We present a method for the interactive control of big‐object manipulation animation. When a human character holds a big arbitrarily shaped object, it should use the whole upper body, including both arms and the torso in a limited range such that the holding postures can be physically as well as visually believable to users. In our method, we first sample various postures that satisfy our feasibility conditions: collision free and physically stable. The concept of the wrench space is used to evaluate the physical stability of holding postures. Then, we build a graph structure in which the nodes are the sampled postures and the links are collision‐free motion interpolating between two‐sampled postures. This manipulation motion graph allows us to use a general pathfinding method, such as Dijkstra's algorithm, to achieve real‐time controllability. In our experiments, we build the manipulation motion graphs for differently shaped objects, and we demonstrate the usability of our method via several examples in which users interactively control the animation through the target positions or desired trajectories of the objects. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Nucleases and helicases are involved in numerous steps in DNA replication and repair. Nucleases act on intermediates in DNA replication created by DNA polymerases (Chapter 4) and helicases (Chapter 3). They can create substrates for repair as in Okazaki fragment processing (OFP) and homologous recombination. They can also create substrates for activation of a checkpoint response, or participate in downregulation of checkpoints. In the special case of telomere replication, they are also involved in essential processing steps (Chapter 8). Nucleases known to act during DNA replication include Dna2, Rad27, Mre11, Sae2, Exo1, RNaseH, Yen1 andMus81/Mms4. Of these, Dna2, Exo1 and Mre11 are of particular interest because they have been identified as crucial activities that initiate repair of double-strand breaks (DSBs) by homologous recombination and thus form an intrinsic link between DNA replication and repair of DSBs derived from replication fork failure. The action of the nucleases is coordinated with those of a number of helicases and is discussed here in the context of a network of their interactions that combine to maintain genome integrity during DNA replication.


Stability and security are critical to modern wireless communication systems, which have attracted more and more attention in recent years. In this paper, physical layer security (PLS) between the transmitter and the legitimate user (LU) is greatly enhanced by inventing a robust directional modulation (RDM) scheme based on a relaxation phase constraint. Unlike the conventional perfect channel state information (CSI) assumption, the estimation error of LUs' azimuths is assumed, which corresponds to a more practical scenario. Moreover, the influence of the imperfect CSI on the design of artificial noise (AN) vector is investigated. Accordingly, a specific strategy to introduce AN at the transmitter is proposed with imperfect CSI. Numerical simulations suggested that the RDM scheme based on the relaxation phase constraint possesses great potential for the enhancement of security of wireless communications.


1. Thoughts on grand strategy Williamson Murray 2. The grand strategy of the Grand Siecle: learning from the wars of Louis XIV John A. Lynn II 3. Strategic culture and the Seven Years' War Jeremy Black 4. Strategy as character: Bismarck and the Prusso-German question, 1862-78 Marcus Jones 5. About turn: British grand strategy from Salisbury to Grey Richard Hart Sinnreich 6. British grand strategy, 1933-42 Williamson Murray 7. Towards a strategy: creating an American strategy for global war, 1940-3 James Lacey 8. Harry S. Truman and the forming of American grand strategy in the Cold War, 1945-53 Colin S. Gray 9. Concluding thoughts Richard Hart Sinnreich.


Abstract A two-stage model proposed by Thornley on the photosynthetic rate in leaves is modified to include the transport processes of CO2molecules. The model assumes the Rubisco-catalysed consumption of CO2and the light-driven regeneration of 3-PGA producing sugar. The novel feature is the detailed analytical analysis of stationary CO2diffusion in the mesophyll along with respiration. The model is tested against laboratory measurements of CO2exchange rates of single birch leaves and empirical constants entered into the model are assessed by means of the data. To yield a realistic reaction rate constant for carboxylation, the model requires that the diffusion coefficient describing mesophyllic transport must be somewhat larger than CO2diffusivity in pure liquid water.


Large prospective clinical studies have shown that modern cuffed pediatric tracheal tubes can be used safely, even in children weighing ≥3 kg. There is a growing interest in their use in children weighing <3 kg so that they, too, can benefit from the potential advantages, particularly the high probability of these tubes fitting into and sealing the pediatric airway at the first intubation attempt. This study aimed to find a cut‐off body weight for procedures requiring a cuffed tracheal tube to seal the airway in children weighing <3 kg and to evaluate the frequency and predictive factors for the requirement to place a cuffed instead of an uncuffed tracheal tube.


A real-time three-dimensional dynamic smoking simulation based on Computational Fluid Dynamics(CFD) is proposed.Navier-Stokes equations are adopted to construct the smoking simulation model as a constant and incompressible fluid.In order to meet the real-time and realistic visual effects of smoking simulation in training process of virtual endoscopic surgery,CUDA+GPU technologies are employed to realize the large-scale parallel computing of smoking simulation model,and the Ray-tracing algorithm based on hardware is utilized to implement the rendering of smoke.The experimental results show that our method is effective.


Acute otitis media (AOM) is diagnosed on the basis of acute onset of pain and fever; a red, bulging tympanic membrane; and middle ear effusion. AOM is managed with analgesia (paracetamol or non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs). Antibiotic therapy is minimally effective for most patients; it is most effective for children < 2 years with bilateral otitis media and for children with discharging ears. National guidelines recommend antibiotic therapy for Indigenous children with AOM. Evidence for corticosteroids, topical analgesia and xylitol are scant. Otitis media with effusion (OME) is diagnosed as the presence of middle ear effusion (type B tympanogram or immobile tympanic membrane on pneumatic otoscopy) without AOM criteria. Well children with OME with no speech and language delays can be observed for the first 3 months; perform audiological evaluation and refer to an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist if they have bilateral hearing impairment > 30 dB or persistent effusion. Children with effusions persisting longer than 3 months can benefit from a 2–4‐week course of amoxycillin. Chronic suppurative otitis media is a chronic discharge through a tympanic membrane perforation. It is managed with regular ear cleaning (dry mopping or povidone–iodine [Betadine] washouts) until discharge resolves; topical ear drops (eg, ciprofloxacin); audiological evaluation; and ENT review.


UDC: 556.34.064 Branka Tr~ek & Miran Veseli~ & Janko Urbanc: The suitability of carbon isotope composition as natural tracer in karst aquifer investigations This isotopic research is ongoing in the catchment area of the karstic spring Hubelj in the area of the TrnovskoBanj{ka plateau. Changes in water chemistry and carbon isotope composition are monitored from the aquifer recharge area in precipitation water, through the unsaturated zone to the outflow from the aquifer. Special attention is given to the unsaturated zone. The results confirm that the sampled water is equilibrated with the carbonate rock and that the process of carbonate rock dissolution can be described as an open dissolution system.


SHULL and Mayer (1955) described the effects of growth hormone, corticotropin, and cortisone on the blood sugar of the obese-hyperglycemic mice and their non-obese siblings. It was of importance to assay the effects of glucagon and epinephrine on the blood sugar of the obese mice since it has been found that the turnover of liver glycogen is greatly accelerated (Shull and Mayer, 1955) and the activity of liver phosphorylase is greatly elevated (Shull, Ashmore and Mayer, 1955) in the obese-hyperglycemic mice. The insulin resistance previously reported for these mice (Mayer et al., 1951) has been further analyzed by determining the blood sugar response after administration of various doses of insulin.


The FCCU main fractionator dynamic model is built. Based on this model the multivariable constrained generalized predictive control strategy is carried out to maintain the product quality at desirable specifications. The cascade control structure is adopted to ensure the operation security. Finally, the closed loop control simulation shows it is effective, which gives a promising introduction to its future on line implementation.


In this study, the effects of potassium excess and deficiency supplied on the seedling morphogenesis, chlorophyll content and mineral content of tomato(Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. Zhongza 105) and cucumber(Cucumis sativus L.cv. Zhongnong 203) plug seedlings were determined under the greenhouse conditions. The results showed that the plant height,chlorophyll content as well as calcium and magnesium concentration of cucumber plug seedlings decreased,but the content of calcium and magnesium increased when the supplied potassium is excessive.As for tomato plug seedlings, potassium deficiency decreased plant height and stem diameter, increased the ratio of root to shoot and the concentration of calcium and magnesium.On the other hand, potassium excess restrains the absorption of calcium and magnesium.Potassium was very important for the growth and development of cucumber and tomato plug seedlings. The effect of potassium on different species of vegetables is different. Therefore, we should apply the optimum potassium fertilizer according to the vegetables species in the production process.


Objective To compare the safety of docetaxel and paclitaxel in the adjuvant chemotherapy of patients with esophageal squamous cell cancer.Methods Eighty-two patients with esophageal squamous cell cancer were randomized divided into two groups.The 42 patients in study group were treated with docetaxel (75 mg/m2)and cisplatin (60 mg/m2)on day 1,every 3 weeks; the 40 cases in control group were treated with paclitaxel (135 mg/m2) and cisplatin (60 mg/m2) on day 1,every 3 weeks.All patients received 4-6 courses of chemotherapy.Results The KPS (Kamofsky Performance Status) improve rate was 85.7% and 55.0% in study group and control group,respectively (P < 0.05).The granulocytopenia and gastrointestinal toxicities in study group were much less than those in control group (P < 0.05).There were no significant differences in the neurotoxicity,liver and kidney toxicity or cardiovascular toxicity between the two groups.There were no delayed medication or adjusted dosage induced by chemotherapy toxicity in the two groups.Conclusions Docetaxel plus cisplatin is superior to paclitaxel plus cisplatin in the adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with esophageal squamous cell cancer in the improvement of life quality,and has little side effects,good tolerance.

Key words:
Esophageal squamous cell cancer;  Adjuvant chemotherapy;  Drug toxicity


We show that a second-order elliptic differential operator P , on any manifold M , has closed range in C(M). If M has no compact components, then P is surjective on C(M). Applications to Helmholtz decomposition are discussed. Most literature on elliptic operators deals with bounded domains and compact manifolds, since in those cases the operators are Fredholm, and the problems of uniqueness as well as existence are well-understood. In contrast this paper deals with existence results in unbounded domains. Specifically, we show that a second-order elliptic operator P , on any manifold, compact or not, has closed range in C(M). Then, for certain manifolds, this combines with the much easier proof that an elliptic operator has dense range, to give the result that the operator is surjective on C(M). Hörmander, in section 10.6 of [1], treats the case of constant coefficient operators on R. There they introduced the notion of P -convexity, which for constantcoefficient operators is equivalent to C surjectivity. This proves, for example, that the Laplacian is surjective on R, and indeed any open subset of R. The method of P -convexity can be extended to more general subelliptic operators, as explained by Petersen in section 4.7 of [2]. This approach shows, by functional analytic arguments, that the closed-range property can be reduced to the property of P -convexity, an essentially topological property of the domain. Petersen's method is stated for domains in R, but is easily adapted to arbitrary manifolds. 1 A motivating example As a motivating example for existence results in unbounded domains, consider Helmholtz decomposition in elementary vector analysis. It is well known that any vector field


Two-person zero-sum games with fuzzy payoffs are investigated on credibility space. In other word, this paper introduces the credibility measures and presents the credibility space based on it. Then, some basic characteristics of fuzzy events were given in the credibility space and the expected value of the fuzzy variables is propoed based on the credibility measures. Last, the expected model of two-person zero-sum games with fuzzy payoffs is established and the expected value Nash equilibrium strategy of the fuzzy game is given.


SUMMARY
The present investigation was carried out in eight flower farms of Espejo Canton, of Carchi Province, with the purpose of determining the knowledge on the effect of the use of fungicides of the group of triazoles in the cultivation of roses. The collection of primary information was carried out through semi-structured interviews, in whose format twelve questions were raised, which were tabulated for further analysis. The results obtained indicate that 88.80% of the floriculturalists apply fungicides belonging to the family of triazoles for the control of diseases such as Botrytis (Botrytis cinereous) and Oidio (Sphaerotheca pannosa) both as a preventive and curative measure; usually the dose they apply is between 0.5 cc / lt to 0.7 cc / lt. Regarding the knowledge of the effects caused by the use and abuse of these fungicides, 100% of the technicians interviewed stated that shortening of stems, reduction of the size of the leaves, reduction of the size of the rose bud and teaching of yolks; To avoid the above-mentioned damages, 85.70% make foliar applications before and after their use and application in drench growth regulators so that auxins are not inactivated, while 14.30% does not apply any prevention measure, In the same way, temperature conditions are another important aspect that they consider prior to their application. In conclusion in the flower shops of Espejo Canton, is common the use of some type of fungicides of the triazoles group mainly for their cost, however, they are not essential because they can be replaced without any inconvenience by products of other chemical groups, since its abuse can put at risk the quality of the flower.


This work analyzes an intense essay dedicated to the Muse, in which Jean-Luc Nancy formulate a very "decisive" issue at the center of his reflection, which is the same for all contemporary aesthetic thought. This issue concerns the singular or plural nature of artistic being.


Experiments have been performed which describe the transient development of natural convective flow from both a single and two vertically aligned horizontal cylindrical heat sources. The temperature of the wire heat sources was monitored with a resistance bridge arrangement while the development of the flow field was observed optically with a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. Results for the single wire show that after an initial regime where the wire temperature follows pure conductive response to a motionless fluid, two types of fluid motion will begin. The first is characterized as a local buoyancy, wherein the heated fluid adjacent to the wire begins to rise. The second is the onset of global convective motion, this being governed by the thermal stability of the fluid layer immediately above the cylinder. The interaction of these two motions is dependent on the heating rate and relative heat capacities of the cylinder and fluid, and governs whether the temperature response will exceed the steady value during the transient (overshoot). The two heat source experiments show that the merging of the two developing temperature fields is hydrodynamically stabilizing and thermally insulating. For small spacing-to-diameter ratios, the development of convective motion is delayed and the heat transfer coefficients degradedmore » by the proximity of another heat source. For larger spacings, the transient behavior approaches that of single isolated cylinder.« less


Background The aim of our study was to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the healthcare and the disease management of patients affected by non-communicable diseases (NCDs), by exploring, specifically, the obstacles encountered in the access to healthcare services during the latest phase of the pandemic. Methods This cross-sectional study was carried out among subjects attending the anti-SARS-CoV2 vaccination clinic in a Teaching Hospital of Southern Italy. To be included in the study, subjects had to be affected by at least one NCD, such as diabetes, hypertension, respiratory and heart diseases, renal and liver chronic conditions, immunodeficiency disorders due to cancer, or being kidney or liver transplant recipients. Results Among the 553 subjects who completed the questionnaire, the 39.4% (95% IC = 35.3–43.6) experienced obstacles in the access to healthcare services in the six months prior to the enrollment. The most frequent canceled/postponed healthcare services were the visits for routine checks for NCDs (60.6, 95% IC = 53.9–67), control visits of more complex diseases as cancer or transplantation (17.3, 95% IC = 12.6–22.8), and scheduled surgery (11.5, 95% IC = 7.7–16.4). The patients who experienced canceled/postponed healthcare services were significantly more likely to suffer from 3 or more NCDs (p = 0.042), to be diabetics (p = 0.038), to have immunodeficiency disorders (p = 0.028) and to have consulted GP at least once (p = 0.004). Conclusion Our results appear to be fundamental for guiding the choices of providers in order to concentrate organizational efforts to recover and reschedule missed appointments, where applicable, of the most fragile patients by virtue of age and chronic conditions.


The temperature and pressure dependence of the n.q.r. frequencies in α phase p-chlorophenol are reported. The temperature coefficients of the two resonances are equal within experimental error. The pressure coefficient (∂ν/∂P)T is less positive for the lower resonance than for the upper resonance. (∂ν/∂P)T also becomes smaller at high pressures, and at low temperatures becomes negative. The strong temperature dependence of (∂ν/∂P)T suggests that any theory of intermolecular effects on n.q.r. frequencies should be tested against the value of (∂ν/∂P)T at 0 K rather than at room temperature.


Abstract The polymerization of L-lactide was carried out with t-BuOK and t-BuOLi in the presence and absence of crown ethers. Each polymerization showed living nature only in the limited sense of having a decreasing amount of active species at high conversion. The initiator efficiency was low in each case because of the deprotonation reaction between the tert-butoxide ion and L-lactide. Although termination did not take place with lithium containing initiators to 90% conversion, intra- and intermolecular transesterification was observed to a significant degree. With potassium containing initiators both termination and transesterification occurred.


Recently, Statistical Energy Analysis(SEA) is being increasingly applied to describe vibro-acoustic behavior of complex structures, such as air plane, automobile, ship, building. In this paper, we discuss the application of SEA to predict the interior noise for KTX train. To validate the SEA model of KTX train, calculated the interior noise for motorized car is compared to measured one. Finally, the reduction measures of interior noise for KTX are also discussed.


N,N'-Bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-1,4-diaza-1,3-butadiene reacts with dichlorophenylborane, affording the N,N'-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-2-phenyl-4-chloro-1,3,2-diazaboroline in a one-step process. The addition of lithium diisopropylamide gives rise to the 4-chloro-5-lithio-1,3,2-diazaboroline derivative, which cleanly undergoes a transmetalation reaction with TiCl4 x 2 THF. Both the lithium and titanium complexes are stable with respect to metal chloride elimination and have been characterized by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy and by single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. These findings open an avenue for the C-functionalization of 1,3,2-diazaborolines.


Andreas Stuhlmann discusses Fichte's essay and radio feature on August von Platen. Fichte considers Platen a precursor of modernism in poetry and a forerunner of liberated gay sensibility and natural sensuality. In Fichte's view, Platen's experience of impossible, destructive great love is shared by all homosexuals. Fichte sees himself as Platen's literary double and intertwines his own autobiography with that of the count. Mario Fuhse writes about the diffi culty of constructing Fichte's biography from his texts because he repeats varying versions of his memories. Fuhse sees "memory mapping" in the overall structure of Fichte's Die Geschichte der Empfi ndlichkeit where the text conglomerate does not follow conventional order moving from left to right and top to bottom. Instead it 'reads' like a map or photo. Fuhse focuses on Der Platz der Gehängten which Fichte labeled a novel but which has the style of lyric poetry and contains passages reminiscent of Japanese Haiku. Fuhse approaches Fichte's text as a mathematical system refl ecting the triangular design of Moroccan marketplaces and Suras in the Koran. Like Trzaskalik, Fuhse sees in Fichte's writing a tribute to Mallarmé's failed poetic vision of a book that would encompass the world. Brigitte Weingart looks at Fichte's gossip novel Die zweite Schuld where the main topic is the 1963 Berlin Literary Colloquium in which Fichte participated. Fichte makes the gossip circulated there the object of ethnological analysis. He observes rituals, struggles for power and prominence, offi cial pronouncements, and behindthescenes gossip. Weingart points out that the title of the novel refers to Giordano's essays on the inability of Germans to mourn, their inability to come to terms with their past and deal with the Holocaust. She mentions the undertone of antiSemitism and homophobia in German literary circles at the time Fichte was writing. In discussing Fichte's approach to gossip, she asks about the effect of Fichte himself on the social phenomenon he is observing and also about what happens when the oral medium of gossip is transformed into a written text. Weingart agrees with Gillett on Fichte's use of what he considers "good" gossip as a strategy of resistance. The fi nal contribution to the volume is Roland Spahr's harsh critique of the editing of Die Geschichte der Empfi ndlichkeit. Spahr is the Lektor at S. Fischer Verlag who oversees Hubert Fichte's works. He gives an insider's account of the confl icts and struggles of various editors to deal with the texts and with each other. Editor Robert Gillett's comments in his foreword that though the essays in this volume are devoted to marginal research topics, nonetheless "der 'ganze Fichte' " (8) is represented. Indeed, the essays proceed from marginal topics to cuttingedge themes at the heart of Fichte's life and works. This volume belongs in all library collections of German literature.


In early May, Radovan Pavic, a full professor at the University of Zagreb, died at the age of 87. The news of his death was mentioned in several electronic publications, and suitable tributes were published on the web pages of the institutions in which the professor was active. In the journal Politicki misao, published by the Faculty of Political Sciences, an obituary appeared by Marta Zorko, and Ivan Zupanc paid his respects on the Geography Department pages of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics website.


In "The Limits of Critique and the Affordances of Form: Literary Studies after the Hermeneutics of Suspicion," Winfried Fluck offers an argument with engaging critical verve and all the incisiveness of a steel trap. Demonstrating with elegant force that even as some of the most skilled critics in our field envisage alternatives to methods that "focus on textual symptoms of underlying determining causes" (methods alternately labeled "critique," "suspicious reading," and "symptomatic reading") (229), we remain collectively in thrall to a "Nietzschean philosophy of history, called genealogy, that sees only one driving force at work in history, namely an endless play of dominations" (246). Critique, postcritique, the practice of hope—whatever our flavor, Fluck argues, it's domination (not turtles after all), all the way down. It's hard to argue with this. As a field, we don't put much stock in individual or even collective agency, while believing ardently in the enormity and ubiquity of the forces arrayed against human actors. And despite our commitment to historical analysis, we no longer much believe in historical progress, nor hardly change—and certainly not the emancipatory kind. Fluck observes that the major schools of method and theory since the nineteenth century, which converged in their critique of modernity, all positioned literature as our savior from modernity's "collateral damages." Since the 1960s, though, critical theory has undermined our confidence in literary redemption. Now literature, when we turn our attention toward it, is alternately a map to, or index for, or a symptom of, domination. And while postcritique aims to revive our (and students') interest in literature by offering different methods that promise new "stories of


Proof of Lemma 1.2. Let f : Ω1 → Ω2 be a Prob isomorphism. We can then find a homomorphism g : Ω2 → Ω1 such that g ◦ f = id1 almost surely and f ◦g = id2 almost surely. Define Ω1 to be the set of points where fg(x) = x and Ω2 to be the set of points where gf(y) = y. Ω ′ 1 and Ω ′ 2 will be of full measure. If x1, x2 ∈ Ω1 and f(x1) = f(x2), then gf(x1) = gf(x2), hence x1 = x2. Thus f is injective on Ω1. If y ∈ Ω2 then fg(y) = y, so gfg(y) = g(y) and hence g(y) ∈ Ω1 with y = fg(y). Thus f maps Ω1 onto Ω2. Hence f is a mod 0 isomorphism. The converse follows trivially from the definitions.


The nanoscale C60 and some of its doped derivatives with some elements of group III and Vwas performed byDensity Functional Theory. EHOMO, ELUMO, energy gap (AE), and those parameters that give valuable information about the reactive behavior: the ionization potential (IP), electron affinities (EA), chemical potential (i), electronegativity (÷), global hardness (c), softness (S), electrophilic index (u), the fraction of electrons transferred from the inhibitor molecule to the metallic atom(AN) and the backdonation (AE Back-donation) have been calculated using the DFT/B3LYPmethods with the 3-21G** basis set. The outcomes have shown that the (C60) could experience more honest functioning as a corrosion inhibitor by the substitution with heavier elements ongoing fromB to In and from N to Sb.


In model-driven software development, the first-class data are models, which are all structured by a metamodel. In this paper, we propose a definition of abstraction levels for metamodels based on set theory and compatible with MOF. We claim that splitting metamodels into different abstractions levels raise their organizational quality. We present application cases of this statement.


Based on the analysis of the composition of gas-liquid flows of various pipelines (trunk, field and gathering gas pipelines, oil pipelines, heat pipelines, water pipelines), it is established that diverse harmful impurities are contained in the interior of almost all operated metal pipelines, regardless of the purpose of pipelines use. In most cases, pipelines contain a complex multicomponent mixture of harmful impurities of various origins: gas conden-sate, water, machine oil, products of in-line corrosion, rock particles removed from the well, incrustation exfoliat-ed from the pipes, paraffins, various mineral salts, sludge deposits, sand, soil, biofilm, etc. The types and properties of distinctive harmful impurities positioned in the interior of various metal pipelines are described; the reasons for their presence in pipeline gas-liquid flows are determined. Depending on the purpose of the pipeline, harmful im-purities can be accumulated in its interior, be sedimentated on the internal walls or move in the flow of the trans-ported product. The parameters influencing significantly the accumulation in the interior of various pipelines and the sedimentation of various harmful impurities on the inner walls of pipelines are considered. Possible locations of their accumulation or sedimentation are presented. The analysis of the negative consequences that occur in the case of accumulation or sedimentation of harmful impurities in the interior of the pipelines, their movement along the pipeline and collision with the wall of shaped elements (bends, T-bends, adapters, etc.) is made. The author presents the main criteria according to which the hydraulic condition of pipelines polluted with harmful impuri-ties is evaluated, and on which energy requirements of transportation depend.


The present study concerns the design and implementation of a serious game for the on-site and remote promotion and dissemination of knowledge regarding the mythology of ancient Eleusis in an interactive, fun and educational way. Specifically, while playing, the user discovers artifacts exhibited in the archaeological museum and related to the archaeological site of Eleusis, unfolding the content of the myth of Persephone. The story takes place in a realistic three-dimensional virtual environment that simulates the Archaeological Museum of Eleusis. The selected archaeological artifacts, in combination with the narration of the myth of Persephone, transfer the knowledge about the historicity of the place in an experientially playful way. The main purpose of the study is to introduce a novel, interactive playful narrative digital museum experience, in which the user is guided through a mechanism to simultaneously acquire knowledge both for the intangible and tangible heritage of a site with significant historical value. The evolution of the scenario (story) is dynamic and based on the choices of the user. The content (text etc.) of the system is presented through a dynamic multilingual approach, which offers the management of multiple different languages and personalized content based on the target group. The system relies on cross-platform technologies to cover a wide range of users.


We consider two types of motion, one with particle occupying only the sites on a given regular lattice and another when the bonds between neighboring lattice sites are displaced to the positions of the neighboring bonds. We refer to these models as site- and bond-diffusion. The latter is equivalent to site-diffusion on a lattice constructed from the middle points on each bond of the original lattice. The transition probability is assumed equal to all neighboring positions. The diffusion constant is obtained by periodic orbit theory for all Archimedean lattices, as well as some three-dimensional lattices (cubic, diamond, body centered cubic and face centered cubic lattice). Every single step of bond-motion is expressed through two site-motion steps. Analytic results for the diffusion constant for bond-diffusion for square, triangular and Kagome lattice are also obtained. Kurtosis is calculated for site-diffusion on square and (4, 82)-lattice, to estimate the deviation of the distribution of displacements from the Gaussian. All theoretical results are verified with numerical simulation.


We used the exact eigenvectors of the generalized Hubbard Hamiltonian solution to predict the transition intensities of the well known $GR1$ and $ND1$ transitions at the neutral and charged vacancies in diamond. In addition to using exact eigenvectors, the method of the calculation is more precise than already reported calculations. The quantitative results can exlain recent experimental data very good.


An osmo and alcohol resistant yeast named Y was developed and screened from beer yeast X.The yeast Y could grow under ABV(Alcohol by volume) 18% and Brix 60.The fermentation performance of yeast Y in 28°P wort medium was studied,as well as the contents of flavor substances of the beer when the fermentation was ended.It was indicated that yeast Y was more suitable for high concentration fermentation than the original strain X.


Objective To evaluate the effect of hand hygiene in the prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia(VAP) in neonates.Methods By combination of retrospective and prospective methods,the occurrence of VAP of neonates in neonatal intensive care unit(NICU) was compared before and after the improvement of hand hygiene between 2004—2007.Results When the other conditions were not changed,the incidence of VAP reduced obviously from 30.00%(2004—2005) to 18.18%(2006—2007) after improving the hand washing method and facilities,there was significant difference between the two(χ2=9.44,P0.01).Conclusion Hand hygiene is an important process to prevent VAP,one of the key measures to reduce the occurrence of VAP are perfect hand washing methods and facilities and the compliance of health care workers.


Theory is not the equivalent of the world. The value of theory lies in the fact that it has the same angle as the world, in which people understand the world and construct the world. However, the segmentation of knowledge has broken the world into several parts. Therefore, it is necessary for us to adopt the idea of general knowledge education, through which the students can learn all aspects and all expressive methods of various subjects, and broaden their horizons and stimulate their creativity. In order to implement general knowledge education effectively, we should take care of various sectors of teaching activities, taking the whole situation into account and planning accordingly, making them develop harmoniously.


In the experiments on rats with modelled bile duct obstruction and hepatic failure, the pronounced detoxicative value of the SKN P-1 and SKN P-2 carbonic sorbents is proved.


This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (Intervention). The objectives are as follows:
To assess the effects of induced hypertension in people with an aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage, following treatment of the aneurysm (either surgical clipping, or intraluminal coiling), on favourable recovery, and recurrent haemorrhage.


Background and study aims: Current evidence supporting the efficacy of peroral cholangioscopy (POC) in the evaluation and management of difficult bile duct stones and indeterminate strictures is limited. The aims of this systematic review and meta-analysis were to assess the following: the efficacy of POC for the therapy of difficult bile duct stones, the diagnostic accuracy of POC for the evaluation of indeterminate biliary strictures, and the overall adverse event rates for POC. Patients and methods: Patients referred for the removal of difficult bile duct stones or the evaluation of indeterminate strictures via POC were included. Search terms pertaining to cholangioscopy were used, and articles were selected based on preset inclusion and exclusion criteria. Quality assessment of the studies was completed with a modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. After critical literature review, relevant outcomes of interest were analyzed. Meta-regression was performed to examine potential sources of between-study variation. Publication bias was assessed via funnel plots and Egger's test. Results: A total of 49 studies were included. The overall estimated stone clearance rate was 88 % (95 % confidence interval [95 %CI] 85 % – 91 %). The accuracy of POC was 89 % (95 %CI 84 % – 93 %) for making a visual diagnosis and and 79 % (95 %CI 74 % – 84 %) for making a histological diagnosis. The estimated overall adverse event rate was 7 % (95 %CI 6 % – 9 %). Conclusions: POC is a safe and effective adjunctive tool with endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for the evaluation of bile duct strictures and the treatment of bile duct stones when conventional methods have failed. Prospective, controlled clinical trials are needed to further elucidate the precise role of POC during ERCP.


The present study investigates the relationship between pay for performance (PFP) plans and collective perceptions of organizational commitment. This study proposes a model of the process through w...


The photonastic upward movement and scotonastic downward movement of the primary leaf of Phaseolus coccineus L. depends on ion fluxes across the plasma membrane of extensor and flexor cells of the laminar pulvinus. Extensor protoplasts cultured in 0.4 M mannitol, 10 mM KCI, 1 mM CaCl 2 , and 5 mM MES-KOH buffer pH 6 were found to swell upon switching on white light at the end of a 15 h dark period and to shrink upon switching off the light at the end of the following 9 h light period, behaviour consistent with that expected in the cells of intact plants. Light-induced swelling requires Ca 2+ in the surrounding medium. Both the Ca 2+ channel blocker verapamil and La 3+ inhibited this reaction, whereas TMB-8, an inhibitor of intracellular Ca 2+ transport, had no effect. When the Ca 2+ ionophore A 23187, the Ca 2+ channel agonist Bay K-8644, or thapsigargin, an inhibitor of Ca 2+ -ATPases at endo-membranes, was added to the medium, extensor protoplasts swelled in the dark. These results suggest that in extensor protoplasts light opens Ca 2+ channels in the plasma membrane and that the influx of extracellular Ca 2+ results in an increased cytoplasmic Ca 2+ concentration which is sufficient to mimic the light-on signal in activating or deactivating the ion transporters required for swelling. Dark-induced shrinking occurred in Ca 2+ -free medium. It was not inhibited by verapamil, but was by TMB-8. Both neomycin and Li + , substances which are known to inhibit the phosphoinositide pathway of transmembrane signalling, inhibited dark-induced shrinking. Myo-inositol nullified the Li + inhibition of dark-induced shrinking. Neither A 23187 nor Bay K-8644 induced shrinking in the light, but were able to nullify the inhibitory effect of TMB-8 on dark-induced shrinking. These results suggest that, in extensor protoplasts, the shrinking signal 'light off' is transduced through phosphoinositide hydrolysis and Ca 2+ release from internal stores. In addition to the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP 3 )-induced increase of the cytoplasmic Ca 2+ concentration, further events depending on the light-off signal appear to be required for shrinking.


The paper argues that the success or otherwise of diversity policies is (partly) dependent on their relation with the prevailing employment system. Changes in the British employment system under the New Labour government are reviewed, with particular reference to their implications for diversity, especially gender equality, issues. Some of the main areas of current policydebate are considered, including the `business case' approach. The problems for policy remain, however, particularly in the gendered nature of the components of the employment system, including industrial relations and HRM institutions and structures. Implications for future research are explored.


In an effort to boost agricultural productivity the Ethiopian government has embarked on implementing policy reforms since 1991. Assessing the performance of this sector after the introduction of these policies can help to evaluate the real impact of the reforms on agricultural productivity and to design future policy reforms or take corrective measures. In this paper we employ the stochastic frontier production function to examine technical, allocative and economic efficiency in crop production using farm level data from 1993/94 and 2000/01 production years in post-reform Ethiopia. In addition, we decompose the growth in agricultural production to examine the contributions of the changes in efficiency, technology and inputs to the total factor productivity (TFP) in agriculture. Results show that there are inefficiencies attributable to household and farm characteristics and the policy environment. There was a decline in TFP, allocative and economic efficiency during the period resulting in poor performance of the sub-sector and indicating an adverse impact of the reform. There was no significant change in technical efficiency.


1. Serviço de Oncologia Clínica, Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo (SP) Brasil. 2. Centro de Oncologia, Hospital Sírio-Libanês, São Paulo (SP) Brasil. 3. Laboratório de Anatomia Patológica, Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo (SP) Brasil. a. http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8765-3044; b. http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4012-3251; c. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4383-2910 Lung cancer is the second leading cause of cancer and the most common cause of death from cancer worldwide.(1) In the initial diagnostic workup of lung cancer, it is essential to recognize the fact that it is a highly heterogeneous disease. Precise molecular characterization is key to improving understanding of the tumor pathogenesis, to determining the prognosis, and to defining an individualized treatment plan based on predictive biomarkers. Therefore, since 2010, the Association for Molecular Pathology, the College of American Pathologists, and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer have collaborated to review the main evidence in molecular analysis and its implications. The most recent guideline, issued in 2018, includes many relevant recommendations and advocates for testing all patients with nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) for EGFR activating mutations, ALK rearrangements, and ROS1 rearrangements; if adequate material is available, another group of genes—including BRAF, MET, RET, ERBB2 (HER2), and KRAS—should be included in an expanded panel.(2) In addition, samples should be tested for predictive biomarkers of response to immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting the programmed death 1/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) pathway, such as PD-L1 expression in the tumor and inflammatory cells, and the tumor mutational burden should be also determined.


PURPOSE: To provide a reverse-reflecting sheeting product of economical and merchantable value by making slurry to be applied to a thermoplastic web contain a solid consisting of hydrophobic silica, a polar solvent and a nonpolar solvent. CONSTITUTION: In a roll 20 made of reverse-reflecting thin layer laminate 22, the rear surface 30 of a thermoplastic web 26 is embossed with a cube corner type reverse-reflecting pattern by embossing finish, and between the rear surface 30 and a back coat film 32 joined therewith, a hydrophobic granulated silica material 34 is inserted. Here, slurry consisting of the hydrophobic granulated material to be applied to the embossed thermoplastic web 26 contains a solid consisting of hydrophobic silica, a polar solvent and a nonpolar solvent. And it is preferable that the hydrophobic silica is present in the range of 15-35wt.%, and that the polar solvent is present at a rate of about 15-30vol.% of the slurry, and also that the nonpolar solvent is present at a rate of about 40-70vol.% thereof. The quantity of a thickener is made within the range of 2-8wt.%.


The niobium η-cyclopentadienyl compounds with imido and amido ligands [Nb(η-C5H5)(NtBu)(NHtBu)Cl] 1,* [Nb(η-C5H5)(NtBu)(NHtBu)nBu] 2, [Nb(η-C5H5)(NtBu)(NHtBu)2] 3, [Nb(η-C5H5)(NtBu)(NHtBu)Me] 4, [Nb(η-C5H5)(η1-C5H5)(NtBu)(NHtBu)] 5, [Nb{(η-C5H4)CMe2(η1-C5H4)}(NtBu)(NHtBu)] 6, [Nb(η-C5H5){N(C6H3iPr2-2,6)}(NHtBu)Cl] 7,* [Nb(η-C5H5){N(C6H3iPr2-2,6)}(NHtBu)Me] 8, [Nb(η-C5H5)(NtBu)(NEt2)Cl] 9 and [Nb(η-C5H5)(NtBu)(NHtBu)(NEt2)] 10 have been prepared (* indicates the crystal structure has been determined). A correlation between the chemical shift of the NH proton and the value of Δδ measured between the α and β carbons of the tert-butyl groups of the amido ligands is discussed in relation to the degree of electron donation from the amido ligand to the niobium centre.


Opining mining is widely used in most of real time applications. The opinion features are described by the contents and an attribute of contents are used by users to express their opinion such as negative reviews or positive reviews. The accurate identification of content features gathered from the unstructured textual data is major research challenge. Therefore, it is a must to design an efficient technique which will be able to identify such features from the unstructured datasets. There are number of state-of-art techniques reported recently. There are three main components of opinion mining and analysis methods such as pre-processing, feature extraction and classification. There are only few methods considering the pre-processing of input text data. After pre-processing step, the next step is feature extraction. Effective feature extraction method leads to accurate prediction based on user's feedback. Some techniques which present the extraction of opinion based feature in dataset mining patterns are used by single review corpus and ignored by the non-trivial disparity in the word of distributional characteristics of opinion feature. Such methods are not sufficient to predict the user feedback correctly. After the feature extraction, last phase is the prediction model which is based on classifiers. This paper presents the study on recent opinion mining methods and its comparative analysis with an aim of identifying the current research problems and their significance. The outcome of this paper is research gaps in present solutions.


Objective. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play an important role in economic development and many of them consider management of employees to be the important source for achieving expected goals. Theoretical background is based on characteristic of different management styles. Method. The paper main aim is analysis of current problems in line management and compare any approaches to management in monitored six Czech SMEs. The survey was conducted from March to April 2018, by questionnaire. The relevant data were obtained from 258 respondents. The data analysis was based on the calculation of relative frequencies and the evaluation of the dependence of responses on gender and age of respondents using contingency tables. The research question is: What are the opinions of employees of the surveyed companies on management and how do they differ according to the type of company? Results. The results show that surveyed SMEs are able to effectively manage. Management practices in SMEs should be focused on management styles, employee evaluation and compensation to achieve expected organizational results through achieving desired employee results. Conclusions. The paper summarizes the results of the authors' questionnaire survey on managing people in six Czech profit SMEs. The results are interesting for the research and managers of SMEs who are responsible for managing employees. The results open up new possibilities for further research in the field of management. Limitations. The main limitation are results of only six SMEs and sample size.


Stability of the vacuum arc is crucial for the deposition of high quality films and coatings by arc ion plating.In this study,effects of the magnetic field distribution and surface contamination as well as the surface temperature in addition to the surface size and morphology of the cathodal target on the stability of the vacuum arc were investigated.Besides,the roles of arc current together with the kind and the pressure of the working gas were also considered and discussed.At last,methods of improving the stability of vacuum arc were obtained.


At the current stage of the economic development the search for new methods of logistics processes' improvement is directly connected with the ideas of computer application. One of the methods is RFID technology which provides information transparency at all of the chain links of creation of value from suppliers to final consumers. The article presents comparative analysis of basic technical and economic indices of bar-code and RFID technologies, describes the operation principles of basic RFID system and its components. The paper lists domestic companies that sell RFID equipment and offer services on its implementation; presents an assessment of the Russian market's development prospects made by the specialists of «ISBC Group» and an approximate scheme of warehouse logistics system with RFID technology.


In recent years, much research has been performed in order to decrease fuel consumption, noise, and exhaust emission levels in internal combustion engines. In this study, the effects of excess air coefficient on performance and exhaust emissions (CO, CO2) of an HCCI engine fueled with primary reference fuel (PRF) were investigated for different intake air pressure and temperature values. The simulation studies were performed by using SRM Suite software. The chemical kinetic mechanism, which contains 138 species and 633 reactions that are embedded into the program, was used to simulate the combustion of the PRF fuel during the combustion simulations. The analysis covers the full cycle and provides data about induction, compression, combustion, expansion, and exhaust. The exhaust emissions, cylinder pressure, and heat release rate results were compared with the experimental data. The zero-dimensional software (SRM Suite) gives quite reasonable results compared with the experimental data, and it has advantag...


Abstract Ageing is a complex multi-factorial process, which is characterised by a decreased ability of the human body to interact, respond and defend itself against numerous stimuli. As average life span continues to increase, it becomes increasingly important to understand what impact ageing or disease has on physiological functions and the efficacy of interventions such as exercise. Cardiac power output (CPO) is the best indicator of overall cardiac function (Cooke et al., 1998) and can be measured non-invasively at rest (CPOfest) and maximal exertion (CPOmax), enabling the heart's functional reserve (CR) to be calculated. The aims of these studies were to use CPO to measure changes that occurred as a result of healthy ageing, long-term endurance training, and chronic heart failure, and compare these effects in men and women. After further developing the techniques and protocols to measure CPO, seventy healthy men and one-hundred and thirteen women aged nineteen to seventy six years were recruited and studied. Healthy ageing resulted in a 49%, 23% and 22% decrease in V02max, CPOmax and CR respectively in men. In marked contrast, there were no significant age-related changes in CPOmax or CR in healthy women. Forty-two habitually active men and eighteen women were recruited across the same age range. The active men had significantly higher CR (-17%-36%) than age-matched sedentary men. In contrast, the active women showed no increase in CR over the sedentary women. These sex-specific differences in response to ageing and exercise were independent of changes in body size. Abstract The CPOmax and CR of twenty-one male heart failure patients were respectively -57% and -64% below that of the healthy sedentary men.The CPOmax and CR of twenty-one male heart failure patients were respectively -57% and -64% below that of the healthy sedentary men. These results indicate for the first time that healthy ageing has a negative impact on CPO in men which can be attenuated by long-term endurance training, or made worse by heart failure. Importantly, no decrease occurred in CPO in women with ageing, and the cardiac adaptations in response to exercise were also less marked.


Both eosinophils and specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) to foods and mites have been considered involved in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD). The relationship between eosinophils and specific IgE, however, remains to be elucidated.


ABSTRACT This paper considers likelihood-based estimation under the Cox proportional hazards model in the situations where some covariate entries are missing not at random. Assuming the conditional distribution of the missing entries is known, we demonstrate the existence of the semiparametric maximum likelihood estimator of the model parameters, establish the consistency and weak convergence. By simulation, we examine the finite-sample performance of the estimation procedure, and compare the SPMLE with the one resulted from using an estimated conditional distribution of the missing entries. We analyze the data from a tuberculosis (TB) study applying the proposed approach for illustration.


Changes in precipitation due to climate change will have consequences for plant and herbivorous insect communities alike. Multiple hypotheses explain how changes in plant diversity and productivity can lead to changes in herbivore community composition. Yet as rainfall patterns change, the bottom‐up effects on the relationships between plant and herbivore communities are less well understood. Using a long‐term rainfall manipulation experiment in a remnant patch of Garry oak (Quercus garryana) savanna, we examined how plant diversity and productivity have responded to variation in soil moisture over 6 years. This highly endangered ecosystem is predicted to experience significantly wetter springs and drier summers by 2080. We also investigated plant‐mediated, indirect effects of manipulated rainfall on herbivore diversity and abundance, drawing on multiple hypotheses describing the relationships between plant and herbivore communities. For example, the more individuals hypothesis predicts that increased plant productivity results in increased herbivore abundance which, in turn, results in increased herbivore diversity. We found that plant productivity was influenced by soil moisture, but the direction and magnitude of the response varied across years, and found no support for plant diversity influencing productivity. We also found that the cover and productivity of grasses increased significantly with increasing precipitation. In addition to a direct negative effect on herbivore diversity, soil moisture had an indirect negative effect on herbivore abundance, via the negative effect of plant productivity on abundance, contradicting the more individuals hypothesis. Synthesis. Our results highlight that not only can drought result in significant reductions in plant productivity in this threatened ecosystem, but that these changes will also result in increases in herbivore abundance. In contrast, where soil moisture is higher, grasses will become more dominant resulting in decreased herbivore abundance. Ultimately, predicting how this system responds to changes in precipitation will depend on the ability to predict whether growing season soil moisture will be consistently drier or wetter in the future, a significant challenge. Going forward, investigating how variation in precipitation due to climate change affects the links between trophic levels, including how herbivores affect plant communities, remains critical for understanding ecosystem processes and stability.


Two approaches have been used in studying the biosynthesis of amino acids from acetate by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In the first approach, the organism is grown on glucose as the major carbon source. A small amount of radioactive acetate is added to the actively growing cells, and the radioactivity in the resulting protein amino acids is determined (l-4). In the second approach, the cells are grown on unlabeled glucose. After the desired population level is reached, the cells are centrifuged, washed, and placed in a fermentor with a small amount of radioactive acetate as the sole source of carbon (5-12). After an incubation period, the cells are defatted and hydrolyzed directly. This gives total recovery of free and protein amino acids. When the second of the approaches described above is carried out, any amino acid synthesized during the period of incubation with acetate as the sole carbon source is probably synthesized from acetate. All amino acids synthesized during the acetate incubation period will be labeled unless they are synthesized from intermediates accumulated during the growth period. If an amino acid is unlabeled, one can only assume that it cannot be synthesized from acetate under the conditions of the experiment . The first approach, on the other hand, yields information regarding the participation of acetate as an intermediate when the amino acid is synthesized from glucose. In all of the experiments described in the literature, aerobic growth conditions have been claimed. However, data reported in all of these papers on the yields of cells based on the carbon source suggest that an insufficient amount of oxygen was present for truly aerobic conditions (13). In the experiments described here, the organism was grown with glucose as the main carbon source and in the presence of tracer amounts of C14H3COOH. The organism was grown in the presence of oxygen and also under completely anaerobic conditions. The yeast protein from these two experiments was hydrolyzed, and the specific activities of the component amino acids were determined.


Microscopy images are pervasive in biomedical research publications, where images obtained through various microscopy modalities (light, fluorescence, scanning, transmission) are often used to describe and summarize experiments and contributions. Hence, there is growing interest in automatically identifying these microscopy images' modality and utilizing this knowledge in automated search tools. However, identifying microscopy images poses challenges due to a lack of extensive collections of labeled images. We describe and evaluate two alternative approaches to microscopy image classification. In the first approach, we progressively fine-tuned layers of ResNet models. The second approach uses shallow variants of ResNet networks, where we leverage the outputs from previous convolutional blocks. We compare these results against a Support Vector Machine (SVM)-based baseline. Our results show that fine-tuning specific layers yields better results than fine-tuning the whole model. Furthermore, shallower variants produce competitive results when compared to the entire fine-tuned model.


In modern health care, we are ciften prevented by the glow (if the success oj an operationjrom asking thejundamental question) Did the patient live? A campaign in Sydney)jor example) successfully achieved a significant increase in the number oj Pap smears being carried out. However, a closer look revealed that there had been no commensurate increase in detected abnormalities: the community did not better survive. How can medicine be made more responsive to the questiorl c:f outcome? Some ideas jor health outcome initiatives are presented.


The purpose of this paper is to examine features of English speaking contests and preparation activities by contest-takers through the Internet, It...


Statistical analysis based on complexity histogram is a powerful steganalytic technique for detecting the presence of secret message embedded in the digital images using bit-plane complexity segmentation (BPCS). This paper proposes an improved BPCS algorithm that can effectively resist statistical analysis. We set different threshold values at different bit planes, combining complexity with the characteristics of human visual system whereby a human is less sensitive to the regions with higher or lower gray values, to select blocks for embedding. Experimental results show that adopting the improved algorithm can effectively resist statistical analysis based on the complexity histogram, and the stego-image has better quality than BPCS-steganography


Ninety-six Brahman crossbred steers (187 ± 3.9 kg) were used to evaluate protein supplements in corn-silage growing diets for 140 d. The following treatments were used: 1, control (7.9% crude protein (CP)); 2, urea (10.3% CP); 3, dehydrated alfalfa (10.0% CP); or 4, soybean meal (SBM) (10.6% CP). Steers were then fed a common finishing diet (80% corn) with 13.4% CP for 120 d. Steers fed the control diet had lower levels of plasma-urea nitrogen, consumed less feed, gained less weight and utilized feed less efficiently than those fed supplemented diets (P < 0.05). Steers fed SBM gained weight faster than those fed urea (P < 0.05), though feed/gain ratios were similar. Although control steers exhibited compensatory growth during the 120-d finishing period, re-alimentation was not complete, and their overall gain was lowest at the end of the 260-d study (P < 0.05). Cattle fed the low-protein growing diet also had lighter carcasses, smaller loin eye area and less backfat and marbling than steers fed protein su...


The invention discloses a sleep monitoring watch and an implementation method of the sleep monitoring watch, for solving the problems that the existing intelligent wristwatch is in idle and can not be effectively utilized when a user sleeps. The sleep monitoring watch comprises a watch body, and is characterized by further comprising an acceleration sensor, a photosensitive sensor, a sound sensor and a processor, wherein the acceleration sensor is used for monitoring the sleeping posture change of the human body and vibration signals generated by breathing when the user sleeps; the photosensitive sensor is used for monitoring the ambient light change when the user sleeps; the sound sensor is used for monitoring the sounds made by the human body and the environmental noise when the user sleeps; and the processor is used for receiving and processing the signals detected by the sensors. On one hand, the idle time of the intelligent wristwatch when the user sleeps is effectively utilized, on the other hand, the technical biases in the field and the conventional choice of the technical staff are overcome.


In real-world driving scenarios, the model mismatch can severely impair the robustness of the tracking system controlled by Model Predictive Control (MPC). Tube-based MPC (TMPC) addresses this problem by keeping the model mismatch error in an invariant tube. The TMPC algorithms, however, cannot deal with state-dependent uncertainty since TMPC relies on the fixed tubes. This paper presents a practical algorithm for improving the capability of TMPC to handle multiplicative uncertainty. Firstly, this algorithm adopts a Homothetic Tube-based MPC (HTMPC) framework to optimize the system's future trajectory and tube geometry simultaneously, which dynamically resizes tubes according to uncertainty and the system's current state. Secondly, this algorithm provides both the feasible formulation of the tube and the homothetic factor with low computational complexity. Thirdly, we aim to systematically evaluate the algorithm's robustness by the simulations of different scenarios where the system parameters and the measurement noises might change over time. We have conducted and analyzed the Monte-Carlo simulations to compare the robustness and tracking capability of the proposed algorithm and other control algorithms. The comparative analysis shows that the HTMPC algorithm provides a higher level of performance than MPC and TMPC, and it performs closely to the robust controller based on the immersion and invariance (I&I) principle.


In the article are considered the reasoning and types of the legal liability for the violation of athletic relations; are adduced the grounds for the arrangement of athletic relations in connection with the types of the legal liability.


Precise knowledge of microwave properties of Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramic LTCC materials is crucial for efficient design of microwave systems, especially for design of communication filters. Many communication devices operate at low temperatures. In order to implement LTCC at low temperature communication circuits and devices, Engineers need precise values of the complex permittivity. The aim of this paper is to characterise LTCC material as a function of temperature at microwave frequencies using a very precise measurement technique, Split Post Dielectric Resonator. The Transmission Mode Q-factor technique that eliminates all the parasitic losses during the characterisation was used for the S-parameter data processing. The permittivity and loss tangent data of LTCC manufactured by Heraeus Circuit Materials Division in the temperature range 20 K- 300K at a frequency of 9.5 GHz is reported in this paper. The random uncertainty in eT and tanδ are better than 0.3% and 5 % respectively.


This paper describes optimization details of an analytical method development of a hydride-generation procedure for speciation of mercury(II), monomethylmercury cation, dimethylmercury, and diethylmercury using a heated quartz furnace with an atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) as a detector. Typically a new analytical method is developed in steps such as the following: (1) determining analytes individually to confirm retention times and the lack of decomposition during the procedure; (2) comparing peak areas of all analytes as a function of quartz furnace temperature to optimize atomization for AAS detection; (3) conducting factorial experiments to determine which hydride-generation reaction conditions are important in maximizing peak areas and which conditions interact with each other; (4) using the simplex optimization method to give final optimization of reaction conditions. These steps result in conditions that maximize optimized peak areas for analytes while minimizing experimental error.


Breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer in Bangladesh. Although significant improvement has been made in breast cancer treatment and management, Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) is still the least known breast cancer subtype in this country. TNBC is well known for its aggressive nature and limited therapeutic options when compared to other breast cancer subtypes. Several population-based studies indicated high prevalence of TNBC in African women in addition to few recent studies indicating a growing number of TNBC patients among Asian population. However, there is a lack of evidence on TNBC patients in Bangladesh due to limited knowledge and awareness. In this paper we review the epidemiology, general risk factors and clinical characteristics of TNBC to find out the correlation between TNBC and other conventional breast cancer subtypes in Bangladesh. Some diagnostic and therapeutic approaches as well as future novel solutions for TNBC are also discussed to understand the pathologic process and treatment strategies of TNBC. Literature review reveals that, there is a lack of TNBC studies in Bangladesh. Therefore, more investigations should be carried out to address the degree of vulnerability of TNBC in breast cancer patients of Bangladesh.


Recent studies show that Deep Neural Networks can be highly effective for trend prediction applications. These studies, however, typically focus on offline applications. In this study we explore deep neural networks (DNNs) for trend prediction in online streaming applications. We reformulate the trend prediction problem for streaming applications, and present an efficient algorithm for online trend segmentation and updating, which predicts the time for the current trend to change and the slope of the next trend. Four DNNs, i.e. LSTMs, CNNs, BiLSTMs and TCNs, are implemented and evaluated across four different datasets using walk-forward validation. The recurrent DNN models, specifically the BiLSTM, outperform the other DNNs. The findings suggest that DNNs can be effectively used for online trend prediction in real-time applications.


57) ABSTRACT A lock-in amplifier is provided which allows detection of a signal buried in noise without preprocessing of the input signal. An analog signal multiplier is used to ob tain a dc output which is the product of the signal being detected and a high-purity sine wave signal. A refer ence signal of a known selectable frequency is applied to a sine-wave generator to generate the sine wave of the same frequency. The sine wave is applied to a multi plier through a phase shift arrangement to allow the detection of both amplitude of the detected signal and the phases relative to the reference signal. The multi plier output is filtered by a low-pass filter to eliminate unwanted frequency components from the output sig nal.


Paperless and digitalization is the development trend of electronic medical records.Taking Zhongshan People's Hospital as an example which has studied paperless electronic medical records archive storage,the paper discusses the mode and the specific implementation program to realize paperless electronic medical records archive storage,analyzes the advantages of the storage mode and problems and the difficulties emerging from integrated system,summarizes the application effects,points out that utilizing paperless medical records archive storage would bring obvious economic,management and social benefits.


Mirtazapine is a specific serotonergic and noradrenergic antidepressant with a unique psychopharmacological mechanism. While sedation and weight gain are commonly reported, peripheral oedema has rarely been documented despite its alpha-2 receptor antagonism action. We describe two patients with mirtazapine-associated peripheral oedema. A 74-year-old woman was admitted due to psychotic depression with catatonic features. Medications on admission included lorazepam, clonazepam, venlafaxine and thyroxine. Co-morbid diagnoses included breast cancer in remission and hypothyroidism. Venlafaxine was ceased due to patient refusal and inefficacy. Benzodiazepines were ceased in preparation for electroconvulsive therapy. Mirtazapine was commenced on day 7 and titrated to 60 mg by day 19. Aripiprazole was commenced on day 15 and increased to 10 mg by day 20. Bilateral pitting oedema of the lower limbs was noted on day 26. Clinical examination was otherwise unremarkable. Pathology investigations, sonography, chest x-ray and trans-thoracic echocardiogram were normal. Aripiprazole was ceased secondary to extra-pyramidal side effects. Diuresis with frusemide 80 mg twice-daily did not improve the peripheral oedema. Cross titration of mirtazapine to sertraline was undertaken, resulting in complete resolution of oedema within 1 week. Diuresis was ceased with no recurrence of oedema. A 70-year-old woman presented with deterioration in mood and melancholic features. Co-morbid conditions included controlled hypertension and fibromyalgia. Mirtazapine was commenced and titrated to 30 mg by day 5. Peripheral oedema of the lower limbs and mouth ulcers were noted days after commencing 30 mg dosage of mirtazapine. Clinical examination was otherwise unremarkable. Pathology investigations, sonography, chest x-ray and trans-thoracic echocardiogram were normal. Long-term medications taken by the patient included duloxetine, diazepam, aspirin, valsartan, hydrochlorothiazide, tramadol and oxycodone. Subsequently, agomelatine was introduced while mirtazapine was decreased. A complete resolution of oedema and mouth ulcerations occurred following mirtazapine cessation. The diagnosis of mirtazapineassociated peripheral oedema was initially felt unlikely as dermatological reactions to mirtazapine have been rarely reported. However, after exclusion of more common aetiologies, a diagnosis of mirtazapine-associated peripheral oedema was made. A full resolution of oedema following cessation of mirtazapine and a Naranjo score of 6 in both our cases suggest a 'probable' adverse drug reaction (ADR). Only two other cases have described a 'probable' association of peripheral oedema with mirtazapine (Kutscher et al., 2001; Saddichha, 2014). The mechanism of mirtazapineassociated peripheral oedema is unknown. Although medical conditions and other medications are known to produce peripheral oedema, they are unlikely in our cases. Immune-mediated processes have been attributed to peripheral oedema (Mitkov et al., 2013). Given that mouth ulcerations were observed in one patient, an autoimmune mechanism may be considered. Interestingly, all reported cases of mirtazapine-associated peripheral oedema have occurred at a dosage of 30 mg/day or greater (Kutscher et al., 2001; Saddichha, 2014). Rapid titration of mirtazapine was observed in our first case and may also be a contributory factor in the development of peripheral oedema. To our knowledge, this is the first report to describe mirtazapine-associated peripheral oedema in the geriatric psychiatric population. The occurrence in two patients within 1 year in a single Australian institution may suggest an under-recognition in clinical practice of mirtazapine-associated peripheral oedema. ADR can be associated with morbidity and hinder compliance. We present these two cases to increase awareness of this potential ADR and to facilitate earlier recognition and optimal management.


Summary

In research of public opinion the selection of the subjects is of the greatest importance, which makes it necessary to raise as much as possible the level of this research-work, not in the least by restraint.


Application : high-yield pulps from the fast-growing Acacia mangium can be an important source of papermaking raw material for products requiring high bulk and moderate optical and mechanical properties.


Introduction The literature related to parents and schools is rife with articles that convey a convincing and positive connection between parent involvement and academic achievement (Henderson & Mapp, 2002), school attendance (Sheldon, 2007), graduation rates (Harvard Family Research Project, 2006), educational aspirations (Greenwood & Hickman, 1991), positive classroom behavior (Cotton & Wikeland, 2001), enrollment in more challenging curricula (Heymann, 2000), and favorable attitudes towards school (Henderson & Mapp, 2002; Trusty, 1996; Astone & McClanahan, 1991). Long term social and financial benefits, such as improved health outcomes, decreased welfare dependence, and reduced crime are also correlated with increased parental involvement (Haveman & Wolfe, 1995). Augmenting these findings is research that indicates that the earlier in a child's educational process parent involvement begins, the more powerful the effects (Cotton & Wikeland, 2001). Many of these investigations parallel the original observations of Henderson and Berla (1994), who reviewed 66 studies of parental involvement and overwhelmingly concluded that parents play a crucial role in the instructional experiences of their children. Although this conclusion may strike some as mere "common sense," it is important to mention that these data represent more than just a correlation. There are some clear paths through which such involvement improves student success. A review of the literature suggests that when parents/guardians are involved, teachers give more attention to students, teachers tend to identify potential learning problems at earlier stages, parents and teachers are able to coordinate efforts to aid individual students and provide family services, communities prioritize to build and maintain better physical facilities, schools recruit and retain quality staff and administration and schools are more likely to obtain new funding for after-school programs and other innovative supports (Zill & Nord, 1994; Epstein, 1995; Mediratta & Fruchter, 2001). Thus, it is not an overstatement to suggest that when parents "show up," they have enormous potential to positively impact the intellectual, emotional, and physical development of their children, school, and community. Hence, there is perhaps no topic on which there is greater agreement than the need for parental involvement in a child's education (Epstein, 1995). The consensus that parents are associated with a range of enhanced school outcomes is mirrored by legislative policies that mandate increasingly specific, research-based programs of family involvement. In fact, for the first time in the history of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, there is a definition of parental involvement that is designed to facilitate the development of parent involvement practices. Most recently, NCLB outlined a cascade of school, district, and state requirements that are intended to involve parents in ways that close the achievement gap between disadvantaged minority students and their peers. Specifically, these policies hope to promote student achievement via shared accountability between schools and parents. Some of these provisions include "expanded public school choice and supplemental educational services for eligible children in low-performing schools, local development of parental involvement plans with sufficient flexibility to address local needs, and building parents' capacity for using effective practices to improve their own children's academic achievement" (U.S. Department of Education, 1994). Connected to these well-intentioned policies is a simple message from former U.S. Secretary of Education, Rod Paige, who states, "Schools can't improve without the help of parents" (Paige, 2002, p. A-13). Undoubtedly, the involvement of parents is vital to the success of our schools. So, why aren't more parents involved? The rewards of parent involvement are so clear. …


Content-based retrieval in image management systems requires indexing of image feature vectors. Most feature vectors have a high number of dimensions (15+). This makes indexing difficult since most existing multi-dimensional indexing structures grow exponentially in size as dimensions increase. We approach this problem in three stages: (1) reduce the dimensionality of the feature space, (2) evaluate existing multi-dimensional indexing structures to determine which one can best organize the reduced feature space, and (3) customize the selected structure to improve search performance. To reduce the dimensionality of the feature space without losing much information we apply a statistical technique called principal component analysis (PCA), using Turk and Pentland's eigenimages approach. We then conduct a comparative analysis of a wide range of existing multi-dimensional indexing structures, selecting and implementing three of them (bucket adaptive KD-tree, gridfile, R- tree) for further empirical comparisons. Tests show that the adaptive KD-tree uses the least storage and performs the best during search. Finally, we customize the bucket adaptive KD- tree by implementing techniques that take advantage of the characteristics of the transformed space -- namely, ranked dimensions by decreasing variance, and known dynamic ranges. This prunes the search space and results in very efficient searches. The number of page accesses are reduced significantly, sometimes leading to savings as high as 70%.


ACUTE suppurative pericarditis is a rare disease, usually resulting from a local cause, or associated with a debilitating illness. The prognosis has been much improved by antibiotics, but treatrnent is still difficult. The case reported here is one in which suppurative pericarditis was apparently a primary condition; after a protracted illness, the patient died as a result of a complication that has not been previously recorded.


The invention discloses a novel flavoring filter tip. The filter tip is prepared from the following steps of: selecting flavoring granules with the diameter of 20 to 40 meshes; uniformly adding 3 mg of the flavoring granules into filter tip tows per millimeter so as to prepare a functional filter tip through a filter tip molding machine; and rolling the functional filter tip and a base rod through a composite molding machine according to a length ratio of 10:15 so as to obtain the flavoring filter tip. By taking aluminum silicate as a carrier, the flavoring granules are prepared from the following components in part by weight: 4 parts of Yunnan cigarette absolute oil, 1.5 parts of oak moss absolute oil, 0.5 part of tree orchid absolute oil, 4 parts of maltol, 15 parts of caramel colorant, 65 parts of propylene glycol, and 10 parts of water in a granulator. The novel flavoring filter tip can make cigarette flavoring substances increased by 17.7 percent over the same period, make the comprehensive rate of the flavor increased by 10 percent over the same period, and make the qualification rate of the length ratio of the flavoring filter tip reach 100 percent.


Comparing the Training Performance of a Deep Neural Network for Accelerated MRI Reconstruction Using Synthesized and Realistic KSpace DataMagnetic Resonance ImagingMedical Image ReconstructionPrinciples of Magnetic Resonance ImagingMedical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention – MICCAI 2021State of the Art Evaluation of the Head and Neck, An Issue of Neuroimaging Clinics of North America EBookInformation Processing in Medical ImagingMachine Learning for Tomographic ImagingAdvances of Neuroimaging and Data AnalysisCurrent and Future Role of Artificial Intelligence in Cardiac ImagingMachine Learning for Medical Image ReconstructionMachine Learning and Medical ImagingIBM Reference Architecture for High Performance Data and AI in Healthcare and Life SciencesMRICoronary Magnetic Resonance AngiographyMRI for RadiotherapyHandbook of Medical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention2019 IEEE CVF International Conference on Computer Vision (ICCV)2020 IEEE 17th International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging Workshops (ISBI Workshops)Machine Learning for Medical Image ReconstructionApplying Machine Learning and Deep Learning for Improved Acquisition, Reconstruction and Quantification in MRIMedical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention – MICCAI 2021Analysis of Medical Modalities for Improved Diagnosis in Modern HealthcareQuantitative Magnetic Resonance ImagingMedical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention – MICCAI 2018Magnetic Resonance Image ReconstructionEquine MRIMedical Image Registration2021 IEEE 18th International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging (ISBI)Advances in Computational Collective IntelligenceArtificial Intelligence in Medical ImagingMedical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention – MICCAI 2019Nonlinear Inverse Problems in ImagingQuestions & Answers in Magnetic Resonance ImagingMachine Learning in Medical ImagingFunctional Imaging and Modeling of the HeartMachine Learning for Medical Image ReconstructionIntelligent Diagnosis with Adversarial Machine Learning in Multimodal Biomedical Brain ImagesMachine Learning for Medical Image ReconstructionElectro-Magnetic Tissue Properties MRI


An ultra high efficiency bidirectional dc-dc converter with multi-frequency pulse width modulation is proposed in this paper. This method selects a proper switching frequency instead of using detection of instantaneous current to achieve zero-voltage switching (ZVS). Since instantaneous current is not required, control loop instability and noise susceptibility issues can be avoided. The proposed approach allows ease of combining ZVS, multiphase interleaving, and coupled inductor techniques to achieve high efficiency over a wide load range. To verify the proposed approach, a 30 kW hardware prototype has been designed, fabricated and tested. Simulation and experimental results verify the effectiveness of the proposed approach in ZVS operation. Using precision meters and sensors, the efficiency was measured in a wide load range. From 10% to 100% load, the efficiency stays above 98% and peaks at 99.2%.


Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a S. aureus strain with resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics, making it a global human and veterinary health concern. Specifically, immunosuppressed patients have a remarkably higher risk of clinical MRSA infections with significantly increased rates of prolonged clinical recovery, morbidity, and mortality. The current treatment of choice for MRSA is vancomycin. Importantly, we report the first known vancomycin-resistant S. aureus (VRSA) carriers in a cohort of Mauritian cynomolgus macaques (CM) imported to the Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC), with a MRSA carrier rate of 76.9% (10/13 animals). All MRSA isolates also demonstrated resistance to vancomycin with prevalence of vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) at 30% (3/10 MRSA-positive CMs) and VRSA at 70% (7/10 MRSA-positive CMs). Additionally, we identified VRSA in a rhesus macaque (RM) housed within the same room as the VRSA-positive CMs and identified a MRSA/VISA carrier rate of 18.8% in RMs (3/16 positive for both MRSA and VISA) in unexposed recently assigned animals directly from the ONPRC RM breeding colony. Considering that the MRSA and VRSA/VISA-positive CMs future study aims included significant immunosuppression, MRSA/VRSA/VISA decolonization treatment and expanded "MRSA-free" practices were employed to maintain this status. We report the first controlled study using in-depth analyses with appropriate diagnostic serial testing to definitively show an MRSA decolonization therapy (90% success rate) and expanded barrier practice techniques to successfully prevent recolonization (100%) of a cohort of CMs MRSA-free (up to 529 days with a total of 4,806 MRSA-free NHP days).


Because NN has the problem of uncertain configuration,local optimization,over-learn,and the lower speed of standard SVM,we advanced the LSSVM which has more generalization ability compared with other method of nonlinear function approach,and the LSSVM model has less undetermined parameter which is two compared with standard SVM because LSSVM adopted radial basis kernel function.In this paper,LSSVM is applied in the thrust coefficient and model coefficient prediction of variable vector propeller in cyclic pitch,compared with NN prediction the result shows that,the value predicted by LSSVM has higher precision.So it is feasible to adopt LSSVM to predict the thrust coefficient and model coefficient of variable vector propeller in cyclic pitch,the result is better,and it can also satisfy the need of engineering application.


A cost model for the DSN is developed which is useful in analyzing the 10-year Life Cycle Cost of the Bent Pipe Project. The philosophy behind the development and the use made of a computer data base are detailed; the applicability of this model to other projects is discussed.


Sometime during the summer of 1830, the Rev. Dr. James May, an Episcopal clergyman and at that time rector of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, boarded a Hudson River steamboat on his way to a well-earned rest in the New York mountains. Sharing the same steamboat and the same destination with "a prominent Presbyterian Clergyman of the city of New York," the Rev. Dr. George Washington Bethune. The two divines fell to talking denominational shop, and "in the course of their conversation the Presbyterian spoke most favorably of the Protestant Episcopal Church." May was evidently taken aback; he was not accustomed to unsolicited endorsements from Presbyterian quarters. But Bethune was insistent: "I do not see, " said he, "what is to hinder your Church from becoming the dominant Christian body in this country before the close of the next half century." [excerpt]


Nonlinear absorption near 1.5 μm of cobalt doped LaGaO3 crystals has been investigated. The observed dependence of transmission coefficient on incident energy density reveals a contribution of an excited state absorption. The assignment of ESA has been proposed tentatively, because a strong absorption of Co 3+ prevents the location of excited levels of Co 2+ which may be involved. It has been concluded that LaGaO 3 :Co crystal is a good candiate as a passive Q-switch for erbium lasers operating near 1.5 μm.


Digital data is one of the data or information that is often misused, therefore this research begins by studying various literatures related to the encryption system used in cryptographic techniques. And based on the literature that was read, made a series of design and encryption system design program based on Thonny Python. The results of the design are then realized by creating a series of file encryption systems through the application program. The results obtained from this study are the encryption system created in Thonny Python has been able to randomize the original information in this case in the form of a file and is able to transmit the encrypted data with various limitations. This study discusses digital data communication systems using HF radio waves with its main device as a complete communication radio with antenna and power supply, and is equipped with a Raspberry as an enhancement to digital data processing and FSK Modulator as an interface between Raspberry and HF radio that functions as a digital signal modifier that out of Raspberry becomes an analog signal as input for HF radio.


Mortality has markedly fallen in most developing countries. The increase in the standard of living and improvement of education, especially of women, have played a significant role in the decline of mortality and morbidity. Since economic recession is commonplace, at least in the short term, it is evident that one could not count on economic resources to improve the health of millions of impoverished persons. Many factors still hinder female education. Education and income are not in themselves really determinants of health. Rather, health could be influenced by certain behaviors associated with education and income. Identification of these behaviors and their promotion would offset those limits linked to education and income with regard to their effect on improvement of health. The Rockefeller Foundation has initiated the Transition Toward Better Health Project in Mali to study behaviors which can have an influence on health. The Center for Studies and Research on Population for Development in collaboration with Save the Children Federation (SCF) envisions setting up a population observation post in Kolondieba. It involves putting in place a data collection system principally on health. SCF already has a health information system in Kolondieba which routinely registers births, deaths, migrations, and changes in marital status. This collaboration will be an innovation because it joins demographic research with family planning and maternal and child health activities. Few scientific studies on populations are being conducted in the framework of concrete interventions. During the first two years of the project, SCF's information system will be strengthened and the observation posts will be implemented. Early planned activities include analysis of available data, review of supports for collection used by SCF, a census, strengthening SCF information systems, and training some SCF personnel. Once these observation posts have been set up, annual surveys of health-related behaviors can be conducted.


Production systems are generally subjected to failures, which are not self-announcing. These failures may not bring the system to a complete halt but may cause its malfunction, which would affect the quality of output. Inspections at intervals are required to detect such failures. After a failure, the system would continue to produce degraded output unless corrective action (minimal repair) is taken after detecting the failure during inspection. These minimal repairs do not bring the system to "as good as new" condition, but restore its condition to the level prior to the failure. A replacement/overhaul of the system after operation for a long time will make it "as good as new." The paper presents optimal inspection models for such a production system. The system is replaced or overhauled at predetermined times, marking the end of a cycle, while inspections are periodically done within a cycle. An entire output during an interval is scrapped, if inspection reveals a failure during the interval. Dynamic programming formulation has been used to optimize expected profit per cycle. The model is suitable when prior sales commitments exist and failure of the system is not self-announcing.


Cost control is the important content of project management.The paper analysizes the importance of design stage of the project cost control,expounds the necessity,and puts forward the basic construction of highway engineering project cost control measures.


Oil traps and sedimentation tanks are used to treat emulsified wastewater containing oil products. Their disadvantages are the duration of the process, insufficient degree of purification. Poorly treated wastewater is subjected to repeated dilution, or stored for a long time in tanks, after which it enters water bodies, which leads to degradation of biocenoses. Based on the foregoing, it is relevant to use high-performance and lowenergy technologies, one of such methods for wastewater treatment is membrane methods. To increase the efficiency of the process of microfiltration of the emulsion, a membrane of cellulose acetate, PTFE and hydrophilic PTFE was treated with UV radiation. As a result, a decrease in the initial mass of the membrane, an increase in the specific productivity with a slight decrease in the delaying ability was revealed. A 1.5fold increase in specific productivity was established for a water-oil emulsion. The retention capacity of the membrane after processing for petroleum products decreased by 8.6%. The retention capacity of membranes with a hydrophobic surface, on the contrary, increases. The calculations determined that after the PTFE membrane treatment, the degree of NP removal from the model oil emulsion increased by 15.2%. The treatment of membranes with UV radiation leads to an increase in the specific productivity of the membranes with a slight decrease in the retention ability for hydrophilic membranes, and leads to an increase in the retention ability of a hydrophobic PTFE membrane.


Abstract : Each DOD component has been tasked with assessing NBC contamination survivability and identifying vulnerabilities and associated risks for systems with NBC contamination survivability requirements. This report is intended to guide DOD combat and materiel developers and their contractors in understanding the survivability requirements needed in designing for and determining the NBC contamination survivability of military equipment. Keywords: Decontaminability hardness, Compatibility, Survivability.


The present invention relates to a manufacturing method of a sensor fiber for a strain gauge which firstly covers a spandex yarn used as a core with a first pressing yarn selected from a silver coated yarn, a stainless steel yarn, and a carbon fiber in a spiral form; and secondly covering the core with a regular fiber yarn. According to the present invention, sensor characteristics for the strain gauge are developed while preventing the disconnection of a conductive yarn, thereby providing the sensor fiber which can be mixed with fabrics and knitted fabrics capable of manufacturing wearable smart garments for the measurement of exercise amount and posture correction in various environments.


Loss of system integrity is a critical situation where the electric utility ceases to have control over the level of frequency and voltage in the sub-networks (which is also termed as system islands). In the smart grid environment, operation statuses are timely exposed leveraging SCADA and WAM systems. However, in facing with large amount of data and information, it is challenging for system operators to be aware of island formation in a very short period of time. This paper develops a forecasting method which can enable system operators to catch a sight of island formation in the early stage so as to facilitate decision making and countermeasures being taken afterwards. Case studies based on New England 39-bus system demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method in forecasting uncontrolled network separation.


The relationship between logic and law has been a troublesome one and it has been object of much philosophical debate in the last century (cf. [26]). Several scholars have denied the usefulness of logical methods in law and legal theory while others have strongly argued in favor of a logic-driven analysis of law and legal reasoning (e.g., [31]). Be it as it may, this latter view has generated decades of interesting work at the interface of law, logic but also philosophy and artificial intelligence, and this work is the object of the present chapter.