The use of tree ring width as a measure of relative secondary growth rates and growing conditions has received little attention in New England or any other humid section of the United States. Analyses covering short periods of time, dealing with a few trees only and often with several species in the same study, have led to contradictory and poorly supported conclusions, in sharp contrast with the extensive data and dependable conclusions from studies ill the southwestern states. Since the humid regions lack any such obvious factor for control of growth as the long droughts of relatively dry regions, it has remained an open question whether rainfall or any other factor, or simple set of factors, controls the growth rates of trees in wellwatered areas. This pl)aer l)resents the results of an intensive study of the relations of growth to climate shown by the eastern hemlock, Tsuga caneadonsis, in northern New England. The critical use of annual rings as measures of radial growth rates in response to environment requires (a) measurements sufficient in number and accuracy really to represent growth, and (b) use of the data for each tree with constant appreciation that they involve responses of a living organism to many factors internal and external, even though one or more factors may dominate. This means especially that more pronounced effects should be expected when the dominant factor is quantitatively much below normal than when it offers a relatively favorable opportunity for growth; for under these most favorable conditions the full and precise response of the tree may be prevented by a deficiency of even one other essential factor. Likewise, so much allowance must be male for interplay of factors when the dominant one is quantitatively not far from its average value, that the practical approach to the problem is to notice the responses to extreme values of the factor suspected of being outstandling in its control of growth rate. It is understood that such control may be either direct or indirect or 1)oth, in view of the many interrelated factors of temperature, evaporation, distributionn of rainfall from day to clay, soil texture and profile, root distribution, interception of rainfall by tree crowns, etc. Failure to allow for contributing factors like these, which all workers must admit as important, has led some writers to expect or require nearly perfect correlations under all conditions. Thus, Adams ('35, p. 22) concludes that Robbins ('21) 457


The power transformer is the crucial and vital unit of power system. In a transformer, the transformer oil is used to reduce the temperature of the power transformer and electrically dielectric media. In power transformer, the reactive sulphurcomponents of antioxidant leads to uneven electric stress in paper oil insulation and causes complex problems that affecttransformer insulation. The effects of antioxidants dibenzy1 disulphide(DBDS), passivatorIrgamet® 39 on corrosive action ofpaper oilinsulationisdiscussed in this investigation. An experimentis carried out on paper oil insulation using 200 ml transformer oil with different DBDS and passivator concentration. The reactive sulfuris released as a bi-product after certain ageing of DBDSand forms copper sulphide. Thisprocess of copper sulfideformation isanalyzed using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) andDielectric Spectroscopy Analysis (FTIR). Theseanalysis lead to the study of insulation failure.


1. Angling in Japan 2. Tokonoma 3. Bonseki, or tray Landscapes 4. Japanese Humour, Old and New 5. The Romance of a Mask-Maker 6. Incense Ceremonies 7. The Shosoin 8. Hot Springs in Japan 9. Singing Insects 10. Miniature Plants 11. Among my Books 12. The Uguisu 13. Japan Weather 14. The Bamboo 15. Bonkei,or Miniature Landscapes 16. Wrestling, the National Game of Japan 17. In the Land of Snow 18. The Katana, the Soul of the Samurai 19. Tricky Traders in Art 20. The Ayu, the Queen of the River


This study explores the use of real estate in investment portfolios of large property/casualty and life insurance companies in the U.S. While the theory of real estate asset allocation has been explored in the literature, the examination of actual practices of portfolio managers is not well understood. The need for research into asset allocation of large pools of funds such as those held by insurers is evidenced by the findings of some researchers that have shown that many portfolios contain an inadequate level of real estate in their total investment holdings. At the end of 1992, the insurance industry held $2.4 trillion in investment funds, and the property/casualty sector of the insurance industry accounted for $637 billion of those assets. Consequently, prudent asset allocation by insurers is a significant issue in the financial community. This study reports information on the basic decision-making criteria of portfolio managers with property/casualty and life insurers, and will examine the insurers' asset holdings. Results help reveal how actual real estate asset allocation decisions are made by insurers.


Background: In Pati District KTD cases in adolescents aged <17 years as much as 43.8%, which affectsthe marriage at an early age is increasing. This research aims to describe the response of parents and teens junior who experience unwanted pregnancy, and the effects of marriage at an early age. Method: This research method was qualitative case study design. With a purposive sampling and data collection using in-depth interviews. The main informants were adolescent who experienced unwanted pregnancy 5 people. Informants triangulation parents 5 people. Results: The results showed the phenomenon of early marriage makes parents and teens are not afraid of an unwanted pregnancy, as a result people who previously regarded premarital sex behavior that violates norms, are now more likely to be accepted by society. Parents and teenagers who live rural areas provide a response to resolve the problem by marrying unwanted pregnancy informant. While living urban areas, asking informants to have an abortion, but after failing informant eventually wed. Marriage was a solution unwanted pregnancy experienced by adolescents because of the permissive society towards marriage early age and culture in the community who think if the domestic sector only female duties, so that the nature of women is to be a housewife. Suggested provide information to adolescents and parents about the effects of early marriage. The government particularly Health Provider can further provide youthfriendly health services since the junior level. Keywords: unwanted pregnancy, early marriage, adolescents of junior high school


Indubitably, Ibn Taymiyya is among those medieval Muslim theologians who have aroused the most interest in modern Western and Arab scholarship. This interest in Ibn Taymiyya has led to the production of a considerable number of academic works. While his fatwas and positions on dogmatic, legal, philosophical, and political questions are beginning to become well‑known, his position and vision concerning Mamluk power have been less frequently investigated. Paradoxically, close reading of the Mamluk sources shows that the authors of the period provided a fairly accurate account of the variable relations maintained by Ibn Taymiyya with certain great figures of the sultanate. However, his considerations of Mamluk power remain poorly understood. Based on an examination of the writings of Ibn Taymiyya and his contemporaries, this article attempts to shed light on the position of the famous Ḥanbalī theologian vis‑a‑vis the Mamluk Sultanate and the Mamluks in relation to religion and governance.


"Property Right Law of PRC" deal with the ownership of the lost property, and article 107th and 113th respectively regulate the lost Property transferred or not. That article 113 does not provide the picker right of acquisition of lost property under certain condition is improper. Article 107 adopts the "exceptional recognition," as is right; On the other hand, there is no theft of good faith in article 107, and article 107 doesn't regulate the public market when paid back, and there is no special provisions on bearer securities and currencies in article 107. In addition, the location of articles 113 is questionable.


The review is devoted to the achievements in the investigation of citrate synthase, an enzyme that plays a key role in cell metabolism and catalyzes the process of citric acid synthesis at the first step of the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA). The primary industrial producer of citric acid is an Aspergillus niger fungus; therefore, the fundamental molecular-genetic and biochemical characteristics of the enzyme from this producer are discussed in comparison with those of other eukaryotes. The information about mechanisms of the citric acid overproduction in A. niger and its evolutionary features are analyzed. The current review can be helpful in the development of strategy for the design of more effective organic acids producers.


Objectives: This study was conducted to analyse available methods of chairside sterilization procedures for endodontic hand file sterility, including metal shaft and plastic handle. Study design: Seven test groups of 12 endodontic files were studied using Bacillus subtilis as the test organism .Groups were sterilized by sodium hypochlorite immersion and glass bead sterilizer. Result: Immersion of contaminated files in 5.25% sodium hypochlorite for 5 minutes, when handle was not contaminated, sterilized the files. Conclusion: Cleaning and sterilization is mandatory to prevent cross infection. Immersing in 5.25% NaOCl for 5 minutes can effectively be used for chair side sterilization of endodontic hand files when handles are not contaminated


Oxazoline-functionalized ABS high rubber powder(oxa-ABSHR) was synthesized via reaction between ABS high rubber powder(ABSHR) and aminethanol in o-dichlorobenzene solution.Various oxa-ABSHRs of different oxazoline conversion rates were produced,and they were applied in ABS/PET blends.Fourier Transform Infrared(FTIR) indicated that oxazoline groups had been introduced onto ABSHR successfully.The differential scanning calorimetry(DSC) and rheological tests demonstrated that PET was partially miscible with ABS because oxazoline groups have reacted with PET end groups.The scanning electrons microscopy(SEM) showed that PET particles dispersed in ABS matrix more regularly and the diameter was smaller.When adding 6 % oxa-ABSHR whose oxazoline formation rate was 50 %,the Izod impact strength of the blends increased by 102 %.


Recently, the problem of using efficient the number of mobile devices starting from multi-sink to go to charge and collect data of sensors such that sensors can work forever has received a great deal of attention in Wireless Rechargeable Sensor Network (WRSN). Many methods have been proposed for the WRSN systems such that mobile device can charge and collect data from sensors. However, most of previous works often require lots of mobile devices while the cost of mobile device is very high. In this paper, we investigate the Periodic Energy Replenishment and Data Collection with multiple sink (PERDCMS) problem and propose a new algorithm, called the Mobile Device Scheduling Algorithm (MDSA), to using limited number of mobile devices for charging and collecting data for sensors. Simulation results show that the MDSA has better performance than other method.


Background: Ochronotic arthropathy is a rare complication in patients with alkaptonuria (AKU) that occurs as a result of ochronotic pigment accumulation in the joints.
Case Report: This case report presents a 54-year-old patient with severe degenerative arthritis who underwent total hip arthroplasty on both sides within an interval of three years. The diagnosis was made by observation of a dark capsule and femoral head during the second surgery. The surgical treatments significantly reduced the pain and improved the range of motion (ROM).
Conclusion: Orthopedic surgeons must be vigilant about clinical manifestations of this rare condition, before and during the surgery. Arthroplasty is a favourable therapeutic option in patients suffering from ochronotic arthropathy.


lectual or political conceptions: then, reversing direction, he must strike outward, pressing into service the technical skills necessary to portray vividly the condition revealed. Endowing the politician with such an heroic role is doubtless flattering and perhaps supportive: but it is undoubtedly easier to sustain such an image of politicians when working in academia rather than in Westminster. More difficult, however, is to share the enthusiasm displayed by Davies in the second section of his work where he seeks to classify each man's Weltanschauung. For his ground plan he raids the closet of small-group psychology and bears away the classification of Robert F. Bales of the Harvard Social Relationship Department who, a decade ago, published Personality and Interpersonal Behaviour and there attempted to set out on Theophrastian lines a laboratory classification of twenty-six types of character and matching world views. On this frame Davies strings a sampling of personal world outlooks analysed in political psychology files. For some the results will be less than convincing: but the game is well played and those he brings to his aid have, in their own right, distinctive and rewarding voices. More seductive is the final part of this book where the author attempts to catalogue the affects in, or aroused by, politics. Political leaders can be like sculptors, only their medium is not marble but public emotion. Attention is usually monopolized by the ideational crust of politics, and the political passions behind the demands, rallying-cries, and rationalizations, are so often devalued or ignored. As the historian Lewis Namier protested, speaking of political ideas 'What matters most is the underlying emotions, the music, to which ideas are a mere libretto, often of very inferior quality; and once the emotions have ebbed the ideas, established high and dry, become doctrine, or at best innocuous cliches'. To these emotions the author has directed himself using forgotten non-analytical writers like the splendid Max Scheler, whose insights in 1912 into the building of envy-systems by politicians provide Davieswithafirm base for his arresting assessment of envy as a principal affect moving both politicians and electorates. There is inevitably a certain artificiality in his, or indeed any, classification of affects in politics, of anger, hatred, fear, paranoia, pity and loyalty: motivation in practice is rarely simple and never pure. And there is always the danger, stressed by Ernest Jones, of double cover, of affect guarding against affect morbid anxiety disguising guilt, itself based on fear: these double-bluff structures may indeed be contemporaneous. Davies, however, is aware of the hazards and, as far as is possible, seeks to correct the errors implicitly within his applied methodology: the full trawl he successfully dredges up justifies the attempt. The purpose of his book, the author tells us in his initial apologia, is to put students of politics in touch with a body of quiet, tenacious and steadily growing work which has, in recent decades, addressed itself to certain deeper problems in the individual's relation to social life. The author has triumphantly succeeded in his quest: most students of politics will be grateful to him even as, for reasons common to both, practising politicians and non-analytically oriented psychiatrists will sulkily reject his uncomfortable propositions.


Glucose is the main energy source for mammalian cells and its absorption is co-mediated by two different families of glucose transporters, sodium/glucose co-transporters (SGLTs) and facilitative glucose transporters (GLUTs). Here, we report the cloning and tissue distribution of porcine GLUT2. The GLUT2 was cloned by RACE and its cDNA was 2,051 bp long (GenBank accession no. EF140874). An AAATAA consensus sequence at nucleotide positions 1936-1941 was located upstream of the poly (A) + tail. Open reading frame analysis suggested that porcine GLUT2 contained 524 amino acids, with molecular weight of 57 kDa. The amino acid sequence of porcine GLUT2 was 87% and 79.4% identical with human and mouse GLUT2, respectively. GLUT2 mRNA was detected at highest level in porcine liver, at moderate levels in the small intestine and kidney, and at low levels in the brain, lung, muscle and heart. In the small intestine, the highest level was in the jejunum. In conclusion, the mRNA expression of GLUT2 was not only differentially regulated by age, but also differentially distributed along the small intestine of piglets, which may be related to availability of different intestinal luminal substrate concentrations resulting from different food sources and digestibility.


In this paper, a multilevel thresholding algorithm based on the The Best Agent Operator Gravitational Search Algorithm (BAOGSA) is introduced. BAOGSA with activating best agent to influence the worst mass with agents, the total force and therefore to a low velocity is intended. Segmentation is one of the most important tasks in image processing that endeavors to identify whether a pixel intensity corresponds to a predefined class. One of the easiest methods is applicable to the segmentation thresholding, which is a process in which the pixels of a gray scale image are divided in sets or classes depending on their intensity level. It is used Kapur's method as an objective function for optimal threshold selection by us. After The best threshold values are applied into multiple thresholding segmentation method, and then divided image are obtained into classes . Experimental results are compared and evaluated with the known methods and results demonstrate the high performance of the proposed method for the segmentation of digital images.


Electrical stimulation has been known since Galvani's work with frogs in the 1780's and is the most widely used method of stimulation in modern clinical medicine. Magnetic stimulation does however have certain advantages over electrical stimulation including its ability to stimulate nerves painlessly. It appears a natural progression to try a method of combined magnetic and electric stimulation. This could potentially combine the advantages of the two methods and minimise or negate their disadvantages. In particular it may improve the focality of magnetic stimulation to that when used alone.


Comparisons of the tertiary structures of the GDP-bound and guanosine 5′-O-(thiotriphosphate) (GTPγS)-bound forms of the α subunit of transducin (αT) indicate that there are three regions that undergo changes in conformation upon αT activation. Two of these regions, Switch I and Switch II, were originally identified in Ras, while Switch III appears to be unique to trimeric GTP-binding proteins (G proteins). We find that replacement of the Switch III region (aspartic acid 227 through asparagine 237) with a single alanine residue yields an αT subunit that fully binds and hydrolyzes GTP but no longer stimulates the activity of the cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase (PDE), the physiological target for transducin. We also show that changing glutamic acid 232 of αT to a leucine (E232L) had no effect on rhodopsin-stimulated GTP-GDP exchange nor on the GTP hydrolytic activity of αT. However, the GTPγS-bound form of the αTE232L mutant was unable to stimulate the activity of the cyclic GMP PDE. The lack of stimulation was not due to an inability of the αTE232L mutant to bind to the target. Taken together, these results indicate that glutamic acid 232 mediates a conformational coupling between Switch II and Switch III, which is essential for converting GTP-dependent G protein-target interactions into a stimulation of target/effector activity.


The present study has examined the impact of the economic and personal empowerment on
achieving managerial success of SHG women in Hassan District of Karnataka. The existing study has based on
primary data and Logit econometric modeling for analysis. It has been found from the study that economic
empowerment partially contributes for managerial development and personal empowerment significantly
contributes for managerial development. Therefore, the impact of personal empowerment is higher than the
economic empowerment on managerial development. The maximum contribution of economic and personal
empowerments for success in managerial development is almost nearing to 50 percent. Hence, economic and
personal empowerments significantly contribute for managerial development of SHG members.


Comparison of different kinds of semi-arid aquatic environments based on zooplankton communities were done. These environments are very important because they are the only surface water supply throughout the year. We analyzed 2 lagoons, 2 "barreiros" and 3 dams in both dry and rainy seasons. Some of these studied areas are neighboring. The results showed that there is not a pattern for specific environments. Great changes were observed in the same environment throughout the year and over the years. The densities of total zooplankton communities were higher in Barreiro Santa Clara, Acude Soledade, Acude da Barra, Panati Lagoon, Serrote Lagoon, Acude Taperoa and Barreiro Soledade, respectively. The Shannon biodiversity indices were higher in lagoons, followed by barreiros and reservoirs. The water quality and the habitat availability seemed to be more decisive in determining the zooplankton's community structure than the environment type.


Open governance and open data have given rise to new collaborative tools for public involvement in transit planning. The research presented in this paper extends such tools, adding tangible and interactive features in an attempt to foster interaction, dialog, and social learning. Three tools, representing the impacts of bus rapid transit (BRT) projects at the street, neighborhood, and regional scales, were deployed at a series of public workshops in Boston. A pre-/post- survey design reveals substantive learning about BRT, supported by participants' general agreement with statements about social learning. The quality of dialog in the workshops may point to the potential for more in-depth, double-loop learning. Of the tools used in the workshop, participants judged the one representing the street scale to be the easiest to use, whereas they judged the touchscreen regional map to be the most relevant and credible. Further research could test such tools with more representative participants and in other settings.


This paper argues a case for vocal production and performance as a legitimate and autonomous aspect of theatre practice (and of practice as research). It is my contention that vocal performance has its own identifiable internal systems, relationships and dimensions which constitute it as an autonomous practice, as well as engaging in complex relationships with acting, visual design and the written text in the construction of an integrated theatre production. So what follows comes from the perspective and perceptions of a voice person within a production.


The purpose of this research is to understand and quantify the impact of Business value planning on Business-IT Alignment and strength of interaction among them. The construct validity was established for both Business Value Planning (BVP) and Business-IT Alignment (BIA). The sample data from 65 firms were obtained through structured questionnaires. Structured equation modeling and Regression analysis were used to understand the impact and the relationships among the constructs. Business value planning identifies the critical business processes and the value indicator for each business process followed by the design and approval of a business case for the initiatives. These activities had a significant effect on the Business-IT Alignment which was confirmed through confirmatory factor analysis. The research output suggests that Business value planning plays a key role to achieve overall Business-IT Alignment (BIA).


Dysphagia is a distressing symptom and indicates a delay in the passage of solids or liquids from the mouth to the stomach. It is sometimes difficult to understand why patients may take so long to consult their doctor for advice, but whenever patients present a diagnosis should be urgently sought. Dysphagia should be distinguished from odynophagia, which is discomfort or pain on swallowing hot or cold liquids and, occasionally, alcohol.

In clinical practice it is useful to separate those causes that predominantly affect the pharynx and proximal oesophagus (high dysphagia) and those mostly affecting the oesophageal body and oesophagogastric junction (low dysphagia).


Fluidic adaptive lenses with an adjustable focal length over a wide range were demonstrated in this letter. The focal length adjustment was achieved by changing the shape of the fluidic lens without any mechanical moving parts. The shortest focal length demonstrated in such devices is 41 mm, which corresponds to a large numerical aperture of 0.24 and a small F number of 2.05. The highest resolution measured using a positive standard is 25.39 lp/mm in this fluidic adaptive lens.


In order to locate the fault for transmission lines rapidly, accurately and reliably, a new fault locating method based on the theory of strong tracking filter (STF) is proposed. Taking the fault distance, resistance between head end and fault point, failure voltage at the fault point as the state variables, the system state and parameter joint estimation model is built. STF as well as failure voltage and failure current measured at the head end are used to estimate the fault distance accurately without solving equations. PSCAD/EMTDC simulation shows that this method is simple and able to accurately locate the fault in various fault modes and is free from the influence of random factors such as fault transition resistance and fault inception time.


Abstract The joint statutory recommendations developed by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), the greater consumer awareness, and environmental considerations confirm the need to reduce the consumption of saturated fatty acids in the human diet. This has contributed to the development of innovative methods for replacement of saturated fats in food products. Oleogels obtained with various methods are such an alternative. Therefore, the study was focused on the analysis of the current applications of oleogels in selected food products and elucidation of the mechanisms of oleogel formation. As indicated by many researchers, oleogels (structured oils) can replace trans and saturated fats in food products and can be used in the production of spreads as well as bakery, confectionery, and dairy products. However, there are still many challenges and technological problems preventing commercial application of oleogels in the industry. It is also important to develop oleogels with higher physical and antioxidant stability, which will be used in a wide range of food products manufactured in varying production conditions and give the final products the desired sensory properties. Nevertheless, given its nutritional and environmental values, oleogelation has great potential for future industrial use.


In recent years a novel family of Interferon (IFN)‐inducible nuclear proteins has been identified in both mouse and humans and implicated in the control of myeloid differentiation. Recent evidence suggests that this role may be mediated by an effect on cell cycle regulation through interaction with known transcriptional regulators. Our laboratory first identified a nuclear protein designated IFI 16, which is strongly inducible with IFN‐α and ‐γ in myeloid cells. IFI 16 shares homology with at least six IFN‐inducible mouse genes, designated the Gene 200 cluster, and also has close similarity with the human myeloid cell nuclear differentiation antigen, whose expression has also been associated with later stages of normal myelopoiesis and some myeloid malignancies. The structural hallmark of each protein in this family of hemopoietic IFN‐inducible nuclear proteins is a 200‐amino acid motif (hence HIN‐200), present singly or as a tandem repeat. The restricted expression of these proteins, their ability to bind to nucleic acid, and their expression in response to a variety of stimuli eliciting myeloid differentiation strongly suggest that they play a role in hemopoietic maturation. J. Leukoc. Biol. 60: 310–316; 1996.


Alterations in glucose and fatty acid metabolism are believed to contribute to the development of heart failure. Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor α (PPARα) is a transcription factor that regulates fatty acid metabolism and is frequently reported to be reduced in heart failure. However, it is controversial whether this decline in PPARα mediates the development of cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. To improve our understanding of the role of cardiac PPARα we generated a tamoxifen inducible cardiac-specific PPARα knockout mouse (cPPAR
 -/-
 ). Control (Mer-Cre-Mer and Flox
 -/-
 ) mice and cPPAR
 -/-
 (Mer-Cre-Mer and Flox
 +/+
 ) mice were treated with tamoxifen at ~2.5 months and were studied 5 weeks after treatment. We verified loss of cardiac PPARα using western blot. cPPAR
 -/-
 mice appear healthy with normal body weight gain and survival. To examine the impact of cardiac deletion of PPARα on cardiac function we performed echocardiography on control and cPPAR
 -/-
 . There was no reduction in systolic function between control and cPPAR
 -/-
 mice. Ejection fraction (Control, 56.3±0.9; cPPAR
 -/-
 , 59.7±0.1) and fractional shortening (Control, 29.1±0.5; cPPAR
 -/-
 , 31.5±0.1) were similar in cPPAR
 -/-
 compared to control hearts. Interestingly however, baseline heart rate was significantly lower in cPPAR
 -/-
 versus control mice (Control, 531.3±18.3; cPPAR
 -/-
 , 459.8±2.9 bpm). In addition to having normal cardiac function, heart weights were similar between control and cPPAR
 -/-
 mice. Overall, these data indicate that an acute reduction in myocardial PPARα per se does not cause cardiac dysfunction. However these data do not exclude the possibility that loss of PPARα could drive cardiac pathology in the context of other signals.


The surgical treatment of cancer may require blood transfusion. Twenty years ago, 25% of all banked blood was used in cancer patients. Although surgery is now generally less haemorrhagic than in the past, surgeons do not hesitate to perform more aggressive, haemorrhagic procedures such as hepatectomy, extensive tumour resection, and peritonectomy (often associated with intraperitoneal hyperthermic chemotherapy) etc. Homologous transfusion results in immunosuppression, and consequently may increase the risk of postoperative infections and negatively affect the malignant disease itself (more tumour recurrences and reduced survival) (1, 2). Thus, autologous transfusion methods developed to reduce or avoid allogenic blood transfusion in non-tumour surgery would be of particular interest in cancer patients.


This paper draws attention to thefact that language planning in West Africa
is largely concerned with policy making and that such planning takes place
against the background of several factors, including multilingualism, the
colonial legacy, education as a primary agent of change, high incidence of
illiteracy, and concerns for communication, national Integration, and
development. It is noted that language planning in the subregion is characterized by nonconformity with rational processes of decision making, lack
of continuity, bureaucratic monopoly of planning, and eilte domination
of policy making. With Illustration from three countries in the subregion,
thepoint is made that the usual top-to-bottom planning needs to be complemented with a bottom-to-top alternative in which lower levels (and community attitudes at such levels) can make an input into language planning.
Similarly, policy making without Implementation is shown to be a futile
exercise, while a proliferation of Implementation agencies without
coordination is described as activity without action.


Nonparametric tests provide robust and powerful alternatives to the corresponding least squares methods. There are two approaches to nonparametric pairwise comparisons of treatment effects, the method based on pairwise rankings and the method based on overall ranking. The former is generally recommended in the literature because of its strong control of familywise error rate. However, this method is developed only for one-way layouts and randomized complete blocks. By combining the method of aligned ranks and pairwise ranking, we extend the Steel-Dwass pairwise comparisons to the analysis of covariance and factorial models for both one-sided and two-sided comparisons as well as testing for treatment versus control. Unlike the traditional two-sample standardization of test statistics, we propose a weighted estimate of the scale parameter for ranks and show through simulation that it has superior small sample performance by controlling the familywise error rate at nominal level. This method provides an improvement for large sample approximation of Steel-Dwass method for one-way layouts. The marginal and joint asymptotic distributions are derived and power comparisons are made with the method of aligned rank transformation and the least squares method.


In order to investigate the differences of roots mycorrhizal infection efficiency between different tomato varieties and influence of arbuscular mycorrhizal( AM) fungi on tomato growth,a pot experiment was carried out between five different tomato varieties and Rhizophagus irregularis CD- 1. This study was designed to investigate the effect of AM fungi on tomato varieties. Results showed that all tested tomato varieties could establish a symbiotic relationship with AM fungi,which were observed in tomato roots as various forms,including vesicle,hyphae,spores,and arbuscule,and no significant differences in all root infection rates( over than 90%) were observed among tomato varieties. The agronomic traits of all tomato varieties revealed that AM fungi could significantly improve plant height,number of petiole,shoot fresh weight,shoot dry weight,root fresh weight,and root dry weight of five tomato varieties. Plant height and shoot fresh weight of tomato varieties Z34 were increased by 1. 05 and 2. 12 times,respectively. The highest increase varieties in petiole number and shoot dry weight was Z30,with an increase of 0. 27 and 2. 22 times,respectively. Z33 showed the highest increase in root dry weight and root fresh weight,with an increase of 9 and 3. 8 times,respectively. AM dependence of all tomato varieties was 58. 75% to 72. 11%,as a consequence,the AM fungi could promote the growth of tomato varieties. These data suggest that the Rhizophagus irregularis CD- 1 can significantly promote tomato growth,and have a nice application prospect. This study will provide theoretical basis and technical support for the large-scale application of AM fungi on the tomato in the future.


Two approaches to solving the problem of clustering with gaps for a specified number of clusters are considered. The first approach is based on restoring the values of unknown attributes and solving the problem of clustering of calculated complete data. The second approach is based on solving a finite set of tasks of clustering of corresponding to incomplete data complete sample descriptions and the construction of collective decision. For both approaches, the clustering quality criteria have been proposed as functions of incomplete descriptions. Results of practical experiments are considered.


The growing concerns over global warming due to greenhouse gas emissions have pushed the appliance industry to further improve energy efficiency of its products. Refrigerator-freezers (RF), as one of the major home appliances, consume about one-fifth of the electricity in a household, and its life expectancy could be as long as 10–15 years. In response to future stricter regulations, several design options were considered for improving the energy efficiency of a conventionally designed domestic RF. The options, such as insulation improvements obtained by using vacuum insulation panels (VIPs), energy saving defrost control, and high-efficiency compressors were examined in a prototype RF The energy consumption of the original 1997 production refrigerator-freezer was selected as the baseline in order to compare the measured energy savings of each option and the combined options on the prototype refrigerator-freezer. This study has reached a goal to develop a prototype that has an energy consumption rate of 20% less than the baseline model.


Antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) is considered to be one of the most common complications of antibiotic therapy at the outpatient and inpatient stages of treatment in children. The major risk factors for the development of AAD are impaired colonization resistance of the intestinal microflora or direct mucosal irritation with the antibiotics (AB). Severe forms of AAD, known as pseudomembranous colitis, have been associated with Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), which is one of the leading causes in the structure of nosocomial and community-acquired infections and is characterized by considerable resistance to drug treatment. Alternative treatment strategies have been investigated, namely the possibility of adjuvant probiotic therapy, which may contribute to the normalization of indigenous microbiota impaired by AB and be appropriate for the prevention of AAD and CDI development. A review of the literature on the evaluation of the clinical efficacy of the prevention and treatment of AAD and CDI by probiotic drugs and certain probiotic strains was conducted. The literature was searched using electronic databases (Scopus, Web of Science, MedLine, The Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Global Health, CyberLeninka, RINC). The general characteristics of probiotic preparations are presented, the mechanisms of probiotic action are considered, and the bases of the effects of probiotic strains are analyzed. Data from randomized controlled trials have been systematized and analyzed; evidence of the effectiveness of AAD and CDI prevention and treatment by using probiotics is presented. The specific effects of probiotics on the prevention and treatment of AAD and CDI in children have been analyzed. The individual properties of the probiotic strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG are considered. The comparative characteristics of the evidence base of using probiotics in certain clinical situations are presented. Recommendations have been given to evaluate the possibility of using probiotic strains and to select a specific probiotic strain for the prevention and treatment of AAD and CDI in children receiving antibiotics.


Background : The organic matter (OM) in soils interacts with polyvalent cations such as Ca 2+ through hydroxyl (OH), carboxylic acid, ester, keto, aldehyde (summarized as C=O), and carboxylate (COO – ) functional groups. Such interactions affect the bonding strength of the double bond between the C and the O atom in the functional groups, which is assumed to shift the wavenumber (WN) region of O–H (hydroxyl), C=O, COO – , and OM cat ( i.e ., C=O interacting with cations plus O–H groups) absorption band maxima in the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra. Such band shifts limit the evaluation of spectral information on OM in soil samples. Aims : The objective of this study was to analyze the extent of band shifts and the changes in absorption band intensities for relations with cation concentrations, and to estimate effects of band shifts on OM properties such as potential wettability of OM evaluated from FTIR absorption band ratios. Methods : Polygalacturonic acid (PGA) solutions were mixed with a CaCl 2 solution at different relations. The freeze-dried mixtures were analyzed with FTIR spectroscopy in the mid-infrared spectral range by using KBr-technique. The FTIR spectra were interpreted with respect to O–H, C=O, COO – , and OM cat bands, the latter reflecting the formation of PGA-Ca 2+ complexes. Results : The FTIR spectra of the PGA–Ca mixtures compared to that of pure PGA indicate band shift effects by CaCl 2 addition on both, intensity and WN value of the OM cat , C=O and COO – absorption band maxima. The COO – /C–O–C ratio increased with Ca 2+ concentration while the C–H/C–O–C ratio decreased. Furthermore, the C=O and COO – absorption band maxima were shifted towards lower WN values, while the OM cat absorption band was shifted towards higher WN values. The shift of OM cat band maxima was two times higher than that of the C=O band maximum and increased with Ca 2+ concentration. Conclusion : Spectral band shifts depend on polyvalent cation concentration and limit automated interpretations of FTIR spectra without prior soil-specific spectral corrections.


The human visual system does not rigidly preserve the properties of the retinal image as neural signals are transmitted to higher areas of the brain Instead, it generates a representation that captures stable surface properties despite a retinal image that is often fragmented in space and time because of occlusion caused by object and observer motion The recovery of this coherent representation depends at least in part on input from an abstract representation of three-dimensional (3-D) surface layout In the two experiments reported, a stereoscopic apparent motion display was used to investigate the perceived continuity of a briefly interrupted visual object When a surface appeared in front of the object's location during the interruption, the object was more likely to be perceived as persisting through the interruption (behind an occluder) than when the surface appeared behind the object's location under otherwise identical stimulus conditions The results reveal the influence of 3-D surface-based representations even in very simple visual tasks


Objective To study the anti-inflammation and mmunoregulation function of TBQ injection on mice,and to provide basic evidence for the pre-clinical study of anti-tuberculosis immunopharmacology.Methods(1)The anti-inflammation effect of TBQ on the ICR mice was evaluated by the swelling of mouse pinnea caused by dimethylbenzene and capillary vessel penetrating experiment;(2)Immunosuppressive ICR mouse model induced by cyclophosphamide was established and the effect of TBQ on the delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) of the mice was observed.Results(1)Compared with normal saline control group,the high-dose of TBQ obviously inhibited the swelling of mouse pinnea degree of ICR mouse caused by dimethylbenzene(P0.01) and as well as increased the penetration of capillary vessel of abdominal cavity;(2)The high-dose of TBQ could up-regulating effect on the immunity of mice with low-immunity.Conclusion TBQ has anti-inflammation effects and can improve cell-mediated immunity.


Communal Regulating Plan is the urban planning policy tool Chile, whose formulation intended to regulate land uses, conditions for building and subdivision of land, roads and structuring the city limits. It is believed that this instrument is imperfect since it does not incorporate in legislation a key dimension of urbanism: urban morphology, defined as three-dimensional spatial system of the city. By contrast, the empirical analysis demonstrates that factors such as urban form are responses from the free play of economic forces and social model of the space. Consequently, what dominates is a pattern of development rather than a planning project, which are very different ways of making city. This article aims to demonstrate that urban form, derived from the application of the instrument in a commune like Maipu metropolitan perimeter is one of the unintended impacts of the regulatory plan, but that could be incorporated into a new urban planning tool.


Coastal zones are among the most active areas on Earth, being subjected to extreme wind / wave conditions, thus vulnerable to erosion. In Greece and Crete in particular, beach zones are extremely important for the welfare of the inhabitants, since, apart for the important biological and archaeological value of the beach zones, the socio-economic value is critical since a great number of human activities are concentrated in such areas (touristic facilities, fishing harbors etc.). The present study investigates the erosional procedures observed in Plaka beach, E. Crete, Greece, a highly touristic developed area with great archaeological interest and proposes a cost-effective solution. The factors taken into consideration for the proposed solution in reducing the erosion of the beach were the study of the climatological, geological and geomorphological regime of the area, the recent (∼70 years) shifting of the coastline through the study of topographic maps, aerial photographs and satellite images, the creation of detailed bathymetric and seabed classification maps of the area and finally, a risk analysis in terms of erosional phenomena. On the basis of the above, it is concluded that the area under investigation is subjected to an erosional rate of about 1 m/10 years and the total land-loss for the past 70 years is about 4600 m2. Through the simulation of the wave regime we studied 3 possible scenarios, the "do-nothing" scenario, the construction of a detached submerged breakwater at the depth of 3 meters and, finally, the armoring of the existing beach-wall through the placement of appropriate size and material boulders, forming an artificial slope for the reducing of the wave breaking energy and a small scale nourishment plan. As a result, through the modeling of the above, the most appropriate and cost-effective solution was found to be the third, armoring of the existing coastal wall and nourishment of the beach periodically, thus the further undermining of the beach will be reduced and part of the beach can be replaced, and providing aesthetic and economic value to the beach in order to maintain the coastal protection programme.


As information becomes increasingly sizable for organizations to maintain the challenge of organizing data still remains. More importantly, the on-going process of analysing incoming data occurs on a continual basis and organizations should employ existing procedures that may not be adequate or efficient when attempting to access specific information to analyse. In these latter days of technological advancement, organizations can offer their customers extensive data resources to utilize and thus accomplish individual objectives and maintain competitiveness; however, it remains a challenge in providing data in a format that serves each clients suited needs. For some, the complexity of a data model can be overwhelming to utilize. Furthermore, companies should secure an understanding of the purchasing power used by specific consumer groups to remain competitive and ease the operation of data analysis. This research paper is to examine the use of multi-dimensional models within a business environment and how it may provide customers and managers with generating queries that will provide accurate and relevant data for effective analysis. It also provides a new framework that can aid various types of organisations using sizable database systems to create their own multidimensional model from relational databases and present the data in multidimensional views. It also defines the requirements. Despite the availability of set tools, the complexity of utilizing the conceptions discourages customers as they may become apprehensive about exploring these options for analytical purposes. This could be done by conducting a query.


First this work presents the role of historical events in demographic development of Banovina, especially that of the Croatian Military Border. Then it analyses the dynamics of the total population number in the 1857-2001 period, population natural dynamics, as well as its biological and ethnic structures. The analysis has shown that Banovina is a region of a long and intensive depopulation essentially influenced by recent migrations, then a region of negative natural population change, old and lowly active demographic structure, as well as a region of radical changes in the population national structure.


The purpose of this assignment is to define a learning task as described by Mitchell (1997), choose three algorithms from the book and describe how they could be usedapplied to the chosen learning problem. In many NLP applications, there is a need to look up words in a lexicon where only citation forms of each word are represented. Hence, morphological analysis ('lemmatization') is a crucial step in such applications. Sometimes it is also important to be able to look up parts of a word, for example in the cases where the whole word is not represented in the lexicon (e.g. in MT). We considered the morphological analysis learning problem as a classification task, i.e. given the class, it should be possible to derive the citation form for a token, since the class contains all the information needed. The definition of the learning problem is as follows:


Lumen-to-cell transport, cellular accumulation, and toxicity of cadmium as ionic cadmium (Cd2+) or as the l-cysteine (Cys) or d,l-homocysteine (Hcy) S-conjugate of cadmium (Cys-S-Cd-S-Cys, Hcy-S-CdS-Hcy) were studied in isolated, perfused rabbit proximal tubular segments. When Cd2+ (0.73 M) or Cys-S-Cd-S-Cys (0.73 M) was perfused through the lumen of S2 segments of the proximal tubule, no visual evidence of cellular pathological changes was detected during 30 min of study. Cd2+-transport was temperature-dependent and was inhibited by Fe2+, Zn2+, and elevated concentrations of Ca2+. Luminal uptake of Cys-S-Cd-S-Cys was also temperature-dependent and was inhibited by the amino acids lcystine and l-arginine, while stimulated by l-methionine. Neither l-aspartate, l-glutamate, the synthetic dipeptide, Gly-Sar nor Zn2+ had any effect on the rate of Cys-S-Cd-S-Cys transport. Conclusions: When 2+ ivalent cation transporter 1


Literature on delinquency at adolescence often postulates that failure of paternal authority is the explanation for transgressions of the social bond. These are the leftovers of a theoretical tradition which has often shown the effects of oedipal triangulation, paradigmatic of emotional and social relationships. However an aspect of clinical practice now portrays to all the importance of a dynamic of exchange subjected to an order of parity we cannot ignore. Supported by narcissism, it takes precedence over genealogy and gives a function to the distances and proximities in place in generation: that of guaranteeing the adolescent reciprocity and integrity by anchoring their values otherwise.


In this chapter, we develop a fundamental understanding of an essential yet overlooked component of alliance capability, namely coopetition capability. We suggest that coopetition capability based ...


BACKGROUND
Use of the indigenous, easily accessible leafy vegetable roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) for value addition is gaining impetus as its nutritive and nutraceutical compounds are exposed by investigations. Being a perishable, storage is challenging, hence different methods of drying have been an attractive alternative for its postharvest usage in foods without much compromising its quality and antioxidant potential.

RESULTS
Room- and freeze-dried samples were found to have best quality in terms of colour, total flavonoid content (18.53 ± 2.39 and 18.66 ± 1.06 g kg(-1) respectively), total phenolic content (17.76 ± 1.93 and 18.91 ± 0.48 g kg(-1)), chlorophyll content (1.59 ± 0.001 and 1.55 ± 0.001 g kg(-1)) and ascorbic acid content (11.11 ± 1.04 and 8.92 ± 0.94 g kg(-1)) compared with those subjected to infrared, crossflow, microwave, oven or sun drying. Samples treated by room and freeze drying retained maximum antioxidant potential as shown by the phosphomolybdate method and the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical-scavenging activity and ferric-reducing antioxidant power assays. Cold water and hot water extracts showed significantly higher total phenolic content and total antioxidant activity owing to the greater solubility of phenolics and destruction of cellular components in polar solvents than in organic solvents.

CONCLUSION
The data obtained show the potential for retaining quality parameters of roselle leaf under suitable drying methods.


Quantifying economic uncertainty, i.e. an environment in which little or nothing is known about the future state of the economy, poses a challenge to both market participants and public authorities since it is not observable, but rather latent variable. In spite of this, it is possible to measure it indirectly through standard deviation of stock returns and implied volatility obtained from option prices. However, option prices may reveal considerable information beyond implied volatility, i.e. a set of option prices with the same maturity but with different exercise prices can be used to extract the entire implied probability distribution of the underlying asset at the expiration date. Implied probability distribution is risk-neutral according to the absence of arbitrage, i.e. the prices of options are not affected by degree of risk aversion among investors. The models for estimating risk-neutral density (RND) can be divided into two main categories: structural and nonstructural. The purpose of this paper is to extract market expectations from option prices and to investigate which of the proposed nonstructural models for estimating RNDs give the best fit. Namely, mixture of two log- normals, Edgeworth expansions and Shimko's model, i.e. representatives of parametric, semiparametric and nonparametric approaches respectively, will be compared. The model that fits sample data better than others is used to describe different characteristics (moments) of the ex ante probability distribution. The sample covers one-year data for DAX index options from July, 15th 2014 to July, 15th 2015. The results are compared through models and different maturity horizons.


Polymeric carbon nitride materials, synthesized from melamine cyanurate, have been studied using time-domain terahertz spectroscopy. The attenuation coefficient of the terahertz signal in the sample is found to provide an excellent signature of the organization properties of the material consisting on curled nanosheets.


In this paper, inspired by the concept of metric space, two fixed point theorems for α−set-valued mapping T:₳ → CB(₳), h θ (Tp,Tq) ≤ α(dθ(p,q)) dθ(p,q), where α: (0,∞) → (0, 1] such that α(r) < 1, ∀ t ∈ [0,∞) ) are given in complete θ −metric and then extended for two mappings with R-weakly commuting property to obtain a common coincidence point.


We now have received two reviews of your manuscript which stress the quality of your approach and the interest of a solid analysis of DO events, and recommend publication in Climate of the Past but after revisions. Following the suggestions raised by the reviewers, I would like to ask you to send a revised manuscript, which is expected to address all the points raised by the reviewer, including a solid description of the conceptual limitations of the approach presented here, and specific clarifications. Moreoever, I would like to add two additionnal requests: you should refer to the observations of DO events, and explain more clearly the impact of the observation uncertainties in their analysis : importance of dating uncertainties (relevant for the comparison of GISP and NGRIP), importance of temperature reconstructions with respect to stable isotope


We study correlations amongst tidal fields originated by the large-scale distribution of matter in the Universe. The two-point tidal correlation is described as a rank-4 tensor, the elements of which can be written in terms of four fundamental scalar functions ranging, with respect to the spatial separation, from purely transversal to purely longitudinal correlations. Tidal fields, on both galaxy and cluster scales, are revealed to be correlated over distances larger than the mass–density correlation length, although traceless tidal fields show anti-correlation between diagonal terms along orthogonal directions. The cross-correlation between mass and tidal field is also analysed. These results are relevant for galaxy formation and the interpretation of large-scale weak lensing phenomena.


Application of the VT-control method is studied in ultrathin double-gate (DG) SOI inverter, as the simplest building block of SOI logic circuits. Two control voltages, VCN and VCP, are applied to the back-gates of the n-type and p-type transistors, respectively, to reduce the leakage current when the inverter is in the idle mode. Simulations with DESSIS disclose that both control voltages may be set at an optimum value for a given circuit activity, leading to the lowest possible gate power-delay product. Simulations have been performed for 10 nm gate-length technology at the end of the ITRS roadmap. These results indicate that the optimized VT-control method is a promising way for realizing low-power SOI logic circuits.


This article illuminates the unstable status of irony in Maryse Conde's Heremakhonon and probes the limits of postmodern irony in the postcolonial context. Conde uses irony to critique the postcolonial African condition, to make a comment on her characters' status, and to deconstruct her narrator's use of the colonialist, racist, and sexist stereotypes overdetermining her voice. The links that Conde establishes between various locations on the Black Atlantic are constantly de-essentialized through her use of abrasive irony. In doing so, she rejects essentialist views of Black liberation and feminist politics, thus prefiguring later postmodern questionings of identity politics.


Until 1975, belief in the deterrent value of capital punishment had no authoritative empirical support. The studies widely cited prior to that time, most notably those of Sellin' and Schuessler,2 had in fact found evidence consistent with the theory that the death penalty has no deterrent effect. Then Isaac Ehrlich reported results of a complex econometric analysis of aggregate United States times-series data, results indicating that capital punishment is an effective deterrent.3 While Ehrlich's study has received a considerable amount of criticism,4 it has also received some support,5 and was even cited by the United States Solicitor General in briefs to the Supreme Court supporting the death penalty.6 With the publication of his second major empirical study on the


The invention die neo league acyl which nangye compound as an active ingredient Koei: cholesterol as a transition of the enzyme inhibitory composition, particularly to a Mana xanthine A or acyl for mana xanthine B as an active ingredient Koei: cholesterol transferase It relates to a composition for inhibiting active. The compositions of the present invention acyl-Koei: it inhibits the activity of the cholesterol transferase effectively, acyl-Koei: prevention of hyperlipidemia, coronary artery associated with cholesterol transferase heart disease, arteriosclerosis and heart circulation, such as myocardial infarction diseases, and It can be useful in therapy.


Antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) are known to increase the risk of obstetrical complications. However, aPL significance and prevalence in women with late‐onset pregnancy complications (LO‐PC) need further clarification.


Improvements in wind tunnel design to reduce test and flight discrepancies are analyzed. Flexible wall streamlining, criteria for tunnel streamlining, and error assessment are discussed. It is concluded that the concept of self-streamlining wind tunnels is suited for on-line computer control.


This Element examines the early years of British Young Adult (YA) publishing at three strategic publishing houses: Penguin, Heinemann and Macmillan. Specifically, it discusses their YA imprints (Penguin Peacocks, Heinemann New Windmills and Macmillan Topliners), all created at a time when the population of Britain was changing and becoming more diverse. Migration of colonial and former colonial subjects from the Caribbean, India, and Africa contributed to a change in the ethnic makeup of Britain, especially in major urban centres such as London, Birmingham and Manchester. While publishing has typically been seen as slow to respond to societal changes in children's literature, all three of these Young Adult imprints attempted to address and include Black British and British Asian readers and characters in their books; ultimately, however, their focus remained on white readers' concerns.


: In Quantum Mechanics, a direct measurement on a particles position will inherently collapses its wavefunction and other subsequent measurement on the particle will become uncertain. One way to avoid such uncertainties is to make indirect measurements. In this paper, we consider a model of a quantum particle propagating in a cloud chamber in which the ionization of cloud chamber particles will result in an approximate indirect measurement of the position of the particle. In particular, for every interval of time ˜ t during the free evolution of the particle as described by the Schr¨odinger Equation and represented by the unitary operator exp (− it ( ˆ P 2 + V ( x ))) , we will be indirectly measuring the particles position which is represented by the jump operator ˆ V ξ = ( 1 /( σ √ 2 π ) 1 / 2 ) exp (−( X − ξ ) 2 / 4 σ 2 ) . Specifically in this paper, we will be producing a visual representation of the position of the particle to simulate the particle's track. To better understand the particle's track, we first consider the case where the particle is not bound by any potential ( V ( x ) = 0), and later the case where the particle is bound by some potential ( V ( x ) ≠ 0).


The contribution to carbon basicity of pyrone-type structures is examined in this work by carrying out ab initio calculations on various cluster models. The different basic sites in a bicyclic pyrone structure are studied at the MP2/6-311+G(2d,2p)//MP2/6-31G(d) level of theory, rendering a reaction energy of −84.2 kcal/mol when a proton transfer takes place from H3O+ to the carbonylic oxygen in pyrones. The interpretation of the theoretical results confirms that resonance stabilization is a crucial factor controlling the basic character of pyrone-type structures. Various effects, like the modification of the etheric position, the relative position of non-neighboring oxygen atoms, and the presence of an adjacent basal plane, are also taken into account. Due to the increase of resonance stabilization observed in large cluster models, a broad spectrum of base strength covered by pyrone-type structures is predicted. The reaction energies of these pyrone-type structures with H3O+ are a few kilocalories per mol...


A significant number of congenital anomalies of the lung manifest for the first time in adulthood. Patients may present with an incidental finding on a routine chest radiograph or with symptoms related to some complication of the anomaly. Such late presentation and an uneventful history may mislead the clinician to consider only acquired rather than congenital disorders. This paper is a concise guide to the diagnosis of congenital anomalies of the lung in adults without surgical intervention.


FIELD: machine building. SUBSTANCE: control unit allowing to convert "abnormally closed" control to "abnormally open" one and vice verse, without any need to modify or reconfigure its housing. Control contains control component, central bar; at that, at least some part of central bar is located inside control component, and spring located between the first support and the second support of spring. The control contains control unit, housing of actuator and valve body specifying the fluid medium channel. Control component is installed with possibility of sliding in actuator housing and can be moved relative to valve body to control fluid medium flow through the above channel. Spring and its supports are located about central bar; at that, spring strives to push up the control component to the specified position relative to the control housing. EFFECT: improving the device design. 25 cl, 4 dwg


Various considerations suggest very strongly the conclusion that the formation of acid within the amoebocytes is the factor directly responsible for the production of pseudopods and amoeboid movement. It seemed that it might be possible to obtain direct evidence bearing on this problem by allowing substances differing in their chemical and osmotic properties to act on the amoebocytes after the latter have migrated out of the piece of amoebocyte tissue into the surrounding blood plasma of Limulus. However, numerous experiments of this character proved that the amoebocytes respond to stimulation of various kinds with the sending out of normal or abnormal pseudopods and the consecutive movement of the granduloplasm into the latter. The response of these cells does, therefore, not primarily depend upon the character of the external stimulus, but upon the constitution of the cell which is such that it needs to react invariably with certain changes which when taking place in a definite sequence in a cyclic manner lead to effective amoeboid movement. The amoeboid cell is, therefore, as specifically constituted as the muscle, nerve or gland cell which all react to stimulation of various kinds in their own specific manner. However, the intensity of the reaction and the character of the movement vary according to the medium which acts on the cells. In general substances which tend to withdraw fluid from the cells and thus increase the viscosity of the protoplasm, call forth the production of thread and sharp tongue pseudopodia, and slow the movement of the exoplasm and granuloplasm, while substances which favor the taking up of fluid on the part of the cells cause the formation of more rounded pseudopods, of drops and balloons, and a more rapid movement of the granuloplasm, which under these conditions tends to fill the balloons more completely.


The possible nano-crystallization formation and thicker interface layer at the higher annealing atmosphere, however, is easy to suppress the superiority of high-k dielectric deposition in the improvement of drive current and reliability. This phenomenon was apparently observed at 900C annealing tested devices after the nitridation process. The drive current at 900C annealing before hot-carrier stress is lower than that at 700C with the same nitrogen concentration and the same feature sizes. After the hot-carrier stress test at 125C ambience, the degradation of the threshold voltage shift at 900C is still the worst among all of tested samples. Keywords-hot carrier stress; drive current; high-k; MOSFET; anneal; metal-gate; DPN


Lindahl's bibliographic essay highlights five books, two doctoral theses, and several journal articles that are Sweden's major contributions to the bioethics literature. The books are H. Fagerberg's edited work on medical ethics (1984), widely used as a textbook in Sweden's medical and nursing schools; G. Wretmark, A. Wretmark, and J. Ludvigsson's co-authored text on ethics in medical care (1983); physician A. Andrén-Sandberg's case book (1986); theologian B. Hanson's collection of essays (1988); and Fagerberg's edited work on the ethics of prenatal diagnosis (1980). The theses are C. Blomquist's (1971), the first in Sweden on medical ethics, and C. Kjellstrand's 1988 work on high technology medicine. The articles include two on medical ethics in Sweden written by Lindahl and published in issues of Theoretical Medicine, the only cited works in English.


A new environment friendly method to synthesize sialon composites using fly ash with high content of Al2O3 by carbon-thermal reduction-nitridation was presented. The results showed that sintering temperature and the pressure of N2 gas are in favor of the nitrification synthesis of Sialon composites. When Samples wear buried in silicon powder and sintered at 1400°C under N2 atmosphere, Sialon (Si4Al2O2N6) had been synthesized.


The effect of primary electrons on the discharge inception voltage was evaluated using the variation in photoelectron emission as measured by a microchannel plate. The variation of discharge inception voltage becomes small with increase of primary electrons, and it is seen that the voltage indicates the individual discharge voltage of air. Moreover, the Paschen curve changes according to the number of primary electrons.<<ETX>>


. Designing spaces and products that can be easily used by as many different individuals as possible . Designing in flexibility of choice (for example, left and right handedness) . Creating signs that can be easily understood (graphics over words) . Using designs that communicate information effectively . Minimising risk of injury and accidents through careful design . Creating a design that can be used by anyone with minimal physical and mental effort . Creating enough size and space within the design so that all people can easily navigate it.


A knot k in S3 has tunnel number one, if there exist an arc τ embedded inS3, with k ∩ τ = ∂τ , such thatS3− intN(k ∪ τ) is a genus 2 handlebody. In this paper we construct for each integer > 2, infinitely many tunnel number one knots, whose complement contain a closed incompressible surface of genus g.  1999 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.


Iran is positioned on the southwest of Asia forming a bridge connecting three continents of Asia, Europe, and Africa. It is bordered by Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkmenistan, and the Caspian Sea on the north, Afghanistan and Pakistan on the east, Oman Sea and Persian Gulf on the south, and Turkey and Iraq on the west (Road Atlas of Iran 2004). The country is part of the Iranian Plateau that constitutes a vast and high terrane, which is bordered by the Caspian Sea on the north, Amu Darya, Syr Darya, and Kora River plains on the northeast, Sindh and Punjab Rivers plain on the southeast, the Oman Sea and the Persian Gulf on the south, and the Tigris river plain on the southwest. The total areal extent of the plateau is about 2,600,000 km2, of which 1,648,195 km2 is accounted for by Iran, and the rest covers Afghanistan, Pakistan, and former Soviet republics. The area of Iran is 3.7% of Asia and 1.09% of the total land on the Earth's surface [1].


Through analyzing the traffic volume status and operation mode characteristics of container blocktrains in China, this paper points out the problems existing in operation and freight source organization of blocktrains in China, such as single operation mode, deficient freight source and quality of block train operation. In orderto exert the advantages of container block train transport, the paper puts forward the freight resource organizationstrategies of developing sea-rai) inter-model transport block trains and international inter-model transport blocktrains.


Aim: To find out the diagnostic accuracy of FNAC in cases of thyroid nodules while taking histopathology as gold standard. Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted at Department of Surgery, Nishtar Hospital, Multan from August 2015 to February 2016. Total 100 patients with clinically palpable solitary thyroid nodules either male or female having age from 16-60 years were selected. Patient with confirmed diagnosis other than thyroid nodule and patients with advanced fixed tumor were excluded from the study. Results: Mean age of the patients was 38±12.34 years. Male patients were 45(45%) and female patients were 55(55%). Sensitivity rate was 96.39% and specificity was 76.47%. Positive predictive value was 95.24% and negative predictive value was 81.25%. True positive was 80(80%), false positive was 4(4%), false negative 3 (3%) and true negative 13(13%). Conclusion: The sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy of FNA were high, thus confirming the important role of fine needle aspiration cytology as the initial diagnostic utility in management of thyroid nodules. False negativity due to sampling error may be reduced by incorporating other clinical parameters as index of suspicion of malignancy and utilizing radiology-guided aspiration.


In near space optical communication, the laser beam energy affects communication link distance directly, also laser beam quality affects the laser energy density, modulation efficiency, bit error rate (BER) of communication and other parameters. In this paper we have presented an experiment system of space optical communication, of which the transmitting power is 1w, modulation rate is 500 Mbps and link distance is 8 to 10 kilometers. Then the effects of optical fiber collimator, electro-optic modulator, optical antenna and other units on beam power loss, beam diameter, divergence angle and other parameters are analyzed. Last we put forward the way of increasing the laser transmitting distance and the optimization measure of system key unit.


Agriculture plays a major role in India's economy and irrigation is the catalyst for the agriculture development. Now a day's dependency on irrigation has been increased due to uncertainty of rainfall in India. This paper discusses the development of the irrigation system in India by using the secondary information, which is helpful to provide a background for the objective, based analysis of the irrigation development. In this paper the study focuses on plan wise irrigation potential created and utilized and the gap created between both the irrigation potential which is analysed through statistical methods. Descriptive statistics and parametric regression models and correlation analysis have been employed out to study the relationship. This study is accomplished in SPSS Software. It is observed from the results that the plan wise development of irrigation potential and utilized during the plan periods, we observed that gradually a gap has been created between Irrigation potential created (IPC) and Irrigation potential utilized (IPU) over the plan periods. The results of this study will be used for utilized for coming up with an acceptance policy for groundwater use and its appropriate regulation to avoid future crisis.


Successive cancellation (SC) decoding of polar codes may bring about error propagation that needs to be mitigated. In this paper, we present a new SC Flipping (SCFlip) decoder, named bit error rate (BER) evaluation based SCFlip (BER-SCFlip), which can accurately target the first error bit and correct it with a high probability. Thus, a high error correction capability and a low decoding complexity can be achieved. First, we propose a new criterion to find out the most suspicious error bit. Those non-frozen bits that have higher decoding BERs derived from log-likelihood-ratios (LLRs) after SC decoding than the corresponding expected ones estimated via Gaussian Approximation (GA), are collected into the flip-bits set. These candidate bits will be flipped one by one according to their SC decoding orderings in extra decoding attempts until the decoded codeword passes cyclic redundancy check (CRC) or a predetermined maximum number of extra attempts is reached. We then propose an extended version of BER-SCFlip, named BER-SCFlip-<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\omega $ </tex-math></inline-formula> with the capability to correct up to <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\omega $ </tex-math></inline-formula> error bits in each extra decoding attempt. By combining our criterion for the flip-bits selection with that of Dynamic SCFlip (D-SCFlip), the proposed BER-SCFlip-<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\omega $ </tex-math></inline-formula> significantly reduces decoding complexity and latency while maintaining the superior error-correction performance close to that of D-SCFlip-<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\omega $ </tex-math></inline-formula>. The simulation results show that the proposed schemes are competitive among existing SCFlip algorithms and could achieve the error-correction performance approaching that of CRC-aided SCL decoding under list size <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$L = 16$ </tex-math></inline-formula> while maintaining low complexity.


Introduction: Glioblastoma is the most aggressive primary brain cancer and one of the most lethal types of cancer overall. Despite multimodal treatment strategies, the prognosis is poor with a median survival of approx. 15 months. Although neurotrophic factors are of major importance in the nervous system, their role in brain cancer is still not fully understood. We focused on the glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), which has been shown to play a role in growth and migration in glioblastoma. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of GDNF and it primary receptor GFRA1, as well as the other GDNF family receptors GFRA2-4 and RET.
 Methods: Tissue sections from 10 glioblastoma patients were stained with antibodies against GDNF and each of the receptors. GDNF stainings were performed on frozen tissue slides, while receptor stainings were performed on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue sections. The area fractions of positive staining were quantified with a software-based classifier. Double immunofluorescence stainings with the different markers and Iba1 as well as GFAP were performed to assess expression in microglia/macrophages and tumor cells, respectively.
 Results: GDNF staining was observed in five of ten patient specimens, whereas GFRA1 and GFRA2 staining was observed in all samples. GFRA1 and GFRA2 staining was seen in the membrane and cytoplasm with a mean area fraction of GFRA1 staining at 31% (range: 7-56%), and a mean area fraction of GFRA2 staining at 3% (range: 0.2-7%). GFRA3, GFRA4 and RET were not expressed in glioblastoma tissue. Double immunofluorescence stainings demonstrated co-expression of GFRA1 and GFAP, while co-expression of GFRA1 and IBA1 was limited.
 Conclusion and perspectives: Our results suggest that GDNF and GFRA1 are widely expressed in glioblastoma tumor tissue, but GFRA2 is also expressed and may play a role in glioblastoma biology. Additional stainings are being established to clarify cellular expression and expression levels of GDNF and its receptors.
 Citation Format: Jesper D. Ewald, Arnon M. Knudsen, Bjarne W. Kristensen. Expression of GDNF and its receptors in glioblastoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 1524.


The island of Cyprus is a growing region in terms of the aquaculture sector. Northern Cyprus, in particular, is very weak for the aquaculture, although its environmental conditions are very favorable for aquaculture. While the number of fishers in Northern Cyprus was around 30-40 before 1974, the number of registered fishers has reached 1167 today. There are two existing cage facilities in the region, and there are no juvenile production facilities and feed mills. The amount of fish obtained from the natural stock with the fisheries activities are also limited. However, the amount of fish produced by aquaculture has been increasing since 2015 and today exceeds the amount of fish obtained from natural stock. The effect of the tourism sector on the increase in aquaculture and fish production is remarkable. In the country, for per capita meat consumption, fish product consumption ranks fourth. To increase the amount of fish consumed, a couple of suggestions made. This review has the most up to date data about fisheries and aquaculture sector for North Cyprus.


BACKGROUND
Recently, it has been proposed that the autoantibodies against various cardiovascular receptors play a role in the pathogenesis of primary hypertension. In this study, we aimed to identify whether or not there are autoantibodies against cardiovascular L-type Ca2+ channels in patients with primary hypertension.

METHODS
A peptide corresponding to the sequence 2-16 of the alpha1c-subunit of L-type Ca2+ channel was used as an antigen to screen the autoantibodies from 90 patients with primary hypertension and 45 healthy controls by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The clinical data of 90 hypertensive patients were compared between patients with and without these autoantibodies.

RESULTS
Serum from 3 (6.7%) of the 45 healthy controls, 33 (36.7%) of 90 hypertensives showed positive responses in ELISA (P < 0.01). The prevalence of such autoantibodies in two subgroups of hypertensives with coronary heart disease (9/21, 57.14%, P < 0.05) and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (28/63, 44.4%, P < 0.05) was higher than in those without the corresponding complications. And the patients with such autoantibodies had lower E/A than patients without such autoantibodies (0.803 +/- 0.191 vs. 1.004 +/- 0.322, P = 0.002).

CONCLUSION
There are autoantibodies against vascular L-type Ca2+ channels in patients with primary hypertension.


Cyst fluid obtained from 21 patients agglutinated rabbit erythrocytes to titres ranging from 16 to 512 (mode titre 128). The agglutinins behaved as specific antibodies and were mainly of the IgM class though IgG agglutinins were also demonstrated. The agglutination titres of cyst fluid showed a positive correlation with the titres of autologous serum, indicating a serum origin of the cystic agglutinins. Thus agglutinins to rabbit red cells, being the first antibody demonstrated in cyst fluid, seem to be useful markers for serum derived Ig occurring in cyst fluid.


The 23Na(d,α)21Ne reaction has been studied over the energy range Ed=2.00-2.60 MeV. The relative integrated cross sections agree well with those predicted by the Hauser-Feshbach theory for the states of known spin. The spin assignments for the 2.790 MeV, 3.67 MeV, 3.74 MeV and 3.89 MeV levels of the 21Ne nucleus are found to be l/2, 3/2, 5/2 and 3/2 respectively.


AimTo assess the efficacy of repeat quantitative SPECT white cell scans (WCSs) for assessing response to therapy in patients with active inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It has been shown that quantitative SPECT WCSs correlate very well with histology, the recognized 'gold standard' for assessing the severity of IBD. MethodsThe final study group consisted of 21 subjects with active IBD. SPECT 99mTc labelled white cell scans were performed immediately prior to and 2 weeks after initiation of anti-inflammatory treatment. Image processing was performed by 2 observers blinded to the identity of the subjects. Uniform attenuation correction was applied. SPECT scores (the ratio of the maximal bowel uptake to that of the hottest vertebral bone marrow segment) were obtained for 'pre' scans and repeated for the same bowel segment in 'post' scans. ResultsSPECT scores were recorded in the range of approximately 0–7 and correlation between observers for repeat SPECT scores was good (r2=0.87). Two of 23 (9%) decreased, 6/23 (28%) showed little change and 15/23 (65%) improved with a range of SPECT score differences of up to 3. ConclusionWe have shown that the use of repeat quantitative SPECT WCSs is a reproducible method that may be used to assess the direction and magnitude of the response to treatment.


Since the implement of the reform and opening policies and the effect of the regionally autonomous developing mechanism,the regionally economic development of Inner Mongolia has raised the regional disparities which have been further enlarged.There were some reasons which caused the differences,such as that Inner Mongolia policies obeyed the nationally managing styles for the provinces and regions,the market choice,the subtle differences on the strategies and practical actions of the social and economic reforming and opening of the regions and cities in Inner Mongolia and so on,including man-made or social ones.Additionally,there were some other objective reasons such as different natural resource endowment,the wide area of Inner Mongolia and the like.The function of those objective inducement factors had not only made the decisive efforts during the reform and opening process,but also been keeping more important quite long-run in the future.Inner Mongolia should keep on the priority development of the core zone,focus the equilibrium-developed objects on the incomes of the citizen and rural people and public services,and finally accomplish the coordinative development with the population migration and fiscal measures.


Plasma membrane vesicles were prepared from the developing cotyledons of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L cv Diyundou)by aqueous two-phase partitioning and characterized as to their purity by assaying marker enzymes for other membranes.The putative plasma membrane fraction was minimalyy contaminated by membranes other than plasma membrane and hence was of high purity,It exhibited a Ca^2+-dependent ATPase activity,which was inhibited by 1umol/L EB and promoted by calcium ionophore A23187.Such an activity was responsible for the observed ATP dependent 45Ca^2+ uptake into inside-out plasma membrane vesicles.This process was stimulated by 0.5μmol/L CaM and 20μmol/L IAA but inhibited by 2μmol/L ABA and abolished by A23187,Possible role of cytoplasmic Ca^2+ in mediating phytohormones activity is discussed.


INTRODUCTION:Strong evidence has linked perturbations of vitamin C levels and collagen integrity with risk for preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM). We sought to evaluate the literature and perform a meta-analysis using available data from randomized clinical trials (RCT) which evaluated t


The historical evolution of United Front during China' s War of liberation has gone through three stages, each of which has its own features: 1.August, 1945 to June, 1946 being the first; June 1946 to May, 1948 being the secnnd, 3 . May, 1948 to October, 1949 being the third.


The security is a main problem in development procedure of multiple users Oracle application programs. The author deeply analyzes the ORACLE database's security, and gives a series of control tactics to ensure database security. She also raises the concrete achievement method for the role based on security of database used in major MIS and ensures effectively the reliability of the shared resource.


The ferromagnetic resonance frequency in small yttrium iron garnet (YIG) spheres placed in a rf filter structure is used to measure small changes in large magnetic fields in the presence of high‐level random fluctuations of the background field. (Such measurements are needed for fusion plasma diagnostics.) This YIG magnetometer probe is driven by a microwave network analyzer whose working frequency is phase locked to the probe resonance, yielding an output frequency that is linearly related to the magnetic field magnitude. The YIG filter's phase response is used to control the system frequency, allowing measurement resolutions almost two orders of magnitude better than the YIG resonance 3 dB linewidth. Noise is effectively removed by the phase lock circuitry's low cut‐off frequency and by time averaging using a frequency counter. Accuracy is essentially limited by the uncertainty in determining the constants in the linear field‐frequency equation and by maintenance of constant temperature and magnetic fie...


In contrast to the generally accepted practice for searching metallic glassformers by trial-and-error quenching, we propose using density and coefficient of thermal expansion of as-cast polycrystalline alloys as indicators of the glass-forming ability. We study experimentally these characteristics for Cu100−xZrx alloys over the whole concentration range and a wide temperature range from room temperature up to 1120 K. In the concentration range of 35 < x < 55 at% corresponding to high glass-forming ability, strongly non-monotonous behavior of both quantities is observed. We reveal that location of the extrema on concentration dependencies of both the coefficient of thermal expansion and the density deviation from the additive law correlates with those for critical thickness of Cu–Zr amorphous alloys. We argue that correlation between glass-forming ability and anomalous behavior of thermal expansion is because as-cast polycrystalline samples of glass forming alloys possess highly distorted structure, which cause phonon anharmonicity. Our findings propose new express method to search metallic alloys with high glass-forming ability.


It is shown that electrochemical Incorporation of nitrotduenes into the polypyrrole matrlx changes profoundly the electron work function of thls material as compared with plaln polypyrrole. Sknutlaneously this materlai exhlbtls selectlve senSnivlty to aromatic compounds. The presence of the nltroarenes In the polypyrrole matrix has been conflrmed spectroelectrochemlcally. It has been shown in previously (1,2) that a suspended gate field transistor (SGFET) can be used as a general device for sensing of gases and dielectric fluids. The principle of operation of this device is based on chemical modification of the electron work function of a chemically selective layer which is electrochemically deposited within the gate structure of the device. Electropolymerized polypyrrole (PP) can be used as a general matrix into which other chemical functionalities can be incorporated in order to change its selectivity. It has been shown that other organic compounds can be incorporated electrochemically into the bulk of the PP film (3) and that its surface can be covalently modified (4). Furthermore, PP forms an ohmic junction at noble metal electrodes (5), which is important for the proper operation of the device (1). In this paper we shall describe the correlation between the spectroelectrochemical characteristics of various types of layers based on PP and their sensitivity and selectivity to some aromatic and hydrogen bonding compounds that interact with the film by hydrogen bonding or through aromatic a systems. While pyrrole undergoes slow oxidation at room temperature and atmospheric pressure (6), polypyrrole with BF, anion is remarkably stable after the initial reaction with air. Practically no thermal degradation of the PP has been observed below 130 "C (7). This means that, if necessary, these devices could be used even at moderately elevated temperatures. In this study the operating temperature of the transistor was only 25 "C.


Surface barriers are used to isolate buried wastes from the environment. Most have been built for short-term isolation. The need to isolate radioactive wastes from the environment requires that the functional integrity of a barrier be maintained for thousands of years. Barrier function strongly depends on vegetation. Plants reduce wind and water erosion and minimize drainage, but may transport contaminants if roots extend into buried wastes. Our review of the function of plants on surface barriers focuses on the role of plants across mesic to arid environments and gives special consideration to studies done at Hanford. The Hanford Barrier Development Program was created to design and test an earthen cover system to inhibit water infiltration, plant and animal intrusion, and wind and water erosion, while isolating buried wastes for at least 1000 years. Studies at the Hanford have shown that plants will significantly interact with the barrier. Plants transpire soil water back into the atmosphere. Deep-rooted perennials best recycle water; soil water may drain through the root zone of shallow-rooted annuals. Lysimeter studies indicate that a surface layer of fine soil with deep-rooted plants precludes drainage even with three times normal precipitation. The presence of vegetation greatly reduces water andmore » wind erosion, but deep-rooted plants pose a threat of biointrusion and contaminant transport. The Hanford barrier includes a buried rock layer and asphalt layer to prevent biointrusion.« less


When studying plant dynamics and succession, it is important to determine potential limiting factors affecting recruitment (Crawley 1990). The purpose of this study was to investigate factors affecting the establishment and survival of woody species in weed infested areas around the central volcanic plateau. This was achieved by first describing these communities, and quantifying the number of native seedlings and saplings found in both forested and non-forested (weedy) areas. Seed input was measured with seed traps , and factors affecting recruitment of seedlings were investigated by manipulative field experiments . Although some native woody species were dispersed into weedy areas, both seed and seedling densities of most species declined rapidly with increasing distance from the forest margin. Sowing seeds at densities equivalent to 625 per n/ significantly increased seedling establishment of Griselinia littoralis and Coprosma 'taylorii' but not Pittosporwn tenuifolium var. colensoi. Removal of exotic grasses (clearing treatment) that dominated in non-forest areas resulted in much greater establishment of all woody seedlings, including introduced broom (Cytisus scoparius) and several native species that had dispersed naturally. Most species also showed greater establishment in plots that were caged to prevent predation. However, the effects of clearing and caging treatments on survival of seedlings were not as apparent as they were for establishment. In addition, experimental clearing increased the growth of transplanted G. littoralis seedlings. Overall , most native species had much lower seedling establishment and survival in weedy areas compared with native forest. This is explained by a combination of both seed and microsite limitation in weedy areas. In another experiment designed to test the effects of bird consumption on seed germination, bird dispersers increased germination percentages of native species by removing fruits from seeds. All species examined (G. littoralis, Coprosma robusta, Pseudopanax crassifolius, and P. tenuifolium var. colensoi) showed very low germination of seeds within fruit , and much greater germination of seeds that were cleaned either by passage through birds or by hand. For C. robusta, G. littoralis, and P. tenuifolium var. colensoi, passage through birds also significantly increased germination of seeds compared with those cleaned by hand. The rate of germination was less affected by different treatments than the absolute


American writers on this subject favor the activity-theory postulate that good living in old age requires a set of activities and roles which compensate for the loss of activities and roles of middle age. Professor Moore also follows this line, though with a few hints of the possible desirability of disengaging oneself from the urgency of life in middle age and assuming the "rocking-chair" attitude. ROBERT J. HAVIGHURST


This study aimed to determine the effect of Project CALM (Count And Learn Mathematics) in using computer-aided instruction in improving the basic counting skills of 15 non-graded Learners with Special Education Needs (LSENs) in Guronasyon Foundation Incorporated National High School during the school year 2022–2023 who are selected through purposive sampling. Parameters were based on pretest and posttest. The researchers used the experimental descriptive design thus, applying different statistical treatment such as mean, standard deviation and dependent t- test. Findings depicted that the overall mean results for pretest and posttest for the basic counting skills are 3.17 and 8.10 with Fairy Satisfactory and Very Satisfactory verbal interpretations. In addition, the dependent t-test results revealed that the level of performance in basic counting skills of respondents after the exposure to Project CALM thru utilization of computer- aided instruction differ significantly since the p-value is less than 0.05. With such results, the null hypothesis is rejected with verbal interpretation of significant. To conclude, data proved that there is an improvement in the basic counting skills of LSENs as shown on their performance before and after the exposure to Project CALM (Count And Learn Mathematics) based on the data gathered. With the diligence of using computer-aided instruction under this project, it is claimed that the strategy is effective considering the higher mean score of posttest than the pretest. Summing up, LSENs were able to enhance and broaden their basic counting skills as result to the strategies offered by the teachers and teacher-volunteers using computer-aided instruction. This could possibly be the result of tailor-made and engaging activities provided among LSENs throughout the course of this project. However, continuous effort and discovery of new and relevant learning strategies and techniques should be done to ensure further enhancement of LSENs skills in basic counting.


According to the present generally existent problem in college computer professional practice teaching,this paper has put forward the important meaning of paying attention to practice teaching and the measure and method of reforming practice teaching in order to raise the quality of practice teaching,to train the application type talent with the higher comprehensive quality who meets market needs.


ABSTRACT Manilkara zapota L (naseberry) is popular in the food and nutraceutical industries in many parts of the world. The plant is however underutilized in Jamaica where the fruit is mainly eaten fresh. The fruit and leaves of the plant are rich in phytochemicals and antioxidant compounds. Naseberry has many potential agro-processing applications and may be utilized in the preparation of various food products such as flavored water, iced tea, freeze-dried naseberry snacks and antibacterial packaging for meat. This paper serves as a review of the various health benefits that may be afforded from this plant.


Chitosan films were prepared by blending with polyols [glycerol, sorbitol and polyethylene (PEG) ] and fatty acids (stearic acids). Their mechanical and barrier properties were studied. The result of the experiment showed that the tensile strength of the blended films decreased with the addition of polyols and fatty acids, whereas the percent elongation was increased in polyol blend films except stearic acid. Polyol blend films showed increase in the water vapor and gas permeability, however stearic acid blend film showed decrease . Equilibrium moisture content of all the films was low at lower water activity(aw), but increase at higher aw . Equilibrium moisture content of polyol blend films were higher than chitosan single film, but stearic acid blend film was lower.