OBJECTIVES We investigated whether use of low-dose enteric-coated (EC) aspirin for secondary prevention of cardiovascular events has sufficient bioavailability to achieve complete platelet cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibition in all individuals. BACKGROUND Aspirin reduces cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with pre-existing vascular disease; however, there is variability in the way individuals respond. Persistent normal platelet function despite therapy, referred to as "aspirin resistance," is associated with an increased risk of major cardiovascular events. METHODS We studied 131 stable cardiovascular patients between March and September 2002 who were taking 75 mg EC aspirin. Serum thromboxane (TX) B2 levels were assayed as a measure of COX activity. Mean arachidonic acid (AA)-induced platelet aggregation 20% was deemed evidence of persistent platelet activity and an incomplete aspirin response. RESULTS Patients of median age 63 years (61% men) were enrolled. Forty-four percent of patients had elevated serum TX B2 levels ( 2.2 ng/ml). Arachidonic acid-induced platelet aggregation occurred more frequently in these patients (21% vs. 3%; p 0.004). In all cases addition of exogenous aspirin during the assay abolished platelet aggregation. Patient weight and age were significant independent predictors of an incomplete response to EC aspirin (p 0.025 and p 0.001, respectively). These patients were also more likely to have a history of myocardial infarction (MI) (p 0.038). CONCLUSIONS Many patients who are prescribed low-dose EC aspirin for secondary prevention of cardiovascular events have persistent uninhibited platelet COX activity. Younger and heavier patients and those with a previous MI are most likely to have an inadequate response to treatment. (J Am Coll Cardiol 2005;47:1258–63) © 2005 by the American College of ublished by Elsevier Inc. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2005.06.058


From improving sensitivity, the theory of fiber Bragg grating sensors is analyzed. The sensitivity enhancing principle of fiber Bragg grating is researched. From different aspects, the basic techniques of improving the fiber gratings to temperature and strain are generalized. The sensitivity-enhancing models of temperature and strain sensors are deeply analyzed, and the technology of coating for sensitivity-enhancing is researched.


Effective leadrship talent management practices are important components of successful organizations. This correlational quantitative study is designed to inform educational leadership training programs in their work to revise their curricula and to utilize the candidates' perception data to ensure successful program delivery and outcomes. Particularly, the findings of this study aim to inform educational leadership preparation practices on developing talent managers who can recruit, hire, retain, and support the most talented and high qualified teachers, as well as support staff available in the education job market. Results indicate that after completing the first year of educational leadership training only around half of the aspiring school leaders felt performance or impact ready to serve as talent managers, in order to select and develop highly qualified educators to increase the success of all students. The findings also suggest the importance of understanding how various factors predict an individual's perception of preparedness to perform talent management leadership activities. Therefore, the study results may serve to enrich conversations of educational leadership training programs, guide program evaluation efforts, and help ensure candidates in educational leadership programs are exposed to talent management and strategies in their coursework. This may help future school leaders clearly and purposefully apply their knowledge and skills.


Developing a rapid and low cost approach to access atomically dispersed metal catalysts (ADMCs) supported by carbon is important but still challenging. Here, an electric flash strategy using high voltage for the rapid fabrication of carbon-supported ADMCs within 1 min is reported. Continuous plasma arc results in nitrogen-doped carbon ultrathin nanosheets, while an intermittent spark pulse constructs carbon hollow nanospheres via blasting effect, and both structures are decorated with atomically dispersed cobalt. The latter catalyst shows a half-wave potential of 0.887 V versus RHE (47 mV higher than commercial Pt/C) in an oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in alkaline media. The authors' work paves the way to rapid synthesis of carbon-supported ADMCs at both low cost and mass production.


A mask generation instruction execution by the processor, to improve the efficiency of the data element array performs vector operation. The processor includes a plurality of data elements of the vector registers, vector registers storing one of a plurality of arrays. The processor further includes performing a circuit, a circuit for receiving the mask generation instruction execution, the instruction specifies a mask to produce at least a first operand and a second operand. Response generation instruction to the mask circuit for the bit number of the first operand leftward defined in the second operand of the execution, and whenever the most significant bit of the first operand to be removed from the left bit from the right pull-1, to produce a result. The results are a bit of each data element of the array corresponding to the plurality of data elements.


This study focuses on small-scale ocean eddy (<20km) detection in satellite remote images using Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) deployed on AWS cloud platforms, specifically SageMaker and EC2. Our goal is to streamline the workflow and make the services accessible in the climate change domain. In this work, we proposed a CNN-based Ocean Eddy detection model and it is deployed using Sage-Maker and EC2. Our proposed approach achieved more than 95% and 94% training and validation accuracy respectively by applying principal component analysis (PCA) on the dataset. We considered the usability, performance, and cost comparison while deploying the services. Our analysis shows that SageMaker and EC2 are highly capable of building CNN-based services, though there are some challenges in deploying services and limitations related to resources.


This paper investigates the distributed fault-tolerant control problem for the heterogeneous vehicular platoon system (HVPS) suffering from actuator faults, saturation, and external disturbances. Firstly, an exponential spacing policy is developed to tackle the string stability (SS) and traffic flow stability issues when the actuator faults occur. Then, a nonlinear observer is developed to estimate the saturation approximation error, bias fault, and external disturbances. Moreover, to achieve the SS of the whole system in finite-time and fault tolerance ability, a distributed adaptive fault-tolerant control scheme based on bidirectional-leader information flow topology is proposed. Adaptive estimation laws are also involved to estimate and update the unknown parameters, in which the effect of actuator saturation can be compensated. Finally, the SS in finite-time and traffic flow stability of the closed-loop system are proved, respectively. Experiment results and comparisons demonstrate the feasibly and advantages of the method.


The ability to speak and express opinions in public is one of the competencies that must be possessed by students. This study aims to determine how guidance with the empty chair technique is effective in improving the courage to express opinions in students. The results of the study show that the empty chair technique is proven to be able to help train communication skills and increase confidence in expressing opinions. The theoretical and practical implementation of guidance with the empty chair technique to improve the courage to express opinions in students has a very beneficial value for the development of concepts in guidance and counseling


Inguinal pelviscopy is a new approach for examining structures in the extraperitoneal and intraperitoneal pelvic cavity. The total number of patients studied was 84. The technique was used to examine and take biopsies from masses in the presacral area (6 patients), right (8) and left (3) iliac fossa, and ovaries (8 patients). Ovarian biopsies were taken from 26 patients (14 with primary amenorrhea and 12 with elevated serum FSH levels), and ovarian cyst aspiration and biopsy were performed in 12 patients. Tubal sterilization was done in 18 cases and lysis of pelvic adhesions in 3 infertile patients. The procedure consists of entry of the extraperitoneal pelvic cavity or the iliac fossa and loin through the inguinal canal. Intraperitoneal pelvic cavity examination can also be done by piercing the peritoneum at the deep inguinal ring or close to the falloppian tube. No complications were encountered except urinary retention in one patient with presacrai tumor and abdominal wall hematoma in another patient. ...


Grafted silicone polycarbonates were synthesized from precursors, which are allyl polycarbonates (Allyl-PCs), and siloxanes by hydrosilylation reaction using Karstedt's catalyst. Allyl-PCs were synthesized using polycarbonate oligomer and 3,3′-diallyl bisphenol A (DABA) through an interfacial polymerization process. FT-IR, 1H-NMR spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) were studied in order to understand the characterization of the synthesized compounds. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to observe the surface morphology of the polymer films. The contact angle measurement of the sessile water drop onto the polymer films was also performed. The silicone polycarbonates (Si-PC) and their active precursors (Allyl-PC) were different in thermal properties to that of the bisphenol A polycarbonate (BPA-PC). Grafted silicone polymers exhibited lower wettability than those of their precursors and BPA-PC.


A supermarket in Sweden has been converted to ammonia in the machine room and with an indirect system for cooling temperatures and carbon dioxide as secondary refrigerant for freezing. The system has been running for a year without any problems. Since the start of this supermarket, another five systems have been started.


Please cite this paper as: Mehrabi M. Setting up the Structure and Process for E-Content Development. Interdiscip J Virtual Learn Med Sci. 2019;10(4):78-80. doi: 10.30476/ ijvlms.2019.84733.1016. *Corresponding author: Manoosh Mehrabi, PhD; Department of e-Learning in medical Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. Tel: +98-71-32361618 Email: mehrabi.manoosh@ gmail.com Letter to Editor Interdisciplinary Journal of Virtual Learning in Medical Sciences


Uncoupling protein‐3 (UCP3) is a mitochondrial transmembrane protein highly expressed in the muscle that has been implicated in regulating the efficiency of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. Increasing UCP3 expression in skeletal muscle enhances proton leak across the inner mitochondrial membrane and increases oxygen consumption in isolated mitochondria, but its precise function in vivo has yet to be fully elucidated. To examine whether muscle‐specific overexpression of UCP3 modulates muscle mitochondrial oxidation in vivo, rates of ATP synthesis were assessed by 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), and rates of mitochondrial oxidative metabolism were measured by assessing the rate of [2‐13C]acetate incorporation into muscle [4‐13C]‐, [3‐13C]‐glutamate, and [4‐13C]‐glutamine by high‐resolution 13C/1H MRS. Using this approach, we found that the overexpression of UCP3 in skeletal muscle was accompanied by increased muscle mitochondrial inefficiency in vivo as reflected by a 42% reduction in the ratio of ATP synthesis to mitochondrial oxidation.


Abstract Cigarettes with similar design features but with either cellulose acetate or dual carbon filters were made at 1-mg and 13-mg "tar" levels, as determined under the ISO smoking procedure. Products were smoked under the ISO, Massachusetts and Canadian smoking regimes to provide per-cigarette and per-puff yields of twelve vapour phase (VP) smoke components. The yields generated at the lit end of the cigarette and the significant yield reductions caused by filter ventilation, selective (carbon) adsorption, tobacco rod ventilation and diffusion were estimated in a modelling approach. For a "1-mg tar" carbon-filtered product it was estimated that the VP generated at the lit end was reduced by 99.4% to a machine yield of 17 µg/cig under ISO smoking conditions. Under the Canadian regime with 100% vent blocking, the estimated total VP was lowered 20% by tobacco rod effects and 15% by carbon filter adsorption giving a machine yield of 3487 µg/cig. The carbon filter adsorbed less efficiently partly due to the artificially high smoke temperatures through the filter that would probably not be tolerated by human smokers. Under the Massachusetts regime with 50% vent blocking, conditions better associated with human smoking, the total VP was lowered 51% by filter ventilation, 22% by tobacco rod effects and 17% by carbon filter adsorption giving a machine yield of 659 µg/cig. Ventilation is used to achieve "tar"/nicotine/carbon monoxide yield ceilings at 10/1/10 mg based on the current ISO smoking method. If future regulations were to mandate further reductions in VP then this will only be selectively achieved by increasing filter or tobacco rod ventilation/porosity or by using selective adsorption. It is inevitable that manufacturers will need to add further ventilation into their product to comply with such regulations and this should be reflected in any smoking regime. Furthermore, regimes with 100% vent blocking, that do not produce data reflecting the significant reductions in VP yields, provided to the smoker by ventilation, are misleading and their results will not correlate with relevant biomarker data. When proposing a different smoking regime, it is essential to understand the generation and transfer of smoke within cigarettes and factors involved in the subsequent data interpretation as described in this work. For regulatory evaluation purposes, cigarette characterisation using a regime that removes ventilation, one of the main design tools, is more misleading than the current ISO regime or one with partial vent blocking.


Abstract The purpose of this study was to explore whether a personalized self-talk intervention influenced mental toughness, rating of perceived exertion, sense of the urge to slow down, perceived performance and finish times in a series of 800-meter run time trials. While mental toughness has been associated with improved endurance performance, the effect of changing an individual's momentary self-talk on mental toughness and finish time has not yet been examined. This single-subject, multiple baseline design case study incorporated three participants who each ran a series of 11 − 13 maximum effort 800-meter time trials on the track, separated by a minimum of two days, across ten weeks. Following an initial series of four to six baseline sessions, they were each then provided a personalized self-talk intervention before running the seven additional sessions. Visual analysis (including review of non-overlapping data points between baseline, intervention, and follow-up sessions) demonstrated the personalized self-talk intervention positively influenced mental toughness and finish times across all three participants but did not consistently affect the rating of perceived exertion, urge to slow down or perceived performance. Additional insights were identified through the integration of social validation interviews informally after each run session and then formally after the intervention. These insights included identifying a new baseline of effort accompanied by different levels of mental toughness and an intrigue on the part of participants about the notable improvement in outcomes in spite of previously perceived "all-out" effort. Lay Summary: Mental toughness variability and 800 meter finish times were both positively influenced by a personalized self-talk intervention in runners. In addition, as mental toughness increased, 800 meter finish times improved.


On the internet, the information of media streaming are abundant day by day. These A/V oriented applications, which have the characteristics of big data amount, high real-time and so on, can get an enormous challenge out of network resources. However, conventional real-time schedulers such as EDF (Earliest Deadline First) and RM (Rate Monotonic) are designed for task sets with sophisticated characteristics. They can perform well in the idea network with precise workloads. In a realistic network with shared bandwidth and unpredictable workloads, their performances may be poor. In this paper, a BC-EDF (Buffer-Controlled EDF) control-theoretical is proposed to resolve the real-time scheduling problem in multimedia communications. It can tolerate diverse system behaviors to provide reliable multimedia communications and playback quality. Experiments show that BC-EDF outperforms other schedule mechanisms.


Objective To inspect the safeness of percutaneous application of doxepin hydrochloride cream(DHC) in animals. Methods Experiment①: 6 rabbits were randomly divided into 2 equal groups: intact skin group and dermal injury group.24 h before the beginning of the experiment,rabbits of both groups were subjected to localized depilation of the skin of the back to the left and right of the spine.Dermal injury was produced by scraping the skin with a sterilized needle until oozing of blood began to appear.An auto-contrast method was adopted in which changes in the skin on both sides of the spine of the same animal were compared.In rabbits of both groups,the upper part of the depilated area to the left of the spine was smeared with 5%DHC while the lower part was painted with 10% DHC.The upper part of the depilated area to the right of the spine was smeared with the ground substance of the cream while the lower part was left for blank control.Skin irritation caused by the single application of DHC was kept under observation.Another 6 rabbits were divided and treated as described above except that DHC and control substances were applied once daily for 7 consecutive days.Skin irritation caused by repeated applications of DHC was kept under observation.Experiment ②:32 rabbits were randomly divided into 4 equal groups each of which was subdivided into 2 subgroups,the intact skin subgroup and the dermal injury subgroup.24 h before the experiment,the animals were depilated and dermal injury was produced as described in experiment ①.10 g of 10%,20% and 30% DHC were smeared onto the depilated skin areas of each of the rabbits of the 3 groups,respectively.Equivalent amounts of ground substance were applied similarly for rabbits of the 4~(th) group.24 h.later,the remnants of the drug and ground substance were washed away.Acute toxic skin reactions of DHC were kept under observation for 14 consecutive days.Experiment ③: 30 guinea pigs were randomly divided into 3 equal groups.0.2 g of 5% DHC,0.2 g of ground substance and 0.2 mL of allergen(1% 4-DNCB in 75% ethanol) were smeared onto the depilated skin of each of the animals of the 3 groups,respectively.The test substances were washed away 6 h later.The experiment was repeated on day 7 and day 14.Skin allergic reactions caused by the drugs were kept under observation.14 days after the last smearing of the drugs,0.2 g of DHC was smeared onto the right depilated area of each of the guinea pigs.The test substances were washed away 6 h.later and skin allergic reactions were kept under observation immediately and 24,48 and 72 h.after the washing,respectively.0.2 g of ground substance and 0.2 mL of 0.1%DNCB were similarly applied onto the right depilated areas of guinea pigs for control. Results No irritative dermal reaction in intact or injured skin was induced by single or repeated applications of DHC.No major toxic effects were observed after the applications of 10%,20% and 30% DHC.5 h after the smearing of 30% DHC,slight somnolence was observed in the rabbits,which faded away 12 h.afterwards.No allergic skin reactions were induced by DHC in guinea pigs. Conclusion DHC was shown to exert no apparent irritative or toxic effects on the skin of rabbits,nor allergic skin of reactions in guinea pigs.


Discusses the extraction of threshold voltage for n and p channel polysilicon thin film transistors. First, the effect of measurement frequency is investigated, both experimentally and via 2D numerical device simulation. The temporal characteristics ofthe boundary traps are shown to cause a significant positive (negative) shift of the gate to channel capacitance curve for n-channel (p-channel) TFTs as a function of frequency.


Three RNA extraction methods from pomegranate peel were compared.The result showed that the OD value of total RNA was 1.91 by modified CTAB,the yield was 48μg/g;the OD value of total RNA was 1.15 by Trizol method,the yield was 86μg/g;the OD value of total RNA was 1.24 by RNA extracted kit,the yield was 124μg/g;the cDNAs were got by reverse transcription.A pair of degenerate primers was designed based on the conserved domain of CHS that was one of the key genes of anthocyanidin synthesis of eight plants.Only the cDNA from the improved CTAB had one amplified band by RT-PCR,the others had no bands.So the improved CTAB method was suitable for RNA extraction of pomegranate peel.


Eighteen related strains of Arthrobacter, Brevibacterium and Corynebacterium were used as indicator strains in an attempt to isolate corynephages from a large number of soils and from waste-water samples. Although no phages capable of producing plaques were isolated, one of the indicator strains used, Brevibacterium flavum ATCC 14067, was lysogenic for the inducible phage phi GA1. This phage was not observed to form plaques on any of the strains tested. phi GA1 is of B1-morphotype with a linear double-stranded DNA genome of 48.1 kb with cohesive ends; a restriction map is presented.


A new demonstration of the reciprocity theorem of optics in the case of the X-ray dynamical theory is given. It is applied to the simulation of traverse and white-beam synchrotron topographs. It is shown that the accuracy of a new numerical algorithm [Carvalho & Epelboin (1993). Acta Cryst. A49, 460–467] allows the use of the reciprocity theorem. Its main advantage is to decrease the time of computation by at least an order of magnitude and to permit a strategy to be built for the quantitative study of defects, starting with simulations of poor resolution and increasing resolution only in worthwhile areas. This was not possible with the previous method.


A cross sectional studywas conducted over a period of 15 months from 1st Jan 2020 to 31st March 2021 at Malla Reddy Hospital,a tertiary care hospital. To study the incidence of fibroids according to FIGO categorization and their clinical presentation. 38 confirmed cases of fibroid uterus in the age group 20 – 60 attending gynecology OPD were interviewed and subjected to regular gynecological examination, PAP smear, dilatation and curettage procedures. Based on the studies, 60% of these patients were subjected to total abdominal hysterectomy as a part of treatment and the intra operative findings of the specimens were noted. The leiomyomas were classified according to the histopathological and ultrasonographic findings based on FIGO categorization. Highest incidence was seen 41 to 45 years age (52.6%). Incidence of Leiomyoma types according to FIGO subclassification system were found to be Type0=5%, Type1=5%, Type2=5%, Type3=13%, Type4=30%, Type5=13%, Type6=18.6%, Type7=3.3% and Type8=5%. Multiple fibroids were more common than single fibroids. Posterior location fibroids were more common than anterior. Most common symptom was menorrhagia (73.6%) followed by spasmodic dysmenorrhea (47.3%) and metrorrhagia (26.3%), infertility and symptoms of anemia. Most common sign was pallor (58%) followed by mass per abdomen (18.4%). Incidence of associated pathology of adenomyosis (18%) ovarian cysts (8%), endometrial polyps (8%), myxoid degeneration (2.6%). The results of our study matched the existing studies.


Discussion is made on some measures that can control the asphalt pavement flatness, from the base course flatness control, asphalt mixture quality control, pavement construction control and joint-creasing control, and given the countermeasures.


The Victorian Study of Single Vehicle Rural Accidents was carried out between June 1987 and July 1988. One hundred and fifty five accidents were reported to the study and site data were collected at 147 accident sites. Previous reports have described the findings of the study. This report presents in a condensed form the reports prepared by the team members after visiting accident sites and classifies accidents according to the causal factors identified by the team members.


Abstract : A program for the development of automatic real-time monitoring of the ionosphere at a remote observing location is described. The Digisonde 128, a digital sounder in routine operation since 1970, provides digital data suitable for online computer processing. Analytical methods for the detection of ionospheric echoes and the determination of their virtual height, amplitude, and range spread have been developed. For real time application, these methods have been implemented in hardware using microprocessors. The Geomonitor, in addition to analyzing vertical and backscatter digital ionograms, digitizes magnetometer, riometer, radio polarimeter, and satellite scintillation data for transmission to the using site. Compression of the digital ionogram data and the other geophysical and ionospheric data permits transmission over a 600-1200 baud telecommunications link to the GDS. The GDS formats and displays the data for the remote observer and analyzes the data to call attention to disturbances.


Edema is a rare complication induced by insulin therapy, which is mostly developed after initiation or intensification of insulin treatment in diabetic patients. Edema can either be localized or generalized. Our patient was a 34-year-old woman with type 2 diabetes. She was under treatment with oral agents medication, but recently insulin therapy was initiated for her due to inability to control her hyperglycemia and development of diabetic ketoacidosis. The patient referred while suffering from bilateral lower extremity edema. During follow-up, her edema resolved spontaneously without any specific treatments. In this patient, the diagnosis of edema was based on ruling out other causes, along with more accurate blood glucose control during diabetic ketoacidosis process and spontaneous recovery. Based on our finding, it can be concluded that insulininduced edema is not a worrisome problem and in most cases, its symptoms resolve without treatment and through restricting the consumption of water and salt.


The effect of mineral additives such as crushed ash and individual building demolition waste on the corrosion resistance of geopolymer concrete based on screening the crushed granite and blast furnace slag in an environment of sulfuric acid solutions was studied. The corrosion resistance of concrete was evaluated by the kinetics of reducing the mass and strength of samples in sulfuric acid solutions with a concentration of 2,5 and 5 % for 10 days. It was shown that replacing 50 % of granite powder with ground crushed bricks or ash significantly increases the corrosion resistance of geopolymer materials. It was established that due to the formation of poorly soluble products of the interaction of sulfuric acid and concrete in the pores of a geopolymer stone, an interface is formed between the undestructed material and the zone subjected to destructive processes, which impedes the penetration of the corrosive medium into the material. The study also conducted comparative studies of the corrosion resistance of Portland cement concrete with various water-cement ratios. The research results showed that under the influence of sulfuric acid in Portland cement concrete this border does not form and a rapid loss of mass and strength occurs in the samples. The established feature of the process of destruction of geopolymer concrete in a solution of sulfuric acid is the reason for its higher resistance in comparison with cement concrete.


This volume is dedicated to the memory of Dr. James L. Sherard, who made many contributions to embankment dam engineering. Twenty-one of his papers related to this topic were selected for this memorial volume. A large portion of these are considered seminal papers of great value to the profession. The papers are preceded by an introduction prepared by either a co-author or someone closely associated with the work. Papers of lasting value as references on subjects such as seismic aspects, dispersive clays, hydraulic fracturing and filters have been included. His last two papers on the concrete face rockfill dam are the last two papers in this memorial volume.


SROS is a proposed addition to the ROS API and ecosystem to support modern cryptography and security measures. An overview of current progress will be presented, rationalizing each major advancement, including: over-the-wire cryptography for all data transport, namespaced access control enforcing graph policies/restrictions, and finally process profiles using Linux Security Modules to harden a node's resource access. By making the community aware of the vulnerabilities in ROS, as well as the proposed solutions provided by SROS, we intend to improve the state of security for future robotics subsystems.


This work faces the role of HW/SW Design Space Exploration for heterogeneous parallel embedded systems subject to mixed-criticality requirements, extended to consider also hypervisor technologies. In particular, it presents an evolutionary approach integrated into a reference Electronic System-Level HW/SW Co-Design flow able to consider and evaluate design alternatives while exploiting also Hypervisor-based SW partitions. Finally, some experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed approach.


(73) Assignee: Transdermal Biotechnology, Inc., and/or hair pigmentation. In some cases, the composition Meriden, CT (US) may include nitric oxide and/or peptides. The nitric oxide and/or peptide may be present within a first phase comprising (21) Appl. No.: 13/801,488 a lecithin, Such as phosphatidylcholine. In certain embodi ments, the lecithin is present in liposomes, micelles, or other vesicles containing nitric oxide, peptides, or both. The com position can take the form of a gel, a cream, a lotion, an ointment, a solution, a solid'stick, etc., that can be rubbed or (22) Filed: Mar 13, 2013


[Fay et al. (2008)][1] present a few numerical simulations (with unspecified code or boundary conditions) as evidence for nonrotation of porphyroblasts during non-coaxial flow. However, the large body of work on the behavior of porphyroblasts in deforming ductile rocks is significantly undervalued.


Cell growth appears to be controlled by positive and negative cell growth regulation. Little is known about the growth regulation of hepatocytes in the cirrhotic liver. Clarifying the responses of hepatocytes obtained from cirrhotic liver to various growth factors and growth inhibitory factors might aid understanding of alterations in growth regulation of the hepatocytes in the cirrhotic liver. We investigated the effects of hepatocyte growth factor, epidermal growth factor, heparin‐binding epidermal growth factor‐like growth factor, transforming growth factor‐β1, interferon‐α and interferon‐γ on the DNA synthesis of hepatocytes from cirrhotic and normal rats in primary culture. Cirrhosis was induced in male Sprague‐Dawley rats by means of oral administration of 0.05% thioacetamide in drinking water for 4 mo. Hepatocytes were isolated by means of an in situ perfusion method, and DNA synthesis was assessed from the amount of DNA‐incorporated [H]thymidine. Stimulation of the DNA synthesis of hepatocytes by hepatocyte growth factor, epidermal growth factor and heparin‐binding epidermal growth factor‐like growth factor was not different between normal and cirrhotic rat liver. Transforming growth factor‐β1 inhibited the DNA synthesis of hepatocytes in both. However, the concentration of transforming growth factor‐β1 giving a 50% inhibition of DNA synthesis was about two times higher in cirrhotic hepatocytes (0.11 ng/ml) than in normal hepatocytes (0.06 ng/ml). In cirrhotic hepatocytes, the expression of transforming growth factor‐β type II receptor gene was about 50% of that in normal hepatocytes. The percent inhibitions of DNA synthesis by 1.25 × 104 U/ml of interferon‐α were 51.6% ± 3.2% and 14.1% ± 7.7% in normal and cirrhotic hepatocytes, respectively, by 1.25 × 103 U/ml of interferon‐γ 44.8% ± 10.3% and 19.9% ± 3.4%, respectively. These results suggest that inhibitory regulation of cell growth may be impaired in the hepatocytes from cirrhotic liver. (Hepatology 1994;20:1303‐1308).


Conventional synthesis algorithms produce schedules balanced in the number of operations executed per cycle and allocate operations to functional units of their same type and width. In most implementations some hardware waste appears, because some functional units are not used in all clock cycles. This waste is even greater when multiple precision specifications, i.e. those formed by operations of different widths, are synthesised, because some bits of the results produced must be discarded in some cycles. The allocation algorithm proposed minimises this waste by increasing the reuse of hardware resources. It extracts, prior to the allocation, the common operative kernel of specification operations, and successively breaks down operations into sets of smaller ones such that functional units reuse is possible in other parts of the schedule. These transformations produce new operations whose types and widths may be different from the original ones. In consequence, some specification operations are finally executed over a set of functional units linked by some glue logic. Experimental results show that the implementations proposed by our algorithm need a considerably smaller area than those proposed by conventional allocation algorithms. Also, due to operation transformations, the type, number, and width of the hardware resources in the datapaths produced may be different from the type, number, and width of the specification operations and variables. Additionally, an analytical method to estimate the area potentially saved by our algorithm in comparison to conventional ones is developed.


Bipolar disorder is one of the most complexdisorders in psychiatry, with multiple disease statesand variants, extensive comorbidity and a relativepaucity of quality research, especially comparedwith schizophrenia and unipolar major depression.The high prevalence, delayed diagnosis and theburden of morbidity all add to the imperative ofimproving outcomes in this disorder. Furthermorerecent results from economic data modelling sug-gest that bipolar disorder has among the highestburden of disease averted with optimal treatment,measured by years of life with disability, amongpsychiatric disorders (1).Many of the available treatments are new, andclinicians may be well served by guidelines that areable to distil the avalanche of new data into aclinically meaningful algorithm. Indeed there havebeen a number of new guidelines published,reflecting this need. The pace of change, partic-ularly in a landscape where a single trial has thepotential to significantly alter treatment algo-rithms, is reflected by the need for guidelines tobe rapidly updated.The CANMAT guidelines are one of the mostthoughtful and comprehensive of the breed. One ofthe great strengths of this series is that it is morethan a simple meta-analysis of trial data, but that itincludes practical broad management informationto give clinicians a multidimensional approach thatincludes psychosocial, psycho-educational andbroad-based chronic disease management princi-ples, in addition to the expected pharmacologicalalgorithms. The guidelines furthermore addresssub-groups such as the childhood bipolarity andthe elderly, and issues including pregnancy, tera-togenicity as well as safety and monitoring. Manyother guidelines lacking this breadth are corre-spondingly less valuable therapeutic tools. Theyprovide clinical cases, which are practically helpfulfor clinicians to integrate the guidelines in realclinical practice settings. They follow the process ofreal clinical situations and provide comprehensiveguidelines for the broad management of bipolardisorders.The guidelines were felt to have utility across thecountries surveyed. The full pharmacopoeia in theguidelines is not available in all sites, and economicand service constraint realities often limit certainrecommended pathways. In those areas whereclinician choice exists, there is a divergence ofpractice patterns in certain areas, with Koreanauthorities for example favouring combinations oflithium and valproate over atypical combinations.One suggestion was for the guidelines to stratifythe algorithms for severity, particularly in regardto the pathway for depression. Clinicians who used


Polyglandular autoimmune syndromes (PGA) are uncommon constellations of organ-specific autoimmune diseases, characterized by the existence of more than one autoimmune disease in an affected individual. PGA type II (Schmidt's Syndrome) is characterized by the association of autoimmune Addison's disease with thyroid autoimmune diseases and/or type 1 diabetes mellitus. Here, we report a 12.5 years old girl who applied to our clinic with the complaint of hyperpigmentation of the skin, malaise for the last 5 months and also suffering from dizziness and excessive sweating. Adrenal insufficiency was thought to be the diagnosis. Further laboratory tests revealed an increased basal ACTH level, and a blunted cortisol response to ACTH stimulation. Autoantibodies against thyroid and adrenal gland were elevated. Therefore, she was diagnosed as PGA type II autoimmune thyroiditis and autoimmune Addison's disease. Polyglandular autoimmune syndrome type II which usually being in older age groups, is very rare at this age. Early recognition of these components of the syndrome and replacement therapy can be life saving, particularly when there is adrenal or thyroid insufficiency.


Presented are vocational education's development factors in the Volga region during the Great Patriotic War that have made generally their presence felt on its continuous development. These factors (precedent conditions for emergence of any phenomenon) were promotive of what the vocational education in the Volga region not only continued in operation and trained highly qualified specialists, but also reached its "heyday". The vocational education's main development factors during the Great Patriotic War can include accelerated development of the Volga region's economy, defense industry's development, industrial enterprises' evacuation, ideologization's growing role in the vocational education, educational and research institutions' growth in the Volga region due to evacuation from neighboring regions, restoration of the national economy in the 1940th years. The choice of the territorial framework is due to the fact, that the Volga region is the central region of Russia, particularities of the vocational education's development are typical for other regions of Russia. The choice of the time frame is determined by the need to study positive experience, accumulated in the past in the war time's difficult conditions for purpose of use it in modern conditions. The analysis method, the synthesis method, the generalization method, the comparative historical method, the historical-logical and the retrospective methods, the method of historical problem's actualization, the statistical method of materials treatment will be carried our plan.


Purpose: to evaluate the effectiveness of combined treatment of chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCRP) complicated by type 1 choroidal neovascularization (CNV) by subthreshold micropulse laser exposure (SMILE) and intravitreal injection of angiogenesis inhibitors ( IIAI). Material and methods. 37 patients (20 men and 17 women) with monolateral chronic recurrent CSCRP complicated by type 1 CNV, aged 35 to 57 (ave. 43.6 ± 6.7 yrs.) at the moment of first referral, were divided into two groups. The retrospective group included 15 patients (15 eyes) whose first phase of treatment consisted in IIAI (up to 5 injections with an interval of one month). Those who showed no treatment effect were given a SMILE procedure one day before the 6th injection. If neurosensory retinal detachment persisted, the combined treatment (SMILE + IIAI) was repeated monthly until the neurosensory retina could be fully attached, whereupon the patients were transferred to monotherapy with anti-VEGF injections, gradually increasing the interval between the injections. The main group included 22 patients (22 eyes), whose treatment began with a single IIAI. If no neurosensory retinal detachment resorption occurred, the patients received a SMILE procedure one day before the second IIAI injection. The combined treatment was repeated monthly until neurosensory retinal detachment completely resorbed, then the treatment continued with IIAI alone with a gradual increase of intervals between the injections. Results. The number of IIAI in the main group (5 to 8, ave. 6.1 ± 0.8) was significantly lower than in the retrospective group (8 to 10, ave. 8.8 ± 0.77). Best corrected visual acuity increased in both groups, but the main group showed a better central photosensitivity, which is associated with the faster reattachment of neurosensory retina. By the end of the follow-up period, the area of type 1 CNV, and the thickness of the choroid were significantly lower in the main group as compared to the retrospective group. The combined treatment did not cause a single case of complication. Conclusion. The proposed combination of laser exposure followed by IIAI is a safe method for treating complicated forms of CSCRP, which quickens the resorption of subretinal fluid and reduces the number of treatment procedures.


The manual operation of receiving pit controlling equipment was replaced with program control by adopting programmable controlling technology and wireless Ethernet communication technology to realize the semi-automation control for the discharging operation of receiving pit.


For marine environments where aggregates are composed of greater than or equal to 50% organic matter, various parameters relevant to aggregation are quantified and compared with those in other aggregation regimes. Some possible environmental effects of the rheological properties of marine organic aggregates are reviewed. The interaction between shear forces in the water and aggregate rheology is likely to determine: firstly, the sinking speed of aggregates and hence vertical organic flux rates; secondly, the volume of microzones, with implications for equilibria and kinetics of chemical reactions in the pelagic milieu; and thirdly, the degree of turbulence damping between aggregates, due to absorption of energy through viscous dissipation inside viscoelastic aggregates during their deformation. Some preliminary results are given of the rheological properties of some laboratory-produced marine organic aggregates.


The relationships between mental health, substance use, and sexual behaviors among gay and bisexual men in a sample of 450 club drug-using men from New York City were examined using syndemics theory. Risk scores for each participant were based on variables measuring substance use and mental health burden. Participants with higher risk scores were significantly more likely to engage in risk behaviors. Risk taking was also explained by serosorting, suggesting that syndemics theory in and of itself, while significant in explaining risk, is not sufficient. These findings suggest we need to understand the interplay between social, emotional, and cognitive factors to understand sexual risk taking.


similar operations, and -Emmnet's work in 1880 was of tlhe same character. But n-o otie gave defilnite teaching as to how to cure prolapse. The multitudes of variation-is antd !flodfications that were. introdued show that in general results were niot good. Indeed, the opinion that up to 1899 there was no satisfactory surgical treatment for pioiapse is upheld by Dr. R. H. Paramore.'2 There is iio more thorough student of the literatuei of prolapse thani this author, whom I thank for mnuch information anid many references. Ainother indication of the partial failure of vagoial ol)erations is the great popularity wbhicli was gainied, in spite of their ineffiviency, by vaiious abdominal suspension operations. But, though the results of plastic vaginaal surgery wvere not uniformily good, still most surgeons could say tihat many of their cases were successfu l, and certain operators secured permilantenit cure in nearly every case. Donald, ' for example, began operating in Manchester in 1888, and has always been so successful with a wide anterior colporrhaphy, amputation of the cervix, and a very efficienit posterior colporrihaphy, that he hias never thought it desirable to use any abdominal suspension or other method. Mty owni personal experience dates from 1895, and the results were good from the first. But when amoputationi of the cervix was omitted recurrence was eccasionally noted, anad some cases failed to stanid the test of pregnancy and labour. I have never used suspension or other methiods, nor have I seen then employed in the Manchester Roval Infirmary or St. Mary's Hospital.


Almost every intervention in the field of international agricultural development — from microcredit finance to fertilizer subsidies to trade policy — has come to recognize gender, and relationships within households, as important. Yet most interventions continue to treat the household as a 'black box', with changes within the household measured by the effects on income, anthropometry, health, or other secondary metrics within bargaining models. In this context, there has been increasing interest in time use studies as a way to peer inside this black box. This article offers a review of methods and identifies some of the difficulties facing time use studies in capturing intrahousehold dynamics, and presents the results of a two‐season simultaneous activity time use study in Malawi which aimed to address these difficulties. The results suggest significant limitations to time use surveys. The kinds of reproductive labour that often interest researchers may be invisible to the women responding to time use surveys, with the result that care work is dramatically under‐reported. The authors discuss the implications of the divergence between researchers' concerns and the women's reports of their lives for time use surveys, and for feminist development research methods more broadly.


New York State provides institutional aid to nonpublic institutions of higher learning within the context of its constitutional prohibitions against aid to denominational institutions. To qualify for state aid, New York's private colleges and universities must prove they are constitutionally eligible, a process which has prompted extensive self-evaiuation and frequently some changes by many of those institutions with traditional religious affiliation. State aid administrators have chosen to restrict their constitutional approach to state standards and ignore the United States Supreme Court's tripartite standards articulated in Lemon v. Kurtzman, as modified by the Tilton-Hunt-Roemer decisions. The state law has been cautiously and diplomatically administered, but the possibility of future state "entanglement" with church-related institutions remains.


This article describes the synthesis of full and semi-interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) based on poly(acrylic acid) and gelatin as polymers 1 and 2, which were crosslinked sequentially using N,N′-methylene bisacrylamide (BAm) and glutaraldehyde, respectively. Various samples were prepared by taking varying amounts of acrylic acid and gelatin in the initial feed. Sequential IPNs were prepared by first polymerizing and crosslinking acrylic acid in the presence of gelatin using redox initiators (ammonium persulphate and sodium metabisulphite) and BAm as a crosslinking agent. Gelatin present in the firm gels was then crosslinked using 4% glutaraldehyde. Characterization of these gels was done by measuring their swelling behavior as a function of pH, temperature, and time. Percent swelling increased with increasing amounts of acrylic acid. The swelling ratio was also determined in the pH range of 1 to 12. Acid/alkali or buffers were used for maintaining pH. A significant increase in the percent swelling was observed when pH of distilled water was above 10. On the other hand, in the case of buffer, the swelling ratio increased with increasing the pH, and a maxima was observed at pH 8.4. A further increase in pH resulted in a decrease in the swelling ratio. Thermal and morphological characterization was done using thermogravimetric analyzer and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 82: 217–227, 2001


The unemployment problem can't be understood simply as the oversupply of labor force in China.The Beveridge curve which reflects the negative relationship between vacancies and unemployment can explain structural unemployment and frictional unemployment which are prevalent in the economy more convincingly.The Beveridge curve not only can distinguish the type of unemployment,but also can reflect the change of the efficiency in the labor market.This paper analyzes how the matching efficiency influences the unemployment by the analysis of the shift of the Beveridge curve mainly from three aspects: job searching activity,the reallocation of economic activity across industries and demographic change in the labor force.The conclusion in the paper have some reference value for how to improve the matching efficiency between labor supply and demand and keep down the coexistence of many unemployment and many vacancies.


There is some ambiguity in the definitions and use of the concepts of spin tune and spin-orbit resonance on synchrobetatron orbits. We clarify these issues and provide a numerical illustration of the internal consistency of our definitions using the computer code SPRINT for HERA with a standard Siberian Snake arrangement. Furthermore, we demonstrate the calculation of the invariant spin field using adiabatic anti-damping of the orbital motion and compare with the spin field obtained by stroboscopic averaging. In addition we study polarization loss on accelerating through resonances.


Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the gold-standard treatment for patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). Since its introduction in 1981 [1], hundreds of thousands of patients have been treated successfully all over Europe. CPAP treatment improves clinical symptoms, reduces road accidents, decreases blood pressure and probably lowers cardiovascular risk [2]. All these positive effects of CPAP treatment are dependent, however, on compliance with the treatment. As in any other chronic disease, ∼30% of OSA patients refuse treatment or do not follow it as required. The alternative treatments currently available for OSA are surgery, oral appliances and weight reduction. The success rate of such treatments is low and they are mainly reserved for patients with mild-to-moderate OSA.

OSA is caused by an intermittent collapse of the upper airway. Since the seminal study by Remmers et al. [3], it has been known that this obstruction is related to a loss in the patency of the genioglossus muscle, the main dilator of the upper airway. Although electrical stimulation of pharyngeal muscles during sleep demonstrated its efficacy in studies in the mid-1990s, it was never successfully developed for use in clinical practice [4, 5]. More recently, various research groups have shown increasing interest in this potential treatment, generally by implanting an electrode in the hypoglossal nerve to allow activation of the …


Reproductive performances of local PE goats at Lowland (<400m), Mid-land (400-700m) and Highland (>700m above sea level) were studied in East Java Province, Indonesia by evaluating the age of does at first kidding, days open period, service per conception and kidding interval. This study was conducted at three Regencies of Lumajang, Malang and Trenggalek for three different altitudes of each, with balance number of 60 animals in each location (total animal of 180).The local temperature, air relative humidity (RH) and Temperature Humidity Index (THI) were significantly different for Lowland, Mid-land and Highland areas, but no between regencies. All animals were fed with the same amount and type of forage as basal feed. The forage is collected by farmers from around home. The age of does at first kidding was significantly higher (P<0.05) at lowland for the respective areas of Lumajang, Malang and Trenggalek (17.80±1.99 month, 18.63±2.85 month and 17.55±0.64 month) than at medium areas (17.06±0.86 month, 17.13±1.14 month and 16.95±0.98 month) and highland areas (16.70±0.69 month, 16.68±0.67 month and 16.88±0.76 month). High significant differences (P<0.05) were found for days open periods of does at different altitude at lowland (3.85±0.68 month, 4.15±0.70 month, and 4,08±0,61 month), medium area 3.51±0.50 month, 3.71±0.49 month and 3.71±0.53 month) for the respective regencies,Service per conception was also significantlydifference (P<0,05) at the lowland (1.51±0.19, 1.49±0.2 and 1.50±0.24) than at medium areas (1.42±0.2, 1.38±0.17 and 1.38±0.18) whereas high areas (1.41±0.18, 1.39±0.18 and 1.35±0.17). For kidding interval also significant different (P<0,01) where to lowland (9.38±1.1 month, 8.95±0.89 month and 9.38±0,71), for the medium (8.90±1.13 month, 8.56±0.62 month and 8.88±0.80 month), whereas to high (8.56±0.59 month, 8.34±0.54 month and 8.58±0.91).Altitude significant effect on reproductive performance (P<0.05), reproductive performance at high altitude is better when compared to the low-lying and being, the results of this study concluded that altitude can affect reproduction performance goat. It is recommended to get good results in raising livestock goat should be developed plateau area (> 700m asl) or lying areas are (400-700m asl). Keyword: Altitude,age first kidding, days open, service per conception (S/C), kidding interval


A lightweighted Beryllium mirror, with a weight of 32 pounds and an elliptical shape of 32 inches by 34 3/4 inches, was fabricated to a flat surface. The final figuring on the mirror was accomplished using computer controlled polishing. The removal tool consisted of small Kemet pads which individually conformed to the surface and were maintained at constant pressure. This tool was rotated at constant velocity as it transversed the piece in a raster scan pattern. Control over material removal was accomplished by varying the linear velocity of the tool along its path. Velocity data for the polisher was derived from analysis of a series of sub-aperture interferograms. The abrasive elements for the polishing operation were diamond particles suspended in a slurry. The lightweighted Beryllium mirror surface was fabricated with a O.03 RMS optical path difference from flat, where λ is 0.6328


Cloud computing with an amalgamation of the internet of things (IoT) typically gave birth to an ideal field called Cloud of things (CoT). CoT maintains revolutionary services in every domain, but it has instantly become a rising star in smart transportation because a well-organized facility might present a challenge for dealing with the exponentially expanding people living in smart cities. Lack of management in transport can cause distress among people and nowadays parking has come to be one of the critical issues faced by the public daily. In this paper, we present a parking availability prediction model implemented within a geo-fence ranging from 100-150 meters based on cloud, IoT, and GIS. In contrast to present models, instead of offering no space or parking is full; our model accurately determines the ETA of a vehicle and checks the potential/chance of parking availability. It also calculates the time for the next parking space if the existing parking space accessibility is zero. Moreover, our model includes all the exogenous factors like weather, time zone conditions to gain prediction accuracy.


The error function, as well as related functions, occurs in theoretical aspects of many parts of atmospheric science. This note presents a closed‐form approximation for the error, complementary error, and scaled complementary error functions, with maximum relative errors within 0.8%. Unlike other approximate solutions, this single equation gives answers within the stated accuracy for real variable x ∈ [0∞). The approximation is very useful in solving atmospheric science problems by providing analytical solutions. Examples of the utility of the approximation are: the computation of cirrus cloud physics inside a general circulation model, the cumulative distribution functions of normal and log‐normal distributions, and the recurrence period for risk assessment. Copyright © 2007 Royal Meteorological Society


The 2014 Australian presidency took place against the backdrop of multiple challenges in both global economy and international politics, with Ukrainian crisis, Syrian conflict, Islamic State, and Ebola. Thus, despite being an economic forum, the G20 could not avoid addressing these issues, with discussions taking place during the bilateral meetings and on the sidelines of the forum. The article attempts to analyze the Australian G20 Presidency within a functional paradigm, assessing G20 performance on the three main objectives of plurilateral summitry institutions: strengthening capacity for political leadership to launch new ideas and overcome deadlocks; reconciling domestic and international pressures; and consolidating collective management. The analysis revealed that, despite a number of setbacks, the 2014 Australian presidency managed to steer the G20 members' cooperation on the four major pillars of the institution's agenda, reflecting a consistently high level of the G20 commitment to fulfill ing its key mission of ensuring strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth. The research was carried out with financial support of Russian Humanities Research Foundation within the framework of a research project "Elaborating a Supply – Demand Model to Balance External Demand and National Priorities in the Presidency Proposals for Agenda in G20, G8 and BRICS", project ¹12-03-00563.


The article dwells on some linguistic peculiarities of one of the ancient translations of commentaries to Koran referring to the Samanides 'epoch. The author analyzes the issues of interrelations of translated prose language of the Xth century with the most ancient and modern Iranian languages. It is noted that in the ancient translation of commentaries to Koran "Tafsiri Tabari" some linguistic peculiarities non-occurred in other sources of the X-th century are observed. Under analysis the interconnection between the vocabulary of the translation in question and modern vernaculars of the Tajik Language are elicited, the ways of usage of synonyms and polysemantic words are established.


Demographic changes and the stakes for both democracy and immigrants themselves make the political incorporation of immigrants a key political issue in the USA today. Two structural features of American politics help with political incorporation by providing multiple opportunities for political activity: federalism with its enormous number of state and local government elections and offices, and the permeable character of political parties. Naturalization, voter registration, and political participation are central to the political incorporation of immigrants, and we argue that historically and still today, political parties are the key institutions charged with political incorporation in the USA. Parties' goal in the political incorporation of immigrants should be to create long-term partisans, not just to naturalize immigrants and create voters in the next election. Partisanship has noninstrumental significance as well. As political identity and practice, partisanship has a good claim to earning immigrants' recognition as citizens, and a distinctive claim to achieving incorporation in a moral register. We conclude that partisanship stands out from movement and protest politics, advocacy, and even voting per se as a form of political incorporation.


R H I N O is a d i s t r ibu ted , t echn ique for coord ina t ing t e a m s of agen t s w i thou t explicit c o m m u n i c a t i o n . Agen t s observe t e a m m a t e s ' act ions and coord ina te the i r act ivi t ies v ia indiv idual and group plan inference. We show t h a t R H I N O allows agents to join ongoing group plans.


In article the comparative research and the analysis of some most widespread methods of calculation of losses of the electric power with detection of the main merits and demerits inherent in each of the considered methods is provided. Classification of the mains determined, and probable statistical techniques of a loss estimate of the electric power depending on a method of receiving basic data is offered, to the used mathematical model and from the mode of receiving basic data. The fields of use of methods of calculation of losses depending on the initial information, the accepted assumptions and the possible expected calculation errors are defined. The key features are revealed and recommendations about application of the probable and determined methods are developed.


One of the major problems in utilizing origami structures is ensuring variable stiffness; a deployable structure needs to become stiff or flexible according to the requirements of its use in an application. In this study, we present a self-deploying tubular origami mechanism that switches between two distinctive states: small and flexible at its normal state and rigid and stiffened at a locked state. By embedding compact torsional SMA actuators into the mechanism in a novel way through stitching, the process of deploying from the normal to the locked state proceeds in a simple and low-profile manner. With global heating, the torsional SMA wires activate a buckling effect that draws a radical change of folding line from one diagonal to another in every unit tile of the tube, creating axial stiffness. The activated structure, which weighs only 2.9 g, can endure a load of 2.7 kg or more. Additionally, since it does not require bulky actuators, this origami structure can be highly mobile and small in size. This novel origami mechanism is expected to be useful in a wide variety of applications, such as aerospace equipment, mobile architecture, and medical devices, especially those used in minimally invasive surgery (MIS).


This paper compares the economic impact of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, Roswell UFO Festival, and the Sundance Film Festival in Park City. The three cities and special events are evaluated based on information relating to population, income, home valuation, event estimates for number of visitors and expenditures, and city sales tax information. Park City is the leader in population growth, household income growth, and median home value growth for the years 2000-2007. In fact, population growth for Roswell and Sturgis is on the decline despite rising median household income and home valuations. Participation and dollar value of the event is clearly dominated by the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally (420,000 annual participants generating $130 million in expenditures), followed by the Sundance Film Festival (39,000 annual participants generating $60 million in expenditures), and the Roswell UFO Festival (10,000 annual participants generating $1.25 million). The results of this study clearly imply the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is integral to the economic healthy of the region, the Sundance Film Festival is an important and growing special event for the U.S. film industry, and the Roswell UFO Festival helps the city maintain a unique identity that might not otherwise exist.


Based on the techniques of image processing and pattern recognition,a new method for detecting the number of staples of different types of surgical staplers is proposed.Taking image by use of the CMOS sensor controlled by PC,automatically segmenting object and then extracting features,the number of staples is detected by applying fuzzy cluster analysis.The detection method is quick,accurate and credible,and is more effective and reliable than any other traditional manual methods.


Quantitative structure-retention relationship (QSRR) model for the estimation of retention indices (RIs) of 39 oxygen-containing compounds containing ketones and esters was established by our newly introduced distance-based atom-type indices DAI. The useful application of the novel DAI indices has been demonstrated by developing accurate predictive equations for gas chromatographic retention indices. The statistical results of the multiple linear regression for the final model are r=0.9973 and s=8.23. Furthermore, an external test set of 10 oxo-containing compounds can be accurately predicted with the final equation giving the following statistical results: rpred=0.9966 and spred=8.56.


Outbreaks of mass mortality among cultured small abalone Haliotis diversicolor supertexta with withering syndrome occurred in May and September 1998 in Kao‐Hsiung, Taiwan. Bacterial strains CH‐1 and B4 were isolated from the haemolymph of the moribund small abalone using tryptic soy agar supplemented with 3% NaCl and/or thiosulphate citrate bile salt sucrose agar. These two strains were characterized and identified as Vibrio parahaemolyticus on the basis of various biochemical tests. The B4 strain and its extracellular products were virulent to small abalone with LD50 values of 1·6 × 105 colony‐forming units and 7·58 µg protein g−1 body weight, respectively.


A central concern limiting the sophistication of text generation systems today is the ability to make appropriate choices given the bewildering number of options present during the planning and realisation processes. As illustrated in several systems [Hovy 88, Bateman & Paris 89, Paris 93], the same core communication may be realised in numerous different ways, depending (among other factors) on the nature and relation of the interlocutors, the context of the communication, the media employed, etc. The combinatoric number of possibilities of all such factors is extremely large. Since most of them are not well understood at this time, automated text generation may appear to be a hopeless endeavour.


FOR at least the last two decades, something of a revolution has occurred in Pauline scholarship. No longer is it possible to assume that Paul and Luther thought identical thoughts about 'justification by grace through faith' as the single linchpin that sustained the vehicle of the Christian faith. Not that that doctrine ceases to be important! But a 'new perspective' now operates, sustained by contextual emphases and sensitive to the interface with Judaism. Paul and Luther must be interpreted in relation to their own socio-historical and religious contexts which were very different. But does the new approach do justice to Paul? With Seysoon Kim's book, reviewed below by the Editor, we are plunged into the centre of the debate. If we feel overwhelmed by the intensity of the polemics, an excellent brief guide is offered by Michael B. Thompson's little book in the Grove series, also reviewed below by the Editor. Finally, Dr William S. Campbell, of the University of Wales, Lampeter, assesses a substantial recent contribution by Simon J. Gathercole.


Intelligent temperature acquisition system based on AT89S52 is designed.Hardware design and software design is introduced.Practice has proved that the system showed higher accuracy,and has better security and reliability.


We report a theoretical method to obtain the single-bond energy derivative from temperature-dependent Young's modulus and surface tension based on the extension of the recently developed bond-order-length-strength correlation mechanism to the temperature domain. Reproducing simultaneously the measured physical quantities of the Si specimen could reveal the information on the Si-Si single-bond energy. It is shown that the single-bond energy and the response of the stimulus of temperature change can be connected to the bulk properties. Analytical solutions also provide a consistent understanding of the interdependence of these quantities and their commonly atomistic origin as arising from thermally driven bond expansion and bond weakening, which is beyond the scope of conventional approaches.


Executive dysfunction is common symptom among patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and/ or Mathematical Learning disability (MLD). Current research evidences indicate that anxiety can lead to numerous cognitive deficits. Therefore, through comparing executive functioning in children with ADHD/MLD, who have high and low levels of anxiety, the present study examined the probable role of anxiety in intensifying their problems in executive functions, especially verbal and visuospatial working memory. In a retrospective quasi-experimental study, 8-12 years old children, who were diagnosed for ADHD and MLD comorbidity were selected using purposive convenience sampling (n=85). They completed the multidimensional anxiety scale for children. Then, due to their scores on this scale, 20 children with high anxiety (1.5 standard deviations and more above the mean) and 20 children with low anxiety (1.5 standard deviations and more below the mean) were selected and placed in two groups. Then, executive functions assessment tasks, including Tower of London test, Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS), and the Benton's Visual Retention Test, were carried out. Collected data were analyzed using independent t test. Findings showed that anxiety can be considered as an intensifying factor in executive functioning of children with ADHD and MLD. Therefore, executive functions can be improved by balancing the levels of anxiety and preventing further impairment of executive function in these children.


The invention relates to an indoor gas leakage protecting method which comprises the following steps: setting a static or dynamic maximal safe flow value of gas in an indoor pipeline and obtaining the flow value of the gas in the indoor pipeline in real time; and when the gas flow exceeds the set maximal safe flow value, automatically cutting off gas, alarming and reminding. An indoor gas leakage protecting device comprises gas tools, flame probes and a flame signal processing module, wherein a normally-closed electromagnetic valve is arranged on the indoor pipeline; after passing through a flow detection setting module, the gas in the indoor pipeline is transmitted to all the gas tools; all the flame probes are connected with the flame signal processing module; a flame signal is transmitted to a center control module by the flame signal processing module; and the center control module is also connected with the flow control detection setting module, the normally-closed electromagnetic valve and a warning and reminding module. The invention solves the problem of potential safety hazards caused by possible leakage of the indoor gas pipeline, can rapidly and reliably cut off a gas source when any accidental gas leakage occurs and has the advantages of high sensitivity and safe and reliable use.


Surgical treatments of pancreatic cancer have been improved greatly in the recent century. For a long time,vascular invasion of tumor was contraindicated for surgery. With the development of surgical skills and principles,patients with tumor invasion of the superior the mesenteric vein/the portal vein could be treated by combined resection and reconstruction of the superior mesenteric vein/the portal vein by pancreaticoduodenectomy,which greatly improved the resection rate and the 5-year survival rate. A reasonable surgical option could significantly improve the clinical outcome of the patients.


AIM To establish a convenient and effective method for the isolation and purification of polioviruses. METHODS PV1 Henan strain propagated in Hep 2 cells was precipitated by PEG 6000 in combination with differential centrifugation. RESULTS 7% final concentration of PEG 6000 at a pH value of 7.5 was found to give a 79.2% recovery of virus infectivity and the purification factor (PF) was 106. The recovery and PF with differential centrifugation were 29.0% and 168. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and RT PCR determined viral morphologic and molecular biological characterization of the final preparation. CONCLUSION This method is easier to operate than sucrose density gradient rate zonal centrifugation and has a higher PF than that of PEG 6000precipitation alone.


This presentation will explore how the library catalogue, a tool with a long and distinguished history, is changing with the advent of the Internet. We, as library practitioners, know the power of the catalog to find information sources in library collections. But our users, who have become used to having some results regardless of what search terms they enter into Web search engines, are becoming increasingly frustrated with the current OPAC technologies. What are some of limitations of online library catalogues and in what ways are members of the information community and library automation vendors discovering ways of making local resources more available to our users? Information will be presented about recent studies of user behaviour as well as some commercial solutions to the problem of user/catalog interface.


We believe in the one true God who lives eternally in three persons - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.


Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are productive business entities owned by individuals who have a role and contribution to the Indonesian economy. The presence of MSMEs greatly supports the national economy. Internally, the MSME sector needs to empower employees and build a better management system to maintain its business image. On the other hand, problems related to branding also often occur among MSMEs, these two problems faced by MSMEs can be solved by implementing an image management strategy. One of the motivations for implementing this strategy is how they want to influence and benefit others [13].
Baktik's research [5] proves the influence of impression management on employee productivity at Chocolicious Indonesia Stores. On the other hand, according to dramaturgical theory, the use of digital branding and marketing techniques in MSMEs is part of the front stage. This concept is supported by Prabhawati's findings [10] that brand image has a higher influence on purchasing decisions for MSME products assisted by Jogja Sukurmi
Key words: impression management, dramaturgi theory, MSMEs


The paper presents the design and construction of the new footbridge Studenci over the Drava River in Maribor. In 2004, the City of Maribor issued an open, anonymous national call for proposals for the reconstruction of the old bridge. In spite of the fact that it was an existing bridge that was to be reconstructed, the new bridge appeared in a new, entirely different, contemporary image. The existing old bridge structure of two steel I-shaped girders with concrete deck was replaced by a new, steel, transparent, space truss structure, with a wooden deck and linear LED illumination. Only the supports from the old bridge were preserved and these also were reconstructed and strengthened. The 'structural solution' as presented in this paper, received a Footbridge Award in 2008.


By F. J. H. Dibdin London: Cleaver-Hume Press Ltd. Pp. viii + 240. Price 15s. Essentials of Heat is the first volume of a planned five-volume course in physics to G.C.E., "A" level standard. The claim for the complete course is that it " has been patterned to the latest demands of examiners after a very careful study of the papers of all the chief Examining Boards ".


Abstract Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) is a dynamic manual approach to the evaluation and treatment of the neuromusculoskeletal system. This treatment approach has broad application for patients with both neurological and orthopedic problems. The authors have developed a systematic protocol using the philosophy and procedures of PNF integrated with other manual therapy procedures for the care of lumbar instabilities. This article will present the history, philosophy, basic principles, and procedures of PNF and their use in the treatment of lumbar spine instabilities.


With sounding data in May and June of 2004 and July and August in 2005 from Shenyang observatory and three-dimensional volume scans data from new generation weather radar in Qipanshan Mountain,the occurring frequency of clouds was statisticed from aspects of different temperature and altitude range and depression of dew point according to barometric height formula and relationship between relative humidity and depression of dew point.The dualistic and quadric regression and history matching of the statistical data was conducted,and then the indexes of depression of dew point of the identified clouds in Summer in Shengyang area under different temperature and altitude condition were obtained,and the relative height range and the temperature of cloud top in Shenyang area in future could be obtained after comparison of the indexes and depression of dew point in numerical forecast products.According that,the artificial precipitation potential of the precipitation cloud system in future could be judged and the operation scheme for artificial precipitation could be made.


Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus represents a major threat to the swine industry worldwide. This study describes the transmission of a European strain of PRRS-1 to a pig farm leading to the spread of the virus to different age categories of pigs and the development of clinical signs in pregnant sows and piglets. Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome aetiology was confirmed by serological tests and by virus isolation and subsequent sequencing. Repeated mass vaccination using modified live virus was used to synchronise the level of PRRS-specific immunity in all age categories of animals and to hinder virus circulation in the herd. Four months after the second mass vaccination, regular modified live virus vaccination of sows and gilts was implemented. Introduction of sentinel animals demonstrated cessation of virus circulation and the success of the control programme.


Using y-y(O), and eK-y(6) directional correlation and y(6) (nuclear orientation) techniques we have determined the multipole character of twenty one transitions occurring in 156Gd following the decay of IJ6Tb. For the y-y directional correlation measurements a good energy resolution system employing a Ge(Li) and a NaI(T1) detector was used while for the eK-y correlations we used a NaI(T1) detector and a magnetic lens spectrometer. The nuclear orientation measurements were carried out at low temperatures obtained with a 3He-4He dilution refrigerator to which an adiabatic stage was attached. The observed mixing ratios show that the transitions de-exciting they band and the 5+ and 4+ rotational levels are predominantly E2, and that the y rays originating from the 3- and 4- rotational levels are predominantly El. The 4+Io1-6+gr, 4+,,t-2+80 4+,,1-2+y transitions de-exciting the 1510.7 keV (K = 4) level are shown to have M3 admixtures. The signs and magnitudes of the multipole mixing ratios of the 2,-2,,, 3,-2,,, 3,-4,,, and 4,-4,, transitions are consistent with the tabulated values of the other even-even nuclei in this region. RADIOACTIVITY Tb'56 (from Gd(p : xn) chem.); measured yy(O), eKy(Q) y(O). 156Gd transitions deduced E2 : M1, M2 : El, M3 : E2 mixing ratios. Natural targets, mass-separated source, polarized nuclei; Ge(Li), NaI(T1) detectors, magnetic spectrometer.


Mies makes no mention of Golden Section. But our previous studies on his drawings derived some possibility that he made use of Golden Section in his principal works. In this paper to confirm it the sense of proportion in Mies's discourses, contributions for magazines, manuscripts for lectures, records of interviews, were investigated. As the result it was found that Mies's sense of proportion was not only proportion derived by a feeling for the expression of proportion, but also one determined by normative, conservative, eternal laws, such as specific geometrical relationship, namely, Golden Section.


The reasons of error occurred in measuring Mid-IR spectral radiant intensity of exhaust system with Fourier transform infrared(FTIR) spectrometer was discussed through theoretical analysis and experimental research.A simple and efficient measurement method was also planned to measure the spectral radiant intensity of a blackbody and a hot plume.The results show that Mid-IR spectral radiant intensity of exhaust system could be measured effectively by this method,thus offering a high value of engineering practicability.


Electric models of battery have to take into account the effect of temperature for the state-of-charge estimation. As a matter of fact, at low temperature the driving range of the vehicle can be overestimated up to more than 20% with electric only models. We propose to couple thermal and electric battery models for improving the range estimation.


Tim R Cressey Author for correspondence: Program for HIV Prevention & Treatment (PHPT), Department of Medical Technology, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Chiang Mai University, 110 Inthawaroros Road, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand, Tel: +66 5389 4431 Fax: +66 5389 4220 firstname.lastname@example.com and Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA and Institut de Recherche pour le Developpement (IRD), Bangkok, Thailand


The report provides an overview of the commercial refrigeration market. The market is divided into the following five segments: refrigerated warehouses; supermarkets; unitary equipment; walk-in coolers; and small grocery stores. A screening methodology was used to identify market segments representing the best opportunities for natural gas use. Refrigerated warehouses and supermarkets were identified as the best market opportunities for natural gas based on attainable load, economics, market infrastructure, and technology considerations.


Computers and computer science have become widely used in the financial industry and they offer to risk managers and R&D analysts a powerful tool for designing and calibrating their models. In particular, when analytic calculations cannot be handled, the computer offers the quantitative analyst the ability of simulating the phenomenon he wants to study. The Monte-Carlo approach is then extensively used because it is at the same time easy to set up and very flexible. In this article, we first explain how simulations are used to compute mathematical indicators. Second, we give some details on how to generate random variables. Third, we explain how to increase the accuracy of MonteCarlo estimates. Finally, we give examples of Monte-Carlo techniques in the field of finance.


The plane interaction problem for a circular elastic inclusion imbedded into an elastic matrix which contains an arbitrarily oriented crack is considered. Using the existing solutions for the edge dislocations as Green's functions, first the general problem of a through crack in the form of an arbitrary smooth arc located in the matrix in the vicinity of the inclusion is formulated. The integral equations for the line crack are then obtained as a system of singular integral equations with simple Cauchy kernels. The singular behavior of the stresses around the crack tips is examined and the expressions for the stress intensity factors representing the strength of the stress singularities are obtained in terms of the asymptotic values of the density functions of the integral equations. The problem is solved for various typical crack orientations and the corresponding stress intensity factors are given.


The evolution of the technology in search of smaller and faster devices brings along the need for a new paradigm in the design of circuits tolerant to soft errors. The current assumption of transient pulses shorter than the cycle time of the circuit will no longer be true, thereby precluding the use of most of the mitigation techniques proposed so far. With transient faults duration spanning more than one clock cycle of operation, new fault tolerance solutions, working at the system level, with low area and performance overheads, must be devised. In this paper we propose the first steps in the direction of using low cost verification schemes at the algorithmic level, applied to general purpose matrix multiplication applications. Experimental results obtained with two different implementations of checker circuits using the proposed technique are presented and discussed.


In April 2010, the responsibility for commissioning education and training for 16-19 year olds was returned to local authorities. This comes at a time when young people who are not in education, training or employment (NEET) are an increasing priority for national and local government. In this context, the [Local Government] LG Group commissioned [the National Foundation for Education Research in England and Wales] NFER to undertake this research to identify a range of opportunities for local authorities and businesses to work together for mutual benefit, and provide case studies of how local authorities can create links between their work to engage young people, economic development and business support to achieve improved outcomes for young people and employers. This report identifies nine key themes in this area of local authority work.


As the expression of 11, for P·P scattering with which good fits to the d1.1tajn the ISR energy range can be obtained, we c'onsider two kinds of forms with the following properties: (i) 11, does increase like log2 (s/so) and (ii) 11, tends to a finite value in the high energy limit. The scattering amplitude based on the dual absorptive model is modified by taking into account the effects of the growth of total cross section. It is shown that the experimental data for the slope parameter, 11, and d11/dt in forward p-p scattering at s=40~2800 Ge V2 can be explained well in terms of the modified amplitudes in both cases (i) and (ii).


Progress in research on anticorrosion of NdFeB is introduced. It mainly includes reinforcing the anticorrosive ability of magnet itself and surface treatment. Furthermore,advantages and shortcomings of each method are pointed out.


Several reactors were tested for the anaerobic conversion of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste into volatile fatty acids. The reactors examined included Batch, Semi-Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor and Multistage-Counter Flow Reactor. After reasonable retention times (12 days), Batch systems operating at 15% w/v of dry matter and under pH controlled at 6.5, gave better performances both in terms of total Volatile Fatty Acids (VFA) concentration (23-24 g/l) and conversion yield (215 g VFA/kg volatile solids). However, these conditions of reaction caused a high level of liquefaction of the feedstock which resulted in a difficult down-stream processing. On the contrary, the acidogenesis under uncontrolled pH, allowed the production of leachates directly processable for acids recovery. Based on this reason, the Multistage-Counter Flow Reactor, operating under uncontrolled pH, appeared to be the most promising system. The leachate obtained from such a system was processed to obtain mixtures of C 2 -C 7 methyl esters, potentially usable as octane enhancers. The digested solid was intended to be dried and refined to obtain soil amendment. A process for the treatment of municipal solid waste based on the previous steps and including conventional sorting facilities and units for the incineration of all residual solids, was evaluated to be economically comparable with landfilling. The revenues from the sales of esters and fertilizers were highly sensitive to the yield of the acidogenic step and to the value and the amount of the derived fertilizer. Further research is still in progress to improve the economics of the process. The activities are addressed to study proper procedures for the improvement of the down-stream processing of the mixtures originating from acidogenesis under almost neutral pH.


Purpose: To demonstrate the feasibility of OSL system for measuring full dose profile and to establish the CTDI efficiency factors as reference values for compensating the underestimation of pencil chamber based CTDI100 methodology. Materials and Methods: The OSL dose calibration was first performed using a 0.3 cm3 Semiflex Chamber. Field‐specific conversion factors were determined in the diagnostic CT energy range. The 64‐slice Multi‐Slice CT (MSCT) dose profiles were measured by irradiating OSL strips placed inside an extended FDA CT head and body dosimetry phantom with different combination of scan parameters. The exposed strips were then read out using custom‐made OSL strip reader and corrected with field‐specific conversion factors. Based on the corrected dose profile, the CTDI∞ and CTDI100 were evaluated. CTDI100 was also obtained using a 100‐mm long pencil chamber for accuracy verification. Results: The OSLdetectors were found to have good sensitivity and dose response over a wide range of diagnostic CT x‐ray beam energy viz. the primary beam and the scatter tail part of the dose profile. Based on the overall OSL and MSCT physical performance, the total length of 450 mm was determined for z‐axis coverage of dose profile. The CTDI efficiency was calculated by CTDI100 /CTDI450. For the broadest collimation setting, 40 mm, the average CTDI efficiency is 56.2% and 81.7% respectively for body phantom center and periphery positions. For these positions, the OSLCTDI100 agreed well within 1.0% and 2.7% compared to CTDI100 measured by pencil chamber. Conclusions:OSLdetectors can be accurate alternative devices for CT dose evaluations. The established CTDI efficiency factors for various scan parameters allow in accurately estimating CTDI∞ with the current use of 100‐mm pencil chamber. The OSL field‐specific conversion factors offer a potential solution for estimating patient organ dose.


The quantity of gadgets associated with the Internet is encountering a touchy development. The interconnection of keen items inserted with sensors empowers them to associate with nature and among themselves, shaping a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN). These system hubs perform obtaining, gathering and investigation of information, for example, temperature and soil dampness. Such information can be utilized to mechanize the water system process in farming while at the same time diminishing water utilization, bringing about fiscal and natural advantages. The high stockpiling and preparing capacities, the quick flexibility and paperutilize qualities makes Cloud Computing an appealing answer for the expansive measure of information created by the WSN. This paper proposes and assesses on a genuine organization a cloud-based Wireless Sensor and Actuator Network (WSAN) correspondence framework. This arrangement screens and controls an arrangement of sensors and actuators, individually, to survey plants water needs.


Part V focuses on the outrages and damages wreaked upon Black Americans in the century and a half since the end of the Civil War. This chapter focuses on the abuses of the Jim Crow era, the period of legal segregation in American. It pivots on the sequence of white massacres that resulted in the annihilation of Black lives and property.


The present work proposes the application of diffuse systems in traffic lights, for the road control of urban transit in the city of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. Given the vehicular problematic of the city it is intended to look for options to make the vehicular traffic more agile, with this in mind three proposals of diffuse control design were formulated. These proposals are part of an interdisciplinary project that intends to optimize the operation and reduce the implementation cost of traffic lights.


The purpose of this research is to determine how the Supervision of the Loan Portfolio influences the maintenance of the Provisions of the Hermelinda Agency of Financiera Confianza S.A.A. In the year 2103. The population, is the staff in charge of the portfolio of credits of the Hermelinda Agency, and as a sample is taken equally to all staff that ascends to 17 people, the type of research is descriptive and the design Is non-experimental cross-sectional, being the technique, the survey and as an instrument the questionnaire, the same that is made up of 16 items.
Conclusions: The results of consultation in the study population allow us to accept the hypothesis of the present investigation which states that "The supervision of the loan portfolio influences the maintenance of the Provisions of the Agency La Hermelinda de Financiera Confianza S.A.A. in the year 2013". The Personnel in charge of the Loan portfolio of Financial Agency Hermelinda in 2013 lacks the knowledge about supervision and its influence on provisions, although 82% say that, if they know the concept, 47% do not Knows its portfolio of credits, these two terms can not be taken individually. It is determined that there are no specific tasks in supervision, of which these would impact directly on the provisions, avoiding the deterioration of the portfolio and the bearing of the same generating greater reserves. The Personnel in charge of the Credit portfolio of the Hermelinda Agency of Financiera Confianza in 2013, also does not know the term, its impact and different types of provision that exist, according to the results obtained 71% do not know what a provision . The present investigation has allowed to contribute a weakness of the financial institution and puts in alert to all the companies of the heading for its correction and contributes to improve the profile and indicators of the supervisors and business advisers.


Abstract Construction industry spending in July 2020 was $1.3 trillion indicating significant growth in construction spending in the USA. This sector's growth can be attributed to strategic decisions of various organizations on broadening their company's footprint into new markets. Such decisions require comprehension of job markets for successful expansion. This study focuses on utilizing post-occupancy evaluation of the quality of work on construction coating projects across the USA to understand the relationship between different regions and states and strategy to expand into new job markets. Network analysis utilized data from over two thousand owners collected over a period of four years. The study provides insights for construction-coating projects in relation to mobilization and footprint expansion. Specifically, the correlation of customer satisfaction for construction-coating contractors known as applicators working across the USA and understanding the relationship between region and states. The analysis identifies regions where jobs are performed by applicators from another region, highlighting business opportunities in the different regions across USA, while identifying poorly connected states. This study paves the way for future works that understand the footprint and connections with other states, especially for other trade applicators in the construction industry.


Trusted information on rural and remote health services in Australia including information on the Government programs available, plus some facts and figures.


Exponential distributions of tail states have been able, within the framework of a multiple-trapping transport model, to account rather well for the time-of-flight photoconductivity transients that are measured with 'standard' a-Si:H, i.e. material prepared by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition at ∼250°C. A field-dependent carrier mobility in the dispersive transport regime is part of the observations. However, samples prepared in an expanding thermal plasma, although still exhibiting the dispersive transients, fail to show this field dependence. The presence of a Gaussian component in the density of valence-band tail states can account for such behavior for the hole transients. Nanoscale ordered inclusions in the amorphous matrix are thought to be responsible for the Gaussian density of states contribution.


We present the first dataset for tracking state changes in procedural text from arbitrary domains by using an unrestricted (open) vocabulary. For example, in a text describing fog removal using potatoes, a car window may transition between being foggy, sticky, opaque, and clear. Previous formulations of this task provide the text and entities involved, and ask how those entities change for just a small, pre-defined set of attributes (e.g., location), limiting their fidelity. Our solution is a new task formulation where given just a procedural text as input, the task is to generate a set of state change tuples (entity, attribute, before-state, after-state) for each step, where the entity, attribute, and state values must be predicted from an open vocabulary. Using crowdsourcing, we create OPENPI, a high-quality (91.5% coverage as judged by humans and completely vetted), and large-scale dataset comprising 29,928 state changes over 4,050 sentences from 810 procedural real-world paragraphs from WikiHow.com. A current state-of-the-art generation model on this task achieves 16.1% F1 based on BLEU metric, leaving enough room for novel model architectures.


External Quality Assurance Scheme (EQAS) is the system which allows every laboratory to compare its overall performance with other internal and external existing laboratories, working in similar disciplines. Significant improvements were reported in different laboratories and countries after attending one or more of such programs. The project objective was to assess EQAS participation level in Salmonella and Shigella species that had been processed for six years under WHO-AFRO GSS EQAS program.