Access to energy sources is a major limitation in many areas of the world. This is particularly true for developing economies which have limited resources to devote to traditional power generation. This student project proposed to design and test a small-scale solar chimney for use as a renewable energy source. The basic design process with competing constraints for local (Minnesota) use and use in Ghana, as well as the final design and construction, will be discussed. This includes the testing of a 40 foot tall chimney in Minnesota that was able to generate a 22 degree Fahrenheit temperature difference during winter months. However, the paper will focus on the student learning experiences during the project.


Unsteady natural convection of an enclosed fluid has been one of the fundamental thermo-fluid problems, of which dynamic relevance is found in many engineering applications. Together with the inherent coupling between the boundary layers and the interior core, and strong interaction between flow and temperature fields, the unsteadiness poses serious hurdles for analytical and experimental approaches. With the recent development of computers and solution algorithms, computational fluid dynamics has become the prevailing tool to tackle the underlying problems. In this presentation, a few examples of numerical studies are introduced. The usefulness and potential of numerical simulations in investigating unsteady natural convection are elaborated.


Reference crop evapotranspiration ( ET0 ) is a key variable in procedures established for estimation of evapotranspiration rates of agricultural crops. In recent years, there is growing evidence to show that the more physically based FAO-56 Penman–Monteith (PM) combination method yields consistently more accurate ET0 estimates across a wide range of climates and is being proposed as the sole method for ET0 computations. However, other methods continue to remain popular among Indian practitioners either because of traditional usage or because of their simpler input data requirements. In this study, we evaluated the performances of several ET0 methods in the major climate regimes of India with a view to quantify differences in ET0 estimates as influenced by climatic conditions and also to identify methods that yield results closest to the FAO-56 PM method. Performances of seven ET0 methods, representing temperature-based, radiation-based, pan evaporation-based, and combination-type equations, were compared ...


Two new species of Nepenthes from Terengganu, Peninsular Malaysia, N. latiffiana M. N. Faizal, A. Amin & N. Dome and N. domei M. N. Faizal, A. Amin & A. Latiff, are described and illustrated.


Abstract A near 1-factor of a graph of order 2n ≧ 4 is a subgraph isomorphic to (n − 2) K2 ∪ P3 ∪ K1. Wallis determined, for each r ≥ 3, the order of a smallest r-regular graph of even order without a 1-factor; while for each r ≧ 3, Chartrand, Goldsmith and Schuster determined the order of a smallest r-regular, (r − 2)-edge-connected graph of even order without a 1-factor. These results are extended to graphs without near 1-factors. It is known that every connected, cubic graph with less than six bridges has a near 1-factor. The order of a smallest connected, cubic graph with exactly six bridges and no near 1-factor is determined.


Approximate synthesis is a recent trend in logic synthesis that changes some outputs of a logic specification to take advantage of error tolerance of some applications and reduce complexity and consumption of the final implementation. We propose a new approach to approximate synthesis of combinational logic where we derive its closest symmetric approximation, i.e., the symmetric function obtained by injecting the minimum number of errors in the original function. Since BDDs of totally symmetric functions are quite compact, this approach is particularly convenient for BDD-based implementations, such as networks of MUXes directly mapped from BDDs. Our contribution is twofold: first we propose a polynomial algorithm for computing the closest symmetric approximation of an incompletely specified Boolean function with an unbounded number of errors; then we discuss strategies to achieve partial symmetrization of the original specification while satisfying given error bounds. Experimental results on classical and new benchmarks confirm the efficacy of the proposed approach.


The available silicon content has generally been determined in acid soils, but neglected its quantification in other soils, to be able to make recommendations of this element according to its content for each soil. The objective of this research was to evaluate the available silicon in soils of the department of Cordoba, Colombia by means of different chemical extractors. Samples of acid, neutral and alkaline soils were collected at the depth of 20cm and sent to the Laboratory of Soils and Waters of the University of Cordoba to determine the available silicon content. The chemical extractors were 0.01mol L-1 calcium chloride, 0.5mol L-1 acetic acid, 38.5g L-1ammonium acetate, pH 4.0 buffer (HC2H3O2 + CH3COONa) and the method proposed by the authors, named barium chloride solution. For extraction, 5g of soil were weighed and 50mL of extractant was added and the mixture was stirred for 1h at 220rpm, filtered and left standing for 12h. The quantification was performed in a spectrophotometer at a wavelength of 66nm and the chemical determination was performed in series with three replicates, analyzed by correlation and contrasts. In general, according to results of higher to lower concentration, silicon was presented in the following sequence of extraction, alkaline soils> neutral> acids. By means of the Tukey test and contrasts it was concluded that the barium chloride solution could be used as alternative to the reference method in the determination of silicon in the three types of soils. In addition, for alkaline soils, the ammonium acetate method 38.5g L-1 can also be used as an alternative for the determination of silicon.


Depression is known to be one of the causes of noncompliance therapy. This study aims to determine the correlation between depression with compliance of chronic renal failure patients. The method in this study is cross-sectional. Data is collected by judgment sampling. Depression level is assessed by using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI- II). Compliance level is assessed by using the morisky scale. The result shows an average compliance level of chronic renal failure patients is included in high compliance category (53.03%). It is found that there is not a correlation between depression and compliance of chronic renal failure patients (p> 0.05). it is concluded that there is no correlation between depression and compliance of chronic renal failure patients.


The situation with asymptotically flat gravitating spinor field solutions is considered. It is supposed that the problem of constructing these solutions is connected with confinement problem in quantum chromodynamics. It is argued that in both cases we must use a nonperturbative quantum technique.


Objective: To investigate the gene expression of cytokines IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α in intervertebral disc lesions of spinal tuberculosis. Methods: Forty patients with spinal tuberculosis treated in our hospital from May 2014 to May 2016 were included in the spinal tuberculosis group, and other 40 patients with spinal disorders concurrently treated in our hospital were enrolled in the control group. With SPS 9001 kit, the expression levels of cytokines IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α of the two groups were examined using the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and then statistical analyses were performed. Results: The levels of cytokines IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α levels among the patients in the spinal tuberculosis group (0.385±0.091 pg/ml, 0.378±0.097 pg/ml, 0.276±0.052) pg/ ml, respectively) were significantly higher than those in the control group (0.190±0.066 pg/ml, 0.177±0.058 pg/ml, 0.147±0.043 pg/ml, respectively) (P<0.05). Conclusion: The levels of cytokines IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α in intervertebral disc lesions of spinal tuberculosis were upregulated, which is worthy of clinical notice.


In universities,teaching reforms for international and trade speciality must establish developing objectives scientifically, that is, establish senicr talents of international economy and trade who have the ability to suit and bring forth new ideas, with broader basic knowledge, skilled profession. Course offered should reflect four characteristics, that is, broader——the basic theories are broader;essential--pick and build the essntical; useful——suit the need of the society development and the students looking for jobs; new——keep the pace with the science development, and give the latest knowledge and the continully creative consciousness to the strdents, The reform emphasis on teaching methods is three slackenings and three strengthenings, that is , slacken the independence of courses ,the final exams , and the classroom teachings of practical courses , strengthen the connection among courses, the ability checks for awailable knowledge, and the simulated practices.


MXenes (M n+1X n, e.g., Ti3C2) are the largest 2D material family developed in recent years. They exhibit significant potential in the energy sciences, particularly for energy storage. In this review, we summarize the progress of the computational work regarding the theoretical design of new MXene structures and predictions for energy applications including their fundamental, energy storage, and catalytic properties. We also outline how high-throughput computation, big data, and machine-learning techniques can help broaden the MXene family. Finally, we present some of the major remaining challenges and future research directions needed to mature this novel materials family.


the only ECGabnormalityrecordedwas slight prolongationof QT interval. There were no prominent U waves and the T waves were normal. We wonderedwhetherthe absenceof tachyarrhythmiascouldbe due to theprotective effect of her mild hypocalcaemia'. We have beenunableto find such a severe caseof hypokalaemiain the literature.Paiceet all analysingthe clinical dataof hypokalaemic patientsconcludedthat hypokalaemiatended to be associatedwith females and a high mortality. This patient is still alive eight years after it was noted that she waspersistently hypokalaemic. The causeof the hypokalaemiacan only be speculativeas she has never remainedan inpatient long enoughfor specific investigations to be undertaken.Drug action must play a majorrole, if not the only role,of this hypokalaemia. Chronic aspirin abuse iscertainly a contributoryfactor, as ispersistentvomiting. A potassiumlosing diuretic is anotherpossibility, but proof for this has eluded us. Suchprofoundhypokalaemiatends to precipitate serious cardiac arrhythmia leading to cardiacarrest,andin this instancethe patientis lucky to be still alive.


This paper reports on the findings of a study that compared models of online source analysis. It is argued that there is disconnect between print-based (classical) approaches to teaching online source analysis in history, and how students are informally analysing online information. It will be argued that this disconnect makes it difficult for students to effectively analyse online sources containing false and misleading information. In order to address this issue, formal web-based approaches to online source analysis need to be developed and evaluated. The paper puts forward Shane Borrowman's (1999) application of the Aristotle's concept of Ethos as a framework through which online source analysis can be formalised, and student critical awareness can be activated. The study was conducted with Australian senior high school students, who evaluated Holocaust denial websites before and after an intervention. The responses in each case were compared, and it was found that formalising students' web-based models of analysis significantly increased the depth and criticality of their engagement. This paper contributes to the debate on how to most effectively activate student critical awareness when analysing online historical sources.


s of the 7th International Congress of the Asia Pacific Society of Infection Control, Taipei, Taiwan, March 26-29, 2015 S61 with surgeons and the operating room staff. Before implementation of policies, IPCO obtained baseline data on SAP practices of surgeons by reviewing charts of post-surgery patients for four (4) consecutive weeks by utilizing a form provided by WHO. Seventy five operations were reviewed. Wound class were classified, SAP practices and compliance of surgeons analyzed. Results: Of the 75 operations, 37% 40%, 8%, 15% were wound class 1,2,3,4 respectively. SAP were given to 39% of wound class I, 70% of wound class 2, 67% of wound class 3 and 36% of wound class 4.Fifty three percent (53%) adhere to right timing within 60 minutes before incision with simple dose only were given to 44%; 40% continued post operatively. In 16% of cases, SAP was ordered after the operations. Table I Shows the classifications of the 75 operations by wound class and SAP practice. Wound class No (%) No. SAP applied 1 28(37) 11(39) 2 30(40) 21(70) 3 6(8) 4(67) 4 11(15) 4(36) 75(100) 40(53) Table II Compliance of surgeons to SAP recommendations.


In the article the status and functions of one of the institutional languages a political language are discussed from the point of view of linguistic pragmatics. The function of modeling a political referent is supposed to be the basic function of a political language.


Objective To study the feasibility and effect of immediate full weight-bearing exercises on elderly patients(60 years) after uncemented total hip arthroplasty.Methods Forty-eight patients (52 hips)underwent primary uncemented total hip arthroplasty. At the end of the surgery,the patients were allocated randomly into either early (experimental group) or late (countrol group) weight-bearing groups. The experimental group consisting of 23 patients (25 hips) received full weight-bearing as tolerated on both lower extremities on the first day after the surgery. The control group consisting of 25 patients (27 hips) were instructed to use 2 crutches with a load of 10% of body weight in the 3 rdweek postoperatively. Patients in both groups were matched for gender, age, weight and Harris. The clinical and radiographic results were compared 12 weeks after the surgery, and again at 2 years after.Results There was no significant difference in the results of 2 years after surgery between the two groups.However, there was a difference in that of 12 weeks after surgery(t=4.57,P0.01).Conclusion Full weight-bearing exercise on elderly patients early after uncemented total hip arthroplasty is safe and effective.


Action rules are rules that describe how to transition a decision attribute from an undesired state to a desired state, with the understanding that some attributes are stable and others are flexible. Stable attributes, such as "age", may not be changed, whereas flexible attributes, such as "interest rate", may be changed. Action rules have great potential in data mining, as they output easily interpretable rules which can immediately be useful to a decision maker. However, at present, the methods to generate all valid action rules are computationally expensive. To address this, methods have been proposed that prune swaths of the search space as rules are generated; this results in computational efficiency, at the expense of potentially not discovering many useful rules. In this work, a method, called Multi-Objective Evolutionary Action Rule (MOEAR) mining, is introduced. MOEAR optimizes the discovery of action rules using standard evolutionary algorithm principles. Experimental results show that MOEAR is able to generate a large number of potentially interesting action rules, including those rules that could be categorized as "rare", while achieving good computational performance.


The current Covid-19 pandemic makes necessary to identify people affected by SARS-CoV-2. To do this, the most reliable method is the use of the molecular test that is the gold standard to detect positive peoples.Here, we provide a comprehensive review on the diagnostic processes through molecular tests for SARS-CoV-2 infection. First, we have obtained information about the testing technologies in the Liguria region's hospitals to find and describe the most common technologies used and to calculate the molecular test's average cost. Second, we have evaluated the sensitivity, the specificity, the safety with respect to the data reported on scientific literature (Real Word Data VS Registrative Studies) and the organizational aspects of the molecular tests.Clinical Relevance— This study aims to provide support to the decision makers on clinical, economic, organizational, social and ethical issues related to the use of molecular test for SARS-CoV-2.


Referring to the actual test results of mine pressure and gas gushing quantity in a certain mine, this paper presents a discussion on the relationship between them quantitatively. The results show that there is a close relationship between mine pressure and gas gushing quantity that the gas emission is gradually increasing with the increase of mine pressure, but they are not the relationship of the simple linear increase, gas gushing quantity is also influenced by many other factors.


This paper presents the real-time (RT) power-hardware-in-the-loop (PHIL) emulation of the two most popular variable-speed wind turbines (WT): the doubly-fed induction generator WT with partial-scale power converter and the permanent-magnet synchronous machine WT with full-scale power converter. RT-PHIL emulation offers a realistic, controlled, and easily reconfigurable test environment for analyzing grid integration problems, in which classic tools frequently show a lack of capacity. The proposed discrete-time models and implementation methodology result in creation of platform-independent models suitable for application on any RT platform. A voltage-source converter is used as PHIL power interface between the RT simulation and a microgrid testbed. This test environment is of interest for verification of high-level control strategies for wind farms and for evaluation of the response of hardware systems, such as active filters or static synchronous compensators (STATCOMs) connected to a grid (or microgrid) in presence of wind power generation. The RT discrete models of both WTs are demonstrated in a grid-connection experiment.


Current literature contains extensive results on the possibilities for capitalising different outsourcing strategies. However, previous research suffers from shortcomings on how these overall possibilities and benefits of outsourcing apply to the context of small and medium sized companies in several industries, and in particular, how the outsourcing strategies correlate to a firm's overall strategy during different phases of growth. Through the theoretical structuring and empirical analysis of six small and medium sized software companies and a total of 14 outsourcing or licensing projects, this article provides evidence and further develops the current theory-base on how small computer software companies are able to capitalise on and benefit from using external research-oriented product development related resources during different stages of their growth process. The results of this article are composed into a framework introducing propositions and testable hypotheses for future research.


The Chinese Buddhist anthology Zimen jingxun (Admonitions to the Black-robed Monastics 緇門警訓), a compilation believed to have originated during the Song dynasty, constitutes a Chinese Buddhist anthology containing teachings from Buddhist masters and ethical principles intended for observance by monastics. This anthology has garnered scholarly attention due to the noteworthy nature of some of its components. However, there exists a dearth of comprehensive scholarly analyses in the English language, and the precise compilers of this anthology remain shrouded in ambiguity. Nevertheless, the Zimen jingxun has exerted a profound influence on the training of monastics in China, Japan, and Korea, and has emerged as a particularly influential work on Buddhist monastic education in the Korean context. Therefore, this paper functions as an initial effort to address this scholarly gap. Utilizing the methodologies of comparative philology and historical philology, this study undertakes an analysis and comparison of the original Zimen jingxun and its foundational counterpart, the Zilin baoxun, in addition to their subsequent amended and modified versions. The primary aim of this research is to deduce its compilers and the timeframe of its compilation by examining the existing content, prefaces, citations, and any discrepancies discernible in each rendition. Furthermore, it seeks to evaluate the importance and role of each version within the broader context of the Buddhist canon.


Approaches to innovation development based on action-research principles and involving partnerships among multiple stakholders have become common place in the last 10 years. But many lessons have yet to be learnt about such approaches. To contribute to fill the gap, a study was launched by CIRAD in 2005 to systematize and compare a series of contrasting experiences in which research has been conducted with local actors (such as farmers and farmers' organizations, extension services, governments, private sector, etc.). The main objectives of this study were (i) to draw lessons in terms of research approaches, modalities, methods, tools, and results and (ii) to propose guidelines for improving the design and conduct of research projects focusing on the conception of innovations in partnership among multiple stakeholders. Cross-analysis of the case studies was pursued in three directions: (1) the balance reached between problem resolution, knowledge generation and empowerment of local actors, (2) the formalization of partnerships and (3) the modalities adopted for steering activities and for partnership governance. Preliminary results confirm the role of 3 factors in shaping the efficacy and efficiency of multiple stakeholder partnership between researchers and other actors. One is that values and goals are among the items about which common ground needs to be identified, negotiated among stakeholders if the partnership is to prosper. Another lesson is to recognize that the diverse set-ups co-constructed among stakeholders are not only means to achieve common objectives, but they also embody high-stake challenges throughout the project life. Finally, one should be aware of the asymmetries among stakeholders in any given partnership, and the necessity to build the capacity of the weakest partners. Taking on board such lessons has important consequences for research at the individual and institutional levels. (Resume d'auteur)


This article describes improvements the Seoul Metropolitan Government has made to its "T-money" payment system. T-money cards provide bus and subway riders with a discount off the base fare for each trip ranging from 10 percent for adults to up to 50 percent for children. The cards can be used for a variety of public services including museums, vending machines, parking lot fees, and taxis. Beginning at the end of April 2007, riders were able to get cash receipts sent automatically to Korea's National Tax Service if monthly charges go over 5,000 won or $5.39 in U.S. dollars. In addition, since May passengers have been able to buy a special "T-money minus card" if they are short of cash. The negative balance is recorded and the next time money is added to it, the passenger makes up the "minus balance."


Objective To study the neurotoxicity and brain cell apoptosis induced by lead or/and benzo[a]pyrene(BaP) in mice. Methods 80 male Kunming mice were randomly and equally divided into 10 groups: ①untreated control; ②vehicle (vegetable oil)control; ③low dose lead(5 4 mg/L PbAc, by drinking);④high dose lead (54 mg/L PbAc, by drinking); ⑤low dose BaP (0 5 mg/kg BW, ip, 4 times a week); ⑥high dose BaP (5 mg/kg BW, ip, 4 times a week); ⑦low dose lead + low dose BaP; ⑧low dose lead+high dose BaP; ⑨high dose lead+low dose BaP; ⑩high dose lead+high dose BaP. The general conditions and signs of neuro toxicity on the animals were observed and recorded. After 8 weeks of treatment, the brains were taken from the mice and the ratios of brain weight /body weight were detected. The apoptosis rates of mice brain cell were detected by TUNEL experiment, while the co relationship between the ratios of brain weight /body weight and the neuron apoptosis rates were calculated. Results ①In the high BaP group(0 98%)and 4 lead BaP combine administrated groups(0 95%,0 93%,0 92%,0 90%), the ratios of brain weight /body weight were lower than that of the control group(1 08%,1 08%, P 0 05~ P 0 000 1 ). ②Except the low dose lead group, the apoptosis rates in all other 7 administrated groups (11 91%,18 09%,44 62%,20 12%,60 84%,52 28%,90 17%) were higher than that of the control group(5 89%,5 87%, P 0 000 1 ). ③ There was a negative co relationship between the ratios of brain weight /body weight and the cell apoptosis rates( r = -0 827 1 , P 0 05). Conclusion ①Both BaP and lead could damage CNS of the mice, and combined administration of these two toxicants could induce much serious damages. ②Cell apoptosis may be one of the mechanisms that BaP induce CNS toxicity in mice.


Acoustic-resolution photoacoustic microscopy (AR-PAM) capable of imaging micro-vessels with high resolution and high contrast has shown its potential in functional neuro-vascular imaging, dermatology and related cancer research. In AR-PAM, a mechanically scanned, single crystal transducer with a fixed focus is commonly used, which causes the image quality to deteriorate significantly in the out-of-focus region. A virtual-detector based synthetic aperture focusing technique (VD-SAFT) was used previously to extend the depth of focus of the AR-PAM where the focal point of the transducer is treated as a virtual point detector. However, the performance of VD-SAFT is impaired by its high sidelobes. Such high sidelobes result from over-simplified virtual-point-detector approximation of the focal point. To solve this problem, we introduce an improved synthetic aperture focusing technique (ISAFT) for AR-PAM, which considers diffraction effect in the vicinity of the VD, i.e., the focal point. This technique is based on a linear, discrete model of the AR-PAM system developed using matrix formalism. Using this model, a spatiotemporal optimal filter in minimum mean square error sense is designed to deconvolve the spatial impulse responses associated with the focused transducer at every imaging point; thus retrospective focusing can be achieved. The performance of the proposed ISAFT is verified using simulation data. A 25-MHz AR-PAM with a single element transducer which has a 6-mm diameter and a 12-mm focal depth (i.e., f-number = 2) is simulated. The improvement in spatial resolution and sidelobe suppression of ISAFT is superior to that of VD-SAFT because the full geometry of the VD, instead of the simplified virtual-point-detector approximation, is taken into consideration. It is demonstrated by simulation that the proposed method effectively improves the degraded lateral resolution in the out-of-focused region for AR-PAM. Future work will focus on the phantom and in vivo experimental verifications and the study of the effect of signal-to-noise ratio on the ISAFT.


The goal of this study is to create a tool for UGVs' efficiency estimation. As a rule one of main efficiency factors is autonomy level of UGVs. This goal is approached by completing series of tasks. In the beginning author discusses the structure of the Transportation System (chassis) of UGVs. Then main groups of factors affecting UGVs' space autonomy are formed and consequently specified. Final part of the paper is devoted to automation of autonomy estimation. In the introduction UGVs' autonomy is discussed. Author justifies why it's important to increase UGVs' autonomy, how it affects various applications of UGVs, and which new functional challenges it creates. Later on paper discusses the reasonability to estimate UGVs' autonomy level and what such estimation gives to UGVs' users. Next section discusses mobility module of UGVs: it's structure and main functions. Main part of the paper explores factors affecting space autonomy of UGVs. These are classified as: factors of UGV's mobility module, factors of UGV's energy module, factors of environment and finally factors of UGV as of all-in-one-piece system. This paper doesn't study each of the factors in details but gives references to results of other researchers. At the final part some thoughts are given to discuss how space autonomy level estimation could be computerized.


The following experiments were made in order to study the delayed lethal effect of gamma rays on tissue cultures vitro, using two different quantities of radium sulphate as the source of irradiation. The work forms part of a more extensive investigation into the causes of the destruction of certain types of new growth by means of radiotherapy. The expenses in connection with this study were met by a grant from the Medical Research Council, and my thanks are also due to the Radium Beige and Messrs. Watson & Sons for the loan of the radium employed.


Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of highly active antiretrovial therapy(HAART) in injection drug users(IDUs) with HIV/AIDS and to discuss the experience of HAART in ethnic minority areas.Methods The data of 102 IDUs with HIV/AIDS receiving HAART from July 2007 to June 2009 were retrospectively analyzed to summarize the effectiveness and the existing problems.Results In the course of 12 months HAART,the medicine-taking compliance of 47 cases(46.1%) was good,and 36 cases(35.3%) dropped out for various reasons.Among 66 cases(64.7%) persisted in HAART,immunologic success was achieved in 48 cases(72.7%).In the 6th and 12th month of treatment,the number of CD4+ T lymphocyte was significantly increased as compared with that of the basic data(P0.05).The number of CD4+T lymphocyte in 18 case(27.3%) with immunologic failure showed no obvious change in the 6th month,and showed decease in 12th month of the treatment(P0.05).Among the 66 patients receiving the treatment for 1 to 2 years,there 23 cases(34.8%) whose HIV viral load reduced to the undetectable level.Conclusion In the IDUs group,the rate of HAART termination is higher,The medicine-taking compliance is not good.So the immunological and virological effectiveness is relatively poor.


I 2013, President Xi Jinping announced the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which aims to centralize Chinese capital in the hands of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), expanding trade, infrastructure, and connectivity of East-Southeast Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and Europe. The BRI's emergence initiates one of the most crucial debates in development studies in decades: Is China the savior of, or the new colonizer in, the developing world? In the Philippines, previous executives were constrained by domestic politics or foreign policy positions. During Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's administration (2001-2010), the Philippines and China embarked on a joint maritime venture in the South China Sea and expanded politicaleconomic relations. But despite growing political ties with Beijing, Arroyo's administration eventually canceled the two biggest Chinese foreign direct investment (FDI) projects – the Northrail and ZTE Corporation's proposed National Broadband Network. Approximately 20 other projects were canceled. Similarly, tense bilateral relations under former President Benigno S. Aquino III (2010-2016) explain the absence of major Chinese official development assistance (ODA) and development finance projects during his administration. At the start of Aquino's term, Chinese foreign investment was targeted to fund


In this article,key technology and product characteristics of food grade hemoglobin peptide were introduced based on the practice in hemoglobin processing.And the utilization of hemoglobin peptide in food industry was prospected.


However I Mr. Pearce could have pursued his subject further. Had he possessed the research experience of some of the veterans in the puzzle pastime, he would have suspected, and research would have verified, that the publishers of the New Pocket Dictionary (G. & C. Mer riam Company, Springfield, Mas s.) revise their Ii ttle lexicon about every ten year s. In each such revision there are always change s, ei ther of omission or commission. This was true of the 35-cent edition of twenty years ago, and is true of the current 75-cent version.


The starting potential of Geiger‐Muller counters filled with various pressures of air, helium, hydrogen, oxygen, argon, and two argon‐oxygen mixtures have been accurately determined for counters with oxidized copper cylinders 1.0 cm in diameter, and bare tungsten wires 0.0075 cm, 0.0125 cm, and 0.025 cm, diameter. Except at low pressures, Werner's equation fits the results fairly well, when suitable constants are chosen, for all these gases except helium. At low pressures, the starting potentials diminish as the size of the wire increases.


Due to new requirements for the DAQ system the previously planned hierarchical CBM network structure using Read-Out Controllers (ROC) for detector read-out, Data Combiner Boards (DCB) for data combining and Active Buffer Boards (ABB) for data buffering and First Level Event Selection (FLES) attachment was extended. The usage of a unified link for three different data types such as Data Transport Messages (DTM), Detector Control Messages (DCM), and Deterministic Latency Messages (DLM) and the communication principles and packet structures will not be changed, because it has proven its reliability [1 ] [2]. But new detector read-out chips and high level data flow handling concepts generated new feature requests. Therefore, a new CBMnet V2.0 has been designed and will be implemented supporting lane handling for unbalanced communication, large messages, an adapted data loss strategy in cases of overloads, easy meta data detection, and a fully reliable communication for data streams. The new planned CBM network structure using the CBMnet V2.0 is shown in figure 1. An alternative for the ROC is now connected to the CBM network via a HUB ASIC, for data aggregation and rate conversion of data from detector readout chips or FEBs, combined with a opto converter board providing an electrical to optical conversion for the communication links. Within the inner network part the DCB was replaced by a Data Processing Board (DPB) and an Experiment Control System (ECS). The back-end part using ABBs attached to FLES within computing clusters will stay the same. For the HUB ASIC chip and the opto converter the analysis and conception has already started, its implementations will be major parts within future work packages.


A trademark is a word, name, symbol or device that is used in trade with goods to indicate the source of the goods and to distinguish them from the goods of others. Regulating such marks protects against consumer confusion about the source, sponsorship, or approval of goods or services or commercial activities of another. To do so, it makes actionable the use of another's trademark in ways that lead to a "likelihood of confusion". According to the purpose and background of the trademark holder to apply to register trademark, and the specific and individual situations where the trademark right was exercised, if such exercise of the trademark right against the other party goes beyond the purpose or the function of the trademark system, which is to maintain the credit of the trademark user and to protect the benefits of the users, disrupts the fair competition order and the commercial transaction order, causes confusion among users and violates the principle of good faith, such exercise of trademark right, even if it is done in the form of a right exercise, amounts to an abuse of the right to trademark, which shall not be permitted, and according to the above ground to limit the exercise of trademark right, the purpose of the exercise of trademark right, does not necessarily need the subjective condition that the exerciser shall not gain any benefits.


This paper deals with the hapax and other terms rarely testified from [M.] IV Megara. Among them [M.] IV 27 αίνοτόκeια is of great interest, because it is an allusive reversal to Theoc. XXIV 73 αριστοτόκeια. A close reading of both poems also shows that the figures of Alcmena, Heracles and Ificles in [M.] IV are allusive reversals to the same characters of Theoc. XXIV. It allows us to suggest that it is wrong to assign the poet of Megara to the Homeric-Apollonian trend of Hellenistic Poetry as opposed to the Callimachean.


ABSTRACT After a 14-year gap, Australia's 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper advanced a 'comprehensive framework to advance Australia's security and prosperity in a contested and competitive world' (Australian Government 2017a, "2017 Foreign Policy White Paper." https://www.fpwhitepaper.gov.au/., v). Focused on regional stability, partnerships and global cooperation, it identifies 'risks and opportunities' in an altered external environment. In this article, we argue that the neglect of gender and conflict prevention in the White Paper has implications for its stated aspirations with regard to peace and security. This is striking considering the attention that gender—particularly in the context of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda—has received in other policy areas and documents. Building on feminist security scholarship, conflict prevention approaches, and bringing in civil society voices, we argue that the White Paper contains a gendered, masculinist logic, separating domestic and international issues and paying insufficient attention to the structural and systemic causes of conflict. This article pursues a gender analysis in order to illuminate the gaps present in the White Paper and its limited vision of security and makes the case that conflict prevention from a gender perspective is key to sustainable peace, security and national interests.


: Freight conveyances on signalized city street are perceived as path hindrances all through the span of conveyance. Traffic sticking related with metropolitan cargo conveyances has acquired expanding consideration as of late. As traffic architects and organizers are entrusted with discovering answers for achieve complete interest all the more economically with confined street limit. Despite the fact that trucks make up just a minor extent of vehicular traffic, however they gain a more prominent measure of the absolute expense of postponements. Developing discussion of arrangements to move conveyances to off hours are proposed to moderate the impacts of on traffic sticking. This paper audits on how the cargo conveyances effect on street limit and postpone time. This paper reviews various related research paper that how actually freight delivery effect on street capacity of road and also greater impact on travel time. Because if proper planning is not going to done it leads to traffic congestion problem. characterizes the field of Cargo Request The board (FDM), and positions it as an significant part of transportation strategy and the board. To make the reasoning for FDM, the contemplates the impacts of the specialist collaborations at the fundamental of supply chains, what's more, arranges the significant pretended by the recipients of provisions in characterizing when and how conveyances are made.


Black carbon (BC) absorption aerosol optical depth (AAODBC) defines the contribution of BC in light absorption and is retrievable using sun/sky radiometer measurements provided by Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) inversion products. In this study, we utilized AERONET-retrieved depolarization ratio (DPR, δp), single scattering albedo (SSA, ω), and Ångström Exponent (AE, å) of version 3 level 2.0 products as indicators to estimate the contribution of BC to the absorbing fractions of AOD. We applied our methodology to the AERONET sites, including North and South America, Europe, East Asia, Africa, India, and the Middle East, during 2000–2018. The long-term AAODBC showed a downward tendency over Sao Paulo (−0.001 year−1), Thessaloniki (−0.0004 year−1), Beijing (−0.001 year−1), Seoul (−0.0015 year−1), and Cape Verde (−0.0009 year−1) with the highest values over the populous sites. This declining tendency in AAODBC can be attributable to the successful emission control policies over these sites, particularly in Europe, America, and China. The AAODBC at the Beijing, Sao Paulo, Mexico City, and the Indian sites showed a clear seasonality indicating the notable role of residential heating in BC emissions over these sites during winter. We found a higher correlation between AAODBC and fine mode AOD at 440 nm at all sites except for Beijing. High pollution episodes, BC emission from different sources, and aggregation properties seem to be the main drivers of higher AAODBC correlation with coarse particles over Beijing.


In this study, the application of the production and transport task is considered to solve the problem of the distribution of the limited capacities of data transmission channels between different nodes of the computer network. A scheme is proposed for reducing the problem to a two-level continuous-discrete optimization problem. The model is formulated and numerical results are obtained to solve the problem of power distribution in the network of the information and computing center.


Correspondence: Dilyana Hadzhimateva Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics, Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", 5 James Bourchier Str., Sofia 1164, Bulgaria. e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com ABSTRACT Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) hexaploid genome is a result of several multiple hybridization events between three diploid progenitor species, comprising three individual subgenomes: A, B, and D. To track the events that have shaped the modern wheat genome, a phylogenetic-based in silico model was developed. The model is based on a comparative analysis between each of the three subgenomes and its progenitor: the subgenomes A and D were compared respectively to Triticum urartu and Aegilops tauschii, while for the still disputable B subgenome predecessor the model plant Brachypodium distachyon was used. The phylogenetic trees for this analysis were obtained from Ensembl Plants. All analyses were done with custom-developed Python scripts. The dataset shows almost equal gene distribution between the three subgenomes: A – 31%, B – 37,3%, and D – 31,7%. The evolutionary relationships were traced using a Species Overlap algorithm, and 54 807 groups of homologs involving wheat genes were detected, including 35 933 orthologous and 18 874 paralogous relationships. The homeologous relations between the three subgenomes were included within the paralogs. 77% of the orthologous groups involved Triticum urartu, 79% Aegilops tauschii and 64% Brachypodium distachyon. The paralogs between Triticum urartu and Triticum aestivum were 68%, between Aegilops tauschii and Triticum aestivum, – 71%, and for the Brachypodium distachyon – 42%. Comparative phylogenetic analysis allows identification of the closest homolog and probable predecessor for majority of the available wheat genes. The distribution of genes, orthologs and paralogs also implies an opportunity for subsequent functional prediction and other related analyses.


Food safety has been taken the first place in EU legislative according to the human's health safety. Food production is the main issue in .every country of the world and establishing safety food production trough food chain(from raw materials to the final
product) is a big challenge for food producers. Food production has many hazards with different nature, like: economical, political and environmental nature.
Food safety systems, particularly HACCP system has been united, estimated and controlled every risky step in food production, from the beginning to the final product. It
means from farm to fork. That is the main reason why the HACCP system has to be used like appropriate food safety system in EU countries. NASSR (Hazard analysis and critical control points) is a modern way to produce safety food according to EU legislative.
NASSR system is preventive system witch includes identification, determination, estimation and monitoring of critical control point in food processing. This process has to be provided step by step in each suspect area of food processing. There are many biological, chemical and physical hazards in food processing and appropriate preventive measures have to be propose for safety food production. In meat factory "Mik-Sveti Nikole" we have been provided all PRP (Pre Requisite Programs) before HACCP implementation in the line of canned meat products. All
mentioned activities, includes: assembling HACCP team, determination objectives and
scope of the HACCP study, products description and its intended use, flow chart of the
process, it's verification on site etc.


Purpose of this research is to analyze the impacts of foreign direct investment on the economic growth of the Mediterranean countries: case of Morocco and Turkey. The study aims to unveil if the FDI has always a positive impacts on the economic growth and showing by a comparative analysis the effects of foreign direct investment on the economic growth between Morocco and Turkey. The study was done by using the panel data between the period 1990-2016 and by utilizing the Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) methodology.The collected data from the world bank of the both countries were analyzed by using the tools, the Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF) test, then Johansen test for Cointegration, there after VECM, and finally Impulse Response Function (IRF). The ADF test results indicate that all variables became stationary after taking the first difference, and they be integrated of order one I (1). Johansen Cointegration test results means that these four variables have a long run association shape, which argue the existence of a cointegration among the variables. In Morocco, Normalised long run estimates indicated FDI has a significant negative connection with economic growth, while the export and investment were found to have a significant positive impact on the economic growth. However, Labor has an insignificant negative impact on the economic growth, though statistically insignificant. From the estimated short run, it noticed that most of the variables are statistically insignificant .Impulse response function displayed that the reaction of a shock on foreign direct investment and export was positive, whereas the reaction to a shock in force labor and investment was negative. On the other hand, in Turkey, Normalised long run estimates showed. That all the variables have a significant positive linkage with economic growth. From the estimated short run, it has shown that most of the variables are statistically insignificant. * Dr. Öğr. Üyesi Sakarya Üniversitesi İşletme Fakültesi Uluslararası Ticaret Bölümü, El-mek: email@example.com ** Yüksek Lisans Öğrencisi, Sakarya Üniversitesi, İşletme Enstitüsü Uluslararası Ticaret Ana Bilim Dalı, El-mek: email@example.com 68 Ahmet Yağmur ERSOY Mohamed AALIOUA Turkish Studies Volume 13/14, Spring 2018 Impulse response function (IRF) can be seen that following a shock to FDI, export, investment and force labor, The GDP was found to respond positively from the first period horizon up to the tenth period.


The theory of limit is an important part of Advanced Mathematics,and it is also one of the difficult points of teaching research.Teaching method of limit is analyzed by providing real examples.It helps to college to understand and master this part of theory better.


T he early history of the University of Oxford, and more particularly of Merton College, is intimately linked to the history of the Jews in England before their expulsion in 1290.1 This link is especially evident in the starrs, or deeds of conveyance, which date from this period. A. Neubauer has already published the Hebrew text of three of these documents relating to land purchases made by the Founder of Merton College, Walter de Merton.2 By a quirk of fate, I have come across two hitherto unknown starrs, or deeds of conveyance, relating to the early history of the college which I propose to edit and translate here. I originally found these starrs in an eighteenth century copy (with Latin translation) in a manuscript in St John's College, Oxford;3 they were made by J. Gagnier (1670?–1740) who became the Lord Almoner's Professor of Arabic in Oxford in 1724.4 These documents, along with a Latin deed of conveyance relating to the same transaction, provide interesting evidence about the part the Jewish community of Oxford played in the earlier days of the oldest university in England. Since the starting point of my enquiry were Gagnier's papers in St John's which led me to try to unearth the originals, I begin my discussion with the material history of these starrs in section I. Following that, I shall edit and translate the Hebrew text and discuss some linguistic features (II). I also transcribe the Latin translation of them made by Gagnier (III). In IV, I shall present an edition and translation of a Latin deed relating to the same transaction. Finally I shall discuss these texts in their historical context (V). The purpose of this paper is twofold: to tell the history of the Hebrew documents themselves, and to show what contribution these documents can make to the history of the Jews in Oxford in the thirteenth century. Sections I and III serve the former purpose, while sections II, IV and V try to achieve the latter.


ABSTRACT This exploratory study examines how graduate schools of social work market social work generally and macro social work specifically. Recruitment materials from 48 graduate schools of social work were examined for photo imagery and curricula descriptions. Authors conclude that graduate social work program marketing materials emphasize a one-dimensional image of social work as a profession defined by therapeutic activities. Implications for social work education are delineated along with a set of potential questions for future research.


We construct a new class of positive indecomposable maps in the algebra of d×d complex matrices. These maps are characterized by the 'weakest' positivity property and for this reason they are called atomic. This class provides a new reach family of atomic entanglement witnesses which define important tool for investigating quantum entanglement. It turns out that they are able to detect states with the 'weakest' quantum entanglement.


This paper aimed to study the use of play mechanics in the detection of talented in Jeddah province and its impact on the level of students' performance and achievement. The researcher used descriptive analytical approach. The researcher used two tools which were: a questionnaire and an application design for Gamification included three main dimensions: enjoyment - engagement - motivation. The study sample consisted of (30) students. The results showed high and positive effectiveness of the use of play mechanics in the detection of talented and raise their level of performance and achievement, the overall ratio of it reached (76.67٪), where the first dimension (enjoyment)  got a ratio of (70%) with a mean of (3.22), the second dimension (engagement) , got a ratio of (83.33٪) ) with a mean of (3.49), as for the last dimension (motivation) it got a ratio of 73.33٪)) with a mean of (3.12). Based on the results, the study suggested a number of recommendations the most important of it  were: Expand the circle of the application of the scale of play mechanics according to the proposed mechanism for pre-study stages, and use play mechanics to encourage students to try new things and avoid fear of making mistakes, and the need for play mechanics to engage students in their activities deliberately to ensure that they retain the real environment simulated by those activities.


This report discusses the National Park System that includes 391 diverse units administered by the National Park Service (NPS) of the Department of the Interior. Units of the system generally are managed to preserve resources in their natural or historical conditions for the benefit of future generations.


In low and middle income countries, burns are a major global public health problem [1]. The burden of injury primarily affects low socioeconomic population [2]. Children are mainly affected by this problem (usually less than 5 years old) [3,4]. Basic measures applied to these patients may increase better outcomes even in health care centers that lack specialized equipment, plastic surgeons or facilities to take care of burn patients. This review is aimed to highlight the most important aspects of the management of patients with second and thirddegree burns in a rural or primary health care center prior to its transfer to a proper specialized burn facility.


In our opinion, the article confirms the impressive and leading experience of the University of Pittsburgh's group and demonstrates how both the laparoscopic and robotic techniques should represent part of the available instruments that modern liver surgeons should have in their hands. Nonetheless the 2 groups are not clearly defined in this article, making their comparison weak for its purposes, and leaving the questions on respective postsurgical outcomes unanswered. Likely, the experience reported by Tsung et al confirms the benefits of multimodality as a third way.


On the basis of the analysis for Intergroup Complementary(IGC) code and zero correlation zone complementary code,a modified IGC code is proposed to adapt M-ary orthogonal code spreading spectrum system or quasi-synchronous CDMA system.Theoretical research and simulation results show that the main advantages of the modified IGC code are as following: The code sets of the modified IGC code is more than IGC code under the same code length.The zero correlation zone length is longer than the intergroup IGC code,but shorter than the intergroup IGC code.Under the same code length,the auto-correlation performance of the modified IGC code is better than that of the IGC code,and both are of similar cross-correlation performance.


This article is devoted to the selection and justification of the use of the corresponding mathematical methods in the formation of a composite product production program and the assessment of the importance of provided technological resources. The choice of marginal profit as criteria of the optimality of the production program is proved. The formalized mathematical formulations of integer and dual tasks of linear programming are presented. The tasks of analyzing the annual release plan for a range of six products is solved. It is concluded that the usage of mathematical methods of linear programming and the theory of dual is successful decision in the field of development of composite production programs.


It is generally agreed that for many years religious and political cleavages in France tended to coincide, and that "there was no better criterion than religion to distinguish the Left from the Right." 1 It is also widely acknowledged that religion played an important role in politics and that conservative parties were supported by the Catholic church.2 Today, however, most observers consider the tie between religion and politics a thing of the past. Religious issues such as the problem of church-state relations and even the school question are no longer at the center of political debates. As in a majority of developed countries, the most important political questions are economic and social in nature involving the choice of a type of society. This change, especially since 1968, is a striking development in French politics. As a result of it, "the end of the conflict between the church and the state has had the political effect of freeing Catholic forces which are no longer compelled to focus their efforts on the defense of 'the church's rights.' "3 Conversely, the parties of the Left consider religious differences of secondary importance in social and political conflicts. The attitude of the church on political matters has also been profoundly modified. Until 1958, the church hierarchy, either through the clergy or the Catholic press, intervened directly in the electoral process against the Left and especially against the Communist party.4 Today, this is no longer the case and the aloofness of the church from the electoral arena seems to meet with the approval of a majority of people.5 Furthermore, in the wake of the Second Vatican Council,6 the political and religious conservatism of the nineteenth century is no longer, at least in France, a dominant doctrine even at the episcopacy level. Finally, drastic and radical challenges have affected Catholic movements and the clergy itself. These


Routing systems mechanisms have piqued researchers' interest in heuristic components for routing problems that could alter problem complexity. As a result, myriad routing strategies were proposed that minimize deployment costs while maximizing traversal coverage. Several constraints were considered, including deployment times, load capacities, and projected coverage. Research into routing systems has focused on heuristics to optimize complex routing problems. Multiple strategies have been proposed to optimize deployment costs and maximize route coverage, focusing on deployment times, load capacities, and coverage. This literature study examines data interpolation for cost optimization features coupled with relative scheduling systems, with the primary purpose of supporting heterogeneity subjugation towards cost interoperability based on varied goals and objective functions. A total of 250 papers were analyzed for relevance regarding routing scheduling from relevant academic-based user-accessed scientific journal databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, Hindawi, ACM, and Google Scholar to perform a concise analysis of the relative cost interoperability measures in routing strategies, including single objective purposes undertakings. The research evaluated the application, niche problem-solving methodologies, and viability for future refinement or integration with comparable solutions. This qualitative study aims to present an information synthesis based on the PRISMA (Systematic Literature Review) framework on various recognized developments and trends for routing heuristic research works that will serve as a benchmark for refining improvisation on current solution strategies. Ultimately, this study presents a comprehensive review of the applicable field, an analysis of existing problem-solving strategies, and a comprehensive overview of the possibilities for incorporating them into further research.


The title compound, C27H24O2S, crystallizes in space group P\overline1 with one molecule in the asymmetric unit. The geometry and intermolecular contacts are described: the rings in thetriphenylmethyl moiety show a near-threefold symmetry, and the compound displays OCH3–π interactions in the methoxy-substituted ring and herringbone interactions between the unsubstituted rings.


Abstract It requires great amount of costs for cultivating a talent with international experiences. A lot of evidences show the failure of multinational corporations in human capital investment because of the expatriates leaving the companies after the end of the overseas tasks. Many expatriates leave the companies within a year, the next year, or within two years of repatriation. In this case, the loss of repatriates is the loss of multinational corporations. An international task being really successful in the repatriation process lies in the organization being able to retain the repatriates. The expatriates of Sinphar Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. are researched in this study. Total 400 copies of questionnaires were distributed. Having deducted invalid and incomplete ones, 227 valid copies were retrieved, with the retrieval rate 57%. The research results present 1. partially positive correlations between Repatriation Measure and Performance of Service in Expatriate Satisfaction, 2. significantly positive correlations between Repatriation Measure and Performance of Aspiration in Expatriate Satisfaction, and 3. the moderating effects of Personal Attribute of Expatriate on the correlations between Repatriation Measure and Expatriate Satisfaction. Suggestions for the expatriation management in medicine industry are offered in the empirical results.


Sample of methylbenzene was diluted with mixed solution of HNO_3-ethanol-water(0.04+1 + 1) and dispersed ultrasonically.The contents of the metal elements(i.e.,Mn.Fe,Co,Ni,Zn,Ag,Cd and Pb) in sample solution were determined by ICP-MS with Re as internal standard.Values of detection limit(3s) of the method were found in the range of 0.012 7-0.690 ng·L~(-1).The proposed method was applied to the determination of metal elements in sample of methylbenzene.giving values of recovery obtained by standard addition method,in the range of 71.9%-119%with values of RSD's(n= 6)≤8%.


The electron spin resonance spectrum of the vanadyl ion (VO2+) in single crystals of Zn (NH4)2(SO4)2·6H2O is studied and the properties of x‐ray produced V2+ are compared to those of the V2+ grown directly into the same host lattice. In the unirradiated samples the V–O axis is found to have three possible orientations with populations in the ratio 20:5:1. For the most populous position the spin Hamiltonian parameters at X band are S=½, gx=1.9813, gy=1.9801, gz=1.9331, Ax=0.007120/cm, Ay=0.007244/cm, Az=0.018281/cm, and Q′=7×10—5/cm with the x, y principal axes of the g and A tensor being displaced from each other by 23°20′. Furthermore, the vanadyl hyperfine lines show an additional anisotropic structure of five lines, absent in deuterated samples. The parameters for V2+ at K band in both the as‐grown and irradiated crystals are S=3/2, gz=1.9717, gy=1.9733, D=—0.15613/cm, E=—0.02280/cm, and A=—0.00825/cm. A study of the effect of x‐ray dose upon the line intensity is made. An impurity model of a vanadyl p...


This article analyzes on the issue of private distribution system,aiming at the phenomenon of general labour's low income and unfair distribution in private enterprises,it proposed to distribute corporate's income according to contribution rate and the labor factor,and carrying on t analysis on necessity Feasibility of this system.The implementation of this system is beneficial to staff,private enterprises and the establishment of a harmonious society.


A frequency and radiation pattern reconfigurable antenna based on graphene at terahertz band is presented in this paper. By applying different chemical potentials on the one arm of the proposed antenna while keeping it unchanged of the other arm, the antenna can operate at 1-2 THz, and the obtained maximum impedance bandwidth can be up to 26.68 %. Radiation patterns of the proposed antenna can also be controlled by the applied chemical potentials, which makes it very promising for beam-scanning in terahertz systems or devices.


Internet commerce has grown at a torrid pace over the last decade. The explosive growth in Internet usage has changed the way companies do business. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the impact of the Internet on distribution channels.
This thesis consists of three essays. The first essay (chapter 2) examines the impact of the introduction of an Internet channel by exploring the following research questions: (1) What are the similarities and differences between adding a new physical store and adding an Internet channel to a conventional distribution channel? (2) What are the strategic underlying effects that shape the overall impact of the Internet channel introduction on the market? (3) Under what conditions is the introduction of an Internet channel beneficial or harmful to each channel member? (4) Does a manufacturer always prefer disintermediation? The closed-form equilibrium solutions of the model reveal five key underlying effects that shape the overall impact of the introduction of an Internet channel. The results also indicate that coordinating a mixed channel is a different managerial problem from coordinating between two physical stores.
The second essay (chapter 3) extends the model used in essay 1 (chapter 2), developing a general model to examine the impact of a newly introduced Internet channel in various multi-product, multi-outlet market conditions. A set of assumptions made in the first essay is relaxed to allow the exploration of the impact of various market environments on a firm's optimal channel strategy in related to Internet channel introduction. The results indicate that the strategic underlying effects identified in essay 1 (chapter 2) shape the overall impact of the introduction of an Internet outlet under various market conditions. However, the relative impact size of each underlying strategic effect varies depending on market conditions and channel structure. This essay reveals that the distribution of consumer heterogeneity, the channel structure, the locations of physical stores, and the product positioning in a market are important factors influencing the specific impact of the introduction of an Internet channel on each individual channel member.
The third essay (chapter 4) explores the adoption and the impact of Internet channels in the trucking industry. Two of the main elements considered are electronic transportation exchanges and company Websites. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)


A high‐performance dual‐polarized horn antenna for a 5G millimeter wave compact antenna test range system (CATR) is proposed in this article. The feed antenna is mainly composed of a double‐ridged waveguide junction orthomode transducer (OMT), mode converter, and corrugated horn antenna. Among them, the OMT is the key device for the feed antenna to achieve dual polarization characteristics, and adopts a modular design method to apply the multi‐section impedance transformer in the vertical and horizontal polarization channels with good transmission characteristics. The corrugated horn antenna generates a symmetrical radiation pattern mainly in six corrugated slots. The proposed dual‐polarized corrugated horn antenna impedance matching bandwidth (VSWR < 2) is 24–50 GHz. Moreover, the measured gain is 10–12 dBi, and the measured cross‐polarization level is less than −30 dB within the operating frequency range. Meanwhile, the half‐power beamwidth radiation pattern in the whole operating band has a good symmetry and the beamwidth in both E‐ and H‐plane remains stable. As a practical application, the designed antenna is used as the feed of the CATR system. The measured results show that the amplitude distribution in the quiet zone (QZ) is within ±1 dB, the phase distribution is within ±8°, and the cross‐polarization isolation is better than 27 dB. The performance of the QZ is conducive to the use of the CATR system.


We consider the formation and evolution of Axion Quark Nugget dark matter particles in the early universe. The goal of this work is to estimate the mass distribution of these objects and assess their ability to form and survive to the present day. We argue that this model allows a broad range of parameter space in which the AQN may account for the observed dark matter mass density, naturally explains a similarity between the "dark" and "visible" components, i.e. $\Omega_{\rm dark}\sim \Omega_{\rm visible}$, and also offer an explanation for a number of other long standing puzzles such as "Primordial Lithium Puzzle" and "the Solar Corona Mystery" among many other cosmological puzzles.


T RAVELLING to work has become a feature of urbanized society. In European countries and in America, various terms have arisen which define this social phenomenon. Nevertheless until recently there has been comparatively little attention given to the social, demographic, and economic aspects of travelling time to work, or, as described in the U.S.A., "commuting time." In recent years, various practical implications arising from the planned location of industry, business and housing areas, and other areas of public concern have led to an increasing interest in this problem on the part of planners, but without any appreciable increase in the knowledge of the issues involved. In particular there has been a lack of investigation of the economic and sociological implications. Further it would appear that most investigations thus far have been concerned with one or two of the issues involved, or have been confined to a particular factory, or at best to a single community. Social problems are rarely self-contained, and the time spent in travelling to work cannot be isolated from other social problems. The time that individuals of the labor force take to reach their respective places of work is closely associated with the location of industry, the ecology of urban and rural areas, housing facilities, transportation facilities, topographical features, hours of work, industrial health and efficiency, the mobility of the labor force, and indeed, the physical and mental characteristics of the population itself. Many people regard the time expended in travelling to work each day as wasted time, and feel, often strongly, that the increased "gains" for leisure and creative activity that the shorter hours of modern industry may offer have been largely "lost" because of the increased time required to get to and from work. Moreover, the effect of nervous strain and fatigue imposed by "rush" hours, making connections, etc., upon industrial efficiency is an area in which as yet comparatively little is known. Nonetheless it should not be overlooked that the increasing facility with which people may travel to work also has positive economic and social values. The flexibility of an industrial structure is indeed a reflection of this facility. By increasing the mobility of labor and widening the labor market, greater facility for ease of travelling operates to the better interests of both employees and employers, and contributes to the progress and prosperity of the economic life of the population as a whole. Ease of travelling to work enables a technological society to utilize its manpower effectively, for it helps to draw workers to those areas where they can be used most effectively. With these thoughts in mind, we can appreciate the significance of census information on this topic. In its National Census for 1945, New Zealand, for the first time, included a question designed to elicit information as to the time spent in transit from home to place of employment for the working population as a whole. The census, with its national coverage, was used to obtain information of demographic and sociological interest for housing and planning authorities. Any attempt to probe the various issues more deeply awaits a more specific investigation. It should be pointed out that this 1945 Census was taken within a few weeks of the end of World War II. Hence the information described in this immediate post-war period may not be as meaningful as it might have been under more settled conditions. Considerable proportions of the country's peace-time working population were still serving overseas with the Armed Forces; it has been suggested that there may have been some slight falling-off in the caliber of census sub-enumerators available during this difficult period; and further it has been suggested that there may have been some opposition from those who were of the opinion that holding the census in 1945, rather than the normally expected year 1946, was designed to serve certain political ends, and therefore these people may have made less effort to complete this question carefully. * Rotary Fellow, 1950-51, from New Zealand to the University of North Carolina.


Thin film of La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (LSMO) was grown on SrTiO3 pervoskite single crystal substrate at different pressures of oxygen using pulsed laser deposition technique. The x‐ray diffractometry analysis revealed that the LSMO nanoparticles sintered at 1000 °C shows most stable structure. The crystallite size calculated using scherrer formula is comparable with the particle size observed in SEM images. It has been found that the sample grown at highest pressure of oxygen 100 mTorr shows better magnetization.


For nonlinear discrete event dynamic systems (DEDS) described by maxmin function, a coloring condensation graph method is presented. This method proves that the number of different cycle times equals the number of condensation points. A sufficient and necessary condition that cycle time can be assigned independently by state feedback is given, which solves the problem corresponding to the pole assignment problem in traditional linear control systems. This result is also used in linear DEDS to obtain assigned region and decreased cycle times.


The potential of some non-traditional isotopes (U, Sr) to elucidate the environmental influences on tufa formation and to estimate the proportion of authigenic and detrital carbonate in tufa precipitated from the Krka River (Croatia) was explored. The spatial variability of geochemical (Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca, U/Ca) and isotopic ( δ 18 O, δ 13 C, 87/86 Sr, δ 88 Sr, δ 238 U, and 234 U/ 238 U activity ratios) parameters was analysed in recent and interglacial tufa at the main cascades and compared to those in the contributing sources (water, bedrock, soil). A general comparison with recent tufa showed that old tufa had on average higher δ 13 C, δ 18 O and δ 88 Sr values of carbonate, δ 13 C values of sedimentary organic carbon (C org ), carbonate-bound Mg concentration and δ 238 U values of non-carbonate fraction. On average lower values in old tufa were measured for the concentration of Sr and C org , the C org :N ratio, non-carbonate mineral fraction and U concentrations (bulk and carbonate-bound fraction). The 234 U/ 238 U activity ratios, δ 238 U values of carbonate and 87/86 Sr ratios were similar. The concentration of C org in old samples decreased during diagenetic decomposition, when the 13 C-depleted C was preferentially lost, explaining the increased δ 13 C of C org . Diagenetic processes can also explain the decreased Corg:N ratio in old tufa, where the mineralisation of organic matter inside


The primary purpose of this work was to study the management of an instructional media through information technology network, the course homepage, in a general English course classroom. The study secondarily focused on problems occurred and the needs and attitudes of the users towards the course homepage. From a questionnaire survey, generally the findings were positive, especially concerning the extent to which the course homepage was used. There were, however, some problems, largely practical or technical, with using a course homepage.


Summary In many practical problems, a hypothesis testing involves a nuisance parameter which appears only under the alternative hypothesis. Davies (1977, Biometrika64, 247–254) proposed the maximum of the score statistics over the whole range of the nuisance parameter as a test statistic for this type of hypothesis testing. Freidlin, Podgor, and Gastwirth (1999, Biometrics55, 883–886) studied two other simpler maximum test statistics, the maximum of the score statistics at two extreme points of the nuisance parameter, and the maximum of the score statistics at three points of the nuisance parameter including the two extreme points. In this article, we compare the powers of these three maximum‐type statistics in the context of three genetic problems.


The application of many-body perturbation theory to atoms is discussed. The diagrammatic representation is reviewed and methods for evaluating and summing diagrams are presented. Applications to calculations of correlation energies, polarizabilities, and scattering phase shifts are given.


Eco farms vision is to nurture just and ecologically sustainable farms and food systems through education and advocacy. This research on eco farm covers the marketing strategies for organic producers. Farmers marketing for operations that sells through farmers markets or other direct to consumer. Today farmers supply fruits and vegetables to the farmers market, supermarkets local grocery stores and restaurants. It is responsible business that cares about environment their product and consumer. They are present online that analyzed competitor using aerator criteria, reliability assurance, tangible empathy and responsiveness. Make the online store more trustworthy and there is a wide range of organic products. Eco farm will send it out by email as well as posted on their web page. In these role farmers applies their expertise to help navigate complex organic compliance decisions and works to ensure organic farmers. Organic producer has experienced hardship in marketing during the pandemic period, point out them in this paper to market in sustainable food


In strategy of physics learning the theory of learning strategy is applied to physics teaching. The application of physics- learning strategy can cultivate the strategic physics- learning ability of students in order to improve the efficiency of physics learning. Therefore, students should be cultivated in physics- learning strategy.


This article is devoted to searching and identifying characteristic features and functions of the "social movie" in the system cinematography. We can see short traces of cinematography evolution in the European and national traditions. Specific feature lies in the actual display of events and life problems, social movie has a special psychological focus and thus renews and preserves human values. Social movie, as we believe, occupies honorable place in the media and has priority in the hierarchy system of human values, because it boosts the preservation of "humanity in humen", especially in our time. We believe that social cinematography is actual and promising nowadays due to its positive influence on the process of personality socialization. It's been defined the difference between commercial and social movies, this difference is focused on the educational function of social movie.


Objective
To investigate the incidence of nursing interruptions in medication preparation in general surgical wards, and analyze the reasons, so as to provide reference for dosing safety in clinical nursing.

Methods
From March to April 2016, nurses in department of general surgery of Tianjin Medical University General Hospital were observed for 105 times about interruptions in medication preparation, and the number of times, duration, sources and outcome of the interruption were recorded.

Results
Totally 402 times of interruptions occurred in 39 hours' observation, with 10.3 interruptions per hour. (3.83±1.92) interruptions occurred and lasted for (4.70±2.50) minutes in each observation. The number of times, frequency and duration of interruptions were significantly different at different times (P<0.05) . The main sources and reasons of interruption were nurse colleagues (34.8%) and giving information (23.8%) .

Conclusions
Interruptions occurres frequently during medication preparation in general surgical department, with various sources and negative outcomes. Strategies should be taken to reduce unnecessary interruptions, so that medication safety in nursing can be secured.

Key words:
General surgery; Medication preparation; Interruptions; Medication safety


We introduce the compound interest rate into the continuous version of the online leasing problem and discuss the generalized model by competitive analysis. On the one hand, the optimal deterministic strategy and its competitive ratio are obtained; on the other hand, a nearly optimal randomized strategy is constructed and a lower bound for the randomized competitive ratios is proved by Yao's principle. With the help of numerical examples, the theoretical results show that the interest rate puts off the purchase date and diminishes the uncertainty involved in the decision making.


This essay considers the place of Brian Lara in Caribbean poetry through two literary framing devices. It first situates the iconic image of Lara within the literary frames provided by T.S. Eliot's 'Tradition and the Individual Talent' and Kamau Brathwaite's notion of 'mwe', before unpacking Lara poems composed by writers and performers as well known as Jean Breeze, Howard Fergus and Paul Keens-Douglas. The discussion suggests that by reading these pieces as a collection Lara is shown to represent the Caribbean's ongoing negotiation between the one and the many, as well as the potentially hazardous over-investment in the individual hero. Consequently, the discussion is less concerned with the actions and personality of Lara than it is with his heroic image in poetry and the critical messages West Indies cricket and the Caribbean more generally may take from such literary representations.


Sheltered children and adolescents have usually experienced many forms of exclusion throughout their lives: abandonment, domestic violence and economic, social, cultural and political deprivation. This study has investigated prospects for the future among sheltered children and adolescents after their homeless condition experiences. The investigation was conducted with 14 participants of three public shelters in the municipality of Vila Velha-ES. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and subjected to content analysis as proposed by Bardin. It was found in the participants' reports the presence of topics like the experience of family breakdown, the intention to return to the birth family and the belief in the possibility of transforming their reality through studying and work. It is appropriate to discuss the deployment of public policies to this population in the sense of a comprehensive care provision in order to promote their inclusion in society.


ABSTRACT: PET observations of reduced cerebral glucose metabolism in AD could be explained by a defect in key energy metabolizing enzymes. In particular, levels of two enzymes, cytochrome oxidase (CO) and α‐ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex (αKGDHC) are generally assumed to be reliably reduced in postmortem brain of patients with AD. How strong is the evidence that brain CO and αKGDHC are reduced in AD? In our study CO activity and αKGDHC activity and protein subunit levels were measured in cerebral cortex of 19–29 AD patients and 29 control subjects. We found that mean CO activity in cerebral cortex was reduced by 16–26% in the AD group but with almost complete overlap between control and patient ranges. Since our publication in 1992, mean brain CO activity in AD was modestly reduced in 9 independent studies (p < 0.05 in 5). Activity of αKGDHC varied widely in control/AD subjects and is not useful as an enzyme marker. Cerebral cortical protein levels of E1–3 subunits, which showed much less variance, were reduced by 23–41% but with large overlap between control/patient groups. We concluded that decreased (i.e., below normal) brain CO and αKGDHC is a feature of some, but not all patients with AD. The possible causes and significance of the enzyme changes are discussed.


The kinetics and optimum conditions for the adsorption of Cd(II) ions on to dead blue green algae (BGA) mixed species were investigated with a view to explore the possibility of utilising it as a low cost adsorbent for the removal of Cd(II) from aqueous medium. Biosorption of Cd(II) was studied by varying different experimental conditions viz; contact time, solution pH, bio-sorbent dosage and Cd(II) concentration. Cd(II) adsorption onto BGA was observed to be depend on solution contact time, pH, bio-sorbent dosage and concentrations of Cd(II) in solution. The biosorption process followed pseudo-first order model (R2>0.99). Reuses of the biosorbent were also studied. Nat. Env. & Poll. Tech. Website: www.neptjournal.com Received: 20-05-2015 Accepted: 24-06-2015


In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the soundscape perception of semi-open spaces. In this context, it is aimed to define the soundscape of the courtyard of the Diyarbakır Great Mosque, which is considered one of the symbols of Diyarbakır and known as the 5th Harem-i Şerif among Muslims, and to contribute to the studies in this field. In order to determine the soundscape perception of the users, the questionnaires prepared with reference to BS ISO 12913 standards were evaluated with Frequency Analysis. In the summer period, a questionnaire was applied to a total of 62 participants, 32 women and 30 men, in the courtyard. As a result of the study, the soundscape of the courtyard was defined and the expectations of the users for the sound environment were evaluated. With these evaluations, it has been suggested to use and/or increase the sound sources with high satisfaction level in the courtyard. In addition, disturbing sound sources in the environment were identified and solutions were developed.


The contribution is aimed at developing a model of demand in tourist traffic with due regard to economic, geographical, demographical and social factors such as the GDP, Consumer Price Index, prices of trips, revenues per capita, exchange rate, etc. Important parts of this model are made up by the unpredictable negative situations that have already happened some time ago. The aim is to identify them and perform a follow-up analysis of the potential threats to a company involved in the tourist industry. Rated among those situations are terrorism, earthquakes and aviation accidents. Roland Weiss (Slovak Republic), Jozef Zuzik (Slovak Republic), Erik Weiss (Slovak Republic), Slavomír Labant (Slovak Republic), Marcela Gergeľová (Slovak Republic) BUSINESS PERSPECTIVES LLC "СPС "Business Perspectives" Hryhorii Skovoroda lane, 10, Sumy, 40022, Ukraine www.businessperspectives.org Analyzing the risk of entrepreneurship in tourist traffic Received on: 2nd of June, 2017 Accepted on: 26th of October, 2017


Absorbent product (200) having a liquid permeable surface and a liquid impermeable opposite surface, wherein the absorbent product (200) comprising an odor control material (1), the odor control material (1) comprising a carrier material (2) and a plurality of odor control particles (5) adhered to the carrier material (2).The carrier material (2) has a first surface located towards the liquid permeable surface of the absorbent product (200) and a second opposite surface located towards the liquid impermeable surface of the absorbent product (200). The plurality of odor control particles (5) are bonded to the second surface of the carrier material (2) with a water soluble binder substance wherein the binder substance at least partly dissolves when in contact with an aqueous solution.


This paper assesses the stressors causing aging degradation, the degradation mechanisms, the potential failure modes, and the inservice inspection requirements for Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) feedwater and main steam lines. The principal mechanisms responsible for age-related degradation are fatigue and erosion-corrosion. Feedwater nozzles have experienced fatigue damage caused by thermal stratification, water hammers, and flow-induced vibration. The main steam piping at fittings and discontinuities is susceptible to erosion-corrosion damage. Feedwater lines have also been damaged by vibrations and water hammer events. General Electric Company (GE) tests have shown that the feedwater and main steam lines, which are made of carbon steel, may be more susceptible to fatigue damage in a BWR environment than predicted by the ASME fatigue curves based on specimens tested in air. BWR feedwater lines have experienced less erosion-corrosion than Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) feedwater lines because they have a higher oxygen content. 38 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs.


The purpose of this paper is to discuss inequalities related to operator versions of the classical Bohr inequality. We obtain refinements of some inequalities due to Cheung and Pecaric [J. Math. Anal. Appl. 323 (2006) 403–412] and Zhang [J. Math. Anal. Appl. 333 (2007) 1264–1271]. Moreover, we present two inequalities for multiple operators, which are similar to ones proposed by Chansangiam et al. [J. Math. Anal. Appl. 356 (2009) 525–536]. Mathematics subject classification (2010): 47A63.


This book talks about concepts in Rails version 3 and about developing applications using the popular Rails framework. For a beginner to Rails this book is a good asset. It does not depend on whether the reader has a background of Rails in general-even if he/she does not, the reader can directly leap into Rails 3. This is the principal advantage of this book. The new concepts in Rails 3 are brought out well by the authors, supported by numerous examples. The authors assume that the reader is aware of Ruby programming language; however a refresher section on Ruby is included as part of the Appendix. Similarly, the concept of a Relational database is explained in an Appendix, although, RDBMS is one of the core building blocks in the context of web programming, which has remained almost unchanged for so long. Here is a summary of each of the important sections. 1. Introductory topics: The first couple of chapters talk about the components that make up web programming in Rails and the core installation process. As the book title suggests, they are based on Rails 3. The third chapter introduces the element of style (CSS) in Rails. More advanced layouts and principles of styling are discussed in later sections (Chapter 8 and Chapter 16). A mention of the most common IDE's for Rails3 (like Aptana, or RubyMine) would have been helpful, since any serious web application development does require an IDE. 2. Core components of Rails 3: The next set of chapters (4 thru 8) brings out the concepts of MVC and how they are implemented in Rails. This section is rich with examples and illustrations. Chapter 5 brings out the principles of REST clearly. The example on a RESTful Controller is explained very well, and supported by the diagram-" The many paths through a REST-based resource ". Chapters 6 thru 9 bring out Forms and how they support Models in Rails. Various Form helpers, for Rails 3, are explained in this chapter. Chapter 10 is devoted to Migrations which aid, data modeling and making them independent of the underlying RDBMS. However the question of how to develop a (small) application or service without the need for DB access remains unclear. 3. Development of a web application is an iterative process, involving debugging and testing of code. The chapter on debugging brings out certain tips, but needs more scenarios and …


Among the techniques that form the core of statistical process control (SPC), control charts are perhaps the most important and widely used tools. First developed by Shewhart (1925), the use of control charts has become standard practice in industrial applications. Although over the years other control charts have been developed, the variables control charts, xÅ and R (or xÅ and S), remain the most popular. These charts are used to monitor simultaneously both the process mean and process variability. The xÅ chart monitors changes in location, while the R (or S) chart monitors changes in spread or dispersion. The xÅ and R chart can identify special causes of variation while using relatively small sample sizes. Though the xÅ and R charts are easy to construct and easy to interpret, at times they `over react' to variations. The xÅ and S charts, on the other hand, work well for larger sample sizes and estimate the variation more eYciently (Gitlow, 1995). Recent developments deviate from early ones, most notably on the emphasis placed on target values on simultaneously monitoring the process mean and process variability (Yeh & Lin, 1999). Control charts based on these target values help determine whether the existing process is capable of meeting the desirable standards. Furthermore, they also help management set realistic goals for the existing process. One must be cautious when interpreting control charts based on target values. Sample observations can still fall outside the control limits even though no special causes are present in the process, since the desirable standards may not be consistent with the process conditions. Time and resources might be wasted looking for special causes that actually do not exist. The focus of this paper is to develop new variable control charts which will maintain the ability to monitor simultaneously, on a single chart, the process mean and the process variability. First, the Shewhart xÅ and S charts are constructed using target values for a univariate process (Mitra, 1993). Next, the same data are used to construct the proposed chartÐ the box-chart. Then the performance of the box-chart is compared with the Shewhart xÅ and S charts.


ABSTRACT Even as the recovery of Robert Bloomfield's career has accelerated over the past decade, a fully-textured understanding of his contemporary influence remains surprisingly elusive. This article offers a new perspective on the scope of that influence by looking at a specific group of contemporary accounts: memorial poems, tribute poems, and elegies. While the 1824 volume The Remains of Robert Bloomfield contained fifteen such poems, all told there are at least thirty-five others that fall into these categories, though several pre-date Bloomfield's death. This essay identifies several poetic groupings: appreciations and effusions; devotional poems; pastoral elegies; and protest poems about England's neglect of its poets. Although Bloomfield's reputation for piety, simplicity, and moral decency is a dominant thread in this body of work, I also identify several poems in which his seemingly spotless public persona makes him usable as a kind of token to be flexibly employed in the service of a grievance or cause. The essay looks in detail at two writers who use Bloomfield in this way: the English temperance writer Jabez Inwards and the American Joseph Dennie, editor of an important early American periodical, the Port Folio, that aggressively advocated for Federalism as against Jeffersonian democracy.


Looks at some assumptions of street vending such as its individualistic nature, inefficiencies and irrationality. Uses research into the market traders in Ankara, Turkey. Shows that important differences exist between different street vendors in terms of their goals, and their resulting strategies. Compares how traders make economic decisions in a competitive environment. Considers economies of scale, ethnicity and localism as three important characteristics.


ERS2 based GOME provides UV-VIS-spectra of nadir scattered sunlight which carries the absorption signals of atmospheric compounds. So far ozone, nitrogen dioxide, chlorine dioxide, and bromine monoxide have been identified. As tropospheric chemistry is of high interest for the science community some effort was made to identify formaldehyde in the spectra taken by GOME. Formaldehyde as an important intermediate in the oxidation cycle of hydrocarbons is expected to occur in regions of strong and extended photochemical activity which are mostly found in the lower layers of the troposphere. In this contribution first observations of formaldehyde are described in plumes of burning savannas in Africa and in a smog episode which covered the upper Rhein area around Frankturt/Ludwigshaten in Germany. So far the weak formaldehyde absorptions could only be identified against a spectrum from the same or from close orbits containing background levels of formaldehyde absorptions. The plume above Africa and above the Atlantic Ocean contains an additional vertical column of 1.6 x 1016 molec/cm2 which corresponds to 2.5 or 1.4 ppb in a layer of 3 or 6 Km from ground, respectively.


The GDP growth of national economies is modelled by the logistic function. Applying it on the GDP data of the World Bank till the year 2020, we forecast the outcome of the competitive GDP growth of Japan, Germany, UK and India, all of whose current GDPs are very close to one another. Fulfilling one of the predictions, in 2022 the GDP of India has indeed overtaken the GDP of UK. Our overall forecast is that by 2047, the GDP of India will be greater than that of the other three countries. We argue that when trade saturates, large and populous countries (like India) have the benefit of high domestic consumption to propel their GDP growth.


At the small scale ( 20 m(2)) differences, showed that community structure and biomass of herbivorous blennies differed among the 14 geomorphological zones identified. Large scale differences (>10 km(2)), detected using comparisons between Heron, Lady Elliot and North West reefs, revealed that species composition and biomass, but not density, differed significantly. At Heron Reef, density and biomass of comb-toothed blennies exceeded published estimates for most groups of conspicuous herbivorous fish in equivalent zones. The influence of scale on interpretation of patterns of fish distribution and the role of inconspicuous grazers such as comb-toothed blennies, deserves closer attention, (C) 2000 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.


An analysis is made to the zero bias, installation errors and scale factor propagation laws of a fiber optic strapdown inertial measurement unit from the systematic perspective, aiming to solve the problem that a certain type of fiber optic strapdown inertial navigation system requires a high precision turntable and is affected the rubber shock absorber in the conventional discrete calibration. A four-position rotation stop is conducted around X, Y, Z gyro sensitivity axes to excite the error parameters of fiber optic gyros and accelerometers, thus achieving systematic calibration of the fiber optic strapdown inertial measurement unit. By comparing with the conventional discrete calibration method with gyro rate calibration and twelve-position calibration of accelerometers, an undamped navigation swing test of the same batch is carried out on the calibrated error parameters. The test indicates that when the navigation test is performed with the systematic calibration results, the velocity errors, position errors and positioning error output by the system are smaller than those derived from the navigation test with the discrete calibration results.