The geometric language of General Relativity is not normally related to Condensed Matter (CM) Physics since it is the electromagnetic and not the gravitational interaction that dominates the physics of CM systems. What points in common would then CMP have with Cosmology and the dynamics of objects in a gravitational field? There is at least one that is very important: topological defects formed in symmetry breaking phase transitions. To explore the similarities and differences here has been a very fruitful experience for both sides. On one hand, topological defects in solids started to be described by a gravity-like theory including torsion and, on the other hand, experiments have been proposed and performed in CM systems with the purpose of testing cosmological theories. Some examples are: 1) Landau levels and the Aharonov-Bohm effect of electrons moving in a crystal containing a screw dislocation can be described in a simple way in a geometric formalism; 2) closed timelike curves have been proposed in the vicinity of vortices in superfluid Helium; 3) Kibble mechanism, for the generation of topological defects, has been experimentally verified in liquid crystals. In summary, Condensed Matter Physics with its rich diversity of systems and phenomena and of relatively easy access to experiments, appears as a laboratory for testing hypotheses of gravitational theory and cosmology involving topological defects. In this work I summarize recent results in this interface area focusing mainly in the results obtained by our research group.


PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method of manufacturing an aluminum alloy panel member for an automobile capable of stably press-forming the aluminum alloy panel member for an automobile by surely preventing cracks and wrinkles from occurring during the press working of an Al-Mg-based aluminum alloy sheet and manufacturable at low cost by reducing a manufacturing time. SOLUTION: The panel member for an automobile is manufactured by continuously performing a working by a blank cut step, a working by a local heating step, a working by a cooling step, and a working by a press working for the Al-Mg-based aluminum alloy sheet in a cold-rolled state. COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT


Life histories of the Trombidiidae, or, for that matter, other families of mites have, with few exceptions, not been studied and very little information is available as a guide. This is not entirely the fault of the acarologists, as not one of them was employed in any country of the world entirely upon the study of mites. Most of them, if official, were entomologists who could spend only a fraction of their time on mites. Their time was spent therefore on systematics, an essential branch of acarology.


Abstract Damage detection and identification is one of the most important tasks of proper operation of technical objects and structures. It is, therefore, essential to develop efficient and sensitive methods of early damage detection. Delamination is the type of damage occurring in laminated composites that is one of the most dangerous and most difficult to detect. In this paper, the computational study was performed on the numerical data of the modal shapes of laminated composite beams with simulated delaminations in order to detect them using a fractal dimension-based approach. The obtained results allowed for improvement of detection accuracy as compared to previously applied wavelet-based approach. An additional benefit was decreasing the computational time. Basing on the obtained results it is reasonable to consider the presented approach as a promising alternative to currently applied signal processing methods used for supporting non-destructive testing of structures.


PHYSICAL REVIEW B 15 JUNE 1994-I VOLUME 49, NUMBER 23 Bi NMR and NQR investigation of the small-gap semiconductor Ce3Bi4pt3 A. P. Reyes, * R. H. Heffner, P. C. Canfield, J. D. Thompson, and Z. Fisk Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (Received 14 February 1994) Bi nuclear quadrupole resonance We report measurements of the temperature dependence of the frequency v&, the Knight shift K, and the spin-lattice relaxation rate 1/Tl in the small-gap semiconduc- tor Ce3Bi4Pt3 between 1. 8 and 300 K. Corresponding measurements also are reported for the nonmag- netic metallic isomorph La3Bi4Pt3. The v& data in the Ce compound show a characteristic departure behavior when the sample is cooled below TM =80 K, the temperature of the from metallic-to-insulating susceptibility maximum, attributable to a loss of low-frequency vibrational modes in the insulating state. The Knight shift has both isotropic and axial components; this anisotropy originates from the presence of Ce via a transferred hyperfine coupling between Ce 4f and conduction electrons. An s fexchan-ge 0. 4 eV is found, consistent with hybridization in other rare-earth intermetallic compounds. constant A change in the scaling between the susceptibility and both the isotropic and axial Knight shifts at tem- perature T~ provides evidence that hybridization between the Ce 4f orbitals and the conduction elec- trons is responsible for the gap structure. The temperature dependence of the 1/Tl data is consistent with a model electronic density of states possessing a temperature-independent gap 5 of 180 K and a bandwidth of the order of 1600 K. The temperature dependence of 1/Tl can also be fit well with a temperature-dependent gap with 5(0) also = 180 K. I. imum leads to an estimation INTRODUCTION for the Kondo temperature gap in Ce343, as mea- sured by resistivity, is temperature dependent, reaching a maximum of about 120 K below about 50 K. By con- trast, recent far-infrared re6ectivity measurements report a charge gap of about 450 K, with a significant density of states below this energy. Inelastic neutron scattering ex- periments yield a spin gap of about 150 K, and are some- what ambiguous regarding the existence of discernible states in the gap. A small linear coefficient of specific 3 mJimol Ce K ) has also been measured. heat y The nonmagnetic analog to Ce343 is LasBi~Pt3 (re- ferred to here as La343), which is metallic down to 4 K. The substitution of La for Ce in Ce343 decreases the low-temperature resistivity and eventually destroys the energy gap. The properties of both Ce343 and La343 are reviewed in Refs. 1 and 3. Nuclear magnetic resonance probes the local spin den- sity and electronic and magnetic structure of materials and can therefore yield information on the microscopic nature of these hybridization-gap systems. For example, measurements of the Knight shift have an inherent ad- vantage over susceptibility measurements because impur- ities and other phases generally do not affect the Knight shift. The NMR spin-lattice relaxation rate is sensitive to the excitation of quasiparticles across the gap structure, yielding information about the spin gap. Finally, nuclear quadrupole resonance can be used to probe the charge distribution surrounding the nucleus through a measure of the local electric field gradient (EFG). In Curie-Weiss paramagnets one can in principle ob- serve NMR at either the magnetic- or nonmagnetic-ion site. However, the NMR at the site of the magnetic ion can be rendered unobservable by the rapid relaxation of the paramagnetic ion itself. When NMR is carried out at Tz of about 320 The compound Ce3Bi4Pt3 (hereafter referred to as Ce343) is one of about a dozen small-gap semiconducting compounds involving either rare-earth or actinide met- als. ' Most of these semiconductors possess a cubic struc- ture, and the behavior of their lattice parameters suggests a mixed-valence state for the electrons. The dc suscep- f tibility typically increases with temperature, passes through a maximum, and then falls again, exhibiting local-moment behavior at high temperatures with nearly the full local-moment value. This behavior is characteris- tic of dense Kondo systems, where the reduction in the susceptibility at low temperatures is produced by the hy- bridization of the local moments with the conduction electrons. In some materials, this hybridization is as- sumed to produce an energy gap, which is usually less than 1000 K. ' The conditions for gapping the entire Fer- mi surface, just two electrons per site and the intersec- tion of the level with only one conduction band at the Fermi surface, are most easily met in cubic materials. Several issues are of current interest regarding these small-gap semiconductors. First, although the gap has been assumed to arise from hybridization, it is important to find good experimental evidence for this hypothesis. Second, the magnitudes of both the charge (5, ) and spin (5, ) gaps need to be established. For example, strong- coupling models predict that the ratio of 6, to 5, is at least 1.5. Finally, the temperature dependence of the gap should be investigated, as well as whether or not there are intrinsic states within the gap. In this paper we present nuclear magnetic and nuclear quadrupole resonance (NMR and NQR) experiments on Ce343, a cubic small-gap semiconductor with a suscepti- bility maximum near 80 K. This susceptibility max- f f K. The transport 1994 The American Physical Society


24.4% of the European citizens still risk social exclusion. According to recent figures the rate of social exclusion differs per country and per target group. Based on recent societal developments (like the increase in youth unemployment and ageing population), it seems necessary to ensure that the increasing number of older people in Europe can actively be involved in European society, in addition to supporting youngsters in order to increase their social inclusion. Although several studies showed that education can increase social inclusion among learners, evidence is still lacking on whether intergenerational learning for youngsters and older people can increase social inclusion for these both groups. Generations Using Training for Social inclusion (GUTS) is a European project measuring the impact of intergenerational learning on social inclusion. One of the main 1 Tinie Kardol, PhD is Professor of Active Ageing at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium (email@example.com). 2 Alina Vlădut, PhD is Lecturer at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Craiova, Romania (firstname.lastname@example.com). 3 Sorin Avrim is Teaching Assistant at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Craiova, Romania (avram_ firstname.lastname@example.com). 4 Th e paper was written through the collaboration of the group of authors: Liesbeth De Donder, Vrije Universiteit Brussel; Radu Constantinescu, University of Craiova; Titela Vilceanu, University of Craiova; Dorien Brosens, Vrije Universiteit Brussel; Maurice De Greef, Vrije Universiteit Brussel; Daniela Grignoli, University of Molise; Margherita di Paolo, University of Molise; Regy van den Brand, Vughterstede Dis Kusters, Vughterstede; Dieter Zisenis, bbb Büro for berufl iche Bildungsplanung R. Klein & Partner GbR; Rosemarie Klein, bbb Büro for berufl iche Bildungsplanung R. Klein & Partner GbR; Anamarija Tkalcec, CESI Center for Education and Research; Sanja Cesar, CESI Center for Education and Research; Liesbeth Goossens, CVO Antwerpen; Koen Daenen, CVO Antwerpen; Ilze Buligina, Talakizglitibas biedriba; Biruta Sloka, University of Latvia; Petra Herre, Evangelisches Erwachsenenbildungswerk Nordrhein. Th is paper is part of the GUTS-project, co-funded by the European Commission's Erasmus+ program. Th is publication [communication] refl ects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. Andragoške studije, issn 0354–5415, broj 1, jun 2016, str. 109–128 © Institut za pedagogiju i andragogiju; Originalni članak UDK 37.014.5(4) doi:10.5937/andrstud1601109K 110 Tinie Kardol, Alina Vlădut, Sorin Avrim goals of the GUTS project was to combine the strengths of older people and youngsters so that they can learn from each other and increase their skills in order to face daily problems in society. In line with the Europe 2020 Strategy GUTS aimed to decrease social exclusion via intergenerational learning projects. Ten learning areas (LA) were organized in five countries, namely: Belgium, Croatia, Germany, Latvia and The Netherlands. The results indicate that the intergenerational learning areas of the GUTS project stimulated the experienced increase in social inclusion of learners of both generations and that elements of the learning environment seem to influence this increase. More research is needed to explore the specific influence of these elements on both target groups older people and youngsters.


In 175 synovectomies followed for one year or more, good results were obtained in 53 per cent, while in the group with early roentgenographic evidence of arthritis, good results were found in 75 per cent. The worse the roentgenographic changes, the poorer were the results, but even in grade 4 cases an occasional good result was seen.


In this paper we define a family of valid inequalities for the Symmetric Travelling Salesman Polytope which are defined on two nested sets of vertices of the graph. These inequalities generalize the comb inequalities of Chvital, Grotschel and Padberg, the clique tree inequalities of Grotschel and Pulleyblank, the path inequalities of Cornuejols, Fonlupt and Naddef and the hyperstar inequalities of Fleischman. This is the largest known family of valid inequalities known so far. Facet inducing inequalities for the Symmetric Travelling Salesman Polytope contained in this class and in no other one are given proving that this is a proper generalization of the previously mentioned families.


The sensitivity equation method (SEM) has been implemented in direct numerical simulations (DNS) of smooth-wall turbulent channel flow to quantify Reynolds number effects on the mean flow field. The present approach towards sensitivity analysis represents a departure from conventional parametric studies wherein multiple numerical simulations are performed with discrete increments in the value of the parameter of interest, in this case the Reynolds number. In the present study, sensitivity derivatives (or sensitivity coefficients) represent the rate of change of the primitive variables with respect to the Reynolds number, and are determined directly by numerically solving the discretized continuous sensitivity equations concurrently with the discretized Navier–Stokes equations. Simulations have been performed at Reynolds numbers of 100 and 180, based on the friction velocity and channel half-width, using a finite volume computational scheme. Wall-normal profiles of the mean streamwise velocity and Reynolds stresses compare very well to others in the literature at the same Reynolds numbers [19,20]. The SEM results correctly predict the expected change in both the mean streamwise velocity and Reynolds shear stress profiles with increasing Reynolds number. Furthermore, the mean SEM results correctly predict the local slope of the skin friction coefficient versus Reynolds number curve, which may have potential use in applications such as boundary layer control by surface modification. The present study is novel insofar as it constitutes the first attempt to implement SEM in an unsteady, fully turbulent, three-dimensional flow field. The additional computational expenses incurred in order to run the SEM simulations in this context are also discussed.


Assessment theorists and academics alike espouse the importance of feedback on performance assessment tasks for supporting improvement and progress in student learning achievement. Despite these espoused ideals, students claim a lack of adequate, timely feedback and their teachers claim that students fail to heed the advice given. This paper reports observations of experienced academics' thinking while they assess their students' learning products. It focuses in particular academics' written feedback on their students' written assignments, and compares this 'actual practice' with the same academics' personal practical 'espoused theories and practice' about feedback. This snapshot of 'everyday' academic practice is considered in the theoretical context of what constitutes feedback that promotes learning.


In speech processing, perceptually relevant temporal cues can requ ire resolution of spectral transitions with millisecond precision. However, dynamic variations in speaking rate on a sca le of hundreds of milliseconds introduce time warp of spoken syllables, ranging from two fold compression to two fold dilation. Although the auditory systems of adult humans, pre-articulate infants and also non-h uman primates have been shown to readily normalize temporal cues underlying phonetic category boundarie s fo speaking rate effects [1], the neural mechanisms subserving this time warp invariance have remained mys terious. In addition to time warp robustness, the neural hardware must also support process ing of temporal features over different relative scales, e.g. slow formant transitions vs. fast voice onand off set times.


1. In the age group 15-60, 625 cases with pneumonia admitted to The Rochester General Hospital from 1948 through 1953 were reviewed. 2. Particular attention was paid to coexistent diseases and bacteriological studies in relation to the course of the disease and the treatment received. 3. With routine antibiotic therapy the course of the disease was dependent more upon the presence of coexistent disease than upon the virulence of the causative organism. 4. In 340 cases of pneumonia without significant coexistent diseases, bacteriological studies were of possible value as a guide to therapy in only five and even these were doubtful. 5. In cases of pneumonia in the age group 15-60 without significant coexistent disease, it is felt that routine bacteriological studies are unnecessary. 6. A classification of pneumonias based on the presence of coexistent disease is presented as a guide to treatment and prognosis. It is felt that this will be generally more useful to the clinician than previous classifications based on bacterial etiology.


An experiment on the determination of the magnetic susceptibility of several solid manganese compounds including KMnO4, MnO, MnTiO3, alpha-Mn2O3 and MnO2 with a simple, commercially available magnetic susceptibility balance (Johnson matthey) is described. The experiment is appropriate for a junior/senior level undergraduate inorganic or physical chemistry laboratory. The fundamental principles of magnetism and magnetic interactions in solids are introduced. The study of the magnetic susceptibility of the series of manganese oxides, with different formal oxidations states of the Mn ions in each, illustrates how the number of unpaired electrons and evidence of magnetic interactions may be determined from the magnetic data.


With the rising demands of visual observation systems, vehicle and public recognition at a distance has gained extra notice for the researchers in recent times. Real-world face recognition systems require cautious balancing of two important concerns: Elapse Time, recognition rate. In this paper Improved Local Vector Pattern (ILVP) feature extraction technique and Nearest Neighbor (NN) classification techniques are worked out to improve the recognition rate as well as to enhance the computational time. The Improved Local Vector Pattern (ILVP) computes the values between the adjacent pixels and β reference pixels in various distance D and different direction for every pixel. A micropattern is created with respect to the reference pixels using Comparative Space Transform (CST). CST is used to encode the spatial information of a face image into binary pattern. The binary patterns generated using CST is lower when compared to the number of binary patterns generated using Local Multi Code Pattern (LMCP). ILVP generates 8(8×1) binary patterns for each pixel. These binary patterns are collected by histogram bins. ILVP outperforms the existing LVP for ORL face dataset.


There may be no one more qualified to speak about economic globalization than Joseph Stiglitz. In nearly four decades as an economic theorist, Stiglitz has served as chairman of President Clinton's Council of Economic Advisors, chief economist of the World Bank, and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Economics in 2001. Stiglitz is also a controversial figure in economics and the globalization debate. In his most recent book, Making Globalization Work, he makes a bold argument that will raise the ire of market fundamentalists. Economic conservatives, those who believe that markets alone can create economic efficiency, argue that greater prosperity is to be had if markets and trade are free and unfettered (p. xiii). In contrast to the conventional view, Stiglitz's main claim is that economic globalization has enormous potential in international development and as a tool of social justice and poverty abatement, so long as it is properly managed. States that have actively chosen how and when to open their markets, like China, Singapore, and South Korea have been "winners" in the globalization process, exhibiting unprecedented economic growth and social welfare improvements. Stiglitz urges developing nations to learn from the examples of those who have prospered and those who have not. He also calls on industrial states to consider fairness, true democracy, and transparency, not only profits, in their economic policies. Globalization, the integration or interconnection of economies, promised to bring greater prosperity to all, but to date has failed to do so. Economic theorists knew there would be winners and losers in globalization, but projected that compensation would flow from those better off to those hurt by the process, in essence the trickle down effect. This has not occurred. Poverty rates and global inequities are growing. According to Stiglitz's research, "About 80 percent of the world's population lives in developing countries, marked by low incomes and high poverty, high unemployment and low education" (p. 26). Forty percent of the world's population lives in poverty, subsisting on two dollars or less per day (pp. 10–11). One sixth of the world's people, or 877 million, live in what the World Bank calls "extreme poverty," surviving on one dollar or less per day (pp. 10–11). "It appears that it is better to be a cow in Europe," where each receives a subsidy of two dollars a day, "than to be a poor person in a developing country" (pp. 85). Statistics like this point toward a system that is in need of reform.


Morija Archives hosts a unique collection, begun by the first missionary to Masitise mission, Rev. Ellenberger (1835-1920). This valuable collection was preserved and augmented by several missionaries to Lesotho, most notably Rev. Jaccottet with his extensive work on the linguistics resulting in his Sesotho English Dictionary (1956), and Rev. Albert Brutsch (1916-2004). The collection falls under the ownership of the Lesotho Evangelical Church (LEC), which was previously known as the Paris Evangelical Missionary Society (PEMS). The Archives holds material which forms part of the unique history of the Basotho nation. This treasure includes colonial records such as Blue books and other post-independence law and government reports , a wide range of manuscripts in the form of missionary correspondence, church registers, the first newspaper in Lesotho dating back to 1863 to date, called Leselinyana la Lesotho. There is also a wide collection of material in French, the most valuable being Journal des Missions Evangeliques, and a few books in German as well. The Linguistic section contains material in many other African languages that form certain links with the wider mission work in Africa, the largest being books written in the local official language, Sesotho. There are millions of photographs, maps, several monographs, dealing with Lesotho scenery and mission work in general. The history of education is housed within starting with articles in some PEMS mission journals, Basutoland Witness, growing into government ministerial reports. Music is on a high note with collections of the first hymnals resounding throughout the southern part of the African continent in the local Sesotho language, Lifela tsa Sione, composed by some missionaries, growing into other components of well-known Yoruba music, and elements of the most renowned Basotho composers of choral music such as J.P. Mohapeloa and others.


Effective listening is an essential component of a midwife's role in understanding the needs and concerns of a woman during pregnancy and birth. This short article is a personal reflection and will focus on the ability to facilitate 'exactly the birth she wanted' through effective listening. The sit


In market economy,in order to grasp the precious chance,to develop continuously,fast,balancely and stably,the development of ethnic economy should be based on ethnic legal construction.Conforming to the requirements of the strategic target of "the eleventh program of five years",and in order to enhance people′s legal knowledge,to accelerate balancedly the economic development of 56 nations in our country,this paper analyzes the theoretical and practical significance of ethnic legal construction for the development of ethnic economy.


Solar energy is one of the primary sources of energy replacing fossil fuels due to its abundance. Its versatility and environmental friendliness has made it one of the most promising renewable sources of energy. Solar cells convert solar energy into Electrical Energy. The effort to improve the efficiency of these cells and the reduction of their costs has been a major concern for a long time. Modeling of various structures of solar cells provides an insight into the physics involved in its operation and better understanding of the ways to improve their efficiency. This work modeled Poisson Equation in 2D for an abrupt and linearly graded charge densities system with arbitrary points in space. Linear approximation and differentials, finite difference method, boundary conditions and MATLAB were used to obtain the solution. This is the first step in developing a general purpose semiconductor device simulator that is functional and modular in nature. It was observed that highest electric potential was obtained where the point charge was placed for linearly graded and doping type changed over a small distance compared to the extent of the depletion region for abrupt p-n junction. By solving Poisson equation, voltage, electric field, electric charge density and density of free carriers inside the solar cell can be known.


Since 1989, Union Electric has made use of series capacitor banks to mitigate voltage flicker problems on long distribution feeders with fluctuating loads. The types of loads being compensated for are cotton gins, a water well pump, sawmills, and a dog food processing plant, with the flicker typically being reduced by 60 to 80 percent. These series capacitors have been designed, constructed, and installed by Union Electric engineering and construction personnel at a cost comparable to a shunt bank installation.


High age of low voltage grids is becoming an increasing issue. This in combinationwith a high penetration of distributed generation will increase the demandfor accurate reliability assessment of th ...


certainly has Senecan analogues. P.'s appreciation of the art of Rubens, 'Ovidio e Seneca nella Cultura e nell'Arte di Rubens', is a welcome appendix. As a member of the circle of Lipsius, Rubens knew and appreciated the works of Seneca (cf. M. Morford, Stoics and Neostoics [1991]), and P. points out details from a selection of Rubens' paintings that derive from a close reading of Seneca and Ovid. While some may quibble that many of these mythological tales would have been known from a variety of sources, artistic as well as poetic, P. acts as a fine tour guide through Rubens' artistic output highlighting Ovidian and Senecan touches. A final postscript by M.L. Doglio provides an overview of P.'s work on the reception of Senecan tragedy and offers a fitting conclusion to the volume as a whole. Our view of Senecan tragedy has been enormously enriched by P.'s contributions, and this volume exposes how Senecan tragedy reverberates through various eras and genres, provided that we know how to listen for it.


To solve the problem that the unmanned surface vehicle is vulnerable to external environmental impact in tracking multi-target, this paper proposes a water surface multi-target tracking algorithm based on information fusion data association. By transmitting the target motion information detected by the neural network to the motion measurement model, the target location is predicted. The Mahalanobis square distance between the observed and predicted values of the targets is calculated to represent the matching degree of the target motion information. In addition, the differences and similarities between the target features preserved in the trajectory and those detected in the current frame are calculated to represent the matching degree of the appearance information of the targets. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can track multiple targets effectively in case of wave fluctuations, illumination changes and occlusion. The tracking accuracy and precision are 66.8% and 82.5% respectively, which shows that the algorithm has good reliability.


Objectives: In this work, a new, rapid, simple, precise and specific method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of amlodipine (AML) and rosuvastatin (ROS) in pharmaceutical preparations by square wave voltammetry (SWV). Methods: Electrochemical behavior and simultaneous voltammetric determination of AML and ROS were investigated using platinum disk electrode. Validation parameters such as specificity, linearity, accuracy, precision, ruggedness, stability, limit of quantification and limit of detection were studied according to the ICH Guidelines. Results: The linearity of this developed method was established in the concentration range of 5-40 μg/mL for AML and ROS, respectively. The precision was less than 1.88 and 1.93%, determined from quality control samples for AML and ROS, and accuracy was within 1.69 and 1.97% in terms of relative error, respectively. The percentage recovery obtained for AML and ROS in pharmaceutical preparations were 99.5 and 100.2%, respectively. Limit of detection and quantification for AML were 0.70 and 2.10 µg/mL, for ROS 0.80 and 2.40 µg/mL, respectively. Conclusion: The developed SWV method can be used for routine analysis of AML and ROS in pharmaceutical preparations.


Background: Hyperprogressive disease (HPD) has been described in ≃14-25% of pretreated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients upon single-agent (SA) PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors (ICI) and has not been reported upon platinum-based chemotherapy (PCT) and ICI combinations. So far, no predictive biomarkers are available for HPD early detection.
 Methods: NSCLC patients treated with 1st line SA-ICI or PCT-ICI were assessed for HPD and circulating neutrophils. HPD was defined as delta tumor growth rate (TGR) >50% and/or TGR ratio ≥2. Circulating low density neutrophils (LDNs) were assessed by flow cytometry on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PMBCs). LDNs were defined as CD66b+CD15+ cells among CD11b+ PBMCs and immature subtypes as CD10− LDNs. The LDNs predictive role was assessed by penalized model-based tests.
 Results: 144 NSCLC patients were included: 75 treated with SA-ICI, 69 with PCT-ICI. In the SA-ICI cohort, HPD occurred in 8 (11%) patients, while progressive disease (PD) and response or stable disease (PR/SD) occurred in 33 (44%) and 34 (45%) of patients respectively. Immature circulating CD10− LDNs were significantly higher in baseline blood samples of HPD patients [median (ME): 39.3, interquartile range (IQR): 28.7] compared to PD [ME: 7.4, IQR: 14.9, p<0.01] or PR/SD patients [ME: 3.7, IQR: 12.6, p<0.01]. Circulating CD10− LDNs were associated with HPD [odds ratio (OR): 1.17, 95% CI: 1.06; 1.29], with a good prediction capability [cross-validated AUC 0.97 (95%CI: 0.94;1.00)]. A 30.5% cut-off value for CD10− LDNs circulating neutrophils was identified by Younden index to discriminate HPD from others. In the PCT-ICI cohort, 14 patients had circulating CD10− LDNs ≥30.5%, being at high risk of HPD. However, no HPD was observed in PCT-ICI cohort and dynamic LDNs evaluation in high HPD risk patients showed 52.3% (IQR: 28.4) median reduction in CD10− LDNs upon PCT-ICI, versus only 8.9% (IQR: 34.6) reduction in HPD patients upon SA-ICI, suggesting that PCT prevents HPD by reducing selectively immature LDNs.
 Conclusions: Baseline circulating immature neutrophils characterize HPD upon 1st line SA-ICI and a 30.5% cut-off of immature neutrophils could select NSCLC patients to be addressed to PCT-ICI combinations.
 Citation Format: Roberto Ferrara, Giuseppe Lo Russo, Chiara Maura Ciniselli, Annamaria Piva, Barbara Bassani, Elena Jachetti, Giuseppina Calareso, Valeria Duroni, Settimio Di Gregorio, Claudia Proto, Arsela Prelaj, Alessandro De Toma, Mario Occhipinti, Marta Brambilla, Sara Manglaviti, Laura Mazzeo, Arturo Rinaldi, Teresa Beninato, Monica Ganzinelli, Filippo De Braud, Marina Chiara Garassino, Paolo Verderio, Mario Paolo Colombo, Sabina Sangaletti. Circulating immature neutrophils early detect hyperprogressive disease upon first-line PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in non-small cell lung cancer patients selecting best candidates for platinum-based chemotherapy and PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors combinations. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 5506.


The Corynespora leaf spot of Salvia splendens was found in the screenhouses covered with black plastic shade nettings for cultivating ornamental plants in the Institute of Hangzhou Agricultural Sciences. The fungal pathogen infected stems and leaves of the host plants and caused stem rot and leaf spots,resulting in earlier defoliation and plant wilting or even death. The morphological observation and rDNA ITS sequence analyses proved that the isolates of the causal agent were C. cassiicola. The pathogenicity tests confirmed that Salvia splendens is a natural host of C. cassiicola. Seed inspection showed that C. cassiicola contaminating rate was only 1%.


The author introduced the basic botanical characteristics of custard apple and suggested two kinds of potential developing methods to obtain the products that could be used as delicious friut materials in food industry in the development of biological resources.


In this experiment,both Li-6400 portable photosynthesis system and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters were used to measure the percentage of water re-mained in the soil,photosynthesis rate,transpiration rate,the amount of chlorophyll and other photosynthetic characters.The results showed that within a certain range,the chlorophyll content in the leaves of tomatoes varies with soil moisture;In appropriate range,the water content of soil was beneficial to the growth of tomatoes;the leaves that were closest to the terminal buds were not strongest in photosynthesis while the leaves under the terminal buds like the 5th leaf had a relatively high rate in photosynthesis.


Three new triterpenes, 3,4-seco-3,11β-epoxyfriedel-4(23)-en-3β-ol (1), friedelan- 3α,11β‑diol (2), 7β,26-epoxyfriedelan-3a,7a-diol (3), a mixture of two new triterpenes 3a-hydroxyfriedelan-29-yl palmitate (4) and 3α-hydroxyfriedelan-29-yl stearate (5) and eleven known compounds were obtained from the hexane extract of Maytenus quadrangulata leaves. The structures and the relative stereochemistry of the new triterpenes were established through 1D/2D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectral data. The hexane extract and isolated compounds were submitted to the cytotoxicity assays against leukemia (THP-1 and K562), ovarian (TOV-21G) and breast cancer (MDA-MB-231) cell lines. Compounds 1, 2 and 11β-hydroxyfriedelan-3-one (15) displayed high cytotoxicity and selectivity against leukemic cells when compared to positive control cytarabine (for THP-1) and imatinib (for K562). Furthermore, compound 2 showed similar cytotoxicity and an enhanced selectivity towards ovarian and breast cells in comparison to positive control etoposide.


The paper reports a numerical procedure developed by the authors in order to design wings for racing cars. The mentioned procedure is based on a numerical approach to define specific airfoils sections to be used on cars. On the other hand it is possible to optimize the 3D shape of the resulting wing using the numerical lifting line theory.
A positive characteristic of the method developed could be seen in terms of speed: the method is very rapid compared to a 3D CFD simulation. For this reason many different airfoils and 3D shapes of the wing (or different airfoil twist along the wing span) can be evaluated to find the best solution.


An 8-PSK modulation scheme is proposed by ETSI to increase the data rates in a GSM system. The nonbinary symbol alphabet requires an excessively high number of states in a trellis based equalizer. Therefore, sub-optimum equalizers have to be considered. In this paper we investigated a block decision feedback equalizer derived from the minimum mean square error criterion. In order to enhance its performance we incorporate a priori information from the channel decoder. Turbo equalization iteratively detects and decodes coded data transmitted over a frequency selective channel. By feeding back a priori information from the channel decoder this technique enables the equalizer to make less erroneous decisions and provides more reliable soft values to the channel decoder. The simulation environment is based on the GSM system where the payload is modulated by 8-PSK. Simulation results show that the BER at the decoder output can be improved by about 2 to 3 dB using a couple of iterations in a typical urban channel environment.


A computable groupoid is an algebra ‹N, g› where N is the set of natural numbers and g is a recursive (total) binary operation on N. A set L of natural numbers is a computable list of computable groupoids iff L is recursive, ‹N, ϕe› is a computable groupoid for each e ∈ L, and e ∈ L whenever e codes a primitive recursive description of a binary operation on N. Theorem 1. Let L be any computable list of computable groupoids. The set {e ∈ L: the equational theory of ‹N, ϕe› is finitely axiomatizable} is not recursive. Theorem 2. Let S be any recursive set of positive integers. A computable groupoid GS can be constructed so that S is inifinite iff GS has a finitely axiomatizable equational theory. The problem of deciding which finite algebras have finitely axiomatizable equational theories has remained open since it was first posed by Tarski in the early 1960's. Indeed, it is still not known whether the set of such finite algebras is recursively (or corecursively) enumerable. McKenzie [7] has shown that this question of finite axiomatizability for any (finite) algebra of finite type can be reduced to that for a (finite) groupoid.


Allusions, especially those condensed into phrases, are also linguistic symbols that can be referred to.[2] Poetry is the most refined language, which must express rich thoughts and complex feelings with the least words. Therefore, it is sometimes necessary to quote ancient stories and idioms in order to achieve "choose objects with similar meanings and invoke past allusions for the sake of the present" [3]. This kind of expression has the function of hint, metaphor and symbol, which can make the reader produce many aspects of association, thus enhancing the appeal of poetry. Each allusion is a small world, if a poem cites a number of allusions, indicating that there are a few small world hidden behind the poem, which virtually increased the breadth and depth of the poetic realm.[4] "Citing allusions" is a positive figure of speech, with no doubt. However, Li Shangyin was good at breaking the original meaning with allusions and bringing forth the new through the old in his poems. As far as the aesthetic of readers is concerned, it is a feeling of novelty and vulgarity. It has obvious influence on the poetics of later generations such as Wang Anshi and Huang Tingjian, for example, as for presenting a handsome man as flowers, previous people often cited Tu Mi by Huang Tingjian as "Tu Mi is white like the color that Mr He wiped the sweat of skin after eating the soup with pies in the ancient time, with a furnace smell after burning Xunling incense in one day." thinking that it breaks the thinking stereotype of the association of beauty with flowers and forms the aesthetic feeling of defamiliarization. In fact, Li Shangyin's poems on flowers were early as Peony [5-6], Thanks of Cui Ba for Viewing Early Plum and Giving Gift [7].


Human Trafficking is a very complex problem and until now there is no proper solution to overcome it. This issue is very important because the majority of victims are underage girls who do not get their rights as a child. The purpose of trafficking in persons is for sexual exploitation, forced labor or other forms of exploitation. There is nothing honorable or fair about enslaving humans or trading them as objects of trade. The majority of the ways they get entangled are with the mode of debt bondage and fraud perpetrated by brokers. Not all girls experience the mechanism of trafficking in the same way. Of all the mechanisms that occur, at the stage of acceptance, sexual violence is experienced by many victims because girls under the age of 18 mostly work as female sex workers. International efforts to combat human trafficking include efforts to prevent human trafficking, rescue victims, and punish perpetrator. It is important to realize that people involved in human trafficking come not only from developing countries but also from developed countries and victims can come from all walks of life and gender. It is important to understand our role as individuals in preventing human trafficking by watching for any signs of suspicion and reporting suspicious activity to the regulatory authorities. We can also support the efforts of organizations and institutions fighting to combat trafficking in persons and assist those affected.


G e o r g T h i e m e V e r l a g K G , R ü d i g e r s t r a ß e 1 4 , 7 0 4 6 9 S t u t t g a r t , G e r m a n y 759 Y . V . Z A T S I K H A * , L . I . S H A M O V A , V . N . N E M Y K I N * ( U N I V E R S I T Y O F M A N I T O B A , W I N N I P E G , C A N A D A A N D U N I V E R S I T Y O F T E N N E S S E E , K N O X V I L L E , U S A ) Environmentally Benign Route for Scalable Preparation of 1-Imino-3-thioisoindolines−The Key Building Blocks for the Synthesis of Dithioand Diamino--isoindigo Derivatives J. Org. Chem. 2021, 86, 4733–4746, DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.1c00110.


This paper deals with the design, development and characterization of the hexagonal ferrite powder [Ba(MnTi)/sub x/Fe/sub (12-2x)/O/sub 19/] for x=1.6 as microwave absorbers. The hexagonal ferrite powder has been developed by a dry attrition and sintering procedure. The developed ferrite powder 60% by weight has been mixed in epoxy resin to form a microwave absorbing paint. This paint was coated on conducting aluminum sheet to study absorption characteristics of a linearly polarized TE wave at X-band. The computed result for different coating thicknesses have been reported. These paints are very useful in military applications such as RCS reduction, camouflaging of the target, prevention of EMI etc.


One-year old transplants of fourwing saltbush [Atriplex canescens] and mountain big sagebrush [Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana] were grown for 9 mo in large greenhouse pots containing copper mine spoil material amended with one of three rates of municipal sewage sludge. (...) Additionally, some pots were seeded with western wheatgrass (Agropyron smithii) to determine whether the presence of grasses would affect shrub response to sludge addition in low pH copper mine spoils. Growth of fourwing saltbush was enhanced from 38- to over 300-fold by the addition of sewage sludge


Article information Background: Trigeminal neuralgia is a common cause of sever annoying facial pain that has a great effect on patient's life, and in drug resistant cases gaserian ganglion radiofrequency is minimally invasive, safe and effective procedure specially in patients not fit for microvascular decompression [MVD]. Aim of the work: To evaluate clinical outcome after Gaserian Ganglion radiofrequency thermocoagulation treatment of trigeminal neuralgia. Patients and Methods: We performed Gaserian Ganglion radiofrequency thermocoagulation on 25 patients with primary trigeminal neuralgia and followed them for 12 months after surgery to compare our findings with those of other authors in the literature. Results: 100% of cases showed immediate post RF pain relief and VAS decreased from 9.8 to 0.24. the recurrence rate after 6 months of follow up was 8% [2 cases] and after 1 year was 20% [5 cases] . 100% developed facial hypoesthesia but improved gradually and only 2 patients, [8%] still complaining of ipsilateral hypoesthesia after 2 months. 12% of patients developed mild facial swelling that subsided over 1 to 2 weeks, and 12% developed grade 4 masticatory weakness that improved over 1 month, while there were no patients recorded with anesthesia dolorosa, corneal affection, CSF leak, meningitis or vascular injury . Conclusion: The results were


The results of bead-on-plate submerged arc welding experiments are presented to determine the effects of process variables on the weld deposit area at a constant heat input of 2kj/mm. It is found that the deposit area is a function of the welding current, welding voltage, welding speed, electrode polarity, electrode diameter and electrode extension. In general, welds made using direct current electrode negative (DCEN) polarity, a small-diameter electrode, long electrode extension, high welding current, low welding voltage and high welding speed have large deposit areas. The weld deposit area is, however, not affected significantly by the power source or the flux type used in this investigation.


The maxillary first molar has the highest failure rate of root canal treatment, with missing canals being one of the most common causes of failure. This case illustrates the wide range of root canal anatomy in the maxillary first molar. Therefore, during endodontic care, anatomical variation should be taken into account by radiographic and clinical evaluations.


A t-round ?-coloring is defined as a sequence ?1, ?, ?t of t (not necessarily distinct) edge colorings of a complete graph, using at most ? colors in each of the colorings. For positive integers k?n and t let ?t(k, n) denote the minimum number ? of colors for which there exists a t-round ?-coloring of Kn such that all (k2) edges of each Kk?Kn get different colors in at least one round. Generalizing a result of J. Korner and G. Simonyi (1995, Studia Sci. Math. Hungar.30, 95?103), it is shown in this paper that ?t(3, n)=?(n1/t). Two-round colorings for k>3 are also investigated. Tight bounds are obtained for ?2(k, n) for all values of k except for k=5. We also study an inverted extremal function, t(k, n), which is the minimum number of rounds needed to color the edges of Kn with the same (k2) colors such that all (k2) edges of each Kk?Kn get different colors in at least one round. For k=n/2, t(k, n) is shown to be exponentially large. Several related questions are investigated. The discussed problems relate to perfect hash functions.


This paper is aimed to investigate the strategic collaborative partnership in managing local tourism affairs as part of Indonesian decentralization schemes. The qualitative method is applied in order to describe the critical analysis about the existence of government strategic collaborations in Malang and Batu cities of Indonesia. The main finding is that the formal government partnership has not been established yet between the two cities. However, the strategic informal collaboration of tourism management culturally exist in both cities. In addition, Malang city government has made one step ahead by conducting feasibility study about the formal collaborative partnership in tourism affairs. There are several limitations on this study regarding the recent practice of decentralized tourism management affairs in both cities, also limited secondary data on legal documents about partnership progresses. The study recommends both local governments should utilize the cultural concept of Arek as their common cultural identity in order to make the formal government partnership possible. Hence the possible model of collaborative partnership which are Cooperative Construction and Joint Services models could be established. As a result, both policies and information could be exchanged integrally in term of tourism management affairs. The research value proposes utilizing the cultural identity of Arek , it means common identity for young people in Batu and Malang cities as the starting point towards the formal partnership establishment. Since these cities are experiencing sectoral ego in term of local government implementation, but they are solid entity in terms of AREMA ( Arek Malang – Malang Young People) even they use this identity to support tourism affairs collaboratively. Keywords : Tourism management, collaborative governance, government partnership and decentralization


Paper aims: The purpose of this paper is to analyze the current Brazilian Integrated Disaster Information System (S2iD), designed to qualify and give transparency to the disaster management in Brazil. Originality: Providing an analysis of the system features and its prioritization, this paper can also serve as a reference for implementing software for disaster response. Research method: To enable the S2iD evaluation, the research considers a triangulation method that includes literature review, disaster response tool assessment and a multi-criteria decision model based on interviews with specialists. Main findings: The study could define and prioritize the most critical functionalities for a disaster response system. On top of it, four new features (Information Security, Multiuser, Donor Evaluation, History Database) not previously documented in the literature were defined as necessary to a disaster management system. Implications for theory and practice: The detailed findings indicate ways of improvement for the S2iD.


The main objective of this study is to predict the regression rate in solid fuels for hybrid propulsion using a comprehensive, physics based mathematical model. The physical model adopted for the present study is based on an unsteady, two -domain (the solid fuel and the gas) concept, where both domains are assumed to be two -dimensional. The combustion of the ablated fuel is modeled by single reaction, three species gas phase chemical reaction equations. Furthermore, the gas domain is assumed to be viscous, turbulent, and incompressible with boundary layer approximations. The governing differential equations for the gas include the continuity, momentum, energy, and chemical species equations whereas for the solid it is only the energy equation. The two domains are coupled through an energy balance at the interface that includes mass exchange due to ablation and heat exchange due to conduction and radiation between the gas and the fuel. The solution procedure requires that a time and space dependant transformation is applied in the radial direction to the governing differential equations to obtain a rigid, non-moving, interface between the two domains. The transformed equations are then discretized for each node of the computational mesh using an explicit finite difference technique. The resulting set of algebraic equations is solved for the unknowns of the problem. Finally, the comprehensive mathematical model is used to predict the temperature and velocity fields in the gas and the temperature distribution in the solid fuel together with the regression rate at the interface for a sample subscale hybrid rocket motor. The predicted results indicate a non-uniform ablation of the fuel surface.


Four sources of information are available to the intelligent CALL system described here: individual performance, individual background, individuals' own (stated) beliefs, and typical learner progression. A learner's performance in the target domain constitutes the traditional information in a student model. However, there are many factors involved in learning a foreign language. For example, a learner's progression may be influenced by his previous language learning experiences, his native and other foreign languages, or the particular learning strategies he adopts. Thus, in addition to performance in the target language, the system presented here explicitly models learners' background languages in order to distinguish difficulties resulting from inappropriate overgeneralisation of the target rules, and transfer from other languages. It also provides general information on, and traces students' use of learning strategies in order to make students more aware of different approaches to learning, and to encourage the use of effective strategies. The modelling of these individual characteristics (language transfer and learning strategies) complements the representations in the student model of a learner's performance in the domain. Learner awareness of language form is enhanced by allowing the student to both inspect and discuss with the system, all information contained in the system. This includes not only the objective domain information, but also the system's representation of the student's own beliefs. Such discussion is designed to encourage reflection and thereby enhance learning, and also to enable the student to directly contribute information to the system. EUROCALL 1994 – Technology Enhanced Language Learning in Theory and Practice Paedagogische Hochschule Karlsruhe, Germany PP 8-9


Oxalis latifolia H.BK, a native to South America, is widely distributed weed in East Africa and a serious weed in Kenya, recorded mostly at higher altitude (1). This weed is most commonly found in gardens, coffee and tea plantations, it propagates through bulbs & is difficult to eradicate. Only method to control is through soil sterilization or soil applied herbicides. Since these methods are too expensive and beyond the reach of the farmers, the only means of biological control seem to be preferable since it is cheaper and nonpollutant.


Objective To establish the determination method of baicalin in Fulexin Oral Liquid.Methods The content of baicalin was determined by RP-HPLC and was separated on C18 column with methanol-0.006% phosphoric acid(50∶50) as mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.0 ml·min-1 and wavelength of 278 nm.Injection volumn was 10 μl.Results The standard curve for baicalin linear in the range of 0.412~4.12 μg(r=0.999 5 n=5).The average revovery was 99.48% with RSD was 1.07%(n=5).Conclusion The method is simple and rapid,which can be used for the quality control of Fulexin Oral Liquid.


The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of 6 weeks of aerobic, resistive and combined (aerobic + resistance) exercises on serum leptin levels of inactive young obese girls.
 24 inactive young obese girls volunteered to participate in this study and were randomly assigned to four groups of aerobic, resistance, combined and control exercises. The aerobic training group sessions were held for 6 weeks and 3 sessions per week (40-60 minutes with 70-70% maximal heart rate) and resistance training group 6 weeks 3 sessions per week (60-40 minutes with 60% maximal repeat) and group Combined exercises 6 weeks 3 sessions per week (both exercise protocols, first resistance and then aerobic). Blood samples were collected one day before the training began and 24 hours after the last training session. Leptin and lipid profiles were measured before and after the test. All data were analyzed using one way ANOVA test. The results of this study showed that serum leptin concentration significantly decreased in all three groups of aerobic training (P = 0.009), resistance (P = 0.03) and combination (P = 0.001) after 6 weeks of training.
 The results of this study showed that the effect of combined exercises on decreasing serum leptin levels was more than that of aerobic and resistance training groups and the effect of aerobic group was more than resistance group.

Keywords: Leptin, Aerobic, Resistance, Combined


Preoperative evaluation is a critical skill for anesthesiologists. Training and assessing the performance of residents with standardized patients is expensive, time consuming and resource intensive. In certain cases, virtual humans may provide more fidelity than standardized patients. This technology offers a scalable, portable solution to such a problem. We created a virtual human preoperative patient interview simulator (Avatar) as a joint project between the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (New York, NY) and LogicJunction, Inc. (Cleveland, Ohio). Users ask free-text questions as well as perform physical examination and order laboratory studies and receive feedback on their performance. We randomized a cohort of first year anesthesiology residents to perform a preoperative assessment on the Avatar or a standardized patient. While average interview time was increased with participants interviewing the Avatar, total number of questions and performance on objective feedback criteria was similar between the two groups.


We present a case of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy with biventricular involvement and strong arrhythmic substrate, highlighting the need to consider more than a single diagnostic option when facing arrhythmic presentations in young patients and the growing contribution provided by the genetic laboratory and contrast CMR to clinical management.


This paper describes a method for recognising and localising objects from a known class. Objects are modelled as a collection of simple geometric features and their spatial arrangement. Probability distributions on the parameters of the geometric features and their positions are used to handle the variability between members of the object class. Range images are processed to extract features (planes, spheres, cylinders) and these are matched against the model features using an interpretation tree based method to identify and locate the objects in a scene.


A 25-year-old woman was admitted for weakness of two month's duration. She had been diagnosed with anorexia nervosa (binge-eating/purging subtype) at the age of 21 years. She had a history of repeated admissions for hypokalemia caused by self-induced vomiting and abuse of laxatives. On examination


The purpose of this paper is to show results of laser treatment at cryogenic conditions of the SUPERSTON alloy used for ship's propellers. That modification process ought to bring beneficial changes of microstructure and residual stresses in the surface layer. During the laser remelting at cryogenic conditions the microstructure changes significantly. This is related to synergistic effects of the solidification rate, phase transformations in the solid state and laser treatment parameters. That crystallization process had influence on functional properties such as corrosion and cavitation resistance of the SUPERSTON alloy which were tested during researches.


In comparing migration trends among the regions of the South, we expected lower net migration decline or higher growth for Blacks in the South Atlantic States than for Blacks in the generally less prosperous nonmetro parts of the "Other South."2 This proved partly but not consistently true (fig. 6a). The results for 196570 are as expected, with net migration loss in all categories but greater loss for nonmetro than metro and greater loss for the Other South States than for the South Atlantic. For 1975-80, however, the South as a whole had an appreciable overall increase in the level of net migration, with essentially zero net migration on the nonmetro side in both geographic subregions, instead of earlier loss (fig. 1). But the level of metro net migration gain was higher in the Other South than in the South Atlantic States.


In this paper, we report the electronic states of hydrogenic impurity in InGaN/GaN double quantum wells (DQWs) with different shapes using a numerical procedure within the effective mass approximation. The effects of temperature, impurity position and size on the 1S-, 2S- and 2P-low-lying states are investigated for rectangular, parabolic and triangular finite potential confinements. Our results reveal that the binding energy versus the well width displays a maximum value around the effective Bohr radius and a larger value is obtained for rectangular compared to parabolic and triangular profiles. Moreover, regardless the size and impurity's position, it is found that the main impact of the temperature is to shrink the binding energy. It is obtained that the binding energy drop is about 3.48 meV for rectangular and 4.26 meV for both parabolic and triangular profiles. Moreover, as the impurity is moved from the right barrier center to the structure center, the 1S-binding energy improvement is about 77.6 % in rectangular whereas it exceeds 91.4 % for other profiles. It is established that the binding energy can be easily modulated by adjusting the temperature, structure size and impurity's position. The results we obtained agree quite well with the findings.
HIGHLIGHTS

The maximum binding energy is obtained around the effective Bohr radius
The binding energy is higher for rectangular shape compared to parabolic and triangular ones
The main impact of the temperature is to shrink the binding energy
The binding energy is improved with displacing the impurity toward the structure center


In cultural studies, attention to dance enables a reassessment of the politics of cultural forms, based on a recovery of the embodied subject as the center of meaning-making. Revisited in this light, the film West Side Story is revealed as a cultural defense of youth and play. While the adults in the film work persistently to force the Jets and Sharks into one of two binary categories (serious and mature adults, or innocent and victimized children), the youths make common cause in resisting these categories, through forms of competitive play that sprawl from the playground into the streets, beyond children's games to the taunting and flaunting and brawling that adult discourses labeled "juvenile delinquency." Examining three dances, the chapter argues that in West Side Story, as long as conflict is structured as a competition, it remains a cooperative and ordered enterprise. But when competition is disrupted, social frustrations erupt into fatal violence.


While the role of top-blown jet as a source of stirring energy has decreased with the introduction of the combined blowing technology to BOF, the flexibility of lance design and its operation has considerably increased. Besides, with the expanding application of hot metal pretreatment using BOF, the demands for the optimization of top-blown jet has been increasing. Meanwhile, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has become popular in steelmaking area owing to the recent advancement of computational capacity and has enabled the numerical simulation of complicated phenomena. Nippon Steel Corporation, through experiments and CFD analysis, has been promoting to elucidate the phenomena related to top-blown jet such as incorrect expansion, interference and coalescence of jets, interaction with liquid bath and behavior in the combustion field and the quantitative estimation is becoming possible. Based on the obtained knowledge, dimension of toplance and its operating condition are designed and applied to the commercial production such as high-speed blow-


bership will continue (already below 10 per cent) and that the new legislation does not remove any restrictions on strikes, instead emphasizing that the state is legitimized to intervene in industrial conflicts. In the final article of this issue of Transfer, Jérémy Pierre and Sébastien Buisine deal with EUlevel social dialogue in the sports sector. They conclude that the sectoral social dialogue is a new form of governance and has changed the way the sports sector functions in the EU. The 2008 establishment of social dialogue in the football sector was the first and most important step in regulating professional sports in Europe, and experience from this landmark achievement is still spreading to other forms of sport.


We present two photonic systems that make it possible to realize polarization-independent electromagnetically induced transparency based on guided-mode resonances. Each system is composed of two planar dielectric waveguides and a two-dimensional photonic crystal. Using finite-difference time-domain simulations, we demonstrate that by coupling the two guided-mode resonances with low- and high-quality factors, a narrow transparency window is generated inside a broad background transmission dip produced by the guided-mode resonances. We also show that the time delay that occurs when light beams pass through the proposed systems can be controlled by adjusting the distance between the two waveguides.


The microstructure of 5 differeent Ni content specimen were studied by XRD.EDX.SEM and opticed microscope. The results show: Fe2Ti phases containing rich Si and Ni precipitate in the Fe3Si based all- oy with Ni content ranging from 0%~4%. Ni addition has a little influence on the precipitation as Ni (in mass fraction) is ranging from 0%~ 2%, Ni addition accelerates the precipitation of Fe2Ti phase in the Fe5Si based alloy with the 3% Ni and the precipitation weakens in the Fe3Si based alloy with the 4% Ni. Ni addition pro- motes the dynamic recrystallization and static recrystallization as the Ni (mass fraction) is over 2%.


Fundamentally, this paper argues in favour of the two questions posed in the title, i.e. that management educators and scholars can become effective managers, and also managers can become effective management educators and scholars. This has been supported by some modern, and indeed, "transformational" approaches to the leadership (as opposed to functional management) argument; that we all need to lead initiatives today without having the traditionally necessary title of manager to go with it. Thus, management educators and scholars find themselves effectively managing or certainly leading others through whole programmes of learning requiring new and closely audited processes and procedures. It also argues that many experienced managers can and do turn their attention to the learning and development of other managers in academic environments. It concludes by highlighting the benefits of each to the recipients of the other. The references used are no earlier than the late 1990s.


Text segmentation is very important in information retrieval,automatic summarization,discourse analysis,and many other fields.Static written text,speech text and dynamic text can be segmented.The granularity of segmentation is varied for different purpose.Direct and indirect evaluations are applied to assess algorithms.The current work on segmentation approaches and direct evaluation methods are generalized on the basis of lots of literatures.The paper presents the status of text segmentation,points out the problems and future research.


Al-Ahsa Oasis is one of the main and oldest agricultural centers in Saudi Arabia and one of the largest natural oases in the world. It is the largest irrigated agricultural oasis worldwide. The cultivated area is about 12,000 hectares in the region of Al-Ahsa. Groundwater was considered the main water source, if not the only source, for the different purposes of Al-Ahsa Oasis. However, due to groundwater depletion from these aquifers, treated wastewater is currently used to meet the shortage of irrigation water at Al-Ahsa Oasis. Today, several problems affect the agricultural productivity at Al-Ahsa Oasis, and modern geophysical techniques could contribute effectively to solving these problems; such problems are increasing soil salinity and the existence of a hardpan layer in some parts of the Al-Ahsa oasis. The soil texture is considered a critical factor to be taken into consideration. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to evaluate the effectiveness of modern geophysical techniques to study the agricultural aspects of Al-Ahsa oasis. Ten profiles of 2-D electrical tomography using SuperSting R8/IP 8 channel multielectrode resistivity and IP imaging system with 112 electrodes at one-meter spacing were implemented. Moreover, twenty electrical conductivity profiles were measured of 2240 points using EM38-MK2 at vertical mode with transmitter–receiver coils of 0.5 and one meter spacing. The results indicated that the salinity variation along the measured profiles was changed vertically and laterally due to the changes in the soil type, texture, moisture content, sabkha, and the whole oasis. Analysis and interpretation of the interpreted resistively tomograms of the ten 2-D profiles indicate remarkably the different geoelectric units of different hydrogeological conditions and soil texture across the oasis. These results will be of good utility for farmers, development sectors, and research institutions, especially in agriculture development studies, at Al-Ahsa Oasis, to ensure the sustainability of agriculture in this important historical Oasis.


Several attempts have been made to reconstruct the camp of Attila on the basis of the evidence supplied to us by the narrative of Priscus Panites, who describes in great detail what he saw during his visit to the camp in A.D. 448. Stephani has argued that the camp was of Germanic construction and that it was built by a Gothic war-prisoner from Sirmium. It may be said at once that this latter point is unlikely, for Priscus turns aside to mention that the stone baths of Onegesius were built by this war-prisoner; he would scarcely have specified this one building if in fact the whole camp had been constructed by him. Also, there is no indication in his text that the prisoner was a Goth. J. Strzygowski suggested that the camp was the work of Slavs, a conjecture which has, I think, won no acceptance. Most recently, Ferenc Vamos, in a very full discussion of the camp and its buildings, rejected both these views and suggested that the influence of two cultures can be detected in the camp: the culture of the nomads of central Asia and that of the sedentary Iranians—the Huns were introduced to the work of the latter by the intermediacy of the Alans. But before a decision can be reached on the origins of Hun architecture, we must be clear as to what it is precisely that Priscus tells us about the camp and the buildings in it.


The effects of three tillage treatments-rough-, fine- and zero-tilled-on rill erosion of a bare, self-mulching black earth were tested to determine whether tillage practices could reduce susceptibility of such soils to entrainment and transport by overland flow. In contrast to reported results for a silt loam soil, rill erosion was greatest for zero-tilled soil, and similar for the two tilled treatments. Sediment size distributions were independent of initial dry aggregate size distributions. It seems that, for self-mulching soils, stubble retention is the only method available to increase resistance to erosion by overland flow.


Sovereign wealth funds have rapidly become significant international institutions. The performance of funds varies substantially across countries, but comprehensive and systematic analyses of funds have been hampered by the lack of transparency of most funds. The relative transparency of the Norway Fund allows us to do an econometric analysis of the Fund's performance. The record resembles that of a mutual fund that has taken on greater risk over time. There is no evidence that the Fund has disrupted foreign financial markets more than mutual funds do. There remains a question as to whether the Fund and its Finance Ministry have been effective agents for the Norwegian citizens whose assets they are managing.


What is the meaning of retirement? Not just a gold watch and increased pottering in the garden, the end of work means the end of productive life for some, a new start for others. There are constructive responses that individuals, organizations, and society can make to ease the retirement process and reduce its dysfunctional effects.


This paper introduces the features of the digital library and the transformation of librarians' roles, points out the requirements of the digital library for librarians' information literacy, and puts forward some suggestions on cultivating digital librarians' information literacy.


: The impact of teacher training in the I.E.S. It is essential to know the way in which the competences acquired by teachers are being exercised and take them to the classroom to verify that what has been learned is reflected, therefore, it is necessary to know the impact through an effective method, which consists of the teacher evaluation carried out by the student in different areas such as Didactic Instrumentation, Motivation, ICT Mastery, Professional Competences and Evaluation. With the analysis of the data from 2021 and 2022, it is sought to find improvement relationships between training periods and to know that with this the statistical analysis with different variables that allow verifying the numerical impact on participating teachers, comparison between men and women, include range of ages and have averages according to the variables used and described in the process of the present investigation, which will serve as a basis to know improvements that will be concerted through statistics that can be considered as a basis to verify the real impact of the teacher's performance in the classroom after having been trained, and if he is really generating changes in his daily work of this laudable work, to later impact the educational model, teaching-learning strategies, forms of evaluation and inclusion of ICT in the educational process and course management.


Migration has gained considerable attention in the past few years all over the world. The migratory phenomenon has already affected many countries and is likely to deeply reshape forever their societies and regulations. Of particular interest is the migratory flow from Mexico to the USA, which is identified as one of the most important labor related worldwide. It has been found that migration can potentially have a major impact on individuals leaving home as they can experience nostalgic feelings. As a result of physical distance, family members look for closeness to prevail by maintaining in permanent communication. This paper offers an analysis of web sites from Mexican diasporic communities living in the US, aiming to reveal the level of presence of those communities on the Internet as well as to characterize the support they provide for living-away members of the communities.


The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of tube current and pitch on CT image quality in terms of high resolution, low contrast, and noise, as well as the radiation dose [volumetric computed tomography (CT) dose index (CTDIvol)]. A routine CT brain helical scan protocol from the Golden Jubilee Medical Center (120 kV, 150 mA, pitch 0.969) was initially used to scan a Catphan 600 phantom. Tube current was then varied from 150 mA to 450 mA and scan time was fixed. Two different pitch values of 0.969 and 0.531 were studied. We found that increases of tube current, ranging from 150 mA to 350 mA, improved the image quality (low contrast increased and noise decreased), while increases of tube current ranging from 350 mA to 450 mA did not noticeably affect to the image quality. A decrease of pitch from 0.969 to 0.351 increased low contrasts in supra-slice (13% to 700%) and decreased image noise (32% to 35%), but increased CTDIvol (77% to 83%). High resolutions were not improved, with neither increased tube current nor decreased pitch. In summary, increases in tube current of the CT brain helical scan should not exceed 350 mA which our studied showed was sufficient to achieve better image quality. Pitch reduction also provided better image quality, but markedly increased


For several years a very conspicuous polypore has been found associated with living oak trees on the campus of the University of Arkansas. Most of these trees represent native wild plants that existed prior to the present use of the land, and are over fifty years of age. A number have been cut down and the same polypore noted near the stumps. While one may expect trees that are seventy-five years old or older to show some weakening, yet the marked signs of debility shown by some of them in the form of large, dead limbs and portions of trunks indicate that these trees are probably suffering from additional


WC-Ni60 composite powders were mixed and deposited on Cr12MoV die steel by vacuum sintering technique. In order to prevent WC powders decomposition at the high temperature, Cr film was coated by D.C. magnetron sputtering and then prepared Cr/WC-Ni60 composite coating. The structure and composition and microhardness were measured by SEM and XRD and hardness tester. Tribological experiments were carried out on an abrasion machine. The results showed that thickness of Cr film is 3~5um. Some WC particles formed hard phases in nickel based solid solution to improve the hardness of the coatings. Due to Cr film preventing WC decomposition, Cr/WC-Ni coating had the higher hardness values compared with WC-Ni60 coating. The coating surface was uniform and compact and had no cracks. During the sliding wear, Cr/WC-Ni coating had a better wear resistance, and mass loss of wear was the least.


Book Citations: Authors, Title, HemaSphere, 2023;7(S3):pages. The individual abstract DOIs can be found at https://journals.lww.com/hemasphere/pages/default.aspx. Disclaimer: Articles published in the journal HemaSphere exclusively reflect the opinions of the authors. The authors are responsible for all content in their abstracts including accuracy of the facts, statements, citing resources, etc. 3709 monotherapy in most ≥L2 patients (93.1%). 89.8% of patients (93.2% in L1 and 82.8% in ≥L2) were on standard 100mg BID dosing regimen.


The theory of inverse and ill-posed problems has gained a considerable importance especially in parallel with the recent advances in the fields of remote sensing and nondestructive evaluation. It has become a new mathematical perspective for the solution of many problems in various areas, particularly in medicine and industry. In this article, the concepts of inverse and ill-posed problems for differential equations are discussed and a variety of their applications in science and technology is presented.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the feasibility, safety, and effectiveness of the LimFlow stent-graft system in performing percutaneous deep vein arterialization (pDVA) for treatment of critical limb ischemia (CLI) patients ineligible for conventional endovascular or surgical revascularization procedures.

METHODS
Ten no-option CLI patients (mean age, 67 ± 11 years; 30% women) were enrolled. All patients were classified as Rutherford class 5 or 6 and were deemed by a committee of experts to be ineligible for endovascular or surgical procedures to restore blood flow. Eighty percent were categorized as stage 4 (high risk of amputation) based on Society for Vascular Surgery wound, ischemia, and foot infection (SVS WIfI) scoring index. The primary safety endpoint was amputation-free survival (AFS) at 30 days. A secondary safety endpoint evaluated AFS at 6 months. Other secondary endpoints included primary patency, wound healing, and technical success.

RESULTS
Amputation-free survival was achieved in 100% of patients, with no deaths or index limb above-ankle amputations observed at 30 days and 6 months. Technical success rate was 100%. No procedural complications were reported. Primary patency rates at 1 month and 6 months were 90% and 40%, respectively, with reintervention performed in 30% of patients. By 6 months, 30% of patients experienced complete (100%) wound healing, half of patients had 84%-93% wound healing, and 20% of patients experienced 60% healing.

CONCLUSION
pDVA using the LimFlow system is a novel approach for treating patients with no-option CLI and may reduce amputation in this population for whom it would otherwise be considered inevitable. Initial findings from this early feasibility trial are promising and additional study is warranted.


This paper proposes a novel algorithm for distinguishing scenery information from cloud noise in the low-level and high-level detail coefficients using the wavelet decomposition. Also this paper shows approximate coefficients only containing the scenery information, and high-level detail coefficients mainly including the cloud noise and the partial scenery information. Usually cloud is brighter than the scene illumination. Therefore the appropriate brightness threshold is setup for processing high-level detail coefficients aimed at the elimination of cloud noise. Simultaneously to remove the residual cloud at the low frequency component and improve the clarity of the scenery image, the paper further decomposes the detail coefficients based on the frequency. For example, the low-level detail coefficients are decomposed further once or twice by wavelet packets. So we can remove remaining cloud decomposed effectively at the low frequency, and through assigning the appropriate weight to the detail coefficient, achieve the goal for enhancing scenery information and improving the image clarity. Considering influence of the parameter changes on the algorithm performance, we use the entropy as the criterion for choosing the optimal parameters step by step. We have demonstrated that this algorithm using the entropy as criterion is feasible. The experimental results are superior to homomorphism filtering and the Retinex algorithm in many aspects.


Against the defect of existing human detection,which can not detect rapidly in the large field at present,this paper presents a rapid human detection theory and method based on omni-directional vision sensor(ODVS).From the view of the human model,firstly it simplifies human model as rectangle.In the different region radius where the human exists,different shape and size of the rectangular models are established in accord with the calibration of ODVS.At last,the foreground moving target is judged by area and shape attributes.If the moving targets do not conform to the calibration rectangular model of region,it uses the methods of the vertical direction projection and color of the face detection as the secondary judgment,thus achieving rapid detection of the human body.The human detection method that the paper presents,can facilitate to realize surveillance control in the large field,which also can get information,such as whether or not the human exists,the number of people,and the position of human.So it provides a new method which can capture the human information from all-direction and improve the human detection accuracy.


Stable ultra-broadband pulse generation via Kerr-lens mode locking (KLM) paves the way for scientific explorations in many fields, such as optical metrology, study of ultrafast dynamics, and nonlinear light microscopy. For example, Ti:sapphire laser oscillators, capable of generating octave-spanning spectra with potentially close-to-single-cycle waveforms, have been employed as optical flywheels providing a very precise timing reference [1], and to study waveform-sensitive interactions with solid-state nanostructures [2]. Despite the experimental demonstrations of octave-spanning spectra from Ti:sapphire oscillators, the intracavity spatiotemporal pulse dynamics has not been completely understood and optimized, and the pulse characterization still remains challenging. Although the use of double-chirped mirror (DCM) pairs provide octave-spanning dispersion compensation, the residual dispersion oscillations, originating from the chirped mirrors, play adverse roles in few-cycle KLM dynamics. Residual intracavity phase oscillations tend to generate satellite pulses, which hamper the onset of stable mode locking. Moreover, the interplay between such residual phase oscillations and optical Kerr nonlinearity limits the output spectral bandwidth, as well as leading to strong modulations in both longitudinal and spatial modes. Therefore, the improvements of the output spectrum, beam quality, and mode-locking stability require a more precise intracavity dispersion control. A phase-optimized cavity has been designed and fabricated delivering <0.1 rad of intracavity residual phase over the whole resonating bandwidth of 0.65 μm–1.14 μm. Fig. 1(a) shows the experimental spectrum (blue), in excellent agreement with the numerical simulation (grey), from the optimized cavities with 5% output coupling, as well as the previous state-of-the-art output, having a 3.6-fs transform-limited (TL) pulse duration (green). >10-dB enhancements in power spectral density around both the center gain region and 1140 nm are obtained, suggesting the improvements in terms of both power and precision locking control to be beneficial for the use as optical frequency comb. In the time domain (see the inset of Fig. 1(a)), a compressed pulse with 4.3-fs duration (3.9-fs TL from the 5% spectrum) is characterized by a newly designed two-dimensional shearing interferometry (2DSI) scheme. Instead of chirping two replicas of the initial pulse [3], the narrowband ancillary pulses are generated by means of inteference filters inside a Michelson interferometer featuring a piezo-controlled arm length, allowing to generate the 2DSI fringe pattern shown in the inset of Fig. 1(b). The filtering approach, avoiding stretching-ratio calculations, gives a precise control over the shear frequency that plays a key role in the reconstruction of the electric field. In addition, the simplicity in choosing the wavelengths of the ancillae just by replacing the filters makes our 2DSI setup flexible to characterize pulses with different parameters. A better result toward single-optical-cycle pulses is expected for optimized cavities using 1% output coupling. The compressed pulses will be used to study field-controlled, carrier-envelope phase-sensitive photoemission from arrays of tailored metalhc nanoparticles [2]. We will provide experimental results and detailed discussions in the presentation.


A low-profile wearable finger-ring antenna, operating at the 2.45 GHz industrial scientific medical (ISM) band, is presented. The antenna was miniaturized to match the standard ring size (0.46λ ×0.04λ ×0.004λ) available in the market, making it suitable for daily activities and wearer's lifestyle integration. The antenna was attached to an average hand size phantom in the simulation. The obtained results illustrate that the proposed design provides good performance in terms of bandwidth, radiation characteristics, low specific absorption rate (SAR), and compact size, which makes it a strong candidate as a finger-ring antenna for medical sensing applications.


Mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs) are central in immune anatomy. MLNs are associated with the composition of gut microbiota, affecting the central system and immune system. Gut microbiota was found to differ among individuals of different social hierarchies. Nowadays, excision of MLNs is more frequently involved in gastrointestinal surgery; however, the potential side effects of excision of MLNs on social dominance are still unknown.


With erudition and insight H. has written a brief but thorough monograph on Proclus' writings concerning Athena and astrology in a Neoplatonic context. Though at least two major Neoplatonists (Porphyry and Proclus) were well versed in astrology, astrology in Neoplatonism has seldom been examined (some authors include G. Shaw, J. Dillon, M. Lawrence, C. Addey, A. Johnson and this reviewer). H., who has devoted much of his academic career to the historical intersections of astrology with other cultural concerns, sets a goal of elucidating some of Proclus' philosophical chains of thought by analysing their astrological, astronomical and mythological components. This approach bears creative fruit. H.'s main source texts are Proclus' Commentary on Plato's Timaeus (Book 1, esp. 95–8 Diehl) and the Commentary on Cratylus 185, both containing lore on the cosmos and Athena. The monograph consists of seven sections, examining Athena's celestial and earthly connections to: (1) the Nile Delta, (2) the constellation of the Triangle in relation to Aries, (3) Virgo, (4) the Moon, (5) the Sun, (6) the circumpolar star, and (7) northern stars in addition to Ursa Major and Minor. H. first establishes the importance of the triangle to Athena's lore, using both celestial and earthly triangles (pp. 11–13). He demonstrates Athena's connections to the Nile Delta and Sais, Pythagorean number theory, Aries and the four traditional elements assigned to 'triangles' of zodiac signs, the earth's daily rotation, and the thema mundi, or birth chart of the cosmos, in which Aries marks the highest and southern point in the horoscope. Athena's birth from her father's head mythologically supports her link to Aries and the head, in addition to Pallas as tutelary deity of Aries (Manilius, Astronomica 2.439). This section sets the stage for further analysis tying Athena to different constellations, planets and particularly the North Pole. Athena is connected both to the stillness of the pole and to the movement and speed of Aries at the equator. This dual relation to stillness and movement becomes an important theme in the book. H. shows the philosophical, mythological and astrological dimensions of this apparent dichotomy while pointing out the particular ability of astrological interpretation to integrate seemingly contrary concepts into an organic system capable of complementarity and reconciliation. The core of H.'s study is his lengthy discussion using astrological doctrines to elucidate and clarify Proclus' philosophical 'movement triad' of 'remaining, procession, return' (μονή, πρόοδος, ἐπιστροφή) (pp. 19–24) in the Neoplatonic emanation of the one in the many. H. applies astrological correspondences to these philosophical terms, for example aligning Athena's stillness at the pole with 'remaining' (μονή). Πρόοδος ('procession or emanation') corresponds to 'effluence' (ἀπόρροια), both as Athena's power and as a technical term related to astrological aspect theory. By finding a celestial analogy in Proclus' triad, H. enhances the understanding of the philosophical terms. Thus H.'s extensive knowledge of astrology adds welcome depth to his interpretations. He even includes a section on modern astrology, showing the implicit reflection of ancient perspectives in modern practice. This example fittingly concludes the monograph by THE CLASSICAL REVIEW 289


In this paper we present a new watermarking scheme for still image data. Most of the recent work in watermarking can be grouped into two categories: spatial domain methods and frequency domain methods. We introduce a novel approach of watermarking which involves embedding the watermark in the discrete wavelet domain. We make use of a multi resolution data fusion approach in which the image and watermark are both transformed into the discrete wavelet domain. The resulting image pyramids are then fused according to a series of combination. After watermark insertion, inverse DWT is applied to the sub-bands with modified coefficients to obtain the watermarked image. For watermark extraction, a threshold-based decoder is designed. Embedding and extraction process are characterized with parameters and genetic algorithm is used for parameter optimization. Optimization is to maximize the values of peak signal-to-noise ratio of the watermarked image and normalized cross correlation of the extracted watermark. The performance of the proposed scheme is compared with the existing schemes and significant improvement is observed.


Marriage is a common phenomenon in Malaysia. Only about 5 percent of the population will remain single by the age of 40 (Malaysian Family Life Survey II, MFLS, 1988, 1994/95). With the increased life expectancymen 69 years and women 74 years (Statistics Department, 1996), marriage is now likely to last between 40 and 50 years a very long time indeed for two people to expect to be able to meet each other's needs without major upheavels. •


The paper analyzes features, roles and functions of shopbots, comparing them to non-virtual intermediaries. The aim is to understand how they can support and optimize decision making processes and especially decision-making for purchasing.


This paper studies and analyze two call admission control (CAC) schemes in multimedia cellular wireless networks. These call admission control algorithms are studied for different network configurations. These configurations include, employing the queuing techniques for voice handoff with finite lifetime, differentiating between voice and data calls in terms of the average channel holding time, data bandwidth requirements, and employing queuing techniques for voice handoff and data handoff calls with finite lifetime. The main contribution of this paper is the development of an analytical model for each of the two CAC algorithms specified in this study. In addition to the call blocking and termination probabilities which are usually cited as the performance metrics, in this work we derive and evaluate other metrics that have not be considered by previous work such as the average queue length, the average queue residency, and the time-out probability for handoff calls. We also develop a simulation tool to test and verify our results. Finally, we present numerical examples to demonstrate the performance of the proposed CAC algorithms and we show that analytical and simulation results are in total agreement.


Abstract Problems of emotional adjustment and marital difficulties experienced by a large sample of patients (843 couples) attending an infertility clinic between 1975 and 1985 were investigated by means of a postal questionnaire. An emotional distress score and a marital problems score were computed for each individual and these were related to four principal variables: (1) how long the couples had known of their infertility, (2) whether the cause had been diagnosed, (3) the period of time undergoing investigations, and (4) whether the male or female was responsible. The emotional wellbeing of couples was affected by prolonged periods of clinical investigation and greater emotional and marital difficulties were reported by both men and women when the cause of the infertility lay with the man. The implications for the development of services and for further research are discussed.


The present invention has the steps of acquiring a plurality of video images during a time interval including a reference time point t, the method comprising: associating a weighting factor to each of the video image, at least two different weighting coefficients of the video image and said step, a step of storing the video image, comprising the steps of: weighting with weighting factors associated with each of the stored video images, by averaging the weighted video image, associated with the reference time point t reference image door called the image to be wo generation to step door wo including, video image wo processing methods Nikansuru. According to the present invention, shortening each video images are stored at a resolution that is proportional to the weighting factor associated with the video image to reduce the memory space required to store the image, the access time to the stored image to. .FIELD 4


Poly(1-olefin)s from poly(1-octene) to poly(1-eicosene) synthesized by isospecific metallocene catalysts are investigated by wide and small angle X-ray scattering (WAXS and SAXS) and by atomic force microscopy. The crystal structure of poly(1-eicosene) is determined and the scattering peaks are assigned. Additionally, 1-dodecene is polymerized using a constrained geometry catalyst and the obtained atactic polymer is compared with the isotactic species. Using this sample it is possible to determine the amorphous halo in the small angle regime at room temperature. For poly(1-decene), poly(1-dodecene), and poly(1-hexadecene) a long period can be measured by small angle X-ray scattering which coincides with the results from AFM measurements.


Wang Anyi reveres and speaks highly Lu Xun. She is influenced by Lu Xun and she inherits and develops the creation skill and spirit of Lu Xun. Wang Anyi sticks to Lu Xun's principle of "Stict selection of material with incisive analysics" in the aspect of the selection of material and the excavation of there ,and created successfully the works which are about the city,the country and educated younth.. The bottom characters and female figure in her works are very representative,they show us profound perfection.In addition,Wang Anyi has continued to the mental description and line drawing on the creation of the novels.All of these make from of the artistic characteristic that is distinctive and lifelike.