The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of reality therapy approach in correcting counter productivity behaviors in the employees who are working in RahbaranInformation Technology Company in Tehran. The sample size was 30 whichwere selected using random sampling. Marsus counter productivity inventory consisting of 64 questions and 7 options of elements such as(violence, theft, substance abuse and absence from work) was used to collect the data. Therapeutic interventions were done in eight sessions for 90 minutes in the reality therapy approach. This is a quasi-experimental consisting of two quasi-experimental and control groups. To analyze the data, descriptive and inferential statistics (ANOVA, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and analysis of covariance) was used. The results showed that the therapeutic interventions in reality therapy approach reduced the counterproductivity behaviors such as violence, theft, and absence of effective work significantly, but was not effective in reducing addictive behavior in the employees. in the employee of Rahbaran Information Technology Company in Tehran. The sample size was 30 and was selected using random sampling. Marsuscounter productivity inventory (2002) consisting of 64 questions and seven options in four elements (violence, theft, substance abuse and absence from work) was used to collect the data. Therapeutic interventions of reality therapy approach were conducted in eight sessions for 90 minutes. This is a quasi-experimental study in twoquasi- experimental and control groups. To analyze the data, descriptive and inferential statistics (ANOVA, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, and multivariate analysis of covariance) was used. According to the data and the results obtained, it can be seen that reality therapy approach is effective in correcting counter productivity behaviors. Reality Therapy has been applied in negative behaviors such as addiction, violence, aggression, harassment and theft. Another research findings pointed out that reality therapy is an effective approach in improving negative behaviors. Negative and destructive behaviors in this study are the same counter productivity behaviors that include theft, drug addiction, aggression and deliberate absence from the job. These finding is consistent with results of (Wilkinson, Stitt and Ericsson, (1982); Hohenheim, 1990; Patterson, Chang and Collins (1998); Turnage, Jacinto, Kurten, (2005); Wubbolding et al., (2007) MacArthur, (2006); Tessier, 2008; Lau and Zhou (2013)


With further educational reform and expanded student enrolment,anthropotomy teaching has to meet the requirements of undergraduate medical specialty, specialty of eye,ear,nose and throat,imaging specialty,nursing specialty,and even specialty of cosmetology.This paper discusses new problems concerning anthropotomy teaching: teaching method,compilation of teaching materials,experiment content,compilation of experiment instructions,and design and preparation of experiment specimens.


A simulation model using OPNET tool is introduced for testing audio codecs impact on quality of VoIP based on IEEE802.16e with taking into account handover performance. Different parameters that indicate the quality of VoIP such as Throughput, MOS, End to End delay and traffic send and received. According to our simulation the acceptable MOS value is recorded for codecs G.711 and GSM-FR.


The effects of addition of lanthanides and zirconium on mechanical properties and recovery behavior of AA 2618 aluminum alloy have been studied. The apparent activation energies of recovery process of the alloys, obtained from the change in micro-hardness were in the range 31.34 to 46.15 kJ mol . Lanthanides have caused the decrease in recovery rate and the increase in creep resistance of examined alloys.


Generally, an activity is considered to be efficient if the production implies low costs or if the revenues from selling the products on the market outweigh the expenditures that were made to achieve them. Labor productivity as an efficiency indicator of a production process represents an expression of the relationship between effect (products, services) and effort (work means, labor force, work items). Through the labor productivity conversion in rates of return (economic and commercial) is determined an evolution and an influence on these rates, driving the company's own efforts to innovate, produce and harness goods, works and services with maximum utility, efficiency and competitiveness services. The aim of this paper is to highlight the work efficiency, respectively the labor productivity detached from the factorial context in the trade and economic rates of return. The introduction presents some general aspects referring to labor productivity, then it will be presented and discussed the analytical methods used in the process of reflecting the labor productivity in the rates of return, the results analysis, and at the end of this paper it will be presented some conclusions based on the study case. The expected results consist in identifying the mechanisms by which labor efficiency is converted into the company's economic and financial performance.


Middle-ear lipoma is very rare and it is difficult to differentiate preoperatively from other middle-ear tumors. We report a 5-year-old boy with middle-ear lipoma that was diagnosed preoperatively as congenital cholesteatoma in the tympanic cavity. To date, 5 cases of middle-ear lipoma have been reported in the world. We reviewed this literature, and our lipoma case was compared with those in the other reported cases.


Objective:To evaluate the feasibility and security of laparoscopy combined with gastroscopy for treating gastic stromal tumors.Methods: From December 2009 to December 2010,37 patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumor of stomach received treatment of laparoscopy combined with gastroscopy.Results: Operation was completed successfully within 25-60 min in all 37 patients,the mean operative time was(35.5±10.3)min,blood loss ranging from 20 ml to 50 ml,the mean postoperative hospital stay was 6.5 days,no postoperative complication occurred.Pathologic analysis of 37 resected specimens showed: extremely low risk 12 cases,low risk 22 cases.No case of recurrence or metastasis was found during a follow-up period from 1 to 12 months.Conclusion: Laparoscopy combined with gastroscopy for treating gastic stromal tumors which are less than 2cm is both feasible and safe,more minimal invasive with a favorable short-term outcome.


Nowadays, improving the power quality at the Point of Common Coupling (PCC) between the consumers' installations and the distribution system operators' installations depends more and more on the use of specialized equipment, able to intervene in the network to eliminate or diminish the disturbances. The reactive power compensators remain valid solutions for applications in consumer and electricity distribution, in those situations when the criterion regarding the costs of installing and operating the equipment is more important than the ones related to the reaction speed or the control accuracy. This is also the case of the equipment for power factor improvement and load balancing in a three-phase distribution network. The two functions can be achieved simultaneously by using an unbalanced static var compensator, known as an adaptive balancing compensator, achieved by adjusting the equivalent parameters of circuits containing single-phase coils and capacitor banks. The paper presents the mathematical model for the sizing and operation of a balancing reactive compensator for a three-phase four-wire network and then presents some resizing methods to convert it into a balancing capacitive compensator, having the same functions. The mathematical model is then validated by a numerical application, modelling with a specialized software tool, and by experimental laboratory determinations. The paper contains strong arguments to support the idea that a balancing capacitive compensator becomes a very advantageous solution in many industrial applications.


Since its democratization, South Korea's foreign relations with Japan have become increasingly volatile. We investigate the diversionary incentives behind these fluctuations in South Korean foreign policy during 1988–2011. We show evidence that, similar to mature democracies, economic turmoil is driving Korean leaders to divert the public attention toward low-intensity disputes against Japan. However, unlike mature democracies, our results reveal that public approval ratings and national elections do not encourage leaders to engage in the diversionary behavior due to South Korean domestic political institutional settings and party system. These findings highlight challenges to foreign policy making in a † The earlier version of this paper was presented at the East Asian security workshop in Kobe, Japan, on 18–19 April 2013, sponsored by the Suntory Foundation. We appreciate the helpful comments and feedback from all participants of the workshop. International Relations of the Asia-Pacific © The author [2013]. Published by Oxford University Press in association with the Japan Association of International Relations; all rights reserved. For permissions, please email: email@example.com International Relations of the Asia-Pacific (2013) doi:10.1093/irap/lct021 International Relations of the Asia-Pacific Advance Access published December 8, 2013


Plant breeders often handle large number of plants in a segregating population using limited resources. Therefore, the sooner they can reduce the number of plants to the barest minimum, but more importantly, to the most desirable and promising individuals, the better. The present short report deals with the selection of new advanced barley lines considering several agricultural traits simultaneously. We exemplify two new alternative uses of the Euclidean distance to identify the best 20% plant materials from a gamma radiation-mutant population. Plant height; days to flowering; plant lodging; coefficient of infection with leaf rust (Puccinia hordei), with powdery mildew (Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei), with spot blotch (Cochliobolus sativus); yield; test weight; grain protein content and 1000 kernel weight were recorded and considered in the simultaneous selections described here. Essentially, selection indexes are proposed to calculate an overall value to a breeders' germplasm based on a number of traits. In reality, for many of the traits listed above, breeders are aiming for acceptable values such as for disease resistance and perhaps some morphological traits. For other traits, such as yield, the breeders are looking for the highest possible value. Therefore, each breeder will have different selection indexes; however, the mathematically defined indexes shown here would be particularly practical for plant breeders.


Introduction. Morinaga and Fukushima (1933) have reported the first discovery of a haploid plant in the genus Brassica, through the natural species and artificially raised hybrid forms. The haploid form of rape, Brassica Napella Chaix. (B, napes L.), found spontaneously by them in the rape field near Fukuoka city called their attention first in 1927 by its semi-sterile nature. Curious to say, the form produced in the next generation normal plants of strictly uniform appearance only. The karyological nature of this form was made clear as haploid in 1933. Since then, occurrence of haploid individuals has been reported in several Brassica species, i, e., B, cam pestris (Ramanujam, 1941), B. carinata (Kuriyama and Watanabe, 1955), B, juncea (Mizushima, 1944), and B, napes (Komatsu, 1936; Olsson and Hagberg, 1955). But so far as the authors are aware, no haploid plant has ever been obtained in the artificially induced amphidiploid forms of Brassica and its near relatives. As one can not obtain the haploid from at will, studies with the spontaneous haploid mutants would be very preferable at present to make clear the exact chromosome structure of the diploid forms concerned. Most of the minute differential changes accumulated in the chromosome composition could not be fully detected through the well-balanced meiotic behaviors in the diploid forms.


Land is the carrieer in economic and socila development and construction.It can gurantee agricultural production,provide supply for economic development,and increase government revenue.With the rapid economic and social development,the "bottleneck" effect of land use is becoming more evident.Dongying Bureau of Land and Resources tries their best to tap the potentiality of land use,and improve land use efficiency.Thus,a new way has been found to break the land bottlenecks in economic and social development.


Abstract Modern substation automation involves integrating IEC 61850 compliant IEDs and noncompliant energy meters with an already-existing multi-vendor SCADA at the station level. Due to the lack of knowledge toward the IEC 61850 standard, it is difficult to write applications for reading and processing data from IEDs. Therefore, utilities either have to replace the older applications with IEC 61850 compliant ones or use protocol converters to acquire data from IEDs and to exchange the data with other applications. This article presents an approach for an interoperable framework of SCADA with IEC61850 compliant IEDs and non-IEC61850 energy meters for accessing data. The data are stored in an open file format that can be accessed by any other application at the station level with minimal engineering efforts. To integrate a non-IEC61850 energy meter with the SCADA, an AMI head-end application is developed that also stores the data in an open file format. The implemented methodology allows retaining the SCADA, a non-IEC61850 compliant application, while opting for IEC61850-based substation automation systems.


Abstract: The purpose of this study is to analyze and assess (1) the influence wages to the employee's work motivation; (2) the influence wages to the employee's job satisfaction; (3) the influence work motivation to the employee's performance; (4) the influence job satisfaction to the employee's performance; (5) the influence wages to the employee's performance; (6) the influence job satisfaction to the employee's work motivation in manufacturing industry in Makassar Industrial Area. The populations in this study are all operational employees (executive level) of 20 manufacturing industries in Makassar Industrial Area. The sample was taken from 300 workers by random sampling. The model data analysis in this study used SEM (Structural Equation Modeling). The result of this study indicates that wages, work motivation, and employee's job satisfaction significantly influenced by the employee's performance at manufacturing industries in Makassar Industrial Area. It also indicates that job satisfaction affects employee's work motivation, positively. Keywords: wages, work motivation, job satisfaction, and performance


In this paper, the problem of compensating the disturbances in a singular system is discussed.The condition of disturbance compensation by singular compensataor and regular compensator are given respectively.The design methods for these cases are also presented.


In soft solids, such as biological tissue, the low value of shear elasticity allows the propagation of transverse waves with a high particle velocity when compared to the wave speed. With such a large Mach number shock waves can develop over a few wavelengths. We study the reflection of shocked shear waves traveling through a tissue-like medium, incident at a small angle on a free surface analytically and with numerical simulations.


Ultrasonic velocity (U), Viscosity (η) and density (ρ) have been measured for three amino acids viz., L-glutamine, L-arginine, L-lysine in aqueous DMSO solutions at 303.15K. Using the experimental values, the adiabatic compressibility (β), hydration number ( H n ), apparent molar compresiblility ( K j ) apparent molar volume ( V j ), limiting apparent molar compressibility ( 0 K j ), limiting apparent molar volume ( 0 V j ) and their constants ( K S , V S ), transfer volume ( 0 VDj ) and viscosity A and B coefficients of Jones-Dole equation were calculated. The experimental results have been discussed in terms of ion-solvent and solute–co-solute interactions on the basis of cosphere over lap model.


Lectins have potential for application in many fields because of their ability to selectively bind glycoconjugates. Jackfruit seeds are a source of various lectins, with several isoforms and isoelectric points. Therefore, ion exchange can be a viable alternative for lectin separation. In this work we developed a protocol to capture lectins from jackfruit seed extract in single-step using ion exchange cryogels. Supermacroporous cryogels were functionalized with cationic and anionic exchangers. The matrices produced showed high swelling capacity (12.4 and 14.7 kg/kg), expansion degree (12.70 to 18.0 L/kg), and total porosity around 90%. The performance of the ion exchanger cryogels in lectin purification were evaluated. A single elution peak was obtained in all assays. The purification factor (PF) was determined based on the agglutination of human blood ABO types, with a PF of 3.57 in the best condition, using the cryogel funct onal zed with 2-(Dimethylamino)ethyl meth crylate (DMAEMA) and blood type B agglutination, suggesting the jacalin purification. SDS-PAGE electrophoresis confirmed that the eluted samples showed two strong bands around 13.5 kDa and 16 kDa. The results demonstrate that ion-exchange monolithic cryogels showed potential use for the purification of lectins from jackfruit seeds in a rapid and single-step protocol.


The debt crisis in Europe as a new round of global financial turmoil has Marked,it helped push China's inflation by the projected development of reality.There is the extent of the impact of inflation on the impact of economic fundamentals,and the Government has taken effective control policy that has become nowadays to curb inflation which experts debate key content.This paper analyzes the status of China's inflation in the new situation and its impact on the economy.And finally,we have discussed macro-control means and their effectiveness in controlling inflation from two aspects of fiscal policy and monetary policy.


The load characteristic analysis of permanent magnet synchronous generator is presented. An internal impedance mathematic model of the generator was built with phasor analysis method for analyzing the relationship between exterior voltage characteristic or voltage regulation rate, active power and armature reactance. The research results demonstrated that the internal impedance of generator has both current and power factor angle negative feedback characteristic, which makes the voltage regulation rate be improved to a certain extent and the improved effect lying on both the direct-axis armature reactance under condition of an inductive load and the quadrature-axis armature reactance under resistive load. Additionally, an optimal range of the armature reactance being of less voltage regulation rate was determined according to numerical calculation and analysis. An experimental result based on the experimental measurement and data analysis of exterior voltage characteristic corresponds to the theoretical calculation demonstrated the correctness of the research model based upon the armature reaction analysis. Those can provide the theoretically guidance to the electromagnetic design of permanent magnet generator.


A series of compounds based on vanadate, [Zn(1,10-phen)3][Zn(dap)2]0.5[Zn(dap)2(H2O)]2[VV6VIV10O38Cl]·2H2O (1), [Ni(im)6]3[VV7VIV8O36Cl]·17H2O (2), [Zn(2,2′-bpy)3]2[H2VV10O28]·6H2O (3), [Fe(Phen)3]3[V16O39Cl]·8.5H2O (4), [Zn(2,2′-bpy)]3[V15O36Cl] (5), [Co(2,2′-bpy)]3[V15O36Cl] (6), [Ni(en)2]3[V18O42Cl]·18H2O (7), [Cd(2,2′-bpy)2]2[V4O12]·0.5H2O (8), [Ni(2,2′-bpy)3]2[V4O12]·11H2O (9), [Zn(2,2′-bpy)3][V4O12]·11H2O (10) and [Ni(phen)3]2[V4O12]·12H2O (11) (1,10-phen = 1,10-phenanthroline, dap = 1,2-propanediamine, 2,2′-bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine, im = imidazole), has been synthesized under hydrothermal conditions and characterized using IR, UV-vis, XRD, ESR, elemental analysis and crystal structure analysis. Out of the eleven compounds, 1–3 and 11 are novel. Compound 1 is based on [V16O38Cl]7− anions and [Zn(dap)2]2+ and [Zn(dap)2(H2O)]2+ cations, forming a novel dimer of cluster supported coordination complexes. Compound 2 has a supramolecular structure based on [V15O36Cl]6− anions (V15) and [Ni(im)6]2+ cations. Compound 3 also has a supramolecular structure, which is constructed from [H2V10O28]4− and [Zn(2,2′-bpy)3]2+ cations. Compound 11 is formed by [V4O12]4− clusters and [Ni(phen)3]2+ cations. Compounds 4–10 are also based on vanadate and are not new compounds. Here, we investigate the catalytic properties of these eleven compounds, and the photocatalytic properties of some of these compounds.


In the current healthcare climate, it is more important than ever to be able to select and find the right evidence for your practice to ensure patients receive safe, high quality care. The fully updated new edition of this comprehensive book helps nurses and healthcare professionals understand how to use evidence in all aspects of care, with plenty of examples and activities to help relate concepts to practice. The new edition features: * Explanation of what values-based practice means and how it fits alongside evidence-based practice * A new chapter on innovation and improvement to help you make a difference in your practice * Even more examples from a range of professions to understand how different professions work together * Learning features to make it easier to learn, including word puzzles, chapter summaries and a glossary It is essential reading for all pre-qualifying and qualified nursing and allied health students who are exploring evidence-based practice for the first time.


Photograph of Levi Whitley in 1895. He wears a suit and white bow tie, and a flower has been pinned to his lapel.


The nutritional status of plants cultivated in nutrient solutions way be influenced by the solution which would affect its growth plants. The present essay was undergone to assess the nutritional demands of root stock for star fruit trees, cultivated in four different nutritional solutions. An completely experimental design was used with three repetitions, with four different nutrient solutions as treatments. The Hoagland & Arnon solution was used as standard and was the control wich was with compared three other solutions. The experiment was carrie out under green house conditions, using 8 L pot. After 150 days of transplantation, dry material and macro nutrient levels were determined. The following indicators were calculated: absorption efficiency; transportation efficiency, and efficiency of nutrient use. The Sarruge, the Castellane & Araujo, and the Furlani nutrient solutions were similar to accumulation of dry material in the star fruit plants. The use of the Hoagland & Arnon solution resulted in lower material dry production in and also lower of Ca and Mg use. Nutrient transportation efficiency was the indicator most affected by the different nutritional solutions used, while efficiency of nutrient use showed small variation when comparing the solutions.


A BSTRACT . We investigate quiver representations over F 1 . Coefficient quivers are combinatorial gad-gets equivalent to F 1 -representations of quivers. We focus on the case when the quiver Q is a pseudotree. For such quivers, we first use the notion of coefficient quivers to provide a complete classification of asymptotic behaviors of indecomposable representations over F 1 . Then, we prove some fundamental structural results about the Lie algebras associated to pseudotrees. Finally, we construct examples of F 1 -representations M of a quiver Q by using coverings, under which the Euler characteristics of the quiver Grassmannians Gr Qd ( M ) can be computed in a purely combinatorial way.


The themes of alienation and isolation are familiar enou g h in our literature; the "outsider" threatens to become a stock figure. But the theme of invisibility the premise that a man can stand in such a relationship with the world that his fellow humans utterly refuse to see him goes beyond even isolation, and it is this idea that Ralph Ellison explores in his only published novel, Invisible Man.' Ellison establishes a situation in which the protagonist lives in this state of invisibility and knows it. For the protagonist even to recognize that a condition of invisibility exists is a gradual and difficult task; to understand the essence of that state is both difficult and painful; and to comprehend not only that it exists, and what it means, but also that it is at the very core of his own personality, is excruciating enough to drive the hero into a hole in the ground. It is from his warm and well-lighted hole that the invisible man recounts the wild process whereby he came to understand this basic fact about himself and the world.


This small book on gastroenterology, published in 1963, had previously escaped my attention and, therefore, my pleasure in its contents was all the greater because it was quite unexpected. The book discusses the diagnosis and treatment of all the common and most of the less common diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, the pancreas, and the biliary tract. It proceeds as the stream of food from mouth to rectum and devotes time to each area in accordance with the frequency with which the problem presents in practice. Most of the 18 chapters discuss specific diseases or diseases of a specific area. Gastrointestinal hemorrhage, GI problems in systemic disease, and drug reactions receive treatment in separate chapters. The role of radiological intubation, biopsy, and other special techniques are presented in each area and some 60 clear radiograms or line drawings illustrate the points that the author is making. At all times it


Spontaneous pneumothoraxs are usually caused by subpleural apical bleps but may also be secondary to metastasis to the lung and rarely primary lung cancer. We present a 56-years-old man with spontaneous pneumothorax secondary to non-small cell lung cancer.


Let $n\ge 3$, $0<m<\frac{n-2}{n}$, $i_0\in\mathbb{Z}^+$, $\Omega\subset\mathbb{R}^n$ be a smooth bounded domain, $a_1,a_2,\dots,a_{i_0}\in\Omega$, $\widehat{\Omega}=\Omega\setminus\{a_1,a_2,\dots,a_{i_0}\}$, $0\le f\in L^{\infty}(\partial\Omega)$ and $0\le u_0\in L_{loc}^p(\widehat{\Omega})$ for some constant $p>\frac{n(1-m)}{2}$ which satisfies $\lambda_i|x-a_i|^{-\gamma_i}\le u_0(x)\le \lambda_i'|x-a_i|^{-\gamma_i'}\,\,\forall 0<|x-a_i|<\delta$, $i=1,\dots, i_0$ where $\delta>0$, $\lambda_i'\ge\lambda_i>0$ and $\frac{2}{1-m}<\gamma_i\le\gamma_i'<\frac{n-2}{m}$ $\forall i=1,2,\dots, i_0$ are constants. We will prove the asymptotic behaviour of the finite blow-up points solution $u$ of $u_t=\Delta u^m$ in $\widehat{\Omega}\times (0,\infty)$, $u(a_i,t)=\infty\,\,\forall i=1,\dots,i_0, t>0$, $u(x,0)=u_0(x)$ in $\widehat{\Omega}$ and $u=f$ on $\partial\Omega\times (0,\infty)$, as $t\to\infty$. We will construct finite blow-up points solution in bounded cylindrical domain with appropriate lateral boundary value such that the finite blow-up points solution oscillates between two given harmonic functions as $t\to\infty$. We will also prove the existence of the minimal solution of $u_t=\Delta u^m$ in $\widehat{\Omega}\times (0,\infty)$, $u(x,0)=u_0(x)$ in $\widehat{\Omega}$, $u(a_i,t)=\infty\quad\forall t>0, i=1,2\dots,i_0$ and $u=\infty$ on $\partial{\Omega}\times (0,\infty)$.


The traditional view of Propertius as a eulogist of Augustus in Elegies IV, vi1) has become the object of an increasingly jaundiced gaze in recent years. Gordon Williams' assessment of the piece as "one of the most ridiculous poems in the Latin language"2) is so often quoted with approval as to have become something of a commonplace of Propertian criticism in some quarters3). It is true that Williams' view has lately been subjected to vigorous attack by W.R.Johnson for its failure to appreciate the poetic merits of the piece; but for Johnson too the real measure of the poem's successful appeal is the extent to which the poet's talents have been turned to parody of Augustan patriotic poetry4). "Can any man now believe that Propertius meant to honour Augustus in IV, 6 . . . ?" is the question posed by


ABSTRACT In 2015, CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) implemented a records management system to manage personnel records dating back to the mid-1950s. This article will look at the situation at CERN before a digital solution was available, what solution was chosen, what customisations were required, and the current situation. There is also some insight into the future direction of the project and remaining goals.


The participation of Ecuadorian female students in technical careers has increased; however, they still have a shallow representation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. In this sense, critical education is needed that breaks down the paradigms, factors, and barriers that students face, considering the unfriendly climate of the majors and the low women representation that are managers in companies linked to the STEM field. This article, we present actions carried out within the framework of the W-STEM project to create a new female role vision in technical careers. Besides, a proposal of an action plan to empower women in STEM areas focused on the High Schools in the north zone of the country, under the cross-cutting axes of access, attraction, and guidance. These axes will allow us to define the importance of the women role in STEM careers, opening horizons to ensure the conditions of a society with equal opportunities.


We evaluated several liquid passivants, viz. solutions of iodine ethanol (IE), quinhydrone methanol (QHM), and potassium cyanide (KCN), for measuring minority-carrier lifetime. Lifetime was measured by the WCT-100 (Sinton Instruments) and WT-2000 (Semilab). Our results show that both IE and QHM passivation are reliable mechanisms. We also find that the KCN solution is moderately passivating on oxidized surfaces, but is only minimally effective on bare Si surfaces. This paper presents details of our studies. In particular, the effect of illumination on IE-passivated surfaces and possible reasons for variations in lifetime measurement are discussed.


Arsenic is a coal mineral matter constituent that has a serious impact on SCR design and operation. Volatilized arsenic (As2O3) in the furnace is a pernicious SCR catalyst poison that can rapidly reduce catalyst activity. It is especially difficult to measure volatile arsenic concentration in boiler gases. Therefore, its concentration is typically inferred from the coal mineral matter composition and boiler operation. Unfortunately, reliable measurement of arsenic concentration in coal is difficult because of its physical properties. Some coal analysis methods that are in practice may lose a significant amount of the arsenic in the sample, producing a result that may be much lower than the actual arsenic concentration. The impact of this error can be quite costly, especially if the coal mineral composition is favorable for gaseous As2O3 formation vis-a-vis other, less problematic, arsenic compounds. Unanticipated SCR catalyst additions or other remedies may later be required to address operating problems that could have been addressed in the SCR design had the proper mineral matter concentrations been available and the impact on SCR design fully understood. In this presentation we will discuss lessons learned from operation of an SCR system that has experienced deactivation from arsenic. Methods of analysis that have been found to provide more reliable measurements of arsenic concentration will be identified. Finally, the impact of coal arsenic concentration on SCR catalyst design and operation will be discussed, particularly as it relates to fuel flexibility.


Exam Paper Generator provides an answer to decide on challenging, well-framed queries and generate it easy for the instructor to get it at intervals a brief amount of your time. This will be done in some faucets of the hand because it is an associate degree golem application, therefore accessible at any time and place. It contains various modules that allow the system to trot out all queries simply. The modules like admin module, user module, and question entry and question management make it a simple task. From the entered input the paper is generated and saved as a .pdf file that can be complete for own or distributed as per the user or admin requirements. Keyword: AQP(Automatic Question paper Generation),AES(Advance Encryption standard),ML(machine learning). INTRODUCTION: In normal scenarios, the examination committee in an institute works in a very conventional manner. This way is time-consuming and makes all instructors tired of doing these same activities frequently. Our project removes these drawbacks and complexities. In this android application, we have implemented a system in which random questions will be picked by mapping it with the conditions provided. Before this, administrators can enter the formatted questions in the database (also called a specification table). Through a randomization algorithm, the questions are chosen depending on the chapter, marks and levels. The question paper is generated according to this specific pattern by the admin/instructor to avoid time-consuming jobs, and by students, to get it practiced before their exams. This paper is available on hand at all times since it works on the Android platform for mobile devices BACKGROUND: The existing system for Question Paper Generation requires human staff to chalk out questions that appear in the question paper. These teachers or professors select the questions according to the syllabus and pattern as prescribed by the curriculum. The question paper then may be referred to a higher authority that has the final say in these matters. © 2020 JETIR May 2020, Volume 7, Issue 5 www.jetir.org (ISSN-2349-5162) JETIR2005308 Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (JETIR) www.jetir.org 40 NEED: Specific questions as per constraints given by the admin with nothing extra added in. No repetition of questions in the paper. Level wise entry. Ability to format the pattern of the question paper as per the institute's (admin) needs. Fig. basic Structure RELATED WORK: Due to the growing field of education, conducting exams and preparing appropriate papers for the same is proving difficult, inefficient, time consuming and a redundant job for the instructor. Therefore, many applications, software and databases have immerged to combat the situation. Our team has looked into such various applications beforehand, they include the following. Conventional exam paper generation systems followed by institutes have many drawbacks and weaknesses such as time requirements and repetition of questions in the paper. To overcome them we have designed the proposed system. The Admin is the selected senior staff from the institute who are responsible to manage the questions with functions such as addition and updating of various parameters such as courses, subjects, chapters and the questions themselves. They have their own specific login details. Overcomes all the drawbacks stated above in an instant and provides more functionality such as: 1. Specific questions as per constraints given by the admin with nothing extra added in. 2. No repetition of questions in the paper. 3. Level wise entry: Easy, medium and hard level questions in equal proportion. 4. Ability to format the pattern of the question paper as per the institute's (admin) needs. 5. Ability to have a paper ready at any time due to its portable nature on mobile devices. MOTIVATION: Generate an examination Question Paper considering different levels of educational and module wise Syllabus content of the subject. It's a secure system with no leakage of papers. Manual work is reduced and less employees are involved thus providing maximum confidentiality. © 2020 JETIR May 2020, Volume 7, Issue 5 www.jetir.org (ISSN-2349-5162) JETIR2005308 Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (JETIR) www.jetir.org 41 SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE: In the proposed system, we design and develop a system to generate random question papers. In this system, we proposed one admin phase and the college phase. Admin gives grant/revoke permission to college and generate unique question paper. Admin encrypts question paper using an algorithm and sends to principle. Encryption Technique: To encrypt the data using encryption. This process will continue at the time of Question paper upload. For this we are going to use the AES(Advance Encryption standard) algorithm. Decryption Technique: Here in this process we are performing decryption at the time of Question paper download to get paper in original form. Fig 1 system overview [4] ECC (Elliptic curve cryptography): In this algorithm, we are generating a signature for file to save the data confidentiality. That signature will be linked to the file. Parameter ECC RSA Year of 2005 1977 proposed Computational Roughly 10 More than Overhead times than ECC © 2020 JETIR May 2020, Volume 7, Issue 5 www.jetir.org (ISSN-2349-5162) JETIR2005308 Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (JETIR) www.jetir.org 42 that of RSA can be saved Key Size System System parameter and parameter and key pair are key pair larger shorter for the for RSA ECC Bandwidth ECC offer Much less Saving considerable bandwidth bandwidth saving than saving over ECC RSA Key Faster Slower generation Encryption Much faster At good speed than RSA but slower than ECC Decryption Slower than Faster than RSA ECC Small Device Much more Less efficient Efficiency efficient than ECC Scalability Optimal Not optimal scalability Table No. 1 (Comparison between ECC and RSA) From above comparison table we get to know that ECC is better than RSA. Hence instead of RSA we are implementing ECC. Param AES 3DES Blowfi eter sh Key 128,192 168(K3),11 32-448 length OR 256 2(K1, K2) Bits Bits Cipher Symmet Symmetric Symm type ric block etric block cipher cipher cipher algorit hm Block 128,192 64 bits 64 bits size ,256 bits Develp 200


Protein phosphorylation is an important post translational modification involved in cellular signaling. Disruption of this balance alters cellular phenotype and in some cases can lead to adverse ef...


Green spaces are promoted as a means of improving the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) for people with health problems. This paper evaluates the Branching Out programme in Scotland, which provides patients with mental health problems, social, physical and recreational activities in an outdoor 'community' setting. Patients carry out group-based woodland activities over a 12-week period. Health agencies in the Strathclyde region of Scotland offer patients the opportunity to participate if they consider that the patient will benefit from Branching Out activities. The evaluation uses the SF-12 questionnaire to assess HRQoL of participants in the programme. From the SF-12 scores, quality adjusted life year (QALY) change is calculated. Cost per QALY is estimated in relation to economic costs of the program (staffing cost, facilities and other costs e.g. travel). Cost effectiveness analysis reveals Branching Out is comparable to other programmes oriented to social recovery. Its cost-effectiveness in terms of National Institute for Health & Care Excellence guidelines for medical treatments depends on the duration of the health improvement.


In this paper, we prove the exact null controllability of certain diffusion system by rewriting it as an equivalent nonlinear parabolic integrodifferential equation with variable coefficients in a bounded interval of ℝ with a distributed control acting on a subinterval. We first prove a global null controllability result of an associated linearized integrodifferential equation by establishing a suitable observability estimate for adjoint system with appropriate assumptions on the coefficients. Then this result is successfully used with some estimates for parabolic equation in L k spaces together with classical fixed point theorem, to prove the null controllability of the nonlinear model.


In a bulk carrier's design,the primary power system plan requires sending the power parameters of generator on main switchboard side and main bus to the ECC and it is necessary to transmit ASCII and RTU Encoding messages on MODBUS communication network.As the MODBUS network can only use a transfer mode,this article discusses how to transmit two encoding messages such as ASCII and RTU on the same MODBUS transmission network.


Numerous studies have identified that ethnocentric consumers prefer buying products produced nationally rather than products from overseas. Nevertheless, this study has been focused on big economies, that's why its application in developing countries is still scarce, especially if we want to know their relationship with a global and foreign brand that operates in these developing countries. On the other hand, this study has been centralized in products, and that is the reason why the studies in hedonic services are also scarce. The objective of this study is to identify the antecedents and consequences of ethnocentrism in hedonic services by applying the variable to a developing country such as Colombia. Considering the cultural and economic importance of Colombian coffee and, regarding a global brand, foreign and hedonic services like Starbucks. This allows the presentation of a theoretical model that forms the basis of an empirical study with a sample of 305 consumers of Starbucks in Bogotá. Via data analysis with Smart PLS 3.0, it was observed that although the Colombian consumer is ethnocentric, they do possess loyalty towards the cited global brand. These results provide us with implications for the management of international businesses as well as with future research pathways.


and the Metropolitan Museum in 2006-7, was an illustra tion in Li livres du Graunt Caam (The Book of the Great Khan), a manuscript in the Bodleian Library in Oxford (MS Bodley 264) that is a copy of a fourteenth-century French prose text illuminated in Paris (British Library, Royal 19 D.I).1 The Bodley manuscript is one of some one hundred fifty known versions, in Franco-Italian, Tuscan, Venetian, Ger man, Latin, and French, made in the fourteenth and fifteenth


Ten grape rootstocks were subjected to moisture and salinity stress in two separate experiments. The influence of these stresses on gas exchange, water relation, and biochemical parameters was monitored at various stages of stress cycle. Both stresses indicated significant changes in the physiological and biochemical parameters studied. Some biochemical constituents increased by several folds in few rootstock cultivars which also recorded increased osmotic potential suggesting their role in osmotic adjustment. Some of the rootstock cultivars such as 110R, 1103P, 99R, Dogridge, and B2/56 recorded increased phenolic compounds under stressed conditions. The same rootstock also recorded increased water use efficiency. The increased accumulation of phenolic compounds in these cultivars may indicate the possible role of phenolic compounds as antioxidants for scavenging the reactive oxygen species generated during abiotic stresses thus maintaining normal physiological and biochemical process in leaves of resistant cultivars.


New numerical techniques for simulating the formation and evolution of cathode and anode plasmas have been successfully implemented in a hybrid code. The dynamics of expanding electrode plasmas has long been recognized as a limiting factor in the impedance lifetimes of high-power vacuum diodes and magnetically insulated transmission lines. Realistic modeling of such plasmas is being pursued to aid in understanding the operating characteristics of these devices as well as establishing scaling relations for reliable extrapolation to higher voltages. Here, in addition to kinetic and fluid modeling, a hybrid particle-in-cell technique is described that models high density, thermal plasmas as an inertial fluid which transitions to kinetic electron or ion macroparticles above a prescribed energy. The hybrid technique is computationally efficient and does not require resolution of the Debye length. These techniques are first tested on a simple planar diode then applied to the evolution of both cathode and anode ...


Serotonin (5‐HT) is an important modulator of sensory cell activity and cardiorespiratory reflexes. 5‐HT modulates neuronal activity directly through ion channels or by downstream signaling to alter ion channel activity or intracellular stores. We examined the role of 5‐HT in mediating intracellular calcium concentrations in sensory neurons cultured from the nodose‐petrosal ganglia. Calcium concentrations were measured using Fura‐2 and the increase in the 340 to 380 nm ratio was used as an indicator of elevated intracellular calcium concentrations. 5‐HT (10 μM, 30s) increased 340/380 ratio in 10 of 18 cells. To determine the 5‐HT receptor mediating this increase, selective 5‐HT agonists were examined. The 5‐HT1 receptor agonists 5‐CT and 8‐OH‐DPAT (10 μM, n=2) did not alter the ratio alone. Co‐application of 8‐OH‐DPAT with 5‐HT, however, attenuated the increase in 340/380 ratio, agreeing with its described effects on increasing potassium current (Kline and Hendricks, 2005). The 5‐HT2 agonist α‐m‐5‐HT (10 μM, 30s) increased the 340/380 ratio (26.24%, n=3) as did the 5‐HT3 receptor agonist m‐CPBG (1 μM, 30s) which elicited a prolonged increase (40.38%, n=3). The increase in 340/380 by co‐application of all three agonists did not reach that of 5‐HT alone. These studies demonstrate several 5‐HT receptors modulate neuronal activity, in part, via increases in intracellular calcium.


This paper presents Content Based Image Retrieval using multiwavelet. The database image features are extracted by multiwavelet based features at different levels of decompositions. In this paper, we have tested 500 images with 11 different categories. The experimental results show the better results in terms of retrieve accuracy and computation complexity. Euclidean Distance and Canberra Distance are used as similarity measure in the proposed CBIR system.


The behavior of the cross-sectional polarization field is explored for arrays of thin nanowires of barium titanate from first principles. Topological defects of different winding numbers have been obtained, beyond the known textures in ferroelectric nanostructures. They result from the inward accommodation of patterns imposed at the surface of the wire by surface and edge effects. Close to a topological defect, the polarization field orients out of the basal plane in some cases, maintaining a close to constant magnitude, whereas it virtually vanishes in other cases.


International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Review and Research Available online at www.globalresearchonline.net © Copyright protected. Unauthorised republication, reproduction, distribution, dissemination and copying of this document in whole or in part is strictly prohibited. © Copyright protected. Unauthorised republication, reproduction, distribution, 171 Devaki Kanakasabapathi*, V.K. Gopalakrishnan Department of Biochemistry, Karpagam University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. Department of Bioinformatics, Karpagam University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. *Corresponding author's E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com


The genus Thelastoma Leidy, 1849 (Nematoda: Thelastomatidae) is recorded for the first time parasitizing a passalid beetle (Passalidae) from Cuba. Such record is based in a single female specimen. It can be placed in the Group D following the classification of Barus & Boubkova (2002) but differs by having larger body and eggs. Thelastoma sp. presents the tail comparatively shorter than the taxa from group D, with the exception of T. euscorpii Barus & Boubkova, 2002. From the latter, also differs by having lateral alae, that are absent in T. euscorpii. The excretory pore of Thelastoma sp. is postbulbar vs. prebulbar in T. euscorpii. Moreover, the eggs of Thelastoma sp. present concave pits in the shell, instead of the smooth-shelled eggs of T. euscorpii. These differences suggest that Thelastoma sp. could belong to a new species. The discovery of only a single female specimen and the males that remain unknown, make necessary further collects in order to clarify the status of the taxon.


The facial looks have an impact on self-esteem and emotional well-being, playing an important role in social interactions. Changing in these functions will therefore affect the standard of living of children. Objective: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of malocclusion on psychological well-being on school going children using the OASIS aged between 13-17 years attending government high schools in Mardan District. Methods: This was a Descriptive Cross-Sectional Survey conducted at the government schools of Mardan. It was carried out within a period of six month from December, 2021 till May 2022 after consent from Institutional Review Board (IRB) of Bacha Khan Medical College, Mardan vide No. 39/2021/ERB. The sample was chosen using a random cluster sampling technique with probability related to size. The design effect was taken into account as the cluster sampling approach was applied, and a sample size of 850 was achieved. (600 boys and 250 girl participants were involved respectively from government high schools). Results: A total of 850 subjects were included in the study of which there were 600 (70%) males and 250 (30%) were females. The age range was 13-17 years with a mean age 15 years +1.37 (S.D) years. Conclusions: Angle's malocclusion was established in 73.1% of the subjects. The least affected psychologically was normal occlusion with (100%) good psychological well-being followed by Angle's class I malocclusion having good psychological well-being (76.8%).


While the affine T-S fuzzy model offers additional accuracy in terms of describing system dynamics compared to the regular T-S fuzzy model, the problem is that the resulting LMIs for the controller design are structurally infeasible without introducing additional inequalities. In this paper, first, we partition the state space into some cells and use the properties of the cells away from the origin to obtain favourable quadratic inequalities. Then two fuzzy controllers are given based on the partition. In addition, uncertainty in the system is also considered in the affine T-S fuzzy model. Finally, simulation results are provided for the verification of the proposed controllers.


© 2018 Niken K. Prabaningdyah et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License -NonCommercialShareAlikeUnported License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/). *Corresponding Author Abdul Rohman, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, 55281, Indonesia. E-mail: abdul_kimfar @ ugm.ac.id Application of FTIR spectroscopy and multivariate calibration for analysis of curcuminoid in syrup formulation


Photographic image. Black and white. Image of one man, wearing a suit and tie, standing with two women. All three have glasses. Identified as (left to right): Ruth Amen, David Miller, and Emma Haynes. They are attending the 2nd International Convention of the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia (AHSGR) at Villager Motel; June 17-20, 1971; in Lincoln, Nebraska. Courtesy of Adam Giesinger Collection, 2011.36, GRHC.


A very ambitious fisheries development policy, targeting, both pelagic and demersal resources, was conducted during the early years of the Walter Lini government. Its aims were to strengthen the country's food security and economic self reliance and to diversify the cash economy in the islands. Due to the size of the new economic space and the yields of the new fishing gears, this policy may be related to a blue revolution. This last one has finally resulted in failure. After the closure of the spfc in Santo, Vanuatu authorities have been unable to structure a national tuna fleet or attract foreign investors. The program of artisanal fisheries'development was also a failure after an initial time of sucess. Without strong technical support, too many fishing groups never reached profitability.


Using Imai's general method of solving two-dimensional Oseen's equations, the drag and lift coefficients for a lattice of parallel, equal and equidistant elliptic cylinders in a uniform flow at small Reynolds numbers are calculated. When the stagger is not present and the thickness ratio of the elliptic cylinders is taken to be unity, the expressions for these coefficients reduce to the case of a lattice of equal and equidistant circular cylinders which has been investigated by Tamada and Fujikawa.


For a case study area in the Okhombe catchment in the province of KwaZulu‐Natal, South Africa, a multi‐scale analysis of soil erosion dynamics was performed. At sub‐catchment level, the dynamics of erosional features were investigated by means of aerial photographs. At site level, the changes in soil physical and chemical properties were investigated by means of a fence‐line contrast study. Attention was paid to both surface and subsurface erosion phenomena.


Background: Improving the aesthetic needs of patients is followed by various improvement and development of aesthetic dentistry products. The aesthetic demand drives the patients to choose the type of restoration which has superiority on its aesthetic properties that is nanofller composite resin. This demand also causes the patients prefer to use whitening toothpaste which its abrasive materials allegedly cause surface roughness. Surface roughness of the restoration is one of the important factors that affect the durability of the restoration. High surface roughness causes the retention of plaque and dicoloration that will ultimately affect the aesthetic of the restoration itself. Objective: To determine the increase of surface roughness nanofller composite resin restorations after brushing with toothpaste whitening and non-whitening . Methods: 21 samples of nanofller composite resin, divided into 3 groups. Group 1 (control) brushed with distilled water, group 2 brushed with mixture of distilled water and whitening toothpaste, and group 3 brushed using mixture of distilled water and non-whitening toothpaste. Each group was brushed with a time of 30 seconds per day for two weeks (14 days). The measurements of surface roughness were taken before and after the samples were brushed. Results: There were an increase in the surface roughness of each group after brushing. The result showed that the highest value of increased surface roughness occured in group 2 (whitening toothpaste), while the lowest value occured in group 1 (control). There are also signifcant differences between the value of the increased surface roughness nanofller composite resin in each group. Conclusions: The increase of surface roughness of nanofller composite resin after brushing with a whitening toothpaste was higher than brushing with non whitening toothpaste


The present invention, sulfur, and provides a sulfur cement pre-composition comprising at least polysulphide-containing organosilane of at least 0.3% by weight relative to the total composition weight, polysulphide-containing organosilane is generally molecular formula (X The present invention further provides a method of preparing such sulfur cement pre-composition, sulfur cement or a sulfur cement - Methods of preparing aggregate composites, sulfur cement or a sulfur cement - aggregate composites, and such sulfur cement It provides the use of a pre-composition.


Once the existence of metrizablc (LF)~spaces was discovcrcd, the problem whcther the cornpletion of an (LF)-space is or is not an (LF)-spacc was answered in the negative, because no (LF)-space can be a Fréchct space. Howcvcr, sorne (non-metrizable) (LF)-spaccs are complete, e.g. the classical KOthc's strict (LF)spaccs. In this paper we will carry out a thorough study of the completencss of (LF)spaces strcssing u pon the stable completion propertics of(LB)-spaces. A basic tool for handling this problcm is an Open Mapping Theorem for complctions of(LF)-spaccs, which is also proved in thc prcscnt paper.


Based on the writer's observation, there are some problems that found in learning English
especially in reading comprehension of narrative text. Students were not able to identify the topic
on narrative text, students were not able to identify the generic structure (orientation,
complication and resolution) on narrative text, students were not able to identify the language
features on narrative text, and students were not able to identify the communicative purpose on
narrative text. So, the writer was interested in carrying out the research about this problem.
The design of this research was a quasi experimental research with nonequivalent control
group design. The research was conducted at Senior High School 10 Pekanbaru. The subject of
this research was the second year students at Senior High School 10 Pekanbaru, and the object of
this research was the effect of using Jots and Doodles strategy toward reading comprehension.
The population of this research was all of the second year students at Senior High School
10 Pekanbaru. The total number of population was 324 students. Because the number of
population was large, the researcher used cluster sampling to take the sample: class XI IPA 3
which consisted of 36 students as an experimental class, and class XI IPA 5 which consisted of
36 students as a control class. So, the total number of the sample was 72. To analyze the data, the
researcher adopted independent sample T-test formula by using SPSS.
Based on the analysis of the data of the students' mean score in experimental class and
control class, it was found that mean score in experimental class was higher than the students
mean score in control class. Finally, based on the analysis of T-test formula, it was found that T0
was higher than Tt either at level of significance of 5% and 1%. In other words, we can read
2.00 2.65. So, the researcher can conclude that Ha is accepted and H0 is rejected. It means
that there is a significant effect of using Jots and Doodles strategy toward reading comprehension
of the second year students at Senior High School 10 Pekanbaru


A jewelry piece in which the precious stone is replaced with an apparatus comprising a screen, wherein the apparatus is capable of receiving from a smart phone and displaying on the screen an image a user selects from a plurality of choices, in order to make the jewelry piece appear as having a particular precious stone.


Two new species of the deep-sea scavenging genus Cyclocaris (Crustacea: Amphipoda) are described from bathyal and abyssal depths in the North and tropical Atlantic Ocean, bringing the total number of species in the genus to four. An account of all four species is given and an updated key to the genus Cyclocaris is provided.


The invention relates to a magnetic bubble generator and a magnetic bubble device comprising such a generator. Such a magnetic bubble generator comprises a track 1 formed by ion implantation and two L-shaped structures conductors 5, 6 superimposed and insulated relative to each other, of the type shaped hairpins, which define respective intervals, the front ends are located in the vicinity of a cusp 4 of the Lane 1. Application particularly in the chips of magnetic bubble memories.


Calculation results of the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of nuclear states of angular momentum I interacting with a magnetic field (Ho) and an axially symmetric electrostatic gradient are tabulated. The calculations were executed for the angular momentum quantum numbers I, the interaction parameters Y, and the angles BETA . A summary of the parameters used in the diagonalization of interaction matrices is included. (J.R.D.)


The invention relates to an optical receiving lens (1) having a three-dimensional lens surface (3) for receiving the reflected on an object laser radiation of a laser rangefinder, wherein the receiver lens (1) in a three-dimensional, three mutually perpendicular axis x, y, z having coordinate system writable and wherein the z-axis with the optical axis of the receiver lens (1) coincide. According to the invention it is provided that at least one non-spherical surface portion (9) of the lens surface (3) is writable (by addition of a first surface, the deflection along the z-axis of a first function (f Further, the invention relates to a range finder (2).


As tourism developed and became an integral part of a modern life its international value increased and the national governments have started to play more and more important role their activity covered a wide range of problems from an infrastructure before functions of regulation. One of the major directions in the role of the government of Georgia to develop tourism in the country should be the introduction of the modern educational system in the field of tourism and promotion of its development. The preparation of tourism specialists and raising the preparation of their quality must be based on the technological progress made in this field and the specifics of labor spent. Following the above-mentioned, we can conclude that the present level of the tourism education and staff training in the tourist sector of Georgia fails to meet the international demands of tourism industry either quantitatively, or qualitatively. The present situation on the market of tourist service education needs urgent measures, particularly to improve its qualitative indicators.


This article presents a simple control method for the fully automatic parking of an unmanned vehicle. This method is based on the switching control algorithm and backstepping theory. The fully automatic parking is hard to accomplish since it cannot converge to a specified norm, guarantee the convergence rate, and large uncertainties. Global exponential convergence to any prescribed norm bound (<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\epsilon$</tex-math></inline-formula>-convergence) is guaranteed, and the convergence rate is explicitly given. For the design of steering laws, a method based on backstepping is proposed and analyzed in detail. The backstepping-based design of a multichain system is obtained. Moreover, an exponentially <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\epsilon$</tex-math></inline-formula>-convergent control algorithm is adopted to guarantee both converge norm and convergence rate. Real road experiment results are presented and the results show the effectiveness of the control strategies.


BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES
C677T polymorphism in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene has been proposed as a pharmacogenomic marker for toxicity of methotrexate (MTX). We studied the relationship between the C677T gene polymorphism and toxicity and efficacy of MTX in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on folate supplementation.

METHODS
A total of 150 RA patients fulfilling American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria and on MTX treatment were evaluated. The mean age of the patients was 42.9 +/- 11.1 yr, mean disease duration was 7.65 +/- 5.2 yr and the mean duration of MTX treatment was 26.1 +/- 20.6 months. Genotype analysis of MTHFR gene was done by PCR and restriction enzyme method. Primary endpoint for treatment efficacy was change in disease activity score 28 (DAS28) from baseline. Drug toxicity was evaluated by blood count, renal and liver function tests and a standardized questionnaire.

RESULTS
The mean DAS at baseline was 5.02 +/- 0.8. All patients received 10 mg/wk folic acid supplementation. Forty two per cent (63/150) of the patients had C677T polymorphism of which 4 were homozygous (T/T) and 59 were heterozygous (C/T). The baseline characteristics of the patients with or without polymorphism were comparable. The frequency of adverse events was not increased in patients with C677T polymorphism with 11 patients experiencing adverse events as compared to 19 in the group without polymorphism (of whom 4 and 7 patients respectively discontinued treatment). The C677T polymorphism was not associated with any difference in response to treatment.

INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION
Our findings suggest that C677T polymorphism in the MTHFR gene is not predictive of toxicity or efficacy of MTX treatment in RA patients receiving folate supplementation. Further studies need to be done to look at polymorphisms in other enzymes that may have association with MTX clinical efficacy and toxicity.


The aim of this paper is to explain growth performance in Portugal in the last decades (1965-2006) through a multi-equation system with cumulative growth characteristics. The model uses a demand-orientated approach to determine the main relationships, which explain growth through a virtuous cycle. The idea is to identify the driving forces of growth with causal linkages and feedback tendencies that enable the process to be self-sustained. We estimate the multi-equation growth model by 3SLS to capture more efficiently the interrelations between the main growth forces and to control for the endogeneity of the regressors. Our evidence shows that the proposed model can successfully explain the Portuguese growth performance, highlighting the importance of export competitiveness as the key factor in this process. The cumulative growth process was interrupted at some points mainly due to the incapacity to transfer productivity gains into domestic prices and to make the economy more competitive. We also show that capital accumulation does not affect productivity growth, and domestic prices do not improve export competitiveness. These are the main drawbacks of the Portuguese economy that could explain the failure to achieve higher growth rates in the period 1965-2006.


In de Sitter (dS) gravity, two kinds of conservation laws are derived. The first kind is a differential equation for a 5-dimensional (5d) dS-covariant angular momentum (AM) current, which unites the canonical energy-momentum (EM) and 4d AM tensors. The second kind presents a 5d dS-invariant AM current, which is conserved in the sense that its torsion-free divergence vanishes, and unites the total EM and 4d AM currents. It is found that the dS spin, i.e., the spin part of the dS-covariant current, contributes to the EM tensor with the contribution proportional to Lambda^{1/2}, where Lambda is the cosmological constant. Hence the dS spin may be one source of dark energy. All the results are compared to the ordinary Lorentz gravity.


Health and Salvation at the End of Time. This article examines some Old Testament and Qumranic texts (or texts that were in any case used by the Qumran community) of an eschatological nature. By focusing on the dual concept salvation–health, it shows how the soteriological announcement is aimed primarily at the body, addressing the physical integrity of human beings as an inalienable and fundamental fact. At the end of time, salvation and health shall once again meet and overlap, fi nding completion in each other. Yahweh's supreme salvational majesty manifests itself as restorative, capable of healing his people of the evils of history, as well as of the human condition. email@example.com


This is a newsletter of the World Bank country office Manila. This issue features: WB launches new country assistance strategy for RP. Get to know the Bank's new staff. GEF Council OKs US$11.95M grants for 2 RP projects. WB partners with university libraries in Mindinao. 7 NGOs get funds from small grants program. WB apporves US$100 million loan for SEMPII.


The period between 1980 and 1999 was one of interruption of education for Albanian students in Kosovo. Serbian students were allowed to attend school, which was now taught in the Serbian language that excluded Albanians. A parallel system of education evolved in which secret house-schools were established in order to educate Albanian speakers in their own language. This study recounts the time through the eyes of students, teachers, and others involved in education during this period. The paper describes measures undertaken to restore education of Albanians in Kosovo, implications for the future, and a caution to keep in mind.


Abstract A model has been developed for intercoolers which are used to reduce the temperature of the charge air in turbocharged internal combustion engines. The detailed theory for the intercooler model is presented. The behaviour of the intercooler is characterized by the relationship between the number of transfer units (NTU) and the effectiveness (ε) of the intercooler, which is assumed to be that of a cross-flow heat exchanger. The structure of the code used to implement the model is presented and the model is applied to simulate the gas dynamics in a medium-speed turbocharged and intercooled diesel engine. The results show the predicted variation of pressure, temperature and mass flowrate across the intercooler and also the variation of intercooler effectiveness with mass flowrate.


n This paper experimentally identifies usage scenarios that trigger IP performance limitations in two common Internet access technologies: DOCSIS cable networks and 802.11b wireless local area networks. We use commercial, standards-compliant implementations of each link technology and demonstrate that data transfers from a remote server to a wireless- or cable-attached client can create substantial latency spikes (upwards of 100ms) on the shared wireless or cable link segment, despite each technology's generous downstream link bandwidth. These spikes have a significant impact on delay- sensitive applications (such as voice over IP, online games or interactive streaming video) sharing the link. We also observe the negative impact of 802.11bis CSMA/CA on end-to-end TCP performance in the presence of low bandwidth, non-reactive traffic, and DOCSIS request/grant cycle on maximum DOCSIS upstream and downstream bandwidths. We illustrate the former point by calculating the performance degradation of an 802.11b link shared by online game players. Our results should motivate future work on optimised media access algorithms for 802.11b and DOCSIS.


Purpose – This paper aims to develop a methodological approach to place product analysis that aims to identify the distinctive ideas of places. Design/methodology/approach – The methodology included two stages: first, classifiers of place product uses and technologies were constructed on the basis of the product concept abstraction (Study 1) and then they were used as tools to systematize data about the attributes of city districts and the everyday activities of their residents to further identify product concepts (Study 2). Findings – Product concepts of five Moscow districts were formulated as sets of benefits or district uses (needs satisfied and activities encouraged) offered to residents. The concepts are expressed in terms of typical constructions but reflect the distinctive features and specificities of the districts. Research limitations/implications – Defining places as product concepts pushes the place product analysis, benefit and lifestyle segmentation forward. Additional place product dimensi...


Long‐term complications from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) are concerning, as survivors can develop subclinical multiorgan dysfunction. It is unknown if such complications are due to prolonged inflammation, and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) vaccination may reduce sequela. We conducted a prospective longitudinal study on hospitalized patients over 24 months. Clinical symptoms were collected by self‐reporting during follow‐up, along with blood samples for quantification of inflammatory markers and immune cell frequencies. All patients were given one dose of mRNA vaccine at 12−16 months. Their immune profiles at 12 and 24 months were compared. Approximately 37% and 39% of our patients reported post‐COVID‐19 symptoms at 12 and 24 months, respectively. The proportion of symptomatic patients with more than one symptom decreased from 69% at 12 months to 56% at 24 months. Longitudinal cytokine profiling revealed a cluster of individuals with persistently high inflammatory cytokine levels 12 months after infection. Patients with prolonged inflammation showed elevated terminally differentiated memory T cells in their blood; 54% had symptoms at 12 months. The majority of inflammatory markers and dysregulated immune cells in vaccinated patients recovered to a healthy baseline at 24 months, even though symptoms persisted. Post‐COVID‐19 symptoms can linger for 2 years after the initial infection and are associated with prolonged inflammation. Prolonged inflammation in hospitalized patients resolves after 2 years. We define a set of analytes associated with persistent inflammation and presence of symptoms, which could be useful biomarkers for identifying and monitoring high‐risk survivors.


A gap-typed forest dynamic model KOPIDE was used to assess the dynamic responses of a mixed broadleaved-Korean pine forest stand to climate change in northeastem China. The GFDL climate change scenario was applied to derive the changes in environmental variables, such as 10 ~ based DEGD and PET~P, which were used to implement the model. The simulation result suggests that the climate change would cause important changes in stand structure. Korean pine, the dominant species in the area under current climate conditions, would disappear under the GFDL equilibrium scenario. Oak and elm would become the dominant species replacing Korean pine, ash and basswood. Such a potential change in forest structure would require different strategies for forest management in northeastern China.


Peroxynitrite (ONOO−), a toxic product of the free radicals nitric oxide and superoxide, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of CNS inflammatory diseases, including multiple sclerosis and its animal correlate experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). In this study we have assessed the mode of action of uric acid (UA), a purine metabolite and ONOO− scavenger, in the treatment of EAE. We show that if administered to mice before the onset of clinical EAE, UA interferes with the invasion of inflammatory cells into the CNS and prevents development of the disease. In mice with active EAE, exogenously administered UA penetrates the already compromised blood‐CNS barrier, blocks ONOO−‐mediated tyrosine nitration and apoptotic cell death in areas of inflammation in spinal cord tissues and promotes recovery of the animals. Moreover, UA treatment suppresses the enhanced blood‐CNS barrier permeability characteristic of EAE. We postulate that UA acts at two levels in EAE: 1) by protecting the integrity of the blood‐CNS barrier from ONOO−‐induced permeability changes such that cell invasion and the resulting pathology is minimized; and 2) through a compromised blood‐CNS barrier, by scavenging the ONOO− directly responsible for CNS tissue damage and death.—Hooper, D. C., Scott, G. S., Zborek, A., Mikheeva, T., Kean, R. B., Koprowski, H., Spitsin, S. V. Uric acid, a peroxynitrite scavenger, inhibits CNS inflammation, blood–CNS barrier permeability changes, and tissue damage in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis. FASEB J. 14, 691–698 (2000)


Let $d_n = p_{n+1} - p_n$, where $p_n$ denotes the $n$th smallest prime, and let $R(T) = \log T \log_2 T\log_4 T/(\log_3 T)^2$ (the "Erd{\H o}s--Rankin" function). We consider the sequence $(d_n/R(p_n))$ of normalized prime gaps, and show that its limit point set contains at least $25\%$ of nonnegative real numbers. We also show that the same result holds if $R(T)$ is replaced by any "reasonable" function that tends to infinity more slowly than $R(T)\log_3 T$. We also consider "chains" of normalized prime gaps. Our proof combines breakthrough work of Maynard and Tao on bounded gaps between primes with subsequent developments of Ford, Green, Konyagin, Maynard and Tao on long gaps between consecutive primes.


Università Politecnica delle Marche , Department of Industrial Engineering and Mathematical Science, Ancona, Italy University of Stuttgart, Materials Testing Institute Stuttgart, Germany, TTI GmbH – TGU Smartmote, Stuttgart, Germany, Fraunhofer Institute for Physical Measurement Techniques, Freiburg, Germany, InfraTec GmbH, Germany, R.E.D. srl, Italy S&B Industrial Minerals S.A., Greece, SCHWENK Putztechnik GmbH & Co. KG, Hindenburgring, Germany, Consorzio TRE, Italy, STAM Srl, Genova, Italy, DELAP & WALLER ECOCO LIMITED, Dublin, Irelanda


The title of this paper is "An Analysis of Sentence Structure Based On Generative Grammar in Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities". This paper is an analysis of structure that found in A Tale of Two Cities novel. Furthermore, this novel of Charles Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities" has mankind of unique sentence structure consist of simple sentences, compound sentences, complex sentences, and compound complex sentences. The forms of sentence structures appear clearly if analyzed by tree diagram method. Tree diagram, also known as a phrase marker since it is intended to represent structure by marking which sequences of words in a sentence are its constituent phrases. In addition, this research purposed to know the types of sentences exist in A Tale of two cities novel and to describe the sentence structure through tree diagram. This research used descriptive qualitative method with syntax approach. In this case, this research described with step that used in collecting data and purposive sampling method in gaining the sample. Furthermore, this research had done by divided in four sentences that consist of simple sentence, compound sentence, complex sentence, and compound-complex sentence. Data that analyzed in this paper quoted from Charles Dicken's A Tale of Two Cities novel that re-narrated by D.H. Howe. In this case, there are 3 chapters in A Tale of Two Cities novel; however the researcher chose the first chapter to analyze. Afterwards, data that has been collected with Bungin's formula in finding the percentage of each sentence and then data analyzed with Burton theory where the application of Chomsky's theory. Writing that contains mostly short, simple sentences can be uninteresting or even irritating to read. On the other hand, writing that consists of mostly long, complex sentence is usually difficult to read. Therefore, a good writer must use a variety of sentence types. Based on this statement the writer summarizes that a Charles Dicken's novel that retold by D.H Howe is interesting because there is a variety of sentence types in it. At last, after all sentences been analyzed, the researcher found the conclusion. Firstly, there are 427 sentences in A Tale of Two Cities novel where the dominant sentence is simple sentence that this sentence found 241 sentences, secondly is complex sentence where this sentence found 95 sentences, thirdly is compound sentence where this sentence found 48 sentences and fourthly or the last is compound – complex sentence where this sentence found 43 sentences.


Objective To investigate the antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity of antibacterial peptides from digestive glands of houseflies.Methods Housefly larvae were inoculated with bacterium to induce antibacterial peptides.The midgut of houseflies was collected and microdissected.Antibacterial peptides were extracted and purified from the midgut by ultrasound and hypothermia centrifugation.The extracted samples were tested for antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity.Results The inhibition zone produced by antibacterial peptides from the midgut of houseflies infected with Staphylococcus aureus had a diameter of 1.3 cm.The inhibition zone produced by antibacterial peptides from the midgut of normal flies had a diameter of 1.0 cm.The inhibition zone produced by penicillin had a diameter of 1.0 cm and that produced by antibacterial peptides from hemolymph had a diameter of less than 0.5 cm.In cytotoxicity tests,groups of cells with different levels of antibacterial peptides developed normally.Conclusion Antibacterial peptides from the midgut had greater antimicrobial activity than did antibacterial peptides from hemolymph,and antibacterial peptides from the midgut had a low level of cytotoxicity.


Records of meals taken by 178 junior college female students were analysed by classifying them into four groups according to the intakes of calcium and iron (whether the intakes exceeded 80% of RDA or not). Four groups consisted of "high intakes of both calcium and iron (Ca-high • Fe-high)","low intake of calcium and high intake of iron (Ca-low • Fe-high)","high intake of calcium and low intake of iron (Ca-high • Fe-low)", and "low intakes of both calcium and iron (Ca-low • Fe-low)". We investigated differences in food intake patterns among the four groups in respect of three factors : nutrient intakes, food group intakes and cooking methods. Following results were obtained. 1) Two groups with high iron intake (Ca-high • Fe-high, Ca-low • Fe-high) indicated better results on the three factors mentioned above than the groups of low iron intake (Ca-high • Fe-low, Ca-low • Fe-low). 2) In the low iron groups, the energy and protein intake was 8090% of RDA, and that of fat 95-130% of RDA. 3) Groups with low iron intakes (Ca-high • Fe-low, Ca-low • Fe-low) indicated not only low total energy intake but also low iron intake per unit energy. Guidance to increase protein and iron intakes from animal sources appears warranted. 4) The average ratios of calcium intake to phosphorus intake were 1 : 18.104.22.168 in the high-calcium groups, and those of the low-calcium groups were 1 : 2.5 -3.0, indicating that phosphorus intake of the latter groups was higher than the former. There was no significant relation between the intake of phosphorus and that of processed foods. Jpn. J. Nutr., 46 (2) 85-94 94 (1988)


Selenium is an essential element to human life. Deficiency in selenium causes an endemic cardiomyopathy, also called Keshan syndrome and, in children, the Kashin-Beck disease. Therefore, selenium determination in blood, serum, and biological samples is of clinical importance. A rapid method of analysis, based on Electrothermal Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy with Zeeman Background Correction (ETAAS), has been developed. During the method development process, the modifier concentration (palladium nitrate) has been optimized, as well as the mineralization and atomization temperatures. A sensitive method has been obtained, with a detection limit in the samples of 0.4 μmol/L, a characteristic mass of 0.49 pmol, and a linear range of 5.07 μmol/L. Accuracy and precision determinations for the blood samples were carried out using Seronorm Trace Elements Whole Blood reference samples. An average precision and a recovery of 4.5% and 102.3%, respectively, were obtained. For serum samples, the standard addition technique was used to evaluate precision, resulting in a maximum value of 1.7%. Accuracy was calculated by participating in an interlaboratory proficiency study, conducted by Surrey University in Guilford, Surrey, United Kingdom, External Quality Assessment Scheme.


A nurse who was taking care of a patient with scarlet fever acquired the disease in a mild but typical form. Two days before the onset of symptoms, she noticed that she had a sore finger. On the second day of the disease, when the rash was intense, a few drops of pus were obtained from the lesion on her finger. Gram, Giemsa and Levaditi stains were made of direct smears of this pus. They contained many polymorphonuclear leukocytes and numerous single and paired gram-positive cocci; also an occasional gram-positive diphtheroid bacillus. Cultures of the pus were made on the surface of freshly prepared sheep's blood agar plates. Anaerobic cultures were made in tubes of ascites broth which contained pieces of fresh rabbit kidney, and on human blood agar slants. Smears and dark field preparations of the anaerobic cultures were examined at frequent intervals during two weeks' incubation. No organisms


Porphyrins can form a variety of structures from linear head-to-tail or J-aggregates to fractal aggregates with different and specific photophysical properties. In this paper, the controlled aggregation of meso-5 ,10, 15, 20-sulfonato-phenyl porphyrin (H2TPPS4 4-) was studied at room temperature. Structure of the aggregates was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and UV-visible spectroscopy. TEM and SEM results indicated the formation of organized nanostructures from the porphyrin derivative. UV-visible-NIR spectroscopic data showed broad red-shifted Soret band, indicating Jaggregation among the monomer units. Conjugate effect of lateral π-π interaction among the tetrapyrrole cores and hydrophobic interaction among the peripheral phenyl rings is believed to lead to the organized nanostructures. Such aggregates have the size of 5-6 nm in solution. The columnar structure formed by porphyrins has a length of 5 to 27 porphyrin unities.


This thesis studies the importance of non-fundamental factors in economic and financial fluctuations. In particular, it studies how the economy responds to changes in expectations about economic fundamentals, independently of actual changes in those fundamentals, and to what extent financial fluctuations in one country spillover to other countries. The first chapter investigates how the economy reacts to the arrival of news about future technological progress. I find that the economy expands following a so-called news shock, but the bulk of the effect is delayed until technology starts to actually improve. News shocks explain around 30 percent of business cycle fluctuations, while their role is more important for explaining variations in forward-looking variables, such as stock prices and the term spread. In the second chapter, jointly written with Stephane Dees, studies the importance of animal spirits defined as changes in expectations not supported by changes in fundamentals for producing business cycles. We find that animal spirits are more important for business cycle fluctuations than permanent shocks. We use a novel identification scheme in a vector-autoregressive framework that exploits the fact that the econometrician has a richer data-set than consumers. In the third chapter, jointly written with Roberto De Santis, studies the extent and direction of spillovers, contagion and connectedness in European and US sovereign debt markets from 2005 to 2014. We use a new method that allows us to identify orthogonal country specific shocks in a panel of countries, employing restrictions on the relative size of the contemporaneous impact effect. We find that connectedness declined steadily between 2009 and 2012, indicating increased financial fragmentation. We find that Greece was a key source of systemic risk in 2010, explaining 20-30% of the variance of sovereign yields in stressed countries, while in 2011-2012 Italy, not Spain, was a key source of systemic risk.


This paper presents a dual-polarized terahertz (THz) direct detector with an integrated, differential wire-ring antenna, coupled to an external silicon lens. It is implemented in an advanced 0.13-μm SiGe HBT technology with fT/fmax of 350/550 GHz. It comprises two pairs of differentially driven HBT transistors in common-base (CB) configuration. Their voltage-mode readout is characterized in the forward-active and in the saturation region with an external load resistance of 1.83 kΩ. In the forward-active region the detector's optical noise equivalent power (NEP) is lower than $38{\text{pW/}}\sqrt {{\text{Hz}}} $ in the measured 220-1000 GHz band. Best NEP values of 2.7 to $3.4{\text{pW/}}\sqrt {{\text{Hz}}} $ were measured in the frequency range of 430 to 476 GHz, corresponding to a voltage responsivity of 5 ± 0.6 kV/W. In the saturation region the minimum NEP with no collector biasing is $8.2{\text{pW/}}\sqrt {{\text{Hz}}} $. This is the first reported silicon-integrated SiGe HBT THz direct detector, operating at room temperature, with an NEP below $10{\text{pW/}}\sqrt {{\text{Hz}}} $ in the frequency range between 300 GHz and 500 GHz.


Highly concentrated pastes of Au and Ag nanoparticles were prepared by a novel method using a comb-shaped block copolymer and an amine as protective colloid and reducing agent, respectively. The nanoparticles were applied to paint colorants utilizing the surface plasmon light absorption. Au and Ag nanoparticles exhibited clear red and yellow colors, respectively. It was revealed that the nanoparticles possess aesthetic color properties such as transparency and color saturation as well as excellent weather durability. Further, a novel metal paint system was also developed from using the condensed Ag paste, which enables us to produce metal like coatings by a simple, dry and environmentally friendly process.


Abstract Just above the order—disorder critical temperature (T c) in Cu3Au several unusual effects have been reported: (1) The ratio of diffuse intensity at the 003 position to that at the 001 decreases markedly. (2) There is a sudden increase in the total diffuse X-ray scattering due to mean-square displacements. (3) Phonon groups broaden. (4) Optical modes appear. Additional details of these effects are described here. Also it is shown that: (5) there are no significant changes in the phonon dispersion curves; and (6) there is a marked increase in (quasi-static) anharmonic interactions (which were observed in the X-ray diffraction pattern). All of these unusual effects are interpreted as arising from long-lived fluctuations above T c, like the low temperature ordered phase. The results suggest these fluctuations contain a high density of thick antiphase boundary.


Based on the biological olfactory systems, a chaotic neural network, KIII model, was proposed by Prof. Walter J. Freeman. KIII model not only can simulate the output waveforms in electroencephalogram (EEG), but also has the capability of pattern recognition. Based on nonlinear dynamic methods, two nonlinear dynamics indexes, approximate entropies (ApEn) and Lyapunov exponents, are used to extract EEG feature. KIII model is used to recognize hypoxia EEG. Experimental results show that (1) ApEn and Lyapunov exponents can denote the characteristics of EEG effectively; (2) KIII model has good performance to recognize the nonlinear signals.


The study of development, either artificial or biological, can highlight the mechanisms underlying learning and adaptive behavior. We shall argue whether developmental studies might provide a different and potentially interesting perspective either on how to build an artificial adaptive agent, or on understanding how the brain solves sensory, motor, and cognitive tasks. It is our opinion that the acquisition of the proper behavior might indeed be facilitated because within an ecological context, the agent, its adaptive structure and the environment dynamically interact thus constraining the otherwise difficult learning problem. In very general terms we shall describe the proposed approach and supporting biological related facts. In order to further analyze these aspects from the modeling point of view, we shall demonstrate how a twelve degrees of freedom baby humanoid robot acquires orienting and reaching behaviors, and what advantages the proposed framework might offer. In particular, the experimental setup consists of five degrees-of-freedom (dof) robot head, and an off-the-shelf six dof robot manipulator, both mounted on a rotating base: i.e. the torso. From the sensory point of view, the robot is equipped with two space-variant cameras, an inertial sensor simulating the vestibular system, and proprioceptive information through motor encoders. The biological parallel is exploited at many implementation levels. It is worth mentioning, for example, the space- variant eyes, exploiting foveal and peripheral vision in a single arrangement, the inertial sensor providing efficient image stabilization (vestibulo-ocular reflex).


92 patients treated with Danazol. Favorable results were obtained in young infertile patients with mild to moderate endometriosis. However, danazol has no effect when large tumors or diffuse adhesions; such patients usually require surgery. Women who have completed their families and has severe symptoms should be treated with hysterectomy.


This article provides a definition of such concepts as "technology", "educational technology", "information technology". The author discusses the problem of development of information technologies in the process of higher education as a factor contributing to its quality improvement. The significance of introduction of these technologies is evaluated. The article also raises the question of the importance of mastering of information and communication technologies by the teachers of higher educational institutions.


Objectives Cardiac 123I-MIBG imaging is an established technique for the diagnosis of dementia with Lewy bodies but various analysis methods are reported in the literature. We assessed different methods in the same cohort of patients to inform best practice. Patients and methods Seventeen patients with dementia with Lewy bodies, 15 with Alzheimer's disease and 16 controls were included. Planar images were acquired 20 min and 4 h after injection. Nine operators produced heart-to-mediastinum ratios (HMRs) using freehand and 6, 7 and 8 cm diameter circular cardiac regions. Interoperator variation was measured using the coefficient of variation. HMR differences between methods were assessed using analysis of variance. Seven raters assessed the images visually. Accuracy was compared using receiver operating characteristic analysis. Results There were significant differences in HMR between region methods (P=0.006). However, with optimised cut-offs there was no significant difference in accuracy (P=0.2–1.0). The sensitivity was 65–71% and specificity 100% for all HMR methods. Variation was lower with fixed regions than freehand (P<0.001). Visual rating sensitivity and specificity were 65 and 77% on early images and 76 and 71% on delayed images. There was no significant difference in HMR between early and delayed images (P=0.4–0.7) although a greater separation between means was seen on delayed images (0.73 vs. 0.95). Conclusion HMR analysis using a suitable cut-off is more accurate than visual rating. Accuracy is similar for all methods, but freehand regions are more variable and 6 cm circles easiest to place. We recommend calculating HMR using a 6 cm circular cardiac region of interest on delayed images.


Ethics are rules of behaviors which morally good or bad. Bioethics is the study of ethics about by advances in biology and medicine. Health care providers should have knowledge about health professional ethics principles, public officials' ethical behavior principles and ethical principles concerned about other legislation. They should find the required information to make logical, objective and accurate decisions where they may face with ethical problems in their professional life. Unfortunately in our country there isn't any special vocational ethics course designed for paramedics. Our aim is to design a Vocational Ethics Course for Paramedics which includes all issues of bioethics.


The history of estimation of the heliocentric gravitational constant is given. Initially the value of GM⊙ was based on the mean period of motion of the Earth around the Sun, then on estimation of the value of the astronomical unit, and finally the modern value of GM⊙ is determined with the extraordinarily high accuracy, GM⊙ = 132 712 440 042 ± 10 (km3/s2), while fitting ephemerides to high-precision radar observations.


Do dietary and/or physical activity interventions prior to fertility treatment improve live birth rates in women with overweight or obesity?

 Dietary and/or physical activity interventions prior to fertility treatment do not significantly increase live birth rates in women with overweight or obesity.

 Existing guidelines recommend lifestyle interventions based on dietary and/or physical activity targeting at a 5 to 10% reduction in body weight as an initial step prior to fertility treatment for women with infertility and overweight or obesity. However, the evidence underlying this recommendation is limited and findings from recent randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are inconsistent. Individual participant data meta-analysis (IPDMA) has been considered the "gold standard" for evidence synthesis.

 We performed an IPDMA of RCTs comparing dietary and/or physical activity interventions as core interventions prior to fertility treatment versus standard advice concerning a healthy diet and physical activity, routine care or no intervention. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials up to September 2022 to identify potential eligible RCTs.

 After identifying eligible RCTs in women with infertility and overweight or obesity (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2), we contacted the investigators of eligible RCTs to share the deidentified IPD and established the Venus-IPD Collaboration. The primary outcome was live birth. Secondary outcomes included weight loss and other fertility outcomes. We performed a two-stage random-effects IPDMA as the primary analysis.

 Of 14 eligible RCTs, as of January 2023 we obtained IPD of 9 RCTs with 1715 participants (916 in the intervention group and 799 in the control group). The mean female age was 30.7 years (standard deviation 4.5) and the median baseline BMI was 34.8 kg/m2 (Interquartile range 32.4 to 38.5). The duration of the diet/physical activity interventions ranged from 2.5 to 6 months. Physical activity and/or dietary interventions prior to fertility treatment resulted in more weight reduction compared to those in the control group (9 RCTs, 1715 participants, mean difference –5.71 kg, 95%CI –7.76 to –3.66). The intervention group did not have a significantly higher rate of live birth (8 RCTs, 1697 participants, OR 1.30, 95%CI 0.74 to 2.27, I2=60%) or clinical pregnancy (8 RCTs, 1697 participants, OR 1.22, 95%CI 0.81 to 1.83, I2=28%). The asymmetrical contour-enhanced funnel plot indicates possible small-study effects.

 Blinding was not possible due to the nature of the intervention. IPD of three small RCTs are not obtained at this time. The heterogeneity in the type and period for lifestyle interventions and in the follow-up duration was moderate to high.

 Dietary and/or physical activity interventions are effective in reducing body weight in women with overweight or obesity, but such a benefit in weight loss may not translate to improved live birth rates.

 CRD42021266201