Hawaiian belongs to the Eastern Polynesian branch of the Austronesian language family and is indigenous to the islands of Hawaiʻi (see Pawley 1966, Marck 2000, Wilson 2012). Hawaiian is also an endangered language. Not only was the native population decimated after contact with foreigners and foreign diseases but the language itself came under attack after the occupation of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1893 (for more on Hawaiian history, see Coffman 2009, Sai 2011). Children were thereafter banned from speaking Hawaiian at school and indeed 'physical punishment for using it could be harsh' (Native Hawaiian Study Commission 1983: 196). In the decades that followed, Hawaiian was gradually replaced by an English-based creole (HCE or Hawaiʻi Creole English) for practically all Hawaiʻi-born children (Bikerton & Wilson 1987, also Sakoda & Siegel 2003). By the end of the 1970s, most surviving Hawaiian speakers were over 70 years old and fewer than 50 speakers were under the age of 18 (Kawaiʻaeʻa, Housman & Alencastre 2007). Here we describe the recordings of a 24-year-old speaker of Hawaiian from the town of Hilo on the island of Hawaiʻi who, by his very existence, symbolises the success of the Hawaiian-language revitalisation movement. Established in the 1980s, this movement has resulted in Hawaiian being heralded as a 'flagship of language recovery' as well as 'a model and a symbol of hope to other endangered languages' (Hinton 2001: 131). The speaker (Hulilau Wilson) is the son of two professors who are also prominent leaders within the Hawaiian language community (William H. Wilson and Kauanoe Kamanā). Professors Wilson and Kamanā each learned Hawaiian as a second language (L2), having grown up speaking General American English and HCE, respectively. Their son's first language (L1) was Hawaiian, which he learned at home and through a progression of Hawaiian-language immersion schools (where he and the author were classmates) (see e.g. Wilson 1998, 1999; Warner 2001; Wilson & Kamanā 2001, 2006). By high school the speaker could also converse in HCE and English and remains fluent in all three languages today. Recordings from a second male (the author, ʻŌ) have been included to supplement the primary recordings by the speaker (H). The dialect described here may be called STANDARD HAWAIIAN and is generally used wherever Hawaiian is spoken across the islands.1 It is also broadly represented by both


This paper presents simulation analysis of vessels approaching and vessels departuring from the port of Szczecin and Police focusing on the encounters between two vessels. The analysis parameters such as length and draft were examined. Particular attention was paid to the restricted sections of the seaway between Zalew Szczeciński and Basen Górniczy. The results of these simulation trials and the resulting analysis can be help-ful while updating port regulations and for the assessment of the traffic density and the capacity of the waterway.


Amyloid has been produced experimentally in white mice by various workers, among whom are Kuczynski, 1 Letterer, 2 Smetana, 3 and Jaffé. 4 Nutrose (sodium caseinate) was injected daily. Smetana also used a cheese diet. Lucke and Markeley 5 have shown the difference of susceptibility to amyloid in rats and mice. They were unable to produce amyloid in rats by the injection of casein, but produced it in 75% of the mice. The present study is upon the susceptibility of adrenalectomized rats to amyloid production. The rats were injected daily with 3 cc. of a 3% nutrose solution. The cheese diet used consisted of American cheese with a small amount of bread or whole wheat. When not fed on the cheese the rats were given a maintenance diet: 1/6 milk powder, 5/6 whole wheat, and salt in a quantity of 2% of the wheat. A series of mice was also used. The mice were injected daily with 0.5 cc. of a 5% solution of nutrose. Other mice were fed on a diet of American cheese to which a small amount of bread was added. They were given water. The injected and control mice were fed on cracked corn, lettuce, carrots, and bread. They were not given water. Further facts on the 2 series are brought out in Tables I, II and III. There are included in Table I, 4 unoperated rats that received injections and were fed on the cheese. In 4 rats (1, 5, 11, and 12) Congo red was injected into the heart and the rats killed one hour later. This was done to discover beginning amyloidosis. The liver, spleen, and kidney were examined in all rats, and other organs, in several.


Integration of operating maintenance with emergency one is one of the most important principles of emergency management.In highway maintaining,the convenience and balance should be considered in routine resources location and allocation.Because management cost should be considered,the emergency resources location should be selected from those routine resource locations and the delivery in time should be satisfied.A multi-objective mixed integer programming model is proposed and a genetic algorithm is developed for its solution.A numerical example is given.


Target cost is a cost budgeting system based on the actual situation of an enterprise in the management process of production and operation. It can improve and perfect the company's own management system, research and analyze the target cost at a higher level, and provide relevant data for the evaluation and evaluation of employees to the company's managers. The basis of the target cost management work is to control the entire production process, so that the enterprise can reduce those costs that can be saved. In addition, it also needs to evaluate some related issues related to the production and operation activities of the enterprise, and further improve the management and control of production costs.


At least one feed point 61, 66 and is connected to the feed point 61, 66, the other end is connected to the separator element 20 to be separated materials for the purpose of carrying that from the conveying air material conveying pipe 100, 101, 102 and the means for providing a pressure difference in the material conveying pipe 100, 101, 102 during the transport of the at least material (3), ( 3 ') method in a vacuum conveying system including a. Conveying pipe (100,1010,102) is provided within the vacuum effect (a vacuum pulse) is increased by an ejector device 4, the working medium of the ejector apparatus is charged in the pressure accumulator 16, increasing the suction in the conveying pipe to provide a state is conveyed in the ejector nozzle. The invention also relates to an apparatus.


ABSTRACT The study explores the relationship among relational capital and performance of universities in North India. In the first phase, the study identified the major contributors of relational capital by grounding of literature. University-industry collaboration, information disclosure and marketization emerged as major contributors which were also established empirically in the course of the study. Confirmatory factor analysis measurement model established the factor structure of the measurement items. Next, the researchers investigated the relative importance of each contributor in explaining relational capital and its association with university performance. Findings suggest that relational capital has a significant influence on university performance. A collaborative approach, relationship of reciprocity with stakeholders, disclosing relevant information, maintaining transparency and marketization of the institution are the underpinnings of university performance. The study has meaningful implications for policy makers at universities to enable them to strategize around practices conducive to the creation of relational capital and enhance performance.


We take P-Net as a strong baseline to validate the effectiveness of L-Net (local context) and G-Net (global context), which are the main contribution of this paper. As shown in Figure 1, either the local context modeled via LNet or the global context modeled via G-Net constantly improves the performance at different tIoU thresholds. L-Net, G-Net and P-Net are complementary, and their combination leads to the best performance. We can also see that the effectiveness of LNet, G-Net and ContextLoc does not depend on any specific instantiation of P-Net.


Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of a new phyto-gel were studied in this work. The formulated gel is composed of propilene glycol extracts of St. John's worth (H. perforatum L.), comfrey (S. officinale L.), yarrow (A. millefolium L.), horsetail (E. arvense L.) and Na-usniate. The antioxidant activity was determined for the gel and each investigated extract of the gel separately by the DPPH test. The total phenols and flavonoids content was determined spectrophotometrically, for the gel and each investigated extracts. The antimicrobial activity of the gel and each compound separately was tested in vitro on the following microorganisms: Staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus luteus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger. The antioxidant activity of the investigated samples decreases in the series: H. perforatum (EC50 = 1.04 mg/mL) > Na-usniate (EC50 = 4.16 mg/mL) > A. millefolium (EC50 = 7.60 mg/mL) > gel (EC50 = 23.47 mg/mL) > S. officinale (EC50 = 30.10 mg/mL) > E. arvense (EC50 = 44.70 mg/mL). The formulated phyto-gel showed the antimicrobial activity. The results suggest that the obtained phyto-gel is a good source of natural antioxidants and antimicrobial agents, and it has potential as an alternative to synthetic products in pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.


The rapidity and transverse momentum dependence of the nuclear modification ratio for dilepton production at RHIC and LHC is presented, calculated in the color glass condensate (CGC) framework. The transverse momentum ratio is compared for two distinct dilepton mass values and a suppression of the Cronin peak is verified even for large mass. The nuclear modification ratio suppression in the dilepton rapidity spectra, as obtained experimentally for hadrons at RHIC, is verified for LHC energies at large transverse momentum, although not present at RHIC energies. The ratio between LHC and RHIC nuclear modification ratios is evaluated in the CGC, showing the large saturation effects at LHC compared with the RHIC results. These results consolidate the dilepton as a most suitable observable to investigate the QCD high density approaches.  2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. PACS: 11.15.Kc; 24.85.+p


Abstract The Indonesian government is targeting leather products, especially from West Java to become one of the export commodities that will encourage national economic growth. The existence of a leather industry particularly in the city of Garut has attracted many Indonesian researchers over the years to investigate the condition through many fields of research. However, the latest research identified several barriers related to the leather business development in Garut city, which was related to the optimization ratio of its performance and product quality. This study aimed to design a quality management model and key performance indicators to make this sector competitive in the global market. The research method used was inductive with a qualitative approach and a constructivist grounded theory in developing a quality management model. Theoretical and snowball sampling was chosen in identifying potential participants. The findings of this study contribute to the knowledge and practice of quality management models with key performance indicators that can be used to measure current conditions as a foundation for future improvement in the leather industry to produce competitive products that meet global standard. KPIs were formulated with certain criteria and should be applied by business actors.


Because of its convenience,quickness,high-effect,the computer-aided design software was widely applied in the design profession.And the related courses have been established in the major of landscape architecture for several years.In the teaching process,some erroneous zones of students studying were discovered and the solution was discussed.


Objective To estimate the incidence of myocardial infarction with nonobstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA) among Egyptian cases with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and to evaluate the role of neutrophilic elastase in AMI cases. Background Previous research studies have declared that MINOCA is a syndrome with angiographic normal or near-normal coronary arteries but had evidence of MI clinically, which has many causes. Patients and methods To reach the goal of this research, a group study was designed. A total of 627 cases admitted at Cardiology Department of Faculty of Medicine Menoufia University and National Heart Institute in the period from February 2019 to July 2019 were included. Cases were divided into two groups: group 1 included AMI cases with obstructive coronary artery disease group, and group 2 included AMI cases with nonobstructive coronary artery disease (MINOCA group). All cases were subjected to (a) full history taking; (b) clinical examination; (c) laboratory investigations, such as serum HbA1C, cardiac enzymes (total creatine kinase, creatine kinase-myocardial band, and troponin), and serum neutrophil elastase; and (d) other investigations, including ECG and coronary angioplasty. Results There were 627 acute coronary syndrome cases, and 49 cases were diagnosed as MINOCA. Regarding the risk factors, diabetes mellitus and smoking showed a significant difference in-between both studied groups (P = 0.038 and 0.014, respectively). Conclusion Our study concluded that ~7.8% of the Egyptian cases that presented with AMI for primary percutaneous coronary intervention have MINOCA. High serum neutrophilic elastase concentration is a sensitive marker, suggesting the existence of complex atheromatous plaques in AMI cases.


The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe factors that sustained public school teachers in high-need areas. Teacher sustainability was generally defined as teachers who remained in a high-need public school located in southeastern North Carolina beyond the initial three years of teaching. This study explored the following: (1) How do public school teachers describe their experience working in a high-need educational community in North Carolina? (2) How do public school teachers perceive their former life history as having an impact retaining their profession beyond the initial three years of teaching in a high-need, low-performing public school? (3) What intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors do public school teachers describe as encouraging them to sustain their teaching profession beyond the initial three years of teaching in a high-need, low-performing public school? The theoretical framework that guided this study was mindset and motivation theory proposed by Carol Dweck, andragogical adult learning theory introduced by Malcolm Knowles, and transformative learning theory developed by Jack Mezirow. A detailed analysis revealed five descriptive themes derived from the participants answering the interview questions, focus group questions, and completing the photo-narrative documentation. Themes that emerged included (a) colleagues as family, (b) sense of calling, (c) love for children, (d) contribution to community, and (e) service to others. Recommendations for future research included exploring experienced teachers who teach in nonhigh-need public schools within North Carolina and surrounding states, replicating the study in an urban school district, conducting the study with charter schools and parochial schools that serve students in a high-need educational community, and conducting a quantitative study that explores the effectiveness of teacher sustainability and student achievement in a high-need public school.


This Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) examines the impact of the fishery .on the environment and the impact of the preferred and alternate management options of Amendment 5 to the Reef Fish Fishery Management Plan (Amendment 5). The amendment, In response to problems in the fishery, propoes the following actions: o Revising current rules regulating the use of fish traps In the fishery by requiring that traps carried to se be return to shore after each trip, requiring that each trap or trawl of traps individually buoyed. and estblishing a moratorium on Issuance of additional fish trap permits; o Estblishing spial management zones (SMZs) off Alabama that encompass large areas where more thn 5,00 artlfcla ree have ben constructed and where gear used for fishing for reef fish wou be limited to no more than three hooks per line; o Including In the fishery management plan 'framework procedure for establishing SMZs in other areas by regulatory amendment, provided such SMZs meet certin ecological, environmental, and soioeonomic crieri; o Requiring that all finfsh. except oceanic migratory species managed by NMFS, be landed with heads and fins Intact to facilitte identifcation and compliance with size limits and quotas; o Considerng change to vess permiting requirements; o Increasing the minimum sie limit for red snapper from 13 inches (TL) to 16 Inches (TL) over a seven-year peod; and o Prohibiting all fishing In an area of southwest Aorla where muton snapper aggregte to Spawn during the pek spawning months of May and June. The fishery resources and long-term productivit of stocks has ben adversey Impacted by the open access nature of the fishery and Inadequate Initia regulation resulting In some stocks being overfshed. Remedial actions to address these conditions are desribe. Proposed actions of Amendment 5 are generally benefcial to the stocks and long-term productivit. The fishery has provided significant benefits in terms of Income and employment to participants. However. overcapitliztion under open access and overfshlng of the red snapper stock has reduced net Income per fishermen In the commercial fishery. Overall. the proposed actions of Amendment 5 are anticipated to have lite efect on participants. The fishery and proposed actions of Amendment 5 have lite to no efect on the physical environment. Artificial reefs constructed from reef fish have altered a small portion of the physical environment and ocean habitats with no apparent detrimental effect, and with an anticipated beneficial efect on the stocks through conservative harvest practices applied to the rees. Costa habitts. floo plains and wetlands are not affected. The proposed amendment and the fishery have no anticipated effect on endangered and threatened species or marine mammals.


This illustrated book highlights Korean art ranging from the 5th-century AD to the present day. The five central chapters discuss how the objects were made and used. They deal with ceramics, metalwork, furniture and lacquer, textiles and contemporary crafts.


This article functions as both an introduction to the special issue and a larger contextualization of the intervention in relation the field of Latina/o Studies. The editors of the special issue argue that aesthetics affords the time and space within which to linger in the many questions, complexities, and problematics that crowd under the sign of latinidad. Through engagements with the contemporary political landscape, earlier articulations of the latinidad via Norma Alarcón, and the performative billboard instillations of Félix González-Torres, the editors find spaces to pleasurably dwell in the many temporal and spatial vectors of latinidad.


This paper introduces 73 additional taxa to the existing mitochondrial molecular database of 202 taxa for the Cypraeidae and addresses the systematic implications of their inclusion. Five outgroup members from the Ovulidae are also added. Sequence data are included from all previously missing extant named genera (Propustularia, Barycypraea and Schilderia), completing the overall "generic-level" framework for living cowries. Newly added taxa include 47 recognized species, 25 subspecies, and six undescribed taxa. Phylogenetic results generally are consistent with previous arrangements, with few minor adjustments. The most significant findings are that: (1) currently recognized Nesiocypraea is broken into two disparate clades, a deeply rooting Nesiocypraea sensu stricto group and the more derived Austrasiatica (Lorenz, 1989). (2) Two newly included Barycypraea taxa are sister to Zoila, reaffirming the validity of the subfamilial clade Bernayinae. (3) The inclusion of a significant number of added Erroneini taxa (N = 24) creates a phylogenetic challenge because of poor support and recovered relationships inconsistent at first glance with traditionally recognized affinities. In order to maintain nomenclatural consistency, Erronea is maintained at a generic level, whereas Adusta is dropped to subgeneric status within Erronea. Greater than 90% of currently recognized species are included, and 93% of these are supported by molecular criteria. Moreover, more than 70% of the tested, recognized subspecies are distinct. The phylogeny provides one of the most comprehensive, species-level frameworks to date for testing diversification theories in the marine tropics.


In this paper, we consider multipoint-to-multipoint multi-input multi-output relay systems where multiple sourcedestination pairs simultaneously communicate through a single multiple antenna relay. In this system configuration, we minimize the maximum pairwise mean-squared-error (MSE) to guarantee fairness for all pairs. This problem is non-convex, and thus it is quite complex to find an analytical solution. In order to simplify this problem, we apply error covariance decomposition approach and broadcast channel to multiple access channel MSE duality, and then a pairwise MSE balancing scheme which utilizes global channel state information (CSI) is proposed. In order to reduce the complexity and CSI requirements, a new method is developed. Through numerical simulations, we confirm the effectiveness of our proposed schemes.


The ARPA computer network (ARPANET) is a nationwide network of diverse autonomous computers connected via a message-switching store-and-forward communications subnet using leased wide-band (50-kbit/s) telephone lines. A primary objective of the ARPANET is to share preexisting programs and data. Many of the difficulties of using remotely generated programs and data are found to be simple format incompatibilities requiring data manipulations like character set conversion, header prefacing and stripping, packing and unpacking of repeated data, generating counters and flags, and field transposition. The data reconfiguration service (DRS) is an attempt to provide a convenient way of performing these data manipulations in order to mediate between superficially incompatible data streams connecting existing programs in the ARPANET. Desiring to match two incompatible input-output streams, an applications programmer specifies a data stream transformation (called a form) written in the data reconfiguration language (DRL). Associating the appropriate form name with the connection between his two programs, the programmer causes the DRS to follow his instructions on how the specified data streams are to be manipulated in the communication required to make the two programs cooperate over the ARPANET. Components of the DRS include the specification of its special-purpose data reconfiguration language, a form compiler to translate forms into fast-running transformation programs, an interpreter to perform high-speed data transformations at application program run time, and a standard set of ARPANET protocols for the routine handling of connections and form specifications between operating systems.


Detailed information about the ligand‐binding site of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors has emerged from structural and mutagenesis experiments. However, these approaches provide only static images of ligand–receptor interactions. Kinetic measurements of changes in protein function are needed to develop a more dynamic picture. Previously, we measured association and dissociation rate constants for competitive inhibition of current through embryonic muscle acetylcholine receptor channels at 25°C. Little is known about competitive antagonism at physiological temperatures. Here, we performed measurements at 37°C and used thermodynamics to estimate the energetics of antagonism. We used rapid solution exchange protocols to determine equilibrium and kinetics of inhibition of acetylcholine‐activated currents in outside‐out patches by (+)‐tubocurarine, pancuronium and cisatracurium. Kinetic rates as high as 600 s−1 were resolved by this technique. Binding was primarily enthalpy driven. The 12°C increase in temperature decreased equilibrium antagonist binding by 1.7‐ to 1.9‐fold. In contrast, association and dissociation rate constants increased 1.9‐ to 6.0‐fold. Activation energies for dissociation were 90 ± 6, 106 ± 8 and 116 ± 10 kJ mol−1 for cisatracurium, (+)‐tubocurarine and pancuronium, respectively. The corresponding apparent activation energies for association were 38 ± 6, 85 ± 6 and 107 ± 13 kJ mol−1. The higher activation energy for association of (+)‐tubocurarine and pancuronium compared with cisatracurium is notable. This may arise from either a more superficial binding site for the large antagonist cisatracurium compared to the other ligands, or from a change in receptor conformation upon binding of (+)‐tubocurarine and pancuronium but not cisatracurium. Differences in ligand desolvation and ligand conformation are not likely to be important.


Objective: The study aimed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of Amomum subulatum (greater cardamom) seed and rind extracts in Wistar rats.
Methods: The seed and rind of A. subulatum were air-dried in the shade, powdered, and subjected to 80% hydroalcoholic extraction in the Soxhlet apparatus. The anti-inflammatory activity of the seed and rind extracts of A. subulatum was evaluated by in vivo and in vitro methods.
Results and Discussion: In vivo studies, namely, carrageenan-induced rat paw edema, cotton pellet granuloma, and formaldehyde-induced arthritis model confirmed the anti-inflammatory potential of seed and rind extracts of A. subulatum. It was found that rind extract exhibited better inhibition of inflammation as compared to seed extract. A. subulatum rind extract at the dose of 500 μg/ml exhibited best results for in vitro studies, namely, inhibition of albumin denaturation (73% inhibition), antiproteinase action (58% inhibition), membrane stabilization, heat-induced hemolysis, hypotonicity-induced hemolysis (54% inhibition), anti-lipoxygenase activity.
Conclusions: The results of the study showed that the rind extract of A. subulatum (greater cardamom) possesses significant anti-inflammatory potential in various in vivo and in vitro anti-inflammatory models in the experimental animals.


This article argues that the recognition of individual variation is helpful for understanding sociolinguistic variables. While past researchers have argued that variables are comprehensible only if each individual in a social group uses variables at the same frequency as all other individuals, the author shows that this conception of the variable ignores crucial information in the social study of language: that social groups are composed of people with widely different interests and ideas of "self." Data from the speech of fourteen young, African American residents of a rural community on the North Carolina coast are presented. The author demonstrates that there is considerable evidence for the existence of individual variation in speech, given that this variation is constrained by the linguistic structure used by the surrounding speech community. The sociolinguistic variable is thus a set of possibilities in speech rather than a statistical whole that reflects exactly its parts.


. We compute the three-point correlation function of primordial scalar density perturbations in a general single-field inflationary scenario, where a scalar field φ has a direct coupling with the Ricci scalar R and the Gauss-Bonnet term G . Our analysis also covers the models in which the Lagrangian includes a function non-linear in the field kinetic energy X = − ( ∂φ ) 2 / 2, and a Galileon-type field self-interaction G ( φ, X ) (cid:3) φ , where G is a function of φ and X . We provide a general analytic formula for the equilateral non-Gaussianity parameter f equilNL associated with the bispectrum of curvature perturbations. A quasi de Sitter approximation in terms of slow-variation parameters allows us to derive a simplified form of f equilNL convenient to constrain various inflation models observationally. If the propagation speed of the scalar perturbations is much smaller than the speed of light, the Gauss-Bonnet term as well as the Galileon-type field self-interaction can give rise to large non-Gaussianities testable in future observations. We also show that, in Brans-Dicke theory with a field potential (including f ( R ) gravity), f equilNL is of the order of slow-roll parameters as in standard inflation driven by a minimally coupled scalar field.


This study aims to determine the effect of financial ratios information to predict the Dividend Yield. The financial ratios are projected into five independent variables, namely Net Profit Margin (NPM), Return On Equity (ROE), Return On Asset (ROA), Return On investment (ROI), and Debt to Equity (DER), and one dependent variable, namely Dividend Yield (DY). The population in this research are all of manufacturing companies that listed on Indonesia Stock Exchange in 2009 as many as 139 companies. By using the purposive judgement sampling, it was determined there are 25 companies that are used as research samples. All data used in this research are secondary data that obtained from the Indonesia Stock Exchange's official website. The data analysis tool in this research is a linier regression because the independent and dependent variable in this research is in percentage ratios variable. The data analysis techniques in this research include descriptive statistical tests, classical test assumption and the linier regression test both simultaneously or separately. From the analysis of hypothesis testing simultaneously, it can be concluded that all independent variables in this research have significant effect against Dividend yield in manufacturing companies that listed on Indonesia Stock Exchange (2005 – 2009) with a significant level sig= 0,012. From the analysis of hypothesis testing separately, it can be concluded that only two variables that have a significant effect against Dividend Yield, those are Net Profit Margin (NPM) and Return On equity (NPM) with a significant level sig= 0,029 and sig=0,038, so those variables are reliable in predicting the level of investment gains (Dividend Yield).


The increasing use of derivative transactions has raised serious questions about their risks. This article highlights current regulatory developments and includes a model disclosure and some useful management checklists for meeting the new requirements.


Purpose

This paper aims to examine how media play a role in community responses to disaster. The authors explore how communication technology may allow new relationships between community groups and emergency agencies. The authors examine the context within which warnings and risk communication are interpreted by media services. The authors observe how, in an emergency context, the thinking about media may change from that of a linear framework of information provision to one of shared resources.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors focus on Second Life, a shared, online space which uses 3D graphic images to simulate a virtual environment. Second Life is posited as a media tool with clear advantages for the training of emergency services professionals and citizens in the community. The authors observe emergency training scenarios and advantages for training for critical thinking and decision-making.

Findings

The authors observe then how virtual worlds such as Second Life provide an online forum in which participants can interact, communicate and simulate action in a complex 3D graphic environment. Second Life may be a useful medium for simulating and testing geo-physical and social manoeuvres using the modeling tools. This may allow for collaborative decision-making in simulations which can prepare or rehearse people for emergency conditions. It may be useful in an emergency with information streamed and coordinated at a single online site. A shared network like Second Life may be shared by many people co-synchronously or a-synchronously, despite their geographic distance. Second Life applications may also be useful in the aftermath of emergencies for design and rebuilding, for analytical and educational purposes.

Research limitations/implications

It is clear that social networks like Second Life provide a valuable tool with which to learn about and share data and information about bushfires, community emergencies and safety precautions in a social setting. It can also provide, at the local level, a forum for community information and discussion, as well as for counselling and reconstruction in the aftermath.

Practical implications

The authors suggest that the range and flexibility of tools and their excellent geographic visualization and social networking functions may in future allow for learning and decision-making among diverse and disparate groups who can come together in virtual space. It is especially useful in remote communities as a means of uniting people who are otherwise isolated by distance or trapped in emergency situations. Second Life is useful for sharing information, organizational and local knowledge about disaster and mitigation management. This media-rich platform is valuable to a community that is increasingly adept with shared, 3D graphic computer interfaces.

Social implications

Applications like Second Life may provide a space where users can access a range of tools as a means of informing, educating, empowering and warning participants in emergency scenarios, both real and simulated. They are more than virtual spaces; they are also social spaces. A platform like Second Life may provide a virtual solution for such communication challenges especially where communities are too remote, too dispersed or even too many in number to be easily accessible in the field.

Originality/value

This paper contains new and significant information about emerging communication systems and platforms that may be of use to those researching and planning around disaster management, mitigation and resilience. It addresses the use of new techniques which are the result of innovation in technology, software design and network design. It applies a discussion of these techniques to several hypothetical and real-life scenarios to explore the potential for virtual tools as a way of providing enriched information, mapping and communication tools across a range of disaster response scenarios.


For the past 20 years, we have observed and coordinated the development, evolUtion. and expansion of a Communication in Instruction Master of Arts Program that is taught at sites throughoUt the state of West Virginia. In addition to teachers from West Virginia. teachers from over twenty other states and three foreign countries have taken classes in the program and received degrees offered through the program. This essay reviews the program-its development, goals, course offerings and structure, and evaluation.


A numerical and experimental investigation is reported for the flow around a rolling sphere when moving adjacent to a plane wall. The dimensionless rotation rate of the sphere is varied from forward to reversed rolling and the resulting wake modes are found to be strongly dependent on the value of this parameter. Results are reported for the Reynolds number range 100 < Re < 350, which has been shown to capture the unsteady transitions in the wake. Over this range of Reynolds number, both steady and unsteady wake modes are observed. As the sphere undergoes forward rolling, the wake displays similarities to the flow behind an isolated sphere in a free stream. As the Reynolds number of the flow increases, hairpin vortices form and are shed over the surface of the sphere. However, for cases with reversed rotation, the wake takes the form of two distinct streamwise vortices that form around the sides of the body. These streamwise structures in the wake undergo a transition to a new unsteady mode as the Reynolds number increases. During the evolution of this unsteady mode, the streamwise vortices form an out-of-phase spiral pair. Four primary wake modes are identified and a very good qualitative agreement is observed between the numerical and experimental results. The numerical simulations also reveal the existence of an additional unsteady mode that is found to be unstable to small perturbations in the flow.


Room impulse responses (stereophonic and binaural) were recorded using identical procedures in five concert auditoria: the large, medium and small halls of Rome's Parco della Musica, Parma's Auditorium Paganini, and Kirishima's Miyama Conseru. A subjective test was conducted, using an anechoic recording of a piano accordion convolved with these impulse responses, and reproduced over four audio systems (binaural headphones, conventional stereophony, stereo dipole and double stereo dipole). The frequency responses of these playback systems were matched, and the playback level was realistic for the instrument and auditoria. Results indicate that the audio system can significantly affect distance estimation and realism judgments (with a non-significant effect on room size ratings). The situation (auditorium and seat position) significantly affects distance estimations and room size ratings (but not realism ratings). Room acoustical parameters were determined from for each situation, and relationships between these and the auditory distance and room size judgments were investigated. Auditory distance perception is primarily correlated (negatively) to the reproduced sound pressure level. Results for perceived room size are more complex, and demand further research for interpretation. Results tentatively indicate that among these non-individualized two-channel systems, the single stereo dipole system provides a plausible reproduction of the auditorium acoustical environment for the purpose of subjective assessment.


We investigate two schemes of quantum teleportation with a W state, which belongs to a different class from the Greenberger–Horne–Zeilinger class. In the first scheme, the W state is shared by three parties, one of whom, called a sender, performs a Bell measurement. It is shown that the quantum information of an unknown state is split between two parties and recovered with a certain probability. In the second scheme, a sender takes two particles of the W state and performs positive operator valued measurements. For the two schemes, we calculate the success probability and the average fidelity. We show that the average fidelity of the second scheme cannot exceed that of the first one.


The effects of knowledge-of-results (KR), contingent upon correct responses, was examined in a simple vigilance task with twelve institutionalized residents of a state school for the retarded. It was hypothesized that the performance of Ss who received KR would be superior to those Ss who were in the group without knowledge-of -results (WKR). Analysis of the data revealed a significant difference between the KR and WKR groups ( t= 9.27, ip.01, df = 10) in the direction hypothezised and the graphic representations of the data revealed the typical decrement associated with vigilance studies. FILMED FROM BEST AVAILABLE COPY Few studies have been published which are concerned with the vigilance performance of mentally retarded (MR) individuals as compared to the enormous amount of research with normals which has occurred since World War II (Halcomb and Blackwell, 1969). However, in an attempt to discover new methods of rehabilitating the MR, vigilance research is a means of investigating the feasibility of vocational placement in industry, on repitious tasks, for this population. Most vigilance studies, using normal Ss, have demonstrated an increase in performance when environmental variations are introduced into the vigilance task (e.g., McCormack, 1959; Hardesty, Trumbo and Bevan, 1963; Loeb and Binford, 1964). However, similar investigations with the MR have not produced a statistically significant improvement in performance (Semmel, 1964; 1965). Ware, Baker and Sheldon(1964) found a statistically reliable increase in performance on a simple vigilance task with retardates who had knowledge -ofresults (KR) for missed signals as compared to a group without knowledgeof-results (WKR). Chinn and Alluisi (1964) reported that KR concerning correct responses produced a reliable decrease in the number of missed signals for normal Ss. Therefore, it was hypothesized that retardates who received KR for correct responses, would perform superior to retardates WKR.


The electronic properties and dissociative channels of the alternative to the CCl2F2 (CFC-12) refrigerant, 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (HFC-134a) with a low global warming potential (GWP, 1430), were revealed by computational chemistry. The results show that CF3+ and CHF2+ ions are mainly produced by ionization. The CF3CH2+ ion is produced by ion pair formation and by direct ionization in the energy region higher than approximately 15 eV, but also in small amounts by the ionization of the dissociated CF3CH2 radical. This information is useful for etching process engineers in leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing.


In this article, the writer uses the positivism approaches to probe into the differ-ent changes in the spheres, structures and functions of the family networks of the peasant workers who move from the countryside to cities in modern society. He thinks that the social existence of their family networks is still an important social resource the modern peasant workers depend on and the traditional family networks with their great vitality can be modernized by the changing modern society.


PURPOSE
This study evaluated the level of histamine in the interaction between the environment and the visual system during lifespan development, exploring potential sex differences.

METHODS
Male and female Wistar rats, reared in standard laboratory or enriched-environment cages from birth to prepuberty or adulthood, were sacrificed during the critical period for visual development at postnatal day (P) 25 (P25) or in adulthood at P90. Additionally, animals born in standard conditions were exposed to an enriched environment at P90 and sacrificed at P150. The optic chiasm and the visual cortex were dissected out and tissue histamine was quantified fluorophotometrically. Statistical analyses were performed by ANOVA.

RESULTS
Histamine levels in the optic chiasm were higher in male than in female rats at all ages. Comparable sex differences in the visual cortex were observed only during prepuberty. Basal histamine content in the optic chiasm was higher in prepuberty and decreased in adulthood in a sex-independent manner. Exposure to an enriched environment decreased optic chiasm histamine levels in both sexes and resulted in no sex difference in the cortical histamine levels at any age. Increased amine levels were detected in the optic chiasm of female rats exposed to an enriched environment during adulthood.

CONCLUSIONS
This study presents first evidence associating central histamine levels with the visual system development and environmental adaptation, thus providing the lead for the investigation of the hitherto elusive role of histamine in the regulation of visual processes. Furthermore, the findings challenge the impact of laboratory animal raising environments in developmental and behavioral studies.


University Paris-Est, Scientific and Technical Centre for Building (CSTB) / Observatory of Indoor Air Quality, Marne-la-Vallée, France INSERM-U1085, IRSET-Research Institute for Environmental and Occupational Health, Rennes, France LERES-Environment and Health Research Laboratory (IRSET and EHESP Technologic Platform), Rennes, France EHESP-School of Public Health, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Rennes, France


The shape of droplets placed on a microstructured pillar surface is investigated by laser scanning confocal microscopy, LSCM. The microstructure consists of cylindrical pillars arranged in a square...


Diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to estimate white matter fiber orientations in fixed brain specimens. The specimens were subsequently sectioned, stained for myelinated fibers, and imaged with light microscopy. The MRI data were registered with the micrographs, allowing direct comparison of fiber orientation estimates between the two methods. Fiber orientation was measured in regions of interest in the frontal lateral corpus callosum. The results of diffusion MRI and light microscopy agreed within 2 degrees-the difference was not statistically significant


When Kentucky gave her electoral votes to the Bell Everett ticket in the critical election of 1860, her action was unmistakably a repudiation of the extremists in both sections. That a majority of her Hoosier neighbors across the Ohio River had no contrary intentions when voting for Lincoln was perhaps less apparent but equally true.1 Nor is it open to doubt that the people of Indiana, keenly sensitive to the ties of blood, trade, and mutual dependence upon the river outlet, had a wary eye upon Kentucky when they cast their ballots that year.2 And in the critical months that followed, the position of Kentucky was a decisive factor in shaping the attitude of Indiana toward secession and civil war. During the secession crisis which swiftly followed the news of Lincoln's election, an overwhelming majority of the people in both Kentucky and Indiana pinned their hopes for saving the Union upon the time-tested palliative of com promise. Had the decision rested in their hands alone, co ercion would have remained an unthinkable remedy. Even among Republicans, many conservative businessmen and most of the party followers in southern Indiana blenched at the


This research focuses on quantifying human activity for healthcare applications. Distance traveled, average velocity, and postures are the primary focus. A Microsoft Kinect V2 camera was used to collect data for analysis. By tracking the human head, position relative to the camera can be determined. Accuracy of at least 87% was achieved for distance traveled and average velocity measurements. For posture detection, accuracy of at least 80% was achieved.


The load-dependent Mean Value Analysis (MVA) algorithm suffers from numerical instability issues. Different techniques have been adopted to avoid these issues, however, they have either complexity problems or restrictive assumptions. In this paper, we introduce a numerically Stable MVA (SMVA) algorithm for closed product-form queueing networks that allows for load-dependent queues. The SMVA algorithm is inspired by Seidmann's approximation for the numerical stability, and employs the Bard-Schweitzer approximation for the accuracy. The SMVA algorithm offers a numerically stable, efficient, and accurate approximate solution. We validate SMVA by comparing it to other MVA algorithms in concrete examples, and analyse its errors. We also extend it to a multi-class model.


Objective: To research the mechanism of treatment for the phlebeurysma lower limbs with holmium laser. Methods:(1)Colour Doppler supersonic monitoring was carried out on the patients treated for phlebeurysma lower limbs with holmium laser. (2)Experiments were conducted on greater saphenous vein in vitro; The effects of different media in greater saphenous vein were compared when holmium laser was affecting the blood vessel wall.(3)Pathological examinations were conducted on the greater saphenous vein section after treating the living body. (4)Contrast and analysis of D-dimer and hemaleucin original value in blood were made before and after operation. Results: (1)There was substantive echo in greater saphenous vein soon after the treatment. The substantive echo became strong when reexamined. The bore size became smaller in some ways. And there was no sign of blood flow in the cavity. (2)Pathological mechanism showed that the bast in greater saphenous vein disappeared after being treated by holmium laser. The inner, middle and outer membranes all denaturated or necrosed in some ways. (3)Different media in blood vessel affected the effect of holmium laser on blood vessel wall directly.(4)There was a remarkable difference in D-dimer (P0.01) and hemaleucin original value (P0.05) in blood before and after the operation. Conclusion: Holmium laser can lead to thrombosis in greater saphenous vein .With destroying the normal structure of blood vessel wall, it causes the damaged vein wall to become thicker and contract. Thus the bore size becomes narrower. At last the vein is shutting. Blood is the necessary medium when holmium laser is affecting the blood vessel wall. Blood congeals quicker after operation.


Using a recently proposed new renormalization group method (tensor renormalization group), we analyze the Ising model on the two-dimensional square lattice. For the lowest-order approximation with two-domain wall states, it realizes the idea of coarse graining of domain walls. We write down explicit analytic renormalization transformation and prove that the picture of the coarse graining of the physical domain walls does hold for all physical renormalization group flows. We solve it to get the fixed point structure and obtain the critical exponents and the critical temperature. These results are very near to the exact values. We also briefly report the improvement using four-domain wall states.


The utility model discloses an internal film tension control system for a multilayer composite film bag. The internal film tension control system for the multilayer composite film bag is arranged between a tension frame and an emptying frame and comprises a plurality of internal film drawing servo devices and a control system; each internal film drawing servo device is used for singly drawing two layers of internal films; the drawing speed of each internal film drawing servo device can be controlled and regulated by the control system. By adopting the internal film tension control system for the multilayer composite film bag, each layer of internal film of the multilayer composite bag can be drawn independently, and the tension of the internal films can be precisely controlled by the control system, so the aim that the bag can be made by drawing the internal films and an external film with smaller tension is realized, the stretching and deforming uniformity of the internal films and the external film is realized, the made bag is attractive in appearance, and the hot sealing strength is uniform. The internal film tension control system for the multilayer composite film bag is simple in structure, and can be additionally arranged on the traditional multilayer composite film bag making machine so as to greatly improve the bag making quality.


Donor-bridged bis(silylene)molybdenum and -chromium complexes CpM(CO)2{(SiMe2)···Do···(SiMe2)} (Cp = η-C5H5; M = Mo, Do = OMe (1a); M = Mo, Do = NEt2 (1b); M = Cr, Do = OMe (2)) were synthesized by photolysis of a C6D6 solution containing CpM(CO)3Me and HSiMe2SiMe2Do. The X-ray crystal structures of 1a, 1b, and 2 revealed that the M−Si bonds (2.4795(9) and 2.4804(9) A for 1a, 2.4996(9) and 2.5008(9) A for 1b, and 2.355(2) A for 2) are significantly shorter than those of structurally similar silylmolybdenum and -chromium complexes, while the Si−O bonds in 1a (1.782(2) and 1.788(3) A) and 2 (1.788(3) A) and the Si−N bonds in 1b (1.933(2) and 1.923(3) A) are much longer than usual Si−O and Si−N single bonds. These structural data indicate that the M−Si bonds bear partial double-bond character, whereas the Si−O and Si−N bonds are regarded as a hybrid of covalent bonding and dative bonding. The unsaturated nature of the metal−silicon bonds is also shown by the significant downfield shift of the 29Si NMR signal...


This paper analyzes a 20 year period of the characteristics and the development of reverse commuting in the Paris metropolitan area and its consequences in terms of daily travel behavior of working Parisians. Because Paris has lost many jobs but few inhabitants, the number of reverse commuters has increased. But contrary to the United States, reverse commuters are mainly high income professionals whose workplace is located close to Paris in areas well connected to the central city by public transport. Hence over 20 years reverse commuters have on average diminished car use. All reverse commuters face a more complex organization of daily travels whatever their professional status comparing to the Parisians whose job is located in Paris.


Scholars who study Confucianism have long focused on its ethical and moral thought,yet seldom touched upon its political philosophy and its theoretical system.Starting with its political and philosophical thoughts,the paper presents a brief summary of its theoretical system: the means of morality,rituals,rites and laws are used to prompt people to curb excessive selfishness and to become mild so as to achieve the aims of managing ones' family,governing the state and then ruling the world,and finally creating a peaceful world.


The present invention discloses a steam generator in synthetic ammonia plant and a control system thereof. The steam generator is a U-shaped kettle-type heat exchanger. The medium in the tube is high-temperature synthesis gas. The shell-side medium is low-pressure boiler water. The invention is characterized in that the steam drum is internally provided with a vertical ripple baffle demister. A down sprout is installed for improving the effect of steam liquid separation. The steam generator is installed with a level transmitter for causing the lowest liquid level in the tube is controlled above the heat exchange pipe bundle in the steam generator. A pressure transmitter is installed on the steam outlet pipe for controlling the pressure at the steam outlet to 0.5MPaG. A CO on-line analyzer is installed on the low-pressure steam outlet pipe of steam generator for monitoring whether the synthetic gas containing CO is leaked into the low-pressure steam pipe at any moment. The team generator in synthetic ammonia plant and the control system according to the invention have the following remarkable beneficial effects: ensured long-period stable operation of device, prevention of occurrence of steam liquid mixing, stable operation, safe production, increased production volume of device and increased product quality.


Finding many higher modes in ferrite loaded waveguide becomes mandatory when dealing with discontinuities in accurate component design. It is well known, however, that this is a very difficult task in practice. In this contribution we report a novel approach to this problem based on the explicit eigenvalue formulation of the vector telegrapher's equations applied to the anisotropic uniform waveguide and discretized by using the actual modes taken at cut-off as an expanding set. Theoretical results are compared with existing ones for the case of longitudinally magnetized fully and partially loaded waveguide with very good agreement. The resulting algorithm is compact and it requires extremely low computational effort for evaluating as many modal characteristics and vector fields as required.


ABSTRACT This paper analyses the institutional framework of the Spanish electricity and gas markets from their emergence at the beginning of the twentieth century until the liberalisation process encouraged by the European Union. European processes of liberalisation involving the introduction of regulation and competition and the application of non-hierarchical modes have raised the number of both public and private actors taking part in sectoral governance. However, none of these modes is new for the sector. A historical perspective shows the conditions under which the threat of governmental intervention and the discretion granted to sectoral governance differed significantly between sectors. While the threat to nationalise and monopolise the electricity sector contributed to the creation of a private agent and a model of self-regulation with a large measure of discretion, in the gas sector the public presence was strong and control tight. Thus, the paper concludes that one should not presuppose that old modes of governance are strongly governmental and hierarchical. The opposite proves to be the case in the Spanish electricity sector, where new modes of governance are now more linked to hierarchy.


Defect engineering is considered as an effective strategy to improve the electrochemical performance of batteries because of its ability promoting ion diffusion and increasing reactive sites in electrode materials. Twin...


The XP-EXTRAN model is well suited to the modelling of complex drainage systems of both closed conduits and open channels. Consequently, the model has been used to investigate a number of large drainage systems in Australia. However a number of problems were encountered in these studies which led to the addition of new features in XP-EXTRAN to further improve the modelling of urban drainage systems. The application of XP-EXTRAN to the hydraulic investigation of the confluence of Toongabbie, Pendle Hill and Greystanes Creeks is presented. This study and other studies demonstrate the ability of the XP-EXTRAN package to model complex floodplain interactions and complex open and closed conduit drainage systems which are encountered in urban areas. Based on the very good agreement which was obtained between the predicted and observed flood levels, it was concluded that the calibrated flood model could be used with confidence to estimate design flood levels.


This paper reports evidence for family effects (i.e., nonindependence between siblings) on components of juvenile fitness in two high-performance populations of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus). In Trois Fontaines (eastern France), 51 sets of twins were ear-tagged as newborns and then intensively monitored until adulthood (to ≥4 yr of age). On the island of Storfosna (central western Norway), 79 sets of twins and 40 sets of triplets were radiotracked from birth to ≥1 mo of age. In both populations, family effects were observed for measures of early body development and winter body mass. Measurements for sibling fawns were more similar than the same measures for nonsiblings. During unfavorable years (i.e., poor deer survival in summer or high population density), sibling fawns survived or died together much more often than expected by chance. Conversely, during favorable years (i.e., high fawn survival or low density), there was no evidence for family effects on survival of either twins or triplets. These re...


A C++/OpenCL software platform for emission image reconstruction of data from pinhole cameras has been developed. The software incorporates a new, accurate but computationally costly, probability distribution function for operating on list-mode data from detector stacks. The platform architecture is more general than previous works, supporting advanced models such as arbitrary probability distribution, collimation geometry and detector stack geometry. The software was implemented such that all performance-critical operations occur on OpenCL devices, generally GPUs. The performance of the software is tested on several commodity CPU and GPU devices.


The level of international air traffic in the Atlantic Ocean region is analyzed for the base year of 1975 and forecast for the years of 1980, 1985, 1990, and 1995. For forecasting interregional air traffic, a model is developed that uses forecasts of regional economic and population data and data on fuel prices and other aircraft operating costs. A model is described that transforms these traffic forecasts into estimates of instantaneous airborne counts and other activity statistics for defined areas of the Atlantic Ocean basin. The evidence indicates that rather significant and broad aircraft peak counts can be anticipated over the analysis region. These aircraft are potential users of satellite-aided aviation support system. (Author)


The PRF-1150 module is a self-contained 1KW 13.56MHz RF source. The module facilitates operation and evaluation of the DEIC420 RF MOSFET gate driver IC and DE275X2-102N06A RF MOSFET in a practical 13.56 MHz RF generator application. It is all-inclusive, pre-tested, and ready to operate.


A novel C3 symmetric discotic hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene with three alternating dodecyl and methoxy substituents was synthesized. The compound revealed pronounced self-aggregation in solution. The solution processing onto a substrate resulted in the formation of long fibrous nanostructures. Additionally, a complex helical superstructure in the solid state was derived from X-ray scattering results.


The problem of the Genesis in philosophy is one of the fundamental themes of modern historical-philosophical science. The article deals with the problem of reflection of ontological categories in the cosmogonic sources of the New Kingdom. Based on the analysis of the use of nouns xprw (forms of development), (appearances) and wnnt (being) demonstrates the nature of the formation of "speculative theology" in the sources of the Theban religious thought of the New Kingdom. The question of the basic characteristics of prephilosophical categories in their distinction from the traditional myth is also discussed in the article. Keywords—pre-philosophy; myth; creation; being; speculative theology; ancient Egyptian thought


Thomas Hardy's perspective on aesthetics and literature, retrieved from his personal notebooks and from his only three theoretical essays on the subject, is examined. The Profitable Reading of Fiction (1888), Candour in English Fiction (1890) and The Science of Fiction (1891) are investigated, compared and contrasted with Georg Lukacs' ideas on the aesthetics of Realism and Naturalism (1968), with special emphasis on the points of contact between the two authors. A discussion also ensues on how Hardy's theories on literary aesthetics are developed in his own literary production with regard to some short stories and novels. Critics' perspectives on Hardy's role in the history of English literature are also investigated.


We have examined, by flow cytometry, the apparent DNA content of frog blood cells that had been fixed with either 50% ethanol, 70% ethanol, or 66% methanol, before being stained with either mithramycin, propidium iodide, or Hoechst 33258. After 50% ethanol fixation, regardless of the dye used, the DNA content of the hemopoietic cells appeared unimodal, but after either 70% ethanol or 66% methanol fixation, it appeared bimodal. Cell sorting revealed that the lower and upper modes are represented by erythrocytes (RBCs) and leukocytes (WBCs), respectively. In amphibians, the chromatin of metabolically inactive RBCs is highly condensed relative to the chromatin of metabolically active WBCs. The bimodal distribution of DNA contents seen with 66% methanol and 70% ethanol, but not 50% ethanol, seems to reflect this disparity in the degree of chromatin condensation existing between the RBCs and WBCs. This, in turn, implies that the accessibility of fluorescent DNA dyes to the chromatin of fixed frog hemopoietic cells, especially of RBCs, can be affected by the concentration of alcohol used for their fixation.


Abstract : LUTION OF 250/CM WAS USED TO MEASURE NIGHT-SKY SPECTRAL RADIANT STERANCE (RADIANCE) IN THE 450-NM TO 2000-NM WAVELENGTH REGION. The experimental sites were remote locations in Panama, United States, and Canada. Details of night-sky radiation measuring system, calibration equipment, and procedures for data acquisition and analysis are presented. A large number of night-sky radiant sterance spectra recorded under various types of nighttime meteorological environments and moon phases are presented. The results are compared to measurements reported in the literature. The night-sky radiant sterance spectra presented in this work are unique in two respects: They cover the wide wavelength region from 450 nm to 2000 nm; and They were recorded under a large variety of nighttime, atmospheric, optical environments.


The invention provides a method for detecting a flange face bolt installation torque by using a detector. The method includes: fixing the flange face bolt on the detector, then rotating a torque wrench of the detector, stopping twisting when the preset torque is reached through twisting, thereby reaching the purpose of detecting the flange face bolt installation torque. The method of detecting the flange face bolt installation torque break through a traditional method of detecting the flange face bolt installation torque only depending on experiment conducting in a laboratory, are good in safety, thoroughly solve the problem that products cannot be guaranteed to be qualified 100% due to the proportional sampling of the laboratory, and prevent assembly quality accidents caused by unqualified spanner screwing torque in an installation process from happening. The device and the method of detecting the flange face bolt installation torque have the advantages of being easy to operate, strong in generality, accurate in location, high in efficiency, low in detecting cost and the like.


Fraunhofer UMSICHT regards itself as a pioneer for sustainable energy and raw materials management. The institute provides scientific results and transfers them to businesses, society and politics. Fraunhofer UMSICHT, together with its partners, does research and develops exciting sustainable products, processes and services. As one of 66 institutes and research institutions of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, the largest organization for applied research in Europe, it is networked worldwide and promotes international cooperation.


The cusp/cleft region provides an entrance for magnetosheath particles into the magnetosphere and a sink for magnetospheric particles. In addition, strong acceleration and/or scattering of particles takes place. The Swedish satellite Viking crossed this region at midaltitudes. Measurements from this spacecraft were used to determine the average spatial distributions of H+ and He++ ions in the energy/charge range 2 keV/e ≤ E/Q ≤ 60 keV/e and of electrons with 7 keV ≤ E ≤ 97 keV. The data supply information on the structure of the midaltitude cusp/cleft region, the particle sources, and dynamical processes. Four different parts can be distinguished: (1) The cusp extends from about 76° to 82° invariant latitude (INL) and from 0800 to 1400 MLT. It is characterized by the presence of magnetosheath origin particles and important electron acceleration signatures. The magnetosheath particles presumably enter via the entry layer. (2) A smaller region inside the cusp (77°–82° INL, 1000–1330 MLT) contains magnetosheath origin ions without electron acceleration. This is regarded as the cusp proper connected to the exterior cusp. (3) Poleward of the cusp magnetosheath origin ions are still present, but no magnetosheath electrons. This region is related to the plasma mantle. (4) Another region without magnetosheath origin ions but with strong electron acceleration extends equatorward of the cusp and probably constitutes part of the cleft, likely to be connected to the low-latitude boundary layer. The observations provide evidence for the interaction of energetic particles with the magnetopause current layer in which ions are accelerated and the particles are scattered on field lines threading through the cusp/cleft region.


Vibrational spectra of CO, NO, and O2 adducts of heme proteins contain information on interactions of the heme and its bound ligands with the surrounding protein matrix that may help in elucidating the mechanism of small-molecule activation. Whereas the heme−CO system is well studied and a framework exists for the interpretation of such interactions, heme−NO and −O2 complexes have not been systematically investigated. Here we examine resonance Raman spectra of all three classes of adducts, combining literature values with new data for FeIINO porphyrins having both electron-donating and electron-withdrawing substituents. Negative linear correlations are observed for all three adducts between their Fe−XO and X−O stretching frequencies. The slopes of these correlation lines are −0.4 for five-coordinate FeCO and FeNO porphyrins and −0.8 for five-coordinate FeO2 adducts. Thus, Fe−NO and Fe−O2 bonds are equally or even more sensitive than Fe−CO bonds to electronic influences that affect metal-to-ligand π back-b...


This paper studies a kind of multi-attribute decision-making problems in which the information about the attribute weights are unknown completely and the attribute values are described by interval-valued intu- itionistic fuzzy numbers.First we give a formula which transforms interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy number into interval,then a new method for deciding objective weights is given based on possibility degree,and a new method based on possibility degree is given to get the priorities of alternatives.Finally,an example is used to illustrate the feasibility and practicability of the proposed approach.


The integration of teaching and learning technologies has been crucial catalysts for undergoing teaching and learning innovations. However, in many higher education institutions, these integration potentials have neither been consistently nor systematically used. The implementation of innovative teaching-learning technological change in higher education remains a significant challenge. Previous studies suggest that universities need to embrace the role of academic leaders for its effective implementation. We used 74 Mid-Level Academic Leaders (MLALs) from selected universities to show how MLALs attributes influence the managerial-leadership competencies for enhancing the influence the integration of Innovative Teaching-Learning Technological change (ITLTs). Our results suggest that MLALs have a relatively low competency level for motivating the adoption and execution of ITLTs change. Seemingly, the overall competency level for managing the integration of ITLTs change found to be relatively low. Furthermore, the results suggest that age, leader experience, leadership position and prior knowledge are essential factors influencing the managerial competency level for leading ITLTs change among mid-level academic leaders. Thus, this study recommends integrating ITLTS in higher to consider leaders' experience throughout the process. (X1) al., 2010). no multicollinearity in the Durbin-Watson's d test was used to test for auto-correlations. The showed that Durbin -Watson's is 1.51, which falls within the values of 1.5≤d≤2.5 is no auto-correlation) et al., no auto-correlation in multiple linear regression a five-point frequency rating scale The and the current levels of mid-level academic leaders each generic competence were explored. The study used the self-administered questionnaire and web survey for data collection. It used a Likert scale to assess the current and future competency levels.


Ethylene-mediated flower abscission caused by Botrytis infection afflicts cut Geraldton waxflower stems. Preharvest spray applications of three known host plant defence elicitors, benzothiadiazole (BTH), methyl jasmonate (MeJA) or silicon (Si), were applied to Geraldton waxflower cvv. Mullering Brook and My Sweet Sixteen. Their individual efficacy in postharvest suppression of Botrytis disease developmentwas assessed. Field applications of BTH or Si generally had no significant (P>0.05) effect on Botrytis disease severity on either cultivar. MeJA sprays did not significantly (P>0.05) reduce disease severity on cv. Mullering Brook, but slightly and significantly (P<0.05) suppressed Botrytis on cv. My Sweet Sixteen at concentrations of 500 and 750 μM MeJA. One Si treatment, 1500 mg SiO2/L, significantly (P<0.05) reduced floral abscission on cv. Mullering Brook. Overall, field applications of these three host plant defence elicitor chemicals as spray treatments had little effect on vase life, water uptake and relative fresh weight of the cut flower sprigs. Moreover, they did not suppress Botrytis or associated postharvest floral abscission in cut Geraldton waxflower flowers.


Abstract Recovery of Endangered Species Act—listed salmonids in the Columbia River basin has relied upon the efficacy of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer's juvenile salmon transportation program to move fish past Snake and Columbia River hydropower dams. The effectiveness of this program has been assessed by the indirect method of comparing smolt-to-adult returns. We present some of the first data and mortality estimates of barged and run-of-river (ROR) radio-tagged juvenile spring–summer Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha after release in the lower Columbia River, representing years of study. Our data suggest that smolt mortality (1) is very low for ROR and barged fish between Bonneville Dam and the estuary proper, a migratory distance of 180 river kilometers (rkm); (2) occurs in the lower estuary (rkm 0–46); (3) varies more across dates within a year than between years or between passage types (barged or ROR); (4) increases with time within a season and increasing numbers of avian predators, includi...


In this paper we consider some factors which are of potential importance in the debate concerning the sources of performance for intermediaries. Using data from depository institutions (banks and savings and loans), we find that the distributional intensity (provided by standardized number of offices in a market) is consistently important in explaining cross- sectional profitability. This result implies that the number of offices in a market is at least as important as more traditional measures of efficiency and concentration in determining returns in this sector of the financial services industry. Indeed, when pooled data are used, there is a strong quadratic relationship between return on assets and the number of offices in a market. We show that this relationship can be viewed as coming from spatially differentiated markets as opposed to collusion or efficiency per se. Finally, we provide evidence that results concerning the rule of efficiency versus market concentration are themselves sensitive to the implicit assumption that there are no close substitutes for the services provided by a sub-set of the industry. In particular, results from 'pooled' bank and thrift data often provide conclusions which are different from those which include only banks. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.


Several medical and biological applications face with multiclass recognition problems. Such polychotomies can be addressed by decomposition techniques, which reduce the polychotomy into a series of dichotomies and then provide the final multiclass label using a reconstruction rule. Within this framework, we present a reconstruction rule based on softmax regression, where the features of the new classification task are the crisp labels and the reliabilities of dichotomizers' classifications. The approach has been tested on six medical and biological datasets, decomposing the polychotomies via the Error-Correcting Output Code. Its performances favorably compare with those provided by other two well-known reconstruction rules both in terms of global accuracy and accuracy per class.


Nature conservation in the UK comprises not only a response to the perceived impacts of rationalization on nature but is itself a dimension of that process of rationalization. The paper describes the development of conservation institutions and ideologies in the UK and considers the ways in which ecology (and particularly ideas of nature as equilibrium) have provided the intellectual framework for conservation. Ecology underpinned the establishment of government conservation institutions, provided intellectual strategies for classifying and objectifying nature, and provided the knowledge base for the control and management of nature. The paper discusses the implications of non-equilibrial ideas in ecology for ideas and practice in conservation and the implications of responses to them in the form of re-rationalization.


Background and purpose: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a permanent debilitating disease that is accompanied by many complications. Patients suffering from CKD need dialysis for survival if kidney transplant is not performed for them. The rate of CKD and patients undergoing dialysis is increasing in Iran but there is a lack of information about the burden of disease. The aims of this study were to evaluate the causes of CKD and its complications in patients treated with hemodialysis in Sari. Materials and methods: A descriptive and analytical study was performed in all patients undergoing hemodialysis in Imam Khomeini and Fatemeh Zahra Hospitals affiliated to Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, 2013. Data was analyzed using SPSS V.16. Results: The patients were 210 of whom most were male. The subjects were almost younger than 60 years of age. The mean educational level was elementary or lower. The main causes of CKD were diabetes and hypertension with previous history in the family. Conclusion: High burden of disease and lack of insight on chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension among people calls for more attention of health authorities in feature planning to reduce the rate of CKD and its consequences.


Understanding how climate affects tree growth is crucial for assessing climate change impacts on forests. Furthermore, trees in more competitive environments appear to respond to climate differently than trees in less competitive environments. An important tool for investigating the growth-environment relationships is tree ring dating. This study aimed to characterize the climatic factors that affect Pinus taeda growth in southern Brazil in two distinct stand types: open growth trees and competing trees. We hypothesized that competing trees present more vulnerable responses to climate variability than open growth trees. Thus, we used increment borers to access long-term growth through tree rings. Pearson's correlation was applied to compare radial growth with monthly and annual climatic data. The chronologies generated for the two environments present similar year-to-year growth patterns. However, competing trees are more sensitive under limiting climate conditions than open growth trees. Water availability during the current spring/summer was the primary climate constraint for P. taeda growth in the region, followed by high temperatures during the summer, probably due to photosynthetic restrictions. The paper provides additional information on climatic factors that contribute to growth models and reports an important research field, considering planning forest management in the future.


Introduction Paget's disease of bone (PDB) is a chronic and focussed skeletal disorder, whose cause is unknown. The disease is located in the osteoclasts, which increase in number, size and activity. Bone turnover accelerates, with an increase in bone resorption, followed by excessive and disorganised formation. The result is bone which is not laminar (plexiform bone) highly vascularised, increased in volume, less compact and more susceptible to fracture or deformation. It is usually diagnosed at over 60 years of age, being infrequent below 40 years of age. It slightly predominates in males. It is the most common metabolic bone disease after osteoporosis. It is considered to be a multifactorial disease with the involvement of environmental and genetic factors. Its main clinical manifestations are bone deformity and pain. During its evolution various complications may appear, the most frequent being degenerative arthropathy in its vicinity, neurological changes due to compression, fractures, cardiac pathology, disorders of the metabolism and of bone remodelling. The diagnosis is based on clinical manifestations, raised levels of biochemical markers for bone remodelling (essentially, alkaline phosphatase – AP) and radiology. There is no curative treatment, but the antiresorptives, especially the diphosphonates, are efficacious in controlling the activity and progression of the disease. The therapeutic objectives are to eliminate bone pain, normalise bone remodelling, re-establish normal bone structure and prevent recurrence and complications.


Background: Renewed interest in regional anaesthesia during the recent COVID-19 pandemic has inspired application of neuraxial anaesthesia for previously unconventional indications, such as awake abdominal surgeries. These patients needed little sedation, since studies demonstrate that neuraxial anaesthesia causes sedation as measured by the bispectral index (BIS). In contrast, no published study has investigated the possible sedative effects of non-neuraxial regional anaesthesia. This pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT) was designed as a template for, and to test the feasibility of, performing a definitive RCT to establish if non-neuraxial regional anaesthesia has any sedative effect. Method(s): Forty participants presenting for forearm surgery were randomly allocated to two treatment groups (supraclavicular block and control). Their level of sedation was monitored with BIS prior to surgery for 60 minutes. Specific feasibility outcomes were planned and data were collected according to CONSORT 2010 recommendations. Result(s): Out of 48 patients screened, 41 (85.42%) were invited to participate. Forty patients (97.56%) consented and 100% of these completed the study. In four participants (10%), BIS electrodes needed replacement, while inadequate contact was shown in three participants (7.50%). Data collection and form completion were deemed "easy" and block success rate was 100%. Differences in mean BIS between groups were < 5 and a difference of 10% between groups in incidence of BIS < 80 (85% block group, 75% control group) was shown. Conclusion(s): We propose that progression to formal RCT is feasible only with specific modifications to the study design. The decrease in BIS value from baseline should be measured per patient and a clinically significant decrease should be estimated;emergency patients should be excluded;the sample size should be 500 patients;and multiple trial sites should be used. Further consideration should be given to whether such a trial would provide clinically useful information, and would justify the risks, patient discomfort and the considerable financial cost.Copyright © 2023, Medpharm Publications. All rights reserved.


Environmental thrillers — Glenn Suter and Richard J. Wenning
Fundamentals of environmental assessment — Richard J. Wenning
The war on cancer and the heroes working to win that fight — Richard J. Wenning
Prevention is better than cure — Glenn Suter
An artificial intelligence application for environmental assessment? — Glenn Suter
Distrust of science — Glenn Suter


During the 1970s, the USA supported the Shah's regime as one of its 'pillars' of security in the Persian Gulf. The Shah was sold arms and given economic and technical assistance in an effort to bolster his regime against the Ba'thist regime in Baghdad, which was supported by Moscow. With the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979, however, the US–Iranian relations turned sour. The USA, taken by surprise by the course of events, reacted with animosity to the unprecedented ferocity with which Iran's new regime behaved towards US interests, especially during the hostage-taking episode at the US Embassy. Since then, bilateral relations between the two countries have been non-existent, although under the Reagan administration some clandestine efforts were undertaken to restore certain communication channels. In the early 1990s, Washington adopted a policy of 'dual containment' in the region. Following the 1990 Gulf War, American policy-makers decided that by strengthening regional alliances with Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Turkey, Washington might be able to simultaneously contain two equally hostile and dangerous regimes, namely Iraq and Iran. This policy was obviously also based on the assumption that progress in the Middle East Peace Process and the improvement of relations between Israel and most Arab countries would strengthen American influence in the region and weaken the power structure of both Iran and Iraq. Nevertheless, Iran's geopolitical importance is greater than Iraq's and its challenge is more complex. Iran, OPEC's second largest oil producer and with the world's second largest natural gas reserves, is a key country for the international energy industry. Despite its significance, the US sanctions against Tehran have to date inhibited US investment in the Iranian oil and gas industry. It is interesting that the first agreement with a foreign oil company, since the 1979 Islamic revolution, for developing Iran's offshore oil and gas fields was reached with the US oil company Conoco in March 1995. Nonetheless, the latter


The term "poverty" is gradually replaced with the concept of "social exclusion", the latter involving, more social and economic phenomena, and is the opposite of social integration, which reflects the importance of perceived to be an integral part of society. The impact of exclusion to social integration can have negative consequences on the personal development, both individually and family because it involves a multitude of psychological problems such as depression, anxiety, low self-esteem. But, clearly, the goal of economic activity itself is the increase in quality of life and, as far as possible, the reduction of poverty.


A S PART of a study of the use of child-rearing literature by lowincome mothers,' questions were asked about their own and their children's use of the public library. The subjects were all the mothers of firstgraders in three Catholic schools in low-income areas in Chicago. There were ninety-eight Negro women, whose children filled two classrooms in an allNegro school. The eighty-two white women had children in two all-white schools within a few blocks of each other. Both neighborhoods were racially segregated. The average Negro woman in the sample had considerably more education and less income than the average white woman. Sixty-three per cent of the Negro women had graduated from high school and five had finished college, while only 43 per cent of the white mothers in the sample were high-school graduates and none had completed college. The major findings as to reading generally and especially reading on child-rearing have been reported elsewhere.2 The data on library use will be discussed here.


The growing deployment of interconnected technology from the Internet of Thins (IoT) is increasingly challenging the common understanding of privacy. The interdependencies between users' psychological mechanisms, technical dynamics of IoT and context-specific factors require a profound evaluation of privacy-related perceptions and behaviors under consideration of user-centric and system-based perspectives. The present dissertation contributes to the burgeoning research on privacy in the framework of IoT and aims at providing valuable insights regarding the acceptance of interconnected technologies. For this purpose, the thesis first reflects on relevant theoretical foundations including the privacy calculus theory, privacy concerns and the selective control of information from the socio-psychological perspective. Additionally, a new differentiation of the human and the technological levels of privacy is suggested in this work as a result of a combinatory approach from existing privacy theories. Against the background of privacy-related characteristics in IoT environments, particular challenges of empirical investigations of IoT are addressed. The present cumulus comprises three empirical studies, which provide results on the investigation of privacy calculus in three different fields of IoT application – smart home, healthcare and workplace. The examination of IoT in different contexts confirms that privacy calculus can be transferred as a theoretical basis for investigations of IoT as people weigh perceived risks against anticipated gratifications prior to their decision to use and accept a particular IoT device. However, given the limited possibilities of IoT users to control data collection, data processing or inferencing of information from sensor data, it is assumed that the outcome of privacy calculus in the framework of interconnected technologies changes towards a binary decision: to accept or reject a particular IoT device. Furthermore, the contextual perspective contributes to the identification of situation-specific factors of IoT deployment. The overarching discussion addresses the growing debate around privacy threatening technologies and, in addition to a critical reflection of the privacy calculus, elaborates on extensions of current privacy theories as a result of the adoption of IoT technology. Following theoretical considerations and the results of the three scientific articles, which constitute the present thesis, practical implications are provided with the aim to strengthen informational self-determination of individuals through legislation or a more profound consideration of user privacy in the development process of IoT products and services. Moreover, ethical implications suggest different approaches on how to deal with issues regarding discrimination or injustice as possible consequences of IoT dissemination. Finally, an outlook for future research on privacy in the framework of IoT is provided.


Pyrolysis properties of aluminum-plastic package waste were studied by Thermo gravimetric analysis-Differential thermal analysis-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (TG-DTA-FTIR).The results indicated that the pyrolysis reaction mainly occurred at 438- 500 ℃,and the maximum weight loss rate was observed at 470- 475 ℃.The main pyrolysis products were —C—C—,—CC? ?and aromatic hydrocarbon.The thermal process included four phases:PE melting and softening,PE pyrolysis,and aluminum melting when the temperature increased from 50 ℃ to 850 ℃.As for the aluminum-plastic waste containing paper,a new weight loss process was observed at the temperature between 312.4- 363.2 ℃,and the thermal process was more complex at higher temperature.


The authors of this article, which was published in Mol Microbiol (1999) 33(5): 946–958, would like to apologize for the omission of the following in the Acknowledgements section: 'The authors also wish to thank Dr Stephen Melville, University of Tennessee School of Medicine, Memphis, TN, USA, for the generous gift of C. perfringens strain SM101.' In addition, in recognition of this gift, they would like to add the following amendments to their text. On page 947, the first sentence of the first paragraph in column two should read: 'In order to evaluate the contribution of CPE to the GI pathogenesis of cpe-positive C. perfringens isolates better, our current study prepared an isogenic cpe knock-out mutant of SM101, which is an electroporatable derivative of C. perfringens type A food poisoning isolate NCTC 8798 (Zhao and Melville, 1998) that carries a chromosomal cpe gene (Sarker et al., data not shown), as well as . . ..' On page 947, the second sentence of the Results should read: 'This plasmid was transformed into C. perfringens strain SM101 [an electroporatable derivative of food poisoning isolate NCTC 8798 that was identified by Zhao and Melville (1998) and found by Sarker et al. (data not shown) to carry a chromosomal cpe gene] or F4969. . ..' On page 954, sentence eight of the full paragraph in column two should read: 'Consequently, we (for F4969) and others (for SM101; Zhao and Melville, 1998) expended considerable effort identifying wild-type cpe-positive isolates susceptible, at any frequency, to electroporation; we then faced the challenge of introducing our suicidal plasmid into these isolates, which was made more difficult by the low frequency of electroporation of this suicidal plasmid into SM101 and F4969.'


Preface 1. Locating our topic 2. Speaking is not revealing 3. The many modes of discourse 4. Divine discourse in the hands of theologians 5. What it is to speak 6. Could God have and acquire the rights and duties of a speaker? 7. Can God cause the events generative of discourse? 8. In defense of authorial-discourse interpretation: contra Ricoeur 9. In defense of authorial-discourse interpretation: contra Derrida 10. Performance interpretation 11. Interpreting the mediating human discourse: the first hermeneutic 12. Interpreting for the mediated divine discourse: the second hermeneutic 13. Has Scripture become a wax nose? 14. The illocutionary stance of Biblical narrative 15. Are we entitled? 16. Historical and theological afterword Endnotes Index.


It discloses a packet transmission method and apparatus in a communication system. Packet transmission method according to the invention is set packet in accordance with the process receives information and data rate information for the quality of service from an upper layer and a process of receiving from the lower layers provide the channel status information of the wireless terminal and the service information received create to include the step of transmitting a MAC layer. Aggregation, overhead, MAC


Aim: This research was carried out by method of comparative-reasonability in order to compare the critical thinking skill for juniors' girl students in ordinary and smart school. Methods: The population of the study was 2,705 juniors' student in schools of district one in Shahre Rey at 2013–2014. The case of study was 338 students who were selected randomly on the basis of the Cochran's formula. The tool of measurements was the test of the critical thinking. In order to analysis of the data, we used descriptive and inferential statistics. Result: The conclusions showed that the average of the score for critical thinking at deduction components, deductive reasoning and inductive reasoning in favor of smart schools and in dimensions of analysis and evaluation in favor of ordinary schools. Conclusions: In other word Information and Communications Technology in smart schools effect to critical thinking skill for juniors' girl students.


CSA News 15 E arly last year, approximately 100 scientists from around the world met at the Technion-IIT, Haifa, Israel to discuss how new technologies might be used to enhance our understanding of nutrient dynamics in soils and ultimately applied to improve nutrient management in agricultural ecosystems. The 11th Dahlia Greidinger Memorial Symposium on Advanced Methods for Investigating Nutrient Dynamics in Soils and Ecosystems was supported by the Dahlia Greidinger fund and BARD (Binational U.S.–Israeli fund for Agricultural R&D). The primary objective of the symposium was to identify knowledge gaps and priorities for research and development related to the need to quantify nutrient dynamics and reaction mechanisms, particularly those of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in crop/food production systems. There was a focus on advanced and novel tools and approaches (including those developed in other disciplines) that enable real-time/online investigation and quantification of processes as well as options to observe and model changes at various scales (from microscopic up to field scales). Manuscripts based on symposium presentations were solicited, seven of which have been published in the January–February 2014 issue of the Soil Science Society of America Journal. The full proceedings of the symposium are available at: http://dgsymp13.technion.ac.il/.


Cancer of unknown primary (CUP) is a heterogeneous group of metastatic tumors with a usually unfavorable prognosis. A 33‐year‐old female was diagnosed with pelvic squamous cell carcinoma of unknown primary. The tumor was p16‐positive, suggesting that it was human papillomavirus (HPV)‐related. The tumor progressed for 4 months after concurrent chemoradiotherapy (initial treatment) and was refractory to paclitaxel plus carboplatin (second‐line therapy). Liquid‐based cancer genomic profiling identified five pathogenic variants, including Neurofibromin1 (NF1) (p.T1690Mfs*5); however, due to the lack of domestic clinical trials, the patient could not receive genome‐based molecular‐target therapies. Simultaneously, nivolumab was administered to the patient post its approval in Japan for CUP. The tumor responded to nivolumab, accompanied by decreased levels of tumor markers. NF1 mutations and HPV‐related carcinogenesis may be associated with a favorable response to nivolumab treatment. It may therefore serve as a potential treatment against cancers of unknown primaries.


This paper presents extensive investigations of state-selective vibrational excitation induced by an IR picosecond laser pulse, including the first simulation of such processes by means of fast Fourier transform propagation of a molecular wave packet ψ(t). For simplicity, we consider a model Morse oscillator with potential V m and semiclassical dipole interaction-μE(t). A selective resonant laser field E(t) with sin 2 shape is chosen and compared with several alternatives, including much less efficient CW excitations


David William Smith, the first Surveyor General of Upper Canada, the second largest landowner ever in Pickering Township, and, at one time, the owner of most of the land that is now Ajax, was Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe's most consistent administrator and the principal architect and implementer of the province's new and complex land-granting system. However, his many accomplishments have been largely overlooked. This article seeks to return Smith to his rightful place as a key shaper in early Upper Canada's fortunes.