The Internet stack is not a complete description of the resources and services needed to implement distributed applications, as it only accounts for communication services and the protocols that are defined to deliver them. This paper presents an account of the current distributed application architecture using a formal model of strictly layered systems, meaning that services in any layer can only depend on services in the layer immediately below it. By mapping a more complete Internet-based application stack that includes necessary storage and processing resources to this formal model, we are able to apply the Hourglass Theorem in order to compare alternative approaches in terms of their"deployment scalability."In particular, we contrast the current distributed application stack with Exposed Buffer Architecture, which has a converged spanning layer that allows for less-than-complete communication connectivity (exposing lower layer topology), but which also offers weak storage and processing services. This comparison shows that Exposed Buffer Architecture can have deployment scalability greater than the current distributed application stack while also providing minimally requisite storage and processing services.


Neovascular glaucoma (NVG) is a severe consequence of ocular ischaemic disease. The mechanism of intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation is considered to be the increased permeability of the newly formed vessels,1 angle closure by the peripheral anterior synechia and intertrabecular neovascular tissue.2 3 The intravitreal injection of bevacizumab (IVB) was reported to be effective in the regression of new vessels.4 This injection may provide us with sufficient time to treat these patients with retinal photocoagulation. In addition, it may also be used as an adjunctive therapy for a mitomycin C (MMC) trabeculectomy to treat NVG. It remains to be elucidated as to how bevacizumab exerts its effects on the neovascular tissue in NVG. This study was carried out to examine the trabecular meshwork of eyes with NVG following the IVB.

A dose of 1.25 mg (0.05 ml) of IVB (Avastin 100 mg/4 ml, Roche, Reinach, Switzerland) was given in the superotemporal quadrant 4 mm posterior to the limbus of the affected eyes of three patients. The underlying diseases …


For improved the precision of the measurement result of the gain coefficient and avoid the affection of the optical spectrum analyzer's resolution and noise, we combined the Hakki-Paoli method with the wavelet denoise and deconvolution process. It was testified from the simulation that this method improve the precision of the gain coefficient measurement. At last, the conclusion was testified from the experiment


A story can be narrated in different ways. As to the story about China, Zhao Hui's version is unique. This is a story presented by camera lens, a story that unfolds a cultural China with vitality and grandeur. One can be all but overwhelmed by its new means of presentation, its new concept of photographing,


This paper presents the proposed switched beam antenna system for V2V communication including optimum antenna half power beamwidth determination in urban road environments. SQP optimization method is selected for the computation of optimum antenna half power beamwidth. In addition, beam tracking algorithm is applied to guarantee the best beam selection with maximum RSSI. The results present the success of the proposed system with the increasing of V2V performance metrics. Also, V2V data dissemination via the proposed system introduces the enhancement of V2V link in terms of RSSI, PER, BER, , and . The results indicate the improvement of V2V link reliability. Consequently, the road safety is improved.


Nevalainen, Juha The possibilities of music in dementia nursing – instruction for nurses. 57 p., 1 appendice. Language: Finnish. Helsinki, Autumn, 2010. Diaconia University of Applied Sciences. Degree Programme in Nursing. Degree: Nurse. This is practice-based thesis which aims to develop a guide about therapeutic use of music for nurses who work with dementia patients. The thesis process consisted of generating an idea, designing, implementation and releasing the thesis. The theory is collected from literature, magazines, newspapers, internet and music therapy studies in Sibelius Academy. Practice-based of the thesis consist of demonstrations about therapeutic use of music I lead. The methods I chose for the practice-based part was singing and listening to music, because they are generally the easiest way to produce music. The most important conclusion I noticed was this kind of therapeutical use of music is needed. It would not replace the old but could be a new tool for rehabilitating nursing.


In this paper, a multi-mode image tracking system was designed, which uses the distributed structure to fuse the tracking results of these modes. Because of noise in the image, the presence of occlusion, and deformation of the tracked target, some tracking algorithms may fail. The aim of the paper is to merge the advantages of all tracking algorithms to obtain robust behaviour. There are three tracking models applied in this system, based on region, B-snake, and distinguished points. Each of these three modes contributes to the fusion center, and communicates with other models. Results show that this system could overcome common problems in tracking.


According to data from field test, synthetical inlucence was discussed about different ways of plastic film mulching to soil temperature in wheat field, effective moisture content in soil, wheat growing and output forming besides, economic benefits of spring wheat with film mulching and the optimum plan for growing management in Tulufan were also analysed.


Three model compounds of poly(tetramethylene terephthalamide) or 4T Nylon have been synthesized and characterized using single crystal X-ray diffractometry, infrared spectroscopy, and 13CCP/MAS nmr...


Our aim is to further understand the process, participation and operations of cancer mu ltidiscip linary team meet ings in Australia based on the experience and knowledge of participants. Our objective was also to identify obstacles to effective and sustainable mu ltidiscip linary team meet ings, particularly how informat ion and communication technology could assist in overcoming these obstacles. We used an online nationwide survey applying a convenience sampling method. While part icipants in cancer care in Australia believe mult idisciplinary team meetings represent best practice cancer care both now and in the future, major obstacles to the sustainability and effectiveness of the model include increased workload and lack o f support including financial, ad ministrative and technological. A nu mber of ripp le effects of mult idisciplinary team meeting imp lementations threaten the sustainability of this best practice model. We do not believe that these are failures of the model but rather obstacles that can be overcome through the implementation of reco mmendations that are well worth the effort required. Whilst these obstacles fall into a number of categories, each with potentially unique solutions, improvements in technological support are certainly seen as a key part o f the suite of solutions, along with better funding support for participants and more efforts towards improved meeting governance.


Optimal configuration of stiffening ribs in the steel welded I – beams and columns is studied. A wide class of designs with traditional orthogonal configuration implementing transverse and/or longitudinal ribs is considered and compared with a new configuration with diagonal ribs. The critical load and the total manufacturing cost, composed of costs of steel, cutting and welding are computed for all designs. The configuration with diagonal ribs proved to be more efficient than the traditional ones.


A decision support tool for the management of risks from accidents in chemical industrial sites handling hazardous substances (toxic or flammable) is presented. Management of risk refers to potential land use plans and/or emergency response plans that are based on geographical considerations of the extent of risk. A tool has been developed on a GIS (Geographical Information System) computer platform using digital maps to provide visual focus to the relative magnitude of the consequences of the operation of such chemical sites to the human health and environment. The tool uses the capabilities of a GIS platform to combine each map with the corresponding information at each level offering a new dimension to the management of industrial risk to the human health and the environment. It is built using the advantages of a GIS and complements the risk assessment with geographical information useful in supporting relevant management decisions.


I review the role of probability in contemporary physics and the origin of probabilistic time asymmetry, beginning with the pre-quantum case (both stochastic mechanics and classical statistical mechanics) but concentrating on quantum theory. I argue that quantum mechanics radically changes the pre-quantum situation and that the philosophical nature of objective probability in physics, and of probabilistic asymmetry in time, is dependent on the correct resolution of the quantum measurement problem.


The invention discloses an embedded intelligent monitoring and remote maintenance system of a powder forming machine. The embedded intelligent monitoring and remote maintenance system is composed of an on-site monitoring unit and a powder forming machine manufacturer remote maintenance center. A workshop on-site monitoring platform has the function of obtaining the important running state of the powder forming machine through real-time data interaction with a main controller of the powder forming machine and through workshop field data collected through data collection devices such as a sensor, a video collection device and an audio collection device, the function of displaying the real-time running state of the powder forming machine on a display device, the function of alarm prompt and the like. Meanwhile, the on-site monitoring unit can conduct data compression and data classification on state parameters of the powder forming machine and sends data to a remote maintenance center of a device producer and a person in charge of a certain part of the powder forming machine through an Ethernet interface, a GPRS interface and a short message sending module, and therefore online monitoring and remote fault diagnosis of the powder forming machine, and the maintenance service are achieved, and related personnel are notified. The embedded intelligent monitoring and remote maintenance system is low in cost, complete in function, high in configurability and high in tailing capability, functional modules can be increased or reduced according to the on-site running state of the powder forming machine, and the embedded intelligent monitoring and remote maintenance system has high universality.


To explore the effects of infrasound on the memory function and neurogenesis in the rat hippocampus, BDNF and BrdU-labled neurons were investigated by the immunohistochemical method. After exposure to infrasound of 8Hz, 130dB for 14 days, the Morris water maze test was performed to assess spatial learning and memory. The rats were sacrificed and sections of hippocampus were stained for BrdU and BDNF. The infrasound exposure obviously extended the latency to find the platform, and decreased the number of BrdU-labled cells and BDNF -like neurons in the hippocampus. These results indicated that infrasound may interfere the memory function which the decrease of BDNF and neurogenesis cells in hippocampus might be involved in.


This study aimed to analyze the glycemic index value of processed products of Coleus tuberosus. The study included ten healthy subjects with seven males, three females (30 ± 3.80 years on average age and 22.49 ± 1.82 on average BMI). Participants tested three different meals (D-glucose anhydrous, wheat crackers, and Coleus tuberosus crackers) with equal carbohydrate load (50 g). Blood glucose concentrations were measured at 0 min as well as at 30, 60, 90 and 120 min after the start of the meal for glucose levels determination. The result showed that the glycemic index of Coleus tuberosus crackers rich in resistant starch tipe III categorized in the low category. The glycemic index value of Coleus tuberosus crackers at 40.88 ± 6.42, whereas wheat crackers has high glycemic index (76.08 ± 5.36). Based on this results, Coleus tuberosus crackers is good for control of blood glucose profile.


"Let the jury consider their verdict," the King said, for about the twentieth time that day. "No, no!" said the Queen. "Sentence first — verdict afterwards." "Stuff and nonsense!" said Alice loudly. "The idea of having the sentence first!" "Hold your tongue!" said the Queen, turning purple. "I won't!" said Alice. "Off with her head!" the Queen shouted at the top of her voice. — Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland At 9 a.m. on January 23, 1997, after two days of speeches and presentations at a consensus-development conference sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the conference panel . . .


The invention discloses case shaking and nail distributing feeding equipment which comprises a framework, a nail shaking case and a case shaking mechanism. The nail shaking case can rotate around a first rotary shaft and is arranged on the framework, the case shaking mechanism is arranged between the framework and the nail shaking case and is used for driving the nail shaking case to vertically shake around the first rotary shaft, and an opening is formed in the upper end of the nail shaking case; a plurality of nail placing slide rails which penetrate the bottom of the nail shaking case are formed in the bottom of the nail shaking case side by side and are perpendicular to the axis of the first rotary shaft; first nail barriers are arranged in the nail shaking case and are positioned above the nail placing slide rails, and a plurality of nail passing notches which are in one-to-one correspondence with the nail placing slide rails are formed in the bottom edges of the first nail barriers; a plurality of nail discharge outlets which are in one-to-one correspondence with the nail placing slide rails are formed in the side surfaces of the nail shaking case and are positioned in the same ends of the nail placing slide rails, and the nail placing slide rails are communicated with the nail discharge outlets. The case shaking and nail distributing feeding equipment has the advantages that by the aid of the case shaking and nail distributing feeding equipment, nails can be sequentially and orderly arrayed reliably and efficiently and can be outputted and conveyed one by one reliably and stably.


Ether amines, ether amine alkoxylates, and their derivatives have found increased use as agricultural surfactants in the past decade. Most of the documented applications of ether amine surfactants have been limited to glyphosate formulations, where ether amine ethoxylates, oxides, and quats have been demonstrated to be excellent adjuvants. Because of regulatory status and availability, their application potentials in agricultural formulations have not been fully explored. In this paper, we will review the unique physical properties of ether amines and amine ethoxylates and their applications as agricultural adjuvants. The potentials of these molecules in other formulations will be explored with exemplary formulations.


Selenium was determined in geological samples with a high content of
iron by HG–ICP-AES in combination with flow injection (FI) on-line
iron separation. Anion-exchange separation with hydrochloric acid was
applied for the separation of selenium from iron. The iron–chloro
complexes were adsorbed on an anion-exchange (Dowex 1X-8) microcolumn (3.0
mm id×50.0 mm bed length), while the analyte was introduced into the
hydride generation system. After the removal of the iron, a 700 µl
sample was injected into a water carrier stream. This was merged with
hydrochloric acid and sodium tetrahydroborate in order to generate
selenium hydride. The system was found to have a limit of detection of 0.3
ng ml
 -1
 and an RSD of 2% for a 20 ng
ml
 -1
 selenium concentration. The application of the
method to geochemical standard reference samples (GSD-4, GSS-7, GSR-6,
JB-2 and JGb-1) demonstrated that the results were statistically
indistinguishable from the certified values.


In this paper, we analyze some characteristics of parallel dense matrix operations which include data structure of matrix, distributing strategy of parallel memory space and boundary processing of matrix. Then the matrix inversion algorithm and its efficiency are given. Meanwhile, the differentiation of this matrix inversion algorithm and the algorithm of PLAPACK software package is compared, and then the robustness of these two different algorithms is analyzed. Lastly, the example of this algorithm in the survey adjustment problem of geodesy is given.


The Drain Induced Barrier Lowering (DIBL) behavior in Ultra-Thin Body and Buried oxide (UTBB) transistors is investigated in details in the temperature range up to 150°C, for the first time to the best of our knowledge. The analysis is based on experimental data, physical device simulation, compact model (SPICE) simulation and previously published models. Contrarily to MASTAR prediction, experiments reveal DIBL increase with temperature. Physical device simulations of different thin-film fully-depleted (FD) devices outline the generality of such behavior. SPICE simulations, with UTSOI DK2.4 model, only partially adhere to experimental trends. Several analytic models available in the literature are assessed for DIBL vs. temperature prediction. Although being the closest to experiments, Fasarakis' model overestimates DIBL(T) dependence for shortest devices and underestimates it for upsized gate lengths frequently used in ULV (ultra-low-voltage) applications. This model is improved in our work, by introducing a temperature-dependent inversion charge at threshold. The improved model showed very good agreement with experimental data, with high gain in precision for the gate lengths under test.


British Geological Survey is collaborating with Satellite Observing Systems Ltd. to produce high quality gravity coverageof the world's oceans using satellite altimeter data. As part of this collaboration BGS has compared the free-air gravity anomaly derived from marine gravity surveys with data derived from the ERS-1 satellite.


A test on coagulation treatment of coal mine wastewater was carried out.The influences of PAC dosage,PAM dosage and pH value on turbidity removal were investigated using single factor test,and the optimal hydraulic condition and technological condition of the coagulation treatment were determined through an orthogonal experiment.The results showed that:dosage of PAC and PAM and pH value had certain degree influence on turbidity removal;under the condition that the pH value of the coal mine wastewater had not been adjusted,the optimal hydraulic condition was:the speed and time of rapid agitation were 200 r/min and 2 min respectively;the speed and time of slow agitation were 30 r/min and 20 min respectively.The optimal technological condition was:the dosage of PAC and PAM were about 60 and 0.8 mg/L respectively;with the combined use of them,the removal rate of turbidity could reach above 95%.


In this paper tensile properties and fracture toughness at elevated temperatures have been investigated for a permanent mould cast AlSi10Mg-T6 alloy. Crack tip opening displacement (CTOD) - fracture toughness and the ratio of the sharp-notch strength to the 0.2 % offset yield strength were determined. The tensile tests results were compared with previous work by the author [1], using the same alloy, but with different microstructural fineness. It was found that a reduction in dendrite arm spacing (DAS) improved for tensile strength and yield strength in the temperature interval investigated. However, elongation was sensitive to porosity and defects that were created during the casting process rather than on the reduction in DAS. The investigation of CT0D fracture toughness and the sharp-notch strength at the 0.2% offset tensile yield strength at elevated temperatures is an extension of another work done by the author at room temperature [2]. It was found that CTOD fracture toughness was slightly reduced in the temperature regime investigated. The ratio of the sharp-notch strength to the 0.2% offset tensile yield strength and a proposed test method based on the maximum load from sharp notch specimen tests may be useful for merit rating of fracture toughness at elevated temperatures.


Over the past five to ten years internationally a renewed interest can be observed in systems that require little or no substrate, such as deep flow technique and nutrient film technique - here dubbed hydroponic systems. Interestingly these systems have been around for over 40 years, but have only locally developed into main stream growing systems, mainly in Australia and Asia. This paper addresses the questions of what drives this renewed interest, why these systems haven't developed earlier – like for example stone wool-based systems – and whether hydroponic systems are reliable enough for sustainable, large scale introduction. We analysed case material of regional transition processes in horticultural production systems from over the past 50 years. We analysed the processes according to 1) the need for change in horticulture at the time – the main drivers, 2) the knowledge system available, 3) the knowledge available and 4) the windows of opportunity for introduction. Early adoption to hydroponic systems in the '70s led to system failures due to lack of knowledge of nutrient management, the role of oxygen, systematic design approaches, an over-focus on logistical solutions and disease management. By the time most of these issues were understood – in the '80s – the interest in hydroponic systems had made way for substrate-based systems in most areas of the world. Insights in disease management, emission reduction and a deeper understanding of root physiology however, have remained under-developed. Looking at the knowledge system surrounding successful introductions like the stone wool-based systems in the '80s, we find well-funded extension services to help growers adjust to the new systems and open-source innovation. Substrate-less systems largely lacked such support and lacked knowledge exchange due to large distances between first users. Extension activities were funded by governments as well as supplying companies with a vision for return on investment based on patents. For (easy to copy) hydroponic systems such knowledge protection was not available. Over the last 5-10 years a number of suppliers acquired knowledge protection through inventions on logistical aspects of the systems. We conclude that the renewed interest has a number of regional drivers such as depletion of land and societal interest in urban farming. However, to make hydroponic systems a lasting success, research effort should focus on reliable production: disease management, emission reduction and root development. Following, growers will need support to learn to operate these systems successfully. Given the current high needs, the inter¬national research interest and new forms of IP protection for suppliers, the time seems ripe for new, hydroponic systems to emerge.


T his study has purpose to know the application of practical learning on subject of skill productive program Technique Installation of Electric Power in Vocational High School 1 Batipuh with focus of the study are: motivation, self-readability, effective and time efficiency, and facilities   in   applying   practical   learning.This   type   of   research   is qualitative  research  with  descriptive  method,  where  this  research describe a condition as how it is on subject of skill productive program Technique Installation of Electric Power in Vocational High School 1 Batipuh.  The  study  shows  that  the  process  of  practical  learning  on subject of skill productive program Technique Installation of Electric Power in Vocational High School 1 Batipuh has been done as the established procedure, but the result of the students is still under the standard caused by many of barriers viewed from motivation, self- readability, effective and efficiency of time, and facilities on applying practical learning. Kata kunci: productive, practical learning, Installation


The riverine wetlands located in the riverside bring about social conflicts through confrontation between flood control value through flood control project and ecological preservation value of riverine wetland. In this study, we identified the importance of both values through analysis of economic feasibility of flood control and ecological values of riverine wetland, and tried to suggest management plans for riverine wetland considering both of flood control safety and ecological preservation through these results. For this, we calculated the expected annual flood damage of Imjin River using the multi-dimensional flood damage analysis(MD-FDA), and calculated the total value of riverine wetland using the contingent valuation method(CVM) to estimate preservation value of riverine wetland. The result of the analysis shows that the Imjin River needs flood control project and the ecological preservation of riverine wetland is also important. Therefore, the establishment of the management plan for protecting riverine wetland is also needed. As a result, the Imjin riverine wetland was classified as the area where sedimentation continues to take place, and the flood water level to rise. On the basis of the analyzed results, it is judged that the Imjin River needs flood control for public safety and ecological consideration for ecosystem preservation in the river improvement project. So, the stepwise river improvement is desirable to protect riverine wetland and minimize ecosystem disturbance. The results is expected to be made good use as the basic study for establishment of institutional river management plans considering flood control project and riverine wetland preservation in the future.


The effect of reversible inactivation on the physical and chemical properties of dogfish M4 and chicken heart H* lactate dehydrogenases has been studied. Reduced diphosphopyridine nucleotide was found to have a significant effect on the rate of recovery of the enzymatic activity, but not on the over-all recovery. Optical rotatory dispersion, circular dichroism, fluorescence, and immunological studies have shown structural differences between the native and reassociated enzyme. Further evidence for the difference in conformational structure was obtained from the pattern of reactivity of sulfhydryl groups of the reactivated enzyme. The native enzyme was also found to be more stable to heat and urea denaturation than the reassociated form. Pyruvate inhibition, and the catalytic activity with coenzyme analogues, was found to be different for the native and the reassociated enzyme. These results indicate the possibility that a conformational difference exists between the native and the reassociated enzyme for both dogfish M4 and chicken Hh lactate dehydrogenase. Studies on the lactate dehydrogenase reassociated in the presence of reduced DPN showed structural characteristics which are closer to the native dehydrogenase than the enzyme which was reassociated in the absence of the reduced coenzyme. Incubation of the enzyme with DPNH after reassociation does not convert the reassociated enzyme to a structure similar to that of the native enzyme. These studies suggest a possible role of the reduced coenzyme in the folding of the peptide chain or in the subunit interaction and in the attainment of the native conformation of the enzyme.


Cloud service providers (CSPs) compete among each other to guarantee very high availability of their services. The most common CSPs guarantee the availability of at least 99.9% (some even 100%) in their service level agreements (SLAs), i.e., they guarantee maximum 8.77 hours of downtime per year for their services. However, this high guarantee does not imply that they comply with their SLAs. Many reports addressed that CSPs' downtime is much greater and usually the cloud consumer's costs cannot be covered by CSP's indemnification. On the other hand, the service availability is not a decisive factor for many cloud consumers. That is, many cloud consumers are interested in lower cost for an acceptable level of availability. In this paper, we define a new methodology to evaluate the CSPs according to the cloud consumers' needs. We introduce a very important factor, i.e., trustworthiness beside the availability. With our methodology, the cloud consumers can quantify the trustworthiness and the security of their potential CSPs, in order to migrate their services to the most appropriate CSP. Our evaluation shows that Google is the best choice of the evaluated CSPs in trustworthiness, although it offers the worst availability in its SLA, compared to other most common CSPs.


Dasymetric mapping of high-resolution population facilitates the exploration of urban spatial feature. While most relevant studies are still challenged by weak spatial heterogeneity of ancillary data and quality of traditional census data, usually outdated, costly and inaccurate, this paper focuses on mobile phone data, which can be real-time and precise, and also strengthens spatial heterogeneity by its massive mobile phone base stations. However, user population recorded by mobile phone base stations have no fixed spatial boundary, and base stations often disperse in extremely uneven spatial distribution, this study defines a distance-decay supply–demand relation between mobile phone user population of gridded base station and its surrounding land patches, and outlines a dasymetric mapping method integrating two-step floating catchment area method (2SFCAe) and land use regression (LUR). The results indicate that LUR-2SFCAe method shows a high fitness of regression, provides population mapping at a finer scale and helps identify urban centrality and employment subcenters with detailed worktime and non-worktime populations. The work involving studies of dasymetric mapping based on LUR-2SFCAe method and mobile phone data proves to be encouraging, sheds light on the relationship between mobile phone users and nearby land use, brings about an integrated exploration of 2SFCAe in LUR with distance-decay effect and enhances spatial heterogeneity.


In order to solve the problem of out-off-balance caused by accuracy of location information between privacy protection security and query service quality, considering basic information comprehensively such as the environment and geographical features and so on, and adopting k- anonymous privacy protection mechanism, we present a k-anonymous location privacy protection method of polygon based on density distribution. Firstly, a k-anonymous irregular polygon region is structured in whole area. Then, according to the preset anonymous region and density threshold, the better effects of anonymous are obtained by expanding the region or adding the random dummy locations. Experimental results show that the proposed method improves the efficiency of anonymous and query accuracy. The balance between privacy protection security and query quality is achieved.


ABSTRACT The shooting down of KAL Flight 007, a South Korean air.Liner, by a Soviet jet fighter, and the resulting deaths of the 269 people on board, has brought into focus the Reagan's administration's equivocal relationship with the Soviet Union, provided insights into the c4annels of power in the Soviet military hierarchy, and led other nations to concentrate on international codes of conduct for the superpowers. A study explored in detail one of the first news reports about the flight. In addition, the study examined United States representations of the Soviet Union, and more broadly, the relationship of news to cultural life. The first account of the shooting of Flight 007 in the "New York Times" (September 2, 1983) was analyzed by using Paul Ricoeur's hermeneutic approach. The analysis found that in the "New York Times" report, the international incident: (1) was portrayed in the narrow context of United States affairs, (2) was firmly grounded in American culture; (3) gave heavy emphasis to American officials, American reactions, and possible American reprisals; and (4) affirmed a dominant United States role in world affairs. The analysis also revealed that the report could be seen as a drama of victimage that creates and then castigates an enemy shared by a group in a dramatic enactment that offers integration, identification, and social cohesion. (Thirty-one references are included, and the "New York Times" article is appended.) (MS)


Context: Order-preserving matching regards the relative order of strings. However, its application areas require more flexibility in the matching paradigm. We advance in this direction in this paper that extends our previous work [27].Method: We define γ -order preserving matching as an approximate variant of order-preserving matching. We devise two solutions for it based on segment and Fenwick trees: segtreeBA and bitBA.Results: We experimentally show the efficiency of our algorithms compared to the ones presented in [26] (naiveA and updateBA). Also, we present applications of our approach in music retrieval and stock market analysis.Conclusions: Even though the worst-case time complexity of the proposed algorithms (namely, O(nm log m)) is higher than the Ѳ(nm)-time complexity of updateBA, their Ω (n log n) lower bound makes them more efficient in practice. On the other hand, we show that our approach is useful to identify similarity in music melodies and stock price trends through real application examples.


The influence of substituents on the adsorption and aggregation of the anionic 3,3'-disulfopropyl-5,5'-dichloro-9-ethylthiacarbocyanine (THIATS) and its cationic analogue 3,3'-diethyl-5,5'-dichloro-9-ethylthiacarbocyanine (TDC) was investigated in Langmuir films at the air−water interface. Dioctadecyldimethylammonium bromide (DODAB) and octadecylammonium chloride (ODACl) were used to adsorb THIATS. Arachidic acid (AA) and dihexadecyl phosphate (DHP) were used to adsorb TDC. J-aggregate formation has been observed for the four different combinations of dyes and surfactants. The absorption and emission spectra of THIATS at the air−water interface revealed one narrow intense J-band which was not influenced by the chemical structure of the amphiphiles or by the concentration of THIATS in the subphase. Fluorescence microscopy experiments suggest that, depending on the subphase dye concentration, aggregation of dye molecules leads either to a layer of J-aggregates distributed homogeneously on the scale of a few...


This article examines the various types of vehicle lifts available and the technological improvements that have made them safer and less environmentally polluting. Types of lift designs include: in-ground, surface-mounted, multli-post runway, mobile, parallelogram, and scissor. The author provides a brief history of the earliest lifts designed for cars and used for a half-century before it was found in the 1980s that the hydraulic oil buried underground sometimes leaked into local water supplies. He writes about four different manufacturers and the pros and cons of their products: These include Mohawk Lifts, Rotary Lift's, Railquip Inc., and Stertil-Koni.


A scientifically sound and innovative paper, phrased in decent English, with excellent figures/graphics. One comment regarding a missing literature reference: The following seminal article (plus its relevant literature references should be considered: Lundberg, J. and McFarlane, D.A. (2012). "Post-speleogenetic biogenic modification of Gomantong Caves, Sabah, Borneo." International Journal of Speleology. and possibly: McFarlane, Donald A.; Warren Roberts; Manfred Buchroithner; Guy van Rentergem, Joyve Lundber and Stefan Hautz (2015): Terrestrial LiDAR-based automated counting of swiftlet nests in the caves of Gomantong, Sabah, Borneo. International Journal of


Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have been widely used for ecological modelling as they have been designed to describe spatial aspects of our environment. These have thus, naturally, been quickly adapted to model the spatial behaviour of radionuclides in the environment. As a result of the large potential offered by these tools, the European Commission funded, during its 4 and 5 Framework Programmes (1994-1998; 1998-2002), ten projects that produced such decision-support systems (DSS) for terrestrial radioecology.


In this paper, balance relation and the long term of five variables (gross domestic product, private investment, public investment, external debt and imports) and also their influences on each other in Iran for the period of 1974 to 2007, were analyzed. As such, the vector autoregressive model (var) was used. First, stability of variables by the use of dickey-fuller test was examined, after which analysis of Johnson test for considering the convergence among five variables was used. The results of this research showed that the external debt had a negative effect on gross domestic product and private investment. Also, public investment had a positive relation with private investment.


Conformal symmetry relates the metric on AdS2 × S to that of S. This implies that under a suitable choice of boundary conditions for fields on AdS2 the partition function of conformal field theories on these spaces must agree which makes AdS2×S a good testing ground to study localization on non-compact spaces. We study supersymmetry on AdS2 × S and determine the localizing Lagrangian for N = 2 supersymmetric Chern-Simons theory on AdS2 × S. We evaluate the partition function of N = 2 supersymmetric Chern-Simons theory on AdS2 × S using localization, where the radius of S is q times that of AdS2. With boundary conditions on AdS2 × S which ensure that all the physical fields are normalizable and lie in the space of square integrable wave functions in AdS2, the result for the partition function precisely agrees with that of the theory on the q-fold covering of S. ar X iv :1 60 9. 07 44 3v 1 [ he pth ] 2 3 Se p 20 16


We describe a method, Smart File Objects (SFOs), for optimizing access of remote files across wide area and wireless networks. The SFO is application-specific middleware designed to address the network bottleneck caused by high latency, low bandwidth networks. The SFO adaptively caches and prefetches data concurrently with application execution. We have applied the SFO concept to an MPEG player accessing remote Internet files. The SFO estimates the playback time using a set of derived cost models for the different components of the MPEG play process, and the communication overhead by timing the retrieval of remote video frames. This information allows the SFO to determine the amount of overlap between download and playback. The results indicate that playtime can be accurately estimated and both overall viewing time and viewing latency can be substantially reduced using this approach.


This paper describes the measurement and analysis of over 11 000 blast recordings. These data are used to develop a statistical base for blast propagation and to establish one‐third octave spectra for these blasts. These results can then be used to predict community blast noise levels. The blasts are divided into rather broad amplitude groupings and it is shown that received blast spectra are dependent only on grouping and not on absolute peak amplitude or distance (2–15 miles). One interesting result is that early in the morning and at far distances (normally over 5 miles) amplitudes are greatest upwind.


Cyclones are responsible for much of the high impact weather in the extratropics, thus how they will change under global warming is of great concern. Several studies have used the multimodel climate simulations conducted under Phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) to examine such changes. One study suggested that the frequency of strong cyclones is projected to decrease over the North Pacific, while another concluded that this frequency will increase. A single tracking algorithm has been used to derive cyclone statistics from 23 CMIP5 simulations using two different definitions of cyclones: cyclones as minima in total sea level pressure (SLP) or cyclones as minima in SLP perturbations about a large scale, low‐frequency background. When cyclones are defined by total SLP, the frequency of deep cyclones over the Pacific is projected to increase, while if cyclones are defined as perturbations, this frequency is projected to decrease. These differences are shown to be due to a projected deepening of the climatological mean Aleutian low. In view of these results, it is important to critically assess how cyclones should be defined. Preliminary results suggest that among CMIP5 simulations, over the Pacific, both the projected changes in the frequency of high wind events and mean available potential energy are better correlated with the projected changes in the frequency of cyclones defined as perturbations. It is concluded that more research should be done to quantify and understand the impacts of the different definitions of cyclones.


Objective\ To study the relationship between the pathogenesis of vascular dementia(VD) and the ultrastructural character of blood\|brain barrier(BBB) in the caudatolenticulum.\ Methods\ The ultrastructure of BBB in caudatolenticulum of 10 rats of which 5 rats bilateral common carotid arteries were occluded and 5 rats as control group.\ Results\ The outline of some basement membranes of capillaries in VD rats was unclear, thicker and has uneven density.\ There were myelinic materals outside some basement membrances.\ Some astrocyte protrusions swell and their contents lessen.\ \{Conclusion\}\ Increasing the permeability of BBB makes odema and neurons damaged, and induce VD.\ That capillary basement membranes and protrusion of astrocyte are destroyed.\;


The matter of great concern is that there exists wider gap between the proportion of the technologies generated by the public agricultural research system and technologies adopted by the farmers in India. One of the vital reasons for such wide gap is due to the lack of an appropriate extension/technology transfer model in agriculture that could establish better linkage between scientists and farmers in order to facilitate effective dissemination in a timely manner. Hence there is a need to develop suitable approach for technology transfer in agriculture. In order to bridge the gap between the technologies and the farming community, e-Velanmai project has been introduced. Under e-Velanmai, various applications and the projects are developed. Agricol, is one such application that can bridge the gap and it helps to provide the farming community with better solutions for the diseased plants in quickly manner.


In a series of papers over the last several years, Noam Chomsky has argued for several specific properties of lbl~grloge wli lci~ ha claims are universal to all human langi~ages [Cliomsky 73, 75, 76). These properties, wlrich forni one of the cornerstones of his current linguistic theory, are eml~oclied in a set of constralnts on language, a set of restrictions on the operation of rules of grammar.


Given the unique characteristics of vehicular networks, specifically, frequent communication unavailability and short encounter time, packet replication has been commonly used to facilitate data delivery. Replication enables multiple copies of the same packet to be forwarded towards the destination, which increases the chance of delivery to a target destination. However, this is achieved at the expense of consuming extra already scarce bandwidth resource in vehicular networks. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate the fundamental problem of exploiting constrained network capacity with packet replication. We make the first attempt in this work to address this challenging problem. We first conduct extensive empirical analysis using three large datasets of real vehicle GPS traces. We show that a replication scheme that either underestimates or overestimates the network capacity results in poor delivery performance. Based on the observation, we propose a Capacity-Constrained Replication scheme or CCR for data delivery in vehicular networks. The key idea is to explore the residual capacity for packet replication. We introduce an analytical model for characterizing the relationship among the number of replicated copies of a packet, replication limit and queue length. Based on this insight, we derive the rule for adaptive adjustment towards the optimal replication strategy. We then design a distributed algorithm to dictate how each vehicle can adaptively determine its replication strategy subject to the current network capacity. Extensive simulations based on real vehicle GPS traces show that our proposed CCR can significantly improve delivery ratio comparing with the state-of-the-art algorithms.


This study aims to explain the professional attitude of Islamic Religious Education teachers in regulating learning, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. A professional teacher is always reflected in all his activities as a person who constantly manages and develops educational institutions. This research uses a qualitative approach, so that in collecting data using the literature study method sourced from various references both from journal articles and research books published in 2015-2022 and the focus of research in Indonesia as a whole. The results of this study show that the professionalism of PAI teachers can be seen from their concern and seriousness in managing madrasahs, through teaching that is carried out with full responsibility, empathy, a sense of belonging, and making students like their own children, especially when entering the era of the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, PAI can encourage students to advance and develop in terms of ability and creativity for a better future in the context of society.  This is done when learning takes place using a humanist approach, the essence of which is to build the creativity of students with humanist traits. Thus, PAI teachers in madrasas can be examples of self-identification centers and consultants for students to have sensitivity to various sources of knowledge.

Keywords: Teachers, Islamic Religious Education, Education Management


There is now an extensive literature chronicling the barriers that liquidators face in trying to bring avoidance proceedings under the Insolvency Act 1986. One such barrier is the treatment of the liquidator's legal costs. Broadly speaking, the liquidator is entitled to an indemnity out of the company's assets in relation to the costs incurred should the action fail. However, the value of the indemnity depends on whether the costs are treated as an expense of the liquidation ranking for payment ahead of preferential creditors and any floating charge. In Re MC Bacon (No. 2), Millett J. held that the liquidator could not recoup the costs of an unsuccessful action against the defendant bank as a liquidation expense. The liquidator contended that his costs should be treated as an expense "properly chargeable or incurred by … the liquidator in preserving, realising or getting in any assets of the company" within rule 4.218(1)(a) of the Insolvency Rules 1986.


In this paper, we implement a previously developed sensor management framework within the domain of multistatic radar resource management. The methodology is based on controlling the Posterior Cram´er-Rao Lower Bound (PCRLB) which provides a bound on the performance of any unbiased target state estimator. In the second part of the paper, the additional complication of the Doppler Blind Zone, inside which the target cannot be detected, is considered. In the case of missed detections, the PCRLB has been shown to be overly optimistic, so we use a performance measure which more accurately accounts for missed detections. However, existing measures fail to accommodate constraints arising from the blind zone, so we modify the measure to incorporate this extra information. The modified measure is shown to give a more accurate estimate of tracking performance, facilitating efficient resource management.


Introduction : Febrile seizures are common in children and may be the first manifestation of an underlying neurological disorder. However, a child who presents with regression of development needs thorough investigations. This case highlights a child with late infantile batten disease and this can pose a diagnostic challenge at the initial stages. Methods : 3½ year old male child presented with seizures which were initially thought to be due to febrile seizures (he was 2½ years old at initial presentation). The child at presentation had seizures and drop attacks everyday and this worsened over 1 year. Results :                                                                                His EEG was abnormal and MRI scan showed hypoplastic cerebellum.  He showed developmental regression and had stopped walking and is only able to crawl. He has uncontrolled epilepsy in spite of being tried on different anticonvulsants. Buffy coat electron microscopy showed typical curvilinear inclusions and white cell enzymes showed reduced TPP-1; this confirmed the diagnosis of late infantile Batten disease. Plan is to try ketogenic diet. Discussion :                                       Pan-ethnic, onset between 2 to 4 years of age, increased deposition of ceroid lipofuscin in the brain cells, autosomal recessive  Clinical features consists of early signs are loss of muscle co-ordination (ataxia), loss of developmental milestones and seizures non-responsive to anticonvulsant drugs. Rapid progression and child usually dies between 6 to 12 years. Diagnostic Features : abnormal EEG, genetic testing, white cell enzymes Management : Management of epilepsy and associated developmental issues.  Multidisciplinary team approach necessary to mange this condition. Conclusions : Seizures with developmental regression needs thorough investigations. The management of late infantile Batten's disease involves multi-disciplinary team approach and seizure control.   Clinical symptoms may mimic a febrile seizure References : BDFA (The Batten Disease Family Association – for families, professionals and facilitating research). Available at http://www.bdfauk.co.uk/index.html Collins J, Holder GE, Herbert H, Adams GGW. Batten's disease: features to facilitate early diagnosis. Br J Ophthalmol. 2006; 90(9): 1119-24.  Kuizon S, DiMaiuta K, Walus M, et al. A critical tryptophan and Ca2 + in activation and catalysts of TPP1, the enzyme deficient in classic late-infantile neuronal ceruoid lipofuscinosis. PLoS One. 2010; 5(8): e11929  NINDS Batten Disease Information Page. Available at http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/batten/batten.htm


A RE broken homes' a factor in juvenile delinquency? This question the writers attempted to answer in Spokane, Washington, using as a basis of analysis the records of the delinquents who had appeared before the Spokane County Juvenile Court in 1937. It is recognized that broken homes alone do not cause delinquency, as behavior is a product of the total situation. But how close an association is there between delinquency and broken homes when certain other factors are held constant? Clifford R. Shaw and Henry D. McKay attempted to find an answer to this question in Chicago on the basis of data gathered from twenty-nine public schools and from the Cook County Court records.2 To many students of juvenile delinquency the lack of association found in Chicago between delinquency rates and broken home rates came as rather a shock.3 It had been generally accepted by laymen as well as by students in the field that broken homes were a causative factor in juvenile delinquency. Practically every study of delinquents or adult criminals had shown a high percentage of cases from broken homes.4 In addition, many case histories point to the broken home as a v'ery important factor in the child's maladjustment because of his lack of security.5 Specialists in child psychology and psychiatrists have also designated the broken home as an important conditioning factor in delinquent behavior.6 In the face of so much emphasis upon broken homes as a factor in case histories and in statistical studies, it seems surprising that Shaw and McKay should find such a low correlation (.I9, with a probable error of ? t. iL) between broken home rates and rates of juvenile delinquency. Moreover, it was found in Chicago that broken homes were unrelated to geographic location in the city. According to this analysis, the "differences in broken


The growth of the public sector in the post‐war period and the consequences of this development for economic growth is a strongly disputed subject of economic theory and policy. In this paper the development trends of state activities in the case of the Federal Republic of Germany are presented. The structure of public expenditures as well as the tax structure are taken into consideration and possible impacts on real economic growth are analysed. The negative correlations between some kinds of public expenditures (or taxes) and the growth rate of real GNP should not be taken in proof of the growth‐retarding effects which might ensue from increasing state activities. It seems to be more likely that state activities have induced shifts of resources from the formal into the informal economy. Politicians should be aware that some measures of economic policy conventionally proposed will strengthen the movement into the informal economy, thus intensifying the current problems within the public budgets as well as in the social security system.


Abstract
This chapter deals with five key themes: the objectives for companies and the attitudes and buying behaviour of consumers as concerns sustainable development, the firm's strategies for reducing energy costs and waste, the challenges of bringing all actors in the supply chain into line, the firm's supply policy in response to consumer demand and the technical, organisational and communication challenges surrounding the environmental impact of products. It then considers at the role of governments and NGOs in companies' approaches towards sustainable development strategies before finally outlining the future prospects for these strategies.


In Japan, few reports have discussed adverse events and safety after simultaneous vaccination during infancy. The purpose of this study was to elucidate adverse events after simultaneous vaccination of inactivated vaccines in infants in comparison with those after single vaccination. Selected for this study were infants aged > − 2 months who received subcutaneous injections of inactivated vaccines between July 2012 and June 2013. These subjects were divided into two groups : a single-vaccination group (46 subjects) and simultaneous-vaccination group (42 sub-jects). The presence or absence of severe adverse events that required hospitalization was inves-tigated. We also checked up on subject background and systemic [fever (transitional and highest body temperature)] and local (dermatological, respiratory, gastrointestinal, neurological, and other organs' symptoms) adverse events. Questionnaires to investigate if adverse events oc-curred during one week after simultaneous vaccination, questionnaires were distributed to the parents of all the subjects. "We performed vaccination in 162 subjects, and the collect rate of questionnaires was 57% (97/162)." The percentage of effective answers to the questionnaire sur-vey was 91% (88/97). Among simultaneous-vaccination group subjects, 14 (32%) received Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) + 7-valent pneumococcal vaccine (PCV7) and 12 (27%) received Hib + PCV7 + Diphtheria-Pertussis-Tetanus vaccine. No subject developed severe adverse events that required hospitalization. The body temperatures taken on the day following the in-jection in the simultaneous-vaccination group were significantly higher than those in the single-vaccination group (p=0.049). However, the incidence of other


What exactly is the meaning of "meaning"? Until Frege's seminal paper in 1892, "Über Sinn und Bedeutung"---"On Sense and Reference"1---philosophers groped for an answer without much success. Frege's theory answered this question by observing that "H.G. Wells" has two sorts of meanings: reference, the man referred to, i.e., H.G. Wells himself, and sense, the meaning that H.G. Wells has for us, e.g., "The author of The War of the Worlds" and "The first true science fiction author." To Frege, every proper name has both a reference, also termed denotation, and one or more senses, also termed connotations. Various philosophical difficulties and paradoxes arise from the dichotomy of sense and reference, because neither aspect of meaning captures the other. Thus, reference does not capture the sense (one can know H.G. Wells without knowing that he authored The War of the Worlds), nor does sense capture reference (one can know that someone must have authored The War of the Worlds without knowing who), nor does one sense capture another (one can know that Wells wrote The War of the Worlds without knowing that many consider him the first true science fiction author). One paradox is that the substitutivity of identity fails. Thus it may be the case that Wells and the author of The War of the Worlds are identical, yet one can believe that the author of The War of the Worlds is the first true science fiction author without believing that Wells is the first true science fiction author, even though all that has been done is the substitution of identicals. There are also difficulties---not necessarily paradoxical---inherent in Frege's theory. For example, what is the reference for a fictional character in a play or novel? The philosophical literature on meaning, sense, and reference is vast, and we have but opened the door.


The Enel Energy Management System (EMS) is an innovative solution for energy efficiency services. It supports monitoring, controlling and remote management of field devices in order to offer advanced energy management services, towards Active Demand. It is a multi-tenant platform, able to address the needs of multiple stakeholders. EMS can manage both Enel and third party field devices installed in the customer's site for energy monitoring and management. EMS can be also interfaced to other asset management systems and service platforms, in order to exploit a comprehensive set of data and tools. The system will be firstly applied in the Universal Exposition EXPO 2015 in Milano, integrated with the smart grid therein installed, to manage the exposition area as a real smart city. The EXPO 2015 application and the lessons learned during the design and implementation phases will pave the way for the next development and application of the system. In this paper both the system architecture and concept, and the challenges encountered during the implementation phase will be reported as interesting lessons learned in designing a solution for energy efficiency and active demand services


By comparing the syntagmatic and paradigmatic relations among linguistic signs from the semiological perspective,the basic way the English texts are organized is analyzed.Some Some suggestions about how to improve learner's reading comprehension ability are made,so that some shortcomings in our traditional teaching can be overcome and learner's reading comprehension ability improved.


An indispensable and priority objective to advance in a cognitive task is to try to endeavours to circumscribe the terms "violence" since this term covers di...


Occasionally an old procedure experiences a popular revival; similarly, one subspecialist may chance to learn an excellent technique from a colleague in another field. Recent experience with an approach to the sphenopalatine ganglion aroused our interest in a well-known dental technique which was formerly used by otolaryngologists and is currently used by oral surgeons but which has not, to our knowledge, been standard among neurosurgeons. Sluder (1918) popularized the sphenopalatine ganglion as the seat of neurological symptoms, including 'cluster' or 'Horton's' headaches. Neurosurgical publications have refuted this and attacks upon the ganglion are generally considered ill-advised now. We do not propose to enter the controversy as to aetiology or treatment of this entire syndrome, but should like to report some pertinent neuro-anatomical considerations concerning the maxillary nerve. It is of some interest that, despite considerable discussion of the sphenopalatine ganglion, little has been said of surgical approaches to it. Moreover, even when an approach is mentioned, it is usually described without noting the proximity of the entire maxillary division of the fifth cranial nerve (White and Sweet, 1955). Older otolaryngological texts (Morrison, 1948) and current dental surgery texts (Thoma, 1963) describe briefly an anatomical approach with a needle to the pterygopalatine fossa which is simple and guides one directly into the fossa. However, noone has reported the radiological analysis of this approach. Simple lateral and anterior-posterior x-ray films of the skull will immediately confirm the position of the needle and allow greater accuracy in injection of alcohol.


Tests to determine the effects of pH on cracking behavior of sensitized samples of 18-8 stainless steel were performed in 90 deg C water with 10 ppm chloride ion and pH in the range 7.0 to 0.0. The results demonstrated that pH exerts a strong influence on cracking. Tests on nonsensitized type 304 steel immersed in boiling water with 100 ppm chloride ion over the range of pH 7.0 to 0.0 revealed that steel in this condition is much more resistant to cracking than sensitized-and-pickled steel. The results demonstrate the importance of electrochemical corrosion in the phenomenon of stress corrosion cracking of type 304 stainless steel. (P.C.H.)


This paper analyzes the calculation methods for each electric variable when the phase short circuit occurred in traction power supply system,combining with the feature of comprehensive automation computerized protection,and discusses the setting of phase short circuit protection.


Menlyn Maine is located in the Menlyn development node to the east of Pretoria where the developer, Menlyn Maine Investment Holdings (Pty) Ltd, bought out 103 residential dwellings for redevelopment. It is a mixed-use precinct development with total development rights exceeding 300 000 m2. This 11,4 ha development, comprising 16 land parcels, include the development of offices, showrooms, shops, restaurants, banks, residential units and an hotel.


In South Africa the incidence of violent crime is an everyday occurrence that affects the majority of the population directly and/or indirectly. Research reveals that counselling victims of violent crime may cause psychological symptoms in trauma workers, which in turn may lead to Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS). However, despite this knowledge, there appear to be very few trauma studies that focus on trauma workers. Furthermore there also appears to be a lack of studies that focus on the roles that key variables play in the transmission of STS. Therefore through the analysis of 64 self-report questionnaires, we aim to explore the psychological impact on trauma workers who work with 'victims' of violent crimes, specifically focusing on the level of exposure to traumatic material; level of empathy; level of perceived social support and their relation to STS. In order to test these hypotheses, analysis comprised simple statistics, correlations, a t test and a moderate multiple regression. Results indicate that the trauma workers, to some extent, experience symptoms of STS. In addition, it was found that previous exposure to traumatic material (in the personal lives of counsellors), level of empathy, and level of perceived social support have a significant relationship with STS. Social support was not found to have a moderating effect, but empathy emerged as a consistent moderator between the trauma workers' previous exposure to traumatic material and STS.


Agrobot is a farm robot. It is intended to reduce farmer labour while also increasing work speed and accuracy. We have presented a system of approach for designing and developing a smart seed sowing robotic vehicle for agricultural applications in this paper. The soil sensor is used to test the moisture content of the soil, and the seed sowing machine is used to automatically sow the seeds. Increased population necessitates increased food production, which necessitates better cultivation in the form of proper seed and fertilizer use with minimal labour. The qualitative approach is to create a system that minimizes the farmer's work while also reducing the time spent on seed sowing, digging, and water waste. The moisture level indicator is important because it aids in water conservation. A soil sensor measures the moisture level in the soil and sends the data to the ARDUINO controller. The developed robotic system is fully automated, reducing the farmers' workload.


Hydrogen-sensing characteristics of a Pd/GaN Schottky diode with a simple surface roughness approach are studied and demonstrated. A high sensing response Sr of 2.05 × 105 and a large Schottky barrier height variation ratio (ΔφB/φair) of 36.3% upon exposure to a 1% H2/air gas at 303 K are found. They could be attributed to the presence of more adsorption sites caused by the employed surface plasma treatment. The increase in series resistance due to the decrease in sensing response under the applied voltage range from 0.5 to 1 V is found. Based on the kinetic analysis and transient-state behavior measurement, at 523 K, the studied device shows a faster adsorption time of 2.9 s and a higher initial rate of 968 μA/s. Consequently, the studied structure provides a promise for high-performance GaN-based Schottky-diode-type hydrogen sensor applications.


This paper reports the status of a consumer protection programme set up by European automobile clubs in the mid 1980s. European accident statistics are considered: increasing mileage means that car safety must be continually improved to reduce numbers of fatalities; seat belt usage could be improved in some countries; most fatalities occur in front collisions, although rear-impact safety improvement is needed because of the cost of whiplash injuries. The EuroNCAP crash testing procedures provide an excellent programme for reliable consumer protection information, efficient furthering of improvements and safety priorities: however, they only simulate a car-to-car crash between cars of the same weight: there is a problem of compatibility which makes a larger car safer in a collision and highlights the need to increase the compartment stiffness of smaller cars. Child fatalities are mostly caused by side impact, which are not adequately covered by current child restraints. Airbags still cause problems for car users in some circumstances and better sensors are required. For the covering abstract see ITRD E111392.


Twenty-five patients were operated for thyroid malignancy in dept. of Surgery, SRGH, Lahore over a period of 3 years. From Nov 2001 to Nov 2004. Carcinoma was diagnosed on FNAC in 10 pts (40%) and Total Thyroidectomy planned as first and definite procedure. In rest of 15 patents (60%) complete thyroidectomy was performed after initial total lobectomy and subsequent Histopathology. Eight pts were found to have follicular carcinoma and 16 had papillary carcinoma revealed on H/P of resected specimen. Thyroid function tests in almost all showed euthyroid status. The only exception was a female pt who`s hormonal assay showed hypothyroidism but she was operated for FNAC suggested follicular adenoma. All the pts had Iodine-131 whole body scan for residual thyroid and metastatic disease. No thyroxin was started before Iodine-131 scan. Twenty pts were given single dose of 50-75 miCu ff radioiodine, followed by thyroxin in suppressive dose. No recurrence of tumor noted during follow-up 2 years. Only one pt diagnosed finally as thyroiditis on histology of resected specimen. On FNAC, she had suspicion of follicular neoplasm mandating thyroidectomy. A female prepondondrance with age ranging from 15-45 yrs was observed.


Operations Optimization field of the Faculty of Industrial Engineering from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in the student seeks to instill the ability to recognize potential problems of linear programming, encourage critical thinking and to ensure that the student is transported to a reality to know what decisions to make . But for the teacher, transporting students to this reality is not easy, since they are not directly confronted with the consequences that entails a decision because simply applies the problem to make a profit or reduce costs, without providing immediate feedback what this entails. Thus, it is as you want by this proposal to link a game that allows the student to face a reality that allows you to immediately see the consequences of their decisions, allowing you to create a purely stochastic process where the student fails to see how a decision can lead to a completely different situation where you have to rethink what to do and how to achieve one or more stated objectives. While performing this job grade were able to demonstrate that in addition to engaging in a satisfactory curriculum of the course so OO would also be an excellent way to fit the learning process by playing the SEO course, which is offered around the room ( IV) half of the race and in this course the student will begin to relate to the concepts of decisionmaking.


Operators and researchers want accurate router-level views of the Internet for purposes including troubleshooting and modeling. However, tools such as traceroute return IP addresses. Because routers may have dozens of IP addresses, or aliases, multiple measurements may return different addresses, obscuring whether they represent the same machine. While many techniques exist to address this issue by identifying some IP aliases, these techniques, even in combination, find only a subset of alias pairs. To improve this state, we design and evaluate a new alias resolution technique using the IP prespecified timestamp option. This option allows a sender to request timestamp val- ues from multiple IP addresses in the same probe. By careful arrangement of these IP addresses, we show that we can infer aliases in many cases. In this paper, we conduct a measurement study of how many routers support IP timestamps, demonstrating that enough honor the option to base our technique on it. Using our technique, and compared to the most accurate alias information available, we find that 94.7% of the aliases identified by our technique are true positives. Further, we show that our IP timestamp-based technique complements existing alias resolution techniques, providing significant gains by discovering previously unidentifiable aliases.


OBJECTIVES:
 Contrast angiography can diagnose arterial occlusive disease but cannot provide hemodynamic data. Past work has attempted to calculate angiographic blood flow but clinical use has been limited by measurement error of >10%. Our hypothesis was that blood flow could be calculated from a contrast angiogram with <10% error through the application of a novel computational algorithm.

 METHODS:
 A pulsatile,
 in vitro
 hemodynamic simulator with a light-based angiographic imaging system (InfiMed, Inc.) was used as the testing platform. Flow rates were varied through increases in outflow resistance and were directly measured with a Transonic flow meter (+/-4% error). An algorithm was designed to determine instantaneous flow from DICOM images using a combination of automatic vessel detection, segmentation, and time of flight bolus tracking. These calculated flow rates were compared to those directly measured.

 RESULTS:
 The calculated flow rates (cc/min) were highly accurate when compared to those directly measured (4.1+/-3% error). Furthermore, time-density curves were accurate enough to detect relative changes in flow of 1.7 cc/sec reflecting changes in distal vascular resistance (Figure 1).

 CONCLUSION:
 We conclude that using this approach, blood flow can be angiographically measured with increased accuracy relative to prior work. This may provide clinically reliable hemodynamic data to guide diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.


Piston rings play an important role in the lubricant characteristic of reciprocating engines with the consequences on engine wear, power losses and a vast amount of lubricating oil consumption. Piston ring dynamics is a very complex problem and it is solved numerically using the virtual engine outputs. The paper presents principles of a numerical solution of Reynolds equation describing oil film pressure distribution in thin layers. Boundary lubrication is also considered for piston ring dynamics. Simulation algorithm is incorporated into user guided interface. Solution results are presented on Diesel turbocharged engine with three piston ring configuration.


Abstract 20

Introduction We have shown in a monocenter study (ASH 2005, abstract # 428) that routine prophylactic platelet (plt) transfusions are not necessary in patients (pts) with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Therefore, we started a multicenter randomized study comparing the routine prophylactic (morning trigger: plts ≤ 10/nl, arm P) with a therapeutic platelet transfusion strategy (arm T).

Methods Diagnosis of AML and feasability of intensive chemotherapy within standard protocols was required (M3 only in CR). In arm T transfusions were given only when clinically relevant bleeding (more than petechiae) happened regardless of the morning plt count. For safety reasons prophalyctic plts were transfused in case of invasive aspergillosis, sepsis syndrom and repeated or continous headache. In case of headache pts in arm T received a ct-scan. The experimental transfusion strategy startet at day 8 of induction and at day 1 of consolidation. Primary endpoint was the reduction of plt transfusions by 20%; secondary endpoints were bleeding complications, red blood cell transfusions, side effects, duration of thrombocytopenia and hospital stay.

Results Until July 2009 175 pts have been randomized. Full data were evaluable for 161 pts (79 arm P and 82 arm T). Median age was 52 years (20-78). We registered 251 induction and 112 consolidation cycles. Mean duration of thrombocytopenia (<20/nl or <10/nl) was 17 and 8 days, respectively. Duration of thrombocytopenia was significantly longer in arm T. Depite the longer duration, the number of platelet transfusions in arm T was significantly reduced, by about 25% (p <0.001). Number of red blood cell transfusions were not different (p = 0.95). Days in hospital and side effects were not different in both groups. Bleeding complications (more than petechial) were significantly increased in arm T showing a 2.3 times higher risk compared to arm P. This is clearly correlated with bleeding being the trigger for plt transfusion in arm T. Majority of hemorrhages were of minor or moderate significance that could all be treated effectively by plt transfusion. Most important was the observation that we registered 5 minor and 2 major cerebral hemorrhages in arm T and none in arm P. Minor cerebral hemorrhages with headache were not registered in arm P since we did not perform ct-scans routinely in arm P in case of headache. Minor cerebral complications were 2 sub-/epidural bleedings after vasovagal collapses of pts at plt counts of 53 and 96/nl, respectively, and 3 spontanuous minor subarachnidal/ intracerebral hemorrhages at plt counts of between 15 and <5/nl. All 5 minor cerebral complications were detected by ct-scan performed due to headache. All pts recovered after plt transfusion without any sequelae.The two other pts died following fatal cerebral bleeding. One pt. had repeated headache since several days. At a plt count of 11/nl fatal bleeding happened. A ct-scan revealed intracerebral mass bleeding. The pt was randomized to the experimental strategy but even following standard transfusion strategy the pt would not have been transfused prophylactically. The only fatal cerebral bleeding that must be clearly attributed to the therapeutic strategy was a female pt with a pulmonary fungal infection that improved under antifungal treatment. She had a morning platelet count of <5/nl. During the following night she woke up with severe headache. Despite timely platelet transfusions she died of progressive mass bleeding. Unfortunately, we could not perform an autopsy to see whether the patient had fungal involvement of the brain. 1-2 % of fatal cerebral bleedings are reported in AML trials despite a prophylactic strategy. Whether these two complications happened by chance in arm T or were the consequence of the experimental strategy cannot be answered by our study. To give proof of this important question one would need about 2000 pts in both arms for statistical reasons. Conclusions A therapeutic platelet transfusion strategy according to our protocol is feasible in AML pts during intensive chemotherapy and can reduce the number of platelet transfusions significantly. An increased risk of fatal cerebral bleeding cannot be excluded by this study. An international collaboration would be necessary to set up a study large enough to determine the final safety.

Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Purpose Given that the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has disrupted operations globally, an institution's ability to repeat transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has also been affected. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 on the intervals and outcomes of TACE in HCC patients. Materials and Methods This retrospective study included 154 HCC patients who underwent follow-up after TACE treatment from January 2020 to March 2020 (n = 71, study group) and January 2019 to March 2019 (n = 83, control group) at two institutions in China. The endpoints included the follow-up interval and overall response rate (ORR). Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify independent risk factors for a worse ORR. The cut-off point was determined to divide follow-up durations into long- and short-intervals. Results The median follow-up interval was 82.0 days (IQR, 61–109) in the study group, which was significantly longer than 66.0 days (IQR, 51–94) in the control group (P = 0.004). The ORR was 23.9 and 39.8% in the study and control group, respectively (P = 0.037). The cut-off value was 95 days. The grouping (OR, 2.402; 95% CI, 1.040–5.546; P = 0.040), long interval (OR, 2.573; 95% CI, 1.022–6.478; P = 0.045), and China liver cancer staging system (OR, 2.500; 95% CI, 1.797–3.480; P <0.001) were independent predictors for the efficacy of TACE treatment. Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic causes a longer follow-up interval in general, which may further lead to a lower ORR in HCC patients. Those with a follow-up interval of >95 days tend to have a worse prognosis.


DESIGNING A PROCESS FOR ACTION The purpose of a competitive intelligence (CI) program is to develop action-oriented implications for managers. This is an overview of the evolution of competitive intelligence and of the fundamental concepts of CI, including the intelligence production process. Effective CI is critical in helping the proposal management professional create competitive responses to RFPs and commercial opportunities. Clique Aqui Fonte : Association of Proposal Management Profissional (APMP) . Proposal Management , p. 37-52


Jamaica was famous for its sugar production during the 18th century. The island was one of the world's most important centres of sugar production and export to Europe from the 1720s. The cultivation of sugar in large quantities began after the English conquered the island in 1655.


What makes alternative digital media 'alternative' is critical content and being a 'prosumer' platform that champions social justice and change. An Indian digital zine, and our present case study for critical alternative media, is Feminism in India (FII) and its news coverage of the #MeTooIndia movement from 2017 to 2021. In this article, we adopt the critical theory of alternative media and transnational intersectionality frameworks to perform a critical-cultural review of the theoretical, sociopolitical, and change-making implications of FII. We aim to explore its role as alternative media that presents intersectional perspectives and advocacy opportunities in relation to India and its transnational #MeToo mobilizations against sexual harassment. As 'critical content' is what defines alternative media, we argue that FII is a critical news site that democratizes gender-diverse narratives and introduces a rupture within India's politically-pandered and patriarchally-primed mainstream media.


Global modernization has initiated the need for a more complete inclusion of individuals in social subsystems. This has brought about the consideration of the inclusion and advancement of children with special needs. Preschool institutions represent a significant foundation for the further formative development of children, making this segment particularly important for the development, education, and upbringing of children with special needs. The aim of this paper is to examine the long-term process of developing inclusive educational practice in preschool institutions, as well as to highlight the specificities of inclusive practice. By using the method of theoretical analysis and content analysis technique, documents regulating the issue of the development of inclusive educational practice in our country were examined and analyzed. The results of the analysis indicate that the concept of inclusion is theoretically well-founded, but occasional failures and denials were encountered in the process of implementation into practice. The development of inclusive practice has been slow but continuous, passing through various phases. The specificities of contemporary inclusive practice in preschool institutions are the adaptation of spatial, material, and human resources for working with children on projects. Such an environment supports children's initiative for activities that are in line with individual needs.


This article discusses the power that labor judges have to make to the witnesses the questions they deem necessary for the elucidation of the facts, according to the provisions in article 454 No. 6 of the Chilean Labour Code. That power is analyzed under the perspective of the guarantees required bydue process, also considering the nature and epistemic quality of testimony as evidence, after which it is concluded that labor judge's interrogation of witnesses violates procedural equality and impartiality of the adjudicator, being this the reason why judges should only seek formal clarification of ambiguous or unintelligible witness declarations.


Studies on the effects of hydrogels on soil amendments, moisture conservation and growth of Cajanus cajan in arid and semi-arid lands were carried out. Seedlings of C. cajan were established both in the nursery and in the field with and without hydrogels. In the field, three replications were used with three levels of hydrogels concentration (7 g, 11 g, and 15 g). Control seedlings were established in soils without hydrogels. In the nursery, root collar diameters and heights were measured every two weeks up to eight weeks. Seedlings established without hydrogels in the nursery were transplanted into field soils with none, 7 g, 11 g and 15 g of hydrogels. Root collar diameters and heights were again measured every month for three months. In addition, soil was collected randomly once every month from the base of each seedling and analyzed for soil moisture using standard laboratory procedures. All data were subjected to analysis of variance. The results show that growth in both the height and root collar diameter of the species was significantly different at the three levels of hydrogels. This suggests that use of hydrogels retards plant growth in nursery soils but improves growth in the field. Hydrogels increased soil moisture volume from 8.3% to 10% in H15g level of hydrogels under C. cajan after transplanting. It was concluded that hydrogels do not contribute to growth of seedlings in the nursery but they do so after transplanting. Hydrogels increase soil moisture in the soil, so they are recommended for use in semi-arid lands to boost the survival and growth of seedlings.


Hydrofoil ship usually experiences high resistance and excessive heave and pitch that may lead to downgrade her seakeeping performance. Therefore, a reliable investigation on prediction of a seakeeping performance of a hydrofoil ship in head-seas is obviously required. To achieve this objective, an analysis of Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) approach on hydrofoil ship motion is then proposed. Several parameters such as angle of stern foil and Froude Number have been accordingly taken into account in the simulation, where the fore foil angle is constantly 5 . In general, the results revealed that the increase of the stern foil angle was proportional to the heave motion of the hydrofoil ship. As compared to the magnitude of the stern foil angle of 5 and 10 , the heave motion of the hydrofoil ship has sufficiently decreased at the stern foil angle of 7.5, which leads to have a better seakeeping performance. Furthermore, the subsequent increase of Froude number pointing towards reduction of heave motion, which was inversely proportional to the magnitude of her pitch motion. Inherently, these have led to degrade of the hydrofoil ship seakeeping performances presented in the form of high Response Amplitude Operators (RAO). In general, this CFD simulation is very beneficial to ensure an operational effectiveness of hydrofoil design in high sea states with respect to the aforementioned design parameter.


Steady state and non-steady state thermo-mechanical fatigue failure is great concern in this work. At first steady state thermo-mechanical fatigue failure behavior was investigated using the round-bar TBC specimens, after getting basic data of mechanical properties of the bond/top coats and the substrate alloy. The failure behavior was compared with that during isothermal low cycle fatigue (LCF). Next non-steady state TMF tests were carried out in which non-steady state thermal stress was significant in the TBC specimen, compared with the properties under the steady state TMF. The experimental work clearly demonstrated that the TMF failure lives were significantly changed depending on the temperature regime during TMF and LCF. Of particular importance was found in the non-steady state TMF tests. The non-steady state TMF cycling promoted the delamination of ceramic top coat, resulting in a significant reduction in fatigue life.


Objective:To investigate the effect and mechanism of ligustrazine HCl-iontophoresis on vitreous hemorrhage(VH).Methods:The experiment rabbits with VH(36 eyes) were randomly divided into two groups:the 1st group was control group without any medicine;the 2nd group was treated group with ligustrazine HCl-iontophoresis.Aqueous humor and vitreous were withdrawn at different time,and the drug concentration in aqueous humor and vitreous were determined with high-pressure liquid chromatography(HPLC).The absorption of vitreous hemorrhage was detected with ophthalmoscope.Results:In the experimental VH rabbits,the hemorrhage was absorbed quicker than in the control group,showing the effect of ligustrazine HCl-iontophoresis was better than that in control group.Conclusion:For vitreous hemorrhage,ligustrazine HCl-iontophoresis is an effective and simple therapy,which can accelerate the absorption of VH and shorten the course of treatment.


E-Banking provides all banking services to its users over the internet. Some of the services include paying of bills, Fund transfer, transfer, viewing account statement, etc. Users can easily access their e-banking account through internet via computers and Smartphone using wi-fi or 3g/4g connection. But security of fund transaction is a very big issue. There is a possibility to hack user's account information by hackers at any time over internet. Cryptography is a best technique for encrypt data from outside Hackers. In this paper we implement a banking system by using Blowfish algorithm. This system will provide a secure web base application where only authorize users can access all information using a valid secret key. Keywords— Cryptography, Symmetric key encryption, Asymmetric key encryption, Blowfish algorithm


The purpose of this report is to provide grounding within a global context of the emerging issues, debates and considerations of gender equality within national employment policies. It focuses on the Decent Work Agenda; demand side considerations (i.e. macro- and microeconomic environment, foreign direct investment, sectoral policies to encourage employment); supply side considerations (i.e. the development of marketable skills); control over and access to productive resources and SME development; labour market policies (active and passive labour market policies, employment services); equal opportunity and treatment in employment; social protection and labour rights; work-family balance considerations; issues surrounding unpaid work; and policy formulation, coordination, monitoring and evaluation and budgeting.


The specific flow of the egress paths and the walking speed of the people are the key factors for the evacuation time prediction under emergency conditions. The research works on the movement behavior along the level paths and stairs are reviewed in this paper,and the evacuation time from a high-rise building predicted by different research models are compared. It is found that large differences of the movement speeds exist under the free walking and higher-density movement conditions. For the level surfaces,the results are almost same,when the crowd density is in the range of 0. 5 person /m2 D 2. 5person /m2. However,for the walking upstairs,due to so many influence factors,the existing models are so different.


The article is devoted to the analysis of the daily diet and health status of the girls of the reference group engaged in rhythmic gymnastics during the one-year cycle of basic training. Significant deviations in the diet and regime of diet of gymnasts from the recommended standards have been revealed, and as a consequence: almost 100% of the musculoskeletal system (flat feet, scoliosis, posture disorder), high frequency of pathological changes in the gastrointestinal tract and myopiaMany of these defects can be a particular manifestation of the connective tissue dysplasia syndrome.


According to engineering demands,a composite railway temporary bridge and its application in railway hub projects are presented.The force-resistant system in the bridge is composed of two parts: the cast-in-place reinforced concrete beams and slabs,and the steel lattice columns.The dynamic and vehicle-bridge coupling vibration characteristics of the bridge are analyzed,based on which design strategies are adopted in the project to strengthen the lateral stiffness.In railway hub projects,the composite temporary bridge effectively resolves the contradictions between railway station construction and the safety operation of existing railway lines,and could be an ideal complement of the traditional temporary bridge.


Aim: To report on our initial experience with whole body diffusion weighted MRI (WB-DW-MRI) for cancer staging, using the Metastasis Reporting and Data System for Prostate (MET-RADS-P) criteria and scoring, aiming at finding evidence of visceral/and or bony metastasis in already diagnosed tumor cases involving different types of tumors. Methods: The study involved 34 known oncological patients who were referred for cancer staging with Whole Body Diffusion Weighted MRI (WB-DW-MRI) at our center within the period of the study. WB-DW-MRI was performed on a 1.5T clinical scanner recently installed in our center. Scans were performed using 6 Channel body phase array coils isocenter matrix coil (spine coil) and 16 Channel Head/Neck Coil. Patients were examined in supine position and four stations of axial free breathing Diffusion Weighted Imaging (DWI). Results: Majority of our study population were males, recording a mean age of 60.2 years. The lesions indicated for WB-DW-MRI included prostate cancer, breast cancer, uterine cancer, gastric cancer, Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Burkitt's lymphoma, rectal cancer and lung cancer. Prostate cancer was the most common lesion (n=25, 73.5%). Visceral and/or bony metastasis was evident in 12 out of the 34 cases reported, majority of which were prostate cancer cases. Conclusion: Whole body diffusion weighted MRI has proven to be effective in assessing visceral, nodal and bony metastasis in various types of malignancies in a black African population. Based on this experience, we reinforce the recommendation that WB-DW-MRI should be integrated into routine clinical practice.


Digital systems, by incorporating geographical location, have led to artistic exploration creating a new category of digital art, called locative art. Canal*...


The utility model discloses a dimensional coordinate location drilling guide apparatus, which comprises an X1 and an X2 axis vernier scales, a Z axis vernier scale, a Y axis vernier scale, locating needle fixators and a guide needle fixator, wherein the X1 and the X2 axis vernier scales are arranged along an X axis, the Z axis vernier scale is arranged along a Z axis, the Y axis vernier scale is arranged along a Y axis, the locating needle fixators are arranged on the X1 axis and the X2 axis, the guide needle fixator is arranged on the Y shaft, and the X2 axis vernier scale is parallel to the X1 axis vernier scale. A body surface locator is arranged on ossature after fracture resets, locating needles are vertically inserted, projections of a target point and a reference point on a body surface are located through X-ray, coordinates of the target point and the reference point relative to a locating needle tip on the X1 axis, the X2 axis and the y axis of a dimensional locating frame, the locating needles are respectively fixed, verniers arranged on various axes are respectively adjusted according to coordinates and are fixed, and drills or kirschner wires are drilled from the guide needle fixator. The dimensional coordinate location drilling guide apparatus has the advantages of wide applicable scope and accurate drilling, and the drills or the kirschner wires can be in any sizes below 6mm.


The present invention, a large number of samples, called analyte contained in the sample, using the same analytical platform and to test for the presence of biologically relevant compounds as a substance involved in a specific binding reaction It relates to a method to be implemented. The present invention is a fraction of the sample or those samples are identified, contained therein, the evanescent field sensor with the analyte acts as a first number of specific binding partner, acting as rigid supports characterized in that it is arranged after the further dilution of the direct or sample or fraction with at least one one- or individual measurement zones in the two-dimensional array on the platform. Different samples or fractions or different dilutions of the sample or fraction, is disposed in different individual measurement zones. The second acts as a large number of specific binding partners, the identification of more than the first number of one which is provided to specifically identify one or more analytes contained in the sample from the specific binding partner material, in a single or multiple specific binding reaction step, is contacted with the individual measurement is located in the area sample and or a fraction thereof or dilution thereof. Individual changes of the photoelectron signal by binding identifying agent for measuring the analyte contained in the zone, is locally decomposed to measured attenuation field evanescent field sensor platform, specifically identified the analyte in each measurement zone the presence of is qualitatively and / or quantitatively measured based on the relative magnitude of the change in the optoelectronic signals from each measurement zone.


VLBI is one of the most important techniques for measuring Earth orientation parameters (EOP), and is unique in its ability to make high accuracy measurements of UT1, and its time derivative, which is related to changes in the length of day, conventionally called LOD. These measurements of EOP give constraints on geophysical models of the solid-Earth, atmosphere and oceans. Changes in EOP are due either to external torques from gravitational forces, or to the exchange of angular momentum between the Earth, atmosphere and oceans. The effect of the external torques is strictly harmonic and nature, and is therefore easy to remove. We analyze an LOD time series derived from VLBI measurements with the goal of comparing this to predictions from AAM, and various ENSO indices. Previous work by ourselves and other investigators demonstrated a high degree of coherence between atmospheric angular momentum (AAM) and EOP. We continue to see this. As the angular momentum of the atmosphere increases, the rate of rotation of the Earth decreases, and vice versa. The signature of the ENSO is particularly strong. At the peak of the 1982-83 El Nino increased LOD by almost 1 ms. This was subsequently followed by a reduction in LOD of 0.75 ms. At its peak, in February of 1998, the 1997-98 El Nino increased LOD by 0.8 msec. As predicted at the 1998 Spring AGU, this has been followed by an abrupt decrease in LOD which is currently -0.4 ms. At this time (August, 1998) the current ENSO continues to develop in new and unexpected ways. We plan to update our analysis with all data available prior to the Fall AGU.