Objective To investigate the clinical pathogenesis,diagnosis,surgery and drugs combination therapy of Madura foot.Methods 76 cases of different species of pathogen infection were treated by type.7 patients with localized disease were given a complete resection,amputation was done on 27 cases,42 cases were given expansion of debridement,postoperative wound open or partially closed negative pressure continuous irrigation,in combination with sensitive antibiotic treatment for 3-6 months.The current status of refractory,high recurrence,and high disability were discussed combining with the literature references.Results Fungal infections accounted for 58.9%,the rest of actinomycosis.Follow-up of 57 cases for 4-16 months,and the recurrence rate was 18.4%,of which the vast majority were fungal infections.Conclusion Early diagnosis,surgery and drug combination therapy are the principles for treatment of the disease.Currently,specific drugs with curing effect is still blank,there are still obstacles in advanced stage treatmentresulting in high amputation rate and disability rate,and difficulty in repairing the defect tissues.


A computer program has been written and used which simulates the several‐year operation of an information system and computes estimates of the expected operating costs as well as the amount of equipment and personnel required during that time period. The program has been used for the analysis of several large systems and has proven itself to be a useful research tool for the study of systems with so many components and interrelated operations that an equivalent manual analysis would be extremely cumbersome and time consuming, and perhaps even impractical. This paper describes this program and shows, as an example, some of the results of a simulation of two of several suggested designs for a specific information system.


Indigenous veterans have been celebrated for their achievements in the two world wars, adding needed texture to Canada's half-century at war. However, Indigenous peoples on the home front have remained periphery to the study of Indigenous peoples' experiences of the world wars, leaving veterans and military eligible men as the main protagonists in the story. Those individuals left on reserve experienced the conditions of war, the mobilization of the Canadian state for war, and the enlistment of Indigenous men into the army diferently than enlisted men. Analyzing Indigenous petitioners' political advocacy during the First World War and the Second World War ofers a more textured and complex representation of Indigenous peoples' experiences during the world wars. By negotiating their place within the settler Canadian state, while also clearly defning their sovereignty and distinct political cultures, Indigenous peoples remained active participants in the political arena during the period from 1914 to 1945. Rather than 'awakening' politically upon the return of veterans in response to broken promises, Indigenous peoples on the home front deployed and evolved existing political tools and strategies to articulate their responses to wartime policy.


This paper discusses the effect of vehicle exhaust plasma/plume on the ability to receive telemetered data via an S-band RF link. The data discussed herein was captured during the launch of the QRLV2 (Quick Reaction Launch Vehicle) on April 24, 2002 from Kodiak Launch Center, Kodiak, Alaska using Honeywell's BMRST (Ballistic Missile Range Safety Technology) system.


1. Glycyl‐L‐proline and L‐prolyl‐glycine are two dipeptides that are poorly hydrolysed by brush border peptide hydrolases in vitro. The present study was undertaken to investigate in vivo intestinal absorption of the two dipeptides in male Wistar rats. A steady‐state perfusion technique has been used and jejunal and ileal absorption studied by comparing rates of absorption of constituent amino acids from dipeptide and equivalent equimolar amino acid solutions. 2. Glycine and proline were absorbed at the same or faster rates during perfusion of 10 mM glycyl‐L‐proline than during perfusion of 10 mM‐L‐prolyl‐glycine than during perfusion of its equivalent equimolar amino acid solution. Conversely, the two constituent amino acids were absorbed at slower rates during perfusion of its equivalent amino acid solution. As expected very low concentrations of free amino acids were detected during the jejunal dipeptide perfusions but higher concentrations were detected during the ileal perfusions. 3. The addition of 40 mM L‐prolyl‐glycine to the 10 mM glycyl‐L‐proline solution did not affect the rates of disappearance of glycyl‐L‐proline. The addition of 40 mM glycyl‐L‐proline to 10 mM L‐prolyl‐glycine however had a significant inhibitory effect on the disappearance of L‐prolyl‐glycine. It is concluded that the two dipeptides may be absorbed by different peptide transport systems.


The article deals with the general character of legal consciousness and the specific character of college students' legal consciousness and analyzes the present situation of it.There are three points: First,the limited classroom teaching,which leads to the low level legal consciousness of the whole college students;Secondly,the influence of negative social culture,which leads to the students'dim legal sense;Thirdly,the not enough effort of social propaganda,which leads to the lack of due legal belief.So it becomes the important goal of students' ideological and political teaching to strengthen the training of college students' legal consciousness in the market economy,because it is the important guarantee to make the traditional moral training gain strong support and it is also the need to safeguard the students' lawful rights and interests and meet the requirements of the social development.The article mainly focus on finding the effective ways to train the college students' legal consciousness from three parts: classroom teaching;extracurricular culture and mass media.


The kinematic properties of low-mass X-ray binaries and millisecond pulsars have been studied with the help of a Monte Carlo simulation. It is found that the kinematic properties of these two populations are consistent with each other, which supports the idea that LMXBs are the progenitors of millisecond pulsars. The speed distribution of millisecond pulsars is seen to be quite different from that of ordinary pulsars.


Introduction: Surface electromyography (SEMG) and mechanomyography (SMMG) responses of the quadriceps during muscular contractions to exhaustion were computed and analyzed by analysis of variance and polynomial regression analyses. Methods: Participants performed maximum flexion–extension movements at 180°/s until volitional exhaustion, rested for 2 minutes, and then completed a second bout of movements until exhaustion. Torque and SEMG/SMMG median frequencies and amplitudes were examined at 9 points across repetitions completed. Results: (1) Torque decreased precipitously; (2) SEMG amplitude displayed an initial increase, then a steady decrease, and SMMG amplitude showed a continuous decrease; and (3) SEMG and SMMG median frequencies displayed a continual decrease over repetitions completed. Fractional polynomial and quadratic models explained the fatigue process with the highest precision. Conclusions: Changes in electrical and mechanical properties of the quadriceps during fatigue reflect alterations in neuromuscular activation strategies and/or muscle wisdom. SEMG frequency modeled muscle fatigue more effectively than amplitude, whereas SMMG frequency and amplitude were equally effective. Muscle Nerve 53: 452–463, 2016


The conformation of Hispanic diachronic corpora is analysed in this paper with the purpose of describing the framework for the editing of colonial texts. A brief discussion of the methods of reading text in microform is presented here, as are the implications of technological development in palaeographic interpretation. Corpus transcription criteria are compared and established; in the same way, some aspects of corpora automatization and the implications and projections for its analysis are discussed here, and some criteria for corpus labelling are reviewed, according to the Text Encoding Initiative (TEI), adopted for the RAE in the Prontuario de Marcacion SGML, used for the CORDE (Spanish Language Diachronic Corpus).


Simple Summary The epigenetic state within cells represents a layer for controlling homeostasis and cell differentiation. In cancer, this fine-tuned program is disrupted, resulting in cancer progression and, eventually, dissemination to distant organs. Here, we examine the epigenetic states of brain metastasis from colorectal and lung cancers and we compare those signatures with the ones detected in primary tumors. Our aim is to decipher which are the tumor type-specific regions whose deregulation is involved in metastatic dissemination to the brain and which signaling potentially confers an advantage to tumor cells to colonize the brain milieu. This information will shed light on the epi-mechanisms underpinning CRC and LuC cell dissemination to the brain and provide preliminary clues about the potential clinical value of epigenetics for brain metastasis diagnosis and therapeutic targeting. Abstract Distant metastasis occurs when cancer cells adapt to a tissue microenvironment that is different from the primary organ. This process requires genetic and epigenetic changes in cancer cells and the concomitant modification of the tumor stroma to facilitate invasion by metastatic cells. In this study, we analyzed differences in the epigenome of brain metastasis from the colon (n = 4) and lung (n = 14) cancer and we compared these signatures with those found in primary tumors. Results show that CRC tumors showed a high degree of genome-wide methylation compared to lung cancers. Further, brain metastasis from lung cancer deeply activates neural signatures able to modify the brain microenvironment favoring tumor cells adaptation. At the protein level, brain metastases from lung cancer show expression of the neural/glial marker Nestin. On the other hand, colon brain metastases show activation of metabolic signaling. These signatures are specific for metastatic tumors since primary cancers did not show such epigenetic derangements. In conclusion, our data shed light on the epi/molecular mechanisms that colon and lung cancers adopt to thrive in the brain environment.


These routines are minor modifications of official Stata commands ac, archlm, bgodfrey, durbina, dwstat, pac and wntestq which permit their use on a single time series of a panel dataset (as specified with an if or in qualifier). An if or in qualifier need not be used by durbina2 nor dwstat2. Dialogs are provided for each routine.


A natural mineral from Santa Marta-Colombia used as the starting material in the synthesis of pillared clays has been characterized by several techniques, including X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, electronic paramagnetic resonance, aluminum nuclear magnetic resonance and scanning electron mi croscopy. The information revealed that the mineral corresponds to trioctahedral vermiculite.The identification of this mineral is valuable in the control of reductioncharge and pillaring processes on thesematerials to obtain more complex solids like the ones required to specific catalytic applications.


The paper skips the traditional view of active organizational citizenship behavior,and refers the employees can act OCB like a chameleon's color changing.The paper researchs the relationship between OCB and task performance,discusses the meddle role of imagement management in this relationship.The results show the civic virtues and helping behvior improve the task performance,and imagement management modiates the relationship between OCB and task performance.


In this paper,the system speedup ratio、parallel efficiency and scalability was studied by A three dimensional steady-state N-S viscous flow numerical simulation calculation with Fluent liquid calculation software,on Altix450 shared memory server.While comparing the two calculations whose grid numbers are 5million and 10 million respectively,it shows that the system has a more obvious parallel advantage when the grid number is larger.As a conclusion,large shared memory servers are playing an increasingly important role in dealing with numerical simulation in CFD field,and are up to the requirements for high performance calculation in CFD in the future.


Below a critical filling factor (v c =0.28) and critical temperature (T c =1.4 K at 26 T) an additional line has been observed in the luminescence spectrum of a GaAs-Al x Ga 1-x As heterojunction; it grows in intensity with decreasing v, dominating the spectrum at v<1/11. The lack of correlation between v c and the disorder-related properties of the system indicates the intrinsic nature of the line which we propose signals the formation of a pinned Wigner solid


1.3 to 2.7 mole % P2O5 was introduced in Na2O-TiO2-SiO2 glasses. Na+ ions are added with P2O5 as charge compensating cations for the phosphate units, and 29 Si MAS -NMR confirms that there is no modification of the Na2O-TiO2-SiO2 glass network polymerization. 31 P MAS-NMR shows the presence of ortho and pyrophosphate units in 5 7 SiO2-33Na2O10TiO2 and 70 SiO2-20Na2O1OTiO2 glasses, with the same chemical shift than in 67SiO2-33Na2O glasses. Two discrete resonances are observed, they are attributed to phosphate units bonded to Ti 4+ ions. The presence of these discrete resonances is attributed to the formation of covalent Ti-O-P bonds.


For betterly predicting low permeate oil-field water cut changing regulation,by numerical simulation and theoretic calculation,studied and analyzed the effect on water cut escalating law,the geological factors are heterogeneity,crude oil viscosity,water cut phase etc and the exploiture factors are adjustment method and measure.By structure analysis and contribution value method,analyzed the structure adjustment and the production measures,infilling well,fracturing,changing pump,water plugging,shut-in,influence of controlling water.Established the water prediction model,which is the water-flooding curve differential formula based on oil.Compared with the traditional formula,the new can even control the water cut detailed process changing with time,more accurately predict variety of water cut.In high water cut oil field,we can accurately predict estimate development index changing trend,make scientificdevelopment technique policy,instruct oil-field reasonable development.


The article examines the ideas and concepts of the cyclic development of human thought and history, which were developed by Russian thinkers in their works in the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The author shows that in the said period of domestic thought development the cyclic worldview spread in the most important spheres of humanitarian knowledge: philosophy and political teachings (B.N. Chicherin, 1826–1904), social theory and sociology (N.Ya. Danilevsky, 1822–1885) and K.N. Leontiev, 1831–1891), and finally, the theory of cycles (waves) in world socio-economic dynamics (N.D. Kondratyev, 1892–1938). Thus, Russian thinkers laid the conceptual foundations of the original cyclic paradigm of social dynamics, which later were further developed by a number of Western scientists (O. Spengler, 1880–1936; A.J. Toynbee, 1889–1975, etc.).


Sadness Expressions in English and ChineseThe Syntax of Clitics in Idiomatic and Other Fixed Expressions [microform]Corpus Linguistics and the Description ofEnglishThe Big Red Book of Spanish IdiomsEmerging Bilingual SpeechThe Architecture of the Language FacultyIdioms and Fixed Expressions Implications of Cognitive Linguistics for the Selection of Web-based Teaching ExercisesWatch Your TongueMaking Thinking VisibleThe Dynamics of Language Use1000 English Idioms and PhrasesA Dictionary of Confusable PhrasesIdiom Structure in EnglishLexical AnalysisLinguistics: An IntroductionCambridge Dictionary of American IdiomsFixed Expressions and Idioms in EnglishA Handbook of English Proverbs and Idioms with Arabic Renderings and EquivalentsCognitive Processing in Second Language AcquisitionReal-Life WritingMultiword expressionsMcGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Idoms and Phrasal VerbsIn Other WordsIdioms and Fixed Expressions in English Language Study Before 1800Rigid Fixedness in Selected English IdiomsInvestigating English DiscourseFood and Drink Idioms in EnglishYoungspeak in a Multilingual PerspectivePhraseologyA Constructional Approach to Idioms and Word FormationFixed Expressions and Idioms in English101 exercises in English idioms and fixed phrasesLinked Data in LinguisticsPreface to a Dictionary of the English LanguageAnalysis of Idiomatic Expressions Used in the Novel "The


As the importance and the value of exchanged data over the Internet or other media types are increasing, the search for the best solution to offer the necessary protection against the data thieves' attacks. Encryption algorithms play a main role in information security systems. On the other side, those algorithms consume a significant amount of computing resources such as CPU time, memory, and battery power. But Resources in the wireless environment are limited. There is limited battery power available. Technologies such as CPU and memory are increasing and so is their need for power, but battery technology is increasing at a much slower rate, forming a "battery gap". Because of this, battery capacity plays a major role in the usability of the devices. The increasing demand for services on wireless devices has pushed technical research into finding ways to overcome these limitations. This paper provides evaluation of six of the most common encryption algorithms namely: AES (Rijndael), DES, 3DES, RC2, Blowfish, and RC6. We examine a method for analyzing trade-offs between energy and security. We suggest approach to reduce the energy consumption of security protocols. A comparison has been conducted for those encryption algorithms at different settings for each algorithm such as different sizes of data blocks, different data types, battery power consumption, different key size and finally encryption/decryption speed.


We report a hierarchical porous Sb film deposited on a three-dimensional (3D) Cu substrate as an efficient anode for sodium storage. Fabrication of a porous Sb film involves co-electrodeposition of Zn–Sb alloys on a 3D Cu substrate and sequential dealloying of Zn, giving rise to a mesoporous Sb structure. The hierarchically porous Sb film manifests a superior electrochemical feature when serving as a self-supported electrode for sodium storage. It affords a high reversible capacity of 624 mAh g–1, a retention of 575 mAh g–1 over 200 cycles at 330 mA g–1, and a rate capability of 514 mAh g–1 at 3300 mA g–1, outperfoming most recently reported Sb based materials. Moreover, the full cell consisting of a hierarchical Sb anode and Na3V2(PO4)3 cathode affords a specific energy of 149 mWh g–1, suggesting that this hierarchical design may open new perspectives for high-performance battery materials.


As users become increasingly mobile and business ap plications become more interactive, innovative wire less services and applications are critical in helping c ompanies maintain agility and differentiation. Cisc o Systems ® addresses the need for enterprise-class wireless co nnectivity with the Cisco ® Unified Wireless Network. This unified wired and wireless solution delivers the industry's best wireless LAN security, innovation, and invest ment protection. The Cisco Unified Wireless Network supp orts real-time business-critical applications and c reates a secure, mobile, interactive workplace for organizat ions deploying WLANs. This document introduces the products, features, benefits, and future migration plans of t he Cisco Unified Wireless Network.


Gender biased textbook can internalize the sexist concept and can affect the students' mindset and behavior against the other gender. As in Iran, school textbooks are the only resource for majority of both teachers and students, unbiased textbooks are necessary for students to build up their role in addressing the other gender in their lives and society. To examine this issue, this study attempted to explore the status of linguistic sexism in the current Iranian EFL school textbooks (three volumes) published by the Iranian Ministry of Education in 2008. A systematic quantitative content analysis was carried out to investigate whether both genders have been addressed equally or not. Results revealed that linguistic sexism is obvious and the textbooks can be considered sexist because the males outnumber females and are mostly the focal characters. The textbooks present students, in their early exposure to the English language, with an unfair, unbalanced and inexcusable representation of women. The roles of females and their realistic contributions to the society are not well represented in the textbooks. Some implications are advised for teachers, textbook writers and policy makers


Since the outbreak of the disease in early 2020, it has received worldwide attention and become a hot topic of discussion on social media. This paper crawled more than eight billion tweets from the first inflection point of the global outbreak of the epidemic, extracted several prominent hot topics related to the epidemic through two objective and intuitive means, namely LDA model and generated words, and then compared and analyzed the degree of subjectivity and positivity of their tweets for 'lockdown', 'mental health' and other topics. The experimental results showed that the number and active degree of global Twitter users' tweets on the above epidemic hot topics were most correlated with the number of newly diagnosed patients after 12 days. Comments are generally more positive to lockdown than to mental health. For all tweets about the epidemic in India and Wuhan, the positive degree of tweets judged as objective was relatively stable, while the positive degree of subjective tweets fluctuated greatly, which verified the rationality and effectiveness of the model for subjective and objective classification. Among the tweets judged as subjective by the model, the positive component of sentiment analysis was more. Most tweets about the epidemic in India and Wuhan were positive, and the fluctuation degree of subjective and objective curves verified the rationality and effectiveness of the model for subjective and objective classification.


Recently it is very highlighted to reduce the energy and fuel consumption of vehicle. Al and Mg material is preferred to reduce weight for fuel efficiency improvement to steel material for body, chassis, seat module, etc. In this paper we developed accelerated vibration fatigue test method and reproduction vibration test method on proving ground in order to durability evaluation of seat module. We tested the made by steel and Mg seat by vibration tester. Fatigue damage spectrum is made by real vehicle test data of general roads and of proving ground to consider operation profile of target PSD. It is proved to be useful to test seat module and is possible to reduce the time and costs.


ESTIMATION of unmeasured variables is a central objective in a broad range of applications. However, the estimation process turns into a challenging task when the underlying model is nonlinear and even more so when additionally it exhibits multiple time-scales. The current results on estimation for systems with two time-scales apply to linear systems, and limited classes of nonlinear plants and specific observers. Therefore, a new and robust estimation framework for nonlinear systems with variables evolving in different time-scales is needed. This work focuses on developing a rigorous theoretical body for the state estimation of a general class of nonlinear singularly perturbed systems by assuming that the input and output are measured. In the first part of the thesis, we consider the estimation of the slow state of globally Lipschitz nonlinear singularly perturbed systems by using a full-order observer synthesised for the reduced order (slow) model. We deal with the case when the measured output is disturbed by bounded measurement noise. We prove a global exponential inputto-state (ISS) practical stability property for the estimation error with ISS gain from the measurement noise. Moreover, we show that our assumptions are such that they also imply practical L2 stability of the error dynamics. Our findings apply to a general class of nonlinear globally Lipschitz singularly perturbed systems, and to a number of fullorder observers. In order to prove the robustness results to singular perturbations and to measurement noise of the observer, we first show that the plant has bounded solutions under an appropriate set of assumptions on the corresponding boundary layer and reduced order models. We demonstrate the applicability of our findings by showing that the stated assumptions hold for at least four classes of plants and nonlinear observers. Moreover, we present simulation results for numerical examples. In the second part of the thesis, we generalise current results in the literature and the results of the first part by considering broader classes of plants and estimators of general dimension to cover reduced-order, full-order and higher-order observers. Similarly


Backed by decades of empirical research, there has been increasing acknowledgment in policy, practice and research of the importance of neighborhood opportunity in shaping well-being. This has led to the proliferation of opportunity maps in cities throughout the United States with the purpose of identifying low opportunity neighborhoods in need of investment and intervention and high opportunity neighborhoods that can offer access to resources and amenities to disadvantaged population groups. By explicitly linking investment to the identification of neighborhoods that are high or low in opportunity, opportunity indices have the potential to help transform local and regional landscapes of spatial inequality. Despite this common goal, indices rely on varying theoretical conceptualizations, data, variables, and statistical approaches. How much these opportunity definitions overlap has yet to be fully examined. In this study, we compared five approaches to measuring neighborhood opportunity in California. We found low to moderate overlap across the indices, with disagreement higher for low opportunity designations. As with any quantitative analysis, opportunity mapping is not a purely technical exercise and requires a series of subjective decisions. The only way to validate these decisions is for opportunity measures to be constructed transparently and vetted by the research community. This study is a first step in this process.


We consider a GI/G/c/K-type retrial queueing system with constant retrial rate. The system consists of a primary queue and an orbit queue. The primary queue has $c$ identical servers and can accommodate the maximal number of $K$ jobs. If a newly arriving job finds the full primary queue, it joins the orbit. The original primary jobs arrive to the system according to a renewal process. The jobs have general i.i.d. service times. A job in front of the orbit queue retries to enter the primary queue after an exponentially distributed time independent of the orbit queue length. Telephone exchange systems, Medium Access Protocols and short TCP transfers are just some applications of the proposed queueing system. For this system we establish minimal sufficient stability conditions. Our model is very general. In addition, to the known particular cases (e.g., M/G/1/1 or M/M/c/c systems), the proposed model covers as particular cases the deterministic service model and the Erlang model with constant retrial rate. The latter particular cases have not been considered in the past. The obtained stability conditions have clear probabilistic interpretation.


This paper reviews the currently used minimum phase algorithm approach for the prediction of induced current as a result of the incidence of a time-domain electromagnetic environment such as an electromagnetic pulse. An alternative to this approach is proposed that enables the user to identify a lower bound on the minimum phase prediction. The technique has been applied to over 500 transfer functions with three different high- power electromagnetic environments and the results are presented and discussed within this paper. The paper concludes that the proposed method is a useful technique in providing an alternative method of predicting the induced current.


For graph G, μ(G) is called Mycrelskian Graph ofG, if V(μ(G))=V(G)∪{v′|v∈V(G)}∪{w} and wV(G) and E(μ(G))=∪{uv′|uv∈E(G)}∪{wv′}. It is studied that edge chromatic numbers of path, cycle, fan and wheel.


isolated extremophiles arsenic oxidizing bacteria for the removal of arsenic from high- and low-COD media" Abstract T here is an urgent need for the removal of arsenic (As) from groundwater and wastewater as it is a very hazardous heavy metal for human and environmental health. In this research, As-resistant and oxidizing bacteria were isolated from the Maharloo Lake (27 km southeast of Shiraz city) and identified to a great extent. Three isolated bacillus-shaped strains (called F5, F6 and F7) tolerated up to 1 M AsNaO 2 , grew up to 3.5 M NaCl and pH 12, and consumed NaSCN and Na 2 S 2 O 3 . The molecular analysis confirmed the originality of the strains to a high extent. The As absorption rate by these bacteria was measured by the atomic absorption method, and their effect was examined on a water sample from the south of Kerman city (Iran) and a synthetic wastewater sample with a chemical oxygen demand (COD) of about 180,000 kg/m 3 that was able to absorb high levels of arsenic.


In this article, the author offers a personal narrative in which he reflects upon a photograph of himself and the artist Jason Rhoades in 1995, dealing with topics including how the photograph was taken at Rhoades' studio in Los Angeles, California, and how the photograph also depicts the sculpture "The Future is Filled with Opportunities."


The purpose of this research was to know the influence of PBI model to creative thinking skill in argumentative writing on influence of population density on environment subject matter. The design of this research was control group pret est -posttest non equivalent. The samples were class VII 3 and VII 2 SMP Satya Dharma Sudjana Central Lampung, which was obtained by purposive sampling technique. The quantitative data were creative thinking in argumentative writing which were obtained from pretest , post tes t, and N-gain that were analyzed by t test and U test. The qualitative data were response to PBI model which obtained from question na ire were analyzed by descriptive. The result showed that the average of creative thinking in argumentative writing N-gain in experiment class was 52,33% dif ferent significantly than control class (40,04%) and most of the students showed positive responses to the us ing of PBI model . It could be concluded that PBI model influenced creative thinking skill in argumentative writing. Penelitian ini bertujuan mengetahui pengaruh model PBI terhadap kemampuan berpikir kreatif dalam tulisan argumentatif siswa pada materi pengaruh kepadatan populasi manusia terhadap lingkungan. Desain penelitian ini merupakan desain pretest - posttest tak ekuivalen. Sampel adalah siswa kelas VII 3 dan VII 2 SMP Satya Dharma Sudjana Lampung Tengah, yang diperoleh melalui teknik purposive sampling . Data kuantitatif berupa berpikir kreatif dalam tulisan argumentatif diperoleh dari pretest, posttest, dan N-gain yang dianalisis dengan uji t dan uji U. Data kualitatif berupa tanggapan siswa terhadap model PBI diperoleh dari angket yang dianalisis secara deskriptif. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan, rata-rata N-gain berpikir kreatif dalam tulisan argumentatif siswa kelas eksperimen (52,33%) berbeda signifikan dengan kelas kontrol (40,04%) dan sebagian besar siswa memberikan tanggapan positif terhadap penggunaan model PBI. Sehingga, penerapan model PBI berpengaruh terhadap kemampuan berpikir kreatif dalam tulisan argumentatif siswa. Kata kunci: kemampuan berpikir kreatif, PBI, tulisan argumentatif


Dark matter self-annihilation holds promise as one of the most robust mechanisms for the identification of the particle responsible for the Universe's missing mass. In this work, I examine the evolution of the dark matter annihilation power produced by smooth and collapsed structures over cosmic time, taking into account uncertainties in the structure of dark matter halos. As we search for observational signatures of annihilation, an understanding of this time evolution will help us to best direct our observational efforts, either with local measurements or investigation of the effects of annihilation on the intergalactic medium at high redshift. As I show in this work, there are several key sources of uncertainty in our ability to estimate the dark matter annihilation from collapsed structures, including: the density profile of dark matter halos; the small-scale cut-off in the dark matter halo mass function; the redshift-dependent mass-concentration relation for small halos; and the particle-velocity dependence of the dark matter annihilation process. Varying assumptions about these quantities can result in annihilation power predictions that differ by several orders of magnitude. These uncertainties must be resolved, through a combination of observation and modeling, before robust estimations of the cosmological annihilation signal can be made.


In this article, we describe the multiple phases of a teaching project that was constructed around an actual request by a Muslim community in the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) to establish an Islamic cultural centre. The request provoked a sometimes heated discussion among politicians and citizens that was published in daily newspapers. A large number of the arguments that appeared in the newspapers failed to meet fair argumentation standards and strategies. The teaching project described here therefore aimed to sensitize future teachers to issues of argumentation integrity in dialogues, especially between persons with different religious and ideological convictions. The project was subdivided into three main phases, which treated the topic from different perspectives and with different methods: a simulation game dealing with the request by the Muslim community, a theory-based phase in which participants became acquainted with a construct of argumentation integrity and from this deduced standards and strategies relating to unfair argumentation, and an application phase in which the participants had to examine published arguments by politicians relating to the request by the Muslim community in order to identify rule violations in argumentations. The empirical results suggest that the project promoted insight into unfair argumentation. Such insight can improve interreligious and intercultural communication processes at school.


The amyloid cascade is one of the best-explored hypotheses on the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). One of its major conclusions is that the amyloid precursor protein (APP) is processed by two different pathways: the b -secretase mediated amyloidogenic, and therefore neurotoxic and harmful, and the non-amyloidogenic, being contingent on the activity of a - secretase. Unraveling the mechanisms involved in the regulation of APP cleavage is of great scientific and clinical significance since it could provide new therapeutic approaches of a disease which is set to become—due


Indonesia's Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) is currently in the high category. One effort to reduce MMR is through family planning program. The family planning program contributes in reducing 32% all of maternal mortality by increasing the coverage of LARC users whose achievements are currently only 17.45%. One of the biggest influences on the escalation of LARC users is psychosocial support from the environment. The objective of this study analyzed the relationship between emotion, informational, instrumental, and appraisal supports from the environment with the LARC use in the Kampung KB. The research used an observational analytic design with a cross-sectional approach to 100 respondents that acceptor KB. Statistic analysis used the chi-square and logistic regression. The results of this study showed that the emotional, instrumental and appraisal support were associated with LARC use, based on the p values of 0.028, 0.019 and 0,001, respectively. Appraisal support became the dominant factor in choosing LARC in Kampung KB with an odds ratio (OR) 5,000. It meant that a woman who got appraisal support from the environment have 5,000 times higher to have an opportunity to use LARC than the woman who did not get the appraisal support. ABSTRAK Angka Kematian Ibu (AKI) Indonesia saat ini masih dalam kategori tinggi. Salah satu strategi menurunkan AKI adalah program KB. Program KB berkontribusi dalam menurunkan 32% dari seluruh kematian ibu dengan cara meningkatkan cakupan pengguna KB MKJP yang saat ini capaiannya hanya 17,45%. Peningkatan pengguna KB MKJP salah satunya dipengaruhi oleh dukungan psikososial dari lingkungan. Penelitian ini bertujuan menganalisis hubungan antara dukungan emosional, informasional, instrumental, dan penghargaan dari lingkungan dengan penggunaan KB MKJP di Kampung KB. Penelitian ini menggunakan desain analitik observasional dengan pendekatan cros-secsional terhadap 100 responden akseptor KB. Analisis statstik yang digunakan adalah uji chi-square dan regresi logistik. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa dukungan emosional, instrumental dan penghargaan berhubungan dengan penggunaan KB MKJP di Kampung KB, dengan masing-masing nilai p yaitu 0,028, 0,019, dan 0,001. Sementara, dukungan informasional tidak berhubungan dengan nilai p lebih dari 0,05. Dukungan penghargaan menjadi faktor dominan dengan nilai ood rasio (OR) sebesar 5,000. Seseorang yang memperoleh dukungan penghargaan dari lingkungan akan 5,000 kali berpeluang memilih menggunakan KB MKJP dibanding dengan yang tidak memperoleh dukungan penghargaan.


Jointed arm robots inherit a vast number of beneficial features like flexibility of movement and repeatability in combination with low investment costs. However, one main drawback, which most often disqualifies these robots for tasks with high accuracy requirements, is their low absolute accuracy. Suitable methods to overcome this problem belong to the field of visual servoing. In this context a 6D-pose visual servoing system has been developed at FAPS institute, using off-the-shelf structured light projection sensor systems. Thereby, the workpiece geometry itself functions as reference object and hence no specialized markers are needed, as used in the state of the art. Additionally, the system contributes to a comprehensive compensation of cumulated geometrical errors, which are induced by the robot and the end-effector at the same time. As a byproduct of this added value, a method for determining the pose of virtual coordinate systems has been developed, allowing an accurate calibration and measurement of system components relative to each other. The effectiveness of the researched methods has been validated in course of experimental investigations, which show a good absolute accuracy of the 6D-pose correction in combination with a very high repeatability.


The research focuses that will be discussed are the description of learning model, students responses, and factors influencing the development of qawaid sharraf learning model by using  qiyasiyah approach. Based on the research result, it has been identified that there are four type of learning model that have been intensively and effectively applied to achieve better qualified learning. They are: firstly, basic competence and learning indicator based learning model; secondly, wazan memorizing by providing example of wazan fi'il madhi on the basis of thariqah tashrif bina' shahih; thirdly, applying tashrif models on the al-Qur'an pronunciation. There are optimal and positive responses of students toward the development of qawaid sharraf learning model by using qiyasiyah approach, it is supported by the following indicators: (1) motivation emergence, (2) students learning interest increase, (3) students learning competence development, (4) the starting point of Arabic language improvement. In general, the main factor influencing the development of qawaid sharraf learning model by using qiyasiyah approach is the professional planning and process. However, there are several components that are able to endorse the efforts: (1) qualified schools management, (2) students recruitment, (3) teachers competence.


To study effects of land management in winter on production,oxidation,and emission of CH4 from the paddy field during the following rice-growing season,indoor incubation and field experiments were carried out to measure CH4 production potential,CH4 oxidation potential,and CH4 flux in Treatments DF (drained fallow),DW (drained with wheat planting),and FF (flooded fallow).Results show that no significant difference in CH4 production potential was observed between Treatments DF and DW (P0.05),but both were significantly lower than in Treatment FF (P0.05).No significant difference in CH4 oxidation potentials was observed among the three treatments (P0.05).Compared with the effects of land management in winter on CH4 oxidation potential,the effect of soil NH4+-N content during the rice-growing season was more important.The mean CH4 flux was much higher in Treatment DF than in Treatment DW (P0.05),but both were significantly lower than in Treatment FF (P0.05).The significantly higher CH4 production potential in Treatment FF than in Treatment DF was the reason why the CH4 flux in Treatment FF was much higher.The effects of land management in winter on CH4 emission during the rice-growing season were mainly affected by CH4 production potential rather than CH4 oxidation potential.


Chronic allergic rhinitis may promote functional changes in the stomatognathic system due to inflammation of the nasal lining mucosa. The aim of this study was to evaluate the stomatognathic system of adult women with chronic allergic rhinitis by electromyographic activity, masticatory efficiency and thickness of the masseter and temporalis muscles, molar bite force and tongue and lip pressure. Twenty-six women, aged 18 to 40 years, participated in the study and were divided into two groups: chronic allergic rhinitis (n = 13) and healthy control (n = 13). Normalized electromyographic activity was analyzed by mandibular tasks at rest, right and left laterality, protrusion and maximal voluntary contraction. Masticatory efficiency was assessed by integrating the linear envelope integral of the electromyographic signal during chewing (habitual and non-habitual) and muscle thickness was measured on ultrasound images obtained at rest and maximum voluntary contraction. Maximum molar bite force (right and left) and tongue and lip pressure were verified. Results were submitted to Student's t test (p ≤ 0.05). The correct pattern of neuroanatomic muscle activation during mandibular tasks was observed in the group with chronic allergic rhinitis and the temporalis muscles were more active than the masseter muscles, except for protrusion, with no significant difference. There was significant difference (p ≤ 0.05) between groups in the electromyographic activity in maximal voluntary contraction for the right (p = 0.01) and left temporalis muscles (p = 0.01), demonstrating increase in electromyographic activity in all masticatory muscles in the group with chronic allergic rhinitis. There was no significant difference between groups in rest muscle thickness and maximal voluntary contraction. The maximum molar bite force showed significant difference in the right (p = 0.03) and left (p = 0.04) sides with reduction in force in the chronic allergic rhinitis group. It was clinically observed that the group with chronic allergic rhinitis had increased electromyographic activity in habitual chewing (consistent food) in the right temporal muscle and in non-habitual and habitual chewing (soft food) in all muscles. In tongue and lip pressure, the means were similar between groups. Our results suggest negative functional alterations in the stomatognathic system of adult women with chronic allergic rhinitis, mainly regarding the electromyographic activity of the temporal muscles in maximal voluntary contraction and molar bite force. We may also suggest that the chronic allergic rhinitis group has poor masticatory efficiency and temporalis muscles are more active than masseter muscles in almost all mandibular tasks. This research enhanced the knowledge of the stomatognathic system dynamics of women with chronic allergic rhinitis and demonstrated the negative impact of inflammation on the dynamic structures of this complex system.


The muscarinic and nicotinic transmissions in the primary visual cortex (V1) are involved in the enhancement of specific visual stimuli as well as long-term modifications of the neuronal processing, in regards to perceptual learning. We investigated the involvement of the different cholinergic receptors subtypes underlying this long-term functional plasticity using RT-PCR and recording of visual evoked potentials (VEPs). Perceptual learning-like test was performed by exposing awaken rats to a visual stimulation (VS) - a sinusoidal grating (30°, 0.12cpd) - for 10min/day during 14days. This VS was provided alone or coupled to an electrical stimulation of the basal forebrain which sends cholinergic projections to V1 (HDB/VS) or paired with a cholinesterase inhibitor (donepezil, 1mg/kg injected 30min prior to visual exposure) to enhance cholinergic transmission in V1 (DONEP/VS). One week after the last training session, VEPs were recorded and the cortices encompassing V1 were collected to determine the expression level of mRNA of muscarinic (M1-5) and nicotinic (α/β) receptors sub-units by RT-PCR. VS coupled to pharmacological or electrical stimulation of the cholinergic system produced a significant enhancement of the cortical response, as shown by VEP recordings. Two weeks of VS treatment alone caused an increase of the expression of M3 and M5 mRNA suggesting an increase of their production and activity during long-term visual stimulation. In the HDB/VS group, α3 sub-unit was decreased suggesting its involvement in phasic cholinergic stimulation. The DONEP/VS treatment presented a decrease in the expression of M2, suggesting a down regulation of mRNA synthesis. This could indicate an increased cortico-cortical inhibition, as M2 receptors are located massively on the GABAergic neurons. Therefore, even with similar functional enhancement, the cholinergic receptors regulation differs between an electrical and a pharmacological treatment. These results are crucial for determining which receptors are the most involved in the pharmacological cholinergic stimulation to enhance visual perception. Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2015.


The treatment of extralobar pulmonary sequestration (ELS) remains divergent. This study aims to demonstrate the characters of ELS in children for optimal clinical management in the future.


The influence of dose and dose rate on the tumorigenicity of neutrons was investigated in female BALB/c mice exposed to various doses of neutrons at dose rates of 5 and 25 rad/min or 1 rad/day. The tumors that were most sensitive to induction after neutron exposures included malignant lung adenocarcinomas, mammary adenocarcinomas, and ovarian tumors. For these three tumor types, increased incidences were observed after as little as 5-10 rad of neutrons delivered at a high dose rate. However, after low-dose-rate neutron exposures, different dose-response relationships were observed. Neutron irradiation at low dose rates was less effective than at high dose rates in inducing ovarian tumors at all doses tested. For malignant lung tumors and mammary tumors, on the other hand, the data suggested that the low dose rate was less effective than the high dose rate at low total doses, but more effective at high total doses.


Summary The progesterone concentration in peripheral plasma of sham-operated guinea pigs increased significantly during the estrous cycle from a nondetectable concentration at estrus to a maximum concentration on day 10, followed by a rapid decline. In the presence of an IUFB in both uterine horns, the progesterone concentration did not increase after day 4 of the cycle. Over the next 8 days, a slow decline in concentration occurred. The length of the estrous cycle was significantly shorter in animals having IUFB than in sham-operated animals.


Fishing techniques for catching the mud eel, Monopterus cuchia (Ham.) in Goalpara district, Assam was investigated during 2007-10 during the course of a base line survey conducted by the KVK Goalpara, Assam. The complexities of its habitat, behavior and life history characteristics, makes it difficult to catch the fish. Documentation on the fishing methods for catching the mud eel is scanty. This paper is an attempt to record the different technique employed traditionally by the ethnic communities of the district to catch the mud eel based on the information collected during the course of survey. The results revealed use of different wounding gears, ichthyotoxic plants, handline and traps. Wounding gears included spear, knives and sickle. Among plants, Derris elliptica (Wall.) Benth. and Milletia pachycarpa Benth. were used. Spindle shaped and cubical traps are commonly used by the common folks. Other method includes bunding and digging, and light fishing.


I propose a preliminary and tentative decipherment of a European Upper Paleolithic protolanguage, UP(E), which crystallized during the Magdalenian period, ca. 15,000 to 10,000 BC. Many attempts have been made to decode the geometric signs in the cave and portable art of Upper Paleolithic Europe. It appears that a subset of these signs have the capacity to, and in fact did, constitute a protolanguage. Building on the symbolic studies of Alexander Marshack on Upper Paleolithic symbolism and Marija Gimbutas on Old European Neolithic symbolism, and applying the structuralist semantic techniques of A-J. Greimas, it is possible to detect a complementarity set of four basic sign-clusters (semantic fields) which constitute UP(E). UP(E) appears to consist of 'gesturewords' or 'motion-form words,' which refer to elemental processes of nature, both the natural environment without and the psychic or spiritual realm within. The four UP(E) sign clusters appear to signify: "center inward," "contact irrupting spirit energies," "sprout, grow and branch," and "flow." Syntactic pairings of UP(E) signs can generate ritual formulae and narratives of spiritual transformation (trans-formation) processes. At a higher level, UP(E) appears to refer to personifications (divinities, goddesses and gods) that preside over these ritual and natural transformation processes. Some of the meanings of the animal and anthropomorphic images in European Upper Paleolithic art, such as Venus figurines, can be decoded using this decipherment. In a further step, it is possible to match this preliminary grapho-semantic derivation of UP(E) against a reconstruction of primordial language (PL) stem words in Foster (1978). Assuming its validity this comparison procedure results in differentiating the four basic UP(E) semes into 24 (4X6) semes, each corresponding to a canonical geometric sign. Some fifty remaining PL words appear to signify every day social and cultural activities, including semantic fields for tool making and food preparation, foraging, childcare, and social goods (family, sexuality, wealth, territorial defense). James B. Harrod, Ph.D. email@example.com © James B. Harrod, LOS 1998 v.2b 5.2004 2 SECTION A. INTRODUCTION. 1. The non-figurative markings in the art of Upper Paleolithic Europe have puzzled researchers since their first discovery. André Leroi-Gourhan considered the abstract markings "the most fascinating area of Paleolithic art" (1967:136). Forbes and Crowder (1979) note that the possibility that Franco-Cantabrian geometric markings constituted an early form of writing was common among early prehistorians but fell out of favor for much of the twentieth century. "For a century or more the decipherment of Franco-Cantabrian art has been the major item of unfinished business on the agenda of archaeology and prehistory. It is now time for a concerted effort to interpret the abstract signs and to determine the nature of their relationship to representational images" (363). I have taken up this challenge and propose a preliminary decipherment of some of the European Upper Paleolithic geometric marking motifs as constituting a protolanguage, UP(E), which crystallized during the late Upper Paleolithic. 2. Many attempts have been made to decode the geometric signs in the cave and portable art of Upper Paleolithic Europe. Since the first discoveries of cave paintings in Europe a century ago, there have been two main cycles of attempts to decode the geometric signs and associated figures in EUP art. First round theorists proposed that geometric signs denoted specific concrete objects. Proponents of 'hunting magic' interpreted signs as clubs, arrows, traps, corrals, animal tracks, and wounds. Proponents of 'fertility magic' interpreted them as vulvas or phalluses. Others interpreted the signs as totemic emblems or shamanic implements, and today followers of this approach interpret geometric signs as trance 'phosphenes' or 'entoptics' (seen by the eye when eyelids shut) (Lewis-Williams and Dowson 1988). All these interpretations are based on extrinsic ethnographic analogies from recent hunter-gatherer cultures; they fail to account for much of the data, and are basically 'undecidable' and speculative. 3. Faced with this impasse, the French archaeologist, André Leroi-Gourhan (1967:136148), drawing on interpretations of Laming-Emperaire and structuralist theory and intrinsic statistical data amassed from many caves proposed that Upper Paleolithic cave art, including geometric signs and animal images, reflected a dualistic classification scheme based on the binary opposition between male (phallic) and female (vulvar) qualities or energies. Hooks, barbs, strokes and dots were 'male' and all other signs 'female.' Eventually he dropped this conclusion as too simplistic (Leroi-Gourhan 1972). This led to the second impasse. © James B. Harrod, LOS 1998 v.2b 5.2004 3 4. During the 1970's and 80's Alexander Marshack (1972/1991, 1977, 1979) broke out of this impasse. Conducting detailed microscopic analyses of artifacts he proposed that Upper Paleolithic peoples used a variety of 'marking strategies.' Each represented "a cognitively and semantically different system" (1977:306). First, Marshack showed that some dot and line engravings were day and month counts of seasonal and lunar notation systems, while X and chevron appeared to be "symbols of a different meaning" (1972:265). Secondly, some depictions of flowers, seeds, nuts and animals appeared to be conventionalized signs associated with particular seasons or ceremonies. Third, meanders, rays, and tri-lines appear to evoke abstract processes and even the notion of process itself and belong to some sort of waterine cosmology. Fourth darts and X's appear associated with notions of animal 'killing' or 'sacrifice,' which also appear associated with religious rituals. 5. With respect to the meaning of geometric signs and associated animal figures, the current state-of-the-art is summed up by Paul Bahn (1997). He observes that archaeological evidence indicates the art is iconographic--"there seems to be a definite system or 'grammar' at work, but we do not know what it is . . . the system is not binary and is certainly far more complex" (p. 195); and "Paleolithic art . . . certainly comprises a 'vocabulary' of symbols, some of which must have had considerable information value, and certain combinations of which may have had special significance" (p. 209). In other words, Leroi-Gourhan's basic insight that some signs function in juxtapositions and pairings still stands. As noted by Sauvet, Sauvet and Wlodarczyk (1977): structural operators are at work in some of the markings; it is the presence and absence of particular combinations which is revealing: in parietal signs, for example, very few combinations occur out of the range of possible signs, and only signs found in binary combinations also occur in triads of signs. While contextually deriving likely semantic meanings for several geometric signs, Marshack's approach does not address the question of syntactic operators and protolanguage, which are evident in geometric sign pairings. This is the third impasse. 6. The situation is ripe for an innovative linguistic hypothesis grounded in the intrinsic organization of the geometric signs. For the past decade I have been using more powerful techniques of linguistic and semiotic analysis, including the "structuralist semantics" of A-J. Greimas (1966; Patte 1982 and compare Güttgemann 1976 "generative poetics"), in an attempt to decipher the geometric signs (Harrod 1987a, 1987b, 1997), an attempt, which, by the way, seems in accord with Derrida's remarks on the graphematic as prior to, or equiprimordial with, the arbitrariness of the Saussurean notion of 'sign' (1976:32-33,90, 110; 1981:347f; 1988:57). In this effort, I have drawn upon the microscopic analyses and interpretations of Alexander © James B. Harrod, LOS 1998 v.2b 5.2004 4 Marshack and the iconographic studies of Marija Gimbutas on European Neolithic symbolism. I have focused on primarily portable engraved artifacts--especially those microscopically analyzed by Marshack—rather than cave art, since the former has fewer taphonomic and recording problems. As a result of this re-examination, I have tentatively identified a core set of geometric signs which appear to be elements of a protolanguage, which crystallized during the Magdalenian period, ca. 15,000 to 10,000 BC, and I have tentatively derived a portion of its possible semantic content. This tentative decipherment is based on the internal, structural coherence of geometric sign complexes, pairings of geometric signs, and associations of signs with apparently equivalent pictorial images. SECTION B. DISCOVERY PROCEDURE. 7. Setting aside Leroi-Gourhan's dualistic interpretation that all signs are classifiable as representing the female and male principles of creation, I set out to figure out 'what the signs really mean.' I poured over Leroi-Gourhan's chart of paired signs (1967:514) and other instances of European Upper Paleolithic paired signs (see Appendix A). Some of these pairs in cave art seem to be the accidental result of superpositions of imagery; others, such as two tectiforms connected by a line, seem to represent images of religious rituals or social relations. However, among the instances of paired signs, there seems to be a subset that appears to be structured in pairs by syntactic operators. This subset includes the circle, bi-line, stroke, dart, "X," claviform, branch, chevron, tri-line, and meander. I call this subset of geometric signs Upper Paleolithic European or UP(E). 8. In the process of reviewing examples of these signs, I came upon the engraved antler from Lorthet that was microscopically analyzed by Marshack (1972:223). The 'Rosetta Stone' – branch and tri-line signs, Lorthet, Hautes-Pyrénées (line rendition by A. Marshack) © James B. Harrod, LOS 1998 v.2b 5.2004 5 This ar


This paper attempts to improve a fuzzy expert system which was developed previously to help maintenance engineers to evaluate the damage state of reinforced concrete bridge deck. One of important items in the maintenance program is that the repairing methods are automatically selected. The present system can provide several appropriate repairing methods by taking account of the damage cause, damage degree, and damage propagation speed. Since the system is built on a 32 bit engineering workstation and is written with Common Lisp, anyone can use this system without difficulty. Furthermore, adding the ability of executing backward reasoning in the procedure of fuzzy inference, it is possible to reduce the computation time to a quarter of that required for the previous system.


Many factors contribute to the oppression and discrimination of disabled people and to their exclusion from key decisions affecting the quality of their lives. In the last two decades in particular there has been an increasing interest in many societies over the role of research in relation to the empowerment and thus inclusion of disabled people. Dominant research traditions and values have been seriously criticized especially by disabled scholars in an attempt to produce a shift in thinking over the nature and purpose of research. In relation to the struggle for inclusivity the extent to which research can be an empowering and enabling force in the lives of disabled people is a topic of fundamental importance. It is the issue that I will briefly explore in this article.


Paradoxical performance has been studied for years, with an emphasis on helping athletes prevent choking under pressure. However, although progress has been made, too many athletes are still underperforming due to anticipated and unanticipated stressors (Baumeister & Showers, 1986, p. 362). Stress exposure training is suggested as a solution to choking under pressure, even though little research has been done. A review of the literature on paradoxical performance is presented, emphasizing skills that appear to be effective and could be inserted into a stress exposure training program. Skills such as self-consciousness training, positive self-talk, selfconfidence, pre-performance routines, and others could be improved as part of stress exposure training (Driskell, Sclafani, & Driskell, 2014). Although stress exposure training has been done in the military, law enforcement, firefighting, aviation, and even in baseball, recommendations are made for further research in other sports. STRESS EXPOSURE TRAINING FOR ATHLETES 3 Stress Exposure Training as a Means for Athletes to Prevent Paradoxical Performance On October 5, 2016, the San Francisco Giants and the New York Mets faced off in the National League wild card game to kick off the Major League Baseball (MLB) playoffs, a winor-go-home situation. The game was tied at 0 going into the top of the ninth inning. San Francisco was at the plate, and on the mound for New York was Jeurys Familia, their star closer who led the league in saves during the regular season. With one out and two men on base, Conor Gillaspie came up to bat. Gillaspie was the backup third baseman, playing only because the starter was injured. By all accounts, Familia had this in the bag. However, with one ball and one strike, Familia left the pitch up. In other words, he threw it right down the middle and Gillaspie hit a three-run home run, which enabled the Giants to win the game and move on to the playoffs. What happened to Jeurys Familia? He was considered to be one of the best closers in the MLB, but in the biggest, most important game of the season, he did not perform up to par. This happens to athletes in every sport imaginable. It is a phenomenon called "choking under pressure," or paradoxical performance (Baumeister & Showers, 1986, p. 361). Choking refers to "suboptimal performance under pressure conditions" (Baumeister & Showers, 1986, p. 362). Pressure conditions include big games (Super Bowl, World Series, rivalry games, etc.), the presence of college or professional scouts, family members in attendance, and expectations of the fans, among other things unique to each athlete. Moments at the end of athletic contests where the outcome is on the line, such as Familia pitching against Gillaspie in the ninth inning of the wild card game, are also pressure-filled for athletes. It is also important to understand when underperformance is not considered choking. Lackluster performance does not always mean that an athlete choked under pressure. A novice football player who drops what could be considered an easy pass in an important game is not an STRESS EXPOSURE TRAINING FOR ATHLETES 4 example of choking, because he does not have all of the physical skills. However, if that same pass was dropped by a professional, it would be considered choking if he dropped it because of pressure or another stressor. As another example, one missed shot by a basketball player would not be a choke. But if that player missed 10 shots in a row when he was expected to make at least five of them, that would be a choke. There are several different theories that explain choking under pressure. The two main theories are distraction theory and self-focus, or explicit monitoring (Baumeister & Showers, 1986, p. 6). Distraction theory maintains that choking happens when an athlete gets distracted and focuses attention on task-irrelevant information, such as crowd noise (Lewis & Linder, 1997, p. 939). Self-focus, a theory which is more widely supported than distraction theory, happens when an athlete, feeling the pressure of the situation, focuses on the mechanics and specifics of performed skills, which causes the athlete to make more mistakes because it disrupts the automaticity of the skills (Baumeister & Showers, 1986, p. 6). However, other scholars do not consider choking as being either because of distraction or self-focus (Christensen, Sutton, & McIlwain, 2015, p. 2). According to Christensen et al. (2015), this phenomenon may be more complex than just one theory (p. 2). Rather, other factors need to be considered as part of a more holistic view of paradoxical performance. Due to the development of sport and performance psychology throughout the world, athletes have access to sport psychologists who can teach them different mental skills that improve performance. Some of those skills include imagery (or visualization), positive self-talk, goal setting, etc. (Harwood, Cumming, & Fletcher, 2004, p. 320). However, those skills are effective for skill development and not necessarily for task performance under pressure. When the time comes to perform, the time for goal setting and visualization is over, and it is time for STRESS EXPOSURE TRAINING FOR ATHLETES 5 action. Positive self-talk and other skills can help during games but not in all situations. Despite having the knowledge of all of these skills, athletes still choke under pressure. Many sport psychologists have researched ways to help athletes overcome paradoxical performance. Emotion regulation strategies are effective at stopping athletes from choking under pressure (Balk, Adriaanse, de Ridder, & Evers, 2013). Using distraction, such as singing a song, to alleviate choking under pressure has been studied (Mesagno, Marchant, & Morris, 2009). Reeves, Tenenbaum, and Lidor (2007) researched the effects of self-consciousness training on paradoxical performance and found that it was effective in preventing choking. Although all of these mental skills can help elite athletes to perform well in high-pressure situations, stress exposure training can be even more effective, because it allows them to practice those mental skills under stress before experiencing pressure and stress in competition (Driskell et al., 2014). Stress exposure training can help athletes eliminate self-focus and distraction, reduce stress caused by pressure, and perform well even in less than ideal circumstances. Overview of Stress Exposure Training Stress Training in Non-Athletic Areas Athletes are not the only people with stressful occupations. There are other occupations that involve high stress, as well as a need for high performance, just like athletics. Police officers, soldiers, firefighters, and pilots are examples of other high-stress occupations. They all need to be able to perform at a high level in extremely stressful situations. Lives are often on the line. Therefore, some stress training has been done to assess effectiveness in these domains. Police officers can benefit from stress training. In 2016, a study was done on select members of Finnish Federal Special Response Police Teams (Andersen & Gustafsberg, 2016). STRESS EXPOSURE TRAINING FOR ATHLETES 6 Police officers, like athletes, are required to make quick decisions under stress. The goal of this particular study was to see if stress training would improve the use of force decision-making (Andersen & Gustafsberg, 2016). Those participants who went through the stress training showed "significantly better physiological control, situational awareness, and overall performance," as well as better force decision-making (Andersen & Gustafsberg, 2016). This shows that stress training can help people make better decisions quickly under pressure. Stress training can help soldiers under pressure. The military is very involved in providing soldiers with performance enhancement opportunities. The Air Force, Navy SEALs, and Army Special Forces all implement forms of stress training to prepare soldiers while they are training and also when they are active (Robson & Manacapilli, 2014, p. 15-25). The Air Force exposes candidates to different stressors during training and provides them with education and support both before and after deployment (Robson & Manacapilli, 2014, p. 16). The Navy has a more formal form of stress training for SEALs. After boot camp, recruits attend an 8-week course that includes training on goal-setting, tactical visualization, arousal control, and positive self-talk (Robson & Manacapilli, 2014, p. 22). In the Special Forces, a more needs-based approach is taken. They train soldiers to perform in high stress, train them to use those skills in operational environments, monitor them to identify those who have a hard time adapting to high stress, and treat and intervene when necessary (Robson & Manacapilli, 2014, p. 24). Soldiers can perform better when they are trained to respond well under high stress. Less has been done with firefighters and pilots, but they can also benefit from stress training. Baumann, Gohm, and Bonner (2011) found that anxiety and cognitive difficulties decrease when participants were exposed multiple times to the same stressful scenario. However, they did not get the same results when participants were exposed to a new, similar STRESS EXPOSURE TRAINING FOR ATHLETES 7 scenario (Baumann et al., 2011). For pilots, a study was done in which novice pilots received stress training followed by flight simulator training (McClernon, McCauley, O'Connor, & Warm, 2011). Those who received the stress training along with the simulator training flew better than those without the stress training when they flew an actual aircraft (McClernon et al., 2011). Therefore, firefighters and pilots can enhance performance through stress training. Stress Training in Sports Not much research has been done on stress training in sports. This is surprising because there are remarkable similarities between athletics and high-stres


Published evidence of a link between induced abortion and future breast cancer risk dates back to 1957, when a nation-wide study in Japan showed that women with breast cancer had had 3 times as many pregnancies that ended in induced abortion, compared to normal controls.1That was even before the days when the term "relative risk" was introduced (in 1959), with the typical relative risk estimate being based on the odds ratio (OR) in case-control studies. Relative risk describes numerically the relative likelihood of having a given disease-such as breast cancer-if one has had a particular exposure-such as induced abortion- compared to those who have not had the exposure.RR 1.0 - there is no increase or decrease in riskRR 1.5 - there is a 50% increase in riskRR 2.0 - there is a 100% increase in riskRR 0.5 - there is a 50% decrease in riskIn recent years, the abortion-breast cancer link became big news with the 1994 paper by Janet Daling, et al. in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, which reported a statistically significant, 50% risk increase with induced abortion.2 In results, Daling stated "Among women who had been pregnant at least once, the risk of breast cancer in those who had experienced an induced abortion was 50% higher than among other women."The Daling study, however, was immediately attacked by Lynn Rosenberg in the very same issue of the JNCI, on the basis of putative reporting bias (aka response bias), since the Daling study design was retrospective (as most are). Hence, the ABC link faded quickly from the news cycle.3As evidence of reporting bias, Rosenberg cited the 1991 study by Lindefors-Harris et al., which had compared the interview responses of breast cancer patients v. controls with the computerized records of abortion. The authors claimed that women with breast cancer were prone to significant "overreporting" of abortions that were not on the computerized record.4 However, as the Lindefors-Harris group (headed by Olav Meirik) was later forced to concede, their computerized records were clearly deficient, thus implicitly retracting the preposterous idea of over-reporting (making up abortions that had never taken place).5 In their 1998 letter to the editor, Meirik et al state: "We are not surprised to find some Swedish women confidentially reporting having had induced abortions during the period 1966-1974 that are not recorded as legally induced abortions."Nevertheless, the concept of reporting bias continues to be falsely relied upon by those who deny the ABC link, as if it were established fact, in the same way as "Hands up! Don't shoot!" is falsely attributed to Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO. In short: Facts don't matter when the political agenda of the gatekeepers of public knowledge would have the facts be other than they are.The ABC link next made big news when a meta-analysis of extant worldwide studies I had conducted with colleagues from Penn State Medical College, was published by the British Medical Association.6 We reported a statistically significant OR of 1.3 among all 23 studies published.Within 3 months of the publication of our meta-analysis, a huge prospective study by Mads Melbye et al. on women in Denmark (using US tax dollars) was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.7 Melbye's conclusions: "Induced abortions have no overall effect on the risk of breast cancer." The Melbye study was widely cited as the disproof of the ABC link, because it was based on prospective computer registry data (and therefore immune to reporting bias), involved so many women (1.5 million), so many abortions (over 400,000) and so many cases of breast cancer (over 10,000). Hence, the statistical confidence interval of the reported overall relative risk of 1.00 was extremely narrow.However, the Melbye study was rife with flaws; in fact, flagrant violations of the scientific method. To name just two: First, it falsely claimed that abortion had been legalized in Denmark in 1973, when it had in fact been legalized in 1939. …


Improper handling and disposal of biomedical wastes have the potential of causing environmental and public health problems. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of biomedical wastes management by health care providers in Accra. The focus was on the Korle-Bu Teaching and the La General Hospitals. The research used the simple random sampling technique to select eighty healthcare personnel for the investigation. The study results indicated that the respondents were highly knowledgeable about the importance of disinfecting biomedical wastes before disposal and aware of the possibility of such wastes transmitting diseases if not properly managed. In addition, the research revealed that the hospitals have the necessary facilities and follow the requisite processes for disposal of biomedical wastes. This has resulted in very effective disposal of hospital wastes. The research conclusion is that the effectiveness of management and disposal of biomedical wastes in the two facilities is because of the extensive knowledge of the respondents about the issue, availability of the required equipment and the implementation of well-designed strategies for disposing of biomedical wastes. The study recommends that more logistical/financial support should be available to health facilities for effective management of biomedical wastes throughout the country [1,2].


The remote sensing mechanism and spectral characteristics of water bodies and other objects in SPOT 4 imagery were analyzed. Due to the similar infrared spectral response feature of water bodies to those of the objects under the mountain shadows in the imagery, thresholding for infrared bands is not suitable for the extraction of water bodies. The decision tree algorithm including several classifiers was put forward, which can extract water bodies effectively and easily. The terrain information and geometric features such as perimeter, area, and shape, which are frequently used in visual interpretation, can be used to classify water bodies into subclass. The decision tree algorithm including several classifiers associated with terrain and geometric information was developed to classify water bodies. Jiangning county of Jiangsu Province was selected as a case study area, SPOT 4 (XI, 1999.1) and contour data of the area were used as information sources, the results after applying the proposed approach were satisfactong.


In this paper we study the use of individual blade pitch control as a way to reduce ultimate loads. This load alleviation strategy exploits the fact that cyclic pitching of the blades induces in general a reduction of the average loading of a wind turbine, at least for some components as the main bearing, the yaw bearing, or the tower. When ultimate loads are generated during shutdowns, the effect of the use of cyclic pitch results in reduced peak loads. In fact, as the machine starts from a less stressed condition, the response to an extreme gust or other event will result in reduced loading on its components. This form of load mitigation can be seen as a preventative load mitigation strategy: the effect on load reduction is obtained without the need to detect and react to an extreme event, but by simply unloading the machine so that, in case an extreme event happens, the result will be less severe. The effect of peak load mitigation by preventative cyclic pitch is investigated with reference to a multi-MW wind turbine, by using high-fidelity aeroelastic simulations in a variety of operating conditions.


An investigation of the process by which bubbles form in superheated liquid-liquid emulsions is reported. A theoretical model for the rate of bubble nucleation is developed that is valid for any binary liquid system. Because of the interesting "microexplosion" phenomenon postulated to occur during combustion of fuel/water emulsions, special attention is focused on hydrocarbon/ water/surfactant mixtures. The model predicts that in these systems nucleation takes place at the interface between the two liquids but that the vapor bubbles rest entirely within the hydrocarbon phase. The maximum superheat limits of emulsions containing 83% by volume hydrocarbon (benzene, n-decane, n-dodecane, n-tetradecane, and n-hexadecane), 15% water and 2% surfactant were measured experimentally at 1 atm and found to be in good agreement with the predictions of the theoretical model. The superheat limits of these emulsions are lower than those of either pure liquid. However, for microexplosion of an emulsified fuel droplet, the superheat limit of the fuel/water emulsion must be less than the boiling point of the fuel. Only the n-hexadecane/water emulsion satisfies this criterion at atmospheric pressure.


The description and theoretical analysis of a noise shielding system are presented. In this system, the noise and/or sound are transmitted through the piezoelectric curved membrane, which is connected to an external feedback circuit. Using the principle of elasticity control, i.e., utilization of both direct and inverse piezoelectric effects simultaneously, the movement of the membrane as well as the sound pressure of the transmitted wave can be controlled to a large extent. Transmission loss of an audible sound through the membrane in such a system is expressed as a function of a sound frequency, geometrical properties of the membrane, and parameters of the feedback circuit. It is used for the comparison of theoretical predictions and experimental data. Using this technique, the increase of the transmission loss of about 60 dB in a narrow frequency range or about 7 dB in the broad frequency range has been achieved. The performance of this system is discussed.


ABSTRACT The solubilities of budesonide (BDS) in binary aqueous mixtures of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone at temperatures ranging from 293.2 to 313.2 K were determined and mathematically correlated by three cosolvency models, i.e. Jouyban–Acree model, Jouyban–Acree–van't Hoff model and modified Wilson model. The solubilities were measured using the shake-flask method and the models wereused to fit the solubility data of BDS in the solvent mixtures. The obtained mean relative deviations (MRDs %) for cosolvency models trained using whole data points varied between 5.0% and 31.0%. Solubilities were also predicted by the generally trained version of the Jouyban–Acree model with the MRD of 37.0%. Furthermore, the apparent thermodynamic properties of dissolution process of BDS in all the mixed solvents were calculated according to van't Hoff and Gibbs equations. Dissolution of BDS in these mixed solvents is an endothermic process.


by Samantha Kay Atkins The bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is the most common congenital cardiovascular defect affecting 1-2% of the population. A normal aortic valve consists of three leaflets and is often referred to as the tricuspid aortic valve (TAV). The BAV exists in several different morphogenic phenotypes, resulting in two aortic valve leaflets instead of three and is known as the type-I BAV. While the BAV anatomy may not intrinsically hamper valvular function, it is associated with a spectrum of secondary valvulopathy and aortopathy such as calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) and aortic dilation. The abnormal mechanical stresses imposed by the BAV on its leaflets and on the aortic wall could trigger cellmediated processes, leading ultimately to valvular calcification and aortic medial degeneration. Despite increasing evidence for this hemodynamic etiology, the demonstration of the involvement of mechanical abnormalities in the pathogenesis of BAV disease requires the investigation of causality between the blood flow environment imposed on the leaflets and the aortic wall and the local biology, which has been lacking to date.


INTRODUCTION In Europe, the Neogene is characterized by paleogeographic reorganization due to the collision of the African with the Eurasian plate. Orogenic belts evolved in central and southern regions and large foredeep basins and wetland areas extended along the arising orogenes. Altitudinal vegetation zonations successively developed in the new orogenes, and increasing altitudinal differences ultimately constituted floristic barriers. In addition to the global climatic changes, the tectonic development and sea level changes severely influenced the climate in Eurasia; the annual course of precipitation, its quantity, and its regional distribution changed, thus also altering the temperature realm. The Neogene European floral records are very rich and diverse (leaves, seeds-fruits, pollen, wood). However, they are not equally distributed over the continent but rather clustered in regions with appropriate sedimentation; some areas largely lack a fossil record. In certain regions, the latest investigations date to the 19 and early 20 century. The fossil record and its interpretation are typically restricted to only one of the plant organs (leaf or seed-fruit or pollen assemblages, respectively). As different plant organ assemblages are bound to specific taphonomic conditions, the derived interpretations may diverge considerably. Although the different plant organs often co-occur, they are only rarely evaluated jointly. In such cases, they offer a detailed and complementary rather than contradictory picture of the vegetation (e.g. Buzek et al. 1985, Kovar-Eder et al. 1998). Differences in preservation, investigation methods, reliability of age determination, and different "schools" of naming and treatment further complicate our profound large-scale understanding of the floristic and vegetational development.


Ten cases of renal angiomyolipoma have been collected at the Mackay Memorial Hospital from 1985 to 1987 during a 21/2 year period. All 10 patients received CT and angiographic examination and were finally proved by histologic confirmation. The CT showed predominantly intrarenal component with variable perirenal extension and nine out of the ten patients with at least detectable fat in the tumor being identified. Only one case showed the tumor with low density near that of water on CT but which was diagnosed by angiographic and pathologic examination. No associated tuberous sclerosis was found in any of the 10 cases which composed of 9 solitary and one bilateral masses. There was an apparently predominant female to male ratio of 9:1 in between the 36 to 55 ate group which was higher than the 4:1 ratio in other reports. CT diagnosis of renal angiomyolipoma is based on the detection of fat component in an intrarenal tumor; in addition, CT can precisely- demonstrate the location and extension of the renal tumor and thus can be differentiated from liposarcoma which is usually located in the retroperitoneum or other extrarenal site. Hypernephroma can also be easily differentiated both by angiographic appearance and lack of fat component. Angiography may complement CT making the diagnosis of those tumor composed mostly of smooth muscle and vascular element and no detectable fatty tissue on CT, but in majority of renal angiomyolipoma, CT can make a diagnosis before histologic confirmation.


Objective To investigate the effective nursing countermeasures of severe acute pancreatitis with respiratory distress syndrome. Methods A retrospective analysis about clinical data of 39 cases of severe acute pancreatitis with respiratory distress syndrome,summarized the clinical nursing experience.Results After effective nursing,36 patients were cured,the cured patients showed no obvious complications,3 patients died because of complicated with multiple organ failure,the mortality rate was 7.7%.Conclusion Taking timely and effective nursing care to patients of severe acute pancreatitis with respiratory distress syndrome,can improve the clinical treatment effect,reduce mortality.


Bologna threatens UK physics degrees Lack of government leadership in acknowledging the effects of the Bologna Declaration could damage British physics degrees. Signed by higher education ministers from 29 European countries in 1999, the Bologna Declaration seeks to create a common framework for degrees based on the use of credits. This threatens the existence of UK four year ® rst degree quali® cations in subjects such as physics (MPhys) and might remove the possibility of direct progression from BSc degrees to PhD programmes. This could lead to an eight year cycle of study (3z2z3), which has implications not just in terms of the restructuring of degree frameworks, but of increased student debt, uncertainties of funding of studentships for Masters programmes and quality assurance. The Institute of Physics has issued a wake up call to the UK physics community with the publication of the discussion paper, `The Bologna Process and UK Physics Degrees', by Professor Gareth Jones from Imperial College London. The discussion paper highlights the threats and opportunities of the Bologna Declaration to UK physics degrees and provides a platform for the UK physics community to respond to the challenges. The integrated Masters degree is essential to their profession and most of the rest of Europe take a further year to reach Masters level. The Institute has already tried to persuade government to consider the implications of the Bologna Declaration Ð there was no mention of the Declaration in the DfES White Paper, `The future of higher education', published earlier this year. In a joint letter from the Institute and the Royal Society of Chemistry to the DfES, concern was expressed that the Bologna Process seems to be gathering momentum in continental Europe, but is largely being ignored in the UK. Copies of the report and further information from: Tajinder Panesor, tel. z44 (0) 20 7470 4939, email email@example.com, Internet http://policy.iop.org/Policy/HE/index. html.


Three-dimensional (3D) shape measurement based on hue-height mapping using color-encoded fringe projection is proposed for thin objects. The projected color-encoded fringe pattern is encoded by three sinusoidal fringe patterns with 2π/3 shift phase in between into red (R), green (G) and blue (B) channels, separately. It is found that the hue component is of periodicity with the same period as the sinusoidal fringe pattern in the R channel of the color-encoded fringe and the hue distribution in a period is of monotonicity. While this color-encoded fringe pattern is projected onto an object, as long as the deformation of the captured deformed color fringe pattern is not out of a period, the 3D shape of the measured object can be reconstructed directly by hue-height mapping. This method is concise and fast with no color calibration to remove color crosstalk and no time-consuming phase extraction or phase unwrapping. The experimental results show the feasibility and the practicability of the proposed method.


Objective To establish a method for sampling and sesting of plant pollen in soil. Method soil samples were treated With xylene and 18% hydrochloric acid and was examined by scanuing electron Microscope. Results Different types of plant pollen were detected from the soid samples. Conclusion With this method, the pollen in soil can be separated efficiently. The method can be used for examination of plant pollen in other mixed forensic samples.


In image stitching, parallax is key challenge that leads to inaccurate registration and ghosting effect of objects in the result. A novel foreground rejection method is proposed in this paper to remove parallax in video sequence. Firstly, the global motion is estimated between two frames using SIFT feature matching. The logical OR operators are then applied to the pixels that have high displaced frame difference for foreground extraction. There are two sets of foreground calculated from the near frames and far frames. Voting scheme is applied in the way that only the near-frame foreground appears inside the area of far-frame foreground that is considered as the actual foreground. The extracted foreground at this stage is mostly the edges of objects. Therefore, the foreground rejection method proposed in this paper aims to provide better motion vector estimation and ghosting effect reduction. The removal of the major parts of the high difference foreground is sufficient; hence the simple two-stage rendering is applied. The implemented results indicate that more accurate registration is achieved by including our proposed foreground rejection method. Moreover, the background of the stitched video sequence does not have the visible ghosting effect.


Introduction: Changes in voiding positionmay have signi ficant impact on micturitiondue to factors such as changes in pressureof abdominal muscles and viscera, andrelaxation of pelvic floor muscles in differ-ent voiding positions. Few studies in the lit-erature have addressed the impact ofvoiding position on uroflowmetric results,however, the results were inconclusive.Objectives: To investigate the uroflowme-try findings of three different voiding posi-tions in BPO patients attending theUrology Clinic, HTAA.Materials and Methods: Cross-sectionalobservational study of BPO patientsattending the Urology Clinic HTAA fromMarch 2015 to December 2015.Uroflowmetry in standing, sitting andsquatting positions were done in those ful-filling the study criteria. The maximumflow rate, average flow rate, voiding vol-ume, total voiding time and post-voidingresidual volume were measured andrecorded. The results were then comparedand analysed. Other factors such as nor-mal voiding habit, number of medication,size of prostate, severity of BPO andintravesical prostatic protrusion (IPP) werealso studied for any significance.Results: A total of 123 patients were stud-ied. Majority of patients were more than60 years old (87%) and more than halfwere Chinese (58.5%) followed by Malays(35%) and Indians (5.7%). The commonestvoiding positions among these patientswere standing (78%), sitting, 15 patients(12.2%) and squatting, 12 patients (9.8%).Average IPSS was 12 and majority of themwere in the moderate group (63.4%). Themean size of prostate in this study was42.95 grams. 33 patients had IPP (27.27%)while the rest (72.72%) did not have IPP


political leaders in the Gulf were keen to ensure external food policies would serve, not impede, their domestic political security. Building on work by Robert Vitalis and Toby Jones, Woertz shows how food supplies figured in the early encounter between Saudi leaders and American oil companies. These relations in the 1940s led to later efforts by Saudi Arabia to achieve food security through self-sufficiency. The infamous Al-Kharj farms and wheat farming projects exemplified such efforts, but Woertz never exactly clarifies the policy intent of selfsufficiency. On the one hand, a recurring theme in the book is the claim that Gulf policies are rooted in fears of a return to crises of the 1940s and American threats to use food as a weapon. On the other hand, Woertz makes convincing arguments that much of the Saudi effort toward wheat production was tied more to patronage politics than to food security concerns. The section on U.S. food policy and the Middle East is a concise and excellent review of shifts in American policies in the Cold War context. Food trade was used as a tool of foreign policy, and it was advanced as a reaction to the 1970s oil crisis and balance of payments worries. However, the effort to link that history to a "collective unconscious" among Gulf leaders that drives self-sufficiency today is more asserted than demonstrated. Even if the core factors influencing Gulf food policies are not quite wrapped up, the final two chapters do a thorough job of demonstrating why these policies have not progressed as hoped. Woertz analyzes the Sudanese government's failure to turn the country into an agricultural exporter for the rest of the region. Emphasizing practical as well as sociopolitical complications of land tenure shifts, the failure in Sudan foreshadowed problems with similar offshore solutions decades later. Post-2008 plans for purchasing farming resources in Pakistan, the Philippines, and Ethiopia have never been implemented. Most of the Arab World, and particularly the Gulf, continues to import food from leading exporters and international agro businesses. Woertz's book is carefully and broadly researched. It will appeal to those interested in the political economies of food in the region as well as to students of the region's transnational linkages and pressures.


A novel dielectric resonator antenna with switching beamforming operation is presented in this article. The proposed antenna consists of a triangular dielectric resonator (DR) fed by three switched excitation probes. The switched excitations allow having an antenna with radiation beam that can be swept in three orientations, −60°, 0°, 60°, in the E plane. This design operates in wideband with a range from 5 to 6 GHz, suitable for wireless local area network (WLAN) applications. To validate this concept, the electromagnetic characteristics of the antenna, such as reflection coefficient and radiation patterns are performed by simulations and measurements. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 59:955–958, 2017


[Objective] To understand present situation of the check results in ph and blood gas analysis in Zhejiang Province medical institutions clinical laboratories.To put forward measures and provide the basis for the mutual recognition results in laboratories.[Method] Distribute the quality control product two times a year to the laboratories in EQA of ph and blood gas analysis and summarize and analyze results of pH、pCO2 and pO2.[Result] The quantity of laboratories in EQA of ph and blood gas analysis increases significantly from 2008 to 2012.The coincidence of each project are rate up to 85%.[Conclusion] The results of ph and blood gases accord with PT requirement and meet the requirements in clinical diagnosis and the mutual recognition results.


The sequencing of products for final assembly in JIT mixed-model manufacturing systems is sometimes based on multiple criteria. The two main criteria that have been discussed in the literature are: the smoothing of parts utilization and the smoothing of the product load. Product rate variation smoothing and sub-assembly load variation smoothing may also be considered. One procedure for treating these multiple criteria is by the use of a weighted multi-attribute cost function, which is an aggregation of the respective objective functions. However, one difficulty which may be associated with this approach is in obtaining proper estimates for the weights. In this paper, we propose an alternative approach (a parametric procedure), which utilizes only the relative preference information for the criteria. A numerical example is presented to illustrate the procedure.


In the Balkan Wars of 1912-13, the Kingdom of Serbia wrested Old Serbia and
 Macedonia from Ottoman rule. The process of instituting the constitutional
 order and local government institutions in the liberated and annexed areas
 was phased: (1) the building of provisional administration on the
 instructions of government inspectors and the head of the Military Police
 Department; (2) implementation of the Decree on the Organization of the
 Liberated Areas of 14 December 1912; and (3) implementation of the Decree on
 the Organization of the Liberated Areas of 21 August 1913. Finally, under a
 special royal decree issued in 1913, implementation began of some sections of
 the Constitution of the Kingdom of Serbia. In late December 1913, the
 interior minister, Stojan M. Protic, submitted the bill on the Annexation of
 Old Serbia to the Kingdom of Serbia and its Administration to the Assembly
 along with the opinion of the State Council. The bill had, however, not been
 put to the vote by the time the First World War broke out, and the issue lost
 priority to the new wartime situation until the end of the war.