody. Results from this study could promote positive social change within MDCPS by providing data to inform agency policy and procedures for child welfare practice, which could then result in more timely placements of reunification or adoption for children in the welfare system who are currently spending 36 months or more in traditional foster care.Decades of data document that permanent placements of children in the welfare system has been a concern in Mississippi. As foster care rates increase, more children are awaiting placement. Researchers have linked child welfare workers' educational background to placement outcomes for foster care children; however, researchers have not addressed the relationship between child welfare workers' educational backgrounds and foster care placement outcomes in Mississippi. This quantitative study examined the educational backgrounds of social work and nonsocial work child welfare caseworkers and other factors such as children's gender and race as predictors in placement outcomes for children in welfare custody. Attachment theory was used to explain parent-child relationships and the importance of permanent, safe, and nurturing homes for children in the child welfare system. Secondary data were used from the 2017 archival records for 176 child welfare caseworkers' caseloads in the Mississippi Department of Child Protective Services (MDCPS). A simple linear and multiple regression analysis was used to examine child welfare caseworkers' educational background and children's gender and race as predictors for the length of stay in placement outcomes. The results revealed that caseworkers' educational backgrounds were not a significant predictor of placement outcomes but gender and race combined were significant in predicting the length of stay in placement outcomes for children in custody. Results from this study could promote positive social change within MDCPS by providing data to inform agency policy and procedures for child welfare practice, which could then result in more timely placements of reunification or adoption for children in the welfare system who are currently spending 36 months or more in traditional foster care. The Impact of Caseworkers' Educational Background and Placement Outcomes for Foster Children by Katrina Haynes MS, William Carey University, 2008 BS, University of Southern Mississippi, 2005 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Psychology Walden University February 2018 Dedication In dedication to my beloved mother, Vanessa Denise Haynes. You left this earth way too soon but your legacy still lives on. Thank you, mom, for loving me and teaching me the real meaning of love, faith and perseverance. Though our time together was short, I am thankful for every lesson you taught me and forever grateful for all the memories you left behind. I am proud to say that I am glad that God chose me to be your daughter. I miss you dearly and you are always in my heart. I will love you always! Acknowledgments A very special thanks to my family and friends for the love and support you have shown me throughout this journey. Without your prayers and constant reminders of why I started this process, I would have stopped a long time ago. I thank God, every day for each of you and I love you all very much. To my chairperson, Dr. Debra Rose Wilson, thank you for putting the fire under me when I did not have the desire to write. Your constant nudging and frequent check-ins helped me to stay focused during those difficult times. I know we had some rocky times in the beginning but thank you for not giving up on me. To Dr. Cameron John, my second committee member, you were a great asset to this team. Your guidance helped me to understand some concepts clearly about this study. Thank you for your honest and constructive feedback, and for that, I have a study of which I can be proud of. To Dr. Virginia Salzer, thank you for being prompt in your feedback and understanding when I had to make changes to this study at no fault of my own. Having you a part of this team completed the puzzle. It is with sincere gratitude to each of you for being in my life at the perfect time. In the infamous word of Dr. Wilson, Peace!!!!


C 14 H18 N204, monoclinic, P2t/c, a = 10.03(1), b = 14.46(2), c = 20 .60(1)A, fl = 100.24 (8) °, Z = 8, M r = 278.3, D c = 1.26 Mg m -3, p(Mo Ka) = 0.10 mm -~. There are two crystallographically independent molecules in the asymmetric 0567-7408/82/041377-04501.00 unit. The structure was solved with MULTAN. Fullmatrix least-squares refinement converged to R = 0.054 for 2041 observed reflexions. The most interesting feature in the structure is the existence of several hydrogen bonds between the two molecules of the © 1982 International Union of Crystallography 1378 DIMETHYL 5-METHYL-2-PHENYL-3,4-PYRAZOLIDINEDICARBOXYLATE asymmetric unit. These molecules exist as hydrogenbonded dimers in the crystalline state, as illustrated by the infrared spectra. Introduct|on. The addition reaction, in acidic media, of the acetaldehyde hydrazone (1) with fumaric acid dimethyl ester leads to the compound (2), the hydrolysis of which gives a mixture of two epimeric pyrazolidines (3) and (3') (Le Fevre, 1978; Le Fevre, Sinbandhit & Hamelin, 1979). The same result is obtained in neutral conditions with fumaric acid dimethyl ester and the hydrazone (1) (Le Fevre, 1978; Le Fevre & Hamelin, 1980). H H H H H ÷ I I . I I CH,-CH=N-NH-C6Hs ` ) [CH -CH=N_N_C6Hs~.=.~ CH3-CH-N-N-C6H,I


This study aims to determine the effect of location, service quality and word of mouth communication on purchasing decisions at Bumdes Mini Market Trijaya Balung Lor. This research method is descriptive quantitative. Data collection techniques using interviews and questionnaires to 100 respondents with purposive sampling technique. The results showed, a) there was a significant influence between location on purchasing decisions with a significance level of 0.000 (p <0.05); b) there is a significant influence between service quality on purchasing decisions with a significance level of 0.000 (p <0.05); c) there is a significant influence between word of mouth communication on purchasing decisions with a significance level of 0.000 (p <0.05). In conclusion, capable location, service quality, and word of mouth communication became one of the factors driving purchasing decisions at Bumdes Trijaya Balung Lor.

Keywords: Purchase Decision, Service Quality, Location, Word of Mouth Communication


The present invention is the use of radiation-curable coating compositions comprising at least one radiation acrylsaureestergruppen organopolysiloxane having (meth) acrylates and a photoinitiator, which are characterized in that as photoinitiator at least one compound of the general formula is also used, wherein R R R R abhesive for the preparation of lacquers, abhesive coatings abhesive coatings.


was generally understood as representing two tendencies—conservative and liberal. The conservatives looked to the state to defend their landed and business interests and championed an active role for the church in the social and economic life of the people. Liberals, on the other hand, sought minimalist state and maximum individual freedom and, unlike the conservatives, championed a reduced role for the church particularly in the economy. Until the left-wing movements gained ascendency and stridency, both the conservatives and liberals generally ignored the demands of the marginalized segments of society. At best, these demands were negotiated at the very local level. At the national level, politics remained largely right-wing. With the 'left' movements surging since the early twentieth century, scholarly interest in the 'left' gained considerable importance and research on the right practically disappeared. At best, studies on the 'left' tangentially touched upon the role of the 'right' and of its constricting influence on the 'left'. Even the few studies on the Latin American 'right' have focused more on political parties and the formal political sphere than beyond. There is little doubt that we need to broaden our understanding of the role 'right' plays in democratic politics elsewhere and seek answers to questions such as what forces make particular manifestations of right-wing politics more or less likely and what would be the likely impact of a resurgent 'right' in Latin America. It would be even more useful to study what instrumentalities and mechanisms the Latin American 'right' is resorting to in order to regain its diminishing influence and power. Answers to these and related questions would reveal whether what we are witnessing is a 'new' Latin America, as the editors of the volume claim.


Abstract In order to improve the flocculent efficiency of wastewater treatment, a cationic flocculant poly (acrylamide-[2-(methacryloyloxy) ethyl] trimethyl ammonium chloride) (P (AM-DMC)) (CPAM) has been synthesized successfully via an inverse emulsion polymerization. Acrylamide (AM) and [2-(methacryloyloxy) ethyl] trimethyl ammonium chloride (DMC) were served as monomers. The molecular structure of CPAM was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectra (FT-IR) and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum (1H-NMR). The morphology of CPAM particles has been investigated by transmission electron microscope (TEM). Results showed that CPAM was the copolymer of AM and DMC and the particles of CPAM were uniform spheres (the size was about 200 nm). The synthetic conditions of CPAM have been studied and optimized by single-factor experiments. An optimized product was obtained at an intrinsic viscosity of 560 mL/g with a total monomer concentration of 25% and initiator concentration V50 of 0.2% (based on the total monomer mass). The amount of emulsion was 6% and the HLB (Hydrophile-Lipophile-Balance) of emulsion was 7.3. In addition, the flocculation property of CPAM was evaluated with kaolin suspension using jar test, and the result demonstrated that the flocculation property of CPAM performed better than kaolin flocculation.


Pilot plant studies into the use of microstraining and ozonation for colour reduction, investigations into possible regrowth of bacteria in the water distribution system after ozonation, and comparison of process costs with those of direct rapid sand filtration of a low turbidity surface water for a municipal supply are reported. The decision not to proceed with micro-straining-ozonation as a treatment process is noted, and comment made on the possible use of ozonation for colour reduction.


We introduce a formulation of combined systems in orthodox non-relativistic quantum mechanics, mathematically equivalent to the usual one. For context and larger issues, see this http URL and this http URL


Organic solar cells (OSCs) have been a popular topic of research for a long time. As a well-known electron transport layer (ETL) material for inverted device architecture, sol-gel-derived zinc oxide (ZnO) displays certain defective surfaces that cause excessive charge recombination and lower device performance. While ultraviolet (UV)-light soaking is sometimes necessary for the ZnO layer to function properly, the latter can also cause the photodegradation of conjugated organic semiconductors. The photostability of OSCs has always been a hot research topic, as the radiation of UV light may cause changes in the material's properties, and that, in turn, may cause rapid attenuation of the devices. Herein, ZnO is modified by inserting the commonly used sunscreen ingredient benzophenone-3 (BP-3) between the photoactive layer, consisting of a PM6:Y6 blend, and ZnO to reduce the impact of UV radiation on the photosensitive layer. The addition of BP-3 successfully enhances the photovoltaic parameters, and a remarkable open-circuit voltage (Voc) value of 0.887 V is obtained for PM6:Y6-based inverted solar cells, corresponding to a Voc loss as small as 0.547 V. Finally, the application of this strategy increases the device's power conversion efficiency from 12.44 to 13.71% and provides improved UV stability.


Scatterometry is used as an in-line metrology solution for injection molded nanostructures to evaluate the pattern replication fidelity. The method is used to give direct feedback to an operator when testing new molding parameters and for continuous quality control. A compact scatterometer has been built and tested at a fabrication facility. The scatterometry measurements, including data analysis and handling of the samples, are much faster than the injection molding cycle time, and thus, characterization does not slow down the production rate. Fabrication and characterization of 160 plastic parts with line gratings are presented here, and the optimal molding temperatures for replication of nanostructures are found for two polymers. Scatterometry results are compared to state of the art metrology solutions: atomic force and scanning electron microscopy. It is demonstrated that the scatterometer can determine the structural parameters of the samples with an accuracy of a few nanometers in less than a second, thereby enabling in-line characterization.


We report on the point-contacting by localized dielectric breakdown (PLDB) technique applied to form ohmic contacts at room temperature, to silicon test structures with locally doped surface regions and four dielectrics commonly used for surface passivation in silicon solar cells. Our results show that the statistical distribution of the electric field at breakdown for these samples can be fitted with a Weibull distribution, indicating that a percolation model used for dielectric failure can be used to describe this process. Poole-Frenkel field-assisted hopping conduction was identified as being the dominant conduction mechanism for all of the passivating layers, however, no correlation between leakage current and breakdown field was observed. Despite the lack of a predictive model for the breakdown field, the PLDB technique can be applied to structures with a number of different dielectric layers, delivering a low-resistance ohmic contact without the need for high-temperature processing steps.


This research aims to analyze the environmental impact of six fibers in the textile industry: conventional and organic cotton, silk, jute, flax, and polyester. The study used a life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology with a cradle-to-gate system boundary and analyzed the stages of agriculture, spinning, weaving, and dyeing. In agriculture production, five impact categories (i.e., fossil resource scarcity, global warming, land use, terrestrial ecotoxicity, and water consumption) have the most significant differences across these fibers. Polyester production significantly impacted the terrestrial ecotoxicity impact category, while stratospheric ozone depletion had a minor impact. In yarn preparation and spinning, silk has the most significant impact in most categories, followed by conventional cotton, while jute had the most minimal impact. In weaving, the most visible differences were in fossil resource scarcity, global warming, land use, terrestrial ecotoxicity, and water consumption. Conventional cotton dyeing showed significant impacts on global warming potential and terrestrial ecotoxicity. This study contributes to the limited literature on existing LCA research in the textile industry. Adding updated information will help increase the comprehension of LCA research and guide stakeholders in transitioning fashion supply chains more sustainably.


Background & Aim: Refractive change after strabismus surgery is a known phenomenon which may be attributed to the extraocular muscle traction.Since previous studies were often done by conventional methods,accompanied by a short follow-up, and without considering simultaneous evaluation of both refractive and topographic changes, this study was organized to evaluate refractive and topographic changes after strabismus surgery by hangback method. Patients and Method : In this prospective, interventional,and case series study, 53 eyes of 33 patients undergoing hangback strabismus surgery were studied. Cyclorefraction with autorefractometer and topographic evaluation were done before and 2 weeks, 2 months, and 6 months after the operation. Data were analyzed by SPSS software version 15 using t- test and Chi-square test. Results :The mean age of the subjects was 17.7 ± 10.2 years. We performed medial rectus recession on 18 eyes, lateral rectus recession on other 18 eyes, and simultaneous recession-resection on the remaining cases. In comparison to preoperative astigmatism, mean surgically induced astigmatism evaluated by cyclorefraction 2 weeks, 2 months, and 6 months postoperatively was 0.17± 0.52, 0.35±0.62 and 0.11±0.27 diopters ,respectively. The overall axis shift was toward 180 (2, 24, and 15 degrees respectively)(in all cases p<0.05). Mean surgically induced astigmatism evaluated by topographic data was 16±0.97, 0.53±1.2, and 0.29±0.63 diopters (in all cases p<0.05). The overall flat meridional shift was toward 180 (30, 25, and 7 degrees respectively). Comparing astigmatic changes in topography with those in cyclorefraction revealed a statistically significant difference in the second week measurements and not in other measurement times. Conclusion: Hangback surgery can induce refractive changes and astigmatism, which may be due to corneal changes. Surgically induced changes reach a maximum amount in 2 months, and despite shifting toward baseline, will persist for 6 months.


By using thermodynamic equilibrium model TEC (thermodynamic equilibrium components) results of numerical experiments of modeling of shock wave loading of oxides, silicates and mixtures are presented. The model allows to consider the presence of a polymorphic phase transition under shock wave loading of the materials, which is important for accurate modeling of thermodynamic parameters of pure substances and mixtures. The significant change of volume of the region of phase transition components included in the mixtures allows us to expand the range of variation of thermodynamic parameters of the mixtures under shock wave loading. The results allow us to create purposefully the necessary conditions for the synthesis of new materials in future. Interest in the research of compressibility of such mixtures is associated with the possibility of creating materials with desired properties and with the properties of the materials themselves. The good agreement of these model calculations with the experimental data of different authors is obtained. The model allows to describe dynamic loading of solid and porous mixtures comprising oxides, silicates as components quartz SiO2, Periclase MgO, Corundum Al2O3, Spinel MgAl2O4, Enstatite Mg2[Si2O6].


In the Boudouard reaction, where CO2 is reacted with carbon (char) to produce CO, very high temperatures are required to shift the equilibrium towards CO production. This endothermic reaction is inherently slow and catalytic species are effective to speed up the reaction rate at temperatures below 900 °C. In this study, the catalytic effect of some alkali (K, Na), alkaline earth (Ca) and transition (Fe) metals on enhancing the CO2 gasification reactivity of pistachio shell (PS) char was investigated. The CO2 gasification studies were performed in a Thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA). Among the examined potassium species, K2CO3 showed the highest catalytic effect; wherein, complete carbon conversion was achieved 48.1% faster as compared to un-catalyzed PS char. The highest catalytic effect among the sodium salts was devoted to NaNO3 which showed 57.7% enhancement in the reactivity of char. CaCl2 and Fe(NO3)2 also showed the best catalytic performance among the examined calcium and iron species and improved the reaction rate by 64.6 and 46.1%, respectively.


Objective To observe the clinical characteristics of fundus changes secondary to orbital diseases and to find out the relationship between the fundus lesions and orbital diseases.Methods A retrospective review of 18 cases of orbital diseases that showed remarkable orbit-related fundus changes and were seen by the corresponding author in Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center,Sun Yat-sen University,from Feb 2001 to Sep 2009.These included 3 cases of thyroid associated ophthalmopathy (TAO),2 cases of idiopathic orbital inflammatory pseudotumor (IOIP),3 cases of pleomorphic adenoma of lacrimal gland,2 cases of optic nerve glioma,2 cases of meningioma of optic nerve,1 case of orbital neurilemmoma,1 case of orbital paragangliomas,1 ease of orbital non-hodgkin's lymphoma,1 ease of vascular malformation with orbital bleeding,and 1 case of posterior scleratitis.Results All 18 cases with orbital diseases had their fundus changes.The fundus features in patients with TAO were congestive papilledema and macular pucker; those in IOIP were inflammatorypapilledema.In patients with orbital tumors,the main findings were choroidal-retinal folds and/or uplift due to direct tumor compression.If tumors were near or next to the optic nerve,they were easy to have papilledema; if the mass involved the orbital apex,they were easy to result in blood backflow obstacles and showed apparent retinal vein expansion.Conclusions Main fundus changes in patients with orbital diseases are choroidal-retinal folds due to mild tumor compression and local choroidal-retinal uplift due to obvious tumor onmpressior.Orbital lesions involving the proximal optic nerve may result in papilledema and those involving orbital apex may block the blood backflow and show apparent retinal vein expansion.The fundus changes secondary to diseases of the orbit related probably to the properties and location of primary diseases.

Key words:
Orbital tumor; Thyroid associated ophthalmopathy; Orbital inflammatory pseudotumor; Fundus; Choroidal retinal folds


Slow (reaction-limited) aggregation of small polystyrene spheres in aqueous suspension was started by the addition of salt and was monitored by conventional and dynamic light scattering at small scattering angle. The average aggregation number and hydrodynamic radius obtained from these measurements were related through a 'hydrodynamic' fractal dimension d h. Once the average aggregate size became larger than about 1 μm we also measured, from the angular dependence of the scattered intensity, a 'structural' fractal dimension dm . The two dimensions so obtained agreed within experimental error, implying a proportionality of structural and hydrodynamic radii; their values, about 2·08, are similar to those found by other workers for slow aggregation in three dimensions.


Text linguistics is quite a new academic discipline, which developed at the turn of the 21 century. At first the object of its study was larger texts – novels, novelettes, and short stories. Short type texts have only recently become the object of study of text linguistics. One of them is jokes, which were previously studied as a type of comic texts. Later, attention of researchers was drawn to their cultural conditioning and the means of explication of their cultural component. It was a result of understanding that all texts are culturally conditioned. Then it was to be expected that typical characters in different cultural communities are to be different. Quite unexpectedly, though, the character of a dumb blonde is used in many different cultures. The research below is dedicated to the analysis of this character in German jokes. The author also falls back on the studies of this stereotype in other cultures in order to find out the time and roots of its origin.


We have studied the relationship between optimism, pessimism and entrepreneurial attitudes among university undergraduate students (n = 206). We used the revised Life Orientation Test [1] as a measure of optimism and pessimism and we hypothesized that technological potential entrepreneurs are more optimistic and less pessimistic than non-potential entrepreneurs. Our results show a main effect of the entrepreneur profile on both the LOT-R scale and on the optimism dimension of the LOTR scale, whereas there was not a significant effect on the pessimistic dimension of the LOT-R. Our results contrast with those presented earlier where actual technological entrepreneurs were studied [2]. Theoretical and practical implications for our results are discussed.


Abstract Some geochronological measurements of the varved Pleistocene glacial clays in the Viskan river valley on the Swedish West Coast show-that the clay structure changes from diatactic to symmict already 15 years after the withdrawal of the land-ice at Berg and Berghem, situated 14 km further in the fiord, that the ice-border protruded as a lobe in the fiord and that the marine molluscan fauna immigrated so soon that shells of Yoldia arctica are found at Berg in varves 28 years and at Berghem 60 years after the disappearing of the ice.


the GOMOS OClO product has validated but GOMOS is the only instrument performing nighttime measurements of OClO (the balloonborne instrument SALOMON this measurement but the SALOMON data are available the moment). The comparisons between daytime OClO and nighttime OClO require to model the diurnal variations. this work re-quires time and will be done in the future as it is explained in the conclusions of this paper. We compared our results to the results of


Understanding the nutritive values of fruit peel residues could expand our feed atlas in sustaining livestock production systems. This study aimed to investigate the effects of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), cellulase enzyme, molasses, and their combinations on the fermentation quality and in vitro digestibility of coconut peel (CCP), sugar palm peel (SPP), and durian peel (DRP) silage. The CCP, SPP, and DRP were ensiled in a small-scale silo without additive (control), and with LAB strain TH14 (TH14), molasses, or Acremonium cellulase (AC) using a small-scale silage preparation technique according to a completely randomized design. All fresh peels had sufficient factors for ensiling such as moisture content (78–83%), water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC, 4.20–4.61% dry matter (DM)), and epiphytic LAB population (104–105 colony-forming units (cfu)/g fresh matter (FM)). However, aerobic bacteria counts were high (107–109 cfu/g FM). The fiber content of these fruit peels was high, with lignin abundances ranging from 9.1–21.8% DM and crude protein was low (2.7–5.4% DM). After ensiling, the pH values of the silage were optimal (≤4.25) and lower (p < 0.01) for SPP silage. The addition of molasses+TH14, molasses+AC, and molasses+TH14+AC has the potential to enhance fermentation characteristics and improve chemical composition. Silages treated with molasses alone improved the in vitro digestibility of tropical fruit peels. The residue of tropical fruits has the potential to be used as an alternative feed source for ruminants. Adding molasses, TH14, and AC during silage preparation could improve its nutritive value and digestibility.


A nonpolycyclic nilpotent-by-cyclic group Gamma can be expressed as the HNN extension of a finitely-generated nilpotent group N. The first main result is that quasi-isometric nilpotent-by-cyclic groups are HNN extensions of quasi-isometric nilpotent groups. The nonsurjective injection defining such an extension induces an injective endomorphism phi of the Lie algebra g associated to the Lie group in which N is a lattice. A normal form for automorphisms of nilpotent Lie algebras--permuted absolute Jordan form-- is defined and conjectured to be a quasi-isometry invariant. We show that if phi, theta are endomorphisms of lattices in a fixed Carnot group G, and if the induced automorphisms of g have the same permuted absolute Jordan form, then Gamma_phi and Gamma_theta are quasi-isometric. Two quasi-isometry invariants are also found: the set of ``divergence rates'' of vertical flow lines: D_phi the ``growth spaces'': g_n subset g These do not establish that permuted absolute Jordan form is a quasi-isometry invariant, although they are major steps toward that conjecture. Furthermore, the quasi-isometric rigidity of finitely-presented nilpotent-by-cyclic groups is proven: any finitely-presented group quasi-isometric to a nonpolycyclic nilpotent-by-cyclic group is (virtually-nilpotent)-by-cyclic.


Social entrepreneurs are catalysts for social change on account of social value creation and opportunity identification, thereby improving the quality of life. Their contribution to society is particularly significant in times of crises and pandemics. Hence, the world health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the need for social entrepreneurship across the globe. Despite social entrepreneurship's relevance in social value creation, the studies regarding opportunity identification in times of social distancing are particularly rare. This constructivist-qualitative research fills the gap by employing the EDraw Mind Map tool to explore how the COVID-19 pandemic in general, and social distancing in particular, have shaped entrepreneurial opportunities for social innovation. The findings from content analysis reveal that ICT-based services and industry 4.0 hold a promising future during and post-COVID-19 scenario. They can facilitate a transformation of the threats of social distancing into distant socialization benefits and demand fulfillment. Furthermore, the study contributes to providing a comprehensive depiction of the myriad of opportunities created by social entrepreneurs worldwide. It also guides aspiring social entrepreneurs to adopt such technologies and aim for social integration to ensure quality mental health, education, employment, and manufacturing services in low-resource and developing countries' contexts, as they are severely impacted by the pandemic.


1Institute for Mental Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK; 2Department of Public Health Solutions, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland; 3School of Psychology, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK; 4The Barberry National Centre for Mental Health, Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Trust, Birmingham, UK; 5Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust, Research and Innovation, Coventry, UK Objective: Recent research indicates that sleep problems in childhood precede the development of borderline personality disorder (BPD) symptoms, but the mechanisms by which sleep problems associate with BPD are still unknown. This narrative review aims to provide some potential explanations for how early sleep problems might associate with BPD. Methods: We used the biosocial developmental model of BPD as a framework to discuss how sleep problems may associate with BPD. Articles were identified via PubMed and Embase, and papers published between January 1991 and April 2021 were extracted. Authors made a series of literature searches using the following keywords: Sleep problems, Insomnia, Nightmares, Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Adrenal Axis (HPA), Prefrontal Cortex, Family Psychopathology, Disrupted Attachment, Child Maltreatment, Impulsivity, Emotion Regulation, Internalizing, Externalizing, Rumination, Childhood, Adolescence, Young people. The inclusion criteria were published in peer-reviewed journals; human studies or reviews; published in English. The exclusion criteria were commentaries; abstracts from conferences; studies with animal samples. A total of 96 articles were included for the purpose of this review. Results: The evidence from this review suggests that some biological factors and core features of BPD act as potential mechanisms mediating the associations between early sleep and subsequent BPD, while some family-related factors might constitute common risk factors for sleep problems and BPD. Conclusion: The biosocial developmental model of BPD provides a plausible characterization of how sleep disruption might lead to subsequent BPD. Further research on new developmental and early intervention approaches to understand how sleep in early stages associates with BPD could have significant clinical impact on these patients and could inform targeted therapeutic interventions.


Artificial intelligence ("AI") is a key driver of the fourth industrial revolution. AI systems and machine learning technologies are already having a significant impact on the development, production and sales of a vast range of economic and cultural goods and


Haftavan Tepe in the Urmian basin, excavated by Charles Burney, is a graveyard and a settlement with Iron Age I (Haftavan V) and Iron Age II (Haftavan IV) remains in a stratigraphic context. The author presents a classification of the Haftavan IV pottery from the settlement and the graves. He argues that the presence of new wares and shapes in period IV should not necessarily be explained by the arrival of newcomers in the region (Iranian tribes). Some changes could be explained as local developments, other are resulting from ties with NW-Iran and the central Iranian plateau.


In‐channel atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) was used to graft a PEG layer on the surface of microchannels formed in poly(glycidyl methacrylate)‐co‐(methyl methacrylate) (PGMAMMA) microfluidic devices. The patterned and cover plates were first anchored with ATRP initiator and then thermally bonded together, followed by pumping a solution containing monomer, catalyst, and ligand into the channel to perform ATRP. A PEG‐functionalized layer was grafted on the microchannel wall, which resists protein adsorption. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to investigate the initiator‐bound surface, and EOF was measured to evaluate the PEG‐grafted PGMAMMA microchannel. Fast, efficient, and reproducible separations of amino acids, peptides, and proteins were obtained using the resultant microdevices. Separation efficiencies were higher than 1.0×104 plates for a 3.5 cm separation microchannel. Compared with microdevices modified using a previously reported ATRP technique, these in‐channel modified microdevices demonstrated better long‐term stability.


There was only a jigsaw puzzle of dry ground; A shroud of unfinished power lines dangling in silence. Shadow cows wandered over broken fence pieces, prodding memories of grass. I asked a hungry man, Where is the beautiful land I came to see? This is her legacy, he told me sadly. The legend you seek is dead. She was once virgin bride to the world. Her dowry was a sea of zebra. Her wildebeest thundered like a summer storm. She was jungle, mountain, and river. Long ago her lxxly throbbed with blood and breath. She was warm and alive.


This paper investigates solar radiation‐induced photocatalytic hydrogen generation using spinel ZnFe2O4 (ZFO) photocatalysts fabricated using different routes, viz., solid state reaction (SSR), polymer complex (PC), microwave sintering (μW) and self‐propagating combustion (SPC) method. The physicochemical properties of the photocatalysts like crystallinity, surface area, band gap and band energetics is studied as it influences their photochemical behavior. The study reveals a high crystallinity of the ZFO photocatalysts, those are synthesized using SSR, PC and μW methods, where SSR method yields the larger dimension crystallites of ~53 nm. The nanoparticles obtained from SPC methodology exhibit a relatively large surface area and a smaller crystallite size of around ~18 nm. Monodispersed particles with comparatively large surface area are obtained in the case of PC method. ZFO obtained from μW synthesis exhibits enhanced optical properties, thus favoring high absorption of solar photons. A relatively more negative flat band potential is displayed by the μW samples (−0.543 vs normal hydrogen electrode) as estimated from the electrochemical measurements. Consequently, these samples yield a higher quantum yield (0.19%) for hydrogen evolution even without co‐catalyst loading. On the contrary, the photocatalysts obtained by SSR and PC methods did display an enhancement in the quantum yield as compared to the μW samples but only after Pt co‐catalyst loading. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Summary Modern farming practices threaten wildlife in different ways, and failure to identify the complexity of multiple threats acting in synergy may result in ineffective management. To protect ground‐nesting birds in farmland, monitoring and mitigating impacts of mechanical harvesting is crucial. Here, we use 6 years of data from a nationwide volunteer‐based monitoring scheme of the Montagu's harrier, a ground‐nesting raptor, in French farmlands. We assess the effectiveness of alternative nest protection measures and map their potential benefit to the species. We show that unprotected nests in cultivated land are strongly negatively affected by harvesting and thus require active management. Further, we show that protection from harvesting alone (e.g. by leaving a small unharvested buffer around the nest) is impaired by post‐harvest predation at nests that become highly conspicuous after harvest. Measures that simultaneously protect from harvesting and predation (by adding a fence around the nest) significantly enhance nest productivity. The map of expected gain from nest protection in relation to available volunteers' workforce pinpoints large areas of high expected gain from nest protection that are not matched by equally high workforce availability. This mismatch suggests that the impact of nest protection can be further improved by increasing volunteer efforts in key areas where they are low relative to the expected gain they could have. Synthesis and applications. This study shows that synergistic interplay of multiple factors (e.g. mechanical harvesting and predation) may completely undermine the success of well‐intentioned conservation efforts. However, identifying areas where the greatest expected gains can be achieved relative to effort expended can minimize the risk of wasted volunteer actions. Overall, this study underscores the importance of citizen science for collecting large‐scale data useful for producing science and ultimately informs large‐scale evidence‐based conservation actions within an adaptive management framework.


In this study, the ground settlement was investigated by using monitoring data of the test sites where vacuum consolidation method and surcharge method were applied for improving deep soft soil. The monitoring data are chosen in ○○ area port construction site reclaimed with very soft dredged clay. These data are analyzed to compare the consolidation characteristics between the different loading methods for soil improvement. Through analysis of the loading time, it is shown that the ground settlement reaches its allowable value under vacuum consolidation loading by about 45% faster than that of the surcharge loading consolidation. This could be explained that vacuum consolidation method makes the isotropic consolidation condition so that the time for reaching a certain final preloading without soil failure can be shortened.


Using data from the General Social Survey (2002), structural equation modeling is employed to examine the intersections and relationships between various socio-demographic and contextual variables, patient trust, and patient preference for behaviors that indicate a desire to be an active health care participant. In so doing, a gap in the literature is addressed by uniting previous research on patient trust with research on patient participation. Findings reveal that patient trust in doctors and various socio-demographic and contextual variables are associated with people wanting to participate in the health care process by learning about medical issues on their own and by contributing to medical decisions. Results also shed new light on past research, which finds a relationship between various socio-demographic variables and patient trust. Specifically, they highlight the importance of distinguishing between patient trust in doctors and patient trust in the broader health care institution and the economic pressures it exerts on doctors. A discussion of what these findings might mean for our understanding of the doctor-patient relationship and the delivery of health care concludes the chapter.


The new originally capital general solution of determining the prototype filter func- tion as the response that satisfies the specifications of all p ole low-pass continual time filter functions of odd and even order is presented in this paper. The approximation problem of filter function was solved mathematically, most directly applying the summed Christoffel-Darboux formula for the orthogonal polynomials. The starting point in solving the approximation prob- lem is the direct application of the Christoffel-Darboux fo rmula for the initial set of continual Jacobi orthogonal polynomials in the finite interval (− 1, + 1) in full respect to the weighting function with two free real parameters. General solution for the monotonic and non-monotonic filter functions is obtained in a compact explicit form, whic h is shown to enable generation of the Jacobi filter functions in a simple way by choosing the val ues of the free real parameters. Moreover, the proposed solution with the same criterion of approximation is used to gener- ate the appropriate best known classical approximation functions for particular specifications of free parameters: the Gegenbauer, Legendre and Chebyshev filter functions of the first and second kind as well. The approximation is shown to yield a very good compromise solution in view of the filter frequency characteristics (both magnit ude and phase characteristics). The paper proposes new class filter functions with an excellent a pproach to ideal filter characteristic.