Introduction: Instruments for Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) assesment in health sciences must be designed to ensure validity and reliability. The present paper assesses the quality of a MCQs test in Research Methodology at the Faculty of Medicine at Xochicalco University. It establishes the basis to improve the quality of MCQs and is intended as a baseline for other universities. Methodology: The peer-reviewed test had 20 MCQs with three distractors with and a single correct response and 89 students took the exam. The tests were graded and analyzed to estimate difficulty index (DIF I), discrimination index (DI) and distractor efficiency (DE). Cronbach's alpha and ANOVA were calculated with SPSS. Results: The resulting DIF I (0.49) indicates that the test was moderately difficult, mean discrimination index of 0.25 means that the test has a regular quality to discriminate between skilled and unskilled students and needs to be checked, only 20% of the items were considered excellent and 5% were considered good questions. Alpha coefficient was 0.898 considered good for a MCQs assesment. ANOVA results showed no significant differences between groups. Discussion and Conclusion: This test shows a high percentage of moderatly difficult questions, is unbalanced and a reduction of Non Functional Distractors (NFDs) is needed. However the topic learned has the same standard across the different groups of students.


Molecular-based switchable dielectrics with distinct changes of dielectric constant, which enable conversion of electronic properties between different states under external stimuli, are technologically important. The crown-ether clathrate system is a...


This article uses the Gordon growth model with a novel method for forecasting dividend growth rates to estimate the equity cost and associated risk premium for a sample of Canadian telecommunications companies. The results suggest that the Telco risk premium has declined significantly since the early 1980s. Moreover, this decline is accentuated when measured over long Canada yields, rather than over similarly taxed, longterm preferred yields. 1998 Morgan Stanley.


Writing about mathematics, from the most elementary ideas about numbers to the most sophisticated principles of mathematics, is an excellent way for students to personalize their knowledge. I use journal writing in all my classes to help students explore what they do or do not understand, and to help them apply new concepts to their own experience. For example, the athlete might use a journal to write about similarities between mathematical reasoning and game strategies. Or the musician's journal writing might explore new understanding about patterns in both mathematics and music. A business student's journal might open questions about formulas for relationships between sales and profits. Regardless of their backgrounds, students are expanding their levels of mathematical literacy through writing. Colleagues observe my stack of student journals waiting to be read and responded to, and they ask, "What are the benefits of all this extra work?" During writing workshops, fellow faculty inquire, "What are the effects of using writing? How does writing help your students?" And particularly, I am asked, "Can you prove that the journals contribute to a better understanding of mathematics?" I could reply to these questions that I believe that writing is beneficial in many ways that cannot be measured and that therefore my use of writing, like my use of many other teaching devices, is based on a personal sense of valuable learning tools. On the other hand, I could refer to studies by Minja Paik, a professor at George Mason University (Thaiss 1982), or by professors at Michigan Tech (Selfe, Petersen, and Nahrgang 1986) who have attempted to measure the achievement of students who write in mathematics and statistics classes. However, quantitative studies generally concentrate on tests and grades, and hence fail to


In the Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) the plasma concentration of luteinizing hormone (LH) depends on the physiological state of the animal. Low levels are found in sexually immature birds on short days (0.8 ± 0.1 (n=20) ng/ml) while after exposure to long days, sexually mature birds have a significantly higher LH level (4.4 ± 0.4 (n=20) ng/ml). Castration of long day males results in an even higher rise in LH concentration to 16.8 ± 1.8 (n=16) ng/ml. When the half-life (t1/2) of circulating LH was determined it was found to have two components: a fast t1/2 of about 6 min and a Blower component of either 20 min (determined by a radioisotope method), or 40 min (following hypophysectomy). No significant difference was observed in either of these components between birds in the three physiological states (short days, long days, castration plus long days). It would appear, therefore, that since the half-life of plasma LH remains constant, the difference in circulating LH observed under the variou...


This study assessed the effect of bezafibrate on monocyte secretory function and systemic inflammation in patients with impaired fasting glucose (IFG), comparing this effect with that produced by bezafibrate in mixed dyslipidemic subjects. The study included 28 patients with IFG, 29 individuals with mixed dyslipidemia, and 24 age‐, sex‐ and weight‐matched control subjects without lipid and glucose metabolism abnormalities. Compared with the control group, in both IFG and mixed dyslipidemic subjects, monocyte release of monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 (MCP‐1), interleukin‐6, tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), and interleukin‐1β was increased, which was accompanied by higher plasma levels of high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hsCRP). Despite affecting plasma lipids in both treatment groups, bezafibrate administration (200 mg twice daily for 90 days) reduced fasting plasma glucose levels, the homeostasis model assessment index, and glycated hemoglobin only in IFG subjects. Bezafibrate treatment normalized monocyte release of MCP‐1, interleukin‐6, TNF‐α, and interleukin‐1β and also normalized plasma hsCRP levels in mixed dyslipidemic subjects, whereas in IFG individuals the drug reduced only MCP‐1 and interleukin‐6 release. This study shows that IFG is associated with the presence of systemic inflammation and abnormal monocyte secretory function. Compared with patients with mixed dyslipidemia, IFG patients who are administered bezafibrate experience a stronger effect on glucose metabolism and weaker anti‐inflammatory and monocyte‐suppressing actions.


The Niobrara formation is highly water-sensitive and susceptible to damage. Its gas-producing section consists of high-porosity, low-pressure, low-permeability chalk. Reservoir data obtained in a systematic reserves-evaluation program demonstrated that many Niobrara wells can produce gas profitably when hydraulically fractured. The results of empirical tests to determine the economically optimal stimulation method showed that larger treatments are not necessarily better. On a payout basis, the optimal stimulation proved to be 95,000 lbm of sand. The procedures used to develop the Niobrara formation are applicable to other low-permeability reservoirs.


This thesis empirically studies transfer learning as a calibration framework for Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) based appearance-based gaze estimation models. A dataset of approximately 1,900,0 ...


A strong association between low circulating serum testosterone (T) and incidence of type 2 diabetes was reported. Further, data from human and animal studies suggested a protective role for androgens against diabetes mellitus as a result of T ability to increase lean body mass and to decrease fat mass. Objectives of this study were to: 1) examine the relationship between low serum T and intratesticular T, essential for spermatogenesis, and adiponectin, produced by adipocytes, and is essential for increased insulin sensitivity, 2) determine the effect of low serum T on androgen receptor (AR) expression, essential for T action in diabetic testis, and 3) determine the estradiol (E2) level in serum as it reflects the dynamic of aromatization of T to E2 and may explain the cause of low serum T in diabetic patients. Experiments were performed in Zucker Diabetic Fatty (ZDF) rats. Ten ZDF rats (average glucose level of 600±38.4 mg/dl) and ten lean non‐diabetic controls (average glucose level of 121±2.4 mg/dl) were used. Results indicated significantly lower serum T in ZDF rats compared with their lean controls (3.0 ± 0.2 and 6.3± 1 ng/ml, respectively). Neither intratesticular T, AR mRNA, nor E2 levels were significantly altered by diabetes. Data suggested that lower serum T in type 2 diabetes does not accurately reflect intratesticular hypoandrogenism and is not necessarily caused by aromatization of T to estrogen. In contrast low serum T in diabetic rats is associated with significantly lower serum adiponectin level.


Texting while driving is increasingly recognised as a dangerous activity. Given that texting while driving is a growing phenomenon we wish to identify attitudes and personality traits that may affect a propensity to voluntarily undertake such a dangerous activity. We focused on personality traits of 'impulsiveness' and a 'need to be connected' as possible explanations of texting while driving behaviour. Analysis indicates 'texting impulsiveness' is positively associated with people who text frequently and those who text while driving, with a significant gender difference. We found a very large majority of respondents, while recognising the dangerousness of texting while driving, are still willing to do it at least sometimes. While male respondents widely agree that texting while driving is dangerous they also believe that they are better at texting while driving than other drivers. Important public policy implications are suggested by this research.


The present research work was carried out in Kishanganga river system in the region where the damming of river has been done. The construction of hydropower generation wasundertaken by NHPC. Since the health of aquatic ecosystem is revealed by the chemical parameters of water. An attempt was made in the present research work to investigate the physico chemical parameters of Kishanganga at six different sampling stations affected controversially by the construction of hydroelectric power station.


The surplus value belongs to the category of commodity economy, which exists not only in the simple commodity economy before capitalist mode of production was established but also in socialist commodity economy. However, its existing condition in the stage of simple commodity economy and that of socialized commodity economy after capitalist mode of production was established are different. And its features accordingly are different in the two stages.


In this paper, Linux socket programming is introduced, wireless gateway based on embedded linux and MPC852T is built and its communication with wireless equipment is achieved. At last, it presents the experiment results.


The network link speed is increasing at an alarming rate, which requires all network functions on routers/switches to keep pace. Bloom filter is a widely-used membership check data structure in network applications. It also faces the urgent demand of improving the performance in membership check speed. To this end, this paper proposes a new Bloom filter variant called Ultra-Fast Bloom Filters, by leveraging the SIMD techniques. We make three improvements for the UFBF to accelerate the membership check speed. First, we develop a novel hash computation algorithm which can compute multiple hash functions in parallel with the use of SIMD instructions. Second, we change a Bloom filter's bit-test process from sequential to parallel. Third, we increase the cache efficiency of membership check by encoding an element's information to a small block which can easily fit into a cache-line. Both theoretical analysis and extensive simulations show that the UFBF greatly exceeds the state-of-the-art Bloom filter variants on membership check speed.


CSR has become popular all over the globe. In the developing countries like India, there are various formal and informal ways in which a business can make a contribution towards CSR practices. CSR can be regarded as a way by which the companies are integrating their social, environmental and economic concerns into their values, culture, strategy, decision making and operations to improve the society and the society's wealth. With deliberate and sincere efforts of the companies, they are attaining success in achieving their corporate goals in terms of social development, and are also able to enhance their corporate reputation. The ethical aspects related to CSR have become more apparent due to globalization and laws relating to social responsibilities and developments. For the present paper, the literature was examined on CSR and Corporate Sustainability. Nowadays, innumerous companies have been adopting CSR practices in order to attain corporate sustainability. The present research paper is confined to study various dimensions, features and the impact of CSR on the Indian corporate sector, i.e. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Coca - Cola India, BHEL and Wipro. The outcomes of the study show that the companies under study are following the CSR practices in many fields like education; community development; environmental protection; energy conservation; waste material management; health management; water management, etc. and are trying to encourage CSR awareness among different parts of the society.


This study examined the characteristics of costumes worn at Halloween parties, a form of cultural entertainment commonly seen in the U.S. The Halloween party culture involves children and adolescents wearing costumes, decorating their bodies, and mimicking famous characters. Furthermore, the types and motifs of Halloween costumes have become a means of expressing individuality. This study conducted empirical research on how such motifs were reflected in modern Halloween party-wear in order to provide basic data regarding the development and design of Halloween costumes and the formation of the related entertainment culture. This study researched the shape of costumes and the type of traditional motif presented in these costumes, as well as analyzed the symbolic meaning of each motif. The research process was as follows. First, this study investigated the origin and evolution of Halloween by researching precedent studies, books, and internet data. Second, this study extracted the types of traditional Halloween motifs by analyzing the characteristics and symbols of Halloween costumes commonly presented in such materials. After collecting 547 Halloween-related images from U.S. and Korean Internet websites, this study sorted and analyzed images that could represent traditional Halloween motifs. According to the results, representative traditional Halloween motifs included black cats, white rabbits, tridents, scarecrows, skull and bones, ghosts, witches, vampires, bats, werewolves, and jack-o-lanterns(pumpkins, etc.). The sentiments for such traditional Halloween motifs changed according to era and race. The symbolic meaning would continuously change - from positive to negative and vice versa - to reflect various socio-cultural phenomena. The results of this study are expected to be used as basic data for developing Halloween costume designs and the related entertainment culture.


cute decompensated heart failure is among the most ommon indications for hospitalization in the U.S. and esults in approximately one million hospitalizations annully (1). Although consensus guidelines provide evidenceased strategies for the treatment of chronic heart failure, he current therapy of acute heart failure is largely empirical. he first priority of management is relief of symptoms. A ariety of studies have shown consistent correlations beween improvement in resting hemodynamics, particularly he reduction of elevated filling pressures, and improved ymptom status during hospitalization and beyond (2). ntravenous vasodilators and positive inotropic agents both cutely lower filling pressures and enhance cardiac output. lthough both drug classes are often viewed as "cornertones" of treatment, considerable controversy exists about heir relative benefits during hospitalization.


The recommended location for implantable cardiac monitor (ICM) insertion is the left pectoral region. We tested whether an innovative left axillary implantation approach could be applicable for a new ICM, characterized by a long sensing dipole.


This paper puts forward the feature extraction method for carved stone image taking the Southern Song Dynasty grave in the south of Sichuan as the contact point ,and proves the validity of this method through Simulation experiment,in the end,pointing out further research direction.


As the requirement of the educational concept of innovation and
entrepreneurship, it is necessary to develop the students' learning ability
that is vital for students not only at school but also afterwards. In college
English teaching, language learning ...


Kindred Spirits, through an exploration of spiritual friendships and political activism within Catholicism during the tumultuous 1930s and 1940s, offers a rare glimpse into Catholic spirituality in the twentieth century. Drawing from the margins of the institutional church, Brenna Moore reveals the life-giving sustenance of Catholicity or all-embracing universality. Abjuring Nazism and European colonialism, the men and women depicted in Kindred Spirits portray a more humane and multicultural world. Ironically, Moore finds that their commitment to spiritual friendship avoids carnal tribalism to such an extent that familial biological ties are often disparaged. Referring to these spiritual friends in the light of Joseph Amato's book on Jacques Maritain and Emmanuel Mounier, Brenna Moore notes in the Epilogue to Kindred Spirits how


An experimental investigation is conducted for increasing brake thermal efficiency, reducing brake specific fuel consumption and emissions using biofuel on four stroke Ceramic Hot Surface Ignition Engine (CHSIE). A partially stabilized zirconium ceramic heater is fitted in the cylinder head and the top of the engine block is grinding to reduce 50% of the clearance volume of the engine cylinder. The relevant parameters such as brake thermal efficiency, brake specific fuel consumption and Carbon Monoxide (CO), Hydro Carbon (HC), Nitrogen Oxide (NOx), and smoke density emissions are evaluated for the fuel blends. The ratio of tested fuel blends of diesel-ethanol-agro waste(D-E-C) are D80E15C5, D65E30C5, and D50E45C5. The n-butanol additive is added as an ignition improver. The CHSIE is operated with each fuel blend of different power output at constant engine speed of 1500rpm. The brake thermal efficiency is increased for the fuel blends of D80E15C5 to D50E45C5 by 2.9% at maximum engine power. The CO, HC, NOx, and Smoke density emissions are low levels for the fuel blend D50E45C5 and the reduced values are 0.11%, 3.1ppm, 14ppm, and 4HSU respectively, from the fuel blend D80E15C5.


Objective: It is estimated that 600 000 men are currently living in North America with castrate levels of testosterone as a result of androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer. The goal of this study was to explore how patients and their partners adjust to changes associated with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT).


Systolic and diastolic blood pressures and heart rates did not change significantly and ventricular dysrhythmias did not occur during gastric or gallbladder traction in patients anesthetized with N2O-halothane, with or without d-tubocurarine or pancuronium neuromuscular blockade.Systolic and diastolic blood pressures and heart rates just before abdominal riscera traction were less (p<0.05) in patients paralyzed with d-tubocurarine than with pancuronium despite similar arterial halothane concentrations. In contrast, these measurements in patients without neuromuscular blockade were similar to those during pancuronium paralysis despite significantly greater arterial halothane concentrations in the unparalyzed patients.The authors conclude that circulatory responses during gastric or gallbladder traction are clinically insignificant during N20-halothane administration, with or without d-tubocurarine or pancuronium neuromuscular blockade. Intra-operative blood pressures and heart rates were influenced by the neuromuscular blocker chosen. Neuromuscular blockade permitted anesthetic maintenance with lower arterial halothane concentrations than when paralysis was not present.


We use the method of monotone iterations to obtain xed point and coupled xed point results for mixed monotone operators in the setting of partially ordered sets, with no additional assumptions on the partial order and with no convergence structure. We dene the concept of attractive xed point with respect to the partial order and obtain several criteria for the existence, uniqueness and order-attractiveness of the xed points, both in the presence and in the absence of a coupled lower-upper xed point. As an application, we present a xed point result for a class of


ABSTRACT In this work the decrease in the number of particles due to decrease in the size of the detection window on particle diffusion is investigated with the use of a numerical model of saltating grains. In order to formulate the problem, the available experimental data of particle diffusion are presented and discussed. Five different detection window sizes are investigated, showing that in both transverse and longitudinal directions the calculated dispersion of the particles noticeably decreases with the decrease in the window size. This highlights the "window" effect on the calculated variance of particle positions. The results indicate that the interpretation of the experimental data may be biased due to the "window" effect leading to potentially false conclusions about the regime of the diffusion of particles.


Objective. The aim of the study was to conduct clinical economic analysis of aflibercept (AFL) treatment compared to that of ranibizumab (RBZ) in patients with wet age-related macular degeneration (wAMD) in the Russian Federation Healthcare healthcare conditions. Materials and methods. Costs calculation was performed by means of simulation with a decision tree constructionmodel. The model was based on the results of clinical studies trials comparing the effectiveness efficacy of AFL and RBZ in patients with wAMD. Time horizon of the model was two years. Costs for the use of each drug in the model were calculated as the average of all possible states weighted according to their probability. Only direct medical costs were taken into account in this studyconsidered. These included costs of the drug, injection procedure, monthly treatment effect monitoring with in case of RBZ treatment, and laser photocoagulation therapy in case of angiogenesis inhibitors' failure, as well as the costs associated with death. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis was conducted. Results. Total costs for 2 years of AFL therapy were less than with of RBZ: 626.077.12579 543,88 and 697 .264.,12 rubles per patient, respectively. Savings for 2 years favoring AFL equal were 71.187.00117 720,25 rubles per patient. The main factor determiningdriver of the results of in the baseline scenariobase case was fewer AFL injections number compared to RBZ during 2 years of treatment. Results were stable during sensitivity analysis. Conclusion. In the conditions of Russian Federation Healthcare, AFL has an economic advantage over RBZ in patients with wAMD and is the dominant alternative.


We discuss the anthropic principle when applied to holographic dark energy. We find that if the amplitude of the density fluctuation is variable, the holographic dark energy fares better than the cosmological constant. More generally, the anthropic predictions agree better with observation for dark energy with wΛ = pΛ/ρΛ decreasing over time.


Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll: Two-thirds of Americans say fix Obamacare, don't repeal it. [1] More than half say, get on to other priorities. Has Congress ever changed the Affordable Care Act? Yes, it has and with bipartisan support. A short history. [2] President Trump ratcheted up his pressure on lawmakers to pass a healthcare plan with a threat to end key Obamacare payments and cancel some of lawmakers' healthcare benefits. [3] Opinion: Mitch McConnell: Architect of failure [4]


Epidemiological studies have shown that arsenic exposure during early embryogenesis can cause reduced weight gain and neurological deficits later on in life. In addition, in vitro and in vivo studies have indicated that arsenic suppresses neurogenesis and myogenesis. The exact mechanism of how arsenic causes these undesired developmental outcomes is poorly understood, however both skeletal muscle and sensory neuron development require the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway to initiate the specific differentiation of precursor cells. We were interested in determining the target cell population of arsenic and its metabolites. Arsenic's metabolites were of interest because they have been shown to be more toxic than arsenic itself. We found that arsenic and its metabolites, monomethylarsonous (MMA III) acid and dimethylarsinous (DMA III) acid, target a specific population of progenitor cells termed the neural plate border specifier (NPBS) cells by reducing the expression of signals required for neurogenesis (Pax3, Sox10, and NeuroD1) and myogenesis (Msx1, MyoD, and Myogenin). Pluripotent P19 embryonic stem cells were differentiated into embryoid bodies (EBs) in the presence of 0.1μM and 0.5μM sodium arsenite, 0.01μM and 0.05μM MMA III, or 0.001μM and 0.005μM DMA III. The expression of myogenic and neurogenic signals was determined by immunohistochemistry in EBs after 2-5 days of differentiation. Starting on day 2, in the neurogenic pathway, and day 3 in the myogenic pathway, arsenic is targeting the neural plate border specifier (NPBS) cells, which resulted in reduced transcription factor expression of Pax3 and Msx1. Arsenic also iii altered nuclear localization of Msx1 (day 2), MyoD (days 2-5), NeuroD1 (days 4-5), and altered co-localization patterns in both the neurogenic and myogenic lineages. After exposure to arsenic's metabolites, MMA III and DMA III, more drastic patterns were seen. In the neurogenic pathway, it appears that MMA III is targeting the neural plate border specifier cells on day 3, while DMA III does not affect transcription factor expression until day 5. Co-localization patterns were again changed after exposure. After 3 days of MMA III and DMA III exposure, co-localization patterns were significantly changed in the myogenic pathway. In regards to nuclear localization MyoD's nuclear localization was significantly decreased on days 3 and 5 in both the MMA and DMA treatments. In the neurogenic pathway, NeuroD1's nuclear localization was significantly decreased in day 5 EBs after exposure to both MMA and DMA. Overall, these results suggest that arsenic and its metabolites are targeting the precursor cells to skeletal muscles …


CT coronary angiography has been suggested as a non-invasive method for visualization of the coronary artery wall and early detection of the plaque. The ability to noninvasively detect and analyze high-risk plaques at an early stage, could lead to early initiation of the targeted treatment to improve risk stratification without the need for more invasive procedures. There are limitations however, mainly related to spatial, contrast and temporal resolution of CT. Resolving these limitations was the main focus of the current thesis.


In this paper, the authors report on the fabrication, theory simulation, and optical characterization of X-shaped nanoscale plasmonic crystals (PCs) and their application in biosensors. X-shaped PCs with 30 nm feature line-widths and different intersection angles were fabricated by a combination of electron beam lithography and argon ion beam milling techniques. Both experimental measurement and finite-difference time-domain simulations were employed to study the transmission properties of PCs under two different incident light polarizations. With the reduction of the symmetry of the X-shaped PCs, the transmission spectra of PCs show a new peak at similar to 900 nm in the near-infrared region, and the optical experimental results were consistent with the simulated results. Plasmonic crystal-based biosensors were then prepared by self-assembly of octadecanethiol to the PCs followed by biotinylation and immobilization of streptavidin to the biosensor. The sensing properties of the PC-based biosensors with a 30 degrees intersection angle, which is enhanced by a localized surface plasmon resonance with the asymmetry of the PC, are superior to those with a larger intersection angle in biosensor application. The robust fabrication technique and the strategy for enhancing the sensitivity of the biosensor endow X-shaped PCs with a great competitive advantage over other candidates. VC 2012 American Vacuum Society. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1116/1.4767274]


OBJECTIVE
To establish a method for determination of the levels of 24 metal elements and their compounds in the air of workplace by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP- AES).

METHODS
Sampling filters were digested by microwave, and diluted to 25 ml. Twenty-four elements (Mg, Ni, K, Mo, Zn, Ca, Ba, Pb, Mn, Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Sr, Bi, Tl, Sn, Li, Sb, Zr, In, V, Y, and Be) were simultaneously measured by ICP-AES.

RESULTS
The detection limits for 24 elements were 0.001∼0.029 mg/L; liner correlation coefficient r values were all equal to or above 0.9994; the relative standard derivations were less than 5%; the recovery rates were 91.2%∼103.9%; the degradation rates in 7 days were less than 9.7%.

CONCLUSION
ICP-AES technique is a simple, rapid, accurate, and reliable method, which can be used to measure 24 metal elements and their compounds in the air of workplace.


A simple capillary gas chromatography method was established to determine the content of methanol,ethanol,dichloromethane,triethylamine,ethyl acetate,and methyl phenyl(ether) in cefmetazole.The samples were injected into DB-200 capillary column and analyzed by flame ionization detector with methyl-tert butyl(ether) as the internal standard.The linear ranges of methanol,ethanol,dichloromethane,triethylamine,ethyl (acetate) and methyl phenyl ether were 0—480μg/mL(r=0.999 6),0—800 μg/mL(r=0.999 4),0—96(μg/mL)(r=0.999 0),0—800 μg/mL(r=0.999 3),0—800 μg/mL(r=0.999 5)and 0—800(μg/mL(r=0.999 3))respectively.The recoveries were 100.1~0/_0,100.5~0/_0,101.2~0/_0,100.1~0/_0,100.7~0/_0,and(100.4~0/_0) with relative standard deviation of 0.90~0/_0,1.30~0/_0,1.18~0/_0,1.23~0/_0,1.52~0/_0 and 1.41~0/_0(n=9)respectively.


The invention relates to a microwave inhibition system which comprises a box body, inhibition sheets and graphite cement boards; the inhibition sheets are fixed respectively on a top board, a bottom board and two side boards in the box body, and the graphite cement boards are fixed on the bottom board and two side walls at an inlet and an outlet; and the inhibition sheets on the bottom board and the two side boards of the box body are pre-buried in graphic cement. The microwave inhibition system can reduce microwave leakage rate, and improve the microwave efficiency in the inhibition process. The microwave leakage can be inhibited by adopting a mode of inhibiting the inlet and the outlet of the ceramic system, and the microwave leakage amount of the equipment can be below the international microwave leakage standard when powder materials are dried. The microwave inhibition system truly realizes production of refractory materials and has wide market prospects.


As promising magnet types, discrete-cosine-theta and canted-cosine-theta (DCT&CCT) superconducting magnets are designed for the High Energy Fragment Separator (HFRS), a fragment separator of the High Intensity Heavy Ion Accelerator Facility (HIAF). Quench protection is one of the key issues for DCT&CCT superconducting magnets due to low thermal conductivity between each turns and slow transverse quench propagation. Thermal quench-back induced by the center cooper wire as a heater automatically is a feasible quench protection option for the magnet wound with 6+1 type superconducting cables (six superconducting wires and one center cooper wire). In the present paper, an electro-thermal coupling model is developed and validated to deal with the dynamic coupling behaviors of electrical and temperature fields inside the superconducting magnets during quench protection process. The transient evolutions of current and voltage-to-ground are numerically obtained by finite element method, which shows obvious quench-back behaviors and agree well with the experimental measurements of the prototype magnet L800 in first round test. The hot-spot temperature can be reduced significantly considering quench-back effect. Furthermore, the quench protection baselines of temperature and quench integral are analyzed and predicted for L800, indicating that the magnet can be protected properly by the protection method with a quench-back at ultimate current 466A.


The purpose of this paper, which is part of a Master's Dissertation, is to analyze a comic strip produced by a student from a high school English class, which was the result of a process of discussion in the English language classroom, of issues related to gender as identity constructions. Following the perspective of Bakhtinian studies, we have observed the circulation of values, understood as gender differences in discourses. According to Volochinov (2017), in the interactions involving speakers and interlocutors, social and historical values circulate in the environment where these interlocutors are. They actively respond to these values, by agreeing or disagreeing with them. This paper is divided into three sections. In the first one, we discuss gender issues in contemporary times. In the second one, we address the methodology – a qualitative approach. Finally, in the third section, we analyze a student's production and the values observed in it, from the perspective of gender studies.


Background: Serum magnesium level in pregnancy is a valuable tool to find out preterm onset of labour. In the asymptomatic group, greater surveillance and administration of steroids, tocolytics and transfer to a higher centre wherever necessary has to be done with mothers with low serum magnesium level. The objective of the study is to find association between serum magnesium levels and women with preterm labour, and to compare these values with those patients who have a term delivery.Methods: The subjects included 100 pregnant women with preterm labour (cases) between 28 and 37 weeks gestation (Group A) and similar number of pregnant women with term labour (controls) between 37 and 40 weeks (Group B). Inclusion criteria for cases was singleton pregnancy, painful uterine contractions more than two in 30 minutes, intact fetal membranes, cervical dilatation (at least 1 cm) and effacement (80%). Serum magnesium levels were done in both the groups. Patients were followed until delivery. Routine antenatal investigations were done. Serum levels of magnesium were estimated by Erba's semi auto-analyser.Results: 62% patients in Group A were from rural areas. More patients in Group A (70%) were from low socioeconomic class. More women in Group A were anaemic (44%). Mean value of hemoglobin in Group A was 9.93gm/dL. More patients in Group A had muscle cramps (89%). VLBW (<1500gm) neonates were more in Group A (21%). Also, LBW (1500-2499gm) neonates were more in Group A (60%). Mean neonatal birth weight in Group A (1907.3gm) was less. Neonatal morbidity and mortality was observed significantly more in Group A. Mean serum magnesium was less in Group A. Mean serum magnesium levels in primi and multigravida patients were less in Group A. Moreover, mean serum magnesium levels were less in urban and rural patients in Group A. Mean serum magnesium levels were less in normal and overweight patients in Group A. Also, mean serum magnesium levels were less in patients with cervical dilatation <3cm and >3cm in Group A.Conclusions: Low maternal serum magnesium level is associated with preterm labour. Patients with preterm labour have significantly low serum magnesium level when compared with labour at term.


The composition of music is an art and has been considered something only possible by human creativity since times immemorial. Therefore, not many attempts have been made to allow artificial intelligences to compose music. This paper discusses developments in mathematics and their applications in artificial neural network based music composition and synthesis.


This paper discusses the categories of the "Word" section of Chosengo Gojunichikan Dokushu (Self-education of the Korean Language in Fifty Days) created by Hiroshi Shimai in 1918, and the characteristics of the Japanese language. After describing the previous study, the format and content of Chosengo Gojunichikan Dokushu is explained, followed by a discussion regarding the background of how the "Word" section of Chosengo Gojunichikan Dokushu was created. The characteristics of the Japanese language seen in the "Conversation" section of Chosengo Gojunichikan Dokushu are then described. The results of the survey showed that while there were many common categories among the "Word" section, there were also quite a few that differed. The characteristics of the Japanese language seen in the "Conversation" section are believed to reflect the linguistic phenomena of that time. Confusing linguistic phenomena before modern language was established can be seen.


The purpose of this study was to observe whether there are any age differences in women candy crush users and addicts in terms of leisure boredom, loneliness and self-control and whether there is any relationship between leisure boredom, loneliness and selfcontrol among young and middle-aged women candy crush gamers. A sample of 120 young and middle-aged women candy crush gamers, selected through a purposive sampling technique, the participants responded to the Internet game addiction questionnaire – candy crush scale (Young, 1991), Leisure boredom Scale (Iso-Ahola & Weissinger, 1990), UCLA Loneliness Scale version 3 (Russell, 1996) and Brief Self-control Scale (BSCS) (Tangney et al., 2004). The results revealed that there was significant difference between young and middle-aged woman candy crush gamers with respect to leisure boredom and loneliness (p<0.05). There was a negative correlation between leisure boredom and self-control among young women candy crush gamers (p<0.05). There was a significant relationship between leisure boredom and loneliness among the middle-aged women candy crush gamers (p<0.01). It was also found that there was significant relationship between loneliness and self-control among the middle-aged women candy crush gamers (p<0.05). This study highlights the importance of encouraging women to enjoy a rich variety of activities which would serve to enhance their productivity, success and well-being.


CAMPAIGNERS ARE to lobby the Lord Chancellor about plans to test people with learning disabilities to see whether they are able to consent to sexual relationships.


In the past and present, the communities of Mount Desert Island in Maine have faced the issue of school consolidation. "1948, the four towns of Mount Desert Island each had their own high school and several elementary schools. Despite an extensive survey and community discussion, the vote to consolidate into one high school was defeated in 1949 and again in 1959. In 1965, consolidation of the high schools was finally approved. Issues involved in the decision to consolidate included the recommendations of professionals, greater opportunities for students, a guidance program, preparation for transition to college and employment, and financial considerations. The less vocal dissenters feared loss of local control over the schools, community identification and involvement, and affordability. Interestingly, Tremont, the town with the lowest per capita income, spends the largest percentage of its budget on education, and its students outperform those from more affluent towns. The current debate on the Island concerns middle school consolidation, with little community support for the idea. The historical context for consolidation is rooted in urban and factory models of efficiency and efforts to correct inequalities in raral areas. Causes underlying consolidation include economics, politics, and social class. Resistance to consolidation may involve the reluctance of sm111 towns to alter the culture of their communities. Current research shows that smaller schools often produce higher student achievement and higher rates of student participation in activities. (KS) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** CONSOLIDATION OF RURAL SCHOOLS: Mount Desert Island, Maine: A Case Study Barbara Kent Lawrence U.S. DEPARTMENT OP EDUCATOR Oft co col Educaborvil Reemuch and Improeimeot EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) /This docurnont Man rot:rev:Woad al rifteisisd from the penman Or OoPoil originating it 0 Minor changes have been made to Foto/OW rproductIon closely POI n I s of yam or opintons stolid in thla doc tr. mint do not ratoomaray reeeeeint cehoml 0E111 posibon or policy BEST COPY AVAILABLE "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERICV


Biomechanical calculations are a useful tool to evaluate the severity of manual materials handling tasks. The exactness of the calculated forces depends on a number of factors. On one level is the precision of the inputs such as postural data and the force exerted by the operator. At another level is the exactitude of the biomechanical model itself. The effect of the imprecision of each factor upon the final result can be calculated so that on one hand, the range of values within which the final result is likely to fall is known, and on the other hand, the importance of each factor can be assessed, by comparing the standard deviation of one or more factors with the standard deviation of the result. Calculations of forces on the low back have been carried out in the laboratory using an optical scanner (CODA-3) to record posture on-line to a computer, as well as a handle equipped with strain gauges to record the force exerted. The program automatically carries out biomechanical calculations from these inputs. It takes into account the uncertainties on muscle lever arms and intra-abdominal pressure, using mean values for these and estimating the confidence limits within which the calculated low-back forces will lie, given the variance of one or more of the inputs.


Background  Gastric acid control is important for treatment of gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease associated with Barrett's oesophagus. Substantial indirect evidence suggests that gastric acid control may have a chemopreventive role in Barrett's oesophagus.


We have extended a 2D simulation of grain growth to treat the effects of precipitates on the evolution of interconnect grain structures during post-patterning processing. It is known from experiments that different annealing histories result in different precipitate sizes and locations. Precipitates capture and effectively pin grain boundaries and inhibit grain growth and evolution toward bamboo structures. We find that even a small volume fraction of precipitates prevent an interconnect strip from reaching the fully bamboo structure by retarding grain growth and lowering the average grain size. At a late stage of evolution, cluster regions are pinned by precipitates on both sides, preventing further transformation to the by far more reliable bamboo structure. The results from grain growth simulations have been used with our electromigration simulator MTT/EmSim to investigate the dependence of interconnect reliability on linewidth and precipitate distribution. We find that in lines with precipitates the bamboo structure is not reached during post-pattern annealing even if the line width is smaller than the average grain diameter. Furthermore, it is found that while Cu in solid solution improves interconnect reliability, Al 2 Cu precipitates can inhibit post-patterning grain structure evolution to more reliable bamboo or near-bamboo structures so much that similar lines made of pure Al would be more reliable. Linked grain structure evolution and electromigration simulations allow process optimization for maximum interconnect reliability.


TO IMPROVE THEIR RESISTANCE TO DEICING SALTS AND FROST, CONCRETE SURFACINGS MUST CONTAIN AT LEAST 5% OF ENTRAINED AIR; COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH MUST NOT BE LESS THAN 350 KG/CM2 IF DYNAMIC STRESSES IMPOSED BY HEAVY VEHICLES ARE TO BE SATISFACTORILY SUPPORTED. TO ACHIEVE THESE RESULTS WITHOUT HAVING TO USE AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF CEMENT, IT IS RECOMMENDED TO USE SODIUM ABIETATE AND A SULPHITE RESIDUE AS AIR-ENTRAINING AGENTS.


The goal of the project was to create a method of displaying local weather conditions on the robots in the UT CS Department's segbots, specifically through the use of communication between a Python script and an Arduino connected to Pololu LEDs. Specifically, this resulted in the presentation of specifically the temperature in the Austin area. While the goal of the project was technically accomplished, there were some limitations that were faced in implementing the project and with possible expansions of the project, and currently exist within the source code. Various approaches for solutions for these limitations are discussed. Finally, while this project was a useful venture, the main potential of this project lies within future extensions. These possibilities are discussed at the end of the paper.


231Background: Although multiple studies document a rise in gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (GEP-NET) incidence over the past several decades, there are limited national data regarding ...


It seems strange that any human being should dislike the process of being educated, since man is the only aniimal capable of extensive education.. Because we can be trained in the accumulated knowledge of hundreds of past generations, we are able to belnefit from the past experienees of our species. Otherwise each new generation would be forced to start from scrateh, as any other animal mlust do. Even if a dog were able to ilivent and use a bow and arrow to get his prey, he could not teach his offspring to make or use his invention. Consequently, the invention would perish with him. Not so with nman, for he can teach the next generation. Otherwise, all of us would be picking berries off bushes and struggling bare-handed to get food and shelter, unless an occasional one invented some tool for himself. Man 's capacity for being educated gives him his chief advantage over other animals, yet each new generation rebels more or less against its great opportunity. The dislike for school is so widespread that it has become proverbial. Why? Teachers of biology are particularly fortunate in that it is probably easier to interest students in their course than in most others. Perhaps this is because biology touches the familiar, everyday experiences of students to a much greater extent thani most other subjects. Even so, the problemi of motivation confronts every biology teacher every day. There is always the challenge, how can we overcome the indifference, the distaste of our students for school? If we could only find out why students dislike school, perhaps we mllight discover a clue as to how to overcome their indifference. Onle way to find out is to ask the students theinselves. They have many answers, but one general conclusion muay be drawn from the replies of several hundreds of studenits over a 1 Given before the Kansas Associationi of Biology Teachers, Wichita, Kansas, November 1, 1940.


At least it can be said that the Minister of Education has made definite decisions. Whether the reasoning behind them can be considered valid is another matter, largely dependent on how aware one can be about the pressure groups influencing Government policy at the highest levels. No date has been fixed for raising the school‐leaving age. School buildings will have to be adequate to meet the needs created before a date can be fixed. Time is required for experiments with extended courses, and to gain experience in curriculum planning and teaching methods. The teaching force would have to be expanded rapidly at a time when it is difficult to recruit sufficient student teachers, when the training course is being extended to three years and when the increased birth rate is causing serious problems of over‐sized classes in under‐staffed schools. The first priority is to be the rapid reduction of over‐sized classes. Crowther considered all these situations and exposed the difficulties adequately, but his committee still decided on recommending the raising of the school‐leaving age in one of three stated years. It would be interesting to know what new evidence or what additional wisdom was brought to bear on the Minister which was not available to Crowther either within his committee or from the assessors who were advising the committee. The need for more part‐time day release has been re‐emphasised. The Minister is to discuss with his colleague the Minister of Labour the possibility of granting adolescents up to the age of 18 the right to have day release for further education. The incentive value of this device to recalcitrant industries, firms and employers cannot be taken too seriously. As a gesture it is not really very exciting. Even the least cynical can hardly imagine a dull, under‐motivated youngster from the home of an unskilled manual worker not himself interested in further education, demanding day release from an unsympathetic employer. The Report itself was more realistic and much more in touch with real situations. More day release for further education is absolutely necessary to obtain the best contribution for economic development from the kind of young person who will be the craftsmen and technicians of the next twenty years. Compulsion on employers may run counter to our traditions and to the way we like to do things, but experience has shown that freedom to release does not have the necessary effect. It is more than naive to pretend that further exhortation will change the attitude of any large section of industry not now concerned with supporting the further education by which it lives. Much of industry will continue to take out of the national pool without putting in, until something stronger is introduced than the right of a boy or girl to claim day release. In some ways the suggestion is so unrealistic that it is difficult to understand what it will mean in practice.


Background: Electrospray (Electrohydrodynamic atomization) has been introduced as a novel approach to prepare nanoparticles. This work aimed to prepare SLNs through electrospray and evaluate factors affecting particle size of prepared Solid Lipid Nanoparticles (SLNs). Methods: SLNs were prepared by electrospray method. To study the factors affecting particle size of SLNs, Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) were employed. Four input variables, namely, Tween 80 concentration, lipid concentration, flow rate, and polymer to lipid ratio were analyzed through ANNs and particle size was the output. Results: The analyzed model presented concentration of Tween 80 (surfactant) and lipid as effective parameters on particle size. By increasing surfactant and decreasing lipid concentration, minimum size could be obtained, while flow rate and polymer to lipid ratio appeared not to be effective. Conclusion: Concentration of surfactant/lipid plays the most important role in determining the size.


The field experimental work was carried out at the Experimental Research Station of the Agricultural Research Center, SidsBen Suief Governorate during two growing season 2005/2006 and 2006/2007. The research aimed to study the effect of some engineering parameters designed of perforated pipes system as outlets spacing, outlets diameters and number of outlets discharging simultaneously on the yield of wheat grains crop, application efficiency, distribution efficiency, and water use efficiency in order to choose the appropriate engineering parameters designed of perforated pipes system using for wheat crop production. The results indicated that: 1The water advance time, water recession time and the infiltration opportunity time were more efficient in case of treatment (3). 2The water distribution efficiencies (WDE) are closed to each other for all treatment. 3The highest values of water application efficiencies and The water use efficiency were achieved in case of treatment (3) and saving about 14.5% of irrigation water applied in average. 4The uniformity distribution of the perforated pipe system decreased as the number of outlets discharging simultaneously decreased. As a general recommendation using a perforated pipes system having engineering parameters described as treatment T3 (12 outlets, outlet diameter 36mm, 1.0 m spacing, and between two consecutive outlets and outlet flow rate about 2.0 l/s) giving a highest values of both water application efficiency and water use efficiency of the yield of Wheat crop and received less amount of irrigation water than another treatment.


This report establishes economic feasibility criteria for considering the use of passive solar design. In light of the growing cost of supplying the energy demands of the Air Force, a method is needed to simplify the adaptation of passive solar heating and cooling in future building construction.


In this paper, carrier dynamics in N,N′-diphenyl-N,N′bis(1,1′-biphenyl)-4,4′-diamine (NPB) was studied using impedance spectroscopy (IS) and particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO). We applied PSO to fit the frequency dependence of impedance spectroscopy of NPB, and achieved the charge-carrier transit time and the dispersive parameters of NPB, and then obtained carrier mobility. The impacts of the dispersive degree on the impedance had been analyzed. Though PSO, the three unknown parameters, charge-carrier transit time τ dc and dispersive degree M , α in the admittance model were achieved simultaneously. The results verified the reliability of this method. Furthermore, we have presented the advantages of PSO compared with the traditional nonlinear least squares algorithm. In our limited knowledge, this paper begins the work to study materials in the deep level of algorithm


Purpose: This study was done to identify effects of preparation for death and depression on geriatric quality of life in rural communities and to...


Dams have been erected from the earliest times in China and the Near East, and later in Spain. Until around 1850, dam heights were extremely limited because no computational models were available for engineering design. Perhaps more important, the population downstream often opposed these structures because it had often experienced dam failures resulting in significant loss of life and property. Embankment dams reached a maximum height of some 20 m, whereas gravity dams had a maximum height of some 30 m Schnitter 1994 . In the 1860s, the design of gravity dams was developed mainly by French engineers, one of which was Auguste Graeff Fig. 1, Fig. 2 . The following traces his career and gives an overview in the advances made in hydraulic engineering during the second half of the 19th century.


Several authors undertook tasks that have awaited attention for some time. Frank Hick's examination of the experience of an innovatory school presented the perspectives of a wide range of participants. from teachers to parents and administrators, and illustrates the importance of their views to an understanding of what happens in a situation. Thus. the usefulness of a phenomenological approach can be considerably extended when it takes account of the differential power of those participating in or associated with a particular activity. Stephen Hill's examination of the training of physical scientists, the empirical part of which was undertaken with others, does the useful job of setting out how developing conceptions of reality and self can be shaped by arranged experiences. and that particular kinds of arranged experiences are represented in higher degree training programmes. In particular, it is a persuasive illustration of the educational pro-


Ireland, North and South, is not alone in facing the challenge of integrating children into education. The movement of people between and within continents is a marked feature of the early twenty-first century. Many educational systems across the European Union, as well as those further afield, must make informed adjustments to practice if they are to address the educational needs of newcomer populations. It is important that the competent authorities North and South in Ireland do not move forward on the basis that this educational challenge is a temporary one. Such a view would seriously underestimate the importance of 'finding the right answers'.

The purpose of this collaborative project is to inform the vision and to ensure that the integration of children, from different ethnic backgrounds and mother tongues, into primary education benefits educational culture as a whole. The funding of the project by SCoTENS has provided an opportunity for teaching professionals to meet, share experiences and ideas, identify common challenges, and learn from colleagues.


A reconnaissance Rb-Sr geochronological investigation of granitoid rocks from the Pampean Range provides a framework whereby four culminations of igneous activity are delineated: granitoids emplaced prior to 500 Ma (pre- and synkinematic bodies), ca. 475 Ma (late kinematic bodies) and ca. 440 and 340 Ma (post-kinematic bodies). A number of the post-kinematic granitoids have disturbed Sr isotope systematics which is related to the formation of microcline megacrysts. The Carboniferous granitoids are distinguished by their high initial Sr ratios (i.e., > 0.710); a feature compatible with an origin involving reworking of upper crust or crustal contamination. There appears to be no systematic E-W migration of granitoid emplacement during the ca. 300 Ma evolution of the basement rocks in the Pampean Ranges.


This paper proposes an adaptive multiple input multiple output-beamforming scheme (MIMO-BF) for cognitive radio enabled broad band smart grid (SG) systems concurrently sharing the same spectrum with the primary network (PN) and employing orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing with space division multiple access (OFDM-SDMA) technologies. The proposed algorithm uses gradient search of the channel capacity to seek, iteratively, the optimal transmit weight vectors that maximise the MIMO channel capacity for each cognitive user of the SG network, while controlling the interference levels to the PN. We evaluate the symbol error rate (SER) and system capacity performances of the proposed cognitive OFDM-SDMA system and show by simulation that they outperform cognitive systems based on opportunistic approaches. It is also shown that when the SG system is using the proposed schemes it has better control on the interference at the primary base station than the one based on opportunistic capacity-aware.


A method for cutting provided with edge profiles floor, wall or ceiling panels made of coated large plates, in which first a strip-shaped subdivision of the big plate (10, 30) in the longitudinal direction in a first cutting station (34) made, then the strips transversely into individual square or rectangular panels in a second cutting station (40) are divided and the panels formed (42) on the longitudinal and transverse edges by milling provided with edge profiles, are characterized in that after the first cutting station (34) for producing the longitudinal strips from the large plate (30) and before the second cutting station (40) of subdividing the said strip is carried out in individual panels a profiling of the longitudinal edges of the strips, and that at the same time with subdivision of the strips in the transverse direction with the saw cut in the second cutting station (40) a guide groove is milled in the plate area and that during the subsequent edge profiling of the transverse edges of the panels are guided by a guide ruler, which engages in the guide groove.


Due to their reliance on transmitters of opportunity, passive radars require special signal processing algorithms. Adaptive filtering is used to filter out strong stationary echos, while computation of crossambiguity of reference and echo signals is necessary to perform target detection. At present stage, signal processing for FM radars can be implemented on a standard PC without much effort. However, the task becomes more challenging for wideband signals, such as DVB-T.


Variation in cownose ray (Rhinoptera bonasus) movements have been attributed to environmental, temporal, and life history factors, but their use of the intertidal zone has not been fully studied. Cownose rays eat ribbed mussels, an obligate intertidal species; thus, their intertidal visitation may be important. We investigated cownose ray movement, from fixed Dual Frequency Identification Sonar (DIDSON) at the Rutgers Cape Shore Laboratory mudflats, relative to water temperature, diel pattern, diurnal conditions, tidal phase, current speed, and heading. Behavioral Observation Research Interactive Software (BORIS) was used to digitally record cownose ray appearance in 170 randomly selected ten-minute sonar videos. Cownose rays enter the intertidal zone at 17 oC, most likely due to thermoregulation needs which also dictate when cownose rays migrate north. More cownose rays were observed at low current speeds at higher temperatures during ebb tide. Additional behaviors of cownose rays such as feeding, schooling, and remaining stationary require further research to evaluate frequency and potential causes. Understanding cownose ray use of intertidal habitats is important due to its productivity and ecological value. This is especially as coastlines face changes due to sea-level rise, erosion armoring, and development.


The pre-UNCTAD period Developments since 1964 Factors bearing on the birth and life of commodity agreements Coffee Sugar Cocoa A cartel case: OPEC Is there a future for commodity agreements?


The invention discloses a distributed optical fiber sensing device based on a chaotic laser coherence method, and a measurement method of the distributed optical fiber sensing device. Chaotic laser light which is emitted from a chaotic laser is divided into detection light and reference light; the detection light is amplified by a light amplifier and then emitted into a sending optical fiber through an optical circulator, and a backward Brillouin scattering light signal is generated in the optical fiber; the Brillouin scattering light signal is amplified by the light amplifier, de-noised by a tunable light filter and then emitted into an optical fiber coupler; the optical length of the reference light is regulated by a variable light delay line, and interferes with the backward Brillouin scattering light signal which is generated by the detection light at different positions in the sensing optical fiber in the optical fiber coupler; an interference beat frequency signal is detected by a photoelectrical detector; and Brillouin gain spectra at different lengths are obtained through a data acquisition device and a signal processing device and then output to a display device, so strain or temperature sensing detection is realized.


This study seeks to grasp the current status of and suggest improvements on records disclosure management. Data were collected through a literature review, surveys, and in-depth interviews with 7 record managers and 40 office staff in local governments. Existing records disclosures were also used as references for the discussion. With this, self-reliance efforts within local governments and active roles in central records management institutions were proposed.


Objective:To evaluate the feasibility and clinical efficacy of retroperitoneal laparoscopic nephron-sparing surgery for the treatment of renal tumor.Methods:Totally 9 cases of patients with benign renal tumor and 2 with malignant renal tumor underwent enucleation and wedge resection of the renal tumor through retroperitoneal laparoscopy, respectively. Of the 11 patients, 7 were men and 4 were women. Their mean age was 49 years. The mean tumor size was 2.5 cm in diameter (range, 1.5-3.0 cm). The operative time, blood loss, perioperative complications and operative effect were evaluated.Results:All the procedures were technically successful without conversion to open surgery in all 11 patients. The mean operative time was 110 min and mean blood loss was 70 ml. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 5 d. No intraoperative or postoperative complication occurred. Pathological examination confirmed renal cell carcinoma(RCC) in 2 patients and angiomyolipoma in 11. All the 2 cases of RCC had negative surgical margins for cancer. Neither local recurrence nor metastasis was observed during a mean follow-up of 10 months.Conclusions:Our results indicate that retroperitoneal laparoscopic partial nephrectomy is feasible and safe for selective patients with renal tumors. This procedure has the advantages of precise and complete tumor excision, minimal invasion, less complications and shorter convalescence.


The current study focused on how perceptions of a partner's relational maintenance behavior relate to the degree to which an individual reports experiencing cognitive jealousy and using constructive communicative responses to jealousy. Additionally, this study examined the mediating role of relationship uncertainty in the associations between maintenance and cognitive jealousy, as well as maintenance and constructive responses. Participants were 192 individuals who were involved in a romantic relationship who completed surveys about their partners' relational maintenance behaviors and their own levels of cognitive jealousy, relationship uncertainty, and constructive responses. Results revealed perceived partner relational maintenance behaviors were negatively associated with cognitive jealousy and relationship uncertainty. Additionally, relationship uncertainty mediated the associations between maintenance and cognitive jealousy, integrative communication, and compensatory restoration.


Abstract  The Hahajima Seamount, located at the junction between the Izu–Bonin and Mariana forearc slopes, is a notable rectangular shape and consists of various kinds of rocks. An elaborated bathymetric swath mapping with geophysical measurements and dredge hauls showed the Hahajima Seamount is cut by two predominating lineaments, northeast–southwest and northwest–southeast. These lineaments are of faults based on the topographic cross‐sections and a 3‐D view (whale's eye view). The former lineament is parallel to the transform faults of the Parece Vela Basin, whereas the latter is parallel to the nearby transform fault on the subducting Pacific Plate. The rocks constituting the seamount are ultramafic rocks (mostly harzburgite), boninite, basalt, andesite, gabbro, breccia and sedimentary rocks, which characterize an island arc and an ocean basin. Gravity measurement and seismic reflection survey offer neither a definite gravity anomaly at the seamount nor definite internal structures beneath the seamount. A northwest–southeast‐trending fault and small‐scale serpentine flows were observed during submersible dives at the Hahajima Seamount. The rectangular shape, size of the seamount, various kinds of rocks and geophysical measurements strongly suggest that the Hahajima Seamount is not a simple serpentine seamount controlled by various tectonic movements, as previously believed, but a tectonic block.


Abstract : This report describes a new methodology for increasing the effectiveness of future tactical fighters facing growing enemy threats in Europe and the Third World. In contrast to traditional methods, this methodology integrates changes in the design of air vehicles with changes in the basing and support systems they use. The report argues that designs for future fighters and major modifications to current fighters not only must consider air vehicle performance in the traditional way, but must also consider flexibility, mobility, sortie generation capability, aircraft ground survivability, vehicle cost, vehicle basing method, and support structure. Although the study tests its methodology using only preliminary data and is focused on a single scenario and theater, its findings demonstrate the usefulness of an analysis of this sort in strengthening the Air Force's ability to evaluate future fighter designs. The concepts underlying the study were defined in Increasing Future Fighter Weapon System Performance by Integrating Fasing, Support, and Air Vehicle Requirements. N-1985-1-AF. Keywords: Tactical aircraft; Developing nations; Europe; Fighter aircraft; and Aircraft maintenance.


Two broad governamental rationalities may be discerned in the overall discourses of community policing since the 1960s. The first is a Keynesian, welfarist form which links plice to the community via extended welfare-service and protective roles. This was associated with relations of expertise that subordinated the public in a dependent, client relation. The ascendancy of post-Keynesian plitical rationalities replaces this model with one in which the community appears as knowledgeable about local conditions, and (with some training) competent to from a partnership with plice. Discourses of community policing thus have manifested an altered content of 'community' over this period. In the early years, community was the local site of state and social forms of intervention. In recent years the emphasis has been on images of the community as voluntary rather than imposed, private rather than state or public, co-operative rather than hierarchical. This image of 'community' is particularly attractive to post-Key...


Tabloid media coverage of the PM's recent tour of Japan, South Korea and China took up the made-to-order theme - Tony Abbott the man of action who broke through on 'free' trade agreements where Labor had dithered for years. He would have pulled off the trifecta of agreements with the three Asian economic powerhouses but for the complexity of the issues with the People's Republic and the lack of shared 'values', That's what the transnationals would like the public to believe. The real purpose of the tour was to help tighten the US cordon around the Asia-Pacific, to shore up its economic interests, to try and lure them deeper into the big power economic-political camp and away from the growing economic influence of China and further prepare an alliance for war with the PRC.


The esterification of malic acid using traditional homogenous catalysts suffers from the difficulty in reuse of the catalyst and undesirable side reactions. In this work, Zr(SO4)2/SiO2 and Zr(SO4)2/activated carbon (AC) as solid acid catalysts were prepared for malic acid esterification with methanol. The conversion of malic acid over these two catalysts is comparable to that over H2SO4 and unsupported Zr(SO4)2∙4H2O catalysts; however; a 99% selectivity of dimethyl malate can be realized on these two supported catalysts, which is much higher than that of conventional H2SO4 (75%) and unsupported Zr(SO4)2∙4H2O (80%) catalysts, highlighting the critical role of AC and SiO2 supports in tuning the selectivity. We suggest that the surface hydroxyls of AC or lattice O2− ions from SiO2 donate electrons to Zr4+ in Zr(SO4)2/AC and Zr(SO4)2/SiO2 catalysts, which results in the increase in electron density on Zr4+. The enhanced electron density on Zr4+ reduces the degree of H delocalization from crystal water and then decreases the Brønsted acid strength. Consequently, the reduced Brønsted acid strength of Zr(SO4)2/AC and Zr(SO4)2/SiO2 catalysts suppresses the intermolecular dehydration side reaction. In addition, these two supported catalysts can be easily separated from the reaction system by simple filtration with almost no loss of activity.


The article describes the main provisions of the theolinguistic science, its defining criteria and objects of further research. Theoretical bases of the concept of religious discourse and its connection with ethnocentrism of the analyzed material have been stated. A comparative analysis of the peculiarities of the semantic-associative motivation for use of sacred-type coreferents in the twelve texts of works about the national liberation movement of Ukraine with their functioning in the text of the Bible have been conducted. Categorically analyzed names of the sacred coreferents have been divided according to the eschatological-ontological connotative directions, designations of religious things of use and the names of passional sacral type. Nine names of biblical anthroponyms have been singled out in the analyzed twelve texts of works about the national liberation movement of Ukraine, which determine the objectification of the sacred conceptosphere. The variable component of the biblical anthroponyms functioning (St. Peter, Joseph of Arimathea and John the Baptist) in the analyzed texts of works about the national liberation movement of Ukraine and their various translations of the Bible have been clarified. The functional and stylistic features of the writers' usage of Old Testament and New Testament precedent biblical names and their common and distinctive features of functioning in the texts of various translations of the Bible have been highlighted. The category of the sacred onyms′ functionality has been realized through the words′ connotative-associative layers (Jeremiah and lexical units of weeping, sobbing; King David ‒ psalms), comparison (Moses ‒ Ivan Franko), the characteristics of activities (betrayal of Judas) and identification of Adam with the Fall, and Christ with eternal life.


Local population historians have learned to consider what kind of men made up the 'army' of Victorian census enumerators.1 That is hardly the case with those who oversaw their work—the registrars of births and deaths.2 This article capitalises on what is known about two of their number, Robert Coddington Moore, registrar of the Lincoln South (or South-West) sub-district, and James Reeve his deputy, who in 1837 were the first to be appointed to those posts. A study of their careers is the basis for raising (and partially answering) questions such as how typical they may have been in social and occupational background, how effective was the service they offered the public and the state, how appropriate was the system for appointing them and what sort of supervision was exercised over them. The study also raises questions about the relationship between the central organs of government and those who were responsible for the delivery of services in specific localities at a time when local-central relationships were undergoing fundamental structural change. Thus our comparisons involve both our registrars as individuals, and the registration district in which they worked. The registration of marriages is outside the scope of the article since, although some registrars of births and deaths were also marriage registrars, the appointments were made on a separate basis.3


Objectives Several reviews and meta-analyses have reported on music therapy for physical and emotional well-being among patients with cancer. However, the duration of music therapy offered may range from less than 1 hour to several hours. The aim of this study is to assess whether longer duration of music therapy is associated with different levels of improvement in physical and mental well-being. Methods Ten studies were included in this paper, reporting on the endpoints of quality of life and pain. A meta-regression, using an inverse-variance model, was performed to assess the impact of total music therapy time. A sensitivity analysis was conducted for the outcome of pain, among low risk of bias trials. Results Our meta-regression found a trend for positive association between greater total music therapy time and improved better pain control, but it was not statistically significant. Conclusion There is a need for more high-quality studies examining music therapy for patients with cancer, with a focus on total music therapy time and patient-related outcomes including quality of life and pain.


Until now, hypertension is still a big challenge in Indonesia. In accordance with the 2013 Riskesdas data, the prevalence of hypertension is quite high, namely 25,896. This study aims to determine the pattern of administration of antihypertensive drugs to hypertensive patients at Tuan Rondahaim Hospital, Pematang Raya, Simalungun Regency. This research was conducted using a descriptive research design and data collected retrospectively. The material used is data from hypertension patient prescriptions at Tuan Rondahaim Hospital, Pematang Raya, Simalungun Regency. The number of samples used was obtained as many as 231 patients. The results obtained were that hypertension patients based on sex characteristics were mostly women 54.1196, the most age was 61 — 80 years 65.806. On the profile of antihypertensive drug use by patients, There are 5 classes of antihypertensives used. The most widely used anti-pertensive class Blocker (CCB) was the Calcium Channel amlodipine group of 61.03%, which was used by 141 patients, then the diuretic class of furosemide type was 41.9% used by 97 patients.


Reinforced Concrete is a composite material consisting of concrete and steel-reinforced concrete. Steel is used as reinforcement because it has high yield strength. However, the price of steel reinforcement is higher due to high demand. Besides having a relatively high price, steel is a non-renewable material, which makes the amount of course very limited as for other alternatives as a substitute for the concrete reinforcement, called bamboo. Bamboo is a renewable natural product with high tensile strength. With the many advantages of bamboo, especially petung bamboo as a construction material, therefore, necessary to research the flexural strength of bamboo petung reinforced beams. Reinforced bamboo used is twisted petung bamboo with a variation of three strands, five strands, and seven strands. The method used in this study is a numerical analysis based on standard concrete flexural strength test with two loading points. Analysis shows that tensile strength of bamboo strands for three strands amounted to 222.93 MPa, five strands of 230.04 MPa, and seven strands of 237.14 MPa. For the maximum load, The highest load produced for concrete beams with reinforcement three strands, five strands, and seven strands are 11.87 kN, 35.62 kN and 52.21 kN respectively. Meanwhile, The flexural strength produced for each scheme is 6.73 Mpa, 8.23 Mpa and 9.86 Mpa.


SYNROC is a titanate-based material which is being developed as a medium for immobilizing high-level nuclear waste. The use of a fluid bed unit for production of SYNROC powder has a precedent in the use of a fluid-bed calciner for high-level waste processing at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant (Idaho Falls, ID). In order to facilitate the design of a fluid bed and demonstrate its use for SYNROC production, two small units have been constructed, one for low temperature use and a second for actual SYNROC production at temperatures up to 800/sup 0/C. The low-temperature unit is constructed with glass walls to allow observation of the fluidization process, including the onset of fluidization, bed and gas bubble behavior and mixing phenomena. Disturbances caused by side streams entering the bed have been examined. Side streams may represent fuel and oxidizer admission or slurry feed with subsequent flash vaporization of the carrier liquid. This report is a summary of the initial tests made with the low-temperature, glass-walled fluid bed. The tests described include: (1) the measurement of basic fluidization parameters; (2) measurement of the effect of distribution-plate design on bed fluidization; (3) observation of jet penetration, bubble formation and coalescence, and surfacemore » behavior; and (4) studies of mixing within the bed. (DMC)« less


It is quite common and practicable that one highspeed Dicom printer is connected by several Dicom Modalities in Hospitals with Central Printing System. As for differences in image quality demanded by modalities, measures must be taken to control image quality at the printer side, it is the key to achieve acceptable high quality medical image on film. The principles and methods regarding image quality control of the Dicom printer are discussed in this article, while AGFA Drystar5500 Dry imager has been taken for an example to describe the application in medical.


The dielectric electro active polymer (DEAP) technology has some unique features in terms of flexibility and dynamics, it has a high potential in various applications and in achieving a lower production cost. However it has the drawback of requiring a very high operational voltage, as well of having a relative low electromechanical coupling. In this paper a piezoelectric transformer based DEAP actuator driver is presented, which not only is capable of generating high voltages, but also incorporates a bi-directional power stage that will provide better system efficiency. Due to the low electromechanical coupling, only a small fraction of the supplied electrical energy is converted to mechanical energy. The bi-directional power stage enables the recovery of the electrical stored energy in the actuator, improving the system efficiency significantly. The main achievements of this work are the demonstration of bi-directional functionality and energy recovery, as well as an evaluation of the efficiency.


In order to achieve remote monitor and control for crystal furnace,a remote monitoring system based on Web was designed by combining of PLC communications technologies and Web technologies.A new kind of constructing a network method was adopted based on serial device server and replaced the former one based on serial.The network distribution way,programming design and main function were presented in detail.The research results indicate that the system can run stably and reliably when multiusers visit the Web site simultaneously.


This letter introduces a new approach for modeling the correlation between a single color image and its depth map with a set of parameters. The proposed model treats the color image as a set of patches and describes the correlation with a kernel function in a non-linear mapping space. We also present how to estimate the model parameters from sampled color image patches as well as the corresponding depth values. The proposed approach is tested on different color images and experimental results are comparable to the state-of-the-art, which demonstrates the power of the proposed method. Furthermore, we validate the efficiency of the proposed parametric model by evaluating each of its component, including the filters optimization, the choice of the patches and the kernel function.


Introduction. Caesarean section (CS) represents the most common and one of the most important operation in obstetrics. Its incidence is on the rise worldwide. Despite the improvement in the technique of CS and anesthesia, adverse maternal and fetal outcomes remain high. We therefore carried out this study to evaluate the places of surgeon and anesthesia in maternal and fetal outcomes of Emergency CS in Yaounde. Material and methods. We carried out a prospective cohort study from the 1 st of November 2016 to the 30 th May 2017 in three referral hospitals in Yaounde. Data collected were entered using Epi info 126.96.36.199 and analyzed with Epi info and SPSS 20.0 using a confidence interval (CI) of 95%. Two-tailed p-values < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The RR was used to assess the degree of association between studied variables. Results. The mean age was 31.91± 5.15 in the emergency CS group and 26.56 ± 6.08 in the elective CS group. Women who were administered general anesthesia were significantly at least 2 times at risk of hemorrhagic complications, still birth and birth asphyxia than spinal anesthesia (p value = 0.04). Complications occurred more frequently in cases operated by residents than those operated by obstetricians but there was no significantly statistic difference. (p value = 0.16). Conclusion. General anaesthesia is more associated with poor maternal and fetal adverse than spinal anesthesia. Maternal and fetal outcome is not associated to the experience of the surgeon. We therefore recommended to promote the spinal anesthesia technique for CS.


Phytochemical investigations of the Datura quercifolia (Solanaceae) plant yielded a minor withanolide. The structure of the withanolide was established by spectral analysis and X-ray diffraction studies as 6α,7α:24α,25α-diepoxy-5α,12α-dihydroxy-1-oxo-20S,22R-witha-2-enolide (C28H38O7. CH3OH). The withanolide crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group P212121 with unit cell parameters a = 6.916(4), b = 19.199(2), c = 20.138(5)A, Z = 4, Dcal = 1.288 Mg m-3. The crystal structure was solved by direct methods and refined to R = 0.0462 for 1628 observed reflections. The ring conformations are: A and B, half-chair; C, chair; D, intermediate between half-chair and envelope; E, diplanar. The geometry of the rings is trans at the A/B, B/C and C/D ring junctions. The twist along the length of the steroid nucleus is negligible [C19-C10…C13-C18 = 3.3°]. The crystal structure is stabilized by intra- and intermolecular O-H…O and C-H…O hydrogen bonds.


___________________________________________________________________ Each student has his learning style in understanding, comprehending, until practicing his already owned knowledge. Specifically, in learning the English language, all students must have the potential motivation or dominant ability affected by surroundings, habits, and also science and technology. Learning English lesson for the eleventh grader of SMAN 1 Sumber still tended to use the conventional method without supporting the result of students' speaking ability. This research has purposed to (1) analyze the effectiveness of PBL model through picture series media to improve students' speaking ability seen from students learning style, (2) analyze the effectiveness of learning styles to improve students' speaking ability, and (3) analyze the interaction between learning style of the students with PBL model to improve students' semi-experimental factorial ability


Phosphatidylcholine plays an important role for the structure and function of the cell membrane, and its synthesis from phosphatidylethanolamine is catalyzed by phosphatidylethanolamine N‐methyltransferase (PEMT). This study investigates changes in PEMT activity in the intestinal brush border membrane after extensive distal enterectomy (60%) in 40 Wistar rats. Four groups, each of 10 rats, were killed immediately after surgery (day 0) and on the 7th, 14th and 28th day postoperatively. Samples from jejunum were collected for histomorphometry and PEMT activity was determined by measuring the incorporation of [3H]‐methyl groups from S‐adenosyl‐L‐(methyl‐3H)‐methionine into phospholipids. Enterectomy induced 30%, 48% and 21% increases in the jejunum villus cell population, and 32%, 81%, and 32% in the crypt cell population at postoperative days 7, 14, and 28, respectively. PEMT activity increased 41% at day 14, suggesting functional differentiation, remaining at this level until day 28, when a reduction in the epithelial cell population was observed, thus indicating that adaptation was completed. The observed increase in PEMT‐specific activity in the residual intestine suggests that extensive enterectomy stimulates the synthesis of phosphatidylcholine by the PEMT‐controlled pathway.


Ausgehend von der Frage nach demWesen der menschlichen Sprache (PU 1958: 1) entwirft Wittgenstein ein Bild der Sprache als Pluralit t von familien hnlichen Sprachspielen. Dieses Bild, insbesondere die Spielanalogie und Wittgensteins Aufforderung, das Sprachspiel der Bauleute (PU 1958: 2) als "primitive Sprache" aufzufassen, wird von Rush Rhees zur ckgewiesen, weil es den Sitz der Sprache im menschlichen Leben und im Gespr ch verfehlt. W hrend Norman Malcolm Wittgensteins Konzept gegen Rhees verteidigt, f hrt Raimond Gaita, Rhees folgend, die Einbettung von Sprache in eine anthropologische Dimension weiter und gelangt (unter Einbeziehung von Einsichten Peter Winchs) zu einer Ethik der Anerkennung einer gemeinsamen Humanit t (a common humanity). Schon die basalen ,Tatsachen des Lebens' (Geburt, Tod, Sexualit t) stehen f r uns Menschen in einem "Raum der Bedeutung" (space of meaning). Im Gespr ch zeigt sich ,eine Einstellung zu einer Seele', welche die Anerkennung einer gemeinsamen Menschlichkeit bedingt. The central question of philosophical anthropology is 'What is the essence of man?' or, to put it in another way, 'What is the essential difference between us humans and other beings?' There is an answer to this question that I find very compelling, but it has been disputed. This answer is that being able to speak a human language is the, or at least one of the essential features of the human being. Against this answer it has been objected that there are human beings lacking this feature, babies and mutes for instance, and that there are non-human beings, like apes or dolphins, having their own language. So, having language and being human does not coincide. If there are human beings without language, the determination is too tight. And since there are non-human beings with language it is too wide. However, I think, these objections are not as strong as they may appear. With respect to the first cases, humans without language, I would say that these are either cases of yet not having learnt to speak the language or cases of privation. It is true, there are people who cannot speak, but normally people can speak and do speak. And that's why it makes sense to ask for the reason why someone cannot or does not speak. We ask for an explanation because we expect human beings to be able to speak and to practice this ability. This is, for example, not the case with beings like fish or trees. Fish without language are not cases of privation. It simply is normal that fish are silent. On the contrary, if the fish called Wanda could speak we would ask for an explanation and doubt that she really is a fish. That may, perhaps, be different with dolphins. It is said that dolphins have something like a language. And other animals, too, have their languages. So, what about non-human beings with language? No doubt, there are some species with some system of communication. However, as far as I know, these systems of communication are sufficiently different from our human language and one may ask whether it is appropriate to call them languages. For the moment, I would like to put this question aside and just focus on the human language. The anthropological question, now, may be asked as the question 'What is the essence of human language?' And this is, exactly, the first question Wittgenstein addressed in his Philosophical Investigations. Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations begin with a quotation from the Confessions, where Augustine reports how he, as a child, has learned to speak. Wittgenstein comments: These words, it seems to me, give us a particular picture of the essence of human language. (PI 1958: 1) Wittgenstein, of course, rejected the Augustinian picture of language. Whether he also rejected the very question concerning the essence of human language seems to be disputable. Some 'Wittgensteinian' philosophers take Wittgenstein as a thinker who helped us to release ourselves from metaphysics and every kind of 'essentialism'. According to their reading, Wittgenstein replaced metaphysical questions by linguistic and pragmatic questions. They believe that Wittgenstein says: There is neither an essence of man, nor is there an essence of language. Moreover, some philosophers like Richard Rorty think that 'contingency' was the anti-essentialist message of Wittgenstein. But if those who think they can replace and avoid essential questions were right, we simply would have to say that there is nothing to learn from Wittgenstein, at least if we are hoping for answers to the central question of philosophical anthropology. We should rather give up asking such questions. However, other readers of Wittgenstein saw him rather wrestling with philosophical questions than trying to avoid or replace such questions. According to this reading, Wittgenstein has shown us how to treat these questions in a new way; but he nevertheless remained deeply conGeert-Lueke Lueken 246


In this paper, a novel Multi-relay Adaptive Random Selection (MARS) strategy in a dual-hop multi-relay OFDM system is proposed. In this strategy, the relays cooperate according to contribution factors suggested by each relay. The selection of the OFDM sub-channels is based on uniform random distribution where the thresholds of the uniform random variable are associated with the contribution factors. This approach guarantees fairness in allocating the resources in each relay. The approach is compared with static allocation of the OFDM sub-channels. The MARS strategy is tested in a multi relay system over flat and selective Rayleigh fading channels. Simulation results show the superiority of the proposed scheme in improving the OFDM system performance in terms of BER. The performance is achieved by creating a virtual diversity by randomizing the allocation where no channel information is required.


(56) References Cited U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS 3,558,580 1/1971 Orser ................................. 526/348.1 Primary Examiner-Stanford M. Levin Attorney, Agent, or Firm-C. A. Huggett; R. J. Cier 57 ABSTRACT There is disclosed herein a uniaxially oriented plastic film material having improved strength and clarity in the direction of orientation with unexpected improve ment in strength in the transverse (unoriented) direc tion. Preferred film materials of homopolymers and copolymers of ethylene having a density of 0.915 to 0.935 g/cm3.


It is shown that Stone's (1974) cross‐validatory procedure compares favourably with the best robust estimators when applied to the 24 real data sets considered by Stigler (1977). The criteria for comparison are those used by Stigler.


We developed a technique to measure the temporal spread of a femtosecond optical pulse through a scattering medium, by means of speckle contrast. This technique is relevant for spatiotemporal control in complex media experiments.


ISO 9000 series are the international standards established for quality assurance, and ISO 14000 series are the international standards established of environment management under the basic frame of administration of environmental influence. ISO establishes various standards related to management and company have to adapt themselves to ISO standards.
The purposes of this research are that the first finds effect factors of ISO 9000 and motive factors of ISO 14000, the second analyze how effect factors of ISO 90000 influence to motive factors of ISO 14000. In this research, Cronbach's alpha, Factor analysis, T-Test, Multiple regression are used for the analysis.
The results of this research are as follows.
First, the effect factors of ISO 9000 are found the 3 factors which is factor 1(the business process oriented quality improvement), factor 2 (the productivity improvement and achievement of consumer confidence), and factor 3(the construction for quality system) and the motive factors of ISO 14000 are found the 3 factors which is factor 1(the consumer satisfaction and the competitive advantage), factor 2(the confirmation of confidence of company through environment improvement), and factor 3(the confirmation of company philosophy adapting to overseas trends).
Second, the analyzed results of relationship between the factors of ISO 9000 and The motive factors of ISO 14000 is that the effect of ISO 9000 factor 1 influence to the motive of ISO 14000 factor 2 , and effect of ISO 9000 factor 2 influence to the motive ISO 14000 factor 1 and factor 2.
Consequently, if company will be propulsive for factor 1 and factor 2 in ISO 14000, will have to start with certification of ISO 9000. However of company will be propulsive for factor 3 for just the conformation of company philosophy adapting to domestic and overseas trends in ISO 14000, company can propulsive ISO 14000 regardless of the certification of ISO 9000.


Antonio Cruz and Antonio Ortiz got their degrees from the School of Architecture in Madrid in the early 70's. From that moment on they have worked together in Seville, and since 2000 they also have a studio in Amsterdam.Their prolific work, awarded with almost 25 honors, has been the object of many exhibitions and publications. They have gained more than 20 prizes in architectural competitions, both national and international. They possess academic experience as professors in Schools in Seville, Zurich, Harvard, Cornell, Lausanne, Pamplona, and Columbia, and they both have given countless lectures all over the world.This interview was taken on a Wednesday evening in September 14th 2011. It focuses on the process of architectural graphic ideation, with questions formulated by the architect Antonio Gamiz Gordo, who also transcribed the answers. He is a former student-collaborator in their office in 1986, and nowadays is a Senior Lecturer at the Seville School of Architecture.