1. Anion‐selective channels from the apical membrane of respiratory epithelia are involved in the secretion of chloride into the airway lumen. In cystic fibrosis (CF) there is an abnormality of phosphorylation‐regulated chloride transport in this tissue, whilst a calcium‐dependent pathway appears to function normally. 2. Using incorporation of apical membrane vesicles into planar phospholipid bilayers, we have characterized the most commonly seen anion‐selective channel from sheep tracheal epithelium. 3. In symmetrical 200 mM‐NaCl solutions the channel showed rectification, with a chord conductance at negative voltages of 107 pS and at positive voltages of 67 pS. The channel characteristically demonstrated subconductance states at 1/3 and 3/4 of the fully open level. Selectivity for chloride over sodium was approximately 6:1. 4. The channel required a minimum of approximately 100 microM‐calcium on the presumed cytoplasmic surface (cis) for opening events to be observed. Open probability (Po) of the fully open state was markedly voltage dependent, but little effect of voltage was seen on the 1/3 subconductance state. 5. The relative permeabilities of monovalent anions monitored under bi‐ionic conditions gave the following sequence: NO3‐ greater than I‐ greater than Cl‐ = Br‐ much much greater than F‐. The order of conductances in symmetrical solutions was Cl‐ = NO3‐ greater than Br‐ greater than I‐ much much greater than F‐. 6. The chloride channel blocker 5‐nitro‐2‐(3‐phenylpropylamino)‐benzoate (NPPB) produced a dose‐related reduction in Po with a flickering block at 10‐50 microM and complete block at higher concentrations. 7. ATP produced a dose‐related reduction in Po with effects at 1 microM and complete closing at 1 mM. These effects were only seen with addition to the cis chamber. 8. The catalytic subunit of protein kinase A, either when incubated with vesicles prior to incorporation into bilayers, or when added directly to either chamber, produced no effect. 9. Channels with very similar properties were seen from transfected human tracheo‐bronchial cells. 10. Recent whole‐cell patch‐clamp studies have suggested a distinct calcium‐activated chloride current in secretory epithelia. The described channel has properties in common with this current and may be a candidate for its single‐channel basis.


Abstract A brief review of the Raman spectroscopic studies of methane gas hydrates is given, supported by some new measurements done in our laboratory.


The mobility on demand (MoD) system relieves traffic pressure by simultaneously dispatching multiple orders to a vehicle via ridesharing. However, since the supply-demand distribution varies over time, existing dispatching methods for minimum fleet failed to achieve long-term supply-demand equilibrium, and thus greatly reduces the order completion rate. In this paper, ElasticShare, a ride-sharing order dispatch method, is proposed to maximize the order completion rate under dynamic supply-demand distribution. First, we formalize the ridesharing order dispatching problem as an offline optimization problem and then prove it can be solved in an online manner by adding dummy orders and vehicles satisfying long-term supply-demand equilibrium conditions when dispatching. Second, based on the proof, we generate a certain number of dummies according to the supply-demand relation to promote or restrain ridesharing in an elastic manner. The characteristics of the dummies are determined by statistics and a specific selection method to ensure that the solution approximates the long-term supply-demand equilibrium. Next, we decouple the online problem into two sub-problems (order associating and order association dispatching), which are solved by a greedy algorithm and correctional order association dispatching algorithm, respectively. Finally, simulations with real-world data are used to validate the superiority of ElasticShare over state-of-the-art solutions in terms of the order completion rate.


147 students were assessed on absorption, hypnotic susceptibility, and three measures of "psychological well-being" (self-esteem, depressive affect, psychosomatic symptoms) and were then invited to participate without cost in a program to learn meditation. Those completing the four-session training program were followed for 5 mo. by phone and mail. Analysis indicated that (a) meditating volunteers scored higher on the pretest absorption measure than non-volunteers, (b) 91% of the volunteers had stopped meditating 1 mo. after training, and (c) the pretest self-esteem and psychosomatic symptoms measures predicted attrition from meditation. The implications of these findings for meditation research are discussed.


Three enzymes released by Aspergillus sp., identified as xylanase, arabinofuranosidase, and cellulase which hydrolyzed coffee pulp during solid state fermentation (SSF) had been investigated. The active fraction of xylanase activity was detected when purification of crude enzymes was performed on DEAE Cellulofine, while cellulase and arabinofuranosidase were fractionated from the previous active fraction using the DEAE Toyopearl 650M and DEAE Mono-Q columns. All enzymes are optimum active at 55°C and stable at temperatures below 50°C and a range of pH 3-6.5. Optimum cellulase activity at pH 5.5 while xylanase and arabinofuranosidase at pH 5. A consortium of these three enzymes can easily hydrolyze the coffee pulp into simple sugar with a degree hydrolysis 79%.


Global motion perception (GMP) is an important aspect of visual perception. Numerous studies have found that GMP of cognitively healthy elderly declines with aging and it cannot be explained by age differences in the visual system. The neural mechanism of aging on GMP remains unclear. Resting-state fMRI has been widely used to detect the internal spontaneous activity of the aging brain. Thus, whether the functional activity of brain regions related to the GMP for the elderly in the resting state is an effective indicator of their global motion sensitivity (GMS) still needs further investigation. To reveal the neural basis of GMP decline for the elderly, the relationships between the resting-state functional activities of GMP related brain areas (Regions of Interest, ROI: V1, V2, V3, and MT/V5) and individuals' motion coherence threshold (MCT) were analyzed by using rs-fMRI technology. In this study, Random Dot Kinematogram (RDK) paradigm was used to evaluate an individual's GMS with the MCT as the indicator. A higher threshold of the RDK task meant lower sensitivity. Meanwhile, the rs-fMRI data of 36 younger adults ( M = 22.04 years old) and 31 older adults ( M = 65.05 years old) were acquired using rapid echo-planar imaging (EPI) Results showed that 1) the ReHo values of right V3 and bilateral MT/V5 for older adults were significantly lower than that of younger adults, as well as the ALFF of bilateral MT/V5, and these functional metrics were significantly negatively correlated with individuals' MCT; 2) The FCs between V2 and left primary motor cortex, V3 and left secondary visual cortex, MT/V5 and left premotor cortex, as well as the FCs between V1, V2, V3 and MT/V5 regions for the older adults were significantly stronger than that of younger adults, and these FCs were correlated with individuals' MCT; 3) Older adults' K , E noda l and b of most nodes in temporal lobe were significantly lower than younger adults, and the E nodal of the right temporal cortex were significantly negatively correlated with individuals' MCT; 4) Older adults' global network properties including small-world parameters ( C p , γ, L p , λ, and σ) and network efficiency ( E glob and E loc ) were all significantly lower than younger adults', with C P and E loc significantly negatively correlated with their MCT. These findings suggested that the decline of GMS for the elderly was associated not only with functional changes in the dorsal visual pathway, especially in the MT/V5, but may also with functional changes in broader areas of the whole brain, which supported the theory of "dedifferentiation".


Provides ideas to managers and administrators in libraries on how to use free Internet sites and services to save the library money. Included are typical information sites with brief descriptions.


Software defined networks are a novel approach to design and operation of computer networks. Although this paradigm is employed successfully in many data-centers and campus, software defined access networks (SDAN) are still in their infancy. Carriers and ISPs have not converged on a standard architecture to build their infrastructure upon, a problem many initiatives are trying to solve. Regardless of the chosen model, the option for such a disruptive change as SDN needs to be justified. Techno-economic models are commonly used to estimate the impact of a change in the operation. The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is a metric commonly used for this purpose. The present work developed a simplified evaluation model for network architectures, which focuses on the services offered to the subscriber and on the cost of managing them. The analysis is performed in two dimensions. In the first, the effort to operate the network is estimated through a qualitative analysis, similar to the one performed by other existing models. The second axis is the amount of resources required to provision and monitor each service. This estimation is produced through the use of discrete time simulation of selected elements and protocols. The combination of the analyzes allows us to identify the behavioral trends provoked by the adoption of a new network architecture, and to evaluate the convenience of such migration. The simulation in this work demanded models for the equipment and protocols involved. The package NS-3 was the chosen simulation tool. Defining and implementing models for all services analyzed could become as costly as the techniques we wish to overcome, so an indirect approach has been used. Only the essential components are simulated, and the costs of each service are inferred from them. The SDAN model evaluated in this work, called SDCN, is a simplification of the SplitArchitecture proposed by the SPARC project.


The Story of Hulan River , which was written by Xiao Hong, is a masterpiece with lyric prose.Its language style can mainly be found in the following three aspects:the sentimental beauty of sad and gloomy; the musical beauty of harmony and melody ;and the pictural beauty of fresh and simple.


Urban regeneration is becoming important part of the arising urban policy in Poland. Since 2004 urban regeneration projects has been financed by the structural funds and has been adopted as one of the measures taken by the local authorities to tackle with the wicked problems in deteriorated areas. Although many resources are dedicated to the urban regeneration programs, the effects are still weak, especially in housing, or even contrary because of gentrification effects. The aim of the article is presentation of wicked problems in Polish housing policy with reference to the urban policy and regeneration measures. The interdependencies are shown and the "wicked" character of the problem is reflected.


Ten rings on one axle Rotaxanes consist of molecular rings threaded on a central axle. Most approaches to their synthesis have focused on introducing a single ring per axle. Qiu et al. now report a systematic approach to threading up to 10 adjacent rings consecutively. The axle's end groups were constructed to attract free-floating rings when reduced and then to push those rings toward the center upon oxidation. Products of each successive reduction-oxidation cycle were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. Science, this issue p. 1247 Successive reduction and oxidation cycles precisely thread up to 10 molecular rings on a polymer axle. Mechanically interlocked molecules are likely candidates for the design and synthesis of artificial molecular machines. Although polyrotaxanes have already found niche applications in exotic materials with specialized mechanical properties, efficient synthetic protocols to produce them with precise numbers of rings encircling their polymer dumbbells are still lacking. We report the assembly line–like emergence of poly[n]rotaxanes with increasingly higher energies by harnessing artificial molecular pumps to deliver rings in pairs by cyclical redox-driven processes. This programmable strategy leads to the precise incorporation of two, four, six, eight, and 10 rings carrying 8+, 16+, 24+, 32+, and 40+ charges, respectively, onto hexacationic polymer dumbbells. This strategy depends precisely on the number of redox cycles applied chemically or electrochemically, in both stepwise and one-pot manners.


Starting August, 1993, aCIM Co has driven thousands of miles of Los Angeles county streets to develop maps and video images tied to those maps. The practical problems in the data collection effort, the change in thinking that have to accompany a new technology with great promise and the new uses that have appeared as video images, precisely located, become available will be addressed. The technologies in the GeoVan are discussed.<<ETX>>


,success to exterminate the mosquitos in some malarial regions. I would urge, then, that at the present time, when after all .these years ot labour no causative agent of malignant growth in general has with certainty been determined, that line of research which promises surer results and greater profit on the part of olinicians as well as of laboratory investigators, lies in the direction of testing various methods of arresting the growth ,of the tumour cells without injury to the organism in general. Herein it seems to me that Coley has chosen the better part. But over and above all I cannot but feel that the greatest benefit to the patient, the greatest triumph and satisfaction to the practitioner, will for yet some years to come be the recognition and successful removal of malignant tumours at the earliest possible date. Aye, and what is more, the removal of benign tumours in general before they have taken onpossible malignant characters. I wish I could be more optimistic, for optimism is good and healthy, but the above deductions are the necessary outcome of the considerations put before you this evening. As to the theory here put forward, I am quite prepared to find that many will find at first difficulty in grasping it, but when grasped, I cannot but believe most firmly, it will be found to include and to explain the largest number of individual cases -that it will be found to satisfy the conditions of sound theory. BIBLIOGRAPHY. Adami, On the Habit of Growth. Montreal med. Joutrn., xxiv, I896, p. 581.On Growth anid OvergroWoxtli; Flestschr. in lionour of Dr. A. Jacobi (New York), Maty, i9o, p. 422, and Med. Chron., Mancliester, June, I900. Arnsperger, Virch. Arch., Bd. clvi, I899, s. x; see also Wilms; Dentt. Arch. f. kli7m. Med., lV, 1895, S. 29: Zeigler's Beitr., xix, I896, S. 233 and 367. Carlier, BBITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL, Septeinber I5th, 1900, p. 740. 1{anseinann, Die mikroqcop. Diag,zose dcer bosartige G(eschwulste, Berlin .(Hirslcvald), 2897. Ih'arris, D. F., BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL, Septelnber rith, 2900, P. 741. Harris, T., Trans. Path. Soc., London, vol. xxxix, p. i83, i888. Hodge, Amer. Joutrnt. of Psychol. iii, 2890, P. 530: Joorn. of Mforph(l., Vii, 1892, pp. 99 and 449; Journ. of Physiol., xvii, p. 229, 1894. Loeb, Arch. f Entwickelitngsmechanik, v, 1897. Lundgren, v. lcktocni's Irticles in Progressive Medicine, Vol. i. Macalluii, A. B., BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL, I898, ii, p. 778. Mallory, Joutrn. of Exper. Med., iii, i898, p. 6ri, and Trans. Assoc. Amer. Phys., xv, 1900, p. 224. Mann, Journ. Alt. (taid Phtysiol., xxix, p. I00, x895. Martinotti, Centralbl. f. ally. Path., i, i89o. Park, Roswell, Trans. Amer. Snirg. Assoc., xvi, x898, p. 282. Peters, 11., Die Einbettung des morischlichen Eies., Leipzig und Vienna (Deutickc), i899. Piaiiese, G., Ziegler's Beitrdge, xx, 2896. Practitioner, Cancer N iOOlbel-, April, I899. Rdpin. Origine parthhnogdndtique des kystes derlnioides do l'ovaire, These de Paris, I892. Ribbert, Das ,pathologische Wachstnn doer (ewebe, etc., Bonn (Colen), 2896. Sanfelice, Centralbl. f. Bakt., xxiv, 2898, S. 255. Warren, Collins, Boston Mfed. and Surg. Journt., vol. CXliii, 1900, p. 23. Wliite, C. P., Jonrn. of Path. and Bacter., -vi, I899.


The present invention provides a coating method and coating apparatus to improve the yield of the coating and uniform liquid film to suppress the air bubbles generated at the time of the coating liquid applied. It also provides a coating method and coating apparatus to be made uniform in the coating and the effective use of the coating liquid film of the liquid. Coating method of the present invention is to rotate the semiconductor wafer (W) to a low speed of the first number of rotation, by supplying pure water (DIW) in the center of the wafer and forming a liquid reservoir of pure water, after which the wafer of claim 1, from one to the revolution state, supply of the coating liquid (TARC) of the water-soluble in the center of the wafer, and mixing the pure water and the coating liquid. Then, by rotating the wafer to the second second number of rotation of the high speed than the one rotation to form a coating liquid film. Also, other coating processes the method of the present invention, by rotating the semiconductor wafer (W) to the first number of rotation of the low speed and supplies the pure water (DIW) in the center of the wafer and forming a liquid reservoir of pure water, to thereafter wafer in the first state to be one rotation, the supply of the coating liquid (TARC) of the water-soluble in the center of the wafer, and mixing the pure water and the coating liquid. Then, by rotating the wafer to the second second number of rotation of the high speed than the one rotation to form a coating liquid film. 1, the percentage of time of the step of forming the liquid film and the coating process of mixing the coating solution with pure water: 3 to 3: by controlling the range of 1 to set the flow rate of the coating liquid (TARC).


The article deals with issues such as the specific risks, their identification and assessment. Given the risk classification proposed by foreign researchers. The author presents a classification of risk obtained using the methods of taxonomy, aimed at more precise identification of risks arising during construction and operation of real estate. Concluded that the conduct of typology and classification of risk can streamline the existing approaches in this area and provide more accurate identification of risks and their systematization.


The threat of antimicrobial resistance is well known. Here, George Winter discusses how overprescribing antibiotics can contribute to resistance and discusses research on overprescribing in acute respiratory tract infections


Moral education management in vocational school should have employment-oriented management ideology and management style, effectively make use of various elements in moral education and set up three-dimensional moral education management system which meets the employment-oriented demand so as to realize the aim of cultivating people.


The invention discloses a reactor core fuel sphere position measurement device of a pebble-bed-type high-temperature gas cooled reactor. A reactor core is a cylindrical cavity with a cone-shaped bottom, the cylindrical cavity is formed by graphite blocks in a stacking mode, the graphite blocks form side reflection layers, and fuel is a spherical body with a graphite substrate. The measurement device comprises a plurality of sphere position probes arranged on the side reflection layers at intervals, each sphere position probe is connected with an electrode lead, and the electrode leads are connected with a secondary indication instrument to display fuel sphere position information detected by the sphere position probes. The measurement device is simple in structure, stable, reliable, and capable of providing precise sphere position information in the gas cooled reactor; currently a high-temperature gas cooled experiment reactor cannot achieve the functions; electrode contact-type measurement adapts to various measurement ranges and meets requirements of the resolution ratio, the sphere position information can be directly displayed through the indication instrument, measurement circuits are obviously simplified, and stability is improved; and annular air nozzles and gas guide channels in the sphere position probes can achieve helium washing, avoid accumulation of graphite dust, and guarantee long-term operation of a measurement system.


In an analysis of four datasets from East Africa, Tanya Marchant and colleagues investigate the neonatal mortality risk associated with preterm birth and how this changes with weight for gestational age.


In consulting, finance, and other service industries, customers represent a revenue stream, and must be acquired and retained over time. In this paper, we study the resource allocation problem of a profit maximizing service firm that dynamically allocates its resources toward acquiring new clients and retaining unsatisfied existing ones. The interaction between acquisition and retention in our model is reflected in the cash constraint on total expected spending on acquisition and retention in each period. We formulate this problem as a dynamic program in which the firm makes decisions in both acquisition and retention after observing the current size of its customer base and receiving information about customers in danger of attrition, and we characterize the structure of the optimal acquisition and retention strategy. We show that when the firm's customer base size is relatively low, the firm should spend heavily on acquisition and try to retain every unhappy customer. However, as its customer base grows, the firm should gradually shift its emphasis from acquisition to retention, and it should also aim to strike a balance between acquisition and retention while spending its available resources. Finally, when the customer base is large enough, it may be optimal for the firm to begin spending less in both acquisition and retention. We also extend our analysis to situations where acquisition or retention success rate, as a function of resources allocation, is uncertain and show that the optimal acquisition and retention policy can be surprisingly complex. However, we develop an effective heuristic for that case. This paper aims to provide service managers some analytical principles and effective guidelines on resource allocation between these two significant activities based on their firm's customer base size.


Heterocyclic ketene N,N-acetals are versatile building blocks for the synthesis of nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds. In the present work, the anodic oxidation of catechols 2a–f in the presence of α-oxoheterocyclic ketene N,N-acetals 1a–d has been investigated using cyclic voltammetry and controlled-potential electrolysis methods. These results indicate that α-oxoheterocyclic ketene N,N-acetals could undergo Michael addition to the anodically generated o-benzoquinones and produce α-carbon-arylated products in good yields. This approach provides effective and "green" access to the synthesis of α-aryl α-oxoheterocyclic ketene N,N-acetals containing an electron-rich aromatic ring. In addition, density functional theory calculations were performed to explain the exclusive formation of α-carbon-arylated products. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009)


Abstract We found evidence for radial p-modes and nonradial mixed modes in the oscilla-tion spectrum of the K giant HD20884 based on 20.6 days of nearly continuoushigh-precisionphotometryobtainedbytheCanadianmicrosatelliteMOST 1 .Os-cillation frequencies range from 5-31µHz (periods of about 2.3d - 9hr) withluminosity amplitudes between about 300 and 950 ppm and mode lifetimes ex-ceeding 10 days are indicated. The mode identifications are based on searchesof a large grid of models for a best fit to the frequencies and temperature ofHD20884. The latter is better constrained now by spectroscopy obtained atthe David Dunlap Observatory as part of this work. Individual Objects: HD20884, HD20790, κ 1 Ceti, ǫOph, ξHya, HD146490 Introduction Our understanding of the Sun's structure has been revolutionised over the last threedecades by helioseismology. This technique allows investigations of the solar interiorby observing p-modes at the stellar surface. Observing sun-like oscillations in otherstars was hampered for a long time by the extremely small pulsation amplitudes. Forstars cooler and more luminous than the Sun, the expected amplitudes are greater andshould be more easily observable. However, the larger radii of red giants extend theirpulsation periods from ∼5 minutes in the Sun to a range of several hours to severaldays. This again complicates groundbased detections and frequency identifications,especially due to daily aliasing.As ultra-precise rapid photometry from space and high-precision radial velocitymeasurements from the ground became available, detections of stochastically drivenoscillations were reported for several giants (see Bouchy & Carrier 2003 for a review).Examples include the G9.5 giant ǫOph, based on radial velocities from the CORALIEand ELODIE spectrographs (De Ridder et al. 2006) and Fabry Imaging photometryfromtheMOSTsatellite(Barbanetal. 2007), andtheG7giantξHya, basedonradialvelocity measurements with the CORALIE spectrograph (Frandsen et al. 2002), orthe K2.5 giant star GSC09137-03505 where Kallinger et al. (2005) found oscillations,based on Fine Guidance Sensor photometry by the Hubble Space Telescope.If pulsating red giants do indeed have radial and observable nonradial modes withrelatively long lifetimes, then these modes will enable to constrain the deep interiorof red giant stars, as well as set limits to the excitation mechanisms. But recentinvestigations (e.g., Barban et al. 2007 or Stello et al. 2006 ) suggest that only radialmodes with very short lifetimes (< 3 days) should be observable in red giants. Onthe other hand, Kallinger et al. (2008b) report strong evidence for the existence ofradial and nonradial modes in ǫOph (with lifetimes longer than 10 days) based on


This article presents the results of comparison of attitudes towards position of astronomy in education of students from two countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. A convenience sample of 396 third and fourth year high school students was surveyed using an anonymous self-report questionnaire. Students showed a certain indifference to pursuing a career in astronomy. However, both correlation and regression analysis indicated that students manifested a high degree of interest in acquiring knowledge, experience and skills in astronomy. This bicountry study shows that students' attitudes towards astronomy are similar considering the educational systems and position of astronomy in both Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. The research results suggest that more students might consider astronomy for their scientific and professional career provided they had more opportunities for formal education in astronomy.


The article discusses the methodology for assessing the degree of cyclical use of resources, during the determination of the residual resource of engineering systems during the operation of buildings. The proposed key performance indicators measure various parameters that are not directly related: energy, materials, social impact, and are both quantitative and qualitative indicators. Consequently, the proposed methodology performs the procedure for calculating indicators independently, which in turn allows the effective use of materials at the design stage of buildings, as well as during their operation. In this article, a methodology for calculating the recycling index of materials is obtained.


A significant part of Lee Miller's photographic work of 1945 focuses on Nazi environments. This paper argues that in these photographs Miller composed images that destabilised Nazi iconographies and explored the breakdown of Nazi aesthetic representations. Focusing on two of her photographs from this period – Suicided Staff Officer of the Bürgermeister, Town Hall, Leipzig and Suicides in the Town Hall, Leipzig – the essay explores how these photographs constituted interventions into Nazism's discursive and ideological positioning of art and representation, analysing them in relation to fashion, advertising, and dada and surrealist traditions. By contrasting Miller's pictures with photographs of the same scenes by Margaret Bourke-White and J. Malan Heslop, the paper argues that Miller's images offer composed scenes rather than straightforward documentation and involve the viewer in a philosophical, analytical and artistic discourse that destabilises and opposes the assertion by fascist and other oppressive ideologies that the link between representation and reality is flawless and natural. Miller's photographs from 1945 offer a complex response to these aesthetic tools and to art, including photography, and its roles in the wider ideological emphasis on representation in the fascist Weltanschauung. This presents a world that is evident in Nazism's staging of its ideologically motivated exhibitions, the Grosse Deutsche Kunstausstellung (The Great German Art Exhibition) and Entartete Kunst (Degenerate Art), which attempted to demolish and deem 'degenerate' work by modern artists including a number of Miller's friends such as Picasso and Max Ernst. Miller adopts dada and surrealist discourses, allusions and aesthetic strategies to support the avant-garde aesthetics National Socialism sought to destroy.


Objective: This study; It was carried out to determine the effect of increasing nitrogen doses on herbal, yield and quality characteristics of black cumin. Material and Methods: In this study; Kahramanmaras Sütcü Imam University Faculty of Agriculture Department of Field Crops Research and Application land was carried out in 2017-2018 winter growing season. The study was conducted with three replications according to randomized block design. The seven different nitrogen doses (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 kg/da) and Nigella sativa species were used. This study, some features related to plant, yield and quality were investigated during field trial and post harvest. Results: As a result of the measurements taken at different nitrogen doses; plant height 33.76-76.83 cm, height of the first branch 13.10-20.60 cm, height of the first capsule 19.76-29.40 cm, the number of branches 5.43-12.43 piece/plant, number of capsules 9.70-25.76 piece/plant, the number of seeds in the capsule 110.70-126.73 piece/capsule, thousand grain weight 2.40-2.47 g, seed yield 103.97-165.00 kg/da, fixed oil yield was 24.73-38.53%, fixed oil rate was 21.8322.83%, essential oil ratio was 0.60-0.84%, protein content was found to be 16.26-18.69%. Conclusion: According to the results of the research, the effect of nitrogen doses on plant height, number of branches, seed yield, fixed oil yield and essential oil ratio were found to be significant. Araştırma Makalesi (Research Article) Kızılyıldırım & Gedik


Lab activity is fundamental for the real understanding of several computer science topics such as operating systems. We have built our own hardware emulator after using software tools from other Un...


This article focuses primarily on exploring the concept of managers' decision-making styles in organization context. First, we present a brief review of literature regarding the most discussed managerial decision-making styles, and some important variables influencing them, in particular, the environment-related sociocultural characteristics. Second, we propose, based on the results of the past studies related to this concept, a general model guiding the choice of decisionmaking style in a new sociocultural context. This model contains five groups of variables: the manager's psychological characteristics (culture, education, cognitive styles etc.); the characteristics of decision problem (importance of the decision, manager's familiarity with the decision, etc. ); the characteristics of decision context (decision situation, available time for decision, etc. ); the organisation's characteristics (activity sector, size, ownership, organizational culture etc.); and most important, the characteristics of sociocultural context (colleagues' and subordinates' culture, environment-related socio-economic particularities, etc.).


Microcystin-FR a cyclic heptapeptide was isolated from Nostoc spongiaeforme and purified by thin layer chromatography, MALDI TOFF Ms and HPLC methods. The Swiss albino mice dosed with the sub lethal concentration of 0.8µg/kg body weight of microcystin-FR were subjected to a battery of behavioural depression models such as tail suspension test (TST), force swim test (FST) and elevated plus maze test (EPM). A 40% decrease in immobility in both TST and FST was seen in mice treated with microcystin-FR as compared to control. The EPM test showed that the mice treated with microcystin-FR spent 89% more time in open arm as compared to untreated control. The microcystin-FR does not seem to interfere with the normal locomotory activity of mice. The histopathology, serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays confirm the hepatotoxic nature of microcystin-FR. A dose of 8mg/kg body weight of Cyclosporine-A (CsA) was used to suppress the hepatotoxic effect of microcystinFR in all the above experiments as CsA provided 100% protection over the hepatotoxic nature of microcystin-FR. The results are discussed in light of the inhibition of PP 2


Nowadays, scientific demonstrations have become a crucial part of scientific learning. Acoustic waves are normally demonstrated in air via Kundt's tube, but a physical demonstration for underwater acoustic waves is still lacking. In this paper, we address one of the aspects by demonstrating a way to acoustically-trap gas bubbles in a spherical, water-filled flask resonating at its first fundamental mode. The theory of acoustic waves in a spherical geometry, particularly the fundamental mode, is reviewed. The full description of the experimental setup is expressed both acoustically and electronically. By using this method, we show that a gas bubble can be stabilized in the middle of a flask at an acoustic frequency of 21.16 kHz, the acoustic fundamental frequency of the flask.


The legal documents (The Lithuania Republic education law, 2003; Children's rights' convention, 1989) provide for the main principles and values, which should be followed in the education institutions. Strategic rules of education regulate every pupil's right to get qualitative development. However, not always in education institutions prevail social-psychological atmosphere which gives possibility to develop needful skills for life: social competence, communication skills, to gain necessary knowledge. Secondary schools not always succeed in assuring the main human rights to dignity, persons' protection and inviolability because almost in all classes there are pupils which are excluded of the class. Exclusion comes out in mocking and different forms of finding fault with some pupils: teasing, nicknaming, verbal aggression, slander spreading, nasty notes about person, disregarding. The goal of this article is to reveal peculiarities of teenager's who learn in the secondary schools attitude towards excluded classmates discussing about learning evaluation of excluded pupils, knowing about their abilities, out-of-class activities, seeking to define their communication forms in insulting situations. In the research there took part 112 pupils of three Kaunas secondary schools. Revealed peculiarities of attitude of teenagers who learn in secondary schools towards excluded pupils of the class lets to make precondition that environment in which excluded pupils spend the biggest part of the day is not safe to them.


We present Probabilistic Lipschitzness (PL), a notion of marginal label relatedness that is particularly useful for modeling niceness of distributions with deterministic labeling functions. We present convergence rates for Nearest Neighbor learning under PL. We further summarize reductions in labeled sample complexity for learning with unlabeled data (semi-supervised and active learning) under PL.


Background The number of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) worldwide is increasing yearly, but the existing treatment methods have poor efficacy. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is a new treatment for AD, but the offline effect of tACS is insufficient. To prolong the offline effect, we designed to combine tACS with sound stimulation to maintain the long-term post-effect. Materials and methods To explore the safety and effectiveness of tACS combined with sound stimulation and its impact on the cognition of AD patients. This trial will recruit 87 patients with mild to moderate AD. All patients were randomly divided into three groups. The change in Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive (ADAS-Cog) scores from the day before treatment to the end of treatment and 3 months after treatment was used as the main evaluation index. We will also explore the changes in the brain structural network, functional network, and metabolic network of AD patients in each group after treatment. Discussion We hope to conclude that tACS combined with sound stimulation is safe and tolerable in 87 patients with mild to moderate AD under three standardized treatment regimens. Compared with tACS alone or sound alone, the combination group had a significant long-term effect on cognitive improvement. To screen out a better treatment plan for AD patients. tACS combined with sound stimulation is a previously unexplored, non-invasive joint intervention to improve patients' cognitive status. This study may also identify the potential mechanism of tACS combined with sound stimulation in treating mild to moderate AD patients. Clinical Trial Registration Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT05251649. Registered on February 22, 2022.


One of the promising technologies for the removal of suspended particles is coagulation and flocculation. The present study is aimed to examine the effect of alum as a coagulant in conjunction with polyelectrolytes as a coagulant aid for removal of turbidity from different water samples. The tests were carried out for four water samples i.e. well water, pond water, river water and canal water having 96NTU, 189NTU, 249NTU and 333NTU turbidity respectively. A conventional jar test was conducted for removal of suspension by determining the optimum mixing intensity and proper dosage. The four different polyelectrolytes used here are magnafloc LT-31, magnafloc LT-27, accofloc A-110 and aronfloc C-510.The aim of this research paper is to evaluate the effect of these synthetic polyelectrolytes used as coagulation and flocculation aids in different turbid water and determination of their effectiveness for the treatment of water. Results of these evaluations reveal that LT-31has shown better flocculation strength than other three polyelectrolytes in pond and river water for pH values of 8.22 and 8.68. On the other hand accofloc A-110 has shown best result in well water and canal water for pH values of 7.10 and 7.65 respectively.  We demonstrate an efficient approach for optimization of coagulation-flocculation process which is appropriate for raw water treatment .


We develop a new theoretical formulation to study ion conductance in electrolyte solutions, based on a mode coupling theory treatment of the electrolyte friction. The new theory provides expressions for both the ion atmosphere relaxation and electrophoretic contributions to the total electrolyte friction that acts on a moving ion. While the ion atmosphere relaxation term arises from the time-dependent microscopic interaction of the moving ion with the surrounding ions in the solution, the electrophoretic term originates from the coupling of the ion's velocity to the collective current mode of the ion atmosphere. Mode coupling theory, combined with time-dependent density functional theory of ion atmosphere fluctuations, leads to self-consistent expressions for these two terms which also include the effects of self-motion of the ion under consideration. These expressions have been solved for the concentration dependence of electrolyte friction and ion conductance. It is shown that in the limit of very low ion concentration, the present theory correctly reduces to the well-known Debye-Huckel-Onsager limiting law which predicts a linear dependence of conductance on the square root of ion concentration (c). At moderate and high concentrations, the present theory predicts a significant nonlinear and weaker dependence on root c which is in very good agreement with experimental results. The present theory is self-contained and does not involve any adjustable parameter.


Twenty-one commercial dental restorative materials, aged under various conditions, were checked on two different culture mediums for their antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Lactobacillus plantarum, a cariogenic streptococcus, and mixed bacteria from the mouth. The duration of bacteriostatic activity was decreased rapidly by leaching in water. Of the three acrylics checked for ability to prevent in vitro carieslike lesions, the acrylic with highest antibacterial activity had the least caries.


The research attraction towards the renewable and green energy sources going to increases so PEV has great potential to participate in ancillary services. PEV has fast active power controllability and has large energy storage capacity makes PEV attractive. Large number of PEV has large energy storage capacity and has potential to participate in LFC. Due to less dependence on fossil fuel and less greenhouse gas emission makes attractive and the penetration of PEV in market is going to increases. In this paper discussed about the aggregation of PEV. Each PEV has different state of charge (SOC) and participation of PEV depending on its SOC. In this paper all the parameter of controller is tuned for LFC by the new optimization technique called lion optimization technique (LOA). LOA is nature inspired metaheuristic algorithm inspired by social hierarchy behaviour of lions from their birth till their death.


The results of laboratory and field observations of the quality of water and process gathering pond of big ore mining and processing enterprise unbalanced waters bottom sediments are represented. For the first time redistribution of heavy metals between water and process pond bottom sediments during emergency situation is shown, when acidification of pond water to pH 3-4 occurred due to abundant rainfall flood. Quantitative estimation of heavy metals leaching from the bottom sediments and secondary water pollution is given.


The aim of this article is to understand the significance of local democratic core values for the introduction of e-government reforms (public e-services) in a multicultural Swedish municipality with a strong tradition of developing democratic processes and responsiveness to citizen needs. We conclude that the democratic core values in the municipality have acted both as promoter and facilitator of public e-services. Despite the strong economic rationale of e-services, the local democratic values prevail and have advocated e-service developments. This illustrates how locally defined values have a fundamental role in legitimizing and defining the purpose of e-services in the community where they are implemented. However, we also conclude that public e-services, in their present form, could lead to a hollowing out of the local democratic values.


The structure layout features of mid span radial sluice gate and new methods, new material adopted in design were introduced, and also, the engineering design of hydraulic operated closed device was briefly introduced here.


Objective: to evaluate if the diagnosis of endometrial polyp by transvaginal sonography has enough accuracy to avoid diagnostic hysteroscopy before polipectomy. Methods: we compared the detection of endometrial polyp by transvaginal sonography with the respective hysteroscopies in 451 pre and post-menopausal symptomatic and asymptomatic women, whose ages ranged from 22 to 91 years (mean age 49.1 years). Results: hysteroscopy detected 273 (60.5%) cases of endometrial polyps, 71 (15.8%) cases of normal uterine cavity, 51 (11.4%) cases of other diagnoses such as synechiae, chronic endometritis and focal calcifications, 23 (5.1%) cases of polypoid endometrium, 16 (3.5%) cases of endometrial thickness, 13 (2.8%) cases of submucous myoma, and 4 (0.9%) cases of adenocarcinoma. The positive predictive value of transvaginal sonography was 60.5% in the detection of the endometrial polyps. Conclusions: this study shows that the diagnosis of endometrial polyp by transvaginal sonography has just moderate positive predictive value in the detection of the endometrial polyps; therefore, it should not replace diagnostic hysteroscopy and biopsy under direct vision before polipectomy.


The study of fluid flow in micro systems is still an open issue. Finite element models are generally used during prototyping. Such models are useful when the geometry has a large impact on device performance. Unfortunately, the nature of such methods and especially the mesh complexity limits simulation studies to non-transient or limited transient behavior. We present a different approach of microfluidic modeling, which is based on bond graph theory. Lumped component physics and power relations between the elements determine the dynamic behavior. In this way, dynamic simulations are ubiquitous and pave a way for control design. After introducing a number of basic microfluidic components, we concentrate on a case consisting of a three-valve micropump actuated peristaltically and connected to a thin, long tube. Input signals, device dimensions, electrical and mechanical material properties and fluid viscosity are explicitly present in the model and can be fitted for increased performance. Amongst others, simulations reveal the volume flow, pressure generation, and average fluid velocity throughout the model.Copyright © 2007 by ASME


This article presents a circuit for the precise vertical landing of drones based on a three phase-shifts detection of a single frequency transmitted from the landing point. The circuit can be considered as a new navigation sensor that assists in guidance corrections for landing at a specific point. The circuit has three inputs to which the signal transmitted from an oscillator located at the landing point arrives with different delays. The input signals are combined in pairs in each of the three analog phase detectors, after having passed through 3 dB at 90° hybrid couplers that guarantee a theoretical nonambiguous phase shift range of ±90°. Each output has a voltage that is proportional to the phase shift between each of the input signals, which in turn depends on the position relative to the landing point. A simple landing algorithm based on phase shift values is proposed, which could be integrated into the same flight control platform, thus avoiding the need to add additional processing components. To demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed design, a triangular phase shift detector prototype has been implemented using commercial devices. Calibration and measurements at 2.46 GHz show a dynamic range of 30 dB and a nonambiguous detection range of ±80° in the worst cases. Those specs let us track the drone during the landing maneuver in an inverted cone formed by a surface with a ±4.19 m radius at 10 m high and the landing point.


This paper addresses the representation of the planet Mars during the 1997 Mars Pathfinder mission through a content analysis of major U.S. newspapers as well as transcripts of television and radio news shows. Content analysis identified three threads of representation: scientific advance and the search for life, the naming of Martian places, and the Earth analogy. Together these converge in a language of colonialism that both advances the economic goals of the media and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and represents Mars as a space fit for human colonization. This article focuses on how the Sojourner rover technology simulated human activity on the surface of Mars and led to the constitution of Mars as a place of social activity, thereby enabling the language of colonialism.


Bone age assessment is the evaluation of skeletal maturity. For decades, it was determined by examining the X-ray of a patient's hand and wrist and matching it using an atlas of 200 images. Artificial intelligence (AI) is manifest when machines develop an ability to not only recognize patterns but also apply those patterns in meaningful ways. Use of AI for semi-automated evaluation of bone age is the first deep learning medical image application to be deployed clinically at Mass General.


The present invention relates to a container (1) having a hollow shell defining a body with a dispensing aperture, and a bag (4) within the shell (2) , the open end of the bag extending through the dispensing aperture and being secured with respect to the outside of the shell. The bag (4) is made from a material suitable for containing the intended contents of the container (1). Therefore the shell (2) may be formed from a material that would not be suitable for containing the intended contents of the container alone. The shell (2) may be formed from a biodegradable material, such as wood or paper pulp. The bag (4) may be separated from the main body of the container to allow for separate disposal. The container (1) may be sealed by providing a spout through which the contents of the container are to be dispensed, and by folding the spout over to create a nip which seals the container.


Germination studies were conducted on seed of wild poinsettia (Euphorbia heterophylla L.) collected in 1974 and 1975. Significant differences in germination existed between the seedlots. An alternating temperature regime of 25/35 C was optimum for germination, and no effect of light was noted at this temperature regime. However, light increased germination at temperatures of 25, or 35 C, and decreased it at 10/35 C. Storage of wild poinsettia seeds at 36 C for 2 to 12 weeks caused a significant decrease in dormancy as compared to corresponding storage at 5 C. Seed moisture levels below 7.7% did not seem to affect viability at 5 or 25 C after a storage period of 3 to 9 months. Seed viability decreased rapidly when seed were stored for 3 months at 25 C with a moisture content of 10.8% or at 5 or 25 C with a moisture content of 18.6%. Seeds buried in the fall at a depth of 5 cm germinated extensively in the field 9 months later. Field germination decreased as depth of burial increased.


In previous work, the author (1991) established a theory for transfinite cascades of three-terminal networks wherein the port terminals are indexed consecutively first by the natural numbers k=0, 1, 2, . . . and then by the transfinite ordinals k= omega , omega +1, omega +2, . . . up to the ordinal omega /sup p/, where p is any natural number. Under the conditions imposed on the three-terminal networks, it will become necessary to specify a load at both the input and output of that structure in order to determine the currents and voltages throughout the cascade. For definiteness, the author shows the loads in the Thevenin form on the input side and in the Norton form on the output side, but either form can occur on either end. The resistances of those loads are also nonlinear in general. The purpose of the present work is to extend the theory to allow p to be any countable ordinal. The author first summarizes the prior result and then discusses the extension.<<ETX>>


We produced a hybrid material compounded with periodontal ligament cells, which may differentiate into osteoblasts and/or cementblasts, and porous hydroxyapatite granules. Hybrid materials were implanted in the jaws of rabbits from which periodontal ligament cells has been obtained. Periodontal ligament cells were obtained from the incisor roots of the rabbits and cultured at 37•Ž in ƒ¿ -MEM supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum and


The maximum power point tracking(MPPT) has an important position in photovoltaic power generation system. Traditional hysteresis comparison method exists shortages in tracking speed and accuracy,this paper proposes an improved algorithm,which improves the traditional hysteresis comparison method of tracking speed and steady precision, and in the external environment of mutations case the method has good dynamic tracking speed.Matlab/Simulink physical simulation and experimental results prove that the method can quickly and accurately track the maximum power point of solar battery,and the system works in the maximum power point with higher steady precision.


Self-supportiveness plays a significant role for achieving aim, aspiration, ambition and other necessity of lives. For decades, walking stick had enhanced a widely known attribute for the visually impaired people. They must aware of every article in their habitat such as location and movement of furniture in order restrain from trauma (injury). Owing to the fact that they need to sacrifice their autarky and in this tricky world they should hang on other people for their lives. But, our module is pretty much differing from other. Here we have designed a device (Ultrasonic vision) for visually impaired people. By using walking stick it is risky in our locality, anytime it may fall. So, visually impaired people may get scared at once it fell. Here we designed a prototype module to aid these visually impaired people to walk fearlessly. Our module can detect any type of upcoming obstacle. Our main intention is to contribute a suitable and habitual protective method for their movement.


The good news is that the percentage of Canadian physicians using electronic medical records (EMRs) has tripled over the past seven years, increasing from about one-quarter of doctors in 2007 to three-quarters in 2014. This was touted by many as the most positive finding in the 2014 National


This research report deals with the measurement of nine groups of prospective secondary teachers; five from the British Isles and four from the United States. The sample of 839 final year, teacher education students was measured on academic achievement, professional education achievement, and affective measures. A multivariate analysis of variance was used to analyze differences between the groups. The analysis resulted in six statistically significant canonical variates. There was a clear country separation on only the first canonical variate, which indicated the British groups high on achievement in English composition and fine arts, and United States groups high on achievement in guidance and measurement. The canonical variates are described in the context of the real variables, as well as the separation of the groups on the canonical variates.


An intradural spinal cyst with both intramedullary and extramedullary components at the level of Th12 is described in a 33-year-old man who presented with a history of pain of the legs and back for 1 month. After surgery, histopathologic examination revealed the diagnosis of bronchogenic cyst. These intradural and extramedullary, poorly defined cystic lesions in the spinal canal are extremely rare. It was not possible to find any other case with both intramedullary and extramedullary component in the literature. In this case, the cyst was a bronchogenic cyst; this is an extremely rare form of such cysts. They are thought to be a malformation resulting from a split notochordal syndrome. Thus, the first thoracolumbar intraspinal bronchogenic cyst with intramedullary and extramedullary component is reported in this study.


Glycopolymers/PAN fibers were successfully prepared by electrospinning method from co-dissolving solutions of PAN and glycopolymersl in Dimethylformamide (DMF) as the spinning solutions. The samples thereby obtained were characterized by SEM and FTIR measurements. The polymerizable glucose monomers were synthesized by selective enzymatic synthesis methods using divinyl dicarboylates with different carbon chain length as acyl donor. FT-IR were used to characterize the synthesized monomer. Polymerizable glucose monomers were copolyymerized using AIBN as initiator. The structure and molecular weight of the glycopolymers was confirmed by FT-IR and GPC. The molecular weight of the glycopolymers reached 2.35×104. Composite membranes of glycopolymers/PAN nanofibers with different weight ratio of glycopolymers were fabricated successfully using electrospinning. Results from SEM showed that the glycopolymers was distributed evenly in PAN nanofibers and the intermolecular interactions of the complex were evaluated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Results show that the blends prepared here have unique structures that could be developed further to expand the applications of nanofibers such as lipase immobilization, lectin recognition abilities, biosepartion techniques and hepatocyte adhension.


1. This document is SL257, one of a series of the Soil and Water Science Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Original publication date February 2008. Visit the EDIS Web Site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu. 2. H.C. Fitz, assistant professor, Landscape Ecology, Soil and Water Science Department, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center (REC), Fort Lauderdale, FL; N. Hughes, wildlife assistant, Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Department, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32611.


: Since the Tax Reform Act of 1986, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017 was the most comprehensive revision of the United States (US) income tax code. This article reports on analysis of and conclusions based on a survey of accounting professionals, Internal Revenue Service data and a sample of corporate reports. Some trends in data extracted from the Internal Revenue Service show that the tax burden tends to shift from corporations to individuals. At the same time, it does not appear that large US corporations are taking advantage of tax credits to promote investment. The survey results indicated tax reform itself and the inherent accounting readjustments are identified as risks in corporate decision-making. Overall, it was concluded that the IRS needs to provide further clarification of the implementation of the TCJA. Deductions for depreciation and other expenses are issues addressed associated with the shareholder's car. The TCJA increased the limits for taking depreciation deductions for passenger cars. "Special rules apply if you use your car 50% or less in your work or business" (IRS, 2020, October). This article reports research results related to the possible effect of Section 965: transition tax on the tax-free foreign earnings of foreign subsidiaries of US companies considering that those earnings will be repatriated. This can have two effects. First, to stimulate the repatriation of profits and consequently, to increase investments within the US. Second, to reduce the presence, influence, and expansion of US entities abroad.


It is the wickedest of problems. If what we know is truly embedded in practice, in our routines, habits, and embodied performances (Carolan, 2011), than we have to do food futures before we perceive them. How do you enact an alternative reality before thinking it? Without coming right out and saying it, this Special Issue collectively attempts to make sense of this complex emergent nexus between practice, thought, doing, and being. It also shows, leaving the reader (hopefully) more hopeful about the future of food, that enacting alternatives is not impossible. Practice might not make perfect but it does create difference. And there is something immensely hopeful about that.There are many ways one can read this empirically and conceptually rich suite of articles. Indeed, each reading elicited within me its own unique flight of experience-a collection of affective encounters that generated feelings of possibility that prefigure a broader collective politics. One recurring encounter allowed me to locate this Special Issue within a still fledgling, but maturing rapidly, body of scholarship seeking to move beyond a totalizing economic narrative, as exemplified by recent research on, for example, "pious neoliberalism" (Atia, 2012), "progressive neoliberalism" (Lewis, 2009), and the "domestication of neoliberalism" (Smith & Rochovsha, 2007). Instead of embracing "a kind of structuralist paranoia" (Gibson-Graham 2008: 62), which inadvertently reproduces the very dominant order it seeks to critique by choosing to focus on sameness rather than difference, these articles add to the patchwork of practices and performances that show us a world full of "diverse economies" (Brown, 2009). I will now address in no particular order the articles and the hopeful message I gleaned from each.Rebecca Duell seeks to further disrupt an already messy politics of local food. Is "local food", as an actual thing, just another example of capital's uncanny ability to follow in the footsteps of activists and capital-ise upon their successes? There is without question what could be called dominance-power embedded within this politics, as evidence by what local food has tended to fetishise (e.g., geophysical distance over social justice). Yet as Duell reminds us there is also at work what I like to call difference-power within these micro- movements, as evidenced by the multitude of performances from below that work to substitute passive consumer choice for active citizen choice (Carolan, 2014a). The politics of local food is indeed weighed down by the weight of capitalist logics but this heaviness should not be confused with totality. For as Mikulak (2013: 22) points out, "the micro-utopian embodiments of alternative values" have the ability to break through the seemingly impenetrable concreteness of present structures, if we only allow them the opportunity.Corrina Tucker takes up the subject of taste's sociological fluidity, specifically as it applies to eating animals "nose-to-tail". The materiality of offal-liver, kidneys, testicles, eyes, and the like-has changed little over the last century. And yet few have a taste for this food anymore. Indeed, many would even question whether "food" is the correct designate for these artifacts, preferring instead that of "waste". Tucker's fascinating empirical exploration into the entanglements of taste speaks not of a collective movement toward any global taste profile. Taste is not something we think but something we do (Carolan, 2011). And because consumption practices vary widely so do our doings of taste. This study reminded me of the research done by the American anthropologist Marvin Harris (1986: 13). Roughly 30 years ago, in Good to Eat: Riddles of Food and Culture, Harris made the delightfully hopeful observation that "we can eat and digest everything from rancid mammary gland secretions to fungi to rocks," or cheese, mushrooms, and salt if you prefer using culturally accepted euphemisms. …


The body that represents doctors and health professionals in football has sprung to the defence of Eva Carneiro, team doctor for the Chelsea football club, after she became the butt of criticism from the club's manager, Jose Mourinho, for going on to the field to treat an injured player.

In the final minutes of a match against Swansea on 8 August, the Chelsea player Eden Hazard was tripped, and Carneiro, together with the physiotherapist Jon Fearn, went onto the field to attend to him after the referee had waved them on. Chelsea were already down to 10 men after a player was sent off, and Mourinho feared that with only nine men they might lose the match, which was eventually drawn 2-2.

Mourinho said that the medical staff had been "impulsive and naive" and that they did not understand the game, but other medical professionals argued that they had no alternative. Eamonn Salmon, chief executive of the Football Medical Association, a UK body formed in 2010 to represent the interests of health professionals involved in professional football, said that …


The aim of this study was to develop a hybrid optimization model for solving the routing problem identified at Zoomlion Ghana Limited in Shama district in the Western Region of Ghana. Two main optimization models were considered: Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and Genetic Algorithm (GA). A hybrid algorithm was developed from the two by merging crossover and mutation operators of GA with PSO. A sample of 20 breakpoints was run through 10,000 iterations for all the models and the results of the proposed hybrid model was compared with PSO and GA separately. The optimal results of PSO, GA and the proposed models are 1160.6km, 1190.3km and 1132.3km respectively. The proposed model's results were also compared with other hybrid models to test the robustness of the new model. This result was achieved because the new model eliminates the low convergence rate in PSO and also prevents it from easily falling into local optimum in high-dimensional space and the inclusion of crossover and mutation operators of GA improves the diversity of the iterations. After the iterations, PSO reduced a field distance of 1700 km to 1160.6 km within 780.4098 seconds. GA on the other hand reduced the same field distance of 1700 km to 1190.3km within 397.3308 seconds. The proposed hybrid model reduced the same field distance from 1700 km to 1132.3 km within 550.2527 seconds. This indicates that the proposed hybrid model performed better than PSO and GA separately. A performance test between the proposed hybrid model and other hybrid models showed that merging crossover and mutation operators into PSO gives a better optimal result. MATLAB was used for the iterations.


Natural silica has advantages in various fields such as catalysts, because it is easily obtained and applied in the chemical reaction process. The synthesis of natural silica-based magnetic acid catalyst, MSNP/SO42- aims to obtain a large yield from the reaction process between oleic acid and methanol to form methyl ester. Natural silica obtained from geothermal waste was washed with distilled water, then sol gel method was applied at  pH of 4-6 to obtain SiO2 nanoparticles. FeCl3 was added to achieve the magnetic properties, and the cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide  (CTAB) is varied in order to attain optimal mesoporous size. Brunauer emmet teller (BET) results showed optimum results from 1: 2 molarity ratio between silica and CTAB with a surface area of 520.94 m2/g. The acidic properties were obtained by immersion using H2SO4 0.5 M. The catalyst were tested for the acidic and magnetic properties  using temperature programmed desorption ammonia (TPD-NH3) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) characterization resulting intotal acidity of 0.2488 mmol/g and. softmagnetic type, respectively. The BET surface area  of the sulfate modified into MSNP/SO42-, was decreased by 114.44 m2/g. Application of MSNP/SO42- as a catalyst for forming methyl esters obtained a percentage of 85.41% yield based on the gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC- MS) results.


There are numerous contexts where one wishes to describe the state of a randomly evolving system. Effective solutions combine models that quantify the underlying uncertainty with available observational data to form relatively optimal estimates for the uncertainty in the system state. Stochastic differential equations are often used to mathematically model the underlying system. The Kusuoka-Lyons-Victoir (KLV) approach is a higher order particle method for approximating the weak solution of a stochastic differential equation that uses a weighted set of scenarios to approximate the evolving probability distribution to a high order of accuracy. The algorithm can be performed by integrating along a number of carefully selected bounded variation paths and the iterated application of the KLV method has a tendency for the number of particles to increase. Together with local dynamic recombination that simplifies the support of discrete measure without harming the accuracy of the approximation, the KLV method becomes eligible to solve the filtering problem for which one has to maintain an accurate description of the ever-evolving conditioned measure. Besides the alternate application of the KLV method and recombination for the entire family of particles, we make use of the smooth nature of likelihood to lead some of the particles immediately to the next observation time and to build an algorithm that is a form of automatic high order adaptive importance sampling.


ATHENA, Europe's next generation x-ray telescope, is currently under Assessment Phase study with parallel candidate industrial Prime contractors after selection for the 'L2' slot in ESA's Cosmic Vision Programme, with a mandate to address the 'Hot and Energetic Universe' Cosmic Vision science theme. This paper will consider the main technical requirements of the mission, and their mapping to resulting design choices at both mission and spacecraft level. The reference mission architecture and current reference spacecraft design will then be described, with particular emphasis given to description of the Science Instrument Module (SIM) design, currently under the responsibility of the ESA Study Team. The SIM is a very challenging item due primarily to the need to provide to the instruments (i) a soft ride during launch, and (ii) a very large (~3 kW) heat dissipation capability at varying interface temperatures and locations.


— Thermo-mechanical fatigue stress-strain data on ferritic/austenitic steels and superalloys from a variety of sources are analysed with regard to hysteresis loop stress asymmetry. This arises from a decoupling of the thermal and mechanical strain signals in the test technique so that many tension-compression load combinations are possible. Data from simplified isothermal and bithermal tests are also examined. Taking a typical example of an "out-of-phase" thermo-mechanical loop on a 1/2 CrMoV steel cycled between 200 and 550°C, isothermal stress-strain data were generated at 50°C intervals on material from the same cast and, used in conjunction with the elastic characteristics of the apparatus, an attempt was made to re-create this loop. The methods employed were (i) a graphical construction between appropriate isothermal yield contours (ii) a tangent modulus calculation (iii) a secant modulus calculation. Method (i) appeared to give the closest agreement in the present case.


It is demonstrated by particle simulations that a relativistic electron beam with 1.25 MeV energy, 1.5 kA current, and 0.5% momentum spread can convert 25% of its energy into electromagnetic radiation based on the Doppler‐shift dominated cyclotron maser mechanism. However, the increase in beam thermal spread reduces the available free energy Δγ=γ0−γR by increasing the beam resonant energy γR where γ0 is the initial beam energy and substantially decreases the conversion efficiency. Further increase in thermal spread eventually changes the saturation mechanism from phase trapping to energy depletion.


Undergraduate research is widely regarded as a high impact practice. However, usually only the highest achieving students are rewarded with undergraduate research opportunities. This paper reports on the successful implementation of a student research program offering the weakest 10% of incoming freshmen opportunities to conduct original research in one of several science or engineering disciplines with the possibility of publication if the research and report meet a suitable standard, defined as earning an A on the final research project report in the introductory math course. The opportunity has been offered now for two years to incoming cadets at the United States Air Force Academy who are placed in Basic Math. The cadets placed in this course score in the bottom 5% of incoming cadets on the math placement exam. During the second semester of their freshman year, cadets enrolled in Calculus 1 are also offered a similar research opportunity. About 10% of cadets are enrolled in this course each Spring, the 5% who began in Basic Math and matriculate to Calculus 1 and the 5% who failed Calculus 1 in their first attempt. During the first four semesters, the program has yielded 22 cadet papers which have been published or are currently under review and expected to be published. This represents approximately 38% of the projects in the program, because the majority of the projects do not earn As and are not suitable for publication. Over 80% of the cadet co-authors on the publication quality papers are minorities, women, and/or intercollegiate athletes.


Postoperative ileus (POI) involves an intestinal inflammatory response that is modulated by afferent and efferent vagal activation. We aimed to identify the potential influence of the vagus nerve on POI by tracking central vagal activation and its role for peripheral inflammatory changes during the early hours after surgery.


Marks and impressions can be exploited by the investigator to extract information associated with the crime as part of the forensic investigation. The scope of this article covers fabric impression, which is any mark or imprint left by a material made by a fabric, including glove marks. This article describes the techniques and processes of examination, as well as interpretation and the evidential significance of such types of evidence.

Keywords:

marks;
impressions;
fabric;
glove prints;
leather;
latent print;
sock impression;
impression on motor vehicle;
path marks


Subtitle: After a series of prolonged negotiations and wrangling, the regulatory authorities in both Europe and the United States finally accepted an "Open Skies" agreement. This agreement will take effect on March 30, 2008, and will allow carriers from both sides to operate transatlantic services to and from either point in both continents. This agreement had been almost completed on a number of occasions -- but for two major sticking points.


The freeze-thaw resistance of specific mortars was compared to that of air-entrained mortars considered as durable. The following parameters were investigated: the type of cement, different pozzolans (metakaolin, silica fume), the type of sand (origin and shape), and the water to binder ratio. This goal of this research work was to provide the bases for a computer-aided design of durable concrete when subjected to frost action. The mortars were cast with a binder to sand ratio of 0.296 and their workability was kept constant. Mortar prisms (4 x 4 x 16 cm 3 ) were subjected to freeze-thaw cycles in presence of mechanical loading (3-pt bending). The intensity of the applied stress was in the range of 20 % to 60 % of the 28-day flexural strength. A durability factor was derived from these tests and allowed the ranking of the different parameters. The results obtained show that there is no correlation between the air content of the fresh mortar, the initial strength and the frost durability. Pozzolanic addition can provide better durability than air-entrainment. River calcareous sands, cements rich in C 2 S and poor in C 3 A and coarse cements are other favourable parameters. The water to binder ratio plays a significant role in the results deviation.


Reaching a "good ecological status" of rivers is a challenging issue for the EU state members in charge of implementing the Water Framework Directive. In this domain, acting on hydromorphological drivers is one way which is known as restoring rivers. After almost 10 to 20 years of actions in this domain, a few feedbacks can be discussed for improving policy. Especially, very basic questions can be reconsidered with the new lights of these feedbacks. Why should we restore rivers? Definition of river restoration evolved over the last two decades and a conceptual and social debate is still needed to reconsider objectives. The second question which is also in discussion is "where?", where restoring rivers? There is a clear need to improve network understanding to establish a top down strategy to define priorities, improve planning design and target actions. "How restoring rivers" is another critical question. Should we primarily act on forms or on processes? Assessing the sensitivity of rivers to change is a clear challenge to evaluate the sustainability and efficiency of potential restoration actions and has also consequences in term of diagnosis. "How" is also related to gaining experiences and knowledge for implementing these new measures. Monitoring efforts combined with modeling are critical for assessing restoration success and then designing successful measures.


— The goal of this research is to understand more about the effects of pulse fields on food and compare them to other thermal food production methods. The most important factors for market demand today are food consistency, food safety, freshness, healthy food, natural flavour and taste with longer shelf-life. Pulse field processing (PEF) is a non-thermal processing technology that uses short pulses of high electric fields for microseconds to milliseconds to destroy microorganisms in food. It keeps food's flavour, nutritional content, and colour. PEF technology aims to provide high-quality meals to its clients. It can be used to replace thermally processed foods since it generates foods of superior quality to those produced by thermal processing.


The stability of a potential vortex with a rotating and a non-rotating jet core is analysed. Eigenvalues are calculated numerically for different values of the ratio of the strength of the vortex to the axial velocity. These results show that the potential vortex becomes unstable in the presence of a jet.


The idea of innovation is to formulate a gel containing the combination of Dapsone and Acetazolamide for the treatment of Angioedema. Dapsone being a sulfone has antibacterial and antibiotic properties whereas Acetazolamide has a Diuretic property. So, a combination of these drugs helps to obtain a formulation with antibacterial, antibiotic and diuretic effect for the treatment of Angioedema. Various excipients such as a gelling agent, preservative, solubilizing agent etc. are used to form a stable and flawless gel formulation. The gel formulation prepared is used in the treatment of Angioedema that is a rapid oedema or swelling at specific areas such as face, genitals, hands, feet's etc. The formulation has a comparatively greater effect for treatment of angioedema. Marketed formulations in treatment of angioedema have a specific action on the body such as antibiotic or diuretic whereas this new formulated gel has a combination of drugs that have a dual effect for the treatment of Angioedema. The swelling caused by the disease and the spread of infection is more effectively treated by this combination used in the gel formulation.


One stop service in Olympic village clinic simplified flow chart, increased efficiency, embodies patient-centered idea, proposed people-oriented service and diverse service and met high quality medical needs of important patients.


A urea paraformaldehyde polymer has been synthesized under optimum conditions, for use as a tanning agent. The characteristics and effects of this polymer as a tanning agent were investigated. The tensile strength, elongation at break, tear strength, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), shrinkage temperature, shrinkage area, putrefaction resistance and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) parameters were studied.


Objective: Evaluation of binding properties of the Assam Bora rice starch powder in comparison to the official gelatin powder in formulation of paracetamol tablets. Methods: The starch was extracted from the rice and evaluated for relevant properties and used as a binder in paracetamol tablets at concentrations of 2.0, 4.0…8.0% w/w. The tablets were evaluated for hardness, friability, uniformity in weight, disintegration and dissolution profiles. Paracetamol tablets containing equal concentrations of gelatin as standard binder were also produced and comparative study was done. Results: Results obtained indicated that Assam Bora rice starch performed as good as gelatin as binder in paracetamol tablets. Conclusion: Assam Bora rice ( Oryza sativa L, Japonica variety), a group of glutinous rice of Assam has showed promising result of its use as an effective binder in formulation of paracetamol tablets in comparison to gelatin.


Abstract In this paper we focus on integrated Reconnaissance/Strike LAV, in order to reveal the evolution regularity when group LAVs combats cooperatively. The evolution of cooperative behavior of group LAVs, which is described with finite state machine, can be regarded as a conversion process of a LAV in different task states, using the rate equation for probability analysis. Then based on the missions of integration of reconnaissance, attack, and damage effectiveness evaluation, we build the model of finite state machine based on behavior state transition. Solved with Runge-Kutta method. We can analyze how the key technology quota of LAV impact on the operational effectiveness of Group LAVs.the fractional order control approach.


Abstract Microtraining, an innovative interviewing training program, was adapted to teach group counseling skills. Graduate level students were instructed in the rudiments of group dynamics theoretically leading to effective group therapy, including certain behavioral intervention techniques seen as helpful in improving the group counseling process. An experiential phase of the course involved using a modified microtraining format wherein each course member led a group that was simultaneously videotaped and then reviewed with the instructor and the other students. Objective and subjective impressions on the effectiveness of the course were validated by each student leader successfully employing the specific behavioral interventions emphasized. Many of the students reported the course to be the most meaningful and helpful course they have ever had.


Abstract: This article focuses on a specific issue involving the so called right to patent in the context of the recently approved Unitary Patent system. Considering the field of private international law related to intellectual property, the issue of the law applicable to initial ownership becomes even more thorny in the legal framework of the Unitary Patent: as a matter of fact, this normative system could convey uncertainty in its application to transnational inventions, by reason of the peculiar criterion of the law of the "(first) applicant" governing the Unitary Patent as an object of property under art. 7, Regulation EU n. 1257/2012. Therefore, an interpretative clarification on this point seems necessary.


The main aim of this study is to identify current human resources management (HRM) policies and practices at two prominent hotels in Gaborone. To achieve this aim, a mixed method approach in data collection and analysis was adopted. Questionnaires and interviews were administered to a sample of fifty four employees who were purposively selected from the two hotels. In addition, interviews were held with five senior level managers at the respective hotels. Major findings reveal that the majority of the employees were not satisfied with policies that address employee reward systems. However most lower level operational staff perceived that their own goals, attitudes and perceptions could be maximized by receiving recognition for best performance, striking a balance between personal and business aspects, avoiding personal interests on the job and fostering increased communication between management and employees. Furthermore it was found out that employees supported company policies that ensured that employee efforts are supported by management. This study, in conclusion emphasizes the need for hotels to exercise fair reward and motivation systems for their staff.


CDM has been widely seen as an efficient mechanism to provide developing countries financial and technical support on sustainable development in many fields.However,its performance on building energy conservation is far to reach its capacity.This paper analysed the barriers of CDM implementation on building energy conservation in China;and proposed a integrated strategy to overcome these barriers from perspectives of organisation,planning,technology and economics.


Energy deposition near the different media play an important role in many applied aspects of radiation dosimetry.Energy deposition in extended media(Al-Au, Cu-polystyrene, Be-Au-Be) is calculated with different multiple scattering (MS) of electrons models by Monte Carlo method respectively. The simulation results match the experiment acceptable well and show the differences caused by the MS models used.


Momordica charantia is a tropical vine bearing edible fruit which is among the most bitter of all vegetables. Several reports indicate that the extracts obtained from the fruits of M. charantia have significant wound healing activity and antidiabetic property. Aqueous extract is routinely used as traditional medicine to treat various ailments. In this report, the effect of aqueous extract of the seed and outer layer of the fruits of M. charantia on wound healing of albino rats is presented. Wounded albino rats treated with seed and outer layer extracts recovered faster than the untreated control animals. After 4 days, there was 20% reduction of the wound area on control animals while 45.75% and 47.5% reduction noticed on animals treated with seed and outer layer of the fruits of M. charantia , respectively. Further, animals treated with extracts showed significant increase in protein, hydroxyproline, hexosamine and uronic acid contents compared with respective controls. These data permit the observation that the extracts of M. charantia promote wound healing in animal model and indicated that the outer layer extract of M. charantia has potential use to treat different types of wounds in human beings too.


To the Editor: —In July, 1913, a patient consulted me for attacks of a distressing coryza with sneezing, lacrimation and a reddening of the eyes. He stated that these attacks came on during June and July and appeared to be brought about while driving in the evening whenever he encountered a swarm of those ephemerids commonly called "May-flies," "Canada soldiers," "fish-flies," etc. These insects, as is well known, are abundant in the region of the Great Lakes, the imago passing its brief existence in the air, at which time the female is fertilized. The attacks from which the patient suffered had begun a few years previously and without assignable cause. The symptoms were quite like those of hay-fever without asthma, and after each one, in the absence of a repetition of the usual exciting cause, a day or two was necessary for recovery. In order to test the hypothesis of


The invention relates to a method for accelerating stabilization of power source output voltage. The method comprises the following steps of setting a work set value; setting a starting set value and a stopping set value; determining whether adjustment is needed or not; releasing a charge; judging whether to stop releasing of the charge or not; supplementing the charge; judging whether to stop supplementation of the charge or not; outputting the voltage normally. By utilizing a charge pump, the voltage on a capacitor C3 can be increased to be higher than the value of LDO input voltage VDD, according to a capacitor energy-storage formula, on the condition that the capacitance values are the same, it can be known that the higher the voltage V on the capacitor is, the more the stored charge is, and therefore the same compensating effect as that of a large capacitor can be obtained with a small capacitor area; after the capacitor voltage is increased, the loss when the charge flows through a switch S4 can also be reduced, heating of a chip is lowered, and better stability is obtained; the excessive charge is recycled and stored to a C2 and transferred to a capacitor C3, when the load is increased, the charge is supplemented again to be recycled, and the cruising capacity of a battery is improved.


OBJECTIVE To establish a method to determine sodium in rifamycin sodium for injection.METHODS The sample was handled by Microwave Digestion System,the content of sodium in the samples was determinated by FAAS.RESULTS The good linear relation was determined as 0.1~0.5mg·L-1 in sodium by FAAS with a regression coefficient of 0.9990.The average recovery rate was 101.23%~104.27%;The relative standard deviation was 1.0%.CONCLUSION The method is simple,rapid and accurate,and can be used for quality control of sodium in rifamycin sodium for injection.


The extracellular cellulolytic complex from Clostridium cellulolyticum H10 has been isolated and partially characterized. Through application of gel filtration and ion exchange chromatography techniques it has been established that in its native state this complex essentially consists of highly stable macromolecular structures (Mr c. 20 000 kDa) (similar to those described for different cellulolytic bacteria and currently termed cellulosomes) exhibiting avicelase, carboxymethylcellulase (CMCase) and xylanase activities. Furthermore, immunoaffinity assays show that this extracellular cellutosomal form of the complex is immunochemically similar to the cell-associated form.

Another feature of the C. cellulolyticum H10 complex is that the Avicel-adsorbed fraction consists essentially of three major components, two of them (those of 160–170 and 72 kDa) having no detectable activity and one (that of 95 kDa) being associated with strong CMCase activity.


The article details the changes that were to take place in library policy regarding overdue fines. Dr. Edward M. Walters and Abby Kratz were interviewed for the story.


The emerging and least developed countries are expected to absorb virtually all the increase in the world's population. With fast‐growing population and ongoing urbanization, population density with reference to cultivated land is increasing significantly. In the emerging countries the increasing standard of living and to a certain extent biofuel production are adding more pressure on the already stressed land and water resources. Currently, most hungry people live in these countries and their number has been increasing for a few years.


Have you ever noticed an interesting phenomenon in various occupations and the personalities that accompany them? Politicians are always in the center of a group telling funny stories or jokes. Lawyers always seem to be trying to get to know as many people as possible and remembering their names to solicit future clients. Engineers, on the other hand, have an entirely different attitude toward relating to others. One of the requirements in my general engineering course was that I had to attend an outdoor picnic. It was interesting to observe engineers, teachers, and engineering students trying to communicate with one another. Engineers have different objectives when it comes to social interaction. Normal people expect to accomplish several unrealistic things from social interaction: stimulating and thought-provoking conversation, important social contacts, and a feeling of connectedness with others. In contrast to normal people, engineers have rational objectives for social interactions--how to get this over with as soon as possible without getting invited to something unpleasant.


The purpose of our study was to evaluate the spatial arrangement of carbon pools and humic substances maturity in cultivated chernozem soil adjacent to black locust shelterbelt. A plot on arable land adjacent to midfield shelterbelts in southern Poland (Proszowice Plateau) was chosen. Soil samples were taken at different distances from the shelterbelt from a depth of 0-25 cm. Samples were also collected from under the shelterbelt. The pools of organic carbon were highest in samples taken from the farmland closest to the black locust trees. As distance from trees increased, content of humic substances and fulvic acids was found in cultivated soil to be significantly lower. Based on the van Krevelen diagram, it can be concluded that the most mature and the most stabilized humic acids are those in the soil located directly adjacent to the trees.


Objectives: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia (CFS/FMS) are debilitating syndromes affecting ~2- 4% of the population. Although they are heterogeneous conditions associated with many triggers, they appear to have the common pathology of being associated with impaired energy metabolism. As D-ribose has been shown to increase cellular energy synthesis, and was shown to significantly improve clinical outcomes in CFS/FMS in an earlier study, we hypothesized that giving D-ribose would improve function in CFS/FMS patients. Design, Location, and Subjects: An open-label, unblinded study in which 53 US clinics enrolled 257 patients who had been given a diagnosis of CFS/FMS by a health practitioner. Interventions: All subjects were given D-ribose (Corvalen), a naturally occurring pentose carbohydrate, 5-g TID for 3 weeks.


A global regularized Gauss-Newton method is proposed to obtain a zero residual for square nonlinear problems on an affine subspace. The affine subspace is characterized by using wavelets which enable us to solve the problem without making simulations before solving it. We pose the problem as a zero-overdetermined nonlinear composite function where the inside function provided the solution we are seeking. A Gauss-Newton method is presented together with its standard Newton's assumptions that guarantee to retain the q-quadratic rate of convergence. To avoid the singularity and the high-nonlinearity a regularized strategy is presented which preserves the fast rate of convergence. A line-search method is included for global convergence. We rediscover that the Petrov-Galerkin (PG) inexact directions for the Newton method are the Gauss-Newton (GN) directions for the composite function. The results obtained in a set of large-scale problems show the capability of the method for reproducing their essential features while reducing the computational cost associated with high-dimensional problems by a substantial order of magnitude.


It is well accepted that customer focused marketing and innovation are the two most important aspects of business, especially in the age of the ever-increasing usage of the Internet. According to Peter Drucker, marketing must encompass the whole business and must ultimately be seen from the point of view of its final result, which is the customer's point of view. In his view innovation is a process that transforms ideas into new and improved products or services. For libraries, this implies constant change, which should be focused on "smarter" not "bigger" services. (Drucker and Maciariello, 2008) Like many other libraries, CSIR Information Services (CSIRIS) is confronted with an ever changing digital landscape. The impact of evolving technologies, evolving products, client perceptions and expectations of these technologies as well as new ways of information provision have required that the information services offered to CSIR researchers had to transform. It became necessary to adapt and embrace these changes in order to provide a high standard of customer service, remain relevant and be regarded as a valuable resource within the organization. As library services at the CSIR became more virtual and the physical library no longer central to service delivery, CSIRIS had to review its existing marketing plan in order to develop a strategy that is focused on the customers' changing information needs. The assumption, according to Parker et al. (2007), is that "customers are looking for an offering that best fits their needs and therefore the organization must define those needs, and develop appropriate offerings." Such offerings however must be in line with current trends. This paper therefore looks at how CSIRIS staff adapted to the changing digital landscape and transformed their marketing strategy to ensure that their clients were attaining maximum benefit from new digital services and electronic resources. It considers how the Information Specialists' understanding of customer focused, value added information services had to evolve in order to stay relevant within the organisation. The paper will focus on the way in which the following initiatives were used to enable dialogue:  Embedded services – Information Specialists aligning themselves with the work researchers are doing to ensure relationship building between Information Specialist and client.  Developing high expertise services such as patent landscape studies – A patent landscape study is used as a pivotal tool in gaining deep insights, planning future


Saturn9s moon Titan exhibits a variety of cloud structures, probably a result of a dynamically controlled methane cycle similar to that of water on Earth.


: Dialect identification is considered a subtask of the language identification problem and it is thought to be a more complex case due to the linguistic similarity between different dialects of the same language. In this paper, a novel approach is introduced for identifying three of the most used Arabic dialects: Egyptian, Levantine, and Gulf dialects. In this study, four experiments were conducted using different classification approaches that vary from simple classifiers such as Gaussian Naïve Bayes and Support Vector Machines to more complex classifiers using Deep Neural Networks (DNN). A features vector of 13 Mel cepstral coefficients (MFCCs) of the audio signals was used to train the classifiers using a multi-dialect parallel corpus. The experimental results showed that the proposed convolutional neural networks-based classifier has outperformed other classifiers in all three dialects. It has achieved an average improvement of 0.16, 0.19, and 0.19 in the Egyptian dialect, and of 0.07, 0.13, and 0.1 in the Gulf dialect, and of 0.52, 0.35, and 0.49 in the Levantine dialect for the Precision, recall and f1-score metrics respectively.


Does the evaluating instrument influence the nature and consequence of learning? And if so, how and to what extent? Over the past sixty years there has been much theoretical discussion of these questions and over the past thirty years some spasmodic research attempting to answer them. Unfortunately, the number of experimental studies seems to be decreasing, few definite answers are available, and there is apparently no comprehensive collection of research findings upon which to base further studies.