Proposes a hybrid genetic knowledge integration approach to effectively integrate multiple rule sets into a centralized knowledge base. The proposed approach consists of two phases: knowledge integration and knowledge refinement. In the knowledge integration phase, rule sets from different sources are integrated to generate good offspring rule sets by an extension of the Pittsburgh approach (S.F. Smith, 1980). In the knowledge refinement phase, the rule sets derived from the knowledge integration phase are then refined to promote their performance by an extension of the Michigan approach (J.H. Holland et al., 1983). Experiments on diagnosis of brain tumors are made to compare the accuracy of the resulting rule set generated by the proposed approach with that of the initial rule sets. Results show that the rule set derived by the proposed approach is much more accurate than each initial rule set.


Phytochemical investigation of the stem bark and the trunk of Chythrantus claneianus led to the isolation of six known compounds named β-sitosterol (1), umbelliferone (2), scopoletin (3), benjaminamide (4), β-sitosterol-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (5) and Panconoside B (6). All these compounds were isolated for the first time from this plant species. The chemical structures of isolates were elucidated on the basis of 1 and 2 D-NMR spectra and other spectroscopic techniques including UV–vis, FT-IR, HR-ESIMS and HR-FABMS. The isolates were tested in vitro for their inhibitory properties towards xanthine oxidase enzyme. Compounds 2, 3 and 6 showed weak inhibi-tory activities on the enzyme with IC 50 values ranging from 307 µM for com-pound 6 to 475 µM for compound 3, while the extract and compounds 1, 4 and 5 showed extremely weak activities with inhibition percentage less than 50%.


The author points out two different kinds of file operation through the analysis of IO class library in Visual C#.NET. Furthermore,the author describes practical experience by one instance.


Data{parallel languages allow programmers to easily express parallel computations by means of high-level constructs. To reduce overheads, the compiler partitions the computations among the processors at compile{time, on the basis of the static data distribution suggested by the programmer. When execution costs are non{uniform and unpredictable, some processors may be assigned more work than others. Workload imbalance can be mitigated by cyclically distributing data and associated computations, or by employing adaptive strategies which build a more balanced schedule at run{time, on the basis of the actual execution costs. This paper discusses static and hybrid (static + dynamic) scheduling strategies which can be used to balance the workloads derived from the execution of non{uniform parallel loops. A multi-dimensional ame simulation kernel has been used to evaluate diierent implementation strategies on a Cray T3E. We fed the benchmark code with synthetic input data sets built on the basis of a load imbalance model and we report and compare the results obtained. We use typewriter font, generated using the L A T E X ntt command, to denote language constructs and subroutine names. All the symbols in formulas are generated using the standard L A T E Xmathematical environment.


A common problem in the operation of mission critical control systems is that of determining the future value of a physical quantity based upon past measurements of it or of related quantities. Some of the sources of variability that make this problem difficult include imprecision due to measurement error, measurements that change with time, and intermittent failures leading to faulty measurements. We present a novel solution to this problem based upon the following hypotheses: each measurement is presented as a time-stamped interval that contains the correct value of the physical quantity; the underlying process describing the physical quantity is linear or a low-degree polynomial; and up to f of the n measurements may be arbitrarily faulty, where n/spl ges/2(f+1). For a given future time t/sub o/, our algorithm produces the smallest set of possible values that the function may take at time t/sub o/. For linear functions, our algorithm runs in time O(n/sup 2/), and for degree-d polynomials it runs in time O(n/sup d+1/).


We set out and described the political-ideological, organizational and scientific factors that influence the development of historiographical process, resulting in the Russian emigrant science appeared as a problem caused by the conditions of the historical development of the state and society. The scientific community paid attention to such a range of sources of historical knowledge, as thesis, which, according to tradition, are less used in scientific work of researchers. Although they have a special place among the scientific documents, because they contain a lot of scientific, bibliometric, science documentation data and give an idea about the direction of scientific thought on the topics that are on the focus. It is considered a range of Russian dissertation and related published works on the history of the White Army in exile.


This research paper exploits relationship between job satisfaction dimensions and turnover intensions among Nigerian banks' employees in Osogbo metropolis, south western Nigeria. Simple random sampling technique was adopted to collect data from one hundred and five (105) respondents from different fifteen banks through structured questionnaire. Both Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficientand Multiple Regressions Analysis were used to analysis the data with the aid of statistical package for social sciences (SPSS). The result showed that job satisfaction dimensions have negative relationship with turnover intensions.It was also found that job satisfaction dimensions jointly predict employee turnover intensions, which accounted for 7.5% variance of turnover intensions. The study concluded that management of Nigerian banks should use these job satisfaction dimensions as policy instruments for retention and as strategies which have the tendency to reduce employee turnover and enhance job satisfaction in the organization.


In this paper, we introduce a modified epidemic model on regular networks and on scale-free networks respectively. We consider the birth rate δ, treatment rate γ, infection rate λ, and death rates α, β from the infectious disease and other factors, respectively in this model. Through mean-field analysis, we find that on regular network there is an epidemic threshold λc of λ; while for power law degree distribution network there is no epidemic threshold in the therodynamic limit and the treatment thus is of no effect to the disease, which is the same as the result from standard SIS model. That means the structure of the networks plays a very important role in the spreading property of the infectious disease.


In this paper we study a class of new Generalized Fractional Advection-Diffusion Equations (GFADEs) with a new Generalized Fractional Derivative (GFD) proposed last year. The new GFD is defined in the Caputo sense using a weight function and a scale function. The GFADE is discussed in a bounded domain, and numerical solutions for two examples consisting of a linear and a nonlinear GFADE are obtained using an implicit finite difference approach. The stability of the numerical scheme is investigated, and the order of convergence is estimated numerically. Numerical results illustrate that the finite difference scheme is simple and effective for solving the GFADEs. We investigate the influence of weight and scale functions on the diffusion of GFADEs. Linear and nonlinear stretching and contracting functions are considered. It is found that an increasing weight function increases the rate of diffusion, and a scale function can stretch or contract the diffusion on the time domain.


WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats promised Thursday to speed an economic recovery package through Congress, but vowed to rearrange President Bush's budget proposal to ben efit m iddle-income Americans, not the rich. " Democrats w ill not obstruct, but we w ill try to improve the p re s id e n t's p acka ge ," sa id House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt, D-Mo., as the Budget Committee began hearings on the spending p lan Bush p re  sented Wednesday. G ephard t sa id D em ocra ts "w ill provide a clear distinction between the a lleg iances and am bitions o f the two p o litica l


The continuous construction of various infrastructures in smart grid, especially the large-scale deployment of smart meters in substations, constitutes an important source of power data in smart grid. The first block of the chain is the creation block, which is the beginning of the whole chain data structure. This topic studies the design of transmission line allocation algorithm based on blockchain. This paper considers a power communication network scenario using blockchain technology, which includes a power cloud platform and edge servers. In the process of scheduling storage resources, this paper mainly defines resource scheduling preferences according to resource reliability, resource confidence, storage performance and network cost. The research shows that the algorithm in this paper will choose to upload some high-priority and large-scale services, which affects the delay optimization, but compared with the delay optimization algorithm, its delay is only about 0.051s worse. Some nodes join the core nodes, thus increasing the transmission cost, but the core ratio keeps increasing, and the transmission costs of the two nodes are balanced and reach the maximum value.


This paper empirically examines the impacts of expiration of equity warrants on both abnormal returns rate and trading volume of the underlying securities of mainland warrants.It is shown that the expiration of call warrants causes no fluctuations on the price of underlying securities and enlarged in spite of the increasing of trading volume.Under the round of bull market,all of the put warrants are out of money and impossible to exercise.Therefore,they cause no effects on underlying securities.


A 37-year old woman booked at nine weeks of gestation in her third pregnancy. Fourteen years previously she had had an uncomplicated emergency lower segment caesarean section at 37 weeks for fulminating pre-eclampsia. Two years later, she had a normal delivery at term without complication. She had laser treatment to the cervix in 1987 for CIN 1. There was no other gynaecological history of note. At booking, a singleton pregnancy of nine weeks of gestation was confirmed on scan. The uterus was retroverted but although the ultrasound report commented on the presence of an 11cm anterior wall fibroid, this was not documented in the woman's case notes. A senior radiographer performed her routine anomaly scan at 19 weeks of gestation. All was well and the placenta was noted to be posterior. Again, the fibroid was noted but was not documented in the notes. She was followed-up regularly by both the midwife and the hospital antenatal clinic. She remained well and symptom free. Throughout the antenatal period from 28 weeks onwards the presentation was thought cephalic and the uterine size compatible with her dates. At 37 weeks the head was reported as being engaged, with three-fifths of the head palpable per abdomen. At 39 weeks of gestation she was seen in the antenatal clinic by a senior member of staff who found that the head was now two-fifths palpable and recommended that the woman could have a trial of labour. She was seen at term plus four days in the antenatal clinic. The symphysis–fundal height was appropriate for her dates, but the fetus had a transverse lie. A caesarean section was booked for the following day. However, she went into labour during the night. At 2cm dilatation, an emergency caesarean section was performed under a spinal anaesthetic. The abdomen was opened by a Pfannensteil incision. The uterus was found rotated to the left by 180 degrees. The rotation was corrected manually without difficulty. A large anterior wall fibroid was found extending from the upper segment to the previous caesarean scar in the lower segment. The whole of the anterior aspect of the lower segment was covered with fibroid and dense bladder adhesions. It was impossible to feel the lower extent of the fibroid. The anaesthetist continued with the operation under a spinal anaesthetic. A longitudinal incision was made in the upper segment over the fibroid to enucleate the fibroid. A myomectomy was performed. The uterus was opened transversely during the dissection and the opening enlarged to deliver the baby. The decidua was sutured with interrupted sutures of polyglactin polymer and the myometrium closed in three layers with a continuous stitch of the same material, the deepest layer being repaired transversely and the more superficial layers longitudinally. The operation lasted for 75 minutes. Blood loss was estimated to be 600ml. Her haemoglobin concentration fell by 0.4gldL. A prophylactic antibiotic was administered. She recovered well and was discharged home on her sixth post-operative day. Postnatal examination showed no abnormalities. Histology confirmed a leiomyoma 145mm 90mm 100mm weighing 740gms.


The quality of life of young adult residential care leavers is influenced by several factors. The impact of the residential care environment can be conceptualised as organisational culture. In our empirical study we explored how organisational culture affects the quality of life of care leavers. The research was conducted using a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods in 8 selected residential care facilities in Slovakia, and among 39 young care leavers. Data from semi-structured interviews were analysed using methods associated with grounded theory, and data obtained via questionnaires were analysed using statistical methods. The results show that adequate material conditions, adherence to facility rules, the space to act independently, responsive care, support in planning for the future, mutual assistance, and social support from peers and others are all likely to contribute to a higher quality of life for care leavers.


Naldemedine is a peripherally acting μ‐opioid‐receptor antagonist for the treatment of opioid‐induced constipation. Two phase 1 single‐dose studies investigated the pharmacokinetics and safety of a 0.2‐mg oral dose of naldemedine in subjects with renal impairment (mild, n = 9; moderate, n = 9; severe, n = 6; and end‐stage renal disease, n = 8) or hepatic impairment (mild or moderate, n = 8 each) and demographically matched healthy subjects with normal renal and hepatic function (n = 8, both studies). Pharmacokinetic assessments indicate that dose adjustments for naldemedine are not necessary for subjects with any degree of renal impairment or for subjects with mild or moderate hepatic impairment. In subjects with renal impairment compared with healthy subjects with normal renal function, the geometric mean ratios of naldemedine area under the concentration‐time curve (AUC0‐inf) ranged from 82.8% (90%CI 69.5% to 98.6%) to 137.8% (90%CI 114.0% to 166.5%). Renal clearance decreased with reduced renal function (normal function 1.3 L/h; mild impairment 1.1 L/h; moderate impairment 1.0 L/h; severe impairment 0.5 L/h), and only 2.7% of naldemedine was removed by hemodialysis. In subjects with hepatic impairment compared with healthy subjects with normal hepatic function, the geometric mean ratio of AUC0‐inf ranged from 82.8% (90%CI 65.7% to 104.5%) to 105.2% (90%CI 83.4% to 132.6%). Naldemedine was well tolerated in both healthy subjects and subjects with renal or hepatic impairment, and reported adverse events were generally consistent with the known safety profile.


Compressed sensing (CS)-based beam alignment is a promising solution for rapid link configuration in millimeter wave (mmWave) systems that use large arrays. Translating CS to practical mmWave radios, however, can be challenging due to carrier frequency offset (CFO). Standard sparse recovery techniques that use random sampling strategies to acquire channel measurements can fail even if there is a slight mismatch in carrier frequencies. In this paper, we show that restricting the randomness in compressive sampling to local sets can achieve robustness to structured errors due to CFO. The proposed approach requires fewer channel measurements than comparable algorithms and has the same complexity as standard CS.


We present, for the first time, a general strategy for designing ARX symmetric-key prim itives with provable resistance against single-trail differential and linear cryptanalysis. The latter has been a long standing open problem in the area of ARX design. The wide-trail design strategy (WTS), that is at the basis of many S-box based ciphers, including the AES, is not suitable for ARX designs due to the lack of S-boxes in the latter. In this paper we address the mentioned limitation by proposing the long trail design strategy (LTS) – a dual of the WTS that is applicable (but not limited) to ARX constructions. In contrast to the WTS, that prescribes the use of small and efficient S-boxes at the expense of heavy linear layers with strong mixing properties, the LTS advocates the use of large (ARX-based) S-Boxes together with sparse linear layers. With the help of the so-called long-trail argument, a designer can bound the maximum differential and linear probabilities for any number of rounds of a cipher built according to the LTS. To illustrate the effectiveness of the new strategy, we propose Sparx – a family of ARXbased block ciphers designed according to the LTS. Sparx has 32-bit ARX-based S-boxes and has provable bounds against differential and linear cryptanalysis. In addition, Sparx is very efficient on a number of embedded platforms. Its optimized software implementation ranks in the top 6 of the most software-efficient ciphers along with Simon, Speck, Chaskey, LEA and RECTANGLE.


Ctenochasmatid pterosaurs flourished and diversified in the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota. Here, a partial mandible of Forfexopterus is described based on a three-dimensional reconstruction using high-resolution X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) data. The first nine pairs of functional teeth of the rostral dentition revealed along with their replacements. The functional teeth are evenly arranged with a tooth density of 2.2 teeth/cm. The tooth crown is distinctly reduced from its base to the tip, and framed by two weak ridges, possibly as a pair of vestigial carinae. The replacement teeth are sharp and pointed, and have erupted slightly against the medial surface of the functional teeth. Surprisingly, tooth wear is observed in this specimen, the first record of tooth-tooth occlusion in ctenochasmatids. The wear facets exhibit high-angled lingual and lower-angled labial facets, implying a tooth-tooth occlusion in pterosaur clade. This discovery indicates that the Jehol ctenochasmatids possibly employed a more active feeding strategy than other filter-feeding pterosaurs (e.g. Ctenochasma, Pterodaustro, Gnathosaurus).Supplementary material at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5722060


In the present study two genetically connected small and large populations were simulated and the effect of different sources of information from foreign populations on the accuracy of predicted genomic breeding values of young animals of the small population was investigated. A large population consist of animals over generations and a small population consist of animals over generations were generated with QMSim simulation software in a such way that the small population was connected to the large one. Three scenarios were defined for estimating the accuracy of genomic evaluations based on various sources of available information. In the first scenario, the accuracy of genomic breeding values was estimated based on the genomic breeding values of individuals in the small population. In the second scenario, the accuracy of genomic breeding values of animals was estimated using the information of individuals in the small population accompanied with the genomic breeding values of male individuals from the large population. In the third scenario, phenotypic, genotypic and pedigree data of individuals from the large population were integrated to estimate the genomic breeding values of individuals in the small population. The averages for accuracy of estimated genomic breeding values were . , . and . under the first, second and third defined scenarios, respectively. Furthermore, the averages for regression coefficient of prediction for genomic breeding values were . , . and . under the first, second and third defined scenarios, respectively. The obtained results revealed that the integration of phenotypic, genotypic and pedigree information of both large and small populations had the most advantage for estimating the genomic breeding values of selected candidates in the small populations.


A specimen stage for electron diffraction and electron shadow microscopy has been constructed, to enable a holder containing two transmission specimens to be inserted into, or withdrawn from, the specimen chamber without breaking the vacuum in the system. The time required to change specimens is less than one minute. Controls are provided to give specimens two independent translations in a plane normal to the electron beam and a rotation about the axis of the holder.


The occurrence of muskmelon downy mildew in Hainan out-of-season facilities agriculture has become more serious in resent years.The muskmelon downy mildew is one of the main risk diseases occurring in muskmelon cultivation of Hainan out-of-season facilities agriculture.The text summarized the targeted comprehensive prevention and control measures of muskmelon downy mildew,according to it′s occurrence laws.


Most men have larger blood volumes and iron stores, making them more suitable blood donors; however, women dominate the donor population in Stockholm. Motives for cessation and returning were examined in a group of lapsing young male donors, in order to improve retention.


The invention discloses a pixel structure of a thin film transistor liquid crystal display and a manufacturing method thereof, which aim to reduce the number of mask, simplify process flow and save cost. The method comprises the following steps of sputtering a pixel electrode film and a passivation insulating layer film on a substrate in sequence; performing mask exposure by using a first mask plate and then etching the first mask plate to form a pixel electrode, passivation insulating layer and drain electrode through hole; and then sputtering source, drain electrode films and an ohmic contact layer film in sequence; performing mask exposure by using a second mask plate and etching the second mask plate to form a source electrode, a drain electrode, a source-drain channel and an ohmic contact layer covering on the source electrode and the drain electrode; and then sputtering an active layer film, an insulation layer film and a grid electrode film in sequence; performing mask exposure by using a third mask plate and etching the third mask plate to form an active layer, an insulation layer, a grid electrode and a source electrode driving hole. The invention synchronously discloses the pixel structure of the thin film transistor liquid crystal display.


Especially in Europe, consumers have become increasingly concerned about organic chlorine compounds and in recent times the market has asked for more free-chlorine free (FCF) and totally chlorine free (TCF) bleached pulps. This led to the development of new pulping and bleaching technologies. The positive economical aspects of these novel processes were, especially initially, connected with detrimental effects concerning optical properties and the potential strength of the pulps, and thus gave rise to comparative investigations of the application-technical properties of these pulps. The subject of the here described work is the comparison of the effects of beating on selected normal sulphate market pulps, both hardwood and softwood, and bleached by (FCF) and (TCF) methods The results of these investigations once again underline the need for new laboratory beating methods, able to produce simulation of practical process parameters as well as flexible adjustment of the beating conditions to particular pulps. These latter tasks are being tackled by an operation supported by EU funds and known as New laboratory beating requirements for the quality assessment of papermaking pulps.


A picosecond laser with 1064nm wavelength was used to machine grooves in fused silica in this paper. A surface texturing method was applied to increase the laser absorption. The relationship between the width, the depth of the groove and the laser parameters such as laser power, scanning speed, number of scanning cycles was studied. The machining quality of the groove was detected by the laser scanning confocal microscopy. It showed that there were no micro-cracks on the grooving surface, and the surface roughness Ra<1.6um. The width, the depth and the shape of the groove could be controlled accurately by changing the laser parameters. And, a "V-shape" groove with 1mm width, 1mm depth was obtained with the as the frequency, the laser power, the scanning velocity and the number scanning cycle was fixed at 400KHz, 141W, 5000mm/s and 12, respectivity.


In 1891 Miller, in the preface to a series of articles 1 entitled "The Human Mouth as a Focus of Infection," says: During the last few years the conviction has grown continually stronger among physicians, as well as dentists, that the human mouth as a gathering-place and incubator of pathogenic germs performs a significant role in the production of varied disorders of the body, and that if many diseases whose origin is enveloped in mystery could be traced to their source, they would be found to have originated in the oral cavity. Miller isolated fifty-eight varieties of microorganisms from the mouth, many of which are pathogenic or may under favorable circumstances become so. 2 These findings were verified by Black, Vincentini and others. 3 When it is realized that in some or all mouths there may be found at times bacteria of most infections, the importance of the study of


The writer is fortunate in having had submitted to him for study relatively large series of undetermined specimens of South American Senecios, both from collections obtained on recent expeditions and also unidentified material of many years standing. t The United States National Herbarium, the New York Botanical Garden, the Field Museum of Natural History, the Gray Herbarium, the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences, the British Museum of Natural History, the CEKew H-erbarium, the Botanical Garden, Brussells, the Botanical Garden and Museum, Berlin-Dahlem, the Museum of Natural History, Vienna, the Botanical Garden, Geneva, the Botanical Garden, Leiden, and the Botanical Garden, Utrecht, all have generously loaned unnamed material of Senecio for study. To those in charge of these herbaria, I extend sincere thanks. The study of this great assemblage of Senecio has made it possible to identify many of the older anid little-known species of this vast genus. It has been necessary to reduce to synonymy certain species and varieties, and to describe a few new species. It seems desirable and worth while to place on


THIS IS A report of a study designed to measure personality, attitude, value, interest, and performance changes resulting from the administration of LSD to normals. Several investigators using LSD with humans in nontherapy experiments have observed that some of their subjects report various lasting effects attributable to the drug experience. 1,2 In addition, the recent controversy over the nonmedical use of LSD has given rise to numerous claims and counterclaims in this regard. We have previously reported on a pilot study in which tests of anxiety, attitudes, and creativity were given to 15 subjects prior to, and one week following, a single 200μg LSD session. Some significant changes in the anxiety and attitude tests were observed, but none were found for the creativity measures. 3 The assessment of lasting effects of hallucinogens involves extradrug variables to a greater extent than do most drug studies.


Let d ≥ 4 and let Ud denote the locus of smooth curves in the Hilbert scheme of degree d plane curves. If the members of Ud have genus g, let Mg denote the moduli stack of genus g curves. We show that the natural map [Ud/ PGL3] → Mg is a locally closed embedding. Along the way, we show that [Ud/ PGL3] represents a functor parameterizing families of plane curves.


This study empirically examines the differences in advertising-related memory and product-related memory effects and ad attitudes between art infusion(interactive/ print advertising) and reguratory focus (promotion focus / prevention focus). Two - way MANOVA analysis was used for the factor analysis. The advertising experiment for renowned artists manipulated the 'self portrait' of 'Vincent Van Gogh'. The results of this study are as follows: First, promotion - focused consumers remember interactive advertising more than advertising printed advertisements in advertisements for advertising on publicity. Second, the consumers who focus on preventive focus tend to recall the information related to the product rather than the interactive advertisement.


Objective To study the practical effects of the resection of gast ric carcinoma with preserving hepatocystic vagus. Methods The clinical data of 160 patients were analyzed retrospectively. All cases were div ided into two groups of gastrectomy and gastrectomy with preserving hepatocystic vagus. Results Function of the gallbladder was improved ob v iously in the group of preserving hepatocystic vagus (P0.01). Cho l elithiasis decreased obviously after operation. Conclusion Pr eserving hepatocystic vagus in resection of gastric carcinoma can decrease the o ccurrences of cholelithiasis and cholecystitis.


The considerable remaining oil target in the naturally fractured Midale field prompted a major reservoir and recovery mechanism study in the mid-1980's. Included in the study were the detailed evaluation of 20+ years of waterflood history and the implementation and analysis of a tertiary miscible CO[sub 2]-flood pilot. The study not necessarily be precluded for naturally fractured reservoirs.


Corpus refers to the database of language materials. Cool Edit Pro is a media edit software. This paper explores how to construct spoken language corpus, how to use cool edit pro 2 to make waveforms for L2 learners at the different stages, make contrast among them and try to provide for the experimenters an intuitive observation from their own speech waveforms. The key is to offer the obvious waveforms contrast among the sampling waveform of the native speaker, the L2 learners' more times waveforms before and after necessary modifications and instructions, resulting in making the oral autonomous learning more effective and efficient. This paper follows the modern education technology methods and quantitative and qualitative analysis to make experiments on pronunciations of speech, aiming to get a satisfactory result and further promote this method to the other fields of language teaching and learning.


This essay examines Spenser's Prosopopoia, or Mother Hubberds Tale through an analysis of Mother Hubberd's taletelling voice in the poem and the effects of her tale on the narrator's illness. The essay considers the architecture of the poem—its symmetries and echoes of itself—and its embodiment of the trope of prosopopoia, in arguing that Mother Hubberd's tale offers an ungentle-but-necessary remediation to the narrator.


Department of English University of Guelph Guelph, Ontario The author studies Lee Maracle's novel Ravensong to examine notions of nation, people and tribe, and the subjectivities constructed by and within imagined communities. At the same time, the author explores her own white subjectivity, how her cultural assumptions are rendered unthinkable from the perspective of Native culture, and how she can respond to the call to give up the entitlement and security of her white privilege. L'auteure etudie le roman, Ravensong, par Lee Maracle afin d'examiner les notions suivantes: nation, peuple et tribu, et la subjectivite construite par et a l'interieur de communautes imaginees. En meme temps, l'auteure explore sa position en tant que femme blanche, et la facon dont les pris-pour-acquis culturels deviennent impensables de la perspective de la culture amerindienne, et comment elle peut tenter de renoncer aux droits et a la securite qui lui sont accordes par le privilege provenant directement du fait qu'elle a la peau blanche. In Nations without Nationalism, Julia Kristeva describes "the cult of origins," the defensive human withdrawal into a "sullen, warm private world, unnameable and biological, the impregnable `aloofness' of a weird primal paradise -- family, ethnicity, nation, race" (pp. 2, 3). "[T]he soil, the blood, and the genius of the language" which Kristeva considers the roots of a xenophobic national idea (p. 40) are precisely the connections on which many First Nations peoples draw in resisting colonization. How does one reinvent oneself and one's connections in ways which avoid reductive and exclusionary allegiances? What does it mean to be a nation or, in less Eurocentric terms, to be a people? If the new nationalisms serve laudable, decolonizing ends, how does one avoid subordinating other claims, such as those of gender, to the claims of solidarity? Ravensong by Salish writer and activist Lee Maracle provides an instructive opportunity to examine notions of nation, people, and tribe, and of the subjectivities constructed by and within such imagined community/ies, because of the complexity of the multiple allegiances which the text negotiates. (1) At a potluck gathering for Joy Harjo in Minneapolis just after the release of the film Dances with Wolves, some of us (mostly Native), heads together, were exchanging slightly furtive critiques of the movie. "Are you Cree?" asked filmmaker Chris Spotted Eagle, misled perhaps by our group's sense of fellow feeling. "No, "I said. "I'm just Irish." "Don't say that," he corrected me. "Irish is good." The "just" had slipped out. Maria Campbell in The Book of Jessica had already begun to educate me on this subject. "While you were being overwhelmed with my history and my oppression," she rebukes Scottish-Canadian collaborator Linda Griffiths, ". . . I couldn't understand why you didn't know your own history. . . . the history of your pain and all the things that happened to your people was exactly the same as our history (Campbell, p. 35). Shortly after my conversation with Chris I began reading up on the history of the Irish in Canada (and, inextricably, Irish history as well), on the Irish "traveller" population, on Irish mythology (from which Yeats' dramas had alienated me almost permanently). I wouldn't say "I'm just Irish" now. I don't think. There is nothing as white as the white girl an Indian boy loves (Alexie, OldShirts, p. 86; The Business of Fancydancing, p. 18). Am I Native American only when I am hated because of it? (Alexie, First Indian on the Moon, p. 81) Lee Maracle's novel Ravensong seems to function antithetically, elaborating and in the process seeming to reinscribe the divide between Indians and "white folk," constructing identity through opposition, between "us" and "them people," between "the village" and "the town," between "the people" and "the others. …


The health sector is vital to the productivity, growth and development of any political system. When the health sector collapses, the human capital is seriously undermined and mortality rates increases and thereby induces poverty in the long run. As vital as the workers in this sector are, many health workers have threatened and even embarked on strike at various times and even in this period of COVID 19 pandemic. This study seeks to investigate, from the point of view of health workers, the causes, types and consequences of industrial actions in the health sector. A cross-sectional study of public health facilities in Ondo State, was employed using a survey design involving data collection from 600 participants, across the various departments of the health institutions. Participants were drawn from the three senatorial districts of the study area. Data analyses involved the use of descriptive and inferential statistics. From the study, many factors are responsible for industrial actions, especially the non-fulfillment of promises made by government to the workers. Also the study affirmed that strike actions, protest, lockout and boycott of emergencies are noticeable ways of conflict displays at the health institutions. Furthermore findings indicated causes of conflict correlate strongly with negative impacts on patient, health workers and society. The study concludes that industrial conflict in health care could result into increases in mortality, spread of diseases in the society, and exploitation of patients. Therefore, complications to health matters were affirmed to be an outcome of industrial conflict in the health care centers. Study therefore recommends that in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic, and negative effects of strikes, governments should ensure that conflicts are prevented by quick response and swift enforcement of the decisions reached at negotiations.


Tom Foggo works in the Manpower Planning and Development Croup in the Agricultural Division of Imperial Chemical Industries. Here he explains ICI's decision to investigate the potential effectiveness of Open Learning as an approach to industrial training. This is a major experimental project mounted in collaboration with the Open Tech Unit, at a total cost of some £3m, and examining the suitability of Open Learning in various geographical locations, different target populations, and subject areas, and using a range of distance teaching media and Open Learning techniques. The author is the ICI project Manager.


This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of compound Leonurus Heterophyllus decoction on reproduction of sows.The diet of treatment group were supplemented with compound Leonurus Heterophyllus decoction one day,two days and three day postpartum respectively.The results showed that diets supplemented with compound Leonurus Heterophyllus decoction after delivery could shorten the time of postpartum lochiorrhea of sows and decreased endometritis significantly.Compound Leonurus Heterophyllus decoction groups had higher estrus rate than the control group.Moreover,the time of estrus of weaning sows in the three groups complied with compound Leonurus Hetrophyllus decoction was shorten significantly.The next litter size of treatment group was higher than the control group and the first group.From the results above,the author can conclude that compound Leonurus Heterophyllus decoction could enhance the reproduction performance of sows,decrease postpartum diseases and enhance the reproduction performance of sows.


Isolation and characterisation of four predominant endophytic bacteria namely, Pencillium sp., Alternaria sp., Aspergillus sp. and Cladosporium sp. from different parts of Calotropis procera plant has been conducted in summer season. Among four isolated fungi Alternaria sp. exhibited the highest (33.33%) colonisation frequency followed by Penicillum sp. (16.66 %), Aspergillus sp.(8.33%) and Cladosporium sp. ( 8.33%). The production and evaluation of "green synthesised AgNPs" has been carried out with the use of fungal cell free extract of four endophytic fungi understudy. The synthesis of AgNPs has been detected by colour change of the solution follwed by UV -Visible spectroscopy and FTIR spectroscopy.The synthesis of AgNPs was maximum in Penicllium sp. followed by Alternaria sp. The antibacterial activity of four fungal cell free extract as well as with AgNPs has conducted against two pathogenic bacteria, E.coli and Bacillus subtilis. Among them Penicillium sp. shows significant antibacterial activity against E.coli rather than Bacillus subtilis. Total phenol content and antioxidant properties of four fungi revealed significant result. The maximum phenol content (83 μg/l) and maximum antioxidant assay (28 μg/ml) has obtained in fungal cell free extract of Alternaria sp. Keywords: Calotropis procera, endophytic fungi, colonisation frequency , green synthesised AgNPs, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties.


The invention relates to a device and a method for labelling individual packages (1), with a feed unit (2) for conveying the package (1), particularly horizontally, a printing device for printing a label (4) that is detachably affixed to a carrier strip (3), and an application unit (5) for applying the printed label (4), in particular to the underside of the package (1). The printing device (23) is arranged laterally outside the feed unit (2) and, to dispense the printed label (4), has a label dispensing device (17, 24) with at least one directional component in a direction opposite to the conveyance direction (f) of the package (1), and the application unit (5) has a manipulator (6, 7, 9), for the label (4), which can be displaced along an axis (8) extending substantially transversely to the conveyance direction (f), such that the printed label (4) detached from the carrier strip (3) can be transferred onto the manipulator (6, 7, 9) when said manipulator is in a first axial position, laterally outside the feed unit (2), and such that when the manipulator (6, 7, 9) is in a second axial position, said label can be brought into the vicinity of the package (1) and applied onto the underside of the package (1) from there.


Cloud computing is the development of parallel computing, distributed computing and grid computing, and with the advancement of cloud computing, how to design efficient distributed tree algorithm is receiving more and more attention, Constrained by parallel assumption, Parallel tree algorithm are not easy to express in MapReduce. Inspired by Bulk Synchronous Parallel model, we propose an enhanced version of Hadoop MapReduce using MPI, which facilitate interactive data communication between supersteps of parallel tasks. Therefore, this paper provides a new idea for tree algorithm with data transition and iterative computation.


A multifunctional construction robot is proposed for various surface treatment tasks in construction. The proposed multifunctional construction robot has the capability of performing both spraying and cleaning tasks and is able to adapt to changes in both the environment and task conditions. Another feature is the force control scheme which is added to the widely used PID position controller of a factory robot to achieve its multifunctionality. The proposed robot needs little change in both hardware and software and can be applied to automate numerous spraying and cleaning tasks regardless of the nature of the surface.<<ETX>>


In this paper we shall prove a unique continuation theorem for Schrodinger's operator, id/dt — A. This will be a consequence of "uniform Sobolev inequalities" for operators which are the Schrodinger operator plus lower order terms in x. In this paper, we shall prove unique continuation theorems for solutions to certain differential inequalities involving the Schrodinger operator on Rn+1, Here, A denotes the Laplace operator on R". We shall show that, if n > 1, and if u(x, t) satisfies certain global integrability conditions as well as a differential inequality i(ijfe + A)u\ < \Vu\, where V(x,t) G L"+2/2(R"+1), then u must vanish identically if it vanishes in a halfspace. These results should be compared to similar results for the wave operator ob- tained in (3). As in that work, a key ingredient in the proof will be a restriction theorem for the Fourier transform. For the Schrodinger operator, we will want to make use of the following restriction lemma of Strichartz (5).


The Advanced SCLAIRTECH™ Technology process is used to manufacture Linear Low Density Polyethylene using solution polymerization. In this process ethylene is polymerized in an inert solvent, which is subsequently evaporated and recycled. The reactor effluent in the process is a polymer solution containing the polyethylene product, which is separated from the solvent and unconverted ethylene/co‐monomer before being extruded and pelletized. The design of unit operations in this process requires a detailed understanding of the thermophysical properties, phase behaviour and rheology of polymer containing streams at high temperature and pressure, and over a wide range of composition. This paper describes a device used to thermo‐rheologically characterize polymer solutions under conditions prevailing in polymerization reactors, downstream heat exchangers and attendant phase separation vessels. The downstream processing of the Advanced SCLAIRTECH™ Technology reactor effluent occurs at temperatures and pressures ...


In order to address the problem of providing a nonwoven cloth provided with both improved softness and adequate thickness and specific volume, the present invention provides a nonwoven cloth and an absorbent article including the nonwoven cloth as a top sheet. The nonwoven cloth has thermally fused composite fibers (F1, F2) that are mutually intersecting and overlapping, and a constricted thermally adhesive section (B1) in which the thermally fused composite fibers (F1, F2) are thermally fused in the intersecting region (R1); wherein the constricted thermally adhesive section (B1) has a recessed surface facing a center line (A1) extending in a direction (Z1) overlapping with the thermally fused composite fibers across the center (P1) of the intersecting region (R1), the distance between the thermally fused composite fibers (F1, F2) being larger than the sum of the radii of the thermally fused composite fibers, the thickness under a load of 3.0 gf/cm2 being 0.5-3.0 mm, and the specific volume being 6-300 cm3/g.


The use of zone plate optics for soft x-rays is discussed. Current x-ray microscopes using such optics are briefly described, and novel possibilities aimed at the implementation of laboratory scale x-ray microscopes are proposed.


Dynamic web pages composed of inter-woven (tangled) source code written in multiple programming languages (e.g., HTML, PHP, JavaScript, CSS) makes it difficult to analyze and manage clones in web applications. Despite more than a decade of research on software clones, there are not many studies towards the investigation of code clones in web applications. In this paper, we present an in-depth study on the patterns (i.e., forking and templating) of exact and near-miss code clones in two industrial dynamic web applications having distinct architecture. The findings of our study confirm the believed patterns for cloning and suggest that specialized techniques and tool support are necessary for effectively managing clones in the tangled source code of dynamic web applications.


Objective To observe the effect of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) on morphology and the expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in hepatic stellate cells (HSC),and explore the mechanism.Methods HSCs were cultured in vitro and treated with TNF-α or TGF-β1.The morphological changes of HSCs were observed and the expression of CTGF in HSC was assessed using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).Results Both TNF-α and TGF-β1 could stimulate the expression of CTGF mRNA in HSC.The expression of CTGF was detectable in HSC after treatment with TNF-α (10 μg/L) for 6,24 and 48 h.TGF-β1 could induce the CTGF expression just after 4 h of treatment at 1 μg/L concentration.Conclusion TNF-α-induced the CTGF expression in HSC may be the mechanisms involving in the liver flbrosis.


Organophosphates are widely used as pesticides in agriculture. They can cause poisoning by accidental exposure or in suicide attempts. Organophosphates cause poisoning by inhibiting the acetyl cholinesterase at the cholinergic synapses [1]. Clinically, the diagnosis of organophosphate poisoning (OPP) is mainly based on the patient's clinical findings, followed by laboratory tests. Sometimes the diagnosis can be difficult, as in our case, because it may mimic other clinical toxicity conditions. In the literature, the reports of conditions mimicking acute OPP are extremely rare. These include brainstem stroke [2,3], a foreign body aspiration [4], and food poisoning [5]. We did not, however, meet any case of OPP mimicking opioid intoxication in the literature. Contrary to previous reports, in our case, diagnosis was not made after recovery with atropine and/or oxime therapy, but with decreased cholinesterase activity.


It is found that the energy-band structure of magnesium in the symmetry plane GAMMA KHA of the Brillouin zone is such that regions of intersecting or nearly intersecting energy surfaces give rise to magnetic breakdown. A theoretical investigation of the profiles of the energy surfaces is carried out by means of an interpolation scheme based on valuses of the energy at the symmetry points taken from an existing orthogonalized-plane-wave ((OPW) calculation. The energy gaps due to spin-orbit e ffects are computed using a three-OPW approximation. Experimental measurements of the de Haas--van Alphen effect for magnetic fields close to the c axis are reported. A giant orbit of area larger than the cross section of the Brillouin zone is found. The experimental parameters for this orbit are in excellent agreement with the theoretical estimates. (auth)


An armored vehicle monitoring system and the corresponding sensing equipments are studied.The system,which took TDMA based polling mode as its communication mechanism,carried out the collection,display and remote monitoring of the position information from GPS and vehicle status information from various sensors installed on vehicle.The system would alarm when the data from sensors exceeded the threshold already settings.


January 7 Take train from newly opened underground station at the end of the line in Arlington to the Mall. Shuffle through the snow in sub-zero temperature to the Smithsonian Institution. The 'Castle Building' is of red brick and with its Gothic turrets and towers is an architectural idiosyncrasy in the midst of monumental Washington. The Wilson Center occupies part of the third and all of the fourth floor. After a brief round of introductions, I take stock of my new surroundings. My room, which is windowless, opens onto a corridor on one side and provides the only access to another office on the other side. Two posters of Greece and Yugoslavia adorn the walls between the ample bookshelves. Across the corridor a small notice in French demands the release of political prisoners in Roumania. Some books I had requested from England are already on my desk thanks to the efficiency of the Center's library staff and the inter-library loan arrangements existing between the Center and the Library of Congress. Fellows enjoy open stack access to the latter and may take out a virtually unlimited number of items for generous time periods. I spend the rest of the day acquiring office technology (e.g. electric typewriter, dictaphone, but no calculator) and being acquired by it in the shape of an ID card complete with optional chain or lapel clip. I put it in my wallet. Collect mail which includes an invitation to be an International Scholar-in-Residence at the University of Nebraska some time before May. Decline invitation regretfully, and on the subway home resolve to explore the possibilities of becoming a permanently itinerant International Fellow.


Episodic ataxia type 2 (EA2) is an autosomal dominantly inherited neurological disorder. Patients have CACNA1A gene mutations resulting in truncation or single amino acid changes in the pore‐forming subunit of Cav2.1 (P/Q‐type) Ca2+ channels. These neuronal channels mediate synaptic neurotransmitter release. EA2 symptoms are thought to result from disturbed neurotransmission at cerebellar and neuromuscular synapses, caused by loss‐of‐function of Cav2.1 channels. Heterozygous leaner (Ln/wt) mice, carrying a Cacna1a truncation mutation, as well as heterozygous Cav2.1 null‐mutant (KO/wt) mice may model synaptic aspects of EA2. We studied Cav2.1‐mediated acetylcholine (ACh) release at their neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) ex vivo. KO/wt mice did not show any ACh release abnormalities, not even at older age. However, Ln/wt mice had ∼25% reduced spontaneous uniquantal ACh release and ∼10% reduced nerve‐stimulation evoked release, compared with wild‐type. EA2 is treated with acetazolamide (AZA), but the pharmacotherapeutic mechanism is unknown. We tested the possibility of a direct influence on (mutant) presynaptic Cav2.1 channel function by studying the acute effect of 50 μM AZA on ACh release at ex vivo NMJs of wild‐type, KO/wt, and Ln/wt mice. No changes were found in any of the release parameters. Our results indicate that Ln‐mutated Cav2.1 channels at Ln/wt NMJs are either normally inserted in the presynaptic membrane but have reduced function, or that they inhibit wild‐type channels by hampering their expression, trafficking, membrane insertion and/or function. In this respect Ln/wt NMJs may model EA2 synapses. Furthermore, AZA does not exert an acute, direct influence on the function of presynaptic (mutant) Cav2.1 channels. Synapse 62:337–344, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


ABSTRACT AGING, RIGHTS, AND QUALITY OF LIFE: PROSPECTS FOR OLDER PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES. Herr, S. and G. Weber. (Eds.). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., 1999, pp. xxi & 392, $49.00. Reviewed by Christopher Newell. IN THE SHADOWS OF OUR STEEPLES: PASTORAL PRESENCE FOR FAMILIES COPING WITH MENTAL ILLNESS. Govig, S. D. New York: The Haworth Pastoral Press, 1999, pp. xiv & 122. $49.95 (hard cover), $14.95 (soft cover). Reviewed by Joseph E. Havranek. BROKEN BODIES, HEALING HEARTS. TenBrook, G. W. Binghamton, NY: The Haworth Pastoral Press, 2000, pp. xiii & 172. $49.95 (hard cover), $19.95 (soft cover). Reviewed by Joseph E. Havranek. A CRY FROM THE CLAY. Bender, E. Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1999, pp. 64. $12.99. Reviewed by Joseph E. Havranek. WHAT PSYCHOTHERAPISTS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT DISABILITY. Olkin, R. New York: Guilford Press, 1999, pp. xvi & 368. $38.00. Reviewed by Thomas St. James. BUILDING A FOUNDATION FOR COOPERATIVE BEHAVIOR. Labas, Linda, Martie Kendrick, Colette Bilodeau, Kathy Son, and Theresa Gooldrup. Orono, Maine: Center for Community Inclusion, Maine's UAP, University of Maine, 1999, pp. iv & 113. Reviewed by Becca Hornstein.


This article examines and studies a coal-chemical plant through a dynamic computer model as well as designs an automatic load-shedding protection. The plant has on-site generation to support partial plant loads. In the past, disconnecting from the utility grid had caused frequency and voltage decays in the plant electrical system to dropout critical loads. A complete system computer model is constructed, including generator dynamics, excitation/automatic voltage regulators (AVRs), and prime mover/governor control characteristics. Transient stability simulations of various loading and generation conditions were carried out to understand and study system frequency and voltage behaviors and patterns of change under a sudden islanding case. This was accomplished by analyzing frequency versus time and rate of change of frequency versus time curves. Further, through carefully evaluating plant load priorities as well as load dependencies, a feasible load-shedding control scheme with backup strategies was configured and simulated by computer modeling and study. Simulation results verified that the proposed loadshedding scheme can correctly respond to frequency drop and automatically initiate the shedding of noncritical and independent loads to prevent further system frequency drop, thereby exceeding the allowable deviation. The suggested solution is automatic and feasible and has been successfully implemented at the plant.


A static stiffness model of the machine tool end considering the whole kinematic chain of the machining system is proposed. The whole kinematic chain is divided into the cutter subsystem and the handle-spindle-motion axes subsystem. The two subsystems are equivalent to a variable diameter cantilever and a variable length cantilever. The 3D static stiffness at the end of the machining system could be resulted by both theoretical calculation and experimental measurement. The static stiffness along different directions are analysed based on the force ellipsoid theory.


Thanks to the abundant and attractive spectrum resource in the millimeter-wave (mmWave) band, mmWave technologies have been widely applied to the fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication system and will continuously evolve towards the future beyond 5G systems as well. However, achieving the pervasive application of mmWave for 5G and beyond still faces many challenges, for example, the severe path-loss and vulnerability in blockage of mmWave propagation may have a great impact on mmWave communication and networking. In addition, the dense deployment of mmWave access points (APs) might be necessary to support a mmWave network with good coverage performance, which however involves very high capital and operation expenditures. Moreover, the highly directional narrow beam transmission may also complicate the mmWave link establishment and maintenance procedure, especially in the mobile scenario. To this end, efficient and cost-effective solutions are urgently called for to address the new challenges in mmWave communication and networking.


New porous conductive polymer composites (CPCs) were fabricated based on immersion precipitation method as gas sensor sensitive layers. The conductive composite was made of poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) as a matrix and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) as conductive particles. The dense layers also fabricated for comparison. The porosity of membranes was measured by means of single point BET. The experimental results showed that by introducing the porosity, the specific surface area of nanocomposites was increased dramatically. Also, the sensing experimental results exhibited that the porosity, which was introduced to the sensitive layer by this fabrication method, improved the CPCs responses against the target vapors. The dense sensitive layers demonstrated the low-speed, low-sensitive and very noisy responses. The porous detectors showed the fast responses and the responses were increased by increasing the concentration of vapor. It can be explained on the base of more facilitation penetration of vapor molecules into the sensitive layer that could improve the swelling of polymer matrix.


The spin-½ Calogero-Gaudin system and its q-deformation are exactly solved: a complete set of commuting observables is diagonalized, and the corresponding eigenvectors and eigenvalues are explicitly calculated. The method of solution is purely algebraic and relies on the co-algebra symmetry of the model.


The article presents an analysis of the new rules for conformity assessment of products. As a result of the analysis, it was found that the directions of international cooperation are confirmed in the objectives and principles of conformity assessment, which corresponds to the national interests of the country. This is enshrined in the new Food Security Doctrine, which is aimed at the export of goods.


Recent studies have shown high prevalence of oropharyngeal dysphagia associated with frailty‐ and age‐related muscle weakness. Strength training exercises have been advocated for locomotive health maintenance in the elderly and have shown positive outcomes. As muscles involved in oropharyngeal phase of swallowing are also comprised of striated muscles, the aim of this study was to determine biomechanical effect of a novel resistance exercise program, Swallowing Against Laryngeal Restriction (SALR), on pharyngeal phase swallowing in the healthy elderly.


thought. Because abstract thought can be represented by a form, the Swiss psychologist-epistemologist Jean Piaget has called it formal thought. Piaget (1963) describes the formal thinker as one 'who thinks beyond the present and forms theories about everything, delighting especially in considerations of that which is not'. This is the type of thinker who at election time understands issues and predicts their consequences, and who understands the social consequences of his actions. He is also the thinker who can design and assemble apparatus, collect data and construct models from those data. He can think about reality, but he is not confined to it. In other words, he performs mental operations in a hypothetical-deductive manner. He can be accurately described as formal operational. If a secondary-school or college student is not a formal thinker, he is a concrete thinker. His mental operations are confined to utilizing information he has received from exploring concrete objects, events and/or situations. He can do mental experiments with the information he receives from his explorations, concepts can be invented for him which employ the exploration information and he can discover the usefulness of those concepts. Notice that all the mental operations just described depend absolutely upon student interaction with concreteness. Such a thinker is truly concrete operational. A formal thinker need not consider reality only: a concrete thinker must. A formal thinker places all information in the context of a form of thought; a concrete thinker must utilize the concrete information he receives. Both can gather information through exploration, understand and create conceptual inventions, and make discoveries about those inventions. The concrete thinker's inventions will deal only with reality; the formal thinker's inventions will deal not only with reality but also with the possible. In short, the quality of concrete thought is different from the quality of formal thought. This difference in quality of thought can begin to appear at approximately 12 years of age and is plainly visible in some students who are as old as 22 years. Kohlberg and Gilligan (1971) have found evidence of widespread concrete thought in persons from 10 to 50 years of age. Our research has shown that 50% of Oklahoma's entering college freshmen and 66% of its high-school seniors still occupy the concrete operational stage of intellectual development (McKinnon and Renner 1971). Movement from the concrete to formal operational thought stage is not an abrupt change: it happens in a gradual manner. Furthermore, overt demonstration of the presence of formal thought in one instance may be followed by a demonstration of concrete thought in another instance. Gradually, however, students begin to think with abstract form rather than objects. There is, however, a necessity for concrete operational thinkers to interact with concrete objects, events and/or situations if they are to progress from the concrete to the formal thought stage. That necessity is extremely logical when the elements of the concrets-formal thinking concept are examined. In order to move from concrete to formal thought, concrete operational students must think. But since they think only with concrete objects, events andlor situations those are what will gradually nudge them towards formal thought. Furthermore, since the interaction with concreteness is what promotes intellectual development, the greater part of that growth is probably occurring while the interaction is taking place. In other words, giving a concrete student formal operational experiences does not provide the experience necessary for him to move from the concrete to the formal thought stage. In schools and colleges the experiences with which students are provided come from such disciplines as physics, and those experiences must be of the type that will encourage formal thought. Intellectual development, therefore, takes place during an experience and is not represented by its end products. That is, of course, the essence of the second premise listed earlier. Differences in content The logic of the foregoing argument hinges on the proposition that content from a particular discipline which concrete thinkers can function with is different from that which formal thinkers can utilize. There is, in other words, concrete content and formal content. From that frame of reference, the proposition suggests itself that when examinations are prepared those questions evaluating understandings of concrete content are concrete questions. Similarly, those questions evaluating understandings of formal content are formal questions. Accepting this proposition, Lawson and Renner developed and validated examinations in secondaryschool biology, chemistry and physics which contained approximately equal numbers of concrete and formal questions (Renner et al 1976). The content for the examinations was selected after consultation with the teachers of the 133 students who were to complete them. The examinations were administered near the end of the 1973 academic year. In addition to completing one of the examinations each student in the sample participated in an interview during which several of the tasks designed by lnhelder and Piaget (1959) to identify formal thought were used. The results of those interviews allowed the grouping of the students into seven categories-early concrete Physics Education November 1976 459 (IIa), transitional concrete, concrete (IIb), postconcrete, early formal (IIIa), transitional formal, and formal (IJIb). The graph shown in figure 1 shows the mean percentage of items (with chance eliminated) answered correctly by each of the seven intellectual development categories. Of special significance is the fact that no student in the concrete operational category achieved any success with formal questions. Notuntil thepost-concrete category was reached was any success registered with questions which evaluated understandings of formal concepts. The data from figure 1 tend to confirm the proposition that concrete thinkers cannot profit from attempting to study formal content. If intellectual development is to be achieved by using content, therefore, the content used must be selected to match the intellectual development level of the learner. If it is not so selected, that content does not assist the learner to achieve intellectual growth because the learner cannot think about it. Not only does the learner not advance intellectually, he does not 'learn' the content. Thus when schools neglect the promotion of intellectual development, they do not lead students to achieve even the most traditional of their purposes, that is 'learning' content. That is exactly what was meant in the second premise by the statement that if intellectual development has not taken place, the end products of the learning cannot be understood. The data shown in figure 1 tend to confirm that statement. In the fall term of the 1974-5 academic year at the University of Oklahoma, data from two groups of students further confirmed the second premise. Those data were obtained from 77 students in a physics course designed for students in the liberal arts and education (prospective elementary-school teachers). On the very first day of the semester those persons were given an examination which measured their mathematical understandings. The content of the examination extended from counting to simple trigonometric functions. The performance of those students on two types of content-percentage and geometry-lend support to the position taken in the second premise. The simple percentage question was missed by 66 % of those taking the examination. The percentages of students unsuccessful on various geometry concepts were as follows: computing circumference when n is known, 83 %; using a ratio to find one missing side of two similar triangles, 90%; computing the area of a triangle, 74%; and using the Pythagorean theorem, 67%. All of these students had 'studied' simple geometry and percentage in earlier education. A percentage is of course a ratio, and the ratio concept involves a relationship which seems to require formal thought. An independent measurement demonstrated that 60% of these students could not solve a simple a/b=c/d type ratio. Geometry is based upon a series of postulates which are not necessarily related to reality; it is a postulatorydeductive system and its concepts have meaning because of their position within that system. Geometry consists of formal content. Obviously these persons had not moved into the formal thought stage by studying that formal content. The data just presented seem to justify the position that concrete students who are required to interact with formal content do not achieve increased intellectual development and do not understand and/or remember the content itself. That interpretation of data presented raises serious questions relative to the value of formal lectures to concrete (and probably early formal) students. The entire educational process-utilized particularly in the early years of college-of large lectures, many abstractions and a minimum of contact with the materials of any discipline seems of questionable value when such data are considered. Furthermore, when students are given remedial work to overcome deficiencies in subjects such as mathematics, the experiences they are given are usually replicas of those experiences which they had originally and which developed the deficiency. Educators seem unwilling to recognize that to handle formal content a student must first become an abstract thinker; providing him experiences with formal content does not move a concrete thinker into the formal stage. Physics and formal thought To be of value in promoting intellectual development, experiments must be done by the students. Piaget has stated 'An experiment not carried out by the individual himself with all freedom of initia


Following short‐term weight loss, we determined whether dietary advice to continue with a hypocaloric diet and consume whole grains ad‐libitum, has any long‐term effect on body weight. Fifty subjects participated in a 12‐week, randomized, parallel‐arm trial investigating whether a hypocaloric diet with whole grains (WG group) enhances weight loss and improves CVD risk factors, compared to a hypocaloric diet with refined grains (RG group). Nineteen subjects from the WG and 20 subjects from the RG group participated in the subsequent nine‐month follow‐up visit. The mean age and BMI was 46.2 years and 34.3 kg/m2, respectively. At nine months, there were no significant changes in body weight, despite the WG group continuing with a hypocaloric diet (1670 ± 82 kcal, P<.05), and the RG group increasing energy intake (1910 ± 159 kcal, P<.05) compared to baseline. The mean (± SEM) whole grain intakes were similar for both groups (WG: 2.5 ± 0.4 vs. RG: 1.3 ± 0.3 serves/day), but were 50% lower in the WG group compared to their intakes at the end of the weight loss period (5.2 ± 0.5 serves/day, P=.001). It appears difficult to maintain a high intake of whole grains over a long‐term period in addition to a hypocaloric diet. Regular dietary counseling may be an important component for behavioral change to maintain a low energy, high whole grain diet, for long‐term weight loss. Funded by General Mills; partial support provided by PSU GCRC (NIH grant M01RR10732)


(57) Abstract: a resistivity of at least 5,000 ohms · cm at room temperature, less than the amount affects the resistivity of the crystal, carbide preferably having a concentration of detectable is less than level, deep level trapping elements It discloses semi-insulating bulk single crystal of silicon. Further, the number of devices obtained utilizing the microwave frequency can be output of the device is formed using a substrate according to the present invention also discloses a method of forming the crystal.


Amitraz is a formamidine pesticide widely used in veterinary medicine. It can produce various side effects that resemble those of the α₂-adrenoceptor agonists, such as xylazine and clonidine. In an attempt to explain some of its side effects, the hypotensive effect of amitraz was studied in urethane anesthetized rabbits. The intravenous injection of amitraz (0.5~2.0 ㎎/㎏) to anesthetized rabbits caused a dose-dependent fall in blood pressure. The hypotensive effect of amitraz (1 ㎎/㎏) was significantly prevented by the pretreatment of both yohimbine (2.0 ㎎/㎏, i.v.) and atropine (2.0 ㎎/㎏, i.v.), but not by the pretreatment of dl-propranolol (1 ㎎/㎏, i.v.), The results obtained in the present study suggest that α₂-adrenoceptor mediates amitraz-induced hypotensive effects and amitraz also cause the hypotensive effect through an increased cholinergic activity.


said, when taken in context with his biographies of Cornelius Nary, Sylvester Lloyd and the early chapters of his study of the Catholic oath question, this work enhances Patrick Fagan's reputation as one of the most painstaking and productive explorers of the Catholic world of eighteenth-century Ireland. Like Patrick Fagan, Patrick MacNally's primary historiographical focus is the early eighteenth century. However, whereas Fagan's exploration of 'the papist constituency' illuminates the world of Catholic economy and society, MacNally's work is 'an oven and unashamed work of political history' that specificallyexcludes 'the economy, the nature of society, law and order, popular culture and the role of women or children'. A reworking of the author's PhD, it combines a narrative and thematic exploration of Irish parliamentary politics during the early-Hanoverian period. At its best, on the impact of the Glorious Revolution, the Hanoverian Succession and parliamentary management it provides a measured analysis of the evolution of late seventeenth and early eighteenth-century Irish parliamentary politics that deftly, lucidly and perceptively describes the main historiographical strands and the main political trends. These chapters will become required reading for undergraduates. The more thematic explorations of 'patronage', 'the Irish and English interests' and 'patriotism' that constitute the rest of the book are less convincing. Each contains useful information and, on occasions, challenging insights. They do not cohere so well individually or severally as the narrative chapters, but it is a measure of the quality of MacNally's work on the early eighteenth century and the extent of his research that they are deserving of serious consideration by scholars as well as by students.


Rationale We show evidence of cysteinylation on Cys252 of recombinant human p40 subunit of interleukin 12 (IL‐12). This was reported in 1996. However, no paper detailing this concept has been published yet. Our paper reports the quantification of Cys252 cysteinylation as well as the full disulfide bridges assignment by nonreducing peptide mapping using mass spectrometry (MS) detection. Methods Nonreducing peptide mapping was applied for disulfide bridges assignment. This study presents an ad hoc method in which applying a neutral pH in the presence of an alkylating agent allowed to mitigate the formation of artifacts such as reshuffled disulfide bridges and permitted the detection of free cysteine. Ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography–MS analysis was performed on a Waters quadrupole time‐of‐flight Xevo G2‐XS mass spectrometer acquiring data in MSE mode. MS data were processed using Expressionist MS Refiner 13.5 (Genedata). Results Scouting experiments were performed using two batches of drug substance. An in‐depth study of the LC tandem mass spectrometry profiles revealed the presence of additional species related to "free" Cys252; this cysteine residue was also detected in its S‐cysteinylated and S‐homocysteinylated forms. This result is consistent with that reported in literature so far. The relative abundance of overall "cysteinylated" species resulted in the range between 46% and 36%, which has also been confirmed using orthogonal techniques such as Ellman's assay. Conclusions Our data clearly demonstrate that the free cysteine (Cys252) on the p40 subunit of recombinant IL‐12 is also present in its cysteinylated and homocysteinylated forms at a considerable rate. Our observations, although based on results obtained on an IL‐12‐derived fusion protein, are consistent with the current literature.


We have found the motivation for this paper in the research of a quantized closed Friedmann cosmological model. There, the second‐order linear ordinary differential equation emerges as a wave equation for the physical state functions. Studying the polynomial solutions of this equation, we define a new functional product in the space of real polynomials. This product includes the indexed weight functions which depend on the degrees of participating polynomials. Although it does not have all of the properties of an inner product, a unique sequence of polynomials can be associated with it by an additional condition. In the special case presented here, we consider the Hermite‐type weight functions and prove that the associated polynomial sequence can be expressed in the closed form via the Hermite polynomials. Also, we find their Rodrigues‐type formula and a four‐term recurrence relation. In contrast to the zeros of Hermite polynomials, which are symmetrically located with respect to the origin, the zeros of the new polynomial sequence are all positive. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


: [Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the foot pressure while walking of people who have floating toe deformity. [Subjects] We chose 20 people with normal toes to participate in the control group and 20 people with toes that were not in contact the floor to participate in the floating toe group. [Methods] We used the F-scan system to investigate the foot pressure in both groups. From these results, we chose the maximum pressure of each toe and the length of the pathway of the center of gravity while walking. [Results] Compared to the control group, the floating toe deformity group showed a decreased maximum pressure in each toe, and the pathway of the center of gravity did not reach the toes. [Conclusion] The people who have a floating toe deformity do not build a base of support. As a result, it is difficult to move the center of foot pressure forward when walking. In addition, people that have a floating toe deformity have concentrated pressure on the plantar metatarsal heads, and, therefore, floating toe deformities can cause foot alignment anomalies.


Image multi-label classification task is mainly to correctly predict multiple object categories in the images. To capture the correlation between labels, graph convolution network based methods have to manually count the label co-occurrence probability from training data to construct a pre-defined graph as the input of graph network, which is inflexible and may degrade model generalizability. Moreover, most of the current methods cannot effectively align the learned salient object features with the label concepts, so that the predicted results of model may not be consistent with the image content. Therefore, how to learn the salient semantic features of images and capture the correlation between labels, and then effectively align them is one of the key to improve the performance of image multi-label classification task. To this end, we propose a novel image multi-label classification framework which aims to align Image Semantics with Label Concepts (ISLC). Specifically, we propose a residual encoder to learn salient object features in the images, and exploit the self-attention layer in aligned decoder to automatically capture the correlation between labels. Then, we leverage the cross-attention layers in aligned decoder to align image semantic features with label concepts, so as to make the labels predicted by model more consistent with image content. Finally, the output features of the last layer of residual encoder and aligned decoder are fused to obtain the final output feature for classification. The proposed ISLC model achieves good performance on various prevalent multi-label image datasets such as MS-COCO 2014, PASCAL VOC 2007, VG-500, and NUS-WIDE with 87.2%, 96.9%, 39.4%, and 64.2%, respectively.


Each year in the United States, one in four women dies from heart disease. "In fact, coronary heart disease (CHD)—the most common type of heart disease—is the number one killer of both men and women in the United States." While the disease does not discriminate by gender, it exhibits vastly different symptoms in men and women. Thus, would it not logically follow that the drugs and devices that are used to treat this disease should stem from clinical trials that proportionally utilized both male and female participants? Unfortunately, for women particularly, it is not logic that always triumphs. A 2009 evaluation of "cardiovascular pre-market approval


This paper conducts a numerical investigation on the hydrodynamic performance of a portable autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). The portable AUV is designed to cruise and perform some tasks autonomously in the underwater world. However, its dynamic performance is strongly affected by hydrodynamic effects. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate the hydrodynamic performance of the portable AUV for its accurate dynamic modeling and control. In this work, based on the designed portable AUV, a comprehensive hydrodynamic performance investigation was conducted by adopting the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. Firstly, the mechanical structure of the portable AUV was briefly introduced, and the dynamic model of the AUV, including the hydrodynamic term, was established. Then, the unknown hydrodynamic coefficients in the dynamic model were estimated through the towing experiment and the plane-motion-mechanism (PMM) experiment simulation. In addition, considering that the portable AUV was affected by wave forces when cruising near the water surface, the influence of surface waves on the hydrodynamic performance of the AUV under different wave conditions and submerged depths was analyzed. Finally, the effectiveness of our method was verified by experiments on the standard models, and a physical experiment platform was built in this work to facilitate hydrodynamic performance investigations of some portable small-size AUVs.


The recent attack on Apple iTunes Digital Rights Management [17] has brought to light the usefulness of proxy re-encryption schemes for Digital Rights Management. It is known that the use of proxy re-encryption would have prevented the attack in [17]. With this utility in mind and with the added requirement of non-repudiation, we propose the first ever signcryption scheme with proxy re-encryption that does not involve bilinear maps. Our scheme is called RSA-TBOS-PRE and is based on the RSA-TBOS signcryption scheme of Mao and Malone-Lee [7]. We adapt various models available in the literature concerning authenticity, unforgeability and non-repudiation and propose a signature non-repudiation model suitable for signcryption schemes with proxy re-encryption. We show the non-repudiability of our scheme in this model. We also introduce and define a new security notion of Weak-IND-CCA2, a slightly weakened adaptation of the IND-CCA2 security model for signcryption schemes and prove that RSA-TBOS-PRE is secure in this model. Our scheme is Weak-IND-CCA2 secure, unidirectional, extensible to multi-use and does not use bilinear maps. This represents significant progress towards solving the open problem of designing an IND-CCA2 secure, unidirectional, multi-use scheme not using bilinear maps proposed in [15][12].


The principles and history of ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) are discussed, along with U.S. and foreign OTEC programs, where all proposed OTEC plants use the Rankine cycle. Particular attention is given to OTEC components such as the mechanically durable 0.030 inch thick tube walls of the heat exchanger. The working fluid of modern closed cycle systems is ammonia, and mechanical cleaning and chlorination are used against biofouling. Heat exchanger types, including shell-and-tube, plate-fin, and trombone are considered, as well as the hull of the plant, its platform, sea water pumps, and differently designed cold water pipes. Moreover, computer models designed to study performance sensitivity to various operating parameters are discussed.


Electron temperature profiles, turbulence levels, and anomalous transport are calculated for tokamak discharges using the hypothesis that the dissipative trapped-electron instability drives the plasma to marginal stability. (AIP)


Nitrification-denitrification is the most widely used nitrogen removal process in wastewater treatment. However, this process can lead to undesirable nitrite accumulation and subsequent ammonium production. Biogenic Fe(II-III) hydroxycarbonate green rust has recently emerged as a candidate to reduce nitrite without ammonium production under abiotic conditions. The present study investigated whether biogenic iron(II-III) hydroxycarbonate green rust could also reduce nitrite to gaseous nitrogen during bacterial nitrate reduction. Our results showed that biogenic iron(II-III) hydroxycarbonate green rust could efficiently decrease the selectivity of the reaction towards ammonium during heterotrophic nitrate reduction by native wastewater-denitrifying bacteria and by three different species of Shewanella: S. putrefaciens ATCC 12099, S. putrefaciens ATCC 8071 and S. oneidensis MR-1. Indeed, in the absence of biogenic hydroxycarbonate green rust, bacterial reduction of nitrate converted 11–42% of the initial nitrate into ammonium, but this value dropped to 1–28% in the presence of biogenic hydroxycarbonate green rust. Additionally, nitrite accumulation did not exceed the 2–13% in the presence of biogenic hydroxycarbonate green rust, versus 0–28% in its absence. Based on those results that enhance the extent of denitrification of about 60%, the study proposes a water treatment process that couples the bacterial nitrite production with the abiotic nitrite reduction by biogenic green rust.


The number of papers,core authors,high paper production institutions,hot topics,and academic levels of papers in 1-15 national medical information academic conferences of Chinese Medical Association were analyzed.Position of medical information academic conferences,role of core authors in their institutions and academic circles,influence power of core authors,and reasons of the changed paper-growing curve and distribution of hot topics were studied in order to provide references and lesions for the development of medical information cause in China.


When a replicative DNA polymerase (Pol) is stalled by damaged DNA, a "polymerase switch" recruits specialized translesion synthesis (TLS) DNA polymerase(s) to sites of damage. Mammalian cells have several TLS DNA polymerases, including the four Y‐family enzymes (Polη, Polι, Polκ and REV1) that share multiple primary sequence motifs, but show preferential bypass of different DNA lesions. REV1 interacts with Polη, Polι, and Polκ and therefore appears to play a central role during TLS in vivo. Here we have investigated the molecular basis for interactions between REV1 and Polκ. We have identified novel REV1‐interacting regions (RIRs) present in Polκ, Polι and Polη. Within the RIRs, the presence of two consecutive phenylalanines (FF) is essential for REV1‐binding. The consensus sequence for REV1‐binding is denoted by x‐x‐x‐F‐F‐y‐y‐y‐y (x, no specific residue and y, no specific residue but not proline). Our results identify structural requirements that are necessary for FF‐flanking residues to confer interactions with REV1. A Polκ mutant lacking REV1‐binding activity did not complement the genotoxin‐sensitivity of Polk‐null mouse embryonic fibroblast cells, thereby demonstrating that the REV1‐interaction is essential for Polκ function in vivo.


Abstract In this study, the complete mitogenome sequence of the Favites halicora (Favites) has been sequenced by the next-generation sequence method. The overall mitogenome of F. halicora is 25.09% for A, 13.09% for C, 20.33% for G, and 41.50% for T, as well as 33.41% for low GC. The assembled mitogenome, consisting of 17,033 bp, has unique 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 2 transfer RNA genes, and 2 ribosomal RNA genes. The complete mitogenome provides essential and important DNA molecular data for further phylogenetic and evolutionary analysis of stony coral phylogeny.


Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) has been extensively applied to study the kinetics and photophysics of molecules as well as interactions between molecules by extracting information from the fluctuation of signals. In particular, single molecule applications of FCS promise the greatest amounts of information. Ideally, one would like to carry out FCS in real-time; however, due to the time-consuming nature of the correlation process, performing the correlation in real-time is totally nontrivial. Generally an expensive hardware correlator or a TCSPC board is required for this purpose. Recently highly-efficient algorithms based on multi-tau method have been proposed to build up a software correlator. In this work, we set forth an innovative algorithm capable of realizing the real-time correlation, without turning to the multi-tau method. This algorithm takes advantage of the low count rate generally existing in the FCS experiments, directly using the time interval between each photon its adjacent photon to efficiently update the correlation function. Based on this efficiency, it is possible to build a low-cost software correlator with just an ordinary counter board. We practically demonstrate the feasibility by setting up this correlator to measure the diffusion motion of rhodamine 6G in water using FCS. The algorithm was validated by duplicating the signal from the photon detector and sending it to both the ordinary counter board with our software correlator and a commercial correlator simultaneously. The perfect coincidence of the correlation curves from these two correlators and the real-time display of the correlation function indicate the validity and practicability of our approach.


Micro four-rotor aircraft is a under-driven,strongly coupled nonlinear system. This paper focused on the study of the four-rotor aircraft attitude control. In this paper,we established a four-rotor aircraft attitude completely mathematical model. Combined the backstepping control basic idea with adaptive and sliding mode control method,we designed the control system based on Lyapunov stability criterion,and selected the appropriate control parameters to ensure that the design of the control system is asymptotically stable. Finally,we designed an attitude controller based on adaptive backstepping sliding model algorithm. Verified by computer simulation software,the results show that compared with the controller with other algorithm,our design has a faster response time and more robust.


Engel's coefficient is not suitable for measuring residents living conditions in our country during the period of building a well-off society in an all-round way. The new social needs the index that includes more spiritual consumption to measure residents happy feeling and social development. In this context,Liu Simin thinks that tourism consumption contains material and spirit consumption characteristics. Tourism Engel coefficient can judge the people's living standard during the time of building a well-off society in an all-round way. But the empirical research of the urban residents in Henan province shows that only using the tourism consumption as index is insufficient on the calculation model,although from the perspective of residents' quality of life,tourism Engel coefficient provides a positive indicator of social development and people living standard. And it also needs to build a new model to make up the inadequacy of the Tourism Engel's coefficient.


Contemporary folk arts as a convention – supplement after years of

 This article is an attempt to answer the question of how folk art ex


Встановлено, що затяжна економічна криза і спричинений нею режим жорсткої економії та соціальних скорочень, запроваджених урядовими кабінетами Іспанії, створили сприятливі умови для виникнення протестного руху та нових політичних партій. У березні 2014 року офіційно зареєстровано ліву радикальну партію
соціалістичного спрямування "Подемос", представники якої цього ж року були обрані у Європейський парламент. Охарактеризовано основні політико-економічні та соціальні процеси, що призвели до виникнення та успіху нової партії серед виборців парламентської монархії. This paper dwells on political and economic consequences of rigid economy policy in Spain. It is found that social and political conditions experienced by Spain since 2008 onwards created favorable conditions for emergence of
new political parties. The "Podemos" party (We can) emerged from the 15-M protest movemenе (the Indignados movement). On 11 March 2014, the "Podemos" party was officially registered as a political party and the following May it made an electoral breakthrough obtaining 5 deputy's mandates in the European Parliament. In December
2015 during the general election on Spain, "Podemos" won about 20 % of votes. This general election marked the end of a two-party system which had existed in Spain since restoration and consolidation of democracy. The new party presents itself as a party of popular classes, placing itself in opposition to the two-party system of the PP (People's
Party) and the PSOE (Socialist Party). For thirty years, these parties had been dominating on the Spanish electoral scene and accounted for 80 % of votes. The "Podemos" party entered the national arena for the first time. The emergence of it in political arena of the state has forced big parties to respond to the grave problems presented not only by the economy but also by the political, social and institutional systems. The party proposes changes to Constitution of Spain of 1978 and guarantees proper functioning of the legal system; implementing a fair electoral system; recognising plurinational character of the state. In this paper, the author shows the positions of the "Podemos" party regarding key political-economic and social issues. The program of the party has a strong redistributive content, and advocates drastic increase in the economic role of the state. In this article, the author tries to trace the main political and social processes that has led to emergence and success of the "Podemos". The paper describes foundation of the party and examines characteristics of its voters, and shows that the latter have predominantly leftist origins and orientations.


Physiological homeostasis becomes compromised during aging, as a result of impairment of cellular processes, including transcription and RNA splicing. However, the molecular mechanisms leading to the loss of transcriptional fidelity are so far elusive, as are ways of preventing it. Here, we profiled and analyzed genome-wide, aging-related changes in transcriptional processes across different organisms: nematode worms, fruit flies, mice, rats and humans. The average transcriptional elongation speed (Pol-II speed) increased with age in all five species. Along with these changes in elongation speed we observed changes in splicing, including a reduction of unspliced transcripts and the formation of more circular RNAs. Two lifespan-extending interventions, dietary restriction and lowered insulin/Igf signaling, both reversed most of these aging-related changes. Genetic variants in Pol-II that reduced its speed in worms and flies increased their lifespan. Similarly, reducing Pol-II speed by overexpressing histone components, to counter age-associated changes in nucleosome positioning, also extended lifespan in flies and the division potential of human cells. Our findings uncover fundamental molecular mechanisms underlying animal aging and lifespan-extending interventions, and point to possible preventative measures.


A research program has been undertaken to characterize oil sand deposits. Studies include delination of reservoir architecture; petrophysical attributes; and petrography and core analysis.


We develop a novel deadlock control policy to add monitors to ensure the controllability of elementary siphons of Petri nets,and the controllability of dependent siphons is ensured by properly selecting the control depth variables of elementary siphons,which can be obtained by linear programming techniques.The control policy can model concurrent execution of manufacturing assembly processes in FMS(Flexible Manufacturing Systems) through a class of nets,called the G-system that is a large class of discrete event systems.A relevant property of the system behavior is to be non-blocking,i.e.,from any reachable state,a desirable state can be always reached under supervision.Compared with the existing policies,the advantage of ours is that a much smaller number of monitors are added with unnecessary iterative processes avoided.


This special volume brings together the latest advances in, and applications of, vibration, structural engineering and measurement. It comprises 534 papers selected from the over 800 submitted by universities and industrial concerns all over the world. They specifically cover the topics of vibration engineering, structural engineering, building materials and measurement.


The narrow bandwidth of microstrip antenna is one of the important features that restrict its wide usage. This paper presents a bandwidth enhancement using slot geometry for the feed line matching is proposed and experimentally studied. The maximum bandwidth can be achieved by keeping the optimum distance between the two slots and by adjusting the length of the transmission feed line 50 Ohm. Return loss of -77.74 dB with VSWR 1.0026 for frequency at 940 MHz. The results show that the proposed antenna has the i m p r o v e d impedance bandwidth covering whole band.


Authors report on a length polymorphism in the intragenic spacer 1 (ITS1) of the nuclear ribosomal DNA repeat. Species of the genera Barbula, Bryoerythrophyllum, Didymodon, Microbryum, Pleurochaete, Syntrichia, Timmiella, Tortella, Tortula, and Weissia were studied. The differences in length of the ITS1 match to a great extent recent evidence on the circumscription of genera based on morphology.