Draka Interfoam is a company specialized in the development, production and processing of polyether foams. The company focuses on bedding, mattresses, furniture, converting and healthcare industry. Draka Interfoam is supplier to local and international clients in these industries and over the years has accomplished to build a well-established B2B brand known for its quality. Draka Interfoam has acquired a patented technology to commercialize within Europe. This technology is performed by making several incisions in the foam with water jet machines and expanding the foam to create holes in the material. Draka Interfoam wants to introduce this technology in the mattress market. The project focuses on the branding and value proposition of the Harmonica technology. The research phase explores the consumer market and describes the information collected and synthesized from the external context. The point of view of experts in the industry is explored to get acquainted with the market. Trends and developments happening in the industry are identified and competing products are observed in the market. This phase describes the customer-based brand equity of brands in the market. A consumer inquiry shows that 22% of the consumers still recognize DrakaCel. DrakaCel is an obsolete mattress consumer brand Draka Interfoam owns that disappeared in the late nineties. In the course of this project this brand is considered for brand rejuvenation. Most of consumers did not remember what the brand used to stand for. Next, a product evaluation of the Harmonica product range is presented. The Harmonica mattress was compared to the Pantera mattress (a full-core foam mattress developed by Draka Interfoam) in a consumer study to indicate the benefits over the full-core technology. Consumers judged the comfort of both mattresses quite positive. On a scale from one to ten, the Pantera scored an average of 7.7; the Harmonica scored a 6.9 average. The Harmonica technology was primarily experienced as soft. Fifty percent indicated they would consider buying the Harmonica technology. Consumers wanted to pay between 200 and 500 Euros for a mattress, which is significantly lower than the price set by the company. Recommendations to Draka Interfoam regarding product engineering are to develop a broader product range that vary in softness/hardness in order to appeal to a broader audience and to verify the claims of ventilation and pressure distribution with certified performance tests. Also a recommendation is to possibly make the technology more visual to the consumer. The product requirements valued by the consumer are researched in order to define a Unique Selling Point of the Harmonica. In general, consumers find the specifications of low weight, climate control, adjustability to the body, and pressure release attractive. The study shows the older consumer has higher demands on a mattress and is less inclined to accept experiential and symbolic benefits for this product. The younger consumers find the key selling points of the Harmonica technology, such as lightweight and climate control, more attractive. The design phase develops two different branding strategies for the Harmonica technology. The brand name Breezzzlight is suggested by the company. One option is to use Breezzzlight as a product brand (comparable to the Pantera brand). Another option is to use Breezzzlight as a product name and use DrakaCel as the corporate brand for the mattress market. Each strategy implies a different marketing program; for which the image, competitive environment and market segment is determined. DrakaCel is positioned in the high-end consumer market with a slightly grey biased target group; Breezzlight is positioned in the top of the mid-end segment with a mainstream target group. Subsequently, it is verified why Draka Interfoam has been unable to turn this innovation into a profitable product and business. Results show that despite of the product being considered a "good" option; the product does not offer a Unique Value Proposition for the customer. The perceived value of the product is lower than the price. The analysis suggests Draka Interfoam has to either consider a downward price adjustment or an increase in customer value. A differential advantage should be considered for the Harmonica technology. A scenario-guided design tool is used to create concepts that describe business strategies for the Draka Interfoam and the Harmonica technology. The scenarios are created based on either an increment in value and offer or a descent in cost and price. Also Draka Interfoam position in the value chain is considered to create future strategies. The strategic advice to Draka Interfoam is to commercialize the Harmonica as a private label to (high- and mid-end) mattress retailers (i.e. bed specialty stores). The technology should be branded with the ingredient brand Breezzzlight and the the private label of the retail store. The value proposition is enabling a high-end (patented) innovation to retailers for an affordable price. A recommendation to Draka Interfoam is to verify the claim of ventilation with a certified authority (e.g. TNO), as this claim is very important for the strategy. The obsolete brand DrakaCel should not be considered at this point for a quick short-term introduction, the brand should be revived with a strong concept supported by marketing.


The 30 years of reformation and opening up of Shanxi Province Library is that of development,reformation and innovation.The authors make a summary of the development and change.


The aim of this paper is to report the results of experiments carried out on Al-Cu alloys with different Cu contents,studying the microstructure evolution during holding in the semi-solid state.The 3-D microstructure was observed by in situ X-ray microtomography carried out at ESRF Grenoble,France.The variation of the solid-liquid interface area per unit volume during holding was determined.In addition,local observations show that two coarsening mechanisms of the solid particles occur simultaneously:dissolution of small particles to the benefit of larger ones by an Ostwald-type mechanism and the growth of necks between solid particles due to coalescence.These observations confirm that in situ X-ray tomography is a very powerful tool to study the microstructure evolution in the semi-solid state and the influencing mechanisms in real-time.


Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and severe form of brain cancer. The median survival time of patients is approximately 12 months due to poor responses to surgery and chemoradiation. In order to understand the mechanisms involved in radioresistance, we conducted a genetic screen using an shRNA library to identify genes whose inhibition would sensitize cells to radiation. The results were cross-referenced with the Oncomine and Rembrandt databases to focus on genes that are highly expressed in GBM tumors and associated with poor patient outcomes. Spermidine/spermine-N1-acetyltransferase 1 (SAT1), an enzyme involved in polyamine catabolism, was identified as a gene that promotes resistance to ionizing radiation (IR), is overexpressed in brain tumors, and correlates with poor outcomes. Knockdown of SAT1 using shRNA and siRNA approaches in multiple cell and neurosphere lines resulted in sensitization of GBM cells to radiation in colony formation assays and tumors, and decreased tumorigenesis in vivo. Radiosensitization occurred specifically in G2/M and S phases, suggesting a role for SAT1 in homologous recombination (HR) that was confirmed in a DR-GFP reporter system. Mechanistically, we found that SAT1 promotes acetylation of histone H3, suggesting a new role of SAT1 in chromatin remodeling and regulation of gene expression. In particular, SAT1 depletion led to a dramatic reduction in BRCA1 expression, explaining decreased HR capacity. Our findings suggest that the biological significance of elevated SAT1 expression in GBM lies in its contribution to cell radioresistance and that SAT1 may potentially be a therapeutic target to sensitize GBM to cancer therapies. Introduction GBM is the most common and aggressive of the gliomas, a group of tumors that derive from glia or their precursors in the central nervous system. Patients with GBM have a median survival time of ~12 months, and only 3-5% of the patients survive more than 3 years (1). GBM is characterized by a Research. on August 22, 2017. © 2014 American Association for Cancer cancerres.aacrjournals.org Downloaded from Author manuscripts have been peer reviewed and accepted for publication but have not yet been edited. Author Manuscript Published OnlineFirst on October 2, 2014; DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-14-1249


Abstract:
 The iguanid lizard, green anole Anolis carolinensis, has currently established breeding colonies on several tropical and subtropical Pacific islands. In the Ogasawara Islands, predation by the green anole has collapsed the endemic insect community. Now that the Ogasawara Islands have been inscribed on the World Heritage List as a natural heritage by UNESCO, it is necessary to study the current status and ecological aspects of the green anole there to improve the effectiveness of control efforts. When planning population management for an alien species, information regarding its fecundity (number of eggs laid per female per year) is essential. This species lays only one egg at a time, but lays multiple times during an extensive reproductive season each year. It is therefore difficult to estimate fecundity by ordinary methods, such as gonadal examination by necropsy. In the present study, we maintained 10 female anoles from Chichijima Island in indoor captivity under conditions similar to those of the Ogasawara Islands to record their egg-laying conditions. Egg-laying occurred from April to October with a peak in August, during which each female laid 0.95 eggs/week on an average. The average number of eggs laid by a female in a year was 13.7. Sites selected for laying were spaces between the leaves of ferns and in hollows on the ground. We consider that for efficient control of this species, we should intensively hunt females in April, before their egg-laying frequency begins to increase.


This study focuses on the effects of changes in full charge process and technology parameters in clarification section on raw sugar filtration.At the same time,we enhance the management of clarification process, adopt new technology process,and produce jointly the refined,low color value,and superior grade white sugar.


The standard wetting transition consists of the transformation of a microscopically thin two-dimensional interface into a macroscopically thick structure composed of two interfaces separated by a bulk phase. We consider the one-dimensional analog of this phenomenon, when a contact line among three or more phases decomposes into two contact lines separated by an interface. We uncover a wetting transition for the contact line, which occurs at surface two-phase coexistence, as a function of a line or edge field. This is exemplified by means of a lattice mean-field calculation for an Ising model bounded by two surfaces that meet in an edge.


The purpose of this study is examination of the relation between knowledge management with social capital and organizational intelligence. The study method is descriptive (surveying). The population consists of all employees in Islamic Azad University Shiraz Branch, with a number of 320, in the year 2013-14, 120 of whom were selected as the sample, using a simple random sampling method. Three questionnaires of knowledge management, social capital and organizational intelligence were used as the study instruments; the reliabilities of the questionnaires were estimated to be 0.922, 0.827 and 0.912, respectively. For analysis of data, SPSS, and the statistical methods of correlation coefficient matrix, simple and multiple regressions and path analysis were used. The findings showed that: 1. There is a positive relation between knowledge management, organizational intelligence and social capital, 2. There is a positive significant relation between the component of knowledge use, conformity and coherence, and strategic vision as organizational intelligence components and knowledge management. 3. There is a positive, significant relation between the components of social trust, civil participation and moral seeking as social capital components and components of the knowledge management.4. there is a positive significant relation between the components of knowledge management, social capital and organizational intelligence.


Since the introduction of IFRS and the standard IAS 40, listed real estate companies has the option to value their investment properties to either fair value or historical cost. The current debate regarding the valuation is about the relevance and reliability of fair value and that IAS 40 doesn't give a clear set of rules for the valuer to follow. The standard is open for several options, which in the end can affect the comparability between the companies. The purpose of this study is to clarify and analyze how listed real estate companies value their investment properties to increase the understanding of how it is done in practice and to explore the uncertainties and risks that exist in the value methods used. To achieve the purpose, case studies have been performed and the data collection took place through a qualitative method. Relatively open individual interviews and document studies were conducted. The conclusions of this study are that the listed real estate companies included in the study uses yield-based methods, four of the companies use a cash-flow method and one of the companies uses a direct yield method. However all of the valuations are based on market data and therefore are the foundation of the valuation based on the location price method. What emerges from our study is that the main uncertainty in property valuation are assumptions about the future, additional relevant uncertainty factors identified in our study are cyclical, subjectivity and reliability.


The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different doses of exogenous recombinant human tissue plasminogen activator (rt‐PA) on the endogenous cerebral plasminogen–plasmin system in focal ischemia in rats. Ischemia was induced using the suture model. Each group of rats (n = 6) received either treatment (0.9, 9 or 18 mg rt‐PA/kg body weight) or saline (control group) at the end of ischemia; a sham‐operated group was added. The activity of the plasminogen activators was measured by casein‐dependent plasminogen zymography. In the cortex urokinase (u‐PA) rose from sham (no ischemia), 91 ± 7% to ischemia, 176 ± 10% (P < 0.005). Increasing rt‐PA doses led to further significant (P < 0.001) cortical u‐PA activation which was maximal at 18 mg: 249 ± 13%. An extreme increase in the u‐PA activity was observed in the basal ganglia to 1019 ± 22% (P < 0.001). This increase was further aggravated by higher rt‐PA doses (18 mg, 1236 ± 15%; P < 0.001). The t‐PA level did not change I3R24 during (3 h ischemia followed by reperfusion for 24 h); however, during low and moderate doses of rt‐PA, endogenous t‐PA was reduced. In conclusion, while ischemia leads to a significant increase in u‐PA, mainly in the basal ganglia, t‐PA is not altered. Increasing doses of rt‐PA lead to a further elevation of u‐PA. Thus, u‐PA seems to play a major role in the endogenous plasminogen activator system following focal cerebral ischemia.


Oxidative stress is regarded as a major pathogenic factor in acute pancreatitis. Inflammation and apoptosis linked to oxidative stress has been implicated in cerulein‐induced pancreatitis as an experimental model of acute pancreatitis. Recently, we found that reactive oxygen species mediate inflammatory cytokine expression and apoptosis of pancreatic acinar cells stimulated with cerulein. Omega‐3 fatty acids show antioxidant action in various cells and tissues. In the present study, we investigated whether omega‐3 fatty acids inhibit cytokine expression in cerulein‐stimulated pancreatic acinar cells and whether omega‐3 fatty acids suppress apoptotic cell death in pancreatic acinar cells exposed to hydrogen peroxide. We found that omega‐3 fatty acids, such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and α‐linolenic acid (ALA), suppressed the expression of inflammatory cytokines (IL‐1β, IL‐6) and inhibited the activation of transcription factor activator protein‐1 in cerulein‐stimulated pancreatic acinar cells. DHA and ALA inhibited DNA fragmentation, inhibited the decrease in cell viability, and inhibited the expression of apoptotic genes (p53, Bax, apoptosis‐inducing factor) induced by hydrogen peroxide in pancreatic acinar cells. In conclusion, omega‐3 fatty acids may be beneficial for preventing oxidative stress‐induced pancreatic inflammation and apoptosis by inhibiting inflammatory cytokine and apoptotic gene expression of pancreatic acinar cells.


Summary Ivabradine is a novel heart.rate.lowering drug that acts specifically on the sinoatrial node by selec. tively inhibiting the I f current, which is the current prevalently responsible for the slow diastolic de. polarization of pacemaker cells. Unlike many rate.lowering agents, ivabradine reduces heart rate in a dose.dependent manner both at rest and during exercise without producing any negative inotropic or vasoconstrictor effect. The bradycardic effect of ivabradine is proportional to the resting heart rate, such that the effect tends to plateau. Because ivabradine also binds to hyperpolarization, voltage .gated channels which carry the I h current in the eye, transient, dose.dependent changes of the elec. troretinogram resulting in mild to moderate visual side effects may occur in approximately 15% of patients exposed to ivabradine. Ivabradine does not cross the cerebrovascular brain barrier and therefore, has no effect on the I h current in central nervous system neurons. 1 The safety of ivabrad. ine was assessed in a development program that enrolled over 3,500 patients and 800 healthy volun. teers in 36 countries from Europe, North and South America, Africa, Asia and Australia, 1,200 of whom being exposed to ivabradine for over 1 year. Ivabradine was associated with a good safety profile during its clinical development and its safety will be furthermore assessed by postmarketing surveillance and during on.going clinical trials. Ivabradine is the first selective and specific I f inhibi. tor, which received marketing authorization in 27 European countries for the symptomatic treatment of chronic stable angina pectoris in patients with normal sinus rhythm who have a contraindication or intolerance of beta.blockers.


Based on the analysis the progress of the agriculture integration in Shouguang county ,this paper tries to research the advancing mechanism of the agriculture integration and its characteristics.The study can provide a guide to promote the development of agriculture integration and the development of the rural areas in China.


How to cite this aricle: Dias, T. K., França, J. R., Silva, M. F., Oliveira, E. L., Marinho, H. L., & Goes, A. P. (2020). Early detection of childhood and adolescent cancer in Primary Health Care: possibilities and limitations. Revista de Enfermagem Referência, 5(3), e20060. doi:10.12707/RV20060 Abstract Background: The early detection of cancer has a major impact on the lives of children and adolescents because they start treatment in better conditions, thus influencing their prognosis and survival. Objective: To investigate the possibilities and limitations regarding the early detection of childhood and adolescent cancer, based on reports from professionals working in Primary Health Care. Methodology: Exploratory study conducted in 3 basic health units. Eleven health professionals participated in the study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The empirical material was qualitatively analyzed based on the Content Analysis Technique. Results: The possibilities found were contextualization and interpretation of clinical findings, as well as systemized and interdisciplinary care. The limitations found were lack of specificity of the signs and symptoms of childhood and adolescent cancer, non-compliance with the principle of accessibility, and need for training/capacity building. Conclusion: This study will contribute to improving the performance of these professionals regarding the early diagnosis of cancer in children and adolescents receiving care in PHC.


The crystal structure of the title compound has been determined by X-ray diffraction methods by use of counter data, and refined to R 0·049 for 2996 unique reflections by a full-matrix least-squares procedure. The triclinic unit cell, space group P, has dimensions: a= 8·272, b= 9·262, c= 10·183 A, α= 112·9, β= 101·7, γ= 82·3°, for Z= 2. The molecule approximates to m symmetry and the Co⋯Co distance is 2·531(1)A. The norbornadiene ligand bonds to one cobalt atom via the carbon–carbon double bonds. The carbon–carbon double bond distance is 1·373(3)A. The Co(CO)2Co bridging system is non-planar, the angle between the two Co(CO)Co planes being 135·0°. The Co–C distances in the bridge are not equivalent, those to the cobalt atom bonded to the norbornadiene being 1·871 (3)A and those to the other cobalt atom being 1·987 (3)A.


This chapter focuses on the problems of criminal prosecution as exemplified by the Berlin Wall cases. It outlines the relevant post-unification criminal law issues. The chapter leads to a discussion of the international and constitutional law issues the courts had to face in establishing the border soldiers' criminal responsibility. It looks at problem of individual attribution and personal culpability. The chapter summarizes the special problems in trying Honecker and other top-level officials. The author questions the reasonableness of the sentencing in the Mauerschutzen cases and raise the issue of appropriate sanctions in human rights cases. The chapter provides some perspectives on the legitimacy of ex post facto criminal justice and on the problems of state prosecution of human rights cases in general. The Mauerschutzen cases in unified Germany illustrate that blaming and punishing individuals for human rights violations within the framework of the criminal justice system is fraught with difficulties. Keywords:Berlin wall shooting; blaming; ex post facto ; human rights violations; Mauerschutzen ; personal culpability; post-unification criminal law; punishing


A suspension frame structure of the present invention is provided with a member main body and lower arms disposed at the left and right sides of the member main body. The lower arms respectively have: front support parts supported by front left and right sides of the member main body with axes thereof being in a front-to-rear direction; and rear support parts supported by rear left and right sides of the member main body. In addition, the front support parts of the lower arms are supported by body mounting members installed on the front left and right sides of the member main body in a state where the axes of the front support parts are in the front-to-rear direction.


Thirteen photographic images documenting an exhibit installed by Carol G. Hixson and Jim Schnur on the first floor of the Poynter Library. This exhibit appeared in January 2012 in commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day and remained in place during the early months of the Spring 2012 academic semester. Photographs shown here were taken by Schnur on 1 March 2012, shortly before the exhibit was taken down.


Water as one of necessary utilities used in semiconductor factory was introduced, it focused on the essentiality of water-saving in this field, and how to reduce water in the factory with feasible and economical methods were respectively described, especially emphasized on water re- claim in process and waste water reusing. It will be a helpful mean to the semiconductor factories that wish to be environment-friendly company.


Numerical solutions of nonlinear partial differential equations, such as the generalized and extended Burgers-Huxley equations which combine effects of advection, diffusion, dispersion and nonlinear transfer are considered in this paper. Such system can be divided into linear and nonlinear parts, which allow the use of two numerical approaches. Higher order finite difference schemes are employed for the spatial discretization, the resulting nonlinear system of ordinary differential equation is advanced with the modified fourth-order exponential time differencing Runge-Kutta (ETDRK4) method designed to generate the scheme with a smaller truncation error and better stability properties. The stability region of this scheme is shown and computed via its amplification factor. Numerical simulations with comparisons are presented to address any queries that may arise.


An experimental apparatus for vapor-liquid equilibrium(VLE)measure when was developed.The overall pressure and temperature uncertainty was about±1.2kPa and±0.5K,respectively.The vapor pressures of methanol and ethanol were measured in the temperature range from 303.15to 350.65K with the experimental apparatus.The vapor-liquid equilibrium data of methanol and ethanol were measured at temperature of 350.65K.The Herington method was used to examine the thermodynamic consistency.The result showed that the new experimental apparatus was reliable.


In this study, the relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility and trust, image and brand Attachment is investigated. The aim of the research is to examine the effect of CSR on the trust, image and brand Attachment of the customers in Shiraz Zamzam Company in iran. The research method is a descriptive survey. The statistical population consists of Customers the Zamzam Company Shiraz in iran. The sample included 298 customers, which were selected randomly. Data have been collected by a researcher-developed questionnaire and sampling has been done through census and analyzed using SPSS and PLS. The validity of the instrument was achieved through content validity and the reliability through Cronbach Alpha and composite reliability. It was concluded that the social responsibility variable has an efficient role in Trust and brand And indirectly has a positive impact in brand Attachment. The study discusses important implications regarding uses of CSR for enhancing trust, image and brand Attachment.


Study Design: Retrospective data analysis study. Objective: Attending continuing professional development (CPD) and continuing medical education (CME) activities is a necessity for practicing surgeons in most parts of the world. To enhance best practices in conducting CME/CPD, objective evaluation of these events is crucial. This article aims to evaluate one such international standardized CPD course conducted for facial surgeons across the globe. The Management of Facial Trauma course was developed by an international planning committee of experienced surgeons and has been implemented in all regions of the world. Method: This 2-day course is delivered using a combination of short lectures, small group discussions, and practical hands-on activities. Data collected from pre- and post-course evaluations of 86 Management of Facial Trauma courses conducted worldwide from 2017-2019 were collated and analyzed. Results: Participant demographics and experience levels varied slightly across the regions. Evaluation of the course effectiveness revealed overall high ratings for educational impact, content usefulness, and faculty performance. Conclusion: Our results indicated that this standardized course met the audience needs and enabled participants to plan changes in clinical practice. In addition, it confirmed that the course was relevant across different specialties and across different cultures and countries.


Kwabena Amankwah-Ayeh, of the Department of Town and Regional Planning at the University of the Witwatersrand, examines the principles underlying the planning of some pre-colonial African towns and cities and discovers that there are many lessons to be learnt.


The Wilsonian renormalization group approach to the Lippmann-Schwinger equation with a multitude of cutoff parameters is introduced. A system of integro-differential equations for the cutoff-dependent potential is obtained. As an illustration, a perturbative solution of these equations with two cutoff parameters for a simple case of an S-wave low-energy potential in the form of a Taylor series in momenta is obtained. The relevance of the obtained results for the effective field theory approach to nucleon-nucleon scattering is discussed.


Based on methods of feature extraction for images and vocabulary exploration for text, we can apply point placement techniques to multidimensional data in order to map data sets into visual spaces, assisting users on data analysis and interpretation. Some of these methods build similarity trees, imposing a hierarchy on the relationship between the characteristics extracted from data. In an exploratory analysis environment, it is natural to use methods and techniques capable of manipulating and interacting data quickly and efficiently. In this context, this paper aims to implement and apply known techniques of tree navigation and interaction in the context of point placement visualizations. In particular the NJ and MST techniques, implemented and successfully used in the system PEx-Image, are the main focus for helping data exploration through Radial and Hyperbolic Layouts, implemented with exploration tools. This work implements Radial and Hyperbolic layouts to support exploration of NJ and MST views.


The pharmaceutical co-crystal approach has been introduced recently to address poor physicochemical properties of new chemical entities. In this study we prepared and investigated ten co-crystals of AMG 517. Based on thermal analysis, 1H NMR and pKa values we have prepared co-crystals rather than solvates or salts. We explored co-crystal physicochemical properties such as particle size, solubility, stability, hygroscopicity, and thermal properties as well as hydrogen bonding networks. We found that all co-crystals, for which we obtained single crystal structure, had the same two hydrogen bonds between the compound and the co-crystal former. In addition, we found good correlation between the melting point of the co-crystal former and the co-crystal but less correlation between the melting point and solubility of the co-crystals. In conclusion, within this series of co-crystals some design is possible by considering features of the compound and the co-crystal former.


The pressure‐driven flow of a rarefied monatomic gas through a two‐dimensional slit is simulated using the direct simulation Monte Carlo technique. Of particular interest is the change in flow field structure as pressure ratio and Knudsen number are varied. Comparisons are made to quantify the limits of validity of free‐molecular theory and approximate, nearly free‐molecular iterative methods. Also addressed is the sensitivity of the numerical solutions to grid structure and boundary conditions. The free‐molecular theory is found to predict quantitative flow field properties (e.g., centerline velocities or downstream flux profiles) reasonably well for large finite Knudsen number with the error dependent on the pressure ratio. The nearly free‐molecular corrections are shown to have limited range of applicability. A previously derived parameter is found to correlate total mass flux well as a function of pressure ratio and Knudsen number over a large portion of the transitional regime.


A list of students involved in research on flight analysis and development is given along with abstracts of their work. The following is a listing of the titles of each work: Longitudinal stability and control derivatives obtained from flight data of a PA-30 aircraft; Aerodynamic drag reduction tests on a box shaped vehicle; A microprocessor based anti-aliasing filter for a PCM system; Flutter prediction of a wing with active aileron control; Comparison of theoretical and flight measured local flow aerodynamics for a low aspect ratio fin; In flight thrust determination on a real time basis; A comparison of computer generated lift and drag polars for a Wortmann airfoil to flight and wind tunnel results; and Deep stall flight testing of the NASA SGS 1-36.


Internet banking gives customers the option to perform banking transactions and other related activities on the go or from home, twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year. With improved efficiency and effectiveness more transactions can be processed faster and conveniently, which impact the overall bank's performance. Banks want their customers to migrate from conventional banking to internet banking a means to ease their transaction processes. However, it is rather difficult to get a buy-in among customers as many are worried about the application limitations, security issues and inadequacies of internet connection quality. Though the numbers of internet banking users have increased annually, the numbers of active users are still unimpressive. A sizeable percentage of bank customers are either not ready or unwilling to use internet banking. Hence, to strategize and convince customers to use internet banking, mandates the need to understand their satisfaction on key service features offered through internet banking to them. A conceptual model with nine factors namely, ease of use, accessibility, feature availability, customer support, security, privacy, content, fees and charges, and also transaction and payment was developed and empirically tested using self-report survey data from 120 internet banking users from 3 branches in Shah Alam, Selangor. Simple random sampling was used to select respondents and data analyzed through SPSS. Four factors that is, ease of use, customer support, privacy, and transaction and payment were found to have significantly influenced customer satisfaction toward internet banking transaction. This calls for continuous innovation among banking institutions to enhance these service features to sustain the interest and satisfaction of their internet banking users.


By extending the notion of Lie derivative to distribution-valued tensor fields of order m, Lie derivatives with respect to C vector fields, k > m+1, can be shown to be well defined. Geometric symmetries, definable in terms of these Lie derivatives, can then be considered. In particular, for spacetimes of low regularity, geometric symmetries generated by vector fields of regularity as low as C are definable. We find that the conformal algebra of the impulsive plane wave spacetime (with + polarization) described by the continuous Baldwin-Jeffery-Rosen form of the metric has the maximal dimension seven. The curvature of this metric is well defined as a distribution and since this spacetime is Ricci-flat, we show that all the vector fields in the conformal algebra are special curvature collineations. We find also the general form of these last ones. Finally, we find the conformal Killing vector fields of this spacetime when using the distributional Brinkmann form of the metric.


This paper proposes the novel sensorless control algorithm for 3-Phase BLDC motors with trapezoidal back-EMF. The proposed algorithms include both the new back-EMF estimation method by using the DC current model and a compensator for the electric parameter errors of the BLDC motor to improve performance of sensorless control more exactly. The back-EMF can be easily calculated from the electrical voltage equation. However, it has some errors at the commutation period. This error can be reduced by using the proposed sensorless control algorithm which is derived by using the mechanical and electrical equation simultaneously for the accurate estimation of the back-EMF. In this case, the back-EMF estimation is affected by the electric parameters. If the motor parameters have errors, there will be some errors of the estimated back-EMF. Therefore, a new algorithm is needed for parameter error compensation. Among the motor parameters, stator resistor and back-EMF constant are mainly affected by the temperature. Therefore, this paper proposes the new sensorless control algorithm with the real time compensation of the motor parameter variation according to temperature. The main attractive features of the proposed algorithm have the robustness to the parameter variation and the transient state, and the less torque ripple by using the DC-current model. The usefulness of the proposed sensorless control method is verified through the simulation.


This study aims to determine the significance or the difference between the Government Bank and the Foreign Exchange National Private Commercial Bank starting from the first quarter of 2010 to the second quarter of 2014. This study used a sample of eight banks, four Government Banks, those are Mandiri Bank, Indonesian Citizen, Indonesian National Bank and Nation Savings Bank and four Foreign Exchange National Private Commercial Bank, those are Central Asia Bank, CIMB Niaga Bank, Permata Bank and PAN Bank.
Variables used in the assessment of financial performance are LDR, IPR, APB, NPL, IRR, PDN, ROA, NIM, BOPO and CAR. Testing the hypothesis of this study using two average different test (independent one-sample t test) by using a significance level of 5 percent. The experimental results of the study found that there were differences in the significance of variables APB, NPL, PDN, ROA, NIM, BOPO, CAR. While there is no significance of variables LDR, IPR and IRR between the Government Bank and Foreign Exchange National Private Commercial Bank.

Keywords: Financial Ratios, State Banks, National Private Commercial Bank


The late Samwel Onyango Ayodo former Member of Parliament for Kasipul-Kabondo Constituency and one time the first Member of Parliament for the entire South Nyanza in the Colonial Legislative Council made important contribution in the development and politics of Kenya before and after independence. However his contribution to Kenyan history has been overshadowed by the history of leaders whose political career influences the political direction of Kenya. The only area that has been studied with regards to Ayodo is his unpublished B.A dissertation on his 1969 election entitled "Ayodo Election 1969" which has not given a critical work on Ayodo's  political career up to 1983,his role in development and his retirement from politics, this was the need for the present study. The purpose of the study was to establish the extent of Ayodo's contribution to nation building in Kenya while he was a member of parliament and a minister. The broad objective was to find out Ayodo's role in nation building, specific objectives were to explore Ayodo's early life, to examine Ayodo's political career as a Member of Parliament and minister and his life in retirement from active politics. Literature review involved the review of various biographies of Kenya and some selected outside Kenya that related to this study. The study applied the theory of Great Man by Thomas Carlyle which shows the role of great individuals in history making in order to demonstrate how Ayodo was a great personality with regards to his political career, his role in land consolidation programme, the establishment of Lambwe valley game reserve and unity of the Luo community. Data was collected from both primary and secondary sources. Archival and oral sources were important in generating data on Ayodo. Purposive sampling especially snowball technique was used to identify interviewees. Analysis and interpretation of data employed the historical method. The study findings filled a knowledge gap about Ayodo's early life, his political career as well as his life after retiring from politics. Keywords: Colonial Legislative Council, political career, Luo, Kasipul-Kabondo, Member of Parliament


ABSTRACT The conceptual and experimental problems that must be solved to etiologically implicate viruses in human cancer have been assessed in two classic reports.1,2 The natural history of leukemia in children, with its relative clinical homogeneity and its peak incidence at 31/2 years of age,3 suggests a common antecedent infectious process. Leukemia in animals4 commonly is caused by a virus; it is not unreasonable to assume that viruses also may cause some forms of leukemia in man, particularly childhood leukemia. Attempts to transmit leukemia from one human to another have failed,5 and since human subjects are not suitable for such experiments, indirect evidence must be compiled to implicate virus infection in the etiology of human leukemia. There is agreement1 that investigations should include at least the following steps: (1) isolation, preferably by cell culture, of virus-like agents from leukemic patients; (2) compilation of evidence that


The present invention provides a method for managing a schedule using location information of a user, including registering a schedule including location information of the user, tracking the location of the user, and transmitting a message associated with the schedule or the location of the user. To provide.


Data breach is a common phenomenon is these days. Entities holding the personal data are involved in providing data to marketing and other companies for their benefit. Consequently, the citizens suffer and pay the price of breaching. Various countries have adopted personal data protection laws in line with General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). The California State has also made legislation to secure consumer rights in respect of personal data. This study made a comparison between General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). After study, it has been identified that GDPR is a comprehensive document which can be used for providing security of personal data around the world. It has all the relevant clauses/ Articles that can be used accordingly. Furthermore, being dynamic in nature it has the capability to become adoptable to new changes/ technologies. However, there is a need to expend the scope of the study and conduct a comparative analysis on the basis of geographical boundaries. The future directions may include the study of laws relating to personal data protection of various developing countries in the context of the GDPR.


Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man is one of the most influential American novel since World War II.Deeply influenced by jazz,he used musical elements as a narrative strategy to express his theme.This thesis is to analyze the form,the theme and the narrative skills of the novel from the perspective of music.


Abstract This work provides new data on the levels of some minerals and trace elements, important for their nutritional and/or toxicological properties, in some Italian dairy products in order to evaluate the contribution of this food group to the quality of the Italian diet. Ion exchange liquid chromatography with suppressed conductivity was used for the determination of the minerals (Na, K, Mg and Ca) and instrumental neutron activation analysis for the determination of the trace elements (Co, Cr, Fe, Rb, Se, Zn). The results obtained confirm the importance of the presence of cheese in the Italian diet to satisfy the recommended daily intake of Ca, while suggesting that special attention should be exerted in the choice of cheeses with a low content of Na in order to minimize the possible negative effects on blood pressure. Finally, the results identify two subgroups of cheeses, the stirred curd cheeses and the hard cheeses as foods with high levels of nutritionally important trace elements (i.e. Se, Zn, Fe, Co), moreover, the correlation found among the concentration levels of these elements in the stirred curd cheeses permits the utilization of these cheeses in the diet to improve the ingestion levels of these nutritionally important elements.


Carbon nanofiber is a new type of carbon materials and it has wide application prospects. At present, there are many kinds of synthesis methods of carbon nanofibers. Among them, preparation of carbon nanofibers from the controllable flame is a new method. It needs simple laboratory equipments and normal atmosphere pressure in this method. Experimental apparatus is including controllable flame burner, thermocouple, mass flow meter and catalyst preparation system, etc. The key factors of synthesis experiment involving the carbon source, the catalyst and high temperature heat source. Characterization of the carbon nanofibers from the controllable flame is by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM).The experimental results indicated that carbon nanofibers with less impurity can be captured at the temperature from 720 to 880 ̊C when carbon monoxide and iron-based catalyst served as carbon source and the catalyst respectively.


This study is based on an effort to improve the quality of education by implementing assessment standard management in the teaching and learning process. The focus of this research is the implementation of assessment standard management to improve the quality of Islamic education for high school graduates in South Tangerang. While the purpose of this study is to describe the planning, implementation, evaluation, problems faced, and standard assessment solutions to improve the quality of high school graduates in South Tangerang. This research uses a qualitative naturalistic approach and descriptive method. Data collection techniques are conducted utilizing interviews, observations, and documentation studies. The results of this study are as follows: (1). Management of assessment standards was prepared through the planning stage, which describes the Learning Implementation Plan. (2). Organizing describes the role of principals, educators, educational personnel, learning load management, attitude value determination, knowledge value determination, and skill value determination. (3). The implementation stage outlines the principles of value, assessment procedures, assessment techniques, assessment time, learning completion, and competence of graduates. (4). The evaluation phase outlines the assessment standards, class increase criteria, implementation and reporting of assessments by education units, and remedial, enrichment, and graduate criteria. (5). The problem faced is that educators have difficulty in determining Minimum Completion Criteria, Class Ascension Criteria, and Graduation Criteria. (6). Efforts are made to conduct a lot of socialization and training on assessment standards and assessment guidelines, especially related to Minimum Completion Criteria, Class Increase Criteria, and Graduation Criteria.


This paper explores the conceptual usefulness of students' preference for regulation of learning in the classroom. The research is rooted in self-regulation of learning theory and builds upon Vermunt's (1989) work on the significance of external, internal and shared regulation on students' management of learning and achievement. An empirical study with a class of vocational education students revealed no significant relationship between students' preference for regulation of learning and their reported use of strategies for an essay and a test but the request for written self-generated strategies yielded a limited range of responses. Preference for regulation of learning was significantly related to students' interest and performance in the essay but not the test. A number of conceptual and methodological issues related to the study of regulation of learning are discussed.


Technology-driven advances in the gathering, processing and delivery of big data are making it easier to monitor forests and make informed decisions over their use and management. This paper first describes how innovations in remote sensing and cloud computing are enabling generation
 of geospatial data more often, at lower cost and in more user-friendly formats. Second, it describes the evolution of systems and technologies to trace forest products, and agricultural commodities linked to deforestation, from source to final use. Third, it reviews the potential for emerging
 data mining technologies such as natural language processing, web scraping and computer vision to support forest policy analysis and augment geospatial data gathered through remote sensing. The paper gives examples of how these technologies are being used and may be used in the future to monitor
 and respond to deforestation, fire and natural disasters, improve governance by enabling faster and more comprehensive analysis of social networks, policies and regulations, and increase traceability and transparency within supply chains.


Uncertainty measurement and risk analysis play a vital role in manufacturing industry where not only monetary and time costs are involved but lives of human beings may also be endangered. Importance analysis is performed to determine the critical actions and to prioritize maintenance tasks. In the present paper, various importance measures for the Reverse Osmosis Plant have been calculated and the probable fault events of Reverse Osmosis Plant have been ranked accordingly. The rankings assigned to various components of Reverse Osmosis plant reflect structural, reliability and criticality importance. These rankings may give guidelines for the selection of optimal structure amongst various models available, for carrying out cost effective maintenance tasks, optimum redundancy allocation and inventory management.


The liquefaction-induced river levee failures observed at micro-scale landforms of an old river course during the 2011 Tohoku earthquake were investigated by means of weight sounding and soil sampl...


E-learning can certainly be considered an aspect of education in its broad meaning, although it implies that the learner is situated at a physical distance from the instructor and therefore the use of a computer (or other mobile devices) is necessary to gain access to learning materials. In addition, it is a methodology based on constructivist theories where the interaction among participants predominates and where the learner takes on an active and responsible role. But can e-learning applied to language learning be considered as a valid alternative to more traditional methodologies? The objective of this thesis is to offer an overview of the distance learning and the cognitive theories usually associated with this new teaching mode, with a focus on Costructivism and Connectivism – a new theory for a digital age – applied to e-learning and in particular to foreign language e-learning. The construction of the knowledge in the information age is mainly seen as 'social' factor and is achieved through: collaborative work by the learners and negotiations of ideas through web 2.0 tools such as forum, chat, VoIP, and IM as well as blog, wiki and podcast. In the language learning field these tools help learners also to achieve and/or enhance their communicative skills. In addition, this study proposes a practical application of how to build an online language learning course based on the theories and tools stated above; an investigation of the roles involved in such course – with a focus on the e-tutor role – and an analysis of the different attitudes learners adopt when dealing with the net, and finally an examination on the assessment methods connected with the didactic proposal, which cannot be the same as those employed in traditional face-to-face learning and teaching.


Starting from the dynamic resource theory,this paper explores the relevance of the mechanism in which human capital heterogeneity and enterprise innovation performance. On the basis of the questionnaire design and survey,regression analysis is used as the empirical research method. The results showthat heterogeneity in human capital generates significant positive impact through the intermediary role of knowledge creation on innovative performance,the capability of knowledge creation plays a significant positive moderating role in this process,and corporate history and firm size are also important influencing factors.


This research deals with the various powers granted to the Governor under the Constitution of India. The Constitution of India under Article 163 has granted discretionary power to the Governor which he can exercise without consulting the Council of Ministers. But the Constitution does not spell out the functions that the Governor that the Governor can discharge in his discretion.


A in recognizing the number included in the image, removing noise, reducing the amount of computation by identifying the numeral display area, processing the image processing apparatus capable of speeding up the date identification device, image processing method and it is an object to provide a program. The present invention identifies the digit recognition target range in the image, in numeral recognition target range, if the circumscribed rectangle numbers possible parts that could represent numbers compatible with the reference size, the circumscribed extracting a rectangle, if the extracted enclosing rectangle are arranged more, extracting a plurality aligned bounding rectangle, on the extracted circumscribed rectangles, the horizontal and / or vertical lines constituting a segment of a multisegment character comprise whether determined that extracts a circumscribed rectangle that contains the horizontal and / or vertical line as the target region of the digit identification, so as to include a region of interest is cut out in a predetermined direction digit recognition target range as numbers display area . .FIELD 1


A comparison of an analytical balance (MAX = 220 g, d = 0,01 mg) was carried out in November 2012 at the Centre for Metrology and Accreditation (MIKES). Seven participants; one from MIKES and six from four accredited calibration laboratories; took part in the comparison. Reference values were calculated as weighed means of all participants. The measurements were made at MIKES. The loading points were agreed in advance. Otherwise the participants calibrated the balance according to their own measurement procedures using their own weights. Measurement results of the laboratories were taken from calibration certificates. The results were in agreement with the reference value.


The finishing techniques on sheepskin garment leathers are reported in this paper, relating to the finishing agents made in China, such as DPU polyurethane and DG acrylic finishing agents series for garment leathers.


Sensitivity analysis (SA) is a prerequisite for model building since it determines the reliability of the model through assessment of uncertainties in the simulation results. With growing interest in extending GIS to support multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods, enhancing GIS-based MCDM with sensitivity analysis procedures is crucial. SA should be involved in GIS-MCDM model evaluation that tests the robustness of a model and the extent of output variation when parameters are systematically varied over a range of interest. The most common approach is based on varying criteria or their weights which represents input parameters in order to understand the model behavior and its limitations. This paper presents a novel approach of examining multi-criteria weight sensitivity of a GIS-based MCDM model. The objectives of this study are to explore the dependency of model output on input parameters, identifying criteria that are especially sensitive to weight changes and to show the impacts of changing criteria weights on the model outcomes in spatial dimension. A methodology was developed to perform simulations where the decision weights associated with all criteria used for suitability modelling were varied to investigate their relative impacts on the final results of the evaluation. A tool which incorporates SA with Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) within the ArcGIS environment was implemented. It permits a range of user defined simulations to be performed to quantitatively evaluate model dynamic changes, measures the stability of results with respect to the variation of different parameter weights, and displays spatial change dynamics. A comprehensive case study of irrigated cropland suitability assessment addressing the application of the new GIS-based AHP-SA tool is described. After an initial evaluation which is assumed to be the base run according to best available knowledge, the original weights for the five different criteria from the base run were varied within a range of 20% provided that a 1% step was used for simulations. Summary tables for 40 simulation runs of each criterion and the resultant evaluation maps were generated and displayed. The tables demonstrate the change in the output suitability classification relative to changes in input criteria weights, identify criteria that are especially sensitive to weight variations, and visualise the spatial dimension of change dynamics. The results indicate that the evaluation map derived from base run could be used for analysing potential expansion of irrigated cropland because, when water is available, the highest possibility of such expansion will occur on highly suitable and moderately suitable lands which are relatively stable from the SA investigation in this study. The integration of SA with AHP using GIS has enhanced the conventional AHP module, improved the reliability of MCDM output, and extended existing GIS functionalities. This GIS-based AHP-SA tool supplies more immediate feedback to evaluators/modellers. It is easier for non-experts to understand, and provides a mechanism to explore the decision problem while learning how changes in criteria weights affect evaluation outcomes spatially and quantitatively. It enables decision makers to follow/conduct a comprehensive yet easy-to-use procedure to examine weight sensitivity in both criteria and geographic space. It can give better insights for improving the capabilities of current GIS-based AHP-MCDM models to create more realistic output scenarios. Continued advances in this research area will allow GIS and MCDM to be applied to practical land-management issues with greater success.


Man being fitted with used clothes at the "ongoing yard sale" sponsored by Crossnore School as a way to raise money. Photograph by Bayard Wootten. North Carolina Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library. The Crossnore School, a nondenominational Christian home for children located in the town of Crossnore in the Linville Valley of Avery County [2], was founded by two doctors, Mary Martin Sloop [3], of Davidson, and her husband, Eustace Sloop [4]. The Sloops came to the mountains as medical missionaries. While Eustace devoted much of his time to the medical needs of the local people, Mary undertook what became a lifelong effort to provide educational opportunities to the region's children, among the poorest in the state. She believed strongly that young women needed to break the cycles of poverty and ignorance perpetuated by a tradition of early marriage and motherhood.


Synthesis of short period GaInAs/InP superlattices, or pseudoalloys, by organometallic vapor phase epitaxy for replacement of the mixed crystal GaInAsP deposited on InP is discussed. Raman scattering, double crystal x‐ray diffraction, photoluminescence, and atomic force microscopy are used to investigate accumulative interface roughening and layer intermixing in the pseudoalloy. We demonstrate that pseudoalloy quality is not necessarily comprised by the presence of unintentional interfacial layers and show that thick (>2500 A) InP‐based pseudoalloys with structural and optical properties that compare favorably with those of the random alloy can be synthesized. Finally, we present results on broad area 1.3 μm lasers incorporating the pseudoalloy as the optical gain media in separate confinement heterostructure devices.


Based on the optimum structure ejector burner with methanol-mixed fuel,the adaptive air distribution characteristics were studied with the large load variation range,also the actual air distribution and combustion characteristics were obtained,and the simulation results were verified.The results show that the optimum structure ejector burner can realize adaptive air distribution in the large load variation range,and combustion is stable.When the burner load changes from 25%to 120%,the mole air/fuel ratio(MAR) have little decrease,the change ratio of MAR is less than6.3%,and the combustion efficiency is more than 99.2%.When the load is less than 40%,combustion temperature has some raise with the burner load increasing.When the load is more than 40%,combustion temperature is stable at 1650 K.


Summary Periods in Modern Swedish Art by Johnny Roosval. The author classifies the years 1880 to the present time into the following periods: 1) Naturalism: 1885–1897; 2) National‐Romanticism: 1897–1918; 3) Expressionism: 1918–1930; 4) Functionalism 1930–. He makes a survey of all the periods of the Swedish history of art and reaches the conclusion that the periods, originally lasting for about 40 years, have gradually been reduced to the narrow space of about 15 years.


The combination of autonomous and supervisory control methods should permit the creation of a semi-autonomous system capable of completing all feasible tasks. We have developed the multiple agent supervisory control (MASC) system based upon the mediation hierarchy theory to create such a system. We briefly describe this system and the mediation hierarchy. The purpose of this paper is to review the results from experimental testing as they pertain to the mediation hierarchy. We present the experimental design methodology, statistical results as well as their interpretation.


When Information Is Not (Market) Power: Using Quantitative Techniques To Show That Information Exchange Did Not Facilitate Collusion* Abstract On January 2015, the French competition authority…


The ability to digest significant quantities of the dissacharide lactose is dependent upon high expression of the enzyme lactase in the small intestine. Downregulation of lactase occurs in the vast majority of adult mammals, and most humans lose the ability to produce high levels of lactase after weaning (lactase non-persistence) whereas others keep high levels into adult life (lactase persistence). This variation in adult enzyme expression is under genetic control, and frequencies of the two phenotypes vary in throughout the world. A correlation between a longstanding culture of dairying and a high frequency of lactase persistent individuals in a population group has been reported. This has led to the theory that the high levels of lactase persistence seen in some groups could be the result of natural selection. This thesis examines variation in and around the lactase gene in to explore the possible role of natural selection in explaining modern frequencies of lactase persistence. A series of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the vicinity of the lactase gene have alleles known to associate with lactase persistence in Northern Europe. These were investigated in a series of4024 individuals from 73 population groups throughout the world to generate a global distribution that could be compared with anthropological data, and previously reported frequencies of lactase persistence. One of these SNPs, a C-T transition located - 13.9kb upstream of the lactase gene, was reported during the course of this thesis, (Enattah et al 2002), with the T allele proposed as a putative cause of lactase persistence. The haplotypic background of this allele is reported here.


Abstract The rate of sulfonation of bead copolymers of styrene cross-linked with 8 mole % divinylbenzene (mixed isomers) is remarkably sensitive to the isomeric (para/meta) composition of the mixture of divinylbenzenes. The rate is enhanced by a factor of 4 for compositions containing 20–40% para isomer.


M-mode of cardiac chambers throughout the cardiac cycle can detect structural and functional abnormalities. Left atrial (LA) wall has a motion pattern that associated with left ventricle (LV) diactolic filling phase, but M-mode examination of the left atrium has not yet been used to determine left ventricle diastolic function. The aim of this study is to validate M-mode pattern of left atrial slope, as a simple parameter in determining left ventricle diastolic function. This is a cross-sectional study between April 2014 – May 2014 using echocardiography examination. M-mode pattern of left atrium wall was assessed by measuring left atrial filling and emptying slope. This measurement was compared with the regular assessment tissue Doppler imaging on septal and Doppler method on mitral inflow. Correlation between heart rate and both LA filling and emptying slope, intra-observer and inter-observer variability also analyzed. This study involved 98 subjects that underwent trans thoracal echocardiography, 46 subjects with normal diastolic function and 52 subjects with diastolic dysfunction. LA filling slope in normal diastolic function was 37,9 + 7 mm/s vs diastolic dysfunction was 25,8 + 6,8mm/s. LA emptying slope in normal diastolic function was 62,9 + 10,9mm/s vs diastolic dysfunction 27,2 + 9,2mm/s. The incidence and receiver operating characteristic analysis of LA slope indicated that LA filling slope with cut off point value of < 28 mm/s for LV diastolic dysfunction and > 28 mm/s for normal LV diastolic function had 71% sensitivity, 96% specificity, 95% positive predictive value, 75% negative predictive value. LA emptying slope with cut off point value of < 47mm/s for LV diastolic dysfunction and > 47mm/s for normal LV diastolic function had 98% sensitivity, 96% spesificity, 96% positive predictive value, and 98% negative predictive value. Correlation between heart rate and LA filling slope is weak positive but not significant (p=0,419) and there was no correlation between heart rate and LA emptying slope (p=0,223). Intra-observer and intra-observer variability of LA filling and emptying slope is fair to good (Kappa value 0,616-0,834) and significant (p < 0,001). Goodness of fit test with Hosmer-Lemeshow test show this parameter fit with the data. As conclusion, this study showed that LA anterior wall slope measurement during both filling and emptying can be used as a parameter in determining LV diastolic function especially LA emptying slope with high sensitivity and specificity. Universitas Sumatera Utara


Hydrocarbon-degrading yeasts were isolated from three sites contaminated with products of refined petroleum originating from an oily residue treatment Brazilian company. A selective enrichment technique was used by supplementing medium with gasoline, which resulted in eleven isolates; two identified as Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, one as Rhodosporidium diobovatum, four as Meyerozyma (Pichia) guilliermondii, two as Wickerhamia sp., and two as Meyerozyma sp. The strains were evaluated for their growth capacity in medium containing 1% (v/v) gasoline, kerosene or lubricating oil as the only carbon source; the largest values for cellular biomass and growth rates (μ) were observed with gasoline supplementation. The strains were tolerant to aromatic (toluene and xylene) and aliphatic (hexene and n-heptane) compounds, which are part of the composition of gasoline, at concentrations up to 30 mM toluene (0.3% v/v), 20 mM xylene (0.25% v/v), 80 mM n-heptane (1.17% v/v) and 100 mM hexane (1.33% v/v). The R. mucilaginosa S47 and Meyerozyma sp. SP1 strains showed the greatest degradation percentages of gasoline, and have the potential to be used in the bioremediation of gasoline-contaminated environments.


The estuary functions as a discharge from the river, especially when it floods into the sea. The movement of currents from the sea and also the flow of water from upstream causes sedimentation problems in the estuary. Jetty building planning is required for handling sediment at the estuary of the Serayu River, which is planned with 35721 m2 construction area of a pair Wind data analysis for 10 years is carried out using software WRPLOT, AUTOCAD, and Google Earth. Concrete quality for making tetrapod using concrete (f'c) 31.2 MPa. The tetrapods used have a weight, width, height of 7.6 tons, 2.69 m, and 2.24 m, respectively. Geotextiles used in the jetty building design are 44781.68 m long. Security of the Serayu River estuary requires two pairs of the jetty, the jetty to the right of the estuary requires 778 m length and 34.6 m width, while the jetty to the left of the estuary requires 560 m length and 34.6 m width. The budget plan for the construction of a jetty for handling sediment at the estuary of the Serayu River is IDR 438,708,114,000.00.


Troponin complex comprises three subunits, namely troponin C (TpnC), troponin I (TpnI) and troponin T (TpnT), and regulates the contraction of striated muscle. We found that the locust Locusta migratoria genome has one TpnT gene (LmTpnT), one TpnI gene (LmTpnI) and three TpnC genes (LmTpnC1, LmTpnC2 and LmTpnC3). Through alternative splicing, LmTpnT and LmTpnI potentially encode two and eight isoforms, respectively. The flight muscle and the jump muscle of L. migratoria express an identical LmTpnT isoform, but different LmTpnC isoforms and LmTpnI isoforms. LmTpnC2 and LmTpnC3 both contain highly conserved residues essential for calcium binding in the EF‐hand II and IV, thus belonging two‐site isoform. LmTpnC1 contains non‐conserved substitutions in the EF‐hand II and all highly conserved residues for calcium binding in the EF‐hand IV. Mutagenesis and tyrosine fluorescence spectroscopic analysis show that both the EF‐hand II and IV of LmTpnC1 can serve as calcium‐binding site. Therefore, all three LmTpnC isoforms belong to two‐site isoform. This is in contrast to the situation in the insect with asynchronous flight muscle, which expresses both one‐site isoform and two‐site isoform of TpnC. Those results suggest that the origination of insect asynchronous flight muscle is associated with the emergence of one‐site isoform of TpnC.


The invention discloses a shore power controller parameter setting optimization method. According to the method, a main particle swarm, two auxiliary particle swarms and three different optimizing paths are comprised. The method is capable of overcoming the defect that the standard PSO (Particle Swarm Optimization) is high in local optimal value possibility during a process of optimizing a large-interval multi-dimensional multi-peak function, and preserves the advantages of the PSO algorithm, i.e., (1), PSO is not influenced by an initial value; (2), during optimization, an accurate model of a controlled object is not needed to be known, and only an object function capable of representing system performance indexes is needed to be reasonably selected. Multi-particle-swarm multi-path PSO can be directly applied to a discrete control system, a new method is provided for setting PI control parameters, research on a control system is convenient, the manual operation time is reduced, and the development cost is reduced.


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few other pedagogical aids; a list of "Problems" is given with some of the chapters, but most of the topics are not usable. The suggested readings are intended for teachers rather than for pupils. From the historical point of view, the book has a great deal to commend it. In the first place, "the space given to military history has been reduced in order to admit an account of the social and economic activities of the other elements of the population during war periods. .... The economic and social revolution since the Civil War is the backbone of the text for recent times" (p. iii). In these respects the book is written from the point of view of the modern social historian. In the second place, the book is not so purely national in character as are most texts; it treats American development as the product of external forces as well as internal forces. The Revolution is treated as "A Part of a World War for Trade and Empire"; there is a chapter on "Entangled in the Napoleonic Wars" and one on "Will the Civil War Become a World War?" In the third place, the book is written for the purpose of giving pupils a clear view of the historical background of the present. We are told in the Introduction that "a textbook that meets the needs of high schools today must emphasize the connection between current political and social problems and the past experience of the American people" (p. iii). Throughout the book there is comparison, direct and indirect, between the present and the past; and suggestions from the experience of the past which are helpful in the solution of today's problems are offered.


Seoul National University Radio Astronomy Observatory (SRAO), a 6-meter single-dish telescope recently applied new 100GHz and 230GHz dual-band receiver. The SRAO had been inactive for several years, but resumed operation by adapting the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy (CARMA) receiver. We succeeded in the single-dish observations in 2019 March. We upgraded the SRAO to the mm-VLBI station and participated in the test observation of East Asia VLBI Network (EAVN) with several telescopes worldwide. The simultaneous single dish and VLBI observation is possible. We are going to design the new receiver and import a wideband 230GHz mixer and have a VLBI observation with Korean VLBI Network (KVN). Also, we are planning to test the phase reference technique between 100Ghz and 230GHz.


A liquid ejecting head includes: a head main body (110) for ejecting liquid from nozzle openings on a liquid ejecting surface (20a) provided with the plurality of nozzle openings; a maintaining member (120) which is adhered to the head main body at a surface side opposite to the liquid ejecting surface (20a) side of the head main body in a direction (Z) perpendicular to the liquid ejecting surface; and a fixing board (130) which is provided at a side opposite to the maintaining member with respect to the head main body (110). The fixing board includes a bending portion (132) which is bent to the head main body (110) side. The bending portion is adhered to a side surface of the maintaining member. The head main body (110) is disposed in a space formed by adhering the maintaining member (120) and the fixing board (130) to each other.


Correspondence: Rahmi Saylik, Mus Alparslan University, Department of Psychology, Mus Turkey E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com Received: October 27, 2020; Revised: November 27, 2020; Accepted: March 09, 2021 ABSTRACT Objective: Reversing learned associations interferes with previously acquired learning, a form of retroactive interference for the previous association and proactive interference on the new learning. We examined associations involving emotional content and how they might impact interference. The current study aims to discover the role positive, negative, and nonemotional stimuli play during acquisition and reversal learning in a probabilistic go/no-go task. Method: The task consisted of separate conditions of happy, sad, angry, fearful emotional stimuli and non-emotional stimuli during separate acquisition and reversal training periods. Ninety-seven participants aged 18-35 (49 females) took part in the study. Results: The results revealed that overall, participants were more accurate during acquisition than reversal. Further, happy stimuli were learned with greater accuracy during acquisition but were no easier to learn in reversal, effectively accompanied by a greater reversal cost. Conclusion: There is evidence that happy emotional stimuli act like stimuli with a stronger learning rate much like learning of other high salience stimuli. Emotion valanced stimuli like other types of stimuli and can be described mechanistically by varying learning rate parameters of associative models.


The crystal structure of the title compound, trans-[PdCl(CH3)(C18H15P)2], was found to be isomorphous with several related platinum(II) and palladium(II) complexes. The Pd atom has a slightly distorted square-planar geometry, with most important bond lengths and angles of Pd—P = 2.3289 (7) and 2.3224 (7) A, Pd—Cl = 2.4227 (6) A and Pd—C = 2.054 (2) A, and P—Pd—P = 177.38 (2)°, P—Pd—Cl = 88.97 (2) and 89.03 (2)°, and C—Pd—Cl = 175.23 (8)°.


The hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl acetate in the presence of a mixed micelle of NN-dimethyl-N-2-hydroxyethylstearyl ammonium bromide (1b) and 4-imidazolyl derivatives (2) has been found to occur by a fast acylation of the imidazole followed by a fast quantitative transfer of the acyl group to the hydroxy-group.


The pH and acetic acid, butyric acid, ammonia nitrogen content will decrease and the lactic acid content will increase after inoculated homolactics in alfalfa silage. Inoculated heterolactics may improve pH and acetic acid content. Sprayed previous fermented juice, the pH and butyric acid content of alfalfa silage will be lower and lactic acid and acetic acid content higher.


Dilaceration is the result of a developmental anomaly in which there has been an abrupt change in the axial inclination between the crown and the root of a tooth. It is seen involving both the permanent and primary dentitions. Root canal curvatures may be apical, gradual, sickle-shaped, severe-moderate-straight curve, bayonet / S-shaped curve and dilacerated curve. Curved root canals exhibit great difficulty in cleaning, shaping and obturation of the root canal system. This mandates routine periapical radiographs which aid the clinician in assessing these morphological variations in the root canal system. This article highlights a rare presentation of dilacerated distal root of left mandibular first molar resembling radiographically as walking molar in 17-year-male patient.


The whole step is a key step in the electric axis synchronous system.In the existing single-phase synchronizing above method,this paper puts forward a new method of synchronizing,which is electric axis synchronizing based on the adjustable power supply,and do a great deal of experiments.


Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the cost of the introduction of independent audit inspections in New Zealand.

Design/methodology/approach
The research is conducted using audit fee data from New Zealand and examines the overall impact of the reforms on the cost imposed on auditees.

Findings
The findings show that there was no general increase in audit fees but a significant increase in audit fees for small listed companies compared to audit fees for unlisted companies and large listed companies.

Practical implications
The practical implications of this study suggest that the introduction of independent inspections led to increased costs for some clients, particularly smaller listed companies, and that audit firms were able to pass on these costs to their clients. These results have important implications for policymakers and auditors alike.

Originality/value
This study provides new insights into the cost of the introduction of independent audit inspections, which have been the subject of ongoing criticisms and recommendations for improvement.


Introduction. Previous uncontrolled studies have highlighted the activity of rituximab in patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) relapsed or refractory to standard treatments. To better address this effect, a prospective randomized (1:1), multicenter, phase III study comparing treatment with dexamethasone alone (arm A) vs dexamethasone plus rituximab (arm B) was conducted from July 2005 through June 2007 for adult patients with previously untreated ITP and a platelet (PLT) count ≤20 × 10 9 /L. Material and methods. Patients randomized to arm A received a single course of oral dexamethasone 40 mg on days +1, +2, +3, +4, while patients randomized to arm B received dexamethasone (as in arm A) in association with rituximab 375 mg/m 2 iv on days +7, +14, +21, +28. Patients in arm A who failed to achieve a sustained response and had a platelet count ≤20 × 10 9 /L (from day +30 up to the end of 6 months) could receive salvage treatment with the experimental arm (dexamethasone plus rituximab). The primary objective of the study was to compare the sustained response (SR), i.e. PLT count 50 × 10 9 /L at month + 6 of treatment. Secondary objectives were: evaluation of the safety, the initial response (PLT count 50 × 10 9 /L) by day 30 after the initiation of treatment, the activity of salvage therapy with dexamethasone plus rituximab in patients non responding to dexamethasone monotherapy, the definition of clinical and laboratory factors predictive of response and to explore the pharmacokinetics parameters of rituximab and their potential relation with response. Results were analyzed by an intention to treat (ITT) and by a per-protocol (PP) analysis. Results. One-hundred-one patients (52 for arm A and 49 for arm B) and 64 patients (38 for arm A and 26 for arm B) represented the ITT and PP population, respectively. Demographic baseline data were in accordance to what expected for a population of ITP patients. No significant differences among the two groups of randomization were present. There was a female prevalence and the mean age was 47 and 49 years in arm A and B, respectively. Table 1 summarizes the ITT and PP efficacy results considering 3 different levels of response (i.e. PLT count 50 × 10 9 /L, 100 × 10 9 /L and 150 × 10 9 /L). A significant advantage for arm B patients was documented. Twenty-seven patients initially allocated to arm A and who failed to achieve initial response or SR received salvage treatment with the dexamethasone plus rituximab. In this group, ITT and PP SR rate were 56% and 59%, respectively. No clinical or laboratory factors predictive of SR were identified. In arm B patients the serum concentrations of rituximab levels did not correlate with the rate of response. Twelve SR patients of arm A, 27 of arm B and 19 of salvage therapy group were systematically followed up beyond month 6 for a median period of observation of 18 months (range 10–34 months). The rate of SR loss (platelets 9 /L) in these three groups was 25 % (3/12), 11% (3/27) and 10.5% (2/19). The safety profile was good with no substantial difference between the two arms of randomization. No patient died during the study period. Conclusion. The results of this study indicate that the association of dexamethasone plus rituximab improves patients outcome without worsening of the safety profile. This effect is characterized by prolongation of SR and reduction in relapse rate. The long period of relapse free survival registered in some patients suggests a possible curative effect. This treatment can be offered as an option before splenectomy, particularly in those patients where the surgical option is not well accepted or have higher risk of complications.


Not long ago I had a series of carbuncles, furuncles or old fashioned boils. Pain forcefully moved in and occupied my attention. A means of combat was sought and one finally found which was so successful that I have been asked to make this relief known. For many ages the primary reason for a large number of patients consulting a physician has been to seek relief from some form of pain. Much has been written and much more will be written on and because of pain. Its degree, its duration, its intensity, its location and its character have had and will continue to have marked effect on human behavior individually and collectively. In recent years new forms of anesthesia have been produced and many painful procedures have been robbed of their former agony. A furuncle hurts. It hurts because the tension caused by forces combating the infection together with the


Detailed structural analysis was conducted on the E‐W trending Tenango Fault System (TFS) at the western end of the La Pera Fault System, a major structure within the Trans‐Mexican Volcanic Belt (TMVB). Field mapping, which included trenching the fault trace, revealed the displacement of recent volcanic deposits. The study indicates that the TFS is an active subvertical fault with transtensive left‐lateral movement consistent with the contemporary stress regime in the region. The estimated Holocene slip rate is 0.3–0.5 mm/yr. The TFS activity constitutes an important seismic hazard in the intra‐arc Lerma basin. Several towns are located within this basin and are particularly vulnerable to seismic risk because of its underlying strata consisting of lacustrine and volcaniclastic deposits (estimated maximum Mw 6.8–7). The TFS is an important structural element in the complex tectonic deformation history of central eastern TMVB and influenced the behavior of recent volcanism within the Lerma basin.


Objective To observe the effects of long term low-dose microwave irradiation on rat peripheral T and B lymphocyte subpopulations,and to explore the mechanisms underlying microwave radiation-induced immunity injury.Methods A hundred healthy male Wistar rats(180±20g) were irradiated with 0,2.5,5.0 and 10.0mW/cm2 microwave,6 minutes daily,5 days per week,followed by continuous exposure for a month,and those in the normal group was sham-irradiated.Rats were sacrificed at day 14 of radiation,and day 1,day 30,day 60,and day 180 after the end of succeeding continuous irradiation for a month.Changes in WBC were estimated by automatic haemocyte analyzer,the intracellular free radical level of reactive oxygen species(ROS) in rat thymus and peripheral CD3+,CD4+,CD8+ T cell and CD45RA+ B cell subpopulations was analyzed by flow cytometry(FCM).Results ① Compared with normal group,peripheral WBC counts increased 60d after continuous exposure in 2.5mW/cm2 group(P0.05),and decreased in 10 mW/cm2 group(P0.01).180 days after irradiation the peripheral WBC count further decreased when compared with the control group(P0.05).② ROS level in thymus tissue was persistently increased in a dose-dependent manner at day 14 of successive irradiation(P0.05),while it was lower in 5mW/cm2 group than in control group 60 days after irradiation.③ No statistical difference was found in the changes in CD3+,CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes in all groups exposed to irradiation from day 1 to day 60.However,180 days after irradiation,CD3+ and CD4+ T cells in 2.5mW/cm2 group were obviously increased(P0.05),while CD8+ T cells in 5.0mW/cm2 group decreased significantly(P0.05) as compared with control group.Meanwhile,CD4+/CD8+ ratio showed a tendency of elevation,though without significant difference,in all groups exposed to irradiation 180 days after radiation.④ CD45RA+ B cells in 5.0mW/cm2 group were distinctly increased(P0.01) 60 days after irradiation,while in all irradiation groups they were obviously decreased(P0.05 or P0.01) 180 days after irradiation.Conclusion After exposure to irradiation for 180 days,the immune function of rats shows no obvious change in the early stage,and injury to immunity,including a significant reduction of peripheral WBC and CD45RA+ B lymphocytes,occurs in the late stages.


of philosophy . . . with epistemology and theory of knowledge (closely related to scientific method) which was, retrospectively, responsible for the reinterpretation of what philosophy's aims are, and ultimately, of what philosophy proper is" (3). While true that, traditionally, this slanted philosophical study of the Renaissance towards the origins of recognizably "modern" scientific methods and theories, such as those of Bacon, Copernicus and Kepler, the editors fail to appreciate that recent research (e.g. on the Renaissance revival of ancient mechanics, and the adaptation of Aristotle's and Galen's methods to the study of medicine at Padua) has served to undermine the first by blurring the lines between modernity and pre-modernity and renewing interest in so-called minor figures of the Renaissance. Recent scholarship in the history of the philosophy of science casts new light on traditional "heroes" such as Galileo, Descartes, and Harvey by revealing how they developed the methods of their predecessors. The editors also fail to acknowledge that recent research into Renaissance Aristotelian natural philosophy and the metaphysics of substance, originally driven by a desire to understand what early moderns rejected, has likewise undermined the second misconception, leading to a reevaluation of philosophers like Francisco Suarez as original metaphysicians rather than mere extensions of medieval Scholasticism. Nonetheless, this volume makes a valuable contribution by broadening our view of what counts as philosophically significant and encouraging us to wander off the beaten paths to explore more varied interactions between Renaissance and seventeenth-century philosophers. To this end, it is thematically divided into four parts: 1, "The Endurance of Tradition"; 2, "Natural Philosophy"; 3, "Changing Conceptions of the Human"; and 4, "Moral and Political Theory." Each part has 3–4 chapters; all come with a useful abstract plus bibliography, and several provide helpful overviews of the state of the secondary literature. While all contributions exemplify complex ways in which Renaissance philosophy informed modern discussions, several strike me as excellent starting points for colleagues wishing to instruct themselves and their students. In part 1, Lodi Nauta traces the critique of scholastic language and the humanist emphasis on common language from Valla to Hobbes and Leibniz; and Sarah Hutton examines how Henry More develops his theory of the nature and immortality of the soul by directly engaging with Girolamo Cardano's view. In part 2, Natacha Fabbri examines interconnected discussions of an earthlike moon and secondary illumination from Patrizi and Bruno to Galileo and Kepler. Part 3 includes two fascinating chapters on how the line between humans and other animals was reinterpreted. Whereas Emanuela Scribbano shows that La Forge reinforces the line by arguing against a contemporary vitalist physiology that drew on Campanella, Cecilia Muratori examines how the anonymous author of Theophrastus redivivus (1659) subversively uses parts of Cardano's and Vanini's treatments of the happy life, not only to erase the line, but to argue that animals are better equipped for happiness than humans. Finally, in part 4, Gianni Paganinini makes a compelling argument that the Renaissance neo-Epicurean tradition, as represented by Lorenzo Valla, is the source of Hobbes's criticism of the Aristotelian doctrine of the mean. H e l e n H a t t a b University of Houston


Randomly distributed silica nanowires show highly reflectivity in the whole visible wavelength, which can be used as white light coating for high-efficiency optoelectronic packaging as affirmed by our previous work. In this work, an improved process has been developed to recombine the silica nanowires as optical coating of LED reflector cup to form diffusive reflecting surface in LED packaging. This recombination was realized through two-step process: the synthesized silica nanowires were first dispersed in distilled water via artful magnetic stirring and then absorbed on specular surface by Van der Waals' force. This work provides an alternative and low-cost method for the improvement of lighting systems.


PurposeThe aim of this paper is the analysis of teenage consumers with varying degrees of healthy and unhealthy lifestyle habits and different healthy and unhealthy eating behaviours and food involvement, and its effects on packaging cues. At the same time, the paper tries to analyse the moderating role of gender.Design/methodology/approachWith a sample of 589 (316 girls and 273 boys) young consumers (14–17 years old) and using SEM methodology, this paper tested a theoretical model related to the association between health, food, packaging cues and gender differences.FindingsAmong teenagers, healthy habits (sports) and healthy eating behaviours affect positively food involvement (p < 0.01 in both cases), and food involvement is positively related to informative packaging cues (p < 0.05). There are some differences between girls and boys. For example (1) there is a significant relationship between your consumers' sports activities and food involvement, and young consumers' healthy eating behaviours and food involvement. (2) More food-involved teenagers are those consumers that significantly read more carefully the packaging labels. Or (3) gender could be considered as a variable able to moderate the relationships between health and unhealthy lifestyle habits and eating behaviours, food involvement and packaging decisions.Originality/valueThe present paper tries to fulfil some literature gaps by developing a study with teenage consumers to solve three main questions/objectives: (1) Do healthy behaviours affect teenagers' food involvement? (2) Does teenagers' food involvement affect teenagers' packaging perceptions? and (3) Do girls and boys differ in their food packaging perceptions?


The design of compensators using the root locus method could be considered an art, as it does not bind to an exact formula, potentially leading to an exhibition of an iterative process. The length of iterations is inversely proportional to the engineer's experience. This work investigates building an artificial neural network (ANN) and training it to design (phase-lead) compensators from an open-loop transfer function (to be compensated) and a pair of specifications (a maximum of percentage-overshoot and settling time). Along the way, a Python project is built to generate the necessary data for this novel approach. Results show that 93% (out of 100,000) of open-loop functions have been met with compensators by the ANN that fulfill the given specifications while maintaining the polynomial order of the function.


The crosslinking processes of blends of high density polyethylene(HDPE) and low density polyethylene(LDPE) at the presence of organic peroxide by means of torque rheometer were reviewed.The microstructures,characteristics during melting and crystallization of crosslinking products which were prepared at different ingredients were compared.At the same time,the crystallization dynamics for a representative crosslinking product in terms of Mo' methods was investigated.The results showed that the proportion of HDPE and LDPE,the concentration of organic peroxide and the addition of SiO_(2) had significant influences on the microstructures and other properties of crosslinking products.Perfect crosslinking network could be obtained at proper ingredients and processing conditions.


Based on the ANSYS software, a finite element model of a single converter valve tower of the UHV (Ultra High Volt) is built, the structure dynamic characteristics of the converter valve tower is analyzed by the modal analysis method, the earthquake response of the converter valve tower is calculated by the response spectrum analysis method. The prestress effect and the large deformation effect are taken into account in the calculation process, and the seismic responses under some complex loads which combine the earthquake loads and the gravity load are calculated. The results show that lots of natural frequencies of the converter valve tower, which is designed as a flexible structure, very low. The fundamental vibration modes are pendulum sways in X- and Y-direction. The displacements of the horizontal sway response of the converter valve tower are larger than other direction displacements. This conclusion must be considered in the reasonable arrangement design of the valve hall.


The objective of this study is to ascertain the temporal and spatial differentiation of land use conversion in Northeast China, determine their causes, and analyze their environmental impacts. Also elucidated is the role of institutional constraints in these changes during agrarian restructuring in the 1990s when market was hybridized with the planned economy. Six land use types were mapped from TM images recorded in 1990, 1995 and 2000. Overlay of these maps in Arclnfo revealed that farmland and grassland decreased by 4.99 × 10 4 and 1.40 × 10 4 hm 2 , respectively, while water, built-up areas, and woodland increased by 2.39 × 10 4 , 1.93 × 10 4 and 1.44 × 10 4 hm 2 , respectively. Over three-quarters of these changes occurred from 1990 to 1995. Farmland changed mainly to woodland, water and built-up areas while woodland and grassland were converted chiefly to farmland. Spatially, the change from woodland to farmland adjoined the margin of natural forests while the change in the opposite direction was restricted to the agro-pastoral west. Paradoxically, reclamation of grassland as farmland also took place here. Besides, fallow land here was changed to grassland and to farmland in the Three River Plain. Driven by market demand and government regulation, rice was cultivated more widely with the creation of 338803 hm 2 paddy out of non-irrigated field. However, lack of water forced 40230 hm 2 paddy field to degenerate into dry land. These chaotic and conflicting changes were caused largely by lack of stability and consistency in land use policy. While climate warming made some of these changes possible, they have caused such environmental problems as land degradation, increased flooding and mini climate change.


ABSTRACT

This survey-based study addressed a perceived gap between training performance evaluation practice and decision-making criteria required in business. Training professionals and non-training managers in North Carolina were surveyed. The study found that the groups differ in the performance measures that motivate them to act on training issues. Non-training managers preferred measurements of productivity, organizational climate, product quality, cost, and customer service reports. Training professionals preferred measures of opinions of the trainee's supervisor, end-of-training exam scores, progress/work performance reports, and opinions of the trainee. The study concluded that (1) training professionals and non-training managers react to different training performance measures; (2) training professionals are more likely to react to job/individual-level performance measures; (3) non-training managers are more likely to rely on organizational-level measures; (4) non-training managers are not primarily concerned with converting training benefits to dollar figures; (5) on-the-job tests and customer service reports are valued by both the training profession and business and industry; and (6) the low response suggests a potential lack of interest for the strategic position of the training function.