Abstract : The primary report covering the development of a mechanism for providing objective feedback from Army field units regarding the adequacy of occupational training in Army Service Schools, has been reported on by the Contractor under separate cover. The additional analyses, dealing with the relationship among CODAP tasks, Duty Module tasks and Skill Qualification Test tasks and their utility for providing training information feedback, is contained in this second volume (Volume II). The scope of size of a job task varies considerably depending on what the job data are to be used for an the level of the job the task data are defining. Job tasks that are to be used for personnel classification and assignment must be fairly broad in scope while those to be used to design an occupational training course for a piece of new equipment must be more detailed. Those that are describing a field grade officer position can be comprehensive in size while those describing a junior grade enlisted job must, by the nature of the work, be narrow and specific. The programs from which the task data were drawn were the DA program of enlisted Skill Qualification Tests, the military Personnel Center's CODAP program of inventorying enlisted jobs on a cyclic basis, and the USARI program of developing Duty Modules for officer and enlisted jobs.


We study the problem of perturbations of C ∞ -hypoelliptic operators by lower order terms. We show that hypoellipticity with a finite loss of derivatives of a linear partial differential operator P (with no assumption on the characteristic set), along with its formal adjoint P ∗ , is stable under perturbations by lower order linear partial differential operators whose order depends on the loss of derivatives.


This article assesses the theory of purchasing power parity for the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovenia in comparison with Austria, Germany, France and Italy, employing data from January 1992 to December 2006. The unit root tests applied fail to prove stationarity of the real exchange rate series. Although cointegration was found among nominal exchange rates and selected consumer price indices, the theory of purchasing power parity could not be confirmed for any of the three advanced transition countries. Following the literature on price movements and macroeconomic policies in transition economies, we list some arguments that substantiate our findings.


During the synthesis of γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles by a chemically-induced transition method in FeCl2 solution, Cu modification was attempted by adding CuCl/NaOH or CuCl2/NaOH to the solution. The as-prepared products were characterized using VSM, TEM, EDS, XRD, and XPS. When adding a NaOH solution with a certain concentration, the components of the as-prepared products changed in relation to the copper salt used. When CuCl 2.5 × 10-3 M was used, γ-Fe2O3/CuFeO2 composite nanoparticles coated by FeCl3·6H2O and with an average size of 11.47 nm were formed. When the CuCl concentration increased to 5 × 10-2 M, a mixture of γ-Fe2O3/CuFeO2 and Cu (OH)Cl nanoparticles was formed. When 5 × 10-2 M CuCl2 was used, the final product contained γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles, coated with FeCl3·6H2O, and Cu (OH)Cl nanoparticles. The magnetization of the as-prepared products depends on the content of the γ-Fe2O3 and CuFeO2 ferrites.


A finite element analysis method is presented to ensure structural and functional integrity of noncircular valves under the combined effects of pressure, temperature and piping loads. It concluded that noncircular fabricated valves can meet the requirements of critical, high temperature refinery service. The flat body fabricated valve construction offers the advantages of better fatigue life, quicker deliveries for special valves, and a competitive product to the cast steel gate valves. It is recommended to evaluate the design of such valves for the intended service by the use of finite elements analysis techniques. The analysis should include pressure, piping loads and thermal loads. ASME Section VIII, Division 2 stress criteria, along with a review of seat area displacements against the design clearances should be used to assure the structural and functional integrity of the valve under service conditions. 6 refs.


This paper analyses the law of related side of the assessment of economic benefits from the vehicle equipment maintenance assessment importance of economic benefits , explains the comprehensive characteristic of index assessment law , establishes the benefit assessment index system of vehicle equipment maintenance , synthesizes the application of index assessment law through the cost accounting basic data for certain unit, the benefit assessment index data gotten has reasonable science fairly and more visual.


Elimination of heavy metals from contaminated water is a significant issue. Algae can be used as the detoxifying agent of these metals. This study was achieved to assess the efficacy of red marine alga (Jania Rubens) opposed to the initial modifications that may be concerning the toxicity of heavy metal-polluted water on male rats. 45 male Wistar rats were separated into 3 groups (15 rat/ group): Group I (control); Group II (Heavy metal group) and Group III (Treated group). There were significant increases in the levels of SGPT, SGOT, ALP, creatinine, urea, UA, malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), protein carbonyl (PC) and significant decrease of body weights& levels of blood hemoglobin, total protein, albumin, catalase, SOD, and GSH in the heavy metal group in comparison with control. Meanwhile, the administration of treated water to rats restores all parameters to normal level in the treated group. Highly significant increase in Metallothionein (MT) levels in hepatic and renal tissue of heavy metal group compared to control, that restored to normal in the treated group. Also, Ni, Cd and Pb metals accumulated in liver, kidney and brain tissues were measured in all studied groups. Our results suggested the ameliorative effect of red marine algae treated water opposed to the toxicity of heavy metals in liver, kidney and brain tissues.


Instead of a significant, positive slope, we argue that agriculture's intermediate-run supply curve is S-shaped with a large, nearly horizontal area in the middle. If the demand curve intersects the nearly horizontal area, farmers lack the economic signals of who should remain and who should leave. Extension and advisory services, rural social development programs, and industrial policies need to be refocused during these periods of indeterminacy and instability. Development of alternative products and resource uses would help move "horizontal resources" to better alternatives, reduce the elastic portion of the supply curve, and create a more stable demand and supply intersection.


Abstract We report the case of a 50-year-old man (Mr PA) who sustained a right thalamic-temporo-parietal lesion resulting in severe hemispatial neglect and somatoparaphrenic delusions in the acute phase. One month after the lesion, Mr PA's ability to recognize his own movements was systematically analysed by means of an apparatus which allowed either the patient's or the examiner's moving hand to be displayed on a single screen. When viewing the examiner's hand, the patient saw a movement which was either identical (congruent condition) or different from his own (incongruent condition). In the latter conditions, both the examiner's and the patient's hand movements were synchronized in order to have the best match in both space and time. Since both hands were covered with identical gloves, attribution judgements could be produced only by comparing an internal representation of the executed movement to the visual image presented on the screen. When moving his contralesional hand, Mr PA systematically denied being the owner of the hand displayed on the screen, regardless of whether it was his own or the examiner's. Attribution errors were very frequent, and denial of ownership was associated with confabulatory behaviour. The behaviour of Mr PA was compared to that of four normal subjects and two neglect patients. In neither group did subjects present feeling of non-belonging towards their own hand, or confabulatory behaviour. In agreement with previous reports relating abnormal activity in the right parietal cortex and misattribution of the source of an action, we suggest that the behaviour of Mr PA is a consequence of a disorder of body awareness. More precisely, we propose that in the present case, the body-reference system was defective, thus inducing the patient to refuse ownership of the hand presented on the screen, even when it was actually his own.


Abstract Moisture data from radar and rawinsonde observations during three lake-effect snow events are analyzed to determine entrainment rates. Type I convective boundary layers, which are those driven largely by surface heating, typically accompany these storms. Gathered during the winter of 1990, the data are a subset from the Lake Ontario Winter Storms (LOWS) Project, which deployed a mesoscale network of sensors. Doppler wind profiler signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) data are used to derive humidity structure function parameter (C2q) time–height series analysis, which are then compared to rawinsonde specific humidity (q) plots. Visual comparison of log(C2q) and q analysis indicated a strongly positive correlation. Radar-derived humidity analysis is used to estimate the depth of the Type I (driven by surface heating), cloud-topped boundary layer (CTBL), which corresponded well with results from LOWS rawinsonde data. Calculations of the contribution of (C2q) to the refractive index structure parameter (C2n) ...


Based on 2007 Shanghai society accounting matrix,this paper built a dynamic CGE model to stimulate the effect of a sulfur tax pilot. The results showed that reduction from sulfur tax was not apparent; although sulfur tax helped the economy's blossom,consumer's welfare was harmed; sulfur tax brought advantages to the third industry.


The invention discloses a method for treating fruit juice by a pulsed electric field cooperating with a microwave and an antioxidant. The method comprises the steps of firstly, feeding the antioxidant including sodium erythorbate and glutathione into the fruit juice, then treating the fruit juice by the high-voltage pulsed electric field with the electric field intensity of 20-40kV/cm, carrying microwave treatment on the fruit juice at the temperature of 40-80 DEG C by using the microwave, and filtering by a membrane. After the fruit juice is treated by the pulsed electric field cooperating with the microwave and the antioxidant (including sodium erythorbate and glutathione), the activity of polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase in the fruit juice can be completely inhibited, the vitamins, polysaccharides, esters and the like in the fruit juice can be maintained to the utmost extent, and the product is rich in fruity flavor and long in shelf life. The method is simple in steps and low in cost.


This study investigates the predictive power of feature sets extracted from different brain structures for lateralization of the epileptogenic focus in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE) patients based on imaging features. To this end, volumes of multiple brain structures are extracted from preoperative images of 68 unilateral mTLE patients. Our data set consists of 54 patients with visually observable (positive) hippocampus sclerosis (HS-P) and 14 patients without visible (negative) hippocampus sclerosis (HS-N). Exploiting different structural volumes, contributions of the structures and their correlations to each other is evaluated by data mining techniques. After removing redundant correlated structures, a minimum set of structures is obtained as a mTLE lateralization marker. Our experiments, using volumes of hippocampus, amygdala, and thalamus show a correct lateralization rate of 98.5%. This ternary-structural marker also shows 100% and 93% mTLE lateralization accuracy respectively for HS-P and HS-N groups. In conclusion, the proposed marker improves decision-making of surgical resection especially for HS-N group and may reduce the need for implantation of intracranial monitoring electrodes.


I would like to congratulate Brennan and Williams on their thought-provoking article, Preceptorship: Is it a workable concept? (Clinical, September 15).


The number of learners of English as an international means of communication increases, so does the demand for the English as a second language (ESL) teachers. More and more non-native English-speaking teachers begin to make a figure for themselves in the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) field. However, it happens that the nonnative English-speaking teachers receive prejudice and discrimination from the students and school administrators. The root of the discrimination is the perception that students benefit more from being taught by native teachers rather than nonnative ones. Even though some researches exploring the qualification of non-native English-speaking teachers claimed that they do have advantage over native English speaker teachers in some aspects. For instance, Auerbach described that teachers and tutors who shared the background and at least some of the experiences of the learners are better able to reach and help those learners [1]. However, the prejudice and discrimination still existed recently. Moussu [2] figured out that feelings of students and school administrators toward nonnative teachers were often negative.


This report describes the clinical, parasitological and pathological findings in a 6-year-old intact female European cat with thoracic and peritoneal tetrathyridiosis, characterized by genital involvement. Physical examination and X-ray evaluation revealed laboured breathing and several pulmonary nodules suggestive of cancer. However, necropsy demonstrated a parasitic aetiology of the disease. Histologically, multifocal granulomas were detected in the lungs, uterus and ovary. Parasitological examination permitted identification of the intestinal parasites as Mesocestoides lineatus, which was later confirmed by molecular examination. The larval forms in the peritoneal and chest cavity were identified as the second stage of the Mesocestoides sp. cestode named Tetrathyridia spp. The chronic injuries observed and the rapid course of the disease from the onset of the symptoms until death suggested a long period without clinical signs and indicate that overt disease can potentially be triggered by a failure of the immune system. The observed oophoritis and metritis identify tetrathyridiosis as a possible differential diagnosis in genital dysfunction.


Stabilization of a persistent current switch with a parallel connection is described. The current transfer behavior for a seven-strand conductor, wound as a persistent current switch, was studied. Each strand current was measured by using Rogowski coils. In the current ramp, negative current flowed into the center strand, which was inverted to a positive direction in about a 2-min time constant. Strand quench was induced by a heater wound in each strand. When one of the outer strands was quenched by its heater, the current was mainly transferred to the nearest three strands including the center strand in about 2 ms. These experimental results agreed well with the calculated results considering the self/mutual inductance for a parallel conductor and the joint resistance. The transferred current of several tens of amperes, which flowed with a few orders of 10000 A/s ramp rate, resulted in the degradation of the whole switch quench current from the conductor critical value.<<ETX>>


The office of pediatric oncologist Dr. Robert Bergamini looks more like a children's play area than a cancer-treatment center. As director of Cardinals Kids Cancer Center at Mercy Hospital St. Louis, Bergamini has filled his office with old arcade games, an air hockey table, Wii Fitness, a swing, and other toys and games that assist with mental and physical development while also providing some comfort and fun to children receiving treatment.


Abstract Protein secondary structure in the bulk aqueous state is technically challenging to obtain by direct FTIR measurement. A new convenient technique for secondary structure analysis using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy is described in which the aqueous conformation of albumin appears to be preserved. A disaccharide, cellobiose, is lyophilized onto the zinc selenide ATR specimen holder, producing a glassy film onto which the protein is subsequently layered and dried. Curve fitting analysis of the deconvoluted spectra obtained in the presence of the cellobiose film showed that bovine serum albumin contained 64 (±0.5%) αhelix, a value similar to published "aqueous-simulated CD" values. The simple and rapid technique of coating an ATR crystal with cellobiose for FTIR spectroscopy may be useful for studying the aqueous conformation of other surface interactive proteins and may present several advantages over more cumbersome approaches.


The study analyzes the major factors which h ave led to the differences between the current situation of drug research and de velopment in China and that in the developed countries: Long-time-existing pla nned economy has prevented Chinese medical enterprises from rapidly becoming the principal part in drug research and development; there is a lack of the entrepr eneurs who can establish the drug research and development systems and availa ble market environment; scientists and entrepreneurs have difficulty in cooperat ing well; the reorientation about the government functions leaves much to be desired Based on above factors, this study has developed related measureme nt s to reduce the differences, such as conducting the structural innovation; esta blishing the drug research and developments systems unalterably; rearranging the functions of the governments and optimizing the market environment; strengthen ing the cooperation among the excellent pharmceutical enterprises in China


A constrained ferroelectricity is found in the (001)-textured PbZrO3∕BaZrO3 superlattice films having an average composition of (Pb0.75Ba0.25)ZrO3, which is characterized by the linear dependence of remanent polarization (Pr) and coercive field (Ec) on the applied voltage and its stability against temperature change up to 100°C. A model based on equilibrium of electrostatic energy in dielectric stressing of the superlattice and polarization switching in the ferroelectric sublayer is proposed. The dielectric constant evaluated from a fitting of the measured Pr and Ec relations to the model is consistent to that obtained from impedance measurement. The thermal stability of this "linear" ferroelectricity can be also explained by the temperature-insensitive permittivity of the superlattice films, according to the proposed model.


Abstract. Multiple species of shorebirds are now globally threatened, particularly across tropical Asia, yet we know relatively little of the detailed habitat usage and resource characteristics of sites in the region. The objective of this study was to determine how seasonal variation in food density affected foraging patterns and body weights of Long-toed Stint (Calidris subminuta), a relatively common winter visitor. Research was conducted during the passage and overwintering seasons in wastewater treatment ponds and salt-pans on the Inner Gulf of Thailand. Predictions were that during periods of higher food density, shorebirds should be relatively more abundant and heavier, and have increased foraging attempts, reduced step rates and reduced chase rates. Furthermore, adults were expected to have higher weights than juveniles. Overall, shorebird abundance was significantly positively correlated with invertebrate abundance during the 2-year study period. Long-toed Stints had greater body mass following their arrival in July-September, compared with later periods during the winter. Although food density and Long-toed Stint step rate were not significantly correlated, the data were consistent with previous studies suggesting a negative relationship. Step rates in salt-pans were significantly higher than in the wastewater treatment ponds, probably reflecting lower food densities in the salt-pans. There was no clear relationship between food density and Long-toed Stint peck rate, perhaps reflecting the weak correlation between number of pecks and the number of successful foraging bouts as well as limited sample sizes for prey estimates. There was no significant relationship between food density and chase rates. There was no significant difference in median body mass between adults and juveniles/first-year birds, implying young birds learn to forage as efficiently as adults relatively rapidly. This study suggests that further work on invertebrate dynamics and shorebird diets in the region is needed in order to build more predictive models of shorebird site usage and population dynamics.


Einstein's Clocks, Poincaré's Maps Empires of Time. Peter Galison. Norton, New York, 2003. 389 pp. $23.95, C$36. ISBN 0-393-02001-0. Sceptre, London. £16.99. ISBN 0-340-79447-X. Rather than another history of relativity, Galison offers an accessible account of the early 20th-century convergence of physics, philosophy, and technology on the meaning of simultaneity.


We describe a method, which uses a high frequency ultrasonic beam to probe surface motions of a solid immersed in a liquid. The analysis shows that two physical phenomena are involved in the measurement: on one hand the Doppler effect, and on the other hand the nonlinear interaction between the reflected probe wave and the low frequency acoustic wave transmitted into the liquid by the moving surface. We study the relative importance of these effects in various experimental configurations. A comparison between the results of experiments carried out with a 30-MHz ultrasonic probe and with an optical heterodyne interferometer demonstrates the interest of our active ultrasonic probe to investigate acoustic fields. Introduction Ultrasounds are usually generated by piezoelectric transducers. Their conception evolves to optimize their performances for particular applications. So, acoustic fields launched by transducers have to be characterized. For example, it is useful to test the zone irradiated by an ultrasonic non-destructive test, to calibrate a transducer or to validate a propagation model. For these applications, the laser beam of an optical interferometer is an ideal probe, providing an absolute measurement of the normal displacement of the vibrating surface without any mechanical contact, in a large bandwidth. However, the implementation of an optical method is sometimes difficult. We have conceived an active ultrasonic probe, which operates in water, on the same principle that an heterodyne optical interferometer [1]. Since acoustic wavelengths are greater than optical ones, this ultrasonic probe is easier to implement on diffusive surfaces immersed in water. In this paper, after presenting the principle of the active ultrasonic probe, we discuss the relative parts of the two effects involved in the measurement: the Doppler effect and the bulk nonlinear interaction. The characteristics of the acoustic probe are determined. A particular attention is given to the lateral resolution and its relation with the use of a focused probe beam. Measurements obtained in various configurations are compared with those given by an optical interferometer, considered as the reference instrument. Principle The movement of a vibrating surface modifies the phase of a reflected beam. Optical probes designed to measure subnanometric displacements operate on this principle, parented to the Doppler effect [2]. This method is transposable to an ultrasonic probe beam in a fluid, if the frequency fHF of the probing wave is much higher than the one fLF of the vibrating surface. The HF and LF shortenings indicates that the two waves have a high frequency ratio (typically fHF/ fLF > 10), whatever their frequency range. Assuming that the speed of sound c0 is much higher than the particle velocity induced by ultrasounds, a quasi-static approach can be used [3]. Then the variations of the acoustical path, induced by the normal displacement uS of the surface, modulate the phase of the probe beam: ) / ( 2 ) , ( 0 c z t u k t z S HF D − = Φ . (1) kHF denotes the wave vector of the probe beam and z is the distance between the vibrating surface and the probing transducer. However, the role of the fluid medium in between the vibrating surface and the probing transducer has to be taken into account. Indeed, due to the fluid nonlinearity, the probe beam interacts with the wave generated by the vibrating surface in the surrounding fluid. To describe this nonlinear interaction (also called parametric interaction), a simple approach consists in considering the interaction of two plane waves. A plane acoustic wave emitted by a vibrating surface in a fluid modifies the propagation of other acoustic waves, by changing the speed of sound c0. Two effects are involved. First, the medium displacement induced by the propagation (or convection) is considered by adding the particle velocity to the speed of sound. Secondly, the nonlinear response of the medium to a mechanical oscillation (described by the equation of state) has also to be taken into account. With these hydrodynamic and thermodynamic effects, the celerity variation ∆c+ induced by the acoustic wave propagation can be written as: ) , ( ) , ( t z v t z c LF β = ∆ + , (2) where t u v LF LF ∂ ∂ = denotes the particle velocity of the acoustic wave radiated by the surface and β is the nonlinearity parameter of the medium, including both the convection effect and the intrinsic nonlinearity. In a liquid, β is defined by:


Current estimates of alcohol consumption in Russia show a high correlation with alcohol related mortality rate and alcohol psychoses. That made it possible to calculate the impact of alcohol (both in absolute figures and in percentage) in different types of mortality: murders (70.4% or 19.4 thousand), suicides (40.6% or 19.9 thousand) and deaths due to all external causes (56.5% or 141.7 thousand). An important result was the role of alcohol in the deaths caused by cardiovascular disorders (203.3 thousand). It was higher than the mortality rate due to external causes and had a minimal alcohol share within 20.4%. Total alcohol-related mortality rate is 422.6 thousand deaths annually or 23.2% of total number of deaths (average data for 1980-2005). Comparison between Russia and Belorussia showed two distinctive periods: 1980-1992 and 1993-2005. The first period showed only quantitative differences. The second period, after the splitting of the Soviet Union, showed also qualitative differences. All alcohol-related characteristics in Belorussia were moderately increasing in accordance with the trend that had started in Soviet time, while in Russia these characteristics fluctuated. There was an abrupt increase of these parameters in 1992-1994, followed by a decrease in 1995-1998, and then another increase in 1999-2001. Then all alcohol-related features slowly decreased till 2005. In both periods, the alcohol consumption rate in Russia significantly exceeded the alcohol consumption rate in Belorussia. In Belorussia, the total mortality rate including deaths caused by cardiovascular disorders and those due to external reasons, as well as the role of alcohol in these deaths, was significantly lower than in Russia. That meant that the alcohol situation in Russia was more severe. It could be a reflection of abrupt market changes in Russia that disrupted the economic and social situation in the country, with prominent negative consequences, specifically, related to alcohol consumption. In Belorussia, these changes actually never took place. Nowadays about 80% of industrial enterprises are still the state property. An increase of mortality rate due to external causes, including alcohol poisoning and alcohol psychoses, which is relatively smooth in Belorussia and wave-like in Russia, indicates deterioration of the alcohol situation in both countries, though it goes faster in Belorussia.


Claus Offe(1) have made powerful use of system models to identify sources of social contradiction and conflict, and there are some parallels with this approach in After Full Employment. The problem, as so often in the debate on employment, is a looseness and eclecticism of explanation. Without a rigorous understanding of the origins of unemployment there is little prospect that we will come up with effective forms of intervention. Keane and Owens continue to define the field of argument, for some


Infection
Invasive infections with fungi like Candida albicans can be a serious complication of organ transplantation and chemotherapy. One possible explanation is that these procedures alter the intestinal microbiota, which may provide an opening for opportunistic fungi. For better insight into this relationship, Zhai et al. investigated patients receiving allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplants. They used high-resolution mycobiota and microbiota sequencing of recipients' blood and feces to track the dynamics of infection. A pronounced loss of bacterial microbiota and diversity (especially of anaerobes) was accompanied by expansion of pathogenic Candida species in the intestine. This overgrowth in the gut preceded bloodstream Candida infections. In the future, similar monitoring approaches may be used to better target patients at risk for invasive fungal infections.

Nat. Med. 26 , 59 (2020).


By the dynamic analysis of the profile modeling and double-acting vane pump, the profile modeling curve is calculated by a analytical way, it provide a fast and accurate way for the design of this kind of profile modeling and can be general way used in many fields.


An optical system, for the remote determination of the position and orientation of a helmet 1 within a cockpit of an aircraft comprises three photosensors 5, 6, 7 located on the helmet 1 and light sources 9, 10 arranged to scan the helmet with mutually inclined fan beams of light. A signal processing means is operative to provide a signal indicative of the position and orientation of a body on the basis of the time during the scan at which the light beam impinges on the photosensors. The light beams may be distinguished by being of different strength, on at different times, etc. In an alternative embodiment 5, 6 and 7 represent LEDs and 9 and 10 represent receivers whose field of view is scanned across the LEDs.


A multi-channel bio-reactor is provided to detect dissolved oxygen, CO2, pH, monosaccharides, polysaccharides, organic acids, alcohols, cholesterols, cholines and xanthines in situ through optical detection. A multi-channel bio-reactor comprises a plurality of wells where an optical sensing membrane is formed, wherein the optical sensing membrane includes a fluorescent dye and a bio-conjugate or a sensor material where a bio-molecule is encapsulated into the fluorescent dye and the bio-conjugate, wherein the fluorescent dye is a ruthenium complex, HPTS(8-hydroxypyrene-1,3,6-trisulfonic acid trisodium salt) or fluoresceinamine and the bio-molecule is protein, amino acid, enzyme, antigen or antibody. Further, the fluorescent dye detects optically dissolved oxygen, CO2 and pH.


A procedure for developing coarse‐scale continuum models from detailed fracture descriptions is developed and applied. The coarse models are in the form of a generalized dual‐porosity representation, in which matrix rock and fractures exchange fluid locally while large‐scale flow occurs through the fracture network. The methodology developed here introduces local subgrids to resolve dynamics within the matrix and provides appropriate coarse‐scale parameters describing fracture‐fracture, matrix‐fracture, and matrix‐matrix flow. The geometry of the local subgrids, as well as the required parameters for the coarse‐scale model, are determined from local flow solutions using the underlying discrete fracture model. The method is applied to two‐ and three‐dimensional single‐phase and two‐phase flow problems, and the accuracy of the coarse models is assessed relative to fully resolved discrete fracture simulations. For the cases considered, it is shown that the technique is capable of generating highly accurate coarse models with many fewer unknowns than the detailed characterizations, and speedups of about a factor of 100 are achieved.


In this review, self‐mixing interferometry (SMI), a new configuration of interferometry, is discussed. SMI has practical advantages compared to standard interferometry, for example SMI does not require any optical part external to the laser chip and can be employed in a variety of measurements. Applications range from the traditional measurements related to optical pathlength – like displacement, small‐amplitude vibrations, velocity – to sensing of weak optical echoes – for return loss and isolation factor measurements, CD readout and scroll sensing – and also, a special feature because of the interaction with the medium, measurements of physical parameters, like the laser linewidth, coherence length, and the alfa factor. Because it is also a coherent detection scheme, the SMI works close to the quantum limit of the received field, typically ‐90 dBm, so that minimum detectable amplitudes of 100 pm/ √Hz are currently achieved upon operation on diffusive targets, whereas a corner cube allows half‐wavelength counting mode – or 0.5 μm resolution – on a dynamic range up to 2 m and more. With its compact setup, the SMI is easy to deploy in the field and can interface a variety of experiments – from MEMS testing to rotating machines vibration testing to pickup of biological motility. The illustration shows a double‐channel, differential SMI incorporated in a thermomechanical test equipment to trace the mechanical hysteresis cycle of the beads of a motor‐engine brake.


In 1955, the U.S Air Force discontinued apparatus-based testing as a component of its aircrew selection and classification system due to administrative problems. Since then, the Air Force has relied on paper and pencil test batteries such as the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test to select pilot and navigator trainees. Unfortunately, the aircrew selection system without apparatus testing failed to produce acceptible attrition rates in light of escalating training costs. As a result, a computer based testing system, the Basic Attributes Tests (BAT) system, was developed to assess psychomotor skills as well as a variety of psychological and cognitive attributes that are believed to be related to flight training performance. This paper evaluated three subtests used to assess cognitive abilities: Perceptual Speed (information input efficiency), Decision Making Speed (low level cognitive and high level sensory-perceptual motor involvement) and Item Recognition (short-term memory storage, search and comparison operations). Each of the subtests was evaluated in terms of its internal consistency and ability to predict flight training performance. An integrated model, based on results from the three cognitive subtests, was evaluated against flight training performance criteria.


From the source,the name,the theoretic basis and the clinical application of the channel tropism the relationship between Zang-Fu-organs theory and channel tropism was explored.


NASA has commissioned a group of scientists, engineers, educators and technologists to prepare a "Road Map" for Solar System exploration which covers the next 15–20 years. This Road Map is expected to serve as a guide for the continuation of Solar System exploration and future space science activities supported by NASA. The Road Map is currently in draft form, however, it is sufficiently developed at this time to be able to describe the process used to generate it, and to give an overview of the current plan. A discussion of the planning process and a status report on the Road Map for Solar System exploration for the next two decades is described in this paper. Emphasis in this paper is on the science goals.


An express method, based on principles of laser diffractometry, for measuring the parameters of red blood cells size distribution, such as mean size and its dispersion, is proposed. The compact mobile device has been developed for registering diffraction patterns form blood smears and their automatic analysis.


In this article, I will explore the concepts of absence and presence in the context of the Francoist repression during the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) and the following dictatorship (1939–1975) ruled by General Francisco Franco. My aim is to explore how this tension between absence and presence has been deliberately used as a repressive means in the construction of a new social order and how this has been materially maintained until the present day. To accomplish this, I will focus on Domanska's concept of non-absence (2006) and Kristeva's concept of abjection (1982). I intend to use observations of the material phenomenon from the field – in the context of mass graves and monuments – to discuss the concepts of absence and presence in the archaeological record and on a broader level. The Spanish case thereby serves as a ground for the emergence of a conceptual frame that serves as a tool for working on the ideas of absence and presence. Absence is undeniably an inherent part of archaeology and indeed, as so, and in the midst of the material turn, the role of absence should be paid as much attention as the presence of things. Even more so in specific archaeological contexts where certain presences are dominating the landscape deliberately excluding others.


We discuss the relationship between the fields of statistical relational learning (SRL) and multi-agent systems (MAS). We identify a number of SRL research problems that have analogies in MAS research, and vice-versa, and suggest how research from each area can be leveraged to provide solutions for the other.


Toxoplasmosis in pregnancy is usually subclinic or associated with non specific symptoms. Diagnosis and timing of infection are usually based on serological tests. In this short review we tried to summarize the serological patterns we can encounter and to discuss the interpretation of test results.


« Physical characters in general are more influenced by heredity than are mental traits as measured by intelligence tests. Motor activity and temperament seem to be least influenced by heredity ». (H. H. Newman, Twins and Super Twins , New York, 1942). Twin research affords an opportunity to study the interplay of heredity and environment. For this reason, twin research is of special interest in the study of physiology of exercise. Genetically, identical twins are the same individual in duplicate because they are the product of a single fertilized egg which splits in half to form two individuals. Non-identical twins are different individuals who through chance were born together. They originate from two different eggs. In non-identical twins, physique may differ significantly because each partner possesses his own hereditary endowment (fig. 1). By contrast, identical twins represent two editions, so to speak, of the same body type (fig. 2). The degree of correspondence of morphological body features in identical, as against non-identical, twins has been statistically assessed by Newman, Freeman, and Holzinger (Twins, A Study of Heredity and Environment, Chicago, 1937).


Abstrct Background: Squamous cell carcinoma is commonest histologic variant of carcinoma of esophagus (ESCC). It is predominant in developing countries and usually has a poor prognosis, because of its advanced stage at the time of diagnosis. Understanding the prognostic factors helps in selection of the most appropriate surgical approach in order to select patient for target directed therapies. HER-2/neu (C-erbB-2), member of human epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR) is important, as it plays a crucial role in therapeutic implications of esophageal carcinoma. Considering the importance of c-erbB-2 expression and its prognostic significance in esophageal cancer, this study was undertaken. Result: Fifty cases of esophageal carcinoma including squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma studied showed M: F ratio of 1.9:1 with age ranging from 32 years to 80 years (mean age 59.1 years). There were 43(86%) cases of Squamous cell carcinoma with 65.1% positivity of which 10 (20%) cases were poorly diffentiated with a positivity of 60% ,20 (40%) cases were moderately diffentiated with a positivity of 65% and 09 (18%) were well differentiated with a positivity of 55.6% for c-erbB-2 staining. Seven (14%) cases of adenocarcinoma with a positivity of 85.7% and four (08%) cases of endoscopic biopsy have a positivity of 75% for c-erbB-2 staining. Conclusion: Present study results illustrate that HER-2/neu(c-erbB-2) gene amplification is a influential prognostic indicator in ESCC. Therefore, additional studies with more cases including supplementary techniques are compelling to verify molecular alterations involved in tumor progression, thus assisting in the advancement of modern therapies for ESCC.


It will be argued within this paper, that women's experiences of displacement and exclusion need to be situated in the relationship between globalisation, neo conservatism and neo liberalism. Neo liberal globalisation diminishes all human pursuits into buying and selling. It is elites in the North who have implemented neoliberal policies into both the North and South over the past twenty five years. These policies have resulted in the eradication of social safeguards which have led to massive gendered displacement. While globalisation may conjure up a vision of a borderless world, as a result of the free flow of goods, it is increasingly about borders which are both permeable and exclusionary. Under neo liberal globalisation borders are either enforced or ignored, according to the needs of neo liberalism. Within this paper I will argue that while women and children make up the majority of refugees and displaced people, women as refugees, are rendered invisible in many national policies which focus on asylum seekers as male. My paper will highlight the relationship between forced migrations and the concerns that nation-states have with their national security and border control. Globalisation and gendered displacement It will be argued within this paper, that women's experiences of displacement and exclusion need to be situated within a global context. Globalisation contains elements which are both neo liberal and neo conservative. This paper will highlight the lack of neutrality in the way in which notions of legitimacy and illegality are constructed. For the last two and a half decades, neo liberal policies developed by elites in the North and implemented in the South have had a very negative impact on many of the people living within these countries, particularly women. The inequalities which have been created by the relationship between North and South have led to massive gendered displacements. Women and children, as refugees and displaced people, make up 80 per cent of the displaced population. Women as refugees, experience gendered forms of violence, are left out of decisions which impact on their lives and are rendered invisible in many national policies which focus on asylum seekers as male.


The hydrogen gas turbine can be the key technology for carbon-neutral in the future. The flexibility of gas turbine under various operation conditions is an important issue. A state-space model of hydrogen gas turbine with different hydrogen volume ratio mixed fuel is constructed based on Rowen model, and a full-dimensional state observer is designed to obtain the states of state-space model. The model predictive control method based on amplitude decaying aggregation strategy is presented to stabilize the rotational speed of hydrogen gas turbine under various constraints, which are to ensure the safety of operation. The number of variables contained in the optimization problem to be solved online is reduced by aggregation strategy. The simulation results confirmed that the presented method works well, and the effects of the hydrogen volume ratio for the performance of hydrogen gas turbine are discussed.


In this paper, the recently developed optimal adaptive model-free control (OAMFC) algorithm is applied to a dynamic model of an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), which is considered as a completely unknown non-linear dynamic system. The OAMFC algorithm includes two regressor-free estimators for on-line adaptation of the unknown nonlinearities in the dynamic system. Moreover, the algorithm includes an optimal term, which provides the optimal solution for tracking problem by minimizing a predefined objective function. The simulation results for implementation of the OAMFC algorithm on the proposed dynamic model of the AUV are presented, which show the appropriate performance of the algorithm.


The report by Johnson et al. [2] unintentionally examined the effect of deceptive athletic footwear advertising and deceptive informed consent on incidence of injury. For background, barefoot subjects are protected via plantar SA II mechanoreceptor discharge from vertical deformations and shear [1, 3, 9]. Loading is directed away from fragile foot structures (e. g., metatarsalphalangeal joints) through avoidance of pain [1, 3, 8]. Aggregate vertical load is moderated through modest pain thresholds at preferred loading sites [1, 3, 8]. Shoe soles are known to attenuate shear thereby impair sensory feedback.[5, 7, 10, 11, 13] Overall this results in injury through overloading foot structures and amplified aggregate load following the neuropathic injury model [8, 10, 11]. When machine tested, impact absorption of all running shoes is similar, yet Marti reported that runners participating in an event wearing expensive shoes sustained 123 % percent more injuries than wearers of cheaper ones [4]. This suggested that footwear which was deceptively advertised as offering better protection may have resulted in amplified impact. This hypothesis was tested with barefoot subjects landing from 4.5 cm above onto a bare force platform, or the same platform covered with identical sole material made to appear different and deceptively advertised as either originating from expensive or cheap shoes [12]. Impact was significantly different between conditions with it being lowest when there was no interface, highest with the "expensive shoe" interface, and intermediate with the "cheap shoe." [12] Vigilance is considered here to be behavior that moderates impact that is elicited by fear of injury. A difference in vigilance is the only proven measure that accounts for injury differences between footwear, and deceptive advertising has significant effects on this measure [12]. Vibram FiveFingersTM shoes were introduced in 2005, and have been falsely promoted since their inception as protecting feet through enhanced sensory feedback. These shoes are expensive and are the most deceptively advertised footwear in history. However, injuries were frequent with their use due to sensory insulation and attenuated vigilance from the deceptive advertising [12]. A class action law suit was filed against Vibram in 2012 regarding deceptive advertising claims that led to injuries. It was settled in 2015, on behalf of the plaintiffs, and required user compensation and cessation of the deceptive advertising. The report by Johnson, et al., tested FiveFingersTM shoes during the period of deceptive advertisement and following initiation of the class action suit [2]. 44 % of subjects sustained foot injuries alone (bone marrow edema) while gradually transitioning to these shoes over a 10 week period, while transitioning to traditional shoes injured 5 % of subjects [2]. 3 years earlier, (before the class action suit and with the deceptive advertising), many of the same authors found, following a similar protocol, that FiveFingersTM shoes resulted in 53 % foot injuries compared to 5 % transitioning with traditional shoes [6]. Presumably the 17 % reduction in injuries between these 2 reports was due to greater subject vigilance with FiveFingersTM shoes because some were aware of the class action suit. Johnson et al. never mentioned the role of vigilance in injury when wearing athletic footwear, nor the influence of deception on it [2]. Furthermore, it is certain that subjects in their experiment and likely also their university research ethics committee were not informed of the now known massive injury risk of this protocol. This condemned subjects to injury. If subjects had known this, only the foolhardy among them would have been willing to take part in this study, and those using FiveFingersTM shoes ironically would have been at low injury risk because of heightened vigilance. Moreover, an informed ethics committee probably would never not have approved this research protocol in the first place. The World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki, entitled Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects [15], was a response to Nazi human experiments. The experiment performed by Johnson et al., [2] made numerous errors according to this declaration, particularly in relation to Articles 21, 26 and 31 that requires investigators to be aware of relevant scientific literature, that subjects be informed of risks and that there is an obligation to protect subject health [15]. Johnson et al. are not alone. A report in 2014 shoe novelty trumped design when transitioning to an expensive novel NIKE shoe caused injuries in 40 % of subjects, while FiveFingersTM i injured 20 % and traditional shoes 10 % [14]. Biomechanists in their self imposed solitude search for their Holy Grail – footwear that can protect in the sensory feedback poor environment inherent to wearing shoes. This has become dangerous to their subjects and also users who are injured through a false sense of security resulting from their continued suggestion that running shoes are needed to protect. Footwear use for most has always been body art – an aesthetic tradition that has come with considerable health costs.


ABSTRACT A Paleogene accretionary complex, the Mineoka–Setogawa belt is distributed adjacent to the northern portion of the collision zone between Honshu and Izu–Bonin–Mariana (IBM) arcs in central Japan, comprising a mélange of ophiolitic fragments of various sizes. The Eocene-Oligocene plutonic rocks in this belt (gabbro, diorite, and tonalite) have been interpreted as fragments brought from the deep crust beneath the IBM arc through tectonic collisions. The geochemical characteristics of the gabbro and associated basaltic dike are similar to those of the Eocene IBM tholeiitic basalt; thus, the gabbro was likely formed via the crystallization of the Eocene tholeiitic basaltic magmas, which was produced by the partial meltings of a depleted mantle wedge. A comparison with experimental results and geochemical modeling indicates that the tonalite was generated by 10–30% dehydration melting of the gabbro. Actually, Eocene–Oligocene felsic veins, which are coeval with the plutonic rocks, occur in the Mineoka–Setogawa gabbro. Plagioclase crystals in the diorite comprise Ca-rich and -poor parts in a single crystal. Their compositional characteristics are consistent with those of plagioclase in the gabbro and tonalite, respectively. The textures and chemical composition of plagioclase indicate that the diorite was formed by the mixing between mafic and silicic magmas. The whole-rock composition of the diorite also indicates the evidence for the mixing between basaltic magmas which were fractionated to variable degrees and homogeneous silicic magma. The mixing model proposed from the first direct observations of the IBM middle crust exposed on the Mineoka–Setogawa belt is applied to the genesis of the Eocene to present intermediate rocks in the IBM arc. If the continental crust were created at intra-oceanic arc settings such as the IBM arc, the magma mixing model would be one of the most likely mechanisms for the genesis of the continental crust.


The behavior of plutonium and americium of Chernobyl origin in soil media has been investigated. The studied area is located in the southeast of Belarus. Soddy-podzolic sandy and sandy-loam, alluvial soddy sandy-loam and peaty soils have been analyzed. Soil solutions were obtained from different types of soils by means of high-speed centrifuge SIGMA-4-A. The method of radiochemical analysis and α-spectrometer ALPHA-KING 676 A were used for the determination of Pu and Am content in the samples. The agrochemical properties of soils were determined by generally accepted analytical methods. Chemical fractionation, membrane filtration, ion exchange and gel-chromatography methods were utilized for the characterization of plutonium and americium species.


Ice charts have been widely used as a dominated approach or de facto data standard for organizing sea-ice data. These charts are sufficient for safer navigation, oil drilling and so on, but may not be suitable for advanced spatiotemporal analysis in climate studies such as change tracking, factor analysis and data simulation. In addition, sea-ice data presented in ice charts is difficult to integrate with other marine related data, partially due to its different data formats when derived from different sources. In this paper, a spatiotemporal data modeling approach is proposed, based on MADS (Modeling of Application Data with Spatiotemporal features) and CMDTs (Common Marine Data Types) approaches. The approach allows sea ice data modeling at both conceptual and logical levels. This extended model can provide more accurate representation of sea-ice data with spatial and temporal information, and improve sea ice data storage, management and analysis because of its ability of integrating other data that are related to sea ice and representing sea ice dynamic processes.


Cavitation erosion may sometimes occur on the cylinder liners or cylinder blocks to cause serious troubles to penetrate them. We made clear that its phenomenon was resulted from the liner vibration by piston slap. A slapping phenomenon arises in a piston and a striking force on that occasion brings about vibration of the liner. Its vibration produces cooling water pressure fluctuation in a water jacket. When the magnitude of pressure fluctuation becomes larger than the static pressure of cooling water, air bubbles generate. Therefore when the liner vibration is calculated, the possibility of the generation of cavitation can be estimated. The authors studied the new calculation model to calculate the vibration force by piston slap and made a FEM model of the cylinder liner and block to calculate the transient response of the liner. Then we got a good relation between measured and calculated liner vibration.


Aim: To evaluate whether intraocular pressure (IOP) calculation by applanation tonometry is determined more essentially by the subject's neck position or by neck constriction. Methods: 23 right eyes of 23 healthy subjects (12 male, 11 female) were included. IOP was measured by applanation tonometry with the TonoPen on sitting participants under four different conditions: with open collar upright (A) or with the head in the headrest of a slit lamp (B), with a tight necktie upright (C) or in slit lamp position (D). All measurements with neck constriction were performed 3 minutes after placing the necktie. Results: Mean IOP was 16.9 (SD 2.3) mm Hg (range 11–21 mm Hg) (A), 18.1 (SD 2.2) mm Hg (range 14–22 mm Hg) (B), 17.9 (SD 2.9) mm Hg (range 12–25 mm Hg) (C) and 18.7 (SD 2.7) mm Hg (range 13–24 mm Hg) (D). Mean IOP increased by 1.3 (SD 2.6) mm Hg (p = 0.028, paired t test, range +0.2 to +2.4 mm Hg) if subjects changed position from A to B. There was no statistically significant difference between measurements with or without neck constriction. Conclusion: Applanation tonometry may be inaccurate if performed in slit lamp position. In contrast, tight neckties do not significantly affect IOP evaluation in healthy subjects.


M. Nabipour, S. Rasouli, A. R. Gardeshzadeh . M. Sc., Islamic Azad University, Sciences and Research Branch, Hesarak, P.O. Box: 14778938552, Tehran, Iran. . Associate Professor, Department of Nanomaterials and Nanocoatings, Institute for Color Science and Technology, P.O. Box: 16765-654, Tehran, Iran. . M. Sc., Department of Nanomaterials and Nanocoatings, Institute for Color Science and Technology, P.O. Box: 16765-654, Tehran, Iran.


In the present paper the problem of monotonically compressed concrete columns is studied numerically, accounting for transverse steel reinforcement and concrete cracking. The positive confinement effect of the ties on the core concrete is modeled explicitly and studied in the case of distributed or concentrated vertical load. The main aim is to investigate the influence of transverse reinforcement steel characteristics on the column load carrying capacity and ductility, in order to provide an evaluation about some standards requirements about the class and ductility of steel to be used for ties. The obtained results show that the influence of transverse reinforcement steel class of ductility is negligible both on the column load carrying capacity and on its ductility. Also the dissipated energy is basically unchanged. In view of these evidences, some standards requirements about the steel class of ductility to be used for ties appear to be rather questionable.


ABSTRACT The mechanism of drying and the diffusion of water in green (fresh), red and whole lentils (4.20–4.32 mm diameter and 2.20–2.30 mm thickness) were successfully interpreted and modelled by using Fick's law. The moisture content of fresh green lentil was 55 % and moisture content of the red and whole lentils was increased to 39–40 % and drying temperature (45-60°C) was varied, but the velocity and the humidity of the drying air was kept constant. The effective diffusuvity was estimated from drying rate curves and expressed by an Arrhenius relation.


The concentration of macroelements in plant biomass is determined by nutrient uptake from the soil and de- pends on the spatially variable environmental conditions and nutrition status in the soil. The aim of this study was to examine the macroelement concentrations in pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) leaves and to compare them with soil heterogeneity. ANOVA, MANOVA and discriminant canonical analysis (CDA) were used to estimate population variabil- ity in the macroelement concentrations in pedunculate oak leaves and surrounding soil. The results of ANOVA revealed a statistically significant difference between populations - in ash content, N, Ca, Mg, P, and all nitrogen scaled variables (all P <0.05) in Q. robur leaves. MANOVA revealed a statistically significantly difference between populations - in soil pH, P2O5 and K2O concentrations (all P <0.05). The P in Q. robur leaves had the highest total canonical standardized coef- ficients on the first canonical variable (CDA1) and was responsible for discrimination between populations. Foliar analysis of pedunculate oak leaves and soil analysis showed statistically significant spatial variability in macroelement concentra- tions between populations in Serbia, which were determined by the bioavailability of essential minerals in the soil.


Breast cancer became the most prominent cancer type in women worldwide. Its prevalence increased in recent years due to changes in life style and relapse among the patients seemed to be higher. Acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging in based on the principle of the ultrasonic elasticity and the elestography accurately predict and measure the changes in breast cancer tissue compared to the normal tissue. It is a technical alternative to the palpation and able to measure lesser than 10 mm size. In contrast to biopsy, where the reduced deformability would occur and lead to biopsy failing. In fibroadenoma, due to its complications, many false positives could be detected and the ARFI elastography serve as an effective alternative method for breast cancer confirmation. The tissue stiffness index value is used to differentiate the benign and malignant tissue samples. ARFI further, use B- mode elasticity and help in recommending the biopsy confirmation.


The current methods of ecological risk assessment(ERA) are difficult to be applied on ecosystem level,since they mainly focus on specific materials or species.An ecosystem-based river ERA method was developed depending on the concepts of system ecology and complex system theory.Distinguishingly,the method selected
"Ecosystem Services" as assessment endpoints,and quantified "Pressure-Response" relationship between external stress on ecosystem and Ecosystem Services.Yellow River in China was chose as a case study.The results suggest that the most risky area of Yellow River ecosystem were middle and lower reaches;the main risk sources were urban and agriculture;and the most dangerous targets were habitats and biota.By its application in Yellow River,this method was showed to strongly support ecosystem-based river management.


: Labor geography, which conceptualizes workers as social actors with agency rather than as a simple locational factor as seen in the neo-classical location theory, has become a thriving and important subfield of economic geography in the past two decades. However, labor geography received little attention in the literature of domestic economic geography despite the rising capital- labor contradiction having been challenging the marketization development in China. Attempting to provide a conceptual framework for the Chinese labor geography study, this article reviews the labor geography literature and identifies its emerging frontier questions. It first explains what labor geography is by examining the concept of worker agency and its spatiality. It then analyzes the progress of labor geography by focusing on the forms of worker agency and its formation mechanism, expounding their connections with space, place, global production networks, and social upgrading. The analyses show that labor geography has evolved from the narrow focus on collective forms of agency to the expanded one on variegated landscapes of agency that include worker individual social- spatial practices, and from the focus on the forms and influences of worker agency to the structurally territorial conditions that shape the possibilities of worker agency. It is suggested that there are four important issues for the Chinese labor geography study: (1) the variegated landscapes of worker agency in the context of the trade union institution with Chinese characteristics; (2) the potential impacts of labor agency on the restructuring of economic landscapes; (3) the embeddedness of worker agency in places where workers live and work in the context of China with specific institutional, economic, and social conditions; and (4) the institutional arrangements that contribute to social upgrading of workers. This article concludes by calling for the study of labor geography in China, which can provide a geographical perspective for understanding the Polanyian countermovement facing current China and policy implications for the inclusive development in the country.


Corporate stock is freely assignable. Absent a stock restriction agreement or similar private ordering to the contrary, a stockholder may unilaterally assign the stock to another. Upon assignment, the assignee succeeds to all of the rights of a stockholder. Those rights include the right to interim and liquidating dividends, to vote with respect to matters put to the shareholders both as to the election of directors and organic transactions such as a merger or an amendment of the articles of incorporation, to inspect corporate records, and to enjoy the benefits of the fiduciary obligations owed by the board of directors.


The article highlights the interdependence of economic and social sphere development and considers some problems which have aggravated in the changed economic situation. The auhor argues that the Russian of the transition economy should continue its innovative development. Based on the review and analysis of publications on domestic and foreign experience in implementing innovation policy, it is stated that innovation policy should be tuned to the specifities of forming a non-raw material model of Russia's economic development. It is also noted that there are some options for a possible change in the impact of the state on the development of the national economy.


Growth plate chondrocytes go through multiple differentiation steps and eventually become hypertrophic chondrocytes. The parathyroid hormone (PTH)‐related peptide (PTHrP) signaling pathway plays a central role in regulation of hypertrophic differentiation, at least in part, through enhancing activity of histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4), a negative regulator of MEF2 transcription factors that drive hypertrophy. We have previously shown that loss of the chondrocyte‐specific microRNA (miRNA), miR‐140, alters chondrocyte differentiation including mild acceleration of hypertrophic differentiation. Here, we provide evidence that miR‐140 interacts with the PTHrP‐HDAC4 pathway to control chondrocyte differentiation. Heterozygosity of PTHrP or HDAC4 substantially impaired animal growth in miR‐140 deficiency, whereas these mutations had no effect in the presence of miR‐140. miR‐140–deficient chondrocytes showed increased MEF2C expression with normal levels of total and phosphorylated HDAC4, indicating that the miR‐140 pathway merges with the PTHrP‐HDAC4 pathway at the level of MEF2C. miR‐140 negatively regulated p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling, and inhibition of p38 MAPK signaling reduced MEF2C expression. These results demonstrate that miR‐140 ensures the robustness of the PTHrP/HDAC4 regulatory system by suppressing MEF2C‐inducing stimuli. © 2014 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research © 2015 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research


We have prepared three pigments and six soluble dyes with thermal stability derived from diketo-pyrrolo-pyrrole (DPP) pigment by N-alkylation and dimerization. Synthesized dyes and pigments were measured by an absorption maximum (λmax) and thermal stability using a UV-VIS spectrophotometer and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) respectively, comparing with C.I. Pigment Red 254. These dyes exhibited superior solubility to the organic solvents by introducing the linking group (n-octyl). DPP pigments have inferior thermal and solvent stability, which has so far inhibited their commercial adoption in color filter fabrication. The thermal stability of the N-alkylated dyes can be highly contributed by both the carbon number and their shapes of N-alkyl group in DPP ring.


In this thesis, we aim to examine social violent events in institutional perspective. Sociologically, case of violence has too many variables. In this picture we are trying to explain roles of cultural structure of individuals, type of socialization and family structure factors in tendency to violence and violence acts. We study, areas of the violence and the responsibilities of the local authorities for prevent violences. As a result we claim that violent behaviours could be resolved an deven stopped by general theoretical perspective that consist of cultural, structural and interactive factors.
Municipality and social violence are not linked directly and sanctions of municipalities are limited. But because of we aim to aware local authority approach and contribute social order we interralete with local authorities and social violence. We did not add political violence and terrorism in our research.


This paper contrasts two views about the relationship between the processes of access and mapping in analogymaking. According to the modular view, analog access and mapping are two separate 'phases' that run sequentially and relatively independently. The interactionist view assumes that they are interdependent subprocesses that run in parallel. The paper argues in favor of the second view and presents a simulation experiment demonstrating its advantages. The experiment is performed with the computational model AMBR and illustrates one particular way in which the subprocess of mapping can influence the subprocess of access.


A method for analyzing a vaccine consisting of the following steps: (a) detect the hemagglutinin of influenza virus in the vaccine, or one of its samples with the following steps: (i) contacting the sample with a lectin that is immobilized on a solid support, for supplying the captured hemagglutinin; and (ii) detecting the hemagglutinin captured by an immunoassay; and (b) use the results of step (a) to calculate the concentration of hemagglutinin in the vaccine.


A long-time variation of magnetic structure has been observed in a geometrically frustrated magnet Ca3Co2O6. In order to clarify that the long-time variation in this material does not originate in randomness due to impurities, magnetization measurements have been made on single crystals of diluted compounds Ca3(Co-M)2O6 (M=Ga, Mg and Al). The longtime variations of the magnetization were detected in these compounds and characteristics of the time variation behavior were not much modified by the introduction of disorder produced by the substitution of non-magnetic atoms. These results show that the long-time variation of the magnetic structure in Ca3Co2O6 is not caused by randomness or imperfections.


BACKGROUND: We recently described mortality of cardiac injury in COVID-19 patients. Admission activation of immune, thrombotic biomarkers and their ability to predict cardiac injury and mortality patterns in COVID-19 is unknown. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included 170 COVID-19 patients with cardiac injury at admission to Tongji Hospital in Wuhan from January 29-March 8, 2020. Temporal evolution of inflammatory cytokines, coagulation markers, clinical, treatment and mortality were analyzed. RESULTS: Of 170 patients, 60 (35.3%) died early (<21d) and 61 (35.9%) died after prolonged stay. Admission lab work that correlated with early death were elevate levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6) (p<0.0001), Tumor Necrosis Factor-a (TNF-a) (p=0.0025), and C-reactive protein (CRP) (p<0.0001). We observed the trajectory of biomarker changes after admission, and determined that early mortality had a rapidly increasing D-dimer, gradually decreasing platelet and lymphocyte counts. Multivariate and simple linear regression models showed that death risk was determined by immune and thrombotic pathway activation. Increasing cTnI levels were associated with those of increasing IL-6 (p=0.03) and D-dimer (p=0.0021). Exploratory analyses suggested that patients that received heparin has lower early mortality compared to those who did not (p =0.07), despite similar risk profile. CONCLUSIONS: In COVID-19 patients with cardiac injury, admission IL-6 and D-dimer predicted subsequent elevation of cTnI and early death, highlighting the need for early inflammatory cytokine-based risk stratification in patients with cardiac injury.


To write in detail about Acharya Brajendranath Seal is really difficult. I write this article to pay our homage and respect to Acharya Sir Brajendranath Seal who was born on 3 September, 1864 and breathed his last on 3 December, 1938. People held him in profound respect examples of this is not less and how he was counted among the brightest sons of Bengal can be understood in a good number of obituary notes published in many contemporary newspapers and medias immediately after his death. One of them was in the Sunday Statesman dated 4 December, 1938 which brought to the notice of the readers in this way:


The Adelphi Paper, Abolishing Nuclear Weapons, is an extremely important contribution to the debate on nuclear disarmament. Until now, most publications devoted to a serious discussion of abolition originated in either the world of nongovernmental advocacy organizations or the world of technical experts. They tended to focus either on explaining how the technical challenges of verification could be met, or on explaining why abolition was urgently needed. Abolishing Nuclear Weapons is a conceptual breakthrough in this debate, in that it combines political and technical expertise to lay down the conditions under which total nuclear disarmament could become a reality—and addresses the issues in a way that is both logical and realistic. The second sentence of the text captures the approach taken by the two authors: " How might the security conditions which would permit nuclear weapons to be safely prohibited be created, and how might measures to implement such a prohibition be verified and enforced? " Abolishing Nuclear Weapons is also a remarkable piece of work in that it avoids falling into the " advocacy trap " that has led previous studies and reports on the issue to easily dismiss important counterarguments, thereby condemning such texts, most of the time, to political irrelevance. Instead, Abolishing Nuclear Weapons tackles head-on the most difficult strategic challenges of nuclear abolition. One of its strongest messages is that Advancing the Disarmament Debate: Common Ground and Open Questions bruno tertrais 180 | Bruno Tertrais " States will not begin to make the changes necessary for abolishing nuclear weapons if there is not a shared sense that the goal is realistic. " It wisely avoids the temptation of presenting artificial roadmaps or timetables. While clearly stating why abolition, in the authors' view, is desirable, it does so in a dispassionate way, putting responsibility almost equally on nuclear-armed states and non–nuclear-weapon states. It is refreshing to read in a paper that tends to view abolition as being both feasible and desirable that " non–nuclear-weapon states would be wise to be responsive to the reasonable expectations of nuclear-armed states trying to create conditions for the secure prohibition of nuclear weapons " or that " non–nuclear-weapons states should realise that they will get neither the nuclear industry nor the disarmament they seek if they fail to join efforts to strengthen and enforce the non-proliferation regime. " And while the authors emphasize the need to " move on both fronts …


cognitive performance also began to be better comprehended. These new findings not only promise to change our understanding of healthy cognitive aging, but also seem likely to alter our conceptions of cognition and language themselves. et compared the performance of older and younger native German speakers on a German PAL test with that of matched groups of Chinese–German bilinguals, and found that older bilinguals outperformed native speakers in a German PAL test, an advantage that increased with age. That is, when age was controlled for, they found that less linguistic experience predicted higher PAL scores.


Leadership research has a long history from personality psychological and social psychological perspectives, but integrated treatment of these person–situation influences is scarce. Such an integrated approach is outlined here in a person-in-situation perspective that sees leadership effectiveness as a function of the interaction between leader personality and situation (task, follower, and context characteristics) and that integrates personality psychology and social psychology perspectives. The person-in-situation perspective is less developed than probably it should be, but indications are that it holds more promise for understanding of leadership effectiveness than more one-sided approaches. The chapter aims to capture what can be concluded on the basis of the evidence as well as an associated research agenda for further development of this perspective on the personality and social psychology of leadership interface.


PurposeIt is difficult for corporate sustainability reporting (CSR) to provide accountability to stakeholders. This paper assesses whether accountability-based CSR systems can be created through the application of Spotlight Accounting and WikiRate as a hybrid forum.Design/methodology/approachThe current paper explores the utility of Spotlight Accounting for CSR through assessing its application to a hybrid forum, WikiRate. This process involved engaging student researchers to collect CSR data from the United Nations Global Compact's (UNGC) corporate action group (CAG) and recording this information into the WikiRate platform. Aggregate analysis was conducted to assess the limitations and challenges of the data to inform decision-making.FindingsSpotlight Accounting exposes challenges within traditional applications of CSR. These challenges impact comparability, decision usefulness and accountability of CSR data for stakeholders.Practical implicationsThis paper provides recommendations to enhance the accessibility and relevance of company information to assist in the provision of Spotlight Accounting. In doing so, it highlights the usefulness of CSR to leverage greater accountability between corporations and society.Originality/valueThis paper applies the emerging practices of Spotlight Accounting and presents it as an alternative way to research and conceptualise external accounts, reporting and accountability. This form of accounting has the potential to enhance communications and partnerships between companies and society as well as challenge dominate power dynamics held by corporations.


Each year, 400-500 persons have joined the Network by completing the Network Enrollment Form. Typically, at least one Member has been located in each of the 50 States and at least one in each of several foreign countries. Each year's Network members are regarded as a random sample in time of persons interested in the career education movement. No pretense is made that Network members' perceptions can or should be generalized to the general population. These data come from responses made by Network members in completing the annual Enrollment Form. Ns for each item asking for judgments /opinionslperceptions vary depending on the number of Network


The article introduces JudO, an OWL2 ontology library of legal knowledge that relies on the metadata contained in judicial documents. JudO represents the interpretations performed by a judge while conducting legal reasoning towards the adjudication of a case. To the aim of this application, judicial interpretation is intended in the restricted sense of the acts of judicial subsumption performed by the judge when he considers a material instance (token in Searle's terminology), and assigns it to an abstract category (type). The ontology library is based on a theoretical model and on some specific patterns that exploit some new features introduced by OWL2. JudO provides meaningful legal semantics, while retaining a strong connection to source documents (fragments of legal texts). The application task is to enable detection and modeling of jurisprudence-related information directly from the text, and to perform shallow reasoning on the resulting knowledge base. The ontology library is also supposed to support a defeasible rule set for legal argumentation on the groundings of judicial decisions.


SUMMARY

In zonal vegetation of the paramo Boca Grande (Sumapaz), in the Colombian Cordillera Oriental, the dispersal and growth form spectra of the different vegetation zones are described. With increasing altitude the abundance of the zoochorous plant species decreased while anemochory increased. A possible relationship between the mode of dispersal and the growth forms was also investigated. The most important modes of dispersal were not restricted to a special growth form but appeared to prevail in the predominant growth forms of the successive zones. In addition a global distribution of the weight of the diaspores and of the phenological state of the species is given.


In this paper, the inverse dynamic model is developed by using assumed mode method, and an inversion-based hybrid fuzzy control law is proposed for the tracking control of flexible-link robot manipulators. The control law combines the open-loop inverse dynamic approach, by which the coarse control input is obtained according to structural inverse dynamics and the desired trajectory, with the conventional fuzzy control, which functions on adjusting the control input based on the deviation of the practical trajectory from the desired and serves as the feedback. A single-link flexible arm is simulated and the results are shown to illustrate the less demands on the structural information and the more improved steady-state performance of the proposed controller than the conventional fuzzy controller.


Value for money has increasingly become a contentious and very prominent subject in the development agenda both within developed and developing Economies. Donor groups and community consider value for money when allocating budgets and other resources to developing countries. The study examined value for money in the provision of services in the public sector of Uganda. The general objective of the study was to evaluate value for money in the provision of services. The study was guided by three specific objectives which were; to examine effectiveness in the provision of services in the public sector of Uganda; to assess efficiency in the provision of services in the public sector of Uganda and to evaluate economy in the provision of services in the public sector of Uganda. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect primary data from the respondents while secondary data were collected through literature reviews and analyzed using descriptive statistics. The study findings show that economy as one of the pillars of value for money was the least consideration and therefore, not practiced in the public sector of Uganda. Meanwhile, efficiency was the most practiced element of value for money and followed very closely with effectiveness. The conclusion is that there is no value for money from the provision of service in the public sector of Uganda. The study recommends that MDAs and Local governments should operationalize the concept of value for money and make it well understood across the three spheres of government; review alternatives including considering making inter-ministerial and departmental use of skilled resources which are in short supply to delivery on required projects; and above all, ensure that the anticipated benefits from the services outweighs the costs of acquiring the services.


The SIAM Working Group on Undergraduate Computational Science and Engineering (CSE) Education, chaired by Peter Turner (Clarkson University), wrote a report on the topic, which states that a "common feature among CSE programs is the requirement for an internship in the form of an undergraduate research experience" [1][2]. The report and this article elaborate on the value of such experiences and how students, often with the help of faculty members, can obtain internships. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)


Background/Objectives: In the 21st century, the world was faced with increased outbreaks of extremism and terrorism, being completely unprepared neither in terms of the practical combating these phenomena, nor in terms of their theoretical conceptualization. Methods: This article attempts to analyze comprehensively the extremism phenomenon in order to clarify the reasons of specific international focus on this phenomenon and the prospects of international rule-making in this area based on the analysis of the existing international legal acts and documents adopted by various international forums with the participation of the UN member states, and using doctrinal approaches. The study includes a broad legal framework and analysis of foreign policy initiatives in this regard. Findings: The analysis has shown that the above documents are increasingly dealing with the problem of combating extremism in the context of anti-terrorism efforts. Recently, the counter-extremism problem has been treated as a separate challenge to the international safety. The above documents are increasingly dealing with the problem of combating extremism in the context of anti-terrorism efforts. Recently, the counter-extremism problem has been treated as a separate challenge to the international safety. Moreover, the phenomenon of extremism takes various forms, primarily, the form of 'violent extremism'. Extremism is a complex and multidimensional phenomenon affecting the legal, social, political and economic elements. The uniqueness of the article is increased due to the lack of a comprehensive analysis of the 'extremism' phenomenon as a threat to the international peace and security. In this connection, it is reasonable to unify and harmonize approaches to combating extremism. Application/Improvements: International counter-extremism cooperation and multidisciplinary studies of this phenomenon are associated with the prospects of scientific development of the 'extremism' concept and determination of its qualifying features for the entire international community to be universally accepted.


Retraction: "Long noncoding RNA SNHG16 contributes to the development of bladder cancer via regulating miR‐98/STAT3/Wnt/β‐catenin pathway axis," by Feng Feng, Aiping Chen, Junjian Huang, Qinghua Xia, Yougen Chen, Xunbo Jin, J Cell Biochem. 2018; 9408‐9418: The above article, published online on 21 August 2018 in Wiley Online Library (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jcb.27257), has been retracted by agreement between the journal's Editor in Chief, Prof. Dr. Christian Behl, and Wiley Periodicals LLC.


The paper explores the potentials of harnessing the structural friction in the system comprising a gantry beam, cast iron cushion of requiret form and rail to the vibration control in this system. Theoretical studies yield an equivalent logarithmic decrement of vibration reduction in the system, expressed as a function of rail pressure against a crane beam through a cast iron cushion and hence the function of bolt tightness as well as other parameters. Outlined are practical applications of a cast iron cushion to vibration control of a gantry rail in a charging car installation.


The Author, of the Pleuger company, first gives some general information on the Pleuger active rudder, and describes different electrical arrangements for controlling the speed of the driving motor in those installations where control of the auxiliary-propeller thrust is required. For some ships, apart from the improved manoeuvrability offered by the active rudder, a prime requirement exists for auxiliary propulsion to enable the ship to proceed at very low speeds, i.e. below the minimum speed of 4 to 6 knots that can normally be obtained with Diesel propulsion, and the Author describes how this facility can be provided by an active rudder equipped with a controllable-pitch propeller. A c.p. main propeller would allow these very low ship-speeds to be achieved, but an active rudder fitted with a c.p. propeller will, in addition, provide improved manoeuvrabilty and will cost very much less than a c.p. main propeller. These considerations have led to active rudders of this type being selected for research ships and cable-layers, and also for passenger ships, such as those operating in the difficult waters between Finland and Sweden, which have to navigate at much reduced speeds for lengthy periods. The auxiliary propeller is feathered when not in use. In these installations, the pump unit for supplying hydraulic pressure for pitch changing can conveniently be housed in the steering flat; from here, the high-pressure lines are taken through the rudder stock and auxiliary propeller shaft to the propeller boss. These arrangements are briefly described, and a more detailed description is given of the system's control arrangements. It is mentioned that the Pleuger bow-thruster employs similar principles to those of the active rudder fitted with a c.p. propeller, except that the bow thruster does not require feathering. Order from BSRA as No. 52,320.


One of the goals of cardiovascular science is to create a mathematical model of the heart that can predict ventricular function in healthy and diseased states, and that can be used to help improve treatment options for patients with heart disease. To be clinically useful, the model will have to include structural information about the shapes of the chambers and the action of the valves, and about how the electrical activity spreads from the sino-atrial node to the ventricular cells. It will also have to incorporate information about the contractile properties of the myocardial cells in different regions of the heart. In this issue, Ford et al. present a mathematical model that could provide a simpler and better way of predicting how force varies within real ventricular cells during the cardiac cycle.


SUMMARY: In the light of the recent finding of deposits of calcium salts and iron in myocardial cells in one case of Friedreich's ataxia, we have made a detailed morphological study of 3 new cases of this cardiomyopathy. Calcium deposits were not found in the muscle fibers but lipofuscin granules and deposits of iron were observed in our 3 cases. In addition to the usual findings of interstitial fibrosis, hypertrophy and degeneration of myocardial fibers, foci of segmental active muscle necrosis were constantly present. There is a possibility that Friedreich's ataxia could be a neurocardiac degenerative disease with a membrane defect which could be related to defective metabolism of vitamin E or other micronutrienls.


This paper describes a 1.3-micrometers edge-emitting LED (light-emitting diode) with multiple quantum well structure. We introduce quantum well structure to the emission region in order to improve the thermal stability of the optical output power. The least temperature dependence and the highest optical output power are obtained at ten quantum wells. In the range from -30 degree(s)C to 85 degree(s)C, the temperature coefficient of the optical output power and the peak wavelength are - 0.87%/ degree(s)C, 0.52 nm/ degree(s)C, respectively. The LED yields a coupled power of 20 (mu) W into a single-mode fiber at a driving current of 100 mA and 25 degree(s)C.


From the Contents: Materials Chemistry: Past, Present and Future/ Molecular Magnetics, Metals and Superconductors/ Advanced Polymeric Materials - High Performance Polymers/CVD /Nanophase Materials / Nanoporous Materials (zeolites, pillared clays etc.)/ Molecular Precursor Routes to Inorganic Solids/ Materials Currently in Biomedical Usage.


In the case of English education in higher vocational colleges, collaborative innovation is the trend of development. The students who are trained by traditional higher vocational English teaching have been unable to meet the needs of the employers in today's society. Therefore, it is necessary to promote the system construction of the conception "Cultural education, Compound education and Cooperative education" through collaborative innovation. We should strengthen the professional ability of higher vocational students, career change ability, social adaptability and entrepreneurial innovation ability, and develop a group of high-level application talents with professional technical ability.


The causes of low-recovery for cadmium(Cd) separated and purified by the ion exchange resin one-column procedures were investigated.Based on the ion exchange resin one-column procedures,a proved method was proposed and the washing procedure and the volume of washing solution was adjusted.The results indicated that the recovery of Cd was up to 99.82%,the potential interferences on Cd isotopes(including Sn,In,Zn,Pb and other interfering matrix elements) were present at negligible levels.The improved method could meet the needs of the measurement of Cd isotopic ratio.


ABSTRACT This conceptual paper examines reparations as a vital yet under-researched orientation to justice in education. The idea of reparations requires us to understand the interconnections between past, present and future in both the formation of injustice and its repair. It implies that until injustices are actively addressed they can endure in social institutions – like education – which also shape lives-to-come. The paper explores material, epistemic, and pedagogic approaches to reparations in education. It argues that attention to reparations can upturn conventional scholarly and political approaches which frame education either as a force of social reproduction or as a track to upward social mobility. Instead, models of reparative justice ask: what sorts of futures of education can emerge from taking seriously the righting of past and present educational wrongs? Injustice is not an inevitability in reparative futures of education: these are new, if challenging, horizons of theory and practice for the field.


The sessions were organised around a short presentation, followed by a critical commentary by two people, and discussions by the group. A plenary lecture by Barbara Jaworski (UK) in the first session gave a historical perspective of "Mathematics Teacher Education" as a subfield. The growth was be seen through its place in international meetings (PME, ICME, CERME) and publications, in particular the Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education. The lecture described different themes: the nature of programmes for educating practising teachers, teachers participation in these programmes; the position of mathematics in professional development; the models of learning underlying different programmes. Finally, it pointed out key issues: nature of the collaboration between teachers and teacher educators, proximity to classroom outcomes, new insights; and the learning of teacher educators.


There were 56,900 in-patients 'under one of the mental illness specialties' in England's National Health Service hospitals in March 1990. Approximately 31,000 of these people had been in continuous residence for at least a year, and most of these long-stay patients were living in the 91 psychiatric hospitals that remain open in England. It is widely expected that these numbers will be reduced dramatically over the next few years by the resettlement of long-stay residents in alternative accommodation, and by efforts to prevent the accumulation of the 'new long-stay'. In this paper we report a prediction of service consequences and costs for the 24,000 long-stay psychiatric hospital in-patients who do not have a dementia diagnosis. We build on our previous prediction of community care service utilisation and costs for the populations of two hospitals, extending the estimates to the whole of England. This prediction suggests that £391 million will be needed annually to support these 24,000 people in the comm...


The infiltration of Confucianism in Qinghai minority nationality region is not only the course of Confucianism influencing traditional culture of ethnic minorities,continuously mixing together and absorbing the excellent ideology of ethnic minorities,enriching and strengthening the cultural connotation,but although the agreement,development,innovation of Confucianism in Qinghai minority nationality region.So,under the influence of Confucianism,the culture of Qinghai minority nationality region has formed a plural culture,in which,Confucianism is the main part and every national culture coexists.


Structural testing is one of the most important activities within software testing. Ideally, to achieve 100% coverage of every conditions and decisions, tester must take an exhaustive approach. However, exhaustive testing is costly and time consuming. Addressing the aforementioned issues, researchers advocate the use of Multiple Condition/Decision Coverage (MC/DC) criteria for sampling of the test cases[1]. Owing the popularity of Search based Software Engineering; many researchers have recently treated MC/DC compliant test case generation as optimization problem. As a result, many meta-heuristic based strategy implementations have appeared in the literature. Most implementations have been focused on neighborhood-based meta-heuristics. In order to help test engineers to make informed decision on the best neighborhood based implementations, this paper investigates the size and time performance of two MC/DC test strategies re-implementation based on Simulated Annealing against two newly developed strategies based on Great Deluge and Late Acceptance Hill Climbing algorithms respectively. Experimental results demonstrate the strength and weakness of the algorithms, change of their behavior on different types of predicates, etc.