a decade ago the Ford Foundation suggested that educational tele vision was a versatile instrument for grap pling with major educational problems of the day. In a 1961 publication ' it listed at least five problems to which it felt ETV held possible solutions: the shortage of teachers, the quality of teaching, geographic imbal ances, the explosion of knowledge, and slow and fast students. In the days of ETV's infancy great promise was held for its poten tial in overcoming these problems. Great enthusiasm was generated both within and outside the educational community. What happened? Informal observation suggests that many teachers and school systems have com pletely or almost completely "dropped out" of the ETV scene. Why is this? Some of the reasons are to be found in technical arrange ments and organizational patterns, others may be inherent in the nature of the medium itself. Any attempt to utilize television in the schools calls for an extensive initial invest ment in equipment. Yet, on a simple dollars and cents basis, a school system could easily equip many classrooms with receivers for


Introduction: Thiourea is one of the promising class of compounds that possess various pharmacological activity including antibacterial properties. Objective: The rise of microbial resistant drugs has triggered an alarming response among researchers to developed new drugs with effective biological properties. The position of substituents and active pharmacophores play an important role in designing a lead compound with effective biological properties. Methods: In this study, two series of 1,3-bis-thiourea derivatives (3a-l) and 1,4 bis-thiourea derivatives (4a-l) were synthesised from the reaction of isophthaloyl diisothiocyanate intermediates with halogenated amines. Results: The comparative studies of antibacterial properties of 3a-l and 4a-l against the growth of E. coli showed the minimum inhibition of 3g (7mm inhibition) and 4g (18mm inhibition) compared to standard drug ampicillin (16mm inhibition). Molecular docking evaluation against E. coli DNA gyrase B showed strong binding interaction of 4g with binding affinity -6.7 kcal/mol and more hydrogen bond compared to 3g with binding affinity -6.4 kcal/mol). Conclusion: The study is significant in drug design in particular for the development of potential drugs with antimicrobial resistant properties.


This paper studies the problem of antenna selection in a proactive monitoring via jamming scheme which consists of a suspicious single antenna pair, a multi-antenna full-duplex monitor and a cellular user. Specifically, based on the eavesdropping non-outage probability metric of the system, two antenna selection schemes to select single receive and single transmit antenna at the full-duplex monitor are proposed. We analytically derive the eavesdropping non-outage probability of the proposed antenna selection schemes. We further compare our results with the eavesdropping non-outage probability of the random antenna selection scheme. Our findings reveal that the performance of the proposed antenna selection schemes are dramatically improved by increasing the number of transmit and receive antennas at the full-duplex monitor.


Together with a second note (Warta Geologi, April 2023) I summarise the geological development of the island of Trinidad and the adjacent margins of the Caribbean Sea in order to compare them with parts of Southeast Asia. I believe the two provinces provide valuable analogues for each other and I illustrate this by considering examples of tectonic style taken from transpressional fold belts in Trinidad and eastern Java, from the evolution of foreland- and wrench basin stratigraphy and from striking similarities between the stratigraphy and structure of Borneo and Trinidad Tertiary continent margin deltas.


Emotional stimuli have been shown to suppress vasopressin and facilitate oxytocin release from the posterior pituitary in some mammalian species. However, it is not clear in horses. Here we examined effects of novel environmental stimuli on plasma concentrations of vasopressin, oxytocin, cortisol, adrenaline and noradrenaline in Thoroughbred horses. To impose novel environmental stimuli, horses were introduced to an experimental stall (4.5 × 5.0 m) with side walls of black rubber board, in which a yellow balloon (80 cm in diameter) was hung from the ceiling. Horses were exposed to the novel environmental stimuli for 3 min. Heart rates were significantly increased during the stimuli. Plasma concentrations of adrenaline and noradrenaline in the blood collected immediately after the stimuli were twice as high as those at rest and decreased to the basal levels within 10 min after the stimuli. Plasma cortisol concentration increased after the stimuli and reached the peak 20 min later. However, plasma concentrations of vasopressin and oxytocin did not significantly change throughout the experiments. These data suggest that the novel environmental stimuli do not significantly influence the hypothalamo-neurohypophysial system while the stimuli activate the sympatho-adrenal medulla and the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal cortical axes in horses.


Silicon carbide based devices are well suited for high temperatures applications such as gas sensors and electronic circuits for control and emissions applications in automobiles and power plants. We have developed a high sensitivity Pt-SiO2-SiC solid-state hydrogen gas sensor. The response time of this metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect device to hydrogen-containing species at 600degC is in the millisecond regime. In good agreement with standard models, the sensor response to hydrogen concentration is logarithmic over at least four decades of concentration. Based on a detailed understanding of the hydrogen transduction mechanisms, we have determined the optimum sensor biasing conditions for reliable high temperature operation. We report on the measurement accuracy and stability for a sensor that has run for 18 continues days with negligible degradation in performance at 600degC


The present invention relates to a method for improving the organoleptic properties of sugar-free chewing gums based on sorbitol, such as hardness of attack, perception of sweetness and aromatic intensity.


In implementing the management of the institution requires decisiveness leadership and responsibility in improving the performance of members in order. In district education office there are some factors supportive leadership means improving the performance of members to improve the quality of Section Chief of District Education Office.The study is aimed at getting empirical answer about direct and indirect influence of supportive leadership on performance of Section Chief of District Education Office. Approach and method of this research is quantitative and descriptive correlation analysis while the model to complete this research is pathway analysis model. Sampling is done with simple random sampling of 30 Section Chiefs of District Education Office of 42 Population Districts. The results showed that supportive leadership has positive direct influence on performance. In conclusion supportive leadership have direct positive influence on performance of Chief of District Education Office.


The rate of hydrogen exchange has been measured on cobalt(III) ammines and found to reflect the trans-effect. We confirmed that large inductive effects of CN− and, in some cases, NO2− offset the effect of the magnetic anisotropy of cobalt, which accounts for ammine proton chemical shifts in most complexes.


Stress distribution intheSichannel regions ofSiCsource/drain NMOSFETswithvarious widthsisstudied by3D simulations. Theimpact of. widthonperformance improvement isanalyzed. I.INTRODUCTION Y Current silicon technology utilizes mechanical stress engineering totailor theband-gap andcavrier mobility for-U performance enhancements. Thedevice performance can besignificantly improved bytheappropriately applied channel stresses (I)-(2). Theintentional stresses are introduced intothedevicechannelby means of Silicon-Carbon (SiC) sourceanddrain (S/D), strained cap layer, shallow trench insulation (STI), etc,during the transistor fabrication process. However, thelattice b CSis mismatched SiCregions alsoinduce stress intheSi pran e channel along thewidth (transverse) andvertical directions. The E tr12r This paperpresents a simulation analysis ofwidth dependence ofstress components (longitudinal, vertical and transverse) in NMOS channelregion, and subsequenday conditheionsfarenapied


An atomistic model for B implantation, diffusion and clustering is presented. The model embodies the usual mechanism of Si self-interstitial diffusion and B kick-out and also includes the formation of immobile precursors of B clusters prior to the onset of transient enhanced diffusion. These immobile complexes, such as BI 2 (a B atom with two Si self-interstitials) form during implantation or in the very early stages of annealing, when the Si interstitial concentration is very high. They then act as nucleation centers for the formation of B-rich clusters during annealing. This model explains and predicts the behavior of B under a wide variety of implantation and annealing conditions.


For more than 40 years, different stakeholders have partnered to support the development of basic education throughout the developing countries. Education is widely regarded as the route to economic prosperity, the key to scientific and technological advancement, the means to combat unemployment, the foundation of social equity, and the spread of political socialization and cultural vitality. While progress has been made in increasing the number of children enrolled in schools, there are still many more who are not enrolled and who do not complete. There are many reasons for this. The evidence showed that the strategies needed to tackle schooling problems will vary and needs to be country specific. While many lessons can be got from the experiences to date, there is need for an increased number of studies that should shape policies aimed at making education inclusive, responding to the diverse needs and circumstances of learners and giving appropriate weight to the abilities, skills, and knowledge they bring to the teaching learning process.


This tutorial paper discusses the known representations based on Binary Decision Diagrams (BDDs) for various types of discrete objects: incompletely specified functions, sets, finite state machines, binary and multi-valued relations, etc. While presenting the known material, the emphasis is on those aspects of implicit representations that are important to achieve speed-up in computation. The new material includes implicit representations for dichotomies, partitions, set systems, and information measures. The last type of objects, information measures, constitute a promising approach to problem solving in a number of areas, including decomposition of discrete functions and finite state machines. Multi-valued relations (MVRs) are presented as the most general representation for all the considered classes on discrete objects. Two complementary ways of representing MVRs are proposed: binary-encoded multivalued decision diagrams (BEMDDs) and labeled rough partitions (LRPs). The sizes of BEMDDs and LRPs are compared using a set of multi-valued benchmarks.


This research was aimed at detecting some heavy metal ions in selected tissues of a standing twenty two years old Teak ( Tectona grandis Linn. F.) trees and the topsoil around them at varied distance from a road within the campus of University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria. Concentration levels of seven types of heavy metal ions were evaluated in the different samples using standard procedures. The results showed that Cu, Cr, Zn, Mn and Fe were detected in the samples while Cd and Pb were not detected. The concentration of Cu was highest (0.22±0.02μg/g) in leaves at a distance of 5.85m from the road while it was lowest in bark (0.09±0.01μg/g) and leaves (0.09±0.01μg/g) at a distance of 24.10m from the road. The concentration of Cr was found to be 0.40±0.03μg/g and 0.40±0.08μg/g in topsoil samples at distance of 5.85m and 18.60m from the road respectively but has a value of 0.17±0.002μg/g in leaves at a distance of 24.10m from the road. It was also observed that concentration of Zn was 0.93±0.06μg/g in leaves at a distance of 5.85m from the road but was 0.05±0.03μg/g in topsoil at a distance of 24.10m from the road. Additionally, the concentration of Mn was highest in topsoil (1.10±0.006μg/g) at a distance of 18.60m from the road but was lowest in bark (0.20±0.02μg/g) at a distance of 24.10m from the road. The concentration of Fe ions was found to be highest in topsoil samples (89.12±0.55μg/g) at a distance of 5.85m from the road but was lowest in bark (2.07±0.07μg/g) at a distance of 24.10m from the road. The results revealed a somewhat common trend where concentrations of all the detected heavy metal ions declined in the samples of topsoil and teak's tissues as the distance of the locations where the samples were sourced increased from the roadside. The outcomes of this research appeared to have implicated automobiles as the main source of these pollutants; nevertheless, more intensive scientific investigations are necessary to provide answers to existing questions concerning ascertaining the source(s) of these pollutants, if not from petroleum fuelled automobiles, and the possible roles and ability of this tree species, or otherwise, in contributing to environmental cleaning in the study area. Keywords: Toxic/noxious substances, Soil pollution, Heavy metal contamination, Phytoremediation


Numerical calculations are made of the electron distribution function of molecular nitrogen in a laser radiation field. Calculations are made of the cross sections for electron ionization of vibrationally excited nitrogen molecules. It is shown that collisions between electrons and vibrationally excited molecules weakly influence the characteristic values of the optical intensity corresponding to optical breakdown. Estimates are made which show that small quantities of readily ionized admixtures in the gas may substantially decrease the laser radiation intensity corresponding to optical breakdown.


In this paper,a systematic summary is given of several genetic markers and their application to genetic evolution,classification、gene flow、genetic diversity and hybrid identification in populus.The studies of the isozyme are mainly used for researching into the genetic variation and the characters or differentiation of clones,and researches on DNA molecular markers are quite a few and based on the objectives of a study,RFLP 、RAPD、AFLP、SSR(SSLP)and SNP have been applied to the study of the Populus.Besides,some suggestions are put forward for the future research work.


In the March issue (Letters p8) Michael J Holmes comments on my Opinion article 'Nuclear power is Green power' in January (p 10). His case rests on the philosophy that, as nuclear power is not enough by itself to stop global warming, we should not bother with it.


Article history: Received: 25 December, 2020 Accepted: 19 April, 2021 Online: 12 May, 2021 Fuel Cells (FCs) and Combined Cooling, Heating and Power (CCHP) systems are becoming very popular due to their environmental friendliness and immense applications. This extended review paper commenced by introducing the rampant South Africa's electricity crisis as the basis for the study, followed by some structural analyses of up to forty-four miscellaneous power electronics converters case studies applicable to fuel cells including at least sixteen FCs energy management systems (EMS) applicable case studies. The review rationale is to determine innovative best practices that can be applied to devise an efficient power converter and EMS for an energy efficient FC CCHP system. From these analyses, it is realized that each power converter and EMS scheme has its merits and demerits depending on the targeted applications and most importantly the research project objectives − that is, whether the goals are to reduce costs, enhance efficiency, reduce size, boost performance, simplicity, durability, reliability, safety etc. Therefore, the conclusion drawn is, there is no "one size fits all" approach, as all the various reviewed case studies reported relatively good results based on their chosen schemes for their targeted applications. Notwithstanding, this review highlights are, i) the interleaved boost converter and variants as well as ii) the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) technique; are the most widely used schemes, as they are reasonably effective and simple to implement. The contributions brought forward are i) an apt single reference study that presents a quick topological insight and synopsis of assorted FCs power converters as well as EMS and ii) our proffered FC CCHP system undergoing research to offer an innovative energy efficient solution for basic household energy needs such as electricity, heating, cooling and lighting.


This paper explores the mutual reference behavior of local governments in Japan. The Japanese public education system was decentralized in the previous decade. For example, actual fixed number of classes was relaxed in 2001 and 2003. This relaxation of regulations caused an increase in the expenditure of local governments on Japanese public education. After national regulation relaxed under the condition of children decline, local governments tended to reference the decision making of other local governments. Consequently, this paper analyzed the mutual reference behavior in Japanese public education. In addition, it inferred that population aging had some impact on public education expenditure. This paper provides a tentative conclusion on the relaxation of regulations on education. The expenditure of local governments on public education is positively affected by the expenditure of other local governments. Local governments should increase expenditure on public education if other local governments do so. In addition, the decision making of local governments is affected by not only neighboring governments but also all other governments. If this decision making were affected only by neighborhood, the effect of mutual reference behaviors would probably be small. In addition, this paper also shows that local governments may decrease public education expenditure, considering the progressive aging of society.


In this paper, we propose the improved noise power estimation in speech enhancement under various noise environments. The previous MS algorithm tracking the minimum value of finite search window uses the optimal power spectrum of signal for smoothing and adopts minimum probability. From the investigation of the previous MS-based methods it can be seen that a fixed size of the minimum search window is assumed regardless of the various environment. To achieve the different search window size, we use the noise classification algorithm based on the Gaussian mixture model (GMM). Performance of the proposed enhancement algorithm is evaluated by ITU-T P.862 perceptual evaluation of speech quality (PESQ) under various noise environments. Based on this, we show that the proposed algorithm yields better result compared to the conventional MS method.


were identified. The existence of these components was b-~Sj-nrl detection in ~arge seg-men of non)no surprising, since the floe was moving slowly throughout de Aar ueren f nonthe experiment. As suggested by the work of Milne and Gaussian and non-stationary nr-ban nd Ganton [4 . the movement of t floe would cause rifting which contains both high poN\er narr-band and and cracking of the ice. impuMve components. is examined. t is shown that and and of [2e tle. the correlation functions of sul-seginents of data Veitch and \\ilks (2] took a slightly different approach chance significantl. and if ignored. can degrade thf since their objective was to develop a statistical model for performance of a detector. For a false alarm frob.the under-ice noise. Their work confirms the presence of bililv of 0.05 and a known constant signal. the narrow-band and impulsive components. but suggests that matched filter wa.s or average 17.6%. better than a the background noise is Gaus.sian. By examining the first detector designed assuming independent noise san,four central moments of the data in detail, they noted a ples. It is alsc showvn that pre-processing the data strong correlation between records with large kurtosis and with an adaptive notch filter, then using the matched large skew. They also determined that a large kurtosis was fih,-r will resuh in a further improvement of about associated with high amplitude bursts. In addition, it was 6"k. AdditionalW?. the effect t\ o different signal proposed that the Arctic data could be modeled in the freshap have on the performance of the matched filter quency domain as a mixture of a Gaussian background proi examined . . ess. a sum of a random number of narrow%-band components. each with random phase and amplitude, and what .. , , .is. in some sense, an error term. The main drawbacks of the model are that the impulsive component, which has been verified as being present. is not modeled specifically. Wit , the goal of creating a database of under-ice Also the weights and number of sinusoidal components are n., in 10';0 a rni,,institutiona] research program coll,not modeled constructively: that is. for some arbitrary segborated to record Arctic under-ice data. The data. FRA\I ment of the data, the number of tones is unknown. II. was recorded on 23-24 April 1980. from a pack ice floe. Recently. Nielsen and Thomas [51 proposed that the at 80-" 2.5' It* An omnidirectional hydrophone, radio univariate statistics of the Arctic data could be modeled by linked to a receiver, was suspended to a depth of 91m in the generalized Gaussian family, with the parameters of the 4000m deep water. The data. recorded on an analog device, model estimated from the data. The model was shown to was then bandpass filtered from 0.01-5kHz. The particular be a reasonably accurate representation of the empirical data segment being analyzed wa., recorded on the 23 April probability mass functions for blocks (5 records) of data, from 11:30 to 11:40 pm. Subsequent to the bandpass filter but was not accurate enough for the resulting Neymatipreviously mentioned, the data was passed through a Iow% Pearson optimal detector to show an improvement over a pass filter with cutoff of 2.5 kiz. and digitized with a samsimple linear structure. pling frequency of 10 k.Hz. A total of 6.150.144 data sampies w ere taken. which convenientl v breaks doii to O)6 Time £"orreL~ n records with each record containing exactly 1024 samples Let a sample function of a continuous parameter ran-


Background: Many bacteria can cause urinary tract infections (UTIs), among which Escherichia coli is the most common causative agent. E. coli strains are divided into eight phylogenetic groups based on the new Quadroplex-PCR method, which are different in terms of patterns of resistance to antibiotics, virulence, and environmental characteristics. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the phylogenetic groups and the prevalence of drug resistance genes in E. coli strains causing UTIs. Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 129 E. coli isolates obtained from the culture of patients with UTIs were evaluated for phylogenetic groups using the new method of Clermont et al. The identification of phylogenetic groups and antibiotic resistance genes was performed using the multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. Results: In this study, concerning the distribution of phylogenetic groups among E. coli isolates, the phylogenetic group B2 (36.4%) was the most common phylogenetic group, followed by phylogroups C (13.2%), clade I (10.1%), D (9.3%), and A (3.1%) while groups B1 and F were not observed in any of the isolates, and 20.2% had an unknown state. Also, out of 129 E. coli isolates, the total frequency of tetA, tetB, sul1, sul2, CITM, DfrA, and qnr resistance genes was 59.7%, 66.7, 69, 62, 30.2, 23.3, and 20.2%, respectively. In this study, there was a significant relationship between antibiotics (P = 0.026), cefotaxime (P = 0.003), and nalidixic acid (P = 0.044) and E. coli phylogenetic groups. No significant relationship was observed between E. coli phylogenetic groups and antibiotic resistance genes. Conclusions: The results of this study showed that strains belonging to group B2 had the highest prevalence among other phylogroups, and also, the frequency of antibiotic resistance genes and drug-resistant isolates had a higher prevalence in this phylogroup. These results show that phylogroup B2 has a more effective role in causing urinary tract infections compared to other phylogroups, and this phylogroup can be considered a genetic reservoir of antibiotic resistance.


The photolabile 3'-O-{[2-(2-nitrophenyl)propoxy]carbonyl}-protected 5'-phosphoramidites (16 ‐ 18) were synthesized (see Scheme) for an alternative mode of light-directed production of oligonucleotide arrays. Because of the characteristics of these monomeric building blocks, photolithographic in situ DNA synthesis occurred in 5'! 3' direction, in agreement with the orientation of enzymatic synthesis. Synthesis yields were as good as those of conventional reactions. The resulting oligonucleotides are attached to the surface via their 5'termini, while the 3'-hydroxy groups are available as substrates for enzymatic reactions such as primer extension upon hybridization of a DNA template (see Fig. 2). The production of such oligonucleotide chips adds new procedural avenues to the growing number of applications of DNA microarrays.


It was the purpose of this study to (1) select from the files of R.H. Barrett subjects who had been diagnosed as manifesting tongue thrust behavior, (2) evaluate the swallowing behavior of subjects who had successfully completed therapy at least five years prior to the study, and (3) evaluate the swallowing behavior of subjects who had declined therapy at least five years ago. Fifty subjects (median age = 17) who completed therapy and 30 age-matched subjects who had declined therapy were examined for swallowing behaviors and associated oral habits. Normal tongue function during swallowing was observed in 84% of the therapy group and 0% of the control group. According to clinic records, all subjects initially demonstrated incorrect resting tongue posture. Based on the current examination, 88% of the therapy group and 0% of the control group demonstrated correct resting tongue posture. The results of this study show that the majority of subjects who completed therapy with Barrett were successful in maintaining appropriate swallowing behaviors. The most significant factors involved in maintaining correct swallowing habits appeared to be the individual subject's habitual resting posture of the lips and tongue. [abstract constructed by N.P. Solomon, 4/2021]


The present article describes a color classification method that partitions a color image into a set of uniform color regions. The input image data are first mapped from device coordinates into the CIE L*a*b* color space, an approximately uniform perceptual color space. Colors used to represent a natural color image are classified by means of cluster detection in the uniform color space. The basic process of color classification is based on histogram analysis to detect color clusters sequentially. The principal components of a color distribution are extracted for effective discrimination of clusters. We present an algorithm for sequential detection of color clusters in the uniform color space, and the related algorithms for region processing and color computation. The performance of the method is discussed in an experiment using three kinds of natural color images.


Software development requires professional expertise such as system engineers and programmers. Software quality is immensely affected by the capabilities, experience and technological knowledge of users and professionals/ system engineers. Especially when users make erroneous judgements on design document which are only identifiable after system completion and attribute misjudgments to system flaws. Hence, we placed our emphasis on sensory judgment of the system engineer, I may have early detection of user's misconception. We construct the software quality prediction model for quality estimation through rough set analysis by sensory judgment of the system engineer.


For decades, aqueous separations have relied on hydraulic pressure to force water across membranes that retain suspended and dissolved solids. This pressure is generated by pumps that can require a large amount of electricity to operate. This can have drawbacks, including increased carbon footprint and cost as energy prices continue to rise. While most of the membrane science community has attempted to address this problem by making better membranes that have a higher permeability or higher selectivity, few efforts have been focused on changing the driving force of separation. Recently, osmotic pressure has been considered as an alternative driving force because osmosis occurs spontaneously without any work needed from an external source. This has led to the emergence of a field in membrane science known as engineered osmosis or salinity-driven processes. This platform technology has garnered much interest in recent years as a tool for purifying and desalinating water, concentrating/dewatering solutions, and generating electricity. All of these achievements are accomplished through a simple, yet engineered, salinity gradient across a membrane. First conceived in the 1960s (1, 2), using salinity gradients for separations and power generation has found a fierce resurgence as of late. Much of this resurgence hinges not upon the early publications (3) and patents (4–6) on the technology, but rather the recent explosion of academic publications in the area, starting in 2005 (7). Since then, well over 150 papers on salinity-driven processes have been published in the peer-reviewed literature. Engineered osmosis relies on the spontaneously occurring osmotic flow between two aqueous solutions of differing osmotic potential. While this is their single unifying theme, harnessing osmotic flow is motivated by different purposes. In some cases, the osmotic flow can be a purified water stream (forward osmosis , FO). In others, the flow might be discarded as waste (direct osmotic concentration , DOC). In yet others, the water itself is irrelevant and rather the motion of the flow itself is the product (pressure-retarded osmosis , PRO). In all cases, the choice of the osmotic agent , or draw solution , which drives the osmotic flow, is tailored depending on the desired product.


This paper proposes an M/G/1 queueing model in which the server is replaced by another one with different service time distribution when the number of customers in the system exceeds a threshold value.

A random set-up time is needed to introduce the second server. This server works until the system becomes empty. This kind of system will appear, for instance, when the server is changed to a faster one as the number of waiting customers becomes too great.

In data communication systems, the set-up time may correspond to the time until the new carrier frequency for the faster transmission speed becomes stable, the time needed to assign a new link and/or the time necessary to inform a partner of a change in line speed.

The behavior of the customers who receive the first and second kinds of service is analyzed using the theory of finite Markov chain and the decomposition property of the M/G/1 system with server vacations, respectively. Important performance measures, such as the distribution and average of the number of customers in the system and their average time in the system, are obtained. The influence of server characteristics, the conditions under which the server is replaced, and the distribution of set-up time on the performance of the system are clarified.


measurements (Gryzbowski, Tate & Datta, 1970) suggest that even univalent anions such as C1will complex with Mg2+, and this reaches significant proportions when [CI-] approaches 100mM. The extent to which [Mg2+] is less than the total [Mg] in the types of cell-free systems widely employed and the amount of complexes formed by the various ions will be presented. Novelli (1967) has emphasized the variability of optimum ionic requirements for the charging of tRNA, and analysis of such values offers an interesting contrast with likely conditions in vivo. Both Mg2+ and Mn2+ can activate RNA polymerase, but the precise role they play is not known. The situation in the presence of high concentrations of ammonium sulphate is particularly interesting. Not only does the high concentration of sulphate complex a large proportion of the bivalent metal ion (e.g. the free ion is a few per cent of the total present), but the amount ofnucleotide triphosphates as their bivalent cation chelates also decreases, the ammonium complexes rising. Kinetic studies must clearly take these factors into account.


The problem of this study is to discover and to point out with the aid of tables the changes which have occurred, and the most important factors affecting the growth and development of the public school system of Denton County during the period 1900-1942.


Kerbel proposes to build an empirical analysis based entirely on reportorial sources. Even the substantive data (as opposed to controls) in the LOGIT derive from news counts. Kerbel fails to suggest the validity of these data. In 1965, for example, Larry O'Brien gave an interview to the Public Broadcasting System and Congressional Quarterly about administration liaison. O'Brien's principal point was that administration practices rarely involve anything other than providing substantive information or organizational efforts—certainly not "arm twisting." This is very similar to Kerbel's findings. Banking chairman Wright Patman, however, seeing the interview transcript, circled all those statements and sent it to O'Brien with the personal suggestion that he would probably need to "take this along with you to your next confessional." One might imagine that sources would want to present their version. Communicating with reporters, after all, serves to shape how others perceive. Of course, as with O'Brien and Wright Patman, reality varies distinctly from what is reported. Even when informants do not plan to generate a particular perception, the reports have no greater validity. For example, one of Kerbel's findings downplays the effectiveness of presidential threats. Consider the bargaining situation. If a president threatens a member or faction and the target gives in, no one reports that success—certainly not the administration and certainly not the "target" who has given in. On the other hand, if the president threatens and that threat turns out ineffective, the target may want to talk, that is, build a reputation for constituency commitment. Without direct observation of administration bargaining, however, news counts produce data with a strong bias to reveal ineffective, rather than effective, threats. At the center of Kerbel's problem lies a question of which strategic interaction to analyze. One characterization of bargaining describes it as involving unitary actors. Reporters tend to focuses on bargaining at this institutional level—the president versus Congress; so, per force, does Kerbel. But bargaining with the president actually involves individuals. If the administration convinces members to change from their predispositions, then it has exercised influence. If it then loses, administration efforts may still reflect well on its competence and influence, given that other variables effect the aggregate outcome. Assessing influence requires understanding starting points, not just outcomes. A better LOGIT could help; but Kerbel analyzes only 34 outcomes and excludes the standard controls familiar to Edwards, Covington, and Bond-Fleisher models, which describe predispositions, such as core support, partisan seats, agenda size, election cycles. At the institutional level, more detail about the administration's agenda seems essential. We know the public (Congressional Quarterly) agenda differs from the administration's internal agenda. Analyzing issues mostly from the public agenda misrepresents the essential: How much administration commitment? When administrations face losing situations on nonpriority issues, might their best strategy generate a losing fight of necessity? If Nixon lacks the numbers, might he pursue a defeat that distinguishes carefully between him and his opponents? Kerbel's operationalized strategic situation, based on reporters' asking why this policy failed, might not appreciate Nixon's strategy. Southern Democrats not privy to the plan but wanting the policy might easily blame administration ineptitude. More detail of the initial strategic situation would improve things. Kerbel's questions ring true. But his considerable sensitivities would have gone farther if he had focused on analyzing internal administration materials drawn from archives, rather than on using the media.


Primene TOA pyrophosphate,Primene 81-R pyrophosphate and Primene JM-T pyrophosphate were synthesized.Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and mass spectrometry were used to characterize the structure of the pyrophosphate and its amine salts.Comparing with AW-6110 and RC3760,which are two kinds of amine phosphate P-N additives,Primene TOA pyrophosphate,among the three Primene amine pyrophosphate,has good thermal stability and comparable antiwear property.


The theme ob Bachelor´s thesis is "Specific behavioral and learning disorders, the possibility to their correction". The work is divided into a theoretical and an empirical part. The aim of the theoretical part is to explain basic terms, characterize each individual learning and behavioral disorders. To identify possible causes of specific learning and behavioral disorders. The current methods of diagnosing and opportunities for redress learning and behavioral disorders. Part of the Bachelor´s thesis is also the qualitative research implemented methods by interviews with parents of children confronted with problems connected to child specific learning and behavioral disorders.


Plate interiors show complex distribution of deformation processes in space and time. As anexample, we show a series of balanced cross sections across the northern border of the Ouarzazate basinillustrating the geometry and structural evolution of the southern margin of the High Atlas intraplateorogen of Morocco. The study of the tectonic-sedimentation relationships and recently obtained magnetostratigraphicand paleontological dating of synorogenic sediments enable us to unravel the tectonichistory of the Atlas Mountains. These results indicate a discontinuous record of foreland basin developmentin the southern Atlas domain from mid Eocene to late Miocene times. Thrusting in the Sub-Atlas frontal thrust belt began before the Ait Ouglif and Kandoula formations, probably during theOligocene, and has continued until recent times. The alternation of periods of deposition with otherslacking any sedimentary record, which does not coincide with specific tectonic events, probably resultsfrom the interference of intraplate orogenic deformation and the mantle-related thermal uplift eventsthat have been described for the Moroccan Atlas.


Background and aims: Research data have shown that depressive symptoms are prevalent in persons with diabetes. Women with diabetes exhibit higher rates of depressed mood than diabetic men. Data from the general population indicate that women are more likely to seek professional help regarding their mental health. However, research on the differences between diabetic men and women in seeking help for depression is scarce. This study was aimed at examining gender differences in responding to depression screening, reporting depressive symptoms and expressing a need for professional help in a large sample of Croatian persons with diabetes. Materials and methods: One thousand and six hundred Type 2 diabetic patients were extracted from the database of patients treated at a tertiary diabetes clinic in an urban setting. They were screened for depressive symptoms by using the two-item Patient Health Questionnaire-Depression (PHQ-2) accompanied by an additional question inquiring into their need to receive professional help. The questionnaire was sent to the recipients by surface mail containing an envelope for a pre-paid reply. Demographic and disease- related data were collected from patients' medical records. Response rate, prevalence of depressive symptoms and the need for professional help were compared in female versus male respondents by using χ2 test (chi-square test). Disease-related characteristics were compared between depressed and non-depressed groups by t-test. Results: The response rate of 42% was obtained, yielding a sample size of n=674 (49% female, aged 62±2 years, with HbA1c of 7.1±1.3, and BMI of 29.9 kg/m2±4.7). Forty-seven percent of the responder sample reported experiencing at least one of the depressive symptoms, while 35% reported both symptoms. Of the responders, 45% reported low mood and 37% a lack of interest and pleasure. The need for receiving professional help was expressed by 78% patients burdened by depressive symptoms. No gender differences were observed either in the response rate (χ2 =0.02, p=0.90, the presence of depressive symptoms (χ2 =0.35, p=0.84), or the expressed need to receive professional help (χ2 =0.19, p=0.66). Patients with depressive symptoms as compared with symptom-free patients had higher BMI (30.2±4.9 vs 29.3±4.5, p=0.03). HbA1c values were shown to be nearly significantly higher in patients with elevated depressive symptoms (7.2% ±1.3 vs 7%±1.3, p=0.07). Other metabolic parameters including total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, HDL and albumin/creatinine ratio did not differ between the groups (all p's>.05). Conclusion: Unexpectedly, no differences were found between female and male persons with diabetes in responding to depression screening, reporting depressive symptoms and expressing a need for professional help. Further research is needed to clarify whether these data are due to self- selection inherent to the screening process or they reflect specific features in persons with diabetes.


Objective To observe expression of COX-2 and TNF-αin rats with alcoholic liver injury and the influence of royal jelly on its expression.Methods Forty SD rat9 were randomly divided into 3 groups.The control group(15 rats) received gastric infusion with normal saline,the model group(15 rats) were challenged by gastric infusion with red star Erguotou(56%),corn oil and pyrazole,and intervention group(10 rats) received royal jelly 1.0g/(kg.d) besides the same treatment as in the model group.The experiment lasted for 12 weeks and all the rats were sacrificed at the end of the experiment to get specimens.Serum aspartate transaminase(AST),alanine aminotransferase(ALT),albumin(A),and so on were determined by automatic biochemical analyzer.HE staining of liver was used to detect histopathological changes. SABC immunohistochemical assay was used to survey COX-2 and TNF-αexpression and their quantitative analysis were performed by Olympus DP70 microscopy imaging system and Image-prodiscovery5.1 image analysis system.Results The model group had obvious hepatocellular injury and the intervention group improved to some extent.The model group had a higer level of serum AST,ALT and A than the control group(P0.05) did.Compared with the model group,the intervention group treated with royal jelly had a lower level of serum ALT and AST and higher level of serum A(P0. 05).Immunohistochemistry and image analysis have shown that liver tissue COX-2 and TNF-αexpression in the model group were significantly higher than those in the control group(P0.05),and liver tissue COX-2 and TNF-αexpression in intervention group were lower than those in model group(P0.05 ).Conclusion The royal jelly has some certain protective effects on alcohol-induced liver injury for its inhibitory action of COX-2 and TNF-αexpression during the formation of alcoholic liver disease.


Typescript.%%%%%%%%%%%%Microfiche.%%%%xiv, 115 leaves, bound ill. (some col.) 29 cm%%%%Single-zoospore cultures from two isolates (A1 and A2) of Phytophthora infestans after metalaxyl treatment consisted of A1 and A2. Metalaxyl also caused mating type change in 3 A1 of g. parasitica. The conversion of A1 to A2 by metalaxyl is postulated as a possible origin of A2 of g. infestans in Europe. When g. parasitica was treated with metalaxyl for 6 weeks, many of its zoospore progeny became resistant to metalaxyl. Exposure to metalaxyl also caused zoospore progeny to change colony morphology, growth rate, ability to produce sporangia and ability of zoospores to form colonies, indicating that metalaxyl is mutagenic. The optimum conditions for activation of oospores of g. infestans were to treat oospores with 0.25% KMn04 for 15 min. Light was required for oospore germination during germination but not during maturation. Isozyme patterns of E. infestans show that selfed progeny from isolates heterozygous at PEP and GPI-1 loci segregated 1:2:1, and that all selfed progeny from homozygous isolates were identical with their respective parents indicating that £. infestans is diploid in vegetative state. All sexual progeny from the cross 903SrX947Cpr were resistant to either chloramphenicol or streptomycin and were hybrid at PEP locus suggesting that streptomycin-resistance and chloramphenicol-resistance genes were located in cytoplasm. Selfed progeny from metalaxyl-resistant (Mr) mutants of g. parasitica segregated 3 resistant : 1 sensitive. Selfed progeny from chloroneb-resistant (Cnr) mutants also segregated 3 resistant : 1 sensitive, indicating that metalaxyl and chloroneb resistance in these mutants are each conferred by a single dominant gene in heterozygous condition. Progeny from the pairing between homozygous Mr and wild type consisted of selfs and hybrids. Progeny from the pairing between homozygous Cnr resistant to chloramphenicol and resistant to streptomycin consisted of hybrids resistant to either chloramphenicol or streptomycin, suggesting that chloramphenicol-resistance and streptomycin-resistance genes are present in cytoplasm. Progeny from the pairing between homozygous Mr, Cpr A1 and homozygous Cnr, Sr A2 consisted of 4 selfs from Al, 6 selfs from A2, 46 hybrids from the union of Al oogonium with A2 antheridium, and 92 hybrids resulting from the union of A2 oogonium with Al antheridium.


Abstract Analysing the contemporary migration process the author analyses the inflow of refugees to Russia over the last decade, particularly from the former republics of the USSR. Attention is also given to domestic migration, and there is a discussion of the consequences of emigration and immigration. The author considers existing policy and the governmental mechanisms for regulating such migration processes. The paper suggests amendments to the current Russian migration policy and particularly to the implementation of policies related to refugees and forced migrants.


The identification of nonlinear systems with artificial neural networks models has been successfully used in many applications. Most processes in industry are characterized by nonlinear and time-varying behavior. In this context, the identification of mathematical models for nonlinear systems is vital in many fields of engineering. The Radial Basis Function Neural Network (RBF-NN) is a powerful approach for nonlinear identification and can be improved using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) approaches. This paper presents a multivariable nonlinear system identification using RBF-NN combined with standard PSO and Constriction Factor PSO (CFPSO) approaches in order to determine the RBF-NN parameters. RBF-NN is considered to be a good choice for black-box modeling problems due to its rapid learning capacity and, therefore, has been applied successfully to nonlinear time series modeling and nonlinear identification. On the other hand, PSO was inspired by the choreography of bird flocks and fish schools and can be seen as a distributed behavior algorithm that performs multidimensional search. Furthermore, promising simulation results from performance analysis of the proposed RBF-NN with PSO training approaches are presented and discussed in this paper showing promising results.


Visually impaired people can't move safely outdoors because they can not perceive the outside obstacles as normal people. The prototype application in this study aims to make the visually impaired people's lives easier with the mobile devices. The mobile application with the designed chest apparatus will be like a virtual third eye that is not too costly and easily accessible. All the design and codes is shared with GPL free software licence. The application is developed for the Android platform. Image processing and machine learning technologies are used. Methods, design, and findings are discussed.


A welcome wakeup call for mind and body! Sweet stretches prepare your day by expanding breath and opening muscular intuitive forces. This short class offers a moment of bliss through easy stretching for those in a chair, and/or those on the mat. Emphasis is on connecting breath to expand and loosen necks, shoulders, backs, hamstrings and hips. (No prior experience or equipment necessary...come as you are.)


Visually tracking a real-world target with an image sensor is widely applicable in robotics and human-computer interaction but is a computationally intensive task. Smart image sensors can make use of integrated motion detection circuits for target tracking, but algorithms for tracking complex, real-world targets are usually not suited to smart sensor implementations. We propose a sensor structure for tracking targets that have complex spatial frequency patterns and varying velocities. In this structure only basic motion detection circuits are used, however the distance between sensing elements is varied in order to vary the filtering properties of the system to be sensitive to a broad range of spatial frequencies and velocities. Simulation results show that it is possible to be selectively sensitive to both the different spatial frequencies of a target and to its varying velocity


This study quantitively estimates the energy and environmental impacts of China's promotion of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in the context of banning the sale of gasoline vehicles (GVs). Combining the population ecological growth model and the life cycle assessment method, the potential of BEVs promotion in reducing fossil energy (FE) consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions under different timings of banning GV sales was dynamically simulated and analyzed. The results show that the current life cycle FE consumption and GHG emissions of BEVs are approximately 40.1% and 26.6% lower than those of GVs, respectively. Based on the development of automobile technology and the national energy plan, replacing GVs with BEVs can reduce GHG emissions and FE consumption by up to 43.61–55.81% and 46.33–55.45%, respectively. Compared with the scenario without BEV promotion, if sales of GVs in China are banned between 2040 and 2060, the point at which the carbon peak of the automobile market will be reached will be advanced by approximately two years, and the corresponding carbon peak value will be reduced by approximately 13.58–28.79 million tons of CO2-eq (MtCO2e). In addition, the annual FE savings and GHG emission reductions will reach approximately 2.99–6.35 million TJ and 276.54–488.77 MtCO2e by 2050. This research work will not only help authorities, managers, and the public to better understand the environmental and energy impacts of promoting new energy vehicles, but also provide a forward-looking reference for formulating comprehensive, systematic, and reasonable industrial planning to better promote a green and sustainable transformation of the automotive sector and solve the relevant energy and environmental problems.


Abstract: It is possible and necessary to provide trans and gender nonconforming (TGNC) individuals with gender-affirming care (GAC) in primary care settings. A known risk of increased suicidality among TGNC individuals and a lack of provider training on prescribing gender-affirming hormones (GAH) in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia highlighted a need for building capacity around GAC delivery. A referral network was established across the province, which reduced wait times to access GAH by several months. A known risk of increased suicidality among TGNC individuals and a lack of provider training on prescribing gender-affirming hormones (GAH) in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia highlighted a need for building capacity around gender-affirming care delivery. A referral network was established across the province, which reduced wait times to access GAH by several months.


Purpose To study the relationship between the location of orbital and palpebral(eyelid)hemangiomas and ocular problems in children and the interventions needed to prevent or reduce the severity of visual impairment.


The causes of mass extinctions have been currently reviewed with state-of-the-art information on new hypotheses dealing with the disappearance of creatures as a result of sudden (catastrophic) and/or gradual changes in environments. A special reference to vanishing of dinosaurs is detailed.


A new security environment in Northeast Asia is calling for fresh thinking and changes in terms of the security policies of the Republic of Korea, the US, and Japan. Especially, a series of provocations by North Korea in 2010 and a new assertiveness manifested in the rise of China provide a rationale for closer defense cooperation among the three countries. A bolstered trilateral defense arrangement among the ROK, the US, and Japan could provide the best platform to deter further provocations from the North, and to prepare for potential instabilities in the current power succession inside North Korea. At the same time, tighter trilateral defense cooperation can deter China's one-sided support of North Korea in its efforts to relate to future provocations by the North. It also puts indirect pressure on Beijing to hold Pyongyang accountable for its hostile actions. Given the asymmetric threats from the North, in particular, trilateral naval cooperation in the future should be focused on the following three categories: sea-borne Missile Defense (MD) and Proliferation Strategy Initiative (PSI), Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), and, Mine Warfare (MIW), and preparation for contingencies in North Korea. Furthermore, the three navies should put more efforts behind regional maritime security activities, such as HA/DR and anti-piracy. In doing so, the three navies also should try to engage China in these efforts because the future of maritime security of the region depends on how to engage China in the international security system. Doing so is also a way to contribute to the building of multilateral cooperative mechanism for maritime security in the region.


Given a real-world image such as the one in Fig.1(a), humans can easily extract a large amount of visual information with sometimes exquisite details in a matter of a fleeting moment. Computers today, on the other hand, are far from performing at this level. In this work, we focus on three important recognition tasks for complex real-world scenes: segmentation, annotation, and classification. Segmentation is defined as the task of delineating images based on meaningful components, namely visible objects such as trees, human, etc. Annotation involves two types. For each segmented region in the image, we annotate it with an object or concept label. In addition, annotation can also involve generating labels for an image without a corresponding image region, such as wind, a highly relevant concept for a sailing event picture. Finally, classification is the task of assigning a category label to the entire image that often denotes a higher-level concept such as a sport event, a natural scene class, etc. We present here a probabilistic model that achieves these three tasks in one coherent framework (Fig.1(a) is an example result).


For the class of polynomial quadrature rules we show that conveniently chosen bases allow to compute both the weights and the theoretical error expression of a n-point rule via the undetermined coefficients method. As an illustration, the framework is applied to some classical rules such as Newton-Cotes, Adams-Bashforth, Adams-Moulton and Gaussian rules.


By lifting metamaterials composed of periodic arrays of metallic nanodisk pairs to reduce the effect of substrate, we demonstrate theoretically the diffraction coupling phenomenon of magnetic plasmon (MP) resonances. A narrow-band hybridized mode is observed owing to the strong interactions between MP resonances in individual pairs of metallic nanodisks and a collective surface mode propagating in the array plane. When the hybridized mode is excited, a 5.6-fold enhancement of magnetic fields in nanodisk pairs is obtained as compared with the purely MP resonance. It is also found that for such a diffraction coupling, the magnetic field of the collective surface mode must be parallel to the magnetic moment induced in the paired metallic nanodisks. Our numerical results may find some promising potential applications, like magnetic nonlinearity and sensors.


Summary The present study replicated 1954 research showing marked boy child preference and attempted to evaluate changes because of the women's and the population movements. Ss were 412 college students, 315 nonparents and 97 parents. The questionnaire duplicated an earlier one on sex preferences for first and only children for nonparents, and added two- and three-child preferences. The parent questions assessed family sex balance; satisfaction-dissatisfaction with offspring sex; and wanting-not wanting more children. The nonparent results show significant (p < .02) two-decade intrasex preference shift from boys to equalitarianism for first child, with little girl increase. The only-child data still show majority preference for boys among both sexes. An overwhelming preference existed for two-child sex balance, but three-child predominantly boy families. Among parents, significant (p < .01) association occurred between satisfaction and balance. Further analysis revealed desires for more boys. The conclusi...


Office automation introduces new requirement for access control,for instance,how to implement access control when the work must be carried out in sequence,which cannot be met by using the existing access control models.In this paper,a new security mechanism of workflow and role based access control is introduced to meet these new requirements.


According to the investigation and analysis on the current operation situation of a Railway Engineering Bureau, the operation strategy for that Engineering Bureau has been proposed. The feasibility of this strategy has been eapounded and proved, and the corresponding measures which should be adopted to implement the strategy are proposed also in this paper.


Having experienced the preliminary and initial stages,domestic research on ancient village tourism has gradually become an important topic for research.It has witnessed a rapid development and pertinent researches mainly include ancient village tourist resources,and the development,management,impact and sustainable development of ancient village tourism.However,these are far from enough.What should also be included are the sustainability of tourism-resource ontology,better understanding of creativity in ancient village tourism resources,tourists' behaviors in ancient village tourism and the means to reduce the imbalance of case studies.


In this paper we consider the fol- lowing problem: to identify a subset of the sam- ples of a band-limited signal that has been cor- rupted by noise. It is assumed that the Fourier transform of the signal is partially known (typi- cally because the signal is band-limited). This is a nonlinear problem which is closely connected to several other signal processing problems.


In past decade, type 2 diabetes (T2D) and associated metabolic complications have become a major global threat for human health with epidemic increase in incidence. Currently available treatments for T2D have several limitations and side effects making it difficult safely reach adequate metabolic control. Therefore, it is important to identify novel therapeutic targets for metabolic regulation, which could complement current treatments for T2D. T2D is closely associated with ectopic lipid deposition. Recent evidence suggests that hepatic lipid deposition is not merely a consequence of the metabolic syndrome but rather that non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and progression to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), exacerbate hepatic and systemic insulin resistance and actively contribute to the pathogenesis of the metabolic syndrome. However, no pharmacological treatment is approved for NAFLD/NASH, to date. Serine/threonine protein kinase 25 (STK25) is broadly expressed in mouse, rat and human tissues. Previous studies by our research group in the rat myoblast cell line L6 by small interfering RNA (siRNA) have shown that STK25 is involved in regulation of glucose uptake and lipid oxidation. Studies presented in this thesis work demonstrate that the transgenic mice overexpressing STK25 challenged with a high-fat diet display a shift in the metabolic balance in peripheral tissues from lipid oxidation to lipid storage, resulting in a systemic insulin resistance. In contrast, Stk25 knockout mice show better-preserved systemic insulin sensitivity via an opposite shift in the metabolic balance in peripheral tissues from lipid storage to lipid utilization. We found that STK25 coats lipid droplets in mouse liver and human hepatocytes. Our studies performed in mouse liver, and in hepatocytes from both mouse and human, suggest that STK25 regulates hepatic lipid partitioning by controlling β-oxidation and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL)-triacylglycerol (TAG) secretion. Increased activity of STK25 reduces liver lipolytic capacity, which in turn results in lower availability of lipids for hepatic β-oxidation and VLDL-TAG secretion, leading to enhanced lipid storage. Upon inactivation of STK25 reciprocal increase in liver lipolytic capacity, β-oxidation and VLDL-TAG secretion was seen, which likely account for the reduced hepatic lipid storage. We also found a statistically significant positive correlation between STK25 mRNA expression in human liver biopsies and hepatic fat content. Taken together, our studies suggest that inhibition of STK25 enables the reduction of ectopic lipid deposition and improves insulin sensitivity and glucose utilization in peripheral tissues. Our studies highlight STK25 as a potential drug target for prevention and/or treatment of T2D, NAFLD and


An extension of the computer program superposition model-Monte Carlo (SPM-MC), designed for modelling of the spectroscopic and structural properties of transition ions at low symmetry sites in crystals, is presented. Special focus is put on two aspects. The first aspect concerns the effects of variation of the superposition model (SPM) param- eters, i.e. the intrinsic parameters (b 2, b 4) and power low exponents (t2, t4), on the quality of fittings of experimental data and theoretical predictions. This enables to increase the reliability of the modelling results. The second aspect concerns the implications of low site symmetry on modelling of the pertinent properties. Applications of the program SPM-MC to Fe 3+ ions at the triclinic (Ci) symmetry sites in YAlO3 (YAP) crystals are considered.


In clustered VOD(Video-On-Demand) server systems,storage scheduling policy greatly influences system's request scheduling,load balancing and scalability.However,each invocation of the existing smallest load first(SLF) replica placement algorithm is independent of the previous one,which could result in high cost of reorganization and make SLF impractical in many environments.To resolve this problem,an improved replicas placement algorithm is proposed.By making full use of previous stored replicas,the algorithm reduces the cost of adapting to changes in client demand or server configuration.Experiment shows that using the storage scheduling policy with proposed replica placement algorithm,our system achieves high user request acceptance rate as well as low load imbalance and low storage scheduling cost.


Abstract Using the Kobayashi distance, we provide sufficient conditions for the intersection of a family of holomorphic retracts in a Banach space to also be a holomorphic retract.


Abstract The objective of this work is to show that air bubbles can adversely effect the performance of pressure filtrations. The effect of air on liquid flow resistance is measured in a well-characterized filter cake of Lucite particles. Air is introduced into the cake by allowing air bubbles to become entrained with the particles in the slurry at the start of filtration. Filtration with entrained air bubbles is compared to filtration without air bubbles. Experimental measurements show a significant increase in flow resistance due to the presence of air in a pressurized cake filtration. The presence of air bubbles in the filter cake can result in misinterpretation of experimental data. This in turn can increase operating and experimental testing costs and complicate efforts to predict filtration performance.


Oroxylin A (OA) is a flavonoid derived from a Chinese herb that has previously been reported to inhibit the proliferation of several cancer cell lines. It is found that OA significantly inhibited the growth of myeloid leukemia cell lines and as xenografts in immunodeficient mice and primary blasts from acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) patients. Furthermore, OA‐induced cell cycle arrest and differentiation were observed in OA‐treated AML cell lines. OA‐induced increase of CD11b/CD14 expression was reversed by GW9662, a specific PPARγ inhibitor, or transient transfection with PPARγ siRNA. Docking study showed OA bound to ligand‐binding domain of PPARγ via forming hydrogen bonds with Arg288 and Leu340 sites. Results of fluorescence polarization‐based ligand assay verified PPARγ‐binding activity of OA, and in OA‐treated cells, intranuclear accumulation and increased binding activity of PPARγ to PPRE were detected. We also found that GW9662 attenuated OA‐induced upregulation of C/EBPβ, an important regulator of leukemic differentiation, and p21, which is a potent inhibitor of CDKs that can inhibit phosphorylation of Rb by cyclin D1‐CDK4 complexes. Moreover, our results showed that OA displayed synergistic effects with all‐trans retinoic acid and VD3 in part related to reduction of intranuclear phosphorylated RXRα that has been reported to block nuclear receptor/RXRα heterodimer transcriptional activity. This reduction of phosphorylated RXRα was associated with inhibition of the specific upstream MAP kinase ERK1/2. We suggest that OA may provide a novel complement to AML treatment by its dual effects of augmenting PPARγ activity and sensitizing nuclear receptors to specific ligands.


Small bowel cancers are rare and usually show nonspecific clinical manifestations. Most diagnoses of small bowel cancers are made in the late stage of the disease. We reported herein a case of 58-year-old man who experienced extensive weight loss after one month of abdominal pain and intermittent vomiting. The patient had clinical manifestations of intestinal obstruction and a sudden reduction in the diameter of the proximal jejunum according to the abdominal and pelvic computed tomography. During laparotomy, we found a jejunal obstruction in the patient. The segment was removed and anastomosed. The patient had a favorable recovery. Histopathological findings of differentiated jejunal adenocarcinoma T3N0M0 are presented in this report.


The OMEGA EP intensity contrast has been measured to be approximately 6 decades for kilojoule 10-ps pulses. The OPCPA front end is the primary source of the measured incoherent pedestal.


Abstract Fast HPLC offers a definite time advantage for analyses such as content uniformity which requires, in general, a routine analysis of as many as 30 samples and for the analysis of dosage forms of developmental drugs. The columns for Fast HPLC can be used with a minimal amount of modification to conventional HPLC hardware. The resolution obtainable with a Fast HPLC column is poorer than that of a conventional column. (All references to conventional columns in the article imply, unless otherwise indicated, those columns 15-30 cm in length and 3.9-4.6 mm i.d.) Attempts to modify a mobile phase to improve the resolution of a closely eluting peak resulted in retention times not too different from typical conventional columns. Although microbore columns offered improved resolution and a savings in both solvent and sample consumption, the utility of these columns is limited by the need for specialized hardware. Since the sample volume is not a limiting factor in a typical pharmaceutical analysis and over...


A method is described for accurately determining the ultimate tenacity of an acrylic yarn and its fiber-to-yarn strength translation efficiency. Both of these values are essentially independent of the nonuniformity of the denier of the yarn. The method con sists of determining the denier of thin segments of yarn with the Uster Evenness Tester and then finding the tensile strength of these same yarn segments with the Instron Tensile Tester. Differences between ultimate yarn tenacities in these thin yarn sections and tenacities based on yarn skein and single-end strengths are also examined.


It is one of the most difficult parts to reform governmental non-profit hospitals in the new health system reform plan. The surviving and developing environment of the regional public hospitals is suffering great changes along with the development of society and economy, and the input of abroad, and domestic investment. The paper discusses the necessity and feasibility of longitudinal merging or conforming strategy for the local central hospitals. The paper also analyses the strategy choices and some questions, to which attention should be paid, of depending on several modern hospital financing to improve the efficiency of hospital services and to make the hospital achieve rapid development and resource benefits.


A series of complexes of the form Cp*Ir(NHC)(X)n and [Cp*Ir(NHC)(L)2][OTf]2, where NHC = 1,3,4,5-tetramethylimidazol-2-ylidene (n = 2, X = Cl− (1-Cl), NO3− (1-NO3), −OC(O)CF3 (=TFA, 1-TFA); n = 1, X = SO42− (1-SO4); L = H2O (1-H2O), CH3CN (1-CH3CN), OTf = trifluoromethanesulfonato), were prepared. X-ray crystal structures of 1-OH2, 1-SO4, and 1-NO3 and the dimeric complex [(Cp*Ir(NHC)Cl)2][OTf]2 (2) were obtained. In solution, the complex 1-TFA was found to exist in equilibrium with [Cp*Ir(NHC)(OH2)2][OCOCF3]2 (1-aqua-TFA), where the aqua ligands are strongly hydrogen bound to the −OCOCF3 counterion. A van't Hoff plot from −10 to 30 °C yielded values for the reaction enthalpy and entropy of ΔH° = −7.6 ± 0.7 kcal/mol and ΔS° = −30.6 ± 2.4 eu, respectively. These data are consistent with the observation that at higher temperatures the complex 1-TFA is favored. An X-ray crystal structure of 1-aqua-TFA was obtained. Catalytic H/D exchange reactions between benzene and various deuterium sources (CD3OD, CF3COOD...


Adatoms, clusters, and complexes have been associated with the active sites that enable the short-range mechanism of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). To clarify this relationship we have studied the interaction between pyridine and a monolayer (ML) of Ag on a Pt substrate as a function of applied potential and solution composition. Our electromagnetic calculations show only small optical fields exist at the 1-ML Ag--Pt substrate surface which are incapable of supporting the electromagnetic enhancement of SERS. This confirms our earlier report that enhancement for this system arises from an electronic resonant Raman process in the surface complex. The growth of the Ag ML was performed in a thin-layer solution-exchange electrochemical cell. The cell allowed removal of the Ag/sup +/ solution and introduction of a pyridine and Cl/sup -/ solution while maintaining a constant applied potential. Results reported here show that no SERS exists for pyridine adsorbed on the pre-prepared Ag ML. Electrochemical oxidation and reduction of the ML in the presence of pyridine and Cl/sup -/ is necessary before a signal is observed. This process creates Cl/sup -/-stabilized, electron-deficient sites onto which pyridine is bound. These Ag/sup +/ sites on the Pt substrate are analogous to the Ag/sub 4/ /supmore » +/ pyramidal clusters which have been discovered as SERS-active sites on bulk Ag substrates.« less


The quality of a reservoir can be described in details by the application of transverse relaxation time of nuclear
magnetic resonance fractal dimension. The objective of this research is to calculate fractal dimension from the
relationship among transverse relaxation time of nuclear magnetic resonance, maximum transverse relaxation time of
nuclear magnetic resonance and wetting phase saturation and to confirm it by the fractal dimension derived from the
relationship among capillary pressure and wetting phase saturation. In this research, porosity was measured on real
collected sandstone samples and permeability was calculated theoretically from capillary pressure profile measured
by mercury intrusion techniques. Two equations for calculating the fractal dimensions have been employed. The first
one describes the functional relationship between wetting phase saturation, transverse relaxation time of nuclear
magnetic resonance, maximum transverse relaxation time of nuclear magnetic resonance and fractal dimension. The
second equation implies to the wetting phase saturation as a function of capillary pressure and the fractal dimension.
Two procedures for obtaining the fractal dimension have been developed. The first procedure was done by plotting
the logarithm of the ratio between transverse relaxation time of nuclear magnetic resonance and maximum transverse
relaxation time of nuclear magnetic resonance versus logarithm wetting phase saturation. The slope of the first
procedure = 3-Df (fractal dimension). The second procedure for obtaining the fractal dimension was completed by
plotting logarithm of capillary pressure versus the logarithm of wetting phase saturation. The slope of the second
procedure = Df -3. The results show similarities between transverse relaxation time of nuclear magnetic resonance
and capillary pressure fractal dimension.


Erynia aquatica (Anderson and Ringo) (Zygomycetes: Entomophthoraceae) was discovered infecting wild Aedes fitchii (Felt and Young) (Diptera: Culicidae) pupae in snowpools in Upstate New York. Conidia from infected A. fitchii pupae were used to inoculate laboratory-reared, healthy A. aegypti (L.) pupae. A total of 10.7% of the adult A. aegypti that emerged from these pupae died from the mycosis and were filled with the resting spore stage of E. aquatica . Mature resting spores were round, thick walled, and 31.3 ± 3.7 μm in diameter. Resting spores contained an average of 13 ± 2.8 nuclei per resting spore. Numerous rhizoids grew out of the cadavers of infected adult A. aegypti . Rhizoids varied in width from 8.4 to 21 μm and were up to 2,000 μm long. Adult A. aegypti died from the mycosis between 8 and 17 d after inoculation. The only reproductive stage E. aquatica produced in infected adult A. aegypti was the resting spore stage. The life cycle of E. aquatica is unusual for the Entomophthoraceae, because the pathogen produces conidia in immature hosts and resting spores in adult hosts. A. fitchii and A. aegypti are new host records for E. aquatica .


COPD, the third leading cause of death worldwide, is characterized by small airway remodeling, chronic bronchitis and emphysema, which is the destruction of alveolar structures impairing the ability for gaseous exchange. Metabolomics, a rapidly expanding field, offers a powerful tool for assessing the physiological state of an individual yielding a snapshot of cellular activities closer to the phenotype. To further understand the pathological mechanisms underlying progressive emphysema we used mass spectrometry–based targeted metabolomics approaches to quantitate the lung tissue, BALF and serum metabolome during emphysema progression in the established murine elastase (PPE) model. A single oropharyngeal application of PPE (80U/kg) to B6 mice resulted in a progressive severe emphysema as demonstrated by declining lung function and increased airspace enlargement. PLS analysis revealed greater changes in the metabolome of lung tissue followed by BALF rather than serum during emphysema progression. Furthermore, we demonstrate for the first time that emphysema progression is associated with a reduction in lung specific L-carnitine (1.75 fold), a metabolite critical for energy production and protector against apoptosis. Supplementation of PPE-treated mice with L-carnitine improved lung function compared to PPE only-treated animals (Compliance 0.051±0.006 vs 0.067±0.008 ml/cmH 2 0, p Emphysema progression is thus associated with a reduction in the global metabolomic profile, which is compartment specific, with most changes being local to the lung tissue. Importantly, L-carnitine might represent a new significant therapeutic potential for emphysema. This abstract has been presented previously at the European Respiratory Society9s Lung Science Conference in March 2016.


This paper concerns urban canopies populated with tall slender buildings. To clarify the controlling factors of urban canopies, we simulated a series of single high-rise buildings under fully developed turbulence at a realistic scale by large-eddy simulation. We then analysed correlations between the drag force and recirculation area, frontal area, surface area, floor area, porosity and inlet velocity. Our results show that the recirculation length and recirculation area were proportional to the width, height and wind speed, but were inversely proportional to the length of a building. New equations for the recirculation length and area are presented. The maximum error of the recirculation length equation was 6.66%, and the maximum error of the recirculation area equation was 7.49%. The drag source characteristic length was found to be proportional to the recirculation area, frontal area and surface area and inversely proportional to the porosity and height, but was not closely related to floor area. A new local scale drag source model was developed and applied to a complex urban canopy of Xi'an. The model was applied to 7 × 7 buildings and show good agreement with the solid wall simulation results.


The main objective of the present work is to provide an extensive and more comprehensive picture of the wind patterns in Romania. The wind conditions were evaluated in order to cover large areas of the Romanian lands and, also, areas belonging to the Romanian nearshore. Moreover, a direct comparison between these areas was performed. The wind conditions are mainly evaluated by considering the AVISO satellite measurements, which correspond to the time interval 2010-2015. This data set is also completed by 15-year period of reanalysis of the wind data (2000-2014) coming from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. The main conclusion of this work is that the Romanian lands, as well as its nearshore, are appropriate for the wind energy extraction. Moreover, it seems that the future of the renewable energy extraction is in the coastal environment. This is because the wind energy is higher in the marine areas, it can be combined with some other sources as the wave energy in hybrid approaches and, finaly, the marine energy farms can also help in the coastal protetction, which represents, in fact, a very challenging issue. .


We study the sequential second price auction of multiple units of a homogeneous commodity. It is well known that such auctions can have inecient equilibria. For the case of two bidders, we show that the value of the allocation obtained in a the unique subgame perfect equilibrium is at least 1 e 1 of the value of the ecient allocation. Furthermore, we show that this bound is asymptotically tight.


In Chapter 6, we studied the rotation of the bodies and then realised that the motion of a body depends on how mass is distributed within the body. We restricted ourselves to simpler situations of rigid bodies. A rigid body generally means a hard solid object having a definite shape and size. But in reality, bodies can be stretched, compressed and bent. Even the appreciably rigid steel bar can be deformed when a sufficiently large external force is applied on it. This means that solid bodies are not perfectly rigid. A solid has definite shape and size. In order to change (or deform) the shape or size of a body, a force is required. If you stretch a helical spring by gently pulling its ends, the length of the spring increases slightly. When you leave the ends of the spring, it regains its original size and shape. The property of a body, by virtue of which it tends to regain its original size and shape when the applied force is removed, is known as elasticity and the deformation caused is known as elastic deformation. However, if you apply force to a lump of putty or mud, they have no gross tendency to regain their previous shape, and they get permanently deformed. Such substances are called plastic and this property is called plasticity. Putty and mud are close to ideal plastics. The elastic behaviour of materials plays an important role in engineering design. For example, while designing a building, knowledge of elastic properties of materials like steel, concrete etc. is essential. The same is true in the design of bridges, automobiles, ropeways etc. One could also ask — Can we design an aeroplane which is very light but sufficiently strong? Can we design an artificial limb which is lighter but stronger? Why does a railway track have a particular shape like I? Why is glass brittle while brass is not? Answers to such questions begin with the study of how relatively simple kinds of loads or forces act to deform different solids bodies. In this chapter, we shall study the 8.


The anthropogenic load on water bodies of the Republic of Tatarstan is analyzed. The problems of eutrophication of surface waters in natural water bodies are reviewed. The improving of functioning of biological sewage treatment plants is discussed.


Silyl amide cobalt and cobalt carbonyl precursor and the base material, all of which are vapor-deposited with cobalt at a temperature not higher than 400 ℃ are usefully employed in the deposition process, such as chemical vapor deposition and atomic layer deposition to form high-purity cobalt-containing film. These precursors and process can be used for manufacturing and device, for example a microprocessor, and the logic and the memory chip of the integrated circuit.


The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of whether or not the quality of service, store atmosphere and promotion of consumer satisfaction at Pondok Jowi Restaurant Solo. The population in this study were consumers of Pondok Jowi Solo Restaurant in January 2020 at May 2020 with a total of 14,030 people. The sampling techniquemismpurposive samplingm which is a sampling technique with certain considerations by taking 100 respondents. Data collection uses a Likert scale questionnaire to measure respondents' answers to identify the relationship between service quality, store atmosphere and promotion of customer satisfaction. The results show that service quality, store atmosphere and promotion have a simultaneous and significant effect on customer satisfaction, servicei quality has assignificant effect on customer satisfaction, store atmosphere has a significant effect on customer satisfaction, and promotion has significant effect on customer satisfaction.

Keywords: Service quality, Store atmosphere, Promotion, Consumer satisfaction


This study reports the isolation and characterization of 15 polymorphic microsatellite loci in an endangered tropical tree Hopea bilitonensis (Dipterocarpaceae). The primers were designed from a genomic library enriched for dinucleotide (CT) repeats and screened on 24 adult trees from a natural population. The number of alleles ranged from two to eight, and the observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.042 to 1.000. These loci will allow mating system and population analyses to be carried out in this species.


The objective of the present study is to explain the pathway through which religion influences intention to lead a healthy lifestyle. The study suggested that when religious beliefs that promote healthy behaviour are instilled and become internalized as part of the self-identity, a person's intention to perform such healthy behaviour would become more likely as beliefs that make up the self-identity are reflected as one's attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control towards that healthy behaviour. A questionnaire consisting of scales that measured the saliency of internalized identity, the TPB model and underlying beliefs was completed by 109 Catholic and 106 Protestant participants. Hierarchical regressions were conducted to identify the direct influence of internalized identity as well as the indirect influence on intention as mediated by the TPB global constructs. Direct influence of internalized identity on intention was found for the Protestant sample and not for the Catholic sample but there was no mediational relationship identified for either sample. The validity of the TPB model in predicting behavioural intention was partially supported by both samples. Direct influence of internalized identity on intention was found for the Protestant sample but no conclusive evidence supporting the proposed mediation of internalized identity by TPB global constructs could be drawn from the present study. Normative belief was a significant predictor of subjective norm for both samples. The feeling of authenticity, awareness, being responsible for one's health and self-regulatory control were found to be salient beliefs underlying one's self-identity. Given the inconsistent findings between the two samples, further studies are required to investigate the role of religion and selfidentity in influencing behavioural intention.


An extra-large karst cave is encountered during the construction of Baixugong tunnel.The geological conditions of the karst cave are investigated and the strike and joint distribution of the rock mass are surveyed.Countermeasures are determined according to the actual conditions of the karst cave and the geological data collected.Technologies,including executing pile foundations at the bottom of the karst cave,setting pile caps and supporting walls on foundations,using transverse connection beams to combine the karst cave bottom and the tunnel,and clearing and "shotcreting and rock bolting" reinforcement of the side wall and roof of the karst cave,are proposed.In the end,the tunneling crosses through the extra-large karst cave successfully.


A single channel blind source separation is proposed to process the Eddy Current Pulsed Thermography (ECPT) image sequences. The proposed method enables the detection automatically extract valuable spatial and time patterns according to the whole transient response behavior without any training knowledge. In addition, it has the potential to automatically identify defect patterns and quantify the defects. In this study, both mathematical and physical models are discussed and linked. The basis of the selection of separated spatial and time patterns is also presented. In addition, a natural crack is applied to validate the proposed method.


Increasing health problems both physical and psychological in elderly partners are of particular concern. Partners' health problems include the increased risk of psychological health problems and the absence of an activity program to maintain the psychological health of the elderly. The Golansia Program in Family Psychoeducation is an elderly health approach program in psychological health education that was developed to increase the mental health strength of the elderly. The Golansia program was developed following the Unmuh Jember community service strategic plan and government policies regarding elderly health care. This program collaborates with the Head of the Aisyiyah Patrang Branch in the field of Elderly Health in the Patrang Village, Patrang District, Jember. The methods that will be used to achieve these goals are 1) education; 2) family psychoeducation practice; and 3) family psychoeducation assistance for the elderly and families through Aisyiyah recitation or health councils with an evaluation of the processes and results of the Golansia Program activities for the elderly to improve Latagis with the Family. The results of this activity obtained an increase in good knowledge of 47.1%. The output of this activity is that it is hoped that there will be continuity for families who provide psychoeducation to the elderly so that psychologically resilient elderly people are formed in the Working Area of the Aisyiyah Patrang Branch, Jember Regency.


The COVID-19 pandemic and associated lock down has led to psychosocial and financial problem in the population. The main objectives of the study were 1) to assess the effects of lockdown during COVID 19 pandemic on psychosocial and financial well-being2) to find the association between psychosocial and financial well-being of people with selected demographic variables, in a selected community at kothamangalam. The data was collected from 30 samples by using structured rating scale on psychosocial and financial well-being. The study found that majority (46.6%) had moderate on psychosocial and financial wellbeing. It was also found that there is significant association between selected demographic variables like number of dependent members infamily, monthlyincome, type of family, religion and the psychosocial and financial wellbeing.


Sylvia Plath's poem "Daddy" remains one of the most controversial modern poems ever written. The aim of this research was to find the expresses of the aouthor feeling in the poem. The method used in this research was qualitative method with narrative approach. It showed the contradictory feelings between love as well as great hatred and disappoints feelings to her beloved daddy who does not gave any affection to her as a biological daughter. The author begins with her present understanding of her father and the kind of man that he was. As Daddy progresses, the readers begins to realize that the author has not always hated her father. She has not always seen him as a brute, although she makes it clear that he always has been oppressive. The author did not know anything apart from her father's mentality, and so she prays for his recovery and then mourns his death. She even wishes to join him in death. The love came from Plath seeing her father as God when she was a child and from an obsessive need on the Plath's part to love and to be loved. Meanwhile, the hate came from an intense, deep-rooted fear she felt towards her father, who completely dominated her life, viewing her unresolved feelings for her father as the root of all her pain and suffering. Plath uses various images to describe how she viewed her father. The images she uses change throughout the poem, causing the attitudes she communicates about her father to be inconsistent.


A central issue in finance is whether debt financing affects investment policies.Considering the agency problems and informational asymmetries,modern finance theory accepts the view that debt financing affects investment policies.Debt financing and debt maturity structure affects investment policies by different mechanism.Based on manufacturing listed companies' data from 2008 to 2010.The paper researches the relationship between debt financing,debt maturity structure and investment,controlling for the variables that influence a firm' investment such as sales income,Tobin's Q and cash.The results of empirical study indicate it is a remarkable negative relationship between debt financing and investment,after dividing the database into different groups by the standard deviation of profit,short-term debt and long-term debt influence the investment differently,and comparing with lower risk project,investment declines more slowly as debt ratio rises with higher risk project.It is useful to adjust economic structure and make macro-economic policies at present.


Combined with field observation data of concrete construction,the concrete crack reasons were analyzed from temperature stress,raw material quality,foundation deposition,template supporting,concrete vibrating and maintenance.Some prevention countermeasures were proposed so as to control concrete crack and enhance the structure construction quality.


Depleting supply of petroleum fuels has made it imperative to explore alternative sources. In Malaysia Palm oil has been tested as petroleum substitute for running buses. In other reports, vegetable oils such as coconut oil, soybean, sunflower, peanut and linseed have been tried for diesel substitution. Recently, studies have been made to convert vegetable oil to other forms through esterification. Commercial production of coconut methyl ester (CME) was done for more than a decade ago. Methyl ester is produced by the reaction of coconut fatty acids and methanol using sodium hydroxide as catalyst, plus heat to speed up the reaction process. In this process, glycerine is obtained as a by-product. In Philippines, Carandang and his co workers performed a road test with CME as 100% fuel for running an Asian Utility Vehicle equipped with an ISUZUC-240 diesel engine for 25,000 KIn. Results showed that in terms of fuel consumption index, diesel is superior only by 15% dut:;'to,the lower heating value of CME. In terms of full combustion, CME burns more efficiently than diesel. CME is more environment- friendly as this emits less carbon monoxide. The authors have concluded that CME can be used as an for engines. methyl ester in areas where the price of copra is cheaper and diesel is expensive. Also the advantages commercializing substitute continuous supply of alternative diesel and coconut regular sales at a good price. At the time of shifting gear or starting the engine, black


ABSTRACT Our study aimed at assessing the determinants of hand hygiene and utilisation of bathing facilities in healthcare facilities (HCFs) in the greater Kampala metropolitan area, Uganda. Results indicate that 19.9% of the respondents wished to wash hands and failed while 39.3% faced challenges related to bathing. Failure to wash hands was associated with received information on hand washing (APR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.06–1.24), using piped water (APR = 0.88, 95%CI: 0.78–0.98) or a well as the main water source at the HCF (APR = 1.21,95% CI: 1.03–1.42). Experiencing challenges of bathing was associated with accessing healthcare services at a hospital (APR = 0.89, 95% CI 0.81–0.97) and using public HCF (APR = 1.10, 95% CI: 1.01–1.120). There is urgent need to improve hand hygiene and bathing facilities though providing reliable water and soap.


: Trajectory similarity estimation is the key to discover vehicle motion characteristics and trajectory classification, but the calculation of trajectory similarity is slow, and improving the speed of trajectory matching can help to carry out trajectory characteristics mining fast. Therefore, an efficient trajectory matching algorithm based on the rotation of spatial coordinate is proposed. Firstly, the trajectory curve is converted into the mean and variance curve which the number of points is equal to the number of rotations by multiple rotation of the spatial coordinate system. Then, Pearson correlation coefficient and Fréchet dis-tance are used to measure the correlation of the mean and variance curves. Finally, the similarity between the original trajectories is determined indirectly according to the values of four parameters: Fréchet mean, Fréchet var, Pearson mean and Pearson var. Based on the taxi trajectory data of Hangzhou, under different trajectory sampling points and spatial coordinate rotation times, compared trajectory matching accuracy and speed with the traditional Hausdorff trajectory matching algorithm. The several experiments show that the algorithm can improve the trajectory matching speed by 85% on average while ensuring the accuracy of tra-第