That MISQ is the highest quality journal is as close to an incontestable fact as we have in the Information Systems field. We have many surveys of the IS field attesting to this fact from over many years that show the invariability of this position. We probably have never heard any argument about it. To even ask the question could be considered ludicrous. However, there is not a single empirical study that shows MISQ as having the highest quality. Indeed, there isn't even any agreed upon definition for qua lity. The measures that we use to determine quality are atheoretically derived. In journal ranking studies, we see the concept of quality used in an undefined and implicit manner. The analytic studies (e.g. Lewis, Templeton, & Luo, 2007) examine how similar journal ranking lists are but do not critically examine the quality of the journals. Thus, we are left with the assertion that MISQ is the highest quality journal but no scientific proof that this is in fact the case. In this paper, we argue that MISQ is considered to be the highest quality IS journal not for any objective reason but because of three interlocking social processes within the IS field: the doctoral training process, the promotion and tenure process and the reviewing process. In addition to these processes is the group of scholars who have achieved significant prestige within the field, the "senior scholars". We provide a model based on transcendental analysis of existing studies to provide an explanation of why this should occur and be sustained.


Three cell types not previously described were revealed by the application of several microscopic procedures in combination with cytochemistry and irnmunocytochemistry in the livers of rats treated according to the Solt et al carcinogenesis protocol. This protocol consists of the administration of an initiating carcinogen (diethynitrosamine), a mitoinhibitory carcinogen, (acethylaminofluorene) and a growth stimulus (partial hepatectomy) (1). Two of the cell types were found in intrahepatic bile ductules and one within the connective tissue stroma surrounding the ductules. These findings have implications for understanding the cell lineage pathways that operate in an experimental rodent hepatocarcinogenesis system in which hepatocyte regeneration is inhibited and in which preneoplastic nodules and hepatomas develop. Our previous studies have determined some of the enzymatic, antigenic and structural properties of these cell types and their interrelations to each other, to parenchymal hepatocytes and to preneoplastic nodules (2). Proliferation of bile ductule cells occurs early (24-48 hrs) after the partial hepatectomy step of the protocol with extensive branching of the ductules into the hepatic parenchyma.


The present invention relates to a diffractive optical element 11, the condenser objective lens 13 and the adjusting means 21, a laser optical head (10) configured for use in a laser scribing device including a diffractive optical element 11 and light converging objective lens 13 is disposed so as to be spaced apart from each other on a common optical axis 16, the adjusting means 21 is to rotate the diffraction optical element 11 in a third plane perpendicular to the optical axis 16 It is configured to. The present invention provides a leakage current reduction of the thin-film solar cell.


The parametric eigenspace method is an object recognition method based on visual learning approach with image coding technique. In this paper, to improve matching efficiency, a novel approach to construct hierarchical dictionary for the parametric eigenspace method is proposed. In the proposed constructing method, learning image set is classified hierarchically, and tree-structured dictionary is constructed from the classification results. For the learning image set obtained by varying one parameter value, the proposed method determines the class boundaries that are optimal in the sense of discrimination and least squares. Experimental results show that the tree-structured dictionaries made by the proposed method improve matching efficiency without a decrease in recognition accuracy.


the toxicity effects of corn silk on neurobehavior of Wistar rats,including learning,memory and nervous excitation was studied Test system including autonomic activities,Morris water maze,and darkness avoiding were chosen to measure the rats fed with different levels of corn silk for 77 days.Autonomic activities test shows that times of autonomic activities for male animals are higher than that of female nimals,however,there were no significantly difference between groups.Morris water maze test shows that the average swimming distance of female test animals are obviously lower than the ocontrol group,the average swimming speed of high does group in male animals significanly higher than the other groups.Darkness avoiding test shows that corn silk has no side effect on the Wistar rats,in some way,it can promote the ability of memory,but it is does independent.It can be concluded that corn silk has no side effect on neurobehavior of Wistar rats with does up to 8.0%,which corresponds to a mean daily corn silk intake of approximately 9.354 and 10.308 g/kg body weight for males and females,respectively,on the contrary,corn silk can promote the ability of memory.


In a country where labor supply and cost continue to be a challenge, automation is the answer to efficient manufacturing. It brings about higher productivity and also other benefits like cycle-time improvement, quality assurance, etc. In GLOBALFOUNDRIES Singapore, we embark on a revitalization journey of the matured 200mm fabs through the introduction of Autonomous Mobile Robots and system enhancement. This paper aimed to share the highlights of this journey.


Spread to Southeast Asia in the 17th Century, the secret society of Overseas Chinese reached its zenith in the 19th century. With the increase of its influence, the colonial governments changed their policies towards the secret society.This change,however,is adjusted according to what those governments needed. Being a social phenomenon,the secret society played an important role and its status was unique in the overseas Chinese community.


We have developed the human walking assist system for the people who have handicap of are injured. This system is composed by a pair of orthosis actuated by the pneumatic liner cylinders and a pair of shoe having a weight sensor. The reason why we decide to use the pneumatic actuators is that the pneumatic flexible characteristic caused by air compliance is soft for human and also fits for environment. This assist system supports the lift of legs and stretch of knees when the human walks on ground or stairs. The weight sensor attached in shoes measures the weight of user at the thernar and the heel. By using the data, the walking states, i.e., walk on ground, climb, and decend the stairs, are discriminated. However, only with this weight sensor, there is a limitation to recognize the walk states. So we make the new orthosis which have an additional inclination sensor to lead an angle of a thigh into the controller for an index of new discrimination.


The critical point that takes the high buildings with the transformation floor lies in the determination of construction project in the transformation layer,it directly influences to the structure safety,structure quality and construction cost in the construction phase.This paper mainly discusses the construction technology of transformation combined with engineering project on aspects such as sustentation engineering,concrete engineering and steel engineering,and concludes several advanced construction method,provides direction to designation and construction in the future.


This paper presents a new method, called the batch quantile method, for estimating quantiles in regenerative simulations. The quantile estimator is consistent and asymptotically normal, and the method can be easily implemented and does not require prior knowledge of the range of values the data will assume. Empirical studies show adequate coverage of confidence intervals when batches of 50 cycles or more are used.


In this paper I-shaped MIMO antenna is designed in Ansoft HFSSv13 and fabricated. Now a day's an array of antenna plays a wide role since it is very much useful to reduce the interference when the multipath propagation signal exists. In practical it can be helpful to our hand-held device called mobile phones since there is a need of array of antenna in base stations. The proposed antenna is designed over an operating frequency range of 2.57 GHz using the substrate material as FR-4 which has the dielectric constant of 4.4. This new shape of antenna has the swastika shaped slot between the patches which improves the efficiency and helps to reduce the prioritized parameter of mimo antenna which is nothing but the mutual coupling. This antenna can be applicable to the wireless communication areas such as Wi-Fi and WiMAX. The parameters such as return loss, VSWR, mutual coupling, directivity and gain has been simulated and analyzed. The mutual coupling has been achieved of about -30.5673 dB.


The proposed method utilizes emotional interaction capabilities to boost the user's emotions. The proposed recommender application would serve as a personal assistant for analysing the user's emotions. The process of human emotion prediction on the facial expressions of the user. With the eye sensor, the program may identify the user's emotions (such as happy, sad, fear, disgust, surprise, and anger). Furthermore, the integrated Artificial Intelligence (AI) based algorithm intends to transform the user's emotions from negative to positive by providing suitable recommendations. Since media has a strong effect on one's emotions in today's world, the proposed model recommends movies, music, and books to improve users' emotions. Depending on the user's emotions, various activities such as watching movies, listening to songs, and reading books will be recommended.


Anyone who aims at developing a virtual reality application featuring a large artificial world inhabited by intelligent virtual humans will face two problems—the problem with simulation speed, and the problem with adding new components to the simulation both during the development and after the release. We have developed a framework that copes with these issues. The solution is based on augmentation of the level-of-detail AI technique and theories of affordances and practical reasoning. Contrary to existing approaches, our solution is theoretically well-founded, robust and deals with both these issues at once. In this paper, we present the key concepts of our framework and evaluate a test scenario.


Friction stir spot welding (FSSW) is a solid-state welding process used for joining similar and dissimilar materials. AA1060 and C11000 sheets were joined using different process parameters and tool geometries. The presence of a copper rings also called hooks were observed in all the produced spot welds and their length increases with the tool shoulder plunge depth; whereas the spot welds produced at 1200 rpm for the two tool geometries exhibited a decrease and a slight increment in the length of the copper ring using a flat pin/flat shoulder and conical pin/concave shoulder, respectively. Furthermore, the mapping of the produced spot weld using energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) exhibited different microstructures with the presence of copper fragments and particles in the aluminium matrix. It was also observed that, the shoulder plunge depth had an effect on the shear tensile results, except for the weld produced at 800 rpm when using a conical pin and a concave shoulder.


Japanese lifetime employment system is a unique product of social development in Japan,and it is known as Japan's unique management model,has played a huge role in Japan's economic development after postwar.In recent years,this management model has begun to shake in Japanese society,some companies no longer adhere to this management system,and some companies still believe that it can bring economic benefits for the enterprise.Therefore,the paper analyzes the value of its existence.


Dongpu is a petroleum prolific salty depression.The oil in place proven shows that there is a close relationship between petroleum accumulation and halites.Many scholars have studied the forming factors of the halites in the northern part of the depression.The theory of halites formed in deep-water has been dominating.Based on the cores observed,on the facts of appearance of red layers(shallow water remarks)and on the compression between the evaporating rocks in this depression and the evaporating rocks from sea water,this paper reveals that the halites were formed from marine invasion shallow water.There were three system tracts in the depositional process of the depression,namely the low level,the receding and the high level.The halites and the main sand bodies were deposited during the period of low level;the dark clay sandstones and shale were deposited during the period of high level.Frequent changes of the lacustrine level formed the multiple source-reservoir-cap assemblages.


This study examines the corporate governance characteristics that influence the improvement in the quality of internal controls. Previous studies suggest that corporate governance independence and expertise affect the quality of internal controls (Krishnan et al. 2005; Hoitash et al. 2009). In Japan, however, any company that discloses significant deficiencies (SD) in internal controls has the motive to increase the independence of corporate governance to mitigate any subsequent negative consequences. As a result, independent directors are made the scapegoats, rather than allowing them to fulfill the expectation of improvement in the quality of internal controls. On the other hand, directors with financial expertise that have a high status in a company do influence the improvement in SD in internal controls. This suggests that in Japan it is important to provide financial experts with the power and authority to improve the quality of internal controls in the short term, due to the difference in the provisions between the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act (J-SOX) and the Sarbanes¨COxley Act (SOX). The requirements in Japanese Corporate Law (JCL) for independent directors are not as strict as those within SOX. Therefore, companies in which the boards are able to promote expert directors to important positions improve the quality of internal controls more often than those that are not. It is thus revealed that auditors should be able to discuss with the financial experts as to what is required to improve any significant deficiencies that are detected in the process of internal control audits.


The UNU-EHS study deals with the development and testing of different methodologies to identify and measure the pre-existing and emergent vulnerability (revealed vulnerability) of coastal communities in Sri Lanka to tsunami and coastal hazards. The study noted that females were more vulnerable to the tsunami then males. Single-story buildings were more vulnerable then multi-story buildings, particularly in the first 100 meters from the sea. Additionally, the study reveals a better recovery potential of households in Galle then in Batticaloa. While for example around 25 percent of the household captured within the survey in Galle need more than 2 years to replace their housing damage, the same category counts for Batticaloa nearly 60 percent. Thus the households in Batticaloa face higher difficulties than in Galle in terms of bouncing back to normal conditions. This might also be a result of the devastating conflict in the region for the past 20 years. This summary is based on research undertaken within the joint project of UNU-EHS, the University of Colombo, University of Ruhuna, Eastern University and the German Space Agency and the Center for Development Research (ZEF), with financial support from UN/ISDR-PPEW. BACKGROUND The devastating tsunami in the Indian Ocean on December 26, 2004 hit the hardest Sri Lanka and Indonesia. In Sri Lanka alone the tsunami affected more than 546,509 people or 3 percent of the total population: about 40,000 people were killed or missing (Department for Census and Statistics). Although the vulnerability of the coastal communities in Sri Lanka was highly visible in the tsunami catastrophe, future reconstruction, relocation and urban renewal are medium and long-term tasks, which should promote development of more disaster resilient communities in coastal areas. Thus, the identification and understanding of different vulnerability patterns, coping capacities and intervention tools need to be promoted in order to be able to facilitate the reconstruction process with appropriate information to ensure sustainable development. STRUCTURE AND METHODOLOGY The vulnerability assessment approach that was developed and tested aimed to explore various characteristics of vulnerability of different social groups, basic infrastructure services and economic sectors to tsunami and coastal hazards. As a theoretical framework and definition of vulnerability, the approach is based on the BBC-conceptual framework (Birkmann 2006), which stresses the fact that vulnerability is defined through exposed and susceptible elements on the one hand, and coping capacities of the affected entities (e.g. social groups) on the other. Moreover, it is also important to address the potential intervention tools that could help to reduce vulnerability within the social, economic and environmental sphere. Overall, the study encompassed four main techniques to identify and measure vulnerability, focussing on different data sources and different characteristics of vulnerability. The first methodology aimed at estimating the overall exposure of the settlement area as well as examining some physical characteristics of vulnerability of different city areas (GN divisions) by looking at the structure and quality of the built environment using remote sensing.


Cleantioides planicauda (Benedict, 1899) has previously been recorded in China and Japan. In the present study, to our knowledge, we report for the first time the occurrence of this species in South Korea. Here, we provide detailed descriptions and illustrations of the diagnostic characteristics of C. planicauda. Further, for the first time, we determined the partial sequence of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (CO1) gene of C. planicauda for molecular characteristic. Additionally, we provide a key to the Korean species and distribution of the genus Cleantioides. As a result of this study, four species of the genus Cleantioides, including C. planicauda, have now been recorded in South Korea.


Abstract Planning contains so much more than the written plan. Early in 2000, an invitation came from the Collaborative Action Research Network (CARN), to people experienced in action research who might want to help plan and present an action research event for elementary school science teachers in Venezuela, South America, in Autumn 2000. This article analyses the outcomes from planning and enacting the resulting workshop to show how planning can be the subject of action research. It goes on to show how planning and teaching interact in a multifaceted way towards technical, practical and emancipatory ends. Planning and teaching are best seen as conversation, a conversation that is both synchronous and asynchronous.


In this paper, based on computing and information techniques, developed components and subsystem as a whole, which allows you to get the results of measuring temperature values in digital form for further processing in the system design of composite material.


L-lactide was used as intermediate for the preparation of PLLA from L-lactic acid. The influence of pyrolysis temperature on L-lactide yield was discussed, the result showed the form of lactide was changed when the pyrolysis temperature was over 235℃, and the product was mainly DL-lactide. Influence factors such as the quantity of catalyst, the polymerization temperature, the polymerization time on the molecular weight of PLLA were also discussed.


AbstractThe micro-environment of the Great Sphinx at Giza in Egypt was quantified by continuous monitoring over a three-year period of the climate at the site and the relative humidity and temperature within the stone of the monument. Environmental factors that potentially drive deterioration mechanisms were recorded, including thermal cycling, wind, nightly dew-fall on the monument and rainfall, and the role of these factors in weathering is discussed. A significant finding was the large daily change in temperature relatively deep within the stone of the Sphinx. Cycles of wetting from dew-fall and drying are an important cause of flaking of the limestone on horizontal and near-horizontal surfaces. The concept of using a night-time shelter for temporary protection of the monument from dew condensation and wind erosion is presented as an alternative to treatments such as consolidation or desalination of the stone.


The interconnection of Content Distribution Networks (CDNs) is
motivated by several use cases. CDN Interconnection can be achieved
through four CDNI interfaces, one of which is the CDNI Logging
interface. This document discusses CDNI logging formats for content
deliveries performed using HTTP or HTTP adaptive streaming.


It could be a detailed account of the obvious parallels between British and American laboratory techniques and automation which make it relatively easy for an American technologist to adapt. On the other hand, it could be an emphasis on differences such as salaries which are considerably lower ($3338 for a first year registered technologist) and a cost of l iving that is nearly equivalent to the United States, the use of many technician-prepared reagents rather than commercially supplied as in the case of human brain thromboplast in, t i l t tube techniques for all coagulation studies (this is a 525 bed hospital which renders complete hematology services to three other hospitals!), or even the monetary charges to the patient that are never considered because under the National Health Service all phases of hospitalization are free.


The aim of this article is to explain the reason of the violation of expression and communication freedom in the Venezuelan opposition has been the main reason for its relative silence in the last ten years. In the first part, the ways and the motives will be exhibited explaining why these freedoms have been violated by the Venezuelan government; in the second part, the main thesis will be argued more deeply, analysing various texts which talk about this problem and explaining its implications as in the political actors involved as in the polarized Venezuelan society. At last, the pertinent conclusions will be done, according to the developed aspects in the investigation.


This article is concerned with a novel microstrip EBG structure, formed by etching a shape into the signal line. Previous publications announced a lumped‐element equivalent circuit for the structure. This article gives simple equations for computing the equivalent circuit element values. The article also announces an effective EBG low‐pass filter. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 51: 311–315, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.24038


I. Self Psychology and Infancy 1. Mother-Infant Mutual Influence and Precursors of Psychic Structure, Beebe, Lachmann 2. Affect and the Development of the Self: A New Frontier, Demos 3. Reflections on Self Psychology and Infancy, Basch, Lichtenberg, Sander II. Self Psychology and the Psychoses 4. A Short History of the Psychoanalytic Approach to the Treatment of Psychotic Disorders, Malin 5. Manic-Depressive Illness: Analytic Experience and a Hypothesis, Galatzer-Levy 6. Symbols of Subjective Truth in Psychotic States: Implications for Psychoanalytic Treatment, Stolorow, Atwood, Brandchaft 7. Reflections on Self Psychology and the Psychoses, Basch, Tolpin III. Clinical Contributions 8. Dream Interpretation Revisited, Fosshage 9. Pathognomic Mirroring and the Organization of Experience: A Developmental Factor in Self Psychology, Slade, Moskowitz 10. On Ambition and Hubris: A Case Study, Lachmann IV. Theoretical Contributions 11. Selfobject Failure and Gender Identity, Lothstein 12. On Boundary Formation, Meares 13. Self Psychology from the Perspective of Evolutionary Biology: Toward a Biological Foundation for Self Psychology, Kriegman


English as a local content is important and must begin to be taught even though it is still in the operational stage as concrete as in elementary school age children, though only through simple vocabulary recognition. The more someone masters the vocabulary, the more people will be able to speak well and correctly. The fact revealed is that teachers prefer conventional learning with very little use of learning media. To overcome this problem, it is necessary to have a strategy in learning English that encourages and stimulates students to be active in learning, so students want to speak out when they pronounce the vocabulary they say, one of them is the Sing a Song Method. From the results of service that have been done related to the use of the sing a song method as an alternative learning in improving English vocabulary mastery students at MI Al-Ikhsan Canga'an Genteng contributed significantly. After the sing a song method is applied, students tend to be more active and easier to catch new vocabulary, so that the vocabulary of students increases.


Despite the existence of computationally efficient tools, the effort for parametric investigations is currently high in industry. In this paper, within the context of Li-Ion batteries, an efficient meta-modelling approach based on the Proper Generalized Decomposition (PGD) is considered. From a suitable design of experiments, a parametric model is trained and then exploited to predict, in real time, the system response to a specific parameter combination. In particular, two different methods are considered, the sparse PGD (sPGD) and the anchored-ANOVA based one (ANOVA-PGD). As a use case for the method the dynamic indentation test of a commercial lithium-ion pouch cell with a cylindrical impactor is selected. The cell model considers a homogenised macroscopic structure suitably calibrated for explicit finite element simulations. Four parameters concerning the impactor are varied, both non-geometric (mass and initial velocity) and geometric (diameter and orientation). The study focuses on multi-dimensional outputs, such as curves and contour plots. Inspired by earlier studies, the sPGD is used to predict the force-displacement curves. As a further development, the impactor kinetic energy curve and the displacement contours are both predicted using its recently developed variant ANOVA-PGD. Moreover, a novel curve alignment technique based on the Gappy Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (Gappy-POD) is suggested here. The meta-model is compared to the results of an FE simulation and the resulting deviations are then discussed.


The Gold Coast City has extensive flood plains due to which the GIS based Flood Damage model was developed to assist the Council with assessment of the economic benefits of proposed flood mitigation options and to assess the proposed floodplain developments. This model integrates the Gold Coast City Council's property and rating databases and it has sophisticated database access, management and analysis which are very simple to use in calculation of flood damage for each property.


This paper reflects on the relevance of non-formal education in childhood and adolescence, with particular emphasis on attention to diversity, highlighting the importance of including the social and family environment in this learning process. For this purpose, a global theoretical review of special education in Spain is presented, firstly addressing its formal historical evolution up to the birth of what is known as educational inclusion. Thus, a new educational model based on attention to diversity for students with specific educational support needs (SESN) is created to provide learning focused on optimizing students' personal and academic development. This comprehensive vision impacts socio-educational intervention from a non-formal field of education as a complementary alternative to formal education at different life cycle stages and in many contexts.


rationale Non-invasive determination of atherosclerotic plaque composition is essential for diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of atherosclerosis. We and others have observed that Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 (VCAM-1) is weakly expressed in healthy vessels but rapidly induced on vascular endothelium in early atherosclerotic plaques. In later plaque stages VCAM-1 is expressed on vascular smooth muscle cells and macrophages. The aim of this study was to image selective enhancement of VCAM-1 positive atherosclerotic plaque using VCAM-1 targeted USPIO. Secondly, we hypothesized that endothelial and intraplaque VCAM-1 expression could be distinguished based on the biokinetics of VCAM-1-USPIO. demonstrated detect using Here, take next assessing the feasibility of in vivo and endothelial VCAM-1 and its relation to plaque development and therapy In the current study we successfully demonstrated the feasibility of endothelial and intraplaque VCAM-1 MR imaging in an ApoE -/- mouse model of atherosclerosis using VCAM-1 USPIO. The biodistribution of VCAM-1 USPIO proved favorable: VCAM-1 was specifically visualized at the area of atherosclerotic plaques, whereas contrast enhancement in undiseased vessels and the blood pool (at the optimal imaging time points) signal were low. VCAM-1 USPIO selectively targeted areas of atherosclerotic plaque with high VCAM-1 expression, as confirmed by histology. Early stage atherosclerotic plaques showed the largest contrast change at 1.5 hours after VCAM1 USPIO injection. The reverse was true for advanced lesions: the largest contrast change was observed at 6 hours after injection of VCAM-1 USPIO. The ratio between early and late enhancement provides a reliable measure of plaque progression. adhesion molecule VCAM-1 is present at atherosclerosis-prone sites in humans even before macroscopic disease is apparent, with persistent expression in more advanced lesions 11-13 . In later plaque stages, VCAM-1 expression shifts from the endothelial layer to lesional macrophages and smooth muscle cells. The collar model used in this study results in VCAM-1 expression patterns that closely resemble the expression during human plaque development. The early induction, confinement of expression to atherosclerotic lesions, and accessible position in proximity to the blood pool render VCAM-1 an attractive imaging biomarker for early stage plaque identification. Moreover, the presence of the adhesion molecule on lesional macrophages and smooth muscle cells in later plaque stages make VCAM-1 an attractive candidate to image advanced atherosclerotic plaques.


A nonlinear epidemic model with isolation of infectives was discussed.The threshold of disease spread was established.The conditions about the globally asymptotic stability of disease-free equilibrium,the locally asymptotic stability of endemic equilibrium and the uniformly persistent existence of disease were obtained.


The crisis of power in Veliky Novgorod in the 1220s expressed in frequent changes on the princely throne. In these conditions the practice of "feeding" the princes (the term was introduced by I. Ya. Froyanov) was used by governors. This practice was used by the Novgorod community earlier, in the end of the 11th century. Later, the princes themselves tried to use this tactic of the Novgorodians, seeking to strengthen their own sons in the reign of Novgorod. This is precisely what caused the fact that Yaroslav Vsevolodovich left his children Fedor and Alexander as governors. With the help of such a strategy, Yaroslav eventually succeeded in securing Novgorod for Alexander.


Panicle angle of the RIL population derived from a cross between two japonica varieties Xiushui 79 and C Bao was investigated in four growing environments.Genetic analysis was conducted by mixed major gene plus polygene inheritance models,and QTL identification was performed by QTLNetwork 2.0 and composite interval mapping approach of WinQTLcart 2.5 software in the RIL population.Results were as follow: 1) panicle angle was controlled by two major genes plus polygenes,mainly by major genes;2) eight QTLs were detected by QTLNetwork 2.0 software,explaining 0.01%-39.89% phenotypic variation.12 QTLs were detected by WinQTLcart 2.5 software,explaining 2.83%-30.60% phenotypic variation.All the QTLs detected above were located on chromosomes 4,5,6,7,9 and 11.Of which,two major QTLs(qPA9.2 and qPA9.5) at RM3700-RM3600 and RM5652-RM410 and qPA9.7 at RM257-OSR28 were all detected by the two methods in the four environments.The negative effect alleles of the three QTLs were contributed by Xiushui 79;3) eight pairs of epistatic QTLs with few effects were also detected.QTL × environment interactions were not significant for additive QTLs and epistatic QTL pairs.


ECTOPIC eruption of a tooth into the nasal cavity is a rare phenomenon. Such intranasal eruption is not uncommon with supernumerary teeth, especially mesiodens (Chopra and Joshi, 1969; Lindsay and Kariana, 1969; Kohli and Verma, 1970; Hirandani and Melgiri, 1968); however, deciduous and permanent teeth have also been reported to erupt into the nasal cavity (Rege et al, 1970; Lumba et al, 1971; Srivastava et al, 1977). Etiological factors leading to the eruption or displacement of teeth into the nasal cavity, as discussed by Lindsay and Kariana in 1969, include: incomplete union of embryonic processes, as in cleft palate; trauma to the oral cavity region, causing blunt displacement; teeth with dermoid cysts; and aberrant extra-odontogenic epithelium-forming supernumerary teeth. Though rare, osteomyelitis of the maxilla may also lead to the extrusion of teeth into the nasal cavity and so far only two cases have been reported in the literature (Rege et al, 1970; Lumba et al, 1971). An unusual case is here presented in which the extrusion of a tooth into the nasal cavity was due to osteomyelitis of the maxilla.


AbstractWe investigate the e ects of heterogeneous and clustered contact patterns onthe timescale and nal size of infectious disease epidemics. The abundance oftransitive relationships (the number of 3 cliques) in a network and the varianceof the degree distribution are shown to have large e ects on the number ulti-mately infected and how quickly the epidemic propagates. The network modelis based on a simple generalization of the con guration model, and epidemicdynamics are modeled with a low dimensional system of ordinary di erentialequations. Because of the simplicity of this model, we are able to explore alarge parameter space and characterize dynamics over a wide range of networktopologies. We nd that the interaction between clustering and the degree distri-bution is complex, and that clustering always slows down an epidemic, but thatsimultaneously increasing clustering and variance of the degree distribution canpotentially increase nal epidemic size. In contrast to solutions for unclusteredcon guration model networks, we nd that bond percolation solutions for the nal epidemic size are potentially biased if they do not take variable infectiousperiods into account.Keywords: networks, SIR, clustering, percolationThe degree distribution and the clustering coecient [1] are two of the mostcommonly investigated features of networks with respect to di usion and epi-demic processes. We consider the problem of the the dynamic spread of aninfectious disease in a population modeled as a random graph.While the in-uence of the degree distribution on epidemic dynamics is now a well studiedproblem[2, 3, 4, 5], there is still substantial debate about the e ects of cluster-ing. Some investigations have indicated that clustering may decrease epidemicthresholds, in e ect making it more likely that an epidemic will occur followingan initial introduction [6]. Other studies have found that the relationships be-tween clustering and epidemic thresholds is complex [7, 8, 9], and depends on


This editorial appraises an article in the current issue of Hypertension that examines the prospective relationships between features of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and early death in a population-based cohort form Northern Italy.1 We also discuss, in light of that study's findings, how relevant conventional definitions of the MetS are for identifying individuals at high risk of early death.

The MetS describes a constellation of metabolic and cardiovascular disease risk factors. Although varying definitions of the MetS exist, all of the commonly used definitions include a measure of obesity, hyperglycemia, hypertension, and dyslipidemia.2–4 These definitions are based on "expert" opinion and not on evidence derived from prospective studies, which would be preferable. Thus, it remains uncertain whether the component features of the MetS or the thresholds at which each component is defined as present or absent are informative and optimal for predicting risk of disease or early death. It is also undetermined whether MetS represents a distinct pathophysiological entity. Notwithstanding these issues, the syndrome is extensively used in research studies, and many advocate its use in clinical practice5 to identify people at high risk of cardiovascular disease and early death.

The idea that cardiovascular risk factors with a common etiology cluster in certain individuals at high risk of cardiovascular disease was first popularized by Reaven6 in the 1980s, although the origins of the MetS date back much earlier.7 Reaven's6 emphasis was on elucidating the underlying pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease, for which he postulated that insulin resistance plays a pivotal role, and not on developing a diagnosis of MetS, which could be used in clinical practice.

Superficially, at least, MetS relates strongly with cardiovascular morbidity and early death8; this is perhaps unsurprising, because so too do each of the component features of the …


Ten fibrous trop residues Including the dry grasses were analysed for their bio molecular compositiun (llgnin, hemicellulose and alpha/beta/gamma cellulose). Based on their amounts and relative interactions, their relative superiority as animal feed was evaluated. In genera), crop residues of monocotyl dons are superior to those of dicotyldons. In decreasing order of the feeding quality, the ranking was : Heteropogan contortus, dry grass, maize cote, Jovvar (sorghum vulgare))sover, sugarcane bagasse, maize etover, cotton seed hulls, Sehima nervosum dry grass, cotton straw, sunflower straw and groundnut bulls.


This work offers options for harvesting and reusing rainwater. In order to know the quality of the various rainwaters, microbiological and physical-chemical analyses are conducted based on the Mexican standards. The microbiological results showed various types of bacteria such as bacilli, cocci, coliforms, among them Escherichia coli and Enterobacter aerogenes, while the physical-chemical analyses reported low concentrations of total suspended solids (8.9 mg/L), biochemical oxygen demand in five days (2.7 mg/L), chemical oxygen demand (6.7 mg/L) and total organic carbon (1.9 mg/L). This work also relates to the adaptation of a catchment system in an already build construction with a treatment train supplying appropriate water quality. The analyzed parameters are mostly within NOM-041 limits; however, treatment is needed to ensure optimum water quality. The results obtained in the instant research show that rainwater purity should not be taken for granted. Before alleging that rainwater is drinkable it is important to conduct microbiological analysis in order to determine the most appropriate treatment.


The paper "Analysis of Variance Used in the Study of the Relationship between Variables" presents an introduction in ANOVA, which has a different methodology depending on the number of factors taken into study. The paper emphasizes that ANOVA can be used in the case in which for the independent variable has used a simple group, but the dependent variable is presented under the form of variants in case of each group or when was used a combined group for both variables. The ANOVA involved also the used of Fischer -Snedecor test for testing the signification of group factors. The paper present the basic concepts and methodology of ANOVA and the unifactorial and bifactorial methodology of analysis of variance.


In the last fifteen years, one of the main focus of automobile manufacturers has been to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. To achieve this goal, technologies such as smart alternators and stop-start systems were introduced completely changing the vehicle's power system management and evaluation. For this reason, it is very important to properly design the vehicle electric system to ensure a good energy balance, controlling the battery state of charge to guarantee the car's ignition when the key is turned off. This is done by testing the energy balance of the vehicle, that consists in checking if the alternator is suitable to ensure on-board battery charge and supply energy to all vehicle loads in the most heavy-duty conditions. In this work two different approaches for the simulation of Lundell's alternator are evaluated and compared between each other for later be used in a complete vehicle electric power system simulation. The first one is a quasi-static approach, defined by a set of electrical tests on a alternator test bench. Using the Simulink's Lookup Table tool, it is possible to calculate the alternator output interpolating the experimental results. The second one is based on differential equations employing the classical qd rotor reference frame to model the alternator in transformed coordinates and variables. Those two approaches are used on a vehicle electric power system simulation and then a comparison between each other is made, highlighting their differences.


We discuss new physics that can show up in the τ + τ − production process at the LHC but not in the dimuon or the dielectron channels. We consider three di ff erent generic possibilities: a new resonance in the Drell-Yan process in the form of a non-universal Z (cid:48) ; a new non-resonant contribution to q ¯ q → τ + τ − in the form of leptoquarks; and contributions from gluon fusion due to e ff ective lepton gluonic couplings. We emphasize the use of the charge asymmetry both to discover new physics and to distinguish between di ff erent possibilities


County as by-product of lead, zinc, and copper production from replacement, skarn, and to a lesser extent, vein deposits in Paleozoic limestones. The deposits are of similar age and tectonic environment as gold-silver vein deposits in volcanic rocks. The relationships between deposits is unknown.


This paper explores the internal force calculation method of structural loading method while taking the double lining structure of composite lining in the tunnel as a whole consideration,compares overall calculation result to calculation result of preliminary support and secondary lining sharing load according to certain ratio,and obtains meaningful conclusions.


Adsorption-desorption of imidacloprid on five Indian soils of different origin was studied using batch equilibration technique. Freundlich's constant Kf-ads was highest for alfisol soil (7.81) having high organic carbon content and low pH. Adsorption was in the order alfisol (7.81) > vertisol (4.72) > oxisol (3.08) > ultisol (1.96) > inceptisol (0.88). Imidacloprid showed L type isotherm curve (1/n < 1) in all soil types except inceptisol, indicating high affinity of it towards soils. Desorption studied at 200 μg g−1 concentration showed that imidacloprid binding to soil is weak and significant amount of it can be desorbed from all soil types.


A large number of radioactive and stable isotopes of the first 95 elements in the periodic table that occur in the environment have provided a tremendous wealth of information towards unraveling many secrets of our Earth and its environmental health. These isotopes, because of their suitable geochemical and nuclear properties, serve as tracers and chronometers to investigate a variety of topics that include chronology of rocks and minerals, reconstruction of sea-level changes, paleoclimates, and paleoenvironments, erosion and weathering rates of rocks and minerals, rockwater interactions, material transport within and between various reservoirs of earth, and magmatic processes. Isotopic data have also provided information on time scales of mixing processes in the oceans and atmosphere, as well as residence times of oceanic constituents and gases in the atmosphere. Arguably the most important milestone on the application of isotopes to earth science is the determination of the age of the Earth and our solar system. Isotope-based dating methods serve as the gold-standard and are routinely used to validate other non-isotope-based dating methods. Dating of hominid fossils provides a handle to understand the evolution and migration pattern of humans and stable isotope analyses of organic matter, as well as phosphate in bones and teeth in recovered fossils provide evidence for food sources consumed by humans and other animals (e.g., Abelson 1988; Schwarcz and Schoeninger 2011). To put it succinctly, our current understanding of the chronological evolution of the earth, its exterior and interior processes occurring on time scales of minutes to billions of years and the reconstruction of the evolution of human civilization has been developed in great part by the measurement of isotopic ratios. The field of isotope geochemistry started taking its roots shortly after the discovery of "radioactivity" (term coined by Marie Curie) in 1896 by Henri Becquerel (Becquerel 1896; Curie 1898). Within a few years of this remarkable discovery, Rutherford reported an exponential decrease of activity of a radioactive substance with time and introduced the concept of half-lives opening the door for age determination of natural substances containing radioactive elements (Rutherford 1900). The term isotope was introduced by Soddy in 1913 (Soddy 1913). The rules governing the transmutation of elements during radioactive decay was simultaneously established by Soddy (1913) and Fajans (1913). Secular equilibrium between radioactive parent and daughter was first described by Rutherford and Soddy (1902). The first radiometric age determination of a geologic sample was made on a sample of pitchblende in 1905 by Rutherford and ages of a variety of other minerals were subsequently made by Strutt (1905) and Boltwood (1907) using the U-He and U-Pb systems. The complete U and Th chain was established by 1913 and is similar to the one that is in use today (e.g., Ivanovich and Harmon 1992; Henderson 2003). The disequilibria between the members of the U-Th series resulting from differences in geochemical properties of different elements within the chain opened a new field of research to investigate aqueous geochemical processes, rock-water interaction, dating of inorganic precipitates, detrital and biogenic sediments and archaeological objects (e.g., Ivanovich and Harmon M. Baskaran (*) Department of Geology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA e-mail: email@example.com


Gas flow through interconnected ducts and pipelines of varying lengths and cross-sectional areas is considered. The distributed-lumped parameter model proposed by Whalley (1) has been extended to include the analytical determination of the responses of intermediate variables. To illustrate the procedure, a general two-stage distributed-lumped parameter model which is used to predict flow patterns following an input change is employed. Two specific applications are examined and simulated flow transient response records arising from pressure variations are presented.


The purpose of this essay is to analyse how medial representations in a specific cultural debate expresses thoughts about gender, power and speech. The debate in question took place in Sweden 2010 ...


The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of members of wood species on the dowel pin joint strength, The sesults are summarized as follows: (1) The values of the withdrawal strength of dowel joint (T_⊥) increased linearly with increasing the specific gravity in overdry (r_0) or longitudinal shear strength (τ_s) of member. The relationships can be shown by the following experimental formulas T_⊥=160.4+539.4 r_0 T_⊥=11.5+38.5 τ_B (2) The bending strengtl10f dowel joint (F_4) increased linearly with increasing the specific gravity in oven dry (r_0). The relationships can be shown by the following experimental formula F_4=423.0+597.7 r_0


Hysteresis behaviour, simple and complex oscillations showing a fractal pattern, long-term changes of the oscillations as well as periodic multistability have been uncovered during the oxidation of CO. Pd zeolites with different amounts of Pd particles per unit volume were used as a catalyst in order to study the synchronization process during the reaction. Zeolites with the highest Pd content showed the largest capability to oscillate, with amplitudes up to 95% of the conversion. Examination of the catalyst before and after the reaction leads to the assumption of a cyclic oxidation–reduction mechanism. Coupling of the individual particles is suggested by a concentration wave travelling across the surface.


The hyper-fine structure of X 2537 of mercury by Pro-fessor R. Wood2 to consist of five lines of very nearly equal intensity.


Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore whether librarians are familiar with technological innovations and are ready to accept them. The objectives are: to what extent does the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) explain librarians' perceptions of mobile services (m‐services); and to what extent do differences in gender, age, workplace, role, and smart phone use explain librarians' perceptions of m‐services?Design/methodology/approach – The research was conducted in Israel during the first semester of the 2012 academic year. It encompassed three groups of Israeli librarians: academic, public, and special. Researchers used two questionnaires to gather data: a personal details questionnaire, and a mobile technology questionnaire.Findings – This study supported the two core variables model (perceived ease of use and usefulness) of TAM that may predict librarians' behavioral intention to use m‐services in the library. However, it added two more components to the model: personal innovativeness and smar...


Forward displacement of the peroneal tendons from the groove behind the lateral malleolus is not an uncommon injury, but there have been few references to it in the English literature. A sudden strain at the moment when the muscles are tense causes tightening of the peroneal tendons which snaps the peronea! retinaculum and allows the tendons to dislocate from the groove behind the lateral malleolus. Bonnin (1950) suggested that the straining force occurred while the foot was plantar-flexed and everted ; but Watson-Jones (1 940) believed that the injury occurred from forced dorsiflexion of the ankle, and he reported an operation to prevent recurrent dislocation of the tendons by deepening the groove behind the malleolus. The injury is often sustained while ski-ing. In the winter of 1958 1 treated seven patients with acute dislocation of the peroneal tendons ; and there can be no doubt that it occurs from forced dorsiflexion of the ankle joint. The ski-tip dives in and becomes fixed in the snow, the patient being thrown forwards. The first report of this injury was by Allen in 1895 in the British Medical Journal, in which he reported successful treatment by strapping the ankle for three weeks. Jones (1932) described a method of repair by operation, but conservative treatment by immobilisation in adhesive strapping or plaster was accepted by Watson-Jones (1940), Hauser (1950) and Whitman (1930). Muralt (1956) advised operative repair in recurrent cases. This paper records three patients in whom forward dislocation of the peroneal tendons occurred with marginal fractures of the lateral malleolus. No report of this condition has


Background: The main purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of Emotionally Focused Therapy and self-compassion skills training on differentiation of self and Sexual Intimacy in women affected by Infidelity.Methods: It was a quasi-experimental study and the statistical population included all women affected by Infidelity in Mashhad in 2019-2020. A statistical sample of 45 women were selected using available sampling and were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (15 people in each group). The intervention groups received emotionally focused training and self-compassion separately for 8 sessions of 90 minutes and the control group was on the waiting list. The Differentiation of Self-Inventory Revised(DSI-R) of Skowron and Schmitt (2003) and the Sexual Intimacy Questionnaire of Batlani et al. (2010) were used to collect data. Data were analyzed by repeated measures analysis of variance using the SPSS 24 software.Results: The results showed that both treatments were effective in increasing the level of differentiation of self and Sexual Intimacy, but the effectiveness of training of the emotionally focused approach to self-compassion in the differentiation of self was tangible and significant (p <0.05).Conclusion: The findings showed that the emotionally focused therapy training can be used as an effective intervention to improve the psychological resilience of women affected by Infidelity through creating new patterns in the relationship.


Based on ActiveX Automation programming specifications,Some functions for extracting all the attributes of the dimension,the leader and the tolerance objects were implemented in AutoCAD by means of programming,thus solving existing problems that the attributes of label objects could not be completely obtained during collaborative work.Different methods are given for finding out and extracting attribute information needed,according to different ways of combination of the attributes in the three kinds of labels.


S ince the inception of the Chicago Board Options Exchange in April, 1973, the listed options market has been the fastest growing segment of the securities industry. It is surely noteworthy that a previously little known and, in fact, suspect form of security the call option could have such unprecedented growth in popularity in so short a time. Indeed, options volume has increased from about 1% of total equity share volume (by underlying shares affected) prior to the advent of the listed options market, to more than 50% today.' This has been accomplished with only a limited number of optionable stocks and, until recently, using only one of the two types of options. Yet, even with this growing acceptance of options, there is still much that we don't know about options or can't agree on. For example, almost all investors are now aware of what options are and how they are traded, but the majority probably still does not fully understand how options are used other than as a tool of speculation. Many investors who use options and are considered knowledgeable about them are uncertain about the relative attractiveness of the various options strategies, or are concerned that the extra time and expense these strategies require may effectively negate any added benefits that might otherwise be provided. In short, even those investors who presently employ options, including professional money managers, are really only vaguely aware of what the longer range consequences of their use of options will be .2 The purpose of this paper is to help remedy this situation with regard to a particular options strategy


While engineering techniques are used in the development of medical devices and have been applied to individual healthcare processes, such as the use of checklists in surgery [1] and ICUs [2], the application of system engineering techniques to larger healthcare systems is less common. System safety is the part of system engineering that uses modeling and analysis to identify hazards and to design the system to eliminate or control them. In this paper, we demonstrate how to apply a new, safety engineering static and dynamic modeling and analysis approach to healthcare systems. Pharmaceutical safety is used as the example in the paper, but the same approach is potentially applicable to other complex healthcare systems. One use for such modeling and analysis is to provide a rigorous way to evaluate the efficacy of potential policy changes as a whole. Less than effective changes may be made when they are created piecemeal to fix a current set of adverse events. Existing pressures and influences, not changed by the new procedures, can defeat the intent of the changes by leading to unintended and counterbalancing actions by system stakeholders. System engineering techniques can be used in re-engineering the system as a whole to achieve the system goals, including both enhancing the safety of current drugs while, at the same time, encouraging the development of new drugs.


The aim of this study was to develop a rapid immunoassay to detect Salmonella bacteria. Skimmed milk powder (SMP) in buffered peptone water was inoculated with six Salmonella strains (Salm. typhimurium, Salm. virchow, Salm. enteritidis, Salm. give, Salm. ealing and Salm. arizonae) at three inoculum levels (about 2–200 cfu 25 g−1 SMP) and incubated (37 °C) overnight. Heat‐treated salmonella cells were immobilized on paramagnetic particles and detected within 3 h using the Salmonella genus‐specific monoclonal antibody M105 in a microtitre plate based assay. The rapid Salmonella detection method combining immunomagnetic separation and ELISA had a total isolation and detection time of less than 24 h, which is significantly shorter than the conventional techniques requiring 72–96 h. The technique had a sensitivity limit of 105−106 cfu ml−1.


QUT's workplace rehabilitation process aims to assist in the early recovery of a staff member who has a work or non-work related injury or illness


In the developing vertebrate heart, valves form in the primitive heart tube to ensure unidirectional blood flow. Mammals and birds have 4-chambered hearts with 2 atrioventricular valves between the atria and ventricles, as well as semilunar valves between each ventricle and great vessel. Mammalian heart valve development begins with the formation of endocardial cushions through endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndoMT) followed by expansion, elongation, and remodeling of valve primordia into mature leaflets.1 Valve remodeling continues postnatally, and the mature valves consist of extracellular matrix layers interspersed with interstitial cells and surrounded by endocardial endothelial cells (Figure). In contrast, fish have 2-chambered hearts separated by a single atrioventricular valve with a single outflow valve. Zebrafish are a well-established genetic model for the early stages of heart development as the transparency of early embryos facilitates in vivo visualization2 However, less is known about the later stages of valve development and heart chamber maturation. In this issue, a study by Gunawan et al3 reports for the first time that zebrafish heart valve interstitial cells (VICs) are generated by EndoMT dependent on the transcription factors Nfatc1 (NF-κB [nuclear factor-κB]–related transcription factor) and Twist1b.


An investigation on space reconstruction error for the poles system, which covers an area of 6 x 6 m2 field, is carried out using a three video camera system. Two sets of location for the poles are tested. The result of the RMS error shows a superiority of the positioning the control points at the corners of the court, compared to that of the sides of the court.


Function-based support (FBS) is an intervention strategy for decreasing problem behaviors and increasing replacement behaviors through three consecutive processes: (a) conducting functional behavioral assessment (FBA), (b) using FBA results to develop a behavior support plan (BSP), and (c) implementing and monitoring the BSP (Tobin, 2005). The utility of FBS as an intervention for problem behaviors has been well documented for individuals ranging from preschool-age to adulthood, for persons without disabilities as well as for persons with mild to severe disabilities, and for clientele in school, community, and clinical settings (e.g., Nahgahgwon, Umbreit, Liaupsin, & Turton, 2010; Wood, Ferro, Umbreit, & Liaupsin, 2011). FBS procedures have been empirically evaluated in school settings for more than 20 years, resulting in a large base of studies demonstrating positive student outcomes (Fox & Gable, 2004; Wood, Cho Blair, & Ferro, 2009). As a result, FBS has been recommended as a best practice for school psychologists and other school-based behavioral specialists who intervene with student problem behavior (e.g., Daly, Martens, Skinner, & Noell, 2009; Steege & Watson, 2008). Despite such encouraging findings, implementations of FBS in educational settings continue to be hampered by practical barriers and frustrations. For example, although many school psychologists and other school-based behavioral specialists are trained to implement FBS, the need for effective assessment and intervention far outweighs the availability of trained providers (Scott, Bucalos, Liaupsin, Nelson, Jolivette, & DeShea, 2004). The unmet need for behavioral services from qualified school-based personnel is unlikely to be resolved in the near future. For this reason, several scholars have recommended that school personnel, such as general educators, be trained to implement FBS for at-risk students exhibiting problem behavior (Renshaw, Christensen, Marchant, & Anderson, 2008). To accommodate for such challenges, most studies investigating the utility of FBS in schools have involved researchers as significant participants in the implementation process (e.g., Filter & Horner, 2009), leaving unanswered questions regarding educators' ability to conduct FBS with fidelity. Thus there is currently a dearth of research investigating methods for training school personnel to independently implement FBS (Renshaw et al., 2008). Several scholars have cautioned that training educational professionals to implement FBS in schools is a complex endeavor that requires careful consideration. For example, Sasso and colleagues (2001) noted that the success of FBS in educational settings depends as much on contextual and social validity factors (e.g., teacher perceptions of intervention feasibility) as on actual student responsiveness to intervention (i.e., positive behavioral change). Quinn and colleagues (2001) noted that there is a lack of both evidence and guiding principles for determining which training and implementation models are likely to be most effective and advised that FBS training must include "hands on" experience as well as ongoing guidance and support. Newcomer and Lewis (2004) recommended that FBS procedures resulting in precise, practical, valid information that can be gathered within minimal time, with minimal effort, and with minimal skill would be optimal when training school personnel--yet they did not propose any specific models or methods. Given the history of the field, it is plausible that such tentative dialogue surrounding FBS training may be the result of two deeper, debatable issues: (1) the lack of consensus regarding the particular procedures comprising FBA (Weber, Killu, Derby, & Baretto, 2005; Watson, Steege, & Watson, 2011) and (2) the contention that FBS's roots in Applied Behavior Analysis (Baer, Wolfe, & Risely, 1968, 1987) make it too sophisticated for school personnel to master without intensive training in behavior analytic principles (Wallace, Doney, Mintz-Resudek, & Tarbox, 2004). …


This chapter presents strategies to implement graduate skills in business undergraduate programmes. We have developed teaching and learning resources to cultivate and grade student learning in the four areas of teamwork, critical thinking, ethical practice and sustainability. We discuss our experience of implementing resources at a programme level, and in a discrete, intensive workshop for high-achieving students.


In this research, it is aimed to introduce the teaching process related to the mathematics course designed according to multiple intelligence theory and to evaluate the students' opinions about the teaching process. Action research design was used in the research. Purposeful sampling method was used in the research group. The research group consisted of 18 students attending a high school. As a result of the evaluation of the observation forms applied, the students developed materials and activities related to their own intelligence areas related to trigonometry. The interview form was analyzed with descriptive analysis method. As a result of the research, it was determined that the students stated that the lessons were more fun and they learned the subject more easily with the activities designed according to multiple intelligence theory. It was concluded that the students learned by doing by themselves because they prepared the materials themselves, they participated in the classes more actively but the application process took too much time and the learning environment was noisier.


The 1990s witnessed significant changes in the Cuban economy. The first half of the decade focused on obtaining the adjustments necessary to enable the country to overcome the profound economic crisis that had befallen it. The second half was characterized by the reality and possibilities of economic recovery. This volume may be the first academic text specifically written to assess the development perspectives of Cuba in the new conditions that prevail. The overarching question is "What comes after recovery?" The authors deal with questions of immediate relevance to the Cuban economy and its recent past, with emphasis placed on the implications for long-term prospects for development. This reflects the conviction that solutions to the challenge of development will require longer periods of analysis and different areas of focus than those which have served as the temporal and conceptual references for recent studies of the island's economy. Contributors include Julio Carranza, Anicia Garcia, Hiram Marquetti, Lazaro Pena, Omar Everleny Perez, and Julio Diaz Vazquez (University of Havana, Cuba), Claes Brundenius (Centre for Development Research, Copenhagen, Denmark), David Dapice (Tufts University and Harvard University, USA), Francisco Leon (United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean), and Mauricio de Miranda (Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Colombia).


A numerical method of low-frequency sound field calculation in non-anechoic pools with impedance boundary based on finite element software ACTRAN is proposed in this paper. A virtual Kundt's tube is established in ACTRAN to obtain the normal incidence surface impedance of non-anechoic pools' walls. The normal incidence surface impedance is then added to the surface of fluid domain to simulate the sound field boundary of non-anechoic pools. The numerical results are obtained by computing the model established in ACTRAN. The sound field of a spherical sound source has been tested in a glass tank to verify the accuracy of the proposed numerical method. As a comparison, the sound field in the glass tank with absolutely soft boundary is also calculated. It is concluded that the proposed method can effectively predict the low-frequency sound field in non-anechoic pools with arbitrary material impedance boundary and will provide a reference analysis method for the study of the low-frequency sound field characteristic in non-anechoic pools with complex impedance boundary. Introduction The characteristic of sound field in a rectangular enclosed space is an important and classical problem in acoustics. Considering the acoustic absorption ability of anechoic pools will be limited at low frequency, it is of great significance to extend the low-frequency application of non-anechoic pools. The accuracy of sound field prediction in non-anechoic pools depends on whether the sound field boundary is set correctly. Since there is no ideal boundary in reality, it is more appropriate to consider the boundary of non-anechoic pools as impedance boundary. In order to solve the acoustic problem of enclosure cavity with impedance boundary, a large amount of effort has been devoted. Morse [1] first developed a nonlinear transcendental characteristic equation through combining the assumed sound pressure modes with complex impedance boundary conditions on the walls. In order to obtain the solutions of these highly nonlinear transcendental characteristic equations, numerical root searching algorithms need to be utilized. Bistafa [2] compared two different numerical procedures: Newton's method and homotopic continuation procedure technique, and the latter procedure is faster in finding all the possible roots. Naka et al. [3] utilized an interval Newton/generalized bisection method to find the roots of the nonlinear characteristic equation within any given interval for the modal analysis of a rectangular room with arbitrary wall impedances. Recently, Du et al. [4] proposed a modified Fourier series method for the acoustic analysis of a rectangular cavity with impedance boundary conditions arbitrarily specified on any of the walls. Jeong et al. [5] proposed phased geometrical acoustics methods to evaluate various approximate boundary conditions for a phased beam tracing model. Jin et al. [6] proposed a general Chebyshev-Lagrangian method to obtain the analytical solution for a rectangular acoustic cavity with arbitrary impedance boundary conditions. Xie et al. [7] proposed a weak variational principle based


Summary To better understand the Newton‐Raphson algorithm more attention should be given to cases of non‐convergence, in particular to cases that lead to cycling iterates. The values of cycling iterates have been shown to be crucial to separating regions of convergence and divergence. This paper summarizes what has been written about cycling iterates and provides further examples of the Newton‐Raphson algorithm cycling when being used to solve for the zeroes of f(z). The examples include families of functions for which an initial value can be selected to initiate a cycle of any given length preceded by any given number of non‐cycling values and families of functions for which the cycle length is fixed and does not depend on the initial value. In each example, the regions of convergence and divergence are also delineated.


Neuron growth on nanofabricated silicon surfaces, once understood, is fundamental to engineer circuits involving neurons and electronic components, leading to applications such as next-generation brain implants, and high-throughput neurologic drug screening assay systems. Precise quantification of neuronal growth and behavior from image samples requires computer vision algorithms for automatic tracing of neurons, and flexible algorithms for reliable registration and analysis of multi-fluorophore imagery. The tracing algorithms must be robust to high levels of clutter and common imaging artifacts, process discontinuities, and quantum noise, especially when live neurons are imaged. Finally, the large numbers of images that must be processed for a hypothesis test or assay call for computationally efficient algorithms. A fully automated neuron tracing algorithm based on the use of robust detection and estimation principles is described here that meets the above needs. It takes 2 seconds to trace and extract morphological statistics from a typical 1280 × 1024 image on a Pentium III, 1 GHz personal computer. It was validated against manually generated traces and the errors were in the range of 1-5% per image.


The invention discloses ultrasonic combined electric machining technology real-time optimizing control system and a control method thereof. An ultrasonic power supply is connected with a first current sensor and a transducer, a computer is connected with a synchronous data acquisition card, and the synchronous data acquisition card collects all machining parameter data, acquired by the first current sensor, a voltage sensor, a second current sensor and a laser micro displacement sensor probe, of a machining workpiece; the machining workpiece is placed on a magnetic levitation workbench, a tool electrode is fixed on the lower end face of an amplitude changing rod, the upper end of the amplitude changing rod is connected with the transducer, the positive electrode of a pulse power supply is connected with a synchronous chopper which receives chopping control signals given by a laser micro displacement sensor controller, the synchronous chopper is connected with the machining workpiece, working liquid is filled between the machining workpiece and the electrode, the electrode is connected with the second current sensor through a current-limiting resistor, the second current sensor is connected with the negative electrode of the pulse power supply, and the voltage sensor is connected with the output end of the pulse power supply. The ultrasonic combined electric machining technology real-time optimizing control system and the control method thereof have the advantages of being capable of obtaining vibration displacement, temperature, and voltage state parameters in real time.


The southern river terrapin, Batagur affinis (i.e. locally known as "tuntung") is one of the world's most critically endangered river turtle inhabiting large rivers and estuaries of southern Thailand and west Malaysia. The present study is conducted at Perak River, Malaysia, whereby it aims to assess the performance of Malaysian government agency known as the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) in protecting this species over the past 21 years. The data was collected through observation and secondary sources. In 1996, the species bred in the highest numbers; however, in the following years, the number were decreased dramatically. All in all, the population trends showed that the species numbers are declining and to be endangered. To address these serious issues, some recommendations are proposed in this study.


The money-washing offence is a social pollution that is spreading all over the world. It is the common task of every nation to strike the money-washing activities, and the "Criminal Law" of China has established it an additional crime, while there are some problems needed to pay attentions to and to be perfected in the theory and practice.


The present invention is a capsule dispersion By applying the optimal drum acceleration according to the acceleration for poryang, bubble distribution to a method of controlling dehydration drum washing machine so as to optimize. Thus, since the well is made of fabric dispersion is easy to reduce the dehydration entering the dehydration entering time, there is an effect diminishing the tub vibration when dewatering. Four dispersion, poryang, acceleration slope


A series of the bis(octaalkoxyphthalocyaninato)lutetium(III) complexes [(CnO)8Pc]2Lu (n
= 10, 12, 14, 16, 18) were synthesized. The mesomorphic behaviour was revealed by using polarization microscopy and DSC. The detailed mesophase structures were clarified by using temperature-dependent X-ray diffraction and temperature-dependent electronic absorption spectroscopy techniques. It was found that each of the Lu complexes shows a special rectangular ordered columnar (Colro) mesophase and a normal hexagonal (Colh) columnar mesophase. It was established that the special Colro mesophase gave two different stacking distances (ht and hf) which originate from both trampoline movement and rotation of the phthalocyanine disks.


ABSTRACT This article analyzes American Jewish writer Abraham Cahan's depictions of dance in the context of turn-of-the-century, immigrant dance culture. The protagonists of his 1896 novella Yekl: A Tale of the New York Ghetto and his 1917 novel The Rise of David Levinsky are fascinated with dancing and, moreover, identify dance halls with American-style physicality. The two male characters experience very different problems with the women in their lives, difficulties that Cahan suggests result from their inability to conform to American dance etiquette. These romantic failures give the plots a circular structure, reminiscent of the dances themselves.


Organisational safety culture matters because it influences the way staff behave and perform at work. The importance of proactive safety culture management is highlighted by the number of major incidents where poor safety culture has been identified as a causal factor (e.g. Piper Alpha, Ladbroke Grove). As awareness of culture management has grown, organisations are increasingly seeking tools to help them ensure that corporate safety objectives are linked to a strategy for encouraging appropriate staff attitudes and beliefs. The CAS Organisational Safety Culture Analysis (OSCA) is a structured process that helps senior management teams define the safety culture that they need, measure how effectively this culture is embedded within their organisation and identify culture development priorities. This paper outlines the OSCA process and includes a case study describing how a UK rail organisation has made use of OSCA. (6 pages)


Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting by direct solar irradiation has been considered as a route to produce solar fuel, but the technique is impeded by limitation of the photocathode materials...


A method for charging a fibrous suspension with cellulose fibers with calcium carbonate comprising the following steps: Introducing calcium in liquid or dry form, or calcium oxide in the pulp suspension, Dewatering the fiber suspension, until a no longer liquid, but still moist pulp suspension is formed, the fiber suspension is at least partially compacted in a screw (1), Introducing gaseous carbon dioxide into the wet fiber pulp suspension, Precipitation of calcium carbonate by the carbon dioxide, is characterized in that the pulp suspension is heated in the region of the screw (1) by steam.


With the assistance of sophisticated apparatus scientists have accomplished jaw dropping experiments regarding the human organs and the breakthroughs of some experiments concerned with mind are occasionally beyond the range of human understanding. Accordingly, no more human mind is a hidden organ though penetrable; its structure and function are explicit and it can be malfunctioned due to diseases infected internally or externally. In contrast, evidently, by the present time Buddhism can be recognized as the fastest growing religion around the globe due to its mind based peculiarities, scientific approve and compatibility with modern science. It doesn't emphasize much about the structure of the mind as it is in the modern scientific field though the mind cultivation. As to scientists mind should be realized the collection of 100 billion neurons and it is functioned by ten uninterrupted external and internal faculties. Hence it is the place to receive negative alike positive stimulations which cause to create misguided and sophisticated individuals. To be a sophisticated and empathetic individual practice of love, compassion, generosity, meditation etc. are prescribed specially by the neuroscience. Interestingly, Buddhism also advocated it before two thousand and six hundred years without using any single external instrument and its incredible results extend beyond the range of scientific knowledge. With reference to both traditions human mind is malleable therefore, in this paper I'm going to examine the transparency of Buddhism in experiencing the authentic development of the human mind.


The paper gives quantitative analysis to readability of teaching material for college students based on fuzzy evaluating method. Moreover, the author gives the formula to measure readability of literature material and expects that it can be helpful and significative to teaching material choiceness job in college.


The effects of the alteration of the memory in the production of the speech are explored in a subject with acoustic amnesic aphasia. Rehabilitation was scheduled following the methodology of Russian school, emphasizing work in two features: working memory and long-term memory; due their impact in speech procedural and conversational and narrative role in pragmatic productivity, coherence and cohesion were studied too. Moreover, speech implies or request resources of working memory and at the same time leans on information of the long-term memory. Subject presents low capacities in working memory show alterations in coherence and cohesion of the speech in most of types of the speech, since it is difficult to maintain and to relate previous information with new information. Subject showed deficits in long term memory and presents difficulties in both: the narrative of speech and in conversation because requires storage information in long term memory. Finally in the rehabilitation, it was observed that while the alteration is implied in certain aspects of the production of the speech, many atypical behaviours seem explicable for memory limitations.


Aims The study of embolism vulnerability to drought has become a hot and key topic under global climate change. The objective of the study was: 1) to identify the relationship between xylem structure and embolism vulnerability; 2) to define the differences in resistance of embolism in xylem structure of each species; and 3) to establish drought tolerance indexes in xylem structure of six species. Methods Drought tolerance trees of Robinia pseudoacacia, Hippophae rhamnoides, Ulmus pumila, Corylus heterophylla, Salix matsudana, Acer truncatum were studied. Cochard Cavitron centrifuge was used to establish embolism vulnerability curves and to calculate xylem vulnerability value. Staining and silicone injection tech-niques were used to to measure xylem structure of drought tolerance trees including vessel diameter, conduit wall span, number of vessels per unit area, contact faction, vessel length and wood density. Important findings The results showed: 1) xylem embolism vulnerability of the six species ranked as Robinia pseudoacacia > Ulmus pumila > Hippophae rhamnoides > Salix matsudana > Acer truncatum > Corylus heterophylla; 2) the vulnerability curves is "r" shape for Robinia pseudoacacia, Hippophae rhamnoides, Ulmus pumila and is "s" shape for Corylus heterophylla, Salix matsudana, Acer truncatum, respectively; 3) the xylem vulnerability values is significantly different in trees of "r" shape and "s" shape ( p < 0.01). Furthermore, linear analysis showed that the different effects between the xylem structure of the species was closely related to the vulnerability in the following order: the maximum effect was from wood density ( t = 0.702), the medium effect was from vessel diameter ( t = 0.532), and the minimum effect was from vessel length ( t = 0.01).


Cyclic voltametric Studies show that the addition of either Pb+ + or Cd++ ions to molten nitrates produces a new cathodic wave, yet no reversible anodic wave is observed. Previous workers have always attributed this experimental result to the reduction of the metal ion to the free metal followed by the rapid reaction of the deposited metal with the molten nitrate. Our studies suggest that reduction to the metal never occurs in molten nitrates for Pb++ and Cd++ ions. Instead, the nitrate ion in Pb(N03)+ or Cd(N03)+ complexes is the actual substance reduced, i.e., Cd(N03)+ + 2e~ -> CaOl + NO2. Electrons, not the metal ions, transfer the charge across the double layer. This reaction is shifted to more positive potentials than the normal NO3 reduction wave due to the strong electric field of the metal ion in the complex.


Recent years have witnessed a surge of wireless and mobile devices and their sensing technologies. Among these wireless technologies, RFID (Radio Frequency IDentificaion) sensing has attracted wide attention in both academia and industry due to its innovative applications including logistics, localization and tracking, health care, human-computer interaction, etc. The RFID sensing technologies can be roughly divided into two categories: (1) Contact-based sensing and (2) Contact-free sensing. In contact-based sensing, by attaching lightweight RFID tags on target objects, the movement of objects can be tracked by the movement of the tags. In contact-free scenarios, the tags do not physically contact to the objects. Through the analysis of backscatter signals of deployed RFID tags, the movement of objects can still be inferred since the movement of objects results in the change of backscatter signals (i.e., RSSI, phase, etc.). This thesis studies RFID sensing technology with physical layer information and explores the possibility of implementing novel applications using COTS (commercial off-the-shelf) RFID systems in both contact and contact-free manners. While the cost of an individual RFID tag can be kept very low, COTS RFID readers still incur very high cost due to non-trivial RF implementations. Therefore, we develop an innovative low-cost RFID solution to reduce the cost of RFID sensing technology for general purpose. The main contents of this thesis are follows. First, we study the problem of using the commodity RFID system to monitor human respiration in contact-based manner. Respiration monitoring helps to assess general personal health and gives clues to chronic diseases. Yet current respiration monitoring technologies are inconvenient and intrusive. For instance, typical respiration monitoring devices need to attach nasal probes or chest bands to users.


The invention belongs to the technical field of heat exchangers and provides a plate type ceramic air preheater. The plate type ceramic air preheater is a cube structure which comprises an upper cover plate (5), a lower baseplate (2) and a vertical column (4), wherein a plurality of heat exchange plates which are arranged up and down are arranged in the plate type ceramic air preheater; a heat exchange plate (6) is a U-shaped ceramic plate; fluid channels are formed between two up-down adjacent heat exchange plates (6), a topmost heat exchange plate (6) and the lower baseplate (2), the upper cover plate (5) and the bottom-most heat exchange plate (6), and two up-down adjacent heat exchange plates (6); the adjacent two fluid channels are vertically arranged; and supporting pieces placed in the two adjacent sealing fluid channels are vertically distributed. By utilizing the plate type ceramic air preheater, the exhaust gas temperature can be reduced to less than 100 DEG C; the energy-saving environment-protection effect is good; afterheat of the exhaust gas is effectively recycled; and due to reduction of the exhaust gas temperature, energy of a heating furnace is fully used, and the efficiency of the heating furnace is greatly improved.


Outcome-based policy evaluation is an established practice in the distributive and redistributive public policies. Such practices are not evident for competitive regulatory policies of telecom, especially in India. This study bridges this research gap by carrying out an outcome-based evaluation of telecom policy and highlighting the importance of such evaluation. Using the methodological pluralism model from Schalock (2002), the outcome of India's telecom policies was evaluated. Outcome measures from the vision statement of telecom policy were appraised by telecom users by responding to a structured questionnaire-based survey. Factor analysis confirmed that our survey instrument measured the identified policy outcomes. Regression analysis confirmed that users' appraisal was based on their experiences of telecom services. Against five policy outcome measures, the survey respondents agreed on the achievement of affordability of services: 68.9% of the respondents found telecom services not secure; 74.7% of the survey respondents indicated an issue with quality; 55.6% of the respondents did not agree that the services are available anytime, anywhere. Outcome measures like telephone density (teledensity) as adopted by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and Department of Telecommunications (DoT) are not the true representative of policy outcome. A multistakeholder policy evaluation will reveal the actual policy outcomes. International Telecommunications Union (ITU) should establish a standardized framework for outcome-based policy evaluation to address such issues.


OBJECTIVE
This study investigated correlations between meteorological and environmental factors (MEFs) and allergic rhinitis in childhood (ARC).

METHODS
Children who received treatment for AR and meteorological data that might have influenced AR in the same time period were included in this study. Daily average maximum values of sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and particulate matter (PM10) at 3 a.m. and 8 a.m. were provided by the Shanghai Environmental Bureau for statistical analysis using a generalized additive model (GAM).

RESULTS
Outpatient visits for ARC were higher, with a bimodal shape, for daily average temperatures of about 11 ° C and 21 ° C. However, increasing humidity was associated with a downward trend in outpatient visits for ARC, suggesting that high humidity had a protective effect on AR. When levels of air pollutants such as O3, SO2, and PM10 increased by 10 μg/m3, AR outpatient visits increased by 1.95%, 1.19% and 0.33%, respectively, suggesting that air pollution might increase the risk of AR episodes.

CONCLUSIONS
MEFs were significantly correlated with the incidence of ARC.


The organization and procedure of DOE's Passive Solar Commercial Design Demonstration Program is described. The current status of the 33 projects is given. Preliminary data collected to date are presented. (MHR)


A new Face Recognition method base on Fixed-Point algorithm and mean- Euclidean distance is presented. The method can get independent components and convergences very fast,while PCA cannt get independent components and general ICA convergences very slowly.In feature classification, mean- Euclidean distance performances better than general Euclidean distance and Mahalanobis distance. During orthogonalization pre-transaction,the number of dimensionality of Face Space depends on specific face-data and specific samples.Experiments demonstates a good recognition capability and robustness of our system .


This work presents a branch & bound method that allows software managers to determine the optimum order for the development of a network of dependent software parts that have value to customers. In many different circumstances the method allows for the development of complex and otherwise expensive software from a relatively small investment, favoring the use of software development as a means of obtaining competitive advantage.


Today, various studies are going on in every part of the globe to minimize operational costs, increase efficiency, and improve the Return on Investment by almost all organizations. Technology is one of the key factors that aid in the change process happening all over the world. Today, organizations are ready to implement any technology to help them maintain their market position in this highly competitive environment. Robotic Process Automation is a technology that could be considered of prime importance. It can solve these issues in an organization once it is implemented efficiently. RPA finds use in those organizations. The amount of manual processes is more, and the works are repetitive and time-consuming. Financial institutions are among those organizations that can take advantage of having RPA improve their operational efficiency. Financial institutions contain a lot of manual and repetitive tasks in several departments. This paper is based on the study conducted to find out the key areas in which RPA can be implemented so that it helps the financial institutions to make their lending process easier.


Conventional fossil-fuel-based power systems are undergoing rapid transformation via the replacement of coal-fired generation with wind and solar farms. The stochastic and intermittent nature of such renewable sources demands alternative dispatchable technology capable of meeting system stability and reliability needs. Battery energy storage can play a crucial role in enabling the high uptake of wind and solar generation. However, battery life is very sensitive to the way battery energy storage systems (BESS) are operated. In this paper, we propose a framework to analyse battery operation in the Australian National Electricity Market (NEM) electricity spot and contingency reserve markets. We investigate battery operation in different states of Australia under various operating strategies. By considering battery degradation costs within the operating strategy, BESS can generate revenue from the energy market without significantly compromising battery life. Participating in contingency markets, batteries can substantially increase their revenue with almost no impact on battery health. Finally, when battery systems are introduced into highly volatile markets (such as South Australia) more aggressive cycling of batteries leads to accelerated battery aging, which may be justified by increased revenue. The findings also suggest that with falling replacement costs, the operation of battery energy systems can be adjusted, increasing immediate revenues and moving the battery end-of-life conditions closer.


The subject of the study is the updated Federal State Educational Standards (FGOS) of all levels of general education. The object of the study is the formation of a unified educational space in the Russian Federation, one of the leading instruments of which is the Federal State Educational Standard. The study presents a detailed analysis of the requirements of the Federal State Educational Standard for the results of the development of basic educational programs. Special attention is paid to the professional competencies of the teacher, which determine the possibility of forming results within the framework of subject-based learning. The study was carried out on the basis of a meaningful analysis of updated FGOS and other regulatory documents, statistical analysis of FGOS of different generations, monitoring studies of professional competencies of teachers. Based on the conducted research, a number of conclusions were made. It is revealed that the leading update of the Federal State Educational Standard is the concretized and systematized requirements for personal, meta-subject and subject results of mastering the basic educational programs, which are holistically presented in relation to training and upbringing and formulated in an activity form. It is shown that the updated FGOS answer the systemic questions "what to teach?", "how to teach?", "why to teach?", i.e. they have an applied nature. The requirements of the Federal State Educational Standard set the framework of requirements for the professional competencies of a teacher – subject, methodological, personal. The study revealed the deficits of professional competencies, the leading of which is the willingness and ability to carry out professional activities on the basis of a system–activity approach, which acts as a system-forming condition for the implementation of requirements for learning outcomes. The scope of application of the research results is to determine the directions of professional development of teachers in the context of changes in the regulatory framework.


Based on the antioxidant mechanism of α-tocopherol and the formation process of molecular ion M +· under FAB conditions, the relationship between the FAB-MS and antioxidative effect is discussed,and it is found that they all involve a one-electron transfer. Cyclic Voltammogram (CV) is carried out to get the oxidation potentials (Epa) which can reflect the antioxidative effect of compounds. Furthermore, the ratios of I(M +·)/I( +) evaluated from the FAB-MS spectra are correlated with the Epa, the ratios are higher, the Epa are lower. Therefore, it is demonstrates that the intensity of M +· in FAB-MS spectra can reflect the antioxidative effect of compounds to some extend, FAB-MS techniques can provide a useful clue to screen the antioxidative activity of compounds.


The current study aims to measure the importance of e-service quality, interactivity, comfort, and familiarity on student satisfaction and behavioral intentions with e-learning in private universities in Egypt. Data from a sample of private university students were collected. Using structural equation modeling, e-service quality, interactivity, comfort, and familiarity were found to be positively related to student satisfaction and behavioral intentions. The mediating role of student satisfaction was not supported, however. The research implications, limitations, and suggestions for future research are discussed.


The authors provide a state of the art analysis of the effects of long-lived non-Standard Model massive particles, decaying during big-bang nucleosynthesis (BBN), on the primordial abundances of light elements. Besides updated standard BBN reaction rates, additional processes and new numerical algorithms are implemented to discuss also solutions to the Lithium problem and the possible gravitino mass for leptogenesis to work.


Shiga-like toxin I (SLTI) is a bacterial toxin that is able to penetrate and kill mammalian cells. In this projecf a library of SLTI mutants with altered receptor specificity was constructed using a synthetic oligonucleotide that varied 9 amino acids in the specificity-determining region of the B subunit. A high throughput screening procedure based on the cytotoxic activity of the toxin mutants was used as a direct approach to assay for toxins that killed SK-BR-3, a breast cancer cell line resistant to native SLTL Seventeen out of the 1000 bacterial lysates screened were found to be cytotoxic towards SK-BR-3 cells. Analysis of the mutants revealed that receptor expression and cellular morphology of SK-BR-3 cells changed over time, underscoring the importance of the Shiga-like toxin I library as a potentially valuable source of therapeutic agents. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page List of Tables List of Figures List of Abbreviations