The improvement of the relationships between teachers and students is an important way to improve the teaching quality.From the angle of classroom teaching,lesson preparation,coaching,exercise checking and other aspects,this paper discusses some methods in course teaching of college mathematics that may improve the relationships between the teachers and students.


BACKGROUND: Besides ABO and RH, the KEL blood group system, including the two antithetical antigens KEL1 and KEL2, is the most important owing to the frequent appearance of anti‐KEL alloantibodies and their considerable clinical significance. So far, only limited information was available on KEL variant alleles determining the rare silent KELnull and KELel phenotypes with absent or diminished KEL antigen expression detected only by adsorption‐elution techniques, respectively.


As diabetes mellitus (DM) is a disease that needs changes that last a life time, an educational action is necessary to instruct and make the diabetic aware of the importance of his/her knowledge about the disease as an integral part of the care. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the knowledge acquired by the diabetic treated at an interdisciplinary ambulatory about themes related to DM and compare these results with those obtained in a study with the same purpose carried out in 1995 when discouraging results


Due to rapid developments in computational mechanics, various advanced numerical and analytical methods for simulation of differential equations in applied science have been proposed. Variational iteration method (VIM) and its developments are a class of exact solutions which are mostly implemented in applied physics. The present paper focuses on three hydrological phenomena, namely surface infiltration equation (Green-Ampt equation), surface water simulation (fully dynamic equation), and fully infiltration equation (Richards' equation) and their exact solution with VIM and its modified version presented by Pade approximation. The possibility of the application of this type of mathematical approach in applied hydrology has been studied and comparison demonstrates competent developments in physics and applied physics solution procedures.


Achieving ambitious goals to conserve at least 30% of U.S. lands and waters by 2030 ("30 × 30") will require a multiscale baseline understanding of current protections, key decisionmakers, and policy tools for moving forward. To help conservationists and decisionmakers support the science‐based call to address the biodiversity and climate crises, we analyze the current spatial patterns of biodiversity and carbon in the United States relative to protected areas and present a typology for classifying land contributions toward the 30 × 30 goals. Analyses demonstrate that 30% is achievable nationally, but spatial heterogeneity highlights the need for tailored approaches from a mix of authorities at federal, regional, and state scales. Current land protections rarely overlap with areas essential for conserving imperiled species biodiversity and mitigating climate change. One‐fifth of unprotected biodiversity hotspots and over 8% carbon‐rich areas face a higher risk of land conversion by 2050. In contrast, 3.6% of key biodiversity areas and 15.6% of carbon‐rich areas may experience higher climate exposure. Policy considerations for making practical, substantive progress toward ecologically meaningful achievement of 30 × 30 goal include the need for significant investments in public and private lands conservation.


Article history: Received 7 January 2008 Received in revised form 1 April 2008 Accepted 10 April 2008 Available online 15 April 2008


The present investigation was carried out at Horticulture Research Centre, Pattharchatta, G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, district- Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand during the year 2015-16. The results showed that the foliar application of macro and micronutrients exhibited improvement in fruit set, fruit yield, quality and nutrient status of soil and leaf. The investigation has shown that the application of treatment T10: RDF + NPK: 20:20:20 @ 1% (2 Spray: first-15 days and Second- 45 days after fruit set) + foliar spray of ZnSO4 @ 0.4% + Boric acid @ 0.2% + CuSO4 @ 0.2% (2 Spray at just before flowering and marble stage) was found very effective for increasing yield plant-1 (228.24 kg).The results related to soil and leaf nutrient status are varied and showed that higher available nitrogen (212.47 kg ha-1) in soil was found with the application of T10 treatment whereas, the higher available phosphorus (75.79 kg ha-1) and potassium (223.46 kg ha-1) in soil were found with the application of T8: RDF + IIHR Mango Special @ 5 g/l (2 sprays at two months before flowering and marble stage).The micronutrient status of soil showed that the available boron (1.70 ppm) and iron (22.92 ppm) were found higher in soil with the application of T10 treatment However, higher zinc (0.91 ppm), copper (3.24 ppm) and manganese (26.09 ppm) content in soil were found with the application of T8 treatment. The significantly higher leaf nitrogen (1.96 %), phosphorus (0.99 %), potassium (0.87 %), iron (198.27 ppm), boron (19.87 ppm) and manganese (60.88 ppm) were found with the application of T8 treatment whereas, zinc (33.14 ppm) and copper (37.40 ppm) were found higher with the application of T7: RDF + ZnSO4 @ 100 g + CuSO4 @ 50 g + Boric acid @ 50 g (soil application) + Foliar spray of ZnSO4 @ 0.2 % + CuSO4 @ 0.1 % + Boric acid @ 0.1 % (2 sprays at just before flowering and marble stage).


We have developed a numerical algorithm, HUBBERT, to simulate the hydrodynamics of a propagating vertical, rectangular fracture in an elastic porous medium. Based on the IFD method, this algorithm assumes fracture geometry to be prescribed. The breakdown and the creation of the incipient fracture is carried out according to the Hubbert-Willis theory. The propagation of the fracture is based on the criterion provided by Griffith, based on energy considerations. The deformation properties of the open fracture are based on simple elasticity solutions. The fracture is assumed to have an elliptical shape to a distance equal to the fracture height, beyond which the shape is assumed to be parallel plate. A consequence of Griffith's criterion is that the fracture must propagate in discrete steps. The parametric studies carried out suggest that for a clear understanding of the hydrodynamics of the hydraulic fracture many hitherto unrecognized parameters must be better understood. Among these parameters one might mention, efficiency, aperture of the newly formed fracture, stiffness of the newly formed fracture, relation between fracture aperture and permeability, and well bore compliance. The results of the studies indicate that the patterns of pressure transients and the magnitudes of fracture length appear to conform tomore » field observations. In particular, the discrete nature of fracture propagation as well as the relevant time scales of interest inferred from the present work seem to be corroborated by seismic monitoring in the field. The results suggest that the estimation of least principal stress can be reliably made either with shut in data or with reinjection data provided that injection rates are very small.« less


The introduction of the new Advanced Subsidiary (AS) courses in England and Wales in September 2000 (May p8) will have a far greater impact on education for 16–19-year olds than simply broadening the post-16 curriculum. Physicists in the UK should be particularly concerned about how it might affect the uptake of physics post-17.


There are a number of information literacy models in existence, of which Christine Bruce's Seven Faces of IL, SCONUL's Seven Pillars model and the Big 6 are possibly the best known. Panning for Gold, which aims to identify information literacy education implications for academic curricula and library programmes, presents an alternative: the Net Lenses Model, developed to represent searching behaviour in the electronic information environment. Essentially, this book is the author's doctoral thesis, and is based on research carried out with students at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). It examines information literacy from a phenomenographical approach and defines four conceptions of information seeking in an online environment. Phenomenography, as a qualitative research method, has its roots in education and has been developed from investigations into students' experiences of learning. Edwards, a librarian who became an academic in the School of Information Systems at QUT, chose to apply this method to her study of web-based informationseeking behaviour to better understand the variation in student perceptions, experiences and conceptions of finding information. The Net Lenses Model model builds on Kuhlthau's Information Search Process and Bruce's Seven Pillars model. Edwards identifies four conceptions, or categories, which depict the information-searching skill levels of the students who participated in the study. Category 1 describes searching as looking for a needle in a haystack, with web-based information visualized as a formless, unstructured mass from which it is difficult to find relevant information. Category 2 defines the search process as finding a way through a maze, which, by exploring blind alleys and dead ends, selecting search terms and using synonyms, will persevere to achieve a successful outcome. Category 3 introduces the idea of planning searches and understanding how to use tools to filter out irrelevant material, thus reducing search results to a manageable set. Category 4 is seen as panning for gold, by using filtering mechanisms and modifying strategies to locate quality primary, rather than secondary sources of information. Edwards's Net Lenses Model is an electronic portrayal of the categories by which students' information searching is defined. It uses a Flash program to demonstrate interactively the 'outcome space' which illustrates the critical dimensions of and relationships between the four conceptions identified by the author's research. ethnography in its number. She also includes grounded theory in this section and offers an interesting debate on whether grounded theory is in fact a method or a mode of analysis. I applaud the way Pickard distinguishes between methodology and methods and between research methods and data collection methods, again, terminology too often confused by those beginning research. Part 3 looks at various methods used to collect data including interviews, diaries, focus groups and questionnaires. Pickard reminds us that research is not a static process and she encourages us to try out different techniques since, as she notes, finding out what does not work can be just as illuminating as discovering what does – she gives an example of this when describing the use of diaries as a collection method. She also reminds us that in many studies, data collection and data analysis go hand-in-hand since what we discover will undoubtedly influence the next step in data collection. The introduction to this section includes a number of practical tips which are both reassuring and sensible – a recurring theme in this book. The final section of the text is concerned with data analysis and presentation. Pickard begins this section with a helpful disclaimer: she lets us know that her text cannot and does not attempt to cover the depth and detail of data analysis and suggests that we read much more widely to learn more. With this proviso in mind, her chapters on analysis cover the essential elements but do not go into sufficient detail to allow the novice researcher to use them to guide their data analysis. Pickard writes briefly about the advantages and disadvantages of using software for data analysis. She discusses SPSS and MINITAB for quantitative analysis but mentions only NUD.IST as an example of qualitative data analysis (QDA). The last chapter of the book lays out a rubric for presenting the research and stresses the need for justification of every step of the research process. Pickard has evidently learned much from her own research as well as from her interactions with research students; her sage advice has the hallmark of those experiences stamped on it. Overall, the book does exactly what it sets out to do: it provides a how-to guide to the research process from conception to presentation and it does so in an accessible, practical manner. It almost feels as if she is helping you through the thinking involved in the process. This book will be of practical value to LIS students and to those studying archives and records management as well as to beginning research in practice. On a final note, one of Pickard's aims in writing the book was to share the joy of research, comparing research to a grand adventure and researchers to intrepid explorers: she conveys these aspects extremely well and I finished this book excitedly anticipating my next research adventure.


Numerical analysis course has important guiding significance for data analysis ability of science and engineering graduate students. Based on BP neural network, we study the teaching influencing factors and teaching reform analysis of numerical analysis course. The teaching quality evaluation of numerical analysis is constructed based on BP neural network. The course of numerical analysis is evaluated from the aspects of classroom teaching, extracurricular development, students' knowledge reserve, and teaching results. 0.820675 is the related coefficient between the predicted value of the neural network and the actual value of questionnaire results, which shows that the constructed teaching quality evaluation model is reliable. Through the related coefficient analysis of the data, the main factors affecting the quality of teaching are obtained to provide new direction and orientation for teaching reform.


Indonesia and Pakistan are two largest Muslim majority countries in the world, in which, Indonesia is a nation home to 12.7% Muslims followed by 11.2% in Pakistan of the world's Muslims. Economic growth of these countries is affected because of the global Muslim population; increasing demand for high quality and safe products; a strong partnership in the field of export and import. The fundamental understanding of halal industry has undeniably helped the Muslim consumers in taking halal into greater awareness in the last few decades. In the globalization era, halal has been upgraded from its traditional understanding to the modern era. According to academic term, halal studies can be defined as scientific knowledge with a multidisciplinary program which is based on the halal concept or halal framework. This study is to determine the halal frame of two countries between Indonesia and Pakistan under the partnership term of halal trade center PHDA and MUI since 2016. This research using literature review and primary data to finding the affected product of the two countries and the significance of the halal trade both state. The method of this research is using regression analysis to finding and clarify the contribution of the halal awareness of both countries. The results of this paper has different aspects from each country between Indonesia and Pakistan that has been influencing the halal industry. All those aspects affected the awareness into halal industry are similar with different intuition and perspective.


In this article we analyze how women's entrepreneurship is affected when a mainly femaledominated industry in the Public Sector is subject to competition. We study the childcare industry in Sweden, ...


We present a 190–307 GHz broadband spectrum obtained with Z-Spec of NGC 1068 with new measurements of molecular rotational transitions. After combining our measurements with those previously published and considering the specific geometry of this Seyfert 2 galaxy, we conduct a multi-species Bayesian likelihood analysis of the density, temperature, and relative molecular abundances of HCN, HNC, CS, and HCO+. We find that these molecules trace warm (T>100 K) gas of H2 number densities 104.2–104.9 cm−3. Our models also place strong constraints on the column densities and relative abundances of these molecules, as well as on the total mass in the circumnuclear disk. Using the uniform calibration afforded by the broad Z-Spec bandpass, we compare our line ratios to X-ray-dominated region (XDR) and photon-dominated region models. The majority of our line ratios are consistent with the XDR models at the densities indicated by the likelihood analysis, lending substantial support to the emerging interpretation that the energetics in the circumnuclear disk of NGC 1068 are dominated by accretion onto an active galactic nucleus.


Abstract The chemical composition of the essential oil obtained from dried fruits of Elettaria cardamomum Maton. (Zingiberaceae) of Delhi region was analyzed by gas liquid chromatography (GLC) and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The variations in essential oil components under different physical factors have been determined. The oil was characterized by a large number monoterpenes (97.6 %) constituting 1,8-cineole (89.6 %), cis-ocimene (3.7 %) and α-terpinene (2.2 %) as the major components. Except the volatile oil exposed to sunlight, 1,8-cineole was detected in all the oil samples and its amount varied from 29.4 % in heated oil to 89.4 % in untreated oil. Linalool, thujyl alcohol, limonene-1,2-epoxide, citronellol, trans-pinocarveol, nerol and linalyl acetate were generated when the oil was heated at 110°C. Exposer of the oil with sunlight, enhanced the production of linalyl acetate (17.8 %) and borneol (12.1 %). 1,4-Cineole, pcymene-8-ol and isoborneol were only detected in UV exposed oil while the 2-heptane was only identified in high amounts in silica gel and alumina treated volatile oils.


Received on: 09/26/2018 Accepted on: 11/11/2018 Abstract: In this study, we aim investigate how 'counterword' is built within written discourses of students and how the revision and rewriting processes can contribute towards 'counterword' manifestation in texts produced in a teaching situation. For that achievement, we are based on the dialogic concept in language learning process (BAKHTIN, 2003; BAKHTIN/ VOLOCHINOV, 2010) and in the considerations on revision and rewriting processes (MENEGASSI, 1998; JESUS, 2004; RUIZ, 2010). In the study, we analyzed the written textual production process of the discursive genre school abstract, produced by students, considering: a) the orientations present in the command of production; b) the first version of the student's text; c) corrections made in the teacher review process; d) the second version of the text produced. The analysis showed transformations of "other's word" into "mine word" and the contributions of the teacher's correction to students' textual production and to 'counterword' manifestation.


Abstract in this paper, a new aigorithm to soive subset regression probiems is describied, caiied the minimal residual QR-factorization algorithm (MRQR). This scheme performs a QR factorization with a new column-pivoting strategy. Basically, this strategy is based on the change in the residual of the least-squares problem. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that this basic scheme might be extended in a numerically efficient way to combine the advantages of existing numerical procedures, such as the singular value decomposition, with those of more classical statistical pro- cedures, such as stepwise regression. In this paper this extension is presented as an advisory-expert system that guides the user in solving the subset regression problem. The advantages of the new procedure are highlighted by a numerical example. 1 Introduction The least-squares problem considered in this paper is formulated as min llAz - bI(2 (1) where A E RmX" (m 2 n) ,b E Rm and 11.112 denotes the Euclidean norm of a vector. For a number of applications, equation


(Continued from Pagc 129.) I-N an appendix to the report of the Committee on the Medical Service in tlle Highlands andIslands, Dr. Leslie Mackenzie, Medical Member of the Local Government Board for Scotland, deals with a sclheme for the administrative consolidation of medical service. This appendix is analysed below. It contains many valui able suggestions as to the appointment of a central authority for the administration of inedical services in the Highlands and Islands. INTRODUCTION. Tlle Committee's remit contains the words: "To advise as to the best method of securing a satisfactory medical s3rvice therein, regard being had to the duties and responsibilities of the public authorities operating in suclh district." Dr. Mackenzie points out that if suclh a grant is to result in the establishing of a " satisfactory medical service," it is essential that the existing medical services shall be consolidated and a large number of statutes affecting tlle health of the country as a whole readjusted. As the Committee is concerned only witlh the Highlands and Islands, tlle present seems a favourable occasion for the framing of


It is critical and challenging to start direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) from various environmental states to an ideal operating state by a sensor-less method. This paper presents a novel methanol sensor-less startup control (SLSC) algorithm based on the unimodal relationship of current vs. methanol concentration at a constant cell voltage during DMFC startup. A series of experiments indicate that the SLSC algorithm is capable of starting a DMFC under various initial concentrations and initial temperatures and can be easily adjusted to reduce the startup time or improve the energy efficiency. The wide applicability and easy adjustment characteristics give the SLSC algorithm a potential prospect in the DMFC system.


We analyzed 2000–2004 growing‐season SeaWinds Ku‐band microwave backscatter and MODIS leaf area index (LAI) data over North America. Large anomalies in mid‐growing‐season mean backscatter and LAI, relative to 5‐year mean values, occurred primarily in the western Great Plains; backscatter and LAI anomalies had similar spatial patterns across this region. Backscatter and LAI time series data for three ∼103 km2 regions in the western Great Plains were strongly correlated (r2 ∼ 0.6–0.8), and variability in mid‐growing season values was well‐correlated with annual precipitation (October through September). The results indicate that SeaWinds backscatter is sensitive to interannual variability in grassland biomass/productivity, and can provide an assessment that is completely independent of optical/near‐infrared remote sensing instruments.


SUMMARY With over 200 rivers around the world crossing international boundaries, internationally accepted treaties and agreements form the main framework for cross-border river development and operations. The Columbia River basin, in western North America, provides a significant example of effective cross-border river regulation. The river system is the fourth largest in North America but is called the "most powerful" river system on the continent, with an installed hydroelectric generating capacity of about 35,000 MW. The river originates in Canada and flows about 2,000 km to the Pacific Ocean in the United States. The river is operated under a treaty signed by the two countries in 1961, 13 years after a severe flood on the river that caused much damage in both countries. It was recognized that additional upstream storage regulation was needed to prevent similar flooding and that it would also help to improve power production at hydro plants in both countries. The Columbia River Treaty (CRT) is then an important planning and operations agreement to maximize benefits (multiple water uses) from the river for both countries. Under the CRT, Canada and US built storage regulation dams and agreed to operate the storage behind these dams in a coordinated manner to optimize for flood control and power needs. The objective of this work is to describe and analyze the CRT and to discuss the increasing public awareness of social and environmental issues in both countries, which has resulted in increasing pressures to modify river operations to optimize for other values in addition to power and flood control. While it is often difficult to find compatibility between the different goals of multiple water use, the CRT partners have maintained a cooperative attitude to find many "win-win" supplemental agreements, which have improved non-power operations on both sides of the border while maintaining the integrity of the CRT. Water resource conflict has long been discussed as one of the greatest threats to peace during the 21st century but early dialogue and earnest attempts to promote cooperation could, just as easily, turn such difficulties into a source of harmony rather than dispute. As will be seen, the CRT is a good example of such cooperation.


The problem of this study was to determine the relationship of double sex standards to achievement and to selected personality variables of female college students. The following hypotheses were formulated: Hypothesis 1 Women with low acceptance of double sex standards will be found to have a higher grade-point average than will women with high acceptance of double sex standards. Hypothesis 2 Women with low acceptance of double sex standards will have greater internal locus of control than will women with high acceptance of double sex standards. Hypothesis 3 Women with high acceptance of double sex standards will be more influenced by powerful others than will women with low acceptance of double sex standards. Hypothesis 4 Women with high acceptance of double sex standards will show a greater tendency to believe that chance controls their lives than will women with low acceptance of double sex standards. Hypothesis 5 Women with high acceptance of double sex standards will have a greater fear of negative evaluation than will women with low acceptance of double sex standards. Hypothesis 6 Women with low acceptance of double sex standards will show more motivation to succeed than will women with high acceptance of double sex standards. The testing of hypotheses resulted in rejection of Hypothesis 1 and Hypothesis 6, and acceptance of the remaining four hypotheses. The conclusions, limited to the subjects included in the study, are that women who differ greatly on the subject of equality between the sexes do not differ in their scholastic achievement or in their motivation to succeed. In terms of the variable of locus of control, it is concluded that in the two groups studied women who show high support for equality between the sexes are more internal and women who show low support for equality are more external as a group. Lastly, the conclusion can be made that women in the group who reject equality between the sexes are more fearful of receiving negative evaluations of their behavior.


This paper will review the state-of-the-art for modeling compound semiconductor HFETs and HEMTs for microwave power applications. Some simple physics shows why SPICE models, or compact models, cannot contain all aspects of the device operation. Because the models are incomplete, any given model may always be improved and thus, modifiable user-defined compact models are preferred. In particular, Verilog-A coded models are shown to have many desirable features. Minimum modeling requirements for accurate system and circuit simulation are described, as well as present modeling techniques.


The hydroforming process is rapidly gaining popularity in the sheet metal forming industry. In this study, hydroforming process is applied to the seat back frame. The load-deformation characteristics of seat frame are simulated according to the test requirements by FMVSS. Structural analyses were pe...


Amorphous TiO2 (Am-TiO2) was prepared via a simple step through hydrolysis.The as-prepared Am-TiO2 was characterized by X-ray diffraction,X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy,UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy,and N2 adsorption-desorption.Large surface area (216 m2/g) and abundant surface hydroxyl group/chemical adsorbed water were observed on Am-TiO2.Compared with crystallized TiO2,the adsorption edge of Am-TiO2 exhibited a blue shift (from 411 to 378 nm).Rapid photo-sensitized degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) was achieved on Am-TiO2 under visible light (λ 420 nm) irradiation.The pseudo-first-order rate constant (k=0.0325 min-1) was 6.5 and 5.2 times that of anatase and TiO2 P25,respectively.Moreover,both the N-deethylation and cleavage of chromophore ring structure of RhB were observed on Am-TiO2 while only the latter path predominated on crystallized TiO2.The difference between cleavage of chromophore ring structure and N-deethylation was ascribed to different anchoring groups of RhB on TiO2 through-COOH and-N+Et2,respectively.Testing in 4 recycle experiments,the degradation rate of RhB did not change significantly,indicating the excellent stability and reusability of the Am-TiO2 photocatalyst.


This paper presents a new wireless power transfer topology for electric vehicle (EV) charging application. The main emphasis is given on high frequency DC-AC and AC-DC wireless power transfer stage where the inversion stage is current fed topology. The required resonance in transmitter side is C-C-L type and in the receiver side series L-C type. Inductor in dc-link provides short circuit protection during inverter fault. Stiff current in the input limits the inverter switch current stress. The required high transmitter coil current for air core coupled inductor circulates through parallel resonating capacitor. Resonant converter provides soft switching at device turn off which reduces switching loss. Also, soft recovery at bridge rectifier eliminates diode reverse recovery loss. The converter is analyzed and simulated using PowerSIM software. A 500W Lab-prototype is developed and hardware results are added to validate the analysis and simulation results.


Aesthetic illusion – or ›immersion‹ as it is also somewhat reductively called – is frequently equalled to ›referential illusion‹. This latter term implies that a recipient's feeling of being recentred in a represented world depends on his or her impression of being confronted with reality while the representation in question is actually fictional. This has two further implications: first that the reception effect under discussion is determined by a referential misperception, and second that it can only be triggered by fictional representations. The essay argues that these implications are misleading and stem from a reductive view of aesthetic illusion: aesthetic illusion, in its essence, does not presuppose that one actually mistakes fiction for reality and has only a loose connection with the opposition ›factuality vs. fictionality‹. In particular, the essay discusses three theses, as detailed in chapter 1: • Aesthetic illusion is not co-extensive with referential illusion and must be conceived of differently. • The emergence of aesthetic illusion is to a large extent independent of the actual fictionality or factuality of a representation. • However, eliciting an awareness of factuality can further aesthetic illusion, and activating an awareness of fictionality can undermine or destroy it. In order to clarify these theses, chapters 2 and 3 give a detailed explanation of the concept of aesthetic illusion, its nature and factors. Chapter 2 first defines aesthetic illusion as a hybrid consisting of a predominant impression of experiential immersion in, and a latent rational distance towards, a represented world (aesthetic illusion has thus essentially an experiential rather than a referential quality). As a consequence of this hybridity, aesthetic illusion is gradable and instable – that is, it can be undermined or ›destroyed‹ when distance becomes dominant. Second, the following factors contributing to the emergence of aesthetic illusion are discussed: the representation as the trigger of ›immersion‹, the role of the recipients (who have a decisive share in the emergence of illusion and may relativize all apodictic statements about the illusionism of given artefacts, texts or performances), and the contexts in which the act of reception takes place. Finally, the example of narrative fiction is used to decribe the following characteristic features of typically illusionist representations and the principles of illusion-making: • The content level of illusionist artefacts and texts is the central level; the represented worlds have a certain extension and complexity, are consistent, tend to be life-like in their inventory and are interesting for the (contemporary) recipient. • Their level of transmission remains comparatively inconspicuous, serving mainly to depict the represented worlds and to enhance their interesting quality, consistency and life-likeness. • The contents and their transmission tend to be serious. • The texts (or artefacts and performances) are predominantly heteroreferential. These features are produced by fulfilling most if not all of the following six principles of illusion-making: • the principle of access-facilitating construction and vivid presentation of the represented world's inventory, • the principle of consistency of the represented world, • the principle of life-like perspectivity, • the principle of respecting and exploiting the potentials of the representational macro-frames, media and genres employed, • the principle of generating interest (in particular emotional interest) in the represented world, • the principle of ›celare artem‹. In the third chapter, the relative unimportance of fictionality or factuality for aesthetic illusion is discussed in more detail. This unimportance may rest on a certain human predisposition to ›suspend disbelief‹ as well as on the fact that aesthetic illusion appeals more to the emotions than to distancing reason, but above all it is explicable by the fact that both fictional and factual representations can fulfil the principles of illusion-making and produce the characteristic features typically encountered in illusionist works. Aesthetic illusion is thus above all experiential illusion and as a consequence cannot be equated with referential illusion. However, where artefacts – in addition to providing the impression of being immersed in and experiencing a ›world‹ –, manage to produce the feeling of being factual rather than fictional, this may intensify the immersion. Conversely, the fourth chapter deals with the question to what extent aesthetic illusion can be affected by eliciting an awareness of fictionality, in particular through metareferential devices. It is argued that metareference which only lays bare, or comments on, the (obvious) artificial (non-natural) status of an artefact has less effect than in addition laying bare its fictionality in the usual sense of ›inventedness‹. In the final chapter some perspectives of future research on aesthetic illusion are pointed out. Since aesthetic illusion is a wide-spread phenomenon that is not restricted to fiction and can be said to be transmodal (embracing narratives as well as descriptions), transgeneric (extending, for instance, in literature, to drama and even to some kinds of lyric poetry) and intermedial (having relevance to literature, the visual arts, film and other media), such research should adopt a wide perspective. Moreover, it should generally be intensified, since aesthetic illusion is among the most important reception-phenomena of texts and artefacts – in spite of the fact that it has also been vigorously opposed, most recently in postmodernism.


Abstract Beat tracking – i.e. deriving from a music audio signal a sequence of beat instants that might correspond to when a human listener would tap his foot – involves satisfying two constraints. On the one hand, the selected instants should generally correspond to moments in the audio where a beat is indicated, for instance by the onset of a note played by one of the instruments. On the other hand, the set of beats should reflect a locally-constant inter-beat-interval, since it is this regular spacing between beat times that defines musical rhythm. These dual constraints map neatly onto the two constraints optimized in dynamic programming, the local match, and the transition cost. We describe a beat tracking system which first estimates a global tempo, uses this tempo to construct a transition cost function, then uses dynamic programming to find the best-scoring set of beat times that reflect the tempo as well as corresponding to moments of high 'onset strength' in a function derived from the audio. This very simple and computationally efficient procedure is shown to perform well on the MIREX-06 beat tracking training data, achieving an average beat accuracy of just under 60% on the development data. We also examine the impact of the assumption of a fixed target tempo, and show that the system is typically able to track tempo changes in a range of ±10% of the target tempo.


In this research, the Dongjiang River basin was taken as the study area to analyze the spatial distribution and output characteristics of nonpoint source pollution, based on the export coefficient model. The results showed that the annual total nitrogen and phosphorus (i.e. TN and TP) loads from the Dongjiang River basin were 67916114.6 and 7215279.707 kg, respectively. Residents, forestland and pig were the main contributors for the TN load in the Dongjiang River basin, while residents, forestland and rainfed croplands were the three largest contributors for the TP load. The NPS pollution had a significant spatial variation in this area. The pollution loads overall decreased from the northeast to the southwest part of the basin. Also, the pollution loads from the gentle slope area were larger than those from steep slope areas. Among the ten tributary watersheds in the Dongjiang River basin, the TN and TP loads from the Hanxi River watershed were the largest. On the contrary, the Gongzhuang River watershed contributed least to the total pollution loads of the Dongjiang River basin. For the average pollution load intensities, Hanxi River watershed was still the largest. However, the smallest average TN and TP load intensities were in the Xinfeng River watershed.


The federal government needs to authorize an intensive research program into the possible effects on man-made substances, particularly chlorofluorocarbons, on the earth's atmosphere. But it should hold off making any move toward banning the substances until more scientific evidence is available. This, generally, was the consensus of a number of witnesses from the scientific community, federal agencies, and industry who testified during two days of hearings held earlier this month by the House Subcommittee on Public Health & Environment. The subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Paul G. Rogers (D.-Fla.), is considering legislation giving the Environmental Protection Agency power to ban fluorocarbons if they prove to be a potential threat to the integrity of the earth's ozone layer. The bill, H.R. 17577, also authorizes a nine-month study by the National Academy of Sciences of the effects of fluorocarbons on the atmosphere. A number of scientists have expressed concern recently that chlorofluorocarbons, which are q...


Based on regular solution sublattice model,equilibrium volume fraction,composition and chemical driving force of carbonitride precipitates as well as the mass fraction of alloying elements in a new type of Nb bearing high strength steel at temperatures from 1073 K to1473 K were calculated. Using classical nucleation and growth model,the critical nucleus size,nucleation energy and the relative nucleation rate at dislocations in the temperature range of 1073 K to 1473 K were also computed. The results show that the equilibrium volume fraction of precipitates,the ratio of Nb C in the precipitates and chemical driving force of precipitation increase,and the ratio of Nb N in the precipitates and mass fraction of each element solutioned in the steel decreases with decreasing temperature. The critical nucleus size and nucleation energy are deduced,and the relative nucleation rate is raised at the dislocations with decreasing temperature.When the temperature reaches 1073 K,N is basically precipitated C and N in the precipitates reach equilibrium.


Inspired by the South China University of Technology (SCUT) in constructing "Double First-Class" disciplines, the characteristics of design-related specialties and the latest talent training targets, this thesis reflects SCUT's undergraduate training scheme and curriculum system, and probes into problems and countermeasures in the reform of enrollment and training mode for the category of design.


Modern manufacturing organizations have to cope with several critical issues arising from the need for mass customization such as short product life-cycles, an increasing number of product variants ...


Although there is extensive research regarding legged manipulators, comparatively little focuses on their User Interfaces (UIs). Towards extending the state-of-art in this domain, in this work, we integrate a Boston Dynamics (BD) Spot® with a light-weight 7 DoF Kinova® robot arm and a Robotiq® 2F-85 gripper into a legged manipulator. Furthermore, we jointly control the robotic platform using an affordance-aware Augmented Reality (AR) Head-Mounted Display (HMD) UI developed for the Microsoft HoloLens 2. We named the combined platform Holo-SpoK. Moreover, we explain how this manipulator colocalises with the HoloLens 2 for its control through AR. In addition, we present the details of our algorithms for autonomously detecting grasp-ability affordances and for the refinement of the positions obtained via vision-based colocalisation. We validate the suitability of our proposed methods with multiple navigation and manipulation experiments. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of an AR HMD UI for controlling legged manipulators.


General Purpose computing on Graphics Processor Units (GPGPU) brings massively parallel computing (hundreds of compute cores) to the desktop at a reasonable cost, but requires that algorithms be carefully designed to take advantage of this power. The present work explores the possibilities of CUDA (NVIDIA Compute Unified Device Architecture) using GPGPU approach for 2D Triangulation of Polygons. We have conducted an experiment to measure the performance of the GPU with respect to the CPU. The experiment consists of implementing a serial and a parallel algorithm to triangulate 2D polygons and executing both algorithms on several different sets of polygons to compare the performance. We also present an application that uses the polygon triangulation.


Deoxyamino-co-tosylcellulose (DATC) was prepared by nucleophilic substitution of the p. toluenesulfonyl (tosyl) group of cellulose p-toluenesulfonate [tosylcellulose; degree of substitution (DS) by tosyl group (DStosyl)=0.92], which had been heterogeneously prepared from microcrystalline cellulose, by NH3 in water. In the substitution, DS by amino group (DSamino) increased with increasing reaction temperature and with reaction time, and reached up to 0.48 at 70°C for 96h, while DStosyl decreased to 0.05 under the same conditions. Ability of the obtained DATC powder to remove detrimental gases in the air was examined. The amount of adsorbed gaseous acetaldehyde increased with increasing DSamino of DATC, and about 70% of acetaldehyde of 1.15wt.% in 1.6L air was removed by 1.0g of DATC with DSamino of 0.48 after 24h. Adsorption of gaseous acetic acid showed a similar tendency but with slightly larger amounts. The amount of adsorbed n-propylamine decreased with increasing DSamino, the decrease being deduced to result from a decrease in the amount of tosyl groups in DATC. Regeneration of the ability of DATC, which had once adsorbed acetaldehyde gas, was examined. The abitity to remove acetaldehyde was almost perfectly recovered by washing with a dilute acid aqueous solution.


Using Hydrangea macrophylla as test materials,the effect of the same concentration of GA3,NAA,Genwang on rooting of different stems of Hydrangea macrophylla were studied.The results showed that rooting effect of NAA 100 mg/L immersing half lignified cuttings of Hydrangea macrophylla was the most reasonable.


For a successful teaching-learning process, both teachers and learners should agree about the styles to use. The present research work aimed at investigating suitability and unsuitability of EFL teaching-learning styles in public secondary schools in Parakou municipality (Benin). Three hundred and fifty (350) EFL learners and thirty five (35) EFL teachers were randomly selected for the study. Questionnaires and interviews had been the major instruments for data collection. Statistical analysis carried out with R 4.0.2 revealed significant mismatch between the two styles. It was noted that most of learners are likely to prefer to learn English language with the help of visual and kinesthetic materials than auditory. Teachers strongly favored kinesthetic teaching style (14.9), visual style (13.6) and disfavored auditory teaching style (12.9). The majority of them have two teaching styles (70%). Meanwhile, it was shown that such unsuitability has important negative impacts on students such as stress, unhappiness, boredom and makes teaching-learning failed.


This paper discusses the technical details of detection the groundwater in the highly developed karst rocks using Ground Penetrating Radar(GPR).The feasibility of this technique is also discussed in the paper based on the principles of the GPR.The deflected energy at the groundwater-rock interface is quantitatively analyzed based on the electro-magnetic wave propagation theory.The paper also demonstrates the GPR data processing technique in the groundwater detection using a case history.The GPR predicted results are compared with the site excavations and found that the GPR technique improves the accuracy as well as the reliability of the groundwater prediction.


Floating body effects are investigated in thin-film SOI MOSFETs. It is shown that a moderate kink effect can be obtained for fully depleted SOI devices with intermediate Si layer thicknesses. This moderate kink is due to the significant potential barrier height of the source/thin film diode, which can be modulated by the additional forward bias induced by the impact ionisation current, for these moderately fully depleted devices. Various substrate and body biases are applied in order to analyse the transition from partial depletion to strong full depletion regimes.


The aim of this paper is to propose an instrumental analysis of corporate social responsibility (CSR). After underlining the corporate governance issues raised by the "new firm", which is vertically disintegrated and intensive in specific human capital, we argue that CSR can be useful as a means to regulate power relationships between key productive partners of the firm. Based on the analysis of official reports and interviews of the four major French operators of telecommunications, we show that CSR is voluntarily used by firms to maintain long-term wealth-creative employment and subcontracting relationships, through the deployment of formal and informal mechanisms.


Powders and particles are ubiquitous in our daily lives and are of course present in variety of diverse products and in the majority of industries; thus, the functionality of powders is very diverse [...]


Promotion is a very important issue for every academic because it involves the continuation of the academic development. STIKOM Tunas Bangsa is one of PTS in North Sumatera which is engaged in computer science. The process of admission of new students has the same procedure that is doing promotion to various regions in order to obtain human resources who will be a student of the college. To conduct promotional activities, STIKOM Tunas Bangsa through the marketing team must consider many factors, including promotional media used to obtain new students. From the above problems the author wants to create a decision support system that can provide solutions to the problem. One of the methods DSS that can be used is the method of Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). AHP is a decision support model developed by Thomas L. Saaty. This decision support model will describe the problem of multy factor or complex multi criteria into a hierarchy, according to the time (1993) the hierarchy is defined as a representation of a complex problem in a multi-level structure where the first level is the goal, and followed by the factor level , Criteria, sub criteria, and so on down to the last level of the alternative. With a hierarchy, a complex problem can be broken down into groups that are then organized into a hierarchical form so that the problem will seem more structured and systematic. From the results of this study is expected to assist the management, especially the marketing team in providing the best media promotion solutions for new students at STIKOM Tunas Bangsa Pematangsiantar.


INTRODUCTION OSM was originally identified by its ability to inhibit the growth of human A375 melanoma cells [1, 2]. OSM can exert opposite biological effects depending on cell types. For example, OSM stimulates the proliferation of Kaposi's sarcoma [3], muscle cells [4] and endothelial cells [5] while it inhibits the growth of melanoma [1, 2], breast carcinoma [6] and lung carcinoma [7]. OSM is a cytokine structurally and functionally [...]


In the Northern Offshore of the Netherlands 'Upper Jurassic' strata are mostly limited to the Central Graben and Terschelling Basin. Outside the Central Graben and the Terschelling Basin only thin veneers of these strata occur on the fringing highs as the Schill Grund High and the Step Graben. The 'Upper Jurassic' strata are an important target for the oil and gas exploration. The geology of the non-marine to shallow marine strata is complex. The combination of lateral facies changes, repetitive log and facies characteristics in time, sea-level and climate changes, salt tectonics and structural differences hamper straightforward seismic interpretation and log correlation. A tectono-stratigraphic approach has led to the identification of three tectono-stratigraphic sequences. Sequence 1 (Callovian - lowermost Kimmeridgian) comprises the initiation of the Central Graben. Sequence 2 (lower Kimmeridgian - lower Portlandian) comprises the initiation of the Terschelling Basin. During sequence 3 (upper Portlandian - Ryazanian) the Dutch offshore is draped by a regional transgression. In this presentation the enhanced exploration potential resulting from the tectono-stratigraphic approach, is exemplified by two potential play concepts.


OBJECTIVE
To prepare for new adolescent vaccinations by examining current use of adolescent outpatient health care visits throughout the United States.

DESIGN
Cross-sectional analysis of visits.

SETTING
Outpatient hospital- and office-based practices in the United States included in the 1994-2003 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey.

PARTICIPANTS
Adolescents ages 11 to 21 years (n = 63 529) with outpatient visits.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Type of physician seen for overall and preventive visits, visit trends over time, demographics of adolescents seen by pediatricians vs family physicians, and visit type during which a vaccine was provided.

RESULTS
Late-adolescence females (18-21 years old) had the most overall visits, 36% of which were to obstetrician-gynecologists. Pediatricians were seen at most outpatient visits for adolescents 14 years or younger, with fewer visits for those older than 14 years. Family practitioners were seen at one quarter of all outpatient visits. Only 9% of all adolescent visits were for preventive care. Early adolescents (11-14 years old) had 3 times more preventive visits than late adolescents (P<.001). Pediatricians were more likely to see adolescents who were younger, male, black, and urban and were more likely to be seen for preventive visits compared with family physicians (P<.001 for all). Altogether, 80%, 70%, and 64% of visits that included measles-mumps-rubella, hepatitis B, and diphtheria-tetanus vaccinations, respectively, were for preventive care.

CONCLUSIONS
On the basis of current utilization patterns, adolescent vaccinations should be delivered during early or middle adolescence. If vaccines are to be provided to older adolescent females, involvement of obstetrician-gynecologists in vaccine delivery is critical.


(task) Are equipped excellent curveproof properties and excellent bendproof properties at the same time. (solution) Multiple crystal faces in parallel with a main surface comprise {022} face, {002} face, {113} face, {111} face, and {133} face. An intensity ratio of a diffraction peak of each crystal face, which is obtained from an X-ray diffraction measurement with using a 2θ/θ method about the main surface, and also converted to make a total 100, is I {022} + I {002} ≥ 80.0, and I {111} ≤ 5.0. When a graph for depicting an average intensity of a diffraction peak of the {111} face, which is measured by using X-ray Pole-Figure method, is made, a vertical axis-intercept of a line, which connects between mutual average intensities of a diffraction peak of the {111} face at 47 degrees to 53 degrees of a tilt angle, is more than and equal to ¼ of a maximum value of an average intensity of a diffraction peak of the {111} face at 15 degrees to 90 degrees of a tilt angle. [Reference numerals] (AA) Start a process for manufacturing rolled copper foil;(BB) Repeated process;(CC) (Repetition a predetermined number of times) repeated process;(DD) End the process for manufacturing rolled copper foil;(S10) Process for preparing an ingot;(S20) Hot rolling process;(S31) Cold rolling process;(S32) Annealing process;(S40) Final cold rolling process;(S50) Surface treatment process


INTRODUCTION The influence of egg weight on survival rate of chicken embryos has long been known. An extensive review of these and other effects on the hatchability is given by Landauer (1967). Landauer (1967) showed that hatchability reaches a maximum at an egg weight of around 55 g. Whereas Hagger et al. (1986) and Sewalem and Wilhelmson (1999), reported that embryonic mortality increased with increased egg weight.


Chen and Zadrozny (1998) developed the linear extended Yule-Walker (XYW) method for determining the parameters of a vector autoregressive (VAR) model with available covariances of mixed-frequency observations on the variables of the model. If the parameters are determined uniquely for available population covariances, then, the VAR model is identified. The present paper extends the original XYW method to an extended XYW method for determining all ARMA parameters of a vector autoregressive moving-average (VARMA) model with available covariances of singleor mixed-frequency observations on the variables of the model. The paper proves that under conditions of stationarity, regularity, miniphaseness, controllability, observability, and diagonalizability on the parameters of the model, the parameters are determined uniquely with available population covariances of singleor mixed-frequency observations on the variables of the model, so that the VARMA model is identified with the singleor mixed-frequency covariances.* *The paper represents the author's views and does not necessarily represent any official positions of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The paper was presented at the following conferences and seminars: NBER-NSF Time Series, Washington, Sep. 2013; (EC)2 on "Mixed-Frequency Econometrics," Nicosia, Dec. 2013; SNDE, New York City, Apr. 2014; CEF, Oslo, June 2014; JSM, Boston, Aug. 2014; KOF, Zurich, Dec. 2014; CFE, Pisa, Dec. 2014; NBP on "Identification in Macroeconomics," Warsaw, Dec. 2014. Affiliated as Research Fellow with the Center for Financial Studies (CFS), Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany, and with the Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute for Economic Research (CESifo), Munich, Germany. The paper has benefitted from comments by Manfred Deistler, Eric Ghysels, Roderick McCrorie, Tucker McElroy, and anonymous referees. Forthcoming in Journal of Econometrics issue on "Econometric Analysis of Mixed Frequency Data Sampling."


In the title compound, C17H20NO3 +·I−, the cation exists in the E configuration. The pyridinium and benzene rings are close to coplanar, with a dihedral angle of 7.43 (12)° between them. The three methoxy groups of 2,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl are essentially coplanar with the benzene plane, with C—O—C—C torsion angles of 1.0 (3), −1.9 (3) and 3.6 (3)°. A weak intramolecular C—H⋯O interaction generates an S(6) ring motif. In the crystal, the cations are stacked in columns in an antiparallel manner along the a axis through π–π interactions, with a centroid–centroid distance of 3.7714 (16) Å. The iodide anion is situated between the columns and linked to the cation by a weak C—H⋯I interaction.


ABSTRACT The article models the spread of linguistic change by taking precise account of the ages of the acquirers and transmitters of change. Several studies, some original, are reviewed in order to address the following questions: "What types of linguistic feature can an individual acquire at different ages?" "How much influence do people of different ages exert on the speech of other individuals?" The article is organized around three key interlocutor combinations: parent-infant/young child, peer group-preadolescent, and older adolescent/adult-adolescent. The studies suggest that borrowings are the easiest to acquire, while lexically unpredictable phonological changes are the most difficult. In between are Neogrammarian changes and morphologically conditioned features. The age of the speaker is critical; only the youngest children acquire the "hardest" features. However, adolescents may be the most influential transmitters of change. A difficulty hierarchy for the acquisition of second dialect features is then presented; it is suggested that this predicts the nature of linguistic change found under different sociolinguistic conditions. The approach presented here allows for a more detailed understanding of the spread of linguistic change.


The installation of exterior facades made of metal elements in buildings is a dual function application: On one hand it alters the facade, through architectural modifications, and on the other it creates the conditions for the improvement of energy efficiency of the building, utilizing the gap that develops between old and new facade. In order to ensure that the suspension and anchoring system can safely receive both static and dynamic loads, which will strain the construction during its life cycle, it is necessary to carry out a set of controls that will ensure exactly this: the static and anti-seismic adequacy of the used suspension and anchoring system. For this reason, a building consisting of frames was chosen, on the perimeter of which masonry was placed and, then, the metal facades were hung on the masonry, through the use of appropriate joints. Through Dynamic Spectral Analysis and Time History Analysis, the adequacy or not of the suspension system was examined, but also the effects that the system had on the modal, strain and deformation sizes of the building. In the end, it was concluded that the attachment of elements to the facade of the building, although it is done for architectural or other purposes, brings about significant changes in its seismic response and, therefore, must be adequately studied.


Purpose: To compare the visual function and postoperative refraction between two aspheric intraocular lenses (IOLs) after microcoaxial cataract surgery. Methods: A prospective analysis of 60 eyes of 58 patients who had undergone microcoaxial phacoemulsification and implantation of aspheric IOLs (AcrySof IQ, 30 eyes; Akreos MI60, 30 eyes) was performed. The best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), spherical equivalent, intraocular pressure (IOP), corneal thickness, endothelial cell density (ECD), predictability of postoperative spherical equivalent, higher order aberrations, contrast sensitivity test, satisfaction, and glare were evaluated during the follow-up period of three months. Results: There were no significant differences in BCVA, spherical equivalent, IOP, corneal thickness, or ECD (p>0.05). The predictability of the postoperative spherical equivalent in the AcrySof IQ and Akreos MI60 IOL groups was not significantly different (p=0.59), and the two groups showed good anterior-posterior stability during the postoperative three months. There were no significant differences in higher order aberrations, contrast sensitivity test, satisfaction or glare (p>0.05). Conclusions: Both AcrySof IQ and Akreos MI60 implantation groups showed similar visual functions and postoperative spherical equivalents after microcoaxial cataract surgery.


This report describes a review of the effects of mining subsidence on reinforced earth. Special reference is made to highway and bridge settlement. The objectives of the review are to deal with the following points: (a) the possible effects of mining subsidence in terms of additional forces and displacements which need to be considered, together with proposals as to how these might be dealt with; (b) consideration of the interactions between reinforced earth structures and superstructures; also of the interaction between reinforced earth structures and other adjacent structures; and (c) relevance of existing design rules for damages to buildings caused by mining subsidence, applied to reinforced earth. A review of past, present and future mining in the United Kingdom is provided first. Within this section are brief details of the effect of mining subsidence upon highways, and procedures relating to legal claims covering such settlement damage. Section 3 surveys the present state of knowledge with respect to mining subsidence and reinforced earth. Section 4 discusses additional forces and displacements resulting from mining subsidence, and section 5 describes the interactions caused by mining subsidence. Section 6 discusses the relevance of the existing design rules for damage to buildings and bridges. Methods to cater for mining subsidence are proposed in section 7. (TRRL)


Aromatic plants produce essential oils as secondary metabolites, but their exact role in the processes of plant life remains unknown.1 Some authors believe that the plant uses oil to repel or attract insects, in the latter case, to promote pollination. Others consider the oil as an energetic source, facilitating certain chemical reactions, conserve the humidity of plants in desert climates.2 Some essential oils are used for the defense of plants against herbivores, insects and microorganisms.3


Mean sea clutter scattering coefficient model can reflect the relationship between the scattering coefficient of sea clutter and radar parameters and environmental factors, commonly used at sea clutter radar range forecasts. Sea clutter amplitude distribution model is essentially in the form of a probability density function to describe the magnitude of the statistical properties of sea clutter. In this paper, based on the sea surface target detection process uncertain information based on multiple objective study of fractal theory, simulation results show that our detection methods to get good results, you can improve the reliability and intelligence of detection.


The invention provides a pixel structure, a liquid crystal display panel and a driving method of a liquid crystal display panel. The pixel structure comprises a plurality of pixels arrayed to form a matrix, wherein each pixel comprises a main pixel region and a sub pixel region which are adjacent to each other; the main pixel regions comprise first pixel electrodes, and the sub pixel regions comprise second pixel electrodes, third pixel electrodes, second control switches and third control switches; a first scanning signal is used for controlling the first control switch and the second control switch to be conducted; a data signal is used for charging the main pixel regions and the sub pixel regions, so that the first pixel electrodes and the second pixel electrodes generate first equipotential; a second scanning signal is used for controlling the third control switch to be conducted, so that the third pixel electrodes and the second pixel electrodes are conducted, and the second pixel electrodes and the third pixel electrodes are enabled to generate second equipotential different from the first equipotential. According to the pixel structure, the liquid crystal display panel and the driving method of the liquid crystal display panel, the problem of low color shift of a Tri-gate panel is solved; furthermore, an extra sharing driving wire is not needed, and the aperture opening ratio of the pixels can be increased.


Paliperidone, the 9‐hydroxy metabolite of risperidone, was approved on 20 December, 2006 by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of schizophrenia. It is also being tested for the treatment of bipolar mania. An on‐line query of http://www.pubmed.gov and http://www.clinicaltrials.gov for 'paliperidone' and '9‐hydroxy‐risperidone' was done, along with an examination of poster presentations at scientific meetings held in 2006. Three 6‐week pivotal clinical trials of paliperidone extended‐release at fixed doses ranging from 3 to 15 mg administered orally once daily in the treatment of acute schizophrenia demonstrated superior efficacy to placebo. A favourable tolerability profile was also evidenced, except for prolactin elevation and dose‐related extra‐pyramidal effects. A relapse prevention study provides evidence of superiority of paliperidone over placebo in the maintenance of response. Safety has also been assessed in patients with schizophrenia who are 65 years or older. At present there are no studies available that are powered to directly compare paliperidone to other second‐generation antipsychotics, including risperidone. With the impending availability of oral risperidone as a generic medication, cost of oral paliperidone will likely become a significant obstacle to its use.


This chapter deals with the particular role which finance plays as a driver of privatisation. The thesis is that during the last two decades private and public finances have moved in opposite directions and generated specific pressures, for which privatisation of public goods and services appears as a solution. The accumulation of private financial assets creates pressure to find more investment opportunities, and the political bias for balanced budgets and tax competition leads to pressure to cut expenditure in public services, which appear increasingly unaffordable. Privatisation offers both relief for public budgets and opportunities for private asset owners. In the course of this development, individual entrepreneurs and the production-oriented management are gradually replaced by financial investors as key actors of capitalism which can therefore be characterised as finance-led capitalism.


We saw in Chapter 4 that by the mid-first millennium CE the landscape of the subcontinent was dotted with a variety of religious structures – stupas, monasteries, temples. If these typified certain religious beliefs and practices, others have been reconstructed from textual traditions, including the Puranas, many of which received their present shape around the same time, and yet others remain only faintly visible in textual and visual records. New textual sources available from this period include compositions attributed to poet-saints, most of whom expressed themselves orally in regional languages used by ordinary people. These compositions, which were often set to music, were compiled by disciples or devotees, generally after the death of the poet-saint. What is more, these traditions were fluid – generations of devotees tended to elaborate on the original message, and occasionally modified or even abandoned some of the ideas that appeared problematic or irrelevant in different political, social or cultural contexts. Using these sources thus poses a challenge to historians. Historians also draw on hagiographies or biographies of saints written by their followers (or members of their religious sect). These may not be literally accurate, but allow a glimpse into the ways in which devotees perceived the lives of these pathbreaking women and men. As we will see, these sources provide us with insights into a scenario characterised by dynamism and diversity. Let us look at some elements of these more closely. Bhakti Sufi Traditions Changes in Religious Beliefs and Devotional Texts (c. eighth to eighteenth century)


/?-(l ->4)-D-glucanase (I) was isolated and purified to homogeneity by SDS-gel electrophoresis from brewing malt. The enzymehad an endo-hydrolase action pattern against /?-glucan and carboxymethyl cellulose, while it formed precipitates having mainly linear /?-(l ->4) linkages in the reaction against /?-glucan. The enzyme catalyzed the reaction transferring the non-reducing end cellobiose or cellotriose moiety of cellopentaose to the non-reducing end glucosyl residue of cellopentaose, and the resulting reducing end cellotriose, cellobiose, and precipitates were detected in the reaction mixture. The precipitates were found to be a linear p-(l ->4) linked glucan having an average degree of polymerization of 10. These results indicated that /?-(l ->4)-D-glucanase (I) had a strict specificity of forming /?-(l ->4) linkages and had a capacity to elongate the linkage to a higher extent.


A multiple-relaxation-rate approach is used to model the enthalpic relaxation behavior of amorphous selenium ($a$-Se) near its glass-transition temperature (${T}_{g}$). The model parameters are completely determined by matching the behavior predicted by the model to that of the real material as shown in viscosity and heat-capacity measurements. The family of structure-dependent relaxation curves, ${R}_{m}(T)$, derived from this model, provides a new insight on the structural dynamics of $a$-Se. Two distinct regimes are observed, with a transition near the normally observed ${T}_{g}$. For $Tg{T}_{g}$, the relaxation curves are of the form ${R}_{m}^{H}(T)={A}_{m}\mathrm{exp}[a+\frac{b}{(T\ensuremath{-}{T}_{0})}]$, where the range of ${A}_{m}$ is relatively small, and ${T}_{0}\ensuremath{\lesssim}{T}_{g}$. For $Tl{T}_{g}$. the curves are of the form ${R}_{m}^{L}(T)={B}_{m}({c}_{m}+\frac{{d}_{m}}{T})$, where the slowest relaxation rate curve is 4---5 orders of magnitude slower and has an activation energy, ${d}_{m}$ about 50% larger than the fastest curve. The fastest curve is a smooth continuation of its hightemperature counterpart and approximately corresponds in rate and activation energy to viscous relaxation. The local structural inhomogeneity for $Tl{T}_{g}$ implied by the extremely wide spectrum of relaxation times is exactly the behavior expected from the communal entropy model of the glass transition of Cohen and Grest. Previous investigators had not seen this effect so clearly; it was not noticeable in network glasses, and was only of minor importance in polymers. Its importance in $a$-Se is a consequence of its mutable chain structure. In addition, the observation that the relaxation time measured by the viscosity is faster than the thermal relaxation rates implies that the viscosity is not determined by the slippage of entangled chains, as one might imagine by analogy to the sulfur system, but rather by shear in low-density regions; i.e., selenium should be considered to be more like wet sand than like seaweed.


The purpose of this study was to understand the job content and work conditions of the discharge planner in Taiwan, and factors that may be associated with their job performances. A structured-questionnaire was posted to 153 eligible subjects and the response rate was 88.2% (n=135). There are six groups of job contents in discharge planning identified using factor analysis. The six groups are "case screening", "care plan and plan implementation", "quality of care monitoring and evaluation", "multidisciplinary service and coordination", "resources utilization and management", and "quality of care of the referred agency". Of those job contents, "quality of care of the referred agency" and "resources utilization and management" are being performed less frequently. In addition, "integrated resources & information network", "discharge planner selection with personality consideration", "never received education in discharge planning", and "establishing a multidisciplinary team" are important predicting factors for better job performance. In conclusion, the six groups of job content identified by this study could be employed as the guidelines for developing a formal and comprehensive education program for discharge planning. Accordingly, an identical work model for the discharge planner could be developed in the best interest of the clients.


Small mammals were livetrapped during 12 months in crop fields and weedy borders at 18 sites in central Argentina. A total of 1,652 mammals of 14 species was captured during 33,060 trap-nights. Six species of rodents comprised >95% of captures. Periodically disturbed fields of crops were dominated by Calomys musculinus and C. laucha , and to a lesser extent Mus musculus . A second group composed of Akodon azarae, Bolomys obscurus , and Oligoryzomys flavescens primarily inhabited the more stable, weedy borders of cultivated fields. Peaks in relative densities of C. musculinus, C. laucha , and M. musculus were observed in summer and early autumn, and populations declined to low numbers in winter, following harvest. In contrast, maxima for A. azarae, B. obscurus , and O. flavescens were in late autumn and early winter, and numbers never declined to low values seen for the other species. These characteristic differences in habitat associations and relative densities of pampas rodents may reflect colonizing potential, as both Calomys and Mus potentially are highly opportunistic genera.


Climate change has altered the existing pattern of precipitation and has an important impact on the resistance and adaptability of desert plants. However, the interactive impact and the main characteristics of changes in precipitation amount and precipitation frequency on desert plants are unclear. Reaumuria soongarica seedlings were treated by artificially simulating changes in precipitation (30% reduction and 30% increase) and its frequency (50% reduction). We first introduced three morphological indicators (i.e., main root length/plant height ratio (RHR), above-ground radial density (ARD), and below−ground radial density (BRD)) and drew an abstract figure of seedling growth. This experiment confirmed the following: (1) The increase in precipitation noticeably increased the plant height, above-ground biomass, and total biomass of seedlings. (2) The plant height and the biomass of seedlings were more affected by precipitation amount than by precipitation frequency. No interaction was found between precipitation amount and precipitation frequency on the growth of seedlings. (3) The response of RHR to precipitation changes was extremely significant, increasing with decreasing precipitation and vice versa. (4) The ARD first increased then remained constant as precipitation increased, while ARD first decreased and then increased with decreasing precipitation. When precipitation increases, the BRD increases and the root system becomes relatively thicker and shorter, and vice versa. In this regard, R. soongarica seedlings mainly adapt to their resource supply by adjusting plant height, root length, thickness and biomass.


Currently, no established methodology exists to determine degradation patterns of latent fingermarks by visual means. This article is the second in a series of reports exploring quantifiable degradation‐related parameters, which focuses on color contrast changes between fingermark ridges and furrows over time. Experiment variables included type of secretion (eccrine and sebaceous), substrate (glass and plastic), and exposure to natural light (dark, shade, and direct light). Fingermarks were sequentially visualized with titanium dioxide powder and photographed. Image histogram profiles were evaluated and combined with statistical analysis of color data values. Results indicate that sebaceous depositions on glass were generally less degraded by the effect of environmental conditions compared with those on plastic. In addition, aging in darkness was not always the best condition for preservation, and direct exposure to light seemed to inhibit visual degradation under certain conditions. Overall, the technique provided sufficient sensitivity to discern degradation patterns of fingermarks.


The oxidative coupling reaction of 2,6-xylenol catalyzed by copper(II) complexes of chemically modified polystyrene was investigated. Under the applied reaction conditions the main reaction product was 2,6,2',6'-tetramethyl-1,1'-dioxo-4,4'-bicyclohexa-2,5-dienylidene. It was found that the polymeric complexes behave quite different from the low molecular analogue and that these differences can mainly be ascribed to a better complexation of copper within polymer coils. It appeared that a Michaelis-Menten description of the kinetics fits rather well when the concentration of the phenol was not too high.


The paper introduces the structure, work mode and real-time control function of the the multi-level trial command decide network system (ML-TCDNS). In detail, it mostly discusses, the ML-TCDNS's realizable mechanism which includes such technology as clock setup, message control etc.


The Mein‐Larson extension of the Green‐Ampt infiltration model is extended further to analyze the infiltration process under a variable rain on a covered natural soil. Such a condition represents the infiltration under center pivot irrigation when the vegetation cover is developed. A graphical procedure is developed to handle the calculations. A numerical example is used to illustrate the application of the model to determine potential runoff. The performance of the model is demonstrated by two numerical examples presented by Heermann and Duke (1983) and is compared with the performances of two existing models.


In this paper, we present some results on GPRS physical- layer performance based on a GPRS simulator. The simulator strictly abides by the GSM standards implementing the detailed transmission chain. We analyze the results of a comprehensive simulation of the GPRS traffic channels. We evaluate the GPRS performance under various environment and service rates. The reference channel model used for the simulations is entirely based on the Ricean channel model and provides a reasonable scenario for radio propagation. The results shown here provide an insight into how to assess the actual GPRS data channels performance under various service rates.


Self-esteem in teenagers is a very important matter first for teenagers, second for their educational process, and finally for education itself, as educated individuals are productive for society.  Self-esteem is the element that can significantly increase students' academic motivation as well as a favorable emotional state to achieve adequate school performance and educational development, as an individual and as a collective subject aiming towards fulfillment.  It is very important that teachers know the self-reference elements that shape and nurture self-esteem in order to work with them as educational processes and thus fortify their holistic pedagogical task.


Halftone is used to refer the image that is produced by this process. Tone imagery contains a range of colors or grey, the halftone process reduces the visual reproduction to image that is printed with only one color of ink, in dots of differing in sizes. In this paper, a novel technique named as halftone visual cryptography is proposed to achieve the visual cryptography via digital halftoning. The Visual cryptography encodes a secret binary images into shares of binary patterns. Digital halftoning means deciding to place the dots by using computer algorithms, as opposed to the old-fashioned analog methods. Halftoning is a method for creating the illusion of continuous tone output. Effective digital halftoning can substantially improves the quality of rendered image at minimal cost.


This paper describes both the theoretical and practical work which was carried out to improve the performance of small car drum brakes. Details of the test regimes used are provided. The brake chosen for the project was a 180mm diameter x 30mm wide simplex design incorporating automatic adjustment and parking facilities. Both dynamometer and "on- road" vehicle tests were carried out. The latter were done first on the Gross Glockner mountain descent and then on the test circuit situated in the Langhe Hills, Italy. Endurance tests to determine durability were also carried out on 4 cars. Front and rear brake temperatures, and brake linings thicknesses were measured for all tests. Calibration tests were also carried out to assess the effect of engine braking in each gear. The results indicate that improvements have been achieved in both vehicle stability and in brake work capacity by a re-distribution of work between the brake shoes. The performance of the stepped bore drum brake is competitive with an equivalent disc brake. For the covering abstract see IRRD 857625.


The introduction provides an overview of the larger argument that sex scandals are moments of cultural theater wherein Americans punish some politicians in the name of moral correctness while ignoring the sexual indiscretions of others, all to promote a certain collective fantasy about who represents the American ideal. This contradiction depends on a double standard of masculinity promoted in evangelical rhetoric and popularized throughout American culture, one that lauds white heterosexual monogamy, on the one hand, and expects male sexual conquest and dominance, on the other. In preparation for the rest of the book, this chapter provides a discussion of technical terms such as "liberal," "conservative," and "evangelical," and explains the rhetorical, feminist, and critical methods that underpin the analysis. It also discusses issues of historical context, such as the "Me Too" movement and the 2016 election. Noteworthy politicians included in this chapter are Donald Trump and Robert Bentley.


Objective To investigate the characteristics of pathogenic spectrum and drug resistance,and to provide evidences of reasonable application of antibiotics.Methods Bacterial strains isolated from clinical samples were identified by bio-Merieux VITEK-ams,subjected to drug susceptibility test by Kirby-Bauer meth od.and the drug sensitivity determined by CLSI.Results In the 10868 bacterial strains isolated from clinical samples,the distribution rate of different gram-negative bacteria was 63.45%,the distribution rate of differentgram-positive bacteria was 27.21%,and that of fun gus was 9.34%.Those of Escherichia coli and Klebsi ella pneumoniae producing ESBLs were 53.46% and 41.20% respectively.Imipenem was highly sensitive to En terobacteriaceae.About Pseudomonas aeruginosa,the rate of resistance to Carbapenem drugs was more than 43%,and the rates of MRSA and MRSCON were 65.41% and 75.98% respectively.No strain resistance to vancomycin was found.Conclusion Pathogens of nosocomial infection were mainly gram negative bacteria.Emergence of resistant strains has been found.The fungus positive rate was high,but drug resistance rate was low.


Composability and compositionality are well recognised as key enablers in rigorous design and analysis of complex systems. We argue that existing work on these enablers, specific to real-time systems, has exclusively focussed on design and analysis of structural composition, by which we refer to composition of either separate software tasks or compositions thereof on a shared platform such as a processor. Though structural composition is common and likely the most useful such composition, we make the case of an altogether different kind of composition which we refer to as behavioural composition. As a specific example of behavioural composition, we discuss how to constructively build complex server algorithms, called Demand Bound Servers (DBS), by composing constituent simpler server algorithms, even hierarchically. As a result of such composition, we can build server algorithms to more tightly match the requirements of tasks they need to serve, which indeed is not possible with the simpler components themselves. This is an example of how new behaviour is emergent out of the composition. We remain curious if there are other such examples of behavioural composition of interest to real-time systems.


An exhaust gas recirculation is achieved internally in an internal combustion engine having intake and exhaust valves, which are actuated by a camshaft. A control device monitors at least one engine parameter, and automatically actuates an electrically actuated by fluid-operated brake actuator at a predetermined time of the movement of an engine piston so as to cause that the operating device holds the exhaust valve at an intermediate position between a fully open position and a closed position of the exhaust valve, and causing exhaust gases are supplied from the exhaust manifold to the combustion chamber of the engine.


Introduction:
 Although social determinants of health (SDOH) were shown to be
 individually
 associated with incident stroke, few studies explored the effect of
 multiple
 SDOH within the same individuals on incident stroke. To address this limitation, we operationalized SDOH as a count and examined its association with incident stroke. This approach is practically appealing in clinical settings - it is easy to calculate and interpret.

 Hypothesis:
 We hypothesized that a greater number of SDOH within individuals would be significantly associated with a higher risk of incident stroke.

 Methods:
 REGARDS is a prospective cohort of 30,239 black and white adults aged
 >
 45 years recruited in 2003-2007. Sociodemographic, medical history, and stroke risk factors were collected at baseline. To define exposure, we followed the Healthy People 2020 framework, and initially used 10 SDOH to represent 5 domains: education, health, social, economic and neighborhood factors. We selected SDOH that were significantly associated with incident stroke: race, education, income, zip code poverty, health insurance, social isolation, and residence in states with poor public health infrastructure. We then created a primary exposure - a count of SDOH for each individual. The outcome was expert adjudicated incident strokes. Cox proportional hazards models examined associations between a count of SDOH (0, 1, 2, 3+) and incident stroke, adjusting for confounders.

 Results:
 This study included 27,813 individuals free from stroke at baseline. We observed 1470 incident strokes during the follow-up. A significant interaction between SDOH count and age resulted in stratification at 75 years. In fully adjusted Cox models, among individuals <75 years, risk of stroke amplified with each increase in number of SDOH. This pattern was not observed among those 75+ years (Table 1).

 Conclusions:
 Individuals <75 years with a greater number of SDOH had higher risk of stroke. Targeting individuals with multiple SDOH, especially those <75 years, may help reduce risk of stroke.


In this paper, the FTB stress propagation is analyzed in the case of a MCU. The common to differential mode conversion is demonstrated. The PDN and its resonance frequencies are the key element for understanding the weakness or robustness of the circuit. The main objective of this work is to study the stress propagation in order to increase the robustness of the MCU against FTB stress. Correlations between resonance frequencies and FTB stress are given.


One of the practical usages of plasma in large-scaled agriculture is the indirect application of plasma by irradiating plasma derivative radicals. Since agricultural chemicals cause environmental problems, such as the generation of resistant bacteria and the increase of toxic residuals, we have proposed the extermination of soil worms and the acceleration of plant's growth by the ozone treatment of soil. Here, we propose soil treatment using ozone, generated by a surface barrier discharge, as both roles of pesticides and fertilizers. To investigate the effectiveness of gaseous ozone for the extermination of soil worms, this paper researched the influence of ozone on representative nematodes of C. elegans. Furthermore, to evaluate the practical effectiveness of the ozone treatment of natural nematodes living in agricultural soil, natural andosol was treated by ozone and the survival rate of nematodes was analyzed statistically using the Baermann funnel extraction.


This paper analyzes on the rural water supply project and the situation of drinking water safety in Jincheng City, and in the light of the safety problems existing in the rural drinking water, advances some countermeasures for solving these problems.


A government pilot scheme that allows patients to choose a GP outside the area where they live has had low demand but is most popular with younger commuters and those who have recently moved house.

From October 2014 patients in England will be able to register with volunteer general practices outside the area where they live. The Department of Health's Choice of GP pilot scheme ran for a year with volunteer practices in four primary care trusts in Westminster, Salford, Manchester, and Nottingham.

In the scheme, patients could either register with a pilot practice as an out of area patient or be seen as a day patient while remaining registered with their …


The construction of fractional quantum Hall (FQH) states from the two-dimensional array of quantum wires provides a useful way to control strong interactions in microscopic models and has been successfully applied to the Laughlin, Moore-Read, and Read-Rezayi states. We extend this construction to the Abelian and non-Abelian $SU(N-1)$-singlet FQH states at filling fraction $\nu=k(N-1)/[N+k(N-1)m]$ labeled by integers $k$ and $m$, which are potentially realized in multi-component quantum Hall systems or $SU(N)$ spin systems. Utilizing the bosonization approach and conformal field theory (CFT), we show that their bulk quasiparticles and gapless edge excitations are both described by an $(N-1)$-component free-boson CFT and the $SU(N)_k/[U(1)]^{N-1}$ CFT known as the Gepner parafermion. Their generalization to different filling fractions is also proposed. In addition, we argue possible applications of these results to two kinds of lattice systems: bosons interacting via occupation-dependent correlated hoppings and an $SU(N)$ Heisenberg model.


We have studied the stoichiometry of the binding of the long a-neurotoxins from the venom of Dendroaspis viridis (a-dendrotoxin) and Naja naja siamensis (a-cobratoxin) to the membrane-bound acetylcholine receptor (AcChoR) from Torpedo californica electric organ. The number of toxin molecules bound to one AcChoR molecule was determined by simultaneous-quantitative gas-phase microsequencing of all the amino acid sequences present in AcChoR-aneurotoxin complexes. This method permits the use of homogeneous (nonradiolabeled) preparations of native toxins to obtain molar ratios of neurotoxin-receptor complexes. The stoichiometry obtained for a-cobratoxin was 2.1 ± 0.2 (n = 4), in agreement with the accepted view that a-cobratoxin, like a-bungarotoxin, binds to the two a subunits, which are constituent polypeptides of the AcChoR molecule. aDendrotoxin gave a stoichiometry of 4.1 ± 0.5 (n = 12); therefore, the AcChoR molecule contains four binding sites for this a-neurotoxin, two of which are recognized by acobratoxin. In support of this contention we have also found that when the AcChoR is saturated with a-bungarotoxin, addition of a-dendrotoxin markedly accelerates the dissociation of the bound a-bungarotoxin, demonstrating that the occupancy of the additional two sites by the latter toxin influences and decreases the affinity of the former toxin for its two binding sites. The fact that the AcChoR molecule is a pseudosymmetric complex of five highly homologous peptides suggests the possibility that as many as five binding sites for cholinergic ligand could be present, one on each subunit. The nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AcChoR) from Torpedo electric organ is a complex pentameric molecule formed by four highly homologous proteins in a stoichiometry a2Pfy8 (reviewed in ref. 1). The AcChoR structure is highly conserved along vertebrate evolution; nicotinic receptors from electric organs and muscle of distant animal species are consistently pseudosymmetric pentamers of four homologous subunits, and subunits of corresponding molecular weight from different AcChoRs are also highly homologous (2-11). Therefore, all the subunits of the AcChoR molecule studied so far are derived from a common ancestor, by means of gene duplications, which occurred very early during vertebrate evolution (2-4). The AcChoR molecule contains a cation channel, whose opening and closing are controlled by the binding of cholinergic agonists and antagonists (reviewed in ref. 1). A major goal in elucidating the mechanism of AcChoR function has been to define the ligand binding events leading to activation of the ion channel. Both electrophysiological (12-15) and stopped-flow (16) studies indicated that the opening of the channel results from acetylcholine binding to two low-affinity sites, which operate somehow in a cooperative fashion. Ligand binding also causes the AcChoR to slowly become desensitized to a state characterized by inability of the channel to open and by high affinity for ligands (17-20). Since each of the two a subunits has a high-affinity binding site for cholinergic ligands (reviewed in ref. 1), several models of the linear type have been proposed in which both activation and desensitization of the receptor are controlled by ligand binding to these two sites and trigger physiological effects by sequential mechanisms involving multiple conformational changes with concomitant alterations in ligand affinity (reviewed in ref. 1). However, the relatively early divergence of the genes encoding the AcChoR subunits, as well as the extremely high degree of homology among corresponding subunits from distant animal species, suggests that the AcChoR subunits evolved separately to perform different functions (such as activation and desensitization) and that each subunit could in principle have an independent ligand binding site. The long a-neurotoxins from snake venoms are a group of polypeptide cholinergic antagonists that are useful for study of the AcChoR binding sites, since they bind in a specific and very slowly reversible fashion (21). The only a-neurotoxins that have been extensively used are a-cobratoxin (a-Ntx) from the venom of Naja naja species and a-bungarotoxin (a-B'tx) from Bungarus multicinctus. a-Ntx is widely used as a ligand for affinity chromatography to purify the AcChoR from various sources (reviewed in ref. 1). a-Btx has been shown to bind to the a subunits (22, 23), and since the binding of a-Btx and a-Ntx is mutually exclusive and they both inhibit photoaffinity labeling of the a-subunit (24, 25), it is believed that also a-Ntx binds to the high-affinity binding sites for cholinergic ligands present on the a subunits. Results, obtained with a-Ntx cross-linked to the AcChoR subunits and with an electron microscopic approach using a-Ntx complexed to biotin-avidin, support the notion that also a-Ntx binds to the a subunits (26, 27). a-Ntx and a-Btx bind to the AcChoR molecule with a stoichiometry of 2:1 (reviewed in ref. 1). If binding sites for acetylcholine were to exist on all AcChoR subunits, one might expect that some other snake toxins could bind to some ofthe sites not recognized by a-Ntx and a-Btx, or to all of them. Such toxins would be valuable tools to determine the number and localization of the cholinergic binding sites present on subunits other than the a


Non-conventional renewable energy generation is a promising alternative for meeting the future electricity demand as there are hardly any potential hydro-generating sites available for exploitation in Sri Lanka. Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Kunth ex Walp. can be used as a biomass energy source to fulfill the future electricity demand. It is essential to optimize fuelwood yield of Gliricidia for dendro thermal power generation. In this study, fresh weight, dry weight and calorific value of 13 Gliricidia provenances available in Sri Lanka were measured. The moisture percentage, oven dried density, ash percentage and amount of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous in both stem and leaf samples of the provenances were calculated to find out the best Gliricidia provenances for fuelwood plantations through an open field experiment at Rathmalagara Research Center. The results showed that the Gliricidia provenance, named as Gualan (OFI Indent No. 15/84), showed good fuelwood characteristics for being a fuelwood tree species. It has highest dry weight (88.2% higher than the local land race), highest oven dried density (20.3% higher than local land race) with low ash content (26% lower than local land race), low moisture content (57.9%) and good calorific value (3, 750 kcal/kg). The study concluded that the provenance 15/84 was found to be the most promising Gliricidia provenance for dendro thermal power generation.