Respiration is strongly linked to internal states such as arousal, emotion, and even cognitive processes and provides objective biological information to estimate these states in humans and animals. However, the measurement of respiration has not been established in macaque monkeys that have been widely used as model animals for understanding various higher brain functions. In the present study, we developed a method to monitor the respiration of behaving monkeys. We first measured the temperature of their nasal breathing, which changes between inspiration and expiration phases, in an anesthetized condition and estimated the respiration pattern. We compared the estimated pattern with that obtained by a conventional chest band method that has been used in humans and applies to anesthetized, but not behaving, monkeys. These respiration patterns matched well, suggesting that the measurement of nasal air temperature can be used to monitor the respiration of monkeys. Furthermore, we confirmed that the respiration frequency in behaving monkeys monitored by the measurement of nasal air temperature was not affected by the orofacial movement of licking to obtain the liquid reward. We next examined the frequency of respiration when they listened to music or white noise. The respiratory frequency was higher when the monkeys listened to music than the noise. This result is consistent with a phenomenon in humans and indicates the accuracy of our monitoring method. These data suggest that the measurement of nasal air temperature enables us to monitor the respiration of behaving monkeys and thereby estimate their internal states. Significance Statement While respiration is linked with internal processing, such as emotional and cognitive states, methods have not been established for physiological research on monkeys. We developed a novel method that obtained respiration signals by measuring the nasal air temperatures of behaving monkeys. Our method was able to continuously track the respiration pattern without distortions evoked by orofacial movements to lick the liquid reward. The respiratory frequency increased while listening to music than when listening to white noise for all monkeys. These results demonstrate that nasal air temperature measurements can be used to monitor the respiration patterns of aroused monkeys, allowing us to understand their internal state. This will be useful for investigating the underlying neuronal mechanism of neuropsychiatric disorders using monkeys.


Timepiece of the invention has a decoration, in the glass surface with a first axis of the pointer. To avoid permanent deformation due to vibration, a protecting wall surrounding the ornament, a second hole of the glass surface of the glass surface between the first wall can be formed of the dial.


Aiming at the attitude control of a class of hypersonic morphing vehicles (HMVs) with variable sweep wings, a model-free adaptive dynamic planning (MFADP) optimal control method based on data-driven and finite-time fuzzy disturbance observer is proposed in this article. An integrated oriented-control attitude-morphing model is established, and morphing is considered as the state to carry out the integrated coupling attitude control. The control scheme is organized by a steady-feedback-compensation framework. To overcome the dependence on the unknown dynamic knowledge of HMVs, the dynamic model is reconstructed using neural networks for steady-state control. Subsequently, based on the MFADP algorithm, an Off–On serial policy learning strategy is designed for the error model to obtain a real-time approximate optimal feedback control. Additionally, a fuzzy disturbance observer with finite-time convergence ability is proposed to estimate and compensate the multiple uncertainties. Finally, the stability of the closed-loop system is proved theoretically and the simulation results demonstrate the improved performance of the proposed method.


The purpose of this paper is to outline and adapt Sharpe's model to the agricultural activities as well as to measure the performance of crops when yield and risk are considered. The model is applied to the main varieties of citrus fruits in Valencia. For them, systematic and specific risks are measured and the yield-index elasticities are quantified. Applying performance rates, we determine the economic yields of citrus varieties in the 1985-1997 period. In the same way, we focus on its management based on the previously outlines criteria.


Galactomannans (GM), a group of neutral nontoxic polysaccharides naturally occurring in the seeds of some legumes, are used in the textile, pharmaceutical, biomedical, cosmetics and food industries. As to date there are no documented reports on determination of the sugar composition in polysaccharides by HPTLC and the following study is an attempt in this direction. GM from seeds of Caesalpinia pulcherrima L. (CP) was isolated and purified by precipitation method using alcohol. A new, simple, sensitive, selective, precise, and robust HPTLC method for analysis of monosaccharides such as galactose, mannose, xylose and glucose in isolated CP GM has been developed and validated. Chromatograms were developed using a mobile phase of acetone: water (9:1 v/v) on pre-coated plate of silica gel GF aluminium TLC plate and quantified by UV spectrophotometer at 254nm. The Rf values were 0.45, 0.34, 0.40 and 0.60 for mannose, galactose, xylose and glucose, respectively. The linearity of method was found to be within the concentration range of 2000-10000 ng/spot for all above monosaccharides. The limit of detection for mannose, galactose, xylose and glucose was found to be 0.14986 ng/spot, 0.31973 ng/spot, 0.27569 ng/spot, and 0.36808 ng/spot, respectively. The limit of quantification for mannose, galactose, xylose and glucose was found to be 1.498 ng/spot, 3.197 ng/spot, 2.756 ng/spot, and 3.680 ng/spot, respectively. The method was also validated for precision, specificity and recovery. This developed method was used to analyze CP GM for monosaccharides compositions.


Since the behavior of earth dams is unreliable in different stages of construction, impounding, and exploitation, this matter is an unavoidable and essential issue with regard to the serious dangers caused by the failure of these important structures. It is crucial to evaluate the behavior of dams and examine the consistency between the carried out analyses and the behavioral parameters under different conditions in the lifespan of dams due to the uncertainty of the principles and hypotheses which have been adopted to analyze these structures. This objective will be accomplished through the help of correct numerical analyses. A series of hypotheses are adopted to simplify the parametric analyses before starting these analyses. The aim of this research is to develop and discuss these hypotheses. And so, the number of elements and their effects on the results of analyses were examined through the consolidation of unsaturated soil method, the compressible fluid method, correlated analysis, and uncorrelated analysis. It became clear after the numerical analyses that correlated analysis is a more precise method in comparison with the uncorrelated analysis method. However, this method is not economical when it comes to high dams and the replacement method is the uncorrelated analysis. Furthermore, the displacements are not that sensitive to the bulk modulus of water while the maximum settlement of the dam transfers from the middle of the dam's core to a location higher than that the core as the bulk modulus of water increases. However, pore water pressure is very sensitive to the bulk modulus of water.


In the semi-arid Peruvian Andes, the agricultural growing season is mostly determined by the timing of the onset and cessation of the wet season, to which annual crop yields are highly sensitive. Recently, local farmers in the Rio Santa valley (Callejón de Huaylas) bordered by the glaciated Coordillera Blanca to the east and the unglaciated Coordillera Negra to the west, reported increasing challenges in the predictability of the onset, more frequent dry spells and extreme precipitation events during the wet season. Previous studies based on time-series of local rain gauges however did not show any significant changes in either timing or intensity of the wet season. Both in-situ and satellite rainfall data for the region lack the necessary spatial resolution to capture the highly variable rainfall distribution typical for complex terrain, and are often of questionable quality and temporal consistency. As in other Andean valleys, there remains considerable uncertainty in the Rio Santa basin regarding hydrological changes over the last decades. These changes are of a great concern for the local society and the lacking knowledge about changes in water availability (i.e. rainfall) and water demand (i.e. land use practices) hinder the assessment of relevant factors for the development of adaption strategies.


The prediction of vibration intensity of a finite plate by using element analysis (FEA) is investigated. Th e formula of the structural intensity in a thin plate i s firstly discussed. Then the structural intensity vecto rs and rms velocity distributions of a simply-support ed thin finite plate have been presented. Harmonic r esponse analysis for three excitation conditions: point force excitation with an attached damper but witho ut structural damping, point force excitation with str uctural damping and force excitation over a finite ar ea with structural damping. Although the rms velocit y distributions give some indication of the vibration mode at a particular frequency, the structural intensit y vectors reveal the power flow pattern.


This paper discusses techniques for synchronizing and controlling fast digital optical and optoelectronic processors. When optical processors require significant amounts of control for proper operation, designers have traditionally resorted to electronic host computers. Such approaches are often inadequate because of high host computer cost, or the need for speed that an electronic host computer cannot deliver. We discuss how to design controllers in the optical or optoelectronic domain. Since data and control pulses must arrive in synchronization at all interaction points, system timing and resynchronization are discussed as the major problems to be solved in designing such systems. We present solutions to the problems of timing and resynchronizing high speed optical processors in the context of two system timing paradigms: the gate and strobe paradigm and the more recent time-of-flight paradigm. Gate and strobe designs are synchronized by gating the data pulses from storage element to storage element. Time of flight systems can be synchronized by pulse reshaping: resynchronization of the weakening pulse by retiming its leading and trailing edges and by clock gating: gating a fresh copy of the master clock signal to replace a weakening signal pulse.


Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) provides 3D images which remove tissue overlapping and enables better cancer detection. Stationary DBT (s-DBT) uses a fixed X-ray source array to eliminate image blur associated with the x-ray tube motion and provides better image quality as well as faster scanning speed. For limited angle tomography, it is known that iterative reconstructions generally produces better images with fewer artifacts. However classical iterative tomosynthesis reconstruction methods are considerably slower than the filtered back-projection (FBP) reconstruction. The linear x-ray source array used in s-DBT enables a computationally more efficient volume reconstruction using adapted fan beam slice sampling, which transforms the 3-D cone beam reconstruction to a series of 2-D fan beam slice reconstructions. In this paper, we report the first results of the adapted fan-beam volume reconstruction (AFVR) for the s-DBT system currently undergoing clinical trial at UNC, using a simultaneous algebraic reconstruction technique (SART). An analytic breast phantom is used to quantitatively analyze the performance of the AFVR. Image quality of a CIRS biopsy phantom reconstructed using the AFVR method are compared to that using FBP algorithm with a commercial package. Our results show a significant reduction in memory usage and an order of magnitude speed increase in reconstructing speed using AFVR compared to that of classical 3-D cone beam reconstruction. We also observed that images reconstructed by AFVR with SART had a better sharpness and contrast compared to that using FBP. Preliminary results on patient images demonstrates the improved detectability of the s-DBT system over the mammography. By utilizing parallel computing with graphics processing unit (GPU), it is expected that the AFVR method will enable iterative reconstruction technique to be practical for clinical applications.


i

A detailed study has been made of the remanent magnetization of five Pilansberg dykes, by means of measurements on oriented specimens of the rocks. Outcrops of the dykes prove to have suffered magnetic disturbance of their original thermo-remanent magnetization. Specimens from depths of a few thousand feet, taken in Witwatersrand gold mines, show highly consistent magnetisation of the basic parts of the dykes over considerable distances between sampling sites. The mean directions given by the five dykes agree well, and the mean direction from the five dykes gives a North-seeking magnetic pole with inclination +69.3 and azimuth N 24° E. Assuming thermo-remanent magnetisation by a geocentric dipole field, this places a North magnetic pole in latitude 71/2° N, longitude 421/ E at the time of intrusion of the dykes. The age of the dykes is uncertain, but is probably about 300 to 400 million years. Some of the specimens have been subjected to alternating magnetic fields in order to test the stability of their magnetisations. The basic specimens are found to be highly stable, being only slightly affected by fields of 100 to 300 oersteds. The possible implications of the results are discussed, in terms of hypotheses of polar wandering and continental drift.


The article is devoted to the formation of theoretical and methodological provisions and applied principles ofprocess-oriented development of construction companies aimed at improving the procedural and instrumental basis for makingeconomic and managerial decisions in a dynamic business environment for investment and construction projects. The constructionindustry has a much higher degree of fragmentation of process characteristics compared to other types of activities, which aredetermined by the extremely high level of economic dynamism, where companies are constantly faced with the need to adapt tomarket transformations. functioning, connections and relations between the components of the economic and production system ofthe enterprise as an object of management). Implementation of the process approach allows to systematically combine functionalareas of activity, to build transparent and understandable for employees of the enterprise schemes for the implementation ofmanagement tasks, evaluate and optimize resources. Methodological and applied business tools for the formation of the budget ofthe construction development project were further developed, which provides for phased and multi-criteria formation of budgetsof contractors and the total budget of the development project on a new calculation and analytical basis.


Participation in school-based extracurricular activities influences educational success. Thus, it is important to depict a profile of school-based extracurricular activity involvement for a Latino student population that is marginalized in schools. This research uses the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002 and logistic regression analyses to present a profile of the factors linked to participation in school-based extracurricular activities among Latino 10th-grade students. Results indicate that geographic characteristics, as well as immigration-related characteristics such as immigrant generational status and English proficiency, are pertinent factors in Latinos' participation in school-based extracurricular activities.


Thyroid Ultra Sound guided Fine-Needle Aspiration (USFNA) is the gold standard for thyroid nodules diagnosis. Many patients are under anticoagulation or antiplatelet medication. Haemorrhagic complications of US-FNA are rare. It is not clear if performing thyroid US-FNA in hypocoagulated patients increase risk of complications or if this medication should be stopped before the procedure. Additionally, influence that anticoagulated state may have on number of non-diagnostic cytological results is unknown. It is our purpose to assess haemorrhagic risk and impact on non-diagnostic results of thyroid US-FNA, performed in patients under anticoagulation/antiplatelet therapy. Methods: Retrospective study of 278 thyroid US-FNA performed during 18 months. Patients were divided into two groups according to whether doing or not anticoagulation/antiplatelet medication. None of patients stopped that medication before the procedure, which was made by the same radiologist. In each group was evaluated the prevalence of haemorrhagic and non-haemorrhagic complications and the number of non-diagnostic results. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS with significance index p<0,05. Results: 278 thyroid US-FNA were analysed. Majority of patients were female (55,5%) with a medium age of 66,8 years. 71,7% of patients were included on Control Group (without medication) and 28,3% on Hypo-coagulated Group (under anticoagulation/antiplatelet medication). This last group comprise 67,5% of patients doing antiplatelet medication, 25,6% of patients undergoing direct oral anticoagulant agents (DOAC) and 6,7% under vitamin K inhibitors. Prevalence of haemorrhagic complications on the Hypocoagulated Group was 1,35% (p=0,11). Non-haemorrhagic complications were reported in 1,96% on control group and


The first examples of the heterocumulenic Pauson-Khand reaction are described. Alkynylcarbodiimides undergo an intramolecular Pauson-Khand cycloaddition upon heating in the presence of Mo(CO) 6 and DMSO to afford 4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrrolo[2,3-b]pyrrolin-2-ones and H-pyrrolo[2,3-b]indol-2-ones.


The paper deals with a complex decision-making problem, the evaluation and selection of most applicable Learning Management Systems (LMS) in which several objectives - referring to the definite group of users - like social, technical, environmental, and economic impacts, must be simultaneously taken into account. The general aim of our case study was focusing on the usability and applicability aspects of LMSs in relation to definite target group and users: employees in the Slovenian SMEs with a basic knowledge of ICT. We introduce Evaluation Cycle Management (ECM), a support methodology aimed at the evaluation of options that occur in the decision-making processes. ECM is based on Multi-attribute decision making (Criteria Evaluation) and Usability Testing (Usability Evaluation). The Multi-attribute decision making in the first phase of ECM presents an approach to the development of a qualitative hierarchical decision model that is based on DEX, an expert system shell for multi-attribute decision support. The second phase of ECM is aimed at Usability Testing on end users.


Managementofhepatocellularcarcinoma(HCC),thesixthmost common cancer and the third most common cause of cancer-related death globally, 1 continues to present many challenges. First, despite the


Well‐preserved Ginkgo pollen organs are analyzed from the Middle Jurassic Xishanyao Formation of the Turpan–Hami Basin, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwestern China, and are described as a new species, Ginkgo hamiensis Z.X. Wang et B.N. Sun sp. nov. The immature male cones are cylindrical and catkin‐like, with two longitudinal stripes on the stalk. The pollen sacs are shaped like a long oval with two pollen sacs fused together for each microsporophyll, and the microsporophyll tip is a triangular cystidium. The pollen grains are oblong or fusiform and monocolpate; both ends are blunt or sharp. By comparison with previously reported fossil records of Ginkgo plants, we determined that the current fossils are different from all other reported species; thus, the present fossil is referred to as a new species of Ginkgo. The reproductive organs of the Ginkgo fossils described herein can provide valuable information for the study of Ginkgo plants. Further, there are two probable evolutionary trends in the Ginkgo pollen cones. One trend is that the number of pollen sacs changed from three or four during the Jurassic and Cretaceous to two at the present day; the other is that the number of pollen sacs has remained two from the Middle Jurassic to the present day. In addition, the pollen cones described herein are similar to the pollen cones of the extant Ginkgo, which strongly indicates that the morphology of Ginkgo plants may have remained highly conserved over millions of years.


This paper traces the history of the use of visual metaphors in social sciences and particularly in
sociology. It claims that the use of visual metaphors is at the roots of the discourse of objectivity in
social sciences.


In this thesis a promising new superresolution technique called Optical Photon Reassignment (OPRA) microscopy is introduced and applied to the field of fluorescence microscopy. The method is a optical realization of the computer-based reassignment principle in confocal microscopy introduced by Sheppard in 1988 [17]. There, the spatial information in the pinhole plane is used to increase the resolution. In the year 2010 this method received a lot attention as Muller and Enderlein published the same principle including experimental data from fluorescent samples [23]. As in OPRA the computational reassignment process is done optically, any necessary processing is avoided and only one camera readout is required. The microscopy concept, together with proof-of-principle experiments and a mathematical framework, was published and patented in 2013 [24, SR1]. The method combines several important properties of fluorescent imaging towards non invasive live-cell imaging in a unique way. OPRA achieves two-fold resolution enhancement in the focal plane if compared with the cut-off frequency of standard widefield microscopy. As OPRA does not require any processing, it is suitable for extremely fast imaging, especially if the method is parallelized. The imaging speed of the method is mostly limited by the scan speed. This is a system inherent advantage to other superresolution techniques as SIM or the pointillistic methods as PALM and dSTORM where several camera readouts are necessary. In [SR2] the special property of OPRA named "superconcentration" is introduced and discussed. This property describes, that the peak-intensity, compared to widefield microscopy, is increased and therefore the light is better concentrated than classical limits predicts. The theoretical background of this measurement concept was used for a general comparison of the microscopes OTF [SR4]. As the reassignment of the photons occurs in the pinhole plane, it is in general a two dimensional process. However, there is an effect along the optical axis as well. In [SR3] it could be shown, that it is possible to improve the axial resolution by more than 10% over the resolution of a confocal microscope for reasonable big pinholes if OPRA is combined with structured illumination. This combination has the advantage, that the relatively large pinhole maintains the high signal level of OPRA. In figure 2.2 the interaction of several important properties in modern superresolving fluorescent microscopy are illustrated in a simplified scheme. OPRA is able to link several characteristics in a new, unrivalled way. The described properties of OPRA have the potential to replace the confocal microscope as standard technique for biomedical imaging. OPRA in the parallelized realization is suitable for imaging of fast processes in living cells and is therefore a promising method to help answering important biomedical questions in the coming years of research. These properties of the optical reassignment methods lead to the development of several commercial products as the Re-Scan Confocal [25, 26], the spinning-disk variant (SD-OPR) by Yokogawa Electric Corporation [27, 28] or the multi-beam realisation called Vt-SIM by Visitech Int. [29].


Power line communication is basically meant for carrying not only the electric power but also the data over the conductors and as the application alters so do the need to change the technologies, like the requirement to alter the technology in case of home automation and for internet access and in order to create a sufficient level of separation between them, they are usually differentiated by means of frequency alteration. In general the transformer present at the substation usually prevents the propagation of signal. Data rates and the distance vary in accordance with power line communication standard. Power line communication has been emanated as one of the most enduring means of communication for smart grid applications especially while considering the biggest advantage i.e. an already established infrastructure, therefore sending out the control information over the same network will add only a little cost and hence opens the door for a plethora of applications. The communication over Power Line is not so new when we are concerned about generation, transmission or deliverance of power but here our main concern is control and management of power rather than transmission or deliverance of power and this purpose can only be accomplished if we are utilizing the available resources in an efficient manner which in turn is dependent on the fast and effective transmission of data or control information over these channels. To ensure the fulfillment of these requisites there is a requirement to analyze the basic topological connections and the circuit modeling and thus determined the various control and traffic problems associated with the transmission of this information which usually varies according to applications


Before proceeding to give an account of any epidemic, it seems particularly necessary to know something of the situation of the country in which such epidemic occurred, 1 shall therefore give a short account of Padstow. It is a seaport on the Bristol Channel, situated in a valley sheltered by hills, about a mile and a half from the shore. Judging by my feelings, it is considerably warmer here, even in winter, than in London ; frost is rarely of long continuance, and


This study aims to assess the classification accuracy of a novel mapping workflow for sugarcane crops identification that combines light detection and ranging (LiDAR) point clouds and remotely-sensed orthoimages. The combined input data of plant height LiDAR point clouds and multispectral orthoimages were processed using a technique called object-based image analysis (OBIA). The use of multi-source inputs makes the mapping workflow unique and is expected to yield higher accuracy compared to the existing techniques. The multi-source inputs are passed through five phases: data collection, data fusion, image segmentation, accuracy validation, and mapping. Data regarding sugarcane crops were randomly collected in ten sampling sites in the study area. Five out of the ten sampling sites were designated as training sites and the remaining five as validation sites. Normalized digital surface model (nDSM) was created using the LiDAR data. The nDSM was paired with Orthophoto and segmented for feature extraction in OBIA by developing a rule-set in eCognition software. A rule-set was created to classify and to segment sugarcane using nDSM and Orthophoto from the training and validation area sites. A machine learning algorithm called support vector machine (SVM) was used to classify entities in the image. The SVM was constructed using the nDSM. The height parameter nDSM was applied, and the overall accuracy assessment was 98.74% with Kappa index agreement (KIA) 97.47%, while the overall accuracy assessment of sugarcane in the five validation sites were 94.23%, 80.28%, 94.50%, 93.59%, and 93.22%. The results suggest that the mapping workflow of sugarcane crops employing OBIA, LiDAR data, and Orthoimages is attainable. The techniques and process used in this study are potentially useful for the classification and mapping of sugarcane crops.


Lenin paid close attention to the problem of farmers.In leading the socialist construction of the newborn Soviet power,he related the problem of farmers with the success and failure and the rise and fall of socialism.Lenin's exploration of the correct solutions of the problem of farmers in theory and practice is still of great immediate significance to our effort to correctly understand and settle the problem of farmers in building a well-off society in an all-round way in China today.


A virological survey for avian influenza (AI) and Newcastle disease (ND) was conducted in two selected live bird markets (LBMs), namely Kaptan Bazar and Karwan Bazar in Dhaka city, Bangladesh from August 2011 to July 2012. A total of 513 dead chickens were collected. An immune-chromatographic rapid antigen test for Type A influenza virus and both conventional and real time RT-PCR were used for the detection and characterization of AI and ND viruses. All carcasses were first screened by the rapid antigen test kit and 93 were positive for Type A influenza virus. RT-PCR on a representative number of rapid antigen test positive samples (n = 24) confirmed the presence of Type A influenza virus and mostly H5 influenza virus (22 out of 24 tested samples). Influenza rapid test negative samples (n = 420) were subjected to routine necropsy. Heat stress, suffocation and physical injury were the most common cause of mortality (163 cases), followed by ND, suspected to be the cause of 85 deaths. On molecular investigation of these 85 samples, the presence of ND virus was confirmed in 59 and AI virus in 6; 15 were negative for both ND and AI viruses and 5 were unsuitable for investigation. Among the 59 ND confirmed cases 18 also contained AI virus. In summary, out of 513 carcasses 117 (22.81%) contained AI virus and 59 (11.50%) contained ND virus. Eighteen (3.51%) carcasses contained both AI and ND viruses. The findings suggest that both AI and ND should be considered as major threats to the poultry industry. Bangl. vet . 2016. Vol. 33, No. 1, 8-15


This essay discusses the experimental nonfiction film El Mar La Mar (Joshua Bonnetta and J.P. Sniadecki, 2017), focusing on the migrant crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border. El Mar La Mar is one of several recent films that use unconventional textual strategies to approach the subject of migration. Eschewing exposition altogether, it draws attention to the Sonoran Desert, a vast territory that in the last twenty-five years has become a deadly route for migrants trying to cross the border. Unlike what has often been argued about the film, though, El Mar La Mar does not produce an immersive viewing experience. Nor does it simply rely on observational strategies. Instead, it creates an uneasy sense of place out of unexpected juxtapositions of sound and image. Drawing on human geography and sound studies in documentary, this essay looks at how the film's textual strategies align place and politics in order to evoke the migrant crisis.


The stress-strain-temperature relation associated with the R-phase transformation in TiNi shape memory alloy was investigated from the phenomenological point of view. A set of constitutive equations consisting of the mechanical constitutive equation and of the transformation kinetics were presented to describe the shape memory effect, the transformation pseudoelasticity and the partial pseudoelasticity. The material constants in the theory were determined from the results of the tensile tests on TiNi wire specimens at various temperatures. The theory described well the stress-strain-temperature relation based on the R-phase transformation.


Some practical aspects of planar linear ultrasound phased arrays for transrectal thermotherapy of prostate diseases are discussed. Several regimens for driving the array are investigated and spatial distributions of ultrasound intensities are measured in water and compared with computer simulations. Practical recommendations for suppressing grating lobes based on the use of subsets of elements and de-activation of several elements in the array are given. Treatment safety could be increased by adopting these measures since the relative intensities and power in grating lobes and other secondary intensity peaks are decreased, as is the overall ultrasound energy introduced into the body without significant reduction in the maximum power at the focus.


Substantial disagreement continues to divide mental health professionals on the evidence base that underlies evidence-based practices. This article considers four of the most hotly debated unresolved issues underlying this controversy; suggests the nature of evidence that might permit their resolution; and speculates on the consequences that might follow a failure in efforts at resolution. Resolution of these issues is crucial to the future of evidence-based practices. [Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention 4:243–254 (2004)]


Online education is an important part of education services. It widens the channels and means of moral education, and is conducive to building a network, digital, personalized and lifelong education system. This study analyzes the characteristics of online moral education evaluation. On the premise of fully considering the initiative, sustainability and creativity of learners in the learning process, self-evaluation is added to the evaluation results. Based on the analysis of online learners' learning process data, this paper establishes a personalized formative moral education evaluation model. In addition, this study makes an empirical analysis to provide a feasible solution to the effectiveness of moral education evaluation.


Auto/Biography in the Americas: Relational Lives is one of the two volumes1 edited by Ricia Anne Chansky in the wake of the 2013 a/b: Auto/Biography Studies conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico, cal...


Joint Congress on Evolutionary BiologyIn rhinoceros beetles, horn size appears to be an honest indicator of male quality: Small male rhinoceros beetles never grow large horns to fool a rival. Biologists have long thought that's because the horns are too physiologically costly for small, undernourished males to build and support. But work presented at the meeting shows that, actually, horns are not a very big burden. Instead, the nature of the developmental pathway that leads to horns—and other sexually selected traits related to size—may be what guarantees that these traits are a true reflection of the rival's health and stature.


The nine papers collected in this special issue of Micropaleontology are a selection of contributions on presented at the 17th International Symposium on Ostracoda (ISO), which was held in Rome, Italy, on 23rd-26th July 2013, and attended by 141 scientists from 29 countries (see text-figure 1).


Recent results from experiments with neon-like x-ray lasers are discussed. Lasing in an Ag amplifier is demonstrated. The strong J=2-1 transitions are shown to have large gains. A J=0-1 transition at 81.57 {Angstrom} is the shortest lasing transition yet observed in neon-like ions. A quasi-cw laser is demonstrated in experiments with germanium amplifiers. A substantial difference is shown to exist between the spectroscopy of lasers produced in exploding foils and slab targets. Experiments with over-ionized germanium lasers are also discussed.


The inception of pediatric endocrinology in the United States began little less than a century ago, but it has grown as a subspecialty field since the 1950s [...]


IS time that we in the United States knew something about Leon Felipe. Because he is the humblest and simplest of Spain's poets, because he is a solitary who can neither hunt with the pack nor join the clique nor form part of the school nor follow the directives of the party, because he is at once mystic and equalitarian not today a wonted combination he is neither written about nor translated into English. For nearly a quarter century his slender volumes of poetry have been going forth, one after another, each of them heralded as a literary event throughout the Spanish-speaking world. His rare public addresses, with no organization of any kind to sponsor them, have been literary events too, crowding the largest halls in Mexico City, Panama, Havana, Madrid, and other capitals. He lived and taught here in the United States for a few years and has sympathetically translated some of the best of our writers, ranging from Walt Whitman to Dos Passos, yet his very name is unknown among us. For that matter, his private life, his real name, are unknown to many who cherish his poetry in Spain and Latin America. What he thinks and feels about man, God, Spain, and the universe is an open book with no concealments. But what he has been through and privately suffered is fully known perhaps to no one. What I have been able to glean of his personal life from the passionate monologues which are his private conversation without benefit of that "formalized curiosity" known as research boils down to little, and some of that uncertain. His real name is Leon Felipe Camino (prophetic name, for camino is road and this man was born to wander unceasingly: he dropped the family name with his first book of poems lest people should think that it was assumed as a pose or inept wordplay). The anthologies, which by their nature seem to give the date of


Mobile ad-hoc network (MANET) is a continuously self-configuring, infrastructure-less network of connected wireless mobile devices, without any centralized control. MANET applications range from small static networks to very large scale dynamic mobile network, with complex issues involved with the design of routing. Irrespective of situation and application, MANET's need efficient link scheduling, routing, and network organization capability. This work compare the proactive (DSDV) protocol against the reactive (DSR and AODV) using the NS2 simulation environment. Evaluation was done using a system of mobile nodes and the protocols are compared mainly on the basis of packet delivery ratio, packet loss, delay, throughput, jitter, overhead, and security. The functional differences between the protocols are used to form guidelines to decide which protocols are best suited for particular applications and under what circumstances.


In this study, four cooling methods, i.e., vacuum cooling, water immersion, air-blast and
cold-room cooling were investigated to compare their effects on cooling efficiency and product quality.
The overall mean results indicate that vacuum cooling is a very rapid and efficient means of cooling
large cooked beef products. Vacuum cooling is over 800% quicker in terms of cooling times than the
other cooling methods. However mass losses are higher (8-11%) than the other methods (2-3%).
Sensory analysis indicated that overall acceptability of the samples was not affected by cooling
treatment. Instrumental analysis showed that vacuum cooled samples had a tougher texture and a
darker colour, but sensory panellists did not find vacuum cooled sample texture significantly different
to others and the panellists preferred the darker colour of vacuum cooled samples.


Abstract : An analytical method of constructing a generalized logical model (m-k) of polar synchronic and asynchronic automats with memory is presented. The possibilities of using it during the construction of tests, procedures of control and for the diagnosis of inaccuracies are also examined. A method of solving these problems with the help of generalized logic model is described.


A very small multiband chip antenna for portable mobile devices is presented. This work examines a new ceramic material suitable for the internal antenna design which gives a shorter guided wavelength and multiple resonances to achieve antenna size reduction, sufficient space utilization, and bandwidth increase. The occupied volume of the antenna radiator is only 10×3×4 mm3, approximately equal to 0.05 λm ×0.016λm×0.02λm (λm is the longest wavelength of the GPS band) so the antenna can be placed in the device flexibly. The proposed antenna should be the smallest antenna covering GPS-WiFi-WiMax ever reported.


Foodborne infections with enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) are a major cause of diarrheal illness in humans and can lead to severe complications such as hemolytic uremic syndrome. Cattle and other ruminants are the main reservoir of EHEC, which enters the food chain through contaminated meat, dairy, or vegetables. Here, we describe the establishment of a vertebrate model for foodborne EHEC infection, using larval zebrafish ( Danio rerio ) as a host and the protozoan prey Paramecium caudatum as a vehicle. We follow pathogen release from the vehicle, intestinal colonization, microbe-host interactions, and microbial gene induction within a live vertebrate host, in real time, throughout the course of infection. We demonstrate that foodborne EHEC colonizes the gastrointestinal tract faster and establishes a higher burden than waterborne infection. Expression of the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE), a key EHEC virulence factor, was observed early during infection, mainly at sites that experience fluid shear, and required tight control to enable successful host colonization. EHEC infection led to strain- and LEE-dependent mortality in the zebrafish host. Despite the presence of the endogenous microbiota limiting EHEC colonization levels, EHEC colonization and virulence can be studied either under gnotobiotic conditions or against the microbe interactions, as well as environmental shedding and transmission to naive hosts. a of infections EHEC is transmitted through consumption of water, meat, dairy, or vegetables contaminated with fecal matter or is transmitted hand to mouth, which is common in school and nursery settings. EHEC usually presents with bloody vomiting, and rare can lead to syndrome a severe


This paper addresses the question of whether spin−spin coupling between X and Y across an X−H−Y hydrogen bond is proof that the hydrogen bond is covalent. The results of ab initio equation-of-motion coupled cluster singles and doubles (EOM-CCSD) calculations are used to compare coupling constants (2hJX-Y) for hydrogen-bonded complexes and related complexes that have the same X−Y distance but no hydrogen bond. The results show that even in the absence of a hydrogen bond, X−Y coupling can occur. The magnitude of this coupling constant may be greater or less than it is in the hydrogen-bonded complex. Thus, these data suggest that X−Y spin−spin coupling is not a proof of covalency. The role of the hydrogen bond is to allow X and Y to approach each other close enough to form a stable complex, for which an X−Y coupling constant can be measured experimentally. The presence of the proton does influence the magnitude of the coupling constant by altering the s-electron densities on X and Y.


The increasing demand for petroleum-derived products coupled with decreasing world crude reserves has led to substantial increases in asphalt pricing. Society's additional interest in energy independence and use of renewable sources of energy is also a motivation for developing and using more sustainable materials such as binders derived from noncrude petroleum sources for use in highway applications. Iowa State University has been developing noncrude petroleum binders derived from the production of bio-oil via fast pyrolysis of non-food source biorenewable residues. Currently, research has demonstrated that bioasphalt can be used as a modifier, extender, or even as an antioxidant when added to petroleum asphalt. Previous research illustrated concerns with low-temperature cracking and the ability to produce typical binder grades used in the United States. This work aims to develop a biobinder that can replace 100% of the petroleum derived asphalt used in constructing flexible pavements utilizing bio-oil and crumb rubber. Both ambient and cryogenic crumb rubber were used in the research. The outcomes of the processes and formulations illustrates that noncrude petroleum binders can be developed effectively to replace typical paving grades of asphalt such as a PG 64-22 binder.


SUMMARYThe kind of personality changes that the client-centered therapy accentuates must be considered as a development of existing, but unutilized resources in the person, rather than changes in already established and utilized potentials.This personality development is primarily characterized by maturation of the client's emotional life. Such emotional development paves the way for changes in the cognitive life and behavior of the client.Most of the terms used in client-centered therapy, describing personality development, can be subsumed by three criteria of successful therapy: 1. The client is no longer enslaved by the conditions of worth of significant others. 2. The client is accepting himself and others. 3. The client assimilates his organismic experiences.The fact that only conscious experiences constitutes the material to be worked with in client-centered therapy gives us reason to believe that only small changes take place in the deeper layers of the personality. If such changes do take place, s...


To model the reactions in which the bonds of the fragments of coal may take part during its thermal dissolution, the products of thermolysis in tetralin solution of a number of individual organic compounds have been investigated. The influence of the products of the decomposition of octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane on the course of the thermolysis reactions of these model substances has been studied.


(57) Abstract: The present invention includes the discovery that synthetic thyroid hormone can be used as a composition for reducing intraocular pressure in vivo. Providing intraocular pressure, humor pressure, hydraulic conductivity, hyaluronic acid secretion, and the effects on extracellular matrix assembly methods of screening synthetic thyroid hormone. Method of treating methods and glaucoma treating excess intraocular pressure by synthetic thyroid hormone and compositions are also provided.


with a dangerous reservoir in Shanxi Province as research object,the mathematic model for dam seepage and slope stability was established by using saturated-steady and unsaturated-unsteady seepage theory and the Morgenstem-Price method which can automatically search the sliding surface.The operation conditions were also designed for steady and unsteady seepage.The stability for the most unfavorable slope was calculated under different seepage conditions and the stability of earch-rock dam with clay core was evaluated,which can provide scientific basis for the reinforcement design of earch-rock dam with day core,and guide the scientific management for the reservoir under normal and non-normal operations.


Latent fingerprints are the kind left on objects after direct contact with a person's finger, often unwittingly at crime scenes. Most current techniques for extracting these types of fingerprint are invasive and involve contaminating the fingerprint with chemicals which often renders the fingerprint unusable for further forensic testing. We propose a novel and robust method for extracting latent fingerprints from surfaces without the addition of contaminants or chemicals to the evidence. We show our technique works on notoriously difficult to image surfaces, using off-the-shelf cameras and statistical analysis. In particular, we extract images of latent fingerprints from surfaces which are transparent, curved and specular such as glass lightbulbs and jars, which are challenging due to the curvature of the surface. Our method produces results comparable to more invasive methods and leaves the fingerprint sample unaffected for further forensic analysis. Our technique uses machine learning to identify partial fingerprints between successive images and mosaics them.


Device for contactless energy transmission from a coil arrangement in an opening provided in a vehicle secondary winding characterized, in that the coil assembly comprises a plastic member having a recessed portion at a flat surface portion in which the coil winding is arranged, wherein a planar ferrite is disposed on the flat surface portion, wherein the plastic part has a raised edge region such that a trough-shaped region is formed, which includes the recessed portion, wherein the trough-shaped area is molded with sealing compound so that the coil winding is cast in the recessed portion including the Ferritbereichs with casting compound, wherein the coil arrangement is arranged on a floor, that the coil arrangement, is driven over by the vehicle, in particular wheels of the vehicle, wherein the sealing compound is disposed on the side facing away from the vehicle side of the plastic part.


Abstract We studied 16 streams evenly distributed over the northern and southern slopes of Madeira in order to investigate the riparian bryoflora. Within each stream, three positions (upper, middle and lower reaches) were delimited and within each position two areas were selected. Within each area two plots (each composed of six microplots of 0.2 m2) were sampled, one in the within-stream habitat (submerged all year round), and the other in the stream-border habitat (submerged only in winter). We found that species composition of the riparian bryophytes is affected by the habitat and position in the stream, but not by the main aspect (northern versus southern slope). Concerning species richness, we found that the stream-border community was clearly richer than the within-stream community, upstream plots were richer than plots downstream, and plots on the northern slope of the island were richer than plots on the southern slope. Habitat type was the most significant factor in determining the richness of the threatened species with more species present in the stream-border habitat. Additive partitioning showed that the between-stream component contributed most to total species richness, especially to the richness of the infrequent and threatened species. However, for the common species, the lowest level, i.e. the within-area component, was the most important. Although northern upstream areas are climatically favourable for many bryophyte species due to their higher humidity, the clear effects found may not only be climate-induced, as these areas are also less disturbed and mostly covered by the natural laurel forest. In the southern, downstream parts only a few species were present. Human impacts are largest in the latter situations and probably contributed to the low species richness. As the streams differed considerably in terms of their bryophyte flora, and most of the species were rare, changes in the riparian areas can greatly affect the bryoflora. Therefore, in order to protect the riparian bryophytes as comprehensively as possible, we emphasize the need for careful monitoring of any changes.


In this paper, we have analyzed regarding the performance of Phrase-based Statistical Machine Translation on different Indian languages. We present report of baseline systems on several language pairs. The motivation to present this survey is to explore the development of SMT and linguistic resources of these language pairs, the current approaches are quite desolate due to vast amount of data related to linguistic resources. SMT system approaches are unpredictable on large parallel corpus and such data is necessary to reliably estimate translation probabilities. We presented the performance of baseline systems translating from different Indian languages (Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi) into English with accurate results on some extend, for all the language pairs.


A Late issue of the Times contained an article on Labour action songs, giving illustrations. I give below two of the chants which are, or used to be, droned out by the palki-bearers on the Simla—Bilaspur and the Dalhousie-Pathānkot road The railway and Tonga have now nearly made them a thing of the past. The palki or palanquin is carried by four bearers who shoulder the pole running through the vehicle, two men in front and two behind.


The present invention relates to polymers Graft HIDROGFILOS absorbable and which consist DISTRIBUTION IN STATIC 0''5, 20 GEW% REMAINS OF GENERAL FORMULA I, from 79 to 99% of a group GEW acid residue content of the formula II and 0''1 2 GEW% of inherited structures, INVOLVING monomer with at least two olefins double bonds unsaturated rEPRESENTING THE REMAINS R1 to R4 YN THE MEANING 1 being used as MEDIA absorbents for water and aqueous solutions.


A broadband and high gain transmit array (TA) antenna, operating at 60 GHz, is proposed. To meet the design requirements of a TA antenna with polarisation-insensitive radiation performance, an optimal multi-layer unit cell (UC) is introduced. The dimensions of the UC are parametrically expressed to realise a linear transmission phase response with a variation range of 270° and insertion loss <;-3 dB over the desired frequency band ranging from 58 to 64 GHz. A new planar array composed of 2 × 4 aperture-coupled-patches interleaved with a soft-surface is also designed as a feed for the proposed TA. Furthermore, a hybrid method based on full-wave simulations and analytical formulations is developed to calculate the radiation characteristics of the TA antenna and the results are compared to the ones achieved with full-wave simulations. The designed TA antenna is fabricated and the measurement results are presented. The obtained results show peak aperture efficiencies of 38.48% (30.85 dB peak gain) and 32.37% (30.1 dB peak gain), and -1 dB gain bandwidths of 7.7 and 8.2% from the full-wave simulations and measurements, respectively. Such a broadband and high gain antenna is deemed to be suitable for mm-wave backhaul links in 5G cellular systems.


This research was conducted with the aim to identify and prove the effect of simultaneous and partial characteristics of the preparation of the budget that includes: contribution to the control environment, risk assessment, control activities, information and communication, monitoring in determining the scope of audit
Design used in this study is a survey method, survey methods included descriptive research. This study aims to describe and test the hypothesis of a causal relationship between independent variables and dependent variables, either simultaneously or partially.
The results showed that: (a) Elements of the internal control structure that consists of the control environment, risk assessment, control activities, information and communication, monitoring of this joint has a contribution in determining the scope of the audit; (b) The elements of internal control consists of the control environment, risk assessment, as well as information and communication, individually marked regression coefficient is negative or has a negative relationship. The relationship between the internal control structure with the scope of the audit means that if the internal control structure that consists of the control environment, risk assessment. as well as information and communication in effective business units will not produce a broad scope of the audit.


Although Etty Hillesum's writings are favorably received by those whose faith is aligned with a particular religious tradition, their "spiritual but not religious" outlook also makes them quite appealing to "spiritual wanderers" who may feel excluded by mainstream religious institutions. Hillesum had two great teachers: Rainer Maria Rilke and Julius Spier. This chapter demonstrates how great an influence Spier had on Hillesum's spirituality, to the point where it can be called her "spierituality". The author tackles Hillesum's writings chronologically in order to display how Spier introduced her to different sources of spiritual influence. The chapter concludes by questioning Hillesum's Jewish identity as well as her openness toward a large diversity of standpoints and the relevance of her writings for the contemporary spiritual quest. Keywords: Etty Hillesum's writings; Hillesum's Jewish identity; Hillesum's spirituality; Julius Spier; spierituality


We have studied the thermal stability and etching characteristics of electron beam deposited SiO and SiO2. Scanning electron microscopy, Auger, atomic form microscopy, and ellipsometry were used to analyze the surface morphology, roughness, and film composition as a function of annealing temperatures. Both SiO and SiO2 showed excellent thermal stability up to 400 °C anneal and refractive index, surface morphology and pattern edge definition of both films barely changed. For higher temperature anneal, based on Auger analysis results, the ratio of Si/O of SiO2 film stayed constant after 700 °C. However, the Si/O ratio of SiO film increased from 0.54 to 0.62 due to oxygen outdiffusion. Dry etch characteristics of SiO and SiO2 were investigated using SF6 and NF3 discharges in a Plasma Therm inductively coupled plasma system. Wet etches were performed using buffered HF and HF/H2O solutions. Dry etch rates of SiO2 were comparable with that of conventional plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition SiO2. SiO2 etc...


Hamzah Yusuf. 2013. Improving Ability Determine To The Number Of Symmetry From
Awaking Up To Level Off Through Visual Media Audio At Student Class of V SDN 2
Lion District Of Posigadan Regency of Bolaang Mongondow South. Skripsi, 2013.
Majors Education Of Elementary Schoolteacher, Faculty Science Education, University
Country of Gorontalo. Counsellor Of I Prof. Dr. H. Sarson W. Dj. Pomalato and
counsellor of II Dr. Hj. Asni Ilham, S.Pd. M.Si.
Problem of this research is "Do ability determine to the number of symmetry from
awaking up to level off at class student of V SDN 2 Lion District Of Posigadan Regency
of Bolaang Mongondow South can be improved tovisual audio media?". Intention of this
research is to improve ability determine to the number of symmetry from awaking up to
level off to visual audio media at class student of V SDN 2 Lion District Of Posigadan
Regency of Bolaang Mongondow South.
Method which is used in this research is method Research Of Action Class (PTK) which
is executed in 2 cycle in class of V SDN 2 Lion District Of Posigadan Regency of
Bolaang Mongondow South. Technics of data collecting in this research in the form of
activity observation sheet learn and student, tes, and also documentation.
Result of research indicate that at cycle of I only 6 student people capable to or 60% with
value 70 to to the which have been expressed is complete, while which unable to 4 people
or 40% with value 70 downwards and expressed is not complete. At cycle of II mount to
become 9 student people capable to or 90% to to the which have been expressed is
complete, unable to a number of 1 people or equal to 10% with value 70 downwards and
expressed is not complete. Conclusion that visual audio media can improve ability of
student determine to the number of symmetry from awaking up to level off in class of V
SDN 2 Lion District Of Posigadan Regency of Bolaang Mongondow South.
Keyword: Ability, Symmetry Wake Up To Level Off, Visual Media Audio


The important presence of community in creating success, well-being, and happiness is essential. Perhaps especially important for those marginalized others where a sense of "community" might be limited due to being different from what society sees as norm. This article explores the different ways women who sleep with women (WSW) evaluate their personal well-being in regards to community and relationships. Specifically, the impact inclusion has on community, practitioners, developers, and professionals who create spaces where others (LGTBQ+) belong. Participants included 37 self-identified WSW from the United States, with a majority being from Southern states. The purpose of the study was to examine perceptions and experiences among women of minority sexual groups. Contributing factors that may lead to more holistic lifestyles emerged. Discussing these questions revealed insight as to why WSW are more negatively affected in health and happiness than their heterosexual counterparts. Most importantly, these questions served as a platform for meaningful conversation, adding rich experiences, thoughts, and perceptions to research regarding the LGBT community.


We prove the existence of a Quillen Flat Model Structure in the category of unbounded complexes of h-unitary modules over a nonunital ring (or a k-algebra, with k a field). This model structure provides a natural framework where a Morita-invariant homological algebra for these nonunital rings can be developed. And it is compatible with the usual tensor product of complexes. The Waldhausen category associated to its cofibrations allows to develop a Morita invariant excisive higher K-theory for nonunital algebras.


Abstract The volume–volatility relationship usually ignores possible effects of stock shares. This article proposes a two-phase flow model assuming that capital and stock flows determine stock price and return volatility. Computational simulations suggest that monodirectional capital or stock flows and collective flows exert different effects on stock return volatilities. Considering the impact of stock flows, the positive relationship between capital and return volatility is no longer guaranteed. The inflow of capital and the outflow of stock increase stock price similarly; but exhibit completely different effects on stock return volatilities. A persistent stock inflow (outflow) reduces (intensifies) return volatilities, whereas a monodirectional persistent capital outflow has no such effect. When capital and stock flows' velocities satisfy critical values determined by the initial state of the market, the market enlargement accompanied with increasing stock and capital shows no impact on market stability because of stable return volatilities. Otherwise, stock flows drive return volatilities with stronger effects than capital flows. Further experimental studies that simulate the real stock market through a trading system provide strong evidence supporting the two-phase flow model. Given similar driving forces of capital and stock flows, the interaction of them should be considered in constructing investment strategies and setting policies.


Based on the present prepared procedure and the defects of the civil lawsuits,the principles to follow and the detailed conception are put forward.


Using the completely denervated iris of the cat as an indicator of circulating autonomic substances, it was found that constriction of the pupil ensued from 35 to 70 seconds following the intravenous administration of 1.0 cc of whole human blood. The blood of rabbit, guinea pig, mouse, monkey, hog and hemolyzed erythrocytes of cat also produced a constriction of the completely denervated iris of the cat. Identical amounts of blood from dog, sheep and ox were without significant effect on the same preparation. The most conspicuous reactions were obtained with rabbit's blood. Large quantities of dog, ox, or sheep blood sometimes produced a slight and slow constriction of the cat's denervated iris. Other effects caused by the intravenous injection of blood into the cat were a fall in blood pressure, as shown by Abramson, et al., 1 and Fuzii, 2 decrease in heart rate, relaxation of anal and urinary sphincters and hypersalivation, all parasympathomimetic manifestations. The vaso depressor and miotic propertiesof the blood were located chiefly in the erythrocytes. Laked red blood cells also exhibited these properties. Intravenous injection of serum never produced a visible change in the iris. The washed red blood cells caused a pupillary constriction from 35 to 80 seconds after their intravenous injection, whereas the laked erythrocytes produced a much quicker response, the miosis appearing from 12 to 30 seconds after the administration. The rabbit's erythrocytes showed two types of depressor effects on the cat's blood pressure, an early transient drop from 6 to 10 seconds after the injection of the cells and a later prolonged fall from 45 to 70 seconds after the administration. The hemolyzed red blood cells showed only the early depressor effect.


Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks (VANETs) helps in making smart vehicles by establishing communication network between vehicles or vehicle and Road Side Units (RSUs) enhancing road safety by improving traffic flow resulting in significant reduction of car accidents. In this paper, we are focusing on providing researchers and developers with a brief description of VANET, its architecture, characteristics, applications and security problems related to it.


The composite material of nano-meter titanium dioxide decorated carbon nanotubes (CNT-TiO2) was prepared by acid sol method.Horseradish peroxidase was successfully immobilized on a CNT-TiO2 modified gold electrode (HRP/CNT-TiO2/Au).Orthoaminophenol was chosen as the electron transfer mediator in the system.A novel inhibition-based HRP biosensor for sulfides detection is described.The response of the sensor is based on inhibitory effect of sulfides on the electrocatalytic current of the HRP sensor.The peak current were found to keep linear relationship with concentration of sulfides in the range of 0.75×10-7~10.5×10-6 mol/L.Detection limit (3S/N) of the method was 0.206×10-7 mol/L.


The first terrestrial field trial to use six novel 1.48 µm pumped hybrid (two-stage-type remotely-pumped EDF+distributed Raman) inline-type amplifiers is successfully demonstrated; it offers 1.28 Tbit/s capacity and 100 GHz spacing over a record 528 km (6×88 km) of installed-DSF in a straight line in the L-band.


Schwartz and Tomz (1997) have correctly pointed out an error in our 1987 article: We had neglected to analyze how changes in group composition improve the performance of centralized institutions over time. The change affects only the case of perfect monitoring, however. We argue, moreover, that even in this special context, our main qualitative conclusion—that the centralized structure has no positive advantage over the decentralized one—continues to hold. We reach different conclusions about the relative roles of the two institutions, partly because we had in mind a positive interpretation, whereas Schwartz and Tomz select a normative interpretation of the issue of institutional choice. Finally, we believe that imperfect monitoring is essential to the theory, in order to derive conclusions that are not driven by artifacts of the model or by arbitrary equilibrium selections.


The electro-optic properties of polymeric materials are characterized using Fabry-Perot etalons in which the polymeric layer acts as the spacer layer. This technique is particularly useful since the etalon converts small electric field induced changes in the index of refraction of the spacer layer to changes in the overall transmittance and reflectance of the structure. In this paper we show that using angle tuning, the transmission characteristics of the Fabry-Perot etalons fabricated on glass substrates can be sufficiently characterized to allow for determination of the electro-optic coefficients of the spacer layer material. We also present experimental results of novel reflection mode etalons fabricated on Si. These structures exhibit a large change in reflectance as a function of the optical path length inside the etalon cavity. When fabricated with an electrooptic spacer layer, the reflectance can be modulated by applying an electric field. Reflection mode devices can also be used to study the properties of new eleciro-optic materials and also show promise for use as Si compatible modulators.


We analyse deformation bands related to both horizontal contraction andwith an intermittent period of horizontal extension in 10 Miocene turbidites of the Whakataki Formation south of Castlepoint, Wairarapa, North Island, New Zealand. In the Whakataki Formation, fourthree sets of cataclastic deformation bands are identified: [1] normal-sense Compactional Shear Bands (CSBs); [2] normalreverse-sense CSBs; and [3] reverse-sense Shear-Enhanced Compaction Bands (SECBs); [3] reverse-sense CSBs; and [4] reverse-sense SECBs.). During extension, CSBs form most frequently with rare SECBs. Extensional CSBs are often, but not exclusively, associated with normal faults. When propagating through clay-rich interbeds, extensional bands are 15 characterised by clay smear and grain size reduction. During contraction, sandstone-dominated sequences host SECBs, and rare CSBs, that are generally distributed SECBs are observed most commonly, sometimes clustering around small reverse faults and thrusts. Contractional CSBs are primarily found in the damage zones of reverse faults. Thepervasive patterns. A quantitative spacing analysis shows that most outcrops are characterised by mixed spatial distributions of deformation bands, interpreted as a consequence of overprint due to progressive deformation or distinct multiple generations of deformation bands 20 from different deformation phases. Since many deformation bands are parallel to adjacent juvenile normaland reverse-faults, bands are likely precursors to faults. With progressive deformation, the linkage of distributed deformation bands across sedimentary beds occurs to form through-going faults. During this process, bands associated with the wall-, tip-, and interaction damage zones overprint earlier distributions resulting in complex spatial patterns. Regularly spaced bands are pervasively distributed when far away from faults. Microstructural analysis shows that all deformation bands form by inelastic pore 25 collapse and grain crushing with an absolute reduction in porosity relative to the host rock between 5 and 14%. Hence, deformation bands likely act as fluid flow barriers. Faults and their associated damage zones exhibit a spacing of order ten9 metres on the scale of 10 kmkilometres and are more commonly observed in areas characterised by higher mudstone to sandstone ratios. As a result, extensive clay smear is common in these faults, enhancing the sealing capacity of faults. Therefore, the formation of deformation bands and faults leads to progressive flow compartmentalisation from the scale of 30 ten9 metres down to about ten centimetres, the typical spacing of distributed, regularly spaced deformation bands.


This study describes a well-defined data-driven diagnostic identification and selection procedure for choosing students at-risk of academic failure for appropriate academic support services. This algorithmic procedure has been validated both by historical quantitative studies of student precedents and outcomes as well as by current qualitative comparisons with existing school procedures and efforts to accomplish the same goal through committee work and recommendations. Results indicate it is both possible and feasible using readily available school student information system data to identify who appears to be at substantial academic risk, what some of those risks are, and who appears likely to benefit from specific academic support service interventions. OBJECTIVES OR PURPOSES OF STUDY Nationally, graduation rates for students in urban high schools are at 53 percent. In 2008, more than one-quarter million students did not receive a diploma (Swanson, 2003, 2008). Studies show retention problems may begin in middle school (Jackson & Davis, 2000). Therefore, as part of a major GEAR UP intervention serving almost 3,500 students, we developed academic case management programs targeting students in middle grades (Kretovics, 2005-2011). Since these programs were effective at reversing downward trajectories of at-risk children on track for failure in middle schools (Van Kannel-Ray, Lacefield, & Zeller, 2008, 2009), this model was revised, as graduation coaching, incorporating strategies appropriate to developmental needs of students progressing into high school. A subsequent study following students through 10th grade in a large urban high school demonstrated the effectiveness of graduation coaching (Lacefield, Zeller, & Van Kannel-Ray, 2010). The goal was increased academic performance and improved retention rate. Results indicated some at-risk students receiving graduation coaching performed better than expected academically and appeared more likely to remain in school. However, both the middle and high


The piezoresistivity of polycrystalline p-type diamond films has been studied. The films were grown by microwave plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition and in situ doped with different concentrations of boron. A four-point electrical measurement was performed to evaluate the film resistivity change upon straining in a four-point bending beam setup. Films were glued directly onto a stainless steel beam and the silicon substrates were selectively removed. A gauge factor (relative change of the resistivity divided by the elastic strain) of about 690 under 100 microstrains was obtained at room temperature for a film doped with 32 ppm boron. With increasing temperature and dopant concentration the gauge factor increases. The experimental results obtained are discussed.


BACKGROUND
The effects of aging on zona fasciculatareticularis (ZFR) cell function in male rats were studied.

METHODS
Male rats 3, 6, and 22 months of age were divided into three groups, and collagenase-dispersed ZFR cells were isolated and incubated with adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), 8-bromo-adenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate (8-Br-cAMP), ovine prolactin (oPRL), deoxycorticosterone (DOC), or 3-isobutyl-l-methylxanthine (IBMX) at 37 degrees C for 1 hour. Corticosterone concentrations in cell media and cAMP production in ZFR cells were measured by radioimmunoassay. Protein expression of PRL receptor in ZFR cells were analyzed by Western blot.

RESULTS
The basal levels of plasma and medium corticosterone were higher in 22-month-old than in 3-month-old rats. In contrast, the release of corticosterone in response to ACTH, 8-Br-cAMP, and DOC was lower in 22-month-old than in 3- and 6-month-old rats. Aging decreased the oPRL-stimulated release of corticosterone but increased the protein expression of PRL receptor in ZFR cells. The basal levels of intracellular cAMP increased with age. However, the ACTH-stimulated production of intracellular cAMP decreased in 22-month-old compared with 3- or 6-month-old rats. The increment of cAMP accumulation in ZFR cells after administration of IBMX was greater in 22-month-old than in 3- or 6-month-old rats.

CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that the aging effects on the production of corticosterone in rat ZFR cells is associated with change of the generation of cAMP, the activity of 11 beta-hydroxylase and the protein expression of PRL receptor.


A new analysis of minor hysteresis loops is introduced in Fe single crystals with plastic deformation that can be applied to the non‐destructive evaluation of degradation in ferromagnetic materials. In the analysis four parameters are found to be sensitive to dislocations and they are independent of the magnetic field amplitude Ha. The new parameters contain much more information about lattice defects such as dislocations. Their sensitivity is higher than the coercive force.


The aim of this paper is to present a method of developing a PLC based control system by introducing an additional verification step. This step can be implemented before the entire equipment is fully functional and ready to be tested thus reducing the development time and revealing bugs in the control system in early phase of development.


Neural networks approach is an advanced methodology used for intrusion detection. As a type of neural network, Self-organizing Maps (SOM) is getting more attention in the field of intrusion detection. In this paper, some improvements on SOM algorithm are made in order to increase detection rate and improve the stability of intrusion detection, include: (1) Modify the strategy of "winner-take-all" to decrease underutilized or completely unutilized neurons. (2) Introduce interaction weight which describes the effect between each neuron in the output layer to enhance the relationships between the input pattern and the weights of all the nodes when adjusting weights; The improved SOM is implemented and applied to the intrusion detection. The validities and feasibilities of the improved SOM are confirmed through experiments on KDD Cup 99 datasets. The experiment result shows that the detection rate has been increased by employing the improved SOM.


Australian local governments are responsible for providing basic infrastructure services to their communities. These services include roads, drainage, recreation facilities and public buildings and in some states water supply and sewerage. Social services are mainly the responsibility of the state governments together with education, police, fire and public housing. The services may be different to those in the UK but the problems are the same: the community is demanding more and better quality services at a lower cost. In 1993, Australian Accounting Standard 27 (AAS27) was applied to local governments. The standard, issued by the Australian Accounting Research Foundation, specifies the nature and form of local governments' general purpose financial reports.The major impact for engineers was that local governments were required to report on the current value and rate of consumption of their infrastructure assets. The value of investment by Australian local governments in infrastructure is approximately $135 billion. These infrastructure assets provide services essential for the community; the assets are being consumed at a rate of $2.6 billion per year ($300 000 per hour). AAS27 gave engineers the tools to report annually on asset condition and consumption to councillors, management and the community. Local government is a highly capital-intensive industry requiring management effort to ensure that the community receives maximum value for its investment in infrastructure and that services can be provided at the lowest life-cycle cost.This paper describes a systems approach to strategic asset management. Examples are given using data from Devonport City Council, Tasmania, and Cairns City Council. The systems include reporting the value and condition of infrastructure assets in annual reports, strategic asset management, capital project analysis and life-cycle costing.


High resolution 3D point cloud recording is a demanding task for generating meshed surface and CAD object models. Accurate, complete and realistic 3D point cloud is expected from the adopted recording technique. Due to the complex structural environments of the heritage sites, complete, yet suitable, object coverage by Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS) is not guaranteed. The recent improvements in image stereo matching algorithms allow for an automatic dense point clouds acquisition. Acquiring 3D point cloud using images has many advantages related to flexibility and portability. The choice of the best technique relies on the site configuration and the performance of the selected sensor. This paper demonstrates the potential benefits of integrating TLS and Dense Stereo Matching (DSM) techniques in order to form a complete and detailed representation of Dar Es-Saraya Museum. The paper fully discusses the processing and registration of the TLS and DSM data in creating a 3D point cloud of the museum to be used in a more accurate CAD model.


The objective of the present study was to report a typical case of obstructive urolithiasis and subsequent rupture of the urinary bladder, causing the death of a non-descriptive male calf. The calves were brought to a teaching veterinary hospital with the symptoms of abdominal pain, the absence of urination manifested by discomfort, straining, kicking at the belly, twisting of the penis and frequent but unsuccessful urination. The clinical examination revealed that the calves were dull, depressed and distension of the abdomen. Post scrotal urethrotomy was performed aseptically and a large calculus was removed from the position of sigmoid flexure of the penis. Another two calves were not subjected to surgery due to their ill health and all were died after 2-3 days. A postmortem examination revealed that the urinary bladder was ruptured and subsequently urine was mixed with peritoneal fluid. A haemorrhagic condition was present at the point of rupture and peritoneum and bladder was adhesion at the point of rupture.


Youth sex offending in South Africa, as explained in part one of this article (see Servamus: May 2015), is a fairly new field of study, especially when it concerns the sub-field of female youth who sexually offend. Furthermore, the extent of female youth sex offending is difficult to ascertain (Moore, 2005). Hunter et al (2006) elaborate that, due to the low incidence or the underreporting of female sex offending, the prevalence of this offending is difficult to assess. Subsequently, sex offending committed by females is a phenomenon that has been under-recognised, as there is a dearth in research regarding females who sexually offend (Denov, 2004). This article is based on a study conducted by Da Costa (2014) focusing on female youth sex offenders by exploring their perceptions regarding the reasons for their offending.


The preservation of platelets (PLTs) by room temperature (RT) oscillation limits their shelf life to between 4 and 7 days because of the decrease in PLT function. TRPC6 is a non‐selective mechanically sensitive cation channel that has been shown to mediate Ca2+ signalling, implying a role in PLT activation during preservation by RT oscillation.


In this paper, we establish new quantitative convergence bounds for a class of functional autoregressive models in weighted total variation metrics. To derive our results, we show that under mild assumptions, explicit minorization and Foster-Lyapunov drift conditions hold. The main applications and consequences of the bounds we obtain concern the geometric convergence of Euler-Maruyama discretizations of diffusions with identity covariance matrix. Second, as a corollary, we provide a new approach to establish quantitative convergence of these diffusion processes by applying our conclusions in the discrete-time setting to a well-suited sequence of discretizations whose associated stepsizes decrease towards zero.


The invention discloses a prefabricated integrated shear wall construction method. The method includes following steps: step 1, positioning and placing a standard axial line and a control axial line, and mounting an elevation line of a floor and an elevation line of a staircase; step 2, adopting a positioning control steel plate to check and adjust position of reserved joint bars; step 3, hoisting a prefabricated shear wall; step 4, fixing and correcting the shear wall by setting up an adjustable steel pipe sway brace; step 5, grouting the shear wall; step 6, performing edge component rebar binding and formwork mounting on the prefabricated shear wall; step 7, arranging a temporary support on the floor, and correcting height; step 8, hoisting prefabricated beams, prefabricated floorboards, prefabricated balcony boards, air conditioner boards and the staircase; step 9, overlapping splicing beams of the floorboards, and mounting a bottom formwork; step 10, laying pipelines; step 11, binding rebars of a cast-in-place layer; step 12, pouring concrete. The prefabricated integrated shear wall construction method has the advantages of high construction efficiency and high integrity.


: Recent studies indicate that simply imagining oneself interacting with an out-group member would reduce intergroup bias and improve intergroup relations. Why does the imagined contact produce positive intergroup outcomes? Mental imagery has been found to elicit emotional and motivational responses as the real experiences (Dadds, Bovbjerg, Redd, & Cutmore, 1997). Moreover, as an important form, the imagined contact can complement more direct forms of contact, although it is not a replacement for direct contact. The effect of imagining contact on bias reduction is mediated by intergroup anxiety, self-disclosure, out-group trust, and the vividness of the imagined scenario, and moderated by group size, group identification, prior contact, and perceptual fluency. We will further discuss the implications of these fi ndings, and provide suggestions for future research (e.g., specifying the processes of imagining contact, focusing on imagining contact of minorities, refining the duration of imagining contact, and integrating it with the intergroup contact theory).


Hepatic Encephalopathy is a central neuropsychologic disorder caused by liver failure. An increased ammonium concentration is believed to be one of the main players, resulting in changes in several neurotransmitter systems as well as in energy metabolism, both in neuronal and non-neuronal cells in the brain. This is accompanied by neuroinflammatory processes. These factors act synergistically and lead to worsening of the symptoms. AcidSensing Ion Channels (ASICs) are proton-gated cation channels that belong to the DEG/ENaC gene-family. ASIC1a, ASIC2a and ASIC2b are expressed in the mammalian brain as homoand heteromeric channels. However, their function has not been conclusively elucidated; they seem to play a role in synaptic transmission as well as in several neuroinflammatory processes (e.g. multiple sclerosis). Besides their activation by acidification they can be modulated by several proinflammatory mediators. It has been shown that high concentration of ammonium (> 20 mM) can directly activate ASICs. This work characterises the effects of pathophysiological ammonium concentrations on ASICs in cortical neurons of mice. Direct effects on channel function, as well as functional aspects caused by cultivating the cells in 5 mM ammonium for several days were analysed using the path-clamp method. Furthermore, changes in the transcription level were investigated by quantitative RT-PCR. As the results show, pathophysiological ammonium concentrations (2 – 4 mM) specifically increase proton sensitivity of homomeric ASIC1a. In addition, cultivation of cortical neurons with ammonium in vitro induces changes on a transcriptional and functional level. The RNA level of cortical ASICs decreases with prolonged ammonium cultivation and thereby seems to change subunit composition towards more ASIC1a on the cell surface. The transcriptional effects are slow compared to other ion channels (e.g. AMPA receptors). Analyzing the RNA level in a mouse model of acute hyperammonemia supports this hypothesis. 24h after NH4-acetate intoxication no change on the transcriptional level of ASICs could be observed. A further aspect is the subunit composition of functional cortical ASICs. Even though data are still ambiguous, ASIC1a/2b could be more abundant as has been assumed so far.


In sensor networks, depending on the user-defined goal and the number of objects-of-interest within the common sensor coverage area, multiple sensors generate multiple sources of information. Combining this information is essential and in this paper we propose a fuzzy outranking approach to combining information at the decision level, therefore leading to a collaborative decision making framework. Decision level information is represented through graphical models which helps in enhancing quantifiable system performance by processing information at a higher level and the second advantage is the ability to implement an adaptive framework for decision making. When used with dynamic belief update and an integrated database, a fuzzy outranking approach can be implemented with the ability to adapt to new sensor information and combined various local sensor decisions.


The nitrate levels in Trout Brook springs and streams remain high, and appear to trend upwards. However, Trout Brook stream and springs are very variable systems. The water quality parameters vary greatly on a day to day time scale. Year-on-year trends cannot be documented with the certainty needed for effective environmental management without continuous monitoring of critical parameters. Relative depletion in 2H and 18O from the upstream sample shows that meltwater had a higher contribution there than the springs, and stream samples were a mix of both ratios. Edward Pencak, Scott C. Alexander, and E. Calvin Alexander, Jr. University of Minnesota, Twin Cities


Federal Court of Appeal, Stratas, Webb, Mactavish JJA, 2 June 2020. Revocation of charitable status under Canadian Tax Provisions involving consideration of not keeping adequate books and records and review of the Minister's decision.


Ends as Well as Means in Life and Evolution. By EDWIN G. CONKLIN. Trans. N. Y. Acad. Sci., (2) 6, 1944: 125-136.-"I have no theory to propose to explain the origin of organic fitness and human purpose other than the endowment of living beings with differential sensitivity and reactivity, tropisms, organic memory, trial and error behavior, leading in higher animals to intelligence and purpose. . . But with crude mechanism that finds everything the result of accident and chance I have no more sympathy than with transcendental vitalism. Those who say there are no ends, values, purposes in the living world may understand atoms, molecules and even genes, but they do not understand organisms.


Why do countries follow the rules they do for international taxation? Tax scholarship is increasingly using terms like hard law and soft law to explain the degree of global adherence to various tax practices. In this brief essay, I make the case that terms we use are important because they convey something about how tax norms are being formed and how nations will or should behave in response. Using a term such a customary or soft law may connote a method by which key players working within transnational networks achieve supranationalization of particular tax norms outside of conventional mechanisms (e.g., treaties). As such, the description is an important signal about expectations for participation, inclusiveness, and compliance in the development and diffusion of international tax law.


Chickpea plots were subjected to four irrigation treatments (no irrigation; irrigation at planting; irrigation at planting and 35 days after planting; and irrigation at planting, 35 days and 70 days after planting). Water was supplied through furrows until the top 10 cm of the broadbeds were saturated. Soil–water tension at 10 and 30 cm depth was measured to determine its effect on plant height, 1000-seed weight, and grain and straw yields of chickpea.


We experimentally observe in situ the resonance due to an integrated resonant cavity inside a parallel-plate waveguide excited by the TE1 mode. We also observe a field enhancement associated with this narrowband resonance.


The aim of this study is to analyze the characteristics of Village Book Cafe which is operated as the communication space for local community and the opinion of its users. As to the research methods, we first conducted the site survey for the analysis of space and planning of Book Cafe. Secondly, we interviewed its administrators to examine the operation methods. Thirdly, we conducted a survey asking the opinions of users about the space and program of Book Cafe as well as the interaction among the residents. Regarding the analysis of the survey data, we used the SPSS statistical program. As a result, we examined the success and failure factors on various aspects. Among them were the location of the Book Cafe, its spatial characteristics(e.g. size and space type), the degree of activation, operating personnel and the possibility of being able to handle operating cost. In terms of the locational aspects, one of the success factors of Book Cafe is being conspicuous, easily accessible, and convenient to use nearby facilities. In terms of the spatial aspects, the Book Cafe that is large-scale and has separate community rooms showed a positive result in resident's usage. Most of the Book Cafes surveyed were found to have difficulty in their operating cost. It is necessary to periodically provide them with the professional consulting services in regards to the operation method for independence, cooperating programs, and public relations methods.


Indexing moving objects is a fundamental issue in spatiotemporal databases. In this paper, we propose an adaptive Lazy-Update Grid-based index (LUGrid, for short) that minimizes the cost of object updates. LUGrid is designed with two important features, namely, lazy insertion and lazy deletion. Lazy insertion reduces the update I/Os by adding an additional memory-resident layer over the disk index. Lazy deletion reduces update cost by avoiding deleting single obsolete entry immediately. Instead, the obsolete entries are removed later by specially designed mechanisms. LUGrid adapts to object distributions through cell splitting and merging. Theoretical analysis and experimental results indicate that LUGrid outperforms former work by up to eight times when processing intensive updates, while yielding similar search performance.


In prior studies, the exine-dehisced microspore could also embryogenesis. Early events in microspore embryogenesis, such as polarity establishment, cell wall development, and the first division plane decision were investigated to reveal the mechanism controlling the process. In this paper, rapeseed exine-dehisced microspores were used to reveal the roles of exine for microspore embryogenesis by ultrastructural observation. The results show that some ultrastructural characteristic of the microspore is comparable to that of zygote, and that the dividing behavior of some exine-dehisced microspore is similar to that of zygotes which could divide asymmetrically, resulting in two different daughter cells. This observation suggested that broken exine may play an important role in the polarity establishment during microspore embryogenesis.


Plants of 11 sugarcane varieties were grown in pots during the winter at a Natal Midlands site. Grass minimum temperature went below zero on 40 nights during the period of the experiment. Proportionately fewer primary shoots survived the winter in the more tropical varieties than in those commonly grown in or recommended for the midlands. There was a close relationship between shoot survival and both increase in shoot height during the winter and degree of necrosis of the spindle leaf. The relationship between shoot survival and attributes observed early in the winter the leaf striping caused by frost and degree of necrosis of the first leaf - was comparatively weak.


The main interest in this study originated from the need to understand the mixing and entrainment processes occurring in the upper plenum of pool-type Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactors (LMFBRs) under conditions of natural convection and thermal stratification, and related problems such as thermal striping and associated material fatigue resulting from large temperature fluctuations. Since the mechanisms of turbulent heat and momentum exchange as well as mixing in stratified shear flows strongly depend on the fluid conductivity, basic numerical and experimental studies have been considered necessary for analyzing these effects. Analytically, these processes can be optimally studied in a temporally-developing mixing-layer configuration, which provides a useful and relatively simple general flow prototype. In this work, the mixing layer behavior is analyzed by means of very accurate numerical simulations, which yield detailed flow information since the flow fields can be derived at each location, and at each time step. Therefore, numerical simulations provide accurate, high-order statistics to complement the observational data from experiments. The technique used is Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS), no turbulence models are required, and all scales of the involved fields are resolved down to the dissipative scales. The spatial discretization scheme relies on the use of high-order basis functions. Fourier series are used in the homogenous, horizontal directions and, in the inhomogeneous, cross-stream direction, timeand field-dependent, exponentially-mapped, high-order Chebyshev polynomials are employed. With this spatial discretization scheme, fields of very different characteristic length scales, and including stratification and thermal conductivity effects, can be resolved and optimally followed in their time evolution. Time-stepping is also adaptive, based on several stability criteria, and therefore the CPU time required to perform transient simulations is reduced to a minimum. A large number of simulations has been performed. In all of these the initial Reynolds number (Re) is kept fixed at 400. The Prandtl number (Pr) varies from 0.00535 (liquid sodium at 350°C) to 6.9 (water at 20°C), for the two-dimensional simulations, but only to 2.2 (water at 80°C) for the three-dimensional simulations, due to resolution difficulties. The Richardson number (Ri) varies from 0.0 (no stratification) to 0.2 (close to critical, stable stratification). Besides the initial profile for the average velocity, various initial conditions for the velocity field perturbations are used, from purely deterministic, combined deterministicrandom, to purely random. The deterministic part is obtained by solving the related linear problem (the Orr-Sommerfeld equation for unstratified and the Taylor-Goldstein equation for stratified flows) to obtain eigenfunctions, which are then used to set up the initial conditions. With increasing randomness, the evolution of the layer approaches a more natural linear growth whereas, for the purely-deterministic simulation cases, very distinct periods of rapid growth and periods of nearly no growth (resulting from the saturation of the excited modes) can be observed.