The study examines the perception of municipal managers in fighting violence against children and adolescents. With qualitative approach and inquiries about policies and actions implemented to prevent and confront the phenomenon, 25 education, welfare and public safety managers from 13 municipalities in the metropolitan region of Fortaleza, in 2010 and 2011 participated. The content analysis in the thematic mode enabled the data interpretation. Sexual abuse, neglect and child labor stood subsumed by structural violence, socioeconomic inequality, family vulnerability and drug addiction. The lack of public resources, the sectoral breakdown, the slow pace of justice, the paucity of public policies and the managers' unpreparedness were some mishaps mentioned by participants. The phenomenon plural character demands government segments integration at the iniquities aggregated to the genesis and violence extent.


Housing insecurity is a major problem experienced by a rapidly growing group of older people when they reach retirement age. Helping older people to move out of unstable housing and find secure accommodation that sets them up for the rest of their lives is the fundamental role of Housing for the Aged Action Group's (HAAG) Home at Last - Older Persons Housing Information and Support Service. Home at Last is a Victoria-wide initiative that is funded by the Department of Human Services as an Innovations Action Project until June 2015 that aims to address the needs of older people at risk of homelessness.


An interesting situation occurs when inner shell electrons in crystalline materials are excited by electron beams of kilovolt energies in a transmission electron microscope. For many years the subsequent x-ray emission has been used as the basis of an analytical technique, giving compositional information at high spatial resolution. Recently this technique has been extended to provide information on impurity lattice site location, the basis of the technique being to take two fluorescence spectra, one under channeling conditions and one ''random'' spectrum with the crystal oriented away from strongly channeling planes or axes. Since electrons channel along the positive potential wells of the atomic planes or strings, a higher yield of characteristic x-ray emission is expected from the channeled case, for the same incident beam current. This channeling effect can be defined as the relative increase in x-ray yield. This paper discusses using channeled electron to excited inner-shell electrons. 4 refs., 3 figs.


Heating of dialkyl- or diarylcyclopropenones at 75 °C in the presence of copper(I) bromide (5 mol%) affords the corresponding 4-oxaspiro[2.4]hepta-1,6-dien-5-ones in good yields.


ZnO/Ag/ZnO multilayer films were prepared by alternate RF magnetron sputtering of ZnO targets and DC magnetron sputtering of Ag targets. The structure, transmittance, sheet resistance and stability of ZnO/Ag/ZnO thin films were measured by X-ray diffractometers, UV-visible spectrophotometers, four-point probes and metalloscopy. The results show that the ZnO(60 nm)/Ag/(10 nm)/ZnO(60 nm) thin films have good polycrystallinity, a high optical transmittance of 87.5 % at 520 nm and sheet resistance of 6.2 Ω/□. The stability of ZnO/Ag/ZnO thin films is improved with the increase of upper ZnO thin film thickness.


TCR gene modified T cells for adoptive therapy simultaneously express the Tg TCR and the endogenous TCR, which might lead to mispaired TCRs with harmful unknown specificity and to a reduced function of TCR‐Tg T cells. We generated dual TCR T cells in two settings in which either TCR was constitutively expressed by a retroviral promoter while the second TCR expression was regulable by a Tet‐on system. Constitutively expressed TCR molecules were reduced on the cell surface depending on the induced TCR expression leading to strongly hampered function. Besides that, using fluorescence resonance energy transfer we detected mispaired TCR dimers and different pairing behaviors of individual TCR chains with a mutual influence on TCR chain expression. The loss of function and mispairing could not be avoided by changing the TCR expression level or by introduction of an additional cysteine bridge. However, in polyclonal T cells, optimized TCR formats (cysteineization, codon optimization) enhanced correct pairing and function. We conclude from our data that (i) the level of mispairing depends on the individual TCRs and is not reduced by increasing the level of one TCR, and (ii) modifications (cysteineization, codon optimization) improve correct pairing but do not completely exclude mispairing (cysteineization).


One of the prerequisites for successful risk governance is reliable knowledge about the most striking interconnections between circumstances. System studies try to provide respective insights. However, not all can keep what they promise. In this study the systems-web approach is introduced which, applied in the right way, can serve to reveal the strength of the structure of existing studies with respect to specific purposes. Thus, it can help to increase transparency and to show the respective significance of studies. The potential of the approach is demonstrated with applications on energy system analyses, investigating the completeness and details of aspects covered in scenario studies and investigating the informative value of selected studies with respect to energy storage demand in future energy supply systems.


The purpose of this paper is to examine global trends in higher education. A focused examination of the distance learning facilities as a means of raising academic motivation facilitates the identification of some of the issues confronting the process of training economists in Uzbekistan in general, and foreign language proficiency in particular. Motivation plays a vital role in learning. It helps to energize the behavior of the individual, to acquire knowledge, to direct the activity of a student towards specific goals; to develop socially important abilities and qualities, to improve performance, and to form a sense of discipline. Defining distance learning as a way of providing learning opportunities that is characterized by the separation of teacher and learner in time or place, the authors point out the use of a variety of distance learning technologies. The aim of the article is to find out how the advantages of distance learning technologies could conduce enhancing students' motivation to learn.


From time to time, the IEEE Vehi cular Technology Society (VTS) Board of Governors (BoG) finds it nec essary to amend the Society's bylaws. An amendment requires a twothirds vote of the BoG plus approval by IEEE's vice president for Technical Activities (VPTA). At its 19 January 2019 meeting, the BoG approved a number of changes, which the VPTA approved on 21 March. In summary, the major changes include 1) adding a new vice presi dentFinance and realigining the responsibilities of the treasurer in light of that addition, 2) clarifying the rights of the appointed BoG mem bers, and 3) clarifying the procedure for filling an officer vacancy. The following is the full text of the major additions and deletions to the bylaws. For brevity, inconsequential additions and deletions that do not affect the meaning are not shown here. Additions are underlined. De letions are shown in strikeout type.


.................................................................................................................................................... 4 Problem Statement .................................................................................................................................... 5 Theoretical framework .............................................................................................................................. 6 Professional Identity ............................................................................................................................. 6 The Comprehensiveness of Professional Identity ................................................................................. 6 Ego identity theory. .................................................................................................................................. 6 Social identity theory. ............................................................................................................................... 7 Comparison of ego identity theory and social identity theory. ................................................................. 7 Elements of Identity .............................................................................................................................. 7 Content of the identity. ............................................................................................................................. 8 Core of the identity ................................................................................................................................... 9 Behaviours of identity: the identity status. ............................................................................................... 9 Behaviours of identity: the career choice. .............................................................................................. 11 Current Research ................................................................................................................................ 12 Research Question and Model ................................................................................................................ 13 Method .................................................................................................................................................... 14 Research Design ................................................................................................................................. 14 Participants ......................................................................................................................................... 14 Instrumentation ................................................................................................................................... 15 Procedure ............................................................................................................................................ 18 Results .................................................................................................................................................... 22 Qualitative Research Questions .......................................................................................................... 22 Quantitative Research Questions ........................................................................................................ 28 Descriptive statistics. .............................................................................................................................. 28 Cross-sectional analysis. ......................................................................................................................... 33 Conclusion and Discussion ..................................................................................................................... 38 Methodological Limitations ................................................................................................................ 42 Practical Implications ......................................................................................................................... 43 Concluding .......................................................................................................................................... 43 References .............................................................................................................................................. 44 Appendix 1 – Example of Card-sorting Activity .................................................................................... 47 Appendix 2 Characteristics that were not Chosen to Describe the Professional Identity .................... 48


Current treatments for Alzheimer's disease (AD) provide relief of symptoms but there is a need for treatments that protect neurons from further degeneration. Tramiprosate interacts with soluble β-amyloid (Aβ) peptides in the brain of transgenic mice to promote their clearance and reduce the accumulation of neurotoxic amyloid fibrils. Initial clinical evaluation has shown tramiprosate to reduce Aβ in the brains of patients with mild to moderate AD, and to stabilize cognitive function over 3 years in an extension trial. These same actions are predicted to benefit patients with hemorrhagic stroke. Tramiprosate is in phase III clinical trials for the treatment of mild to moderate AD and has completed phase II trials for the treatment of hemorrhagic stroke due to cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA).


A field experiment was conducted in College of Agriculture, Padannakkad, to study the response of soil fertility and crop productivity in upland rice to different levels of NK and substitution of inorganic N through FYM. Results revealed that application of 120 kg N ha (50% through FYM) and 60 kg K2O ha 1 recorded the lowest bulk density, highest porosity, whereas highest water holding capacity was recorded by application of 100 kg N ha (50% through FYM) and 50 kg K2O ha. Regarding nutrient status, available N and P2O5 were found to be enhanced due to the application of 120 kg N ha with 25 per cent substituted by FYM and 60 kg K2O ha and the highest available K2O and organic carbon per cent was recorded with the application of 120 kg N ha with 50 per cent substituted as FYM and 60 kg K2O ha. The highest yield attributes (highest number of productive tillers m, filled grains panicle and 1000 grain weight), grain (2822 kg ha) and straw (3560 kg ha) yields were obtained with the application of 120 kg N ha with 50 per cent substituted by FYM and 60 kg K2O ha and was on par with 120 kg N ha 1 with 25 per cent substituted as FYM and 60 kg K2O ha.


The aim of this study is to determine the factors affecting 5th grade students' attitudes towards performance tasks. The sample of the research consists of 421 5th grade students from 10 different schools. Data were analyzed using statistical techniques. The results of the study showed that the significant predictors of students' attitudes towards performance tasks were the availability of gymnasium in the schools, teachers' assessing performance tasks in collaboration with students, determination of the content of the performance tasks only by teachers, academic achievement of students, students' taking advantage of different textbooks in performance tasks, students' making use of computer in performance tasks, teacher gender, determination of the content of the performance tasks by the students, education level of students' fathers (primaryschoolgraduate fathers), students' having 75�100 books at home. SUMMARY Purpose and significance : This study was conducted to determine the factors affecting 5 th grade students' attitudes towards performance tasks. The research was done in the framework of correlation research model and the data were analyzed by stepwise multiple regression analysis. Methods: The sample of the research consists of 421 5 th grade students from 10 different schools in Cankaya County, Ankara. The group of students was selected among those who took Secondary Education Student Selection and Placement Exam (OKS) in 2007. The data were obtained from 421 students and were collected through "The Attitude Scale Related to Performance Task" and "Questionnaire of Student Characteristics". Results: The results of the study showed that the significant predictors of students' attitudes towards performance tasks were the availability of gymnasium in the schools, assessment of performance tasks by teachers in collaboration with students, determination of the content of the performance tasks only by teachers, academic achievement of students, students' making use of different textbooks in performance tasks, students' making use of computers in performance tasks, teacher's gender, determination of the content of the performance tasks by the students, education level of students' fathers (primaryschoolgraduate fathers) , students' having 75�100 books at home. Discussion and Conclusion : In the light of these results, the following conclusions can be made. First of all, teachers should cooperate with their students and should always play a guiding role as long as they evaluate their students' performance on the tasks. Moreover, teachers, students and parents should be in cooperation in the learning process. Finally, school administrators and teachers should inform their students about how they can make the most of the facilities in the school.


8 he number of pet reptiles encountered by vets and nurses in general practice, as opposed to practices with specialists, has grown rapidly in the last decade. Many pet shops concentrate on reptiles, as they are cheap to produce and are subject to fewer legal restrictions than kittens, puppies and even small mammals. They have an attraction to parents as they can be kept indoors, confined to a child's bedroom and are silent and odourless. Their extremes of anatomy are irresistible to schoolchildren and they have a longer life-expectancy than mammals of a similar size. The animals are captive-bred, far from their natural habitat; their food is also captive-bred. Parasites seen are, therefore, those with life cycles not requiring an intermediate host. It is useful for the veterinary nurse to have an overview of what parasites commonly affect reptiles and the current recommendations for treatment.


The electrical properties of ultra thin dielectrics are highly important since they are a critical element of Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Transistors (MOSTs) in ULSI technology. The determination of critical properties such as voltage-to-breakdown (VBD) and charge-to-breakdown (QBD) requires the use of either voltage or current stress measurements. It is known that if gate oxide thickness shrinks to approximately 5.5 nm the so-called soft or electrical breakdown may take place instead of hard or dielectric breakdown. In this paper soft breakdown (SBD) during Constant Voltage Stress (CVS) measurements is modelled using PSpice circuit simulator. The influence of elements such as oxide capacitance, tunnelling resistance, percolation path resistance, substrate resistance etc. is treated. The simulation results suggest that SBD characteristics are dependent not only on the physical processes in the oxide but also on the equivalent circuit used in the electrical test.


The 12th edition of this well- known midwifery textbook has been extensively revised and updated to take account of the enormous changes in both midwifery education and practice which have occurred over the last few years.


This paper reviews the literature on self-managing work groups as implemented in organizations, and briefly reviews relevant laboratory and other non-SR WG research. A model is developed exploring the processes of SR WG implementation and operation. Task, organization, and personnel preconditions to implementation are identified, including appropriate expectations by managerial personnel. Design features should include heterogeneous composition and minimal status differences. Activation mechanisms are thought to smooth the way for the successful group, which exhibits the positive process criteria of variety in group member responses, coordination of members, and commitment to group success.


The ecological design of product has already been worldwide concerned,and at the same time its research and application have begun.However,compared with the degree and speed of the entironmental devastation caused by human they are far from enough.Until now how to normally make ecological design aimed at concrete product has been lack of united and systematical implementary methods,so a certain existing method cannot adapt to the need of ecological design.


Summary We have identified amino acid residues within die evolutionarily conserved I domain of die a-chain (CD 11 a) of the leukocyte integrin leukocyte function— associated antigen (LFA) 1 that are critical for intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM) 3 (CD50) binding. I CAM-3, a ligand of LFA-1 f is thought to mediate intercellular adhesion essential for the initiation of immune re sponses. Using a panel of human/murine I domain chimeras and point mutants, we observed that the Ile-Lys-Gly-Asn motif, located in the N H 2-terminal part o f the C D lla I domain, is required for ICAM-3 but not ICAM-1 binding. These findings demonstrate that the I domain of C D lla contains distinct functional subdomains for ligand specific binding. An aspartic acid located at position 137, which is essential to I CAM -1/LFA -1 interactions (Edwards, C.P., M. Champe, T. Gonzalez, M.E. Wessinger, SA. Spencer, L.G. Presta, P.W. Berman, and S.C. Bodary. 1995. f , Biol. Chew, 270:12635-12640), was also critical for ICAM-3 binding, whereas Ser at position 139 did not effect ICAM-1 or ICAM-3 binding. A synthetic peptide containing the Ile-Lys-Gly-Asn motif inhibited ICAM-3— dependent adhesion and proliferation o fT cells at micromolar concentrations, suggesting that this peptide interferes with immune recognition. These observations underscore the importance of I CAM-3 in leukocyte function, and may lead to development of a new category of immunosuppressive agents.


I welcome and am glad to receive such interesting and considered comments on my article, and I agree with much that has been said by Steve Fuller, Patricia Fara and Joseph Rouse. However, one point of clarification is in order. Where Rouse claims that I ignore the 'larger shadow cast by scientism within the academy' I would say that although I have underplayed this in the article in this journal issue, in other work I have vigorously pursued this spectre that haunts us, particularly in my 2005 book Science, Culture and Society. The scientism that inhabits higher education institutions, funding agencies and policy forums is a major factor, in my opinion, in the decline of open scholarship and is directly related to wider socio-economic shifts, notably the rise of neo-liberalism. Indeed, if Rouse wants an answer to his final question of 'why aren't we reading and teaching more histories of science' it is because these scientistic trends in the funding and organization of higher education render history of science (and philosophy, medieval literature, philology, and so on) superfluous to requirement in contemporary academia. The emergence and growth of a culture in academia that prioritizes 'impact', that aims towards the RAE/REF, that attempts to measure 'outcomes', is a dire threat, but also one that many find hard to resist given the pressure to conform to managerial directives and to pursue their careers in line with institutional imperatives. It is this context, the conditions that surround the production of academic writing, that we must consider if we are to understand why we are producing the things that we do. Without a sociological analysis of the production of knowledge – without sociology of knowledge – we will simply not


The present invention relates to LC-MS-BASED chemotaxonomic classification of wild type lespedeza sp., a method for confirming its correlation with genotype, and a marker thereof. Provided a method for classifying wild type lespedeza sp. using liquid chromatography-electron spray ionization-mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS) and high resolution mass spectrometry/liquid chromatography (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS).


The changing taxonomy of rapidly growing mycobacteria represents an ongoing challenge to clinicians. Based on sequencing of the gene encoding the b-subunit of RNA polymerase (rpoB), Mycobacterium abscessus was recently determined to be a group consisting of 3 individual species: M. abscessus (sensu stricto), M. massiliense, and M. bolletii. Whether speciation provides any clinically relevant information has not been previously determined. The treatment of patients with pulmonary infection due to M. abscessus–group organisms frequently fails to achieve microbiological eradication, even when aggressive and prolonged multidrug regimens are administered [1]. Many failures occur despite administration of antibiotics, including clarithromycin or azithromycin, to which the pathogen appears to be susceptible in vitro. One explanation for failure of clarithromycin (and azithromycin) when isolates are reported to be susceptible has emerged with the recognition of the frequent presence of the erm gene [erm(41)], an often inducible gene that methylates the ribosomal target of the antibiotic [2]. Previously, resistance to clarithromycin had been associated with point mutations in the peptidyl transferase domain of 23S ribosomal RNA and was constitutive and readily detectable by standard in vitro testing. Inducible resistance, including that due to erm(41), in contrast, is not readily detectable unless in vitro incubation is prolonged or the isolate is preincubated with a macrolide before susceptibility testing. Koh and colleagues examined stored M. abscessus–group clinical isolates from Korean patients, identified them to species level by sequencing rpoB and hsp65, probed for the presence of erm(41), and correlated these findings with the outcome of treatment. Of the 158 isolates available for analysis, 64 (44%) were M.abscessus, 81 (55%)wereM.massiliense, 2 (1%) were M. bolletii, and 11 isolates could not be typed. A comparison at baseline identified no significant demographic or clinical differences in patients with infections due to the 2 prevalent organisms. All patients received clarithromycin, ciprofloxacin, and doxycycline for 24 months, with the addition of amikacin and either imipenem or cefoxitin for the first 4 weeks. Symptomatic and radiographic improvement was observed in 97% and 82% of patients infected with M. massiliense compared with 75% and 42%, respectively, of those with M. abscessus infection; both cross-species comparisons were statistically significant. Initial conversion to sputum-culture negativity was observed in 32 of 33 (97%) and 10 of 24 (42%) of patients infected with M. massiliense and M. abscessus, respectively. Among those who became sputum-culture negative, subsequent microbiological relapse occurred in 4 of 10 (40%) and 23 of 33 (97%) patients, respectively. Overall, among those with M. massiliense infection, 29 of 33 (88%) patients became persistently negative during follow-up comparedwith 6 of 24 (25%; P , .001) infected withM. abscessus. With the exception of imipenem, which was more likely to be active against M. abscessus, no significant difference between species in in vitro susceptibility test results, as determined by broth microdilution with short incubation, was detected with a range of antibiotics, including clarithromycin. Of 19M. abscessus isolates susceptible to clarithromycin using this method (minimal inhibitory concentration [MIC] , 2 lg/mL) after 3 days, all had MICs $8 lg/mL after 7 days of incubation, while after 14 days they were$32 lg/mL. In contrast, the clarithromycin MIC of all 28M. massiliense isolates tested remained ,1 lg/mL throughout 14 days of incubation. Of note is that an intact erm(41) gene associated with inducible resistance was detected in only one-half of the M. abscessus strains examined, suggesting the presence of inducible mechanisms of resistance independent of this gene. These results confirm that inducible macrolide resistance is common among M. abscessus (s.s.) isolates but not among M. massiliense. Bastian et al [3] have previously reported thatM. bolletii more closely resembles the former in this regard. They also found that the overall resistance rates in isolates from French patients, many of whom had cystic fibrosis, taking into account both inducible resistance to clarithromycin and azithromycin as well as that associated with ribosomal mutations, was 77% in M. abscessus, whereas for M. bolletii it was 100%, and for M. massiliense it was only 13% [3]. M. massiliense appears to often carry an inactive version of erm.


The concept of head-up display has gained wide acceptance being used for military aviation and has also spread to commercial aviation. Head up display (HUD) is now being used in automobiles to assist with navigation. The advantage of this system is reducing the number and duration of the driver's sight deviations from the road, by projecting graphic information on the windshield. Nevertheless, there has been little study as to how to use the super-imposed graphic such as guided arrows for car navigation system. The aim of the study is to evaluate the superimposition properties between the guided arrow marked on the road and the guided arrow on the center of the driver's field of vision, including the position of arrows. The subjects are assigned to carry out a car simulation test using an eye tracking device. The data was recorded in terms of eye movement and response time from both types of graphics in order to measure the driver's distraction. The results show that though the shape of the graphic has no effect, the location of the arrows does. The guide arrow also did not distract experienced drivers. This study can contribute a guideline for road safety.


This article studies the institution of concession in the civil procedural law on sociology's view,examines the social environment which creates the institution of concession and inspects the function and value of this institution.


District nurses may be failing to assess the needs of severely physically disabled adults living in the community, according to a study in the British Medical Journal.


In solutions of myofibrillar protein extracted from giant squid (Dosidicus gigas), the size-coarsening process of protein nanofiber is complex. At high temperature (25°C), nanofiber keeps growth but with two distinguishable patterns, slow rate at the initial stage with t0.2 and the fast one at the late stage with t2.3. The intersection of these two slopes is around 300 min. Meanwhile, protein concentration in solution enhances as well. These behaviors contradict to the prediction of Ostwald ripening. Thus, we call this process as abnormal. These abnormal behaviors come from the conformation change of some types of constitution protein molecules with chemical potential reduction when they dissolve from nanofiber to solution. On the other hand, low temperature (10°C) depresses this size growth. This observation suggests that temperature regulates protein molecule conformation change in nanofiber. The consequence of this abnormal Ostwald ripening process is that all protein molecules in nanofiber are redistributed. Protein molecules with the absence of conformation change in dissolution accumulate in nanofiber to cause it growing, while the rest concentrates in solution.


The trace components in the liquors with one year storage were analyzed with GC/MS. Discussion on the fresh liquors should propriety storage for instance Daqinglaojiao liquors.


Abstract The linear and non-linear optical properties of BiAlO3 are studied by employing the density functional perturbation theory within the local density and generalized gradient approximations. The computations are based on the electronic structure obtained within density functional theory. The optical properties such as the dielectric function, refractive index, spectral reflectivity, absorption coefficient and electron energy-loss spectrum are obtained in the energy region of up to 30 eV. The calculated value of the birefringence for BiAlO3 shows that it is a uniaxial negative crystal and has a large birefringence. We also report our studies on the second harmonic generation response coefficient over a large frequency range for BiAlO3 crystal. The predicted second-order optical spectra indicate pronounced structures related to of 1ω and 2ω frequency resonances. Furthermore, the non-linear optic and linear electro-optic coefficients are computed by employing 2n + 1 theorem applied to an electric-field dependent energy functional. The results are compared with the available calculations.


Focusing on the case of young socialist vigilantes who were arrested and imprisoned as 'terrorists' in 2007, this article illustrates how vigilantism in working†class neighbourhoods of Istanbul with a high Alevi population evolved from an unarmed, public and participatory form of vigilantism to an armed one, and discusses the role of the anti†terror law in this transformation. The article illustrates the ways in which the anti†terror law, by narrowing the space for civil politics, paved the way for youth engagement in violent forms of extra†legal security practice in spaces occupied by the historically stigmatized working†class Alevi population. The article also argues that, over the last decade, Turkey's ruling elites have used the anti†terror law to wage a war against the oppositional politics conducted by the country's historically stigmatized populations (such as Kurds and Alevis). Not only has this war put politically active and respected local figures from these communities behind bars, it also 'polices' (A la RanciA¨re) these communities. Accordingly, the article illustrates how the law that considers attempts at self†governance as a threat to state sovereignty effectively intervenes in local politics and space, leading to the reconfiguration of political space at the local level.


For a strongly connected digraph D the restricted arc‐connectivity λ′(D) is defined as the minimum cardinality of an arc‐cut over all arc‐cuts S satisfying that D ‐ S has a non‐trivial strong component D1 such that D ‐ V (D1) contains an arc. In this paper we prove that every digraph on at least 4 vertices and of minimum degree at least 2 is λ′ ‐connected and λ′(D) ≤ξ′(D), where ξ′(D) is the minimum arc‐degree of D. Also in this paper we introduce the concept of super‐ λ′ digraphs and provide a sufficient condition for an s ‐geodetic digraph to be super‐ λ′. Further, we show that the h ‐iterated line digraph Lh(D) of an s ‐geodetic digraph is super‐ λ′ for a particular h. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. NETWORKS, 2013


The clarity and utility of the International System of Units (SI) would be improved if its notation were made a formally unambiguous symbolic language. This could be achieved with minor changes, and would enable the development of software that could correctly (i) check SI style in text and (ii) manipulate/verify quantities, SI units and prefix algebra in scientific and engineering computations. These tools could lead to better SI usage and fewer computational errors.


The compositions and seasonal variations of free sugars and non-volatile organic acids of brown algae, such as Ecklonia cava, Sargassum ringgoldianum and Myagropsis myagroides were investigated by gas chromatography. Four kinds of free sugars, such as xylose, glucose, galactose and floridoside were identified. The most abundant one was floridoside marking 118.7 mg/100 g, 90.9 mg/100 g and 70.0 mg/100 g in Ecklonia cava, Sargassum ringgoldianum and Myagropsis myagroides, respectively. There were not distinguishable seasonal variations in the contents of free sugars in all the samples. In the case of organic acids, nine kinds were identified in Ecklenia cava and major ones were succinic, citric, malic, fumaric, oxalic and lactic acid, of which succinic acid was the most abundant one marking of total organic acids. In Sargassum ringgoldianum and Myagropsis myagroides, eight kinds were identified, which major ones were succinic, citric and malic acid in both samples, and they marked and of total organic acids in Sargassum ringgoldianum and Myagropsis myagroides, respectively. There were not distinct changes in the content of total organic acids according to seasons in all the samples examined. The contents of total organic acics in Ecklonia cava was a little more than Sargassnm ringgoldianum and Myagropsis myagroides.


Recently a novel circularly symmetric, surface-emitting distributed-feedback semiconductor laser has been proposed 1,2 Potential advantages of this laser include the emission of a narrow, circularly symmetric beam with a single, stable wavelength and its direct application to high-power two-dimensional laser arrays. To date, this laser has only been examined theoretically. Previously, we described the operation of this laser in terms of the familiar coupled-mode formalism.2 We predict its operation to be similar to that of the one-dimensional distributed-feedback laser, with the exception of more densely packed modes owing to the azimuthal dimension. Although we expect the major results of this analysis to be correct, it cannot accurately predict the intensity distribution in the circular laser because it ignores the dependence of gain and refractive index on intensity; this is especially true at the center, for which a very high intensity is predicted. In the present paper we consider the effects of this intensity dependence on the spatial variation of intensity in the laser. We also look at some details of fabrication of a working laser, including successfully fabricating second-order circular gratings and designing a laser with efficient current injection and surface light emission.


The cowboy with American western heroism and romanticism is very popular with the American and the people throughout the world. And it is the soul of western novels, which are the product of the unique society, culture and history .The western development in 19th century is the background of western novels .And western novels ,which take myth of the cowboys as the subject matter, are a popular literature reflecting the development of American history and the character of American nations. The images of the cowboys have been the symbol of American culture.


In the process of protecting non-material culture heritage,the concept of ecosystem has the special sense for people to recognize the character and the value of protecting the culture diversity. In this paper I will come up with my own opinions about the character of ecosystem and make some advise based on the value of it in the protecting of non-material culture heritage.


The productivity bias hypothesis states that the countries with relative higher growth trajectory have a tendency for experiencing real appreciation in their domestic currencies as an outcome of a positive productivity shock. It has also been found in the literature that this phenomena is particularly more prominent in the non-tradable sector, which is predominantly service intensive in nature and mostly in the public or government sector. Several researchers have endeavored to scrutinize this, either using the cross section or time series frameworks for different countries. This paper has attempted to reexamine the hypothesis empirically where we have resorted to a random coefficient model which incorporates country and time specific productivity effects in a panel regression set-up for eight SAARC countries covering the time length 1970-2008 with five different panel specifications controlling for both country specific heterogeneity and time specific heterogeneity. The paper has come up with the conclusions that the hypothesis is not much eminent for South Asian Countries.


A study presented at Europace1 2017 suggested that a novel iPhone app can reliably differentiate sinus rhythm from atrial fibrillation, and can aid in the detection of infrequent paroxysms of AF. The app uses the phone's camera lens to obtain a plethysmograph to help determine whether the rhythm is regular or irregular based on automatically detected RR intervals. Equal numbers of sinus rhythm and AF patients (40 in each arm) were included to validate the detection algorithm and assess the app's performance. After testing 3 different statistical methods and applying filters and combining 2 methods, the authors concluded that the algorithm was able to distinguish between AF and SR with a sensitivity and specificity of 95%. (Note: these results should be interpreted with a hint of caution. This type of case-control study is subject to overestimation bias.) With the aging population worldwide, the prevalence of AF continues to grow. With increased disease burden and its associated comorbidities, more sophisticated and easily accessible technologies need to be developed to screen for subclinical AF. Holter monitors and ambulatory monitoring are cumbersome and costly. This study is one of the early validations of an existing technology (details of which have been previously published2) and its application into screening for AF. The next step is incorporation of this technology into a smartwatch and use of the technology to detect asymptomatic subclinical AF. This type of new detection technology could be used to detect AF after cryptogenic (such as in CRYSTAL-AF3) stroke. It could also be used for those individuals who have risk factors for stroke with device-detected AF (as is currently being studied in ARTESIA4). The app was created by the German company Preventicus GmbH and is called Preventicus Heartbeats The pulse ECG. This study makes me believe that medicine is finally catching up with the smartphone/smartwatch era – and it's about time!


Community violence exposure has become a public health problem.In the recent two decades,the academic circles have paid sufficient attention to the community violence exposure to children and adolescents.This article,based on the research literature on violence exposure to adolescents,introduces the concepts of community violence exposure,the factors affecting community violence exposure to adolescents,the main theoretical models of community violence exposure to adolescents,and community violence exposure's negative effect on adolescents,and the preventive measures and interventions involving community violence exposure to adolescents,analyzes the existing problems concerning present researches,and probes into the future research trends.


Owing to continuous advancement of sports technologies and skills,athlete's psychological obstacles revealed in sports competitions have direct influence on their performance.How to adjust the psychological state before and through the match to bring athlete's strategies,skills and potential into full play is becoming the most important concern of both coaches and athletes.Through study of literature,competitive psychological state and individual cases,the paper discussed the common psychological obstacles and their reasons,and proceeded to figure out training methods to overcome those psychological obstacles.


The origin and evolution of human language has mainly dealt with the reconstruction of the upper respiratory tract of human fossils. After decades of controversy no clear results have arisen from these studies. We propose a new approach to this issue based on the possibility to reconstruct the sound power transmission, through the external and middle ear, in fossil specimens. The results thus obtained in the more than 500 ky old fossils from the Sima de los Huesos site (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain) show that this hominins had the same auditory capacities as modern human, suggesting an older origin for speech than any previous study.


After a disaster, authorities need to efficiently collect and analyze data from the disaster area in order to increase their situational awareness and make informed decisions. The conventional data acquisition methods such as dispatching inspection teams are often time-consuming. With the widespread availability of mobile devices, crowdsourcing has become an effective alternative means for data acquisition. However, the large amount of crowdsourced data is often overwhelming and requires triage on the collected data. In this paper, we introduce a framework to crowdsource post-disaster data and a new prioritization strategy based on the expected value of the information contained in the collected data (entropy) and their significance. We propose a multi-objective problem to analyze a portion of the collected data such that the entropy retrieved from the disaster area and the significance of analyzed data are maximized. We solve this problem using Pareto optimization that strikes a balance between both objectives. We evaluate our framework by applying it on bridges inspection after the 2001 Nisqually earthquake as a case study. We also investigate the feasibility of sending the crowdsourced data to the crowd for reviewing. The results demonstrate the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed framework.


Objective
To investigate the prevalence of malnutrition in elderly cancer inpatients based on global leadership initiative on malnutrition(GLIM)diagnostic criteria.

Methods
Clinical data of 1 472 inpatients with cancer aged 65 years and over from a multicenter study in 2012 were retrospectively analyzed.Nutritional assessment was performed based on GLIM diagnostic criteria and the prevalence of malnutrition in a different stratifieddiagnosis was recorded.

Results
Of 1472 consecutive patients, 924 cases(62.8%)were diagnosed as nutritional risk.The malnutrition rate was 51.8%(762 cases)based on GLIM diagnostic criteria, with 29.6%(436 cases)of moderate malnutrition and 22.3%(326 cases)of severe malnutrition.The prevalences of nutritional risk, total malnutrition and severe malnutrition were increased along with aging(P=0.000). There were 906 cases not receiving surgery treatment.Among the 906 cases, the prevalence of nutritional risk and malnutrition were 61.9%(561/906 cases)and 53.3%(483 /906 cases), the moderate malnutrition rate was 53.3%(483/906 cases)and the severe malnutrition rate was 22.1%(200/906 cases)respectively.There were 566 cases undergoing surgery treatment.And among 566 cases, the prevalence of nutritional risk and malnutrition were 64.1%(236 cases)and 49.5%(280 cases), the moderate malnutrition rate was 26.9%(152 cases)and the severe malnutrition rate was 22.6%(128 cases). The prevalence of nutritional risk was high in patients with gastrointestinal cancer who underwent surgery, and the prevalence of malnutrition in patients with gastrointestinal cancer or lung cancer was higher in the non-surgical group than in the surgical group.

Conclusions
The prevalence of malnutrition is high in elderly cancer inpatients, which is increased along with aging.GLIM diagnostic criteria has clinical operability, and its availability needs more studies in the future.

Key words:
Neoplasms; Malnutrition


High-performance machining processes aims to associate optimal cutting parameters and maximum material removal rate with the most appropriate tool while controlling the machined surface state. In this work, the generated surface roughness by standard and wiper cutting tools in finish turning operation of steels SAE 1020, SAE1045 and SAE4140 is assessed in a comparative way. Experiments are conducted for different combinations of materials and cutting parameters without coolant, in order to determine the best combination of these parameters for maximum removal rate and lower surface roughness. Experimental results proved the effectiveness of wiper tools to generate excellent surface finish, indicating that its use allows a significantly enhancing of the material removal rate without changing surface roughness at high feed rate operations.


Pairing plants with plant growth-promoting bacteria is critical to the future of agriculture. Bradyrhizobium sp. strain USDA 3458 isolated from Vigna unguiculata (cowpea) paired with cowpea genotype IT82E-16 represents a novel combination in arid regions. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of strain USDA 3458. ABSTRACT Pairing plants with plant growth-promoting bacteria is critical to the future of agriculture. Bradyrhizobium sp. strain USDA 3458 isolated from Vigna unguiculata (cowpea) paired with cowpea genotype IT82E-16 represents a novel combination in arid regions. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of strain USDA 3458.


Using a sample of workers taken from the administrative data set Muestra Continua de Vidas Laborales 2008, we investigate the determinants of immigrants' employment situations in the Spanish Labour market from the perspective of the International Labor Organization concept of Decent Work via logistic regressions. Special attention has been given to the impact of economic conjuncture at arrival and time of residency. Our findings show that early arrivals are more likely to achieve full time Decent Work employment while late arrivals are more likely to work part time under low decentness levels. There is a slow assimilation process which is interrupted when arrival takes place in a negative economic context.


Pin-on-disk sliding test was investigated as an accelerated durability test for contact start and stop (CS/S) operations on coated magnetic recording disks. Disk lifetime and sliding characteristics of sliding test were compared with those of CS/S test. Sapphire was selected for slider material to reduce slider wear. The results are summarized as follows. (1) A good correlation is found in disk lifetime of both tests. (2) Friction force between slider and disk gradually increases at the beginning of the test, satulates at a level in the middle and increases suddenly at the end. This pattern is very similar to that of peak friction force at each contact start during CS/S test. (3) The observation through transparent sapphire slider shows that wear particle intrusion to contact point triggers the appearance of wear scar on test disk surfaces. This is also very similar to the Head Crash process during CS/S test. (4) From above results, sapphire pin sliding test considered here could be used as an accelerated durability test for CS/S operations.


There are 3 types of machine learning: supervised, unsupervised and reinforcement learning. In this thesis are explained 3 methods of supervised learning: logistic regression, softmax regression and artificial neural networks. Logistic regression is used for binary classification while softmax is used for multiclass classification. These methods don't offer good results for linearly unseparable problems where artificial neural networks can be used thanks to their hidden-layers. Optical character recognition is implemented with neural networks and uses TensorFlow library and MNIST database.
 Hyperparameters play huge role in training and accuracy of a neural networks. Parameters that have been studied in this thesis are learning rate, batch size and number of epochs.


The populations of Pogonatherum paniceum seedlings showed an aggregated distribution pattern, though the aggregation degree was different in different places. The highest degree of aggregation occurred on the yellow sandstone in Qingmuguan, Bishan county, while it showed the lowest degree of aggregation on the purple sandstone of the shade slope in Laifeng of Bishan county. The distribution pattern of adult P. paniceum plants on the purple sandstone of the sunny slope of Laifeng was between random distribution and aggregation distribution. In other habitats, the P. paniceum populations showed an aggregated distribution pattern, differing to some extent due to environmental heterogeneity. The associated plant species of P. paniceum differed with habitat. On the yellow sandstone in Qingmuguan, P. paniceum was in a significant positive correlation with Cylcosorus gongylodes, Pteris vittata and Youngia japonica, and in a significant negative correlation with Digitaria sanguinali. On the purple soil of Mount Jinyun, P. paniceum was in a significant negative correlation with Alternanthera philoxeroides.


It is pointed out that in the United Kingdom, young people's awareness of the engineering profession leaves a lot to be desired and has worrying implications for the future of British industry. To remedy the situation and to raise the levels of awareness, the Engineering Council of the UK has initiated a number of pilot schemes. The author describes, from personal experience, one of the pilot schemes currently operating in South Wales, the experiences gained, and the likely way forward for the future. Specifically, a description is given of the South Wales Neighbourhood Engineer scheme. In this scheme, engineers are allocated to a secondary school geographically local to them. The objective is to provide the school with an ongoing relationship with these engineers, who can be given practical advice and direct assistance to the school in many of the activities concerned with engineering. The engineers serve for a minimum period of two years, which is perceived as enough time to develop relationships between the school, engineers, engineering institutions, industry, and the careers service.<<ETX>>


Product design is a profession that is closely related to the national manufacturing level, design innovation ability, and national life happiness. The construction of curriculum ideology and politics is an inevitable requirement to improve the quality of product design talent training. Taking the course "Packaging Structure Design" as an example, this paper expounds on the specific content of the ideological and political teaching construction practice of this course, including the ideas of ideological and political construction, the course ideological and political teaching measures, and course ideological and political achievements and results, and puts forward future suggestions for teaching optimization. Combining the characteristics of the course "Packaging Structure Design" and the goal of talent training, this paper integrates ideological and political concepts into the teaching content, and comprehensively utilizes various teaching methods to achieve the purpose of teaching and educating. Students of Dalian University of Science and Technology are the target subjective of the implementation in this teaching practice. Through our analysis, we found that the integration of the ideological and political content into the curriculum brought positive teaching and learning results. It aims to provide references and suggestions for the ideological and political construction of packaging structure design courses in product design education.


In this paper we propose a theory of individual moral consistency and we examine some consequences of this theory in particular contexts. Our notion of individual moral consistency is interpreted as a means for 'laundering' individula objectives that are amalgamated into collective judgements by a social aggregation function. Individual moral consistency is defined as the connection of each individual's objective function to exogenous moral principles in the ideal hypothetical situation whre all other individuals are ascribed the same objective function.


Background : To date there is a lot of controversy regarding the optimal type of stretch to improve lower limb power. Furthermore, the majority of studies have been conducted in an athletic population. A large percentage of patients treated by physical therapists are sedentary and it is important to understand the impact of different types of stretches on this population. Purpose of the study : The objective of this study was to determine the effect of a single session of static and ballistic stretching on lower limb power in young sedentary individuals. Material and methods: A total of 44 sedentary university students participated in this study. Lower limb power was assessed with the vertical jump test. Baseline measurements for the vertical jump test were taken and subjects' height and weight were recorded. Following this three repetitions of either ballistic or static stretching were done for the hip flexors, hamstrings and gastrocnemius muscles. Immediately after completing the stretches the vertical jump test was repeated. Subjects were allowed to rest for one day and the next day the same procedure was repeated but using the stretching technique that was not done previously. Findings: Both ballistic and static stretching produced an increase in lower limb power but this was only statistically significant for the ballistic stretch. There was no significant difference in the change in power obtained by the two types of stretches when they were compared. Conclusion: Ballistic stretching produces slightly higher gains in lower limb power of sedentary individuals compared to static stretching, however the


Acute high-intensity exercise can impair the immune system, and lead to oxidative stress. Cocoa intake might help in protecting against oxidative damage and impaired immune functioning. The aim of this study was to establish the effect of cocoa and cocoa fibre on the oxidative status and the immunoglobulin (Ig) production of rats following a bout of acute exercise on a treadmill. The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by macrophages and the concentration of serum and mucosal Ig was assessed 16 h after the running session. Exercise increased ROS production and decreased the serum IgG concentration and the salivary gland IgM content. A cocoa fibre-enriched diet prevented the increased ROS production and the reduction in salivary IgM induced by exercise, although it decreased the IgA content in serum and the salivary glands. Overall, cocoa, by means of its fibre content, can partially prevent the alterations in ROS and Ig production induced by a single session of intensive running exercise.


To ensure the potency of vaccines used in immunisation programs it is essential that vaccine temperatures be maintained between 2°C and 8°C during both storage and transport - the so-called vaccine "cold chain". Any deviation from this temperature range will result in some degradation of the vaccine.


As the driver is the information recipient and primary decision maker in the driving process, this research aims to investigate a driver's risk awareness to assess a driver's safety. The authors developed a scale for assessing a driver's risk awareness, which consists of four scales: Risk Attitude (48 items), Risk Perception (22 items) and Risk Behavior (27 items) scale, and the Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS) (14 items). The first three scales together cover 14 indicators, and the same 14 indicators are dealt with in the sensation seeking scale. The 14 indicators are named second class indices, such as the general attitude towards obeying rules, aggressive violations and awareness of safe driving, etc. In this study, in order to develop a risk awareness model, a survey was conducted in China. Based on the survey, exploratory factor analysis of the scale revealed three risk awareness factors (risk attitude, risk perception and risk behavior), also named first class indices. The respective weights of the 14 second class indices and the 3 first class indices were calculated. Results of statistically analyzing the survey showed that some drivers in our study have a high risk awareness. In addition, a diagram was constructed based on the regression analysis of a driver's sensation seeking and risk awareness indices. It appeared that the higher the driver's SSS, the lower the driver's risk awareness.


In this paper the compounds (11-20) (methyl pyrimidine 2(1H)-one and others phenyl pyrimidine -2(1H)one) that had been already prepared from α, β unsaturated carbonyl compounds that are called chalcones, these compounds are usually prepared from the reaction of different aldehydes (4-methoxy benzaldehyde, 2-nitro benzaldehyde, 3-nitrobenzaldehyde, 4-N,N—dimethyle amino benzaldehyde, benzaldehyde, 4-nitrobenzaldehyde) with different ketones (acetone, acetophenone, 2-nitro acetophenone, 3nitro acetophenone) After preparing and purifying them a suitable mesurment for physical, chemical and spectroscopic properties had been made to get chalcones that reacted with urea under known chemical conditions to get the pyrimidinone compounds that we need. Pyrimidine compounds had been reacted with two aromatic amines (2,4dinitro aniline and 4amino acetophenone) using glacial acetic acid as catalyst in absolute ethanol giving a new compounds of schiff's bases (21-40). New thiazolidine 4-one (41-50) had been synthesized from the reacting of Schiff's bases (21-30) with thioglycolic acid in absolute ethanol. 1,3oxazepine derivatives. (51-60) had been prepared from reaction between Schiff's bases (31-40) and malic anhydrid in absolut ethanol. The structures of the Synthesized compounds had been estimated by IR, HNMR and some physical data.


Jurassic sedimentary rocks are present on the Arctic shelf and adjacent onshore areas in the Pechora, Barents-North Kara, South Kara, and Anabar-Cis-Verkhoyansk regions. Four main lithofacies are recognized: 1) lacustrine-alluvial with beds of near-shore marine deposits; 2) lacustrine, locally deltaic, clastic oil-gas-bearing; 3) shallow-water clastic oil-gas-bearing; and 4) sandy-shaley-carbonate oil-gas-bearing. The lacustrine-alluvial with beds of near-shore marine deposits lithofacies is limited in its distribution. It is present in the north of the Timan-Pechora oil-gas province and offshore in the south of the Barents Sea. These rocks extend over an area of about 200,000 sq km, and their thickness ranges from 280 to 550 m. They are largely continental. Cross bedding is present in the zone of junction of the Pechora and South Barents depressions, indicating deltaic conditions. The oil-gas prospects of the Jurassic sediments on the south shelf of the Barents Sea are assessed as low because of their small thickness, continental character, and shallow depth of occurrence. The lacustrine, locally deltaic, clastic oil-gas-bearing lithofacies is distributed over the north part of the West Siberian oil-gas province and probably also the South Kara regional low and the west part of the Taymyr depression. The South Kara regional low, which is tectonically a continuation of the West Siberian platform, is separated from the North Kara depression by the Severnoye sill, a horst-like basement uplift, which joins the structures of Novaya Zemlya and the Taymyr. The surface of the folded basement plunges to a depth of 12 km in the central part


River regulating structures are used in some parts to prevent slope and bed erosion. The main project criterion used for all structures is flow rate or indirect speed. Submerged vane structures are a new alternative method to conventional methods in river regulating structures. In this presented study, the river arrangement study made with submerged vane structures is modeled in 3D. Simulations of the measured flow velocities in the channel, where submerged vane experiments were performed before, were compared with the results of the submerged vane experiment by using the 3-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. In the present CFD model, nonlinear and continuity, turbulence model equations are applied. For the turbulence viscosity, k-ε turbulence model is used. The results of the present model are compared with the previous experimental work.


This paper presents the development and testing of a multi objective fuzzy controller. It is dedicated to the control of thermal comfort and indoor air quality while minimising energy consumption and reducing instabilities are other constraints for this controller. After a brief introduction on the difficult task of indoor climate control, the test cell and its corresponding model is described in the second section. The model has been developed within TRNSYS. Section 3 describes the architecture of the fuzzy controller applied to these control objectives in the test cell. A hierarchical architecture has finally been selected since it is a very flexible architecture and it results in reducing the total number of fuzzy rules. The rule optimisation technique, based on genetic algorithms is also presented in the third section. Simulation results are finally presented. They prove that, after optimisation, the fuzzy controller greatly outperforms a typical ON-OFF controller on all control criteria. Energy consumption is in particular reduced by more than 10%. The fourth section of this chapter presents field experiments among 20 subjects of both ON-OFF control and fuzzy control. If major differences are not observed on the thermal comfort and indoor air quality point of view, these experiments however illustrate the importance of on-line tuning of specific fuzzy rules.


Glasshouse films with adjustable light transmittance and energy‐efficient designs have the potential to reduce (up to 80%) the high energy cost for greenhouse horticulture operations. Whether these films compromise the quantity and quality of light transmission for photosynthesis and crop yield remains unclear. A "Smart Glass" film ULR‐80 (SG) was applied to a high‐tech greenhouse horticulture facility, and two experimental trials were conducted by growing eggplant (Solanum melongena) using commercial vertical cultivation and management practices. SG blocked 85% of ultraviolet (UV), 58% of far‐red, and 26% of red light, leading to an overall reduction of 19% in photosynthetically active radiation (PAR, 380–699 nm) and a 25% reduction in total season fruit yield. There was a 53% (season mean) reduction in net short‐wave radiation (radiometer range, 385–2,105 nm upward; 295–2,685 nm downward) that generated a net reduction of 8% in heat load and reduced water and nutrient consumption by 18%, leading to improved energy and resource use efficiency. Eggplant adjusted to the altered SG light environment via decreased maximum light‐saturated photosynthetic rates (Amax) and lower xanthophyll de‐epoxidation state. The shift in light characteristics under SG led to reduced photosynthesis, which may have reduced source (leaf) to sink (fruit) carbon distribution, increased fruit abortion and decreased fruit yield, but did not affect nutritional quality. We conclude that SG increases energy and resource use efficiency, without affecting fruit quality, but the reduction in photosynthesis and eggplant yield is high. The solution is to re‐engineer the SG to increase penetration of UV and PAR, while maintaining blockage of glasshouse heat gain.


Methods estimating the change in the specific fuel consumption for electricity generation at a condensing power station caused by including a gas-expansion power (GEP) unit in its scheme are considered. The effect of including the GEP unit in the scheme is analyzed for a constant power of the station and a constant steam flow rate to the turbines. The results of calculations of changes in the specific fuel consumption for electricity generation when the GEP unit is included in the condensing power station, which is equipped with K-300-240 turbines, are described.


There has been an increasingly common trend in the UK to identify character skills and traits as the basis for various individual successes and achievements. In education policy and employment services, character has been linked to the making of successful, morally aware, employable and socially mobile citizens. This article explores the late-19th-century use of character discourses, focusing on the economist Alfred Marshall. During this period character was associated with future-oriented subjects – those displaying provident and thrifty habits and dispositions – and held particular class, race, and gender prejudices. The article draws parallels between this late-Victorian approach to character and the 'return' of character in 21st-century education and welfare-to-work policy, in particular, where cultivating character is linked to improving employability and social mobility. We can make productive comparisons between character's Victorian legacy and its re-emergence more recently amid increasingly moralised discourses around poverty, inequality, and unemployment. In doing so, we might better understand the historical antecedents to stigmatising character discourses today, insofar as they leave the burden of responsibility for particular social outcomes in life and the labour market with individuals and their ability to cultivate their own human capital.


In this paper, the problem of the interpolation of the DC components of JPEG or MPEG-coded images is addressed, and the use of nonlinear interpolators is proposed which are able to accurately reconstruct the images yielding both sharp details and low blocking artifacts.


1 Dept. of Agronomy, Food, Natural resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), Univ. of Padova, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020 Legnaro (PD), Italy ABSTRACT The Italian dairy industry is making notable efforts to improve milk coagulation properties (MCP), as they affect the efficiency of cheese-making process. Individual milk samples (n = 8,525) of 3,057 Holstein-Friesian (HF), Brown Swiss (BS), and Simmental (SI) cows from 39 multibreed herds of Veneto region (northeast Italy) were collected from September 2011 to February 2012, and evaluated for quality traits and MCP predicted by mid-infrared spectroscopy (MIRS). Daily milk yield for each cow was also available. Milk coagulation properties were rennet coagulation time (RCT, min) and curd firmness (a30, mm). Data were analyzed through a generalized linear mixed model including the fixed effects of month of sampling, parity, days in milk (DIM), herd, breed, and interactions between parity and breed, and DIM and breed. The random effects were cow nested within breed and residual. Breed and DIM were the most important sources of variation for MCP (P < 0.001). Milk from BS cows showed the shortest RCT (19.1 min) and the highest a30 (26.8 mm), whereas milk from HF cows had the worst MCP, with values of 21.0 min for RCT and 20.8 mm for a30. Days in milk, breed, month of sampling, and herd effects were highly significant (P < 0.001) for all studied traits. Results from this study indicate that, under similar environmental and management conditions, the HF exhibits less favourable technological properties of milk than BS and SI breeds.


Abstract : The United States must divest itself from dependence on petroleum-based energy sources. Our entrenched dependence on petroleum has resulted in conflict, resentment, environmental failures, political disadvantage, and economic fracture. All of which have contributed to the erosion of our pole position in international affairs. This paper argues the business case that the US has arrived at the point in its history where it is now too expensive to pursue petroleum-based energy. The paper offers a real strategy to manage the shift towards petroleum independence by integrating government and business through active leadership and profit for all stakeholders. The plan consists of modular energy initiatives that are supportive, yet independent of each other. The recommended modules are designed to collectively relinquish our dependence on oil while achieving economic growth. Energy independence can be accomplished through conservation, wireless power transmission, alternate renewable energy sources, a conversion of our energy infrastructure (especially in the transportation industry), and sound governmental policy and investment. Further, petroleum independence will ultimately provide new options for the US and its allies regarding its national vital interests. The climate is now ripe for the implementation of a holistic energy strategy with the ultimate goal of petroleum independence.


A cross-sectional study was carried out among patients to assess the factor structure of their satisfaction with Primary Health Care (PHC) services. Using a structured questionnaire, we conducted exit interviews with a sample of 19 136 patients aged 18+ years in 266 PHC facilities, Eastern Cape, South Africa. To determine factor structure, principal component analysis with varimax rotation was done. Subsequently, there were five components that explained 52.8% of the total variance. Factor 1 (eigenvalue: 7.6) had items on dignity (talked respectfully) and communication (clear explanations) and  xplained 25.5% of the variance. Factor 2 (eigenvalue: 2.8) had items on the quality of basic amenities (cleanliness) and explained 9.2% of the variance. Factor 3 (eigenvalue: 2.5) had management-related items (complaints) and explained 8.5% of the variance. Factor 4 (eigenvalue: 1.7) related to Information, Education and Communication materials which explain 5.5% of the variance. Factor (eigenvalue: 1.2) had items on prompt attention (waiting time) and explained 4.0% of the variance. Dignity, communication and basic amenities were identified as major factors determining patient satisfaction.


We will overview optical properties of plasmonic crystals, periodically nanostructured metal films, with complex crystal lattices. We will discuss their advantages and applications for spectral and polarization multiplexing/demultiplexing, extraction of light from LEDs and biosensing. Active functionalities and tuneability of their photonic properties using electronic, magnetic and optical controls will also be discussed.


This study aims to investigate the factors that affect the market exit of Brazilian singular credit unions from 1995 to 2009; it also identifies and lists the determinants of various types of market exits and analyzes whether profitability is a significant factor for credit union survival. This study was conducted with accounting data provided by the Central Bank of Brazil, which derives only from individual cooperatives, i.e. singular credit unions. Quarterly financial statements from these credit unions that were active from 1995 to the second quarter of 2009 were employed, totaling 71,325 observations for 1,929 credit unions. Based on survival and the model of competing risks (such as the Cox, Exponential, Weibull, Gompertz, and Competing Risk models), the results show that there is no statistical evidence to ensure a correlation between profitability and credit union survival. The results also suggest that the size of credit unions plays a key role in their survival and longevity and that their funding and investment management are related to their survival and risk of market exit. In conclusion, the results confirm the initial idea that the duality inherent to credit unions - cooperative principles versus economic efficiency - might influence the stability, survival, and longevity of these institutions. Such results may also imply that a credit union embracing the rationale of a private bank will become more estranged from its members, something which will hinder its future operations and increase the likelihood of its exit from the market.


me exact solutions to the Gardner's equation are obtained with the help of two analytical methods including the generalized exponential rational function method and a Jacobi elliptical solution finder method. A set of new exact solutions containing four parameters is reported. The graphical interpretation of the solutions is depicted. Mathematica software is used to perform the computations and simulations. The suggested techniques can be used to another sort of real-world models from science and engineering.


On the 28th September 2003, a blackout affected more than 56 million people across Italy and areas of Switzerland. Estimates vary for the number of fatalities that were directly related to the loss of power. 30, 000 people were trapped on trains. Several hundred passengers were stranded on underground transit systems. There were significant knock-on effects across other critical infrastructures. Many commercial and domestic users suffered disruption in their power supplies for up to 48 hours. The immediate trigger for the blackout stemmed from a fault in the Swiss transmission system. The consequences of the initial failure propagated across the border affecting the networks in France, Slovenia, and Austria. It also led to a domino effect that ultimately led to the separation of the Italian system from the rest of the European grid. The 2003 blackout, therefore, has immense importance for the future development of European energy policy. The immediate causes of the failure acted as a catalyst for longer term, technical vulnerabilities to do with the regulation and monitoring of energy transfers and the algorithms used to predict potential distribution problems. The 2003 power failure also had managerial and human factors causes; these arguably included an over-reliance on computer-based decision support systems. The following paper applies accident investigation techniques to represent and reason about the complex interactions between these causes. In particular, we use Violation and Vulnerability (V2) diagrams to map out the causal factor behind this engineering failure. This article is a companion paper to a previous study that applied the same analytical techniques to the US and Canadian blackout, 14th August 2003 (Johnson, 2006).


Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGvHD) is the leading cause of late non-relapse morbidity and mortality after allogeneic HCT. There is no standard therapy for steroid-refractory disease. Thalidomide, an immune-modulating drug, showed some activity in advanced sclerotic cGvHD but was difficult to tolerate at active doses. Pomalidomide (Pom) is related to thalidomide, but with higher potency and a more favorable toxicity profile. A pilot study suggested Pom was effective in cGvHD, however doses >2 mg/day were poorly tolerated (Pusic et al, BMT, 2016;51:612). In this randomized phase 2 trial we aimed to determine the optimal dose and to evaluate the efficacy of Pom (NCT01688466). Methods: Subjects were randomized to a low-(LD) 0.5 mg/d or a high-dose (HD) cohort with a starting dose 0.5 mg/d increasing to 2 mg/d over 6 w. Dose reductions for ≥Grade-3 non-hematologic or ≥Grade-4 hematologic adverse events (AEs) on HD-cohort were allowed. There was no crossover. Concomitant stable or tapering systemic therapy for cGvHD was permitted. Venous thrombo-embolism prophylaxis was ASA 325 mg/d. Response was assessed by 2005 NIH response criteria (Filipovich AH et al, 2005;11:945). Primary endpoint was overall response rate (ORR) at 6 mo. Responders could continue at their assigned dose for 6 more mo. Secondary endpoints were safety, PKs and immune studies. The cohort with the higher response rate would be chosen for further evaluation, or if a tie, the LD arm would be favored. Results: From 02/2013 to 05/2016, 32 subjects were randomized (LD, n=16; HD, n=16). Median age was 48 y (range, 20-73 y), 21 (66%) male, median time from transplant 4.1 y (1.5-9.7 y), median time from onset of cGvHD 3.2 y (0.6-8.5 y). Thirty subjects had Global Score Severe. The most severely affected tissues/organs were skin (n=30, 94%), eyes (n=6, 19%) and joints/fascia (n=11, 34%). Most had ≥ 20% body surface area deep sclerosis (n=24, 75%). Pts had received a median 5 (2-9) prior systemic therapies. Baseline characteristics were similar in the two cohorts. Peak/trough levels of Pom were measured at 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2 mg doses and CMax increased in a dose-proportional manner (r2=0.9997), suggesting linear PKs. The most frequent AEs were lymphopenia, infection and fatigue (Table). Six subjects in the HD cohort were dose reduced to 1.5 mg/d because of fatigue (n=3), elevated ALT/AST (n=1), bradycardia (n=1) and neutropenia (n=1), and 2 subjects reduced further to 1 mg/d. There was 1 death in the LD cohort from pneumonia. 9 subjects discontinued ≤ 6 mo because of AEs (n=5) or withdrawal (n=4). More subjects in the HD cohort discontinued early; (HD, n=7; LD, n=2). ORR at 6 mo in an intent-to-treat analysis was 47% (n=15, PR). ORR increased to 71% in 21 evaluable subjects. ORR in LD and HD were similar 50% (n=8/16) and 44% (n=7/16) respectively. 9 evaluable subjects (43%) had improvement in NIH joint/fascia scores (p=0.004) and median decrease of 10% body surface area involvement with cutaneous cGvHD (p=0.0027 by Wilcoxon signed rank test). Among the NIH response measures, the strongest association with response was the 11-point health care provider severity, median improvement 2 points (p=0.0055 by Jonckheere-Terpstra test), as well as improvements in restrictions in range of motion at elbow (p=0.023) and wrist (p=0.032). 67% (10/15) of the responders also reported clinically significant improvements in self-reported cGvHD symptom bother (Lee scale) and SF-36 physical component summary scores (p Median decreases in prednisone dose compared to baseline were 13% (0-67) at 6 mo and 63% (17-81) at 12 mo of Pom. More subjects completed the planned 12 mo of Pom in the LD- vs. HD- cohort (7 vs. 4). After 12 mo of Pom, 3 subjects in the LD arm had progressed cGvHD. Two of those subjects had SD after restarting Pom. A 3rd responded and continued Pom for an additional 12 mo. Conclusion: This phase 2, randomized trial demonstrates that Pom is an effective salvage therapy for persons with severe, corticosteroid-refractory cGvHD, including sclerotic skin disease. Response rates were similar with 0.5 and 2 mg/d but there were more early discontinuations with 2 mg/d. Organs with most improvement were skin and joints suggesting an anti-fibrotic effect. Pom is a promising new therapy for refractory cGvHD. As HD Pom was less well tolerated without a significant improvement in response, Pom 0.5 mg/d is recommended. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


This study conducts a comprehensive analysis of changing labor market dynamics in Tamil Nadu post the 1991 economic reforms, focusing on three main objectives. Firstly, it examines the trends in Labor Force Participation Rate (LFPR), Unemployment Rate, and Worker Population Ratio (WPR). Secondly, it investigates shifts in job composition, including unpaid work, self-employment, casual labor, and regular employment, and their impact on employment. Lastly, it assesses employment quality by examining job security, social security benefits, and written job contracts among non-agricultural workers. To achieve these goals, the study uses a dataset primarily sourced from various rounds of the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) household surveys between 1993-94 and 2011-12, offering historical insights into labor market trends. Additionally, annual data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) covering 2017-18 to 2021-22 provides contemporary perspectives. The analysis reveals significant trends, including declining LFPR and WPR, indicating a shrinking workforce and reduced employment opportunities. The unemployment rate shows overall positive trends, but underemployment remains a concern. Job composition shifts, with fewer unpaid jobs and more self-employment and regular employment. However, self-employment poses increased vulnerability. Nominal earnings have risen, but real wage growth is limited due to inflation. Regarding employment quality, access to social security benefits has improved, but written job contracts have declined, potentially leaving workers exposed. The study highlights the need for policy interventions to enhance job quality, provide social protections, and address underemployment.


AKa-band $(\pmb{27\sim 40-}\mathbf{GHz)}$ sub-harmonically pumped mixer (SPM) fabricated in l80-nm CMOS technology is demonstrated for 5G mm-wave transceivers in this paper. The proposed SPM is composed of anti-parallel gate-source connected FET diode pair (APDP). The SPM measuring 0.48 $\mathbf{mm}\pmb{{}^{2}}$ demonstrates a conversion-gain response of $\pmb{-16.8\sim-12.4} \ \mathbf{dB}$ for both up- and down-conversion over $\pmb{27\sim 40}\mathbf{GH}_{\mathbf{Z},}$, the required LO frequency from 13.5 to 20 GHz, and a high 2LO-to-RF isolation of $\pmb{60\sim 80}\ \mathbf{dB}$.


Addressing the problem of aging and deficient bridges by complete replacement is cost prohibitive in most cases. Therefore, the strengthening alternative has become a regular activity, which in recent years has started relying on non-traditional civil engineering materials such as fiber reinforced polymers (FRP). Several codes and guidelines have been drafted for the design of FRP-strengthened concrete structures. Earlier efforts to draft these provisions relied on expert input without formal quantification of the risks involved or calibration of the reliability of proposed design expression. Reliability-based calibration efforts for flexural design provision exist in the literature, however, similar efforts for shear strengthening using composites are lacking. In this paper, a detailed study on the reliability of bridge girders strengthened in shear using FRP is presented. A parametric study covering different span lengths, deficiency levels, and anchor configurations was conducted. Results revealed that the proposed equations for FRP-strengthened concrete girders yield acceptable reliability levels.


Background
Liver disease has caused significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Its epidemiologic and clinical pattern, however, is not well characterized in sub-Saharan countries.

Objective
This study aimed to describe demographic, clinical characteristics, and patterns of liver disease in a community hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Method
A retrospective hospital-based study was conducted on patients with liver disease admitted at Ras Desta Damtew memorial hospital, in Addis Ababa-Ethiopia, from February 2015 to April 2020.

Result
Of the total 212 patients majority, 78.8% were male, 49.1% of patients were in the age range of 31-50 with a median age of 42. The most common initial clinical presentation was ascites (87.7 %), and more than half of patients (56.6%) had a history of alcohol misuse documented on their medical charts. Chronic liver disease (cirrhosis) was found in 177 (83.5%), and Hepatocellular Cancer accounted for 7.5% of the patients. Alcohol misuse caused 45% of chronic Liver Disease, followed by Hepatitis B virus infection.

Conclusion
Chronic liver disease is the most common form of liver disease, and the most affected were middle-aged men. The common cause of chronic liver disease was alcohol followed by hepatitis B virus infection.


Structures produced over the top or along the margins of Silurian Pinnacle reefs have proven to be the source of significant oil production in the eastern Illinois basin. The authors have been able to refine gravity methods that can assist in the exploration of such reef targets. A gravity/density model was developed by combining the 1980 work of Dana at the Wilfred pool (Sullivan County, Indiana) with other lithologic and log data in southwestern Indiana. This model includes the density differences between the reef facies and surrounding lithologies as well as density variations that are the result of compaction of the sedimentary sequence above the reef. The density models suggest that positive gravity anomalies with amplitude between 1.5 to 2.5 mgals might occur over the reefs.


Periodic structures, called diffraction gratings play an important role in various metrology applications. The traditional C method is an accurate and efficient method for computing the electromagnetic field due to diffraction gratings. It is applicable to a large class of grating surface profiles, and it is perfectly adapted for modeling multi-layer coated gratings. Its convergence is fast and does not strongly depend on the incident polarization or permittivity of the medium. But there is a limitation for the traditional C method: it can only deal with diffraction gratings of which the interface can be described by a function of the periodicity coordinate. For this thesis, we try to find if there is a way to extend the traditional C method to make it applicable for smooth overhanging gratings. We make a detailed introduction of the project in Chapter 1. The mathematical model is introduced in Chapter 2. In Chapter 3, the traditional C method will be introduced. Chapter 4 is the core part of this thesis. It presents two possible coordinate transformation describing overhanging gratings of trapezoidal shape and it outlines how the traditional C method can be extended to use more general coordinate transformations.


We will study three phenomenon of random processes that describe three very important, and possibly un-intuitive, phenomenon. The goal will be to explore, formalize, and hopefully make intuitive these phenomenon. They are Birthday Paradox: To measure the expected collision of random events. A random group of 23 people has about a 50% chance of having two with the same birthday. Coupon Collectors: To measure the expectation for seeing all possible outcomes of a discrete random variable. Consider a lottery where on each trial you receive one of n possible coupons at random. It takes in expectation about 1.577n ln n trials to collect them all. ε-Samples: To bound the number of events needed to evenly distribute random samples. Consider the same random lottery after k trials. We expect to have k/n of each coupon, but some more, some less. For any one coupon it takes k = (1/ε 2) ln(1/δ) trials (for 0 < ε < 1 and 0 < δ < 1) so that there are no more than n/k + εk of that coupon with probability at least 1 − δ. From another perspective, these all describe the effects of random variation. The first describes collision events, the second covering events, and the third smoothing events – how long it takes for random variation to evenly distribute. I know the last one seems a bit mysterious now, but I hope it will become more natural by the time we get there. Model. For all settings, there is a common model of random elements drawn from a discrete universe. The universe has n possible objects; we represent this as [n] and let i ∈ [n] represent one element (indexed by i) in this universe. The n objects may be IP addresses, days of the year, words in a dictionary, but we can always have each element (IP address, day, word) map to a distinct integer i where 0 < i ≤ n. Then we study the properties of drawing k items uniformly at random from [n] with replacement. First, let us consider the famous situation of birthdays. Lets make formal the setting. Consider a room of k people, chosen at random from the population, and assume each person is equally likely to have any birthday (excluding February 29th), so there are n = 365 possible birthdays. The probability that any two (i.e. k = 2) people (ALICE and BOB) …


Objective:To develop a method for determining HPLC fingerprints of Radix Scrophulariae and analyze and determine HPLC fingerprints of the samples processed by different methods and the commercial decoction pieces of Radix Scrophulariae.Methods: A Zorbax SB-C18(4.6 mm×250 mm,5 μm) column was used.The mobile phase of the gradient elution were 0.025% phosphoric acid and acetonitrile.The detection wavelength was set at 210 nm.The velocity was 1 mL·min-1.The column temperature was maintained at 25 ℃.Results: It was found that 16 peaks were common for the commercial decoction pieces.The ranges of the relative retention time and the relative peak area of the common peaks were determined.The fingerprints showed that the similarities of the 20 batches of Radix Scrophulariae ranged from 0.488 to 0.929,indicating great difference in quality;the chemical components of the samples processed by different methods were also quite different,implying difference in quality between Radix Scrophulariae soaked before being cut and that steamed before being cut.Conclusion:This method can be used for the quality control of Radix Scrophulariae and its decoction pieces.


The terminology of anxiety is included in both Kierkegaard's and Heidegger's analysis on human existence, and in both cases, it takes place when a man realizes his responsibility for his own being. Yet Kierkegaard introduces anxiety in constructing individuals' lonely journey towards god, Heidegger mainly sees anxiety as a critical point in Dasein's reaching a structural wholeness. In this essay, I will respectively illustrate Kierkegaard's and Heidegger's accounts on anxiety, including anxiety's subjects, the occurrence of anxiety, and the solution to anxiety; then, I will analyze the differences between the two seemingly-similar views on anxiety by incorporating the two views into the philosophers' core philosophies, and finally lead to the conclusion that while Kierkegaard noticed anxiety in a 'to be question', Heidegger points to anxiety to solve the 'being question'.


Preface * Surface Representations Surface Definition and Properties Approximation Power Parametric Surface Representations Implicit Surface Representations Conversion Methods Summary and Further Reading * Mesh Data Structures Face-Based Data Structures Edge-Based Data Structures Halfedge-Based Data Structure Directed-Edge Data Structure Summary and Further Reading * Differential Geometry Curves Surfaces Discrete Differential Operators Summary and Further Reading * Smoothing Fourier Transform and Manifold Harmonics Diffusion Flow Fairing Summary and Further Reading * Parameterization General Goals Parameterization of a Triangulated Surface Barycentric Mapping Conformal Mapping Methods Based on Distortion Analysis Summary and Further Reading * Remeshing Local Structure Global Structure Correspondences Voronoi Diagrams and Delaunay Triangulations Triangle-Based Remeshing Quad-dominant Remeshing Summary and Further Reading * Simplification & Approximation Vertex Clustering Incremental Decimation Shape Approximation Out-of-Core Methods Summary and Further Reading * Model Repair Types of Artifacts: The "Freak Show" Types of Repair Algorithms Types of Input Surface-Oriented Algorithms Volumetric Repair Algorithms Summary and Further Reading * Deformation Transformation Propagation Shell-Based Deformation Multi-Scale Deformation Differential Coordinates Freeform Deformation Radial Basis Functions Limitations of Linear Methods Summary and Further Reading A. Numerics Discretizing Poisson and Laplace Equations Data Structures for Sparse Matrices Iterative Solvers Sparse Direct Cholesky Solver Non-Symmetric Indefinite Systems Comparison Bibliography Index


ABSTRACT A generalized regression neural network model was tested – as a nowcasting tool – to forecast the low wind profiles up to 45 min (i.e. at heights of 10, 100, 200, and 300 m) at the Guarulhos International Airport, São Paulo, Brazil. A data set representing over 4 years was generated from sonic detection and ranging and surface meteorological station, which registered vertical wind profiles with intervals from 10 m to approximately 500 m in height every 15 min, and surface meteorological variables were collected each minute, respectively. These data were simultaneously used to train, validate, and test the proposed model. The u and v forecasts generated at 300, 200, and 100 m were better than at 10 m, which could certainly be attributable to the surface roughness. In addition, the results also revealed that the performance of the model is time-dependent – decreasing over time – and that this may be correlated with the fact that the neural network is a statistical rather than physical model. The forecasts of wind components u and v are slightly biased (or closely matched to observations) at all heights, and forecast intervals with maximum values have median and average errors equal to 0.070 and −0.017 ms−1, respectively. The forecast model's results were evaluated using the values of four categorical statistics: probability of detection; probability for non-events; bias; and false-alarm ratio, with respectable minimum and maximum values for u wind principal components equal to 0.841, 0.833, 0.159, 0.981 at 10 m for 45-min forecasts and 0.989, 0.987, 0.011, 0.999 at 300 m for 15-min forecasts, respectively.


A series of blends have been prepared by adding a novel thermoplastic poly(phthalazinone ether sulfone ketone) (PPESK) in varying proportions to diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A epoxy resin (DGEBA) cured with p-diaminodiphenylsulfone (DDS). All the blends showed two-phase structures characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Addition of the PPESK resulted in great enhancement of glass transition temperatures (Tg) both in the epoxy-rich phase and in the PPESK-rich phase by reason of the special structure of PPESK. There was moderate increase in the fracture toughness as estimated by impact strength. Fracture mechanisms such as crack deflection and branches, ductile microcracks, ductile tearing of the thermoplastic, and local plastic deformation of the matrix were responsible for the increase in the fracture toughness of the blends. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008


Converging means to provide a shock wave, for cardiac tissue to become arrhythmic cause coagulation necrosis shockwave ablation system. Shock wave generating means (10) comprising: a concave surface (11a) of the shock wave converging means (11), inserted into the shock wave converging means an optical fiber (12) in (11), guiding catheter tubular of the optical fiber (13), the optical fiber the front end (12) constituting the enclosed space of the liquid-filled body (14), and filling the liquid (L) inside (14) of the enclosed body. Shock wave converging means (11) comprises an annular coupling portion (16) having a central hole (11b), and a portion from the edge portion of the binding (16) is bent outwardly toward the front, and the resilient portion is provided in the binding 16 wings (17) (16) of the edge portion, and can be folded for rotatably coupling portion (16) by wings (17).


Xinjun Du, Ying Wang, Jianhua Ge and Yumin Wang Key Laboratory of Computer Networks and Information Security Xidian University Xi'an 710071, P.R. China Abstract: This paper proposes an ID-based authenticated two round multi-party key agreement among n parties. Several ID-based two-party and tripartite key agreement schemes were proposed recently. Rana Barua attempted to extend Joux's tripartite protocol to multi-party key agreement, but this


Abstract Many medical students and faculty researchers have had little or no experience working with community groups on health-related research. These resources are meant to provide guidelines and...