Seasonal dry tropical forest (STDF) is a widespread vegetation type in western Mexico. Generally, this type of forest develops in semihumid habitats where lacustrine basins are scarce, preventing documentation of the vegetation history and forest dynamics using a paleoecological approach. Here, we present a palynological record from the Santa Maria del Oro crater lake, located within the distribution area of the STDF and the adjacent dry oak forest which gives insight into the changes in diversity and human impact at this tropical site. Pollen data, in combination with geochemical analysis and microcharcoal data from a lacustrine sequence, are used to discuss vegetation change and diversity in the plant assemblages related to drought or anthropogenic activity over the last 5000 years. Our results show three distinct periods of drought in the basin, from 4200 to 3850, 3100 to 2300, 1570 to 1100 and 300 cal year BP, with changes in vegetation composition mainly related to a decrease in taxa diversity during these periods. Based on the presence of maize pollen, two periods of human activity (3790–2160 and 280 cal year BP to present) were detected with an increase in herbaceous pollen used as a surrogate for deforestation. These two disturbance periods, pre-Columbian and postcolonial, occurred during wet conditions in the basin. Our results highlight the correlation between El Niño events, drought and fire with changes in the composition and diversity of STDF.


In a blockchain-driven metaverse, user-generated content (UGC) is the core power for building the metaverse, so an easy-to-use UGC editor is imperative. Specifically, using artificial intelligence (AI) to simplify the UGC creation procedure is promising, e.g., generating images from sketches using generative adversarial networks (GANs). However, the simplicity of these UGC creation methods would lead to weak distinctions between the generated UGC, since the users' created drafts may be very similar. In this paper, we propose Crypto-dropout, a specially designed dropout used in the generative neural networks, which could cause pseudo-random disturbance based on the hash value of user information to generate unique results. With a pilot study, the experimental results demonstrate that the participants have different preferences for the generated images when setting Crypto-dropout in the different layers. Accordingly, we implement a practical profile pictures (PFPs) creation prototype. The proposed Crypto-dropout can provide a novel and general insight for creating unique UGC using generative neural networks.


The sun produces 885 million Terawatt hours of energy each year. In an hour and a half, the sun produces as much energy as the total consumption of humans in one year [1]. As the amount of solar energy that reaches the Earth is largely not converted to usable electricity, solar power is a significant, environmentally-friendly alternative to the burning of fossil fuels for power. Around the world, countries and companies are beginning to realize this and are investing heavily in solar power, resulting in falling costs and new solar power technologies. One such new technology that could aid in the widespread replacement of fossil fuels by renewable energy is thin film solar cells. Traditional single crystalline cells for solar power can be expensive to produce, while thin film solar cells are much cheaper by virtue of less material used. Along with the advantage of cost, thin film solar cells are simpler to install and do not come with expensive initial charges of traditional solar panels [2]. Structurally, thin film panels are much more flexible than traditional cells [3]. The combination of these factors make thin film solar cells more widely available to the public. They can be installed on rooftops without racks, and even ones with weak support [2]. The invention of thin film solar cells has the potential to become the preferred form of solar technology worldwide. As an aspiring environmental engineer, the prospect of thin film solar cells interests me because of their potential for use on a large scale. The low cost and flexibility that comes with this type of technology means that they could be widely installed in residential homes and businesses that do not have the money or the rooftop requirements for traditional solar panel installation. Countries such as Germany and Bangladesh have already widely benefited from thin film solar panels because of their cost and efficiency in certain weather conditions [4].


Ab initio molecular orbital and density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed to investigate energies, geometries, and reactivities of halomethyl cations and their protonated analogues. On the basis of calculated energies the observed superelectrophilic activation of the halomethyl cations in superacid solutions is discussed. The protonated halomethyl cations have considerable kinetic and thermodynamic stability. 13C NMR chemical shifts of selected systems were calculated by IGLO method and compared with experimental data.


The current development to set up an automatic procedure for mesh generation and handling for internal combustion engine simulation in OpenFOAM-2.2.x is described. In order to automatically generate high-quality meshes of cylinder geometries, some technical issues need to be addressed: 1) automatic mesh generation should be able to control anisotropy and directionality of the grid; 2) during point motion, cells and faces must be introduced and removed without varying the overall area and volume of the cells, to avoid conservation errors. This paper outlines the recent development of the sliding interface, an algorithm to handle motion and topological changes in a moving-mesh Finite Volume Method (FVM) framework, that has been implemented to work with the newest mesh handling strategy of OpenFOAM-2.2.x in a massively parallel environment. The algorithm allows for the use of grids having non-conformal interfaces, opening the use of the code to a wide range of applications: the simulation of the piston motion trough scavenging ports in a two-stroke engine, the generation of cylinder grids characterized by a high quality mesh near the valve region, the reduction of the mesh size in external flow calculations. Finally, in order to automate the mesh generation process of complex engine geometries, a fully parallelised algorithm with automatic domain decomposition for run-time generation of hexahedra and split-hexahedra grids of engines, without the loss of any geometric feature, is presented.


In this paper, we describe the two different stochastic differential equations representing cholera dynamics. The first stochastic differential equation is formulated by introducing the stochasticity to deterministic model by parametric perturbation technique which is a standard technique in stochastic modeling and the second stochastic differential equation is formulated using transition probabilities. We analyse a stochastic model using suitable Lyapunov function and Ito formula. We state and prove the conditions for global existence, uniqueness of positive solutions, stochastic boundedness, global stability in probability, moment exponential stability, and almost sure convergence. We also carry out numerical simulation using Euler-Maruyama scheme to simulate the sample paths of stochastic differential equations. Our results show that the sample paths are continuous but not differentiable (a property of Wiener process). Also, we compare the numerical simulation results for deterministic and stochastic models. We find that the sample path of SIsIaR-B stochastic differential equations model fluctuates within the solution of the SIsIaR-B ordinary differential equation model. Furthermore, we use extended Kalman filter to estimate the model compartments (states), we find that the state estimates fit the measurements. Maximum likelihood estimation method for estimating the model parameters is also discussed.


Colleges and universities are important places to enlarge and foster national spirit. We must concentrate our efforts to strengthen the construction of theory, course, propaganda position, rite system, cultural landscape in campus, social practice base, successfully develop the activities ofcampus culture, volunteers devotion, from which national spirits can be enlarged and fostered.


This article aim to describe and evaluate the Program Medium Term Development of Education in West Kutai. The results showed that the medium-term development program in education in West Kutai in terms of the effectiveness of that activity carried out effectively enough for the planned program had been implemented and completed. Viewed from in terms of efficiency that the programs implemented are not efficient because it uses a substantial budget.Keyword : Evaluation, Program of Education, West Kutai


Samples of Nd(2-x)Ce(x)CuO(4), an electron-doped high temperature superconducting cuprate (HTSC), near optimal doping at x = 0.155 were measured via angle resolved photoemission (ARPES). We report a renormalization feature in the self energy ("kink") in the band dispersion at 50 - 60 meV present in nodal and antinodal cuts across the Fermi surface. Specifically, while the kink had previously only been seen in the antinodal region, it is now observed also in the nodal region, reminiscent of what has been observed in hole-doped cuprates.


This study looks at the use of idioms by Romanian business students learning English as asecond language. An experiment has been conducted, in which 119 students of economic scienceswere given the task to match 20 idioms to contexts in which they may be used (short sentences fromwhich the idiom had been removed). The students were explained beforehand that each idiommatches one sentence, that all sentences are taken from business contexts and that none of theidioms is used literally. They were also asked to rate the degree of their familiarity with the idiom(1 – Familiar, 2 – Less familiar, 3 – Unfamiliar). The purpose of the study was to restrict thestudents from reverting to the literal meaning of the idioms and from decomposing them, in orderto determine the play of familiarity and predictability in identifying the meaning of idioms.


Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a geriatric cancer. However, older adult patients are frequently underrepresented in large clinical trials.


C onservative and usually racist political discourse around the world blames economic immigrants for encouraging conflict and even violence. Detractors of migration take as an example the series of disturbances involving the young descendents of Maghrebi immigrants in Paris for two weeks starting on October 27, 2005. However, evidence shows that several forms of human rights violations —from governmental tolerance of xenophobia and labor exploitation to repression of legitimate political activism and racist legislation— are behind conflicts involving migrants not only in North America and Europe, but also in countries like South Africa, Egypt and Malaysia. Based on the analysis of cases registered by the world press between 2001 and 2008,1 this article examines eight forms of violence and conflict involving different kinds of migrants (undocumented immigrants, seasonal workers and firstand second-generation documented immigrants) that result from gross human rights violations.


Objective To establish methods of isolation,cultivation,induction and identification for endothelial progenitor cells(EPCs)from human bone marrow in vitro.Methods Mononuclear cells were collected by density gradient centrifugation from the bone marrow of 24 patients with intervertebral disc degeneration.The isolated cells were cultivated in dishes coated with fibronectin and induced by angiogenic growth factors. Immuno-fluorescence staining and flow cytometry were used to indentify EPCs.The differentiation of EPCs to endothelial cells(ECs)was determined by transmission electron microscope(TEM)and in vitro angiogenesis. Results Cell colony-forming units appeared 72 hours after seeding and increased obviously after 5 days.One week later the cells confluenced to 80%.Attached cells formed cobblestone like structure by 14 days.The uptake rate of Dil-ac-LDL and FITC-UEA-I was(95.1±4.0)%.Flow cytometric analysis showed that positive rate of CD133,CD34,KDR,and VE-Cadherin was(18.5±4.4)%,(45.4±7.8)%,(66.7±7.2)%,and(20.5±5.3)%, respectively.Weibel-Palade body was observed in endochylema under TEM.The cells cultivated for 7 days to 12 days formed tube-like structure on ECMatrix.Conclusions EPCs could be efficiently isolated by density gradient centrifugation combined with induction by EGM-2 medium from human bone marrow.EPCs had angiogenic potential between 7 days to 12 days.


WT5"BZ]Firstly,a new method is proposed for generating interior nodal points within an arbitrary planar domain.The newly generated points are exactly within the domain with smooth points densities and a good quality of the final mesh.Secondly,an improved Delaunay triangulation method,which is more general and robust,is also proposed for solving the automatic triangulation problem within an arbitrary planar domain (non convex,multi connected and concyclic points).It has three advantages:1)without additional lines,2) no need to change the original point set,and 3) easy to program.Finally,numerical precision is taken into account.The programs based on those above mentioned methods have been successfully used in many engineering applications. [WT5"HZ]


Microtakaful is a mechanism to provide shari'ah-based protection to the poor and underprivileged individuals at affordable costs .The objective of this paper is to discuss the issues and challenges in developing microtakaful in Malaysia by using library study based method, which is a kind of qualitative research approach. The outcome of the review suggests that the Islamic financial industry must have to focus on microfinance and microtakaful for overall development of the community and not only in Muslim countries as the number of Muslims living under poverty outside Muslim countries are also high.


The persistence of rural poverty in Guatemala since the early 1990s challenges the purported association between agricultural export growth and poverty alleviation. Lack of access to education, health and credit, and the historical legacies of land inequality, labour exploitation and ethnic discrimination, are preventing growth from reaching the rural poor. Most analyses, including the World Bank's recent 'Poverty in Guatemala' report, fail to consider how the economic and political power of the country's economic elite perpetuate and exacerbate poverty. A focus on two of Guatemala's most dynamic agro‐export sectors — sugar and snow peas (mange‐tout), both reputed to have had a significant impact on poverty alleviation — reveals the limits on pro‐poor growth. Policy recommendations to promote pro‐poor growth that are derived from the analysis include full implementation of the labour code, a national land‐titling programme, and cultural programmes to change elite attitudes towards poverty and development.


New progress has been made in research of domestic cultural environment in recent years, the exploration were made mainly in connotation of concept of cultural environment, structural form,basic feature,functional action as well as the basic mission of cultural environmental construction and the way of their realization. Brief commentaries were made on these issues in the article and three proposals were put forward in the further development and intensification of cultural environment hereafter, which is to base on environmental thinking and consciousness of environmental otology,stressed on the realistic issue of "how to build"and comprehensive use of multi research methods.


Ablative materials are commonly used to protect the nozzle metallic housing and to provide the internal contour to expand the exhaust gases in solid rocket motors (SRM). Due to the extremely harsh environment in which these materials operate, they are chemically eroded during motor firing with a resulting nominal performance reduction. The objective of the present work is to study the erosion behavior of carbon-phenolic solid rocket nozzles. The adopted approach relies on a validated full Navier-Stokes flow solver coupled with a thermochemical ablation model which takes into account finite-rate heterogeneous chemical reactions at the nozzle surface, rate of diffusion of the species through the boundary-layer, pyrolysis gas and ablation species injection in the boundary layer, heat conduction inside the nozzle material, and variable multispecies thermophysical properties. The proposed approach is validated against two sets of experimental data: sub-scale motor tests carried out for the Space Shuttle Reusable Solid Rocket Motor and the static firing tests of the second and third stage solid rocket motors of the European VEGA launcher which use carbon-carbon for the throat insert and carbon-phenolic for the region downstream of the throat.


Kinematic carrier phase positioning provides navigation integrity. The sub-centimeter precision of carrier phase measurements can be used to leverage receiver autonomous integrity monitoring (RAIM) in the sense that extremely tight fault detection thresholds can be set on the least-squares residual (ensuring navigation integrity) without incurring high false alarm rates. In addition, the high precision of carrier phase, when compared with code phase, lowers the integrity risk associated with the fault identification process. This is true because carrier phase provides a much cleaner observation of the effect of a given failure on the residual. Thus, for the same improvement in navigation continuity (obtained from fault isolation), misidentification will be less likely. This paper is focused on the use of parity space methods to investigate the limits of high-integrity and high-continuity GPS performance. In this regard, prototype algorithms for receiver autonomous fault detection and exclusion were developed with the goal of maximizing navigation continuity subject to the constraint of maintaining high integrity (by repressing mis-identifications). Fault detection and exclusion performance was demonstrated through analysis and extensive simulation. In addition, the prototype algorithms were implemented in a real-time airborne kinematic positioning architecture and tested by deliberately inducing failures in the post-processing of raw flight data.


This research was conducted between November 2014 and January 2015, in the SEMIPALMA company owned by Mr. Stephen Chu, located at Km 8 ½ of the via Quevedo - El Empalme, located located at the geographic coordinates 79 ° 28 'west longitude and 01 ° 06' south latitude at an altitude of 120 meters above sea level

The experiment aimed to evaluate the response of the application of mixtures of bio-insecticides for controlling aphids on cucumber cultivation area Quevedo. Seven treatments were studied, composed of mixtures of bio-insecticides applied in a single dose combinations with absolute control. The treatments were a: Neem + Albahaca, Neem + Ruda, Paraiso + Ruda, Paraiso + Albahaca, Ortiga + Ruda, Ortiga + Albahaca, applied with a dose of 4 l / ha and the witness without application.

The experimental design called random complete block (BCA) with seven treatments and three repetitions, for comparison of treatment means the Tukey test was used 95% probability was used. Each repetition had seven plots of 52 plants. 22 central plants were used as a useful area.

According to the analysis and interpretation of the results outlined in the search, the application of the biopesticides based Paraiso + Ruda achieving positive effects on the variables plant height, harvested fruits, also in diameter, length, weight and performance manifesting fruit than other treatments.

The presence of aphids caused problems in several variables subject to study, noting that in treatments with organic controls dosed greater plant height, weight, diameter, length and fruit yield (kg ha-1) was observed, especially in the based treatment Paradise + Ruda, who was higher than the other controls used. The application of bioinsectidas, to control the incidence of aphids, improved growth performance, especially the combination of Paradise + Ruda, so the higher income obtained.


The magnitude of common mode voltage transients generated during the fuse blowing event following a short circuit to spacecraft structure are dependent on the electrical impedance of the current return path. The aluminium skinned panels of a conventional spacecraft structure design normally provide a low impedance fault current return path. This paper considers the implications of such events for a spacecraft whose structure includes assemblies of carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) skinned panels and ground reference rails. Results of fuse blowing tests and electrical impedance measurements on a representative spacecraft structure are used to confirm both a practical and theoretical understanding of the various coupling mechanisms involved. Simplified analysis methods are adapted for a typical CFRP structured spacecraft configuration to assess impacts of fuse blowing events on both spacecraft design and operation.


Post-operative spine displacement occurs by excessive or aggravated vertebral sliding. Sex and age, anatomics factors (pre-operative displacement, intersomatic discs quality, hyperlordosis) and operative factors (extensive laminectomy, artherectomy) are predisposing factors. The risk of post-operative vertebral displacement is calculated by a fine pre and per-operative analysis of these pre-disposing factors: Tolerance to post-operative spinal displacement cannot be foreseen and surgical recovery may be difficult whenever.


University level introductory computer science courses have a notoriously high drop rate. Many students who aim to pursue CS education fail to complete their first semester. This trend holds across a wide variety of institutions, courses, and countries. In this study, we collect data from over 4000 students enrolled in an introductory course over a 5 year period in order to analyze potential factors that affect which students are more likely to drop the course. In particular, this work focuses on gender, international student status, and course performance up to the drop date. The data for each student includes performance on assignments and term tests as well as weekly exercises which allow us to create a temporal view of students and analyze their partial grade at the time they stopped participating in the course. We find that there are slight differences in the probabilities of dropping for lower performing students by gender, the results are not statistically significant. Furthermore, we find virtually no difference in students who, up to the drop date, are receiving passing marks by either gender or international student status.


Article proposes a methodology to developed electronic reference services, through use of instant messaging technologies in real time, including selection of the final users, technology and bibliographic resources that support librarian's work. In the same way, it expects to conceptualize the Electronic Reference Service, integrating and defining the concepts of instant messaging, Service and Electronic Reference. Finally, it is exposed a case study about Electronic Reference Service developed for students of Master in Political Science of Universidad Tecnologica Metropolitana.


In this paper, a novel type auxiliary switched capacitor assisted soft switching PWM Single-Ended Push Pull (SEPP) series resonant inverter with two auxiliary resonant lossless inductor snubbers proposed and discussed for consumer high-frequency induction heating (IH) appliances. The new topological high-frequency multi
resonant inverter can regulate its output power under a constant frequency soft switching commutation principle by asymmetrical PWM scheme. The consumer brand-new IH products which use newly proposed soft switching PWM-SEPP series load resonant high-frequency inverter is actually evaluated and discussed as compared with some
conventional high-frequency inverters on the basis of simulation and experimental results. Its practical effectiveness is proved from an application point of view.


As technology advances and field development possibilities grow, the need for earlier guidance on the safety performance of concept designs is greater than ever. The SNC-Lavalin concept risk assessment (CRA) tool is a transparent and rapidly deployable model that is based on sound, industry-accepted quantitative risk assessment (QRA) principles. From the earliest stages of field development, when conceptualisation may be vague and data sparse, a wide range and variety of design options can still be assessed effectively and ranked on their safety performance. The CRA tool is proprietary software initially developed with BP and Shell. The model was first calibrated against 10 detailed QRAs, but is regularly benchmarked and updated with the most current failure rate data and has been used on nearly 50 projects globally. The database now incorporates established rule sets from hundreds of detailed QRAs performed, including floating liquefied natural gas and floating storage regasification units. This paper presents a CRA case study for a generic remote offshore field with a range of development options from conventional to minimal offshore facilities. The model calculates the associated risks for the options considered and is presented in terms of individual risk per annum, temporary refuge impairment frequency and potential loss of life. The results highlight the effects of each individual design feature on risk levels by comparison of similar options side by side, noting the main risk contributors and allowing investigation of the benefits of risk reduction measures. This enables identification of the best design features from each of the options and allows an optimised design to be carried forward.


architects as well as architectural engineers, with a srnall number of people but now it has a total number of more than 20,OOO full In. embers. . Since many past earthquakes eccurred in Japan, knowledgeof engineering was necesgary forJapanese architects, and the writer can say that the earthquake engineering has always been playing an irnportant role in the activity of the Arehiteetural Institute of Japan. The development of earthquake ' engineering may be reviewed in the following way: '


In the 1970s, Samuel Beckett wrote a set of short poems, called mirlitonnades. Explicitly conceived as minor or 'throwaway' poetry, the drafts of the mirlitonnades are jotted down on 'throwaway' material and everyday objects, such as envelopes, letters, a piece from a box of cigars, pages torn from notebooks and coloured notepads. This essay tries to map the genesis of these poems in order to understand the 'throwaway' gesture of the draft material. It foregrounds the 'everyday' materiality of the mirlitonnades manuscripts and argues that the use of these scraps of paper bears a relation to the content of the poems, in which 'death' is the most 'everyday' element. It is so omnipresent that it emanates from and takes shape in the most everyday objects.


Aim: microRNAs (miRs) have been implicated in many malignancies. Our aim was to identify specific miRNAs that can predict risk of relapse in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients treated on BFM protocols, better than the current risk group stratification. Currently, the main method for risk group stratification is based on the amount of minimal residual disease (MRD) assessed at specific time points by real time quantitative PCR (RQ-PCR).

Material and methods : Following microRNA expression analysis performed on 48 bone marrow samples at diagnosis, we focused on several miRs that correlated with at least 3 of the established prognostic markers in ALL to be validated in a cohort of 138 B-lineage ALL samples. Of the miRs studied, down regulated miR-151-5p and miR-451 and upregulated miR-1290 significantly correlated with outcome.

Results: Low expression of miR-151-5p, miR-451 or of both together resulted in significantly worse relapse free survival (RFS) (56%, 63% and 47%, respectively) compared to RFS rates when either or both miRs were highly expressed (80%, 78% and 78%, respectively) (p=0.007, 0.042 and 0.002, respectively). High expression of miR-1290 resulted in worse RFS compared to those that expressed low levels (54% versus 81%; p=0.014). When combining the 3 miRs, a patient expressing low levels of both miRs and/or high levels of miR-1290 had a RFS of 54% (p=0.004). Furthermore, the expression of the 3 miRs could distinguish within the TEL-AML1 negative cohort two groups; one with 80% and the other with 44% RFS (p=0.004). Multivariate Cox regression analysis identified low expression of both miRs and/or high expression of miR-1290 as an independent prognostic marker in the PCR-MRD non-high risk cohort. Patients expressing abnormal levels of the 3 miRs had a 4.47-fold increased risk for relapse (p=0.037). Deletion of IKZF1 gene is a known adverse prognostic marker in B-lineage ALL. In 85 patients, IKZF1 status was analyzed and 9 patients were found to harbor the deletion. The expression of the 3 miRs could still identify an adverse group of patients with 69% RFS within the group with no deletion (p=0.004). When adding IKZF1 and TEL-AML1 status to the Multivariate analysis in addition to PCR-MRD, the expression of the 3 miRs remained a significant independent marker with a 24 fold increased risk for relapse (p=0.011).

![Figure 1][1]

Figure 1

Conclusion: Our results identify the combination of miR-151-5p, miR-451 and miR-1290 as a novel biomarker for outcome in pediatric B-lineage ALL patients, already at time of diagnosis. This may lead to improved risk group stratification and enable early therapeutic intervention that may result in better RFS.

Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

 [1]: pending:yes


The invention relates to an indwellable fluorescence microscopy endoscopic imaging system, which belongs to the technical field of fluorescence microscopy. An intervention and indwelling part is a self-focusing lens which is inserted in a micro-wound of a live animal; an excitation light and fluorescence transfer part is formed by sequentially connecting an optical fiber connecting device, an image transmission optical fiber bundle and an optical fiber bundle fixing device, and the front end surface of the image transmission optical fiber bundle and an observed region in a tissue are conjugated relative to the self-focusing lens; a fluorescence photography part consists of a microscope objective, a dichroic mirror, a fluorescence filter and a CCD device which are horizontally arranged along a fluorescence emission main shaft, and the CCD device and the back end surface of the image transmission optical fiber bundle are conjugated relative to the microscope objective; and an excitation light generation part is formed by sequentially connecting a light source, an excitation light filter and a lens group, and an excitation light main shaft and the fluorescence emission main shaft are orthogonal and both form an angle of 45 degrees with the dichroic mirror. The invention has the advantages of easy realization of high-speed video capture for observing dynamic change of a fluorescent labeled target and carrying out continuous observation of the same position of the live animal for on a long-term basis.


It includes a power stage and the driver stage, all stages using a group III nitride power device integrated circuit.


We present an explanation for the persistence of gender segregation in occupations and for the observed cross‐country differences in its extent. Agents have imperfect information about their probability of success in different occupations and base their career choices on prior beliefs about these probabilities. Beliefs are updated according to Bayes's rule, implying that past differences in preferences over occupations across genders affect the beliefs of the current generation. Consequently, even when men and women become identical in their preferences, their career choices differ. Moreover, the way in which preferences change is shown to affect the degree of segregation.


Abstract— Lamp/filter systems for simulation of solar ultraviolet irradiance corresponding to various degrees of stratospheric ozone decrease are described for use in field and growth‐chamber biological experiments. In growth‐chamber applications, a constant ultraviolet enhancement simulation can be achieved with a 6000 W xenon arc with glass filters. For field applications, Westinghouse FS‐40 'sun lamps' filtered with plastic films provide an ultraviolet supplement for use when solar altitudes exceed 40°.


Purpose To compare the postoperative outcomes and complications of glaucoma drainage device (GDD) surgery in pediatric (<18 years old) and adult patients. Methods Retrospective, comparative study including all patients who underwent Baervedlt or Molteno device surgery by the same surgeon. Success criteria included postoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) between 6 and 21 mmHg and a 20% reduction from baseline. Results Fifty-two children (69 eyes) and 130 adults (145 eyes) were included. Mean IOP and number of medications were significantly reduced postoperatively in both groups. Overall failure rate was similar in children and adults. However, GDD failed earlier in adults than in children. Hypotony was the most common complication in both groups in the first 6 months postoperatively. Later on, bleb encapsulation was more frequent in children, while corneal decompensation tended to be more frequent and occurred earlier in adults. Children also had a higher rate of infectious endophthalmitis and required tube repositioning more frequently than adults. Conclusions challenges in children and adults, and the surgeon should remain vigilant for complications throughout the postoperative period, especially for of endophthalmitis or bleb encapsulation in pediatric patients. On the other hand, adults may be more prone to early corneal decompensation.


An algorithm for blindly detecting frequency-hopping(FH) signals was proposed.The method is based on three main steps: i) compute the cross-correlation function(CCF) of FH signals from multichannels;ii) compute the power spectrum density matrix(PSDM) as a function of time;iii) generate spectrogram,segment hops of FH signals from spectrogram,and obtain the hops' parameters via analyzing the PSDM.The field test shows that the presented algorithm is effective and outperforms traditional methods by greatly improving the signal noise ratio(SNR).


The "new view" of Keynes as typified by the work of Clower (1965) and Leijonhufvud (1968) is now approaching the stage of development where it can be represented by a reasonably easy-to-handle set of propositions. Recent works by Malinvaud (1977) and Barro and Grossman (1976) have significantly speeded up this process. This paper attempts to put a simple version of this theory on a par for manipulation with the well-known classical and Keynesian models by presenting a diagrammatic apparatus to match their standard textbook fourquadrant diagrams.


ASA is a regulatory framework that allows for licensed sharing of underutilised spectrum by a limited number of rights holders through an individual authorisation scheme. There is significant momentum for ASA can be implemented rapidly in Europe under the existing EU regulatory framework for electronic communications, taking advantage of actual technological options and meeting the rise of mobile broadband that is posing new challenges to Administrations worldwide. Through ASA, Europe has the opportunity to take the lead and to explore new paths of optimal spectrum exploitation, reaping the benefits of the mobile internet revolution for industry and consumers in Europe and globally.


Abstract:The female nude in photography has a complex history in Freud's Vienna. This paper examines photographic images of nude women and girls in the published art-historical studies of classical sculpture. Books on the "sciences" of health and well-being by authors like Carl Heinrich Stratz and Paul Schultze-Naumberg reproduced many photographs of nude women and children, especially young girls. Such visual material comes to bear on Freud's case-history of "Dora" as well as other contemporary writings on psychoanalysis.


A simple formal model shows that estimates of an upper bound on the value of firms' patent rents can be obtained from regressions on Tobin's Q. I test this model on a sample of US firms and find it is robust to a variety of considerations. The estimates correspond well with implied estimates derived from previous research. Also, these upper bound estimates are only modestly higher than estimates of patent value obtained from data on patent renewals international patent filings. This suggests that these techniques do not substantially understate patent value.


In the article, based on computer simulation environment, a model of noise-resistant coding system was developed, which works on the basis of the algorithm of parallel-cascade high-precision coding and iterative decoding. A comparative analysis of the energy gain high-precision iterative algorithm with Gray coding algorithm is made. The results of modeling in Simulink error-correcting code and an iterative high-precision Gray code in digital transmission of information.


It has been estimated that more than 90% of all scanning electron microscope (SEM) images ever published have been obtained using secondary electrons (SE) which are defined as being those electrons emitted with energies between 0 and 50eV. The properties of these secondary electron are therefore of considerable interest and importance. However, although secondary electrons have been intensively studied since their discovery by Starke in 1901 the majority of the work has been aimed at determining the SE yield coefficient and its variation with energy for elements and compounds. The energy spectrum of secondary electrons has received far less attention although it is evident that the form of the spectrum must have an effect on the image contrast observed in the SEM because SE detectors are energy selective devices. The few studies that have been made have mostly concentrated on spectra obtained from clean samples observed under ultra-high vacuum conditions. This is understandable, because it is certain that the presence of a surface layer of contamination will change the SE spectrum to some degree or other, but it is unfortunate because all specimens in real SEMs are dirty and it is information about this situation that is required.


THE majority of protein that makes up the human body is albumin. It has important physiological functions, such as maintaining the colloidal osmotic pressure and delivering as well as storing various organic substances. A reduced albumin level has been shown to correlate with a worsened prognosis in several studies. Despite the functions described above, albumin treatment has been categorized as inconsequential (1, 2) or even damaging (3) in recent meta-analyses. The problems associated with the methodology of meta-analyses and small sample sizes of the included original studies led an Australian—New Zealander study group (The SAFE Study Investigators) to assess the benefits and safety of administering albumin to intensive care patients. It was conducted with two large groups (albumin group 3497 patients, saline [NaCl 0.9%] group [3500]) as a randomized, double-blind study (4). In this — by far the largest — study of nearly 7000 patients, the treatment for hypovolemia during intensive care was either albumin or physiological saline solution. The effectiveness of the treatment was assessed according to the intention-to-treat principle as day-28 all-cause mortality. The results of the study are unquestionable and obvious: administering albumin (4%) as a fluid treatment for critically ill adults to replace lost blood volume is ineffective for reducing mortality by day 28 of care (death rates 726/3473 in the albumin vs. 729/ 3460 in the saline group; RR (relative risk) for death 0.99, 95% CI 0.91—1.09) for the albumin group. Fluid treatment had no effect on the length of stay either in the ICU or in the hospital. Albumin treatment did not reduce the time spent in mechanical ventilation or on dialysis. Trauma patients were randomized separately. In this predefined subgroup, there was almost a statistically significant increase in mortality (81/596 with albumin, 59/590 with saline, RR 1.36, 95% CI 0.99—1.86). The upper confidence limit means that this study cannot exclude a nearly doubled risk of death in trauma patients when albumin is involved. A retrospective further analysis suggests that albumin may be deleterious, especially when cerebral injury is included (deaths 59/241 in the albumin group vs. 38/251 in the saline group; RR 1.62, 95% CI 1.12—2.34, P 1⁄4 0.009). In severe sepsis and ARDS (predefined subgroup analyses without randomization) no significant differences between groups could be detected. Why did the randomized SAFE study reach a different conclusion than the groups using metaanalysis? The SAFE study did not include patients with postoperative cardiac surgery, with liver transplantation, with burns, or pediatric patients. The previously published meta-analyses (1—3) can be extensively criticised for differences in their followup time for mortality, missing data of original studies, confusing factors such as fresh-frozen plasma, the use of albumin in the control group, and variations in the diagnoses, phase of treatment and age of the patients. The guiding principle in metaanalyses should be combining studies that are as homogenous as possible, using the same treatments and having the same follow-up times. The analyses cited above, or the principal studies therein cited, do not provide a convincing case to support the use of albumin — neither does the large RCT. A small study of patients receiving a liver transplant (5) could not establish any effect on mortality, and no other randomized studies are available. Replacement treatment of ascites fluid with albumin in liver cirrhosis patients has shown no convincing benefit: Wilkes and Navickis describe a RR of 0.93 (CI 95% 0.67—1.28) in their meta-analysis. With burns, the meta-analysis suggests damaging effects of albumin (RR 1.76, CI 95% 0.97—3.17) (1). With neonatal patients the evidence is also limited (1—3). Acta Anaesthesiol Scand 2005; 49: 599—600 Copyright # Acta Anaesthesiol Scand 2005 Printed in UK. All rights reserved ACTA ANAESTHESIOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA


ABSTRACT Background: Long-term care institutions (LTCIs) present a limiting environment. Physiotherapy through recreational exercises can stimulate older adults. Objective: To explore LTCIs residents' perceptions regarding recreational physiotherapy. Method: This is a descriptive qualitative study. Participants included older adults living in two LTCIs, who took part in recreational physiotherapy and did not display severe communication problems or cognitive deficits. The activity was regularly offered in both LTCIs. Semi-structured interviews were audio-recorded to analyze the participants' perceptions of physiotherapy. We also observed video footage of the participants' behaviors during one session of the recreational activity. The audio recordings were transcribed, and content analysis was conducted with MAXQDA 12®. Results: Nine older adults participated, the majority women (n = 6), with a mean age of 83.8 ± 7.4 years. The interviews' average duration was about 30 minutes. The reports revealed three themes. In the "activity for myself" theme, participants discussed issues related to their own old age. In the "activity with others" theme, participants reported physiotherapy's value for providing sense of collectivity. In the "activity itself" theme, the components of physiotherapy and their benefits were evaluated. Observation of the video recording revealed that each resident engaged in the activity at their own pace and within their capabilities. Conclusions: The experience of older adults living in LTCIs showed that the regularly practicing physical exercises in recreational group, strengthens social bonds and provides physical and emotional well-being. When formulating and executing physiotherapy in the context of LTCIs, professionals should consider the residents' perceptions of the practice.


The article puts forward,uncertainty and variability of mobile office environment lead the mobile security problems more prominent.Therefore,we need use strong security protection in mobile data transmission,exchange and processing to protect the security of the office process.In addition,we proposed using the ideas of combined public key in the mobile office,with the characteristics of safe and efficient.


The reverse osmosis (RO) brackish water desalination plant described in this article has been operating without acid in the pretreatment and only using two types of antiscalants (this was the first experience of 40,000 operating hours in Canaries). This work describes the graphical evolution of all the daily operating information of the first five years. A study of the normalization and standardization of the information about the five years of the evolution of the plant for fixed feedwater conditions, operating pressure, and system recovery is shown too, so that the performance evaluation of the plant can be indicated correctly. Likewise, this article describes the graphic evolution of thse brine Langelier saturation index (real and theoric values). The conclusions of this study and the operating experience are intended to get a practical and optimum design method of RO brackish water desalination plants.


In preterm neonates, total parenteral nutrition (TPN) followed by formula feeding can cause small intestinal (SI) mucosal atrophy and dysfunction, potentially leading to necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). It is unknown if this susceptibility is affected by mode of delivery at birth. In contrast to cesarean delivery, vaginally delivered neonates are exposed to elevated levels of glucocorticoids, putative stimulators of SI development, and a more stable maternally influenced microbiota. A preterm pig model was used to determine if vaginal delivery could prevent TPN and formula induced SI atrophy and dysfunction. Preterm pigs (93% gestation) were delivered vaginally (VD) or via cesarean section (CS), maintained on TPN for 36 hours, then fed sow's colostrum (COL) or infant milk formula (FORM) for 48 hours. NEC lesions were increased in FORM groups, and minimal in COL groups. Relative to VD‐FORM, distal SI villus heights increased 14% in CS‐FORM and VD‐COL and increased 43% (P<0.05) in CS‐COL. Relative dry weights of the SI mucosal layer were lower (10–14%, P<0.01) in VD‐FORM pigs compared to other treatment groups. Compared to VD‐FORM, aminopeptidases A and N activities were increased in VD‐COL and CS‐FORM (20‐25%) and increased in CS‐COL (37%, P<0.05). Lactase and maltase activities were lowest in VD‐FORM, higher in CS‐FORM (22–27%), and highest in both COL groups (45–50%, P<0.01). TPN and formula induced SI atrophy and dysfunction was most pronounced in vaginally delivered pigs compared to cesarean delivered pigs. The premature SI may be more susceptible and respond inappropriately to the endocrine changes and microbial colonization patterns of vaginal delivery.


WASHINGTON, April 3 (AP) :vide a legitimate, honest yard-lest and e1ficient." -A majority of the joint congres· stick" for comparison with the The acquisition of land by slonal committee which Investi· rates charged by private utlli. TVA "has been efficiently and over the books annually, as is only meaningless, but worse, Is trary, dictatorial and unbusiness· extent local communities and nies issuing the securities in done in the csse 01 the RFC. mlsleadinl, deceptive, unfair and like." counties have been "injured or question . Before 1938, TVA's accounting dishonest as a measure of the TVA has "discriminated" against jeopardized" through TVA operaSigners of the majority report gated TVA exonerated t hat ties. ! honestly managed." agency of charges of maladminCharges of dishonesty preferred: The criticism directed at TV A istration Bnd inelfictency today, by Dr. Arthur E. Morgan, former spending by the oUice of the whlle three republican members TVA ' chairman deposed last year comptroller general has been of the committee indignantly proby President Roosevelt, weI' e largely "baseless." methods were "extremely unsatfairness of the rates of priVately union labor and against Negro !ions. were Senators Donahey (D-Ohlo),


Mystery solved: using heterologous expression, the activities of two enzymes exclusively belonging to the kanamycin biosynthetic pathway have been identified in vitro. A distinctive reaction mechanism to produce kanamycin is proposed and the previously unknown catalytic deamination activity of KanJ dioxygenase is uncovered.


A method of transmitting a steering angle signal of a vehicle equipped with a MDPS(Motor drive power steering) and an ESP(Electronic stability program) is provided to transmit the steering angle signal to both the MDPS and the ESP without installing a SAS(Steering angle sensor) as in a conventional method. A vehicle includes a MDPS(Motor drive power steering) comprising a torque sensor(1) transmitting a torsional torque signal and a MPS ECU(2) for transmitting a MDPS control and steering angle signal, a cluster(3) alerting a driver about the MDPS error and an ESP operation error, and an ESP(Electronic stability program,4), having a motor and an ECU for controlling the ESP, communicated using a CAN communication. A method of transmitting the steering angle signal comprises the steps of: the ESP ECU determining whether the engine is turned on or not; outputting the steering angle signal to the MDPS through the torque sensor if the engine is determined to be turned on; determining whether the input time is less than a predetermined time(for example, 1500ms) or not after the outputting the steering angle signal; and lighting a warning lamp if the input time is over the predetermined time and operating the ESP if the input time is less than the predetermined time.


At present,our national test-oriented education is being transformed into qualified education.College students of the 21st century should be fostered their innovational spirit and practical ability.This paper argues that the improved medical physics teaching can efficiently develop high quality talents by means of renewing educational ideas,improving teaching system and teaching content,applying multimedia in teaching and so on.


The internal combustion engines are under development remarkable these last decades, but they represent, currently, a very important source of polluting gas emissions. The nitrogen oxides (NOx) form part of these polluting emissions, and have a harmful effect on human health, as well as the environment. Considering the complexity of the process of formation of the latter, many numerical simulations were developed, our work, allows the calculation of the nitrogen oxide rate (NO) in exhaust gases, starting from the developed equations of the chemical kinetics, while being based on the thermal mechanism of Zeldovich. Simulation is carried out for a gasoline engine, and the results obtained show that: the maximum of NO concentrations corresponds to an equivalent ratio of 0,9. For leaner or richer equivalence ratios, concentration decreased. The NO concentrations depend of various parameters (spark timing angle, combustion duration, and engine speed).


Providing a carburization apparatus which can shorten the reduced cost and carburizing time. The carburizing treatment vessel 2, a coil 3 for a single heating, a plurality of the soaking coil 4, the induction heating by soaking coil 4 a processing object W from the induction heating position by the coil 3 for Atsushi Nobori a transport mechanism is provided to convey the position. The rated output capacity of the heating power supply 5 connected to the heating coil 3 is larger than the rated output capacity of the soaking power supply 6 which is connected to the soaking coil 4.


Shielding properties of Alloy 709 are computationally investigated in this work as a candidate material for the inner canister in multi-layered spent fuel dry cask. The concept of the cask canister in this work consists of an inner canister made of Alloy 709, intermediate shielding coating of specialty glass containing metal oxides of 0.8 PbO/0.1 Al 2 O 3 /0.1 SiO 2 all by weight percent and is denoted as Glass 6, and an outer shielding layer of synthesized concrete containing ferrophosphorus Fe 3 P/magnetite and Fe 3 O 4 /lead oxide PbO and is denoted as Concrete 6. Alloy 709 proved to have the highest attenuation among other steels which can be ascribed to the high weight fraction of Chromium (Cr) and Nickel (Ni) and the additives of Titanium (Ti), Niobium (Nb) and Boron (B) that play a role in enhancing the attenuation behavior of the alloy against gamma-rays among other stainless steels. Alloy 709 provides the greatest reduction in exposure rate, exposure buildup factor and half-value layer (HVL) and minimum mean free path (MFP) values at different photon energies, which explains its better attenuation among other steels and thus its enhanced shielding effectiveness as candidate canister material in dry storage casks of spent fuel.


In the conventional framework of thermodynamics it is an established fact that, in absence of surface effects, infinitesimal change in entropy is extensive. But this does not automatically guarantee the extensivity of entropy. Our purpose in this paper is to discuss this problem, strictly within the framework of thermodynamics, using a principle of linear superposition in conjunction with a simple postulate, which contains a feature consistent with quantum mechanical concept of indistinguishability of atoms and molecules. Some important consequences of the extensivity of entropy are also discussed. Extensivity of entropy is essential to calculate the change in entropy in an adiabatic irreversible process where the number of atoms of a system is not fixed as well as to make thermodynamics free from the well-known Gibbs paradox.


The invention discloses a focus-detection device, a method for controlling the same, and an image capture apparatus. The focus-detection device is capable of performing phase-difference detection type focus detection using outputs of an image sensor. Phase differences between image signals each of which based on a light beam that has passed through different partial regions of an exit pupil of an imaging optical system, and an image signal based on a light beam that has passed through the entire region of the exit pupil is detected. Then, a defocus amount of the imaging optical system is computed using the sum of the phase differences.


As a result of the Creating Pathways recommendations, Marilyn Miller was appointed National Indigenous Dance Coordinator. Here she reports on the first months of Treading the Pathways, the next phase of the partnership between the Australia Council and Ausdance.


This article examines the World War II conflict between William J. Donovan, the founder of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), and J. Edgar Hoover, the legendary Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Their struggle for control of U.S. foreign intelligence contained the seeds of tension that later arose between the FBI and the CIA. The article explores both their bureaucratic rivalry and their contrasting concepts of intelligence gathering. Bureaucratically, Hoover held the advantage. His political base was far more secure than Donovan's, and he was, therefore, able to protect the FBI from OSS encroachment into domestic intelligence. But in the field of foreign intelligence, Hoover was at a disadvantage. His stress upon fact-finding and exposure differed sharply with Donovan's emphasis upon strategic intelligence, analysis and covert action. Thus, Hoover and the FBI were ill-suited for the complexities of global intelligence. Both men also clashed over such issues as the role of domest...


Turbo Code is a channel coding with excellent error-correcting performance in the condition of low noise-signal ratio.It has a superior decoding performance approaching the Shannon limit by adopting the random coding and decoding. This paper focuses on Turbo code and its implementation with FPGA and deeply analyzes the decoding theory and algorithm of Turbo code. Firstly, it analyzes the decoding theory of Turbo code. Then, it discusses key issues in the process of implementation with the most excellent and complicated Max—log—MAP algorithm. At last, it ends up with the Turbo encoder and decoding algorithm which hardware is successfully implemented finally.


As a milestone for video object segmentation, one-shot video object segmentation (OSVOS) has achieved a large margin compared to the conventional optical-flow based methods regarding to the segmentation accuracy. Its excellent performance mainly benefit from the three-step training mechanism, that are: (1) acquiring object features on the base dataset (i.e. ImageNet), (2) training the parent network on the training set of the target dataset (i.e. DAVIS-2016) to be capable of differentiating the object of interest from the background. (3) online fine-tuning the interested object on the first frame of the target test set to overfit its appearance, then the model can be utilized to segment the same object in the rest frames of that video. In this paper, we argue that for the step (2), OSVOS has the limitation to 'overemphasize' the generic semantic object information while 'dilute' the instance cues of the object(s), which largely block the whole training process. Through adding a common module, video loss, which we formulate with various forms of constraints (including weighted BCE loss, high-dimensional triplet loss, as well as a novel mixed instance-aware video loss), to train the parent network in the step (2), the network is then better prepared for the step (3), i.e. online fine-tuning on the target instance. Through extensive experiments using different network structures as the backbone, we show that the proposed video loss module can improve the segmentation performance significantly, compared to that of OSVOS. Meanwhile, since video loss is a common module, it can be generalized to other fine-tuning based methods and similar vision tasks such as depth estimation and saliency detection.


We present relative astrometric measurements of visual binaries made in 2013 with the speckle camera PISCO at the 102-cm Zeiss telescope of Brera Astronomical Observatory, in Merate. Our observing list contains orbital couples as well as binaries whose motion is still uncertain. We obtained 134 new measurements of 129 visual binary stars, with angular separations in the range 0.≈23–5 and an average accuracy of 0.≈01. The mean error on the position angles is 0.°5. Most of the position angles were determined without the usual 180° ambiguity with the application of triple-correlation techniques and/or by inspection of the long integration files. We also present new revised orbits for ADS 1097, 5871, 7203, 7775, 9378, 9578, and 11186, partly derived from PISCO observations. The corresponding estimated values for the masses of those systems are compatible with the spectral types. (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)


Pseudomonas aeruginosa is generally considered to be an ubiquitous bacteria of water and soils, nevertheless in recent years particular attention has been paid to this microorganism because of its increasing significance as a human pathogen and its high resistance to most antibiotics. Nowadays, there are a variety of methods for the detection of P. aeruginosa using different culture media. The aim of this work was to compare the recovery of P. aeruginosa and the selectivity of a synthetic and an undefined cul- ture media (m-Acetamide and m-Cetrimide) by membrane filtration method. Diluted suspensions (10 -6 ) of test bacterial cultures (ATCC collection) and simulated tap water samples (inoculated with highly diluted suspension of P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853) were analysed. The statistical analysis of simulated water sam- ples data showed a significant difference (p < 0.05) in the enumeration of P. aeruginosa from water sam- ples tested in m -Cetrimide and in m -Acetamide media, in favour of the latter. Overmore, m-Acetamide medium showed to be more selective and inhibitory for microorganisms other than P. aeruginosa. Sensi- ti vity values were 96 and 100%, specificity values 95 and 100% and mean relative recovery frequency val- ues 66.2 and 95.76 % for m-Cetrimide and m-Acetamide media, respectively. On the other hand, the ad- vantage of m-Cetrimide medium was the faster growth of this microorganism.


Transition metal catalyzed cross‐couplings are essential methods in organic synthesis. Due to their comparable low toxicity and price, cobalt‐salts offer a useful alternative to other common metal‐catalysts (e. g. palladium‐complexes). In this review, we report that cobalt‐catalysts are especially well suited for cross‐coupling reactions with organozinc pivalates, a class of organozinc reagents with enhanced stability towards air and moisture. Furthermore, we discuss applications of cobalt‐catalysis in Negishi cross‐coupling reactions (sp2‐sp2, sp‐sp2, sp‐sp3) as well as electrophilic aminations using organozinc reagents.


The macro tax -burden of China seems t o be lower,which does not match the developing level of the economy and the demand of the macro go verning measurements.From this point of view,this paper analyzes the causes that make it lower as well as so me reasons concerned.On the basis of the analysis,it offers a line of thinking and suggestions for rising the macro tax -burden up to a proper le vel so as to match the economic de-velopment.


I. Introduction With the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA),1 much has been accomplished for the nation's disabled individuals with regard to gaining access to services and accommodations, overcoming discrimination, and dispelling longstanding prejudices. The pace of these accomplishments, however, has not proven particularly timely. This is especially true in the area of employment discrimination claims brought under Title I of the ADA. In the last few years, while employees have continuously sought relief under the ADA, they have had a difficult time prevailing on their claims. In many instances, plaintiffs have encountered trouble with merely getting their case heard by a jury. This difficulty is due to the fact that employers have been quite successful in having claims dismissed prior to trial on motions for summary judgment.3 But the recent decision in Bragdon v. Abbott4 by the United States Supreme Court casts serious doubt as to whether this scenario will continue to predominate. In fact, the case has some observers declaring that a reversal of plaintiffs' fortunes may be on the horizon.5 In Bragdon, the Court, in a 5-4 decision, affirmed a lower court decision that held that Ms. Abbott, who was infected with the HIV virus, had an ADA-covered disability because she was substantially limited in the major life activity of reproduction, despite the fact that her infection was in the so-called "asymptomatic" stage.6 As a consequence, the Court ruled that Abbott could pursue a claim under Title III of the ADA against her dentist. The case arose when the doctor refused to fill her cavity in his office, insisting instead that she be treated in a hospital setting so as to ensure greater precautions against his possible infection. As the effects of this decision are felt throughout the judicial system, the "charmed life that employers have been experiencing in having . . . ADA suits dismissed may change."7 The Bragdon suit was brought under Title III of the statute, which prohibits disability discrimination in public accommodations and services.8 Yet as some have noted, "The decision, without question, will have an important influence on the interpretations and development of the law under Title I of the statute."9 As the general rule of Title I states, "[N]o covered entity shall discriminate against a qualified individual with a disability because of the disability of such individual in regard to job application procedures, the hiring, advancement, or discharge of employees, employee compensation, job training, and other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment."11 This Note examines the influences Bragdon may have upon this rule and discusses the extent to which Bragdon could engender both a revitalization of ADA claims, and perhaps more importantly from a litigation standpoint, a genesis of completely new claims that once may have been considered too far-fetched to garner disability status under the ADA. Section II will present a history of HIV's treatment under preBragdon ADA case law and under the regulatory guidelines promulgated by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and other controlling agencies. Section III will review the facts and reasoning of the Bragdon decision with regard to its analysis of the three concepts contained in the definition of disability under (sec)12102(2)(A) of the ADA. Section IV will discuss the ramifications of the seemingly broad and suggestive language within the opinion itself for employment context claims of both other HIVafflicted persons as well as other would-be disabilities. II. The History of HIV Under the ADA While the inclusion of an individual exhibiting symptomatic HIV (commonly referred to as AIDS) under the ADA's umbrella has been taken for granted, an individual's standing while in the asymptomatic stage of the infection has at times been seriously questioned. According to the first prong of the statute, "[t]he term `disability' means, with respect to an individual-A) a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of such individual . …


Rural Bank (BPR) is important part of financial service industry in Indonesia. Their pivotal role on lending to SMEs in the rural area makes their existence is very strategic to rural development. However, due to its operational scale, rural bank charges higher interest rate than commercial bank. The study estimate the cost efficiency of rural banks using parametric approach. The result found that rural bank efficiency is very high. The two year cost efficiency estimated using frontier 4.1 is 95% and median is 100%. The lowest is cost efficiency level is 32%. It means cost inefficiency of the banks under investigated is around 10%. The cost efficiency level in 2006 is on average 95% and median is 100% meaning that 50% or more of the observation enjoying 100% cost efficiency. The minimum is only 67%. It means they operate at very efficient level, leaving only 5% inefficiency. In 2007, a dramatic change on efficiency level was going on. The average efficiency dropped by 11% to 89.9% due to increase on interest rate and price level.


This paper reports that a porous, packed bed, volumetric solar collector consisting of two dissimilar layers of spherical beads is numerically modeled. The bed is irradiated on the top surface by concentrated solar flux isotropic within a known cone angle. A gas stream perfusing the bed is heated by convection with the solid particles. The equation of radiative transfer, which accounts for absorption, emission, and linearly anisotropic scattering in the bed, is simplified by employing the P[sub 1] differential approximation. The bed materials are spectrally selective in the solar and infrared wavelengths. Sensitivity studies are used to identify the critical input parameters of the system, and a baseline configuration, which incorporates the key requirements of an efficient solar collector is adopted. Parametric studies are conducted on the mass flow rate, incident solar flux, top layer porosity, solar absorptivity, particle diameter, and degree of back scatter. Tailoring of the particle and fluid temperature profiles and enhancing the efficiency of the collector by an appropriate selection of these critical parameters is demonstrated. Various high-temperature ceramics with suitable radiative properties are identified and their relative performance in the collector is assessed.


Sensitivity analysis (SA) is an important part in engineering design under the uncertainty to provide valuable information about the probabilistic characteristics of a response. In this paper, the variance-based methods and the cumulative distribution function (CDF)-based sensitivity coefficients were used in sensitivity analysis. The combination of sparse grid stochastic collocation (SC) and the generalized polynomial chaos (gPC) are proposed as a method to perform the sensitivity analysis. The computational method employs the gPC as a high-order representation for random quantities, a stochastic collocation (SC) approach to deal with complex/implicit response functions, and sparse grid to use a reduced set of samples. It can reduce the computational cost associated with uncertainty assessment without much sacrifice on the optimum solution. The effectiveness is demonstrated in two numerical examples. KeywordsGeneralized Polynomial Chaos; Sensitivity Analysis; Stochastic Collocation; Sensitivity Coefficient; Uncertainty


Kiyomi tangor is one kind of hybrid citrus,and Penicillium italium from it was used as the testing material to investigate the inhibiting effects of ozone treatment against hybrid Citrus Penicillium.Experiment results showed that ozone treatment inhibited hybrid Citrus Penicillium to some extent,with the maximum bacteriostasis rate is 30.18%.With the same ozone concentration,the inhibiting effects of three different treating time against Penicillium italium showed 30 min20 min10 min.With the same treating time,the inhibiting effects of three different ozone concentration against Penicillium italium showed 200 mg/m3150 mg/m3100 mg/m3.


Adopting the way of questionaire,the paper has investigated the case about campus P.E culture of Jiaying university students,the results show that: over 80% college students found satisfaction or normal satisfaction in elective courses of physical education,while only 1.1% did not receive satisfaction from;65.7% No.of students thought it very important,while only 1.1% did not think it important;the choice games of the male and female students were different.It seemed that males prefered the interesting,entertaining and challenging games such as basketball,football,table tennis and badminton etc;on the contray,females would like to select the subjects that have few body touching and save labour sports such as calisthenics,badminton,table tennis and martial arts;the main factors affecting campus P.E culture are interest and hobby(74.3%),place and equipment(23.1%),sport characteristic of game(22.7%),salubrity(14.2%),exam grade etc.;lack of equipment and place,and the lower of preparative games are the two most important negative factors,reaching 64.0% and 41.3% respectively.


The existing multiparameter analyzers of the delayed time totalizing or non-sorting type are described with emphasis on the data recording portion of the analyzer. The existing readout systems for multichannel pulse height analyzer are comparable to the readout required for the real time totalizing multiparameter analyzer. The format and other requirements for a recording compatible with IBM computers are discussed to show what may be required for future recording systems. (M.C.G.)


Control of the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), which is the vector for the phloem-limited bacterium 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' (CLas) that is associated with huanglongbing (HLB or greening disease) in all habitats – including organic citrus – is critical for area-wide management of this vector-disease complex and sustainable citrus production. Organic citrus is produced in California, as well as in Florida and Texas.


Objective: The expression of interest gene namely 10kD zein gene in transgenic sweetpotato would be made sure. Methods: The tube culture seeding and plant cultured in experiment field of transgenic sweetpotato with 10kD zein gene were used as test material. The changes of content of soluble protein in alcohol and water of leaf, petiole, stem and root, and agronomic traits of transgenic sweetpotato had been studied. Results: The content of soluble protein in alcohol of root of transgenic plant cultured in vitro for 20 days was increased 330.43%, and it was 4.30 times as much as the control plant. The content of soluble protein in alcohol of leaf, stem, root of transgenic plant cultured in experiment field for 45 days were increased 738.30%,360.26%,418.60% respectively, and they were 8.38, 4.60, 5.19 times as much as the control plant respectively. The variance analysis of agronomic traits of transgenic plant cultured in experiment field for 45 days suggested that the presence of interest gene had no effect on growth of transgenic plant. Conclusion: The expression of interest gene in transgenic plant was primarily confirmed.


Digital micromirror device's (DMD) properties as being a display device for holographic displays are investigated. High speed, a large separation between reconstructed image and reconstruction beam, two symmetric diffraction patterns, and low intensity (0,0)th-order beam at a blazed grating condition are the desired properties for the displays. The blazed grating condition of a DMD can reconstruct images with higher diffraction efficiency than the line grating condition. DMD's high speed enables to present colors and gray levels to the reconstructed image. However, reconstructed images from a gray-level computer-generated hologram (CGH) and its binary form hologram reveal no noticeable difference between them, except the background noise in the image from the CGH.


Reading research articles in English will be a special challenge for those students who speak English as a foreign language (EFL). EFL graduate students will require a specific method for helping them to cope with the articles they have to read. This study tries to offer a method for helping them to read, understand, and analyze English articles easier. This study employs evaluation and trialing. It is accompanied by pre and post surveys that will give information about the condition of the students before and after the method is implemented. This study involved graduate students majoring in Information Systems at Satya Wacana Christian University. It is expected that the method proposed will help the students to know exactly what they need to read and focus on when they read a research article so that they can use their time more efficiently and effectively.


HbSC disease, the second most common sickle hemoglobinopathy in people of African descent, is caused by compound heterozygosity for sickle hemoglobin (HbS; p.glu7val) and C hemoglobin (HbC; p.glu7lys). One in 800 African Americans have HbSC disease; nearly a quarter of the population of western Nigeria and northern Ghana carry the HbC gene. Compared with the rapidly expanding treatment landscape for sickle cell anemia and HbS-β thalassemia (HbS-only phenotypes), HbSC disease-focused treatment is neither available nor the subject of clinical trials (ClinTrials.gov).


The author analyzes the history of the unique mountain-shaped ancient ritual vessels – Boshanlu (博山爐) censers, known in China since the Western Han era (202 BC – 8 AD), based on research obtained through written, archaeological and museum sources, as well as material from the author's field research in East Asia. The mountain-shaped censer openly embodies symbols of Taoist interpretations of the holy 仙 xian and the search for immortality. Subsequently, once the incense burners began to incorporate Buddhist symbols, they gained great importance in Buddhist ritual practices. The design of these vessels gradually transformed under the influence of Buddhism, as Taoist symbols were phased out in favor of various Buddhist attributes. These incense burners became an integral decorative element of the Buddhist altar (alongside flower vases and candlesticks).
Having ceased its time of mass use in the post-Han years, Boshanlu censer have not completely disappeared. Their memory has survived among burial imagery, cave and stone bas-reliefs and Buddhist-themed sculptural compositions. The article provides the research of the most prominent issues of the Southern Liang, Northern Qi and Sui dynasties' cultural heritage (second half of the 6th century) and shows their influence on the Boshanlu censers' exterior and similarities of the latter with the gilt-bronze Baekje (百済金銅大香爐) incense burner.
After a profound analysis, taking into account latest research, the symbolism which encompassed Baekje incense burners (at the turn of the 6–7th centuries) has been found to contain common features with the Chinese mountain-shaped censers, characterized by elements that allow this vessel to be classified as a unique item, symbolically reflecting an entire complex of various religious and philosophical representations, including Taoist-Buddhist concepts, local cults and local versions of palace ceremonies and everyday practices of the people of the state of Baekje.


The ESR electron cooler [l] has come to a routine operation for experiments with stored heavy ions in the SIS/ESR-complex at GSI [2). The ion species which have been cooled in thse ESR storage ring rnngc from z"Ne'D+ to 2ogBiu2+ at typical energies between 100 and 300 MeV/u. Besides the use for beam cooling the electron cooler is also an essential component for accumulation of high intensity beams and for storage of rndionctivc bcRms RS has been recently demonstrated. The cooling experiments with highly charged ions confirm the expected limitations due to intrabeam bcettering AS well RE the increase of particle losses by recombination of stored ions with <cooling electrons. The dependence of ion beam equilibrium temperature on ion nnd electron beam intensity has been studied. At small ion beam intensity n momentum spread Ap/p = 1. 10v6 and a beam emittance c t,l = 0.03 7 mm mrad has been observed.


In the field of exploring new natural sources for biologically active products with economic importance, the marine environment draws particular attention due to the noticeable diversity and extreme conditions; it is well known that the marine environment is a valuable source of biological and therapeutic compounds with great value. The marine environment represents a novel source for the discovery of new secondary metabolites including antibiotic, antiviral, antitumor, antifouling agents, as well as enzymes. Marine actinomycetes are widely distributed through the marine environment from shallow to sea sediments. The secondary metabolites obtained from such marine actinomycetes have proved their value in different industries due to their unique properties and structures. This review focuses on the importance of marine actinomycetes as well as their secondary metabolites. The development of new technologies for marine actinomycetes bioprospection is very promising, leading to the discovery of high-quality value products with biotechnological and medical applications.


Aim:  The aim of this investigation was to ascertain whether an early course of androgen treatment (three injections testosterone enanthate, 25 mg) could have a positive impact on any domains of neurodevelopmental function in boys with 49,XXXXY.


This research aim is to examine and analyze the weaknesses of the implementation of the auction execution of the object of the Mortgage especially in determining the auction price which is not yet based on Justice Value to then create a reconstruction of the execution auction of the Guarantee Rights in determining the auction price based on justice value. This research uses the method of empirical juridical approach where the data used in this study are primary data and secondary data, using qualitative analysis. The results showed that the weaknesses can be seen in Law no. 4 of 1996 concerning Mortgage Rights on Land and Objects Related to Land and Article 43 and Article 44 of the Minister of Finance Regulation No.27 / PMK.06 / 2016 concerning the Implementation Guidelines for Auction in determining the limit value made by an independent appraiser is in fact without any supervision by the supervisory agency for that and also without clear regulations regarding how to determine the auction price / auction limit value. To be able to resolve this, it is necessary to reconstruct the execution of the guarantee of the Guarantee Rights in determining the auction price based on Justice Value, namely in Article 6 and Article 20 paragraph (2) of Law No. 4 of 1996 concerning Mortgage Rights for Land and Objects Related to Land and Article 43 and Article 44 of the Minister of Finance Regulation No. the debtor and the creditor and if the auction price is not agreed upon, the settlement regarding the determination of the auction price shall be settled through the court so that the determination of the auction price can met the justice value.


In this paper, electrochemical polymerization of N-phenylglycine (PG), by using glassy carbon (GC) electrode as working electrode, in 0.2 M HClO4/NaClO4 aqueous solution has been introduced. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) was used for synthesis of the poly (N-phenylglycine) (PPG). Also electrochemical behavior of synthesized polymer was investigated by CV. To obtain the best conditions for electropolymerization method, different factors such as scan rate, potential range, type of doping agents, concentrations of monomer and doping agents were optimized. Polymerization of PG has been confirmed by UV-Vis and FTIR spectroscopy. The morphology of PPG film was introduced by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).


The coconut palm population of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands of the Indian Ocean displays fruit characteristics consistent with what is thought to be the wild-type form. The population of North Keeling atoll remains unaffected by human activity, whereas that of the Main Atoll has been managed for copra and oil production for 160 years. Genetic improvement has been attempted on Main Atoll by selection and germplasm importation. The population of Main Atoll is more productive than that of North Keeling, where the palms produce few fruits due to high population density and competition with other plant species. Although Main Atoll fruits and all their components were heavier, proportions by weight were the same as on North Keeling. Main Atoll fruits were not longer, but wider than North Keeling fruits, and contained larger nuts. On Main Atoll improved environment and seed selection contributed to more endosperm, from larger nuts. This is the first comprehensive description of a wild-type coconut population, which was judged to have been uninfluenced by human activity. The genetic uniqueness of the North Keeling population holds possible value for improvement of atoll populations elsewhere.


A simple, high gain, and dual-polarized patch antenna array for Wi-Fi 6/6E application is proposed in this communication. Different from the conventional feeding method, the patches are driven by coupling dipoles that are printed on the same board. The dipoles are specially designed to be T-shaped to adjust the impedance matching. Broadband covering both 5 and 6 GHz bands of Wi-Fi 6/6E is achieved. The feeding circuit is easily integrated on the board with only parallel dual line utilized. A prototype is fabricated and tested to validate the concept. The measured and simulated results are in good agreement. The measured bandwidth with $S_{11} < -10$ dB for two ports are 5.12–7.50 and 5.15–7.50 GHz with the isolation higher than 30 dB. Moreover, the measured gains are higher than 9.76 and 9.61 dBi for two ports over the operating band with a peak value of 12.05 dBi. The proposed antenna array shows great potential in the application of Wi-Fi mesh.


The ASTeC Vacuum Science Group has an ongoing study for the improvement of the nonevaporable getter (NEG) coatings currently used in many accelerators around the world. The main advantages of using NEG coatings are evenly distributed pumping speed, low thermal outgassing rates, and low photon-stimulated gas desorption and electron-stimulated gas desorption (ESD). Previously, it was shown that the dense NEG coating provides lower ESD compared to that of a columnar film, but its pumping properties are reduced. This paper describes the results for a dual layer of NEG where a dense layer was deposited first and a columnar layer was then deposited on top. In such a dual-layer NEG coating, the dense layer acted as a barrier for hydrogen diffusion and the columnar layer further reduced the ESD of hydrogen and provided improved pumping properties. An alloy target of Ti-Zr-Hf-V was used to deposit a 0.5 μm-thick layer of the dense NEG followed by a 1 μm-thick columnar structure of NEG onto the inner surface of a 5...


The Atkinson cycle, where expansion ratio is higher than the compression ratio, is one of the methods used to improve thermal efficiency of engines. Miller improved the Atkinson cycle by controlling the intake- or exhaust-valve closing timing, a technique which is called the Miller cycle. The Otto–Miller cycle can improve thermal efficiency and reduce NOx emission by reducing compression work; however, it must compensate for the compression pressure and maintain the intake air mass through an effective compression ratio or turbocharge. Hence, we performed thermodynamic cycle analysis with changes in the intake-valve closing timing for the Otto–Miller cycle and evaluated the engine performance and Miller timing through the resulting problems and solutions. When only the compression ratio was compensated, the theoretical thermal efficiency of the Otto–Miller cycle improved by approximately 18.8% compared to that of the Otto cycle. In terms of thermal efficiency, it is more advantageous to compensate only the compression ratio; however, when considering the output of the engine, it is advantageous to also compensate the boost pressure to maintain the intake air mass flow rate.


Confucius wasn't simply for "the concealment of father and son from each other in a judicial case",and against"sacrifice ties of blood to righteousness".The proposition reveals the rich connotation of "the social righteousness".We should master confucius original intention from its narrative structure and meaning structive.


The objective of this paper is to find new trends in the literature using machine learning and reference management systems within the theme of the Internationalization of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). With help of topic modeling software 857 articles on the topic "Internationalization of SMEs from 2012 to 2021 were analyzed and ranked (citation index) through Endnote® library management systems. The search was focused only on the fields of social science and management. 85 documents were shortlisted from the original cluster to proceed with the text mining. Results show promising areas of research within the Internationalization of SMEs. Stand-out topics include Resource-based Theory, Dynamics Capabilities, International Entrepreneurship, and Ambidexterity among others.
Endnote® Subject Bibliography found the most popular words and topics in the original database. Results showed that using Endnote® and MALLET topic modeling tool it is possible to analyze large amounts of publications and find new trends within a specific field. However, MALLET software needs experts in the field to identify and translate results into meaningful ideas. Endnote® seems to have a higher level of sophistication and a better visual interface, but among the disadvantages are the price of the tool and that it works better with their libraries or partner journals.


Eighteen bee honey samples were collected from two different locations in Egypt, representing the following plant sources: citrus honey (six samples), clover honeys (six samples), cotton honey (six samples) Samples were collected from two different provinces represent each of them at the first geographic area Kafr El-Sheikh governorate and second are Beheira. No significant differences between treatment in all Physical, chemical properties and Suger analysis. The mineral analysis showed no significant differences among all treatments except in potassium that was significant, with lowest value (11.050) at Motobes, Kafr- El-Sheikh citrus honey and the highest value 56.1 at Abou-Elmtamir, Beheira cotton honey.


Functions of eukaryotic mRNAs are characterized by intramolecular interactions between their ends. We have addressed the question whether 5′ and 3′ ends meet by diffusion-controlled encounter "through solution" or by a mechanism involving the RNA backbone. For this purpose, we used a translation system derived from Drosophila embryos that displays two types of 5′–3′ interactions: Cap-dependent translation initiation is stimulated by the poly(A) tail and inhibited by Smaug recognition elements (SREs) in the 3′ UTR. Chimeric RNAs were made consisting of one RNA molecule carrying a luciferase coding sequence and a second molecule containing SREs and a poly(A) tail; the two were connected via a protein linker. The poly(A) tail stimulated translation of such chimeras even when disruption of the RNA backbone was combined with an inversion of the 5′–3′ polarity between the open reading frame and poly(A) segment. Stimulation by the poly(A) tail also decreased with increasing RNA length. Both observations suggest that contacts between the poly(A) tail and the 5′ end are established through solution, independently of the RNA backbone. In the same chimeric constructs, SRE-dependent inhibition of translation was also insensitive to disruption of the RNA backbone. Thus, tracking of the backbone is not involved in the repression of cap-dependent initiation. However, SRE-dependent repression was insensitive to mRNA length, suggesting that the contact between the SREs in the 3′ UTR and the 5′ end of the RNA might be established in a manner that differs from the contact between the poly(A) tail and the cap.


Corporate communication is the lifeline of any organization—crossing cultures, perceptions and language barriers to reach employees around the globe. Messages must be delivered accurately, while strengthening the organization's position, building trust between the organization and the employee, and communicating a message that is not only current to local issues but relevant to each employee.


This study presents a simulation of low-carbon electricity supply for Australia, contributing new knowledge by demonstrating the benefits of load shifting in residential buildings for downsizing renewable electricity grids comprising wind, hydro, biomass, and solar resources. The load-shifting potential for the whole of Australia is estimated, based on air-conditioner load data and an insulation model for residential buildings. Load shifting is applied to enable transferring residential air-conditioner load from peak to off-peak periods, assuming that air-conditioners can be turned-on a few hours ahead of need, during periods where demand is low and renewable resource availability is high, and turned-off during periods of high demand and low resource availability. Thus, load shifting can effectively reduce installed capacity requirements in renewable electricity grids. For 1 h load shifting of residential air-conditioners, Australian electricity demand can be met at the current reliability standards by 130 GW installed capacity, at cost around 12.5 ¢/kWh, and a capacity factor of 32%. The installed capacity can be further reduced by increasing the number of hours that loads can be shifted. The findings suggest that the application of load shifting in residential buildings can play a significant role for power networks with high renewable energy penetration.


We present a study investigating Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) oxidation chemistry in the context of regional ozone (O3) production during the BEARPEX 2007 and 2009 campaigns at Blodgett Forest Research Station (BFRS) in the Sierra Nevada mountains, CA. Measurements are compared with results from a regional model (US EPA CMAQ) and a zero dimensional (0-D) box model based on the Master Chemical Mechanism (MCM). We use glyoxal (CHOCHO) and formaldehyde (HCHO) as tracers for generalized oxidation processes and employ ratios of compounds (e.g. CHOCHO / HCHO, CHOCHO / MPAN) to study plume evolution as doing so attenuates the influence of meteorology. One of the goals of this study is to investigate the utility of glyoxal as a tracer of VOC oxidation chemistry for measurement/model comparisons, for which formaldehyde has served in the past. In this context, we investigate the discrepancies between models and measurements, and the degree to which these can be attributed to the representation of glyoxal chemistry (e.g. yields) or whether these discrepancies reflect VOCHOx-NOx oxidation more generally, which has implications for ozone and secondary organic aerosol formation.


We present here five new hemoglobin (Hb) variants which have been identified during routine Hb analysis before their genotypic characterization. Four of these result from a classical missense mutation: Hb Canuts [α85(F6)Asp→His (α1)], Hb Ambroise Pare [α117(GH5)Phe→Ile (α2)], Hb Beaujolais [β84(EF8)Thr→Asn] and HbA2-North Africa [δ59(E3)Lys→Met]. The last one, Hb Monplaisir [β147 (Tyr-Lys-Leu-Ala-Phe-Phe-Leu-Leu-Ser-Asn-Phe-Tyr-158-COOH)], results from a frameshift mutation at the stop codon of the β-globin gene which leads to a modified C-terminal sequence in the β-globin chain. None of these variants seem to have a particular clinical expression in the heterozygous state. The circumstances of the discovery of these five new Hb variants emphasize the fact that an association of techniques is necessary for a complete screening of Hb variants during routine Hb analysis. Globin chain separation by reversed phase liquid chromatography (RP‐LC) appears to be the most relevant method.


This research determines an identification system for the types of Beiguan music – a historical, nonclassical music genre – by combining artificial neural network (ANN), social tagging, and music information retrieval (MIR). Based on the strategy of social tagging, the procedure of this research includes: evaluating the qualifying features of 48 Beiguan music recordings, quantifying 11 music indexes representing tempo and instrumental features, feeding these sets of quantized data into a three-layered ANN, and executing three rounds of testing, with each round containing 30 times of identification. The result of ANN testing reaches a satisfying correctness (97% overall) on classifying three types of Beiguan music. The purpose of this research is to provide a general attesting method, which can identify diversities within the selected non-classical music genre, Beiguan. The research also quantifies significant musical indexes, which can be effectively identified. The advantages of this method include improving data processing efficiency, fast MIR, and evoking possible musical connections from the high-relation result of statistical analyses.


Eurasian milfoil is an invasive exotic aquatic plant that is currently widespread in Michigan. The plant is problematic in that it becomes established early in the growing season and can grow at greater depths than most native plants.1,2 Eurasian milfoil often forms a thick canopy at the lake surface that can degrade fish habitat and seriously hinder recreational activity.3 Eurasian milfoil can spread rapidly by "vegetative propagation" whereby small pieces break off, take root, and grow into new plants.1,4,2 Once introduced into a lake, Eurasian milfoil may outcompete and displace more desirable plants and become the dominant species.1,2 Controlling the spread of Eurasian milfoil is a primary focus of plant control projects on many Michigan lakes.


PURPOSE: To join a pyrolytic graphite member and a metal member by brazing without causing cracking in a pyrolytic graphite member by arranging a graphite member reinforced with carbon fibers in parallel between the pyrolytic graphite member and the metal member, and joining the graphite member reinforced with carbon fibers by brazing. CONSTITUTION: In joining the member consisting of the pyrolytic graphite and the metal member by brazing, both members are not soldered directly to each other, but by way of the intermediately arranging a member consisting of the graphite reinforced with carbon fibers. Further, at this time, the pyrolytic graphite and the carbon- fiber reinforced graphite are positioned in relation to each other in such a way that the stratification of pyrolytic graphite runs approximately parallel to the primary orientation plane of carbon fibers within the carbon-fiber reinforced graphite. Further, the brazing is preferably executed with an alloy foil of 70 wt.% silver, 27 wt.% cupper and 3 wt.% titanium arranged between both members in a vacuum at about 850°C. As a result, the pyrolytic graphite and the carbon-fiber reinforced graphite are aligned in the priority direction of the thermal conductivity and coefft. of thermal expansion, thereby good joining by brazing is achieved without causing cracking in the pyrolytic graphite. COPYRIGHT: (C)1990,JPO


Population floating has enlarged the inter-ethnic marriage circle of the Bai people and has expanded their spouse selecting channels.Their criteria for a spouse are going more practical and inward.


The present research work deals with the synthesis, characterization and analgesic activity of some novel tetrazolo and triazolodiazepine compounds. The structures of the compounds have been confirmed by IR, 1H and 13C NMR, mass and elemental analysis. The analgesic activity of the tetrazolodiazepine compounds have been tested by Hot Plate Method, Tail Flip Method and Acetic acid Induced Writhing Method. The results of the study reveal that the representative compounds taken for the study show promising analgesic activity. Among the tested compounds, the compounds 3c and 5c having chlorine substituent show greater activity than the other derivatives.


A study was made of the characteristics of a pulsed CF4 laser, optically pumped by a pulsed CO2 laser whose frequency was stabilized by injecting a signal from a low-pressure cw CO2 laser. The laser output energy was observed to saturate with increasing pump energy, the maximum value obtained being 0.1 J at an efficiency of up to 1%.