Measurements of the time taken for meteor radar echoes to decay can be used to estimate the ambipolar diffusion coefficient. If it is assumed that the decay of the radar echo is due strictly to the outward diffusion of ionized material in the meteor's trail, then echo decay is determined by temperature and pressure. However, dust particles or small ice crystals may absorb electrons from meteor trails, distorting their evolution and echo decay properties. A numerical method for modeling these processes is presented, with the prediction that absorbing aerosols can both decrease and increase the decay time of meteor radar echoes, depending on meteor, atmospheric, and radar parameters. This prediction is confirmed with observations taken using three 33 MHz and two 55 MHz radars at three locations in Australia and Antarctica, which display strong biases in the decay times of lower power echoes. It is suggested that both the accuracy and precision of atmospheric measurements are improved if only the highest power meteor echoes are used for estimates of the ambipolar diffusion coefficient.


Statistics and mathematical analysis method is used as analysis tool to make empirical examination on China's GDP growth rate and employment structure evolution from 1952 to 2004 by using necessary econom- ic theories in order to find intrinsic relation between economic variables from complex economic phenomena. The reasons for the relation and development direction are discussed.


This past spring, Brian Martin and John Neyhart, both agriculture instructors at Monmouth County Career Center in Freehold, New Jersey, taught courses to more than 40 students spread out among three area schools with agricultural education programs. During April and May, Martin and Neyhart team-- taught a horticulture unit via distance technology to students at Freehold High School in Freehold, NJ, Allentown High School in Allentown, NJ, and Monmouth County Career Center, also in Freehold. With a little technological wizardry, they were able to get the phone lines working, the cameras rolling and the monitors displaying pictures. And for the most part, the students loved this new delivery system. As part of a collaborative effort between their school district and two other schools with agricultural education programs, the three schools shared instruction and teaching knowledge. Funding for the project was achieved through a collaborative grant agreement provided by the Office of Agricultural Education, New Jersey Department ofAgriculture, in collaboration with the New Jersey Department of Education. Such grants were truly an outgrowth of New Jersey's Reinventing Agricultural Education for the 2020 initiative, as stated in the state strategic goals. State Goal #3 addresses the concept of sharing resources: "By 2008, resources for education in food, agriculture and natural resources will be shared between states, regions and school districts." Certainly, distance learning is becoming more of a norm in education as funding and geographics impact the delivery of educational lessons. In fact, Neyhart says that's initially what generated the most interest from his students. "They got excited about what was going on with all the technology, because this is where it's headed. The use of distance learning technologies may be commonplace in 10 years, but right now it's cutting edge." Not only did students get excited about their involvement in a distance learning experience, but so did the technology coordinator at Monmouth County Career Center. The school district had invested money into the distance learning equipment, said Neyhart, but many weren't utilizing it. In fact, Allentown High School did not have the equipment, so the Monmouth County Career Center loaned some equipment. Then the technology coordinator would travel to Allentown High School each week to assist with the set-up and serve as the technology resource person. Neyhart says it was a challenge getting the phone lines set up, as it was a whole new way of delivering instruction, but it shouldn't get in the way of trying to use distance learning. He even took a class on the use of distance learning equipment offered by his school district so he could manage the equipment in his classroom without needing a technology expert. Specifically, this grant allowed the three schools to conduct weekly lessons via distance learning technologies. Costs for technology included the phone connection, monthly line charges, and connection charges. Monmouth County Career Center served as the lead school, and requested funding for equipment to convert photos of plants from the plant identification list into pdf files, as well as a high quality printer. The objective of the unit was to dialogue about plant identification, how pests attack plants, and the life cycle of pests. "It was pretty neat to use the technology. …


The invention relates to a rotary-type wastewater treating device, comprising a container, wherein a rotating shaft is arranged in the container; a toothed rotating disc with the rotating shaft as the axis is arranged at one end of the rotating shaft; two groups of cylinders with the rotating shaft as the center are arranged on the rotating disc; a slit is formed on the cylinder; a driving device is arranged on the container and connected with the rotating disc through a chain; a water outlet pipe and a dredge pipe are arranged on the sidewall of the container on which the driving device is mounted; and a water inlet pipe and a blow-down pipe are arranged on the other corresponding sidewall of the container. The rotary-type wastewater treating device is capable of thoroughly stirring the wastewater, and simultaneously capable of charging oxygen; and a micro-electrolytic material can be filled in the cylinders so that electrochemical and physical treatment processes are realized and caking and blockage can be prevented.


Build-up welding with trailing peening can achieve dispelling residual stress, meliorating the structure of welding and improving the fatigue life and quality of welding through peening welded seam and heat-affected zone (HAZ) timely along with welding. Some studies have proven that the peening performance depends greatly on the temperature of welded seam and HAZ. In this paper, a set of temperature measurement system was designed by integrate sensor technology, computer technology, data processing method and modeling technology. In order to achieve gathering electrical signal, calculating temperature field and forecasting peening location, the virtual instrument programming language Labwindows/CVI was adopted to program data acquisition and analysis in software and PC, high-speed data acquisition card model AMPCI-9111, voltage sensor model KV25A/P and current sensor KA200V were adopted in hardware. The process can be summarized as follows:i) gather voltage and current data of build-up welding; ii) set up temperature field model of build-up welding; iii) offer the reliable temperature parameter for confirming the best peening opportunity. The build-up test was conducted and the results indicate that the system can be used to simulate temperature field and forecast the peening location and opportunity accurately.


On the basis of the principles of heat and mass balance,with characteristics of sucrose material,considering the boiling point rise caused by concentration effect and the temperature loss caused by pipe resistance,the dynamic knowledge model of the multiple-effect evaporation system in a sugarcane refinery is established.And the model was solved using MATLAB.Finally the simulation shows that the error between the model output and the actual output is ±2%,and so the model is effectively.The derived model can provide a support for the real time monitoring and a foundation for the following control research.


Forastero hybrid cocoa bean fermentations have been carried out in a Box (B) and in a Heap 23 (H), with or without the inoculation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Torulaspora delbrueckii 24 as starter cultures. The bacteria, yeasts and microbial metabolites (volatile and non-volatile 25 organic compounds) were monitored during fermentation to assess the connection between 26 microbiota and the release of metabolites during this process. The presence of starter cultures 27 was detected, by means of culture-dependent analysis, during the first two days of both 28 fermentations. However, no statistical difference was observed in any of the physico-chemical 29 or microbiological analyses. Plate counts revealed the dominance of yeasts at the beginning of 30 both fermentations, and these were followed by acetic acid bacteria (AAB) and lactic acid 31 bacteria (LAB). Hanseniaspora opuntiae, S. cerevisiae, Pichia pijperi, Acetobacter 32 pasteurianus and Lactobacillus fermentum were the most abundant OTUs during both 33 fermentation processes (B and H), although different relative abundances were observed. Only 34 the diversity of the fungal species indicated a higher level of complexity in the B fermentations 35 than in the H fermentations ( P < 0 .05) as well as a statistically significant difference between 36 the initially inoculated starter cultures ( P < 0 .01) . However, the microbial metabolite analysis 37 indicated different distributions of the volatile and non-volatile compounds between the two 38 procedures, that is, B and H ( P < 0.05), rather than between the inoculated and non-inoculated 39 fermentations. The Box fermentations showed a faster carbohydrate metabolism and greater 40 production of organic acid compounds, which boosted the formation of alcohols and esters, 41 than the heap fermentations. Overall, the microbial dynamics and associations between the 42 bacteria, yeast and metabolites were found to depend on the type of fermentation. available suggests that microbial communities have played an important role in the evolution 49 of aroma compounds. Understanding the pathways that micro-organisms follow during the 50 formation of aromas could be used to improve the fermentation processes and to enhance 51 chocolate quality. 52


The purpose of this paper is to provide guidance for operators on suitable spacings for multiple vehicle missions. This paper then investigates the combined drag of a pair of towed prolate spheroids for the length-Reynolds Number of 3.2×106. The model has a length-diameter ratio of 6:1. A series of configuration of a pair of spheroids is simulated by varying both longitudinal and transverse spacing. Three-dimensional simulations are performed using a commercial Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) Computational Fluid Dynamics code ANSYS CFX 12.1 with the SST turbulence closure model. In each case, the fluid domain has a mesh size of approximately nine million cells including inflated prism layers to capture the boundary layer. Mesh convergence is tested and then validated with wind tunnel test results. The drag of each spheroid is compared against the benchmark drag of a single hull. The results show that the transverse separations and longitudinal offsets determine the interaction drag between both hulls. Increasing of spacing results in lower the interference drag. Five zones have been suggested based on the characteristics of the combined drag and individual drags. These are Parallel Region, Echelon Region, Low Interaction Region, Push Region and Drafting Region. Based on the results, operators can determine the optimal configurations based on energy considerations.


: The Nineteenth Congress once again emphasized the strategy of rural revitalization, which is the fundamental government to promote the development of agricultural modernization in China and to solve the problem of "three rural areas and farmers ". China is a large agricultural country, and the proportion of agricultural population accounts for about half of the national population. This paper makes an in-depth study and analysis on the path of agricultural ecological civilization construction in Yunnan Province under the "Internet +", and provides reliable suggestions for promoting the development of agricultural ecological civilization in Yunnan Province and strengthening the modernization of agricultural industry.


This study examines one child's second language (L2) writing development in social learning contexts over a six-month period from the age of seven...


Neuro-linguistic programming by Bandler and Grinder development involves copying the strong traits of successful
individuals who give the most positive and their use in other situations to address similar problems.


I am writing in response to the news item 'Student nurse may quit due to child care costs' (News September 9).


The invention relates to a nano magnetic particle chemiluminiscence assay kit for a free HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) beta subunit, a preparation method for the Nano magnetic particle chemiluminiscence assay kit and a detection method adopting the Nano magnetic particle chemiluminiscence assay kit. The kit comprises a first agent, a second agent and a magnetic separation agent, wherein the first agent comprises solution of free HCG beta subunit antibody marked with fluorescein isothiocyanate; the second agent comprises solution of free HCG beta subunit antibody marked with alkaline phosphatase; and the magnetic separation agent comprises suspension of magnetic particles coated with a fluorescein isothiocyanate resistance antibody. The invention further discloses the preparation method of the kit and the detection method for detecting the HCG beta subunit by adopting the kit. Compared with the prior art, the nano magnetic particle chemiluminiscence assay kit has better accuracy, higher precision and higher sensitivity; a sample to be detected does not need to be pre-diluted; and the nano magnetic particle chemiluminiscence assay kit is simple and time-saving to operate, has a wide detection range and is low in cost.


The utility model relates to a relieving attachment of a shaft joint bolt, which comprises a motor, a shaft joint, bolts and a water injection pump. The motor and the shaft joint are connected into a whole through the bolts by the shaft joint. A top cap, a bearing, a nut and a screw are arranged between the shaft joint and the water injection pump. The top cap is sleeved with one end of the screw, the nut is screwed with the screw, and the bearing is arranged between the top cap and the nut. A handgrip is arranged on the screw. When the bolt is disassembled, the nut is rotated and moves towards the bolt under the screw-thread effect between the screw and the nut; so the bolt is pushed out to complete the bolt disassembling work without taking out the bolt through a copper rod and a hammer. The time and the labor are saved, the convenience and the rapidness are realized, the security and the reliability are realized, and the personal injury accident does not occur.


Contents: W.A. Collins, Foreword: Contextualizing Middle Childhood: Beyond 1984. C.R. Cooper, C.T. Garcia Coll, W.T. Bartko, H. Davis, C. Chatman, Editors' Introduction. Part I:How Adults and Children, Through Their Perceptions and Actions, Connect Resources Across Family, School, and Community Contexts. H.B. Weiss, E. Dearing, E. Mayer, H. Kreider, K. McCartney, Family Educational Involvement: Who Can Afford It and What Does It Afford? J.A. Fredricks, S. Simpkins, J.S. Eccles, Family Socialization, Gender, and Participation in Sports and Instrumental Music. B. Thorne, Unpacking School Lunchtime: Structure, Practice, and the Negotiation of Differences. W.T. Bartko, The Contexts and Significance of Children's Everyday Experiences and Activities: A Commentary. Part II:How Low-Income Families and Children and Their Teachers Interpret and Use Contexts as Resources for Creating Pathways Through Childhood. D. Stipek, Children as Unwitting Agents in Their Developmental Pathways. E.D. Lowe, T.S. Weisner, S. Geis, A.C. Huston, Child-Care Instability and the Effort to Sustain a Working Daily Routine: Evidence From the New Hope Ethnographic Study of Low-Income Families. P. Blumenfeld, J. Modell, W.T. Bartko, W.G. Secada, J.A. Fredricks, J. Friedel, A. Paris, School Engagement of Inner-City Students During Middle Childhood. W.G. Secada, The Mediation of Contextual Resources. Part III:How Immigration Affects Children's Emerging Identities in Their Family, School, and Community Contexts. C.R. Cooper, C.T. Garcia Coll, B. Thorne, M.F. Orellana, Beyond Demographic Categories: How Immigration, Ethnicity, and "Race" Matter for Children's Emerging Identities and Pathways Through School. C.T. Garcia Coll, L.A. Szalacha, N. Palacios, Children of Dominican, Portuguese, and Cambodian Immigrant Families: Academic Attitudes and Pathways During Middle Childhood. C.R. Cooper, E. Dominguez, S. Rosas, Soledad's Dream: How Immigrant Children Bridge Their Multiple Worlds and Build Pathways to College. A.J. Fuligni, J. Alvarez, M. Bachman, D.N. Ruble, Family Obligation and the Academic Motivation of Young Children From Immigrant Families. V.C. McLoyd, Pathways to Academic Achievement Among Children From Immigrant Families: A Commentary. J.J. Goodnow, Contexts, Diversity, Pathways: Advances and Next Steps. A. Prout, Reflections on Childhood, Diversity, Pathways, and Context. C.R. Cooper, H. Davis, Epilogue: Mapping Concepts of Contexts, Diversity, and Pathways Across Disciplines.


The research aims to analyze the potential of using blockchain to promote integrated financial inclusion through Indonesian potential zakat funds. We use a qualitative approach (the business model canvas) as the analysis tool. We generate the data using the literature study. The essence of the zakat funds management implies that zakat assets should not be left idle. Further, greater zakat funds collected, managed, and distributed will deliver more benefits to mauquf alayh, greater divine rewards to the wakif,  and greater funds received by nazir. Our results indicate that the zakat blockchain programs offer various benefits because blockchain facilitates more decentralized and borderless transactions. The benefits include achieving targets more effectively; avoiding overlap; developing zakat more systematically; monitoring more effectively in planning, organizing, actuating, and evaluating nazhir zakat; and contributing to short, medium, and long-term national socioeconomic objectives. In sum, we conclude that more decentralized and borderless blockchain-facilitated transactions potentially enhance Indonesian zakat funds' potential collection and utilization.


This research aims to test the validity of constructs and reliability of research instruments related to online social interaction in assessment as learning studies. The respondents involved in this study were 200 students at the State University of Malang. The instrument is developed using the Likert scale with five answer options. Data from The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measurement showed a figure of 0.865, which falls into a good category and a communalities value of all grains over 0.4. Related to the reliability, Cronbach's alpha coefficient value of 0.925 indicates very reliable. The results showed that the instrument could be used for one of the related data looking at social interactions from online learning in which there is an assessment process in learning. There are seven components of instruments related to online social interaction, namely (1) Quality and quantity of interaction, (2) Online learning and social interaction, (3) Group task evaluation, (4) Individual learning, (5) Learning motivation, (6) Sense of humor and feeling, and (7) Self-reflection.


Background: Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell is a promising method in cancer immunotherapy but faces many challenges in solid tumors. One of the major problem was immunosuppression cased by PD-1.

Methods: The expression of c-Met in GC was analyzed from TCGA datasets, GC tissues and  cell lines. The c-Met CAR was a second generation CAR with 4-1BB, cMet-PD1/CD28 CAR was c-Met CAR adding PD1/CD28 fusion receptor. In vitro, we measured the changes of different subgroups, phenotypes and PD-1 expression in CAR-T cells. We detected the secretion levels of different cytokines and the killing ability of CAR-Ts. In vivo, we established a xenograft GC model and observed the anti-tumor effect and off-target toxicity of different CAR-Ts.

Findings: The expression of c-Met was increased in GC. CD3+CD8+ T cells and CD62L+CCR7+ central memory T cells (TCM) were increased in two CAR-Ts. The stimulation of target cells could promote the expression of PD-1 in c-Met CAR-T. Compared with Mock T (blank control), the secretion of cytokines as IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-10 secreted by two CAR-Ts were increased, the killing ability to c-Met positive GC cells were enhanced. The PD1/CD28 fusion receptor could further enhance the killing ability especially the long-term anti-tumor effect of c-Met CAR-T and reduce the release level of IL-6. CAR-Ts target c-Met had no obvious off-target toxicity to normal organs.

Interpretation: The PD1/CD28 fusion receptor could further enhance the anti-tumor ability of c-Met CAR-T, and provides a promising design strategy to improve the efficacy of CAR-T in GC.

Funding Statement: This study was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (31770537), Key Research and Development Project of Gansu Science and Technology Plan (18YF1WA113), Special Research Project of Lanzhou University Serving the Economic and Social Development of Gansu Province (054000282)

Declaration of Interests: The authors declared they have no conflict of interest.

Ethics Approval Statement: Approval of the Ethics Committee of Lanzhou University Second Hospital and informed consent of patients. Animal experiments were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of Lanzhou University Second Hospital, comply with the animal welfare.


Slot radiators in polarisation-selective dual-mode waveguide arrays present an unusual analytical problem since the radiating apertures may be three dimensional. This is the case when a typical slot in the broad wall is shunted by some kind of clearance notch in the centre wall of a dual-mode waveguide. This analysis describes the examination of a longitudinal slot straddling the bifurcation.


Iron is an indispensable trace element for human health. It is an important part of hemoglobin in the humanbody. It plays a vital role in hemoglobin transporting oxygen and carbon dioxide. This article analyzes thenutritional effects of food iron and vitamin A and foreign trade food vocabulary translation. With the continuousdevelopment of China's economic strength and the continuous enhancement of foreign trade, food trade is themost typical representative among them. In today's economic globalization, all kinds of Chinese cuisine arebrought to the international stage. If you want to strengthen domestic and foreign food trade activities, you mustexpress the characteristics of various foods in the correct translation, so that domestic and foreign food productscan be fully understood. As a general language, English can not only play an active role as a bridge and link inthe foreign trade of food, but also provide positive assistance for equal cooperation between the two sides. Thepositioning of trade vocabulary translation is based on vocabulary teaching and supplemented by culturalintroduction. The vocabulary is more of an external explicit form of expression, and culture is the inner implicitthing.


the people in the UN protected areas while its officials have no open access to the civilian population. Altogether 1626 people were expelled after the arrival of the UN protective force in the east sector, and the force admits that at least 500 people have been killed by Serbian paramilitary forces. We call on the international community, particularly doctors, to help in protecting the lives of these people now, when the winter has closed in on the starving, sick, young, and old. The presence of representatives of the international community and humanitarian organisations is necessary to protect the population. Although their presence may not be sufficient to prevent violations of the humanitarian law and abuses of the civilian population, their neutrality and independence may help "to defend those it assists, to keep them from dying of hunger, to protect them from ill-treatment, to make sure they do not 'disappear' and that they are not attacked" (J-L Blondel, extracts from the International Review of the Red Cross, Sept-Oct 1987).


A 23-year-old pregnant lady presented for foetal MRI with antenatal foetal ultrasound scan showing absence of sacral vertebrae. Foetal MRI revealed abnormal morphology of the spine with loss of normal tapering of terminal vertebrae, missing sacral vertebrae and shortened spine [Table/Fig-1]. The conus was centrally positioned in spinal canal and seem to be terminated at the level of L1 vertebra, morphology of termination was wedge-shaped with abrupt termination. There was shortening of dural sac with smooth tapering. Rest of the spinal survey did not reveal significant point of note relating to open spinal defects.


0 ST twentieth-century critics of Ben Jonson's Poetaster (1601) see the poet Ovid as an example of artistic and moral irresponsibility who is justly exiled by Augustus Caesar at the play's climax. They compare Ovid unfavorably with Vergil, the great poet, patriot, and moralist, and with Horace, the ideal satirist and watchman for the public welfare. To these critics Jonson's tenerovum lusor amorurn is a "libertine" and vicious sensualist whose corrupting influence must be excised from Vergil's Rome, even though the play's only more-or-less chastened fools, knaves, and poetasters are still there when the final scene ends.' I believe contemners of Ovid take too narrow a view of what constitutes moral judgment in Jonson's plays. The vitality of Poetaster flows from Jonson's whole-hearted effort to recapture as much as possible of the classical literary experience, including the Ovidian style, on a bare stage. Just as its successor Sejanus is an astonishing re-creation of Tacitean prose in the idiom of seventeenth-century stage English, Poetaster depicts the varied tonalities of Golden Age Latin poetry. It offers outright trans-


This paper has designed a structural health monitoring system to localize a defect on the wall of a rectangular tube by using space-frequency time reversal beamforming. The propagated electromagnetic wave in a metal rectangular tube is distorted by intermodal and intramodal dispersions. Time reversal beamforming is a novel signal processing technique which can alleviate the channel dispersions by back-propagating the time reversed signal in the problem medium by means of the exact Green's function. We use four ultrawideband printed quasi-Yagi antennas with the bandwidth of 4GHz at the central frequency 10GHz to excite several different wavemodes of an infinite rectangular metal tube. Finally, we show that the range resolution of the space-frequency time reversal and DORT time reversal are in good agreement.


Although location awareness is prevalent outdoors due to GNSS systems and devices, pedestrians are back into darkness in indoor buildings such as underground parking lots. Frequently we forget where we park the car and get confused by such maze-like structure. In order to track pedestrians without any additional equipment and map support, we propose PeTrack which is a smartphone-only approach that collects the inertial measurement unit (IMU) data for long-term tracking. Our intuition is to train the tracking model with crowdsourced outdoor trajectories, and infer customized user's trace with only inertial readings at indoors. Specially, we propose an inertial sequence learning framework with outdoor geo-tags. We also exploit opportunistic landmark detection and structure cues to refine the trajectory. We have developed a prototype and conducted experiments in an underground parking lot, and results have shown our effectiveness.


In the present work, the method of evaluation of component composition of natural gas is based on the decomposition of Raman spectrum into spectra of the individual components is described. To implementing of this method the spectral ranges 250-2500 cm-1 and 3600-3700 cm-1 were selected. The Raman spectra of the main components of natural gas are presented. Results of Raman gas analyzer approbation on a real natural gas sample are presented. A comparison of the experimental results obtained with the results of chromatographic analysis demonstrates their good agreement. It is experimentally established that the given Raman gas analyzer can reliably determine the content of all molecular natural gas components whose content exceeds 0.005% for 100 s.


Boiler pipes have important uses in steam and power generating plants. These pipes work with long life in hot thermal conditions. Damages that may occur in pipes cause serious losses such as cost loss and plant downtime. In this study, microstructure analysis was done for possible damages in boiler pipes operating under hot conditions.


We developed a strain measurement system based on optical frequency domain reflectometry and applied it to measuring strain distributions of a specimen in tensile tests. In the sensing region on the specimen, five FBG sensors of 6 mm gauge length or one of 100 mm gauge length was bonded and strain measurements were implemented with both configurations. By using the former configuration, we could successfully carry out accurate quasi-distributed strain measurements. The later allowed fully-distributed measurements for 100 mm at the high spatial resolution. Such performance of high resolution sensing can be applied to health monitoring of a structure which may have stress concentration. In this paper, we describe the principle of the measurement system and the results in the tensile tests.


Central banks may operate perfectly well without capital as conventionally defined. A large negative net worth, however, is likely to compromise central bank independence and interfere with its ability to attain policy objectives. If society values an independent central bank capable of effectively implementing monetary policy, recapitalization may become essential. Proper accounting practice in determining central bank profit or loss and rules governing the transfer of the central bank`s operating result to the treasury are also important. A variety of country-specific central bank practices are reviewed to support the argument.


The uptake of fertilizer P by winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was investigated for four Southern Plains soils in 900-cm 2 field plots over 4 yr, to quantify the relative availability and uptake of native, fertilizer, and residual fertilizer P. Statistically significant differ ences between duplicated treatments were determined by analysis of variance. Winter wheat was harvested 70 d after the September planting. At this time the proportion of soil Bray P from native and residual P increased (3.7- to 4.6-fold) with successive annual fertil izer P applications (30 kg P ha -I yr- I), while that from fertilizer P


The global burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is significant, and largely fuelled by the epidemics of diabetes and hypertension. CKD is a major risk factor for end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), cardiovascular disease (CVD) and premature death. In Australia, data on the prevalence of CKD are limited, and the best available evidence to estimate the CKD burden is drawn from renal replacement therapy (RRT) data. At the end of 2015, the number of patients receiving RRT was 968 per million population and continuing to rise. Evidence suggests that progression and adverse outcomes of CKD can be prevented or delayed by detecting and treating the disease in its initial stages. Unfortunately, CKD is asymptomatic until the kidney function declines by up to 90%; this makes it essential to detect the disease early. Hence, many clinical practice guidelines recommend that individuals with risk factors should be screened for CKD. In light of this evidence, globally, several targeted screening programs have been implemented in various community settings. However, the overall success of these programs is uncertain. Therefore, the aim of Project I was to conduct a systematic review of the literature to determine whether targeted screening programs are effective in identification of early stages of CKD.
Despite advancements in the early detection and prevention of CKD, availability of clinical practice guidelines, and development of risk stratification tools, 17% of new patients were referred late to nephrologists for the management of ESKD in Australia. Pharmacists are highly accessible and in a good position to engage people within the community who are not aware of their risks and less likely to access general practice care. Thus, a pharmacist-initiated CKD risk assessment service could help to identify at-risk patients and refer them to general practitioners (GP) for further evaluation and management. Therefore, the aim of Project II was to implement and evaluate a CKD risk assessment service in community pharmacies.
Public awareness of CKD is an important determinant of the uptake of screening programs, which may help to address the CKD burden. However, there is a lack of understanding amongst the Australian community about the preventability of major health conditions. Additionally, even amongst sub-group of Australian cohorts with the greatest risk of CKD, the knowledge of CKD risk factors and the recall of kidney function testing were found to be limited. Hence, a final Project III to determine the Australian public knowledge about CKD was conducted.
Aim of the thesis
The overall aim of this thesis was to identify and implement strategies that could help to improve the early detection and management of CKD in Australia.
Methods
Project I
All observational studies of targeted screening programs implemented in any community-based setting were systematically identified and analysed. The main outcome measures were the percentage of participants with positive screening results and diagnosed with CKD at follow-up, and screening tests used to detect evidence of CKD.
Project II
A prospective cohort study in 24 Tasmanian community pharmacies was conducted. Prior to implementation, community pharmacists were trained to perform the CKD risk assessment service. Pharmacists were required to identify people with CKD risk factors and recruit them for risk assessment. The QKidney® risk calculator was used to estimates the eligible participants' five-year percentage risk of developing moderate-severe CKD. Participants identified with ≥ 3% risk were referred to their GP and followed-up after nine months. Next, laboratory data were collected from the pathology provider. The main outcome measures were rates of GP referral uptake and of participants who underwent estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and urine albumin creatinine ratio (ACR) measurement. Community pharmacists' qualitative interviews were conducted, post-intervention, to explore the challenges faced by them during the implementation of the CKD service. Lastly, patient satisfaction with the CKD service was evaluated using a nine-item satisfaction survey which also included an additional question on willingness to pay.
Project III
A 24-item CKD knowledge questionnaire was developed, validated and used to conduct an online cross-sectional survey of the Australian public. Participants could achieve a maximum score of 24 on the questionnaire. Next, a standard multiple regression analysis was performed to identify predictors of the public knowledge of CKD.
Results and discussion
Project I
Out of nine studies included in the systematic review analysis, eight reported the percentage of participants with positive screening test results, which ranged from 7% to 60.3%. The percentage of participants diagnosed with CKD at follow-up was reported by only two studies, which was 17.1% and 20.5%. The most commonly used screening tests were ACR (≥ 3.4 mg/mmol) and eGFR (< 60 mL/min/1.73m\(^2\)).
Our analysis showed that although a considerable percentage of participants are being identified with positive screening test results, follow-up diagnostic tests for these participants was either not reported or performed by many studies. In general, this review indicated that screening programs should appropriately use the clinical guidelines in order to detect CKD. These steps are vital to determine the actual effectiveness of targeted screening and prevent over-diagnosis.
Project II
A total of 389 participants were recruited by the pharmacies, 203 (52.1%) of whom had ≥ 3% five-year risk of developing moderate-severe CKD and were referred to their GP. Follow-up was successful for 126 participants and showed low (27%) GP referral uptake. Analysis of the pathology data revealed suboptimal kidney testing in participants with ≥ 3% risk, with eGFR and ACR tests performed for only 52.7% and 25.1% of these participants, respectively. Thus, although the in-pharmacy CKD risk assessment service, with its targeting, identified a high proportion of people at ≥ 3% risk of developing moderate-severe CKD within five years, the low GP referral uptake was a major hindrance to the efficacy of the service.
The qualitative analysis showed that pharmacists found the CKD service to be efficient, user-friendly and of significant benefit to their customers. However, several pharmacists observed that customers lacked interest in disease prevention, and had limited understanding of CKD. More importantly, pharmacists perceived the scope of pharmacy practice to be significantly dependent on the inter-professional collaboration between pharmacists and general practitioners (GPs), and customers' acknowledgement of the role of pharmacists in disease prevention.
Responses to the satisfaction survey (n = 143) revealed that the majority of the participants agreed that the time required to undergo the risk assessment process was justified (90.2%), overall they were satisfied with the CKD risk assessment service (90.0%), and they felt comfortable with the pharmacist referring their results to their doctor (88.9%). Of 136 participants who answered the question on willingness to pay, 62.9% indicated that they would pay for the CKD service.
Project III
A total of 934 participants (Australian public ≥ 18 years) provided complete responses to the CKD knowledge questionnaire. The mean (SD) knowledge score of the Australian public was 10.3 (± 5.0) out of 24. In the multivariate analysis, the statistically significant predictors of the knowledge score were level of education, marital status (lower scores in those who were single/never married), a family history of kidney failure and a personal history of diabetes. The results of this survey showed that the Australian public knowledge of CKD was relatively poor.
Conclusion
Overall, the projects described in this thesis identified some effective strategies which could help to improve the early detection and management of CKD, and consequently, reduce its burden in Australia. Primarily, it was established that any targeted CKD screening program must adhere to the clinical practice guidelines on early CKD detection, prevention and management. Next, it was determined there is a significant scope for improving the public awareness of CKD and its early detection via implementation of a community pharmacy-based CKD risk assessment service. However, there is a need to explore effective strategies which would help to improve the inter-professional collaboration between community pharmacists and GPs. Additionally, integrating the CKD service with other pharmacy services, such as medication review, and providing verbal education to participants during risk assessment may help to improve its feasibility. Lastly, it was ascertained that there is a need to improve the public understanding of kidneys and knowledge on CKD through nationwide awareness programs.


Industry 4.0, Industrial Internet of Things, Cyber-Physical Production Systems and Smart Factories are closely related emerging concepts expected to drive significant improvements in industrial production systems, with gains in efficiency, cost and customer satisfaction. These concepts are intimately associated with highly distributed and cooperative architectures that rely, naturally, on the network infrastructure. However, traditional industrial communication technologies hardly provide the required level of integration, flexibility and performance. Seeking a solution to this mismatch, we assess two technologies that appeared recently in the industrial realm, namely IEEE 802.1 Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) and Software-Defined Networking (SDN). TSN and SDN are fundamentally different, thus having distinct strengths and weaknesses. This paper reviews their fundamental operation principles, evaluating them qualitatively against the specific requirements posed by Industry 4.0.


This aim of this study is to obtain the landslide susceptibility, and the maximum number of reinforcements needed for road embankment. It also aims at verifying the empirical formulation used in the previous research. Based on the value of the safety factor, circular center, resistance moment and other landslide variables, the limit equilibrium method by Bishop simplified, was used to obtain the empirical formulation of the number of reinforcements. The verification process was carried out on an embankment dimension of 8 meter (which is different from the data used in the previous studies). The result obtained indicated that the empirical formulation which was developed to obtain the susceptibility of landslides on road embankment, based on the maximum number of reinforcements is inadequate to generalize all the conditions in the area. This formula is optimal for certain heights and subgrade which are similar to the data used in the other study. The simplification of the previously developed formulation needs to be carried out, in order for it to be used in various field conditions.


This paper introduces the simulation research and design of a finger assisted exoskeleton. The purpose of this project is to speed up the rehabilitation of patients with loss of human limb motor function caused by stroke and provide power-assisted exercise equipment. This paper designs a multi-degree of freedom finger exoskeleton system to assist patients in bending and stretching exercise. Through a series of repetitive training and treatment, it increases the possibility of restoring finger motor function. By analysing the basic structure of human finger system, the finger movement is divided into grasping and grasping, and the dynamics of finger exoskeleton system is calculated. The 3D modelling of finger exoskeleton is established by using SolidWorks software, and the DH parameter table and kinematics equation of the exoskeleton are calculated. Combined with MATLAB software, the trajectory planning and related index parameters are generated. Finally, the rationality of the theoretical model is verified by comparing the simulation data and theoretical calculation data, It provides important data and theoretical basis for later finger exoskeleton motion control and model manufacturing.


ROM THE ONSET of the 1984-85 dry season in Indochina, the I Vietnamese seized the military initiative. By the time their offensive had run its course, their expeditionary force in Kampuchea had captured the major base camps of the Khmer People's National Liberation Front, the Khmer Rouge and the Sihanoukists along the border with Thailand. Notwithstanding this military achievement, they did not destroy the military structure of the Khmer resistance. In the most important case, the Khmer Rouge, their main forces dispersed rather than give battle and regrouped in smaller units. They have continued to pose an insurgent challenge in the interior of Kampuchea, particularly in the fertile Tonle-Sap region, and to strike at Vietnamese lines of communication to the Thai border.' Whatever the effect of that dry season offensive on the international standing of the Coalition Government of Democratic Kampuchea and on the credibility of China as its principal patron, the military outcome in Kampuchea has not been conclusive. Moreover, at the level of diplomatic confrontation between the Indochinese states and ASEAN, attitudes have hardened, so that Indonesia is now less of a dissenting member of the association.2 As a consequence, the underlying obstacles to a political settlement of the Kampuchea issue have not been overcome in any sense. The object of this article is to identify those obstacles which have made the Third Indochina War a more complex and intractable, if less dramatic, problem than its two predecessors. The prime obstacle to a political settlement in Indochina is a fundamental conflict of security priorities expressed with reference to the appropriate political identity and external affiliations of Kampuchea.


Each year, the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) collects information from more than 21,000 facilities on the quantities of TRI-listed chemicals they recycle, combust for energy recovery, treat for destruction, and dispose of or otherwise release both on and off site as part of their normal operations. These quantities are collectively referred to as the quantity of productionrelated waste managed.


Introduction : Key health policy imperatives within the National Health Service (NHS) in England over recent years have seen an increase in the use of risk stratification tools and case finding activities, particularly in relation to identifying individuals at risk of unplanned admission to hospital. A common belief is that those at risk of emergency admission are a homogenous group, generally elderly, frail, multi-morbid and have had a high degree of hospital use in the past. This work illustrates that this is not the case and that there is a need to do more than just use a risk stratification algorithm to identify high risk patients - there is a benefit in using integrated data sets and analytical techniques to gain greater insight into what drives risk and identifying the different types of individuals within the high risk category. Method : An exercise was undertaken within Slough Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) in Berkshire to profile the whole population (c. 150,000 individuals). A data set combining primary and secondary care records that contained data relating to all diagnoses, degree of morbidity burden, risk of future adverse events (e.g. hospitalisation, high cost) and prior activity and cost was used. The analysis focused on relationships and correlations between variables such as age, multi-morbidity, frailty and presence of specific diseases and prior cost and future risk of adverse outcomes. Results : Results will be shared that have provided the CCG and GPs with a new understanding about the key drivers of cost and how the overlap between different at-risk groups is not as large as the CCG first thought. A key finding is that multi-morbidity rather than age is the key driver of prior cost and future risk. The analysis has also revealed new insights for the CCG including: - Multi-morbidity is the norm – it is more common for people to have multiple chronic conditions than to have just one. - Multi-morbidity is not distributed evenly across a population - case-mix varies quite significantly between GP practices. - Multi-morbidity occurs in the whole of the adult population, not just in the elderly. - Multi-morbidity rather than individual diseases such as diabetes or COPD significantly increase future risk. Discussion : There has been a focus within the NHS on preventing unplanned admissions to hospital and the principle use of risk stratification tools and case finding techniques has been to identify people at risk of this adverse outcome. However, the analysis undertaken in Slough CCG raises a number of interesting issues which include: - 40% of high cost patients do not have an emergency admission. - High cost individuals occur across all of the adult population not just in the elderly. - Frail elderly patients only represent a small proportion of those who are going to be high cost or are at risk on an emergency admission. - People with certain diseases are more expensive to treat than others but cost and risk increase significantly in people with certain co-morbidity combinations. As a result of this, Slough CCG and GPs have begun to focus on patients with multi-morbidity and to think about the management of the totality of patients' morbidity burden rather than managing individual diseases. They are also using this new intelligence to commissioning new services where there are gaps in provision. One example is a GP led service proactively managing 550 patients with certain disease combinations through a 6-month programme of care. Each patient will have an initial review by their GP and then a series of regular consultations aimed at managing them in a holistic way. Input and support will come from community based services, hospital based specialists and from the voluntary sector. This "Complex Case Management Service" is improving quality and reducing hospital use. Conclusion : Slough CCG will continue to focus on reducing emergency admissions, managing individual diseases and supporting the frail elderly as these will remain key national policy imperatives. However, as a result of this population profiling exercise they have a better appreciation of multi-morbidity as a key driver of cost and are now using this as a locus for their thinking, how services are provided and the case finding techniques to identify cohorts of people who may be amenable to particular care programmes.


Diabetic retinopathy is the most common diabetic eye disease and a leading cause of blindness in the world. Diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy at an early stage can be done through the segmentation of blood vessels of the retina. In this work, the performance of descriptive statistical features in retinal vessel cellular division is evaluated by using an artificial neural network classifier (ANN). Early diagnosis is crucial in Diabetic Retinopathy (DR), to avoid further complications. The disease can be classified into one of two stages (an early stage of no proliferative and a later stage of proliferative diabetic retinopathy), diagnosed based on existence and quantity of a characteristic set of lesion in Eye Fundus Images (EFI). It is therefore important to segment sufficient regions of potential lesions, to highlight and classify the lesions and the degree of DR. Density clustering methods are favorable candidates to isolate individual lesions, and should be used together with effective techniques for vascular tree removal, feature extraction and classification. The experimental results confirmed that the descriptive statistical features can be employed in retinal vessel segmentation and can be used in rule-based and supervised classifiers.


The stories of new Nordic flavours, live reptiles at the famous Restaurant Noma, and culinary memories from one's own childhood are all never-ending sources of seduction for the big city gourmet The journey from Copenhagen's centre to Restaurant Noma, situated in the historic shipyards where Danes once prepared for battle against Swedes, feels like a pilgrimage. The midday light pours onto the quayside, reflecting off the restaurant's dark windows. It is said that the dishes served up inside ...


Abstract New sample of X-ray galaxies selected from 2XMMi catalogue in SDSS region is analysed in this work. Spatial distribution and X-ray AGN spectral properties are discussed. A new method for extragalactic filament detection and description is proposed.


There is a contradictive situation between the theory that believes that high volcanic hazard areas should be for limited production zones and those areas that are intensively utilised for several production activities. This paper tries to discuss that contradictive situation from both the perspective of natural hazards and natural resources, therefore, the best options for the land utilisation pattern might be formulated at these high volcanic hazards areas. We conducted landscape analysis that covers volcanic morphology, volcanic materials, and both natural and artificial processes that modify the morphology and materials characteristics. The natural processes occurring in the high volcanic hazard might cover non-volcanic processes such as erosion and landslide. The artificial processes were usually considered as land utilisation activities by the local community. In such areas where both natural and artificial processes occurred, we conducted in-depth interviews to assess the community perception on thread and benefits of the last Kelud Eruption in February 2014. We evaluated the current land resources utilisation and portrayed the local adaptive land resource utilisation. There were three types of land resources available at the active volcano: space, natural scenery, and volcanic materials. The availability of these land resources was in a dynamic condition both in terms of quality and quantity. Immediately after the eruption, the natural scenery made the area attractive as a tourist destination. Following the high intensity of rainfall, the volcanic materials might be used as high-quality construction materials. The available space might be utilised for any purposes after the situation became relatively stable. The current space was mostly used for agricultural enterprises which accommodates the physical and socio-cultural characteristics of the active volcano environment.


This empirical investigation examines the long memory or long range dependence in the Indian stock market vis-a-vis market efficiency. The researcher examined the daily data of the major indices and large, liquid common stocks using the Rescaled range (R/S) analysis to measure the Hurst exponent using both static and dynamic approach. The researcher evidences significant long range dependence in all the tested indices and many individual stocks. The results are not consistent with weak form efficiency in the Indian stock market. The dynamic approach evidences time dependence and rejects both the notion of evolving efficiency through the passage of time and permanent increase in efficiency subsequent to both market reforms and improved trading practices in the Indian stock market. The results are robust to alternate time domain and frequency domain measures of Hurst exponent.


Many current fault localization approaches use test information to identify bugs in source codes, assuming that test cases satisfying a certain test adequacy criterion can provide adequate information for fault localization. Unfortunately due to the different purposes of fault locating and testing, test information is not sufficient for fault localization and can have a significant impact on performance. An alternative approach is a formula-based technique to fault localization, that's an algorithmic method that could provide distinctive facts for the recognized root causes. This paper presents a novel idea of automatic fault localization by exploiting counterexamples generated by a model checker. We decided to evaluate the Tarantula algorithm for efficiency by using an Abstract reachability graph (ARG) instead of test suites, the key idea to find correlations between execution events and path outcomes — those events that correlate most highly with failure are suggested as places to begin an investigation. We (1) applied test-based tarantula to software verification and implemented it in a state of the art formal verification framework (CPAchecker), and (2) we conducted the first experimental evaluation between formal-based Tarantula against formal-based DStar and Ochiai and then against test-based Tarantula approach using Klee and VeriFuzz test suites generators on a set of benchmarks. The results show that the formula-based approach on ARG can be significantly more effective in locating faults than the other considered techniques based on testsuite generators, showing that our approach is promising and capable of quickly and precisely localizing faults.


The central theme of this year's regular refresher course for pediatricians at Tulane, Feb. 11 through 16 inclusive, will be "Accidents." Visiting faculty members for the course will include Dr. George Wheatley, New York City, Dr. Albert D. Kaiser, Rochester, N.Y. and Dr. Irvin Kerlan, Washington, D.C. Major emphasis will be paid to defining the pediatrician's role in community planning for prevention and management.
 Those interested should communicate directly with the Department of Pediatrics or the Division of Graduate Medicine, Tulane Medical School, 1430 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans.


This paper examines how Qatar used the 2022 FIFA World Cup as a platform to address global Islamophobia. Taking place in the context of a conference on Islamophobia at Georgetown University in Qatar, the study analyzes the role Western media played in reinforcing negative stereotypes and biases against Muslims before and during the event. It highlights Qatar's wide-ranging efforts to educate the public, influence policy, and promote open discussions on how to counteract these prejudices. Special attention is given to the significant role of sports celebrities, particularly football star Mo Salah, in reducing anti-Muslim sentiment. Empirical data support the idea that Salah's public Muslim identity contributed to a decline in hate crimes and negative social media chatter. Additionally, the study explores the possible positive impact, known as the "Qatar effect," that hosting the World Cup could have on reducing negative attitudes towards Muslims. This is similar to how Mo Salah's presence and influence have positively affected public opinion, known as the "Salah effect." The paper also discusses how Qatar infused cultural elements, like Quranic verses and Bedouin traditions, into the event to foster a broader understanding and appreciation of its heritage. It further addresses ethical and human rights concerns such as the conditions of migrant workers and civil liberties, emphasizing the inconsistency in how the world reacts to these issues in different contexts. Overall, this research offers a comprehensive look at how the 2022 FIFA World Cup served as a stage for Qatar to influence global perspectives on Islamophobia while shedding light on the social and political complexities tied to hosting a world-renowned event.


Corrosion of the reinforcing steel is a primary deterioration mechanism for reinforced concrete bridges. The spatial distribution of such spalling, relative to bar splices and laps, has not been considered in previous studies and may have a significant influence on structural capacity. In this paper, a modified area concept for considering this spalling is proposed. A methodology has been developed that employs this concept for the practical evaluation of existing bridges. It uses graphical spalling surveys, reinforcement layout information, and existing information regarding material and geometric properties as inputs for the flexural and shear analysis of deteriorated bridge girders. This methodology is easily adapted for full bridge analysis and to consider the effects of bar section loss and bond deterioration. A case study bridge is evaluated to show that this methodology offers a viable tool for the rapid assessment of spalled bridge girders to facilitate the prioritization of rehabilitation projects.


With high resolution QuickBird image, based on the analysis of the current methods of measuring vegetation coverage degree(f-c),this paper has developed the dimidiate pixel model for quantifying vegetation fraction from normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). In the improved model, f-c was calculated by the formula: f-c=(NDVI-NDVI- soil )/(NDVI- veg -NDVI- soil ), where NDVI- soil and NDVI- veg represent the NDVI value of pure pixel of barren soil and vegetation, respectively. Using this model to monitor land, the results showed that the monitor effect for vegetation coverage degree of forest land converted from cropland was limited by the size of crown of a tree. It was not good for the small trees whose age were not more than 1 year, but it was good for these trees whose age were more than 2.5 years, of which the average estimated accuracy was more than 83% in the study region. So it will be feasible to use this improved model to monitor vegetation coverage degree of forestland converted from cropland (tree age is more than 2.5 years) from QuickBird data.


Building Design Partnership (BDP) the UK's largest multi‐discipline design practice, has been using the text‐retrieval package MINISIS since mid‐1987 to improve the retrieval of technical information inhouse. This has been part of a programme of improvement of BDP's information services. Following a review of BDP's information services by an external consultant in 1986, the post of Information Manager was created in early 1987. At that time there were libraries in five of the eight UK offices of BDP; but only two of those libraries had card indexes to their stock. The libraries lacked sufficient skilled staff. As BDP expanded so did the library stock and the lack of adequate indexes became problematic.


Metacognition skill is important for every individual to be able to understand their own way of thinking and to choose the most appropriate strategy for himself. Stimulation to develop metacognition skills in early childhood can be done through routine (Story-Plan-Review and Portfolio Discussion) which is a series of activities consisting of Metacognition components performed by children every day. This routine makes the children being trained to be able to think about how they think automatically because of habit factors. The result of metacognition knowledge assessment shows that 90% of respondents were able to identify things that they consider can facilitate themselves in doing a task, while 87% of respondents were able to identify the things that they perceive can complicate themselves in finishing a task. 87% of respondents can also explain that they have chosen to do things that they consider can make it easier and try to avoid or find a way out to deal with difficult things when completing a task. 12 students who are able to answer 9 questions from 10 questions asked by researcher about metacognition knowledge are the students that present at least 88% of total effective days in academic year. From the findings above it can be concluded that metacognition can be developed in early childhood through routine activities.


In order to improve the quality of medical service, shorten the working time of both doctors and nurses, strengthen the communication between patients and doctors, an intelligent mobile terminal was designed to nurse the patients and build the online and offline platform for interactions between patients and doctors based on multi-agent, intelligent recognition, short message service and application. The platform can nurse the patients instantly and holistically by simple operation, collect the complex medical data effectively by the application and complete the heavy task on patient data management and daily nursing with various agent units on hardware and software. Meanwhile, the platform can mingle the doctors with patients whenever needed, even after doctor's work based on the online and offline models with the help of short message service. Doctors and nurses will serve the patient better with the intelligent platform.


Efficiency of resource planning and organisation in hospitals gains importance from both the perspective of the hospital and health insurers, who require efficient utilisation of the scarce resources, and from the perspective of the patients, who demand an efficient sojourn in the hospital, at obviously an adequate cost level.Efficient design of hospitals and their departments and efficient utilisation of available resources is beneficial for both cost efficiency of the hospital and for sojourn time efficiency of patients. As a hospital, in general, is a highly complex organisation, and flows of patients through hospital departments may be very complex, too, exact mathematic solutions of networks of queues and optimal solutions for these networks are unlikely to be available. In this research, we propose queueing models for separate departments and separate patient flows. We analyse and optimise in the framework of queueing theory and Markov Decision theory. We will focus on the hospital from both a department and a patient point of view. Specifically, we will apply the model for Bed Occupancy Optimisation under Indonesian National Health Insurance (JKN- Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional)


Through a comprehensive investigation of the current status of mine refrigeration system,the key of improving the economical efficiency of the system,meeting the cooling requirements and saving energy is to optimize the procedure of energy consumption.In order to find the key factor of improving energy efficiency,several energy consumption indicators of the mine refrigeration system were contrasted,and the energy efficiency ratio of EER(Energy Efficiency Ratio) index was adopted in analysis.Comparative analysis methods were employed to calculate the energy efficiency ratios of four kinds of refrigeration systems used in the South African Harmony gold mine,the Sun Village coal mine and the Tangkou mine.The results show that the energy efficiency ratio of the ice cooling system is the highest-the ratio of Tangkou coal mines reaches 1.92;on the other hand,the power ratio of the water chiller is relatively higher,which indicates the key to improve the refrigeration system energy efficiency ratio is to reduce the power of the water chiller.The conclusion play a guiding role in reducing energy consumption and improving the economical efficiency of mine.


The problem of sexual harassment in work settings has received little empirical examination to date. This study used mailed questionnaires to elicit respondents' opinions about sexual harassment and their perceptions of its incidence, scope and recourses taken by victims. Systematic samples were drawn from a blue collar union's rosters of male and female members. The findings indicated that twentythree percent of the respondents felt they had been sexually harassed (thirty-six percent of the women and eight percent of the men). Whereas the women viewed the problem in power-dominance terms, the men did not. Other findings in relation to scope and recourses are discussed. This study examines the problem of sexual harassment in blue-collar work settings A review of the literature showed only three studies of sexual harassment using scientific sampling techniques, which were done by the Federal Merit Systems Protection Board and Gutek, et al, in 1980 and 1981. This lack of attention in the scientific literature cannot be used as an indicator of its importance. As a social problem it has elicited growing public awareness, as shown in recent popular magazines and films and in recent public law and rulings, such as the 1964 Civil Rights Act and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidelines. Sexual harassment is the unwanted imposition of sexual behavior within the context of an unequal power relationship (MacKinnon, 1979:1). Max Weber defined power as, "the probability that one actor within a social relationship will be in a position to carry out his/her own will despite resistance, regardless of the basis on which this probability rests," (1947:142). This definition was used to conceptualize the potential dimensions of sexual harassment. Appreciation is expressed to Dr. Thomas Keefe, to James Skaine and to Dr. Jerry Stockdale for their helpful comments on an earlier draft of this paper. This study was funded from the Graduate College and the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Northern Iowa. Sexual harassment has been thought to occur when a person in a position to control or influence another person's job or career uses the position's authority and power to coerce the person into sexual relations, or to punish the person if he/she refuses (Alliance Against Sexual Coercion, 1978:2). Sexual harassment has negative effects upon its victims. If the victim complains, reprisals, such as dismissal, reprimands, sabotage of work, increased workloads, and poor personnel reports may occur (AASC, 1977:45). A recent survey reported that victims expressed feelings of powerlessness, self-consciousness, defeat, diminished ambition, decreased job satisfaction, impaired job performance, and physical symptoms (Safran, 1976). The Federal Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) survey reported that most victims felt that either their work or their emotional or physical condition became worse. Examples of how sexual harassment affects its victims are plentiful in the literature. One Redbook study respondent said, "I was fired because I refused to give (sic) at the office," (Safran, 1976:149). Another said, "I've never felt so helpless and intimidated. When I complain, my boss says that the wrongdoing is in my imagination. Half the time he has me feeling guilty. . ." (Safran, 1976:149). A woman lawyer, who refused the attention of a powerful attorney in her firm reported how it affected her: My health began to suffer. The tension involved in trying continually to fend him off without risking his ire was almost too much for me. I began to experience painful constrictions in my chest -I was convinced I was heading for a heart attack (Backhouse and Cohen, 1981:20). A woman construction worker who experienced sexual harassment from the men on the job concluded: Sexual harassment is a good way to get back at you. It's their way of saying you're a nonperson, only a sexual object. They're right, it's completely humiliating, one of the toughest things to fight. It dehumanizes you when people are grabbing at you and yelling obscenities (Backhouse and Cohen, 1981:13). The incidence of sexual harassment in work settings varies depending upon the survey viewed. The survey conducted by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (Local 1585) at Michigan State University found 73 percent of the women custodians responding considered sexual harassment to be a problem (Farley, 1978). A 1976 Redbook reader survey found that 88 percent of the 9,000 responding women in white collar jobs reported sexual harassment at work (Safran, 1976). A 1980 survey of 23,000 federal employees concluded that 25 percent of all federal workers (42 percent of the women and 15 percent of the men) have been victims of sexual harassment in some form (Merit Systems Protection Board, 1981:3, 34-35). The Gutek study (1981) concluded that 53% of women and 37% of men had been harassed. A survey conducted on a U.S. naval base found that 81 percent of the women had experienced it (MacKinnon, 1979). Except for the MSPB and Gutek (1981) studies, the non-random sample of these studies dictates that their conclusions be considered only suggestive.


Preliminary results are presented that infer that 2 sec should be added to the tabular values for P phases and 4 sec to the tabular values for S phases of seismic travel times. From seismic evidence, the radius of the inner core of the Earth is 1229-1250 km; the radius of the outer core is 3482-3485 km. Data are presented relating resolving power with error of measurement for the Earth's mantle.


For the past 20 years Bangladeshs family planning program has been based on door-to-door contraceptive delivery in part to work within gender-related constraints on womens mobility. This paper presents findings from study sites where the transition from home to clinic-based services is underway. It documents how communities and programs are responding to policy changes in a dynamic service environment and social context; how women who previously relied on home delivery now obtain contraceptives; how clients and families are responding to nongovernmental organizations' (NGOs) efforts to improve quality and cost recovery; and how clients are adapting to the new program norms. Overall reactions to the new clinic-based services have been highly favorable. With some caveats the redesigned NGO service delivery systems are emphasizing many aspects of quality care that clients genuinely value. Women have gained more access to a wider range of contraceptive methods. However clients are still somewhat suspicious of providers motives. It is then suggested that NGOs should continue to provide information and support so that existing demand for services and the loosening restrictions on womens mobility translate into effective and satisfactory service utilization.


ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iv APPROVAL SHEET v SUBMISSION OF DISSERTATION vi DECLARATION vii TABLE OF CONTENTS viii LIST OF TABLES xi LIST OF FIGURES xiv LIST OF SYMBOLS / ABBREVIATIONS xix LIST OF APPENDICES xxi


— In this paper A CMOS single output 2 stage operational amplifier is conferred that operates at 1.5 V power offer at 0.12micrometer (i.e., one hundred twenty nm) technology. It's designed to fulfil a group of provided specifications. The distinctive behaviour of the MOSFET in sub- threshold region not only permits a designer to figure at low input bias current however conjointly at low voltage. This op-amp has terribly low standby power consumption with a high driving capability and operates at low voltage in order that the circuit operates at low power. The op-amp provides a gain of 20.4dB and bandwidth 202 kHz also provide bandwidth of 2.15MHz for unity gain a load at five pF. This op-amp incorporates a PSRR (+) of 85.0 dB and a PSRR (-) of 60.0 dB. It's a CMRR (dc) of 64.4 dB, an output slew rate of 12.465 v/μs. The power consumption for the op-amp is 0.9mW. The op-amp is meant within the 120nm technology.


The central themes of Jesus' preaching, the kingdom and household of God, are root metaphors expressing the symbolic universe of God's patronage subverting patronage and patriarchy structuring contemporary Mediterranean society, thus legitimising an anti-hierarchical community of faith. This dominant focus of Jesus' message was discarded, as society's prevalent patronage and patriarchy became the societal structure of the later faith communities. Today, patronage and patriarchy still forms the social structure for a large sector of Christian communities and many cultures, resulting in inequality, injustice, exploitation and suffering. This article proposes that the only remedy for the faithful is a return to Jesus' essential message, by investigating the social dynamics suggested by these root metaphors using metaphor theory and social scientific methods. Patronage is studied within contemporary Roman and Mediterranean aristocratic patriarchal society, forming an a-typical broad-based needle-like power pyramid with multiple similarly structured power pyramids within, based on a morality of indebtedness, honour and power. Jesus accepted God as his father and declared the advent of God's patronage as king (kingdom of God) and father of the faithful (children of God). Within the kingdom and household of God, there was no hierarchy, except for the primate of the first born son, whom Jesus symbolises as broker for God's patronage to all his followers. Within the faith communities there should be no hierarchy or any form of clientage other than God's patronage. Rather, the faithful are equal and should serve each other and their communities with compassion, responsibility and justice. Contribution: The contribution of this research is its focus on similarity and dissimilarity of these patronage metaphors and their application to subvert the power dynamics of patronage and patriarchy within the community of the faithful, in order to proffer God's patronage of a society of caring, selfless equals today. This research falls within the scope of HTS Theological studies, as it is a multi-disciplinary study of key biblical metaphors investigated with accepted methodology resulting in valid conclusions which are ethically sound.


The synthesis and characterization of a novel polythiophene substituted with a 2′-pentyloxy-5′-(1″′-oxooctyl) phenyl group (PPOPT) is reported. The bulk transport properties of thin films of PPOPT are investigated by admittance spectroscopy. The dramatic effect of the phenyl side chain on the mobility of positive carriers in films of PPOPT is described. The photophysics of PPOPT in both solution and thin film is also investigated and correlated to substituent-driven intrachain and interchain arrangements. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011.


Digital applications in teaching and learning is an urgent need since the online learning system is believed to be able to significantly improve the quality of education due to its nature in passing through time and space which are now very limited. And now, 3D interface system used as a media of online learning has perfected the system of 2D interface system. However, what kind of 3D interface system should be designed in order to increase students' interactivity and engagement towards the system? This paper details a design of 3D interface that can meet the demands of interactivity and engagement required to the system. By applying the Qualitative-Interactive approach, initially data were collected through literature study and interviews with several experienced practitioners in the field of online learning. Based on the results of data analysis, it was concluded that there were two key features that should be included in the design of 3D interface, namely avatar and environment. The presence of both features is expected to increase students' interactivity and engagement towards online learning system. A prototype design was created to provide a more concrete picture on the benefits and the ease of use of 3D interface system equipped with avatar and environment features.


The paper describes combustion anomalies of various types randomly or permanently occurring while hydrogen is burnt in a supercharged spark ignited reciprocating engine. The anomalies were mainly identified as result of combustion pressure data analysis. Originally, the engine was a compression ignition one fuelled with diesel fuel. Modifications done on the engine dealt with decrease in its geometric compression ratio and equipping it with a spark plug located in diesel fuel injector position. The anomalies presented in the paper are typically associated with several abnormal phenomena as follows: flame propagation into intake manifold called back-fire, hydrogen spontaneous ignition by hot surface, flame propagation during valves overlap and extinguishing spark discharge flame kernel by high turbulence around a spark plug. These anomalies were observed in the supercharged engine, however, some of them were also detected while the engine was operated as a freely aspirated one. As investigated, some of these malfunctions would have been removed by change in engine operating parameters. Others need major changes in both exhaust pipeline geometry, hydrogen injection system, engine cylinder geometry and valve timing.


Objective Discusses clinical practice value of the simple expiration peak current-meter in the foundation hospital application to the child asthma.Method The choose 26 example asthma baby make study,7 week monitor expiration peak speed of flow value,calculates the PEF variation rate continuously.Same time chooses the non-asthma group 24 example babies make the comparison.Compared with explains PEF to the clinical care instruction value.Results The treatment group 26 examples and the control group 24 examples complete 7 week expiration peak speed of flow value the monitor,In asthma group,PEF value obviously reduce,the variation rate remarkable markup,is bigger than 20%.After inhaling the acceptor for 15-20 minutes,PEF advances about 51%.The baby inhales 7 weeks,the PEF value advances gradually.But the variation rate reduces.Conclusion The simple expiration peak current-meter may the more accurate examination lung function,the correct use peak current-meter is possible to carry on the accurate diagnosis to asthma baby,and the simple expiration peak current-meter is simplicity of operator,the expense is low,has the very good basic unit hospital to carry on the promoted value.


The language processes taking place in Kazakhstani society continue to attract the attention of linguists, sociologists, political scientists, ethnologists, educators and psychologists. Today, researchers are focused on changing the functional status and value orientations in relation to the Kazakh language. Over the past twenty years, the Kazakh language, having become the state language of the country, began to occupy positions confidently that correspond to this status in regulated areas of communication (politics, paperwork, science, education, etc.). And as a result, a change in the place and role of the Kazakh language in bilingualism. This article is devoted to the study of Russian-Kazakh bilingualism and its influence on the speech behavior of bilinguals. This article presents an overview of the bilingualism classifications, special attention is paid to the metalanguage of the study. Based on a lexicographic sources'review, works of domestic and foreign researchers on bilingualism theory, the authors give an example of various interpretations of the terms "first language", "second language", "family language", "mother tongue (native language)", discussing factors that contribute to and / or impede the formation of two languages, the use of languages and their influence on the formation of bilingual. The article describes the preliminary results of experimental studies of the language and speech of Kazakh bilinguals with the Kazakh language as L2., the analysis of usage phenomena at the lexical, phonetic and grammatical levels, fixed with the help of various research methods and techniques was carried out.


The COVID‐19 pandemic provided an unprecedented challenge for physiology instructors as previously in‐person course offerings were required to migrate to a virtual environment. In particular, the migration of exercise physiology labs, which included anaerobic and aerobic exercise tests, posed a considerable hurdle in attempting to provide a practical and engaging lab environment fully online. Using a qualitative case‐study design, this presentation will highlight the experience of migrating exercise physiology labs into a virtual post‐secondary course context. In Fall 2020, approximately 200 Kinesiology students attended a virtual second‐year exercise physiology course, which included four previously in‐person, bi‐weekly labs. Labs were rapidly migrated onto an open access platform for integration into the existing institutional learning management system. Students completed bi‐weekly labs in lab groups of 20‐25 students, led by a Teaching Assistant (TA), with students working in small breakout groups of 4‐5 students to complete the virtual lab as a group using a collaborative workspace. Following the breakouts, students would rejoin their peers in the main group for a post‐lab discussion period to discuss lab report questions with the TA. After the lab, students completed a content quiz which included a responsive question: "What did you like about the lab? What do you feel could be improved about the lab?" Given the importance of considering students as partners in course development, responses from students were considered in refinement of future virtual labs throughout the term. Responses were analyzed using qualitative coding for positive/neutral/negative responses, and general themes emerged for each lab. Briefly, main themes for improvement included: increased organization and instruction for navigating the virtual lab, more contact with the TA in breakout rooms, improving engagement between members of breakout groups, and enhancements to the virtual lab components. Positive themes included: students enjoying breakout room opportunities to connect with peers, TA support especially in the post‐lab discussion period, and additional cues added to the virtual lab. Finally, student responses became increasingly positive from the first lab to fourth lab, with students noting their appreciation for being a part of the refinement process. Overall, this presentation, detailing the practical considerations of migrating labs to a virtual environment, will benefit future exercise physiology instructors in pursuing successful virtual lab delivery.


The reasons for wanting to develop completely novel anti leprotic drugs are stated . A number of promising lead compounds are identified from a consideration of the biochemistry and structure of M. leprae and the natural product, oil of chaulmoogra. Their structures provide a rational basis for the development of programmes of research which could lead to new antileprotic agents. Some early success in one such programme is reported .


Episodes of high temperature and drought are predicted to occur more frequently under conditions of future climate change. This study investigated whether an episode of high air temperature (HT, +15°C), water deficit (WD), or both (HTWD), for 8 d, had the same effects on the yield of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill, cv. Fiskeby V] grown under either ambient (aCO 2 ; 360 μmol mol -1 CO 2 ) or elevated (eCO 2 ; 700 μmol mol -1 CO 2 ) CO 2 concentrations. Plants were grown in a glasshouse at either aCO 2 or at eCO 2 until 52 d after sowing (DAS). The 8-d stress treatments were then imposed before the plants were returned to their original environments. Across harvests, total biomass was 41% greater under eCO 2 than under aCO 2 but reduced by HT, WD, and HTWD under both CO 2 concentrations. The relative response of total biomass to HT, WD, and HTWD episodes was the same for plants grown under either aCO 2 or eCO 2 . At maturity, seed dry weight and number per plant under eCO 2 were increased by an average of 32 and 22%, respectively, compared with aCO 2 . The same parameters were reduced after HTWD by 29 and 30%, respectively, in aCO 2 and eCO 2 . Seed filling was earlier under HT and HTWD. The rate of change in harvest index was unaltered by CO 2 while under HTWD, it decreased. Seed number explained 85% of the variation in yield, but yield was also related linearly to photosynthesis during seed filling, suggesting both are important determinants of yields under stress.


Relates the incidence of V . parahaernolyticus in 30 samples of crab meat and 30 samples of oysters without its shell, acquired in different places of Joao Pessoa, Paraiba. It was observed the incidence of this bacteria in 26,7% of the samples of crab meat. In 151 isolated colonies, 21,2% were typical and 50% of these, were positive to the microorganism. In oyster samples was found 93,3% of contamination. In 253 isolated strains, 51,4% were typical and 83,1% of these were confirmed as V . parahaernolyticus . The average contamination (NMP/g) of crab meat and oyster samples was 1,1 x 10 2 and 9,1 x 10 2 respectively, without the minor results as 3,0 x 10. Thirty five percent of the samples (04 of crab meat and 17 of oysters) were contaminated with a superior number to 10 2 organism/g. This number was out of brazilian standards of microbiologic quality of marine foods, representing a serious hazard to Public Health.


We examined intraocular pressure (IOP) changes during gynecologic laparoscopy performed under either thiopental-isoflurane anesthesia or total IV propofol anesthesia. Forty adult women with no preexisting eye disease scheduled for gynecologic CO2 insufflation laparoscopy were included in the study. Heart rate, mean arterial blood pressure, peak and plateau airway pressure, ETco2, and IOP (using a Schioetz tonometer) were measured at defined intervals during the procedure. IOP decreased significantly after the induction of anesthesia in both groups, and remained so throughout the procedure in the propofol group. In the isoflurane group, however, IOP was increased significantly above the preinduction level after pneumoperitoneum with head-down position. There was no correlation between IOP and blood pressure or airway pressure. In conclusion, propofol total IV anesthesia may be a better choice for laparoscopic surgery should control of IOP be a concern.


Several retrospective studies have suggested that transfusion with red blood cells (RBCs) stored for longer periods is associated with increased mortality. The Age of Blood Evaluation (ABLE) study randomized subjects to receive fresh vs. standard issue RBC units and showed no difference in the primary or secondary endpoints of mortality or change in multi‐organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) score.


"Transforming knowledge into wisdom" was fundamental proposition of Feng Qi's theory of Wisdom.It was the leap from knowledge to wisdom in process of human's understanding.This proposition surpassed the confrontation of Sicentism and Humanism in the region of philosophy.The mechanism of "transform knowledge into wisdom" included rational intuition and dialetic synthetic and virtue's self-proof.The proposition of "transforming knowledge into wisdon" contained a creative mind which has fatal significance of theory in philosophyical study.


In this paper, we present a survey of several methods on robust digital image watermarking. Digital image watermarking, it is used as a solution to build the data transferring protected from prohibited interferences. Digital watermark methods are used in a variety of areas such as copyright protection, and vendor identification. In this paper we mainly concern on two methods: spatial domain and frequency domain. Some problems in spatial domain like Low hiding ability of watermark information, low PSNR among cover image and extracted secreted image, so a person can detect such algorithms. We discussed several transforms such as 2DWT, 2DCT,etc, in which the watermark is embedded into transformed constants of image for providing capacity and more robustness against watermarking attacks. It starts with overview, classification, features, framework, techniques, application, challenges, limitations, and performance metric of watermarking and a comparative analysis of some major watermarking techniques. In the survey our prime concern is image only.


A piston engine with a compensation shaft unit, wherein a window (36) surrounded by a flange (16,17) is provided on the crankcase (2) thereof. The flange forms a separating surface to which the housing (20;20,21) of the compensation shaft unit (18;18,19) is fixed by means of screws (70). In order to ensure clean, toothed-wheel engagement for the compensation shafts, which are integrated into the housing, and easy assembly, the compensation shaft (22,23) is provided with a toothed wheel (24,25),which protrudes through the window (36) inside the crankcase (2) and which is driven by a toothed wheel (10) which is arranged on the crankshaft (6), and the housing (20, 21) of the compensation shaft unit (18,19) has a separating surface (40, 41) which can be displaced in order to adjust the amount of engagement clearance on the separating surface (40,41) of the crankcase (2) before the screws (70) are tightened.


This paper investigates, from the viewpoint of linear algebra, the local minima of least square error cost functions defined at the outputs of outer-supervised feedforward neural networks (FNN). For a specific case, we also show that those spacedly colinear samples (probably output by the final hidden layer) will be easily separated with null-cost error function even if the condition M/spl ges/N is not satisfied. In the light of these conclusions we shall give a general method for designing a suitable architecture network to solve a specific problem.


Sam Hillyard's (2010) recent article has the value of highlighting the issue of theory development in interactionism, ethnography, and the sociology of education. It also reminds us of a fruitful, and unique, research programme in educational research that stretched from the early 1960s into the 1990s. However, in my view her discussion is misleading in several respects. Some of these are specific points of historical, textual, or conceptual inaccuracy. Others relate to the issue of theory development, and her criticisms of my evaluation of this research programme 25 years ago (Hammersley, 1985).


Provided is a light emitting diode laser lift-off method. According to the light emitting diode laser lift-off method, before an epitaxial layer is formed on a conversion substrate in an epitaxial mode, a high-low drop structure is firstly formed on the conversion substrate in an isolation area corresponding to the epitaxial layer, and then the epitaxial layer is formed on the conversion substrate, provided with the high-low drop structure, in the epitaxial mode. Stress between material ports can be released through the high-low drop structure, and therefore when the conversion substrate and the epitaxial layer are subjected to a laser lift-off process, the fragment probability can be effectively lowered, and the pass rate of the process is increased accordingly.


In the early 1900's, the population of Florida grasshopper sparrows (Ammodramus savannarum floridanus) was reportedly large and widespread in Florida; however, surveys between 1980 and 1982 revealed only 93 sparrows at seven sites. The sparrow was found at only one of its former locations, suggesting a reduction in both abundance and occupied range. Although the subspecies prefers stunted oaks (Quercus sp.) and saw palmettos (Serenoa sp.), its ecological requirements seem liberal enough to enable it to persist in some managed cattle pastures. Compared with the habitat of the eastern grasshopper sparrow (A. s. pratensis), habitat used by floridanus has lower values for variables pertaining to vegetation height, vertical density, litter depth, and litter cover, but much higher values for percentage shrub cover and bare ground. Habitat loss or alteration due to pasture management is the greatest threat to the subspecies. A low growth of palmettos and woody shrubs should be maintained in areas where the sparrow occurs. Federal listing of the Florida grasshopper sparrow as threatened or endangered may be appropriate due to its probable low numbers, restricted distribution, and loss of habitat. J. WILDL. MANAGE. 49(3):626-631 The grasshopper sparrow occurs throughout most of temperate North America, but is confined to low to medium height grassland plant communities (Smith 1963). The Florida subspecies is geographically isolated from the eastern race by at least 500 km (Am. Ornithol. Union 1982) and appears to be limited in distribution to the prairie region of south-central Florida. The lack of distributional information precludes a precise delineation of the historical range, and early accounts provide no documented records of abundance. Although specific habitat requirements for floridanus are not known, preliminary investigations suggest they are atypical of the species (Howell 1932, Nicholson 1936). Because of an apparent population decline, the Florida grasshopper sparrow was classified as endangered by the State of Florida (Kale 1978). Much of the native prairie habitat has been converted to improved pasture (Davis 1980), which may have caused the extirpation of the subspecies from some of its former range. Recent observations, however, indicate th' the subspecies may be adapting to some managed pastures (Stevenson 1978). Surveys of the known range of the Florida grasshopper sparrow and potential habitat outside that range were conducted during the breeding season (Apr-Jul) from 1980-82 to gather information on its present distribution and abundance. Vegetation variables were measured at territories of male grasshopper sparrows to provide a quantitative description of habitat for possible use in management of the subspecies. This research was supported by the Fed. Aid to Endangered Species Program, Fla. Endangered Species Proj. E-1. R. L. Barker and S. A. Martin participated in the survey and assisted in locating survey areas. R. P. Wunderlin assisted with plant identification. C. L. Abercrombie provided statistical advice. J. Bart, T. C. Hines, D. S. Maehr, and L. E. Williams, Jr., reviewed earlier drafts of this manuscript and provided many useful suggestions. Special appreciation is extended to A. L. Adams, III, P. Clemons, D. W. Delargey, W. C. Funk, C. E. Lough, and P. T. Wilson, who provided access to their properties. STUDY AREAS AND METHODS Surveys were conducted in the dry prairie region of south-central Florida. Most of this habitat is located within the Kissimmee River Basin and west of Lake Okeechobee in parts of Glades, Hendry, Charlotte and Desoto counties (Davis 1980). In Florida, dry prairie grasslands are extensive treeless plains that often separate freshwater marshes and forested uplands. Seldom flooded, these grasslands are maintained in early successional stages by frequent fires. The vegetation is dominated by pineland threeawn


This case study is a narrative of the Navajo green economy campaign, told from the perspective of the Black Mesa Water Coalition organizers and the Navajo green economy coalition. The grassroots campaign fought an uphill battle against large energy corporations and tribal bureaucrats to envision and realize a green economy that was equitable and empowered local communities.


We have performed neutron scattering experiments on single crystals of La 2 NiO 4+δ (δ=0.11, and 0.125) to study the effect of oxygen doping on the structural and magnetic properties. The degree of the excess oxygen order strongly influences the local crystal structure and interlayer magnetic correlation. The intralayer magnetic correlation is depressed by doping in the commensurate region (δ≤0.11), then turns to increase in the incommensurate region (δ>0.11). Our experimental results are compared with existing results for oxygen and Sr doped La 2 NiO 4 .