The numbers of full time farmers that cultivate in excess of 100 hectares increase steadily. At the same time the number of famers is decreasing and the farms grow larger. This result in a redistribution of the arable land and causes the share of land as well as average farm size farmed by full time famers to increase. This process tends to increase the share of rented land on farm units above 100 hectares.
An increase of tenancy rental rates prices has occurred during the last twenty years. The profitability of agricultural crop production measured per hectare of tillable land is rather stable since 2005. If there exists a relationship between profitability and higher costs for tenancy of land is still unknown.
The objective of this thesis is to identify the factors that are taken in to considerations when a farmer expands their farm through tenancy. The aim is to provide a better understanding of the decision making process in the farm firm when a farmer expands their business through tenancy. This thesis also intends to find whether the decisions are made with regards to rational economic aspects and/or other factors.
A theoretical model of decision making is provided by the literature and this model is adjusted to reflect the specific problem area. The empirical data are based on semi-structured interviews with eleven full time farmers that have expanded through tenancy in the last five years. The farmers are located in the Gotaland Northern plains and Svealand plains. No study has according to a literature review extensively researched the decision making processes guiding expansion of farm units through supplementary tenancy contracts.
The conclusion of the thesis is that the surrounding environment and stake holders of farm units affect the decision making process. A tenancy contract is typically established following an inquiry from a landowner and the rental rate is never considered to be decisive. The relation between landowner and farmer is a factor that affects if an inquiry concerning tenancy occurs. If the farmer declines an inquiry of tenancy, it is considered sending a signal that the farmer does not tend to continue to develop the farm. Such a signal tends to contradict the ultimate objective of farmers; to remain a farmer.
The willingness to expand the farm is frequently based on a perception that more land is better. The farmers motivate an increase of ´the farm by lower production cost. However, none of the farmers in the study are able to demonstrate how an increase in hectares affects their production cost. Their motive to increase land is based largely on intuition. A larger farm is able to negotiate lower input prices and to obtain an improved negotiating position when marketing products.
The farmers in the study attach a large value to the increase of farm size. Only in few cases an improved financial situation is observed following an expansion through tenancy. In the cases were the financial situation is perceived to have improved it is viewed by profits in absolute terms and not by profit margin.


This case report describes a 4 year old boy with the unique triad of lipomatous myelomeningocele, congenital hypothyroidism secondary to thyroid agenesis, and sensorineural deafness. While associations between deafness and abnormal thyroid function and deafness and sacral lipoma have previously been described, the constellation of findings in this patient has not been reported.


Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is an important vascular disease, potentially lethal. It's defined as the elevation of median pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) above 25 mmHg with a pulmonary capillary wedge pressure <15 mmHg at the right hearth catheterization (1). According to the recent classification of Dana Point 2008, there are many forms of PAH. In particular we distinguish idiopathic PAH (iPAH) and PAH associated with connective tissue diseases (2) whereas this vascular disease is a serious complication of systemic sclerosis (SSc) (3). The pathogenesis of PAH is still unknown, but there are many evidences suggesting a role for inflammation in the vascular remodelling of the precapillary pulmonary arteries. In particular cytokines and chemokines are involved in the endothelial dysfunction, in the hypertrophy and hyperplasia of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) and in the neointima formation (4). Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a pleiotropic cytokine with chemokine-like functions. It has an isomerase enzymatic activity that contributes to chronic inflammation (5). It also acts as endocrine molSUMMARY Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) can be idiopathic or secondary to autoimmune diseases, and it represents one of the most threatening complications of systemic sclerosis (SSc). Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a pleiotropic cytokine with proinflammatory functions that appears to be involved in the pathogenesis of hypoxia-induced PH. In SSc patients, high serum levels of MIF have been associated with the development of ulcers and PAH. Stem cell growth factor b (SCGF b) is a human growth factor that, together with MIF, is involved in the pathogenesis of chronic spinal cord injury. The aim of our study was to measure serum levels of MIF in patients with idiopathic and SSc-associated PAH. We enrolled 13 patients with idiopathic PAH and 15 with SSc-associated PAH. We also selected 14 SSc patients without PAH and 12 normal healthy controls, matched for sex and age. PAH was confirmed by right hearth catheterism (mPAP>25 mmHg). MIF and SCGF b levels were measured by ELISA. We found significantly higher circulating levels of MIF and of SCGF b in patients with idiopathic PAH (P=0.03 and P=0.004) and with PAH secondary to SSc (P=0.018 and P=0.023) compared to SSc patients without PAH. Higher levels of MIF were found in those patients with an higher New York Heart Association (NYHA) class (P=0.03). We can hypothesize that MIF and SCGF b are able to play a role in PAH, both idiopathic or secondary, and in the future they may be evaluated as useful biomarkers and prognostic factors for this serious vascular disease.


THE thirty-ninth annual meeting of the Pennsylvania Historical Associatio was held on October 16 and 17, 1970, at Indiana, Pennsylvania. The hosts were Indiana University of Pennsylvania and the Historical and Genealogical Society of Indiana County. The opening session began at 12 :30 p.m. on Friday in a univer sity dining hall, with former President Ralph W. Cordier presiding. Following the luncheon, William W. Hassler, President of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, extended greetings. Professor Cordier then introduced David Montgomery, University of Pittsburgh, who spoke on the subject of "Religion and Nativism Among Working men in Early Nineteenth Century Pennsylvania." Although religion played a significant role in shaping the response of workingmen to industrialization before the Civil War, the specific nature of that role varied greatly from one ethnic group or even geographical location to another. Responses of some groups were sharply hostile to those of others, and no unified labor movement emerged from the widespread working class activity and protest of the 1840's and 1850's. Initiative lay with the distinctly middle class advocates of evangelism. Their espousal of "holy living," temperance, orderli ness, moral education, and nativism was seldom preached directly to the workers, who were generally deemed unworthy of the revival movement. It nevertheless generated emotion-laden political and cultural controversies which made workingmen active participants and tended to align them in voting behavior with the middle classes of their respective religious groupings, rather than with their fellow-workers along the lines of economic class. The American Republican movement in Philadelphia, which came to dominate that county's politics after the riots of 1844, provides a case study of this process. Arthur L. Jensen, Westminster College, presided at the first afternoon session. Russell S. Nelson, Jr., Wisconsin State Uni versity at Stevens Point, read a paper on "Government and Politics in the Back Counties, 1729-1771." He argued that Pennsylvanians 176


Firms in traditional markets often compete in output a la Cournot. In this paper, we consider Cournot platform competition in two-sided markets with single-, multi-, and mixed-homing allocations and find that the markup and markdown terms are distorted toward zero for (i) greater levels of platform competition and (ii) greater levels of single-homing. Furthermore, we develop side specific conduct parameters that depend on the underlying platform conduct as well as the homing allocation; these effectively extend the monopoly platform Lerner indices from Armstrong (2006) and Weyl (2010) to the general case of platform competition. Finally, we show that, in utter contrast to the welfare results in traditional Cournot markets, greater Cournot platform competition often decreases welfare across all feasible homing allocations.


Big data is one of the hottest topics recently,but there is not much research on its application in the field of urban planning.Through interpreting concepts and characteristics of big data,as well as related concepts like networking and cloud computing,we put forward ideas concerning big data technology applications in urban planning,such as planning forecasting and assessment,public participation,urban ecology,public health and so on.Then from the planning perspective,the study analyses the feasibility of collected data and technology applications.Finally,it discusses several aspects concerning the entry of urban planning into the big data era:knowledge dissemination,interfield cooperation and database construction.


In June of 1999, Applied Geomechanics was retained by Hayward Baker to monitor the Laurel Street Bridge in Santa Cruz during compaction grouting of the ground beneath the bridge footings. This work was performed as part of an extensive program of seismic upgrades to many of California's bridges after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. The project specifications for the compaction grouting put stringent requirements on the allowable amount of bridge movement during the grouting process. Hayward Baker recognized that tiltmeters were one of the few instruments that could measure movements small enough to satisfy the specifications. The tiltmeters used for this application are capable of detecting 0.001 inch (0.0254 mm) deflections over a 100 foot (30.48 m) span. Continuous monitoring of the tiltmeters was implemented to provide instant notification of vertical deflections greater than 0.1 inch (0.254 mm). However, the threshold alarming was complicated by the fact that the normal diurnal movement of the bridge due to thermal expansion and contraction is of the same order of magnitude. Therefore, the normal daily movement of the bridge was modeled with a sine wave, and the alarm thresholds were based on the difference between the model and the recorded data. This model is relatively easy to program within a datalogger and results in alarms that respond to grout-induced movement rather than thermoelastic bridge deformation.


The electrode units of high-voltage AC plasma generators with oxidizing plasma-forming media (air) were investigated with aim to achieve the maximal time of their continuous work.


The impact of congested prisons is not primarily a problem of population density, but of corollaries of crowding such as social instability, lack of programming, and the ascendance of custody goals. Congestion affects staff as well as inmates, and different inmates are differently affected. Some have antisocial tendencies exacerbated; others suffer from mental health problems. Staff subserve custody goals, but subserve them less effectively because social control mechanisms—such as programming and classification—are impaired by crowding. A recent prison riot points to transience and idleness as key preconditions and shows the results of congestion in escalating sequences that prominently include crisis management. The most serious consequence of crowding is warehousing, which creates a prison climate that prevents inmates from serving time in customary ways. It remains to be determined whether this result constitutes disproportionate—hence unlawful—punishment.


Objective To compare the methods of saturated water solution and ultrasonic for preparation inclusion compound of β-cyclodextrin with peppermint oil.Methods After extraction of peppermint oil,the inclusion compound of β-cyclodextrin with peppermint oil was prepared by saturated water solution method and ultrasonic method.Results The better inclusion method was saturated water solution with higher inclusion rate and yield of inclusion compound.And the optimum inclusion conditions were as follows: peppermint oil(ml)∶β-cyclodextrin(g)= 1∶5,stirring for 1 hour,45℃,β-cyclodextrin(g) ∶water(ml)= 1∶10.Conclusion The better inclusion method was saturated water solution which was reasonable and convenient.


The purpose of this work is to verify the presence of iron sulfides in gray laminar castings manufactured in a cubicle furnace using high sulfur anthracite as fuel, and to evaluate their impact on mechanical properties.In this work, 04 samples of foundries, 03 of high sulphur -above the standard for these materials- and one of low sulphur have been evaluated. The microstructural examination and analysis by scanning electron microscopy and EDAX microprobe, indicated abundant presence of inclusions of manganese sulphides, associated with these, iron sulphides and mixed of iron and manganese, especially in high sulphur samples. The evaluation of the manganese content in the samples explains the presence of iron sulfides, since according to the calculations made, it is present in the alloy even in that sample whose in a lower percentage than that required to neutralize all the S content is within the range indicated by the standards for laminar gray foundries. In addition, micropores and microchips were observed in proportions and sizes higher than those usual for pieces of standardized quality, which explains the poor mechanical behavior observed in most cases. The characteristics of the scrap used to manufacture these foundries suggest that fuel is the main source of sulfur in the samples analyzed.


The real-time and interactive performance of VRML model is necessary for demonstration program. However, the real-time performance requires large file size, and this maybe degree the real-time performance. A method for optimization modeling of the VR (Virtual Reality) system based on features of VRML and panoramic image technology is proposed. Firstly, the design architecture of VR system using model view controller is introduced. Secondly, VRML language structure and description, programming language are respectively optimized in the modeling layer. Finally, real scenes and interaction are optimized using virtual and comprehensive stitching technology in the graphics and control layer, Simulations show that this method can decrease the capacity of system files and strengthen the interactive performance.


A seroma is a common complication of any surgical procedure that creates dead space allowing for fluid collection. The etiology of seroma formation is not uniform and has been attributed to fibrosis, a subclinical infection, aberrant behavior of lining cells, or lymphatic leak. Contribution of lymphatic flow as the main cause of a persistent seroma seems particularly relevant if the surgery involved damage to adjacent lymphatic structures. We describe a case of a 61-year-old female who presented with a chronic breast seroma despite 13 months of intermittent drainage and attempts at sclerotherapy. Previously, the patient underwent right breast reconstruction with a tissue expander and latissimus dorsi flap following a modified radical mastectomy and failed right sided reconstruction with a deep inferior epigastric perforator flap for breast cancer. To address the chronic seroma, reverse axillary lymphatic mapping was performed prior to seroma excision to visualize a suspected lymphatic contribution. A single lymphatic collector connecting to the seroma cavity was visualized. After ligation of the lymphatic vessel and replacement of the latissimus dorsi and tissue expander, the seroma was finally cured. With this report, we would like to emphasize that identification and elimination of contributing lymphatic vessels appears to be the key component in management of persistent seromas in the basin of major lymphatic drainage.


The application of rotary head recording technology as a solution for the current capacity problems that exist with tape backup devices is addressed. Rotary-head (helical scan) tape backup subsystems are based on technology derived from commercially available video recorders. The adaptation of the technology used in 8-mm video recorders for data storage applications is discussed, covering the technology that is used in rotary head devices, the market need for these products, the general applications, and existing and future products based on this technology.<<ETX>>


Submitted for the MAR17 Meeting of The American Physical Society Spectrally Uniform Quantum Dot Single Photon Emitter Array for Integrated Nanophotonics: Electronic Structure and Optical Properties1 JIEFEI ZHANG, Dept of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southern California, SWARNABHA CHATTARAJ, Dept of Electrical Engineering, University of Southern California, SIYUAN LU, IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, ANUPAM MADHUKAR, Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Southern California — Recently we proposed a new paradigm for nanophotonic quantum information processing(QIP) systems comprising on-chip single quantum dots (SQD) as single photon source (SPS) array integrated with light manipulating elements(LME) [1]. To this end we demonstrated an ordered array of spectrally uniform InGaAs mesa top SQDs (MTSQD) as on-chip SPSs [1, 2] that have spectral uniformity an order of magnitude better than traditional island QDs and show triggered single photon emission at 77.4K. In this talk we will present low temperature photoluminescence (PL) and PL excitation studies showing that the first excited states are, for electrons and heavy holes, respectively  ̃40meV and  ̃10meV from the ground states. Thermally mediated carrier escape to the first excited states is revealed from temperature dependent PL. Additionally, results on low temperature and polarization dependent single photon emission (g(2)(0)) will be reported. Such MTSQD arrays, after a planarizing overgrowth, are ideally suited for monolithic integration with appropriate LMEs for applications towards on-chip QIP systems. [1] J. Zhang et.al, arXiv:1609.00068 (2016). [2] J. Zhang et.al., Jour. Vac. Sc. Tech. B32, 02C106 (2014). 1This work is supported by ARO grant number W911NF-15-1-0298. Swarnabha Chattaraj Univ of Southern California Date submitted: 11 Nov 2016 Electronic form version 1.4


a maternal factor, though it would appear that there is a modifying gene in the sex chromosomes. In animals other than mice the influence of heredity has been little studied, though Stark' found that in Drosophila some tumours are definitely sex-linked and hereditable. Gorer"° has emphasized the importance of an appreciation of genetics in relation to tumour transplantation. A tumour arising in a genetically pure strain of mice can be transmitted successfully to all other members of the same strain and to those hybrids in which certain dominant genes are present. Furthermore, if the tumour is transplanted to a host lacking these particular genes it regresses after a short while and immune bodies to the tumour cells are found in the blood. Nevertheless, as Phelps"1 and others"2 have demonstrated, these immune bodies are not specific to the cells because they are tumour cells but because they are cells genetically different from the host's, identical immune bodies being produced by transplanting the normal organs of animals of distinct constitution. It is owing to the lack of recognition of the influences of genes in tissue immunity that false hopes have been raised as to the possibility of producing anti-cancer sera, and these observations will have considerable bearing on all future transplantation experiments. Turning to human cancer, it is at once apparent that selective breeding such as has been achieved in the laboratory can never occur, yet it is reasonable to suppose that the liability to cancer is associated with genetic factors in man as well as in animals; this has been demonstrated in such conditions as familial polyposis of the colon,'3 and Cramer's'4 statistical survey has revealed that the familial incidence of mammary carcinoma is exceptionally high. The cancer family of Warthin, in which forty-three carcinomata appeared in 300 members, has been much quoted, and though a recent report'5 suggests that the cancer liability is disappearing in the descendants, all the observations are in keeping with cancer liability being associated with dominant characteristics. The immediate clinical application of these various observations appears to be related to the work of Cramer and Horning in which mice highly susceptible to cancer showed evidence of endocrinal imbalance and remained cancer-free after treatment with hormones antagonisticto oestrin. Already the male hormone is being used with favourable results in "chronic mastitis," regarded by many as a condition predisposing to cancer. If certain physical characteristics were


Theoretical work has identified a new type of hybrid nanoresonator akin to a loaded-gap antenna, wherein the gap between two collinearly aligned metal nanorods is filled with active dielectric material. The gap optical load has a profound impact on resonances supported by such a "nanogap" antenna, and thus provides opportunity for (i) active modulation of the antenna resonance and (ii) delivery of substantial energy to the gap material. To this end, we have (i) used a bottom-up technique to fabricate nanogap antennas (Au/CdS/Au); (ii) characterized the optical modes of individual antennas with polarization- and wavevector-controlled dark-field microscopy; (iii) mapped the spatial profiles of the dominant modes with electron energy loss spectroscopy and imaging; and (iv) utilized full-wave finite-difference time-domain simulations to reveal the nanoscopic origin of the radiating modes supported on such nanogap antennas. In addition to conventional transverse and longitudinal resonances, these loaded nanogap antennas support a unique symmetry-forbidden gap-localized transverse mode arising from the splitting of degenerate transverse modes located on the two gap faces. This previously unobserved mode is strong (E2 enhanced ~20), tightly localized in the nanoscopic (~30 nm separation) gap region, and is shown to red-shift with decreased gap size and increased gap dielectric constant. In fact, the mode is highly suppressed in air-gapped structures which may explain its absence from the literature to date. Understanding the complex modal structure supported on hybrid nanosystems is necessary to enable the multi-functional components many seek.


Fish morphoanatomy is affected by environmental condition such as photoperiod duration. A research on the effects of shortened photoperiod on the morphoanatomy of Pangasionodon hypopthalmus has been conducted. There were 3 treatments applied, namely, 24 hours dark (24D), 18 hours dark (18D) and natural photoperiod (control). The fish, 8 cm total length (TL) and 4 gr body weight (BW) were reared in circular plastic tanks filled with 100 L freshwater and completed with aerators and circulation pumps, 30 fishes/tank. The fish was reared for 8 weeks and fed with commercial fish feed pellets, twice/day, at satiation. The dark condition was created by placing the tanks under dark tarp tents. Morphoanatomy data were studied by the end of experiment. Results shown that the survival of fish was 100%. The growth of fish reared in 24D and 18D was better, more than 20 cm TL and 85 gr BW, while that of the control was 18 cm TL and 72 gr BW. The condition factor as well as the liver condition of fish in all treatment was not different, it was around 1.2. The liver was reddish brown color, smooth and oily in which hepatosomatic index (HSI) value 0.023 in 24D; 0.027 in 18D and 0.048 in control. The visceralsonatic index (VSI) was 0.090 in 24D; 0.70 in 18D and 0.161 in control. In most of fishes reared in 24D and 18D, the gonad were in the 1st maturity stage (gonadosomatic index; GSI 0.0058 to 0.0068), while the gonad of some control fishes were in the 2nd maturity stage (GSI 0.0080). Data obtained shown that the morphoanatomical data (HSI, VSI and GSI) of the fish reared in lengthened dark were lower, but the growth data (TL and BW) was higher than those of the control, indicated that the fish reared in dark condition may allocated more energy for growing.


Time(e)scap(ad)es (2016) for marimba solo and chamber ensemble is a work that explores the interweaving of musical textures as determined by predetermined musical time. This is achieved with rhythmic patterns, as well as metric/hypermetric patterns. The traditional sense of orchestration, of material development, and of form, is challenged amicably by this focused perspective. The inclusive pun expresses the feeling of time as fleeting moments, as (in)measurable spaces, and the experience of it as the adventurous play that is abound in this work.


This work proposes to model and synthesize communicating decentralized supervisors for a Discrete-Event System (DES) within the framework of Distributed Supervised Discrete-Event Systems (DSDESs), which was introduced by the authors. To this end, first a Polynomial Dynamical System (PDS) representation for DSDESs is derived, which reveals the informational dependencies of distributed supervisors. To serve these dependencies, communication between every two supervisors is modeled by a communication event, whose semantics is defined by a map from observable events of the issuer of the communication to its variables, employed by the PDS representation. Thereby, the synthesis of communicating decentralized supervisors is reduced to the design of these maps using standard algebraic tools. The approach is illustrated through formal design of an information policy.


Neural tube defects (NTDs) are birth defects of the nervous system and are the second most frequent cause of birth defects worldwide. The etiology of NTDs is complicated and involves both genetic and environmental factors. CASP9 is an initiator caspase in the intrinsic apoptosis pathway, which in Casp9−/− mice has been shown to result in NTDs because of decreased apoptosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential genetic contribution of the CASP9 gene in human NTDs.


Abstract The purpose of this Comment is to introduce the calculation and interpretation of unusual features in absorption spectra arising from coupied potential surfaces by using time dependent theory. A wide variety of spectroscopic phenomena are examined and spectra are calculated with new time dependent quantum mechanical methods. Examples include intensity borrowing, vibronic structure in intraconfigurational d-d transitions, interference dips on broad, unresolved absorption bands, the Jahn—Teller effect in the final state of an absorption transition and the intervalence absorption band. Comparisons of the theoretical calculations with experimental spectra are given and the potential for future applications is discussed.


The finite volume method and potential-vorticity vector formalism in their three-dimensional form were used to numerically study the impact of an adiabatic and impermeable vertical barrier on the dispersion of a local aero-contaminant due to the double-diffusive Rayleigh–Benard convection inside a cubic container. Different governing parameters such as the Rayleigh number, buoyancy ratio and barrier height were analyzed for Le = 1.2 and Pr = 0.7, representing an air-contaminant mixture. The potential-vector-vorticity formalism in the three-dimensional form allowed the elimination of the pressure terms appearing in the Navier–Stokes equations. It was found that the heat and mass transfer as well as the effectiveness of the barrier in reducing contaminant dispersion are strongly influenced by the buoyancy ratio, the barrier size and the Rayleigh number. In addition, the barrier effectiveness is more than 70% for a height of half the building height.


In Article 12 Point J of Act Number 2 of 2008 concerning political parties, a political party has the right to form and have a Political Party Underbouw Organization. However, there has not been a further or a specific Political Party Underbouw Organization regulation both in the elucidation of the act and the implementation regulations of the act. This study has the main objective to find the legal status of the Political Party Underbouw Organization in Indonesia. This research is a normative juridical research. This study concluded that the legal status of the Political Party Underbouw Organization can be regulated as a public legal entity which is a part of the political party or an independent legal entity. We strongly suggest the regulation of the Political Party Underbouw Organization must be specified as a chapter in the Political Parties Act or perhaps as a new act.


"Let us not, in our mad rush for wealth, honor and pleasure, forget the religion of our fathers and the sacredness of the marriage bond. Remember that marriage is the foundation of the state and divorce is the torrent which is rushing madly forward in an ever-increasing effort to undermine it."


Customer is an important strategic resources for enterprise, only use effective customer management can promote the development of the enterprise. Customer classification management is the key to customer relationship management, and the key to effective customer classification is to select the appropriate classification index and effective classification method. In this paper, the customer classification index is extract from the analysis of customer value, at the same time, customer classification method is selected by comparing the different classification methods. Based on the comprehensive analysis of Subtraction Clustering, fuzzy K-Prototypes algorithm and the improved Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm, the algorithm of RBF Neural Network was improved and a new RBF Neural Network model was built. Then I apply the model to the port on the customer classification. Finally using MATLAB to simulate and verify the validity of the model on the customer classification.


PURPOSE: To eliminate work requiring skillfulness, and shorten manufacturing time by detachably attaching a lens blank without re-blocking it on a block in a method and device for manufacturing a desired lens by cutting, polishing, and edging the lens blank. CONSTITUTION: A controller 16 is used to take data inputted to it in the form of prescription information and frame opening shape, and convert it into two sets of machine operating data relative to a reference axial line. A computer uses these work data together to apply cutting and polishing to a surface 44 of a lens blank 2 based on the data. By simply mounting the lens blank 2, and a block assembly 10 in an edging machine, it is to be readily shaped edgewise according to a selected frame pattern. The finished lens is then removed from the block assembly 10 to be inserted into a selected glass frame.


To take part in the competition in the world market WISCO has researched and developed UIC54 rail.This new steel grade UIC54 for the purpose of exportation to Pakistan has been successfully researched and developed and properties of the steel are completely in conformity to the new rail standards by analyzing comprehensively the relationship between the chemical compositions and hardness of rails,properly designing the chemical compositions,determining the process route and process parameters,optimizing parameters of the roll pass schedule and stipulating very strict inner control targets and measures for each processing step and as the results the product mix of the rails of the Heavy Section Mill has been well improved.


Various accidents caused by alcohol consumption have recently increased in prevalence and have become a huge social problem. There have been efforts to identify drunk individuals using mobile devices; however, it is difficult to apply this method to a large number of people. A promising approach that does not involve wearing any sensors or subject cooperation is a markerless, vision-based method that only requires a camera to classify a drunk gait. Herein, we first propose a markerless, vision-based method to determine whether a human is drunk or not based on his or her gait pattern. We employed a convolutional neural network to analyze gait patterns with image augmentation depending on gait energy images. Gait images captured through a camera allow a complex neural network to detect the human body shape accurately. It is necessary for removing the background behind human shape in the gait image because it disrupts the detection algorithm. A process of conversion into gait energy images and augmenting image data is then applied to the dataset of the gait images. A total of 20 participants participated in the experiment. They were required to walk along a line both with and without wearing the Drunk Busters Goggles, which were intended to collect sober and drunk gait images. Validation accuracy for the recognition of a drunk state in 20 persons was approximately 74.94% under optimal conditions. If the present approach fulfills its promise, we can prevent safety accidents due to alcohol, thus decreasing its burden on industries and society.


The tensile and compressive properties of warp-knitting and plain woven carbon fiber composites were studied by the macro tensile and compression test,and acoustic emission analysis and microscopy analysis of the fracture surface of destroyed specimens were adopted to realize the failure mechanism of tensile and compression deeply. The results show that the fabric structural forms have great influence on mechanical performance of carbon fiber composites. Compared with warp-knitting carbon fiber composites,plain woven carbon fiber composites have lower tensile and compressive strength,the fracture of the destroyed specimens were much more regularly,and the stratification phenomena was not obvious. On the acoustic emission analysis,the types of damage can be determined in the process of destruction. Compared with warp-knitting carbon fiber composites,plain woven carbon fiber composites have relatively stable but lower acoustic emission voltage signal.


This paper outlines asystem for the detection of perceptually similar sounds ('sound spotting'), reports on a series ot preliminary experiments and discusses their results. The sound spotting system pursues a frame-based approach and consists of three main stages, an auditory model, a self-organizing map and a pattern matching algorithm. The experiments described examine how different types of self-organizmg maps classify a set of test sounds preprocessed by an auditory model and evaluate their performance by means ot visualizations and quality measures. With these outcomes in mind we suggest directions for the further development of the sound spotting system.


Based on early studies, current guidelines recommend renin angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitors for all patients with stable ischemic heart disease and


Efficient algorithms for solving the routing and spectrum assignment (RSA) problem in flex-grid optical networks are of paramount importance to leverage network efficiency. Exact approaches based on integer linear programming (ILP) models are known to be computationally hard and hence, difficult to solve for realistic models while heuristics have inherent downsize of local optimal trapping. In addressing those issues, this paper firstly presents a novel and efficient heuristic based on the genetic algorithm (GA) to provide (near-) optimal solutions to the RSA problem. The effectiveness of the GA-based algorithm is benchmarked against typically used reference heuristics for a set of network scenarios and it is shown that in addition to the better performance than conventional heuristics in the literature, the proposed GA technique indeed could achieve optimal solutions in most cases while the running time is still manageable. Secondly, we propose to make use of efficient solutions from the heuristic approaches to set the upper-bound and warm-start point for ILP formulation. This combination has been shown very productive in enhancing running time performance and increasing the capability of achieving an optimal solution and/or improving the solution quality in a given time span compared with traditional ways for solving ILP models.


The target basicity of iron ore sinter is set by blast furnace slag composition requirements, and therefore varies with the proportion of acid burden such as lump iron ore and pellets. Increasing the lump proportion of the burden will increase the target sinter basicity. The mineralogy of sinter produced with a range of basicity between 1.0 and 3.0 was analysed using optical point counting under reflected light microscopy. Sinter from BlueScope Steel's industrial sinter strand was analysed over a 30-year period, during which time a wide range of iron ore fines blends were utilised and several significant process modifications made. These data were compared with the mineralogy of sinters produced in a pilot-scale sinter pot, a laboratory-scale milli-pot, and small-scale sinter analogues. The mineralogy of the sinters from all scales followed a predictable trend with basicity, generally following the diagram proposed by Bagnall. At a basicity of 1.0, high temperatures were required to produce sinter with adequate strength, resulting in bonding phases dominated by magnetite and glass. Increasing basicity to 2.0 decreased the required sintering temperature and changed the mineralogy to a majority of hematite and SFCA. Further increases in basicity to 3.0 further decreased the required sintering temperature and increased the SFCA and dicalcium silicate content.


A multirobot system provides many advantages over a single robot. In certain situations, robots need to maintain global connectivity while proceeding through tasks such as traveling to spots of interest in an area. This paper formulates the problem of multiple robots traveling while constrained by connectivity and analyzes the limits of increase in total traveling distance (TTD) caused by connectivity constraints. A connection condition is proposed and proven, which can be used to direct the design of solutions. Two algorithms satisfying the connection condition, connected nearest neighbor (CNN) and bold Lin-Kernighan heuristic (B-LKH), are proposed to solve this problem, which consider the connectivity constraint in planning paths. Simulations are designed to investigate the influence of important parameters, and comprehensive comparisons among algorithms are also conducted. The results show that CNN and B-LKH significantly outperform previous systems with respect to TTD.


A coastal geomorphological study was conducted to assess the impact of seismic events on the southern coast of Puerto Rico (PR). The goal of this study was to provide new information related to the state of the coast and its geomorphic changes associated with the seismic sequence of 28 December 2019 and the 6.4-magnitude earthquake of 7 January 2020. Coastal geomorphic changes and damage to infrastructure were documented using a combination of a geographic information system (GIS), remote sensing techniques (e.g. unmanned aircraft system [UAS] images), ground-penetrating radar (GPR), high-resolution aerial photos, and field inspection techniques. A geospatial analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of the earthquake events and understand its associated effect on coastal communities' exposure to this hazard. The findings indicate that the 6.4-magnitude earthquake caused remarkable geomorphic changes, generating a new shape for the southern coast of PR. Coastal changes were characterized by localized coastal subsidence, coastal landslides (e.g. rockslides and rockfalls), the collapse of natural arch-forming sea stacks, changes in cliff profiles, lateral spreading, the destruction of coastal infrastructure, inland shoreline migration, and coastal flooding. This information will be useful for designing new management tools and recontextualizing existing coastal planning instruments in post-earthquake scenarios. These findings clarify the importance of seismic events and their influence on coasts within active tectonic settings.


The South African higher education context presents with multiple challenges. One such challenge is the ability of institutions to effectively respond to the academic needs of the students that enter university. While there are several instances of programme development that attempt to address the academic well-being of students, the pedagogic strategies of many programmes are often not well grounded in sound educational theory. In this paper, we report on a study that examined student experiences of an academic programme that is informed by the concepts 'authentic assessment' and 'epistemological access.  The methodological approach was guided by the tenets of Interactive Qualitative Analysis (IQA), (Northcutt and McCoy, 2004). A purposive sample of Hospitality Financial Management students at a university of technology was drawn. Key data generation instruments included individual and focus group interviews, online chats and online reflective journals. One compelling finding which we take up in this paper is the power of student collaboration as a powerful enabling mechanism for epistemic access.


Some time late in the General Election campaign, Labour strategists coined the phrase 'Coalition of Cuts for Children' to describe what a Conservative-Liberal Democrat government might mean for children and families.


Abstract Nine Holstein steers in three ration groups were in a series of five digestion trials during 10 wk to measure digestibilities of rations containing lactose fed as either lactose or dried whole whey. All steers received a control ration of corn, soybean meal, and corn silage during period 1. Three steers also received the control ration during periods 2 through 5. Steers fed lactose received 10, 20, 30 and 40% of their dry matter as lactose during periods 2 through 5, respectively. Steers fed dried whole whey received the same amount of lactose as the lactose-fed steers but from dried whole whey (15, 30, 45, and 60% dried whole whey) during periods 2 through 5. Digestibilities of energy and dry matter were highest for the dried whey rations and lowest for the control ration. Within the dried whey rations, 15% dried whey was most digestible. Digestibility of ration fiber was similar for all groups. Dry matter content of feces was reduced when rations contained 30% or more lactose as lactose or dried whey. Urine output increased slightly with increasing amounts of lactose fed as lactose but increased nearly 300% when steers were fed 45 and 60% dried whey because of the high salt intake. Calcium and phosphorus absorption and retention were not affected by lactose or dried whey. Molar percentages of butyrate increased and propionate decreased in rumen contents of steers fed lactose or dried whey. Rumen ammonia tended to be lowest in steers fed dried whey rations. Steers can be fed large amounts of lactose or dried whole whey without adversely affecting ration digestibility or animal health.


A new record for the Turkish mycota, Chrysomphalina chrysophylla (Fr.) Clemencon, is reported. The species is described, illustrated, and briefly discussed. I t represents a second member of Chrysomphalina in Turkey.


The research sheds light on the Islamic creed from linguistic and idiomatic perspective and explains the effect of the Islamic faith on an individual especially in liberating him from worldly bondages. He entrusts his all in Allah in all times. It has an impact on preserving society from extremism and racism, spreading love and affection, making society coherent and interconnected as the Prophet (PBUH) exemplified in the state of Medina.


A large magnetoresistance change (Δ R / R _H) of −550% has been observed at 270 K in (La_0.8Ca_0.2)MnO_3 thin films. The films were prepared in situ on LaAlO_3 substrates by single-liquid-source metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. M(thd)_ n (M = La, Ca, and Mn, and n = 2, 3) were dissolved together in an organic solution and used as precursors for the deposition of (La_0.8Ca_0.2)MnO_3 thin films. Deposition was conducted at an oxygen partial pressure of 1.2 Torr and a substrate temperature ranging from 600 °C to 700 °C. The mechanism for the large magnetoresistance change in this manganese oxide is briefly discussed.


This paper describes an investigation into the effect that employing closed rotor slot designs in squirrel cage induction motors has on the air-gap flux density waves, and hence on the radial pressure waves acting on the stator. The method of analysis is firstly described, followed by tables of results which illustrate the effect of progressively closing the rotor slot and increasing the bridge depth. The results are presented in terms of the radial pressure waves, and changes to the over-all machine performance. The trends seen in the results are accounted for, and overall conclusions drawn about the possible advantages and disadvantages of using closed rotor slot designs. >


Asset management and budget management are basis and premise of each other,the close combination of both of them in healthcare institutions helps to improve asset management and budget management.Over these years,healthcare institutions have the problems of irrational resources allocation,weakening of budget management and separation of asset management and budget management.The thought and knowledge of combination of asset management and budget management,the analysis of its necessity,and the outstanding problems in the current budget reform in healthcare institutions were discussed in the article.The suggestions of how to promote the combination were put forward.


In article is resulted of potentiometric titration of pectic matters by alkali and his cooperative interaction with Polyvinilethyniltrymetilpiperidol. Acknowledgmend: Investigation was done under the NATO Grant Finance support (Fel.Rig.980775)


The effect of unintentional doping by a light element like hydrogen atom in an important multiferroic perovskite oxide, BiFeO3 has been reported. Hydrogen is the lightest element and ubiquitous in the environment and thus is quite likely to get incorporated in material during fabrication stages. Unintentional dopant like H in a material may result in modification of the electronic properties. Formation energy calculations predict that H 1+ impurity is more stable in BFO grown under oxygen-rich conditions, whereas, H1− is only stable in BFO with n-type doping. H 1− is observed to induce doubly ionizable isolated occupied states, whereas, in the case of neutral H atom these states are singly occupied. Based on first principle calculations, H atom is observed to induce isolated impurity states within the forbidden gap which acts as compensating centers for acceptor and donor type impurities.


Conductor connecting method according to the present invention is a mutually separate first conductor and the second conductor electrically connecting method, comprising the following steps: the metal foil is provided on a surface of the first adhesive metal foil a first contact layer and the conductive member disposed in this order, heated and pressurized in this state, the metal foil is electrically connected to the first conductor while bonding, a metal foil, a first adhesive layer disposed a second metal foil and the adhesive layer of the second conductive member disposed in this order on the other surface, heated and pressurized in this state, the metal foil with a second conductor electrically connected simultaneously bonded.


Abstract During the first stages of a pedigree intraselection for refining a snap bean cultivar, a deviation in earliness and pod and seed uniformity was observed. This research presents the procedure followed to study, evaluate and extract the deviation. It was approached by: (i) studying earliness and yield stability per se of normal and deviant selected families; (ii) comparing normal and deviant selections with commercial cultivars; and (iii) evaluating advanced selected families for uniformity and purity. The normal progenies showed a concentrated flowering period and maturity, while the deviant ones were late and unstable. The deviant selection yielded less than one-fourth of the normal one. Advanced families had a high degree and stability of earliness, high yield, normal seeds and pods, and a high-quality product. The applied procedure resulted in monitoring the cultivar deviation, estimating its undesirable performance and low market value, and removing it, saving for the breeder the valuable adapted cultivar.


The angle beam technique is commonly applied to ensure the quality of the welds. Usually this technique is manually performed, but recently the automatic ultrasonic testing instruments has been developed to decrease the inspection time and to increase the reliability. For this purpose, we have developed an array probes with a step shaped wedge. This system executes not only the angle beam technique but also the TOFD technique.


High dynamic range (HDR) imaging can represent a great range of real-world luminosity. In contrast, the traditional low dynamic range (LDR) imaging fails to represent a wide range of luminance since most digital cameras can capture a limited range of light intensity in a natural scene. Recent advances in deep learning allow reconstructing an HDR image from a single LDR image and surpass conventional methods performance. In this work, we propose a novel CNN for HDR image reconstruction based on residual learning and attention mechanism. The proposed network adopts an autoencoder structure with residual blocks trained in a fully end-to-end manner. Residual learning boosts the performance by optimizing the network to converge faster. Moreover, the attention mechanism allows the network to select and enhance meaningful features that will contribute to the reconstruction of the HDR image. In addition, we employ a contextual attention module to perform patch replacement on deep feature maps to help recover information in over-exposed areas. Extensive quantitative and qualitative experiments on public HDR datasets demonstrate the ability of our proposed method to effectively reconstruct a visually pleasing HDR image from a single LDR image and outperform existing approaches.


The problemoriented record (POR) has gained prominence in psychiatry only in the last five years, during which time this method of record-keeping has developed both devotees and detractors. Those who find the problemoriented record helpful in clinical practice see it as a logical and systematic means of documenting health professional knowledge, concepts, diagnoses, and treatment (Grant & Maletzky, 1972; Hayes-Roth, Longabaugh, & Ryback, 1972; Ryback, 1974). They think the problemoriented system encourages preciseness of terminology, integration of treatment, and justification of the processes of evaluation and treatment. Others, however, assert that the problemoriented system encourages attention to unimportant details, wastes time, fragments treatment, and takes time away from patient care


Many small aperture satellite optical communication terminals utilize a periscope as the Coarse Pointing Appliance(CPA),however,the model of coarse tracking arithmetic becomes much complex since the optic structure of the periscope-type CPA varies with the angle of attitude in the CPA.To improve the tracking accuracy of the CPA,this paper researches coarse tracking arithmetic of periscope-type satellite optical communication terminals.Based on the optical matrix method,a matrix model with geometric optics for tracking in the periscope-type inter-satellite optical communication terminals was established.After obtaining the CCD-based angle measuring model,an automatic tracking model of the CPA was derived to implement the fast tracking for the target beams.A test was performed to testify the arithmetic.The test results prove that the tracking arithmetic can express the configuration of optical system exactly,and can process the information of locality from CCD accurately.The average tracking accuracy is less than 10 μrad.The test results also show that the tracking model can meet the requirements of the satellite optical communication.The method proposed in this paper would supply some helps for similar optical study.


Islamic financial institutions have a very important position as an institution of sharia-based Islamic economics in the national development process and can keep people from usury economic system. The existence of Islamic financial institutions, both banks and non-bank affects the religious life of Muslims as a whole, regardless of sex male or female. Especially on non-bank financial institutions in the form of Islamic financial services cooperative that is in the villages will be showing the involvement of women in policy making and operation of the financial institution. In addition, with the position of women as housewives who take an important role in regulating the domestic financial system. Islamic microfinance institutions in Tanah Datar District pioneering majority are women so that they directly act as manager thus everything that is related about the policy and decision-making for the development of financial institutions and Mikros dominant operation is done by women. Thus women in Islamic microfinance institutions in Tanah Datar has major role in determining the development of the Islamic microfinance institutions.


In this paper, we consider a certain class of second order nonlinear PDEs with damping and space-time white noise forcing, posed on the $d$-dimensional torus. This class includes the wave equation for $d=1$ and the beam equation for $d\le 3$. We show that the Gibbs measure of the equation without forcing and damping is the unique invariant measure for the flow of this system. Since the flow does not satisfy the Strong Feller property, we introduce a new technique for showing unique ergodicity. This approach may be also useful in situations in which finite-time blowup is possible.


Tributyl Sn(IV)-Ti(IV)-μ-oxoisopropoxide [Bu3SnOTi(OPr)3] prepared by refluxing equimolar amounts of tributyl tin acetate and titanium isopropoxide in xylene. The reactions of [Bu3SnOTi(OPr)3] with methyl/ethyl/phenyl salicylates in 1:1 and 1:2 molar ratios resulted in derivatives of the type [Bu3SnOTi(OPr)2(Rsal)] and [Bu3SnOTi(OPr)(RSal)2] (where RSal is deprotonated methyl/ethyl/phenyl salicylate) respectively. The [Bu3SnOTi(OPr)3] characterization has been made by elemental analysis, molecular weight measurements, thermal and spectral studies (H, C, Sn NMR and IR). The salicylate derivatives of parent compound have been characterized by elemental analysis, molecular weight measurements, and spectral studies (H, C, Sn NMR and IR). The studies reveal that the compound [Bu3SnOTi(OPr)2 and its salicylate derivatives are dimeric in nature.


We use the Fock-Papapetrou method to derive equations of motion for a spinning test particle moving both in the background gravitational field and a torsion field. The resultant two equations, the equations of world line and spin can be written in a covariant manner (as is the same for Papapetrou's result in general relativity). The equation of spin reproduces all the known equations of spin precession due to torsion.


Public radio is expanding its audience service and listener support by developing multiple, differentiated formats in major markets. With funding from a consortium of public radio stations and national organizations, we conducted focus groups in eight markets to better understand the minimal audience crossover between NPR news stations and classical music stations. We segmented listeners by their tuning behavior, psychographic needs, and the gratifications delivered by NPR news and classical music formats.


On the basis of known sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) responses to soil water deficit, it is proposed that the effect of the fungus Verticillium dahliae Klebahn on plant leaf area precedes and is greater than its effect on leaf photosynthesis and stomatal conductance. To test this hypothesis, we measured shoot and leaf area growth, leaf photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance and disease symptoms in a field experiment including hybrids of high (Sankol) and low (Dekasol 3900) susceptibility to V. dahliae. Plants inoculated with V. dahliae and controls were compared. We also investigated the effect of V. dahliae on key components of plant leaf area, leaf expansion and senescence, in inoculated and control plants of Sankol and Toba, a hybrid of intermediate susceptibility to V. dahliae. Reduction in plant leaf area caused by V. dahliae was first detected 31 d after inoculation (DAI), when visual symptoms of disease in inoculated plants were slight (Sankol) or absent (Dekasol 3900). Reduction in leaf photosynthesis was first observed 66 DAI; stomatal conductance and leaf dark respiration were both unaffected by V. dahliae during the whole experiment. In comparison with controls, V. dahliae reduced seasonal duration of plant leaf area by 25% in Dekalb 3900 and by 55% in Sankol, whereas the average reduction in leaf photosynthetic rate was 9%. In correspondence with the reduction in leaf area duration, inoculation reduced shoot dry matter of mature Sankol by 50%. In both experiments, less leaf expansion accounted for most of the early reduction in plant leaf area; as the disease progressed, increasing senescence also contributed to reduced plant leaf area. It is concluded that the response of sunflower to V. dahliae resembled the response of the plant to soil water deficit: (1) plant leaf area, rather than leaf photosynthetic rate, accounted for the reduction in growth in mass; and (2) reduced leaf expansion early in the season and faster leaf senescence in older plants accounted for the decrease in plant leaf area.


Analysis and manipulation of image data after being decoded into a numerical format is known as image processing. Several filters utilizing statistical principles are applied to this numerical data to improve the quality of the image. Beginning with SAS 9.2, a unique procedure is available to incorporate the flexibility of C programs into SAS. In this paper, we discuss the procedure of customizing C functions and integrating them in SAS. An illustration of this feature is used in addressing common issues for image analysis like image size standardization, magnification and pixel transformation/contrasting. Statistical tools like weighted regression (bi-linear interpolation), Expectation Maximization (EM) algorithm in the Region of Interest (RoI) and the Histogram Equalization techniques are detailed for further image enhancement.


The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between corporate social performance and financial performance. In addition, this study also aims to examine corporate social responsibility disclosure as a moderating variable the relationship between corporate social performance and financial performance of banking companies in Indonesia. The sample consisted of 35 listed bank in Indonesia Stock Exchange. The results of the study showed that the corporate social responsibility performance negatively effect financial performance. This means that the higher the cost of corporate social responsibility, the lower the company's financial performance. In testing the effect of moderating variable, the results of this study does not provide evidence that the corporate social responsibility disclosure as a moderating variable relationship between corporate social performance and financial performance. However, other results in this study showed that as the independent variable, the corporate social responsibility disclosure positively effect on financial performance, which means that the more items that disclosed the company, the higher the company's financial performance.


The storing stability of olive oil and three kinds of fat and oils is studied in different storing conditions. It is indicated that the olive oil's oxidation stability is the best through analyze their peroxide value during storage. And the content of tocophero reduce rapidly in the high temperature illumination. The quality of olive oil changed not obviously in the normal temperature evades under light and the low temperature evades under light, which are good for olive oil storage.


A HARD CASE TO ANSWER A 34-year-old woman was diagnosed with cancer of the breast. The primary tumour was removed and an axillary dissection was performed, revealing lymph node involvement. Further local and systemic therapy was recommended, but the patient declined further treatment and decided instead to leave the city and move to a commune in southern Queensland where "alternative" medical practices were promoted. The patient was married with a daughte r. aged four. She had been working as a high school teacher and had been to that time a keen sportswoman. Although her husband was in favour of pursuing conventional approaches to treatment, he accepted her decision and accompanied her, with their daughter. to the commune. There, she lived according to a Buddhist philosophy and engaged in regular meditation and other practices designed for cleansing and healing. After two years, she remained well and considered herself cured. The family returned to the city to resume their lives. The patient went back to teaching and gave public talks about how she had conquered breast cancer without drugs. Unhappily, about six months after their return she suffered an acute spinal cord compression at the T9-10 level, leaving her paralysed and without bladder and other functions . Medical help was eventually sought, and although emergency radiothe rapy was


A study on the RCS of a self-manufactured active transponder, which has a manually adjustable RCS, for SAR(Synthetic Aperture Radar) external calibration and image analysis at X-band is presented in this paper. The RCS of the active transponder was comparably analyzed using the lab-test and the COSMO-SkyMed SAR system, and also precisely analyzed the difference between the adjusted and estimated RCSs. A maximum RCS of the designed and manufactured active transponder is 60 dBsm. The active transponders with 60 dBsm and the adjusted RCS of 40 dBsm were measured using the single target calibration technique(STCT) and 2D target scanning technique(2DTST). And the extracted RCS using power-spill integration technique in a SAR image was compared with the measured RCS of active transponder. The comparison results show that the measured and extracted RCSs are 59.7 dBsm, 40.2 dBsm and 57.3 dBsm, 39.2 dBsm, respectively.


).(2) is a family of Neumann's boundary value problems of Helmholtz equation. Let E(x,y) be the funda-mental solution to Helmholtz equation, i. e.


The extra-pulmonary sites of a small cell carcinoma are the salivary glands, pharynx and larynx, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, colon, rectum, skin and cervix. Primary small cell carcinoma of the esophagus is extremely rare with an incidence ranging from 0.8~2.4% of all esophageal malignancies. There have been approximately 20 cases reported in the Korean literature thus far. However, there has not been a reported case of multiple small cell carcinoma of the esophagus. We report a case of multiple small cell carcinoma of the esophagus in a 61-year-old man who presented with a 2 month-history of progressive dysphagia with a review of the relevant literature.


Restoration of ecological communities that can withstand future climate and land use changes requires information on species responses to various natural disturbances. Frost is an important disturbance that regulates plant species distributions, and although rare in tropical rainforest, it can occur in upland areas, especially where deforestation has occurred. We report the impacts of a severe frost that occurred in June and July 2007 on the Atherton Tablelands, Queensland, Australia and caused extensive damage to riparian restoration plots of upland rainforest species. We estimated proportion foliage retention to (1) compare impacts across 45 species; (2) examine the influence of plant height on frost effects; and (3) determine if plantings under shelterbelts of mature trees received less damage. Species exhibited different levels of foliage retention. Species that were particularly frost resistant included those from riparian habitats and a conifer. Some heavily impacted species are deciduous and may survive frost by shedding leaves; this warrants further investigation. Plant canopy height above ground level was only weakly correlated to foliage retention. Sheltered plants were much less damaged than unsheltered conspecifics, suggesting a useful way to mitigate frost impacts. These principles should help guide the development of resilient ecological communities in frost‐prone areas.


Abstract Background: The mortality of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is high due to lack of an effective treatment. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) based therapy is a promising immunotherapeutic strategy. In preclinical models, we established ALF501, a novel CAR-NK cells with both a high affinity for PSMA and a clinically significant tumoricidal effect on CRPC. Here we report the results from the first-in-human case of ALF501 for CRPC.
 Methods: In this study, ALF501was dosed intravenous for a total of three courses, with an interval of 3 months, each infusion of 5 × 108 cells, and 3 consecutive days of infusion as a course of treatment. Observation continued until progression or unacceptable toxicity for up to 1 years. Primary objectives were safety and tolerability; secondary objectives included preliminary antitumor activity.
 Results: An 80-year-old man who underwent laparoscopic radical prostatectomy in February 2018 and developed a relapse in April 2021. Starting with July 16 2021, he received three courses of ALF501. No liver and kidney toxicity was observed, and the safety profile was good. Progression-free survival was 12months as of April 23, 2022, during which PSA decreased by 97.5% from baseline. Imaging follow-up showed that the tumor was stable, and chest CT showed that the original pleural effusion and pericardial effusion disappeared, and the high-density shadow previously considered osteogenic bone metastasis was reduced overall.
 Conclusions: ALF501 is safe and feasible for the treatment of CRPC, and has preliminary anti-tumor efficacy. This is a case study, and it is necessary to expand the patient sample size in the future to confirm whether there is a difference in efficacy for different patients.
 Citation Format: Hui Shi, Yanan Lin, Jie Ran, Yan Jin, Shengbang Zhang, Qi Wang, Huiyuan Zhang, Lida Wu, Yuchun Gu, Shengjiang Tan, Yao Wang. First-in-human study of ALF501, polypeptide PSMA-targeted chimeric antigen receptor engineered natural killer cells) for castration-resistant prostate cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 2 (Clinical Trials and Late-Breaking Research); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(8_Suppl):Abstract nr CT099.


It is expected that an average protostar will undergo at least one impulsive interaction with a neighbouring protostar whilst a large fraction of its mass is still in a massive, extended disc. If protostars are formed individually within a cluster before falling together and interacting, there should be no preferred orientation for such interactions. As star formation within clusters is believed to be coeval, it is probable that, during interactions, both protostars possess massive, extended discs. We have used an SPH code to carry out a series of simulations of non-coplanar disc-disc interactions. We find that non-coplanar interactions trigger gravitational instabilities in the discs, which may then fragment to form new companions to the existing stars. (This is different from coplanar interactions, in which most of the new companion stars form after material in the discs has been swept up into a shock layer, and this then fragments.) The original stars may also capture each other, leading to the formation of a small-N cluster. If every star undergoes a randomly oriented disc-disc interaction, then the outcome will be the birth of many new stars and substellar objects. Approximately two-thirds of the stars will end up in multiple systems


Gender, religion, and migration are perplexing issues, especially in this era of the COVID-19 pandemic in which gendered and religious dynamics are emerging within migrant communities across the world. The relations between these three concepts are explored within this bleak time that has exposed previously neglected dynamics present in migrant communities living in distant host countries in Asia, Europe, and the United States of America. In this paper, we discuss the intricacies within religion and gender among migrant communities and the gendered impacts that COVID-19 has had on the aforementioned migrant communities. Through a secondary desk review analysis of the diverse emerging literature, we show that there are gendered implications of the pandemic measures taken by governments as migrant communities occupy unique translocalities. Overall, the intersection of religion, gender, and migration underscores religion reproducing gender roles among the migrants. The reproduction of gender in religious institutions disadvantage women amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis confirmed the trivial fact that migrant women continue to suffer disproportionately due to increased unemployment and disease burden coupled with religious practices that continue to advance the upward mobility of male migrants. There is a need to recast the place of migrant women in this era, and lastly, religion plays a renewed role among migrant communities especially for women who have enhanced their social positions and organizational skills through it.


This paper reports an experimental investigation on the mortar phase test with mini slump cone for self compacting mortar (SCM). Self-compacting concrete has to fulfill contradictory requirements of high flowing ability when it is being cast and high viscosity when it is at rest, in order to prevent segregation and bleeding. These requirements make the use of mineral and chemical admixtures essential for self-compacting concrete. The results of an experimental research carried out to investigate the effect of dosages of superplasticizer. The optimization of aqueous solution of modified carboxylic super plasticizer (SP) cum retarder is a high range water reducing agent (HRWRA). The water content and the dosage of super plasticizer were determined experimentally for each mortar. Different percentages of cement replacement materials were used in binary and ternary blends of cement with Metakaolin (MK), Fly ash (FA) and combination of Metakaolin and Fly ash (MK+FA) replaced with cement. The SCM mixes had 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25% and 30% of replacement of cement with Metakaolin, 0%, 10%, 20%, 30% and 40% of replacement with class F fly ash and combinations of both Metakaolin and fly ash with MK15+FA10), (MK10+FA20), (MK5+FA30), and (MK20+FA20) water/cementitious ratios by weight (w/cm) 0.32 , 0.36and 0.40. Mortar mixes with w/cm 0.36 showed an increase in the rate of flow i.e., lower viscosity at each level of SP cum retarder dosage as compared to that of mixes with w/cm 0.32 and 0.40. A series of mortars were produced INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CIVIL ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (IJCIET) ISSN 0976 – 6308 (Print) ISSN 0976 – 6316(Online) Volume 4, Issue 2, March April (2013), pp. 369-384 © IAEME: www.iaeme.com/ijciet.asp Journal Impact Factor (2013): 5.3277 (Calculated by GISI) www.jifactor.com IJCIET


Let π1 and π2 be two independent exponential populations, where the population πi has an unknown location parameter (or guarantee time) μi > 0 and known scale parameter σi > 0, i = 1, 2. Let μ[1] ⩽ μ[2] denote the ordered values of μ1 and μ2, and assume that the correct ordering between μ1 and μ2 is not known a priori. Consider the goal of selecting the population associated with μ[2] under the decision theoretic framework. We deal with the problem of finding the minimax selection rule under the 0-1 loss function (which takes the value 0 if correct selection is made and takes the value 1 if correct selection is not made) when (μ1, μ2) is known to lie in a certain subset of the parameter space, called the preference-zone. Based on independent random samples of (possibly) unequal sizes from the two populations, we propose a class of natural selection rules and find the minimax selection rule within this class. We call the minimax selection rule within this class to be the restricted minimax selection rule. This restricted minimax selection rule is shown to be globally minimax and generalized Bayes. A numerical study on the performance of various selection rules indicates that the minimax selection rule outperforms various natural selection rules.


The performance of ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is dependent upon the electrical conductivity of soils. Soils having high electrical conductivity rapidly attenuate radar energy, restrict penetration depths, and severely limit the effectiveness of GPR. Factors influencing the electrical conductivity of soils include the amount and type of salts in solution and the clay content. Data on the clay and soluble salt contents of soils were used to develop thematic maps showing at different scales the relative suitability of soils for GPR applications. The United States Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS) bases these maps on field experience and soil attribute data contained in the State Soil Geographic (STATSGO) and the Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) databases. Attribute data used to determine the suitability of soils include clay content, electrical conductivity, sodium absorption ratio, and calcium carbonate content. Each soil attribute was rated and assigned a value...


Nauclea latifolia has been shown to have hypocholesterolaemic and hypoglycaemic effect,

and cholesterol and glucose have been implicated to play significant roles in the pathogenesis of

glaucoma. This study investigates the serum glucose and lipid profile of Plasmodium berghei infected

mice treated with aqueous leaf extract of Nauclea latifolia. Adult albino male mice, 8 weeks

old, weighing 12g-25g and divided into 6 groups of 5 mice per group were used for the experiment.

Mice were inoculated intraperitoneally with 0.1ml parasitized blood suspension and parasitaemia

assessed by thin blood films stained with Geimsa stain. Aqueous leaf extract of Nauclea

latifolia was orally administered at different doses (200mg/kg. body weight and 300mg/kg body

weight daily) to both normal and P. berghei infected mice for a period of 4 days. Serum glucose,

triglyceride, high density lipoprotein and cholesterol levels were estimated. Significant (p<0.05)

reduction in serum glucose and cholesterol was revealed in the untreated parasitized control when

compared with other groups but no significant change (p<0.05) in serum triglyceride and high density

lipoprotein were observed in parasitized control when compared with normal control mice.

However, oral administration of Nauclea latifolia significantly (p<0.05) maintained the cholesterol

and glucose levels in the infected mice toward the normal value when compared with the untreated

parasitized mice with no significant change in the triglyceride and high density lipoprotein levels.

These results suggest that aqueous extract of Nauclea latifolia may not cause or lead to the increase

in the intraocular pressure (glaucoma) both in normal and malaria infected mice.


Pendlebury and Rothwell's recent paper reports the incidence of cognitive impairment and dementia post stroke as 5% for TIA, 8% for minor stroke and 34% for severe stroke. 1We wanted to explore if these trends were reproducible in an Irish cohort.

 We conducted a retrospective review of a random sample of 100 discharges from a dedicated stroke rehabilitation unit between 2017 and 2018. Diagnosis of cognitive impairment or dementia was extracted from MDT discharge documentation, along with results of cognitive assessments. This cohort required inpatient rehabilitation post stroke, so we can infer that these were severe strokes. As a surrogate marker of disability, the average Barthel Index of this sample on admission to rehabilitation was 13, indicating moderate functional dependency.

 Complete information was available for 94/100 patients. The average age was 67 years (age range 33-95 years) 37 of 94 (39%) were judged to have cognitive impairment on discharge. Demonstration of functional impairment was central to this assessment. 30 (81%) of these diagnoses were supported by abnormal cognitive tests. 3 of those judged to have cognitive impairment, were unable to complete cognitive assessment. 2 of those judged to have cognitive impairment had cognitive scores which were within the normal range. None of the discharge letters mentioned a diagnosis of post stroke or vascular dementia.

 This study replicates Pendlebury and Rothwell's findings that over a third of people suffering from severe strokes will develop cognitive impairment. This is of critical importance to stroke clinicians as it should prompt frank discussions with stroke patients and their families about prognosis, recovery and future planning.


The survey was sent to 50 surface gold mines in the USA, Canada and Australia and contained questions on borehole spacing, sampling and resource/reserve estimation practices in both the exploration and production stages. Only 10 responded, with 3 from Australia and 7 from the USA One of the responses was from an underground mine, and relevant portions were included in the results. In summary, it was found that inverse distance and geostatistical methods were used the most in calculating resources and reserves in the exploration stage. This was usually done by a team consisting of a geologist, a mining engineer and a metallurgist/geotechnical engineer. In some cases, an outside consultant reviewed the calculated resources/reserves. During production, the polygonal method was most widely used, followed by geostatistical methods. Most mines indicated that duplicate samples were assayed and that statistical analysis was done to check the validity of the sampling and assaying practices during both the exploration and the production stage. The majority of the mines surveyed indicated that a gold content versus particle size distribution study was carried out on the blast hole cuttings.


Fatigue failure is one of the main reasons for the mechanical failure in engineering materials. To improve the fatigue strength of the material one of the most used method is surface treatment of the materials in which hardness, wear resistance and aesthetics is improved. In this paper a comparative study of fatigue of two different aluminium alloy [AA 5083-AA6062] was conducted. CT specimen of both the alloys was formed as per ASTM-E647 Standard. The result shows that the fatigue life of AA5083 greater than AA6062. In this paper fracture that occur in material during fatigue testing and effect of fatigue life on material is studied. The main purpose of the research presented herein was to study the fatigue crack propagation under loading mode I.


p-coumaric acid, commonly referred to as 4-hydroxycinnamic acid, is a phenolic acid, which has been subjected to much research in recognition of its beneficial properties against several diseases and its widespread distribution in the plant kingdom. This compound can be found in the free-state or coupled with other molecules in nature. It has demonstrated prospective pharmacological effects including antiproliferative, nephroprotective, neuroprotective, antioxidant and antimicrobial effects in addition to other biological properties through numerous in vivo, in vitro and clinical studies. This review reported a short summary on p-coumaric acid to provide fundamental information in its biosynthesis, plant sources, and pharmacological effects which may help in future research and development of novel therapeutics.
Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 26(2): 185-194, 2023 (July)


Aspergillusis a filamentous fungus that can grow in many environments, on several substrates at different conditions. In the soil, Aspergilli recycle nutrients by the degradation of plant material. In particular, Aspergilli are known for their capability to spoil plant materials like grains and fruits. In the industry Aspergilli are often being used as hosts for the production of both homologous and heterologous ( foodgrade ) enzymes. In the food industry aminopeptidases from A. niger are being used for the production of cheese, for baking and the preparation of soy hydrolysates. The use of Aspergilli as hosts for the production of industrial proteins has resulted in detailed studies on the proteolytic spectra. Although the endopeptidase spectrum is thoroughly studied, the aminopeptidase spectrum is not. In this thesis aminopeptidases of A. niger are analyzed. Aminopeptidases are classified according to their catalytic activity into metallo , serine and cysteine aminopeptidases. Aminopeptidase A ( ApsA ) was cloned using conserved regions within the M1 family of metallo aminopeptidases. The derived amino acid sequence of this aminopeptidase is highly similar to two yeast aminopeptidases. The protein was overexpressed in A. niger and the purified product was characterized. ApsA prefers lysine at the N-terminal end of a peptide. The K M and K cat for the artificial substrate K- pNA is 0.17 mM and 0.49 m kat mg -1 . The pH optimum of the enzyme is between pH 7.5 and 8. A conserved region of ApsA was used to search for a paralog . Indeed a paralog was found, aminopeptidase B ( ApsB ). ApsB has 40% sequence identity with ApsA , but the encoding genes differ in architecture. apsB is interrupted by eleven introns while the ORF of ApsA is interrupted by only one. None of these introns show positional conservation. ApsA and ApsB are encoded by similar genes but have different substrate specificities. The results suggest that apsA and apsB are the result of an ancient duplication event and that both proteins have developed their own niche of intracellular peptide degradation. A third aminopeptidase ( ApsC ) of A. niger was cloned using degenerated primers based on sequenced fragments of purified ApsC from an industrial A. niger strain. This strain was selected for its high ( extracellular ) ApsC activity. The amino acid sequence of ApsC is not similar to any previously characterized aminopeptidase, but shares sequence similarity to mammalian acyl -peptide hydrolases , however ApsC is not able to hydrolyze N- acetylalanine-pNA , a substrate for acyl - peptide hydrolases . ApsC is active towards N-terminal aromatic amino acids, especially phenylalanine. The pH optimum for this aminopeptidase is between pH 5 and 5.5 which is rather uncommon for a cytoplasmic aminopeptidase. The fourth aminopeptidase described in this thesis is PapA . PapA is capable of hydrolyzing N-terminal proline and hydroxyproline . This enzyme was described earlier in prokaryotes, however, PapA is the first enzyme of this class of enzymes described in eukaryotes. Together these four aminopeptidases are responsible for the breakdown of a whole range of peptide fragments. However, as discussed, there are still some aminopeptidases to be found. In this world were genomic sequences become available fast the actual cloning of a gene is facilitated and less time consuming, however, the biochemical characterization of the aminopeptidases is still very important as well as the study of all the interactions of genes and enzymes in the breakdown of a (large) peptide into its amino acids.


Weerahandi introduced the concept of generalized confidence intervals, which are to develop interval estimation. But it is difficult to use this method for constructing generalized confidence regions of vector parameters. In this paper we give a new method based on generalized bootstrap variable to construct asymptotically correct confidence regions of vector parameters.


The consumption of red meat has become a major health concern for consumers, especially those related to the heart. White meat contains less fat and cholesterol and tends to regulate blood pressure and heart-related diseases. Research on white meat has not been given the desired attention, thus the need for the study on white meat demand in Nigeria. In this study, we used already obtained data to evaluate the drivers of demand of households for white and red meat. The data used were obtained from the Harmonised National Living Standard Survey (HNLSS) collected by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigeria. The respondents surveyed comprised 33,102 households. Descriptive statistics and the Heckman 2-stage model were the analytical tools employed. Monthly expenditure on beef ($21.66) is higher than on fish and poultry ($21.58 and $5.21, respectively) in the rural area. While households' expenditure on fish ($17.63) is higher than on beef and poultry ($14.01 and $1.55, respectively) in the urban sector. Age, sex, higher health expenditure, residents in the rural sector and northwest zone adversely influence households' demand for white meat. Advocacy and enlightenment campaign on the nutritional and health benefits of white meat consumption is key for households that are male-headed and those that spend more on health issues; rural sector and northwest zone residents.


Which kind of action is necessarily moral? This is the primary question of Kant's moral philosophy.Kant thought that the good will is the source of moral worth. The principle of an absolutely good will is the categorically imperative, that is, the moral law. The good will is also the autonomic will. Only the action executed from respecting the moral law, that is, the action done from the duty, has the moral worth.


Motivated from the risk measures, superhedging in finance and uncertainties in statistics, the G-Brownian motion was introduced by Peng (2006). The related stochastic calculus in the framework of a sublinear expectation (known as G-expectation) is developed (Peng, 2006, 2008). He introduced the stochastic differential equations driven by G-Brownian motion (GSDEs) and established the existence and uniqueness of solutions for G-SDEs with Lipschitz continuity condition on the coefficients (Peng, 2006, 2008). The G-SDEs with integral Lipschitz conditions were studied in Bai and Lin (2010) and with global Carathéodory conditions in Ren and Hu (2011) and Gao (2009). In contrast to the aforementioned, here the existence theory for G-SDEs whose drift coefficients are discontinuous functions is developed by the method of upper and lower solutions in the reverse order. The importance of discontinuous functions is not uncommon. For example, the unit step function or the Heaviside function R R → : H , defined by,


We investigate supersonic, axisymmetric magnetohydrodynamic jets with a time-dependent injection velocity by numerical simulations with the PLUTO code. Using a comprehensive set of parameters, we explore different jet configurations in the attempt to construct models that can be directly compared to observational data of microjets. In particular, we focus our attention on the emitting properties of traveling knots and construct, at the same time, accurate line intensity ratios and surface brightness maps. Direct comparison of the resulting brightness and line intensity ratios distributions with observational data of microjets shows that a closer match can be obtained only when the jet material is pre-ionized to some degree. A very likely source for a pre-ionized medium is photoionization by X-ray flux coming from the central object.


Background: An increasing prevalence of cancer were globally reported especially in developing countries like India, and early identification be more productive and lessen the economical burden of subject, family and society. Health care professionals who were involved as first contact healthcare expert especially musculoskeletal experts like Physiotherapist, Physician, Orthopedic Surgeon should be made aware of physical screening, associated psychosocial factors that could have potential link for breast cancers especially among women. Female with greater stress in life, having systemic illness like Hypertension, Diabetes, having Chronic Polyarthralgia be continuously examined with physical, laboratory and due investigations exclusively for breast cancer once in every 3 months. Every minor deviation from normalcy or a suspicion be treated as red flag and referred for experts. These clinical symptoms like limbs getting stiffer, continuous pain over spine with progressive movement restriction, changes in voice, physical functioning with fatigue where noted on a 60 year old woman divorcee.
Methodology: Since her age of 30 years with high stressful life, living with medication for Hypertension, Diabetes mellitus was referred by physiotherapist to Gynecologist for her physiological changes as noted above on hematological and radiological examination revealed left ductal carcinoma of grade III was treated with left breast mastectomy and axillary clearance in 02/2019, she was later treated with physiotherapy and again influence of HRT on musculoskeletal system were analyzed with evidence.
Conclusion: This research where an attempt to early identification of breast carcinoma by physiotherapist. Further post mastectomy, the response to exercises with HRT were analyzed using due scientific evidence. Findings of this research can be a newer chapter for onco physiotherapy to identify breast cancer clinically and update on exercises response with HRT.


We experimentally demonstrated the surface plasmon propagation of crystalline silver nanowire excited by fluorescence of quantum dots. The scattered light origin from SPR was observed at one end of nanowire when the linear-polarized excitation light was focused onto another end.


The invention relates to a device (1) for signal transmission, especially in highly electromagnetically disturbed environment, the apparatus on an input side means (3, 4, 5, 6) (for converting an analog input signal into an optical pulse code modulated transmission signal and on an output side bodies 7, 8a) to an electrical digital signal for converting the optical transmission signal. The device is characterized in that prior to the input side comprises means for detecting an analog input signal (2a) and means for generating an analog electrical signal (2b) are provided and that to the output side of a means for converting the electrical digital signal to an electrical analog signal (8b), and means for outputting an analog output signal (9) are provided. Further, a method is described which is performed with this apparatus.


The invention provides a three-wall steel cofferdam for deepwater foundation bearing platform construction. The three-wall steel cofferdam comprises a cofferdam main body, an inner support frame arranged at the top of the inner side of the cofferdam main body and a working platform arranged on the inner support frame, wherein the cofferdam main body sequentially comprises an outer wall, a middle wall and an inner wall from outside to inside; the height of the outer wall is equal to that of the middle wall, and a stiffened plate is arranged between the outer wall and the middle wall; the inner wall is lower than the middle wall, and a concrete poured layer is arranged between the inner wall and the middle wall; a bearing platform is arranged at the bottom of the inner side of the cofferdam main body, and the bottom of the bearing platform is provided with a plurality of concrete poured piles. The three-wall steel cofferdam is suitable for construction that a construction bearing platform is buried in a deepwater bridge foundation with a relatively deep base rock. A working surface can be relatively early formed, a drilled pile can be constructed in advance, and the construction period of the bridge foundation can also be better ensured. Meanwhile, the cofferdam main body, the concrete poured layer located between the inner wall and the middle wall and the base rock form an integer, so that the three-wall steel cofferdam is firmer in structure and capable of better meeting the construction conditions of relatively deep water and relatively high flow rate.


Acute necrosis of the renal papillae occurs most frequently as a complication in patients with diabetes mellitus and acute pyelonephritis (11, 12, 13). Less frequently it complicates the clinical picture of obstructive uropathy with super-imposed infection (10, 16, 17, 20). Because of the urgent measures necessary for treatment of papillary necrosis, it behooves the radiologist, as a consultant, to be aware of the clinical and laboratory findings as well as of the diverse Pyelographie changes that may take place. This paper includes a review of the roentgen observations recorded in the literature and a presentation of 8 cases of our own in which pyelography was performed. Acute necrosis of the renal papillae is known by a number of names: "necrotizing renal papillitis," "renal papillary necrosis," "renal medullary necrosis," "necrotizing papillitis renis," and "Gunther's necrosis," among others. Necrosis of the renal papillae was first reported by von Friedreich in 1877 (40). He described varying stages o...


The application of game-based learning (GBL) is seen to have many benefits in helping to improve the quality of the teaching and learning process. GBL approach will encourage students to solve problems and self-learning and thus enable students to learn a mathematical concept without realizing it. The review findings show that GBL helps teachers to motivate student engagement in Mathematics. This is because GBL is regarded as a potential means for improving students' confidence and increasing their motivation by incorporating challenge, curiosity and fantasy to a specific problem. The application of GBL has a positive impact on student motivation and involvement in Mathematics learning. Further reading should be made on the motivational impact of student self-efficacy. This is because previous studies have also found that student motivation influences students' self-efficacy in that students who believe in their own abilities are more motivated to engage in learning