...................................................................................................................................................................4 1.  Introduction: influencing government ...................................................................................................................5 1.1  Definitions: lobbying and corruption .............................................................................................5 1.2  How are lobbying and corruption different? ...............................................................................6 1.3  Why regulate lobbying? .....................................................................................................................7 2.  The problem ...................................................................................................................................................................9 2.1   Challenges to lobbying as a substitute for corruption ............................................................9 2.2   Governance regimes ........................................................................................................................ 10 2.3  Lobbying regimes in developing country contexts  ............................................................... 12 2.4  The influence of context on the merits of lobbying ............................................................... 12 2.5   What types of lobbying regimes work in which types of governance regimes? ........... 14 3. How donors can support these efforts ............................................................................................................... 17 References ................................................................................................................................................................. 20 U4 Issue 2017:8 Lobbying: the preconditions of an anti-corruption promise www.U4.no


Abstract The purpose of the undertaken survey is to assess the accuracy of the SSE2009, based on a reference dataset. The dataset contains 3,600 samples with the same spatial resolution as the final Soil Sealing Layer product and covers a rectangle of 36 km2. The basis for assessing the accuracy was the photointerpretation of the orthophotomap. The overall accuracy with data division into 6 classes amounted to 65%; while divided into 2 classes: sealed and non-sealed reached 95%. The evaluation results accuracy may form the basis for future improvements in evaluation methods impervious surface.


Microbial metabolic interactions impact ecosystems, human health and biotechnological processes profoundly. However, their determination remains elusive, invoking an urgent need for predictive models that seamlessly integrate ecological, evolutionary principles and metabolic details. Recognizing that metabolic interactions form a complex game in which an individuals strategies are a metabolic flux space constrained also by other individuals strategies, we formulated a bi-level optimization framework termed NECom, which is free of a long hidden 'forced altruism' setup adopted by previous algorithms, for prediction of Nash equilibria of microbial metabolic interactions with significantly enhanced accuracy. A complementary shadow-price-based iterative algorithm was used to predict state transitions and draw analogy to traditional payoff matrix analysis. We successfully predicted several classical games in the context of metabolic interactions that were falsely or incompletely predicted by existing methods, including prisoner's dilemma, snowdrift and mutualism, providing insights into why mutualism is favorable despite seemingly costly cross-feeding metabolites, and demonstrating NECom's potential to predict heterogeneous phenotypes among the same species. An in-depth analysis on a reported algae-yeast co-culture showed that NECom can capture and explain experimental trends using a minimal amount of experimental data as inputs without ad-hoc parameters, and that growth limiting crossfeeding metabolites can be pinpointed by shadow price analysis of NECom solutions to explain frequency-dependent growth pattern, shedding light on control of microbial populations.


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 Coronary arteriovenous fistula (CAF) is a rare usually congenital defect that occurs in 0.1-0.2% of patients undergoing coronary angiography. A left-to-right shunt exists in more than 90% cases. In approximately 20% of patients CAF is accompanied with coronary artery aneurysm (CAA).
 We describe a case of 65-years-old woman with history of murmur from childhood, who presents with symptoms of slowly worsening dyspnea on exertion and strong pericardial pain. A suspicion for CAF was made from echocardiography and finally confirmed by other diagnostic modalities (coronary angiography and computed tomography with 3D reconstructions). We have diagnosed a complex case of a giant CAA involving left main and a periphery of left circumflex artery, accompanied with CAF terminating in the right atrium, responsible for a significant left-to-right shunt and coronary steal phenomenon.
 Patient was successfully treated by surgical ligation of the distal part of CAF in the right atrium. There were no signs of an acute myocardial ischemia on beating heart (ECG, perioperative echocardiography) when CAF was temporary occluded by tourniquet and so definitive surgical ligation of CAF was performed back on cardiopulmonary bypass. The postoperative course was uneventful without complications and the patient was discharged 6 days after surgery.
 One year after surgery patient is doing well with no complaints. Control echocardiography showed a regression of left and right ventricle volume overload. Coronary angiography showed normal perfusion in the left coronary artery territory, and no more visible collaterals flow right coronary artery.
 Abstract P258 Figure. complex coronary artery aneurysm


Summary This article reports a follow‐up study designed to throw light on the vexed question of cause, and effect in the commonly observed association of poor learning with behaviour disturbance. Previous studies were reviewed, and only one was found which approached the issue empirically using a follow‐up design. In the present study 1,100 children were assessed for behaviour disturbance before they had received any formal instruction in reading or maths, and again, by different teachers, after three years of such instruction. The critical finding was that the behaviour disturbance of the poor learners was no greater at the end of the period than at the start. This indicated that in general the experience of poor learning could not have been the cause of the maladjustment, although it could have generated anxieties and avoidances specific to the learning situation. It was concluded that on the whole it was the initial maladjustment which produced the poor learning. The article concludes with a discussion...


The use of robots in applications that are useful for human beings can have a great impact on our quality of life and in our economy. Using robots in tasks that are hazardous (e.g. humanitarian demining or nuclear plants inspection) or repetitive for humans (e.g. area surveillance or inventorying) can enhance our life quality. Similarly introducing robots in factories can boost the efficiency in many industrial tasks. A robot that performs useful tasks for humans is known as a service robot and, according to its standardized definition, a robot needs to show some degree of autonomy while performing its task, i.e. the robot should not require complete human intervention to achieve its task. Granting autonomy to a mobile robot requires, among other things, solving tree basic tasks in robotics, namely, localization, mapping and motion control. Localization, refers to the robot answering the question "Where am I?". Mapping, refers to the robot answering the question "How does the world look like?". Finally, motion control, refers to the robot answering the question "How do I go from point A to point B?". The solution of these three basic tasks are interlaced, knowing where the robot is located, i.e. localization, requires a map of the environment. Constructing a map of the environment, i.e. mapping, requires to know the position where the sensor data of the environment was acquired. Moving the robot to one pose to another, requires both localization and mapping. Moreover, in order to perform a task, a service robot needs an operative model of the environment. If the task has to be done without human intervention, i.e. full autonomy, the robot should at least be endowed with the capability of solving the three aforementioned problems: localization, mapping and motion control. Solving these three problems jointly in order to obtain the most accurate representation of the environment in a finite time is known as active Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (active SLAM), and it is the main theme of this thesis. Active SLAM refers to a solution of the robotic exploration problem in which the main concern of the robot performing the exploration task is to obtain the most accurate representation of the environment, i.e. uncertain as well as unknown parts of the environment are of the utmost interest. In this setting, the robot must make a trade-off between exploring new area to complete the task and exploiting the existing information to maintain good localization, i.e. solving the so-called exploration-exploitation dilemma. Selecting actions that decrease the map uncertainty while not significantly increasing the robot's localization uncertainty is challenging. Active SLAM algorithms select the next robot?s action based on its utility to solve the exploration-exploitation dilemma. In this thesis we focus on utility functions for active SLAM algorithms. We analyze state-of-the-art utility functions in the context of active SLAM, and in particular we delve into their components related to quantifying the uncertainty of the robot and the map. The utility functions are of paramount importance in an active SLAM algorithm as they decide the next action of the robot. Therefore, a faulty utility function can lead the robot to take actions that most likely will jeopardize the achievement of the robot?s high level goals. The main contributions of this thesis can be briefly summarized as follows: - We present an analysis of the application of optimality criteria stemming from the Theory of Optimal Experimental Design in order to quantify the uncertainty in both the robot and the map for active SLAM. Moreover, we provide a correction to the formulae used in the robotic community to quantify uncertainty using the aforementioned optimality criteria in an active SLAM scenario. - We present a novel information-theoretic utility function for active SLAM that uses both Shannon's and Renyi's definitions of entropy to jointly consider the uncertainty of the robot and the map. This allow us to fuse both uncertainties without the use of an ad hoc solution.


Having a X / O / A structure in the form of multiple emulsion composition, wherein X is an oil immiscible hydrophilic liquid; O is an oil phase; A is an aqueous phase, comprising: Al) 0.01% to 10% by weight of bifunctional alkylamide (per) fluoropolyether derivative having the following structural formula: R'-NH-C (O) -CF


As death and injury tolls increase, concern over "drunk driving" has become nationwide. Citizen groups have been formed,2federal legislation passed,a presidential commission appointed,and new law enforcement techniques implemented to reduce the number of drunk drivers.


Purpose: This study examines the personal characteristics and social influence of Generation Z on their eloyalty towards tourism websites. In contrast to previous models, this study explores the effect of perceived compatibility and innovativeness (personal characteristics) and subjective norm (social influence) on perceived usefulness and trust on tourism websites, which in turn influence e-loyalty in a generational context. These factors are crucial in e-commerce, but they have not been studied together in the context of tourism, especially for Generation Z. Methods: Using a sample size of 389 respondents falling within Generation Z in India, the proposed model was validated using PLS-SEM. A quantitative approach was followed in this study and the data was collected by using a survey questionnaire. Results: Within the wider context of technology adoption, the findings show the decisive role of both personal characteristics and social influence in determining the e-loyalty of Generation Z towards tourism websites. Implications: The implications of understanding the e-loyalty of Generation Z may assist tourism firms in retaining them by developing and implementing effective marketing strategies. Moreover, the study's most significant contribution is that it considers Generation Z, a generation that will shape the world's future economy and a digital sector with significant purchasing power and influence.


Teaching involves a search for meaning in the world. Teaching is a life project, a calling, a vocation that is an organizing center of all other activities. Teaching is past and future as well as present, it is background as well as foreground, it is depth as well as surface. Teaching is pain and humor, joy and anger, dreariness and epiphany. Teaching is world building, it is architecture and design, it is purpose and moral enterprise. Teaching is a way of being in the world that breaks through the boundaries of the traditional job and in the process redefines all life and teaching itself.


This study reports our evaluation of high resolution, hyperspectral leaf reflectance and pigment measurements as a potential tool to aid in the identification and delineation of commercial sugarcane varieties (interspecific hybrids of Saccharum spp.), noble canes (Saccharum officinarum L.) and wild canes (Saccharum spontaneum L.). Seven varieties of sugarcane were selected from the USDA-ARS, Sugarcane Research Laboratory (SRL) breeding program for reflectance analysis, including: five commercial cultivars, one noble cane, and one wild cane. Hyperspectral reflectance data (350 800 nm) at 0.4 nm intervals were collected from the third youngest fully open leaf from nine replicates using a dual input fiber optic spectroradiometer under natural light conditions from ≈1200 1600 h. Reflectance was measured ≈10 cm from the leaf tip. After reflectance measurements were completed, a 0.5 cm disc was bored from the same leaf for plant pigments analysis. The discs were extracted with 100% acetone and analyzed by HPLC. Reflectance data were averaged into 5 and 20 nm intervals and then, with plant pigment data, were subjected to analysis of variance and multivariate mean separation techniques. Differences in reflectance were observed for each variety, with the seven cultivars having approximately threefold difference in reflectance values. Several single, wavelengths ranging from 560 720 nm could be used to discriminate between selected varieties, with varieties being significantly different from each other in 76% of the cases. The degree of discrimination could be increased to 86% using vegetative indices. Multivariate analysis resulted in a 95 100% correct classification for all varieties with leaf reflectance data and from 76 81% correct classification with plant pigment data.


With the filling requirements of the solid mixed food materials,doing research and analysis on the system's working principle to meet the process requirements of the feeding and filling orthogonal convergence,in order to improve production efficiency.Research and development on a technical solution of multiple copies of the material filling,to meet the specific packaging needs of the packing machine.Analog design of the orthogonal filling system for solid food and analysis of the key structure using SolidWorks,to achieve automatic matching packaging production line.


ABSTRACT The Roman period sees the introduction of many new plants and animals into Britain, with a profound impact on people's experience of their environment. Sweet chestnut is considered to be one such introduction, for which records of sweet chestnut wood and charcoal from archaeological excavations of Romano-British period contexts have been used as evidence. This paper reviews the records for sweet chestnut in Britain pre-a.d. 650, by critically evaluating original excavation reports and examining archived specimens. This review re-assesses the original identifications of sweet chestnut and/or their dating and concludes that most of the evidence that justified sweet chestnut's status as a Roman archaeophyte is untenable. The review emphasises the importance of securely identifying and directly dating plant material and of long-term curation by museums and archives. The Supplementary Material online (https://doi.org/10.1017/S0068113X19000011) contains details of all published records of finds of sweet chesnut.


Hysteresis measurements and electron micrographs have shown that the rotation in films with uniaxial anisotropy in low fields is not reversible, in contradiction to the single domain theory. A film with Hc/HK=2.3, for instance, has a remanence of 0.04 Ms in an alternating field of the amplitude Ĥ=0.4 HK parallel to the hard axis. The remanence depends on Hc/HK, on the dispersion of the anisotropy, and on the amplitude and the direction of the applied field.This irreversibility is caused by the magnetization ripple. If the magnetization is rotated, the ripple small‐angle walls rearrange themselves by wall motion normal to the new magnetization direction. This wall motion requires a certain excess of energy which results in hysteretic losses even if the applied field strength is lower than the Stoner‐Wohlfarth critical field for irreversible rotations.


To use vocalizations properly for the estimation of owl population size, it is important to identify how environmental factors affect owl calling behaviour. Here, we analyse how intrinsic and extrinsic factors modify the vocal activity of Tawny Owls Strix aluco in two areas of northern Spain. From March 2013 to May 2015, we radiotracked 20 Tawny Owls and also undertook a systematic survey in which we collected data on spontaneous vocal activity (hoot/call) of the tagged owls, plus their mates and neighbours (36 untagged owls). After 223 nights in Valle de Mena and 224 in Duranguesado we obtained a total of 8791 records of vocal activity. The annual proportion of surveys on which an owl called was 6.3% and did not differ between the study areas. Vocal activity of Tawny Owls varied with sex, annual cycle stage and weather. Male owls were significantly more vocal than females year‐round, and vocal activity peaked during the incubation and post‐breeding periods. Wind and rain adversely affected vocal activity of both sexes throughout the year. Tagged owls were detected more often than untagged owls, which we interpret as an observer effect because the systematic survey ensured that short distances to tagged owls increased the probability of detecting vocal activity. In fact, 2.8% of variation in vocal activity was due to detectability differences between tagged and untagged owls. We conclude that if fieldwork is carried out during the optimum period of the year for vocal detection (i.e. incubation, which in our case was around mid‐April), and under good weather conditions (dry and calm nights), censuses based on spontaneous vocal activity would detect only approximately 12% of the true Tawny Owl population.


This paper prepared different DP asphalt mortar with creeping test instrument which made by ourselves, then determined testing condition and methods. We studied their creeping performance at low temperature. We also studied the influencing factors to the deformation of asphalt mortar and pointed out that it must combined the quality grade, brand of asphalt and mineral powder as well as other factors to select the reasonable DP.


Hugh Sockett's "Education for Civil Society" is a welcome response to the painful reality that, even as the U.S. and world face mounting problems, truth "as a regulative ideal (and reason with it) is being discarded, leaving no vehicle but violence for solving disputes." 1 How should education respond to this decline of democratic institutions and the associated growing preference for authoritarian leadership over democratic politics? Sockett's article offers a prolegomenon to a larger study in educational aims and methods, so following a brief overview I will focus my comments on three aspects of the project that warrant further investigation: the relationships between the norms of schools, private institutions, and public life; motivational aspects of the contrast between market and moral economies; and how educational aims should be prioritized.


Abstract : A method of stress detection utilizing the electroencephalogram is presented. Limited discussion on nerve cells and some physiological aspects of stress are discussed. Considerable data is presented which supports a stress detection theory. Methods of stress inducement utilized and the conduct of an electroencephalogram are described.


Biofertilizers have emerged as a potential environment friendly inputs that are supplemented for proper plant growth. Two field experiments were conducted at University Putra Malaysia (UPM), Selangor, Malaysia during 1st season (May to September 2015) and 2nd season (September to December 2015) to evaluate the performance of aerobic rice genotypes under different combinations of bio and chemical fertilizer. The experiment consisted of five (5) biofertilizer combinations (chemical fertilizer recommended rate (CFRR) (150 N; 60 P2O5; 60 K2O kg ha-1) 100%, biofertilizer 1 ton + 75% CFRR, biofertilizer 2 tons + 50% CFRR, biofertilizer 3 tons + 25% CFRR, and biofertilizer 4 tons) and three aerobic rice genotypes (MRIA1, MR219-4 and MR219-9) laid out in a split-plot in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with 3 replicates. Results revealed that application of biofertilizer 1 ton + 75% CFRR produced the highest plant height (102.65 cm) and a number of tillers (20.38) in the 2nd season, the highest grain yield (4.30 t ha-1) than the other biofertilizer treatments in the 1st season. MR219-4 produced the highest number of tillers, leaf area and leaf photosynthesis rate in both seasons, grain yield (5.02 t ha-1) in 1st season while MR219-9 produced the highest crop biomass (52.76 g hill-1) and crop growth rate (8.00 g hill-1 week-1) at 12 WAS, grain yield (3.86 t ha-1) than the other genotypes in the 2nd season. The trend in these results indicated that biofertilizer tend to be more effective with limited chemical fertilizer in the 1st season of low rainfall. These results concluded that 1 ton biofertilizer + 75% CFRR and MR219-4 enhances rice growth and grain yield in aerobic condition.


. The dia gnosis could be confirmed by measuring enzyme activity in the liver. Therapy is protein-Iow feeding and supplemen tation of essential amino acids and arginine. A therapeutic trial with additional sodium benzoate did not show a posi tive effect. The patient made a significant step backwards in development during the second episode of stupor; how ever in the following months the retardation could be re duced markedly.


Abstract Objectives PAK5 and PAK6 are protein kinases highly expressed in the brain. Previously, we observed that Pak6 knockout mice gained significantly more weight during development than Pak5 knockout mice as well as wild-type controls and double-knockout mice lacking both Pak5 and Pak6. In this study, we assessed the effects of exercise on food intake and weight gain of these mice as well as their sensitivity to the stimulant effects of amphetamine. Methods Mice of each genotype were placed in cages with free access to run wheel exercise or in cages without run wheels for a total of 74 days. Food and fluid intake as well as body weight of each mouse were measured on a weekly basis. Finally, mice were given a high dose of amphetamine and activity levels were observed immediately thereafter for 90 minutes. Brains and testes of mice were assayed for protein levels of the estrogen alpha and progesterone receptors. Results While run wheel mice consumed significantly more food, they weighed less than non-run wheel mice. In addition, although Pak6 knockout mice consumed the same amount of food as wild-type mice, they were significantly heavier regardless of run wheel condition. Pak5 knockout mice were found to be more active than other genotypes after amphetamine treatment. Finally, protein levels of the progesterone and estrogen alpha receptors were altered in brain and testes of the Pak6 knockout mice. Discussion Collectively, these data suggest that PAK6 play a role in weight gain unrelated to exercise and caloric intake and that Pak5 knockout mice are more sensitive to the stimulant effects of amphetamine.


Abstract The Second Wuhu Bridge is a mega project that will cross the Yangtze River in Anhui Province, China. The main bridge is a cable-stayed bridge with an 806 m main span. Its upcoming connections on both sides are 41.03 km in total. This project needs to be completed within 4 years. To meet this strict time demand, prefabricated, externally prestressed segmental box-girder bridges are utilized using an industrialized method. In this paper, the design and construction of these bridges are introduced. Information about the overall design, cross-sectional design, tendon design, and the precasting and erection techniques are presented. The considerations and optimizations to meet the demands of the industrialized design and construction are explained in detail.


Abstract This article explores the ways in which high school girl popularity is constructed as heterosexual and normatively gendered, leaving lesbian adolescents on the periphery of the high school social scene. Based upon data from a larger critical life history study with adolescent lesbians, this article explores their experiences of school, friendship, and their attempts to fit in with social groups in school. The young women in this research associated popular with straight and attractive, sometimes using the words interchangeably, and identified the required characteristics of a popular girl as looking perfect and a fluency in boy-talk. Girls less concerned with their appearance or with boys were marked as outsiders in the high school culture. How schools participate in reproducing heterosexist popularity is also discussed. I made good grades—I was in a lot of activities but still—it didn't mean much to people unless, you know, I have a boyfriend or I'm chasing after guys with the rest of the girls, you know. —Amy, high school senior


Severn pairs of specific primers are designed according to the published homogeneous sequences of nervous necrosis virus (NNV)from GenBank. The target segments are cloned by means of RT_PCR. The nucleotide sequences of RNA1 and RNA2 from OGNNV, China strain, are determined. OGNNV RNA1 is 3 103 bp long, containing an ORF of 982 aa, while OGNNV RNA2 is composed of 1 433 bp, containing an ORF of 338 aa. Both OGNNV RNAs show high similarity with those from greasy grouper nervous necrosis (GGNNV), Singapore strain. Analysis of OGNNV RNA2 reveals that it is much closely related to dragon grouper nervous necrosis virus (DGNNV), redspotted grouper nervous necrosie virus (RGNNV) and GGNNV, and that these viruses share the same neutralization epitope. Six predicted RNA_dependent RNA polymerase motifs are affirmed by nucleocide sequence analysis of OGNNV RNA1. According to the analysis of similarity and Phylogenelysis, OGNNV belongs to the member of RGNNV genotype.


The effects of soybean flour hydrolyzate on microbial transglutaminase fermentation by Streptomyces sp.HS-1 were investigated.Soybean flour extracted in medium temperature was used to be the stuff firstly.The firgures indicated that MTG activity increased by 29% with soybean flour hydrolyzate,compared with peptone as its nitrogen source.An optimal hydrolysis method of soybean flour was determined as follows: 2 mol/L hydrochloric acid,121 ℃,and hydrolyze for 1 hour.The best solid-liquid ratio was 1∶3.The optimal percentage of soybean flour hydrolyzate was 2.5%.Based on investigation of soybean flour extracted in different temperatures,the medium high temperature-extracted soybean flour was the best organic nitrogen source.


The gas-pulverized coal two phase flow law of gas is simulated by the use of the theory of jet after coal and gas outburst. Research results show that as the volume fraction of pulverized coal in outbursts mixture increases, the speed of two phase flow at the exit gradually reduces, jet core length shorter, turbulent longitudinal effect range smaller, jet width narrower. And dynamic head mainly concentrates in the jet core area and its distribution is more uniform in the roadways. The maximum speed of outburst two-phase flow decreases with the adding volume fraction of pulverized coal, that is higher the coal content in outburst mixtures, smaller the maximum speed after outburst. But a high content of coal have higher impact strike force which can cause major damage effect. The research may provide some theoretical basis for setting underground safety facilities, mine personal protection, disaster warning and emergency rescue.


The effects of storage temperature and storage time on pH,the rheological characteristics,the droplet size,the creaming rate and centrifugal sedimentation rate of reconstituted milk were investigated.The correlation between fat globule diameter and creaming rate,centrifugal sedimentation rate during the storage was also analyzed.The results indicated that the pH and the apparent viscosity of reconstituted milk decreased with the increasing storage temperature;and both increased first and then decreased with the storage time.The pH and the apparent viscosity of reconstituted milk reached the maximum value on the 15th day at 25℃ and 37℃ storage temperature,while stored at 55℃,they reached the maximum values on the 7th day.Creaming rate showed positive correlation with d 4,3 on the top of reconstituted milk,the creaming rate and d 4,3 increased gradually with the increase of storage temperature and storage time.Centrifugal sedimentation rate showed positive correlation with d4,3 at the bottom of reconstituted milk.The pH and the apparent viscosity increased initially and decreased afterward with the increase of storage temperature,and reached to the maximum value at 37℃,but increased gradually with storage time.


The characteristic of flow resistance in the new type static mixers was investigated based on the microscope flow character by using the computational fluid dynamics(CFD)software.It can be seen from the velocity vectors of axial cross- sections that there was the spin flow,reverse to the revolving direction of the mixer element groups in the new type static mixers.The relationship among all factors influencing flow resistance in the static mixers was simplified by using the dimensional analysis and π theorem.A general relationship of friction coefficient of the flow resistance was gained by data reduction and regression.It offers the theoretical base for the industry application.


This paper studied on the present situation and problems of science and research in institutes and universities in Hubei province through methods such as documentation,investigation and system analysis and so on.The author posed some developing countermeasures on this basis.They will be a reference to improving the science and research's level in local institutes and universities in Hubei province,and promoting the development of economy in its area.


Devastating disasters may occur in case of breaching of a barrier lake, which therefore have to be rapidly assessed and urgently treated in order to reduce the potential risk. A giant and dangerous barrier lake was formed in the upper reach of the Changjiang River (known as the Jinsha River) by a landslide close to the Baige Village in Tibet, China, on the 3 rd Nov. 2018. According to the continuous accumulated and updated measured or inferred data transmitted from the site which is very remote and quite inaccessible, simulation of a large number of possible scenarios of the dam-breach flood of the Baige Barrier Lake was conducted to predict the flood peak outflow and hydrograph, and help to evaluate the severity of the threat to the downstream area, providing basis for the emergency evacuation of the population at risk. To reduce the water volume of the barrier lake and the flood peak outflow, and consequently the flood risk to the downstream area, ten days later after formation the Baige landslide dam was artificially breached by a manual excavated drainage channel, and the lake was successfully drained. After that back analysis of the draining process of the Baige barrier lake was also conducted to reproduce the well-monitored flood hydrograph obtained during the dam breaching process of the barrier lake.


Based on the measured shielding effectiveness in frequency-domain,a simple model for evaluating the pulse wave shielding effectiveness of a shielding enclosure is proposed by using phase reconstruction,best approximation element method and iteration improvement.The model is in the form of a discrete transfer function,and the pulse waveform within a shielding enclosure can be estimated with digital filtering method.The proposed method is verified by modeling a simulated filter and estimating pulsed magnetic field inside practical shields.It provides a useful tool for evaluating pulse response from continuous wave measurements.


This paper introduces the double-casing turbulent ash-transporting system in Hejin Power Branch,analyzes the common faults of he double-casing turbulent ash-transporting system in its operation and their influences,and puts forward some corresponding improvement measures.


The space interference of output field for high-order mode through the fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer is analyzed by using Hermite-Gauss function, mode interference theory and linear superposition method of electric fields. The equation of interference field between two high modes is obtained. The optical fiber of space interference between two modes in the two-mode optical fiber is calculated. The numerical simulation results show that the interference field between second-order modes is two same circular spots. The interference field between first-order and second-order modes is different circular spots.


Quantitative expressions for the direction of the angle of isocline and for the amount of birefringence due to a dilute solution of rigid macromolecules in a general two‐dimensional laminar flow are derived. If E is the principal strain rate and Λ0 is the angle between the streamline direction and the direction of the principal strain rate axis, the angle of isocline, measured from the first principal strain rate axis is χ=−(Esin2Λ0/6D){1−(E2/27D2)[sin22Λ0+(24b2/35)]+···], where b=[(a12—a22) / (a12+a22)] is a shape factor for an ellipsoid of revolution of semimajor axis a1 and semiminor axis a2 and D is the rotary diffusion constant for this ellipsoid. The amount of birefringence is Δn=(4π/15)(cGEb/nD) {1−(E2/18D2)[sin22Λ0+(6b2/35)]+···}, where n is the mean index of refraction of the solution, c the volume concentration of the macromolecules, and G=g1—g2 is the optical anisotropy of the ellipsoids.It is seen that if the principal strain rate is not at 45° to the streamline at the point of observation, th...


To create the student model of Intelligence Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) Course Ware and produce relevant teaching tactics. Based on AI principle and cognizance structure, a model of Intelligence AI Course Ware is created. A method is proposed to implement it with relevant database. The advantages and disadvantages are analyzed.


Based on known metabolic pathways involved in the biosynthesis of cell macromolecules, the amount of energy (ATP) required for the formation of microbial ceils can be estimated. For a microbial rumen populat ion of mixed species, the estimated YATP (grams dry weight ceils formed per mole ATP expended) is 29 to 30 for growth on rich media containing preformed monomers and is 20 to 29 for growth on simple media containing carbohydrate and inorganic salts. The ranges in these values result from changes in the composit ion of the cells formed and not from changes in efficiencies of growth per se. Assuming equal amounts of growth in the rumen occur on rich and simple media conditions, the maximal theoretical YATP would be 26 and this might be lowered to 21, if large allowances are made for ATP expenditures for transport processes. Experimentally determined YATP values often are considerably lower than these theoretical values due to the influence of ATP expenditures for maintenance during growth and variations of YATP with growth rate. The data from nutrient-limited continuous culture (chemostat) studies of single or mixed species indicate rumen bacteria have the potential for a low growth maintenance requirement (Me) and high cell yields (YAM~X~ of 19 to 20), However, cell yields become progressively lower with decreasing growth rate, increasing Me, or both as a greater proport ion of the ATP produced is diverted to maintenance functions. M e varies


Abstract Crystals of tris (methylammonium) nonaiododibismuthate were grown which turned out to be isomorphous with Cs3Bi2I9 and (CH3NH3)3Sb2I9. Two phase transitions, at 223 (second order) and 142 K (first order), were revealed. The low temperature phase transition is characterized by a strong dielectric anomaly. The pyroelectric behaviour could indicate a ferrielectric ordering below 142 K.


Efficient acceleration mechanisms have been proposed in order to explain high energy spectra observed from astrophysical objects such supernova remnants, active galactic nuclei and X binaries. Most of them require an initial mechanism able to accelerate charged particles from thermal equilibrium to the onset of the stochastic process. The present paper argues the terms in which a numerical experiment, namely the chaotic gun effect, can be adopted as an injection mechanism. We estimate the injection energy and find it to be in the order of some MeV . We provide a proof which can support the power law dependence of spectrum of the charged particles'number on the energy in the chaotic region. Our arguments advocate that the validity of the main feature of an acceleration mechanism is displayed by chaotic gun effect: the spectrum.


This article summarises research funded by EuroCoppice, COST Action FP1301. The aim was to compare and contrast the situation for the chestnut (Castenea sativa) coppice industry in England and Italy with view to informing training and business development research proposals. EU forestry policies are dispersed under several topics (e.g. environment, rural development, industry, trade). The current context is the Forest Europe Principles agreed in 2011. The Italian Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry has overall responsibility for implementing these but regional laws are set within this context. The UK Government policy statement 'Sustaining and enhancing trees, forests and woodland' (Defra, 2013) acknowledges regional differences.


Halide perovskite materials based on the prototypical CH3NH3PbI3 received much attention in recent years, with applications ranging from solar cells to light-emitting diodes. However, many fundamental aspects of the halide perovskite materials remain elusive at the moment, such as the structures and impacts of the methyl ammonium precursors on the halide perovskite properties. In this manuscript, we take one step back to theoretically investigate the monomer and dimer structures of methylammonium iodide, a precursor for the synthesis of the halide perovskite CH3NH3PbI3 via the first principles calculations, in order to provide a more complete view of the halide perovskite structures. The calculations show that the hydrogen bonds are found to be the major factor that stabilizes the methylammonium iodide monomers and dimers, while the dimeric structure exhibits geometry with each iodine atom shared by two neighbouring hydrogen atoms in the methylammonium cation molecules. The hydrogen bonds in the methylammonium iodide are proposed to be correlated with the three-dimensional halide perovskite buildup, and the formation of the hydrogen bond that is available in the halide perovskite framework could be "historically" traced back as early as the precursor preparation. The manuscript addresses the importance of the hydrogen bonds in the synthesis and the crystal formation of halide perovskite materials, and anticipates the necessity of the fundamental theoretical understanding of the structures from the halide perovskite precursors to the halide perovskite frameworks.


IT IS KNOWN that about one-fourth of systemic lupus erythematosus cases present neurological manifestations. The central nervous system involvement is the most ccmmon; peripheral neuritis is the next in frequency.'%2 The basic underlying etiology is presumed to be a vasculitis.3 Our report concerns a case of systemic lupus erythematosus with involvement of the brainstem and the improvement observed with the use of heparin.


Bone marrow‐derived human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) possess multipotent differentiation capabilities and are a potent source of paracrine factors. We show how the epidermal keratinocyte can direct hMSC differentiation selectively. Keratinocytes and hMSCs were either cocultured in physical contact (contact cocultures)' or separated without physical contact using a transwell insert (noncontact cocultures). We also delivered hMSCs into an ex vivo human excisional wound where subpopulations of the hMSCs were either in contact or were physically separated from the epidermal keratinocytes. In comparison to control hMSCs that were not cocultured' contact cocultured hMSCs adopted an epithelial morphology and expressed kera‐tinocyte markers while noncontact coculutred hMSCs' surprisingly' adopted phenotypes that resembled myo‐fibroblast and early neural lineage, both of which are of dermal origin. Cell fusion was not a requirement in in vitro contact cocultures, as determined by fluorescence‐activated cell sorting (FACS) and fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis (FISH). To the best of our knowledge, this work provides the first example of hMSC differentiation into different lineages depending on their proximity to a single cell type.—Sivamani, R. K., Schwartz, M. P., Anseth, K. S., Isseroff, R. R., Keratinocyte proximity and contact can play a significant role in determining mesenchymal stem cell fate in human tissue, FASEB J. 25, 122–131 (2011). www.fasebj.org


Until recent years the measure of a nation's economic and social prosperity was its consumption of electricity. Over the course of time, electricity has come to be considered indispensable. Thus, the aim of both government and industry was directed towards reducing the cost of power. These aims and goals are now being seriously questioned by the environmental movement. In the developing struggle it is going to be necessary to institute an orderly procedure by which solutions to these issues may be discovered. Such procedures must not, however, allow any one segment of society to impose its value system upon another. This can be prevented if everyone is given a reasonable opportunity to express his own values, during both planning and decision-making. Without full public participation there is a serious danger that society will never agree to accept the increased restrictions on its conduct which will be necessary in years to come if man is to survive.


This paper develops a regional dynamic general equilibrium model calibrated using tyq"tgikqpcn"UCOu"hqt"vjg"Kvcnkcp"tgikqp"Xcnng"FÓCquvc"hqt"vjg"{gctu"3;85"cpf"4224. A historical calibration procedure is performed over the 40 years period and a validation exercise ensures that the modelled tendencies closely approximate the actual observed growth patterns of the main regional macroeconomic variables. The dynamic general equilibrium model provides an original and powerful tool for historical counterfactual analysis not available using standard dynamic general equilibrium models. The model is used to compare the growth path followed by the region during the period of interest with different scenarios intended to rank the social desirability of alternative behaviours of the regional administration.


Agricultural production in arid and semiarid regions relies mainly on irrigation. Due to the scarcity of water resources in these regions, the use of marginal water sources (saline water and treated effluent) for irrigation is on the rise. Marginal water can contain high concentrations of salts and toxic microelements. Long-term use of this water for irrigation can decrease fruit yield and increase the accumulation and concentration of toxic elements in the plant and fruit. The effects of grafting on the uptake and distribution of toxic microelements within the plant were determined in several experiments conducted in the field and in greenhouses. In general, grafting of melon plants onto Cucurbita rootstock increased their tolerance to salinity and to high concentrations of toxic elements. Moreover, the concentrations of toxic elements, such as B, Zn, Sr, Mn, Cu, Ti, Cr, Ni, Cd, and Na, were lower in the shoots and fruit of grafted vs. non-grafted plants. Quantitative calculations of the toxic elements' concentrations in the xylem-sap exudates and in plant shoot and root tissues revealed exclusion and retention of these elements by the pumpkin root system. Grafting appears to be potentially useful for increasing the tolerance of vegetable crops to toxic elements, and for preventing the entry of contaminants and saline elements into the human food supply. Therefore, grafting is suggested as a useful tool for successful vegetable growth under arid and semiarid conditions.


SAGA Light Source is a synchrotron radiation source, which consists of 250MeV injector linac and 1.4GeV storage ring, located in northern Kyusyu, Japan [1]. The beam transfer line from the linac to the ring consists ob a 40-degree bending magnet, a 20-degree bending magnet, two quadrupole doublets and a quadrupole singlet. The bump orbit is generated by four-kickers which are excited by sinusoidal electric currents with a half width of 1μs. We have performed injection tracking studies using TRACY2 [2] to confirm the angle and energy injected beam acceptance. It has been found that the angular acceptance for the injection beam is from -3.5mrad to +2.5mrad and the energy acceptance is 1%.


The authors studied the genetic diversity of the reproductive nucleus of mini-pigs at the Institute of Cytology and Genetics (IC&G) of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS). To do this, the authors used the indicators of individual homo- and heterozygosity, calculated based on the «blood fractions» of large and small forms of domestic pigs, initial for the breeding group. The study showed that the average value of individual heterozygosity (conditionally actual) is 0.800±0.004, while homozygosity for the contribution of large and small forms of the domestic pig is 0.020±0.002 and 0.180±0.010, respectively. The indicator «blood fraction» can have two interpretations: 1) the probability of transmission of the ancestral allele in several generations; 2) the proportion of the genome of the ancestor that is present in the descendant. The authors determined their frequencies, which turned out to be 0.424 and 0.576 as if assuming the presence of a hypothetical locus with different alleles in the large and small forms of the domestic pig (respectively Ak and Am). The authors calculated heterozygosity for the breeding nucleus based on these frequencies while respecting the Hardy-Weinberg law. As a result, it turned out that the unbiased value is 0.493±0.067, which is significantly (P<0.001) less than the observed conditional-actual value. Selection is carried out according to a set of signs of general fitness (state of health, reproductive qualities, the viability of offspring, etc.) during the formation of the reproductive core of the breeding group of mini-pigs of the IC&G SB RAS. Therefore, the authors concluded that the increased heterozygosity of the breeding stock is due to the preferential selection of heterozygotes. But since selection is carried out according to a set of signs of general fitness, it can be stated that in the reproductive core of the selection group there is an effect of nonspecific heterosis due to heterozygosity. As a result, selection into the reproductive nucleus of individuals with high values of individual heterozygosity calculated by the proposed method can provide heterosis based on general adaptiveness.


Objective:To evaluate the therapeutic effect of vagal nerve stimulation(VNS) on intractable epilepsy and its clinical applicational value.Methods:VNS was applied to seven intractable epilepsy for three years,continued observation was performed for two years after the end of treatment.The clinical epileptic seizures and EEG changes were observed before VNS,also during and after stopping VNS.During the period of five-year observation,enough antiepileptic drugs were still administered.Results:Therapeutic effect was observed in 5 patients during period of VNS,and 2 patients did not show any therapeutic effect.Seizure frequency decreased 25%-50% in 3 of the five patients showing therapeutic effect and two of the five were seizure free.After stopping VNS,two of the three patients with decreased frequency was aggravated.one showed alterated seizure type,showing increase of seizure frequency,but decrease of severity degree.In two seizure-free patients,one remained seizure-free,the other relapsed.EEG was consistent with the clinics.EEG was improved significantly,showing decreased spike (sharp)wave,spike(sharp)and slow waves as the epileptic seizure were controlled.When seizure relapsed,EEG showed corresponding epileptiform discharges.At the end of follow-up study in the 5 th year,6 out of the seven patients still showed abnormal EEG with spike(sharp) or spike(sharp) and slow waves.Conclusion:VNS might be of certain therapeutic effect for intractable epilepsy,but it might be difficult to be a satisfied method because of easy relapse after stopping stimulation and expensive expenditure.


BACKGROUND
The Ceremony of Research Project was implemented to strengthen tribal communities' ability to harmonize Western research processes with Indigenous ways of knowing.

METHODS
Focus groups were conducted with tribal members to understand Indigenous processes, beliefs, and practices necessary to promote positive research experiences with tribal communities.

RESULTS
Findings address time; relationship building and maintenance; inclusion of diverse tribal members in the research design, as well as American Indian epistemology; respect for tribal values, beliefs, and customs throughout the research process; and the reciprocity of research.

CONCLUSIONS
Our study has important implications for how researchers can take a strengthbased approach to conducting research with tribal communities.


Opioid use for chronic non-malignant pain remains controversial and is surrounded by myths and misconceptions. As new research emphasises the importance of early effective pain management, comprehensive, well-researched guidelines may help the care of patients with chronic non-malignant pain.


Seismic activity in the western Saudi Arabia, together with rapid industrial development of the region, emphasizes the importance of reassessment of seismic hazard for the area. A swarm of earthquakes (maximum magnitude 5.4) occurred in 2009 within the Harrat Lunayyir – the relatively young Cenozoic lava field in western Saudi Arabia. The Harrat Lunayyir area was not considered as a seismic source zone in the current issue of Saudi Building Code (SBC-301-2007). In this study the characteristics of seismic hazard were estimated for the Harrat Lunayyir area. The up-to-date geophysical, geological and seismological databases, and results of new geophysical and seismological studies were used for construction of input models for seismic hazard assessment. The study allows revision of seismic hazard maps for the area and it provides information for deterministic seismic hazard assessment that is required for emergency response and recovery management. The combination of geophysical and seismological methods applied in his study may be considered as an example of integrated studies that aim at assessment of seismic hazard for similar volcanic areas in Saudi Arabia and the world


Strata of the Neoproterozoic Shaler Group on Victoria Island in NW Canada reveal stratigraphic and sedimentological features that are interpreted to be a response to differential crustal uplift immediately preceding emplacement of the 723 Ma Franklin gabbro sills and their extrusive equivalents, the Natkusiak Formation flood basalts. Volcanism was coeval with sedimentation, as indicated by loading features developed on the Kuujjua Formation, a fluvial braidplain quartzarenite that underlies the lowermost basalt flow of the Natkusiak Formation in the SW part of Minto Inlier. The Kuujjua Formation represents the top of an emergent cycle that began with deposition of intertidal carbonates followed by supratidal sabkha carbonates and sulphate evaporites of the underlying Kilian Formation. The Kuujjua Formation thins and pinches out toward the northeast, and there is erosional beveling of the upper Kilian beneath it. In the NE part of Minto Inlier, the Kuujjua and upper Kilian are absent and the Natkusiak Formation unconformably overlies block-faulted carbonates of the middle Kilian. These relationships imply that uplift, which was progressively greater toward the NE, began in upper Kilian time, estimated to be no more than 20 Ma before the voluminous magmatic events. Uplift may have been initiated by mantle plume-generated asthenospheric upwelling, which ultimately resulted in basaltic magma generation. Block faults beneath the Natkusiak in the NE are consistent with pre-eruptive crustal doming. Diabase dikes that crosscut the basalts are more common in the NE than in the SW, implying that crustal attenuation was greatest in the northeast and that it postdated the main phase of volcanism. These data support the plume initiation model for generation of flood basalts.


In the past twenty years the peace museum idea has blossomed and the Japanese contribution has been both remarkable and inspirational for other countries. 'Peace cities' like Hiroshima and Nagasaki...


Abstract Objectives: To compare inpatient compliance with venous thromboembolism prophylaxis regimens. Design: A secondary analysis of patients enrolled in the ADAPT (A Different Approach to Preventing Thrombosis) randomized controlled trial. Setting: Level I trauma center. Patients/Participants: Patients with operative extremity or any pelvic or acetabular fracture requiring venous thromboembolism prophylaxis. Intervention: We compared patients randomized to receive either low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) 30 mg or aspirin 81 mg BID during their inpatient admission. Main Outcome Measurements: The primary outcome measure was the number of doses missed compared with prescribed number of doses. Results: A total of 329 patients were randomized to receive either LMWH 30 mg BID (164 patients) or aspirin 81 mg BID (165 patients). No differences observed in percentage of patients who missed a dose (aspirin: 41.2% vs LMWH: 43.3%, P = .7) or mean number of missed doses (0.6 vs 0.7 doses, P = .4). The majority of patients (57.8%, n = 190) did not miss any doses. Missed doses were often associated with an operation. Conclusions: These data should reassure clinicians that inpatient compliance is similar for low molecular weight heparin and aspirin regimens.


4-Allylphosphaisocoumarins can be prepared in good yield and with high regioselectivity by the reaction of o-ethynyl-phenylphosphonic acid monoesters with allyl bromide catalyzed by Cut. The present reaction represents the first example of a phosphonic acid monoester cyclized coupling reaction with alkyl halide.


Recently, low-orbit satellite networks have gained lots of attention from the society due to their wide coverage, low transmission latency, and storage and computing capacity. Providing seamless connectivity to users in different areas is envisioned as a promising solution, especially in remote areas and for marine communication. However, when jointly used with terrestrial networks composing satellite-terrestrial networks, the satellite moving speed is much faster than the ground terminal, which can cause inconsistent service from a single satellite, and therefore lead to frequent satellite handover. Moreover, due to the dynamic and time slot visibility of satellites, the topology of an intersatellite changes frequently, which results in loops during satellite handover, thereby reducing the utilization of links. To address these problems, we propose a digital twin-assisted storage strategy for satellite-terrestrial networks (INTERLINK), which leverages the digital twins (DTs) to map the satellite networks to virtual space for better communication. Specifically, we first propose a satellite storage-oriented handover scheme to minimize the handover frequency by considering the limited access time and capacity constraints of satellites. Then, a multiobjective optimization problem is formulated to obtain the optimal satellite by genetic algorithm. Finally, considering the timing visibility of the satellite links, a digital twin-assisted intersatellite routing scheme is introduced to improve the quality of data delivery between satellites. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed INTERLINK can reduce both handover times and average propagation delay compared with its counterparts. Meanwhile, benefitting from integrated DT, both the quality of data delivery and the delay of intersatellite links are considerably improved.


High quality acoustical data records were collected for both European and Africanized honeybees under various field conditions. This data base was needed for more rigorous evaluation of a honeybee identification technique previously developed by the travelers from preliminary data sets. Laboratory-grade recording equipment was used to record sounds made by honeybees in and near their nests and during foraging flights. Recordings were obtained from European and Africanized honeybees in the same general environment. Preliminary analyses of the acoustical data base clearly support the general identification algorithm: Africanized honeybee noise has significantly higher frequency content than does European honeybee noise. As this algorithm is refined, it may result in the development of a simple field-portable device for identifying subspecies of honeybees. Further, the honeybee's acoustical signals appear to be correlated with specific colony conditions. Understanding these variations may have enormous benefit for entomologists and for the beekeeping industry.


A study of the performance of an Avalanche Photodiode (APD) at low bias using time-domain modeling has been conducted. Three important considerations in this range of bias voltages are: the emission of holes from the interface-trap at the valence-band discontinuity; the diffusion of photogenerated holes from the undepleted region of the absorption layer; and the velocity of carriers at low electric fields. A new recurrence relation has been obtained for the emission of holes from the valance-band trap. The time-delays due to the diffusion of holes photogenerated in the undepleted region of the absorption layer has been taken into account in computing the impulse response of the APD in time-domain. The effect of velocity of the carriers at low- bias has been considered by using a field-dependent formulation for velocity. The frequency response of the device has been obtained by using the fast Fourier Transform of the impulse response in time-domain. The result on the gain-bias and bandwidth-gain characteristics show good agreement with the published experimental data on InP/InGaAs APDs.


Abstract Background Starplasty tracheostomy for pediatric patients has been suggested to reduce complications, including accidental decannulation and granulation. Objectives This study, based in a single hospital, aims to evaluate whether starplasty tracheostomy decreases the incidence of postoperative granulation of tracheostoma. Material and methods A retrospective review was performed of patients that underwent tracheostomy under the age of 10 years in a single center between January 2001 and August 2020. Results Of the 46 patients reviewed, 18 were males and 28 were females, and the median age at the initial operation was 6 months. Methods of tracheostomy were starplasty in 16 patients, vertical in 15 patients, horizontal H-shaped in 10 patients, fenestration in 3 patients, and trap door/inverted U-shaped in two patients. During observation, tracheostoma granulation was found in 25 patients and bleeding from tracheostoma occurred in one patient. No other major complications were observed. The incidence of postoperative tracheostoma granulation was significantly lower in patients that underwent starplasty tracheostomy compared with patients that underwent other types of tracheostomy (p = .007). There was no difference in survival outcomes or ratio of decannulations. Conclusions Starplasty tracheostomy was shown to decrease the incidence of tracheostoma granulation compared with other types of tracheostomy.


Gel Permeation chromatography (GPC) yielded high values for branching frequency. Low polymers persisting long into the reaction and impurities resulted in almost constant number average molecular weights and steeply rising polydispersity. The percent insolubles was low and passed through a maximum attributed to a 1,2,3-propantriol/isocyanate reaction product which was insoluble and became solubilized by the addition of polybutadiene. The dynamic viscosities of the products rose with conversion. When studied over various shear rates, the curves could be extrapolated to zero shear values. The relationship between zero shear viscosity and molecular weight yielded a slope of 3.5 for linear samples and a lightly branched sample prepared using 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate. The lightly branched samples made using 2,4-toluene diisocyanate yielded slopes less than 3.5. The highly branched samples yielded slopes well above 3.5. The moduli increased rapidly with reaction time and then levelled off. In the absence of 1,2,3-propantriol, the loss modulus surpassed the storage modulus. When 1,2,3-propantriol was added, the moduli increased more rapidly, levelled off at higher values, and the storage modulus exceeded the loss modulus. Studies of the swelling of the final product showed that these measurements yielded abnormally high values for the molecular weight between crosslinks; evidence of poor network formation.


[Objective]To observe the clinical effect of combination of TCM and WM in treating angina pectoris of coronary heart disease.[Methods]By the single blind method,80 cases of angina pectoris were selected and divided into two groups,i.e.40 in the treatment group of combination of TCM and WM,and 40 in the control group of WM.Medicines of Capsule Buchang Nao Xin Tong,Xiaoxintong,Aspirin and Xiaoxintong,Aspirin were prescribed for four weeks.[Results]The total effective rate of the treatment group and the control group was 95.0 % and 55.0% respectively with significant difference (P0.01). The ECG effective rate of the treatment group and the control group was 87.5% and 55.0% respectively with significant difference (P0.1). After the treatment, the occurrence of angina pectoris was decreased (P0.01). The dosage of nitroglycerin was decreased (P0.01) in the treatment group after treatment. TC, TG were decreased, and HDL-C was increased compared to those before treatment as decreased (P0.01).[Conclusion]In treating angina pectoris of coronary heart disease, combination of TCM and WM can improve the symptoms,ischemia ECG changes, reduce the dosage of nitroglycerin, and decrease the blood fat. The benefit shows OR=0.09(95%CI=0.07~0.11),NNT=3(95%CI=2~6).


Web3D is a form of VR(virtual reality) in network and modern distance education is a distance education taking computer network as the platform.The paper illustrates the relative theories and strategies of Web3D technology used in modern distance education based on its theoretical basis,the application levels and the classification of students and teachers.


In spring 1986, Lindsay Anderson appeared in a television programme on British cinema. This was part of a series of three under the heading British Cinema: Personal View, produced by Thames Television. Anderson's contribution, Free Cinema 1956–? An Essay on Film by Lindsay Anderson, was written and directed by him. He was also the star of the programme, providing a lecture on the history of British cinema with himself at the very core, although, at the time of the production, Anderson's career was in decline and he was not involved in any film projects. Drawing on press materials, the programme itself and Anderson's personal papers in the University of Stirling library, this article analyses Anderson's personal conception of Free Cinema – according to his understanding, a short-lived documentary movement in the 1950s which eventually transformed itself into a series of feature films in the ensuing decades, particularly his own trilogy If…. (1968), O Lucky Man! (1973) and Britannia Hospital (1982). The pol...


This article reviews the mineral composition and potential health benefits of Zamzam water. Zamzam water is different from natural water in terms of minerals and radiological features. The miracle of Zamzam is its continuous flow since 2000 BC. The appearance of the Zamzam well led to the foundation of the settlement of the Makah valley. Zamzam water quenches the thirst and shows potential to cure numerous diseases. Different studies have been conducted to explore the mythical qualities of this water; still there is a need to conduct widespread research and to explore its healthcare benefits, mineral profile, and technological perspectives. Recent animal studies showed that Zamzam was effective against cancer, as it thwarts the development of tumors.


Kinetics of chlorite dismutase (CD), the terminal enzyme involved in the perchlorate (ClO 4−) reduction pathway, in a ClO 4−-degrading bioreactor are reported in this study. Enzyme activity was determined from dissolved oxygen released during disproportionation of chlorite (ClO 2−). CD activity was in the range 29.8–36.4 U/mg dry weight sludge, and kinetic constants Vmax and Km of the enzyme were 37.83 U/mg dry weight and 0.28 mM, respectively. Among reactor operational conditions, enzyme activity was observed at pH 4.0–9.0, with an optimum at pH 6.0. Redox potential in the range –50 to +120 mV and NaCl up to 3.5 g/L had no significant effect on CD activity. However, co-occurring pollutants such as ammonium at 10 ppm, nitrite at 50 ppm and EDTA at 100 μM reduced CD activity substantially. The present study highlights ideal bioreactor conditions to avoid ClO 2− toxicity, while indicating the buffering potential of a mixed microbial system against inhibiting factors to maintain stable CD activity in bioreactors.


We present a physically inspired model of wax crayons, which synthesizes drawings from collections of user‐specified strokes. Paper is represented by a height‐field texture, and a crayon is modeled with a 2D mask that evolves as it interacts with the paper. The amount of wax deposition is computed based on the crayon contact profile, contact force and friction. Previously deposited wax is smeared by crayon action, based on wax softness and contact information. Deposited wax can also be carved from the paper by the crayon and redeposited at another location. The distributed wax is rendered using a simplified Kubelka–Monk model, which approximates light transmission and scattering effects.


Background : education is undoubtedly one of the most valuable achievements of the Revolution. In medical education, the example of teachers should be a pillar for the teaching of values. Objective : to socialize the life story of Professor Ida Idania Barcena Gallardo, showing her ethical-humanist and patriotic values, in correspondence with the socialist society that is being built. Methods : a qualitative research was developed using the individual interview and the historical method. In addition, unpublished documents were used related to her professional career, the fulfillment of different tasks entrusted, as well as photographs, testimonies, certificates and acknowledgments. Results : the study describes different stages of her school life, her professional career, first as a teacher of Biology and then as a professor of Computer Science, and as an advisor of pedagogical researches. It also deals with her communist political affiliation and mass organizations activism. The paper includes her internationalist participation in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, where she died. Parts of her family life and her dedication as a mother are also described. Conclusions : the study describes the life story of an educator who, through her hardworking, revolutionary and internationalist attitudes, contributed to the formation of several generations of professionals.


6041 Background: Dacomitinib is an irreversible pan-HER TKI with preclinical (EGFRvIII+ cell lines, SCCHN xenografts) and clinical activity (phase II recurrent/metastatic SCCHN; Razak et al, Ann On...


This paper describes the design of a novel charge and discharge circuit for on-line UPS,analyzes the principle.A circuit model is build and the main parameters and experimentat waveforms are given.


There exist many faults featuring by striped distribution and multiphase activity in Wuerxun sag. This study showed that the deep major faults acted as main passages of deep inorganic CO2 migrating upward, which controlled the formation and distribution of CO2 gas reservoirs; the matched relationship between the faulting activity period and the mass expulsion period of hydrocarbon from source rocks controlled the volume of petroleum accumulation into source rocks in Wuerxun sag. There are a great deal of oil and gas expulsed from Nantun source rocks followed by migration and accumulation along late and long-term inherited faults, because of good matched relationship between the second faulting activity period and expulsion period of hydrocarbon in the sag; the major faults extending longer in plane effected as main passages on oil and gas lateral migration in the sag; the good vertical sealing faults controlled the accumulation and distribution in the sag; and good lateral sealing faults dominated the formation of faulted block trap, faulted nose trap and fault-screened trap in Wuerxun sag.


Health entitlements and wisdom pointed to expeditious identification and reverent control of diarrheal had been a crucial part of the CSSM. The health Evidence TM tool was used to 1) find and obtain relevant research evidence; 2) assess the methodological quality of the research evidence, and 3) synthesize the evidence. Individuals must make certain that their occupations do not create any health issues. All people value their jobs since they provide them with a source of money. Some people may not be content, yet they must work in order to make a living. When children work in dangerous industries, it is critical that they receive suitable training and have the necessary skills.


Conclusions In patients with pernicious anemia, the daily excretion of pantothenic acid both before and after administration of 100 mg of its calcium salt was slightly but probably not significantly less than that of healthy individuals studied in the same manner. This indicates there is no impairment of absorption of this compound in patients with pernicious anemia with which is always associated achlorhydria. The possibility must be considered, however, that the lack of hydrochloric acid may make the pantothenic acid in food less available for absorption. This is undergoing further study.


On the basis of the System Theory,brain science and philosophy,we retrospected and questioned present trainological theory and the training idea of "simplifying theory" which includes "train hardly,strictly,practically and with great qantity" as well as "supercompensation".Then we proposed the "whole" training theory and its example.


The past year was remarkable for two occurrences in the field of occupational and environmental medicine. The first is the role that preventive medicine, in its occupational and environmental aspects, played in protecting the health of US forces participating in Operation Desert Storm in the Middle East. Because of preventive actions taken in relation to the ambient working environment, and for the important issues of supplying necessary water and controlling infectious diseases, the half million troops participating in Operation Desert Storm experienced a remarkably low incidence of preventable illness traceable to infectious causes or dehydration. The insistence on proper fluid intake, coupled with infection control at the "worksite," led to a low casualty rate among troops. A major source of morbidity and mortality involved traditional workplace problems such as injuries, including motor vehicle accidents. While clearly nontraditional, an outstanding contribution was made to the overall effort by those who had


Purpose

A research project exploring emerging student needs identified two potentially disruptive shifts for the future of higher education: a shift in balance of power from institutions toward the students and a shift in the purpose of higher education away from job preparation. The research suggests that current drivers are eventually moving toward these shifts but that several "accelerators" may hasten their arrival. The paper aims to describe the process for identifying the emerging needs, the potentially disruptive shifts and key implications for higher education.

Design/methodology/approach

A modified version of the University of Houston's "Framework Foresight" method was used to identify the emerging needs, the disruptive shifts and their implications.

Findings

Emerging student needs suggest two potential disruptive shifts for higher education: shift in balance of power from institutions toward the students and shift in the purpose of higher education away from job preparation.

Practical implications

Current institutions of higher education may need to reconsider their purpose, mission and value proposition in light of these disruptive shifts.

Social implications

Beyond just higher education, there is a need for a larger society-wide dialogue about the emerging future and how to best prepare students for it.

Originality/value

This extensive research carried out from the student perspective suggests disruptive shifts ahead relating to the purpose and future of higher education.


A t the end of several years of participation observation and interviewing residents in two predominantly Black neighborhoods in food deserts, Kenneth Kolb has a bone to pick with many of us. Kolb says that "we" (i.e., academics, the media, and food justice supporters) have it wrong when thinking what problems exist within food deserts. To be fair, Kolb outs himself in the opening of this persuasive book as one of the folks who got it wrong. This book is part mea culpa, part data presentation revealing what the actual problem is, and part encouragement to reframe the debate of what needs alleviating in food deserts. Overall, the book challenges those of us in the "we" to remove our cultural blinders; to learn how to better listen, respect, and incorporate the viewpoints of traditionally disadvantaged individuals; and, in many respects, to force us to work to commit to social justice work that far exceeds the oftcited increasing food access solution that has dominated the national food desert discourse. The important theme to emerge from Kolb's book is that we need to stop thinking that the problem within food deserts is the lack of healthy food access. While the field sites are technically "food deserts" by USDA standards, Kolb's respondents reveal across seven chapters that they are resilient tacticians able to get themselves to grocery stores to purchase the foods that they desire. So what is the actual issue Kolb argues facing residents in food deserts? Retail inequality. What Kolb comes to find over the course of his research is that residents have a long-standing grievance about the types of places they can buy goods in neighborhoods, as opposed to the lack of goods that they want to buy. In short, residents want what they perceive as good retail outlets to replace the bad retail. This is an important distinction to make and becomes the anchor of the book because the solution to this is distinctively different from providing healthy food access. In building a compelling case that the real problem is the lack of good retail to buy from, Kolb starts the book showing how and why we got this wrong. Kolb details his own realization as to how he got it wrong and then provides an


Objective To evaluate the guiding rule of capsule endoscopy (CE) in choosing the access route of double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) for small bowel diseases. Methods Patients with complete CE and with small bowel diseases confirmed by DBE were enrolled. The lesion location found on CE was represented by the time index, which was the ratio of access time from pylorus to lesion over access time from pylorus to ileocecal valve. Based on our previous retrospective evaluation, oral approach was selected when the index was ≤0. 6, otherwise the anal access would he chosen. Accuracy of time index predicting DBE ac- cess rout was evaluated. Results Data of 60 patients undergoing both CE and DBE were evaluated. All lesions detected by CE were confirmed by DBE, with 41 via oral route and 19 via anus. Based on the time index with threshold of 0.6, the accuracy of selecting the insertion route of DBE was 100%. Conclusion DBE is an effective approach to confirm CE results. In patients with complete small bowel investigation by CE, the insertion route for DBE can be reliably indicated with time index based on the CE results.

Key words:
Diagnosis;  Capsule endoscopy;  Double-balloon enteroscopy;  Small intestinal diseases


Comparative analysis commands special attention in financial analysis as it not only facilitates understanding of  year-on-year changes but also of trends in the performance and position of a company. It is often a go-to tool for competitor analysis. In this note, I illustrate the use of  R (software), its allied packages, and textual analysis algorithms to extend the use of comparative analysis to 'unstructured' information presented in the MD&A section of annual reports. For this use case, I consider two giant tech rivals, Apple and Amazon, and present a comparative analysis of their MD&A section using Cosine and Jaccard similarity measures. I also compare the most important words based on tf-idf and sentiments for each company and across the two companies. When supplemented with financial information, comparative analysis can offer novel insights for analysts, managers, researchers, and academics and is a valuable tool to include in accounting curricula.


PURPOSE: To efficiently and satisfactorily form a thin film having a multistage structure by a single process. CONSTITUTION: A translucent film is formed in such a way that the difference between the phases of light passing through a semitranslucent portion 4 and a translucent portion 5 disposed in a mask 1 for photolithography is adjusted to the range from (-1/4+2m)π to (1/4+2m)π (where m is an integer).


Hybrid fuzzy dynamic systems on time scales are developed and practical stability of such systems is discussed by the application of Lyapunov-like functions and comparison principle. AMS (MOS) Subject Classification. 93A13, 93C15, 93D05, 34A37.


Why have the government's coal policy initiatives failed to achieve their desired goals. The answer begins with the nature of coal itself. Relative to its hydrocarbon cousins, oil and natural gas, the production of coal is more dangerous and has significantly greater environmental impact. It is more difficult and expensive to transport and store, and, most importantly, its burning characteristics make for more costly utilization. Added to these inherent disadvantages are the costs associated with environmental and safety legislation. These laws, while necessary in concept, have significantly increased the cost of mining, transporting, storing and using coal, thus offsetting much of the comparative cost advantage to coal from rising OPEC oil prices. In addition, coal was put at a further disadvantage by the fact that the federal government kept oil and natural gas prices below the market level. Other factors adversely affecting coal costs have been higher wages, royalties and severance taxes, as well as increased costs of equipment, supplies, and transportation. The net effect of these conditions is illustrated in a table of 1978 relative costs: coal, 100; low sulfur fuel oil, 81; and natural gas, 70. Shown is a comparison of the relative costs of the three fossilmore » fuel alternatives available to a large industrial user. The annual costs of low sulfur fuel oil and natural gas have been indexed to the relative annual costs of the coal option; that is, coal equals 100. In addition, the percentage distribution of fuel costs and non-fuel costs to the total cost of each alternative is indicated.« less


The level of clinical practice skills in medical students is one of the most important markers to evaluate themedical educational quality. We have designed a new integrative assessing scheme which chiefly evaluates the practicalskills, that is: clinical skills account for 50%, oral test of professional knowledge accounts for 20% ,case analysis 20%,medical history writing 5%, and medical ethics and work discipline 5%. Through the nearly two years' implement,theproject greatly accelerates the cultivation of clinical practice abilities in medical students, enormously promotes thestudents' initiative and consciousness in clinical practice training, and roundly improves the teaching quality of clinicalpractice.


Background: Tumor mutational burden (TMB) is commonly investigated as a biomarker for immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy, but lack of uniform standards in its calculation may be preventing consensus recommendations. Gene panels have mostly supplanted exome sequencing for calculating TMB, but these panels have a strong tendency to overestimate TMB. With TMB cutoffs being developed with panel-based estimates and suggestions to use The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) exome data to model panel data, there is a need to understand how to properly compare values from different assays. Design: Our approach to TMB calibration allows for a nonlinear fit and a heteroscedastic error distribution, utilizes a per-batch read depth augmentation to upsample the exomic data to what would be seen at panel depth, and is trained on a novel tumor-only synthetic dataset generated by utilizing germline as well as somatic calls. Results: We were able to accurately model the distribution of tumor-normal data. Removing hotspots and including synonymous mutations resulted in better regression metrics, as did including NCIt label. Correcting for read depth resulted in a slight increase in the spread of the data but did not affect the model fit. When applying a model trained on tumor-normal data to synthetic tumor-only input there was a dramatic drop in the positive predictive value (PPV) at a TMB of 10. This was largely mitigated by training with synthetic tumor-only input (up to over a 200% improvement in PPV). Conclusions: A deep learning model is capable of accurately modeling the tumor-normal TMB distribution. Using a synthetic tumor-only input for training appears to be a viable strategy for calibrating tumor-only panels.


Motivation Recently, novel biotechnologies to quantify RNA modifications became an increasingly popular choice for researchers who study epitran-scriptome. When studying RNA methylations such as N6-methyladenosine (m6A), researchers need to make several decisions in its experimental design, especially the sample size and a proper statistical power. Due to the complexity and high-throughput nature of m6A sequencing measurements, methods for power calculation and study design are still currently unavailable. Results We propose a statistical power assessment tool, magpie, for power calculation and experimental design for epitranscriptome studies using m6A sequencing data. Our simulation-based power assessment tool will borrow information from real pilot data, and inspect various influential factors including sample size, sequencing depth, effect size, and basal expression ranges. We integrate two modules in magpie: (i) a flexible and realistic simulator module to synthesize m6A sequencing data based on real data; and (ii) a power assessment module to examine a set of comprehensive evaluation metrics. Availability The proposed power assessment tool magpie is publicly available as a R/Bioconductor package at: https://bioconductor.org/packages/magpie/.


AbstractElectrochemical DNA biosensors are promising tools for the fast, inexpensive and simple in vitro analysis for the determination of free radicals and antioxidants. High concentrations of antioxidants in such compounds as phenolic acids and plant extracts, act as free radical terminators which reduce the effect of the oxidative dam-age on DNA. The electrochemical behavior of three representative phenolic acids, caffeic acid, gallic acid and trolox were studied by cyclic voltammetry. Moreover, the determination of the above antioxidants under the optimized conditions (scan rate, deposition potential and time) using differential pulse voltammetry was also investigated. In vitro studies focused on their antioxidative effect were performed by adsorptive transfer stripping voltammetry and dsDNA biosensor. Using Fenton's system, with FeSO4 and H2O2 was chosen as a strong oxidative system. This biosensor was applied as a screening antioxidant test in order to estimate the antioxidant capacity of aqueous herb extracts.


Aim of the Study: To compare efficacy of Esmolol and Fentanyl in attenuation of hemodynamic response during laryngoscopy and endotracheal intubation. Materials and Methods: 50 adult patients were randomly allocated into two Groups, Group E received 0.2mg/kg body weight of iv Esmolol and Group F received 2µg/kg iv Fentanyl, 5 minutes before intubation. Results and Observations: Bolus dose of Esmolol 0.2 mg/kg and Fentanyl 2µg/kg administered 5 minutes before laryngoscopy and endotracheal intubation can effectively reduce the hemodynamic response associated with it. Esmolol and Fentanyl both can provide effective and reliable protection against such cardiovascular responses but cannot abolish it. Observed variance in heart rate, systolic pressure, diastolic pressure and mean arterial pressure during induction, intubation and 1,5,10 min post intubation are comparable across both the groups. Conclusion: Esmolol and Fentanyl both can provide effective and definitive protection against hemodynamic response associated with laryngoscopy and endotracheal intubation when administered 5 minutes before laryngoscopy.


Achieving the ultimate resolution limit of EUV lithography is greatly impeded by the 3D photomask geometry, including an absorber whose thickness is comparable to the minimum lateral dimensions of the pattern, and a reflection plane a similar depth beneath the surface of the multilayer mirror. Rigorous simulations have shown that these effects can in theory be mitigated by adopting a thinner absorber and a multilayer with a reflection plane closer to the surface. But regardless of how rigorously the design is optimized, there is clearly a need to experimentally confirm that the as-built photomask conforms to the simulation's predicted complex electric field. This experimental confirmation is difficult because only the field's intensity is directly observable. One promising approach to unambiguously make this measurement is Zernike phase contrast imaging, which determines the complex electric field from intensity images acquired from a single illumination condition with different phase shifts on the 0 order. In this work we present an extension to a hyperspectral version of the technique. By varying the wavelength, we are able to empirically observe the complicated interaction between absorber, multilayer, pattern, and illumination. We performed an experimental demonstration of the technique on a patterned EUV mask with 60nm TaN absorber using specially fabricated zone plates on the SHARP EUV microscope at the Center for X-Ray Optics. Our results demonstrate the sensitivity of hZPC to both the Fresnel reflectance as well as more subtle 3D effects also observed in rigorous simulations.


The scopes of the journal include, but are not limited to, the following fields: History and culture of food Novel foods and sensory analysis Food quality and safety Food chemistry and toxicology Food microbiology Food nutrition and health Nutraceuticals and functional food Food engineering and physical properties Food laws and regulations Food economics and marketing Concise reviews and hypotheses in food science Any other topic related to food


Paints for plastic parts are trend-setters in the automotive industry. The drive towards increased economy is leading to a simplification of paint systems. Design guidelines in the areas of colour matching, logistics, and the like, however, indicate that expenditures are higher.


Abstract : Four papers resulting from the Bermuda Ocean Acre program are included in this volume. The data are from 14 cruises conducted between October 1967 and June 1972 to sample the midwater fauna of a roughly one-degree square centered at 32 N, 64 W. The first paper presents information that is pertinent to the entire volume, as well as to any future papers; nature and number of samples, kinds of gear, sampling strategy, treatment of samples, methods of analysis, explanation of terminology, and a general description of the oceanography of the study area. The other three papers present detailed treatment of the life histories and ecology of the species in three families of mesopelagic fishes: Sternoptychidae, the marine hatchetfishes and related species, with 7 species in 4 genera; Myctophidae, the lanternfishes, with 63 species in 18 genera; and Melamphaidae, the so-called bigscales, with 15 species in 4 genera. When data are sufficient, the accounts include descriptions, analyses, and proposed explanations (when appropriate) of size ranges of the developmental stages, sex ratio, life cycle and seasonal abundance, vertical distribution of each growth stage, stage and size stratification, presence or absence of vertical migratory behavior, patchiness of distribution, and differences in day versus night catch rates. All three papers consider th partitioning of resources among species in the treated family. The species and samples of Myctophidae were subjected to factor and cluster analyses by season, and the results are discussed in detail. Keywords: Marine biology. (kt)


In the layered compound LiC 6polarized β-active 8Li probe nuclei were produced by captureof polarized thermal neutrons. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of 8Li were recorded via theβ-radiation asymmetry. The 8Li quadrupole coupling constant e2qQ/h , measured in the temperature range T = 5 . .. 500 K decreases with increasing 7 from 45.2(8) to 22.8(4) kHz.Anomalies in the overall temperature dependence are discussed in terms of phase transitionsproposed for LiC6.


Congenital disorders of glycosylation are severe inherited diseases in which aberrant protein glycosylation is a hallmark. Transmembrane protein 165 (TMEM165) is a novel Golgi transmembrane protein involved in type II congenital disorders of glycosylation. Although its biologic function is still a controversial issue, we have demonstrated that the Golgi glycosylation defect due to TMEM165 deficiency resulted from a Golgi Mn2+ homeostasis defect. The goal of this study was to delineate the cellular pathway by which extracellular Mn2+ rescues N‐glycosylation in TMEM165 knockout (KO) cells. We first demonstrated that after extracellular exposure, Mn2+ uptake by HEK293 cells at the plasma membrane did not rely on endocytosis but was likely done by plasma membrane transporters. Second, we showed that the secretory pathway Ca2+‐ATPase 1, also known to mediate the influx of cytosolic Mn2+ into the lumen of the Golgi apparatus, is not crucial for the Mn2+‐induced rescue glycosylation of lysosomal‐associated membrane protein 2 (LAMP2). In contrast, our results demonstrate the involvement of cyclopiazonic acid—and thapsigargin (Tg)‐sensitive pumps in the rescue of TMEM165‐associated glycosylation defects by Mn2+. Interestingly, overexpression of sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+‐ATPase (SERCA) 2b isoform in TMEM165 KO cells partially rescues the observed LAMP2 glycosylation defect. Overall, this study indicates that the rescue of Golgi N‐glycosylation defects in TMEM165 KO cells by extracellular Mn2+ involves the activity of Tg and cyclopiazonic acid–sensitive pumps, probably the SERCA pumps.—Houdou, M., Lebredonchel, E., Garat, A., Duvet, S., Legrand, D., Decool, V., Klein, A., Ouzzine, M., Gasnier, B., Potelle, S., Foulquier, F. Involvement of thapsigargin—and cyclopiazonic acid–sensitive pumps in the rescue of TMEM165‐associated glycosylation defects by Mn2+. FASEB J. 33, 2669–2679 (2019). www.fasebj.org


Abstract The Neolithic flint mines of Britain have been identified as sites of intense flint extraction. They occur chronologically in two phases: the earlier Neolithic examples in Sussex and Wessex (including the sites of Cissbury, Harrow Hill, Blackpatch, Church Hill, Easton Down, Martin's Clump, Long Down and Stoke Down) and the later Neolithic flint mine at Grimes Graves in Norfolk (Barber et al. 1999). Interpretations of prehistoric flint mines have commonly focused on the functional aspects of flint extraction: the method of extraction and quantity of flint that resulted (e.g. Mercer 1981a, 1981b; Sieveking 1979; Sieveking et al. 1973). Only recently has it been argued that prehistoric flint mines were monumental spaces and hence should be considered as monuments in their own right (Russell 2000, 2001). This paper further challenges the functional interpretation of flint mines as simple abstraction sites by discussing hidden in situ chalk art found within them. This art has wider parallels in markings discovered at other Neolithic sites and the examination of these mine and non-mine chalk examples suggests that collectively they indicate an early Neolithic art tradition that has hitherto been ignored.


Background: Software development methodologies adapt customer collaboration in the software development. Because of this, end users of the software participate in the usability testing to give their feedback to the analysts. Objective: The goal of this paper is to explore the design issues of the usability testing from the user's perspective. Method: We followed a systematic approach from the software engineering perspective in preparing the artifacts and conducting the usability testing by defining suitable metrics in a case study. Results: We identified several design issues while performing the usability testing. Metric values and hit-rates of design issues are presented. We also highlighted our lessons learned and recommendations based on our study. Limitations: Our case study is medium sized and results may not be applicable to the industry applications. However, the lessons learned and recommendations from this study are applicable. Conclusion: Users cannot finish complex tasks with no unanswered questions and the identified design issues help in improving user interfaces.


Overseas and domestic scholars have done many researches on how to imp rove enterprises′learning ability, and the researches have already yielded subs tantial results. Based on a lot of literature, the present paper reviews the sta tus-quo and the existent problems of these researches and predicts their future development.


Ninety percent of all tsunamis are generated by earthquakes; however, the remaining 10% are caused by meteorite collisions, volcanic activity, and submarine landslides. Submarine landslides occur due to slope instability, and large-scale submarine landslides can generate very large tsunamis. Therefore, from the viewpoint of disaster prevention, it is important to clarify the generation mechanism and features of submarine landslides. In this research, we compared the features of submarine landslides generated in two different regions, and we calculated their volumes. The first environment is a debris avalanche that occurred by the collapse of a volcanic body; the debris flowed into the sea and generated the Kanpo Tsunami along the Sea of Japan in 1741 in the case of Oshima-Oshima Volcano southwest off Hokkaido in the Japan Sea. A hummocky topography was found from the sea floor at the northern part of Oshima-Oshima, it is assumed to be the debris avalanche in 1741. In the second place, a submarine landslide exists from the continental shelf margin southwest of the Satsuma Peninsula in the southern part of Kyushu up to a depth of 320 m. We calculated the volume of the submarine landslide, and the volumes of the two landslides were similar (-2km3) . However, those distributions and morphology are significantly different. We clarified that these differences are caused by the difference in the environment (topography, width of head wall, collapsed materials, etc.) .