Technology Candidates for Air-to-Air and Air-to-Ground Data Exchange is a two-year research effort to visualize the U. S. aviation industry at a point 50 years in the future, and to define potential communication solutions to meet those future data exchange needs. The research team, led by XCELAR, was tasked with identifying future National Airspace System (NAS) scenarios, determining requirements and functions (including gaps), investigating technical and business issues for air, ground, & air-to-ground interactions, and reporting on the results. The project was conducted under technical direction from NASA and in collaboration with XCELAR's partner, National Institute of Aerospace, and NASA technical representatives. Parallel efforts were initiated to define the information exchange functional needs of the future NAS, and specific communication link technologies to potentially serve those needs. Those efforts converged with the mapping of each identified future NAS function to potential enabling communication solutions; those solutions were then compared with, and ranked relative to, each other on a technical basis in a structured analysis process. The technical solutions emerging from that process were then assessed from a business case perspective to determine their viability from a real-world adoption and deployment standpoint. The results of that analysis produced a proposed set of future solutions and most promising candidate technologies. Gap analyses were conducted at two points in the process, the first examining technical factors, and the second as part of the business case analysis. In each case, no gaps or unmet needs were identified in applying the solutions evaluated to the requirements identified. The future communication solutions identified in the research comprise both specific link technologies and two enabling technologies that apply to most or all specific links. As a result, the research resulted in a new analysis approach, viewing the underlying architecture of ground-air and air-air communications as a whole, rather than as simple "link to function" paired solutions. For the business case analysis, a number of "reference architectures" were developed for both the future technologies and the current systems, based on three typical configurations of current aircraft. Current and future costs were assigned, and various comparisons made between the current and future architectures. In general, it was assumed that if a future architecture offers lower cost than the current typical architecture, while delivering equivalent or better performance, it is likely that the future solution will gain industry acceptance. Conversely, future architectures presenting higher costs than their current counterparts must present a compelling benefit case in other areas or risk a lack of industry acceptance. The business case analysis consistently indicated lower costs for the proposed future architectures, and in most cases, significantly so. The proposed future solutions were found to offer significantly greater functionality, flexibility, and growth potential over time, at lower cost, than current systems. This was true for overall, fleet-wide equipage for domestic and oceanic air carriers, as well as for single, General Aviation (GA) aircraft. The overall research results indicate that all identified requirements can be met by the proposed solutions with significant capacity for future growth. Results also illustrate that the majority of the future communication needs can be met using currently allocated aviation RF spectrum, if used in more effective ways than it is today. A combination of such optimized aviation-specific links and commercial communication systems meets all identified needs for the 50-year future and beyond, with the caveat that a new, overall function will be needed to manage all information exchange, individual links, security, cost, and other factors. This function was labeled "Delivery Manager" (DM) within this research. DM employs a distributed client/server architecture, for both airborne and ground communications architectures. Final research results included identifying the most promising candidate technologies for the future system, conclusions and recommendations, and identifying areas where further research should be considered.


The studies of the rapid precipitation of magnesium hydroxide, from aqueous solutions of different concentrations by sodium, calcium and ammonium hydroxides, are analysed. The kinetics of nucleation and microcrystallite formation during the induction periods and the kinetics of crystal growth (onto the microcrystallites) to the final primary crystals are examined; the high final nucleus numbers and the sub-microscopic sizes of the final primary crystals are discussed according to Nielsen's theories.


The present invention provides a method and system for adapting session description protocol of a mobile terminal player. The method includes following steps: presetting media essential information of a streaming media resource file and presetting a session description protocol generation template according to the type of the mobile terminal player; analyzing the session description protocol generation template and generating a content selection control sequence; finally, analyzing and combining said content selection control sequence and the preset media essential information to generate session description protocol which adapts to the type of the mobile terminal player. By use of the present invention, efficiency of product development and delivery is improved, and modification and upgrade on a streaming media server decreases. The present invention can be applied for conveniently, quickly and accurately adapting the session description protocol for different types of mobile terminal players.


Thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect is one of the recent probes of cosmology and large scale structures. We update constraints on cosmological parameters from galaxy clusters observed by the Planck satellite in a first attempt to combine cluster number counts and power spectrum of hot gas, using the new value of the optical depth, and sampling at the same time on cosmological and scaling-relation parameters. We find that in the $\Lambda$CDM model, the addition of tSZ power spectrum provides only small improvements with respect to number counts only, leading to the $68\%$ c.l. constraints $\Omega _m = 0.32 \pm 0.02$, $\sigma _8 = 0.77\pm0.03 $ and $\sigma _8 (\Omega _m/0.3)^{1/3}= 0.78\pm0.03$ and lowering the discrepancy with CMB primary anisotropies results (updated with the new value of $\tau$) to $\simeq 1.6\, \sigma$ on $\sigma _8$. We analyse extensions to standard model, considering the effect of massive neutrinos and varying the equation of state parameter for dark energy. In the first case, we find that the addition of tSZ power spectrum helps in strongly improving cosmological constraints with respect to number counts only results, leading to the $95\%$ upper limit $\sum m_{\nu}< 1.53 \, \text{eV}$. For the varying dark energy EoS scenario, we find again no important improvements when adding tSZ power spectrum, but still the combination of tSZ probes is able in providing constraints, producing $w = -1.0\pm 0.2$. In all cosmological scenari the mass bias to reconcile CMB and tSZ probes remains low: $(1-b)\lesssim 0.66$ as compared to estimates from weak lensing and Xray mass estimate comparisons or numerical simulations.


We prove the existence of a weak solution of the Cauchy problem in classes of growing functions for the generalized porous medium equation u t = Δϕ(u) under broad assumptions on ϕ. In particular, functions ϕ(s) ∼ s m ln p s, m ≥ 1, p ≥ −1, and ϕ(s) ∼ exp(s p ), p > 0, (as s → +∞) are included. We give sufficient conditions on the growth of the initial data as |x| → ∞, which, in general, can not be improved, as we illustrate by examples. A lower bound on the existence time is also obtained. Under the convexity assumption on ϕ we prove the uniqueness of a weak solution.


Workers in the construction manufacturing industry are exposed to labour-intensive tasks with ergonomic risks such as forceful exertion and repetitive motion. Due to increased productivity and repetitive motions resulting from improvement initiatives implemented in offsite construction manufacturing, the investigation of ergonomic risks associated with these changes is needed. In this context, this paper explores an existing panelised floor production line aiming to minimise its ergonomic risks while improving its current productivity rate. Information pertaining to human body motion and productivity is extracted from video recordings. The ergonomic risks associated with specific tasks are identified using two existing ergonomic risk assessment methods: the rapid entire body assessment and the rapid upper limb assessment. A simulation model is used to evaluate various process improvements from the perspective of both ergonomic risks and productivity to support the decision-making process and the prioritisation of process changes in the factory.


This chapter covers the theory and methods for productivity measurement for nations. Labor, multifactor and total factor productivity measures are defined and are related to each other and to gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. Their growth over time and relative counterparts are defined as well. Different conceptual meanings have been proposed for a total factor productivity growth (TFPG) index. These are easiest to understand for the case in which the index number problem is absent: a production process that involves one input and one output (a 1-1 process). It is easily seen that four common concepts of TFPG all lead to the same result in the 1-1 case. Moving on to a general N input, M output production scenario, we demonstrate that a Paasche, Laspeyres or Fisher index number formula provides a measure for all four of the concepts of TFPG introduced for the 1-1 case. This is an advantage of the Paasche-Laspeyres-Fisher family of formulas. When multiple inputs or outputs are involved, there is the problem of choosing among alternative functional forms. The axiomatic and economic approaches to index formula choice are reviewed. In addition, we briefly cover the Divisia index number approach and growth accounting, including the KLEMS (capital, labor, energy, materials and services) approach. The gross output measures of the KLEMS approach are contrasted with value added output measures such as GDP. Also, an alternative family of revenue function based productivity growth indexes proposed by Diewert, Kohli and Morrison (DKM) is outlined. The DKM approach facilitates the decomposition of productivity growth into economically meaningful components. This approach is useful, for example, for examining the effects of changes in the terms of trade on productivity growth.


PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of how talent management (TM) unfolds in practice in a public organization.Design/methodology/approachAn exploratory single case study was conducted of a Swedish public hospital, based on interviews, observations and documents.FindingsThe findings illustrate that despite a highly egalitarian and collectivist context, the hospital adopted an exclusive approach to TM, and a talent was not considered or identified through formal performance appraisals, but through informal criteria. The rationale behind this approach is influenced by the surrounding context, including the implementation of an innovative and strategically important practice, and the highly professionalized context.Research limitations/implicationsThe study offered a rich view of how TM unfolds in practice, which may not always be possible using large sample, survey studies; however, it limited the generalizability.Practical implicationsThe study points to important issues when designing TM.Originality/valueThe paper addresses two main shortcomings in the TM literature: the under-researched context of public organizations and the lack of contextual awareness. The empirically driven analysis constitutes an important step for further theory development regarding exclusive/inclusive approaches in TM.


Bernard Lonergan distinguishes the emergence of classical culture correlative with the 'Greek discovery of mind' from its classicist degeneration. Drawing on Lonergan's Verbum: Word and Idea in Aquinas, I shall argue that the key to grasping the difference between the classical ideal and its classicist aberration lies in their respective cognitional theories, the former typified by an intellectualism traceable to Aristotle and Aquinas and the latter by an intuitionism traceable proximately to Scotus that Lonergan labels conceptualism. If a conceptualist account remains incapable of meeting the challenges concomitant with the emergence of modern science, historical scholarship and philosophy, Lonergan argues that an authentic retrieval of Aquinas provides the basis for responding to the breakdown of the classical control of meaning.


This article is about evaluation of heavy metals pollution in green area soil of Jilin city. 31 soil samples were collected from Jilin main traffic artery and preprocessed by aqua regia-perchloric acid digestion oxidation system. The content of heavy metals(Pb, Cr, Cd, Hg, As, Cu, Zn, Ni) was analyzed by ICP-OES. Adopting the Background value and standard deviation law method, single contamination index method, the Nemerow comprehensive contamination index method, the pollution were calculated to assess the pollution extent. The result showed that Pollution Index is up to 3.71 in green area soil of Jilin City street, The worst pollution is in Jiangbei industrial area (Zhengzhou road and Zunyi road),. With the different areas the elements exhibited a significant difference, from north to south. the distribution of heavy metals were Cd, Hg, As, Pb, Cu, Zn, Ni, Cr.


Tarasht Power Plant Operations Company, which was commenced in full capacity in 1959, is the first Steam Power plant in the country. This power plant has become known as the symbol for endurance of power plant industries. The main operations of this complex include generation of electric power, serving as a simulation based training center, issuing technical certificates for small scale generators and offering of services related to sports. A prominent factor in lack of utilization of technology to acquire the advantage of competition in this company is a lack of awareness and insufficient knowledge of the levels of technological capacity and their use towards attainment of relative advantages. In this paper, authors have tried to gauge the levels of technological capacity of Tarasht Power Plant Operations Company using the technological requirements assessment model. The model utilizes nine criteria to gauge the company's capabilities, specifies the company's current status and finally clarifies the existing gaps with regard to each of those criteria. Normal 0 false false false RU X-NONE X-NONE


The purpose of this investigation is to evaluate the effects of the Nuegra on enhancement of the masculine and physical activities in general through measuring changes of the testosterone, FSH and subjective symptoms like fatigue, insomnia, urinary stream, muscular weakness, libido and erectile dysfunction. Total 168 male subjects were enrolled from 12 urology, internal medicine clinics and general practitioner, During the 6-week investigational period, 2 capsules of Nuegra were given to the subjects right after meal for 4 weeks, and 1 capsule of Nuegra was added each time in subjects with no or minimal effect. Testoster-one and FSH levels were measured at first visit and last visit, for evaluating masculine activities. To avoid bias and standardize the test results, only one clinic was assigned as a central lab, and all blood samples were transferred. General information and subjective symptoms were evaluated at first visit and at 2 weeks interval, week 2, 4 and 6 using VAS (Visual Analogue Scale). The mean age of the subjects were 51.88.2 years old (range: 36.1-82.1). Based on the subjects who were tested on testosterone and FSH levels at day l and week 6, the means were 4.41.4 nmol/L (range: 2.6-7.7), 8.69.6 mIU/mL (range: 0.3-40.4), respectively at day 1. At week 6, the results were 4.9 1.6 (2.6-8.9 range), 9.413.1 (1.0-53.9 range), respectively. Marginally significant difference between pre-dose and post-dose was present. Statistically significant differences were revealed in general assessment for subjective symptoms, fatigue, insomnia, erectile dysfunction, etc. In fatigue, response rates were 39.6, 65.4 and 76.4% at week 2, 4 and 6, respectively (P


In a rare emergency situation, incompatible blood must be intentionally administered as a life-saving measure. This case report describes a 28-yearold woman with multiple significant red blood cell ailoantibodies (anti-K, −Fya, −Jkb, −e , −C, −S) and severe obstetric hemorrhage who, in the opinion of the attending surgeon, required six units of incompatible blood as a life-saving measure. Although a significant transient hyperbilirubinemia developed following the incompatible transfusions, no other obvious untoward problems developed. Renal function as measured by urine output, blood urea nitrogen, and serum creatinine remained within normal limits. No coagulopathy was detected. This case demonstrates that the morbidity associated with incompatible blood transfusions may be minimized by a knowledge of the hemolytic potential of red cell ailoantibodies. Such knowledge may also help avoid delaying needed transfusions to patients for whom only incompatible blood is immediately available.


Abstract Motivational interviewing (MI), an evidence-based approach with empathy as a key principle, effectively addresses client concerns found in the child welfare population. Training social workers in MI, and to be empathic, would increase the likelihood of better service delivery. Live supervision (LS) is a form of training that provides real-time feedback by clinical supervisors. This randomized comparison trial compared the effectiveness of LS or Teaching as Usual (TAU) on empathy in 54 MSW and BSW social work students. TAU involved students receiving online modules and assigned readings. Data were collected at baseline, after the interventions, and at five months follow-up. Differences in perceived empathy and empathic behaviors were measured by the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity (MITI) and Toronto Empathy Questionnaire (TEQ). The study also assessed whether demographic variables or perceived empathy (TEQ) predicted empathic behaviors (MITI). Results indicate that, while both groups improved on empathy as measured by the MITI and TEQ, the LS group demonstrated more improvement. Demographic variables had no impact on empathy. The TEQ and MITI also did not demonstrate predictability suggesting the complexity of measuring empathy. The implications for social work education and future training are discussed.


Seating structure has a articulated seat and backrest. Rear of the seat, when the seat is tilted between an upright tilted position and a reclined tilt position, it is automatically pivotable with respect to the front of the seat. The upper part of the backrest relative to the lower, pivotable between a neutral position and an extended position, the upper, regardless of the inclined position of the backrest is pivotable relative to the lower. In one embodiment, adjustment mechanism is coupled between the lower back support member and the upper back support member, pivoting between at least a first support position and a second supporting position the upper support member. Seat having an adjustable seat depth is also provided with various methods of operating the various aspects and embodiments of the seating structure.


Extraction of text content has raised immense thought from the Computer vision group as of late. Extraction process is said to be tough in images that is taken by camera. Extraction of content is a vital assignment because of it wide mixed bag of uses, for example, route, human Computer association, substance primarily based data indexing and recovery, image comprehension, image pursuit and indexing, programmed annotation and organizing of images. Significantly extraction of Kannada content from pictures is tough because of geometry and between characters separating which is non-uniform in Kannada script. The primary point of the work is to develop a system for extraction of Kannada text and to expel the non message area from shaded complex foundation pictures. So content can be seen clearly, that is helpful for a few applications. Therefore concentrating on the Kannada text from images possible with complicated foundation here a basic and effective Curvelet Transform is utilized. It changes an image by reducing it into an arrangement of directional sub-groups with details of surface captured in distinctive orientations and scales. The algorithms are executed in matlab and applied to an image set with distinctive text size, text designs and thickness. IndexTerms-Curvelettransform,canny,dilation,clustering. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________


The availability of fresh water for human use has become a problem due to climate change scenario. This study aims to assess the water quality patterns of pollution concentrations in Sungai Semantan catchment using GIS. This spatial pattern of each parameter was then analysed based on the Water Quality Index (WQI) and National Water Quality Standards (NWQS) to determine the locations of major pollutant sources that contribute to water quality depletion in the Sungai Semantan catchment. The considerations of sampling were focused on land use data that contributes to high potential impact to water quality. The water sampling was collected from nine different locations of the Bentong region starting from Sungai Bentong and Sungai Kelau to Sungai Semantan in the sunny and rainy seasons from November 2016 to April 2017. The samples collected were then analysed for different physicochemical parameters including pH, TSS, DO, BOD, COD, NH3-N, turbidity, colour, iron and manganese to determine the spatial distribution of water quality in the study area. Geo-statistical analysis and Geographical Information System (GIS) were used to visualize the spatial pollution characteristics and identify potential polluted risky regions. From the obtained results of the parameters characteristics, it can be concluded that the water in Sungai Semantan is disturbed due to the presence of BOD, COD, TSS, turbidity, colour, iron and manganese concentrations. This parameter was exposed to various pollutants and seriously exceeded the standard of Category III (refer Malaysia NWQS). However, based on WQI, most of the parameters measured remained in Class II ranged from 85.12 to 90.11 (mean 88.13). In this study, the final representation of WQI has been done on the GIS map to show the spatial variation of pollution levels in the entire Sungai Semantan catchment. It is suggested that monitoring should be carried out continuously for proper management of this river basin to ensure sustainability of the water supply. WQI calculation formula should be reviewed by authorities to ensure important water quality parameter is relevant to analysis.


Abstract Pactamycin, a potent antitumor and antimicrobial antibiotic, possesses a densely functionalized cyclopentane core structure. This paper describes the concise synthesis of an advanced intermediate for synthesizing the enantiomer of pactamycin that contains the cyclopentane skeleton bearing all the necessary amino functions with correct stereochemistries.


We report results of an 18 ks exposure with the ACIS instrument on Chandra of the powerful z = 0.62 radio galaxy 3C 220.1. The X-ray emission separates into cluster gas of emission-weighted kT ~ 5 keV and 0.7-12 keV luminosity (to a radius of 45 arcsec) 5.6 x 10^44 ergs s^-1, and unresolved emission (coincident with the radio core). While the extended X-ray emission is clearly thermal in nature, a straightforward cooling-flow model, even in conjunction with a point-source component, is a poor fit to the radial profile of the X-ray emission. This is despite the fact that the measured properties of the gas suggest a massive cooling flow of ~ 130 M_\odot yr^-1, and the data show weak evidence for a temperature gradient. The central unresolved X-ray emission has a power-law spectral energy index \alpha ~ 0.7 and 0.7-12 keV luminosity 10^45 ergs s^-1, and any intrinsic absorption is relatively small. The two-point spectrum of the core emission between radio and X-ray energies has \alpha_rx = 0.75. Since this is a flatter spectrum than seen in other sources where the X-ray emission is presumed to be radio-related, regions close to the AGN in this source may dominate the central X-ray output, as is believed to be the case for lobe-dominated quasars. Simple unification models would be challenged if this were found to be the case for a large fraction of high-power radio galaxies.


Incremental forming process of a face-part is discussed. The procedures include modeling based on UG software and problem between it, how to make die and get tool path code, how to get tool path code which can be used in positive incremental forming and tool path's information. The face-part of high quality is formed successfully. The result is that complicated sheet metal part can be manufactured successfully based on positive incremental forming at reduced cost and processing time; UG software can not give required tool path in order to manufacture complicated parts by positive incremental forming. Auxiliary software is needed to serve the purpose. The accuracy of the part thickness in accordance with angleθ depends upon the precision of tool positioning. The thickness distribution along the part obeys the law δ = δ 0 cosθ and designing part can be manufactured successfully when tool positioning is high. Thickness between tool and blank becomes thinning smartly when tool positioning is low so the part will become failure abnormally.


Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) has been identified as one of the technologies that is capable of producing hypervelocity, high flight dynamic pressure and clean-air wind tunnel simulations for development of air-breathing propulsion systems. In this application, an MHD accelerator is used to accelerate the plasma flow at the exit of the combustor. The objective of this study is to investigate the performance of an MHD accelerator for space propulsion system using equilibrium air plasma as the working gas. The fundamental performance of MHD accelerator such as flow performance, electrical performance, and propulsion performance are described in this study. The performance of Faraday type has been evaluated at different levels of applied current density and magnetic field. For diagonal type, the performance has been evaluated at different levels of applied current, magnetic field, and constant diagonal angle. The MacCormack scheme is employed in order to solve the set of differential equations with MHD approximations. In order to represent the actual application of the MHD accelerator propulsion system, working gas of air-plasma composed of diatomic molecules of nitrogen and oxygen seeded with potassium is considered. The MHD Augmented Propulsion Experiment (MAPX) channel designed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is used in this study. The best performance of diagonal MHD accelerator is obtained by setting the constant diagonal angle of 55o. The optimum current required for propulsion performance is 300 A for a magnetic field of 2 T and constant diagonal angle of 55o. In this condition, the value of the exit flow velocity, thrust and specific impulse are 3848 m/s, 363 N and 2736 s, respectively. The propulsion performance of the Faraday type is better than the diagonal type for an electrical power input of greater than 1100 kW. The optimum performance when increasing the applied current and magnetic field is dominated by j x B Lorentz force acceleration. On the other hand, increasing the applied current and magnetic field will increase the Joule heating and the u x B term's contribution which are detrimental to the propulsion performance. Moreover, the friction forces resist the flow performance, especially near the exit of the channel.


A new technique for finding an optimal feasible solution to the general image reconstruction and restoration problem is described. This method allows the use of prior knowledge of the properties of both the solution and any noise present on the data. The problem is formulated as the optimization of a cost function over the intersection of a number of convex constraint sets; each set being defined as containing those solutions consistent with a particular constraint. A duality theorem is then applied to yield a dual problem in which the unknown image is replaced by a model defined in terms of a finite dimensional parameter vector and the kernels of the integral equations relating the data and solution. The dual problem may then be solved for the model parameters using a gradient descent algorithm. This method serves as an alternative to the primal constrained optimization and projection onto convex sets (POCS) algorithms. Problems in which this new approach is appropriate are discussed. An example is given for image reconstruction from noisy projection data; applying the dual method results in a fast nonlinear algorithm. Simulation results demonstrate the superiority of the optimal feasible solution over one obtained using a suboptimal approach.


Assuming soil was undrained,the computing formulae of ground deformation induced by both bulkhead additive thrust and friction force between shield and soil were derived from the Mindlin solution in elastic mechanics.Formula of ground deformation induced by ground loss was offered.Combining the formulae of ground deformation induced by ground loss,bulkhead additive thrust,and the friction force between shield and soil,the formula of total ground deformation induced by shield tunneling was obtained.This method was applied to the construction phase.As shown in analytical calculation,the calculated results were in accordance with the field data.Longitudinal surface deformation induced by shield tunnel was assumed as a S-shaped curve.Surfaces on both sides hunched up at the axis of excavation face.During normal construction process,the friction force between shield and soil exhibited greater influence on surface deformation compared with bulkhead additive thrust.


The idea of a finite collection of closed sets having "linearly regular intersection" at a point is crucial in variational analysis. This central theoretical condition also has striking algorithmic consequences: in the case of two sets, one of which satisfies a further regularity condition (convexity or smoothness for example), we prove that von Neumann's method of "alternating projections" converges locally to a point in the intersection, at a linear rate associated with a modulus of regularity. As a consequence, in the case of several arbitrary closed sets having linearly regular intersection at some point, the method of "averaged projections" converges locally at a linear rate to a point in the intersection. Inexact versions of both algorithms also converge linearly.


This book contains the following chapters: microstructural aspects of cement paste; microstructure and strength development; microstructure of cement paste: the role of water; chemical admixtures; superplasticizers; fibre-reinforced cement systems; impregnated systems; waste and by-products utilization; special cementatious systems; concrete-environment interaction. (TRRL)


The paper introduces a simple and novel energy-recycling circuit,which is applicable to all kinds of hard switch power convertor. Its circuit only needs several components by ST microelectronics,that is,one micro coil,two coupling auxiliary coils,two optimized PN diodes.In addition,it is compatible to any PWM controllers.The paper introduces basic design of the energy recycling circuit,which is of lowest cost and higher energy efficiency.In order to tell the advantages of the topology,it is compared with 8A carborundum SSD,under 450W switch power factor corrector,which is a general series with 90V_(RMS)-264 V_(RMS).Several switch frequenceis(72kHz、140kHz and 200kHz) are applied so that a comprehensive and objective comparison can be realized.Results show that the energy efficiency of the new circuit is higher than carborundum SSD.Besides,the rectifier level including specified diode and small coil has high cost benifits and can meet the market expectations.


The recent PlanetScope constellation (130+ satellites currently in orbit) has shifted the high spatial resolution imaging into a new era by capturing the Earth's landmass including inland waters on a daily basis. However, studies on the aquatic-oriented applications of PlanetScope imagery are very sparse, and extensive research is still required to unlock the potentials of this new source of data. As a first fully physics-based investigation, we aim to assess the feasibility of retrieving bathymetric and water quality information from the PlanetScope imagery. The analyses are performed based on Water Color Simulator (WASI) processor in the context of a multitemporal analysis. The WASI-based radiative transfer inversion is adapted to process the PlanetScope imagery dealing with the low spectral resolution and atmospheric artifacts. The bathymetry and total suspended matter (TSM) are mapped in the relatively complex environment of Venice lagoon during two benchmark events: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown and an extreme flood occurred in November 2019. The retrievals of TSM imply a remarkable reduction of the turbidity during the lockdown, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and capture the high values of TSM during the flood condition. The results suggest that sizable atmospheric and sun-glint artifacts should be mitigated through the physics-based inversion using the surface reflectance products of PlanetScope imagery. The physics-based inversion demonstrated high potentials in retrieving both bathymetry and TSM using the PlanetScope imagery.


Innovative approaches are presented for the computational simulation of planar array antennas. They are based on the integral-equation (IE) formulation at large, and consistently employ synthetic local and global basis functions. The local basis function are provided by the full-wave solution of a reduced problem of small size, but with the same local boundary conditions and relevant IE. The global basis function are indeed provided by asymptotic solutions of a canonical array. Numerical examples are shown, which demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed methods for patch arrays and open ended waveguide arrays.


Objective Shift-and-persist is a resilience construct hypothesized to be beneficial to physical health among individuals with low socioeconomic status (SES). This shift-and-persist construct entails a combination of reframing stressors more positively while also enduring adversity through finding purpose in life. In this study, we investigated how shift-and-persist relates to key inflammatory processes that are implicated in cardiovascular and other diseases. We also obtained validation information on a new shift-and-persist measure. Method A sample of 122 adolescents and 122 parents from a diverse range of SES backgrounds completed our shift-and-persist measure, a battery of other psychosocial questionnaires and interviews, and provided blood samples. Parents also provided SES information. Results Reliability and validity of the shift-and-persist measure were demonstrated across both adolescents and adults. Shift-and-persist moderated the association between SES and indicators of inflammatory regulation. Specifically, as SES declined, shift-and-persist was associated with greater sensitivity to glucocorticoids' anti-inflammatory properties (interaction in adolescents: &bgr; = .21, p = .033; interaction in adults: &bgr; = .25, p = .011), and also with less low-grade, chronic inflammation (interaction in adolescents: &bgr; = .18, p = .044). Conversely, as SES increased, the opposite pattern was evident. Conclusions These findings suggest that adaptive psychosocial characteristics have the potential to regulate inflammatory processes in ways that may mitigate risk for a number of chronic diseases, particularly among disadvantaged groups.


Large collections of Pali manuscripts are found in monastery libraries throughout Theravāda lands, in public libraries in the Asia and in the West, and in the collections of private individuals. Many of these manuscript collections are not easily accessed by researchers, particularly those in monastery libraries and in some Asian public libraries. Only a fraction of this vast archive of texts has been edited and published, the most notably among them being canonical texts and their commentaries, while a significant proportion have yet to be identified and studied. This paper will outline the value of Pali manuscripts and discuss current trends in cataloging, photographing, editing, and studying them.


Abstract This study focused on the production of high quality compost for the growth of aero-thermophilic fungi, which has a promoting effect on the growth rate and production of oyster mushrooms. The automated solid-state bioreactor system was designed on the basis of a Three-Phase-One system, which controls the serial steps of prewetting, pasteurization and fermentation processes. High numbers of thermophilic fungi and bacteria were recovered from the mushroom composts prepared by this solid-state bioreactor. The rates of composting process were depended on physical as well as chemical factors. Among these factors, the parameters of moisture content and temperature were found to be particularly important. In our automated system, constant levels of moisture content, temperature and ventilation via mixing were provided by a centralized control apparatus including PLC, water tank and water jacket systems. These features induced higher microbiological activity of aero-thermophiles.


Abstract This article builds on the work of social–emotional learning, culturally responsive teaching, and culturally responsive mathematics teaching to provide a framework that establishes learning spaces where equitable mathematics instruction can flourish.


A 10 year old girl presented with repeated episodes of vomiting over a one year period. She had intense nausea and severe vomiting, occurring in cycles which needed repeated hospital admissions, severely affecting her functioning. Management was instituted in four phases and she responded well to her treatment. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/sljpsyc.v2i2.3875 SLJPSYCH 2011; 2(2): 70-72


The study intends to focus on the criteria developed by J.R. Harris regarding the Testimonies, that is, biblical passages collected with messianic and anti- Jewish aims. In the context of the Helle...


Aim: Seawater drowning induced-acute lung injury (ALI) is a serious clinical condition characterized by refractory hypoxemia, enhanced alveolar-capillary permeability, hemorrhage, and uncontrolled overwhelming inflammatory responses. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is an endogenous gaseous mediator that plays an important role in the physiological and pathophysiological conditions, especially in some inflammatory diseases. However, the beneficial effects of sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS), a H2S donor, on seawater aspiration-induced ALI remains to be elucidated. Material and methods: Two hundred and forty rats were equally assigned to the naive group, normal saline group, seawater group, or seawater + NaHS group. NaHS or vehicle was intraperitoneally administered immediately after seawater aspiration. Arterial blood gas analysis was performed with a gas analyzer at baseline, 30 min, 1 h, 4 h, and 24 h after the seawater aspiration, respectively. Histological scores, computed tomography scan, TUNE-positive cells assay, Toll-like receptor 4, nuclear factor kappa B p65, caspase-3, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-10, wet-to-dry weight ratio, myeloperoxidase activity, malondialdehyde, and superoxide dismutase levels in the lung were assessed at 30 min after the seawater aspiration. Results: NaHS treatment alleviated ALI as demonstrated by the increased arterial partial oxygen tension and deceased lung histological scores, which was accompanied by decreased TUNEL-positive cells, Toll-like receptor 4, nuclear factor kappa B p65, caspase-3, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, IL-1β, myeloperoxidase activity, and malondialdehyde in the lung. Conclusions: Our study suggested that the protective effects of NaHS on seawater aspiration-induced ALI might be associated with its antiinflammatory, anti-oxidative, and anti-apoptotic properties.


China is facing increased danger of a widespread HIV-1 epidemic in high-risk populations such as injecting drug users (IDUs) and paid blood donors (PBDs) and of further dissemination from these high-risk populations to the general public. The virus has spread to every province and autonomous region and the government estimates about 840000 infections of which only 89067 have been reported. However prevalence and incidence studies are woefully inadequate and the United Nations Joint Program on HIV/AIDS projects that there may be as many as 10 million infected people by 2010. Among all high-risk activities linked to HIV-1 transmission IDU appears to play the most important role in the epidemic thus far. Many of these HIV-infected IDUs reside in southwest provinces such as Yunnan Guangxi and Sichuan which is close to the Golden Triangle where 70% of the worlds heroin is produced. HIV-1 infection through illegal blood collection practices and blood transfusions in the central province of Henan constitutes a second important high-risk activity in China and it has recently generated a tremendous amount of media attention. (excerpt)


Utilization of slop ash, a waste material from distilleries, as a source of potassium for corn in the Pakchong soil series was compared to potassium chloride fertilizer. The investigation was carried out in the greenhouse. A completely randomized design with three replications in a 2×3 factorial was used for the experiment. The first factor was sources of potassium (potassium chloride fertilizer and slop ash) and the second factor was potassium application rates (0, 75 and 150 mg K2O kg-1 soil). Suwan 4452 corn cultivar was used as the test plant. The results showed that application of slop ash increased the available potassium content in the Pakchong soil series. The effectiveness of slop ash in increasing the available potassium in the soil was similar to that of potassium chloride fertilizer. Application of slop ash significantly increased growth, yield and total potassium uptake of corn compared with no application of potassium fertilizer. The effectiveness of slop ash in increasing growth, yield and total potassium uptake of corn was similar to that of potassium chloride fertilizer. Therefore, slop ash could be used as a source of potassium fertilizer for corn.


The uncertainty exists in loads acting on a structure. In general, this uncertainty contains both aleatory uncertainty and epistemic uncertainty. The former is virtually unavoidable, the latter is caused by the limited ability and/or the imperfect information and knowledge. Thus, the load factor derived from aleatory uncertainty is invariable, while that derived from epistemic uncertainty can be decreased when more reliable model or method is applied. This paper shows a procedure of calculating the load factor when aleatory uncertainty and epistemic uncertainty are separated.


Parametric-stereo coding is a technique to efficiently code a stereo audio signal as a monaural signal plus a small amount of parametric overhead to describe the stereo image. The stereo properties are analyzed, encoded, and reinstated in a decoder according to spatial psychoacoustical principles. The monaural signal can be encoded using any (conventional) audio coder. Experiments show that the parameterized description of spatial properties enables a highly efficient, high-quality stereo audio representation.


Introductory electronic circuits courses with a lab component are typically taught in a standard lecture-lab format where lecture and lab are taught as separate classes potentially by different instructors. The lecture portion of the course typically involves the Professor delivering a 'chalk-talk' about circuit analysis techniques and the lab portion of the course typically involves students measuring voltages and currents in provided circuits with electronic test equipment. Two major problems arise with this method of teaching: 1. Students often do not see the connection between what they are learning in lecture with what they are doing in lab and 2. Students often do not see a connection with what they are doing in lab with real-world applications. Without being able to directly implement what they learn in lecture to a practical and useful real-world example or problem, students become disinterested in the subject and may even choose to leave the major. This paper discusses an attempt to modify the structure and content of an introductory electronic circuits course to make the course more engaging for students to hopefully increase retention of students within the major. The course's "studio format" (a course where lecture and lab are combined) focuses on providing students with multiple opportunities to directly apply what they are learning in lecture to real-world applications in a laboratory setting. The paper discusses the course's format and its weekly integrated lab activities. It then discusses the student and instructor reactions to the course and compares them with student and instructor reactions to the course taught in the traditional format. Finally, the paper discusses lessons learned and suggestions for future offerings as well as plans for tracking how the course affects student retention.


Investigation on liquid entrainment in tee junctions with an upward oriented vertical branch was conducted. Existing correlations and test data were identified for evaluation and comparison. Theoretical analysis was carried out for the development of a new entrainment onset criterion and an entrainment rate model. Comparisons were performed with all available data with different test conditions, and the results indicated that the new correlations demonstrated a marked improvement.Copyright © 2003 by ASME


In developing countries like India, the road traffic is heterogeneous in nature, consisting of vehicles of wide ranging physical dimensions, weight and power sharing the same lane. Passenger Car Unit (PCU) is the metric used to convert heterogeneous traffic-flow rate or volume into equivalent homogeneous traffic. The PCU factors have direct impact on capacity values and design service volumes of different categories of roads and other facilities. For the design of signalized intersections, PCU values recommended for various categories of vehicles are given in the Indian Roads Congress code IRC-SP41 (1994). There has been substantial development in vehicle technology during the last couple of decades. Therefore, it is necessary to re-assess the PCU values based on field studies. In this study, an attempt has been made to learn the characteristics of mixed traffic flow at signalized intersections. This work provides the details of an empirical study carried out to determine the PCU values for various types of vehicles, so that a comparison of results with PCU factors recommended by IRC code is possible. Moreover an attempt has been made to find the effect of length of passenger cars on PCU. Data were collected from two signalized intersections and the headway ratio method and regression method were used to estimate the PCU of different types of vehicle. The PCU values obtained in this study are compared with the values established earlier. It is found that the estimated PCU values are different from those being used in India, and they are inversely related to the length of passenger car. Studies reveal that PCU values have a great impact on signal design, emphasizing the need for further studies in this direction.


This paper explores the requirements for future graphics memories and analyzes the requirements for two of the biggest problems in graphics terminal design, raster display bandwidth and random-bit update performance. To solve these problems a new access mode for dynamic RAMs called Ripplemode#8482; will be proposed. This mode directly solves the raster display bandwidth problem by providing high-speed access to a serial bit stream. Under certain circumstances this mode also improves the performance of random-bit updates.


To overcome the problem of structure complexity and long training time in neural network method for fault diagnosis of tool wear with multi-sensor, a new fault diagnosis method based on rough set and neural network is presented. At first, the rough set was used to select the influencing factors input into the neutral network. Then, the genetic algorithm is used to overcome the shortcoming of the BP algorithm, such as slowness and convergence to local minimum. The model is applied to tool diagnosis, the self-organizing map method is used to get the discrete attributes fist, then an adaptive genetic algorithm is devised for attribute reduction, and finally the results of the attribute reduction is regard as the inputs of the neural network. The experimental results show that it is feasible and effective in the tool diagnosis.


Sodium Cyanide (NaCN) has been used to recover gold from gold bearing ores. This work aims to develop a simulation model of leaching process by using cyanide solvent for the dissolution of gold by using HSC simulator. The results from this simulation were compared with other researcher which employed Aspen Plus and it shows very good agreement with very small error (<1.5%). The cases study was carried out using the developed process model where hydrochloric acid (HCl) was used as solvent, the effect of different concentration of Au in ores and the effect of different concentration of solvent as a leaching reagent. The results show that the chlorination process gives higher amount of gold (Au) dissolved in the solvent compared to cyanidation process. The develop process model provide an effective means for studying the solid liquid leaching process in the future.


Motivation: Population density is a key demographic parameter influencing many ecological processes, and macroecology has described both intra- and interspecific patterns of variation. Population density data are expensive to collect and contain many forms of noise and potential bias; these factors have impeded investigation of macroecological patterns, and many hypotheses remain largely unexplored. Population density also represents fundamental information for conservation, because it underlies population dynamics and, ultimately, extinction risk. Here we present TetraDENSITY, an extensive dataset with > 18,000 records of density estimates for terrestrial vertebrates, in order to facilitate new research on this topic. Main types of variable contained: The dataset includes taxonomic information on species, population density estimate, year of data collection, season, coordinates of the locality, locality name, habitat, sampling method and sampling area. Spatial location and grain: Global. Spatial accuracy varies across studies; conservatively, it can be considered at 1 8 , but for many data it is much finer. Time period and grain: From 1926 to 2017. Temporal accuracy is yearly in most cases, but studies with higher temporal resolution (season, month) are also present. Amphibians in terrestrial phase, reptiles, birds and mammals. Estimates derive from multiple methods, reflecting the study taxon, location and techniques available at the time of density estimation. of in animals is a challenge of


Student evaluations of faculty are used in most universities to determine teaching effectiveness and inform decisions about tenure, promotion, pay raises, and awards. For novice and experienced faculty, course evaluations can be intimidating. Learning how to approach course evaluation results systematically can help prevent faculty members from becoming overwhelmed by negative feedback and lead to better teaching. This paper offers suggestions on making sense of course evaluation data and using them to inform future practice.


In this paper, a new plastic potential for porous solids with von Mises perfectly-plastic matrix containing spherical cavities is derived using a rigorous limit analysis approach. For stress-triaxialities different from 0 and ±∞, the dilatational response depends on the signs of the mean stress and the third invariant of the stress deviator. The classic Gurson potential is an upper-bound of the new criterion. A full-field dilatational viscoplastic Fast Fourier Transform (FFT)-based approach is also used to generate numerical gauge surfaces for the porous material. The numerical calculations confirm the new features of the dilatational response, namely: a very specific dependence with the signs of the mean stress and the third invariant that results in a lack of symmetry of the yield surface.


Vehicle Routing Problem with Simultaneous Pick-up and Delivery (VRP-SPD) is regarded as an NP-hard problem, which takes unacceptable time to use traditional algorithms to solve. This article presents an artificial immune systems or AIS-based algorithm to solve the problem and the results shows competitive performance. This algorithm is embedded with a sweep approach to generate random initial population. For the mutation operator, a variety of local search techniques are applied to realize the diversity. The algorithm is tested with examples which used by many of other works and compared with the results obtained by an exact algorithm. Experimental results suggest that the algorithm is a valuable alternative to other metaheuristics for solving VRP-SPD. 


syndrome may develop well after the treatment of syphilis has been initiated. Scott and Clark (1946) reported what they believed to be a possible renal Herxheimer reaction in an adult with an acquired syphilis. Their patient had a febrile reaction after the initiation of penicillin therapy and then developed the nephrotic syndrome 14 days later. Our patient had no known initial manifestations of the Herxheimer reaction. One can only speculate as to whether Scott and Clark's case and our case may indeed represent renal Herxheimer reaction. The pathogenesis of the nephrotic syndrome in syphilis is obscure. However, the morphological studies of others may afford a clue. Electron dense deposits in the area of the glomerular basement membrane have been described in adults with syphilis and the nephrotic syndrome (Falls et al., 1965). Braunstein et al. (1970) have identified these as complement-fixing y-G2 heavy chains and A-light chains. Churg (1968) has also identified electron dense deposits in the glomerular capillary wall of an infant with syphilis and the nephrotic syndrome. Poilner (1966), utilizing light microscopy, reported glomerular basement membrane thickening in a similar case. Thus the nephrotic syndrome in congenital syphilis appears to be associated with what are ordinarily considered 'immune deposits' in the region of the glomerular basement membrane: these apparently regress with clinical improvement (Falls et al., 1965).


A series of Supported catalysts were prepared by impregnation of the γ Al 2O 3 with aqueous solutions of mixtures of La,Co and Sr nitrates.The complete oxidation of xylene was as a testing reaction.At the same time,analysis of X ray diffraction (XRD),temperature programmed reduction (TPR) and measurement of specific surface area by B.E.T.method were performed.The effects of loading amounts of active components on the structure reduction properties and activity of xylene combustion were investigated.It is shown that,X ray diffraction characteristic peak of γ Al 2O 3 get broading in turn,and background line of XRD patterns get raising with increasing of loading amount.The spinel CoAl 2O 4 phase of all supported catalysts were detected by XRD patterns.The catalytic activities were improved with growing of CoAl 2O 4 polycrystal.The catalytic activities of 3 # and 2 # sample also show a distinct "activity gap" for xylene combustion.Investigations of H 2 TPR show that reducted peaks of 4 # sample (Loading is 10%) and 3 # sample (Loading is 20%) were not presented in under 700 ℃,but reducted peaks of 2 # sample (Loading is 30%) and 1 # sample (Loading is 40%) were presented in 250~500 ℃.


It was the key issue faced by the professional teacher to strengthen students' scientific training of the basic theories of refrigeration technology and to cultivate students' practical working ability in the design of cold source system.This paper discusses the planning of the teaching system and the construction of teaching mode of refrigeration technology course, probes into the reform of this course's teaching system, teaching method, and teaching platform construction, etc.For the purpose of realizing the optimization of the teaching resources of the course of refrigerating technology used in airconditioning, improving the teaching platform in comprehensiveness, designability and integration of both teaching and scientific research, and exploring the professional course teaching mode to cultivate innovative talents for constructional environment and equipment engineering.


This article has evolved from an exhibition produced with PROOF: Media for Social Justice entitled "My Body Is a War Zone," which was part of a larger project ("Legacy of Rape") consisting of stories from women in four postconflict regions. Drawing on interviews conducted with women in Santa Marta, Colombia, in May 2012 and January 2017, I explore the use of testimony, photography, and exhibition as a means of empowering survivors to become activists. Using the Colombian example, I argue that such exhibitions can transform national and public dialogue by engaging audiences on a personal and emotional level.


Although silicon is being researched as one of the most promising anode materials for future generation lithium-ion batteries owing to its greater theoretical capacity (3579 mAh g−1), its practical applicability is hampered by its worse rate properties and poor cycle performance. Herein, a silicon/graphite/amorphous carbon (Si/G/C) anode composite material has been successfully prepared by a facile spray-drying method followed by heating treatment, exhibiting excellent electrochemical performance compared with silicon/amorphous carbon (Si/C) in lithium-ion batteries. At 0.1 A g−1, the Si/G/C sample exhibits a high initial discharge capacity of 1886 mAh g−1, with a high initial coulombic efficiency of 90.18%, the composite can still deliver a high initial charge capacity of 800 mAh g−1 at 2 A g−1, and shows a superior cyclic and rate performance compared to the Si/C anode sample. This work provides a facile approach to synthesize Si/G/C composite for lithium-ion batteries and has proven that graphite replacing amorphous carbon can effectively improve the electrochemical performance, even using low-performance micrometer silicon and large size flake graphite.


This paper through the cultivation of Gastrodia practice areas summarized gastrodin Zhaotong rot preventive measures,which made a good preventive effect in practice.


psychiatric hospital where he could have physical therapy in conjunction with necessary psychiatric measures such as electroplexy. CASE V.-An unmarried Negro in his late twenties was admitted to hospital with contractures due to arthritis in all four limbs, but mainly in his legs. He looked tired and dreamy and appeared to be of poor intelligence and education, and his "voices" were thought to be part of the primitive superstitious environment from which he came. The physiotherapists made poor progress in the treatment of .his contractures. Psychiatric assessment showed his apparent fatigue to be an equivalent of depression in an hallucinated schizophrenic condition. The flexed posture characteristic of the depressive state was materially aggravating his contractures, and militating against exercises designed to produce extension. This was dramatically demonstrated by the quick response to physiotherapy that followed a course of electroplexy which cleared his depression and hallucinations.


The availability of a large amount of strong-motion data recorded by the National Strong Motion Network of Iran (nsmni) has motivated this study to develop relations for routine determination of M L and M W from digital horizontal components of the strong-motion records. The dataset comprises 861 two-component horizontal acceleration time series recorded for 125 earthquakes with magnitudes of 4.5 and larger. The M L scale is based on the horizontal synthesized Wood–Anderson seismograms. We have applied the Monte Carlo technique to evaluate distance correction curves for use in determining the local magnitude, M L , in Iran and in its northern, eastern, and Zagros subregions. Results indicate that the distance correction curves show trilinear behavior for geometrical spreading. The resulting coefficients evaluated for Iran as a whole are: R 1 = 96 ± 5 km; R 2 = 131 ± 5 km; n 1 = 1.01 ± 0.02; n 2 = −0.14 ± 0.1; n 3 = 0.14 ± 0.03; k = 0.00020 ± 0.00008. The distances less than R 1 correspond to attenuation of the direct waves. Between R 1 and R 2 is the distance where the multiply reflected and refracted shear waves from Moho dominate the arrivals. n 1 , n 2 , and n 3 are the coefficients of geometrical spreading for distances from the source to R 1 , R 1 to R 2 , and beyond R 2 . k is the coefficient of inelastic attenuation. For estimating the M W scale from the strong-motion data, we used the method proposed by Andrews (1986). To find the best correlation between the moment magnitudes measured from the strong-motion data and those measured from teleseismic data, we examined several time windows (e.g., whole trace, S -wave coda, and source time durations). The regressions show that the M W estimates from different time windows are all equally well correlated with the corresponding reported values with nearly identical standard deviations. Finally, relations between the estimates of local and moment magnitudes for the regions show that for earthquakes with magnitudes larger than about 6.0, the M L scale gradually becomes saturated and, therefore, it gives smaller values than those obtained by the M W scale. However, for smaller earthquakes, the M L scale overestimates the M W scale. This discrepancy occurs mainly because the frequency contents of the waveforms employed in these scales are different.


It is a difficult problem of studying the protein folding process in the protein research field.In this paper,a new simulation algorithm-snake simulation algorithm is put forward to solve the problem.In order to prove the key function in snake simulation algorithm is correct and feasible,theory of molecule oscillation and molecule kinetics are used.In addition,bring forward a model that describes the process of protein folding,concludes that all the protein structure can be constructed by two type functions.Compared with other five protein folding algorithms,the snake simulation algorithm has a great advantage in the energy and similar of protein structure.


Compression of the color images and videos has many applications in most of the mobile technologies. Reducing the time taken for file transfer is important in digital communication fields. Image compression means reducing the graphics file size, without degrading the quality of the image. For digital images, Fractal image Compression (FIC) and run length coding has been considered as an efficient method. FIC is a lossy compression method that explores the self-similar property for natural image. In this paper fractal with quad-tree technique and Run Length Encoding is proposed to compress the image. Implementation result shows that the image is compressed effectively using the


Education has been a crucial aspect of social and economic development. As a result, countries invest immensely in their education systems for the students that will foster and learn different things. The study aims to explore the factors of a closed management system and how they affect students' academic performance towards effective classroom management at Qingdao Vocational College of Aviation Technology in China. Using a descriptive research design with a quantitative approach using PLS-SEM, the researcher surveyed 341 respondents using the purposive sampling technique. The findings indicate that well-being significantly affects academic performance. The moderating effect of demographic profiles on factors and academic performance is observed. Notably, there is a research gap regarding the influence of the closed management system on students' academic performance, particularly in China. Existing studies mainly focus on political and cultural variables influencing the educational system rather than specific mechanisms like the closed management system. This study fills the gap by providing a systematic and empirical analysis of the impact of the closed management system on the student's academic performance. Today, there are limited studies on the impact of the closed management system on students 'academic performance, especially in China. Existing studies concentrate on the political and cultural variables that influence the educational system rather than focusing on a particular mechanism. Thus, this aspect requires a systematic plan to manage the closed management system's impact on the student's academic performance.


In Data Mining, the usefulness of association rules is strongly limited by the huge amount of delivered rules. In this paper we propose a new approach to prune and filter discovered rules. Using Domain Ontologies, we strengthen the integration of user knowledge in the post-processing task. Furthermore, an interactive and iterative framework is designed to assist the user along the analyzing task. On the one hand, we represent user domain knowledge using a Domain Ontology over database. On the other hand, a novel technique is suggested to prune and to filter discovered rules. The proposed framework was applied successfully over the client database provided by Nantes Habitat.


With the increasing number of layers of deep neural network, the performance of the model tends to be saturated gradually. As a very deep network architecture, the deep residual network shows beneficial characteristics in precision and convergence. This paper deeply studied the essence of deep residual network and intended to design an optimal model for classification in Fashion-MNIST dataset. Due to the significant effects of the hyper-parameters in neural network models, the method of designing model structure and optimizing training process were investigated. Next, the performances of the training models under different conditions were compared, and finally an optimal training model whose accuracy was up to 96.21% was obtained. The experimental result shows that the performance of the model can be improved by partly widening the network and selecting more advanced training process.


This work presents data on Ni self-diffusion in binary Al-Ni alloys with high precision. For this, we combined two techniques:
containerless electromagnetic levitation to position the samples,
and neutron time-of-flight spectroscopy to measure the decay of the self-correlation.This combination offers new measurement ranges, especially at low temperatures, several hundreds of Kelvin below the liquidus temperature.
Because without container, the primary cristallization seeds for the metallic melt are avoided. But it is also possible to measure reactive samples, and at very high temperatures at and above 2000 K, as problematic reactions with the containing cask won't occur. Furthermore this technique also enables measurements at higher momentum transfer q,
as one does not have to limit the q-range of the measurement to avoid Bragg peaks of the solid container material.

By this time-of-flight spectroscopy on levitated metallic melts,
it is possible to determine the Ni self-diffusion in these alloys directly and on an absolute scale.
The dependence of the Ni self-diffusion coefficients on temperature and concentration was studied in pure Ni and binary Al-Ni alloys.
In a temperature range of several hundred degrees,
we always found Arrhenius-like temperature dependence of the diffusion, irrespective of possible undercooling.

In the context of these measurements, we also studied the interdependence between diffusivity in the metallic melt and its quasielastic structure factor.
Time-of-flight spectroscopy made it also possible to derive the dynamic partial structure factors of the binary alloy Al$_{80}$Ni$_{20}$.

All this to enable a better understanding of the atomic processes in the metallic melt, especially of the undercooled melt,
as an alloy is always formed out of the (undercooled) melt of its stoichiometric compounds.
For this, material transport and diffusion are immensely important.
The final goal would be materials design from the melt,
i.e. the prediction of alloy properties in advance by computer simulation.
But simulation needs exact data on dynamics and diffusion coefficients in the melt.

That is one goal of this work, but also to give an insight into the processes in metallic melts on an atomic scale.


By 2007, nearly 3.4 million acres in the Mixed-Grass Prairie Bird Conservation Region (BCR19) (see figure 1) had been enrolled in CRP and established in grass cover. Due to loss of native grass and documented declines in grassland bird populations in North America (Samson and Knopf 1994), the CRP has great potential to affect mixed-grass prairie birds. Whereas many studies have documented localized benefits of CRP enrollments to grassland birds (King and Savidge 1995, Best et al. 1997, Rodgers 1999, Reynolds et al. 2001), few have quantified the effects of CRP on regional bird populations.


Abstract. The leaf-cutting ant, Atta mexicana Smith, is a pest commonly managed by synthetic insecticides. Considering negative environmental and health impacts produced by insecticides, alternative strategies such as plant-derived insecticides are an option for controlling the ant. Effects of 20 serial dilutions of refined azadirachtin oil and three post-exposure times were assessed on A. mexicana forage workers in a laboratory. The dilutions were applied directly to ants. Azadirachtin concentration and post-exposure time significantly affected mortality of A. mexicana. The mean lethal concentration at 0 hours post-exposure was 2.26 × 101 mg/ liter and at 50 and 100 hours was 1.67 × 10-6 mg/ liter and 1.65 × 10-14mg/ liter, respectively. Findings on toxicity of azadirachtin to A. mexicana are of great importance for pest management strategies in agriculture. Insecticides based on azadirachtin oil should be considered among integrated pest management strategies recommended by the Plant Health Commission in the Americas.


Clinical practice guidelines are expected to promote more consistent, effective, and efficient medical practices and improve health outcomes, especially if provided in the form of clinical decision support. However, most clinical guidelines, especially when expressed in the form of condition-action recommendations, embody different kinds of structural errors that compromise their practical value. With this respect, this paper presents a novel method for verifying the reliability of condition-action clinical recommendations encoded in the form of fuzzy rules, with the final aim of determining inconsistency, redundancy and incompleteness anomalies in a very simple and understandable fashion. The method is based on general definitions of inconsistency, redundancy and incompleteness for fuzzy clinical rules in terms of similarity between antecedents and consequents, bringing them near the imprecise character of fuzzy decision support systems. A key issue relies on the formalization of fuzzy degrees for these anomalies that can be simply interpreted by the final users as measurements suggesting the modifications to be performed to the clinical rules in order to eliminate or mitigate the existing undesired effects. The method has been profitably assessed on two sample sets of clinical rules: the first one identified from the relevant clinical literature and the second one extracted automatically by machine learning techniques from a widely known clinical database. The achieved results prove simplicity and usability of our method in detecting structural anomalies and in adjusting a rule base by exploiting information carried out during the verification phase.


This article describes how to detect color manipulation which is a commonly used method in the field of digital image forgery. The difficulty that hue forgery does not change the image edges, shapes and gradations brings certain challenge to authenticity detection. Current methods utilize the PRNU from multiple un-tampered images, requiring the camera type to be known. However, the increasing varieties of digital devices greatly complicates the preparation of prior knowledge. This article proposes a blind detection method for partial color manipulation based on self-PRNU of suspicious image, eliminating the necessity of acquiring camera information. The authors estimate the PRNU of suspicious image by removing the regions due to its texture complexity. The tamper region is detected by calculating the correlation between estimated PRNU and residual noise. As to partial manipulation detection, an introduced threshold of connected components is used to reduce the false positive. The experimental results show that the method can effectively detect and locate the partial color manipulation.


In multiethnic nation-states experiencing new flows of immigrants, political officials and citizens alike have expressed hostility in the form of demonstrations, campaigns, vandalism, and even policies. Yet local communities have also displayed public support for immigrants in the form of protests and advocacy efforts. Past literature has almost exclusively focused on anti-immigrant activity, using theories of group threat and competition, which suggest that new influxes or large concentrations of immigrants should prompt dominant groups to protect their interests, leading to anti-immigrant attitudes and behaviors. We extend the literature by focusing on pro-immigrant behavior, which we define as efforts initiated by established local residents and organizations to include immigrants in the larger community and/or to improve the lives of immigrants. In contrast to theories of group threat, we put forth the group inclusion model, and contend that demographic and political "threats" operate to break down rather than bolster group boundaries. We also find that when the increasing demographic and political presence of immigrants is coupled with the visibility of immigration, immigrant inclusion thrives. Using a data set of pro-immigrant collective action across 52 U.S. metropolitan areas, we generally find support for our model, and discuss the broader implications for immigrant–native relations.


In signal processing we often perform time shifts. Considering the duality of time domain and frequency domain representations, we may also want to shift the spectrum of a signal. The frequency shift transform is such a process. It is equivalent to complex modulation or demodulation of a signal (Oppenheim, 1987). The FST applied to a spectrum S(f) is represented by S(f+f& where fOcan be positive or negative. Here, we should assume that S(f) is bandlimited so that we have free space along the frequency axis to shift the spectrum (see Figures la and lb). time domain signals with the same bandwidth corresponding to S(f) and S(f+fo) exhibit the same envelope, but different oscillations exist under the envelope. It is well known that the peak to sidelobe level of a correlated sweep depends on the bandwidth of the signal. In practical terms, the required bandwidth is often stated in octaves, e.g., 2-3 octaves are needed for a "good" correlation. It is not so well known that the envelope of the correlated sweep depends only on the absolute bandwidth Af and not the number of octaves of bandwidth. Therefore, the envelope of a sweep from 1000 Hz to 1500 Hz (less than one octave) has the same envelop as a sweep from 5 Hz to 505 Hz (over six octaves). The fact that the high frequency sweep is narrowband whereas the low frequency signal is wideband can be either an advantage or a disadvantage depending on the application. One direct application of FST is to extract the envelope of a signal. In this case FST acts as demodulation. Another possible usage is to solve some aliasing problems. In this case we reduce the dominant frequency of a signal by shifting the spectrum to lower frequencies. Then we can use a larger interval when sampling this signal. This feature is specially useful for spatial aliasing because it is expensive or difficult to increase the spatial sampling rate. The FST is a linear time-variant transform, Therefore, when applying FST to signals with different timedelays, we find that these signals after FST exhibit phase distortion. Special efforts must be _ made to remove this distortion. It should be pointed out that the complex FST is reversible: when necessary we can take a reversed FST that restores the signal to the original style.


Structured light methods, including moire contouring have been demonstrated both technically and commercially as a useful tool for a class of 3D contouring applications. Popular analysis methods such as phase shifting, Fourier analysis, and simple fringe counting all have their strengths and weaknesses. Phase shifting has proven to be a powerful tool for complete surface mapping with good performance, but requires multiple images for the analysis. Fringe counting and Fourier methods offer good speed, but are more sensitive to noise factors. The trends in manufacturing toward tools for in-process measurements has lead to a variety of methods for high sped methods including color moire, multi-camera/sensor systems, and combinations of methods such as stereo with moire methods. This paper provides a comparison of some of these methods with particular emphasis on sources of noise and system error functions. Specific systems discussed include single image fringe counting using gradient methods, multiple camera systems using phase analysis, color encoding methods, motion based systems and image multiplexing methods. The analysis will attempt to separate accountable systematic error sources from random noise and the degree of participation of each in the data analysis methods.


Background: There is poor evidence on clinical outcome of switching from clopidogrel to prasugrel in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. Objectives: Data on the topic are limited and we performed a study-level meta-analysis to assess safety and efficacy of such strategy. Methods: A total of 15 studies and 3974 patients were included. The following comparisons were performed: prasugrel switching versus prasugrel only therapy; and prasugrel switching versus clopidogrel only therapy. Outcome measures were overall bleeding, major bleeding, and major adverse cardiac events (MACE). Results: There was no statistically significant increased bleeding risk in the prasugrel switching versus prasugrel only group [overall bleeding: OR 1.07, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.69–1.66; P = 0.77; major bleeding: OR 0.69, 95% CI, 0.32–1.49; P = 0.34]; MACE rates were also comparable. Incidence of safety end points was similar in the prasugrel switching and clopidogrel only groups (overall bleeding: OR 1.27, 95% CI, 0.75–2.15; P = 0.37; major bleeding: OR 0.70, 95% CI, 0.29–1.68; P = 0.42); occurrence of MACE was 3.8% in the prasugrel switching versus 8.3% in the clopidogrel only group (P = 0.23). No statistically significant difference in the safety outcomes was present stratifying by clinical presentation. Conclusions: Switching from clopidogrel to prasugrel does not increase bleeding complications during follow-up of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention; however, the strength of the data is not sufficient to make definitive clinical recommendations.


Easley et al. (J Finance 57:2185–2221, 2002), building upon the asset pricing model of Fama and French (J Finance 47:427–465, 1992), show that the probability of informed trading (PIN) is a determinant of asset returns for NYSE-listed securities. We extend this work by examining whether the PIN is a predictive factor for NASDAQ stocks, as many studies document significant differences between NYSE and NASDAQ listed securities. In the process we examine whether the use of PIN is appropriate for NASDAQ-listed securities. We find that PIN and certain stock characteristics correlate differently for our sample of NASDAQ stocks than that of Easley et al. sample of NYSE stocks. We also determine that the risk of informed trading is only weakly priced for NASDAQ stocks. Contrary to Easley et al. we do not find evidence that excess returns increases as PIN increases.


OBJECTIVE:To investigate the expression of estrogen receptor alpha(ESR1)in thyroid cancer tissues and explore its clinical value.METHODS:The paraffin-embedded tissue sections of 64 thyroid cancer patients,21 cases of thyroid adenoma,13 cases of Hashimoto's thyroiditis,6 cases of nodular goiter and 6 cases from the peri-tumor tissue were immunohistochemically examined for the expression of ESR1.The association between ESR1 expression and clinico-pathological parameters were analyzed.RESULTS:The positive rate of ESR1 in thyroid cancer tissues was significantly higher than those in thyroid adenoma,Hashimoto's thyroiditis,nodular goiter and peritumor tissues(P0.01).The positive expression of ESR1 correlated significantly with tissue stage,clinical stage,lymph node metastasis and prognosis(P0.05).CONCLUSION:ESR1 could play an important role in the occurrence and development of differentiated thyroid cancer,so to prevent the function of ESR1 may provide a new strategey to cure the thyroid cancer.


Objective:To evaluate the implants aesthetic effect of the guided bone regeneration techniques in anterior teeth area. Method:29 single anterior implants were successful. 12 implants which used the guided bone regeneration techniques were considered as observer group. The group underwent bone filling bone defects at the time of implant placement,increased alveolar bone thickness and width,and then regenerated collagen membrane covering. The other 17implants were considered as the control group. All of the patients complete the final restoration of implant exposure in 4~6months. In the worn crown day,6 months and 12 months behind the crown wearing,the patients were asked to back to the hospital to take X-rays. PES index and peri-implant bone level of the implants were measured and evaluated between the two groups,the differences of the surrounding bone and the red esthetics index of soft tissue of the two groups were compared in each time respectively. Result:No statistically different(P 0.05)of the red aesthetics index between the two groups was found in clinical implant restoration weight one year later;stable weight around 6~12 months after the observe group implant bone level,are located above the first thread,the load 12 months after the two MBL mean difference was not statistically significant(P 0.05). Conclusion:Guided bone regeneration planting can get similar results as the clinical aesthetic implant restoration of normal bone tissue.


Farmer cooperative has gradually become an important organization carrier of increasing farmers' income and promoting rural economic development. With the rapid development of farmer cooperatives in Shenyang, their demand for fund increased. However, there are still a considerable number of cooperatives that can not obtain credit support from formal financial institutions, the problem of financing restricted the further development of cooperatives. Based on the investigation of the farmer cooperatives in Shenyang, this paper analyzes the features of cooperative financing demand, degree of satisfaction of demand and the causes of financing problems. Finally this paper puts forward policy suggestions to provide some possible reference countermeasures for solving the formal credit financing problem of local cooperatives.


The purpose of this study was to investigate the various expressions with materials in fashion illustration using CAD comparing with hand work. The design motive for this study is to be selected from Bell Epoque era which was the revolutionary period in fashion illustration. The results of this study were as follows: 1. By using CAD, water color was well expressed to repeat brushing for the clarity, darkness, and brightness. It was more effective to use CAD in layering or duplicating complex and intricate patterns because the base color gets to be concealed under the repeated oil pastel. Acryl, like oil pastel, was easily absorbed in canvas, so it is effective to repeat brushing for expressing pure color. It was inconvenient to use wax crayon for controlling the moderate opacity because wax crayon absorbed water color dye stuffs, so crayon line was concealed when repetitions were being done. 2. The advantage of using CAD was convenience for getting rid of troublesome process and inefficient works. Also, CAD had a good tool like oil pastel in the use of coloring work by using pure color. By using CAD, various expressions on materials and texture of surface can be achieved effectively. Also, it is very strong substitute for time-saving, convenience, economic aspects from providing simple instrument, and production in the state of various kinds of paper and canvas as a method of visualization. Therefore, fashion illustration using CAD provides effective way of producing works, and gives promising vision in the future.


The leaf epidermis structures of 4 species of Pycreus and 2 species of Lipocarpha from Fujian Province in China have been examined under LM and SEM. The stomatal size,stomatal density and stomatal index were measured and counted under LM, and under SEM,the shape of stomata,cuticular membrane and outer stomatal ledge (or rim)and trichome were described.The results show that under LM,the types of stomatal apparatuse of paracytic type,the characters between four species of Pycreus such as the stomatal size,stomatal density and stomatal index are different to a large degree.These different micromorphological characters of leaf epidermis are useful to identifying some group of Pycreus.The characters between species of Lipocarpha such as the stomatal density and stomatal index,shape and pattern of anticlinal walls of epidermis cells are largely different.Furthermore,4 speies of Pycreus as well as 2 speies of Lipocarpha are also different in outer stomatal ledge (or rim) and cuticular membrane under SEM.


A new series of 4-(2'-Oxo/thiobarbiturinyl)-2-(substitutedphenyl)-3-[(substituted aminomethylene)]-2,3-dihydro-1,5-benzothiazepines (5a-5l) and 4-(2'-oxo/thiobarbiturinyl)-2(substituted-phenyl)-3-(substitutedaminomethylene)]-2,3-dihydro-1, 5benzoxazepines (6a-6l) were synthesized. All the newly synthesized compounds were screened in vivo, for their acute toxicity and anticonvulsant activity in MES and PTZ models and were compared with standard drugs phenytoin sodium and sodium valporate. Out of the compounds studied, the most active compound of this series was 5h, showed activity (90%) more potent than the standard drug.


The measurement of the electrical resistivity, the Seebeck effect and the UV/VIS absorption were carried out in the solid solutions under study. It was observed that: 1) with the increase of temperature the activation energy changes rapidly for all samples, 2) at about 700 K a phase transition from insulating to semiconducting state takes place, 3) the shift of the absorption edge to higher wavelengths is explained by the d-d electron transitions between the chromium ions with the valence state 3+ and 2+.


In 3D IC technology, temporary bonding systems and stacking/assembly process are identified as critical elements given all the concerns on wafer handling amidst BEOL processes and how to do the stacking as best as one could in so many different schemes. In between the temporary bonding systems and stacking/assembly process, is a group and series of processes that link the two. This is collectively and commonly known as the pre-assembly process. This paper presents the in-house pre-assembly 3D IC process flow for thinned wafer with micro-bumps on the backside along with the different challenges on materials and processes on each step. Most importantly, this paper reports on a solution found that enabled pre-assembly process to successfully provide a bridge from temporary bonding systems to stacking/assembly process: a UV dicing tape that can handle the complexities at hand when processing thinned 3D IC wafers with backside micro bumps in pre-assembly integration.


Biography—unlike fiction—is a referential genre (Lejeune 1994, 39-40), it constantly refers to a kind of truth or reality that lies outside the textual level. Photographs in biographies function as powerful referring devices, because, as Roland Barthes (1980) put it, the essence of the photograph is "ca-a-ete" (120). Regardless of this evidential character, photographs do not usually stand for themselves in biographies. They need description and textual explanation and are, thus, reduced to a merely illustrative function. This paper analyses photographs in four biographies on Sylvia Plath, who is the subject of more than 20 different literary portraits. It shows that there is a strong emphasis on Plath's private life on the one hand, and a lack of Plath's craft and public life on the other. By using Marita Sturken's (1999) concept of "cultural memory" (178), this article argues that a strict differentiation between public and private cannot help us read and understand the photographs in Plath's biographies.


Introduction: Physical inactivity is among the highest contributor to obesity and mortality in adults worldwide. On the other hand, increased physical activity is likely associated with body fitness and reduced risk of cardiometabolic diseases. Limited evidence on the understanding of factors associated with motivation and hesitation towards PA in a specific community of adults. Hence, this study aimed to determine the level of physical activity and the factors associated with motivation and hesitation factors towards physical activity among adults in Kuantan.
Methods: A cross-sectional study with 217 adults in Kuantan, Pahang, completed the online questionnaires. The questionnaires include three parts; sociodemographic, International Physical Activity Questionnaires-short form (IPAQ-SF) and perceived factors associated with physical activity scale among adults in Kuantan. Data analysis was done by using SPSS version 20.0. Independent sample T-test and One-way ANOVA test were used to analyze the data.
Results: The majority of adults in Kuantan, Pahang were physically inactive (47%), while 33.6% of the respondents engaged in moderate physical activity and only 19.4% were physically active. Reducing stress was perceived to be the key motivating factor for PA, while lack of time was perceived to be the major hesitation factor towards PA among adults in Kuantan. The findings also revealed that there is a significant association between age and motivating factors elements which are having fun and relaxing the mind (p<0.05).
Conclusion: This study concludes that knowing the motivation and hesitation factors towards PA in adults may benefit the relevant authorities in planning fitness activities and programs. A future study with larger sample size and gender-specific is recommended.


Reading is a hobby to open the knowledge windows. Besides, it can provide the inspiration and spirit to face this life. By this way, concomitant with the technology development, many companies serve the e-book or book in soft file. The system of this book of course will be much easier. No worry to forget bringing the christianity in the 21st century reflections on the challenges ahead book. You can open the device and get the book by on-line.


This study aims to determine the implementation of an merdeka curriculum: quality improvement efforts in educational institutions. This research was conducted at SMAN 2 Jember with a qualitative approach through case study research. Data were obtained from observation, interviews, and documentation studies. Informants in the study were the principal, deputy head of curriculum, teachers, and students. In the process of analyzing data, the researcher collects data, reduces data, presents data, and concludes findings. The results of the study show the success of the implementation of the merdeka curriculum in improving the quality of schools through the learning process carried out, namely by preparations including the need to get information about the merdeka curriculum by preparing teachers how they understand what the merdeka curriculum means; teachers take part in online and offline workshops held by the government and the education office besides that the school also conducts its workshops merdekaly by bringing in resource persons related to the merdeka curriculum so that it becomes an excellent contribution to the sustainability and improvement of the quality of education and achieves educational goals that require students to enrich literacy to get to the future era of globalization.


Ð This article views learning processes as key to successful economic adjustment. It discusses results of research conducted in Chile, focused on the agroindustry and footwear sectors. It identi®es speci®c problems that large and small ®rms face to upgrade production, and stresses the limits of focusing exclusively on market reforms for achieving growth. The article discusses how institutions reshape to facilitate learning and improve performance in Chile, particularly the relations between ®rms; the reorientation of trade associations; and the stateÕs role as facilitator of collective learning processes. Ó 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.


The thesis deals with certain aspects of the correspondence between objects and numbers that is exploited in measurement. Thera are two main areas of investigation.

The first is to do with the construction of scales of measurement, with major emphasis on extensive measurement in physical sciences. The discussion includes examination of (a) the distinction between those features of scales that are determined by the nature of measurement and those that are determined conventionally, and (b) the role of constraints imposed by characteristics of the objects being measured and constraints imposed by the measurement operations. Then is a treatment of experimental error and the limits this sits to our knowledge of the structure of physical systems. The view that extensive scales are designed for counting is considered.

The second area relates to the mismatch between empirical relations among physical objects and relations among numbers to which the former are supposed to correspond, a mismatch due to the fact that there are fundamental constraints on the extent to which physical objects can be manipulated for operational purposes. Consequential problems in formal theories of measurement are identified in the thesis, and some new formal structures to accommodate them are proposed.

Material believed to be novel include (i) some aspects of the treatment of random error (Chapter 2), (ii) some arguments about the conventionality of scales, the relation to counting, and some discussion of counterarguments due to Ellis (Chapter 3), dii) a suggestion about the classification of scales (Chapter 4), and (iv) the development of certain formal structures, in particular the structures of Definitions 5.4, 6.6. 6.7, 7.3 and 7.13 (Chapters 5, 6 and 7). The development of Definitions 6.6 and 6.7 includes some treatment of the problem of systematic error.


We develop a comprehensive simulation model for civilian emergency/disaster responses. In order to incorporate the detailed interactions among various responders and victims, we integrate the agent-based modeling ideas into the discrete-event simulation framework and hybrid several components such as GIS.


Fretting fatigue is defined as the fatigue of a material caused by the presence of a rubbing contact with a relative displacement of less than 100 micrometres. The presence of fretting results in a lowering of the fatiguelife of the material. The relative displacement, also known as the slip amplitude, has a considerable effect on the life of the specimens that were investigated. Different surface microstructures were studied in order to investigate the effect of slip amplitude on the fatigue life. These treatments, namely carburization and decarburization, also induced surface residual stresses which were instrumental in causing the changes that were observed in the fatigue life. Effects of residual stress on fretting fatigue were studied using three kinds of heat-treated specimens of a medium carbon steel. Two sets of experimental specimens were respectively decarburized and carburized to induce residual stresses on the surface. A set of control specimens of tempered martensite was used to compare results. All three structures showed a minimum in life versus the slip amplitude; the carburized specimens exhibited longer lives in general and the opposite was true for the decarburized specimens. In all cases, transverse cracks initiated on the surface, at the interface between the contacting and free surfaces, and propagated inwards, perpendicular to the loading axis. An attempt is made to explain the observed phenomena using residual stress arguments.